Why do PDFs on the iPad have to be so formal? Often times we find our selves swiping stiff pages of a manual or some other instructional text only to find ourselves bored with the lack of any real depth. Magnifying glasses, page locks, and even that overwhelming panel of font settings can sometimes be completely unnecessary for simply enjoying the content you’ve uploaded to your device. Folio Case for the iPad brings PDFs back to basics with a bare bones interface designed for familiarity and simplicity. Turn pages - don’t slide them! And download PDFs you find online thanks to Folio’s built in capture tool. Currently on sale for $2.99, it makes a perfect companion to Apple’s iBooks and an excellent reader for all of the online documentation you’re likely to amass this Christmas. But if those last pennies were spent on coffee and not apps, we have you covered.
Well Things Just Got Interesting→
Well Things Just Got Interesting
A recent update to the popular MobileRSS application was inappropriate. It appeared to be an almost identical one-to-one clone of another application: Reeder.
Inspiration and imitation are a natural part of competition, especially in a market as tight as news readers. But in this case, I personally felt that MobileRSS went too far. As a solo developer, I rely on app sales to support myself. A lot of other iOS developers do the same, including Reeder. We simply don’t do things like this to each other.
As a result, I have decided to disable MobileRSS’s API key for the time being. This is not an app that I would like ReadItLater to be a part of in its current form.
Nate Weiner of Read It Later condemns MobileRSS because they’ve blatanently ripped off Reeder’s unique user interface, but at the same time offers his apologies to his customers who use MobileRSS as their utility of choice. While he regrets disabling a major function of MobileRSS, Nate honorably offers to offset the cost of this inconvenience if his customers feel their service has been disrupted. It’s a shame that a developer in our own community has had to take such a stance thanks to the actions of another, but good on Read It Later for stepping up and simply saying, “No.”
Update:
After speaking with a number of other developers, including Silvio from Reeder, I’ve decided that the best thing to do is re-enable MobileRSS’s API key. The developers who made MobileRSS have a number of other apps with Read it Later support (on Twitter, iPhone and iPad). I’ve discovered that all of these apps use the same API key so disabling it unfairly affects an enormous number of innocent Read It Later users using the developer’s other apps.
While the intentions were good morally, business is business. Ultimately I agree that it’s up to the end user to decide whether or not to support an application that has unfairly (and blatantly) copied the user interface of a competitor, though I applaud Read It Later for bringing awareness to the situation. I find it interesting that Silvio Rizzi of Reeder understood the financial implications and felt that such a damaging proposition was unfair. Undoubtedly the developers of MobileRSS have enough to deal with considering this afternoon’s lash out against the company.
TinyGrab 2.0 Hitting The App Store Now
Watch out TinyGrab users - the second iteration of this fantastic image sharing application is going live in the App Store as we speak. From the mouth of the @TinyGrab team themselves on Twitter, keep an eye out for updates including iOS 4.0 compatibility, the ability to share grabs on social networks like Facebook & Twitter, and a recent lists updates that fetches your history from your account instead of the handset. I love TinyGrab because it’s so useful for sharing screenshots, and it’s only a dollar if you’re a member but don’t yet have the mobile version. For only a dollar in the App Store, it’s a free update for previous owners and a must have tool for those without.
DisplayPad Turns Your iPad Into A Touch Friendly Second Monitor
As a compliment to your MacBook, your iPad often becomes the getaway for reading, playing games, and couch surfing the Internet. Though we readily find uses for the iPad such as turning it into a giant trackpad for controlling a Mac Mini underneath your TV or for remotely controlling Dropbox shares, one use we occasionally struggle with is utilizing our iPad as a second monitor when the extra screen real-estate is necessary for getting work done. DisplayPad by Clean Cut Code is one of many apps that turns your iPad into a remote monitor, perfect for extending your desktop like we do when covering Apple events.
Squarespace Introduces Their Official iPad App: Why Can’t All Blogging Tools Be This Awesome?
Squarespace is a phenomenal blogging platform that allows customers to easily build their own websites, check statistics, moderate comments, and enjoy the freedoms of mobile blogging on both the iPhone and (now) the iPad. While many of us have struggled or implemented some wonky workflow to blog on the iPad, you may just want to ditch your Movable Type or WordPress blog for Squarespace simply because their iPad app is quite frankly amazing.
I’ve emailed blog posts before, but there’s nothing worse than the distraction of your inbox when writing blog posts. There’s also those Simplenote or Writer articles written in Markdown that eventually get converted to HTML on the Mac before being uploaded. I’ve also tried TextExpander for Markdown, but real time conversions are slow (especially if you have to edit on the iPad). Then we even have native blogging applications like WordPress that are honestly awful, though I supposed WordPress’ bare minimum iPad app is better than nothing. Squarespace did their blogging app right, because not only is it both beautiful and functional (all of your tools are available in a familiar interface), but you can blog in Markdown and Textile natively -> that’s the killer feature folks. You also get easy access to your web tools for moderating comments and checking page views, and I don’t feel like I’m hindered by what my tablet has to offer. Squarespace, you guys seriously rock.
If you have a Squarespace account, the iPad app is free to download. If you don’t have a Squarespace account, you can still download the app, though you’ll need to create a free trial to try it out (and we recommend watching the video above to see what Squarespace is all about).
Simulate Long Exposures With Magic Shutter
As the iPhone becomes just about everyone’s photographic tool of choice, developers keep inventing new ways to utilize our pocket devices in the same ways we would our DSLRs. Magic Shutter continues the trend of simply beautiful iPhone apps by simulating long exposures. Ever wanted to dabble with light photography or take one of those common but still cool blurry freeway pics? Magic Shutter allows you to blur images to achieve neat effects (suddenly that 10mph vehicle looks very fast) thanks to Flash mode and Light-painting mode. You already have an idea of the latter, but Flash mode takes a still object and records video post or pre-tail, ensuring you’ll get nifty effects for roller-coaster shots or your next NASCAR outtakes. Magic Shutter is $3 from the iTunes App Store, and makes a perfect gift for the photography buff in your family.
[Magic Shutter via Wired]
BusyToDo Syncs Tasks Through iCal & MobileMe
If you happen to live buried in a desktop calendar like BusyCal, assumedly it’s become your central hub for tracking the waterfall of meetings and seemingly endless to-do’s that direct your daily actions. Being mobile, we hate being tethered to our desktops or using clunky software on our phones when tasks could be simplified: BusyToDo from BusyMac free’s iCal’s To Do list and keeps your personal agenda synced across the cloud with MobileMe. Push notifications may remind you via any alarms you’ve set, and BusyToDo will update in the background as you move to other applications on your iPhone. Whether it’s checking off URLs, adding new items for next week’s agenda, or simply looking for the perfect mobile companion for BusyCal, BusyToDo is a brand new release that’s launched for $5 on the iTunes App Store.
TomTom Updated To Include Map Share: Don’t Get Lost Again
You’re casually driving in your pink tank when your TomTom alerts you with a Map Share update. “Warning! Landmines ahead!” Thank god for your iPhone, because you’ve just potentially avoided both disaster and what would eventually end up being the day’s longest traffic jam. With TomTom’s latest update, you can avoid this and other manmade disasters thanks to other drives like you who just want to get to work without being bothered by road construction, falling bridges, or meteor showers. TomTom figures they can’t possibly update the entire landmass of the United States everyday, so you have the opportunity to trust your fellow drivers to update the map and point you in the right direction. If we’re cynical, we might just direct you into a gigantic lake for lols all around, but hopefully those that paid the premium for satellite driven directions won’t be spreading any sort of misinformation. With new roads being added each day, visiting that town in Pennsylvania won’t leave you dazed and confused.
On sale for $40.00, everything from traffic jams to instant route changes can be delivered to your iPhone for the comfort of knowing you can drive safely.
Textie Hits 1.1, Now For Both iPhone & iPad
One my favorite text messaging solutions on the iPod touch is Textie, and it’s just hit version 1.1. Bringing a myriad of customization features such as custom chat bubbles and font sizes, photo previews, and the ability to see which of your friends have Textie, free text messaging is getting a much needed facelift. Not on a phone? Textie now allows you to initialize Facetime, perfect for folks like me who opt for the free-model of an iPod touch communication device. It really is an excellent companion for the Facetime icon on your homescreen, and you can download the latest version in the iTunes app store right now.