Looks like iBooks 3.0 may be making an appearance at this Tuesday's iPad mini event, at least if specifications that mysteriously showed up in a book listing on the iBookstore is correct. Florian Innocente of iGen.fr caught the reference in a volume of The Largo Winch series.

This wouldn't be the first time iTunes revealed something it ought not be revealing, but it's impossible to rule out simple errors in the strings as well, so it's important to remember nothing is confirmed until Apple announces it.

However, this is in line with what iMore has been hearing since we first learned about the iPad mini back in May -- namely that the iPad mini is aimed squarely at Amazon, the Kindle, and their Kindle books empire, much in the same way as Apple has aimed past features and services at Google and Android. Ebooks, unlike music and video, is one of the few areas where Amazon has a good content presence, and reading is one of the few areas where, at least in some markets, the Kindle may be preferred over the current 9.7-inch iPad.

Apple, of course, would rather everyone use an iPad, and it looks increasingly like they're going to make their case for that using the iPad mini in just a few days time...

Source: iGen.fr via The Next Web

Tired of having to search for all of your remote controls and don't want to pay the high prices for a dedicated universal remote like the Harmony series from Logitech? Well VooMote offers a solution that might be of particular interest to iOS users.

Once you attach the VooMote to your iPad or older generation iPhone or iPod touch (the kind with a traditional 30-pin Dock connector),and run VooMote's proprietary app from the App Store, the combo allows you to gain control of infrared controlled devices such as TV's, DVD players, DTV receivers and Stereos.

Setup is straight forward. You're able to either download pre-configured name-brand signals, or you can teach the Voomote any number of controllers using the original remotes. The VooMote also has the ability to create custom controls, using multiple virtual remotes, in one view. There's even a one-touch option that will turn on or off multiple devices at once, and an option for gesture controls.

Although they advertise a 30 second setup, any unknown devices can be a chore to setup. Once saved, however iCloud can sync those settings to all your iOS devices. Another seemingly neat feature is the interactive TV guide. However, even though my postal code was found, I could never save my settings to the app to get this feature working.

Overall, I can't say I recommend the VooMote as a replacement to your regular remotes. I found it more tedious to swipe through the different virtual remotes than to simply just use my real remote. I also don't think that many people would want to devote a dedicated iPod touch or iPad to Voomote, and it's annoying to keep having to stop what you're doing and switch back to the Voomote app on your iPhone when you're trying to do other things.

iOS as a remote control is a great idea. The VooMote just isn't a great implementation yet.

$39.95 and up - Buy now

While iMore has consistently heard the widely anticipated iPad mini would start at around $200-$250 for 8GB, now some pricing information is being reported that pegs the starting price higher -- at $329 (though at what storage capacity is uncertain).This according to Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac, who has an excellent track record when it comes to retail pricing:

Apple's entry price for its upcoming smaller iPad is between the base model of the new, fifth-generation iPod touch ($299) and the currently shipping WiFi-only 16GB iPad 2 ($399). According to our sources, the base model of the smaller iPad will likely be priced at a minimum of $329 in the United States.

If Apple is going over $300 for the entry level model, and our original information was accurate -- which I believe it was -- then something changed.

One possibility is that Apple has abandoned the 8GB SKU and is starting instead with a 16GB SKU at a $100 higher price point. 8GB would have made for a very low, low end model but may not have ultimately provided a user experience Apple was happy with, especially given the size of TV shows, movies, and even the upcoming iBooks Apple is planning. Also, the $200-$250 8GB iPad mini we heard about was predicated on taking the fight to Amazon's Kindle and Google's Nexus 7, and neither of those devices have taken the world by storm. You can't even buy or realistically use them in many parts of the world. It could simply be that Apple doesn't feel the price pressure they assumed they would in the small tablet space, and so aren't being as aggressive as they may have been had Amazon and Google enjoyed greater success to date.

A less likely possibility is Retina display. Moving from an iPad 2 1024x768 resolution display at an iPhone 3GS 163 ppi to an iPad 3 2048x1536 resolution display and an iPhone 4 326 ppi would increase cost and hence, price point. We've heard both display types were in the pipeline, but Retina still sounded more like next year's model than this year's. Given the display resolution of the new Kindle Fire HD is 1280x800 at 215 ppi, however, moving it up could be seen as a competitive necessity.

Source: 9to5Mac

The Pod Drop, which now includes our very own Ally Kazmucha, have been keeping themselves busy with the iPhone 5 -- namely with their brand new AnoStyle service. If you're wondering what that is exactly, look up at the picture above, and then keep reading to find out more, see more pictures, and to find out how you can win a decked out, AnoStyle iPhone 5 of your very own!

AnoStyle is exclusively available through The Pod Drop, and is a brand new process that's anything but your typical color modification service. It not only adds color to your mobile device but also provides an anodized finish with enhanced durability that actually meets military grade requirements. In the case of the iPhone 5, it will greatly minimize the scratching and scuffing issues in addition to providing fantastic new color options.

Since Anostyle is a modification to your original iPhone 5 parts, failure rates often associated with third party color kits do not apply. And since the repair experts over at The Pod Drop will be the ones handling the process, you can rest assured your device is in good hands.

AnoStyle will be available for everyone well before the holidays, and you'll have the option to either mail in your iPhone 5 or drop it off in person at any Pod Drop location. Turn around time will be about 1 week. (And yes, The Pod Drop has plans to rapidly expand the color palette and extend the AnoStyle service to other mobile devices as well!)

The giveaway

The Pod Drop wants to give one lucky iMore reader the chance to be among the very first with an AnoStyle iPhone, so they're giving you a chance to win a FREE 16GB colored iPhone 5! To enter, just leave a comment telling them if you're with AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon, and what AnoStyle color iPhone 5 you want: red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple, and gold with turquoise, pink, and copper options coming soon. That's it, you'll be entered! We'll announce the winner on November 1st.

As for the rules: One comment per person. If we find you trying to cheat and enter multiple times, you will be disqualified. The contest is open to U.S. residents of the continental United States only. And the prize is just the iPhone, as is, any additions or accessories are the responsibility of the winners. As always, our regular contest rules apply.

Upset it's U.S. only? Enter our international iPod touch and iPad nano giveaway! Lots more to win!

Now, while we really do appreciate you reading through to the end, GO ENTER! Good luck!

Source: AnoStyle via The Pod Drop, images by FourZeroFive Photography

The Walking Dead game for iOS is lurching towards parity with its PC counterpart, having recently launched episode three of its zombie-filled storyline. The survival-horror game puts you in the shoes of Lee, who has been thrust into protecting a small girl from the horrors of a ravaged world while running from his own checkered past. The cel-shaded art style mimics the original comic series, but still maintains its own independent plotline that grows every episode.

Graphics and audio

Gameplay and controls

The good

• Rich, varied storyline
• Expressive voice acting
• Appropriately disgusting zombies

The bad

• Excessive gore and swearing may turn off more sensitive players
• Some performance lag on older iOS devices
• Limited replay value, despite branches

The bottom line 

$4.99 - Download Now

Way back in August iMore learned that Apple was planning to update the existing iPad 3 with what's now known as the Lightning connector, as well as some internal improvements, and re-release it alongside the iPad mini this fall. Well, it's fall now, the iPad event has been set for October 23 and lo and behold, new iPad 3 SKUs are reportedly starting to appear. Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac has the info:

Apple will announce a refreshed version of its full-sized, 9.7-inch Retina display iPad at its media event October 23rd, according to our sources. These people say that the new version of the iPad will retain the same $499, $599, and $699 WiFi-only price points, and the LTE line will retain the current $629, $729, and $829 pricing. With no price changes or additional storage capacities, we believe that the storage options of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB will also be retained.

To be clear, I don't believe this to be an iPad 4 by any stretch of the imagination, and while just a guess, I do expect Apple not to market it as a "new" iPad 3, but merely as the same iPad 3 now with a Lightning connector and LTE options for international markets. Any and all other improvements under the covers would just be opportunistic and likely not even mentioned.

If you bought an iPad 3 in the last 6 months, it won't be obsolete, and Apple won't be "screwing" you over. The iPad 3 was the best tech Apple could sell back when it was released, and now they can sell slightly better tech and give faster speeds to people in more parts of the world.

If you squint and turn your head just so, think of it as a similar situation to the Verizon iPhone and its new antenna. People in Australia and parts of Europe are getting an LTE iPad 6 months later than North America and, by-the-way, Apple has just happened to improved a few other things as well.

Of course, nothing is official until Apple holds it up on stage.

Source: 9to5Mac

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