iPhones and other smart phones have become the essential communications device. Have you ever wondered how they develop all those cool apps? Or wanted to develop one yourself? Then come to CHIFOO this month to hear a member of the Small Society dev team discuss how they make our phones do more than we ever dreamed of.

The release of the iPhone 3G and, with it, Apple’s launch of the App Store, marked 2008 as the year that mobile computing changed forever. We are witnessing the birth of a new class of technology: pocket-sized devices with always-on broadband that understand who you are and where you are. With a technological and cultural revolution unfolding before our eyes, how do interaction designers and agencies deal with such a quickly shifting landscape? What does leadership mean when there is a perceived lack of solid research, UI best practices, and industry mentors at your fingertips? James will bring some clarity to this area, reflecting on her experiences designing successful interactions for a variety of devices.

James Keller is a digital communications strategist and user experience evangelist at Small Society, a small agency based in Portland with a passion for the iPhone™ platform, dedicated to helping organizations bring great ideas to life. Before joining the Small Society team, James was at Wieden+Kennedy helping the Portland office align client business goals and brand experiences with emerging technologies. Find out more about James >>

At today’s special event in San Francisco Steve Jobs announced the highly anticipated Apple tablet computer, the iPad. It has a 9.7″ display, is 0.5″ thick, weighs 1.5 pounds and has a 10 hour battery life. It comes with WiFi, Bluetooth, an accelerometer, compass and can run existing apps from Apple’s App Store without any additional modification.

Pricing for the iPad starts at $499 for 16GB and it will be shipping by March. An unlimited data plan is being offer via AT&T at $29.99/month with no contract or $14.99/month for up to 250MB. A keyboard dock is also available.

After months of speculation, Apple has unveiled its tablet, called the iPad. The slim, large screen device evokes much of the same user interface as the iPhone, but it’s bigger and has some surprise features including Apple’s own custom chip.

Here’s the rundown on specs and some highlights of the device.

• The tablet is 0.5 inches thick and weighs 1.5 pounds.
• It has a 9.7-inch display with 1024 x 768-pixel resolution. It also has capacitive multitouch that’s similar to the iPhone.
• The device runs Apple’s own processor, a 1-GHz Apple A4 chip — possibly the fruits of of Apple’s $278 million acquisition of PA semiconductor in 2008.
• The iPad will have 16-GB to 64-GB flash storage.
• It includes speaker, microphone and accelerometer so you can use the device in both landscape and portrait mode. There’s also a compass.
• It has up to 10 hours of battery life and one month of standby time.
• It offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
• It will include optional 3G access from AT&T. For $30 a month, users can get unlimited data. For iPhone users already crying out in pain about their bondage to the AT&T network, here’s something to sweeten the deal: No contracts are required for the data plan. iPad users can cancel their data connectivity at any time.
• Unlimited data will cost $30 or users can pay $15 for up to 250 MB of data.
• The iPad will cost $500 for 16 GB, $600 for 32 GB and $700 for a 64-GB model. But if you want 3G connectivity, add another $130 to the price tag.

It’s worth noting that these specs are nothing like what entrepreneur Jason Calacanis claimed when he tweeted Tuesday night that he had been testing a tablet.

The iPad will start shipping in two months. The 3G models will be available in 90 days. Complete specs of the iPad from Apple.

Despite its gorgeous hardware, the iPad is missing some key features.

• There’s no camera on the iPad.
• Though Apple is yet to confirm it, on-stage demos of the device during the launch indicate it might not support Flash. That could mean broken pages and some websites that might be off-limits.
• No multitasking. Apple hasn’t commented on this, but it looks like the iPad works like the iPhone when it comes to apps. It can run just one app at a time and there’s no background processing.
• There’s more to the iPad than just this. It will run apps designed for the iPhone, new custom apps and double as an e-book reader.
• And no GPS for the Wi-Fi model. Though the iPad has Google Maps, the lack of GPS means you can’t use it for turn-by-turn navigation or in areas where’s there’s no wireless connectivity.

For more on this, read Wired’s live coverage of the tablet event.

How cool is this portable iPhone Solar Charger by Dexim? It can be flipped vertically or horizontally for hands-free viewing and can extend talk time up to eight hours. Solar P-Flip is expected to be released in a few months and should retail for USD79.90.

No bigger than a credit card and as thick as a blister pack of chewing gum, the Card Speaker puts most every mp3 accessory to shame with its good looks and crisp fidelity. Designed by IDEA International, this little speaker is ideally suited for trips to the park, the beach, or anywhere you’d like to share a little music on the fly. It comes in either black or silver, with a mirror-polished back, and includes a protective carrying case, a 3.5 mm connection plug, and a USB battery charge cable. The speaker has an operating time of approximately five hours on a two-hour charge. Link

Artists Gone Social is a 3-hour workshop being held onFebruary 20, 2010. Photographer and social media consultant Aaron Hockley will lead a discussion that will provide attendees from the art community with powerful knowledge of:

• An Introduction to Social Media Tools – a look at a bunch of tools with tips for which ones provide the most bang for the buck
• How Social Media Marketing differs from traditional marketing – using traditional methods with social media will lead to failure. Learn the new way of reaching out.
• Social Media Conversations – we’ll talk about the two-way aspect of social media
• The idea of Hubs and Outposts – with so many tools, develop a strategy to reach many people but lead them all to your focused message and content.
• Turning Social Media usage into Revenue – how can one make money from these fun social tools?
• Ideas for Social Media Content Creation – a look at what mix of your existing/artistic content along with new content will play best to your social network online.
• Your Questions – during registration, you’ll be asked about your pressing questions… and we’ll address those during the workshop.

Artists such as photographers, writers, designers, and musicians have always faced challenges in marketing their work and connecting with the appropriate communities. Rapidly-changing social and new media tools are quickly becoming the way to connect with existing fans and reach new ones… we’ll take a look at available tools and technologies and then dive into practical, reasonable tips and workflows that enable one to use social media for reaching new people and growing their creative business.

NOTE: Register by the 31st and get 30% OFF!

Text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross. $10 million donated as of 2:30pm on January 15, 2010.

Read more about the No Pants Subway Ride Mission by Improv Everywhere.

Take your snacking to the next level with Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn ($35/2 lbs.). This sweet/savory snack mix incorporates the smokey goodness of bacon and a bit of bourbon with the sweetness of caramel and the crunch of popcorn, resulting in an addictive snack that’s a great way to kickstart your next Baconholics Anonymous meeting. Now if they can just add beer I may never have to move again.

Now your kid’s lemonade stand can take your credit card. Watch a demo of the new Square iPhone payment system. Here’s what a Square receipt looks like.