Android – Iphone – Applications

Some of you may remember when we covered iChatr, or “Chatroulette for your iPhone 4″. The App allows for random video chatting with someone online on the iPhone 4 via FaceTime.

Apparently, this App did not last long and has just been pulled. According to the official word: “a number of users exposing themselves during the random video chat sessions”. I almost hate to say this, but if you seriously expect to chat with someone at random, then there is a chance that you will meet some exhibitionist. Seriously, what did you expect?

Clearly, Apple wanted a more positive use for FaceTime, as illustrated in their new commercials for it.

written by Duy Phong \\ tags: App, Apple, Hack, Iphone, ITunes, OS

A couple of days ago Apple made an announcement about how they plan to handle the antenna issue for the iPhone 4. A presentation by Steve Jobs had the following statement: “We’re not perfect. Phones aren’t perfect.”

Over 3 million iPhone 4 devices have been sold since they launched 3 days ago. People were seeing a large drop in bars when placing their fingers on top of two crevices at the bottom of iPhone 4 devices. Apple has been working on this issue for about 24 days now.

To fix the problem, Apple released a new operating system for the iPhone that fixes the signal bar reporting. Apple is also giving away a “free case for every iPhone 4 buyer. If you got one, we’ll give you a refund.”

During the presentation Steve Jobs claimed that the iPhone 4 is not the only device that has a drop in bars when placing your fingers on top of the antenna. He did a similar test on the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the HTC Droid Eris, and the Samsung Omnia II. HTC and Research In Motion both responded to Apple’s presentation.

HTC said that “approximately .016% of customers” complained about the issue. “We have had very few complaints about signal or antenna problems on the Eris.”

Below is the response from Research In Motion:
“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.”
- Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie

[Engadget]

written by Duy Phong \\ tags: App, Apple, Free, Iphone

Verizon’s 4G roll out plans have leaked to gadget blog website Engadget.com. It appears that Verizon plans to roll out Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G to 30 cities in 2010. Aircards will be supported before smartphones at 5-12Mbps. Verizon expects to serve about 100 million connections towards the end of the year.

[Engadget]

written by Duy Phong \\ tags: App, Iphone

Here is your etymology lesson for the day: Komos is an ancient Greek word that originally referred to revelry and the gods surrounding such practices, but ultimately evolved into the modern word comedy. So it should come as no surprise that the Komos app for the iPhone provides access to a wealth of comedy via newspaper comic strips and editorial cartoons. Let the revelry begin.

The interface in Komos is simple and elegant. Open the app and you are immediately provided with an alphabetical list of all newspaper strips available via Komos. Click the icon in the upper right hand portion of the screen and you will get a similar alphabetical list of editorial cartoons organized by artist. It’s really just as simple as that. Click a title, and the full strip for the day is opened. If viewed in portrait mode, the strip is tiny, but that’s no problem as all you have to do is double click on a panel to have it enlarged, then scroll through the rest of the panels with a swipe of your finger. If you don’t like how the program auto-enlarges a panel, you can always resize the strip as a whole with the traditional pinch method. For me, the best way to view the strips is in landscape mode, as you can see the full strip as it was intended, but it may be a bit small for some users.

Two other features are worthy of note. First, you can click the date button to access comics from previous dates. Your mileage may vary on this feature, however, as I tried to pull up fairly old Dick Tracy strips with no luck whatsoever. Much depends on what materials are available for Komos to access, though it would be nice if the app could already discern what is and what is not readily available for each strip. Perhaps in an update?

The second handy feature is the ability to save individual strips, copy them or email them. It certainly makes it easy to send a strip or political cartoon you really like to a friend, and the menu system for this feature is about as easy as it gets.

As simple and straightforward as Komos is, I had hoped the app would also feature web comics, but they are not there at present. This is an app designed, first and foremost, as a handy utility for those who love comics and cartoons pulled directly from newspapers. As such, it seems firmly grounded in the past. Those looking to the present or future should probably look elsewhere.

I’ll be honest: I’ve never had to fill out an expense report. Still, the name alone conjures up horrific promises of tedium, hassle, and frustration; who wants to manually keep track of receipts and the like?

ProOnGo’s latest app, ProOnGo Expense, aims to bring time-saving smartphone goodness to expense reports. The app’s main feature is a “receipt reader”—take pictures of your receipts, send them to ProOnGo’s servers, and they’ll convert the images into text and send that data back to your app. Instead of manually punching in numbers, you can just take pictures of the receipts. ProOnGo Expense can also calculate mileage on a trip, using the iPhone’s GPS functionality.

Once you have all your expenses documented, you can finish off your expense report. ProOnGo Expense can export in a variety of data types, including .XLXS (Excel 2007), XML, and QuickBooks Online.

Though the app is listed as free, you’ll need a subscription after using your first 10 Receipt Reads. Subscriptions range from $0.99 to $4.99 per month. For three bucks a month you get 30 Receipt Reads and unlimited Expense Reports. ProOnGo also has another app, ProOnGo Business Card Reader, which utilizes the same general process…take a photo, have the company’s servers analyze it, and then receive the text. If you have unused Receipt Reads from your subscription, you can use them with the Business Card Reader, too.

Oh, and if you’re not completely dedicated to the iPhone? ProOnGO Expense is available on Android, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile phones, too. Be sure to watch the video to see ProOnGo in action!

FREE!

ProOnGo Expense with Receipt Reader

iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-23 :: Category: Finance

[ ProOnGo Expense Tracks Your Spending, Simplifies Expense Reports is a post from 148Apps ]

written by Duy Phong \\ tags: Android, App, Application, Free, Iphone, OS