If you thought iOS5 looked tasty on the iPhone, it’s downright mouth-watering on the iPad. Here’s a video guide of all of our favorite new features—including that split keyboard you’ve been dreaming about. More »
If you’re like us, you’ve spent entirely too much time wondering how the movie Rear Window might have played out differently, had someone just handed Jimmy Stewart’s character an iPad to play with. With the introduction of the Super Gear Telescope, it seems that the plot would’ve been mostly the same, just as soon as he finished beating Angry Birds. The Brando add-on brings 6x zoom to the iPad 2 and generally looks far less awkward than its iPhone predecessor. All in all, $26 seems like a small price to pay to see what the neighbors are looking at on their own iPads.
Brando’s iPad 2 telescope is perfect for watching the next Apple keynote originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Gizmodo | 
Brando | Email this | Comments
The Downcast podcast catcher does what the iPhone (and iPad) should do already
ICloud SchmiCloud. Apple’s new non-syncing sync service might already let us iOS users get new apps and books and — in the future music — pushed to our devices, but it still doesn’t push podcasts. As these are likely the most often updated things on our iPhones and iPads, it’s an annoying oversight.
There are several iOS apps that will grab podcasts directly to your device, but Downcast is the first I have found that has a great interface, and works on both the iPad and the iPhone.
To use the app, you first have to tell it which podcasts to watch out for. This can be done from a built-in directory, or by importing an OPML file. If you already use iTunes for podcasts, you can export this file (right click “Podcasts” in the left-hand source list, choose export and pick “OPML” as the format), put it in your Dropbox public folder and then point Downcast to that file.
In use, Downcast has almost every feature from my previous favorite, Podcaster, but without the annoyances. First, the interface is way, way cleaner and easier to use. Second, it doesn’t refuse to download episodes of the excellent VFX Show. And third, it doesn’t have tiny play/pause buttons that cause you to skip a track instead of just pausing it.
What it does have is automatic downloading (suck it, Instacast), the ability to not have the next episode auto play, a sleep timer, AirPlay support for both video and audio and — here’s the big one — gestures.
Gestures let you control playback without having to hunt down a tiny on-screen button. To play/pause, you double-tap with one finger. Swipe left or right with two fingers to skip 30 seconds back and forward, and swipe up and down to mark a podcast as listened or unlistened.
I’d ask for just one thing: the ability to sync my playback position between devices. At home I use my iPad more, but when I go out I grab my iPod Touch. Not having to find my place would be great, although I understand syncing is a tricky and expensive thing to set up.
But the best part is the price. Downcast is just $2.
Downcast product page [App Store]
See Also:
Over in the UK, Sky TV is streamlining its efforts to serve up TV channels away from the TV by launching the new Sky Go service July 6th. It combines and replaces the existing online Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV services into one offering that’s free for subscribers, and in August will open up to those who don’t have Sky TV service for between £15-£40 per month. The new package also means changes for Sky Player on the Xbox 360 (which has its own changes in store) and Fetch TV, which will now just be “Sky” and will no longer count as one of the two allowed Sky Go device activations. Check the link below for the full list of channels which includes all the Sky Sports feeds, MTV, Disney and even ESPN without requiring the WatchESPN app we have in the US. There are a few drawbacks however, as it drops support for Windows Media Center and so far only iOS devices (running version 4.0 or higher – no first gen iPod Touches allowed) are on the approved list, but the official FAQ mentions an Android version on the way this year.
Continue reading Sky Go consolidates live TV streaming on UK PCs and iOS devices next month
Sky Go consolidates live TV streaming on UK PCs and iOS devices next month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 06:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Sky | Email this | Comments
They hacked Facetime onto the iPhone 3GS, and now they’ve done it again — the iPhoneIslam team’s bringing cellular calling and texting to your jailbroken iPad 3G. We haven’t been able to test it for ourselves quite yet, but the new PhoneIt-iPad app should be available through the team’s Cydia repository right now, and it’ll cost $20 to bring out the full potential of your slate. And with that, it’s only a matter of time before iPad sidetalking becomes a meme.
PhoneIt-iPad available via Cydia now, claims it’ll turn your iPad 3G into a phone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 04:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink @iTarek (Twitter) | iPhoneIslam | Email this | Comments
Tired of the same old PC-enabled photo booth popping up at every wedding, Bar Mitzvah, and Secretary’s Day celebration you attend? Well, you’re not alone — a German photographer named Rocco has tapped his apparent frustration over the conventional photo booth rig to create his very own iPad-connected setup. Rocco’s arrangement features a Nikon DSLR, wireless flash trigger, and an iPad, using the ShutterSnitch app, stuffed into a little black box and connected to a foot pedal that allows partiers to hit the switch when they see fit. Once captured, the photos are transferred to the iPad’s screen, allowing subjects to browse and email their favorite look-how-wacky-I-am shots. If you’re looking to upgrade your photo booth setup for your next Rapture BBQ or World IPV6 Day celebration, follow the source link for instructions.
[Thanks, Chris]
DIY iPad photo booth captures the moments you might be too drunk to remember originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | ifun | Email this | Comments
Several 9to5Mac readers noticed a rather peculiar phenomenon this last week — their freshly-ordered Verizon iPad 2 units shipped all the way from China just fine, only to boomerang back to sender right before delivery time. Now, Reuters has the official word: Apple’s recalling an “extremely small number” of Verizon iPad 2s which were flashed with a duplicate MEID code. Should they have been delivered, users would probably have found themselves unable to connect to 3G, or booted off before long, as Verizon reportedly can only have one device with that unique identifier on the network at once. We’re not sure whether to applaud, but it’s good to see manufacturers taking responsibility for their hardware before it hits shelves.
Update: We spoke with Apple about this, who wouldn’t give us much beyond the official quote — which is, for the record: “Duplicate MEID codes were flashed onto an extremely small number of iPad units for the Verizon 3G network.” That said, we were able to confirm that a few of these 3G iPad 2s sneaked through and got into the hands of customers. Apple is, of course, replacing those free of charge, so if you’re in possession of a brand new iPad that was never able to get on 3G… you know who to call.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Apple returns a few Verizon iPad 2s to sender (updated: some got through) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 9to5 Mac, Reuters | Email this | Comments
How can you “be what’s next” without having what’s next on your phone? Bing is here to help you fulfill its tagline by updating its mobile site for any device that runs HTML5. If the update had a highlight reel to show off the newest features, here’s what would be on it: a carousel-like interface in the news section that lets you swipe your finger left or right to switch to other categories; maps that show directions together in split-screen format; a search history complete with trending topics; and the ability to share images and links on Facebook. The new enhancements are now available to iOS, Android, and BlackBerry, so it’s an easy jaunt over to your browser to check it out. Or, if you’re reading this on your phone, give the ol’ More Coverage link a quick tap.
Bing Mobile updated, news and maps get minor facelifts originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Bing | Email this | Comments
Roger Ebert’s Great Movies app hits iOS devices, pulls you from your Netflix-recommended slump originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink @ebertchicago (Twitter) | iTunes | Email this | Comments
Do you like the clean, classic aesthetic of book-binder style iPad cases, but also crave the utility of cases with built-in stands? Pad & Quill has you covered with its new Contega, a “bookbindery handmade” case with some fancy extras.
The Contega is made from card and leather, with a wooden interior frame to hold your iPad 2. Closed, it looks almost identical to any other bookbindery case. When you open it, though, you see that there is a second hinge around back which lets the section containing the iPad swing out. The two parts of the cover then form a triangular easel which holds the iPad up for watching movies and the like.
The pocket from Pad & Quill’s other iPad 2 case — the Octavo — has been moved from the inside cover to a hidden position behind the iPad itself. This should stop annoying flapping.
The man behind Pad & Quill, Brian Holmes, tells me that the new case holds the iPad 2 even more firmly than before. Given that the Octavo I tested is the snuggest case I have ever used, this means that you can be fairly confident that your tablet won’t take an unexpected dive.
The Contega comes in three internal color options and costs $90. Available June 23rd.
Contega [Pad & Quill. Thanks, Brian!]
See Also:
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
