Thred for iPhone extends its features beyond the world of filters, hashtags, likes and comments. The app allows you to customise your photos by using stickers, adding location, text, links and adding panels. The way people shares photos on Instagram is evolving. Before sharing photos people use multiple apps for editing, adding text, border and more. Thred for iPhone seems to make this process easier by offering all of this functionality within their app.

One of the more interesting and unique features of the app is the ability to add panels. This is a great way to tell a story about an event or just share related photos with your friends. For example, if you were at a party and took many photos you’d probably only upload one or two photos from the same day. However, with Thred you can create panels and upload multiple photos each with a new look and different descriptions to tell the entire story.

The app is available for iPhone for free. It features many stickers and font options to choose from. The user interface is very easy to follow and understand. Checkout Thred for iPhone and let us know what you think in the comment below.

Apple recently released iOS 6 Beta 4 to developers, adding several new features in settings and to existing apps. Following the release, the developer community began to notice a major change in the update, noting that the dedicated YouTube app on iOS was no longer included.

The YouTube app has been a part of iOS since 2007 and was introduced alongside the iPod touch. The latest beta arrived as an OTA update at first, followed by release online in the Developer Center. As with all betas in the past, the latest version, with Build 10A5376e arrives just three weeks after the last Build 10A5355d.

Developers have noticed several changes in the update, including a new “Wi-Fi Plus Cellular” feature in Settings which allows the iPhone to fall back on cellular data when WiFi does not work properly. Other features include an update to the Passbook app, giving it a dedicated section in the App Store and displaying apps compatible with Passbook. A new “Bluetooth Sharing” feature also allows users to determine which devices can share data via Bluetooth.

With all of these updated features, as well as the removal of YouTube, Apple appears to be cleansing iOS of technology from other companies. Apple commented on the removal of the YouTube app to The Verge, saying the following:

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.

YouTube also commented on the removal:

We are working with Apple to make sure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users.

Google’s presence in iOS is now very limited and will be transferred to individual apps on the App Store as opposed to being integrated into the OS itself. This first began when Apple replaced Google with Baidu as the default search engine, followed by the removal of Google Maps in iOS, and now the removal of YouTube. iOS 6 is expected to be released later this Fall in the September / October timeframe alongside the next generation iPhone 5.

{via MacRumors}

Apple’s next version of OS X, 10.8 was released on Wednesday, adding over 200 new user features and bridging the gap between iOS and OS X. OS X Mountain Lion brought in a number of new features, but some of the more interesting and useful ones to note includes Messages, Notification Center, Notes, and iCloud. Some of the main features include:

• AirPlay mirroring
• Sharing button
• Notification Center
• Messages
• Mail and Contacts
• Calendar and Reminders
• Safari
• iCloud
• Auto Save, TextEdit and Notes
• Dictation
• PowerNap

With staple features such as Notes, Reminders, and Notification Center making their debut on the Mac, it is clear that Apple is continuing their “Back to the Mac” philosophy and learning a few tips and tricks about the preferences of users. It is clear that iOS devices have a much more widespread following and are easier to learn and navigate, and as a result, it makes sense for Apple to make OS X similar to the mobile software.

Apple’s OS X Mountain Lion is currently available only through the Mac App Store for $19.99 USD, the lowest price ever introduced for OS X software updates. OS X Lion has been enitrely removed from the Mac App Store and replaced with this new update.

The standalone app operates similar to the iPhone camera but has the ability to post the images to Facebook much faster and easier without going through two different applications. The Facebook iOS app could now be used strictly for accessing user’s profiles and posting messages. However, all other forms of interaction can be used much more easily through smoother, and better developed applications.

By releasing Facebook Camera, the company is likely making moves to set up integration with Instagram. Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion in April and will probably slowly erase Instagram’s name and use its user base and popular features in the new Camera app. There are currently several features such as commenting and liking the photos in the stream as well a number of filters adopted from Instagram and more may appear in the near future. Facebook developed the app to simplify the task of posting images to a user’s profile, which is a very long process with the normal iOS app.

With the Facebook iOS app, the images do not post properly at all times and sometimes comments and likes do not appear correctly. An app dedicated entirely to photos, comments, and likes will ease some of the issues that users have. Facebook Camera makes perfect sense, and will likely get better once integrated with Instagram in the future. A report published on The Verge elaborated the collaboration of Instagram and Facebook with the following:

The Facebook Camera team has been working on the app for months, and Mark Zuckerberg reportedly kept his desire to purchase Instagram close to the vest, as if he almost impulse-bought it. Had the Instagram deal never occurred, Facebook Camera wouldn’t really be much of an Instagram competitor anyway, lacking any mobile-only social circles and hashtagged sharing around specific topics. “Enhancing the Facebook photos experience on mobile is long overdue,” Facebook’s Derick Mains told me. “We really had to step up our game, and we’re committed to building Instagram independently.

The Facebook Camera is now available for free in the iOS App Store.

{via MacRumors}

Folder+ is a File Manager / Viewer / Editor for your iPad / iPhone. We have seen several apps that are built on the same premise but the features of Folder+ make it a refreshing addition to the market. It handled just about anything one would expect a file app such as this should and then some.

Folder+ ($4.99) is loaded with features which makes it stand out in a fairly saturated file handling market. The interface is very slick and keeps everything within your reach without having to go in and out of a ton of menus. This is clutch for someone who has to handle a lot of files on the go. The ability to zip and compress folders on the go is also very handy. I haven’t seen this in all of the file management apps but it is a welcome addition.

I also like how Folder+ allows you to long touch on files and folders and give you options of what you want to do. This limits the need to jump in and out of menus. The ability to use multi touch to quickly move between viewing and editing files is also very good if you’re willing to utilize it. Features such as these are what makes this app different from the rest.

The basics of file management apps are also present in this app. You have the ability to create Folders, Text files, Drawings, Audio files, Pictures or Video or upload from Library. This allows you to not only copy files to the device using the built in FTP but also create files right there on your device. Emailing of files and folders allows for sharing your files directly from your phone via email and FTP all from inside Folder+.

Overall I really like Folder+. It is a solid file management app for both iPhone and iPad. You may hesitate at the price of $4.99 as there are cheaper file management apps but few with the features of Folder+. I definitely feel like its worth it as I have both an iPhone and an iPad.

What we like:

• Features: Zipped Folders, Reduced Menus, etc.
• Sleek Look
• For both iPad & iPhone in one purchase

What to know:

• Similar to many File Management apps

Gallery

A new social networking application called Color hit the App Store today, and unlike any other social network this one uses location-based technology to share photos, comments, and videos with other Color users located within 150 feet. Instead of adding friends or following other users, the network works on location data alone to provide a list of other Color users in close proximity, allowing you to enjoy the photographs they’ve uploaded.

It’s a unique new way of interacting with other people that requires no login ID or password, no friending, and more importantly no way of controlling who can and cannot view the pictures you’ve uploaded. Bill Nguyen, one of Color’s creators, described the application to the Associated Press:

“The days of having to say anything are done. There’re no more profiles, there’s no more friending, there’s no more electronic dog fence created by Facebook. It’s all over. This is the post-PC world. It’s a brand new way of sharing.”

Color has instantly rocketed into the limelight since its launch thanks to the team behind the application, Color Lab, which consists Bill Nguyen, founder of Lala (purchased by Apple); Peter Pham of BillShrink; and DJ Patil, former chief scientist of LinkedIn. The company secured a whopping $41 million in funding from Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital, and Silicon Valley Bank before the application was even launched.

Privacy is of course a concern for Color users – with no way of limiting who can view your photos, they’re free for anyone to take a look at once they’re published. The company’s privacy terms for the application states:

“When you create content using our app, that content is immediately published to any unique user who has the app open near you, and often to unique users with whom you’ve had past contact with (whether they are geographically close or not). That content is also published and available for viewing through various social media sites. Unique users can view your content and can send to anyone a link to your content, the content of other unique users, or compilations that include your content. Anyone: from grandparents to bosses.”

Despite the application’s backing and the brains behind the whole idea, Color still hasn’t gotten off to a great start in its iOS debut. A slow takeoff means that early adopters don’t really have enough users around them to interact with, and this, coupled with software bugs and slow loading times, means the application has received bad ratings and reviews in the App Store. However, we’ll give it a little more time before brandishing it a flop.