Archive for the ‘Mobile Apps’ Category

CNN Launch Android App With Some Great Features

CNN has just launched their new Android application which has some great features. The CNN Android app features reports, videos, and even CNN iReport.

CNN was trying to provide an indepth and immersive news experience and I think they might have pulled it off. The application allows the user to switch between US and international editions and has a huge range of text articles, videos, photos, live video, podcasts and more.

CNN is very late to the party, but they have at least delivered a decent product. The official app is free and is available for download now. The app runs on Android 2.1 and higher.

iOS 4 Has Been Secretly Recording Your Location

I just came across this very interesting article on Engadget and I had to share it will all the Crenk readers. Two UK researchers have uncovering a worrying feature in iOS 4: it asks your iPhone to record your location constantly, and timestamps that data.

The big worry here is that all of this information is held on the device and can be easily uncovered.

Source: Engadget

Wired Giving Away May Edition on the iPad for Free

It seems like Wired isnt getting the traction they wanted with their iPad application. Wired have just announced that they are giving away this months edition away for free.

Currently, Wired’s iPad application costs around $4 per edition and they already have thousands of readers subscribed, but it seems like circulation numbers are dropping month on month and this needs to be rectified.

Wired’s premier tablet edition was the June 2010 issue, and it sold a whopping 105,000 digital copies — 24,000 in the first 24 hours. In the ensuing months downloads have been in the 20,000 to 30,000 range as the publication made incremental tweaks in what has amounted to an extended, pre-subscription-era soft launch.

Single-copy pricing for digital magazines that rival that of their print analogs can’t possibly be the future, and neither will digital ever be too out of balance with print as long as print is part of any publisher’s business model.

But, ironically, a digital edition creates the opportunity to distribute for free in a way you simply can’t in print. There is no real incremental cost to making as many copies as you need (no paper, printing or postage); copies can be made to order (no waste); they can all be distributed from a single location to anyone, anywhere (nobody is left out because we ran out here, even though we have a surplus there).

Flipboard Valued at $200 Million? Another Sign of an Upcoming Bubble?

Flipboard is an amazing iPad application that turns your facebook, twitter and google reader, into their own iPad magazine. Flipboard is a great iPad application, but is it really worth $200 million? Well thats how much their latest funding round values the company at. Flipboard confirmed a $50 million round in funding.

Flipboard’s funding included some great investors, including Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and actor Ashton Kutcher.

Flipboard are obviously very thrilled with the new round of funding and valuation, but is this valuation a sign of an upcoming tech bubble?

Do you think Flipboard is worth $200 million?

Leaked Image of Windows Phone 7 Mango Release?

The Windows Phone 7 platform seems to be on a roll of late and it seems like their latest version has been floating around the place. Recently NoDo was released by Windows Phone 7, which featured copy and paste and multitasking. However, it seems like a Windows Phone Italy commenter has been using a handset that has even more recent software! This release is supposed to be called Mango and is the next major release for Windows Phone 7.

The commenter claimed that he installed the version when updating his Zune. Im not really sure whether that is true! Anyways, there is a new search button, but the rest of the changes seem to be under the hood.

Will update you when more details are received.

Adobe Launch Three iPad Applications that Tie Into Photoshop

Adobe are just about to launch three new iPad applications that tie into Photoshop. The three apps are called Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop.

The pricing for the apps has been revealed at $1.99 to $4.99 and they will launch early in May 2011.

Nokia Drop: Push Links and Pictures from Your Desktop to Your Phone

Nokia has just launched Nokia Drop, which allows users to push links and pictures from their desktop browser to their Nokia phones.

All the user needs to do is install the Nokia Drop application on their phone and install a browser extension on their desktop. The browser extension is available in both Firefox and Chrome.

Create Your Own Native Looking iPhone and iPad App Using HTML, CSS and Javascript

Most people dont know that you can develop native iOS applications for the iPhone and iPad by using Javascript. Here is a great tutorial on how to create a native looking iOS application from HTML, CSS and Javascript.

The tutorial includes how to strip away the browser; prevent viewport scrolling and scaling; respond to multi-touch and gesture events; use webkit CSS to get the iPhone OS look and feel; cache the app so it runs without internet access; get a custom icon on the home screen; and have a splash screen load at the start.

Click here to read the full tutorial.

Timbuktu: An iPad Magazine Specifically Design for Kids

Timbuktu is the first iPad magazine specifically for kids. An Italian publisher thought it was about time that kids had their own specific learning magazine on the iPad (obviously it is much better to have young kids reading on the iPad instead of a real book).

The first issue of the magazine is available in the App Store for free, but Im guessing over a period time there will be a subscription price. The magazine is bold, has very colourful graphics and is design specifically to help kids learn and open their imaginations.

Timbuktu isn’t the first app aimed at kids. Several children’s books have been adapted for the format, including a few Dr. Seuss titles.

Atari Launch Their Great Games onto iTunes

Atari has just released a classics package on iTunes. The package includes 17 classic Atari arcade games and 92 Atari 2600 games. Customers can purchase 25 separate four-game packs for $0.99 apiece or 100 games for $14.99.

All games are available on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Games require a minimum of iOS 3.0 or better, which is pretty much every iTunes user.