Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen Filed under: Software, Cool tools In Mac OS X (and back into OS 9 history), a creator code is a hidden value attached to a document and bound to a preferred application, allowing the OS to know which application to use for opening that file. This is particularly helpful for filetypes that have multiple valid 'target' apps (JPEG, PDF, etc.); the
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen  The iPhone’s most elusive app to date is about to sweep back onto the scene -- but don’t look for it in the App Store, and you won’t even have to jailbreak your device to get it. Google Voice remains one of the most controversial apps for the iPhone. While Google themselves had Apple slam the door in their face before they even got to the App Store, a couple of small developers did manage to bring Google Voice to the iPhone, albeit briefly. In addition to Sean Kovacs’ excellent GV Mobile (which is still available for jailbroken devices), developer Riverturn was also there early on with VoiceCentral. Both apps were pulled from the App Store on the heels of Google’s own denial, and the resulting firestorm even set off an FCC investigation that is still ongoing. None of this sat too well with Riverturn (check out that full story here), so they’ve set out to change the rules by coming up with VoiceCentral Black Swan. They call it “the next revolution in iPhone applications,” meaning it’s not tied to the App Store nor is it a website optimized for the iPhone (which Google has been rumored to do for Voice since they were shut out). Riverturn calls Black Swan a feature-rich “weblication” that enables you to view and manage your Google Voice data just like a native iPhone application, combining the device’s easy-to-use interface with the convenience of an always-up-to-date web application. Among the features promised for Black Swan are a native iPhone look & feel, the ability to sync Google Voice data (including importing Google Contacts), offline access to Voice data, the ability to listen to Voice messages and read transcriptions and even swiping to delete calls, voicemails or SMS conversations. Black Swan is currently in a very limited beta, but if you... Continue Reading Original Article on Source Site
Monday, 21 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen So, you’ve been put on the nice list this year, and Santa decided to get you an iPhone. Soon after getting it out of the box, you’ll realize how customizable the iPhone can be. However, navigating the world of iPhone apps can be overwhelming. With so many to choose from, how do you decide which ones to get first? It’s easy -- just check out our list of the essential apps for new iPhone users.
iPhone apps to keep everything running smoothly
First and foremost, your new iPhone is running great just out of the box, and since you’d like to keep it that way, your first download should be the System Activity Monitor. This iPhone app will keep your phone running in top shape, and also allows you to see what’s taking up your memory and then free it up. The app costs only $2.99, which is way better than waiting in line or on the phone for
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen We all knew this was gonna happen. The day Ryan Petrich announced he was working on a new application to manage backgrounded apps on the iPhone, everyone thought of Multifl0w, and how ProSwitcher (this is the name of the new app by Petrich) could become the new, best multitasking application from Cydia. And here we are today, with ProSwitcher in public beta and a multifl0w update on its way. I’ve been trying ProSwitcher for a few hours now, and I’ve already ditched Multifl0w for it.Find out why.ProSwitcher is smooth. It works like Multifl0w, basically, but it’s in details where it stands out. First, animations: when you activate ProSwitcher so that it brings the backgrounded apps on front, the windows fades in and out as if it’s powered by Mac OS’ CoreAnimation or CoreGraphic. It’s sexy. Same applies when you choose the application or quit ProSwitcher: everything feels so natural and integrated into iPhone OS you’ll ask yourself if it’s a native appllication. And I repeat, it’s the first beta, many updates and fixes will come.  Moving on, ProSwitcher comes with a large set of Preferences: you can choose to display the application’s title right under the preview window, dim the background, swipe to close, set a corner radius and many other things. Also, you can choose between 10+ activation methods, including taps / swipes on the statusbar and pinch on the Spingboard.  ProSwitcher is way better than Multifl0w right now, there’s no doubt about it. You can download the beta by adding this source in Cydia: http://booleanmagic.com/repoAs for Multifl0w, the developer Aaron Ash has just tweeted... Continue Reading Original Article on Source Site
Friday, 11 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen Gizmodo - Nobody wants to pay for iPhone apps, and some people simply don't. The good news is, you don't really need to: For almost every paid app, there's a fr...  
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen Paul Westerberg, lead singer of The Replacements, used to sing “And everybody wants to be special here..They call your name out loud and clear.Here comes a regular, am I the only one here today?” in that mid-80s song, Here Comes a Regular. I believe this song pretty much describes the situation of to-do and notes taking applications available in the App Store: everybody wants to be special, yet a very few developers clearly admit that they have just “regular” apps. I mean, there are kinda 2000 notes / todo apps out there, and everybody says their app is the “most complete manager whatever bla bla bla”.Sure.But this is a different story. I had to write this review many months ago, but for one reason or another I never found the time to sit down and write it. I’m talking about AwesomeNote, of the most popular productivity apps of the App Store, which has been updated to 2.5 version,update that truly makes it the best GTD and note taking application ever made for the iPhone.Find out why.First, I’d like to say that AwesomeNote is different from Simplenote. Otherwise, I’d say Simplenote is the best note taking mobile application but they’re different. Simplenote is aimed at people who need to store quick notes / ideas, have them backed up... Continue Reading Original Article on Source Site
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen  Apple has posted iTunes Rewind 2009, a section on the iTunes Store drawing attention to the year's bestsellers in apps, music and video, as well material considered genuinely superior by Apple staff. Top sellers at the App Store include titles like Flight Control, Oregon Trail, Textfree Unlimited and MLB.com at Bat. The best-rated apps, conversely, include ones like ReelDirector, SketchBook Mobile and Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals....
Thursday, 03 December 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
There are many apps (like RunKeeper and RunMeter) that track where and how much you run, but not many to help you discover new places to run. Luckily, there's the WalkJogRun app [ iTunes link] ($.99US), which gives you the ability to navigate through over 500,000 user-submitted map-based running trails.
The iPhone app shares much in common with its desktop browser counterpart. Like WalkJogRun.net, the WalkJogRun app allows you to view specific running trails that you've created, as well as those created by others specific to a certain address, city or landmark (i.e., Golden Gate Bridge, MGM Grand Hotel, etc.). But iPhone technologies provide new layers of functionality and interaction lacking on the site, such as geolocation for finding nearby running routes, which I find very useful in areas I'm not familiar with, and the niceties that come with navigating a map with the iPhone's multitouch display.
Nonetheless, the WalkJogRun app could use some improving. The most needed improvement is the ability to save or bookmark a running trail, which one can do via WalkJogRun.net but not on the iPhone app. My workaround for this is to take screenshots of running trails that I like in the event that I navigate away from the map and can't remember the name or location of the trail. Another improvement, though more of a "nice to have" than a "must have", is the ability to create a trail on the iPhone.
These things aside, at its USD $.99 price tag, the WalkJogRun app serves as an ideal complement to GPS-based iPhone running and biking apps, as well as the Nike+ kit. TUAWDiscover new running trails with the WalkJogRun app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments... Continue Reading Original Article on Source Site
Monday, 30 November 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen Filed under: Software, Productivity As part of our Back to School series last year, I covered some of my favorite writing tools. Many of the writing applications I've mentioned there and elsewhere have full-screen, distraction-free editing modes, ala WriteRoom, which gets plenty of mention here at TUAW. The full-screen editing feature now seems to be a standard, and most apps that offer the option do a fine job of implementing it. Therefore, if one was to write an
Monday, 30 November 2009
Written by Aitan Roubini
Mac Zen's shared items in Google Reader >> This is a dynamically fed article and is not authored by Mac Zen
148Apps today announces the launch of GiggleApps, a site providing iPhone application reviews of the best educational and entertaining apps for kids of all ages. Geared toward parents searching for the best kid-friendly apps, GiggleApps focuses on applications ranging from toddlers to teens, but also includes apps for parents and users of all ages. The site provides guidance on using the iPhone or iPod Touch as an educational device.
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