In Case You Missed It: May 24 - May 30
Hello? Is this thing on? Is there anyone out there? Echo! Echo! Echo!Okay, okay, we get it. It's Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer. No one's sitting inside on their computer, are they? Heck no, they're grilling up fun, lounging in the sun, putting a dog in a bun. Well, just in case you're not one of those people, or you're not from the States, here's the week's best stories from the vacationing kids of Mac|Life.Features:- Seven Hidden Features of the iPad Camera Connection Kit - Sometimes cliches exist for a reason, like the saying "good things come in small packages." In this case, the tiny Camera Connection Kit for the iPad. At just $29, this wonder gizmo gives you USB keyboards, headphones, and microphones, as well as importing photos from other sources, even your iPhone. No doubt some enterprising techies are hard at work maxing out that doodad dongle.- 15 Things We Might See at WWDC 2010 - Sure, everyone is expecting the fourth generation iPhone, but what else? What else? There's so many sweet things Apple could pull out of their bag, from high quality upgrades to improved services to hardware refreshes. Here's our guesses as most likely to be unveiled. How-Tos:- 57 Ways To Supercharge Your Browser - Extensions, add-ons, scripts, and bookmarklets -- oh my! Your browser is pretty much your most important piece of computer software. If you can't find something in this list of 57 pieces of genius tweaks to make it even sweeter, than you have our respect.- iPhone and iPad Tips of the Week - The start of a regular feature to fill in the gaps of your knowledge, our Pros show you some hidden functionalities and tips and tricks to bring a smile to your mobile-lovin' face. Reviews:- Pacific Defense - Just be glad this app wasn't responsible for winning World War II. A killer idea with a few weak execution points, Pacific Defense feels like a game that would have benefited from a couple more months of tweaks and refinements.- Fitbit - While the device itself was pretty slick, the website interface of this fitness gadget had way, way, waaaaayyy too much junk in the trunk. Sure, you can know exactly how many steps you took and how much you tossed and turned in your sleep, but what's the organizing principle that makes all of this data hang together? We're still wondering. News:Hardware seemed all the rage lately, what with iPad's shipping internationally, it seemed the domestic news turned to other gadgetry. First there's the rumor that Apple TV might finally shift from "hobby" to "serious product" as Engadget drops a hot item in our laps...hardware and software are all the rumors for the upcoming WWDC...not a rumor, repeat, not a rumor, Apple once again begins its annual back to school push to get Macs (and iPod touches) into the hands of first year students...and students of gadgets, hardware, and mechanized geekery of all kind were out in full force at Maker Faire, where robots stole our hearts...just like Elgato's EyeTV, which is no Apple TV, but is a lovely, sweet little hookup for our favorite shows right there on our computers. Now we just need to decide in which room we want to watch our summer reruns...Even though Apple and Adobe keep sniping at each other, the software maker still wants to cozy up to Apple devices, and they're asking users if they'd like PSDs on the iPad. What do you think?...also getting some iPad love lately? Our friends overseas, as sales of the must-have gadget go global...and for a little multinational friendly advice, try Velcro if you want your iPad to stick around...you know who really loves the iPad? The Japanese, with fans lined up around the block, sleeping on the street, days before the release. That's right -- days...perhaps they're just as excited as we are for the classic arcade game Karate Champ coming to the iPad in HD glory...I mean, it's not like they're lining up just because Barnes & Noble just released their e-reader app for the iPad is it?... Whether it's for kicks or books, we can't say. What we can say, is it is definitely not for NBC or Time Warner shows, as both companies nix the idea of content on the iPad. Another killer decision from NBC execs, and they make so many of them...It's not like the devices are all that popular right? I mean, Apple's only ramping up production to 2.5 million units per month, so how much could NBC lose out on? Never mind, we don't want to know.In other corporate news, according to AT&T a whopping 40% of iPhone sales are going to corporate accounts, positioning the device to really make serious headway in the enterprise sphere... of course, they could end up losing 40% of their total customers if a Verizon iPhone shows up any time soon...of course, the recent class action lawsuit the carrier settled unlocks tons of AT&T phones, just not iPhones or Blackberries... because the rumor mill is in high gear again, predicting Verizon and Sprint iPhones this very year; we'll believe it when we see it...in a quick one two, first Morgan Stanley predicts that the iPhone 3GS will sell for $99 this year, then a tiny bit later, Wal-Mart announced they'd begin selling the 3GS for $97; if that's not a fourth generation iPhone announcement, we don't know what is...finally, in less pleasant business news, Apple finally speaks out about the spate of suicides at the plant of their Foxconn manufacturing partner. Enough talk, we'd like to see some action, Cupertino.
http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/case_you_missed_it_may_24_may_30
