Twittelator Neue Review: Anyone who spends any amount of time with Twitter Apps on a iOS device is bound to have come across the name Twittelator before through their various incarnations of their Twittelator apps. Now though they have a new bow to their quiver with the introduction of Twitterlator Neue for the iPhone.
Setting up your account is as simple as entering your Twitter username and password and within seconds you’ve be seeing your timeline in Twittelator Neue clean, clear and fast interface.
The main timeline flows beautifully up and down the screen in both vertically and horizontally and also includes some simple, subtle yet effective animations when you refresh your timeline or fully load the inline displayed pictures, yes, that’s right, inline displayed photos.
This is one of the best features of the application. Any tweet that includes a picture will display a slice of the image below it. This image will also scroll as the timeline scrolls and then by tapping it the image will open up full screen, it works great.
You can also turn on a feature where the profile image of all the Twitter ‘celebrities’ will also show in the same way, however if you follow a lot of them it will bet very repetitive and unnecessary.
The other great feature, that in my opinion every Twitter app should include, is the inclusion of Tweet Marker which lets you synchronise your timeline between devices. This is invaluable if you use Twitter across multiple devices, as long as all the apps use Tweet Marker of course!
Scrolling between your Timeline, Direct Messages, Mentions is just a swipe away as they appear as multiple panels that you can slide between. You can also add additional panels to your time line such as Searches or Lists and swipe between those too.
All the normal features are included including the ability to post to multiple Twitter accounts at the same time and Facebook but it’s the small things that really impress me about this app such as the subtle sounds as you navigate around and the animations that give this app a real professional feel to it.
Unfortunately for me at least there is one major omission from this app that will probably prevent it from being my goto Twitter application and that’s push notifications. For me these are a requirement, I want to know immediately I’m responded to or I receive a Direct Message and so without that I’m always going to have to keep a Twitter app on my iPhone that provides that.
With all that said though I won’t be deleting Twitterlator Neue from my iPhone, it’s speed, sleek design and in-line pictures make it just to good to give up.
If you want to find out more you can head over to www.twittelator.com to watch a video of the app or get it from the App Store here for just $1.99.
What we like:
What to know:
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Tweet Speaker Review: Twitter is taking over the world, and if not the world then certainly some people’s worlds, me included! But while I’m never too far away from my Twitter stream there are times when I have my hands full, when I’m driving or doing housework for example. Well now there is a viable solution to this issue in the form of Tweet Speaker from App Cubby.
Tweet Speaker is very simple, it simply reads your Twitter stream to you. Starting off you need to sign into your Twitter account, it also handles multiple accounts, and you can then either choose your timeline, mentions or one of your Twitter lists, with one of those options selected the Tweets will be loaded and you then have multiple options.
If you like you can simply read your Tweets, scrolling left and right, you also have the ability to reply, favorite and retweet. The main feature however is activated via the Play button at the bottom of the screen. Pressing that button launches the app into action and the Stephen Hawking like voice will start reading your tweets to you. It’s a little odd to hear it to begin with and the translation is not always on the money. If you are finding it difficult to understand the voice you can slow it down, or speed it up, as appropriate.
The voice will include the name of the person that is tweeting, recognizes re-tweets, replies and links which puts everything in context, it works well and can be very funny hearing your tweets read out to you, especially when it gets some of the pronunciations wrong!
The app will also output to Apple TV if you want your tweets spoken out-loud to everyone and the final option is to choose a different voice. Unfortunately there are no other voices to choose from at present but the fact that the app is ready to accommodate them is a great sign.
Tweet Speaker supports Tweet Marker too so if you utilize this feature as I do via Tweetbot and Twitteriffic then this is a great addition to ensure that you don’t have to re-read, or in this case listen to, tweets that you’ve read before.
When you initially launch the app and haven’t registered your Twitter account yet you can access a News stream of the latest breaking news which is nice, however this is not accessible once you’ve registered your account. It would be nice to be able to access other people’s public lists, timelines and trending topics. The other option I’d like to see is the ability to have it automatically read your tweets when new ones arrive, at present you have to manually refresh and hit play again.
Overall though Tweet Speaker is a great app that presents your Tweets in a new and unique way and I can’t wait to see what new features and voices are provided with future updates.
Tweet Speaker is available in the App Store now for the iPhone at just $1.99.
What we like:
What to know:
1. Tweetbot – A beautiful and well designed app for accessing your Twitter account. Check your timeline, mentions and dm’s. You can send tweets, send photos and videos too. If you use lists then you can add them in your main timeline section or use the bar at the bottom. The app allows you to save drafts and add locations to your tweets. It doesn’t have all the features that some of the other Twitter clients have but it is a very worth-while app to try out. The UI and sound effects are great and makes your twitter experience a great one!
2. TwitGlitch – If you are a little addicted to Twitter or just use your Twitter account professionally then this app is ideal for you. TwitGlitch will keep you informed of the status information for Twitter and when clicking further into the app it will tell you the cause of the latest ‘fail whale’. You can also view past history and it will tell you the time and date of disruption. The app will also inform you of any official annoucements and the Twitter accounts latest tweets. Within the app you can add your own Twitter account to track your rate limit. A great app for keeping you up to date on all things Twitter!
3. qTweetings – This app is perfect to use when you are on the go but want to keep all your friends on Twitter and Facebook updated. It does one thing, post your Twitter and Facebook updates. You can post photos and videos as well and even schedule your tweets to a set time. There is an option to your follow list as well should you wish to reply or send a message to one of your friends.You can even tweet music you are currently listening to. A great way to Tweet whilst out and about.
4. Trickle – Another Twitter client but this one is rather unique. If you are busy at work or doing something that prevents you from loading and reading your main Twitter client then Trickle is for you. You can simply load it up pop it in your dock at your desk and watch your tweets flow on the screen one tweet at a time. It displays all your timelines tweets covering the whole of your screen for easy reading. You can also retweet and favourite tweets within the app and add multiple user accounts.
5. Birdbrain – Keep up to date with all of your Twitter Statistics. It keeps you updated with a list of all the latest in your followers. Find out who unfollowed you or who’s started following you. It keeps a count of all your mentions and all the tweets you send out. The app also shows you a new list you have been added to, your tweets retweeted and by whom.
6. DMs – The last in the selection of Twitter apps and another app that is great to work alongside your current twitter client. DM’s is great for managing all your DM’s efficiently. You can list all your friends into set groups for easier access or just view them in one long list. If you like keeping your messages, well you can keep them here for as long as you like. You can star important messages, write notes for users and search for old messages. This app almost feels like an instant messaging app but working with your DMs. A must have app for all twitter users.
7. Instagram – A fun way to capture and share your photos on your iPhone. Choose from several filters and tilt-shift effects, add a comment and simply post. This is a great social app. You post your photos to Instagram for all your friends to see. Other users can then follow you and you can follow back. There is an option to have your pictures private if you wish but part of the fun with this app is sharing for the world to see. You can post anything you like when out and about and you don’t have to be a professional photographer to make your pictures look great.
8.Viddy – Another fun sharing app with social tie-ins. This time it is all about the videos you capture. It works the same as Instagram, you simply capture a 15 second clip on your iPhone, choose a choice of filter and sound effects and then upload on to Viddy. Other users can then like and comment and you can follow other people and their daily videos.
9. Facebook – Just in case there is someone out there that doesn’t have this app I thought it was worth a mention. The official Facebook app for managing your Facebook account. View your timeline, profile and private messages. You can also use the chat section within the app and view upcoming events and birthdays. Post your status updates easily and like or comment on all of your friends status updates.
10. Foursquare – A fun, social app to let all your friends know where you are and what you are up to. Foursqaure lets you ‘check-in’ to the place where you are. You can then add photos, comments and send to Twitter and Facebook. You can leave tips for users visiting the places you go to and on occasions certain check-in destinations offer discounts and freebies. As you go you collect badges and earn points to battle away against your friends.
11. FitFu – A fun app to use to get fit but with a great social feature. Start slowly doing the set exercises and unlocking them as you go. Each time you do any activity you earn points to help you level up. You can also add friends to motivate you and also earn points. You can visit your friends profiles to see what level they are at, what exercises they have done. A perfect app if you want to start exercising but need a little motivation from a few friends to get you started.
12. Boxcar – If you want to know as soon as you have a mention or DM on Twitter, or if someone just wrote on your Facebook wall then Boxcar is for you. It is a notification app that sends you alerts almost instantly when you get a message. When using with twitter it not only alerts you of your mentions and DMs but you can set it to notify you when you are retweeted, if someone favourites your tweets or if you have a new follower. It also works alongside many of the twitter apps already available. You can also set it up with your email, Google voice, Google buzz and any RSS feeds. Great to ensure you don’t miss any messages.
13. Colloquy – The IRC mac client on your iPhone, great when you are out and about. Supports multi-tasking and all the common IRC commands. There is also a built-in browser so you don’t have to leave the app. You can also set it up with Instapaper to read later any links you receive. The app stays connected for 10 minutes when you leave it and you can set it to alert you if it is going to disconnect. It is very easy to set up and get started and chatting.
14. PingChat! – A great chat application that works across several other platforms. Great for chatting individually and group chats. Instant messaging that is like texting but without having to give your phone number out. You can also share videos and photos. The app notifies you of any messages and it is all very easy to reply and send back to them. It also shows when a message is sent and read and you can see if they are typing a reply back. A great app to keep you always online and in contact with your friends.
15. LiveProfile – This is very similar to PingChat but with some slightly different feaures so we thought it was worth a mention. It works the same way, instant messaging to all your friends. Again when you send and receive it will notify you when it has been delivered. You are also able to let your friends know if you are available, busy or away and set a status update to let all your friends know what you are up to.
16. Skype – This is another well known service and a popular app but again one that is worth mentioning. The app enables you to voice call, video call and chat free to other Skype users. You can also purchase Skype credit to call other phones and text and lower rates. The app is great for using over wifi or 3G perfect for when you are out and about and can’t use Facetime or don’t have an iPhone 4.
17. IM+ Pro – A great all-in-one app for all your instant messaging sevices. You can use it with Skype, Gtalk, Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and Jabber! There is also a new feature called neighbours to connect with the people around you. You can locate friends on the map nearby and chat with them. The app also stays connected when you leave it and sends you push notifications. You can do group chat, view your twitter feeds and create your own status messages. There is even a built-in browser to surf the web. This is an excellant app that works well and perfect for those who have lots of different IM to log into.
18. Verbs – A beautiful, easy to use instant messaging app. This one is specifically for GTalk, AIM and Mobile Me. Chat with all your friends who use those services. It notifies you with alerts for any messages you receive and you can toggle your status from available to away. It also integrates Droplr and Cloudapp to enable you to send photos. You can also view downloaded text and documents from within the app. Update your status and let your friends know what you are up to. A lovely design and works very well.
19. Meet New People – A social networking app to meet people. An app that is used mainly for chatting and socializing and possibly leading to a date. Search around you or in an area you are wanting to meet someone. Very easy to use, just check out users profiles and then when asked whether you are interested say yes, maybe or no. You are able to see who looked at your profile and all the people that were interested in you to see if you want to chat with them. You chat privately to your friends. Very safe to use without giving out too much information.
20. WhatsApp Messenger – A cross-platform messenger service that works with your phones telephone number so no need for a PIN or user name. Instant messaging with push, use it just like you would when sending a SMS. You can also send videos and images and participate in group chat. The app is always on with no need to log off so feels just like the sms service. There is also the option to update a status to let your friends know what you are up to.
So these 20 apps cover a wide range of social networking apps available on the App Store. Which are your favourite apps? Let us know in the comments below.
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Tapbots popularly known for their iPhone app called Convertbot have been successful in creating buzz and excitement around their apps as they make their apps beautifully intuitive and unique in design.
On Wednesday, Tapbots released their latest app which is a Twitter client for iPhone and iPod touch called “Tweetbot – A Twitter Client with Personality”. The news about the release spread like wildfire among avid Twitter users and our timeline (@Touch_Reviews) was quickly populated with users praising the beautiful interface.
In less than 24 hours when we checked the top paid social networking app category on the App Store it was no surprise that Tweetbot was at number one position. So, we went ahead and compared the official app called ‘Twitter’ (Free) and Tweetbot ($1.99).
We compared the user interface and the features of both apps. Overall we felt that at its core Tweetbot is just like the official Twitter app but with exceptional design, unique implementation of gestures and smart use of space available.
So, should you pay $1.99 for an app when an equally powerful free version exists on the App Store? Read on and find out.
When you launch Tweetbot for iPhone you can instantly notice beautiful design elements which offers something different when compared with apps which provide native app experience on iOS. While the official client lets you browse trends or search for tweets before you login, in order to use Tweetbot you must first login or create an account. Twitter for iPhone will allow you to create an account within the app providing a native experience while Tweetbot will send you to twitter’s mobile site in an embedded browser to signup.
Both apps support multiple accounts and once you’ve set up your account you’ll begin to notice some major differences in the way you interact with the app.
Tweetie (now Twitter for iPhone) originally brought ‘release to refresh’ and swipe left on an update to reveal more options. Since, then we have seen these gestures in many apps on the App Store. Tweetbot have gone an extra mile here and added their own version of such smart gestures.
In the official app you swipe left or right to reveal options to retweet, reply, mark favorite, view user profile, attachment and more. In Tweetbot you tap on a particular tweet to reveal a ‘drawer’ with similar options but the developers didn’t just stop there. If you swipe to the right you will be able to view the conversation and if you swipe to the left you can view few related tweets, this works with mentions too.
Your timeline is packed with features so you can perform many actions without ever requiring to tap through different screens to finally do what you wanted to do. For example, just double tap a particular tweet in your timeline to activate links, tap and hold to reveal options to copy, email, translate or post link to tweet. There’s even a triple tap gesture which can be configured to instantly reply, retweet, favorite or translate. Even though it’s great to have more options and customize the behavior of the app with new gestures, in our initial testing ‘triple tap’ didn’t feel very intuitive as we felt it was easier to reveal the drawer and then select an option.
The double tap gesture activates links and opens the drawer with more options and this exposed one of Tweetbot’s weaknesses. If a particular tweet has a link and you just wanted to double tap to view ‘tweet detail’ then you need to be careful about where you are tapping. If you accidentally double tapped on a link (intending to just view tweet detail) then the app will misunderstand the gesture and open the URL instead. When a twitter app makes links active in a timeline it is bound to face this issue. I stopped using Twittelator Pro as I would often end up accidentally tapping on a link when I just wanted to view tweet detail. This is where the official app shines as it does not have any active links in the timeline and you must first tap to view tweet detail and then if interested view the URL mentioned.
We found that user profile is very well organized in Tweetbot when compared with Twitter for iPhone. It makes it absolutely easy to add new users to lists, view users public lists and also has a nice blue notification on the top which tells you if a particular user is following you or not.
Tweetbot provides 5 actions in the tab bar whereas Twitter for iPhone gives you 4 actions. This alone makes the app experience a whole lot better in Tweetbot. Not only you have more ‘visible’ options but you can also customize them by tapping and holding any one of the last two sections in the tab bar and select from retweets by others, search, favorites or lists.
We found composing a new tweet to be easier in Twitter for iPhone than in Tweetbot. The official app features handy shortcuts to access quick features like adding @ username, # tag and location was just a tap away. However, in Tweetbot you first have to tap on an option button which further reveals such basic functionality which should been accessible on the bar above the keyboard.
Another interesting observation we made was that when you want to reply to tweet with more than one users then Tweetbot will give you an option to either ‘reply to all’ or just ‘reply’. This is done more intuitively on the official app. When you hit reply it just mentions all the usernames in that particular tweet and highlights the second one so that you can quickly delete it in case you want to reply one person.
Both apps support saving of drafts but in the official app once you saved a draft you had to dig into the options to retrieve it but Tweetbot makes it a whole lot easier. When you are composing a new tweet the option button above the keyboard in Tweetbot allows you to quickly browse through your drafts and choose the one you wish to use. This makes draft management much more usable and efficient.
Direct Messages in Tweebot just like the official app appear in conversation view. Twitter for iPhone uses SMS composing UI for direct messages whereas Tweetbot uses a consistent user interface where you write a DM just like you compose a tweet.
When you want to send a new DM in Tweetbot you will see ‘Find People’ option which is strange since in the official version you can instantly search for your followers, pick one and send a DM. Whereas in Tweetbot you first type in the username or just the name in the search field, then tap search and then select the user you intended to DM. It was surprising to note that Tapbots didn’t implement a simpler user interface to DM a particular user.
If you use lists on Twitter to follow particular interests then you are going to love Tweetbot. The app makes it really easy to switch between your timeline with everyone you follow and replace it with any list you created. This really makes lists come alive and will also encourage users to make more lists as you can easily switch your timelines.
The app also allows you to choose preferred service for URL shortening, image/video uploading and Read It Later account.
We were very impressed with the overall design and thoughtful implementation of some of the core features of Twitter.
However, the app is still not perfect. Tweetbot does not feature push notifications whereas the official version which is a free app offers this feature. Tapbots say that you can configure push notifications via boxcar which is a free app but we feel notifications should be a part of the app rather than having the user download another app.
We didn’t find a way to delete direct messages and the ability to search nearby tweets. While it’s good to have gestures like swipe right to reveal conversation and swipe left to show related tweets, most of the times no results showed up for related tweets or conversation which in turn uses your API limit. So, instead of having a user guess this, there could be notification which indicates that a particular update has a related tweet or is a part of a conversation.
So, now we will try to answer the question which most of you probably wanted to ask right at the beginning. Is Tweetbot worth $1.99 when the official app is offered for free.
The answer to that question depends on how you plan to use a Twitter client for iPhone and what you expect from an iOS app.
If you prefer beautiful and colorful user interface with all the bells and whistles then your obvious choice would be Tweetbot. But, it doesn’t stop there. Tweetbot caters to all the needs of an avid Twitter user who wants access to smart gestures for quick access to basic functions. And then it also caters to more advanced users who maintain active lists and prefer their timelines being more organized.
On the other hand, if you just use Twitter for normal use and want to just focus on updating your timeline, reading follower updates then the official app is still a great option. It does feature some of the more advanced features but Tweetbot just does it more beautifully. However, if you can’t do without native support for push notifications and don’t use boxcar then the official client is a better option for you.
]]> https://touchreviews.net/comparison-between-tweetbot-twitter-iphone/feed/ 5Twitter for iPhone Version 3.0 can be considered as a major update as it has not just changed the name of the app (previously Tweetie 2) but brings many new features and the best part is that it’s Free!
When you launch the new app ‘Twitter’ you will notice that in-order to use it you don’t really need an account. Without signing in the app allows you to Search, Browse users, view trends and top tweets. This is a great feature which will help people who aren’t familiar with Twitter to learn about the popular microblogging service. Additionally, the app allows you to sign-up for a Twitter account within the application and supports Suggested user list too.
The loading time and performance of the app is very impressive,we tested the app with our account which has more than 5,000 followers and the app loaded within 3 seconds (fastest twitter app for iPhone!).
The ability to search your timeline, mentions and DM is also a great addition and will prove to be very useful if you are tracking an event or want to filter your tweets. You still can’t delete multiple DM’s at the same time and we hope that Twitter considers this as a future update.
Other Changes:
Overall we could notice minor user interface tweaks which gave the app the ‘original’ Twitter look.
Have you downloaded the new Twitter app? Let us know what you like and dislike about the app in the comments.
Price: Free (iTunes Store)
Updated: May 18, 2010
Current Version: 3.0
Size: 2.4 MB
Languages: English, Japanese
Seller: Twitter, Inc.
© 2010 Twitter, Inc.
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
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Luckily there is now an application to keep us going until the official facebook app is launched. Mashable reported today that the new app called ‘Sobees for facebook’ is designed for the iPad and its larger screen. The app uses similar features to the desktop version of facebook. Some of the available features are:
The app is free (iTunes Store) now until the end of May so it is an ideal time to go and try it. After looking at the app via Sobees website it certainly looks like it has a unique design. They described it as a newspaper-like interface and it certainly looks that way. It seems a great app to keep in touch with all your friends and family.
Sobees for facebook
Are you using Sobees for facebook? Do you like it? Let us know in the comments below.
[Mashable] ]]> https://touchreviews.net/sobees-facebook-ipad-app/feed/ 0Now we know why. Twitter has just bought Atebits, the company who makes Tweetie for the iPhone.
Tweetie will now be renamed as “Twitter for iPhone”, and Tweetie’s author, Loren Brichter, will be joining the Twitter company.
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve entered into an agreement with Atebits (aka Loren Brichter) to acquire Tweetie, a leading iPhone Twitter client. Tweetie will be renamed Twitter for iPhone and made free (currently $2.99) in the iTunes AppStore in the coming weeks. Loren will become a key member of our mobile team that is already having huge impact with device makers and service providers around the world.
Twitter also confirmed that an official “Twitter for iPad” app is coming.
It is also expected that Twitter will be rolling out new features for their messaging service via their new app in coming weeks..
What’s your favourite Twitter client on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad? If you are not using “Tweetie” already, will you switch to it now because it’s free, or because it’s the official Twitter app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments..
]]> https://touchreviews.net/twitter-for-iphone-ipad-tweetie-free/feed/ 0Avatar’s are used everywhere these days, Twitter, Facebook, Windows, Macs, contacts, games they all use them as a visual representation of your virtual self and now you can create them on the go thanks to the WeeMee Avatar Creator for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
WeeMee Avatar Creator comes with 9 pre-built avatars for you to use/edit or you can start from scratch and create your own WeeMee which is exactly what I choose to do. The obvious place to start is to choose the sex of your WeeMee and so I started with a male WeeMee so that I could create my own image.
Your starting WeeMee looks like an adult baby, naked and hairless apart from their underwear they start as a blank canvas for you to work on. There are 14 categories for you to work through. You start with the basics such as head and body shape and these are easily applied, by flicking through the options the new style is immediately applied to your WeeMee and if you are happy with your selection you can move onto the next category.
Color can also be changed for most items very easily. If a color change is available then a paint can will appear in the corner of the screen which when pressed provides a wide range of colors for you to scroll through and choose from.
After getting your head and body shape right you can choose from a range of face styles before you get to start adding accessories to your WeeMee. The number of options are great and they vary too depending on whether or not you choose a male or female WeeMee.
If you are after numbers then there are over 275 items in total including 35 hairstyles, 80 clothing items and 65 accessories so there is a pretty good chance that any WeeMee that you create is going to be pretty unique.
Having a unique WeeMee avatar though is not going to mean much if you can’t do anything with it, after all avatars are all about showing a virtual representation of yourself so sharing is also required.
The first thing you’ll want to do is save your WeeMee and that is simply done via the Save button and the addition of a name. Once you’ve saved you avatar you can access all of them from the WeeMee Gallery. From here you can select the Avatar that you wish to share and either save it to one of your iPhone/iPod Touch contacts so that they viewed when looking at your contacts or for iPhone users the image will appear when the contact calls you.
The other option is to save your WeeMee to the iPhone/iPod Touch built in photo gallery which then allows you to email anywhere you like. The image is high quality too with a size of 533×800 which should be a decent size for applying to any profile. It would also be nice if it was possible to update your Facebook, MySpace or Twitter profile pictures directly from with in the app or even browse other WeeMee’s created by other users.
Creating avatars with WeeMee is fun and easy and makes it simple to not only create an avatar for your own use but also for adding to all your contacts or for sharing with your family and friends. With version 1.2 in the works offering even more features and accessories getting hold of WeeMee Avatar Creator at just 99c could be a real bargain.
The Good
The Not So Good
Price: $0.99 (iTunes Store Preview)
Updated: Mar 16, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.1.0
1.1.0 (iPhone OS 3.0 Tested)
Size: 6.5 MB
Language: English
Seller: WeeWorld Inc
© 2010 WeeWorld
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iPhone OS 2.2 or later
Social applications and games are the current darling of the tech industry. Whether it’s Foursquare, GoWalla, or Latitude; it seems social applications and games are always in the news. Apple, with its commanding lead in the mobile space, has been noticeably absent from this market. According to an article in Patently Apple today, that is all about to change.
The article details a patent for an application called iGroups. The article provides a great, detailed rundown of the service and if you’re interested in the intricate details of the patent you should definitely check it out. iGroups will differ from other social applications in that instead of relying on a “check in” type mnemonic to track who has or is visiting an area, it will concern itself with creating ad hoc groups. Devices running the application that are within range of each other will exchange tokens per preconfigured options. These tokens provide admittance into an ad hoc group in that geographical area. Devices that have exchanged tokens can then communicate with each other within the group. Judging from the patent information, iGroups seems to focus on the privacy concerns recently raised about services such as Foursquare by giving users control over general properties, such as whether or not they want their device to participate in a group, up to how they want to exchange information with other group members. Privacy of this type is an important differentiator from other current services.
With the explosion of social applications on the iPhone, it makes perfect sense that Apple would want to get in on the space while creating a service that is different from those that exist. Check in services are beginning to make some people uncomfortable and are leading to backlash web sites such as Please Rob Me. Imagine a service that is completely configurable, allows for total opt in and opt out, and doesn’t require a user to broadcast their location across a whole network. Sounds desirable doesn’t it? But more than any of these other reasons, people may be more inclined to use an Apple service for one simple fact: it comes preinstalled. iGroups will own real estate out of the box the people at Foursquare or GoWalla could only dream about. In the end, that might be all it takes to make iGroups a success.
What do you think of Apple’s latest move? Is it just more of the locked down and overbearing attitude of a closed Apple? Is it a smart move by a smart industry player to give their users something they want? Let us know in the comments.
Image: Credit ]]> https://touchreviews.net/igroups-iphone-apple-patent-social-app/feed/ 1SonicPics allows you to select photos from your photo library on your iPod Touch or iPhone, arrange them in a viewing order, and then narrate a voiceover in time to you swiping through the images. You then have a small, but robust range of options on how you share that slideshow from your device: As an iTunes Video File (M4V) to your computer, a YouTube upload, or send it via email.
The app starts up quickly and it’s immediately clear what you need to do as it presents an empty “Projects” view.
When you create a new project it displays your main workspace which offers you the opportunity to provide a title and a description for your slideshow.
Immediately below those options is a small button to add images from your photo library. Imported images are arranged on a thin horizontal scrolling band, rather like thumbnails in a movie editor’s timeline. This sits in the middle of the screen.
Underneath all of that are large clear buttons which allow you to select your preference for audio quality for your voiceover, and a big red record button which is self explanatory.
When you choose to add a picture the app uses the standard iPhone OS user interface for selecting images from your photo library, which works just fine. It can get a bit repetitive going back and forth adding more than a few pictures one by one, but this is a limitation of Apple’s implementation rather than a fault of SonicPics.
Once a bunch of pictures are in your project it is possible to touch any picture on the app’s timeline, slide it out and along said timeline either way, and then insert it somewhere else. Something which in some ways makes up nicely for the initially repetitive method you have to use to get pictures into your slideshow. i.e. People like me who don’t plan ahead can get themselves out of trouble without having to resort to removing and re-importing images in the order they really wanted. A nice touch. You can also add a title and description to any picture in a project, and remove images that you no longer want.
Once you’ve got your pictures into the project, and in the order you want, it’s time to record your voice over. This is done either via the built in mic on an iPhone, or using a microphone connected to your iPod. The App will remind you that you need to plug a microphone in at that stage if it doesn’t detect one. I was able to use my headphones as a makeshift mic and still get quite good quality voice recording on my iPod.
Once you hit the big red record button, narrating your masterpiece is relatively straight forward. Popup dialogs tell you what to do, and you can start, pause and re-start recording at will as you check back and forth with your notes, or take a few moments to collect your thoughts as you swipe through the pictures. You are restricted to recording in a left to right order as you progress through the pictures. Well, actually you are not, but if you double back or try to record audio to your pictures in a random order and assume the App will keep track of where you were in the time line, then you’ll be disappointed.
You can have multiple recordings per project, and multiple projects with different sets of pictures, all in various stages of completion within the App.
Once you’ve finished recording your voiceover you can save it and this brings up a view which summarises the length and memory usage of this run through. You can then choose to play it back on your device or share it..
Sharing entails creating a video, which again summarises the memory that will be required and how much free space you have left on your iPod or iPhone. Video creation is quick, and you then have the option to send the video to your computer, YouTube or email it. Sharing to your computer is particularly easy over a WiFi network. SonicPics details an IP address you can enter directly into your browser on your main machine, which brings up a SonicPics splash screen, image of your video’s first frame and a download link to click. Simple.
YouTube and email sharing is equally easy. You sign into YouTube, or create an email from the app, and upload / send the movie.
SonicPics does “exactly what it says on the box”, and the user interface is intuitive. In some ways it reminds me of early versions of Apple iLife Apps, in that it is competent but lacks some flare. It would be nice, for example, to see some options for crossfade or other effects when you transition between images. Playback of a slideshow on the device has to be done with the controls visible, although I assume you could sync a video back to the device from iTunes after exporting it, and play it back that way. But this limits your ability to be truly independent of your desktop or email when making a presentation “in the field”. Also, both the UI and playback is fixed in portrait view all of the time.
The SonicPics’ team have put a lot of work into their website’s instructional info, and also have a lot of demo slideshows there. They have also updated the App already with a number of features that earlier versions didn’t have. So it seems that they are going to support their product, and hopefully some of that support will come by way of expanded functionality in later versions for perhaps features such as more export options, some transition effects, and location awareness.
Overall though SonicPics is a neat little utility that I will keep on my iPhone and can see myself using when out and about to produce voice annotated presentations, or slideshows for family and friends from a day out.
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed By: Stephen Northcott
Make your show on the road!
Price: $2.99 (iTunes Store)
Updated Feb 05, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.1.0
Size: 0.8 MB
Languages: English
Seller: Humble Daisy, Inc
© 2009, Humble Daisy, Inc
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch (2nd generation). Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
The fact that almost everyone uses applications like facebook and skype has made push notification a highly anticipated feature and it certainly makes the app more productive.
Facebook app for iPhone was updated to version 3.1.1 earlier this month and now the focus for this feature has shifted to Skype for iPhone. Using skype for making free internet calls from your iPhone/iPod touch enhances the device’s overall functionality and we hope to see push notifications soon.
Skype for iPhone Version 1.3 update includes:
Version 3.0 of facebook for iPhone was one of the highly anticipated update for the most popular social networking app in the App Store. It was considered a major update as the new version included more than 15 features (Events, Notes, Pages, ‘new’ News Feed etc.) and made the app more useful and stable however, Facebook did not include push notification in this update.
The latest version (3.1.1) of Facebook for iPhone adds Push Notification and Address Book Syncing capabilities. The app also allows you to choose the type of notification you want to receive by accessing the ‘General Settings’ of your iPhone/iPod touch. You can turn on/off notifications for Messages, Wall Posts, Friend Requests, Friend Confirmations, Photo Tags, Events and Comments.
Facebook for iPhone 3.1.1 Screenshots
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tweeterena Christmas Edition [rating: 3.5/5]
We reviewed Tweeterena, previously known as Twitterena back in August and it impressed, and now just in time for Christmas they have released a Christmas Edition which is full of Christmas cheer.
The basic Tweeterena is a feature packed app in it’s own right with all the features that you would expect from an iPhone/iPod touch Twitter application including:
But the real reason for buying this unique Twitter app is for the festive features. From the moment you launch the app the Christmas spirit hits you as the festive startup sound welcomes you to the app. From there on the Christmas overload continues, the back-grounds blaze full of Christmassy sparkle and if you don’t like the default Christmas theme that’s OK as there are a total of 5 Christmas themes to choose from including nativity, snow, gift and Santa theme.
You’ll also be alerted to new tweets by an appropriately festive sound and if that’s not enough for you the ‘Treat’ button takes you to your own Christmas Soundboard where a quick tap of the 9 buttons will play a festive themed sound ranging from the sound of Christmas bells ringing and fireworks to the carols of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly.
If you already have have a Twitter app, or even the non Christmas Themed Tweeterena Edition then splashing out another $2 for a few Christmas decorations may be a little too much to ask but if you love all things Christmas and are Twitter addicted then Tweeterena Christmas Edition is the app for you.
The Good
The Not So Good
tweeterena christmas edition
Reviewed By: @CraigWillis
]]> https://touchreviews.net/tweeterena-christmas-edition-iphone-twitter-app/feed/ 4Shape Services in it’s endeavor to continue offering All-in-One features has submitted IM+ Version 3.4 to Apple last week which will enable touch-free dictation of instant messages or tweets and this will make it the first IM app to enable voice recognition on iPhone. In addition to speech recognition IM+ 3.4 will also feature funny animated emoticons and several bugfixes.
Speech recognition will be available for $.99 via in app purchase.
Video
Speech Recognition On iPhone
IM+ for iPhone/iPod touch is a complete solution for all your instant messaging needs!
What’s new
– New Inbox view, now with message preview
– New bubbles in chat dialogs
– Sending video on iPhone 3G S
– Twitter: On/Off Push for Friends Timeline
– Twitter: link shrinking
– Twitter: Retweet
– Yahoo Japan support
With iPhone OS 3.0 now you can install up-to 180 apps on your iPhone and iPod touch but that still doesn’t weaken the need for apps which offer unified experience. The iPhone OS still lacks an efficient way of app management , while spotlight is great, the inability to run applications in the background highlights the importance of apps offering all-in-one features.
Push notification has brought a whole new meaning to apps and games on iPhone and has transformed ‘instant’ messaging into real time messaging.
IM+ offers all major instant messaging clients which include Google Talk, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, ICQ, MySpace,Facebook, Skype Chat, Jabber and basic functionality of a Twitter app. Setting up one or multiple accounts for the same service can be done by simply providing your login details. The app allows you to set your status as Online, Away, Invisible, Offline, Custom Message or can use your location as your status. However, strangely it does not allow you to set individual status for different services. Contacts appear under various categories; Ungrouped, Twitter, Friends, General etc. Favorites tab offers an easy way to add people who you chat with frequently and eliminates the need to scroll or search.
The overall chat interface is very neat and chat dialogs appear in bubble interface. You can show/hide the keyboard and tap the upload icon on the left side to send a photo, location or voice message. Sharing photos while chatting is a great feature and you can change active chats with a simple swipe and continue with the discussion from where you left it. IM+ supports a built-in browser to easily access web links or browse internet avoiding the need to close app and use Safari. You can also customize your chat background by selecting available wallpapers or choose any picture from your photo albums and select your preferred screen orientation to Autorotate or lock Portrait or Landscape.
SHAPE Services has tried to bundle a Twitter app in it’s effort to offer all-in-one app but in-spite of a great user interface I don’t think it can replace Tweetie, a Twitter app requires an interface which is different than that of instant messaging app, the retweet and reply options are too small and close which highly limits it’s use as a twitter app. Push notification works great on IM+ and sends updates in near real time.
IM+ is a fantastic instant messaging app which is truly All-in-one!
Price $9.99
The Good
The Not So Good
IM+ Screenshots
[nggallery id=11]
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The premise of the app Problem Solved is that “A problem shared is a problem halved”, although I’ve always thought that depending on who you tell, it could be a problem tripled or even quadrupled! So the app is a repository of user supplied answers to questions also supplied by other app users.
Problem Halved will allow people from around the globe to give you suggestions to help you solve your problems. You can post a problem or answer a problem – or do both – a problem shared is a problem halved, so don’t go it alone!
Before you can do anything you have to create an account which consists of username, password and email, you can also add your first & last name, address and phone number but these aren’t required and I don’t see any benefit of including them either. Once you’ve signed up you can sign in and you are then presented with two main options, Post a Problem or Halve a Problem and they do exactly what you’d expect them to do.
Posting a problem is as simple as adding the text and clicking send, there doesn’t seem to be any limit on the length of the question you can ask but the nature of the iPhone keyboard may limit how long a question you want to post. And then you wait…..and wait…..and wait for an answer. While you are waiting though you can go and view some of the questions which have been posted by other users to see if you can share some pearls of wisdom.
Searching for problems can be done in three ways. You can search for a key word or words, view some random problems or view the biggest problems. These options aren’t without there problems though. Searching brings back very few results, acne brought back 1 result while searches for back ache none and then sex returned zero results, while using the link to view the biggest problems it just results in a list of the most popular words, the problem with this is that the most common words aren’t filtered out so all you get is a page of words such as ‘Help’, ‘Please’, ‘When’, ‘Why’ and ‘Should’ which are not helpful at all.
Some of the questions that have been posted do have valid answers to them but the problem with this, and similar, apps is that they rely on both quantity and quality and until this app has a user base that offers a diverse range of questions and answers it can’t succeed, the problem for Problem Halved is that how does it get there in the first place.
There are plenty of places to get advice for free with an iPhone/iPod Touch and an internet connection so why you’d want to spend $1.99 on this app I don’t know. Perhaps if they add content and functionality then maybe it will be better value but until then this is one app that won’t be solving any of my problems.
Price $1.99
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed By: Craig Willis
Problem Halved for iPhone Screenshots
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BeejiveIM is a powerful Push enabled Instant Messaging client with great features and superior user interface!
Beejive’s reliable and efficient networking has been tested and proven on multiple platforms. Now it is available for the iPhone. Move from 3G, Edge, and wifi connections seamlessly. Stay connected after you close the application and be notified when you get a new message through push notifications. After being out of coverage BeejiveIM automatically reconnects and picks up where you left off.
Instant Messaging (IM) apps for iPhone/iPod touch have made it possible to be truly mobile and never lose out on a conversation just because you were not close to your Mac or PC. There are plenty of IM apps available on the app store and sometimes it gets difficult to choose which one meets your need. BeejiveIM 3.0 for iPhone is one of the most stable and feature rich IM applications with very intuitive User Interface.
The app allows you to set up AIM®/MobileMe®, MSN®/Windows Live®, Yahoo!®, GoogleTalk®, Facebook, MySpace, ICQ® and Jabber accounts. Setting up multiple accounts on BeejiveIM 3.0 is very easy, tap the Accounts tab and select the accounts you would like to configure and then enter your Screen-name, Password and description. Once your accounts are set up you can choose your status (Online, Away, Busy or Custom) for individual accounts or for all accounts at once.
Buddy List can be customized to show buddies by account or by group, you can also select hide offline contacts to keep your list uncluttered. Favorites is a great way to catch up with people who you chat with very frequently, avoiding the need to scroll through a long list of buddies. Tapping a buddy on the list brings up the chat window and there your conversation appears in native iChat bubble style. To bring up the text input screen you need to tap on the conversation screen which brings up the keyboard and you can also insert smilies or emoji. BeejiveIM makes it possible for you to be able to send pictures from your iPhone/iPod touch, record voice messages and send them as attachments, email the entire chat in .txt format, scroll through other active chats by flicking or end the conversation by accessing the in-chat menu options.
Push works flawlessly on BeejiveIM 3.0 sending you updates on conversation while the app is closed in almost real time. When you tap on the push notification the app restores the conversation from where it last ended, which is great to recall what you were chatting about. There are tons of options to customize the look and features of the app from the native Settings app on your iPhone. Customization options include transitions, Auto Capitalization, shake options, sounds, tweaking UI, wallpaper and many more.
BeejiveIM 3.0 is a beautiful and power packed Instant Messaging app.
Touch Reviews Highly Recommends BeejiveIM 3.0
Price $9.99
The Good
The Not So Good
[UPDATE] Joe Hewitt updated his Twitter status earlier today saying “Just uploaded Facebook for iPhone 3.0 to the App Store for review. :)”
Now let’s hope Apple approves this much awaited update soon!
According to Joe Hewitt (lead engineer for Facebook’s iPhone application) nearly 25% of all iPhone owners use Facebook app on their iPhone.
Today, Hewitt shared some details on the upcoming version 3.0 of the Facebook iPhone app.
What will be coming in the new version?
1. The “new” News Feed
2. Like
3. Events (including the ability to RSVP)
4. Notes
5. Pages
6. Create new photo albums
7. Upload photos to any album
8. Zoom into photos
9. Easier photo tagging
10. Profile Pictures albums
11. A new home screen for easy access to all your stuff, search, and notifications
12. Add your favorite profiles and pages to the home screen
13. Better Notifications (they link to the comments so you can reply)
14. Quickly call or text people right from the Friends page
15. Messages you are typing will be restored if you quit or are interrupted by a phone call
The new home screen looks very user friendly, providing quick and easy access to News Feed, Profile, friends, Pages, Events, Photos and more.
iPhone is the most popular phone for uploading pictures, the ability to create and upload photos to any Photo Album is a welcome addition. This will enable users to easily upload and share their gorgeous pictures instantly.
If you were waiting for Push Notifications, well you will have to wait a bit longer as it is in development but won’t make it into 3.0. Facebook 3.1 update will add Push Notification functionality later this summer.
Facebook 3.0 Screenshots
What do you think about Facebook 3.0 for iPhone?
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Twitterena+ Pro [rating: 4/5]
If you haven’t heard of Twitter you must be living under a rock or somewhere even more desolate, isolated and cut off from the modern world! But presuming that you have heard of Twitter and that you have an iPhone or iPod Touch then you have probably noticed that there are an avalanche of Twitter apps for you to choose from. A lot of these apps are free while some ask for your hard earned cash in exchange for there wares and one of those is Twitterena+ Professional Edition, the older brother of its 99c version Twitterena. So what does the extra $3 get you?
twitterena+ professional edition unique features
✔ Facebook integration
✔ multiple account support
✔ custom tweeting background
✔ quick watch users
✔ easy profile location update
✔ priority customer support
Over and above the $1 version you’ll also get to customize your background, the ability to update your profile location and priority customer support (which I’ve never needed) but to be honest the big additional features are Facebook integration and multiple account support which are both integrated very well.
At any point when you are Tweeting you can sign in to your Facebook account and choose either to Tweet and update your Facebook status one Tweet at a time or fix your Facebook settings so that every update will go to both Twitter and Facebook. As a user of both platforms having the ability to update both at the same time is worth the money alone.
Multiple accounts by adding and then switching between them, so if you are expecting to be able to tweet from multiple accounts at the same time or see a stream of multiple accounts you won’t get what you’re looking for.
The basics are all covered well. If you want to send a quick Tweet that is easily accessed via Tweet button in the top left corner of the screen. From the Tweet page you can add any of your saved photo’s via TwitPic, and a location via GPS or you can easily access your ‘Tweeps’, (a list of all your Twitter friends), to include them in your Tweet.
Across the bottom of the screen are quick access links to your Tweets, Mentions, Messages, Favorites and Search. All are handled in the standard way with the ability to drill through to links and other included Twitterers at the tap of a button. The full Twitter experience is completed by the ability to Search both by keyword and location and the ability to see the current Twitter trends too.
There is a lot to unwrap in this Twitter app and you clearly get a lot of bang for your buck including themes and customizations which is always a good addition to any app. You can also control how you are alerted to new Tweets, the size of the text, background image and the frequency of refreshes. One of the nicest things however though is the ability to use Twitterena+ Pro Edition either vertically or horizontally making Tweeting even simpler thanks to the larger keyboard.
If you’re not a power user of Twitter, one of the less fully featured apps will probably suffice, but if you are looking for the full Twitter experience then you should definitely give Twitterena+ Pro Edition a look.
Price $3.99
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed By: Craig Willis
Win Free Apps
Retweet this post and leave a comment to win twitterena+ Pro Edition Promo Codes.
Twitterena+ Pro Edition Screenshots
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Touch Reviews compared the loading screens of 6 Popular/Best Twitter Apps to find out which one is the fastest!
Twitter Apps Compared: Tweetie, TwitterFon Pro, SimplyTweet, Twittelator Pro, Twitterrific, TweetDeck
Watch this Video and find out which one is the fastest!
]]> https://touchreviews.net/fastest-best-twitter-app-iphone-ipod-touch/feed/ 10The next version will feature themes and push notification!
You can win SimplyTweet, a powerful twitter app for your iPhone/iPod touch by Retweeting this Post (use the green tweet badge)
Read SimplyTweet Review
Main Changes in 1.7
– HootSuite integration: importing of Twitter accounts from HootSuite
– Add Posterous support for long tweets
– Tags support for Posterous: Hashtags in picture uploads to Posterous
are now converted to Posterous tags
– Allows you to choose from hashtags in the message you are replying to
– Changed Friends and Followers browsing (not picking of contacts for
tweet draft, etc) to paginate instead of loading all at 1 go
– Links to a user’s photos in TwitPic could not be opened from the
Tweet View. This is fixed.
– Display tweet count in account view
– Show different bubble colors when a tweet mentions your account (any
of your accounts) or is sent by you (any of your accounts)
– Added setting for changing image compression
– Add setting for alternative Retweet style (via)
– You can now delete a tweet if it is sent from any of your accounts.
Previously you can only delete tweets sent by the current account
– Landscape view for builtin web browser– Bug fix: typing a recipient in DM draft view, followed by rotating
to landscape view and then back to portrait again will crash the app
– Bug fix: timestamp in message view does not respect settings for
timestamp format
– Bug fix: swiping across the upper pane in the account view which
reveal the swipe short buttons (it should not)
– Bug fix: while composing a tweet/DM, if the contacts picker window
is opened and then closed, the tweet/DM contents is sometimes wiped
out
– Bug fix: opening conversation from search results or a saved view did not work
– Fix bug: In post view, screen can be rotated right before camera
appears, causing unpredictable UI oddity
– Fix bug: Images which are too large could not be displayed in the photo viewer
– Bug fix: Long descriptions appear truncated in the account view
– While performing certain actions that pop up a dialog, e.g. while
sending a tweet, if the device is rotated, the dialog will remain in
portrait view, whereas the rest of the screen will rotate. This has
now been fixed.
Buy SimplyTweet
Price $3.99
]]> https://touchreviews.net/promo-codes-iphone-twitter-app-simplytweet-17/feed/ 6Is it because the perfect twitter app does not exist or you just love to try out new twitter apps?
Vote for the best twitter app and leave a comment below. Two comments will be randomly chosen as app promo code winners!
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]]> https://touchreviews.net/vote-for-your-favourite-twitter-app-iphone-ipod-touch/feed/ 3Skateropolis is a skatepark finder & multi-media hub connecting the entire skate culture together.
- Skatepark Finder. Over 2,400 U.S. Skateparks.
- POST YOUTUBE VIDEOS INTO YOUR GROUPS AND FAVORITE SKATEPARKS DIRECTLY FROM YOUR iPHONE/iPOD TOUCH
- Stay connected with your favorite pro skateboard teams and your local skate crew by joining groups. Within groups you can watch & post photos, videos and comments to the wall.
- “Skitch” the status of your favorite buddies (exactly like following in Twitter) and update your status for all of your favorite followers to see. Planning a sesh couldn’t be simpler.
- Get your avatar and name splashed on your favorite skatepark page as “top contributor” by posting the most photos and videos to that park.
Sketeropolis is said to bring social networking to the skateboarding scene and it’s off to a great start with good content, simple navigation and integrated website. Having said all that Skateropolis is geared more towards actual boarders rather than those that like to play it on a gaming console.
One of the first things you’ll want to do when launching the app is to create a profile so that you can follow friends, Twitter style, join groups, Facebook style, and synchronize all of it with the website at www.skateropolis.com. This is simple to do with only a username, password and email address initially required to get you started.
Once that’s been done you can start viewing some of the great content. Video’s and pictures are the bread and butter of any social networking content and this is provided in both quantity and quality in Skateropolis. Pictures can be viewed and uploaded easily but it’s the videos which play quickly and in high quality over Wi-Fi that really bring the app to life. Not only can you watch skater videos but also upload them directly from the iPhone too which is a great feature for catching all the action from the local skate park.
And if you don’t know where your local skate park is then this app is also for you as the ‘Near Me’ feature will allow you to utilize the iPhone’s GPS functionality to find your nearest half-pipe, bowl or snakeflow park. In addition to using your GPS to locate parks you can also use the Search facility to search by city, state or zip which will be great if you’re planning a trip or vacation out of town.
Once you’ve found a park you can use the open its location via the inbuilt Google Maps, view detailed info about the park facilities, user videos, pictures and comments as well as an overall rating. You can also add your favorite parks to your profile for easy access.
The part of Skateropolis that will make or break the app though is its ability to keep boarders connected and in touch which is done via the Connect tab. Here you can join groups of fellow skaters and follow other boarders Twitter style by ‘Skitching’ you latest updates.
And this is where the app has its work cut out. Skaterpolosis is only a matter of days old and so the number of groups and users is very limited. Without like minded people to share your content with the urge to participate is going to be limited. That being said it’s early days and with Twitter integration due to be included in a future update Skateropolis has the potential of being the only place to be to share your online boarding life.
Price $ 2.99
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed by: CraigWillis
Skateropolis Video
Skateropolis Screenshots
Help us spread the word: Retweet, Digg, Stumble
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[rating:3.5/5]
SimplyTweet developer @simplytweet has made more than 25 changes in the latest version 1.5
Some major updates are:
- Add swipe-to-reveal shortcuts for replying to tweets, viewing conversation, multiple selection (for “reply all”)
- Add Posterous support, support for multiple photos
- Display multiple photos in a single Posterous post in an album
- Add posting multiple photos support for TwitPic
- Display multiple Twitpic photos in a single tweet in an album
- Landscape mode for drafting tweets
- Show unread counts for Friends, Mentions and Direct Messages (Inbox) timelines. Autoscroll to first unread tweet.
- Add option to automatically load Mentions and Direct Messages(Inbox) upon startup
- Add option to open account view from an account note
- Add better navigation for account notes
- Change format of photo tweets (links appear at the end instead offront of a tweet)
- Add option to clear cache
We reviewed SimplyTweet almost a month back. Since then this app has seen a number of updates and with version 1.4 we could not help but write a fresh post about it!
SimplyTweet has successfully transformed from being a simple twitter client to an app which does almost everything what a twitter app should do.
- Browse CONVERSATIONS – display the reply chain of a message in 1 screen
- Saved views (create groups of friends, etc)
- Multiple accounts support
- Quick account switch when sending tweets and direct messages
- Account Notes
- View your timeline and replies
- Perform search
- Saved Search
- Post tweets
- Re-tweet Tweets
- Reply to tweets
- Direct messages support, including browsing list recipients and autocompletion
- Drafts of tweets and direct messages are automatically saved
- Follow and un-follow people
- Built-in web browser
- Instapaper support
- Support for Searching for Hashtags within a message
- TwitPic support
- Delete tweets
- Favorites support
- Trends support
- Load older tweets and direct messages
- Avatar caching
- Contacts lookup when composing a tweet
- Safari Bookmarklet support
SimplyTweet has a very clean and simple UI which displays tweets is large chat bubbles. It also supports mutiple accounts which you can access through ‘More’ option. When you click on an account it will ask you to confirm using that account. SimplyTweet displays tweets from your friends, mentions. messages (sent & received), Trends and Favorites. The ‘More’ option can be edited to rearrange your preferred view. The app has a refresh option on the top left and compose tweet option on the top right.
Once you choose to compose a tweet you have an option to attach pics and address multiple users in your tweet. While attaching a picture SimplyTweet also gives an option to Move & Scale the picture. It’s easy to switch accounts while composing the tweet by simply taping on your account name in the middle.
When you tap on a tweet you can either Reply, Retweet, Mark Favorite or View the conversation. SimplyTweet does not offer TweetShrink, TwitLonger or updating location services in this version. Clicking on a link brings up an inline web browser which gives you an option to either ‘Read Later’ or ‘Email Link’ but no ‘Repost Link’ option.
Taping on the twitter avatar of a user brings up their profile and there you can view their latest tweets, short bio, followers, friends and choose to follow or unfollow them. It also shows you if the user is following you or not. The more option on the top right in the user profile view gives you further options to Send Message, Send Public Reply, Add to Saved View and Edit Note.
SimplyTweet also adds Trends and the ability to save search. Saved Views can be used to create different groups to track different sets of people and is a very helpful feature. Creating notes is a handy feature to quickly keep your ideas safe!
SimplyTweet has evolved from being a simple twitter client to a very useful twitter client. Saved View and Notes are the strongest features of this app.
Price $3.99Retweet this post using the green retweet badge.
“Skateropolis was created with the passionate skater in mind,” says Randall Cross, founder of Ethervision and co-creator of Skateropolis with business partner and fellow lifelong skateboarder Mike Endicott. “Our mission is to be the digital hub for skaters worldwide where they can easily create groups and post their favorite skate photos and videos at home or on the go.”
Skateropolis users have the ability to join skateparks and to create self-moderated groups. “What makes the Skateropolis iPhone app so unique is that users can post photos and YouTube videos straight from their iPhone or iPod Touch for all to see”, says Cross. Members can also stay connected by “skitching” on each other, which enables them to follow the status of other friends or pros via the website or the application.
While there is no shortage of online resources to locate skateboarding facilities, Skateropolis was designed to be a cut above the ordinary. “What separates Skateropolis from other skatepark finders is its social nature,” enthuses Cross. “We mapped and detailed over 4,000 skateparks from all over the world. We created all the tools needed for skaters to stay connected and now we are handing the keys over to the community.” The skater who posts the most relevant photos and videos within each skatepark is featured on the iPhone and website skatepark page for all to see.
Skateropolis is a global community with a genuine grassroots slant by connecting skaters with local skate shops. The most prominent ad space for each skatepark on the web and on the iPhone is reserved for skate shops. Both banners are owned by the shops for a full year and can be updated frequently to ensure skaters are always up to speed on the latest news and products. “We only reserve ad space for companies that offer a proven benefit to the skating community,” says Cross.
The Skateropolis iPhone app can be downloaded for a 30 day introductory price of $2.99 on iTunes.
For more information on Ethervision and Skateropolis, check out http://www.ethervision.net or http://www.skateropolis.com
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