Ultimate Guide to Memorial Day Weekend App Sales

I’ve been kind of hibernating for a few days, so I thought it only fair that upon my return I bring you something amazing. I’ve prepared a list of Memorial Day weekend app sales to end all lists. It’s your ultimate guide to all the best apps on sale. Not just games. This list has everything!

What makes this list better than most holiday app lists? I own almost every app on the list & do mini-reviews of each app. This is not just a list of the usual big-ticket games, this list includes apps I guarantee you will not find on most other lists. Even the games I pick are not the usual. Well, check it out & see.

Some of these apps don’t explicitly say that they are on sale for Memorial Day, so don’t get mad at me if they’ve gone up in price again by Monday. I’m just going to show you the best FREE & reduced price apps available today that look like they will be available all weekend. But, I’m not psychic

Games

World Conqueror 2

One of the only FREE games I could find that I could actually recommend is World Conqueror 2 (universal). There are scattered listings of FREE games for this weekend, but to be honest, most games are just reduced price. Most are discounted to 99 cents, which is actually a really good deal when you consider that many of them normally cost anywhere between $5-$10. Don’t be disappointed though! Check out some fabulous FREE apps in non-game categories.

W.E.L.D.E.R.

W.E.L.D.E.R. (universal): This very popular & highly rated word game was an App Store New & Noteworthy app when it was 1st released. Usually $2.99, W.E.L.D.E.R. takes classic word-building & adds wackiness & fun. You can play solo or against your Game Center friends & random opponents.

99-cent Deals

All EA Games: As usual for a holiday weekend, almost all EA (Entertainment Arts) games have been reduced to 99 cents. Titles range from the likes of Max and the Magic Marker (iPad version) to The Sims 3 (iPhone only) You can browse all of the EA games by searching the App Store for “EA games” or “Entertainment Arts games.” Either works & will bring up a listing of all of this developer’s games.

Gameloft games

All Gameloft Games: Another developer who’s put all of their titles on sale this weekend is Gameloft. These games usually run you about $6.99, so 99 cents is a pretty good deal. Some examples of Gameloft games are Wild Blood (universal), The Oregon Trail: American Settler (universal), & Iron Man 3 – The Official Game (universal). The fact that these games are almost all universal (unlike most EA games) makes them an even better deal.

Playdek games

All Playdek Games: Although they have a smaller library of games, don’t count Playdek out. Most of their games tend more toward the board game genre, but I love board games. Check out the highly rated Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer (universal) for an exciting magic-like card game, or Fluxx (universal) for a game the whole family will love trying to figure out.

Shiny The Firefly

Shiny The Firefly (universal): I haven’t played Shiny, but it is rated very highly & is on my AppShopper Social wish list. It is a platformer that may look like it is only for children, but I think it may appeal to everyone. Shiny usually costs $2.99.

Jacob Jones

Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 (universal): This game aimed at children, but yet again appealing to everyone, was in the App Store’s New & Noteworthy category just last week. Usually priced at $2.99, it has been discounted for a limited time. I was really excited to see this on the list of sale apps, except for the fact that I bought it last week at the normal price Oh well!

Penumbear

Penumbear (universal): I haven’t bought this platformer yet, but it looks absolutely amazing! Usually $1.99, Penumbear gets almost 5 stars from critics & App Store reviewers alike. The twist in this game is that you can only walk on the line between shadow & light. Luckily, your best friend is a firefly who can turn lights on & off. There are more than 100 levels of puzzles based on this premise, plus lots of extra things to find & bosses to fight as you help Penumbear escape a creepy castle.

Everything Else

Photography – FREE Apps

InstaDaily

InstaDaily (iPhone only): Usually $2.99, I picked this little app up yesterday for FREE. This is 1 of the apps that I’m not sure why it’s on sale, so it may not last all weekend. InstaDaily lets you add a magazine-like feel to your photos. You can take them with the frame showing while you shoot, or you can import photos & see what works with what. It’s pretty cool looking!

TypoPic

TypoPic – Text 3D Rotation (iPhone only): This very cool app (usually 99 cents) is new to the App Store this week, but already it’s 1 of my very favorite text on photos app (& I have a zillion of them). What makes TypoPic stand out from the crowd is the fact that you can not only adjust type in about a million ways (expect a full review coming soon), but you can also rotate the text in any direction so that it looks 3D. & it actually works! It looks just amazing.

Albu

Albu Beautiful Photo Manager (iPhone only): Albu is an app that organizes all of the photos in your Photo app on its own. All you have to do is enjoy your photos in neat albums that usually make sense. You don’t have to do anything but open the app. Usually 99 cents.

PhotoCal with Event

PhotoCal with Event (universal): Usually $2.99, PhotoCal is a great way to organize & view your photos. The app arranges all of your photos by date & even lets you view it all in a calendar-like view where you can see a sampling of what you took a month at a time.

Text On Pics PRO

Text On Pics PRO (universal): Another app where you can add text on top of photos, but this 1 has an astounding 180 fonts & is universal. Other than that, this is your standard app for doing this kind of task. But, it’s FREE! Download it & judge for yourself. What do you have to lose?

Strut Type

Strut Type (universal): This very cool camera/photo editing app just got even better, which is what they’re celebrating. Not so much about Memorial Day. It’s still a good time to pick up Strut Type for FREE. Strut Type transforms your photos into vintage, old-fashioned black & white photos. That may sound pretty limited, but there are actually 94 editing designs & with other factors added in, there are 500 possible combinations for diverse results.

Photography – Discounted Apps

All JixiPix Apps: As you know if you read iOS Affairs, JixiPix is 1 of my very favorite developers because they make the very best photo editing apps. & this weekend, all JixiPix apps are only 99 cents! Yay! My favorite of the Jixi bunch is definitely PhotoArtistaHD – Haiku (iPad version), which is in the photo above. Haiku is a mix of watercolor, India ink & handmade papers. Other Jixi apps include Pop Dot Comics (iPhone version, although all are on sale), Grungetastic HD (iPad version) & Portrait Painter HD (iPad version). I have reviewed absolutely every Jixi app. You can find reviews of all the specific apps listed above here & here & here.

ToonCamera

ToonCamera (universal): I know that a cartoon effect is included in just a ton of camera & editing apps, but ToonCamera just does this 1 thing, so they do it really well. Much better than some effect that you add on & can’t even edit with a cheap camera app. Usually $1.99, ToonCamera is also universal. You can take photos & video with many variations of cool cartoon styling with your iPhone or iPad.

Lifestyle Apps – FREE

Shatoetry (iPhone only): This is a really funny app! What Shatoetry is about is writing poems (Shatisms) using words the app gives you (& they update the word list a lot). What makes it funny is that all the poems are read aloud when you’re done by William Shatner. For real. I’m not making it up. He recorded each word that you use & the app strings all the words together. Each word & even spaces can be emphasized with intuitive gestures. You can even save the voice recording as video & share it. Usually 99 cents.

Cardio Buddy

Cardio Buddy – Touchless Camera Heart Rate Monitor (iPhone only): I’ve been using Cardio Buddy for some time now & it’s incredibly accurate as compared what my heart rate is at the doctor’s. The algorithm that measures your heart rate just by looking at your face was developed by researchers at Berkeley & Stanford. It measures color variations in your face that are imperceptible to the eye. Plus, it will impress your friends. Usually $1.99.

Smart Alarm Clock

Smart Alarm Clock for iPad: This app isn’t just an alarm clock. It also says (I own this app, but haven’t used it yet) that it tracks your sleep cycles & wakes you up at the best possible time based on when your body is coming out of deep R.E.M. sleep & going into a lighter sleep. Usually 99 cents (most apps that do this cost much more).

Lifestyle Apps – Discounted

Social Diary

Social Diary – Automated Journal (iPad only): The name of this app is actually much longer because it actually includes all the social media the app supports. I shortened it, because that’s insane. Social Diary itself, though, is a cool concept & really neat to use. It imports all of your Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram photos, etc. & lets you choose which ones you want to write about more in your diary.

Sky Guide

Sky Guide: View Stars Night or Day (universal): I’m not that into astronomy (although I seem to own all the apps), but Sky Guide really wowed me this week. It is in the App Store’s New & Noteworthy right now, so I can’t say what it usually costs, but the developer’s say the 99 cent price will double eventually. Still, that is not bad for an app of this kind. What’s so special about it? It uses actual photos of the sky, not simulated points of light, so it feels more real. Plus, the info that is written on everything is in-depth & not from Wikipedia. There is music that changes based on the size & temperature of the star you’re looking at. I could go on, but this is supposed to be brief.

ScrapBook

ScrapBook – Tell Your Story (iPad only): This is an app I’m planning on picking up today. It looks really amazing & has everything you need to make great digital scrapbooks. You can include photos, text, maps, voice recordings, & there are a lot of ways to lay everything out in many cool themes. ScrapBook is by Left Coast Logic, a developer who has put all of there apps on sale this weekend. Most are quite expensive & are really more productivity apps, like calendars, but they are extremely innovative & worth a look.

Writing & Productivity Apps – FREE

Goodo Cal (iPhone only): Usually $3.99, this uniquely named calendar app is FREE right now. It is a very clean looking, non-traditional calendar (which I downloaded but haven’t gotten to yet). It may look minimalistic (which is the point), but it says it has many integrated functions, including Stream View, fast event creation, & ability to sync with Google Calendar.

Getodo

Getodo – To-do Lists for Your Circles (iPhone only): I just downloaded this really amazing looking to-do list (to-do lists & to-do list apps are an obsession of mine). Getodo promotes itself as helping people who may be procrastinators or who feel inefficient. It helps these people by breaking down tasks into smaller, more do-able bits (I may need to try this). What attracted me, of course, are the beautiful themes & design. They really need to spell-check their app description, though. Usually 99 cents.

Timer+ Touch

Timer+ Touch HD (iPad only): This is a neat app despite the fact that I think the app icon is really a turn-off & the claim that it is 1 of a kind because it is touch-enabled is stupid. However, if you have an iPad & need a timer, this is a really good 1 that you set just by swiping around the circle. Easy as can be & that’s about it. Usually 99 cents.

Writing & Productivity Apps -Discounted

TaskPaper

TaskPaper – Simple To-do Lists (universal): Usually $4.99, TaskPaper is on sale for $1.99. This 1 is on my wish list, but it looks really great & is very highly rated. The goal of TaskPaper is to feel just like you’re using a sheet of paper. It syncs with Dropbox to make sure you don’t lose all your precious info.

TextGrabber

TextGrabber + Translator (iPhone only): This incredibly useful & accurate app grabs & translates words in anything you can photograph. You can even import existing photos that include words. Usually $9.99, TextGrabber is on sale for $4.99. When I say it grabs the text, I mean that it copies the words & changes them into editable text on your iPhone that can also be translated into a lot of different languages within the same app.

Pencilicious

Pencilicious *Plus: Note taking, sketching, and drawing (iPad only): This is my go-to scratch-pad when I need to take notes quickly & I want to feel like I’m using a sheet of paper. The hand-writing is out of this world! The only thing Pencilicious is missing is the ability to use it in landscape mode. Other than that, this is a great app for taking notes by hand & I can see how it would be an awesome sketching app. Usually $2.99, it is on sale for $1.99.

Songwriter's Pad

Songwriter’s Pad (iPad only): I saw this app, which is made by the same developers as Poet’s Pad (on my biggest wish list), & I had to share. Songwriter’s is usually $9.99, but this weekend it’s on sale for $1.99. For that price, you get a place to write lyrics with an integrated rhyming dictionary, dictionary & thesaurus. There is also a place to note chords with the lyrics & even a record function so you can sing or hum or whatever when the mood strikes you. Now, if only Poet’s Pad would go on sale this much!

That’s it for the list right now. I may update over the weekend if I see anything exceptional. Have a great holiday & thanks for reading my very long list!

That’s it for me today. Until later, …

Posted in Apple, Apps, Games, iOS, iPad, iPhone, News, Photography, Technology
Tagged App Store
3 Comments

Wow! VideoFilters Is Camera+ For Videos

VideoFilters

A universal app released in the App Store yesterday called VideoFilters has absolutely amazed me with a set of features similar to Camera+. Except, as the name suggests, it’s for videos.

VideoFilters has attributes that will make both pros & amateurs alike very happy.

Amateurs are going to LOVE the 100 real-time filters you use while you’re shooting, the ability to import videos you’ve already taken with other cameras & being able to snap still photos while you’re shooting a video.
Pros will like the fact that with VideoFilters they can adjust the frames per second (FPS), shoot with STEREO Audio & do some actual editing (contrast, saturation, gamma & brightness).

What I loved is how easy VideoFilters was to figure out. It literally took me all of 10 minutes to be ready to write this review.

I was a little disappointed at 1st by the fact that the filters are not quite as dramatic as say the filters in Camera+, but that disappointment was soon replaced with awe at just how many features the developers were able to fit into 1 app without making it feel cluttered or confusing.

There is no tutorial, but it isn’t needed anyway.

VideoFilters

I also realized that, although I’d like to see some more dramatic filters in the future, the filters that exist are actually quite good. You can see a complete listing of all 100 filters in the app description in the App Store.

What really made me realize how impressive the filters are is rapidly switching between filters & no filter by tapping the on/off button in the very corner on the bottom left.

VideoFilters

To choose a filter, you just tap the line along the bottom (which it says). You can browse the filters divided into 14 categories as little photos or tiled for easier viewing (photo above).

And, you won’t see a stock photo as you’re looking through the filters. You’ll see whatever your device’s camera is pointed at, or if you’ve imported a video, you’ll see whatever image the video is paused on. That means, you’ll see how the filter is reacting with your environment & your actual video.

I really liked that 1 of the groupings of filters is made to address common issues people have with their videos or environments like:

Clarity to crisp up fuzzy photos
Fluorescent for videos shot under this type of light
Cloudy & Shade for shooting while it’s, well, you can figure this 1 out
Flash to add light to dark photos
& several more

VideoFilters

Another nifty feature I discovered how to access by accident. I had skipped the instructions for this in the app description (oops).

If you do a long tap on the screen & then slide up/down, you get to the pop-up menu (photo above) to adjust the saturation, contrast, gamma & brightness. Then, you slide left/right to increase/decrease the amount. It works just like Snapseed, so you should have no difficulty doing it.

Minor editing of those features really changes the filters, too.

VideoFilters

I am definitely in the amateur photographer category, so I really appreciate some of the features like the smooth zoom buttons, the grid overlay & being able to take a photo while I’m shooting a video.

The smooth zoom buttons (the +/- above & below the zoom bar) slowly & steadily zooms in or out. I can never do that without jerking around like I’m having a seizure, so this is highly appreciated.
Grid overlay (read why this is a useful tool here) is turned on & off in the settings menu (the gear in the upper, left corner).
All you have to do to take an HD-quality photo while shooting a video is tap the camera button to the right of the record button. This only shows while you’re shooting (duh). When you’re not, it’s the render button to finish & save your video.

For the pros out there, the settings menu is where you’ll probably head to 1st. That’s where you can adjust the FPS, aspect ratio, sound quality & other things I don’t understand much (although I’m happy to see there is a stabilize button there).

You can adjust the speed of the video right from the shooting screen.

With the speed settings button in the upper, right corner, you can do slow motion & fast motion videos. I haven’t tried this yet, but it looks easy & sounds like it could be fun to play with.

I did import a video from my Camera Roll with the + button that is right next to the record button. VideoFilters didn’t make me search through all my photos for the videos either. It quickly found all my videos & only showed me those to choose from. Importing & working with the video worked like a charm, too!

The other features I couldn’t cram into this review but that should be mentioned include:

You can take videos in either portrait or landscape mode!
Layer filters by adding additional filters after a video is done.
Use the front or back camera!
Manually set the exposure, focus & white balance with a triple-tap.
Pause while shooting video & then start right back up again.

I wanted to mention again that all this video goodness is universal. That means that you can enjoy VideoFilters using your iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch! The price is just $3.99.

So, go check it out!

That’s it for me today. Until later, …

Posted in Apps, Art, iOS, iPad, iPhone, News, Photography, Reviews, Technology
Tagged App Store
2 Comments

May 19, 2013

Guest Post: iOS 7: Skeuomorphic Designs That May Disappear

Hello readers, Tracy here. I wanted to introduce this last guest post, because, well, it will be the last guest post for a long, long while (sorry about the scads of email I need to return to people who really deserved to know this 1st). Don’t get me wrong. It’s a wonderful post full of a lot of insight (even if I did have to look up the word skeuomorphic, which, in design speak, means imitating features of 1 object when designing a different object).

However, I’ve just gotten overwhelmed at the guest post submissions I’ve received & decided that it is better to just say no to all than to be unfair or to drive myself crazier than I already am. So, enjoy this wonderful analysis of what could lie ahead for us when we get a peek at iOS 7, because after this, you’re just stuck with me again

Now, on with the show …

Say what you want about the faux wood-grain effect in the iBook app, I quite enjoy it. This is just one of many apps that JonyIve may be getting rid of in the release of iOS 7. The concept of the new operating system is rumored to be a reflection of JonyIve’s simplistic designs of the past. Although iOS does need an overhaul in order to stay competitive against the likes of Windows and Android, does it really need to lose the flare and luster that many of us enjoy?

iMovie
1. iMovie - The iMovie app looks like the front of a movie theater that you may see passing by on the street. Just looking at the screen makes me feel like I need to buy some popcorn. Although many are eagerly waiting simplistic design for the app, it’s going to be hard for me to say goodbye. The wrecking ball is swaying into the theater and paving the way for “innovation” once again. As long as Apple doesn’t put up a Starbucks in its place, I suppose I can live with the change.

2. Newsstand - The only thing I would personally change on the Newsstand feature is perhaps adding those metal revolving devices that hold magazine that you can spin. Aside from that, I like the aesthetics of the wood-grain shelves holding the magazines that interest me the most. I suppose after this new roll-out, I’ll be left with just touching an icon that represents the magazine title.

3. Game Center - The Game Center look and feel is perhaps one of the only things I would change in iOS. However, I wouldn’t get rid of the skeumorphic process altogether. Maybe Apple could beef it up a bit as not everyone realizes what a card table may look like. I suppose moving game icons into their own area like Android has is the way of the future? Almost feels like Apple plans on alienating the ones who bought into iOS because it was so flashy.

4. Podcasts - The tape real has always been one of my favorite uses on iOS. I suppose that is showing my age since I know what one of these devices is. However, shouldn’t we teach our children where technology originated from as part of our culture? I suppose the Podcasts app could look better and be designed for this generation, but don’t do away with the graphical flare entirely.

5. Page Turning - As I love to read books, this is a graphical enhancement I hope remains, but I doubt it will. The visual of the page turning within the iDevice keeps us grounded as to where books originated from without the use of digital download. It’s an elegant flow of motion that many may take for granted. However, it is one of those features that makes iOS what it is and is not reminiscent of other devices.

Notes
6. Notes - This is another aesthetic enhancement that many think we can do without. Of course we can deal with it, but then it wouldn’t be the iOS Notes that I like to use. If I wanted a plain white surface to type my notes on, I’d load up Notepad on my PC. Even the sticky-pad may be on the chopping block – although I still use the real-life versions regularly. How much more creativity needs to be erased in order to provide a stable system environment?

7. Contacts - I remember having a book of all my contacts in alphabetical order with tabs declaring what part of the alphabet each page pertained to. I suppose I just have to realize that today’s culture would rather have the chrome and creative-less face to apps and functions. Am I too old for artistic modification of technology? Are there really that many people in the world who would prefer not having the flash and individuality that Apple has provided me throughout the years?

8. Flattened Look - Many are drawn to the appeal of Windows 8 because of its ease of use and flattened look. Personally, I think it looks a bit bland and faceless. Differentiating colored boxes to represent the most common elements for you to click on makes the OS look like someone failed in designing new icons and graphics. I will never own a device that looks like something that should be in my child’s toy-box. When did we become a society of bland aesthetics and void of artistic expression?

Simplistic. I suppose it could be a term that is used along side of innovation, but I’d rather see the effects-driven look and feel remain in iOS. One of the most attractive points to owning any iDevice is the creativity surrounding such apps and features. What should be an integrated feature is the ability to customize those apps and areas. Apple could give people ability to stick with tradition or move ahead with bland. Regardless of the appearance changes of iOS, a new version needs to be rolled out soon in order to encourage future sales. I just hope it is akin to functionality while keeping some of the graphical enhancements I’ve grown to love.

Author Bio:

Ken Myers is the founder of http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn’t try to create a need, instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.

Posted in Apple, Apps, iOS, iPad, iPhone, News, Reviews, Technology
Tagged Design, Graphic Design
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May 18, 2013

Guest Post: Top 5 Apps to Help You Produce Music

Producing quality music tracks was once a matter of learning complex theory and spending a significant amount of capital on the right equipment. Today, almost anyone can make music affordably and relatively simply. With the release of devices like the iPad, budding music makers have a variety of apps they can use to produce their own music. Here are five of the best apps for producing your own tracks.

1. GarageBand ($4.99)

GarageBand turns your iPad into alternative instruments, such as the keyboard, the drums, and various string instruments. It allows you to add in your own vocals and convert the results into a ringtone for only $4.99. It doesn’t have anything more than basic music editing capabilities, but it is easy to export a track into a dedicated music editor. Whilst the choice of instruments limits music makers to certain types of music, it’s a very good replication of the real thing.

2. Impaktor ($2.99)

One of the most innovative musical apps in the App Store, Impaktor is a fully-fledged drum synth. Using iOS multi-touch technology, Impaktor uses tapping on surfaces in order to register kicks, snares and hi-hats.

Watch a video of the app here.

Using your devices microphone the app allows you to play on whatever surface your iPad or iPhone is currently sitting on. This is a universal app, which means one price to pay to make complex loops and patterns on all of your devices.

3. SunVox ($5.99)

SunVox is a $5.99 professional music-making app allowing the composition of music, any time, any place. Immediately, the user is confronted by a complicated looking interface offering sequencers and synthesis tools. The output is of a high quality and it works with the iPad, Mac, and Android devices. Whilst it’s ideal for the professional, novices may find it painful while getting acquainted with some of the complicated colour coded buttons on the main interface.

4. Addictive Synth ($3.99)

Addictive Synth offer exactly what you would expect from a synth app; however, with its simplistic design and GUI a novice user can really pick up and play with this app. There are still the normal knobs to twist and buttons to push, but it wouldn’t be much of a synth app if there weren’t. Addictive Synth comes with a few very strong features not least a powerfu larpeggiator and a spectral noise generator.

One of the great features of the app is the stock sounds with which to create your captivating melodies and bass grooves. Overall it’s a great app with a great friendly user interface.

5. AKAI iMPC ($4.99)

This retro throwback to the iconic Akai MPC range is a music geek’s dream. It’s really great to see the new retro designs for iOS apps. This iPad-only app is the closest you’ll get tuning a real-life MPC without spending hundreds of pounds.

While the app is an impressive replica of the Akai MPC range it quite difficult to do complex samples mainly due to the iPad’s size (it would be a good idea to secure your iPad down before use), however the nostalgic value you get with this app makes up for it. The sampling interface is really nice and clear just like the legendary MPC workflow. This is one of the best apps in the store for sheer entertainment value.

Overall, these five apps offer something different for the music maker. Some choose to focus on just a few types of instrument or music, whereas others offer a comprehensive studio. Deciding on the right app is a matter of determining one’s own personal requirements.

Mark works as a music sample producer at Dance Midi Samples. After producing many music sample packs, Mark now shares his years of experience with others through guides and tutorials while offering free midi samples for the next generation of producers.

Posted in Apple, Apps, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Reviews, Technology
Tagged App Store, Music
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May 17, 2013

10 Apps That Will Change Your Life

Reblogged from Fabulous Friday Find:

Technology can only be life changing if it enhances or improves something you already do. Your iPhone/Smartphone can’t make you exercise more or change your diet. But it can help you make your life more social, more creative, and way more fun. With so many apps aimed at helping you take care of yourself and your life, your device can be that source of support and inspiration — plus all the nerdy statistics and facts you’d ever want.

10 ways your smartphone can improve your travel experience via @hoppertravel

Reblogged from jlnpr: PR + Marketing + Social Media:

Source: Hopper

For the most part, I am a staunch armchair traveler. I use apps that can give me 360 degree views of places across the world & apps that are virtual windows that open to anywhere I desire.

But, after 10 years (or so), I am planning my 1st real vacation for this fall. It's only a 3-day trip to a bed & breakfast in Wisconsin, but for me, it is definite progress.

Being the app queen that I am, travel apps have been making their way in large numbers to my devices (you'd be surprised how many were already there given my lack of traveling habits).

So, this infographic immediately caught my eye. Not only is it a useful collection of information on how technology generally & apps specifically can help travelers, but it is also bright & inviting from a graphic design standpoint.

Take a look & see what you can find to help you plan & enjoy your next vacation.

Posted in Apps, Infographic, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Technology
Tagged Decision-making, Design, Graphic Design, Travel
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May 17, 2013

It’s a Numbers Game

followers

Sorry it has been 3 days since I’ve written. My only excuse is that I’m not very good with numbers & they’ve been everywhere lately.

Personally, the biggest number came yesterday when I received my 1,000th follower for iOS Affairs! One-thousand followers!!! That’s 1,000 people who will get an email when I push “Publish” on this post (well, 1,001 now). One-thousand people who read my opinions on apps & other odd ramblings.

candles

All I can say is, Thank You!!! Each & Every One of You!

Part of my delay in writing this post was that I knew that the 1,000 number was going to happen very soon & part of it was because this post is my 400th post! Another big number.

When I started writing, I planned on writing once or twice a week & I was even going to make this a private blog just for friends & family.

I was really stunned when I had so many people reading my little blog by May. It inspired me to write more & now, just a little more than a year after I began, I’ve reached my 400th post.

A composition in Layover by Tracy Pease

A really big number is coming up for iOS Affairs due to all of you being such loyal readers: 100,000 page views or “hits,” as the kids are calling it these days!

Now, that is a number I am just awed by! So much so that I created a little bit of Layover app art (above) in anticipation of that big number. (When I don’t know what else to do, I combine apps to try to create something arty.)

Social Media Infographic Extravaganza!

It’s been awhile since I really went on a Tumblr binge & brought you the best infographics I could find. I may have gone overboard with today’s line-up of social media-themed infographics, but it’s easy to do using TumbleOn HD – Tumblr App for Images. The app knows me so well that it opens directly to the tag for infographics.

So, let’s get started looking at & analyzing what I found. I have a lot of questions for you, too!

Twitter Psych 101

I really like the information in this 1st infographic, but the styling & fonts could use a little finesse, in my opinion.

I think the part that will interest many readers is why people say they unfollow someone. The #1 reason given is tweeting too much. I can’t say I haven’t unfollowed someone for that reason (sorry for the double negative, I have unfollowed someone for tweeting too much).

Computer users might say, “why don’t you just ignore those people,” but mobile users know that when you have notifications turned on for each tweet, too much tweeting is just really annoying. But, there’s a lot of gray in this area. Too much for me might not be too much for The Associated Press, for instance. And, tweets of substance are less annoying, in my opinion, than tweets that are just 2 people talking to each other.

What do you think? Have you ever unfollowed anyone? Why?

Twitter UK-style

This 2nd infographic has information based on Twitter usage in the UK, but I think that the results are probably generalizable outside of the UK, as well.

I found it interesting that Twitter is so extremely mobile both in device used to access it & where it’s used & yet also so integrated into home life activities like watching TV & going to bed (what are people tweeting at bedtime, by the way?).

I’m interested to know how many of you follow brands on Twitter & how many you follow? I think I currently follow more brands on Facebook & more news & technology sources on Twitter, but maybe I should think about switching some things up.

Profiled

This 1 may be a little outdated, but I liked it nonetheless.

Many, many people are going to say, “I use Facebook & that’s not who I am,” but remember that this infographic is a profile of the AVERAGE Facebook fan who likes SxSW based on statistics of what everyone who is a fan of SxSW likes. So, calm down!

Be a Good Sharer

Now, let’s look at what makes quality content that gets shared on Facebook. This infographic is targeted toward brands & marketers, but it has a lot of information that could make your shares better & more well-received, too.

Thoughtful posts that are short(er), speak to who you are, & that are entertaining are always going to get more likes & comments & possibly shares.
I’ve seen just a ton of studies & infographics also claiming that “calls to action” (i.e. asking people to retweet, share, etc.) work really well & actually get people to do it more. That said, I absolutely hate the posts & photos that say something & then basically dare you to share & state that 99% of my friends won’t share this. It’s high-tech bullying.
I’ve personally found that people really seem to enjoy thoughtfully culled educational content. By this I mean sharing interesting studies covered by news sources, science & psychology news, & odd tidbits. I’ve started many a good conversation this way on Facebook. Have you noticed the same thing?

What you get from this infographic will really depend on who you are. My readers who are also marketers or developers are going to get something completely different from it than regular Facebook using readers. But, whatever you use Facebook for, I thought this was interesting.

Social Media Safari

Now, this infographic is just pure fun! But, am I just way out of the loop? What are 9GAG & Archify?

Bonus Infographic: Geeks & Nerds

Whenever I go on a TumbleOn binge, I always come back with something that doesn’t fit in with whatever I’m writing, but that I like a lot anyway. So, here’s today’s bonus infographic. It has nothing to do with social media (unless you want to debate whether more geeks than nerds tweet), but I want to run it & it’s my blog

Well, that’s it for this edition of I Went on a Tumblr Binge & All I Got Were These Fabulous Infographics. Stay tuned for the next time I get bored & stumble onto Tumblr.

That’s it for me today. Until later, …

Posted in Apps, Infographic, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Technology
Tagged Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter
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May 14, 2013

Instagram on the iPad: Gramatica Rocks the Gallery

Instagram is iconic to the iPhone, but sometimes iPad users want a little more space to browse photos. You get used to more space when using the iPad. You come to expect it.

Gramatica

The app we’re going to look at is famous enough in its own right, having garnered rave reviews from all of the top review sites. It’s called Gramatica for Instagram. Although Gramatica is a universal app (you can use it on the iPhone, too), we’re going to look at how it works mostly on the iPad, today.

Gramatica calls itself an Instagram gallery app in part because of the art gallery-like way photos are presented & in part because it is not Instagram. You can’t shoot & upload photos using Gramatica. For that, you’ll have to go back to Instagram.

Gramatica

What Gramatica does do, though, is amazing. For the most part, everything in Gramatica is gesture controlled. Like a photo? Tap it twice to heart it. Want to see who else likes it? Tap the heart & the photos slides away to reveal the list of people who have liked it (photo above). Want to see the comments on a photo? Tap the comment bubble & the photo slides away revealing the comments & gives you space to leave a comment of your own. Tap a city or address to have the photo reveal a map locating where it was taken.

Just tap the arrow to slide the photo back over the photo when you’re done. & if you want to see the photo bigger, just tap it once for an up-close look at it & even pinch to zoom in on it. All of this is done without leaving the photo gallery!

Gramatica is just a streamlined, stunning way to look at Instagram photos on the iPad (or iPhone).

Gramatica

One of the coolest things about Gramatica is the fact that you can curate the photos you look at using filtering. You can choose tags that you don’t want to see in your feed or searches, hide photos, & hide users so that when you’re trying to look at beautiful photos, you aren’t interrupted with things you don’t want to see.

You can flip the filter on & off by tapping the blue funnel-looking icon in the lower, left corner. Tap the gear icon to change your filter options & manage your filters. This is where you would come to change, add to, or delete some of your filters.

Gramatica

Another cool feature in Gramatica is the ability to make simple lists of users & hashtags. Instead of searching for the same hashtag every single time you want to look at photos in that topic, just open up the list you’ve created & click the hashtag instead, which will take you straight there.

To create a list, just search for the hashtag or user you want & choose the “Add tag to list” button to open up a pop-up window. In the pop-up, you can give that tag a name of your own & choose whether you just want it to search your own feed or if you want it to search within another tag or just leave it alone to have it find all photos with that tag.

Gramatica

You can also get to the same pop-up box/list creator by clicking the list icon along the left side of the screen (under the home icon). When you click on the icon, you are give the choice of seeing your photos, photos you’ve liked, & if you’ve created some lists, they will be listed there, too.

To create a new list this way, just click the + button & you’re good to go.

The list icon is where you go back to when you want to go to your list again. Just press the name of your list & off you go.

Gramatica

Other cool features of Gramatica include:

The ability to quickly switch between multiple accounts.

Use the Last Viewed Photo Indicator to quickly see where you left off last time you used Gramatica.

Use the Unread Comments Indicator to find new comments on comments strings you are following.

Tap on URLs & follow where they go.

Use iCloud to sync all your filters, lists, & indicators between devices.

Just a note. You MUST have an Instagram account to use Gramatica! This is not an app for viewing Instagram that can be used by anyone. It is for Instagram users only! Please don’t download it & rate it badly because you didn’t read this.

That’s it for me today. Until later, …

Related Link on iOS Affairs:

Instagram 101: The Basics & a Little Beyond

Posted in Apps, Art, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Photography, Reviews, Technology
Tagged iPhonography, iPhotography
1 Comment

Contaqs Is the Contacts Manager You’ve Been Looking For

Contaqs

I spent a great deal of time recently looking for a contacts manager. I have close to 150 contacts & I just wanted a better way to organize them, search them, & use them than Apple’s Contacts app.

There are a ton of contacts managers & many of them are FREE or have FREE versions to try before you buy. Many of them integrate social functions like adding recent Facebook updates or Tweets, but I decided this was not a feature I needed. I think I may have downloaded just about all of the available FREE apps & a few paid ones to boot.

Well, I finally hit the jackpot with Contaqs – the Contact Manager. It has absolutely everything I was looking for & more that I didn’t know I wanted until I got it.

There is no FREE version of Contaqs to try, so I just had to take a leap & hope that Contaqs was a good app. My leap paid off in a big way.

Contaqs Contaqs

Contaqs is a universal app (photos above show main view on iPad & iPhone). There are very few contacts managers that are universal, so this is really quite a bonus feature for Contaqs.

There are so many features packed into this “enhanched address book” that it is hard to know where to start.

Let’s start with searching, which is the 1st thing you do when you open your Contacts app anyway.

The list view (photos above) is quite beautiful & elegant, especially compared to the bare bones Apple Contacts list view. Contacts are displayed on mini-profile cards with their photo in a little circle & their main information available right on the card.

If you’re just looking for a phone number or email address, you don’t even have to open the profile to find it in Contaqs. It’s right there on the mini-profile.

Contaqs

Searching for someone in Contaqs is super easy. Just click the 3 lines in the top, left corner to open up the options menu.

From this menu, you can do just about everything. For searching, you can always just type the name into the search bar at the top of just about any screen & find the person easily. But, if you can’t happen to remember the name of the person you’re searching for, you’re in luck.

There are also about a billion ways to search for people without knowing exactly who you’re looking for. Contaqs calls these Smart Lists & there are many of them.

You can search for people using everything from family relationship & nickname to city & zip code. You can also search for all the contacts you have that have a birthday in their profile or all the contacts that don’t have an email or address listed, etc. You can even search for all the people who don’t have images in their profile.

Contaqs puts badges after all the “without” Smart Lists, so you know exactly how many people you’re sorting through before you choose that list.

Contaqs

One thing the iPhone version has that the iPad version is missing (at least I can’t find it) is a filter available from the main view of the contacts.

The filter is located under the 3 lines that opens the options menu. When you press it, you get a list like the 1 in the photo. You can sort your contacts by everything from first & last name to company & city, plus many more.

This filter then reorders your contacts list according to the filter you chose.

The other thing the iPhone version has that the iPad does not makes a lot of sense. It has a Keypad accessible through the options menu. This allows you to directly dial your iPhone & make a call without leaving the app.

I think my only wish for Contaqs is that when you finish making a call, texting someone, or sending an email, you would be returned to the place you were at in the app. I noticed this feature in 1 or 2 of the other apps I tested & I really liked it, but you can’t have everything. I’ll take Contaqs lovely user interface & seamless contacts management over my little wish any day.

Contaqs

One last way to find people is by location. You can either search for all the contacts you have that are nearby (which brings up a map with the contacts listed to the left) or you can just bring up a map with pins on it locating all the contacts you have that have an address (photo above).

Just click on any pin to see who the person is & click on the blue arrow to got to their profile information. You can even search for a specific person in the search bar, as long as that person has an address listed in their profile.

Contaqs Contaqs

Now that you’re done searching & have found the person you’re looking for, let’s look at how you can interact with the mini-profiles.

When you’re just in the list view of contacts, the quickest way to get ahold of somebody is by swiping right on their little profile. This will open up an elegant little menu (left photo) that gives you the options of calling them, emailing them, & texting them.

When you tap 1 of those options, you are taken to the appropriate Apple app that does that function (Phone, Email, Messages). Calls are made immediately. No dialing necessary. Texts & emails are started with that person’s information entered (if they have more than 1 way to contact them by a certain method, a pop-up of those options will come up for you to choose which 1 you want).

You can also swipe to the left on the little profiles in list view. This brings up 2 options (right photo). The top option will create an email with that person’s contact information in a convenient card format ready to send to whomever. The bottom option lets you edit that person’s profile information.

Contaqs Contaqs

If you’d rather just view a person’s entire profile, just tap on their name in the list view to bring it up.

The profiles have a cool little feature that lets you see the entire photo of the person instead of just the little circle. Just grab the circle & pull down to make the photo above it grow larger (left photo).

Another neat feature available in the profile view is a button to add the person to your home screen. Pressing it brings up a web page in Safari with a square photo icon & the person’s name. From there, you just follow the directions to add the button to your iDevice’s home screen.

That means that you then don’t even have to open Contaqs to contact that person. You just press the icon on your home screen to call the person & it also opens that person’s profile in Contaqs.

You can also edit a person’s profile from the profile view. Just click the pencil to start editing (right photo). This brings up all the fields that are available in Apple’s Contacts app & lets you add a photo if you have 1.

Contaqs

There are 3 main ways to view your contacts in Contaqs. Just open the options menu to choose whether to view your Favorites, all your Contacts, or Groups of contacts. There are badges next to each 1 to tell you how many people or groups are in each view.

Contaqs Contaqs

Putting people into groups is very easy. You can press & hold on a contact in the list view & just drag them up to a group (left photo), if you have groups already made. You can also drag them to the delete button to get rid of them.

Additionally, you can press the pencil in the list view & tap the circle next to each name you want to put in a group. Then, you just press the word Contacts at the top of the screen to bring up a menu that lets you add the selected people to a group, to Favorites, or just contact those people using email or text (right photo). You can also Copy the selected people & Send their information to others via email.

If you need to create groups from scratch, just go to the Groups view from the options menu & choose Add Group at thee bottom of the screen. Creating groups is great if you frequently need to contact a group of people all at once or for finding people quickly based on group affiliation.

Contaqs

Oh no! I forgot to tell you how to add a new contact. I guess that’s a pretty basic thing you’ll need to do.

Creating a new contact is as simple as pressing the + button in the top, right corner of almost any screen. You can also open the options menu & choose New Contact right at the top of the list. Then, just enter the information & click the checkmark to finish.

Contaqs

There are 3 more features in Contaqs that are both essential & cool.

Near the bottom of the options menu you’ll find the selection to Backup your contacts list. Backing up your contacts list is relatively quick & creates a file that you can email to yourself as an attachment & save somewhere in case you ever lose your iDevice or for some other reason lose your contacts.

Below the Backup option is an option to Remove Duplicates. This cool feature scans your contact list & alerts you to any duplicates that exist. You can then choose what you want to delete.

Contaqs

The last feature is just plain cool & quite a bonus feature for a contacts manager.

Contaqs has several ways to keep track of the birthdays of your contacts. You can see all the birthdays you have added to your contacts in list form by selecting Birthdays in the options menu. You can also just view Upcoming Birthdays to see birthdays that are happening soon.

But, the best way to view birthdays in Contaqs is using the Birthday Calendar (photo above). You can flip through the months & see everyone who has a birthday in a given month. Click on the day that has a picture on it & the contact information for that person pops up under the calendar. It’s really very cool!

Contaqs

The very last selection in the options menu is Settings. The Settings menu has loads of useful things you can set for your preferences for Contaqs.

The 1st thing in Settings is Accounts. This shows you which accounts you have linked to your contacts (like iCloud or Exchange). You can choose to have Contaqs show all the contacts in every account or just the contacts in a certain account.

Secondly, you can choose which of the 3 main views Contaqs opens to: Favorites, Groups, or Contact list. On the iPhone, you can also choose to have the app open to the Keypad, instead.

Under My Contact, you can choose which contact is yours by selecting from the list under Set My Contact.

Turn on the Birthday Reminder to have Contaqs alert you when a contact’s birthday is nearing. Once you turn it on, you can choose the reminder time, day, & sound of the alert tone.

Deleting the cache can really save you some space in the memory footprint of the app.

Under the Support section, you’ll find frequently asked questions, what’s new in the most recent update, a walkthrough for the app (which I guess you don’t need now), & a link to send suggestions to the developer.

Phew! That was quite the walkthrough! If there’s a feature I missed telling you about in Contaqs, I just won’t believe it.

It was a long, hard search to find a contacts manager that met all of my expectations, but Contaqs made it all worth it. Contaqs is beautiful to look at, easy to use, & has features that make keeping in touch with your family & friends fun. Take the leap & try Contaqs today.

That’s it for me today. Until later, …