Getting an iPad? Get iPad Creative
It’s iPad launch week. Excited yet? Well, whether you’re of the mind that Apple is about to change computing forever, or just sell an oversized iPod touch, it’s certainly going to be an interesting ride. iPhone apps are going to morph into desktop-style apps, and some desktop apps are going to attempt to re-imagine themselves as iPad apps. Yet as excited as I am, the amount of iPad coverage on All About iPhone is going to depend on whether I end up buying one!
But there are plenty of websites out there to satiate your iPad curiosity. And if you’ve enjoyed James Burland’s articles on this website, then I’m sure you’d like to read his new website dedicated to the Apple tablet, iPad Creative.
It’s in pre-launch beta at the moment, but he already has quite a few articles posted, including a great one exploring which graphics processor the iPad is running, and the impact that is likely to have on its gaming capabilities.
iPad Creative is currently running a series over the next few days entitled, “5 Apps We Cannot Wait To See On The iPad”. If really you can’t wait at all, then you should also check out these 60 leaked screenshots of iPad apps over at Boy Genius Report.
Good luck with the new site James!
App Reviews: Pixi, Orbital, CalenGoo
The main focus of this site is (hopefully) informed commentary, and news we’ve unearthed ourselves. We also like to provide you with in-depth reviews. But, being a mostly volunteer-run site, there’s not enough time to review everything that comes through the door, and personally, I have quite a backlog of apps to look at.
So in a series of posts, I’m going to have a quick look at apps that I’ve promised developers I’ll review – ones that I’m reviewing because I thought they are interesting, and either highlighted how powerful the iPhone platform is, or just made me smile.
In this first round up of review apps, I’m looking at Pixi, Orbital and CalenGoo.
App Giveaway: iSaidWhat?!
I’ve been meaning to mention iSaidWhat?! for a while. It’s one of those apps that makes you marvel at what can achieved on your iPhone.
It’s really cleanly designed app from Tapparatus that allows you to record voices. There’s nothing new about voice recording on the iPhone, but iSaidWhat?! adds the ability to re-arrange those recordings to make… something new. You can record, then edit those recording into sections, and move them around into a snippet that’s more interesting (or incriminating!).
Perpetually Dissatisfied
Fed up with your phone? Miffed at your mobile? You’re not alone. But why do we expect our phones to do so much, and is it justified?
I’ve written a post for The Really Mobile Project, and for once, I only mention the iPhone a couple of times!
Read it here: http://thereallymobileproject.com/2010/03/feature-perpetually-dissatisfied-guest-post/
All the info I can find on the BBC iPhone apps
Last week, Erik Huggers presented at Mobile World Congress and disclosed that the BBC is developing three iPhone apps: for News, Sport and (potentially) iPlayer. According to the Beeb’s Technology Correspondant, Rory Cellan-Jones, developing these apps has taken a while because of a “complex legal problem“.
Well, despite that and any objections being raised by other media organisations (*cough*), the News and Sport apps are being developed by MobileIQ – here’s their press release about it. There’s no details available about who’s could be developing the iPlayer app – although it has been reported that the Beeb has already shut down development of a non-sanctioned iPlayer app from Camiloo.
I’ve delved through all the BBC’s websites, Tweets, and anything else that I’ve seen posted on the new apps to give you a summary of what’s coming.
It’s just a big iPod touch, right?
The tech furore has subsided, and we’re left with Apple’s tablet – the iPad. Whether you’re of the opinion that it’s just an oversized iPod touch or something more, it has certainly had a massive impact.
All About iPhone contributor Andy Cook has already given his opinion.
I also asked Steve Litchfield if he was considering getting an iPad. His response:
The iPad itself is not for me, I type in too much text! But I can see it being perfect for other family members, each of whom the has “the full Internet” (minus Flash, of course!) in a single A4 device that doesn’t have trailing wires or get hot or need a pointing device. So yes, put me down for a place in the queue, shortly before the drive to my parents house to get it “installed”.
So it’s not for Steve. But he, like me, can see the appeal for those who want a rich Internet and media experience, without having to worry about all those viruses, software updates, and general management overhead that’s associated with a computer.
James Burland compares the Nokia N900 and iPhone 3GS
All About iPhone contributor and all-around gadget fiend James Burland has his own blog at Nokia Creative. Recently he’s been taking a look at the Nokia N900 – considered by many to be the current uber-smartphone of choice for the connected geek.
His main phone is still Apple’s iPhone 3GS. But could this change?
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What could the Apple Tablet do for the iPhone?
This is the inevitable Apple Tablet post. Barring any last-minute explosion in Silicon Valley caused by the white-heat of tech journalist speculation, Apple should reveal their hitherto mythical Tablet device next week.
All the rumours seem to point to it running some form of iPhone operating system, and that iPhone OS 4.0 will be revealed (there’s a really good Gizmodo UI speculation article on this). But what’s really interesting me is how could a Tablet fit into Apple’s existing home setup, where iTunes is the media hub? And what this could mean for the iPhone?
App Review: CoPilot Live
For someone who spent the formative years of his youth reading maps in the Scouts, I have an unnerving ability to get lost. But so far – and this is especially inscrutable for a gadget freak – I have resisted the lure of satellite navigation. I just didn’t want to have to manage *yet another device* when a map and my innate sense of direction seemed generally adequate.
But a combination of my iPhone, an affordable satnav app called CoPilot Live, and a demand from the Significant Other to end unintended diversions – and I have an opportunity to see what this GPS driving business is all about.
So having ditched the maps for CoPilot Live, did my iPhone get me from A to B?
How to get the cheapest officially unlocked iPhone in the UK
I’ve already written articles about getting the cheapest iPhone on O2, Orange and Tesco Mobile. But all these operators sell their iPhones locked to their individual networks. What if you want more freedom than that? What if you want to use two different SIMs, or simply want to switch to local network when you’re abroad?
You could pay an eye-watering amount buying an officially unlocked one imported on the grey market from Play.com. The 16GB iPhone 3GS will cost you £715.99 (with free delivery!). Or, you could take your chances and buy an iPhone from eBay. I just watched an auction end for an unlocked iPhone; a 16GB 3GS went for £470 plus £6.99 postage – saving £239 on Play.com’s price. Not bad. However, the seller said he had “opened the box to unlock”, indicating that it’s probably unofficially unlocked using the iPhone Dev Team‘s fine work on their ultrasn0w unlocking software. So that means you’ll have to update your iPhone using a jailbreak tool and custom firmware everytime – or to put that jargon-free – no easy software updates from iTunes.
So here’s an easier and cheaper option to buy an officially unlocked iPhone in the UK.