iPad Adviser

Free Books

Developer: Spreadsong Inc.

Free Books brings all the free books together in a very simple interface allowing you to search, download and start reading in just under a minute. The titles ranges to suit everyone.

There are about 23,469 classic books packaged and all available to download and read with a fully featured ereader in this App.

Free Books unlocks a world of public domain content, allowing you to acquire the great books of human history. Letters of leaders, the collected works of geniuses, the finest Victorian novels, the plays of Shakespeare, the philosophy of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, the autobiographies of Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Carnegie.

We even have collections that let you browse the work of the greatest poets in history and the writings of the American Presidents- it’s all here, along with tens of thousands of other books. And all, might we belabor the point, absolutely free.

To get these books it really is as simple as a tap- in seconds you’ll be reading with our lightning fast, built-in ereader. Done reading? No worries- we’ll save your place with automatic bookmarking, and return to your spot when you pull up the app again.

The best part? Our entire focus is on letting you download to your heart’s desire. We don’t sell you stuff at $10 a pop- we help you discover the classics you’ve always wanted to read.

23,469 of the greatest books in human history, accessible with the tap of your finger. Free.

* Free Books requires internet access to download books, but after you download them you can read anywhere, even when you’re not online.

Comics

Price:Free
Developer comiXology
Web: comixology.com/iphoneapp
Twitter: @comixology
Facebook: facebook.com/comiXology

Description

The largest comic library and store with the reader that Wired.com says “solves the problem of reading comics on the small screen.” With over 1,300 comics, including Marvel!

Comics are huge business all around the world in every continent, every language every demographic, from kids to older age folks. comiXology has developed a free app for iPad (and iPhone of course)  that offers an introduction to some of the best comic titles available today. There are about more then 80 free comics that you can read on your iPad or iPhone and if you like them then buy them in print version as well. Pretty impressive huh?

Well not only buy the print online but there is a feature in the app that will allow you to lookup local comic ships where you can go and browse the comics. The most important feature of the app that we believe is ability to read comic books on screen. Navigation is easy and smooth and you can zoom in and out to read smaller text if a page is little too busy with pictures. This is certainly an app for comics lovers.

This App is designed for both iPad and iPhone.

The comic book reader with comiXology’s patent pending Guided View, where the entire comic page is left intact, and you are guided through a dynamically masked, iPhone-friendly view of the panels.

Publishers include:
Marvel Comics
Image Comics
Red 5
Zenescope
A Wave Blue World
AdHouse Books
Arcana Comics
Asylum Press
Bluewater Comics
BOOM! Studios
Com.X
Creative Impulse
Digital Webbing
eigoMANGA
Evil Twin Comics
First Salvo
AAM/Markosia
Moonstone
Slave Labor Graphics (SLG)
Top Cow
Th3rd World Studios

As well as many creator-owned titles!

Another article from Caleb Goellner on comiXology Comics app for iPad can be found at -

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/04/01/marvel-teams-with-comixology-for-ipad-app/

iPad Models

I was impressed by iPad’s networking options and services. There are two versions available:

• Wi-Fi [802.11a/b/g/n]
• Wi-Fi [802.11a/b/g/n] + 3G

Besides Wi-Fi only model, iPad is also available in a Wi-Fi + 3G model for cellular network access from AT&T. The 3G radio version cost $130 more than Wi-Fi only version.

iPad’s Bluetooth Connectivity

iPad boasts Bluetooth version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) Technology

Bluetooth 2.1 version has improved pairing experience for Bluetooth devices while increasing the use and strength of security as compared to older version of Bluetooth.The nominal rate of EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) is approximately 3 megabits per second, but practical data transfer rate is close to 2.1 megabits per second. Both Wi-Fi and 3G model support Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Technology for  connecting wireless device like keyboard.

AT&T’s No-contract, 3G service

In the U.S., 3G service will be available from AT&T. You can choose from two data plans and the good thing about this service is there is no contract required. So basically you can use the wireless service as and only when you want it. In addition to this, AT&T data plans include unlimited access to over 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots at locations including Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and more.

The 3G plan offers data speeds up to 7.2 Mbps over 3G cellular networks around the world. iPad seamlessly switches between 3G and even faster Wi-Fi that way you always get the best connection available.

Super Easy Sign-up: So easy a cave man can do it

The service can be added or removed anytime right from iPad. No need to call or visit AT&T store.

How do you do it? from your iPad, tap Settings and choose Cellular Data. Then type in your user information, select a plan, and enter your credit card information. Like I said earlier, there’s no need to visit a store or call customer service.

You can monitor your data usage and change your plan at any time, including switching to unlimited data or canceling 3G service if you know you won’t need it.

Is the data plan required when I buy iPad Wi-Fi + 3G?

Absolutely no. You buy the wireless service only when you need it. You can just sign up for a contract-free data plan right on your iPad. If you ended up not buying the 3G data plan you can always use the built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi to access the Internet. I like this flexibility very much. Personally I would buy Wi-Fi + 3G model and start out with no data plan. I would watch my internet usage habit. If I feel I am out of Wi-Fi hot spot range some or most of the time, I would start out with 250MB/$14.99 data plan. If I still feel I am being left out and about without network I would upgrade myself to unlimited plan. Now one thing most people fear from a wireless service is what they are going to be charged for when they overshoot their data plan limit. Here is your answer from AT&T and Apple: As you get closer to your monthly data limit, you’ll receive onscreen messages to help you decide whether to upgrade to another 250MB or switch to the unlimited plan. You can also check your data usage anytime in Settings. You can drop the service if you think you don’t want it at this time.

Paper Toss

Editors Rating:

Publisher: Backflip Studios

One thing that I have noticed is that the best games are not the one with greatest and advance graphics. It could be a game with simple plot but you could be screaming with sweet frustration that will force you to play it over and over again to beat your last score.

The idea for this game is pretty simple – flick your finger and send a balled up paper flying straight to trash bin. The goal is to land the ball in the bin working against the fan that is blowing wind across the ball path that may need you to adjust the speed and aim. Very addictive and fun game.

101 Classic Novels

Publisher’s description
From Publish This, LLC

101 Classic Novels application offers library of some amazing classic Novels books. One of the great features that we noticed of this application is that the books come along with the application, in other words they are downloaded with the app. This is specially great for offline browsing for example in a metro train tunnel or a place where Wi-Fi or 3G both are not the greatest. Another neat feature that I noticed was ability to place bookmarks. Also reader can change the font face, text size and even search novels.

The App comes with following Novels:

-Flatland
-Little Women
-Emma
-Mansfield Park
-Northanger Abbey
-Persuasion
-Pride and Prejudice
-Sense and Sensibility
-Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy)
-Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
-The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
-Jane Eyre
-Wuthering Heights
-The Thirty-Nine Steps
-A Princess of Mars
-Tarzan of the Apes
-The Gods of Mars
-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
-Through the Looking Glass
-Don Quixote
-The Mysterious Affair at Styles
-The Secret Adversary
-Fanny Hill
-Heart of Darkness
-The Last of the Mohicans
-Robinson Crusoe
-A Christmas Carol
-A Tale of Two Cities
-Bleak House
-David Copperfield
-Great Expectations
-Oliver Twist
-Crime and Punishment
-The Brothers Karamazov
-The Idiot
-A Study in Scarlet
-The Lost World
-The Sign of the Four
-The Count of Monte Cristo
-The Man in the Iron Mask
-The Three Musketeers
-Madame Bovary
-A Room with a View
-Howards End
-Oblomov
-King Solomon’s Mines
-Tess of the d’Urbervilles
-The House of the Seven Gables
-The Scarlet Letter
-Siddhartha
-The Hunchback of Notre Dame
-The Portrait of a Lady
-The Turn of the Screw
-A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
-Ulysses
-The Trial
-Captains Courageous
-The Jungle Book
-The Arabian Nights
-Lady Chatterley’s Lover
-Sons and Lovers
-Women in Love
-The Phantom of the Opera
-Babbitt
-The Monk
-The Call of the Wild
-The Sea Wolf
-Moby-Dick
-Anne of Green Gables
-Captain Blood
-Ivanhoe
-Frankenstein
-Quo Vadis
-Kidnapped
-Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
-The Black Arrow
-Treasure Island
-Dracula
-The Lair of the White Worm
-Uncle Tom’s Cabin
-Gulliver’s Travels
-Vanity Fair
-Anna Karenina
-War and Peace
-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
-The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
-20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
-Around the World in Eighty Days
-From the Earth to the Moon
-The Mysterious Island
-Candide
-Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
-The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth
-The Invisible Man
-The Island of Dr. Moreau
-The Sleeper Awakes
-The Time Machine
-The War of the Worlds
-The Age of Innocence
-The House Of Mirth
-The Picture of Dorian Gray
-Mrs. Dalloway

Another good review by Ryan Wood can be read here :

Read more: http://www.148apps.com/reviews/101-classic-novels/#ixzz0mAkbfRLm

iPad Game Apps Selection Tips

Although we seem to be observing a positive trend in the overall quality of Apple’s iPhone and iPad games application. I haven’t been all that impressed with many of the games titles we have tried. A big part of the problem may be the device itself. Sometime the touch screen is not fully response to taps. which can be disastrous in the middle of game action. Here are some tips for game selections:

• Take App Store reviews with grain of salt. App Store reviews can be a mixed bag of honest and biased reviews. Obviously gushing over a review should be taken with a grain of salt.

• Checkout the games reviews on blogs and other web sites that are dedicated to do so. There are plenty of them mushrooming and some are very good at reviews.

• Checkout YouTube. If you are interested in specific title, do a YouTube search on it. Many vendors and developers are now posting videos of iPhone games in action.

• If you can try game before you buy it. Many developers offer a “Lite” version of their games for free. Check them out first.

• Not Satisfied? Contact the developer. Sometime you have to buy an app and try it out before you know if you will like it. IF you find it was not what you expected try emailing the developers- not apple! Most vendors will at least give you credit for the price of the game and allow you to use it to purchase another one.

At first iPad feels like as the industry pundit have said – an iPhone/iTouch on steroids. But obviously much bigger and better then iPhone/iTouch and the larger real estate is going to allow a lot more options for developers to create unique, iPad application that was not possible on smaller device. Its thin and gently curved with slick surface with an iPhone like Home button.

iPad Features

The moment you click that button you are in another world. Touching the screen more responsive that an iPhone.

iPad instantly feels natural, comfortable and futuristic. It can be held in both hands for couple hours while you surf the web or watch a movie. At first I didn’t like the thick back bezel around screen. But when you think about it you will realize its has a function – that is – you can grip its bezel without leaving thumbprints or accidentally entering any commands to the touch sensitive screen.

The iPad boasts an oleo-phobic coating to reduce finger prints. More about oleo-phobic coating on Gizmodo. iPad is certainly a desire-worthy gadget.

Dimension and weight
Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)
Weight: 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) Wi-Fi model
1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model

iPad has its gorgeous 9.7 inch, 1024×768-pixel touchscreen. Some folks complained about screens 4:3 aspect ratio which is so pre-high definition but when you look at it it makes sense to have 4:3 ration as its intended use is to make it better for reading books and web browsing. A more elongated shape of 16:9 ratio would not seem to have well balanced in our hands. I am pretty sure Apple designers must have thought of this.

Just like iPhone, iPad has Home button directly below screen, external hard buttons – a sleep/wake button on the top, volume up/down button and silencer toggle switch on the side. It also has an internal microphone next to the headphone jack, speaker and dock connector port for synching, charging and attaching accessories.

iPad has several wow features and has impressed teh fan base. We covered iPad’s Top Five Features in the previous article. This articles lists the biggest disappointments among iPad enthusiasts. Apple is more likely to address these issues in the next model, but for now, here is the whiners list:

1. No Camera
First and foremost disappointment is no camera. I was expecting iPad to have a iSight like camera that they have on Macbook Pros. This immediately jumped to mind that this step is intentional to keep camera option for iPad’s new model later. if it had a camera it could have been a replacement for my Macbook Pro. Perhaps Apple can provide a good reason for omitting this essential feature.

2. No Adobe Flash Player Support.
Apple doesn’t want to run anything on these mobile devices that they don’t have control over. And Flash being notoriously bad for hogging CPU, making things slower and sucking up battery fast. But for bigger device such as iPad with web browsing at its main core feature it should be better because nobody can have a great Web surfing experience without Flash.

3. No Multitasking
iPad is supposed to be a Netbooks replacement as per Steve Jobs so why are still not able to run multiple Apps together with the exception of listening to music? This is also one of the biggest disappointment since multi tasking is a must for everyone these days. iPad has such a powerful processor, apple should have been able to incorporate multitasking on iPads.

4. Video Limitations
iPad screen is 768 pixels high so it appears it will be able to play 720p video without any issues. Wrong! Because 720p video is 1280 pixels wide this crops down the video image size by 20%. So? it will have black bars at the top. But you could easily tap the screen to replete the screen but it would cut off the sides of the image.

5. Doesn’t Support any other carrier’s 3G
iPad is surely unlocked but it wont work on anything other then ATT since it uses micro SIMs. The device uses GSM chip that is not compatible with Verizon’s 3G network. T-Mobile uses GSM 3G but – mind you its a big but – its 3G network runs on 1700 MHz; The iPad GSM chip only supports only these -

• UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

The question of who’s going to use the iPad keeps getting asked considering iPad features, software potential and its pricing along with wireless service isn’t really answered yet. Here are few group of people we think will be really enjoying the iPad.

Students

If enough textbooks are available on the iBookStore.com which I am anticipating they will, and if iBook App improves its note-taking ability, students will save their back by replacing 10 pounds of textbooks with sleek and sexy aluminum 1.5 pound unibody iPad that they can hold them all along their video with music. Also if someone builds an App for transcribing lecture into text that would be awesome.

On the Go Business Types

Traveling businessmen, salesmen, researcher, professor, doctor – anyone whose job is away from desk, they can have their own App built, tailored and specialized for iPad.
iWork already comes with attention-grabbing presentation tools with the laser pointer with Keynote is amazing. Also the 10 hours of battery life as Apple claims will come in handy for field professionals.

Professionals
Professionals like architect, designers, computer graphics professionals will love this thing for its creative potential and portability. They can quickly sketch out a prototype and ideas of just keep it handy to record inspiration. A touch screen version of Adobe Photoshop and InDesign would make it better.

Your Mom

One of the best application with the iPad that I can think of it as a Kitchen Appliance. An accordion arm with almost hidden slick holster with an ultimate recipe App would be a great addition too.
Anyone who wants an Internet Appliance – email, internet and photo management and entertainment without wanting the clunky old stodgy laptop or a computer. It doesn’t do everything but it does those specific things and does it really well. It requires little to no maintenance.

Gamer

The iPad super speedy chip if for gamers and probably thats why Steve Jobs had them demo’ed the game App at the Keynote speech. iPad’s larger real estate will be great for board games. Imagine everyone sitting around a table and playing. Video and slideshows look amazing and the convenience of watching them in bed is amazing. Its gonna be amazing to see how people will be reading ebook s more then ever.

Garage Types

An interesting application on iPad would be a Home Inventory application to catalog your kitchen, living room, home library and garage inventory.