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Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Originals

It’s the last day of the year, and probably time for you to start partying like it’s 1999. Whether 2011 is the last year we get before 2012 kills us all or not, you should start it off right. And by right, I mean staying up until the wee hours of next year and having a good time with your friends. Choose a realistic New Year’s Resolution, like 1920×1080 instead of 4k, and download yourself some free apps. Happy New Year!

• Time Square Official New Year’s Eve Ball App – The Time Square Ball Drop has been the traditional way to ring in the new year forever, and now you can participate with your iDevice. You can submit New Year’s themed photos and vote on them for a chance to appear on the live broadcast tonight.  The app is also packed with history, news, weather, maps and the schedule for the show.  You can even send digital New Year’s Eve kisses, though I think most people still prefer the analog version.
• Flickpad for Facebook and Flickr – There still aren’t official apps for either Facebook or Flickr for iPad.  Why?  I do not know, but Flickpad will help you access images on both services from your iPad with an attractive interface.  You can browse and filter photos, post comments, view slideshows, save photos to your iPad and more.
• Skype – If you’ve been following along, then you already know that Skype updated their iOS app this week to support video over WiFi and 3G!  That means you need to either get the update or start using Skype if you own an iPhone 4 or most recent iPod touch.  Best of all, it’s completely free to make video calls, since we don’t live in the future yet, so video calls only happen between devices and/or computers, not landlines.
• McIntosh AP1 Audio Player – If you’ve ever owned or wanted to own something from McIntosh, this is about the only cheap way to do it.  It’s an audio player app in the spirit of McIntosh audio equipment.  Basically, it’s a blue glowing output level monitor.  It’s even universal.
• Mega Bloks – It’s a dropping match three style game with a twist, a Mega Bloky twist.  The pieces are of course, Mega Bloks and the graphics make it look pretty sweet.  It supports OpenFeint and achievements, because you have to have goals in life.
• SoundHound – An app that helps identify songs based on your quick recording of them.  You can even try singing or humming the app.  After it finds your song it will display lyrics and artist info.  Now, this isn’t a new app, but it has been updated to allow for unlimited music recognition.  In the past, you were only allotted a small number of uses per month to encourage you to pony up some cash.  Not so, anymore, so enjoy.
• RunKeeper Pro – They just know that 90% of you are likely to resolve to lose weight or stay in shape for the first few days of 2011.  So they made RunKeeper Pro free.  It’s widely believed to be the best running app out there.  It uses GPS to keep tabs on where and how fast you’re running.  It has maps, keeps history, does customized workouts, calculates paces, splits, has audio cues.  Seriously, it does it all, and it normally costs $10.  Now that’s an awesome start out the new year, 6.5 British pounds lighter!  Challenge yourself to do better.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Originals

To help you celebrate New Year’s Eve, we’ve rounded up five free New Years Countdown apps available for your iPhone and iPod Touch. Check them out and get the one that best suits your needs and taste. Of course, we highly recommend getting the Times Square Official New Year’s Eve Ball app, but aside from that, the other four apps are good as well.

With that, we wish you all the best of the coming Year!

Times Square Official New Year’s Eve Ball App

This is the official Times Square Ball drop app, which will let you become part of the activities in Times Square no matter where you are on the hour. The app lets you watch the live co-hosted official show that features musical performances, celebrity appearances, the first Times Square Wedding, hourly countdowns, and, of course, the midnight Ball Drop.

iLove New Years Countdown

Featuring a fully customisable countdown and video presentation, this app also features a fireworks display and the ability to lock and unlock user interface elements, reposition the user interface, shake to undo, change the background image, show or hide labels, and more more.

Happy Year 2011

Happy Year 2011 is a simple New Year’s countdown app with a blue background theme and a nicely designed timer. And yes, it supports the iPhone 4’s retina display.

Happy New Year: Countdown Begins Lite!

This app tells you exactly how many days, hours, minutes and seconds are left until New Year, in a beautifully designed display with a soothing tune that will keep you prepped for the New Year’s Eve festivities.

Champagne Popper

Here’s a cool New Years countdown app which is actually a social New Year celebration app. The app lets you pre-load a message and your contacts, and will automatically send your New Year’s greeting at the right time. So, it’s like celebrating the New Year’s Eve party with someone who is not actually with you right on that moment. As for the app’s New Years Countdown clock, you can adjust the time and date anytime you want to.

Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Don’t want to be glued to the TV tonight when the New Year officially begins? There’s a free app for your iPhone or Android (app link) device that lets you watch the ball drop live in Times Square over Wi-Fi and 3G connections, so you can be glued to your mobile’s screen instead!

The app, descriptively named “Times Square Official New Year’s Eve Ball App – 2011,” (iPhone app link) provides a live stream of the ball drop in Times Square at midnight, but it also lets you watch the pre-show leading up to that symbolic event, including musical performances and celebrity appearances.

You can use the app to learn more about the history of Times Square on New Year’s Eve, and the ball itself (for example, the ball drop gets over 1 billion TV viewers worldwide), share photos of your New Year’s celebrations to potentially get featured on Toshiba’s giant TV screen in Times Square, and send customizable postcards to friends and family.

The Times Square celebrations also embrace social networking this year. The app lets you post your location to Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter, and tells you exactly how far away you are from Times Square. You can add a message to your location post, too, making it very easy to say publicly things you’ll regret later without even having to switch apps.

I love watching the ball drop, but I’m glad I don’t have to worry about being near a TV to make it happen. How about you?

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• How to Market Your iPhone App: A Developer’s Guide
• Mobile App Developer Survey: Profiles, Platforms and Monetization
• App Developers: Are You Ready for HTML5 and Metered Data?

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FROM GAMERTELL – Gamertell’s last Casual Friday update for 2010 includes Awakening: Moonfell Wood (Windows, Mac), Fairy Maids (Windows) and five other new casual games.
MORE »

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Section: Macintosh / Apple Hardware, Peripherals, Cinema Displays and Monitors, Features, Opinions and Editorials

Apple only offers one freestanding computer monitor model: the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display (27” flat panel).

This premium display can connect to any current Mac laptop or desktop and expand your view up to a maximum 2560 x 1440 resolution. It offers LED backlighting for faster instant-on than your Mac probably can keep up with (unless it’s a new MacBook Air) brightness, and an amazing image. The LED Cinema Display has a generous, 178-degree widescreen viewing angle to help you share the goodness.

If you’re a notebook user, this is an external display equipped and configured to serve as not only a bigger screen to use when in desktop substitute mode, but also as a versatile hardware dock. It features a universal MagSafe connector that charges your MacBook, a Mini DisplayPort cable for easy connectivity, and three much-needed USB 2.0 ports, plus built-in iSight camera, microphone, and a 49-watt speaker system.

Finished in Apple’s signature aluminum and glass livery, the LED Cinema Display supports all current members of the MacBook family, and is also compatible with Mac desktop computers that have a Mini DisplayPort (Mac Pro, Mac mini, and iMac).

Unfortunately, there’s a downside. The 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display sells for a suck-in-your-breath $999, which is pretty stratospheric even taking into account the Dock features.

So, the question is begged, does the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display stand up as reasonable value proposition compared with many other elite-featured but cheaper competitors? Frankly, were I in the market for a display right now, I would dearly love to have a 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display, but there’s no way I would ever spend as much as the cost of a base MacBook Air or MacBook on a computer monitor when excellent displays are available for hundreds of dollars less from Samsung, HP, Dell, and others.

Now, to be fair, Dell’s UltraSharp U2711 27-inch Widescreen Monitor actually lists for $1,099, and Dell sells it at a discount for $999—exactly the same as Apple’s 27” cinema display. But the difference with Dell is they offer a large number of lower priced monitor alternatives; for example, their UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor that offers 1920 x 1200 display resolution for $599. Apple used to sell a 24” Cinema Display as well, but alas, it’s been discontinued, leaving us with the 27-incher or looking at competitors’ displays.

Even more to the point, Samsung offers a 27” LCD Monitor with 1920 x 1080 Resolution for a modest MSRP of $399.99. It’s nothing you’ll have to apologize for aesthetically either, with stunning Touch of Color styling motif that blends a hint of amber color into the traditional piano black frame for a rose-black gradation with a glass-like finish reminiscent of a fading sunset. I like that better than Apple’s aluminum, and a crystal clear acrylic stand adds style.

Samsung’s monitor offers no dock or Mag-Safe port, of course, but I think I might be able to live without those bells and whistles for $600 less.

So can buying an Apple display be rationalized from a value perspective. If so, what are your thoughts on how?

Full Story » | Written by Charles Moore for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Macintosh / Apple Hardware, Peripherals, Cinema Displays and Monitors, Features, Opinions and Editorials

Apple only offers one freestanding computer monitor model: the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display (27” flat panel).

This premium display can connect to any current Mac laptop or desktop and expand your view up to a maximum 2560 x 1440 resolution. It offers LED backlighting for faster instant-on than your Mac probably can keep up with (unless it’s a new MacBook Air) brightness, and an amazing image. The LED Cinema Display has a generous, 178-degree widescreen viewing angle to help you share the goodness.

If you’re a notebook user, this is an external display equipped and configured to serve as not only a bigger screen to use when in desktop substitute mode, but also as a versatile hardware dock. It features a universal MagSafe connector that charges your MacBook, a Mini DisplayPort cable for easy connectivity, and three much-needed USB 2.0 ports, plus built-in iSight camera, microphone, and a 49-watt speaker system.

Finished in Apple’s signature aluminum and glass livery, the LED Cinema Display supports all current members of the MacBook family, and is also compatible with Mac desktop computers that have a Mini DisplayPort (Mac Pro, Mac mini, and iMac).

Unfortunately, there’s a downside. The 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display sells for a suck-in-your-breath $999, which is pretty stratospheric even taking into account the Dock features.

So, the question is begged, does the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display stand up as reasonable value proposition compared with many other elite-featured but cheaper competitors? Frankly, were I in the market for a display right now, I would dearly love to have a 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display, but there’s no way I would ever spend as much as the cost of a base MacBook Air or MacBook on a computer monitor when excellent displays are available for hundreds of dollars less from Samsung, HP, Dell, and others.

Now, to be fair, Dell’s UltraSharp U2711 27-inch Widescreen Monitor actually lists for $1,099, and Dell sells it at a discount for $999—exactly the same as Apple’s 27” cinema display. But the difference with Dell is they offer a large number of lower priced monitor alternatives; for example, their UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor that offers 1920 x 1200 display resolution for $599. Apple used to sell a 24” Cinema Display as well, but alas, it’s been discontinued, leaving us with the 27-incher or looking at competitors’ displays.

Even more to the point, Samsung offers a 27” LCD Monitor with 1920 x 1080 Resolution for a modest MSRP of $399.99. It’s nothing you’ll have to apologize for aesthetically either, with stunning Touch of Color styling motif that blends a hint of amber color into the traditional piano black frame for a rose-black gradation with a glass-like finish reminiscent of a fading sunset. I like that better than Apple’s aluminum, and a crystal clear acrylic stand adds style.

Samsung’s monitor offers no dock or Mag-Safe port, of course, but I think I might be able to live without those bells and whistles for $600 less.

So can buying an Apple display be rationalized from a value perspective. If so, what are your thoughts on how?

Full Story » | Written by Charles Moore for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

You may have some cash on hand from the holidays, and buying a Mac is as good a way as any to spend that money. But when it comes to buying a new Mac, people seem to have an idea what they want, but aren’t sure exactly if that matches up with what they need. Here’s some advice to help you answer that second, more crucial question.

Only need access to information in order to make decisions?

One unfortunate hand-me-down that iOS devices have inherited from their iPod ancestors is that they are all tethered devices. You need either a Mac or a PC to take advantage of many of the iPad’s feature, by design, making the iPad incapable of replacing someone’s only computer.  It’s puzzling to see a Mac, a USB cord, iTunes and an Internet connection listed as system requirements for what is marketed as a standalone computing device. Still, if you already have a computer, and you’re looking for something that grab info for quick scanning and play media, then the iPad is perfect.

Need a travel buddy?

If you’re trying to decide between the Air and the iPad as a mobile solution, consider how far you’ll be traveling, and for how long.  While the iPad is a perfect companion around the office or even for intra-city adventures, if you plan on being gone longer than a day, then the 11-inch Air would be the better choice. When away for even a few days, having access to the software available on OS X as well as being able to utilize a keyboard will be a welcome benefit of the 11-inch Air over the iPad.

Creating content on the go?

If you’ll primarily be creating content and media, or regularly use multiple applications, then the MacBook Air 13-inch may be the better choice than the 11-inch Air. The screen size of the 11-inch will prove to be a little challenging when utilizing multiple applications. While Exposé and Spaces will certainly help, sometimes the extra bit of screen real estate is what’s needed to get the job done.

Creating advanced content on the go?

If you do more than just simple graphic design, preparing office presentations and charts, or writing, then consider stepping up to something a little more powerful: the MacBook Pro. If you’ll have regular access to larger secondary displays, then the 15-inch model is the one to get. If a secondary monitor isn’t often going to be an option, then consider the 17-inch, but go to the Apple Store first and decide if you want to carry one around first.  Both the 15-inch and the 17-inch MacBook Pros have the specs to handle most tasks, including video editing, photo manipulation, graphic design and more.

Will you be sharing with others at home?

Perhaps your family shares a household computer; which Mac is the right Mac to hold down the fort?  That all depends on whether or not you have and are satisfied with an existing keyboard, mouse and monitor.  If so, get a Mac mini, since it’ll save you a bunch of money, but if not, get an iMac.  As for which size iMac, get the 27-inch if your budget allows. No one has ever wished they got the smaller monitor after purchasing the big one.

Do you tend to do a lot of really demanding things all of the time?

If you work on massive video projects that require lots of rendering time, use multiple virtual machines simultaneously, or if your Mac is used as a serious gaming machine, you probably need the power and expandability of a Mac Pro.  Keep in mind that not every Mac Pro will outperform some iMac configurations, but you can customize them after the fact.  With its dual Super Drives and expansion capabilities, you can add plenty of memory and storage to a Mac Pro. Having more cores allows it to do more things at the same time.

Whichever you choose, it’s still a Mac

A new computer is a major purchase, so there will almost always be second-guessing that goes on after you’ve made your choice. At least with Apple, you can be confident that whichever Mac you choose, your decision was overall a good one.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• Motives and Possibilities for a Big Apple Acquisition
• Why Browsers Don’t Matter Anymore
• Why Humans are the Biggest Threat to Cloud Adoption

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Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Macintosh software and hardware specials for the new year [updated]
  “It’s possible you didn’t get that Mac game you wanted this holiday season. Or maybe you’re celebrating a late Christmas with your family and still need a gift idea. Whatever the case, there are still some great…” MORE »
• Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 review
  “Category: Video editing Developer: Adobe System Requirements: Multicore Intel processor, Mac OS X v10.5.7 or v10.6.3; Mac OS X v10.6.3 required for GPU-accelerated performance, 2 GB RAM, 1280×900 display with OpenGL 2.0–compatible graphics card Review Computer: 2.2GHz 13” Macbook Pro, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M…” MORE »
• Get the 3-in-1 Camera Connection Kit for iPad for $20
  ” Apple’s own Camera Connection Kit just can’t stand up to this improved knock-off version. DealExtreme is offering this 3-in-1 camera connection kit for iPad for just $19.40, shipped to just about anywhere.…” MORE »
• December 27, 2010 iPhone, iPad and iPod touch new releases
  “New iPhone, iPod touch and iPad product announcements for December 27, 2010: New iPhone, iPad and iPod touch apps StreetSpark, the new iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch app for offline dating, lets you know…” MORE »
• Free apps and sales through the new year [updated]
  “Christmas has come and gone, but not all of the sales have ceased. Many of the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad app and accessory developers have been kind enough…” MORE »
• Skype iOS app gets video calling
  “In a quiet update to their free iOS app, Skype has added the ability to make video calls over WiFi and, yes, 3G. Two way calls can be made from iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 4th gen. If you have…” MORE »
• Appletell reviews GoodSync Pro for Mac OS X
  “Category: File synchronization Developer: SiberSystems Minimum System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.4, 10.5, or 10.6 Processor Compatibility: Intel Only Price: $29.95, feature limited free version also available Availability: Out now Making backups is crucial to keeping your data safe, and having a reliable utility…” MORE »
• iTunes music review: “All You Need is Now” by Duran Duran
  “Genre: Pop Release Date: December 21, 2010 Publisher: Skin Divers There’s a popular misconception these days that the ‘80s were all about leg warmers, bad hair cuts and hollow music. Truth of the…” MORE »
• iPhone appidemic: Inspector Gadget’s MAD Dash
  “Delight yourself by controlling the famous inspector in his mad dash towards the iPhone gaming arena. Can Inspector Gadget’s antics work well in creating a fun and enjoyable casual game with simple gameplay and simple graphics? There’s only one way to find out—grab the game from the App Store right…” MORE »
• December 28, 2010 iPhone, iPad and iPod touch new releases
  “New iPhone, iPod touch and iPad product announcements for December 28, 2010: New iPhone, iPad and iPod touch apps The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, organizers of Times Square New Year’s…” MORE »

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

It’s become common practice to use services such as bit.ly to shorten URLs, but this is usually done using a bookmarklet script, which only works in web browsers. This Automator service allows you (on OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard) to select an URL in any application and shorten it using the bit.ly API.

First of all, you’ll need to open up Automator (Applications > Automator) and create a new Service by double-clicking the Service icon. If you don’t see this option when Automator starts, go to File > New and the new workflow screen will show.

At the top of the right-hand panel, there are two dropdown lists. Change the first to say URLs and leave the second on Any Application. Leave the Replaces selected text box unchecked.

Now, in the left-hand column, under the Utilities category, find Run Applescript and drag it over into the workflow on the right.

In the right-hand panel, replace the placeholder text in the Run Applescript action by copying and pasting the following script:


on run {input}
set inputResult to (input as string)
ignoring case

if (((characters 1 thru 4 of inputResult) as string) is not equal to "http") then
display dialog "Invalid URL"

else
set curlCMD to "curl --stderr /dev/null \"http://bit.ly/api?url=" & input & "\""
set tinyURL to (do shell script curlCMD)
return tinyURL

end if
end ignoring
end run

Next thing to do is add a Copy to Clipboard action from the Utilities category underneath the Applescript action. This grabs the output from the script and copies it to the clipboard ready for you to paste wherever you want.

Finally, you need to save your Service so that you can access it in other applications. Call it something sensible like “Shorten URL” or “Send to bit.ly” so that it’s obvious what goes on when you run it.

Once you’ve saved it, you can test it out by selecting a URL, right- or control-clicking and choosing the name of your service (in my case, it was “Shorten URL”).

Once you’ve activated the Service, wait a couple of seconds while the script contacts the bit.ly API, then paste into your browser. You’ll see that a bit.ly URL has been created, and if you follow it, you’ll be taken to the original page whose URL you originally selected.

If right-clicking isn’t your thing, and you prefer using the keyboard, you can go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Services and set up a keyboard shortcut. Now when you have text selected, just use that keyboard shortcut and you’ll get your short URL.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• Shopping Matters When it Comes to Location-Based Apps
• How the Little Guys Can Compete in Local Mobile Advertising
• Real-Time Advertising: How to Get in Early

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Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iDevice Apps, Features, Appidemic

Are there many bowling games for iPad? I’ve never played an iPad bowling game until now. Interestingly, my first happens to be Xenocade. Why is this interesting? Because it’s not really your typical bowling game with career modes and other related features. Rather, Xenocade is a simple 2-in-1, pick-and-play type of arcade bowling game, with the other game being skee ball. If you’re up for a short, simple and yet sweet bowling sim on your iPad, check out Xenocade HD (or, better yet, check out our mini-review first).

What is it?

Xenocade consists of bowling and skee ball, both of which are rather nicely drawn with colorful, futuristic graphics. The game physics is also noteworthy, although it tends to be easy at times. It’s actually all about accuracy of your taps and swipes, which determine your success.

How does it work

The objective is pretty simple; try to get the highest score possible. Repeat the game if you’re not satisfied with your current score. That’s for the solo game mode. The gameplay gets more exciting if you play 2 player mode. You take turns rolling the ball, and the player with the best score wins. Unfortunately, this is not via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; you simply alternate using the same iPad.

To play the game, all you have to do is tap on the ball and then swipe forward to release it. You can determine the direction of the ball by swiping it from left to right.

As for the other game, Skee Ball, the game mechanics are pretty much the same. But this time you have to aim for the hole with the highest score. You are given ten balls to try shooting at the holes. Basically, it feels like a game of chance where you pretty much have no control on the probability that the ball will fall on the hole with the highest points.

Is it contagious?

As it is, Xenocade HD is a pretty simple bowling and skee ball sim that you my find enjoyable and fun to play for a while. But then, the novelty of the game starts to die down. If you can stand doing the same thing over and over again, then this game is for you. Otherwise, Xenocade HD definitely has room for improvement. Additional features such as tournament mode, GameCenter support and more will hopefully be added in future updates.

Category: Games
Seller: Digital Embryo
Cost: $0.99 (also available for iPhone and iPod touch)
Download: Xenocade HD

Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »