If you want a cheap iPad 2 and don’t really care about what, exactly will be announced at Apple’s March 7th event tomorrow, then Future Shop has a sweet deal waiting for you. They’ve gone ahead and announced that all iPad 2′s with Wi-Fi & 3G price points have been dropped by $150.

• Apple 16GB iPad 2 With Wi-Fi & 3G – Black or White – $499.95
• Apple 32GB iPad 2 With Wi-Fi & 3G – Black or White – $599.95
• Apple 64GB iPad 2 With Wi-Fi & 3G – Black or White – $699.95

Seems Future Shop wasn’t wanting to wait until the next-gen iPad gets announced to offer up some deals and clear some stock. Either way, you may want to take advantage of the offer quickly considering iPad 2 stock has intentionally been left to run dry.

Once again, rumors are circulating about an Apple TV 3 update to accompany the new iPad 3/iPad HD. Adding yet more weight to previous reports, The Verge‘s Josh Topolsky says the new Apple TV will indeed be 1080p, and what’s more:

According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple will update both the new Apple TV and the iPad 3 (or iPad HD, a name we first unearthed last year) not with the rumored, quad-core A6 system-on-a-chip, but rather the A5X, a dual-core SoC said to have a more powerful GPU. From what we’re hearing, it’s basically an A5 on steroids.

Our source was adamant that neither of the new products would be receiving the next generation chip — rather, that Apple seems to be waiting for the launch of the iPhone 5 to introduce the rumored A6.

iMore, and others including Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber, have heard the iPad 3 will be quad-core, and 9to5Mac has found code strings for both the A5X and A6 in iOS. Apple could have the different chips in different models, or could have decided to stick with dual core for battery reasons. We’ll find out tomorrow.

Topolsky also paints a complex radio picture:

two distinct, separate versions of the LTE tablet ([one for AT&T, one for Verizon]). In addition, there’s a third international model which does double duty on 3G; a CDMA / GSM model using a similar radio chipset to the iPhone 4S (a Qualcomm Gobi chip).

That would be two 4G LTE models for the U.S. (that could fall back on 3G), a 3G model for international markets (no LTE outside the U.S.), as well as the usual Wi-Fi only model.

Source: The Verge

The long-in-beta iOS 5.1 software has a Gold Master (GM) candidate, build 9B176, and has passed quality assurance (QA) testing by Apple and their carrier partners. According to Will strafach of Chronic Wire:

The build number of iOS 5.1 Gold Master is 9B176 according to a very solid source, although three different partners who are testing the Gold Master claim to have slightly (by single digits) higher builds numbers on their copies, I’m assuming that’s because right now it’d make sense for those people to be testing what will soon be released as 5.1.1, so I’ve disregarded the claims.

Currently, only Photo Stream photo deletion, faster camera access, Japanese Siri support, and some privacy fixes, are rumored to be included in iOS 5.1, but Apple often keeps major new features under wraps until they debut with a new device.

Since tomorrow is the iPad 3/iPad HD event, it seems likely the rest of the features will be revealed and the Gold Master will be given to developers, with release a couple days before the new hardware hits the shelves.

• iOS 5 forum
• Developers forum

Source: Chronic Wire

Tomorrow, Wednesday March 7, 2012, at 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm GMT Apple will be announcing the next generation iPad, and perhaps a whole lot more. We’ll be doing a special edition iPad Live podcast with yours truly as well as Simon Sage, and guest appearences from the Mobile Nations crew, including Phil Nickinson and Kevin Michaluk. We’ll be following along with the event and providing our usual mix of up-to-the-minute commentary, witty color, and expert analysis. Our live chat will be in full effect, so you can comment right along with us!

We’ll also be getting all the big announcements up on the main page just as fast as inhumanly possible, so you can follow along via RSS, Twitter or Facebook.

Then at 6pm PT/9pm ET/2am GMT Georgia and I will be back on Ustream for our regularly scheduled iPad Live podcast, doing a full-on post game show and wrap-up with special guest David Barnard of App Cubby.

If you haven’t already, check out our complete rumor roundup and iPad event preview and then go and tell us what you’re expecting to see from Apple tomorrow, or jump right into the iMore forums and give us all your predictions.

We’re less than 24 hrs away from go time, folks. Keep your browsers locked on iMore.

NimbleBit, the creators of the hugely successful Tiny Tower game for iOS, are working on their next title called Pocket Planes.

You’ll recognize the adorable 8-bit-style graphics right away, but this game looks like it will be much more involved than Tiny Tower. Pocket Planes will be more of a time management and resource investment game similar to Now Boarding ($1.99 – Download now); you manage your airline staff, coordinate flights, load up passengers, and get them to their destination. With the money you earn, you can buy new planes, hire new staff, and open connections to new cities.

What’s going to make Pocket Planes deeper than Tiny Tower (which boiled down to a simple and addictive restocking game) is that the planes have a ton of statistics on range, speed, cargo capacity, and offer a lot of customization in terms of paint jobs, pilots, and costumes for those pilots. This opens up a lot of gameplay variety. For example, you could have a bunch of small, regional pockets offering speedy commuter service within certain regions, or you could skip passengers altogether and focus on delivering cargo instead, or you could go for distance, and invest in expensive long-haul airplanes. Given the number of cities you’ll be connecting, the flight network could very quickly – especially once your airline expands overseas.

Pocket Planes is still a work in progress, so all of this is subject to change. Even if they end up ditching the in-app purchasing mechanism, I’d be willing to shell out a few bucks for this title when it lands this summer.

Source: TouchArcade

The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS are some of the easiest iOS devices to DIY repair. With the right tools and parts, swapping out your bad LCD for a brand new one is a pretty easy and much cheaper than purchasing a new iPhone.

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.

Symptoms

• Screen is very dim or you can barely see an image
• Lines or pixels distorting the screen
• If your iPhone seems to work aka you can hear system sounds, slide to unlock, but can’t see an image – your LCD probably went out

What you need for a DIY LCD replacement

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 LCD – iPhone 3GS LCD, iPhone 3G LCD
• A #00 Phillips screwdriver
• A suction cup
• A plastic pry tool or spudger

This repair will be performed in exactly the same manner regardless whether you have an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS.

Power off your iPhone

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

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.

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.

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.

At this point you can set the body of your iPhone aside and flip over the front screen assembly, which contains your earpiece.

Remove the LCD assembly

For this step, you’ll need to remove 6 screws that hold the LCD in place. If you’ve replaced your digitizer before, you should be familiar with the screw locations and how to remove the LCD.

1. There are 6 screws holding the LCD in place. They are all the same size. Three on the left side of the frame, 2 on the right side of the frame, and 1 on the top right holding down the induction flex. Remove all 6 screws with your #00 Phillips screwdriver and set them aside.

2. Next use your pry tool to slowly work the LCD out of the old assembly on the left and right sides. It should come out fairly easily. Just take special care not to scratch it while removing it. The LCD and back plate will remove in one piece as they are glued together.

Remove the frame from the old LCD

Most LCDs will not come with a new back frame so you’ll need to remove the frame off your old LCD and place it on the new one.

1. Using a pry tool, spudger, or razor blade edge – run your tool between the frame and old LCD to break the adhesive. There isn’t a ton so you won’t have to pry very hard.

2. As the frame separates from the LCD, separate the 2 completely.

Place the frame onto the new LCD

Peel the backing (protective cover) off the new LCD and place the frame onto the back of the new LCD. Most replacement LCDs will come with adhesive already installed. If not, you can use any type of electronic adhesive you’d like. I personally prefer using a universal double-sided adhesive

Reassemble your iPhone

Now that you’ve gotten the new LCD placed onto the frame, it’s time to reassemble your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS. To do so, simply follow these instructions in reverse order or watch the video above for a walk-through of reassembly.

And… done!

When you power your iPhone up you should now have a fully functioning LCD again. If for some reason the LCD doesn’t work, first check the cables and make sure they are secured to the logic board correctly and securely. If you run into any other issues, check out our mod and DIY forum links below for even more help and tips.

Additional resources:

• iMore Mod & DIY forums
• How to replace an iPhone 3G/3GS digitizer assembly
• Even more DIY repairs and modifications

An anonymous source from an Apple Store claims that there are big preparations underway to start selling the iPad 3 on March 16. Tomorrow afternoon Apple is holding an event which will solidify or explode all of the wild iPad 3 rumors, but a March 16 launch passed on to 9to5Mac seems like a safe enough bet, considering Apple has a tendency to get their products into stores very shortly after announcing them. Most of our sources suggested March 30, which is an uncharacteristically long wait, but one way or the other, you’re probably going to be able to get an iPad 3 before the end of the month.

There are a ton of iPad 3 features that we’re still not 100% sure about, including LTE support, upgraded cameras, and a retina display, but until tomorrow, they all exist solely in the realm of wishful thinking. As far as release dates go, is March 30 too much of a wait for you guys? March 16 seems more sensible given Apple’s habits, doesn’t it?

Source 9to5mac

73% of Mobile Nations iPad 2 owners are planning to upgrade, but to what exactly?

While we wait for tomorrow's big iPad event, I thought it would be fun and informative to explore whether or not the next iPad (iPad 3 or iPad HD depending on which rumor you listen to) would drive massive upgrades for Apple.

Last week we ran a Mobile Nations survey on the state of tablet adoption. Now we have to keep in mind that the folks who come here to read about Apple products and fill out surveys about their use of Apple products are clearly early adopters. So your responses don't tell us what the mass market is doing. But they do tell us what early adopters are doing. And that's still useful. It’s also important to remember that the survey wasn’t just of iMore readers, but Android Central, CrackBerry.com, WPCentral, and webOS Nation as well. So we’re dealing with more than just Apple enthusiasts.

Check out this statistic: In our survey, a whopping 73% of iPad 2 plan to buy a new tablet this year. The stats also suggest that interest in Windows 8 is significant, though. Of the 73% people iPad 2 owners who plan to buy a new tablet, a solid 18% of them plan to switch over to the dark side. No other competing platform has anywhere near that much interest from current iPad 2 owners in our survey.

We're assuming that it's a fact, at this point, that tomorrow's iPad announcement will include a Retina display that’s 4x the pixel density as the current iPad. This opens the door for Apple to leave the iPad 2 on the market at a lower price point.

Given the huge margins on iPads and the massive market opportunity that Apple is going after, I think it makes sense to keep the iPad 2 on the market at a reduced price. Lower prices will make it easier to go after the education market, for example.

A lower price also makes it easier to compete with the $199 price points of the Kindle Fire and BlackBerry Playbook. $499 for an iPad feels like a big stretch versus $199, but when you consider the larger size and super HD resolution, it's compelling for those who can afford it. But if Apple could keep the iPad 2 on the market at a price that makes it easier to upsell people away from a $199 competitor, all the better.

So what about all the people who plan to upgrade? If the iPad 2 price gets cut as I'm hoping, then there will naturally be a flood of very low-priced "gently loved" Apple tablets hitting Craigslist and eBay.

The name of the game, for Apple, is to own mobile computing. They never owned the PC market and perhaps they never will. But they can dominant in mobile computing and I think an iPad 3/iPad HD along with a price cut on the iPad 2 is a great opportunity for them.

Are the instruments in GarageBand for iPad just not good enough for you? Amidio is in the process of making a universal iPad/iPhone case with Bluetooth connectivity and… wait for it… a dedicated ukele synthesizer app. Futulele will support 12 chords for each song, with the ability to switch chord sets easily. Sharing, recording, and effects from their previous app, OMGuitar, will be ported over to the app.

Of course, we’ve seen accessories like this before, such as Guitar Apprentice, which is built to be more of a faithful reproduction of the real instrument, and honestly, this seems like overkill given that ukeleles are really inexpensive — you can get one for $30 or so. If iPad connectivity is really that important for sharing or editing, why not just  use it to record your performance on a real instrument?

Futulele is still in the prototype stages, and Amidio is hoping a manufacturing partner will be able to squeeze in some dedicated speakers into the case as well. Anyone interested in this sort of thing?

Source: Mashable

YouTube link for mobile viewing

For today only, the iMore iPhone Accessory Store has the Seidio SURFACE Reveal Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 for only $16.95! That’s a whopping 43% off! Get them before they’re gone!

Shop Seidio SURFACE Reveal Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 now!

The SURFACE Reveal is the right case for those who want to protect their iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4 with a slim case. With this redesign of the popular SURFACE Case, you'll discover a hard case that is even thinner than the iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4 SURFACE with a cut-out revealing the Apple logo.

Familiar features, such as Seidio’s soft-touch coating, felt-lining interior and slide-in design, enhance the look and protect your iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4.

Features:

• Sleek style case 0.12cm
• Does not attract lint
• Cutout for Apple Logo
• Precision cut outs for device features
• Unique slide-in design

A U.S. judge in Chicago has just ruled that information about Google’s acquisition of Motorola is a key part of Apple’s claims against Motorola in their ongoing patent disputes and legal battles. The ruling means that Apple will get some key information about the development of Android, and potentially find other cases of infringement there. As you might expect, Motorola isn’t thrilled about this, and claims "Google's employees and documents are not within the 'possession, custody, or control' of Motorola, and Motorola cannot force Google to produce documents or witnesses over Google's objections."

It’s a little funny that Google acquired Motorola as a patent safety net, and now it’s actually proving to be more of a liability. There’s been some contention as to whether or not Google should be involved in Motorola lawsuits at all, since the acquisition is still in-progress. Of course, if Motorola can stand its ground against Apple in this case, it could set a strong defensive precedent for Android as a whole against future lawsuits. Details are skimpy on exactly how much access Apple will have to Google and Motorola’s files; what are the odds that seeing them will provide Apple with any significant competitive advantage outside the court?

[via Bloomberg]

Apple will almost certainly announce their next generation tablet tomorrow, the iPad 3 (now rumored to perhaps be called the iPad HD, but what other devices will Apple announce?

Apple TV 3 seems the next most likely, given how stock of existing Apple TV 2 units has all but disappeared from the shelves. Apple didn’t refresh the Apple TV 2 last fall, so it’s getting a little long in the tooth, and if the iPad 3 brings iTunes 1080p, certainly a 1080p Apple TV should come along for the ride.

The “And touch.” part of Apple’s iPad 3 event invitation has gotten hopes up for an iPod touch 5. Like the Apple TV, the iPod touch went through all of 2011 without a major refresh (all it got was a white option). A bump up in specs to match the iPhone 4S and Siri could be in the cards, or an increase in screen size to 4-inches or so could make for an even better mini-tablet without putting too much of a strain on that Retina display.

Speaking of mini tablets, those iPad mini rumors just won’t die. (Even after Steve Jobs basically stomped them into paste.) While competing at the low end with the Amazon Kindle Fire just isn’t Apple’s style, selling tens of millions of additional iPads certainly is. Could they really be considering a 7- to 8-inch iPad? And could they be considering it for tomorrow?

Like Apple TVs, the Time Capsule internet router + hard drive combo Apple sells is also conspicuously absent from Apple Store shelves at the moment. It’s nowhere near as sexy as the iOS devices, but with iCloud being the backbone of Apple’s plans for the next decade, could there be a big surprise coming in the form of an all-new, all-iCloud enabled Time Capsule?

And then there’s the 36- to 50-inch elephant — or unicorn — in the room. The long rumored Apple iTV Television. We’ve heard Apple’s working on it in the labs, and Steve Jobs said he nailed the interface before he passed away. Then again, he also said the go-to-market strategy was unclear. Has it finally cleared up enough for Apple to release their television? If so, could it be tomorrow?

Finally, could there be any surprises? A stripped down iOS-powered Apple TV controller? An Apple designed car integration kit? An all-new, all amazing Apple boom box for the iOS generation?

For a full rundown of all the rumors, check out our complete iPad event preview and join us tomorrow at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm GMT for commentary, coverage, analysis and more.

Now you know the drill! Vote up top and give me your full predictions in the comments below!

EA has severely underestimated the popularity of any game that involves characters and voices from the hugely popular animated TV series The Simpsons. After releasing its latest game called The Simpsons: Tapped Out, it has now embarrassingly had to remove it from the App Store as its servers are being slammed and user experience is being badly affected.

To make sure you current players have the best possible experience, we've temporarily removed The Simpsons: Tapped Out from the App Store. Yes, as a current player you can keep playing — and things should only get better as we make improvements to connectivity. Once we have a solution, we'll return the game to the App Store so new players can join in the fun. Meanwhile, thank you for your patience and support.

The game is still playable if you already managed to grab it; but it is no longer listed in the App Store. The game involves rebuilding Homer's home town of Springfield after a nuclear explosion. Players rebuild the city and gain game currency which is measured in donuts by completing tasks along the way; players can also buy donuts through in-app purchase to advance more quickly through the game.

EA hasn't said when the game will be back in the App Store but we will keep an eye out for it and let you know as soon as it does!

Source: Facebook via MacRumors

Do you have a desire to journal but get writer’s block every time you stare at that blank page or screen? Getting started can often be the hardest part of journaling. Roller Journal knows this and guides you through your journalling journey by asking you simple, effective questions to get you started.

When creating an entry with Roller Journal, you are immediately asked one of twenty questions, including, “What are you looking forward to?”, “If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be”, and “What’s one thing you’d like to change about today?”

After answering a question, you can have Roller Journal continue to ask you more questions until you’re done. If you don’t want to answer a particular question, you can delete it and move on to the next one. You can also set up Roller Journal to always ask you a predetermined set of questions every time you journal for those one or two particular questions you want to keep track of and see how your answer changes.

Speaking of which, if you want to track a specific question, Roller Journal offers a way of looking up all the answers you’ve given to a particular question so you can see how it’s changed and hopefully get some insight about yourself. Unfortunately, you cannot create custom questions.

For the private types, Roller Journal has the option to be passcode protected, and for the public types, you can share your entries with Facebook and Twitter. You can also backup all your entries with Dropbox so that you can relax knowing that your journal will never be lost.

This is such a great way to get started with keeping a journal. The hardest part is starting, but Roller Journal takes that burden away from you by asking questions that hopefully provoke more than just one word answers — and if you do give short answers, that’s ok too — everyone’s gotta start out somewhere.

$1.99 – Download Now!

Is this a genius marketing ploy by Verizon, a coincidence, or just plain laziness? With everyone now looking forward to the March 7th Apple event, Verizon has somehow found the time to put a new teaser up on their website.

Something Is Coming.

Given the rumors of the iPad 3 (or iPad HD?) coming equipped with 4G LTE, it’s certain some people will take this page as a teaser for a Verizon LTE iPad. Of course, it’s more likely Verizon is simply laying the groundwork for yet another Android phone or tablet, or simply trying to round up any stray email addresses they can.

Any way you want to look at it, though, it’s very curious timing indeed. Anyone signing up…?

Source: Verizon

Halftone is a fun little photo editing app that creates comics out of photos by adding add paper styles, captions, speech balloons, graphic stamps, and fonts (including built-in comic fonts).

When you first import or capture a photo, Halftone gives you options to add effects, crop and rotate the photos, and make adjustments to brightness, contrast, saturation, colors, and sharpening. Once these edits are complete, the photo gets imported into the comic editing mode and the real fun begins.

It’s here that Halftone lets you choose between 25 paper styles and 9 layouts. If you add speech bubbles, Halftone will even recognize faces in your photo for automatic balloon placement. Next, you can choose between 15 different color-customizable stamps such as “Arrrggh!”, “Blam!”, “Sploosh” and other shapes like stars, hearts, and fireworks. Lastly, you can choose between an expansive list of fonts including 3 licensed comic fonts: Digital Strip, Alter Ego, and Billy the Flying Robot.

Once your masterpiece is complete, you can send it as a postcard, save to your camera roll, email, print, or send to other photo editing apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Photogene.

$0.99 – Download Now!

Apple’s iPhone has always led the industry in mobile HTML5 support and a new study suggests they’re even further ahead of Google and their Android operating system when it comes to HTML5 gaming in particular. Using their benchmark system called PerfMarks, spaceport.io put iOS and Android through a number of tests, with one of those tests being how well the operating systems could animate image movement. The ability to animate image movement is important to HTML5 testing as it gives a visual representation to users as to how fast or slow a game is working and ultimately, is a clear indication of performance.

According to the information, the iPhone 4S scored 252 PerfMarks and the iPad 2 scores 327, which is up from 2009 when the iPhone 3GS scored only 53. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone, by comparison, scored 147 and the Kindle Fire scored only 25. The iPad 2 beat all Android devices, even those with better specs such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 which came in with a score of 65.

"HTML5 is getting faster over time, as seen in the latest OS updates across Android and iOS. Although this is a welcome trend, there is still a long way to go," said Spaceport.io founder Ben Savage. "We hope the spaceport.io PerfMarks report will act as a bellwether for mobile browser and operating system creators who hope to better serve the HTML5 game development community."

Spaceport.io hasn’t as of yet published the PerfMarks documentation but it is noted they will do so at the second annual HTML5 Game Developer Conference on May 21 in San Francisco. Overall, iOS and Android have shown great improvements as a whole with a 100 percent increase in HTML5 compatibility for gaming but when broken down, iOS leads the way.

Source: VentureBeat

Apple is once again rumored to be purchasing screens for a smaller, iPad mini type device. This time for 7.1-inches, according to VentureBeat.

Something closer to 7 inches makes more sense for Apple, since it would be able to directly compete against Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire, which will likely see a significant price reduction this Fall. Our source says Apple is particularly keen on taking back ground from the Kindle Fire, which is estimated to have sold 6 million units over the holidays. Apple is positioning the smaller iPad for launch later this year, but those plans could easily change, our source notes.

I’m not quite sold on the idea of Apple releasing a smaller tablet just on the grounds of competing with one specific product, especially a smaller, cheaper less capable device. It just sounds like the same type of thinking that had analysts and pundits alike insisting Apple simply had to produce a netbook to compete with zero-margin PC laptops.

Apple sold 15.43 million full sized, full priced iPad 2 tablets last quarter alone. Apple also typically keeps developers in mind. Adding another iPad would mean either scaling apps down to fit a physically smaller 1024×768 screen, or creating yet another UI size for developers to target. Triple binaries sound like fun to anyone?

Source: VentureBeat

800 photos a minute — this an insane amount of photos and Fast Camera for iPhone accomplishes this without skipping a beat.

Fast Camera is one of the more interesting apps I’ve come across lately. The second the app launches, it opens the camera and a little ticker starts rolling. There is no visual cue that photos are being taken except for this ticker, and I’ll admit, I was a little confused. Once I realized what was happening, I tapped stop, then preview, and boom, there was 200 photos of my MacBook Air, in only about 15 seconds.

Then I thought out loud — “holy crap.”

After further investigation, it turns out that if you want photos to be taken at this rate, you must have it set to VGA quality, even from the rear camera. At 8 megapixel sized photos, the rate is closer to 140 photos per minute – which is still pretty darn fast. (Take a look at the larger version of the above photo to see the stopwatch times while taking 8 megapixel sized photos).

Situations where Fast Camera will be helpful could include trying to capture a series of photos to tell a story, wanting to catch an exact moment (like your dog catching his ball mid-air), or even for group photos — prop up your iPhone, set the built-in timer in Fast Camera, then press start and run into the group. After the photos are taken, you can scroll through to find the best shot.

Fast Camera is normally $0.99, but for today only, it’s free! So go grab it!

Free – Download Now!

We’re just mere days away from Apple’s March 7th event and needless to say, we’re pretty excited about that. We’ve racked up plenty of content over the weekend and even today, as we get closer to the event so if you missed out on anything, you’ll want to use the blogs to get yourself caught up to speed. Once you’re done that, if you’re still looking for more iOS goodness then check out the iMore forums. You can register now to get started today and while you’re at it, check out some of the threads below:

• LTE data plans – stay the same or change?
• Need help getting Music onto new computer
• Springboard keeps crashing, what should I do?
• March 7th, it’s on. Let’s discuss it!
• Location based reminders causing battery drain?
• Can carriers control/block notifications on iOS?

If you’re not already a member of the iMore Forums, register now!