Leander Kahney's Blog, page 1483

Spook Your Friends With Evil Twin Photos App [Review]

[image error]

Evil Twin is a joke photo app that makes use of something called the Thatcher Effect.

The idea is that the human brain finds it hard to spot small changes to a face if that face is the wrong way up. You can mess around with a photo of someone, but while that image is still displayed upside-down, the changes won't be obvious. Only when you flip the face back the right way again do the changes leap out and make people go "Euuuw!"

That's what Evil Twin is all about. Take a photo, tell the app where someone's eyes and mouth are and boom – ugliness happens.

It's not a pretty app, but then the images it creates aren't that pretty either. It's a joke app, a dollar's worth of fun to share with your friends on a drunken night out. Hic.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Similar Posts:Saturday Night Live ridicules AT&T iPhone call reliability Vodafone Promotes BlackBerry Storm With iPhone Screenshots WTF App Of The Week: Badger Face Fake Steve: Faithful Must Re-Hypnotize Themselves Google Doubles Down On Social With Photovine iOS App

Shutterstock Now Has a (Very Pretty) iPad App [Daily Freebie]

[image error]

If you're a photographer, designer or marketing type, chances are you've used Shutterstock's stock image service at some point — either to hock your wares, or to grab inexpensive(ish) good-looking images for a project. And if you use the service frequently, things just became a little easier — thanks to Shutterstock's new iPad app (as long as you have an iPad, of course; if you're a photographer without an iPad, well, get one).

Users can browse the entire library, search by keyword and create and even share lightboxes — which seems particularly cool. About the only function not supported is the downloading of images.

And hey, even if you don't usually have anything to do with the buying and selling of images, the new app is a free, charming way to poke around in the world of photography.

Similar Posts:Adobe Releases Free iOS & Mac Apps for 'Carousel' Photography Service Gallery: The Amazing Aerial Photography of Jason Hawkes Photosmith Lets You Do Some Lightrooming On Your iPad Once Magazine Presents A Smart New iPad Format For Photographers This Week's Must-Have iOS Apps: Posterous, Phoster, T3 Mag & More!

Socially Slick Pandora Challenger Myxer Now Has an iPhone App [Daily Freebie]

[image error]

Myxer, which just released its iPhone app, is alot like Pandora, only with a huge side of friends. Instead of being based around a solitary experience, Myxer encourages users to listen to what their friends are into — which is great for discovering new tunes.

 Sharing features like listening rooms, realtime chat and the ability to create videos — all of which sound pretty freakin' awesome (except for the last little bit, which, c'mon, sounds a bit dorky) — make the free app worthwhile to at least check out.

Similar Posts:AIM Gets A Totally New Look, Redesigned Apps Now Available For Mac And iPhone Facebook Messenger for iPhone Goes Global — Download It Now! This Week's Must-Have iOS Apps: Doodle Cam, GetGlue & OmicronNotes Audible App Now Available For iPhone & iPod Touch Essential App #2: Meebo

Jabra Supreme Bluetooth Headset: Gimmicky? Yes — But It's Still Great [Review]

[image error]

Jabra isn't an organization afraid of veering off the main road; it seems to use many of its high-end Bluetooth gadgets as design and technology showpieces — sometimes with unfortunate results (the Stone sacrifced performance for a radically shaped body, and the Halo headphones were all kinds of awful).

But when Jabra isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, it's actually able to give us stuff that's pretty darn good. The outfit's newest creation is the high-end Jabra Supreme ($100), the first monoaural Bluetooth headset to offer active noise-cancelling technology in its earpiece, along with all the other goodies usually stuffed into a primo 'set. So Jabra's definitely gone the showcase route with the Supreme — but this time, the headset is also an outstanding performer.

The Good:

By this time, headset makers have ironed out any initial pairing kinks. The Supreme takes it one step further — as soon as the boom is flipped (which acts as the unit's power switch: flip out to turn on, in to turn off), the headset switched to pairing mode and its voice assistant began guiding me through the pairing process; nifty, if a little overkill, since the process is dead easy anyway.

The Supreme comes with two earhooks, and two covers for its massive speaker — one smooth and flat, the other with a section that's supposed to stick into your ear. The former felt very comfortable, the latter did not. It seemed as if it was included for users who might need something a little more secure, but I didn't have any trouble keeping the Supreme on my ear even with the flat option.

Even though their aren't many setup options, the Supreme is one of the most comfortable Bluetooth headsets I've ever used. The earhooks are rubber-wrapped wire, which made it possible to bend them into a better shape for my ears — a great idea. The big, flat speaker sits on top of the ear instead of extending into the ear canal, which made it ideal for long periods of use; I never felt the slightest irritation, even after wearing it for hours on end.

Likewise, the most important button — the call button — is the best I've tried. It's massive, easy to active, and placed right where it should be. The volume buttons are a little smaller than I would have liked, but were logically arranged and easy to find. Rounding out the controls is the voice-activation button on the unit's boom, which I found a little harder to use.

Range was extremely impressive. I walked clear across my house — easily over 40 feet of distance — and was still able to connect with almost no loss of signal. That's huge. Battery life was about average at about 4.5 hours of talk time.

Sound was very good. Those on the other end came through loudly and clearly, and they said my voice was also very clear — a few times, surprised was expressed that I was even using a Bluetooth connection.

The Supreme is stuffed with features like A2DP, multipoint connectivity for connecting to two phones at the same time, and voice commands that'll let you do everything from tell the headset to redial the last number to inquire about the battery status.

 

The Bad:

But the Supreme's star feature is its active noise-cancelling technology — like noise-cancelling headphones, Jabra's latest is supposed to block ambient noise from reaching you (as opposed to the noise-canceling tech that blocks ambient noise around you from  reaching those on the other end, which the Supreme is also equipped with and is pretty standard on this class of BT headset). Thing is, headphones that use the same type of tech enclose both ears, whereas the Supreme, like every other monoaural BT headset, only covers one — so noise is free to enter the other ear.

The net result is that, even if the technology works — and because of the reason I just mentioned, I had a tough time telling if it really did — it fails because noise coming through the other ear made the feature practically useless. That's not to say it was difficult to hear those on the other end; on the contrary, callers voices came in clearly (if a little tinny) — it's just that they came in no more clearly than other 'sets with great speakers, and noisy environments overwhelmed the speaker just the same. The noise-canceling feature can be turned off, to save battery life, I suppose, but that just results in unwanted hiss.

Some of the voice control features seem a little superfluous  and nonsensical. For instance, the Supreme gives you the option of telling it to "redial" the last number. But in order to activate the voice command, you have to press a button on the boom;  far simpler to just double tap the call button, which is another method for redial on the unit. Do we really need a duplicate hands-free version of the command that isn't really hands-free?

The headset is actually quite good looking — the problem is, if you're wearing one, you aren't; this thing sticks out in ways that are just cringeable.

And what gives, Jabra — no bag $100 headset? And with all its jutting spindliness, the Supreme especially could use one.

 

Verdict:

Despite some gimmicky distractions, the Supreme is an outstanding performer, and an especially good choice for hardcore users; not for the supremely fashion-forward.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

[image error]

[image error]

[image error]

[image error]

Similar Posts:Jabra Unveils Its Newest Primo Bluetooth Headset Jabra EXTREME Bluetooth Headset: The Renegade [Review, Primo Headset Week] Plantronics Savor M1100 Bluetooth Headset Packs Impressive Tech Punch, Could Have Better Ergonomics [Review] CES: Sony Debuts The World's First Digital Noise-Cancelling Earbuds CES: Audio-Technica Stuffs Its Excellent QuietPoint Noise-Cancelling Tech Into Budget-ish Cans

Flipboard Readies For iPhone App With New Account Feature

[image error]

Flipboard, a popular RSS reader for the iPad, has been updated with a new Account feature that lets users sync settings across devices. A Flipboard Account lets users store feeds and other settings in the cloud.

Once a new Account is set up in-app, reading preferences and feeds are available to anyone that uses that login on another iPad. A Flipboard iPhone app is in the works, and this new feature prepares the service for syncing settings across more iOS devices in the near future.

Starting today, you can sign up for a Flipboard Account. With Accounts, your reading preferences stay with you no matter how you access Flipboard. For example, families and friends who share an iPad can log into Flipboard and find their favorite sections. And when Flipboard comes to the iPhone, accounts ensure that your Flipboard is configured exactly as you like it, with your favorite reading sources already saved and your social networks connected.

[image error]

Even social network settings and profile pictures are synced with Flipboard's new Account feature. After entering a username, password, email and real name, Flipboard creates a dedicated account that can be used on any copy of the app.

Tumblr and 500px integration has also been added in this latest update.

There's no specific ETA on Flipboard for iPhone, but users can expect the app to drop any day now. Flipboard is also rumored to be considering integration with movies and TV shows.

You can downloaded version 1.6 of Flipboard for iPad in the App Store for free.

(via MacStories)

Similar Posts:Updated Flipboard App Adds Jailbreak Warning 100 Tips #49: Get Guests Online Quickly With The Guest Account Cult of Mac Favorite: Foursquare (iPhone app) 100 Tips #42: How Do User Accounts Work? Rumor: Apple to Take on Social Networking App, iTunes Integration

US Carriers Still Experiencing iPhone 4S Shortages Due To Customer Demand [Report]

[image error]

US carriers can't sell the iPhone 4S fast enough, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal. Potential iPhone customers are still unable to get their eager hands on Apple's coveted smartphone, with many carriers estimating shipping dates of 1-3 weeks.

Initial iPhone 4S sales have made the device Apple's fastest-selling product of all time, and demand continues to outpace supply.

Verizon Wireless customers may have to wait more than three weeks for the device, according to the carrier's website. That compares with as much as 21 days at AT&T and up to 14 days at Sprint Nextel. While some tech blogs have suggested Apple's manufacturing isn't keeping pace, the carriers point to unexpectedly strong demand for the handset.

"We are having some supply issues in the sense that demand's huge," AT&T's president of emerging devices, Glenn Lurie, said Wednesday. "We have had just record-breaking sales on it."

The introduction of the iPhone on Sprint's network resulted in the carrier's best day of sales in history. AT&T reported a record number of new iPhone activations, and Verizon is also very pleased with sales of Apple's latest smartphone.

A spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless, Brenda Raney, said the carrier is working with Apple to increase its inventory of iPhone 4S models. "Not only was the iPhone 4S popular when it was introduced, but the popularity continues to build," she said. "We don't want to keep our customers waiting for their purchases."

The iPhone 4S sold over 4 million units in its opening weekend, more than doubling the iPhone 4′s launch numbers. As usual, Apple seems to be prioritizing its own retail inventory, but all outlets are estimating delayed ship times for new orders. For in-store pickup, customers are required to reserve an iPhone 4S online before coming in to buy the handset the following day.

Similar Posts:AT&T: The 4S is the Most Successful iPhone Launch We've Ever Had Analyst: Apple Maintains Just 5 Day Product Inventory Analyst: Verizon Sold 100,000 iPhones in First 17 Hours Apple Analyst Expects 1M Verizon iPhones Sold in First 3 Days Verizon: We Sold 2M iPhones in Third Quarter

Latest Skype For Mac Beta Gets Facebook Video Chat

[image error]

The new beta of Skype for Mac and Windows integrates with Facebook to allow video calling between two people. As part of Skype's new partnership with Facebook, users can access their friends' Facebook status updates and messages within the Skype app.

From the Skype blog:

Back in July, Facebook video calling powered by Skype was launched. Today we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Facebook has reached yet another milestone with the launch of Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac and Skype 5.7 Beta for Windows allowing you to conduct a Facebook-to-Facebook call from within Skype. This new development in the Skype-Facebook partnership is the latest example of how Skype is removing communication barriers and making it easier to connect with friends, family and business colleagues. Our approach to social is about personal connections with people. We are on a mission to connect over one billion people and our continued partnership with Facebook brings us one step closer to this goal.

Once a user's Facebook account is connected with the newest beta of Skype, the social network is integrated into the Skype interface. Calling a friend from the Facebook list will automatically interconnect Skype and Facebook's web video interface for the other user. Facebook's video chat service is based off Skype, so the integration makes sense.

A "smoother video experience" for Mac users has also been added in the latest Skype beta. You can download Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac and try the Facebook integration today.

Similar Posts:Facebook Messenger App Lets You Chat With Your Friends, Video Chat May Be Coming Soon Skype 5 for Mac Promises Facebook Integration, Group Video Calling And Questionable Interface Overhaul Facebook Executive Says He's "Very Confident" They Can Work With Apple on Ping Skype 5.0 Beta Offers Group Video, New Perspectives for Mac Users Cult of Mac Favorite: 12 Mail, a Great Video Sharing iPhone App

iOS 5 Bug Lets You Unlock Your AT&T iPhone 4S For Free, No Jailbreak Required

[image error]

A method has been uncovered that unlocks the GSM iPhone 4S for T-Mobile. By taking advantage of an alleged bug in iOS 5, you can supposedly unlock your iPhone 4S on AT&T without jailbreaking.

To perform the hack, you'll need a T-Mobile Micro SIM and your AT&T SIM from your iPhone 4S.

The method was tweeted by the famous hacker known as Chronic:

Insert original carrier AT&T SIM card Dial 611 for AT&T customer service hotline and drop the call Turn on Airplane Mode Take out AT&T SIM card Insert T-Mobile SIM card Make sure WiFi is off ( also tap on 'Forget this Network" to make sure it doesn't connect automatically later) Switch off Airplane Mode and iPhone will search for network. This is followed by the Apple splash screen appearing. Activation Required will be displayed on the screen EDGE network will activate automatically – notice the 'E' on the top left corner of the screen Wait for about 20-30 seconds and turn off the phone Turn on iPhone and the same Activation Required screen will be displayed When you see one signal bar, tap on Use Cellular Connection Eject SIM card Activation Required screen will be displayed the second time Insert SIM card Unlocked!

While this workaround has not been definitively proven to work, many seem to think that following these steps will actually unlock the 4S.

Here's danielscaleb's success story:

After a little playing around, I confirmed that a certain iOS 5 bug leads to an unlock.  Note, this will only work on GSM models.  I'm going to figure out CDMA models next.  Basically, you'll need a GSM iPhone 4S, an AT&T SIM card, and a T-Mobile Micro SIM.  Also, you could actually mess up your cellular radio doing this, though its very unlikely.

While this workaround seems like a hit or miss, it also seems to have worked for many people.

Apple sells the GSM iPhone 4S unlocked in the US for the full retail starting price of $649. Keep in mind that, although unlocking does free you from AT&T's clutches, the iPhone can only use T-Mobile's slower EDGE network in the US.

Similar Posts:Apple Can Unlock AT&T iPhone 4 at Checkout Apple Wins Patent To Wirelessly Reprogram iPhones For Other Carriers Canadian Readers: We Need Your Help On iPhone 4 Story How To Jailbreak iOS 4.3 GM [Yeah, That Was Quick!] How To: Jailbreak and Unlock Your iPhone / iPod Touch Using Blackra1n

AT&T's New Concept Store In Chicago Is More Like The Apple Store

[image error]

AT&T is set to unveil a new store in the bustling metropolis of Chicago tomorrow, and the new space takes multiple cues from the Apple Stores that we've all come to know and love.

The carrier has spent recent months studying some of the most successful retail brands, including Apple, in an attempt to create a better in-store experience for customers. As part of AT&T's new concept store, employees will be able to checkout buyers by using iPhones and iPads to handle transactions.

Opening tomorrow, AT&T's 10,000 square foot space in Chicago looks like the future of retail. Two giant touch-screens let customers interact with what AT&T has to offer, and the cash register space has been significantly reduced to give the store a friendly, modern vibe. Wide windows make the store feel open and encourage onlookers to step inside.

Like the Apple Store, AT&T is equipping its employees with iOS devices to handle transactions on the store floor. Instead of having to pay for something at a register, a customer can be checked out anywhere in the store and sent along. Now that's convenient.

AT&T is also including a new section with "barstool-style seats and tables" for employees to sit with customers and talk about products or troubleshoot issues. Genius Bar, anyone?

(via AllThingsD)

Similar Posts:Apple Store Employees Speak Out Against Demoralizing, Draining Work Conditions Retailers Interested In Apple's iPod-based Point-of-Sale System Apple Store Employees Talk Of Unionizing On 10th Retail Anniversary Apple Stores to Open Friday at 8AM Apple's Latest Store on New York's Upper West Side Is a "Temple"

Santa, Check Your List: Kids Want iPads, iPod Touches And iPhones For Christmas

[image error]

What do the kids want under the Christmas tree this year? According to new market research by Nielsen, youngsters in the US want iPads, iPod touches, and iPhones.

As the holiday season quickly approaches, kids between the ages of 6 and 12 desperately want a precious iOS device from Apple. The iPad is the most desired product on the nation's collective Christmas lists, while the iPod touch and iPhone sit comfortably in the second and third spot.

[image error]

Interesting, the computer fell a couple of places on the list this year.

The chart changed a little bit when the age range shifted to 13 years old and up. The iPad still dominated:

[image error]

What are you buying your kids for Christmas this year?

Similar Posts:Nielsen: 31% Of All Kids Want An iPad For Christmas iDevices Top The Kids' Christmas Lists iPod touch Christmas Activity Surpasses iPhone Gartner: Tablets Like Apple's iPad Blamed for Weak PC Demand Analyst: iPad Hurt Netbook Growth — iPod touch Next Victim?