What about Chinese rip-offs? Most of the times they come with silly fake names and they suck. But what about a Chinese rip-off that is called “iPed” and runs Google’s Android?
BookArc, Chirpy, PhotoForge, AudioBookShelf Winners Announced
Thanks everyone who entered our giveaways in the past week. We’d also like to thank all the developers who offered their products to MacStories readers, so be sure to drop a “thank you” in case you’ve won something!
Anyway, you’ll find the winners after the break. Congratulations!
SketchyPad, Easy Wireframing on the iPad
After the iPad was announced developers started working on new applications for it, and we all remember that. What you probably don’t remember is the huge amount of previews that were floating around on the Internet back then: video previews, exclusive screenshots, leaks. Put simply, every single development team wanted to gain some attention for their new products, and now - two months later - we’re waiting for the second wave of great iPad apps, because let’s face it - the first one hasn’t been that great after all. There was this app though, called iMockups, which managed to actually gain a lot of exposure, be it for its name (the “i” prefix is still pretty strong) or for its purpose. Cody has already reviewed iMockups here.
Today I’m going to take a look at a similar app which has been recently released in the App Store, SketchyPad.
Opera Makes Fun of Google With a Potato and a Fish Fight
Remember when Google published a video about the speed of the new Google Chrome a couple of weeks ago? Opera has fired back today, making fun of Google’s video with, well…another video detailing how Opera is indeed faster than cooking a potato.
Perhaps their next video should be focused on the speed of their iPhone version? Check it out after the break.
Next Apple TV Revealed?
Engadget has received a very intriguing tip about the next Apple TV. Yes, Apple is working on a new iteration of the Apple TV and if this rumor will turn out to be true, the thing will be amazing.
Suzuki Launches Beautiful iPad Optimized Website [Video]
Apple Reaches UK iBooks Distribution Deals
Is there someone who seriously believed that Apple wouldn’t manage to reach distribution deals for iBooks in the end? Of course it happened, and what Apple achieved in the UK is pretty impressive: publishers Hachette UK, Penguin, HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan are available on the iPad with their titles.
As the BookSeller reports though, books comes at a higher price than Amazon’s hardback versions:
“Prices are in the main more expensive than the equivalent print versions available on Amazon.co.u. For example, the paperback of Wolf Hall is £3.60 on Amazon, but £6.99 on the iBookStore. Thousand Autumns… is £11.99 via Apple, but Amazon is charging £9.41 for the hardback.
However, readers can download more than 100 pages of Wolf Hall for free, with an option to buy it while reading the sample. Nearly 100 pages of Mitchell’s novel can also be downloaded for free.”
The platform has to grow, and this is just the beginning.
Wi-Fi Sync Now iPad Compatible
Wi-Fi Sync, the utility available in the Cydia Store at $9.99 that allows you wirelessly sync your devices using iTunes, is now iPad compatible. The latest 1.1 introduced support for the new device, which can now be configured to sync apps / info / music without the need to plug in.
If you still haven’t, check out the preview video of Wi-Fi Sync after the break and go download it in Cydia.
Adobe Wants To Know If You’d Like PSD Viewing on the iPad
John Nack, former Adobe Photoshop Product Manager, has published a new entry on his personal weblog, asking if you’d like to be able to view .PSD files on the iPad.
“I periodically hear requests for the ability to view Photoshop PSD files on devices like the iPad (for example, browsing files that one has synced via Dropbox).
This is obviously a capability that Adobe could build. The question of course is whether we should build it (as opposed, say, to building something else).”
Sure that would be a great option for web designers on the go, that are now forced to export files to .pdf to preview them to clients. Would you like to have this feature? Go comment.