TrueHDR adds Geo-tagging and drops to $0.99 for a limited time
As a frequent landscape photographer, I’ve enjoyed exploring HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging for quite some time. With HDR, your camera takes multiple images, usually at different shutter speeds, to capture both bright and dark areas at their best. Then the images are combined with software. Although most of my work is with a Canon DSLR, I’ve been impressed with some of the iPhone HDR apps that can help you get some really nice pictures under difficult lighting conditions.
Although Apple includes HDR software in the iPhone 4, I’ve found that both Pro HDR and TrueHDR can give superior results.
TrueHDR has just released a big update to its app, and now offers Geo-tagging support, better alignment algorithms, and some improvements in the light metering software. I’ve tried the app, and do like the quality of the images it produces. My only complaint is it takes a bit too long to merge and align the images. In my tests, True HDR produced an image in 24 seconds. Pro HDR processed the same scene in 12 seconds, and the Apple built-in HDR saved quite quickly ((2 seconds) but didn’t look nearly as good as images from the other two apps.
TrueHDR (which requires iOS 4.0 or greater) is currently on sale for a limited time for $0.99. If you’re interested in HDR photography, and want to go beyond the Apple built-in HDR, TrueHDR is worth a dollar.
TrueHDR adds Geo-tagging and drops to $0.99 for a limited time originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TrueHDR adds Geo-tagging and drops to $0.99 for a limited time originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Layar Player lets AR loose on iPhone apps
Layar’s been the go-to platform for augmented reality on Android since 2009, bringing you the useful, the creepy, and the just plain weird — and now it’s unleashing the beast on iOS, again (it’s already available as a dedicated app). The Netherlands-based company just launched Layar Player, a free tool that allows anyone — with a little developer know-how — to create their very own AR iPhone app. Accompanying the announcement are three brand new Layar Player-enabled apps: the Bing-sponsored Snowboard Hero, which incorporates a special AR mode for collecting points; a contractor locator called Layer Trade; and VerbeterdeBuurt, an app that acts as an AR community bulletin board. The company’s press release touts the “democratization of augmented reality,” and while we can get behind their AR-for-alll message, we’ve already seen Layar used in ways that give us the willies. Don’t get us wrong, we’re still excited about the endless AR possibilities, but we’re hoping, at least for now, that iPhone app developers can keep the AR monsters at bay.
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Layar Player lets AR loose on iPhone apps originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 08:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Verizon turns on iPhone 4 pre-order countdown, existing customers can order on February 3rd at 3AM
The grapevine did already hint at the timing of the Verizon iPhone 4 pre-orders, but now, to be absolutely sure nobody misses them, we have a countdown! Eager iPhone bandwagon jumpers will have to stay up till 3AM EST on February 3rd to get their orders in from a “reserved quantity” of handsets, which will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis — presumably to be delivered on that February 10th launch date everyone’s been anticipating for so long. Sadly for Verizon newcomers, a contract with the network will be a prerequisite for signing up when the countdown expires.
[Thanks, Jarrett and Anthony]
Verizon turns on iPhone 4 pre-order countdown, existing customers can order on February 3rd at 3AM originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 01:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Verizon confirms iPhone pre-orders for 3 AM on February 3
Verizon is sending out emails to its customers confirming the details on the iPhone 4 pre-order. As rumored, pre-orders will begin promptly at 3 AM on February 3 for existing Verizon customers. The email points customers to an ordering page that is not yet available. The official iPhone page on Verizon has also been updated with a countdown timer and an invitation for customers to come back in five days to join the iPhone buying party.
Details on the purchasing process are not provided but, you will most likely have to log into your My Verizon account to confirm your eligibility as a Verizon Wireless customer. If you do not have a My Verizon account, you may want to sign up for one beforehand. You don’t want to miss the pre-order because you were fumbling with the account setup. The quantity of iPhones available for Verizon’s customers in this pre-order is limited, so you better get your game face on and prepare to do some early morning ordering.
Verizon confirms iPhone pre-orders for 3 AM on February 3 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Verizon confirms iPhone pre-orders for 3 AM on February 3 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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My favorite 3 iPhone apps: T-Pain
We’re starting a new series at TUAW called “My favorite 3 iPhone apps” — and to kick it off, we’re starting with rapper T-Pain. We caught up with the AutoTune master himself at CES promoting the I Am T-pain microphone, based on the popular iPhone app. He let us know his favorite three iPhone apps; one of them is the Delta app, because the man is a true jetsetter (and has a crazy travel schedule).
Look for more “My favorite 3 iPhone apps” video segments featuring other personalities and celebrities, each Saturday right here on TUAW.
My favorite 3 iPhone apps: T-Pain originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
My favorite 3 iPhone apps: T-Pain originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person
On stage at Macworld 2011, two of our friends from iFixit, Kyle Weins and Luke Soules, attempted to fix broken Apple stuff right in front of an audience. The session was moderated by Chris Breen, who asked the audience to bring up their broken gear in the hope that it could be fixed right on the spot.
iFixit, for those that don’t know, is a firm that not only posts teardowns of popular Apple products, but strongly believes in empowering users with the ability to fix their own Apple equipment, and sells replacement parts and tool kits to allow people to do it. As Luke attempted repairs, Kyle described exactly what was going on. During the session, they unfortunately weren’t successful at any repairs but they were working under some impossible conditions. People in the audience had a lot of different broken things, and iFixit was only able to bring in two boxes of parts, which limited them dramatically.
Continue reading Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person
Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Macworld 2011: eyeSky brings a security system to iOS
Only a few things have impressed me on the show floor this year, but I ran into something that’s pretty amazing. The only problem is, like most of these kinds of solutions, that it’s also very expensive.
eyeSKY Technologies, an American distributor for a German security company named Mobotix Corp, has been showing its Hemispheric IP Video Door Station. What this thing does is provide a customizable security system for the well-heeled. The unit is a Unix-based computer with a flash card memory reader installed at the door that saves to an internal DVR and/or allows you to watch the camera stream live. A 32 or 64 GB flash card can be used that gives you a few days of storage. There is a 3.1 megapixel 360 degree camera that Scott Winslow, the CEO, told me about: “Mobotix uses a proprietary codec which is a cross between h.264 compression and motion JPEG. They call it an MXJPEG that allows these images to be transferred over the Internet.” Typically this sort of transfer is a bandwidth killer, but using this codec you get a clear and fluid compressed stream.
When someone comes to your door and rings the doorbell, or gets near it using a customizable motion sensor (anything bigger than an errant dog will set it off), a number of things can happen. An email, text message, or when the universal app for iOS and just about every other mobile platform is released, a push notification will be sent to your device. It can be set to play a canned message saying that you’re busy, or you can remotely talk to the person at the door using VOIP. An internal light turns on and it’s also wired to the usual light over your door, as the DVR starts recording. This can be important if some shady character shows up and you want to show the video the police.
Continue reading Macworld 2011: eyeSky brings a security system to iOS
Macworld 2011: eyeSky brings a security system to iOS originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Macworld 2011: eyeSky brings a security system to iOS originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Analyst: Apple to expand the iPhone to new carriers, boost sales in Asia
Toni Sacconaghi of Sanford Bernstein said the Apple iPhone is enjoying wide-spread acceptance in Asia that is “on par with the U.S. in some cases.”
Recent figures from IDC suggest that 12% of all cell phones sold in Japan are iPhones and South Korea’s KT confirmed earlier this week that it has sold two million iPhones since launching the handset in late 2009. Apple addressed this growing market during its recent earnings conference call and confirmed that sales in the Asia and Japan have doubled year over year.
Sacconaghi projected that Apple will take advantage of this momentum and expand to additional carriers in the Asian region.
Currently, the iPhone is sold exclusively by China Unicom in China, Softbank in Japan and KT in South Korea. Future carriers may include China Telecom, Japan’s KDDI and LG Telecom in South Korea. Combined, the three carriers have a subscriber base of 75 million and could help Apple sell an additional seven to eight million iPhones in 2011.
Interestingly enough, Sacconaghi did not include China Mobile in his list of potential future providers. China Mobile recently stated it was working with Apple on a TD-LTE version of the popular smartphone. Though these predictions are encouraging, they may not pan out as Apple recently said that production of the iPhone 4 is still constrained when compared to global demand.
Analyst: Apple to expand the iPhone to new carriers, boost sales in Asia originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Analyst: Apple to expand the iPhone to new carriers, boost sales in Asia originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple job posting suggests NFC capability for iPad, iPhone
Thanks to Apple’s job board, we may have more evidence that a future version of the iPhone and iPad may include Near Field Communication technology. A recent job listing is seeking a HW test engineer with experience in embedded systems and knowledge of various technologies including RFID. Engadget notes that the listing was changed in the past 24 hours and the RFID in the job listing has ben replaced with RF.
Another recent job listing is seeking a manager for a global payment platform. Each individual will “contribute to the analysis and development of new payment types and processes for the various business units” which include iTunes, the online Apple store and Apple retail stores. The listing does not explicitly mention NFC, but one payment type new to the U.S. and gaining momentum is NFC.
After lagging behind areas like Japan where NFC technology is ubiquitous, mobile payments using Near Field Communication is poised to take off here in the U.S. Three of four of the major wireless carriers, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless, are banding together to form a venture named Isis. Isis will be a nationwide commercial network that permits mobile payments via NFC-enable smarpthones and Discover’s payment infrastructure. To compete with this carrier-driven endeavor, Apple could establish its own payment network that uses iOS devices and your iTunes account to make wireless purchases. Apple could turn the growing mobile payments market upside down if they could implement such a system on a large scale.
[Via Engadget, AppleInsider]
Apple job posting suggests NFC capability for iPad, iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple job posting suggests NFC capability for iPad, iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Geolocation app appeals to your inner good samaritan, makes you an amateur EMT
When you go into cardiac arrest, you’ve got about ten minutes to live if you don’t receive medical attention, and the average emergency response time is seven minutes after you dial 911. In an effort to get folks help more quickly and leverage the iPhone’s life saving abilities, the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District in California has created the FireDepartment app to enlist the help of the citizenry in fighting the (unfortunate) results of a lifetime of eating tacos. The iPhone app — Android and BlackBerry versions are currently in the works — allows emergency dispatchers to notify users via text of a nearby crisis. For those feeling heroic, the app displays a map with the victim’s location and any nearby automatic electronic defibrillators, and provides “resuscitation reminders” in case you’re the CPR teddy-toting type. For now, the service only works in San Ramon but there are plans to port it for use elsewhere. That means we can look forward to a nation of amateur EMTs, which makes us thankful that mouth-to-mouth is no longer a part of CPR. Check the video after the break to see the app in action.
Continue reading Geolocation app appeals to your inner good samaritan, makes you an amateur EMT
Geolocation app appeals to your inner good samaritan, makes you an amateur EMT originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.