This cute little indie photography project called Jumboltron is getting iPad owners together to make videos of putting all of their tablets together into a grid and showing larger images. There's no major corporate angle here and it's mostly just some dudes having fun, though they do reference a New York Times article for their inspiration, and they're very tongue-in-cheek about where this idea might go.

SPONSORS Not a one. This isn't some stupid advertising ploy. Stares at you ad people, who will eventually co-opt this idea and kinda already have.

Sure, it's all pretty hipster, but the writing is clever, and it's great to see people doing new things with their iPads. There's definitely a neat area of art that intersects with technology, and I don't just mean by way of music, photograhy, or drawing apps for iOS, but rather installations where the devices themselves are the subject matter. For example, at Mobile World Congress 2012, Huawei had a really cool pegasus made out of their most recent phones. Have you seen any cool art projects involving iPhones or iPads lately?

In any case, big ups to everybody who worked on this video. I bet it was a hassle to get 27 iPads from volunteers in one room, and getting images aligned properly for each photo. Though this particular round is done, Jumboltron is looking to give it another go in San Francisco, Los Angelas, New York, or Austin. Sign up over here if you're interested.

Source: Cult of Mac

NCPad for iPad forces banner notifications to stretch the entire length of the screen whether you're in portrait or landscape mode. This allows more information to be viewed than what iOS allows with stock banner notifications.

I've always found the way that banners were handled under stock iOS to be a bit funny. They stretch across the entire width of your iPhone so why not your iPad? NCPad for iPad solves this problem rather elegantly and with minimal effort on your part. Once you install the tweak there's virtually nothing to set up or configure. Your banner notifications will now utilize the entire width of the iPad screen regardless of what orientation you're in.

If you frequently use Twitter, Facebook, or receive iMessages on your iPad you'll notice that the extra width of the banners allows iOS to show you more information in previews than it does stock. In many cases, I can now read an entire notification on my iPad without even having to pop into that application to read it, especially when in landscape mode.

I'm personally hoping some refinements to Notification Center for the iPad will come with iOS 6 but until then NCPad can help make Notification Center feel a little less awkward on your iPad. It's free so give it a go and less us know what you think.

Free - Cydia Search Link

Additional Resources:

• Best jailbreak apps for iPad
• Best jailbreak apps for iPhone
• How to jailbreak your iPhone 4S, new iPad, and more with Greenpois0n Abinthe
• Jailbreak apps, hacks, and themes forum

Heroes Call recently made a big splash onto the App Store, touting itself as a viable mobile alternative for Diablo fans. Gameloft's tried-and-true Dungeon Hunters series has typically claimed that title, but is there another that can hack and slash its way into our hearts while navigating the perilous trappings of the freemium model? The control scheme of Heroes Call is natural and rich with lots of tactical depth. Attacks are automatically launched after you select an enemy, but if you tap the enemy a few times in a row, you can shoot off a combo. Double-tapping casts a poisonous damage-over-time spell, while a swipe gesture through your avatar casts a nearby area attack. You move around simply by tapping where you want to go, and you can hold down on the screen to continually move. The usual role-playing game mechanics are here, including leveling up, unlockable abilities, and a wide range of equipment to find and purchase. Mind you, there aren't any of the traditional ability scores, like strength, dexterity, or intelligence, opting instead to mark progression with equipment. The nods to Blizzard's Diablo franchise are numerous, complete with Identify Scrolls used on ancient weapons you stumble upon, and destructible barrels inexplicably full of gold coins. Dungeons are branching, and paths that diverge from the main objective are always full of rewards. The graphics are really sharp, and host a bunch of great lighting effects from torches and magical powers. The level environments have lots of rich textures and models. The visuals in Heroes Call are optimized for the new iPad's Retina display, if you happen to be using the third-gen iOS tablet. My only complaints are fairly minor; the running animation has a serious slow-mo moonwalk feel to it, and new equipment isn't represented on your character. The audio quality isn't quite as good. The in-game music is repetitive, and the lack of much ambient noise makes you feel like you're running around in outer space until the fireballs start flying. There is some crackling from nearby torches, but some sound effects for footsteps would go a long way. That audio that is there for monsters and attacks is fairly high quality, at least. The biggest strike against Heroes Call is its transaction model. The game is free, so some freemium stuff is to be expected. You get a warrior class for free, but the spellcaster requires that you spend at least $2.99 on their in-app currency, gems. The developer would really do much better to just charge that $2.99 up-front and offer both classes right off the bat.  At least you can earn gems through regular gameplay, but you'll have to be diligent - they don't drop often. Identification scrolls and in-game gold can also be obtained through in-app purchases. There's one other other major problem with Heroes Call: there are timers imposed on a few of the game's mechanics, which is primarily a means to egg users to burn through gems to override the wait. Having timers on secondary game elements such as identifying magical items at the local appraiser isn't so bad, but the fact that they put this restriction onto the core gameplay for each level is absolutely ridiculous. Even after shelling out gems (which were likely bought through IAP) for a caster class, you have to wait up or pay up just to play the next level. The story in Heroes Call is actually fairly gripping; instead of the usual spic-and-span, chisel-jawed goody-two-shoes, you take on the role of someone cast out from a typical heroic order, leaving you have to pick up the shattered pieces of your old life. Though the writing between levels is pretty good, it would be great if the game engine were leveraged to make proper cutscenes. Cloud saving is enabled through a Facebook log-in, plus the app is universal, so there's no worries about splintering your game progress or losing any gems you've acquired. Heroes Call further burrows into your social graph by offering in-game incentives to invite friends on Facebook.  There's no Game Center support or multiplayer, unfortunately.

The good

• Excellent graphics
• Fluid controls, well-suited for hectic action
• Free!

The bad

• Pushy in-app purchases
• Timers feel forced
• No multiplayer

The conclusion

Despite excellent gameplay and sharp graphics, Heroes Call really pushes its luck on a few fronts. Players will immediately be turned off by the timers imposed on access to the core game. The required $2.99 in-app purchase to access the second class is a bit pushy, even if it has its own storyline and levels. Compared to Dungeon Hunters, I find Heroes Call feels more like a gritty dungeon crawl than an arcade hack-and-slash, which seems to me more true to the spirit of the Diablo games. If you're looking for swords and sorcery on the iPhone or iPad, Heroes Call can give you a great experience without having to spend a dime.

Free - Download Now

Sprint will announce this week that a pay as you go iPhone will be available on its Virgin Mobile brand starting from July 1st. Sprint will become the second US network to announce an iPhone without any contract following the announcement last week that Cricket Communications would also offer pre-paid iPhones starting on June 22nd. This new offering may go towards helping Sprint achieve its commitment to Apple to buy $15.5 billion iPhones over the next four years.

Sprint's prepaid service, which also includes the Boost Mobile brand, has been the carrier's lone area of growth as contract customers have fled. Sprint added 489,000 prepaying customers in the first quarter, though it lost 192,000 contract customers, which are considered more profitable. It began offering the iPhone on its Sprint brand in October, and has sold 3.3 million of the device over the past two quarters.

There is no information available on the pricing structure for the pay as you go iPhone on Virgin Mobile but we assume that it will be similar to Cricket Communications pricing. Cricket will offer the iPhone 4 with 8GB of storage for $399.99 while the iPhone 4S 16GB version will cost $499.99. Virgin Mobile offer prepaid plans that begin at $35 a month and offer unlimited data. This does carry a 2.5GB soft cap; it is unclear  at this stage if this will be available for the iPhone.

Boost Mobile has also been strongly rumored to get a pre-paid version of the iPhone in the coming months but we still have nothing concrete on those rumors so far. Boost  is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that runs on Sprint's network so maybe it won't be long before that is confirmed too.

Source: WSJ

 

If the Home button on your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4 is not responding when you press it, or sometimes misreads a double tap, you may need to get it fixed. If you're out of warranty and don't want to pay to have someone else do it for you, it's absolutely possible to DIY repair it. This isn't the easiest repair in the world, but if you want to save some cash, and you've got some patience and just a few ninja skills up your sleeve, follow along.

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.

This repair is one of the more difficult repairs when it comes to the iPhone 4 (be it GSM/AT&T or CDMA/Verizon/Sprint). In short, you'll need to disassemble almost the entire phone in order to replace your Home button. While it may be a bit of a process, it's definitely do-able with a bit of patience and steady hands. Just think about whether it's a challenge you're willing to take on before proceeding.

What you need for a DIY CDMA (Verizon or Sprint) iPhone 4 Home button replacement

The Home button in the iPhone 4 (GSM & CDMA) consists of two parts: the Home button and the Home button flex cable. 99.9% of the time, the cable is what causes problems. The contact becomes worn and stops responding to presses. This is what we will be replacing, not the physical plastic button.

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.

• CDMA iPhone 4 (please note there ARE internal differences between the GSM and CDMA models - this guide strictly deals with the CDMA model - in the US, that means Verizon or Sprint)
• Replacement Home button flex cable - Link to part
• #00 Phillips screwdriver
• Flat blade screwdriver
• Pry tool or spudger (you may need a handheld razor blade as well)
• Security screwdriver (to remove the 2 screws in your dock connector, all CDMA models will come with security screws)

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 your five point security screwdriver for this as all versions of the CDMA iPhone 4 have security screws in the dock connector.

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.

Organize your screws

It's very important to make sure you remember where you are pulling screws from, so place them in an arrangement that you'll understand and remember. I normally lay them out the same way every time I disassemble a device so I remember where they came from and how they go back in. They're all different sizes so trying to figure out where they go if you get them mixed up probably won't be fun.

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. I typically fold the plastic tab over while working on the iPhone 4 to keep it out of the way while I'm disassembling parts. It's not necessary but convenient.

Remove the grounding clip

To the left of where you disconnected the battery you'll see another screw holding in a grounding clip over the antenna. We'll need to remove it.

1. Unscrew the one screw holding the grounding clip in place with your #00 Phillips screwdriver.

2. Gently lift the grounding clip out of the device. It's very tiny as you can see above. Take care not to misplace it or lose it.

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. (They are labeled as screw 1 & 2 in the photo above.)

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.

Unclip the antenna from the logic board

Underneath where you removed the grounding clip, you'll see a tiny circular cable. This is your antenna cable. You'll need to unclip it from the logic board.

1. Take the edge of your pry tool or spudger and gently pry up the circular head to detach it from the logic board.

2. You'll notice the cable is wound around some metal brackets. Just gently guide it out of the brackets with your pry tool and finger. It's attached to the speaker assembly. Once you've finished unwinding it from the brackets, you can leave it where it is for now.

Remove the top logic board shield

1. There are 5 screws holding the logic board shield in place as labeled in the photo above. Remove the 5 screws holding it in place plus screw number 6 off to the right (we'll get to this one in a second). Just be sure to remember which holes they came out of as the screws are different sizes. I keep them arranged in the shape they came out of the logic board with the shield next to it. I find this to be the easiest way to keep them in order.

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.) Grab the shield by the top where the top screw came out and gently lift up and push down. The bottom notch will come out and you should be able to gently lift the shield out of the device.

Remove wifi antenna grounding clip

1. The number 6 screw we removed previously we're now returning to. There is a clip underneath it. Gently use your pry tool to remove it.

2. You'll find a cross head screw underneath it. We'll get back to that in just a minute.

Disconnect 7 cables from the logic board

Click on the image to view a larger version

1. Pop up all the cables labeled in the pictures above by gently lifting them with your pry tool or spudger..

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. Play close attention to the direction in which the cables pop up. The cable furthest to the right will pop up in the opposite direction of the others.

Remove the logic board

Click on the image to view a larger version

1. There are 5 screws you'll need to remove in order to remove the logic board. Three need to be removed with a flat blade screwdriver (flathead) while the other two will be removed with your #00 Phillips screwdriver.
2. Remove the screws numbered 1-3 in the image above using your flat blade screw driver. Make sure you remember which ones go where as the heads are a bit different.
3. Now remove screws 4 and 5 with your #00 screwdriver. Notice that the screw labeled number 5 will have a tiny gold grounding clip for the camera underneath it. Make sure you don't lose this and save it for re-assembly.

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 experience wifi or reception issues.

Remove the speaker assembly

1. To remove the speaker assembly you have two #00 screws to remove. They sit to the right and the left of the speaker assembly. The left screw will have a tiny triangular shaped plastic spacer under the screw. Set it aside with the screw as well for re-assembly. If you lose this, your speaker assembly will not sit correctly.

2. Gently lift the speaker assembly out of your device and set it aside.

Remove the vibrator assembly

1. The vibrator assembly in the CDMA iPhone 4 is only held down with adhesive. Use your pry tool to gently pry it up from the mid-frame of the device. Just take care not to bend it.
2. Next, gently lift the vibrator assembly out of the device.

Remove the 4 screws in each corner

There are 10 total screws that attach your iPhone 4 LCD/Digitizer assembly to your frame. The 4 in the corners will need to be completely removed. They are all #00 screws.

1. The first two are located in the top right and left hand corners. You may notice the screw in the top left hand corner has black tape over it. If it does, you'll need to peel it off.

2. The last 2 are in the bottom left and right corners. There's no tricks here. Just remove them. All four screws are the same size as well, so you can keep them grouped together.

Loosen the remaining 6 screws

There are six other screws with washers holding in the LCD/digitizer assembly. Along the left and right side of the phone, loosen all six screws about 2.5 turns each. You can remove them if you'd like but I've always found them rather difficult to get back in. Loosening them works just as good.

Remove the LCD & digitizer assembly from your iPhone

This is where it can get a bit tricky. Your screen is held in not only with the 10 screws mentioned above but also with strong adhesive. You will need to break this adhesive in order to remove the front panel. You'll need to be very careful when removing the front panel as it isn't very thick and can break easily. Also take care not to chip the paint as you use your pry tool underneath the edges.

1. Hold your iPhone in one hand with the screen facing you. Starting in the top left hand corner, run a pry tool or razor blade in between the frame and front panel. You'll need to pry up quite a bit in order to break the adhesive. Be careful around the front facing camera and speaker area.
2. Next move your pry tool or razor blade to the bottom of your device and do the same thing, working your way around until the adhesive is broken and the front panel starts to come off.

3. To completely remove the front panel - start at the top of your iPhone and gently pull the assembly away from the frame. Be careful to allow the LCD and digitizer cables to slip through the opening in the frame without getting caught up.

Remove the old Home button and flex cable

Now that we've got the front assembly off, we've got a clear view of the Home button and the cable running to it.

Click to enlarge image

1. Turn the iPhone over so you can see where the Home button cable hooks into the dock connector. Gently pop up the clip holding it in place with your pry tool or spudger.


Click to enlarge image.

2. Use your finger and pry tool to gently back the cable out of it's slot.

3. Remove the Home button cable by pulling it through the front of the phone.

Install the new Home button flex cable

Typically the Home button flex cable is the problem, not the actual button. So we'll just remove the button from the old cable and place it on the new one.

1. Pull the Home button off the old flex cable and place it on the new one.

2. Wind the cable back through your midframe the same way you removed it.
3. Re-connect the Home button by sliding the cable into the slot and fasten down the clip.

Reassemble your iPhone

And... done!

A Home button replacement is one of the harder repairs to perform when it comes to the iPhone 4, GSM or CDMA. If you succeeded in replacing the Home button on your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4, give yourself a big pat on the back. If you can perform this repair, you're officially a ninja!

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:

• How to DIY replace an AT&T/GSM iPhone 4 Home button
• How to DIY replace a Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4 dock connector
• Color mod your iPhone 4/4S with no tools necessary!
• Even more DIY repair guides

ChangeWave surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. consumers to see which tablets they would be buying in the next three months, and a whooping 73% of planned tablet buyers (which was about 7% of the sample) said they would be getting an iPad, compared to a  meager 8% of projected Kindle Fire purchases and 6% of those getting a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Looking back at the first quarter of 2012, ABI Research has confirmed the trend, claiming that Apple had claimed 65% of the market.

Existing owners also reported on satisfaction. 81% of third-generation iPad owners were "Very Satisfied", compared to 71% of iPad 2 owners, 46% of Samsung Galaxy Tab owners, and 41% of Kindle Fire owners. 11% of Samsung Galaxy Tab owners reported being "Somewhat Unsatisfied" with their device, compared to 2% of both iPad model owners.

Finally, the poll probed interest in a smaller iPad, which is a rumor we've been hearing floating around for some time now. 3% of respondents said they were "Very Likely" to pick up an iPad Mini for themselves or a friend, while 14% said they were "Somewhat Likely" to do so.

Even though the iPad is slowly dipping in its overall command of the landscape, it's still safe to say that there isn't so much of a "tablet market" as there is "an iPad market". Even among mobile PC manufacturers, the iPad has been trouncing the likes of Acer, Lenovo, HP, and ASUS. Right now, it seems like the biggest competition for the iPad will be Windows 8 machines that offer a big-boy operating system in a tablet form factor with a keyboard dock for those times when you want a laptop experience, but those are still a ways off, and even once they come out, the iPad will likely maintain a lead on price point.

On that note, my interest in the rumored iPad Mini is directly proportional to its price. If it actually does launch at $200 - $300, sign me up - especially if it manages to keep the Retina display resolution. Would you be interested in a smaller or iPad, or do you find the current size portable enough? Have you ever been interested in a Kindle Fire for its portability?

Source: ChangeWave, ABI

Carved makes iPhone and iPad skins with a twist -- an "exotic wood" twist. You see, these aren't your usual high-tech films or fancy carbon fiber stickers, these are custom crafted in Elkhart, Indiana from durable, sustainable woods. In fact, Carved claims every one of their iPhone and iPad skins is comes from a single block of raw wood. I, of course, asked to review one with an iMore logo.

If you don't want custom, there are several ready-to-buy designs available, including the fairly awesome looking wood Puzzle skin line. There's also Wild West, World Map, Rectangula, Little Monster, and Cyborg as well as plain finishes in redwood, olive ash, mahogany, paldao, padauk, English sycamore, cherry, bamboo, purple heart, and walnut. But really, who doesn't want custom?

What you get from Carved is a back plate -- and optional front plate -- that sticks on via an adhesive (which they say is unique). There are cutouts for the camera, the screen, and Home button. The engraving is done by laser and is quite beautiful and detailed. Every piece is also hand sanded and custom finished.

The result is stunning. You can see and feel the grain, and the contrast of the rich wood against the cold steel and glass is amazing.

Now while the Carved wood skin will offer some protection against scratches and impact for your iPhone's glass, it will likely do so at its own expense. This isn't some high tech impact proof, scratch resistant poly-something. It's craft, and you'll need to treat it with some care.

The good

• Absolutely amazing looking
• Easy to apply
• High quality feel

The bad

• Front plate adds significant recess to Home button and an edge around the screen.
• Protection comes at the expense of the skin itself

The conclusion

The Carved exotic wood skin for the iPhone brings an incredible warmth and naturalness to the otherwise common, cold iPhone steel and glass. It's beautifully hand crafted and the wood grain combined with the laser engraving makes for a visually dynamic combination. It won't be for everyone, but for anyone looking to change up their iPhone, the Carved exotic wood skin is a fantastic option.

$29.99 and up - Buy now

For today only, the iMore Store has the Incipio EDGE Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 on sale for only $12.95! Get yours before they're gone!

With a convenient two-part sliding design, the Incipio EDGE case embodies innovative cases focused on accessibility. Simply remove the bottom cap to dock your iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4 in most any docking station for quick and easy charging.

The Incipio EDGE case is made from a dense and rigid polycarbonate material that provides excellent dent, scratch, and impact protection for your iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4. Never fear of knocking your device against tables or chairs again.

Features:

• Two-Part Sliding Design
• Easy Accessibility
• Rigid Polycarbonate

Get the Incipio EDGE Case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 now!

Samsung is Apple's biggest competitor and the Galaxy S III will be one of the iPhone 5's biggest competitors come this fall. Alex Dobie from Android Central has done up a complete, and completely massive Samsung Galaxy S III review and come away with his socks knocked off, if not knocked totally for a loop.

Whether you judge a phone's speed by benchmark numbers, what it can do, or just how quick it feels, the Galaxy S III is the fastest Android phone money can buy -- and that in itself is an achievement. But it's obvious that Samsung isn't miles ahead of the Android competition, as it was last year. That means the choice between its flagship and HTC's is not as clear-cut as it's been in the past. In fact, the argument between the Galaxy S III and HTC One X is one we'll save for another day. But in spite of the Galaxy S III's identifiable weaknesses and foibles, the overall package that Samsung delivers is still exceptionally good. And that makes it a device we can enthusiastically recommend to high-end smartphone buyers.

The overall package is remarkably thin, and draws a lot of inspiration from the late, lamented Palm Pre's river stone stylings, including screen ripples and nature tones.

Compared to the current iPhone 4S -- even compared to the rumored 4-inch, 16:9 inch iPhone 5 -- the Galaxy S III has a positively enormous with a 4.8-inch screen. That's 4.8 inches of PenTile HD SuperAMOLED, however, that boasts more pixels than an iPhone Retina Display (1280x720 vs 960x640). It isn't as crisp or clean as the iPhone (or HTC One X) LCDs, however, but most people won't notice or care.

The internals are no less porny -- a 1.4Ghz quad-core Exynos chipset with 1GB of RAM, and the same excellent Sony camera sensor found in the iPhone 4S. This isn't the LTE version yet, however, so the HSPA+ radio maxes out 21Mbps down and upload speeds up to 5.7Mbps (not even reaching new iPad DC-HSPA+ 42Mbps potential). It does support NFC and Wi-Fi Direct.

The Galaxy S III ships with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich which should go a long way to jump-starting the tiny 7% adoption rate Google's latest smartphone OS currently suffers from. Rather than stock Android, however, Samsung has one again shellacked their own TouchWhiz interface. That's a good thing for new smartphone users, for whom it should make things easier and more approachable. For more experienced users, and those who value refined, consistent design language, it's less ideal.

The calendar widget looks completely different to the music widget, which in turn has nothing in common with the clock and weather widgets. It's small things like this which demonstrate that Samsung doesn't quite understand UI design as well as competitors like HTC.

Likely because Apple hasn't yet produced a widget system for Samsung to draw inspiration from, not that they didn't get their fare share of inspired by Apple in Cupertino in here as well.

While not Chromebox-level egregious this time, we do get the AirPlay-like AllShare Play -- which actually one-ups Apple by handling device-to-device streaming as well. More comically, we get S Voice which could have been a rival to Apple's Siri but instead is an almost exact clone when it comes to interface. Now Siri's UI is certainly slick, but not so much that seeing someone else innovate something better wouldn't have been welcome. (Which is pretty much exactly how we feel about Apple pinching Notification Center from Android last year.)

Still, Samsung is styling the Galaxy S III as the best, most hotly anticipated phone in the world and, interestingly, unlike last year it may not even be the best phone on the Android Platform. That's thanks to HTC getting back in the game in a big way with the HTC One X. And that's a good thing for Android and for smartphones.

Those are just the highs and lows. There's a ton more to read, so head on over to Android Central's definitive Galaxy S III review, check it out, then come back here and let us know what you think.

Does is set the bar higher for Apple and the iPhone 5? Does it increase the stakes for iOS 6 and WWDC 2012?

Quotebook is an iPhone and iPad app that lets you keep a library of your favorite quotes and organize them by author, source, rating, and tags. It's a notebook for your quotes.

Quotebook comes as a blank canvas. It's not meant to be used as a method of discovering quotes, but for keeping a diary of your favorite quotes, and it includes a few convenient tools to make adding these quotes quickly and easily.

The main screen of Quotebook displays the list of all your quotes and can be sorted by date or rating. On the iPhone, you must tap the quote to view it, but the iPad version takes advantage of the extra screen real estate by displaying the list in a column on the left hand side and the main section of the screen features the quote in a a nice big font.

The primary method of adding a quote is with the plus sign which can be accessed from any screen. You must then type in the quote, or if you have Siri Dictation, you can just simply say the quote. Personally, I find using dictation to be more natural -- it's a quote, so I want to say it out loud.

Often times, you may encounter a quote you want to save while reading something on the internet, a book in iBooks, or even a text message. If you copy a block of text to your clipboard, Quotebook will recognize it and ask you if you want to add the copied text to your quote book immediately upon launching it. When you accept, it immediately adds the quote without prompting you to add the author, source, or tags, making it extremely quick for those times you just want to be in and out and back to your reading.

In addition to this convenient method of adding quotes, it's even easier if you encounter a quote you want to save while reading in Instapaper for iPhone or iPad. To do so, highlight the block of text you wish to save and tap share. Then scroll all the way to the bottom and tap "Create Quote in Quotebook". You will then automatically leave Instapaper and be taken into Quotebook where the quote will be instantly added. It will also automatically add the author of the article as the author of the quote and the article's title as the source. As of right now, Instapaper is the only app that offers this integration, but the developers of Quotebook promise there will be more apps soon.

If you want to learn more about the authors you've stored in Quotebook, you can easily look up the authors on Wikipedia and find more of their quotes on Wikiquote right from within the app.

Quotebook also includes support for iCloud which means that all your quotes stay in sync between your iPhone and iPad.

The good

• Universal for iPhone and iPad
• Instantly add copied text from clipboard as a quote
• Add quotes directly from Instapaper
• Share to Email, iMessage, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr

The bad

• Learning about authors takes a lot of taps

The conclusion

Quotebook is a fantastic little app for storing your favorite quotes. It's super easy to use, offers some great little features to make adding quotes quick, and looks great.

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Gameloft and Marvel have announced that they are working together to bring the official Amazing Spider-Man game to the iPhone, iPad and Android devices later this year. The new game will be based on the Sony Pictures film "The Amazing Spider-Man" and should deliver full 3D action, missions, rich gameplay and comprehensive battle systems.

After having previously made Spider-Man: Total Mayhem - which was a huge success for both us and Marvel - we have even bigger ambitions for this new installment, The Amazing Spider-Man," said Gameloft's Gonzague de Vallois, SVP of Marketing. "In addition to being an opportunity for Gameloft to showcase our skills in adapting movies into games, when combined with the fact that this is one of the most popular and commercially successful Super Heroes of all time, after having boasted one of the highest grossing movie franchises in history, we expect this title to be a great success." "We are happy to continue our successful relationship with Gameloft to bring quality games to both Marvel and mobile game fans alike," said Andreea Enache-Thune, Marvel's SVP of Games and Digital Distribution. "The Amazing Spider-Man provides a thrilling and immersive mobile gameplay experience that will continue to raise the bar for both Marvel and Gameloft."

The Amazing Spider-Man will hit movie theaters on July 3rd; so the game should be released round about the same time. We don't have any more details at the moment but when we do we will let you know. This looks like being the big movie for the summer and also it looks like an exciting game for iPhone and iPad too.

Source: PR

Complete press release:

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OFFICIAL MOBILE GAME TO RELEASE ALONGSIDE UPCOMING FILM

Gameloft and Marvel announce an exclusive agreement to bring Spider-Man's latest web-slinging adventure to mobile devices and tablets this Summer

PARIS – June 4th , 2012 – After the huge success of Spider-Man: Total Mayhem, Gameloft and Marvel are teaming up once again to develop and launch the official game for one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Sony Pictures' The Amazing Spider-Man. Staying true to the original storyline, Gameloft is working hand in hand with both Marvel and the movie teams to develop an immersive universe that stays true to the upcoming film.

One of Gameloft's most promising games, The Amazing Spider-Man will be a full 3D actiongame that incorporates familiar characters and environments, and provides players with plenty of missions, rich gameplay and comprehensive battle systems. Players will explore the city, protect the citizens, develop their skills and discover amazing powers.

"After having previously made Spider-Man: Total Mayhem – which was a huge success for both us and Marvel – we have even bigger ambitions for this new installment, The Amazing Spider-Man," said Gameloft's Gonzague de Vallois, SVP of Marketing. "In addition to being an opportunity for Gameloft to showcase our skills in adapting movies into games, when combined with the fact that this is one of the most popular and commercially successful Super Heroes of all time, after having boasted one of the highest grossing movie franchises in history, we expect this title to be a great success."

"We are happy to continue our successful relationship with Gameloft to bring quality games to both Marvel and mobile game fans alike," said Andreea Enache-Thune, Marvel's SVP of Games and Digital Distribution. "The Amazing Spider-Man provides a thrilling and immersive mobile gameplay experience that will continue to raise the bar for both Marvel and Gameloft."

Set to launch summer in conjunction with the movie release on July 3, 2012, The Amazing Spider-Man will be available on feature phones, iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

For more information about The Amazing Spider-Man mobile game please visit the official website at www.gameloft.com.

Rumors have been spreading for a while now that Apple would use iOS 6 to replace the Google mapping data in the Maps app with Apple's own solution. About a month ago iMore told you why -- to start removing Google's hooks in iOS and the information and revenue they generate from iOS users. Now the Wall Street Journal adds more fuel to that fire.

Apple has been hatching the plan to evict Google Maps from the iPhone for years, according to current and former Apple employees. The plan accelerated as smartphones powered by Google's Android software overtook the iPhone in shipments.

In the short term, Google will lose some ad revenue and miss out on data about what local businesses people are searching for—which it uses to pitch retailers on buying certain ads. Longer term, it is likely to hurt Google's ability to generate map-related revenue, according to former Google employees.

The WSJ pretty much recapitulates a lot of what we said back in May, but with a lot of background, including Apple's desire for StreetView, which took a while to get Google to agree to, and turn-by-turn, which Google never agreed to. Likewise, they cover Google's desire for more branding and Latitude integration, which Apple refused.

Most interesting is the information on Apple's Geo Team, which worked on features to compete with Google, and built Apple their own geocoder

Apple quietly launched its geocoder last fall inside its latest iPhone software. It has remained all but unnoticed outside a small circle of software pros.

Since Apple released its own geocoder, every time iPhone users open its map app, it is Apple's technology that translates their position, not Google's. Software developers can also use a version of the Apple technology, CLGeocoder, to build apps that let users, for instance, tell their friends what neighborhood they are in or search for nearby eateries.

Beyond geocoders and fancy rumored effects like 3D, Apple will have to offer mapping every bit as good as Google did, or they risk significant pushback. Likewise, Google may now choose to release their own Google Maps app in the App Store, complete with all the features they wouldn't give Apple, like turn-by-turn, and Apple wouldn't take, like Latitude, as well with their more recent technical innovations, like vector-based maps.

Apple is expected to reveal the new Maps app alongside iOS 6 at WWDC 2012 next week in San Francisco. Google has since announced their own maps event for this week.

May the best maps win.

Source: WSJ

Madfinger Games has announced a new zombie title for iOS and Android at E3 called Dead Trigger, which looks absolutely disgusting. Of course by "disgusting", I mean awesome. By all accounts, it looks like a pretty standard run-and-gun shoot 'em up, but the video does show some interesting melee combat which uses pinch gestures, and there's a random mission generator to keep gameplay interesting. Details beyond that are sketchy, but there are going to be a few survival elements too, like scouting the city and gathering supplies. There's also going to be an online stat tracker which will let you see how well your country is doing on international leaderboards.

Madfinger has traditionally done a great job of making good-looking games, and though the developer tends to be a bit of a poster boy for Nvidia processors, I'm interested in seeing if they do any optimization for the new iPad's resolution. You can see in the second video below that the version of the game for devices with Nvidia processors has quite a few more bells and whistles, and it would be a shame if iOS was left out of that party. (Update: The new iPad version will have all of the Nvidia optimizations. w00t.)

Although it's not quite console quality, I have a feeling I'll have almost as fun playing this as I did the Left 4 Dead games, provided of course that there's some kind of multiplayer included. It's funny to see some of the YouTube comments where someone says the game looks terrible until they realize that it's for mobile and not for console, which causes a 180-degree spin in opinion. That said, it's clear that the bottom of the barrel for consoles is the upper crust for mobile; how long will it take to close that gap and we start comparing the two on relatively even scales? Will mobile graphics ever get that far? Does it even need to?

Head on over to Madfinger Games for more info and screenshots of Dead Trigger.

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