So big surprise, people are loving their new iPads, despite all the quibbles you’ve been reading about in the media. Today you’ll have four more reasons to love it thanks to a fresh batch of apps updated to take advantage of that slick Retina Display, which we have to admit, is hard to put down once we hold it in our hands. And there’s even more for this first Monday of April, so sit back and enjoy the ride as we zip through the news for Monday, April 2, 2012.
Developers continue to unleash App Store updates to take advantage of the new iPad’s gorgeous Retina Display, and today we got a few pretty great ones. Avatron Software released Air Display 1.6, which can now take advantage of OS X Lion’s “HiDPI” mode so UI elements will render at double resolution. Coupled with the new iPad’s Retina Display, this makes for a pretty awesome update to this app that allows your iOS device to become an extra wireless display for your Mac. Following a small App Store tease last week, Facebook 4.1.1 also hit devices today with Retina support as well as a number of bug fixes, including the ability to make chat go offline. Sadly, there’s still no Timeline support, so it’s kind of a mixed bag. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble is serving up Nook 3.1.3 which adds new iPad support as well as a new Highlight feature and the ability to read in one or two columns when in landscape orientation on the iPad only. Last but certainly not least, Readdle’s PDF Expert hit 4.0 today with Retina Display support as well as taking advantage of portfolios and videos embedded in PDF files, as well as document thumbnails. Hit the links to grab your updates!
ifoAppleStore is reporting that Apple retail is tweaking its employee scheduling as of April 15, which means fewer free weekends for full-time staff and additional hours during the weekday for part-timers. Ironically, the move comes after last week’s audit results from the Fair Labor Association which will see hours for Foxconn workers in China slashed. “First, even loyal and veteran full-time employees will face increased stress with a revision of the existing weekend work requirements. Right now, full-timers are required to work at least one weekend day each week, either Saturday or Sunday,” the report reveals. “Soon, Apple will add Friday to its official list of ‘weekend days,’ and full-timers must work two of those three days, or possibly a shift that includes both Saturday and Sunday.” Part-timers will also see a bump from 16 to 24 hours during weekdays, which is reported to “pressure employees who are already suffering from larger crowds of visitors” even further.
No wonder they wouldn’t sell to Apple! The folks at Dropbox today let slip via Twitter that U2 vocalist Bono and guitar god The Edge are actually investors in the company, and even went so far as to attached a photo to confirm it. “@Dropbox is excited to welcome Bono & The Edge as investors,” the tweet reads. “Thanks for the support and look forward to great things!” The tone of the tweet sounds like the investment came pretty recently, especially with no press release confirming the announcement. Does this mean the Dropbox icon is going to change from blue-green to (RED)?
DigiTimes generally isn’t shy about throwing out some wild Apple rumors, but as part of an otherwise ho-hum discussion of touch panel manufacturers today, the website appears to have spilled the beans on a new “anti-reflective glass solution” that could be coming to the next iMac, courtesy of supplier G-Tech Optoelectronics. “G-Tech is ramping up its production capacity of cover glass from 1.8 million units a month currently to three million units in 2012 as the company is likely to take up 25-30 percent of total cover glass orders for Apple's iPads in the year, according to an industry estimate,” the report said. “G-Tech is also expected to supply AR (anti-reflective) glass solutions for Apple's all-in-one (AIO) PCs with the new products to also serve as a growth driver for G-Tech, indicated industry sources.” This kind of anti-glare matte screen is already offered on Apple’s 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro notebooks, but this would be the first time the technology would make its debut on the all-in-one iMac.
Ever wonder what the hipsters of 1977 were using to chat? Long before IM, Twitter and Facebook we all had landline phones, and Ma Bell was offering some pretty groovy novelty telephones in their designer lineup. AT&T Tech Channel has lovingly compiled video from their archives that thoroughly documents that era, including “sequences of ideal users in their VERY 1970’s homes.” Who can forget the hip styling of the “Stowaway” or the Colonial throwback, “Early American”? How about the “Commemorative Elite” with an engraved faceplate (?!), the “Exeter” in faux alligator (!!) and of course, “The Mickey Mouse Phone.” Check out the embedded video and you’ll say, “Right on, man!”
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