Rene, Georgia, and Seth talk about the rumored September 12, 2012 Apple event, the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, the iPod line, iOS 6 surprises, and more. This is the iMore Show!

[YouTube says it will take 2000 hours to upload the video for this show. I believe they are lying and busted. When/if they fix themselves, we'll add it in. Thanks for the patience, and in the meantime you can enjoy the video by the direct download link below!]

• Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video
• Subscribe via RSS: Audio | Video
• Download directly: Audio | Video

Show notes

• September 12 event
• iPhone 5
• iPhone prototypes
• iPad mini

Hosts

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

Credits

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

Guardian sports photographer Dan Chung is in London covering the 2012 Olympic games. To photograph them he is using nothing but his iPhone 4S, a pair of binoculars, and Snapseed.

The idea that you need a DSLR camera to capture amazing photos is quickly becoming a myth nowadays. This is a prime example of how an iPhone 4S and a little bit of MacGyver engineering can produce spectacular images.

Chung uses his binoculars as a telephoto lens for his iPhone 4S in order to get in close on the action. He isn't using any lens add-ons but just snapping the photo and importing it into the popular iPhone photo editing app Snapseed. He performs a couple edits and then shares it with the rest of the world.

The great part about the iPhone is that unlike a traditional DSLR, you're already connected to the internet and you can share your images instantly with the world. This makes is simple to just upload the images where they need to be without dealing with memory cards or expensive wireless kits for traditional cameras.

We've been running photo contests here at iMore each week that really show that sometimes it isn't always the lens but who is behind it and what creativity someone puts into it. Our readers have done an excellent job of showcasing just how fast mobile camera technology has progressed over the years.

Hit the links below to read more and see tons more shots that Dan has managed to snap throughout the Olympic Games. And if you've got any amazing photos you've taken with your iPhone, be sure to share them in our iMore photography forum!

Source: Cult of Mac

Image Credit: Guardian Sport

The Apple Store app for iOS has been updated with the option to have Pages, Keynote, or Numbers pre-installed on any MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Pro. When you order your new Mac you can choose to have the software installed prior to you receiving the computer.

If you don't need all of the iWork apps you can choose only the ones you need and each will be priced just as they are in the Mac App Store at $19.99. Other than adding the new feature to have the iWork suite pre-installed, we haven't noticed any other changes. While it's nice to have a computer come with pre-installed software we're interested in how this works in relation to the Mac App Store and tying to your Apple ID. Perhaps when you check out Apple will just tie the purchase to whatever Apple ID you used to check out.

If anyone has went through the process and added any of the iWork apps as a pre-installation, were you able to re-download them again through the Mac App Store on other Macs? Let us know!

• Pages - $19.99 - Download Now

• Numbers for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now

• Keynote for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now

A new Apple patent filed a little over a year ago with the US Patent and Trademark Office shows off a Smart Cover that would double as a secondary display and allow user input. As with other patents, no one knows if it'll ever see the light of day but it's definitely a neat concept.

The patent details a cover that adds a second display that could act as extra screen real estate in order to show notifications, function as a media controller, or even accept user input in the form of a touch keyboard or drawing instrument. Using the keyboard as a cover would be very simliar to what Microsoft is trying to do with the up and coming Surface tablet.

An accessory device arranged to communicate with a host device by way of a communication channel, the host device comprising a host device display arranged to present visual information, the accessory device comprising: a flexible flap having a size and shape in accordance with the host device display, wherein at least a portion of the flexible flap is covered by a flap display configured to present visual information; and a connecting portion, the connecting portion arranged to provide at least a communication channel arranged to convey information between the host device and the accessory device wherein at least some of the information is presented visually on the flap display.

The Smart Cover assembly would attach in a way similar to how the existing ones do but would draw power from a built-in connector running along the side of the cover.

Apple has several patents floating around and whether this one will ever develop into an actual product is anyone's guess. It could make for a nice way to draw input into an iPad maybe eliminating the need of always using a desktop in conjunction with accessories like Bamboo pads. It'd be much easier to carry around and create content on the go.

If something like this does come to market how many of you would be interested in picking one up?

Source: Engadget

iMessage isn't just for texting, you can easily and instantly share your location with friends, family, and colleagues as well. Whether you're lost or need someone to give you directions, or you're waiting and want to help someone find you, iMessage is as simple as hitting the share button and sending.

1. Launch the Maps app from the Home screen.

2. Tap on the little location arrow in the bottom left corner to find your current location.

3. Tap on the blue dot and it will show your current location by address.

4. Tap the blue arrow on the right of the pin to bring up the details about your current location.
5. Tap Share Location at the bottom of the screen.

6. Tap the Message option.

7. Choose the contact you'd like to send it to by typing their name or tapping the blue plus sign to add them from your contacts.

8. Tap Send and you're done!

That's it! Your contact will get an iMessage with your current location. If they're on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch it will allow them to click into it and it will load automatically onto a map for them in the default Maps app. They can then plug it in to find directions for you and send them back to you.

Additional Resources:

• How to set up iMessage on your iPhone or iPod touch
• How to set up iMessage on your iPad
• How to set up and start using iMessage on Mac OS X Mountain Lion
• How to share iPhone and iPad photos using iMessage
• Even more iMessage tips and tricks

Sid the Science Kid Read & Play is a new app by PBS Kids that is designed to develop early science exploration. It features two story books, jokes, games, sing along music videos, coloring pages and more!

There are two different stories included with Sid the Science Kid: The Trouble with Germs, and What's That Smell. For each story, you can choose to read it yourself, have it read to you, or set it on Auto Play.

In The Trouble with Germs, Sid's dad has a cold, so when his mom and dad tell Sid that he needs to keep washing his hands to prevent himself from also getting sick, Sid wants to know more about germs since he can't see them. When his mom shows him a picture of germs from a microscope, Sid gets really intrigued and tells his friends at school which then invokes an impromptu lesson about germs from his teacher.

In What's That Smell, Sid is disgusted by his baby brother Zeke's diaper and is intrigued about the fact that he can smell Zeke's diaper even though Zeke is down the hall and in a different room. Sid's mom reminds him that Zeke's diaper is not the only smell that he can smell from far away, but also other things like his dad's famous pancakes. Again, Zeke takes the topic to school and his teacher teaches the class about smell and molecules and how they interact with the wind and our noses.

Other sections of Sid the Science Kid includes Sing Along Music Videos, a Coloring Book, a game called I Sense to practice what you know about senses by identifying traits of different objects based on how they feel, smell, sound, and look, a Sticker Book, and a Spot the Difference game.

I've spent a little time with Sid the Science Kid and am impressed. The stories are fun and interesting. On Auto Play, the pages turn nice and fast. If your child is a fan of the show, I definitely recommend picking this one up. If you do, let us know what you think!

$2.99 for iPhone - Download Now

$3.99 for iPad - Download Now

It comes up every now and then -- "Apple should ditch the Home button!" on the iPhone or iPad. There have been rumors of it happening, there've been false-alarms of it happening. With the recent launch of the Google Nexus 7, which doesn't have a Home button, we've been getting even more questions about it happening. But it's not happening. Not with the iPhone 5. Not with the iPad mini. Not any time soon.

Apple needs the Home button because users need the Home button.

Remember, iOS isn't for geeks -- it's for the mainstream. It's for people for whom traditional computers have always been inaccessible, intimidating, and stressful. The last part is particularly important when it comes to the Home button.

Part of the job of any good interface is to reduce user stress. This is done in numerous ways, from providing familiar appearances and contexts (including skeuomorphism), and consistent controls and explicit paths of action. And it's done by always providing an escape hatch. When a user knows that no matter what they do within an app, how lost or confused or frustrated they become, how badly they think they've screwed up, they can always hit the Home button and instantly be teleported back to a known, safe place, it immediately distresses the entire experience.

That's the whole purpose of "Home".

It's not quite that simple, of course. Apple does complicate the Home button by using additional clicks to return to the main Home page, or switch between Spotlight Search and the main Home page, and double-clicks to expose the fast app switcher, and optional triple-clicks to engage accessibility options, and a long press to launch Siri.

The transitions aren't smash cuts, however. Apple deliberately uses animations that impart a sense of direction and layout and movement through space. They overcome disorientation by sliding us from one screen to the next, or fading the screen and lifting it, but still keeping it visible. They take us from where we are and show us where we're going, which reduces the chances we'll feel lost, and mitigates stress.

Apple has also made sure that repeated clicks cycle through the various states, with the main Home page as the anchor point. That means, even as a stress response, even if we panic and just start clicking, we can see how we're moving from screen to screen, and we can see the main Home page come up, again and again, giving us a big target to stop on.

Even binding Siri to the Home button, while increasing complexity, can help reduce stress. Hold the Home button long enough, desperately enough, and Siri comes up. If Apple can get it working as well as it does in the TV commercials, we'll be able to launch Siri and tell it to do things, and not even have to worry about which app(s) need to be used or which individual steps are required to get it done. We'll have a Pixar-like assistant to walk us, and talk us, through it.

Other platforms vacillate between hardware and software Home buttons, and some have tried to eschew them completely. Apple has introduced multitasking gestures for iPad, which function alongside -- not in place of -- the Home button as shortcuts for those comfortable enough to use them.

Watch a 3 year old use an iPad or iPod touch. Watch someone in their golden years, who's never used a computer before, use an iPad or iPhone. Watch the democratization of computing technology and the feeling of control and empowerment given to casual users by the Home button, and it's easy to see why it's not going anywhere.

Launch an app. Click Home. Launch an app. Click Home.

Simple. Predictable. Dependable.

That's why the Home button isn't going any where. Not with the iPhone 5. Not with the iPad mini. Not any time soon.

tShirtOS lets you display anything and everything you want right on your t-shirt, and control it all with your iPhone and an iOS app. Wearable electronics could be a huge part of the future, both for fashion and functionality. Google is already jumping out of planes, and bringing us along for the ride, wearing their Glass technology. tShirtOS has a different goal, though. To make us the display. This system consists of a washable t-shirt with an integrated display panel and camera. It can then display Twitter updates, Facebook content, Instagram photographs and much more.

The display currently only supports a resolution of 32 x 32 which matches that of the tiny built in camera. It is made up of 1,024 tiny RGC LEDs which all connect back to a small PCB which has Bluetooth, USB, an accelerometer and a pair of headphone sockets. The processor for the project is still being decided upon with two prototypes currently in testing. One is an 8-bit processor and the other a 32-bit ARM Cortex processor. The t-shirt will be controlled via an iPhone 4S running at least iOS 5.0 or greater.

The bad news is that the technology is still in its infancy and costs a huge amount to make each t-shirt. CuteCircuit will be monitoring the interest in the product and will make a decision about making a cheaper consumer version in the future.

Could you see yourself wearing a t-shirt that can display tweets and other information from the internet?

Source: tShirtOS via SlashGear

Today Only: Buy the OtterBox Defender Series Case for The New iPad and iPad 2 and save $40.00!

Developed with your active lifestyle in mind, the The Defender Series case employs multi-layer technology combined with high-quality materials to create the most solid protective solution for your iPad. This case is built with a high-impact inner polycarbonate shell that includes a built-in foam interior that provides additional shock absorption and protects the back of your iPad from scratches.

Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping!

List Price: $89.95      Today Only: $49.95

Learn more and Buy Now
Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!
 

Japan's Sharp Corporation will begin shipping display components to Apple in August. This according to their new president, Takashi Okuda, who made the statement during Sharp's latest quarterly earnings report. The report wasn't exactly all that great, so rather than closing on a sour note, Takashi Okuda held a press briefing and proactively let slip the Apple news, which we can only assume he thinks will help make up for the notably dismal earnings. Takashi Okuda offered no further details, but when you're talking Apple and components, that information alone is enough to pique interest. As we already know, Apple is planning a September 12th special event to announce the release of the iPhone 5. Recently, rumors have surfaced that Apple would be switching to in-cell technology in the next iPhone. That would let them combine the touch sensor and LCD display into one layer, and save 0.5mm in thickness. Sharp, along with LG and Japan Display were rumored to have been tasked with the production. The combination of a new display technology and Apple's traditional constraints when it's come to panels in general -- they're always pushing the bleeding edge with IPS (in-plane switching, Retina pixel densities, etc. -- has led to the usual speculation over production timelines. With Sharp now pinpointed for an August shipment, that should allow Apple plenty of time to get those displays set into the other components we've already caught seen a glimpse of, and get those new iPhones into our hands this fall.

Source: Reuters

Let's keep this one short and sweet -- on the iMore Show tonight I argued with Rene and Seth about how big the next iPhone screen should be.

Rene doesn't want it much bigger than 4-inches so he can reach all the corners with his thumb and use the iPhone with one hand when he needs to. Seth was in the middle, willing to deal with an iPhone that was over 4-inches but not by too much. Me, I want the biggest screen Apple can put on an iPhone without making it a phablet (yeah, I said it!) My hands are already too small to reach every corner on an iPhone today, and I don't mind one bit that I have to use a second hand to do certain things at certain times.

I also want the same 3:2 aspect ratio to remain the same. I realize that's not likely to happen with the 16:9 rumors running rampant, but I don't just want more pixels on a screen with the same density. I want a bigger screen so I can see it more easily too.

Apple will do what Apple will do, but what about you? If you could have it your way, how important is one-handed ease of use to you compared to the benefits of a bigger screen? Vote up top and give me the reasons why below!

Found an interesting article you want to share with iMore? Have a burning question about that feature you just can't figure out? There is ALWAYS more happening just a click away in the forums. You can always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or lend your expertise to other members of our community. You check out some of the threads below:

- How is Verizon and AT&T LTE on the iPad
- Need help on a complete iPhone 4 reassembly
- How to easily add the new Outlook(.)com email account
- Storage Increase for iPhone 5?
- Disappointed in the iPhone 5 rumored Photos, are you?
- Using the same sync in Mountain Lion as iOS
- iMessage phone number problems

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