May 17 2010
Kindle for iPhone: Get the Lowdown on the Kindle iPhone App
Amazon has outdone itself again. Just within days of launching the Kindle 2, Amazon also released its new Kindle iPhone app and sent iPhone users scrambling to download the free app and trying it out. The verdict? iPhone owners have been impressed enough that many of them have jumped on the Kindle bandwagon and have purchased one themselves.
How exactly does this Kindle iPhone app work? For starters, it’s like having an extension of your Kindle with you wherever you go. If you’re one of those who think that reading the Kindle even while waiting in lines or taking subway rides is a bit overdoing it, then the iPhone app is the answer to your reading dilemma. Take the iPhone with you anywhere and take advantage of short bursts of reading your Kindle books whenever you have some free time.
Applicable for both the iPhone and iPod touch, the Kindle for iPhone app has even taken the effort to make reading from the iPhone a pleasant experience. Given that the iPhone is a compact device, the readability is still great with 5 font sizes to choose from. Plus, going through pages is easily done with just a mere swipe of the screen right to left, or back. For bookmarking pages, finding the table of contents, going to the beginning or a specific location, and looking at the image cover, a couple of taps is all it takes as well.
Accessing all your Kindle books even without the Kindle around is also possible with the Kindle iPhone app. Just log-in to your Amazon account and download any of your books stored there straight to your iPhone. Even better, you can continue to read right where you left off from either device, thanks to Kindle’s Whispersync technology. Make sure to sync your Amazon Kindle or iPhone before leaving and either one of them will automatically go to the last page read when you resume reading.
Another great thing about the Kindle iPhone app is that it gives the reader a full-color version of the images from its LCD screen, as opposed to the Kindle’s shades of gray. What it cannot do however, is permanently replace the Kindle as the choice reading device. While the iPhone acts as a perfect foil to the Kindle, the latter’s e-paper technology, wide screen, and superior readability is still the best device for hours of nonstop reading.
However exciting the new Kindle for iPhone may be, it still has a few downsides. First, buying books from Amazon or even just browsing available titles directly through the app is not yet possible. Moreover, the Kindle iPhone app is currently exclusive for ebooks and not for newspapers and magazines as yet. And one more thing, the dictionary feature is not available yet on the Kindle for iPhone app. These are minor drawbacks though, and with the way things are going with the Kindle, these features are surely not far off.
See the Kindle iPhone App in action and then be sure to read the full Amazon Kindle 2.0 review here.
May 12 2010
loan shark app for the iphone 3g
this is a handy app that lets you calculate what you would actually pay on a loan. Handy because I’m looking to consolidate my debt and it showed me how much I will save. 10 out of ten. middleeye.blogspot.com
Feb 13 2010
New App Store for Livescribe Smartpen Applications
If you have never heard before about the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, it is an amazing gadget that allows you to record your notes two ways – by creating digital copies of everything you write by hand and recording what it has been said at the same time. What makes it even more useful is that it links the two together, so you can quickly access audio by tapping parts of your notes. You can also upload everything to your computer (MAC or PC) where the Livescribe Desktop software archives and makes your notes fully searchable and also sharable with your audience as Pencasts.
And that’s not all! Livescribe has just opened a new app store where you can purchase or download for free, additional applications like a calculators, translators, games and even a piano or a guitar with which you can make music on paper. Currently, there are about 30 applications available for Education, Games, Music, Entertainment, Utilities, Reference, Travel, Productivity and Sport. Prices vary, but are quite low, most of the apps can be purchased for $0.99 or a few dollars.
The app store model is very similar to the iPhone App Store and provides developers with excellent opportunities to earn extra cash. Revenue Share is 65% to developer and 35% to Livescribe.
To find out more about the LiveScribe smartpen and their new app store watch the video reviews at SmartPen.tv.
Click here for the full article with app store video demonstration.
Pencasts, Smartpen Resources , Reviews, Videos, Tips and Advice at Pencaster.com
Smartpens Reviews, Tips and Resources at SmartPen.tv
Feb 9 2010
Frogger iPhone App
The game of Frogger brings back memories for people in their forties. The game was such a classic it was even on an episode of Seinfeld. Who could forget George Costanza wheeling the Frogger across the street trying to save his high game, moving in and out of traffic just like Frogger himself, only to have the game smashed up by a Mac truck. Now Frogger has become a favorite of people of all ages again thanks to the iPhone.
Developed by Konami Digital Entertainment, who are also known for games like Silent Hill and Pro Evolution Soccer, Frogger is a game produced in 1981 that many first started playing in the arcade and then in their homes. It has remained popular and you will find Frogger games on various websites throughout the internet even today.The Frogger iPhone app means you can now play wherever you go.
The game was originally going to be called “Highway Crossing Frog” but Sega didn’t feel like this name upheld the nature of the game and decided to change the name to Frogger. Now the name of this game has pretty much become a household name. There is not many people you run into that can honestly say they have never heard of Frogger.
Frogger as an iPhone application is a brilliant idea and apparently a pretty popular one. Frogger ranks as the no. 8 most downloaded app in the iPhone app store. There have been many reviewers who stated that the quality of the iPhone app was outstanding and gameplay compares to the original. While the graphics seem to be improved some reviewers still seem to crave the possibility of being able to change the game screen to the 1980′s retro look of the original Frogger.
From the 1980′s until now, Frogger seems to have stood the test of time in the video game entertainment industry. From the arcade to the playstation, and now from the computer to the iPhone who ever thought that a little green frog jumping in and out of traffic would still be popular a quarter of a century later. Now thanks to the Apple iPhone you can play this classic arcade game wherever you are and wherever you go.
Read a more in-depth review of the Frogger iPhone app here. For more information on the best iPhone apps or to read more reviews of iPhone apps visit AppCraver today. AppCraver is dedicated to iPhone apps, news, reviews and interviews with iPhone application developers.
Feb 6 2010
Intels App Store for Atom Netbooks
If you have an Atom based netbook, Intel has something nice in store for you! Soon there will be an iPhone App Store like store for netbooks as well.If you have an Atom based netbook, Intel has something nice in store for you! Soon there will be an iPhone App Store like store for netbooks as well.
Intel has started accepting entires from developers for its upcoming application store. There you will find a collection of free and paid applications, and netbook users will be able to download software with ease.
One of the best things to come of this will be that the software will be comparitively safer, since it will go through Intel’s review process. You can then rest assured that any appliaction you download will not be laced with malware.
Since the applications are being designed specifically for low powered netbook Computers, they are sure to run better on them, since developers will already be aware of the constraints within which they have to work.
The licensing and updates of such application will also be centrally managed making it easier for you to focus on using them rather than updating them or conifuring licenses.
All the usual advantages that you find on stores like the iPhone App Store and Nokia Ovi store will also be presenr. Such as being able to browse popular and highly rated applications, and being able to view the comments from other users.
Intel will have the application store for both their own Moblin Linux, and Windows.
If you have an Atom based netbook, Intel has something nice in store for you! Soon there will be an iPhone App Store like store for netbooks as well.
John Wells provides you the best and latest information on LCD TVs and Free Download Software . he suggest you log on to http://www.thinkdigit.com
Feb 4 2010
Reading with Children… on Your iPhone (iPhone Apps That Teach Reading Skills)
I picked up an iPhone almost as soon as they came out, because I’m a geek like that. It was a while before I started exploring all the iPhone applications you can download though. These are little programs that can help you with daily tasks, everything from keeping track of sports scores to playing games to reading with your children. Yup, you can use your iPhone to teach your kids how to read!
While a computer gadget probably isn’t going to replace all the traditional books and tools designed to make reading with children fun and educational, an iPhone certainly has the convenience factor. When you’re stuck somewhere without a pile of activities for your child, you’ll likely at least have your cell phone handy.
iPhone apps don’t cost a lot either. They can be anywhere from free (my favorite) to a few dollars. Often there’s a free-to-try kind of version with some basic features, and then you can upgrade for more advanced features. You can search for apps in the iTunes store.
Now let’s look at some that are specifically designed to help you teach your kids to read.
ABC Pocket Phonics
This inexpensive ($2) iPhone app has received several awards, plus a number of favorable reviews on iTunes. The primer helps children sound out letters, gives them the opportunity to practice writing, and teaches 170 simple “first words” in an enjoyable, game-like style.
First Word Animals
If it’s time to teach your children what cats and dogs are (and how to spell them), then this game could be a fun way to do it. The app is designed to develop fine motor skills, teach children to recognize and match letters, teach the names of letters, and show how to spell basic words. The illustrated animals (which make the appropriate animal sounds) help make the learning fun.
If your children have already mastered letters and basic reading skills, you may want to check into some of the picture book iPhone apps. These basically turn your cell phone into an e-reader, allowing you to take numerous stories along to entertain the kids without requiring a backpack for carrying books.
There are several children’s books in the iPhone apps store (again, prices are reasonable, ranging from free to a couple of dollars). Here are a couple you can check out:
Sesame Street
Yup, the folks who have been bringing us the children’s television show for decades are on your iPhone, too. The organization offers a number of original picture-book stories you can download for your children. Just look up Sesame Street in iTunes.
KidsReader
This is an ebook reading program designed for children, and it comes preloaded with a full-length, illustrated kid’s story (The Toy King). The developer promises updates with more stories to come.
As you can see, between ebooks and educational games, there are a number of ways iPhone apps can help you get your children reading. Just head to the “App Store” in iTunes to find these titles as well as lots of others.
The author is a book-lover, computer nerd, and writer. Check out her children’s short stories (written for middle grade readers and above) for some free reading fun.
Feb 1 2010
What are iPhone apps, how do they work and how can they work for us?
In most regards, apps work pretty much like any other program. You can launch them by simply choosing their icon from the list on your phone. Once launched, however, you will begin to see the ways in which iPhone apps separate themselves from many of the programs you may already have on your computer or other smartphone.
Some apps offer the exact functions you would expect and probably already enjoy in other formats. Spreadsheet, typing and email clients are abundant on the iPhone and performance is typically more limited by the size of the screen than by any CPU or RAM limitations. Web surfing and instant messaging can also be handled by the app of your choice and there are many options for both product categories.
Due to the iPhone’s microphone, tilt sensors and touch screen, there are many apps that offer experiences that simply cannot be matched by any other device. One particular app, called Ocarina, makes brilliant use of the touch and microphone sensor on the iPhone. An ocarina is a flute like instrument that is played by blowing air and covering sound holes. On the iPhone, the sound holes are mimicked on the touch screen, and the microphone is able to sense air being blown at it. The result is a digital representation of an Ocarina that has seen great success in both sales and critical reception. Further illustrating the abilities of the iPhone, the Ocarina app also offers a feature where players can listen in on gameplay sessions from fellow Ocarina owners around the world. This kind of community experience has really changed people’s perceptions of iPhone apps and serves as an example of what the technology is capable of.
Whatever your need may be, there is likely an app that can help you address it. That said, many of the best iPhone apps are merely for entertainment and serve little actual purpose. There exists an app that visually simulates a broken screen on your iPhone. Why anyone would want such an app is questionable, but the value of having the option is very appealing to many iPhone owners. There is also an app that can identify any song playing on the radio simply by holding your iPhone up to a speaker.
If you are so inclined, you could head over to Apple’s iPhone app store and, within minutes be: giving yourself a breathalyzer test, waving a virtual lighter in the air, reading an e-book, playing a Sudoku puzzle, enjoying a game of Pac-Man, charting the route for your next car trip, purchasing airplane tickets or even watching your family pet through your home surveillance system.
We see that apps can not only make our lives easier, but can make our iPhone experience much richer and our travel through life all the more interesting. There are many thousands of iPhone apps, and more are being created and released every single day. With the only obvious limitation in these apps being the imaginations of the developers, it will take only time to see how apps will continue to shape our world and enhance our digital lifestyle.
Jefferson Spooner writes on behalf of AppsPatrol. He recommends you visit AppsPatrol for your iphone app reviews and iphone game reviews.