Apple News

A recent FCC filing has revealed an upcoming iPad case with a built-in Bluetooth keyboard. With an iPad installed, it’ll look and behave more like a traditional laptop, for better or worse.

Since this case includes a wireless keyboard, it must meet with FCC approval, and that’s how it was discovered. Though it’s less fun that this homemade version in my opinion, the case features a built-in keyboard and angled mount for the iPad itself. AppleInsider says that the keyboard is expected to get 100 days of standby time, and a theoretical working time of 90 hours, though real-world performance will probably differ. The battery will be charged via a standard dock connector-to-USB cable.

GearZap has it listed for £59.95, though it isn’t currently available. It looks pretty cool and should offer nice protection when closed. If you use the iPad primarily for writing, keep an eye open for when this goes on sale.

[Via AppleInsider]

TUAWNew iPad case will offer hard shell, built-in keyboard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bluetooth – IPad – Wireless – Keyboard – Unofficial Apple Weblog

While it may be intended as a tool for adding photos to your iPad, the Camera Connection Kit can do more than Apple tells you about. I’ve tested what capabilities the kit has, and what secrets are hiding under the white casing.

When iPhone first launched there were a lot of calls for an “iPhone Pro” or “iPhone Slider” with a physical keyboard. Some believed that iPhone would never be a serious messaging, getting-things-done device without that tactile, hardware feeling. Others believed the keyboard was a crutch — something long time smartphone users had grown accustomed to [...]

Does anyone still want an iPhone with a physical hardware keyboard? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Filed under: Odds and ends

I’m a latecomer to the Safari party. I have used Opera and OmniWeb, but eventually, the siren song of Safari was too much to ignore. For the most part, I like it quite a bit, but there is one thing that has bothered me for a long time.

Safari has some ridiculous keyboard shortcuts. So, I made some better ones.

Exhibit #1: the Downloads window. By default, the keyboard shortcut to open the Downloads window is Alt+cmd+L. That’s right, “L” for “Downloads.” Does that make sense to you? Me neither. It should be “cmd+D” but … that leads us to another problem.

Read on for more…

TUAWCustom Safari keyboard shortcuts save my sanity originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 29 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safari – KeyboardShortcut – Unofficial Apple Weblog – Opera – OmniWeb

Filed under: Found Footage, iPad

Video from Vimeo. Click link for iPad/iPhone version.

When it comes to unexpected functionality on Apple devices, the current leader is the iPad’s Camera Connection Kit. The USB adapter dongle has been found to work with plenty of unsupported peripherals, from audio headsets to external storage. Keyboards, in particular, are popular partners; not all of them will work, but quite a few do.

We can now add “entire separate computer” to the list of working keyboards, as the video above demonstrates. Eolake Stobblehouse (who was the benefactor behind TidBITS’ staff getting iPads) figured out that his Alphasmart Neo behaves just like a powered external keyboard when connected to the iPad. The Neo is the spiritual descendant of one of the original ‘tablet’ computers, the legendary Tandy Model 100 series. A week’s worth of battery life on a few AA batteries! Those were the days.

Granted, it may seem a bit weird to carry a second machine along just to type into your tablet, but to each their own. Now, if we could get an import utility that would take text files from the Neo and put them on the iPad… Update: Thanks to commenters who point out that the Neo’s ‘Send’ function will work with any iPad app that supports text input.

Direct link to the video for iPhone/iPad is here. This video (not produced by us) is hosted on Vimeo, which supports HTML5 playback on their site but does not support embedding.

Thanks to Peter for the tip.

TUAWFound Footage: Alphasmart Neo doubles as iPad USB keyboard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 16 May 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: AppleScript

My friend Steve (no, not that Steve) just solved a problem I’ve had for awhile now: how to jump to a specific tab in Safari using the keyboard. Turns out that it’s possible, and it’s free, and it works pretty well. What else could you ask for?

The solution comes from Paul Kretek’s website where he outlines how to use FastScripts to assign keyboard shortcuts to specific tabs. Paul and Steve both want to use Safari, but they like Firefox’s method of numbering tabs 1-9 used together with the command (⌘) key . By default, Safari uses ⌘+[1-9] to jump to bookmarks on your bookmark bar, which I use all of the time so I’m planning to make keyboard shortcuts for tabs control+1-9 instead. (⌘+0 [zero] is used to set the zoom back to original size.)

Who knows, I might change my mind. I had found myself trying to use ⌘+[1-9] for tab switching in Safari because I was already used to tab switching that way in iTerm. The only bookmark keyboard short I use with any frequency is ⌘+1 which I use to invoke Quix which I’ve written about previously and absolutely cannot work without.

Paul’s instructions are very thorough, and although they may look a little complicated, it’s something you only need to setup once. Also note that FastScripts is free for up to 10 shortcuts, after that it’s US$14.95 for unlimited use.

TUAWCreate keyboard shortcuts to jump to Safari 4 tabs directly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soon after receiving my bluetooth Apple keyboard, I found that most of the keyboard shortcuts I was hoping for were not there. So, after trying every keyboard shortcut I could think of, here’s a rundown of all the shortcuts that work on the iPad.

Filed under: iPad

Now this is pretty awesome. ClamCase is introducing an iPad case that includes a Bluetooth keyboard so you can essentially disguise your iPad as a netbook or laptop. ClamCase can act as a generic case, an iPad stand, or you can use the keyboard for mobile computing. The one drawback, based on the video, is that you can’t use the keyboard in portrait mode. No price has been announced on the accessory as of yet.

[Via Engadget]

TUAWClamCase turns iPad into laptop originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 06 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IPad – Bluetooth – Unofficial Apple Weblog – ClamCase – Laptop

Filed under: iPad

On Tuesday, I finally joined the ranks of iPad owners. It was a relatively smooth experience, but there are some things that caught my eye:

If you want certain models, you’re going to have to wait. The Apple Store at Chandler Fashion Center only had the 64GB Wi-Fi model while the Biltmore Apple Store had 16GB and 64GB Wi-Fi models. Since I only wanted the 16GB model, I walked away a happy customer. But, if you want a 32GB Wi-Fi or any of the 3G models, you’re pretty much out of luck.

If in doubt, though, call ahead if you can. If you make a spur-of-the-moment decision and your store is out, see if the Apple Store you’re at can call another location and check on their stock. Of course, this method only works when you live in an area that’s lucky enough to have more than one Apple Store. Independent resellers or Best Buy stores are also worth a try.

TUAWBuying an iPad, one month later originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 06 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IPad – Apple – Unofficial Apple Weblog – Wi-Fi – Best Buy

Filed under: iPad

I hadn’t thought much about it when I put the picture up on Flickr, but there turned out to be some interest in the little iPad workstation/music center I’ve put together. I rather like it myself, so I thought I’d share it … and put out a call to see what our readers have set up for their own docking stations.

The setup isn’t what you’d call inexpensive, but I had all of the hardware laying around anyway. This is mostly the result of my obsessive hunt for the perfect keyboard, and a penchant for new and different peripherals. Read on for the details.

TUAWMy iPad workstation, your iPad workstation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 02 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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