Posts Tagged ‘iphone’
Kogeto Dot
Kogeto’s Dot for the iPhone 4 and 4s works with your iPhone’s HD camera to capture full 360° video. You can watch the video right on your phone by swiping your screen to virtually spin around, or watch in panoramic widescreen mode. Dot comes with Kogeto’s Looker App.
Kogeto’s compact and durable iCONIC lens captures video all at once without stitching frames together. The catadioptric optical system is fully AR-coated for excellent color fidelity.
Records in eight minute bursts. Videos can be uploaded to Kogeto’s servers, from there, you can share your videos with friends.
At $80, it’s more expensive than most iPhone lens accessories, but it’s well worth the price for people looking for the functionality.
Interested? Check out this sample Dot video – don’t forget to use your cursor to pan around.
iRig Mic Cast Inroduced at CES
IK Multimedia introduced the iRig Mic Cast ultra-compact voice recording microphone at CES this week. The iRig Mic Cast was designed for iDevice slingers that conduct interviews, podcast, and need to capture the occasional voice memo. Connects to your iPod, iPhone touch, or iPad headphone port. A stand is included (pictured) – nice touch – and it even has a mini-jack you can use with headphones to monitor what you’re recording in real-time. Suggested retail price is $39.99 – available later this month. A great little accessory, at the right price-point.
iPhone Photography w/ Instagram & CanvasPop
I’ve been an Instagram user for a long time and it’s still one of my favorite iPhone photography Apps. The App is hugely popular, and it has inspired all kinds of photographers and artists. It’s easy to get lost in time browsing the work of the most followed Instagram photographers.
I was in a pinch this year to get our annual family photo done before the ball dropped in New York’s Times Square, so on the 31st I combined Instagram with a new service from CanvasPop to get it done. In November, CanvasPop launched a service that allows you to print your Instagram photos on two large-format canvas sizes: 12″ x 12″ (for $29.95) and 20″ x 20″ (for $59.95). Proprietary CavasPop filters, and the inherently imperfect canvas surface, make up for the shortfall in pixels that are typically required to print at this size.
I haven’t received the print yet, but I’m expecting great things. One way or the other, I was glad to put my iPhone camera and Instragram to use for this year’s photo – it’s appropriate considering the number of pictures I took with my iPhone in 2011 – the Canon 7d spent most of the year in the bag.
MegaPhone for iPhone
Sitting at your desk thinking you might need a passive ceramic amplifier for your iPhone? Me too.
The Megaphone, for iPhone, amplifies the speaker sound coming out of your iPhone – a lot like the amplifiers on the old phonographs of yesteryear.
Designed by Isabella Lovero and Enrico Bosa, the MegaPhone isn’t hard to look at. It sits on a beautifully designed wood stand, that both floats it off the surface it sits on, and optimizes sound performance.
MegaPhone is available in white, black, and a special gold edition. The white and black version can be had for 399 Euros, but the gold version will cost you 600 Euros. Ready to bite? Click Buy Now. Want to know more? Visit the MegaPhone product page.
Megaphone is compatible with your iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S. Is it compatible with Siri? No idea.
Megaphone from RACOON_STUDIO on Vimeo.
iPhone 5 Part Proof of 4-inch Display?
Is this the bezel for the iPhone 5 digitizer panel?
Is this the bezel for the iPhone 5 digitizer panel? The thinner bezel on all sides matches up with the WSJ’s report that the iPhone 5 will feature an edge-to-edge 4-inch display.
I think it’s likely the iPhone 5 will sport a larger display. Android devices with 4-inch displays, like the new Samsung Galaxy S , will be popular this year and anything less than a 4-inch display will leave iPhone fans and technofiles clamoring for more. Bigger is better for most in the mobile display world, just like it is in the HD TV world. I’m not saying everyone wants an iPad in their pocket, but they do want the biggest, most beautiful mobile display possible. The good news is that an edge-to-edge display will get us to 4-inches without needing to increase the size of the phone, it might even be smaller. Bigger and lighter is going to be something we hear over and over again this year. I know I’m hoping for a 4-inch display.
Layar Player
Good news for iOS developers that want to add augmented reality features to their Apps – Layar, the company behind the Layar Reality Browser for the iPhone, just released the Layar Player. The Layar Player is a tool designed to make it easy for developers to add augmented reality features into their own Apps.
The Layar Player requires iOS 4.o or higher, and a 3GS iPhone or higher. More good news, Layar is giving the tool away for free and there isn’t a licensing fee.
Layar writes about the new tool over on their blog:
The Layar Player is a free and easy tool allowing you to offer AR experiences directly within your own iPhone App. It is a unique piece of code that can be embedded in your App like a YouTube video on a website.
Whether you have an advanced knowledge of Xcode or you are just beginning to explore the iPhone development environment, with the Layar Player it is easy to add engaging Augmented Reality elements to your App.
More information on Layar Player 1.0 after the jump.
Bubble Ball Bumps Angry Birds From Top Spot
Fourteen-year old Robert Nay, left, and his mother Kari Nay are shown in this picture. Robert's game Bubble Ball is the #1 free game in Apple's App store.
Bubble Ball, an iPhone app developed by a 14-year-old, bumped Angry Birds from the top spot on the Top 10 Free Apps downloaded list in the iTunes App Store. The physics stimulating app has taken the globe by storm with over 2 million downloads worldwide. It’s a huge succes in the iPhone App Store, and is also available in the Android
Bubble Ball was developed by Robert Nay, a youngster who apparently has a passion, and a gift for programming. Nay used Ansca Mobile’s Corona software development kit (SDK) to develop Bubble Ball.
“I’m pretty surprised by how well it’s doing,” 14-year old Robert Nay told AllThingsD, via MSNBC, about the app-store topping hit “Bubble Ball”.
Well, it’s doing great Robert! Love the humility and congratulations.
Apple Dropping Home Button?
Apple’s support for multi-touch gestures in iOS 4.3 BETA has some speculating that Apple is going to drop the Home button in future versions of the iPad and iPhone. Apparently, Apple employees are already testing devices that don’t have a Home button. BGR broke the story yesterday.
The Home button is fairly useless, it returns you to the Home view, or the multitasking pane. The addition of multi-touch gestures that allow you to access the Home view and the multitasking pane render it useless and redundant. Personally, I think the Home button makes the device feel a bit PLAYSCHOOL and I’d be happy to see it go. Word is that Steve Jobs didn’t want any physical buttons on the original iPhone, so I’m sure he’s been pressing for this from the beginning.
Are you for or against the Home button?
New Multi-Touch Gestures in iOS 4.3
Engadget does a great job of summarizing the new multi-touch gestures available in iOS 4.3 in this short video. You can use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen; swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar; and swipe left or right between apps.
iOS WiFi Hotspot
Thinking you might want to switch from the AT&T iPhone to the Verizon iPhone because you want an iPhone that supports the Personal Hotspot feature? Good news for the few of you that aren’t contemplating the switch. Boy Genius Report says they have a source that’s reports this feature will be coming to all iPhones in iOS 4.3. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean AT&T will support the feature. Still, chances are they won’t have much of a choice in the matter.
According to BGR, the OS version will be 8F5148b, the baseband will be 04.08.00, with technical acceptance planned for March.
In the meantime, you can read this guide on how to jailbreak your iPhone to turn it into a personal hotspot. Or, get a phone running the Android OS which has the ability baked into it already.
iOS App: Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis
Do you enjoy reading Mish (Mike) Shedlock’s popular financial blog, Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis? “Yes,” you say? Wish you could take it with you into wi-fi or network dead zones? Or, on safari in Africa perhaps? Well, now you can. Concentric Sky recently launched a handy iPhone app that provides users with off-line access to Mish’s insightful, and well regarded, financial and economic analysis. The free app caches posts, and Mish’s fantastic charts, for off-line viewing at the user’s pleasure. Download and search hundreds of posts. It’s a simple app that solves an obvious pain point for fan’s of Mish’s blog.
Disclaimer: I’m the Director of Technology for Concentric Sky and had a hand in developing this app for Mish Shedlock. Still, it’s a slick little app that fan’s of Mish’s blog will really appreciate.
New App: The Economist for iOS
Enjoy reading the latest from The Economist over a latte and a biscotti? Well, there’s an app for that.
On Friday, The Economist launched iPhone and iPad apps. Built by TigerSpike, which also built The Times’ Eureka iPad app, the apps contains all the content from the print magazine, in a UI that’s customized for iPhone and iPad.
Full access to The Economist on iPhone and iPad will be free for current print or online subscribers. If you are not a subscriber you can purchase a digital subscription ($110 a year) from within the app or subscribe online. New editions will be available to the digital apps by 4pm (U.S. East Coast) every Thursday. If you like to try things like this on before you buy, an “Editor’s highlights” selection of content is available for each issue.
The apps are fairly reserved, which is appropriate for The Economist. There is one feature that sparkles a bit in the apps – audio is provided for all the articles. A button at the top of the interface provides you with easy access to audio versions (read by professionals) of all the articles. So… instead of putting yourself to sleep reading The Economist, you can let the sweet lullabies of The Economist lull you into a slumber. Kidding.
The interface is clean, and easy to use – you won’t find yourself getting lost in these apps. Pages are flipped through (as opposed to scrolled through) and it’s easy enough to flip your way through a whole issue. Ads are included, but they don’t get in the way of the experience too much. All the illustrations from the print edition are included – unfortunately, you can’t do anything interesting with them – i.e., you can’t zoom in on a photograph.
The Economist is a great publication – one of the few news publications that can boast a growing subscription base – and they’ve produced equally great apps for the iPad and iPhone.
Verizon iPhone
The WSJ reports that the long, long-rumored Verizon iPhone will be entering mass production by the end of the year.
AT&T Inc. is about to lose its lock on the iPhone.
Apple Inc. is making a version of its iPhone that Verizon Wireless will sell early next year, according to people familiar with the matter, ending an exclusive deal with AT&T and sharpening the competition with Google Inc.-based phones.
I think it’s unlikely a Verizon iPhone will be confirmed by Apple before the end 2010. I’d put my money on confirmation in early 2011 – after Apple wraps-up the 2010 holiday shopping season.
iOS 4.2
Wired, AppAdvice, and Engadget all did a good job of covering the release of the iOS 4.2 BETA this week. iOS 4.2 will finally bring features like multitasking, and folders, to the iPad witch has been stuck with the aging iOS 3. I think Joshua Topolsky, over at Engadget, summed-up what this means for iPad owners best.
The addition of multitasking, folders, and big improvements in mail (amongst other things) finally make the device feel more like a computer and less like a gigantic iPhone. – Engadget, Joshua Topolsky
iOS 4.2 will bring a collection of new features to the iPad as well. AirPrint will allow you to connect to a wireless network for printing – apparently, without needing to install a printer driver. And AirPlay, a feature that allows you wirelessly stream media from your iOS device to an Apple TV or an AirPort Express.
I’m looking forward to the release of iOS 4.2, because like Joshua, my iPad feels like an old iPhone at this point. And… I’m not quite ready to test my luck with the BETA.
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iBamboo iPhone Speaker
0 CommentsTuesday • January 17, 2012 • by Cale Bruckner
I ordered an iBamboo iPhone Speaker today – the black limited edition – from New York area Etsy member and maker Anatoliy Omelchenko (@anatoliyart). It was an impulse buy, instigated by Adam Flaherty’s MAKE blog post iBamboo Passive Acoustic Amplifier. Like Adam, I fell in love with the simplicity of the design and the black lacquer finish that’s unique to the limited edition version of the iBamboo Speaker. All of that said, I don’t think I would have clicked the “Add to Cart” button if Anatoliy hadn’t put the time into making sure his product had equally cool packaging.
Looking forward to pushing a playlist or two through the iBamboo. Keep making Anatoliy.
UPDATE: There’s one major flaw with the iBamboo iPhone Speaker. If you look at the bottom of your iPhone, you’ll find what look like two speakers. Unfortunately, only one is a speaker, the other is a microphone. The iBamboo Speaker works pretty well, but the little bit of bamboo the iPhone sits on gets in the way of the acoustics. If sound actually came out of both sides of the bottom of the iPhone, the iBamboo would really rock it. Hard to go wrong for $25+ shipping, but still, I was a little disappointed with this design flaw – I really wanted sound to come out of both sides of the iBamboo Speaker at the same intensity.