Apps

Panorama photograph taken with an iPhone running iOS 5

We previously reported that Apple was working on bringing a panorama camera mode to the iPhone, and now some jailbreakers have figured out how to enable it. The interface for the feature is not too fancy, but is certainly usable. The user simply turns on panorama mode by clicking the panorama button on the camera options popover, then moves their phone in their air as shown in the on-screen diagram. The final product will be what you see above, a sample taken with the iOS 5 panorama feature. Screenshots of the panorama interface are after the break! (Thanks Conrad, Chpwn)

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Two short months after Adobe released Photoshop Elements 10 and Premiere Elements 10 in boxed form for $99/each or $149 combo, the apps have now arrived in the Mac App Store, priced at $79.99/each.

Photoshop Elements 10 (App store) and Premiere Elements 10(App Store) became available overnight with the same functionality improvements that the box versions produced, including:

New Facebook features allow you to auto analyze your images to identify people and tag them based on your Facebook friends. Those tags are then carried over to Facebook when uploading from Elements. A new object-based search is one of the most impressive enhancements, allowing you to find images containing a particular object such as a house or vehicle.

Other features include auto enhance and color correct for video footage, allowing you to “Automatically boost tone and vibrance without affecting skin tones, or use sliders to adjust color with complete control”. You can now also paint 1 of 100 new paint effects onto specific photo areas, add new text effects, and immediately upload video clips to Facebook and Youtube. Learn more about all the new features in these latest releases here.

Screenshots follow..

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From the Toys Section:

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Amazon offers Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 for Windows and Mac, model no. 65064073, for $149.99. With free shipping, that’s tied with our October mention of a downloaded version and the lowest total price we could find by $130. This photo editing software is designed for use with RAW files.

Adobe charges $89 to download Lightroom 3 if you are a student or teacher. More Adobe deals here including up to 80% off for Academics.
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In 2007, Loren Brichter built Tweetie, a lovely (and award-winning) Twitter client for both the Mac and iOS.  So lovely in fact that in April of last year, Twitter bought his company, Atebits and turned Tweetie into the official native Twitter clients for Mac and iOS.

Today via, yes…wait for it…Twitter, Brichter announced he was leaving the company to discover the next big thing.

Want to build an iOS app like Tweetie and sell your company to Twitter?  Check Brichter’s half hour Stanford developing iOS apps lesson, below…
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In a move that might drive more e-book-only tablet users to Amazon (opposed to iBooks or elsewhere), Amazon has announced a new book borrowing service called “Kindle Lending Library”.  The move is said to encourage Prime subscriptions, which are required for the service, but could be part of Amazon’s larger strategy as the $199 Kindle Fire prepares to enter the tablet market. Either way, Apple doesn’t seem to be too worried…

The service will allow users to borrow from a selection of approximately 5,000 books (up to one a month) that have been enabled for lending by the publisher. You’ll be able to return the book at any time without due dates, and bookmarks and highlights will be saved in the event you borrow or purchase the book in the future. Included in the available content will be 100 current and previous New York Times bestsellers.

Not so fast if you’re hoping to borrow books on your iPad or Mac, however. The service will only be made available to owners of an eligible Kindle device that are also Amazon Prime subscribers. A Prime membership is currently going for $79 per year, a pricey ask for just the book borrowing service if you’re not planning on taking advantage of the 10,000 movies and tv shows, and free two-day shipping available to Prime users. The good news is the $199 Kindle Fire will come bundled with one free month of Prime.

It appears Amazon hasn’t entirely convinced publishers of the long-term benefits of the service, as they note in the press release they are actually ” purchasing a title each time it is borrowed by a reader” to provide a “no-risk trial” for publishers:

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Update: Google has now pulled the app from the App Store following a notifications bug many users have reported experiencing. Apps guy at Google David Giouard sent out the following tweet: “Googla culpa! Sorry but we pushed a bad version of our iOS app for Gmail. More info shortly – we’re working on it.” Google issued the following apology via their Twitter account:

Following reports that Google was about to launch a native iOS Gmail app, they just announced an official app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. More sceenshots below.

We’ve created a new Gmail app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. We’ve combined your favorite features from the Gmail mobile web app and iOS into one app so you can be more productive on the go. It’s designed to be fast, efficient and take full advantage of the touchscreen and notification capabilities of your device. And it’s one more reason to switch to Gmail.

Features listed on the iTunes page include notifications for new messages, threaded conversation views, the much-needed priority inbox feature, the ability to send and open attachments, and of course, search capabilities. You will also have access to archiving, labeling, starring, deleting, and reporting spam. It looks like we are finally getting the full-fledged, feature-rich native Gmail experience on iOS we’ve been missing. We’ll have to take some time to really dig into the app and see how it stacks up. More screenshots after the break.

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Square just pushed out quite an interesting update to their Square Card Case that we told you about back in August when it was first released. Taking full advantage of iOS 5’s geofencing capabilities, the updated app can now establish a tab at your favorite retailers when within a virtual boundary of 100 meters, essentially allowing for a frictionless, hands-free payment experience.

Imagine walking by your favorite retail shop and a tab with your name is automatically opened on the merchant’s Square app for iPad, just in case you happen to stop in and make a purchase. If you do stop in to make a purchase, the merchant can authorize the payment using a credit card or debit card already linked to the Card Case app on your iPhone. If you don’t stop at the shop, the tab will automatically be closed once outside of the 100 meter range.

This obviously allows you to bypass the need of removing your phone from your pocket and interacting with the Square card case app to establish a connection with a merchant. You’ll only have to confirm your name, while merchants will use the same authorization methods as before, confirming the user with an image of their face within the Square iPad app. You’ll of course have to authorize which retailers you wants tabs to automatically be opened for first.

Square director of product Megan Quinn had this to say about the new update in an interview (via Wired):

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Apple released a new universal GarageBand iOS app ($4.99) today that brings iPhone and iPod touch support to the previously iPad only, scaled-down DAW. New in Version 1.1 is the ability to create custom chords for Smart instruments, and support for 6/8 and 3/4 time signatures.

If you’re unfamiliar with the iOS app, which is a mobile version of the GarageBand app that ships with Mac OS X, here’s the description from the press release:

“GarageBand features a collection of fun Touch Instruments that sound great and make it easy for beginners or experienced musicians to play and record keyboards, guitars, drums and basses in a wide variety of styles. Smart Instruments now allow you to choose from an extensive new library of custom chords so you can play and strum along with your favorite songs.”

Full press release after the break, if you’re interested.

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MG Siegler reports that Google is “on the verge” of releasing a native Gmail client for the iPhone through the App Store. Gmail users have long complained over the lack of push Gmail for the iPhone, which this native application is said to bring. Siegler says the application will likely also bring Priority Inbox and one click starring. Of course, nobody says that this application has been approved or will be approved by Apple, so until then, don’t get too excited.

We’ve gotten word that inside Apple there are Apple TVs running the Hulu Plus app natively. The app is feature complete and ready to roll out to Apple TV users on current builds. In fact, it has been ready for at least a month and development is now on hold.

While there are no technical issues standing in the way of the Hulu Plus release on Apple TV, there appear to be some political ones. At some level at Apple, there appears to be some consideration that the Hulu Plus app could eat into iTunes TV sales on the Apple TV. Where Netflix tends to run older programming, iTunes is the Apple TV’s only outlet for current TV programming.

Hulu Plus is available on the iPad and other iOS devices but unlike many other content apps, you can’t AirPlay them to an Apple TV like Apple’s own iTunes videos. Additionally, you can use an HDMI cable to watch the iOS Hulu Plus through an iPad on your HDTV, but mysteriously only in Standard definition, not the native HD Hulu or iTunes quality. Plus, who needs an HDMI-tethered solution?

Adding to the political troubles, Hulu was recently trying to sell itself to players including Apple competitor Google (and Apple itself) but no bidders were willing to bid high enough. Perhaps Apple wanted to make sure that Hulu Plus didn’t turn into a Trojan Horse for one of its competitors?

Hulu Plus was originally barred from all TV platforms, but giving hope to Apple TV users, it recently appeared in HD on the $59 Roku (above) and even a few smaller platforms like the very capable Western Digital’s TV Live (pictured below).

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AirPlay Mirroring shown with an iPad 2 and an Apple TV

Sources familiar with the future of Mac OS X say that AirPlay Mirroring and an iMessage application are currently in development. Although neither project may see the light of day, they are definitely on the table for release in future versions of OS X Lion. AirPlay Mirroring for the Mac will allow a user to wirelessly mirror exactly what is shown on their Mac’s display to an Apple TV connected to a projector, television, or external monitor. AirPlay video streaming is also being integrated into QuickTime X.

This would be a fantastic addition to the conference room for corporate presentations and would sell a few more Apple TVs we would imagine.

iMessage for Mac info after the break:

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86LxStLXrf4]

iPhone 4S iCloud TV advertisment

Following up on the first iPhone 4S Siri TV advertisement from last week, Apple has just released three new advertisements surrounding the iPhone 4S. The iCloud iPhone 4S advertisement shown above shows the out of the box iCloud integration for the iPhone 4S. Examples include downloading a song on the iPhone 4S and having it instantly appear on the user’s Mac, bookmark syncing between an iPhone 4S and an iPad 2, iWork document syncing, and Photo Stream.

New Siri and Camera ads are after the break:

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A 3D model of Las Vegas Strip created by Apple purchased C3

Since the original iPhone’s debut in 2007, Apple’s iOS devices have made use of an Apple-built Google Maps application to provide users with a quick glance at driving directions, traffic, route guidance, current location information, and details about destinations. Like with most sections of Apple’s business, the company is continually innovating, looking to take products to the next level.

A few years ago, Apple set out to seemingly reinvent this iOS mapping experience. As 9to5Mac reported in 2009, Apple scooped up their own mapping software development company called Placebase. In the summer of last year, Apple went one step further in their obvious pursuit of a completely in-house mapping solution and acquired a 3D mapping firm called Poly9.

A third mapping company for Apple…

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In a move differing from many of their competitors, Bloomberg TV has decided to provide their 24-hour live broadcast in a new Bloomberg TV+ app. The company, which is supported by the world’s largest international news bureau network with 146 bureaus in 72 countries, announced Thursday that the live stream would be made available subscription-free to all iPad owners. This varies from other content providers on the iPad such as CNN who reserve their live stream for specific subscription holders. The app will support streaming in both landscape and portrait view and also include featured videos for the day’s biggest stories, exclusive interviews, and a selection of Bloomberg programming on demand. You will also have access to all content from the last 24 hours and content produced specifically for mobile.

This will definitely be a welcome addition to Bloomberg TV content on the iPad, as up until now pulling up flash-based video content on the Bloomberg site obviously provides you with the typical “This video is not encoded to playback on this device.” as seen in the image below.

Other added features include the ability to download videos for offline viewing, search the content library, schedule reminders for upcoming shows, and share via the usual social networks. You can even customize Bloomberg’s familiar scrolling ticker. Grab the free Bloomberg TV+ app from the App Store now, full release notes from iTunes below.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jaIhEXZ7WW4]

Another nail in the PC coffin? So this year Adobe CS apps are starting to make their way to the iPad, Office docs are headed toward the Cloud and now Visual Programming tools are becoming a real possibility with the release today of ‘Codify’:

Codify for iPad lets you create games and simulations — or just about any visual idea you have. Turn your thoughts into interactive creations that make use of iPad features like Multi-Touch and the accelerometer.

We think Codify is the most beautiful code editor you’ll use, and it’s easy. Codify is designed to let you touch your code. Want to change a number? Just tap and drag it. How about a color, or an image? Tapping will bring up visual editors that let you choose exactly what you want.

Codify is built on the Lua programming language. A simple, elegant language that doesn’t rely too much on symbols — a perfect match for iPad.

You can’t export your creations to the App Store or even share them as executables yet (though they are making attempts to enable sharing if Apple lets them). But it looks like a lot of fun for now and maybe it nudges Apple to build a touch version of XCode down the road. 8 Bucks.

Two Lives Left via Daring Fireball.

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DirectTV users can now do what Comcast, Time Warner and Optimum users can do – stream video in their homes to their iPads. The new 1.3.1 app (Free, iTunes) allows users to stream 40 channels of content…

Turn your iPad into a portable TV and watch your favorite shows in any room of your home.
– Quickly scroll through a list of channels available to watch on your iPad with a dedicated “Live TV Streaming” Module.
– Get tips in the help section to guide you through features in the app.
– Set parental controls to block live TV channels viewed on the iPad.
– Change start and end times to add padding to a program when setting a recording.

There is one caveat however. The new DirectTV doesn’t appreciate Jailbreakers and shuts down if it detects that it is being used on a Jailbroken device (below). Fix is here.

Thanks reader Ladis

Channels that work with iPad below:

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Apple accessory maker Twelve South has just launched their new BassJump 2 USB subwoofer for Apple’s MacBook lineup. If you’re not familiar, same as the original BassJump, the new model aims to blend the sound output between the subwoofer and your MacBook’s built-in speakers using Twelve South’s proprietary software. In other words, the BassJump 2 sub adds the mid- and low-frequencies, your MacBook speakers act as stereo tweeters, and the software attempts to create an ideal mix between the two.

According to the company’s press release, the proprietary software used in the new model includes rewritten code that provides “greater compatibility and eight more decibels” for “dramatically enhanced sound”. The software’s UI (below), which includes a retro VU meter and other basic preset controls, has been redesigned and now allows you to save your customized settings.

When it comes to the greater compatibility, the BassJump 2 includes support for iMac and Apple Thunderbolt display speakers, as well as other non-Apple headphone-connected and USB-powered speakers.

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In anticipation of Citrix Synergy 2011 in Barcelona, VMware has just pushed out a huge update to all of their mobile View clients, which are used to access a Windows virtual machine from your iPad and other mobile devices.

Other than a refined and slightly resdesinged UI, the name of the game for the iPad client update (version 1.2) is definitely iOS 5 support. That means you will now be able to use multitasking without losing your current session. Before today’s update, lack of the feature really took away from the experience of being able to use native iPad features/apps and your virtual machine’s apps simultaneously. Parallels ($79) has had much of this functionality for awhile now.

Also included as part of the iOS 5 support is AirPlay. While the previous client allowed you to hook up to a larger display via HDMI or VGA adapter, the updated View client has full AirPlay support allowing you to use the $99 Apple TV as a wireless go between. Another really nice addition that goes great with AirPlay support is a new full-screen keyboard and trackpad combo (image above). This will of course only be enabled when using an external display.

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When iOS 5 came out, Google got caught with its pants down because for most users Google Voice wouldn’t even start up without crashing.  We’re not certain what the Voice team was doing during that beta testing window (maybe the last minute Siri inclusion threw things off?)

All of that is water under the bridge right now because Google Voice is back in the App Store and works great on iOS 5.

What’s New in Version 1.3.1.1891

Fix for sign in crash introduced in v1.3.0.1771.

Next step iPad version?
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If you are the type that likes a 10″ display for driving navigation, TomTom just updated its $59.99 iOS turn-by-turn navigation app to be universal and optimized for the iPad. You’ll of course want to have a 3G version of the iPad/iPad 2 or be tethered through an iPhone that can share GPS.

TomTom also hints that a new version with some interesting features is on the way:

iPHONE 3G USERS: THIS IS THE LAST VERSION OF THE TOMTOM APP FOR iPHONE THAT WILL FULLY SUPPORT YOUR DEVICE. You will be able to download and use the next version of the TomTom App but new features will not be available to you.

More screenshots and full description below (thanks Caleb!):

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ionF6Z_QihY]

We mentioned the iHelicopter back in August and it looked like one of the better iOS controlled flying devices out there.  Today, it got a significant update.

The $69.99 Cobra iHelicopters now get to go on the offensive.  The Cobra is armed with two missiles that can take out targets over 6 feet away.

The older version (without missiles)  can be found as low as $50

Press release and more info follows…

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