Retina Display iPads are fully supported 

The iPad App Store is packed with many Twitter clients, but most of these clients offer a similar experience. A user interface with a timeline, a button to open up a tweet sheet, and several more advanced features like direct messaging, tweet quoting, translating and more. Crest ($0.99), however, throws the concept of a typical iOS Twitter client away and offers a brand new way to view your Twitter timeline. This view is a plain black background with falling tiles of Twitter user profile pictures. A user taps the small icon and then that particular user’s tweet will popup.

The application also allows you to view that user’s profile by tapping on their name. You can view your own profile by swiping your finger across the display to the right, and you can post tweets by swiping to the left. Additionally, you can swipe to the right on a tweet to reply to it. Tapping the top of the user interface brings up a settings module and a search bar. The application is very minimal and we can’t recommend it as a Twitter “power-user’s” only iPad Twitter client, but we can recommend it to Twitter users who focus on reading tweets, and we can definitely recommend it to any Twitter user who wants to complement their main Twitter application with a fun alternative. I’ve been using Crest for about a week and have enjoyed the unique and convenient experience.

This post was written by Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

Judge Richard Posner has issued an order upholding some of Apple's patent claims against Motorola Mobility that one analysis believes will likely result in a finding of infringement on Motorola's part.

This post was written by AppleInsider from AppleInsider.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

Click to view slideshow.

Seeing Epson’s MegaPlex iOS device projector at tradeshows and in still pictures doesn’t do it justice.  Set up in a small, awkward booth and surrounded by bright lights, the projector doesn’t usually inspire a second look.  It wasn’t until I got a private screening at Macworld that I really saw what this thing could do.

The MegaPlex MG-850HD is an incredibly bright, 2800 lumen 720P projector with some mighty 10 watt stereo speakers built-in.  But it adds something that you won’t find in many other high end consumer projectors: a 30-pin iOS device dock.  The dock will accomodate anything from an iPod touch, iPhone or even any iPad.

Amazon has the MegaPlex MG-850HD for $612, Buy.com has it for $620. 

This thing is a Portable. Home. Movie Theater – and I mean that in every sense of the word “portable.”  At under 8 pounds and with a sturdy handle, it is easy to pack up and take it to the parents’ house or move it from the basement to the bedroom.  Because your iOS device is usually the “brains” of this thing and it just starts working immediately upon plugging in, it takes only seconds to set up.  You can be watching your iTunes, Hulu, or Netflix videos in under a minute after choosing a destination.

Similar to most high end projectors, this one has manual movable feet to adjust projection angles as well as focus, zoom and horizontal keystone. The Megaplex does auto-vertical keystone and iris controls making setting it up at angles surprisingly easy.

This thing has some range as well.  With the early spring weather this year, we turned an evening birthday party into an impromptu outdoor movie showing on the backside of our house (with a sheet over a window).  The Megaplex is rated for an over 25-foot diagonal screen and I can attest that it looks fantastic even before it is fully dark outside.

However, with the release of the new iPad and 1080P Apple TV, something even better happened…

No, this thing doesn’t do 1080P, so there is no additional benefit from having 1080P devices – though I have to say watching bright 10-foot 720P movies on my wall usually beats my 46″ 1080P display pretty handily.

But my old Apple TV with its 720P Airplay went up for grabs, and connecting this to the Megaplex makes everything easier and more portable.  Now, the Apple TV 720P is permanently connected via HDMI and those few seconds that it took to plop down the iOS device are now used to beam video to the Apple TV over Wifi.

There are a few problems with this set up of course.  Apps like Hulu and Netflix don’t let me use Airplay for “some reason.”  Also, it is a pain to set up the Apple TV if we are outside of our home wifi network and we usually just end up plopping down the iOS device.

One other nit-pick I have with the MegaPlex is that it doesn’t have VGA/DVI/DisplayPort in for Macs (or PCs?).  The easy solution to that is buying an inexpensive Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, which works great.  The MegaPlex becomes either a 1280×800 extra display or a mirrored one for your Mac.  If you have a more recent Mac/Cable, the audio will go through Mini DisplayPort as well.

The 10-watt speakers are much better than I thought they’d be.  They easily fill a bedroom or living room with treble but used outside, we were left wishing for a little more noise.  You certainly will be better off adding some base in the form of a subwoofer in either scenario.  However, keeping the weight and size down probably made more sense than making this a truly portable outdoor theater.

That’s one other thing.  When this thing is not being used as a projector, it makes a nice (albeit large/expensive) charging speaker dock for iOS devices.

The remote is also very intuitive and helps out a lot to control the iOS device, rather than reaching behind the projector to control the iOS device.

As with all non-LED projectors, this one gets hot and has a fan that turns into a portable heater after a half hour or so.  I haven’t seen a 2800 lumen projector that behaves any differently.

Conclusion:

At just over $600 currently (though it is listed at $799), this is an inexpensive 720P 2800 Lumen projector, even though it is on the high end of devices you’ll find today.  However, when you add the excellent speakers, the significant portability, and the iOS device dock, the Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD Projector becomes a “got to have” bargain for those who want to really put what’s on their iOS device on display.

For those who don’t want the clutter of a permanent HDTV screen, this also makes a solid HDTV replacement, though you’ll want to get some better speakers and clean wall space.

Amazon has it for $612, Buy.com has it for $620

Projection System: Epson 3LCD, 3-chip technology

Projection Method: Front / rear

Product Color: Black

Driving Method: Epson Poly-silicon TFT Active Matrix, 0.59-inch wide panel without MLA

Pixel Number: 1,024,000 dots (1280 x 800) x 3

White Light Output: 2800 lumens¹ (ISO 21118 Standard)

Color Light Ouput: 2800 lumens¹

Aspect Ratio: Native 16:10 widescreen

Native Resolution: WXGA (1280 x 800)

Resize: 16:9, 4:3

Lamp Type: E-TORL™ 200 W UHE

Lamp Life: Up to 5000 hours²

Throw Ratio Range: 1.30 — 1.56 (wide/tele)

Size (projected distance): 33″ – 320″

Keystone Correction:

• Horizontal ±30 degrees (slide bar)
• Vertical: ±30 degrees

Contrast Ratio: Up to 3,000:1

Color Reproduction: Full-color (16.77 million colors )

This post was written by Seth Weintraub from 9to5Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

When you buy an app or game in the App Store, book in the iBookstore, or music, movies or TV shows in iTunes, you’re asked for your iTunes password before the transaction goes through and the download begins. That’s important when there’s money involved. As the great Smurf berry scandal of 2011 taught us, you can never be too careful when it comes to preventing unintentional or unauthorized purchases — that’s why Apple now requires a password for every in-app purchase. But what about when there’s no money on the line? What about when you’re not buying something but just downloading a free app or game, or free song or feature? Should iTunes still ask for your password? What about when you’re simply updating an app or game? Should iTunes ask then?

Some people, really security conscious people, would probably prefer iTunes ask for a password any time it does anything, always. Better safe than sorry. Who knows who could be using your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad after all, from a friend to a colleague to a spouse to a child to a friend’s colleague’s spouse’s child. You really want to risk $100 in Hello Kitty apps suddenly showing upon your Home screen?

Other people, really convenience-oriented people, would probably like iTunes to ask for a password as little as possible. Maybe never. If you’re the only one who ever uses your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, and it never leaves a place you control, then why should you be bothered by having to enter in a password every time an app has a minor bug fix update?

Personally, I’d like a choice (big surprise, right?) Give me a Settings option for “always ask”, or “only ask for paid transactions”. I don’t think “never ask” is safe, so I’m fine with that not being there. What about you? How often do you think iTunes should ask for your password?

This post was written by Georgia from iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

With your iPhone you have one of the best 4:3 compact cameras in the world, but what happens when the world you want to capture isn’t 4:3? What happens when you come across a gorgeous scene — the Golden Gate bridge at sunset, the Manhattan skyline at dawn, the crystal-clear island beach, the magnificent Old Port architecture, the rally that’s filling the campus. You can still take a photo, or several photos, of part of it, but nothing can really compare to capturing the full breadth and majesty of such an image all in one shot.

Enter the panorama.

The difference between wide angle and panorama

There’s a fine line between what separates a photograph taken with a wide angle lens and a panoramic photograph. We’re not going to get into the nitty-gritty details, so for the sake of simplicity, we’ll say that a panoramic photo is one that has a wider field of view than the human eye, is at least twice as long as it is tall, and was created by using software (in our case, apps) to stitch together multiple images.

You’ve probably seen panorama’s displayed and showcased at various places — they’re long and skinny and commonly have cityscapes, landscapes, and sports stadiums as their subject. The iPhone’s built-in camera does not have the ability to take panoramic photographs (at least not yet), but there are many affordable apps in the App Store that do offer this functionality.

My personal favorite iPhone app for creating panoramic photographs is AutoStitch Panorama. The reason I like this one so much is because it lets you stitch any arrangement of photos. You’re not limited to stitching photos to the left and right of each other — you can also go up and down. It also supports high resolution creations up to 18 megapixels.

• $1.99 – Download Now

How to take a great panoramic photo with your iPhone

While the software will take care of the stitching, it can only do as good a job as your images allow. There are several things you need to do to make sure the photos you take will come together into an amazing panorama, including maintaining a steady camera position, taking sufficient pictures, keeping focus and exposure consistent, and leaving enough room to crop the final image.

Don’t shift the position of the camera

The biggest key to taking good panoramic photos is to make sure you don’t shift the position of the iPhone while taking the photos. What I mean, is to imagine that there’s a pole sticking out of the bottom of your iPhone and that the only motion you’re allowed to do is to spin the pole so that the iPhone rotates. Since panoramic images are created by stitching multiple photos together, it should make sense that any shift of the camera’s position will lessen the quality of results.

To prevent shifting your iPhone as you pan across the scene taking photos, I recommend holding your iPhone in the landscape position with two hands. To increase stability, you should also press your elbows against your torso. As you take the photos, do not to twist your body or move your feet. The only movement you want to make is with your hands and fingers. Keep your body facing the same direction and just rotate the camera in front of you without changing your position. Just keep telling yourself that the iPhone is not allowed to move up, down, left, or right, that your feet can’t move, and that you can’t twist your body — the motions you are allowed to do will follow naturally.

The easiest types of panoramas to take are of landscapes or big open spaces. Since everything is far away, there’s plenty of room for error. The app you use for stitching will still be able to produce great results even if you shift the camera more than you should have.

Err on the side of too many photos

Just about every iPhone app that’s dedicated to panoramic photography will advice you to make sure that you have at least 30% overlap between your adjacent photos. Unless you’re using an app that overlays the previous image while taking the next one, I recommend overlapping a little more than 30% to play it safe. I say this for two reasons: 1. you may not be correctly estimating 30%, and 2. the more photos you have, the better chance you have at completing a nice precise stitch job.

Use AE/AF lock to keep a consistent exposure and focus

If your scene has a lot of dark and light elements, of if you’re close to something you want in focus, make sure you trigger the AE/AF feature of the iPhone’s camera. To do this, simply hold your finger down on the screen until the blue focus box starts pulsating. When you release, “AE/AF Lock” should appear on the screen.

Give yourself room to crop

Make sure that you give yourself enough room to crop your your final image. In the photo above (a panorama of the school I teach at), I made sure to capture enough of the sky and grass to give me the flexibility of cropping it exactly how I wanted when the stitching was done. First, I cropped it like this, applying the rule of thirds to the horizon and giving the interesting sky the spotlight.

But it’s common practice to critique every image that I take, and after looking at this one a bit, I wasn’t happy with how the left building is underexposed and didn’t feel it really added to the photo. Sure, including it makes the panorama longer, but my goal isn’t to create the widest pano, but to create an interesting photograph. To further justify cropping out the building on the left, I noticed that the sky was least interesting on that part of the photo as well. Here’s the final image after cropping off the left.

This is a much better photograph, in my opinion. It may not show off as much of the campus, but that’s ok. I’ve instead brought the focus of the image to the properly exposed buildings and the interesting sky.

Panoramic macros

When I saw these mushrooms in the grass, I was dying to take photos of them, and since I was working on this panoramic iPhone photography article, I thought I’d try to get a close-up, macro-style panorama. Nearly 15 tries later, I settled on the above image.

Remember how I mentioned that if you shift the position of the lens while taking the photos that it increases the chance of a bad stitch job? This is a prime example of the truth of that statement and demonstrates why close-up panoramas are very difficult.

For each of my attempts, I took 35-40 photos in hopes of improving my results, but they still all ended up with a lot of unwanted distortion. The problem was that since I was laying flat on my stomach propped up on my elbows, keeping a perfectly steady rotation was extremely challenging. In the end, I created a platform with the knuckles of my right hand while also keeping it stable on the ground. Then I stabilized the iPhone with my left hand and used my thumb to press the volume buttons to trigger the shutter. I did my best to carefully pivot the iPhone on my knuckles without allowing it to slide around.

In the end, I got an OK panorama. You can see a lot of distortion in the background, though — it looks like the background is moving (take a look at a larger version to better see what I mean). But I think this is something that’s going to be associated with close-up panoramas.

Panoramas as substitutes for wide angles

In addition to creating traditional panoramic photographs, you can use apps like AutoStitch to give the illusion of having a wide angle lens. I’m going to use my desk as an example for this. Here’s a photo of my desk from the view of me sitting in my chair.

Horrible photo. It’s way too close and cuts off a lot of stuff on my desk. Why don’t I back up, you ask? Ok, I will.

Better. This photo does show off more of my desk, and I could’ve backed up further to show even more, but it’s still not giving the look that I want. When envisioning a photo of my desk, I pictured one of those wide angle photographs that actually have some distortion to the photo. I mean this is a photo of my desk for crying out loud — it needs something special to make it interesting.

That’s where thinking of this as a panoramic project comes in. Only instead of creating a long and skinny image, I’m going to stitch a bunch of photos together from all directions, and give it a traditional crop. Here’s what I got before cropping — and I did this while sitting in my chair, the same position as the first photo.

Now we’re getting somewhere! Lastly, I rotated and cropped the stitched image to an 8″x10″ and got this.

Bingo. This is exactly what I was imagining what an interesting photo of my desk might look like. It has the feel of a wide angle lens, yet I didn’t need any fancy gear and a DSRL — just a $2 app and my iPhone!

Now go out and shoot!

Your assignment this week is create some killer panoramic photos and share them with us in the iMore photography forum. Make sure you also let us know which app you used to stitch your panorama!

This post was written by Leanna Lofte from iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog.
You can view the original post by clicking here.