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Angry Birds Star Wars Edition for Windows RT 66% more expensive than iPad version
Angry Birds Star Wars Edition for the iPad is as good or better than the original Angry Birds (I’m not a fan of the other versions). So, I was interested to see the game appear in the Windows RT app store. Unfortunately, the version for RT costs 66% more than the iPad version: $4.99 vs $2.99.

While making more money per sale for developers is a good thing. I think Windows RT app prices need to be competitive with versions of the same app on other platforms.

Note: Composed this app entirely using a Surface with Windows RT. The biggest problem was finding an image editor. None of the RT apps provided freehand cropping. Will discuss how I worked around this in a future blog item.
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November 12, 2012
$15 Incipio Dual Pro iPhone 5 case looking good so far
I just received a Incipio Dual Pro for iPhone 5 case. I’ve holding out hoping to find a decent affordable case with a belt clip for the iPhone 5. But, with no prospects available, I decided to spend $15 on this case which has a 4.5 star average customer rating on Amazon (80 reviews).

The case comes in three parts:
1. Film screen protector
2. Rubbery inner case that covers buttons (on/off, volume) but not ports or the cameras.
3. Outer hard shell to project the back and sides

The film screen protector was reasonably easy to apply. You can see there there are cutouts to expose the front facing camera and select button. The soft inner case was easy to pull onto the iPhone 5. It does not stress the phone at all. The outer hard shell case holds everything in place and provides a bit of added protection.

It looks and feels pretty good so far. And, at $15, it is very affordable.
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October 22, 2012
Faulty iPhone 5 Lightning USB cable drawing too much power when not attached to anything?
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October 17, 2012
Woo! Passed 4000 miles on my fitbit
Noticed I passed the 4000 mile mark on my fitbit today. And, I’m closing in on 9 million steps and 7000 floors (stair flights).

I’ve logged these numbers using the original fitbit and the fitbit ultra. I’m giving a lot of thought to buying a fitbit One which has the ability to sync with iOS devices.
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October 17, 2012
Microsoft says you can use Surface RT for work. But, Office RT license disallows work use
Microsoft promotes the soon-to-be-released Surface RT by saying it can let you:

Work anywhere, anytime with Windows RT and Office 2013 RT

And, yet, on the same page it states this, it also says:

Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview and the final version are not for use in commercial, nonprofit, or revenue generating activities. Commercial license options available (sold separately).

AllAboutMicrosoft’s Mary Jo Foley explains the commercial license options:

Microsoft Office for Windows RT: How to move to a commercial-use license

However, you cannot use Office RT on a Surface RT for work related purposes out of the box without violating the Office RT license.
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October 17, 2012
Just received a SRS Labs iWOW-U audio enhancer gadget
The PR firm for SRS Labs (now part of DTS, Inc.) sent me small audio enhancing hardware to try out: The iWOW-U.

The iWOW-U retails for $89.99 but is available from Amazon for $59.99. One of the two customer-reviewers on Amazon complains that this model does not have an Apple 30-pin connector as an older model did. Of course, if you just bought a shiny new iPhone 5, this is a good thing. The iWOW-U works with any headset and music producing device (like an iPhone 5) using ordinary mini-jacks. No special connector is required. This also means that it requires charging using a provided micro-USB cable (any micro-USB cable should work).

I’m charging the iWOW-U up now and will give it a spin for a few days before providing my impressions of the device.
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October 1, 2012