MacLife

Holiday weekends usually mean long car rides and time with your family. Distract the kids in the backseat and make music when you're hanging out and do both on the cheap with this week's holiday batch of deals.

The sequel to Treasure Island has you, Jim Hawkins, seeking out more buried treasure, but this one will only cost you one gold coin (or a buck, whichever).

Since we're talking island trips for only one dollar, pick up Jules Verne's Return to Mysterious Island - Deluxe Edition and find the hidden objects.

A totally different kind of adventure finds you fighting of hordes of bloodthirsty vampires, but still, just one buck puts the adventure in your hands.

It's monsters, but a completely different, fun kind, and these monsters are yours to make for free.

Feel the thrill of jetting around and feel the zero-gravity pull of a no-cost app purchase. Heck yeah! 

Of course, it's not a holiday weekend without those darn Angry Birds getting a price cut. Now you can toss those boids for free whether you do it on your iPhone or on your iPad. 

Another big player in the holiday price cut is Electronic Arts, which has tons of apps on sale (55 of them for a buck apiece) including their Sims franchise, like one dollar for The Sims 3.

Or for the same price, go medieval on their butts. One dollar.

Go big with SimCity™ Deluxe for iPad and do it for one dollar.

It's not a game, but then neither is food spoilage. Let your phone keep track of when things are going to go bad and never throw out rotten fruits and veggies again. Theoretically. It's free to try, so give it a whirl.

If holiday weekends inspire your songwriting side, then Songwriter's Pad™ is the way to go with rhyming dictionaries, backbeats, and more idea generators than you can shake a Fender at. Just $1.99 for the iPad version and $0.99 for the iPhone one and you get syncing action.

You say you're more of a piano player, and want tools indispensable for that? Well, then Nota for iPhone and Nota for iPad, both just one dollar, are here to help with chords and scale browsers and more.

In the shadow of the dearly departed Skyview Drive-In Theater, Santa Cruz's weekend flea market was another bit of my youth's paradise. Between all of the horrendous and delicious fried foods, and the empty promises of a vegetable chopper destined to make your life more convenient, the true prize would always lay between plastic, cardboard and twist-ties. Some would call them Hero Rangers, Adventure Turtles, or even Chopper Rats from Pluto, but despite their off-color paint jobs, they often could provide as much enjoyment as their copyrighted cousins. Knock-offs are what make budget-conscious world go round, and the iOS ecosystem is hardly different.

The tattered remains of a Changetron. Photo courtesy of Cody Swanson.

Determining what a quality derivative work in the iOS store is can be a challenge — let's face it, there are only so many Zombie Mine Auto-Runner Social Networks we can all handle.  However, every once in a while a game can wear its influences on its sleeve and be surprising. Bombcats is an Angry Birds inspired active puzzle game that requires you to fling explosive felines to rescue miniature explosive kittens from cage orbs. Isn't the internet wonderful? The gameplay is certainly familiar, but fortunately the physics feel right, and the felines are adorable.

Click here to download Bombcats from iTunes.


Antithetically, sometimes the copycat can surpass the original concept. No one would dispute that Airbnb is now the king of short-term private rental services. Was it a case of being at the right place at the right time? Probably, but veteran rental service HomeAway has taken the torch right back, and provided even better refinement of amenity searches. With a database that spans a longer period of time than its upstart competitors, this is a case where going with the original smooth can prove beneficial-- even if the app is totally a knock-off.

Click here to download HomeAway Vacation Rentals from iTunes.

Always curious is the case of an industry where many competing services can coexist and all thrive. In the world of online food delivery, there are a number of services out there, and while each of them provides a wrinkle of their own, they cover relatively the same ground. While Seamless has the longest history and the biggest foothold in many cities, Eat24 happens to be my personal favorite. Between its tireless weekly promotions, ribald attitude, the handsome app, and its lightning-fast customer service, it's hard not to side with San Bruno-based company. Whoever writes its copy and runs its social networking also happens to be a comedic genius.

Click here to download Eat24 from iTunes.

Do you have any suggestions for some of the great copycats of the App Store? Be a true "Hero-Man of the Spider" and reply in the comments, tweet me @Octillus, or drop a line at nycardarelli@gmail.com.

One of the most amazing things about the App Store's offerings is the fact that you get so much punch for relatively few bucks; so when a drum app shows up that costs a whopping $49.99, it’s hard to think that it’s truly better than 10 existing $4.99 drum apps combined. While Different Drummer does indeed offer a unique take on the process of laying down a beat, it’s a bit rich at the current price, which is a pity – there's some real innovation to be found here.

Different Drummer really lives up to its name: It’s a drummer, alright, but it’s radically different from any other iOS beat machine – or most plugins we’ve ever run into on the desktop. This is not the kind of instrument that’s going to be of much use in recreating a realistic acoustic drum kit, nor is it the type of thing that’s designed to let you quickly get from the beat in your head to something that everyone else can hear. This is about experimentation, knob spinning, and sonic exploration. And in this sense, it's a lot of fun.

You start by choosing from one of eight different instrument tracks – think of each one as part of a drum kit – and turning each one on, which creates a visual track reference in the realtime grid display that dominates the top portion of the screen. There's a decent selection of sampled sounds for each drum part, from snares and cymbals to bass drums and tablas, and you can also paste in your own sounds to create custom drums.

Unlike a typical grid-based drum machine, the actual drum “hits” are programmed by a somewhat complex and dynamic set of modulators, and this is where Different Drummer becomes a bit hard to tame. It’s fun for whipping up wild, bizarre rhythms and drones, with some really deep programming options, but it’s an approach that makes it tough to design a beat with the results already in mind. That said, there is also nothing quite like it in the iOS world, but the price is a real sticking point – and it started out at the rather outrageous $300! Considering the price decline to date, maybe waiting a bit longer isn't such a bad idea.

The bottom line. Different Drummer would be an amazing addition to your iPad music rack at a more accessible price, but at $50, it's simply too steep.

Product: 

Different Drummer 2.0.0

Company: 

Techne Media

Contact: 

http://www.technemedia.com

Price: 

$49.99

Requirements: 

iPad running iOS 5.1 or later

Positives: 

Unique beat-making approach. Highly programmable. Lots of interesting sounds.

Negatives: 

Despite distinct approach, it's simply too expensive.

AT&T's prepaid GoPhone service and the iPhone have always had a complicated relationship -- mostly because the carrier limited its service to voice and text. But that's about to change at long last.

MacRumors reported Thursday that AT&T is about to expand its prepaid GoPhone service, which will now include support for the carrier's 4G LTE and HSPA+ network for the first tim ever.

Prepaid and no-contract services have been heating up over the last year or so, particularly now that so many of these carriers now support the iPhone. AT&T has been a curious omission since Apple debuted the handset in 2007, refusing to include cellular data access for that device with its GoPhone service.

That will apparently change for existing GoPhone customers starting June 21, with three service plans available for the iPhone, including a $65 per month package with unlimited voice and text plus 1GB of LTE-capable data. Cheaper $25 and $50 plans are also available, but require a separate data package purchase.

4G LTE via prepaid will be a welcome change, since most services such as Straight Talk are limited to slower data seeds. The report also claims official Visual Voicemail support will be part of the GoPhone package as well.

Although there has been no official announcement from AT&T, the new GoPhone expansion is expected to launch today, but existing customers will need to call the carrier in order to manually be upgraded prior to June 21.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Whether you use a Mac, iPad or iPhone, the last 24 hours or so have produced some welcome updates to your favorite apps -- including universal support for Mailbox, and signups for the next version of 1Password for Mac.

AgileBits announced Thursday that a new beta for the Mac version of 1Password is on the way -- and if you act quickly, you might even be able to help work out any final kinks as a beta tester.

"We're excited to announce that 1Password 4 for Mac will be released later this year!" the brief newsletter signup page reads. "We are expanding the beta gradually and would love for you to join us."

Toss those folks your email address, confirm your interest and you're in -- but it may a couple of months before beta testers actually get their hands on the latest Mac version.

On the iPad front, popular third-party Gmail client Mailbox announced Thursday that a new universal update is now available from the App Store, adding long-awaited iPad support.

"You asked, we listened," the brief blog post reads. "Mailbox is now available for iPad, so you can swipe your way to inbox zero on all your iOS devices."

Last but not least, Crossroad Solutions released version 2.0 of Units, a unit converter for iPhone first released a mere week after the App Store opened its virtual doors in 2008. In addition to finally adding proper iOS 6 and iPhone 5 support, the completely overhauled app now features an integrated calculator, simplified interface and oodles of shortcuts (users are no longer limited to just three).

Best of all, Units 2.0 is available at the introductory price of only 99 cents, but only for a limited time. The update for iPhone and iPod touch requires iOS 6.0 or later.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Google may be the enemy in the eyes of many iOS users, but it's hard to deny the search giant has brought most of its coolest toys to Apple's mobile platform -- so why did it take a third-party app to add support for Google Play Music All Access?

Interactive Innovative Solutions LLC released the latest version of its unofficial Google Music app for iOS on Thursday, and gMusic 6.0 is a big one for those looking to take advantage of Google's latest music offering.

That's because gMusic is the only iOS app capable of supporting Google Play Music All Access, the search giant's $9.99 per month answer to Spotify, Rdio and Rhapsody. The service is currently available with a 30-day free trial, and those who sign up before the end of June will only pay $7.99 per month.

With all of the official Google apps available on the App Store, it seems odd that Google Play Music has remained an Android (and web) exclusive, but gMusic has been a great way to unofficially add the service. The universal app includes pretty much all the functionality of Google's offering, and now that package is truly complete with All Access support.

To use this feature, you'll need to first sign up for the free All Access trial, then open gMusic and tap the new Web Search option. Type in the name of a track, album or artist you're looking for, and like magic, you'll be presented with everything Google Play Music All Access has to offer.

gMusic 6.0 is available on the App Store for $1.99; the universal app requires iOS 5.0 or later and also adds the ability to create and play Radio Stations in the app as well as adding All Access music to your library.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

We're heading into a three-day weekend for Memorial Day here in the United States, so we'll be taking a break on Monday, but promise to return on Tuesday with the mother of all weekend recaps. (Provided, of course, that stuff actually happens while we're watching parades and grilling hamburgers over the weekend.) If the separation anxiety is too much to bear, just read our Thursday recap twice, then set your alarm clocks for Tuesday a.m.!

So let it be written, so let it be done: AllThingsD reported Thursday that Apple has confirmed its Worldwide Developer Conference 2013 keynote will be held on Monday, June 10 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Yeah, we know -- this happens every year, so why should 2013 be any different, right? The event kicks off at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST) as usual, when CEO Tim Cook and his posse will get down to business showing off the next version of both iOS and OS X. Stay tuned to MacLife.com for all the news at it breaks, folks!

The Evernote Blog announced a trifecta of updates on Thursday as the company's Mac, iOS and web products received three of features most requested by users: Alarms via email or in-app, quick notes based on to-do lists and the ability to pin notes to the top of a list. Reminders are easily the most welcome addition, which can be added by tapping or clicking on the alarm clock icon, complete with a date and time for when a particular note should be completed. (Not surprisingly, the feature syncs between Evernote clients.) Be sure to hit the link to read some great suggestions on how to use Reminders, which is a good way to spend a few minutes as you're updating the apps.

Have you checked out that cool voice search added to the desktop version of Google Chrome? If so, you're probably hoping it will come to mobile versions as well, and you'd be absolutely right. The Google Chrome Blog announced that voice search will be added to the omnibox of its universal iOS app, which will also enable faster reloading of web pages as well as the ability to open links in Chrome and then return back to the app you came from with just a tap. No word on exactly when the update will hit the App Store other than "coming soon."

It wouldn't be out of line to call Facebook Home a flop thus far, especially if one were using sales of the HTC First handset as a gauge. According to Engadget, the news has gone from bad to worse, with word that the handset won't launch in the UK — a decision made by Facebook itself. "Following customer feedback, Facebook has decided to focus on adding new customization features to Facebook Home over the coming months," a unnamed spokesperson for UK carrier EE said. "While they are working to make a better Facebook Home experience, they have recommended holding off launching the HTC First in the UK, and so we will shortly be contacting those who registered their interest with us to let them know of this decision." Ouch.

New Final Cut Pro X plugins! Maybe it's just us, but we can't get enough of them -- especially when they're as useful as Ripple Tools II, a new set of 12 such tools available for the introductory price of only $29 until Monday, May 27. Included in this FxFactory bag of tricks are filters to add glow or rays to text and video, format and animate text along four different path types, use Cloner to remove unwanted pixels, create end title scrolls or crawls, apply retiming effects and even add the popular tilt shift effect to make objects appear smaller in your video frame. But if you snooze, you lose: The price goes back up to $39 on Monday, when you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't save that 10 bucks.

 

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

[This is an advertorial. Maclife gets a portion of each unit sold.]

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so how much is a collection of pictures with some great music and stylish, professional presentation worth? It's hard to put an exact number on it, but it's definitely worth more than what you can buy it for thanks to our Deals tab. Photo Movie Maker Pro is on sale right now and is a must have.

There are plenty of ways to take your photos and make a simple slideshow with them, but the end result pales in comparison to what Photo Movie Maker Pro is capable of. It takes your photos and presents them with motion-filled transitions and awesome slideshow effects that bring your photos to life. Tons of subtitles, music, and editing options lets you make the slideshows unique to you.

Photo Movie Maker Pro usually retails for $40. If you head to our Deals tab right now, you can save yourself 50% off that price. That brings your total to just $19.99. That's a great value for this app, so grab it today!

Keep in mind that we're still in the realm of rumor here, but it's looking more and more like there might be truth to those reports of a plastic iPhone aimed at emerging markets after all. We've yet to get any kind of confirmation on this issue from Apple itself, but according to Japanese blog Macotakara, we might be seeing a limited test run of 1,000 units in June, and in a plethora of colors to boot. If that goes well, we might start seeing them in stores later this year.

According to various unnamed sources that spoke with Macotakara, the budget iPhone will come in a wide variety of colors. What those colors are isn't exactly clear due to conflicting reports from the sources, but taken together, the rumors suggest that the phones will come in navy blue, gold, gray, pink, green, blue, yellow, and orange. What's notable about this list is the absence of a black option, which we at Mac|Life suspect Apple will retain for the higher-end versions available now.

Allegedly the so-called iPhone 5S will also come in green and gold variations, with the possibility of additional variations modeled after the current offerings for the iPod Touch. Aside from the color changes, though, the new iPhone will supposedly look similar to the existing iPhone 5, with the addition of a dual-LED flash and alterations to the rear microphone. Macotakara also passed along the rumor that the iPad 5 will have a new rear microphone as well.

Considering the wide assortment of colors available for the entire iPod line, the idea of multiple color variations for the iPhone doesn't sound inconceivable (although the concept art Macotakara supplied doesn't make them look too appealing). In addition, the news is well in line with other recent rumors, such as BGR's allegedly leaked photos of multicolored SIM trays for the next iPhone.

Follow this article's author, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.

With stellar followups like Angry Birds Space, developer Rovio has once again proven that its bird-flinging saga has every reason to deserve its status as the unofficial poster child of mobile gaming, and for the next week, you can download it for free for both the iPhone and the iPad. Considering that it reached 10 million downloads in the first three days after its release last year, there's a good chance you already have it.

Angry Birds Space follows the eponymous birds into space, where they now have to contend with the gravitational pull of planets rather than boring ol' earth gravity as they did in the first release. We reviewed it last year, and while we found that it takes awhile to get moving, the second half presents quite a challenge, as do the new boss fights scattered throughout the playthrough. Since then, Angry Birds Space has witnessed several updates that helped to remedy our initial concerns, and now it ranks as the most downloaded app of all time.

The timing couldn't have been better. Earlier this year famed guitarist Slash teamed up with Rovio to create a rocking new theme song for Angry Birds Space, which now comes with all versions of the game. With the latest update, there's also an honorary Angry Bird modeled after Slash in the game itself. Slash had previously announced his love for the game in a tweet from 2010, which allegedly served as the basis for the collaboration.

Angry Birds Space for the iPhone is normally priced 99 cents. The HD version for the iPad is normally priced at $2.99.

Follow this article's author, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.

Last fall's release of the HeroClix TabApp tried to bring together the worlds of physical and digital games, letting users place specialized figures from the HeroClix tabletop game series on an iPad screen and transport them into a game. Unfortunately, while it did a solid job of recognizing the figures, the game itself was an utter mess: Painfully repetitive, both ugly and filled with lag, and lacking the strategic spirit of the tabletop source material. The brand new HeroClix TabApp Elite forges a fresh path with distinct gameplay and much different figurine implementation, but while it's thankfully a much smoother experience, the game itself still isn't strong enough to warrant the investment.

Rather than set the specialized HeroClix figurine on the iPad screen in TabApp Elite, you'll need to purchase a plastic base, which sells for $14.99 along with a Superman figurine. Additional figures (like Batman and Wonder Woman) are sold in two-packs for $9.99. When a figure is inserted into the base, a loud sound will emanate from the speaker grate, and then the iPad app will recognize the specific effect and generate the digital version of the character in the game. The base feels flimsy, but the process works; plus, you can actually select your character's play style by rotating a physical dial on the figure itself — a very cool tweak that makes the figures a lot more meaningful this time around.

The TabApp Elite app drops any pretense of narrative or a campaign structure, instead letting you freely jump into five maps that support two gameplay modes: Survival and King of the Hill. With your primary character and a computer-controlled supporting one, you'll roam the maps from an overhead view, tapping to move as well as attack oncoming enemies with both melee and special moves. Survival matches are straight-up battles for supremacy against waves of foes, while King of the Hill places four crashed satellites on the map to protect, again from waves of goons and occasional DC Comics villains.

Regardless of play mode, the game flow proves arduously slow-paced and terribly routine. Little is required beyond tapping enemies and watching your heroes dispel them with punches and powers, aside from avoiding hazards and collecting power-ups. Getting around the map is a hassle, and with no way to move the camera (aside from a slight zoom-in/out).

It's a better play experience than the original TabApp, no doubt, but it still feels like a chore, especially with the bland presentation lacking a strong comic-inspired feel beyond the requisite cel-shading effect. The game just isn't very interesting, and twiddling a dial on a plastic Man of Steel isn't going to change that.

The bottom line. While a step up from its meek predecessor, the HeroClix TabApp Elite experience doesn't generate much excitement.

Product: 

HeroClix TabApp Elite 1.1.15

Company: 

Icarus Studios

Contact: 

http://www.tabappelite.com

Price: 

Free ($14.99 for physical starter kit)

Requirements: 

iPad running iOS 5.0 or later

Positives: 

Ability to choose play style based on figurine dial is a cool touch. Game is an improvement over the original TabApp release.

Negatives: 

Simplistic action gameplay lacks excitement or strategy. Without an interesting game, it hardly seems worth shelling out for the base and specialized HeroClix figurines.

Not so long ago, armchair astronomy used to involve lugging along stacks of charts and flashlights if you wanted to know the name of a star (aside from notables like Polaris and Betelgeuse). The advent of astronomy apps for iOS devices changed all that for the better, but until now, the best ones have emphasized utility over beauty. That all changes with Sky Guide, which achieves a remarkable balance of both.

Like its inferior predecessor, Sky Survey, Sky Guide relies heavily on a breathtaking mosaic of 37,000 nighttime images by photographer Nick Risinger rather than abstract points of light for stars – and they're now pleasingly nestled behind a fluid and intuitive interface. Still, the long exposures mean the imagery's much more detailed than anything most of us will ever see, and thus we're happy to see the option to "dim" the sky with a simple swipe of two fingers to mimic non-rural viewing. An optional ethereal musical track adds emotional intensity to the experience, as do a series of chimes that resound as you click on stars of varying magnitudes.

But Sky Guide isn't merely pretty; it's also surprisingly useful. Gone, for instance, are many dubious entries lifted from Wikipedia; in their place, Sky Guide offers meticulously researched articles penned by scholars for a stunning range of stars. Even the search option reveals surprises, such as dimmed names for stars that aren't visible and listings for their rising and settings.

To be fair, Sky Guide's usefulness is limited. One of the drawbacks of the stunning panoramic photography is that it captures thousands more stars than Sky Guide provides data for; noted competitor Star Walk, on the other hand, includes data for near-invisible wallflowers like HIP 11117. Time controls are also missing, preventing you from seeing what your sky will look like at set times.

But for the intended audience, that should matter little. Sky Guide is aimed less at serious astronomers and more at dedicated enthusiasts seeking a viewing experience that's as emotionally moving as it is informative. In this regard it succeeds as no other app before it, and all for a price that won't leave a black hole in your wallet.

The bottom line. While lacking data for the most obscure stars, Sky Guide is a beautiful and informative app that should be a treasure for most astronomy aficionados.

Product: 

Sky Guide 1.0.1

Company: 

Fifth Star Labs

Contact: 

http://www.fifthstarlabs.com

Price: 

$0.99

Requirements: 

iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 5.1 or later

Positives: 

Star chart based on amazing photos. Informative articles on celestial bodies written by specialists. Enchanting auditory experience. Useful offline and online. Fluid gyro motion.

Negatives: 

Data listings generally limited to stars visible with the naked eye. No time controls to determine what the sky will look like in the future.

Games are a relatively young narrative medium, and plenty of them boil down to punching and/or shooting the bad guys. But wherever you find a canvas, a painter can’t be far behind to turn it into a masterpiece. The App Store is no exception, and creative minds have already used the platform to tell their own interactive stories on the ubiquitous iOS devices. We’ve compiled a list of games to satisfy the story itch, from the playful to the spooky and downright bizarre.

Button-mashing brawlers make for a great time when you've got real buttons to mash, but they don't always translate so well to iOS touch screens. Rather than attempt to shoehorn all of the intense fighting action into a traditional arcade-style control scheme, indie studio The Game Bakers concocted a fresh touch-centric battle system for its quirky new face-pummeling fighter. Combo Crew's fast-paced fisticuffs and streamlined combo system hinges on simple swipe controls that are far more satisfying to wield than you'd expect from an iOS beat-em-up.

Thrashing baddies while scaling a massive tower one floor at a time – all in a quest to defeat the nefarious and humorously named Mr. Boss – proves an appropriately straightforward mission in Combo Crew's campaign mode. Choosing from a handful of freaky fighters, you dive into the fray with fists and feet swinging as you brutalize cartoonish goons in enclosed arenas. It's a fun romp that's bolstered by tons of unlockables, an endless challenge mode, and the option to summon buddies into your game to help knock some heads. But ultimately, it's the accessible fighting itself that'll hook you.

Basic attacks are pulled off by simply slashing your finger across foes on the screen, while swiping with two fingers (in one of four directions) delivers a combo maneuver. The direction of your swipe determines which combos you're delivering, but you can't block incoming attacks mid-combo, making timing your moves an important consideration. Without a means to manually move around, getting around the screen relies solely on which foe you're targeting. This can lead to some moments of initial confusion while you sort everything out, but it doesn't take long to get into a butt-kicking groove. Swapping unlocked combos adds variety to each match, as does playing with different characters, and the fluid combat feels punchy and exciting.

The bottom line. An intuitive control scheme and loads of cartoonish charm make Combo Crew's brawling action a real treat for your fingertips.

Product: 

Combo Crew 1.0.1

Company: 

The Game Bakers

Contact: 

http://www.thegamebakers.com

Price: 

$1.99

Requirements: 

iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 5.1 or later

Positives: 

Intuitive touch-centric combat control scheme. Loads of unlockables. Great cartoonish vibe.

Negatives: 

Countering enemy attacks effectively takes plenty of practice.

Sometimes you want all new Mac goodness, and sometimes you want a little upgrade or accessory action for that Mac. We've got you covered in both cases this week, along with the usual bevy of iOS accessories, one of which is especially useful if you drive a car from the 1990s.

15.4" Retina Display MacBook Pro Quad-core Intel Core i7 2.7GHz

Holy smokes, this brand new machine is a beauty, and its price has been cut by $499, bringing it down to $2,699.

13.3" Retina Display MacBook Pro Dual-core Intel Core i5 2.5GHz

$519 off the cover price of this slightly smaller but super powered device takes it down to $1,479.

13.3" Retina Display MacBook Pro Dual-core Intel Core i7 2.9GHz

When you save $399, you get this steal of a deal for $1,799.

13.3" MacBook Pro Dual-core Intel Core i5 2.5GHz 

Sure, it's only $86 off, but this still is a honey of a deal at $1,112. 

Onde Screen Capture for Mac and W3Capture

Screen capture goes awesome with this accessory, nailing you some full page screenshots and more. Down from $43 to just $10.

The Mega Design Bundle Upgrade

Save over one cool grand with this bundle that will give you design tools like nobody's business, all for only $49.

Tunes Cleaner For Mac

Over time, your iTunes library gets a bit messy, and so Tunes Cleaner comes to the rescue for a fraction of its normal cost at $7.

Optical to SATA Drive Converter Bracket Solution

Now here's an interesting deal. We like the idea of swapping out our MacBook's optical drive with a second hard drive, but we're a little leery of doing so — but with all the right tools and instructions? Now that's a different matter, and for $45, this kit will set you up.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad mini

Only $79 and you are good to go for typing not on a screen, but a real clickety-clack keyboard.

URGE Basics Sliding Bluetooth Keyboard Case - iPhone 5

For just $25, you can grab this keyboard that will give you that tactile sensation that on-screen typing just can't replicate.

iPhone 4 / 4S Bluetooth Keyboard Case

"But-but-but," you say, "I only have an iPhone 4S!" Never fear: for $15, you too can hear the soothing tickety-tack of keys.

F22mm Extended Telephoto Lens 

Hook up the shutterbug action of this telephoto lens for more than half off at $24.95.

HD Accessory Bundle Kit for iPad Mini

Everything you need to keep your iPad mini alive and filled up to the brim with full battery power is right here for only $22.95.

Luxury Quilted Leather Portfolio Smart Case for iPad Mini

Go fancy, but do it on the cheap with this $20.95 leather portfolio protector for your little guy.

Digital Sound Generation Car Cassette Adapter

Someone out there is simultaneously rocking it old school and new, and needs this 20th century cassette adapter for their 21st century phone. $4 hooks you up, time traveler.

Motorola Stereo Wired Headset

It's one of our regular comments, but you really do need to take advantage of headphone deals when they come along, like this pair for $2.95.

We live in a mostly wireless world these days, but there are times when a good old-fashioned wired accessory works best -- such as an external keyboard for the iPad when used in the classroom.

Logitech announced its Wired Keyboard for iPad this week, a first of its kind accessory targeted for the classroom. Available with either Lightning or 30-pin connectors to support all iPad models, the keyboard will retail for $59.99.

But why have a wired keyboard at all when the iPad is clearly such a mobile, wireless-centric device in the first place?

“Schools are increasingly purchasing iPads for use in the classroom,” said Mike Culver, vice president and general manager of mobility at Logitech. “While tablets are enabling new ways of teaching and testing, there’s a challenge when a teacher needs to simultaneously pair multiple iPads with multiple wireless Bluetooth keyboards. We developed the Logitech Wired Keyboard for iPad to specifically solve this problem, so students can now simply plug it in and start typing.”

But the Logitech Wired Keyboard for iPad doesn't just solve a problem: It's also built to be durable enough to withstand students spilling drinks on it or even banging away at the keys for long periods of time. (Logitech claims it has a key lifespan of more than five million strokes.)

The Logitech Wired Keyboard for iPad with the Lightning Connector will be available first in August, with the Logitech Wired Keyboard for iPad with the 30-pin Connector following closely behind in October.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Plagued with high-profile hacks in recent months, Twitter is finally getting serious about security with a new two-step login verification -- but users will need to actually enable it first before they'll be protected.

Twitter announced Wednesday that the microblogging service now has a "login verification" option available to users. That's basically their fancy way of saying two-step authentication, a feature that has been making headlines after being adopted by the likes of Google and Apple.

Login verification is a method to prevent email phishing schemes or password data breaches from affecting Twitter users. Once activated, any login will require a six-digit code in addition to the password, with the password only being sent via SMS to your cell phone.

While that method works great on Twitter.com, users will need to actually generate a temporary password to log in from third-party applications, which can only be done from the dedicated applications page.

To activate login verification, users must first head to their account settings on Twitter.com and check the "require a verification code when I sign in" option near the bottom of the screen. Add a phone to your account and you'll be good to go.

Login verification may have been the big Twitter news on Wednesday, but the company also pushed out another update to its Mac application, finally adding Notification Center integration. The update also adds a number of big fixes for Growl, composing tweets and more, so be sure to download version 2.2.1 from the Mac App Store today.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

The biggest news to come out of the tech world this morning was easily Microsoft's announcement of its new Xbox One console (along with the 9 percent spike in Sony's stock price during the reveal). Surprisingly, the upcoming release of Microsoft's new gaming console brings with it some good news for iOS users as well. Specifically, Xbox's SmartGlass application will be "fully integrated" with Microsoft's new console, thus allowing users of iPhones and iPads to connect seamlessly with the next generation of Microsoft's popular console series.

Introduced last year and allegedly downloaded by over 10 million people, SmartGlass currently allows users to interact with their Xbox 360 consoles in a number of limited ways, such as using the iPhone's keyboard to type onscreen (a significant improvement over the hunt-and-peck nature of gamepad-based input), watching videos, and navigating menus. It's a little gimmicky in its current implementation, as specialized apps such as HBO Go and Netflix arguably do a better job with the video services.

Currently, it's not too clear what Microsoft's "fully integrated" service entails. According to an article from Wired this morning, future versions of SmartGlass will let users turn their iPhones or iPads into a "skeuomorphic remote control, able to emulate any other control device." The Verge also announced that "We've also learned that it'll let more devices connect at once for multiplayer and shared experiences," but failed to elaborate. That's not terribly different from SmartGlass's current design, however, although other features might make it worth checking out for Xbox fans with iDevices.

Further details are expected to be revealed at this year's E3 conference in Los Angeles from June 11-13.

Follow this article's author, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.

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As I was following the stream of Google I/O updates on my Twitter timeline last week, one thought kept popping into my head: Apple could never get away with this.

I'm not saying it wasn't interesting. Over the course of three hours, Google showcased its new Hangouts app and Google Play Music All Access service, some exciting developer tools and major updates to Maps, Chrome and Now, but anyone expecting a repeat of last year's show was sorely disappointed.

The only "new" hardware to make an appearance was a de facto Nexus phone, a Samsung Galaxy S4 running pure Jelly Bean--the same version of Android that Google released last November. No one even gave us a peek at Key Lime Pie.

We already know we're getting a glimpse of iOS 7 at WWDC, but unless Apple also brings along some shiny new toys, it will be a disappointment. These are the expectations Steve Jobs built.

Unlike Apple, Google has never made a habit of building its own hardware. The first Nexus was manufactured by HTC, followed by Samsung's Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, and the current Nexus 4 by LG. Its 7- and 10-inch tablets are made by Asus and Samsung, respectively.

But that's not to say Google's designers haven't made some beautiful products. The universally panned Nexus Q may have been an overpriced ball of confusion, but it was certainly eye-catching. The Chromebook Pixel is gorgeous enough to rival any Apple laptop. And no matter your opinions on Google Glass, we can all agree that it's pretty cool-looking (until you put it on, anyway).

See? It looks amazing when nobody's wearing it.

But these are side projects, hobbies. Like Apple, Google wants to lock its users into an ecosystem for life, but its hardware ventures have never been meant to rake in profits. It sells the Nexus 7 for less than it costs to make. It gave away a $1,300 Pixel to every I/O attendee. In all honesty, Google couldn't care less if you're using an iPhone, Nexus or Galaxy, Android or iOS, Chromebook or MacBook, Windows or OS X.

From Maps to Now, Google has dramatically increased its presence in the App Store over the last six months or so. It's built its world around online services, starting with search, but I/O seems to represent something of a sea change in its approach to hardware design: Much like the Microsoft of old, we're going to leave the hardware to the experts.

Obviously, Apple's not in the same position. Its ecosystem is absolutely married to its hardware, meticulously crafted products built with such attention to detail to get you to fall in love with them. We anxiously wait to see them, rush to buy them and handle them with care.

And then we load them up with Google apps.

To wit, Google would certainly rather you buy an Android phone, but even while Sundar Pichai was touting nearly a billion Android activations, a large portion of the I/O keynote spotlighted its iOS offerings and new cross-platform services. Quite frankly, Google could have dedicated the whole thing to its synergy with Apple's devices and gotten the same reception. It may hold a fortress inside Jelly Bean, but Google's kingdom is hardly limited to Android; by designing a world of nimble, interlinked web services, Google has built something of a sandcastle inside Apple's famous walled garden.

They're competitors in the strictest sense of the word, but Apple's and Google's successes are intrinsically linked, especially in the mobile space: the more iPhones Apple sells, the more Google apps are downloaded; the more apps Google makes, the more complete the iOS experience becomes.

Google might not want to catch your eye with shiny new hardware like Apple does. But one way or another, it will catch you.

Find Michael Simon on Twitter or App.net @morlium.