Kickstarter Project - Hanfree: A Handsfree iPad Stand
We’re spotlighting yet another Kickstarter project. Why? Because we love to see handy, unique creations come to life. This one is an iPad accessory called the Hanfree. It makes the iPad handsfree, thus the name, for anytime you’re in bed, sitting down on your couch, in the kitchen using a cooking app, or anywhere you can find a place to use it; all without holding the device on your lap or in your hands.
Video after break. Read more
#MacStoriesDeals - Thursday
Happy St. Paddy’s Day all over the world and Happy National Unity Day in Italy! Here are today’s deals on iOS, Mac, and Mac App Store apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em while they’re hot!
The Daily Launching in the UK by June 2011
Are you iPad owners still using the over-hyped and very criticized iPad newspaper, The Daily? Well, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is going to launch The Daily in the UK by June 2011. You can read MacStories’ thoughts on The Daily here.
Jonathan Miller, the chief digital officer at News Corporation, said “Western Europe is up first in not too long from now,” saying that a launch will be in the first half of 2011.
The European version of The Daily is dependant on the geographical roll-out of Apple’s subscription model, which is only US based right now.
Mr. Miller said that charging for The Daily in the US will begin next week. “We will charge for it but we haven’t started yet. We have our beginning moment of truth next week when we start to ask people to get out their wallets,” he said.
The Daily, which will be begin charging next week in the US, is aimed at a younger, mobile audience. He added that there are hundreds of thousands of people reading The Daily, I think that number will drop significantly once the trial period ends this week.
It does skew younger. If you follow what’s happening with news consumption around the world, it’s aging. And younger people as a generalisation are not consuming news at least in the ways they used to. So we want to make a product that has broad appeal and that means it has liveliness to it, its very graphic and is very pictoral - a lot of video on it, all media in the same place. It is skewing much younger than newspapers.
For anyone that doesn’t already know, The Daily brings users more than 100 pages of daily content, including news, opinion and sports. It also has video, 360 degree photography, 3D technology, interactive charts and read-later functionality all built into the app. If you’re interested in checking it out or subscribing, here’s a direct link.
[via The Telegraph]
#MacStoriesDeals - Wednesday
Here are today’s deals on iOS, Mac, and Mac App Store apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em while they’re hot!
FileMaker’s Bento for Mac Updated to Version 4; iOS Version Updated
Filemaker has released Bento 4 for Mac today, and it’s a major update to the previous version of their popular personal database software. It’s also now available via Apple’s Mac App Store, a first for Bento. It will cost you $49 but if you own a previous version, they will give you a $20 rebate. If you want a ‘family pack’ with 5 licenses, they offer a $99 version of Bento.
New features to Bento 4 include the ability to print labels using Avery and Dymo file formats. Sharing databases is easier with this version as well; the user can export the app’s libraries that are populated with data for other Bento users.
You can also upload a database template to the ‘Bento Template Exchange’ that has over 800 free downloadable templates to use. Bento has also added the ability to use geographical location data, grabbed through Wi-Fi, GPS or cell tower triangulation.
Another new feature adds the ability to lock forms to prevent unnecessary changes from being made to your layout. Improved performance and faster launch times have also been added, along with an easier way to switch from Table to Form view.
Bento for iOS was also updated to version 1.1. Changes include the ability to record voice memos, and sync iCal tasks (when paired with Mac). Multitasking support and better image support for retina displays are also included; here’s the link.
If you want to buy Bento 4 from somewhere other than the Mac App Store, you can always visit an Apple Retail Store or buy it directly from Filemaker’s website.
[via The Loop]
#MacStoriesDeals - Tuesday
Here are today’s deals on iOS, Mac, and Mac App Store apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em while they’re hot!
7,200 iPad 2s Sold at Apple’s 5th Avenue NYC Store on Day 1
Apple has not officially released Day 1 sales for the iPad 2 but Business Insider is reporting that 7,200 iPad 2 devices were sold last Friday, March 11 at the flagship Manhattan store on 5th Avenue in New York City.
They claim a strong “well-connected source” released this number to them. To back up this number, there were over 1,100 people lined up this weekend, up from 700 when the original iPad came out about a year ago.
Apple has also reportedly stretched the waiting time for an iPad 2 to a 4 to 5 week wait now, it’s a good thing our Cody Fink made the hike to his local Apple store to purchase one for Federico and himself, but I am hoping that by next month I can buy one in person when I’m in Chicago. At least I hope Apple can reload and meet the more demands for the iPad 2.
[via Cult of Mac]
#MacStoriesDeals - Monday
Here are today’s deals on iOS, Mac, and Mac App Store apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em while they’re hot!