Filed under: iPod Family, Multimedia, How-tos, Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPod classic
How to make three free pseudo-apps for your iPod, touch or iPhone
Yes, you can roll up your own lighter app by videotaping a lighter. Yes, you can create a soundboard by recording noises and creating a playlist. And yes, coin-flipping apps are a dime a dozen since most of us have ready access to some form of coinage. Along these lines I'm going to show you how to create three "apps" using nothing but a Mac (or PC) and your iPhone, iPod (must be able to display photos) or iPod touch. The apps? A "mood lamp" (or color-changing night light), a futuristic medical scanner (aka Tricorder) and a simulated energy blaster (aka Phaser).
The gallery will walk you through the process step-by-step and on the next page I'll show you a video of these in action. Essentially I'm making playlists: one each for the futuristic devices (with only one "song" in a playlist, set to loop) and a looping slideshow for the mood lamp. Much easier than Xcode, I'm sure. Got a similar DIY trick for you machine? Let us know in the comments. No doubt there are much better ideas than mine!
Note: you'll need speakers attached to your iPods, or you'll look like a fool pointing the thing at people and pretending you shot or scanned them. You might look like a fool anyway, but at least with some external speakers they'll be in on the joke.
So here's the video of these in action. As you can see, the colors are a bit washed out. I would suggest making them more saturated.
The gallery will walk you through the process step-by-step and on the next page I'll show you a video of these in action. Essentially I'm making playlists: one each for the futuristic devices (with only one "song" in a playlist, set to loop) and a looping slideshow for the mood lamp. Much easier than Xcode, I'm sure. Got a similar DIY trick for you machine? Let us know in the comments. No doubt there are much better ideas than mine!
Note: you'll need speakers attached to your iPods, or you'll look like a fool pointing the thing at people and pretending you shot or scanned them. You might look like a fool anyway, but at least with some external speakers they'll be in on the joke.
So here's the video of these in action. As you can see, the colors are a bit washed out. I would suggest making them more saturated.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
waiownsyou said 12:58PM on 9-27-2008
OMG, you're so corny!
Looks like someone seriously has too much time on their hands!
Reply
Justin Hiltz said 9:41PM on 9-27-2008
You're the one who is trolling on a post that someone was generally excited about. All you had to do was X out of the window my friend and you could have used your time to do all of the productive tasks you have at hand.
I personally applaud anybody thinking outside the box and contributing ideas to others.
heytpn said 1:35PM on 9-27-2008
Um, that didn't teach us anything. Sorry, but you like showed us 10% of what you said.
Reply
Philster said 2:47PM on 9-27-2008
"pseudo-apps" ?? I don' think so.
TUAW really downgrades itself with these kinds of posts.
Reply
Greg said 6:06PM on 9-27-2008
Wow, you're a downer.
James Churchman said 4:01PM on 9-27-2008
i actually really like the mood lamp, its a very novel use and i will actually use it!!
(obv, id prefer a real app to do it, so that i can pick the duration, colour order and time is maybe random, can pick the colour set etc.... but its still great!)
just shows what can be done when you think laterally and don't over complicate a problem
james
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Joshua said 11:59AM on 9-30-2008
LOL - Awesome :D Thought you would actually walk through the basics of how to create an app though xD
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