Cygnett FlexiGel (for iPhone 4/4S)

When Wilfred Owen wondered “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? / Only the monstrous anger of the guns. / Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle / Can patter out their hasty orisons,” chances are good that the author of “Anthem for Doomed Youth” was not trying to describe the action in an iOS tower defense game. Yet, it would be a pretty apropos description for Trenches II, an offering from Thunder Game Works by way of Electronic Arts that translates the horrors of the first World War into a cartoonish strategy game.

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Cygnett FlexiGel (for iPhone 4/4S)

Cygnett’s $15 FlexiGel for iPhone 4/4S strikes a great balance between protection and thickness—in fact, this is the thinnest flexible, skin-style case I’ve found yet. It’s a simple, no-frills TPU-gel case: soft (yet firm) and easy to put on and take off. The Flexigel comes in a translucent pink, purple, or black, leaving the Apple logo clearly visible though the case. It ships with an adhesive-film screen protector, along with a microfiber cloth and a swipe card for removing bubbles when initially placing your screen protector.

Gel skins are generally thicker than hard cases, but often this tradeoff means better protection. The Flexigel adds about as little bulk as possible while still offering decent protection from scratches, as well as drops. The case comes up over the edges of the screen, which creates a bumper to protect your phone if you happen to drop it face-down. That, plus the included screen protector, means that your screen has a good measure of protection.

All ports and buttons are exposed with individual precision cut-outs, except the Sleep/Wake Button, which is covered by a raised, use-through button on the case itself that doesn’t affect the button’s performance.

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App users: iPhones are for days, iPads for the nighttime

The upshot? People use Zite on their iPhones pretty much any time they have a few spare minutes during the workday and when they’re in bed late at night. But in the evening, they settle in on their iPads for longer, more relaxed stretches of time.

The data are very clear on this, and it’s a lesson that other news aggregators with both iPad and iPhone versions are also learning and that anyone working on apps for the two devices would be wise to heed.

In looking deep into usage data showing how and when people use Zite on the two devices, Klaas and his team can tell a lot about users’ actions simply from the peaks and valleys in the graphs.

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JetBlue debuts iPhone app as big travel gets social, mobile savvy

Well-designed websites and snazzy mobile apps aren’t just for travel search engines anymore. JetBlue Airways just debuted its own native app for the iPhone, an app that lets users search for and book flights from their mobile phones. The low-cost airline also unveiled newly redesigned web and mobile sites with clean user interfaces and new features such as personalized flight recommendations based on users’ travel history and geo-location data.

It goes to show just how much startups such as Hipmunk, HotelTonight, Room77 and others which have spurred innovation in the travel industry’s more established players. And more such developments are on the way: A recent Airline IT Trends survey found that 90% of airlines are increasing their investment in mobile capabilities, according to a report by CNN published this past fall. Another notable example of this larger trend is luxury hotel chain The Four Seasons, which last month gave its website a makeover that taps into social media and incorporates user-generated reviews and photos of its properties. In all, it’s nice to see large corporations such as these tapping into newer technologies and investing in mobile app development — realizing that spending the money on making these tools can ultimately drive more business.

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Why Didn’t Apple Advertise During the Super Bowl?

During the third quarter of the 1984 Super Bowl, viewers witnessed one of the most memorable commercials ever, “1984.” Twenty-eight years later, Apple ignored the most widely watched television event of the year and is instead mocked by one of its chief rivals. Did it make a mistake by skipping Super Bowl XLVI?

Back in 1984, Apple’s somewhat dark and forbidding Ridley Scott-directed spot shocked some, but intrigued millions. It didn’t show a single product, but teased the introduction, just two days after the game, of the first Macintosh, promising, “you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ’1984′.”

According to Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography:

“It was a sensation. That evening all three networks and fifty local stations aired news stories about the ad, giving it a viral life unprecedented in the pre–YouTube era. It would eventually be selected by both TV Guide and Advertising Age as the greatest commercial of all time.”

Fast forward to 2012. Apple is not mentioned at all during the rather thrilling contest between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Instead, electronics manufacturer Samsung makes fun of Apple—without ever saying or showing its name or products.

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Tipard Releases New iPhone 4S Ringtone Maker

Recently, to give iPhone 4S users a better user experience, Tipard released three new software products, iPhone 4S Ringtone Maker, Mac iPhone 4S Ringtone Maker and iPhone 4S Transfer for ePub.

Tipard’s iPhone 4S Ringtone Maker is a powerful iPhone ringtone creator specially designed for iPhone 4S users. With advanced system kernel and multimedia software technology, it not only can give users best image interface experience, but it can also help users create more personalized ringtones for them share with friends and families. This iPhone 4S ringtone creator supports ripping of almost any kind of DVD disc, DVD folder and IFO file and converts various video or audio files to output as iPhone 4S-compatible M4R ringtone files, which can then be directly transfers as ringtones to an iPhone 4S or PC. Plus, users can easily trim any source video or audio file by setting your desired start time and end time to get proper ringtone length.

In addition, this iPhone Ringtone Maker has four interface languages (English/French/German/Japanese) to give users a better international experience. And you are allowed to add “Fade in” and “Fade out” effects to your iPhone 4S Ringtone file to make it more professional. Also, the output of the iPhone 4S’s ringtone volume maximum can be adjusted to 200%. Last but not least, it highly supports the newest iOS 5.0.1 and iTunes 10.5, iPhone 4 and many other iPhone models. It is available only for $14.95; to get the free trial version, please visit: http://www.tipard.com/iphone-ringtone-maker.html

Another product, Tipard’s iPhone 4S Transfer for ePub is a user-friendly eBook transfer for iPhone 4S users. It can export any kind of ePub or PDF eBook files from your iPhone 4S to your PC for other use. Plus, you are allowed to import various ePub or PDF files from your computer to your iPhone 4S for eBook reading or sharing with other friends by directly transferring your eBook file to your friends’ iPhone with this versatile ePub iPhone transfer for iPhone 4S users.

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Get a peek into the Oscars on your iPhone, iPad

Movie fans don’t need to wait until the red carpet is rolled out to get in on the excitement of this year’s Academy Awards.

The Oscars app, developed in partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Disney-ABC Television Group, provides a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood’s biggest night of the year.

“It’s like an Oscars companion that can be with you from the minute the nominations are announced all the way through the event,” explained Karin Gilford, senior vice president of digital media for ABC.com.

The free app, available for iPhone and iPad, provides fans with original interactive content, such as interviews with movie insiders, backstage pass highlights and historical Oscar moments.

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3 things we know for sure about the next iPhone

The year is young but it is already rife with rumors about the next phone coming our way from Cupertino. You don’t have to look far on the web to find speculation about the shape, size, and all sort of “information” about the next iPhone. You can also find that it will definitely be called the iPhone 5; of course you can find it won’t, too.

Folks, those are merely rumors, and putting stock in those is an exercise in futility. In spite of its touchy-feely reputation one thing Apple doesn’t do well is share. That is particularly true when it comes to information about upcoming products.

Spout the latest rumor if you must, but don’t be surprised when you are left with egg on your face. There are only three certainties about the next iPhone.

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Best iPhone apps: Five free apps for teaching you how-to do something

There are thousands of apps available for your smartphone. From apps that let you chat to friends using VoIP to games that can help you waste time, there literally is an app for everything. And learning how-to do something, such as tying a tie or drawing is no exception. There are plenty of apps for Apple iPhones that can show you how to do something. Here’s our five favourite free How-to apps for iPhones.

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The Original iPhone Film Festival Set To Announce Grand Prize Winner At Macworld Expo Featured Event

The Original iPhone Film Festival will announce the Grand Prize winning film at the Macworld|iWorld Expo in San Francisco on January 26th, 2012. OIFF Founders Corey Rogers & Matt Dessner will be joined by Macworld Magazine Editorial Director Jason Snell on the Macworld LIVE! stage at 3p PST to discuss iPhone filmmaking and showcase some of the short iPhone films from its inaugural competition. The session will be live streamed on both macworld.com and ustream.tv

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