While at WWDC 2012, I had the opportunity to sit down with Shane Crawford of Blue Lightning Labs and take a peak at his Mathemagics apps, Mental Math Tricks and Easy Algebra Fast. These app are design to teach you special rarely taught tricks and tips that can be used when solving different types of math problems. Most of the techniques can be done mentally and make it possible so solve math problems at lightning speeds.

Both apps have the exact same design and method of use which is why I'm reviewing them together. The only real difference between them is the subject matter -- Mental Math Tricks is arithmetic and Easy Algebra Fast is algebra.

There are three different modes in Mathematics: Lessons, Practice, and Play. Lessons is where you go to learn the different tricks provided in the app. It's a simple list and you choose what you want to learn with no pressure. Each lesson will give a description of the problem, then work you through a series of steps to solve it. In Easy Algebra Fast, many of the steps also include some animations that are a great help to visual learners.

I want to reiterate that most of the tricks taught in these apps are not what you would traditionally learn in a math class. These tricks are just that -- tricks -- and that's what makes them so cool.

In Practice mode, you get to choose any topic and practice problems related to that topic. The questions are multiple choice and have easy access to the lesson right there with the question. You just tap View Lesson and the screen slides open and shows you the lesson. If you get a question wrong, you get to try again until you get it right.

On the contrary, in Play mode, you are given a series of questions but only get one chance on each problem to get it right. Just as with Practice mode, you can see the lesson at each question. You can also see your stats whenever you want. This is great for parents and teachers to glance at how well children and students are doing on the questions. Teachers could also use this as away to give students a grade on the lesson.

The good

• Great tips and tricks that you wouldn't learn in a normal math class
• Lessons are easy to understand
• Animations included with Easy Algebra Fast
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• Some of the graphics in Mental Math Tricks are not retina

The conclusion

The mathemagics app are fantastic little apps for improving your computational and problem solving skills. If you're good a memorizing procedures, then you'll be a big fan of mathemagics. These apps are great for students currently taking math classes, or anyone who is interested in refreshing their skills in a new way.

Mental Math Tricks, $0.99 - Download Now

Easy Algebra Fast, $0.99 - Download Now

Microsoft has now officially announced the Surface -- more specifically the Microsoft Surface for Windows RT and the Microsoft Surface for Windows 8 Pro. The difference in branding between Apple's disyllabic iPad and Microsoft's mouthful of a brand highlights the almost diametrically opposed philosophies behind the two approaches as well.

iPad is singular and mobile native. Surface is bifurcated and seeks to bridge the divide between mobile immigrant and native. iPad is the epitome of Steve Jobs' obsession to simplify and democratize computing, desperate to dent the universe and drag the mainstream into the future. Surface is the epitome of Steve Ballmer's obsession with Windows, a Microsoft wounded and waylaid by anti-trust desperate to maintain some of their desktop relevance in the age of internet and interconnected devices.

Apple mainstreamed the command-line interface with the Apple II, but Microsoft was right there with DOS. Apple mainstreamed the graphical interface but Microsoft stole the show with Windows and Office. Apple revolutionized digital music and the MP3 player with iTunes and the iPod, and Microsoft crashed and burned with Windows Media and PlaysForSure, tried again with the inspired but insufficient Zune, and crashed again. Apple ignored the home console while Nintendo and Sony made fortunes in the living room, but Microsoft pushed ahead with Xbox, leapt forward with Xbox 360, and willed their way past red-rings and incumbents and into the huge success. (Apple later tested the waters with Apple TV and AirPlay.) Apple ignored the search engine while Google indexed and monetized us down to our last datum, but Microsoft broke open the bank to get into that game, and remains at the edge of the field with Bing. Apple revolutionized the smartphone with iPhone, and Microsoft ignored it to Windows Mobile's detriment, and now struggles still with the adorable but ill-adored Windows Phone. And Apple once again democratized and mainstreamed computing even further with the iPad, after Microsoft failed for a decade with Tablet PC, and then failed to respond for years more.

A fighter who doesn't lose is unbeatable. Until he does. Ask Tyson. Ask Fedor. Ask Apple in the 1990s. Winning and losing are habitual. Momentum matters. To lose repeatedly, even when you won everything in the past -- especially when you won everything in the past -- hurts the soul. And comebacks are hard.

Re-invention is tough for businesses. Even in the rapidly moving technology space. Especially in the rapidly moving technology space.

Microsoft bet big on Windows, and with muscle and resolve they won what was up until now the biggest prize in technological history. But they lost badly on the internet. They've been bloodied in media, though the fight is far from over. And their mobile strategy has seen them ground-and-pounded through a mess of partnerships, Kins, and new partnerships.

Now they have Surface. And now they have to win.

That's not hyperbole. Sure, technically they have a huge legacy install base and plenty of money, but so did IBM in their time. And the company before IBM, whose name I no longer remember.

This isn't simply a fight for install base or money. It's not a fight for the future. It's a fight to be the future. A fight to matter.

Apple currently enjoys the type of success normally only attained by oligopolies in control of limited fossil fuel resources. Google has replaced Microsoft as the giant of the tech industry under whose feet other companies fear to stumble. Facebook may be the social network, or just the latest in a series of them, but their mindshare is growing as fast as their user base did. And Amazon is coming, especially once they make a serious international play.

There's no better sign of just how critical mobile is to Microsoft and Steve Ballmer than their willingness to make their own hardware. Mice and keyboard slides aside, Microsoft is a platform company. Their preference is to make powerful, hugely profitable software for a variety of commodity hardware partners.

They only made the Xbox and Zune because the content market couldn't be won by partnerships alone.

Tablet PC was abysmal. Windows 7 was a traditional desktop operating system, bound to hot, power-hungry Intel chips, with "finger friendliness" bolted on. Windows Phone was refreshing, and "authentically digital" but artificially constrained to tiny screens.

Microsoft's partners have been waiting for something competitive with the iPad. Enterprise hasn't even waited -- they've bought iPads.

All of that is on Microsoft and Steve Ballmer. Even though Apple telegraphed the iPad over 5 years ago with the advent of the iPhone, they didn't take either seriously. But their customers certainly did.

To embrace and extend Steve Jobs' metaphor, Microsoft is about to become just another truck company in a car-centric world, and they know it. Windows 8, and to a large extent, the Surface, is their play to stay relevant. To be the cross-over. The minivan. The SUV.

And it's a daring play. Consumers have thus far overwhelmingly voted on the iPad. With their wallets. They haven't wanted anything more complex. They've actively avoided it. HP failed. RIM failed. Google is failing in tablets.

To the tens of millions of consumers for whom traditional computers have always been intimidating and inaccessible, the iPad has been just the focus and simplicity they've been looking for.

Enterprises, meanwhile, have gone BYOD (bring your own device), testing and deploying iPads faster than just about any technology in history. Usability finally found a way to beat checkboxes on the IT buy list, and there's no going back.

And yet Microsoft is hoping they can get consumers and enterprise to make a different compromise.

No one, not Microsoft, not Apple, not Google can be all things to all users with all software on all devices. Every choice has a cost. Every decision is a compromise. And mobile is an extremely harsh environment. Microsoft is hoping users will compromise on the focus and simplicity of the iPhone for the flexibility and functionality of Windows 8 and Surface, and that's anything but a sure bet.

In fact, the Windows 8 mobile strategy is Microsoft's and Steve Ballmer's biggest gamble ever. If they lose, Ballmer may not be at the helm much longer, and Microsoft might have to console themselves to fortune absent relevance.

There's no better sign of that than Microsoft's rush to show the Surface off in between Apple's WWDC 2012 and Google I/O 2012, before they even had pricing or availability, before they even offered screen resolution for their Pro model, or battery life for either. Before they could even take pre-orders. Before their partners could start marketing their hardware. And to be clear, until Surface ships it's not an iPad competitor, an ultrabook competitor, or even a PlayBook competitor. It's a promo video.

Once Surface is out and on the market, we can quibble about what will define a win for Microsoft -- what metrics and markets will be used as the measure. But that win has to be there. It's getting towards the last round, and they're all out of rope-a-dope.

There'll always be a place for not-Apple. We need not-Apple. And Microsoft can always keep trying with Windows 9 and beyond. But if Surface and Windows 8 fail, it might not matter anymore. Not for Microsoft.

More: WPCentral

Flipboard, the hugely popular social reader app for iOS, will be among the first to feature integration with Google's social network, Google+. Google's VP of Product Management recently revealed in an interview that Flipboard will soon be able to pull in stories shared by friends on Google+, much as the app can already for Facebook and Twitter. This is a big deal because Google has been taking their sweet time opening up a developer API to their fledgling social network.

Google's own take at the reader application, Currents, hasn't come very far, and given the abundance of competition on iOS, odds are it won't any time soon. I guess If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Google's big annual developer conference is next week, so with any luck they'll creak open the door to Google Plus for at least a few more partners there.

How many of you are active on the network? Does it offer you anything that you don't get on Facebook? Are there any other apps that you're dying to get Google+ integration with? (If you're looking to swap Google+ IDs and get into more great conversations, check out our iMore Google+ list!)

Free - Download Now

Source: TNW

We grabbed App Cubby honcho and Gas Cubby, Launch Center, and Timers visionary, David Barnard right after the WWDC keynote to get his thoughts on Retina MacBook Pros and iOS 6... then we grabbed him the next day to reshoot the whole thing with better audio. (He's a champ like that.) David did an excellent job intuiting Apple's path to Retina, and he elaborates on that here. Also, David dives into iOS 6 -- what it tells us about Apple, and what it means for developers.

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview. David is shipping a little App Store surprise later this week, so we're saving a little bonus for then.

Business card scanner apps for iPhone are a great way to minimize the amount of paper cards you've got to keep track of. Simply scan them into your iPhone via the camera app and they should read the information on the card and automagically fill out the fields and create an iOS Contact for you. CamCard, WorldCard, and Business Card Reader are all well known apps for this, but how accurately and speedily do they do their jobs?

Note: I've left all the information in each app the exact way it imported it so users can see how accurate each reader is performing. The only thing I've left out is personal information such as phone numbers. If any of the apps did not import phone numbers correctly, I have stated that in each respective section.

CamCard vs. WorldCard vs. Business Card Reader: Interface

CamCard's app is easy to navigate through and use. It's also the only app that offers a batch feature to easily snap multiple images and import them all at once. The Card Holder section contains all your contacts. However, the overall design feels cramped on the iPhone's screen. A better layout for groups would be a welcome addition.

There's quick access to take pictures of business cards, and to import already existing photos from your camera roll. Viewing a card gives you a quick view of the card and some commonly used options such as call, text, e-mail, map, and view on LinkedIn. The menu underneath gives you editing and export options such as trashing the card, sharing it, rotating it, and editing the information.

WorldCard's layout is more complex and may be frustrating for new users. The main menu is easy enough to navigate but once you start getting into options, like editing and sorting into groups, it becomes confusing and options aren't obvious. Outside of organizing and exporting, the layout is useable and functional.

Business Card Reader looks more like something you'd find in a built-in iOS which may be appealing to a lot of people. While CamCard and WorldCard have more complex functionality, Business Card Reader is a lot simpler which means it's easier to navigate.

Business Card Reader also ties into LinkedIn, so you can search for contact information for someone by just choosing the LinkedIn section on the main screen.

When it comes to interface, Business Card Reader is the easiest to navigate and use.

CamCard vs. WorldCard vs. Business Card Reader: Card capturing

CamCard has a convenient batch function that allows you to take multiple images at once and import them altogether. Just move the slider to batch mode and start snapping cards. When you're done, it will process all of them at once. It will also process the cards quickly and with good accuracy.

It didn't fare so well on cards with narrow fonts, however, and got confused when phone numbers had parentheses around area codes, sometimes reading them as the number 1 instead.

In addition to cards, CamCard supports QR codes. Just tick the slider all the way to the right in order to capture a QR.

WorldCard also claims to have a batch mode but it's not very convenient. The slider has a switch for it but each time you scan a card you're still returned to the main menu and you'll need to select camera mode again. That's not very convenient if you need to import a bunch of cards quickly. Maybe I was doing something wrong but I couldn't figure out any way to speed up the process.

WorldCam fared even worse than CardCam on smaller or narrow fonts. Sometimes email addresses weren't anything close to what they were on the actual card.

WorldCard will also support scanning QR codes. Just tap the QR option from the main menu.

Business Card Reader doesn't appear to have a batch mode but capturing multuple photos doesn't require too many taps. Capture seemed to take a bit longer than it did with the other two.

What really baffled me with Business Card Reader is that it seemed to get information correct for smaller, narrower fonts but read it incorrectly for regular fonts that are larger and easier to pick out. It also had a tendency to think italicized words were letters with accents, which is weird.

When it comes to capture ability and accuracy, CamCard managed to get almost all the information scanned correctly on every card I tried, with the exception of the one with narrow fonts, while the other two had multiple errors in each card that I scanned.

CamCard vs. WorldCard vs. Business Card Reader: Organization and sorting

CamCard allows you to sort your contacts into groups. Just tap the "+" button in order to add a new group from your contact list. To add contacts to that group tap Edit and select the ones you'd like to add, then drag them onto the group. It took me a few minutes to figure out that you had to hold down on them in order to drag them, so that was somewhat frustrating at first. You can also sort contacts by name, date, or company straight from the contacts page.

While it's nice to have groups that you can sort cards into, the layout of the main contacts page is cramped. A group navigation bar would have been better as a drop down. If you have a group name that is longer than 5 letters, it takes up two lines which is visually unappealing.

WorldCard also allows you to make groups and sort your contacts into them. Tapping the hammer icon along the bottom pulls up an edit menu. The second icon from the left brings you into groups. From there you can add and delete groups. Go back to contacts and tap the ones you'd want to add to a group while in edit mode, and tap the groups button again, and it'll ask you where to put them. The whole process was quite confusing, especially since the icons aren't self explanatory.

Business Card Reader has a simple interface to navigate and has search built right in at the top of the card holder. You can also sort by first name, last name, company, and date. There are no groups though. This can be frustrating if you need to find a contact and can't remember their name but remember what company they work for. You'll have to go through your whole list and find that company's employees and go from there. It'd be nice to see an update that supported custom groups.

CamCard had the best organizational and sorting tools available even though the main screen felt cramped. While they were pretty much the same as what WorldCard offered, they were easier to use and easier to navigate.

CamCard vs. WorldCard vs. Business Card Reader: Sharing and exporting

CamCard supports syncing and integration with their desktop and other platforms as well as export functionality to .csv, .xml, and vCard.

Once you're inside the main contacts screen, just select the contacts you'd like to export or share and then tap the share button. You'll be asked how you want to export them. Using the vCard feature will allow you to attach them to an email and send them to anyone you'd like. You can also import and export cards via iTunes File Sharing.

WorldCard allows you to share and export contacts in several ways as well, including email and iTunes export, Gmail, and Excel. You can choose to open the contact in support apps such as Dropbox and Evernote too.

The menus in WorldCard still throw me off -- they're awkward to use and not very friendly thanks to the confusing icons. Just like you would sort contacts, you can select contacts under edit mode and then choose the share button to choose a sharing method. It gets the job done but, again, might not be that obvious to the average user .

Business Card Reader doesn't allow you to export to anything but your iPhone address book. I do like the fact that you have to manually add cards instead of it automatically doing it. There are times when I scan a business card of someone that I already have in my Address Book just so I have their card on file. So, if you just want to use the app to store cards, Business Card Reader makes that easy but doesn't support other export or sharing functions.

CamCard provides the easiest way to export and share contacts with others but WorldCard provides more options, even if their menus aren't as user friendly. Tie.

CamCard vs. WorldCard vs. Business Card Reader: Syncing and restoring

CamCard allows you to backup and restore your cards through their PC and Mac client. You'll need to create a CamCard account with them in order to do this but after setting up an account, it's a simple process. There is no support for Dropbox or iCloud, but that would be a nice addition in an update.

WorldCard supports both Dropbox and iCloud integration so you can sync your cards with accounts you already have. I prefer methods like this since it doesn't require you to have yet another login. With as many services as we have to use today, one less login is always appreciated.

Business Card Reader doesn't appear to support any syncing methods besides the ability to sync your contacts with your iPhone Address Book. You can also choose to merge contacts which is a nice feature if you already have an existing contact for someone and just need to add additional information off their business card.

WorldCard has the most options built-in when it comes to syncing and restoring.

CamCard vs. WorldCard vs. Business Card Reader: Conclusion

CamCard, WorldCard, and Business Card Reader were the best apps I could find when it came to accurate, useful scanning accuracy. With that said, none of them were perfect by any means.

I don't think any of these three apps are practical for someone who scans cards day-in, day-out. A dedicated card scanner made specifically for that purpose would be better.

Even for occasional use, I almost feel that entering the information into my Contacts on my own wouldn't have taken that much longer. If you just need an app to store business card images, Business Card Reader is a good choice since it won't input the information into your contacts automatically by default, and is the most visually appealing app of the three.

If you really need a card scanner on your iPhone, however, CamCard is the best option currently available. It provides the most features and fared the best when it came to reading business cards accurately.

CamCard - $6.99 - Download Now

WorldCard - $6.99 - Download Now

Business Card Reader - $4.99 - Download Now

Mutant Storm was released on the iPad last week, offering a classic arcade shooter experience complete with appropriately neon graphics. The game adds a few twists to the old formula though, including some rich 3D models and interesting difficulty scaling mechanism.

You take control of a ship trying to wipe out an alien menace. You have unlimited ammunition with which to destroy a set number of waves in each level.  Mutant Storm adopts the standard dual-joystick layout: tapping and dragging on one side determines the direction of your ship's movement, while the other determines the direction of your firing. Scores are generated based on how quickly you clear the map. You can earn points multipliers (belts) after reaching certain kill counts, as well as bonuses at the end of a level for leaving friendly cube structures intact.

In adventure mode you only get three lives, so you have to  be diligent about avoiding collision and enemy projectiles while conducting your symphony of destruction. Though enemies will occasionally drop limited-time power-ups, you'll have to really make them count; you are only granted waypoints every ten levels, so if you run out of lives on level 19, you have to start again from 10. This can create a steep difficulty curve very quickly but can be counterbalanced by a martial arts-inspired belt-based difficulty level system.

You start off with white belt, and as you rack up kills, you fill up a bar until you advance to the next difficulty level. If you die, you drop down a rank, but at least you can start at your highest rank for future levels if you think can handle it. If things get too rough, you can drop down to a lower belt, but of course you'll also earn fewer points. There is a slightly more forgiving game mode called Tally, where you simply try to beat your previous high score on any given level without the pressure of having to stay alive for long.

Though Mutant Storm borrows heavily from the old-school top-down perspective, the game is far from 2D. In addition to levels being populated by an array of richly-modeled and dynamically-lit enemies, Mutant Storm shifts camera angles regularly to great dramatic effect. I almost wish that tilting the iPad would do something with the camera perspective, but that might get disorienting. The graphics are fully optimized for the new iPad's Retina display and can apparently hold a steady 60 frames per second on any model. The only real disappointment I had in the visuals were in the menus and user interface; everything on that front was fairly basic and bland.

There's a limited amount of ship customization to mix things up. You have access to four different chassis and a dozen color schemes, but they don't amount to much amid the chaos of battle. On that note, there aren't any unlocks besides getting to the next level, and as such, little sense of progression beyond getting your next high score. Maybe I'm addicted to leveling up, but it feels like there needs to some kind of persistent rewards to keep me coming back, otherwise you're just living stage-to-stage. Though that kind of format is perfect if you're looking for something light, fast, and non-committal, Mutant Storm isn't available on the iPhone right now, which is exactly where you would want to play that style.

The good

• Interesting use of camera angles
• Classic, fast-paced action
• Bright, retro-inspired graphics

The bad

• Difficulty curve ramps up quickly
• Repetitive gameplay
• iPad only

The conclusion

Mutant Storm offers fast and furious arcade action to the iPad, while bringing some sharp, brilliant graphics to the table. The difficulty curve can be steep, though there's a finely-graded system for ramping difficulty up and down in a relatively sensible way. If you're currently looking for a classic shooting game, Mutant Storm is a steal at $2.99, but that price is set to balloon once the launch sale wraps up. Pick it up now!

$2.99 (40% off regular price) - Download Now

If there's one thing iMore loves even more than iPhones and iPads, it's giving cool iPhone and iPad accessories and apps to our awesome readers. This week we have...

Accessory bundles from ZAGG and iFrogz!

• Jbbarrette
• Loui02
• parvezjj
• savagmj
• velvetelvis

 Enter to win a free accessory bundle from ZAGG and iFrogz!

For today only, the iMore iPad Accessory Store has the Incipio NGP Semi-Rigid Soft Shell Case for The new iPad on sale for only $18.95! That's a pulse-pounding 37% off! Get yours before they're gone!

The NGP Semi-Rigid Soft Shell Case safeguards your The new iPad with a semi-ridi polymer shell. Featuring custom-cut holes, you'll have access to your The new iPad camera hole and other functions.

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The touchscreen of your The new iPad is left exposed for complete access. The NGP wraps the front edges of this device giving it added protection and an extra lift. As sleek as it is function, NGP makes a great choice.

This case provides full coverage, and low-profile protection while leaving all necessary ports exposed for easy access to essential functions. There is no need to remove the case when charging or syncing to your computer.

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Shop Incipio NGP Semi-Rigid Soft Shell Case for The new iPad now!

While both the well established Apple iPad and the newly announced Microsoft Surface are thin, powerful tablets of generous size, that seems to be about all they share in common.

The iPad is a singular, giant screen, with software dedicated for mobile, and a story that's all about the apps. Because it's been on the market since 2010, and built on the success of the iPhone, those apps now number in the hundreds of thousands, and the accessories are also plentiful.

The Surface is really two devices, a mobile running Windows RT and a cross-over running full Windows 8 Pro. The second one will have access to the massive Windows PC software library but the first will have to make its case for Metro apps. They both have USB ports and kickstands and other amenities that I really like but likely give Apple's Jony Ive the chills.

Because the Surface is like an iPad but is not an iPad, it might just appeal to people looking for exactly that, or for something in between an iPad and a MacBook Air (running Windows.)

On the downside, Microsoft didn't announce pricing, availability, or battery life, which, I'm not going to lie, are real concerns. And if the Windows 8 Pro version is expensive enough, a laptop, including a MacBook Air, might be a better alternative.

Apple is also getting ready to release iOS 6 this fall and likely an iPad 4 next spring. Depending when the Surface is actually released, who knows what that will bring to the table? Would you wait and see before deciding?

As always, vote in the poll up top and then tell me why in the comments below!

Apple has just released a new commercial for the iPad called "Do it All". Like other recent iPad commercials, it focuses on what the iPad can do, highlighting apps. This time, it breaks down:

• Send a note. (Email.)
• Stay informed. (Newsstand and the New Yorker.)
• Catch a show. (Vimeo.)
• Make your point. (Numbers.)
• Make a memory. (iPhoto.)
• Make a masterpiece. (Paintbrush?)
• Read something. (iBooks.)
• Watch something. (Videos.)
• Learn something. (iBooks textbook?)

The closing line is:

Do it all more beautifully with the Retina display on iPad.

No "new iPad' branding, which is interesting, and they're melding the typical app focus with the Retina feature. It's not as powerful as the earlier, Peter Coyote voiced iPad 2 ads, but it's not a misstep either. More keeping pace than anything.

Video 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:

• iPad or MacBook air
• iPad2: DropBox, QuickOffice and Docs2Go
• Siri or S Voice?
• Are there really 3000 emails on my 4S?
• Has iOS 6 slowed down your 4S?
• I'm putting Siri on hiatus

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