iPad

Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps. This week's selections include a war game, a videography app, a classic board game, and a popular twitter client for Mac. Sky Gamblers - Storm Raiders - Peter Cohen World War II air combat on the Mac - dogfighting in the skies above Pearl Harbor, Midway, France and more. Fly historic planes with cross-platform multiplayer, Game Center and iCloud support. If you've played the game on your iOS device, you know what to expect. But Atypical Games has reworked Sky Gamblers - Storm Raiders to work on the Mac, which makes it an even more fun game on a bigger screen. The game costs a paltry 99 cents to download, but content like new planes and weapons come at a price - in-app purchases for a couple of bucks here and there. Still, lots of fun to play and not a lot of coin to make it happen. $0.99 - Download now Luma Camera - Rene Ritchie While I was at BlackBerry Live -- or was it iMore live? -- one of the developers in attendance came over and showed me Luma Camera for iPhone. It's a video shooting app that offers filters both real-time and for post-processing, as well as optional HD video storage space via their website. The most interesting feature, however, is the image stabilization. Real optical image stabilization requires hardware, but Luma does a respectable job using the iPhones built in sensors and it's powerful graphics processing capabilities. I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it yet, but it looks like fun. If you try it, let me know what you think! Free - Download now Ticket to Ride Online - Richard Devine I must confess to being an avid fan of the Geek and Sundry YouTube Show, TableTop starring Wil Wheaton. It's via that show I first became aware of the board game Ticket to Ride, and now I've found and begun playing the Mac version -- Ticket to Ride Online I've never played the board game, but the Mac version is a beautifully colourful recreation of the original, and follows the rules to the letter. You choose a series of routes, and the objective is to lay trains on as many of those routes as possible before the game is up. The longest routes get an extra reward at the end, and incomplete routes loses points. It's really simple to pick up and play, and there's a comprehensive tutorial game to help you get to grips with the gameplay. In-App purchases are available to extend the game boards, with new ones available for Europe, another USA board and for Switzerland. And, the online play supports competing against other Mac, PC, and iPad players. I've not tried out the iPad version just yet, but you'll find a link for that too below. $9.99 (Mac Version) - Download Now $6.99 (iPad Version) - Download Now Tweetbot for Mac - Ally Kazmucha There are a wealth of amazing Twitter clients for iOS but when it comes to Mac, there are less to choose from. While I tend to use Twitterrific on my iPhone and iPad, I've never really liked the feel of it on Mac. Tweetbot is my second favorite for iOS and when they released a Mac client a while back, it definitely didn't disappoint. The price point is quite a bit higher than other Twitter offerings in the Mac App Store but honestly, it's the best available, hands down. If you want the iOS Tweetbot experience on your Mac, there really is no other option. $19.99 - Download Now Your choice? Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!

According to the internet, Apple has to everything everyone else has ever done, plus make real everything science fiction has ever imagined, or WWDC 2013 will be a disappointment, and Apple will again and forever be doomed. No pressure there. But what exactly is this unattainable goal being set for Apple? Justin Willaims of Carpeaqua has placed tongue firmly in cheek and laid it plain. With WWDC just a few weeks away, I thought it’d be beneficial to the Internet at large to compile a working list of everything that is expected of Apple during their Keynote and subsequent “State of the Union” addresses in order to appease the Internet. Failure to introduce each and every one of these features and updates will result in another stock price plummet, calls for Tim Cook’s ouster and an infinite amount of comments on tech blogs decrying that Android is superior to Apple’s iOS. I have several favorites. Give the whole things a read, then tell me yours. Source: Carpeaqua

One of the best things about using an iPad is all the great apps that we can run on it. There are excellent apps for just about any purpose you can think of. Better still, there are lots of great free apps for the iPad. Our Best Free iPad App of the Week posts highlight these apps. This week’s pick is Google+, the iPad app for Google’s social network. It took Google a long time to bring out an iPad version of Google+ but it turned out to be worth the wait – and I’ve ben meaning to feature it as a Best iPad App of the Week here for a long while now. I was fortunate enough to get an early Google+ invite right around its initial beta launch. I liked it right from the off and it has become my favorite social network. I find myself spending more and more time on Google+, as I enjoy the lively discussions on a wide range of topics that interest me. And the excellent Google+ iPad app...Read the whole entry... »        Related StoriesBest Free iPad App of the Week: UPS for iPadBest Free iPad App of the Week: GoComicsBest Free iPad App of the Week: Fotopedia Reporter 

Your iPad can do many things for you. If you attach a keyboard to your iPad, you can use it as a word processor. Use a joystick, and you have a great gaming platform. There are apps available in which you can use it as a video conferencing system. These tips help bring out the best in your iPad. Accessing the running apps is easy. If you double-click on the Home button, it will show you all running apps in a bar on the bottom of your screen. Tap an application icon to switch to that app. To get rid of the bar, you should take your finger and swipe it down towards the bottom of the screen. Stay aware of the amount of money you are paying for the iPad apps that you download. iTunes makes it simple to just click and buy once you have entered your credit card or gift card information. Because of this, ensure that you don’t spend more than you have. A great way to keep pages open is to open new pages in a new tab. If you are using Safari, you can access this feature by tapping on a link and holding your finger there for a couple seconds till a menu of options appears. Here, you can choose to open the link in a tab. Are you tired of tapping the bookmark icon over and over so you can visit your favorite sites? It is possible to leave the bookmark bar up permanently. Start with Settings, then choose Safari. You will see an option for always showing your bookmarks bar. Enable it to the On position. There is now an easy way to mute your iPad. The first iPads did not have a mute button on them. The IOS 4.3 gave the choice of a lock switch to lock the iPad orientation or to mute the sound. Now, you can quickly mute your iPad by holding the “down” half of the volume button. Email Addresses Use FaceTime for phone numbers and emails. FaceTime will already have one of your email addresses in it (the one you used to register your device), but putting in more is a possibility. Go to the settings of your iPad and add the email addresses and phone numbers you want to see on FaceTime. Are you on the Internet nearly all the time? Then take advantage of the iPad’s cloud functions. You can use the cloud to store files and information so that you leave your iPad storage free and clear. Store your content on the device and iCloud if it is very important to you. iPads are great for music, but are you familiar with podcasts? These are radio programs ranging from 2 minutes to 2 hours about any type of subject. If you ever want to listen to something else besides music while you are commuting, consider listening to podcasts. You will surely find many subjects which interest you. It is possible to copy text and then paste it. Simply hold down the text that you intend to copy. Tap again once your text is highlighted in yellow, and choose copy. Then you simply tap and click Paste. There are many features that you will need to be aware of that iTunes offers. iTunes U is one of the best selections available. This section has educational podcasts about all types of professoinal subjects and can be a great way to increase your know-how. There are some online forums you can join to learn more about the iPad. There are quite a few sites out there that offer forums for iPads, and they will have people on them that may be able to help you. Introduce yourself and look through the forum archives to find useful information to fast-track your iPad talent. You might think it’s not necessary to do this, but it’s great to have security on your iPad. Your iPad often contains sensitive information such as phone numbers, emails, and sometimes bank information, and you can never predict losing your iPad. You will notice that the calendar option on the iPad does not permit swiping. Instead, select the date from the navigation bar. [...]

The new MLB.com Home Run Derby iPad app is just what the name sounds like – an iPad game that lets you test your long ball hitting prowess, playing as one of the home run hitting stars from the last three MLB All-Star games. The game lets you choose from any of the 24 sluggers who took part in the last three All-Star Home Run Derby events – though many of them require you either to collect a large number of ‘MLBucks’ as bonuses while you play or to pay up via In-App purchase. The game starts you off with 100 MLBucks, which will allow you to choose from around 9 of the sluggers who cost that much to select. Others range from 300 to 700 – for instance Robinson Cano from the 2012 Derby and Prince Fielder and David Ortiz from 2011 are 700. Some of the other stars you can play as include Miguel Cabrera, Matt Kemp, Jose Bautista, Andrew McCutchen, and more. There are single and...Read the whole entry... »        Related StoriesNotable New iPad Apps: Beethoven’s 9th SymphonyBattle of the Bulge iPad Game Updated: Adds New Scenarios and New AI OpponentsBattle of the Bulge for iPad: Update Coming Tomorrow – New Scenarios! 

If you own a Mac running OS X Mountain Lion and either a second or third generation Apple TV, you have the ability to display content from your Mac on your TV wirelessly with AirPlay Mirroring. If you are familiar with how AirPlay works for iOS with display mirroring, it's very similar. If you've never used AirPlay on your Mac before, follow along and we'll show you how. Turn on your TV and your Apple TV. Make sure your Apple TV and your Mac are both connected to the same wifi network. In the task tray in the upper right corner of your Mac, look for the AirPlay icon. Click on the AirPlay icon and you should see your Apple TV available for mirroring. Simply click on it. The content on your Mac screen will now automatically be shown on your TV screen.

Apple has $102 billion in cash overseas. It wants to bring that money back to the U.S. but it doesn't want to pay the 35% in taxes the U.S. government is demanding. Apple calls it smart business, Congress calls it tax evasion. Who's right? It’s quite popular for people reporting on Apple’s financial position to quote the absurdly high level of cash the company holds on its balance sheet. At the end of last quarter the $145 billion is more than a rainy day fund, which is why the board of directors approved a massive stock buyback and dividend hike. Of course Apple won’t be using much of its cash to do this. Instead, it raised debt. Why? Because so much of the cash -- about $102 billion -- is not on US soil. Instead this money is held in other countries. Apple is playing a waiting game with Congress, and I’m betting they will win it. Apple doesn’t need the money onshore nearly as much as Congress would like them to bring it on shore and encourage more US investment. Tim Cook is scheduled to testify in Washington next week. According to all the headlines on this subject, the government wants to know if Apple is evading taxes. I’m certainly no tax expert but I’ve seen smartly organized tax systems work for a variety of companies in my time following stocks. There are a number of perfectly legal ways to generate profits outside of your home country, avoiding domestic taxes on that profit. Companies can be quite aggressive by establishing high internal costs in another country, therefore siphoning more profit away from the USA, and into the country where they establish internal high costs. Or they can be less aggressive, as Apple claims is their case. Either way it’s legal. Would Apple like to bring home the bacon? Yeah, of course they would. It would simplify things and make it easier for them to invest locally. But with a 35% tax rate applied to this repatriated cash, according to Tim Cook as quoted by this excellent Politico article, there is no way in hell they’re going to do it. They’ll wait. And I hope US Congress can get their thumbs out of their asses long enough figure out that they can’t win against companies as big as Apple with as many other global opportunities available to them for investing this cash. And of course with Apple’s stellar balance sheet they can avoid repatriating cash forever if they want. They can continue to rely on local debt markets if they need more cash than they have. If you want Apple to invest more in the USA, make it more attractive for shareholders To me this seems like a no brainer -- If you want Apple to invest more in the USA, make it more attractive for shareholders. After all, shareholders run the company and shareholders don’t care to pay 35% repatriation tax. For Apple to do anything less than fight this battle would be irresponsible. People can scream all they want about tax avoidance and “dodging” tax responsibilities. Bottom line: The US government created their laws, and Apple is playing within the rules. So are many other companies. If you don’t want people dodging taxes, stop throwing dodge balls at the places that hurt them most.

For today’s Daily Deal we’ve found 15 great apps to add to your iPad collection.  We have 9 productivity / entertainment apps and 6 game apps in today’s bundle. We used our PadGadget Apps Tracker to find these great deals and we’ll continue to look for the best app deals as they pop-up. Some of these apps are up to 75% off, a couple are even free, so be sure to check them out because they are on sale for a limited time. Game Apps Apache SIM HD – This great copter action game has a 4 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $0.99 instead of $3.99. This app weighs in at 252 MB so please be sure that you have enough space on your iPad before downloading. Avernum 6 HD – This RPG has a 4.5 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $2.99 instead of $6.99. Chess Pro – with coach () – This very popular chess game has a 5 star App Store rating and is now available for Free instead of $9.99. Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy () – This fighter pilot game has a 4.5 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99. This app weighs in at 707 MB so please be sure that you have enough space on your iPad before downloading. Sonic The Hedgehog () – This extremely popular SEGA game is now on sale for $2.99 instead of $5.99. Table Top Racing () – This fun racing game has a 4.5 star App Store rating and is now available for Free instead of $2.99. Productivity and Entertainment Apps Animoog – This very popular music synth app has a 4.5 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $14.99 instead of $29.99. Beauty and the Beast: Storybook Deluxe – This Disney book is now on sale for $2.99 instead of $4.99. This app weighs in at 373 MB so please be sure that you have enough space on your iPad before downloading. Brave: Storybook Deluxe () – This popular storybook app has a 4 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $4.99 instead of $6.99. This app weighs in at 542 MB so please be sure that you have enough space on your iPad before downloading. Cinderella: Storybook Deluxe () – This entertaining book app has a 4 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $1.99 instead of $3.99. ClickySticky Trains () – This educational app has a 4 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99. Filtatron () – This great music app has a 4 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $3.99 instead of $7.99. Image Blender () – This photo app has a 4.5 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99. Tangled: Storybook Deluxe () – This Disney storybook app has a 4 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $4.99 instead of $6.99. This app weighs in at 259 MB so please be sure that you have enough space on your iPad before downloading. Wreck-It Ralph Storybook Deluxe () – This book app based n the hit Disney movie has a 4 star App Store rating and is now on sale for $4.99 instead of $6.99. This app weighs in at 320 MB so please be sure that you have enough space on your iPad before downloading. Also be sure to check out yesterday’s Daily Deal to find more great savings. = Indicates app is Universal and will run on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. We use our PadGadget Apps Tracker to constantly monitor the App Store to find the biggest price changes on iPad apps. Our editorial team goes through the data, picks the best deals on the most interesting apps and then brings them to you on a regular basis. All app prices are checked at the time of posting but prices are subject to change without notice. When developers put their apps on sale it’s usually for a very limited time, often 24 hours or less, so be sure to check pricing on iTunes before making a purchase. » Related posts: PadGadget Daily App Deal – 20 iPad Apps on Sale PadGadget Daily App Deal – 13 iPad Apps on Sale PadGadget Daily App Deal – 11 iPad Apps on Sale

It's been said time and time again that the camera on the iPhone is an excellent camera. In fact, it's become such a popular camera that there's a whole genre of photography known as 'iPhoneography'. iPhone photographers not only use the camera and lens built into their iPhone, but also an assortment of apps to edit, enhance, and show off their work. There are so many great apps out there, so we've narrowed it down to a few of our favorites. KitCam The first app we're going to take a look at is a fantastic tool for taking your photos. With it, you can adjust exposure, white balance, lenses, and film before you even take the photo. It also features convenient shooting modes like a timer, multi-exposure, time-lapse, and more. You can also view each photo's histogram and make adjustments to levels, brightness, contrast, and saturation. If you're looking to take more control over your iPhone's camera, definitely grab KitCam. $0.99 - Download now See also: Camera+ - $0.99 - Download now Photoforge2 KitCam does offer some nice editing options, but if you want even more, Photoforge2 is an excellent choice that's bursting with advanced controls. The most notable is the ability to use multiple layers and masks and make advanced adjustments including curves, levels, color balance, channel mixer, white balance, noise reduction, and more. You can also add over 25 different filters and FX and combine different films lenses, filters, and textures. $3.99 - Download now See also: Snapseed - Free - Download now iPhoto - $4.99 - Download now VSCO CAM Complex and advanced controls are great, but sometimes you want something quick and easy, yet awesome -- like VSCO CAM. This gem features a sleek design with minimal processing options, but the options are good. There's a nice variety and all the basics are covered. VSCO CAM is a great app to have in your grab bag of editing tools. $0.99 - Download now Facetune If you're shooting portraits with your iPhone camera, then Facetune should be your go-to app for touching up blemishes, smoothing out skin, enhancing eyes, and even reshaping. Seriously, Facetune is amazing. Check out the review for a full rundown. Facetune for iPhone review $1.99 - Download now Fuzel Pro Collages (or "storyboards") are an excellent way to show off multiple photos at once. They are a great way to tell a story. The App Store is also flooded with apps that help you build collages, but the one I keep coming back to is Fuzel Pro. It has an artistic design, makes it quick and easy to add photos, and gives you control over the layouts of your collages. $1.99 - Download now See also: Diptic - $0.99 - Download now Photolettering After editing your photo to perfection, you may realize that it would make a great poster, sign, or inspirational message. With Photolettering, you can do just that using fonts from world-renowned type foundry House Industries. It's free with a few fonts and additional fonts are available via in-app purchase. If you're looking to mix photography with typography, Photolettering is the way to go. Free - Download now See also: Over - Free - Download now Instagram You didn't think I'd get through an article about photography apps without mentioning Instagram, did you? Although there are a lot of things I would love to see changed about Instagram (especially forced square crops), there's no denying it's usefulness as a way to share photos. Yes, there's a lot of snapshots of pets and kids (my own included) and plates of food, but there is also a lot of amazing photography being shared on Instagram, as well. Free - Download now See also: Flickr - Free - Download now Your favorite apps for iPhone photography? So there you have it! iMore's best apps for iPhone photographers. Did we miss any of your favorites? What apps do you use to shoot, edit, enhance, and show off your photos taking with your iPhone?

If you're shopping for a new 13-inch laptop, you may have noticed that Apple's product line in that category is a bit more crowded than in other spots. The company has three distinct 13-inch models - the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Which model should you get? Let's compare, but let me warn you at the outset: I think you should wait. On the weekends I work at a local Apple Specialist. Anecdotally, I see more 13-inch MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs go out the door than any other model. They're all compact, lightweight and powerful machines, so it's little wonder that they hit the sweet spot between features and price. Once you scratch below the surface, though, there's a lot of diversity there. At $1,199, The MacBook Air occupies the low end of the 13-inch price range, but it's a well-rounded performer: a dual-core 1.8 Ghz Core i5 processor doesn't tell the full story of the machine's performance, thanks to the use of Solid State Disk (SSD) storage. With 128 GB storage standard, the MacBook Air may not be big enough for digital pack rats. Apple will double the storage for an additional $200. Four GB RAM comes standard, with 8 GB also available. The MacBook Air is terrific for portable convenience. It weighs less than three pounds and measures a bit more than half an inch thick with the screen closed. Thunderbolt and two USB 3.0 ports make peripheral connection easy, and Thunderbolt's flexible enough to work with high speed storage, Gigabit Ethernet and external displays, using the right attachment. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is yeoman model of the bunch, priced the same as the thinner, lighter MacBook Air. Its more conventional technology appeal to people looking to maximize storage (500GB hard drive comes standard; SSD is a pricey additional option) or who might still need a DVD burner. The machine also sports a faster processor - 2.5 GHz. Options like a faster processor and more RAM are available -- a well-appointed model runs $1,499. The downsides of the standard 13-inch MacBook Pro include a heavier weight - 4.5 pounds - and a thicker frame. But that thicker frame also permits this workhorse to have dedicated Ethernet and FireWire 800 connections, along with Thunderbolt and two USB 3.0 connections. Positioned next to a conventional 13-inch MacBook Pro, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display shines. The stunning display with its 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution, rich color and fantastic detail make it easy to differentiate, and its sleek chassis retains many of the benefits of the MacBook Air like SSD storage and a thinner and lighter design (almost a full pound lighter, and less than an inch thick). It's also priced at $1,499, though storage options can drive the price higher (upgrading SSD storage isn't for faint-hearted or those planning on keeping their warranty intact. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display wins for performance and usability - an elegantly designed machine that's flexible enough to handle everything that's thrown at it. And with SSD options stretching to 768 GB, plenty of space for big files. If there's a downside to all three models, it's that the integrated graphics processor - the Intel HD Graphics 4000 - can get overtaxed especially when the Retina Display is driving scaled, higher resolution modes. Also, these machines are all based around Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture, which is about to be supplanted by something else that could be a really big deal for Apple's mobile Macs - something that's as applicable to the 15-inch models as it is to the 13-inch ones. Intel's Haswell microprocessor should start shipping in quantity by the same time Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference happens next month. Haswell sports much greater power efficiency and a significant improvement in graphics performance. Even if Apple doesn't change the form factor or feature list of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro significantly, the smart money is to put off any purchase until we see ho