iNews Review

iPad May Disrupt Sleep Patterns, Stay Connected in Severe Weather, iPhone Rumor Roundup, and More

This Week's iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Apple TV News

Compiled by Charles Moore and edited by Dan Knight - 2012.08.31

Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered in The 'Book Review, and general Mac news is in Mac News Review. Older Macs are covered in Vintage Mac News. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.

Purchases made through links to Amazon.com and Apple's iTunes/iBook/App/Mac App Store support Low End Mac.

News, Reviews, & Opinion

Rumor Roundup

The Competition

Apps & Services

Accessories

iPod Deals

These price trackers are updated every month.

News, Reviews, & Opinion

Your iPad May Be Disrupting Your Sleep Patterns

PR: Depending on how much and how long, light from self-luminous tablet computers can affect evening melatonin, delaying sleep, according to a new study from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, which is conducting research that can aid in the development of circadian-friendly electronic devices.

Study participants viewed the tablets without goggles, through orange-tinted goggles capable of filtering out radiation that can suppress melatonin, and through clear goggles fitted with blue LEDs to suppress melatonin.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland at night and under conditions of darkness in both diurnal and nocturnal species. It is a timing messenger, signaling nighttime information throughout the body. Exposure to light at night, especially short-wavelength light, can slow or even cease nocturnal melatonin production. Suppression of melatonin by light at night resulting in circadian disruption has been implicated in sleep disturbances, increased risk for diabetes and obesity, as well as increased risk for more serious diseases, such as breast cancer, if circadian disruption occurs for many consecutive years, such as in nightshift workers.

The LRC study shows that a two-hour exposure to electronic devices with self-luminous backlit displays causes melatonin suppression, which might lead to delayed bedtimes, especially in teens.

The research team, led by Mariana Figueiro, associate professor at Rensselaer and director of the LRC's Light and Health Program, tested the effects of self-luminous (backlit) tablets on melatonin suppression. In order to simulate typical usage of these devices, 13 individuals used self-luminous tablets to read, play games, and watch movies. Results of the study, titled "Light level and duration of exposure determine the impact of self-luminous tablets on melatonin suppression," were recently published in the journal Applied Ergonomics.

"Our study shows that a two-hour exposure to light from self-luminous electronic displays can suppress melatonin by about 22%. Stimulating the human circadian system to this level may affect sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime," says Dr. Figueiro. "The actual melatonin suppression values after 60 minutes were very similar to those estimated using a predictive model of human circadian phototransduction for one-hour light exposures. Based on these results, display manufacturers can use our model to determine how their products could affect circadian system regulation."

The results of this study, together with the LRC predictive model of human circadian phototransduction, could urge manufacturers to design more circadian-friendly electronic devices that could either increase or decrease circadian stimulation depending on the time of day - reducing circadian stimulation in the evening for a better night's sleep, and increasing in the morning to encourage alertness. In the future, manufacturers might be able to use data and predictive models to design tablets for tailored daytime light exposures that minimize symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and sleep disorders in seniors. Individuals would be able to receive light treatments while playing games or watching movies, making light therapy much more enjoyable than just sitting in front of a light box.

Along with Dr. Figueiro, co-authors of the study are LRC Director and Professor Mark S. Rea, LRC Research Specialist Brittany Wood, and LRC Research Nurse Barbara Plitnick.

"Technology developments have led to bigger and brighter televisions, computer screens, and cell phones," says Ms. Wood, who used the study as the basis for her masters thesis. "To produce white light, these electronic devices must emit light at short wavelengths, which makes them potential sources for suppressing or delaying the onset of melatonin in the evening, reducing sleep duration and disrupting sleep. This is particularly worrisome in populations such as young adults and adolescents, who already tend to be night owls."

In the study, the participants were divided into three groups. The first group viewed their tablets through a pair of clear goggles fitted with 470-nm (blue) light from light emitting diodes (LEDs). This was a true positive condition because the blue light is known to be a strong stimulus for suppressing melatonin. The second group viewed their tablets through orange-tinted glasses, capable of filtering out the short-wavelength radiation that can suppress melatonin; this was the dark control condition. The third group did not wear glasses or goggles. Each tablet was set to full brightness.

In order to accurately record personal light exposures during the experiment, each subject wore a Dimesimeter close to the eye. The Dimesimeter is a small calibrated light meter device developed by the LRC that continuously records circadian light and activity levels. Last year, international magazine The Scientist named the LRC's Dimesimeter as one of the Top 10 Innovations of 2011.

The research team established that duration of exposure and the distance between the eye and the display, which determines the amount of light reaching the back of the eye, affects melatonin levels. Melatonin suppression after one hour exposure to the tablet was not significantly affected. However, after a two-hour exposure there was significant suppression.

The type of task being performed on the tablets also determines how much light is delivered to the cornea and, therefore, the impact on evening melatonin levels. As shown by the teams Dimesimeter measurements, the range of photopic illuminance levels at the cornea from the tablets alone varied from 5 lux, which is not likely to affect melatonin, to over 50 lux, which would result in measurable melatonin suppression after a two-hour exposure. Therefore, before any generalizations can be made, it is important to measure how much light one is receiving from these self-luminous devices.

Until manufacturers develop more circadian-friendly electronic devices that increase or decrease light exposure based on time of day, Dr. Figueiro has several recommendations to reduce their effects on sleep: "We recommended dimming these devices at night as much as possible in order to minimize melatonin suppression, and limiting the amount of time spent using these devices prior to bedtime," she says.

The study was funded by Sharp Laboratories of America.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) is part of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, NY, and is a leading university-based research center devoted to lighting, offering graduate education in lighting, including one- and two-year master's programs and a Ph.D. program.

How to Keep Your Mobile Phone Connected During Severe Weather

PR: With Mississippi and Alabama residents and businesses being pummeled by the onslaught of Hurricane Isaac this week, C Spire Wireless offered some timely tips on how to make sure your mobile phone or smartphone continues to work during severe weather conditions.

By following a few simple reminders, you'll be able to use your mobile phone in any situation.

"We live in a wireless world so when severe weather or a natural disaster strikes, individuals, families and emergency responders depend on their wireless phones as a lifeline to the outside world," says Eric Hollingsworth, vice president of Network Operations for C Spire Wireless. "We are committed to providing our customers with the best network coverage, but there are some simple steps they can take to ensure that their device works in every situation."

When severe weather strikes, commercial power often is disrupted and wireless networks must rely on back-up diesel generators and batteries. While C Spire's network can operate for days without commercial power, there is a tremendous increase in wireless traffic volumes during and immediately after a storm as impacted customers use their mobile phones for voice calls, text messages or browsing the web.

"We engineer and design our networks to handle large volumes of traffic, but during these types of emergencies and natural disasters, there is unprecedented demand for service from outside and inside the affected areas," says Hollingsworth. "By following a few simple reminders, you'll be able to use your mobile phone in any situation."

Hollingsworth says there are six easy steps consumers can take to stay connected to family and friends during and after a storm or natural disaster.

  • Place voice calls only when necessary; limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free up wireless networks for emergency agencies and first responders.
  • Send brief text messages rather than voice calls. Text messages require less network capacity and are more likely than voice calls to reach their destination during periods of high network congestion.
  • Charge your primary wireless phone battery in advance of the storm and secure back-up batteries and either a vehicle charger or portable battery charger.
  • Keep your mobile phone, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location. Use waterproof accessories or simple zip-lock storage bags to protect your device.
  • Use your phone only when you really need it. When the battery is extremely low, turn phone off unless in use.
  • Turn down the brightness on your mobile phone screen and turn off services that you don't use.

To help customers prepare for a potential hurricane and its aftermath, C Spire has activated its mobile website with links and information on weather, traffic, evacuation routes, gasoline availability, power outages, school closings, hotel information, news, maps, and more. The site can be accessed through the mobile web at www.cspire.com/storm on a mobile phone or with a personal computer at http://www.cspire.com/hurricane

C Spire also has activated its #STORM hotline, which is accessible by dialing #78676 from a mobile phone or by calling toll-free 1.888.276.8845. Customers can also get updates on the network and other news via social links by following the company on Facebook and Twitter.

The company is coordinating its emergency response preparations with local, state and federal agencies, including the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the offices of Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley.

C Spire Wireless is a Mississippi-based regional carrier with nationwide CDMA coverage that carries the iPhone and offers unlimited data plans at very competitive rates.

Do-It-Yourself iPhone 4S Battery Replacement

iMore's Allyson Kazmucha says if battery life in your iPhone 4S is getting worse and worse, or it just won't hold a charge, you can easily perform a DIY replacement, allowing you to get lots more life out of your device and prevent having to buy a new iPhone before you absolutely have to. If you're soon to be out of warranty or otherwise not covered for exchange or replacement, or if you're just a DIY type who wants to learn more about the inner workings of your iPhone, this tutorial has you covered.

Who Inherits Your iTunes Library?

SmartMoney's Quentin Fottrell chronicles yet another issue where the copyright paradigms developed in the 19th and 20th centuries are woefully inadequate and inappropriate for the digital era of the 21st.

Fottrell notes that many of us will accumulate vast libraries of digital books and music over the course of our lifetimes, but when we die, our collections of words and music may expire with us.

He observes that while someone who owned 10,000 hardcover books and the same number of vinyl records could bequeath them to descendants, legal experts say passing on iTunes and Kindle libraries would be much more complicated, and one's heirs stand to lose huge sums of money.

Publisher's note: Nonsense, nobody is going to "lose huge sums of money" because of this. Just make sure your heirs have your account ID and password, and there should be no problem continuing to use the ebooks, music, videos, and apps linked to that account. dk

Rumor Roundup

Summary of New iPhone Rumors

The French blogsite NowhereElse.fr has posted a fantastic infographic (in French and English) summarizing the main rumors at the time revolved around the release of the iPhone 5 and accompanying each with a probability percentage.

iPhone Rumors InfographicEditor Steve Hemmerstoffer invited some renowned colleagues to join them in the game of prognosis, with Sebastien Page and Cody Lee of iDownloadBlog, Steve Kovach of Business Insider, Buster Heine of Cult of Mac, Zach Epstein of BGR, and Mikey Campbell to AppleInsider agreeing to participate, and the beautiful graphics artwork credited to Yoann "Dne" Madec and Solne "Sosoa" Renaudin.

Publisher's note: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and ring/donut/concentric circle graphs are much more difficult to comprehend than bar charts, although they certainly can look prettier. As a disciple of Edward Tufte, I can only say that simpler is better. dk

New iPhone Launch in September, iPad mini in October

AllThingsD's John Paczkowski reports that Apple's new 7.85" iPad mini will be launched at a separate event in October, subsequent to the next iPhone's September 12 announcement.

It seems logical to the point of no-brainerness that Apple would choose to separate two huge new iOS device announcements rather than dilute their news cycle impact, to say nothing of supply channel logistics.

Official Name of iPad mini to Be 'iPad mini'

The Japanese Apple-watcher blog Macotakara's Danbo reports that according to Asian source, the name of Apple's new smaller form factor product, which is expected to have 7.85" display and has been provisionally referred to by rumoristas, bloggers, and enthusiasts as "iPad mini," actually will be named "iPad mini" officially. Macotakara's source expects that the "iPad" logo will be printed on back of case similarly to "iPod" being printed on iPod nano and iPod touch.

Danbo also relays an interesting rumor that the "new iPad" will be replaced with a micro-dock equipped one, and a Japanese mobile operator (which currently operates the iPhone 4S but not iPad) will add this new iPad to their lineup.

The Competition

Amazon Expected to Unveil New Kindles at Sept. 6 Media Event

AppleInsider's Sam Oliver reports that Amazon has announced it will hold a media event on Sept. 6, prompting speculation that the company plans to unveil a new lineup of Kindle tablets and e-readers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Designed for Higher Margins than iPad

PR: IHS iSuppli's senior director of teardown services Andrew Rassweiler reports that Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 could deliver a better margin than the market-leading iPad - but only if Samsung can maintain its target selling prices - according to a physical dissection of the media tablet conducted by information and analytics provider IHS's Teardown Analysis Service.

Rassweiler says a preliminary analysis of the component cost of the Galaxy Note 10.1 reveals the HSPA+ version of the media tablet carries a bill of materials (BOM) of $283. When basic manufacturing costs are added in, the cost to produce the tablet increases to $293 for a device that sells for approximately $640 in the world market.

The table below presents the preliminary results of the IHS iSuppli teardown analysis of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 media tablet. Note that this teardown assessment is preliminary in nature, accounts only for hardware and manufacturing costs and does not include additional expenses such as software, licensing, royalties or other expenditures.

preliminary summary of major component costs in Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1For the WiFi-only version of the Galaxy Note 10.1, the BOM is estimated to decline to about $260. US retail pricing for this version has been announced at $499.

For comparison, a similarly equipped third-generation New iPad with WiFi and 16 GB of NAND flash memory carried a cost of $316 at the time of release and a retail price of $499. Consequently, Samsung should be able to garner a larger margin on the Galaxy Note 10.1 than Apple did for the New iPad - at least on paper.

"With the Galaxy Note 10.1, Samsung continues to seek the magic formula for a media tablet that can rival the iPad's market penetration," says Rassweiler. "And where some other tablets introduced in recent times generated small or no hardware profit, the Galaxy Note 10.1 could turn a decent per unit margin for Samsung, and stands to be a money maker - if the company can extend the recent success of the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone to its tablet line."

At their original sales prices and BOMs, the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire generated little or no hardware profit - instead trying to make money using more complex business models involving online services.

However, maintaining the opening sales price over time has proven to be the Achilles heel of many a vendor.

"The hardware profit margin for the Galaxy Note 10.1 only holds true if Samsung is able to maintain its initial price. And therein lies the rub: no Apple rival has yet demonstrated the capability to actually sell in volume at $499, instead falling back on price cuts in order to drive volume," says Rhoda Alexander, director, tablet and monitor research for IHS.

Samsung Inside

As IHS recently noted, one of Apple's major competitive advantages is its dominance in semiconductor spending. This allows Apple to command more favorable pricing from its suppliers, helping to reduce its costs and expand its profit margins. However, Samsung can counter this advantage by leveraging its own internal sources of supply.

"Samsung is a behemoth in the electronic industry and its competitive strength lies in its control, via internal sourcing, of a large percentage of the components that go into its final products," Rassweiler observes. "This allows Samsung to keep costs down, while delivering competitive differentiation. The company's internal sourcing strategy is certainly in evidence in the Galaxy Note 10.1, where Samsung supplies the memory - both flash and DRAM - as well as the core processor, battery and many other components.

Furthermore, some of the key components in the Galaxy Note 10.1 that are sourced from other suppliers are identical to devices found in other current Samsung products.

By using cross-platform components, Samsung can better leverage pricing with outside suppliers, and further reduce the incremental cost of developing other devices, Rassweiler observed.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 features a quad-core Samsung Exynos processor, the same recently found in the Samsung Galaxy S III handset. The tablet also has the same Intel Corp. wireless chipset found in the Galaxy S III, which includes the PMB9811 and PMB5712 devices.

No Technological Trailblazer

The IHS iSuppli teardown of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 reveals the tablet isn't breaking new ground in terms of technology. As is usually the case with such hardware releases, each device offers only an incremental set of improvements compared to the previous generation.

However, the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 in some regards does up the ante for media tablet hardware. The new-generation quad-core processor is sure to make a tangible performance improvement, and will be the main upgrade driver for many consumers.

A feature that the iPad does not have but which the Galaxy Note 10.1 possesses is the hybrid touch screen, which features not only conventional capacitive touch sensing, but also gives users the option of using a Wacom digitizer pen. Wacom's pen is passive: it requires no battery or power source, or cords - like a mouse - but works using inductive pen sensing. Essentially one can use the Galaxy note to write on, but still utilize it as a conventional touch tablet.

Battery Charge Up

Samsung supplied its own battery pack, which features higher-than-average energy density for a Li-Polymer battery pack at about 520 Wh/L energy density, compared to the typical 450 Wh/L for Li-Polymer.

Beyond the BOM

Although the IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service bill of materials numbers might lead some to conclude that Samsung stands to make about 50 points of margin on this Galaxy Note 10.1, there are more cost pieces to this puzzle than materials and manufacturing costs.

As IHS always notes, our BOM costs do not include non-material and other expenses, such as software and development. Once these additional costs are factored in, what might appear to produce a massive margin for Apple and Samsung is somewhat smaller.

As recent court documents surfacing from the patent battles between Apple and Samsung show, Apple's gross margins for the iPad are not nearly as high as those for the iPhone. Based on IHS iSuppli BOM estimates and expected retail prices, Samsung may be able to yield slightly better margins per unit than Apple on this product.

IHS iSuppli's market intelligence helps technology companies achieve market leadership. Catch the latest teardown, BOM cost, bill of materials from all across the world straight from our immensely experienced analysts. iSuppli provides comprehensive IHS iSuppli's Teardown portal provides deeper insights into bill of materials, BOM cost, photo analysis and graphical representation of electronics.

Apps & Services

QikShare for iOS: Quickly Share Your Dropbox Files with Bump

QikShare for iOSPR: iVinnyApps has introduced QikShare 1.0, its new productivity app for iOS devices. QikShare is simple. It lets you navigate your Dropbox files and quickly bump them to other users, then the file automatically downloads to the recipients device and uploads to their Dropbox. If you don't want to "bump" then you can email them or view the files. You can even print the files. For those not familiar with "bump", it is an NFC-like technology that lets you share data with a physical touch (a bump motion) between two devices.

Features

  • Bump integration
  • Dropbox integration
  • Printing files
  • Emailing files
  • Opening files in other apps

Bumping iPhones has a simplicity and futuristic attraction that many will find appealing. The user interface is very stylish and attractive. The big "b" button in the center of the TabBar just screams "Tap Me!". Users will figure out how to use the app fairly quickly because the actions that can be performed five you the next step. (i.e.: clicking on a file asks you whether you want to Bump or View. When you open the app it asks you to connect to Dropbox.) There are very few apps that are as simple and useful as this app. it has great potential to become a verb in and of itself.

Device Requirements:

  • iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 3/4G iPod touch and iPad
  • Requires iOS 5.1 or later
  • 6.6 MB

QikShare 1.0 is 99¢ (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Productivity category.

Postcard - Individually Designed, Sent Worldwide Lets Users Send Real Postcards with Custom Photos and Personal Signature

Postcard - Individually Designed, Sent WorldwidePR: iOS device users who want to send a truly memorable greeting to a friend, family member, acquaintance, customer, or anyone else can easily do so by downloading the new app Postcard - Individually Designed, Sent Worldwide.

Designed by vukee, Postcard - Individually Designed, Sent Worldwide lets users send a stamped postcard bearing their personal signature to anyone in the world. They simply choose photos from their archive, Facebook, or Instagram, then use the app's interface to create a truly memorable postcard.

Once finished, they select the addressee from their address book, add their signature for a personal touch, purchase postage via PayPal or credit card, and enjoy quick worldwide distribution.

"While electronic communication such as email can be an effective way to communicate, for some occasions nothing can replace the unique pleasure of receiving a personalized postcard from someone who cares," comments Merle Dehn of vukee. "Postcard - Individually Designed, Sent Worldwide is a blend of the old and the new. Postcard - Individually Designed, Sent WorldwideIt captures the traditional fun and pleasure of postcards, and brings it into the 21st century with digital signatures, customized photos, electronic postage payment, and mobile device technology. The app is perfect for sending invitations, sharing vacation experiences, businesses that want to reach their customers in a unique way, and so much more."

Postcard - Individually Designed, Sent Worldwide is available at iTunes.

Users also enjoy a money back guarantee if they aren't 100% satisfied. Since its release, the app has garnered 5-star reviews from satisfied users

The app, which is offered in English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad, and requires iOS 4.2 or later.

Accessories

iTypewriter: Retro Input for Cutting-Edge iPad

PR: Edinburgh-based product and Industrial designer Austin Yang's iTypewriter is a typewriter for the iPad for users who enjoy the old feeling of typing and also the latest technology.

Yang notes that older users who've never used a computer or iPad can use this familiar typewriter input device and type in the familiar typewriter operation way, for a specific group of users providing an easier way to type on the iPad. He also notes an nostalgia dynamic whereby veteran users can recollect old experiences and memories invoked through the device's familiar appearance and haptic feedback. Instead of stroking on the screen with no feedback, this product provides strong haptic feedback as users experience the physical strength transfer from the keypad to the movement of each key

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e42ylHtkQ5M

Does it come with White Out?

CruxSKUNK Transforms iPad into MacBook Air Surrogate Laptop

CruxSKUNKPR: Brian Probst's CruxCase CruxSKUNK turns your iPad into a powerful laptop that he says skunks all other keyboards, hence the unlikely name,

Probst notes that Crux has been busy making keyboard cases for iPads for about two years now, and needless to say they've learned a lot about design, manufacturing, and getting a product to market. The CruxSKUNK is the culmination of everything they've learned, he says, claiming that no other keyboard case can touch the fit, finish, attention to aesthetics, and detail that they've put into the CruxSKUNK, with over eight patents pending on the technology that comes in the device, which maintains the simplicity of the iPad while staying true to Apple's design aesthetic and perfectly compliments the style of the iPad. He says most people who've shown the CruxSKUNK to have mistaken it for a MacBook Pro.

CruxSKUNKAt 19 mm, the CruxSKUNK and iPad combination is about as thin as a MacBook Air and weighs about the same, so it's just as easy to carry around, and the CruxSKUNK's 6 mm base is claimed to be the thinnest keyboard for your iPad on the planet. This full-sized QWERTY keyboard is raised above the plane of the surrounding aluminum and has special function keys at the top for frequently-used functions .

For Bluetooth connectivity you'll only have to go through the pairing process once with your iPad, which will thereafter remember your CruxSKUNK .

CruxSKUNKThe CruxSKUNK features a patent-pending hinge that allows for 360 degrees of rotation, letting you use your iPad in a multitude of positions.

The three main parts of the CruxSKUNK are machined from a single piece of aircraft grade aluminum in the exact same process that Apple machines its MacBooks and iPads. The Aluminum parts are then sandblasted and anodized to give them the same finish as the iPad.

Probst says they plan to have their first production samples coming off of the production line in the middle of October. Once all of the samples and components check out they'll begin full production late October. The device's various components will be manufactured and assembled in China where some thermoplastic hardware parts for the CruxSKUNK - hinges, hinge covers, keyboard, buttons, rubber feet and pads, PCB, battery, weight, and other small screws and hardware parts are in production and ready to go.

CruxSKUNKAll that's left is to start machining the aluminum parts and commence final assembly and packaging, the plan being to have the CruxSKUNK shipping at the beginning of December, just in time for Christmas.

Probst says the CruxSKUNK's 350 mAH battery need only to be charged once a month, and the device is compatible with both the the iPad 2 and 3rd generation New iPad. The CruxSKUNK automatically turns your iPad on and off as you open and close the case, and features foam padding on parts that touch your iPad.

Us+U Swivel ProFolio Case for the New iPad

Us+U Swivel ProFolio Case for the New iPadPR: Us+U has launched its Swivel ProFolio for the third-generation iPad. This case utilizes the Us+U patent-pending Swivel Technology handle that gives users the freedom to rotate the iPad 360 degrees in any direction, while holding it in one hand.

Swivel ProFolio features a self-adjusting hand strap, center-mounted pivot and a hinged back panel to give users easy access to any angle that they want or need, whether they're taking notes during a meeting or catching up on their favorite television show at home or on the go.

According to Brian May, Us+U Founder and Lead Designer, "We wanted to take the existing success of the previous model and rework it to make it even better than it was before."

Features

Us+U Swivel ProFolio Case for the New iPadRotating Handle: The fully rotating/swiveling handle is completely self-adjusting. The self-adjusting hand strap (handle) is designed to avoid annoying Velcro sounds. This key design feature is paramount in professional business situations, and allows users to effectively use their iPads without calling so much attention to them.

Work Mode: The built-in, flush-mount kickstand is perfect for typing on the iPad's keyboard or for viewing the iPad's screen at a lower angle. The Swivel ProFolio's typing kickstand also has a convenient center cutout, perfect for using the iPad while resting it on one leg.

Corporate Use: The Swivel ProFolio is an ideal iPad case for commercial, enterprise and personal use. Us+U says both the Swivel Pro and Swivel ProFolio iPad cases for the iPad 1 and iPad 2 are in use at some of America's largest companies, ranging from pharmaceutical and healthcare to automotive and financial industries. The new Swivel ProFolio can accommodate both the iPad 2 and iPad 3.

Us+U Swivel ProFolio Case for the New iPadVideo Mode: The Swivel ProFolio's design accommodates multiple upright angles for watching videos or using the iPad in an upright viewing angle. The ability to adjust the upright angle is key to any iPad case's versatility. Whether the user is reading, sitting at a desk or lying in bed, or in the kitchen or workshop, the correct angle of viewing always enhances the experience.

Us+U Swivel ProFolio Case for the New iPadPocket/Pen Holder: The external pocket on the front of the Swivel ProFolio iPad case is convenient for holding business cards, notes, receipts, etc. Because this iPad case will hold a pen/stylus, the packet is perfect for holding a small notepad.

The Swivel ProFolio is available now for $69.99.

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