Google’s adding a new feature to the Android Market called Bouncer, which will scan available apps for malware without hassling developers or interfering with user experience at all. It’s one of the first signs that Google’s taking Android malware seriously, and it’s about time. More »

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the school district is acquiring iPads as they are less expensive, easier to use, and more portable than the usual computers purchased for educational use. Bill Smojver, the director of technical services for the Madison School District, referred to Apple’s recent educational announcements about iBooks Author, iBooks 2, and digital textbooks as a “significant development.”

Deputy superintendent of schools Sue Abplanalp said that Madison administrators found that students using tablets were more engaged in the classroom, as evidenced by a demonstration they witnessed in the Chicago Public Schools.

The school district will get the iPads through a traditional Apple educational discount for about $479 each, with the final tab being paid for with part of a nearly US$80 million settlement between Microsoft and the state of Wisconsin. That 2009 settlement was the end result of a lawsuit that alleged that Microsoft cheated consumers by overpricing its software for years.

[via AppleInsider]

iPads for Madison, WI schools purchased with Microsoft lawsuit settlement funds originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you come upon a file extension you don’t know, the endlessly useful Wolfram Alpha has a tool built-in that will tell you what it is and what programs you’ll need to open it. More »

Microsoft has released its official iOS companion app for Xbox LIVE users. My Xbox LIVE is now available as a free download in the App Store for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

The new app allows users to interact with their Xbox LIVE accounts and talk to friends.

Take your Xbox LIVE experience wherever you go with the My Xbox LIVE app. Track and compare your achievements, connect with your Xbox LIVE friends, and change up your 3D Avatar. Review all your recent great games you and your friends love to play and compare achievements with them. Jump into our games hub to learn about the latest LIVE games and apps. Access Xbox Spotlight feeds, get breaking news from Xbox LIVE, game tips and tricks, gamer spotlight and much more.

The app is divided into three categories: Home, Social, and Games. While there’s nothing absolutely earth-shattering in the app, it’s still a welcomed addition for Xbox LIVE users. My Xbox LIVE is available for free in the App Store.

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• App Store Updated With Dedicated Game Center Section
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We like you, and we want you to like us too! Starting this month we are offering our “Facebook Five” promo! Like us on Facebook and you’ll save 5% on remote support sessions!

Here’s how it works:

1. Go to our Facebook Page and click the “Like” button at the top.
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It’s that easy. Tell your friends, family and co-workers so they can get the same deal. This is a limited time offer, and it won’t last forever. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to https://www.facebook.com/corndogcomputersfans and click the “like” button at the top of the page!

Offer valid to non-service contract holders. You must like us with your Facebook account or the account of the business you are calling for.

Flipboard has launched its official iPhone app with a gorgeous design and the new “Cover Stories” layout, or “the feed to check when you’re in line at the coffee shop, commuting on the train or just hanging out at home.”

Riding the coattails of a phenomenal iPad app, Flipboard is looking to be the best place for reading the internet on your iPhone.

With Flipboard for iPhone we’re introducing Cover Stories — one place to quickly catch up on some of the most interesting news, updates and photos being shared with you right now. The more you interact with your friends and the stories being shared, the smarter Cover Stories gets. You can refine what appears here by adding content to your Flipboard, muting anyone you’d rather not hear from, and connecting to your social networks. Cover Stories will be coming to your iPad in the near future.

If you’d like to bring everything you have on your Flipboard to your iPhone, create a Flipboard Account on your iPad, download Flipboard to your iPhone, and then sign in. Creating a Flipboard Account also gives you access to All Timelines, a single section containing all the articles and photos being shared across all your social networks.

Finally, Flipboard for iPhone is fast. Scan through pages as quickly as you can with just a flick of a thumb. If you find something interesting, just tap to slide it open.

Flipboard for iPhone is now available for free in the App Store.

An interview with the CEO of Flipboard:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=11pQ5sb5wME

Let us know what you think of Flipboard’s iPhone app in the comments!

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Along with music, movies and photos many people have some mysterious “other” data on their iDevices, which seems to increase over time. One reader is wondering how to get rid of this data and free up space:

When I look at my iTunes summary of my iPad it shows that there is 2.9GB of “Other” stored on my device. I haven’t put much stuff on my iPad and have no idea what is taking up so much space. I only have a 16GB iPad and like to put movies on it for when I travel, so space is a premium. How do I find out what is taking up so much space, and what is the best way to maximize storage space on my iPad?

Thanks, Kyle

Hi Kyle,

I get asked this question often by my clients, and unfortunately I haven’t found one single answer. Sometimes it may be app data, album art, etc., other times it may be bad storage disk optimization or caches not getting cleared after the system has been in use for a while.

You can usually reclaim the space by making a backup of your iPad, then doing a Restore to the latest version of iOS. After the process completes reload from your backup, and in most cases the “Other” data is gone.

Thanks, it worked like a charm.

Readers, have any additional suggestions on this topic, or corrections/clarifications on the advice above? If so, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Got a question about your Mac or iOS device? Email (sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address) and we’ll try to help out.

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If the latest survey data from Nielsen is anything to go by, Santa Claus is going to be loaded down with Apple products this year. Nearly half of kids aged 6-12 said they want an iPad this year, while nearly a quarter of kids aged 13 or over said the same thing.

Nielsen surveyed a “general population sample” of 3000 to obtain these results, and particularly for kids aged 6-12, the survey makes Apple’s predictions of record sales this holiday quarter look more likely than ever. The iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone are the top three products kids 6-12 are interested in buying in the next six months. (While the survey says “interested in buying,” considering the age groups involved and the time of year, it probably means something closer to “interested in receiving.”)

Interestingly, the numbers skew far differently for the 13+ age group. The iPad is still the most in-demand product by a comfortable margin, but the iPhone is in seventh place while the iPod touch is 12th out of 18. One possible explanation could be that quite a few people in this age group already have an iPhone or iPod; that probably also explains why all of the Big Three video game consoles, traditionally very highly-sought items during the holiday season, placed quite far down on the list of in-demand items for both age groups.

“Computer” was also a device both age groups were highly interested in buying; though Nielsen’s data doesn’t differentiate between Windows PCs and Macs, it’s hard to imagine that even the most jaded of kids would turn up their nose at a MacBook Air.

Based on this survey data, if you’re stumped for ideas on what gifts to give your kids this holiday season, it looks like you can’t go wrong with an iPad. Over the next several days we’ll have holiday gift guides for the iPad, iPod, and iPhone (our gift guide for the Mac is already posted) to help you decide which of these products might be the right gift.

[via CNET]

iPad tops holiday wish list for kids originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smartphones at Work (source: iPass)

A new study contains more evidence the iPhone is taking hold at work, even displacing the stolid business-centric BlackBerry as the smartphone of choice. Of enterprise workers carrying a smartphone, 45 percent said the handset is an iPhone versus 32 percent for the BlackBerry.

According to the Mobile Workforce Report (pdf) from researcher iPass, the percent of enterprise employees packing iPhones rose from 31.1 percent in 2010, while BlackBerry users in the workforce fell from 35 percent. The decline in BlackBerry users was largely due to the RIM device not being able to keep up with the growth of smartphones in the workplace, the report explained.

That slowdown was evident in answers to what smartphone business employees intend to buy in 2012. While 18 percent of enterprise workers plan to get an iPhone, just 2.3 percent said they would buy a BlackBerry.

Android in the enterprise came in a close third, just behind the BlackBerry, registering 21 percent of the business market, overtaking Symbian and doubling its market share from 2010. More than 11 percent of enterprise workers said they plan to buy an Android smartphone next year, with 3.6 percent picking a Windows Phone.

The iPass survey questioned 2,300 workers around the globe.

This is probably a dumb question, but have you traded in your work BlackBerry for an iPhone yet? Let us know in the comments.

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Because your friends are your Facebook, Skype’s deepening its integration with the social network and making video chats to your roster of pals possible from within its own app. The popular VoIP service began powering video calling on the site this past summer and is now extending that reach with two new iterations of its software. Both Skype 5.7 Beta for Windows and Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac will offer users the option to link accounts and keep their circle of online friends closer with in-app voice and video calling. Thought you were going to wean off that IV drip of Zuck’s ubiquitous collage of human minutiae? Sorry, friends, we’re all in this together. Every single day and every word you say — we’ll be watching you… cuz that’s what friends are for, so thank you for being a friend or, well, you get the point.

Skype Beta for Mac and Windows adds Facebook-to-Facebook calling, monitor tans to get even darker originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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