Applications

iTunes not cutting it for podcasts? Try Mediafly for iPhone (it's free)

Ever since the mobile version of iTunes allowed podcast downloads, there's been reason to rejoice - on-the-fly podcast accessibility is better than ever, but it's still not great for managing subscriptions. For a limited time, Mediafly will be free for download for the iPhone and iPod Touch through the Apple App Store. Mediafly gives users access to video and audio podcasts across the internet. It also allows for downloads for offline listening on subways, a plus for big-city living. And it also accesses Digital City, so what's not to like?

Users can seamlessly create content channels via … Read more

App Store: 1.5 billion downloads in 1 year

While Apple still has a ways to go to be the dominant cell phone provider in the world, CEO Steve Jobs is comfortable with his lead in selling mobile applications.

Apple announced Tuesday that after a year in existence, its App Store has counted 1.5 billion downloaded applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. In a press release, Jobs said, "The App Store is like nothing the industry has ever seen before in both scale and quality. With 1.5 billion apps downloaded, it is going to be very hard for others to catch up."

Indeed, the … Read more

Syncing the Pre with a Macbook Pro

About my experiences using a few of the most common syncing/file transfer options on the Pre.

I understand that the Palm profiles we create when we set up the Pre backs up certain device info; however, I have read at PreCentral that not everything is backed up. Since I am planning to return one of the two Pres I currently have in the next couple days, I was concerned about losing photos (primarily) that I had taken with my first Pre. This issue and my general curiosity prompted me to play with back-up and syncing options. Here's an article about this subject for further reading.

Syncing with iTunes

This process works pretty seamlessly. Aside from the fact that protected media (TV, video, games, and some music) won't sync, the Pre syncs with other content as an ipod would. That's been pretty well documented.

Using Pre as a USB Drive

This option, offered when you plug the Pre into your computer, is pretty nice for manually adding files to the Pre. I wanted to pick and choose certain pics from different files on my Macbook Pro, for example, and with my Pre connected as a USB drive, I could basically go through files and images and drag and drop the ones I wanted onto the Pre icon that appears on your desktop when you choose this option.

Syncing with "Missing Sync"

Prior to trying a corded sync last night, I had only attempted the automatic "proximity sync" with "Missing Sync" (Beta for Pre) and not had any luck--seems my Pre and Mac just wouldn't play together wirelessly. Last night, when I connected my Pre to my Macbook Pro, "Missing Sync" automatically launched and did its thing. I played with the settings and took a few screen captures so you could see how it works.

Save lives with Designated Driver app for iPhone

Drunk drivers have killed people I care about. Twice. So if you're a drinker, I urge you to grab a copy of Designated Driver.

This iPhone app has the potential to save not only your life, but also the lives of perfectly innocent others.

Here's how it works: You choose five or more friends from your address book to serve as your "designated drivers."

Later, when you tap the "I Need a Ride Home" button, everyone on your list gets a text message--complete with your location and an embedded Google Maps link.

There's … Read more

Music On The Pre

Palm did much right in the making of the Pre but none more astonishing than the multimedia feature. Not only does it offer a great look and style but it also functions smoothly and doesn't causes clashes or problems when multi-tasking. Navigation through the multimedia app is very easy with the expandable controls in the notification spot that surprisingly even tells you the song data across the face. Supported files are mp3 files, unprotected AAC, AAC+, AMR, QCELP and WAV formats. What makes this even a sweeter deal is that Palm was smart and added the 3.5mm headphone … Read more

TwitVid app lets you send iPhone videos to Twitter

TwitVid.com (not to be confused with Twitvid.io), the service that lets users affix videos to Twitter messages, has a new application out that lets iPhone 3GS owners post videos they've taken directly from the device.

Users can record a new video, or choose from an existing one in their libraries. It also features a handy upload bar to let you know how far the video has to go before it's done. The big twist is that TwitVid's got some technology running on its end that lets your followers start watching the clip before it's … Read more

Top 5 free iPhone music applications

In a world teeming with increasingly similar tech products, Apple is one company that seems to have no problem churning out standout products. This might be attributed to sleek designs, fun features, and friendly interfaces--or maybe you want to chalk it up to good ol' marketing tactics. However, in the case of the iPhone and the iPod Touch, there's one attribute that undeniably separates these devices from the masses: the ever-expanding cadre of third-party applications. You can find everything from cookbooks and weight-loss trackers to games and productivity tools, but the area in which the iPhone and iPod Touch … Read more

TuneWiki for iPhone streams lyrics in real time

Remember Lyrical, the free app that lets you look up lyrics for the currently playing song? TuneWiki does it one better, spooling out lyrics as the song plays. (All that's missing is the bouncing ball.)

If the name sounds familiar, it's because the TuneWiki social music site has been around for a while, and recently unveiled a TuneWiki plug-in for Windows Media Player.

With TuneWiki for iPhone (and iPod Touch), you choose a song from your library (using the TuneWiki interface, not the standard iPod menus), then watch the lyrics scroll past as it plays.

That's assuming, … Read more

Imeem updates Android app and launches VIP service

Imeem, a social networking service centered around music, released an update to its free Android app this month and a new VIP service.

With the update, users can now add a widget to their desktop that includes play, pause, and skip controls. What's more, tapping the song title will now launch the full application.

Imeem is also encouraging mobile users to sign up for a new VIP subscription service that will offer expanded storage space. While a free account lets you store only 100 songs in the clouds, the VIP service raises the limit to 1,000 songs with … Read more

Navigation, Was That What I Just Dealt With?

Going from Grand Rapids, MI to Lansing, MI shouldn't be too hard of a trip to calculate since it takes just under an hour to arrive to my destination. Ive done similar trips through Lansing and Detroit without any troubles on my Touch Pro, today I decided that the Pre version was going to be used this time as the initial test. This is where the stress started. At first everything was going smoothly, slightly after traveling 10 miles i started to notice that the streets were off by seconds sometimes even 5 or more! No big deal right? … Read more