Just shortly after we reviewed Life on Earth, we found some pretty outspoken article on The Guardian by Matt Britland, head of ICT at Kingston Grammar School.
Following the introduction of iBooks 2 and Apple’s interest into textbooks and iBooks Author, many observers are now arguing how much these tools will help/impact school education.
Matt’s pick?
Is this really the digital revolution that Apple would lead us to believe? Or is simply an update of CD-ROM textbooks on an expensive mobile device? Is this something students will buy into or am I looking …

Provided this is just a preview of the upcoming biology digital textbook, you’ll get a sample chapter “Introduction to Ecology” and a glimpse of (maybe) the best iBook around.
Sponsored by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and Professor Wilson himself, this iBook is so well done you’ll want to learn everything about Biology!

Anyway, besides the topic and content, this 51-pages iBook is one of the very best examples of what can be done with iBooks as an educational tool.
It’s so full of widgets, not just high-quality video, but plenty of javascript …

{EAV:475f0ad9367c78fa}Avid has launched a new video editing iPad app, which it hopes will give Apple’s iMovie a run for its money, and is Avid’s first prosumer video editing app for the iPad.
Avid Studio for the iPad enables you to quickly arrange your clips in the Storyboard, make precision edits using the Timeline, and add high-quality transitions, effects, and soundtracks to your movie footage.
The Avid Studio app combines a storyboard and timeline interface, where users can arrange clips in the storyboard, then use the timeline for precise cuts. It also offers …

Karaoke comes to the iPad – so you can sing, record, share and have fun – all with the magical touch of your iPad!
With your iPad as your karaoke stage and studio, you can sound like a pro, record your stellar performances, and share your favorites with one touch!
Soulo’s innovative features get you inside the song like never before.
SING with built-in pitch enhancement so you’re always in key.
Turn the lead vocals up if you want to hear them or down if you’re ready to take the …

Are you Flickr-addicted?
Are you a pro-am photographer?
Meet Indicommons for iPhone and iPad!
The Indicommons application provides a new way to access the wealth of historical imagery and information from around the world that is found in the Commons. No matter where you are, you can browse through the various institutions’ collections, or search the Commons for items of interest. If you have a Flickr account, you can also help enrich the Commons by adding tags and comments to the various Commons items directly from the application.
Where exactly does Commons come from?
Here’s …

According to an IBM report, iPhone, iPad rose up to 13 percent of all online purchases on Christmas.
More figures show that on December 26, online sales rose by 27.8 percent compared with 2010.
Eyeing online sales across 500 retailers on December 25 and 26, IBM’s latest holiday benchmark report found a surge in cybershopping from mobile devices.
A full 16 percent of all online traffic recorded by IBM came from mobile devices, a surge of 109 percent from last year.
The great – and strange news come from the fact that purchases …

Blogger TechMoan has gone a bit further with Apple fanatism by recycling a Mac Classic case (the Mac was actually defunct) a putting together one of the coolest iPad docking station, charging and speaker…

By the way, Mac Plus case went for some 9 bucks on eBay….
[Via TechMoan and Hirac]

You may already know Box.net, the online simple file storage.
Box.net gives you from 5 GB (free) up to 1 TB (or unlimited, paid) storage space to enjoy team collaboration, cloud computing or just an easy way to backup files, photos and your stuff (check here for correct pricing and plans).
This kind of services seem the perfect companion to iPads and iPhones: without even using iTunes syncing (nor iCloud) you can have the same photos, videos, PDFs (on iBooks, for examples) wherever and whenever you want it!
Here at theiFile.com we use …

In July we wrote about Flipboard for iPad and this social media aggregator has become huge since then.
Today, Flipboard becomes available for iPhone and with a stable release too!
A new personalized-reading app for the iPhone is being launched by Flipboard, the design-centric company that led the customized-news charge with its app for iPad.
News can be rapidly browsed with a thumb flick from the hand holding the iPhone, like a digital Rolodex.
As you may expect, signing up a (free) account on Flipboard bring the same content, RSS-feeds and windows arrangements and …

Sting’s app: celebrating 25 years of solo career, Steve Jobs and… a “message in an iPad”?

Here we are, shortly after the iPad Skype app, Facebook has finally launched its official iPad app, after (literally) months of speculations and leaks.
Facebook for iPad, now available in the iOS App Store (update: it’s still rolling out), looks much like the version that leaked in July. The app is designed primarily as a consumption experience, which is why the app emphasizes photos. Photos take up the entire screen, and users can pinch to zoom in on them. Navigating through a photo album is done simply by swiping left or …

When it was released, a long time ago, Skype for iPhone has turned on high expectations around a specifically-designed version for iPad which was announced and never released for a loooong time.
Now the wait is over! iPad owner can now download the very iPad-only Skype version on iTunes App Store!
Was it worth the wait? Let’s see.
Skype for iPad leverages the huge screen estate, enabling a completely different communication experience with the world-leading VoIP software, be it with video-calling features or in chat mode.
Some features have been customized for the …

Blog Artatm just published a nice selection of iPad Wallpapers just to enhance the basic and default wallpaper of yours!
Check and download all iPad wallpapers here!

Flipboard has been a long-time favorite here at theiFile.com.
Today they’re announcing the new content guide!
Tap on the red ribbon at the top of your Flipboard to open the Content Guide. Here you can quickly browse great content, add social networks, or use the search bar to find any topic, blog, or person you want to check-out on Flipboard.

This time may be the right time: the iPad (specifically the iPad 2) is getting an iPad-specific version of the beloved Skype app – with working cameras!
That’s cool for most users that still haven’t moved to the Facetime side of modern communication!
ZDNet has been able to preview the iPad-specific version of the Skype app and published several new pics along some pretty info.
Performance issues and worries?
Although Skype for iPad will work on both iPad versions, you’ll only be able to broadcast video from the iPad 2, since it has a …

Business Insider reports in detail on iPad usage, hours per day, user experience, other mobile device comparison etc.
Some interesting facts:
28% users have promoted their iPad as primary computer
31% of computing daytime is now spent on iPad (vs. other devices)
36% is browsing time on iPad
more than 70% use between 1 and 10 apps (almost always the same app…)
3G iPads are slightly more than 54% (and 3G users are keen on buying some data plan)
iPads are not directly seen as ‘competitor’ to MacBook Air
Guess what? No iPad 2 competition – yet!
[Via BusinessInsider]

Apple’s latest iOS tablet isn’t just for fun or the home and office as the Apple iPad 2 can also be used as a good educational tool, and as such Kindergartners in Auburn, Maine are to get given an Apple iPad 2 to use in the classroom.
According to an article on The Sun Journal, reporter Bonnie Washuk says, “The $200,000 cost for the iPad 2 tablets will be less than hiring more teachers. It probably would take four teachers to do what the computers can do with one teacher.”

Apparently some …

Update to our previous iOS 4.3 post: iOS 4.3′s new Personal Hotspot works on iPhone 3GS – albeit only with cable and Bluetooth pairing!
Long-time friend Enrico has just tested iOS 4.3 on an iPhone 3GS and checked that Personal Hotspot, the internet connection sharing feature of 4.3, runs happily although only via the iPhone cable or a Bluetooth-paired connection.
So, as far as we know, Wi-Fi sharing is available only for iPhone 4.
As a result, iPhone 3GS users can still enjoy their beloved toy and share connectivity to iPad (non-3G) or …

Apple iOS 4.3 is now available for download from Apple for all iPad, iPhone 4 and 3GS, iPod touch (3gen and 4gen)!
We’re now testing and trying out all new features and will report soon.
A brief feature list include:

improved Safari Javascript engine and overall speed
Airplay: now greatly enhanced and available to most multimedia devices in your home!
iTunes sharing (at last!)
Personal hotspot (iPhone 4 only): the perfect solution to turn your iPhone 4 into a wireless gateway for all devices (and get over tethering).