The new iPod nano was announced today. It got a touchscreen display with the multitouch features Apple is known for. If you turn it around expecting to find a camera lens, though, you’ll be disappointed. The nano’s traded that in for a clip.
Back in July we saw an Apple labeled 1.5″ touchscreen and wondered if it would be for a tiny, multitouch nano. Now some new cases, purportedly for the same device, makes us wonder much the same again.
Would it run iOS? Could it, with a screen that small? You could fit, what, 2×2 icons for a [...]
Will the next iPod nano be a little square? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
Filed under: iPhone
Yes, you’re getting a bumper for free, but why not wrap your iPhone 4 in something a little more stylish and original? Vaja has released a line of its great premium leather gadget cases for the iPhone 4 — I love these things, as they’re made out of high-quality premium leather, and add an extra little bit of class to a device that already feels like a luxury phone.
I do have to say that I don’t really like that flap — I use a Vaja case on my iPod, and in that case, the magnetically-fastened flap comes in handy, since I don’t usually have my iPod open. But on the iPhone, I interact with the touchscreen so much that the flap would get in the way. But Vaja also has some excellent cases (like the iVolution Grip) that just slide onto the iPhone and stay out of your way.
They’re not cheap — the Grip runs $65, and they go up from there. But they are a quality product. While the bumper cases are all right, if you want something really nice to wrap your iPhone in, give Vaja’s cases a look.
[via MacNN]
TUAWVaja introduces new iPhone 4 cases originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPhone – Apple – Vaja – Unofficial Apple Weblog – iPod
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
We posted about Archetype the other day — it’s an impressively solid multiplayer first-person shooter for the iPhone that brings some hardcore gameplay to Apple’s touchscreen platform. And apparently there are a lot of hardcore players out there — in just one week of release, Archetype has picked up 160,000 players. There have been over 320,000 matches played so far, with over 2 million player kills between them — that’s over 20,000 an hour. Publisher Villian says that it’s obviously thrilled with the response, and that “future updates, offerings and new game features” are being worked on.
This is interesting for a few reasons: first, most iPhone offerings tend towards the casual. Little pick-up-and-play games often seem to be the norm on the iPhone, as the vast majority of developers seem to be searching for one little interesting gameplay idea and running with it. But Archetype seems to hint that if the experience is done well enough, there’s definitely a large audience of “hardcore” gamers on the iPhone.
And it’s worth mentioning that Archetype doesn’t have a lite version and sells for $2.99. Before this game, the most high profile FPS on the store was probably Ngmoco’s Eliminate, which went with a free-to-play model in the hopes of garnering a larger audience. But Archetype’s success seems to show that (again, if the experience is good enough), there’s room at higher price points for a solid player base. We’ll have to see where Villian goes with this in the future — we’ve heard from other developers that quick and free updates can really make an app grow even bigger, so if they can pull that off with Archetype, they’ll really have an iOS juggernaut.
TUAWArchetype nets 160,000 players in first week, promises updates and features soon originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPhone – AppStore – Unofficial Apple Weblog – First-personShooter – Apple
Filed under: Rumors
Those pesky Apple parts, they’re always parading themselves in front of cameras. This time, a tiny (1.18″ square, 3cm x 3cm) touchscreen has shown up in Taiwan. Apple.pro has posted two pictures of the mini mystery (English translation here). In the second shot, you’ll see Apple’s copyright stamp on the connector cable.
What could it be? A display for a future iPod? Dick Tracy‘s watch? A prototype that will never see production? A remote control for the hypothetical revamped Apple TV?
Before you scoff, consider Apple.pro’s track record. They had a legit white iPhone case and a unibody Macbook Pro case before they were released. With that in mind, we’ll say that this little doohickey, whatever it is, might be in our homes or pockets someday.
[via MacRumors]
TUAWTiny Apple touchscreen shows up in Taiwan originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Apple – Unofficial Apple Weblog – IPhone – iPod – Dick Tracy
Filed under: iPad
Cats love iPads, dogs love iPads, and dolphins… love iPads? That’s the word from a site called SpeakDolphin.com [PDF, here's the text], where researchers say they’re using the iPad’s touchscreen to offer up visual stimuli for dolphins to touch and interact with. A touchscreen for dolphins needs to have a few certain criteria, including being waterproof-able, sensitivity, and visual clarity, and apparently the iPad fits the bill, as you can see in the picture.
So what kinds of apps does a dolphin use? Turns out they’re addicted to Plants vs. Zombies HD, too. No, just kidding — they use just an image that contains pictures of various items that exist around the dolphin in real life. The trainer points to an object in real life, and then asks the dolphin to point to that same object on the screen, laying the very first groundwork for lingual interaction.
Interesting stuff. We haven’t heard of dolphins using Apple’s magical device before, obviously, but what’s constantly surprising is that the iPad is slowly replacing all sorts of other technology, and being used in many ways that Apple’s engineers couldn’t even imagine.
[via BoingBoing]
TUAWDolphin uses iPad to learn to identify objects originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
IPad – Unofficial Apple Weblog – Apple – Touchscreen – Technology
Filed under: iPad
Obama Pacman’s got a few cool paintings by an artist named John Haasl. The unique thing about these paintings is that Haasl created them exclusively with the iPad. While a lot of the talk around the iPad has centered on the device as a content consumer, content creation is definitely easier in one big area with a much larger touchscreen, and of course, that’s art. Not only does the extra screen space help out would-be artists, but the processing power makes things quick and easy, too.
Haasl is using ArtStudio for iPad for his work, and there’s other good software available as well (SketchBook Pro is another popular app, though it’s a little more expensive, with ArtStudio on sale for just a buck). Haasl says that he takes about two days to put a painting together, and it’s totally a hobby — his day job is in IT.
It’s very cool, anyway. It will also be interesting to see what professional artists end up doing with the iPad’s screen, and if some of the new interfaces for art make their way back to traditional computers.
TUAWHobby artist creates paintings on the iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Paint – IPad – Unofficial Apple Weblog – Art – Visual Arts
Filed under: Macbook Pro
AppleInsider has the story of a patent application that would turn any place on the aluminum shell of a MacBook Pro into a disappearing input space by utilizing invisible backlit holes.
The application describes an input device made of the same material as the computer housing, so when not in use, it disappears. Light, combined with a capacitive sensor, would enable it to work. The patent example showing this in action displays a control wheel that’s similar to the iPod’s.
Comparisons are made in the patent to the iPhone’s touchscreen surface and its drawbacks — mainly the seams and the fragility. Indeed, something made of aluminum would be a lot tougher and not look as tacked-on as plastic or rubber.
Other uses for such a device would be a trackpad, external button, a display when the computer lid is closed, Wi-Fi signal/battery indicators and more.
[via Techcrunch]
TUAWPatent: Invisible button on future MacBook Pros originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPhone – Apple – iPod – Unofficial Apple Weblog – MacBook Pro
Filed under: iPad
Gravity Switch has been designing and developing touch-screen kiosks, websites and custom applications for 14 years, so it’s not a surprise that their attention would move to the iPad. Apple’s newest device is perfect for touchscreen kiosk applications, as well as much less expensive than most traditional kiosk setups.
The aluminum iBracket (US$349, $399 for the gallery version) features a beautiful anodized aluminum finish in one of 14 colors, and can be hung either vertically or horizontally. The gallery version of the iBracket (seen above) has 4 built-in speakers, so it’s easy to have the iPad play music or a narration through the iPod app while displaying a custom application or photos. You simply slide an iPad into the iBracket, connect the speakers and power, and then mount it on the wall. The iBracket has a locking mounting bracket, so there’s no fear of someone walking off with your iPad and the bracket.
Gravity Switch is currently taking orders for the iBracket, and you can also inquire about custom finishes if one of the existing colors just doesn’t trip your trigger. As Jason Mark of Gravity Switch mentioned, the iPad is truly a “game-changer” in the touchscreen kiosk world, and with the iBracket, we’re sure to see a lot more iPad-based kiosks popping up everywhere.
TUAWiBracket turns your iPad into an iKiosk originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Unofficial Apple Weblog – Apple – IPad – iPod – Game
Filed under: iPad
If you’re an international customer who’s waiting for an iPad, you’re probably a bit anxious about the lack of a solid release date. The problem might not just be unprecedented demand for the iPad in the U.S., but also production issues with the 9.7″ touchscreen displays.
Andrew Rassweiler, an analyst with research firm iSuppli, told Bloomberg News that yields on the displays have been low. That problem is in turn causing a production bottleneck. The displays are made in South Korea by LG Display and Samsung Electronics, and also in Japan by Seiko Epson. The displays are similar to those used on the iPhone, but of course are much larger on the iPad. Scaling up the displays complicates the process of production.
iPads won’t be available internationally until sometime in May, and will then appear in the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland. Apple is expected to announce pricing in those countries on May 10, 2010.
[via Macworld UK]
TUAWiPad production may be slowed by touchscreen production woes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPhone – Apple – IPad – Unofficial Apple Weblog – Samsung Electronics