Dropbox the iPhone app has dropped
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone, App Store
If you’ve been waiting patiently for the Dropbox app [iTunes link] to hit the App Store, your wait is over. The app has arrived, and brings with it the simplicity that Dropbox users have come to know and love.
Since Dropbox itself is a free service, it’s a pleasant surprise to see a simple, easy method for creating a new Dropbox account right off the bat if you don’t happen to already have one. The app just asks for a name, e-mail address and password, prompts you to accept the terms of service, and creates the account. During my testing, I did encounter a problem where I would receive a nondescript “Account creation failed (null). Please try again.” message, which I’m guessing may be due to high load on their servers. Still, this is not an encouraging encounter for new users.
Once logged in, everything worked pretty smoothly. On first login, You are presented with a brief welcome document that highlights some of the features of the app. Backing out of the document will take you to your Dropbox, which quickly lists any of the files and folders you may have in there. The app features built-in document preview for several types of files, including PDFs, text documents, spreadsheets, pictures and videos. You can also tag files as a favorite by tapping the star at the bottom of the file viewer, which adds the item to the favorites panel and caches a copy locally on the device so that it’s immediately available.
An unexpected feature is the ability to take pictures, video, or use existing media and upload them directly to the Dropbox. This could definitely be handy if you need to take a quick video and have it available on another machine without having to plug in your phone and wait for it to sync. Also unexpected, but incredibly welcome, is the massive amount of documentation that is available from inside the app’s settings panel. In addition to giving you general details about your account, the settings panel offers a link to watch a video about how Dropbox works, take a tour of the features, or browse their complete online help library, without having to leave the app. As many apps fall short in this area, it’s refreshing to see such detailed documention available, let alone right from the app.
A couple of side notes: As I mentioned above, the new user signup does not appear to work properly sometimes. I’m guessing this will be fixed in short order, though. You can log out of your Dropbox account by tapping the Unlink iPhone from Dropbox button on the settings panel, but beware that you will loose any favorites you have stored (the app does warn you of this). And finally, when you do logout of your account, the app just disappears from the screen, as if it crashed, although you are successfully logged out. In my eyes, these are minor issues (well, aside from the signup problem), and will likely be addressed with future updates, but still good to watch out for.
All in all, this is a very well done, simple app that connects you with an already great (and free) service. It’s available now in the App Store for free.
Gallery: Dropbox for iPhone
Dropbox the iPhone app has dropped originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Dropbox the iPhone app has dropped originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference
Filed under: Other Events, Developer, iPhone
About a month ago we reported that the 360iDev conference was going to be held in Denver, Colorado. The event is now underway, and since I happen to live in the area, I’m attending the event that’s billed as the premiere iPhone developer conference in the world.
There are certainly a good number of iPhone developers on hand — Tom Ortega of 360|Conferences, the group that’s running the event, mentioned that the registration was at 225 developers, more than attended the last event in San Jose, CA.
The sessions last for the next day and a half, and there are plenty of opportunities for developers to learn, meet, and party. Stay tuned to TUAW for short interviews and more info from 360iDev.
TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Five Apps for the Gastroenterologist
Filed under: Cool tools, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
Sometime this summer a wiseacre commenter (we get a few) suggested we do a “Five Apps” for a variety of somewhat offbeat topics. One wasn’t so far-fetched however: gastroenterologist. One could say that a gastro doc has about the same needs as any doctor, of course, and that’s an easy out. So here are 5 apps that are great for gastroenterologists and possibly any medical specialist… Coming soon: 5 apps for the lemur owner.
Epocrates Rx - This free app looks up drugs and is updated weekly. Epocrates [iTunes link] has already been available for other mobile platforms for a while, this is a must-have for physicians, I would think. There’s also a Pro version that is designed for medical professionals, and it requires a yearly subscription fee to work. It’s $99 for one year, which is pretty reasonable for what this does — which includes an amazing pill ID tool.
DocWrite - Another free app with a service you subscribe to, but this may appeal to more than doctors. DocWrite [iTunes link] is a transcription service that sends your ramblings securely and sends you back a complete transcription in PDF or Word. DocWrite has a web-based dashboard for your stuff, too, so you’ll never be without those documents in text or audio.
PubSearch - PubMed is a massive database of medical research papers and PubSearch (free version) [iTunes link] is an iPhone app that’ll search them. Yes, of course you need a subscription to the database (noticing a trend here?). PubSearch also has a Mac desktop app, although there does not seem to be any coordination between the two. I’d imagine something like sharing bookmarks would be helpful. PubSearch Plus [iTunes link] costs $1.99 and is really the more functional version as it will show full articles and use EZProxy (where supported).
Medcalc - A free medical calculator? Yep, Medcalc [iTunes link] includes a ton of formulas for doctors, plus a few indices and charts and whatnot to keep a handy reference for those who need it. This app seems to cover a lot of ground, although I’m not sure how much applies to the field of gastroenterology.
Mobile MIM for iPhone and iPod touch - Sadly, this has yet to be released. But I’m guessing it’ll be at the top of many doctors’ wish lists. MIMvista makes real-deal medical imaging stuff and the MIM app for iPhone was demonstrated at WWDC. The demo was astounding, showing how doctors could merge CT and PET scans right on their iPhone and make notes for later use. The app is pending FDA approval, with no release date or price set.
Five Apps for the Gastroenterologist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Five Apps for the Gastroenterologist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
The folks over at German developer HandyGames originally put together this slideshow presentation for their own internal use, but they determined that it actually could be useful for almost anyone following iPhone releases and their development, so they released it out into the world. And they were right — there’s some good info in here. Basically, they did a survey of the top 20 apps, both paid and free in five different regions of the world on the App Store, and then compared different qualities of all of those apps to see what the most successful apps had in common.
What did they find? Things like the fact that the majority of top 20 apps do not use all caps for the title and use an original IP for their releases. The differences are interesting as well: most paid apps are made by recognizable developers, while most free apps are made by smaller publishers. Free apps receive many, many more reviews than paid apps, though (if I’m reading the presentation right) they tend to be rated lower. Chillingo is the App Store’s most prolific top developer, while Digital Chocolate releases games most often, with a full 1.5 releases per week since (I suppose) they started publishing games.
Very interesting stuff, though the numbers still require a little backgound knowledge to deciper (Backflip Studios appears in a few rankings, even though they’ve only just started releasing games last month — popular games, but only a few games nonetheless). Cool to get an overall snapshot of the kinds of games that are doing well on the App Store so far.
HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone
Filed under: iPhone, App Review
I checked out Zoom Lens [iTunes link] over the weekend, and I’ll say that as far as zoom tools go, this one is great. A simple interface, simple use and the images look pretty good. Of course, you’ll be less impressed when you view them on your Mac, because Zoom Lens, like all iPhone apps of the same nature, just crops the image, really. It’s what you find on consumer cameras as “digital zoom” — not much more than a zoom & crop in Photoshop or iPhoto, really.
But Zoom Lens does give you an interface that looks as though Apple made it themselves. Who knows? Maybe some day the iPhone will have a true zoom lens, although the optics would be tricky… Anyway, the best part is you have a chance to win Zoom Lens for yourself! It only works on the iPhone, of course, and we can only give codes for the US (no Canada, sorry!). But read the rules below and enter by leaving a comment before October 1.
Glimpse a before/after shot of the app in action on the next page.
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
- To enter leave a comment on this article (below).
- The comment must be left before Thursday, October 1, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Prize: Promo code for iPhone app “Zoom Lens” (Value: US$.99 )
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Continue reading Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone
Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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FIFA 10 coming to iPhone this Friday
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Apple, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
What’s it going to take for us to get developers to release games for Apple products earlier than two years after the fact? The iPhone, apparently — EA has announced that their soccer flagship FIFA 10 will be available for the iPhone this Friday, which is the same day the console game shows up in stores as well. The game will have everything the full versions have, including real teams and leagues, a licensed soundtrack, and all of the usual soccer standbys. One thing missing: online multiplayer, though local wifi multiplayer will be available.
Sounds good to us, especially if you’re a fan of the sport all those crazy Europeans call football. The app should be $9.99, befitting of a premium EA sports app, though there will probably be a sale on it sooner or later. Now, about that actual Mac version…
FIFA 10 coming to iPhone this Friday originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
FIFA 10 coming to iPhone this Friday originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Vodafone enters UK iPhone war, sales to begin in 2010
Filed under: iPhone
Vodafone has announced that they will start selling the iPhone 3G and 3GS in the UK and Ireland in early 2010. This comes just one day after Orange UK revealed its plans to offer the iPhone. Up to this point, O2 has had exclusive rights to the iPhone in the UK. No information on pricing is available at this time.
[Via Engadget]
Vodafone enters UK iPhone war, sales to begin in 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Vodafone enters UK iPhone war, sales to begin in 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s a bird! No, it’s an app! No, it’s Tweetie 2 for iPhone!
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone, App Store
Users of Tweetie, the popular Twitter client for both Mac and iPhone, have reason to be excited: a new version of the iPhone app, Tweetie 2 (aptly codenamed “Bigbird“), is confirmed to be on the way.
In a preview of the new version, Scott Kleinberg of ChicagoNow detailed his experiences with beta builds of the upcoming release. From the screenshots provided, it’s clear that several interface improvements have been made, including a quick menu that provides easy access to several new features while posting a tweet. Other improvements include the ability to send video tweets, persistent session handling that restores the app to its previous state, conversation threading, draft management, and geotagging.
While Scott’s review suggests that the changes and improvements make Tweetie 2 feel like a whole new app, Tweetie developer Loren Brichter indicates that it really is — it’s a complete rewrite from the original app. In addition to the major features, the new version also boasts integration with several 3rd party services, and a host of configuration options, from new gesture options to custom Twitter API settings.
Of course, not everyone will be happy with the update. There is already a stir among beta testers over the app’s use of pinstripe backgrounds on the profile and single tweet views. Also, there is the issue of cost: Tweetie 2 will set you back $2.99, as it is being offered as a new app instead of a free upgrade to existing users. When it comes to upgrades, most desktop applications follow a pattern where minor updates (such as upgrading from version 1.0 to 1.1 or 1.1.2 — often refered to as “point releases”) are provided free of charge, and major updates (from version 1.0 to 2.0) usually require the user to purchase the new version of the software.
With iPhone apps, however, Apple does not provide a system to allow developers to do this. Developers can release upgrades and bug fixes as free updates to their applications, but if they invest a lot of time into a major update to their app, they have to submit it as a new, different version of the application rather than an upgrade to the old version, and there is no option to allow users who have perviously purchased the original app to receive a discount on the new version. So users are faced with having to pay full price for the upgrade, which in this case, is another $2.99.
In my opinion, this is not an unreasonable amount to pay for a major upgrade to an already great application, but there are users who feel they shouldn’t have to pay for the upgrade. My advice to them? If you can’t spare $3 for the amount of time and effort that was put into making a decent, feature-rich upgrade, don’t bother using it. Stick with the original Tweetie or find another app that you’re willing to pay for.
So, controversy aside, Tweetie 2 looks very promising. The latest beta build that was provided to developers is expected to be the final build, and if things go well, we should see it hit the App Store in the coming weeks. An update to the desktop version of Tweetie is also in the works, and will probably surface after the iPhone app is released.
What do you think of the new version? Will you be upgrading when it’s released? Let us know in the comments!
It’s a bird! No, it’s an app! No, it’s Tweetie 2 for iPhone! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
It’s a bird! No, it’s an app! No, it’s Tweetie 2 for iPhone! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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CNN: Our iPhone app is "not a hobby"
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, iPhone, App Store
CNN chatted with our good friends at DLS about the news network’s iPhone app (scheduled to hit an App Store near you very soon), and it actually sounds pretty premium: in-app video, breaking news live video streaming, a Coverflow-style way to browse news information, the ability to store news to read later, and social sharing through Facebook, Twitter, and the usual suspects. CNN even says they want to add more to the app in the future, including some iReport-style news delivery functions, so people with iPhones out in the world can send news in as quickly as possible.
Ok, CNN, we get it — you care about this one. It does sound like they’re making a major push in terms of making their content interactive on the iPhone, but on the other hand, maybe they’re just trying to sell you on the “premium” price: $1.99, with (we’re told) non-intrusive advertising included. Obviously, $2 is cheap, but on the other hand, especially with advertising both from the network itself and outside clients, the crankiest of App Store browsers will probably flinch at it a little bit. If you are interested, however, CNN would love to take your money: their app should be available in the App Store as soon as Apple lets it through.
CNN: Our iPhone app is “not a hobby” originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
CNN: Our iPhone app is “not a hobby” originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Vodafone nabs iPhone in prelude to UK price war
Update: Official Vodafone UK statement now live.
[Via Randomly Accessed and The Telegraph]
Filed under: Cellphones
Vodafone nabs iPhone in prelude to UK price war originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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