Ipad All You Need To Know

Back in January of 2011, when the Mac App Store first opened, one of the first apps I downloaded was Swackett. Not only is it a useful weather app with local and national satellite radar, but it is adorable too. When I found out that the makers of that hip forecaster released a version for the iPad, I was giddy like a dancing stick figure. Peepometer is everything I wanted a Swackett app for the iPad to be, and more.

This is not just an optimized version of the desktop app. Peepometer actually looks a lot different. The only thing that remains the same as Swackett is the “Peeps” and the settings. Peepometer also includes an attractive clock, a barometer, a compass and much more. The app is designed to look like a mechanized looking glass with a sleek, black, stainless steel background that Steve Jobs would have been impressed with.

The Peeps will show you what the temperature is like outside by what they are wearing. If it is cold, the will have jackets on. If it is hot, they will be in bathing suits and carrying sunscreen. In addition to the Peeps, the local temperature is displayed, along with the wind speed, humidity and other weather-related information.

Switch over to the forecast and you can see a pinwheel of the predicted temperature for the next five days.

If you don’t go in for all that cuteness, you can switch over to the manlier temperature gauge. Instead of Peeps, you’ll see a gauge that divides out the sections between Frigid and hot.

The barometer will show you information about rain and storms. The wind gauge will let you know of fast the wind speed is. If you click on the “Imagery” feature, you will see the local radar. You can switch the view to regional and national by turning the dial on the gauge.

Just like in Swackett, users can adjust the temperature ranges based on their own preferences. For example, I get cold at anything below 70 degrees (I know, I have lived in California my whole life. I don’t know what “cold” really is), so I set my range to go from cold to warm between 65 and 75 degrees. However, my friend sets hers between 55 and 65 and calls me a princess for not being able to handle the cooler weather.

Peepometer ended up being a sweet surprise for me because it really is a lot more than just Swackett for the iPad. There are even some fun Easter eggs that will unlock episodes of “The Three Stooges” and old commercials from the late 1950s.

What I liked: Basically everything. The design is nice. There are a lot of useful features. The Easter eggs are entertaining.

What I didn’t like: Absolutely nothing.

To buy or not to buy: If you’ve been looking for a new weather app, one that just gives you what you need to know without all the scientific mumbo-jumbo, this is the app for you. The $1.99 price tag is a fraction of what the app is worth.

• Name: Peepometer
• Version Reviewed: 1.0.1
• Category: Weather
• Developer: AGLogic
• Price: $1.99
• Score:

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iBackFlip offers iPad users a range of case and bag options perfect for protecting and transporting their devices.  Earlier this week we reviewed their latest bag, the Somersault, and now we are offering that review unit to one lucky winner.

The iBackFlip Somersault fits all three iPad models and incorporates several great features.  Its sling style backpack design enables hands free use and all straps are easily adjustable to fit the needs of each individual.  Designed and made in the USA, the Somersault is constructed of durable nylon with pockets to hold lots of extras.  Perfect for everyone from business professionals to college students!

The iBackFlip Somersault is currently on sale for $89.95 and comes in three color options (red, gray and blue).  Order one online or enter our contest for a chance to win.  We have one bag to give away and entering our contest is easy!  Just follow the directions below and maybe you’ll be a winner. Good luck!

Enter via Twitter in two easy steps

1. Follow us on Twitter. You must follow us on Twitter so that we can send you a Direct Message if you win. If you aren’t following us, we have no way of contacting you directly.
2. Click on the tweet button below and have our contest message automatically added to your Twitter status box. Then simply click to tweet!

Please make sure you are following PadGadget before you Click to Tweet your option below!  Readers who are not following PadGadget will not be selected.

Click below for a chance to win an iBackFlip Somersault iPad Bag.

One lucky winner will be selected at random.  You can enter as many times as you like and the contest ends Monday, May 21st at 11:59pm Central Time.

Winners have 48 hours from the time they are contacted to respond to our direct message.  If we have not been contacted by the original winner within that time period, a new winner will be selected.

Note:  PadGadget only ships to addresses in the United States and APO/FPO mailboxes.

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For today’s Daily Deal we’ve found 15 great apps to add to your iPad collection.  We have 6 productivity / entertainment apps and 9 game apps in today’s bundle.

We used our PadGadget Apps Tracker to find these great deals and we’ll continue to look for the best app deals as they pop-up. Some of these apps are up to 86% off, several are even free, so be sure to check them out because they are on sale for a limited time.

Game Apps

1. C.H.A.O.S HD – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $4.99.
2. Car Crusher – Now available for Free instead of $0.99.
3. Crow – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
4. Empress of the Deep 2: Song of the Blue Whale HD (Full) – Now on sale for $1.99 instead of $6.99.
5. Monster Shooter: The Lost Levels – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.
6. Order & Chaos Online – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $6.99.
7. Royal Envoy HD (Premium) – Now available for Free instead of $6.99.
8. Siegecraft – Now available for Free instead of $2.99.
9. Zuma’s Revenge! HD – Now on sale for $1.99 instead of $4.99.

Productivity and Entertainment Apps

1. ContactFlow – Now available for Free instead of $1.99.
2. Diptic – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
3. Nostalgio – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.
4. PhotoForge2 – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.
5. SoundPrism Pro – Now on sale for $7.99 instead of $15.99.
6. Textastic Code Editor – Now on sale for $4.99 instead of $9.99.

Also be sure to check out yesterday’s Daily Deal to find more great savings.

We use our PadGadget Apps Tracker to constantly monitor the App Store to find the biggest price changes on iPad apps. Our editorial team goes through the data, picks the best deals on the most interesting apps and then brings them to you on a regular basis. All app prices are checked at the time of posting but prices are subject to change without notice. When developers put their apps on sale it’s usually for a very limited time, often 24 hours or less, so be sure to check pricing on iTunes before making a purchase.

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Thirty years ago, the world was introduced to a complex board game with lots of secrets, detective work and frustrating guesses. That game was Scotland Yard. To celebrate the game’s diamond anniversary, Ravensburger has released it in digital form. Pick it up while you can. It is on sale for $4.99 for a limited time.

The game starts with players choosing either Mister X or a detective. If you’ve never played the game before, the tutorial is an absolute must. I never played Scotland Yard, but I have played a more modernized version of it called “Letters to White Chapel,” so the tutorial made a lot of sense to me. Brand new players may not understand how to win, but after a few games, the details become clear.

If you choose Mister X, your job is to avoid being caught for 22 rounds. You can move around the board by taking the train, taxi, bus or secret routes that only Mister X can take. Players must avoid being caught by putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the detectives on the board. There can be as many as five or as few as two additional detectives on the board. The more detectives, the harder it is to outrun them.

 If you would rather play a detective, you have a team to help you. Players can either link up with real-life friends through local Wi-Fi/Bluetooth or online through Game Center. Players can either use voice chat to communicate, or send messages. The game requires at least three players, but if you don’t have any friends available, you can play against as many as five computer generated players.

The graphics look great for such mapping detail. Every building has a designation and every street has a name. The player markers are cleverly raised above the board so that you can always see what number spot others are on. The game is very complex and requires a lot of percentage calculating.

For example, Mister X’s spot is revealed every once in a while during the game. If he is on spot 33 and there are four different routes he could take on his next turn, players have to determine where he may be headed by calculating the possible routes in combination with what are his known transportation choices. It gets very complicated, and very exciting.

What I liked: This type of board game is right up my alley. I love being able to play against CGPs as well. I only have a couple of friends who like to play board games, so I can get my fix without having to wait for them.

What I didn’t like: The turns take forever. There should be a way to speed up CGP turns so that you don’t have to wait for all five of them to spend 10 seconds each trying to decide where to move.

To buy or not to buy: The sale price of $4.99 is a lot to ask of someone that isn’t familiar with the game. It is remarkably cheap considering how much a physical copy costs, so I’m not complaining about the price. However, if you have never played Scotland Yard or at least Letters to White Chapel, you may want to wait until you’ve had a chance to play the game with friends. If you have ever played Scotland Yard, you will love the digital copy. Get it while it is on sale.

• App Name: Scotland Yard
• Version Reviewed: 1.0
• Category: Games
• Developer: Ravensburger Digital
• Price: $4.99
• Score:

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When FaceTime was first released in 2010 alongside the iPhone 4, many people were disappointed to find that it could only be used with a Wi-Fi connection, and not over 3G as expected, meaning no FaceTime on the go.

FaceTime’s limiting Wi-Fi only restriction may be lifted soon though, as indicated by a new warning found in iOS 5.1.1.

According to Romanian Apple website iDevice, when a FaceTime call is made on Wi-Fi with an iPhone running iOS 5.1.1, if a user turns off the “Enable 3G” option in the Settings application, the following warning message pops up: “Disabling 3G may end FaceTime. Are you sure you want to disable 3G?”

If you do turn off the 3G setting, the FaceTime call will continue with your Wi-Fi connection, so it looks like the warning might be targeted towards users who are using FaceTime with 3G rather than with Wi-Fi.

When Steve Jobs first introduced FaceTime, he mentioned that it was not available over 3G at the request of cellular networks, rather than a limitation with the iPhone and the iPad (it’s been available on jailbroken devices for quite some time).

Jobs said that Apple had to “work a little bit with the cellular providers” to offer FaceTime over 3G, so it’s possible that one or more cell phone carriers have finally decided to allow 3G FaceTime access.

[via Gizmodo]

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We know that Steve Jobs wanted to revolutionize the television industry with an Apple-branded television thanks to Walter Isaacson’s famous biography, but according to Mickey Drexler, CEO of J. Crew and longtime member of Apple’s board of director, Jobs wanted to revolutionize another industry too – automobiles.

Drexler mentioned the former CEO’s ambitions during Fast Company’s recent Innovation Uncensored conference.

“Look at the car industry; it’s a tragedy in America. Who is designing the cars?” Drexler said. “Steve’s dream before he died was to design an iCar.”

According to Drexler, if Jobs had designed an Apple-branded iCar, it would have completely changed the car industry. “It would’ve been probably 50% of the market. He never did design it,” added Drexler.

Apple may not be producing an iCar, but it does have a hand in the automobile industry. More and more cars are coming equipped with in-dash iPads and other Apple devices, a trend that’s only going to continue in the future.

If Apple did design a car, what do you think it would end up looking like?

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Apple’s first London iTunes Festival was held in 2007, and it’s taken place every year since then. Usually it’s held in July, but this year the festival will take place in September at the London Roadhouse music venue.

The iTunes Festival has been growing more impressive each year since its debut five years ago, and this year the festival will offer 30 nights of free music for both live attendees and iOS users who listen in using the iTunes Festival app.

Stars like R&B singer Usher, Norah Jones, One Direction, and Jack White (of the White Stripes) will perform, along with 60 other artists that have yet to be announced.

Aspiring attendees are not able to purchase tickets, and instead, must enter a random drawing to win. Potential entrants must be 14-years-old or older and residing in the U.K., Germany, France, Ireland, or the Netherlands. Ticket winners will be drawn each week in June.

If you live in one of the eligible countries and want to enter, you can visit the iTunes Festival website, select an artist, and try to win tickets for the show. Alternatively, you can use the iTunes Festival app, which has info on the venue and the upcoming lineup, to enter to win tickets.

For those of you who don’t win tickets, Apple will be streaming the concerts each night to the festival app, so you can listen in with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The iTunes Festival app can currently be downloaded from the U.K. App Store. The U.S. version isn’t available quite yet, but it should go live soon.

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Back in March, Apple was in a heated battle with Nokia, RIM and Motorola over who would get their design approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as the new nano-SIM card standard for the future. While Motorola and RIM were willing to work with Apple, Nokia held fast against the tech giant and slung a bit of mud around to boot.

Now, The Verge has reported that RIM and Motorola teamed up to add some tweaks to Apple’s original design and the end results look promising. However, Nokia has yet to make its presence known in this new compromise.

Yesterday, RIM and Motorola submitted an updated proposal to the ETSI of the 4FF nano-SIM card. Apple had originally adjusted its design of the nano-SIM a while back due to opposition from the big three. Nokia, specifically, had made claims that Apple was just hoping to make money off licensing the technology, and when Apple offered to license it for free, Nokia said they were just “cheapening the value of patents that are held by other companies.

Apple’s design ended up creating a stir that it would be too easy to inadvertently jam into an older micro-SIM slot. SIM maker Giesecke & Devrient eventually told Apple they had to adjust their design if they wanted it to work.

After a heavy debate that ultimately led nowhere, the battling mobile tech companies were stuck with the possibility of a fractured standard. That would mean Apple would have one nano-SIM in the iPhone, while other mobile phone manufacturers would have another. This is where the compromise was introduced. Motorola and RIM offered a merging of the two proposals into one design. Apple was dismissive about the venture, but said that it was “open to adopting both proposals.”

The new design is only slightly different from Apple’s original. According to The Verge, it is about 80 percent Apple and 20 percent Motorola and RIM. In fact, the only major change that was made was the addition of a “push push” notch that would allow the card to be secured in place with a small clasp and easily removed with another push.

Apple had objected to the notch design at a previous meeting, claiming that it would extend time to market by reducing the space for silicon inside the SIM. We will find out this coming May 31 if Apple still has a problem with the notch because that is when the next ETSI meeting will be held in Osaka, Japan.

[via Apple Insider]

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If you’re always on the lookout for entertaining games to play on your iPad, today’s contest offers two great options.  We’ve partnered with FDG Mobile Games to provide Cover Orange HD and Mahjong Elements HD promo codes to several lucky PadGadget readers.

Cover Orange HD puts users right in the middle of a bad situation as a deadly rain cloud of fruit dissolving vapor heads for the orange capital of the world!  Your mission: to protect the oranges from damaging acid rain.  Simply drag the various objects available to you, create barriers and save the oranges.

Gamers will enjoy the combination of realistic game physics, vibrant colors and laugh out loud animations. Sound easy? You’ll have to try it a find out!

Mahjong Elements HD offers users over 50 hours of game play in just one app. Designed in conjunction with Feng-Shui experts and Chinese artists to capture the technique of ancient Xiesheng watercolors, Mahjong Elements is a tranquil app perfect for anyone looking for a way to wind down and relax.  Features include 200+ layouts, retina display support, no time limit, easy-touch interface and Game Center achievements.

Whether you want to get your blood pressure going with Cover Orange HD or relax with Mahjong Elements HD, you can pickup both apps in the App Store for $1.99 and $2.99, respectively.  You can also enter our contest for a chance to win a free promo code.  We have five promo codes to give away for each app and entering our contest is easy!  Just follow the directions below and maybe you’ll be a winner. Good luck!

Enter via Twitter in two easy steps

1. Follow us on Twitter. You must follow us on Twitter so that we can send you a Direct Message if you win. If you aren’t following us, we have no way of contacting you directly.
2. Click on the tweet button below and have our contest message automatically added to your Twitter status box. Then simply click to tweet!

Please make sure you are following PadGadget before you Click to Tweet below!  Readers who are not following PadGadget will not be selected.

Click below for a chance to win a Cover Orange HD promo code.

Click below for a chance to win a Mahjong Elements HD promo code.

Five lucky winners will be selected at random for each app.  You can enter as many times as you like and the contest ends Saturday, May 19th at 11:59pm Central Time.

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For today’s Daily Deal we’ve found 16 great apps to add to your iPad collection.  We have 8 productivity / entertainment apps and 8 game apps in today’s bundle.

We used our PadGadget Apps Tracker to find these great deals and we’ll continue to look for the best app deals as they pop-up. Some of these apps are up to 67% off, a couple are even free, so be sure to check them out because they are on sale for a limited time.

Game Apps

1. Blosics HD – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
2. iFighter 2: The Pacific 1942 by EpicForce – Now available for Free instead of $0.99.
3. Jaws Revenge – Now available for Free instead of $0.99.
4. Kunundrum – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.
5. LostWinds – Now on sale for $1.99 instead of $3.99.
6. Monster Shooter: The Lost Levels – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.
7. Reiner Knizia’s Tigris & Euphrates – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
8. The Tiny Bang Story HD – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.

Productivity and Entertainment Apps

1. Calligraphy Art – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $2.99.
2. Color & Draw for kids HD: 4 apps in 1 – Coloring Book for iPad – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
3. DataMan Pro for iPad – Real Time Data Usage Manager with Geotag – Now on sale for $1.99 instead of $3.99.
4. Kids Vehicles: City Trucks & Buses HD for the iPad – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.
5. NOAA Weather Radio HD – Now on sale for $1.99 instead of $3.99.
6. PicShop HD – Photo Editor – Now available for Free instead of $4.99.
7. SqueezePad – Now on sale for $4.99 instead of $9.99.
8. TikTok (+Alarm) – Now on sale for $0.99 instead of $1.99.

Also be sure to check out yesterday’s Daily Deal to find more great savings.

We use our PadGadget Apps Tracker to constantly monitor the App Store to find the biggest price changes on iPad apps. Our editorial team goes through the data, picks the best deals on the most interesting apps and then brings them to you on a regular basis. All app prices are checked at the time of posting but prices are subject to change without notice. When developers put their apps on sale it’s usually for a very limited time, often 24 hours or less, so be sure to check pricing on iTunes before making a purchase.

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• PadGadget Daily App Deal – 8 iPad Apps on Sale
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• PadGadget Daily App Deal – 8 iPad Apps on Sale