Wired has happened to get their hands on BeeJive IM for the iPad, and boy does it look sexy.
iMockups for iPad, Wireframing at the Nudge of a Finger
The boys over at Endloop have created somewhat of a mini miracle for web developers looking to quickly mockup projects while lounging on their favorite office furniture. It’s not everyday I actually trade in good ol’ paper and pencil for quick wireframing, but for the past week I’ve been using iMockups for my dirty deeds. Finger smudges abound and cups o’ coffee later, I laid the iPad on the table and scrolled through some of the various projects I cooked up, then satisfied, left to write a review.
Apple’s Augmented Reality Patented
We’ve been pondering for a while what Apple would do with something like mobile advertising and augmented reality, and it seems Apple officially has their ideas on paper. 9 to 5 Mac suggests that because of a mobile device’s nature to know where it is at all times, Apple could do things like display relevant information about a business as you walk by.
Walmart to Sell iPad to Boost Electronic Retail Sales
While I won’t comment on just how I feel about Walmart, 9 to 5 Mac reports that the iPad will land at all their retail outlets later this year. I also don’t know how I feel about Apple choosing a retail outlet like Walmart over Target, but the iPad must be selling incredibly well, or Apple is seriously confident in their little tablet that can, because producing units for Walmart is no small task. Who knows, maybe the iPad would be sold at, “Extra low prices.”
iSlice, a Delightful Little Game for your iPhone
I really enjoy simple games on the iPhone and iPod touch. Saving those serious sweaty sessions for Modern Warfare and Left 4 Dead on my Xbox, iPhone apps like Doodle Jump, Stategery, Fox VS Duck, and now iSlice have come to dominate an occasional downtime. And let me tell ya, iSlice is addicting.
Apple “Transaction” e-Wallet Application makes an Appearance
The prospect of using a cellphone to pay for your goods or services has been up in the air for a while in the United States. While you can do it in some places (Japan), the US certainly is never the most able to adopt technologies that revolve around the transfer of money. Who knows what the reason is, but Apple is incredibly interested in making this a possibility, detailing a plethora of possible NFC (near field communications) interactions. Apple wants to make your iPhone your credit card. It also wouldn’t mind writing checks or earning a spot as your casual debit card, while also being able to accept those same forms of payment. If you’ve ever wanted to easily split a check between you and five friends at a restaurant (something that is a hassle with cards), Apple wants to make this easy. And you know if Apple wants to use the iPhone as your personal money stash, they’re going to be accessing iTunes to handle all the transaction info. In all honesty, this is kinda scary (yet cool!) at the same time.
Apple Patents Approve Touch, Light, Proximity Sensors
iPhones and iPod touches wouldn’t be what they are today without their internal merger of their multi-touch input panel (which lays behind the LCD screen), their proximity sensors, and their ambient light sensors. These devices generally do a good job of being able to automatically apply settings based on my environment, and it looks like Apple is gunning for one particularly interesting ability - automatically forwarding calls between your home phone (or an office phone) and iPhone depending on the proximity to your landline. Patently Apple mentioned that the technology wasn’t just restricted to the iPhone, so maybe you’ll be using your iMac to answer calls from Grandma. A quick pic after the break.
Audiotorium, Easy to use Audio and Text Recorder
There’s lots of applications on the iPad that allow you to take notes, record audio, and maybe do both. I think Evernote is a good example in this category, but let us not forget about a smaller contender by the name of Audiotorium. Quite simply, it’s just an easy to use note taking application that allows you to record audio, take notes, and add audio bookmarks. Oh, and it has lots of sweet icons packed in (more on that later).
Just Like I Said, Android Market Share is No Big Deal
I said it first. Then Buzz Out Loud (A CNET Podcast) said it. The Loop is saying it. Android’s 28% of all smartphone market share over the iPhone’s 21% was deemed a massive blow to Apple. Well duh (sans the Android victory part). Of course Android is going to have more market share - they’re selling a lot more phones than Apple. In all fairness, these numbers simply represent the volume of Android phones in the marketplace. How do you think Microsoft grew so big so quickly? They put their product everywhere. And look how that turned out. As an Android owner, I’ll say it’s way too early to determine what effect Android sales are having on the market, and whether this trend will last.