The Apple Beat: Wish List for iOS 7

Great Scott!: With iOS proponent Scott Forstall gone from Apple, what direction with the valuable iOS take?By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple's yearly WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) is a month away and we're sure to see the latest features and builds of Mac OS X and iOS. Studying the current mobile landscape and features available to competing smartphone and tablet platforms, I've compiled a personal wish list of features I hope to see on iOS 7.

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Converse like a local with ABBYY PhraseBooks for iOS

Want to be a smooth operator in six different languages or at least be able to ask someone where the bathroom is when traveling? ABBYY has released the illustrated digital PhraseBooks app for iOS devices.

It helps tourists communicate in various languages—English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Russian—and learn common phrases they would need on their trips. PhraseBooks divides content into 11 topics with special Useful Words section for each group. You’ll hear the phrases being pronounced by native speakers and view rather amusing visuals that describe the phrases. The ABBYY PhraseBooks is available for $9.99 USD on the App Store and you can learn more information about the app here.  

QuickerTek launches Quicky Junior 3 for Apple MacBooks

QuickerTek promises an extra boost of power from a more compact device with the Quicky Junior 3. This third generation Wi-Fi adaptor expands to the ‘a’ spectrum of the 802.11 band to give older computer users access to newer access points.

The Quicky Junior 3 comes with the small USB Wi-Fi adaptor and redesigned antenna that folds into its body. It will give those who need an easy power boost by increasing the MacBook’s internal antennas threefold. The plug-and-play device can also be used to add other desktop computers to a network without adding cables. The Quicky Junior 3 is priced at $79.95 and you can read more about it on the product page. 

The Pocket Scavenger goes mobile

Fans of Keri Smith’s The Pocket Scavenger are in for a treat. Penguin US has released a creativity app for The Pocket Scavenger for iOS and Android, making this the third of its kind after Wreck This App and This Is Not An App. The Pocket Scavenger app encourages you to look away from the screen of your smartphone or tablet and interact with the world in a different way.

Much like the book, it will ask you to photograph random, quirky items, such as something miniature, a used envelope, etc. and then you can choose to be assigned an alteration like making it a part of a self-portrait. You can upload the result to a map and see scavenges happening around you. Sharing on Facebook and Twitter is possible, too. The Pocket Scavenger app is available for a price of $4.99 USD on iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.