My new iPad case – the Viva Vercaso
I was sent a couple of Viva Vercaso iPad cases recently. It is a leather folio-style case.
And it’s pretty nice; so nice that I’ve switched from using the Proporta recycled leather case.
App Review: Refills
We all need a calendar in one form or another. Some prefer the comprehensive, do everything option such as Pocket Informant (a favourite of mine). Others prefer something less complex and ambitious such as the app I recently reviewed called [twitch] Agendus [twitch, twitch]. The less said about ‘the A word’, the better.
Now, though, there’s Refills to play with and it turns out to have a twist that I think has a lot of potential.
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Tethering your iPad on the sly with TetherMe and iTether
Every couple of weeks, I’m out and about with my iPad and iPhone. Anyone here like mobile data? Thought so.
I have a wifi-only iPad, and I’m too cheap to pay for a MiFi*. Besides which, I’m already paying Vodafone for 1GB of Internet usage through my iPhone contract. But with both a jailbroken iPhone and a jailbroken iPad, I can keep the cost down by using two handy apps: TetherMe and iTether.
I’ve written up a little setup guide, plus my thoughts on how it works in practice.
And the CoPilot Live app giveaway winner is…
Thanks to everyone who entered the competition to win their choice from the CoPilot Live app range.
The lucky commenter picked out by my amazing randomising spreadsheet ™ is:
(drum roll)
Congratulations Craig. I’ll be in touch shortly to sort out your copy.
For everyone else, thanks again for entering. And don’t forget, there are two more copies to be won. I’ll be opening another giveaway this afternoon over on Twitter.
Cheers!
App Giveaway: CoPilot Live satnav
At the start of the year I reviewed CoPilot Live for UK and Ireland from ALK Technologies.
When I first started using the app I found it a little complex, but since then I’ve figured it all out and have come to rely on it for my navigation needs whilst driving. Plus the US version of the app – which I’ve just noticed is only £2.99 right now (bargain!) – seriously helped me get around while on holiday this summer 
So I am very pleased to let you know that i have three copies of CoPilot Live available to give away!
Think different apps
Clearly, apps are one of the key factors in the success of the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The ability to download apps and customise your device to your tastes means you can to make it be what you want it to be.
That’s all except for system apps – the ones that come bundled with iOS. These are slightly different on each iOS device, but what they have in common in that you can’t uninstall them, and in some cases it’s difficult to use a replacement.
What could Apple change to give users more choice in the apps they use?
iPlayer. AirPlay. Apple TV. It’s all coming together.
It’s late on a Friday night, but I’ve just got all excited about some news I’ve read. Via Daring Fireball, I came across this article from 9 to 5 Mac. Read it, then come back here.
All done? Good. The crucial part of that article is this:
Any H.264 content from the web can be broadcast over Airplay to your HDTV.
What does that mean? BBC iPlayer comes to Apple TV. Finally.
iPhone 4 HDR Photography and Why It’s Important
iOS 4.1 just went live. Among its many updates and improvements is a feature that is specific to the iPhone 4. iOS 4.1 when running on the iPhone 4 adds an HDR photography option to the camera app.
The HDR (High Dynamic Range) technique has been around since the 1930s, but this is the first time that it has been offered as a default option on a smartphone. What does it mean and should you use it instead of the standard photo option? Let’s find out. (Non HDR shots on the left, HDR shots on the right).
When you take a photo with the iPhone the exposure is automatically set to render the best possible range of luminance based on the centre of the scene or, if you tap on a part of the scene, that area. As I’m certain you have noticed for yourself, this means quite a bit of experimentation to find the best compromise between under and over exposure. Under expose the photo and you risk crushing all the blacks and dark colours, over expose the photo and you’ll surely end up with washed out colours and very little detail in the highlight areas.
Review: Proporta Recycled Leather case for iPad
We’ve reviewed Proporta’s cases (and other equipment) for the iPhone before, but they now have a new range for the iPad. They’ve sent me a couple of cases, and the first one I’m looking at is their Recycled Leather case.
App Review: Trafficmaster Companion
I’ve already reviewed the CoPilot Live satellite navigation app for the iPhone, which I found to be almost like having a whole extra gadget inside my iPhone. One of the commenters on that review suggested I take a look at Trafficmaster Companion, which integrates routing based on live traffic data.
This is a very different kind of satnav app – there are no maps included at all, and very few user-configurable options. The philosophy of this app is very different to the traditional, “do everything” satnav from TomTom and Garmin.
So in this case, is less more?
Random Heroes 2
Calendars+ by Readdle
Wake Up Pro Alarm
Chain3D
New Sokoban