Speck's New HandyShell Gives iPad 2 Users a Better Grip on the Go

Press Release Source: Speck On Friday June 3, 2011, 1:16 pm EDT

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Speck has unveiled its latest innovative, protective hard-shell case for iPad 2: the endlessly useful and multi-functional HandyShell. Completely unique, the HandyShell features a flip-out thumb ring handle that gives iPad 2 users an easy, secure single-handed grip on the go. The versatile handle also functions as a stand for portrait or landscape viewing, and can be used in a number of other ways—it works as a carry handle, and will even hang on a wall. For images, please visit http://www.speckproducts.com/media-library/C71/.

"We're all really excited about this product," said Bryan Hynacek, Director of Design at Speck, "HandyShell fills the need for a protective iPad 2 case that makes one-handed use a snap. Plus it's probably the most versatile, multi-functional case we've ever developed—we haven't even figured out all the ways to use it yet!"

The HandyShell is designed with an extended front bevel that provides an extra level of screen protection. It also features a raised section on the back of the case for a firmer, more comfortable hold. HandyShell is now available online at www.speckproducts.com.

About Speck

Founded in 2001, Speck is a worldwide leader in fun, functional and stylish cases, bags and more for iPhone, MacBook, BlackBerry, iPad, and tons of other personal electronics. Their distinctive, protective and awesome products are all designed in-house in?Palo Alto, California, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. For more info, visit?www.speckproducts.com.

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iPad gives sight to legally blind woman

BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) - Evelyn O’Brien of Wilbraham says an iPad now allows her to see things she hasn’t seen in decades.

Evelyn has been legally blind for more than 30 years. One day, though, she looked over at her daughter's iPhone and realized she could read what was on the screen. Ever since then, her life hasn't been the same.

Evelyn was diagnosed with Macular degeneration when she was 51 and has been legally blind since then. Macular degeneration is a disease of the eye that affects more than 10 million Americans.

When her daughter, Connie, handed her an iPad she could see. Evelyn explained, "Pictures of my kids, I never really saw them until this came to my life, and boy what an eye opener, pardon the pun."

When Evelyn looks at a person she can't see their face, but by using the iPad she can zoom in and see details she hasn't seen in over 30 years.

Usually the disease does not affect the eye's peripheral vision. So with zooming in, it allows Evelyn to see more. "And I now see the whole face. Maybe a little bit of the nose is missing," said Evelyn.

Her daughter Connie O’Brien told 22News she was overcome with joy when her mom first could see using the iPad, "She hasn't seen the five children in 30 years, and she just could not believe. Her remark was 'the good news is I've lived to see you get old, the bad news is you're old!'"

Evelyn can read, watch videos, and surf the web.

For decades, she's been traveling to Boston to visit her doctor Dr. B. Thomas Hutchinson of the Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston.? He was just as surprised and pleased as everyone else. "In years past it just couldn't be done because the instrumentation was such that it was expensive, it was not portable you had to sit at a given place to be able to read."

That has changed everything in Evelyn and her family's life. "When she handed it to me she said to me, 'here's the world' and she absolutely gave me the world, because I'm back in the world," remarked Evelyn.

This may not be able to work for everyone but Dr. Hutchinson says it's worth a try for anyone with this disease.

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Time Inc Gives Free iPad Access to Print Subscribers

Time Inc has secured a deal with Apple that will bundle free iPad access to print subscribers, according to a Wall Street Journal report. If you have a print subscription to Time, Sports Illustrated, or Fortune, you will be able to log into the iPad versions of the publications and get the electronic editions for free starting today.

Until now Apple did not allow publishers to bundle print subscriptions, so users of the Time Inc. titles (except People) had to pay extra to get the iPad editions of print magazines. But the new deal will allow print subscribers to log in with their credentials in Time Inc's iPad apps and download the titles for free (it's still business as usual for digital subscribers).

Apple Loosens Grip On iPad Subscriptions

The details of Time Inc's deal with Apple are still unclear, but it is a softening of Apple policy. Under initial terms, subscribers had to use Apple's subscription system to sign up for an iPad edition of a publication (via in-app purchases), enabling Apple to keep 30 percent of the revenue and control over user information.

This has led to most magazines selling individual issues within their iPad apps, in most cases at higher prices than their print counterparts. In this context, Time Inc's deal with Apple to allow free print subscriber access to iPad editions is a positive step forward in Apple relaxing rules for publishers, allowing for greater flexibility.

But the deal with Time is not even near the end of the story. Apple and publishers still have room to talk about handing subscriber information, an important part of how publications monetize readership; and we have yet to see whether other large publishers will play ball with Apple's rules or will try to eschew Apple's 30 percent cut from everything sold in the App Store.

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Apple, Time Inc. Deal Gives Magazine Subscribers Free iPad Access

Time Inc. has signed a deal with Apple that will allow print subscribers to access iPad versions of its magazines for free.

Starting Monday, subscribers to Fortune, Sports Illustrated, and Time can read these magazines on their iPad by entering an authentication code identifying themselves as print subscribers, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Magazines have struggled to take off on the iPad. Earlier this year, Apple unveiled a subscription platform for the App Store that awarded 70 percent of revenue to publishers and 30 percent to Apple. However, many publishers found the financial terms to be unfair, and said they wanted full control of subscribers' personal information.

"We frankly don't want Apple to have a stranglehold on this business," Rick Levine, Conde Nast's director of editorial operations, recently told

WWD.

A majority of consumer magazines have an iPad edition now, and it's not that they've been totally unsuccessful. In fact, many publications such as Men's Health and Wired had huge launches on the iPad, with impressive initial download numbers. But the numbers weren't sustainable, and their second month in the App Store brought steep declines in sales.

The introduction of the subscription model hasn't kick started iPad magazine sales, either. Absent any other more favorable agreement, the Journal notes that publishers haven't figured out what to do, aside from making iPad issues free to print subscribers.

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Time Inc Gives Free IPad Subscriptions to Print Subscribers

Reports in the Wall Street Journal and CNet seem to confirm that Time Inc.-the parent company of Time, Sports Illustrated, and Fortune-has reached a deal with Apple to make the iPad editions of its magazines free to its print subscribers. As the Journal notes, this change may "signal a possible resolution between Apple and publishers."

When Apple launched iOS subscription support in February, the company mandated several pricing requirements: Publishers were free to sell subscriptions outside the App Store, but were required to match or better those deals from within the app. (Apple, of course, also takes 30 percent of in-app subscription sales.) That ruling seemingly precluded publishers from offering discounts to print subscribers.

At first blush,?Monday's news suggests that Apple has revisited this policy, as subscribers to Time's print magazines will, after authenticating within the appropriate app, get free access to the iPad edition. New versions of those apps released on Monday already integrate the free support for print subscribers. (Time's People Magazine app began offering such a feature in August 2010.)

It's worth noting, however, that Time's apps don't offer any in-app subscriptions. Non-subscribers can purchase individual issues within Time's apps, but the only way to subscribe is by going the print route. Of course, Apple's policy requiring that apps offer comparable in-app subscription offers reportedly doesn't take effect until June 30, so Time's approach may well change before that date rolls around.

(Image Caption: The iPad version of Sports Illustrated updated on Monday with support for free subscriptions.)

The Journal reports that Time's general counsel Maurice Edelson met frequently with Apple vice president of Internet services Eddy Cue to make the subscription deal. Neither the Journal nor CNet had received a response from Apple regarding the policy change by press time, nor has the company responded immediately to Macworld's own request for comment.

For more Macintosh computing news, visit Macworld. Story copyright c 2011 Mac Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

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A High Table Gives You the High You Need

What would the world be like without tables? We eat on tables. We use our computers on tables. We play card games on tables. There are tables in almost every room of our homes. That includes the living room, dining room, basement, and bedrooms. There are tables of all heights. Most tables have four legs, though they can have just about any number. Tabletops can be any shape, from round to octagonal. And tables can be made of wood, plastic, marble, or just about any other material the designer can dream of. In particular, life would be flat without a high table.

Height Matters

Tables that we use every day are of different height. Tables such as end tables and coffee tables are relatively low. This allows us to easily reach down to pick up our glass of soda or TV remote control. These tables are also proportional to chairs and seats around them. Medium-height tables include those that we dine at, as well as computer tables. If these tables were much lower or higher, using them would be a hassle. Instead, they make it a cinch to type on our computer keyboards or to cut the steak on our dinner plate. Lastly, a high table, such as a bar table, is also at the proper height. It is ideally paired with very tall chairs or stools.

Casual Kitchens

The high table is generally less common than tables of other heights, but it is of equal importance when creating décor for a home, office, or business. The hustle and bustle of modern life has made dining at home less like a typical Sunday dinner. The image of an uppity butler named Jeeves announcing, "Eh hem...Dinner is served!" has been replaced with our mother, wife, or girlfriend telling us, "Just nuke the leftovers in the fridge!"

A high table, such as a bar table, blends the casual appearance of a breakfast bar, with the formality of a dining room table. These tall tables are the best thing since sliced bread, which you could definitely serve in them.

High Table Help

Granted, you might need to use yoga to fit your whole family around a high table. But a high table's perks outweigh its drawbacks.

* It is the perfect height for bar stools or counter stools, which are all taller than usual stools.

* A trend in many new homes today is the inclusion of a spacious room with a breakfast area. For this function, the high table is a perfect fit!

* Sitting or standing at a high table puts you at the same conversational level. So, your neck will not get a workout while you talk to someone who is standing at the table.

* It is perfect for kitchens areas that combine cooking, eating, and entertaining. In particular, you can talk with the cook without craning your neck.

* A high table can be either casual or formal and can complement any kitchen décor.

A life without tables would be like a song without words or a chair without a seat. So, be sure to pick a high table that can lift you to the high life!

See how high your high table [http://www.simplybarstools.co.uk/retro-bar-table-p-572.html] can take you! Visit SimplyBarStools.co.uk now and find furniture you can live with, from high tables to designer bar stools [http://www.simplybarstools.co.uk/designer-bar-stools-c-3.html] or any of the avant garde bar stools in UK.