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Mapi Fashion Poros iPhone Case Offers Style with a Functional Twist

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While Android fans (fandroids!) will pooh pooh the iPhone 5S as an incremental enhancement, I actually appreciate Apple's consistency in form factor. It allows me to use and reuse some of my favorite cases and accessories. Specifically, the luxurious leather cases from Mapi.

The latest Mapi case I was able to get my hands on is their Fashion Poros Slipcase ($55). It has the buttery-soft leather Mapi is known for, with a twist: There is an opening where the caller ID info is displayed, so you can see who is calling before you remove the phone from the slipcase. And when you do remove it, there is a clever mechanism that makes it easy to eject the phone.

The Poros case is available in raspberry or lime, and apparently targeted at women who would slip the phone in their purse. But I like it too! I'd like to see a case in their more neutral brown, tan, and black colors.


Note to Apple: We Are Underwhelmed

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I hate to say I told you so, but in the wake of Tuesday's relatively unimpressive media event I don't know what else to say. Perhaps the bigwigs at Apple should spend more time reading iPhone Life; we seem to have some really spot on ideas of how they might recapture some of their magic. When our Editor in Chief, Alex Cequea, posts something like this kind yet critical analysis of what Apple could have done better, that's another sure sign Apple loyalists are unhappy with the direction the company is headed.

After the iPhone 5C and 5S unveiling, the Internet lit up with both criticism and ridicule toward the tech giant. Many feel that Apple has had a drought of innovation and has turned a deaf ear to what global consumers are begging for. On September 10, Apple had the world's attention and we were all eagerly waiting for something unique, something that harkened back to the days when Jobs was at the helm. 

We hoped for a cheaper iPhone, a larger-screened iPhone, an iWatch, or maybe an iTV. Instead of a breakthrough innovation, we got an incremental update to the iPhone 5 in the iPhone 5S and a rehashed iPhone 5 with colored plastic backs. Honestly, any number of innovative product introductions could have helped Apple regain some of the "Wow" factor that Steve Jobs always brought.

As I said on the day of the unveiling, the highlight of the show was iOS 7. I wish I could say I was surprised, but alas, the product leaks were accurate and we got what we expected. And speaking of product leaks, what’s with Tim Cook commending the leaks! Wasn't this the same person who just a short while ago vowed that Apple was going to aggressively shut down a leaky supply chain

So now Apple’s stocks have tumbled, and the company is the butt of one joke after another online. The sad part is that many of the jokes are right on and quite funny, especially some of the ones from Apple’s competitorswho I'm sure were quite thrilled by Apple’s lackluster performance yesterday.

I said it before Apple’s event on September 10, and I'll say it again with even greater emphasis: Now more than ever, Apple needs an innovative home run. The rumors are swirling about a fall event in which Apple will debut its new iPad lines, so Apple has another chance to remind us what made it not just the most profitable tech company, but the most beloved tech company. To me, and millions of others, Apple is synonymous with products that make us feel an emotional connection to them, products that fill a need we didn't even know we had until Apple showed us its inventions.

Don't get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that Apple is about to go bankrupt or close its doors, but there are endless competitors nipping at its heels. At this rate it's just a matter of time before it's not Apple but the competition that surprises us all with "the next big thing." Then again, maybe we wouldn't be surprised after all...

Unleash Your Inner App Developer - Putting Your Skills to the Test

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Do you have an idea for an app but lack the programming knowledge to begin building it? In this weekly blog series, I will take you, the non-programmer, step by step through the process of creating apps for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Join me each week on this adventure, and you will experience how much fun turning your ideas into reality can be! This is Part 23 of the series. If you are just getting started, check out the beginning of the series here.

When I left you last, I had handed out a homework assignment to put iOS app development skills you have learned so far to the test. Your goal was to covert the My Reviews and Review scenes in the iAppsReview app from prototypes to fully functioning views. In this post, I'll go through the steps for you and I recommend comparing them to the steps you took in completing the homework assignment.

Figure 1 shows how the two scenes will look after completing the steps in this post.

Completed scenes
Figure 1 - The completed My Reviews and Review scenes at run time

If you need the latest version of the iAppsReview project, you can download it from this link. If you run into any troubles along the way, you can get the completed project for this post at this link.

Let's get started.

Converting the My Reviews Scene

The first step in converting My Reviews scene to a fully functioning scene, is to change the table view from static to dynamic cells.

  1. In Xcode, open the iAppsReview scene.
  1. In the Project Navigator, select the MainStoryboard.storyboard file.
  1. Scroll to the My Reviews scene in the storyboard.
  1. Click in the gray area below the table view to select the table view.
  1. Go to the Attributes Inspector, and change the Content type to Dynamic Prototypes.
  1. Since all the cells in this table view have the same style, we can delete all the cells except the first cell. To do this, click on the second cell, hold the Shift key down, then click on third, fourth, and fifth cells. With the last four cells selected, press the Delete key. This leaves one cell remaining as shown in Figure 2.
Once cell remaining
Figure 2 - Leave just one cell remaining.
  1. With the remaining cell in the table selected, go to the Attributes Inspector and set the cell's Identifier attribute to ReviewCell (Figure 3).
Set cell identifier
Figure 3 - Set the cell's Identifier to ReviewCell.

 

Creating the My Reviews Table View Controller

For our next step, we need to create a table view controller that we can use in conjunction with the My Reviews scene to fill and manage the table view.

  1. In the Project Navigator, right click the iAppsReview group, and select New File... from the popup menu.
  1. On the left side of the New File dialog under the iOS section, select Cocoa Touch. On the right side of the dialog, select the Objective-C class template (Figure 4), and then click the Next button.
Create a new class
Figure 4 - Create a new Objective-C class.
  1. In the next step of the New File dialog, set the Class to MyReviewsViewController and set the Subclass of to UITableViewController (Figure 5).
New table view controller
Figure 5 - Create a new MyReviewsTableViewController class as a subclass of UITableViewController
  1. In the Save File dialog, click the Create button. This adds the new class files to the Project Navigator (Figure 6).
New table view controller files
Figure 6 - The new table view controller files
  1. As soon as you create a new table view controller, you should immediately associate it with the scene (because it's easy to forget). To do this, go to the Project Navigator and click on the MainStoryboard file. Then go to the My Reviews scene and click on the status bar at the very top of the scene to select the table view controller. Next, go to the Identity Insepctor (the third button from the left in the Inspector toolbar) and change the Class to MyReviewsViewController (Figure 7).
Set view controller class name
Figure 7 - Set the view controller class to MyReviewsViewController.

Now we're ready to add code to the new class to fill and manage the My Reviews scene's table view.

Setting Up the Table View Controller

We are going to need the services of the Review business controller class to retrieve ReviewEntity objects from the database, so let's start there.

  1. In the Project Navigator, select the MyReviewsViewController.m file.
  1. At the top of the MyReviewsViewController.m file, add the import statements shown in Figure 8.
import statements
Figure 8 - Add these import statements.
  1. We need a place to store the Review business controller object and the ReviewEntity objects that are retrieved from the database, so add the instance variables shown in Figure 9.
Instance variables
Figure 9 - Add these instance variables.
  1. Next, add the code shown in Figure 10 to the bottom of the viewDidLoad method (you can delete all existing comments in viewDidLoad first).
viewDidLoad
Figure 10 - Add this code to the viewDidLoad method.

Next, we need to implement the table view data source methods in the view controller.

  1. In the numberOfSectionsInTableView: method, delete the #warning declaration and add the code shown in Figure 11.
Number of sections
Figure 11 - Add this code to the numberOfSectionsInTableView: method.
  1. In the tableView:numberOfRowsInSection: method, delete the #warning declaration and add the code shown in Figure 12.
Number of rows in section
Figure 12 - Add this code to the tableView:numberOfRowsInSection: method.
  1. In the tableView:cellForRowAtIndexPath: method, change the code as shown in Figure 13.
cellForRowAtIndexPath
Figure 13 - Add this code to the tableView:cellForRowAtIndexPath: method

 

Testing the My Reviews Scene

Now we're ready to check out our code to see how it works.

  1. Click Xcode's Run button.
  1. When the app appears in the Simulator, first tap the Write a Review option to create a review and post it.
  1. Next, in the main iAppsReview scene, select the Read Your Reviews option, and you should see all of the reviews that you have added so far (Figure 14). 
My Reviews scene at run time
Figure 14 - The My Reviews scene at run time.

You have met with success!

Converting the Review Scene

Before leaving the My Reviews scene in the Simulator, click on one of your reviews in the list and you will be taken to the Review scene. This scene is still a prototype and displays static information about the Doodle Jump app. 

  1. Click Xcode's Stop button.
  1. In the Project Navigator, select the MainStoryboard file and scroll to the Review scene. All of the UI controls we need have been placed on the scene and are ready to accept live data. There's nothing else we need to do to the user interface of this scene right now. I just wanted you to take a look at it before we begin.

Creating the Review View Controller

For many of the other scenes we have converted, we created an associated table view controller. However, since this scene doesn't contain a table view, we can create just a plain view controller.

  1. In the Project Navigator, right-click the iAppsReview node and select New File... from the popup menu. 
  1. On the left side of the New File dialog under the iOS section, select Cocoa Touch.
  1. On the right side of the dialog, select Objective-C class template and click the the Next button.
  1. In the next step of the dialog, set the Class to ReviewViewController and set Subclass of to UIViewController (notUITableViewController) as shown in Figure 15.
Create ReviewViewController
Figure 15 - Create a new ReviewViewController class.
  1. Click the Next button, and in the Save File dialog, click the Create button. This adds two new class files to the Project Navigator (Figure 16).
Review view controller files
Figure 16 - New view controller files
  1. Now let's associate the new view controller with the Review scene. In the Project Navigator, select the MainStoryboard file. Afterwards, click the status bar at the top of the Review scene, then go to the Identity Inspector and set the Class to ReviewViewController (Figure 17).
Set ReviewViewController class
Figure 17 - Set the Class to ReviewViewController.


Setting Up the Review View Controller

Let's start out by adding outlets to the user interface controls so we can access them from the view controller.

  1. Turn on the Assistant Editor by going to the top of the Xcode window and clicking the center button in the Editor button group.
  1. Click on the Review scene in the storyboard. If the ReviewViewController.h file is not automatically displayed in the Assistant Editor, go to the jump bar at the top of the Assistant Editor, click the Manual button and select Automatic > ReviewViewController.h.
  1. At the top of the ReviewViewController.h file, add the import statement shown in Figure 18.
Import starRating
Figure 18 - Import mmStarRating.h.
  1. Click on the Doodle Jump label in the Review scene to select it, hold the Control key down and then click and drag down into the ReviewViewController.h file as shown in Figure 19.
Create outlet
Figure 19 - Create an outlet for the label.
  1. When you see the Insert Outlet or Outlet Collection popup, let go of the mouse button and Control key.
  1. In the Create Connection popup, set the Name to lblAppName and then click Connect. This adds a new outlet property to the code file as shown in Figure 20.
New outlet property
Figure 20 - The new outlet property
  1. Now create an outlet for the other controls in the scene. Give the outlets the following names:
  • Entertainment label - lblCategory
  • Five Star Rating control - starRating
  • Comments text view - tvwComments
  • Image view - imgThumbnail

When you're finished, the ReviewViewController.h should look like Figure 21.

Outlets
Figure 21 - The completed outlet properties

 

Passing Data to the Review View Controller

In a previous post, I discussed how to pass data between view controllers. The scenario with the Review view controller is a little easier, because we only need to pass data one way. We need to pass the currently selected review's information from the My Reviews scene to the Review scene. However, since the Review scene doesn't allow editing, we don't need to pass any information back.

By way of review, here are the three main steps we need to perform to pass data to a view controller.

  1. Create a property on the destination view controller to hold the data being passed by the source view controller.
  1. Configure the segue between the source and destination view controllers.
  1. In the source view controller, implement the prepareForSegue: method and add code that stores the data to be passed to the destination view controller's property.

In this scenario, it makes sense to pass a ReviewEntity object from the My Reviews view controller to the Review view controller.

  1. Close the Assistant Editor by clicking the left button in the Editor button group at the top of the Xcode window.
  1. In the Project Navigator, select the ReviewController.h file and add the import statement and property declaration shown in Figure 22.
Import and Property
Figure 22 - Add the import statement and property declaration.
  1. In the Project Navigator, select the ReviewController.m file and add the code shown in Figure 23 to the viewDidLoad method. Notice we left out the code that stores information in the image view control and the category label. This requires some special code, so we'll get to these items in a future post!
viewDidLoad
Figure 23 - Add this code to the viewDidLoad method.

Our next step is to configure the segue between the My Reviews and Review scenes.

  1. In the Project Navigator, select the MainStoryboard file.
  1. Click on the segue between the My Reviews and Review scene. Notice that when you do this, Xcode highlights the Doodle Jump row in the table view (if it doesn't, you have the wrong segue selected). This is because the segue is currently hard-coded to this specific row. Now that we are converting the app from a prototype, we need to delete this segue and create a new one.
  1. Press the Delete key to delete the segue.
  1. Click the status bar of the My Reviews scene to select the table view controller. 
  1. Hold the Control key down, and then in the scene dock below the My Reviews scene, click the view controller icon on the left. Drag your mouse pointer to the Review scene until the scene is highlighted in blue.
  1. In the segue popup, select Push.
  1. Click on the segue in the storyboard to select it, and then go to the Attributes Inspector and set the Identifier to ReviewSegue as shown in Figure 24.
set segue identifier
Figure 24 - Set the segue Identifier to ReviewSegue.

Now let's to the source view controller and implement the prepareForSegue method.

  1. In the Project Navigator, select the MyReviewsViewController.m file.
  1. At the top of the code file add the import statement shown in Figure 25.
Import view controller
Figure 25 - Import ReviewViewController.h
  1. Add the prepareForSegue method shown in Figure 26 directly below the viewDidLoad method.
prepareForSegue
Figure 26 - Add this prepareForSegue method to the ReviewViewController.m file.
  1. Now scroll to the bottom of the code file. Delete all of the existing comments from the tableView:didSelectRowAtIndexPath: method and replace it with the code shown in Figure 27. This code triggers the segue when the user taps a row in the table view.
didSelectRowAtIndexPath
Figure 27 - Add this code to the tableView:didSelectRowAtIndexPath: method.

That's it! You have added all the code you need to pass data from the My Reviews view controller to the Review view controller.

Testing the Review Scene

Now we're ready to take it for a spin.

  1. In Xcode, click the Run button.
  1. When the app appears in the Simulator, select the Read Your Reviews row.
  1. Select one of the rows from the list and you should see its information displayed in the Review scene as shown on the right side of Figure 1 at the beginning of this post!

I recommend that you add several reviews with different ratings, comments, and so on, then come back to the My Reviews scene and check them out. REMEMBER, as the app stands right now, you won't see a change in the Category or the image, but we'll address this in a future post.

Conclusion

So how did you do? It's amazing what you can learn when you take off the training wheels and try it on your own. If you're a little foggy on the steps outlined here, I recommend going through them a few times until they make sense. As always, you can ask any questions you have in the comments for this post!

iPhone 5S 64-bit Processor Takes Mobile Computing to New Level

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The new iPhone 5S will be up to twice as fast as the iPhone 5, thanks to its 64-bit architecture. While a 64-bit processor is common on desktop computers, the iPhone 5S is the first phone in the world to have this architecture. Apple demoed Infinity Blade III to show what this powerful chip can do, from loading complex environments nearly instantly to supporting graphics with four times as much detail. 

Beyond gaming, new features such as the fingerprint sensor and the extraordinary camera (with its improved optics and other features) require more horsepower. Everything will simply work faster, according to a post on ReadWrite, from running apps to downloading videos. The more powerful chip also allows for more robust content-creation apps, such that mobile devices can continue to encroach on the domain of desktop computers.

But according to an interesting article on CNET, Apple's main goal with the chip is to pave the way to the future. A 32-bit chip can only address a maximum of 4GB of memory, whereas a 64-bit chip can address up to 16 "exabytes" according to ExtremeTech, with an exabyte being 1 billion gigabytes. The article says that 64-bit apps typically use more memory, so eventually a 64-bit architecture will be necessary. Currently all smartphones only come with a 1 or 2 GB memory, except for the Samsung Galaxy Note, which has 3GB. Phones aren't yet bumping up against the limited memory, buy it likely won't be long before the new 64-bit apps need more than 4GB. Apple is focused on creating a platform for years to come and is the first phone maker to get to this level.

In addition, a Macworld article says Apple is also looking ahead to when this same chip could be used to power all their mobile devices—phones, tablets, and laptops. If a developer can develop a single application that will work on a range of devices, this will be a huge motivation for them to develop for the platform.

Of course, to take advantage of the greater power, apps need to be rewritten. During Tuesday's announcement, Apple said they've engineered iOS 7 to take advantage of this new architecture, and have re-engineered all the built-in apps. Plus, they've provided tools to developers that make it possible to convert a current 32-bit app in a couple hours. And for new apps, Apple's tools let developers create 32- and 64-bit versions of the app simultaneously.

It appears, therefore, that Apple is far ahead in terms of smartphone architecture, and that, as usual, the other phone makers will be playing catch up. This is typical Apple, always thinking long term and always working to improve their technology.

Dating in the Tech Age: Sprint Will Ruin Your Game

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There are so many obstacles that could keep a newly single woman from getting back in the game—the need to lie on the couch and over-analyze things, an earth-ending asteroid, a bear standing between her and George Clooney—but you wouldn't expect her choice of cell phone service provider to be one of them...

“Enough is enough! You’re going to stop this mental masochistic masturbation and start dating!”

You know Mom means business when she yells “masochistic masturbation” while cooking dinner for Grandpa. Luckily, he was outside watering the lawn.

“You don’t need a commitment,” she continued, “but you need to get back in the game!”

“Thanks, Ma.” I mumbled, knowing she was right.

After nearly 2 months of slothing around and analyzing everything from the first time my ex-boyfriend and I met to the last time we spoke, Mom’s revelation threw me into a little black dress, plum-colored velvet wedges, lip gloss, and black lace panties. I even shaved a few parts of my body that hadn’t seen anything but the inside of a floor-length jersey skirt since the beginning of summer.

After I got all gussied up, I was ready to go. I grabbed my iPhone (that’s right, I got it back!), opened the Maps app, searched “Venice Café, St. Louis, Missouri,” then slipped the phone into my tote. Before walking to my car, I checked myself out in the mirror. The dress and shoes matched my game face perfectly. As I walked out of the house, I pulled my iPhone back out and looked at the screen. Suddenly, a feeling of rage surged in my chest as I spit out, “F*%$ you, Sprint!”

After nearly six minutes of “searching” for my Friday night prowling grounds, the Maps app had yet to find it. I threw open my car door, sat in the drivers seat, put the key in the ignition, and looked at my phone yet again. It was still searching.

The previous week, I had experienced the same situation, though luckily the stakes weren’t as high. Sprint spent nearly 20 minutes finding and routing my desired location (Whole Foods in Clayton, Missouri). On my way to lunch, I called Sprint. I remained cordial at first, but after being put on hold and transferred numerous times, I lost it.

Remember the voicemail that was leaked in 2007 of Alec Baldwin angrily yelling barnyard animal names at his daughter Ireland? Well, if Sprint and I were to re-enact that, I’d be cast as Alec and Sprint would be Ireland.

Sprint has been half-assing its service for a long time. In all honesty, it didn’t bother me at first, because I was depressed—the fewer people that had access to me, the better. Now that I’m jumping back into the dating scene, pedicured feet first, lame-o cell phone service will not suffice! How am I going to take hot selfies and post them to Instagram or Facebook in a timely fashion? What about when the time comes to immerse myself in quick-witted, flirty text repartee with a fellow mingling single? What about sexting? If there's one thing that needs to be delivered with haste, it's a sext.

Amidst my Alec/Ireland re-enactment, the customer service representative explained Sprint’s situation. Apparently, the higher-ups thought it would be best to tear down their 3G towers in order to build 4G towers. I mean, I’m no tower-building cell-phone-service-providing expert, but wouldn’t it have made more sense to build the 4G towers BEFORE getting rid of the old ones?

Before hanging up, “Ireland” also let me know Sprint service would be top-notch around January of next year… but what does that mean? Will it be as good as Verizon, the best wingman a newly single woman could ask for? More importantly, am I willing to let my cell phone service potentially slow down the next step of getting over what’s-his-face until next January?

Truth be told, I would have canceled my service the day of the Whole Foods outing, but I’m on the same plan with my mom and sister, who have zero complaints about Sprint—but they’re also the type of people who would be perfectly fine using messenger birds or Morse code to keep in touch. With that said, Sprint, you win—but things better shape up come January or else!  

Image: Nicolas Raymond, freestock.ca

Top 3 App Deals of the Week

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As new iOS apps flood the App Store every day—recently topping 900,000—we know it’s tough to tell which ones are worth their salt. But thanks to our Weekly Scoop, you can have the best for free! Here you’ll find a weekly roundup of the coolest apps free or at a discount for a limited-time only. Each week features the best and brightest from websites like Free App ReportAppsGoneFree, appsfire, and more.

Hurry! Get 'em while they’re hot!

1. Push-ups (FREE from $0.99)

Count the number of correct push-ups you’ve done by putting your iPhone under your chest. If you’ve gotten down close enough to your phone, you hear a sound rewarding you for doing a great push-up. No lazy push-ups allowed, iPhone Life-ers!

iPhone Screenshot 1  iPhone Screenshot 2

2. Hi Guess Who (FREE from $0.99)

There’s a celebrity in the image. Do you recognize who it is? There are hundreds of famous faces from TV, movies and books in this puzzle game that lets you identify famous faces in funny images. It’s addictive!

iPhone Screenshot 1

  iPhone Screenshot 2

3. Gluten Free Restaurant Items ($1.99 from $2.99)

It seems like many people are discovering they have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity these days. This app aims to help folks find gluten-free items to eat at over 125 of the most popular restaurant and fast-food chains. Take the risk out of eating out with this helpful app.

iPhone Screenshot 1  iPhone Screenshot 2

Autodesk has Seen the Future and It Holds a 3D Printer

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What does a computer-aided design leader do after 30 years in the market when confronted with mobility and tablets? If it’s Autodesk, it reinvents itself. Well, not completely. Autodesk, maker of the well-known AutoCad suite of design products, continues to support its core customers. But here’s the thing: It took 30 years to build that very loyal base of 17 million customers; it took just three years to build its mobile apps base of 140 million users.

To be fair, the mobile apps don’t offer the sophistication and detail of AutoCAD or Alias, nor do they require the training or deep domain expertise to use them. But the app customers are far from just consumers playing with shapes, they are industrial designers capturing and refining ideas; photographers and videographers enhancing their projects; and architects and interior designers interactively engaging with interior spaces in new ways. And to some extent, they are all of us, looking for new ways to express ourselves in the world of tablets and apps.

For Autodesk, this translates into a strategic opportunity. Autodesk needs to reach beyond gigantic monitors filled with precisely placed lines that represent the disk of a multi-million dollar satellite, and find the agility to enter consumer markets where pushing and prodding a shape into a rough representation of an idea may be enough to kick start a Kickerstarter campaign.

Autodesk is betting big on several new apps in two huge categories that may make it a household name:

 

Home Design

The first market is home design. Here Autodesk offers Homestyler (free), that on the surface appears to be a personal-design app. Take a picture of a room, establish its measurements and then start populating that room with new furniture. The chairs, tables, and artwork come from a wide variety of partners who have provided Autodesk with 3D versions of their catalogs.

The design of Homestyler means people don’t need to draw a single line. Once the scale is locked in, any object brought into the environment automatically scales to fit its environment (unless you choose an object that is too big for its allotted space.) If high-end designer items are beyond a user’s purse, catalog items can easily filtered by price to reveal similar, but less expensive options.

Designing rooms isn’t the only value delivered by Homestyler. As people create designs, some of which may be for rooms that don’t actually exist, and may never exist, they can upload their designs for others to enjoy and explore. People can gain inspiration from the designs of others. The partner model helps people easily find an item they like by connecting them back into the e-commerce systems for the manufacturers or distributors.

Perhaps one of its least expected features, and one that will likely grow over time, is automated design as learning. Linda Adams, who works in the drama department at Jacksonville State University, aspires to redesign their theater’s lobby. She hasn’t executed that vision yet, but she has uploaded many smaller projects to the Homestyler community where she receives immediate feedback, both negative and positive. She says it’s like “taking a design course without paying for it.”

Over time, Homestyler may also become a portal to brands as people reach through their designs, or the designs of others, to create consumer relationships and feedback loops with the manufacturers and product designers.

    

 

Making Stuff

The Maker Movement is coming. If you haven’t heard of it, just wait, this won’t be the last mention that catches your attention. At its core, the Maker Movement focuses on a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to everything from robotic dirigibles with DIY controllers to doll houses made entirely of items delivered from a 3D printer.

Autodesk is betting heavily that the company's experience in helping to design aircraft parts and automobiles will come in handy to individual consumers who want to make everything from an iPhone case to a replacement part for a refrigerator. Autodesk is there to help with a large variety of sculpting tools, many of which create 3D print compatible outputs. Most of the apps are free and many run on both the iPhone and the iPad. 3D apps include 123D Catch (Free), for turning images into design, and 123D Creature (Free), for allowing even the most imaginative forms of surreal life to find expression.

The Maker Movement has the potential to disrupt the future of manufacturing. The movement employs mass-produced machines to create one-of-a-kind pieces (though they can be reproduced, we aren’t yet in the personal mass-production area—wait awhile though and we may be). The movement also seeks to reverse years of outsourcing around the world by making the manufacturing of many items a commodity, which may also shift inventory from the storage of finished parts in warehouses to the storage of raw materials in homes. The software and other bits associated with the design will be what's important in the future, not the object itself. If you can’t find the 2012 Hallmark Star Trek Christmas Ornament you missed, don’t fret, just download the design and print your own. The design field will likely be the next frontier of legal wrangling over intellectual property issues as open-source and proprietary designs are unleashed on the Internet.

 

(Click here if you can't see the video above.) 

 

Creating Community

Autodesk has always had a good relationship with its core customers. It is learning about and testing various ways to engage its new customers. They have focused not on making money, but learning about their new consumers and the new platforms. Community also means association with Autodesk the brand.

Once that learning takes place, Autodesk’s old models of highly controlled, expensive software will migrate toward micro-transactions inside of apps; membership-based offerings with entitlements like private storage, premium content, and discounts on services; and partner hardware. And of course, once a community exists and is well known, other brands will want to engage with them, including through advertising. Autodesk, however, will focus on maintaining a high quality experience, while presenting information that is relevant and value-add, such as the catalog offerings in Homestyler. They will deliver branded products to consumers in a meaningful context that provides values for the brands and the consumers through exposure, experimentation, and experience.

 

The Future of Autodesk

The Autodesk of 2015 will be a very different company from the Autodesk of 1995. Gone will be the hardware dongles that tie software to a single device. Gone will be a clear market with just a few industries to support. In 2015, Autodesk will be a consumer company driven to educate, enable, and empower consumers to create their own future.

Software is the most malleable form of human invention. As software permits people to take visions of physical objects, model them and then manifest them in the real world, we may experience a renaissance of creativity.

When you are up, late at night, agonizing over your son or daughter’s unfinished science project, it may be Autodesk and their partners that you turn to in the future—and Radio Shack, rather than being the source of knobs and switches, may return to its hobby days and be the source of goo and glue.

A world where technology helps people unleash designs and ideas from the realm of mental possibility to physical reality will be a very interesting place to live.

Wal-Mart Selling iPhone 5C for $79 and iPhone 5S for $189

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Apple generally exerts tight control over the price retailers charge for Apple products, but in a somewhat unprecedented move is allowing Wal-Mart to sell the new phones at a discount. You can get the 16GB iPhone 5C for $79 (regularly $99) with contract and the iPhone 5S for $189 (regularly $199). According to AppleInsider, the iPhone 5C will be available for preorder in-store at that price beginning September 13. But if you're in the market for a 5S, you'll need to wait and buy one in the store on September 20. 

In addition, Wal-Mart will begin offering a trade-in program for your old phone when you buy a new one beginning on September 21. Depending on the condition of your phone, you could get as much as $300. To take advantage of the low price for the new iPhones, you must activate your phone in the store with your options being Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, or Walmart's pre-paid wireless service.

Why would Apple break precedent and allow discounted phones? An article by 24/7 Wall St. speculates that given the increasing market for smartphones among cost-conscious consumers, Apple may be reconsidering is rigid tradition of premium pricing, and is perhaps using this as an experiment to see how many additional phones might be sold to these price-sensitive customers if the price is lowered. This experiment, the article says, is significant because of Apple's desire to sell more phones in China and other emerging economies.

Of course, they may also be seeking to goose demand on opening day in order to make sure the phones get off to a strong start.

Apple's stock fell significantly after their announcement on Tuesday, and the word was that Wall Street had expected the iPhone 5C to come out in the price range of $350–400. Analysts felt this price would make the phone appealing in emerging markets and boost sales. But reports said that they were disappointed by the high price; especially since carriers in other countries offer phones without a contract and charge the full price of the phone up front rather than subsidizing it. Analysts said the $550 price is too high.

Apple's Wal-Mart move suggests the company may eventually be more flexible on price.


September 23rd Biweekly Giveaway!

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This is the official announcement of the iPhone life Biweekly Giveaway! Be sure to enter the giveaway at iphoneLife.com/giveaways to win prizes, which we'll announce September 23rd! We are raffling off tons of great apps and accessories for FREE.

Here's how it works: Every other Friday we will announce the prizes we're giving away through iphonelife.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. To enter the giveaway, go to iphoneLife.com/giveaways. On the following Monday morning, we will randomly select the winners. If you win an app, we will email you the promo code to redeem the app for free. If you win an accessory, send us your address we will mail it to you.

This week's featured items are:

1. DriSuit Guardian 5: Retail Price $59.95

The driSuit guardian for the iPhone 5 is the perfect choice for all outdoor activities. Never again be caught in a situation where your iPhone investment is at risk. All-weather protection from rain, snow, mud, dust, and sand; from the soccer fields to the city streets and even to the infamous toilet drops—for once and for all, you and your investment are covered and protected with driSuit.

Proprietary integrated audio jack, easy to use dual latch system, waterproof through 5 meters (16.5 feet), internally cushioned for shock protection, lanyard for easy carrying.

2. iSkin Claro (iPhone 5): Retail Price $29.99

When it comes to pure beauty, nothing compares to the iSkin Claro for iPhone 5. Made with ultra-transparent polycarbonate and specially coated for an anti-scratch finish, the Claro’s low-profile design protects with near invisibility. For a hint of color and a sleek look, the Claro SE personalizes with subtle beauty.

3. RevJams FlipBack Smart Case for iPhone 5: Retail Price $29.99

The FlipBack case is the smart and perfect choice for full protection of your iPhone 5. Its 2-in-1 solution offers the standard protection of a case, plus a flexible cover that protects your iPhone screen and keeps your messages, calls, and app updates private. The back cover is treated with a protective and scratch resistant UV liquid plastic coating for maximum protection, while the front cover with built in magnets protects your touch screen and keeps the cover securely closed. The unique cover with its three-panel design allows it to fold back (FlipBack) in just the right places to become the perfect movie and video-watching stand. Speak freely on your iPhone with the cover closed to protect the phones touch screen and prevent unintended dialing.

 

Questions or comments? Email Brian@iphonelife.com. Good luck and remember to visit iphonelife.com/giveaways to enter! Also check out our other contests at iphonelife.com/contests. The next contest drawing is September 23rd!

How to Protect and Repair your iPhone

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If you’re a true Apple fanatic, chances are you know by now about the speculated release date for iPhone 5S, and you’ve already got your sleeping bag and tent ready for your place in the queue. Whether you’re going to be first in line, or you’re sticking with an older version of the iPhone, you’re probably still keen to keep your smartphone as pristine as possible.

A good case will help protect your iPhone from bumps and scrapes, but there are some things that they won’t prevent. Water damage or a smashed screen are two of the worst problems you can encounter, so the best idea is to try your hardest to avoid them completely with theses tips and tricks for keeping your iPhone in tip-top condition.

1. Liquid Damage

 

The mother of all iPhone worries, liquid damage is probably the worst thing that can happen to your iPhone. Whether you’ve knocked your latte over and drowned it in coffee, your toddler has used it for target practice with the toilet, or you’ve simply dropped it in a puddle, an iPhone that has suffered from total submersion is always a worry.

Prevention, as they say, is better than cure, so it’s a good idea to protect your iPhone as thoroughly as possible. If liquid damage is a real risk for you, an ordinary phone case might not be enough—plastic covers with eye-catching graphics are well and good, but they’re hardly going to stop the water getting in. If you’re someone who spends a lot of time near the water, the Overboard Waterproof Case ($27.41) is the one and only accessory you need to buy; 100 percent waterproof, submersible to 19 feet, and with front and back transparent windows. You can use your iPhone as you ordinarily would but without risking its safety. If you don’t fancy carrying your iPhone around in a waterproof bag all the time, and want something a little more permanent, send it away to have a Liquipel (from $60) coating applied all over. The unique technology works by covering your phone in a nano coating that surrounds every single tiny part in and around the device and makes the whole thing entirely waterproof. With the added bonus that it’s completely invisible to the human eye, you’ll be able to keep your iPhone looking sleek and stylish while staying safe in the knowledge that it’s protected.

If all else fails, and you do find yourself the unlucky victim of a liquid-damaged iPhone, resist the urge to try to turn it oninstead contact a reliable iPhone repairs company.

 

2. A Smashed or Cracked Screen

There’s nothing more irritating than a smashed or cracked iPhone screen; while it doesn’t make the phone a complete write-off, it can leave it pretty unusable. After all, it’s hardly going to be easy to see to text or browse the internet when half the screen has been shattered.

A bumper case or full cover can help protect your iPhone from knocks and bumps, but it’s not going to save the screen once your hands turn to jelly after a few too many drinks on a Friday night. To take extra precaution, look for a specialist screen protector, such as ClearPlex (from $14.99). Made from a formula that was originally designed to protect windshields on racing cars, ClearPlex is said to make your phone 39 percent more break resistant. With the ability to protect your iPhone from scratches, dents, and smudges, a ClearPlex screen protector might be the best investment you make this year.

If the worst does happen, and you find yourself glumly staring down at a smashed iPhone screen, contact a reputable iPhone repairs company for help. This type of repair can be complex and difficult, so it pays to choose a firm that specializes in fixing and replacing screens. Before you commit, make sure you enquire about the type of parts they usethe best companies only use original Apple parts, or an alternative of the highest quality; if they opt for cheaper parts then steer clear.

Business Lessons from the iOS Community: Making the Case for Incipio

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Incipio is a difficult company to categorize. And that is a good thing. They make some of the most recognizable cases for iPhone, iPads, and Android phones; and their sister company, Tavik, makes swimwear and apparel. After Apple revealed the iPhone 5C and 5S, Incipio immediately followed with a same day announcement of a wide range of cases for both products. They understand the anticipatory nature of the Apple market. Regardless of the yawns or cheers from analysts, the fervent Apple customers start looking immediately beyond the announcement horizon for industry support. Incipio vows always to be first to market.

Incipio does business from its headquarters in Irvine, CA; an area that used to be known as Silicon Valley South when the likes of Dataproducts, Gateway, and Western Digital grew footprints there, followed later by newer engineering firms like Broadcom.

At Incipio’s helm sits Andy Fathollahi, a longtime resident of Orange County. His case-making days go back to the Palm Pilot. And like most entrepreneurs in the tech industry, Fathollahi started Incipio in his parent’s garage. His parents were also his only investors. He proudly states that the company remains “100 percent private. No investors and no partners.” 

Incipio has grown from a one-person show to 250 employees and now offers a wide range of products for Apple’s iPhone and iPad as well as various Android and Windows devices. Incipio has ridden the surge from the first iPhone, to the iPad, to the expansion of carriers, and that ride has helped them grow tremendously since the release of the first iPhone.

Incipio isn’t just about cases anymore either. They also offer sync and charge solutions, including Lightning; along with near field communication solutions, headphones, and earbuds, styluses, and bags. And as stated earlier, they also sell swimsuits. Fathollahi keeps his brands rationalized, but products cross the chasm. The swimwear and casual apparel product lines come from the acquisition of Tavik. And Tavik now sells iOS device products that align, like the “Little Black Book” iPhone case, which fits the consumer lifestyle niche served by Tavik.

Most recently, Incipio acquired Braven, a portable Bluetooth speaker manufacturer established in 2011 that Fathollahi says will take on Beats and Jawbone. “We aren’t afraid of them. We have tremendous vertical presence.” These speakers, which retail between $100 and $300, are designed to appeal to the core mobile customers, not audiophiles, but there are a whole lot more mobile customers looking for good sound options than people willing to resuscitate tube-based receivers.

Incipio’s vertical presence isn’t lost on observant consumers, who will find the company’s cases at almost every major retailer, including airport retail outlets. And that presence is differentiated by well-designed packaging that make sense when people open them. They are attractive and economical, made mostly of recyclable material.

The boxes receive the same design emphasis as their cases, all of which are designed in their Irvine headquarters. They also pick, pack, and ship directly to thousands of retailers daily from the same facility. Not only are the cases designed by Incipio, but they also come up with trademarked materials, like “Plaxtonium™ designed to optimize the protection of fragile consumer electronics.

When asked about the future, Fathollahi says, “I’m driven. I’m driven to grow. I want to grow the business where it makes sense. We have always been profitable. We want to follow good business practices and produce a good, honest product every day.”

After 15 years in the case business, Fathollahi and his team at Incipio have established themselves as the premier case experience for mobile devices. Virtually every smartphone case comes with a screen cover, cleaning cloth, and an applicator card.

Those good business practices extend to what I consider the great practices aimed at partners and press. Every sample comes in a black, Incipio embossed box. Open the box, and you don’t find the regular corn starch peanuts or bubble wrap, no, you find black, embossed tissue paper and a handwritten note from your contact.  Fathollahi pushes attention to detail into every aspect of the product. “Everything is focused on how consumers use these products and the benefit we can offer. We want a great experience for our customers.” Fathollahi says.

A New iPhone 5C for $0? Yes, Check Out T-Mobile

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T-Mobile has announced its pricing for the new iPhones, and it's definitely an appealing option. You can get the iPhone 5C for $0 up front and the iPhone 5S for a $99 down payment. Then you make monthly payments on top of the $50/month plan for unlimited voice, text, and data. For the iPhone 5C, you'll be making 24 monthly payments of $22/month. The total cost of the phone ends up being $528, which is less than Apple is charging. And the cost of your monthly plan will be $72/month. BUT, here's the sweet part. 

After your phone is paid off, your monthly cost drops back to $50/month for unlimited voice, text, and data. The other carriers don't do that. Any way you look at it, T-Mobile has great rates.

Payments for the iPhone 5S will run you $22.91 per month, which with the down payment comes to a total of $648.84.

Unlike the other carriers, T-Mobile doesn't subsidize the price of the iPhone, and doesn't require a contract. Instead, it lets you make payments. Its 4G LTE coverage is limited but has been rapidly expanding this year. If you're considering this option, you'll want to make sure the carrier has coverage in your area. You can check its coverage map here

You can find more about T-Mobile's plans here. Although it touts unlimited data, the reality is it caps the amount of high-speed data at 500MB/month for the $50 plan. If you go over that, you can still access its data network but at a slower speed. But 500MB should suffice unless you're using your device to do a lot of FaceTime or movie streaming over the data network. (Doing these things over Wi-Fi doesn't impact your data usage.) For $60/month, you can get 2.5GB of high-speed data, and $70/month comes with unlimited high-speed data.

I think if I were selecting a carrier in an area where T-Mobile has good coverage, I'd certainly consider the service. 500MB of high-speed data would be plenty for me, and I wouldn't mind having to switch to a slower speed if I went over that.

T-Mobile is now taking preorders of the iPhone 5C.

Sweaty Fingers May Not Work with Touch ID

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While opinions vary about Apple's new Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S Home button, there does seem to be a consensus that Apple will yet again be successful in bringing a new technology to the mainstream in an area where others have failed. Other smartphones have used biometric sensors, but according to a Reuters report on Yahoo News, those offerings have largely flopped because the sensor was inconveniently located on the back of the phone and would often take a number of tries before it would work. Apple, in its trademark way, has made biometric security simple and effortless.

Apple says that half of smartphone users don't use a passcode on their device, likely because of the inconvenience when turning on one's phone. The beauty of Apple's approach is that you turn on your phone as you always do, but it will only turn on if it's you pressing the button. For this reason alone, Touch ID will generally create greater security.

An article in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal gives more detail about Touch ID, including the fact that it may not always work. But in order to enable Touch ID, you're required to set up passcode access on your device. So if Touch ID doesn't work for some reason, you can still access your phone. Apple said that Touch ID sometimes doesn't work if your finger is sweaty or covered with lotion or other liquids. Also, if your phone has been unlocked for more than 48 hours or has been rebooted, you'll need to use to use your passcode to unlock it.

Some have gruesomely suggested that thieves would not only steal your phone but also your finger. According to CNET, the fingerprint sensor doesn't use optics and actually will only work if it senses living tissue.

The article also explains that your fingerprint image isn't stored anywhere—not on your phone, not on servers. The A7 processor turns the image into data, and the date is stored in the processor. It's never uploaded to Apple's servers, or anywhere else. The article says that even if thieves hacked into your phone and accessed your fingerprint data, they likely wouldn't be able to reverse engineer your fingerprint.

Game-Centered: Featuring a New Infinity Blade Movie, a New Call of Duty Breakthrough Game and More!

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Game Centered features roundups and in-depth reviews of the best in iOS games and related gaming news. Among the App Store’s myriad games, it’s all too easy to overlook some of the greats. Each installment of Game Centered will take a close look at a select few worthy of special recognition. In this installment we take a look at the Infinity Blade game tie-in, the short film Infinity Blade: Origins, as well as Call of Duty: Strike Team and Asphalt 8: Airborne. Read on for all the juicy details...

 

Infinity Blade: Origins. The Short Film Debuts

I usually only write about things I have evaluated or which I am familiar with. However, because I haven't finished reading the new eBook, Infinity Blade: Redemption ($2.99) which is the segue between Infinity Blade II and the upcoming Infinity Blade III (due out in just a few days!), not only do I have to hustle to finish that excellent read, I couldn't allow myself to watch Infinity Blade: Origins for fear of major spoilers! But that doesn't mean I don't want to let all of you know about the short film which just debuted!

So I'm in the awkward position of not really knowing, or even wanting to know, what the heck this short film is really all about, and yet, strongly encouraging anyone who isn't in my conundrum of being in the middle of reading Infinity Blade: Redemption to go out and watch this excellent film. At least I'm assuming it’s an excellent film, considering it’s directed by Ben Hibon of Harry Potter animation acclaim, and narrarated by John Noble of Lord of the Rings fame.

 

 

So if any of you watch this video, I hope you enjoy it, just don't tell me anything about it in the comments below. And for those of you who want even more details of both the origins of the Deathless, as well as details as to what went down between Infinity Blade II and III, be sure to check out the eBook, Infinity Blade: Redemption.

 

Asphalt 8: Airborne ($0.99)

This is my current favorite racer, and in fact, one of my favorite iOS racers of all time. The graphics are killer, the racing will get your pulse pounding and your adrenaline pumping, and the gameplay dynamics are phenomenal!

As the name infers, Airborne has an abundance of ramps placed throughout therace tracks, there for you to hit and launch off of, propelling yourself through the air and allowing you to do barrel rolls, flat spins and more. Pray you don't crash though, as every second counts and the competition is fierce, especially in multiplayer mode! I'm always amazed at the talented players I'm up against in iOS multiplayer games, and this one is no different. A testimony to the level of hardcore gamer intensity that iOS caters to!

 

Call of Duty: Strike Team ($6.99)

Wow! This is one smart game. This is a totally unique game and one that truly pushes the boundaries of what the iOS gaming platform is capable of, and we're not even talking about 64-bit chip capabilities yet!

If you are a gamer then chances are you are already familiar with top-down combat games, where you view and control the action from a bird’s- eye view. You’ll also likely be familiar with the First-Person-Shooter (FPS) style of combat game, where you look out at the action through your character's own eyes, only seeing the world around you along with your own hands and your weapons.

Well, take all of that and add an element of being able to switch characters as well as FPS and top-down perspectives and you'll have an inkling of what this amazingly advanced new game offers. I've played a lot of games of all types and to say this one blew me away would be an understatement!

In Call of Duty: Strike Team, you are able to select “Drone View” whereby you can scan the are from a strike drone in the air and control your characters' movements from above, while scoping out enemy locations, planning your strategies and even attacking with a fancy select to aim/double tap to fire feature. Or, you can select the FPS view that many of us are already very familiar with to do combat on the ground as one of up to four elite special forces soldiers with unique skill sets and weapon outfits. Quite impressive indeed!

Call of Duty: Strike Team gets a solid 4 out of 5 Star rating from me. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 Star rating from me at this time (and I'm pretty sure it's a glitch that should get ironed out in their first update) is that so far it has demonstrated an annoying tendency to crash rather frequently on my iPad mini, sending me back to the beginning of the chapter each time. That said CoD: Strike Team is well worth checking out, and thankfully, it doesn't bombard you with in-app purchase ploys, which I've begun to see in even some of the more expensive iOS titles as of late.

4 out of 5 Stars: ****

Wally Case Reaches Kickstarter Goal

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This is a news flash to let you know that Distil Union's Wally Case that I reviewed recently has reached its Kickstarter goal and will be ready for pre-orders on September 16. The cost is $49.99. It comes in Black/Black, Clear/Black, and Clear/Brown initially with more colors to come. The case can be ordered directly from the developer.

By the way, Wally Case works with the new iPhone 5S.


How a White Lifeproof Case Made Me a More Conscientious iDevice Owner

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I've always been one to go for the black iDevices. To me there's a sleek elegance to the obsidian shine of the shiny black iPhones and iPads that neither the white nor any of the other colors in Apple’s iDevice color catalog have managed to compete with. There's a certain powerful presence that the black iDevices have, a commanding and semi-ominous look, reminiscent of the iconic black monolith from Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey, that has been my preference ever since they first started offering the old click-wheel iPod in black eons ago. So when left to my own devices, I typically pick black cases to go over my black iPhone.

So when the folks at Lifeproof sent me a couple of white-colored cases, one for my iPhone, the other for my iPad mini, I couldn't help feeling a slight sense of disappointment

 as I sheathed my beautiful black iDevices in these white (well, white with gray accents to be more accurate) cases. But to my surprise, not only did I quickly come to love having my iDevices in the Lifeproof white cases, I also found that I became a more caring, respectful and conscientious iDevice owner.

You see, even though the Lifeproof cases in white are designed with special materials that are built to take some serious abuse without showing much in the way of wear and tear, I always find myself wanting my white Lifeproof cases to look clean. The black Lifeproof cases that I've used in the past with my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 just didn't show mud and dirt quite the same way that the white cases do.

That's not to say that all of a sudden I was treating my iDevices with kid gloves. Far from it. But I've definitely found myself taking a little extra care with my white iDevices, on an almost subconscious level, than I did with my black Lifeproof cases. And I have to say, that's a good thing. In retrospect my somewhat cavalier attitude when my iDevices where in a dirt- and scuff-masking black case resulted in a higher rate of damage to my Lifeproof cases. It is worth noting by the way, that I did say “damage to my cases,” as I have NEVER had any harm come to any actual iDevice encased in a Lifeproof case. No matter how much the case sustained damage from my adventuring, which is the point of a rugged case, right?

With my 3G-enabled iPad mini in its white Lifeproof case I can say in all honesty, I am just kinder and a wee bit gentler to my iPad. It actually strikes me as kind of funny! I mean, who would've thought that I'd pamper a white iDevice case than a black one? It surprised me! Yet here I am, at least once a day, washing my Lifeproofed iPhone in the kitchen sink, as if it were a dirty dish!

Don't get me wrong, I still drop my iPhone when I'm out there biking or hiking in the red rocks of southern Utah, and I still find myself brushing mud and sand off of my Lifeproofed iPad mini after a day at the beach, the point is, I just NOTICE any little bit of dirt or grime on my iDevice when it is in the white case, and as a result I find myself keeping these cases cleaner as well as being a little more proactive in keeping my iDevices from getting too dirty too fast.

All Sorts of Options

The bottom line however, is that whatever color you prefer, Lifeproof offers an outstanding selection of iDevice cases, with something to meet just about everyone's taste.

 

The nüüd Series

These cases are perfect for the person who wants a full contact experience with their touchscreen. The nüüd cases rely on a specially designed internal seal within the perimeter of the front frame of the case allowing the touchscreen to be completely naked to the world. Considering the fact that iPhones are constructed of such rugged Gorilla Glass on the front screen, having an exposed touchscreen isn't a drawback for most folks in most circumstances. Rather, its the opposite, allowing you to have unobstructed access to your touchscreen and delivering the user experience Steve Jobs originally intended.

The nüüd series of cases also allow for the use of a stick-on touchscreen protector for anyone who wants the next level of screen protection for their iDevice.

 

The frē Series

For those of us who are just a little bit rougher with our iDevices, you can't beat the frē. I’m a huge fan of the frē series and I simply love the integrated screen protector. As strong as the Gorilla Glass may be, I've found that without a screen protector I manage to do pretty well at scratching the touchscreen. Don't ask me how. But with the frē’s built in screen protection, it’s the Lifeproof’s screen that takes the brunt of the abuse and not the precious touchscreen of my iDevices.

While the nüüd series does offer the option of adding an adhesive touchscreen protector, I always seem to get a few bubbles or pieces of lint stuck under there in the process of application which only geeks me out and trumps the increased touchscreen sensitivity that an adhesive screen protector delivers.

 

The folks at Lifeproof didn't realize what they were doing when they sent me white cases to review, but I'm grateful to them for more reasons than one. I've discovered a new sense of watchfulness over my iDevices when they are in white cases. This might not sound like a big deal to everyone. But I’ll tell you, I’m an outdoor enthusiast, and when you are as notoriously hard on your iDevices as I am, then every little bit helps. I am now a huge fan of my white Lifeproof cases and the subtle assistance they offer me caring for my iDevices in all sorts of harsh environments and inclement conditions.

How Teachers are Using Technology to Communicate with Students

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If you have a child or have been paying attention to education news lately, you may have heard the term "common core" being thrown around. What is common core? Common core is a new set of standards designed to make students more college and career ready by the the time they graduate from high school. What makes common core different than many states' previous standards? Among other things, a strong emphasis on technology. When discussing technology in education, I routinely encounter two basic misconceptions:

first, that the students know more than the teachers when it comes to technology. 

I can assure you that is not the case. Each year I must spend precious classroom time teaching students how to do some very basic things with technology such as uploading papers, downloading photos, and using voice memos. While 90 percent of them have smartphones, my sophomores don't know much beyond how to post on social media sites and download free music. 

Second, that technology makes learning more "fun" for students and therefore they are more excited to learn. Nope. Like I said, I have sophomores and they are not excited to learn. It doesn't matter if they take notes on paper or on their cell phones; they don't want to take notes. Reading on the Kindle app is still reading and therefore not fun. Last year I began implementing online tests only to be met with "Can't we take tests like normal kids?" from one of my students. When you're fifteen school isn't fun. I'm pretty sure they only show up to socialize at lunch.

All the same, I adore my new students. They are bright and intuitive, and I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy my year with them. Here are some of the ways my students and I will use our iPhones throughout the school year that you may not have realized. 

 

1.Remind 101 (free):

Remind 101 is a great resource for teachers. It enables teachers to text their students without any personal information being exchanged. I'm sure some parents might find it creepy if I were to give out my phone number to the entire class. When teachers sign up for Remind 101 they can create classes. Each class is given a code. Students text that code to the Remind 101 number and are added to the class roster. I can then text all the students at once to remind them to study for a test or I can text a few students at a time to remind them that they are presenting a project the next day. The number that shows up on the students' phone is the Remind 101 number. The texts can only go one way, which some might consider to be a drawback, but from my perspective, this is an advantage. I have 200 students; if I send out a mass text reminding them about a test the next day, I really don't want 200 texted complaints coming back to me. 

 

2. Google Drive (free):

Oh no, not a Google app! Yes, it's true, Google drive is essential for high school students. Gone are the days of "I forgot my homework." I encourage kids to put as much of their homework on Google drive as possible, that way they have access to it anywhere. Remember the days when you could be absent from school, miss an assignment, and then get extra time to turn it in? Technology has taken that away from students. I can upload assignments to our school's website or share them via my Google drive and students can work on them from home and send them back to me. It's a beautiful thing…for a teacher, not so much for the student. The Google drive app lets students create documents directly on their phones so they can begin taking notes or writing an essay on the phone and then continue when they get home. 

 

3. Socrative (free)

Socrative is an amazing tool that allows a teacher to write online tests and for students to take that test using any Internet-enabled device. There is no app to download, nothing to install, and no specific phone model needed. Last year one young man was the unlucky recipient of his father's hand-me-down Blackberry. It was actually a punishment for some undesirable behavior; Dad took away his iPhone 4 and saddled him with the Blackberry. I thought it was pretty creative. But the Blackberry worked on the Socrative system just as well. Teachers can even import their tests into the system; meaning that you don't necessarily need to create anything new, and if your test are multiple choice, Socrative will grade them for you and give students instant results. I've moved a majority of my exams onto Socrative and now give the students the option to use the paper or the online version. One major drawback to Socrative is that students can't go back to check their work or change an answer. And as a teacher, you need to be vigilant and patrol the room to make sure that the kids aren't going online to look up answers. 

 

4.Skype (free)

This year I have my first Skyped-in student, which sounds really cool except for the fact that she's Skyping to class because of an injury and I can't wait until she's healthy enough to come back to class and be with all of her friends. But I am thankful that we have this option. Thanks to Skype she's able to participate in class discussions, come to lectures, and interact with classmates. I've offered up the service to any student who has to miss class for any reason such as  illness, injury, or a death in the family that involves traveling and time away from school.

 

If you have a child who is in high school or about to enter high school, I can not stress enough how important it is to get them a smart phone. And if I had to recommend a phone, I would encourage you to invest in an Apple product. The iPhone 5c is a perfect entry-level phone for a teenager. The entire school ecosystem is Apple. I have two classroom Macs and the library is armed with about fifteen. I give projects that ask students to use these computers to create iMovies, and importing from an Android device is a nightmare. You're also giving students an added layer of protection with an Apple product thanks to the Find My iPhone app (free). One of my students lost her iPhone last year and we were able to track it to a patch of bushes near where she was hanging out at lunch. Kids will be kids and if you're going to invest your hard earned money, it's nice to know you have a way to track down an item they may lose (or track down the kid themself, if you so desire). The sooner we teach students to use technology appropriately and productively the more college and career ready they will become. 

The Other 90 Percent: Tips & Tricks for Utilizing Your Home Screen

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Humans use only 10 percent of their brains. Actually, that's a myth, but it's probably not a myth that many of us utilize only about 10 percent of our iPhone's capabilities. In this weekly column I share tips and tricks for beginners, or anyone who wants to make use of the other 90 percent of their iPhone's abilities.

This week I will cover some tips to help you better utilize your home screen.

1. Navigate home screens faster

Most of us have at least several pages of home screens filled with apps. To get from one page to another we either swipe to the right or to the left. There is a quicker way to get to that app on say, the fifth page of your home screen. At the bottom of your home screen, right above the dock, you'll see a teeny tiny magnifying glass and a sequence of circles. The circle that is completely white is the page you are currently on. To get to the fifth page, carefully tap on the fifth circle and it skips ahead automatically. Tapping the magnifying glass will take you the the search screen.

 

2. Rearrange app icons

If you discover you're always using a certain app on that fifth page of your home screen, there's a way to move it to the first screen to make it more convenient. First, touch and hold the app icon you want to move until it starts to do a little jiggle dance (all the other apps will jiggle as well). While holding the icon, drag it towards the left of the screen until it moves to the previous page. Keep moving it to the left until you get to the screen where you want it placed then let go and press the home button. The icons will then stop jiggling. You can also hold the icon and set the exact location you want it placed on the page, or add it to your dock at the bottom of the screen. Likewise, If you don't use one of the apps in your dock often enough, you can drag it out of your dock onto your home screen. Be aware that if you tap the X on top of a jiggling icon it will delete it from your screen.

 

3. Make a folder for apps

You can put up to 12 apps in one folder on the iPhone and 20 apps on the iPad. Simply drag one app icon into another icon and you'll create a folder that you can name. I've created a folder for all my photography/camera apps and another for my photo editing apps. I even have one folder titled "Zen" where I keep all the apps I use for relaxation.


4. Add favorite websites to home screen

Is there a website you visit often? There's a way to turn that website into an icon shortcut on your home screen. First, go to Safari and access the web page you want to create a shortcut for. Tap the forward arrow at the bottom of the screen then tap Add to Home Screen. You'll see the website's image on your home page as an icon and then you can label it.  


I hope these tips have helped you get the most out of your home screen. I'll have more tips for you next week.

How Does A7 Processor on the iPhone 5S Compare to Other Phones?

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By now you probably know that the A7 processor in the new iPhone 5S has a 64-bit architecture that makes it twice as fast as the iPhone 5. And I've previously posted on what the implications are beyond the greater speed. In a word, 64-bit is simply much more robust and positions iOS devices to have the horsepower necessary to run the same sort of sophisticated programs as those on a desktop computer. Why is 64-bit better? 

An interesting analogy making the round of blogs is that of a library. Having 64 bits is like having 64 librarians on hand available to fetch books, while having a 32-bit processor such as on other phones is like having 32 librarians. If a patron comes in and asks for 65 books, the library with 64 librarians gets the job done more quickly. But you really start to notice the difference if a patron were to ask for 256 books. (You can read a more detailed version here.) 

Most of the tech websites say that Apple's claims appear to be accurate—that the processor will indeed speed things up. According to an interesting article on The Verge, the extra registers in the A7 chip means that it can crunch numbers more efficiently, and thereby improve performance significantly, especially for processor-intensive tasks such as encoding and decoding video. Also, due to the higher core count and clock speed and improved general processor unit, the iPhone 5S will handle apps much faster than ever before on an iPhone.

So how does the iPhone 5S compare in real-world speed tests to other top phones? We don't know yet. Other than telling us about the 64-bit architecture, Apple has said very little about the processor's technical specs, such as the specific clock speed. We do know that it's a dual core processor, meaning that it has two processors on one chip, whereas the very popular Samsung Galaxy S4 has a quad-core 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor. Both are system-on-a-chip processors (SoCs). As soon as the iPhone 5S is out, the tech guys will be doing speed tests and then we'll know.

During the presentation, Apple suggested that the other phone manufacturers aren't likely even yet thinking about 64-bit. They were wrong. According to the article on The Verge,"Qualcomm, Samsung, Nvidia, Intel, and the rest are all hard at work developing 64-bit mobile processors. To hammer that point home, less than 48 hours after Apple's presentation, Samsung announced that its upcoming high-end smartphones would include 64-bit SoCs, and Intel said its new processors will support a 64-bit Android kernel." According to the website Design&Trend, the Samsung Galaxy S5, which will be out in the first part of 2014, will have a 64-bit architecture.

So Apple has a head start, but the other manufacturers won't be far behind. Apple has an advantage, though, given its tight control over the iPhone environment. Apps just seem to run more smoothly. Apple makes great tools available to developers and sets high standards, ensuring that their apps perform as they should on the iPhone. And unlike other platforms, Apple checks every single app before it gets added to the App Store.

Worst Ways to Market Your App

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As a developer of award-winning, bestselling apps with 6 million-plus downloads, I am often asked by other app developers how they should market their apps.  While I've written a whole ebook/app on the subject, and delivered countless presentations as well, an email from the Mapp Company arrived the other day that made me contemplate some of the worst ways to market your app.

 

Mapps Promotion

Physicians are told to "do no harm," which is to say that the cure shouldn't make the patient worse than when he came in. That's also the modus operandi of choosing a vice president; while the goal is to increase your voter base, your choice shouldn't end up costing you votes.

mappspromotion

When marketing your app, the worst thing you can do is make your sales dry up when you are trying to increase them. So don't do something that's against Apple's rules. Specifically, do not pay people for App Store reviews. That will get your developer account suspended and all your apps removed. Fake reviews hurt legitimate app developers and unwitting customers, and are the scourge of the App Store. Any business that takes money for guaranteed reviews is only guaranteeing that your time on the App Store will be limited.

The Mapp Company

Now, if you really want to do a lousy job of marketing, be sure to hire a writer who isn't a native English speaker. I'm sorry if English isn't your primary language. I know I would be terrible at writing press releases in French, and I studied French for years! The reality is that the US App Store is the dominant app store, and the US media is where you want to get coverage. If your email is full of poor grammar, it will show an attention to detail that is lacking. If you are marketing your email services, as the Mapp Company did, the English in your email and on your website had better be top notch.

@mappcompany

Next, if you really want to hurt your chances, send out impersonalized bulk emails... and be sure that the recipients are competitors! This happens all the time. As an app reviewer, I get 100-plus emails every day asking me to review apps. Often, the sender will send a generic email not only to me, but to 100 other app reviewers, with all of their addresses included in the To: line. Once again, not a lot of attention to detail, right?

First, this practice shows that the sender didn't take the time to determine if the product was the kind I usually write about. For example, I'll get review requests for Android apps despite writing for iPhone Life Magazine. Second, it shows that I'm not special, despite what my mom says, given that the same email is going to hundreds of others, including my magazine's competitors. What incentive do I have to be one of 100 writers all writing pretty much the same thing? I want to cover something unique,that competitors may not have noticed or that I can take a unique angle on.

There's a saying: "The key to success is sincerity. If you can fake that, you've got it made!"

With today's email technology, it's really not that hard to send mass emails that appear to be personal. At the very least, use a Bcc so that all the recipients don't see each other's email address in the To: field. But you can use tools like MailChimp or Constant Contact to create one email that is sent to multiple recipients, one at a time. Better yet, find an email tool that personalizes each email to include the recipient's name within the subject and the body.

But the best solution, which has worked well for me as a developer, is to seek out journalists who regularly write about apps in your field. Send them a personal, one-to-one email introducing yourself, commending them for their work, and requesting feedback about your app. Don't ask for a review. That can come later. Establish a connection and show them that you specifically sought them out and are not sending out mass mailings. Show them you value their feedback and your willingness to incorporate that feedback into the app. A lot of reviewers are wannabe developers who are longing for an app that meets their needs. You can be the bridge to that app. If you get their feedback and incorporate it, and you develop a rapport, then you can ask for a review.

MappsPromotion

Finally, if you've committed all of the mistakes I have mentioned, and are confronted, be sure not to apologize and instead insult the person who is pointing it out. Extra points if you haven't googled the recipient to realize how off base the insult is. That's what Mapps did when I explained that what they were doing was problematic.

I'll be incorporating this example into my "App Store Success" and "Full Court Press" presentations. My next speaking engagement is at the App Developers Conference in Los Angeles in early November. I hope to see you there! In the meantime, I'd love to read your suggestions and observations in the comments below.

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