Crenk » app

Yahoo Go is Going

Dean Sherwin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:34:06 +0000

Back in 2006 before the average Joe on the street had a smart phone – we all used our cell phones to check our e-mails, Flickr, news, weather and other such services. The main port of call for this was Yahoo Go – a mobile client released by Yahoo!

However, Yahoo! have just announced that Go is to suffer the same fate as GeoCities did last month – it’ll be leaving us. Come January 12th next year, when you turn on Yahoo! Go on your mobile you’ll get an error message.

Undoubtedly this is because of the competition from more powerful apps and platforms such as those on the iPhone.

However I think this might be slightly pre-mature because the app is still being sold on phones as you read this. Perhaps Yahoo! are trying to push us into the smart phone market?

Store all your Passwords on Your Mobile Phone

Dean Sherwin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:01:33 +0000

It’s 2009 so undoubtedly you have to remember more than just one password. And for security reasons, you don’t want to change them all to the same one. So, you could have your phone’s PIN number, credit card’s pin, e-mail password, twitter, eBay, Wordpress, online banking, the list goes on and on. But obviously you don’t want to jot them down on a post it and stick it in your wallet. That would be foolish. Plus I’m pretty sure there’s laws (or at least T&Cs in your credit card agreement) that say you’re not allowed to keep your cards and passwords near one another.

So I offer SafeStore Gold as a solution. Basically it’s Java mobile application that allows you to store all of your information in one easy place. Of course it’s password protected but at least you only have to remember one!

For your peace of mind it has been spyware tested by Cnet and is available for download via their website here.

You get a free 15 day trial but after that you have to pay a small fee. Still, it beats having you bank account cleaned

out.

Paint your Room Online to See What it Looks Like

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:10:40 +0000

So you decide the living room needs a make over. The first task? A lick of paint. So it’s off down to the DIY store to fetch yourself some tins of lovely paint. Having spent $40 on paint and brushes, drank 9 cups of tea, kicked over two cans and fell off your ladder you stand back to admire the new paintjob.

Dang! Not looking to great is it?

This is a mistake made my all of us at some point. And yet it could have so easily been avoided if we have of known about ColorJive before now. Basically, you upload a picture of the room you would like to paint (it’s best if there’s good lighting and its of a high resolution). Then, simply select which colour you would like by using their custom colour selecting tools.

I think this is a really great app that saves a lot of time and effort. It also works really well. One would expect it to be buggy or require a lot of manual input, but no; within a few minutes I had great pictures of of painted rooms without any of the effort of actually painting!

Now you have a good idea of what you living room/ bedroom, bathroom or kitchen will look like before you waste your whole Saturday painting only to do it over on Sunday.

Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication

Luis Sandoval — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:53:50 +0000

Heard of Twitter? Sure the whole world has by now. Lone tribes on far islands have heard about Twitter. This massively immersive and widely used micro-blogging network has become a staple for both our personal and professional lives. The world seems to still be feeling the “Twitter effect” as industries adapt their existing messages to fit the fast paced world of this social network.

But do you ever feel like you’re being left behind? Perhaps not enough time to get the right message in a timely fashion? Now there’s a solution to that.

Twuffer presents itself as the buffer between you and your timed messages. By using the web application, you are able to preset messages on a timed schedule to be released on your network at the times you think most important. The possibilities of this type of functionality are as endless as your creativity.

The web app is easy to use and can serve you to better time your announcements, set reminders for yourself or others, engage in timed online activities, or, as the site suggests, make it appear as if you never sleep. The practicality of this app seems pretty straightforward.

The application is currently in beta, but your able to explore what it has to offer pretty seamlessly. I suggest you give it a try to announce regular days when your podcast or blog post will go live, or perhaps some other similar campaign to see if Twuffer is right for you!

BedPost: The App To Track Your Sex Life

Dean Sherwin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:39:30 +0000

Back in the day a simple notch on the bedpost was enough to track how often you got down and dirty. Well now there is a web app called BedPost that lets you track your sex life.

It’s still in its Beta stages but you can sign up for an invitation. Using the online calendar you enter when you had sex, with who, how good it was and how long it lasted. The idea is that after a few months of tracking you can look back and analyse your results such as what days you most commonly got lucky for and at what time of the day it was.

This is a unique app that’s worth a look by the more ‘active’ of our readers. Check it out here at www.bedposted.com .

Hype Machine The Music Blog Aggregator is Working on an iPhone Application

Steven Finch — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:43:49 +0000

The Hype Machine which is a very influencial music blog aggregator has announced while speaking at the In The City music conference in Manchester, UK, that they are already working on an iPhone application.

The site’s founder Anthony Volodkin discussed his plans for an iPhone app that would provide a “radio-like” experience with royalties for the music paid for by charging for the initial download of the app. There’s no word on when this would be released as of yet.

I know that The Pirate Bay and other such torrent sites has been getting a bit of a lashing of late, but sites like The Hype Machine which lets users listen to files add to the internet, seems to get away with copyright issues. The majority of the files that Hype Machine links to are copyright infringing, but no one really seems to care that much.

The Hype Machine is still in independent site, but the sites owners are always open to acquisition offers. The site currently makes the majority of their revenues from advertising and their audience seems to be growing at a very nice pace, so an iPhone application will only accelerate the growth.

Keep Track of Expirey Dates With Expire Track

Dean Sherwin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:16:50 +0000

Ever been surfing the net and you get a reminder telling you that your anti-virus software has just expired? Or how about work in/own a company and discover that a chunk of the stock has passed its sell-by-date? This is a common problem for everyone leading to useless products and lost cash.

Expire Track is a new web app that is specifically designed to track the expiry dates on products in the inventories of both companies and individuals. Accounts are free and it’s very easy to use. All you have to do is upload the product along with its expiry date and then set up reminders. When the date is approaching you’ll be sent a reminder by e-mail about the situation so you don’t find out too late.

This product can also be applied to individuals. Nowadays we have so many subscriptions, bills, taxes and the likes to pay that it’s so easy to forget. Using this product you can keep track of your car insurance, council tax, magazine subscriptions etc…

All of the tools there are extremely easy to use and managing a large list is simple given the great search function. Expire Track is available here.

Seattle Woodland Park Zoo Now Have Their Own iPhone and iPod Touch Application

Steven Finch — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:09:08 +0000

These days there seems to be an iPhone application for practically everything! Well thats what the ads tell me anyways.

The Seattle Woodland Park Zoo has launched what it is calling a first-of-its-kind iPhone application, one which uses the device’s GPS functionality to track your movements as you watch penguins, pythons and pole cats.

The 99 cent app also supports a good cause too, since money will go toward animal care, conservation and education programs.

Here are some of the features:

–GPS-enabled zoo map with “Near Me” recommendations for animal exhibits, play areas, concession stands and restrooms.

–Daily schedule of zoo activities including zookeeper talks and children’s programs.

–“Friend Finder” to locate other iPhone users in your party on zoo grounds.

It would be cool if they added animal sounds, territorial ranges and other information about the animals. You can get an inside look at the app in this video:

Nissan iPhone App Helps Drivers Be More Eco Friendly

Steven Finch — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:55:28 +0000

The iPhone currently isn’t very big in Japan, but that hasn’t stopped Nissan from developing an iPhone application for Yokohama City residents.

The app is called E1 Grand Prix and here is how it works: The app connects to your car’s On-Board Diagnostics (OBD), and extracts information in real-time to determine how efficiently you’re driving (you know, from a saving fuel perspective). Step on the gas and then break too much, and you’ll get a low score; accelerate just enough to coast to the corner before the light turns red, and you’ll get high marks. The app connects to your OBD via in-car mobile Wi-Fi, and then spits back your results on your iPhone screen and via e-mail. The results are also uploaded to an online site, where you essentially compete with other folks to be the most ‘eco-efficient’ driver — hence the ‘Grand Prix’ name).

Nissan is still yet to announce if they will be launching the application in locations all over the world, but im sure it is only a matter of time.

iBible: A Good Web App to Read the Bible

Dean Sherwin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:36:52 +0000

Reading the Bible, for those who are interested can be difficult in some regards. The most obvious being that the thing is huge with thousands of years worth of literature crammed in one binding, not exactly making it a pocket-sized reader.

iBible is a web app which makes reading and referencing the Bible easy.

Basically, because it’s all so simple and plain; consisting mostly of buttons for each chapter and the rest being text, loading it on any device connected to the internet is quick and easy. This makes it suitable for PC users as well as when you’re on the go such as on a mobile phone using GPRS Internet, a PSP or iPhone.

It’s available in several languages including English, French, German and Polish. The home screen is where you select you language and the screens after this whittle your choice down from Testament, to books, to chapters such as the one I read; Genesis 6.

App Bank: Create and Develop Your Own Facebook Application

Steven Finch — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:23:04 +0000

Im sure there are so many people out there who want to start making games and applications for Facebook, but aren’t really too sure where to start. App Bank provides everyone with the very basic tools which can not only help them get started creating a Facebook app, but will also help them to monetize their application.

AppBank is the only provider that pays you for creating and uploading social content to major social networks like Facebook. Obviously if your application is of high quality and the more users you have, then the more you can make from your application.

AppBank provides the user with free technology that they can use to develop their application and then the user will receive a percentage of their advertising revenues, with the other small percentage going to AppBank. Currently AppBank dont disclose the amount they are receiving on the site itself, which is a downside. However, if you are looking to start creating your own Facebook applications, but not too sure how to go about it, then AppBank is the first place you should call.

Tweet Presents with Twesent

Dean Sherwin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:03:05 +0000

Yes indeed Crenk readers, we have another Twitter web app to tell y’all about. It’s called Twesent. Basically, it takes the normal tweet and turns it into a virtual present for your pals!

You got to Twesent.com and follow the instructions. Then, you select what present you want to send to the people you’re following. For example, I decided to buy a few friends a pint of beer each, what with me being Irish and the hilarity of living up to a stereotype.

So after I selected the pint of beer I continue to sign in with my twitter username and password and select who to send it too. I had fifty free credits and I believe three pints of beer cost me 24 credits. You can but more credits if you wish using PayPal for a small price.

This is cool tool to know about for when a friend’s birthday rolls around or indeed as a very half-hearted apology to you significant other. Or, you know, just for the laugh!

Commodore 64 Emulator for iPhone and iPod Touch Has Been Approved by Apple for iTunes Store

Steven Finch — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:30:54 +0000

A previously rejected iPhone title offering emulated play of Commodore 64 titles has been approved after the developer made changes to align it with Apple’s SDK. It allows the iPhone to act as a system that was what was once Apple’s staunch competitor.

According to a report by TouchArcade, Manomio’s $4.99 C64 title was rejected in June despite having lined up all the proper licensing rights.

Brilliant New iPhone App: Girlfriend Not Included

Steven Finch — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:36:49 +0000

A new very funny iPhone ad but not from Apple. The movie is by New York artist Adam Sacks. via DivineCaroline

The iPhone Design Template Sketchbook

Steven Finch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:10:11 +0000

The iTunes app store is reportedly worth $2.5 billion and this is bringing more and more developers to the platform. If your a develop the first thing you do is sit down and sketch out your idea.

Introducing the iPhone Design Template Sketchbook:

Now available in “most countries” for $16,99 at appsketchbook.com.

Alternatively take a look at how the people at CulturedCode solved this ‘problem’:

Two new AR Apps Go Live!

Dean Sherwin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:59:35 +0000

We recently reported here on Crenk that the iPhone’s first ever augmented reality (AR) app had been officially released to the iPhone. This was called Metro Paris Subway. It was widely believed that this would be the only AR app released until the new iPhone OS came out in a month or so. But now, two more AR apps are live in the app store causing people to rush in to snap them up.

Basically, these three developers have found a way around the supposedly necessary jailbreak that the new OS was going to remove. So naturally seeing apps that shouldn’t even be released yet is pretty cool.

One of the new apps is from the popular app company Yelp and the other is from the same company that made Metro Paris Subway – Presslite. Now, Presslite have made a similar app for London that allows users to point their iPhone camera at a location in London and an overlay of information (primarily public transport) will pop up on the screen. This app is suitably named ‘London Bus’.

It’s important that we remember that there are dozens of AR developers who have already developed their apps for the new OS so in a couple of months we here at Crenk are expecting a rush of AR apps into the marketplace.

iYunque: Rainforest App with Maps, Routes and More..

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:35:51 +0000

So the summer is nearly over and you’re wondering what to do. Sure, it’s not long now until big yellow busses start pulling up outside houses to cart kids all over the US back to school and as such the summer is over and the monotony of life kicks back in for a cold winter. However, there is one app that could appeal to your adventurous side before that too is shut away until next July – it’s called iYunque and it offers advice for, and indeed a virtual experience of the only rainforest in the US – El Yunque.

The main feature of this app is giving advice. There are maps, photographs, warnings and local information about the rainforest that will help you stay on track, literally. The maps are detailed and up to date with all the popular tourist and adventure routes taken today in the rain forest. The maps also point out good places to get a good view and nice places to take a little break and how to get to the area if you have to travel first.

Because it’s a rainforest it also offers a few words of warning about travelling alone into the forest and about the wildlife in there.

The virtual tour feature is also really cool for those who can’t make it. It allows you to tap on the map and it gives you information of that area and some pictures.

iYunque is available for download right here.

Facebook 3.0 – New App Here…Finally

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:00:29 +0000

So, after what seemed like an endless few weeks or fights, press releases, rumours and delays the Facebook 3.0 app is now officially released for the iPhone. I think a celebration is in order.

So, what are our first impressions here at Crenk? Well there good. Very good in fact. When I first started up the app I noticed a few things almost instantaneously that had changed from the previous app. For example, up the top left hand corner there is a button which when pressed it will give you a search bar and down the bottom the alerts feature which tells you what your friends are up to and if you need to respond to anything will pop up.

It is also more in touch with the actual web based Facebook. For example, you can RSVP to invitations rather than just being informed of their existence and you can also chat easier with friends.

Of course there are the new features that literally work with the iPhone. You can now call and send texts to your Facebook friends without having to leave the app. I think this is a cool feature and one that Facebook will not regret making as that’s what smart phones are all about – integration.

Finally, there is the web browser. At first I though this was a little unnecessary but then it became clear why they put it there. How many of your Facebook friends send you links or how many times do you decide to follow up a news story you heard from friends? Now you don’t have to exit the whole app and start up Safari just to follow a link!

Camera Genious for the iPhone Photographer

Dean Sherwin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:36:39 +0000

The camera app that came with the iPhone is quite good. You get all of your basic features but nothing is really shines up to a glistening finish nor does it seem like Apple wants to improve on it. An app development company called CodeGoo seen a gap in the market and decided to make their new iPhone camera app called Camera Genius (well the name says it all really).

It is based more so on taking the right picture rather than just upping the specs of the camera. Take for example their feature called the “Rule of Thirds”. Basically, this feature divides the screen up into nine sections with three horizontal lines and three vertical ones. This technique is used by professional photographers to offset their subject slightly but it’s made really easy in this app.

The zoom feature is also better than the one that comes standard with the phone as it is more refined. Other cool things about this app include sound recorder which recognises a pre-defined noise to take the picture, Big Button which lets you tap anywhere on the screen to take the picture instead of fumbling for the small capture button and anti-shake (well, you figure that one out for yourself).

A cool app for those who are constantly snapping pictures on their iPhone but want more out of them.

First Augmented Reality App – Metro Paris Subway

Dean Sherwin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:50:49 +0000

The first ever augmented reality app has appeared in the Apple App store for the iPhone. I know – what the hell is Augmented Reality or AR as it’s often called? Basically, it’s a layer of digital information displayed over real information.

The app is called ‘Metro Paris Subway’ and what it does is use the iPhone’s GPS, compass and camera all together to give you information about your surroundings when in the city. Basically, you point your camera at a certain location and details of local shops, restaurants and tourist locations will pop up as you can see in the screenshot. It gives you direction and distance also.

This kind of technology wasn’t expected until Apple released an updated version of the iPhone OS in a few months.

It’s cool and everything, but for some reason I can’t see it catching on in this form. People like their GPS and it suits them fine. As soon as the novelty wears off they will retreat back to GPS. You don’t need AR to tell you where to go – GPS does a better job at twice the speed with half the effort. However, if you do get this app (which bear in mind will only work in Paris) then don’t worry about discarding it after purchase as it costs a reasonable 99c – I was expecting it to cost $30!

Sling Media Player App for the iPhone Is Now Live In The iTunes App Store

Steven Finch — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:10:03 +0000

Apple has approved the new version of the SlingPlayer. The SlingPlayer is available in the app store for £29.99 in the UK. The new version of the SlingPlayer includes added features such as, native DISH Network navigation, improved widescreen support, and improved response times throughout the app.

Separately, Sling has updated us on the 3G-compatible flavor of the app that they’ve submitted for consideration outside of the US, but so far, no dice — the company hasn’t heard back from Apple, which means it’s all WiFi-only for the moment. Wouldn’t want to saturate those pricey little 3G cells, now, would we?

Facebook’s New Twitter App!

Dean Sherwin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:41:31 +0000

To be honest, I was utterly shocked when I heard the news. For months, Twitter and Facebook have been battling it out. Both have acknowledged the other as their main rival. Apps, schemes, plans and plots have come about but none have broken the stalemate between then. Now, Facebook are taking the stance of “well, if you can’t beat them, join them.” They’re launching a new app that will combine Twitter and Facebook.

Here is what they said on their blog:

“If you manage a Facebook Page, you now will be able to decide whether to share updates with their Twitter followers, and you also will be able to control what type of updates to share: status updates, links, photos, notes, events or all of them.

If you have multiple Pages, you will have the option to link each of those Pages to different Twitter accounts. This new feature will only link Facebook Pages to Twitter, not your individual profile. It will soon be available at http://www.facebook.com/twitter”

By coming out with this app, FaceBook are saying “yeah, we couldn’t beat twitter in a straight fight.” However, in my opinion this is great news. Undoubtedly, the two would have spent millions of dollars on plans to take down the other. Well if this app makes the market big enough for the both of them; even if only for six months then we could see some serious advancement in both of their services very soon.

FaceBook’s New Killer App

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:00:23 +0000

I really love Twitter. I tweet at least once or twice an hour from my phone when watching a movie, playing my xBox, out with friends our just about doing anything you can imagine; including writing for Crenk. I’d hate to see Twitter slip down that slope that few seem to be able to get back up. Kind of like MySpace is right now.

FaceBook’s new iPhone app may be just the thing that pushes it too. Over the past few months FaceBook have tried to match Twitter on all fronts. While FaceBook still markets itself as a social network they have become more twitterish and this is reflected in their new app.

You can have status updates similar to those on the new Windows Live Messenger. You can also blog and surf through your pages more easily. Furthermore, the app incorporates the ‘Pages’ idea which is to coax people to join FaceBook because of the celebrities on there – much like Twitter did…Hmmm.

This app is also really integrated with the iPhone’s call and text features. If you want to call or send a message to a friend you can do so right from your friends list on the FaceBook app rather than closing it and dialling from the phone’s interface.

As an app I think it’s really good but it’s obvious that Facebook are now trying to play Twitter’s game when it comes to status updates, celebrities, micro-blogging and the portability that comes with streamlined apps.

I Can’t Believe it’s not Spotify!

Dean Sherwin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:52:52 +0000

Spotify is undoubtedly one of the fastest growing music and entertainment services on the internet today. And as with all good services they have decided that it’s time for more Apps. They recently announced that they would be releasing an App for android devices similar to those for the iPhones.

This would allow users to access their Spotify accounts easily from their android devices. However, they have a competitor.

“I can’t believe it’s not Spotify” has just launched and is taking on a lot of users as they wait for the official app to be released. It packs much of the same features as what we expect in the official version but lacks in one – offline playback. However, the developers say that this may come later if it continues to grow in popularity.

While I can’t see this app lasting as people tend to veer towards products with an official stamp on them, I can definitely see its use at the present. The developers deserve their time in the limelight because they plugged a gap in the market. But soon the official app will push them out with no really effort.

NetFlix for iPhone?

Dean Sherwin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:38:34 +0000

The world of Apple Apps is kind of slowing down recently. We’re entering the third quarter of 2009 and companies are focusing their power elsewhere or saving the best until the Christmas season when surely millions of people will be opening Apple iPods on December 25^th.

However, Crenk does have one piece of good news for you concerning the app situation with the iPhone – NetFlix.

Yup! That’s right. According to initial reports its thought that NetFlix will be making a move onto the iPhone with users being able to use their existing subscription. The service is currently available on the XBOX 360, PS3, PC and Mac. It will also be on its way to the iPod Touch should these rumours hold water.

In fact, I think that they do. NetFlix want to be the biggest internet movie company so making an app for the world most popular smart phone would indeed make perfect sense. By compatibility issues alone, millions would rather be with Netflix for all their devices rather than several.

Quality would be an issue but not a big one. Recently, AT&T upgraded their 3G internet service especially to large urban areas so downloading wouldn’t be too painful. I imagine their would be separate movie files for the iPhone as you don’t need huge TV quality files when it’s all going to be shrunk down onto a small handheld screen.

In summary, this would make for one of the best apps yet and would use many of the good features such as the widescreen and good audio on the iPhone.