New Dark Knight Rises trailer lands ahead of release

The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, is set to hit theaters next week. And many critics are expecting the film to smash all kinds of box office records.

Gameloft is hoping that its new game, of the same title, is going to receive similar attention. With just a week left before launch, the firm has released an awesome new gameplay trailer. Check it out…

If the video’s not enough to pique your interest, perhaps this will. Some of the game’s features have leaked out over in the TouchArcade forums:

“Dozens of missions plus random events will make you feel all the thrill of being a superhero. Deal with hostage situations, bomb squads, jailbreaks and car chases to prove that you’re the true protector of Gotham.

A thrilling fighting system that puts you right in the heart of the action thanks to many different moves and cinematic effects.

Collect items hidden within the city to unlock upgrades and new fighting skills for Batman.”

Overall, the game looks impressive. But we won’t know for sure until it drops next week. The Dark Knight Rises is expected to hit the App Store on July 20th, and we’re guessing its price tag will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $7.

Who’s excited for The Dark Knight Rises?



iPad 2 on sale for $299 at Fry’s Electronics right now

Great news for folks looking to score an iPad 2 on the cheap. It looks like Fry’s Electronics is currently offering 16GB Wi-Fi iPad 2s for just $299 this week.

That’s $100 cheaper than Apple, or any other US retailer, is selling the tablet for. So if there’s a Fry’s in your local area, this is definitely worth checking out…

The deal was picked up by the folks over at 9to5Toys, who are well-known for spotting savings. The site says that this is the best deal they’ve ever seen on a second-gen iPad.

It looks like the sale only applies to in-store pickups (no online orders), and some folks are seeing a price tag of $339. But hey, that’s still a savings of $60 bucks.

Fry’s says stock is limited by location, and the sale ends July 19th.

What do you think? Deal or no deal?



What do you get when you combine the iPhone 5 with the Galaxy S III?

Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Apple’s next-generation iPhone are arguably the two most highly-anticipated smartphone releases of 2012. The S III just recently starting hitting retail stores, and Apple is expected to unveil its next iPhone later this fall.

Choosing between the two will end up being a tough choice for some consumers, as both handsets will obviously have their benefits. But what if you didn’t have to? What if you could have the best of both worlds? Enter the iSung Galaxy V…

The video above is brought to you by the folks at Techradar. It’s essentially a concept mashup of an ‘iPhone 5,’ based on recent rumors, and Samsung’s Galaxy S III. The handset features NFC, Samsung’s Ultra-Shutter tech, and a memory card slot.

We’re still not sure if we’re sold on the rumored two-tone iPhone design, but we have to admit we like the bigger screen. We also like the idea of being able to run multiple applications on-screen at once, even though it’s a bit impractical.

Obviously, there are a number of far-fetched things that would happen in the world (pigs flying, etc.) before Samsung and Apple ever teamed up to design a smartphone. But it still makes for an interesting concept.

What do you think of the iSung Galaxy V?



AViiQ Ready Clips brings tangle proof USB cables for your iPhone

Simply, I hate tangled cables. The most worthless item in your bag is a knotted-up bunch of charging cables and, if you’ve really got a bird’s nest, it can take forever to untangle. Thankfully, everyone at AViiQ shares the common tangled-disaster-pain that ravages the world of technology and decided to do something about it. Ready Clips are here as the antidote and they fit quite nicely in a travel bag…

Design is Function
Ready Clips are designed to be carried like a pen. Standing at 5.5″ with a maximum thickness of around 6mm, the short length and small size allow them to be easily carried alongside your favorite writing utensil.

Ensuring the cable can be found in a moments notice, the integrated clip keeps them in place, thus preventing the typical fumbling around at the bottom of an accessory bag, purse, or briefcase.

In addition to easy portability and a short length, the flat banded cable is bendable yet rigid to prevent tangling. When viewing the product pictures, I imagined the cables to be much more flexible; however, the Ready Clips are surprisingly turgid, which also lends to their tangle-proof design.

It is important to note, these cables are primarily suitable for desktop use, as pictured here. Because the cables are very short and stiff, they are not ideal for use on a wall outlet or on the side of a CPU tower. The clips are perfect for use with a laptop, where the USB connection is essentially on a flat surface.

Conclusion
Starting at $14.99, AViiQ’s Ready Clips are available for Mini USB, Micro USB, and Apple’s 30 pin connector. Thanks to our friends at AViiQ for sending over a set for us to put to the test; I decided they are a great addition for a grab-and-go travel case or for use with a laptop or USB hub. Keep in mind, these are not well suited for general use because of their size and limited flexibility. The Ready Clips fit a niche market, but do so in a convincing way — if you are looking for a quick, portable fix to tangled cord woes, AViiQ has your answer.

Pros:

Only 5.5 inches long
 Sturdy design prevents tangling
Two Apple connectors for $29.99
Cons:

Sturdy design limits usability
Wish the cable was made of one continuous piece instead of two tips and a connector
Do you have problems with dangled dock cords?  Would you ever buy a product for such a specific use?



WSJ confirms Amazon has smartphone in the works

Rumors that Amazon is working on its own smartphone have been bouncing around for nearly a year now. But the speculation has really ramped up over the past couple of weeks.

Following a scoop from Bloomberg last week, a new report is out today claiming that the online retailer is currently testing an Android handset with a 4-5-inch display…

The Wall Street Journal reports:

“Amazon is working with component suppliers in Asia to test a smartphone, people familiar with the situation said, suggesting that the Internet retail giant, which sells the Kindle Fire tablet computers, is considering broadening its mobile-device offerings.

Officials at some of Amazon’s parts suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Seattle-based company is testing a smartphone and mass production of the new device may start late this year or early next year.”

As we’ve said before, Amazon poses a major threat to smartphone manufacturers, with an ecosystem that rivals Apple’s. It has its own app store, media content (music, TV, movies) and a massive e-book library.

But make no mistake, the smartphone space is brutal. Veteran companies like Nokia and RIM are struggling to sell handsets. If Amazon wants to run with the big boys, it’s going to have to come up with something more compelling than the Kindle Fire.

So far, it sounds interesting. We’re imagining a 4-5-inch (well, 5-inches would be too big) device running a forked version of the latest Android release, and chock full of high-end components. If that’s the case, then Amazon might just have a hit on its hands.

Boy, the pressure just continues to mount for Apple to turn heads this fall with the next-generation iPhone, doesn’t it?

Do you think Amazon has a shot at gaining smartphone marketshare?



PhotoMojo, a simple photo editing and sharing app for iPhone

Plenty of photo editors span the App Store but few are as holistic as HalfPeeled‘s “PhotoMojo!” Boasting a clever assortment of photo editing tools that easily surpass Instagram, PhotoMojo! is a crafty and fun attempt to shoulder onto a much larger stage.

The app utlizes the Aviary engine to drive photo enhancements from speech bubbles to filters and offers many ways to share your new favorite photo…

Design
User interfaces can make or break an app and the UI is intuitive, even for a new user. PhotoMojo! is well designed and laid out for the user, but function is where this app truly shines. On the initial load, PhotoMojo! presents a series of annotated screen shots to give the user a quick walk through of the different editing tools, which are located on a simple bottom tabbed navigation system that progresses through different editing features for each photo.

Function
With 13 different editing options, more than 10 camera filters, and a myriad of boarder patterns, one is only limited by his own creativity. Filters are a common place in photo editing apps, which is why the extra bells and whistles add to PhotoMojo!’s appeal.

The editor includes the ability to freehand draw on images, while providing varied brush sizes and colors. In addition, add customizable text boxes and download sticker packs for extra personalization. The photo editor also offers multiple solutions for tweaking images to preferred specifications by: controlling exact blemish locations; auto enhancing photos; shifting orientation; brightness; contrast; sharpness; red eye reduction; and teeth whitening.

To polish it all off, add one of many customizable boarders and then save and share your masterpiece. In-app options include: messaging, emailing, printing, tweeting, saving to Camera Roll, adding to Tumblr, posting to Instagram, and saving to Dropbox or Evernote. NOTE: to save to Dropbox or Evernote, in the current app version, choose “Instagram” to be presented with those additional choices.

Conclusion
PhotoMojo! ($0.99 on App Store) is a well designed addition to the photo editor options for iPhone. With creative ways to interact with photography, HalfPeeled provides an intuitive and well-connected option for photo editing and I greatly appreciate the different ways to push out an edited picture from within the app. While a few smaller details continue to be worked out, such as the Dropbox and Evernote menu options, the app is a good choice for the snap-edit-share lover in all of us.

Pros:

13 editing options
10 camera filters
25 wallpaper boarders
Share photography with Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram
Print from app
Cons:

No obvious “undo” button in the editor
Are you into iPhone Photography?
iPhoneography is a new post series about best apps and practices for taking quality photos with your iPhone. The section is curated by Justin Balog, who is passionate about making mobile photography part of our lives. Simply pulling out an iPhone to take a quick snap shot is only the beginning. Join us on our adventure to get you up-to-speed on the intricacies of iPhone photography.

What makes or breaks a photo editing app for you? Price? Function? Social media integration? Let us know in the comments section below!



Mockups show what apps would look like on 7.85-inch iPad

After a series of reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, the “iPad Mini” has once again become the hotest topic in the tech world. It seems like everyone is getting in on the speculation regarding how, when, and why Apple would release such a device.

Up to this point, one of the most popular arguments against the smaller iPad has been that a 7.85-inch display would render most current apps unusable. So either developers would have to completely redesign their apps, or users would be forced to deal with tiny UI elements.

This theory has already been disproven by a number of pundits, via math and other reasoning. But we’ve come across some mockups that really drive the point across, demonstrating what apps would look and feel like on the smaller screen…

TUAW’S Richard Gaywood took it upon himself to shrink down iPad screenshots of Springboard, Safari, and other applications, to emulate what apps would look like on the rumored tablet.

To see Gaywood’s experiment in action, simply visit this website on any current 9.7-inch iPad. All of the images show up in 7.85-inch form, giving you a fairly good idea of the display size.

As you’d expect, touch targets seem like they’d be more difficult to hit than they are on the iPad, but also easier than on the iPhone. The bottom line here is that apps, without much additional work from developers, would be perfectly usable at this size — though it’d take some getting used to.

Whether Apple is going to actually release a smaller iPad still remains to be seen. That all depends on if it believes there is demand for such a device, and a potential for profit. But between this evidence, and all of the ongoing reports, it’s starting to seem more and more like a possibility. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually a fire. Right?

For those of you who viewed the mockups on your iPad, what’d you think? Usable/unusable?



Electronic Arts teases upcoming FIFA 13 release

Football, known to Americans as soccer, is by far and wide the most popular sport on the planet. So it’s no surprise that Electronic Arts’ FIFA is one of the world’s best-selling video game franchises.

The series’ latest iteration, FIFA 13, is expected to hit all major platforms within the next two months. And EA has started to tease the release, by posting beautiful screenshots of the iOS version…

Looking at these images, it’s hard to believe that this is a tablet title, and not something from a console. EA says that all shots were taken from a third-generation iPad, and FIFA 13 will take full advantage of its 2048 x 1536 Retina display.

But the new FIFA doesn’t just look pretty — EA promises that the game is outfitted with a number of new features and enhancements that will make sure its soccer franchise remains the best in the business. Among those additions are a new Football Club mode, revamped Impact Engine, and more precise dribble control.

FIFA 13 is slated to land in the App Store on September 27th. And we’re hoping that as the date gets closer, EA will hook us up with some video teasers as well.

What do you think? Are you excited about FIFA 13?



CoverMeNot doubles the status bar height for improved banner notifications

CoverMeNot is a brand new jailbreak tweak that does something extremely simple, yet just as brilliant — it doubles the height of your status bar when a notification banner appears on screen. This prevents the banner from covering up the content on your iPhone — hence the name.

Once the banner notification times out, the status bar is resized back to normal. If you’re tired of incoming banner notifications covering up your on screen content, then you need to try CoverMeNot…

The developer of CoverMeNot, cjori, is the same developer behind such tweaks as Dashboard X, so you know you’re dealing with a quality tweak that will be well maintained. Once you install CoverMeNot, that’s all there is to it. There are no settings or options to configure; you’ll simply notice it working whenever you receive a new banner notification.

True, it’s not the most impressive jailbreak tweak in the world, but it’s free on Cydia’s ModMyi repo, and it solves a real issue with iOS’ banner notification system. Apple should take a long and hard look at CoverMeNot, and consider implementing it in an future version of iOS.

What do you think?



Embedded YouTube videos not working on your iPhone? Try this fix

Don’t you just hate it when you see this dreaded image in the place where a YouTube video is supposed to be embedded? If you consistently have this issue, then there is a fair chance you have your YouTube app hidden via a jailbreak tweak, or you have restrictions enabled. Restrictions can be enabled without a jailbreak.

As it turns out, having the YouTube app hidden can result in embedded videos being replaced with the image above. YouTube videos on the actual YouTube site will still play fine regardless, but embedded videos can give you problems if your stock YouTube app is hidden, or you have restrictions enabled.