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How iOS Multitasking Really Works (Probably Not The Way You Think)
You Do Not Need to Manually Manage iOS Multitasking
Apple To Utilize IGZO Panels For Its New Products
Hey, Microsoft & Apple: Grow Up And Stop The Senseless Squabbling!
iPad Didn't Help With Border Crossing After All: U.S. Customs
The iPad Is An Incredible Work Tool If Your IT Department Will Allow It
NewspaperDirect Pioneers Intelligent SmartFlow Reading Experience in PressReader 3.0 for the iPad
Business iPad App of the Year Award
Car Calculator - Quick, Accurate Used Car Estimates for iPhone and iPad
How iOS Multitasking Really Works (Probably Not The Way You Think)
Macworld's Fraser Speirs notes that there's one bit of iOS misinformation that he keeps hearing, to wit: even supposedly authoritative sources such as Apple Geniuses don't seem to get it about how multitasking works in iOS.
The erroneous assumption Speirs refers to is that all those apps in the multitasking bar on your iOS device are currently active and slowing it down, filling the device's memory or using up your battery, and that in order to maximise performance and battery life, you should kill them all manually.
In fact, he observes, the iOS multitasking bar does not contain a list of all running apps, but rather a list of recently used apps, which, with a few exceptions, are not currently running. Ergo, when you press the home button, in almost all cases, the app quits, stops using processor time (and hence battery), and the memory it was using is recovered, if required.
Speirs asys iOS apps can exist in any of five states of execution, Not Running, Inactive, Active, Background, and Suspended, and he explains the distinctions at some length in the article.
The confusing part, he suggests, is that none of these states are reflected in the multitasking bar, which merely shows a list of recently-used apps, regardless of whether they're in the Background, Suspended, or Not Running.
Spiers contgends that consequently, the user never has to manage Background tasks on iOS, and that if someone tells you that all the apps in the multitasking bar are running, using up memory or sucking power, they are wrong. The system handles almost every case for you without your active involvement. I guess that's why I can keep twp-dozen or more apps open on my 16 GB iPad 2 and not notice any diminishment in responsiveness.
For the full report visit here:
http://macw.us/xU5Mk4
You Do Not Need to Manually Manage iOS Multitasking
Daring Fireball's John Gruber weighs in on the iOS multitasking issue, citing Macworld's Fraser Spiers's layman's explanation of why the misconception tha all those apps showing in the iOS multitasking bar are running and eating memory space and battery life is wrong.
"Bottom line," says Gruber, "the iOS multitasking bar is not like the command tab switcher on Mac or Windows. It is not a list of currently running applications. It is simply a list of your most recently used applications, whether they're running in the background, suspended in memory, or completely inactive... [so] emptying this list of applications is simply needless, mindless, busywork. It was absolutely never intended to be used this way and anyone who does this is just wasting their time. The system suspends apps running in the background automatically. The system removes suspended apps from memory automatically, when needed. Manually zapping all apps from this list is a voodoo placebo."
Gruber observes that the whole point of iOS's multitasking model is that users should not have to worry about managing which applications are running and which are not, and that if you were supposed to do that, apps would have a Quit command, and they don't.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://daringfireball.net/2012/01/ios_multitasking
Apple To Utilize IGZO Panels For Its New Products
Digitimes' Yenting Chen and Steve Shen report that Apple is expected to promote adoption of IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) flat panels, instead of the IPS (in-plane switching) panels used currently, for its next-generation mobile display products, according to sources in Apple's supply chain.
Chen and Shen say that starting with the new iPads, Apple will utilize IGZO panels from Sharp in order to upgrade the display resolution of the new tablets to full HD level, the sources indicated, and that to enter the iPad supply chain Sharp has switched some of its capacity for large-size panels to production of small-size panels for smartphones and tablet PCs, said the sources.
They note that Sharp will also continue to roll out its Galapagos tablet lineup in 2012 using IGZO panels, and that while most Taiwan-based flat panel makers have IGZO panel production capability, yield rates for these panels remain a major concern for the makers, according to insider sources.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20111229PD214.html
Hey, Microsoft & Apple: Grow Up And Stop The Senseless Squabbling!
INC.com's Geoffrey James contends that Outlook and the iPhone should work together seamlessly, but Apple and Microsoft refuse to stop squabbling, noting that Microsoft Outlook is by far the world's most common email client and Apple's iPhone is the world's most popular cell phone (unless you artificially bundle all the various Android phones into a single category), so while you'd logically think that both companies would see supporting the combination of Outlook and the iPhone as a top priority, you'd think wrong.
Instead, he says, Microsoft and Apple persist in trying to use lousy support and bad design as a goad to convince people to switch to their own platforms.
Going to the horse's mouth, so to speak, James called Microsoft and says the first thing the support tech told hom was: "We don't support the iPhone; we only support Windows Phone."
Apple was little better; the first thing an Apple support tech asked James was: "Do you have a Macintosh?" suggesting that if he "really wanted to fix the problem," I should "go out and buy a Mac," further noting that it turns out that in order to sync with Outlook, iCloud deletes every appointment your entire Outlook calendar, and that this insane behavior is, according to the Apple tech, an "intentional design decision."
All of which reveals that both Microsoft and Apple are actively trying to making it more difficult for consumers to get their respective products to work together in hope that consumers will get fed up to the point where they'll stop trying and switch platforms, which James asserts is, frankly idiotic. [I'll second that - Ed.]
Two reasons why: Windows Phone, which has about a 5 percent market share (and shrinking), is never going to be a significant cell phone platform, and Macintosh will remain a niche platform for a long time, because the installed base of Windows PC is so huge, so watching Apple and Microsoft in this counterproductive dynamic is like watching two grown men squabble over whose imaginary friend is stronger.
Enough already: Grow up!
For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/yoJkyI
iPad Didn't Help With Border Crossing After All: U.S. Customs
CTVNews.ca Staff reports that the viral story about a Canadian man's scanned image of his passport on an iPad gettiing him into the United States was inaccurate, according to a U.S Customs and Border Protection agency statement Wednesday.
The report notes that U.S. Customs say they do not accept scanned or digital copies of passports as valid identification, but that when CTV News spoke to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, they said the iPad bearing individual crosses into the U.S. regularly and the law allows border guards to use "discretion," after checking his identity and citizenship using the driver's licence and a birth certificate he provided, and that Canadians can still enter the U.S. by land or sea without using one of the required documents as listed under 2009's tightened rules, but that scanned or digital images of WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative)-compliant documents are not accepted forms of identification.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/z4rPFR
The iPad Is An Incredible Work Tool If Your IT Department Will Allow It
VentureBeat's Sean Ludwig notes that Apple announced in October that 93 percent of Fortune 500 companies have deployed or are testing iPads, noting that notwithstnding endemic exteme conservatism and control-freakyness about adopting new technologies that pervades corporate and institutional IT culture, many organizations are seeing employees rebel and bring iPads to work without IT approval, reasongin that it's often easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission, and that the iPad is currently popular corporate bling for executives who are helping catalyze fast track enterprise adoption.
Ludwig notes that is frustrating for IT departments because the iOS obliges them to have to give up the level of control they normally have, but that nevertheless, there are more than 7,300 business-focused applications currently available for the iPad, many of them good-to-excellent touch-based versions of their desktop counterparts. High-quality applications for business include:
• Dropbox and Box for file management
• Adobe Reader and GoodReader for PDF viewing
• GoToMeeting, WebEx and Polycom for digitally attending corporate meetings
• Yammer, Salesforce Chatter and IBM Connections for business social networking
• VMWare View for iPad and Jump Desktop for virtualization
• Workday and Sovanta iPeople for HR management
• OmniGraffle and SyncSpace for diagramming
• SharePlus for Microsoft SharePoint access
• Roambi for very-cool data visualizations (seen in the photo above)
And Microsoft is reportedly working on official Microsoft Office applications for iPad for 2012, with Quickoffice, Documents to Go and Apple's own iWork already offering document, spreadsheet and presentation editing functions that vary from mediocre to great.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/zmBouX
NewspaperDirect Pioneers Intelligent SmartFlow Reading Experience in PressReader 3.0 for the iPad
NewspaperDirect has released a major update of the PressReader digital newspaper application, which is now available for download in the Apple iTunes App Store.
PressReader 3.0 takes advantage of the power of the iPad2 running iOS5 to deliver the smoothest and most natural browsing and reading experience ever. With PressReader 3.0, users can now choose to read their favorite publications using SmartFlow - a groundbreaking horizontal news-reading feature that is exclusive to PressReader.
SmartFlow complements the traditional replica newspaper presentation with an ability to view articles as a continuous stream of stories that flow across the iPad, each optimally presented on the screen. With SmartFlow, users can journey through a collection of articles with visual cues that enhance their reading experience and reveal new gems of content they might otherwise miss. SmartFlow presents subscribers all the content of their favorite printed editions in a fluid stream of articles, where different sized images, fonts, styles and layouts provide insights into the importance of stories so readers can make more informed decisions on what they want to read.
With SmartFlow there is no need to jump to a new page where an article continues in the replica view. Instead, users just click on the "continue link" at the bottom of the snippet to expand to the full story right where they are located in the content flow. SmartFlow adjusts the rest of the stream immediately, making the reading experience more fluid and enjoyable.
SmartFlow is also directly connected with the Page View of the newspaper, allowing users to switch back to the original view of the page to see the article in context with neighboring stories and advertisements.
PressReader 3.0 is a major release that embodies our intense focus on enriching the reading experience for our subscribers, and those of our SmartEdition publishers, said Alex Kroogman, CEO of NewspaperDirect. With SmartFlow weve taken the replica experience to a whole new level enhancing it with an intelligent and intuitive content presentation capability that is designed to inspire readers to spend even more time enjoying their favorite publications.
Along with SmartFlow presentation capabilities, PressReader 3.0 offers many innovative features, such as:
• SmartZoom that automatically positions the zoomed-in view to the beginning of an article
• Instant switching between Replica/Page View and SmartFlow viewing
Press and hold (i.e. Long Press) activation of contextually driven actions:
• Print full pages or articles
• Share stories by email or on Facebook or Twitter
• Listen to articles using Newspaper Radio
• Copy and paste articles into applications that support it
• Share opinions by supporting or opposing a story
Two-finger Pinch to adjust font and image sizes
• Choice of different font types
• Cross-title keyword search
• Authorization of PressReader with a PressDisplay.com subscription
Watch this video to see SmartFlow in action along with the numerous other innovative enhancements included in PressReader 3.0:
http://bit.ly/zoegka
PressReader for iPad and iPhone is available as a free download in the Apple iTunes App Store. Download it today and, as new user, receive 7 free newspapers from an enormous selection, which includes prestigious publications such as The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, National Post, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Daily Mail, International Herald Tribune, The Irish Times, ABC, La Tribune, Le Monde and The Australian, to name just a few.
Most individual newspapers and magazines available through PressReader can be purchased for $0.99 per issue, or downloaded in conjunction with a paid subscription on PressDisplay.com, which offers virtually unlimited access to the worlds press for just $29.95/month (USD). For full details on subscription pricing, visit the subscription page.
PressReader is the companion offline application for the worlds largest online newspaper and magazine newsstand, PressDisplay.com. PressReader delivers the most authentic newspaper-reading experience on PCs, Macs, smartphones, Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad), BlackBerry devices (Bold, Curve, Storm and PlayBook), the Windows 7 Slate PC, and the latest Google Android-based handhelds and tablets. Today, millions of tablets come pre-installed with PressReader from a growing list of major manufacturers including ASUS, HTC, Microsoft, and Samsung. With PressReader, you can hold a digital edition of your favourite publication in your hands and read it from cover to cover, just the way the title was printed with no compromises in quality, fidelity or content. Whenever PressReader, or its online service, PressDisplay.com, supports a new device, it is also made available to NewspaperDirect's publishing partners for their own SmartEdition e-editions based on PressReader technology.
System requirements:
• Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
• Requires iOS 4.2 or later
Free
App Store:
http://bit.ly/zg8EQK
Business iPad App of the Year Award
Business iPad Apps are in high demand fueling the future of American businesses. Now BiziPadapps.com has brought you a contest to see which Business iPad apps are the best for 2011. Vote today for your chance to be the winner of the Business iPad App of the Year Award. Voting stops Jan. 15th 2011. Winner will be announced Jan. 31st 2012.
Much like the Crunchies award, but iPad Biz Apps are focused on just businesses that are leading the way into the future using the Apple iPad apps which can help businesses excel into the future. The Crunchies awards held in San Francisco, CA typically focus on the whole industry and that is why BiziPadapps.com are focusing on just the winning platform for the future the Apple iPad. Apple iPad Apps like Drop Box, Docusign, Square and others are among the few that were nominated.
List of iPad Business Apps of the year Nominees that made it to the Top Ten Business Apps of the Year:
In alpha order:
• DocuSign
• Drop Box
• GoCal for Google Calendar
• Highrise HQ
• iTookOff Paid Leave Tracker
• Revel Systems iPad POS
• Mint for iPad
• Instapaper
• SpeakEasy Voice Recorder
• Square Payment
With over 500,000 thousand votes so far, find out who the winners are for this years contest of Business iPad App of the Year Award. Criteria for this year: which iPad app contributes to businesses and helps them excel.
For more information, visit:
http://bizipadapps.com
Car Calculator - Quick, Accurate Used Car Estimates for iPhone and iPad
To help automotive sales professionals easily find an accurate estimate of a used car's value, Robert Srahol and Miroslav Hosek have announced the newly updated Car Calculator app, which is geared specifically towards car salespeople and automotive dealerships looking to do quick, hassle-free appraisals for their clients. Car Calculator is available in a Basic version for the iPhone or iPod touch and a Pro version for the iPad.
In addition, the app creators are announcing a newly discounted price for Car Calculator Basic. The app is now available for 3.99 USD. There is also available lite version for free.
The Car Calculator apps are convenient tools to provide quick appraisals for used vehicles, allowing professionals to easily valuate a client's car. A user would note the make, model, year, condition, and mileage of the vehicle, key these details into the app and allow Car Calculator to compute the vehicle's value.
"Car Calculator helps anyone who deals with vehicle purchasing and sales give their customers great service," says Robert Srahol, co-developer of the Car Calculator apps. "You can now go from meeting a customer to valuing a car quickly and easily, without any added stress thanks to the apps we created."
Unlike other used car apps, Car Calculator does not need to make use of an internet connection to compute the value of a vehicle. This seemingly small difference has proven to be the biggest advantage for those in car sales as it allows users to assess a vehicle from virtually any location, such as the far end of the parking lot or a customer's home.
After an estimate of the car's value has been completed, Car Calculator can create a professional-looking PDF report listing the results of the valuation. The user can email this report directly from their iPhone or print it.
Features of the Car Calculator Basic and Pro apps include:
(*) Take Business Anywhere - Automotive professionals can appraise vehicles according to their make, model, year and mileage without having to go online. All the calculations can be done right from the user's iPhone or iPad.
(*) Simple User Interface - Users enter customer's data into the app directly and either print it out or send it via email.
(*) PDF Output of Report - Have the paperwork required to complete a transaction by exporting the valuation to PDF.
(*) Multilingual Support - Car Calculator Basic is available in three languages: English, German and Czech.
The Pro version of Car Calculator is designed for the iPad and adds many helpful features to the Basic app. In Car Calculator Pro, for example, appraisers have the option of using the app's built-in browser to search for and compare prices with similar vehicles online to complete their assessment. Also, users have the ability to set and edit currency, VAT, and company details, which allows professionals customize the app to their needs.
Aside from calculating the market value of a used vehicle, Car Calculator Pro also offers professionals the chance to complete a transaction right from their iPad. The app provides a template for both a handover report and purchase agreement which users may edit and revise to suit their company.
Device requirements for Car Calculator Basic:
(*) iPhone and iPod touch
(*) Requires iOS 5.0 or later
(*) 0.1 MB
Device requirements for Car Calculator Pro:
(*) iPad
(*) Requires iOS 5.0 or later
(*) 2.2 MB
Car Calculator Basic (for the iPhone and iPod touch) is currently available for sale worldwide through the App Store in the Business category for $3.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies). Car Calculator Pro (for the iPad) is also available through the App Store for $74.99 USD. Both apps have lite version for free. Review copies of both apps are available upon request.
Car Calculator:
http://www.carcalcapp.com/en/
Car Calculator Basic - Lite 1.1:
http://bit.ly/w2NSze
Car Calculator Basic 1.1:
http://bit.ly/ybPImL
Car Calculator Pro 1.1:
http://bit.ly/zxkcXs
Tags: News ď Tech-Industry ď iPhone ď iPhone Software ď
