It’s a little after 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, March 12 as I write this post. Some two hours from now, the Apple Store will officially take orders for all iPad models, apparently with the ability to specify pickup at a local store. The store is currently down, though it wasn’t the last time I checked about an hour ago. (Trust me, I’m not awake in anticipation of buying an iPad; my work has me on an early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule.) Like I have with most watershed Apple products of the last decade or more, I’ll order an iPad on the day they become available. For me, this has included, but is probably not limited to, the original iMac, iBook, Airport (gray UFO!) and 5GB clickwheel iPod, and more recently the MacBook Pro, Time Capsule, MacBook Air, and of course, gen 1, 2, and 3 iPhones. Yes, yes, I’m a fanboy, but this is also part of what I do for a living. You know by now that there are six models of the iPad, three with Wi-Fi only, three with Wi-Fi and 3G data access with the same 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage capacities in each model. For the sake of discussion, I’ll call them the iPad Wi-Fi and the iPad 3G, even though the 3G model also has Wi-Fi. The iPad Wi-Fi will ship on April 3, with the 3G model due some 1-2 months later. The iPad 3G carries a $130 premium over the iPad Wi-Fi across the lineup to account for costs related to the 3G access, such as a modem and antenna. Other than providing an additional type of Internet access, there don’t appear to be any differences between the iPad Wi-fi and the iPad 3G. I’ll be ordering the top-of-the-line 64GB iPad 3G, the most expensive of the six models, but the one with the most storage capacity and both ways to connect. Why get the most expensive model when a cheaper one could suffice? Here are my key reasons: Storage Capacity: I’m really looking forward to iWork on the iPad, and these files will eat up precious space on the device

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Section: Reviews Provides: Voice activation for alarm and time settings Developer: Moshi Lifestyle Minimum Requirements: AC wall outlet (3 AAA batteries for backup), voice Price: $49.99 Availability: Now What does an alarm clock have to do with Apple products? Not much, in this case. There’s no iPhone dock, no iPod compatibility at all. This is just an alarm clock, but with one fairly unique feature; it’s almost entirely voice activated. So, let’s say you’re getting a little to used to calling up your music by simply stating the name of the band and the song. Or maybe you use voice dialing on your iPhone pretty much every time you make a call. You can now carry that simplicity over to setting your alarm at night and waking up in the morning. The conversation goes like this: You: “Hello, Moshi.” Moshi: “Welcome. Command Please.” You: “Set time.” Moshi: “What is the current time?” You: “3:45 p.m.” And there you go. The time is now set.

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Filed under: Hardware , Peripherals , Apple , iPhone The Square credit card reader for the iPhone has gotten most of the buzz around here, especially after we saw that impressive demo at Macworld a few weeks ago. But VeriFone’s competing reader has been given the green light by Apple itself: the unit has been granted a deal for shelf space . VeriFone will be selling its PAYware Mobile units inside Apple’s retail stores coming up as soon as the end of March. I’m not quite sure what the reasoning is behind this one on Apple’s side, as the PAYware service seems to be a little more clunky than the Square solution: you have to pay both an activation fee and a monthly fee on top of the per-payment charge that Square asks for, and the reader itself is much bigger, taking up the iPhone’s dock rather than just using the headphone port like Square’s. Whatever Apple saw in them, you’ll be able to get VeriFone’s system right along with an iPhone or iPod touch all at the same time.. No matter which system eventually prevails (if indeed anyone needs to prevail at all — there’s certainly more than one credit card company, so there’s no reason why there couldn’t be more than one payment system on the iPhone), this does seems like a model that will change a lot of business transactions in all sorts of industries. It’ll be interesting to see how the curve takes off once these things are up and running. VeriFone credit card reader gets deal to be in Apple Stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . VeriFone credit card reader gets deal to be in Apple Stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

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Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iPod touch , iDevice Accessories , Reviews Provides: iDevice external battery, stand and dock Developer: Dexim Price: $54.90 Availability: Now In a sea of boxy, single purpose batteries, one company dares to think different.  Dexim has put some real thought into what an iDevice battery can and perhaps should do for you.  Their P-Flip battery’s feature list only starts with providing extra juice for your iPhone. This battery is different from your standard hunk of electrically charged chemicals. Sure, if comes in a bunch of colors, but more importantly, instead of just being a nondescript box of energy, Dexim has quite obviously designed it with the iPhone in mind.  It has a dock connector with some molded plastic that hugs the the bottom of your iPhone.  Below this is a hinge that provides for a number of features. If there’s no iPhone using the battery, you can fold the battery onto itself for more compact storage. If an iPhone is connected, you can flip it back and use it as a stand. This will position your iPhone optimally for viewing on a table top in portrait mode (though landscape might be more useful). You can tip it on its side, and it works, but then your iPhone is resting on its own corner. Uh oh! Alternatively, you can bend the hinge just a touch and pretend you’re from an alternate universe where Apple came out with an iPhone in the 90s called the iPhone flip… The back of the battery has three LEDs to display the charge level of the 2,000mAh battery. You can display the current charge level by hitting the button close by.  Unfortunately, there isn’t an off switch anywhere.  It’s unlikely you’d have your iPhone connected to this and not want to use the external battery, but I’m told the iPhone uses more power when connected to a power source, so it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra switch.

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Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iDevice Accessories , iPod , iPod Accessories , iPod Headphones and Earbuds , Reviews Provides: In ear audio reproduction Developer: Monster Cable Minimum Requirements: Audio source with 1/8” stereo mini-jack Price: $119.95 Availability: Now Quality is almost synonymous with Monster Cable. But the Beats by Dr. Dre Lady Gaga Heartbeats are about more than just great audio, they’re about style too. And just like Lady Gaga, this is style you can’t find anywhere else. Even if you fancy Lady Gaga to be too much to handle, I think you’ll love that the Heartbeats match their unique style perfectly with the great audio quality you’d expect from Monster. There’s only one way to start a Lady Gaga related review, so I’ll just get this out of the way right now. Cherry, Cherry, Boom, Boom. Okay, now we can get started. I talked with Monster at CES this year, and they know all too well that the headphones need to fit in your ears properly for accurate sound reproduction. Not only do they know it, they make it happen too with an inordinate number of eartip sizes to choose from. These headphones are actually pretty unique in that the cord is flat.  This is meant to prevent tangling and tearing, and I think it does a great job at that.

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Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iPod touch , iDevice Apps , iDevice Accessories Maybe you didn’t think ThinkFlood’s original RedEye IR dock was the best solution for controlling your IR gear. That’s okay, because ThinkFlood listened and is preparing to release the RedEye mini; and like their original IR solution it’s just a bit different from the competition. Instead of using the dock connector and a dongle like everyone else, the RedEye mini uses your iDevice’s headphone jack. Anyone else feeling a little deja vu? This was how Pocket PCs without built in IR added this functionality too many years ago for me to remember.  While this technology might seem a little antiquated, remember two things: IR isn’t exactly bleeding edge technology in the first place, and more importantly, your dock connection remains open. That means you can have your iDevice plugged in to a battery, a battery case or other accessory that hogs the dock connection.  This also means you don’t have to hold your iPhone upside down to use it as a remote. Yes ! The RedEye mini uses the same app as the original RedEye dock, so there are no surprises there.  Well, actually, it seems they’ve added an electronic program guide. Awesome.

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At the moment I’ve got 1,303 items in the trash bin in my OS X Dock — not that much compared to the usual pile that accumulates there when my normal maintenance has me only cleaning it out once every couple of months. Usually, it’s not a problem. Occasionally, though, I’ll throw something away by mistake, at which point I’m reminded that you can’t just click on the bin and search through the trash like you can with other folders in your Dock. It may sound like a small annoyance, but if I’m digging through the trash, it’s because I really need to find that thing I tossed out. Without a chance to search for it I’m left with no other option but to browse through a pile of files that typically number in the thousands. All this turns a small annoyance into a rather large one. There’s got to be a better way to deal with all this Trash. Ordinarily when searching for files in the Finder you can choose to limit the scope of your search to the current folder by selecting it from the search bar. This is a big help when you know the file you want is somewhere in this folder, but you’re not entirely sure what its name is. But trying this approach after clicking on the trash icon leaves you searching the entire system with no way to limit your scope. I suppose I could just do a better job regularly taking out the trash — this would leave me with fewer files to browse through when the time comes — but I know myself and that’s just not going to happen. Another option would be to write a script to handle trash maintenance, but that might just make a bad problem worse if my script gets rid of something I accidentally threw away before I have a chance to retrieve it. The best solution, it seems, is also the easiest one. I use “Go To Folder” in the finder to navigate to the otherwise hidden trash directory at ~/.Trash and drag that folder into the Dock.

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I saw some great products at the recent Macworld expo. Here are a few items that grabbed my attention. Navigon for iPhone: The latest release of Navigon MobileNavigator for iPhone has added a new panorama 3D view that uses terrain elevation data from NASA. The feature is available via in-app purchase. I also got a hands-on demo of the MyRoutes feature which will show you three different route choices to find the best combination of speed and distance for you. DJay Software with Spin Controller: The thing I love about the Djay Software with the Spin hardware controller is that it is a real DJ system for the Mac. It’s not a game like DJ Hero or something. You can spin records right from your iTunes library. You get some added digital benefits like automatic tempo matching so you can concentrate more on the music and less on the technical bits of DJ-ing. Here Karim of algoriddim (and the man behind the DJay software) demonstrates a few aspects of the controller. MacSpeech Scribe: This new product from MacSpeech lets you transcribe recordings to text.

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The iPad’s hardware keyboard dock is the best hope for users looking to do serious writing on Apple’s latest device, but if a picture posted by MacRumors forum-goer macduke is anything to go by, it might also reveal some of the tablet’s still unannounced software capabilities. Although the iPad keyboard dock is mostly similar to the

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Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iPod touch , iDevice Apps , Mac Software , Originals Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for February 22, 2010: Macintosh iPod Macintosh Kanex has announced the official pre-order availability of its Macworld 2010 Best of Show Award Winner: Kanex XD . This HDMI to Mini DisplayPort converter is specifically designed to give you multiple functionalities with your Apple iMac 27-inch display. Now you can enjoy your iMac 27-inch as both a desktop computer and an HDTV with the Kanex XD. Using the iMac’s beautifully backlit LED display, you can play your PlayStation3, Xbox 360 Elite, and Blu-Ray DVDs experiencing amazing HD visuals. Audio is also transmitted through the Mini DisplayPort into the iMac 27-inch for audio playback. Independent software developer Christian Kienle today announced Ebbinghaus 3.2 for Mac OS X. Ebbinghaus is an easy-to-use flash card application with a beautiful iTunes-like user interface. Organize your cards in decks, folders and smart decks. Ebbinghaus 3.2 comes with a lot of new refinements, including the ability to resize the study window

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