http://www.do-it-mobile.com Your Source for Social News and Networking Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:31:04 EDT en http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=actions-one-tap-automation Since then I’ve been scheming different ways in which I can harness the power and versatility that this seemingly simple app has to offer and although I’ve been privy to the beta for the last couple of weeks, it still feels as though I’ve barely scratched the surface.

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Actions in a Nutshell
Actions is a two part app, comprised of a server that runs silently in the background of your Mac (it also works on Windows) and an iPad app that allows you to execute specific actions on your Mac.
Prior to version 1.0.3 all that was possible was triggering keyboard shortcuts, however this latest incarnation has seen some amazing additions. Besides hotkeys, you can now control the system, application windows and media as well as send emails, open URLs and paste text snippets.
The first set showcases some of the actions possible.
Actions is stunning and every interaction with the app, from the intuitive and well thought out gestures to the whimsical sounds, shows an extraordinary level of attention to detail. And speaking of sounds, the developers have already revealed that they’re working with Hugo Verweij from Cleartones for even better sounds in the next update.
While the app is intuitive, no expense was spared in getting the user up to speed as quickly as possible. An email with a few instructions and download link to the server component, an initial set with some interesting actions and a tutorial guiding the user every step of the way are all part of the welcome package.
A detailed tutorial guides you through every step of the process.
The Anatomy of Actions
In order to get the most out of Actions it’s essential you familiarise yourself with the various building blocks.

Action – in essence is what will be executed on your target Mac. A few possible actions include:

Launching hotkeys – whilst you can create them from scratch, Actions already has a large list of keyboard shortcuts for specific apps (presets) that can be imported;
Controlling the system – perform a variety of common actions such as shutdown, restart, sleep, logout, etc.;
Controlling windows – akin to apps such as Moom on the Mac, Actions has the ability to resize a window so that it occupies either the left, right, top or bottom half of the screen. It can also close, minimize and maximize the current app window;
Controlling media – volume level, play, pause, previous and next track are just a few of the possible actions when it comes to media control;
Emails and URLs – here you can quickly create an email or open a URL. You can define email templates with To, Cc, Subject or Body pre-populated. Just one tap will launch the default email client on the Mac with all those details ready to go;
Text snippets – you may already have a text expander app, but if your needs are humble and not already met, then this is perfect for the job. Create a snippet of text and place (:) where you want to cursor to be;


Touchpads – this an action’s container: the button you tap in order to trigger said action. You can customize the touchpad by choosing one of seven available colors and optionally any of the many carefully crafted icons.
Sets – these contain touchpads and subsets. A set can be linked to an app (Magnet Application), meaning that when you switch between linked apps, their corresponding set also switches and vice-versa. It’s also possible to favourite a set for quick access;
Subsets – this is merely a group touchpads. A subset can either be locked (remains open when a touchpad is tapped) or unlocked (closes after tapping a touchpad).

It’s easy to create a new action and link it to an app.
Rich in Gestures
Actions makes clever use of gestures. The ability to define custom gestures is planned for a future update, but currently available gestures include:

Three finger swipe left or right navigates between sets;
Three finger swipe down reveals a scrollable list of sets for easy selection;
For sets that have more than one page of touchpads, one finger swipe left or right navigates between pages;
Two finger swipe left or right executes undo/redo in the current app and two finger swipe up/down copies/pastes in the active app.

An overview of the gestures as presented by the initial tutorial.
Although not a gesture per se, it’s relevant to point out that tapping and holding with three fingers will switch between your favourite set and the last set used. This is a great way of having quick access to a set with all those global controls (window controls etc.).
A Few Use Cases
There are many possible uses for Actions, ranging from the simple and mundane to the more elaborate – it’s all a matter of imagination and ingenuity. To get you started, here are just a few things that can easily be accomplished with Actions. Given the app’s nature, where appropriate, I’ve gone into more detail over on Mac.AppStorm, so just follow the links if you’re uncertain how to accomplish any action.
App Launcher/Switcher
Create a new set and leave the Magnet Application blank. Now create a touchpad for every app you’d like to have. Give it a name and optionally an icon and colour. Leave the shortcut blank and under Send to, choose the desired app.
Mark this set as favourite so you can have quick and easy access to your apps. You can also set the global actions in this set, such as resizing windows etc.
Working With Windows
I’ve already mentioned that Actions can handle windows, resizing and moving them so that they occupy only half of the screen. This in itself is great, but there are apps on the Mac far better suited for this task.
One such app is Moom, that allows you to create Window Snapshots, a logical grouping of windows that can easily be recalled with a keyboard shortcut. Another great feature of Moom is the ability to assign to a hotkey, to a sequence of window actions.
Working With Mail
One of the available presets in Actions is for Mail.app. It has the most common tasks you’d expect to do in mail, composing, replying, archiving etc. However, I still found it had something missing. The ability to move messages and navigate mailboxes. With a little help from apps such as Keyboard Maestro I can now fully triage and manage my mail from Actions.
Working With File and Folders
Actions feels right at home whizzing through finder with presets for the default locations and some common tasks. What happens though when you need something other than the default? Once again, with a little automation at the Mac end, it’s a cinch to setup Actions so that moving files and accessing favourite folders is a mere tap away.
Control Your Media Center
If you’re one of the many people that, like Katie Floyd, have cut the cable and set up a Mac mini as a media center, then Actions is the best possible remote you could get.
Simply create a new set with actions that allows you to control iTunes, volume, play and pause. Create some actions for Hulu or any other service you use. As long as you have you iPad near, you’ll never have to look for that pesky remote lost under the couch pillows.
Easy controls for media.
Still to Come
The dedicated team behind Actions is already hard at work on the next version which promises even more goodness. A few things on the roadmap so far include:

The ability to emulate a click (left, middle or right) with your key combination or by itself;
The ability to emulate key hold (press and release), instead of simply sending the combination once on tap;
The ability to repeatedly send keystrokes at a given rate;
Macros, the much awaited feature, allowing you to sequentially tie a series of actions (think Keyboard Maestro for the iPad).

Also planned is an online community for users to share with each other custom sets (importing and exporting is done via iTunes).
Final Thoughts
All that is needed for Actions and your Mac to communicate is that both are on the same wireless network. Proximity no longer is an issue and this opens up a realm of possibilities. You could harness the power of home automation with WeMo and other similar solutions. Or, you could automate your Mac with apps such as Better Touch Tool or Keyboard Maestro – let your imagination run wild!
Whether you’re a mad scientist like Brett Terpstra, with more key bindings that most could fathom, or a user with more humble needs (such as myself), you’ll undoubtedly find a use for Actions.
If you already find that your iPad is never far from your Mac, then why not give it a better use and boost your productivity. Why not try Actions? At $3.99 it’s a steal! It is, in my opinion, the companion app for any productive Mac lover!
How would you use Actions? Share your ideas with us in the comments. ]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:31:04 EDT ipad3 iPad 148 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=actions-one-tap-automation http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=fifth-generation-ipad-production-to-begin-in-july-august Earlier rumours suggested that the fifth-generation iPad could launch as early as April, but a new report from DigiTimes is claiming that production of the next full-sized iPad will actually begin in July-August, citing the usual Taiwan-based supply chain makers as sources.
Consistent with other rumours though, the report also says the new iPad will be lighter and thinner than the fourth-generation model with a thin bezel design similar to the iPad mini. The display for the new iPad will reportedly be produced by LG Display and Sharp and the touch panels will come from TPK.
Previous rumors have suggested that Apple would hold an event this month, announcing the fifth-generation iPad and speculation picked up when a number of U.S. retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and MacMall cut prices of the iPad.
It’s definitely getting trickier to predict when Apple is planning to release a new product. Last year Apple launched two iPads with minor updates: the third-generation model with Retina display in March and the fourth-generation model with a faster A6X CPU, Lightning connector and FaceTime HD camera a few months later in October. Then Apple quietly launched a new higher-capacity 128 GB model in early February.
Only time will tell if production for the fifth-generation iPad will really begin in July-August.  Stay tuned.
Image Credit: MacRumors
The post Fifth-Generation iPad Production To Begin In July-August? appeared first on Macgasm. ]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:31:03 EDT wallpapers iPad 130 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=fifth-generation-ipad-production-to-begin-in-july-august http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=rumor-of-the-day-imminent-ipad-production-points-to-fall-launch-for-5th-gen Today, DigiTimes is reporting that suppliers are gearing up for mass production of the fifth-generation iPad starting in July, which is right on track for a fall launch.

According to DigiTimes, production of a new 9.7-inch screen will take place between July and August of this year. Suppliers will focus on key components, such as display panels and touch screens, in order to prepare for smooth production yields.
An unnamed source told DigiTimes that “The new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the fourth-generation one and will adopt a slim bezel design, similar to that of the iPad mini.”
DigiTimes also reports that the new iPad’s display panels will be supplied wby LG Display and Sharp. Touch screens will be assembled by TPK. Nitto Denko and Teijin will supply the rumored G/F2 (DITO) thin film.

» Related posts:
Rumor: Possible June Launch for 5th Gen iPad
iPad Mini ‘Challenging’ to Build, Expect Low Supply at Launch
Next Gen iPad Rumored to Get Thinner iPad mini Screen Display

]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:30:59 EDT gadget iPad 96 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=rumor-of-the-day-imminent-ipad-production-points-to-fall-launch-for-5th-gen http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=lifetopix-ipad-app-review-a-central-organization-hub-for-your-life Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:30:38 EDT tablet iPad 15 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=lifetopix-ipad-app-review-a-central-organization-hub-for-your-life http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=rumor-ipad-5-set-for-summer-production
A new report is suggesting that the next generation iPad 5 is expected to go into mass production in July and August of this year. The report comes from Digitimes who have apparently sourced the information from Taiwanese component manufacturers, and who are saying that the device will likely therefore not launch until much later in the year. No details are offered on the new device other than the likelihood that it will be thinner and lighter than the current generation iPad and take design inferences from the iPad mini.

The new report runs contrary to previous rumors suggesting that Apple would be aiming for an April launch of the iPad 5, with the July production schedule more than likely meaning that a November launch would be more accurate.
Inferred… ]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:30:28 EDT ipads iPad 37 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=rumor-ipad-5-set-for-summer-production http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=flipboard-2-0-brings-more-content-lets-you-create-your-own-magazines Flipboard 2.0 is finally here, bringing a little something for everyone in a new Pinterest-like style. Flipboard 2.0 brings more content than ever and also a new partnership with Etsy. The most exciting part of the update is the ability to create your own magazine from your search results.
For the first time, Flipboard users can collect and save articles, photos, audio and video and organize them into unique magazines that can be kept private or shared by making them public on Flipboard and other social networks. Essentially, Flipboard 2.0 lets you be both a reader and an editor of your own magazines.
It’s super easy to do. All you do is tap the + button next to articles, pick a name for your magazine, add a description and start flipping. You can make as many magazines as you want and gather content from any source in Flipboard, including what’s being shared on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SoundCloud, LinkedIn and Tumblr.
Flipboard has also made the entire Web flippable with its new bookmarklet. Go to share.flipboard.com and under the Getting Started tab drag and drop the bookmarklet onto your computer’s browser. Now you can flip just about anything you find by clicking this bookmakrlet on any web page. You can check out your newly flipped items in your magazine in a print-style layout and tap any item to make it the cover.
Here’s what else is new according to The Official Flipboard Blog:
A new, visual Content Guide. Tap the Red Ribbon and you?ll see your own table of contents, all the magazines you?ve created, Notifications and lots of other goodies for you to peruse.
Commenting on Flipboard. Inside a story, tap the source?s avatar in the lower left-hand corner, to reveal Flipboard Comments. Draw in other Flipboard users with @mentions.
Recommended Reading. In Cover Stories, you?ll find More to Read, a personalized list of things we think you?ll love, drawn from your social interactions.
Subsections in partner magazines, newspapers and websites. On the second page of tablet editions, you?ll find new sidebars listing subsections for easier navigation.
Fast section switching. Tap the section name at the top of any page to reveal related content and subsections.
Optional Facebook Open Graph integration, bringing your Flipboard activity to your Facebook page in more meaningful ways.
You can download Flipboard 2.0 from the App Store now for free.  Happy flipping!
The post Flipboard 2.0 Brings More Content, Lets You Create Your Own Magazines appeared first on Macgasm. ]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:04:01 EDT wallpapers iPad 57 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=flipboard-2-0-brings-more-content-lets-you-create-your-own-magazines http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=apple-accused-of-patent-infringement-in-china-over-siri Shanghai-based company Zhi zhen Network Technology Co. says that Apple has infringed on a patent it owns related to voice recognition technology. Zhi Zhen claims that it patented its “Xiaoi Robot” software in 2004, while Apple began development on Siri in 2007.

“Siri is very similar to Xiaoi, a chat robot system we have been developing since 2003,” said Mei Li, a spokeswoman of Shanghai Zhi Zhen which filed the lawsuit.
“The core technology of Siri is man-machine interaction rather than speech recognition, and that is based on the word chat robot system Xiaoi patented,” Mei said.
The Xiaoi system has been used in many different fields, zays Zhi Zhen, including government hotlines, banking, telecommunications, and e-commerce customer service. It’s also the backbone of the MSN robot, which chats with users and offers up news, maps, stocks, weather, and more.

A lawyer associated with the case told AFP that Zhi Zhen plans to ask Apple to cease manufacturing and selling products that use its patent rights, but first, the company must prove that the patent is valid and that Apple has actually infringed on it.
Though the lawsuit targets Apple, it makes no mention of Nuance, which is the company that Apple is partnered with to power Siri.
Apple has denied that it copied elements of Siri from the company and has asked for the case to be dismissed. This request was denied, and the full case will be heard by Chinese courts in July.
Previously, Apple was forced to pay out $60 million to settle a dispute over the “iPad” name in China, after Shenzhen company Proview Technology claimed to own the trademark.

» Related posts:
Court Finds Apple Must Pay Samsung for iPad and iPhone Patent Infringement
THX Sues Apple For Patent Infringement, Welcome to the Club
Sony, Phillips-Backed Software Firm Sues Apple For Patent Infringement Of All Devices

]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:04:00 EDT gadget iPad 117 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=apple-accused-of-patent-infringement-in-china-over-siri http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=55-ea-games-ios-app-sale-0-99-for-a-limited-time Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:03:50 EDT tablet iPad 80 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=55-ea-games-ios-app-sale-0-99-for-a-limited-time http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=bargain-refurbished-ipad-mini-models-now-available
Apple has today updated their online store, adding the iPad mini and the fourth generation full size iPad to the inventory. This is the first instance that these devices have been made available on the refurbished section of the Apple store, and offers buyers the potential to make some significant savings on the two devices.
The iPad mini is being offered in both the WiFi only (32GB only) and the WiFi + cellular option (16GB only). In addition, the full size fourth generation iPad is being offered in both the WiFi and WiFi+ cellular option, but the available model is currently only compatible with the Verizon network. The storage capacities included in the offer are 16GB and 32GB.

All refurbished items available on the Apple store are offered in pristine condition, certified by Apple, and ship with the same one year warranty that Apple offers for their brand new items. There is also a standard returns policy should you wish to change your item.
Bargainific… ]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:03:47 EDT ipads iPad 83 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=bargain-refurbished-ipad-mini-models-now-available http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=plex-streaming-is-plex-y This way to learn how to make your life more amazing.
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Basics
In essence, Plex is a streaming app that allows you to play all of your music and videos on your various devices. Where Plex differs from other streaming apps is its beautiful interface, smart functionality and the ability to stream videos when you are miles away from your home media server. Plex also allows you to download a movie or TV show for you to play offline, which is perfect for those long (or short) plane trips.
Plex is definitely a two-part deal. You need to download the Plex server on your computer and the accompanying Plex app in order for the thing to work. But trust me, it’s worth it. This app is A-Mazing.
Getting Started
After downloading the Plex Media Server and setting up your account (pretty basic, I promise!) and library, you can dive into the Plex app.
Oh, hello, fancy dashboard.
Your home screen will feature the different libraries you added, channels you subscribed to and your recently added items. It also features a home button and a refresh button in the lower left hand corner, and buttons for AirPlay, Server, Friends and Settings.
The Library
There are so many cool little features on here that I’m going to be hard-pressed to fit them all in this review, but don’t worry, I’ll try my hardest.
In your Library, you will have Movies, TV Shows and you can add Home Movies, Photos and Music (I added my music and photos.) When you open up your Movies folder it will pull up all of the movies that are on your Plex server.
Plex sources out all the info for your media.
Plex will also source the movie’s poster, short description and important facts like the rating, popularity, genre, year and movie length. When you look at the movie’s info, it will also give you the option to play, rate (you can add or subtract stars), mark as watched or unwatched and get details about the video file (frame rate, aspect ratio, etc.) Once you choose a movie you can play it on your native device, or if you have an AppleTV, you can stream it wirelessly there over AirPlay. What I absolutely love about this is that you can be working out in the gym and stream your favorite movie or TV show without breaking a sweat (well, you know what I mean).
Even the theme song for American Horror Story gives me the chills.
The TV Shows has a cool little feature in addition to what Plex does for the Movies; when you tap on a particular TV series it will start playing the theme song.
You can filter the TV Shows and Movies by Unwatched, Recently Aired, Recently Added, Recently Viewed, On Deck, Year and a number of other filters. And Plex will also keep track of where you are in a Movie/TV show across all devices if you need to stop and then resume a file.
Brushing up on my Cut Copy history.
The way they treat your Music library is also pretty slick, as you can search by Artist, Album, Genre, Decade, Year, Collection, Folder and Recently Added. And when you look at the info for the artist/band it will generate a bio (which is oftentimes quite lengthy).
Your Photo library is a basic folder system; it’s definitely not the defining feature of the app.
Other Features
Channels are, well, channels that you can subscribe to such as Funny or Die, YouTube or Lens.
The On Deck feature highlights movies/TV shows that you are currently in the middle of. This is super handy if you are one of those people that will start a ton of movies and get distracted and then want to finish them a week later (… ahem.)
And Recently Added highlights all of your recently added media (it doesn’t seem to include photos) such as movies, TV shows and music.
You can also set up multiple servers, which is pretty nice, especially if you have a little bit of a movie obsession spread across various servers.
iPhone vs. iPad
Honestly, Plex works perfectly on both the iPhone and iPad. Everything is smooth, easy to use and exactly the same.
Final Thoughts
I’m absolutely in love with Plex; I think it is a really great app and I’ve been using it nonstop since I downloaded it. I think the ability to pick up where you left off in a movie or TV show is amazing and the ease with which the app works is pretty awesome as well. I love having access to my movies and TV shows, and since I typically don’t have a lot of room left on my devices, it’s perfect that I can stream. I would recommend this app to anyone who enjoys streaming media content. Basically, it’s a really solid app. ]]> Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:04:11 EST ipad3 iPad 96 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=plex-streaming-is-plex-y http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=in-china-an-ipad-and-foxconn-contract-is-considered-art The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing has begun displaying an iPad, as well as a white uniform, badges, and contracts from a Foxconn employee, who worked undercover to create the piece.
The New Yorker has a great article up on the piece, and we recommend heading over there to give it a read. It’s written in a Q & A fashion with the “artist,” and highlights some interesting insights from someone who worked in a Foxconn factory.
We recommend giving the article a read. ]]> Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:04:08 EST wallpapers iPad 134 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=in-china-an-ipad-and-foxconn-contract-is-considered-art http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=opera-announces-%E2%80%98ice%E2%80%99-browser-for-ios Ice was first introduced back in December, but the video below demonstrating how it works surfaced just yesterday, from Pocket-lint. The video is from an internal meeting held before Christmas, and outlines the company’s strategy for 2013.


The new version of Opera, which is demonstrated as a beta version, is designed to be sleek and simple to use. It eliminates all buttons and uses gestures to control navigation elements like forwards and backwards.
Tabs have been removed, instead replaced with icons on the homepage, but new pages can still be accessed using search or typing in a URL. The home page icon idea is unique, as Safari and Chrome both use tabs.
“This is a full touch and tablet-focused browser,” said the Ice product manager in the video. “Most are taking a PC browser and squishing it into a tablet, or they are taking a mobile browser and blowing it up to fill the space.”
The browser will also alert people if they come in contact with a potentially harmful site, with a warning screen.
Ice will not replace Opera Mini, which is Opera’s existing mobile browser for iOS. It will continue to be developed. Ice is set to launch this February, at the upcoming Mobile World Congress.
[via Electronista]

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Mobile Chrome vs. Mobile Safari on iPad – Shootout

]]> Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:04:06 EST gadget iPad 127 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=opera-announces-%E2%80%98ice%E2%80%99-browser-for-ios http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=twitterrific-update-brings-cool-new-features Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:03:25 EST tablet iPad 51 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=twitterrific-update-brings-cool-new-features http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=new-cheap-third-party-lightning-connector-cables-and-adapters-rapidly-appearing
Popular third party Apple component website TVC-Mall has just added a new section to their online store offering a substantial number of Lightning connectors and adapters for extremely cheap prices. The site is offering a number of Lightinng connector cables, including 2 meter long cables that come in multiple colors and, unlike the official Apple cables which are $19 for a Lightning to USB cable, these unofficial ones start at $3.62. Also available are cheap Lightning to 30 Pin adapters ($3.40), dual Lightning and 30 Pin to USB adapters ($3.40) and a variety of other Lightning connectors to satisfy the majority of demands.

While a number of third party Lightning cables have been seen here and there on sites like Amazon, this is the first time we’ve seen such a large and varied selection. One thing to bear in mind, however, is that you obviously get what you pay for. These cables may or may not have issues with either data or charging or, indeed, may work perfectly. We’ve not tried one out, as yet, so do so at your own risk, but to be honest, we’re probably just going to stick with the official Apple cables.
Tip credit: Lesley
Noodle… ]]> Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:03:17 EST ipads iPad 38 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=new-cheap-third-party-lightning-connector-cables-and-adapters-rapidly-appearing http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=planner-pro-might-become-your-new-organizer But the more I used it, the more I saw it becoming an affordable and easy way for people who need an all-in-one app to manage their day-to-day lives. It combines the event planning of Calendar with the task management of sophisticated apps such as Things for iPad. It doesn’t replace apps like iStudiez Pro for students, but for people who run their own businesses, Planner Pro will be a godsend.
Like the article? You should subscribe and follow us on twitter.
Let’s Talk About Design
Planner Pro is what many people call skeuomorphic. For those of you who are not in the know, skeuomorphism occurs when one product imitates another older, but similar product by design. This emulation is usually considered unnecessary, because it doesn’t abandon traditional appearances in the name of process. Many of Apple’s recent user interfaces have been both lambasted and praised for their use of skeuomorphism. It’s not a good or a bad thing, but it’s subject to personal taste.
Skeuomorphism at its finest.
Planner Pro is extremely skeuomorphic. It heavily borrows from design elements of planners we used years ago, long before we started storing our to-do lists in our phones and tablets and other electronic devices. In fact, I’m certain that my family has owned planners that look just like this. I never liked them before, but I always understood their purpose.
Planner Pro, when held in landscape view, looks just like one of those open planners. It appears to be a book with several tabs to indicate what month or day you are looking at in the planner. It has a section for notes and tasks. My first thought was that Planner Pro was a really ugly Calendar skin, but exploring through the app taught me differently.
A Task Manager and a Calendar
Importing calendars from the standard Calendar app into Planner Pro is a breeze (although it apparently does not offer Exchange support — I don’t use Exchange so I couldn’t test that to be sure). That being said, this app goes so far beyond that. There is a daily tasks list that is simply phenomenal. Planner Pro can only remind you of your daily task list once a day, not unlike Things, so you can’t set reminders to go off throughout the day like you can with Apple’s stock Reminders app. It’s the only downside I could find to Planner Pro’s otherwise in-depth task management system.
Adding tasks and projects is really easy.
Making lists is really straightforward. You just hit the plus symbol in the Tasks area of the app and choose what kind of list you want to create. It’s easy to sort either individual items or project lists, which means that you can store a grocery list in the app but keep it separate from your other to-do’s for the day, for example. The app also allows you to sort your tasks by priority, which is great when you have multiple projects happening at once.
The app icon generates a numeric badge for any due or overdue tasks, so you always know if you have something that needs to get done. And if you want to see a list of all your current and upcoming tasks, there is a separate tab in the app that allows you take a look at just your to-do list. In short, you have what feels like a ceaseless amount of ways to organize your life.
You can view all your upcoming and completed tasks without any extra clutter.
And Make a Note of This
Planner Pro also supports note-taking — a feature I’ve never personally used in my agendas, but could see certain people finding useful. It’s easy to generate a note as well, and very similar to generating a to-do list of Tasks. The app lets you write multiple notes a day and organizes them in an easy to see manner. There is no way to view your notes separate from the daily planner like you can with your tasks, but I don’t know many people who would want a feature like that. This is not a note taking app, but a note making app; it’s designed to let you take notes on your daily activities and what you did without getting as in depth as a diary.
Compared to the rest of the app, this user interface is pretty plain.
Who Is This Meant For?
At this point, you may be reading this review and wondering straight-up whether or not this app is for you. Maybe you don’t like the skeuomorphic design, but you do like the daily inspirational quotes. Maybe you like the note-making function, but don’t need to have yet another app for your to-do lists.
I understand. In that case, this app isn’t likely for you, it’s for somebody like my parents. Both of them ran their own businesses (one of them still does) and were very attached to their planners. They like design that references the past while being placed firmly in the future of technology. It makes sense to them because it’s still traditional enough that they can make full use of it, and that’s great.
This is the be-all end-all of daily planners. If you’ve ever found yourself wishing that the Calendar app was more fully-featured, or if you like apps that evoke familiar designs, Planner Pro is for you. ]]> Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:39:25 EDT ipad3 iPad 139 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=planner-pro-might-become-your-new-organizer http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=average-size-of-ios-apps-increasing-especially-in-games-category With this increase, the average app size is now 23 MB, and the average game app is now up to 60MB. This increase in size is assumed to be partly due to the iPad’s new Retina display, as well as the increase in over-the-air App Store download limit that moved from 20MB to 50MB in March.
Such increases in app size have huge effects on iOS devices with storage capacities of 8 GB or 16 GB. iOS device owners with these lower capacities have to manage more carefully which apps they put onto their devices, as well as deleting older apps to install the new ones. According to ABI Research:
“The flipside of the increasing file-sizes is that the internal storage of smartphones and tablets is becoming a scarcer resource, as the device capabilities struggle to keep up with the requirements of apps and mobile content. Markkanen predicts, ‘Especially the consumers with 16GB devices are likely to become more conscious about what apps to keep and what to uninstall, so the developers’ bar to impress will be getting even higher than it is now. This could also speed up the adoption of the mobile cloud as a storage remedy quite significantly.’”
People may start tending towards getting the bigger storage capacity iPads. Even the iPhone has seen a trend towards larger capacities as Apple added a 64 GB option for the iPhone 4S and the only free iPhone 4 is the 8GB option. The new iPod nano is only offered in a 16 GB capacity, dropping the 8 GB version available in the previous iPod nano generation.
Image Credit: Anteater Technology ]]> Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:39:21 EDT wallpapers iPad 107 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=average-size-of-ios-apps-increasing-especially-in-games-category http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=epic%E2%80%99s-infinity-blade-dungeons-for-ios-delayed-until-2013 Unfortunately, it looks like we may not be seeing the coveted game until it’s time for Apple’s fourth generation iPad. Infinity Blade Dungeons has been delayed, and it won’t be released until 2013.
While some speculated that we might see a release alongside of the iPad mini, it’s not going to happen. Epic Games has let AllThingsD know that Infinity Blade Dungeons won’t be hitting the App Store in 2012.
“Ever since the talented team at Impossible Studios got their hands on Infinity Blade: Dungeons, they’ve been busy adding their great ideas to the game,” said spokesman Wes Phillips.
“There was also the matter of getting the Impossible Studios team up and running with desks, chairs, staplers and computers. The logistics of a new studio and implementing all these great ideas required a little extra time, so Infinity Blade: Dungeons will hit iOS in 2013.”
Bummer. It’s been a long eight months waiting for Infinity Blade Dungeons to be released after getting a taste of it at Apple’s event, but I bet it will look and play even better on the iPad 4.

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Infinity Blade Creators to Release ‘Vote!!!’ – An Obama vs. Romney iPad Game to Determine Who will be the Next President
]]> Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:39:14 EDT gadget iPad 143 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=epic%E2%80%99s-infinity-blade-dungeons-for-ios-delayed-until-2013 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=block-earth-for-ipad-minecraft-meets-lego Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:38:48 EDT tablet iPad 56 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=block-earth-for-ipad-minecraft-meets-lego http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=what-is-the-minimum-storage-capacity-for-your-ios-device
Since the launch of the first iOS device, the original iPhone, the iOS App Store has exploded in the number and complexity of apps that it offers. Associated with that increasing functionality are increases in the size of the apps that are offered on the Store, and this is further enhanced by the requirement to produce apps that fully support the Retina Display of the iPhone 4, 4S and iPhone 5 as well as the new iPad.
As identified by ABI Research (via MacRumors), the average size of iOS apps have increased by up to 16% in the six month period between March and September. Interestingly, it was found that if you localize the increases to iOS games, then it was found that games have grown by 42% in size in the same period. The increase is likely due to the release of the Retina Display third generation iPad which inherently results in an associated increase in the apps that are native for the new display.

This, of course, signals a trend that is sure to continue with the ever increasing population of iOS apps on the App Store, and there will come a time in the not too distant future when the 16GB iPhone is but a memory, and 32GB – 128GB is the line-up. I’m certainly struggling with space a little on my 32GB iPad, and 64GB seems to be the better option for the future.
Well Stored.. ]]> Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:38:29 EDT ipads iPad 91 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=what-is-the-minimum-storage-capacity-for-your-ios-device http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=what-is-your-favourite-writing-app
What Is Your Favourite Writing App?

There is a healthy abundance of writing apps in the App Store, all vying for that top spot on your iPad Home Screen. The fact is that there are a whole host of superb choices, which one you use will almost certainly come down to personal preference – where do AppStorm readers go to put their thoughts into words?
I, personally, am a big fan of minimal writing environments and have used iA Writer for the last year or so, but I’m definitely tempted by Byword.
Does Markdown support make a big difference in your choice? Do you want options, or a distinct lack of choice? Does the icon make a difference?
Is having iCloud sync a deal breaker, or is Dropbox your go-to service? All of these factors will come into play when weighing up the best writing app for you – where have you landed?
Let us know in the comments if I’ve missed a big one, I’ll add it in if possible, and what factors influenced your choice. ]]> Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:05:55 EDT ipad3 iPad 96 http://www.do-it-mobile.com/story.php?title=what-is-your-favourite-writing-app