Right after Apple announced the new iPod Nanos in September with their new form factor, some people immediately started wondering whether someone had in mind to ship some kind of watch band for them. The new Nanos looked perfect for a watch. When the first silicone bands came out, though, it turned out the iPod didn’t look that great as a watch. A friend of mine bought a similar band, a leather one, and things got slightly better.
The New iPod Nano Watches
Calvetica, The Minimal App That Reinvented Calendars On My iPhone
In my quest to searching for the perfect Google Calendar setup on iOS and OS X, I’ve already stopped by the gates of miCal, a full-featured calendar software for iPhone that could use some UI refinements, but allows you to swipe between lots of calendar views in seconds. miCal isn’t exactly elegant or “great-looking”, but it gets the job done.
When I first asked on Twitter which was the “app to have” when it comes to calendars, practically everyone replied with one word: Calvetica. What’s the deal about Calvetica? I had heard about it before I went asking on Twitter for calendar app suggestions, but I had never really focused on exploring its functionalities – nor did I bother to download it for that matter. So when I got all those recommendations (even from people I deeply respect and admire such as Dave) I realized it was time to try the Helvetica-based calendar thing.
A week later, I’m completely addicted to the features and interface schemes offered by Calvetica. Do we already have a winner here? Read on past the break to find out. Read more
Which iPad Should I Get?→
Which iPad Should I Get?
As an iPad owner, general Apple-advocate and tech geek, I’ve been getting asked this question every few weeks since the iPad came out. The frequency is accelerating with the holidays drawing near, so I’m going to reproduce some of the analysis here that I’ve been sharing via email with friends and family.
Really good points in there. If you’re looking to buy an iPad this holiday season and you’re still on the edge for that 3G unit that cost a little more, but you happen you have a jailbroken iPhone – I can’t recommend MyWi enough. I basically have a 3G iPad thanks to that Cydia app.
Sprint To Launch ZTE Peel 3G Case for iPod Touch On November 14th?
Boy Genius Report claims it has obtained information from a reliable source that Sprint is looking to launch the ZTE Peel, a case for the iPod Touch that turns the device into a 3G-capable unit, on November 14th. BGR also claims 29 bucks per month will grant you 1GB of data:
We don’t have any details on how much the actual device will sell for, but we do know Sprint plans on charging $29.99 per month for 1GB of data usage with no contract.
The ZTE Peel, approved by the FCC earlier this year, is basically a mobile hotspot that brings mobile cellular data to the iPod Touch, otherwise capable of working on Wifi-only.
iPads Become Light Source for Professional Photoshoot
We’ve heard a lot of stories about the iPad being used in many original and innovative ways. So many of them, actually, that it’s not easy to remember all the photos, videos and stories detailing the iPad as a revolutionary device used for something else than it was originally meant to – a portable computer.
Today we take the iPad-related stories a step further with this video where photographer and filmmaker Jesse Rosten (hey, he’s the same guy behind iPad + Velcro, the video that even got featured by Apple) used an array of 9 iPads as a light source for a model photoshoot. With a light background at full brightness, the iPads managed to generate enough light to let Jesse shoot the great pictures you can see in the video below. Read more
OmniFocus AppleScripts To Clear & Assign Due Dates→
OmniFocus AppleScripts To Clear & Assign Due Dates
Assigning and removing due dates to and from multiple actions in OmniFocus can be quite cumbersome. With these scripts, you’ll get it done in seconds. FastScripts is, of course, highly recommended. [via Shawn Blanc]
Is Realistic UI Design Realistic?→
Is Realistic UI Design Realistic?
When Apple introduced the iPad, along with it came a set of Human Interface Guidelines.
This idea is essentially doubling down on skeuomorphic realism — a derivative device containing features from an analog ancestor for purely aesthetic or emotional reasons.
But how good is that advice, generally? This is clearly a call for more than just the polished aesthetic details and refinements a designer takes pride in. This is about advancing literalist design styles and skeuomorphics on the grounds that it improves usability through a natural understanding of how an app works. Apple rightly resisted this temptation in many cases, but the Notes and Calendar apps are a different story. Apple combined analog design with modern UI patterns at the expense of affordance. My real life, analog paper doesn’t scroll. Are we now to expect its digital replication should?
A very few developers seem to understand that you don’t have to necessarily imitate real life objects to create a successful and enjoyable application. [via Beautiful Pixels]
iTunes Movies Now Available in Italy and Switzerland, We Want An Apple TV Now
Good news, fellow Italian and Swiss MacStories readers: we haz iTunes Movies. Earlier today Apple indeed silently launched the new iTunes section in both countries, you too can check it out by following this link. Both normal purchases and rentals are available.
We say “silently” because no press release went out nor did Apple put any banners and / or links in the iTunes Store homepage to promote the new Movies (or, in Italian, “Film”) – it’s pretty much a hidden section with a rather straightforward interface. Read more
MacStories Weekly Game: Time Geeks
Time Geeks is a classic seek and find game like the ones we used to play in the 80s and early 90s. Those games where you’re given something to find, and the level isn’t completed until you find it. Simple rules. Simple gameplay. So how do you reinvent the genre today, with an App Store overloaded with 3D FPS and zombies games? By making it fun, geek, great-looking and cheap.
At $0.99 in the App Store, I’m not afraid to say Time Geeks is my new favorite game on the iPhone. Read more