Here’s 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! Read more
#MacStoriesDeals - Wednesday
Security Cam for iPhone Keeps An Eye On Your Stuff, With Motion Detection
Now this is an interesting app I’ve recently discovered in the App Store. Months ago, I began thinking about setting up a homemade wireless security system in my house; I saw that the system could be easily put in place with a couple of hundred dollars, and I was getting serious about purchasing all I needed to get it up and running. As usual with my personal projects I dream about and save in my “someday” list, it didn’t happen. Work got in the way, priorities changed, I didn’t set up a home security system. As my to-do list suggests, I may actually do it “someday”.
Home security and monitoring, anyway, is a personal requirement (and hobby, I guess, or obsession) that can change according to one’s needs, workplace and items to protect from unwanted eyes and hands. This is why I think Security Cam, a $0.99 app for iPhone, may be just what the average user is looking for. Read more
Old Macintosh Plus Becomes Time Machine Server
Oh, the things modders and geeks can accomplish with old Apple hardware and a bit of creativity. We saw and old Macintosh computer becoming a DJ headset last week, now it’s time for a 1986 Macintosh Plus to have its inner parts modified and adjusted to work as a Time Machine server.
Macenstein reader Dean Gray took a Macintosh Plus and filled the innards with 6 hard drives to get to 2.3 TB of storage. He put an Intel Atom motherboard in there, together with a 10.4” display and he says WiFi connection is coming soon as well. The unit is now acting as a Time Machine backup destination, similar to an Apple Time Capsule or a Drobo configured on OS X. Only it’s all happening inside a Macintosh Plus.
We can’t get enough of these cool mods. In 20 years, it will be nice to see the original iPad or a unibody MacBook become modders’ targets.
Next Generation iPad May Have Proximity Sensor
The next generation iPad may gain additional superpowers as it automatically powers on when you lift your case’s cover.
A new string spotted in iOS 4.3 reveals that Apple may be sweating the small stuff to perfect the user experience in the latest update: one particular item notes that the future iPad may have the capability to turn its screen on and off when a cover is removed and applied. The assumption is that you’ll want to open Apple’s case to access the iPad, so why not turn it and on and off for you without having to hit the power button? The Brazilian iPhone Blog notes that this feature would be accessible via the Settings app, where it can be enabled and disabled per your preference. The current iPad does have an ambient light sensor, but the proximity sensor would further refine its environmental awareness in respect to accessories.
[via iPhone Blog]
DesignScene: An Inspiration Browser For Graphic Designers
It’s hard not to be inspired from others in the community who started with virtually no experience, and end up building really great utilities for the iPad. Roger Wong and his code partner David Wheeler took arms in 2010 to build an iPad app worthy of being featured as an “App of the Week” on the App Store. The year long development process from HTML junkie to a decorated iPad developer has ended with the fruition of DesignScene, the graphic designer’s browser for finding inspiration on the social web. Some would believe this is a new clone of Flipboard, but I’ll be quick to dismiss that having read Roger’s motivational backstory. Hard work pays off, and again I’m reminded of Mike Rundle’s “be curious” recommendation to success.
DesignScene is very cool, and I’ve been personally looking for something that was purely focused on art and discovering new content. Featuring over thirty sites, DesignScene pulls in regularly updated feeds to provide you with the freshest content from around the web.
iPhone Case and Solar Charger Doubles Battery Life
We’re big fans of solar charging technologies here at MacStories: we got excited when Apple patents detailing screen-integrated solar charging surfaced last year, and we couldn’t help but be intrigued by the foldable solar charger for iPad. And even when someone tried to apply the same concept to the iPhone with an awkwardly huge accessory, we were curious.
The Eton Mobius iPhone battery pack is another take on the integrated solar charger for iPhone that looks better than anything else we have seen so far. It doubles your device’s battery life, it gives you 20 minutes of talk per sun hour and, most of all, doesn’t look that bad as an iPhone case. Sure it adds 20mm of thickness to the iPhone, but it sounds like a fairly acceptable compromise when it comes to keeping your phone alive, in the sun.
Too bad it’s always raining these days in my town. [Gizmodo via Geeky Gadgets]
New Guardian iPhone App Launches, Introduces Subscription Model
Early in December, rumors pointed to The Guardian about to launch an updated version of its iPhone app that was set to feature a new iTunes subscription model which could grant readers access to the app for either 6 or 12 months. The story was interesting because it was the same week blogs speculated Apple may unveil iOS 4.3 with the new rumored “iTunes app subscription” feature very soon.
The updated Guardian app is now live in the App Store and it comes with the previously reported £2.99 / £3.99 price point (for six and twelve month access, respectively), but it doesn’t seem to be using any of Apple’s upcoming subscription system. Rather, the Guardian publishers and developers have implemented standard in-app purchases to allow readers to enjoy the digital newspapers for a limited period of time. The app is a free to download with subscriptions for UK readers, but it’s ad-supported in the US. According to The Guardian, US readers account to only 8% of the downloads.
As explained by the team in an introductory blog post, users who downloaded the first version of the app will have free access for another six months.
The Guardian for iPhone is available here. Check out what’s new in this version below. Read more
The AppSumo Do Work Bundle Giveaway
Productivity shouldn’t have to be so hard ya know? Twitter for Mac is the desktop wasteland for lost productivity, iTunes is eating away at my soul thanks to those dozen or so unplayed podcasts, and those sticky notes cluttering the desktop aren’t exactly great for organizing meaningful information. What if we threw out all the distractions, handed you a proper notepad, and even backed up all those juicy documents you’re now furiously creating with the power of the cloud? AppSumo clearly has a thing for picking out all the right apps for the job, and we’re giving away five bundles just in case reading MacStories isn’t productive enough.
MegaReader Update Redefines What Multitasking Is
For those completely obsessed iPhone users who literally cannot take their eyes off the phone there is a new app made for you; MegaReader. In it’s latest update (version 2.1) it’s developers have added a feature that allows you to experience real life multitasking by reading and walking at the same time so that you never have to take your eyes off your iPhone again!
All it does is overlay the text on a live video feed of what’s in front of the phone and is similar to the Samsung Galaxy app that allows you to text and walk and the iPhone app Email ‘n Walk, which as the name suggests overlays an email client over the live video feed!
Click through to see MegaReader’s developers demonstrate the new feature to its full potential!