Set in a fantasy world full of monsters and magic, Outcast Odyssey tasks you with exploring your surroundings and collecting treasures, as well as defeating the various creatures that you encounter in RPG-like battles.

Your weapons of choice in these battles are – of course – cards. There are hundreds of hand-drawn cards available to collect in Outcast Odyssey – many of which can be enhanced and even evolved to create more powerful variants.

You won’t just be battling monsters in Outcast Odyssey, mind. Through the game’s PvP mode, you can compete against other players from around the globe and even earn weekly prizes if you manage to outshine your opponents.

Are you a fan of joining guilds with other players? If so, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can do just that. In fact, you can battle outcasts from opposing guilds in the game’s arena for the chance to pick up ‘great rewards’.

Outcast Odyssey is now available to download worldwide for free. Be sure to grab it for your iPhone and iPad [download] right away. The game will be available for Android-powered smartphones and tablets very soon.

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The smaller 7.9 inch tablet from Apple, iPad mini with retina display went on sale at Apple’s retail stores on Tuesday. Due to tight supply and high demand Apple offered the device exclusively via personal pickup.

This allows customers who purchase the new tablet from Appel’s online store to pick up the device from a retail store of their choice. Sales of iPad mini with retina display are expected to be made available by other means as soon as supply catches up with the demand.

New product launches from Apple often exceed the company’s expectation in terms of demand however for iPad Air launch the models were available for online purchase and for walk-in customers.

iPad mini with Retina display will be available starting today in silver or space gray. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi models will be available for a suggested retail price of $399 (US) for the 16GB model, $499 (US) for the 32GB model, $599 (US) for the 64GB model and $699 (US) for the 128GB model. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available for a suggested retail price of $529 (US) for the 16GB model, $629 (US) for the 32GB model, $729 (US) for the 64GB model and $829 (US) for the 128GB model.

iPad mini with retina display benchmark figures have now been revealed. Benchmark test on GeekBench shows that the dual-core 64-bit A& chip is clocked at 1.29GHz. In comparison, iPhone 5s processor is clocked at 1.30GHz and iPad Air at 1.39GHz.

One of the reasons of clocking processor speed below its full potential is often attributed to thermal considerations due to the form factor. Since iPad Air has a larger hardware footprint the same A7 processor used in all three devices is clocked higher than the other two.

Teardown of the iPad mini with retina display by iFixit reveals that the device is a bit thicker than the previous model – with a difference of 0.3mm. The new tablet features a much larger 24.3WHr battery compared to the 16.3WHr in the previous model. High resolution displays drive more power which explains the use of a larger battery.

The high resolution display measures at 326ppi and Apple continues to use displays from LG and Samsung. A7 chip used in iPad mini with retina display is identical to the one in iPhone 5s as opposed to being the same as the one in iPad Air.

As a result of the new hardware upgrades the new iPad mini will now provide unto 4 times CPU performance, 8 times graphics performance and continues to provide a full 10 hour battery life.

Are you going to purchase the new iPad mini with retina display? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Apple Inc. has been steadily building its customer base. In 2007 it entered the smartphone business that introduced the company to many more users than its Mac and iPod business. The company has released hit products year after year breaking all its previous sales records.

The brand loyalty and recognition that Apple enjoys is second to none and now Interbrand has revealed that Apple topped Coca-Cola to become world’s most valuable brand. The soft drink giant enjoyed the number one position for thirteen long years and this year Cupertino, Calif. based company that revolutionised the computer, phone, music and tablet industry has taken over.

The brand ‘Apple’ is synonymous to top quality and customer satisfaction. This is one of the major reasons why loyal Apple fans continue to wait for days outside retail stores ahead of a major product launch.

Apple has been continually setting new standards for itself and the industry in general. With the recent iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launch the company broke all records by selling more than 9 million devices. iOS 7 was a successful launch as more than 200 million iOS devices were upgraded to the latest operating system within the launch week.

Every so often, a company changes our lives, not just with its products, but also with its ethos. This is why, following Coca-Cola’s 13-year run at the top of Best Global Brands, Interbrand has a new #1—Apple. Few brands have enabled so many people to do so much so easily, which is why Apple has legions of adoring fans, as evidenced by the record-breaking launch of the iPhone 5c/5s.

This announcement is just another testament of the impact of the Apple brand. The company is on track to announce another product update before the holiday season. New iPad and iPad mini are expected to be announced later this month.

Smartphones and tablets are increasingly being adopted by businesses to be a part of the employees workflow. Major corporations are already deploying custom apps to increase the productivity of its employees. The App Store has seen a rise in the kind of business and productivity apps that make complex tasks easier with the use of the intuitive multitouch screen and iOS.

When we think about organising or developing a process for an activity or creating an event driven process the tool we all think of is mind maps and flowchart. These allow us to visually comprehend complex structures and the relation one activity has with the other. Even though there are many advantages of creating mindmaps and flowcharts often the complex nature of software required could possibly impact our productivity negatively instead of enhancing it.

Cubetto for iPhone and iPad developed by semture GmbH aims to offer an easy to use interface with a new approach that enables even an amateur to create complex flowcharts. Cubetto is a full featured app for creating business process, collaboration diagrams, event driven process charts, flowcharts and much more.

Instead of offering drawing tools for you to figure out which diagram or arrow or icons to use the app offers an intuitive template and wizard format which enables you to create your flowchart easily. Just like any flowchart or business process has a structure, the wizard and template format in Cubetto structures your diagram and automatically does the layout for you. The app is smart to set the size of the canvas and connects the different flowchart elements automatically. Even as most of the layout is handled automatically the app still gives you a lot of control over the look and feel of your chart or process.

You start a new project by tapping the ‘plus’ sign and then choosing whether you want to create BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation), Mindmap, EPC (Event-driven Process Chain), Flowchart, Notes & Edges or UML (Use Case, Class and Activity Diagram. After selecting the type of diagram that best meets your project need you start simply by tapping on the screen and a menu pop-up will appear which acts as a wizard to help you choose the type of content you want to use in your diagram. For example in a BPMN diagram the wizard offers content such as Activity, Data Object, Data Storage, Event, Gateway, Group, Message, Pool, Swimlane. As you select the content you further get options to fine tune the details and then choose the successor of the previous activity.

When you choose a successor you will get options to select the type of connection you want to establish which could either be an Annotation, Association, Message flow, Sequence Flow and much more. Each connector or activity box can be customised with text, description, colour and type of edges and nodes.

As you build your diagram and define the rules of each connection and relation with each activity Cubetto will intelligently do the layout of your chart or diagram. The app allows you to focus on creating the flow and handles the layout itself. This feature is very powerful and proves to be a great help when users are creating complex processes. It can be a bit of a daunting task to arrange the diagram when there are many boxes and arrows connecting so Cubetto handles this task very efficiently so that your diagram always follows the structure and flow that you intended.

There are infinite possibilities with this app and you can get very creative with the kind of diagram you want to create. The template feature in this app allows you to automate the creation of similar activities without the need to manually enter the settings again.

The powerful nature of the auto-layout is evident when with the tap of just one button you change the layout of your diagram from horizontal to vertical without the need to worry about the connections, text or any other setting. It’s very  simple and highly intuitive. You can even create multiple models or diagrams and store them in a folder within one project. So, you can begin with creating a Mindmap for the Organization and then create an event driven process chain and even have nested folders.

Once you’ve created your diagram Cubetto allows you to export your project as a PDF, JPG, PNG and email it. It even allows you to export as XHTML, BPMN XML, Cubetto XML, iTunes folder, iCloud and Dropbox.

The app does not feature any in-app purchases so when you buy Cubetto you get a full-featured powerful app for your iPhone and iPad to create any type of flowchart, diagram or process that you want to.

Cubetto is available on the App Store as a universal download. The auto-layout, wizard and template features easily make it the most comprehensive solution for  business process modeling and the illustration of organizational structures.

Apple’s 7.9 inch tablet, the iPad mini is due for a refresh this fall and according to a new report the next gen iPad mini will have an almost bezel free design. We recently highlighted another report which claimed that Apple is facing shortage of retina display supply that could result in retina iPad mini launch to be delayed until 2014.

DigiTimes published a repot citing sources that claim Apple will introduce a redesigned version of the iPad mini to give the next-gen 7.9 inch tablet an almost bezel free look. The current iPad mini design already features a very narrow bezel to it is unclear how the company will accomplish this. The report further highlights that retina display iPad mini won’t be available for this holiday season however, customers can expect a refresh this fall with improved technical specifications.

While the new iPad mini may not be availabe during the year-end shopping season, Apple reportedly may first release a slightly updated version of the current iPad mini in the second half of 2013, which is expected to be lighter, thinner and equipped with improved specifications, the sources said.

Apple clearly dominates the tablet market space which is evident by the total mobile web share. The company has a very aggressive marketing strategy for its tablet product line-up. The introduction of a small 7.9 inch tablet gives Apple an edge to dominate the market further by entering the small screen tablet segment. The company does not want to give any room to its competitors to compete in this segment.

Tablet product category was revolutionised by Apple and it was the first company to sell it in large numbers. The product refresh cycle for tablets has become shorter since the third and fourth gen 10-inch tablet as both were introduced in less than a year.

Facebook recently unveiled a new version of its News Feed, with an emphasis on larger photos, reduced clutter and a synchronized experience across devices. This means that the design of the news feed would appear the same whether the user was browsing through it on an smartphone, tablet, or a desktop. Apple’s iOS devices will receive the update first, which Facebook noted would be released in the “coming weeks”.

Normally, with major updates to Facebook’s timeline and news feed, the company slowly rolls out features by region. Android users will be getting the new News Feed soon after iOS users. The new news feed will now be separated into four different categories, listed below, and helps to streamline and organize the current mess of links, images, music, and status updates.

All Friends — a feed that shows everything friends are sharing
Photos — a feed with nothing but photos from friends and liked pages
Music — a feed with posts about the music a user listens to
Following — a feed with the latest news from the pages a user likes and the people they follow

Although many Facebook features are normally protested during their release, this appears to be a feature that is intended for a user experience rather than for Facebook’s ad purposes. Facebook is offering users the chance to sign up for a pre-release look at the updated News Feed. The sign up for the waiting list is available at facebook.com/about/newsfeed.

{Via AppleInsider}

HBO has made a move into yet another one of Apple’s products, allowing customers of its HBO GO streaming service to stream shows and movies on their Apple TV devices. On Tuesday, during the AllThingsD Dive Into Media Conference, Eric Kessler of HBO announced that the company will be adding support for its users to stream to their Apple TV devices via AirPlay.

Our longterm goal for Go is to be on all devices all platforms. HBO Go is HBO’s streaming service that allows subscribers to watch HBO content on PCs, tablets, and consoles.

With this new addition, HBO would only allow streaming of video from the HBO GO app as there is currently no available app for the Apple TV. Other streaming services such as Watchever, Netflix and Hulu Plus already have applications for the Apple TV, which allows users to browse directly through the device instead of channeling it through a MacBook or iOS device.

Despite the fact that Apple currently does not have an HBO app for the Apple TV, the two companies are reportedly working together to create a native HBO GO application for the Apple TV. The Apple TV only supports streaming content at this point, with Apple consistently adding new services in the US and abroad.

With rumors that Apple is looking to introduce a television set, it is very likely that the company will continue to add more content and perhaps even its own App Store for games, TV shows, and movies.

{Via MacRumors}

The mobile research firm revealed that 320,000 smartphone and tablet users in six countries participated in the poll. In the U.S Motorola Atrix HD came in at first followed by Motorola Droid Razr, HTC Rezound 4G, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and then iPhone 5.

Sarah Quinn, marketing manager for OnDevice Research commented on the report and said, “although Apple created one of the most revolutionary devices of the past decade, other manufactures have caught up, with some Android powered devices now commanding higher levels of user satisfaction,”.

In the UK Apple comparatively did better where HTC One X came first, iPhone 5 second followed by Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini and Samsung Galaxy S3.

Perhaps the most interesting result of the poll was that among the rankings for overall mobile device satisfaction Apple came in first followed by Google, Motorola, HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and then Samsung. The survey reached out to mobile users in the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Japan, and Indonesia and was conducted via the mobile Web.

The report does give an interesting perspective of users satisfaction however, it’s unclear how a device can rank low while the company selling the device rank higher in overall satisfaction.

{via CNET}

Apple announced on Tuesday that they will be officially be selling 128GB versions of the current 4th generation iPad starting on February 5th. Now, the three major US carriers, AT&T, Verizon and SPrint have all confirmed separately that they will be carrying the WiFi + Cellular version of the 128GB iPad. Verizon and AT&T initially confirmed to that they would be carrying the new model, which was expected after its announcement.

AT&T is currently offering a $100 off deal for all tablets purchased with a 2 year contract. Sprint individually confirmed several hours later to iMore, that it would also be carrying the model. Apple added support for a number of new LTE carriers in its latest iOS 6.1 update, meaning that the 128GB model will likely operate on all of the new networks as well as the older ones.

Sprint currently does not have a expansive LTE network, but will allow 3G usage on the iPad in some areas as it continues to expand slowly over major metropolitan areas such as New York City, Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco. The carrier says that it expects to introduce LTE to over 100 new areas in the next several months.

{Via MacRumors}

Although AT&T has not yet officially announced its its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012, it did announce its “best ever” sales of the iPhone and Android. The carrier mentioned that it sold over 10 million smartphones in the quarter, one of its most successful. AT&T Mobility’s president and CEO also confirmed the successful quarter, noting that the company had over 110,000 smartphone sales a day.

We had another incredible quarter of smartphone sales as the mobile Internet continues to drive strong growth in wireless. These are the industry’s most valuable postpaid subscribers with average revenues twice that of non-smartphone subscribers.

During the quarter, we averaged more than 110,000 smartphone sales a day as customers flocked to our leading portfolio of the latest Android, Apple and Windows devices.

This isn’t the first time that AT&T has had a record fourth quarter, with the company posting 7.6 million iPhone sales, and total smartphone sales of 9.4 million units in the 4th quarter of 2011. AT&T will announce its earnings around the same time that Apple will announce theirs, on January 23rd.

Apple is also expected to have a record quarter and a record year, with the release of the iPhone 5, redesigned iPod lineup, the iPad mini, and 4th generation iPad. AT&T’s success is very much dependent on the success of Apple’s iPhone and iPad, as majority of the carriers smartphone and tablet activations are iPhones and iPads.

{Via MacRumors}

On Monday, a press release from News Corp noted that their news and entertainment division would be spitting up and there would a new CEO for the publishing division. In this separation of businesses, News Corp has proposed a plan to entirely shut down its iPad-focused newspaper, The Daily.

The Daily launched on February 11th last year, in an attempt to focus on online publishing, specifically for tablets such as the iPad. The news division will keep the name News Corps, while News Corp’s entertainment division will split and be named Fox Group. Also in the separation the editor-in-chief of the Daily,Jesse Angelo will become publisher of The New York Post. Angelo was Executive Editor at the New York Post, and will now be moving up.

As part of a digital restructuring initiative, the company will cease standalone publication of The Daily iPad app on December 15, 2012, though the brand will live on in other channels. Technology and other assets from The Daily, including some staff, will be folded into The Post.

From its launch, The Daily was a bold experiment in digital publishing and an amazing vehicle for innovation. Unfortunately, our experience was that we could not find a large enough audience quickly enough to convince us the business model was sustainable in the long-term. Therefore we will take the very best of what we have learned at The Daily and apply it to all our properties. Under the editorial leadership of Editor-in-Chief Col Allan and the business and digital leadership of Jesse, I know The New York Post will continue to grow and become stronger on the web, on mobile, and not least, the paper itself. I want to thank all of the journalists, digital and business professionals for the hard work they put into The Daily.

The Daily was a sort of test to try out digital publishing aimed specifically at tablets, however, it seems that it has not yet reached the level of popularity as expected by News Corp. News Corp notes that much of its staff and technology from The Daily will be moved over to The Post, which will allow the company to retain its employees and the ideas proposed with The Daily. With this split, and major transitions, it will be interesting to see what News Corp plans to do in the future as their next big project.

{Via iMore — Image Credit: TabTimes}

On Tuesday, Apple Inc. (AAPL) introduced the widely rumored iPad Mini. Although the iPad mini was exactly what users were expecting, a smaller screen, a full sized experience, many are still disappointed with the pricing of the device, which starts at $329. Users expected AAPL to introduce a device in the $199-$299 price range, usually what Android tablets are selling for in the market.

According to Reuters, Apple’s SVP of Product Marketing, Phil Schiller was quick to defend the iPad mini pricing at $329, saying that it is correct when compared to Apple’s product category.

“The iPad is far and away the most successful product in its category. The most affordable product we’ve made so far was $399 and people were choosing that over those devices,” Schiller said.

“And now you can get a device that’s even more affordable at $329 in this great new form, and I think a lot of customers are going to be very excited about that,” Schiller said.

Apple’s competitors such as Google and Amazon are mainly content based companies and are looking to make money off of the services that they offer, selling the device as a secondary accompaniment in order to sell content and advertising. However, Apple is selling the hardware and software first, and is looking to give customers an experience, rather than to simply sell content. As the holiday season approaches, it will be interesting to see how Apple’s iPad mini plays out with customers and if the pricing will affect the sale of the device in the long run.

{Via MacRumors}

It’s finally here! On Tuesday, Apple introduced the iPad mini during a media event at the California Theatre in San Jose, California. The iPad Mini has been a rumor around the web for several months now, and several weeks prior to announcement, parts began to leak. The iPad Mini is only 7.2-mm thin, down from the full sized iPad’s 9.4 mm and sports a 7.9 inch screen.

This is a drastic reduction from Apple’s full sized iPad, which sports a 9.7 inch Retina Display. The iPad mini, although much lighter and thinner resembles more an iPhone then an iPad and houses the same internals as the 4th generation iPod touch, including the 5MP iSight Camera for images and video, as well as the FaceTime HD camera for video calls, and the A5 chip. 4G LTE will also be available on the Cellular model of the mini.

The iPad mini also has the same resolution as the iPad 2 at 1024 by 768 pixels and weighs only 0.68 pounds, half the weight of a full sized iPad. Even with these lower than full sized specs, Apple is introducing a thinner, lighter, and powerful product to the tablet market, which has recently seen an increase in 6-8 inch devices. Amazon’s Kindle has dominated the e-reader market, and Apple is getting a leg-up by introducing a product that, when paired with iBooks can compete directly.

It is yet unknown whether the iPad mini will cannibalize sales of the iPod touch, which carries the same technical specs and now has a 4 inch screen. The iPad mini is priced at $329, as predicted for a base WiFi model and adds on another $130 for WiFi+Cellular. It will be available for Pe-Order on October 26 and will go on sale on November 02.

{Image Credit: Fox News}

As we have previously seen with our stylus reviews for Artists and Children, Styli come in all shapes and sizes. They are also used by a variety of people and in this article we review styli that are aimed at the professional end of the market, for business people to use from the desktop to the board room.

LOGiiX – Stylus Presenter – $39.95 – TOP PICK

The Stylus Presenter by LOGiiX is one of their high end styli and it shows. A beautifully crafted pen, stylus and laser pointer combined into a single device that would look great in the boardroom to take notes on paper, scribble on your iPad or use the laser pointer to highlight something on the projector.

The fact that all three features are combined in a single device means that you not going to lose one part or the other. The pen and the stylus are combined in a unit which can be flipped around to whichever you need to use at the time, while the laser pointer is located in the top of the pen, activated via a button on the side.

The Stylus Presenter feels solid in design, comes with replacements pens and batteries to get you up and running straight out of the box.

LOGiiX – Stylus Platinum – $29.95

The Stylus Platinum is the little sibling to the previously discussed Presenter both in size, features and price. The device provides both a stylus and a pen on opposite ends of the stylus.

It’s a thinner shaft than the Presenter which will appeal to some and the pen can be retracted by twisting the barrel.

The addition of two pen refills is a good addition but the $10 price differential certainly shows itself in the inferior build quality

Arctic – Emote – $23.95

Four distinctive designs make the Emote stylus from Arctic certainly stand out from the crowd and will certainly appeal to a user who wants their stylus to stand out and be noticed.

This extra dose of style compared to some of the other styli in this category is not at the expense of features and functionality though as it offers both a pen and a stylus with a cap which will cover either when not in use.

The metal shaft feels good in the hand and it’s nicely weighted too, not too heavy and not too light. While the ink can be re-filled it doesn’t come with a replacement, instead a replacement stylus is provided.

It’s great value at just $23.95 and writes well on both paper and on your tablet device. Which design would you like? You can check out the different options here.

Arctic – Architect Stylus – $22.95 – HIGHLY RECOMMEND

For a dollar less than the Arctic Emote Stylus you can get you hands on the equally distinctive and yet more understated Architect stylus.

While it may not have the glitz and glamor of its stablemate it’s modern design is not going to go unnoticed when in use. It does lack a pen but the design alone earns it a place in the boardroom or on your desk.

While I’m not sure how practical a stylus case is the Architect Stylus does provide one and it’s indicative of the quality of the stylus that the case is equally high quality. Use of the case would be reduced further if you use the cap that can be screwed to cover the stylus nib or onto the opposite end to provide extra length.

The Arctic stylus puts the style into stylus!

Elago – Stylus Ball – $25.99

The Stylus Ball from Elago provides both a stylus and a ball point pen in a sleek, compact design that is available in multiple colors which should provide enough options for everyone.

A replacement stylus nib is provided, as is a cap for the pen but no replacement ink refill is included although it can be replaced . It’s also disappointing that the cap for the pen will not fit onto the stylus end when the pen is in use and could increase the chances of being lost.

The compact design fits nicely in the hand when using it as both a stylus and a pen and the aluminum shaft feels solid and if a little slick.

iChic Gear – Calligrapher – $25.00

The Calligrapher is another dual function stylus and provides a stylish, ink pen looking pen that doubles as a stylus.

The default use of the Calligrapher is the pen which uses the barrel rotation method to be retracted. Unfortunately it only uses the tip of the pen to activate the pen and this is not as comfortable as being able to use the whole barrel.

To access the stylus the cap can be removed, unfortunately the cap can’t then be put on to cover the pen which changes the centre of balance between the two uses, it’s not a big problem but it would be nice.

At just $25 you get a great stylus both in term of style and functionality, add in the two spare pen refills and you’ve got even more of a bargain.

adonit – Jot Pro/Classic – $29.99/$19.99

We discussed the Jot stylus from adonit in our review of styli for artists and you can read more about them here. However, they deserve another mention as a potential stylus for the professional who wants a high level of precision in their tablet writing and drawing.

The Jot Pro and Jot Classic doesn’t include a standard pen, although it certainly looks like one, instead it provides a precision disc for writing on your tablet, which while it takes some getting used to provides a level of precision that the other styli can’t provide.

While the two devices are predominantly the same the additional $10 of the Jot Pro will get you a rubber grip on the shaft for comfort and a magnetized barrel which enables the stylus to be secured to your iPad.

Lunatik – Touch Pen – $19.95

The unique selling point of the Touch Pen from Lunatik is the fact the while it includes both a pen and a stylus there’s no need to swap things out or turn the pen around as the nib of the pen comes out of the end of the stylus. This feature certainly makes it quicker to jump between the two so if this is a requirement then this could be the device for you.

The pen is activated as most retractable pens are with a click of the pen top and is retracted in the same way. While the pen retracts far enough to eliminate the risk of it touching the screen while the stylus is being used this won’t help you if you forget to make the switch as you change between paper and tablet.

For $19.95 you will get the entry level version which is made from plastic and is light, if you are willing to produce an additional $20 you can upgrade to an alloy build, which while not reviewed, may offer better quality. Both options come in a variety of colors.

PenGo Creative – Touchpen – $24.99

The Touchpen from PenGo Creative provides a more modern style on the stylus pen. It contains a non-retractable rollerball pen at one end and a stylus at the other, both of these can be covered with the lid.

The build quality of the device is excellent and feels well balanced in the hand. It also comes with replacement stylus nib which is nice.

However, getting a replacement stylus nib over replacement ink refills is an odd decision in my book as it suggests that they envisage that the nib will become unusable before the ink runs out.

$24.99 is another great price for a pen/stylus combo and the white, modern design looks great too.

Best iPad Stylus for Professionals – Gallery

More and more children are getting access to touchscreen devices these days. Whether it’s their own device or using one of a parent, sibling or friend they are become more and more intune with them. Because of this, iPhone / iPad accessories are being made specifically aimed at children and the world of styluses is no different. Here we look at some that while not all specifically aimed at children would certainly appeal to them.

LOGiiX – Stylus Pro Jr – $19.95

While not directly aimed at children the Stylus Pro Jr could be the ideal stylus for a child. Not only is it small and perfectly formed but it also attached to the headphone socket on the device to keep it from getting lost when not in use. The bullet sized stylus has three raised ridges around it that make it easier to grip despite it’s small size. It’s size doesn’t lend itself particularly to writing but for gaming and drawing it works very well. While the ability to attach it into the headphone socket is a nice addition and always keeps it handy pushing it into there can be a little tough especially for smaller fingers. However, after some time this did become easier. At under $20 the price could be a little pricey for some where the potential to getting easily lost is quite high.

Studio Neat – Cosmonaut – $25.00 – TOP PICK

There is one type of writing implement that every child has used and is one of the only writing implements that is only used by children and that’s the crayon. Harnessing on those two facts comes the Cosmonaut from Studio Neat which couldn’t look less like a crayon if it tried, all be it a giant one! The large size of the Cosmonaut could make it difficult to handle for smaller hands but the wooden stylus is completely covered wrapped in black rubber and makes it incredibly comfortable to hold, draw, write and play games with. It’s solid design also makes it rugged and long lasting and that’s pretty important when children are going to be pushing it to its limits. It has an iconic look and one that may turn a few heads too. If you have a child that likes to have something a little different then the Cosmonaut could be the stylus they are looking for.

iChic Gear – Phantomus – $15.00

The Phantomus bright colors and style will certainly grab the attention of the children in your life. Coming in either blue or pink the fun colors are made even more attractive to the children in your life thanks to the ghost like apparition that fits to the top of the stylus. The ghost to will certainly appeal to younger children and can be used either just as a stylus topper or when the stylus is not in use to cover it and keep it protected. The Phantomus stylus is very light, especially with the top removed although with it left on it provides a nice balance to the stylus. At $15 the iChic Geat Phantomus is one of the cheapest stylus that we’ve seen and with good build quality, fun design it could be a great option as your childs first stylus.

Kuel – Stylus Pen H10 – $12.95 – HIGHLY RECOMMEND

The Stylus Pen H10 from Kuel is the cheapest stylus that we’ve seen but that doesn’t mean that it’s cheap in any other aspect. The small sized stylus comes in a range of colors which provides a lot of options for anyone looking to try out a stylus for the first time or for a pocket sized option that’s not going to break the bank. The stylus is another one that can attach to the headphone socket of the iPhone or iPad and this means that it’s not going to be easy to mislay should that be a problem for you. Because the connector to the headphone socket is connected to the cap of the stylus you don’t have to keep pulling it in and out to use it. Just unclip it in and out of the cap to use and store again when not in use. The Kuel Stylus Pen H10 is a fine stylus at a great price and comes highly recommended.

scribbly.co.uk – Scribbly – £9.99

The Scribbly stylus from scribbly.co.uk is another stylus that is built in the image of another well known writing instrument that everyone is familiar with and that’s the marker pen. From the large, white barrel shaft to the thick nib and clickable lid the scribbly won’t look out of place alongside your other permanent markers, however I wouldn’t suggest that you use it on your wipe board and keep it for your iPad or iPhone instead. The large barrel certainly makes it a comfortable stylus to hold and it’s light too which makes it ideally suited to the younger user. It works well for everything that you would want to use a stylus for although I found it especially suited to drawing, sketching and note taking. So, that’s our ultimate guide to stylus you can purchase for your iPad suited best for children. There are many scribbling, drawing apps in the App Store and now there’s a stylus just just for that.

iPad Stylus Guide Gallery

Numerous airlines around the world have begun to adopt the iPad aboard commercial flights for not only entertainment but as electronic flight bags for pilots to read maps and manuals. Adoption of the iPad on flights began as early as last year when United Airlines deployed 11,000 iPads as electronic flight bags for its pilots.

According to a report from ZDnet, Australian Airline Qantas is looking to introduce an iPad rental program on all of its Boeing 767 flights. Qantas reportedly carried out a trial to test the viability of such a program and deemed it suitable enough to introduce it airline wide.

As of May this year, there were 23 Boeing 767-300 aircraft, according to the Qantas site, each with between 229 and 254 seats, meaning that more than 5,000 iPads would be required to kit out the fleet. However, Qantas said it was currently reviewing retirement options for a few of the aircraft.

The system will roll out to the first aircraft in the fourth quarter of this year. Most of the flights offering the service will be on Australia’s east coast routes, with some also flying to Perth. The service will be free of charge. The airline was still assessing whether it will extend the system so that customers can use their own tablets to access the entertainment.

Qantas, like United Airlines also equipped its pilots with 64GB iPads as electronic flight bags, to simplify numerous paper manuals and maps into one electronic app or file. Qantas has also mentioned that they are looking to move away from Blackberry smartphones and replace them with iPhones.

Apple’s iPhone and iPad have proven to be a viable option for airlines looking to simplify their pilot and entertainment interfaces. Qantas’ choice to move away from outdated entertainment systems will likely benefit both Apple and the airline, which can use the new entertainment platform as a selling point for tickets.

{via iMore}

Reports of Apple Inc. (AAPL) releasing an “iPad Mini” in October have been around for quite some time, and since last year, more and more news sources are confirming that this release is most likely going to happen. The latest report from Bloomberg, also confirms the likelihood that Apple’s iPad Mini is slated for announcement in October, and will be shipping by the end of the year .

The new model will have a screen that’s 7 inches to 8 inches diagonally, less than the current 9.7-inch version, said the people, who asked not to be identified because Apple hasn’t made its plans public. The product, which Apple may announce by October, won’t have the high-definition screen featured on the iPad that was released in March, one of the people said.

The report also suggests that AAPL was in talks to develop a smaller iPad, since the introduction of the first generation even with Steve Jobs saying that a screen that small wasn’t ideal for users to enjoy their media. It makes sense for Apple to introduce an iPad Mini, because of the company’s history in improving on products offered by the competition, as well as producing products that consumers genuinely enjoy.

The report goes on to mention that the iPad Mini will likely have the same amount of pixels as the iPad before the Retina Display was introduced. This would put the resolution at 1024×768 pixels and would avoid the fragmentation of apps that Apple makes sure to avoid in all of its products. Apple is likely treading very carefully with the launch of the iPad Mini to make sure that they get this perfect.

An iPad Mini has the potential to affect the sales of the iPod touch if it is not priced properly. However, it appears to be almost certain that a smaller iPad will make an appearance later this October, even The Wall Street Journal reported that there is indeed an iPad Mini in the works. The iPad Mini is proposed for an October launch, the same timeframe as the next generation iPhone 5 and the public release of iOS 6.

{via MacRumors, Image Credit: iLounge}

The iPad draws many of its features from the iPhone and iPod touch, and with its introduction in January of 2010, took on the iOS software, the capacitative touchscreen, and the famous 30 pin dock connector in portrait mode. Since then, the dock connector has been the focal point of numerous complaints, suggesting that the iPad is hard to use in landscape mode when the iPad is charging in portrait orientation. Rumors and even photos of iPad shells with dual dock connectors began to appear several months after the original iPad was introduced, and now there is tangible evidence to support that claim.

On Monday, a prototype of what appears to be a first generation iPad with dual dock connectors surfaced in an eBay listing. The iPad is a 16GB model with dock connectors in both landscape and portrait orientation, proving that Apple was indeed testing a number of iPad models with two dock connectors to make charging simpler when a user switches orientation.

The iPad being sold is close to being functional, aside from a number of minor issues such as the touch screen not being fully operational. Upon further inspection of all documentation for the iPad, it was confirmed that this could in fact, be a genuine Apple prototype. A number of pieces are labeled with Apple part numbers and as mentioned in the listing, comes with Apple’s Switchboard software.

Apple uses Switchboard to test all parts of the iPad, from checking the WiFi to ambient light sensors. As with many of Apple’s prototypes, the “iPad” name is not branded on the rear shell and is instead marked with an ID number and a series of X’s where the battery and FCC ratings would go. The eBay listing for the iPad started at $4,850 and was sold for $10,200. It is unclear exactly how the eBay seller acquired the prototype, or if Apple will attempt to confiscate the device, but it is up for sale and one person will own a prototype of a device that was assumed didn’t exist.

{via MacRumors}

Apple launched the new iPad earlier this year in March, with the original WiFi version and for the first time, a 4G version of the popular tablet. Recently, iPad users in a number of international regions have complained that the 4G advertised with the tablet isn’t really 4G as many carriers didn’t support it. As a result, Apple has now changed the name of the new iPad in those regions, now calling it WiFi + Cellular.

The term 4G was originally intended to be for the LTE-Advanced standard, however, a number of carriers such as Sprint introduced HSPA+ with a lower download and upload speed than LTE is expected to be. This claim of 4G has now led Apple to label the iPad as “Cellular”, to suggest that the device can connect to a network, but does not specify as to what type. LTE speeds are generally expected to have a download and upload speed up to 72mbps. HSPA+ has the capacity to hit 42mbps but can also drop below 30 mbps.

Although this renaming may take away from Apple’s simplistic approach, it definitely clears up any confusion as to what speeds a user can expect or what type of network is operating on the device. Currently, in the United States, the WiFi + 4G branding is still used and will likely remain that way. The question as to whether this issue would also be present in the new iPhone 5 has also been brought up, however, since Apple has not used any radio speeds in the naming of the phone, it likely will not be an issue.

{Via iMore}

So we have all found ourselves searching for ways to use our iPad as laptop replacements. There are always a few hang ups that you can’t get past, say… Windowed Apps? Quasar, developed by Pedro Franceschi, allows you to do just that on jailbroken iPad.

Quasar is tackling something that I have heard repeated throughout much of the tablet world, where is my windowed apps? It allows you to resize windows, switch orientation and move apps freely around the screen. I mean, lets be honest, windowed apps is great but without those things we’d all be a little put off by it.

Quasar could make those pesky iPhone only apps somewhat usable on your iPad. I have always had trouble giving up my entire screen for apps that don’t bother to put together something for my iPad as well as my iPhone. The app runs $9.99 in the Cydia Store, which to me is a bargain.

Apps like this is what make having a jailbreak a pure necessity. Adding functionality like this is invaluable for those of us who strive to find even more uses for the already powerful iPad. Help support this app by checking it out on those jailbroken iPads!

{via Gizmodo}

Ever wondered what different platforms developers use to make iOS games? I have often wondered what the “Special Sauce” certain developers used to create games like “Angry Birds” or other insanely successful games use. Naturally when I read about Cargo-Bot, a game made entirely on the iPad, it caught my eye.

Cargo-Bot was developed by the folks over at Two Lives Left using an iPad app they created. Codea is that app and it will run you a mere $10. Codea allows you to use the Lua programming language to code your game. The Two Lives Left team used an unreleased Xcode template tool to make the transition from Codea to the App Store. Two Lives Left has at the very least made believers of some in what a tablet is capable of.

I have often had friends question what possible uses my iPad has. I use mine daily and I am always looking for ways to integrate it into my day. Like anything, it’s in how much effort you’re willing to put into it. The folks over at Two Live Left have taken the initiative and created a pretty cool game with it. Desktop replacement, maybe not but it’s sure easier to tell my wife I’m not working when I have my iPad as opposed to my laptop.

{via Cult of Mac}

iPad 3 is widely expected to feature retina display with a resolution of 2,048 by 1,536 pixels and now according to a new report it may be called ‘iPad HD’. Apple’s media invite had image of an iPad and text that read, “We have something you really have to see. And touch.”

Apple highlighting “something you really have to see” is being dubbed as high resolution display and the company could also give the “HD” moniker to the next iPad. Gizmodo recently reported that iPhone / iPad accessory manufacturers Griffin and Belkin have allegedly updated part listings which show cases for “iPad HD”.

Accessory manufacturers often get specifications for Apple’s next gen products in order to have accessories ready when the product hits the market. However, details such as name of the device is unlikely to be disclosed. Third party accessory manufactures have been known to design and take pre-orders for unannounced products and base their case designs on rumors that are being reported.

Apps tailored specifically for the iPad often carry the “HD” moniker since the graphics are enhanced for the large display and now with retina display the name “iPad HD” might not be a bad choice. However, if Apple deviates from following the ‘number’ pattern for the third gen tablet it would be odd to go back and call fourth gen tablet ‘iPad 4′.

Do you think the inclusion of retina display will make Apple call its next tablet iPad HD? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

iPad 3 rumors have reached an all time high as the release date for Apple’s third gen tablet nears. iPad 3 keynote event will kick off on March 7th at 10 AM in San Francisco and details about the launch event continue to leak.

According to a new report published by DigiTimes, during iPad 3 launch event Apple is expected to introduce 8GB iPad 2 model in addition to 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB iPad 3 models. This move could be seen as Apple’s attempt to lower the price of entry level iPad thus making if more affordable.

We are familiar with Apple’s strategy to offer previous gen iPhone in 8GB model while the new iPhone models are made available at higher price points with more storage. The report oddly does not mention 64GB iPad model, it only mentions iPad 3 in 16GB and 32GB variation.

As Apple has scheduled an event on March 7, sources from its upstream supply chain pointed out that the company is expected to launch two iPad 3 models – a 16GB version and 32GB version.

In addition to iPad 3, Apple is also expected to unveil an 8GB iPad 2, allowing the tablet PC series to cover different segments and to defend against Windows 8-based tablet PCs, the sources noted.

While most rumors in the past have centered around iPad 3, DigiTimes brings focus to Apple’s strategy for its second gen tablet. 8GB iPad 2 would help the Cupertino, Calif. based company to create product differentiation and at a lower price point Apple would be able to grab a much larger share of the tablet market.

It will be interesting to see if Apple lowers the price of iPad 2 and offers 8GB model. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) earlier today won an injunction against Motorola in Germany over the photo gallery patent. The judgement was pronounced on Thursday at the Munich I Regional Court by Judge Dr. Peter Guntz.

AAPL and Motorola have been involved in a number of lawsuits and this recent victory over yet another patent allows Apple to enforce the ruling which could force Motorola to destroy any infringing products. Motorola could very well continue to sell its smartphones and tablet by seeding a software update to resolve the infringing feature.

It’s interesting to note that Apple has won this injunction against all accused products which include two smartphones and the Xoom tablet. If Motorola decides to issue a software update to avoid infringing on Apple’s patent then it could possibly impact the user experience who are used to certain behavior when they scroll lists or manage / browse photo galleries.

Florian Mueller, an intellectual property activist-turned-analyst, on his blog FOSS Patents reports that:

The glass is clearly more than half-full for Apple in this case (and even more so when considering that Apple also won the drastic remedies of destruction and recall).

Apple continues to be aggressive in its approach to fight against the Android platform which the Cupertino, Calif. based company claims to infringe on its many patents. In Steve Jobs’ biography it was revealed that Jobs considered Android a “stolen product” and that he would “spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong.”

Today’s ruling is the second injunction Apple has won against MMI in Germany so far. Those are the first two Apple v. Motorola casees that came to judgment in Germany.

In August last year Google announced that it would acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion and the move was largely seen as an attempt to acquire a stronger patent portfolio. However, with Apple winning injunction in recent lawsuits it remains to be seen if Google’s decision of acquiring Motorola would play out well when the deal finally comes through.

It is worth noting that due a Motorola patent ruling which is under appeal forced Apple to discontinue the “push” feature in iCloud and MobileMe email service within Germany. Users can still receive and send emails however, they would have to manually “fetch” the emails. Apple is appealing the decision and believes “this patent is invalid”.

When Apple announced iPad 2 they called 2011 the “year of iPad 2″ and now the company is all set to repeat its breakthrough success in the tablet market with the introduction of iPad 3. According to reports published by WSJ and iMore iPad 3 release date is expected to be announced on March 7th.

Various leaks, rumors and analysts reports we’ve covered in the past suggest that Apple’s next gen iPad 3 would feature retina display, upgraded processor and there’s also a possibility of 4G LTE networking.

4G LTE networking has been another mystery surrounding the iPad 3, with a compatible Qualcomm chipset becoming available, but international LTE coverage is still slim, and in some cases a year or more away. It sounds like Apple has 4G LTE lined up for iPhone 5 this October, but we’re still not certain if the iPad 3 will get it earlier.

Jim Dalrymple of LoopInsight also seems to agree with the release date announcement of iPad 3 being March 7th. He is known to have reported or confirmed Apple rumors with a very good track  record. The report published by WSJ also pointed to an early March launch event.

LTE rollout has been very slow and while Apple has been rumored to include faster networking in their future products iPad 3 could possibly be Apple’s first iOS device to support LTE. The Cupertino-based company has been testing LTE in iOS 5 as it was revealed in an “internal iOS test build” of one of Apple’s major mobile partners.

Are you excited about iPad 3 launch event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.