Apple’s Subtle Changes to the App Store Navigation

As you may have noticed in these past two days, Apple has batch approved a lot of (iPad) applications and put them directly into the App Store without giving a clue about iPhone / iPod / iPad organization. If you consider that there are more than 150.000 iPhone apps and already more than 1.500 iPad apps, you can realize how organization is indeed what Apple should focus on at this moment.

There’s no easy way to navigate the App Store right now; categories don’t divide iPhone apps from iPad apps. Universal apps have a simple button at the end of the page which lets you see iPhone and iPad screenshots. I bet many people are seriously frustrated about the lack of a good interface to browse the iPad App Store, or the iPhone App Store.

Apple has actually launched some minor modifications, and I took some screenshots to show you. Check them out after the break.

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Making Of: Evernote for iPad

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“One major design principle of our iPad interface is to get you to your notes fast. The new layout and interactions dramatically reduce the amount of navigating and searching you have to do. The idea is that it should be easy and pleasant to just get to any note you want in a very tactile way. We want you to have the feeling of running your fingers directly through your memories. It’s hard to describe but easy to experience. Of course, you can still search.”

One of the best looking iPad apps yet.

First iPad Teardown Reveals Two Battery Cells

As always, iFixit has started taking apart a new Apple product and of course, it’s the iPad turn today. You can see all the photo gallery here (you may have an heart attack) but what’s most interesting is what they noticed about the battery:

“Confirming our suspicions from yesterday, the battery integrates two separate 3.75V lithium polymer cells wired in parallel for such ample battery life.”

Two lithium cells, for more than 10 hours of battery life. Great job, Apple.

So It Begins: Apple Removes Dashboard-like Application from the App Store

It’s happening again. Remember when Apple used to approve an application into the App Store, leave it for some time there, then remove it without apparent reason? That’s what happened  to Desktop, a new application for the iPad which was previously approved and running into the iPad App Store.

What’s interesting is that Desktop is an application that mimics the functions of Mac OS’ Dashboard, bringing tiny windows and fake widgets on the iPad screen to simulate the “multitasking effect”. We’ve also heard that Apple might have removed multiple dashboard-like apps, but we’re still waiting for the mails from the developers to confirm so.

Could this be the beginning of another “Apple insanely remove apps” era? We’ll se. By now, be sure to not develop a Dashboard-like app.

ReadMore, The Reading Log for Everyone

With the induction of the iPad on Saturday, the flood gates will certainly open to a whole new generation of book worms and novelists looking at uncharted, digital territory. I get the feeling that reading books and popular stories, rather than quick text content such as status messages and RSS content, will quickly become more popular among teens and young adults. And with all the new content being devoured, some of us data nuts are gonna wanna be-able-ta track our reading stats. Well there’s an iPhone and iPod Touch app for that (at least until you’ve run out of books to read smarty pants). Read more

Michael Arrington’s Unauthorized iPad Review

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“And the iPad beats even my most optimistic expectations. This is a new category of device. But it also will replace laptops for many people. It does basic computer stuff, like email and web surfing, very well. Applications load quickly and are very responsive – think iPhone 3GS with a 50% speed boost.

That’s what surprised me the most. The iPad isn’t just for couch computing when you want to look something up on Wikipedia or send a quick email. It’s a perfectly usable business device. And the form factor just happens to work far better for cramped places like airplanes than a normal laptop. I doubt I’ll ever open a laptop on a plan again after tomorrow.”

And there you have it.

On a side note, please hope our beloved editor Cody Fink finds an iPad in Charlotte next week. You know, I’d like to change my computing life.