I love the iPad, but I don’t always love not having a hardware keyboard at hand. You could carry around Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard, or another alternative, but adding additional devices and giving yourself more to carry around and keep track of sort of defeats the purpose.

That’s why I find the concept of the keyboard case so appealing. Build a Bluetooth keyboard into an iPad case and you have a single-package solution that keeps everything nicely organized on the go. At least, that’s how it works in theory. I was recently able to see if that theory would pan out with the new Kensington KeyFolio for iPad. I’ve been using the KeyFolio with my iPad for a little over a week now. During that time, I haven’t removed the iPad from the case once, so I feel confident I gave it a fair shake.

Build and Design

The Kensington KeyFolio presents a nice face. It looks good, and the fake leather is both animal-friendly and easy on the hands. Some padding means your iPad feels more secure, and the fit and a clever foldback tab ensures the iPad isn’t sliding out anytime soon.

My only problem with the case aspect of the KeyFolio is that my iPad doesn’t screen doesn’t sit in the window quite where it’s supposed to. The top of the screen is right to the edge of the window, while there’s extra room at the bottom, and the home button is almost right at the edge of the groove provided for it. It’s close enough that it works, but for the absolute perfectionist, it might be annoying.

The keyboard is the one we saw from an FCC filing towards the end of summer. In fact, the KeyFolio is the KeyCase rebadged by Kensington for the U.S. market. At least one other manufacturer is using the same keyboard part for sure, and Sena was supposed to, but has since removed the case from its list of offerings.

It’s around 90 percent the size of a full keyboard, like you’ll find on most netbooks. It has rubberized keys to prevent damage from spillage, and to prevent the keyboard itself from harming the iPad screen in any way. It’s a weird feeling, but it makes for quiet typing. I did find that once in a while I’d get double-presses because of how sensitive the keys were, though.

Function

Connecting the iPad to the keyboard is a breeze; just flick the hardware switch on the case to “on” and press the connect button. Go into your Bluetooth preferences in your iPad’s Settings, and pair the device there. You’ll have to type a code on the keyboard followed by “Enter,” but that’s it.

Once you’re paired, the keyboard should simply work. I say “should” because I encountered some hiccups. Sometimes, the keyboard would drop and regain the connection without warning, which would pop up the on-screen keyboard briefly. A manual on/off reset using the switch usually fixed this, though, and it may have been because I was testing iOS 4.2 on the iPad I was using. Either way, it wasn’t a big enough problem that it would cause me not to use the case.

You don’t have to manually turn off the keyboard unless you want it to not connect, since it sleeps after a period of disuse. Battery life is said to be around 100 days in standby mode, or 90 hours of actual usage. It takes around four or five hours to charge. I haven’t managed to burn through a charge yet, so I think the claims are pretty accurate.

The way the case folds for typing is perfect, in my opinion. It takes up very little space, and even provides a stable enough base that you can use it on your lap without an additional support surface. It only provides one viewing angle, but in my usage I felt no desire to adjust, no matter where I was using it.

Highs

I grew to love using the KeyFolio. I often use my iPad primarily as a chat client, and that became a lot more pleasant with a hardware keyboard. So did managing my email from the couch, and working with the device on the train and subway to get some serious work done.

Combined with Pages and even blogging sites in Safari, the KeyFolio is a road warrior’s best friend. It isn’t a new MacBook Air (and in fact, it might weigh more than one combined with the iPad), but it’s a lot cheaper even at $100.

Lows

There were the rare connection issues I mentioned, but there’s also the keyboard itself, which requires some getting used to. There’s no shift key on the right, and if you happen to use the apostrophe key a lot, which I apparently do, you have to train your fingers to look down below the period key. I actually picked up the trick pretty quickly, but it’s still a bit of a pain.

Finally, keeping your iPad in the case does take away a bit from its own design benefits. It’s heavier, and harder to use as a tablet. I found turning off the keyboard and folding it behind worked fine, but it still didn’t feel as good as using the iPad on its own. Also, you’re stuck with landscape mode when you’re using the keyboard, something which didn’t trouble me as much as I would’ve thought.

Verdict

The Kensington KeyFolio may seem a tad expensive at $99.99, but consider that most iPad folio cases cost around $50 on their own. That means you’re really only paying an extra $50 for the Bluetooth keyboard. Even Apple’s own will cost you $70. I recommend it, especially if you’re someone who likes to work with their iPad while travelling, or you just want your tablet to be even more of a laptop replacement. The KeyFolio isn’t yet available, but you can pre-order yours from Kensington’s site.

Disclosure: The Kensington KeyFolio tested was provided by the manufacturer for testing and review purposes.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

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• Report: Web Worker Survey 2010
• Can Anyone Really Compete With the iPad?

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Local Motors plans to introduce the production of their Rally Fighter. The vehicle was made by a group of car enthusiasts who designed it from scratch. This open source project provides information on the chassis and body data of the vehicle free of cost as downloads – which will make modifying the vehicle really easy for those who wish to do so.

The Rally Fighter has a tubular steel space frame chassis that is powdered-coated, an off-road suspension (with a detachable front stabilizer bar and up to 20 inches of travel), and also has a high performance braking system.

The vehicle is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine with 430 hp (321 kW / 436 PS) and 424 lb-ft (574 Nm) of torque, which is connected to an automatic transmission that powers the rear wheels

Many of the components – nose, rear, underbelly and floor pans- are made of carbon fiber, which has contributed greatly to reducing the weight of the vehicle. The exterior is vinyl-wrapped weighing 12 lbs (5 kg) less than a painted one. Thanks to these modifications, the car weighs approximately 3,200 lbs (1,451 kg).

Although final pricing details have not been revealed yet, it is expected to be above $50,000. But those who wish to own one can place a $99 deposit and reserve their Rally Fighter.

(Via WCF)

View full post on Car Blog | Breaking Motoring News Daily

Apple keeps taking things away from Microsoft. First, it was smartphone market share, knocking down poor Windows Mobile. Then, it was size as measured by market capitalization, with Apple moving into second in May. Now, it’s quarterly revenue.

Apple made more than Microsoft during the last calendar quarter with a $20.34 billion quarter, as it announced last week, while Microsoft announced its total of only $16.20 billion just today. It’s still a record quarter for Microsoft, up 25 percent from last year, and Microsoft  has higher profit margins because it remains a software-focused company, but the achievement is noteworthy nonetheless.

It’s the first time Apple has beaten Microsoft in revenue in its history, so I’m sure Ballmer and Co. are taking note. The margin by which Apple won is a big one, too, and though many predicted Cupertino would make more than Redmond at some point this year, few anticipated such a large gap so early.

Will new products like Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Kinect help Microsoft regain some of that ground? Time will tell, but Apple’s lead may already be insurmountable.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big Stories
• HTML5’s a Game-Changer for Web Apps
• Can Anyone Really Compete With the iPad?

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Moving from Windows to the Mac is a big change, and can be a little disconcerting at first. A friend of mine described the feeling akin to being “underwater.” One of the biggest differences between the platforms is in how windows are managed.

On Microsoft Windows, the application is the window, and you can use either alt-tab, win-tab, or the task bar to switch between windows. On the Mac, there are three main ways to manage windows, here’s a rundown of each, and how to use them to play up the strengths of OS X.

The Dock

The first way most new users to the Mac try to manage windows is the Dock. Clicking on a running applications icon in the Dock will bring that application’s windows to the front, which works great for apps that are only using a single window.

If, however, you have multiple windows open at once, like several TextEdit windows for example, clicking on the TextEdit icon will bring all of the windows to the front, which may not be exactly what you want.

The trick to using the Dock to manage windows is by clicking and holding on an icon. This will trigger Exposé in “Application Windows” mode, hiding all other applications and thumbnailing all of the open windows for that application. Then you can just click on the window you want to come to the front.

Exposé

Now that you’ve seen one part of Exposé in action, it’s time to see how the rest of it works. Open up System Preferences and click on “Exposé and Spaces”. You can think of this part of the preferences as the command center for managing windows.

At the top is “Active Screen Corners”, followed by keyboard shortcuts. Make note of the function key set for “All windows;” on mine it’s F3 to match my Apple Bluetooth keyboard. Open up a few different applications (it helps if one is a movie), and press F3. In one smooth animation, all of the open windows will shrink into thumbnails, with open windows at the top, and minimized windows at the bottom. From here you can click on any window you like to bring it to the front. If there are still too many windows open, you can press the tab key to cycle between the windows of running applications.

Having a function key is great, but too often I find that I need to look down at my keyboard to find the right key. That’s where the Active Screen Corners come in. Each corner of the screen can activate a function of window management. I always assign the bottom left corner of my screen to activating Exposé for All Windows, and the bottom right to Desktop. Then I put my Dashboard in the top right corner, and leave the top left blank. This gives me super quick access to all of my windows, widgets, and files I’m working with on my desktop.

You can also drag files into Exposé. For example, here’s a common workflow I run into all the time. To get a file from my desktop into a window open in the background, I’ll flick my mouse pointer to the bottom right corner to show the desktop. Then, I’ll drag the file to the bottom right hand corner to activate Exposé. Finally, while still dragging the file, I’ll select the window I want to bring it to the front, and then drop the file onto the window. Super easy, and super useful, once you get used to it.

Spaces

If, however, you still find yourself drowning in windows, or you just like to keep things clean and organized, you can enable Spaces. Spaces gives you extra desktops to work with. The default number of spaces is four, but you can assign up to sixteen. Personally, I’m normally happy with just two. I’m a developer, so I work in Xcode all the time. Some development tools, like Interface Builder, open up several windows, and can clutter up the screen quickly. So it’s nice to keep Xcode and Interface Builder in separate spaces. I always assign the CMD+Arrow Keys to switch between the spaces, and F8 to activate the spaces overview.

Once in the spaces overview, you can activate Exposé to see all of your windows, in all of your spaces.

Exposé, Spaces, and the Dock are the three main elements for window management. You can also use CMD-tab to switch between applications, or optionally, check out a third-party application like Witch that can give your keyboard even more control. If you’re new to the Mac, I hope this article helped, if you are experienced and think I missed something, feel free to mention it in the comments.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

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Euro 2012 officials had a very big day today, as aside from claiming to sue the bejeezus out of conspiracy theorists, they also launched the very first of their brand spankin’ new fan buses (which really do look quite decent from a superficial perspective). So they gave the keys to Deputy-Prime Minister Boris Kolesnikov for the inaugural drive through Lviv, Ukraine and he….got into an accident.

Yes, he plowed into the very same police car which was escorting him through the city.

If this is how they run the ‘little stuff’, Euro 2012 is on pace to be a dog and pony show unlike anything we’ve seen before. Good for us, but not a good month to be UEFA, FIFA, or anything with an acronym, really.

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Generally speaking, I buy accessories for my mobile devices either to protect them, or to improve their usability. For the iPhone, that’s led to a number of different case purchases (same with the iPad, incidentally). Now I find myself searching for a new kind of supplementary hardware, and I’m not alone.

I’m talking about accessories that extend my iPhone’s video capabilities. The iPhone 4 shoots HD video, as does the latest generation iPod touch.  But that’s only half the story. The other half is FaceTime, which just got a major user boost thanks to the introduction of an app for Macs.

The Demand is Here

The success of startup efforts like the Kickstarter-backed Glif, which is a universal tripod mounting bracket for the iPhone 4, shows that people desperately want good solutions when it comes to taking advantage of the iPhone’s improved photographic and video capabilities.
Thomas Gerhardt and Dan Provost, the creators of the Glif, exceeded their Kickstarter goal of $10,000 early on in the funding, and now have more than 12 times that amount pledged. If you pledge $20 before Nov. 2, you get a Glif when it goes into active production, so if you’re looking for a tripod mount for your device, it’s an affordable solution.

Major Players are Missing the Boat

Joby is a good example of a company missing the boat by not providing an updated solution specifically for Apple’s latest devices. The Gorillamobile for iPhone 3G/3GS was great, and anticipated the curve, but now when it stands to gain the most, the accessory maker is behind. Even experienced players are slow to react with this latest opportunity to capitalize on Apple’s success.

What Will Succeed

Users will want a flexible mounting solution that lets them use FaceTime on the move, at home, wherever they happen to be. This could mean cases with integrated stands and clips, something which will be popular with the crowd that prefers an all-in-one solution. I’ve just received the Marware SportShell Convertible for iPhone 4, which is a worthy successor to the version for the 3GS, the only case I ever used for any length of time. Right on the package it touts the clip/stand as the perfect FaceTime solution.

FaceTime Is a Long-Term Play

Once the iPad joins the list of devices with FaceTime support, the service will gain even more traction. Video calling will have a slow adoption curve among consumers because it’s so different from what we’re used to. Text messaging adoption in the U.S. was the same way (check out the very bottom of this Mashable infographic). Most new communication technologies are initially greeted with skepticism.

Video is the future of mobile, and that means recording, watching and communicating in that medium. Accessories that anticipate that future will have the most lasting power in the mobile economy. Let’s see iPhone cases that clip to monitors, tabletop tripods and flexible stands, and some accessories that take advantage of the dock port to provide external mics for video recording or live previews to external monitors. Demand is there; it just hasn’t found its voice yet.

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March 10: Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon arrive at the 82nd Academy Awards. (Reuters)

After months – or rather years – of speculation, Mariah Carey has finally confirmed what her fans have long ‘expected,’ that she and Nick Cannon are pregnant with their first child.

“Yes, we are pregnant,” the 41-year-old singer told the “Today” show on Thursday morning.

“It’s been a long journey,” she admits. “It’s tough because I’ve been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy.”

But as we all know, all signs have been pointing to ‘baby on board’ for several months. There were some coy comments from hubby Nick Cannon on air that sparked the rumor mill and then Mimi in a maternity dress in August, all but confirmed what so many thought was true.

The couple admits that they’ve been trying to conceive for some time and even suffered a miscarriage two years ago. The sad loss “strengthened our relationship so much,” says Cannon. “She handled it so well.”

Cannon, 30, calls their current news, “absolutely emotional” and thinks that a lil’ bambino is “the greatest gift on earth.”

But the couple wouldn’t give up any info about how far along the “Hero” singer is or when she is due. “It’s still early,” she says.

Congrats to the happy couple!

View full post on Entertainment

The Sao Paulo Motor Show saw the unveiling of Fiat’s Mio FCC III concept. What makes the vehicle special is that it was created through the process of ‘crowdsourcing’. This is a process whereby the company took the help of thousands of people who contributed their ideas and feedback online.

Few details of the vehicle were released – it is known that the size of the vehicle is 2489mm (98 inches) in length. It possesses a front fascia with definite personality, a panoramic glass roof, and also has wheel covers which promise better aerodynamics.

The interior has comfortable sofa-style seating and a high-tech infotainment system. There were no details about the engine or performance, but Fiat is reported to have said that the car has been designed to enable the driver also to enjoy being a passenger, with the vehicle being controlled through intelligent means.

Now that alone would make car fans eagerly wait to hear more about the Mio. Watch the gallery here .

(Via EdmundsInsideLine)

View full post on Car Blog | Breaking Motoring News Daily

Apple made a lot of money from direct sales last year, so it isn’t surprising that it would expand its online store to China, possibly its largest market in terms of growth potential. Nor is it shocking that it would expand the App Store’s reach there. Both initiatives launched yesterday.

Chinese expansion has been a long, difficult road for Apple. It took over two years for the iPhone to arrive in China, due largely to a lengthy negotiation process between the Chinese government, China Unicom (which is essentially government-controlled) and Apple. Eventually, the iPhone 3GS went on sale, albeit without Wi-Fi capabilities initially due to government restrictions.

The new online store allows shoppers to order all the latest Apple products, including the iPhone 4 and iPad, and have them delivered. Until now, Apple customers in China had to make the trek to one of four brick-and-mortar Apple stores in Shanghai and Beijing in order to make a purchase, though they had the option of pre-ordering the product from Apple’s Chinese website. Also available at the new site are custom engraving options, free shipping and customizable hardware configurations.

The addition of direct-to-door delivery options is a huge step for Apple. China, though developing economically at a fast pace, is still significantly behind in terms of roadways and infrastructure development. The new Apple store does notify customers that deliveries outside of major urban areas will add a few days to shipping times. Apple’s willingness to deal with the difficulties of delivering anywhere in mainland China shows its commitment to the emerging market.

Apple has only a 7.1 percent share of China’s smartphone market, with Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson ahead of the iPhone maker. Expanding its retail presence into e-commerce is the best way for Apple to start moving up that list, since Chinese consumers are spending billions online every year.

Also open for business is a simplified Chinese version of the App Store. In order to make purchases in the App Store, customers need to have dual-currency credit cards, a move put in place to prevent fraud. It’s a barrier to entry, but it should still expand Apple’s reach and help encourage more iOS device hardware sales.

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A majority of web video is now HTML5-ready, showing that Apple is winning the day when it comes to how video is delivered online. The amount of video viewable in an HTML player now accounts for 54 percent of all video content on the web.

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