Whatever your opinion of TweetDeck, it's hard not to sympathize with those about to lose a loved one on May 7, when Twitter effectively slays the mobile versions of its TweetDeck apps. We had a similar situation when Echofon made the decision to axe its Mac client last year, prompting us to switch entirely to Tweetbot for a harmoniously synced iOS/OS X solution. What will you be using to replace TweetDeck mobile?

RadioShack Adds Mac Accessories to Product Mix

Those of us at a certain age tend to associate electronics retailer RadioShack with overpriced cables and Tandy-branded hardware of questionable quality, but the chain has gotten more hip in recent years. MacRumors is reporting that the product mix now includes Apple-branded Mac accessories such as the Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, which can be ordered online or purchased in any of the company's more than 7,000 brick-and-mortar locations. Of course, RadioShack is no stranger to Apple products, having added the iPod back in 2005 and followed it up with the iPhone and iPad in 2010.

Siri Remembers Everything You've Said to Her for Two Years

Ever wonder what happens to those sweet nothings you speak to Siri? Wired decided to find out after privacy advocates began raising questions about what Apple could potentially do with all of that data -- and more importantly, how long Siri's memory actually is. According to Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller, Siri data is anonymized, and the company only keeps it around for up to two years. “If a user turns Siri off, both identifiers are deleted immediately along with any associated data," Muller elaborated, referring to the "random numbers" used to identify you to Siri, which do not include your Apple ID or email address. After six months, the voice recordings are decoupled from your number, but the unattached files might be kept as long as 18 more months, where they could be used for "testing and product improvement purposes." Privacy advocates think these details should be spelled out more clearly, but at least now you know.

Twitter Will Kill Off TweetDeck Mobile, Facebook Integration May 7

Microblogging behemoth Twitter already announced back in March that it would be killing all mobile flavors of TweetDeck, and now the execution has a solid date: May 7. In a brief update Friday on its Posterous blog, the company elaborated that "TweetDeck AIR, TweetDeck for Android and TweetDeck for iPhone will be removed from their respective app stores and will stop functioning on May 7," which is also the same day those apps' Facebook integration will meet its maker, so to speak. The company claims TweetDeck is more popular on the desktop, while mobile users prefer the official Twitter app, so the company is making the move in an effort to "double down" on killing off platforms that it sees as not worth the trouble.

MacPhun Touts 288K Downloads of Free FX Photo Studio in 24 Hours

Infographics! We love 'em, and so do the folks at MacPhun, who created one to demonstrate how last week's FX Photo Studio for iPhone promotion went down. After making the app free for 24 hours, the developer racked up 288,522 new downloads worldwide (116,494 of those in North America), which helped the title shoot up to number six in the overall App Store rankings for the U.S. -- trailed only by the likes of Twitter's Vine and Music apps, and the free Yahoo! Weather. The promotion had little effect on the people of Mail, where the app barely squeaked out 104th place in the photo category, but managed to rank in the top five in more than 85 other countries.

The Survey Says: Pre-Launch iWatch Demand Equals Original iPad

Just how badly do people want an iWatch from Apple? Apparently, just as badly as they wanted the iPad before it officially existed. MacRumors is reporting that a new survey from ChangeWave reveals consumer interest in a so-called "iWatch" matches that of the iPad prior to the tablet actually being launched in 2010, with 19 percent of those asked "very" or "somewhat" likely to buy one. That's nearly identical to the results of a January 2010 survey for the iPad, which found four percent "very likely" and 14 percent "somewhat likely" to buy, for a combined total of 18 percent. Does that mean more people are stoked for an iWatch? Time will tell...

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

 

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Want to have a web presence that will keep people coming back? You're going to need to learn the language of the internet. No, not cats and memes, HTML5 and CSS3. These are key to any web development project, whether you're a web designer or a small business that needs a solid website, you need to learn these languages. We can help you out in that task with our latest Deal.

Learning a new language is no easy task but our HTML5 and CSS3 Training Bundle will have you coding in this popular web langauges in no time. You'll learn your way through seven courses that will provide you with over 18 hours of actionable information. This video instruction is provided by Train Simple and is the same course used by tons of Fortune 500 companies and top universities. You know you'll be getting your money's worth out of this offer.

Train Simple's HTML5 and CSS3 Training Bundle courses usually retail for $314. You can save yourself a whopping 81% off that price if you head over to our Deals tab. That means you pay just $59. That's a small price for the amount of knowledge you'll gain so grab this offer today!

 

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Your iOS device has more computing power than the technology that was used to send a rocket to the moon. You want to make sure that you get the most out of it. Learn the ins and outs of your iOS device, along with some tips and tricks that only the experts know. Grab a lifetime subscription to iOS Centric and learn everything there is to know about iOS devices. It's on sale in our latest deal.

If you're looking to unlock the potential of your iOS device, iOS Centric can help. It one of the best sources for information about the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Learn from their big selection of video courses, available in full high definition and taught by experts in the sublect. Stay on top of updates and new features and gain access to premium support in case something keeps tripping you up. If you own an iOS device, you should be an iOS Centric member.

The iOS Centric lifetime membership normally costs $99. If you decide to become a member and make the purchase through our Deals tab, you can save 50% off the retail cost. that means you pay just $49. This membership will help you get more out of your iOS device, so grab it today!

 

 

Everyone loves a win-win situation. Why? Because everyone wins, of course. That's what you have here. We've put together a bundle of 10 beloved Mac applications that are valued at a total of $399. That's not what you'll pay, though, because you have the ability to write up your own custom price tag for this package. Get the bundle for as little as a buck, pay the recommended amount of $49, or go above and beyond to snag the top spot on the leaderboard and get entered to win a Macbook Air. No matter what you kick in, 10% of it will go to a charity of your choice, so you're doing some good for your Mac, your bottom line, and a worthy cause.

Here's what you'll get when you get yourself the Name Your Own Price Mac App Bundle:

• DiskTools Pro - The best hard drive utility you can get for your Mac makes it easy to defrag, backup, and repair your drive.
• Crossover 12 - Easily run and use Windows software on your Mac without the need to reboot.
• Snapz Pro X - Record and capture everything that happens on your screen and get easy outputs of your captures for sharing.
• Paperless - Get rid of the need for paper documents and physical files with the help of Paperless.
• Mac Blu-ray Player - Make your Mac capable of playing blu-ray discs so you can enjoy your favorite films on your Mac.
• Gemini - Gemini will help you keep your Mac clean and prevent it from getting bogged down in duplicate files.
• MusicTube - Take all of the music videos available on Youtube and make them viewable in more convenient way.
• HoudahSpot - Find any file or document on your Mac with ease.
• Elmedia Player Pro - Capable of playing nearly any file type and can capture streaming videos straight to your hard drive. 
• PhotoBulk - An easy to use photo editor that lets you resize, optimize, and watermark your photos.

All of these apps together would normally cost you $399. If you head to our Deals tab, you can name your own price and get your hands on these 10 must have apps for your Mac. Pay what you want, chip in to charity, and score some great tools for you as well. You can't go wrong, so grab this bundle while you can. And remember, if at any point your name is at the top of the leaderboard, you will be entered to win a Macbook Air!

 

Halfbrick established itself as one of the App Store's top developers thanks to games that feature simple, engaging mechanics and delightfully manicured aesthetics. Both Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride alike were sensations when they respectively launched, and remain among the best all-time iOS titles because they're tremendously fun and so thoroughly well crafted. Fish Out of Water is the studio's latest original affair, and while some of the hallmark elements are there — notably a unique approach plus quick-hit missions — the game curiously doesn't have the same hook as those earlier favorites.

Maintaining the side-scrolling perspective of Jetpack Joyride, Fish Out of Water ditches the endless approach and instead tasks players to make the most of limited play attempts. Selecting from a handful of colorful creatures swimming near the beach, you'll grab and fling three of them — one at a time — and attempt to snag high scores from the crustacean judges by skipping your fish across the water. Both total distance and number of skips play into your scores, and each fish (or other aquatic animal) reacts differently to the arc of your throw and the angle at which they hit the water.

The dolphin, for example, will bob in and out of the water for a considerable distance if thrown flatly to the right, but if you aim too far skyward, he'll crash into the ocean floor and lose momentum. And the randomly changing weather plays a part in how the fish fly and react to the water upon impact, plus you may occasionally see jellyfish on the surface that act like bouncy pads to give you a little extra distance. All of that must be taken into consideration when choosing which fish to launch and how best to heave them. Your average score is added onto daily leaderboards that rank the players in your chosen league, offering incentive to play regularly and seek the best weather conditions to notch the highest placement.

But Fish Out of Water never quite grabbed us like its earlier Halfbrick brethren. Much as we enjoy the original concept, there's little variety to the action, with meager reward for considerable time investment beyond discerning better tossing strategies. Sadly, Fish Out of Water also lacks a stylized edge to its presentation, looking fairly generic in its cartoonish approach. Plus, it's the rare premium game that actually feels like it should have been free, as there's already a system in place to game the scoreboards by buying ample crystals, which are used to create power-ups.

The bottom line. Laudably unique and pleasing in short bursts, Fish Out of Water falls short of warranting long-term attachment.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Fish Out of Water 1.0

Company: 

Halfbrick

Contact: 

www.halfbrick.com

Price: 

$0.99

Requirements: 

iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone running iOS 5.0 or later

Positives: 

Fresh fish-skipping gameplay approach. Some strategy in fish selection and reaction to weather.

Negatives: 

 

Repetitive design wears thin. Little punch to the presentation. Crystals can be used to create score-boosting power-ups.

 

Score:  3 Solid

If you’ve written off web apps as underpowered imitations of desktop software, think again. Many of today’s web apps are as good as their Finder-bound counterparts, and some even do your work for you! Web apps are convenient, too: since they live in the cloud with their related files, you can run them in a browser on almost any computer without worrying about backups or hunting through hard drives for important documents. Best of all, many web apps are free, and allow you to pay for more advanced features as you go, if and when you need them. 

Over the next few pages, we’ll uncover some of the best web apps available—ones that can perform the most important tasks in your digital lifestyle. You might think that only desktop software can handle them, but read on. That notion is about to change.

It's a smorgasbord this week, with a little from Column A, a little from Column B, and a dash from Column C. So get your gaming, productivity, scientific side, whatever on in this week's buffet of free and cheap apps (weird, just about the only thing we don't this week is a food app).

Goodo Cal

This clean, clutter-free calendar app got rid of one other thing: the price. Get it now while it's free.

Star Walk™ HD

The iPad and the night sky really come alive with this app and it's down to just one buck right now.

Medicinal Plants Collection HD

Learn what that plant is and why it's a good idea (or a bad one) to rub it on a mosquito bite.

Hotel Transylvania Dash Deluxe

FREE for a limited time! Hurry, this spooktacular deal won't last long!

Moni (checkbook)

Save some money getting your money in order and do it for free with this little number.

MoneyTron - Expense Tracker

What's that? You want to check your money roll? Well, all righty then. Here's a competitor the one up top. Also free. Now who's making budget?

Audio Guide - Monet Gallery

Money? Or Monet? Or both? Save some money on your Monet as this one is free, wonderfully free art.

Universal Prompter Pro HD

Worried about public speaking? Then check out this free portable teleprompter that will roll you right through your prepared marks without a qualm.

Louvre The Messenger

A secret service agent sent to Louvre Palace to thwart a conspiracy. Ooo lala, you are, how you say, for free?

Tiki Towers for iPad

Free monkey bridge! Free monkey bridge! Three words that don't make much sense, except in this case!

Easy Music Converter

One of what's becoming a weekly big deal with Appy Fridays, this Mac app has gone totally free, so get it while it's hot.

Type2Phone

Bust out your full size Mac keyboard and crank away on your iPhone. Why? I don't know! But it's free.

xBooks

Get your books in order with this database, and do it for free.

Lots of appy goodness in this week's news you can use roundup. Has anyone come up with a good Sparrow substitute yet? How about Record Store Day coming up? Speaking of music, looks like Twitter finally dropped the bomb on their tuneage app. What else? Well, look inside and find out.

From the handy to the hobbyist, the internet contains a vast and endless ocean of schematics and projects for all skill levels to occupy time, gussy up homes, and improve lives. While there are many hubs out there to hone your skills, Instructables is simply the most all-encompassing DIY site you'll find. Whether it's cooking homemade "Sweet Tarts" or building a vintage bookshelf, there are detailed instructions to get you from start to finish. However, sometimes you need to have that guide right by your side, and that's why the iPhone app is highlighted for this week's Free App Friday.

Developed by Autodesk, the iOS version draws from over 100,000 guides that are sure to satisfy any curiosity. Wondering how you can build your own iOS accessories? Simply navigate through the technology category to Apple, and you'll find an assortment of different guides with step-by-step details and photographs. Curious about Victorian aesthetics? Search for the word "Victorian" and you'll find sewing instructions for clothing inspired by the era to the most proper-looking snowman you've ever seen. Part of the charm that separates Instructables from the DIY pack is being able to follow the authors whose work you've enjoyed. See everything they've done, and be alerted whenever they have a new guide available.

The fun doesn't stop there, as Instructables also has contests to test your crafting skills, as well as your ability to teach the community. For example, there is currently a puppet contest that can win you an awesome Canon T4i. So there's really no excuse to not jump headfirst into the community and see what you can make.

Click here to download Instructables from iTunes.

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Whether you'd like to build your own website just for fun or you're looking to get into web development, you have to make sure that you have the resources you need to make your project come to life. If you do most of your building on WordPress, having access to plugins, themes, and coding help can help make an amazing site. Our latest deal provides you with all that and more.

No matter what kind of site you're making with WordPress, the Ultimate WordPress Starter Kit has tools for you. Get access to themes that will provide your site with the perfect look and layout. Add plugins to give your site the full functionality it needs. If you're having any issue making your website work, you'll also get 24/7/365 support that will help you through any problem you may be having.

A full year of access to all of the Ultimate WordPress Starter Kit usually retails for $420. You can save yourself 76% off of that price by heading to our Deals tab. You'll pay just $99 for a full year of never-ending assets and resources for your WordPress site. Get this offer today!

We're seriously kicking it MacBook Pro style this morning with tons of great deals on what some might call Apple's best laptop. But that's not all we've got in the hopper, so if you're looking to save some dough, check out these great deals.

Mac

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Dual-core Intel i5

There's quite a few MacBook Pros out there in the refurb land and we have to declare our love for this model. At $1,019, this puppy's a steal.

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.9GHz Dual-core Intel i7

Kick up every nearly every spec on that last model and you up the price to $1,269, but what a machine.

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina Display

Same price as last model, same size screen but now we're talking Retina Display. For $1,269? Are they serious?

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina Display

Very similar spec bump story as above and a $90 price jump takes this awesome laptop to $1,359.

Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Quad-core Intel i7

That littler model is nice and all, but you do graphic design, you need a sizable monitor. Well, pony up $1,489 and you'll pick up this hot number.

13.3" MacBook Pro (with Retina display) dual-core Intel Core i7 2.9GHz

Finally, if you're a fan of that brand new Mac smell, then MacMall's got you covered with this $1,599 model, a whopping $599 off. Wow!

MacScan

Yeah, yeah, we know Macs don't see much in the spyware/virus realm but that's changing and maybe you might need someone to peek under your hood. $16.49 will get you that peek.

iOS Accessories

iPad Smart Cover

They're back! MacMall's best accessory deal of late has been half off to $20 the Smart Cover for the iPad. Take your savings and pick up a cover for the back and you're set.

In-Ear Earphone

As always, we bust our way through a ton of earphones, either losing them or having cords short out, so when we see deals like earphones for $1 and free shipping with coupon code MLCKA17GNL1, we snap up the limit.

Philips - Alarm Clock Radio with  iPod and iPhone Dock

$30 gives you a dock to keep your phone charged all night and some alarm clock action to boot. 

XtremeMac BT Connect or Home Connect Bluetooth Audio Receiver

Use your iPhone's Bluetooth to hook up the jams and it'll only set you back $10, which is a heck of a deal.

Targus THZ045US Protective Cover for iPad

Wrap up your iPad and keep it safe with this protective case for only $14.

iPad mini 64GB Wi-Fi Black

In-store only, drive by Micro Center and pick yourself up the biggest model of the mini for $449.

OtterBox Defender Series Hybrid Case for iPad Mini

Otterbox is a premier name in the iOS device case game and have been for years. Pick up their Defender for the iPad mini for $48.96.

Eco Sound Dual USB Car Charger + Lightning Sync Charging Cable

Wherever you go, you gotta have power, and $14 is a heck of a deal.

OZAKI iCoat Notebook+ Folio Case with Stylus

Get all professional on your crew with this stylish case and stylus and do it all for $44.95.

Really Darn Cheap

Extreme Hybrid Kickstand Case with Holster for iPhone 5

You don't often find cases for an iPhone 5 for only $3, but this is one of those times. Add in a kickstand and a holster, and now you're cooking.

 

We dig the wool-blend fabric and smart herringbone pattern.

The HEX Drake Origin is a good-looking pack. Made from blended wool, the herringbone pattern is hip and doesn’t scream tech-geek. Following the trend of using natural fabrics in bags, the Drake Origin even has leather zipper pulls. The pack feels solid and well-constructed.

While the Origin is advertised as holding up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro, its dimensions of 18x14x4.5 inches should accommodate the 17-inch MacBook Pro, too. It doesn’t have a million pockets to lose your items in—just a fleece-lined laptop pocket, a couple of interior organization pockets, and a padded pocket on the front to hold an iPad.

While some users will like the cavernous interior, others won’t. For us, the Drake Origin was simply too big—large enough to hold another small backpack. The padded straps weren’t quite padded enough for our taste, and we found it uncomfortable to hold heavy loads for a long time. But students in particular might enjoy how much room it has for textbooks, as well as its fashionable styling.

The bottom line. If you regularly haul a laptop, an iPad, and a bunch of other stuff, the Origin will fit the bill. And the Drake line also features smaller bags and sleeves in the same herringbone style if you don’t need the Origin’s kitchen-sink capacity.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Hex Drake Origin BackPack

Company: 

HEX

Contact: 

www.shophex.com

Price: 

$79.99

Requirements: 

Something to carry

Positives: 

Well-constructed. Hip styling. Large.

Negatives: 

Minimal organization. Awkward shape. Somewhat uncomfortable straps, especially for heavy loads.

Score:  3 Solid

I’ve had an iMac for over five years, upgrading to Snow Leopard about four months ago. My drive is only about one-third full. Recently, I started noticing that when I open files, they wouldn’t open for 15–20 seconds, or would beach ball while waiting. I’ve restarted and run Disk Utility, but to no avail. 

When applications are loading at a slow pace, there can be a number of factors contributing to the pokiness. One of the first places you’ll want to check is Activity Monitor (located in the Applications > Utilities folder). This application can be used to check the vital signs of your system’s performance while it’s running. 

The System Memory tab of Activity Monitor will give you an overview of the free and used memory in your system.

With all of the applications you typically have open remaining open, click on the “System Memory” section. If you have little to no “Free” memory (or the Free memory is below a few hundred megabytes), or have Swap Used, then you’ll want to consider getting more RAM for your system. If swap space is used, then this means that your computer has run out of physical memory and is using a portion of your hard drive as temporary storage space. This will lead to longer wait times, as your hard drive is the slowest part of your machine, and whenever the computer has to store or retrieve data from it, you’ll have longer wait times. 

Next, check the CPU usage. If your “% User” is substantially high (say, always above 50%), then you may have applications running that are using more system resources than needed. Consider closing unused or unneeded applications. You can also use the Process drop-down menu to select “My Processes.” Check the list to see if any unused processes are currently running. If they are, consider closing them. 

Finally, check to ensure that all users have logged off your system (if you have a multi-user Mac). With multiple users 
logged in, your system’s resources will be taxed more than 
with just a single user.

GOT A TECH QUESTION OR A HELPFUL TIP TO SHARE?

Email ask@maclife.com or write to Mac|Life, 
4000 Shoreline Ct, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080

It seems like every week there's new research data supporting Android's growth at the iPhone's expense, but that trend doesn't appear to be the case with U.S. carriers Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

British analyst Benedict Evans has published research data suggesting that Apple's iPhone seems to not only be holding its own against Android in the United States, but is actually gaining momentum as Google's mobile OS growth flatlines.

Using available sales data from Verizon Wireless and AT&T, the analyst has created a chart which details how the carriers' respective iPhone sales compare to "other" smartphones, which these days are made up primarily of Android handsets.

The blue line shows Verizon's iPhone sales, while the green shows the same for AT&T; both of them look quite lively over the last two years, while orange and red (Verizon and AT&T non-iPhone smartphone sales, respectively) fail to spike at all.

As Evans points out, iPhone launch sales don't show a dip in Android sales, suggesting those committed to Google's platform are not easily lured into Apple's world. On the flip side of that coin, flagship Android handset launches barely register compared to the iPhone, which sees significant growth -- in this case for the iPhone 4S in late 2011 and again in late 2012 for the iPhone 5.

"The implication is that there is an ongoing base of sales that goes to Android, and to some extent iPhone as well, that totally ignores product launches, and just buys a phone," Evans elaborates. "Then, there's a base of people who wait to buy the new iPhone (and of course come off their 24m contact in another launch quarter, eager to buy). And this latter base is getting bigger every year, and indeed driving all of the growth."

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy of Benedict Evans)

 

While we're always guaranteed to hear about the deals Apple managed to nab, it's far more rare to hear about the ones that got away -- such as a potential partnership with Goodreads prior to Amazon snapping the company up.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon.com's acquisition of book recommendation service Goodreads appears to have been about more than just expanding the Kindle's social networking presence -- it was also a strategic move to keep Apple from gaining a foothold there as well.

According to sources familiar with the talks, Apple and Goodreads had been negotiating for nearly a year on how to integrate the latter's social tools into the former's iBookstore, similar to how the iPhone maker tied Rotten Tomatoes movie reviews into its iTunes Store.

With talks ongoing, Apple executives contacted Goodreads last month to "move forward," only to be met with silence.

That's because Amazon had already "expressed interest in buying the company," and sources claim any deal was contingent upon Goodreads cutting off talks with other companies while the deal was percolating.

"Around that time, a different person at Apple not involved in the iBookstore talks reached out to Goodreads to ask whether it was interested in exploring other options; it’s unclear what those options included," the report concludes. "Goodreads declined."

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

A Chinese website has found a loophole with Apple's enterprise licensing tools which allows pirated apps to be side loaded onto a user's device, skipping the jailbreak process entirely.

The Verge reported Friday that Chinese website 7659.com is taking advantage of Apple's bulk enterprise licensing software to illegally distribute free versions of paid App Store titles.

The process uses a developer provisioning profile, which then allows the device owner to side load a pirated app onto their iOS hardware, completely bypassing the App Store -- along with any payment to the developer and Apple.

While the website blocks IP addresses from outside China, Venture Beat managed to use a proxy server to gain access, where they discovered a host of paid App Store titles available absolutely free.

More shockingly, the company who runs the website actually defends their piracy by claiming 7659 is a better way to "effectively manage" apps than iTunes, and far safer than jailbreaking.

"Our goal has always been about bringing Chinese Apple users with quick, convenient and pleasant IOS experience," the online statement reads. "Since the introduce of Kuaiyong, the proportion of jailbreak in China has declined dramatically from 60 percent to around 30 percent. Kuaiyong will hold on to this goal in the future and we would like to see more support for Apple as well as Kuaiyong."

Good luck with that, guys -- it shouldn't take Apple long to find and shut down the provisioning profile used to make 7659.com possible, but for now the company remains mum on the situation.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy of Venture Beat)

 

It's been a busy week for new and updated apps, and while we can't single them all out in the space available, we've done our best to distill things down to coverage of the stuff you'll (hopefully) want to read about. We're also capping off the week with yet another update on the AppGratis saga, Adobe's thoughts on web fragmentation and more rumors that Amazon may get into the smartphone biz. Won't you join us and find out more?

Skitch for Mac, iOS Adds Premium PDF Annotation

The Evernote Blog announced new versions of Skitch for both Mac and iOS on Thursday, which adds PDF annotation for Evernote Premium subscribers. For standard Evernote users, the update adds 30-day complimentary access to this new feature as well as Skitch Summary, which allows the apps to summarize changes made to the file on the first page so they'll be easily understood by those you share with. All Skitch users will gain access to the new Stamps tool as well as plain text styling for typing into forms and a new Tool Tips pop-up to help users get up to speed with new features now and in the future. As always, the Skitch apps themselves are always free.

Apple Silences AppGratis Push Notifications

MacRumors has a followup report on the AppGratis app removal saga, and it doesn't bode well for the French company. According to TechCrunch, Apple has apparently revoked the app discovery service's push notifications, which hobbles the app for existing users. AppGratis plans to launch an email-based "daily special offers newsletter" to keep existing app users informed on what's free that day, but the situation appears to get getting uglier and the gatekeepers in Cupertino appear to be doing their best to choke any remaining life out of the service.

Amazon Rumored to Purchase Siri Clone Evi

TechCrunch is reporting that the Siri-like app Evi may have a new home with Amazon, who reportedly scooped up the virtual voice assistant software for a cool $26 million. While the app's developers, its backers and Amazon all remain silent on the subject, attention now turns to the possibility that the U.K.-based True Knowledge could be yet another sign that an Amazon smartphone is on the way. After all, the existing app already runs on both iOS as well as Android, pairing the developer's search engine with existing voice recognition technology from Nuance. The rumors have been building for some time, but it would seem Amazon has all the pieces in place to make a jump from tablets to smartphones in the very near future.

LinkedIn App Brings iPhone Redesign

Business-centric social network LinkedIn debuted version 6.0 of its universal app on Thursday, introducing an all-new, easier-to-use design for the iPhone. Users can now invite, follow, like, share and comment right from the app's updates stream, and LinkedIn users can now personalize the app or even customize its navigation to gain faster access to the features you love most. Last but not least, the update adds the "ability to follow influencers to get access to original insights and content," while the iPad edition improves overall quality and performance with a variety of bug fixes. LinkedIn for iOS 6.0 is now available from the App Store and requires iOS 5.0 or later.

Adobe Weighs in On Web Fragmentation

As Google and Opera forge their own path with WebKit courtesy of the Blink project, Adobe's Digital Media Blog has posted some thoughts on the potential for the web platform landscape to become more fragmented as time goes on. The software publisher already contributes web standards and browser implementations to WebKit as well as Chromium and Gecko and despite sounding pleased about Opera's arrival into the fold, lingering doubts remain for the future. "I trust that the addition of Blink will strengthen an already healthy browser competition," writes Adobe's Vincent Hardy. "Over time, the Blink code base will diverge from WebKit’s but no harm to the web occurs if both engines implement the same features in different ways. Only significantly different feature sets could result in harmful fragmentation. Making sure that WebKit, Blink and other browser engines interoperate is more important than it has ever been."

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Usually when we think about music apps, we consider streaming options like Spotify and Rdio, or discovery tools like Pandora. If you want to listen to some great music, find the tracks and albums you love, and get great suggestions for new bands to check out all in one place, there is no app that can match your local record store. Record Store Day is on April 20 this year, and it's a celebration of your local music shop where you can pick up the latest releases, ultra-rare exclusives, and everything in between. Though a High Fidelity-style top five list was tempting, we found even more helpful apps to let you make the most of your Record Store Day experience.

It's taken 22 years for a Sonic the Hedgehog game to reach the Mac, but while the first Apple outing isn't one of the hero's traditional on-foot adventures, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing isn't lacking in speed — or fun, for that matter. Using the tried-and-true Mario Kart template, All-Stars Racing packs in a bevy of familiar characters and locations from Sega's beloved properties, letting users command a driver through vibrantly colored worlds in rollicking circuit races that put an emphasis on drifting around turns and utilizing cartoonish weapons.

While Sonic expectedly takes the starring role, with a few of his companions and several courses inspired by his past entries in tow, the game on the whole feels like a love letter to Sega's glory days. Creative track designs pull elements from past console favorites like Jet Set Radio and Samba de Amigo, which helps create a diverse selection of locales — 24 in total — while thrilling old fans of the included franchises. And the driver roster pulls from even deeper in Sega's catalog, with heroes that haven't had a starring role in ages.

But you don't have to be a Sonic or Sega fanboy to get a kick out of this accessible and entertaining kart racer. Breezy play mechanics and colorful aesthetics give the game a strong hook beyond its ample and well-considered fan service, and while easy to get into, there's also plenty to keep you around: Grand Prix cups, objective-based missions, time trials, and four-player online and split-screen showdowns.

The races are best experienced with a controller, and Feral's port to Mac is luckily very accommodating in that regard. We used a PlayStation 3 controller with zero issues via Bluetooth, but many others are supported. We did struggle to find random online competition, though — seemingly thanks to Game Center's rigid matchmaking approach — but races with friends ran well.

The bottom line. Simple and sweet, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing will amuse even those unfamiliar with the colorful cast.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

Company: 

Feral Interactive

Contact: 

http://www.feralinteractive.com

Price: 

$24.99

Requirements: 

Mac OS X 10.8.3 or later, 1.8 Ghz Processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB VRAM (ATI X1xxx/HD2xxx, Intel GMA, NVIDIA 320M/330M not supported)

Positives: 

Great array of classic characters and environments. Solid array of content. Accommodates many different controllers.

Negatives: 

Copies the Mario Kart formula with little variation. Random online competition is tough to locate.

Score:  4 Great

We love Dashboard on our Macs. It feels like a bit of iOS on OS X, with tiny apps that look pretty and perform simple functions amazingly well. With a beautiful interface and a dynamic set of customizable widgets, Panic's ambitious Status Board attempts to bring that experience to our iPads, with at-a-glance access to your most important data and a fantastic new playground for coders.

Status Board is not without a learning curve, so a clever foldout manual will quickly set up your personal widgets. But even with that bit of useful instruction, you may still be slightly overwhelmed when you first meet Status Board's system of information modules. This isn't a criticism. What Panic has built is so unique that you'll need to spend a little time exploring before you can truly understand all that it has to offer.

Ultimately, Status Board is less of an app and more of an environment. The first thing you'll notice is how beautiful everything looks; each of your modular widgets is displayed against a rich black gradient, with graphical elements that pop off the screen. But it isn't until you tap the settings button nestled in the top left corner that the full power of Status Board becomes apparent. There are small adjustments that can be made to each of your widgets, but the real customization is in the "pro" panels. Anything that can be entered into a spreadsheet and exported as a CSV file to your Dropbox account can be turned into a stunning table or graph, and DIY panels are even more powerful, displaying specialized web pages that developers can craft and share with ease.

For an extra fee – $10 at launch, but due to rise to an eye-popping $50 – you can send a widescreen Status Board to your HDTV. It's not just a resized version of your iPad screen, as you can save a customized layout (with the same widgets) that fills your TV nicely. It's a neat feature, and potentially perfect for a scrappy tech startup or small business that needs updated information displayed and at the ready, though the price of admission is a bit steep for non-power users.

While Status Board has loads of potential, it feels unfinished. It seems unnatural, but Status Board really wants to be in portrait mode. Sadly, ugly gaps and overlapping detract from the experience in landscape mode. And while the Twitter and News Feed panels are integrated with Safari, most of the widgets are far too simplified; tapping an email or a calendar event, for example, doesn't do anything. We also experienced a few crashes, along with a couple of stubborn panels that refused to disappear without killing the app from the multitasking bar.

The bottom line. Status Board is designed to present all of your vital information at a glance, but it's so beautiful, you won't want to look away.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Status Board 1.0

Company: 

Panic, Inc.

Contact: 

http://www.panic.com

Price: 

$9.99

Requirements: 

iPad running iOS 5.0 or later

Positives: 

Gorgeous interface. Brilliant environment for widgets. Powerful customization tools.

Negatives: 

Some bugs and crashes. Ugly formatting issues in landscape mode. Limited functionality. Feels like a beta.

Score:  3.5 Good