AudioBooks.com (review)

Tick-tock, tick-tock... don’t you wish you had more free time?  Time for yourself, perhaps time to read?  If you are anything like me, you may find it tough to find the time to sit down, relax, and read.  If so, Audiobooks.com may be a great solution for you.

Why Audiobooks.com?  Well, in today’s busy, multi-tasking world, it is quite challenging to take the time to read.  When I attempt reading time, I become edgy and do not have peace of mind, because I know there are other productive tasks that still need to be finished. With Audiobooks.com, I am able to read (via listening) while I clean, exercise, walk, hike, commute, and travel.  I love every minute of it.  I feel almost as if I’m in “The Matrix,” having knowledge downloaded into my brain. This, imo, is multi-tasking at its finest.

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Audiobooks.com features over 15k of the most popular titles available for listening.  The unique thing about Audiobooks.com is that they have an unlimited, all-you-can-read plan for $29.95 per month.  It comes with a free seven-day trial available.  You need to enter in your payment (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, or PayPal) details upon signing up for the free trial.  After the free trial ends, you will be charged $29.95 per month.  So if you do not want to continue after the free trial, be certain to set a reminder for yourself on the seventh day (or sooner) to cancel.  However, should you want to continue the service, simply do nothing and your membership will continue.  There is not a penalty to cancel... no contracts!  If you prefer a-la-carte, there is a $19.99 per book option as well.

There are several ways you can listen to Audiobooks.com... from your browser directly on your Mac or PC (compatible browsers per their website are IE9, FireFox 15.0, and Safari 6.0, however I found it worked wonderfully in Chrome as well). You can also download the free Audiobooks.com app for iOS or Android.

I have been using the Audiobooks.com app on my 3rd generation iPad, iPhone 4s, and Samsung Galaxy S III.  The thing I really enjoy about the app is that the titles are synced at the account level.  Meaning that if I start listening on my GS3, then move over to my iPhone 4s, then hop onto the computer to listen in my browser, and then open the iPad Audiobooks.com app, it remembers where I left off via “Resume.” Also, as I browse the titles online, I am able to “Save for Later,” from the website, or via the app with “Save Book.”

Upon listening to the title in the app, after three minutes the title will download to your device.  This is great so that you will not have to stream the content.  If you are traveling and do not have data connectivity, this option really comes in handy.

I have been listening to audiobooks for many years, and am thrilled to have Audiobooks.com as a source for listening to some of my favorite book titles.

Pros:

• Unlimited Books


• Over 15k titles and growing


• Best Sellers


• Clean UI


• Resume feature


• Download to Device feature


• Accessible on iOS, Android, and via web

Cons:

• Playback is not offered at faster speeds (1.5x, 2x, 3x)


• Title library is limited upon comparison with competition

Overall, I recommend Audiobooks.com.  It is easy to quickly consume audiobook content, especially if you have commutes. "Unlimited Listening" is quite a bargain.  Try it free for seven days, and see if Audiobooks.com is a fit for you!


Download the free audiobooks application for your iPad in the App Store: Audiobooks - Audiobooks.com

Top iPad Stories - (October 8 - October 14)

Happy Sunday everyone. It is now mid-October and we still have not seen an official announcement about a smaller iPad yet but it is rumored to be coming on October 23rd. I believe the rumors this time as Mr.Dalrymple of The Loop gave his official "yep" to a report about an announcement. Most of the links this week are dominated again by the smaller iPad but one interesting link is about Office for iOS and it might finally make it to the iPad in the spring.

As usual I have links for developers, review, app, and tip of the week. Be sure to check out the App of the Week it is a beautiful magazine application for the iPad and probably the first magazine app that is done right. I am quite impressed and I am sure you will be also.

Top Stories:

Cloud 101: Find My Friends app gets iOS 6 update
Apple said to have ordered over 10m ‘iPad minis’ from suppliers this quarter
Unsubstantiated change to unannounced iPad mini leads
Office 2013 for iOS to release ‘sometime after’ March 2013
‘iPad mini’ likely to be Wi-Fi-only
Eric Schmidt talks Apple
Apple’s rumored Oct. 23 iPad mini event

Developers:

Presenting View Controllers
iOS 6 GUI PSD
iOS Device Summary
CTObjectiveCRuntimeAdditions

App of the Week:

The Magazine: For geeks like us.
Download The Magazine

Review of the Week:

AudioBooks.com

Tip of the Week:

Easily Hide Photos On Your iPad By Cropping Them Down

Bonus:

iPad Mini Info-graphic

Twitter for iPad (updated)

Yesterday Twitter updated their iPad app adding a few useful features to the app. Sadly the app is still awful looking, it basically looks like the mobile web version of Twitter which is not a great thing. I personally do not like the design and do not use it on my iPad but I know many do.

If you want a beautifully designed application to use for Twitter, you should really try Tweetbot by Tapbots




What is your opinion of the official Twitter app for the iPad? Do you like the design? Please let me know on Twitter @TotaliPad.

The iPad Clock

You know this icon, correct?



Apparently Apple was accused of plagiarizing the design made famous by watchmaker Mondaine. Today Apple reached an agreement with the Swiss railway operator SBB to license the use of the clock image. Does it look similar to the clock? Yes. But, don't all clocks pretty much look the same?

The Verge has more details about this deal.


Have an opinion or comment about this? Let me know on Twitter @TotaliPad.

LIMA SKY ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIPS TO DEVELOP RANGE OF DOODLE JUMP TOYS AND GAMES

Lima Sky the makers of the fabulous Doodle Jump game that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago announced a new partnership to develop toys based on the game. Good for them, I am sure my daughter will be begging me for a Doodle Jump plush before long.

Doodle Jump is coming home. Lima Sky, creators of the award-winning, bestselling mobile gaming classic, is today proud to announce a hand-picked team of world-class designers and manufacturers to craft a complete line of Doodle Jump toys and games for all tiers of distribution. Global exclusive master toy licensee, Innovation First International, and the other licensees will work directly with Lima Sky, including founder Igor Pusenjak, to ensure each product meets the standard of charm and excellence that Doodle Jump fans have come to expect.

“Lima Sky prides itself on giving Doodle Jump fans a rewarding experience, both in terms of visual aesthetics and elegance of gameplay. Our ambitions for consumer merchandise are the same: quality of product and design sensibility must meet exacting standards,” noted Eric Karp, Chief Licensing Officer of Lima Sky. “To fulfill on that promise, we’ve chosen best in class partners to create merchandise that Doodle Jump fans will bring into their lives.”

Joining the Doodle Jump family is Innovation First International, creators of the wildly popular and internationally recognized HEXBUG® Micro Robotic Creatures brand, and the industry leader in robotics and electronic toys, has begun developing a broad assortment of novelty, collectible and robotic toys. The company is also teaming up with Gund – a division of Enesco and the most celebrated soft toy manufacturer in the world – to design a collection of both premium and value priced plush toys, for Doodle Jump fans of all ages. Retail partnerships for the summer 2013 global launch will be announced shortly, along with dozens of other licensees in every product category.

“Doodle Jump is one of the last untouched powerhouse app brands. We are thrilled to bring this modern classic into the homes of fans globally with our broad assortment of toys and collectibles,” stated Chris Troyak, president of Innovation First Labs, Inc.

With tens of millions of downloads across multiple platforms since its original release in 2009 – making it a consistent chart-topper on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore – Doodle Jump’s fan base reaches a diverse set of consumers well beyond the toy market. As such, Lima Sky will partner with a number of distinctive creators and designers in unveiling an extensive set of gaming and style products.

In addition, Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE), a leading manufacturer of coin operated games is working with veteran game developer Raw Thrills to create Doodle Jump Arcade, a high-definition, coin-op arcade version of the original title. The game is displayed on a vertically mounted 42 inch tall high-definition monitor. Doodle Jump Arcade is playable at the biggest arcades in the country, including Dave & Buster’s and Chuck E. Cheese’s.

About Doodle Jump
Doodle Jump is an Apple Design Award-winning game and one of mobile gaming’s most successful titles. First released in 2009, Doodle Jump has earned continual praise for its excellence in innovation, performance, and user experience, while its addictive yet accessible gameplay has made it a must-have classic and the #3 All-Time Top Paid iPhone app. Doodle Jump is available on the iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Nokia Symbian, and Windows Phone platforms.

About Lima Sky
Lima Sky, creators of the bestselling Doodle Jump, is an award-winning video game and app development studio. It was founded in July 2008 by Igor Pusenjak, a graduate and faculty at the MFA interactive design program at Parsons School of Design in New York, and Marko Pusenjak, a veteran mobile applications developer. As one of the world’s leading independent publishers, Lima Sky is dedicated to creating entertaining and innovative games across multiple platforms.

About Innovation First International
Innovation First International and its subsidiaries (VEX Robotics, Inc., RackSolutions, Inc., and Innovation First Labs, Inc.) are the undisputed leader educational and competitive robotics products, and a growing developer of consumer robotics toys. Incorporated in 1996, Innovation First International is a privately held corporation that was founded on the belief that innovation is necessary very early in the design process to produce simple and elegant product designs.

About Gund
GUND, a division of Enesco, LLC, is known worldwide for its top quality, soft and huggable plush designs and gift products. Award-winning GUND products appeal to all ages, from infants up, and are perfect for both play and collecting. The 114-year old company is based in Edison, New Jersey, and distributes throughout the United States and Canada as well as in Europe, Japan, Australia and South America. GUND products may be found in gift, specialty, toy, book, museum and department stores and many other retail outlets.

About Innovative Concepts in Entertainment, Inc. (ICE)
Innovative Concepts in Entertainment, Inc. (ICE) has been a manufacturer of coin operated amusement sports and skill redemption games since 1982. Today, ICE carries one of the largest, most prolific product ranges in the coin operated industry. We sell our products into over 70 different countries around the globe. Our commitment to product quality and reliability as well as after sales parts and service is unparalleled.

About Raw Thrills, Inc.
Raw Thrills, Inc. was founded in 2001 by Eugene Jarvis, Andrew Eloff, and Deepak Deo to create the finest arcade video game entertainment for the world market. In 2006, Raw Thrills merged with renowned game development studio Play Mechanix, founded in 1995 by George Petro, a former designer of Midway Games, to create a new world leader in arcade games. Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix develops hit arcade games of all styles.

The iPad Mini Infographic

All the iPad Mini rumors targeted in a single post. All these rumors really help build the hype for the device, I just hope we get it soon I am getting tired of rumors I want the real thing.



VIA: Gimmitech


Are you excited about an iPad 'Mini/Air' or to be on the safe side a smaller iPad? Let me know on Twitter @TotaliPad.

Episode 31 - Android users are old

On this episode of Total iPad we discuss two topics:

• What age should you teach your child how to use email


• Who has the older users - iOS or Android

Jennifer gives her opinion on audiobooks.com and the iPad app. She is currently reviewing the app and her written review and video demo of the app will be posted on totalipad.com very soon. My opinion is it's a terrific application and I recommend you check it out. It is free to download.

Show Notes:
Maily
Download Maily
Total iPad Mailing List via MailChimp
iOS and Android Age Group Demographic
Audiobooks.com
Download Audiobooks.com

Tip:
Hide Newsstand

Follow Total iPad on Twitter @TotaliPad