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ListBook Goes Universal, Adds iCloud Sync

When I reviewed the first, iPhone-only version of ListBook from noidentity last year, I called it “a good alternative to Apple’s Notes app for most iPhone users”. In the past 12 months, however, Apple shipped iOS 5, a major revision of its mobile operating system that, among other things, includes a native list-making app called Reminders. The writing was on the wall for developers of third-party list apps: Apple likes to “borrow” ideas from successful applications every once in a while, and simple todo lists are just something too common to ignore for a possible system integration. As usual after Apple comes out with its own take on a previously third party-only idea, many rush to declare Product X has been “sherlocked” by Apple. It happens every time. The opposite is quite true: Apple’s take on such ideas and workflows often creates an even bigger market for developers, raising the public’s awareness on a particular kind of software, leading more people to seek out alternatives and different takes from other developers.
The new ListBook, released today, falls exactly under this category. With a simple interface, lists, and iCloud sync, one could easily think it’s a Reminders clone with a price tag on top of it (the app is sold at $1.99 on the App Store). As I mentioned above, those looking for a different take on Reminders – which will also gain a desktop counterpart on Mountain Lion – will be pleased to find in ListBook some clever features implemented in a way that makes switching between the iPhone and iPad version as effortless as iCloud allows.

ListBook makes lists. On the iPhone, these lists are accessible from a button in the top left corner that you might have seen elsewhere recently;  on the iPad, the app uses a split interface that’s quite attractive and works fine.

Lists can be assigned an icon (the selection is nice), and you can disable Home screen badges on a list basis. Each list shows how many items you entered in total (tasks) and how many of them haven’t been completed (open). Because ListBook isn’t strictly GTD, but wants to combine text-based lists with a simple todo management system, completed items will stay in a list until you delete them permanently – a Filter button lets you view only “open tasks” if you prefer such view. This view setting, alongside lists and todos, will sync across devices using iCloud, and in my tests sync has been fairly responsive – it takes only a few seconds to see new items appear on another device, even if the app is already in the foreground.

Overall, I think ListBook 3.0 is a great update and the right path to follow for the developers, especially with iCloud, which would open the door to a possible Mac app in the future. If you like well-crafted user interfaces (the icon is also very polished and not blue or red), a simpler approach to list creation and supporting indie developers, you should give ListBook a try – it’s $1.99 on the App Store. For people who are just looking for a basic todo list app that syncs across devices, however, hitting the Buy button on this one might be a little hard. Apple’s Reminders does more, is integrated with Macs and PCs, and it’s free. Those users will be more than fine using Reminders, and I don’t blame them – Apple’s utility covers various aspects of list management very well, it’s got Siri support, and will gain a desktop version this summer. If, for some reason, you don’t like Reminders, or are simply intrigued by third-party apps in general, you should still try the new ListBook – it’s very nice and gets the job done.

Liveblog: It’s the iPad 3 Event of a Lifetime

It seems like only yesterday when I took a wrong turn at a shopping mall and ended up waiting in line for some magical device I knew nothing about. Granted, there were lots of people wrapped around an Apple Store, but how was I to know Apple was launching a new iPad that was as thin as a pencil, had a faster processor, and could be individualized with those foldable Smart Covers? And if I could predict the future, it sounds like I’ll be waiting in some longish line again for another flat computer that has an even better display, an even faster processor, and surprise features that’ll dazzle us before the glow of a blue Apple retail shirt.

I already know most of you already have your wallets out. Some of you are checking the source code on Apple.com for any imminent hints, while the rest of you are furiously refreshing Apple’s store page. Although, I hope you’ll read our predictions instead (we’re half intelligent, half coffee-addled). But if you’re looking for the real skinny, we’re just going to have to wait for Wednesday. We’ll be here on March 7th: still rambling, still highly caffeinated, and probably drunk on iPad 3 rumors… or is it iPad HD? iPad 2S?

To find out what the name of the next iPad will be, tune in tomorrow at 12:30 pm EST when Don and I will be kicking things off early to answer your questions and engage in general mischief before the iPad event. Whether Apple livestreams the event or not, you’ll get all of our flavorful commentary and up to the minute information about the crazy stuff being presented on stage.

Don’t forget to refresh the MacStories homepage regularly tomorrow — the rest of the MacStories team will be writing articles as fast as these products and numbers and shiny things are being announced! If you can’t be in the now, you can always catch up with the announcements later in the day. Don’t worry — it’ll all be here.

Bookmark this page and set a date for Wednesday, March 7th, for our realtime coverage.

Apple Event Time Zones

13:00 — New York, New York
10:00 — San Francisco, California
08:00 — Honolulu, Hawaii
05:00 — Sydney, Australia
03:00 — Tokyo, Japan
02:00 — Shanghai, China
23:30 — New Delhi, India
22:00 — Moscow, Russia
19:00 — Rome, Italy
18:00 — London, England

Don’t see your city? You can use this link to get your exact time.

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iPad 3: Where We Predict the Future

At 10 AM tomorrow, Apple will begin the presentation of one of the most (if not the most) anticipated products in the company’s recent history: the iPad 3. Rumored to feature a Retina Display, improved graphics, and a better camera, the next iPad will have to build on the amazing success of the iPad 2 (where by “amazing” we mean “just look at those numbers”) whilst giving owners of the original iPad a reason to upgrade after two years. And with the possible implications behind the rumored new features, it looks like those who stood in line back in April 2010 will have more than one good reason to consider the Next Big Thing.

As a team, we typically refrain from reporting every single rumor that shows up ahead of an Apple product release, leaving our crystal ball and teardrop-shaped hats under the editorial desk. Having considered the variables behind a Retina iPad 3 in the past, however, we couldn’t resist this time – much like we did back at WWDC ‘11, we had to get together (in a cozy Campfire) and share our March 7th Apple Event predictions. Our own Gabe Glick already explained why he thinks a big announcement will be about software – specifically, he neatly illustrated why Aperture may be coming to iOS and the iPad 3. Below, you can follow the rest of the MacStories team as we reflect on what we think has to happen, what could happen, and what we generally would like to see in a Retina-enabled tablet future. Lots of coffee may or may not have been involved in the editing process of said predictions – pardon the excitement, but we think the next iPad is going to be a fantastic upgrade.

After the break, you’ll find our predictions. We will check back on these later this week, and make sure to tune in on MacStories’ homepage tomorrow for our complete coverage. Read more

Adobe Releases Lightroom 4

Initially released as public beta in January, the final version of Adobe’s desktop photo editing and management tool, Lightroom 4, has been made available today starting at $149 on Adobe’s website. Focusing on image quality with new shadow and highlight processing and different output options, Lightroom 4 is largely meant at enhancing the performance architecture and image quality improvements of Lightroom 4. In January, we wrote:

Alongside image refinements and extended, robust video support for organizing, editing and sharing videos on Flickr and Facebook (again, make sure to check out Adobe’s blog for the full details on video adjustments), Lightroom 4.0 beta features photo book creation with over 180 page design layouts, drag & drop support with layout guides, background graphics and integration with the Blurb book printing service. Adobe says photo books have grown in the popularity in the last couple of years, and I have no doubt this is a good move on Adobe’s side (assuming the service is impeccable) at the light of Apple’s moderate success with iPhoto photo books. Lightroom photo books can also be exported to PDF; in this beta, Blurb books are limited to 160 pages.

Similarly to iPhoto, Lightroom 4.0 now allows users to organize and browse photos by location. Thanks to a new Google Maps module (which obviously requires an Internet connection), Lightroom 4.0 will determine a a photo’s location if the camera that created the file supports GPS coordinates; otherwise, users can manually drop photos onto a location and create saved locations for future usage.

Those who downloaded the beta two months ago will find the same functionalities, fine-tuned for the final release (the beta can still be downloaded from Adobe’s website, and used until its expiration date). Among the key improvements of version 4.0, Adobe added native video support, giving photographers the ability to play and quickly edit videos shot on DSLRs, smartphones, and point-and-shoot cameras. The app comes with a series of video presets, and files can be exported to H.264 format or uploaded online to Facebook and Flickr directly within Lightroom.

Adobe Lightroom 4 costs $149, or $79 for upgrades from 3.0 – with this version, Adobe lowered the price from $299 of Lightroom 3 (upgrades used to be $99). Furthermore, Lightroom 4 will also be made available through Adobe’s Creative Cloud once it launches later this year with a subscription model (details here). A full list of features is available here and here; Lightroom 4 for OS X requires a Mac with 2 GB of RAM, 64-bit Intel multicore processor, and 10.6.8 or later. Check out a video of the app after the break.
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Ten One Design Announces iPad 3 Pressure-Sensitive Stylus Powered by Bluetooth 4.0

Ten One Design, makers of the popular Pogo stylus for iOS devices, announced today a brand new product – code named Blue Tiger for now but likely to receive the Pogo monicker come the final release – that the company is marketing as suitable for the yet-unannounced iPad 3. The stylus, pressure-sensitive and powered by Bluetooth 4.0 technology, will work with the iPhone and iPad, and feature an SDK for developers to integrate the pressure-sensitivity technology in their iOS apps.

You may have been hearing good things about Bluetooth 4.0. It’s a fast wireless connection, and is fully supported by the CoreBluetooth framework in iOS 5.

Bluetooth 4.0 devices don’t need to pair with your iPhone or iPad, they just connect and work. Also, the battery life is dramatically better - think months or a year on a single coin battery. We’ve developed the first pressure-sensitive stylus for iPad that uses Bluetooth 4.0.

It’s not clear why would Ten One Design specifically state the new stylus is “made for iPad 3” just a few days ahead of Apple’s announcement, but the fact that the new device will carry Bluetooth 4.0 is an assumption that’s been made by many lately (Apple itself has upgraded several of its devices and computers to Bluetooth 4.0 in the past year). Sample hardware of the Blue Tiger is available for testing today, and, judging from the first video, it appears the stylus in combination with hardware (and, we assume, Bluetooth) will be able to ignore palm and finger touches, focusing exclusively on the custom-made pen tip.

Details are scarce for now, and Ten One Design promises more will be revealed in the coming months as the product is finalized and gets FCC approval. For now, we can only speculate that the iPad 3 will indeed feature Bluetooth 4.0, and watch Ten One Design’s first video of the Blue Tiger, embedded below. Read more

Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.7.3 Supplemental Update

Apple just released a “supplemental update” to OS X 10.7.3, resolving “an issue when restoring a Mac from a Time Machine backup.” Apple also adds in the release notes: “This update is recommended for users running 10.7.3 with Time Machine backups.” OS X 10.7.3 was originally released on February 1, adding a number of fixes and improvements to Lion.

The update is now available on Apple’s website, and through Software Update as a 38 KB Delta update for users running 10.7.3.

TestFlight Acquired By Burstly, Launches TestFlight Live

TestFlight, a popular over-the-air testing platform for developers, has been acquired by app monetization service Burstly, the company wrote in a blog post today. Based off Apple’s OTA install technology for beta applications and iOS’ certificate system, TestFlight has been used by thousands of developers in the past year to provide an easy and intuitive way to their users to install beta versions of iPhone and iPad apps without going into the manual process of managing .ipa files with iTunes on a Mac or PC. With a web app that works on desktop computers and mobile devices, TestFlight has powered “over 70,000 developers sharing more than 130,000 apps with a group of 280,000 testers”. The acquisition, explained here, is meant to extend TestFlight’s capabilities as a platform to enable developers to offer beta apps, track revenue and monetization with Burstly, and collect other sets of data and user engagement with a new product launched today, TestFlight Live.

We always planned on launching a production version of TestFlight, but we wanted to push ourselves to start solving production problems and not simply copy the beta feature set. Along with help from the Burstly team, we think we have taken a great first step with TestFlight Live. Our goal with TestFlight Live is to provide a real-time dashboard that displays actions, symbolicated crash reports, and revenue. For the first time, developers will have a single dashboard that provides enough information to derive insights into Revenue Per User (RPU) and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) to better understand your app business. Previously, this level of information would be from multiple sources and there was no easy way to collect it.

Burstly was the key contributor to the revenue portion of TestFlight Live, in addition to the concept they actually developed the APIs that make it possible. The revenue source options in TestFlight Live enable developers to include app sales data, in-app purchase data, and ad network revenue from multiple partners. You do not need to work with Burstly to pull in any of this data. If you do not want the revenue segment in your dashboard, we have provided a way for you to hide it.

The real-time, mobile-friendly TestFlight Live can be checked out here, and, apparently, developers willing to implement it in their App Store apps will simply have to add one line of code to their existing software to start getting reports from TestFlight Live, which is a free service. TestFlight Live can track things such as crash reports – allowing developers to instantly understand what’s causing an app to crash, thus enabling them to start working on a fix right away – and user engagement in the form of “checkpoints” (milestones that users unlock using an app, such as “launched the Settings screen”), in-app purchases, device types, and OS versions. This system works in real-time, any minute of any day, as long as a TestFlight-enabled app can connect to the Internet. TestFlight Live has a separate dashboard from regular TestFlight, which will continue to be available as a free service to manage over-the-air beta apps.

Burstly integration, on the other hand, opens the door to a bunch of different functionalities, most of them aimed at data gathering in relation to ads and monetization. Burstly can mediate ads from different networks, cross-promote and track installs, provide ads of different shapes and sizes, and offer “criteria” to developers to control what kind of ads are displayed on screen. The service comes with a series of features that are being used by partners such as Rovio, EA, and Zynga. More details are available here.

TestFlight, meanwhile, says that their products and Burstly will remain separate. TestFlight services will remain free, but the developers are looking at paid options for the future. New features on the roadmap (and on track for a March launch) include better performances, a desktop app for developers, and a new UI.

TestFlight, which launched an enhanced SDK back in September, has become one of the most popular options available to developers to manage apps in their testing stages without forcing users to manually install them with a Mac or PC. Another similar service is HockeyApp, which we covered in May of last year (and has improved a lot since). To read more TestFlight’s new owners and the new services, check out the company’s blog post.

Gallery: Amsterdam Apple Store Grand Opening

On Saturday, Apple officially opened its first retail store in Amsterdam. Located at Hirschgebouw, Leidseplein 25, the first store in the city blends historical architectural elements with Apple’s unique style and approach to retail presentation. Gary Allen of ifoAppleStore has a great recount of the opening day:

In typical Apple fashion, construction of the interior was a labor of love, taken from history. Everything is a recreation, although it is impossible to tell even from a close examination. The employees are still in awe of the store, since they had their first view of the interior just nine days ago. Steve Jobs signed off on the project before the project before he died last year, and Apple has taken great care within the company to credit the artisans, craftsman and construction team who created the store.

The superlatives are many: most number of Apple products on display of any store in the chain, second-largest store in square-footage, and largest volume of any store in the chain. But those are just numbers, when a store should really be judged by its appearance.

Whilst you’ll be able to find more information about the store on Apple’s dedicated retail webpage, we wanted to share a series of photos our friend Jack Amick took last Saturday and sent us. You can find them after the break. Also make sure to check out Jack’s Flickr photostream for some full-size shots, and a video.

Update: We’ve posted a full-size version of the photo showing Senior Director of International Retail Steve Cano at the Amsterdam Apple Store.

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Apple Reveals The 25 Billionth App Downloaded & Winner Of $10,000 iTunes Gift Card

Apple has just issued a press release noting that the App Store hit 25 billion downloads (on Saturday) with the 25 billionth app downloaded being Where’s My Water? Free. The app was downloaded by Chunli Fu of Qingdao, China - that lucky person has won a $10,000 iTunes gift card for being the person who downloaded the 25 billionth app.

“We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.”

View the full press release here or below the break. Be sure to also read our run-down of the apps that Apple have featured in the new “all-time top” section and the trends they show.

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