About a month ago, the TikTok and LunaTik iPod Nano watch (iWatch?) kits popped up on KickStarter and became an overnight sensation. The project had an initial funding goal of a modest $15,000, but the overwhelming popularity caused the project to earn a grand total of $941,558 from 13,510 different backers—the largest amount in KickStarter history.

There are many wrist straps available for the Nano, but nearly all are cheap and flimsy. The LunaTik is designed to perfectly match the Nano’s build quality and aesthetic for users who want to transform their Nano into a watch more permanently.

TikTok and LunaTik simply transform the iPod Nano into the world’s coolest multi-touch watches. The idea to use the Nano as a watch was an obvious one ever since the product was announced. But we wanted to create a collection that was well designed, engineered and manufactured from premium materials and that complemented the impeccable quality of Apple products. Not just clipped on a cheap strap as an afterthought. We wanted to create a product that your friends and strangers would stop you and ask “WTF is that??? And where can I get one?!”

If Apple adds WiFi to the next Nano revision (and keeps the same form factor), it could be made into a formidable Star Trek Communicator-like device, capable of controlling stereos and beaming up Scotties. Every geek’s dream.

The TikTok and LunaTik kits will retail for $34.95 and $69.95 respectively, and expect to ship in 6-8 weeks.

[KickStarter]

I have no words to describe how incredible this is. It’s a real time translation app that uses the camera on iOS 4.0+ devices to literally replace the words displayed with next to no lag. ¡Es asombroso! (Y gratuito, pero los paquetes de idioma costará 4,99 dólares.)

Do yourself a favor and just watch the video.

[Word Lens] [iTunes]

While American users have to wait (and wait) for tools like ultrasn0w to unlock our iPhones, our lucky neighbors to the north can simply ring up their carrier and kindly ask for their device to be unlocked. (For a $50 fee.)

It’s a new policy Rogers is introducing that applies to most cellular devices bought through them including “consumer phones, smartphones, embedded laptops, and rocket sticks depending on manufacturer restrictions.”

The restrictions are pretty tight (for example “no grey market devices”), but that is expected. In an ideal world, there wouldn’t be contracts, carrier locks, or exclusivity deals to begin with, but this is the next best thing.

To have a device unlocked, a customer must:

• Have an account in good standing
• Have paid the un-subsidized / no term cost for the device at least 30 days prior OR have finished their Commitment Period (contract)
• Unlock a device which is listed in their equipment history (no grey market devices)
• Pay a $50 unlocking fee plus applicable taxes (note: prepaid customers must have a $50 plus the applicable taxes, balance on their account)

[iPhone in Canada]

Clear’s iSpot 4G mobile hotspot is on sale for $20 today, down from the regular price of $99. Service is $25/month for unlimited bandwidth, with no speed cap. Clear is the 4G provider for Sprint’s WiMAX, and offers download speeds that come impressively close to WiFi.

Get more out of your iPad™, iPod Touch®., and iPhone®. with our blazing fast unlimited 4G coverage and the CLEAR iSpot (for just $20). Your Apple mobile devices just got sweeter.

• Unlimited data with blazing down- and upload speeds.
• 2 CLEAR email addresses included.
• Mobile coverage for one user.
• No contract needed.

If you’re looking to transform your iPod Touch into a makeshift iPhone, or use your WiFi iPad like the 3G model it always wanted to be, check out the iSpot. Mobile hotspots are a huge help if you travel a lot, and are available from most networks. Pricing may vary depending on the carrier, but $25 per month for 4G is a killer deal if you’re lucky enough to have a tower near you.

4G towers are still being rolled out across the US, so make sure to check availability in your area first.

[Clear] Thanks 42395_skyline!

EA is having a blowout sale on the App Store just in time for the holidays. Most titles (including the recently released Sim City Deluxe, which is regularly $6.99) are now just $.99.

** SAVE OVER 90% IN OUR BIGGEST SALE EVER! ALL-TIME LOWEST PRICES ON OVER 70 EA GAMES!! GET ‘EM! GIFT ‘EM! NOW! **

An overview of all the games available can be found here. It’s unknown how long this sale will last, so it’s best to snag a few while you still can.

I have been reluctant to purchase a remote desktop app for my iPad.  Most of the affordable apps were reported to be unreliable and reputable options were too expensive.  I have used LogMeIn to access a work PC from my home PC, but wasn’t willing to shell out $30 for the iPad app I would rarely use.  A solid app is now being offered for free from Wyse in the form of PocketCloud.

PocketCloud for the iPhone, iPad and Android has already sold over 250,000 copies.  It has received stellar reviews from ComputerWeekly.com, Forbes.com and BusinessWeek.com.  Wyse has been around for 30 years, evolving from the days of mainframes and minicomputers.

The app is not a lite version.  It is fully fledged, was easy to install and worked over Wifi and 3G.  However, to access multiple computers, use advanced security, VGA-out and the ability to connect with VMWare’s technology, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version for $14.99. 

The app is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad running iOS 3.0 or later.

[AllThingsDigital]

Apple has confirmed that the Mac App Store will be opening on January 6st, the first day of C.E.S. 2011.

“The App Store revolutionized mobile apps,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store by making finding and buying PC apps easy and fun. We can’t wait to get started on January 6.”

The Mac App Store will be similar to its current iOS counterpart for both users and developers. Applications can easily be downloaded and updated, and the discovery features on the App Store will make finding new reliable apps less problematic then scouring Google and hoping for the best. Along with the imminent release of Cydia for Mac, it seems that iOS and OS X are converging more quickly than anticipated.

Developers who want their apps to be included in the grand opening need to submit them by December 31st.

Read on for the full press release.

[Apple]

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The incredibly adorable and addictive World of Goo is now available for the iPad! It is $9.99, which is somewhat steep for an iOS game, but if you’ve played the desktop version then you know it’s worth every penny. Plus, World of Goo is a landmark indie game and wasn’t created by some major studio, so the least you can do is show your support. (Donate to the Humble Indie Bundle while you’re at it!)

World of Goo is a perfect match for the iPad, and will undoubtedly skyrocket to the top of the App Store charts where it rightly belongs.

World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys.
Drag and drop living, squirming, talking, globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins, and giant tongues.
The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore – but they don’t know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious.

[iTunes]

Apple has made some questionable interface changes with iTunes over the past few months (most notably the sideways control buttons), and while they generally pride themselves on their UI consistency, iTunes seems out of place when compared side-by-side with other native applications. Jonny Garrill has designed a mockup of a streamlined iTunes interface that follows the same theme as Quicktime X.

His revised design offers a simplified layout without sacrificing any important information, and brings iTunes back to its roots as a simple music player.

Check out the source for the full breakdown of the various UI changes and enhancements. This is just a concept, and no actual modifications are available for download. Hopefully Apple will use the upcoming release of OS X Lion to de-clutter and speed up iTunes, like they have with Quicktime.

(more…)