Pirates now available on iPad

Every one of us has gone through the pirate phase. Scavenging through the backyard for treasure or charging through the living room, etc. Now users who still have that urge to relive their childhoods can do so with Sid Meier’s Pirates, which is now available for the iPad. Now you can merge your favorite gadget with one of your favorite childhood fantasies (no easy task by any means).

 
The developer, 2K games has certainly put in a lot of effort into this game. Users will play a captain out to save his family from the dreaded Marquis de la Montalban. In the process, you will have to embark on various missions and assemble an awesome crew to get the job done. Thus, it has a perfect combination of action and strategy.
 
The game allows you to customize over 27 ships, weapons and ammunition. The level of detail, graphics and sheer entertainment is sure to bring out that inner pirate within you. The level of customization also ensures that at the end of the day each gamer will have a unique gaming experience.  This also means that you will not get bored of the game any time soon.
 
In addition to the cool customizable weapons, you will also get access to a bunch of mini-games that allows you to test your skills against your opponents.
 
If you have an iPad 2, you can use the camera to create customized pirate profile pictures. The second-generation iPad will also give users access to better graphics and features.
 
Right now, you can get the app at the App Store for $3.99 until July 25, 2011. However, after that you will have to pay the regular price of $6.99. Therefore, if you are interested, it is best that you get it soon as possible. Given the amount of fun you can have with this game, it will be a worthy investment indeed.

Apple Spreading the Joy – App Store Available in 33 Additional Countries

The App Store has most definitely been the decisive factor for people buying an iPhone, iPod Touch and onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.ipadngravy.com');" target="_blank" title="iPad" href="http://www.ipadngravy.com">iPad or not. Apple is now deciding to spread the joy to other parts of the world and have now added App Store support for an additional 33 countries on top of the already large number.

I couldn’t really imagine my device without the App Store. Really, what else could or would you do without the ability to download mobile applications: no tweeting from your iPhone, no checking your Facebook, (although href="http://www.iphonealley.com/news/facebook-to-revamp-its-app-following-significant-criticism">who would even want to?) and no playing those awesome, annoyingly time-wasting games. So, people living in the following countries, be happy:

Algeria, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Montserrat, Nigeria, Oman, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Uzbekistan, Yemen

Obviously, these new additions will bring in a whole more revenue for both Apple and iOS developers, so it’s reasonable and good that Apple have expanded the App Store’s availability.

If anyone from the aforementioned countries is reading this right now, congratulations. How does it feel to have the joy of using the App Store now available to you?

[onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/9to5mac.com/2011/07/22/apple-expands-the-app-store-to-33-new-countries-and-territories/');" target="_blank" href="http://9to5mac.com/2011/07/22/apple-expands-the-app-store-to-33-new-countries-and-territories/">Originally spotted by 9to5Mac]

Aluminum keyboard case for iPad 2 by MIC

The iPad may be a fantastic tablet PC with a brilliant touch screen display but if you have one then you know how difficult it is to type with one. If you want to type fast and furiously then there really is no great alternative to the traditional keyboard. Unfortunately, the only decent keyboards available were the expensive variants including the famous Zaggmate, which could easily put you, back $100. With additional basic accessories, your fully loaded iPad could easily hit $1000 or more.

 

For those without unlimited spending power, we now have the option of the MIC aluminum keyboard case, which provides a reliable alternative to the more expensive models out there (at $50). MIC claims that the keyboard is composed of military grade materials. We cannot verify these claims independently but we can say that it looks and feels very sturdy. In addition, there will be a wireless Bluetooth keyboard, which will come with a US layout and various iPad-dedicated buttons (music, volume, slideshow, home, search etc.)
 
The keyboard will allow you to attach the iPad 2 in both landscape and portrait modes. The keyboard itself will not hog your iPad for power because it will feature an internal battery, which can last for around 90 hours or 15 days on standby. To recharge, you get a very handy micro-USB cable. The long battery life naturally makes this a very good option for travel and research.
 
In addition to the standard features, there will be padded hinges to give your iPad a comfortable grip. The best thing about this accessory is that it weighs relatively little at 12.2 ounces and is only 0.43 inches thick.  This means that it be a very portable device, despite the added functionality.  Overall, this product is highly recommended for those looking for a cheap and durable keyboard option.

App for That: How to use your iPhone as an external keyboard for your iPad

There are hundreds of thousands of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps for just about everything — so how come the one you need, the one you know just has to be there, is so hard to find? Enter TiPb’s new weekly feature where staff and readers alike sort through the App Store and help you find just the right App for That. This week, @Sethran asks:

Do you know of any apps which will let me use my iPhone as an external keyboard for the iPad?

Unfortunately, due to the restrictions on the iOS SDK, there is no app that will let you use your iPhone as a keyboard for your iPad systemwide. However, we think we’ve found the next best thing. To find out, follow along after the break!

External Keyboard [$0.99 - iTunes link] is an app that will let you use your iPhone as a keyboard for your iPad via bluetooth or WiFi, but there’s a catch – you must have the app opened on both devices at the same time in order to do so.

This limitation is a bummer, but it works. On the iPad, External keyboard is web browser and on the iPhone, it’s just a keyboard. Just tap which fields in the browser you’d like to type and start typing away on the iPhone.

There is also a button for email. This opens a blank screen with an option to email what you type. If you choose to email, it pastes your text into a new email where you must use the iPad keyboard to complete. If you need to type text into a different app, you can copy it from this email section, close the app and paste into any app you wish.

Clearly, this isn’t the most elegant of solutions, but until Apple opens up the SDK, it’s as good as it’s going to get.

Anyone else have any App for That suggestions for @Sethran? Let him — and all of us — know.

Having trouble finding what you need in the app store? Send us an email to iosapps@tipb.com and let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll do our best to find you just the right App for That!

Cut the Rope for iPhone updates with new Toy Box

Cut the Rope, the popular puzzle game by Chillingo, has updated with a new Toy Box, achievements and candy types.

Om Nom is jumping for joy with his new Toy Box! Now you can choose to feed him candy, donuts or cupcakes. And Om Nom has been making a special treat for you, too! He has drawn and colored some cute pictures for you to share with your friends, but he has been so busy catching candy he can’t remember where he left them! Will you be the first to find them all and get them back to his gallery?

Cut the Rope is one of my favorite iPhone games! When a new iPhone owner asks for a list of must-have apps, Cut the Rope is always on my list. The gameplay is so fun, yet many times infuriating when trying to get all 3 stars.

Cut the Rope is available for $0.99. Screenshots after the break.

[iTunes link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

iOS 5 beta 4 gallery

While the big news for iOS 5 beta 4 is no doubt the over-the-air (OTA) update switch finally being pulled, there are a few other little tweaks that seem to have slipped in, and like always you folks are doing a bang up job of letting us know.

We’ll keep collecting the new and notable stuff right here, so if you find anything else, let us know.

Screenshots after the break.

[Thanks @jdipane for the top pic]

Apple working on system wide voice recognition “Assistant” for iOS 5?

It looks very likely that Apple will be delivering a fully integrated voice recognition service into iOS 5 when it is released in the fall. 9to5 Mac has uncovered a setting screen which clearly shows a toggle switch for a service called Assistant. The Assistant service will supposedly take voice input to a whole new level, allowing you to control all the core operating system actions with voice. This is not the first time we have seen information pointing to system wide voice recognition and control.

“Assistant” does not work only based off a user’s voice inputs, but Apple will take information – securely – from user’s devices like location, contact’s information, and music metadata to formulate the best information to serve a user’s request. Since Apple will be taking information such as phone contacts and location, we truly think that “Assistant” will work just like the Siri iPhone application does; but fully integrated into the operating system.

Apple is said to be still working on this feature for iOS 5 and it is unclear at this stage if it will be ready in time for the iOS 5 fall release. It does look like this could be an exclusive feature for the iPhone 5 too; similar to how voice control was a feature of the iPhone 3GS but not offered to earlier models when it launched.

Guess we will just have to wait and see. I am really not that excited by the prospect of voice control. Unless it is done perfectly and works every time, it just takes longer to do things and becomes a constant source of frustration!

[9to5 Mac]