Dictation is a fantastic, Siri-like service on iPhone and iPad that, at the tap of a mic button, transforms what you say out loud into text on the screen. But sometimes that mic button ghosts over, grays out, and otherwise becomes un-tabble. That kills the natural-language interface, makes apps less accessible, and can otherwise stop your productivity dead.
Luckily, there's a fix, even if it's only slightly less annoying then the problem!
It's debatable whether we'll ever see the release of the jOBS movie outside its initial screenings, but the show, as they say, must go on. And to that effect, actor Ashton Kutcher -- who played the late Steve Jobs in the movie -- is here at the CTIA conference in Las Vegas. We'll be liveblogging the conversation this morning, starting at 9:30 a.m. PDT -- that's 12:30 p.m. on the East Cost. Join us!
Made from a high grade glass with a 9H hardness rating, VITREO is shatterproof, allowing it to absorb more impact than your regular screen protector and prevent damage from occurring to your screen. The VITREO's surface feels just like the device's screen without interfering with optical clarity while giving you an extraordinary level of protection.
We knew it was coming, but now Mailbox for iPad is here! Released today into the App Store, Mailbox for iPad provides the same great email experience as the iPhone version but optimized for the larger screen. The iPad version comes by way of an update to the main app.
Excitement is building in Adelaide, Australia ahead of this Saturday's opening of their first Apple Store, and judging by these photos the store is looking fantastic! iMore forums member mglivesey kindly sent us some photographs of the completed store as he eagerly awaits the big day.
Microsoft has launched their new Windows 8 commercial, and appears to have recruited Siri to help them take on the iPad. OK, so Siri would never do such a thing, but they're licensing the same voice, and it achieves the same effect. The 30-second clip takes aim at what the iPad can't do, that a Windows 8 tablet can. The whole thing is a parody of an Apple ad, right down to the chopsticks played on Garageband at the end.
An update is due to hit for Google Chrome on iOS in the coming days, and with it we'll see their new voice search capabilities added to the Omnibox. Having just rolled out a similar feature to Google Chrome for Mac -- albeit using the Google home page instead -- it seems the iOS version is next on the list.
Twitter for Mac has received its second update in a matter of weeks, and this time we're treated to Notification Center support. It's been a long time in coming, especially considering the number of competing apps that already have the same support, but it's better late than never. This comes just a few weeks after the app was updated to support the Retina Display MacBook Pro.
Clear, the beautiful, gesture-ridden list-keeper for iPhone, has been updated with the ability to share lists via email. Instead of just a text based email, Clear also includes an attachment that allows recipients to open the list with the Clear app.
iPhone and iPad accessory maker Otterbox has announced that they're buying iPhone and iPad accessory maker LifeProof. "OtterProof" -- as I'm sure someone will be calling them since "LifeBox" is probably taken? -- CEO Brian Thomas had this to say:
