This Week in iPad year end episode

Cold Open
Today on This Week in iPad, it's our last show of 2010 and we're counting down the top 5 games of the year, plus we're giving out the 2010 This Week in iPad awards, and live from the set of LonsTV, Lon Harris returns.

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One of the reasons you're watching This Week in iPad is because of the support of Storm on Demand. For all your cloud computing needs, please visit them at StormOnDemand.com.

Contact us!
You can always follow the show on twitter @TWiiPad and you can follow Andrea @AndreaRene and Jacob @JacobBurch. Also you can email the show at ipad@thisweekin.com.

LonsTV
Lon has been busy since his time at the show. Or rather he was busy until his car died this week. Now he's doing a web series called LonsTV where he reviews things. He's also partnered with Tubefilter to review web series every Wednesday in a feature he calls "Web Series Wednesdays."

Top 5 iPad games of 2010

#5
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. It's like the console game where you control your car using the tilt control of the iPad. Andrea likes the game a lot and thinks it's well worth it.

#4
Ultimate Spiderman total mayhem HD. Andrea wanted to demo this game on the show but it premiered the same day as Infinity Blade.

#3
Speaking of which, Infinity Blade is our number 3 game of 2010. The graphics are unmatched on anything Andrea has seen so far. Lon thinks it's Saw meets Fruit Ninja.

#2
Plants Vs Zombies HD is our number two game of the year. If you don't know about this game you don't know much about the iPad. Jacob, who has a long track record of disliking causal games bought this game and likes it.

#1
Angry Birds is the number one game of the year.

2010 This Week in iPad Awards

Best "I didn't know my iPad could do that" Feature:
The Remote app now allows AirPlay to sync to multiple devices.

Most Surprisingly Awesome App
Lon thinks there are 3 apps that qualify for this award. Uzu, Friendly Facebook, and Open Table.

Best Nontraditional Use of the iPad
Artist David Kassan uses the iPad to create a portrait with the brushes app. Enjoy.




Lon also found some examples of people using their iPad as turntables to DJ events. The first is from Rana June Sobhany



And the second is from DJ Dave Jam:



D'oh! Did I Really Buy that App???
This "award" goes to Fitness Yoga HD an app Jacob reviewed on Episode 27 and it still haunts him today. The positions are wrong and even though the app is free, it's still not worth the price. Lon has 3: Family Feud, Hulu+, and Tweet Flow.

Dumbest iPad 2 Prediction
Jacob thinks that the rumors Apple would release a new iPad in time for the holiday season was the dumbest prediction of the year. Apple will announce a new iPad in the next few weeks, and release it late Q1 or early Q2. Full year product cycles have always been the way Apple operates, and there's no reason to believe they'd change that strategy.

That's all for this week and this year. See you in 2011!

2011 will be a year of change

I love Las Vegas. Vegas is my home. Always will be. It's amazing to live 5 minutes from a destination that people fly thousands of miles to see. People come here from all over the planet and that's awesome. Unfortunately this is not the same city I moved to in 2007. Back then, this place was the economic beacon for the country. We had the lowest unemployment nationwide, a booming construction market, and a bright future. Now we have 15% unemployment, and there's a general feeling here the outlook will not turn around anytime soon. Unfortunately I have to move on. For the last 16 months, I've been looking for opportunity here and the fact is I'm not sure I'll find it any time soon. The natural question then is where to now? The answer isn't obvious. I could go east to Boston or New York. I could go to Seattle or Silicon Valley. I could even go to Austin. But all these options have flaws I can't overcome. Most are simply too far away but more importantly most don't have the entrepreneurial community I want. The balance of proximity, and entrepreneurial spirit comes in an unlikely place. Los Angeles. Perhaps I've been watching too much This Week in Startups but I really feel like that's the place to be. My lease is up in January and frankly I can't wait to get out of here. Between the onslaught of roaches and the fact it's an oven 7 months out of the year this apartment is not worth the low rent I pay. There are sacrifices I'll have to make but so be it. Any price is worth it in the long run. I can suffer the pain of work or I can suffer the pain of disappointment. A high price but I pay it gladly. 2011 will be a good year. Period. Stay tuned. Should be fun.

This Week in iPad Episode

Cold Open
Today on This Week in iPad, we have more holiday apps, plus we have Apple's gift guide for the iPad lovers in your family, plus another iPad game of the week.

Twitter
You can follow the show on Twitter @twiipad for all the latest iPad news and up to date info on the show. You can also email Andrea and Jacob with show ideas, app review requests, anything you'd like.

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We'd like to extend a big thank you to Storm on Demand for hosting This Week in iPad as well as all our shows here at This Week in. For all your cloud computing needs, please visit them at StormOnDemand.com.

iPad game of the week!
This week's iPad game of the week isn't technically an iPad specific game. But the gameplay more than makes up for the graphics when the game is expanded to fit the iPad screen. The game is Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3" the classic arcade game. Andrea likes it.

News

OS X App store
According to the BBC, the Mac app store, featured in the pre-release event in the October 20 keynote will go live in January.

Apple Gifts

iPad Camera Connection Kit
First up is the iPad Camera Connection Kit. This allows you to upload pictures and movies directly from your camera or SD card.

iPad Case
Next, Apple makes a case for the iPad that Jacob has used since episode 1. Although it's not much to look at, the case is very durable and allows users to type on their iPad screen much easier with an adjustable back. A possible downside is that the iPad is not easily removed from the case so if you need to change out your iPad cases frequently, this might not be for you. Overall, it works very well, and the texture of the case makes it very easy to hold.

Keyboard
The iPad is a wonderful device but if you need to type for extended periods of time, it can be a bit rough. With that in mind, Apple paired the iPad with their Wireless Keyboard. This keyboard is BlueTooth enables and works with any compatible computer system.

iPad Dock
The iPad dock is a simply way to stand your iPad and charge it for extended periods of time when playing games like Cut the Rope and the like. The only downside to it is that for now, the dock only works in portrait mode. At least until iPad2 comes out.

Headphones
Finally, when you get an iPad you'll notice a few things about it. The beautiful display, the great user experience, and the lame external speaker. So why not get a set of headphones"? The iPad comes with one but if you're like most people you lose them, or more likely you have them connected to your computer and forget them.

Planet of the Apps

Fire HD
First up, Jacob show off Fire HD an app that's gives users their very own yule log. You can choose between the default Christmas music, or use your own music library. Jacob recommends the app out of nostalgia.

Carol Lyrics
Next, Andrea reviews Carol Lyrics, an app that lets you sing along with your favorite Christmas carols. Andrea wanted to like this app but couldn't because the animation is too pixelated.

Super Mega Worm VS Santa
Jacob's next app is Super Mega Worm VS Santa an app where you play a worm and you kill elves. It's grainy and simple but for $0.99 it's a perfect "cheap" app.

Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift
Andrea mentioned Cut the rope earlier and here's why. Chillingo, the creative forces behind the smash hit game have released a special holiday edition.

Talking Santa HD
Jacob's final app this week is creepy. Talking Santa takes what you say and turns it into Santa's voice. Complete with creepy animated Santa. Jacob says steer clear of this app. Ironically, Santa also says steer clear.

Winner: Super Mega Worm.

Thank you again to Storm On Demand.
We're taking next week off for Christmas but we'll be back next week for our best of show. See you then!

This Week in iPad Episode 35

Cold Open
Today on This Week in iPad, Andrea gives us a first glimpse of Infinity Blade, plus we've got 5 great gifts for the iPad, and it's all about holiday apps on Planet of the Apps.

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The reason you watch This Week in iPad, as well as all of our wonderful shows here at This Week in is because of the support of Storm on Demand. For all your cloud computing needs, please visit them at StormOnDemand.com.

Game of the Week!
The game of the week this week comes from Epic Games, home of such flagship titles as Gears of War. It's a swordplay RPG style game called Infinity Blade. The gameplay is a bit repetitive, but the graphics are unlike anything Andrea has seen on the iPad. Jacob thinks the app may have been sanitized to fit better in the app store.

News
Refurbished iPads are now up to $100 off.
According to cnet, the Apple store recently started selling refurbished iPads at a discount. That number has quickly gone up and now, you can get your very own iPad for as little as $429. The site seems to think this indicates a new model will soon be announced.

iTunes accounts randomly getting a free rental
Gizmodo is reporting that random iTunes accounts are receiving redemption codes for free movie rentals.

5 Great Gifts for the iPad

BookBook
The first item is the BookBook, an iPad case that looks like a classic hardcover book.

JAMBOX
Next is the JAMBOX from Jawbone. Here's a video showing it in action.



Jacob likes it, but he wonders why they'd use BlueTooth technology after AirPlay was announced. If you have a iPhone it can take calls so that might be a useful feature for you.

HyperMac
Next up, is the HyperMac stand and charger. It'll extend your battery life significantly and is rechargeable up to 1000 times. The issue Jacob has with it is that it's trying to make the iPad into something it is not. The portability of the iPad is a key feature and if you need to tie it to a charger, it defeats the purpose. Bottom line: it will give you a longer battery life, but don't buy this for someone who has an iPad unless they've complained about the battery.

AirPort Express
Unfortunately for Jacob, there aren't any AirPlay enabled speakers coming out until after the holiday season. So why not make the speakers you already own AirPlay ready? The AirPort Express has been out for a while but now it supports airplay and acts as a base station routing information from your iPad to your speakers.

Maclocks
Finally, we have the Maclocks iPad security case and lock a clear case that attaches to a steel cable and lock.

Planet of the Apps
This week we take a look at holiday themed apps.

Angry Birds Seasons
The first app this week is Angry Birds Seasons an update of the Halloween game. The app features 25 new puzzles each released once a day.

[aside] Cookie Doodle, an app Jacob reviewed a few weeks back, has a holiday update as well.[/aside]

Christmas Carol
Jacob's first app this week is Christmas Carol an adaptation of the classic story by Charles Dickens. It's a great way to tell the story, unfortunately Jacob has ADD so he became annoyed by the amount of time it takes to go through it. If you like this style of app it's a great way to revisit a classic holiday tale. If you're like Jacob, it might be worth avoiding.

Build a card
Andrea's next app this week is Build-a-card, an app that allows users to create and send e-cards. You can customize and send via email, twitter, or facebook. And it's only $0.99.

VirtualMenorah and Christmas Tree
Jacob reviews two apps. First up, VirtualMenorah an app that simulates the traditional menorah that marks the 8 days of Hanukkah. Jacob is not a fan of this app. Next up is Christmas Tree HD an app that lets you decorate a Christmas tree and save the image to your photos. Jacob doesn't like either app but was stunned that once you set which day you're on in the Virtual Menorah(it can't auto-detect) you can't change it. He thinks you should steer clear of both.

Verdict: If you haven't tried any of the previous apps from PadWorx, it may be worth your time to check the Christmas Carol app out if only to see a great use of the iPad and to see where tablet computing is headed in general. Also, there are several e-card apps out there, and few have the features or clean interface that Build a Card has.

Thanks again to Storm on Demand without them, we could keep bringing you shows like This Week in iPad. Please thank them for supporting all of the This Week in family on twitter @StormOnDemand.
See you next week!

This Week in iPad Episode 34

Cold Open
Today on this week in iPad, Andrea demos the new Lego Harry Potter, Jacob shows off iOS 4.2, and a musical Planet of the Apps.

Twitter!
For those of you out there who might not know, we have a Twitter account. It's @twiipad. Follow us for all the most up to date info on the show, as well as any breaking iPad news. Also, we are launching a newsletter. Go to the homepage to sign up.

iPad Game of the week
Lego Harry Potter years 1-4 is our game of the week. Andrea likes the game despite the lack of a joystick or controller, and thinks it's well worth the $4.99.

News

iPad 2 will have a camera
The company that will supply Apple with the camera for iPad 2 has been outed. Largan Precision filed paperwork with the Taiwan Stock Exchange indicating that the company will begin shipping the cameras in the first quarter of 2011. Largan currently makes the cameras for iPhone 4.

Richard Branson launches an iPad only magazine
This week, billionaire Richard Branson launched Project a magazine/app that will be updated each month. The app is free but each "issue" will be available for $2.99 as an in-app purchase.

iPad is amazing
Apple recently released a new iPad commercial to illustrate the features of iOS 4.2. Enjoy.



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Planet of the Apps
Music apps
With the launch of iOS 4.2, we wanted to revisit this category since music apps are much better when they can run in the background.

Album Vista
Andrea's first app this week is Album Vista a unique app that will search your song library and find relevant videos from YouTube. It's interesting because they're not always music performances so there's a discovery aspect that Andrea likes.

Pandora
Jacob's first app is Pandora an app that was featured during the announcement of iOS 4. The reason Jacob decided to feature it this week is the fact that Pandora supports AirPlay.

Songatron
Next, Andrea reviews Songatron an app that is the MadLibs of music.

djay
Next, Jacob looks at djay an app that turns your iPad into a DJ table. It's neat but Jacob doesn't think you can get $20 of value from it. However he is not a professional DJ. If you are a professional DJ, get this app and let us know what you think about it. We'll send you a $25 iTunes gift card for your troubles.

Thank you
Thank you to

Storm on Demand