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2 iPad mini cases for a similar price

Some people may say it is silly to look for new iPad mini cases when a new version is expected in the next few months. However, you have to remember that most people who own the current version will not bother owning one, or if they do, they might wait a few months after the…

2 iPad mini cases for a similar price

This means there are still those of you out there looking to get new iPad mini cases, and we thought we would give a few details on a choice of 2 iPad mini cases, which we think you might like, and both for a similar price.

First up we have the iPad Mini Softgrip Case, which has been designed to help protect your small Apple tablet, as well as feeling comfortable to hold at the same time. This is all thanks to the 2-inch strap built to the rear of the case, as you can just strap your hand to it and make it feel as though it is an extension of the palm of your hand.

2 iPad mini cases for a similar price 2

The strap is attached to a device that allows the case to be swiveled 360 degrees, and can be locked into place in landscape or portrait. However, if you do not feel like using this then you can detach it from the rear of the case.

As for the case itself, this is made from Polycarbonate, which is tough enough to protect your iPad mini from bumps and scraps, but nothing too major, such as a drop from a height. The price for this case was $34.95, but as of writing this, the website is selling it for just $27.95.

Next up we have the Avantree KB-Mini, which is an iPad mini case made from PU leather, and also doubles as a keyboard. This means that you can use the case to protect your small Apple tablet, and then get productive when you need to make use of the built-in keyboard.

You will connect to the keyboard via Bluetooth, although if you do not need to use this accessory most of the time then it can be detached from the case. There’s also a built-in stand, which is a must when it comes to doing some typing. The price for this case is $39.99, and can be purchased here.

If you are not happy with these 2 iPad mini cases, then maybe you should consider some of these instead.

Chromecast vs Airplay, and the winner is!

The new device everyone is calling groundbreaking is Google Chromecast, but how will this fair against Airplay using Apple TV! Lets take a quick look at the Chromecast vs Airplay – the winner is! The Google Chromecast dongle is priced at just $35 and plugs into HDTV’s HDMI port, which allows Android device users to…

Chromecast vs Airplay, and the winner is!

The new device everyone is calling groundbreaking is Google Chromecast, but how will this fair against Airplay using Apple TV! Lets take a quick look at the Chromecast vs Airplay – the winner is!

The Google Chromecast dongle is priced at just $35 and plugs into HDTV’s HDMI port, which allows Android device users to stream content to the big screen. Some say that Chromecast is the Apple TV ($99) killer with a few saying you cannot compare these devices because they are different; but we say you can compare them because they both allow users to stream content.

Both devices need an HDMI port on a TV; both use WiFi connections to stream content from smartphones and tablets, however you can use Internet cable on the Apple TV rather than using WiFi. Apple TV features mirroring, which means whatever you see on your iOS device you can see on your TV, Google Chromecast for Android does not have this feature. To stream content to the big screen you need three devices, you need 1 x Apple TV, 1 x HDMI TV and 1 x iOS smart device, or you need the 1 x Chromecast dongle, 1 x HDMI TV and 1 x Android device.

Chromecast has its own male HDMI plug built-in, and as we know you need to use a HDMI cable from the Apple TV to the HD TV. We just wanted to keep this brief and not get into an in-depth comparison, The Verge has a great in-depth comparison and it is well worth taking a look.

Where the Chromecast will win hands down is when Google talks to TV manufactures so they can have built-in Chromecast into TV’s. The odds of a TV with Apple TV are slim at the moment but we know Google has the power to succeed in this department.

Can you just imagine having a big Chromecast Google TV? The Apple TV does come with many more features than Chromecast, so we would have to say the Apple TV and AirPlay is better at the moment just because of the extra features. It is true what The Verge says “On paper, AirPlay still has the crown simply because it’s been around so long and it’s so well-supported, but Chromecast has a ton of promise.”

Google debuts new Zagat app for Android and iOS, redesigned website

Sure, Mountain View slowly infused Maps with Zagat content after acquiring the brand, but now it’s revamped the outfit’s mobile apps on Android and iOS, along with its website, to boot. As you’d expect, users can wield the apps and website to find venues with searches and map-based browsing, and catch up on news and videos from the service’s editors. In this fresh incarnation, Google’s lifted a registration requirement that was previously necessary to peruse reviews online. Schmidt and Co.’s redesigned experience only covers restaurants and nightlife in nine cities, but will include hotels, shopping and other points of interest in a total of 50 US cities over the coming months. In the meantime, Zagat promises its existing ratings and reviews for spots in those markets will soon be available on the web. Hit the bordering source links below to grab the reimagined applications.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

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Source: Google, Google Play, iTunes

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

Comments

Source: Google, Google Play, iTunes

iPhone 5S, 6 promise from quarterly sales

There is a huge amount of interest in upcoming Apple iPhones, with the iPhone 5S widely expected to launch in September and an iPhone 6 set for 2014. We’ve been keeping readers informed with leaks and speculation about the next iPhones, but of course nothing has been officially announced yet about either device. One thing…

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It’s easy to assume that any future iPhone will be a big hit, as Apple generates a large amount of brand loyalty, and previous iterations of the iPhone have all been hits. Therefore we can say without too much prevarication that the iPhone 5S and 6 are assured a decent amount of sales. However, it seems to be the case that demand for the iPhone is growing, as shown by the latest estimates for the June quarter.

Analysts’ estimates for last quarter iPhone sales range from 23 million to 32 million, with a median of 27 million units. Although it has been reported that there seems to be a slowdown of high-end smartphone sales globally, the verdict from 45 Apple analysts bucks this idea, with the consensus suggesting that iPhone sales still grew in the June quarter.

Fortune reports on the findings of 28 professional analysts and 17 amateurs for fiscal Q3 this year, and the resulting estimate of 27.15 million iPhones sales indicates a rise of 4.3% over the same time last year when sales were 26.03 million. Although this indicates a much slower growth than in previous years, it does still show growth.

This growth becomes even more notable when taking into account that the most recent iPhone, the iPhone 5, is already 9 months old, while the iPhone 4S is 21 months old and the iPhone 4 is 36 months old. On July 23 Apple will report on fiscal Q3 2013 earnings and we’ll know just how accurate these estimates are.

These figures certainly suggest very encouraging potential for sales of the iPhone 5S and 6, and although other makers may be seeing a slowdown in sales, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Apple going on these latest estimates. We recently told about Google’s huge promotional budget for the Moto X in a bid to rival the iPhone 5S, and it will be interesting to see exactly what happens over the next few months for all smartphone sales.

Before we wrap up we’ll give you some of the expectations for the iPhone 5S, but remember none of this is official just yet. Just of a few of the leaks and rumors suggest an upgraded processor, a 13-megapixel camera, possibly with slow-motion video capture, more storage options, and a fingerprint sensor, and it’s likely to be running iOS 7 out of the box.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on the latest analysts’ estimates regarding current iPhone sales, and how they appear to indicate that Apple is still achieving growth? Are you waiting for the launch of the iPhone 5S? Why not send us your comments with your views.

Source: Fortune

iMessage not working, still down for some users

Apple’s iMessage service is experiencing problems today, and although Apple has acknowledged the messaging service was not working for a short time, it seems that for plenty of users iMessage is still down. We’d really like to hear from readers who use iMessage for their iOS devices, to get some idea of just how widespread…

Problems with the iMessage service for iOS and Mac users seem to happen fairly frequently, and the service is so popular with users that there is usually quite an outcry when it goes down. On Apple’s own System Status page it was noted that iMessage was out of action for just over half an hour today.

Interestingly, Apple first noted that around 30% of iMessage users had been affected, as shown by 9to5Mac. However the status page message was later updated to simply say, “some users were affected” by the outage. Unsurprisingly these kinds of problems inevitably lead to questions being asked about Apple’s seeming inability to cope with the demands made by the service.

More interestingly still, it seems from taking a quick look at Twitter, that there are plenty of people who are saying they are still affected by the outage and that the iMessage app is still not working for them. Understandably this is causing a certain amount of frustration. We just checked iMessage and it’s working for us, but it may be different for you?

We’d really like to hear from our readers about this, as it would be interesting to see if this is still a widespread issue, or whether the problem seems to be confined. Is iMessage working for you? Let us know with your comments.

Apple files for iWatch trademark in Japan, Russia & Mexico

Bloomberg reports that Apple is aiming to trademark the name iWatch. The company filed for a patent at the Japanese Patent Office on 3rd June. It has long been rumored that the Cupertino based company is all set to enter the wearables market with a smart watch. It is believed that the company has about 100 designers working on its latest product. Tavis McCourt, an analyst at Raymond James & Associates Inc. has upgraded Apple’s shares to a buy with a $600 target price. To compete with Apple’s upcoming device, Samsung is known to be working on its own smart watch. Sony too has announced its second generation SmartWatch that runs Android. The wearable could work in tandem with Apple’s iPhone and iPad to offer notifications and voice based navigation through Siri.
In addition to Japan, the company has also filed for trademarks in Russia and Mexico.The person who submitted the request on behalf Apple in Mexico is named Maria Teresa Eljure Tellez and this name can also be seen on trademark filings for other Apple products. Apple is expected to introduce a new iPad and iPhone later this year and this latest round of activity by the company means that we might …

iPhone 5S imagined with camera specs upgrade

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There has been a lot of speculation surrounding an iPhone 5S release date, and we’ve always felt that it will arrive in fall. It looks likely to be a minor upgrade with a major rethink for the iPhone 6 in 2014. We’ve been passing on rumors, leaks and insight about the iPhone 5S, but of course until Apple chooses to confirm the device, much of this is speculation. In the meantime we thought we’d show you the iPhone 5S newly imagined with iOS 7 and a camera specs upgrade, and we also have a video illustrating this.

Of course this is not the official Apple iPhone 5S, but it does give an intriguing look at what could be offered on the next iPhone. Occasionally we like to share notable concept ideas for smartphones and ask your opinions as to whether the design is something you’d like to see for the real deal. This latest iPhone 5S creation comes from designer Arthur Reis and the YouTube video was put together by Ran Avni.

Among the rumored specs and features we’ve heard about for the real iPhone 5S are a larger display, more color options and an improved camera set-up, and this latest iPhone 5S concept reflects many of the more likely possibilities. Dubbed as the ‘All New’ iPhone this design features a larger screen with improved resistance to scratching, thinner borders, and a new ring/silent button. Although the display is larger the form factor manages to be 5% thinner and it is reduced in height from the current iPhone 5.

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It’s also envisioned in three different color choices, white and silver, black and silver or black and slate. Where this concept really gets interesting is the inclusion of a 12.1-megapixel iSight Pro rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, as well as a 5-megapixel full HD iSight front-facing camera. If you check out the video taster that we’ve embedded below this story you can see this concept from all angles. You may also like to check out a notable iPhone 6 concept that we shared earlier today.

We were pretty impressed by this stylish iPhone 5S concept, but we’d like to know what you think, so why not check out the video below and send us your comments. Do you find this iPhone 5S design attractive? Is their any aspect in particular of this iPhone 5S and its specs and features that you find particularly appealing?

Father’s Day Kids Activity apps for iPhone and iPad

This Sunday June 16 is Father’s Day in the UK, US and some other countries across the world. It’s often a day when families get together, and then you may well need some kids activities to keep them amused and busy. With this in mind we thought we’d round up some of the top Father’s…

Father’s Day is a very special day for Dads, as it gives kids the opportunity to show how much they love and appreciate them. We’ve previously rounded up some of the Best Father’s Day apps with quotes, poems, greetings cards and more, so if you want these sorts of apps check it out at the link above. In this collection though, we’re concentrating on apps for the kids. If you want more info or to download any of these apps, simply click on the title links for each to be taken straight to the App Store.

The first app we have for you is Kids Fingerpainting – Father’s Day HD at iTunes. This one is obviously a free app and it’s compatible for the iPhone, iPod touch or iPod running iOS 4.3 or later and optimized for iPhone 5. This is a great way for kids to show their Dad’s some affection and they can color pictures and then add a frame and their own message or autograph. There are various coloring pages to choose from with 10 pre-set colors, a customizable color palate, color shading, variable brush sizes, and custom frames, and then they can save their work to a Photo Library.

Our next activity app for Father’s Day is Color and Play on Father’s Day HD. Again this is a free app but this one is for iPads only, running iOS 3.2 or later. Key features include a selection of original coloring pages, frames, sound effects and the ability to add an autograph. In fact many of the features are similar to the previous app. However, after the kids have finished their masterpieces they can then have them scrambled up to create a puzzle game, combining creativity and logic in one app.

Moving on we come to Paint and Play – Father’s Day. This is another free app and it’s compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running 4.3 or later, and it has been optimized for iPhone 5. This has 25 illustrations to color and the app also features interactive sounds and colors. There are 8 preset colors and a near infinite color palate, and you can use a camera to capture a pic to draw on or select a picture from the photo library. The app also has a spider puzzle game as well as a matching game, and the kids can save, email, or post the picture on Facebook.

This one is a neat idea to keep kids and their Dad’s amused as it’s a game that both can play. The Father’s Day Game: Fishing with my dad for iPhone app is priced at $4.99 /£2.99 and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 3.0 or later. This would be particularly good for Dads who enjoy fishing and the game involves catching fish for coins, which they can then trade in for more lures, bonus fish and point modifiers. Will Dad or the kids do best?

The next suggestion is not specifically for Father’s Day but is a great app for family occasions. It’s Fun for Kids: Activities For Your Family and this app is priced at $0.99 /£0.69. It’s compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 3.1.3 or later and offers more than 200 fun activities including crafts, games and entertainment. This app also features integration with Facebook, Twitter and Email.

The very last app we have for you to consider is a little different and a great way to start Father’s Day. This is A Father’s Day Alarm Clock – wake to a photo and message from your kids! The title of this makes it fairly self-explanatory, and this is a unique alarm clock app that enables you to upload photos of the kids. They can also record their own personalized alarm to wake up Dad, and there are features such as a choice of alarm sounds and a white noise sound machine. It’s a really neat idea, and we’re sure most Dads would appreciate it (although not if they want a lie in)! This app is priced at $0.99 /£0.69 and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd, 4th and 5th generation), and iPad running iOS 6.0 or later, and it has been optimized for iPhone 5.

This concludes our roundup of Father’s Day kids activity apps for iPhone and iPad, and we hope that among these suggestions you find just the one that you are looking for. If you have any other great Father’s Day apps that you wish to recommend from the App Store, why not let us know by sending your comments to us.

Official iOS 7 AirDrop vs Samsung S Beam

You could call this a case of innovation wars between two giant names aka Apple and Samsung, and we can see Android and iOS fans not agreeing. After watch WWDC 2013 live Craig Federighi took the stage and whilst doing his talk he sort of let slip a slight hint towards Samsung by saying “No…

Official iOS 7 AirDrop vs Samsung S Beam

Apple announced its new iOS 7 AirDrop feature that will be releasing on the iPhone 5, 4th Gen iPad, iPad Mini, and the 5th generation iPod touch, some emails have already come in to Phones Review saying surely this is a iOS 7 AirDrop vs Samsung S Beam game.

The emails did not state they were iOS or Android users etc, so we cannot judge on any of this. But, we can say AirDrop is a great feature and no bumping of phones is needed unlike S Beam. We are not hear to slander AirDrop or S Beam, we want to provide you with the latest news about the new AirDrop feature that will be released in the fall with iOS 7, developers will get it today in the new beta test.

The iOS 7 AirDrop feature will work in the same way AirDrop on Mac works thanks to the same P2P abilities, AirDrop works without any network or set up requirements. If you want to send a file to someone or multiple people all you need to do is select that person/s and click the share button, all transfers are encrypted and works on either Bluetooth or WiFi.

AirDrop can be accessed via the new Control Center, which works when you swipe from the bottom of the screen upwards, which is the opposite way you would open notifications by sliding from the top of the screen downwards, we will talk a little more in another article about the Control Center.

Samsung S beam found on many Android devices works by touching phones, similar to the iOS Bump app but more efficient, we have used S Beam on many devices such as the Galaxy S4 and cannot fault it. But, we have to say AirDrop seems to be a little more refined and more practical, we will let you decide this one.

Matthew Miller via ZDNet talks a little about Samsung adding new features that are great in ads/commercials etc, but rarely get used after the initial trials, what he has to say is worth reading, maybe you would agree or disagree.

AirDrop vs S Beam: What one is more practical?

WWDC 2013 Apple banners depict new app icons

Only a few days to go until Monday June 10th and that is when we will be hot on the heels of the summer conference of the year. The WWDC 2013 banners are already being erected at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, and we see that these banners depict new app icons. The banners…

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The banners in our eyes prove that the major iOS redesign will be the main centre of attention, many photos are going up online and the one shown below is by Appleholic on Instagram, you can see many more over on 9to5Mac.

WWDC 2013 Apple banners depict new app icons

The image above depicts the new iOS 7 app icons and judging on these images it looks like the new flat design is now becoming a reality.

The photo below (Courtesy of MacStories) shows off the WWDC 2013 (MMXIII) banner has the tagline “Where a whole new world is developing”, seems interesting and hopefully so much so we will get to see new innovation from Apple.

Before anyone asks, there will not be any announcements of a new iPhone or iPad, it will concentrate on sales so far, how many downloads over a period of time from users and of course iOS 7.

We reported a few days ago that there will only be live blog streaming, this means there will be no live video coverage on the day, for more information about this please read our full article on this.

The official WWDC 2013 app is now live, so it seems Apple is starting to ramp up its awareness already, please make sure you are with Phones Review on Monday 10th because we will be covering everything related.