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Welcome back to another week of PadGadget Photobooth, my weekly column that features an array of useful photography apps and accessories.
Last week, I highlighted the Eye-Fi Wi-Fi enabled SD Card that’s designed to help you get your digital photos from your camera to your iPad, and this week I thought I would share super cool photo editing app Path On, which allows you to add text to your photos in unique and interesting ways.
As a frequent flyer, I dread both takeoffs and landings because I am forced to stow my iPad and other electronics for several minutes, despite the fact that usage of such devices has not been proven to be harmful to the plane. During that dead zone, my only options are staring at the seat back in front of me or flipping through Skymall.
That is set to change, however, as the Federal Aviation Administration is considering relaxing the rules regarding in-flight usage of electronics. According to The New York Times, people that work as part of an industry group set up to study the issue are reporting that the F.A.A. hopes to change the rules later this year.
The Washington Post has released a major update for its iPad app today, creating a new dynamic news reading experience that features the best of everything from The Post’s well known website.
In the updated version of the iPad app, readers will now be able to access news, blogs, and multimedia content that is updated throughout the day, along with a replica of the print newspaper that includes a 14-day archive and more than 40 different comic strips.
Apple has added a new labeling system to the App Store, putting a new line of text on all apps that contain in-app purchases. When you go to download an app from the App Store on your computer, you will now see text directly under the app icon that reads “Offers In-App Purchases.”
According to The Guardian, who reported the change, Apple has confirmed that the message is a new addition to the App Store. The message, which is located in close proximity to the purchase button of an app, should serve to alert people to apps that might end up costing them in-app cash.
What would you do for an iPad? One 12-year-old girl in Dubai wanted an iPad so badly that she faked her own kidnapping in an attempt to get her paws on one of Apple’s ultra desirable tablets.
The girl (unnamed because she’s under age) pretended to be kidnapped and then called her father, telling him that an iPad was the ransom for getting her back. Her dad, wisely suspicious, informed the police after he found that he could not get in touch with her. A subsequent police investigation of the alleged kidnapping revealed that she had concocted the entire scheme to try to get her father to buy her an iPad.
Last month, Littleloud released a game for the iPad called Sweatshop HD, a tower defense game that was designed to “challenge young people to think about the origin of the clothes we buy.” The app description says the game required players to manage an off-shore clothing factory, producing the latest in cheap designer fashions for Britain’s high streets.
Apple apparently took offense to the title, because Sweatshop HD has been removed from the App Store. Developer Littleloud was told that Apple was “uncomfortable selling a game based around the theme of running a sweatshop.”
Yesterday Apple implemented an optional two-step verification system for Apple ID accounts, allowing users to set a dedicated device and use a recovery code to strengthen the security of Apple accounts. With two-step verification, it is impossible for people to access and manage your Apple ID without access to your password and a verification code sent to your “trusted” device.
If you haven’t yet activated two-step verification, your Apple ID could potentially be in jeopardy. The Verge is reporting that a new exploit has been discovered that allows anyone to reset the password of an iTunes account that does not use two-step verification.
Apple has posted an update to its Environmental Policies website, revealing that as of today, all of its data centers run on 100 percent renewable energy, which is an impressive feat for a major company.
On the page, Apple says that its goal is to power every one of its facilities from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal. In addition to achieving 100 percent renewable energy at its data centers, Apple has also reached that goal at its facilities in Austin, Elk Grove, Cork, Munich, and at its main campus in Cupertino, California.
Last October, Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall left Apple, leaving a vacancy that resulted in the restructuring of the company. Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue, and Craig Federighi were all given additional responsibilities. Jony Ive, the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, was also put in charge of the Human Interface team, which was a smart move, says The Wall Street Journal.
Apparently the new arrangement, which was made to increase collaboration, has done just that, giving software designers a better overview of what the industrial design team is working on.
As of May 1st, Apple will be cracking down on App Store submissions. In a note published to app developers today, Apple revealed that it is going to begin officially rejecting new and updated apps that access the unique device identifier or UDID of an iOS device.
In addition, after May 1, newly submitted apps and app updates must be designed to support the Retina display of both the fourth generation iPad and the iPhone. Apps are also being forced to include full screen iPhone 5 support, rather than offering mere compatibility.