Steve Sande

<p><span>When it comes to reviews, this one has probably taken longer to be published than any other I've ever written. Why? Well, I originally wrote a draft review of the US$59.95 </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.wacom.com/en/us/everyday/bamboo-stylus-fineline" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline</a><span> back when we were all still at TUAW. However, there were some issues with the device -- it didn't track properly when drawing diagonal lines -- so I waited for a firmware update. Well, that update and an updated version of the companion </span><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bamboo-paper-notebook/id443131313?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bamboo Paper - Notebook app</a><span> (free with in-app purchases) recently arrived, so I decided it was time to dust off the draft.</span></p>

<p>As reported by <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-25/apple-told-by-jury-to-pay-532-9-million-in-gaming-patent-trial"><span>Bloomberg</span></a>, a federal jury found Apple quilty of infringing patents held by holding company Smartflash LLC. Filed in 2013, the original lawsuit claims that the iTunes Store, the iOS and Mac App Store, and Apple’s other transaction services infringe on three Smartflash patents that cover “data storage and managing access through payment systems.”  The company originally was seeking $852 million in damages, but was awarded $533M as part of the jury's decision.</p>

<p>During its 2015 Investor Day on Tuesday, JP Morgan Chase <a href="http://investor.shareholder.com/JPMorganChase/events.cfm"><span>confirmed</span></a> that more than one million customers have activated their credit cards or debit cards on Apple Pay.</p>

<p>Another week, another <a href="http://backerjack.com">Backerjack</a> <span>podcast with Ross Rubin! For episode 7, we discussed three rather interesting crowdfunding campaigns. First, the Beam pico projector/LED light bulb, which is powered by any old light socket and can project stuff from your iPhone. Next, Neo smart jars, food containers that can tell how much of a foodstuff you've just poured out and give you the nutritional info you need. And finally, a rehash of the old standard -- the Pigeon connected picture frame. </span> </p><p> </p>

<p><a href="http://letterswirl.com">Letterswirl</a> for iPhone and iPad (<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/letterswirl/id817676884?mt=8&uo=4">$1.99, universal</a>) feels like an artifact that was stolen from the land of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myst">Myst</a>. Chimes, atmospheric music and an old-world, clockwork look create an effectively themed game. The fact that it's also challenging and fun is icing on the cake. Here's our look at the clever word game, Letterswirl.</p>

<p><span>Fans of our previous home on the web may remember the Daily Update, a popular daily podcast featuring stories from the world of Apple. It was so popular that we're bringing it back -- this time, as the </span><span>AWT News Update</span><span>. At this point you'll need to listen to the podcast from the link below, but we'll soon have it available for subscription on iTunes.</span></p>

<p>The workers at the Iconfactory have added a new service to their repertoire of offerings: <a href="http://blog.iconfactory.com/2015/02/let-iconfactory-build-your-next-app/">full iOS, Android and Mac app development</a>. Now the team behind acclaimed apps like Twitterrific, Xscope and Flare can work on your 1.0 release.</p><p>These folks know what they're doing. Your app will be in good hands. </p>

<p>It’s time to save some of your hard-earned money with our <a href="https://appleworld.today/?tag=deals"><span>Daily Deals</span></a>, featuring exclusive deals for AWT readers, hardware discounts and our own handpicked iOS and OS X sales. All prices are USD and subject to change. Please check prices before you purchase as some deals may expire quickly.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Today would have been the 60th birthday of Apple co-founder and legend Steve Jobs. Born on February 24, 1955, Jobs passed away from pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011. </p><p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Apple CEO Tim Cook took some time today to remember Jobs in a tweet:</p>

<p><span>For writers, it’s impossible to have </span><em>too</em><span> many text editors. Every one seems to have some feature that works better in one situation than another, so I find myself bouncing back and forth between the different Mac text and Markdown editors on the market. One of my favorites has been developer John Saddington's </span><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/desk-write-more/id915839505?mt=12" rel="noopener noreferrer">Desk</a><span> (US$29.99), a simple-to-use editor with some surprising power built into it. Now Desk has been updated to version 1.2, adding some new features while retaining all of its user-friendliness.</span></p>

<p>Pebble today <a href="https://getpebble.com/#/PMHRvU:poO">announced</a> its next generation smartwatch, Pebble Time. The  device gets its name from its timeline-based UI that shifts the focus of the interface from apps to notifications with an emphasis on what you need to get done now and in the future. </p>

<p>It’s time to save some of your hard-earned money with our <a href="https://appleworld.today/?tag=deals"><span>Daily Deals</span></a>, featuring exclusive deals for AWT readers, hardware discounts and our own handpicked iOS and OS X sales. All prices are USD and subject to change. Please check prices before you purchase as some deals may expire quickly.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">A look at iOS 8.3 beta 2 has revealed over 300 new, more diverse emoji, including new skin tones and new flags. People increasingly use emoji to convey information, humor and themselves. It's great to see options to let customers do so successfully.</p>

<p><span>Hey, AOL fans! </span><a target="_blank" href="http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204268" rel="noopener noreferrer">The company is dropping support for AOL Sign-in for iTunes and the App Store</a><span>, so anyone using an AOL username to sign into the iTunes Store, App Store or iBook Store will be out of luck starting March 31.</span></p>

<p><span>Google today released the new </span><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/youtube-kids/id936971630?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Kids</a><span> iOS app, providing kid-friendly videos through a bright, easy-to-use user interface. It's the official children's programming app from YouTube, with favorite content from Sesame Street, Thomas & Friends, Dreamworks, Mother Goose Club, TuTiTu, and Super Simple Songs. Kids can also search for age-appropriate content on any topic they're interested in.</span></p>