Georgia, Seth, and Rene discuss low Siri usage levels, whether iOS 6 needs a new Home screen, Notification Center do not disturb, Pandora vs Slacker vs Spotify shootout, Quasar, BIG JAMBOX, and the iPhone bra. This is iPhone & iPad Live!

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Meta

• Editor's desk: WWDC 2012 and iOS 6, Google Drive, Google and Facebook apps, iCloud guide, and more
• What would you do with $110 (not billion) dollars?
• iMore community spotlight for April 2012
• Siri co-founder talks to iMore about the future of technology, mobile interfaces, and implementing Siri
• Which celebrity would you most like to see talking with Siri in an iPhone commercial?

iOS 6

• Siri six months later: Community report card
• iOS 6: Is it time for Apple to revamp the Home screen?
• OS X Mountain Lion gets Notification Center do not disturb — Can we have that for iOS 6?

News

• RIM Australia admits it was responsible for Wake Up flashmob at Sydney Apple Store
• Nintendo posts first annual financial loss as casual gaming continues to shift to Apple and iPhone

Apps

• Pandora vs. Slacker vs. Spotify: iPhone music streaming app shootout!
• Now you can stream music from Spotify directly to your iPad
• View multiple windows on your iPad with Quasar jailbreak tweak [Updated]
• Now you can block retweets from individual users with Tweetbot 2.3 for iPhone and iPad

Accessories

• Take your Bluetooth speaker power to the extreme with Jawbone's BIG JAMBOX
• Make your iPad look like a MacBook Pro with Brydge, a new Bluetooth keyboard on Kickstarter
• JoeyBra lets ladies carry their iPhones safely and discreetly while dancing the night away

Hosts

• Georgia (GeorgiaTiPb
• Seth Clifford (@sethclifford)
• Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)

Credits

RENE: You can reach all of us on Twitter @iMore, or you can email us at podcast@imore.com

For all our podcasts — audio and video — including iPhone and iPad Live, ZEN and TECH, Iterate, and more, see MobileNations.com/shows

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Marvel’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers, are assembling in movie theaters tonight, but you can Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPhone right now!

Avengers wallpapers for iPhone and iPad

Want to put the Avengers front and center on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad? Show off your favorite Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Hawkeye, or the Black Widow pose? We’ve got them Retina-ready and waiting in the iMore forums

• Avengers wallpapers for iPhone and iPad

Avengers apps and games for iPhone and iPad

While there’s been some great Avengers content on the App Store before, thanks to game tie-ins based on previous Iron Man movies and such, Marvel and Disney have put out three specific tie-in apps for the iPad.

• Marvel’s Avengers: Iron Man – Free – Download Now
• Avengers Origins: Hulk – $1.99 – Download Now
• Avengers Origins: Assemble – $1.99 – Download Now

If that’s not enough:

• All Avengers related iPhone & iPod touch apps
• All Avengers related iPad apps

Avengers movies, TV shows, books, and comics for iPhone and iPad

iTunes has a ton of Avengers content ready and waiting for you to load up on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. There are the prequel movies: Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America. There are cartoon shows. There are sound tracks. And, of course, there are comic books (I particularly recommend Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s seminal “The Ultimates” series for a great, modern take at “humans of mass destruction”)

• Avengers on iTunes and iBooks

Avengers DVDs, Blurays, toys, t-shirts and more

If physical goods are more your thing, Amazon has a ton of Avengers merchandise for you to choose from, including collected editions of many of the classic comic books, as well as action figures, and much, much more.

• Avengers on Amazon

Avengers discussion

If you’ve seen the Avengers and want to share your review or discuss your thoughts and feelings, jump into a Movie Forum and do just that!

Samsung has announced their next generation flagship Android phone, and as expected it’s the Galaxy S III (no, they didn’t go with “the new Galaxy”). Android Central is covering everything live from London and they’ve already gone over all the big stuff. On the hardware, Alex Dobie says:

The Samsung Galaxy S III is perhaps best summarized with three S's — sleek, sexy and shiny. It's available in two colors — pebble blue and pearl white, and both versions feature the same glossy plastic finish with a metallic trim around the side. It's a fingerprint magnet to be sure, but the Galaxy S III certainly isn't lacking star quality — it looks and feels like a high-end device, and Samsung's made a clean break with some of its older design language in this new flagship product.

Sadly, it doesn’t look like they upgraded the plastic of their casing to match the Nokia Lumia 900 or HTC One X, which means I’m still calling Hasbro on the feel. However, everything else looks significantly great. As for the software:

The new design language is most evident in the new TouchWiz lockscreen, which ripples like a pool of water when activated. Audio cues, too, take on a more naturalistic approach, with droplet sounds punctuating UI interactions like menu selections and button presses.

Also, the TouchWiz launcher has been re-vamped, but the changes are largely cosmetic — different icons, different chrome, but functionally very similar to the way TouchWiz'd ICS operates on the Galaxy S II. You've got seven home screens by default, customizable with the usual plethora of bright, vivid widgets (yep, TouchWiz is colorful as always). There's a neat 3D transition effect when jumping from panel to panel, and thanks to the bleeding edge hardware inside the phone, all this visual finery flows off the screen at a buttery-smooth frame rate.

Android Central has literally a ton more coverage, including a monstrous gallery and a bunch of video.

• Samsung Galaxy S III gallery
• Samsung Galaxy S III software hands-on
• Samsung Galaxy S III hardware hands-on
• Live in London: Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012!
• Samsung Galaxy S III specs

Head on over there now, drink it all in, and then come back here and let us know what you think. Will the Galaxy S III slow down iPhone 4S sales in the short term? Will it force Apple to raise the bar even higher for the iPhone 5?

Two anonymous sources are claiming that Twitter was looking to acquire Camera+, one of the top iPhone photography apps available. This, of course, would be in response to Facebook recently snagging the hugely popular iPhone app Instagram. Unfortunately, the folks that make Camera+ are all over the world, and few were willing to move to San Francisco as a part of the deal.

Twitter has a long-standing mobile lineage, so it makes sense that they’re looking to the world of iOS apps to expand their workforce. They reportedly even had talks with Instagram (as did Google) before Facebook swooped it up. Sure, Camera+ only has a fraction of the userbase Instagram enjoys, but really any devs with experience creating filters could significantly upgrade the embedded photography functions of the native Twitter apps for iOS. Camera+ already plugs into Twitter, includes geotagging support, and has offers image stabilization when taking your picture.

Even if these talks fell through (if they happened at all, that is), it’s entirely possible that Twitter execs will continue to hunt for savvy app developers to upgrade Twitter’s mobile photography experience. Maybe the guys at Camera Awesome would be open to that kind of conversation….

Twitter has a history of buying mobile apps and taking on their developers, after all. They bought Loren Brichter’s Tweetie for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and they bought Tweetdeck, darling of the social marketers.

How often do you guys share pictures on Twitter? Which cloud service do you usually upload to? Is there a particular iOS app you use to take your snaps? Do you tend to apply artsy filters when you share mobile pics online?

Source: Bloomberg

iMore’s authoritative guide to the very best, absolutely free apps and games for iPad

Looking for great free apps and games for your iPad? The App Store is home to over half a million apps and games, and a surprising number of them are available for free. That’s free as in free of charge to buy, free of subscriptions to use, and free of any crippling or time-bombing to make you pay later. They’re just free. But which free apps are the best? Which are the top free apps you just absolutely have to download right now?

That’s where iMore comes in! Here’s your ultimate, authoritative guide to the top, 100% free iPad apps for social networking, IM and communications, education, entertainment, finance, fun and games, health and fitness, kids, music, navigation and location, news, photography, productivity, reading, shopping, sports, travel, and general utility.

Whether you’re new to iPad and looking for a fast, free way to get started with apps, or you’re just bored and looking for a little free fun, check out the apps and games below. And hey, since they’re free, you can download them all!

Best free social networking apps for iPad

Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social network on the planet, and it’s always been one of the most popular free apps on the iPad. Inside the free Facebook app, you can update your status, view photos, and check into your location. You can also keep up with your news feed, messages, events, pages, chat, as well as upload your photos and videos, and much, much more. (And if you’re looking for more friends, check out our Facebook name swap thread!)

• Download Now

Twitter

The free, official Twitter app for iPad is the best way to get started finding cool celebrities and interesting internet personalities to follow, and trending topics to get involved with. (And be sure to check out our Twitter name swap thread to find other iMore members to tweet with!)

• Download Now

LinkedIn

With the LinkedIn app for iPad, you will have on-the-go access to your professional network. You can keep up with the latest news and keep up with your groups and share content.

• Download Now

Best free IM and communications apps for iPad

Skype

The free Skype app for iPad lets you make free audio and video calls and exchange text chats from your iPad to other iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users, as well as Android, Mac, Windows, and millions more Skype users around the world. You can also buy Skype credits to call conventional phone numbers at really low prices.

• Download Now

IM+

IM+ from Shape Services gives you free access to Facebook, Google Talk, WLM, AIM, ICQ, and more right on your iPad. It also includes free Mobile to mobile Beep service, and works as a free alternative to SMS. Group chats, message history, multimedia messages and more are also included.

• Download Now

imo instant messenger

imo is another great, free iPad app for those who love traditional instant messaging (IM). imo supports Facebook Chat, Google Talk, Skype, MSN, ICQ/AIM, Yahoo, Jabber, Hyves, VKontakte, Myspace, and Steam. You can send text, images, and voice as well.

• Download Now

Best free educational apps for iPad

iTunes U

The free iTunes U app for iPad gives you access to courses from universities and schools. These courses are completely free and even include assignments. iTunes U and the instructors provide course materials, including audio, video, books, documents & presentations, apps, and books. iTunes U includes over 500,000 free lectures, videos, books, and other resources on thousands of subjects from Algebra to Zoology.

• Download Now

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is one of the best products of education and the internet, and with the Khan Academy app for the iPad, you will have free access to over 2700 videos on topics ranging from kindergarten, advanced science, humanities, history, and more. Even more, you can download the videos to watch offline, keep up with what the teach is saying with organized captions, and earn achievements as you learn.

• Download Now

Flashcards+

With school comes lots of studying. One of the most common studying techniques is to use flashcards. With the free Flashcards+ app for iPad, you can say goodbye to the stacks and stacks of flashcards that accumulate over the course of a semester and use electronic flashcards on your iPad instead.

• Download Now

Best free entertainment apps for iPad

Crackle

While apps like Netflix are free, you still have to pay for a subscription to actually use them. Not so with Crackle! The free Crackle app for iPad lets you watch hours and hours of Hollywood movies, from Resident Evil to A Few Good Men, and TV Shows from I Dream of Jennie to the Tick, absolutely free. And it supports AirPlay so you can watch on your big screen TV.

• Download Now

IMDB

IMDB’s free iPad app means you’re always only a few taps away from the latest show times, trailers, movie and TV rations, and cast and episode lists. It’s the perfect couch-side companion for any serious entertainment buff, and the perfect mobile app for cinema buffs!

• Download now

TED

The free TED app for iPad blurs the lines between education and entertainment, showcasing riveting talks from experts in the fields of technology, entertainment, and design. With the TED app, you can browse their complete catalog of talks, bookmark and download your favorites, and share individual talks and playlists with your friends. It’s like holding genius in the palm of your hand. For free.

• Download now

Best free financial apps for iPad

Bloomberg

Bloomberg for iPad is a great way for casual traders and investors to interact with their stocks and stay up to date with world news. Whether you need to casually monitor stocks on your iPad or just find the urge to check out financial news, the free Bloomberg app has you covered — for free!

• Download Now

Mint.com

The free Mint.com for iPad app gives everything you love about the web site on the go and in the palm of your hand. You can track, manage, and budget your money, connect your bank, credit, and other financial accounts, and safely, securely keep it with you wherever you are. It also syncs with the Mint.com website so you’re always up-to-date.

• Download now

Checkbook HD Free

If connecting your checking account to a third party service isn’t your style, Checkbook HD Free lets you use your iPad as a checkbook registrar and more. You can also track your spending on credit cards, savings accounts, cash on hand, or any other account types you may have. While you track your spending, Checkbook HD will create pie and bar charts and reports about your spending and where your money is going.

• Download Now

Best free games for iPad

Angry Birds HD Free

The free Angry Birds app lets you play one of the most popular games in the world right on your iPad — for free. Yes, it is supported by adds, but you’ll be too busy catapulting birds and destroying pigs to even notice them!

• Download Now

Draw Something Free

Draw Something is a sensation and you can play it on your iPad for free with Draw Something Free. In Draw Something, you have a partner and you take turns drawing pictures with the goal of getting each other to guess the correct word. Just like Angry Birds Free, Draw something Free is supported by ads.

• Download Now

Hero Academy

Hero Academy is a great turn-based free iPad game where you and a friend (or random partner) take turns moving and attacking each other with various army pieces on a checked board. You have a set number of action points with which to move your pieces, bring in fresh ones from your stash, upgrade your pieces, and, of course, attack. The main goal is to either whittle down a few crystals on your opponent’s side of the board, or run them out of troops.

• Download Now

Best free health and fitness apps for iPad

Epicurious

One of the biggest aspects of living a healthy life is to eat healthy food, and with the help of Epicurious Recipes and Shopping List for iPad, you shouldn’t have a problem conjuring up healthy choices. This gorgeous recipe app is packed with recipes and regularly updates with new ones.

• Download Now

WebMD

WebMD is a reputable and accurate online source for medical facts and advice, and with the free WebMD iPad app you’ll have complete access to mobile-optimized health information and decision-support tools including WebMD's Symptom Checker, Drugs & Treatments, First Aid Information and Local Health Listings.

• Download Now

MyFitnessPal

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. Keep track of 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.

• Download Now

Best free kids apps for iPad

PBS KIDS Video

The free PBS KIDS Video app brings all your child’s favorite shows right to your iPad. Curious George, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, SUPER WHY!, Sesame Street and Wild Kratts and are all here and ready to entertain and educate.

• Download now

Curious George at the Zoo

If your child is interested in animals, then Curious George at the Zoo is a great free iPad app to educate and entertain them. Explore an interactive 3D zoo, learn about and interact with the animals, watch videos and play games, all on the iPad for free.

• Download Now

Squiggles!

Squiggles! is a very fun interactive drawing iPad app for kids. Each drawing page asks the child to add squiggles to the picture to make cars drive, give nests to birds, create cotton candy, add water for fish to swim in, etc. When the child is done adding their squiggles and other additions to the picture, they press “GO” to watch it come to life. It’s very fun and actually amazing that this app is free.

• Download Now

Best free music apps for iPad

Shazam

How many times have you been listening to the radio, or attending a party, or watching TV when you hear a song that you like but have no idea what the name of the song is or even who the artist is? With the free Shazam app for iPad, all have to do is let your mic listen to the song for about 30 seconds, and Shazam will tell you exactly which song it is!

• Download Now

Slacker Radio

Don’t have much music stored on your iPad? Don’t fret! With the free Slacker Radio iPad app you can stream radio to your iPad for free. The Slacker music library features millions of songs from thousands of artists and you can customize your own radio stations with your favorite artists and songs. In addition to music, you can also listen to ESPN Radio, ABC News, comedy and more.

• Download Now

TuneIn Radio

The free TuneIn Radio app for iPad gives you on-the-go access to over 50,000 radio stations worldwide. From the local station where you may live now to the far away station where you may have grown up or simply visited and always remembered, TuneIn radio has over 120,000 free shows for you to choose from, right on your iPad.

• Download now

Best free navigation and location apps for iPad

Waze social GPS & traffic

The free Waze app for iPad uses Open Street Map data, which means you’re contributing to building a map as you drive, and you also get to view the things added by others. The crowd-sourced nature of Waze lets users share information about traffic jams, accidents, speed traps, and other pertinent data. It includes standard turn-by-turn navigation, but the accuracy can vary depending on the quality of the maps in your area.

• Download Now

Google Earth

The free Google Earth app for iPad lets you, literally, hold the world in your lap. Spin the globe, fly over Antarctica, zoom through Tokyo, or simply check out your own back hard. Google Earth beautifully melds satellite and aerial mapping and imagery to give you just a glimpse of how Superman might feel.

• Download Now

Compass++

You iPad is equipped with a compass, yet Apple chose not to include the Compass app that can be found on the iPhone. Compass++ HD is a free app that will fill that void. It features a huge beautiful compass in the middle of the screen with the digital degree vales for true north and magnetic north. Compass++ also has 5 different themes that you can swipe through.

• Download Now

Best free news apps for iPad

Flipboard

The free Flipboard for iPad app shows you the news that matters to you, along with recommendations from your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram friends. That makes it a dynamic, up-to-date, but highly personalized magazine, right in the palm of your hand! It’s also makes it easy to share the stuff you like most back with your friends and social circles.

• Download Now

Pulse News

Pulse News, from Alphonso Labs is an awesome free newsreader for iPad that brings all your news together into one place. With Pulse News, you choose the categories you want to display and the specific content for each section. For example, you might want to add a Gaming, Sports, News, Tech, Science, Art and Design any number of additional categories.

• Download Now

AP Mobile

The free AP Mobile app brings the Associated Press right to your iPad. With comprehensive, timely coverage of local and global news it’s not like having a newspaper or TV station in the palm of your hands — it’s like having their news sources. Plus, if you find yourself in the middle of the news, you can even send the AP your tip!

• Download Now

Best free photo apps for iPad

PhotoToaster Jr

The iPad is an awesome device for editing photos, so if you’re looking for a fantastic app that lets you make impressive edits — for free — look no further than PhotoToaster Jr for iPad. PhotoToaster Jr allows to choose from 14 different effects and different white balance presets, and add vignetting and frames. All of the filters and effects also allow you to fine tune them to your liking by adjusting saturation, sharpness, color filters, cross processing, and more.

• Download Now

Pic Stitch

There are a lot of collage apps in the App Store, but what’s great about Pic Stitch is that it’s free! With Pic Stitch for iPad, you can create beautiful collages that tell a story in just a few taps. It features 32 different layouts and after you’ve finished your masterpiece, you can share it to your favorite social network or another photography app.

• Download Now

Panorama 360 Camera

If you have the new iPad or an iPad 2, you can use the built-in camera to take stunning panoramic photos with the free Panorama 360 Camera for iPad. The panorama app makes capturing your photos easy because all you have to do is pan the scene while Panorama takes photos in burst mode. It’ll then stitch them all up for you and create a beautiful panorama image!

• Download Now

Best free productivity apps for iPad

Adobe Reader

With the free Adobe Reader app, you can have all your PDFs stored right on your iPad. What’s more, you aren’t limited to just viewing PDFs, but you can annotated them with text, handwriting, strikethroughs, highlights, and more. You can also fill out forms and add your signature.

• Download Now

Evernote

Evernote isn’t just a great free note-taking app for iPad. It’s a great free note-taking app on almost every platform. That means no matter where you are, or what device you have access to, your notes are always there for you. You can also add pictures and search for text in the images, add voice notes, and easily share what you’ve collected.

• Download Now

Dropbox

The free Dropbox for iPad app gives you access to all your files stored in your Dropbox account (free up to 2GB). You can mark items as favorites to store them locally on your iPad for offline viewing, save photos and videos to your Dropbox account, and easily share them with family, friends and colleagues.

• Download Now

Best free reading apps for iPad

iBooks

iBooks is Apple’s free ebook and PDF reading app for iPad. It’s a stylish way to read not only books purchased from the iBookstore, but all the free books from the massive Project Gutenberg library as well as any of your own ePub or PDF files.

• Download Now

Readability

Readability offers a gorgeous way to read articles from your favorite website without the distraction of ads and other fluff — for free! You simply set up your free account and add articles with a bookmarklet . A lot of other apps, like Twitter, offer Readability support so that you can add articles directly from those apps.

• Download Now

Kindle

The free Kindle App for iPad is Amazon’s ebook reader. Unlike Apple’s iBooks, Kindle is cross-platform. If you already have a large Kindle book collection, free or otherwise, or you just want to keep your options open for the future, Kindle is a great choice.

Best free shopping apps for iPad

Catalogue by TheFind

Say goodbye to the giant pile of catalogs on your coffee table and pick up Catalogue by TheFind for iPad to meet all your department store shopping needs. You will find all the top catalogs for men, women, kids, beauty, toys, home retailers, and more. Catalogue features a simple, clean interface makes shopping easier than ever!

• Download Now

Ebay

When you’re not shopping catalogs and department stores, you probably head to eBay to search for the items you need. With the free eBay for iPad app, you can browse, buy, and pay for items on the popular auction service.

• Download Now

Gilt

Who doesn’t love a good deal? With Guilt for iPad, you can find sales for up to 60% off on today’s best labels. You can shop for anything and everything — and fast. Shopping has never been so fun and easy. And since you’re getting such great deals, you can push those feelings of guilt aside when shopping with Gilt!

• Download Now

Best free sports apps for iPad

ScoreCenter XL

ScoreCenter XL is a free iPad app by ESPN that brings you the latest scores, standings, and news for dozens of sports and hundreds of teams around the world. If you have a free myESPN account, you get automatic access to all your favorites. If you don’t, you can choose baseball, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, rugby and soccer teams to follow right on your iPad.

• Downlaod Now

MLB.com At Bat

Although it has premium options, the free or "lite" version of MLB at Bat for iPad still gives you access to lots of great content. You can watch the scoreboard during every game, see news and highlights from recent games, buy tickets to upcoming games and check in around the league for other scores and highlights. While diehard baseball fans will want to buy the full app, the Lite version is great for casual fans on the go.

• Download Now

NBA Game Time Courtside

NBA Game Time is sort of like MLB.com At Bat – but for basketball. During games, you can follow the game practically play by play – seeing who is on the court at every moment and then seeing the scoring plays displayed on the iPad. You can also check the scores around the league, watch video highlights, check the standings, look at the schedule for every team and get information on each arena.

• Download Now

Best free travel apps for iPad

Yelp

If you’re searching for a place to eat, shop, drink, relax and play, the free Yelp for iPad app will provide you with a map or list of exactly what you’re looking for. Each location is also filled with reviews by users who have been to that place before. When you decide on a place and have finished your visit, you can leave a review of your own for other users to read when in the same predicament that you were in.

• Download Now

TripIt

The free TripIt app for iPad, when paired with a free TripIt account, becomes your virtual travel assistant. Simply email any flight or hotel confirmations to TripIt and they’ll automagically get logged and displayed on your iPad, along with helpful maps and additional information to make your travel safer and easier.

• Download Now

Google Translate

While there are a lot of language courses and travel references available for the iPad, the free Google Translate app lets you find the right phrase, in the right language, right when you need it. Text translation is available in 64 languages and voice translation in 17. Yup, you can talk instead of type! Fantastique! Hen hao!

• Download now

Best free utilities for iPad

Find my iPhone

The free Find my iPhone app by Apple will help you locate your iPad in the unfortunate event that you misplace it or it gets stolen. You can track your iPad from another iOS device or from the iCloud website. You can also send a message and alert to your iPad to help you find it or to provide contact information in the even that someone found your iPad. If you’re concerned about the security of your data, you can remotely lock your iPad or even wipe it with the free Find my iPhone app.

• Download Now

Nightstand Central for iPad Free

Obviously your iPad knows how to tell time, yet Apple didn’t include a dedicated clock app on the iPad like they did the iPhone. No worries, though, with Nightstand Central for iPad Free, you can use your iPad as an alarm clock each morning. It has a beautiful UI, plays a slideshow in the background, and includes current weather information.

• Download Now

The Weather Channel

Here’s yet another app that Apple left off the iPad — Weather! The Weather Channel app is a great replacement. It features interactive maps and radar, severe weather alerts, and hourly and 10 day forecasts. You can also watch videos of breaking news and weather coverage and upload and view photos of the weather taken by other users. And you get all of this for free!

• Download Now

Your favorite free iPad apps?

Did we miss any of your favorite free iPad apps? If so, head on over to our iPad apps and games forum and add yours to the favorite free iPad apps list! We’ll be updating this post often, so your pick could be next!

NPD and comScore released quarterly research figures over the last few days which suggested that Android was beating out iPhone in the U.S. marketshare. However, some digging into the numbers show that might not be the case. According to the financial results directly from the major carriers, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint (who account for 80% of all U.S. smartphone sales according to Yankee Group), iPhone should have around 50% of the pie, not 29% as NPD suggested, or 30.7% by comScore’s calculations. In light of the questioning, comScore commented that among the top three carriers, iPhone growth beat Android’s (13% versus 11%) but sales from regional carriers and T-Mobile closed the gap. NPD meanwhile explained that they track sales, which is separate from activations reported from carriers, and can include prepaid and refurbished phones. Plus, NPD figures Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint account for 60% together, not 80%, and “significantly below 90%”.

All of that said, there’s significant debate as to who’s in the lead in the U.S. Internationally, IDC reported that Samsung claimed 29.1% of all smartphones last quarter compared to 24.2% from Apple. Unless IDC’s numbers are skewed too, it’s hard to imagine the U.S. iPhone market share being twice that of the global rate, but really, it’s hard to know who to believe at this point. One thing is for sure though — Apple is still the most profitable of all of the smartphone manufacturers, and that’s a significant measure of success. The latest numbers from Asymco suggest Apple snagged 73% of the smartphone market’s total profits, followed by Samsung with 26%. HTC was the only other company to show a profit, at 1%. Everyone else lost money, some by staggering amounts.

Do you see more iPhone or Android devices out in the wild? Is it a overwhelmingly one way or the other? Do you see Android taking up a significant bite of the U.S. market share as NPD and comScore are suggesting, or is it more of an even split with iPhone?

Source: TechCrunch, BusinessInsider, Asymco

The next generation iPhone 5,1 is once again being rumored to include a lengthened, 16:9 ratio, 4-inch screen as well as a smaller dock connector port, and a (partially) metallic back plate. According to iLounge:

What we've learned: the new iPhone will indeed be longer and thinner than the iPhone 4 and 4S. Approximate measurements are 125mm by 58.5mm by 7.4mm—a 10mm jump in height, nearly 2mm reduction in thickness, and virtually identical width. According to our source, Apple will make one major change to the rear casing, adding a metal panel to the central back of the new iPhone. This panel will be flat, not curved, and metal, not ceramic.

A The Verge reader, Tom Collins, first posited the 16:9, 4-inch screen possibility almost a month ago and Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber lent his support to the notion. If Apple goes with it, they could simply lengthen the iPhone, or they could also make changes to the bezel and Home button to better optimize it.

iMore first broke the news about a new, smaller dock connector a couple of months ago so it’s good to see some additional support for the idea. It makes sense since space will be at a premium, especially with an LTE radio.

Rumors of a return to the metal backplate have been around for years, probably since the day after Apple dumped the original iPhone’s casing for the plastic of the iPhone 3G. Having metal-on-glass, the inverse of Apple’s current glass-on-metal aesthetic, looks a bit odd. But so did the iPhone 4 design when it first leaked. Likely radio transparency will dictate the final composition.

Gorilla Glass 2 has been speculated since Corning showed off their next generation material at CES 2012 earlier this year.

So, overall, iLounge backs up a lot of what we’ve already heard. But here’s the caveat: Apple has had several different iPhone prototypes in the works at the same time in the past. Sometimes there are more ambitious and more conservative prototypes. It’s the way Apple works. (There’s an old cliche about 10 designs, 3 prototypes, 1 product.)

Last year, prior to the iPhone 4S launch, a lot of information leaked about a radical redesign for 2011 as well. So while we’re starting to hear similar information from multiple sources, it’s always important to remember that nothing about the new iPhone, or any new device, is certain until Apple holds it up on stage, likely this fall.

Source: iLounge

For today only, the iMore Store has the Qmadix Snap-On Cover w/ Holster for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 on sale for only $14.95!. Get them before they’re gone!

Carry your iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4 in style with the Qmadix Snap-On Cover with Holster. The durable Snap-On Cover protects your device while allowing full access to all functions.

Features:

• Form-fitted
• Impact resistant
• Protects from dirt and scratches
• Textured rubberized exterior provides secure grip
• Snap-On allows for easy access to the kickstand
• Durable ratcheting swivel clip allows for use in the vertical or horizontal position
• Easily slide your device in and out of the holster sleeve.

Get the Qmadix Snap-On Cover w/ Holster for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 now!

Logitech has announced the Solar Keyboard Folio iPad case which is a Bluetooth keyboard and case integrated into one accessory. What’s different with this particular iPad case combo is that the keyboard is powered by any indoor or outdoor light source. Even more impressive is the charge that these on-board solar cells can hold. Logitech claims that a full charge can last up to two years even in complete darkness. These findings were based on an average use scenario of two hours per day.

"Now that people are seemingly inseparable from their tablets, using them for everything from sending emails to watching videos, they want accessories powered to meet their needs," said Alexis Richard, director of product marketing at Logitech. "The Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio is a smart partner for your iPad. Its sleek built-in keyboard uses light to charge and it provides hassle-free protection for your iPad – both for the front and back. It gives you an ideal way to use and protect your tablet without adding bulk."

The case can stand in two different positions for different viewing angles but more importantly, different functionality. The first position gives you the best position for typing and full access to the keyboard. The second position is best for viewing media on your iPad and gives you access to the first row of keys that become one touch media playback controls. It also has magnets built into the case that automatically turn the iPad 2 and new iPad on and off when the case is opened.

The Solar Keyboard Folio case will be available in the US and Europe later this month and will cost $129.99. It is compatible with the new iPad as well as the iPad 2.

Source: Logitech PR

The Pop Video pico projector is a new accessory from Micron Technology, Inc. that claims to deliver the big screen experience to your iPhone or iPod touch. The accessory clips onto your iPhone or iPod touch and turns it into a projector allowing you to display a lot of your devices content on a projector screen or wall. The video resolution is qHD which is 960 x 540 pixels.

The sleek and portable PoP Vide pico projector is the ideal iPhone or iPod touch accessory to share your favorite photos, movies, TV programs, and video clips! The PoP Video connects directly to your iPhone or iPod touch without messy cords. PoP Video™ is for anyone who enjoys simple and fun entertainment through projecting humor, interests, experiences, and social networking. It’s not about the device but rather the person using it…

The Pop Video pico projector has its own app in the App Store which you need to use with the projector. You can then project non DRM iTunes video, pictures, web pages and social media sites like Facebook. The accessory comes complete with its own lithium-ion rechargeable battery with playback time of around two hours.

If you fancy getting your hands on one of these, you can pre-order them now for a cost of $99.  They are compatible with the third and fourth generation iPod touch and the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Source: Pop Video

InstaGamer is a great companion to Instagram that lets you play the traditional matching game with photos from Instagram

InstaGamer is a fun iPhone and iPad game that’s just like the classic matching game, only the things being matched are instagram photos. You can play with photos from the popular feed, specific tags, your own feed or photos, or photos you’ve liked.

Before you play a game, you must select which photo set you want to play from. The popular and featured sets come with InstaGamer for free. The featured set lets you choose from a list of popular tags.

In exchange for $0.99 as an in-app purchase, you can play with photos from your feed (the people you follow), your photos, photos you liked, or search for a specific tag.

After you’ve chosen your set, InstaGamer to choose 20 random photos from that set. Once it’s done, you can scroll through all the photos before tapping play. This is probably a good idea so that you’re familiar with the photos before starting the game. It might be helpful to know if there’s any similar looking photos. Not to mention, it’s a great way to look at Instagram photos!

Each game is a four by five grid with two copies of each of the 10 photos and you simply tap the squares to flip over the photos. You choose photos in groups of two, and if they don’t match, both of them flip back over. When a match is made, those photos permanently stay facing up. Once all the photos are matched up, you’ve won!

At the end of each game, you are given a score somewhere between 0 and 1. Specifically, this number is 10 (the number of pairs) divided by the number of tries it took you to win. So the closer you are to 1, the better you did. As you play more games, you’ll see your scores charted on a graph so you can see if you’re improving. You’ll also be given a quote that is somehow related to you score. For example: “What’s got nothing on you!”, “Nice Work!”, and “A honeybee can fly at 15 mph” are all quotes that I’ve seen.

The Good

• Very fun
• Neat sounds
• Can access popular and featured sets for free
• Looks amazing
• Full version is only $0.99

The Bad

• Doesn’t support landscape orientation

The Conclusion

InstaGamer is a great twist to the classic matching game. Using you and your friend’s photos makes the game much more interesting and the little words of encouragement make you want to play over and over again. Although you have to spend $1 play with photos from your feed, it’s worth that $1.

Free – Download Now