Polarize your iPhone photos with Trygger

I had the opportunity to check out the Trygger iPhone Camera Case for iPhone 4/4S firsthand a couple weeks ago in Portland, Ore. Its co-creator, Joel Kamerman, and I sat down to test the prototype and I was immediately blown away.

As a fashion photographer in my spare time, the benefit of having the Trygger case secured to my iPhone was easily apparent. With a solid and sturdy case structure that maintained a slim feel to my iPhone, the Trygger case adds great functionality without the bulk.

Of course, the real gem of the Trygger case is the polarizing filter it gives your iPhone. I have no less than 20 camera- or photo-related apps on my iPhone (and several I have deleted), all that provide some sort of enhancement to my mobile pictures.

No app, however, can give you what the Trygger case offers.
By adding polarization to your photograph before you take it, all those other apps instantly become better -- yes, even Instagram. The Trygger case accomplishes its task with a delicacy that few other cases offer.

When the case is on your iPhone and you want to make a photograph that has a bright sky or nasty glare, simply slide the Trygger case filter up to cover the iPhone camera lens.
Then, use the wheel on the side of the case to adjust the amount of polarization you need. It's that easy.


Now, the Trygger case is not quite ready for production, but there's a great deal for users looking to up their iPhoneography game over on Kickstarter. The anticipated $49.95 retail price is knocked down to just $35 for early backers with production to begin in early July.
Summer is a great time to have access to polarization, especially on the camera you'll most likely be using most -- your iPhone.

This aticle comes from:http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-57442939-233/polarize-your-iphone-photos-with-trygger/?part=rss&subj=iphoneatlas&tag=title

Switch Poker iPad App Becomes First To Allow Multitable Display

Mobile poker operator SwitchPoker.com today announces an innovative new feature on its iPad app which allows players to view four tables on screen at the same time.

The app is the world's first to allow up to four poker tables to be viewed simultaneously on an iPad joining the company's Android app, which is also the only one in the world to allow more than one table to be viewed on screen at the same time.

The app also uses high-resolution graphics to take advantage of the iPad's retina display.

A SwitchPoker.com spokesperson said, "Previously the app allowed 4 tables to be played at once, but only one table could be displayed at a time. Now all 4 can be placed on screen at a time.

"As this feature helps players play more hands more quickly we are going to run a 'hands race' as part of the launch."

To celebrate the company is giving away EUR1,000 to the 10 players who play the most hands between 6 p.m. GMT on Friday June 1 and 3 p.m. GMT on Tuesday June 5.
Elsewhere at the site players can now play EUR10/EUR20 heads up and six-max no-limit hold'em, up from the previous highest stakes of EUR5/EUR10 and new depositors can avail of a 100 percent bonus for new depositors.

Players can deposit up to EUR600 and will receive the full amount of the initial deposit back as they play.

Simply deposit at the site for the first time using the code 20TO600 and the bonus will be paid in increments of EUR10 for every 2,500 Switch Poker Points earned.

SwitchPoker.com, launched in October 2010, offers a simple solution to online poker players who wish to play their favourite games on the move. Simply visit SwitchPoker.com using your mobile device, sign up for an account and start playing immediately.

About Switchpoker.com
Switchpoker.com is the world's first real money online poker site for use with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android mobile devices. The software company which developed the platform used by Switch Poker was formed in Ireland in 2010.

This article comes from:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/switch-poker-ipad-app-becomes-105100873.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CX32MVPnVUAR1_QtDMD

Dissecting The Voice’s Cheeky Chart Claims

“Every song reached the top 20 on iTunes,” proclaimed the announcer at the beginning of this week’s episode of The Voice. That might be true, but iTunes does not equal the charts. How successful are the performers on The Voice on the actual Australian chart rankings?

The Voice has been talking up the chart success of its contestants ever since the show began, and that process has gone into overdrive since it emerged that fans could vote by purchasing copies of songs on iTunes. But every time the show talks about chart performance, it talks about the “iTunes charts”, not the actual ARIA charts. And it’s the latter that provide a meaningful comparison of how successful songs from the show have been in sales terms in the overall market.

Talking about “iTunes chart positions” is meaningless, because those figures are updated hourly. In the hours following the broadcast of the show, it’s not surprising that newly-uploaded tracks are purchased in large volumes. But only a handful of songs will actually sell enough to register on the official ARIA charts, which track a whole week of sales (the basis pop music charts have always used in Australia). That’s a more meaningful yardstick.

It’s rather like the difference between being the top-rated show in a timeslot and a top-rated show for the week. In the wee small hours, an infomercial might top the rankings, but that doesn’t make it a massive success overall.

So what really happened? On this week’s ARIA chart, just three performers from last week’s episode of The Voice made the top 20: Brittany Cairns (#7), Darren Percival (#12) and Sarah De Bono (#13). Another three made the top 50 (Diana Rouvas at #22, Lakyn Hepri at #26, and Ben Hazelwood at #35).

The performers who actually have the best claim to having a hit are those who have managed to chart a Voice recording for more than a single week. Hepri’s earlier recording of ‘Big Jet Plane’ is also hanging in at #42 after four weeks; Karise Eden is at #9 in her second week, and Rachael Leahcar is #32 after the same time period.

ARIA doesn’t disclose how many copies you need to sell to make the charts. It’s certainly a remarkable achievement for a single show to get so many tracks on the real chart, but it’s not quite as remarkable as the producers of The Voice have made it out to be by emphasising iTunes.

You might be thinking: surely sales on iTunes comprise the majority of sales in Australia? The data suggests a more complex picture. On the Digital Tracks chart, the same artists appeared, but most ranked a position or two higher than on the full list. While that suggests iTunes’ dominant role, it also indicates that enough physical copies of the top-charting songs are selling to alter the overall chart. (Note that Australia’s charts include only sales, with no airplay component.)

That relative lack of success does not mean some of those performers might not have long-term careers; after all, at this stage they’re still being treated as karaoke robots, singing songs many viewers will already own in superior original versions. Charting that material is always going to be harder.

Our advice about voting on The Voice still stands: using Facebook is the cheapest option, and voting by text is more cash-efficient than buying off iTunes. Based on these numbers, it seems most Australians are taking that approach.

This article comes from:http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/05/dissecting-the-voices-cheeky-chart-claims/

Apple CEO giving up $75 million in dividends

 
Apple CEO Tim Cook is giving up $75 million in dividends on restricted stock that the company is awarding to all of its employees.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week, Apple said that Cook requested that his restricted stock units not receive dividends.

The dividends that Apple workers are getting amount to $2.65 per quarter for each restricted stock unit held. The shares are not normally eligible to receive dividends, so Apple's decision is a perk for its employees.

The decision comes two months after Apple introduced a regular dividend and authorized a $10 billion stock buyback program to start giving some of its cash hoard back to shareholders. It was a move that former CEO Steve Jobs long resisted. After his death last year, Apple's management has signaled that it's been considering options for the money, which amounted to nearly $100 billion.

Even without the dividend, Cook, 51, remains one of the highest-paid CEOs in America. His pay package was valued at $378 million when he became Apple's chief in August. That was almost entirely in stock awards, some of which won't be redeemable until 2021, so the value could change dramatically.

Assuming Apple pays quarterly dividends of $2.65 over the vesting period of Cook's shares, the company said he will give up about $75 million in value.
Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple fell $3.03 to $562.29 on Friday. The stock has traded between $310.50 and $644 over the past year.
This article comes from:http://www.chron.com/business/article/Apple-CEO-giving-up-75-million-in-dividends-3587070.php#photo-2987056

iPhone display rumors galore

Hold on to your hats folks, there are a number of interesting and credible iPhone 5 rumors circulating around the blogosphere this week that are worthy of some attention.

Now, one of the lingering questions regarding the iPhone 5 is whether or not Apple is going to switch things up and release a device with a larger display. To date, every iPhone released has sported a 3.5-inch scree with a 3:2 aspect ratio. But a growing chorus of reports have all pointed to an iPhone 5 with a larger 4-inch screen.

According to a recent report from 9to5Mac, which has a pretty good track record with respect to iPhone/iOS rumors, Apple is currently testing a few next-gen iPhones while it presumably debates, internally, what the ultimate design will be. And whadya know, one of the devices just so happens to sport a larger display.

The report claims that both of the aforementioned iPhone models sport a 3.99-inch display that Apple has implemented by keeping the width the same but increasing the length to 3.84 inches. In doing so, Apple will not keep the resolution as is but will add an extra 176 pixels. All told, the aspect ratio will be very close to 16:9.

In conjunction with the possibility of Apple releasing a device with a larger display, 9to5Mac also writes that Apple is tinkering with different versions of iOS 6 that take advantage of the extra space, with one cited example being a homescreen with an added row of icons.

Following that, John Gruber, who typically has a credible finger on the pulse of Apple rumors, added that Apple has been tinkering with the display of the iPhone, but only via increasing its height. He also makes a case for the pixel density coming in at 1136, arguing that doing so would result in a screen 3.99 inches long and minutely close to an ascpet ratio of 16:9.

So there you have it, two uber credible sources with information regarding an iPhone with a larger screen.
But wait, there's more!

This past Tuesday, MacRumors posted a photo of what purports to be the front panel of an upcoming iPod Touch. The panel is noticeably longer than the current iPad touch with the display measuring in at 4.1 inches on the diagonal.
It's a safe bet that if Apple increases the display on the iPod Touch, the next-gen iPhone will also see the same larger display.

 This article comes from:http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/iphone-display-rumors-galore?source

An iPod Case With a Split Personality

Although iPod gamers seem to love their big, grippy game covers, the love affair ends when they have to jam the bulky case in a pocket.

For those sometime players, Speck, a case maker, has created the DualFlex 1UP, an iPod Touch case with a split personality.

First there is a trim thermoplastic polyurethane case that covers the iPod Touch and protects it against knocks in daily use. It also adds little bulk, so the encased phone slips easily in a pocket.

But that slim case slips inside another, thicker, curvy black rubber case with vented ribs to preserve your grip when the gaming becomes so intense that your palms perspire.

The buttons on the case exterior aren’t very flexible, so working the volume and on/off buttons may take a solid push when both cases are in use. Of course this has no effect on the game controls that appear on screen.

The $35 case is currently available in one color combination only: a plummy red inner case with a black exterior. It is available online directly from Speck.

This article comes from:http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/an-ipod-case-with-a-split-personality/

The iPhone 5's body will 'resemble the metallic rear panel of the iPad'

In October, despite the shortage of Qualcomm chips. The iPhone 5’s body style could resemble the rear panel of the iPad, and could have a 4in screen.

Forbes reports that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note on Monday: “We believe the iPhone 5 will represent the biggest consumer electronics product launch of 2012 as well as the biggest device upgrade cycle in smartphone history.”

“We believe the iPhone 5 will have a completely redesigned body style, which may more closely resemble the metallic rear panel of the current iPad,” revealed Munster. “We believe there is a 50 per cent chance the new phone as a slightly larger 4in screen. We believe the larger screen is one of the few areas in which Android devices have been able to compete. Beyond the redesigned body and screen, we believe the new iPhone will include 4G LTE, upgraded processor and memory, and a higher megapixel camera.”

Munster thinks that Apple is still on target to launch the next iPhone in October. “We believe there is an 80 per cent chance Apple will be able to meet our 49 million estimate given the constrained supply,” he wrote.


In April, we reported that Qualcomm is suffering from a shortage of Snapdragon S4 processors for tablets and smartphones due to a lack of manufacturing capacity available to make those chips, leading to concerns that Apple could face supply constraints since Qualcomm provides baseband radio chips for the iPhone. S4 chips are made using the 28nm process, which is the latest manufacturing technology for ARM chips. Munster doesn't believe that this shortage will cause much of a problem for Apple's next-gen iPhone, though.

“We expect Apple is likely to get favourable treatment in terms of access to the 28nm inventory,” wrote Munster in his note on Monday. “Net-net, the worst case scenario is that Apple is unable to meet demand in the short term following iPhone 5 launch and units would shift from the December quarter into the March quarter as we don’t believe consumers would simply purchase another phone in most cases if they wanted the iPhone 5 and it was not available.”

This article comes from:http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipad-iphone/news/?newsid=3359174&olo

Better search on your iPhone with Bang On

If you are like me, you use the Google app or the Google search bar in Safari to perform Web searches on your iPhone. And then you use the search function within your various apps to search for something in a particular app. Well, no more! Spend $1.99 on Bang On, and you'll be able to search more quickly and efficiently.

Bang On is a universal app in more ways than one. It's a universal app in the sense that it works on both the iPhone and the iPad. It is also a universal search app in that you can use it to perform Web searches as well as search apps on your phone such as Instagram, Pandora, Spotify, Twitter, and YouTube.

You can also create custom searches, which the app calls "bangs," to search specific apps, search engines, or Web sites. And owners of the iPhone 4S or the new iPad can use the dictation button to search by voice.

(Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

Bang On is a souped-up, paid version of the DuckDuckGo app. With DuckDuckGo, you can perform Web searches but not the other apps on your phone as you can with Bang On.

When you launch Bang On, you'll see a standard search field at the top with a swipeable belt of bangs below it. You can type in a search term and then tap one of the bangs to narrow your search.

For example, if you wanted to read what people are saying on Twitter about Mick Jagger's turn as host of Saturday Night Live, you can type in "Mick Jagger SNL" and then tap the Twitter button.

Better yet, you could just hit the dictate button and say, "search for Mick Jagger SNL on Twitter" to perform the same search. A Twitter page will load right below Bang On's search field with the results.(Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)
 
Searching YouTube and Facebook on Bang On works the same way, though Pandora and Spotify work a bit differently. When you use Bang On to search these apps, you leave Bang On as the app opens the music app you asked it to search. Either way, it's a highly convenient way to search on your iPhone.

You can customize the shortcut belt of bangs. Tap the settings button in the upper-right corner and you can add, remove, and reorder the bangs on the favorites list. These are what appear in the swipeable belt below the search bar. Farther down on the settings page is an area where you can create your own shortcuts.

 
(Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

I've been using Bang On for only a few days and it has already made its way onto my home screen. I find it much quicker to use it to search for YouTube videos, Twitter, and Spotify, instead of first opening those apps to perform a search.


This article comes from:http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57438573-285/better-search-on-your-iphone-with-bang-on/?part=rss&subj=software&tag=title

Nice tip to unhide your Mac’s Library folder even after a system update

One of Apple’s “big brother” features introduced in Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (now called plain ol’ OS X Lion) is the hiding of the user’s Library folder. While this may be a fine precaution for inexperienced users, it’s a bother for Mac pros. A recent Login Script can fix this so-called feature.

The User Library isn’t gone, it’s just hiding. You can reveal it by holding down the Option key while clicking on the Go Menu. Still, it’s a bother to remember.

Daniel Jalkut, the founder of Red Sweater Software points out on his blog that even if you tweak the folder pref and make it visible, each time the system is updated, the folder disappears again. Jalkut solved this by hacking his configuration script in the Terminal.

I solved this very early on for my own needs by adding the command-line instructions for re-showing the Library folder to my Terminal configuration script. Every time I open a new Terminal window, the Library folder is aggressively set to visible again. In practice, this has meant that since 10.7 shipped, I’ve never been bothered once by Apple’s disappearing act.

For the rest of us, Jalkut offers a Script Login item that will do the fix. He offers detailed instructions (super easy) to apply it. Login items are found in the Users & Groups preference.

This article comes from:http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/nice-tip-to-unhide-your-macs-library-folder-even-after-a-system-update/12975

Apple Wins iPhone5.com Domain

Apple has won the domain iPhone5.com after filing a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) over it. While it doesn't necessarily mean the next iPhone will be called "iPhone 5," it's likely part of Apple's strategy to exert some kind of control over the conversation about its next smartphone.

The domain had previously been registered to a company in Australia, but it now belongs to Corporation Service Company in Wilmington, Del., a domain-name registrar company. As The Next Web first reported, Apple probably contracted the Corporation Service Company's services to take ownership of the domain.

[More from Mashable: Create and Text Original GIFs With MyFaceWhen iPhone App]

Currently, visitors of iPhone5.com are greeted by a completely blank page, without even a single note or "under construction" notice. Before it was shut down, the site campaigned to have the domain stay independent, telling visitors, "Call Corporate Of Apple and tell them to stop there persuit!! Blow up there phones, Spam there emails, call there Administration! Do something to get our point across.[sic]"

It's not the first time Apple has publicly wrestled over domain-name ownership prior to a major product launch. Shortly before Apple first unveiled iCloud in 2011, it obtained the iCloud.com domain from Xcerion, a Swedish software company. In that case, the exchange was amicable, with Apple reportedly paying $4.5 million for the URL.

The dispute over iPhone5.com better resembles Apple's acquisition of the iPods.com domain, which it won last year after WIPO ruled that the owner, MP3Gold.com, needed to hand it over.

While the term "iPhone 5" has been used as the default name for the next iPhone, the domain switch doesn't mean that will be the official name of the product. Technically, it will be the sixth model of iPhone released by Apple, and with the last iPad launch, Apple eschewed any kind of suffix for the product name, numerical or otherwise.

Whatever Apple calls the next iPhone, the site iPhone5.com won't show up in searches for the term, or if it does users won't see any information -- real or made-up -- about the product. While there will be no shortage of rumors and speculation in the run up to release, Apple's goal may be to simply deprive casual web users of the most obvious hub they would use to look for info.

This article comes from:http://news.yahoo.com/apple-wins-iphone5-com-domain-130716813.html;_ylt=A2KJjam2_rVPIX4AyWLQtDMD

FindHire Launches Recruiting App on Apple Store -- First Stand-Alone Recruiting Application Ever on the iTunes Store

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - May 15, 2012) - FindHire surprised many of the major players in the recruiting software and talent management game last week, when they released the first ever recruiting application for iPad on the iTunes store. Downloads soared the first night since the launch, purchased by both International companies and top global recruiting firms.

The launch of the iPad application was a significant step for the small company of three based in the heart of Los Angeles. It marked a milestone for them after seven months spent piecing together version 1 and getting it approved by Apple.

It was even more significant as it is the only real recruiting tool on the iTunes store that allows the user to contact, interview, and hire a new employee all through the iPad interface.

"I basically wanted to be the first to develop a recruiting iPad app for businesses that made hiring as easy as making a restaurant reservation. Once I realized how valuable this could be to small businesses I jumped right in!" CTO Ryan Herman said in an interview. Ryan designed and programmed the entire app with a little verbal guidance of long-time friend and CEO Michael Dennis, who came from the recruiting world, where he was an executive headhunter. "Ryan is a genius, he has always been a programmer since he was young kid, but now he has a real trophy to show for it by being the first to create a real game-changer in my industry," Michael noted.

FindHire's iPad application for recruiting has a very clean user interface (UI) and is extremely simple to use. The dashboard has a wood grain background similar to Wunderlist, only instead of list items, the user has a candidate gallery to flip through. The candidate's pictures are all high resolution, and it makes it a nice experience when sifting through an abundance of resumes.

Below the 'Candidate Flow' are two columns to show the user's daily and weekly interview schedule, and progress of open positions. The hiring progress bar is a great feature, but only available to the enterprise users and not available for the .99 cent download.

The toolbar at the bottom of every page is very helpful in navigating the different features of the recruiting application. The icons below let the user quickly select an option to search, schedule, or change their settings. Even the settings are easy to figure out, and let the user link to their social accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The social function is helpful to make sure that anyone in the user's network can see open positions.

The full web-based version of FindHire is also available, but fetches a slightly higher price than the .99 cent price tag of the iPad app. The added features are definitely a huge plus for anyone looking to hire more than one person.
To learn more about our application, go to: www.findhire.com or send all related inquiries to press@findhire.com.

About FindHire, Inc.
Founded in 2011 in Los Angeles, CA by top recruiter Michael Dennis and tech guru Ryan Herman, with the mission to alter the recruiting business for the better by making the process streamlined through a simple user friendly interface. FindHire takes an outdated recruiting service business model and brings it into the next generation of technology; attracting both global media companies to use the software, and gaining thousands of prospective employees in their database within the first few months after their launch in early 2012.

This article comes from:http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/findhire-launches-recruiting-app-on-apple-store-first-stand-alone-recruiting-application-1657450.htm

Man boasts magnetic attachment to iPod

Professional body piercer Dave Hurban is a man attached to his iPod. Literally.

Hurban, 21, who works in a tattoo parlor in Newfield, New Jersey, implanted four metal studs in the skin of his wrist and secured his iPod to them magnetically.
"I just invented the strapless watch," he said on Monday of his Apple device, set to display a clock.
Hurban cheerfully recounted how he mapped out the four corners of the iPod on his arm and then inserted four titanium studs into his skin. Once the incisions healed, he popped on his iPod, which is held in place magnetically.
"It's way simpler than you think it is," said Hurban, who posted his "How To" video on YouTube, where it has been viewed nearly 900,000 times in two weeks.
Hurban, whose other body piercings include two on his lip and one on each ear, said the unusual application was a big hit at a tattoo convention in Baltimore last weekend.
"I must have talked to like 400 people individually,' he said. "Every person I showed, they were like so amazed."

 

This article comes from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47421184/ns/technology_and_science-wireless/#.T7ISK1K1In8