Microsoft has announced Outlook.com, a free, web-based email service that clearly has its sites set on Google's hugely popular Gmail service. Of course, Microsoft already has Hotmail, who's very name meant HTML mail (HoTMail), and live.com, but they've never been shy about multiple, seemingly redundant offerings. But this seems different. Rather than doubling up, Outlook.com seems to be a new layer -- a way to offer something new without forcing old users to just take it. According to the Office blog:

We think the time is right to reimagine email. So today, we're introducing a preview of Outlook.com. We realized that we needed to take a bold step, break from the past and build you a brand new service from the ground up. You already know Outlook via the Outlook desktop application-for PCs and Macs-as the world's most popular application for reading email, managing a calendar, and connecting to people. And you may have used the Outlook Web App connected to Exchange Server in your organization. Now, in addition to a desktop application and a service for businesses, we're offering Outlook as a personal email service - Outlook.com.

Microsoft is competing based on a few key features -- clean, informational dense, Metro-inspired design, social connectivity with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google, (with Skype to follow), Office web-app integration, NO ADS, and, of course, and easy way to move your existing mail over, should you choose to do so. And they'll even give you 7GB of SkyDrive storage for your attachment pleasure.

I've been trying it out for most of the day and it certainly is clean and Metro-esque, though more in the way Office 2013 is Metro-esque than Windows Phone is -- existing paradigms with flat color and lots of white space. Still, with frequent Google and Gmail mentions, and a couple YouTube embeds (see below), Microsoft is certainly being open and embracing.

That's smart.

If you want to try it out, head on over to Outlook.com and sign in with your existing Microsoft account, or create a new email address. (Act quickly if you're using the latter option -- screen names go fast!).

If you want to set it up on your iPhone or iPad, simply jump into Settings, Mail, Hotmail, and add your Outlook.com email address and password, and you're good to go.

Based on my experience so far, Outlook.com is really solid. I won't be abandoning iCloud or Gmail any time soon. How about you?

Source: Office blog via WPCentral

If you have a GSM/AT&T iPhone 4 with a On/Off button that's stuck, broken, collapsed, or otherwise non-functional, and you don't have AppleCare or a warranty to help you, don't worry -- a DIY repair can fix the issue and have you happily sleeping or waking your iPhone 4 again in no type, if you're game to give it a try.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, neither 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.

Note: While this repair will fix the On/Off button, if you're having issues with the noise canceling mic, proximity sensor, or ambient light sensor, it will also take care of those issues as well. This is the right guide if you're experiencing any of these issues as well.

What you need for a DIY GSM iPhone 4 On/Off button 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. You will find links to the specific parts you'll need for this repair in the list below.

Pro Tip:While the cable is most likely the issue in most situations, I'd highly recommend replacing both the flex cable and the bracket at the same time to rule out both issues. Of course, it's up to you.

• GSM iPhone 4 (please note there ARE internal differences between the GSM and CDMA models)
• Replacement GSM iPhone power button flex - Link to part
• Replacement GSM iPhone power button bracket - Link to part

You will also need the following tools which are also available via eTech Parts.

• SIM removal tool (or a paper clip)
• #00 Phillips screwdriver
• Pry tool or spudger
• Tweezers
• Security screwdriver (only if your iPhone has 5-point security screws in the dock connector)

Power off your iPhone 4

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

Remove the back

1. First remove the bottom 2 dock connector screws in your iPhone 4. Use either your #00 screwdriver or the five point depending on whether or not your iPhone 4 has security screws in the dock connector. Almost all newer devices will have security screws.

2. To remove the back simply slide the back upwards and lift it off gently.
3. Set the back and 2 dock connector screws aside.

Remove your SIM card

Use a SIM removal tool or a paperclip to remove your SIM card and tray. Set them aside.

Remove the battery

1. To remove the battery you'll need to remove the #00 screw holding the battery clip in place. Remove this screw located to the bottom left of the battery.

2. The metal clip on the battery is what clips the battery to the logic board. You'll need to pop this clip up with your plastic pry tool. Simply stick the end of your pry tool underneath the clip and gently pull upwards until it unfastens from the logic board.

3. To remove the battery, I do not recommend using the plastic pull tab. There is quite a bit of adhesive underneath the battery and the tab will normally just rip off or you can bend the battery. Instead, run your pry tool along the right side of the battery and break the adhesive that way. Once the battery is free from the adhesive, you can pull the battery out of the phone. There are no other connectors holding it in.

4. You will notice a tiny grounding clip sitting underneath where you unscrewed the battery. Set this aside for replacement during reassembly. This is a grounding clip for your antenna. Make sure you put it back in place before reconnecting your battery.

Remove the Dock connector shield and disconnect the cable

1. There is a shield held on with two screws covering the dock connector cable. Remove the two screws holding it in place and set the shield and screws aside, remembering where they came from.

2. Next, use your pry tool to pry up the actual dock connector cable. Be careful as there is adhesive holding the cable in place as well. Peel back the adhesive gently to free the cable.

Remove the top logic board shield

1. There are 5 screws holding the logic board shield in place. Remove the 5 screws holding it in place. Just be sure to remember which holes they came out of as the screws are different sizes. I always keep them in order of how they came out.

2. Next you'll need to remove the shield. There is a tiny clip built into the shield holding it in place. (Refer to the photo above.) Pop it up with your pry tool and you should be able to slide the shield up fairly easily. Just take care not to bend it or break off a clip.

Disconnect the 6 cables from the top of the logic board

1. There is only one connector holding the camera to the logic board. Remove this cable in the picture above using your pry tool. Gently lift upwards and it will pop right off.

2. Next gently lift the camera out of the device. You'll notice there is a tiny tab that is seated underneath the LCD and digitizer cables to the right.
3. Next pop up the LCD and digitizer cables to the right of where the camera cable was connected. You pop them up in the same direction.
4. The 3 cables further to the right will need to be disconnected as well. They pop up in the opposite direction.

Disconnect the cellular antenna

To disconnect the cellular antenna, just pop the round cable up from the logic board holding it in place. It is connected to the speaker housing so just leave it where it is for now.

Remove the logic board

1. Start with the 2 screws holding the logic board down in the middle and at the bottom left. Both use your #00 Phillips screwdriver. They are the same size. The one on the right of the logic board in the middle of the device has a water sensor over it you'll need to remove.
2. The second screw is located where the logic board meets the speaker assembly towards the bottom left of the device.
3. The third and final screw holding the logic board in is located at the top of the logic board off to the right. It is the only cross-head screw in your device. Use a small flathead screwdriver to carefully remove it.

4. You should now be able to remove your logic board. Holding it at the bottom, gently pull it upwards. I use my other hand to lift up at the top where the rear facing camera used to be.

5. Take note that there is a small rubber piece that sits at the top of the logic board. You will need this for re-assembly so make sure it doesn't fall off. If you lose this, you could see reception issues.

Remove the vibrator assembly

1. Locate your vibrator assembly in the upper right hand corner of your iPhone 4 (assuming you're looking at it from the back).

2. It is held in with two screws. Use your #00 Phillips screwdriver and remove them. The screw on the left will be significantly longer. Just remember which screw came from where.

3. Next, gently lift the vibrator assembly out of the device.

Remove the metal retainer & front facing camera

There is a metal retainer covering the front facing camera. To remove it use your pry tool to gently pull it off. Make sure you don't lose it as you'll need it for reassembly. Now that the metal retainer has been removed you can gently lift the front facing camera out of the iPhone 4. Set it aside for reassembly later.

Remove the earpiece assembly

1. Carefully use your pry tool to pull up the earpiece assembly from the midframe. It is held in with a foam type of adhesive.

2. Once you've remove the earpiece assembly, set it aside for reassembly.

Remove the 2 screws in the power button bracket

The power button is held in by a bracket that runs along the top inside of the mid-frame There are 2 screws holding it in place. You may need to use your free hand to hold back the digitizer and LCD cables when removing the screw on the right side. Remove the two screws outlined in the picture above and set them aside.

Partially remove the power button bracket

1. Use your pry tool to gently lift the power button bracket out of the iPhone but don't pull it up too high as it is still attached to the main assembly.

2. You will notice that the cable is wrapped around the bracket. Gently unwrap it until you get to the position in the image below.

3. Leave the power button bracket as it is for now and continue on to the next step.

Remove the power button

More than likely, the power button will start to come out of the iPhone as there is nothing holding it in place. Just remove it from the assembly and set it aside for reassembly as a precaution so it doesn't fall out and get lost.

Lift out the headphone jack assembly

Part of the power button cable is held in place behind the headphone jack assembly. In order to get to it we will need to partially remove the headphone jack assembly.

1. Use a pair of tweezers or hemostats to gently pull the headphone jack assembly up and out of the device being careful not to pull it all the way.

2. There is still a cable attached so folding the headphone jack assembly down and out of the way will be just fine and allow you access to where you need to get.

Remove the power button flex cable and bracket from your iPhone

1. Starting where the earpiece was you will notice that the power button flex cable is held down to the frame with adhesive. Gently start peeling it off being careful not to rip it.

2. Notice that the noise canceling mic part of the assembly is also held to the side of the frame with adhesive so be sure to peel it up carefully.
3. The power button flex cable and bracket should now be free from the iPhone.

Replace the old cable and bracket with the new one

This part can be a bit tricky as you may need to place some folds into the new cable. If you didn't opt for a new bracket, just peel the old cable off the bracket and place the new cable on it before proceeding making sure you are placing it in the correct direction.

1. First, start with the noise canceling mic portion of the assembly and line it up correctly. Use your pry tool where you need to in order to fit the cable in any grooves to the left of the headphone jack that may be hard to reach with your fingers.

2. Push the cable down where the earpiece assembly will be placed over it and wind the cable around the bracket like it was before unwinding it when removing the bracket.
3. Leave the assembly where it's at and continue to the next step.

Replace the headphone jack

Line up the headphone jack and push it back into the assembly as it was before making sure that the adhesive that sits underneath the vibrator assembly is pushed down again as well.

Replace the earpiece assembly

Simply stick the earpiece assembly back into place. If you need to, feel free to use a bit of double sided adhesive tape if the adhesive is a bit worn after removing it.

Replace the power button

Now place the actual power button back into the assembly and use the edge of your pry tool or tweezers to make sure it is all the way into the opening before proceeding.

Secure the power button bracket back into place

1. Place the power button bracket back into place. First, make sure that the right side of the bracket is flush with the metal part of the frame that holds it into place. If it isn't the power button bracket will not work as a lever as it should. Look at the picture below to know what metal retainer I am referring to.

2. Now line the left part of the bracket up with the screw holes and replace the two screws that hold it in place. Again, use your free hand to hold back the digitizer and LCD cables.

This is a good time to test the power button and make sure it depresses correctly. If it does, continue on. If it doesn't, make sure everything is lined up correctly and that the bracket is seated how it should be. If not, remove the cable and position it again.

Replace the front facing camera & metal retainer

Now replace the front facing camera with the new replacement part. Once it is securely in place you can replace the metal retainer by snapping it back in place.

Reassemble the rest of your iPhone 4

Once you've gotten the power button situated and in working order, you can reassemble the rest of your iPhone 4. To do so you can either follow the directions above in exact reverse order starting with the vibrator assembly or you can watch the above video for reassembly instructions.

The video above is a complete reassembly so considering the repair you just performed, you can forward to about 4:20 and follow along from that point to completion.

And... done!

Once you've gotten your iPhone 4 completely put back together again you can go ahead and power it on. If all went well you should once again have a working iPhone 4 power button that provides good feedback when pushing the button.

Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@imore.com.

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!

Additional Resources:

• Mod & DIY forums
• AT&T/GSM iPhone 4: Ultimate repair guide
• Even more mod & DIY tutorials

The Gmail for iPhone app received an update today that includes the long awaited ability to save picture attachments to your Camera Roll. It has also received performance enhancements that improve the animation and scrolling experience.

Personally, I don't use the Gmail app, so when I read that this update now lets you tap and hold a photo attachment to save it to your Camera Roll, I couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. This is a feature that has been standard in most apps for a very long time. To think that a mail client was lacking this ability until today is laughable.

Do you use the Gmail app for iPhone? If so, why? What makes it better than Apple's native Mail app?

Free - Download Now

The U.S. presidential election is going mobile, with both Democratic President Barak Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney fielding iPhone apps this week to inform their respective bases and, dare we hope, the greater electorate. They're two very different apps from two very different parties and candidates, so let's take a look at them both...

The Democrat's app is Obama for America, and focuses on campaign messaging.

We're building this campaign from the ground up, and the Obama 2012 app has all the tools you need to join the fight to move the country forward:

The Republican's app is Mitt's VP, and focuses on who'll be chosen as running mate. (And is also available for Android.)

It's a question everyone's asking: who will be Mitt Romney's VP? There's no telling when that answer might come. But when it does, be the first to find out and access exclusive content with the Mitt's VP app.

Now I'm Canadian, where we have 238 parties, a non-elected senate, and no direct way to choose the leader of our country (the majority leader runs the place), so I have no candidate in this race. Still, I'm happy to see something as important as a national election embracing technology and mobile, and understanding the importance of reaching out to the type of people who use apps, read iMore and Mobile Nations, and regardless of political leanings, will help shape the future.

So whether you're passionate or pragmatic, you country is getting ready to call on your vote, so here's hoping everyone downloads both apps (and all apps associated with the campaigns), carefully scrutinizes both candidates across the full range of issues, and makes whatever Hobson's choice they ultimately feel is best for them and for America. (Aside from drafting Tim Cook, of course...)

Go get 'em.

Free - Download Obama for America

Free - Download Mitt's VP

Yesterday, iMore broke the news that Apple would be holding a special event on September 12th, with a release of the iPhone 5 on September 21st. Most other major websites and news services have now reported on this too.

I think this new information really helps to explain the financial guidance that Apple provided to Wall Street on its conference call last week. In case you missed it, check out the summary I wrote about Apple's Q3 results.

Here's the short version: Apple told the Street that Q4 (September quarter) revenue will be down 4% sequentially (i.e. compared to the June quarter). But the kicker was gross margin guidance. Apple told analysts to expect only 38.5% gross margin compared to more than 42% in the most recent quarter. This resulted in a stock sell-off, with Apple shares declining by more than 5% in after-market trading on the night of the release.

I pointed out last week that Apple has sung this song before. Last year they guided down (on margin) for the September quarter only to come in significantly ahead of guidance. Apple is notorious for giving lowball guidance.

Gross margin effect of the new iPhone

Last year, we couldn't blame the iPhone 4S launch on a margin hit to the September quarter. Why? Because it launched in October. The only hit to margins in the September quarter last year came from the back to school promos and volume reduction due to anticipation for a new iPhone launch in October. When companies sell less hardware, they lose some of their leverage. So margin goes down.

But this year? It's now shaping up to be a totally different story. If Apple announces the new iPhone on September 12, and starts selling them on the 21st, then this new blockbuster product will have a massive effect on the current quarter. It may only be a few weeks of difference, but to Wall Street, it's important because it dramatically affect the comparison to last year.

Wells Fargo analyst, Maynard Um, wrote about Apple's huge prepayment for inventory in Q3. Buying inventory doesn't affect gross margin in the period that you buy it. But it does affect margins when you sell that inventory in the form of finished goods (the shiny new iPhone 5). That's because in accounting, you record costs associated to products at the time of sale, not at the time of inventory purchase.

So when Apple starts shipping its new phone on September 21st, it will book revenue and record the cost of sales based on the cost of this new inventory. Because the iPhone 5 is expected to have LTE, a bigger and higher-tech screen, faster processor, and lots of other improvements, the components will cost more. Yet the price point (what Apple charges the carrier) may not change significantly. As a result, gross margin declines.

The timing of this year's launch makes Apple's guidance to Wall Street much more believable this year.

Will Apple regain its gross margin?

A lot of investors and analysts are wondering if Apple will regain its lost gross margin, assuming that they do report something in the high 30s for the September quarter. While the analyst community often obsesses over percentages, I think gross margin dollars are much more important. But before I get into that, let's look at how margins are affected by product launches.

I already explained how new products can hurt margins because of more expensive components. But another factor to consider is the price reduction of older products. If Apple drops the price of the iPhone 4S by $100 (making it the new low-cost iPhone), this affects margin. And it's a step change down, because Apple flips the switch on the price tag instantaneously.

How does the company recover from this? I'm not an expert in Apple's supply chain practices, but I do know it's quite common for OEMs to negotiate price reductions into supply agreements over the life of a product. I would guess Apple does this too. So whatever they pay for an iPhone 5 component in the September quarter might be higher than what they pay in December, March, and onwards. As long as Apple can hold onto its retail price while cutting the cost of its bill of materials, margin climbs.

Volume also matters, though. I'd argue that the iPhone 4S is a darn capable phone. At $99 on a contract, it will probably sell extremely well. We've seen this before. Most recently, when the new iPad launched, the iPad2 price was cut to $399. Apple acknowledged that this is hurting margins. But who cares? The iPad volumes are through the roof. Apple is spectacularly profiting from this move.

This brings me back to my original point about gross margin dollars versus percentage points. Would you rather see Apple sell 50 million iPhones at 38% margins, or sell only 40 million phones at 42% margin? Do the math. Shareholders make more money in the former scenario.

I'll take the money, thanks.

Speaking of volume

While we're talking about volume, it wouldn't seem right to close off this article without mentioning Apple's market share gains. Research firm Strategy Analytics reported some interesting numbers this week. According to their study, US smartphone sales actually declined by 5% in calendar Q2, compared to the prior year's quarter. Shipments were 23.8 million instead of last year's 25.2 million.

Here's the bullish part for Apple: They were the only platform to show growth. Yup. Android volume declined 12%. BlackBerry volume declined 41%. But the mighty Apple? They expanded by a whopping 34%.

The total US smartphone market seems to be maturing, given the year over year decline in volume. But Apple still sits far behind Android in terms of market share, so it will be interesting to see how competitive Apple gets in order to make sure they don't leave a "price umbrella" for competitors.

Perhaps a lower cost iPad mini is just the beginning?

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Hulu Plus, the U.S. streaming television service jointly ventured by NBC, Fox, and ABC, is now available on the Apple TV. It began appearing over night, and now the official Hulu blog has made the official announcement:

Keeping up with the latest episode of Family Guy, MasterChef and New Girl on Hulu Plus just got a little easier. And my living room just got a whole lot happier.

Hulu Plus arrives on Apple TV today.

Just like Netflix, you need a Hulu Plus account to watch on your Apple TV. If you have one, or you're willing to set one up, you're good to go. If you want to try it out first, you can sample the service for a week for free. After that, it's $7.99 a month for the subscription service.

Also like Netflix, and pretty much everything else on the Apple TV, you can browse for popular, favorite, recent, categories like TV and movies, as well as search (either painfully with the hardware remote, or more easily with the Apple Remote app).

Hulu Plus has been available on rival streaming media boxes for a while now, so it's great to see it show up on Apple TV. While Apple considers the Apple TV "just a hobby", they're selling millions of them now, and last quarter sold more of the $100 1080p boxes than Microsoft sold Xboxes. Hulu Plus only increases the value proposition.

For those of you who are new to the service, Hulu Plus is the only online premium video subscription that streams current and classic TV programming on demand from hundreds of content partners, including top broadcast networks ABC, NBC, FOX, The CW and Univision. Hulu Plus subscribers can watch on any enabled devices for $7.99/month with limited advertising. For many popular shows on our service, Hulu Plus offers every episode of the current season. Hulu Plus subscribers also have access to back seasons and full runs of some of TV's greatest shows, including many that were not available online before, in HD whenever possible.

Apple's Apple TV site hasn't been updated with a Hulu Plus listing yet.

If you're in the U.S. and have Hulu Plus, let me know what the experience is like on Apple TV, and how the content compares to Netflix and iTunes?

(Since, you know, I'm up in Canada, trapped behind The Wall an all...)

Source: Hulu

TomTom has just announced the new TomTom Hands Free Car Kit for the iPhone, which claims to offer the highest audio quality ever for loud and clear hands-free calls. The new car kit comes in two flavors, one specifically for the iPhone and another for phones with a micro USB connection.

The TomTom Hands Free Car Kit also features some advanced noise cancellation technologies, which dramatically reduce background noise for the caller and ambient noise for the driver, and comes with a detachable microphone that can be placed in the best position for optimal voice detection.

"The new Car Kit has been designed for safety and convenience." said Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director Consumer at TomTom. "With fantastic audio quality and new mounting options, we are making it easier and safer for drivers to make calls and use navigation applications on the move. With advanced new features, our aim is to help drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road."

You can either be attach the new TomTom Hands Free Car Kit to a windscreen or to the dashboard of your vehicle. To fit it onto the dashboard, you would need to install a self-adhesive disc first. Since it features an expandable swiveling cradle, you can use your iPhone with the TomTom Hands Free Car Kit with or without a case, and in either horizontal or vertical views.

The new TomTom Hands Free Car Kit is available in Europe right now and will cost around £80 ($125). TomTom also plans to offer a package with the hands-free kit and a copy of the Western Europe TomTom app for around £130 ($204).

I have tried many of these easy-to-install hands-free car kits but never had any great success when driving at higher speeds. The ambient noise is always too much of a problem so it will be interesting to see if TomTom has managed to improve that experience. I currently use a Parrot hands-free system wired into my car stereo, which works very well but is a pain when you change your car.

Lola's Math Train is an iPhone and iPad app designed to help children 3-7 years old develop basic math and arithmetic skills. The difficulty level ranges between simple number recognition, basic inequality (which number is bigger), and elementary arithmetic. Lola's Math Train turns learning into a fun experience and has a positive impact on kids' puzzle solving skills.

Lola's math train has three different difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. The easy level is focused on identifying numbers, solving puzzles in the shape of numbers, identifying which boxes have the most squares, and ordering groups based on smallest to largest.

These are great games, but I'm not happy with the feedback given when an answer is wrong. For example, in the above screenshot, the child is asked to identify the symbol that is not a number. If s/he chooses 4, Lola says "four" and the incorrect sound is played. I think it'd be better if Lola said "This is the number four. Which one is not a number"? This tells the child not only the name of the symbol, but that it's classified as a number. It also repeats the question for children who may not be able to read, yet.

Level two features more questions about connecting numbers with the number of items in a box, puzzles in the shape of two digit numbers, counting, arranging from smallest to biggest, and identifying the largest number in a group of numbers.

Level three introduces basic arithmetic, ordering numbers, patterns, and picking pairs of numbers that sum to a given number.

When answering an arithmetic question correctly, Lola very quickly repeats the answer and then the equation. There isn't a long enough pause between the answer and the equation. For example, for 1+4=4, Lola will say " four one plus four equals 4" without any pause between "four" and "one". This can be confusing for kids.

Overall, the game is well made, has fun music and sounds, and keeps the attention of my daughter even though she's technically way too young to use it.

The good

• Well made
• Fun for kids
• Interactive
• Engaging
• Great content
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• Would like to see more informative feedback when getting an answer wrong
• Lola will repeat some things (like equations) unnaturally with no pausing

The conclusion

Lola's Math Train is a great app for preschool kids to begin learning about numbers and basic arithmetic. Although there are a couple things I'd like to see changed, it's still a good app in its current state and is bound to not only be fun for you child, but also very educational.

$1.99 - Download Now

Jonathan Ive believes that Apple's goal is not to make money but to make good products. Ive, who is Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, was speaking at the British Embassy's Creative Summit. According to Wired UK., Ive said:

We are really pleased with our revenues but our goal isn't to make money. It sounds a little flippant, but it's the truth. Our goal and what makes us excited is to make great products. If we are successful people will like them and if we are operationally competent, we will make money..

Ive went on to explain his thoughts on design as prerequisite, the difficulties in achieving it, and how it takes discipline and focus to be a craftsman at Apple's levels of manufacturing volume.

Really great design is hard. Good is the enemy of great. Competent design is not too much of a stretch. But if you are trying to do something new, you have challenges on so many axes."

Ive also talked about how the return of Steve Jobs to Apple in 1997 saved it from bankruptcy. Instead of focusing on ways to make money he focused on creating better products. Others who failed to turn Apple around prior to Job's return were more intent on cutting operating costs and increasing revenue.

Ive closed the talk by confirming what we have previously heard when it comes to Apple and market research; it doesn't do any. Ive believes that it would only guarantee mediocrity and only tell you if you are going to offend anyone. He believes that it is the designer's responsibility to understand potential opportunities and create products that fit with those opportunities.

The whole interview is interesting and worth your time to read, so be sure to check it out via the link below.

Source: Wired UK

Facebook has added a new feature to the Facebook for iPhone and iPad app that allows you to save posts for later. In reality, this works similar to what other services call "favorites". If you browse the Saved posts, you are able to scroll through them later as their own feed. You have to physically mark them as Unsave to remove them from the Saved folder.

To save a post. Simply hold your finger down on the post you want to save and a popup that says "Save" will appear. Just tap the popup and you're done!

To access your Saved folder, you must first scroll to the bottom of the sidebar menu and tap on Edit Favorites. Next, tap the + sign and select Saved from your list of Apps. Then tap Done. Now, you should see your Saved folder in the Favorites section of your sidebar menu!

All saved stories are private, so you don't have to worry about Sally being notified that you saved her relationship change to Single. You wouldn't want her to think you're some weird creepy stalker!

You do not need to download an update to receive this feature. You should simply see a notification informing you of the feature at the top of your news feed when you use the Facebook app on your iPhone (see above screenshot). I did not see the notification on my iPad, but the feature is indeed there.

Anyone planning to use this feature? Personally, I could care less about saving stories on Facebook; however, I do see its appeal. Parents can use it it to easily keep track of specific activities that their kids do on Facebook, and others can use use it to save their favorite photos and status updates of friends and family. What about you? How do you plan to use the new Saved feature?

Update: We've been able to verify, and The Verge has also confirmed, that Save is now available on Facebook.com as well.

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We've now seen both pictures and video of leaked parts assembled together to give us a look and what might just be the iPhone 5. Assuming they're even close to what we'll see at the September 12 special event iMore posted about earlier, what do you think? Best looking iPhone ever? Worst looking? Somewhere in between?

And if it is real or close to real, what do you think about it looking so similar to the iPhone 4... again? Is it a case of why mess with perfection, or a sign that Apple isn't refreshing the design fast enough?

Is the metal back hot or just really not? Is the headset on the bottom something that works or something that irks? Is the longer screen useful or just wrong?

Check out the supposed iPhone 5 designs, vote in the poll up top, then give me your thoughts below!

Checkers - 2 players comes from Pacific Helm's dynamic trio of Louis Mantia, Brad Ellis, and Jessie Char, and if you're familiar with their design work, you're likely ignoring this preamble and already downloading. Fair enough. If you're not familiar with their design work, either you've never used software by Apple, Square, Rogue Sheep, the Iconfactory, and Tapulous, or you just don't know how familiar with their work you really are...

Pacific Helm typically does design work for other companies these days, but Checkers - 2 players is the first in what's hopefully a long string of apps and games all their own.

The premise is simple -- Checkers - 2 players is nothing more or less than a virtual checker board set you can carry around, and play with a friend, on your iPad. There's no artificial intelligence to play against, and inevitably train to take over the world. There's just a selection of boards and colors for the pieces, and the classic mechanics of the game.

Move. Jump. Capture. King. Win.

But in style.

It's $4.99 which isn't cheap when it comes to App Store games. That's a good thing. Because at "cheap" this game doesn't get made. Indie developers and designers don't do projects like these. We don't get elegant, beautiful stuff to enjoy. We don't get art.

And that's what this is. That checker set with the plush, inlaid board and perfectly moulded pieces that came in that fancy box you were only allowed to play with on special occasions. Only Checkers - 2 players comes on your iPad, goes wherever your iPad goes, can change colors at the tap of a settings, and can be played whenever you have a partner handy.

Simple. Elegant. Classical. Fun.

Grab it now.

$4.99 - Download now

Attention coffee connoisseurs - Coffee Journal is for you! Coffee Journal is an iPhone app that makes it easy to record and remember your favorite coffees and brew settings including star ratings, personal tasting notes, and cupping scores. Coffee Journal will also assist you in brewing the perfect cub with a built-in timer and the ability to maintain detailed brew settings like time, bean weight, water volume, and more.

Coffee Journal has a very nice UI and lets you sort your coffees by Name, Roaster, or Rating and mark favorites. Every time you brew coffee, you can create a cupping that saves the various settings and brew method you used. You can then add notes about how it turned out, give scores to the acidity, aroma, body, flavor, and after taste, and indicate which flavors you could identify.

If you're really into your coffee, you'll probably want want to pick this one up. If you do, let us know what you think!

$1.99 - Download Now

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- What do all the leaks mean?
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