Multitasking.
I’ve been reading coverage of Palm’s new device, Pre, which is being presented at CES this morning, trying to figure out whether this thing can be a real iPhone competitor (or killer).
Because, you know, it’s not about the hardware anymore; or perhaps even the feature set. Every decent smartphone nowadays has WiFi and 3G connectivity, a GPS chip and a lot of memory. You can’t beat the iPhone in this area, at least not by a lot. Furthermore, when it comes to features, you can have a great notes and calendar application or a fantastic browser, but it’s hard to top the iPhone’s applications because they already work so well (better, in many cases, than those of its competitors).
But the way you can switch between applications on the Pre caught my eye. It might be a tad too early to tell, because no one has a real, in-depth review yet, but switching between apps seems fast and seamless; all the applications can work in the background and even notify you of important events while you’re working in another app. Palm’s buzzword for this is Synergy; but marketingese talk aside, it really is a step forward towards having a real mobile computer that can handle many tasks at the same time.
The iPhone can do all that; theoretically. But right now, it doesn’t. The Pre seems to be way better with this regard.
Add to this the fact that Pre’s interface seems to be even faster, fluid and responsive than the iPhone’s, and you have a very interesting device and platform.
However, whether Palm will be able to motivate developers to start creating applications for Pre’s platform, dubbed WebOS, (and under what terms; we all remember Apple’s restrictive policies towards developers) remains to be seen. If they do, Pre will be one of the most interesting mobile devices of 2009.
[image credits: NYtimes.com]
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
Palm Closing Java Support: Another Epic Fail?
Palm Announces Increased GMail Compatibility
Palm Users Get Their Own Optimized Facebook App
Palm Foleo Dies After 3 Months
Palm Launches the Foleo Companion for Smartphones
Palm Software Store: Why’d it Take So Long for Everyone to Figure This Out?
Imeem Partners with Palm Pictures for Interactive Indie Film Access
FlyCast is a nifty little iPhone application that lets you stream over 1200 radio channels, with a little twist: it can preload music while you have an internet connection and then play it even while you’re offline.
Today at CES the company has unveiled several major upgrades to the product. First, there’s Android support; FlyCast already works on the iPhone, iPod Touch and BlackBerry, and now it’s available for the T-Mobile G1 phone.
Furthermore, FlyCast now exists as a desktop version for PC and Mac; it’s an Adobe AIR application, but Linux isn’t mentioned anywhere, I’m afraid. You can download it at the official web site.
Other improvements include unlimited song skipping for over 300 channels, an upgraded program guide, Facebook Connect support, local weather info through AccuWeather.com, and support for AAC+ and Windows Media streams.
Interested in more iPhone and Android resources?
- 8 Android Apps Worth Paying for (and Some That Aren’t)
- 40+ Free iPhone Music Apps
- 10 Free Music Based Games for the iPhone & iPod Touch
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
Imeem Brings Streaming Music to Android and Google G1
Billboard Top 100 Now Includes Yahoo and AOL Music
eMusic Launches 10 Internet Radio Mashups
Pandora Comes to Windows Mobile
AOL Europe Signs Radio Deal With CBS For Last.fm Partnership
First Complete Software Suite to Operate on Google Android Surfaces
Justin.tv Launches Two New Channels, Debuting Wild 94.9 with Guest Rhianna, and PHasion
Mobile ad network Admob is making it possible for application developers on the iPhone to track how often their ads entice users to actually download their applications from Apple’s App Store.
The San Mateo, Calif. company’s download tracking has already been adopted in testing mode by some prominent app makers like UrbanSpoon and TapJoy. These developers can place ads within other iPhone applications, in order to promote the use of their own applications.
Previously, Admob let advertisers track views and clicks on a specific ad. Now, advertisers can also see how many times a click led to an actual download — which, is of course, what they’re really looking for. That, in turn, lets them know how successful a campaign has been, as well as which types of ads in that campaign lead to the most conversions.
Admob says it is the first mobile ad network to offer this kind of tracking, which is a smart addition, particularly as companies watch their ad dollars more closely. The company’s iPhone ad business has been growing, but some advertisers have been wondering if Google AdSense is better.
The early test of download tracking has already unearthed some interesting — though presumably limited — data:
* Advertisements for free applications have an average conversion rate of 10 percent, compared to an average of 1 percent conversion rate for ads for paid applications.
* Ads for games generally have higher conversion rates than ads for other categories of applications — up to a 100 percent improvement over non-game applications at similar price points.
* The App Store is an effective distribution platform for free applications. Advertisers end up paying $1.00 per download for free applications, significantly less than average application download costs on the PC web.
Web meetings. Love them or hate them they’re pretty much ubiquitous these days. You may even been ready to head out for an early weekend, when you receive the dreaded email with subject line, “mandatory WebEx meeting.” What a buzz kill, right?
Well now with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, you can pop out early and still pop into your web-based meeting, making your boss or client feel like your first priority when you’re actually out on the golf course.
The WebEx iPhone app is free and offers pretty much all the same features you would expect from the web-based version. Meeting attendees can simply access the WebEx via an iPhone join link in the meeting invitation.
Once you’re in, you can view content, which includes documents, applications, and screen shares with annotations, from any computer. You can also see who has joined the meeting, participate in individual or group chat, and adjust audio. I’m so impressed with the application’s offerings that I really want to be invited to a WebEx meeting just so I can see it in full force. Got anything good I can join?
So next time you’re running a tad late to the office and are stressing about hitting traffic, re-evaluate your options and consider taking that meeting while relaxing in bed with your pajamas on. The app, however, doesn’t support scheduling meetings from the iPhone, so you while to tear yourself away from your bed and bust out your laptop for that activity.
More Resources From Mashable
-12 Tools For Kickass Web Meetings
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
Build A Free Full-Feature Web Forum With Lefora
World’s Simplest iPhone App
10 Great Tools For Online Business Communication
Cisco Snatches up IM Biggie Jabber Inc
iPhone to Launch in Germany on T-Mobile
3G iPhone Confirmed for 2008
Mundu Optimizes Multi-Client Chat Tool for the iPhone
Music-based games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have become wildly popular, so it only makes sense that similar games are being created for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Both devices have a plethora of gaming apps, but only a handful of those are free and based around music. Here are 10 - perfect for long hours stuck in airports, commuter trains, and so on.
What are some of your favorite music-based games for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and which do you wish existed?
Aero Drum Free
While it may not be as exciting as beating the skins of an actual drum kit, Aero Drum Free will still help you work out some of your frustrations by beating out a sick rhythm. Just follow the dots to play snare, cymbal and bass drum and try to beat the scores.
As with all of the “X Game Free” versions, this is a trial version, and there are more features in the paid app. (App Store Rating: 2 stars)
Aero Guitar Free
At some point or another, everyone has “played” air guitar, but with the help of Aero Guitar Free, now you can actually feel like you are accomplishing something! This free version of the app will allow you to sample the game before you buy the full one, and will teach you the basic of up strokes, down strokes and basic tapping.
Another rhythm action game, but at least it makes you feel like you are doing more than just tapping. (App Store Rating: 2 stars)
Aero Synth Free
Ever wish you had the mad skills of a club DJ? Well, more than likely you never will, but Aero Synth Free will at least help you live out that fantasy a bit more. Tap along as the electronic music plays and keep the beat going, but if you miss one of the bubbles in the four streams, the music goes back to its original intro until you are on track again.
The side scrolling nature of this game is a bit prohibitive as your hand can hide the lower streams. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Chrimbell
There is nothing quite like the sound of bells playing along with a Christmas carol, and with Chrimbell you can reproduce that sound to go along with some old time hits. Choose from Christmas carols like “Away In A Manger” or “Jingle Bells” and then choose your bell and get to playing.
It appears it does need the built-in speaker of the iPhone or iPod Touch version 2 to work as I couldn’t get any sound on my iPod Touch 1. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Mardo’s Music Trivia - Lite Version
Who doesn’t love to test their knowledge of trivial facts? With Mardo’s Ultimate Music Trivia you can see how well you do across a whole range of musical genres from punk to country.
The lite version is very lite, but it will give you a feeling for how the full version plays and if it will even interest you. (App Store Rating: 2 stars)
rePete Lite
Harking back to the days of the Simon electronic game, rePete Lite allows you to choose a playing grid of 4, 6 or 9 light boxes and then uses lights and sound to show you the pattern you need to remember.
As with most memory games out there, watch out for the addictive factor. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
synthPond Lite
A fairly complex app, synthPond Lite allows you to place different types of nodes around the screen to create synthetic music. You can change their pitch, speed and a whole lot more.
While most lite versions of games really scale back on their features, this one seems to be complete in all the right places. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Tap Tap Revenge
Have a desire to tap your iPhone or iPod Touch screen to a rhythm? Then Tap Tap Revenge is your answer. With a name obviously inspired by Japan’s mega-popular Dance Dance Revolution, the actual game play takes its cues from the addictive Guitar Hero.
While the music is generic in this version, that is what allows them to keep it being released for free. I personally find the game a bit frustrating, but then I have huge fingers and am not exactly known for my ability to keep a beat. (App Store Rating: 3 stars)
ThumbStruck Free
Compared to other rhythm-based games, ThumbStruck Live has you hitting the musical elemental balls on three bars instead of the usual one. Your thumbs will be dancing all over the board to keep up with this one.
This game definitely steps up the rhythm-based genre by requiring you to be a lot more agile and coordinated to hit all three sections of the board. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Xmas In Space: Play-a-Long Christmas Carols
Who knew they had Christmas on other planets? Well, according to Xmas In Space:Play-a-Long Christmas Carols, they do, and they have sent you a music app that allows you to play along with bells or harps to some of your favorite Christmas carols.
Though the game has no way to measure how well you did, the song mixes are cute, and the fire crackling sound is oddly comforting. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Interested in more resources? Check these out:
- “100+ iPhone Games That Use the Accelerometer”
- “12 Great Free Games for the iPhone and iPod Touch”
- “40+ Free iPhone Music Apps”
- “Top 10 Free iPhone Apps to Lose Weight”
Image courtesy of iStockPhoto, rustycloud
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
Knibble Offers Free Games for iPhone
Bejeweled Optimized for the iPhone
Greystripe iPhone 3G API Lets Game Developers Earn Ad Revenue
iPhone Apps: 300 Million Downloads
iPhone Smoking App: Should It Be Banned?
Free iPhone Apps!
Box.net Extends Your iPhone Storage
We could have never predicted that our coverage of the iSteam iPhone app would result in a battle between apps that let you blow air on the mic to add steam, or fog-like effects to photos and backgrounds. But Tomy Schoenfeld, the guy behind the iFog app, obviously felt that we (mainly me) had done his app, which launched 10 days prior to iSteam, a huge injustice.
Schoenfeld’s decry, “I would appreciate if you could make changes to your original post and include a description of our application. this is a competitive market and we believe that better products, like iFog, should be promoted to make the public aware of it.” Competitive market, who knew? Well Tomy, we’ll give iFog its day in court, and we’ll let our readers (not me) decide the verdict.
iFog
On the positive side of things, iFog [iTunes link] comes pre-loaded with nicer background images, lets you select different brush sizes for writing on images, and has a fog-free writing feature for stealth messages that your friends can decipher once they fog up your phone with their breathe. You can also save photos to your library and take pictures from within the app.
Before you give your vote to iFog, consider the known issues like the fact that iFog doesn’t function as well in noisy environment, and occassionally shows a white screen while trying to switch backgrounds. Something I noticed is that the images aren’t as responsive to touch when attempting to access the options screen.
iSteam
In iSteam’s [iTunes link] favor are the beads of sweat that drip down your steamed-up screen, and the eclectic sound effects that accompany your drawing endeavors.
If saving photos, not being able to take a picture within the app, and creating secret messages are must haves, than iSteam might be a deal breaker for you. And for the superficial types, you might be turned off by iSteam’s interface, which looks like the ugly friend when compared side to side with iFog.
Winner Takes Fog (or Steam)
Now that you, the public, are aware of both iSteam and iFog. You tell us, which app steals your steamy desires?
Which app would you rather use (ie. blow on)?
( surveys)
More iPhone App Resources From Mashable
- iPhone Smoking App: Should It Be Banned?
- 18 iPhone Drinking Apps to Get the Party Started
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
Steam Up Your iPhone Photos With iSteam
Is Apple getting into the glove making business? A patent filed by the tech company proposes special gloves for iPhone users that have an extra inner layer which would enable the screen to recognize the touch of a gloved finger. Finally, our frost bitten fingers will find respite within the warmth of these gloves while we text or Tweet away.
According to the patent:
“the glove system may include an inner liner and an outer shell. The liner may be formed from any suitable material, including a material that is thin, electrically conductive, has low thermal conductivity, and/or has an “anti-sticky” finish. The outer shell may include at least one aperture through which the inner liner may extend to operate the input mechanism of an electronic device (e.g., on at least one finger tip). In some embodiments, the aperture may be at a finger tip of the outer shell. In some embodiments, a closing mechanism may be used to maintain the aperture closed when the user is not operating the electronic device. For example, an elastic ring may surround the aperture such that, in its non-deformed state, the aperture is substantially closed. The user may elastically deform the ring to allow the liner to pass through the outer shell.”
Companies file numerous patents of course, and few ever make it to production. Would you buy iGloves if they were available in an Apple Store near you?
[Via Engadget]
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
World’s Simplest iPhone App
iPhone to Launch in Germany on T-Mobile
3G iPhone Confirmed for 2008
Mundu Optimizes Multi-Client Chat Tool for the iPhone
Apple Making a Directory for iPhone Apps?
European iPhone to be Offered on Multiple Carriers
iPhone. Europe. September.
Even if you didn’t make a resolution to lose weight this year, you probably have some fitness goals you would like to achieve in the new year. To help, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 free iPhone apps to help you lose weight and get into shape.
From calorie trackers to fitness tutorials, you can find pretty much anything you could ever want for managing your diet, weight, and fitness goals — best of all, they’re all free. Now you have no more excuses. Download one or more of these apps and get going. Here’s to staying motivated in 2009!
Tell us about your favorites in the comments.
Calorie Tracker
Calorie conscious? Calorie Tracker is an incredibly handy free app from LIVESTRONG.com, Lance Armstrong’s health and fitness website. Users can look up and track daily caloric, fat, carbohydrate, and protein intake.
The app pulls from LIVESTRONG.com’s Daily Plate nutritional database with over 450,000 food and restaurant items. And if you want your physical activity to factor into the mix, just use the app to calculate burned calories for a variety of exercises. Users can also use the app in conjunction with the website for support groups, forums, and Q&A. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Lose It!
Set goals, create a daily calorie budget, record food and exercise, and view graphs of progress with this full-featured weight management app. After you enter your stats, you can create a custom plan, with an end date in mind, based on how much weight you want to lose per week. So for my weight loss goal, should I stick to my 1279 daily calorie budget, my loss should be realized by April 17 of this year.
Since the app is incredibly easy to use and approaches weight loss in an easy way for me to manage, I think I’m going to stick with this one until I reach my goal; I’ll let you know how that goes. (App Store Rating: 3.5 stars)
40·30·30
Calorie trackers are great, but how do you make sure that you’re getting the right nutritional balance? The 40·30·30 app is a one trick pony that will really come in handy if you need to quickly calculate the percentage of carbs, protein, and fats in your meal.
Just scroll through the weight (in grams) options for each nutritional element to view your ratio. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
iPump Free Workout
Created by Exercise Physiologist, Declan Condron, this free alternative to iPump, has two full body workouts targeting major muscle groups, as well as sample exercises from each of the other iPump apps.
Each workout is designed specifically for maximum results, and lets users listen to music, watch video demonstrations for each exercise, and record activity to a workout log as they go. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
StepTrackLite
When logging activity just doesn’t cut it, use StepTrackLite as a simple pedometer to measure and track physical activity while strolling, walking, or running.
The app works whether your iPhone is in your pocket, on your belt, or even in your backpack, and you can listen to music as you get your workout on. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
iMapMyRun
iMapMyRun utilizes the iPhone’s GPS technology for real-time distance, time, pace, and speed tracking. It even integrates with Twitter, should you want a quick way to advertise your fitness regime.
Once you setup your account (you can use an existing MapMyRun.com account), you can save your runs, bike rides, and walks to a training log, with maps, for future reference. Additional features include the ability to sync with the website and use voice feedback to coach you as you go. Note: as with all apps like this, you do need to leave the app open for the entirety of the workout. (App Store Rating: 3 stars)
iSPINNING
Mountain and road biking fanatics listen up, iSPINNING is powerful app that lets you design workouts to see and track heart rate, time in target zones, calories burned, cadence, speed, distance, and power.
The app is compatible with a variety of fitness sensors, and lets you customize your workout dashboard metrics for each ride. You will need additional hardware, like the SMHEART LINK, for creating a wireless bridge between your iPhone and your fitness sensor. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Pret-a-Yoga Lite
Pret-a-Yoga Lite is the perfect app for yoga beginners who might be threatened by the gym environment, or advanced yogis looking to take their routine on the go.
Pret-a-Yoga Lite is like having your own personal yoga instructor, minus the slightly awkward touching, to guide you through each breathe and pose with both images and audio instructions. (App Store Rating: 3 stars)
2Fat
If all you need is to calculate your body fat percentage and BMI, then the 2Fat app might be just the right fit.
The scroll wheels make it incredibly simple and fast to use. All you need to do is select your sex, weight, and waist measurement and wait for the bad news. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Heartbeat
If you need to take a quick heart rate census during or after a tough workout, use Heartbeat to help you manually track your heart beats per minute (bpm).
To calculate your heart’s bpm, just tap the heart on the screen every time your heart beats — it’s that easy. The app would be incredibly cool if it could automatically calculate your heart rate, but it still is a handy tool for heart rate monitoring on the run. (App Store Rating: 2.5 stars)
Interested in more resources? Check these out:
- “Lose the Blogger 15: 25+ Web Apps for Dieting and Getting in Shape”
- “40+ Free iPhone Music Apps”
- “50+ iPhone Apps to Enhance Your Photo and Video Experience”
- “15+ Free iPhone Apps to Navigate Your World”
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, evirgen
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
Free iPhone Apps!
Need Advice? This is as Straightforward as it Gets
Simplest Weight Loss Site Ever?
World’s Simplest iPhone App
Lose the Blogger 15: 25+ Web Apps for Dieting & Getting in Shape
iPhone Smoking App: Should It Be Banned?
Apple’s iPhone Directory is Really Real!
Friendfeed already has its own optimized interface for iPhone and iPod Touch, but so far hasn’t released its own native application. A third-party developer has beaten them to the punch, launching Webfeedr, available for 99c in the app store.
Webfeedr is just about everything you’d expect from a native FriendFeed app, allowing you to move between your own page, your friend’s updates, the “everyone” view, or the rooms you belong to. You can also comment or like items directly from the application. Additionally, you can post a new message to FriendFeed by clicking the “share” link.
The only major thing seemingly missing is that if you’d like to see a user’s profile, it opens it up in the browser as opposed to the application. You also can’t see comments and likes from within the app, though, I prefer the streamlined view on mobile - perhaps an additional option to see likes and comments on specific items would be nice to have.
While Webfeedr is a fairly thorough FriendFeed app for iPhone, its life might be a short one. FriendFeed will presumably launch its own native app for iPhone at some point – and that point may be very soon according to this thread. Nonetheless, if you’re a FriendFeed addict, Webfeedr is well-worth the 99c download for now.
[via everythingiCafe]
Additional FriendFeed Resources From Mashable
- Top 10 Web Applications for Friendfeed
- HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Friendfeed
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
FriendFeed Launches iPhone Compatibility
iPhone Apps Can Void your Apple Warranty
FriendFeed for iPhone Coming - I’ve Waited For This All My Life
TypePad Announces Native iPhone 3G Application
FriendFeed Launches Rooms. Moving Towards Semantic Web?
Apple Making a Directory for iPhone Apps?
GyPSii Officially Launches For The iPhone
One trend that I highlighted in my 2009 predictions was the continued rise of startup incubators of the YCombinator and TechStars variety. Sure enough, today sees the launch of a new fund focused on apps for iPhone, Twitter, and several other platforms, named appropriately enough: The New Platforms Fund.
The investments are small, ranging from $1,000-$3,000. While that won’t provide you with enough money to quit your day job, in the realm of low-cost ideas like platform apps, it should be enough to at least cover a few loose ends, like hosting or paying a designer to make your app look pretty.
The fund is being launched by Herman Blackbook, a New York-based consulting firm, so on top of the startup capital, participating companies can expect advice on strategy, marketing, and development as well. Other platforms that the fund is targeting include Boxee, AppNexus, and Trulia.
As for how much of a stake Herman Blackbook takes in your company for $1,000-$3,000, founder Darren Herman says it ranges, and some investments might take the form of convertible notes. For comparison’s sake, YCombinator makes investments of $5,000 + $5,000 per founder for what they say is on average a 6% stake.
The beauty of businesses running off existing platforms is that they typically aren’t very expensive to get off the ground, not to mention the benefits of a built-in userbase. Nonetheless, if a fund like Herman Blackbook makes you an offer, you’ll want to do the math and compare it to other comparable options to make sure you’re getting a reasonable deal.
The application form for The Platforms Fund is available here.
---
Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:
Skype Folks Raising New Fund To Conquer Europe
Mayor Bloomberg Announces NYC Seed Fund to Kick-Off Internet Week
MeeVee Adds $3.5 Million in Funding
Ballmer’s Push for Microsoft Ad Network Dominance
Tremor Media Looks to Samwer Brothers to Grow Video Ads in Europe
SGN Raises $15M to Build a Platform on Top of Facebook’s Platform
Facebook Developers: Apply Now for fbFund