Time Converter Application in iPhone

This is the Time Converter application. Using this application we can can convert time like, Hour to Minute, Hour to Second. So let see how it will worked. My previous topic reference you can find out from here PickerView Programmatically

Step 1: Open the Xcode, Create a new project using View Base application. Give the application “PickerView_usingButtonPress”.

Step 2: Xcode automatically creates the directory structure and adds essential frameworks to it. You can explore the directory structure to check out the content of the directory.

Step 3: We need to add images in the resource folder.

Step 4: Open the PickerView_usingButtonPress.h file and make the following changes:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface PickerView_UsingButtonPressViewController : UIViewController {

NSMutableArray *array_from;
NSMutableArray *array_to;
UIPickerView *fromPickerView;
UIPickerView *toPickerView;
UIButton *doneButton ;
UITextField *fromButton;
UIButton *button1;

UIImageView *m_objBackgroundView;

UITextField *toTextButton;
UIButton *toButton;

IBOutlet UILabel*resultLabel;
IBOutlet UITextField *valueData;
IBOutlet UILabel*UnitLabel;

}
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet UITextField *fromButton;
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet   UIButton *button1;
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet UITextField *toTextButton;
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet   UIButton *toButton;

(IBAction)FromButton:(id)sender;
(IBAction)ToButton:(id)sender;
(IBAction)Calculation:(id)sender;

@end

Step 5: Double click the PickerView_usingButtonPress.xib file and open it to the Interface Builder. First drag the three label from the library and place it to the view window. Give the label name Value:, From: and To: . And drag the three  TextField from the library and place it to the view window. Connect Files Owner icon to the textfield and select valueData, fromButton and toTextButton. Now drag the Round Rect Button from the library and place it to the view window. Select the Round Rect Button and bring up Connection Inspector and connect Touch Up inside to the File’s Owner icon and select Calculation: method. Now save the .xib file, close it and go back to the Xcode.

Step 6: In the PickerView_usingButtonPress.m file and make the following changes:

#import "PickerView_UsingButtonPressViewController.h"

#define kPICKERCOLUMN 1
#define kFROMPICKERTAG 20
#define kTOPICKERTAG 21

@implementation PickerView_UsingButtonPressViewController

@synthesize fromButton,button1,toTextButton,toButton;

(IBAction)ToButton:(id)sender
{
 
    toPickerView = [[UIPickerView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 200, 320, 200)];
    toPickerView.tag = kTOPICKERTAG;
   
    [self.view addSubview:toPickerView];
    toPickerView.delegate = self;
    toPickerView.showsSelectionIndicator = YES;
   
    doneButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeRoundedRect];
    [doneButton addTarget:self
                   action:@selector(ToPickerViewRemove:)
         forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchDown];
    doneButton.frame = CGRectMake(265.0,202.0,  52.0, 30.0);
    UIImage *img = [UIImage imageNamed:@"done.png"];
    [doneButton setImage:img forState:UIControlStateNormal];
   
    [img release];
   
    [self.view addSubview:doneButton];
   
     
}

(IBAction)FromButton:(id)sender
{
    fromPickerView = [[UIPickerView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 200, 320, 200)];
    fromPickerView.tag = kFROMPICKERTAG;
    [self.view addSubview:fromPickerView];
    fromPickerView.delegate = self;
    fromPickerView.showsSelectionIndicator = YES;
   
    doneButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeRoundedRect];
    [doneButton addTarget:self
                   action:@selector(FromPickerViewRemove:)
         forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchDown];
    doneButton.frame = CGRectMake(265.0,202.0,  52.0, 30.0);
    UIImage *img = [UIImage imageNamed:@"done.png"];
    [doneButton setImage:img forState:UIControlStateNormal];
   
    [img release];
   
    [self.view addSubview:doneButton];
 
}

(IBAction)ToPickerViewRemove:(id)sender
{
    [toPickerView removeFromSuperview];
    [doneButton removeFromSuperview];
    [m_objBackgroundView removeFromSuperview];
}

(IBAction)FromPickerViewRemove:(id)sender
{
    [fromPickerView removeFromSuperview];
    [doneButton removeFromSuperview];
    [m_objBackgroundView removeFromSuperview];
}

(id)initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil
{
    self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
    if (self) {
        // Custom initialization
    }
    return self;
}

(void)dealloc
{
    [super dealloc];
}

(void)didReceiveMemoryWarning
{
    // Releases the view if it doesn’t have a superview.
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
   
    // Release any cached data, images, etc that aren’t in use.
}

#pragma mark – View lifecycle

(void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
   
    array_from=[[NSMutableArray alloc]initWithObjects:@"Hour",nil];
   array_to=[[NSMutableArray alloc]initWithObjects:@"Hour",@"Minute",@"Second",nil];

    [super viewDidLoad];
   
 
}

(BOOL)textFieldShouldReturn:(UITextField *)textField{
        [textField resignFirstResponder];
        return YES;
}

(void)viewDidUnload
{
    [super viewDidUnload];
   
}

(BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
   
    return (interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait);
}

(NSInteger)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView numberOfRowsInComponent:(NSInteger)component {
   
    if (pickerView.tag == kFROMPICKERTAG)
        return [array_from count];
    else
        return [array_to count];
}

(NSInteger)numberOfComponentsInPickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView {
    return kPICKERCOLUMN;
}

(void)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView didSelectRow:(NSInteger)row inComponent:(NSInteger)component
{
   
   
    if (pickerView.tag == kFROMPICKERTAG){
             
        [fromButton setText:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[array_from objectAtIndex:[pickerView selectedRowInComponent:0]]]];
       
       
    }
    else{
       
         [toTextButton setText:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[array_to objectAtIndex:[pickerView selectedRowInComponent:0]]]];
    }
   
}

(NSString *)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView titleForRow:(NSInteger)row forComponent:(NSInteger)component
{
    if (pickerView.tag == kFROMPICKERTAG){    
               
        return [array_from objectAtIndex:row];
      }
       
    else{
               
        return [array_to objectAtIndex:row];
    }
     
}

(IBAction)Calculation:(id)sender{
   
    NSString *tempString=fromButton.text;
    NSString *tempString1=toTextButton.text;
   
    NSString *string=@"Hour";
    NSString *string1=@"Minute";
    NSString *string2=@"Second";
   
   
    // From Hour To Hour
   
    if([tempString isEqualToString:string] && [tempString1 isEqualToString:string]){
       
        resultLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 300, 187, 20)];
        resultLabel.text =  valueData.text;
        [self.view addSubview:resultLabel];
        UnitLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 321, 187, 20)];
        UnitLabel.text = @"hour";
        [self.view addSubview:UnitLabel];
    }
   
    // From Hour To Minute
   
    if([tempString isEqualToString:string] && [tempString1 isEqualToString:string1]){
        int Result;
        NSString *str;
        int x = [valueData.text intValue];
        Result = (60*x);
        str = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%d", Result];
        resultLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 300, 187, 20)];
        resultLabel.text =  str;
        [self.view addSubview:resultLabel];
       
        UnitLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 321, 187, 20)];
        UnitLabel.text = @"minute";
        [self.view addSubview:UnitLabel];
       
    }
   
    //  From Hour To Second
   
    if([tempString isEqualToString:string] && [tempString1 isEqualToString:string2]){
        int Result;
        int x = [valueData.text intValue];
        Result = (60*60*x);
        NSString *str;
        str = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%d", Result];
        resultLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 300, 187, 20)];
        resultLabel.text =  str ;
        [self.view addSubview:resultLabel];
       
        UnitLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 321, 187, 20)];
        UnitLabel.text = @"second";
        [self.view addSubview:UnitLabel];
     
    }
   
}

// tell the picker the width of each row for a given component
(CGFloat)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView widthForComponent:(NSInteger)component {
    CGFloat componentWidth = 0.0;
        componentWidth = 135.0; // second column is narrower to show numbers
       
        return componentWidth;
}

@end

Step 7: Now Compile and run the application on the Simulator.

You can Download SourceCode from here PickerView_UsingButtonPress

Time Converter Application in iPhone

This is the Time Converter application. Using this application we can can convert time like, Hour to Minute, Hour to Second. So let see how it will worked. My previous topic reference you can find out from here PickerView Programmatically

Step 1: Open the Xcode, Create a new project using View Base application. Give the application “PickerView_usingButtonPress”.

Step 2: Xcode automatically creates the directory structure and adds essential frameworks to it. You can explore the directory structure to check out the content of the directory.

Step 3: We need to add images in the resource folder.

Step 4: Open the PickerView_usingButtonPress.h file and make the following changes:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface PickerView_UsingButtonPressViewController : UIViewController {

NSMutableArray *array_from;
NSMutableArray *array_to;
UIPickerView *fromPickerView;
UIPickerView *toPickerView;
UIButton *doneButton ;
UITextField *fromButton;
UIButton *button1;

UIImageView *m_objBackgroundView;

UITextField *toTextButton;
UIButton *toButton;

IBOutlet UILabel*resultLabel;
IBOutlet UITextField *valueData;
IBOutlet UILabel*UnitLabel;

}
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet UITextField *fromButton;
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet   UIButton *button1;
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet UITextField *toTextButton;
@property(nonatomic,retain) IBOutlet   UIButton *toButton;

(IBAction)FromButton:(id)sender;
(IBAction)ToButton:(id)sender;
(IBAction)Calculation:(id)sender;

@end

Step 5: Double click the PickerView_usingButtonPress.xib file and open it to the Interface Builder. First drag the three label from the library and place it to the view window. Give the label name Value:, From: and To: . And drag the three  TextField from the library and place it to the view window. Connect Files Owner icon to the textfield and select valueData, fromButton and toTextButton. Now drag the Round Rect Button from the library and place it to the view window. Select the Round Rect Button and bring up Connection Inspector and connect Touch Up inside to the File’s Owner icon and select Calculation: method. Now save the .xib file, close it and go back to the Xcode.

Step 6: In the PickerView_usingButtonPress.m file and make the following changes:

#import "PickerView_UsingButtonPressViewController.h"

#define kPICKERCOLUMN 1
#define kFROMPICKERTAG 20
#define kTOPICKERTAG 21

@implementation PickerView_UsingButtonPressViewController

@synthesize fromButton,button1,toTextButton,toButton;

(IBAction)ToButton:(id)sender
{
 
    toPickerView = [[UIPickerView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 200, 320, 200)];
    toPickerView.tag = kTOPICKERTAG;
   
    [self.view addSubview:toPickerView];
    toPickerView.delegate = self;
    toPickerView.showsSelectionIndicator = YES;
   
    doneButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeRoundedRect];
    [doneButton addTarget:self
                   action:@selector(ToPickerViewRemove:)
         forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchDown];
    doneButton.frame = CGRectMake(265.0,202.0,  52.0, 30.0);
    UIImage *img = [UIImage imageNamed:@"done.png"];
    [doneButton setImage:img forState:UIControlStateNormal];
   
    [img release];
   
    [self.view addSubview:doneButton];
   
     
}

(IBAction)FromButton:(id)sender
{
    fromPickerView = [[UIPickerView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 200, 320, 200)];
    fromPickerView.tag = kFROMPICKERTAG;
    [self.view addSubview:fromPickerView];
    fromPickerView.delegate = self;
    fromPickerView.showsSelectionIndicator = YES;
   
    doneButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeRoundedRect];
    [doneButton addTarget:self
                   action:@selector(FromPickerViewRemove:)
         forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchDown];
    doneButton.frame = CGRectMake(265.0,202.0,  52.0, 30.0);
    UIImage *img = [UIImage imageNamed:@"done.png"];
    [doneButton setImage:img forState:UIControlStateNormal];
   
    [img release];
   
    [self.view addSubview:doneButton];
 
}

(IBAction)ToPickerViewRemove:(id)sender
{
    [toPickerView removeFromSuperview];
    [doneButton removeFromSuperview];
    [m_objBackgroundView removeFromSuperview];
}

(IBAction)FromPickerViewRemove:(id)sender
{
    [fromPickerView removeFromSuperview];
    [doneButton removeFromSuperview];
    [m_objBackgroundView removeFromSuperview];
}

(id)initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil
{
    self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
    if (self) {
        // Custom initialization
    }
    return self;
}

(void)dealloc
{
    [super dealloc];
}

(void)didReceiveMemoryWarning
{
    // Releases the view if it doesn’t have a superview.
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
   
    // Release any cached data, images, etc that aren’t in use.
}

#pragma mark – View lifecycle

(void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
   
    array_from=[[NSMutableArray alloc]initWithObjects:@"Hour",nil];
   array_to=[[NSMutableArray alloc]initWithObjects:@"Hour",@"Minute",@"Second",nil];

    [super viewDidLoad];
   
 
}

(BOOL)textFieldShouldReturn:(UITextField *)textField{
        [textField resignFirstResponder];
        return YES;
}

(void)viewDidUnload
{
    [super viewDidUnload];
   
}

(BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
   
    return (interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait);
}

(NSInteger)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView numberOfRowsInComponent:(NSInteger)component {
   
    if (pickerView.tag == kFROMPICKERTAG)
        return [array_from count];
    else
        return [array_to count];
}

(NSInteger)numberOfComponentsInPickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView {
    return kPICKERCOLUMN;
}

(void)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView didSelectRow:(NSInteger)row inComponent:(NSInteger)component
{
   
   
    if (pickerView.tag == kFROMPICKERTAG){
             
        [fromButton setText:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[array_from objectAtIndex:[pickerView selectedRowInComponent:0]]]];
       
       
    }
    else{
       
         [toTextButton setText:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[array_to objectAtIndex:[pickerView selectedRowInComponent:0]]]];
    }
   
}

(NSString *)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView titleForRow:(NSInteger)row forComponent:(NSInteger)component
{
    if (pickerView.tag == kFROMPICKERTAG){    
               
        return [array_from objectAtIndex:row];
      }
       
    else{
               
        return [array_to objectAtIndex:row];
    }
     
}

(IBAction)Calculation:(id)sender{
   
    NSString *tempString=fromButton.text;
    NSString *tempString1=toTextButton.text;
   
    NSString *string=@"Hour";
    NSString *string1=@"Minute";
    NSString *string2=@"Second";
   
   
    // From Hour To Hour
   
    if([tempString isEqualToString:string] && [tempString1 isEqualToString:string]){
       
        resultLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 300, 187, 20)];
        resultLabel.text =  valueData.text;
        [self.view addSubview:resultLabel];
        UnitLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 321, 187, 20)];
        UnitLabel.text = @"hour";
        [self.view addSubview:UnitLabel];
    }
   
    // From Hour To Minute
   
    if([tempString isEqualToString:string] && [tempString1 isEqualToString:string1]){
        int Result;
        NSString *str;
        int x = [valueData.text intValue];
        Result = (60*x);
        str = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%d", Result];
        resultLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 300, 187, 20)];
        resultLabel.text =  str;
        [self.view addSubview:resultLabel];
       
        UnitLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 321, 187, 20)];
        UnitLabel.text = @"minute";
        [self.view addSubview:UnitLabel];
       
    }
   
    //  From Hour To Second
   
    if([tempString isEqualToString:string] && [tempString1 isEqualToString:string2]){
        int Result;
        int x = [valueData.text intValue];
        Result = (60*60*x);
        NSString *str;
        str = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%d", Result];
        resultLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 300, 187, 20)];
        resultLabel.text =  str ;
        [self.view addSubview:resultLabel];
       
        UnitLabel = [[UILabel alloc]initWithFrame:CGRectMake(104, 321, 187, 20)];
        UnitLabel.text = @"second";
        [self.view addSubview:UnitLabel];
     
    }
   
}

// tell the picker the width of each row for a given component
(CGFloat)pickerView:(UIPickerView *)pickerView widthForComponent:(NSInteger)component {
    CGFloat componentWidth = 0.0;
        componentWidth = 135.0; // second column is narrower to show numbers
       
        return componentWidth;
}

@end

Step 7: Now Compile and run the application on the Simulator.

You can Download SourceCode from here PickerView_UsingButtonPress

Capturing the "rocket’s red glare" of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July

With the 4th of July holiday rapidly approaching in the US it’s time to think of both your backyard and big time municipal fireworks displays, and how to best capture them on your iPhone. The latest generations of cameras on the iPhone have greatly improved, and while still not up to high end DSLR quality, the built in 5 MP camera can take some extraordinarily good images.

Here’s the basics, to make sure you get some keepers. First, the camera needs to be steady. It’s too late to get hold of a special iPhone camera case with a tripod mount, but if you have one already, like the Gorilla Pod, you’re in business. No tripod? You’re not out of luck. Steady the iPhone on your lap, on a chair back, or on the roof of a car. If you have to hold it, it’s a good idea to take a deep breath and hold it in while you are shooting the fireworks. No, not for a long time!

Your camera will have a tendency to follow the moving fireworks. Resist the temptation, and hold the camera steady when you take your picture. You don’t want streaks and blurs caused by movement. If you have the latest iPhone 4 with HDR, turn it off. Fireworks happen quickly, you don’t want multiple exposures slowing things down. And please, turn off the flash. Your little puny LED flash isn’t going to illuminate the scene.

Before everything starts, decide if you are going to shoot landscape mode or portrait. If you are trying to capture the foreground crowd, landscape is fine. Most fireworks are set off vertically, so if you are shooting well above the horizon, portrait mode is best.

Digital zoom is a no no. It makes the picture larger, but increases the noise and decreases the quality. Stay at full wide with no digital zoom. The iPhone should auto-focus with no problem. If it doesn’t tap the screen where the fireworks are, then hold steady and take your image.

Don’t forget, the iPhone is also an excellent video camera. Many of the same rules apply. Try to hold the camera steady… and let the motion come from the fireworks, not from your camera. If you get some great pictures, leave us some links in Flickr, Picasa web albums or your MobileMe galleries. We’d like to highlight the best of them.

Capturing the “rocket’s red glare” of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Readers Games

I’ve been sent details of some new readers games that I’d like to share. If you have sent me your game and not seen it mentioned yet drop me another note and I’ll add it to the list. With moving machines and a recent crash I’ve lost some emails so can’t be sure I’ve included […]

New Readers Games

I’ve been sent details of some new readers games that I’d like to share. If you have sent me your game and not seen it mentioned yet drop me another note and I’ll add it to the list. With moving machines and a recent crash I’ve lost some emails so can’t be sure I’ve included […]

New Readers Games

I’ve been sent details of some new readers games that I’d like to share. If you have sent me your game and not seen it mentioned yet drop me another note and I’ll add it to the list. With moving machines and a recent crash I’ve lost some emails so can’t be sure I’ve included […]

Parts suppliers reportedly prep for iPhone 5, iPad 3 assembly

Digitimes is reporting that the suppliers for the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 are gearing up to provide components for the next iterations of both of those devices. That in and of itself isn’t really surprising — of course Apple is working on new iterations of all of its devices. But what is interesting about this little leak is the timing. We first heard that Apple was lining up suppliers for the iPad 2 back in November of last year, which the benefit of hindsight now tells us was just about four months before its eventual release in early March of 2011.

In other words, hearing about the iPad 3 suppliers starting to turn the gears now could mean, assuming that Apple is still on the same manufacturing schedule, that we’re going to see another new iPad as soon as four months from now — sometime before this coming holiday season. Would Apple release two iPads in one year? Blogger John Gruber has already suggested that they’ll do exactly that, and certainly the timing of this leaked announcement supports that idea.

As usual, nothing is confirmed until we hear it from Cupertino officially. But you can at least add another log to the fire of rumors that we may see the iPad 3 before 2011 has left us behind.

Parts suppliers reportedly prep for iPhone 5, iPad 3 assembly originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Capturing the "rocket’s red glare" of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July

With the 4th of July holiday rapidly approaching in the US it’s time to think of both your backyard and big time municipal fireworks displays, and how to best capture them on your iPhone. The latest generations of cameras on the iPhone have greatly improved, and while still not up to high end DSLR quality, the built in 5 MP camera can take some extraordinarily good images.

Here’s the basics, to make sure you get some keepers. First, the camera needs to be steady. It’s too late to get hold of a special iPhone camera case with a tripod mount, but if you have one already, like the Gorilla Pod, you’re in business. No tripod? You’re not out of luck. Steady the iPhone on your lap, on a chair back, or on the roof of a car. If you have to hold it, it’s a good idea to take a deep breath and hold it in while you are shooting the fireworks. No, not for a long time!

Your camera will have a tendency to follow the moving fireworks. Resist the temptation, and hold the camera steady when you take your picture. You don’t want streaks and blurs caused by movement. If you have the latest iPhone 4 with HDR, turn it off. Fireworks happen quickly, you don’t want multiple exposures slowing things down. And please, turn off the flash. Your little puny LED flash isn’t going to illuminate the scene.

Before everything starts, decide if you are going to shoot landscape mode or portrait. If you are trying to capture the foreground crowd, landscape is fine. Most fireworks are set off vertically, so if you are shooting well above the horizon, portrait mode is best.

Digital zoom is a no no. It makes the picture larger, but increases the noise and decreases the quality. Stay at full wide with no digital zoom. The iPhone should auto-focus with no problem. If it doesn’t tap the screen where the fireworks are, then hold steady and take your image.

Don’t forget, the iPhone is also an excellent video camera. Many of the same rules apply. Try to hold the camera steady… and let the motion come from the fireworks, not from your camera. If you get some great pictures, leave us some links in Flickr, Picasa web albums or your MobileMe galleries. We’d like to highlight the best of them.

Capturing the “rocket’s red glare” of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Capturing the "rocket’s red glare" of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July

With the 4th of July holiday rapidly approaching in the US it’s time to think of both your backyard and big time municipal fireworks displays, and how to best capture them on your iPhone. The latest generations of cameras on the iPhone have greatly improved, and while still not up to high end DSLR quality, the built in 5 MP camera can take some extraordinarily good images.

Here’s the basics, to make sure you get some keepers. First, the camera needs to be steady. It’s too late to get hold of a special iPhone camera case with a tripod mount, but if you have one already, like the Gorilla Pod, you’re in business. No tripod? You’re not out of luck. Steady the iPhone on your lap, on a chair back, or on the roof of a car. If you have to hold it, it’s a good idea to take a deep breath and hold it in while you are shooting the fireworks. No, not for a long time!

Your camera will have a tendency to follow the moving fireworks. Resist the temptation, and hold the camera steady when you take your picture. You don’t want streaks and blurs caused by movement. If you have the latest iPhone 4 with HDR, turn it off. Fireworks happen quickly, you don’t want multiple exposures slowing things down. And please, turn off the flash. Your little puny LED flash isn’t going to illuminate the scene.

Before everything starts, decide if you are going to shoot landscape mode or portrait. If you are trying to capture the foreground crowd, landscape is fine. Most fireworks are set off vertically, so if you are shooting well above the horizon, portrait mode is best.

Digital zoom is a no no. It makes the picture larger, but increases the noise and decreases the quality. Stay at full wide with no digital zoom. The iPhone should auto-focus with no problem. If it doesn’t tap the screen where the fireworks are, then hold steady and take your image.

Don’t forget, the iPhone is also an excellent video camera. Many of the same rules apply. Try to hold the camera steady… and let the motion come from the fireworks, not from your camera. If you get some great pictures, leave us some links in Flickr, Picasa web albums or your MobileMe galleries. We’d like to highlight the best of them.

Capturing the “rocket’s red glare” of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More app sales for Mac and iOS over the Independence Day weekend

July 4th is the weekend for fireworks, BBQs, and good times in the United States of America — not to mention some excellent app sales. Here’s a few more:

  • MacGameStore has a big Independence Day sales weekend going on, featuring Mac versions of Civ IV for $14.95, Spore for $9.99, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for $39.95.
  • MacPhun’s dropped four apps down to the low price of free for the weekend: Silent Film Director, Cartoonatic, Doodle Cam, and ArtCamera.
  • G5 Entertainment is dropping Romance of Rome, Virtual City, and Supermarket Management down to $.99 on the iPhone, and $2.99 on the iPad. Supermarket Mania 2 is also on sale, for $2.99 on iPhone and $4.99 on the tablet.
  • Rockin Ted is another free app to check out.
  • Finally, Steam is having a huge Summer Camp sale this weekend, with dozens of rotating titles going on sale every day. There are a lot of games in there, and a lot of great deals — keep an eye out for the “SteamPlay” icon, as all of those games work on both Mac and PC.

I’m pretty sure most of the sales going up this weekend are out at this point, but we’ll keep an eye out for any more going on. We also occasionally tweet out app sales and updates on our Twitter account, so follow us over there if you want up-to-the-minute deals on Mac and iOS software!

More app sales for Mac and iOS over the Independence Day weekend originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capturing the "rocket’s red glare" of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July

With the 4th of July holiday rapidly approaching in the US it’s time to think of both your backyard and big time municipal fireworks displays, and how to best capture them on your iPhone. The latest generations of cameras on the iPhone have greatly improved, and while still not up to high end DSLR quality, the built in 5 MP camera can take some extraordinarily good images.

Here’s the basics, to make sure you get some keepers. First, the camera needs to be steady. It’s too late to get hold of a special iPhone camera case with a tripod mount, but if you have one already, like the Gorilla Pod, you’re in business. No tripod? You’re not out of luck. Steady the iPhone on your lap, on a chair back, or on the roof of a car. If you have to hold it, it’s a good idea to take a deep breath and hold it in while you are shooting the fireworks. No, not for a long time!

Your camera will have a tendency to follow the moving fireworks. Resist the temptation, and hold the camera steady when you take your picture. You don’t want streaks and blurs caused by movement. If you have the latest iPhone 4 with HDR, turn it off. Fireworks happen quickly, you don’t want multiple exposures slowing things down. And please, turn off the flash. Your little puny LED flash isn’t going to illuminate the scene.

Before everything starts, decide if you are going to shoot landscape mode or portrait. If you are trying to capture the foreground crowd, landscape is fine. Most fireworks are set off vertically, so if you are shooting well above the horizon, portrait mode is best.

Digital zoom is a no no. It makes the picture larger, but increases the noise and decreases the quality. Stay at full wide with no digital zoom. The iPhone should auto-focus with no problem. If it doesn’t tap the screen where the fireworks are, then hold steady and take your image.

Don’t forget, the iPhone is also an excellent video camera. Many of the same rules apply. Try to hold the camera steady… and let the motion come from the fireworks, not from your camera. If you get some great pictures, leave us some links in Flickr, Picasa web albums or your MobileMe galleries. We’d like to highlight the best of them.

Capturing the “rocket’s red glare” of fireworks with your iPhone camera this 4th of July originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parts suppliers reportedly prep for iPhone 5, iPad 3 assembly

Digitimes is reporting that the suppliers for the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 are gearing up to provide components for the next iterations of both of those devices. That in and of itself isn’t really surprising — of course Apple is working on new iterations of all of its devices. But what is interesting about this little leak is the timing. We first heard that Apple was lining up suppliers for the iPad 2 back in November of last year, which the benefit of hindsight now tells us was just about four months before its eventual release in early March of 2011.

In other words, hearing about the iPad 3 suppliers starting to turn the gears now could mean, assuming that Apple is still on the same manufacturing schedule, that we’re going to see another new iPad as soon as four months from now — sometime before this coming holiday season. Would Apple release two iPads in one year? Blogger John Gruber has already suggested that they’ll do exactly that, and certainly the timing of this leaked announcement supports that idea.

As usual, nothing is confirmed until we hear it from Cupertino officially. But you can at least add another log to the fire of rumors that we may see the iPad 3 before 2011 has left us behind.

Parts suppliers reportedly prep for iPhone 5, iPad 3 assembly originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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