Bought yourself a lovely new iPad mini? Well the range and the quality of the cases for your new device gets better all the time.

Here are our favourite new high-end iPad mini cases.

So it was an interesting night for Apple watchers, with the company's financial results not really anywhere near as bad as some analysts had predicted.

There does however seem to be some underlying issues that the company needs to tackle the most urgent of which is getting some new product out to rival the endless stream of goodies that are emanating from Korea.

So good news for Apple fan people as last night CEO Tim Cook confirmed that a new phone and new tablet will be coming before the end of the year probably in the Fall.

The question is of course which products? The phone could the iPhone 5S or the much rumoured cut down iPhone to tempt budget buyers, And as for the tablet is - it the iPad 5 or will we see the ipad mini 2.

There is still a fair bit of conjecture as to what the iPhone 5S will feature. Some pundits predict that it will be a largely cosmetic upgrade with new software features. Others think that it will be a different format and boast a larger screen.

The news that it is coming in the Fall tallies with recent rumours that Apple are running a little behind on the release schedule.

If you own a dog you probably wonder what it gets up to when you are nit around. Of course you can install a webcam to check to see what Rover is up to, but now an new iPad app hopes to take remote dog monitoring to a new more interactive level.

The $1.99 Pavlov Dog Monitor app doesn't just keep tabs on your hound, it also uses technology to help you train your pooch too and even allows your dog to send Facebook messages to you.

Its main function is to ensure that the dog doesn't spend the whole day barking at the neighbours. To address this you set the app up and leave your iPad on in the same room as your mutt.

Then if the dog starts barking a sound monitor on the iPad then triggers a video - which you have pre-recorded - saying bad dog stop barking etc.

If the dog behaves themselves then it gets the treat of a little video from you saying good dog etc.

Your pet's progress is then tracked each day by the Dr. Pavlov character with it given a grade for each session you are away.

You can even set the app up so that your dog sends a Facebook post to you of its activity.

It sounds great in theory, but I guess how it works will depend on the individual dog. It might drive some dogs crazy and also some dogs respond better to screen than others.

Btw dog lovers - did you catch this?

Bought yourself a shiny new iPad mini? You are going to need a case for it. Here then is a round up of iPad mini housing which is targeted more at blokes than it is women.

There's a selection of stuff - from classy woollen cases through to fashion ones and ultra toughies - if your iPad gets a knock or two.

Well this was always going to happen, The trend for putting Kindles in classic book jacket style cases has now crept over to the iPad and you can now house your Apple tablet in a suitably retro 1984 by George Orwell cover.

And if wrapping your iPad in Doublespeak doesn't appeal then there's also Origin of the Species, Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz.

The covers are designed to fit gen 3 and 4 iPads, sport spongy material to further protect your iPad and retail for £19.99 from Firebox.

Bought yourself an iPad mini? If so you'll need to get a case for it pronto and here then is our selection of some of the best cases available that are aimed more at women than men.

At an exclusive event in San Jose, California today, Apple has announced a new addition to the family: the iPad Mini.

Only a month ago Apple proudly presented the iPhone 5 and, in what seems to be a rush to make sure they get included in all fanboys and fangirls' Christmas lists, the tech giant now unveiled yet another device.

The Apple iPad Mini

Having sold 100 million iPads in just two and a half years, the iPad Mini is 7.9 inches and is an entirely new display. You can hold it with one hand, it has the same curving back as the iPod touch and comes in both black and white.

It's 7.2mm thick - that's as thin as a pencil - and weighs in at .68 pounds, half as light as a fourth generation iPad and apparently the weight of a pad of paper.

It has the exact same resolution as the iPad 2 (1,024 x 768) and is great for 'reading your emails and browsing the web'.

The iPad Mini also has front and rear cameras - like the iPhone 4 and 5 - and is compatible with all iPad apps.

More details to follow

See gallery below for iPad Mini images - ALL IMAGES: PRESS ASSOCIATION

There's a lot of London publishing going on at the moment, like this ace free iPad book (disclaimer - there's some Shiny involvement in it) but in terms of digital publishing nothing quite as ambitious or an innovative as this.

London - A City Through Time is an iPad app that is an extraordinary in its scope, vision and technical implementation. There really is nothing like it. Its executed by a company called Heuristic Media who have worked with among others Macmillan Publishing and The Museum of London to deliver a history of the capital using images, video, maps and a load more. There is some text there too - more on that in a moment.

At first glance it looks mind blowing. There are a number of ways of working your way though it. You can access information via a Timeline or find things via interactive maps. Alternatively you can just browse through videos, maps or individual subjects.

There is some fantastic stuff in here. The images, everything from portraits of medieval queens through to harrowing images of WW2 London are really superb. There are also a few very striking skyline images that enable you to get a 360 view on either via using your finger or by using the iPad's gyroscopic facilities.

I also love the maps, mainly from the Victorian era, which show how the city began to sprawl during that century. You also get a few celebrity quotes on London, some cute Pathe videos featuring a cast that includes Oswald Mosley and John Lennon and a trio of audio tours you can take.

Ironically, for what can still be loosely termed a book, is that while the app is brilliant on images and interactivity it isn't great on words. I was promised several thousand articles - what I got was school essay type stuff and load of links to Wikipedia. I am guessing that most of the content is curated from another source, but it is dull, textbook like, and quite often not especially relevant. It really undermines what could be a promising section on tube trains, and adds little to the overall package.

To be fair, the vast majority of people who buy this won't care anyhow. What this app does brilliantly is curate cool stuff about London. In five years time individuals will be able to do something similar in that they will curate content that has been stored online and package it up as content on an iPad.

The other sticking point might be the price. Personally I feel a tenner is fine for the app, but a friend who was also blown away by it, has reservations about the price.

However, don 't let minor quibbles about words put you off. If you want words go here (coughs).

This is a fantastic app that both tourists and Londoners will cherish. Go buy it!

Over the last few months members of the Shiny team have been working away on an ebook called The London Project. It features a group of bloggers writing passionately about the past and the present of the city they love.

The book was created using a new-ish platform called iBooks Author, which enables the user to add galleries, maps and video - which in the context of The London Project are mainly used as footnotes. The Kindle version is a bit more straightforward. Ultimately though The London Project is about words. It has longer essays that we think don't really work in the context of the web but make sense on the iPad/Kindle.

I wonder if this is the start of a new type of publishing in which ebooks are produced that have magazine style content from different authors and are - because of the nature of ebook platforms - largely image free.

It isn't that new. Football title Blizzard, publishes a magazine style ebook on the Kindle, iBook and print on demand formats every few months. The features tend to be serious, intelligent, and occasionally downright pretentious dissections of the beautiful game, If you want to read why brilliant historian Dominic Sandbrook thinks that Revie era Leeds had much in common with Nixon's US presidency this is the place to go.

The subs are cheap, or you can pay for what you want. There is minimal design and no images - it is all about the words.

As for The London Project it is free on iBooks and a couple of quid on the Kindle

Stories include

The tale of the City's most iconic 20th century image
The capital's disappearing villages
The London venues that shaped the history of music
The hidden history of the Thames Estuary
Dalston's Street Preachers
London's lost sports venues
The curse of north London artist Stuart Free
How the Hippies took Mayfair
Pop-Up London - what's behind the trend

and a load more.

It'll be interesting to see if other publisher choose this route

Pinstagram is one of those annoying mash-ups of... you guessed it... Pinterest and Instagram, but now it's got its own shiny new iPad app it might be more appealing than them both.

The app allows you to see all of your Instagram feed photos in the popular Pinterest format, as well as search by keyword. You can then go on to 'pin' any of the photos you like to your Pinterest boards too and share via Twitter and Facebook.

The app is a cool way to view Instagram photos and great if you follow users who take snaps that are actually good enough to pin (which are far and few between we'd imagine), but it's also pretty exciting for photo-loving iPad owners because it's beaten both Pinterest and Instagram to the tablet device.

As you might expect, those behind the app made a conscious decision to go down the iPad route instead of developing an offering for the iPhone first. Pek Pongpaet, one of Pinstagram's Co-creators, told Mashable:

"If people are already using Instagram on their iPhones, it would be duplicating Instagram's effort [...] We'll never be a better Instagram than Instagram."

Available from iTunes for free. Oh and if you're lucky enough to have a 3rd generation iPad, Pinstagram has been optimised for the new Retina Display too.

[Via Mashable]

We've noticed that more and more lucky iPad owners are throwing caution (and their cases) to the wind and using only a smart cover, screen protector or NOTHING to protect their lovely tablets. This kind of behaviour may be a little risky, but it's totally understandable. Why wrap a gadget designed to be super slim in layers of bulky protection?

But, you'll still need a way to keep your iPad safe when you're carrying it around all day before you get it out and use it nakey the rest of the time, so we've collected together our top 8 ways to keep your gadget safe in style.

The Queen's Gallery in London is currently exhibiting a number of fascinating anatomical sketches by Leonardo da Vinci, some of which have never even been displayed before (like, EVER). In order to make the collection more accessible to his fans, as well as art and science enthusiasts, The Royal Collection has developed an impressive, interactive app for the iPad, Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy.

Most people know Leonardo da Vinci as the greatest artist and mind of the Renaissance period, but in actual fact he was also one of the most original and perceptive anatomists of all time. Over the course of his life he made a series of sketches and discoveries, which if uncovered shortly after could well have shaped European knowledge of the subject. But instead his work in the field was lost among his private notes for almost 400 years. Now these incredibly detailed, accurate and in many ways ground-breaking, sketches are part of the Royal Collection and are being exhibited for the next few months at The Queen's Gallery in London.

Shiny Shiny was invited along to the gallery and although it was a great opportunity to take a look at Leonardo da Vinci's work for ourselves, we also got some time to try out the new iPad app all about the exhibition. The Royal Collection worked closely with the application developers over at Touch Press in order to create a one-of-a-kind offering that doesn't just allow users to see Leonardo's work, but enables them to interact with the sketches and learn much more in the process.

The application, called Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy features all 268 pages of his sketches, but it's their super high resolution that's been optimised for the iPad's new Retina Display which makes the app such a treat for the eyes.

Every aspect of the application is super interactive, you can scroll through pages, move sketches around, view them in 3D, enlarge them, play sections as animations and even translate Leonardo's secret notes into English. There's even a quirky spyglass tool, which you can move around the drawings in order to magnify certain elements. However, our favourite feature is that you can spin the body around (see the screenshot above), strip down certain elements of the model's anatomy with a simple swipe and then click on them to see all of the sketches associated with that body part. Very clever.

Although they're clearly the main focus, the app isn't just about looking at the sketches, there's a detailed commentary written by Martin Clayton, Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings at Windsor Castle, accompanying the content, which explains Leonardo's anatomical investigations in much more detail.

At £9.99 there's no denying this app is pricey, but for the access you're getting to the sketches, the impressive image quality with the new iPad's Retina Display and the chance to properly interact with the work it's definitely worth it for fans of Leonardo's work and those interested in anatomy.

Available from the app store for £9.99.

Find out more about the Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist exhibition.

The new iPad/iPad 3/third generation iPad is here, we don't really care what it's officially called, we just want to know what to do on it to please our eyes.

The new tablet from Apple boasts a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display and we've collected together 10 apps that have been given a super high resolution update to coincide with the release.

Related: New iPad 3: 10 Retina display apps to get you started [PART TWO]

It's nearly time. By 8am tomorrow the first die-hard Apple fan will be lovingly clutching his/her first New iPad (3rd generation) after high-fiving all the insanely enthusiastic Apple employees.

But amidst the excitement, shouting and crazy queues, you're going to need to know which data plan to opt for and Tech Digest's editor, Gerald Lynch, has written up a quick guide about all the important details...

Note:

With the UK still dragging its heels when it comes to divvying out the 4G spectrum, the iPad 3's superfast mobile broadband speeds won't be available in Blighty. All network plans here therefore refer to 3G data plans and their corresponding speeds, but even they should be slightly faster thanks to improved antenna tech in Apple's newest slate. Either way, they're future-proofed for when the new network tech does eventually go live.

Three

Three were first out of the blocks with their iPad 3rd gen pricing structures, with upfront costs for the subsidised tablet starting at £99, with each deal offering a generous 15GB monthly allowance.

To grab a 16GB Wi-Fi + 4G version of the new iPad, it'll cost you £99 plus £29 per month on a 24 month contract. For a larger upfront cost of £159, you can get the same model on a a £25 per month, 24 month contract.

The 32GB Wi-Fi + 4G version will cost £169 up front on a £29 per month, 24 month contract. A larger upfront cost of £229 will put the monthly charge down to £25.

To grab the 64GB whopper, it will cost £249 up front, on a £29 per month contract for two years. Cough up £299 up front, and that monthly charge falls to £25 per month.

Three will also offer their customers pay monthly deals on the new 4G enabled iPad. In this case, the hardware prices are set at the standard £479 (16GB), £549 (32GB) and £629 (64GB) prices. The pay monthly plans to accompany them will set you back £15 per month for 10GB of data, or £7.50 per month for 1GB.

O2

While O2 won't be selling the iPad 3rd gen themselves, they'll be offering data plans for customers looking to utilise their network.

Their pay-as-you-go surf plans cost £2.04 a day for 200MB and unlimited Wi-Fi, £10.21 over 30 days (recurring) for 1GB, and unlimited Wi-Fi, or alternatively £15.32 over 30 days (recurring) for 2GB and unlimited Wi-Fi.

Data allowance through O2 is also doubled for every third "top-up" users make, with the packages available to be changed and controlled from the iPad itself.

Orange

Orange are keen to keep their existing customers happy, and will offer cheaper upfront prices for the new iPad if you're already signed on with their network.

Therefore, existing customers will pay £199 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 4G new iPad, £249 for the 32GB Wi-Fi + 4G new iPad and £349 for the 64GB Wi-Fi + 4G new iPad. New customers on the other hand will pay £299 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 4G new iPad, £279 for the 32GB Wi-Fi + 4G new iPad and £379 for the 64GB Wi-Fi + 4G new iPad.

After that, data plans for all models are set at £25 a month for 24 months. That bags you 1GB of anytime data as well as 1GB of "Quiet Time Data" from Midnight to 4pm in the afternoon, as well as unlimited access to the BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots dotted around the country.

If you're in the market for a new phone too, Orange also offer deals that bundle various iPhone models in with the new iPad. Details of those bundles can be found here.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile have now sent Tech Digest the details of their price plans too. A 16GB Wi-Fi and 4G new iPad from the network costs £229 upfront, with a £25 per month plan over 24 months. That gives 1GB of anytime data allowance a month, and an extra 1GB of "Quiet Time" data from Midnight to 10am.

For a 32GB Wi-Fi and 4G new iPad, it'll set you back £279 upfront, with the same monthly cost and data allowances as with the 16GB model.

If you're an existing T-Mobile customer, you can get a cheaper deal on the 32GB Wi-Fi and 4G model, costing just £249. The same monthly payment/data allowances as above apply.

Vodafone

Vodafone too have announced their data deals for the new iPad, and offer plenty of options and price points.

We'll start with the 16GB Wi-Fi and 4G model. On a 24 month, £27 a month plan, you can grab the new iPad for £199, complete with a monthly allowance of 2GB of data, and 1GB BT Openzone Wi-Fi. It's then £15 for each extra 1GB of data.

Vodafone also offer rolling monthly plans on the 16GB iPad, with an upfront cost of £499. £15 a month bags you 2GB of data, and 1GB BT Openzone Wi-Fi. It's then £15 for each extra 1GB of data. Alternatively, for a monthly cost of £7.50, you get 500MB UK data, then £7.50 for each extra 500MB.

Moving on now to the 32GB Wi-Fi and 4G model. On a 24 month, £27 a month plan, you can grab the 32GB new iPad for £275, complete with a monthly allowance of 2GB of data, and 1GB BT Openzone Wi-Fi. It's then £15 for each extra 1GB of data.

Vodafone also offer rolling monthly plans on the 32GB iPad too, with an upfront cost of £569. £15 a month bags you 2GB of data, and 1GB BT Openzone Wi-Fi. It's then £15 for each extra 1GB of data. Alternatively, for a monthly cost of £7.50, you get 500MB UK data, then £7.50 for each extra 500MB.

Lastly, the 64GB Wi-Fi and 4G model. On a 24 month, £27 a month plan, you can grab the 32GB new iPad for £345, complete with a monthly allowance of 2GB of data, and 1GB BT Openzone Wi-Fi. It's then £15 for each extra 1GB of data.

Vodafone also offer rolling monthly plans on the 64GB iPad if you don't fancy being tied for two years to the same deal, with an upfront cost of £645. £15 a month bags you 2GB of data, and 1GB BT Openzone Wi-Fi. It's then £15 for each extra 1GB of data. Alternatively, for a monthly cost of £7.50, you get 500MB UK data, then £7.50 for each extra 500MB.

All models are available in black or white.

Alternatively, a 30 day SIM only plan is available with usage alerts to your iPad for £15.00 per month offering a 2GB UK data allowance with 1GB of BT Openzone included.

Tesco Mobile

Tech Digest have reached out to Tesco Mobile regarding iPad 3 plans, and will update this post once we get word back from them.

Related: New iPad 3 initial review

[Via Tech Digest]

The iPad isn't just for playing Angry Birds or scrolling through your emails, if you enjoy messing around with tracks and creating new mixes there are plenty of fun DJ apps to keep you amused. However, this DJ controller from Numark really takes the iPad's music ability to the next level, and although it's primarily made for consumers, it does give you professional controls and (fairly) professional sounds.

The huge station has a space for your iPad or iPad 2 in the middle so it can take centre stage, as well as jogwheels, pitch control, loads of volume buttons and many more controls that integrate with one of our all-time favourite apps, Djay.

The iDJ Pro also gives you access to the cloud and you can then download any track and start playing it within in seconds. It also comes with a mic and Airplay capability, allowing you to play your set over compatible speakers.

The pretty impressive station was unveiled at NAMM 2012 earlier this week, so you can't snap one up just yet, but we expect it'll be available later in the year.

If you're not sick of board games after playing Monopoly thousands of times with your younger relatives over Christmas, then you might be interested in iPieces, a quirky way to play classic games on your iPad.

Created by Jumbo Games, iPieces cleverly utilises the iPad's sensitive touchscreen to let you play some of the most popular board games, like Snakes and Ladders and Air Hockey. You simply buy a set of pieces, counters or fishing rods that then work alongside an interactive free iPad app with colourful graphics, noises and other surprises.

Although we love the idea behind iPieces, one of the main reasons iPad games are so appealing is that they don't need any extra bits and pieces to make them work, so it'll be interesting to see whether they prove to be popular, particularly if key components disappear under the settee when a little one starts to chew on them!

The iPieces sets will be available from Play.com and Amazon at the end of January, but you can get them from WHSmith's 'Travel' section in stores now.

There have been so many new tablet stands, cases, covers, sleeves, lights, bags and all kinds of other random bits and pieces launched over the past year that nothing really blows us away that much anymore when it comes to tablet accessories.

However, this bright new iPad and Galaxy Tab 1.2 case may just be the cleverest we've ever seen.

The Smart Stand Sleeve is from Connect Design and it starts its life off as a normal iPad sleeve with super protective material and magnets to keep it shut. It can then be twisted, folded and secured by the same magnets to make a 22 degree angle stand or a 45 degree angle stand, depending on what you're using your iPad for. What a clever, multi-functional and stylish little case/stand hybrid.

Available from Connect Design for $49 in orange red, dark brown and ivory too.

[Via Yanko Design]

There are plenty of stands, wall mounts and balancing accessories available to make watching TV shows, following recipes or playing games even easier with your iPad. However, most seem to be geared up for one particular scenario and only let you bend and twist a certain way before you get fed up and end up trying to hold your iPad yourself, which could lead to nasty food spilling or even worse, bath-related incidents. Ouch.

Well a new stand from R.A.T Music Stands called the Z3 will allow you to position your iPad at ANY angle ensuring easy viewing and a safe, scratch-free and water-free tablet.

Now if you're thinking the Z3 just looks like those metal sheet music stands you used at school, that's because the manufacturers are the world's leading designer and producer of professional music stands. Interesting, huh? Well they realised that their designs and technology could be used to keep other things in place, other than just music books.

If you're still not convinced (because let's face it, it does look a bit dull), the stand is fully adjustable from 40cm, right up to 137cm so you can use it while lying down, sitting or standing, it's got built-in swivelling capabilities, so you can turn it 360 degrees at any angle AND it folds into a neat bag in three simple steps.

Although it's probably great for meetings and giving presentations with your iPad, this means we can watch our favourite TV shows from the bath, which is the main reason it gets a big thumbs up from Shiny Shiny.

Available from Firebox for £144.99.

Ever since the iPad jumped into our lives we've written about a lot of different cases, accessories and related gadgets here on Shiny Shiny. So for our Christmas gift guide today we've collected together our top five cases for the iPad 2 that will keep tablets safe and dry, but also make excellent Christmas gifts. There's a mix of fancy, shiny, tough and practical, so take your pick!

Tip: You might have to order some of these from US sites, so if you're based in the UK get them sooner rather than later!

Click here to find out which our best all-rounder case is...

If you have an iPad you'll know that you are spoilt for choice when it comes to RSS and social curation apps. In fact we did a round up just the other day.

You'll also know that the app that has been blazing the trail, Flipboard, has been a huge hit and can boast over 3.5 million downloads. And maybe that the highly regarded Zite (terrible name) recently got snapped uyp by CNN. There's even one integrated into the new (for the iPad anyhow) Dolphin browser.

Now it seems that Flipboard is going to have a rival and not just from a start up. According to uber Geek Robert Scoble Google is working on a news sharing app that turns social media and news content into magazine-like articles. Word is it is called Google Propeller.

"Google is working on a Flipboard competitor for both Android and iPad. My source says that the versions he's seen so far are mind-blowing good."

What I'd love is an RSS reader a bit like Pulse that intelligently harvests suggested links from your social media sources. Now that would be impressive.