Expert Blogs
Remember "ACT!" the database program? Back in the late 1980's and 1990's, DOS and Windows users (like me) relied on it for contact management long before Salesforce.com ever existed. Well, you can thank Mike Muhney, one of the creators of ACT, for that powerful software. Now, Muhney brings a similar set of features to the iPhone world, where such capabilities are even more valuable, in an app called VIPorbit.
There are a lot of apps that let you take a picture using the iPhone's built-in camera... but I recently discovered Photo Double Fun which lets you use BOTH the front and rear cameras, simultaneously, to take photos as well as videos! Why is this so cool? Suppose you want to document that you were at a specific location, seeing something in person. The Photo Double Fun app combines the two images into one, and if you use their free version, it adds a watermark and you can only store a couple of photos at a time, without upgrading.
"It just works" is the goal of Apple's new cloud based hosting service. All of your info and media can be synced across all devices, iOS and Mac. That info can include contacts, calendars... and even apps and iBooks! And with Documents in the Cloud, even your work content, like Pages, Numbers and Keynote, can be shared! And developers can integrate the cloud into their apps. Plus PCs can participate, too! PhotoStream does the same for photos. And photos can be viewed instantly on your other iOS devices, iPhoto on your mac or even on an Apple TV! This is like my digital camera with Eye-Fi, an SD card with wifi built in.
At WWDC, big news for me, as an iPhone app developer, was iOS 5. First, they announced that 200 million iOS devices have been sold! Here's what's new: Notification Center addresses the concern many users had. Just swipe down at anytime and see all missed calls, text messages, stocks, weather and app notificactions. And notifications will no longer interrupt your app!
Steve Jobs kicked things off, to wild enthusiasm from the subset of the 5,200 attendees who could squeeze in to the Keynote room.
The mad rush to the keynote presentation has begun! I'll be live blogging right here, so check back often!
Here at WWDC the speculation re a new iPhone just got a boost, as Walmart announced a $50 discount on the iPhone 4. Their website shows the model as out of stock, and $197, but I just received a press release announcing the $147 price so stay tuned!
WWDC doesn't open for a few hours still but the crowds have formed and one gadget is already getting deserved attention.
The iStick is a prototype of a remote controlled Segway for your iPad! Taptic Toys built the two wheeled 'stand' that, like a Segway, maintains its balance automagically.
We are here at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference and looking forward to five days chock full of information and a little entertainment. Watch this website for keynote news including a potential new iPhone if the latest rumors are true! In the meantime, enjoy these photos!
Moscone Center Coit Tower
While I try to write about iOS items exclusively, it stands to reason that a lot of you have Mac products as well, and you probably like docking your iPhone. So have you ever wished you could reduce clutter and dock your MacBook? I have been using the HengeDock to dock my MacBook Pro 13" for quite a while now, and it's been a pleasure. My desk is cleaner, I use a 23" monitor, nice solid external keyboard and Apple's Magic Mouse. I rarely remove it from the dock unless I need to do a presentation and the iPad won't cut it. Even now, I only took my iPad 2 to San Francisco for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference... I'm typing this on my iPad in fact!
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