iPad Update: DRM-Free ePub Support and Voice Over for iBooks, Facebook Sharing, Data-plan Management

Apple.com’s new iPad menu item and feature pages shed light on all sorts of interesting new details. We’ve put all of them into an updated version of our Complete iPad and iPhone OS 3.2 Preview article, but here are some of our favorites:

• DRM-Free ePub support. If you already have ePub books that are DRM-Free, just drag them into iTunes and sync them to your iPad. It’s an obvious thing, but Apple doesn’t always enable obvious things so this is nice to see.
• Voice Over for iBooks. Apple’s terrific accessibility feature, Voice Over, will work for iBooks. Amazon got into a lot of trouble with author’s and publishers over this feature and had to make it opt-in for the Kindle. It will be interesting to see if Apple got universal opt-in or just isn’t afraid to pick that fight again.
• YouTube sharing via Facebook. In addition to emailing links, you can also share them directly to Facebook. Social baby steps!
• App Store iPad section. Apple’s iTunes App Store will have a section for iPad apps so they’re easier to find and acquire.
• Data plan management. If you go for an iPad 3G, you can select and purchase your plan on a month-by-month basis right on the iPad. Choose the 256MB plan and you’ll get messages alerting you when you have 20%, 10%, and 0 data left so you can turn 3G off, add another 256MB for an extra $14.99, or upgrade to an unlimited plan right from the device.

If you spotted any other new or notable gems, let us know in the comments and we’ll add them to the list!

iPad Update: DRM-Free ePub Support and Voice Over for iBooks, Facebook Sharing, Data-plan Management is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Apple vs. Google is Getting Personal

The New York Time has a full length feature up about the state of the Apple vs. Google rivalry and how it’s getting personal. We’ve heard similar several times before, of course, and Apple has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Android manufacturer HTC. But the details here are interesting:

As Google’s plans took shape, Apple and Google executives either met in person or spoke on the phone on multiple occasions about Apple’s concern about Android, executives on both sides say.

Many of those meetings turned confrontational, according to people familiar with the discussions, with Mr. Jobs often accusing Google of stealing iPhone features. Google executives said that Android’s features were based on longstanding ideas already circulating in the industry and that some Android prototypes predated the iPhone.

At one particularly heated meeting in 2008 on Google’s campus, Mr. Jobs angrily told Google executives that if they deployed a version of multitouch — the popular iPhone feature that allows users to control their devices with flicks of their fingers — he would sue. Two people briefed on the meeting described it as “fierce” and “heated.”

It’s undeniable that Google bought Android before Apple released the iPhone (though Apple was reportedly working on the iPhone/iPad technology for 2-3 years already by then). It’s also undeniable that the early Android prototypes we saw looked more like BlackBerry or Windows Mobile Standard, yet when Google debuted the G1, it was a full screen, capacitive touch device with the same screen resolution as the iPhone. From the Hero to the Droid to the Nexus One, similar form factors have followed while the BlackBerry-esque devices have yet to be seen.

Many other incidents, such as the still-unapproved/rejected Google Voice app for iPhone, Google CEO Eric Schmidt leaving the Apple Board of Directors, and Google buying (and paying a premium for) AdMob after Apple expressed an interest in the company, are all said to result from this souring in relations.

The two remain successful partners for now, and Google keeps saying everything is “stable”. The NYT suggests, however, that someone like longstanding Google mentor and Apple board member Bill Campbell, formerly of Intuit, needs to act as a peacemaker to bring the two giants back together. Otherwise, rumors persist of Steve Ballmer and Microsoft’s Bing standing poised to take Google’s place as Apple’s default search engine, map provider, and ally.

It’s a long article but well worth a read, especially the parts about how Google founders Sergy Brin and Larry Page, and Steve Jobs used to enjoy a close relationship. Check it out and let us know what you think…

Apple vs. Google is Getting Personal is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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How To Jailbreak iPhone OS 3.1.3 Using PwnageTool For iPhone 3G Users

10% of Microsoft Employees Secretly Using iPhones?

Much to the chagrin of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Devices and Entertainment honcho Robbie Bach, the Wall Street Journal reports that even publicly stomping on employee iPhones hasn’t stamped them out:

Nearly 10,000 iPhone users were accessing the Microsoft employee email system last year, say two people who heard the estimates from senior Microsoft executives. That figure equals about 10% of the company’s global work force.

Outside of specific development units like Bing for iPhone, while using an iPhone at Microsoft isn’t forbidden, it’s discouraged. Microsoft will only re-emburse expenses for Windows Phone-based devices. Likewise, several executives have spoken out against using iPhones, including Ballmer who quipped that his father worked at Ford and so his family always drove Ford.

While a few use the openly, others hide them in generic cases — or make sure not to answer them if they’re in a room with Ballmer. (Or use them if they’re a member of the Gates family!)

Apple employees, of course, are not thought to be using Windows Mobile devices in any perceptible quantity. Could Windows Phone 7 Series change that…?

10% of Microsoft Employees Secretly Using iPhones? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Tim Cook’s Bonus: $5 Million Cash, $17 Million Stock. Filling in for Steve Jobs: Priceless

Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook stepped up and filled in for Steve Jobs during Jobs’ leave of absence last year, and has been given a discretionary bonus of $5 million, along with 75,000 shares of Apple stock (currently worth just shy of $17 million), by way of thank you bonus.

Keeping Apple not only stable but thriving during the absence and then-uncertain future of their famous CEO, however, was no doubt invaluable to Apple and its shareholders.

Congrats to Tim Cook then. Don’t spend it all on iPad pre-orders (though that would certainly explain the 91,000 units in the first 6 hours!)

Tim Cook’s Bonus: $5 Million Cash, $17 Million Stock. Filling in for Steve Jobs: Priceless is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

App Store Will Feature An iPad App Section And iBookStore Will Get eBook Categories

TomTom iPhone app hits 1.3, gains real-time traffic and Google local search

Here lately, Navigon has been crushing it on the iPhone GPS front. Every couple of weeks, it seems that MobileNavigator is getting yet another fantastic update, all while TomTom's lackluster offering hangs back in the land of complacency. Thankfully for us all, the outfit has just pushed out the v1.3 update, which adds real-time traffic (an unfortunate $19.99 add-on), Google local search, updated roadways, automatic music fading between text-to-speech instructions and the ability to add locations from other apps and websites. We'd still recommend Navigon's software if you're looking to buy into iPhone GPS for the first time, but this is certainly a boon for those already locked into the TomTom alternative.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

TomTom iPhone app hits 1.3, gains real-time traffic and Google local search originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s iPad Battery Replacement Program Forgoes New Battery, Replaces iPad

Several MacRumors readers have noticed that Apple has posted information on its iPad Battery Replacement Service, which allows users to receive a replacement should their device's battery no longer hold a...

Boo Hoo! SimplifyMedia dropping products and changing direction

Filed under: Multimedia, Internet Tools, iTunes, iPhone, Music

The problem is, we just don't know where they're going. In a Saturday blog post, the company announced it is "...taking a new direction" and won't be offering their current apps to new users.

SimplifyMedia has been offering free software for computer-to-computer and iPhone-to-computer music sharing over the internet. Using the iPhone app, you could connect to your computer at home and stream albums, playlists or songs without any complicated firewall setups. A newer version of the software also allowed remote access to your iPhoto library.

It also looks like the company is going to slowly sunset current customer accounts but will continue to keep them functioning for at least another 3 months.

The Simplify iPhone app has been removed from the App Store, and the company says new account creation will be disabled soon.

I don't have any idea where the company is headed, but the current product will be missed. SimplifyMedia was offered for Mac, PC and Ubuntu.

[Thanks to Robert for the tip]

Boo Hoo! SimplifyMedia dropping products and changing direction originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Boo Hoo! SimplifyMedia dropping products and changing direction originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Pocket Chef for iPhone

Developed by Gameloft, Pocket Chef is a cooking simulation game for the iPhone designed for the cooking-impaired.

Opera Mini For iPhone Could Be Coming Soon To App Store

91,000 iPads Pre-Ordered in 6 Hours?

iPad pre-orders went live at 5:30am PT, 8:30am ET and in the 6 hours that follow, Fortune relays that Apple has moved 91,000 of the magical and revolutionary new devices. (50,000 in the first 2 hours!)

The estimates are based on a bunch of impatient investors on the AAPL Sanity Board inputing and tracking order numbers via Google Spreadsheets. Even if they’re not spot on accurate, they show a good amount of movement for a device many dismissed right out of the gate.

TUAW meanwhile is hearing in-store reservations for iPad Wi-Fi is 41,000.

What do you think, are those good numbers for Steve Job’s most important product launch? Were you expecting more, less?

91,000 iPads Pre-Ordered in 6 Hours? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Review: Motorola Devour smartphone

There's a lot to like about the Devour smartphone, especially its social networking features, intuitive user interface, and sturdy design, but it also has some shortcomings.

TomTom updated to 1.3 now with Google Local Search!

The AT&T Navigator app and TomTom are my two favorite GPS solutions; TomTom just took the lead with this most recent update.

One of the benefits of the AT&T Navigator app was the ability to search real-time and navigate to a location via the web. Now, TomTom is bringing us that functionality via Google Local Search, and more! Here is a list of changes in the most rescent update, 1.3:

• Real-Time traffic- The best traffic information available today (an additional $19.99)
• Google Local Search- Access the latest listings from within TomTom
• The Latest Maps- The most accurate map
• Music Fading- Instead of music pausing, it fades when navigation is spoken
• Automatic Day/Night Mode- TomTom now calculates the sunrise and sunset and changes the map accordingly
• Add Locations- From other apps and websites

There are some other nuances too such as button placement and how the iPod controls work, but they are definitely for the better. It is disappointing that the traffic component costs an additional $19.99, but to me the Google Search alone is worth this update. Check out some pics after the break!

TomTom updated to 1.3 now with Google Local Search! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Google “stand behind” Android and HTC in Apple lawsuit

Apple specifically referred to a number of Android-based devices in their lawsuit – while several Windows Mobile handsets were also mentioned, they are only ever referred to obliquely as “DSP Devices” – but fell short of naming Google. The crux of Apple’s argument is that HTC have overstepped the ...

iPhone backups a bit slow? Dump those images

Filed under: Tips and tricks, Odds and ends, iPhone

If your iPhone backups and restores are taking a ridiculously long time, Apple suggests you take a quick peek at your Camera Roll.

In a new Knowledge Base entry, Apple reminds users that photos are backed up each time you do a sync, even if there are no changes to the Camera Roll. The result can be a sluggish backup or restore.

If you already have the photos copied into iPhoto, you're good to erase them from the Camera Roll. Apple has some advice for getting the pictures back to your iPhone if you need to:

iPhone backups a bit slow? Dump those images originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone backups a bit slow? Dump those images originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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