What was Read it Later?

Read it Later/pocket allows you to save webpages you come across when surfing on your PC/Twitter/Zite/Flipboard and save it for offline reading, I find an interesting article and I hit the Read it Later button built into a lot of apps and it’s saved. I then sync up iPhone/iPad with the service by launching the app and all the articles I’ve bookmarked are downloaded fast and formated for the device Im using.

So, I’m on the train, have ten minutes to spare and I whip out my iPhone and read the article I bookmarked and synced before I left for work, not needing a 3G or WiFi signal…. simply genius on a train!

So, pocket?

The new service gives a much improved interface on the web app (Where you can manage your articles) and the mobile apps. It’s really nice to use. Everything else seems to work as well as it did before.

Oh and it’s free!

Pocket is a free download for iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, and your browser. All are available from this link pocket Sign up for a pocket account and make the best use of the idle minutes you have during the day!

Related articles

• Read It Later becomes Pocket, goes free for all (tuaw.com)
• Read It Later’s app goes free and gets a new name, Pocket (paidcontent.org)

Available direct from http://wingstand.com/ for ???? It’s about to get it’s backing… so a price will be expected soon!

WINGStand Montage from Wing Stand on Vimeo.

A while ago I reviewed the iPad Koodoo stand, a stylish way to store you iPad safely and securely. I gave it a great review and I still use it daily in my front room when charging the iPad. (Works just as well with the iPad 2)

The only small issue was the price, originally launched at £34.99 it was a little on the expensive side for some tastes. Koodoo have now reduced the price to a bargain £22.99!

STOP THE PRESS! Theres currently a sale on also! Bringing the price down to £16.99

Buy now at Amazon.

According to the New York Times:

People briefed on Facebook’s plans say that in coming weeks the company plans to introduce a free iPad application that has been carefully designed and optimized for the tablet. The app has been in production at Facebook for almost a year, going through several design iterations, and is now in the final stages of testing, according to these people, who declined to be named because they were discussing confidential product plans.

“The photo and video experience is amazing, offering full resolution and full-screen images,”

So when will it arrive? The whisper on the streets is this week!!

However for some the extra precision a stylus can offer is a must, and latest to arrive for the iPad is the Wacom Bamboo Stylus.

Just what you would expect from Wacom. Simple but elegant, Bamboo Stylus further enhances numerous applications designed for the iPad by allowing users to express themselves and personalise their work. The stylus brings a more accurate and precise way to take notes in meetings and classroom settings or to sketch out rough ideas while on the go. It gives creative thinkers the opportunity to be expressive and visualise their life.

Backed by Wacom′s 25-plus years as the world′s leading manufacturer of digital pen tablets and interactive pen displays, Bamboo Stylus is highlighted by its subtle design elements, sophisticated black and silver design with satin-textured metal body and balanced weighting. In addition, the fine tip gives the user more detail control.

The tip of the stylus is 25 % slimmer (6 mm vs. 8 mm) in diameter than most of the solutions on the market today. Combining ergonomic comfort and a firmer feel, Bamboo Stylus enriches the way in which users interact with their slates. Ideal for handwriting notes, giving a personal touch when editing documents, drawing, sketching and much more – users can now be even more creative.

Benefits

• Improves experiences with applications for sketching
• Sophisticated black and silver design with satin-textured metal body
• 25 % slimmer tip than other solutions on the market (6 mm vs. 8 mm)
• Weight-balanced design
• Smooth soft conductive tip for best pen-on-screen feeling
• Pen dimensions: 9 mm diameter and 120 mm length
• Pen weight: 20 g
• Exchangeable pen nib
• Compatible with all media tablets using capacitive touch technology

Available from 23.05.2011 for € 29,90

Official iPad keyboard.

The official iPad keyboard is a great when your iPad is static, sitting on your desk perhaps. You are limited to only portrait docking which isn’t the best solution when using some typing apps, but it is well designed (hey it’s Apple what did you expect?) and looks good.

Pros: Great for your desk, charges your iPad as you work.

Cons: Bulky if you want to put it in your backpack, you have to remove you iPad cover if you use one.

Available for £56.93 at Amazon

Apple Wireless Keyboard

So you want a more travel friendly solution? You could do worse than looking at the official Apple wireless keyboard. These usually ship with the current range of iMacs but being bluetooth it’s very easy to setup and use it with an iPad. Unlike the official iPad keyboard its not as bulky and a great deal easier to slip into your backpack without the docking attachment. This allows you to use the iPad in Portrait or Landscapes modes with ease. It is however an extra item you will need to pack in your backpack if your travelling.

Pros: Light and less bulky, allows your iPad to be used in any position.

Cons: It’s another item you need to pack, you may even need a stand for iPad, your iPad is not charged by the keyboard.

Available for £52.75 at Amazon

ZAGGmate Case and Keyboard

The ZAGGmate case offers Aircraft-grade aluminium protective case, with a built in bluetooth keyboard. A really good solution for anyone that travels with an iPad and needs a keyboard from time to time.

• Aircraft grade aluminium with a bead-blasted, hard-anodized finish that matches the iPad
• Military grade high-density padding for superior drop protection
• Innovative hinge provides ten angles for viewing and typing in both portrait and landscape orientations
• Stylish, thin and lightweight
• Large, flat base allows for use on a soft or uneven surface such as a lap or on a bed
• Embedded wireless Bluetooth physical keyboard
• Special function keys for music control, volume control, slidewhow, home, search etc

Pro’s: Protects your iPad, all in one solution, iPad can be used in any orientation, keyboard rechargeable.

Con’s: Does not charge your iPad.

Available for £89.95 from MobileFun.co.uk

The Koodoo stand is shipped in 100% recylcable material, with the stand nicely protected by a recyclable drawstring bag.

Once out of the bag you notice immediatly how thick and sturdy the stand is, made out of one solid peice of Perspex and heat folded to create an eye pleasing and light stand. There are no joins, glue or screws holding it together, just the crystal like material sweeping in one wonderful continous movement.

The Perspex is very clear only having the koodoo logo etched onto the back of the perspex and 2 cut outs allow the iPad charging cable to travel from the rear of the stand and to the iPad whilst it’s in it’s vertical position.

The perspex does protude a small ammount at the bends owing to the laws of physic, but rather than grind them off which I imagine would leave a milky none transparent finish koodoo have left them protude just that little amount which I personally commend them for.

In use the stand is very stable, the centre of gravity with the iPad on is perfectly aligned in the centre of the stand and the balancing lip is slightly inclined to hold your iPad safe both in portrait and horizontal mode. I’ve used it with both an official iPad case, and gel type skin and ‘naked’ all of which worked great on the stand so your not just limited to using the stand ‘naked’.

The height is enough to allow a wireless Apple keyboard to be parked beneath your iPad if you want to keep a keyboard close

It’s simple and well designed using a nice material. Overall it sits perfectly in my home surroundings (Meaning my Girlfriend hasn’t asked me to move from the front room!) and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a grownup iPad stand.

Buy now at Amazon.

Price – £34.99

Price now dropped to  - £22.99

Rating: ★★★★★ 

The Dockem is a simple tablet or smartphone accessory that let you dock your device on the wall, or any vertical surface. It features a simple, but quite useful design with two parts that act as shelves for your iPad or other devices.

Take a look over at PadGadget

The cash infusion has spurred The Daily into a high-profile hiring spree over the past couple of months. So far, Angelo and his team have brought in a number of top-notch journalists from media outlets such as the New Yorker, the Daily Beast, Forbes, AOL and Politico.

With the large investment I’m hoping for a quality publication, Im slightly concerned it may by too US centric, but I’ll reserve judgement until I see it.

Only 1,000 customers took advantage of a subsidy that reduced the cost of buying an iPad to below £200 from as much as £700 in its first week of sales, according to industry sources.

Orange was the first network in the world to offer the iPad on a subsidised basis in the same way that mobile phone contracts are sold. 3 followed its example, while Vodafone has yet to start selling subsidised iPads.

Orange expected to sell tens of thousands of iPads over Christmas, helped by a lavish marketing campaign. But customers were not tempted to subscribe to a long-term £25 a month deal on top of monthly broadband and mobile phone contracts. A spokesman for Everything Everywhere, which owns Orange and T-Mobile, declined to comment on the sales figures, but said iPad sales had grown significantly in the run-up to Christmas.

The Times (Subscription required)