The Parrot AR.drone, the flying quadricopter which is controlled by an iPhone/iPod touch, is now available for pre-order from Brookstone for $299. Using a combination of tilt and touch controls, users can fly the lightweight device to a distance of 50 meters and use its two cameras (one in front, one pointed down) to explore or race. Flight time was estimated to be about 15 minutes using the drone’s rechargeable battery.

Appletell had a first-hand experience with the AR.drone at Macworld 2010.

The drone will start shipping September 3rd, and is a Brookstone exclusive until the end of October.

Product [Parrot AR.drone]

Full Story » | Written by Bill Stiteler for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Dare I say that yet again? That we have it all? Actually, this week I’ve picked out a few more lite/free games that stood above the rest. Plus there were some useful utilities and limited time freebies this week. Take a look already!

• Digital Compass for iPhone - Yes, the iPhone already comes with a digital compass, but it doesn’t look like this.  This is one well-designed compass app.  In addition to direction, it provides exact degrees of direction, lattitude and longitude.  Plus, it looks great.  Did I mention that already?
• Sylo Synthesiser - Design your own synthesizer sound with this virtual instrument app.  You can either build a waveform or record a sound with the iPad’s mic and tweak it.  Then, play to your heart’s content.  There’s a lot of possibility here, but if you want to record or save your instruments, you’ll have to upgrade to the full version.
• Aqua Moto Racing 2 Lite - Race and trick around three courses with your jet ski in this sequel.  They say they’ve improved the game in every possible way, which apparently is quite the task since the original game was pretty well received.  This game brings me right back to the days of Nintendo 64, only my thumb hurts less this way.
• Eliminate GunRange Free - The full version of this game was one of the first to embrace the gyroscope in the iPhone 4.  Now they’ve tweaked their game and it’s possible to play with any iDevice, but it still performs the best on the iPhone 4 with the gyro.  Basically, you just shoot timed targets in this game, so it can get a bit repetitive.  There are 12 guns to choose from, though, and everyone likes guns.  The game is ad supported, so if you’re sick of them, just pay the buck for the full game.
• We Farm for iPad - If you like We Rule for iPad and Farmville, then maybe you can combine your interests and play this game.  We Farm challenges you to, well, farm.  How much farming can you take?
• Square Dare - An iPad-only version of the classic dots and boxes game.  The graphics are as nice as you could expect for such a simple game.  Just capture the squares like you used to do when “pen and paper” was still the most played game around.
• Mirro rZoom Free - The only iPhone 4 mirror app that zooms.  That is all.
• Live Journal - The year 2000 is calling with this awesome new journal service called LiveJournal.  I’m not sure anyone still uses LiveJournal, but they just made an app, so I trust someone still does.
• Flashlight - Still don’t have a flashlight app for iPhone 4?  No worries, this one does it all: flashlight and strobe without ads.  You can control the amount of time the light is on and off during strobe independently.
• Mini Webcam - Use your iPhone as a networked webcam.  You can view the output of the camera built into your iPhone via any web browser on the same network as your iPhone.  That kind of limits its functionality, but then again, the iPhone is way more expensive than a webcam.
• The Word - Thanks to Vitamin Water, you can get Colbert’s the Word app for free for a limited time.  It gives you access to every “The Word” segment he’s ever had.  Has he ever done “Bird”?  I thought that was the word. A b-b-bird bird bird, bird is the word…  Who needs to steal songs when I can just get them stuck in your head?
• Ultimate Solitaire - Free for a limited time, this app has the two most popular solitaire games: one and three card Klondike.  And I’m sure that’s more than enough for many of you, so have fun and download it before they start charging again.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Gallery: Medici

TUAWApp Review: Medici ships good gameplay onto your iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWA wiki for prepaid (iPhone compatible) SIM cards around the world originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWiPad class action lawsuit heats up originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've mentioned GTD app Nozbe a few times before, but not since the release of their iPad app. If you're looking for a complete, easy-to-use task management app for your iPad and haven't checked it out, here's your kick in the pants to take a look.

Nozbe was originally a web-based application (still is), and creator Michael Sliwinski (also editor of Productive! magazine) has continued to develop amazing features into the web version. One of the more recent developments was Evernote integration, where you could tag projects in Nozbe with tags used on notes in Evernote, and have your Evernote notes show up when viewing projects in Nozbe. The latest version of the iPad app includes this functionality, along with improved file attachment handling.

The Nozbe iPad app is a full-fledged task manager which doesn't require a subscription to the web app to be fully-functional. In my opinion, though, the online synchronization and ubiquitous availability of your tasks on any platform is a major part of the appeal of this application. The iPad app is easy to use and easy to understand, offering full GTD compliance while not inundating you with choices and options that just make task management too complex. There's a version of Nozbe for iPhone as well, and they all sync together via the web application.

Among the many features of Nozbe that impress me are the myriad ways of getting tasks into your lists. From Twitter to plain text import, email, Dashboard widgets and, of course, the iPhone and iPad apps, finding a method that fits your workflow is an easy task. For the geeks, there's even an API that's pretty well fleshed out, allowing you to create your own means of adding tasks, checking them off, managing projects and more. I do long for a Mac desktop app, but I'm finding plenty of ways to make it just as easy to use the web version, and discovering that there are benefits to "working in the cloud" when it comes to task management.

If you're just interested in the iPad app, pick it up on the App Store for $14.99US, and check out the iPhone version for $4.99US. Subscriptions to the web version start at $7.50 per month (if you prepay a year). You can have a go at the free trial, too, and see if it's a good fit for you.

TUAWNozbe for iPad 1.1 integrates Evernote with your projects originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWUK soldiers use iPad app to train for Afghan operations originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looking for even more productivity on your iPad? MindMeister has released an iPad version of their collaborative mind mapping application, allowing iPad users to mind map locally and sync with the web version to share ideas with others. We've mentioned MindMeister before, and they were part of our suggestions for mind mapping on the iPhone, but ever since the dawn of the iPad, I've been waiting for it to come to the big screen!

MindMeister on the iPad may not be the most complete mind mapping application available for the iPad, at least as far as bells and whistles. It does its job well, though, and the synchronization with the web version is a huge selling point, at least for me. The web version is my favorite online mind mapping tool, with its real-time collaboration features and very useful integration with external web services. Being able to update and edit my online maps from my iPad is very exciting, indeed.

If you're a mind mapper, or someone who's looking for a new way to share ideas and collaborate with friends and co-workers, definitely check this app out ($7.99US on the App Store). There's a version for the iPhone ($6.99US), and a companion iPhone app for sending quick notes to your maps instantly, called Geistesblitz (free), too. The app functions fine on its own, but really shines when combined with the web version. The Basic plan for the web app is free with 3 maps at a time, and you can get unlimited maps for $59US a year. Check out the pricing plans at the MindMeister website.

TUAWMindMeister comes to the iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWFirst look: OmniFocus for iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

(Image courtesy of digitaltrends.com)

We all know how popular the iPad has been in terms of how we're consuming media.  News Corp is one company that is paying attention, and they're looking into forming a new subscription service tailored for tablets.

While the Financial Times is reporting today that News Corp hasn't yet OFFICIALLY made a call on the possible service, they are expected to make a leap at it this fall.  Persons within the company think it may be a good move for News Corp as they venture into the burgeoning digital news era.  If it did indeed come to fruition, the new branch would have its own staff and be an individual entity.

"The ambitious undertaking under consideration would be another test of consumers' appetite to pay for news," the report said.  "The momentum behind developing a tablet-centric product is driven by a belief that readers are willing to pay for portability.  News Corp's early progress in selling subscriptions on the iPad has inspired the company to consider the new business."

Additionally, News Corp's publication, The Wall Street Journal started soliciting users in the New York City metropolitan area, asking them to participate in group sessions in August to help improve their app.

"We are very interested in hearing about your experiences with the iPad, the Wall Street Journal app, and other news apps," said Alan Murray, the periodical's online executive editor in an e-mail sent out on Wednesday.  Users get $200 for participating.

The Times described News Corp's moves as "an honest attempt" at transforming journalism.

What do you think readers?  Are you willing to pay for portable news?  Feel free to leave comments below!

via AppleInsider

Follow this article's author, Matthew Tilmann on Twitter

You knew it was only a matter of time right?  While not official, word is out that RIM is wanting to get in on the tablet fun this November.  Like the rest, their sights are set on knocking out the iPad, according to Business Week.  The report is coming from two people who are familiar with RIM's plans. 

The specs are that the unit would have approximately the same dimensions as the iPad, which sports a 9.7-inch diagonal screen.  The unit would also include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology that would allow people to connect to the Internet through their BlackBerry smartphones, said the two people who did not want to be identified, because the plans were not yet public.

Like other companies, RIM wants to try and release a product to give the iPad some competitive love.  Last month Apple said it sold 3 million iPad units in just 80 days after being released in the U.S.

"They can't wait for a second generation of devices from Apple or they'll fall too far behind," Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Rodman & Renshaw Inc. in New York, said.

Marisa Conway, a spokeswoman with RIM, didn't want to comment as it is company policy not to comment on rumor or speculation.

The device would supposedly be called "Blackpad", said one of the sources.  RIM had acquired the rights to blackpad.com this month.

Keeping further in line with Apple, pricing for the unit would be about the same as the iPad at $499.  RIM would much rather gain further profits from their efforts, versus selling a large quantity.

But the question is whether or not RIM actually stands a shot, or risks running the same fate as other tech companies. 

"With the success of the iPad, RIM faces an uphill battle," according to William Power, with Robert W. Baird & Co.  "RIM really has yet to demonstrate that it can roll out touchscreen technology to match the leaders in the space, most noticeably Apple."

What's your take readers?  Who stands to win in a fight between "Blackpad" and the iPad?  Feel free to leave some comments below!

Follow this article's author, Matthew Tilmann on Twitter