Marianne Schultz

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Status: Away

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I’m in Arizona visiting family, which is why I haven’t posted anything here recently. We’re doing the tourist thing and visited the Grand Canyon, the red rocks of Sedona, and Montezuma Castle. I’ve only passed through Phoenix before on connecting flights and this is my first time actually spending time in Arizona and it’s been a great trip so far.

I’ve posted some pictures using Instagram – you can see my Instagram gallery in the sidebar on the right or follow me on Instagram using the iPhone app (my user name is marianne). Chris and I plan to record a podcast episode when I get back home this week and I hope to get back into my routine more quickly than I did following the trips I took earlier this year. Next up on my review list are the Capta, as mentioned in my Dodocase review, and the Just Mobile Xtand Go for the iPhone 4/4S. The Capta is a stand/tripod mount accessory for smartphones that was provided to me courtesy of BiteMyApple.co and the Xtand Go is an in-car mount for the iPhone, provided courtesy of Just Mobile.

everythingiCafe: the show “Two Trains”

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I have been terribly delinquent in posting about new episodes of the everythingicafe.com podcast when they become available. Time has been getting away from me this week and I have been feeling a little bit under the weather, so please accept my apologies for not being quite on the ball recently.

At any rate, episode 58 of the podcast I co-host with Chris Meinck is now available in iTunes. In it, Chris and I talk about iPhone 5 rumors that have cropped up recently, including those about some Liquid Metal components it could contain (a brand name that always makes me think of  Terminator 2 and Robert Patrick impersonating a cop and chasing Sarah Connor) and what is claimed to be the next home button for the upcoming iPhone model. We also talked briefly about Apple’s quarterly results for Q2 2012, which were phenomenal as usual.

Also on our agenda was the latest teaser video from Samsung for the next Galaxy S phone in which the company essentially calls iPhone users sheep (you can see that video here). While I’m not personally offended to an extent to be really bothered by this, I do find it puzzling and worrisome that Samsung’s marketing folks think that making fun of the people you want to buy your product is a good thing. I can’t think that “mock your potential customers” is taught in any marketing class. At the very least, Samsung has turned me off from considering their Galaxy products by this alone.

My Teh Awesome for the week was the eBay app for the iPhone. Though it’s been around for a while, it’s an app that I use almost daily to browse for yet more gadgets, accessories and designer bags (my one girly indulgence) to buy and to keep an eye on the items I put up for auction to make room for new acquisitions. Chris’s Teh Awesome was the SmartFuel iPhone app that helps you find the best gas prices nearby to save a little money when you fill up your tank.

We have not yet recorded an episode for this week but we should squeeze one in within the next few days before I head out of town for a trip early next week. Once that episode is available, my plan is to post about when it’s in iTunes in a more timely manner. 😉

Review: Morris Lessmore DODOcase for the iPad 3

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Every time I get a new gadget, I am tempted to buy a new case or other accessory for it, and I usually succumb to this temptation. This was definitely the case (see what I did there?) for my new iPad 3 and I ordered the Morris Lessmore DODOcase for it. I’ve now had it for a few weeks and have been enjoying it quite a bit.

The Morris Lessmore case, which costs $64.95, was made in partnership with Moonbot Studios in honor of the Oscar-winning animated short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. (You can buy the short film directly from the iTunes Store here and there’s also an interactive iPad book app for it here.)

The case looks and feels just like a hardcover book on the outside and is made by hand using traditional bookbinding techniques. The exterior of this particular model (DODOcase offers several different models with different materials and color combinations) is faux red leather and it has a cream linen cloth interior. As with all of DODOcase’s cases, it has a bamboo frame on the inside to hold the iPad, with rubber pads in the corner to grip it and cushion it within the frame.

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everythingiCafe: the show “Juicer Fanbois”

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I’m a little behind in posting about this one but a new episode of the everythingicafe.com podcast is available through iTunes. In this episode (number 57, in case you’re keeping track), Chris Meinck and I talk about some iPad mini rumors and some demands a consumer organization in Australia is making of Apple in relation to the new iPad.

We also talked about a couple legal issues Apple’s involved with, namely the Lodsys patent suit and a recent decision that allows Apple to intervene a bit in this suit on behalf of developers, and Apple’s response to the Department of Justice about the claims that Apple colluded with book publishers to set ebook prices.

My Teh Awesome of the week was Osfoora, a Twitter app for the Mac. I think I may have mentioned Osfoora for the iPhone and iPad in a previous episode but a recent update to the Mac app added Tweet Marker, a service that keeps your timeline position in sync across apps that also use this service, regardless of platform. Since I read Twitter on a variety of devices, this feature is incredibly useful for me. (On the iPhone and iPad, I use Tweetbot, which also makes use of Tweet Marker.)

Chris’s Teh Awesome was iTunes Match. He did a walkthrough of how to set up this service and he is very happy with how it lets him access his entire library from anywhere and lets you replace music you’ve ripped at a low quality with a higher-quality version from Apple. I also subscribe to iTunes Match and I’ve been pretty happy with it as well.

[frame]As I mentioned in this episode and the last one, I’ve got a review of the Morris Lessmore DODOcase for the iPad 3 that I ordered last month coming up. I finally recorded the video review this weekend and I’ll post it tomorrow, so stay tuned.[/frame]

everythingiCafe: the show “Don’t Pile on the Rabbit”

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I have been a bit slow lately posting about new episodes of the everythingicafe.com podcast that I co-host with Chris Meinck when they become available, but better late than never, right? We recorded episode 56 of the show last week and it’s available now through iTunes here.

Chris and I talked about the Department of Justice’s charge against Apple and book publishers, some recent rumblings about iTunes and a possible overhaul Apple may be doing, speculation on a 4-inch screen in the next iPhone model, an unfortunate Chinese teenager who sold a kidney in order to buy an iPhone and iPad, and more.

We had a suggestion from listener Jon of Awesome Apps about how iOS developers can help each other get exposure in the App Store, which we talked about at great length. I took this as an opportunity to revisit some of the points I covered in my tips for app developers on how to get an app reviewed from a major review site, an article which I admit has a bit of a snarky tone but is still meant to be helpful to developers.

My Teh Awesome of the week was the SGP Steinheil Ultra Fine screen protector for the iPad 3, which I blogged about recently. It’s a fantastic screen protector that cuts down on glare and fingerprints and I highly recommend it. Chris’s Teh Awesome was the Clear to do app for the iPhone. I have Clear as well and it’s a lovely app to use (and I reviewed it for my day job here) and it’s a great choice if your to do list needs are simple and straightforward.

We did record a new episode a few days ago but it’s not yet available in iTunes. I’ll post about it when it is. Remember that if you have a question or comment for us, you can submit it to us by voicemail at (646) 820-3431 or via email at podcast@everythingicafe.com. Your question will be played or read on the air and we’ll be happy to answer it as best as we can.

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