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It's January 6th, 2012, and today marks the end of the TUAW Best of 2011 awards. This was a massive undertaking, with 25 separate categories all requiring their own nominations and voting from our readers. We've learned some lessons for next year's event -- start earlier, watch for astroturfing in the nominations, drop some unpopular categories -- and the Best of 2012 will be even better. The editorial staff here at TUAW agreed with many of the reader picks, but we had our own opinions on some others. We want to thank all of the thousands of TUAW readers who took time to consider their favorite accessories and apps, nominate them for an award, and then vote in the competition. Without further ado, here's the full list of winners as well as our picks for the TUAW Best of 2011: Editor picks: 13" and 11" MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro Peripheral or Accessory: OWC Data Doubler and OWC Mercury 6G SSD Editor picks: Magic Trackpad, OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD Editor picks: Mophie Juice Pack Air, Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation, iChair Editor picks: Apple Smart Cover, AViiQ Smart Case,Twelve South BookBook, ModulR System, OtterBox Defender Editor picks: Apple TV, iCade, Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Read More

If you have that new iPhone you received for the holidays, you're probably looking to load it up with some apps that will enhance your mobile experience. Let me suggest some of the best of the free apps. Of course, everyone will have their own list, but here are my 5 favorites that I think most new iPhone users will love to use and to show off their new iPhone. If you're a news junkie, by all means get Zite, newly released for the iPhone. It sets you up with news categories of interest to you, then learns what you like by keeping track of stories you click on. Over time, it gets smarter and smarter, so in essence it creates a personalized magazine for you. Their are other news readers and aggregators, but the presentation of stories in Zite and its ability to learn make it my first choice. Glypmse is one of my very favorite apps, the kind of app I would pay for if it wasn't free. While some of the location-tracking functionality it offers is covered by Apple's iOS 5-only Find my Friends feature, Glympse is more flexible and cross-platform to boot. With Glympse you send a message (email or SMS) to someone with information on your location; the link is set to expire when you want it to, so your friends can't track you indefinitely as they can with FmF. Let's say you are meeting someone for lunch. When they get your message, they click on the included link, and Glympse loads a map showing a moving pin (that's you) along with your ETA. The person you are meeting doesn't need an iPhone, just any web-capable device, including laptops. It's a great service, and in practice I've found it to be super reliable. Tango does what Apple's FaceTime won't do, which is to allow you to video conference with another cellphone using 3G (FaceTime requires WiFi). Tango has added clients for Android and Windows Phone, so it's a great way to visually keep in touch with friends. I even tried it with a friend touring China and it worked. An update last week allows you to leave video mail for your Tango buddies. For more intellectual pursuits, try the recently released TED app. It's a collection of great talks from people in the arts, literature and the sciences. The app has been updated to work with Read More

As we continue our survey of GPS apps for iOS, I have to mention the TeleNav family. The company, which is also behind the AT&T Navigator subscription app, offers a free entry level app that is quite popular with users, even though it is missing some key features. For free you get turn-by-turn directions, 3D maps, local search that includes gas prices, and one-touch rerouting. There's a big feature missing, however. No spoken turn-by-turn directions. So, in a way, it's not offering much more than the built-in Maps application, and less than the free voice-enabled Mapquest application (published by our parent company AOL). There is a 3D view, but when driving, you don't want to be looking at a screen. The solution is an upgrade to the US $0.99 app, but after that you use it for 30 days you need to upgrade to a $9.99 a year subscription. That's a sale price which is about half off the regular tariff. The paid version adds voice guidance, spoken street names and auto rerouting. So how does it all work? It's not bad. The graphics are clean, setting up a destination is easy, and the local search is comprehensive. The voice guidance is very clear. I didn't run into heavy traffic during my test, so no comments there. Since the maps are downloaded as you go, that means a data connection is needed. It's something to think about if you are going to be out of cellular range frequently. On the other hand, with no onboard maps, the app has a small footprint (17.5MB) and your maps will theoretically stay current. With my driving in Arizona the maps seemed current, although some comments in the App Store indicate they may not always be up to date with the latest street layouts. As someone with local knowledge, TeleNav didn't always take me the way I would have chosen, but the choices always worked. I've noticed that nav apps have a bias for bigger streets, but sometimes the best shortcuts are the road less traveled. Is the TeleNav app for you? If you are on a budget an in an urban setting I think it is worth a serious look. I'm not wild about the idea of subscriptions to apps. I'd rather spend a little more and forget about recurring charges. If you are on a limited data plan, and you use it a Read More

As those of you using the free TUAW iPhone app in iOS 5 have already seen, there are a few issues with it; missing buttons, some broken functionality, et cetera. While we were expecting that the AOL team handling mobile development for us & all our sister sites would have an update ready for the iOS 5 release, that didn't happen. I was told that as of October 28, an update would be submitted to Apple. AOL has a QA process for mobile apps, and several bugs popped up once iOS 5 hit. I did receive a new build to test on Thursday, and I'm happy to report it works well with iOS 5. That said, I do not yet know if the latest version of our app has been submitted for App Store review. Therefore, on Monday, October 31, I will ask our mobile team to provide me with an update and ETA for a properly-functioning iPhone app (noting that Apple's review process is obviously outside our control). If the word is still "we hope to submit it this week," I will most likely pull the current app from the store so that no more new users will be wondering why an Apple blog's iOS app doesn't work. I'm hoping not to have to do this, as it won't do anything for the existing users who are frustrated and unhappy; I can only tell you that I'm just as frustrated and unhappy as you are, possibly more so. Also, if you're wondering about an iPad app, you should check out Engadget's Distro app. Would you like this same treatment for TUAW? I have watched Distro in development, and while I think it's a cool way to skin the site into a magazine-like format, I still feel that it lacks some of the filtering and sorting tools our users would expect. That said, I also realize it is almost 2012 and we still don't have an iPad app, although our site works perfectly well in Mobile Safari. Just as with our iPhone app, we must rely upon the mobile development team within AOL, and that team doesn't exactly have TUAW at the top of its priority list (we're sort of the pinky toe of the AOL content universe). If and when we're able to put TUAW into something like Distro, I'll be the first to let you know. Thanks to everyone Read More

I am ashamed to admit it, but I am terrible at finding my way around when driving in the car.  I need a GPS device with me or I’m almost guaranteed to get lost. Naturally, when I purchased my iPhone, one of the first types of app that I wanted to get was a GPS navigation app.  While you can easily plunk down $49.99 or more for iPhone navigation apps like Tom Tom, I did find a few navigation apps for free or 99 cents. Almost all of them turned out to be unreliable or poorly designed.  Just when I was about to give up on finding an inexpensive app and reluctantly shell out a good deal of cash for one of the expensive ones, I stumbled across the free MapQuest 4 Mobile app. My first thought was, “MapQuest?? I haven’t used the MapQuest website in ages.”  Before the era of the GPS device becoming something that the average person owned and before Google came out with its own maps feature, MapQuest was my “go to” website when I needed directions for places I had never been to.  With everyone and their grandma now owning a GPS device, I have to think MapQuest has taken a bit of a hit in the number of people making use of their site.  I shrugged and downloaded the app, unsure of what to expect. I have to say I was blown away by the reliability of the MapQuest app and all the features that came with it.  Entering your destination is as simple as clicking on the “Directions” tab on the bottom of the app and entering your destination address by clicking the “Edit” button.  If you are not sure of the address of the place where you are going, there is a “Maps” tab that allows you to search for names of places or businesses.  When you have your address entered or have found your destination by searching for it, you simply click “Start Navigation” at the top of the app and the app quickly plots a route and gets you on your way. I was surprised at all the extra bells and whistles offered by this free app as well.  The MapQuest app announces actual street names when you need to make a turn.  This is a feature even my dedicated GPS device never had.  I love this feature because it allows Read More

I'm here at Evernote's first conference, a 1-day affair featuring news, a panel and several sessions for developers. This morning Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, kicked off the conference with some stats on Evernote usage. While Evernote has been featured in Apple Stores and is highly recommended, they haven't really spent any money on ads or marketing. As a result, the usage and growth is quite extraordinary. Here at TUAW, we're all big fans of Evernote (it's even integrated into our iPhone app). According to Libin, today Evernote can boast 12.5 million registered users. A year ago that number was 3.9 million. But how many regular users are there? Currently there are over 4 million "30 day active users" up 271% from last year. Even more incredible is that a year ago there were less than 100,000 paid users, and now there are over half a million. The incredible part, aside from outstanding growth, is that people are finding value in Evernote's premium offering even though the service puts very few restrictions on free accounts. As Libin said later, "It's more important that you stay than you pay." Imagine if Flickr said that. Another juicy data point: nearly 1/3 of all Evernote users are in Japan. Most are in the US, but the Japanese user base is a very close second. The bigger news, especially for longtime Mac users, is that Evernote has acquired Skitch and is making it free. There will be some integration on the Evernote side as well, although the details of that were not revealed. I'm hoping we see better annotations for images and perhaps support for some of the other goodies mentioned today. Either way, Evernote is very happy with the deal and aims to make Skitch a "household name with everyone that wants to draw, sketch, annotate, doodle, sign or highlight something." So, Skitch fans, don't worry. Those "other goodies" involve the next release of Evernote clients and a more forward-looking features yet to be rolled out. Evernote considers the next release their "most requested features" release -- the features you'll see soon will be things Evernote fans have been begging for. One I can identify with: Rich text support. The next version of Evernote should support bold, italics and all the fun stuff you can do with rich text. Also useful will be a completely revamped iPad edition, with a better viewing experience which Read More

The App Store is stacked with navigation apps for the iPhone, with prices ranging from absolutely nothing to really quite a lot.  If you’re confused by the sheer volume of choice, they we’ve gathered together a collection of ten top GPS apps for your iOS device, making sure we cover all the bases at the same time – so you’ll find free apps, pay apps, web apps and versions specific to both the US and UK, plus international editions too. Here we go! If you’re looking for a free alternative to Google Maps then this is a great choice, as it has voice guided directions, search, live traffic reports and the choice of walking or driving directions.  Free. The first of several international navigation options, with a wide variety of apps available covering the USA and Canada, Europe and several more specific editions for individual countries.  Everything from voice-guided directions to speed camera warnings are included, as are detailed maps for on or offline use.  Prices vary considerably, and some features such as text to speech and live traffic require further in-app purchases.  International. One of the most recognized names in GPS navigation also produces a wealth of navigation apps for the iPhone.  All the usual features are there – voice-guidance, a search function, traffic reports and so on – plus you can personalize the experience with departure reminders, navigate-to-contact’s addresses and even download celebrity voices for the navigation!  Like CoPilot, the prices vary and you’ll also need to subscribe via in-app purchase for further updates after a year.  International. Our third collection of international GPS apps comes from Navigon, and like the previous two they’re big files with all the maps for on or offline use, plus turn-by-turn navigation, 2D or 3D maps, signposts, voice-guidance and in my opinion, one of the very best user interfaces and overall ‘look’ out of the majority of GPS apps.  Prices vary depending on the area you choose, plus there are several in-app purchases for services such as live US traffic reports and a 3D panoramic viewpoint.  International. The app is free to download but you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to use it, however this will appear on your AT&T bill rather than as an in-app purchase.  Expect voice-guidance, real-time traffic reports, iPod music support and the option to download regional maps for offline use.  US-Only. A well-reviewed and reasonably priced alternative Read More

I love movies and I always interested to know what are the latest movies available in the market. Here I come a list on the best android apps you should have to obtain the latest and best information of the latest movies release. You can see the movie review, trailers and showtimes through the apps. First. This is a most popular movie android app. I would say this is the top app in movie review. There are 5 categories in the app, Box Office, Theaters, Upcoming, DVD and My Movies. I like the latest DVD release feature as well as My Movies features. You could rate the movies in the app and you could check the rating from your friends. Well, the sharing could through your facebook account, flixster or Netflix account. IMDb is also one of the most popular android app. The app includes latest movies, TV, celebrities, showtimes and News. I love this app because of the clean and simple app UI. It provides the popular tv shows in the app and Starmeter, You could check the most popular celebrities on IMDb and their profiles. Other than that, IMDb also provides the celebrities news in different category. Cool huhh.. Movie Finder is slightly different to both apps above because you will be routed to the cinema close to your locations when the app first launched. Once you are located in the app, it will shows you the latest & showtimes of the movies from the cinemas. Moviefone provides trailers, latest movies, showtimes, nearby cinemas with distance information as well as the movies news. To be honest, the trailers in this app is slightly slow compare to apps above. Well, you may try it and make your own adjustment. Yea, this is the important app that I wanted to recommend for all the people in Malaysia, MaxisMovies is a recent release android app. It offer buy one free one promotion to Maxis Users by signing up paypal account. You will need to pay by paypal to get free tickets. We (Malaysians) all know that Wednesday is GSC Cinema Movies Day and you could get cheaper movie tickets. Now, MaxisMovies also celebrate Maxis Movies Day, you could get a FREE movie ticket for every ticket purchased for shows after 6pm in every Tuesday. See here for details.. m.maxismovies.com Related posts: Read More

Thinking about getting Dad some directional guidance for Father's Day? Our package selections cover small, medium and large budgets to get where you're going. Of all the industries disrupted by the emergence of these odd touchscreen computers disguised as mobile phones, the standalone GPS market may be the most topsy-turvy. Among Chris' 33 things he doesn't need any more now that he has an iPhone, a separate $100+ unitasker GPS unit is probably the biggest target; the same goes double for Android phone owners, who get a capable and free turn-by-turn navigation tool as part of the Google Maps application. Just having the phone isn't quite enough, though, if you want to help those notorious no-asking-for-directions family members (that'd be Dad) self-guide with the iPhone 4. Combining the right app with the right car bracket can turn a simple purchase into a genuine Father's Day gift -- so here are our package recommendations in small, medium and large price ranges. All apps are available on the App Store, and most of the hardware can be found at Best Buy, Radio Shack or Staples. Small Everyone likes free, and that's what our first app choice brings to the table. MapQuest 4 Mobile (developed by AOL, our corporate parent) provides capable turn-by-turn navigation with voice synthesis, powered by the same map data as the mapquest.com site. The app includes live traffic data, point of interest search and more -- and did I mention the free part? Drawbacks include a quieter voice than some of the other offerings; you also have to manually choose between power-saving mode (where the app will allow the phone to sleep) and high-performance mode. Still, if you're looking for voice directions on a budget, it's a great place to start. (Note that both MapQuest Mobile and our #2 pick require data connectivity to download maps on the go.) For a budget vehicle mount, Arkon delivers no-frills units in windshield or lighter-socket ($20) and beanbag friction mounts ($30). Personally I don't care for lighter socket mounts, as they make it much more difficult to glance at the map while driving when the phone is mounted so far out of the driver's heads-up sightlines. I've been using the IPM512 friction mount for a while, and it works; the phone holder swivels to work either in portrait or landscape, and it includes adjustable 'feet' to slide out of the way of the Read More

Our good friends at Engadget have posted an update to their iOS app. The new version introduces a landscape viewing mode for all of the included content and new "save for later" options that will send your favorite Engadget posts off to reading services like Evernote, Instapaper, and Read It Later. The app is still free, and the new version is available right now in the App Store. We've got our own app on the App Store, and you may recall that it was updated for Retina Display compatibility a few months ago. It still doesn't run natively on the iPad just yet, but we're told an update for that is still in the works. Presumably we'll see some of these Engadget updates on our app as well. As grandma always said, patience is a virtue... so don't worry, the updated (and free) TUAW app is still coming soon. Read More