This Week at 148Apps: March 13-20

Posted by Kyle Flanigan on March 20th, 2011

This week, March 13-20, 148Apps awarded the Editor's Choice badge (along with 4.5 stars a piece) to two music apps: IK Multimedia's Amplitube Fender and Apple's Garageband. Editor Rob LeFebvre, who reviewed the Amplitube Fender application along with its hardware counterpart - the iRig - commented: "it's so easy to configure and use that I'm planning on using it on stage in the near future." Rob's been playing guitar for over twenty years.

Garageband was the other application to rock the boat, setting the bar for portable music creation. "Ever since the iPad’s introduction people have wondered why GarageBand (or any of the other iLife software for that matter) wasn’t available," writes Timothy Smith in his in-depth review, noting the third-party counterparts that have attempted to fill the gap - but not like the way Garageband has finally done. "Apple did a great job making their portable version of GarageBand accessible for beginners, but feature rich enough for real musicians. It isn’t going to replace a real studio set-up, but it’s definitely more than a novelty. Their price point is really competitive too."

In other news, a subtle update found in iOS 4.3 reveals a change in the way Apple handles in-app purchases. Bonnie Eisenman reports: "One complaint that has been consistently leveled against in-app purchases is that it’s easy to accidentally make a purchase in real-world money by accident ... In response to such complaints, Apple has changed its handling of in-app purchases in iOS version 4.3. Now, a password will also be required to make an in-app purchase, though for fifteen minutes after entering your password that time you’ll be able to make multiple purchases." For the most part, this should stop any unexpected in-app purchases by your friends or relatives.

On the hardware front, iFixit stripped the iPad 2, revealing a number of interesting points along the way that may lead you to rethink how careful you are with your new device. "Once the team were able to remove the glass, it was noted that both the LCD and glass thickness were smaller in comparison to iPad 1" writes Kyle Flanigan. "Whilst this does provide a number of advantages, notably the reduced thickness and weight of the device, it may reduce its overall durability." On the plus side, the team were able to confirm that the iPad 2 does indeed contain 512MB RAM - double that of its little brother, iPad 1.

Finally, Chanelle Joy Duxbury commented earlier this week on a report that allows for iMovie, which received a universal update, to be installed on the original iPad. I tested the method personally - and it works flawlessly. Now even the first generation iPad adopters can enjoy its big brother's applications!

And, in case you missed it: Episode 76 of The Portable Podcast, in which Carter does his magic mojo with a developer or gamer or both!

That's all for this week - check back the same time next for a round-up of all the latest happenings. Don't be afraid to check out our Price Drop List or our Top 148Apps List, as well - they are CHOCK full of vital info!