Ben David Walker, a student from the U.K., has designed a new banner notification system for the iPhone that cleverly uses some empty space in the current iOS.
As we reported yesterday, Apple is revamping the much-criticized pop-up notification system in iOS and is buying a third-party app developer for its technology.
The current notification system is a mess. It was designed in 2007 when users had the odd SMS message or alarm, but is useless for 2011 when users have multiple messages coming in from Twitter, Facebook, SMS, as well as alarms, reminders, voicemails and missed calls. There is nowhere in iOS to see them all in one location.
But there would be using Walker’s new system. Here’s how it would work.
UPDATE: I sent an email to App Remix’s CEO Jonathan George asking whether his company was going to be bought by Apple. His response? “No comment…” he said.
Apple is working on a new notification system for iOS and will be buying a small company to build its technology into the operating system, according to one of our sources.
Apple’s pop-up notification system for new text messages, voicemails and the like has often been criticized as one of the weakest parts of the iOS. Notifications are intrusive, modal and often cryptic. It’s a mess.
HP/Palm’s webOS banner notification system, on the other hand, has been widely praised for its utility and ease of use. And from this week’s preview, it looks to be getting better.
There were rumors last year that the iPhone’s notification system would be fixed after the chief architect of Palm’s system, Rich Dellinger, returned to work at Apple. However, the system still hasn’t been fixed, and according to our source, Apple is now trying to buy a small app developer to fix it.
Our source, who asked to remain anonymous, didn’t know the identity of the company, except it already has an iPhone app in the App Store.
One candidate is Boxcar, a free app from App Remix that enables push notifications for Twitter, Facebook, and email. Boxcar’s system has been highly praised, especially the new iPad version.
Other than that, we couldn’t find other obvious possibilities for the company Apple is buying. If anyone has a good idea, please leave it in the comments.
If you’re the kind of person who believes that “luxury Range Rover” should be an oxymoron, you’re probably not going to like the latest vehicle unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
Among the luxe touches that come standard with the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition are two iPads for the rear passenger seats.
This clearly isn’t designed for toting around the kiddies, what with the “superyacht-inspired teak loadspace floor,” “semi-aniline leather seating” and a rear console which features a machined aluminium laptop table and drinks chiller.
All of these tony touches, however, “suggest its suitability as a chauffeur vehicle.” Which is always good to know.
Range Rover did not yet release the sticker price for the model, which comes with a choice of LR-TDV8 or LR-V8 Supercharged engines.
Police are hoping shoppers will help identify a pair of women who snatched an iPad from a cart in a parking lot, put it in their car for safekeeping and returned to the store.
The scene of the crime was a Walmart parking lot in Blythewood, North Carolina. The victim was unloading her purchases into her car, with the iPad perched in the front basket, at 8:30 pm. She turned around and the magical device had disappeared.
Police believe a pair of women snagged it, put it in their own car, then went into the store. Video surveillance shows two heavy-set women dressed in black who don’t look to be in any hurry walking through the entrance with a cart.
It’s another instance that shows how the lightweight and portability of the iPad can sometimes work against owners who want to hold on to them. And a good reminder to install the Find My iPhone app.
The keyboard you see here is something called an Alphasmart Dana – a somewhat niche tech product, but one much loved by a small band of users (myself included). Some professional writers love it for its weeks-long battery life, instant-on, auto-save, and durable shell.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs used to talk a lot about changing the world. I don’t know about that, but he certainly has changed my clothes, and the “accessories” I carry.
I discovered a new brand of pants the other day at REI. They’re called Rebel from a company called Kuhl. Never mind that I’m too old to wear anything called “Rebel.” They’re awesome pants! A brilliant cross between jeans and karate pants, they’re comfortable as they are indestructible. I like them so much that I’m never buying jeans again, and will wear these pants all the time, unless someone makes me wear a suit.
What really sold me on Kuhl Rebels was their iPhone compatibility. No, I’m serious!
There’s a flurry of conflicting reports today on when the next iPad will debut – we have heard that the next iteration of the magical device will be unveiled in March or June at the WWDC.
Make your guess in the comments, along with the reason you think why Apple would choose that date.
Five correct answers, randomly chosen (though we admit some bias for the funny ones), will win promo codes for cool iPhone or iPad apps.
Landing in the iOS App Store tomorrow is Index Card v2 for iPad, a multi-touch version of the corkboard-and-index-cards system popular with screenwriters and others who need to arrange multiple ideas within a project.
Inspired by the Corkboard feature of Scrivener for Mac (the Scrivener people know), Index Card allows users to move cards around, label by color, and even write on the back of cards (the ‘flip’ arrow changes color if there’s something written on the back).
This latest version adds a trio of new features: Stacks, customizable label names, and the option to export notes with the rest of your project to RTF for Word or Final Draft.
Testing the app last week, I found it to be responsive and easy to use. It does exactly what it it promises.
That said, at least on the surface, Index Card is very much about the needs of screenwriters. Developer DenVog would do well to add options in its next release to make the app more appealing to general productivity users. More backgrounds than just cork and solid black would also be welcome.
I can’t say I use index cards in my daily life, but for those that do, Index Card should prove practical. The app already counts a couple of Emmy-nominated producers as users.
William N. Fordes, a Co-Executive Producer/Writer on Law & Order, tells me that he finds Index Card “superb” and “well thought out”.
“The ease with which the individual cards can be moved around is terrific, and makes rethinking the shuffle of scenes so much easier,” he says.
When the iPad was first unveiled, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson explained his company’s decision to offer a month-by-month, committment-free data plan for the tablet by saying that he saw the iPad as a “Wi-Fi driven product.” That prediction seems to be accurate: while Apple sold seven million iPads last quarter, AT&T only activated 442,000 3G accounts for it.
Never the less, the latest rumor suggests that Apple is planning on making a big push for 3G in the iPad 2, with a good sixty percent of the first production run devoted to manufacturing 3G models.
During last night’s Super Bowl Sunday, I was surrounded by a multitude of passionates for that noble game, fans who felt every impact of muscle and cartilage as gods collided upon the field. While friends around me pumped their firsts and said, with great authority, things like: “”Expect the Packers to try to tie a bow on this baby by running out the clock in the second half,” I nodded sagely and pretended to understand the game.
My secret, of course, is that I don’t. In fact, my understanding of professional football’s rules are almost entirely gleaned from this 1944 theatrical Goofy short that I watched on my iPhone on the car ride to my friend’s house for “the Big Game.”
One thing I do know, however, is the sanctity of the playbook: that secret tome of symbolic crosses and circles ascribed strategic meaning by arrows and squiggles. It’s always seemed to me that the average playbook would make a good app.
Ignorant as I may be of the way professional football is conducted, it looks like I’m not alone, as Dallas Cowboys technology director Pete Walsh has begun to push his team to start using iPads as their playbooks.
Motorola’s Super Bowl ad for its Xoom tablet — one of the first serious iPad contenders — is replete with Apple references: 1984, Lemmings, white earbuds. But where Apple’s TV ads for the iPad are practical and concrete, Motorola’s is cryptic and confused.
Reminds me of Palm’s weird, ethereal ads for the Pre, which bombed. It’s not good sign.
Plus, the device will reportedly cost $800 with a $20 per month data plan. There’s no WiFi-only model. From our hands-on at CES, the hardware looks OK, but we couldn’t test the software: Moto was showing an unfinished unit..
FaceTime is now available on most of Apple’s iOS devices, and through its OS X operating system for Mac, however, there is one device that’s still sat out in the cold. The incredibly popular iPad is still patiently awaiting FaceTime compatibility, but now, thanks to a hack, it’s possible to enjoy the feature on Apple’s first-generation tablet.
Courtesy of “Intell,” the hack uses a version of the FaceTime application created for the iPod touch, which has been optimized for the larger device and boasts a full-screen user interface.
Of course, you won’t currently get the full FaceTime experience on your iPad because of its lack of front-facing camera, but it’s certainly a start and a nice little taste of things to come. You will be able to see your FaceTime partner on your iPad, and they will be able to hear you.
You’ll need to be connected to Wi-Fi to enjoy FaceTime on your iPad, just like you currently do for other iOS devices.
If you’d like to try the hack yourself, check out the lengthy step-by-step guide copied, from Intell’s post on the iFans forum, after the break. Be warned, however, this process is noted to be risky.
If you try the hack out for yourself, let us know how it went.
Chronic Dev has released its Mac version of greenpois0n, a 1-click jailbreak solution (see why you should jailbreak here). However, it will NOT unlock the device, enabling it to be used with different GSM carriers worldwide.
It is pretty easy to use and worked perfectly with my iPhone 4. Besides the tool, there’s a ‘Loader’ application that gets automatically installed on the iPhone after jailbreak, which gives you option to install Cydia.
One of our favorite applications to make it in to the App Store this week is Google’s latest iPhone app, Google Shopper. By recognizing products by barcode, voice and text search, and even cover art, Google Shopper helps you find the information you need on millions of products, including online prices, reviews, specifications, and more.
Also to feature in this week’s list of must-haves is The Daily, the first digital news publication created exclusively for the iPad. The long-awaited publication boasts original content every single day, covering breaking news, sports, pop culture, entertainment, apps, games, technology, and lots more.
PaperHelperfor the iPad also makes our pick of the best apps this week thanks to its innovative design and excellent user interface, which makes writing essays and papers on your device a great deal easier. Its unique split-screen feature enables you to write your document on one half of your iPad’s display while you browse the web for information and reference on the other half.
Find out more about the applications above and check out the rest of this week’s must-haves, including IntoNowand Thermo, after the break!
First on our list of must-have iOS games this week is EA’s latest hit, Bop It!, which brings all of the crazy fun from the incredibly popular Hasbro handheld game to your iPhone and iPod touch. Listen to the whacky commands and get ready to test your reflexes in this frantic mega hit.
Also on our list of favorites this week is Gameloft’s latest App Store release, Sacred Odyssey: Rise of Ayden. Plunge in to the most ambitious action RPG ever made for iOS in this amazing adventure that features countless hours of fascinating gameplay set in a glorious 3D world.
Battleheartis a unique fantasy combat game from the creators of Zombieville USAand OMG Pirates, which distills some of the greatest elements of roleplaying and real-time strategy games and incorporates them in to this remarkable battler that also earns a place in our pick of this week’s top games.
If you’re like me, you probably can’t watch TV without a computer in your lap. And if you’re be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, there’s a pretty cool iPad app that will enhance the game — and the commercials.
Wanna talk smack on Twitter? It includes a Twitter client, as well as FaceBook and chat. There are news feeds from ESPN and other sources, Twitter updates from the locker room, Flickr photos from fans at the game, and instant replays (both plays and commercials) – plus a bunch more.
The idea is to have an easy way to do all the things we now do while watching TV (Twittering, checking the news). The company plans to roll out more apps for upcoming sports events as well as popular shows like American Idol and Glee. I think it looks pretty cool. Here’s a quick video tour I just got from Kevin Brown of Stage Two:
1. The iPad 2 is getting NFC (Near Field Communications), which will allow all kinds of cool wireless features. We’ve reported on a number of possible applications, including eWallets. iLounge’s source says Apple is working on several NFC-enabled accessories.
2. The iPad 2 may get a carbon fiber case instead of an aluminum. Or not. iLounge says carbon prototypes have been spotted but not be final production models.
3. Apple hasn’t yet abandoned the 7-inch iPad, even though Steve Jobs has said the form factor is “dead on arrival and swore Apple would never produce one.” According to iLounge, Apple has ordered components for a 7-inch device, but it could be for just prototypes.
Jonathan Kopp is the lead digital and social media strategist for PR mega-firm Ketchum worldwide.
Kopp is also a Mac devotee – never far from his iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro and Apple TV – so we thought he’d be the perfect person to ask where paid iPad content is headed.
Apple’s new subscription model, unveiled with The Daily and expected to reach other iPad magazines soon, has a price point of $0.99 per week, $40 a year, with much the same mechanisms (automatic renewal, no refunds) of analog subscriptions. Apple, which gets a 30% cut from the subs, will also enforce its rule of apps in iTunes selling content via in-app purchase.
Kopp, who came to Ketchum after working on the Obama 2008 National Media Team and the Clinton White House, doesn’t think most people want to pay for those subscriptions. (Judging from the results in our reader poll, you think so, too. )
His take: Apple’s iPad subscription model is basically another Newton and bound to flop.
With the launch of The Daily yesterday, Apple revealed a new subscription model for iPad publications.
You can currently check out The Daily for free for two weeks, then subscriptions run $0.99 per week or $40 a year. This model is currently only available for that publication, but is expected to be expanded soon.
The next time you download on iTunes, you’ll be asked to agree with the updated terms of service about in-app subscriptions.
The 347-word TOS specifies that subs are non-refundable, automatically renew and may hand over your personal details to publishers – which, to me at least, sounds like the same kind of hassle faced with analog magazine subscriptions.
Are you pleased that Apple has created a new, uniform model for subscriptions or are you going to stick to paper?
And you thought getting busted for checking out porn at work was bad: an Italian member of parliament was snapped checking out prostitutes on his iPad during a session.
Except that in the Viagra-fueled Italian government that’s pretty much business as usual. Simeone Di Cagno Abbrescia, 67, is a member of Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi’s PDL party, who perhaps thought checking out what to do after work on the iPad’s glossy 9.7-inch screen was no big deal.
The tablet computer – if he’d had a laptop he could’ve adjusted the screen down – was probably what got him busted by a fellow politician with a phone cam.
Well, this is a heck of a scoop to wake up to on Wednesday morning: 9to5Mac has got its grubby little hands upon what they claim to be the display of the iPad 2’s LCD, fresh off of the assembly lines of China.
Ever had a sudden hankering to crank out a few Real Racing HD laps on your iPad while river rafting? Yeah, neither have I (although that might have something to do with the fact that I’ve never been river rafting). But if the itch ever struck, it’d probably be best if the iPad was vacuum-sealed in a tablet-sized, waterproof DryCASE; luckily the company just added the tablet-sized version to their line at Macworld. The cases start at under $60 and includes a headphones/mic jack.
Oh, and think the whole whip-the-iPad-out-while-rafting thing is laughable? Yeah, so did I — until I came across this in the company’s press release:
“A new buoyant waist band has just been added by many requests by stand up paddle surfers and kayak enthusiasts.” Cool.
Apple released iOS 4.3 Beta 3 to developers this afternoon. The update includes a new firmware update for the new Apple TV, iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS as well as the 3rd and 4th generation iPod touch.
Registered iOS developers can download these updates as well as a new SDK from developer.apple.com.
Let us know if you find anything interesting in the new beta by leaving a comment.
