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 Report, AppsGoneFree, AppieDay, AppShopper and more.

Hurry! Get 'em while they’re hot!

1. Guitar Lessons: Rock Prodigy(Free From $49.95)

This is the deal of the century! Remember that guitar you bought that now sits in the corner looking forlorn because you never pick it up?  You can fix that. This app gets you playing in minutes. It even listens to you and lets you know what you need to know, practice, and play every time you pick up your guitar. Watch out Eddie Van Halen. We’re coming for YOU!

2. Pocket Scanner HD(Free from $3.99)

Your iPad can become a portable scanner in just a few easy steps! Make quick scans of any sort of document like a receipt, a book, a business card or anything you’d like a copy of.  It only takes a second to do and has many ways to adjust the quality so that you can be sure you have a good copy even when photo taking conditions are poor. This offer is only valid until June 9, so get it while you still can!

3. Photo Transfer Pro(Free From $1.99)

Transfer photos and videos easily and quickly between your iPhone, iPad, PC, or Mac via your local Wi-Fi network without using any third party transfer services. The interface is easy to use with drag and drop features and the ability to transfer multiple photos at once.

There are an abundance of iPhone case on the market that claim to be heavy duty; and while many may meet the rigorous Military Standard criteria, some are better than others. Recently one of my associates in the PR industry turned me on to the Dualtek XT from Pure.Gear ($49.99), and I have to say, overall I was quite impressed. Read on to get the complete scoop as well as to hear about the pros and cons of this new, ruggedized, "extreme terrain" iPhone case.

First of all, it's worth noting that the Dualtek XT is compatible with both the iPhone 5 as well as the Touch ID-enabled iPhone 5s, which can't be said for many of the current crop of heavy-duty protection iPhone 5 cases, many of which don't accommodate the 5s Touch ID. This case offers superior protection from the elements and from impact, all in a very affordable package. Its easy to get on and take off and the built in screen protector is comprised of a superior scratch-resistant plastic that should hold its shine for a good long while. The ports seal well, if not quite as securely as some of the pricier rugged protection iPhone cases. An added bonus is the little lanyard attachment point allowing you to attach either a key ring or a lanyard to the corner of the case, which gives you a much better hold on your iPhone.

If you primarily use headphones or Bluetooth devices with your iPhone then the following might not be a  big deal, but I have to say, the sound quality of the iPhone's speakers when in this case is pretty horrible. I'm prepared for every extreme-duty iPhone case to sacrifice some level of sound quality in the name of ruggedization, but this case creates what I'd consider severe distortion. If you don't talk on the phone much or don't listen to your iPhone's speakers, then this may be a non-issue, and then again, the affordability of this case may trump its poor acoustics.

Pros:

• Well-designed, slim profile case. Doesn't add much in the way of unnecessary bulk.

• Grippy exterior and lanyard attachment point help ensure your iPhone doesn't leave your side.

• High-quality, scratch-resistant screen protector built in to front panel.

• Low cost makes this a good deal for someone looking for an extreme-duty, protective case that meet the rigorous MIL-STD and IP-65 protective ratings.

• Compatible with the 5s Touch ID.

Cons:

• The case has full water resistant protection over the iPhone's speaker but this comes at a price. The sound quality of the iPhone's speaker is significantly distorted when it's in this otherwise exceptional case.

• Very few color options.

Verdict:

If you are looking for a reliable protective case for your iPhone 5/5s, at a savings of between $10 to $50 over some of the other extreme-protective cases out there, this one is a good deal—if the sound output from the iPhone's speakers isn't a big deciding factor. I give the Pure.Gear DualTek XT3 out of 5 Stars, and I have to emphasize that the only thing keeping this case from being a 4.5 Star case are its acoustics. Hopefully Pure.Gear will improve on this issue in the DualTek XT's next iteration.

Apple's stock continues to jump up, and there's a tremendous amount of enthusiasm as everyone looks ahead to Apple's keynote on Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Stock analysts and fanboys have been wondering if Apple still has its mojo in the post-Steve-Jobs era, and CEO Tim Cook has continued to promise that new product categories are coming. Everyone seems to be anticipating we will indeed get something new on Monday—if not hardware, then almost certainly a new platform or two. Let's take a look at what we know is coming, what seems likely, and what's rumored.

Apple to Introduce iOS 8

The whole point of the event is to whip up enthusiasm among developers to create software for the iOS and Mac platforms—and to offer sessions in which they're actually shown how to do specific things. So we know Apple will introduce iOS 8 and Mac OS 10.10. Some pretty solid rumors—including screenshots—have given good evidence for new features of iOS 8.

Healthbook— A chief new feature of iOS 8 is expected to be a new health-and-fitness app called Healthbook. Rumors and a screen shot, if authentic, suggest the app will let you track blood work, heart rate, hydration, blood pressure, physical activity, nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and weight. The fitness feature will likely be similar to other fitness-tracking apps that record information such as how far you've walked and how many calories you burned. The weight feature will probably let you track body mass index and body fat percentage. The nutrition feature is expected to let you record the food you eat and help you maintain a diet. In a sense, this is a new platform, in that some of the features will require external accessories to be attached to the iPhone. This new platform will likely work across not only iOS devices but also future wearables from Apple, such as the rumored iWatch.

Maps— Apple is expected to roll out a greatly improved version of its Maps app. Apple has purchased a number of map-related companies with technologies that will help make this new version more robust and feature rich. It's expected to have improved data and to also feature public transit directions. In addition to train, subway, and bus information, the app will include improved directions to major airports. 

iTunes Radio— For months it's been rumored that iTunes Radio will be a standalone app in iOS 8. Apple's recent purchase of Beats seems to confirm that Apple has something in mind regarding its streaming music service. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine on stage at some point. There have also been rumors that Apple will add the music-discovery service Shazam to iOS 8.

Preview and TextEdit apps— One rumor, based on a leaked screenshot, suggested that iOS 8 would have two new apps, Preview and TextEdit. But according to the rumor, their functionality would be limited to viewing files in iCloud that have been created in the corresponding apps on the Mac. There's also a rumored Tips app.

Split-screen multitasking— A number of rumors have said that iOS 8 will allow you to use two apps simultaneously side by side on an iPad. This is already possible with Android, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Apple bring it to iOS 8. However, most recently a rumor passed along by a writer for the New York Times said that it won't be ready in time to introduce at WWDC but would still be part of iOS 8 when it's released in the fall.

Rumors of New Smart Home Platform

One of the hottest rumors to surface in recent days was the report that Apple will introduce a new smart home platform on Monday. This is big. The so-called Internet of things is big—devices such as toilets and refrigerators that are now connected to the Internet. You can already buy a range of products that you control with your iOS device, from light bulbs to thermostats to home security systems. But they all work in different ways and aren't always easy to set up. Apple's vision is apparently to create a common platform for all these gadgets so they're intuitive to use and easy to set up. Think of how easy it is to set up Apple TV via Apple's iBeacons technology: you simply tap the Apple TV with your iOS device. iBeacons may be a central facet of this platform.

Apple is known for creating a platform that "just works." Their devices and computers and apps and cloud all work together seamlessly. It's exciting to think about how that ecosystem would expand with the smart home platform. Apple wouldn't likely themselves make the accessories, but would create tools for developers and then simply certify the accessories as being compatible with their smart home platform. And they're expected to sell many of these accessories in their Apple Stores.

The Mac and OS 10.10

Apple will introduce OS 10.10 Monday, with most people expecting it to feature the same sort of major overhaul that we saw in iOS 7, including some of the same design touches. It's also rumored they'll introduce a new iMac. 

Watch the WWDC keynote via live streaming

I'm betting that the biggest news of the event will be Apple's new focus on health and fitness, and their new smart home platform. But we won't know for sure on any of this until Monday. Fortunately, you'll be able to get the news as it happens, since Apple will again be live streaming the keynote. Our blogger Todd Bernhard explains how to watch it in this post.

Do you have an idea for an app but lack the programming knowledge to begin building it? In this weekly blog series, How To Unleash Your Inner App Developer, 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 fun turning your ideas into reality can be! This is Part 2 of the series. If you're just getting started now, check out the beginning of the series here (This post has been updated to iOS 7.1.)

After introducing the tools you'll need to develop apps in my previous post, I assume you've installed Xcode and are ready to get a taste of app development! I find there is no better way to learn than by doing, so let's dive in and start creating an app.

Creating a Prototype App

Whenever I create an app for myself or a client, I always create a prototype of the app first. With Xcode, Apple's tool for creating iOS apps, you can create high-quality prototype apps that appear mostly functional while writing little or no code. This is a real advantage for budding app developers who don't know a programming language yet. Creating a prototype is a best practice. It allows you to get your app into the hands of potential users and beta testers and receive valuable feedback from them. It's much more difficult to change an app after you have spent many hours writing code associated with a particular user-interface design!

One of the best things about Xcode's prototyping capabilities is that you don't throw your prototype away when you're ready to create the "real" app. You can keep the user-interface layout, navigation, and basic functionality of the prototype app, and simply add code to make it fully functional. I'll take you through this process in the upcoming weeks as we first build a prototype, and then turn it into a real app.

Begin With the End in Mind

Figure 1 - The main app screen

I find it's best to learn how to create iOS apps by making an app that is fun and informative. With that in mind, in the upcoming weeks we will build an app called iAppsReview that can be used to review the apps on your iOS devices. When I'm designing an app, I usually start out by drawing the app's main screens on paper first. This allows me to work out the basic look and navigation flow of the app more quickly than using Xcode to lay out my initial ideas. Once I'm happy with the basic app design, I begin constructing one screen at a time in Xcode, using my pencil and paper design as a guide. I've already done this part for you, so let's take a look at the main screens in the app so you can get a good overview of what the app looks like as well as the main features it has to offer.

• Write a Review - Write a new review of an app

• Read Your Reviews - Read reviews of apps that they have already written

• Read Online Reviews - Read online reviews that others have written

• Settings & Feedback - Change the app's settings and provide the app developer (that's you) with feedback

Notice there is an icon to the left of each option. I find that users appreciate seeing an image that helps them quickly identify each main action in an app. This is a technique Apple uses in many of its built-in apps such as Settings, Photos, iTunes, and the Music app.

On the right side of each option is a gray arrow. This indicates that when the user taps one of the options, they will be taken to another screen. For example, Figure 2 shows the Write Review screen, which appears when the user taps the Write a Review option.

Figure 2 - The Write Review screen

When writing a review, the user tap the App Category option at the top of the screen, which takes them to another screen where they can select an app category from a list.

The main screen includes the Tap to Rate stars recognizable to users from rating apps and books in iTunes Store and the iBookstore. There is also a place for users to enter the app name as well as a larger text area to write comments.

At the right of the screen is an Add Image button, which the user can tap to select images of the app that they have taken on their device. After selecting a photo, a small thumbnail of the image is displayed in the button. 

At the bottom of the screen is a Post button, which users can use to post their reviews to a website I have set up for this purpose. So eventually, you will learn how to create an app that can communicate with a web server over the internet!

Users can also share their reviews with others by tapping the action button on the right side of the bar at the top of the screen. When they tap this button, a popup will appear allowing them to share their reviews via Twitter, Facebook, or email. When we add this functionality to the app, you will be amazed at how easy it is to integrate with social media using the latest tools from Apple.

In subsequent posts I'll detail the other options in the app, but for now, I've given you enough information to begin creating the app.

Creating a New Xcode Project

Figure 3 - The Xcode Welcome window

To get started, you need to launch Xcode on your Mac by clicking the Xcode.app icon in your Mac's Application folder. When you first launch Xcode, you will see a Welcome screen as shown in Figure 3. This window allows you to create a new Xcode project, or open a project you previously created.

In Xcode, a project is a collection of files, including images, code files, user interface layout files, text files, and settings files. You can place all of these files in a project, and when you're ready to test your app, Xcode runs a build, which takes all of these files, processes them, and combines them into a single .app file that can be run on an iOS device or on Xcode's iPhone or iPad Simulator.

1. Click the Create a new Xcode project option in the Welcome to Xcode window to create a new project.

2. When you do this, the main Xcode window appears, and then the New Project window shown in Figure 4 is displayed. This window allows you to select a template from which to create your new project. This is similar in concept to selecting a template when creating a slide presentation or word processing document. The template provides your app with some basic layout and navigation features.

Figure 4 - The New Project window

4. On the left side of the New Project window is a panel with sections labeled iOS and OS X. These two options are available because you can use Xcode to create apps for iOS devices as well as the Mac. Since we are creating an app for the iPhone, under the iOS section, select Application, and then on the right side of the window, select the Empty Application template as shown in Figure 4. This is the best template to choose when creating a prototype app because it doesn't add a lot of unnecessary files and user interface layout that you have to delete.

5. Now click the Next button. When you do this, you are taken to the next step in the New Project window as shown in Figure 5. This next step allows you to specify project information as well as several project options.

Figure 5 - The New Project Window, Step 2

• Product Name - Enter iAppsReview as the name of the product. Xcode also will make this the name of your project;

• Organization Name - You can enter the name of your company in this box, or you can just enter your name if you are not with a company;

• Company Identifier - This is part of the information used to uniquely identify your product. To help make this unique, you can use a web address in the format com.yourcompany. If you don't have a company name, you can just use edu.self. After entering the product name and company identifier, notice these two pieces of information are combined together to create the Bundle Identifier. The bundle identifier is Apple's way of uniquely identifying your app;

• Class Prefix - This option allows you to add a prefix to code files you add to your project. You can leave this box empty for this project;

• Devices - This option allows you to specify whether you want to create an app for the iPhone, iPad or a Universal app that runs on both the iPhone and the iPad. To make this first project simple, set this option to iPhone;

• Use Core Data - Leave this option unchecked. This option is intended for Apps that store data on the user's device. We will definitely be doing that in this app, but we'll add Core Data to the project later on;

6. Click the Next button. This displays the Save window shown in Figure 6. Leave the Create local git repository for this project unchecked. This option provides version control for your project, but we don't need it right now;

Figure 6 - The Save Project window

7. You can store the new project in any folder you like, but I recommend selecting the Documents folder as I have done in Figure 6 so it's easy to find your project later on, and all the screen shots of my project will match yours;

8. Click the Create button to create the new project.

Examining Your New Project

Figure 7 - Your new project!

When Xcode finishes creating your new project, you will see a list of files in the Project Navigator pane on the left side of the Xcode window as shown in Figure 7. Since we created a new project from the Empty Project template, there are just a few files included in the project. The folders in the Project Navigator are called groups and are used to organize related files together. Note that these group folders do not correspond to actual folders on your Mac's hard drive! They are just used to create a logical grouping of files.

The AppDelegate.h and AppDelegate.m files contain program code, but since you're not doing any coding right now, you don't need to worry about them yet!

Working with Storyboards

One of Apple's greatest innovations for making it easier to create iOS apps is storyboards. With storyboards, Apple takes a page right out of Pixar's play book. In the same way that a storyboard is used to show the main scenes and flow of a film, storyboards in Xcode allow you to see the main scenes in your app, and the navigational flow between them. The storyboard in Figure 8 shows just a few screens from the app we will be creating. The iPhone-shaped rectangles are called scenes. The lines with arrows connecting the scenes are known as segues and they help you visualize the navigational flow of your app.

Figure 8 - An Xcode storyboard shows the basic layout and flow of your app.

Follow these steps to add a storyboard to your new project:

1. In Xcode, click the iAppsReview group folder in the Project Navigator to select it, and then click the plus (+) button in the toolbar at the bottom left of the Project Navigator as shown in Figure 9. This displays a popup from which you should select the New File... option.

Figure 9 - Add a new file

2. Selecting this option displays the New File dialog (Figure 10). On the left side of the dialog, under the iOS section, select User Interface. On the right side of the dialog, a list of user-interface file templates is displayed. Select the Storyboard template.

Figure 10 - Select the storyboard file template.

3. Click the Next button, and in the next step of the window under Device Family, select iPhone (Figure 11) because we are making this prototype specifically for the iPhone.

Figure 11 - Set the Device Family to iPhone.

4. Click the Next button to display the Save File dialog. By default, new files are saved in the project's main folder, which is what you want, so just change the name of the file to MainStoryboard.storyboard as shown in Figure 12, and then click the Create button.

Figure 12 - Change the file name to MainStoryboard.storyboard.

5. This adds the new storyboard file to the Project Navigator. Click on the MainStoryboard.storyboard file (Figure 13) and the storyboard is displayed in the center area of the Xcode window, within what is known as the Interface Builder editor. 

Figure 13 - The new storyboard file is displayed in the Interface Builder editor

Configuring the Storyboard

After adding a storyboard to a project, there are a few extra steps you need to take:

1. In the Project Navigator on the left side of the Xcode window, select the very first node at the top of the list, labeled iAppsReview as shown in Figure 14. Doing this displays the Project Editor in the center area of the Xcode window;

Figure 14 - In the Project Editor, set the Main Storyboard setting to MainStoryboard.

2. In the Project Editor under the Deployment Info section, set the Main Interface to MainStoryboard as shown in Figure 14. Projects can have multiple storyboards so you need to specify which one you want Xcode to use as the main storyboard;

3. There's one other step you need to take, and it involves removing some code from the project that prevents the scenes in the storyboard from being displayed at run time. To do this, go to the Project Navigator, and click on the AppDelegate.m code file to select it. This displays the code file in the Code Editor in the center of the Xcode window (Figure 15);

Figure 15 - Select the AppDelegate.m file to display it in the Code Editor.

4. This file contains programming code that runs when you first launch the App. Near the top of the file is a block of code named application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: (Figure 15). Select all of the code in this method except for the return YES statement at the bottom of the code block. To do this, click on the far left of the first line of code, and then hold the mouse button and drag your mouse pointer down until all but the last line of code is selected;

5. Now delete the selected code by pressing the delete key. When you're finished, the block of code should look like Figure 16.

Figure 16 - The code block with code removed

Now you're ready to go back to the storyboard, but before you do, let's talk about navigation controllers.

Adding a Navigation Controller

In iOS apps, a navigation controller manages the navigation between different scenes. It presents a navigation bar at the top of the scene (Figure 17) which can contain a title, a back button, as well as other optional buttons.

Figure 17 - The navigation bar at the top of the scene

The first object you normally add to a storyboard is a navigation controller because it controls all the other scenes. You will learn more about navigation controllers later in this blog, but for now, follow these steps to add a navigation controller to the storyboard:

1. In the Project Navigator, select the MainStoryboard.storyboard file, which displays the storyboard in the center of the Xcode window;

2. Next, go to Xcode's Object Library located in the bottom right corner of the Xcode window (Figure 18). If it's not visible, go to the Xcode menu and select View > Utilities > Show Object Library;

Figure 18 - The Object Library is at the bottom right corner of the Xcode window.

3. Next, drag a navigation controller from the Object Library and drop it on the storyboard as shown in Figure 19.

Figure 19 - Add a navigation controller to the storyboard

After you drop the navigation controller on the storyboard, there are a few things to notice as shown in Figure 20. On the left side of the storyboard is an arrow pointing to the navigation controller. This indicates that the navigation controller is the first scene to be displayed when the app first launches.

You may have been surprised to see that two scenes were added when you dragged the navigation controller to the storyboard. The Root View Controller on the right contains a Table View that can hold a list of items.

Figure 20 - A navigation controller and root view controller

Understanding Table Views

Table views are used to display lists of data and are found in most of Apple's built-in Apps such as Settings (Figure 21), iTunes, Photos, and Mail. Each division of a table view is a section. For example, the table view in Figure 21 has three sections.

Figure 21 - The Settings app's table view

Each item in a section is known as a row, and a table view can contain an unlimited number of rows. Each row is one column wide and can contain an image, text, and an accessory icon, such as the disclosure indicator (the gray arrow) shown on the right side of the rows in Figure 21. Several of the scenes in the app you are creating contain table views, so it's good to become familiar with them.

Configuring the Table View

The last thing we will do in this week's post is configure the table view in the root view controller. 

1. In the Root View Controller, click on the gray area labeled Table View Prototype Content as shown in Figure 22;

Figure 22 - Select the table view.

2. Next, go to Xcode's Attributes Inspector contained in the Utilities panel on the right side of the Xcode window as shown in Figure 23. If the panel isn't visible, go to the Xcode menu and select View > Utilities > Show Utilities. Then, to display the Attributes Inspector, select the third button from the right in the Inspector toolbar. Whenever you select an object in the design surface, the type of the object is displayed at the very top section heading. You should always check this heading to make sure you have the correct object selected. In this example, you should see Table View displayed at the top of the Attributes Inspector as shown in Figure 23;

Figure 23 - The Attributes Inspector

3. When you are sure you have the table view selected, change the Content attribute from Dynamic Prototypes to Static Cells. When you do this, the appearance of the table view changes as shown in Figure 23. The cells that you set up at design time are used to produce rows in the table view at run time (when the App is running in the Simulator or an iOS device). We have selected the Static Cells option because rather than filling the cells with dynamic content, you will be adding static content at design time;

4. Next, double-click the title of the blue navigation bar labeled Root View Controller at the top of this scene to put it into edit mode as shown in Figure 24;

Figure 24 - Edit the Root View Controller's title

5. Change the title of the navigation bar by typing iAppsReview as shown in Figure 25, and then press enter.

Figure 25 - Change the title to iAppsReview.

Running the App in the Simulator

Let's run the app in the Simulator to check our progress so far.

1. First, make sure the Scheme setting in the toolbar at the top of the Xcode window is set to iPhone Retina (4-inch) as shown in Figure 26;

Figure 26 - Set the Scheme to iPhone Simulator

2. To run the app in the iPhone Simulator, click the Run button in the upper left corner of the Xcode window (Figure 27);

Figure 27 - Click the Run button

3. After several seconds you should see the app displayed in the iPhone Simulator as shown in Figure 28. If this is the first time you have run an app in the Simulator, you probably feel pretty excited to see it up and running! 

Figure 28 - The prototype app running in the iPhone Simulator!

4. If the Xcode window is visible, click on it to go back to Xcode, otherwise, press Command+Tab to go back to Xcode, and then press the Stop button to stop the app from running in the Simulator.

Conclusion

You have accomplished quite a bit in this post! So far you have learned how to create a new project, how to add new files to the project, how to create and configure a storyboard, and how to add a navigation and table view controller to a storyboard. 

In my next post we will configure the app's main scene and table view so it looks just like the scene shown in Figure 1, and we'll even add the next scene to the storyboard that allows the user to write a new app review.

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Blogger Kevin McNeish has been writing his Unleash Your Inner App developer series for over a year now, sharing his app development expertise with nonprogrammers who have a great idea for an app but don't have the programming skills to build it. The series has been very popular as a result of Kevin's easy-to-follow, in-depth instructions. Now the series is being updated to reflect the most recent version of iOS 7 and we'll be posting an updated post every weekday starting today.

Of course, iOS 8 will be released sometime this fall, and Kevin will be updating the series once more. In the meantime, if you have an idea for an app, what are you waiting for?

Visit the first post in the series here.

Or visit the first post in the series to get updated here.

If you've ever tried to capture your kids being adorable or hilarious on video, you know that super stealth is often required. If a child notices that he is being filmed, the cuteness usually ends immediately. Fortunately, zooming is not just for static picture taking. 

Zooming in and out on your subject while recording video on your iPhone is easy.

To zoom in on your subject while recording, just pinch and move your two fingers apart to zoom. This will bring up a tool for adjusting the level of zoom. To zoom further in or back out, slide your finger right or left.

Are you the daring type? Are you ready for action this summer? Have you had it with not being able to record your summer adventures during those times when you need both hands free? A new Kickstarter success story has come up with a very affordable way to remedy the situation, one that allows you to use your iPhone to film your escapades, while leaving your hands unencumbered. Introducing the appropriately named ReadyAction iPhone mounting system.

ReadyAction helmet/head harness

The ReadyAction ($19.99–49.99) fits a wide variety of smartphone sizes, which is a good thing, considering Apple is likely about to unleash a larger iPhone on the world in a few months. They even have a version of the harness that cradles your iPad, which is a boon to office workers, coaches, boat captains, doctors, nurses, and surgeons, among others! Its simple system of mounting the iDevice is not only a snap to perform, it also allows for the use of iDevices that are in protective cases, so your iPhone can be as protected as it needs to be, depending on your activity. And with the ReadyAction, there aren't many activities you won't be able to engage in.

Handlebar attachment

iPad chest harness

The catalog of ReadyAction kits includes a chest plate mounting assembly, as well as head strap mounting accessories, sold separately. These are perfect for things like snowboarding, biking, kayaking, motocross, and/or skiing, among other things. You can also order a wrist mounting system or a pole mount for attaching your iPhone to your handlebars or support struts. With all of the practical and convenient ways the ReadyAction kits allow you to record your feats of courage (or insanity), I suspect it's going to be a rather irresistible accessory for any action-sport athlete, fitness buff, or adventure enthusiast.

If you are unable to see the short video of the ReadyAction in action, please click HERE.

Field Test:

My wrist is slowly healing from my most recent injury, so unfortunately I haven't had a chance to put the ReadyAction to the test riding motocross on the desert trails of Northern Arizona. Nonetheless, I have been able to put it to good use while climbing on the red rocks of Sedona in situations where I've needed all four limbs for clinging the earth. Granted I'm no Alex Honnold, but it can get pretty gnarly on some of these ledges around here. Feeling like I was relatively secure and able to climb safely, while also being able to film the adventure was too cool! I will definitely continue using the ReadyAction for filming my outdoor adventures as I explore the edges of my comfort zone and physical endurance, so stay tuned!

Pros:

• Lightweight construction.

• Easy on/off design.

• Adventurers will appreciate the hands-free ease of use for filming activities.

• Customizable bracket allows for the use of just about any size smartphone.

• Secure fittings ensure that the ReadyAction will stay put and provide you with high quality video footage.

Cons:

• The iPhone's camera is a limitation that has nothing to do with the ReadyAction, but is one reason why one might opt for the higher-resolution GoPro cameras or the like. Perhaps with the iPhone 6 series we'll see a better camera which will record life's adventures with even greater precision.

Verdict:

Overall the ReadyAction mounting system worked fabulously! I'd highly recommend it and I give it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

The FAVI Boomerang ($79.99 on Amazon) is a dual wireless Bluetooth speaker with NFC connect. It's a portable home theater for your iPad. Honestly, I was shocked at how fabulous the sound quality was when I tested it out. 

I paired it with my iPad and chose a random movie to watch. I don't watch movies on the iPad very often unless I'm traveling. My daughter joined me and we watched The Avengers. The Boomerang really did produce home-theater-quality sound and I enjoyed watching the whole movie on the iPad, even though I'd seen it three times already.

You can also wear the Boomerang around your neck. I paired it with my iPhone and started my favorite playlist. It sounded like I was listening through headphones and not speakers. The bass in them sounded great. For me, though, I would only wear the Boomerang in this fashion sitting at home. I wouldn't gallivant around town with it around my neck.

The expansion sleeve design of the crescent shaped speakers allows for easy adjustable sizing for the neck and viewing angle for the iPad.
The Boomerang also has a built-in speakerphone for phone calls.

Here are the specs:

• 2 x 6W stereo sound in the regular sized Boomerang from integrated bass boosts and 2 x 4W sound in the Boomerang Mini.
• 10 hours of battery life from the built-in lithium ion battery.
• Several color options available in white, black, or yellow.
• It comes with an auxiliary cable and a USB charging cable.

There's also amini-size version Boomerang ($59.99) for the iPhone.  
 

Today is the big day! At 10 a.m. Pacific Time, Apple CEO Tim Cook will take the stage at the Moscone Center in San Francisco for Apple's WWDC Keynote address.

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As reported now on several tech sites, the attached parody video (which is a scream, by the way) will make you indeed wonder why you need another premium Apple gadget on your person. But then I had to muddy the waters by adding a mind-blowing tech video from Carnegie Mellon University that demonstrates some stupendously cool things that are possible on your wrist. You won't believe it.. Read on to see it!

I know the screen is tiny but a dang FPS on a watch?! Yeah, and the JBIC factor of showing that off makes it almost worth the crazy amount of wires and bulk, though that would all be minitiuarized into a production version. I predict some tech giant will be swooping in on this before you can say iWatch!

Couldn't make it to Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference? You're in good company. With only about 5,000 tickets, and hundreds of thousands of iOS and Mac OS developers, even if you wanted to attend, the odds of winning a lottery ticket for the privilege of paying $1600+ to attend were against you. But Apple will be making videos of their sessions available to developers, and the keynote will be streamed to Apple fans. However, after attending a couple of WWDCs, I've found that the real secrets are spilled at the MacTech Conference.

I attended MacTech last November, in Los Angeles, and I had a great time. Unlike WWDC, where you only hear from Apple employees, at MacTech, they bring in industry experts from outside Apple, such as game developers, IT experts, and tech celebrities. Since the products Apple announces (or hints at) might not be out of beta until September, the November MacTech Conference could be the right time to get hands-on help with actual shipping software. Last year, there were discussions on new gear like iBeacons and software tools like SpriteKit. I'm sure whatever Apple introduces next week will be on the agenda, such as the Smart Home compatibility program, wearables, and more.

MacTech is not just about technical presentations. There are great guest speakers, fine food, and awesome events. Last year we got to test drive a $100,000 Tesla Model S and visit the Space Shuttle Endeavour! It was truly out of this world! I can't imagine what they have in store for 2014. Considering MacTech costs about half of what WWDC costs (if you sign up early!) you can tell your management that it makes a lot of fiscal sense to attend, because it does!

iPhone Life is a Media Sponsor of MacTech Conference and I plan to attend, so say hi! If you can't make it to the big show in L.A. this November, they bring the show on the road to regional locations. I'm told they offer 49 individual events in 18 cities, with over 240 speakers presenting over 530 sessions, reaching over 4000 attendees from 48 US states/territories, and 36 countries! Check out the details at MacTech.com.

While iPhone Lifers are interested in iPhones, iPads, and iPods, the "halo effect" means Macs are important too. As customers become Apple users for the first time, they appreciate the quality, performance, design, and finish that Apple provides; and when it's time to purchase a computer, a Mac often ends up on the short list. Of course, iOS app developers have to use Macs, so iOS and Mac devices are linked together. Finally, Apple has been combining the best features of iOS with Mac OS, and vice versa. With that in mind, let's look at the Mac news from today's WWDC keynote.

Last year, Apple broke with their tradition of naming versions of Mac OS based on cats like Lion, Mountain Lion, and Snow Leopard in favor of California locations like Mavericks for Mac OS 10.9. Today, Mac OS X 10.10 was announced under the moniker "Yosemite" which should please the California Board of Travel. The Mac icons have been given the Jony Ive design work over, including the trash can, which earned plenty of screen time at the event. As a late night developer, I appreciate the "Dark Mode" which has nothing to do with Darth Vader, but is a friendlier view for nighttime use, without having to mess with brightness settings. Some of these seem superficial, but these changes reflect the attention to details that Apple is known for.

The Today View notification center looks a lot like the iOS notification center, and is customizable to the user's preference. Spotlight search, which has been around, is now front-and-center and makes launching apps and documents easy and elegant.

These enhanced searches within Spotlight should indicate where Siri and the iOS version of Spotlight are headed. Content from external apps and websites can be integrated, without launching those apps. Spotlight can show content from maps, movies, restaurants, etc. That poses both a challenge and opportunity for third party developers. After all, if Apple controls the search interface, Google's ads won't appear!

Something as mundane as email gets better with Yosemite.  arge attachments no longer need to bounce or be cut off. The attachment can be uploaded to an encrypted server, via "Mail Drop," and the recipient can click on a link to download it. Mac users will automatically have the attachment shown. This is a direct shot across the bow of DropBox. Another neat email feature is note taking. You can scribble on an email and send the revised document back to the sender. Now, imagine this on a touchscreen device!

A nice surprise for me was to see Brian Croll, my old colleague from Sun Microsystems in the 1980's and 1990's, who is now at Apple.  He presented the annotation feature and showed how it can correct your chicken scratches and turn them into arrows and text bubbles and more!  

Check back for more Mac OS and Mac news here on iPhoneLife.com

Apple's vision is stunning. A new feature being demoed right now is Continuity. You can make a call on your phone and then as you sit at your Mac, you can continue the phone via your Mac. 

Or you can initiate a call on your Mac even though your phone is elsewhere in the house. They've created seamless integration between iOS devices in a variety of ways. This now includes Messages. Apple also announced iCloud Drive, which can handle any file type. Plus, you can use it to send attachments up to 50GB. The email software automatically recognizes the large file and sends it securely via iCloud rather than as an attachment.

Big changes to Messages in iOS 8. You can now reply to SMS messages within the lock screen or within an app. 

You no longer need to go to the Messages app. It also now offers group messaging, as well as audio and video messaging.

Apple announced their new HealthKit platform and Health app. The main idea is that HealthKit is a single comprehensive repository for all your health and fitness information. The announced platform goes far beyond the rumors. 

The app can not only receive information about your blood pressure from other apps, but then, because Apple is partnering with hospitals nationwide, can automatically alert your doctor of situations needing attention. You can, of course, control privacy.

Siri will have a couple great new features in iOS 8. One is hands-free operation, such that you can simply say "Hey Siri" and Siri will respond. This, of course, will be especially useful if you're in your car.

Another feature is integration with Shazam, the music recognition service. When some music is playing, you can simply say, "Hey Siri," and then ask what's playing, and Siri will tell you.

Apple made two significant announcements related to the iOS keyboard today. One is predictive capability, called QuickType. Depending on context, iOS is now smart enough to predict words as you type. 

In addition, iOS will now work with third-party keyboards. This has been one of the most-requested features for iOS. Such keyboards are popular on Android and can vastly speed up text entry.

Touch ID has been very successful on the iPhone 5s, increasing both security and convenience. It's rumored that Touch ID will now be on all new iOS devices, including the forthcoming iPads. 

Today's announcement was another highly requested feature: the availability of Touch ID on third-party apps. Until now, Touch ID was restricted to turning on your device and accessing your account in the iTunes Store. But now, for example, if you use a banking app, your bank will have the option of implementing Touch ID, such that you can access your account without logging in but simply using the security of Touch ID.

As expected, Apple introduced HomeKit, a platform to standardize new and existing home automation systems. They didn't announce any new hardware, but that's probably for the best. Rather than stifle competition, HomeKit can help encourage competing vendors like Lowes, Schlage, Google's Nest and others by making it easy to work together. Lights, locks, thermostats, garage door openers from different manufacturers can now be controlled by Siri or third-party apps, as long as the devices leverage iOS 8 and HealthKit.

Secure pairing can also help if you're concerned that neighbors, passersby, or just your kids could intrude on your home automation with their own iOS device. It's one thing to be able to turn on your lights, but to open your door would be unacceptable! Scenes can automate the entire environment; so lights, thermostats, switches, and more can be integrated and activated by selecting "bedtime" or better yet, telling Siri to "go to bed!"

As soon as I heard about the potential deal between Apple and Dr. Dre's Beats I knew it was a brilliant idea and a prudent business move. I've covered the story many times since it first broke, always with a sense of awe and wonder that Apple would pick this original gangsta rapper to be an executive employee. Well, today, during this morning's Keynote at WWDC 2014, Apple's VP of Software, Craig Federighi called the good doctor from his laptop during his presentation of the new Yosemite OS and introduced him to the world as a new Apple employee.

The two celebrities acted nonchalant during a casual conversation in which Craig welcomed Dre and presented him to the crowd and the world at large. They joked about how early in the morning Tim Cook went to work, and Dre was obviously excited to begin work as an Apple employee. It was a short conversation and a clever way to present the Beats master on the world stage during a media event that was streamed around the world.

New Apple employees, Dr. Dre and his associate Jimmy Iovine.

Now that it's all said and done, I have to wonder, what does this mean? I mean, is Dre putting his rap career on hold? Is his going to change his lifestyle and start self-censoring himself? And of course, what is he going to do on the job with Apple? Will it be like Beats, where he was more of an extremely popular, celebrity endorsement, than a headphone designer? How is Apple prepared to handle the onslaught of social media buzz this move will generate, and how are they prepared to respond if and when Dre says or does something unconventional or controversial. These are some valid questions, the answers to which will be revealed in time I reckon. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I say go, Dre, go, Tim. Good shake up; I don't think anyone saw that one coming.