Posts in Linked

Twelve South Reveals the HiRise for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini→

Today Twelve South announced a brand new addition to their family of products. From their product page:

HiRise for iPhone 5/iPad mini is a beautiful, brushed metal stand designed to work with your Apple Lightning Cable (not included) – and virtually any iPhone/iPad mini case. Place HiRise in your workspace to charge while your hands are free during calls and FaceTime chats. Unlike most other docks, HiRise doesn’t block your speakers, mic or headphone ports. This vertical pedestal is small and beautiful enough to use anywhere in your home or office. It’s the ultimate perch for keeping your iPhone 5 or iPad mini fully charged and ready to go.

Remember when Apple made the keyboard + dock for the original iPad? I feel like this is in the spirit of that idea. Paired with an Apple Wireless Keyboard and an iPad mini, I’d say they’d make for an elegant setup that fits Apple’s motif. By itself the dock isn’t expensive at $34.99, but you’ll likely want to purchase an additional Apple Lightning Cable for added convenience. If you want to use it with your iPhone, the stand can accommodate a variety of cases thanks to an adjustable post.

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Sprng Makes Apple’s Earpods A Better Fit→

Wired’s Joseph Flaherty showcases a new product from Ohm Industrial Design called Sprng, an adjustable clip that fits around the stem of Apple’s Earpods for a better fit.

A simple accessory called the Sprng, created by Ohm Industrial Design, could mean musical salvation for millions of Apple fans. The Sprng is a rigid plastic clip that attaches to the EarPod stem and an overmolded rubber spring that hooks under the concha of the ear, creating an extra point of contact and a more secure fit. The $10 add-on can be adjusted by changing its position on the EarPod, making it useful for high-performance athletes or kids who just want to watch an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba on a long car ride.

As I wrote in my overview, Apple’s Earpods fit my ears comfortably. So while I wouldn’t purchase something like this, I’m sure there are plenty of people that would consider it to keep the buds from falling out of their ears.

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Shawn Blanc’s “Delight is in the Details”→

My good friend Shawn Blanc launched his new ”audio book, eBook, and interview series for people who make things” today. It’s called Delight is in the details, and it’s available at $29 (audio book, eBook, and interviews) or $20 (eBook only).

From Shawn’s description:

In the book, I talk about why the long-term success of our products (and our reputations) depends heavily on us taking the time to think through and sweat the details. This book encourages you to strive for excellence and resist the tendency to settle on “good enough” work that leads to forgettable products.

If you buy the $29 “Delight is in the Details” bundle, you’ll also find an interview with me about details and little touches in iOS apps, what makes a good first impression, and the importance of function in software.

I read Shawn’s book, and I highly recommend it. Get it here.

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Philips Adding LightStrips and Bloom Bulbs To Hue Family→

Matt Brian at The Verge:

Philips is set to expand its range of programmable LED Hue lights with the launch of new customizable LightStrips and Bloom bulbs. The flexible LightStrips come in two-meter lengths and are designed to be placed around frames or to accentuate fixtures in the home. The Bloom is a portable lamp and features a 120 lumen LED bulb that highlights specific places or objects in a room.

I’ve wanted to purchase (and automate) Hue lights for several months now. I may actually go ahead and get a set of standard lights and a Bloom once they become available through the Apple online store.

 

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Apple’s USB Power Adapter Takeback Program→

Mark Gurman:

Following controversy in recent weeks regarding the safety of counterfeit and third-party USB charging adapters for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad, Apple has announced a new trade-in program for these adapters. The program will be held at both official Apple Retail Stores and Authorized Apple Resellers.

Apple writes:

Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third party adapters may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues. While not all third party adapters have an issue, we are announcing a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to enable customers to acquire properly designed adapters.

Customer safety is a top priority at Apple. That’s why all of our products — including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod — undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are designed to meet government safety standards around the world.

This is an intelligent move by Apple following the recent controversy on counterfeit adapters. Customers who will turn in at least one USB adapter and bring an iOS device to an Apple Retail Store or participating Apple Authorized Service Provider will get a special pricing of $10 (or the equivalent in China); special pricing is valid until October 18, 2013.

Recently, Apple also posted a webpage that details how customers can properly identify Apple USB power adapters.

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Japanese Emoticons for iOS→

A few months ago I covered Kaomoji, an app that makes it easy to browse and copy Japanese emoticons (also known as, indeed, kaomoji) on iOS. This morning, thanks to Sean’s recommendation, I bought Japanese Emoticons, the official app by website japaneseemoticons.net that, like Kaomoji, lets you browse through over 1000 built-in emoticons organized by type (such as “positive emotions”, actions, evil, “hello and goodbye”, and more).

Unlike Kaomoji, the Japanese Emoticons app lets you add your most-used emoticons to a set of Favorites, which you can rearrange at any time and access anywhere in the app from a button in the upper right corner. Japanese Emoticons also has an editor to create your own emoticon based on parts like eyes, mouths, and arms (there’s also a button to create a random one). The app features one-tap copy, but the interface isn’t as polished as Kaomoji.

If you’ve been looking for a Kaomoji-like app with favorites and an editor feature, Japanese Emoticons is $0.99 and Universal.

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iPod Eclipse→

Benedict Evans:

As music has moved on from the iPod, it has actually become much less important to the tech industry. With streaming and the decline of ownership, there are fewer barriers to switching service, and every device has a choice of music services, both from the platform owner (i.e. Apple/Google/Microsoft/Nokia etc) and as third-party apps. In effect,  music has become a commodity.

Compare this to dedicated eBook readers, which still have a feature that smartphones haven’t replicated (E Ink). The iPod didn’t have exclusive features that tied music (and customers) to the device; the built-in WiFi and cellular options of iPhones facilitated the rise of streaming services and access over ownership. The only iPod-only feature I can think about is storage in the 160 GB iPod Classic; millions of people just don’t need an iPod anymore.

For further evidence, look at Apple’s upcoming launches: iTunes Radio can be used on iPod touches connected to WiFi, but iPhones (and cellular iPads) can use it all the time.

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App Updates For iOS 7→

Craig Hockenberry:

An overwhelming number of developers were updating apps for iOS 7. Of 575 valid responses, 545 developers indicated that they were working on an update for iOS 7. That’s an adoption rate of 95%!

From what I’ve seen (and heard) so far, it looks like releasing new, paid, separate versions of apps for iOS 7 will be a common trend among developers. I think that, in most cases, it makes sense considering the major rewrite and redesign required by iOS 7 to ensure an app can be technically and visually ready by this Fall.

If we’ll end up with an App Store full of old iOS 6 apps kept for “compatibility mode” or existing customers, I believe properly showcasing iOS 7 apps will be even more necessary in the (already crowded and poorly searchable) App Store.

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