While most Apple watchers have been concentrating on the iPad, something unexpected happened: sales of Macs and iPods rose higher than financial experts expected. The new retail numbers makes one analyst believe Wall Street is in for a surprise for the March quarter. According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster’s interpretation of retail sales figures supplied

Excerpt from: 
Analyst: Second Quarter Mac, iPod Sales Ahead of Estimates

We first reported rumors of the Dell Streak back in January, but details were very limited. Now, 9to5mac reports that Dell has pulled back the curtain–at least a little–to give us a better look at what’s coming. The new Mini 5 (its internal codename is the Streak, but the final name hasn’t been released yet) is an Android device with a 5-inch 800×480 touchscreen. It includes a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, plus a front-facing VGA camera for video chatting. Dell is reaching out to the style conscious, offering a wide variety of "premium finishes" and even allowing the buyer to personalize colors. They have also reached a content partnership with Amazon, including a link to the Amazon store backed up by a Kindle app for the new device and support for Amazon MP3 and Amazon video on demand. That also means 3G data support, something missing from the iPod touch.

Go here to see the original: 
Dell’s New Mobile Device Aimed at iPod Touch Audience

The web is buzzing today with reports that multitasking will be coming to the iPhone OS at least by version 4.0, and just maybe in 3.2. In fact, Just Another iPhone Blog shows a screen shot with an allusion to multitasking in a javascript comment block. The iPhone OS has always supported multitasking; otherwise you wouldn’t be able to receive a call while listening to music! That’s also how you can continue listening to music from your iPod app while playing many games. But Apple has limited it to their own applications in the past. (Unless, of course, you did a jailbreak on your phone and ran an app like backgrounder.) To be fair, there were some good reasons why Apple hasn’t enabled multitasking of third-party apps in the past. First, apps that can run in the background without the user’s knowledge are a potential opening for malware. Second, once you start loading multiple tasks at once you’re going to see a real hit in battery life–which was a sticking point for many iPhone users already. Third, once you have multiple apps running, you have to give the user a new interface to switch between them–likely with additional utilities to allow the user to balance resource usage. Fourth, multiple tasks slow the system down and the processors in the iPhone won’t stand up to too great a load. In general, the lack of multitasking hasn’t been a serious issue for most (other than Pandora users). The size of the screen doesn’t lead a user to be thinking in terms of multiple windows anyway. But the iPad runs the iPhone OS, and with its larger screen and faster processor there will be much more demand for multitasking. It may be called the iPhone OS, but this upgrade is pointed primarily at iPad users.

More here:
Rumor: Multitasking Coming to iPhone OS 4.0

Entertain and educate the most important members of your household with this family-friendly guide to the best Mac software, websites, and iPhone apps for kids. And don’t miss our step-by-step instructions for setting up parental controls on your Mac. Let’s play!   When they’re little, kids want to be just like you–pretending to drive the car, borrowing your shoes for dress-up, and yes, pulling up a booster seat to unwind with the family Mac after a hard day in the sandbox. As fun as some Mac staples are regardless of age (Photo Booth, anyone?), your kids deserve some special software just for them–to help them master basic computer skills, stretch their creative imaginations, reinforce educational concepts, and of course, just have a grand old time no matter how young they are. With that in mind, we test-drove 29 Mac and iPhone apps and 12 activity-packed websites just for kids. Some wound up being a little too dumbed down–on the verge of becoming, well, dumb–and our reviews separate the wheat from that chaff for you. Grab the mouse; it’s time to play!   Computer Skills   KidsMouse   KidsMouse teaches basic mouse skills with 18 learning games like ABC Puzzle, Color Ball, and Shape Puzzle. Each is operated using only the mouse or trackpad, and the brightly colored, charmingly illustrated graphics will delight little ones. Some of the games test your child’s sequencing (letters and numbers), shape recognition, and memory, while others just entertain–a bitmap paint program, for example, lets them draw colorful shapes. Really little kids might need prompting from Mom or Dad–ours had fun driving from our lap. We just wished KidsMouse would lock out keyboard input because those keys sure get banged on. Click matching shapes to hear a sound

Excerpt from: 
Kidding Around – The Best Software and Websites for Kids

Our Monday giveaway is looking pretty good! This week we’re giving away eight apps aimed at keeping you entertained to six random Twitter Tweeters. Make sure you follow @cultofmac on Twitter and tweet this to be entered to win a sweet app bundle of fun: All the true gamers go to @cultofmac for Monday Giveaways! #cultofmac Contest ends

Originally posted here: 
Monday Giveaway: Entertainment iPhone App Bundles

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iPod touch , iDevice Accessories , Reviews Provides: iDevice cradle Developer: Just mobile Minimum Requirements: iDevice Price: $49.99 Availability: Now JustMobile is one of those companies that continues to think a little differently from the rest of the industry. This time, I’m taking a look at their new Lounge iDevice car cradle, which doesn’t attach to your windshield like you’d expect it to. Nah, instead, it sits on your dash, which might just make more sense anyway. There’s no suction cup to attach to your windshield. There’s no attempt at amplifying the sound of your iPhone whatsoever. There are no GPS enhancements, and there isn’t even a good place to put a USB cable to charge your iPhone while the GPS is killing your battery. I know this sounds awful, but there are a lot of things to like about Just Mobile’s Lounge car cradle. Take, for instance, that it doesn’t attach to your windshield.  Some will hate this, while others will love it.  Depending on your vehicle, the windshield might not be the optimal placement of your iPhone for guidance.  If that’s the case for you, then your dashboard might be a lot better.  This cradle comes with a circle of metal that semi-perminently attaches to your dashboard (with a 3M adhesive strip).  This helps the already grippy cradle to stay in place, but, in practice, it’s not really necessary.  I never attached the circle and I didn’t have any issues with the cradle moving whatsoever.  Actually, it’s been sitting in the same place for two weeks while I’ve driven around daily.  That just goes to show you that this thing is heavy enough and grippy enough to stay put.  But secondarily, this cradle is just as at home in the car as it is on your desk since it doesn’t have that unsightly suction cup that belongs nowhere in my house. Another reason to like this cradle is that you likely won’t have to take off your case to use it (unless it’s huge and shouldn’t be on your iPhone in the first place).  The way this cradle holds on to your iPhone is very unique, yet simple; there’s a very giving metal and rubber bracket that flexes to the exact shape of your iDevice+Case combo.  It holds tightly, and can rotate to a landscape orientation as well.  You’re going to need this if you’re using this for GPS guidance for an extended period of time, because connecting a USB cable while in portrait mode is not ideal.  You could do the whole thing upside down, but that’s just wrong.  Also to note, the whole clip that holds your iPhone wobbles a bit.  This is on purpose; it’s supposed to minimize how much your iPhone moves.  It won’t help if you hit a speed bump at 60 mph, but under normal usage it won’t really even move.  So, I guess I’m a little confused as to why it’s able to wobble at all.

See the original post here: 
Appletell reviews the Just Mobile Lounge cradle

Even though a single iPad hasn’t actually been shipped, that won’t stop the questions over the success of initial orders from being asked. Considering how Apple has positioned the iPad in the product lineup, on par with the Mac, iPod, and iPhone, Steve Jobs better have a press-release answer ready. On Friday, Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Apple 2.0 started following people following the numbers, though whether those numbers are real or imaginary is yet to be determined. The data thus far derived has come from InvestorVillage , an Internet forum for “self-directed investors.” By using orders numbers from an admittedly small number of purchasers, and accounting for purchases of other products at the Apple Store, the initial estimate was 51,000 in the first two hours, 74,000 after four and a half hours, and 91,000 in six hours. According to Apple 2.0 , by the end of Friday the estimated number of iPad pre-orders was approximately 120,000. That’s the good news, assuming it’s true. Apple 2.0 also passed along metrics for 110 iPads that are what you’d expect, Wi-Fi over 3G by two to one, the cheapest iPad at $499 being very popular. Somewhat surprisingly, the most expensive model, 64GB/3G at $829, was also popular but, hey, these are self-directed investors spending their hard-earned dividends that we’re talking about.

See more here: 
Was the iPad Launch a Success?

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iDevice Apps , iDevice Accessories , Reviews Provides: Flexible tripod for phone support Developer: Joby Minimum Requirements: iPhone 3G or 3GS ( iPod touch and other models available) Price: $39.95 Availability: Now More and more, I find myself using my iPhone for snapping quick photos. The picture quality is not nearly as good as that of my Nikon D40 DSLR, but my iPhone is always with me, and it’s easier to port around. Trouble is, it’s nearly impossible to balance on a ledge, chair, rock or what have you if I want to be in the picture myself, or if I want to steady the shot. “Kirk, you foolish man,” I hear you say, “if you’re worried about steadying a shot, you’re already caring too much to be satisfied with your iPhone camera.” Perhaps, but that doesn’t change the fact that I sometimes find myself unable to take an unexpected photo because I have no tripod that supports the iPhone. “Tripod?!” you continue. “Read your first paragraph! You leave your Nikon at home because it’s too much to lug around, and now you want to lug around a tripod?! Your thought process is devoid of all logic!” Easy, guns. You many not understand what I mean, but Joby does. Hence, the Gorillamobile for the iPhones 3G and 3GS. This flexible tripod comes in a package nearly as small as the iPhone itself, making it convenient to have with you at all times. The beauty of the device is its three jointed legs that allow you to bend and twist them as needed

Read the original post:
Appletell reviews the Gorillamobile for iPhone 3G and 3GS

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iPod touch , iDevice Apps , Originals Anyone who loves nature knows that camping can be both a fine art and a subtle science. When you do it right, it can be an amazing experience. Doing it wrong can make for a nightmarish evening in the woods. These applications can help make for a memorable and entertaining trip: Campwhere from Big Nerd Ranch, Firefly Night from Joseph Walters, and 100 Horror Stories, Sounds and Scares from Vroom LLC. Campwhere Seller: Big Nerd Ranch Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch Requirements: OS 3.0 or higher File Size: 1 MB Price: $3.99 Age Rating: 4+ Anytime you camp, you need to find a camp site.  No doubt if you are an outdoor lover you have some favorite sites, but visiting those places over and over again defeats the exploration spirit that drew you out to begin with. Campwhere can help you to expand your options easily. The interface is an easy to use map that allows you to zoom in and out with a pinch.  The listings are color coded so you can tell if you are looking at a National Park, city or county park, state park or army corp of engineers site. It also has a handy array of secondary features that let you search parks, find the closest to your location, and save easy access to a few favorites. The new version covers Canada as well as the U.S. Buy Campwhere Firefly Night Seller: Joseph Walters Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch Requirements: 3.0 or higher File Size: 20.2MB Price: $0.99 Age Rating: 4+ As things get dark, you may be in search of summer’s iconic bug: the firefly. If you can’t find any, this game can help you to get the experience. The game mode lets you sort different color flies into jars as a speed trial. Numbers mode is all about unlocking achievements by creating sequences of numbers in jars. Buy Firefly Night 100 Horror Stories, Sounds and Scares Seller: Vroom LLC Compatibility: iPhone or iPod Touch Requirements: iPhone OS 3.0 or higher File Size: 29.9MB Price: $0.99 Age Rating: 12+ When things get good and dark, the time has come for ghost stories. If your imagination is light or if you simply enjoy classic tales of terror, then this application is for you.  It houses more than 100 stories and has classics such as The Fall of The House of Usher , The Phantom of the Opera and The Monkey’s Paw , as well as a lot of newer, but compelling tales

Originally posted here: 
iPhone and iPod touch apps to take on the camping trip

Don’t let the name fool you. Game Week is serious business. Sure, we get to play tons of cool games for hours on end, letting deadlines slip past, drying out our eyes, staying up late, killing the batteries on our iPhones. But still. Serious, serious business.   Besides, who ever said serious business couldn’t be fun at the same time? Some jerk, that’s who. So have a little bit of serious fun with the Mac|Life team – we might just let you go first on Mario Kart. Features: – The Mac Users Guide to Cool Things You Can Do With Steam – Okay, you know one of the biggest knocks on Macs is "no one’s making any real cool games for them." And we’ll admit it: some of the biggest and best games are PC only, but all of that is about to change. That’s right, Steam is coming to the Mac platform and it’s bringing all your favorite Valve titles with it.

Go here to see the original:
In Case You Missed It: Mar. 8 – Mar. 14 (aka GAME WEEK!)