On Sunday the Israeli publication Calcalist (Google translation here) reported that Apple has purchased a company called PrimeSense, which makes chips used in 3D motion-sensing and computer vision. Their technology is used in Microsoft's popular Kinect (see image accompanying this post), which lets users of Microsoft's Xbox video game console and Windows PCs control the devices and play games just by making motions in the air. The article speculates that Apple will use the technology in conjunction with the rumored HDTV that Apple has been said to be working on. And it notes that Apple does indeed have patents regarding controlling a TV via motion sensing.

PCWorld refers to the PrimeSense technology as "opening Siri's eyes." I like the analogy. And they speculate that it could be used for facial recognition in the iPhone. The article also says that Apple is reportedly exploring using motion sensors to track customers as they move through Apple Stores in order to see which products attract their attention.

The iPad is notoriously insensitive to pressure. To an iPad, a finger is a monochromatic experience. But with new stylus products like the Pogo Touch, things changed. Through the magic of Bluetooth 4.0, the iPad can receive information from an external sensor. For the most part this has come in the form of stylus products that provide pressure-sensitive input to the iPad.

As the number of pressure-sensitive stylus options increases, style, design, and usability become an important element. It is no longer unique enough to deliver a stylus that can apply a pressure-sensitive input to the iOS environment, now you have to do it well.

Before I review the latest entries, let me cover two major issue with all of these devices: parts and buttons.

Parts: When you are working in a mobile environment, anything with parts introduces complexities. Every pressure-sensitive stylus I have used includes extra parts like batteries, caps, nibs, or chargers. And because this is a new market, with the exception of batteries, most of these items are unique to the device, and therefore, if lost, require replacement at a cost.

Buttons: Pencils don't have buttons. With electronics, we seem to feel a need to design buttons and extra functions, regardless of actual need for those buttons or features. Take a pressure-sensitive stylus. Touch a button and the stylus becomes an eraser. Great idea, until you touch the button at the wrong time, which means that you are worrying, at least a little bit, about how to hold the stylus rather than concentrating fully on creation.

Note: to remain compatible with the previously published stylus round-up, each review will be followed by a table with attribute scores.

1. Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus ($99.95)

On many tablet computers, Wacom is a digitizer. The screen technology and the stylus for older PC-based tablet computers was also developed by Wacom. Apple didn’t go that direction, so Wacom was forced to invent a new technology that would allow a good stylus experience on iOS. Their solution was the Intuos, which bring 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity to the iPad.

On the parts front, the Intuos comes in a case with a place for the pen, an extra AAA battery, and the replaceable rubber nibs, of which you get two. As stated in the parts note above, this means the nibs wear out or get lost, and it also means you may need to replace the battery.

The Intuos is ergonomic, consisting of a combination of metal and plastic that terminates in a rubber nib used to transmit pressure back to the pen, then to the iPad. The stylus feels balanced, looks good, and provides a good feel on the screen surface, but the nib does obscure the location of the input so it feels somewhat imprecise.

Wacom is a leader in stylus technology, so I was hoping they would create a stylus that was as mobile as the iPad itself. With the case and all, it feels like I have to decide where I’m going to use the Intuos, which eliminates some of the spontaneity of owning an iPad.

2. Adonit Jot Touch 4 ($89)

The Adonit Jot Touch 4 looks like a tube with a flying saucer attached to it. That flying saucer is known as the precision disc and it’s Adonit's coolest innovation. Their styluses use this design even on non-pressure-sensitive models. Only the GoSmart Stylus offers as unique a tip design.

The Touch is a beautifully engineered product. It is sleek and precisely machined. And it delivers on its pressure-sensitive promise for the applications that support it. That said, the cap that protects the precision disc must be unscrewed and rescrewed to the top before the stylus becomes functional (sure, you can place the cover next you for more instant access, but it is a tube, so if it rolls it might get lost).

And then there are the buttons. Some apps, like Noteshelf, default to no action on the buttons, which is what I want, but their mere presence makes me more aware of them than I want to be, and therefore, less fluid in my thinking.

Unlike the Intuos, which requires a AAA battery, the Jot Touch 4 houses a rechargeable battery, which requires the unique, but included, USB charger. Place the pen writing-end up in the dock and it charges. Like the rest of the Adonit package, this little USB dock reflects precision engineering and fine craftsmanship, but it also means one more thing to loose (and if you lose this, you have to purchase a replacement because there are no third-party or standard charging alternatives for the Jot Touch Pro. And speaking of parts, a precision disc replacement also comes in the box, which again, implies you might lose the disc every once in a while. As beautiful as it is, the plastic disc over a sensor on a ball joint looks pretty fragile under magnification.

I do like the minimalist design inherited from the Jot Pro, but the buttons take away from that. And unlike the Jot Pro, which includes magnets for adhering to an iPad, the Jot Touch 4 has none. For precision work though, the clear disc offers better visibility than the Pogo Connect or the Intuos.

Conclusion

Both products require Bluetooth 4.0, so if you don’t have an iPad 3 or later, you won’t be able to take advantage of the pressure-sensitive features of these styli (both companies, and many others, offer a range of passive stylus options). If you are looking for a pressure-sensitive stylus, both of these products work well with the apps that accept them. If an app doesn’t recognize them, they offer no more utility than their less expensive cousins.

The scoring for both comes in at the high end of the previous comparison chart primarily because the very high price of Bluetooth stylus products offsets their unique features.

Yes, I criticize the parts and the buttons, the non-universal use, and the expense, but if you are an artist or designer, and the iPad is your tool of choice, then one of these, or some other pressure-sensitive stylus is an essential part of your toolkit. You simply can’t do your work without one. Regular users probably don’t need a pressure-sensitive stylus and should buy a Pogo Sketch Pro or Griffin Stylus + Pen+ Laser Pointer—they’ll probably get more use from the pen and the laser pointer than from the pressure-sensitive features.

myCharge's lineup of unique and creative iDevice charging solutions offers something for just about any on-the-go charging need. Whether you are looking for an iPhone case with a built-in external battery, a lightweight charging option for a quick emergency backup, or a serious back-up battery capable of multiple recharges for longer adventures and outings, myCharge has something for you.

The Freedom iPhone Case ($79.99): Your iPhone’s Powerful Ally 

The Freedom iPhone case sports a stylish design and a 2000 mAh Li-ion battery incorporated into the backside of this protective case. The Freedom features a built-in Lightning charging cable that plugs directly into the iPhone when it’s time for a boost up. With the Freedom case you gain up to nine hours of talk time in your iPhone. Available in a variety of colors, the Freedom case will fit anyone’s style and at a very affordable price.

The Jolt ($59.99): Delivers Big Power in a Tiny Package

Available in a 2000 mAh model, the Jolt gives you up to nine hours of talk time in one of myCharge’s most diminutive battery formats. The Jolt is lightweight and compact and features a carabiner-style clip  incorporated into its design so you can easily clip it onto your belt loop, backpack or just throw it into your purse. It also comes with a built in Lightning charging cable.

The AMPxt ($49.99–$69.99): Your Hefty and Rugged Charging Station On-The-Go

The AMPxt comes in two versions: a 3000 mAh version and a 6000 mAh version. The 3000xt provides up to 13 hours of talk time and the 6000xt model provides up to 27 hours of talk time. The AMPxt is a heavy-duty, adventure-ready battery charger that is water resistant, dirt proof, and shock resistant. The 3000 mAh model supports charging two devices via USB and the 6000 mAh model will charge three devices. The AMPxt is perfect for anyone with an active lifestyle that demands an extremely durable, high-performance external back up battery. I personally know several folks who work in hazardous zones and dangerous environments who consider the AMPxt to be the most reliable source of back-up power for their mobile devices.

The Hub Series ($69.99, $99.99, and $129.99): My Personal Favorite

Known as the “Swiss Army Knife” of portable charging devices, the Hub includes a built-in lightning cable and is capable of charging up to three devices at the same time. Expect to gain 13 hours of extra talk time with the Hub 3000, 27 hours of talk time with the Hub 6000, and a whopping 40 hours of iPhone talk time with the Hub 9000. The Hub comes with a Lightning connector, a micro USB, and a USB port built in, and it plugs directly into a wall socket to recharge.

Conclusion:

All of the myCharge battery chargers are well built, with sturdy, dependable construction that should last for years under normal use. Their products won't let you down in a pinch when you need that extra juice for your iDevice to get you by. When you are looking at options for a top-quality iPhone or iPad back-up battery, myCharge will definitely have something for you, and, they make GREAT stocking stuffers or small gifts for any heavy iDevice user on your holiday shopping list.

I often conduct interviews. I usually capture those interviews with my LiveScribe Echo SmartPen, that records both my notes, and if I choose, the sounds around me, but the fidelity of the sound is often lacking. So I need something with a little more pick-up to complement the Echo. Enter the iRig Mics from ikmultimedia.

1. iRig Mic Cast ($39.99)

4 out of 5 Stars

With an iPhone you don’t need a digital recorder. Well, you don’t need a digital recorder with your iPhone if you own an iRig Mic Cast. Sound, like images, depends on the quality of the sensors. The iPhone’s built-in microphone is fine when placed close to a mouth, but it isn’t that good even with a little distance. The iRig Mic Cast includes a switch to adjust recording sensitivity settings for close-up or distant sources. It even includes a stereo output jack for monitoring.

I have a little baggy of things that I push under a strap on my Grip-it when I travel. My Lighting adapter (for hotels with iPhone compatible alarm clocks), Square, and iRig Mic Cast share that bag and go everywhere I go.

2. iRig Mic ($59.99)

4 out of 5 Stars

Have you ever wanted to look like a talk show host, with a big microphone on your desk? iRig Mic fulfills that dream, but unlike those 1950s icons that sit on the desk of Letterman and O’Brien, this microphone actually works. And it works well. Just plug it into the headphone jack (and if using iOS 7, give the appropriate app access to the microphone) and you're off.

The iRig Mic includes a three-level gain switch (for low, medium, and high sound pressure sources) and a mini-jack connector and 2m/6.5-foot cable which connects to any iOS (or Android) device and lets you place the microphone a useful distance from the recording device. A monitoring connection is built into the cable so you can output sound to power speakers and PA systems while still recording.

My only suggestion for IK Multimedia would be to include a small desk stand, not just a mike stand clip. I went to Amazon and bought an inexpensive stand easily enough, but until it arrived, I didn’t really put the microphone to use—I’m just not a handheld mike kind of guy. The iRig Mic now sits on my desk ready to record random thoughts, and eventually, all those audio blog entries I never get around to.

Conclusion

This is a hardware review, but iRig goes well beyond hardware. Their “included” apps, which can be downloaded from the iTune Store, are:  VocalLive FREE, AmpliTube FREE and iRig Recorder FREE. Of course, because they have “Free” in their title, that also implies they offer paid versions (iRig Recorder, for instance, is $7.99). I’ve found the free versions work well, but it you want more features, you will have to shell out cash.

If you want to use your own professional microphone, or connect an instrument to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch, consider the iRig PRE ($39.99) pre-amp with a standard XLR input connector and the ability to drive a condenser studio microphone for up to 10 hours via its built-in Phantom Power feature driven by the included (and replaceable) 9V battery.

Both of these products offer professional sound options for iOS. They will greatly improve the quality of your audio if you are creating a podcast, recording a video, capturing a lecture, or laying down a track for your first demo.

It's now a lot easier to shop in Apple's online store via your iPad thanks to Apple's new free app Apple Store for iPad. It does a good job of using the larger screen space of the iPad to enhance your shopping experience, while having some useful features. 

You can view the latest products that are trending and use gestures to get a variety of views. If you pinch together, for example, you get a view that just shows a grid of product photos. If you zoom in, then you see the text describing the products' details. Once you've purchased a product, you can pick it up at a nearby Apple Store or have it shipped to you. There's also a maps feature that lets you find a store near you, gives you directions, and lets you check product availability. You can also make Genius bar reservations or sign up for workshops or other events.

If you are looking for a great deal on a quality pair of high performance, bass-pumping on-ear headphones, look no further than Wicked Audio’s Evac available at Amazon for as low as $20.00. These headphones are extremely affordable and deliver surprisingly clear and crisp sound. In fact for the price, the Evacs are hard to beat!

Wicked Audio has an extensive line of audio accessories, but none have captured my heart more than their Evac model. Combining comfort with high-fidelity, bass-enhanced sound, the Evacs are a perfect on-the-go pair of headphones that are lightweight and portable with an awesome sound.

The Evacs feature an ergonomic design and in-line controls and mic for those times when you have to take a call or find yourself in the heat of battle in one of the iOS games that support in-game voice chat, like Metalstorm, NOVA 3 or Shadowgun: DeadZone, to name a few.

I was really impressed with the Evacs' sound quality. With their powerful drivers, these headphones offer a level of acoustic precision I would typically expect only to find in a pair of headphones costing at least three or four times as much. When I was putting the headphones to the test I experimented with a wide range of musical genres, including hip hop, classical, Celtic, and rock. What I found was that the Evacs have a strong, yet balanced sound that captured the full range of whatever music I was listening to with little to no distortion, even at high volume, and amazingly sharp definition of the sound spectrum. The bass boomed, and was definitely very powerful, but not overly emphasized (a common complaint about some of the pricier, bass-heavy brands out there, like the infamous Beats by Dre), while the mid-range and high notes were crystal clear and accurately rendered.

The Evacs are perfect for a primary pair of headphones, or as a backup, on-the-go pair that you can throw in your pack when it's time to hit the road. These headphones would also be spot-on for the kids this holiday season, with their durable design and budget-minded price.

Pros:

• Powerful and impressive sound.
• A price that makes the Evacs hard to resist and one the highest quality that you'll find for such a bargain.
• Tangle-free, fabric wrapped, durable cable.
• Compact, fold-up design for maximum portability.
• Extremely cushy and comfortable, especially considering that the Evacs are On-Ear headphones.
• In-line mic and playback control for your convenience.

Cons:

• The only thing that would make the Evac line of headphones better would be if Wicked made an over-ear model for anyone who may not care for headphones clamping down on their ears.

Verdict:

**** (4 out of 5 Stars)

These headphones rock, packing a massive sound into a tiny and very comfy form, and for the price the Evacs are nearly impossible to beat!

Back in October, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Office would eventually make its way to iPad when there's a touch first user interface. Although, we'll have to wait for the touch first interface to be rolled out on Windows 8 first, and it's hard to tell when it will be completed.

Other Office editors exist, but native applications for the iPad are hard to come by. A few options include Office Mobile for iPhone, Office Web Apps within a browser, or a third-party document editor like Office² (Free).

HopTo (Free) hopes to make the process easier, by offering a cloud-based productivity suite with a multi-tasking user interface. The app lets iPad users create Word documents and Excel Spreadsheets, while also making PowerPoint presentations viewable.

With cloud access from Box, Dropbox, or Google Drive, users can search for documents and make edits from anywhere. The "personal cloud" is a centralized access network consisting of your documents, files, and Office applications.

When a Word document or Excel spreadsheet is opened, a toolbar displays options for formatting and editing. You can then use many of the same functions and commands you'd see in Office for Mac and PC.

Other media saved on your PC or on the cloud can also be saved or inserted into documents. So far, supported file types include pictures (PNG, JPG, and JPEG formats—read only), videos (mp4, mov), Audio files (mp3), PDF documents (read only), and text files (read only).

Features you can expect in future releases of HopTo include copy/paste between HopTo and other apps, editable PowerPoint presentations, and additional support from other cloud services. You can learn more about the app on the HopTo website.

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 31 of the series. If you are just getting started, check out the beginning of the series here.

One of the new features that Apple added to Xcode 5 to improve the management and runtime performance of images is asset catalogs. In this post, I'll give you an overview of how asset catalogs work, and we'll add an asset catalog to the iAppsReview project so you can get hands-on experience with this new technology.

If you would like to follow along, you can get the latest version of the iAppsReview project from this link. If you get stuck along the way, you can get the finished project from this link.

Why Use Asset Catalogs?

One of the primary reasons for using asset catalogs is to make it easier to manage your app's images. If your app supports non-Retina iOS devices (older than iPhone 4), then you need to have two versions of each graphic—one for Retina displays and one for non-Retina displays, and the names of the images needed to match. For example, your main app icon for non-Retina devices would be named Icon.png and the Retina version of the image would be named Icon@2x.png. Adding the @2x suffix to the image root name makes these images a matched set and allows iOS to figure out which image to load for different devices.

With asset catalogs, you no longer need to maintain this naming convention. You can name images anything you want and pair them together in an image set by simply dragging and dropping them into an asset catalog (as you will see in just a bit). To load an image from an asset catalog, you can call the UIImage:imageNamed: method, passing the name of the set that contains the image.

A second advantage of using asset catalogs is performance. If your project has an iOS 7 deployment target, Xcode compiles your asset catalogs into a runtime binary file format that improves the speed of your app.

Types of Assets

There are three types of assets that can be included in an iOS asset catalog:

• App icons - App icon sets contain the icons that are displayed on the iOS Home screen, Spotlight search results, the Settings App, and in the App Store.

• Launch images - Launch image sets contain all the versions of the launch image displayed at startup for all of the targeted iOS devices.

• Image sets - Image sets contain all the versions of an image that are necessary to support all of the targeted iOS devices. This includes images used in table views, tab bars, image views, and so on.

Let's take a look at some of the changes for app icons and launch images in iOS 7 before we learn more about asset catalogs.

App Icon and Launch Image Changes

In iOS 7, Apple has changed the dimensions of the required app icons. Figure 1 lists the app icons you need when deploying to iOS 7.

Figure 1 - iOS 7 App Icons

If your app still needs to support iOS 6.1 and earlier, you also need to provide the icon sizes shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 - iOS 6.1 and earlier App Icons

The Xcode 5 Project Editor has a section that provides a list of all app icons and launch images you need for your project. To see the Project Editor, click the very first node in the Project Navigator.

Next, you need to make sure you are viewing the Target rather than the Project, so in the list box at the top left of the Project Editor, select Targets > iAppsReview as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 - Select the iAppsReview target.

At the bottom of the Project Editor, you should see the App Icons and Launch Images section shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 - App Icons and Launch Images

Under App Icons, there are three sets of images—App, Spotlight, and Settings that indicate where each set of icons is used. The Kind column specifies the device and operating system for which a particular icon is used. The Dimensions column specifies the required size of the icon. The Resource column is intended to show the image included in your project that fits the criteria in the Dimensions column. The No image with correct dimensions found warning is incorrect, since our sample project does contain several of the required icons.

In the Launch Images section, there is a list of launch images for the iPhone. There are no images shown for the iPad since this is an iPhone-only project. Under the Resources column you can see that the Project Editor has correctly identified the project's launch images.

As you can see, images are shown for both iOS 6.1 and earlier, as well as iOS 7 and newer. In this case, let's say we only want to support iOS 7. To make this happen, under Deployment Info, change the Deployment Target to 7.0 as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 - Set the Deployment Target to 7.0.

When you make this change, the number of App Icons and Launch Images is reduced (Figure 6) because iOS 7 only runs on devices with a Retina display, so you only need images with Retina resolutions.

Figure 6 - iOS 7 App Icons and Launch Images

As you can see, there are only three app icons and two launch images listed for iOS 7 on the iPhone. 

Adding an Asset Catalog

Now we're ready to learn more about asset catalogs by adding one to the iAppsReview project.

1. Go back to the Project Editor, and under the App Icons section, click the Use Asset Catalog button (Figure 6).

2. In the confirmation dialog, leave the Also migrate launch images check box selected, and then click the Migrate button (Figure 7).

Figure 7 - Migrate the app icons to the an asset catalog.

After the migration is complete, the App Icons and Launch Images sections are changed as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 - The App Icons and Launch Images sources

The Source settings now show the name of the image sets that contain the app icons (AppIcon) and the launch images (LaunchImage).

3. To see the app icons in the asset catalog, click the arrow to the right of the Source list box shown in Figure 8. This displays the asset catalog as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9 - The AppIcon image set

You may be surprised to see that Xcode didn't automatically set the app icons in the three appropriate slots (given that the project contains app icons that are an exact match for what's required). Since this didn't happen automatically, we'll set these icons ourselves.

4. You need to be "quick on the draw" to set these icons. Basically, you need to click the icon in the Project Navigator, and then quickly drag it over to the asset catalog and drop it on AppIcon box.

To begin, click the Icon29@2x.png file in the Project Navigator, and then quickly drag it over to the slot on the left in the AppIcon section of the asset catalog shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10 -Drag Icon29@2x.png to the asset catalog.

5. Now drag Icon40@2x.png over to the middle slot and Icon60@2x.png over to the slot on the right in the AppIcon section of the asset catalog. When you're finished, the AppIcon section should look like Figure 11.

Figure 11 - The updated AppIcon section

6. Now let's check out the launch images. In the list on the left side of the asset catalog, click LaunchImage and you will see the images shown in Figure 12. Fortunately, Xcode had no problem correctly identifying these images.

Figure 12 - The launch images

7. As I already mentioned, you can also add your other app images to the asset catalog. To do this, click the plus sign at the bottom-left corner of the asset catalog (Figure 13).

Figure 13 - Import images from the project.

8. This displays a dialog that allows you to choose images to be imported. As shown in Figure 14, uncheck the following images, since we already imported them into the asset catalog:

• Default-568h@2x.png
• Default@2x.png
• Icon29@2x.png
• Icon40@2x.png
• Icon60@2x.png

Figure 14 - Choosing images to import

9. Next, click the Import button. This adds the selected images to the asset catalog (Figure 15).

Figure 15 - The images added to the asset catalog.

Notice there is a 1x (non-Retina) and 2x (Retina) version of some images. You really only need the 2x version since you have specified that the app's deployment target is iOS 7.0, but I wanted to leave these in so you can see what they look like.

10. Let's take a look at one other thing. Launch the Finder app and navigate to the iAppsReview project's root folder and drill down until you see the Images.xcassets folder shown in Figure 16.

Figure 16 - The asset catalog directory structure

As you can see, each image set is stored in its own folder along with a Contents.json file that describes each image.

Conclusion

With each release of Xcode, Apple continues to make life easier for the app developer. I highly recommend you move your app images to asset catalogs and experience the improved organization and runtime performance that they bring to the plate.

Documenting our lives through services like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook is becoming more common these days. You can't even go to dinner without someone snapping a picture of their food. What if there were a way to capture life's precious moments without disrupting them? The team behind MeCam, which we took a look at in August, is offering a solution with the MeCam HD, but needs your help to make make it a reality.

If the MeCam HD reaches it's $70,000 goal within the next 30 days, it will ship in January 2014. The retail price of MeCam HD will be $260, while the company is offering an early bird special of $170 for the first 200 backers. 

For more information on the MeCam HD, or to see it in action, visit its project page on Dragon Innovation and be sure to let us know if you back this project!

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 December 2nd! 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 and we will mail it to you.

This weeks featured items are:

1.  Targus iNotebook: Retail Price $179.99

iNotebook wirelessly transmits handwritten notes, drawings, and sketches to your iPad so that all of your ideas are easily captured and shared. Thanks to a Bluetooth-enabled sensor and premium pen, everything you put on paper is saved and instantly transferred to your iPad. Plus, everything you create is intuitively organized and searchable.

2. Karbon S Series for iPhone 5/5s (Gray and Black): Retail Price $39.95

Evutec is the first company to produce protective cases that contain DuPont Kevlar fibers. With five times the strength of steel on an equal weight basis, this composite material is extremely lightweight and remarkably strong, while allowing clear cellular signal to pass through. Made in the spirit of innovation with state-of-the-art materials and craftsmanship, Evutec offers its Karbon and Wood Series Cases for iPhone 5/5s, iPad, and iPad Mini to discerning Apple customers that demand the highest quality device protection in the thinnest profile. Now available at Apple.com and Apple Retail stores. 

3. Blue Piston by Logiix (Purple): Retail Price $49.95

Looking for a powerful yet small Bluetooth speaker? Take your music anywhere with the Blue Piston Wireless Bluetooth Speaker from Logiix! This portable Bluetooth speaker has a brushed aluminum military-grade shell and a built-in low-frequency resonance system for a clearer sound. Not only can you listen to your favorite music, but you can also answer phone calls and make voice commands hands free!

What's included: a carry case, auxiliary cable, micro USB charging cable, and an anti-slip pad attached to the bottom of the speaker.
Dimensions: Height - 2.05" Width - 2.44" Depth - 2.44"

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 December 2nd!

Since there's so much video available for free online, I avoid paying for content. Therefore, my main use for my $99 Apple TV device has been to use the AirPlay feature to stream free content from my iPad. Most of the best channels that come with Apple TV require a subscription, such as Netflix and Hulu, or they require that you already have a cable TV service (which I don't). So it was a real revelation when I tried the two new channels that Apple TV added Tuesday: Yahoo Screen and PBS. Each offers a trove of content—and all of it is free. These two channels may be the most compelling reason yet to get an Apple TV if you're someone who's considering cutting your cable subscription.

Yahoo Screen offers channels such as Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central, The Onion, Vogue, Fashion & Beauty, ABC News, Wired, and College Football. A number of these offer selected segments. So, for example, you don't get an entire SNL show, but you do get to watch entertaining segments. You don't get a full college football game, but do get the latest news reports about college football.

PBS, on the other hand, offers many many full episodes from programs such as American Experience, Austin City Limits, Frontline, Raw to Ready, Nature, Nova, Antique Road Show, The African American, PBS News Hour, and Masterpiece.

Both of these new channels also let you browse the content according to categories such as popular and featured.

The PBS channel requires a short signup process that you do via your iPhone, iPad, or computer. But doing so then automatically gives you access to local or regional PBS content. I'm in Iowa, and one of the categories available to me is the programming from Iowa Public TV.

It's great to see Apple adding content. They've added a total of 14 new channels this year, which suggests to me they're continuing to increase their focus on TV. Plus, there are rumors that a new Apple TV is in the works. I think the content on their Apple TV device compares favorably with other similar devices such as Roku.

In addition to my Apple TV, I also have a couple of other devices that I use to stream video to my TV. Each is about the size of a thumb drive and plugs into an HDMI port on my TV. The most intriguing is Mini PC, which puts Android on my TV and that I got for $45. You control it with a mouse and keyboard, either wired or Bluetooth. Or you can just use a mouse and the on-screen keyboard. Most Android apps seem to work just fine on it: web browser, YouTube, games, weather, etc. I've used it to stream movies to my TV, including a couple I bought in the Google Play store.

I also have a Google Chromecast, which is the low-price leader at $35. You control it with your iPhone or iPad. In this case, the content doesn't stream from your iPhone or iPad, as with Apple TV, but instead your iOS or Android device simply queues up the content, which then streams directly from your router to the Chromecast device. The tradeoff of the low price is the very limited selection of channels: Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, and the Google Play store. Still, it's a simple and fun device, and I enjoy using it to watch YouTube videos on my HDTV.

All of these gizmos use Wi-Fi, of course, and if you're controlling them with an iPhone or iPad, your iPhone or iPad needs to be on the same Wi-Fi network as the TV and device.

An interesting collection of stands that are not exactly stands has come my way. They range from wall-mounted pockets to adjustable car mounts to a robot-like dolly. Each offers a unique take on how to make an iPhone stand on its own.

1. iStabilizer Flex ($29.95)

4 out of 5 Stars

iStabilizer makes fun products. The Flex trippod reaches around and through chairs and desks to provide a steady mount for an iPhone. Unlike many small tripods, it doesn’t require outfitting the iPhone with a new case, it just stretches to fit most basic cases (big oversized cases don’t work). And when it’s not wrapping around something, the Flex acts as a smallish tripod. The multiple approaches to stabilizing the iPhone means that you will likely find a way to use the flex in most situations (on a wall, a table, wrapped around a fence, sitting on top of a mailbox, you name it!) I take the Flex on most trips because I never know when I’ll want to take a steady shot or a picture with me it in. Totally makes selfies better because you don’t need a mirror and you don’t need to see the camera. Set the shot and click the timer, and people will think a friend took the picture.

2. iStabilizer Dolly ($59.95) 

5 out of 5 Stars

What iPhone filmmaker doesn’t occasionally yearn for professional equipment like cranes and dollies? With the iStabilizer Dolly, the iPhone joins the ranks of cameras that can follow a path. This isn’t computer controlled, so it's more of a guerilla path that gets made as the iPhone careens through whatever environment the filmmaker has introduced it to. Used on a table, it can help create some pretty good panning shots. The high-quality skateboard-like wheels make for a smooth ride and the adjustable neck has joints that can set up even the oddest of camera angles.  And if you do need a standard tripod mount, the Dolly’s iPhone mount detaches to offer a ¼ 20” threaded opening. You can’t help but smile when you see the Dolly. It looks like something from a science fiction movie, I only wish they had a robotic version.

3. thoughtout PED4 Mount CH50 - iPhone Mount ($49.99)

4 out of 5 Stars

Most of the stands in this roundup were designed with a specific use in mind. The PED4 (the worst thing about this product is its name) is a made-for-anything mount. It comes with a base that can be screwed into anything, from a dashboard to a kitchen cabinet. Combine it with the highly adhesive AdPad 300 (also from thoughtout) and you can mount it to anything (the AdPad includes screw holes for attaching the PED4. The materials are outstanding; the ball joint, which can take a bit of muscle to unscrew, adjusts to multiple positions easily and the iPhone attachment adjusts easily to many cases. But unlike the elastic mount of the iStablizer Flex, this one uses screws to create a precise adjustment to ensure that once mounted your case stays put. Engineers will appreciate the workmanship and consumers will love that they can mount their iPhone pretty much any place they want and that the PED4 will keep it in place, while easily pivoting to any angle necessary.

4. Gomite Tiltpod with Case ($29.95)

4 out of 5 Stars

As much as I like the other products in this roundup, I have to say that this is the most clever and convenient of the products, but it does require commitment to a special case. Imagine a little disk with a kind of sticky bottom on your keyring. On the disk is a magnet with a ball joint. On your phone is a slot that attaches the ball joint. When the piece all come together you get an impromptu little iPhone phone mount that helps you take stable pictures, even if the only thing around you is a rock. And on the desk, it’s portrait or landscape orientations make it ideal for FaceTime or Skype, or for taking a time lapse movie. All of this in something that fits the keyring. The iPhone case is pretty basic, but very necessary, given that the case must be thin enough at the right place in order to slot into the magnetic joint. If, however, you have a standard tripod mount on your iPhone already, you might want to consider the original Tiltpod, which can be used with traditional cameras. And at $29.95 this is a great deal because even some of the least expensive cases cost as much as this useful photography and video tool.

5. Belkin Cradle with Audio Port for iPhone 5 ($29.99)

4 out of 5 Stars

If you don’t just want your iPhone sitting on the desk, consider the Belkin Cradle. It offers a pass-thru slot for a standard Lighting cable as well as an audio port, which both extends the audio from the cradle to a speaker, but also help stabilize the phone when docked. The unique magnetic approach ensures that it works with many cases, as long as they don’t overly obstruct the Lighting port. A nice way to keep your phone handy at your desk, to keep it charged, and to minimize the connections and disconnections to a wired speaker. Solid materials and construction will keep your desk looking professional.

6. Just Mobile AluPocket ($29.95)

4 out of 5 Stars

Now if you have a wall next to your iPhone charging station, and who doesn’t, perhaps you may have thought: “Gee, I wish I didn’t need to use up deskspace for charging my phone.” With the AluPocket Just Mobile solves that problem. Mount the AluPocket on the wall and it becomes a nice safe to keep your iPhone out of harm's way and off the desk (or even better, off the kitchen counter). Works with iPhone 4S and 5s. Removable mounting strips make it safe even for attaching to fine wood surfaces.

Conclusion

Although these are all stands, they are really niche products that don't compete, thus the star ratings are pretty high—each does what it does and it does it well. When looking for your own stand, think about the problem you are trying to solve, be it mounting a phone in a car, keeping your desk clear or easily connecting a speaker—that will help you choose the right product for your needs.

Tilt to Live 2: Redonkulous ($2.99) by One Man Left, the sequel to 2010's Tilt to Live, recently hit the App Store. After a few hours, it's safe to say that this tilt-driven reflex game is as "redonkulous" as it is addictive.

Design

There are two game modes to choose from: Classic Mode and Code Red. The former is "normal difficulty for human beings," while the latter is "not even fair, and no one should try to play it," according to the in-game descriptions. Despite the difference in difficulty, the premise for both modes is the same: tilt to live.

You take control of a white arrow, and your goal is to avoid red dots, or kill them by collecting different weapon orbs with different effects. More dead dots equal a higher score, and the game goes on until you touch anything that isn't a weapon orb (more on that later).

Gameplay

If you've played the original Tilt to Live, then Redonkulous will immediately feel familiar. Although the only way to play is by tilting your device, the same three-control options as before are available: Regular (a relaxed position), Top-Down (with your device parallel to the floor), and Custom (set a comfortable angle to be your at-rest position).

Once your controls are set, you'll be given a very short tutorial. The game gets hectic pretty quickly after that and you'll have to put your reflexes to the test. Touching anything other than a red dot or weapon orb will end the game, and red dots start appearing in several different formations as quickly as you can tilt. You'll have to learn what each weapon orb does while on the go. Each orb has a different function, and while all are useful in their own ways, you'll have to figure out which is best for each situation. Will you herd dots together and nuke them with the orange orb? Or will you smash a purple orb and go Darth Maul on them with a dual-sided laser sword?

In addition to the new weapons in Tilt to Live 2, new enemies will enter the field randomly and none of them are simple to deal with. On occasion, missiles will fly in from random directions, but dodging them isn't impossible. The new dot bombs are pretty difficult to deal with and also seem to appear at random. Once they appear, a timer starts counting down, meaning you have until it reaches zero to destroy the rotating targets around it, unless you want another group of dots to deal with. If you touch the bomb itself, it's game over.

If that wasn't enough, a major new addition to Tilt to Live 2 is bosses. Like the bombs, these appear to spawn at random (after a small warning) and there are several different types to deal with. Each one I've encountered has been fairly difficult to defeat, but all go down the same way. Just avoid their defenses and destroy the green targets. If you're skillful enough to take down a boss, the game gets much more difficult afterward, and it only gets worse from there.

The Good

• This is a truly fun game. Mastering it isn't impossible, but will definitely take some time. No in-app purchases are available, meaning any power ups or new weapons have to be earned by skill alone, which I feel makes the game more challenging. The game moves at a easy enough pace to ease new players into it, while keeping seasoned players on their toes.
• Although it has nothing to do with how the game plays, the music in Tilt to Live 2 is surprisingly fitting. The game's visuals are greatly improved compared to its predecessor and every explosion, missile, and laser looks great on the Retina display. 

The Bad

• New weapons are unlocked by completing certain challenges in the game. Beating a boss was a challenge I was stuck on for a long time. I can only imagine how some less determined players will do.

The Verdict

If you're looking for a fun, addictive, fast-paced game for iOS, Tilt to Live 2: Redonkulous is a must-have for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. That is, if you're willing to push through how difficult it may be in the beginning.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

As new iOS apps flood the App Store every day—recently topping 1,000,000—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 Report, AppsGoneFree, appsfire, and more.

Hurry! Get 'em while they’re hot!

1. SnapPen ($0.99)

This is a super fun, easy-to-use app that allows you to annotate images. You can jot down the dimensions of an object in a photo, scribble a mustache on a friend’s face, record the names of people in a group picture—the sky is the limit! All photos are easily sharable too. It doesn’t get more simple that this!

2. NextDraft (free)

Gizmodo calls this app “your life vest for the news typhoon!”  If you’ve got way too much going on to read the news every day, this is a great app to help you stay on top of the best in technology, ideas, and culture, courtesy of Dave Pell, the Internet’s wittiest news addict.

3. Coffitivity (free from $1.99)

To people who do their best work in the atmosphere of a busy coffee shop, I present Coffitivity. This app recreates the sounds of a café to help you focus when you can’t get to your favorite spot. Now if it could only make you a Chai Latte and a nice omelet…

We're going to have months of rumors regarding the next iPhone, but already they're starting to converge around a common theme: the iPhone 6 will have a larger screen. According to AppleInsider, the latest rumor comes from a popular Chinese technology blog, which reported that Apple is field testing an iPhone with a 4.9-inch display. Earlier Bloomberg had reported Apple was developing phones with curved 4.7- and 5.5-inch displays. In the past I've read that in fact Apple typically tests a variety of different models before settling on a particular one, so that may be what's going on here. But it does seem to indicate that Apple is serious about adding a larger iPhone to its line. In 2014 we may therefore see both a larger iPad and a larger iPhone.

The most recent rumor doesn't mention that the new phone will have a curved display. I suspect Apple is also testing such a model, and in an earlier post I wrote about the advantages of making it curved.

It will also be interesting to see what resolution the iPhone 6 will have. According to a report on MarketWatch, Apple's competitors are really upping the ante, with their displays next year expected to reach 3840 x 2160, compared to the retina's 1136 x 640. What's crazy about this to me is that after a certain point you can't really see the difference between displays once the resolution gets as fine as this. In addition, such high resolution is a greater drain on the battery. According to the article, chip maker Qualcomm has developed a mobile processor that will be able to power these ultra-high-resolution displays on Android phone. No doubt Apple will find a middle ground, one that's more focused on user experience and less on impressive specs.

In other Apple news, according to CNET, you now have more options if you happen to drop your iPhone or iPad in water and damage it. Apple is now offering an Apple Store gift card in exchange for water-damaged devices. You can apply the gift card toward the cost of a new phone or accessory. The offer is part of Apple's recycling program, which until earlier this week wouldn't accept devices with water-damage. Note, though, that they do have to still be working. How much will you receive? CNET says that a 32GB Verizon iPhone 5 is worth $265 to Apple in comparison to $235 for one with water damage. An undamaged 16GB iPad 2 is worth $126 to Apple, but one damaged by water is worth only $96. 

Bluetooth held great promise when it first appeared on the scene, but its Achilles Heel has always been long distance. Beyond ten meters, and certainly around 30 meters, the sound can be unreliable. If you're an audiophile, you wouldn't build a whole-house audio solution around Bluetooth. Even AirPlay locks you in to Apple devices and supported apps.

Enter Korus, a portable wireless speaker solution that brings it's own technology to the table. The Korus solution, from Core Brands, includes a 30 pin or Lightning adapter that plugs in to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Audio is automatically routed via this attachment, called a Baton and using "SKAA" technology; so there is no Bluetooth pairing to worry about, and every app is automatically compatible.

I had a chance to try the Korus solution first hand. I was worried that by using the docking port, I would be limited by my iOS device's battery but fortunately, Korus offers a $20 syncing/charging cable that encloses the Baton, allowing you to use the features of the Korus while charging your gadget.

The target audience is audiophiles, so I expected high-end sound, range, and overall quality comparable to a wired installation, and I was not disappointed. The range of the Baton was more than required for my 2,200 square foot house. It even works outdoors, letting you control the pool party from the comfort of your living room. I should not have been surprised, given Core's 40 year high-end audio and custom install history. They have brought this experience to the portable, consumer market.

Apple iOS devices are supported now, as well as Macs and PCs using a USB Baton. Android gadgets may have to wait until next year. Each Baton can connect with up to four speakers, and each speaker remembers 10 Batons, so your friends can join in and act as virtual DJs! There is a free app that can be used to adjust the volume levels for each remote speaker.

I had the opportunity to speak to with representatives from the company, and I suggested adding headphones. This could be useful in the car, to keep one or more kids entertained and keep mom and dad happy. This might be part of the evolving product line. They told me that the lack of lag time between audio and video makes the Korus ideal for watching movies as well as playing games. If you're looking to treat someone special, including yourself, this holiday season, Korus is one to watch...and listen to!

I just came across a solution to a problem I never would have figured out if not for the great and powerful "Internets."

I was trying to send a full-resolution photo from my iPad via email. Normally on my iPhone, when I click send, I am presented with a pop up asking what resolution I want. Not so on iPad. Once I chose a photo and clicked to send via email, it automatically loaded the photo in a size that is not full resolution. I went directly to settings and hunted around for anything that seemed like it would control default resolutions. NOTHING!

I surrendered my male ego and went to Google to ask directions. Here is what I found out.....in the mail pop up there is a field called Cc/Bcc and on the right it indicates the size of the image. It is grayed out, but tap it anyway. A new pop up appears with all the resolution choices we have grown accustomed to. 

It is hard to write about evolution. Evolution is subtle. Sometimes changes occur internally, sometimes they are only cosmetic. Evolution, when it works well, makes for a better fit within a niche. Sometimes it helps the dominant species remain dominant. Such is the case with the iPad Air.

Although there have been some negative reviews of the iPad Air, primarily because the reviewers didn't feel it was innovative enough, the naysayers quite frankly don't possess personal experience in an engineering organization. Shaving nearly half a pound off an already thin and light device is impressive. Beefing up its processing power is expected, but balancing the software and hardware equation to maintain battery life, that is a tough engineering chore. Steve Jobs may have had people expecting magic, but his kind of magic manifests after long hours of design, trade-offs, and prototyping. Delivering an iPad only looks easy because of all the hard work that goes into it.

The iPad Air feels immediately lighter, and still feels light after long periods of use. The Air also sports a more diminutive footprint, which is really apparent when placing the Air into a case made for an older iPad. It sloshes around. In leather cases, with their less precise tolerances, the iPad Air falls through the screen opening. 

I decided to spoil myself with this iPad. I acquired a 64GB model with AT&T LTE Cellular. That means more stuff to carry and connections almost anywhere. I decided the iPad Air would be my mobile device of first choice. No more traveling with a laptop if not absolutely necessary. On a cross-country trip to deliver a keynote address, the Air performed without hesitation. From e-mail to last minute edits in my Keynote-based keynote. I placed it in my shoulder bag, along with all my regular travel accessories, and the iHome Smart Type: Universal Bluetooth Keyboard with Smart Cover.

As for speed, that is an interesting thing. Hesitation: none. Noticeably faster: not really. The iPad doesn’t feel faster because the software needs to work at a certain pace in order for people to use it. Speed up Angry Birds and you just get angry users. Unfortunately, the beefed up power and graphics engine does mean in-app ads do seem to display faster than every before. Local videos are smooth, and the added memory means I didn’t have to swap out Zinio magazines for a movie or two on a six hour plane ride. With 64GB I had plenty of room for both.

The camera is also better and the display is just about as good as you can get. The iPad Air now rocks the basic design vibe of the iPad mini, with a smaller bezel and chamfered edges. Not only is it thinner, but it feels really nice to hold. The iPad is clearly the best iPad to date, which means it is the best tablet to date.

What does the speed improvement mean for people on a day-to-day basis? First, gamers will likely be the first to notice and appreciate the improved processing capabilities, as well as the new dedicated sensors. Games will feel more realistic, offering better simulated lighting and more detail. If you’re just using Pages or Numbers, you might not notice much, beyond better redraws and quicker calculation returns. Heavy Keynote users will likely see improved loading speeds and better rendering in editing. The real question is what other applications will take advantage of the new power? The iPad Air is now essentially running at laptop speeds, so I’m looking for more visualization apps and other tools that make social networks more visible, drive 3D printing, and help students by making iPad-based learning experiences even more intriguing.

Evolution ultimately attempts to keep the gene pool moving forward. Not necessarily better, but not extinct. Evolution is about the best adapted to the moment. If individual features (like better cameras or memory expansion via SD cards) help survival, great, but they only matter if they end up helping the entire organism, or mechanism in this case, survive. Apple continues to adapt to the market, employing the best available technology in a well-orchestrated design that keeps its flagship product ahead of the competition.

Image: The Author's iPad Air in a new Central Red Leather Style Cover from proporta ($47.95)

Apple posted a new page on its website this past week titled Life on iPad that shows the amazing range of uses for this device. It offers a two-minute overview video (embedded below) that shows snippets of people using an iPad for maintaining wind turbines, harvesting crops, assessing athletic performance, tracking inventory, accessing recipes, navigating in vehicles, driving race cars, doing surgery, playing games, drawing, performing music, accessing augmented reality, climbing mountains, and more.

In addition, the page links to six subpages, each of which tells a story of a particular use, from maintaining wind turbines to preparing for ice skating competition to managing a winery. I always get imspired seeing these sorts of videos and stories from Apple.