BY Brent Dirks on Sat May 19th, 2012 Drop Tech Series Military Edition Gumdrop Cases new iPad cases Product Review

Rugged cases for the iPad seem to be a dime a dozen these days. But while many people, including myself, like the idea of bringing strong protection to the expensive device, the real-world benefits have been less than ideal.

Before I purchased a new iPad, my original version of the tablet was clad with the Otterbox Defender. While I liked the protection it provided, the case weight made it feel like I was trying to carry around a heavy object with one hand.

Currently, I’ve been using a slim, folio-type case to protect my new iPad. While I’ve enjoyed the ease of use, I thought I would look to see if there were any different cases on the market that provided strong protection but didn’t weigh the iPad down greatly.

And the Drop Tech Series Military Edition case from Gumdrop Cases certainly stuck out. The solution promises a heavy dose of protection without sacrificing the usability of the iPad.

The case is composed of three parts – a hard polycarbonate shell, a silicone outside cover, and a snap-on screen protector. To apply the case, combine the screen protector with the shell and slip on over your iPad. Users then place the outside cover over the tablet.

All ports are accessible, but protected. The on/off switch, volume rocker, and home button are completely covered by the case. The dock port, headphone jack, and orientation lock button can all be accessed by flipping up a silicone tab. The ambient light sensor and camera lenses are covered by clear plastic. The Military Edition also features microfilm dust filters.

The Good

First, the Military Edition is probably one of the best looking iPad or iPhone cases I’ve seen, period. While the basic Drop Tech Series case comes in black, white, and pink, there’s nothing more manly than an Army Green 44 case. If all cases would come in this color, I’d be a happy reviewer.

The case back is made up of a tire-tread consistency that bulges up from the unit. While it looks a little intimidating at first, the tread actually made the the solution very easy to hold and handle.

As far as the protection angle, the unit held up to its claims. I put the case through its paces, handling my iPad more roughly than normal, and there were no issues. I did have one scary moment when the iPad, protected by the case, accidentally fell around 4 feet from a countertop to a tile floor on its screen.

But after a few moments of panic while taking off the case, I discovered my iPad was totally fine.

I was also pleased with the weight of the unit. While other solutions I’ve seen can tip the scales at much more than 1 pound, I measured Gumdrop’s case at around 12 ounces. The extra weight was noticeable, but definitely not a huge problem in day-to-day usage.

The Bad

A major part of the solution – the screen protector – is really a mixed bag. While I think any protective case should have good screen protection, image clarity usually suffers. And that’s the case with the Military Edition’s screen protector.

There was a noticeable lack of clarity of the iPad’s screen while using the protector. In somewhat dark rooms, it wasn’t enormously noticeable. But in any type of brighter-light situation, the beautiful Retina display was pretty severely washed out with a hazy blur.

The protector was also a big fingerprint magnet, requiring almost constant cleaning. Also, after a few days of use, small pieces of lint and dirt seemed to be trapped between the protector and its frame.

But, the screen protector does have a pretty big redeeming quality – its removable and replaceable. That’s a first for any type of screen protector that I’ve seen, and it is a nice advantage. Replacement protectors are $ 15.

And, like me, if you weren’t all that pleased with how the screen protector modified the iPad’s screen, you can simply not install it on the case. Without the protector, the case looked and operated just fine. If anything, I’m planning on using the unit without the protector for daily use and installing it when I know I need a little more protection – like when traveling.

Also, since the front and back camera are both covered by a clear film of plastic, I did notice a little bit of extra haziness in my photos and in FaceTime sessions. It wasn’t extremely noticeable, but just a word of warning.

Verdict

If you’re looking for an rugged solution for your new iPad that can actually be used day in and day out, you can’t go wrong with Gumdrop’s case.

Along with looking great, the unit provides a strong layer of protection to the tablet without all that many downsides. It held up very well in my tests. And my biggest complaint – the screen protector – doesn’t even have to be used.

The Drop Tech Series Military Edition case lists for $ 69.95, but can be found for as low as $ 59.99 at Amazon. It is compatible with the new iPad and the iPad 2.

App Advice

BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sat May 19th, 2012 app updates shoot the serif to the point

First came the Bob Marley song, and then came the typography-related pun. But have you come across the iPhone game that takes the joke quite literally?

Shoot the Serif by London-based creative studio To The Point is a game that both designers and non-designers can enjoy. Similar in slant to Helvetica vs. Arial, Shoot the Serif has you shooting letters with serifs while sparing the sans-serif ones. In the off chance that you’re not familiar with the definition of a serif, it’s simply the slight extension of a stroke of a letter rendered in a serif typeface such as the widely used Times New Roman.

Hold it right there, serif!

Recently updated to improve its stability on iPhone 4S, Shoot the Serif has three difficulty levels: junior, middle-weight, and senior. Each level contains five stages and has its corresponding time limit and error margin. You get promoted to the next level upon finishing all stages in a level, except, of course, for the last level. In the senior level, you effectively beat the game as soon as you conquer all five stages. I should remind you, though, that doing so doesn’t make you a bona fide designer — unless you already are, that is.

Featuring different serif and sans-serif typefaces, Shoot the Serif is available for free in the App Store. If you somehow happen to be having trouble remembering the game’s basic rule, singing it is bound to do the trick: “I shot the serif … but I did not shoot the sans-serif.”

Via: DesignTAXI

App Advice

Energy Storm (Free) by Matt Jogela-Hall puts you in the cockpit of a ship capable of switching back and forth between light and dark colors as you gather energy.

This is your classic shoot em up game, with your ship zooming through the sky as it approaches an onslaught of other trigger happy ships.

Your ship shoots automatically and will gather up balls of energy to release against the enemy ships. Just as your ship is either light or dark, so are the enemies.

Shooting enemies of the opposite color of yours means dealing double damage to them. Switching back and forth from light to dark is as easy as lifting your finger off the screen. You’ll need to constantly be aware of what color you are, versus which color you’re up against.

The interface is pretty bare bones. Probably the main thing it lacks is a tutorial.

You’re presented with a brief tutorial as you play for the first time, but it’s easy to get lost in “What the heck am I doing?” that you may not be able to pay attention to them.

Near as I could tell, the only way to revisit the tutorial was by deleting and reinstalling the app.

This app is free, though you’re limited to only one of three ships. The default ship, the Viper, is like trying to win a sword fight with a wooden sword. I mean, you need at least something because it’s dangerous to go alone, but the other two ships are much more powerful.

Luckily, you can demo the paid ships for a limited span of gameplay. The difference in firepower is like night and day and all the bigger ships I feared encountering in the Viper exploded like microwaved potatoes with the higher ships.

Fans of the shoot em up genre will want to give this game a shot. It’s not the most advanced game on the block, such as Bug Princess 2, but its switching back and forth of light and dark is certainly a unique spin on the game.

App Advice

BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sat May 19th, 2012 angry birds angry birds jewelry kristian saarikorpi primesmith Rovio

It’s no secret that Angry Birds creator Rovio intends to be the next Disney. “There is no reason why we should not be able to build a company of that size,” Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka has said. “They’re doing a lot of things we want to do.” One of those things, included in an impressive range of Disney merchandise, is jewelry. And now, what do you know? According to a report by Forbes, Rovio is actually doing that as well.

The mobile entertainment behemoth has partnered with Finnish jewelry shop Primesmith in releasing a line of Angry Birds-themed silver ornaments, including rings, necklaces, and bracelets. No doubt the main attraction in this line is the Mighty Eagle ring. Pictured above, the silver band is made in collaboration with renowned Finnish designer Kristian Saarikorpi. “Rovio guards the image of the Mighty Eagle character jealously,” said Saarikorpi. “Just as in the games, only a portion of the powerful bird is depicted on the ring — his shape is never shown in full.”

If the ring looks expensive, especially for a mere tie-in of a casual video game, that’s because it is. Now available for purchase, the Mighty Eagle ring comes with a hefty $ 290 price tag. But more affordable jewelry items aimed at mass market distribution, including $ 50 sterling pendants like the one shown below, are already in the works. The piggy antagonists of the Angry Birds series are also set to appear in upcoming items.

Ready to cough up $ 50 for this birdie?

Should its initial collaboration with Rovio prove successful, Primesmith plans to partner with other digital franchise owners to come out with their own jewelry lines. How about some Fruit Ninja bling? Or are you already quite happy with your Fruit Ninja undies?

Source: Forbes

App Advice

BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sat May 19th, 2012 acquisition facebook karma

Hot on the heels of its debut on Wall Street, Facebook has announced that it has acquired the popular gift-giving app Karma. According to TechCrunch, the move is a “real product acquisition” and 16 employees of the startup are set to begin working at the social networking giant.

Released just five months ago and available for free in the App Store, Karma is an iPhone app that lets you send gifts to your friends and family even without knowing their address. The idea is to choose an item to gift from a diverse product catalog including bottles of wine and Netflix subscriptions, and let the recipient specify the shipping address. The recipient is duly notified of your forthcoming gift via SMS, email, or Facebook.

According to Karma co-founders Linden and Lewis, “only good things will follow.”

“We’re thrilled to announce that Karma has been acquired by Facebook,” said Karma co-founders Lee Linden and Ben Lewis in a blog post. “The service that Karma provides will continue to operate in full force. By combining the incredible passion of our community with Facebook’s platform we can delight users in new and meaningful ways. As we say … only good things will follow.”

Even before the acquisition, Karma is already well-integrated with Facebook. The app connects with the social network to search through your friends’ walls for any events that might call for a thoughtful gift, such as birthdays, weddings, and job promotions. The app was also recently updated to include great gifts for Mother’s Day and push notifications for important events.

Karma joins the ubiquitous photo sharing app Instagram and the ambient location-based app Glancee in Facebook’s list of recent purchases. What next?

Source: TechCrunch

App Advice

BY Joe White on Sat May 19th, 2012 ashton kutcher Jobs: Get Inspired steve jobs

Already, we’ve seen pictures of Ashton Kutcher in his black-tutleneck-blue-jeans costume for the upcoming “jOBS: Get Inspired” TV movie adaptation of the Apple co-founder’s life. Now, we’ve heard that the movie is to begin filming in the actual house where Jobs was born – and better still, will include scenes in the garage were Jobs and Wozniak put together the first Apple computer, according to Apple Insider.

The news was announced in a press release, which hit the Web recently:

The film chronicling the life of Steve Jobs, the Apple Inc. co-founder and charismatic master of innovation, begins principal photography in June and in keeping with the project’s commitment to accuracy and authenticity, will film early scenes in the actual Los Altos home where Jobs grew up and in the historic garage where he and Steve Wozniak founded Apple.

So far, the only actor known to be attached to the project is Ashton Kutcher, though the word on the street is that Josh Gad from the “Book of Mormon” has been approached to play Wozniak. Producers hope to create a movie that is “dark, honest and uncompromising,” and apparently the film should be finished by Q4, later this year.

If any more news hits the Web, we’ll let you know – so be sure to check back with us.

Source: Apple Insider.

App Advice

BY Joe White on Sat May 19th, 2012 FullScreen for Safari jailbreak SwipeSafari

A new jailbreak tweak called SwipeSafari promises to add a bunch of great features to Safari for iOS, according to iDownloadBlog.

Once downloaded and installed, users can take advantage of a number of multi-touch gestures in the small-screen Safari. Additionally, it’s also possible to pull the app’s screen in one direction to perform an action. Such gestures can be configured in the Settings app: SwipeSafari adds a new pane, via which the tweak can be adjusted.

It’s a handy app, but as iDownloadBlog notes, SwipeSafari is rather similar to FullScreen for Safari – another jailbreak tweak that adds gestures to the Safari app. In terms of price, the two are also near identical: you can grab SwipeSafari in the Cydia Store for $ 1.50 (half-price for a limited time only), while FullScreen for Safari is available for $ 1.49 – also for a limited time.

Which is better? Jeff from iDownloadBlog praises Swipe Safari’s clean interface, but notes that currently, the tweak isn’t all that stable. Take a look at the video walkthrough below, and let us know which tweak you decide to download in the comments!

Source: iDownloadBlog.

App Advice

Fotor – CameraBag ($ 1.99) by Everimaging Ltd is an app that will turn your ordinary photos into amazing works of art. You might be an average photographer now, but with this handy app, you’ll feel like a professional. So, go ahead and walk with your head high.

Snap your camera! Do it fast! You can do it all by yourself!

This photography app has everything you need in one little package. Want to create an exciting collage with an array of different photos? You can do it. Want to have an enhanced camera with burst shots, a timer, HDR, gridlines, and a stabilizer? You got it. Not only is this camera more enhanced than the native one, but it also includes better photo editing tools to complete your masterpiece.

With over 75 different effects and filters that can be applied to a photo, you will never run out of creative ideas. No two pictures will ever be alike. You can make a picture black and white, sepia, vintage, cartoon, analog, and more!

Color splash is another exciting editing tool to use. Make a photo black and white, but keep the color of a certain part of the picture always looks awesome. One thing that I didn’t like when editing with color splash was that there didn’t seem to be an undo option. So, you’ll have to pull out the eraser to get rid of mistakes. It’s a slight nuisance.

Now, readers will say that this sounds like many other apps in the App Store and they are correct. The difference is that I prefer this interface over the other alternatives.

When you’re done editing your photo, you can share it with one touch to Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, and email. You can send it to your native camera roll as well, in case you’d like to send it via text message.

If you want a simple, yet powerful photography app, then you’ll want to try this one out. It’s similar to other photo apps, but the interface is what sets it apart.

What’s your favorite photography app?

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