Private Property has recently gone through a whole new look & feel with a site redesign, and with that a new iPad app was launched, as well a iPhone update in the works as well.

The new updated app takes full use of the screen with big bold images and a clean design look & feel. The listing pages have also been updated to include as much information as possible, as well as ranking the properties according to how much info is displayed.

Info from the App Store Listing

The Private Property iPad app puts the largest selection of private and agency listings in South Africa at your fingertips.
Whether you’re planning to buy or rent, the Private Property iPad app will inspire your search and ensure you find the home
of your dreams.

Below are some of the features of the new Private Property iPad app:

• Find Properties – Find your perfect home using text search, location-based search or suburb navigation search.
• Find Agents – Find all agents in your area and contact them effortlessly.
• Slide-Menu – Access your favourite tools from anywhere in the app using the new slide-menu.
• Modern Design – An elegant and simple design makes the app easy and fun to use.

I am looking forward to seeing some cool little tweaks being introduced into the app in the future, as I still think there is loads you can do with it !

Nice one PP team :)

Private Property - iPad versionPrivate PropertyLifestyleFreeDownload

This week, I wanted to showcase a very slick looking app from the chaps at Glucode, called Gautimes. The Gautimes app is a free app which makes travelling on the Gautrain a breeze. The design of the app is absolutely amazing with a clean interface and has a really simple interface when  using the app. Even if you aren’t a frequent user of the Gautrain, this is still one of those apps you should download to keep in the back of one of those “unused apps” folders, and keep it for a rainy day.

App Store App Description

Getting to the Gautrain station and your destination on time has just become a whole lot easier! Now Gautrain commuters can easily plan their train trips.

Whether you’re a frequent, occasional or first time Gautrain commuter you can now confidently plan your meetings, airport arrangements, shopping sprees or exciting adventures that the tracks may lead you on.

Gautimes will automatically locate the Gautrain station nearest to you. You can then easily view arrival times for all stations on your line based on your selected departure time as well as set departure reminders so that you can make sure that you catch your train on time.

Key features
- automatically locates and selects the Gautrain station nearest to you
- see a list of all Gautrain stations to make a custom selection
- see your current distance from all Gautrain stations
- see a map of all Gautrain lines and stations
- see which trains are 8-car trains
- see future date specific train schedules
- set reminders on train departure times
- see arrival times based on a departure time
- Gautrain schedule changes are updated automatically

Gautimes for iPhoneGlucode (Pty) LtdTravelFreeDownload

The Lenmar Meredian iPhone 5 Battery Case (RRP 799) is a sleek designed, and super lightweight. Unlike other battery pack covers when the case is on your phone, it doesn’t feel bulky or add on too much weight. The crux of this case for me was it offers a 2300mAh battery which means your iPhone gets charged back to 100% in record time from 1% battery, and then still extra battery if it goes flat again. To put this in comparison the standard iPhone 5 battery is only 1400 mAh, and the nearest rival battery pack only offers a 2100 mAh battery pack.

I can’t tell you how many times this case has been a life saver, and I simply cannot recommend it enough. We all know the iPhone 5 battery sucks, so if you often find yourself with that dreaded 1% battery on your iPhone, then you have to get this. The only downside to this case is that there is no adapter for the headphone jack, but it is not a trainshmash as there is a inlet for the headphones, albeit quite far in, so if you using an L-Shaped headphone connector you may struggle.

The Lenmar Meridian BC5 iPhone 5 Battery Case retails for R799 and is available on Geekshop.co.za. Click to see the full Lenmar Range

Loads of people have asked about Find My iPhone and how it works, and how it is activated. So I thought I would put a quick blog post together with some info.

• Check the Find My iPhone service activated. To do this on your iPhone or iPad go to Settings -> iCloud
• Make sure you are signed into iCloud using your iTunes username and password. If you share multiple devices, you can sign into 1 account multiple times
• Make sure the Find My iPhone switch is set to ON. This will ensure you are able to locate your device using the Find My iPhone app or iCloud when it is switched on
• This will only work if it has internet connectivity, so if you have a 3G iPad, ensure it is always on

There are a number of ways to check and see where your device is:

• Download the Find My iPhone iOS app which can be installed on any iOS device. Using this device, you sign in using you iCloud username & password set above. This will display all the devices associated with this username & password
• You can track your device online by going to the iCloud.com website. Again, sign in with your username & password and click on the Find My iPhone Icon. All your devices that are online will be viewable on the map

Once you can see your devices on the map or in the app, there are a number of different options to alert the person with the device

• Play sound – This will play a pinging sound for 2 minutes on the device at full volume, even if it is on mute. I have used this plenty times to find the iPhone when it’s slid down the back of the couch
• Lost Mode – This mode allows you to put in a number where you can be contacted when someone finds the phone. It is important to put the phone number in International format (ie +27xxx) as this will allow the finder of the phone to call the number without having to unlock the phone. You can also set a message here to alert the finder of the phone that it is lost and has been locked. The phone will be locked using your existing lock code if you have one, otherwise you can set one from the App/Site
• Erase Mode – This mode will erase all the content on the phone and set it back to factory reset. The biggest issue here is that the phone can no longer be tracked when it is set to Erase Mode. I suggest only doing this in extreme cases.

Another cool tip is that Mac OS also offers Find My Mac functionality for your Macbook or iMac. The biggest downfall through is that the computer has to be connected to the internet to send the signal. You can set this up by going to System Preferences -> iCloud -> Activate Find My Mac

Have you used Find My iPhone or Find My Mac before ? I think it’s an awesome little add-on which not many people use.

Last year the overall winners were the team from FNB for the FNB Mobile Apps

The award categories are as follows:

• Best IOS App – Enterprise
• Best IOS App – Consumer
• Best BlackBerry App – Enterprise
• Best BlackBerry App – Consumer
• Best Android App – Enterprise
• Best Android App – Consumer
• Best Windows App
• Best HTML5 App
• Most Innovative App
• Best Garage Developer App

To submit your app – download the entry form  attach the required screenshots, game shots, pack shots or presentations as well as usernames and passwords that might be required to access your app for judging. Entry forms can be emailed to lucille@creativespacemedia.co.za

You can also visit the official competition website www.appoftheyear.co.za to submit your apps.

Some points to note: 

• Only apps that are Live and available to consumers will be considered.
• The deadline for submissions is the 1^st of July and the awards will be taking place in August.

Good luck, and I’m looking forward to seeing who will take the prize this year, there have been some awesome apps being released this year

There has been quite a number of South African iPhone apps released over the last couple of months, which is awesome to see that brands are catching on and releasing apps to enhance their product offerings.

One of the apps I came across recently was the new Cars.co.za iPhone & iPad (iTunes Link) app. The guys at Cars.co.za already have an amazing site which allows you to search for used cars, get info about new cars & also keep up to date with the latest motoring news in South Africa.

I have personally used the site a number of times when looking for info on cars and second hand cars, and have been pleasantly surprised with the amount info coming out of the site.

So I guess it was only logical when they developed an iOS app which basically replicates the site, and offers a number of search options as well as a feed of the latest news.

Using the app on iPhone & iPad you can search for used vehicles and mark them as favorites, which you can then access later. The app also offers a specials tab from dealers and the latest motoring news, replicated from the website.

One cool function I did find, which was obscurely hidden away in the tools menu, was the ability to see specs, images & prices on new cars from almost any manufacturer, and allow you to contact the dealer straight from the app. This is a really handy tool when doing research on new cars. A nice little add on for this would be the ability to email me the specs or save it as a favorite to view later.

All in all the cars.co.za is an awesome little app for not only the motoring enthusiast, but also anyone who is in the market for a new or used car.

Cars.co.zaMarco De FreitasUtilitiesFreeDownload

Usually I direct them to some brick & mortar store, who doesn’t end up having stock or not knowing what they exactly wanted. So I did some thinking & tinkering and put together, what I think, a pretty cool online store, where you can buy all these gadgets & gizmos. Clever hey !

So enter Geekshop. Geekshop is simply an online shop where you can get everything from Covers for your iPhone to Cool Remote Controlled Helicopters, to fully installed home security camera systems. You can also even pick up a Entry Level Android Phone or even some Cool Screen Protectors for your phone or iPad. I also managed to get some of the awesome stylish FLD Products Bags on offer

The idea is really to keep it plain and simple and as easy as possible. Payment can be made via PayFast using Credit Cards or Instant EFT and there is free shipping on orders over R350. Else there is a next day (2 days for outlying regions) for R35 delivery.

So that’s it. I would love some feedback on Geekshop and any ideas or product lines welcome. Really want to try and make the store as accessible and user friendly to everyone :)

I have been so keen for this cover since it was launched at the annual CES show earlier this year, and finally it is available in South Africa, for what I think is a pretty reasonable R1,199, and is now available on my new little side venture, the online shop Geekshop (more info coming soon :) )

The case is built to withstand pretty much everything, from dust to water, and in testing it over the last couple of days, I can safely concur that it stands up to pretty much everything.

The case is made from an Ultra impact-resistant, shock-absorbent Flex material which provides advanced protection in any environments. The front glass is made from crystal-clear tempered glass which provides optical clarity and protection, although I did find that fingerprints were also fairly noticeable on the case. That said, the screen is super-responsive with the case on, and works 100%. In fact someone asked me if I just had a screen protector on.
Also included in the packaging is a headphone cable extender which allows you to plug in your earphones with the case on.

The case has also been tested and met a number of number of international standards including the US Military 810 Standard (Loads of detail about this test here) which puts the devices through a number of tests, including submersion at 2 meters for 60 minutes, drop tests from 3 meters and Vibration & Dust tests. There are a couple of other seriously in-depth tests that have been conducted with this awesome case.

There are a number of these types of  cases available out there including the Lifeproof, Otterbox and the Griffin Survivor. I have previously tested all of these and specifically the LIfeproof, and can honestly say the Atlas is way better than the Lifeproof. The case just feels that much stronger and sturdy.

One of the things people have been noticed about with the Atlas case is the sound quality on the earpiece making a sort of strange rattling sound when used with the case. I tried to hear that, but didn’t notice any difference on mine, and call quality seemed great !

Overall I think the price of this case is well well, worth the quality and functionality of this case. If you an outdoors person or often find yourself dropping your iPhone, I can highly recommend this case. I think you might have a tough time trying to break this case :)

The event centred around the launch of the new Epson Inktank Printers which are being launched in SA at the moment. The Intank system allows low cost printing, with refills only costing around R100 per bottle. Much cheaper than your standard run of the mill printers.

The printers are also WiFi enabled printers which allow you to print photos at a fraction of the cost, using a specially developed iPhone app, called Epson iPrint. We also managed to go on a photowalk around the Arts on Main area in Jozi, and take some photos.

The presentation I did centred around iPhoneography, where it is in South Africa, and where it is going. I used the awesome Prezi to put together the presentation, and got some pretty cool feedback.

Here is the presentation I did, would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below :)

I also got the opportunity to sit down and chat with Fred Baumhardt, who is the Chief Technical officer of Microsoft South Africa. We chatted about a number of things and where Microsoft South Africa is going.

One of the major talking points in yesterdays keynote was the increased demand and usability of cloud based services such as Microsoft Azure. Azure allows you to host your application & service in the cloud, making it easily accessible to all your users. With a shift towards the ability to rapidly deploy these applications, it’s only a matter of time before everything is cloud based. I also found out earlier today that iCloud is in fact hosted on the Azure Platform !

Chatting about if Microsoft would look at hosting locally based cloud servers, Fred leaned towards that not happening anytime soon. Currently Microsoft has a number of data centres around the world, and South Africa uses the Ireland & Netherlands centres for cloud based services. Given that bandwidth costs in South Africa have decreased dramatically over the last couple of years, and the number of international bandwidth services offered, it doesn’t make economic sense for Microsoft to launch a data centre in South Africa (yet).

That said, there is a huge shift in enterprise & consumers moving towards cloud based services like Office 365. Cost wise it works out a lot cheaper that having to pay an up front cost for the traditional CD media.

I also popped in a sneaky question about when we might see the Microsoft Surface in South Africa after Microsoft SA CEO, Mteto Nyati, hinted at it earlier today. No official dates have been announced but we could possibly see it in the latter part of the year. On the other hand, there are a number of different devices on display here at TechEd, which offer similar functionality.

All in all, Africa & South Africa are in for an interesting couple of years ahead in the Tech Space. As Fred mentioned, we are probably only 18 months behind Europe & the US in terms of Tech developments, and that gap is narrowing rapidly.

TechEd runs till Friday, and I will probably pop up another post or 2 with some of the highlights of the event. So far it has been a rather interesting & fulfilling 2 days!