Helios launches bicycle handlebars with iPhone-controlled lights and GPS

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 27, 2013

Helios is redefining the conventional meaning of the bicycle handlebars. The company has come out with two handlebars with built-in LEDs. They are: a ribcage-skewering bullhorn and a weird-looking drop, which appears to have taken its shape from sci-fi movies rather than trying to be comfortable to use.

With the Helios handlebar, your bike will now have these features:  button-activated rear-facing LED turn blinkers, 500 lumen headlight, smartphone controlled ambient lighting, speed indication and even navigation assistance.

The speed indication will have the LEDs progressively change colour as you speed up; red for slow and green for fast. Using the GPS in your phone (paired through Bluetooth 4.0), the app determines your speed, and given you directions.

In addition, a low power GPS module is integrated into the handlebar itself. Just pop in a prepaid SIM card and you can track your bike from anywhere in the world, which is great if it ever gets stolen.

The app also has a proximity feature, which automatically turns on all three lights as the user (and their phone) approaches the bike, then turns them off again as the user parks it and walks away. Additionally, using the navigation feature, either of the turn signals will automatically come on to let the rider know when a required left- or right-hand turn is coming up.

Helios Bars are powered by a lithium-ion battery, which should provide approximately seven hours of use per charge

California-based inventor Kenny Gibbs is currently raising production funds for the bars, on Kickstarter until June 19 for the promotional price of $219, shipping included. Estimated delivery is Dec. ’13.

Helios handlebars comes with these features:

* Proximity Lighting allows your bike to sense your presence and automatically turn on its headlight when you’re near, and off when you’re not.

* Indicators – rear lights can blink to indicate turns.

* GPS Tracking – keep tabs on your bike via SMS and receive the coordinates of your bike & a Google Maps link to its location within 30 seconds

* Visual speedo – The rear-facing LEDs change colour according to how fast you ride

* Satnav – Use Google maps to plot a route. The rear lights indicate when a turn is approaching.

* Ambient Lighting – Set the rear lights to any colour you want

Leaked pics show iPad mini prototype with two microphones

By: iPadfanzz Staff on May 27, 2013

Apple was planning to include a second microphone in the iPad mini, according to a new report from Sonny Dickson.

Dickson’s photos of a prototype iPad mini clearly show an extra hole centered at the top rear of the device.

Till date, the iPad Mini only have one microphone on the the top of the device. On the other hand, the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad all have a second microphone that is used to improve audio quality during phone calls, shooting video, and using Siri.

Rumours suggest that the iPad 5 will have one located right next to its rear camera, so we imagine the next-gen mini will too.

Dubai's Burj Al Arab Hotel now offers 24-carat gold-plated iPads for in-house guests

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 21, 2013

When it comes to ostentatious luxury, nothing can beat Burj Al Arab – the emirate's iconic, sail-shaped hotel.

The hotel is now offering its guests with 24-carat gold iPads when they check in at the lavish hotel. The gold iPads will be given to guests to be used as a “virtual concierge,” containing information on the hotel’s restaurants, housekeeping services, and other amenities. If guests wish to take them home, they can buy the gilded tablets at the hotel’s boutique.

"Our exclusive Burj Al Arab 24-carat gold iPads further enhance our guests' experience during their stay," said general manager Heinrich Morio. "We have also recently introduced iMacs inside all our suites."

The gold iPads are delivered by Gold & Co London, whose chief executive, Amjad Ali, described them as "the ultimate in luxury accessories". These iPads are fashioned from third-generation iPads.

The world renowned Burj Al Arab is already known for its pricy suites, underwater aquarium restaurant and roof terrace tennis court - the world's highest spot for a knockabout.

So, if you can afford to stay at a hotel whose rates range from $1,500 to $19,000 per night, you can probably get your hands on and take home one of its 24-carat gold-plated iPads.

But if a gold-encrusted iPhone 5 is more to your liking, then check out the luxury handset crafted by Liverpool-based Stuart Hughes.

Updated processor, display, cameras rumored for Apple iPad mini 2 Retina Display

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 19, 2013

Apple’s second generation iPad mini launch, which is believed to be coming this fall with iOS 7 on board, will feature a Retina Display with 2048 X 1536 pixels, the same number of pixels that are found on Apple’s larger third and fourth generations of full-sized iPad tablet, rumours suggest. The iPad mini is also likely to get a big processor to include a dual-core Apple A6X processor.

The hike in screen resolution would mean that the new device would offer a 324-pixel-per-inch resolution, thus making texts, icons and images more crisp, vibrant and colourful.

It is also noted that Apple is trimming down the bezel on the iPad mini 2 with Retina Display. Reports suggest that the the left and right bezels are practically non-existent in the new device.

The tablet will sport a 8-megapixel rear iSight camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime camera for HD video calls, as per the leaked specifications. The tablet will be shipping with either in 16, 32, or 64 GB of internal storage.

The battery is also supposed to be much larger.

5 best luxury iPhone, iPad cases

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 19, 2013

When an iPad or an iPhone means so much to you, slipping it into some generic silicone case from a street vendor won't make a statement. To give your device the desired attention, here are some of the best cases in town.

Moschino

Moschino offers designer iPhone and iPad cases which include “Gennarino, the bear” for iPhone and the Touch Me printed iPad 2 case. It also offers Luisa the goose, a Moschino mascot, for the iPhones 4 and 5. White.

The Grove Bamboo iPhone 5 case

The Grove iPhone 5 bamboo case snugly fits your iPhone. The inside of the case has a nice padding to keep your phone’s metal back scratch-proof. With the case on, the iPhone 5 gains about one-third inches in width, which makes it almost as wide as a Samsung Galaxy S3. However, these cases are not drop proof, and strong impact will damage the case. The case is crafted from renewable bamboo, and is sanded by hand and polished with citrus oil. Each case can either be ordered as a plain version or engraved with a number of symbols and patterns.

The Grove Bamboo iPhone 5 case can be ordered for $79.

Hard Graft's skinny fit iPhone 5 case

It is a gorgeous – old-fashioned case for your iPhone 5. This Skinny Fit iPhone case cushions your iPhone 5 between thin layers of fine Italian wool and rich leather. A separate pocket in the back is suitable to put your credit cards and bank notes. Interestingly, a corner has also been left open for conveniently snaking your earphones in. The soft vegetable-tanned leather gives the case a premium and natural look. Handmade by Italian artisans dubbed “The Brothers,” each is a piece of carefully crafted art in itself designed to last the long haul. It costs $104.

Stella McCartney

Designed by Stella McCartney, the Falabella faux brushed-leather iPhone 4 sleeve is trimmed with a chain in a gold tone and, comes with a designer hanging tag. It is compatible with iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

It will cost you £165 ($253).

Fendi

As part of Fendi's 2012/13 Autumn Winter collection, hand-held iPad cases made debut. The collection is made of designs from leather, tapestry, furs and skins in hard frames complete with handles -- and the bill for one of them is likely to make your eyes water.

'Trial By Timeline' app scans your Facebook profile to find international crimes committed

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 16, 2013

The New Zealand branch of Amnesty International – a highly regarded non-profit organization dedicated to protecting our human rights – has come out with a Facebook application called Trial By Timeline, which explains to users of the social network how their public postings and interactions could see them imprisoned, tortured, killed by extremists or even beheaded in other countries with oppressive regimes.

The app has been designed to use anything you’ve ever said and done on the social networking site against you and comes out with the sentence term. To do so, the app analyzes all your posts, photos, affiliations, pages you’ve liked, and “interrogates” some of your contacts.

For instance, you could suffer multiple beatings and experience torture repeatedly for being a female (beaten in Algeria, tortured in Pakistan), having a job in the media (beaten in Montenegro, tortured in Turkmenistan), and participating in a form of activism (beaten in Indonesia, tortured in India). You could have been beaten, tortured, and imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for socializing with an unrelated male.

At the same time, you could face lashes in Qatar for enjoying a beer or two and in Indonesia for playing 25-cent blackjack.

Try it out.  The app seems to be pretty interesting.

Master music on your iPad through ‘Audio Mastering’ app

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 14, 2013

Audio Mastering - the first fully functional audio mastering application for the iPad – is now available.

Audio Mastering lets you process sound, convert audio formats, change sample rate, convert bit depth, cut part of track for preview and make fade-in and fade-out.

It gives you a 10-band graphic EQ, 3-band stereo imaging, a harmonic saturator and a loudness maximizer to work with.

Here are the details:

Audio processing features:

Linear phase 10-bands graphic Equalizer based on phase shifting.
Three bands Stereo Imaging with common Stereo Width level.
Harmonic Saturator with three sets of harmonics.
Loudness Maximizer with adjustable response speed and ceiling.
Sample rate converter from 96, 88.2, 48 to 44.1 kHz.
Bit depth converter supported 16, 24, 32 bits.
Dithering with noise shaping.
Supports .wav, .aif, .mp3 audio file formats.
Application features:

Predefined preset hotkeys, ability to create own presets.
All processing settings are stored for each file.
Processing group of selected files.
Exchange files thru internal Web service.
Compatible with AudioCopy / AudioPaste.
Supports iTunes file share.

Audio Mastering is available to buy now on the Apple App Store priced at £6.99/$9.99.

Jison Case Quilted Leather for your iPad mini

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 13, 2013

Thanks to high-quality leather, the Jison Case Quilted Leather case for iPad mini feels and looks marvelous. The quilted series of premium cases for the iPhone 5, iPad Mini, and iPads 2 and 3, offer maximum style and protection, while protecting the slate’s functionality.

The slim silhouette of the Quilted series, accentuates the classic quilted leather pattern, which gives each of these cases a high-fashion designer look and feel. In addition, on the inside, the case comes with an extra layer of protection with luxe microfiber interiors to prevent damage from dust and scratches.

“Our Quilted series features a refined diamond-stitched pattern that our customers find very attractive,” said Arden Deng, CEO of Jison Case. "Beyond its fashionable and appealing look, the Quilted series offers amazing protection and endurance against falls with its cushioned leather exterior.”

 Since the cases are of premium quality, they come with a price tag of $83.69 per case. This won’t appeal to bargain hunters, but the price seems right for people who love exceptional quality and don’t mind paying extra for it.

The iPad Mini will fit snugly into the case, leaving most of the ports, buttons and features uncovered except one. The case masks the wake button on top to the iPad mini.

The cover also includes the magnetic wake feature. A slot on the back of the case holds the edge of the case’s cover to turn it into a stand with two viewing angles.

For more information click here

Google Earth update introduces street view and new user interface

By: iPadfanzz Editor on May 9, 2013

Google Earth, Google’s other mapping application, has been updated to version 7.1.1. The update means that you now will be able to drop all of the way down into Street View, use improved directions (better visuals) and search (quicker), and navigate the app more easily because of a slideout navigation menu from the left side.

The changelog:

Google Maps Street View: With Street View, you can explore the world at street level.

Improved directions/search: Updated directions let you can visualize transit, walk, bike and drive directions in 3D while update search result list will let you browse search results quickly.

Improved interface: Easily browse and enable different layers through use of new left hand pane