iOSambrosia

Video: Google Launches ‘Capture’ App, Allows Instant Sync To Social Media Accounts

2012-12-17T21:06:51Z

Google launched a new app for iPhone today called Capture that lets you quickly upload videos to YouTube. Unlike Apple’s built-in Camera app, Google’s Capture lets you sync to your Facebook, Google+, and Twitter accounts to easily push your videos to all your social networks in one go. The app also features image stabilization, some basic video editing tools, and access to your camera roll so you can upload older videos stored on your phone directly to YouTube. We took the app for a spin this afternoon and found that it’s much easier to use and has more functionality than Apple’s Camera app. One downside: Once the video uploads, it automatically posts to your social networks, even if YouTube’s servers haven’t finished rendering the clip yet. Your followers and friends may get an error message at first. Capture is just the latest in a string of new and updated Google apps for the iPhone. For a long time, Google had a reputation of delivering half-baked apps on Apple’s platform. Now it’s going all out, delivering some excellent apps that are often better than what Apple can come up with. Google says Capture will launch on Android devices soon. Source

Leatherbound BookBook cover for iPad mini finally available

2012-12-14T04:02:10Z

The leather bound book look of BookBook cases from Twelve South is now available in an iPad mini version.Weighing in at just 7.5 ounces, the BookBook for iPad mini features hand-distressed leather, so that no two cases are alike. BookBook also has an interior support frame to securely hold your iPad and showcase its amazing display. Lift the support frame and fold down the built-in kickstand to angle iPad mini for typing and for use as a secondary touchscreen desktop computer. BookBook angles iPad mini perfectly on your desk for using productivity apps like Calculator, Reminders, and Notes while you work on your Mac. Stay focused on the big screen while iPad mini and BookBook handle the small, but important tasks. BookBook for iPad mini available

Apple’s iPhone Found to Infringe on 3 MobileMedia Patents

2012-12-14T03:59:13Z

A federal jury has found that Apple’s iPhone is infringing on three patents owned by MobileMedia Ideas, according to FOSS Patents. The verdict is likely to result in Apple being required to pay a licensing fee for the patents. MobileMedia Ideas is a patent licensing entity, a term most often associated with so-called “patent trolls.” Patent-trolls are typically non-practicing entities that don’t ship products based on their technology patents, but that term doesn’t apply in this case. MobileMedia Ideas was set up by Sony and Nokia—two definitely-practicing entities—as well as MPEG LA—the company that controls the MPEG standard—to monetize some of the patents developed by those companies. Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents noted that Apple’s infringement verdict is likely to lead to more smartphone makers being willing to buy a license for the patents. The three patents are: U.S. Patent No. 6,070,068, which describes a “communication terminal device and method for controlling a connecting state of a call into a desired connection state upon a predetermined operation by a user.” It was filed by Sony in 1997. Apple was found to infringe on claims 23 and 24. U.S. Patent No. 6,253,075, which describes a “method and apparatus for incoming call rejection.” It was filed by Nokia in 1998. Apple was found to infringe on claims 5, 6 and 10. U.S. Patent No. 6,427,078, which describe a “device for personal communications, data collection and data processing, and a circuit card.” It was filed by Nokia in 1997. Apple was found to infringe on claim 73. That’s a total of six claims on three patents, a fairly convincing victory for MobileMedia Ideas. Apple Found to Infringe on 3 MobileMedia Patents – The Mac Observer

T-Mobile completes iPhone-friendly upgrade in 23 cities

2012-12-14T03:57:49Z

Chicago, Reno, and the LA burbs join Atlanta, Minneapolis and Seattle as the newest areas of the country where an iPhone will work on T-Mobile’s 3G network. T-Mo is now about one-third of the way from completing its nationwide HSPA+ overhaul. T-Mobile on Thursday officially activated its overhauled HSPA+ systems in five more regions of the country, including the greater Chicago area, bringing it that much closer to fielding a nationwide network that can fully support Apple’s iPhone. Today’s launch in Chicago; Reno, Nev.; Fresno and Sacramento, Calif.; and the region surrounding Los Angeles (though not in LA itself) – coupled with activations on Monday in Atlanta, Seattle and Minneapolis – bring its total upgraded footprint to 23 markets covering more than 100 million people. While T-Mobile doesn’t sell the device yet, customers with unlocked iPhones can use them on the carrier’s network. But only in areas where the upgrade is complete will they get anything beyond a 2G connection. Though in the rest of country the network officially hasn’t seen the upgrade – which will move a portion of T-Mo’s HSPA+ network to the 1900 MHz PCS band – customers with unlocked iPhones have reported seeing HSPA+ signals from New York to LA, cities where their Apple devices would normally be restricted to pokey 2G speeds. Right up to its launch this week, Chicago was a hotbed of signal sightings so T-Mobile obviously has many more markets in the works. T-Mobile is rushing to complete its network reconfiguration for a number of reasons. Not only will it be fully compatible with the iPhone’s 2G and 3G radios when it starts selling the device next year, but the sooner it relocates HSPA+ to the PCS band, the sooner it can start building its new LTE network. T-Mobile completes iPhone-friendly upgrade in 23 cities

FullForce jailbreak tweak makes full screen Google Maps run well on iPad

2012-12-14T03:56:10Z

FullForce, which is a tweak available via Cydia for Jailbroken iPads, has been allowing users for a couple of years now to force iPhone apps into full screen without the distortion of the 2x zoom feature that iOS provides. Not all apps include assets that would scale up nicely using the app, but the developers keep a list of compatible apps for users through Cydia. As noted by a 9to5Mac reader, Google’s just-released iOS Maps app appears to scale and run perfectly on the iPad using FullForce—apart from a few elements (such as the sidebar)— that are clearly not designed for the iPad’s larger display. While FullForce will get jailbroken iPad users by until Google releases an iPad version of its new iPhone Maps app, we’re hoping someone is working hard on a tweak that will make Google Maps the default Maps app on iOS. A gallery of Google Maps running on an iPad with FullForce below: Known jailbreak tweak FullForce makes full screen Google Maps run well on iPad