This has been a big week for rumors, with more discussion of a possible iPad 3 introduction in less than two weeks and talk of the possibility that Microsoft will soon release a version of Office for the iPad. We'll find out soon enough if there is anything to the rumors. In the meantime, here are the iPhone and iPad news items of note from the past week:
- We now have three good options for legal research on the iPad: WestlawNext, Lexis Advance (which I reviewed yesterday) and Fastcase, a free alternative that I've long considered a must-have app for any attorney with an iPad. Fastcase was recently updated to add a Mobile Sync feature so that you can link the account you use on your computer with the iPad/iPhone account. Thus, you can save a document in one platform, and it will show up in the saved items list on other platforms
- I use Chase bank, and I love the ability to deposit a check on my iPhone using the Chase app without having to go to a bank or ATM. Citibank has now added this great feature to its app.
- Quickoffice, one of the best apps for viewing Microsoft Office files, was just updated to add Office 2010 support. I use this app all the time; my big gripe is that it doesn't have support for footnotes or the ability to view track changes.
- Ryan Faas of Cult of Mac discusses increasing support by IT departments of the consumerization of technology. In other words, employees are buying their own iPhones and iPads and looking to their iT departments to support them.
- Tim Nudd of AdWeek discusses (and shows) every commercial that ever ran for the iPhone. I've always loved the first one, the "Hello" ad that ran during the Oscars in 2007.
- Attorney Bill Latham of The Hytech Lawyer reviews 7Notes HD Premium, an app that converts handwriting to text.
- Attorney Tom Mighell of the iPad4Lawyers site has an article in Law Practice Magazine about getting the most out of your iPad.
- David Pogue of the New York Times reviews OnLive Desktop Plus, a way to run Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer on an iPad in a virtual environment. It's an interesting app; I just started trying it out today and I'll post a review soon.
- A few days ago, ABC's Nightline took a look at the factories that make iPhones and iPads. You can watch the video here on your computer; the program is not yet available in the ABC Player app for the iPad but I presume that it will be soon.
- You know the noise that your iPhone or iPad makes when you slide to unlock it? John Brownlee of Cult of Mac reports that it is actually the click of a vice grip opening.
- Horace Dediu of Asymco reports that Apple sold more iOS devices in 2011 than all of the Macs that it has ever sold in 28 years. Wow.
- Rob Dean of WalkingOffice provides a tip for using the "Open In" feature to save legal opinions on an iPad.
- And finally, for those of you who love personal protection as much as you love your iPhone, you'll love the SmartGuard Pepper Spray iPhone case, available from Sabre Red for only $34.99: (via AppAdvice)
