PureShot, a US$1.99 universal app, takes a very shooting-oriented approach to photography on iOS. You don't process your images here, or add filters. Instead, you just use the tools provided to take the very best picture you can, then process it on your iOS device, or get it onto your Mac or PC and use a dedicated image editor.

I like that approach, because most do-it-all apps aren't strong in every feature. PureShot is dedicated to taking good pictures, and I think it succeeds at that goal.

The app features 2 quality levels for JPEG images, and even something called dRAW TIFF output, which is a TIFF file with no processing by the app or JPEG compression applied. There is spot metering and tap-to-focus, as well as focus and exposure locks. The app supports three-shot burst shooting, and three-shot bracketed exposures. The screen is loaded with information, including the current position provided by your iOS GPS chip, but you can clean up the screen with a tap of a button.

There is even a one-second exposure option, which provides good results in dark places if you can hold the iPhone steady or get it on a tripod using something like the Glif. Aspect ratio can be selected, but 4 x 3 gives you the full resolution of the iPhone's imaging chip.

Gallery: PureShot

In use, PureShot was generally intuitive and responsive without perceptible lag. There is extensive help built into the app, so anything that isn't clear should be easy to locate. The one-second exposure mode worked really well, letting me get some photos with the iPhone that I would not have been able to take otherwise.

I think PureShot gets about as much out of my iPhone camera as an app can get. It's easily more feature rich than the popular Camera +, but that app includes editing features.

If you plan to do some serious photography over the holiday weekend, PureShot is worth a purchase. It is not a do-it-all app, but it excels at getting good pictures, and it far outperforms the built-in Apple camera functions.

PureShot is a universal app, and is optimized for the iPhone 5. It requires iOS 5.1 or greater.

PureShot is a full featured iOS camera app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 24 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We looked at the original Halftone app for iOS a couple of years ago and were impressed. The app has been completely rewritten and is more touch-oriented, supporting vector graphics for smooth insertion of picture elements.

Halftone 2, which is iPad-only and was released today, lets you import pictures and create a real comic book look by adding bubbles, banners and other bold graphic elements to your photos. The app also embeds an image editor, so your photos can be filtered to have a more graphic look. There are also tools for fixing blemishes, and the usual contrast, saturation and brightness sliders. Halftone 2 also adds the ability to work with multiple picture frames, rather than just one image.

I didn't get too fancy with my image creation, but I could see the possibilities. Banners, balloons and text are very nicely rendered. The image editor is robust and there is built-in video help. I found I could explore the app and get things done without the tutorial.

Gallery: Halftone 2

Halftone 2 is free, but as a free app, it is limited. It seems at every turn, I was offered a chance to buy more graphic elements. If you buy the essentials pack, it totals US$6.99. I would like to have seen more in the free app, and I think $6.99 is a bit too high for the complete add-on. Most other free photo apps give more features up front.

That's not to say you can't make some very presentable comics with the free version, and in fact I did so. The app is responsive, and the output looks very good. You can share your creations by mail and the usual social services. The app also supports Dropbox and you can print your comics using AirPrint with a compatible printer.

There are other similar apps around. One very well-reviewed app is ComicBook!, which as it happens is free today only. It also has a lot of in-app purchase options, so free will only get you so far.

I like Halftone 2. It works well. I just would like to see the in-app toll lowered so more people could enjoy it. Halftone 2 requires iOS 6 or later.

Turn your photos into a comic book with Halftone 2 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With Google Reader fading into the sunset in July, more and more users are looking to replace its functionality. Zite for iOS (free) has some solutions that should please many news hounds. The app was originally born out of a desire to replace Google Reader with something that learned your interests and had a more compelling display. In a new release, available today, Zite is trying to go further to embrace what's good in Google Reader and add some bells and whistles.

First, Zite has increased the prominence of sources. Those sources now appear in a topic drawer after you mark an article that you like. Another welcome feature is that articles grey out ofter you read them. One of the best additions is the ability to highlight sources that are obscure. Google Reader always had a bit of a signal to noise problem because the volume of feeds could overwhelm some of the smaller sources. Zite fixes that and will aggressively display more obscure content that you like.

Zite has also made setting up the app easier for new users. There are on-screen guides and built-in tips that explains how Zite works and what you can expect.

Gallery: Zite update

There are some subtle interface changes as well this time around, and some new sponsored sources have been added.

I've found Zite a frequent and preferred stop for my news browsing on iOS. What I'd really like to see is a Mac app that gets me the same content so I'm covered on my desktop and laptop. I'm told this is under consideration and I hope to see it sooner rather than later.

Zite is a universal app and requires iOS 6 or later.

Zite update is aimed at Google Reader orphans originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony (free plus in-app purchases) is an epic iPad app that lets you explore one of the greatest symphonies ever written in a unique, compelling way. Classical music lovers will definitely want to check it out.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony uses every trick in the multimedia tool box. For starters, you can listen to four different performances of the work, taken from the well-known DGG catalog. As you listen, follow along with the the score in real time. The original manuscript displays each page as the music plays, but with modern notation.

An interesting feature called the "BeatMap" offers an overhead view of the orchestra, complete with symbols of the various instruments that glow as they are played.

The app also features several interviews, both contemporary and historic, with notable people like Leonard Bernstein and Gustavo Dudamel.

The four included performances date from 1962, with the most recent from 1992 played with period instruments. The Leonard Bernstein 1979 recording contains video of the performance, that you can watch in full-screen mode. It's interesting to compare the four concerts, and you can instantly switch between them, hearing how recording technology has advanced, and how performances differ. Having the four concerts in sync for comparison is unique and valuable.

This app is a great experience for adults and young musicians. I can't think of a better way to share this musical treasure in such depth.

Gallery: Beethoven's 9th Symphony

On to some negatives. The app does not directly support AirPlay, which is a mistake. You can certainly listen on headphones, but one should be able to hear this on a nice sound system. You can force AirPlay output with video mirroring by double-clicking the Home button and using the icon bar AirPlay tool, but the sound output stutters at times, and the video struggles to remain in sync.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony is not cheap. While you can download the app for free, you only get two minutes of each movement. A $13.99 in-app purchase unlocks the complete works. While the app is relatively expensive, it's less than the price of the four performances on separate CDs, and you wouldn't get the videos, the interviews or the full scores. Even if you opt for the free version, you download everything, and this is a large app at 1.53 GB. I had to do some housecleaning before I could run it.

I previously took a look at the first offering in this series, called The Orchestra. It was also excellent, but the Beethoven app is superior because it goes into great depth on a single work.

If you're interested in classical music, I think this is an app you will return to again and again. There's a lot of information, as well as the visual and sonic joys.

I'd also suggest you take a look at some parallel and less expensive apps if Beethoven appeals to you. Beethoven Symphonies ($1.99) has some nice selctions and performances. I also liked the free, ad-supported Beethoven Symphony Collection which also includes the scores to view.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony requires an iPad and iOS 6.

Just about everything you'll want to know about Beethoven's 9th on your iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

View Magazine is a nicely put-together coffee table ebook for the iPad or iPhone that contains photos that are interesting and certainly not run-of-the-mill sunsets and flowers. A variety of photographers have combined to submit some of their favorite work, and they offer some commentary about the images.

There are shots of urban landscapes, people, and nature images, but none are what I would call the standard 'pretty pictures'. That said, the images are striking, and the thoughts behind the images are often illuminating. You won't like everything you see, but there is plenty to choose from.

VIEW Magazine used to require a paid subscription, but it has just gone free, and you can manually download an issue or set it up for automatic downloading to Apple's Newsstand app.

I found the content stimulating and interesting. Any image can be shared to Facebook or via email. You scroll horizontally to move form article to article, and scroll vertically to explore the content within an article. Bookmarks are available if you find something you want to refer to again.

Gallery: VIEW Magazine for iOS

VIEW Magazine is a pretty hefty download; the current issue is about 250 megabytes. The app allows you to save or discard issues, so if you start filling your iOS device you can always dump past issues. VIEW Magazine is universal, but really isn't as effective on an iPhone as it is on the iPad. The newest version supports the Retina display on newer iPads, and the app requires iOS 5 or later.

VIEW Magazine is a worthy download, and I think you may find it enjoyable and thought provoking.

Free VIEW Magazine is filled with intriguing photography originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's clearly not the best time to be looking for a MacBook Air -- 13-inch versions are in especially short supply. The reason for the shortage will be obvious to those who follow Apple closely: it's almost time for the Apple World Wide Developer Conference starting June 10, and Apple is likely going to refresh the popular laptops with the next-generation Intel Haswell Processor.

Apple Insider reports that the only reseller with any significant inventory of the best selling model -- outfitted with a 1.8 GHz processor and 256 GB solid state drive -- is Best Buy. Typically, a constrained supply means new products are in the pipeline. The 11-inch MacBook Air is showing up as available at resellers.

Supply chain rumors have stated a new MacBook Air is on the way with the new Intel processors, with availability predicted for next month. The new chips from Intel promise to generate less heat, consume less power and allow longer battery life. The chips also have a new integrated graphics processor, claiming a 50 percent hike in performance.

Steve Jobs introduced the first MacBook Air in 2008, and promoted at the time as the world's thinnest notebook. Since then Apple has added new models, increased performance and battery life, and added new features such as USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt support.

MacBook Air supply dwindling as WWDC approaches originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

My last visit to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah was in pre-iPhone days. My, how things have changed. I went to Bryce on a landscape shoot this week with my usual semi-pro equipment: Canon 5D, Manfrotto tripod and the usual gaggle of batteries, timers and other esoterica.

I was especially interested in seeing if people were toting different equipment in the age of the smartphone. I expected to see Android and iPhones snapping away, while the pros and semi-pros were hanging on to their expensive DSLRs.

It wasn't quite what I expected. I saw a lot of iPhones in the crowds of people gathered at the rim of Bryce Canyon waiting for the sunset. I saw a couple of Android phones, but there could have been more. I walked up to a large group of young girls from Tennessee and asked how many were using iPhones? Every hand went up. I asked them if they were still using their old point-and-shoot cameras, and everyone had dropped them for an iPhone. The main reason? Instagram and other photo-sharing services. No one mentioned Apple's Photo Stream. You just can't get photos to friends with a point-and-shoot. None of those girls were into editing photos, it was mostly shoot and send.

I asked about the iPhone HDR feature. The most frequent answer was "huh?" More marketing needed by Cupertino. I showed some of the people up there how easy it was to activate HDR, and let them compare the results. Sunset at Bryce Canyon is the perfect place for HDR. All were amazed, so I helped create some new converts.

The biggest surprise were the pro and semi-pro shooters. Many had iPhones, which they would take out of a pocket for a moment, usually to shoot a panorama. One woman with a big Nikon said she loved her camera, but there was nothing like capturing a quick panorama with the iPhone. Easy to do, plenty of megapixels, and easy to send. A guy from Georgia with all kinds of pro equipment told me the same thing.

Gallery: iPhones at Bryce Canyon

So here I was at one of the most beautiful scenery spots in the world and iPhones were everywhere. Young, old, novice, semi-pro and some pros.

It's amazing that a company trying to make a better cellular phone has had such an impact on photography. Planning or accident? How about you? Have you dropped your point-and-shoot for an iPhone? And those of you with DSLRs, are you tempted to haul your iPhone out at times too? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

iPhone cameras are everywhere at one of America's best scenic spots originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We were just talking about how Amazon is competing with Apple and other cloud services by offering 5 GB of storage for free. Now, that turns out to be old news, because today Google announced that free storage spanning several Google services like Gmail, Google+ and Google Drive is now going to come in the extra-large economy size -- a whopping 15 GB.

Google says the changes will be rolling out over the next several weeks to all customers. All that space is shared, so if you are just using Google Drive Photo (for example), that 15 GB is shared with any other Google services that require storage. Still, 15 GB is a very competitive number since Apple and Amazon give you 5 GB with iCloud and Amazon Cloud Drive, respectively, and Dropbox provides a measly 2 GB free. A similar service from MediaFire offers 10 GB of free storage, but the free tier includes ads. All the services allow you to get more storage for an additional fee. It will be interesting to see if Apple and other services respond to Google's challenge or stand pat.

With this move, Google has unified its storage system, a similar concept to the Apple pool of iCloud storage, although at this point Apple does not count image storage in Photo Stream against your 5 GB allotment. Google has a free iOS app so you can access this storage space, and it can also be managed through a web browser on any computer.

Google Drive triples free storage to 15 GB originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Amazon today released a new app called Cloud Drive Photos. The free app allows you to upload all your iPhone or iPod touch photos to the cloud. The images can be accessed from your iOS device, from your Mac, or from any web browser. You can also upload photos from a laptop or desktop computer with a free Amazon app for OS X, and see or download them to your iPhone or other iOS device. Photos can also be shared via Facebook, Twitter or email.

Amazon requires you have an Amazon account, and will provide 5 GB of free storage, about enough room for 2000 photos. Amazon also provides both Mac and Windows apps to handle file transfers and display the photos. Additional storage space costs US$10.00 a year for 20 gigabytes, or 100 gigabytes of storage for $50.00.

When you first open the app, Amazon asks for access to your camera roll. Then the app will start uploading as long as the app is open. If you're on a limited data plan, you can set the app to only upload when you are on WiFi.

This service competes with Apple's Photo Stream service, and of course there are services like Flickr and Dropbox that provide similar functionality. You can choose to back up specific photos or your entire camera roll. Amazon offers more free storage than Apple, and Apple will only store up to 1000 of your photos per stream for 30 days compared to about 2000 photos with no expiration from Amazon. With Apple, after 30 days you must sync to your main computer. It should also be noted that Photo Stream storage does not count against your Apple allocated 5 gigabytes of iCloud storage. I see the Amazon service as a nice extra backup to what Apple offers.

Gallery: Amazon Cloud Drive Photo

Apple is being challenged in several areas by competitors offering equal or better solutions. Of course Google has Google Maps, and even Yahoo has a free weather app that for many people is a better solution than the rather stale Apple iOS weather app. Amazon has also offered Cloud Drive File Sync for OS X, which gives users a free 5 gigabytes of storage, more than double the free storage offered by Dropbox. Of course only Apple can deeply integrate its apps into iOS, so the company has that advantage. Whether that integration overcomes some of the advantages of these new services will be up to you when considering what cloud solution to use. Also, be aware that if you are already using other Amazon Cloud services the free storage you get is 5 gigabytes total, not 5 for music, 5 for photos, 5 for files etc..

Amazon releases Amazon Cloud Drive Photos to compete with Apple Photo Stream originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 10 May 2013 23:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In 1953, Vancouver was aglow with nearly 19,000 neon lights. Today, only a few dozen of those historic signs remain. Those interested in the city's glowing, buzzing past should check out The Visible City, an iPhone app from the Museum of Vancouver.

This free app offers informative, colorful walking tours (available in English and French) through parts of the Canadian city, making clever use of narration and augmented reality to highlight what once was.

There are two tours on the app, and each one is approximately 30 minutes in length. The first explores Granville Street, the city's long-time entertainment district. It's 1.4 km in length and features eight signs. To get started, stand at the designated starting point, which is The Yale Hotel at 1300 Granville St. (the app provides directions if you need them). Then, simply tap I've Arrived At Start to launch the narration and augmented reality. Note that the app warns users not to explore the Granville area alone, due to current crime rates.

Gallery: The Visible City

The second tour explores Chinatown and Hastings Street. It's 1.0 km long and features eight signs. You can mark certain locations as favorites during your tour and even check in within the app, so others can see that you've been there. The app also features more than 40 audio and video stories with memories of the Vancouver that is no more.

The augmented reality feature looks like fun (I'm not in Vancouver and was unable to test it). To use it, hold your iPhone aloft during a tour, and you'll see historical images from the 1950s through the 1970s superimposed over the real-time, present day.

If you can't take the tours, The Visible City still has plenty for you. Each sign has its own screen complete with photos and a full history. You can also listen to the narration that accompanies the tours while you sit at home, but that's a little weird. The app also lets users to upload their own stories and even vote on their favorite signs and places.

The Visible City's implementation of augmented reality isn't a gimmick, but a feature that contributes to the walking tour experience. It puts a fun, educational museum experience in your pocket. The Visible City requires iOS 5.0 or greater and is optimized for the iPhone 5.

Daily iPhone app: The Visible City celebrates Vancouver's neon past originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 10 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

That's the word from Bloomberg News today. Apple has asked a US magistrate judge to force Google to turn over the Android source code. It's part of Apple's case against Samsung, and Apple continues to believe its intellectual property has been stolen.

Not surprisingly, Google, who owns the Android source code, isn't eager to comply. Complaining Apple is casting too wide a net, Google attorneys say Apple's request is too broad. The legal arguments stem from a case Apple filed last year that covers technology in newer smartphones like the iPhone 5. Apple wants to make sure newer smartphones from Samsung, like the Galaxy S III, don't infringe Apple intellectual property.

Google has not been named a defendant in any of the litigation, as Apple has preferred to go after handset manufacturers who are using the Google source code.

Even though Apple received a billion-dollar verdict in its first case against Samsung, it has received no money yet as appeals and requests for a retrial wind their way through the court system.

Apple requests Android source code in Samsung lawsuit originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

View Seeker Location Scout is a handy US$0.99 photo app that can help you find the best locations for landscape photography. You can get all the best locations around you with a click, which the app does by sourcing images from Panoramio and Flickr.

Once you find a spot you like it appears on a map, and then provides driving or walking directions via a link to Apple Maps. The app also provides sunrise/sunset times, and allows you to save locations you like. You can select any place in the world as your "target" if you are planning a trip, and call up the location information later when you get to your destination.

The app worked as expected when I tested it here in southern Arizona, and some other favorite out-of-state places. I found the Panoramio images generally looked better, but usually there were more images from Flickr.

Other than a few spelling errors in locations, the app is pretty clean. I wish View Seeker Location Scout allowed me to query Panoramio and Flickr at the same time. As it is, you have to set one or the other in preferences, but you can easily change back and forth. It's better to give the user the option of both.

Gallery: View Seeker Location Scout

The app has some similarities to Stuck On Earth, which is iPad-only. Stuck On Earth displays photos taken at chosen locations, provides a map, and lets you save your finds. It's a great app, but better for planning than using in the field simply because View Seeker fits in my pocket.

View Seeker is a worthwhile app for photographers looking for that perfect or out of the way spot to take a striking photo. It's a bargain for a buck. The non-universal app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 5.0 or greater.

Daily iPhone App: View Seeker Location Scout: a handy tool for iPhone photographers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 07 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Air Microphone is a US$0.99 app that uses AirPlay to connect your iPhone to an Apple TV or AirPlay-equipped amplifier to give you a wireless microphone.

The app is not hard to use. After launch, go to the multitasking bar on the iPhone and select any AirPlay device and start talking. In my tests, the app worked pretty well on an AppleTV with a few caveats. There are options for three EQ settings. "Normal" was just fine. "Less Bass" made me sound like a parrot, and "More Bass" made me sound like a giant Cyclops. Way too thundering, if you get my drift. The app also lets you select a photo to display on the Apple TV during your talk, but the image is proportioned like the iPhone screen in portrait mode, so I don't think it adds too much. Better to leave that feature turned off. The app has an "On Air" slide switch which turns the microphone on and off, but I could not find an elegant way to exit the app. Quitting leaves it running with a bar at the top of the screen. I finally just quit in the task manager.

Air Microphone is a very good idea, but it still seems a bit rough to me. I tried using an external Bluetooth microphone paired to my iPhone, but I could not get it to be output by the app. That step would make this app all the more useful.

Gallery: Air Microphone

Air Microphone is a very clever idea for an app, especially for those who do presentations. AirPlay is turning up on all sorts of non-Apple products, so there should be more and more options to use it in the venue of your choice. It works just fine on the normal settings with my AppleTV. I don't have any other AirPlay-ready devices to test it on. I'd really like to see this app advance in functionality. It has a lot of promise.

Air Microphone is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 6.1 or later.

Update: Several users are reporting that they can't get the app to work with AirPlay based speakers. As noted in my review I was not able to test the app on anything but an AppleTV. I did request clarification from the developer in Europe but have not heard anything back. At this point, don't assume the app works with anything other than AppleTV.

Air Microphone turns your iPhone into a wireless PA system originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 06 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm always on the lookout for free photo apps that do a good job, and Gradients for the iPad or iPhone (free, universal) fits the bill. The app lets you add gradients to existing photos with almost infinite variations and control. I often create gradients in Photoshop, especially to tone down the sky in landscapes. It's nice to have a lightweight utility to handle that simple task.

There are 46 filter styles available, and each one is customizable in parameters like opacity and tilt. You can turn photos into black-and-white images. You can even create a custom gradient and save it for future use. Unlike so many photo apps, Gradients doesn't throw in-app purchases at you. Everything is included. When your editing is done, you can save your photo, or share it via Twitter or Facebook.

Gallery: Gradients

Editing is easy, and as you make changes on the Gradients control panel you can see a thumbnail of your image. The only thing I found lacking is any kind of undo feature. You can tap on a new filter and the old one will go away, but there is no way to return to your starting point without reloading the image.

Gradients is a universal app and optimized for the iPhone 5. It requires iOS 6 or later.

Daily iPad App: Gradients is a free iOS photo editor that is worth a look originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Magellan has announced the nationwide availability of its new SmartGPS device. The hardware GPS for cars mates with an iPhone or Android app to provide the in-car solution with several advantages, including content from Yelp and Foursquare that's based on the user location and planned route. Live content includes fuel prices, traffic, local weather and traffic camera alerts.

Rather than draining your cellphone data plan, the SmartGPS (which looks remarkably like a tiny iPad) is designed to cache the "heavy" content -- the reviews, photos and other data from Foursquare and Yelp -- via WiFi. The unit detects the wireless networks you've set up and will automatically connect when you're within range of your home or office WiFi. Downloaded content is kept up to date for your immediate area and the destinations/routes you program into the unit; you can also sync content via USB and a browser helper app on your Mac or PC.

The hardware is initially available at Best Buy for US$249. The iOS app that provides the network links is free -- although it's not yet available in the US store, it should show up under Magellan's heading in the next week or so. You can find information for a destination on the Magellan app, then send it via Bluetooth to the GPS hardware in the car.

The idea behind the SmartGPS is to blend the best parts of the smartphone experience with dedicated hardware. This approach will succeed or fail depending on whether people find the navigation solutions on their smartphones inadequate without dedicated hardware. Multitasking for music, phone calls or other activities while using your phone as a primary GPS unit can be annoying or dangerous, so there's something still to be said for an independent, but connected dashboard navigation unit.

The Magellan SmartGPS has a 5-inch touchscreen, free lifetime map updates, traffic alerts, WiFI and Bluetooth radios and an AV input for connection to media devices and wireless back-up cameras. You can insert a microSD card for other media or data use.

Consumers can upgrade to Premium SmartGPS apps for iOS, featuring turn-by-turn directions with voice navigation, for $49 with US maps / $59 with US and Canada maps. The iOS companion app will be available this month. iOS premium navigation upgrades are scheduled to be available in summer 2013.

We've got a review unit of the Magellan device in-house now, and you'll see our full review soon.

Magellan linking GPS hardware to smartphones with SmartGPS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

My experience as an adventure game player goes way back to the text-only Colossal Cave game, which then morphed into the classic Zork text games from Infocom (which, by the way, you can play even now on iOS with the Lost Treasures of Infocom app).

Now, with speed and graphic power, games are a lot more immersive and fun to play. Tipping Point Adventure, is a recent iPad-only release that is rich in puzzles and high quality graphics. The game is currently on sale for U.S. $1.99 in the app store. You begin the game sitting in your virtual home watching TV, when a strange message sets you off on an epic adventure. At first, I was stabbing around the screen looking for things to interact with, but soon I saw a logic to the way the game was constructed. I liked a lot of the subtle things the author has done, like picking up the TV remote and selecting stations has old movies actually playing on the TV. The game has built-in hints available but there is no in-app purchase required to get them, so unlike some other games, you don't have to buy them. I still needed one or two of the built-in hints. One hint told me I had to go to a particular TV channel for a message, and with hundreds of channels available, I don't think I would have figured that one out for myself.

Gallery: Tipping Point Adventure screen shots

There's a sizable story line, lots of puzzles and challenges to play with, an original music score, and quite a few surprises to find.

Tipping Point is a great, reasonably priced diversion that offers up a nice throwback experience to those old text-only adventure games of old. The game is a hefty 255 MB download, and requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Daily iPad App: Tipping Point Adventure for iPad is clever and engaging originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The popular Nest Thermostat has updated its internal software to version 3.5, and pushed out a new iOS app to control it. Most people should have had their thermostats updated automatically at some point yesterday. The software is being billed as summer enhancements to the thermostat aimed at better handling of high temperatures.

Gallery: Nest updates iOS app

The new software allows the thermostat to make sure that sun shining on the hardware does not create false indoor temperature readings. The thermostat also has enhanced fan controls. The auto-away function has also been retooled, so it can better predict when you are coming home and have the house precisely at the temperature you want.

The new iOS app supports these new hardware features by allowing you to control them remotely, and now feature notifications on when a filter change is due for your HVAC system. The app also displays seasonal savings and energy history.

Apple and other retailers are selling the Nest Thermostat, which was designed by former iPod designer Tony Fadell. The app requires iOS 5 and is optimized for the iPhone 5. It's universal so it displays at full resolution on the iPad.

Nest updates iOS app and adds notifications originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Osito is a free iPhone app that tries to do what Google Now has done for Android phones (and now the iPhone), which is provide a time- and location-aware app that supports your daily schedule with weather, traffic, travel news and more. [The previously launched Tempo calendar is another approach to solving the same problem. -Ed.]

Osito finds information about your location, and what is on your calendar, in your emails and your daily routine. For example, if it finds a meeting in your calendar, Osito will check traffic and give you relevant advice on when to leave. Of course, the address of your meeting needs to be in the calendar for Osito to figure that out. Weather forecasts are based on location. Some of Osito's functions require a Gmail account.

The app's developers say it takes a few days for Osito to learn your schedule, and I can confirm that. Mainly I have been getting a morning weather forecast. It's not been terribly responsive to catching my meetings, and others who have used Osito are seeing the same thing.

Gallery: Osito

Osito was the kernel of a good idea for iOS users who were deprived of Google Now, but earlier this morning Google updated the Google Search app with almost every feature Google Now has on Android. That's going to put Osito in the weeds unless it comes up with more and better features, and Google is a tough competitor. If you want to stay out of the Google ecosystem, Osito has some promise, but even Osito has to work with Gmail to give you all its features.

My colleague Steve Sande has the details on the Google iPhone app enhancements in a post today. That app looks strong and is likely to even give Apple's Siri some heartburn.

Osito is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 6.

Osito wants to be Google Now for iOS, a bit too late originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've been a fan of GateGuru since I first tried it in 2010. It's a travel app for the iPhone that provides a plethora of information of flights, airlines and airports. It's great having all of that in your pocket. Version 4.0 fixes some problems and makes GateGuru even better.

Version 3 was nice, but had nagging problems. For example, it required me to enter flight details, even when that's not the information I was after. For example, sometimes I simply want to review the amenities that are available at a certain airport. GateGuru 3 needed flight info before sharing that data.

With version 4, released today, all is forgiven. The free app now allows you to browse airport information with no restrictions. The entire app has been redesigned and it looks very modern. Plus, the amount of tapping has been reduced when you navigate, and all your travel information is on one screen.

GateGuru excels at travel info, including airport weather, terminal and gate arrival and departure info, and real-time flight information with optional push alerts for flight status. The app also provides estimated TSA waiting times, and reviews of airport food, location of ATMs and rental car information with some discounted rates for GateGuru users.

Gallery: GateGuru 4

I have one mild complaint. GateGuru caters to the traveler, and not the person who's simply doing the pickup. Yes, you can get the information on arrival times, but it's not really the purpose of the app. I prefer Flight+ which is a bit more agnostic on whether you are the traveler or the transportation. I'd like to see GateGuru add travel times to the airport based on local real-time traffic info, and travel / traffic time to a particular address like a hotel or convention center.

Still, GateGuru is an absolutely indispensable app for those traveling by air, especially since so much of air travel involves sitting at airports. This new version is one of the most improved apps I've seen this year. If you travel, I heartily recommend adding it to your iPhone's travel folder.

GateGuru for iPhone has been updated and greatly improved originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The iOS Calendar app is pretty basic, but for a lot of people, it gets the job done. If you're left wanting more, take a look at Horizon Calendar, which is US$1.99 in the App Store. We've taken a look at an earlier version of the app before, and this next generation, released today, adds more features and improves the GUI.

Horizon Calendar is part calendar, part weather app. It pulls your current calendar info from your iOS device and stays synced to the cloud. The app arranges your info into a very nice set of screens that is easy on the eyes and well-organized.

Weather is the other big feature of Horizon Calendar, so as you plan an event occurring within the next two weeks, you'll see a weather forecast. That's pretty handy, especially as better weather starts to roll in. If the event is in another location, you'll get the forecast for that area instead.

The app also features natural language event creation. If I say "Set up a 2PM meeting Friday in Chicago with James" the app adds the event details without my having to fill in fields. Even better, when I look at the event, I see a weather forecast for Chicago for this Friday. That goes a bit beyond what Siri can do when creating events.

Also new to this latest version is intelligent lookup. If I have a lunch meeting at the Olive Garden restaurant, for example, the app will assume that I mean the closest Olive Garden just as I start typing 'Oli..'. and fill in the location. It would be nice to use that info as a link to my favorite navigation program, although the app currently doesn't have that capability.

Gallery: Horizon Calendar for iOS

Horizon Calendar is impressive, and I'll have no trouble replacing my iOS Calendar with Horizon Calendar. If you are in a business environment based on Microsoft Exchange, you can't create or accept meetings, so be aware of that limitation.

Horizon Calendar is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 6 or later.

Horizon Calendar for iOS keeps improving with unique features originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fotopedia Reporter is a unique, free iPad app that I would describe as a socially aware, digital coffee table book that lets you see and share photos that tell stories. The stories can be travel photos, landscapes, a restaurant visit or a dive trip. Anything that would be of interest to others that you know or don't know.

To help you get started, the app provides some attractive designs. Your creation can be shared on Facebook or Twitter, or you can email a web link and it can be viewed in a browser. You can view others' projects and leave comments. Of course, you don't have to be a contributor, you can just browse the many stories and photos submitted.

One question I had to the developers was the issue of rights. The answer is that people who publish photos choose their license type (all rights reserved, creative commons or public domain) and the poster retains the rights. The terms of use allows Fotopedia to advertise on its own properties, and partner properties, and the images you submit can be used to promote Fotopedia.

Gallery: Fotopedia Reporter

Why submit your stories? Mostly to get an audience. Fotopedia products get millions of views across its 14 apps and websites. Don't think of Fotopedia as simply a slide show. It's the stories behind the images that are just as important. Tell your stories, share them publicly or privately, get some feedback and create a community of people you'll enjoy knowing.

It's a bit hard to fully describe what this app offers, but it's worth a look. For those interested in communicating visually, it's a very well-thought-out tool. If you want to see what the app can do, Fotopedia Reporter is available on the web. It's fully functional, but I like it best on the iPad Retina display.

Fotopedia Reporter requires internet connectivity to work, and needs iOS 5.0 or later on your iPad.

Fotopedia Reporter for iPad lets you create and share your photo stories originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WebStart is a US$0.99 utility in the Mac App Store that lets you customize a browser home page with frequently used links, like search engines, news or weather. Yes, you can just use standard bookmarks as you are already doing, but this simple app presents your preferred links on one page.

When you open the app for the first time you'll get a brief tutorial. Basically you create topics and add relevant URLs. You can customize the fonts by color, style and size and choose the fill and background colors.

To further customize the look of your home page, drag and drop headings and topics into an order that works for you. When you are done, save it all, and the app will provide the link for your browser. You can paste it into the location where your browser sets the home page and you're ready to go. You can get a better idea how WebStart works in this YouTube video.

WebStart is handy, especially for the novice user who doesn't want to try this themselves using HTML.

Gallery: WebStart

I'll stick with Google News as my start page, but I could be tempted to try the app again with some additional features and a more striking graphical look. As it is, WebStart is not over-priced at under a dollar.

WebStart requires OS X 10.8 or later and a 64-bit processor.

WebStart for Mac lets you create a customized home page originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Help is on the way. DirecTV has been demoing a new app, due out in beta this summer, that will let you search using voice for your desired programs or movies. You can use an actor's name, a show title or just about anything that would identify a program. DirecTV has partnered with Nuance, the company behind Siri from Apple, for the voice recognition so the app is likely to work at least as well as Siri at recognizing your input. It's welcome news if you are suffering "death by typing" using the DirecTV remote, or even the current DTV iOS app.

As we all know, Siri isn't perfect, but it is probably the best of breed in voice recognition. At any rate, saying things like "Show me Columbo episodes this weekend" or "Find some Bruce Willis movies" should work fine. The app works while you are away from home to set up items to record, and of course works from your comfy chair in front of the TV as well. When you are home, the search results will show up on your screen.

DirecTV says the app will be in a "very wide beta" this summer with a final version coming later. Now if only Apple could only do something similar for the AppleTV... Even with the Apple Remote app, finding things to watch can be a pain.

[via Engadget]

DirecTV prepping voice search app for this summer originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've said good things about the Chimani apps before. With National Park Week starting today, Chimani has released additional free national park guides, including Grand Teton, Glacier, Olympic, Sequoia-Kings Canyon and Bryce Canyon National Parks. A new guide will be released every day this week. These guides used to be paid apps priced from US$2.99-$9.99. They were a bargain then, and for free, they are must-haves.

With these new releases, Chimani is adding what it calls Viewport, an augmented reality tool that lets you pan around the scenery and identify points of interest. This is one of the most useful applications of augmented reality I've seen. Without it, you would almost certainly miss some of the striking features within your view. The Viewport feature is $1.99 as an in-app purchase.

The Chimani guides include information on local weather, restroom locations, accommodation information and details on activities specific to the national park guide you are using. There are also maps of hiking trails, scenic drives and overlooks.

These new releases also include topographic maps based on data from Open Street Maps, pretty handy info in many of our national parks. The data is updated monthly, as Chimani claims the maps contain the most detailed and up-to-date information available anywhere, digitally or in print.

Gallery: Chimani National Park Guides

I've used the Chimani guides in a couple of our national parks, and it definitely made the experience richer and let me use my time more wisely. The apps are also most welcome before a park visit to help you to decide what to do and where to go.

All the Chimani guides are universal, and are optimized for the iPhone 5. They require iOS 5.01 or greater. If you're planning a trip to any of our national parks this year, grab the appropriate app and you'll have a better time on your visit.

Chimani releasing new national park apps and an option for augmented reality originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm always on the lookout for another good photo editor so I can finish my images in the field and Aviary for iOS certainly qualifies.

This free editor (with the usual option for in-app purchases) has the power to enhance your photos and add useful effects and frames without going overboard.

Aviary has the usual things you would expect in a photo editor and it does the job without having to refer to help screens because it is intuitive to use. You can auto-enhance a photo with one tap, crop, rotate and straighten images, adjust saturation, sharpen and blur, and add text. There's a nice selection of useful frames that can be applied with one click.

Aviary provides editing tools to other apps and we've reviewed some that use embedded Aviary tools. Now it's nice to see Aviary provide a robust photo editor on its own.

The only thing I found missing was a really good undo function. You can click any effect or process to turn it off, but I wanted unlimited undos because it's pretty easy to perform a whole line of edits and find yourself wanting to backtrack.

Gallery: Aviary free photo editor for iOS

As mentioned, there are a lot of in-app purchases offered. it would set you back about $15 for all of them. I don't think any of them are needed, and you can do some first-rate editing without spending an extra dime.

There is a lot to like about Aviary, and I think I could use it as my basic editor for most photos. It's a universal app, and will run on any iOS hardware that has iOS 5.0. It's optimized for the iPhone 5.

Aviary is a potent free photo editor for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're a meteor maven or stargazer, this is the weekend for one of the year's best meteor showers, the Lyrids. The Lyrids come to maximum strength April 21-22, which for those of us in North America means late Sunday night and early Monday morning. The shower is caused by the Earth passing through the orbit of space debris left by a comet, and usually dazzles viewers with 10-20 meteors per hour from a point in the sky close to the bright star Vega in the constellation of Lyra.

How can iOS help? Well, there are a lot of astronomy apps that will point you in the right direction using the compass and elevation sensors, and give you some background on meteors and their origins. Here are some of my personal favorites that should come in handy this weekend:

Star Walk (US$2.99) has some info on the Lyrids shower, and best of all it will show you where to look in the early morning sky. You don't have to know a thing about astronomy; Star Walk uses the iPhone sensors to point you in the right direction.

Distant Suns ($9.99 for the most advanced version) is another favorite. It doesn't list the meteor shower on its event notifications, but you can easily select the constellation Lyra in the app and the app directs you on where to look for the shower. Like Star Walk, Distant Suns provides a striking display of the night sky. There is a free, lite version available for download as well.

Pocket Universe ($1.99) also has a beautiful display, and while the app mentions the Lyrid shower, it doesn't provide any details. You can use the program to orient you towards Lyra.

Sky Safari ($2.99) is an excellent astronomy app and star chart, but it's completely silent about the meteor shower. Like the other apps, since you know that the shower is in the constellation of Lyra, it will point you to the proper area of the sky for possible viewing.

If you are just getting started in amateur astronomy, Star Walk is your best bet. It seems the most friendly app for events like this meteor shower, and the Lyrids shower is on the events list in that app along with additional information. You're just a tap away from finding that point in the sky where the most meteors appear to be coming from.

Gallery: Apps for the weekend meteor shower

The moon is always the enemy of those looking for faint objects in the sky. For this year's Lyrid shower, the moon doesn't set until about 4 AM Monday morning, making this a less than perfect event. You should be able to see meteors beginning at about midnight Sunday, with western North America being the best location for viewing. The meteors you see flash through the sky are actually very small pieces of rock igniting when they hit the Earth's atmosphere about 60 to 70 miles up. These rocks are seldom are large enough to make it all the way down to the Earth's surface, but sometimes they do, as evidenced by the large meteorite that hit Russia on February 15.

The meteor image on this page is from Wikimedia Commons.

This weekend's Lyrid meteor shower: Four iOS apps that can help you watch it originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What could be more helpful during baseball season than a weather app aimed at conditions around your local ballpark?

Ballpark Weather comes to the rescue with all sorts of helpful information to make game day more enjoyable and help you prepare when Mother Nature throws you a curve.

Ballpark Weather is based on information from the highly regarded Rain Aware app. There's a wealth of information within the app. You can look around the National and American Leagues and see where it's raining and when it will stop. There's also radar images, wind and sunset times, extended forecasts and more. You can even save your favorite teams for quick access.

Gallery: Ballpark Weather

This is the kind of app a baseball fan will love. Everything loads quickly, and I didn't have any unpleasant surprises using it.

Ballpark Weather is very worthwhile for $0.99. While you can get some of the weather information from other apps, the targeted baseball information is extremely useful.

Ballpark Weather is an iPhone app, but it looks OK enlarged on the iPad. The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Ballpark Weather for iPhone is handy and timely originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I just spent a few days in San Francisco attending a conference sponsored by Telenav, one of the leaders in navigation and services in both the automotive and smartphone worlds.

Much of what is discussed at these kinds of get-togethers is off the record, giving reporters a sneak peek at upcoming technology. One session that was on-the-record was a panel of industry experts on the future of electronics, particularly navigation in cars.

I think this panel pointed the way to what we will be seeing in future years, and hints at how important the iPhone will be. There was input from people at Ford, Delphi, Nuance, Gracenote and, of course, Telenav.

One thing that emerged rather starkly is a general belief that built-in navigation systems in cars are fast diminishing in popularity. It is so easy to add free or low-cost navigation by using your iPhone or other smartphone that more and more buyers can't justify the cost a built-in system.

Built-in prices are dropping, but they will never get as low as the smartphone solution, and those manufacturer-provided nav systems don't update nearly as often as your iPhone apps. Of course, fiddling with your phone to set up trips can be a real safety issue when driving. The iPhone screen is smaller than a car display, and as a result, it requires more attention.

That's why we're seeing more apps controlled completely by voice, both for ease of use and safety. Apple's Siri / Maps and Google's Maps are both natural navigation companions for voice, while manufacturers like Ford have gone voice-controlled in a big way for phone / car communication. Many states, like California, are mandating that you can't even touch your phones while driving. More states will follow.

The natural evolution of all this is to somehow get the iPhone screen to the big screen in the car, something we saw from Telenav late last year. Telenav's Scout app mates with Ford Sync via a Bluetooth or USB connection; drivers can access local search, gas prices and directions on the car screen.

The logical extension is that someday in the future, perhaps, your iPhone will activate the screens in any car and transfer your personal info, destinations and other items right to the car screen. For safety, all this must be voice-enabled. Brian Radloff was on hand from Nuance (developers of Dragon for Mac and Dragon Dictate for iOS) to say that he saw the future as more personalization in cars, as the vehicle becomes more integrated into each individual's lifestyle.

That was echoed by Harris Warren of Telenav, who expects to see the addition of real personalization to the driving experience. The car will become more of a consumer experience than just a way to get you from point A to point B. That means help finding relevant shopping and recreation destinations, and the further integration of both incoming and outgoing messaging.

Most of the experts on the panel said that cars are rapidly moving from closed environments to open ones, accepting more outside software and the easy plug-in of hardware. Even today, there is hardly a car being offered that doesn't support Apple connectors for iPods and / or iPhones. Of course, the industry representatives were also not happy with the new iPhone 5 connector, that left the industry and consumers stuck with some non-working ports or buying more cables.

In fact, the industry leaders, like John Absmeier of Delphi, expect that soon there will be seamless connectivity between your car, your house and your devices. It's also clear that the iPhone will be key to this transition. Many of these automation and automotive apps come out for the iPhone first, then slowly migrate to Android.

It's pretty clear the car cockpit will change pretty radically in the coming years, with Apple playing an important part in that evolution. That should be exciting.

iPhones will play a big part in the upcoming automotive revolution originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of the problems with using an iPhone or other smartphone for navigation is the screen size. Manipulating the phone while driving can be a serious distraction.

To address this shortcoming -- and leverage the large-screen displays that are present in some modern vehicles -- Telenav has announced a new embedded system called Scout for Cars. Scout for Cars lets your smartphone running a Telenav Scout application connect to the built-in car navigation screen. That keeps the navigation data up to date, and lets routing or other information transfer seamlessly between the Scout app and the in-car system.

Scout for Cars works in two directions, allowing navigation information from the head unit to go back to the Telenav app for last-mile information or walking directions to a destination.

The system features up-to-date maps, transferred from the smartphone, local weather with real-time conditions and forecasts, local search, traffic information and voice control. Telenav considers this solution a new breed of service that combines the best of built-in systems with the fresh data available from smartphones like the iPhone.

This approach will allow the Telenav app to be branded by others. Of course, car makers need to cooperate with this approach to make it all work and give built-in screens connectivity to the Telenav app, but Telenav representatives say there is interest.

I got a demo of the system this morning in San Francisco and the marriage of the two approaches seems worthwhile. My biggest gripe about my car's built-in system is that even if I update my maps and local info it is already out of date.

Gallery: Scout for Cars

Telenav is offering car companies an embedded navigation system that links to smartphones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Telenav today announced some major enhancements to its free Scout navigation app. Of note, 3D buildings and landmarks are included in the upcoming update, along with significant improvements to the Scout traffic content and user interface.

Using some graphics techniques from the game industry, Scout will add 3D in many major metro areas around the US. As drivers near upcoming turns, Scout will dynamically change screen views to show relevant landmarks and give drivers better information to assist with upcoming turns. The 3D data is locally cached and automatically downloaded as locations change.

Telenav will also incorporate some significant changes to what's currently offered in traffic information. Users will be able to add traffic information to share with others, and the Scout app will offer alternate routes based on the reported traffic information. The Scout app will update at the midway point of the trip to see if conditions have changed.

These updates are expected to be added to the free and premium versions of the app later this year. Telenav and others are aggressively adding features to compete with big players like Apple and Google.

Scout for iPhone adding 3d building and crowd-sourced traffic info later this year originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Photo editing on a Mac presents a dilemma for budget-conscious consumers. Photoshop is high-end and expensive. iPhoto is affordable, but its editing tools are rudimentary. There are still plenty other apps to choose from, including Pixelmator and Acorn. Another good title to add to your list of photo editing apps is Fotor Photo Editor. It's not Photoshop, but it has a lot of strengths. Best of all, it is free for a limited time.

The app has excellent editing tools, giving you control of the exposure, brightness, contrast, white balance, sharpening, blurring and much more. The app also features 13 different one click enhancement options, as well as a large selection of effects and frames. The app even lets you apply tilt-shift filters to your images, and supports most image formats including the all important raw import. It also lets you import multiple images for HDR treatment. Text can easily be added to photos, and you can pop up a panel with your EXIF data.

I found Fotor to be simple and intuitive to use. All the operations are on a panel to the right of the main screen. You can see your original image with a click, then reapply the filters. One thing I didn't like is there is no history-based undo. There is a button bewilderingly called 'none,' which takes all the filters and optimizations off. I'd like the app to go backwards step by step through all the changes and undo them one at a time. With this version of Fotor, undoing a mistake is all or nothing.

Gallery: Fotor Photo Editor

I think many photographers will like Fotor Photo Editor. The same developers have done some excellent iOS apps and it's nice to see those skills brought to the Mac.

I don't know how long Fotor will be free, so grab it as soon as you can. The app requires OS X 10.6 or later and a 64-bit processor. It has been optimized to work with Retina Display screens.

Fotor Photo Editor for Mac is capable and free if you act quickly originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I have two folders of sports-related apps on my iPhone. Lately, however, I find myself frequently using Sports Feed, a free iPhone app that gives me a quick overview of scores and the latest sports news.

To get up and running, you launch the app, and it asks you what you are interested in, MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA. You can select all, none, or any combination. That's it. When you return to the main app you'll have the latest news, scores, stats, and videos. They come from the usual sports services, like AP, Reuters, ESPN etc. If you find something you want to share, you can do it via email, Twitter or Facebook.

There's nothing fancy here, but there is plenty of content. Sadly, you can't focus on one team, or re-order the results, but if you are looking for a quick smattering of news this is the app for you. As you scroll down, the stories get older, so you won't miss anything. I think all that's lacking is a search window, but casual users won't care. Sports Feed has some very loyal fans, and if you try it you'll probably become one too.

Gallery: Sports Feed

Sports Feed is not a universal app, but will run on all but the oldest iOS devices. It is optimized for the iPhone 5, and requires iOS 6 or later. The latest update, released today, has speeded the app up, added more sharing options, and improved video quality.

Sports Feed for iPhone is simple and quick originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've taken a look at several collage apps for iOS, and have been pleased with them. Having said that, Wrapframe (US$1.99) comes with some fresh ideas and more than a hundred templates to allow you to combine multiple photos into a single presentation. You can warp and wrap your photos to give them a fresh look, and apply any of 27 filters and/or text to finish off your masterpiece. Then you can save to your photo roll, or share them via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and email.

Using the app is simple, and there is built-in help. Select a template, containing room for two or more photos in a style you like. Then select photos from your camera roll, or snap some with the iPhone or iPad camera. Once the photos are in place, you can apply filters or add text. One thing I don't like is that if you select a portrait orientation for a photo, the app scrunches up the image in landscape mode to make it fit, distorting the photo. As a result, you have to be careful about what kind of photo you put in to a particular template.

There are plenty of filters, but I'm getting to the point where most filters detract from a good image, and don't add to it. Text may or may not be needed to finish your collage. I think most photos won't require text, but it's nice to have if you need it.

Gallery: Wrapframe

Most collage apps are fairly simple with basic layouts. Wrapframe goes for the more ornate templates, many are based on scrolls. There is a lot of variety in this app, within the basic themes. I think many photographers will find some interesting ways to enhance and share their photos that aren't just me-too creations.

Wrapframe is a universal app and works on all phones from the 3GS forward, and iPad and the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch. Wrapframe requires iOS 4.3 or later and is optimized for the iPhone 5.

Wrapframe for iOS will give new life to your photos originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's not often I test an app that leaves me inspired about its possibilities. That's been the case with Electric Slide. This free app (restrictions described below) lets you give a presentation using PowerPoint, a document or a PDF to up to five people wherever they are in the world. You can originate your presentation from any computer, or almost any iOS device (specific iOS requirements at the end of this post).

Once you upload your files to the Electric Slide servers, participants log in from a browser (or iPhone or iPad app) and watch in real time. For audio, you'll have to rely on a conference call or third-party audio conference software.

To test the service, I uploaded a Keynote presentation I converted to PowerPoint, plus a PDF file. The upload was fast, and within seconds the presentation was available on the web. I shared it with a few friends, changing pages on my iPad, and confirmed that page changes were virtually instantaneous. Color fidelity was accurate. Others viewed my presentation in Safari on OS X with no issues. I could also access a presentation using the Electric Slide iPhone app. Although the slides were a bit small, they were perfectly readable with the phone in landscape mode.

People who do presentations frequently will be excited about the Electric Slide service. Your audience can join from the airport or a car from any iOS device or laptop.

Now about the limitations and costs. You can use the app for free, but presentations are limited to 90 minutes with no more than five participants. You can upload a total of 50 MB for free to the Electric Slide servers. Many people will want or need more, so that's when the costs come in.

For US$26.99, you get three months of service, which includes 1 GB of storage, up to 50 viewers, and no length restrictions on meetings. A six-month plan is $48.99, and an annual plan will set you back $79.99. Given the quality of the service, and ease of use, this pricing is not too high.

Gallery: Electric Slide

There are other limitations. Keynote is not supported yet, but it is coming. As mentioned, there is no voice feature, so you're on your own there. Videos embedded in presentations are not yet supported, but it is coming. Many users are also asking about live annotations on presentations, but nothing has been said about that yet.

In some ways, Electric Slide competes with services like GoToMeeting, although that service runs $468 a year. For the extra money, you get audio and video conferencing, something that Electric Slide doesn't offer.

Still, Electric Slide works well, is very easy to start using and lets you try it for free. Your presentations can originate from any computer, or nearly any iOS device with internet connectivity. You can also get your presentation onto a big screen using a cable connection, AirPlay to an AppleTV or just bring a web browser running on the projector and join the presentation that way.

I don't do too many presentations these days, but if I was I would eagerly sign up for an Electric Slide account. It's innovative, reasonable and flexible.

You will also want to take a look at SlideShark, a service with slightly different pricing but some free options as well. SlideShark, at least for now, supports only PowerPoint.

Electric Slide can run on any iPhone from the 3GS forward, on the third-generation iPod touch or newer, as well as any iPad. The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 5.01 or greater.

Electric Slide is an excellent presentation sharing app with unique features originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PDF Converter Pro (US$34.99, currently on sale in the Mac App Store) is a powerful multifunction tool for converting and tweaking PDF files.

The app has a wide variety of conversion options and is able to output to Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, EPUB, HTML, text (plain and RTF), .jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp and .tif file formats.

A lot of PDF Converter Pro's power comes from its built-in OCR capabilities, which turn a scanned PDF file into an editable document. The app also notifies you that the PDF you are working with started as a scan that was run through the optical character recognition engine. PDF Converter Pro can do batch conversions of up to 50 documents.

How did PDF Converter Pro stand up to a test? Very well. I gave the app some complicated PDF files made up of technical manuals loaded with diagrams. PDF Converter Pro created an editable Word file that had all the graphics in the right place. It was impressive, though the OCR mode was not perfect. There were a few misspellings in areas with very small print and some line drawings got garbled, but overall the accuracy of the app was good.

Another bonus of PDF Converter Pro is that conversions are fast. A 42-page manual took less than a minute to convert.

PDF Converter Pro is a great app if you find yourself with lots of PDF files you want to edit. I'd like to see it add more Mac-oriented conversion options, like Pages, Numbers and Keynote, but those applications can open many of the document file types the app produces. I saw some negative comments online about the OCR accuracy but I personally found it to be quite good despite those user complaints. How well PDF Converter Pro manages scanning depends on the quality of the original text.

Gallery: PDF Converter Pro

The app description indicates that you can convert regular files to PDF. I can't find any place to do that in the app, and OS X handles that conversion anyway for most documents through the Print to PDF capability.

PDF Converter Pro is usually prices at $79.99, so the sale is a good deal even if the sale price is still expensive for a casual user. The app requires OS X 10.6 or greater and works fine on Mountain Lion.

PDF Converter Pro for Mac: A versatile tool for PDF files originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're a photographer who posts images on the web, check out the Mac app Watermark FX (US$4.99). It lets you add copyright symbols, logos or any text to your photos, one at a time or in batches.

In addition to watermarks, the app also supports waterlines, which will keep your pictures from being used by others. You can also use Watermark FX to batch rename, change size and file type to a group of photos.

You can import PNG, JPEG, GOF, TIFF, PSD and ICNS formats, while outputting PNG, JPEG, GIF and TIFF.

If you deal with a lot of photos, this app can be a timesaver. I tried it on several batches of photos and the app worked as expected, and quickly. The way the app works is very clear, and I don't think users will need a help file.

One thing I did notice is that the image file sizes changed when they were output. A 2.5 MB JPEG became 2 MB JPEG when I added some text. Even more curious, some files increased in size. I could not see any visual change when comparing the two versions, other than the added text, of course. It should also be noted that the camera throws away EXIF data. To some, that will be a feature. Others will want it preserved. By the way, if you want to add a (C) symbol to your photos, it's 'Option-G' on the Mac keyboard.

Gallery: Watermark FX

Watermark FX is a helpful app. It requires OS X 10.6 or later and a 64-bit processor. I'd also suggest interested photographers take a look at Watermarker for $7.99. It has similar features but does preserve the EXIF data in output files.

Watermark FX for Mac can help you protect your images originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Many of the photos we take have perspective problems, but there are not too many utilities for iOS that deal with it. The iPhone has a fairly wide-angle lens, and as a result, pictures of city buildings, landscapes with lots of trees, almost anything with vertical lines can need some perspective correction.

Perspective Correct (US$1.99) is a new app that deals with just this problem. You import a photo and then by swiping across the screen you can change vertical or horizontal distortion. After that's corrected, you'll need to crop the photo and the app includes a built-in cropping tool. There is also a tool to make a white or black background around the image.

You can also get perspective problems with indoor photography and even taking portraits where distortion could result in a big nose or a swelled forehead.

I tested the app and it worked as intended. I'd like to see an undo command, because once you make the changes, you are stuck. The app is not universal, and is clearly intended for the iPhone, but I think a full-resolution version for the iPad should be offered. The app requires iOS 5 or greater and is optimized for the iPhone 5. Perspective Correct works well and is a welcome addition to my folder of photo editors.

Gallery: Perspective Correct

Perspective Correct is a nifty photo utility for your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PopAGraph is a free iOS app that lets you mask off something in a photo, then create a reduced size frame that lets the object pop put of the frame boundaries. It can give your photos a unique look, and it's something I haven't seen before in an iPhone app.

To make it work you select something in your image that you want to stand out. You draw a mask with your finger. You don't have to be exact, because the app will try and find the edges of the subject if it is pretty well set off in contrast of color. You can enlarge the view for more precise masking, and pan around using 2 fingers.

When you are satisfied, you touch the 'lift' icon, and your selected object will be separated from the background. Select a frame, or multiple frames. They must be smaller than your masked object so the object can extend beyond the frame. You get a choice of frame colors and styles. The end result can be quite striking. You can then send your fished product via email, instagram or Twitter. Of course you can also save to your local photo library.

PopAGraph is a clever photo editor. You're not going to be able to jump right in, because not every step is intuitive. There is, thankfully, built in help with video tutorials that make the operation of the app clear enough. The app also has some nice filters, so after the masking process you can change the background or the foreground. For example, leave what has been masked in color, and turn the rest of the photo black and white. There are more extensive filters, but they involve an in-app purchase. If you buy everything, including more frame options, the app is U.S. $2.99 instead of free. I found I could get along with what is included in the free version.

Gallery: PopAGraph

I liked PopAGraph. If you're willing to spend a few minutes learning the app it will pay you back with some really unique photos that will be appreciated by friends and family.

PopAGraph requires iOS 6 or later, and it is optimized for the iPhone 5. It is not universal, so it's sub-optimal on an iPad.

PopAGraph is a clever iOS photo app that gives your photos some 'pop'. originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you are like me, you do a lot of searching every day. Not just Google, but IMDb for movie info, Amazon, TED talks and even TUAW. To help out people like you and me, Cynapse Software has introduced a nifty utility called Phlo. It provides a pop-up search field that be assigned to a global hotkey and always ready to go.

If you're looking to go beyond Google, there are dozens of combinations, and you can have multiple search engines selected. There's an extensive list of search portals buillt in, but you can add your own by simply providing a URL.

In the open Phlo window, you can start to type the name of a search engine and it will pop up for one-time access. You never have to use your mouse, and multiple sites can be chosen with shift + return or shift + click if you want to use your mouse. Out of the box, Phlo is configured to pop up with option + spacebar, but you can define any key or combination. Apple Spotlight uses Command + Spacebar. The ESC key closes Phlo.

After you've used Phlo for awhile, it becomes second nature. I found it to be a timesaver, because your searches begin with just a tap on the keyboard, and I find myself doing more searches because it is so easy to get them started. The only change I would make in this app is an ability to create groups of search engines for specific tasks, and have Phlo remember those groups.

Gallery: Phlo

Phlo is US$3.99 at the Apple app store, and requires OS X 10.8 or later and a 64-bit processor. I like Phlo, and have incorporated it into my daily routine.

Phlo for Mac is a quick and useful search utility originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There is a seemingly endless supply of apps that use Google Local Search and other services to get you information about where you are or where you are going. TripWhat is a free iPhone app that uses data from Google, Urbanspoon, Yelp, Seatgeek, Last.fm, WikiVoyage and others to offer data on area restaurants, points of interest, even local events happening that day.

You can create an itinerary and get directions to selected activities via Apple's Map app. When you find a place you like, you can get website links and reviews, along with one-tap phone numbers.

What differentiates TripWhat is its focus on current, local events like street fairs and nightlife, complete with details and links to ticket purchasing. It worked smoothly where I live, and will be helpful to those traveling in unfamiliar territory. The app claims more than 600,000 attractions and over 100,000 events in 250 cities in the US and Canada. This is not an app to use to plan an overseas trip.

Gallery: TripWhat

TripWhat runs on iOS 5.1 or later. It's a worthwhile download to add to your travel apps folder.

TripWhat is a free travel companion for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.