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No dish, no box. Sky television fits in your iPhone

Sky, the British subscription television channel is now in the iPhone, and oh boy, it works. First ones to get the treat where Xbox 360. From last week, O2 customers can install the service in form of an app that runs in your iDevice and allows you to stream your Sky content via WiFi. That's it: Tele in your pocket! The app has the not so creative name of "Sky Mobile TV News and Sports" and it is available only in the UK store

UPDATE I have included a massive picture gallery and a demo video for everyone to see loading times and how smooth it runs.

 

How's the app? Spartan. But works. With almost no flaw. The interface is kept to a minimum, a part to log in, the TV channel listing, what is currently played with a description, and of course, the killer feature: Live streaming of Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, Xtra, Sky Sports News, Sky News, At the races, and even ESPN. The app follows the line of other BSkyB apps in the store, that range from score center, news reporting and a remote Sky+ box recorder. 

Let me tell you about the video playback. The quality is up to the iPhone screen standard and under WiFi I noticed no lag and the image was super smooth (for an iDevice...). This runs better than Youtube for me, and the loading time is about 4 sec. Disregard iTunes reviews from people that don't know WiFi is required to stream content. 

The video controls include play and pause, with the possibility to go 30 seconds earlier in case you missed something. This ability to fast backwards and forward was very handy when watching a football game and wanted to se that tackle again. Then I can go back to real time. 

You don't need to be a current BSkyB customer, the application has it's separate subscription package. O2 is currently offering three months for free for early subscribers. Later on it will be at £6 per month. You can sign up for the service texting "Sky" to 2020. When you compare the costs of a Home subscription you can see how the deal is: Getting Sky at home won't be less than £16 per month. If you happen to be interested in their sports channels, you will need to chip in for the sports package. If you even want the Cricket, Rugby, and in my case the Spanish La Liga, you'll need to get the Xtra pack, that is among the high tier  ones, up to £36 per month. 

For me the only drawback will be the subscription based service and the channels available do not always stream. I do think that for the price being asked and quality delivered it is a steal. I get a bitter feeling about "Free apps will be always free", because this one is not. I haven't watched a full game yet on the iPhone, but I could if the battery could last 2 hours streaming. (That screenshot is from a NBA game on ESPN)

 

From the first 3 months trial offer, yes I love it. When this period is over, let's see if they make any change or add more channels. For me this is getting closer to sci-fi. I'm tired of being told how Japanese and Koreans watch TV on the phone. Now we can in the UK. If only worked under 3G... I have included a massive picture gallery and a demo video for everyone to see loading times and how smooth it runs.

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Posted 3 months ago

Cookmate for iPhone - Exclusive Video Preview

via youtube.com

Hands on Cookmate. Can this be the biggest innovation in modern cooking? Have a look yourself.

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Posted 3 months ago

Apps on TV - Big Bang Theory mentions Doodle Jump

via youtube.com

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Posted 3 months ago

Reeder - Sweet RSS reader to sync, save and manage them all

Reeder is the new RSS feed reader from Silvio Rizzi. There are many good applications that offer Google Reader syncronisation, but is Reeder app to standard? Is Reeder just an aesthetic mimic or does its functionalities rock? Or what is more important... can Reeder beat established top apps in this category? For the last three weeks I have been testing Reeder and have provided feedback during the last step of development. This is my review of Reeder.

 

Reeder uses Google Reader to download and sync your feeds. That of course includes notes and other attributes you want to add (notes, sharing,... ). After setting up your Reader account, you'll be welcomed to the main screen that shows your "Unread count". It took me a while to get it, but the circle symbol means unread. With the star icon, Reeder jumps to your starred items.

 

Reeder breaks down all your feeds and present them in different tabs that I find very useful: Unread, Starred and Notes. After that you will have the Feed list that contains unread items, followed by the groups you have setup in your Google Reader. 

 

 

The feed view presents the articles as you would expect. The unread ones will be in bold and you will get the first two lines of it in there. Favicons are supported and are featured in lists and menubar. The tick button will mark all items read, nice, and combining this tool with folders can be really handy.  So far, nothing new. 

 

 

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the feed item. Media included is displayed and fully playable. Good news. The presentation is useful and doesn't clash with the look of the app, since pictures are framed and Youtube links have a small preview box. The title is framed in a bubble and users can access the web article tapping on it.

 

The social aspect of Reeder was considered and Silvio added more and  more sharing services to the app in the last weeks. You can bookmark with del.ici.ous, save for later with Instapaper and ReadItLater and the option to mail as a link or the full thing. I must confess that I have posted to Posterous  thorugh the email article feature and it was neat and kept all the formatting. 

Aesthetically is very polished. One of the nicest touches is the "Sync bar" that actually blends with the UI sitting where the operator and battery icon are. The icon is simple and predictable but neat. I guess Silvio didn't want to take risks there but it gives an idea of RSS feed, folder, and favourites for the star. I have to admit that I was sold with the texturing of the menubars, it is not simple back, and the backgrounds, texts, links, and whole creamy look I find it superb. 

If you want to get the best of Reeder, go to the settings section and tune it to your likes. I realised that the app was snappier if I only sync unread items, since I have ridiculous loads (600-1000) of them to read. If you need the unread count icon badge, you'll find it there. I also have chosen to never keep read items with a small font size for better results. 

From my point of view, Reeder has to fight its right to be up there with Mobile RSS and Byline, but it is definitely a great app that would be perfect with Twitter and Facebook integration. 

via youtube.com

UPDATE

I'm giving away promo codes for this app. You only need to follow appfreak and leave a comment here suggesting your favourite RSS feed about iPhone and iPod Touch apps and games. I'll choose two winners on Sunday, so make sure you leave your entry here. 

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Filed under  //  app   appstore   giveaway   iphone   review   youtube  
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Posted 3 months ago

5 Tips for new Megacorp employees


Now that we are all playing Eliminate Pro, it is time to share some tips from the expert gamers at TouchArcade. There are 5 things that you should consider to progress faster in your career.

  1. Use Auto-Fire: A day at Arsenal Megacorp is tiring for your thumbs. Make sure the Auto-fire mode in your weapon is activated and don't stop firing.
  2. Mind your back: Cover your back when possible and stop wasting time looking who is behind you. Unlike other first person shooters, walking backwards is not a good idea. With three other employees in the room, you'd better watch out. 
  3. Know your workplace: With 5 different facilities, take your time playing with bots or to get familiar with all the areas. Know where players appear, power ups, dangerous spots, shortcuts,...
  4. Upgrade for performance: Choose one armour and one weapon and stick with them. Upgrade them to the maximum. The you can change. Don't spend credits in irrelevant features that won't help you at work. Focus on performance.
  5. In the head hurts a lot: Aim for the head for best results. Try to anticipate the movements of the other players and surprise them in their faces. Beware of the kangaroos. 

The waiting periods while your suit recharges are a great moment to practice new tactics and to make friends. If you use twitter and have not registered in the Megacorp Workers Union, what are you waiting for? Join the "Prepare to be Eliminated" list to meet new employees around the world. 

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Filed under  //  app   appstore   fun   games   howto   iphone  
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Posted 4 months ago

iPhone Hints: Lock picture orientation in Photos - Macworld

Here’s a problem you’ve probably encountered while trying to show someone else a picture in the iPhone’s Photos app. As you pass the phone around, the accelerometer keeps flipping the image from portrait to landscape to upside-down landscape and back again. Annoying, right?

As it turns out, there’s an easy way to fix this (at least on iPhone 3.1.2, which I'm running): just tap and hold on the image for a second or two and the phone will lock it into position. This might cause a “Copy” bubble to pop up, but it will disappear after a moment, and the image will retained locked, no matter which way you flip the phone. To unlock it, just tap the image again and you’re done.

via macworld.com

I only get to know this now after using the iPhone for two years now. You see, there was no app for that.

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Posted 4 months ago

RunKeeper Pro Advanced Options video walkthrough - appfreakblog

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RunKeeper app helps you to track your sports activity, allowing you to record the speed and distance of your workout. This video covers the advanced features included in the Pro paid version: Custom workouts, audio cues and advanced music playback.

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Posted 4 months ago

RunKeeper - Marriage of sport and geekiness in your iPhone

via flickr.com

If you practise any sport and have an iPod or iPhone I'm sure you have heard of Nike+ before. Back in 2003 Apple and Nike partnered to launch what at the time seemed like science fiction. A device, well, more of an ipod add-on and a sensor in your running trainers, that helped you to track your activity: Back then it was hugely innovative to have the distance run, pace and they even released celebrity workouts and music tracks to complement it. With time the service went social and users could share their goals with others. 

 

Sounds good so far, but why is this article about RunKeeper and not Nike+? Nike and Apple made sure they would both get a fair part of the cake, selling the ipod receiver, shoe sensor and most notably, Nike running equipment that would fit the sensor clothes with pockets designed to fit an iPod nano. This makes a great business plan, but for the average guy like me it means spending at least 50$ to get started. 

Innovate or die. RunKeeeper's founders in Boston where aware of this circumstance and created an iPhone app that would allow you to do the same, but without needing to spend any extra penny in Nike equipment. 

 

 

 

I have been using the RunKeeper application (both paid and free) for over a month now and I'm more than happy with it. Without using the running sensor, RunKeeper relies on GPS capabilities of the iPhone 3G and 3GS. This is the story of the indie devs that hurt bad the big boys from Oregon.

Using RunKeeper is not rocket science. A big thumbs up to the devs for coming up with a minimalist interface that works. Anything easier that "Start" and "Pause" buttons? When you open the app, RunKeeper welcomes you with the "Track Run" screen. This will be used to display in real time your stats for the session including Time, Distance and Pace. It adds a bar chart representing your speed in a timeline as well, so you can easily see how you're doing without even looking at the numbers. Every bar can be selected independently to give you the info about that specific part of your workout. So far so good. 

It doesn't stop there. RunKeeper can be set up for any sport activity (try using Nike+ cycling Armstrong!). From walking to... snowboarding. Try to think about it not like a hardcore sportsperson app. Walk the dog for 15 minutes and listen to your playlist with RunKeeper. When you get home you can access via web on your PC all the stats of your walk and even a map with your track. How cool is that. This app is very versatile and only for that it outruns (no pun intended) the Nike option. 

 

There are a few differences between the paid and the free app. One of them is certainly not a lite badge in the app icon. Both icons are the same. The paid version is featured with some very nice, and for me essential, touches. If you go for Pro, a female voice will tell you how you are doing in your workout. You can set up the app to give you audio updates on your stats. Pro's can create and edit their own workout plans: Start warming up, starting running slow, continuing with two minutes steady run, next minute slowing down,... you get the idea. The combination of custom workouts and audio cues is pretty sweet. 

My only criticism to this app is that, since the iPhone doesn't support multitasking, you won't be able to use any other app during your training. Not even calls. That is quite a bummer and there is obviously and technical problem that the FitnessKeeper engineers have tried to solve as they could. If you get a call, the activity will be paused, but the time won't. Forget about using the iPod, RunKeeper will be paused. Perhaps my wish would be some sort of music controls or a better ipod integration. I think there is room for that. Don't trust the one star reviews in iTunes from people with an iPod touch or iPhone with no GPS.

Overall, RunKeeper is highly recommended. The Lite version is a must in every iPhone with GPS capabilities. For an extra £6 you can access the full potential of the app. And the VoiceOver playback is futuristic cool and turns your workout into something you look forward to. This is what this is all about, isn't it?

UPDATE 2nd Nov:
- Jason the founder of RunKeeper has mentioned in the comments how to use iPod controls with the app. You can either start your music and then launch RunKeeper. The music will continue playing. I prefer to use a pre-existing playlist and use the earbuds control to change volume, pause and skip songs. 
In the Pro version it looks like this:

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Filed under  //  analysis   app   appstore   howto   iphone   review   tips  
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Posted 4 months ago

Lala iPhone App Is Almost There : Video Preview « : App Advice

via appadvice.com

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Posted 4 months ago

Captain America & CO come to 3 iPhone apps

Some might still be overexcited about the latest ode to comics on electronic devices seen in in the last ComiCon. Others will be thinking about Apple's tablet. But sometimes it just happens.

Macworld reports that 3 iPhone apps have has brought to the iPhone for the first time the Marvel collection. Panelfly, Comics and iVerse, the three licensed apps, allow search and preview (and purchasing) comics and graphic novels directly to their iDevice. 

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Posted 4 months ago