What's the easiest way to take a weapon away from a Grammaton Cleric? The answer to that is the answer to a lot of seemingly difficult problems, including, sadly, how to get passwords away from unsuspecting users. Unfortunately, it's not at all a way to get anything away from Apple. Not ever. So we're left with a mix of leaks, speculation, and analysis. We've been trying to avoid the rumor regurgitation lately to focus on some of that analysis. More on that below.

The next big (small) thing

A while ago, after Apple announced the iPad had done in 2 years what took the iPhone 3, the iPod 5, and the Mac 20, I asked out loud what Apple could possibly do to once again equal or surpass that success? What could be Apple's next big thing?

It's looking increasingly likely that next big thing may come this fall, and will be something quite small.

WWDC 2012

We're only a couple of weeks away from Apple's 2012 World Wide Developer Conference. While there might be some new Macs announced sometime around the show, we're still hearing there won't be any new iOS devices this summer (see above). However, we're assuming we'll see the first signs of iOS 6.

I'll be there, along with our app editor, Leanna Lofte, and our podcast co-host, Seth Clifford.

If you're a developer and you have something awesome to show off, email iosapps@imore.com and let us know. We'd love to meet up.

Video velocity

I don't think it's any secret that iMore's really taken things to another level when it comes to photography on a gadget blog. Especially with Leanna's work, it's not impossible to imagine us being a photography blog that just happens to have iOS devices, apps, and accessories as our subject matter.

Well, like I promised when we changed the site name, we're not going to be slowing down any time soon. So now we're trying to bring the same art direction and ambition to our videos as well.

We want to make them fun and dynamic, engaging and informative, authoritative and definitive but always, always accessible and approachable. We want to keep them part of our discussion and our community, but we want to do it with far more style.

It's an effort to bring some of the iMore TV flair to all of our efforts. To make it the rule instead of the exception. So we've drafted Georgia's husband to help us out and he's been doing a bunch of different experiments with the last few accessory review videos we've done. We're still getting all our equipment in order, and we're still working hard to solidify the concept, but I'm really excited and I can't wait to show you where we're going with them.

If there's anything you want to see us try -- or not try! -- let me know.

Podcast perfectionism

Speaking of experiments, we're still working on the format of our iPhone & iPad Live podcast. We're focused on keeping the 60 minute hard stop, but how we fill those 60 minutes is still up for grabs. For a few weeks we tried to split things up, focus on a headline story, then divide the rest up between news, apps, and accessories. Last week we went more with a round-table concept, invited on a guest, and really did a deep dive on a few, related stories. Specifically, we got Marc Edwards of Bjango to fill in for Seth, and Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac to fill out the panel, and we discussed the ever loving stuffing out of what we might see from Apple when it comes to next generation and new devices.

Which format do you like best so far? Do you want smaller shows or more guests? Fewer topics or more variety? What's your ideal balance?

Check out last week's show and tell me what you think.

• iPhone & iPad Live 295: iPhone 5 rumor round table

Features

• Jailbreak, app piracy, and the true cost of theft by Ally Kazmucha. There's no such thing as "free" -- everything comes at a price.
• Best free simulation games for iPhone by Simon Sage. You asked, our resident editor-at-very-large answered.
• Best free educational apps for iPhone by Leanna Lofte. Our resident math teacher takes a look at several different ways the iPhone can help all of us learn.
• How to set up, configure, secure, and start using Siri by Gary Mazo. Our new, in-depth help series on Siri has begun.
• How to take fantastic photos of your kids with your iPhone by Leanna Lofte. Our iPhoneography series returns, in cutely awesome fashion.
• How Apple could provide direct document access in iOS 6 by yours truly. It's the third year in a row I've updated this article. Hopefully that makes it charming.
• When is the iPhone 5 coming out? by Georgia. Because you guys won't stop asking, we're making it easier to answer.
• The 16:9 iPhone by yours truly. Assuming Apple goes with a wider screen iPhone, how could they make it work? Could it even work?

Recommended reading

• Understanding Skype's limitations on Windows Phone by Rafael Rivera. Microsoft owns Skype yet Skype can't run, or can't run well, on their phones. And there's a reason for that.
• Why it wouldn't make sense for RIM to initially launch a BlackBerry 10 phone with a physical keyboard by Kevin Michaluk. Not in a world where people are fine typing glass, at least.
• iOS 6 and Files.app by Federico Viticci. Wherein Federico riffs on my Files.app for iOS concept with his usual insight and aplomb.
• Speculation on the next Mac Pro by Marco Arment. I'm hoping for a Mac Pro update as well, with the latest Xeon chips and Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 support.
• The 7-inch iPad by Jim Dalrymple. The written equivalent of smashing a guitar over the head of silly iPad mini stories, then doing a rational, hard rock solo on the joint.
• Three Things That Should Trouble Apple by Guy English. Success hides vulnerabilities. Guy pantses the Apple quarterback and points out the holes in their undergarments.
• A New Service to Take Writer's Content and Redistribute it as an eBook to the Web, Thus Avoiding Visiting the Writer's Site by Ben Brooks. Ben continues to give content creators a voice in how their content is used (or misused, depending on your point of view.) How would this service fare if it, for example, offered all the Harry Potter books or Game of Thrones episodes? (Don't miss his follow up posts either.)
• Facebook's IPO "Disaster" by MG Siegler. On just how many f--ks Facebook gives about investors unhappy they couldn't profit-take the day after Facebook went public.
• Warren Buffett's letter to publishers and editors by Warren Buffett. One of the world's richest men thinks it was a mistake for newspapers to give online content away for free.

Equilibrium

The answer to the riddle at the start of this editorial? You ask him for it. (And you make sure as hell your Gun Kata is better than his.)

Excuse me while I go train...

The only thing surprising about rumors that Facebook is once again working on their own smartphone is that they're still rumors -- that Facebook is taking so long to figure out a strategy and execute on it. Now The New York Times is saying they're trying again, and they're doing it with iPhone talent.

The company has already hired more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one who worked on the iPad, the employees and those briefed on the plans said.

Previous attempts at an Android-based phone, rumored to have begun after they hired Android lead Eric Tseng away from Google, seem to have fizzled, and work with HTC never seemed to get anywhere beyond an awkward blue button on even more awkward phones. Now they're reportedly working towards a 2013 release, and doing it by building out their "Buffy" group.

One engineer who formerly worked at Apple and worked on the iPhone said he met with Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, who then peppered him with questions about the inner workings of smartphones. It did not sound like idle intellectual curiosity, the engineer said; Mr. Zuckerberg asked about intricate details, including the types of chips used, he said. Another former Apple hardware engineer was recruited by a Facebook executive and was told about the company's hardware explorations.

Mobile is the platform for the immediate future. Apple transition to it with brutally elegant efficiency in 2007 with the iPhone. Google pulled an about-face on messenger phones and went with a similar capacitive touch screen model with Android shortly thereafter. Palm, Microsoft, and BlackBerry-maker RIM have struggled, and either faltered, just started getting on track, or hope to field competitive offerings later this year. Even Amazon has dipped their foot into the mobile water with the Kindle line.

Facebook is the only big player missing from the game. While they are, and likely will continue to, offer apps and integration on other platforms, owning a platform can provide security and opportunity in such a rapidly accelerating market. Just ask Google.

"Mark is worried that if he doesn't create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms," a Facebook employee said.

Facebook's Android initiative might have failed because hardware is tough for a software company. Their HTC initiative might have fizzled because partnering splits control. Hiring their own hardware engineers, especially those experienced with Apple and the iPhone, could make a completely Facebook realized smartphone a reality.

And if that fails, the New York Times points out, there's always the option to buy HTC... or BlackBerry.

A Facebook phone could be an interesting challenge for Apple, given their user base, but also for Google (and their new Motorola acquisition), and for Microsoft who's still struggling to secure Windows Phone as the third option.

They've bought Instagram, they've made apps, they own the social graph.

It will be interesting to see how they pull all the pieces together, and what they can bring to market.

Source: The New York Times

The LifeProof case for the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 is simply amazing. It's waterproof, shockproof, and pretty much everything-you-can-imagine-proof. If your planet got destroyed by an angry red sun, the LifeProof case is what your scientist father would put his iPhone in to rocket it to the safety of earth. Yeah. It's like that.

I've got a long history of loving waterproof cases, and putting them through torture tests, but the LifeProof is different. It's not a big bag. It's a terrifically trim, superbly svelte case that at first glance is hard to take seriously. It just looks like a regular case.

But it's so much more.

First, it's designed to military specifications. That means everyone from Snake Doctor to Solid Snake could carry it on their belt. It's also been drop tested up to 6.6 feet, so not only could it survive all manner of ninja rolls and HALO drops, it could probably survive occasional use as a blunt impact weapon.

If you're worried that all that protection comes at a price, don't be. The iPhones ports are covered but they're still accessible when you need them. And if you think defensiveness means drabness, the LifeProof comes in white, purple, pink, and black.

What's more, once you're iPhone is safe and sound in a LifeProof case, you can add extra attachments like armbands and bike mounts so you can put that extra protection to good use. Turn the camera on, strap your iPhone into place, and you're an instant action film star.

If you work in the military, in law enforcement, in construction, in child-care (!), if you live an active lifestyle and enjoy camping, hiking, extreme sports, extreme climates, or you just want the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your iPhone is safe no matter what you throw at it -- or what you throw it at! -- the LifeProof case is for you.

[Ed: It's also currently 15% off at the iMore Store if you use coupon code MEM12! -Rene)

$79.99 - Buy now

The Adonit Jot Pro really stood out in our recent pro stylus pen shootout. Adonit made a brave, bold choice by not going with the common fat-style silicone tip. Instead they went with a thin metal tip more like that of a mechanical pencil or fine pointed pen, and mounted it with a see-through, capacitive disk.

And it totally works.

It makes the Adonit Jot Pro feel really different than other capacitive stylus pens, and it means it takes some getting used to. It's not as smooth but it's stronger. It also means it's not ideal for all situations. It's not a general purpose tool. It's a specialist tool.

And that means it's worth another look.

As we said in the original review and the shootout, anyone with a technical drawing or drafting background, and anyone with a penchant for detail and precision penmanship will absolutely love it.

Thanks to the transparent disk, you can easily see exactly where you're placing the pen, and thanks to the metal tip, you get physical feedback immediately so you feel like you're using a real pen.

What's more, Adonit has made an SDK so apps like Procreate work even better with the Jot Pro.

While my favorite stylus pen in our recent shootout remains the marvelous and more general-purpose Pogo Sketch Pro, I like to have options in my high tech pencil case and one of those options is the Adonit Jot Pro. For pencil or pen work in Paper, for sketching in Procreate, for printing in Noteshelf or Penultimate.

If you like writing or drawing with a mechanical pencil or fine tipped pen, you'll love using the Adobit Jot Pro with your iPad.

$27.95 - Buy Now

This Memorial Day weekend is rife with games on sale, but even with the "Because we May" promotion offering up a bunch of options, Burnout CRASH! is our game of the week. It's on sale for $0.99, down from $4.99, and offers a fun, fast-paced destruction derby consistent with the great franchise. You lead your car by pressing the screen down in front of it with the express goal of blowing up as much stuff as possible. Your first crash blocks off traffic, and as more cars pile in, your Crashbreaker meter climbs, allowing you to flick your wreck across the road and explode it next to neighboring buildings.

There are three game modes spanning six themed locations and 18 intersections, all with online leaderboards. Dramatic power-ups are available if you cause enough damage or crash the right cars; they're all goofy, including spinning the Pizza of Fortune wheel to win a prize, or calling in an alien UFO to cause some destruction to the neighborhood. In the end, you're scored based on the dollar amount of damage you cause, and earn bonus stars for accomplishing particular tasks in the level, like blowing up particular structures. As you amass stars, you unlock new levels and new cars with varying crashing power and Crashbreaker ability.

Burnout CRASH! is the perfect game for players with short attention spans; there's always a lot of explosions, goofy sound effects, snappy one-liners, and seemingly random prizes. It's an entertaining time-waster for sure, especially if you've spent any time with the console Burnout games. I find the bass on the audio maxes out every once in awhile, and the leaderboards, for all of their prominence, aren't particularly interesting if you don't have a lot of friends that play it. No dice on cloud saving or Retina iPad textures, but at least it's universal.

$0.99 - Download Now

The Memorial Day weekend is well underway and while you're getting your vacation on, make sure you get your savings on as well with 15% OFF all iPhone and iPad accessories from the iMore Store with coupon code MEM12!

Need help deciding what to get? No problem!

• If you're going to be hiking, visiting the lake, or going to the beech, you can save on a weather resistant or waterproof case to keep your iPhone or iPad safe from the rain, and even in the pool!

• If you want to sit outside in the sun and sketch or paint, at home or on vacation, you can save on a stylus pen to make your iPhone or iPad art more natural and detailed than ever.

• If you want to take even more amazing photographs with your iPhone, be it in your backyard or halfway around the world, you can save on fisheye, wide-angle, and macro photography accessories.

• If you're going on a trip by plane, train, or automobile, you can save on all car kits, Bluetooth, chargers, and battery cases to make sure you get there safely and with power to spare.

This offer is not valid with any other coupon and expires at Midnight PST Monday 5/28/2012.

The iMore Store offers Fast Free Shipping on U.S. orders of $50.00 and higher. Don't forget to share this great coupon code with your friends and family! Enjoy this special sale while it last! Have a Happy Holiday!

Apple Stores will soon carry stock of the revolutionary Nest learning thermostat. According to sources, the Nest thermostat is being delivered to Apple Stores nationwide and may go on sale as early as next week. The Nest thermostat has already been given its own Apple part number and is set to be sold at the same price as Nest's online store at $249.99.

Today, a trusted source was able to provide a first hand look at the Nest packaged at an Apple Store today, complete with the part number. Priced at $249.99 (the same as Nest's price through Nest's online store), the Nest has a part number of H9279ll/a in Apple's systems.

The Nest was developed by former Apple iPod and iPhone hardware chief Tony Fadell who came up with a new way to imagine your home thermostat -- the Nest Learning Thermostat. It's a touch-controlled system that makes your home energy needs simple and easy to control remotely via an iPhone or iPad app.

According to Nest, the thermostat takes roughly a week to pick up on your energy routines and adjusts your temperature accordingly. A display changes colors to red or blue to distinguish between heating and cooling, and the design is very Apple-like. The greatest part about the Nest Learning Thermostat is the iOS app for your iPhone or iPad, letting your remotely adjust Nest's settings and get all the vital information you need on-the-go.

If you have been thinking about picking up a Nest learning thermostat, you will soon be able to see one in the flesh at your local Apple Store.

Source: 9to5 Mac