Alex Knight on Apples New Podcasts App

post from Daring Fireball on 27 June 2012 01:03:23 PM. © Daring Fireball

Alex Knight does not like it:

The navigation experience for discovering podcasts is clunky.Instead of a simple grid or list layout for shows based oncategory, you have to switch views to access the iTunes store —which surprisingly caused the app to crash the first time I usedit. I can let that slide, as that?s standard experience in otherapps like iBooks where you need to tap to switch between thelibrary and store. Where things get really wonky is in theskeuomorphic design of the audio player itself. Whilst playing anepisode, you get a custom playback controller, so no standard iOSwidgets there (that?s been an increasingly worrying trend), aswell as an old reel-to-reel tape deck that displays in thebackground. The effect of the tape deck is subtle, and admittedlyvery well designed, but it seems a bit off putting to me.

Maybe I’m getting loopy as I get older, but I like the tape deck animation. If you don’t like it, swipe down and you get album art for the currently-playing show.

Where I think Podcasts falls short (and Knight touches on this as well) is in providing for a single iCloud-backed set of podcast subscriptions. If I subscribe to a podcast in iTunes on my Mac, it should show up as a subscription on Podcasts on my iPhone. And, yes, there should be per-device subscription options — I might want to keep an archive of old shows on my Mac with its big-ass hard disk, but only the most recent new episode on my iPhone and iPad. But I shouldn’t have to sync my devices with iTunes on my Mac just to sync podcast subscriptions. Podcasts seems like a perfect example of something where iCloud should be my digital hub — just like how iTunes Match works for music.

?

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http://zerodistraction.com/thoughts-on-apples-podcast-app

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iBank for iPad on the App Store: All Your
Finances, at Your Fingertips

post from prMac on 27 June 2012 01:00:00 PM. © prMac

IGG Software today announces the release of a full iPad version of iBank, the developer's market-leading personal finance application. iBank for iPad 1.0 takes complete advantage of the iPad's capabilities, including wireless updating, Multi-Touch navigation and the power of iOS 5. Featuring a subscription service, financial summaries, investment management, and more, the app is available now on the App Store.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-44781.htm

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Manage Blood Pressure Information Today with
Smart Blood Pressure 1.0

post from prMac on 27 June 2012 11:33:00 AM. © prMac

Smart Blood Pressure 1.0 for iOS is an intuitive blood pressure management tool that allows hypertensive and prehypertensive patients to record, track, analyze and share their Blood Pressure information using their mobile device. In addition, Smart Blood Pressure connects with Microsoft HealthVault. With this information at their fingertips, patients can now take a more active role in their own health and achieve the ultimate goal of reducing blood pressure.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-44777.htm

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Reading is as Fun as Playtime with The Lion and
the Mouse for iPad

post from prMac on 27 June 2012 11:18:00 AM. © prMac

Beijing based Kid-Mind Studios today announces the release of the full version of The Lion and the Mouse for the iPad. A beautifully animated new eBook experience designed specifically for children, this application effectively helps young kids improve their reading skills all while entertaining themselves. Based on the eponymous fairytale classic, The Lion and the Mouse by Kid-mind Studios is a fully illustrated interactive reading adventure created by professional artists.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-44776.htm

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Contact Touch for iOS Released - An Intuitive
Gesture Based Contact App

post from prMac on 27 June 2012 11:10:00 AM. © prMac

vThinking Studio, a studio specialized in iOS app development, today introduces Contact Touch 1.0 for iPhone, their action-rich contacts application. Contact Touch redefines the way users access contact information. Using gestures to create a new contact, dial, message and mail is fast, intuitive and fun. Users may access contact information through gestures, easily link to contact Twitter, IM, blog, social networking accounts and more.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-44775.htm

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Hop into the Best Kid Friendly Arcade Thrill Ride
on iOS with Bunny Run

post from prMac on 27 June 2012 10:54:00 AM. © prMac

German based JRsoftworX today announces the release of Bunny Run - Cross the street avoiding cars & tracks! 1.0 for iOS. The newest family friendly arcade adventure, Bunny Run puts players behind the controls of the game's fluffy title hero and challenges them to dodge and weave past as many cars, trains, and boats as they can. The further players go the higher their scores climb. Bunny Run is an eloquently straightforward arcade survival romp with action that's as vibrant as it is addicting.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-44774.htm

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17K Set of Jewellery Awaits in Forever
Entertainment's In-Game Contest

post from prMac on 27 June 2012 10:30:00 AM. © prMac

Forever Entertainment S.A. announces its anticipated competition with a set of diamond jewelry as the main prize. Frederic - Resurrection of Music is a critically acclaimed rhythm game for iPads, iPhones and Macs. The player "fights" musical duels by playing remixes of Chopin's greatest classics. The competition is open to anyone who owns a copy of "Frederic - Resurrection of Music" for iOS and the participation requires no effort as the score is automatically uploaded to Apple Game Center.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-44751.htm

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Wanna get paid $5 for iPhone photos Foap makes it
easy

post from Apple on 27 June 2012 10:02:46 AM. © Apple

A photo I submitted for sale.

I have 2,514 photos sitting on my iPhone. So when I heard there was a company that will help me license those images and get paid for them via my phone, I was instantly intrigued. Foap is a Swedish company started by travel industry veterans who were always disappointed in the availability of stock photo art. The iOS app they built together is simple and elegant and is part iStockphoto, part TaskRabbit.

Here’s how it works: Download Foap, which is available starting Wednesday in the App Store (Android coming later) for free. After the quick and easy signup you start uploading photos from your phone you would like to sell, tagging them excessively (this helps to surface them for those looking to buy). Foap will first have to approve your photos. Those that make it through are put on the market, which is viewable through your own Foap profile page on the Web or via the app. All photos are priced at $10; Foap takes half, you get the other half.

Foap sells the photos via packages or individually. Within the app there’s a system that lets anyone purchase credits in advance, which can be traded for photos. The number of credits purchased will sometimes come with discounts.

So, who’s buying these photos? Any company looking for stock photo art, say co-founders Alexandra Bylund and David Los. Bylund worked for a travel agency that was constantly running up against a variety of problems finding interesting, usable photos. ”It was kind of boring to see the same faces all thetime in the big stock image sites,” Bylund said in a phone call Tuesday. “And one problem was that if we found a good photo, a nice, face, the other travel agencies found the same one.”

The photos often didn’t strike the right tone — not localized enough for style or place — and she also found them boring: “It?s almost like they?re the same very well-styled photos, without a spontaneous feeling, without the natural look.”

That pushed the pair to start Foap. They have $250,000 in funding from angel investors and a grant from the Swedish government. Their most prominent investor is Roland Zeller, founder of Switzerland’s biggest travel site, Travel.ch.

Foap went into open beta last month. There are 12,000 unique users submitting photos so far. Twenty thousand photos have been accepted and rated 200,000 times, according to the company.

Two examples of “missions” requested by potential buyers.

On a mission

The interesting twist is that Foap is not just a market for stock photos — Foap also takes requests. Or, in the app’s parlance, it takes “missions.” If a business wants a very specific photo — say, a girl standing on a sidewalk in New York City wearing yellow polka dots — they can send out a mission with a description and deadline. This shows up in a tab at the bottom right of the app. Anyone can go out and attempt to shoot the photo the company is looking for and submit it for review. The company chooses the one they like best, and Foap will get its $5, as will the photographer.

The licensing system is basic: the photographer owns the photos, the person who buys it for $10 is licensing it. But the photo can be relicensed/sold as many times as possible — so if your photo is good, you can make way more than $5 on one.

Some pointers if you want to try this out:

Getting your photo approved isn’t automatic. Of the 50,000 images uploaded to the service so far, 20,000 have been approved, said Bylund.
Tag your images. That will help shoppers find them.
Don’t rely on Instagram. Customers are not looking for photos with faux-vintage filters and frames; they need to be “as raw as possible” so the buyer can touch them up. But they do want photos taken with a mobile device — the point is to provide “natural-feeling” images, Bylund said.
Get permission from your subject before trying to sell an image showing the person’s face. This is both polite and will save you legal hassle later.
Get a PayPal account. It’s how you’ll get paid.

Foap is an example of an app that almost wouldn’t have been possible two years ago: not until the cameras on the iPhone and a variety of Android phones were equal to basic point-and-shoot cameras. And since the arrival of 5- and 8-megapixel smartphone cameras, people are starting to rely heavily on mobile phones for photos.

As a result, amateur photographers’ abilities have increased dramatically since then, says Los. “You don?t need to be a professional photographer to snap great photos nowadays,” he said Tuesday. “People are getting better and better.” So, too, are their opportunities for sharing and monetizing those photos.

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http://gigaom.com/apple/wanna-get-paid-5-for-iphone-photos-foap-makes-it-easy/

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En Route! Makes Sharing Real-Time Location with
Facebook Friends Easier

En Route!, a real-time location sharing app for iPhone, today announced integration with Facebook's OpenGraph, an innovative update that allows users to post their destinations, real-time location and ETA directly to their Facebook Timeline, Feed and Tickers. En Route! automatically informs other users when someone is departing, a few mintues away and arriving at their destination. Friends can easily follow their travel in real-time on the Web or mobile device.

Read The Full Article:
http://prmac.com/release-id-44750.htm

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Zevrix Releases BatchOutput PDF: Automates
Printing of PDF Files

Zevrix Solutions today introduces BatchOutput PDF 1.0 for Mac OS X, a simple, powerful solution to printing multiple PDF documents. The app is another addition to the company's suite of OS X automation software for graphics, print and file delivery. Designed as an affordable solution for printers, publishers, ad agencies, and offices, BatchOutput PDF allows users to print unlimited PDF files in a queue, saving the time and effort of opening and printing each document manually.

Read The Full Article:
http://prmac.com/release-id-44769.htm

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