As 2011 draws to a close, it is natural to reflect back upon the year. It was certainly a big year for iPhones and iPads. The iPhone came to Verizon earlier this year, and then to Sprint later in the year. Apple released a faster and thinner second generation of the iPad with the innovative Smart Cover. iPhones in the U.S. gained the ability to act as a mobile hotspot. Apple released iOS 5 with big improvements to e-mail and notifications, iCloud, Newsstand and AirPlay mirroring. Apple released the faster iPhone 4S with Siri and an improved camera. Tons of new apps were released, including a large number that are designed for, or at least particularly useful to, attorneys, and surveys suggest that about a third of all lawyers are now using an iPhone and over 10% are using an iPad — numbers that have surely increased recently with new iPhones and iPads given as presents over the last week. (I've seen a spike in traffic to iPhone J.D. this week that appears to come from new iPhone and iPad owners.) I hope that in your personal life and your career, you had similar good news throughout 2011, and my hope is that 2012 is an even better year for all of us. And now, the news of the week:
- Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, is known to be a fan of the iPad, and The Telegraph reports that the Prime Minister has directed his staff to create a custom iPad app to help him keep abreast of everything that he needs to know to run the U.K.
- South Carolina attorney Justin Kahn explains how to backup documents that you create in iPad apps.
- Alex Heath of the iDownload Blog recommends 30 great apps for new iPad users. I don't agree with all of his choices, but there are definitely some good ones in there.
- Eli Hodapp of Touch Arcade — the definitive website for iPhone and iPad games — lists the best iPhone and iPad games of 2011.
- The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA recently created an exhibit to honor Steve Jobs and the patents with his name on it. Jeff Benjamin of the iDownload Blog reports on the exhibit and provides a video of what it looks like. It looks pretty neat.
- Apple's new iTunes Match service costs $25 a year and makes it easy to access all of your music from all of your devices. If you are trying to decide whether the service is right for you, Apple created a new, short video on the iTunes Match page of its website to explain what the service offers.
- New Orleans attorney Ernie Svenson writes on his PDF for Lawyers site about the new Adobe EchoSign app for iOS that lets you sign legally binding contracts on an iPhone or iPad.
- Kevin Tofel of GigaOm reviews Winter Wake-Up, a free alarm clock app that automatically wakes you earlier in case of frost or snow. The reviews on the App Store indicates that the app currently isn't working for some, but it is a neat idea for an app. I'll never be able to review it myself because I live in New Orleans (explain to me what this snow thing is again?) but if those of you in colder climates want to give it a spin, click here for Winter Wake-Up (free):
- Speaking of snow, please run to your nearest iPad and do this immediately. Open the Safari browser, then type "let it snow" in the Google search window at the top right and then tap the Search button. Then wait and see what happens. I won't ruin the surprise by telling you what happens next, but after about 15 seconds, be sure to touch your screen. Too funny. (via Justin Kahn)
- And finally, if you are looking for something amusing to do with your iPhone's camera, there is a new, free app from Bad Robot. This is the production company owned by J.J. Abrams that created TV shows such as Lost, Alias and Fringe, and movies such as Cloverfield, Star Trek, Super 8 and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. You can't deny that Abrams knows a thing or two about special effects, and his new iPhone app, Action Movie FX, allows you to add a special effect to a video that you shoot. The app comes with two free special effects: (1) Missile Attack! and (2) Car Smash. You can buy two additional effects for a buck as an in-app purchase, and there are currently two 2-packs available for purchase (in other words, four additional effects). Here's a video from Matt Pearce of Los Angeles to give you a sense of what you can create if you want to spice up your next iMovie. Click here to get Action Movie FX (free):
