Every week iMore’s editors carefully cull through hundreds of thousands of iPhone and iPad apps and games, and countless accessories, and pick only one of each — one app, one game, and one accessory. Innovative, interesting, or just plain exciting, they might might be the latest and greatest or the most newly updated, or they might be classics or hidden gems. The only constants are, they’ll always be among our very favorites, and they’ll worthy to join the exclusive ranks of iMore’s new picks of the week.

This week we have an old social favorite with new social hook, the sequel to the sequel of one of the best shooters ever, and way to give your iPhone an incredible new set of eyes…

App of the Week: Flipboard with SoundCloud

Flipboard is a dynamic, up-to-date, but highly personalized magazine created from everything being shared to you from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Reeder, LinkedIn, Flickr and most recently added, SoundCloud.

That’s right, now you can enjoy amazing sounds created and shared by your friends and people you follow on SoundCloud as well as explore dozens of recommended audio feeds in new Audio category in the Content Guide.

Using Flipboard is joyous. You simply flip through the different stories in your feeds that are displayed with big images and an expert of text. When reading an article, advancing through pages also requires the act of “flipping”. It’s actually pretty fun.

Flipboard is one of our favorite personal magazine apps, and it also supports our favorite read later services: Instapaper, Pocket, and Readability.

Free – Download Now

Game of the week: N.O.V.A. 3

This week, there was really only iOS game worth talking about: Gameloft’s N.O.V.A. 3. The franchise has long been meeting the needs of hardcore Halo fans looking for something similar on their iPhone, and over time, N.O.V.A. has very much come into its own.

You play the role of Kal Wardin, a reluctant (and supposedly retired) military man who’s the only one with the skills to fend off the usual intergalactic threats. Your standard assortment of shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and missile launchers are supplemented by superhuman abilities like slowing time, telekentic force pushes, and freezing enemies. Though there’s a 10-level single player campaign, the real game takes place online, where you fight 6 v 6 across a variety of classic game modes, like team deathmatch, free for all, and capture the flag. As you play, win or lose, you gain experience points and level up, which unlocks new weapons, equipment, and add-ons to spawn with. One of the most exciting elements of multiplayer is the ability to hop into a variety of awesome high-tech vehicles, like walker mechs and jeeps.

This sci-fi first-person shooter boasts Retina-optimized graphics for both iPhone and iPad, but be warned new iPad owners – the price for razor-sharp textures is steep. In order to keep the framerate up, you’ll be sacrificing lots of cool effects like depth of field and motion blur. Gameloft is also trying to push in-app purchases for guns, which is a trapping generally left to free games, but luckily you can earn all the in-game currency you need through regular gameplay.

N.O.V.A. 3 provides top-notch action, great multiplayer, and graphics that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else on iOS. Although many scoff at dual-stick shooters on mobile, I find Gameloft has done a great job at integrating gyroscope control since Modern Combat 3, particularly for fine aim adjustments. I also take zero issue with the “inspiration” they pull from sci-fi games on other platforms; if Halo isn’t ever going to find its way to the iPhone and iPad, then more power to Gameloft for bringing it here. For action game fans, N.O.V.A. 3 is a no-brainer.

$6.99 - Download now

Accessory of the week: olloclip lens system

The olloclip is a compact, convenient lens system that easily slides over your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S camera and turns it into a fun, flexible, photography powerhouse. The olloclip contains both a fisheye and wide-angle lens, and you can unscrew the wide-angle to reveal a macro lens as well. That’s 3 extra options in one small package.

We used the olloclip extensively at both CES 2012 and Macworld|iWorld Expo 2012 and it worked fantastically well. The fisheye let us fit multiple people into frame for video interviews, and the macro let us get in really close for details. We even used the macro to capture the Retina display comparison shots for our new iPad review.

Combine it with the killer tips in our iPhone photography column and you’re on your way to one fairly incredible ultra-mobile photo kit.

$69.99 – Buy now

Curated by Leanna Lofte, Simon Sage, Georgia, and Rene Ritchie

AnnaLynne McCord
Kate Beckinsale

Apple has reportedly sent out a shiny brochure to their new neighbors, detailing aspects of the futuristic campus they’re planning to build on the old HP lot. 9to5Mac got their hands on a copy, and shared some of the details, the most interesting of which is:

Campus 2, as it is currently called, won’t replace the 1 Infinite Loop campus. Instead, it will just provide ‘research facility’ office space for an additional 13,000 employees, more than 3,000 more than 1 Infinite Loop. There is 300,000 feet of expansion space for future growth.

And yes, that seems to mean no museum, no new Company Store, and potentially no next-generation offices for Apple’s executives.

Steve Jobs originally introduced Apple’s new “mothership” the day after WWDC 2011 with a visit to Cupertino City Council captured in the YouTube video below.

The images Apple introduced, and were posted by Cupertino and later updated, were stunning — an enormous circle of curved glass amid an orchard.

Steve Jobs said at the time of the introduction:

There is not a straight piece of glass in this building, it’s all curved. We used our experience making retail buildings all over the world now, and we know how to make the biggest pieces of glass in the world for architectural use. And, we want to make the glass specifically for this building here. We can make it curve all the way around the building… It’s pretty cool.

Some Cupertino residents have been concerned about what the influx of tens of thousands of new workers will do to traffic. Others simply see more tax dollars.

Apple is scheduled to begin work on the impressive new structure this year with a projected end date of 2015. Still no word on whether or not, due to its spaceship design, it will literally be able to abandon Earth and take to the stars, Wall-E style, should Google ever win the technology wars…

Check out the rest of the flyer pics and salient points via the link below.

Source: 9to5Mac

Marisa Miller
Cat Power
Moon Bloodgood

Motorola yesterday updated its device update schedule, with the crux being that we'll finally start to see some phones get Ice Cream Sandwich in the next month or so. Specifically, that's the Droid RAZR/MAXX, with the Atrix, Atrix 2, Droid 4 and Xyboards getting it in Q3.

Have a Droid 3 or Droid X2? Sorry, you're out of luck. And today Motorola expanded on why, saying:

"… obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device."

Interesting choice of words. What it probably means is that Moto determined that the cost in time and effort to update those older phones to ICS outweighs the benefit of Ice Cream Sandwich, which indeed sucks given how young those phones are. But that's the crapshoot we all enter into these days, unfortunately.

Good luck convincing folks that Ice Cream Sandwich won't improve their phones, Moto.

You can get the full statement at the source link below.

Source: Motorola

Lindsay Lohan
Eva Mendes
Julianne Hough

The unofficial, independent Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher, has gotten an official name — jOBS — a website, and has released some new details about the production.

The film chronicling the life of Steve Jobs, the Apple Inc. co-founder and charismatic master of innovation, begins principal photography in June and in keeping with the project’s commitment to accuracy and authenticity, will film early scenes in the actual Los Altos home where Jobs grew up and in the historic garage where he and Steve Wozniak founded Apple.

jOBS is produced by Mark Hulme and Five Star Pictures and directed by Joshua Michael Stern of Swing Vote and Neverwas.

jOBS chronicles the 30 most defining years of Steve Jobs’ life, as seen through his, colleagues’, and friends’ eyes. Dark, honest, and uncompromising, jOBS plunges into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that is as much a sweeping epic as it is an immensely personal portrait of Steve Jobs’ life.

On the film’s website, thejobsmovie.com, Hulme elaborates on his motivations for making jOBS.

One of the great innovators and futurist patriarchs of our time, Steve Jobs was somehow simultaneously a prophet and a pariah for millions of consumers. His is a truly fascinating story that cannot properly be told in such a short space, and that is why we are determined to bring his tale –both the good and the bad, the regrettable and unforgettable, the villainous and heroic– to the big screen.

Just recently Ashton Kutcher was seen out and about in his Steve Jobs wardrobe.

jOBS current has the tagline “Get inspired” and is scheduled for a late fall, 2012 release. That should be well ahead of the official biopic produced by Sony and based on the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, which just hired Aaron Sorkin of The Social Network and The West Wing to pen their script.

Source: thejobsmovie.com

AnnaLynne McCord
Kate Beckinsale

Source: http://www.55230.info/susan-b-dopart-m-s-r-d-c-d-e-5-myths-about-everyday-foods-3/

Syntel Syntaxbrillian Synopsys Synnex Symantec Sykes Enterprises Inorated

No patents. No petitions. No bootloaders. No multitasking. No customs delays. See y'all next week.

Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima

acr456 asks in the Android Central forums, 

Hello, I am going to factory reset my phone. However, my question is, since this is a complete reset will it also rollback to the version of Android that the EVO was launched with? For example, I know have version 2.3.5. Will it roll it all the way back to 2.1? I just want my data erased, I want to keep all my system updates including whatever updates Sprint sent. Do I have anything to worry about?

 

Also, the EVO I'm resetting is deactivated. Once the reset is complete will I be able to fully use my phone without the need of a Sprint connection? I have Wifi so that will do.

We're glad you asked! We get this one a lot, and we can see why the term factory data reset would make one think it was being returned to the factory, out-of-box condition. Thankfully, it's not. A factory reset will erase all user settings (things like home screen customizations, Wifi networks, sound settings and the like) and delete all apps downloaded from the Google Play store. It won't touch anything that's part of the system files, so your worse case scenario (and actually the likely scenario) is that system apps that have been updated from the Google Play store (things like the Gmail app or Maps) will just need updated from the Play store again. You'll still be on the latest 2.3.5 version, but the rest will be clean like a new device.

As for it working without Sprint service, everything but calls and SMS/MMS will work just fine. I've had my EVO 4G unactivated for over a year now and use it to keep little ones occupied when they come for a visit. Using Wifi, all your Google services, including the important one — the Google Play store — will still work just fine. Good luck, and have fun with your new EVO PDA!

Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch!

Bar Refaeli
Malin Akerman
Mila Kunis

Source: http://www.55230.info/anneli-rufus-couscous-cake-cashew-parfait-comfort-food-macrobioticized/

Moodys Miscrosoft Office Microsoft Microsemi Micros Systems Micron Technology

Regulators in China have approved the multi-billion dollar purchase of Motorola Mobility by Google. The particulars have already been approved in the US and elsewhere, and China has been the lone holdout. With that bit of dirty business behind them, the deal can now go forward. In statements released to Bloomberg Motorola and Google both confirm the news, and are looking forward to getting the loose ends tied up in short order.

We expect things to stay unchanged between Google and Motorola, as we've heard numerous times that Motorola will remain an independent entity. Only time will let us know how that turns out. It will be an interesting summer, that's for sure.

Source: Bloomberg; Thanks, Alexander!

Marisa Miller
Cat Power
Moon Bloodgood

Compared to all the drama stateside surrounding the customs woes of HTC's new handsets, it was a fairly quiet week for international Android news. But even a quiet week here in the Android world has its share of phone launches, update news, release announcements and the like, so let's dive right in.

We got our first peek at the HTC Desire C this week, as HTC prepares to launch its successor to the Wildfire S. With NFC, ICS and Beats Audio on-board, the Desire C looks like a surprisingly feature-packed little device, and we're looking forward to getting our hands on it in the near future for a full review. Speaking of reviews, we wrapped up our Motorola Motoluxe review this week — Richard found it to be a well-built entry-level handset, albeit one that's limited by Moto's slightly janky software additions.

And the countdown to the Samsung Galaxy S III launch continues — T-Mobile UK announced its pricing for the device, and we heard that some stores in the UK will be opening the evening before the official launch day to give eager pre-order customers the chance to pick up their handsets.

We also got a release date for an Android flagship from another manufacturer — LG revealed that it'll launch the Optimus 4X HD in Europe starting in June.

Check out some choice cuts from the past week's international Android developments below, and if you've got news, be sure to tip us at the usual address.

Special features:

• Multiple Nexus devices could be a game-changer for Google and Android
• Motorola Motoluxe review

News:

• 200 movies available to rent for 5p on HTC Watch this weekend
• Another minor OTA for the international HTC One X
• Pink Samsung Galaxy Note headed to the UK in June
• Samsung Galaxy S III sees 9 million pre-orders
• Samsung reveals official Galaxy S III TV ad
• Samsung opening first store in Canada
• Motorola XOOM Wifi Android 4.0.3 OTA available in Canada
• HTC and Samsung reportedly make up 86% of UK Android sales
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus vehicle dock launches in the UK on May 22
• Samsung Galaxy S III up for pre-order at T-Mobile UK
• Sony Xperia ICS updates coming 'late May, early June'
• HTC Desire C arriving May 24 for £190, says retailer
• Samsung Galaxy S III available a day early for pre-order customers
• Samsung Galaxy S III user manual appears online
• HTC Desire C is official – ICS, NFC and Beats on a 3.5-inch screen
• O2 UK reportedly rolling out DC-HSPA in 'major cities'
• HTC One XL now available in Australia from Mobicity
• LG Optimus 4X HD coming to Europe in June
• Motorola launches Xoom 2 in Sweden and other countries
• Three UK HTC One S OTA update now rolling out
• Official Samsung Galaxy S III accessories sighted
• T-Mobile UK reveals Galaxy S III pricing

Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima

Source: http://www.55230.info/jamie-oliver-food-revolution-day/

Manhattan Associates Lsi Linear Technology Lexmark International Level 3 Communications Lawson Software

Source: http://itouch.techinsurancehq.com/18853/cuboid-for-iphone-review-2/

Novellus Systems Novell Network Appliance Netgear Ncr National Semiconductor

Motorola yesterday updated its device update schedule, with the crux being that we'll finally start to see some phones get Ice Cream Sandwich in the next month or so. Specifically, that's the Droid RAZR/MAXX, with the Atrix, Atrix 2, Droid 4 and Xyboards getting it in Q3.

Have a Droid 3 or Droid X2? Sorry, you're out of luck. And today Motorola expanded on why, saying:

"… obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device."

Interesting choice of words. What it probably means is that Moto determined that the cost in time and effort to update those older phones to ICS outweighs the benefit of Ice Cream Sandwich, which indeed sucks given how young those phones are. But that's the crapshoot we all enter into these days, unfortunately.

Good luck convincing folks that Ice Cream Sandwich won't improve their phones, Moto.

You can get the full statement at the source link below.

Source: Motorola

Olivia Wilde
Megan Fox

Ready to check out some more of our favorite apps? Each week we bring to you some of our favorites in hopes that they may become your favorites, and we want you to do the same. Drop a line in the comments and let us know some of the awesome applications you have installed on your device, so the rest of the Android Central community can check them out as well!

read more

Katy Perry
Gina Carano
Britney Spears

Motorola yesterday updated its device update schedule, with the crux being that we'll finally start to see some phones get Ice Cream Sandwich in the next month or so. Specifically, that's the Droid RAZR/MAXX, with the Atrix, Atrix 2, Droid 4 and Xyboards getting it in Q3.

Have a Droid 3 or Droid X2? Sorry, you're out of luck. And today Motorola expanded on why, saying:

"… obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device."

Interesting choice of words. What it probably means is that Moto determined that the cost in time and effort to update those older phones to ICS outweighs the benefit of Ice Cream Sandwich, which indeed sucks given how young those phones are. But that's the crapshoot we all enter into these days, unfortunately.

Good luck convincing folks that Ice Cream Sandwich won't improve their phones, Moto.

You can get the full statement at the source link below.

Source: Motorola

Bar Refaeli
Malin Akerman
Mila Kunis

Motorola yesterday updated its device update schedule, with the crux being that we'll finally start to see some phones get Ice Cream Sandwich in the next month or so. Specifically, that's the Droid RAZR/MAXX, with the Atrix, Atrix 2, Droid 4 and Xyboards getting it in Q3.

Have a Droid 3 or Droid X2? Sorry, you're out of luck. And today Motorola expanded on why, saying:

"… obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device."

Interesting choice of words. What it probably means is that Moto determined that the cost in time and effort to update those older phones to ICS outweighs the benefit of Ice Cream Sandwich, which indeed sucks given how young those phones are. But that's the crapshoot we all enter into these days, unfortunately.

Good luck convincing folks that Ice Cream Sandwich won't improve their phones, Moto.

You can get the full statement at the source link below.

Source: Motorola

Olivia Wilde
Megan Fox

Source: http://itouch.techinsurancehq.com/18849/the-daily-meal-diet-busting-fast-food-iced-coffees-2/

Zoran Zions Ban Yahoo Yahoo Xilinx Western Digital

Source: http://www.55230.info/elisha-goldstein-ph-d-the-slow-down-diet-enjoying-food-feeling-better-2/

Alltel Amazoncom America Movil Amkor Technology Amphenol Anixter International

acr456 asks in the Android Central forums, 

Hello, I am going to factory reset my phone. However, my question is, since this is a complete reset will it also rollback to the version of Android that the EVO was launched with? For example, I know have version 2.3.5. Will it roll it all the way back to 2.1? I just want my data erased, I want to keep all my system updates including whatever updates Sprint sent. Do I have anything to worry about?

 

Also, the EVO I'm resetting is deactivated. Once the reset is complete will I be able to fully use my phone without the need of a Sprint connection? I have Wifi so that will do.

We're glad you asked! We get this one a lot, and we can see why the term factory data reset would make one think it was being returned to the factory, out-of-box condition. Thankfully, it's not. A factory reset will erase all user settings (things like home screen customizations, Wifi networks, sound settings and the like) and delete all apps downloaded from the Google Play store. It's won't touch anything that's part of the system files, so your worse case scenario (and actually the likely scenario) is that system apps that have been updated from the Google Play store (things like the Gmail app or Maps) will just need updated from the Play store again. You'll still be on the latest 2.3.5 version, but the rest will be clean like a new device.

As for it working without Sprint service, everything but calls and SMS/MMS will work just fine. I've had my EVO 4G unactivated for over a year now and use it to keep little nes occupied when they come for a visit. Using Wifi, all your Google services, including the important one — the Google Play store — will still work just fine. Good luck, and have fun with your new EVO PDA!

Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch!

Jessica Biel
Leighton Meester
Jessica Alba
Christina Aguilera

Apple has just announced its line up for the annual iTunes Festival. The event which first started in 2007 has been hugely popular as all of the tickets are given away free of charge. The live concerts all take place at London’s The Roundhouse and it all kicks off on September 1^st and goes on until September 30^th.

Every year since 2007, the iTunes Festival has been bringing you a full month of spectacular live music. Many of the world’s biggest stars and the brightest newcomers have graced the festival stage, and this year’s brilliant line-up includes jack White, One Direction, Norah Jones and more. It will all take place in September 2012 at one of the UK’s best live music venues-the Roundhouse in London.

So far Apple has confirmed performances by Usher, Emeli Sandé, Jack White, Norah Jones and every teenage girls dream, One Direction. There will be many more artists to come over the next couple of months so this is certain to be a popular event. Even better the tickets are always free. If you want them just simply apply for them through the app or online. Apple is also running a competition to win a Festival Pass which gives you access to every concert during the festival.

If you can’t make the live shows, you can enjoy all the action live on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch via the iTunes Festival app, as well as on your Mac or PC. The iOS app even supports AirPlay; enabling you to stream the action straight to your Apple TV. Unfortunately, it looks like being exclusively for UK based users as the app is only available in the UK App Store.

Free - Download Now

Source: iTunes Festival

Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima