Apple iPhone Apps

Gear Chat: What Do You Want in iOS 6.0?

Last week I asked a simple question to our team. The question- iOS Users- What features would you like to see in iOS 6.0? (Android users- This is a serious question so please spare me the “Android does that blah blah blah…”) My list- I want a simple way to access key settings like Bluetooth without having to dig down into menus. I want sound/notification profiles that are time or geography-dependant. i.e., I get to work and the device goes to silent I want an automatic folder or two that grabs “frequently launched apps” and makes them accessible. Chris:…

Reviews

Stem Innovation iZON Remote Room Monitor Review

Two years ago we installed a wireless security system in our home as part of a review. (Read it here.) One element of the system is a remote camera that lets you keep an eye on one part of your home when you are away. But what if you want to have a remote camera but don’t want to install an entire system? And what if you don’t want to pay a monthly fee? That’s where Stem Innovation’s iZON Remote Room Monitor comes in. It is small, relatively inexpensive and there is no monthly fee! The company describes it this…

Editorials

Me on a Windows Phone? The “Hot” Place Must Have Frozen Over (sort of)!

I’ve been considering something for a while now. Something that, for me, was almost unthinkable even a short time ago. But now I want to mix things up a bit and try something new. So after some internal debate, I’ve decided to try a new smartphone platform. Although the Android platform never offered anything that I found to be compelling in terms of end-user experience, Windows Phone has intrigued me since it’s debut with its completely different user interface paradigm. So I decided that I would follow Judie and Dan’s positive forays into the Windows Phone world, and I’d…

Game Diary, Reviews

Flick Home Run! for iPhone and Touch

Now that baseball season is upon us in full swing and summer is approaching, I found it proper to feature a baseball app in this week’s Blue Plate Special. My kids have been playing tee ball and coach pitch and making dad proud; we have already made it to a minor league game in San Antonio. Baseball is in our blood and a beloved summer activity. I actually learned about Flick Home Run from one of my students that thought I might enjoy it. Boy were they correct! Now I am able to take a little batting practice anytime I…

Reviews, Travel

Babbel and LiveMocha, the Next Generation of Online Language Learning

Long time readers of this site may remember that in the past, I have reviewed many different sites, apps and solutions to assist with learning a foreign language. Now I’m looking at some newer language learning sites, namely Babbel and LiveMocha, that offer some interesting and unique things. In addition to the sites, Babbel offers companion apps for both iOS devices and Android devices. LiveMocha offers over-the-counter learning kits that you can purchase at brick and mortar stores like Barnes and Noble. Babbel takes a slick and professional look, feel, and approach, but only offers a few languages. LiveMocha takes a…

Reviews

SportsYapper for iPhone Review

Through many events in our lives, we follow a feed. Twitter, Facebook, Google+. Whatever your flavor is, there is a way to share experiences and let people know what is going on. It is often fun to follow Tweets or friends’ status updates during your favorite game, especially during the playoffs. What if there was a service that allowed fans to comment on certain games or follow all current games being played? SportsYapper promises to do just that. The app for talking sports! SportsYapper is the place to chat with friends and fans while you’re watching the game, and discuss…

Reviews, Travel

With SayHi for iOS You Get Accurate Translations on the Fly

Esta es una aplicación sorprendente para cualquiera que quiera comunicarse en un idioma diferente, pero no tiene el tiempo para aprender. Sorprendentemente sólo $ 0,99. Se le permitirá hablar en cualquier número de idiomas iniciales y luego se traducirá automáticamente el idioma por primera vez en la segunda. Y para muchos de los idiomas que no sólo va a dar a un texto, sino que también hablará el texto por usted para que usted sepa lo que suena. Por supuesto, la aplicación funciona con las tecnologías de Nuance y su voz a los servicios de transcripción de texto. El aspecto…

Reviews

Logos Quiz Game for iPhone/Touch

The gaming experience on iOS devices can be much different from the old console days. Most of the games I get hooked on are simple and can be played in small spurts during random times of the day. Many of these games become wildly addicting, even if for a limited amount of time. Last week, a student came to me and showed me a picture of the Atari logo and asked if I knew what that was. While I was blown away that he did not know this logo that brought me so much joy as a child, I also…

Gear Bits

They May Be Slackers, but They Sure Are a Class Act

Online services go down. That’s a fact of life. Heck, even we have had our share of downtime but thankfully, as of last night, much of it is a thing of the past. Well it turns out that Slacker Radio ran into a bump in the road last month. From Friday, April 13 until Saturday, April 14 some customers encountered a service disruption. Some! Not all or even most customers had an issue, and it only lasted for a day; it happens. I didn’t even notice the issue, so it wasn’t even an issue for me, but clearly it was an…

News & Features

Geode on Your iPhone Could Equal the End of Wallets As We Know Them

We’ve all heard of (and many of us use) eWallet software and alternative methods to pay electronically; these apps and methods have been around for years. In our move towards convergence and the ultimate goal of lifestyle simplification, it seems that in the last few years there has been a push to eliminate our wallets and get all of our financial tools onto our cellphones. As Travis has pointed out several times, people are more likely to forget their wallet than they are their phone, so perhaps there is something to that. But understandably, security concerns are what keeps many from…

News & Features

Line2 for iOS Gets Updated with MMS and Location Sharing

I’m a big fan of the Voice Over iP service Line2. The company’s iOS app is clean, fast and lets you make clear calls, especially when you are in a high-speed WiFi network. (They also offer an Android app and I’m hoping to see a version for Windows Phone soon but I have not heard anything about that… Yet.) I use the app all the time and, now that Elana has gone all Apple I’m encouraging her to do the same. Why? Simple! If we use Line2 enough we will be able to drop down to a lower bucket…

Reviews

Pic Stitch For iPhone

Despite owning a digital SLR, my iPhone is always one of my favorite photography tools. Many believe that the best camera to use is always the one with you. While this is certainly true and makes an easy case for iPhone photography, the phone itself is actually a good camera. Simply taking photos is usually not enough for me, I love to edit and change them using applications on my phone. It really is pretty amazing that I can take some photos, edit them and share them from virtually anywhere without a computer. Pic Stitch allows users to combine multiple…

Reviews

GoPano Micro Review

Everyone knows the iPhone has an amazing camera. You can take some amazing videos right out of the box with it. But one of the great things about the combination of a solid camera and a popular phone is that aftermarket case and accessory makers create ways to make the camera features even better. That’s the goal of the GoPano Micro, a case and lens combination that lets you take 360-degree panoramic video. Does it succeed? Read on to find out! The GoPano system has two parts, a case and a snap on lens. The case is a simple slider…

Gear Bits

Hell Has Frozen Over; Elana Is Getting an iPhone

Hell has frozen over and here’s a little video to go along with it. 🙂 This video has a great deal of meaning today because, in the last 72 hours, my wife Elana went from having neither an iPad nor an iPhone to having both. Yes, “another one bites the dust” as Elana is pulled further into Apple’s reality distortion field of awesomeness. To be fair, this didn’t come out of nowhere, and a bit of history is important. When I first met Elana she was a student at the School of Visual Arts. It will come as no surprise…

Reviews

Akinator the Genie, It’s Not Magic but It Sure Feels Like It, Review

When ever I see my friend Meni I always come away with one or two new app recommendations. This time it out it’s the application Akinator and it is really quite amusing. The application looks and acts like a mind reading app and the accuracy is amazing. Of course there is no such thing as mind reading and that’s not what is really going on here. No, the application uses the power of technology to ask a series of quests that, in amazingly short order, narrow down the possibilities. The result is a series of initial questions that are rather…

Reviews

Motivational Poster for iPhone

You have all seen them, the posters with a black border and a motivational saying matching a pretty picture. I have no clue when or why these types of posters began, but they have been popular for some years now. These posters can be found to suit virtually any subject and are available with thousands of images. Using these posters for comedic reasons has also become popular if my Facebook newsfeed is any indication. Recently one of my buddies was laughing at one of these ridiculous posters and said, “I wonder how people make their own versions of these.” I…

eBooks, Editorials

Using Tech for My Bible Study

I never really thought about it much, but I do something that for some who practice my faith, might be alien. Much like my friend Dan, I use either apps or eBooks to do most of my Bible studies. Why It’s Better The app that I use the most when doing my Bible reading on my Android devices is Youversion.com; it’s also available for iOS. I took to using it because I like to read from different translations. Sometimes I will read the same verse in three different versions of the Bible, and I can do this within seconds using a…

Music Diary, News & Features

PropellerHead Releases ‘Figure’ Music Making Tool for iOS!

If you have been making music on computers for any amount of time, you shoud definitely know the company name PropellerHead. They make software such as Rebirth, Traktor, Reason, Thor and many others that have amassed a huge following amongst musicians. They have already brought Rebirth to iOS … and now they are bringing Figure, a tool for ‘instant musical inspiration’. Here is the description: Create an addictive beat before the next bus stop or lay down a beefy bass line while waiting in line at the bank. Figure will have you making music within seconds yet is deep enough…

News & Features

Missing some Zzzs? Try zsnuz Nap App for iPad/iPhone

It’s a curious thing, perception of Time as a child as compared to that of an adult’s. As children, Time was a thing without meaning as we played and played, until our parents found us and compelled us to take a nap. Suddenly Time became a precious commodity, now subjugated by cruel Afternoon Nap rudely interrupting fun. As adults, however, Time can seem to be a slave under the domination of the twin temporal tyrants Responsibility and Obligation. Meeting deadlines, raising children, maintaining a home and so forth devours our time and more than a few beleaguered adults wish for…

News & Features

Reflection for Mac Puts Your iOS Device on the Big Screen

It is rare for an application to make me go “Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!” but the Mac app Reflections just had me do exactly that. Seriously, this small utility is one of the best things to come along in quite some time. Be aware that it is only useful if you use a Mac and an iOS device but if that IS your current gear set-up… Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! You see, I’ve always wanted a way to have my iPhone or iPad running on my Mac AND still have the ability to use the Mac. Think about how…

Reviews

iOS Apps for Passover

I have a regular column in our local New Jersey Jewish News where I have the opportunity to share different apps of Jewish interest. The last time out I focused on environmental and conservation apps in conjunction with the holiday of Tu BiShvat since it is a day celebrating trees and nature. This time I decided to focus on apps for the upcoming holiday of Passover. Here is a reprint of the article which appeared yesterday. From the NJJN: In preparation for Passover, I went to the iTunes App Store looking for some specific apps. I wanted an…

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