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Gmail for iPad Gets Snazzy Update

Posted by Trey Trawick at 8:01 pm

Gmail has never been known to have the prettiest interface, but the iPad version just got a little more appealing.

Google has done away with the befuddling dual-toolbar system, and has added a stacked-card interface to make it more useable (and much better looking). The new interface also uses CSS3 magic to add transition effects, making it feel less like a website and more like a native application. I think it great that devolopers are trying to make powerful webapps, bringing the cloud closer to home.

If you have an iPad, check it out and report back!

[MacNN]

iPad and Kindle Examined Under a Microscope

Posted by Trey Trawick at 2:34 pm

Keith over at BIT-101 took some awesome pictures of the displays on his iPad and Kindle using a USB microscope at 26x and 400x magnification. If you’ve ever wondered what the big deal was with eInk and how it differs from a standard LCD, now is your chance to see both up close. It interesting how well eInk mimics real ink compared to pixels on an LCD. He also took pictures of text from a book, magazine, and newspaper to compare to the modern counterpart. Sadly, he couldn’t test the iPhone 4′s impressive retina display.

Do you think digital displays ever be able to match the readability of ink (or eInk)?

[BIT-101]

Adobe Totally Over the iPhone

Posted by Trey Trawick at 3:58 pm

Well, it’s official. Adobe and Apple have broken up. After bickering back and forth for what seemed like an eternity, they have finally parted ways, and Adobe will no longer try to develop for the iPhone or iPad.

“They’ve made their choice. We’ve made ours and we’ve moved on.”

“Apple made some statements about the suitability of our technology for mobile devices,” he says softly.

For years, Adobe has been trying to get Flash on the iPhone, but Apple has refused to adopt the platform because of security and performance reasons.

“They’ve chosen to keep their system closed and we’d rather work with partners who are interested in working with us.”

“Our doors are open,” says Narayen. “You will have to ask them about their part.”

It’s too bad, in my experience Flash works beautifully on Android, and I believe that Apple and Adobe could have had a wonderful relationship if Steve Jobs just gave them a chance.

If you really want to use Flash on your iDevice, check out Frash, an iOS Flash port by comex.

[Telegraph]

Locktopus Review: Security Simplified

Posted by Jonathan Kizer at 7:51 pm

Isn’t it ironic that jailbreaking offers so many ingenious security tweaks nowhere to be found in the Apple ecosystem? Locktopus is one of those tweaks, offering simple and intuitive security.

locktopus

Basically, Locktopus adds the functionality to prevent just anyone from accessing individual apps. It gives you the ability to make apps require a password before launching themselves and allowing anyone to view your information. It adds the Apple flair to security apps in Cydia.

Read on for the full review!
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App Pack: Honor Student Edition

Posted by Trey Trawick at 3:22 am

If you’re the student who bought every book that your professor said you would need, and if you don’t wait until the last possible minute to write your Western Civ essay, then these apps will be perfect for you.

Blackboard Mobile Learn

Ahh, Blackboard. Some love it, some hate it, but almost every college uses it. It is an e-Classroom that houses all your assignments, grades, and nightmares. But, the Blackboard team has done an excellent job at creating an iPad app that works with the popular service, so you can finish that assignment that’s not due for two more weeks from anywhere. The application looks just like a -you guessed it- blackboard, and has most of the features of the full website. If you have an iPad and your school uses Blackboard, then give this free app a try. The only downside is that if your school hasn’t enabled Blackboard Mobile then the app won’t work, but it’s definitely worth a try.

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App Store Volume Purchase Program Announced

Posted by Jonathan Kizer at 7:58 pm

The title (and photo) pretty much say it all, but now you can buy apps in bulk. Kind of, because it isn’t for everyone.

We’re pleased to announce the App Store Volume Purchase Program. Education institutions in the United States now have a new way to purchase your apps in volume for distribution to their students and faculty. You can also elect to offer special education pricing on your app when purchased in volume.

Read more about the App Store Volume Purchase Program and how to get started in iTunes Connect.

This is mostly aimed at educational institutions to distribute apps that they deem necessary in mass. To do this, you must purchase vouchers via the Apple Store for Education, priced from $100.00 to $10,000.00. These vouchers can then be distributed to program facilitators and then redeemed in the App Store.

Complicated? Yes. Useful for educational institutions? I’m sure. This really shows Apple taking even more initiative to entice college campuses, and even the general educational landscape, into buying more Apple products.

Have questions? Apple’s set up a FAQ.

[TiPB]

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Frash Ported to the iPhone

Posted by Trey Trawick at 7:37 am

Frash, the unofficial Flash-on-iOS project, has successfully been ported to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Previously, it was only available for the iPad. Frash was created by comex, the Dev-Team member responsible for the latest jailbreak.

The current build is still in its infancy, but it’s safe to say that it works much better than Apple’s nonexistent implementation. The installation process is simple, and only requires you to copy a single file over to your jailbroken device using SSH.

Hit the source for the full instructions, and let us know how it works!

[Redmond Pie]

iPad App Store Adds Genius Recommendations

Posted by Trey Trawick at 1:09 pm

Apple has been busy making changes to the App Store lately, and has introduced Genius recommendations to the iPad’s App Store, so finding new apps is now even easier.

Just like the iPhone version, it works by analyzing apps you have already downloaded and showing you similar apps that you might enjoy. The App Store now also gives you the option to purchase the iPad versions of iPhone apps you have. This is much easier than having to search for each app manually. It’s nice to see that Apple is further unifying the App Store from platform to platform.

[Cnet]

4G Networks Growing, LTE Trials to Begin Soon

Posted by Trey Trawick at 9:33 pm

The future of mobile internet is drawing closer; Clearwire has announced that it will begin rolling out LTE trials in select cities in the next few months, allowing compatible phones to have near-WiFi speeds. Sadly, this doesn’t affect AT&T customers, but AT&T does plan to roll out their 4g network in 2011, and it’s possible that Apple has something up its sleeve for this. Sprint is the proud owner of the only major 4g network in the US, which should encourage some competition from other carriers, and get the ball rolling a little faster.

* Initial Tests Expected to Demonstrate Real-World Download Speeds Ranging from 20-70 Mbps, Significantly Faster than the 5-12 Mbps Expected from Other Operators in the U.S.

The trials will be in Phoenix, Arizona, but Clearwire hopes to double its 4g network to cover 120 million people by the end of the year. (Although this does not apply to AT&T’s LTE network, it does show 4g’s rapid growth potential.)

If Apple does release a slightly updated iPhone, it is possible that it will be 4g-ready in order to compete with certain Android phones. It certainly is the way of the future, although Apple has been known to be slow to adopt new technology.

[MocoNews]

Read on for the full press release.

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