ChargeCard: The iPhone charger that fits in your wallet

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Design,

How many times have you been in a situation where your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad was on the verge of death and you didn't have a charge cable with you to charge it up? It's happened to us more times than we'd like to admit, and that's where the ChargeCard comes in.

The ChargeCard has the standard 30-pin Apple dock connector on one side, and a slim USB connector on the other. It folds up to just about the size of a credit card for easy storage in your wallet. End result? You always have an iPhone charger on you. As long as you have a USB port to plug into, you are good.

ChargeCard is currently a Kickstarter project. They've got 37 more days to reach the goal of $50,000, and it's already at $38,456. If you want a chance to get one of your own, you can pledge $20 to pre-order. If the campaign is successful (and it looks like it definitely will be) you'll receive your ChargeCard when it ships in September.

Read More | ChargeCard

Google just bought Sparrow and killed it

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Google, Software,

The ultra-popular Sparrow mail client is now dead. This morning, Google announced that it had acquired the company and team behind what many called the best Mac and iOS Gmail client. It's great for Google, and well-deserved for the Sparrow team, but as a user, it's disappointing. The company was set to release Sparrow for iPad very shortly, but today Google confirmed that there will be no new updates to the Sparrow apps, nor will it be released for any new platforms. We assume that this means the iPad client is now off the table.

We suspect that the crew behind Sparrow will be rolled into the Gmail team, and we'd even bet that we will see the official Gmail apps for Android and iOS become rebranded and fully-integrated versions of what Sparrow was. If you missed out on Sparrow, you can still get it on the App Store for the time being.

Click to continue reading Google just bought Sparrow and killed it

Alfred 1.3 brings Quick Look, File Buffer

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

Another major update to another one of our favorite pieces of software. This time, it's Alfred, the app launcher on steroids. Alfred 1.3 brings a ton of new features and functionality into the mix. We've got the full breakdown after the jump, but the two major features are the File Buffer and Quick Look. You can now use OS X Quick Look within Alfred results to preview the contents of files, while the File Buffer allows you to select multiple files that you'd like to work with through your Alfred commands. Alfred is free, and has a paid add-on called the Power Pack that brings with it a bunch of extra functionality.

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iA Writer update brings full Mountain Lion and iCloud support

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, PC / Laptop, Software,

iA Writer, our text editor of choice for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone, has been updated today to version 1.3 for Mac, and version 1.6 for iOS. The update brings:

• Full OS X Mountain Lion support
• iCloud folder support in Mountain Lion
• iCloud folder access in Lion
• Standard window framework
• Improved Markdown and Versions support
• Optimized printing
• Speed increases

In addition, the iOS version also brings full iCloud folder support, and trash bins in iCloud and local storage. iA Writer is currently on sale for $8.99 on the Mac, and 99 cents for iPhone/iPad. We highly recommend it.

Windows Phone 8 devices to go on sale this November

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

Mary Jo Foley over at ZDnet is reporting that she's heard that Windows Phone 8 devices will be launching in November. We've previously heard that it would be "this fall," but that's pretty vague. Foley is trustworthy though. According to her sources, the finished product will be sent to Windows Phone manufacturers in September, with the devices hitting retail the following month. Remember, none of the current Windows Phone 7 devices will be upgradeable to Windows Phone 8, so in order to get in on the action, you'll have to buy a new device.

Read More | ZDNet

Google Nexus 7 is ridiculously hard to unbox

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds,

We cover a bunch of products in our unboxing section and on Unboxing Live, and we've gotta say that we're intrigued by how frustratingly bad the experience seems to be when trying to open up your new Google Nexus 7 tablet, made by Asus. Our unit got delayed and won't be in the office until next week, but in the meantime, check out the hard times that others have had trying to get the Nexus 7 tablet out of the box in the video compilation after the break. Oh, and don't forget--we're giving away a Nexus 7 this week!

Click to continue reading Google Nexus 7 is ridiculously hard to unbox

Sprint says it will not charge for FaceTime over Cellular feature

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News,

The other day we talked about how AT&T charging for FaceTime over Cellular is consumer robbery, and today we've gotten word from Sprint that it agrees, and therefore will not be charging customers extra to use the new iOS 6 feature. When iOS 6 goes public this fall, owners of the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, the next-generation iPhone, iPad 2, and the new iPad will all have access to FaceTime when on 3G and LTE connections. According to Sprint, it's "committed to our unlimited data, and that means not charging for data consumption based on the application." Good on them for that. Now we're just waiting on Verizon to make the same move.

SpamSieve 2.9.3 released with Mountain Lion, Retina display support

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

SpamSieve has been updated to version 2.9.3. You are using version 2.9.2. Would you like to download the new version? It includes the following changes:

• Added support for the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.7.5.
• Fixed a bug that could prevent SpamSieve from auto-launching on the forthcoming OS X 10.8.
• SpamSieve is now able to recover from certain unexpected system errors on OS X 10.8.
• Fixed a layout bug in the German-localized Statistics window.
• Improved the Automatically Deleting Old Spam Messages instructions.
• SpamSieve now tells the system that it can use the integrated GPU, which should reduce battery use on newer MacBook Pros.
• SpamSieve’s disk image background is now displayed at Retina quality on eligible Macs running Mac OS X 10.7 or 10.8. (On Mac OS X 10.6, due to an OS bug, it will incorrectly display at double size.)
• Fixed a regression where SpamSieve’s disk image icon didn’t display properly.

SpamSieve is our favorite spam control solution, as it's proven to be an invaluable tool for us over the years. Highly recommended.

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Comic Con International: 2012

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics,

Comic Con International has come and gone already. Naturally, my Comic Con experience is quite a bit different from most people. I’ve been going for quite a while, have a lot of friends and acquaintances that I see there, and have an established routine of places to be at certain times.

I got there too late on Wednesday for what some reported was a raucous Preview Night, so my convention didn’t start until Thursday morning.

Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter has a rundown of convention memories from around the internet. (And congratulations to Tom for his Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Journalism. It’s well-deserved.

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Yurbuds Ironman Inspire Pro headphone review

Posted by Taylor Peterson Categories: Accessories, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews,

Yurbuds is fairly new to the headphone game, but they focus on attacking a core issue that any earbud user has faced--they promise to be the first earbud that will stay in your ear, while remaining comfortable to wear for long periods of time, thanks to what it calls TwistLock technology that creates a secure fit which keeps them falling out no matter how intense the workout.. The Yurbuds Ironman Inspire Pro also feature a 3-button remote and microphone, so you can control your music and phone calls directly. The earbuds are made from ultra soft silicone to maximize comfort. Do they live up to that promise? Join us in our Yurbuds Inspire Pro headphones review to find out.

Click to continue reading Yurbuds Ironman Inspire Pro headphone review