Tag: IPad 3 »

This week, 148Apps was all about Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2012. Take, for instance, Carter Dotson's report on new Xbox 360 features that may allow iOS integration: "At Microsoft’s E3 press conference, they revealed an interesting new feature that will integrate smartphones and tablets to the Xbox 360. Called SmartGlass, this is designed to operate a second screen during games, movies, and TV shows. This means that hypothetically, a game could display a map on the tablet screen, or even integrate interactive game elements like maps and play-calling in sports games.

Read more about this latest innovation at 148Apps.com.

Our kids-centric site, GiggleApps, reviewed Give A Day HD, which, as reviewer Amy Solomon states, "is a thoughtful children’s book app that helps create discussions between children and their adults about the world bigger than their families, as this app brings the topic of less fortunate children to the attention of young readers. This app is also available as an app for iPhone as well and is also part of the PlayTales Reader application."

Read Amy's complete review at GiggleApps.com.

And finally, 148Apps.biz covered the big news that Google acquired iPad app QuickOffice. Writer Kevin Stout states, "Quickoffice, the mobile document editing software (that particularly handles documents from the Microsoft Office suite well), has been acquired by Google. Announced on Google’s official blog, Google plans to intergrate Quickoffice‘s technology in to their own Apps product suite."

Read Kevin's full post at 148Apps.biz.

Our week that was is now did and done. If you'd like to keep up with the latest reviews, news and contests, all you have to do is click the links to follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook. That wasn't so hard, was it? I didn't think so. See you next weekend, fellow chupacabras!

When it comes to arcade-flavored games with tilt controls, iOS has gamers covered in spades.  But before the floodgates opened up and tilt controlled games started rushing in, there was only one that truly mattered: Tilt To Live.  This was one of the best received games of 2010 - so much so that it was an a nominee for our Best App Ever Awards that year.  Simply put, it helped define what could be expected from tilty arcade games on the platform.

Since then, the game made its way to the iPad in form of Tilt To Live HD, which has recently been graced with an update that adds in full iPad retina support.  If you haven't had a chance to check out the game yet, it is completely free and well worth checking out, if for no other reason than the shiny new visuals.  Give it a play through and let us know what you think in the comments below.  Trust us, it will be well worth your time.

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There was something anomalous about the third generation iPad. It had that shiny new Retina Display, but Anomaly: Warzone Earth didn't run at Retina resolution on there! Earth was ready to go to war over this cruel misdeed.

Well, fret no longer, earthlings! 11 bit Studios just released an update for Anomaly: Warzone Earth HD to make it compatible with the iPad Retina Display, thus correcting a situation that 11 bit Studios are quoted as saying is "not very good at all." Yes, aliens can now be conspired against, and their towers properly offensed in stunning high resolution!

Now, one may think "So, the game has twice the resolution, that means the game's going to be twice the price, right?" Wrong, rhetorical person! The game is now in fact much cheaper, as the price is now half off: $1.99 for the HD version which is universal, and $0.99 for the iPhone/iPod touch version. Did that version get anything new? No. Will saving an extra dollar fill that gaping hole caused by the lack of an iPad in one's life? Possibly! The Retina Display update is available now.

One of the best newspaper reading apps, PressReader, likes to keep on top of new technology and updates to the iPad, regularly adding new and useful features and tweaks.

With the recent release of the new iPad, this has happened again with a great selection of new features.

The big one is Retina Display support, ensuring that everything on the new iPad screen will look pretty amazing, even when zoomed in.

Also included is the ability to instantly translate publications in up to 12 languages, as soon as the title is opened. It's also now possible to save articles to Evernote or Instapaper for later consultation as well as email or share them via Twitter or Facebook.

It's also an ideal time to check out the new SmartFlow functionality within the app which works well alongside the Retina Display support to make this a great way of reading the traditional newspaper in a 21st century way.

Check out the PressReader video below demonstrating what's been changed. The update is available now.

Remedy's Death Rally is celebrating Easter with a semi-appropriate update, along with other features. To celebrate the holiday, Easter eggs providing battle modifiers are now spread throughout the game's various multiplayer tracks. As well, daily play rewards have been added to this version 2.3 update, granting more free battle modifiers for the more consecutive days that a player plays.

That's not all! Did you buy the new iPad? Are you sick of seeing the game scaled from original iPad resolution? Be sick no more, as the game now is optimized for the iPad 3rd generation. A new Dukematch mode has been added to the multiplayer mode, adding a destruction derby arena where everyone has weapons, and all must try to take down the venerable Duke Nukem himself.

As a bonus for these new features, Remedy has seen fit to drop the price of in-app purchases on weapons and cars for the multiplayer mode in celebration of Easter, because that's what the holiday is really all about, right? Buying big guns to take out everyone else on the road?

Note that this update appears to either wipe out players' progress, according to several angry comments on Facebook and App Store reviews, and in my tests, content that was previously unlocked was not, due to an apparent issue with IAP not being properly unlocked on the update, so updater beware.

I’ve purchased all three iPads. Each time I felt that there was enough added to the new version to justify buying the next. But then again, I’m not the average iPad owner. Being completely objective, the new iPad may not be the greatest purchase for the iPad 2 owner. But that’s the last time I’m calling it the “new” iPad. That sets us up for all sorts of confusion in the future. So I’m going to get some practice in this post calling it the third generation iPad.

Review Highlights
First, let’s take a look at some highlights of what been said about the new...the third generation iPad.

Almost everyone had something to say about the retina display. John Gruber (DaringFireball.net) called reading on the retina display “pure joy.”

“Going back to the iPad 2 after reading a few hours on the iPad 3 is jarring...what you thought looked pretty good before (like text rendered on older iPads) now looks blurry.”

Since Joshua Topolsky from the Verge thinks the third generation iPad isn’t a necessary upgrade for everyone, he makes this suggestion,

“And if you're an original iPad or iPad 2 owner... unless you want to upgrade, just avoid looking at this screen.”

MG Siegler from TechCrunch feels exactly as I do about the screen,

“Web pages look almost as if they’re being displayed in a high-quality glossy magazine. Photos look like photos — the printed out kind. Text is razor sharp and crisp, just like print.”

The Retina display is obviously the selling point for the third generation iPad. But significant upgrades over the iPad 2 include LTE, the A5X chip (with quad core graphics), improved cameras, and upgraded memory (1 GB RAM). The upgraded memory was confirmed after the Apple announcement. Apple didn’t seem to want to mention memory, even on the tech specs page for the iPad. Apparently, Post-PC means rarely ever mentioning the finer points of the hardware. Personally, I think double the RAM is quite important.

Most seemed to agree on what to do about upgrading customers and new buyers. Owners of the original iPad should probably upgrade. New customers should definitely buy a third generation iPad. And it’s a horribly tough decision for iPad 2 owners (that one used to be me).

Topolsky wrapped up with,

“For owners of the iPad 2, this isn't necessarily a slam dunk. While the updated features are a boon to the new iPad, it doesn't offer an experience that is significantly different from the previous version.”

But M.G. Siegler seemed a bit more inclined for iPad 2 users to upgrade,

“If you have an iPad 2, it’s a tougher call since it still seems nearly as fast as the new iPad. But if you choose not to upgrade (or to spend $399 for the 16 GB iPad 2 now), again, treat the new iPad as if it were Medusa when you’re in an Apple Store. Do. Not. Look. At. It.”

I would go even farther than Siegler. Don’t even look at comparisons of screenshots from the iPad 2 to the third generation iPad. That’s what hooked me in. I don’t regret making the purchase at all. The screen is absolutely beautiful. But for someone trying to resist, protect your eyes.

Praises and Problems
I’m going to wrap up with some praises and issues that have recently popped up in the news surrounding the third generation iPad.

Let’s start with some praise. Gary Heiting, an optometrist and editor of All About Vision, says that the Retina display on the iPad helps ease the eye strain from staring at a screen for long periods of time.

“A key factor in something that’s called computer vision syndrome, or just eye strain from computer use, is screen resolution...It’s not just an enjoyment issue or an aesthetic issue, but it’s definitely a visual comfort issue, over time”

I’ve definitely noticed an easier reading experience. I never had major eye strain problems. But the difference in strain was noticeable enough for me to feel confident in that statement.

Some other problems that have popped up are heat issues and charging issues. Some have made a bigger deal out of the heat issues than others. But the bottom line is that the new iPad can and does heat up to a warmer temperature than its predecessor. It isn’t going to catch on fire, it isn’t going to melt, but it is going to feel a bit warmer during gaming (bottom-left corner in my experience). I wouldn’t call the heat uncomfortable. Just noticeable.

As for the charging issues, with some thinking it becomes common sense. Since the charger for the third generation iPad is a 10W charger (the same as both previous iPads) but the third generation iPad requires more power for the Retina display and processor, it cannot charge while active in certain situations. While gaming or using power intensive apps, trying to charge the iPad may take longer or even continue to drain. Generally, I’ve found that I can get through a day of heavy use on a full charge of the iPad. So to get around this, I just make sure the iPad is fully charged overnight before heavy use.

My final words are to iPad 2 owners (since everyone else has an easy decision: buy it). If gaming is important, buy it. If taking pictures or video is important, buy it. HD fanatics, buy it. If the reading experience is a priority, buy it. Otherwise, stick with the iPad 2.

With the launch of the new iPad and its Retina Display, it may take some time for apps to catch up with the new high-resolution art requirements. Not for these ten apps, which have all been updated to support the new iPad's high-resolution screen.

ABC Player: Want to catch up on ABC shows, but don't want to lose out on resolution? Well, the ABC app now supports the new iPad Retina Display, which should make high-resolution video available from the app shine. It would even be possible, if ABC supports it, to stream 1080p, which is even higher resolution than what local ABC stations display at.

Pandora: How would a music app benefit from a higher-resolution display? Well, it might not, but choosing and discovering new artists and songs to play will look better than ever. As well, the LTE in the new iPad means higher-quality audio is easier to stream while on the go.

Pulse: This news aggregator recently added support for local content, but it got a second update this week adding support for the new iPad. Image previews for articles come through clearer than ever, and reading articles is even easier now with sharper text.

Evernote: The popular service for sharing notes, audio recordings, and pictures to the cloud supports the new iPad with its latest update. Now, all that shared content can be pulled down and viewed more crisply than ever. Well, besides the audio, the Retina Display won't change the sound. Apple can only do so much.

Readability: Don't lose any viewability when viewing the web through this app's easier reading experience. The 1.0.3 update introduces Retina Display support, making the title of the app continue to ring true.

iA Writer – One of the finer writing apps available for iPad, this crisp and clear writing app loses none of its visual fidelity on the new iPad. As a bonus, it now is universal for the iPhone and iPod touch, and still supports iCloud for syncing between devices as well as the Mac version of the software.

Tweetbot: Arguably the best third-party Twitter app available, Tapbots has updated the assets to make the iPad version of their client shine. The new update also brings live streaming of new tweets, but only over wifi, so no need to worry about wasting that LTE data plan.

Kindle: Still not giving in to the Apple ecosystem entirely? Well, good news: at least one third-party ebook service is supporting the new iPad, so Kindle books will read clearer than ever. Well, the text will be. The actual content may still be confusing.

BeoClock: Normal alarm clocks are just too low resolution to be any good any more. Wake up to a beautfiul alarm clock displayed by the iPad's Retina Display, and possibly everything in the world will be more beautiful. Or everything will pale in comparison to this alarm clock's beauty. Either way, it'll probably look really nice.

CalcBot: Tapbots' calculator app may just be the most beautiful calculator on earth, and with its new update, the new iPad can display it in full Retina Display glory. It makes the TI-89 look even more pathetic by comparison. Plus, the iPad doesn't have a built-in calculator app, so this really comes in handy!

Just bought a new iPad? Congratulations. Sure, tweets may come in clearer than ever, and videos at 1080p quality, but what's the real way to show off that beautiful new 2048x1536 screen? With games, of course! And how about some online games to take advantage of the LTE option available? Yes, please! Here's ten titles that show off just how crisp the new iPad's Retina Display looks.

Mass Effect: Infiltrator: This Mass Effect spinoff, developed by Iron Monkey Studios (Dead Space for iOS), has just been updated with iPad Retina Display support. It's now pushing over three times the pixels as the console Mass Effect 3. Our own Rob Rich called it "the best cover shooter on the App Store," which makes it a great and stunning way to rebound from the polarizing ending of the console game.

Order & Chaos Online: Gameloft's World of Warcraft-alike has been updated to support the new iPad. That's right, now it's possible to fight for the forces of order or the warriors of chaos on a screen resolution higher than many monitors playing WoW, from anywhere on earth thanks to LTE speed.

Real Racing 2 HD: This was one of the first games to support 1080p output from the iPad 2's HDMI port. A lesser person would have been satisfied with this high amount of definition. For those unsatisfied snobs, now Firemint's racing game supports the new iPad's Retina Display. If this isn't defined highly enough, perhaps it's time to start racing for real.

Touchgrind BMX: Illusion Labs' Retina Display support is no illusion, as their multitouch stunt biking game has full support for the new iPad. Show off fantastic tricks at fantastic display. Skateboarding is still not a crime, but the original Touchgrind has not yet been updated for the new iPad.

Monsters Ate My Condo: Enough of the three-dimensional games. This frantic, fast-paced puzzler from PikPok and Adult Swim Games now has iPad Retina Display support. Feeding delicious condos to giant monsters has never looked better. This is probably the only game to involve feeding condos to monsters, but it's still gonna look really good on the new iPad.

Infinity Blade 2: When Apple's announced a shiny new Retina Display product, Infinity Blade has been there. While the new entry shown at the new iPad press conference, Infinity Blade Dungeons, is not available yet, the latest entry in the series now has shinier graphics in anticipation of its new content.

Galaxy on Fire 2 HD: While the galaxy is not literally on fire, because there's no air, Fishlabs' space warfare series is looking better than ever on the new iPad. This version of the game was designed to take advantage of the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S when it came out, and it's ready to handle the latest and greatest iPad and its Retina Display.

Flight Control Rocket: That was fast. Right after the release of this new entry in Firemint's legendary path management series, it got an update to support the Retina Display. So, for those who bought the game on Thursday, fearing that they would have to worry about the game looking ugly on their new iPad? Their worst fears have gone unrealized!

Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy: How could I leave off the game that Apple themselves used to show off the new iPad? Battle friends online in absurd resolution, and at absurd speed anywhere thanks to the LTE connectivity on the cellular models.

Diamond Dash: This colorful, fast-paced puzzle game has gotten an update for the Retina Display. Not only is it possible to play against Facebook friends, it's possible to play against them at a higher resolution and pixel density than they are! Unless they get the new iPad too. At that point, all bets are off.