All Things Digital reported today that some major content providers, like National Public Radio and The Wall Street Journal, are hurrying to put together new versions of their websites optimized for the iPad. The main difference–no use of Adobe Flash. NPR is actively working on an iPad-optimized version of their iPhone app, but they’re also redesigning the site so that if the site detects that a visitor is using an iPad it will display a different version. NPR’s digital media head Kinsey Wilson says they have redesigned their site to make it easier to support multiple versions. He also said that NPR has a sponsor signed up for both the iPad app and the iPad version of the site. Of course the fact that NPR uses very little advertising is an advantage; sites accustomed to selling lots of Flash-based ads will have a more significant transition. That may be part of the reason The Wall Street Journal isn’t committing to an entirely iPad-friendly site. Their front page will be customized, but not all video associated with articles will necessarily be converted from Flash format…at least for now. Clearly this is an indication that they’re expecting a huge iPad audience, or they wouldn’t go to the trouble

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Task management apps exploded with the introduction of the iPhone App Store, and leading the pack was Cultured Code’s Things , which earned an Editor’s Choice award from us back in late 2008. The iPhone version of Things had been adapted from the previous Mac iteration, and though it successfully distilled the essence of the popular program into a portable package, Cultured Code had to significantly simplify the way Things worked to fit it on the iPhone/iPod touch screen. But now, with the iPad and its glossy 9.7-inch screen on the horizon, Cultured Code is closing in on a version of Things that’ll find the happy middle ground between the two versions, pairing a touch interface like that of the iPhone with the screen real estate of a much larger device. "We have the desire to show users more information. Now with the iPad, we have much more screen space available, so now the information can be displayed again," says Werner Jainek, co-owner of Cultured Code and developer of Things for iPad. "We think it’s a huge advantage with the bigger screen." Jainek says getting the iPad project off the ground initially was a snap, since the shared OS between the two devices allowed them to reuse much of the core code from the iPhone version. This has allowed Cultured Code to focus on refining the user interface to take full advantage of the large iPad screen, which eliminates the need to drill in and out of menus as you would on the iPhone. As such, Things users will be able to pop between multiple lists with ease, utilize the new popover windows (which you’ll be seeing a lot of within iPad apps), and even access additional navigational controls when using the iPad in landscape orientation. Without actual iPad units in their hands during development, Jainek admits the biggest challenge has been developing an intuitive user interface, though it’s not for a lack of trying. "It’s pretty hard to actually see how Apple has designed user interfaces for its applications," he admits. "We have mined them all — we have looked at every screenshot in very much detail to figure out exactly how they did it." "We really don’t want to make any mistakes, and [want to] follow in the path that Apple has led," Jainek continues. "Not having a real device to play with is a limiting factor, definitely.

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Task management apps exploded with the introduction of the iPhone App Store, and leading the pack was Cultured Code’s Things , which earned an Editor’s Choice award from us back in late 2008. The iPhone version of Things had been adapted from the previous Mac iteration, and though it successfully distilled the essence of the popular program into a portable package, Cultured Code had to significantly simplify the way Things worked to fit it on the iPhone/iPod touch screen. But now, with the iPad and its glossy 9.7-inch screen on the horizon, Cultured Code is closing in on a version of Things that’ll find the happy middle ground between the two versions, pairing a touch interface like that of the iPhone with the screen real estate of a much larger device. "We have the desire to show users more information. Now with the iPad, we have much more screen space available, so now the information can be displayed again," says Werner Jainek, co-owner of Cultured Code and developer of Things for iPad. "We think it’s a huge advantage with the bigger screen." Jainek says getting the iPad project off the ground initially was a snap, since the shared OS between the two devices allowed them to reuse much of the core code from the iPhone version. This has allowed Cultured Code to focus on refining the user interface to take full advantage of the large iPad screen, which eliminates the need to drill in and out of menus as you would on the iPhone. As such, Things users will be able to pop between multiple lists with ease, utilize the new popover windows (which you’ll be seeing a lot of within iPad apps), and even access additional navigational controls when using the iPad in landscape orientation. Without actual iPad units in their hands during development, Jainek admits the biggest challenge has been developing an intuitive user interface, though it’s not for a lack of trying. "It’s pretty hard to actually see how Apple has designed user interfaces for its applications," he admits. "We have mined them all — we have looked at every screenshot in very much detail to figure out exactly how they did it." "We really don’t want to make any mistakes, and [want to] follow in the path that Apple has led," Jainek continues. "Not having a real device to play with is a limiting factor, definitely. For example, the iWork apps — I would be very interested to see how they solved certain problems, UI-wise, so that we can actually copy that for our application, or at least be inspired by it and see what we can come up with." However, despite having to work from screenshots and secondhand impressions, Cultured Code says they were greatly inspired by what Apple showed of its own iPad apps, especially with the Calendar and Contacts, which Jainek says use "real-world metaphors in [the] user interface." "Apple really put forth that paradigm that what you’re looking at are really objects behind a piece of glass that you’re manipulating with your finger," explains Jainek.

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When Apple started offering pre-orders on the iPad, it also gave away more details about the iWork applications (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) for the mobile tablet device. Pages Pages will give you the ability to email documents as Pages, Word, or PDF attachments. You will also have the ability to import and edit Pages or Word documents into the application from an email. While you’re editing a document, you can rotate the iPad for a distraction-free writing experience. You can also wirelessly connect an Apple Keyboard via Wi-Fi, or use the keyboard dock to type  out longer documents. Additionally, there are 16 document templates included in Pages for iPad. Keynote Keynote gives you the ability to view and edit Keynote or PowerPoint files on the iPad. The application includes 12 pre-designed themes. You can import photos and videos from your photo library to insert into your presentations, as well as choose and set slide animations and transitions. You can also use the optional display adapter to connect to a projector where slides can be presented. Numbers Numbers includes 16 templates for home, work, and school related spreadsheets. A full-screen mode enables you to view your documents horizontally. You can also use forms to gather data without entering information directly into a spreadsheet. Just like Pages and Keynote, you can send and import Numbers and Excel files right from your email

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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.

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If your iPhone has a case of the "I can’t make it through half a day on one charge," it may be time for a replacement battery. if you’re looking to replace the battery in your iPhone and you’re feeling adventurous, we ripped apart a first-generation iPhone and iPhone 3G on video just for you. A word of caution, while the iPhone 3G and 3GS are relatively simple to take apart, the original iPhone can be difficult and there is a high likelihood that you’ll damage the case. You have been warned! What You Need: >     New iPhone battery (3G and 3GS $19.95, ifixit.com . First Generation – $14.95 iFixit.com ) >     Phillips 00 screwdriver (iFixit includes one with your battery) >     Two spudgers (we used one pointy black spudger and one flatter greenish spudger) >     A soft cloth to cover your work surface >     Small suction cup ($2.95, ifixit.com)   Replace the original iPhone’s battery:     Replace the iPhone 3G and 3GS’s battery:        

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If – like me – your fridge is black, then these shiny iPhone app fridge magnets from Jailbreak Collective will look very smart indeed displayed on the door. Just 13 bucks gets you a set of these icon almost-replicas. I say almost because if you look carefully, you’ll see they’re not identical to the Apple originals.

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A year after the launch of FileMaker Pro 10, the Apple-owned database company is back to debut the latest version of its franchise product. FileMaker Pro 11 introduces long-awaited features and builds on the interface and engine improvements to create new capabilities. I have been taking the product through its paces for the last few weeks and I am left with the impression that this is what FileMaker Pro 10 should have been because the changes made to the interface and the scripting engine are really evident in 11. The update includes a variety of improvements that will benefit both users and developers. A New Start When greeted by the redesigned Start Screen, among the starter solutions offered as a template is a new Invoices solution. This solution allows you to track customers, products, and invoices in a single database. Invoices implements multiple tables and relationships on multiple keys and provides a great introduction to a moderately complex database. I recommend peaking under the hood to get a feel for how things are done if you are new to FileMaker. Beyond the starter solutions, you can also create a new database by starting with data from Bento, XML files, Excel spreadsheets and other sources.

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This, ladies and gentlemen, is today’s Best Thing Ever. Panic are the people who make fabulous Mac software like FTP client Transmit and web dev box-of-tricks Coda. Now they’ve made their own status board – it’s a monitor hung on the wall, displaying an internal web page that aggregates stuff from different sources and displays it

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It’s Hanukkah come early! Well, not really, but Canon’s fresh new instant rebate sale may have you itching to light up that menorah! Most likely a response to Nikon’s recently announced instant rebate sale, Canon’s sale is actually pretty impressive. They’ve definitely got Nikon beat in the sheer variety of lenses that qualify for

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