iPad

TouchFire Keyboard for the iPad

December 20, 2011 by noemi 1 Comment

There is no doubt that the iPad is a groundbreaking device. There may be a host of other tablets in the market today, but the release of the first generation iPad changed how we use mobile devices in a huge way. There are many applications for the iPad. Some find it the best tool for children to learn. Some find it a great way to play games. Others use it to augment their array of devices for work. However way you use the iPad, you might agree that one thing is missing from the picture: the ease of typing using the on-screen keyboard.

Truth be told, the virtual keyboard does not take long to get used to. After all, the iPad keyboard is very responsive, and after using it for a while, you do not really have reason to complain about it. Then again, if you are a touch typist, and you like doing other things (such as watching TV or a movie) while typing away on your device, you might feel the hankering for a keyboard that you can use with more ease. [Read more…] about TouchFire Keyboard for the iPad

Tributes to a Visionary: Celebrating the Life and Work of Steve Jobs

October 11, 2011 by DailyBits Leave a Comment

The world woke up to sad news on October 5th when Apple announced the passing of Steve Jobs. He may not have been a man who a lot of people agreed or saw eye to eye with, but almost everyone who knew and worked with him have said that he was truly one of a kind. Jobs was someone who came up and developed stuff that people didn’t know they needed, until Apple made it.

Gudjonsson Apple Cartoon

The 10 best same-device multiplayer games for the iPad

August 8, 2011 by Rico Mossegeld 5 Comments

iPad owners who keep to themselves aren’t maximizing the experience. With a relatively large 9.7″ screen and support for multi-touch, Apple’s tablet PC is also great for entertaining several people.

Here we feature 10 different iOS apps that will turn your iPad (or iPad 2) into the life of the party, courtesy of some fun two- or four-player multiplayer gameplay.

All the following apps support multiple players on the same device, so no online connection is necessary. You’ll only need one iPad to have fun with friends of family members, meaning even those who don’t have an iOS device (the iPhone, iPod touch, or the iPad) can still participate.

Monopoly for iPad ($9.99)

The star attraction of this modern version of the classic real-estate boardgame? Tabletop mode, where the game orients itself to the active player. It’s this feature alone—not to mention the faithful recreation of the Monopoly experience—that makes this game worth playing with up to three human or computer-controlled opponents.

Kindergarten Students Get iPads

April 11, 2011 by noemi 1 Comment

Apple head honcho Steve Jobs called (calls?) it magical. Countless people seem to agree. Some say what’s magical is that people pay hundreds of dollars for such a device. Price notwithstanding, the iPad has proven to be a very versatile device, and sales figures support the fact that people find it useful.

Now, even the education sector is lending the iPad its support. In Auburn, Maine, kindergarten students will soon be treated to their own iPads – to be used for educational purposes. The Auburn school department is blazing a new trail by making iPads available to each of the kindergarten students enrolled in the district. Just last week, a $200,000 budget was approved. The money is to be used to purchase 285 iPads that will be issued to teachers and students.

While the district seems to be the first to make such a move, the use of iPads for education is not that novel. In the past year, we have heard of countless stories of people getting the iPad for their children. The device has even been picked out for special education, with the iPad’s features being highlighted as very helpful in developing fine motor skills. With the iPad taking interactivity to a new level, children will also have a better learning experience. The goal of the project is to boost literacy rates up to 90 percent within two years. See the iPad’s use in education in action in the video below.

I can see how some people might say that this move can be excessive. Personally, I think that if the money is available, there is no reason not to make the iPad accessible to children. As long as they are indeed used mainly for educational purposes, then the kids can only benefit from this. What do you think?

Atari’s Asteroids on the iPad

January 7, 2011 by noemi 1 Comment

There is something to be said about retro consoles and games. While this sector has made leaps and bounds, and consumers are demanding more (graphics, game play, etc.), a trip back to the past is always a welcome change every now and then.

Ion – that manufacturer responsible for “high tech turntables” – has come up with a new dock that will satisfy the nostalgic feelings of every gamer out there. The dock is meant for the iPad and will turn this ultramodern gadget into a console reminiscent of the past. It will allow you to play Atari’s Asteroids and even give you realistic buttons and knobs.

Just to refresh your memory, Asteroids was released as a video arcade game in 1979. The two dimensional game has a simple premise that it easily caught on and soon became the best selling game of all time. The idea is that the player controls a spaceship that flies through fields of asteroids. Flying saucers also come into the screen. The player has to shoot at the asteroids and flying saucers with the aim of destroying them without crashing into them.

Drooling now? Watch the demo video below, and I am sure that you will be wanting the dock for your iPad.

Gorillaz’s The Fall Recorded Entirely on the iPad

December 29, 2010 by noemi 4 Comments

I don’t know about you, but the way I see it, the iPad is mainly to be used for playing that awesome game called Flight Control HD. (Try it once, and I’ll bet my bottom dollar that you will not want to stop landing those planes!) It also is a great e-book reader, and of course, one can’t forget the angry birds and the irritating green pigs.

If you were the band Gorillaz, though, you’d find something a little more productive to do on the iPad – such as record an entire album! The British group has never been on any of my playlists, but I am inclined to try out their new album simply because of this fact. Dubbed “The Fall”, the album was created simply by utilizing some iPad applications – a plethora of which is available. Some of these applications are Speak It!, SoundyThingie, Mugician, and Solo Synth.

Before you write this one off, watch the video of the first track in the album. You just might become a Gorillaz convert if you do!

Here’s another cool thing – the entire album can be downloaded for free at the Gorillaz’s web site. As long as you sign up for the newsletter, you can get your hands on this one of a kind production. Next year, the CD will go on sale, but why wait for that?