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Posts tagged with "iPhone"

NFC Technology In iPhones Could Also Enable Remote Computing

According to a source of Cult of Mac, Apple is planning to use Near Field Communication (NFC) not just as a method for retail payment services but also to turn an iPhone into a pseudo-ID tag for remote login. According to Cult of Mac:

…when a NFC-equipped iPhone is paired with a guest machine, part of the user’s profile includes the apps they’ve purchased through the Mac App Store. The icons for their apps appear on the remote Mac, but aren’t downloaded, our source said.

Once the guest machine is logged into; users would be able to open any of their apps, which would download on demand, although presumably only those from the Mac App Store. Documents too could be accessed and synced using MobileMe from anywhere using this remote login system and once a user leaves, the Mac would wipe any documents and applications.

As MacRumors points out, it is similar to the once promised feature of ‘Home on iPod’ that would have allowed OS X Panther users to sync their Home directory on to an iPod for easy document storage regardless of where you were. Cult of Mac claims that this new feature is currently being developed in OS X Lion but their source stresses that it isn’t guaranteed to become public.

[Via Cult of Mac]

#MacStoriesDeals - Thursday

Happy St. Paddy’s Day all over the world and Happy National Unity Day in Italy! Here are today’s deals on iOS, Mac, and Mac App Store apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em while they’re hot!

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New “If You Don’t Have An iPhone” Ads Feature Apple’s Three E-Commerce Stores

Apple has today added three new adverts for the iPhone to their website and YouTube which have the general theme of “If you don’t have an iPhone” and what you miss out on. The three specific features that the ad’s highlight are the App Store, iPod + iTunes and iBooks which highlight Apple’s strong integration between the iPhone and their three e-commerce stores.

Jump the break to watch the three 30 second ad’s which also all finish with the “Yup, if you don’t have an iPhone, well, you don’t have an iPhone.” phrase - which in typical Apple style is a little self-congratulatory (which you either like or dislike).

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WordPress for iOS Updated, Quashes Bugs and Improves UI

The WordPress iPhone and iPad app just got updated to version 2.7 and it’s a big bug-quashing update that supposedly fixes 117 bugs to vastly improve performance and reduce crashes.

UI has also been retooled with the ‘Post Editor’ interface improved to “make it easier to write and edit posts and pages” with quick access to edit post settings, view attachments and add media. Finally multiple attatchments can be added simultaneously, you can use the “pull down to refresh” feature to quickly update comments, posts and page lists and email and URLs left in comments are now able to be clicked on.

[Via WordPress Blog]

Labelbox Prettifies Your Photos, For Free

Labelbox, a free iPhone app by Stepcase, has been quickly climbing up the App Store charts lately thanks to a neat functionality that enables you to apply colored tapes to your photos to make them prettier, and share them online with your friends.

Labelbox is free, but doesn’t have any sort of ads and comes with a polished interface to edit your photos. Once you’ve loaded a photo from the camera roll, or shot a new one directly within the app, you’ll be able to swipe on it to apply a “tape” that can also contains a written description with a custom font. So, say you want to add some style to your photos or a few words to better describe the subject, Labelbox has got you covered. You can choose from a variety of colored tapes (some are really cute), and even mix them to create a “frame” to place around your photo. To remove a tape you simply have to tap & hold, but you can shake your iPhone to clear the whole screen.

You can share your photo creations to Twitter, Facebook and tumblr through the Step.ly network. The best results are achieved when you combine the filters offered by an app like Instagram with the colored tapes of Labelbox.

The app is a free download in the App Store.

FileMaker’s Bento for Mac Updated to Version 4; iOS Version Updated

Filemaker has released Bento 4 for Mac today, and it’s a major update to the previous version of their popular personal database software. It’s also now available via Apple’s Mac App Store, a first for Bento. It will cost you $49 but if you own a previous version, they will give you a $20 rebate. If you want a ‘family pack’ with 5 licenses, they offer a $99 version of Bento.

New features to Bento 4 include the ability to print labels using Avery and Dymo file formats. Sharing databases is easier with this version as well; the user can export the app’s libraries that are populated with data for other Bento users.

You can also upload a database template to the ‘Bento Template Exchange’ that has over 800 free downloadable templates to use. Bento has also added the ability to use geographical location data, grabbed through Wi-Fi, GPS or cell tower triangulation.

Another new feature adds the ability to lock forms to prevent unnecessary changes from being made to your layout. Improved performance and faster launch times have also been added, along with an easier way to switch from Table to Form view.

Bento for iOS was also updated to version 1.1. Changes include the ability to record voice memos, and sync iCal tasks (when paired with Mac). Multitasking support and better image support for retina displays are also included; here’s the link.

If you want to buy Bento 4 from somewhere other than the Mac App Store, you can always visit an Apple Retail Store or buy it directly from Filemaker’s website.

[via The Loop]

Photoshop Express For iOS Updated To 2.0, Adds Enhanced Camera Features

Adobe’s Photoshop Express

for iPhone and iPad has today been updated to version 2.0 and it brings a few substantial, and much needed improvements, to the mobile photo editing app. Perhaps of most importance is the addition of full Retina display support and multi-tasking support, which is a feature that all apps really should have had a few months ago.

Also included in the update is a new camera workflow for what they describe as “rapid in-app photo-taking” but in addition to that is the inclusion of a $4.99 in-app purchase for an ‘Adobe Camera Pack’. This pack improves upon the apps in-built camera functions by adding the features of reducing noise, self-timer and auto reviewing functions.

The app remains free and the 2.0 update can downloaded now, but to get the Adobe Camera Pack you’ll need to fork out the cash for that in-app purchase.

[Via The Loop]

Now On Your iPhone, SyncPad Marks PDFs From Your Pocket & Dropbox

SyncPad for iPhone

SyncPad for iPhone

Just like iPad version we reviewed back in January, SyncPad brings the collaborative whiteboard to your pocket with a spiffy iPhone version that includes recently added Dropbox support. If you’re not familiar with SyncPad, you can mark images and PDFs over the web by simply creating a free private room where you can upload your presentation materials from your library, or from Dropbox. You can also save the final results of your presentation as an e-mail attachment, or upload it to any folder of your choice in Dropbox (no default folders here). You’re given a variety of highlighters to work with from blue, red, green, and black which can be resized and erased as you dot about striking through lines of text or drawing silly images. It’s $4.99 in the App Store, and don’t forget to have your constituents download the free reader for viewing your presentations on the iPad.