Cygnett Workmate for iPad mini

The Cygnett Workmate is a dual shock-absorbing case that will give your iPad mini double the protection. The Workmate is constructed of 2 different materials, a harder plastic and a soft rubber that offers the most protection from any accidental drops and dings that your iPad mini might incur. The workmate is impact resistance and also features raised edges so that when you lay your iPad mini face down the screen of your iPad mini is raised off of the surface you have it laying on.

The Workmate only offers rear and side protection but coupled with a nice clear screen protector your iPad mini will be in good hands. Maybe bad hands if you actually drop it! Don't drop it. But if you are unsure if the Workmate is up to the task for any accidental drops then check out this video that Cygnett recorded showing the iPad mini surviving a drop test.



The Workmate easily slides over your iPad mini and "snaps" into place with ease. Putting the Workmate on the mini is very simple and removing it is just as simple! All the ports and buttons will line-up nicely and I had no problem whatsoever accessing any of the buttons such as the volume rocker or any of the ports such as the Lighting connector on the bottom of the iPad mini. The speaker grills have a nice cut-out that line up perfectly with the speakers built-in to the iPad mini.

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The Workmate does add some slight bulk to the mini but that should be expected as this type of case is built for ultimate damage control. It does not really add much extra weight to the iPad mini though, just a tad bit of thickness. Overall I don't think you will notice the thickness that is added to the iPad mini. It will also add some extra grip to the iPad mini, as with most iThings, they are always slippery feeling but with the Workmate on your iPad mini you will have an extra added grip on your device.

PROS:

• Offers double protection


• Adds grip to the iPad mini


• Dual-shock absorbent


• Easy to slide on and remove


• Impact Resistance

CONS:

• Slight thickness added to iPad mini


• No front screen protection

Overall this is another fine product from Cygnett, I highly recommend the Workmate as I feel it will probably do the best job of protecting your iPad mini from most accidental drops. As with all the Cygnett iPad products I have reviewed this comes with a lifetime manufactures guarantee as well as a 2 year warranty.

You can purchase the Workmate from Cygnett for only $39.99

Be sure to check out my review of the Cygnet FlexiGel iPad mini case.

Is the iPad 4 twice as fast as the iPad 3?

In short yes! And this video will prove it: http://goo.gl/EFneS

In the long version of what I have to say: yes!

And here’s why: After just two days and very little usage on the iPad 4, it is very evident to me I have a new iPad in my hands with a speedier processor. For the conspiracy theorists out there, the video is nice to have, but that could have easily been altered.

The long of why I upgraded

It should be noted that I was very skeptical about the potential performance boost out of an iPad 4 when compared to an iPad 3. I’ve had my iPad 3 since early August. Then when Apple announced an iPad 4 in September, I think it was my district manager who told me of the announcement, I look at him Seinfeld style and pushed him on the shoulder like Elaine did so well and said, “No way! Get out!”

I wasn’t that shocked or “taken aback” by the announcement. I wasn’t mad that I had just purchased an iPad 3. I was just floored by how Apple stepped up and flew the middle finger in the face of macrumors.com and all the crystal ball hags out there.

I had been waiting for a new iPhone to come out for about a year. I mean, the 4S came out at the beginning of my wait, but I wasn’t too keen on moving from Android to iOS for my phone on the platform and frame of an already one year old phone. I wanted a new experience from Apple, so I waited with my HTC EVO patiently; very patently, indeed, did I wait. Then, in early August, I dropped my EVO on the ground and shattered the glass. Believe it or not, the phone still worked great and really didn’t look bad until you powered it down and then it was horrific looking. Everybody told me, “Go to the Jewelry Care Center at the mall, he’ll fix it.” I would always respond, “No thank, I’m waiting for my new iPhone 5 to pop out of Cupertino!” It took almost 50 days from the time I broke my phone until the announcement and then another five weeks or so before I was able to find an iPhone 5.

But, I was patient.

What made me impatient is when my wife went to her recently deceased grandmother’s home in Virginia, 500 miles away, and for some reason we couldn’t call each other. We could call anybody else, just not each other. When she got home, I forced the matter! We bought two iPhone 5’s on day one of her being home! Period.

The cable

I hate cables. I was a trucker for 17 years and I am used to wires, but I still have a hatred for charging cables. Essentially, I purchased an iPad 4 so I could have the same connecter as the iPhone 5 - that sounds so freak’n stupid doesn’t it? I must admit, these are “First World Problems” like I’ve never seen. We could start memes on this reason for buying an iPad 4, but it is the truth. I didn’t buy the iPad 4 for any other reason than cable parity with the iPhone 5.

The Speed Difference

Something happened last night. I noticed on the iPad how much more snappy that new A6 processor is from the A5. I think processor parity might be a good reason to go from the 3 to the 4, as well. I had noticed on the iPad 3 where the Retina, my guess, was slowing the machine down in certain instances. Maybe that’s an oversimplification of the matter, but in the iPad 4 there is no hesitation whatsoever. The A6 does make a difference. From everything like browsing with Safari, to opening and scrolling in G+, FlipBoard, ect., ect., the A6 makes a considerable difference. The difference isn’t just in opening apps. I don’t mind waiting another .5 second or 1 second to open an app. But, I’m talking about the “in app experience.” I honestly thought that Apple was full of marketing bunk when I read the “double your speed over the A5” babble! However, they are for real about it!

So, in the long and short, if you do like I did and sell off your iPad 3 to a friend who must not have the best and newest shiny thing for a $100 hit, I believe in my heart of hearts it’s worth the price of admission to upgrade from the 3 to the 4. My hit was really more than that, because I did go from a 16 GB 3 to a 32 GB 4, but you get the picture.

This post was sent in by Wilson Hines.

Littlest Pet Shop

GameLoft released a new Littlest Pet Shop game this past week for both iOS and Android. On the iOS side of things LPS is available for the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It is free to download and is available in the iOS App Store.

This game does rely heavily on In-App Purchases. If you have smaller children playing this game you may want to disable In-App Purchases on  your iPad or iOS device. If you are unsure how to disable In-App Purchases I have a tutorial video on how to do so, you can check out that tutorial video HERE.

You can download Littlest Pet Shop in the App Store:
Littlest Pet Shop - Gameloft (iPad / iPad mini)
Littlest Pet Shop - Gameloft (iPhone / iPod Touch)

Disable In App Purchases

A quick video tip on disabling In-App Purchases on your iPad. This is really useful if you have small children who use your iPad and they know your iTunes password. So far I have been lucky with my daughter not actually purchasing anything on my iTunes account. Never hurts to set in-app purchases to off so you don't have to worry about it. You can always turn them back on if you need them enabled.

FlexiGel for iPad mini

FlexiGel is a soft, durable, protective flexi-case for the iPad mini made by Cygnett. The FlexiGel will help protect your iPad mini from scratches as well as offering some impact resistance if you were to drop your iPad mini. The FlexiGel only covers the back of the iPad mini so in theory you screen is still left unprotected and you might want to consider purchasing an iPad mini screen protector. The FlexiGel is raised a tad on the front of the case so if you lay the iPad mini face down on a table or desk it will not scratch the screen as the screen is slightly lifted off of the flat surface it is laying on.

The FlexiGel easily slides over the 4 corners of the iPad mini and all the buttons and ports have cut-outs with the exception of the power button and the volume rocker. The power button and volume rocker have soft buttons overlaying the actual button when you have the FlexiGel on your iPad mini. I tested this case with my earbuds and my Lighting cable and had no problem accessing the ports while using the FlexiGel.

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The FlexiGel retails for only $19.99 and it comes highly recommended to help protect your iPad mini from bumps and scratches. The FlexiGel comes in 2 colors: Blue and Black.

Pros:

• Impact Resistant


• Raised Edges


• Easy to slide on/off


• Manufacturers lifetime guarantee


• 2 year warranty

Cons:

• No front screen protection

For more information about the FlexiGel: http://us.cygnett.com/ipad/blue-flexigel.html
Warranty: http://us.cygnett.com/lifetime

Be Back Soon

If you are a reader of Total iPad please hang in there with me, I am dealing with some personal family issues and I should be back to maintaining the site as soon as possible. I have not abandoned Total iPad, I have more to say than ever.

 

Sincerely,
Christopher

 

Posted with Blogsy

Angry Birds Star Wars

Today Rovio launched Angry Birds Star Wars for the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and OS X. Angry Birds Star Wars is the same gameplay as the other Angry Birds games but with a Star Wars twist to it. You play as the birds who represent "The Force" and go to battle against those same Bad Piggies who are on "The Dark Side". If you are a fan of either Star Wars or Angry Birds then this is a must have game.

The price of Angry Birds varies depending on the platform you are purchasing it for:

iPhone/iPod Touch - $0.99
iPad - $2.99
Mac OS X - $4.99

Angry Birds Star Wars also features a couple of In-App purchases, you can opt for Jedi Training which will run you $1.99 or you can purchase the "Big Eagle" which is cleverly disguised as the Millennium Falcon. The Millennium Falcon can be used to finish a level if you find the level to be hard to defeat. The Millennium Falcon In-App purchases range from $1.99 - $19.99 depending how many you want to purchase. The $19.99 version will include some bonus "Millennium Falcon" that can be used during gameplay.

You can purchase Angry Birds Star Wars in the iOS or OS X App Store:
iPad
iPhone
OS X

Clash of Clans

Clash of Clans is a brilliant "RTS/Time Management" style game. Clash of Clans is a universal iOS application that will run on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It is a free download in the App Store but relies heavily on In-App Purchases. IAP are not required but honestly to enjoy the game you will need to purchase gem packs in order to find the game enjoyable or it will take you forever to build your kingdom.

I first learned about Clash of Clans by watching some videos posted on YouTube by Simon Tay. Simon also has some terrific CoC tutorials for offensive and defensive strategies, I highly recommend you check out those videos before diving into CoC.

Overall the gameplay is fantastic, I love these types of games and I used to play an online Flash based game called Evony, Clash of Clans is the first game that comes close to the fun that Evony offered. If you enjoy these types of games I highly recommend you check it out and the fact that it is free to download means it cost you nothing but a few moments of your time.

FEATURES:

• Free to Play


• Build your village into a undefeatable fortress


• Battle with players worldwide and take their Victory Points


• Join together with other players to form the ultimate Clan


• 10 unique units with multiple levels of upgrades


• Defend your village with Cannons, Towers, Mortars, Bombs, Traps and Walls


• Fight against the Goblin King in an epic campaign through the realm

You can download Clash of Clans free in the App Store:

Clash of Clans - Supercell (iPad)
Clash of Clans - Supercell (iPhone)



You can Like Clash of Clans on Facebook
More information on the Developers Website

First look at the iPad mini

Some of the things that struck me as odd:

• The smaller 5W charging block


• Headphone jack on the top


• No retina of course

 

 

iPad mini DROP TEST + WorkMate

In a world-first, Cygnett's Industrial Designer, Shannon Brown, has drop-tested the iPad mini with and without the WorkMate shock-absorbing case.

The heavy-duty WorkMate comprises a two-part construction- a silicone, spark-etched chassis, with interior ridges to disperse point of impact shocks and proud non-slip 'feet'; and a strong polycarbonate shell, with a rubberised coating for an easy-grip, matte finish.

For more info, please visit http://www.cygnett.com/project_workmate

Episode 33 - Belated mini

On this show we discuss the 2 new iPad's, the mini and the 4th generation iPad. Both of which we will probably not be buying, we talk about why and why a new iPad 6 months later makes sense but totally pisses us off.

iPad mini
iPad 4th Generation

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I will be moving the Total iPad feed in the coming months. If you are subscribed to the current feed please re-subscribe using the link above to the new feed. Sorry for the inconvenience, this is only for the actual Total iPad site feed, the podcast feed will stay the same.

Thanks,
Christopher


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LeviSync

A really cool stand that attaches your iPad to your iMac. But that is not all, look at all the additional features this offers for both your iMac and your iPad. More USB ports, play audio through your iMac from your iPad and don't even get me started on how this will organize your desk.



The LeviSync comes with a pretty price tag of $179. For someone like me though who hates a cluttered desk this would be a welcomed purchase. I have not yet ordered it, I only recently discovered this on a post on Google+, also I want to reach out to the company and ask about the new iMac. I plan on updating my current iMac in December so before buying I want to make sure it will work with the new thinner iMac. But if you do not plan on updating anytime soon and you like this, you can find out more info about the LeviSync on the LeviSync website.

Apple releases iOS 6.0.1

If you are an iPad 2 or iPad 3 then a new update is available. Apple released iOS 6.0.1 for iOS devices that are eligible to be upgraded to iOS 6. It is a relatively small update, it is only 51.9MB. It took me less than 5 minutes to download and update my 3rd generation iPad.

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