Jonathan S. Geller, founder of BGR, is reporting that Office for iOS and Android will be available in November:

Whether or not you believe it is up to you, but the move would certainly be smart for Microsoft. Getting Office on all major tablet platforms will ensure that the suite lives on in an entirely post-PC world, should the world ever get to the post-PC state. Contrarily, opponents to that argument suggests that Office on a Microsoft tablet would be a sure-fire way to get the enterprise interested in Microsoft again. There’s no way to tell just where this rumor is heading, but Microsoft has done pretty well with the Office:Mac version of their popular suite. While the suite is a little hobbled in OS X, a similar lite-ish version for iOS and Android and a full-fledged version for Windows 8 Mobile could be something the company considers moving forward.

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The application will sell for $9.99 and includes an SSH Terminal app built in, syntax highlighting, remote file editing, AirPreview, which turns your iPad into a Coda preview monitor, and a document shelf.

Long story short, if you ever find yourself having to make some edits to your website while you’re barreling down the highway at 60 MPH, you’re gonna want to pick up Diet Coda before putting rubber to asphalt. We’ve got a feeling this is going to be a must-have application.

We also have to ask, what happened to Coda Zero?

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

If you’re a proud owner of a third generation iPad, you’ll know that non-Retina applications stick out like sore thumbs. You’ll be reading your beautiful smooth text, and then your eyes stumble across a low resolution button. Oh, the jaggies! Up until recently, the premium service Hulu Plus was delivered on your iPad via a non-Retina app. All of the eyes were sad. Good news, though! Hulu Plus has been updated this week to take advantage of the third generation iPad’s 2048×1536 display.

Along with Retina support comes genre-based browsing of content, a re-written video player, a revamped graphical user interface, improved AirPlay and HDMI output support, and a handful of bug fixes. The app, of course, is free, but you need to subscribe to the $7.99 Hulu Plus service. It’s available in the US, but it almost certainly doesn’t work anywhere else — unless you know what you’re doing.

Is Hulu Plus not providing enough entertainment? Well, why don’t you check out Macgasm TV? We have dozens of videos with useful information and hilarious banter. If you’re not already subscribed, you can get it directly in iTunes if that is what blows your skirt up.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

When you’re in a dark or poorly lit room, plugging in your phone is a hassle. You feel around for the slot, and then you try jamming it in the wrong way. Small inconveniences add up, and there is no reason to keep banging your head against the wall if there is a clever solution. That’s why this Kickstarter project is clever as hell.

CordLite looks like your everyday standard 30-pin dock connector for your iOS device of choice, but when you pick it up, it starts to glow. That’s right — it is touch sensitive. Pick it up, find the slot, plug it in. You don’t have to turn it on or off. “It just works.”

Scrap Pile Labs, the designers of CordLite, are based out of Florida, and they’re looking for a minimum funding of $70,000 USD. As of writing, they are just under the $30,000 mark with 36 days to go. If you’re interested in ordering a CordLite of your very own, all you have to do is back the project for $30 USD or more. US shipping is free, but you’re going to need to add $10 USD for everywhere else. Even better, you can pick between black or white plastic to match your device. Maybe pick up a white one for you and a black one for your significant other.

For those of you who are interested in this technology for other devices, the developers are working on a MicroUSB version, but it is Apple-only for the time being.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

If you’re looking for a sleek and affordable stand to use with your iPad while you’re typing on a bluetooth keyboard, this is right up your alley. WINGStand is a a set of small plastic clips that can attach to your Apple keyboard. Once you have them in place, slip your iPad (or iPhone, miscellaneous other tablets and phones) down in the resting groove, and type away.

Available in white or black, the WINGStand is a perfect solution for the coffee shop writer type that likes to work while sipping their espresso. Even if you’re not typing, these tiny plastic legs are small enough to fit in your pocket, so all you need to do is stuff these in your pants, shove your iPad under your arm, and walk out the door — ready to show off your Keynote presentation over lunch.

If you’d like to know more about the history behind this neat product, you should head on over to the WINGStand website and read their making-of. Of course, there is a snazzy highly-produced video of the product for you to gawk at after the jump.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Pac-Man

Who doesn’t love the little yellow pizza chasing after dots and fruit? No one I know or care about, that’s for sure. For only $4.99 USD in the App Store, you can relive your misspent youth. No more pumping machines full of quarters now that we have credit cards and Paypal.

Tetris

If there was a stop watch that measured how much time I’ve spent in every activity I partake in, I would worry that playing Tetris would be right up at the top. Make those blocks fall with just a quick swipe and $2.99 USD on the App Store.

Frogger

Many people’s first interaction with video games was Frogger. Navigate the green guy through a busy highway and speeding stream to safety without getting squished into green goo. You can get up on the Frogger tip with Frogger Pad for only $0.99 USD on the App Store.

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Flipboard is a fantastic interface to your world online. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Reader, and anything else you’re into can be tossed into Flipboard and made into a glossy magazine. The one aspect of social media that it was missing was audio. As of today, Flipboard now integrates with Soundcloud so you can listen to the jams and podcasts that your friends and favorite artists create right inside of Flipboard. Never before has there been such a wonderful app to experience your favorite media in one place. Included with the Soundcloud integration are dozens of recommended audio feeds for your listening pleasure right in the content guide.

Worth noting is the addition of VoiceOver support in this version of Flipboard. Now visually impaired iOS users can more easily navigate Flipboard so they enjoy great content right alongside of people with normal vision. It’s nice to see an effort to serve the disabled, and we certainly would like to see more like this in all applications across the board.

Also in this update is Readability support, Japanese localization, and the ability to drill down into separate sections of social networks on the iPhone version of Flipboard. As always, Flipboard is completely free, and there is no indication of how they ever plan to make money.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Today we’re introducing a new feature here on Macgasm. From time to time we’re going to be including a poll in a hot-topic post that asks you to weigh in on the topic. After a week, approximately, we’re going to write up the results of our findings.

So, here we go.

Last week we asked you if you would pay a subscription fee for Sparrow’s announced Push services in their iOS applications. While we don’t know the price, or how the company plans on releasing the subscription, we do know how you feel about the idea: 82.95 percent of you told us that you will not be paying a subscription fee for Sparrow’s Push email service. The other 17.05 percent of you said that you planned on paying for the service.

Some quick thoughts on the findings

Push email is not all that necessary for a majority of users. While it’s handy, it’s certainly not something that most actually “need” if they find themselves having to pay for it. So, we’re not overly suprised by the findings. Plus, if you really want Push services in your email, you could just head to Apple’s Mail app in iOS. They provide it for free.

Also, in the future, it may make more sense for us to figure out the price point at which people are willing to pay for the service. But, since this is our first Ask and Tell, we’ll have these things figured out in no time flat.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Sometimes a smart cover doesn’t cut it. You’re a powerful executive, and you want people to know that you’re special. That’s why you want this “Leather Agenda” iPad case from Vaja.

It’s designed to attach securely, keep your iPad safe from bumps with its padding, and to stay relatively slim. It is made of leather and has a two-tone design. A snazzy elastic band keeps it closed. This is the pinnacle of classy iPad cases, and you’ll be the envy of everyone in the boardroom.

Better yet, you can completely customize your order to fit your color scheme. If the brown and cream is too drab for you, why not try out Mauve Wine and Galapagos Green? Yes, those are actually colors you can choose. For $220.00 USD, customizability is the least you can ask for. Keep in mind, it will take about twenty days for your custom “Leather Agenda” case to be made and then shipped out. Quality can’t be rushed, you know.

Is this the iPad case of your dreams? Did you find a kickass color combination? Let us know by taking a moment to sound off in the comment section below this post. All you need is a Twitter or Facebook account to log in.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

While the key points from Macquarie Equities Research are quite vague on the whole, we can take away that the company believes Google could introduce the browser as soon as Q2 2012. If history is any indicator, getting the browser into Apple’s App Store could take a while. Google Voice took a pretty long time to get approved on the App Store. We should also keep in mind that Apple may be looking to update Safari as well with iOS likely getting an upgrade and announcement at this year’s WWDC conference in June.

I’m not one of those people who claim competition for everything is a great idea, but this time, I have to say, I’m looking forward to whatever Google releases so long as it makes it to the App Store. Safari’s minimalistic approach in iOS, and more specifically on the iPhone, is great, but it’s certainly starting to feel a little bit dated. It’s time the mobile web browser gets some revolutionary attention in the mobile space. I’d love to see what a new approach could bring to the table. I’m not sold that Google will be the one to innovate or even bring the browser to iOS, but I’ll be interested to hear how this plays out nonetheless. The mobile browser needs a new direction, and hopefully someone smarter than I figures that one out, and soon.

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Additionally, the new in browser version of the application is built to look and feel more like the Mac application. Users can also add entire ablums to playlists, as well as some new social features. The OS X version of the application also users 32 percent less processor power, thank goodness.

For those not in the know, Rdio is a music streaming service much like Spotify. Personally I prefer it to Spotify, so I recommend checking it out. Rdio has a free 7 day trial for their streaming service. It’s pretty nifty. The service is available in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Portugal, and the UK as well as New Zealand.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

When the iPad launched, the dumbest of the dumb pundits went off half-cocked about how it is a consumption device that has no use as a creative tool. Clearly, they couldn’t be more wrong. People are using their iPads to make movies, compose music, write novels, and draw great works of art. Wouldn’t it be great if you could use the iPad to paint as well? Well, that is the goal of this capacitive paintbrush.

The Sensu brush is a stylus that works with any capacitive screen (pretty much every touchscreen device sold uses this technology). What makes it special is that once you remove the cap, your stylus is also a paintbrush. No, you’re not dipping it in paint, but you can use it to mimic the strokes and movements you make when painting on a canvas. When you combine this great technology with an app like Paper, you can actually come incredibly close to replicating the painting experience without any of the mess, and a tiny fraction of the cost.

If you want your very own Sensu, you can pick it up from their online store for only $39.99 USD. As it stands, you can only buy it in the US, but international sales are promised to be in the works.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

The technology safe decal is made of vinyl and only costs $5.00 USD for 1 White Macbook decal, 1 Black iPad decal, and 1 silver iPhone decal. Decal All the Apple stuff for $5.00.

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The image, once returned from Autodesk, will actually provide a realistic 360 degree image that users can rotate and zoom in and out from. According to Autodesk, customesr will be able to upload 40 images at a time.

Man, anyone want to do up a 3D Macgasm logo? 123D Catch looks pretty sweet.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Photoshop Touch, the tablet equivalent of Photoshop Elements, has been updated to version 1.2. While there are a number of substantial updates, one big problem remains: no Retina graphics. If you’re running Photoshop Touch on a third generation iPad, you’ll be greeted with a burry, pixelated UI. It is hard to recommend this app to anyone with a new iPad until this has been fixed.

That said, the updates are nice, and they make the app more useful. Previously, the maximum resolution for a photo was 1600 px by 1600 px with a maximum of 16 layers. That is still the default, but now the maximum resolution can be increased in the preferences to 2048 px by 2048 px with a maximum of 10 layers. It’s a non-trivial improvement.

Here are some of the other updates:

• Automatic synchronization with Creative Cloud? available in 6 languages (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Italian).
• ?Added export to PSD and PNG via Camera Roll or email.
• ?Improved rotate and flip image workflow.
• Added ability to transfer images to desktop via iTunes.
• Added two new Tutorials.
• Added four new Effects (Watercolor Paint, HDR Look, Soft Light and Soft Skin).
• Corrected the supported languages in iTunes.
• Fixed Facebook login issue (displays “Success”).

If you’re still on an iPad 2, then you’re set. I’m sure you don’t mind the lower resolution anyway. New iPad users, however, need to steer clear for the time being.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

What could we expect in a new mapping system in iOS? 9to5 Mac elaborates:

9to5 Mac seems to think that the new Maps application will be released at WWDC alongside iOS 6. Like we said off the top, a new mapping solution in iOS has been rumored for years, and the rumors reached their peak when people began realizing that the new iPhoto application for iOS left behind Google Maps for an OpenStreetMap-based system.

I haven’t used the Maps app on my phone in ages, but I certainly wouldn’t mind a reworking of the app, especially if it means that we finally get our hands on a turn-by-turn system on the device. How fantastic would that be? Heck I’d settle for something that actually shows me where I’m standing in relation to the buildings around me.

Via: 9to5Mac

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

An untethered iOS 5.1 jailbreak is just around the corner according to Chronic Dev Team hacker Pod2g. Pod2G took to Twitter to spill the beans. The jailbreak is already in testing, and works on most iOS devices that run iOS 5.1. The hack isn’t quite ready for production yet, needing some more fine-tuning and packaging, but rest assured, it’s close. Pod2G has also released a video on YouTube showing the jailbreak in action.

Not really much else to report. That said, there’s no word on if the iOS 5.1 jailbreak will work with Apple’s latest 5.1.1 iOS patch earlier this week. If we hear more, we’ll be sure to let you know!

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Instapaper, the progenitor of the save-for-later reading apps, has seen substantial updates in recent months. The 4.0 update back in October was huge as far as user-facing changes went, and the point releases were non-trivial as well since they brought back the old-style list view for the iPad. This week, Instapaper 4.2 has launched with completely revamped pagination.

If you’re a fan of the skeuomorphic design of iBooks, this update will tickle your fancy. An optional page-curl pagination function has been added to simulate actually reading a newspaper, magazine, or a book. If that kind of frilliness isn’t up your alley, you’re not left out in the cold. “Fast pagination mode” is available and has been completely redone to make it more accurate and snappier. Instead of the old scrolling method, a draggable dot-bar has now been added as well.

That’s not all, though. Here is a list of other changes added in 4.2:

• New two-finger-swipe gesture to close an article
• Full-screen now has “Auto” mode to switch to full screen after a few seconds
• The subtle Twilight Sepia color tint can now be selected at any time
• Added sharing to Drafts and the upcoming Quotebook 2.0
• Many bugfixes and performance improvements

This is a free update for existing users. If you don’t already have Instapaper, the app continues to retail for $4.99 USD.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Business Insider reported:

Good. Open Fient-like integration would be a lot more useful than Game Center-esque integration. It’s also nice to see Google understanding that gaming on the mobile device is a key element in the iPhone’s success.

Most of you are probably thinking that I’m being hard on Game Center, but ask yourself this, when was the last time you used it for anything other than a leader board? There’s so much more Game Center could be, and we’re really hoping that Apple plans on addressing that with iOS 6 and Mountain Lion. We know Game Center is coming to OS X 10.8, but what we don’t know yet is whether or not anything drastic will be done to spruce up the paint on the service. It certainly needs it at this point.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

What is 2048pixels?

There are a lot of fantastic options available. We recommend heading over there and checking them out, especially if you’re into changing your wallpapers every single day.

Great find by our buddy Alex Heath over at Cult of Mac.

Via: Cult Of Mac

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

While speaking at the opening of its new China headquarters in Shanghai, Foxconn chief Terry Gou told the press that Apple is currently splitting the initial costs of improving the factory conditions in China right down the middle, a 50/50 split.

Reuters managed to grab an important quote from the Foxconn chief:

Sadly, there aren’t too many companies who put their money where their mouth is when it comes to improving worker conditions in far off places that are out of sight of average customers. Amazon, Sony, and Microsoft all currently have products being manufactured in Foxconn factories, but we haven’t heard a peep out of any of them regarding the obviously terrible working conditions in the factories. Mum’s been the word.

Apple, on the other hand, is facing the problem head on, trying to fix the problem and provide better working conditions for the factory workers who work on their products. Apple, not Sony or Microsoft, will be assisting Foxconn with the initial costs required to give employees a safe and quality working position within Apple’s manufacturing circles.The next time you’re eyeballing a fancy new piece of electronics, think about that before putting your money down. While it’s sad that the situation even exists to begin with, it’s even sader that three of the larger tech companies in the world are doing nothing about changing the problem, yet still they manage to use Foxconn services.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Before G.I. Joe and Transformers were big Hollywood franchises, they were poorly animated cartoons. I have a lot of nostalgia for that period, as bad as the animation was at the time. Saturday Morning RPG seeks to channel that nostalgia into an iOS RPG with a heavy dose of self-awareness and snark.

Fans of Earthbound and Contact will find something familiar about the game. The game has two available episodes both centered on Marty, who gets possession of a magic notebook after falling asleep watching some cartoons. The notebook bears a striking resemblance to a Trapper Keeper, and is covered in stickers that adjust and enhance his stats. Marty uses the powers of the notebook to fight Commander Hood and rescue Samantha. Though he was dreaming, he wakes up with the notebook.

If you want to find out about what Marty does while he’s awake, you’ll need to purchase the second episode for $1.99 (US). The first episode is a bit light, but it is free. It combines the game’s tutorial with a couple of quick quests and a boss fight. It should give you a taste for the game’s sense of humor and radical 80s dialog. It’s well worth free, and should be enough to make you shell out for the second episode.

The second episode is more fleshed out with several sub-quests as well as a much larger map. This time the Hood Troopers are in your school with the thinnest possible disguises and manage to let their giant laser spider loose. I completed every quest I came across and managed to wrap up both episodes in about five hours. I was ready for the next episode but it’s yet to be released. An endless battle mode is also promised, but also has yet to get a solid release date.

They do have a system that encourages replay in the meantime. The notebook can be equipped with five stickers that adjusts your stats. While you can find these in-game, there is also another in-game purchase where you can buy cereal box tops and trade them in for stickers. This is a big problem with the game, as you don’t get box tops any other way but by buying them.

The game controls very well. It’s designed around touch rather than a virtual controller. There is a virtual joystick to move the character around the levels, but you can move it anywhere on the screen. The rest of the controls are all hands on. The clearest example is the attack charging system which has you tap repeatedly. Depending on the weapons you equip, there may be mini-games or simple timing exercises. This was one of the best parts of the game; combat never got boring as you were always getting new equipment that felt completely different than what was already in your inventory. You can also defend against attacks by tapping the screen with the correct timing, but it’s a bit tricky.

The mixture of nostalgia and iOS centric design make this a no-brainer. This game has a few flaws, most notably it’s length, but it is cheap. The free first episode amounts to a demo of the game. Trust me, you aren’t going find another game on the App Store where you use Optimus Prime as a weapon. This is the sort of design focused game we need to see more of on iOS.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

In this week’s episode, the boys show off Just Mobile’s UpStand for the iPad and Hold Fast Gear’s amazing all leather camera strap – The Money Maker. There’s also a nice little Western short thown in the mix in the middle of the podcast. Enjoy.

[Download][Direct Feed][iTunes]

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

The game’s premise? Mow down the competition using a machine gun and a second weapon of your choosing while racking around a track, collecting items as you go. You get to upgrade your car along the way, which is always a plus.

The game looks fantastic, and it’s easily worth the $4.99 price tag, but at the heavy cost of being free, this one’s a no brainer. Go pick up the game; you’ll love it.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Now that we have iPads, we want to take them with us wherever we go. The problem is, that sometimes attracts the attention of some unsavory people. If you’re seen walking around with your iPad in some areas, you could be made a target. Nobody wants to get mugged, so this product is a great solution.

The Stealth Tablet Envelope is a sleeve that fits pretty much any tablet under the sun, and appears to the casual observer to be nothing but a boring manila envelope. In reality, it is a waterproof, padded sleeve that will protect your iPad from minor bumps. If you’re seriously worried about your safety, but need to bring your iPad with you somewhere, this might be worth looking into.

The price is $24.29 over at Firebox. It is currently available for pre-order, but the cautious can opt to be notified of availability instead of slapping down their cash now. This stealthy sleeve just might be worth the investment.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

While Apple may be “investigating” the bug, they may not have a solution for it just yet. If anything, the email, dug up by AppleInsider, sounds a little like a canned response for suggestions and bugs that have found their way into Apple’s hands.

Two years ago (yikes) I wrote an article titled The iPad needs user accounts, and I still stand by it. It’s great that some families can afford to buy all their kids iPads, but the practice is pretty far from the norm. We currently have one iPad in my family, and it gets passed around quite a bit between us. Add in the fact that visitors may stop by and pick the iPad up to check their email while hanging out, and you’ve now got yourself a full-fledged problem that multiple user accounts can solve.

Apple, get on with it. We need multiple user accounts. The iPad is not like the iPhone. Some of us share them quite a bit with family members.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

The update doesn’t really bring anything exciting to the table, unless you find yourself suffering from a couple of bugs, like maybe you find yourself having a hard time switching between 2G and 3G networks, or you’re having problems bookmark syncing in Safari. This update fixes those things.

Here’s the changelog:

• Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut
• Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks
• Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List
• Fixes an issue where ‘Unable to purchase’ alert could be displayed after successful purchase

Not too much happening in this one, but that’s to be expected in a point release. Make sure you let us know if this updates bricks your phones in the comments. We’d like to know how the update goes for all of you.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Yup, that Evernote.

From the Press Release:

There’s no word on how much the application was purchased for at this time. But, Ben Zotto, the founder and developer behind Penultimate, has written up a nice little blog post about the acquisition, and we recommend heading over there to give it a read. Long story short, Ben will be joining the Evernote family, and they’ll be working quickly to get the application on other devices as well as bringing better handwriting tools to Evernote directly.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

The always wrong DigiTimes is reporting that Apple will release a sub $800.00 MacBook Air in the coming months:

It’s laughable, isn’t it? Would Apple rather that cheap asses purchase a cheaper MacBook Air, or an iPad? Our money is on the iPad, which is exactly why the company won’t realistically introduce a cheaper MacBook Air to the market in the third quarter of 2012.

Would a cheaper MacBook Air encourage customers to purchase the device over the competition? Yes. Do people already purchase the MacBook Air over the competition due to quality differences? Yes. The MacBook Air is bound to get an update, with a new CPU, and other specification goodness, but Apple won’t be releasing a cheaper model of the laptop. It’ll bring the price too close to the iPad, and right now, Apple’s all about selling post-PC devices, not cheaper PC devices. A cheaper MacBook Air would directly compete with people purchasing iPads, and Apple isn’t in the business of competing with itself.

Image Credit: Gizmodo

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

For those of you who are interested in doing a bit of development for iOS but find the design aspect daunting, DevRocket is here to beef up Photoshop and give you some tools to get the job done. The DevRocket website describes its offering as “a simplified solution to working between display resolutions, breaking down full ui designs into separate elements ready for Xcode and saving for the Retina display.” You can use it to generate portrait or landscape displays of your splash screen which are resolution-adjusted for either iPhone or iPad (and you can easily switch between them as you like). You can slice and assemble UI elements as necessary, design icons and tune your visuals for the Retina display.

DevRocket clocks in at a modest $10 and can be purchased directly from their site.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Thank goodness, it’s Friday and the god-awful work week is over. Nothing like starting your weekend off with a couple of fancy new apps to play with while you’ve finally got some time to yourself outside of the purview of your douchebag boss.

iPhone / iPod touch: VSCO CAM

Yeah, yeah, VSCO CAM is another camera app for the iPhone. The really cool thing about this $0.99 application isn’t that it’s a camera app, but it’s all about its simple post processing methods. Tap to snap, and tap to apply filters based on a scale system. The app also integrates with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and email, so sharing your pictures is a breeze.

If you need to increase your Hipster points to level 99, you’re gonna want to check this one out before all of your friends manage to get a hold of it.

Quick aside, the VSCOCAM website is pretty fantastic too. Make sure you check that one out.

Download links below

iPad: Spell Tower

If you like word games and Tetris-style games that have blocks falling from the roof, you’re going to want to check out Spell Tower. Letters fall in Tower mode, and you have to spell words before the tiles rise from the bottom of the screen to the top. The game has five modes and tremendous replay value. I can’t believe this universal app (works on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad) is only 0.99. Worth it. It’s quite simply one of the best word games I’ve ever played.

Download links below

The Mac: Found

Back in 2009 we wrote a post about Precipitate, a plugin for Spotlight that lets users search their Google documents from directly in Spotlight. Found is similar, but it lets you search multiple Gmail accounts as well as Google Docs. Instead of tossing up those results in Spotlight, Found hides off of the screen until you hit the control key twice. The app will also search your local filesystem and Dropbox folders. It’s pretty handy and I’ve been using it more and more over the course of the week. It’s worth a download.

This app’s a bit of a cheat be causes it’s still invite only, but the developers are adding people fairly quickly, so if you’re interested in checking it out, expect a small, worthwhile wait.

Download The App From Their Website

Game Of The Week: Cubis Creatures

I’ve decided to add a game to the list of Apps Of The Week posts in its own category. This week we’re recommending Cubis Creatures. Simply put, your job is to line up three like-colored blocks to collect points. It’s not as easy as it sounds, though. You’re locked into a fixed 7×7 grid to line up your blocks by sliding them around. Difficulty ramps up as new block types get introduced with different attributes. It gets pretty addicting, pretty quickly. Cubis Creatures is also universal, so it will work on both your iPhone and iPad.

Download links below

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

The results from Anandtech‘s findings:

The obvious reasons pointed out by Anandtech is the amazing Retina display in the new iPad. That thing is a resource hog.

Here’s the bummer though: you’ll have no idea at checkout which version of the device you’ve managed to purchase. The only way to tell the difference between the two models is to fire up an app like Geekbench and check the version of your iPad. The good news, though, is that version 2,4 of the iPad will eventually replace the 2,1 version if all goes well with the new chipset. The longer you wait, the higher the likelihood that you’ll have the newer model.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

In this week’s episode of Macgasm TV, Josh and Brennan do a little housekeeping with a couple of products we’ve been meaning to review for a while now. The guys show off the BoomBot 2, Alchemy (Free), Newer Technology NuTouch Gloves ($12-13), and Paper (iPad, Free, kinda).

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Republique, the stealth survival game headed for iOS and OS X, is getting into crunch mode over at Kickstarter. With only seven days left to reach their goal of $500,000 USD, they still haven’t reached the fifty percent mark. They saw a bump in the number of backers when they announced the PC and Mac port, but it still isn’t going at a fast enough pace to reach their minimum funding goal. Now it’s time to bring out the big guns: the voice cast.

David Hayter, best known as being the voice behind Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series, will be joining the voice cast of Republique as the head revolutionary in this 1984-influenced world. Jennifer Hale, best known as Commander Shepard from Mass Effect and Bastila Shan from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, will be coming aboard as “The Mentor” — someone the main character, Hope, knows intimately. Of course, David Hayter and Jennifer Hale have worked together on Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This is an all-star pairing.

If you’re interested in getting in on the ground floor, you can pledge $10 for the iOS version of the game, $15 for the OS X version of the game, or $20 for both. If you’re interested, don’t wait. You only have a week left to make this happen.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Already available for the iPad, The Daily brings a wide range of general interest stories to readers on a daily basis. Alongside the announcement of the new iPhone edition came a change in the subscription rates for the daily magazine. Starting today, iPhone users can now subscribe to The Daily for $2.00 per month or $20.00 for the entire year. If you already purchased a subscription for the iPad, the content will be free for the time being.

Sadly subscription rates for the iPhone and iPad are not the same. The iPad subscription still costs $1.00 per week or $40.00 per month for the same stories. Doesn’t make much sense, does it?

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

The case will set you back $129.99, which isn’t exactly cheap for a case. But, once you add in the keyboard and solar panels, the price tag doesn’t look so bad.

Via: TUAW

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Today, it’s being deemed a misunderstanding and a mistake by EA’s PR team:

Mistake, or simply busted? Because sending out an accidental push notification to all of your customers stating that you’re effectively treating their app purchase more like a rental is a pretty big error. It’s great that they’re letting people play the game still, but we can’t help but wonder what would have happened had the blogosphere not run with the story.

Our guess? EA would have disabled the game. That accidental push notifcation was way too specific to be a mistake. It’s not like it was a string of random characters or a smiley face, was it? The only mistake here was that they got caught red-handed. Let’s call a spade a spade.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Lots of people with iPads use their devices to take notes and sketch. Teachers, students, businessmen, and artists alike can take advantage of this incredible platform to get something from their head into a visual display of pixels. For a long time, Cocoa Box Design‘s Penultimate has been the go-to app for note taking-for iPad users. With the launch of version 3.3.1, it is now even better. Why? One word: Retina.

That’s right. The world’s favorite sketching and note-taking app is now in earth-rumbling Retina resolution. When you swipe your finger or shift your capacitive pen across the screen, you’ll see incredibly sharp lines. It’s getting to be more and more like sketching on an infinite piece of paper.

Penultimate usually hovers around $1.99 USD in the App Store, but it is currently “on sale” for only $0.99. If the Retina update wasn’t enough of a reason to pick up this app, the sale should be. Such a deal!

With that out of the way, we want to see what you artsy folks can create using Penultimate’s snazzy tools. Post a link in the comment section below this post to something you’ve drawn with Penultimate, and let’s share some nerdy art love with each other.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

I love listening to music across a wide variety of devices such as my iPad, iPhone and Macs. The only problem with listening to so much music is the price. Since iTunes charges up to $1.29 per song, buying music can end up being a pretty pricey habit. This is where subscription music services come in. These services give you the benefit of listening to unlimited music for a monthly fee. While you don’t actually own the music, most services allow you to save your collection to your mobile device for offline listening.

While there are a ton of music subscription services on the net, I’ve chosen three to compare in the article below: Rdio, MOG and, the most popular, Spotify. These services are all unique in their own way by providing different plans, music selection and mobile apps.

Rdio

I’ve been an Rdio Unlimited member since December 2010. This is mainly because I’ve had no problems with their service and they continue to expand their music library by constantly adding new record labels.

Rdio’s iPad app is absolutely stunning. I’ll even go far enough to say that it looks better than Apple’s standard Music app. This is because of its stellar interface, which uses a combination of dark blues and grays. The application also performs well on my new iPad and I recall it working fine on my iPad 2.

The iPhone app, on the other hand, is definitely less than desirable. It reminds me of the old Facebook app because of its “grid-like” interface, which is just plain clunky and annoying. The app is extremely unstable as well. We can only hope that Rdio updates this app in the near future.

Rdio, like most streaming services, offers three pricing tiers. Their free service gives you ad-free listening, but only allows you to listen to a few songs a day. Their $5 per month plan offers unlimited desktop streaming while Rdio’s $10 per month unlimited plan offers unlimited mobile and desktop streaming. Unlike MOG and Spotify, Rdio also offers a $17.99 per month Family Unlimited plan. This plan includes two separate unlimited streaming plans and saves you two bucks a month. Need three accounts? Rdio will hook you up for $22.99 per month.

Families and heavy iPad users definitely want to choose Rdio over MOG and Spotify as it features the best family pricing and iPad app. Rdio also supports a plethora of other mobile operating systems such as Windows Phone 7, Blackberry OS and Android.

Spotify

While Spotify has been available in Europe for years, it just recently launched in the United States (and not in Canada). While I don’t have experience with their premium service, I have tried their free service, which is decent. They do seem to have a smaller selection of electronic music, which is why I’m not switching from Rdio.

Spotify has just recently launched their iPad app, which includes Retina graphics and an OK user interface. While it looks nice from the get-go, I think it’s cluttered compared to Rdio’s app.

Spotify’s Mac app looks nice and features a ton of Facebook integration. For instance, you can see your Facebook friends’ Spotify activity in the sidebar of the Mac app at all times. While this is a nice feature to have, it may get a bit distracting.

Spotify’s iPhone app looks absolutely stunning and features a ton of added functionality over Rdio and MOG’s iPhone app. For instance, you can double-tap on a song to bring up a row of functions, just like in Tweetbot.

Spotify features similar plans to Rdio. Their free service is ad-supported and has limited listening while $5 per month will buy you unlimited desktop streaming. Their “Premium” plan is $10 per month and allows you to stream unlimited music to your computer or mobile device. Spotify currently offers apps for iOS, Blackberry OS, Windows Phone 7, WebOS, Symbian and Android.

MOG

MOG is the audiophile’s dream streaming service. This is because it offers streaming at up to 320kbps, which beats the 128kbps streaming quality on Spotify and Rdio.

MOG’s iPad app, to me, is pretty bland and ugly. It features a very dark interface, which can definitely get old after a while. The controls aren’t very intuitive when compared to Spotify or Rdio’s application.

I’m also not a fan of MOG’s iPhone app as it seems unfinished. This is because the user interface seems boring and the application feels very unorganized, as there is no clear homescreen.

MOG features virtually the same plans as Spotify. Free for an ad-supported experience, $5 per month for unlimited desktop streaming, and $10 per month for unlimited desktop and mobile streaming. If you do choose to use MOG for mobile streaming, keep in mind that it currently only supports iOS and Android. All in all, MOG seems to only be a good fit for anyone looking for high quality streaming music, not on-the-go mobile streaming.

What Do You Think?

If you can’t tell already, I prefer using Rdio to stream my music. But now that you’ve heard my opinion, what service do you use to stream your digital content? Or are you sticking to good ol’ iTunes for your music? Let us know in the comments section below!

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

This game is built on the classic fighter model of Street Fighter II, you get almost zero story when you hit the game, just a grid of characters to select. In fact, if you put in the frustrating hours to actually reach the final boss and win, you’re not even given a full on cut scene. This is good and bad, as you aren’t going to get a lot for your efforts. Unlocking new characters and galleries is it, there’s not a narrative at all. If you haven’t played the original game, rather never read the original’s manual, you wouldn’t have much of an idea of what’s going on in the story at all. Though you can’t really say that fighting games have ever had good stories; it’s the action that sells these games. Seeing Wolverine face off against Ryu should be enough to get most nerds excited. The selection of characters goes pretty deep into each franchise’s universes, especially as you unlock more.

The lack of polish doesn’t mean the game looks bad, it had pretty decent sprite art in it’s day. Some of the cinematics looks a little jittery, and you can tell the game is dated. However, that doesn’t really hurt the game. In fact leaving the graphics with a bit of a dated feel ups the nostalgia factor to gloss over some of the flaws.

The main flaw with the game is the controls. Fighting games barely map well to a standard console controller. Aficionados fork out hundreds of dollars for Arcade style sticks, all in pursuit of creating the right feel. I’m usually fairly tolerant of touch screen controls, but these don’t feel responsive enough. Trying to pull of the d-pad acrobatics need to make Ryu throw a fireball isn’t easy with the control layout, which maybe why they’ve added a button for special move and tags so that you can execute them with a quick press. This makes it a bit easier for complex moves, but it also crowds out the right side of the screen. This leads to a lot of accidental button presses, and with the tag button you end up accidentally switching characters.

At some point the controls, while still awkward, fade into the background. The game itself retains the signature Capcom feel. This game is a cult classic for a reason. You get three characters to fight with, and only one round. There are tag moves that combine the three characters in one attack. As you play you collect points to unlock new characters as well as galleries of bonus art. There are 16 characters to unlock in all, which should take a fair amount of time amass.

If you were a big fan of the game in the arcade or the Dreamcast, this game is worth picking up on nostalgia alone. Even if you haven’t played this game, I would recommend checking this out. This game is one of the high points in 2D fighting. The controls are still a real issue, but it does pass. If you haven’t played any fighting games, this might not be the best place to start. However, this game is only $2.99 on the App Store and is a good trip to gaming’s past.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Mounting as a storage device:

I want an easier way to get my files on and off of my device. Let’s admit that iTunes is a ball and chain and confess that iCloud is not magic. You know what IS magical and seamless? Connecting my device (physically or via network) and being able to just interact with it, like every other portable device since 2001.

The Home Screen:

Google stole borrowed the Apple approach to displaying installed apps (the “big ol’ grid of icons”), but quickly called it “App Drawer” and buried it a level deeper. With the home screen liberated, I can use it for “widgets” that give me at-a-glance information presented in (usually) well-designed panels. Interactive dialers, media players, toggles for settings (which would otherwise require navigating menus), and hundreds of other useful tools that are widgetized and ready to make my homescreen actually useful. Apple? Big ol’ grid of icons.

System-Wide File System Access:

This is a pipe dream because Apple has said in no uncertain terms that their “sandboxing” approach to applications is core to their security model. But it sucks. There are many good reasons to let applications talk to one another and only one good reason not to: “We don’t trust our users to make smart choices, so we’re going to protect them.” Any number of useful things I can do on my Android device are possible because of system-wide file system access, from amazing automation of tasks and events to simple things like uploading edited files to an FTP server.

App Management:

iOS app management is rough. I choose an app to download and I am unceremoniously dumped to the home screen to watch the cute progress overlay on the new icon. Back to the App Store to grab another app, dumped to the home screen again. Only, it’s not even downloading; it’s “pending” the completion of the first app. Frustrating, yes. But at least after they’re installed they will automatically update in the future, right? Nope. Just more one-by-one updating.

The current iteration of the Google Play Store is beautifully presented and intuitive to use, which hasn’t always been the case. But what has been the case is the ability to continue doing whatever you’re doing after choosing an app. And if that means grabbing more apps, they can all download at the same time. As they arrive in any order (the smallest will generally arrive first), you can start using them right away. And auto-update? Yep, that’s available for most apps from the Google Play Store.

Format Support:

Apple supports almost no media formats other than their own. The easiest compromise is to process everything through iTunes. ‘Nuff said. However, I can’t see Apple changing their stance on media formats and the iTunes yoke any time soon.

Flick To Scroll:

Apple has (hands-down) the most responsive mobile UI. You can’t deny it. But there’s something wonky about the iOS “flicking” (fast swipe) gesture to scroll a lengthy webpage or a long list. It seems to take 20 flicks where I expect it to take one or two. Here’s how it feels to me: You’re at the top of an awesome slide. You put your hands forward on the rails, “wind up,” and give yourself a huge push, expecting to hurtle down the slide! Instead, you move two feet and you find yourself stuck partway down. There’s no choice but to wiggle to the bottom, wondering how the person who built the playground could have failed to grasp the purpose of a slide. Just as Apple has failed to grasp that a mighty flick should speed me along rather than nudge me.

Android? I give myself that huge push and I hurtle to the bottom of the slide. I whip through long webpages, my app drawer view, or other long lists — not at an exaggerated speed, but at exactly the speed I should be going based on the gesture.

Conclusion

I do enjoy a lot of what iOS and Apple have to offer. The App Store is still home to the best apps, and I find it particularly useful for toddler-aged educational and entertainment tools. But I also find it very claustrophobic and limiting. I can admit that some of what I want in a phone is not going to happen any time soon (file system interaction for example), but these are the very things that will limit my willingness to buy more iOS devices. Other things (app management) pose no threat to the Apple way of life and I think they couldn’t arrive on iOS devices quickly enough! Apple needs to bring some of these things to iOS 6.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

So go ahead. Delete Spotify for iPhone off of your device and download the iPad Retina-graphics substitute. Make jams and enjoy! Unless of course, you’re all about Rdio, Spotify’s biggest competitor.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

From Business Insider:

The numbers place Walmart in the third position behind Apple and Best Buy for total iPad sales in the month of February. Sorry hipster barista types, but you’re now in the company of those fine people of Walmart.

Image Credit: People Of Walmart

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Oh man, I can’t believe people have to be told not to continue doing things that hurt. All kidding aside, repetitive motion injuries aren’t exactly a fun thing to experience. Just because you’re holding a phone or tablet doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be using the same philosophies you adhere to while working on a computer at your desk. Make sure your device is supported and that you’re not putting yourself in an awkward position. Heck, use a case or stand to hold the device for you if you’re going to be using the iPad for hours at a time.

Also, please note that this is being called iPad Elbow, and not Android Elbow. Just saying.

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

From Network World:

Of the Top 10 devices in Q1 2012, Apple dominates six spots. The list, arranged by highest percentage point, is as follows:

1. iPhone 4S
2. iPad 2
3. iPhone 4
4. iPad 3
5. iPad
6. iPhone 3GS
7. Motorola Droid
8. Samsung Galaxy S II
9. Google Nexus
10. Sprint EVO 4G

If you’re wondering who Good Technology is and what makes them capable of commenting on device adoption in the enterprise, the company focuses on giving enterprise and governement the tools they need to protect their mobile employees and users’ sensitive data, as well as collaborate wirelessly in a safe environment. Many large corporations, including Union Bank, Patagnoia, and Active Interest use the company to mange their mobile workforce’s security.

Via: Network World

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.