Evernote, the highly popular cross-platform information management app, has at last added what the company described as one of its most-requested features: reminders …

Reminders can be added to notes on Mac, iOS and web versions of the app by clicking/tapping the clock icon, and then appear in the Notification Center. Macstories has a very nice detailed review of the new feature.

Evernote is available on the App Store and Mac App Store now.

Evernote fans can check out the video below for a full rundown:

Image: The Next Web

The promised iPad version of the email management app Mailbox recently acquired by Dropbox is launching today, offering essentially the same user-interface as the iPhone original, with the addition of a reading pane to the right.

In an Interview with The Next Web, co-founder Gentry says that an Android version is in the works, but with no launch date specified as yet. Interestingly, the company declined to give any take-up or retention figures for the iPhone version of the app.

A new iPad version of Shazam available today introduces a whole raft of new functions, ranging from passive tagging without user input to the ability to recognise a song and then play it in Spotify or Rdio.

With passive tagging, the app continually listens to any music in the background and automatically tags it, ideal for use in bars where you may idly wonder what a track is but not want to go to the trouble of manually checking. The feature also works in the background, displaying a notification while the iPad is running other apps. Shazam’s claim of one-second tagging appears somewhat optimistic, however: a random sampling of tracks I tested took the usual several seconds.

LyricPlay displays lyrics in sync with the background music (Encore version only), while you can now immediately open the currently-playing track in either Rdio (all versions) or Spotify (Encore version only).

Shazam for iPad also introduces the kind of networked feature which seems to be expected in apps these days even if we’re not quite sure why. You can see which music and TV shows people are currently tagging in your country, city of neighborhood — as well as use a map to see tagging charts for anywhere else in the world.

Microsoft’s latest television commercial for Windows 8 tablets uses a Siri voice-over to mock the iPad’s pricing and capabilities. The ad appears to frame Windows 8 tablets as more capable for productivity and more valuable for the price (via The Verge). What’s somewhat comical here is that one of the few advantages Microsoft touts for its tablets is the ability to run PowerPoint, something Microsoft has clearly been holding back from the iPad for some time now. Would it surprise anyone to see another couple of ads in this series focusing on Word and Excel?

Oh, and how much of that 64GB of space on the Windows tablet at the end is free for media? You’re lucky to get half of the space.

Microsoft’s ad is in similar style to Apple’s late 2012 advertisement to introduce the iPad mini. Apple’s ad below:

‘iWatch’ Concept (many more here)

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has provided seemingly accurate information about previous Apple hardware releases (timing non-withstanding), claims that Apple’s much-rumored wearable wrist device will not arrive until late 2014. The analyst pinpoints production to begin sometime in the second half of the year:

Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch version of iOS because it may require big changes to iPhone and iPad iOS this year. In addition, wearable device components aren’t mature. For these reasons, we think mass production of the iWatch is more likely to begin in 2H14, not 2H13 as the market speculates.

This timeline is notable because previous reports about the rumored device have claimed a release date sometime in late 2013. Bloomberg, a typically accurate source for technology news, previously reported that Apple is eyeing a release by the end of this year.

Kuo also explains why he feels that Apple is developing a wrist-device, not glasses:

iWatch Concept by Anders Kjellberg

In today’s report, Kuo also claims that the device will feature a display based on the iPod nano’s touch screen.

iWatch panel to be 1.5-2.0 inches, and likely to be made by Japanese or Korean supplier. We think a 1.5-2.0 inch panel suits watch applications best. The reason for choosing Japanese or Korean suppliers is that they enjoy closer cooperation with Apple, hence are more likely to become suppliers for Apple’s new products.

iWatch may use iPod nano’s GF2 touch technology and AP. Currently, the iPod nano uses the same GF2 touch technology as used by the iPad mini. Since the size and computing ability requirements of the iWatch are similar to those of the iPod nano, we think iWatch will use iPod nano’s GF2 touch technology and AP.

Apple recently patented a slap-wrist-band design for a wearable accessory. Earlier this year, we rounded up all of the publicly available tidbits about the upcoming Apple device.

Kuo also believes that iOS device integration and biometrics will be key selling points:

Apple has several patents for curved glass display and manufacturing technologies that could be useful for such a product. We have also highlighted Apple’s current competition in the market and the skill-sets and interests of Apple’s leadership that could help play into the development of an iWatch.

As for Apple’s comments on such a product, Apple CEO Tim Cook has an interest in wearable devices, but admitted at the 2012 D10 conference that the “book hasn’t been written yet” in regards to wearable devices changing the “behavior” of people. Apple board member Bill Campbell discussed wearable computer devices earlier this year. Cook previously said that Apple would launch major new products this fall and “throughout” 2014.

From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites that feature a couple exceptional deals for just 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second of the day, so we’re going to roundup the best daily deals to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want.

Be sure to follow Follow 9to5Toys so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook

Today’s Featured deals:

• 16GB Apple iPod nano 7th Gen/Current (refurb): $90 in store or $4 shipping
• Seagate Desktop Internal Hard Drive 4TB SATA 6Gb/s NCQ Interface $150 Shipped ($40 Savings)
• Philips In.Sight Wireless Home Monitor & Surveillance Camera Refurb. w/ iOS & Android support $60 Shipped
• ViewSonic 27″ 1080p LED-Lit Monitor (Refurb) $180, ASUS 22″ 1080p w/ HDMI $128 Shipped, Acer 23″G236HL 1080P $120.99
• Free stream of the hit movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Other great deals we love that may not see tomorrow:

• Targus Slim Case for Apple iPad 3 and iPad 4th Gen $5 + $4 Shipping
• Game Center Deal Roundup: BioShock Infinite $40 (Xbox 360 & PS3), Up to 59% off Wii U games, app deals, more
• Zmart Universal Remote Control (via headphone adapter) for iOS and Android Devices: $10 shipped
• Philips Fidelio 30-pin iPhone/iPod 30W speaker dock $50+$5 shipping

Also, we spotlighted the new Philips Stunning 29″ Panoramic HD Monitor w/ Simultaneous Dual Input Support. No, it isn’t a deal but we think you’re going to want to check it out anyways.

Realmac Software is on the brink of launching its fun new camera app Analog Camera for iPhone, but it has one more major task to mark off its list before we all get our hands on it. With its latest update to Clear, that item can now be swiped right off the list.

Clear on the iPhone and Mac both were updated today receiving a frequently requested feature: list sharing over email.

Clear, which is a vibrant to-do list app with lots of personality and charm, now allows iPhone and Mac users to export lists via email and import shared lists right into the app by a shake gesture (or action button on the Mac).

List sharing is huge for users who want to create lists for others to use. For example, if your wife wants to throw a grocery list together for you to use at the supermarket, you can now pull this off without having to use the same iCloud account with each app.

Other users will find this useful if iCloud’s often challenged sync frustrates you when you try to share a list on the Mac to Clear on your iPhone. Simply create a list on your Mac and email it to yourself, then check your email on your iPhone and the list will automatically open on Clear for iPhone.

Pasting multiline tasks in a list is also possible now. I’m a huge fan of creating text in Drafts for iOS, which I keep in my dock on my iPad (Clear isn’t optimized for iPad yet but it’s coming soon its simple user interface already looks terrific on the iPad mini), so I look forward to quickly creating multiline lists in Drafts, copying to the clipboard, and pasting to Clear.

Clear for iPhone and Mac is a clever approach to list management and a charming alternative to Apple’s Reminders.

If you are interested in trying list-keeping with Clear, you can pick it up for $1.99 on your iPhone and $9.99 on your Mac. The update is free for existing users on the App Store:

What’s New in Version 1.2.2

Clear 1.2.2: The “Email Your Lists” Update

One of the biggest feature requests we’ve had has been the ability email lists. So we added it to our Clear list, and here it is!

• Shake-to-Email: just shake your phone to bring up the all-new-super-handy email option. Emails contain your lists (of course) as well as a file that whoever receives the email can open in Clear.
• We probably shouldn’t tell you this, but there’s a couple of secret new themes. Enjoy
• If you’ve read this far, we’ll reward you with the news that Clear will be coming to the iPad. More news soon!

THANK YOU for making this all possible, and stay Clear! xx

Otterbox and LifeProof executives announcing the deal at CTIA

At CTIA, notable case maker Otterbox announced that it has closed an acquisition deal for competing iPhone case maker LifeProof. Both companies offer similar cases with a focus on durability.

During a question and answer session, executives from both companies revealed that the deal was 120 days in the making.While LifeProof will be embedded into Otterbox, the companies shared that the LifeProof branding is well-known and will be retained in some yet-to-be determined fashion.

We’ve been hearing rumblings of this acquisition for several weeks.

- Otterbox has an announcement tomorrow.

- We got multiple anonymous tips about a LifeProof acquisition.

- PR doesn’t return calls.—
Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 21, 2013

Otterbox should buy Lifeproof. They could corner the market on protective iPhone cases.—
9to5Mac  (@9to5mac) May 16, 2013

FORT COLLINS, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–OtterBox^®, the global leader in protection for handheld technology, today announced the acquisition of TreeFrog Developments Inc., DBA LifeProof^®. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Diego, LifeProof is an award-winning maker of protective cases and complementary accessories for smartphones and tablets.

Much like OtterBox, LifeProof is a rapidly growing, multi-million dollar business with a strong global brand, comprehensive product offering, impressive intellectual property and thriving company culture. Over the next 30 days, OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof brand into the OtterBox family. More information about product availability and alignment will be determined at the completion of the integration.

“The joining of OtterBox and LifeProof is a way to combine two great brands and provide customers with even more great products, services and choices for smartphone accessories,” OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas said. “Both companies are successful because we foster an environment where everyone takes pride in being part of a culture that knows how to identify opportunities and grow them quickly. Our goal in this acquisition is to create more value for our customers than we ever could have generated while operating individually.”

A key driver for the acquisition is about creating customers who are passionate about the OtterBox brand. “Our strategy is to utilize our combined brand momentum, and world-class talent to create a great customer experience that generates OtterBox brand ambassadors for life,” Thomas said. “Our customers and our employees are the ones who have the passion for the brand that allows us to succeed. This passionate spirit motivates us to build better teams, better companies and ultimately, better communities. At the end of the day, that is our goal.”

OtterBox employs approximately 650 people worldwide. LifeProof employed approximately 250 people, who are now members of the OtterBox family and will remain in their San Diego location for the foreseeable future.

OtterBox has been a family-owned business since 1998. The financial details and terms of the agreement are confidential.

In case you needed some proof that the rumors of Apple switching from Corning glass to sapphire crystal are unlikely, Corning has posted a video on its website showing how its current Gorilla Glass is superior to sapphire for mobile devices.

Recently, speculation has arisen that manufactured sapphire crystal might become an alternative to Corning’s Gorilla Glass.  “Sapphire’s performance as a cover for high-end watches probably leads to the current speculation.  But those covers are much smaller than a mobile phone and are two to three times thicker than Gorilla Glass.  In one of our commonly accepted strength tests, sapphire breaks more easily than Gorilla Glass after the same simulated use.  Additionally, sapphire’s cost and environmental hit are huge issues,” Steiner said.

There have been a couple rumors floating around that smartphone makers are looking into using sapphire crystal as a replacement for other cover glass solutions. With Apple using the material as a cover for its camera lenses on iPhone 5 and the latest iPod touch, some have speculated it could use sapphire for other parts of its devices, such as the display’s cover glass or home button. However, that’s not likely, according to Corning, Gorilla Glass is “about half the weight”, requires 99 percent less energy in manufacturing, provides brighter displays, and “costs less than a tenth” of sapphire. 

(via MacRumors)

Scanner Pro, which lets users scan documents, receipts, and more using their iPhone or iPad, recieved a big update to version 4.5 this week. The update enables live border detection, which allows the app to intelligently find the edges of whatever is being scanned while you photograph it.

In our testing, the border detection was very accurate, although it did have a bit of trouble when the paper and the background where different shades of the same color. The app does still allow you to manually edit the borders to fit the document perfectly, just in case there is a detection error, so any small problems are easy to correct.

The app itself is well-designed and features a solid storage solution for your documents. Multi-page scans are supported and you can save everything to a variety of cloud storage services, including iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more. You can even fax scanned items right from your iOS device.

Scanner Pro 4.5 is available now on the App Store. Existing users get the update for free, while new customers can get it for $6.99.