Category: iPhone

  • Afrihost iPhone App

    I came across a pretty cool tool today for the ISP I use for my ADSL bandwidth, Afrihost.

    The app is very simple in terms of functionality, as it just shows you your bandwidth usage, and how much you have used & have left for the month. Gathering from the app description, soon you will be able to top up your account from within the app. Nice !

    Now you can access your ADSL Account usage on-the-fly with the Brand New Bandwidth Monitor App from Afrihost.

    Simply login using your ClientZone access details and see how much data you’ve moved or have left on your data package.

    COMING SOON:
    – Run out of bandwidth? You’ll be able to top up your ADSL data from within the App.

    [app url=”http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mybandwidth/id536136149?ls=1&mt=8″]

  • [Press Release] Apple Previews iOS 6 With Loads Of New Features !

    The final announcement at todays WWDC keynote was the announcement of the new iOS6 iPhone & iPad OS. There are over 200 new features included in the new OS, including Maps, Facebook intergration, Shared photo streams & loads loads more….Some exciting times. I reckon we will see iOS6 in around Sept/Oct, although if you are a developer, you can download the beta version today !!!

    SAN FRANCISCO?June 11, 2012?Apple today previewed iOS 6, introducing over 200 new features to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and released a beta version to iOS Developer Program members. iOS 6 will be available to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users this fall as a free software update. New iOS 6 features include: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover view; new Siri features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari and Maps; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud; and Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place.

    “iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device,” said Scott Forstall, Apple’s senior vice president of iOS Software. “We can’t wait for hundreds of millions of iOS users to experience the incredible new features in iOS 6 including the new Maps app, expanded Siri support, deep Facebook integration, Shared Photo Streams and the innovative new Passbook app.”

    iOS 6 includes an all new Maps app with vector-based map elements that make graphics and text smooth, and panning, tilting and zooming incredibly fluid. New turn-by-turn navigation guides you to your destination with spoken directions, and the amazing Flyover feature has photo-realistic interactive 3D views. Real-time traffic information keeps you updated on how long it will take to get to your destination and offers alternate time-saving routes if traffic conditions change significantly. Additionally, local search includes information for over 100 million businesses with info cards that offer Yelp ratings, reviews, available deals and photos.

    Siri, now available for the new iPad as well as iPhone 4S, includes language support for English, French, German and Japanese, and adds support for Spanish, Italian, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese. Siri is optimised for use in 15 countries and helps you get even more done with just your voice, whether it’s finding the latest sports scores or making restaurant reservations. You also can ask Siri to update your status on Facebook, post to Twitter or launch an app. Additionally, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with a new Eyes Free mode, enabling you to interact with your iPhone using nothing more than your voice.

    Built-in Facebook integration is the best ever in a mobile device, allowing you to sign in once and post from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps, including Photos, Safari and Maps. Your Facebook friends’ information is kept up to date across all your iOS devices, automatically updating details in Contacts when they change, and scheduling events and birthdays in your Calendar. You can also “Like” content directly from the App Store and iTunes and see what your friends recommend.

    With more than 125 million users already enjoying iCloud, iOS 6 introduces new ways to share photos with friends and family using Shared Photo Streams. Simply select the photos you want to share, pick which friends you want to receive the album, and the Shared Photo Stream album is instantly available on their iOS devices, iPhoto and Aperture on their Mac, via the web or even through Apple TV. You and your friends can leave comments on or “Like” any photo in a shared album.

    The new Passbook app is the simplest way to get all your passes in one place, such as boarding passes and baseball tickets. Passbook lets you scan your iPhone or iPod touch to use a coupon, get into a concert or check into your hotel. Passbook automatically displays your passes on your Lock Screen based on a specific time or location, so when you walk into your favorite coffee shop your loyalty card appears and you can scan it to buy a coffee or check your balance. Passbook can even alert you to last minute gate changes or flight delays at the airport.

    Building on Apple’s commitment to provide innovative solutions for education and accessibility, iOS 6 introduces Guided Access. This new feature allows a parent, teacher or administrator to disable hardware buttons to lock an iOS device into a single app, especially useful for test taking or helping someone with a disability stay focused on learning. Guided Access also includes the ability to confine touch input to certain parts of the screen.

    Additional new iOS 6 features include:

    • enhancements to Safari, the world’s most popular mobile browser, such as iCloud tabs, offline reading lists, photo uploads and full screen view;
    • support for FaceTime calls over cellular networks;
    • the ability to set up a VIP Mailbox, making it easier to quickly view messages from important people you designate as VIPs;
    • the option to decline incoming calls with a quick message, set a callback reminder and enable a new Do Not Disturb option; and
    • a whole new set of improvements and services specifically for iOS users in China, such as improved text input and built-in support for popular Chinese services including Baidu, Sina Weibo, Youku and Tudou.

    Availability
    The iOS 6 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 6 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth generation) this fall. Some features may not be available on all products.

     

  • 6 Must-Have iPhone Photography Apps

    I often get asked about what apps I use for some of the iPhone photography I use to take, edit & publish my photos that I put up online, so I thought I would put a quick post together with a couple of the apps I use and the workflow I use to get them published.

    Camera+ – $0.99 (On Special)

    This has to be my number 1 most used app on my iPhone. I can’t live without it. I use Camera+ to take all my photos regardless of how quick I need to take them. Camera+ has come a long way and in terms of functionality it offers almost everything you need to take & edit images. When taking photos, I don’t have any of the options such as burst or stabalizer enabled, only gridlines. Once I have taken a couple of photos, I usually delete the ones I don’t want or came out dodge, and edit the ones I want to keep.

    The Clarity scene in Camera+ is amazing, and makes almost any picture look good. Once I have done that I use the “Square Crop” function to crop the image down to a square, and sometimes apply an effect. Camera+ has around 48 different filters under the effect tabs, and my most used here would be the Depth of Field & Overlay. There are plenty others, but try stay away from editing it too much.

    A handy tip with Camera+ is that you can commit the edits you have made, by holding down the save button and it brings up a number of options. This means you can go back into the image and edit more with other filters etc. I also tend to use the “Save & Keep” option, this way I can come back and re-edit if need be.

    AutoStitch Panorama – $1.99

    I have written about AutoStitch Panorama before, but this is by far the most superior Pano app I reckon. The stitching is near perfect, especially with horizons, and it also saves all your panos in the app. I often shoot my images first then import them into the app, but I have found that actually using the app to take the pano images works pretty well. I always try and export in the highest resolution, which takes a bit more time, but the pic clarity is 100x better. I also export without a crop, and with a crop.

    PicFrame – $0.99

    An fantastic framing all which allows you to import images into loads of different frame options. Handy if you have a couple of images you want to show off in 1 image. Don’t use it too often, but one of the best framing apps with around 60 different frame options. You can also use the share option to import into a multitude of apps including instagram, Camera+ & Phonto

     

    Phonto – Free

    Only recently come across this app, and it’s awesome. Phonto allows you to add text to your images, with a selection of over 200 fonts. You can bring your images to life, by adding simple words or sentences. You can also export to instagram & Camera+
    It’s a free app, so it’s really a no-brainer to get this one. Cost’s $0.99 to remove the ads & well worth it.

     

    VSCO Cam – $0.99

    Another new app I have just come across. So far I am loving it. Very simple, but allows you to “wash-out” a your pics with different filters & settings. Very basic, but gets the job done perfectly. I love the simplicity of the app, and the user interface makes it a breeze to edit images.

     

     

    instagram – Free

    Love it, or hate it… Instagram for me is one of the best iPhone photography apps out there. Not necessarily for taking photos, but some cool editing & sharing. More often than not though, I don’t even use the preset filters in instagram, but just use it as a sharing tool, allowing me to post instantly to instagram (with a great community), Facebook & Twitter.

     

    So that’s my very brief list of apps I use to take, edit & publish my iPhone photography images. Any other suggestions. I have 3 folders of Photography apps on my iPhone, but these are the ones I use 90% of the time. Any other suggestions of must have iPhone Photography apps ? Leave a comment below with your suggestions

     

     

  • iDrifta DSTV Mobile decoder for iPad & iPhone

    Came across this a bit earlier…Very very cool…think I may just have to get me one :)

    The iDrifta plugs directly into the iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone, and uses the DSTV Mobile Decoder application. It comes in at a pretty reasonable R499 and is available at most Multichoice outlets & Service Centres. Very cool !

  • Enter your Mobile App in the SA App Awards

    Calling all local app developers – Entries now open for the App of the Year Awards

    The inaugural App of the Year Awards will be held at The Venue, in Rosebank Johannesburg in the second week of July. Showcasing locally developed applications that have made an impact on work and everyday life over the past 12 months, the event promises to celebrate South Africa’s technical talent and promote the country as an innovation hub in the mobile space.

    Brought to you by headline sponsors MTN Business and event organisers Creative Space Media, the Awards have already been recognised by a number of big names in the local telecommunications industry, with the likes of Apple/Core, Blackberry, Nokia and MTN throwing their weight behind the exciting event.

    Invitations for entries are now open in the following categories:

    • Best Blackberry App
    • Best Innovative HTML5 App
    • Best Enterprise App
    • Best Windows App
    • Best Android App
    • Best IOS App award
    • Most Innovative App
    • Best “garage” App Developer
    • Best App development house

    The evening promises to be an audiovisual feast and true multimedia extravaganza, attended by leading app developers, members of the mobile industry and local social media celebrities.

    To be a part of the mobile industry’s premier showcase and stand a chance of winning some fantastic prizes, please email Belinda at Creative Space Media: [email protected] for submission forms and further information. Please note that all entry forms and submission fees of R200 per entry are to reach Creative Space Media by the 18 May 2012.