I love my iPhone 4S, but I am one of many who doesn't get great battery life from the phone. Apple has done some firmware updates that 'addressed' the problem, but I think battery life on my phone is still sub-par.

I've looked at a few battery cases, but many were pretty clunky and didn't seem worth the hassle. A friend tipped me to the Boost Case, and I found it on Amazon and gave it a try. The case I ordered fits the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, and is made of a hard rubber nonslip surface. You charge the case with a micro USB cable (included). The flat built-in battery puts out 1700 mAh. I plugged it in overnight, and blue LEDs on the back of the case confirmed it had a full charge.

I slipped the iPhone into the 2 piece case, and started my day. Every time I looked at the screen, the battery reading was 100%. It was 100% through the morning, through lunch, all afternoon, and well into the evening when the iPhone started running on its own battery and I saw 92% about 10PM. The phone got normal use through the day. Lot's of email, some snapped photos which were forwarded to others, even part of a Netflix movie and the usual phone calls. I tried the same routine the next day with the same results.

When I first got the case the iPhone reported that 'charging was not supported with this accessory', but the iPhone was indeed charging. After the first try I never saw the message again. I tested photos with the case on to make sure the case did not interfere with the camera lens. Pictures looked fine with no obstruction visible. Some users have reported shooting with flash can leave a bit of a haze at the lower right of the image. I made a few tests and the images looked fine, but your experience may vary.

The Boost Case comes in a variety of colors, some models have a removable battery pack, others have it integrated. The one I tried uses an integrated battery and is only US $47.50 at Amazon. That's a pretty low price to completely solve the vexing problem of iPhone battery life. There are plenty of cases out there that provide battery extending functions. The Boost Case works very well and is worth a look if your iPhone battery life is less than stellar. Feel free to share your experiences with the Boost Case or any others that you have tried.

Boost case for iPhone keeps the battery going originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The two bestselling astronomy apps, Star Walk and Solar Walk for iOS, can now find and track the Space X Dragon, the first commercial vehicle to visit the International Space Station.

The Dragon was launched Tuesday. When you search for the spacecraft, you'll see it's current position. As I write this, it's in orbit next to the ISS. Using the augmented-reality feature, you likely can find the Dragon when it is in a good position overhead.

I didn't try to find Dragon in the night sky, but it was easy to find on my iPhone. I could use the search command to find by name, or I could look on the last 30-day launches list. It appears centered on the screen in the correct orientation to the ISS and the star background. You also can get some specifics on the Dragon position and a bit of history. Use AirPlay mirroring and an Apple TV, and you can get it on the big screen, great for teachers or sharing with friends.

I was interested in how the spacecraft was added so quickly to the app, and the developers told me they were contacted by the Space X people and wanted it added. Space X helped with the math and collaborated with Vito Technologies to get the 3D model correctly displayed.

Star Walk is available for US$4.99. Solar Walk is a $2.99. Some screen shots are in the gallery below.

Gallery: TheDragon spacecraft as seen in Star Walk for iOS

Star Walk and Solar Walk apps now track the Space X Dragon originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Storage giant Seagate has announced intentions to buy controlling interest in LaCie, a boutique hard drive and storage company.

Seagate has offered to purchase from Philippe Spruch, LaCie's chairman and CEO, and his affiliate, all of their shares, representing 64.5% of the outstanding shares of LaCie. Following receipt of governmental approvals and the close of this transaction, Seagate would commence an all-cash simplified tender offer to acquire the remaining outstanding shares in accordance with the General Regulation of the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). Seagate will acquire LaCie for US $186 million.

LaCie drives have been known for their physical design. At times, LaCie has contracted out to companies like Porsche Design for enclosures. Seagate products have been a bit more establishment, and it looks like Seagate wants to have some impact in upscale consumer devices.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in the United States (antitrust filing), France (approval of foreign investments by the Ministry of Finance) and other jurisdictions (antitrust filing in Germany) and to other customary closing conditions.

LaCie has been popular among Mac users, and its drives and accessories are currently sold in Apple Stores worldwide. Late last year, LaCie began selling the first Thunderbolt drives for Macs priced under $1000.

Seagate to acquire LaCie originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 May 2012 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Got a failing economy? Do what one consultant did -- secure 100 iPads to get the Greek debt restructured.

Greece was facing bankruptcy, and the debt needed to be restructured and reduced. It is always a complicated and slow moving process. The iPads helped.

It's all described in an article by Phillip Elmer-DeWitt in Fortune. A company called Bondholder Communications Group needed a realtime way to connect to the leadership team that was controlling the approach to restructuring the debt. Enter iPads that were sent to those team leaders with a special app designed to display the debt restructuring approaches and share the data among all the stakeholders.

Bob Apfel, who runs Bondholder Communications was quoted as saying "I watched hundreds of millions of bonds being 'slam dunked' as these guys were running down the halls, split-second decisions were made that couldn't have been made without the data platform."

At the end of the day, $270 billion of Greek debt had been reduced to $130 billion. "It was the largest financial transaction in the history of the world," Apfel sayd. "And we couldn't have done it without the iPad."

How the iPad helped Greece's debt restructuring originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 May 2012 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is strike two against Kodak at the US International Trade Commission. CNET is reporting today that administrative Judge Thomas Pender reaffirmed a decision from last year which stated that neither Apple or RIM were infringing Kodak patents.

"I hereby reaffirm on remand that no violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, has been found in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the sale within the United States after importation of certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras, and components thereof, in connection with claim 15 of U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218."

The judge noted that Apple and RIM were actually both infringing on a patent held by Kodak, but the claim was invalid because the technology Kodak claims was protected was "obvious".

Kodak brought the action in 2010, claiming that both Apple and RIM image preview functions were infringing on Kodak intellectual property.

The ruling needs to be approved by the full ITC panel. Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, and has been active in trying to sell off its patents in hopes of raising some money.

Apple fans will note that back in 1994, Apple and Kodak were partners in the production of the first consumer digital camera, the Apple QuickTake 100. Time Magazine noted that the camera was 'the first consumer digital camera' and ranked it among its '100 greatest and most influential gadgets from 1923 to the present'.

ITC rules against Kodak, in favor of RIM and Apple originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earthlapse is a beautiful US$0.99 app for iOS that gives you an International Space Station view of the earth moving below. There are 8 time lapse scenes of weather, docking spacecraft and aurora in high resolution that is almost lifelike.

You can control the speed of the movie, superimpose current weather for your location, show the current time, and information about each scene.

The app was developed by the folks who did the striking Magic Window app with compelling landscape scenes, and now we get to see our landscapes from space instead of on the ground.

I think this app is best on an iPad, and when your iPad is not in use it makes it a pretty effective piece of art for your desk or a nightstand. The app supports a selection of ambient music, but I actually like the effect better when I am free to contemplate the scene in a quiet room. The app supports the full Retina display on the iPhone. For some knotty technical reasons, the developer says the GUI is full Retina resolution on the iPad, but the images are not. Nevertheless, the images are terrific.

As was done with Magic Window, I'd love to see more scenes become available, but the app is quite nice as it is. It's just been released and is worth a look. I think you'll like it. The app is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

Gallery: Earthlapse

Earthlapse is a window on the Earth from space originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 20 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Wall Street Journal claims that Apple is ordering screens from Asian suppliers that are bigger than the 3.5 inch screen that has become the one and only standard for the iPhone.

The Journal says iPhone production will begin next month, with new screens that measure at least 4 inches diagonally -- something we've heard before. This could be a response to rival Samsung, who has been featuring larger screens in comparison ads to the iPhone. Samsung offers a 4.3 inch and a 4.8 inch screen on some model phones.

Will an enlarged iPhone screen meet the rumored shrunken iPad? No one knows for sure, but Apple is very good at competing. Some have even shown how a larger screen could work. We know from experience that when Apple says it isn't going to do something that's not always the case. I vividly remember Steve Jobs telling us no apps for the iPhone, that web apps were all we needed. Then there was a quick reversal, and apps are now a multimillion dollar business. Apple has not commented on the report.

iPhone could have a four-inch screen, says Wall Street Journal originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're like me, you've got a hard drive filling up with images. I do a lot of landscape photography, and while I normally shoot in RAW format, they get output as jpegs for the web, email, and the printing service I use. Over the years I've seen a lot of applications that will shrink jpegs, and the jpeg itself is already much smaller than anything that started out in raw, native Photoshop or TIF format.

I was offered a new OS X app called JPEGmini to test, and it is impressive. You can drag a folder of photos or even a complete hard drive onto JPEGmini and it goes to work, showing each image it opens and keeping track of how much is saved. It supports images from 2 MB to 17 MB in size, and I have some larger files so the app warned me those would not be shrunk. (Note: The developer says the limitation is resolution, not file size, so any resolution greater than 17 MP will be rejected.)

I was a bit skeptical of this shrinking process, so I opened up some of my detailed landscape images and looked at them in Photoshop. I couldn't see any significant difference in the before and after images. I should note that I duplicated a folder of images for this test and worked on the copy, because once you shrink the photos, there is no going back. I saw more than 50% reduction in file size, and there would have been more if I didn't have so many files in that folder larger than 17 MB. This is very nice for sending files via email because I can reduce the file size while keeping the quality.

Best of all is that your photos stay in jpg format. No program is going to have trouble opening them.

If you want some details on the process, the developers go into more depth about how the application works. Besides the file size caveat, the program only works on jpegs.

JPEGmini is US $19.99 through the Mac App Store. It's a little pricey, but it does what it claims. It mightnot be for the pro photographer, but I think most amateur and semi-pros will be thrilled at the drive space you get back. If you'd like to see how the program works without any investment, the developers have a free service on their website where you can upload some files and let their server shrink them and return them to you.

Check the gallery for some comparison shots, but remember that these examples are further reduced in quality when we publish them.

Gallery: JPEGmini

JPEGmini puts your images on a diet originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm always looking for impressive free apps to show what the iPad can accomplish, and I've done that this week with 123D Catch from AutoDesk.

This iPad app (iPad 2 and new iPad only) allows you to use the iPad camera to photograph any object from a number of angles and elevations. Then the app sends your images up to an AutoDesk server where the object is rendered as a 3D file. You can even create 3D files for large objects, like a building, by moving parallel to it to allow the rendering to display the changing perspectives. Even people can be rendered in 3D if they don't move during the imaging sequence. It's all covered in the included help files and videos.

This is pretty amazing on any computer, and even more impressive on a tablet. Once you get the image back, you can rotate it in 360 degrees, zoom in or out, and even change elevation if you provided the appropriate images for the rendering. You can submit up to 40 images. Rendering can take a bit of time. Some complex objects took about 20 minutes but the app will send an alert when your file is ready.

The resulting 3D object can be shared with other AutoDesk users, or viewed on a Mac or PC with a free viewer. Just trying it out on some household objects worked very well. The renderings were complete and in sharp focus. It's pretty amazing to do this on an iPad and it is a good demo if you don't mind waiting for the rendering to finish.

AutoDesk also offers an app we've previously reviewed called 123D Sculpt. It allows you to create a virtual 3D sculpture on your iPad. I consider these free apps sort of a gateway drug to get people interested in the amazing capabilities of the AutoDesk family of products. AutoDesk even sells some of its industrial strength products through the Mac app store.

Give this free iPad app a try and prepare to be impressed.

Gallery: AutoDesk 123D Catch

AutoDesk provides impressive 3D captures on an iPad with a free app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When I reviewed Adobe Photoshop Touch in February, I found it generally capable, but the app would downsize any large images you loaded to 1600 X 1600, which was very skimpy. This latest version, 1.2, released today, lets you increase the resolution to 2028 X 2048. Note that you must allow that in settings or it defaults to the standard 1600 X 1600.

That's an improvement, but still falls short of even the iPhone 4 resolution (2592 X 1936), the iPhone 4S camera (3264 X 2448) and of course the new iPad resolution of 2048 X 1536 at a dense 264 pixels per inch.

There are some other welcome features, including Creative Cloud auto-sync, and new special effects, including the ability to render in a pseudo HDR look. You can also now export to PSD or PNG formats via email, or from the camera roll. The update also sports improved rotate and flip workflow and the option to transfer images to your desktop via iTunes.

iPhoto for iOS also downsizes imported images, unless they are being imported through the Camera Connection Kit. Used that way, iPhoto for iOS supports images up to 19 MP.

While this latest version of Photoshop Touch still doesn't completely exploit the new iPad retina display, it is a step in the right direction. The update is free to current owners. The app requires an iPad 2 or greater, and iOS 5 or greater.

Adobe updates Photoshop Touch for iPad with better resolution originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I took a look at Droplr back in February and found it a nice, free, easy to use file sharing service for Mac and Windows computers. For those who want more, Droplr now has Droplr Pro. It adds quite a few nice bells and whistles, including private, password protected drops, and more storage. Users can upload files that are up to 1 GB in size, while receiving 100 GB of storage you can mange yourself. The free version, available through the Mac app store, limits uploads to 25 MB and gives you 1 GB of storage.

Pro users will also get a custom domain to share drops, instead of the d.pr domain current users will be familiar with. The Droplr developers now have added an iOS app that extends your file sharing from your iOS device. The app is free.

Droplr Pro is US $30 per year, or $3 on a monthly basis. If you're a heavy duty file sharer the Pro version is worth a look. I've used the free version quite a bit and found it reliable and useful.

Droplr announces Droplr Pro with increased storage, more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's no shortage of grocery lists apps for the iPhone and iPad. One of the more popular apps is the free Grocery iQ, which has added speech recognition from Nuance in an update available today. That addition hoists Grocery iQ a bit above the average list-maker.

You can add items to your shopping list by typing, scanning barcodes, and now by simply talking to your iPhone. The app lets you access coupons (the app is provided by Coupons.com) and also find nearby grocery stores. The app database accesses millions of items, so you're unlikely to be stuck with an item that is unknown.

When you first start up the app your list is already populated, and I saw some ads from Hormel with accompanying coupons. I didn't find it a distraction, but I would have preferred to start with an empty list, rather than one partly filled out for me. The speech recognition was excellent, and I tested it with some obscure locally sold brands and all were identified quickly, which was an impressive feat. It has been suggested, but not confirmed, that the Nuance speech recognition engine is the same that powers Siri on the iPhone 4S.

While this new version has added speech and multi-barcode scanning, it has also taken away certain features (favorite lists for a particular store and aisle layout, for example) and rankled some users.

Still, I found the app very useful, and the addition of highly-accurate speech recognition is a real time saver. If you're not married to your current grocery list app, I'd take a look at Grocery iQ. It's a universal app, and requires iOS 4.2.1 or greater.

Gallery: Grocery iQ

Grocery iQ for iOS adds speech recognition originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Garmin Fit is a US$0.99 iPhone app that is used as a training tool for walking or cycling. The app uses GPS to keep track of your exercise stats, like speed, distance traveled, route traveled and an estimate of calories burned. This data can be uploaded to GarminConnect, a web-based service. The app also allows you to select music that is on your iPhone to accompany you while you exercise.

With the latest update to the app, Garmin has added Live Track (available as an in-app purchase), which allows you to send a 'follow me' invitation to others via email, Facebook or Twitter. They'll get a link that lets them monitor your elapsed time, distance, speed, elevation and more. Just the thing to let someone virtually participate with you while you are on that run or marathon. Live Track can be had for $20 per year or $1.99 per month.

Reviews of the previous version of the app are mixed, with some people complaining about stability and issues with multi-tasking. I think the cost of Live Track is too high. $20.00 per year as an add-on to an app that's only $0.99 is a bit too much. You can go with Live Track monthly for $1.99, but again, that's twice the cost of the app for one month of use.

Garmin Fit is a good idea, but a bit flawed in execution and price of the add-ons. Live Track is a good idea for regular racers, but some free apps like Glympse will let you share your location, without some of the bells and whistles Garmin provides.

Gallery: Garmin Fit with Live Track

Garmin Fit for iOS adds Live Track to broadcast your status originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's a modern twist on a time-honored tradition for train travelers. Since last fall, Amtrak has been training conductors to use an iOS device to scan passenger tickets on some selected routes, including Boston to Portland, Maine, and San Jose to Sacramento, California.

According to the New York Times, 1700 conductors will be using the new system -- which combines an iPhone with a custom hardware sled for receipt printing -- across the country by late summer. The Amtrak tool was developed in part by Seattle's Übermind agency, which was acquired by the consulting arm of Deloitte at the start of 2012.

Passengers will still be able to print their tickets, but alternatively they can show a 2D barcode on their mobile phone screens, eliminating paper completely. This is similar to Fandango's app for movies or air travel boarding pass apps.

This is a big switch from the classic hole puncher the trains have been using since, well, forever. Where I lived there weren't a lot of useful train routes the family could take, but I'm always reminded of that old chilling Twilight Zone episode where passenger James Daly gets on a train and heads to a simpler world when his ticket is punched for Willoughby. That episode kept me off trains for a long time. This new ticket tech might get me back on one.

Amtrak conductors to "punch your ticket" using iPhones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has been hit with another class-action lawsuit for double billing customers in the iTunes store.

New York resident Robert Herskowitz claims Apple charged him twice for the single "Whataya Want from Me" by Adam Lambert. Herskowitz says he contacted Apple and got an automated response telling him his request was being reviewed. The message he received from Apple wasn't so friendly.

"Your request for a refund for 'Whataya Want from Me' was carefully considered; however, according to the iTunes Store Terms of Sale, all purchases made on the iTunes Store are ineligible for refund. This policy matches Apple's refund policies and provides protection for copyrighted materials."

So, the lawsuit is underway, and Herskowitz is looking for others who claim they have been similarly unfairly charged.

You can read the lawsuit online at Justia.

Apple hit with class action lawsuit over iTunes double-billing originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Unsurprisingly, Apple is really sweating the details when it comes to its upcoming court date with Samsung.

FOSS Patents has noted that a court filing revealed Apple doesn't want to see any Samsung logos or brand identification in the courtroom.

"Apple intends to bring a motion for '[o]bscuring the 'Samsung' logo on the court's video display for jurors.' Apparently the United States District Court for the Northern District of California uses Samsung equipment for this purpose."

Apple wants Samsung name obscured on video players in courtroom originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PhotoFunia is a clever and free novelty app for iPhone camera buffs. It will allow you to create a variety of special effects that would take quite awhile in something like Photoshop.

Here are some examples: Using face detection, it can take a photo of a friend and cleanly insert the face over another body like an astronaut in a space suit or someone atop a motorcycle or a surf board.

Additionally, it can take any scene and matte it into an existing frame. Get your picture in lights in Times Square or get a scene in an art museum with everyone admiring your favorite pictures.

The app requires a data connection to work. PhotoFunia sports more than 250 different effects and more are added on a regular basis.

I pretty much yawn at endless effect and filter apps, but this app offers some new twists and it works very well. It will work on iPad, but it is not a universal app (it works in 2x iPhone compatibility mode). My only complaint is that the photos are not rendered at full resolution, which would be a real plus.

If this were a paid app I would recommend it. As a free app (with ads), it is a no-brainer if you want to create some whimsical images to share with family and friends.

The app is a 2.4 MB download and requires iOS 3.0 or greater. Check the gallery for some of my creations, and check the PhotoFunia website for samples of all the effects.

Gallery: PhotoFunia

PhotoFunia creates seamless Special FX on your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yum. The San Jose Mercury News reports that Apple is building a cafeteria for employees. The new off-site eatery will be more than 21,000 square feet, and it's only for Apple folks.

The News quotes an Apple honcho as saying "We like to provide a level of security so that people and employees can feel comfortable talking about their business, their research and whatever project they're engineering without fear of competition sort of overhearing their conversations," Dan Whisenhunt, Apple's director of real estate facilities, said. "That is a real issue today in Cupertino because we've got other companies here in our same business."

The cafeteria will have a cafe, meeting rooms, lounges and a courtyard. Apple says the facility will be open on weekdays for breakfast and lunch. The cafeteria has just been approved by the Cupertino planning commission. Apple already has five large facilities to provide meals for employees and about a dozen other ones designed for quick snacks. You can find some reviews of food served currently on the Apple campus at Yelp.

Apple to build large, off-campus cafeteria originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I remember seeing universal translators on TV and in the science fiction stories I read in my youth. I didn't think it would ever happen, but science fiction is becoming fact.

If you travel or are in regular need of translation, let me suggest you take a look at SayHi Translate, on sale for US 0.99 in the app store. It runs on an iPhone, iPod touch or an iPad.

Here's how it works. Tell the app your primary language, (English in my case) and set it for a language you want your words translated to. The app supports French (Canadian and France), German, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Japanese, Korean and several more.

If you don't want to talk, you can use the keyboard and get the text translated as text. The app provides a large on-screen button so you can engage in conversation back and forth with someone. Response is fast, but the app requires an Internet connection as your translation will be done on a remote server. It was reasonably quick on a 3G connection.

My German is pretty good and I was impressed with the quality of the translation. It stumbled on a couple of proper names, but that is not surprising. I tried it with a fluent Spanish speaker and the app did well too. I can't vouch for the other languages offered, but reviews of the app from users are very positive.

There are some other translators out there. Some are paid apps, some are free, but charge more if you want speech recognition. Others charge for additional languages. At this sale price of $0.99 the app is an impulse purchase if you have a need for its talents.

SayHi Translate doesn't speak Klingon, but it does bring back some Star Trek memories.

Gallery: SayHi Translate

SayHi Translate for iOS is like science fiction come true originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There are a lot of travel apps. Some are great, some are good, some are me too. I've taken a look at the just released Flight+, and I'm pretty impressed. This app is loaded with features too numerous to mention. It will track every flight at almost every airport anywhere in the world. The app displays delays, gate information and flight delays in real time. There are also handy seating charts.

Weather is included for your destination, along with a ten day forecast. If you have a Tripit account, it will sync automatically. The alerts are comprehensive. Alerts for departure and arrival time changes, gate and terminal changes, flight status changes, and you can set reminders for departures and arrivals.

The maps are attractive and you can zoom into any flight anywhere. The app has an offline mode so information is available while you are airborne, and you can share flight information via email, SMS, Facebook or Twitter.

There are a few negatives. This is not a universal app, and if you want both you will pay twice. The iPad version is US $4.99 while the iPhone app is $2.99. Features and functions are the same.

Other than that, this is a very useful app. As i said, there are a lot of travel apps with similar features, but I haven't seen one that is quite so comprehensive. If you spend a lot of time in the air and sitting at airports, this app has your name on it.

Gallery: Flight+ travel app screenshots

Flight+ is a great app for the savvy traveler originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With the weekend here, our minds turn to food, or more specifically, eating food out. Fondu for the iPhone, is a crowd-sourced app where you can find local restaurants, read mini-reviews and leave some of your own.

Reviews can be published to Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. Places you like or want to check later can be bookmarked.

The problem with the app is that since it is new, there just isn't a lot in there. Since they have no outside sources for reviews, other than the users, information is pretty sparse. I tried several searches around southern Arizona where I live and found nothing. Expanding my search to the Phoenix area didn't find any reviews either. For now, this app is best for large cities, until there are lots of users submitting reviews. The app is fine for locating restaurants nearby, but there are plenty of other apps that do the same thing. The advantages here are you are limited to 175 characters when you review, so comments are concise.

I did find helpful reviews in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. I like the idea of the app, it's just going to need more contributors. Fondu is free, and worth a look if you'd like a fresh take on finding good places to eat.

Gallery: Fondu

Fondu for iPhone a decent app to find places to eat in big cities originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Siri is very clever, and has had a significant impact on how iPhone users interact with the world of information. The problem is, Siri is iPhone 4S only, and even the new iPad has only voice dictation.

We've looked at Evi, which is a third-party solution, but it's had some reliability issues (so has Siri), and I think iOS users are looking for a bit more.

Well, I can suggest another solution called Voice Answer, which is in the app store as of today. It's not perfect, but it appears to give more thorough answers and more graphical answers to queries. The app is universal and sells for US$3.99.

It supports direct questions about hundreds of topics on history, the current weather, nutrition, physics, solving math problems, stock questions, etc. There is a 'chat box' function which allows you to engage in conversation, although that is a bit hit and miss.

The developers say they are finalizing an update that will include messaging and email, along with some unannounced features.

I find the answers generally more complete than Evi, and it seems to answer more questions directly than Siri can. Often, Siri throws you to the web, while Voice Answer gets you the information without that step. Like Siri and Evi, one of the biggest information providers is Wolfram Alpha.

Like all apps, it is not perfect. I asked where the nearest golf course is and the answer was "I don't know." Asking about directions to Phoenix got a "Your question is not clear to me."

The directions to Phoenix didn't work very well in Evi either. It told me to try Google route planner. Thanks. Siri handled that query just fine.

Still, Voice Answer works well on a lot of questions you want a quick answer to. I like the graphical displays, and I saw no issues with server side reliability. Of course that could change if Voice Answer gets more popular.

If you're without Siri I'd give this app a serious look. Even if you have Siri, which I do, I found the app useful, especially on my iPad, and it will likely get better. Since no iPad has Siri, iPad owners will want to check this app out too.

Some screen shots are in the gallery below.

Gallery: Voice Answer

Voice Answer is an interesting solution for those that don't have Siri originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since it's almost National Parks Week in the US(April 21-29), we're seeing some iOS apps offered for free that normally have a cost to them. I've already mentioned the Chimani series of National Parks guides, and now I want to call your attention to Fotopedia National Parks, a universal iOS app that contains almost 3000 superb images taken by renowned photographer Quang-Tuan Luong.

This app is not a detailed guide to the National Parks, but rather the equivalent of a coffee table book filled with dazzling photographs.

All 58 US parks are covered. The photographer spent 10 years collecting the photos, traveling more than 100,000 miles. The originals were shot with a large format camera, and the images support the retina display on the iPhone and the new iPad.

The app features slideshows, the ability to share the images or use them as wallpapers. You can also use a simple trip planner to highlight places you'd like to visit. You can view the locations the images were taken on a map, which features smart tags and some basic interactivity.

A couple of notes. First, using the app requires an Internet connection. The images aren't built into the app and need to be downloaded. I think that's a good thing, as I don't want my iPad filled with 3,000 images that sap storage for other things, but be advised the app won't do much without that connectivity. My other issue is with the design of the app. I used it quite awhile before I realized there were photos from all the National Parks. When you first come in, you only see three highlighted parks at the top of the screen. You need to click on the search icon to see what's available, and it's not very intuitive.

This app used to be US $0.99 and now it's going to be free indefinitely. Free is good, and I think the app is certainly worth a download. If you're like me you'll be inspired by the natural vistas and start planning that trip to take some photos of your own. By the way, during National Park Week admission to all 58 parks is free.

There are some screen shots in the gallery below.

Gallery: Fotopedia National Parks

Fotopedia offers National Parks iOS app for free originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Does Apple have some nifty 3D technology coming your way soon? Maybe. Apple has posted a job listing for an iOS Software engineer with 3D skills.

The person Apple is looking for is a "Computer Vision specialist to strengthen its multi-view stereo research group. As a member of this team you should have a genuine interest in technology and be a skilled developer with knowledge and experience in Computer Vision, Image Analysis and 3D geometry."

It's a bit hard to tell from the posting exactly what Apple intends to do with 3D technology. It could be an elaborate augmented reality app, something that uses the processing power of an iOS device, combined with the camera.

Other hints are that Apple is looking for someone with skills in multi-view stereo and 3D reconstruction, as well as mesh texturing techniques. Those skills don't sound like Apple is looking to play Avatar on your iOS screen. On the other hand, Apple has lots of skunk-works projects going on all the time, and this could turn out to be something really interesting, or something that winds up in a file cabinet never to see the light of day.

[via 9to5 Mac]

3D may not be a novelty forever originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've loved the Chimani National Park guides. They're chock full of worthwhile information and are well worth the US$4.99 to 9.99 they usually sell for.

Beginning April 17, the apps are free in celebration of National Park Week. This great deal will last through April 29.

"Last year we gave away over 100,000 apps during National Park Week. It was a huge success, and we're excited to do it again," said Chimani President Kerry Gallivan. "Our goal is to reach a million downloads this year and to encourage just as many people to visit their local national park."

Summer Travel Ahead? Chimani National Park guides are free for a limited time originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SoundBrush is a US $1.99 iPad app that lets you create original compositions by swiping your finger across the iPad screen. The description sounded a bit odd, but I had fun playing with SoundBrush and discovering what it could do.

You can have a total of 4 instrumental lines -- piano, strings, flute and synth, and it appears the app selects proper harmonies when you lay your tracks down. I was surprised how good my little compositions sounded, although I wasn't quite ready for a concert.

The app lets you hear the notes as you draw them, and you can super-impose a grid to show you the notes you are drawing. You can delete anything you have written with a double tap, so you can actually edit the music you create. The canvas scrolls, so you can have lengthy compositions. You can also control the playback speed, which also comes in handy when you are editing.

This might be a great way to get a young person involved in music, and the combination of the dynamic colors and music that flows from the drawings you make are bound to be a stimulus to any young mind. I'm no kid, and I really enjoyed experimenting. I would have loved to have the app creators include some sample compositions, because starting cold, you don't know what to expect. I also think having some percussion options would be nice. Using the app doesn't require any musical knowledge, but I expect the more you know, the better your compositions will be.

Soundbrush requires iOS 5 and an iPad, and it supports the retina display on the new iPad.

Gallery: SoundBrush

Daily iPad App: Soundbrush lets you create music with a brush originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Audacity, the venerable and much loved open source audio editor, has a 2.0 release out (as of March 13) in versions for OS X, Windows and GNU/Linux.

Here's a rundown of what has changed:

• Many effects are significantly improved, especially Equalization, Noise Removal and Normalize. Vocal Remover is now included, plus GVerb on Windows and Mac. VAMP analysis plug-ins are now supported.
• Improved label tracks with Sync-Lock Tracks feature in the Tracks Menu. Tracks and selections can be fully manipulated using the keyboard and there can be multiple clips per track. There are many more keyboard shortcuts.
• A new Device Toolbar to manage inputs and outputs, a Timer Record feature and a new Mixer Board view with per-track VU meters.
• Automatic Crash Recovery in the event of abnormal program termination.
• Fast "On-Demand" import of WAV/AIFF files if read directly from source. FLAC now fully supported. Added support for optional FFmpeg library for import/export of AC3/M4A/WMA and import of audio from video files.

Audacity is great for recording live audio, converting analog sources into digital recordings or CDs, and changing the speed or pitch of a recording. For many podcasters, Audacity is the go-to tool for recording and editing. You can edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.

Friday Favorite: Audacity 2.0 delivers free audio editing for Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you are using Office for Mac 2011 listen up, because Microsoft has an update for you, taking the suite of tools to version 14.2.

Microsoft says the update provides the "latest fixes to Office for Mac 2011. Additionally, this update contains stability and reliability improvements."

More specifically, the update improves connectivity for SkyDrive, provides upload functionality improvements for SharePoint, and has some language fixes in German and Italian. There are also fixes for Exchange, printing fixes for Word and Powerpoint gets full screen views.

The fixes require that you be running OS X 10.5.8 or later. Office should alert you to the update when you run any software that is part of the suite, if not there is a link on the Microsoft support page, as well as more details on what is fixed.

Microsoft Office for Mac Service Pack 2 now live originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Every so often we get a request to review some software that sounds intriguing and we try it and like it. This is not one of those times.

I've been playing with As Time Goes By, an app that has what is advertised as 'compatible with new iPad resolution'. The app has full screen time lapse loops of several cities like New York, London, Berlin, and one scenic spot, the Grand Canyon. The app also offers an optional display of local time and weather information.

Let's get down to it. While the time lapse movies are compatible with the new iPad retina display, that doesn't mean they are high resolution. In fact, I'd say they are not the full resolution of the iPad 2. Worse, the loops are too short. The Grand Canyon loop, for example, is about 7 seconds. That gets boring fast, and there is no way to slow the frame rate down. The local temperature displayed is in centigrade, which is fine for most of the world, but not so great for US residents who don't want to do the calculation. Local time for each location is displayed, but not the local time for your iPad, so you can't compare.

The app is only US $0.99, but I think it has too many missing features to be of much interest. Apps like Magic Window have far better resolution, better photography, more weather information and even Airplay support. The photography in Magic Window is first rate, while the As Time Goes By photography is pretty average.

I applaud ideas like those contained in this app, but they are half baked and not executed with thought about what users might want. I'd give this app a pass, unless the developers respond and make the app much, much better.

As Time Goes By is a 78 MB download and requires iOS 4.2 or later.

Gallery: As Time Goes By for iPad

As Time Goes By HD for iPad is half-baked originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There are dozens of weather apps for the iPhone, and most are variations on a theme. Not Rain Aware, an extremely interesting weather app that will tell you when it is going to rain, and when it is going to stop. It does it in very plain language, and as near as I can tell it does it pretty well.

The app figures out where you are, and after invoking some smart algorithms, it tells you about the weather not for your general area, but for where you are. It updates every minute, and also gives you a forecast for nearby points of interest, like airports, golf courses and sports stadiums.

This is a very different approach to weather, and a very personal one. I couldn't test the rain forecast as I am in the Arizona desert, but I looked at some other cities and even called a friend in Texas and asked him if it was raining at his location. It was, and I could clearly see that on the map, and told him when the rain would end. The app lists 1100 cities, and has a forecast, plus real-time radar so you can see what's coming, or going. The app will also give you information on sleet and snow.

My only negative is that the GUI is pretty ugly and cluttered. The developers are aware of this, and hopefully it will improve. The app sells for US $4.99, which is a bit higher than the run-of-the-mill weather app, but this app does a lot more, and behind it is a rather large server farm that spins up these custom forecasts.

I'm very impressed with the fresh thinking that went into Rain Aware, and if weather is really important to you, I suggest you take a look at the developer web site to learn about the science that is behind this app.

Gallery: Rain Aware app for iPhone

Daily iPhone app: Rain Aware originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I have been through sooooo many iPad cases and stands. Cases with keyboards, cases without, backpack cases, mini-briefcase models, you name it, I've tried it. Since I work at home, my needs aren't that complicated. I need something that serves as a stand, won't tip over, and allows me to adjust the angle of my iPad to taste.

The good folks at Padded Spaces sent me the Prop 'n Go Slim tablet stand and I'm hooked. I reviewed the original Prop 'n Go case almost a year ago, and found it nice to use, but way too thick. I then tried a slimmer case from Padded Spaces last year, and while very well constructed, I thought it was too thick as well. I did like the fact that it was narrower.

I think this new slim model hits the sweet spot. It's not a case, so I'll use something else for protecting the iPad when I travel. The Slim is US $35, has 14 adjustable angles, and works with iPads, the Kindle and I would think most Android tablets too. The dimensions work with the iPad in either landscape or portrait orientation. The base is flat, rather than wedge shaped, which is an improvement I suggested in my review last year. The Prop 'n Go works very well on a bed or soft couch. It comes in blue or black, and it is very solid, the iPad doesn't move even if I'm tapping and sliding across the screen with some force. The only negative is the iPad is not anchored to the tablet, so if you carry it around the house, you need to hold it upright. Although the surface is made from non-slip materials, you want to be careful the stand and your iPad aren't headed in different directions.

This latest Prop 'n Go is the perfect stand for me. It's very well made, won't tip over, and for my uses is nearly perfect. I'm told supplies are a bit constrained until next week, but I think this stand is worth the wait.

You can compare the original design to the slim in the gallery below.

Gallery: Prop 'n Go iPad stand

Prop 'n Go is my new favorite iPad stand originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's no shortage of photo editing apps for iOS, and I am constantly amazed at the quality and the creativity of the offerings. Process (US $2.99 universal app) has some unique features that can breathe some new life into your photos. The app features non-destructive editing, so you can apply multiple filters with one layer for each effect. It feels a bit like using Adobe Photoshop on my desktop Mac, but Process is much simpler to use. Photos are saved in full resolution, unlike the somewhat disappointing Adobe Photoshop Touch app for iOS. You can save your effects to use again, or share with others. If you use the app on both an iPhone and an iPad you can transfer the effects between devices via the cloud. The app supports the new Retina Display on the latest iPad.

Process is a pleasure to use. The app has many presets and they are quite good. At first glance, they are not as varied or extreme as some of the other filter apps out there, but frankly, that is what I like about them. There's nothing over the top, and your pictures stay naturalistic, which is my processing style. You can certainly push the effects quite a bit, but they never look like a bad LSD trip.

The app doesn't have some of the more popular effects, like tilt-shift, but again, that's not what this app is about. You can add layer after layer of effects, remove any of them to see how your processing is going, and try different combinations, all without destroying the original image. Help is built-in and is comprehensive.

If you want to do more dramatic filtering and processing, I still like Snapseed from NIK software, but I think Process is very well thought out, extremely flexible, and can improve your images without turning them into Andy Warhol type art. iPhoto is also an excellent choice for photo editing, but it has a higher learning curve.

You can check the gallery for some screenshots.

Gallery: Process photo editor for iOS

Process is a clever and able photo editing app for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple doesn't appear to be rushing to settle antitrust claims in the price-fixing investigation into ebooks.

The Wall Street Journal and others are reporting today that Apple and two other publishers are reluctant to settle, according to people knowledgeable about the investigation.

There are price-fixing probes active in both in the US and Europe. If a deal can't be reached, the matter will escalate into a full-blown lawsuit from government regulators.

The issue stems from allegations that Apple and 5 publishers decided together to fix the price of ebooks using the so-called 'agency pricing model', where publishers set a price and take a 30% cut. All the companies could receive massive fines if they are found guilty.

The pricing method came about as Apple and publishers tried to compete against Amazon, which was discounting books -- sometimes taking a loss -- to sell the Kindle.

Apple reportedly stays out of ebook settlement talks originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was probably inevitable. Sonos, maker of wireless, whole-house music systems, will halt production of the handheld Sonos Control after May 31.

The company has offered iPhone and iPad controller apps for years, which are free and offer a complete set of features. I doubt the company sold many hardware controllers at US$349 when you could buy an iPod touch for about half the price and accomplish the same thing.

When the Sonos system was first offered for sale 10 years ago, smartphones were new, and some kind of small controller was necessary. With the invention of the iPhone, and the later ability to have dedicated apps, it was natural for Sonos to offer full control that way. An iPad app followed, and the dedicated controllers have become more and more irrelevant.

It's a small chapter in the larger book of changes that smartphone apps have added to the way we entertain ourselves, communicate and control household items like cable boxes, DVRs, and even security and lighting systems.

Sonos drops dedicated controllers in favor of iOS and Android apps originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's a new feature on personalized news app Zite today. It's a new program for publishers to to add their content to the app in separate sections that can be ad supported. Partners for the launch include CNN (which owns Zite), The Daily Beast, Motley Fool, the Next Web, Fox Sports, The Huffington Poat and Venture Beat.

Each publisher can have its own section within the app, and articles that appear will still utilize the Zite recommendation algorithm.

The major benefit of this new feature is to publishers. With Zite as it is, there is no guarantee content would appear within Zite. There is also some benefit for Zite users, because they can be assured content from publications that interest them will appear. The new features should go live today. Users can opt out of any of these new sections, and Zite will work as it did before this update.

Zite is a free universal app for iOS devices. I'm quite addicted to Zite and use it multiple times per day. Try the news features and let us know what you think.

Zite adds Publisher Program to its iOS offerings originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

That's the word from comScore in a study that shows some interesting differences in Wi-Fi use depending on geography, platform and carrier.

A key finding is that iPhone owners tap into WiFi more than Android users. The study reveals that 71 percent of all unique iPhones used both mobile and Wi-Fi networks to connect to the Internet, while only 32 percent of unique Android mobile phones used both types of connections. A further analysis of this pattern of behavior in the U.K. shows consistent results, as 87 percent of unique iPhones used both mobile and Wi-Fi networks for web access compared to a lower 57 percent of Android phones.

There are some other interesting tidbits in the study. US AT&T users are far more likely than Verizon users to seek out Wi-Fi connectivity. 58% of AT&T users use mobile and Wi-Fi networks, while only 32% of Verizon customers use both. The study doesn't explain the numbers. It could be AT&T users wanting something better than what the AT&T network offers, or something else not so obvious.

You can read more about the study here. If you use a mixed serving of Wi-Fi and cellular networks, why so? And what's your take on why iPhone users use more Wi-Fi than Android owners?

iPhone, iPad owners use Wi-Fi more often than Android users originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Good news for owners of the latest iPad. An update to the Facebook app now provides iPad Retina Display support. The 4.1.1 update also includes some other fixes and features, such as the ability to go offline in chat, fixes to photo displays of friends, and some language additions for users outside the US.

The latest version of the app requires iOS 4.0 or greater, and it is universal so iPhone users will get an updated version as well.http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook/id284882215?mt=8

The Facebook app also allows you to see what friends are near you if your iPhone or iPad is it is equipped with GPS capability. The app is 10.5 MB and is free.

[Via MacStories]

Facebook for iOS gets Retina Display support originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With all the talk of battery life of iPhones and iPads it's easy to forget that your laptop battery needs some attention every so often.

My laptop battery is pretty old, and it doesn't last as long as it used to. No surprise there, but I'd like to easily quantify its condition. That's where a free app in the Mac app store comes in called Battery Health. This little utility will reveal your current charge level, the capacity of your battery (it loses capacity as it ages), the number of times it has been charged and more.

You can get some of this information from a System Report when you select About this Mac from under the Apple Menu, but I like this utility better. There are some other free utilities that get you the same information, and some paid ones, but Battery Health does the trick for me.

If you are wondering about the state of your battery, and you should, give Battery Health a try. Some posters note that the app appears to be derived from another free open source app, CoconutBattery, and they do have some similar features. Download them both and put each to your personal tests.

If you check the gallery you can see the info the app gives you.

Gallery: Battery Health

Daily Mac app: Battery Health monitors your Mac's battery originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ListBook is yet another to-do app with an engaging interface that is easy to use. Of course it exists in a sea of GTD (Getting Things Done) apps, but I think it is staying above water. The app is US $1.99.

ListBook is universal, supports notifications, and allows you to send your lists via email, but the list is not converted to text. The receiver must have ListBook too. That's a bit nasty.

Items can be tagged with colors, names, or descriptive icons. There is no limit to the number of lists, and you can easily swipe left and right to change lists, or even delete items. It's all very intuitive. Any items that aren't completed show up as a badge on the icon, alerting you that you have items yet to do.

The latest version claims the iPad and iPhone version can sync, but for the life of me I can't figure out a way to do that and nothing on the developer website that I can find explains it. I've contacted the developers, but no answers yet. (Update- the developers have now added a page to describe how you can set up the sync function.)

I started using the app right away, so it really doesn't require instructions. I like the app enough to use it for my various listing tasks, something I haven't used an app for in the past. I fault it for the confusion about syncing and inability to mail your list to anyone but another ListBook user.

You can see some screen shots below.

Gallery: ListBook GTD app for iOS

Daily iPhone app: ListBook originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mashable notes this morning that the iPhone is no longer the most popular camera used by Flickr users. That honor now goes to the Canon 5D Mark II. Canon's numbers have been rising for months, and pics from that Canon model totaled 4,643 yesterday. The iPhone 4 users posted 4,460. The iPhone 4 was the number one image contributor when rankings were released last June.

There's one thing to take into consideration. The iPhone numbers only reflect the use of the Apple provided camera app. If you're using Instagram or Hipstamatic or any of the 3rd party HDR apps your photos won't be tagged as iPhone images.

Canon recently lowered the price of the 5D Mark II because its been replaced by the Mark III, so some of the boost comes from that. Also, numbers for the iPhone 4 are dropping as the iPhone 4S grows in popularity.

Looking at the trends the 4S may be on top soon, and as it is now, the iPhone holds the top 4 spots for camera phones on the Flickr tally. So there's that.

Canon 5D Mark II surpasses iPhone 4 as Flickr's most popular camera originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.