Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, and if your lover loves their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you’re in luck, there are some fantastic device, app, accessory, and media gifts to thrill them and score you major brownie points. Whether you’re romantic enough to prepare well in advance, or if you’re scrambling to stay off the couch, sit back and get your groove warmed up — Rene and I decided to do a little written ZEN and TECH this week and help you pick out the perfect Valentine’s Day gifts for your special someone.

Dream devices for the person of your dreams

On the off chance the love of your life doesn’t yet have an iOS device to call his or her own, that’s a great place to start. An iPod touch can be the perfect travel or exercise companion. An iPad can entertain and inform at home or away. An a iPhone can keep you both in touch no matter where you are. And Apple TV is perfect for all the couple movie classics.

And hey, if you’re in a long distance romance, just wait until they discover FaceTime.

• Apple iOS device gift guide

Awesome accessories

If your significant other already has their iOS device needs met, then accessories are your next best bet. There’s something about a tangible gift — something about receiving a gift, opening it, seeing and feeling it for the first time. It’s… real.

There are a ton of great iPhone and iPad accessories to choose from. Here are some of our favorites.

Case-Mate Barely There Brushed Aluminum Case for iPhone

Year after year, Case-Mate melts my heart with a shiny, sexy case for the iPhone and this year is no exception — the Barely There Brushed Aluminum Case is simply spectacular. As always, it’s light as a feather, extremely low profile, and the finish is fabulous. Girls will love the heart red or stunning silver, guys the basic black. Both will appreciate the aircraft-grade aluminum inlay, gunmetal hard shell, and awesome good looks of the Barely There Brushed Aluminum.

$29.95 – Buy now

Pad & Quill Little Black Book for iPhone and Contega for iPad

Little Black Book‘s are usually reserved for hot little numbers, and Pad & Quill’s take on the classic is no exception — it wraps your high tech iPhone in old word craftsmanship. It fits both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, it’s precision cut and framed from Baltic Birch, covered in Italian leather, bound in book cloth, with an extra pocket inside for credit cards or ID. If pink is your thing, Pad & Quill is offering the Little Black Book in just that special edition color, just in time for Valentine’s. If not, they have a rainbow of other colors to choose from, from red to blue and everything in between.

Contega brings the same hipster vibe and quality construction to the iPad with even more features, notably a fold-up stand to make it easier to type or just watch your movies.

$54.99 and up – Buy now

Jawbone JAMBOX

You put down your wine glasses, take each other’s hands, walk over to the dance floor, hold each other close — and hear the tiny, tinny sound of your iPhone’s speaker. Grrrrr. Jawbone’s JAMBOX makes up for Apple’s still disappointing audio with the best Bluetooth sound ever. It’s rich. It’s deep. It’ll keep you dancing until dawn.

$179.99 – Buy now

8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt

These light-up shirts from Think Geek will normally show two-and-a-half glowing hearts. But when you and your special someone come together, your heart bar glows full and you power up. Get one for yourself, one for your love, and whenever you’re together, your shirts will light up.

$17.99 – $24.99 – Buy now

Amazing apps

You know if there’s an app for just about everything, a large portion of those just have to be for love! Whether you’re deeply in love, trying to keep the home fires burning, or still trying to kindle the flame, there are most definitely apps for all that.

Online dating apps

If you’re still searching for that special someone, why not harness the power of your iPhone and iPad? Many of the popular online dating sites have apps in the app store, and since our lives are increasingly mobile, there’s no reason our love lives shouldn’t be as well. (The apps are usually free, as is browsing, but there are typically fees associated with messaging.)

Free – eHarmony

Variable – More online dating apps

Romantic apps

If you’re already in a relationship, especially if you’ve been in one for a while, and you need or simply want something sexy to spice up your Valentine’s day, the App Store has plenty to offer.

$1.99 – iKamaSutra

Interlude: A romantic rant

We looked for more apps we could recommend, but frankly most of them looked terrible. The icons were horrible, the screenshots were horrible, and the reviews were horrible. We’re long past the time lazy, opportunistic “developers” should be able to put out junk and make money off iPhone and iPad users. This should be a good market. There should be a great developer who can make a gorgeous looking, fabulous working dice game, spin the bottle, truth or dare, or something — anything — else for adults who simply want to have some fun. Take this as a challenge — by next Valentine’s Day, have some amazing stuff in the store for couples!

More apps

We offer up what we think are simply the best apps day in and day out here at iMore, just because it’s Valentine’s doesn’t mean you need to get a Valentine’s specific app. Sometimes something thoughtful, something that shows you’ve listened, learned your significant other’s interests, and found them something delightful is the way to go.

• iMore’s best app lists

Last minute gift ideas

If you’re reading this with only minutes to spare before your special someone comes to the door, or comes downstairs, all hope is not lost. In addition to the apps listed above, all of which can be bought in an instant, there are also several sweet services and certificates that are yours to be had, only a few clicks away.

Netflix, Hulu Plus, Slacker and other subscription

You’ll be stuck watching romantic comedies, chick flicks, or something racy, but you won’t be stuck on the sofa or the dog house!

• Netflix
• Hulu Plus
• Slacker Personal Radio

iTunes, App Store, iBooks gifts and gift certificates

If romance is still fresh and new and you don’t want to risk gifting the wrong app or iBook or iTunes music, you can get them a gift certificate. Don’t just hand it over, however. Take their hand and go online shopping with them!

• iTunes gift certificates

Amazon gift certificates

Amazon has a ton of digital content all there own, but they also have old school media — paper books, plastic CDs and Blu-Rays, games that come on cartridges… Gift certificates let your special someone pick just exactly the goods — real or virtual — they want, and Amazon will deliver it straight to the door or the device. Again, shop with them!

• Amazon gift certificates

Your Valentine’s gift ideas?

Did we miss any of your favorite Valentine gift ideas, past, present, or future? Anything that especially made your heart melt or soar or skip a beat? Please share in the comments!

Do you love Path, the slick, simple, moment-sharing social network app for iPhone? Well, you get ready to dial it back a notch, because apparently they’re storing your entire address book, e-mail addresses and all, on their servers, and in plain, un-encrypted text. What kind of evil deeds does Path have planned for all that data? Well, the CEO, Dave Morin, said that the data is used exclusively to notify you when your friends sign up for Path. He also claimed that it’s the industry standard to transfer that personal information in plain text, even though, as one commenter points out, it could be done with representative hash codes instead. Morin also said that they intend to update the iOS version with an opt-in dialog for the feature, which is a tweak they’ve already rolled out on Android.

If you’re not cool with the data Path already has stored on their server, you can e-mail service@path.com and they’ll wipe everything out for you.

The whole mess was discovered by the developer of an iPad news app called Denso. He was toying around with a new tool from mitmproxy.org that monitors the API calls made by apps by setting up a man-in-the-middle HTTP proxy.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this issue on iOS. Nuance‘s popular Dragon Dictation faced and addressed similar concerns back in 2009. While we’re prone to just hit the “allow” button on just about any app we download when prompted for access to personal data, you aren’t currently getting that message when downloading Path on iOS. Even if you were, it’s still pretty sketchy that this data is being transferred without any encryption whatsoever. What if Path’s servers got hacked? We wouldn’t get much more than a “whoops” from Path. What worries me even more is that there are still a ton of other services out there just farming up personal data from not only you, but everyone you know, without your express or implicit permission.

It certainly makes me think twice when signing up for new services…

Source: Read Write Web, Denso, mitmproxy.org

The VooMoteZapper is a small accessory that clips into the dock connector of your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and turns it into a universal infrared remote control for your TV and home theater components. Figuring out which remote controls which device, where to find batteries when they run dry, how to fix them when something goes wrong, or what to do when you can’t find them are just some of the problems we face. There are a lot of dedicated universal controls, from cheap dollar-store varieties to incredibly expensive, programable Harmony remotes already. All of them offer to make our lives simpler and easier by replacing the complexity of multiple remote controls with a single, simple solution. There are other iPhone remote adapters as well. But the VooMoteZapper looks to be one of the smallest and most elegant so far.

 Say goodbye to the days of switching from app to app or fumbling for the right remote.  The all-in-one VooMote Zapper software and hardware combine all you need for an entire home entertainment experience. With VooMote Zapper App, you don’t have to sacrifice customization for convenience. Consolidate all your remotes, TV Guide functionality (coming 2012), facebook and twitter (coming 2012) and still define custom remote layouts, programming and much more!

The VooMoteZapper can not only control single items of equipment but, like a Harmony remote, it also has the ability to be programmed with macro functions too. This enables you to program a string of commands under one function for example "Watch a movie", this could then automatically turn on your TV, start your Blu-ray player and turn on your home theater surround sound system too.

Unlike the Harmony and other, dedicated, universal remotes, it harnesses the wonderful multitouch display of the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad for its user interface, making it far more powerful and easier to use.

The downside of course is that you need to have an iOS 5-compatible device available in your living room all the time. If you have an extra iPod touch, it won’t be a problem. If you’re trying desperately to change channels and your spouse is talking on the iPhone or your child is playing on the iPad, it could be quite frustrating.

The VooMoteZapper is available online from the Apple Store for $69.95 and is available in a few different colors like red, green, blue, pink and gray.

$69.95 – Buy now

Via: 9to5 Mac

HoverBar is a new mount from Twelve South that turns your iMac or Apple Cinema Display into a futuristic iPad 2-powered workstation. If you’re less into Iron Man-style productivity and more into simple utility, you can also mount HoverBar in the kitchen to help with cooking, in the bedroom for reading or video watching, or in the living room for couch-side information surfing.

HoverBar connects iPad 2 to your Mac, creating a dynamic duo. An awesome, Tony Stark – inspired, desktop workstation with a beautiful Apple display and a killer touchscreen computer hanging by its side. HoverBar presents more ways to use iPad more often. Collaborate on a project with FaceTime, monitor the weather and interact with your favorite apps. HoverBar rescues iPad from the computer bag.

HoverBar makes this all possible by positioning your iPad alongside your Mac in perfect harmony, allowing you to work in a uniquely different way. Just connect HoverBar to the back of your Mac and snap in your iPad 2, and you get the best of both worlds — a keyboard and touchpad/mouse powered Mac to pound out productivity and a full on multitouch iPad for quick content creation and consumption.

Twelve South is known for high quality, innovative products and accessories, and HoverBar looks to be no exception. If you want to keep your iPad handy, but your hands free, check out the HoverBar.

• $79.99 – Buy now

Siri, Apple’s digital assistant technology exclusive to the iPhone 4S, currently accounts for nearly 25 percent of all search queries conducted through the Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge engine. According to The New York Times:

Less than three years ago, Dr. Wolfram created a new kind of search engine, called Wolfram Alpha . Unlike Google or Microsoft's Bing, Wolfram Alpha does not forage the Web. It culls its own painstakingly curated database to find answers. [...] the technology has come a long way, including delivering many answers for Siri, the question-answering personal assistant in the Apple iPhone 4S.

Originally geared towards math and science queries, Wolfram Alpha has expanded functionality to cover tasks like unit conversions, statistical data aggregation, and consumer-oriented activies such as displaying local show times or calculating distances. This has made it far more useful to mainstream consumers — the kind likely to have an iPhone 4S and Siri.

Apple sold over 37 million iPhones last quarter and the iPhone 4S took the top spot in terms of smartphone popularity, so it’s no surprise that a full quarter of searches on the service are from Apple’s digital assistant. And with smartphone adoption hitting massive growth — paired with speculation that Apple has plans to bring Siri to future iOS devices — it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched to imagine Wolfram working overtime just to provide curated results for Apple products.

Source: NYT

What it lacks in depth or features, HQ: To Do makes up for in speed, style, and simplicity. For those interested in getting things done, it’s a good place to start.

HQ: To Do for iPhone is for those who need more than Apple’s built-in Reminders app, but not anything as complex or costly as some of the full on GTD (Getting Things Done) or power-user productivity apps available in the App Store. Part of the new generation of big, bold, user experiences, HQ: To Do does a good job of making sure most of what you need is always right under-thumb, and available, with a couple taps or swipes. And it looks great doing it.

Creating projects and lists in HQ: To Do is very easy and fast because the UI isn’t cluttered with an overflow of options. HQ: To Do also makes use of quick gestures like sliding over a project for easy access to checking it as done, deleting it, or making edits.

That makes HQ: To Do a good fit for everything from groceries to packing lists to daily to-dos. The touch targets are large, which makes the interface easy to use while out and about, and there are enough colors and contrasts to easily let your eye quickly find exactly what it’s looking for.

It’s also really easy to see which tasks are still pending, which tasks are done, and which are (long?) overdue. If you’re action oriented, HQ: To Do makes it simple to know what’s next. HQ: To Do also makes clever use of gestures so, once you’ve gotten familiar with it, getting around is as quick as a swipe and a flick. There are even “quick-swipe” filters to rapidly re-order and re-organize your projects.

Again, HQ: To Do isn’t for the GDT or super-productivity crowds. If that’s you, you’ll be happier with Omnifocus, Appigo Todo, or Things. HQ: To Do, however, is a good way to get started.

$1.99 – Download Now

If the camera on your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS has stopped functioning you can DIY repair it in about 20 minutes and it’ll cost you far less than getting an out-of-warranty repair from Apple, or giving up and buying a new iPhone. All you need are the right tools, the right parts, and the right guide. Just like taking care of your old car can keep it on the road for years to come, taking care of your older iPhones can keep them in service for you, or the family and friends you hand them down to, or keep their value higher for resale.

Here’s how.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, iMore nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It's also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don't feel comfortable opening your device, don't. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What replacing a camera will fix

• Distorted pictures *A blacked out camera lens

It’s always worth first trying an iOS restore to rule out a possible software issue before performing a hardware repair. Also, if you cracked the actual glass over the camera lens this won’t help you. You’ll need to replace the actual back housing of your device instead.

What you need for a DIY camera repair

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• A sad iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS
• A replacement camera assembly – iPhone 3G camera, iPhone 3GS camera
• A #00 Phillips screwdriver
• A suction cup
• A plastic pry tool or spudger
• A SIM removal tool or paperclip

Power off your iPhone

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the dock connector screws

Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the 2 screws located on each side of the dock connector.

Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly

This part can be a bit tricky so please do this with extreme care so you don’t tear any cables during the process. I highly recommend using the suction cup method unless your screen is cracked above the home button for some reason and you can’t get a proper seal with the suction cup.

Suction cup method (recommended):

The easiest way to remove the digitizer assembly is by using a suction cup.

1. Position the suction cup on the screen directly above the home button.
2. Using your other hand, hold down the frame while gently pulling up on the suction cup.
3. The goal is to get the bottom of the digitizer loose. Do not pull directly up. There are 3 cables attached in the top right of your iPhone. You do not want to tear these. Just pull up until the bottom of the assembly pops out.
4. After you have the bottom up you can remove the suction cup.

Spudger/razor blade method (only use this method as a secondary method):

ONLY use this method if your screen is cracked above the home button. If this is the case, you’ll need to use a razor blade or spudger in order to remove it. And while you’re at it, replace that broken screen!

1. Starting in the bottom left hand corner, insert a plastic spudger and gently pry up. Once the first side is starting to pop up, do the same on the bottom right side.
2. Run your pry tool along the bottom of the device in order to pop up the bottom of the assembly. Take special care around the home button area.

Remove the cables that attach the digitizer assembly to the logic board:

Once you have the bottom of your digitizer assembly popped up we can remove the cables attaching it to the logic board.

1. Gently lift up your digitizer enough to have a clear view of the 3 cables in the top right of your iPhone.

2. With your plastic spudger or pry tool, you’ll need to pry up the first two cables that attach the digitizer and LCD. They should be labeled with orange stickers numbered 1 and 2. Simply pop them off the logic board gently.

3. Underneath these cables you’ll see one other labeled as cable 3. This one is a bit trickier as it is clipped down. You’ll need to gently pop up the clasp holding it into the fastener. It is a tiny white clip. Simply pop it upwards and the number 3 cable should then slide right out.

4. Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly and set it aside.

Remove your SIM card

Using your SIM tool or a paperclip, either works, remove your SIM card and tray from your device.

Unclip cables from the logic board

1. Towards the top left of the logic board, use your pry tool to pop up the two cables labeled 5 and 6.

2. Towards the bottom of the logic board, 3G owners will only see one cable to the left labeled 4. 3GS users will see two cables (one on each side of the dock connector) labeled 4 and 7. 3G users will just pop up the number 4 cable while 3GS owners will need to pop up both the number 4 and 7 cables.

Remove your logic board

1. Remove the 8 screws outlined in the video that hold the logic board in place. One of the screws is under a Do not remove sticker at the bottom right by the dock connector. Obviously you’ll have to remove the sticker to get to it.

2. Make sure you place the screws in an order you will remember. They are different sizes in some instances so you’ll need to make sure you put them back in the correct order.

3. Notice the screw holding the camera in place has a metal bracket underneath it. Just take care not to lose this as you’ll need to put it back during reassembly.

4. Gently pop your camera up with your spudger or pry tool.

5. Insert your pry tool in the space between the dock connector and logic board and gently pry upward to loosen the logic board.
6. Gently grab the bottom of the logic board and slide it out downwards to remove it.

Remove the old camera and connect the new one

The camera on both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is connected by a single cable attached to the under side of the logic board. Pop off the old camera with your spudger or pry tool and connect the new one.

And… done!

All that’s left to do is to put your iPhone back together. You can watch the complete repair and re-assembly on video below. And if you run into any issues or have other suggestions about mods or repairs you’d like to see us cover, you can check out our brand new mod and DIY forum.

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly! Of course, you can like us and follow us just because you think we’re cool too!

Activator allows you to set up custom gestures to launch apps or utilities on your jailbroken iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Setting up an Activator gesture takes just a few seconds and the possibilities are endless — double tap the status bar to launch a quick SMS or Twitter reply, swipe to access an SBSettings or another app.

Install Activator

Activator can be found in your Settings app. If you’re jailbroken, chances are you already have Activator installed whether you know it or not. Many utilities and applications in Cydia, the jailbreak app store, support it, and will install it as a pre-requisite to using the app. SBSettings, which lets you quickly toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Airplane mode, among other things, is an example.

If you don’t see an Activator your Settings app, you can install it for free via Cydia.

1. Launch Cydia and tap on the **Search** tab.
2. Type in **Activator**
3. Tap on **Activator**
4. Tap the **Install** button in the upper right hand corner.

Your device will require you to re-spring (restart the Springboard, or Home screen app) after installation. Then you’re good to go.

How to configure a gesture in Activator

1. Launch the **Settings** app.
2. Tap **Activator**.
3. Choose how you want to trigger an actions.
4. Choose what you want the action to do.
5. One the supported apps show up, choose the one you want.

We typically recommend you allow Activator gestures to work from anywhere. However, you may not want this if you’re setting a gesture that slides in from the bottom or top of the screen as it can conflict with the controls of some games. There’s nothing like trying to slice in Fruit Ninja only to suddenly find yourself in a different app!

There are plenty of action options to choose from. For example, you can set up double tap on the status bar to bring up quick reply for Messages+.

Once you’re done, you’ll be able to perform any gesture you’ve specified, or call up any supported app or command on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Under iOS 5 you can even set up Twitter gestures and other system gestures like activating Siri.

If you have any favorite or especially cool Activator gestures set ups you’d like to share, let us know in the iMore apps, hacks, and themes forum.

Additional jailbreak resources:

• Jailbreak news, guides, and how to’s
• General jailbreak help and discussion forums

For today only, the iMore Store has the Qmadix Bezel Slide-On Cover for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 on sale for only $34.95! Get them before they’re gone!

Get the Qmadix Bezel Slide-On Cover for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 now!

The Qmadix Bezel Slide-On Cover for iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4 combines revolutionary design with true innovation in a slim profile aluminum case.

This forward thinking protective solution utilizes a brilliant slide-locking mechanism that ensures a seamless fit. The Bezel Slide-On Cover exceptional ergonomics and is tooled from aircraft grade aluminum for a flawless fit and finish.

Features:

• Precise, custom fit for iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4
• Complete access to buttons, controls, and ports
• Protects against scratches and bumps
• Easy to install and remove
• Aircraft grade aluminum case

“MyFitnessPal is free, a MyFitnessPal account is free, and if you’re dedicated enough to stick with them, the positive effects they can have on your health are priceless.”

In today's fast paced, highly mobile society it is often much easier and cheaper to eat fast food on the go than it is to spend the time and money to east fresher, more healthy meals. MyFitnessPal wants to make the switch to a healthier lifestyle easier by helping you track your calories and activity levels, set your weight-loss goals, and monitor your progress.

Losing weight and getting healthy is not easy. It's even harder to do alone. But if you’re looking for assistance, putting the MyFitnessPal calorie tracking app on your iPhone (or iPad, it’s universal), is a great way to get keep you going in the right direction, and a great goal to consider for our Mobile Nations Fitness Month.

MyFitnessPal launches and shows you how many calories you can consume

After installing MyFitnessPal you have to enter your personal information. This helps create your calorie goal and intake needs for each day.  The first page that launches gives you your calorie goal, and once you start inputting foods and exercise into MyFitnessPal it will calculate your remaining calories available for the day. Directly below this you will see a news feed that displays your updates, as well as updates from any friends you may have added through the app’s social networking feature as well.

Easily add breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to MyFitnessPal

There are a few ways to add food to your diary; the first is simply by clicking the Add to Diary button that appears right next to your remaining calories counter. From there you can either search for the food you are eating, or if there happens to be a barcode available, you can scan it right in. (MyFitnessPal does a good job finding most products.) The food database contains over 1 million entries for things as simple as an onion or slice of cheese to your favorite meal at Outback Steakhouse or the Olive Garden.

View a breakdown of each meal in your daily diary

In addition to logging the food you are taking in, it is equally as important to log any exercise you have completed for that day because that will help ensure that your calorie goal remains accurate. With over 350 different exercises in the application, logging the exercises you complete should take only seconds. Each day you can enter your weight into the application to help you keep track and on the right path. If you have a specialized fitness device, like a Fitbit, MyFitnessPal can interface with that as well.

Monitor your progress with a chart of your daily weigh-in information

Your weight will show in a graph so you can visually see if you are headed in the right direction or not. At the end of each day there is a button to complete logging your food entries for that day, and this will then pop up a message which gives you how much you would weigh in five weeks if you continued to eat and exercise the way you did that day.

In addition to the iPhone app, MyFitnessPal also works on the iPad. The iPhone is ideal for entering data while on the go during the day, but the iPad is nice for looking over and analyzing your progress when you have more time. You can also log anything and everything through the MyFitnessPal website so even if you don’t have your iPhone or iPad handy, you still have a way to stay on track.

The good

• Barcode scanning makes adding food quick and easy
• Links with popular fitness devices like Fitbit
• Social networking features help keep you motivated (peer pressure!)
• Also available for iPad and via the web

The bad

• Cardio activities are more confusing to add since you don’t always know the specifics of speed, heart-rate, etc.
• If a particular food is not in the database, adding it is difficult

The conclusion

MyFitnessPal is is free, the MyFitnessPal account is free, and if you’re dedicated enough to stick with them, the positive effects they can have on your health are priceless. It’s the dedication part that’s really important. You need to be completely honest about what you eat, how much you are working out, etc. If you’re looking to take better control of your weight or your fitness, get MyFitnessPal and get one step closer to a healthier lifestyle.

Free – Download now

While Apple probably wishes they’d really locked down the trademark rights to the iPad name long ago, the folks at Proview Technology in Shenzhen have a prior claim to the name and they’re taking Apple to court over it. They’re asking Apple stop selling the iPad in China (which only went on sale in the area recently), and demand an apology. Proview Shenzhen had registered the trademark in 2001, but their sister company, Proview Taiwan, had sold the rights to the iPad name to a UK firm, even though the Taiwanese company didn’t have rights to the trademark. Despite that, a UK company then sold the rights to Apple, which now counts iPad on their official trademark list. Apple had known about this whole mess, and had sued Proview Shenzhen last year to assert their claim to “iPad”, but had lost the suit. Now it looks like Proview is taking the fight to Apple.

Apple still doesn’t own ipad.com, and with this trademark issue lingering, there’s a clear gap in their IP rights. It’s not like they don’t have enough money to throw at the problem, and that said, odds are slim that this trademark suit will pose any serious roadblock to the advance of iPad in China.

Proview makes outdoor LED lighting, so it’s not like there’s any real competitive overlap here; they probably just want a big fat payoff, and it’s hard to blame them. 

We’ll be keeping an eye on the lawsuit’s progress following the initial hearing this month.

Source: China Daily

The Devium Dash Kickstarter project is a replacement stereo system for your car with one big difference. Its brain is your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. The unique Devium Dash is composed of two parts. The body sits in your car and provides 4 x 50w to power your speakers, two 2v Maxim preamps for front and rear/sub, as well as AUX-in and a video pass-through for an in-car display. The faceplate attaches magnetically to the body and docks your iPhone or iPod touch. This means that, for example, if Apple releases an iPhone 5 with a different form factor, you don’t need to replace the entire Devium Dash when you upgrade; you simply acquire a new faceplate adapter.

Once slotted into the Devium Dash, your iPhone or iPod is fully powered and you then have access to all your iTunes and streaming media, including services like Pandora and Netflix hands free Bluetooth calling, turn-by-turn navigation apps and, of course, Siri. Because the Devium Dash holds your device in landscape orientation, they are planning several custom apps such as a phone dialer and substitute “home screen” with app shortcuts to make the experience better. They’re also teasing a kit that will let your iPhone or iPod touch communicate with your car’s on-board computer.

Toss the CDs, chargers, and FM transmitters and show off your awesome piece of technology. Get your phone out of the cup holder, your pocket, or the unsightly windshield mount. Now there’s a place for everything. Dash, patent pending, is the convergence of the car stereo and your smartphone. Today's smartphones provide a level of connectivity, accessibility, and usability that has not been possible in the car audio market Dash doesn't require that you learn a new interface to use your stereo. You already know how to use your phone to access your music, your navigation app, your phone calls, and the incredible number of other apps in your phone's marketplace.

Obviously the downside is that you have to remove your existing in-car entertainment system to fit the Devium Dash. They maintain this is no more difficult than installing a GPS unit, so if you are happy enough to do that, and the Devim Dash is compatible with your car model, then installation should be pretty simple.

Mobile devices like the iPhone and iPod touch are taking an increasingly important role in automotive technologies. Several prominent systems like Microsoft Sync and OnStar now interface with iOS apps, and electric cars like the Chevy Volt and Focus Electric provide for even higher levels of remote control. For people who have older cars, however, mobile device integration has been extremely limited. While focused on entertainment and travel assistance, products like the Devium Dash open the door to the next generation of driver experience.

The Kickstarter project has so far attracted pledges of over $20,000 which is just under the half way mark before it gets funded. It still has 45 days to run so we will keep a close eye on it to see if it makes it.

The Devium Dash is expected to ship in July, 2012.

Source: Kickstarter via @adora

Devium Dash – Daily-use Demo from Paul Lizer on Vimeo.

With iOS 5, Apple introduced a split keyboard mode for the iPad, so we could more easily type with our thumbs when holding the iPad in both hands. If you already use the split keyboard, you know it provides one of the best touchscreen typing experiences on any tablet. But did you know Apple built in “phantom keys” to make typing with the split keyboard even faster and easier?

How to activate the split keyboard

If you’re not familiar with the split keyboard, it’s easy to enable.

1. When the keyboard is visible, tap-and-hold the Shuffle Slider button on the bottom-right hand corner of the keyboard.
2. From here, a popup menu will let you activate the split keyboard, or just slide your finger up to split the keyboard into two sections.
3. Adjust the keyboard placement to your liking.

Bonus tip: Once you get the hang of it, you can simply “pinch to zoom in” (like you would to make a photo or website bigger) to split the keyboard, and “pinch to zoom out” (like you would to make a photo or website smaller) to join the keyboard back up again.

How to use the phantom keys

It turns out, when using the split keyboard, the empty spaces on the inside edges actually function as if the missing keys were actually there. So, for example, if you want to type ‘H’ you can just tap the empty space next to ‘G’, and your iPad will subsequently output ‘H’ without actually requiring you to tap the key. (And vice-versa.)

This is a great feature for those of us who type based on muscle memory and expect keys to be where we’re used to them being. Most of us don’t have thumbs long enough to reach entirely across an iPad screen, but when we’re typing fast we’re certainly apt to reach a little, anticipating an extra key to be there.

By making “phantom keys” available, but invisible, Apple provides the best of both worlds. Our eyes see where we should be typing, but the system catches us if our thumbs inadvertently overreach themselves.

It’s thoughtful user interface design like this that’s makes typing on the iPad even faster and easier than it otherwise might be.

Check out the video above to see it in action.

• More iPad typing tips

Source: Finer Things in iOS

The rumors surrounding an Apple’s iTV television don’t seem to be slowing down, and now a report has come out suggesting that two of Canada’s top telecommunications companies, Rogers and Bell, are in talks to provide content for the still-unannounced, unreleased device.

"They're not closed to doing it with one [company] or doing it with two," said one source who is familiar with the talks. "They're looking for a partner. They're looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities."

According to The Globe and Mail all three companies declined to comment on the matter, as expected. However, a second source claimed that both Rogers and Bell have the Apple television in their labs for testing.

The Globe and Mail also reported on iPhone and iPad based controls, Siri integration, and even Xbox Kinect-style remote gesture keyboards, though the sourcing of that information read more like analyst musings/wishful thinking than solid leaks.

Our living rooms are still a major battleground, with everyone from Apple to Google to Microsoft to Sony vying for the “third screen”, a connected television, to add to the desktop/laptop and phone/tablet experience. However, no one has yet taken a decisive lead.

Steve Jobs famously said in his biography that he “cracked the television interface”, and doing for television what the iPhone did for phones and the iPad for tablets would no doubt be welcome by many consumers who can’t find the shows they want, when they want, on who-knows which box and with what remote any more. However, providing content for an Apple television, especially network programming, sports, and live events, is a huge challenge in a industry run by a multitude of regional cable monopolies.

The iPad has overcome some of this via apps that function like channels — different television networks like ABC, studios like Sony, and sports leagues like MLB all have dedicated apps, some free, some requiring subscription, some requiring proof of existing cable service.

Apple’s current Apple TV set top box, instead of apps, has built-in partner channels including MLB, but no App Store and no way for users to pick and choose which ones they want.

If Apple is, in fact, working on content deals with the likes of Rogers, it sounds like that same partner channel approach might be where we’re headed for the Apple television. That’s great for content, but not for selection.

Source – The Globe and Mail

It’s hard enough to find high quality apps in the App Store these days, what with 500,000+ iPhone and iPad apps to sort through, and copy-cats to contend with, so it’s welcome news that Apple is cracking down on marketing scams that seek to cheat their way to the top charts. Here’s what they just told developers:

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

This is better for users who want to find great apps and not have to sift through potentially poor quality apps artificial pushed to the top. It’s better for legitimate developers who shouldn’t have to worry about their hard work being overshadowed by illicit marketing scams. And, frankly, it’s better for web sites like iMore who are sick and tired of refusing offers for “expedited” or “pre-scripted” reviews.

Hopefully Apple is serious about this, and serious about revoking developer accounts if they directly or indirectly try to game the system. If that sounds a little harsh, it’s because the situation within the iTunes App Store needs to improve and soon. If Apple can help by cleaning out those who violate the terms by resorting to cheap marketing tricks then all the better.

It doesn’t solve the core problem of app discoverability for users, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Source – Apple Developers

Was Apple investigating the idea of Mac OS X iPads, or MacBook Airs running on ARM chipsets?

In 2010, Apple's Platform Technologies Group (a subdivision of the CoreOS department) spent some time working on a project to port the Mac OS X Darwin kernel to the ARMv5 chipset architecture — the same family of chipsets that currently powers iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad.

Here’s a snippet from the project, titled Porting Darwin to the MV88F6281, subtitled ARMing the Snow Leopard:

The goal of this project is to get Darwin into a workable state on the MV88F6281 processor so that other teams can continue their work on this platform. The project has three major milestones:

1. Getting the buildsystem into shape, so that it can build the kernel and kexts.
2. Building and booting the kernel into single user mode.
3. Booting the system into multi-user mode.

The project was only made public several months ago. While iOS also uses the Darwin kernel, this project involved Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and was left for the CoreOS teams to continue. Since Mac OX X 10.7 Lion has since shipped, as have newer generations of iPad and MacBook Air, without any sign of MAC OS X on ARM, it’s unknown if this project is still ongoing or has since been put on the shelf. However, the author of the paper is now a full-time employee at Apple, working as a CoreOS Engineer.

While some might find the idea of a Mac OS X iPad intriguing, Tablet PC, which put full Microsoft Windows on a tablet, never gained any traction in the market. It, like Mac OS X, was simply not designed for a multitouch user interface.

Microsoft, to their credit, is currently working on Windows 8, which will have both a Windows Phone-like Metro user interface optimized for tablets, and a more traditional Windows 7-like interface for desktops and laptops.

Instead of making MacBook Airs with ARM processors, Apple decided to take iOS software “Back to the Mac” instead with OS X 10.7 Lion.

Given Apple’s preference for simplicity, and the huge sales they’ve achieved with iPad, it seems unlikely they’d deviate from their current strategy. Indeed, there has been more speculation of late that Apple would continue to move iOS towards the Mac, as opposed to moving the Mac to ARM.

However, Mac OS X once ran on Power PC chips, yet Apple had it secretly running on Intel chips at the same time. It only makes sense for a company as forward thinking as Apple to have ARM-compatible builds of OS X in the development labs.

SO while neither an OS X tablet nor an ARM MacBook Air seem likely, it’s interesting to see further evidence of Apple keeping the Mac platform nimble.

UPDATE: For those curious about the group, kernel, and chipset referenced above, here are the descriptions from the project introduction:

About the Platform Technologies Group

As it was described by a manager: "We do the plumbing, if we do our jobs right, you never see it.". The Platform Technologies Group, a subdivision of the Core OS department, works on the embedded platforms that Apple maintains. Here, platforms are brought up and the embedded kernel and lower level support for the platforms is maintained.

What is Darwin?

Darwin is the lower half of the Mac OSX operating system. It includes the XNU kernel which is based on the Mach microkernel, and the userland.

What is the MV88F6281?

The MV88F6281 is an ARMv5te compatible processor from Marvell. It is based on their custom Sheeva core, which is designed to be like the ARM926EJ-S core from ARM. It has all the features youʼd expect from a modern CPU, including several high speed SERDES lanes, a Harvard L1 cache, and 128kb of unified L2 cache.

Source: Delfte University of Technology