Category: I-phone

Have you ever looked at HDR photos, wishing you could produce the same fantastic images? But there’s no way you could make those kind of pictures with your iPhone’s camera, and you know that because the HDR functionality built into the Camera app just isn’t that great. What if there was a way to take truly mind blowing HDR images with your iPhone, just by using a different app?

Well there is, and one of them is iCameraHDR. This app takes your iPhone’s built-in camera and kicks it up to 11, producing some pretty stunning pictures in the process. Let’s delve into what the app does after the break.

Wait, What’s HDR?

HDR is an abbreviation used among photographers. It stands for High Dynamic Range, and means that photos have been post-processed using a special technique which allows both the bright and the dark spots of an image to come out perfectly (usually you can have only the one or the other).

In order to create a good HDR image, photographers usually take multiple pictures of the same thing but the using multiple exposure levels: some images are underexposed (dark because of little exposure) and some are overexposed (bright because of long exposure). When those shots are combined, you’ll get an image that is perfectly lit and depending on the strengths of the effect, you can create otherworldly looking photos.

How iCamera HDR Does It

How can this little iPhone camera handle such a complex situation? It has to be admitted right away that of course the image quality will always be inferior to what comes out of a DSLR, but if the iPhone’s camera is all you’ve got, then you are still able to take some amazing shots.

iCamera HDR does what you otherwise would have to accomplish through an extra application on your Mac or PC. It takes two shots of a scene — one overexposed and one underexposed — and renders them into one image. You can even create an HDR image from just one photo; iCamera HDR just calculates what it needs.

Welcome screen & shooting options in iCamera HDR

The app also gives you a multitude of options to manipulate the strength of the HDR effect and the appearance of the final image. We’ll take a look at those options and go through them one by one.

Taking photos for the HDR

Once you fire up iCamera HDR, you’ll be presented with two options: take a new set of photos or load existing ones. If you go for the latter, you’ll be re-directed to the camera roll where you can select either one or two images to create your HDR image.

If you opt for taking new photographs, a capture dialogue opens. You have multiple options to select from in the bottom area of the screen:

Select single or multiple image HDR & Stabilization options

You can just start taking photos with the default settings, but you could also set how still your iPhone needs to be for the shutter to release (no idea what good this will do you without a tripod), or if you want to take a manual, automatic or single image HDR. As with the standard Apple Camera app, you are also able to select a focus point by simply tapping on the iPhone screen. The focus will adjust and so will the brightness of the entire image.

Choose focus point and metering sport for image brightness

Once you hit the release button, iCamera HDR will start to take images. Make sure to hold the iPhone as still as you can since the photos will overlay each other and the prominent features need to match up to avoid a blur.

Save your images before you start the post-processing. Sometimes iCamera HDR crashes during image manipulation and your photos will be lost (if you haven’t activated the “Save Originals” in the settings).

Creating the HDR

iCamera HDR takes a couple of seconds to load your images — it needs to align them properly so that they match perfectly. This process may take up to 15 seconds, so be patient. Once it’s finished, you will see a preview of your HDR image and many options to manipulate it even further. With a tap on the image you can see it full screen (though not full size).

Aligning two shots

There are far too many settings to go through each of them individually. It’s simply impressive just how much you can do with an iPhone app — the options range from changing the brightness, saturation and contrast to adjusting the sharpness, tint, black and white levels and even applying special effects.

Huge selection of image manipulation options

Depending on your choices, you could give an image a tint that makes it look like it has been taking in the warm evening sun instead of the bright glare of midday. You can boost colors or even reduce their saturation, creating artistic photos worth printing. The only limit is your imagination.

iCamera HDR Example 1 (taken late afternoon)

iCamera HDR Example 2 (taken midday)

iCamera HDR Example 3 (taken at sunset)

In contrast to many other HDR apps (see my comparison below), iCamera produces a very nice final image. While of course sharpening and not-optimal lighting conditions may produce some grain, the image is still reasonably sharp.

Image quality at 100% (slightly grainy, but sharp)

Once you’re done, you have multiple options of sharing your images. Saving to your camera roll or sending it to Twitter, Facebook or Flickr to show to your friends.

Verdict

iCamera HDR has its quirks, but on the HDR-app market it shines with its many option panels and high quality final images. And as a user of many different HDR apps, I’ve tried out quite a few different options, and this is the best of them all.

What are your experiences with HDR apps? Let us know in the comments.

Keeping up with all the assignments from all the different courses that you have as a student can be pretty hard, and everyone forgets to do something at least once in a while. That’s one of the reasons why to-do apps have such a big market and new ones seem to come out every week or so.

But what about a to-do app made specifically for students? The app that we are reviewing today is called iHomework, and just like its name says, it’s meant to be helpful at keeping up with your assignments. Hit the jump to get an overview of the app and how it works.

Getting Started

iHomework is a relatively new app that can help you keep up with your schoolwork. Think of it as a to-do app, but more fit for students. It also comes with a bunch of extra features like support for courses and teachers. It has a Mac version of the app that goes for $2.99 and an iOS app that goes for $1.99. They both work together and let you sync them up.

Work & Reminders

Under the Work tab you are able to see all the assignments that you have due. There’s a small filter bar that lets you see them for the Day, Week or Course. You can also add a new assignment here by clicking the Add button on the filter bar.

Reminders

The Reminders are similar to the assignments, but they don’t necessarily need to be linked to a course or a deadline. They are just for stuff that you need to do, and you can also set a notification to go along with them and a small note. The notifications will work just like any other push notification on your iOS device, and will come up in your screen even if it’s sleeping.

Adding New Assignments

There are plenty of fields that you can fill in when you are adding a new task. If you already have your courses set up, you can link the assignments to a course, or you can just add a new one right there. You can also add a deadline, notification, title, type of assignment, grade, notes, priority and partners.

Assignments

The priority goes as Low, Medium and High, and depending on the one you select, the task will be shown in the Work tab with exclamation points. The types of assignment that you can use are Homework, Quiz, Project and Test.

Courses

You can add new courses by going into the Courses field when you are filling a new assignment, or by going into the Courses tab in the main menu of the app. Just like with the assignments, you can fill in a lot of settings within them. You can put in a name, number, teachers, locations, internet links and even fill in the schedule of your classes. You can also customize your courses with preset images that go along with it.

Courses & Teachers

Once you have all your courses setup, you can check them all out under the Courses tab. Here you’ll be presented all of them in a list mode, where you can go into each of them and check all their information, along with all the assignments due for that course. Another thing I found pretty interesting was the grading, which you can keep up with by telling the app what you get on tests, homework and the like.

Teachers and More

Much like with the courses, you can keep track of all your teachers and their information through the Teachers tab. You can add new ones and fill in their email, phone, picture and name, so that you always have that information handy.

More

There’s also the More tab, where you can find menus like Reading, Completed, Calendar, Types, Sync and the Settings. They are all pretty self explanatory: Reading is for reading assignments; Completed is where the assignments are archived; Calendar gives you a panoramic view of your month; Types lets you edit and add more types of assignments (homeworks, tests, etc.); and sync lets you sync your stuff so that you can view it from your Mac.

Syncing

The syncing process is a bit more confusing than in other apps, but it works. You have to put in a login name and password on your Mac, and then go into your iOS device and start syncing from the More tab, so that you can pair both devices. From then on, everytime you want to sync up, you have to put both devices into syncing mode at the same time, and they’ll automatically find each other and sync up. As I mentioned, it’s not very convenient and it might even work better if it did so through Dropbox, like Day One does. Having to have both devices sync at the same time just isn’t very convenient.

Sync

The iOS app is $1.99, while the Mac app is $2.99. You also need to buy both of them in order to use the syncing feature.

Conclusion

I think the iOS app for iHomework works better than the desktop version because it’s mobile and you can use it anytime you’re at class, without having to pull out your computer. The desktop companion is nice for viewing all of your due assignments while you’re at home, but you don’t really need it, and could do fine just with the iOS app.

It’s great as a to-do app focused on schoolwork, but as an overall aid for keeping up with school, like with your schedule or your links, it might not be as useful as other apps. It does a great job at just being a good assignment tracker, but as an overall school helper, it’s not so great.

Do you think these type of apps are more beneficial to a student than just another burden for them? If you are a student, do you use any of these type of apps?

Keeping up with all the assignments from all the different courses that you have as a student can be pretty hard, and everyone forgets to do something at least once in a while. That’s one of the reasons why to-do apps have such a big market and new ones seem to come out every week or so.

But what about a to-do app made specifically for students? The app that we are reviewing today is called iHomework, and just like its name says, it’s meant to be helpful at keeping up with your assignments. Hit the jump to get an overview of the app and how it works.

Getting Started

iHomework is a relatively new app that can help you keep up with your schoolwork. Think of it as a to-do app, but more fit for students. It also comes with a bunch of extra features like support for courses and teachers. It has a Mac version of the app that goes for $2.99 and an iOS app that goes for $1.99. They both work together and let you sync them up.

Work & Reminders

Under the Work tab you are able to see all the assignments that you have due. There’s a small filter bar that lets you see them for the Day, Week or Course. You can also add a new assignment here by clicking the Add button on the filter bar.

Reminders

The Reminders are similar to the assignments, but they don’t necessarily need to be linked to a course or a deadline. They are just for stuff that you need to do, and you can also set a notification to go along with them and a small note. The notifications will work just like any other push notification on your iOS device, and will come up in your screen even if it’s sleeping.

Adding New Assignments

There are plenty of fields that you can fill in when you are adding a new task. If you already have your courses set up, you can link the assignments to a course, or you can just add a new one right there. You can also add a deadline, notification, title, type of assignment, grade, notes, priority and partners.

Assignments

The priority goes as Low, Medium and High, and depending on the one you select, the task will be shown in the Work tab with exclamation points. The types of assignment that you can use are Homework, Quiz, Project and Test.

Courses

You can add new courses by going into the Courses field when you are filling a new assignment, or by going into the Courses tab in the main menu of the app. Just like with the assignments, you can fill in a lot of settings within them. You can put in a name, number, teachers, locations, internet links and even fill in the schedule of your classes. You can also customize your courses with preset images that go along with it.

Courses & Teachers

Once you have all your courses setup, you can check them all out under the Courses tab. Here you’ll be presented all of them in a list mode, where you can go into each of them and check all their information, along with all the assignments due for that course. Another thing I found pretty interesting was the grading, which you can keep up with by telling the app what you get on tests, homework and the like.

Teachers and More

Much like with the courses, you can keep track of all your teachers and their information through the Teachers tab. You can add new ones and fill in their email, phone, picture and name, so that you always have that information handy.

More

There’s also the More tab, where you can find menus like Reading, Completed, Calendar, Types, Sync and the Settings. They are all pretty self explanatory: Reading is for reading assignments; Completed is where the assignments are archived; Calendar gives you a panoramic view of your month; Types lets you edit and add more types of assignments (homeworks, tests, etc.); and sync lets you sync your stuff so that you can view it from your Mac.

Syncing

The syncing process is a bit more confusing than in other apps, but it works. You have to put in a login name and password on your Mac, and then go into your iOS device and start syncing from the More tab, so that you can pair both devices. From then on, everytime you want to sync up, you have to put both devices into syncing mode at the same time, and they’ll automatically find each other and sync up. As I mentioned, it’s not very convenient and it might even work better if it did so through Dropbox, like Day One does. Having to have both devices sync at the same time just isn’t very convenient.

Sync

The iOS app is $1.99, while the Mac app is $2.99. You also need to buy both of them in order to use the syncing feature.

Conclusion

I think the iOS app for iHomework works better than the desktop version because it’s mobile and you can use it anytime you’re at class, without having to pull out your computer. The desktop companion is nice for viewing all of your due assignments while you’re at home, but you don’t really need it, and could do fine just with the iOS app.

It’s great as a to-do app focused on schoolwork, but as an overall aid for keeping up with school, like with your schedule or your links, it might not be as useful as other apps. It does a great job at just being a good assignment tracker, but as an overall school helper, it’s not so great.

Do you think these type of apps are more beneficial to a student than just another burden for them? If you are a student, do you use any of these type of apps?

Keeping up with all the assignments from all the different courses that you have as a student can be pretty hard, and everyone forgets to do something at least once in a while. That’s one of the reasons why to-do apps have such a big market and new ones seem to come out every week or so.

But what about a to-do app made specifically for students? The app that we are reviewing today is called iHomework, and just like its name says, it’s meant to be helpful at keeping up with your assignments. Hit the jump to get an overview of the app and how it works.

Getting Started

iHomework is a relatively new app that can help you keep up with your schoolwork. Think of it as a to-do app, but more fit for students. It also comes with a bunch of extra features like support for courses and teachers. It has a Mac version of the app that goes for $2.99 and an iOS app that goes for $1.99. They both work together and let you sync them up.

Work & Reminders

Under the Work tab you are able to see all the assignments that you have due. There’s a small filter bar that lets you see them for the Day, Week or Course. You can also add a new assignment here by clicking the Add button on the filter bar.

Reminders

The Reminders are similar to the assignments, but they don’t necessarily need to be linked to a course or a deadline. They are just for stuff that you need to do, and you can also set a notification to go along with them and a small note. The notifications will work just like any other push notification on your iOS device, and will come up in your screen even if it’s sleeping.

Adding New Assignments

There are plenty of fields that you can fill in when you are adding a new task. If you already have your courses set up, you can link the assignments to a course, or you can just add a new one right there. You can also add a deadline, notification, title, type of assignment, grade, notes, priority and partners.

Assignments

The priority goes as Low, Medium and High, and depending on the one you select, the task will be shown in the Work tab with exclamation points. The types of assignment that you can use are Homework, Quiz, Project and Test.

Courses

You can add new courses by going into the Courses field when you are filling a new assignment, or by going into the Courses tab in the main menu of the app. Just like with the assignments, you can fill in a lot of settings within them. You can put in a name, number, teachers, locations, internet links and even fill in the schedule of your classes. You can also customize your courses with preset images that go along with it.

Courses & Teachers

Once you have all your courses setup, you can check them all out under the Courses tab. Here you’ll be presented all of them in a list mode, where you can go into each of them and check all their information, along with all the assignments due for that course. Another thing I found pretty interesting was the grading, which you can keep up with by telling the app what you get on tests, homework and the like.

Teachers and More

Much like with the courses, you can keep track of all your teachers and their information through the Teachers tab. You can add new ones and fill in their email, phone, picture and name, so that you always have that information handy.

More

There’s also the More tab, where you can find menus like Reading, Completed, Calendar, Types, Sync and the Settings. They are all pretty self explanatory: Reading is for reading assignments; Completed is where the assignments are archived; Calendar gives you a panoramic view of your month; Types lets you edit and add more types of assignments (homeworks, tests, etc.); and sync lets you sync your stuff so that you can view it from your Mac.

Syncing

The syncing process is a bit more confusing than in other apps, but it works. You have to put in a login name and password on your Mac, and then go into your iOS device and start syncing from the More tab, so that you can pair both devices. From then on, everytime you want to sync up, you have to put both devices into syncing mode at the same time, and they’ll automatically find each other and sync up. As I mentioned, it’s not very convenient and it might even work better if it did so through Dropbox, like Day One does. Having to have both devices sync at the same time just isn’t very convenient.

Sync

The iOS app is $1.99, while the Mac app is $2.99. You also need to buy both of them in order to use the syncing feature.

Conclusion

I think the iOS app for iHomework works better than the desktop version because it’s mobile and you can use it anytime you’re at class, without having to pull out your computer. The desktop companion is nice for viewing all of your due assignments while you’re at home, but you don’t really need it, and could do fine just with the iOS app.

It’s great as a to-do app focused on schoolwork, but as an overall aid for keeping up with school, like with your schedule or your links, it might not be as useful as other apps. It does a great job at just being a good assignment tracker, but as an overall school helper, it’s not so great.

Do you think these type of apps are more beneficial to a student than just another burden for them? If you are a student, do you use any of these type of apps?

Keeping up with all the assignments from all the different courses that you have as a student can be pretty hard, and everyone forgets to do something at least once in a while. That’s one of the reasons why to-do apps have such a big market and new ones seem to come out every week or so.

But what about a to-do app made specifically for students? The app that we are reviewing today is called iHomework, and just like its name says, it’s meant to be helpful at keeping up with your assignments. Hit the jump to get an overview of the app and how it works.

Getting Started

iHomework is a relatively new app that can help you keep up with your schoolwork. Think of it as a to-do app, but more fit for students. It also comes with a bunch of extra features like support for courses and teachers. It has a Mac version of the app that goes for $2.99 and an iOS app that goes for $1.99. They both work together and let you sync them up.

Work & Reminders

Under the Work tab you are able to see all the assignments that you have due. There’s a small filter bar that lets you see them for the Day, Week or Course. You can also add a new assignment here by clicking the Add button on the filter bar.

Reminders

The Reminders are similar to the assignments, but they don’t necessarily need to be linked to a course or a deadline. They are just for stuff that you need to do, and you can also set a notification to go along with them and a small note. The notifications will work just like any other push notification on your iOS device, and will come up in your screen even if it’s sleeping.

Adding New Assignments

There are plenty of fields that you can fill in when you are adding a new task. If you already have your courses set up, you can link the assignments to a course, or you can just add a new one right there. You can also add a deadline, notification, title, type of assignment, grade, notes, priority and partners.

Assignments

The priority goes as Low, Medium and High, and depending on the one you select, the task will be shown in the Work tab with exclamation points. The types of assignment that you can use are Homework, Quiz, Project and Test.

Courses

You can add new courses by going into the Courses field when you are filling a new assignment, or by going into the Courses tab in the main menu of the app. Just like with the assignments, you can fill in a lot of settings within them. You can put in a name, number, teachers, locations, internet links and even fill in the schedule of your classes. You can also customize your courses with preset images that go along with it.

Courses & Teachers

Once you have all your courses setup, you can check them all out under the Courses tab. Here you’ll be presented all of them in a list mode, where you can go into each of them and check all their information, along with all the assignments due for that course. Another thing I found pretty interesting was the grading, which you can keep up with by telling the app what you get on tests, homework and the like.

Teachers and More

Much like with the courses, you can keep track of all your teachers and their information through the Teachers tab. You can add new ones and fill in their email, phone, picture and name, so that you always have that information handy.

More

There’s also the More tab, where you can find menus like Reading, Completed, Calendar, Types, Sync and the Settings. They are all pretty self explanatory: Reading is for reading assignments; Completed is where the assignments are archived; Calendar gives you a panoramic view of your month; Types lets you edit and add more types of assignments (homeworks, tests, etc.); and sync lets you sync your stuff so that you can view it from your Mac.

Syncing

The syncing process is a bit more confusing than in other apps, but it works. You have to put in a login name and password on your Mac, and then go into your iOS device and start syncing from the More tab, so that you can pair both devices. From then on, everytime you want to sync up, you have to put both devices into syncing mode at the same time, and they’ll automatically find each other and sync up. As I mentioned, it’s not very convenient and it might even work better if it did so through Dropbox, like Day One does. Having to have both devices sync at the same time just isn’t very convenient.

Sync

The iOS app is $1.99, while the Mac app is $2.99. You also need to buy both of them in order to use the syncing feature.

Conclusion

I think the iOS app for iHomework works better than the desktop version because it’s mobile and you can use it anytime you’re at class, without having to pull out your computer. The desktop companion is nice for viewing all of your due assignments while you’re at home, but you don’t really need it, and could do fine just with the iOS app.

It’s great as a to-do app focused on schoolwork, but as an overall aid for keeping up with school, like with your schedule or your links, it might not be as useful as other apps. It does a great job at just being a good assignment tracker, but as an overall school helper, it’s not so great.

Do you think these type of apps are more beneficial to a student than just another burden for them? If you are a student, do you use any of these type of apps?

I’ve been buying new iPhones on launch day since the iPhone 3G, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. But in my purchasing time, I’ve bought two phones that looked pretty much identical, and one that really stood out from the crowd. For this next iPhone – what I assume will be called the iPhone 5 – I need something different than the Leica-esque look of the iPhone 4. And I think we all do too.

Why? The iPhone 4, despite its faults, has been hugely popular for Apple since day one. Why fix what isn’t broke? Well there are a few reasons, and I’ll get into them after the jump.

The Early Adopter

I’m the guy who sits in line on launch day to get his new iPhone, then walks away, very proud of my purchase. The moment I put it up to my ear, I want people looking at the phone to know that I have the latest gadget. I’ve got the new iPhone, not the same one everyone else is carrying around. I’m on the cutting edge, and I’m proud of my early adopter status.

But because people keep their iPhones for so long, it’s not surprising to see an iPhone 3G still out on the streets. If my phone looks like theirs, then I’m not considered to be hip and trendy or cool. I’m just another guy with an iPhone, and that’s not my bag.

Point is, in a perfect world each successive generation of iPhone would stand out from the one before it. That way, the early adopters can stand out from those that either keep their phones longer or who don’t need the latest Apple product.

That Whole Antenna Thing

Like it or not, Antennagate ruled the iPhone 4′s world at the start, and even though Apple ended up selling a bazillion iPhones, there’s no telling how many customers that cost them. Even though it’s not that big of an issue, it’s still an issue, and I guarantee that if the iPhone stays with the same body the press will be all over it. “Look, the iPhone 5 has the same antenna issues as the last one,” and so on. Last time, people were talking about recalls, so let’s just not push the issue here any further. Change the design and put the antenna back in the case.

Strength

I don’t know about you, but I’m scared to drop my iPhone. I’ve always been the guy who handles his phone pretty carefully, but that glass front and back scares the bejeezus out of me. It’s glass, after all, and no matter what kind of gorilla it’s made from, it can break if dropped just the right way. So in my book, the glass has got to go, and don’t go with plastic because it’s not a better option. My 3GS cracked like everyone else’s, and it seems to me like if Apple went with something metal and different, we might be able to get a really cool phone in the process. Now I have no real alternatives here, but I do think that it needs some kind of major change so that it’s less fragile than it is presently.

That Fresh Gadget Feeling

Before the iPhone, I used to buy the same type of cell phone every time. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the phones, but they followed a trend for years at a time. First it was flip phones, then the candybar shape, then the candybar shape with a keyboard (be it sliding or otherwise) until we came to 2008 when I bought my iPhone 3G. I’ve had the same basic iPhone for a few years now — let’s do something different.

I’m not saying to do a flip or anything with a slide-out keyboard, because I think we all can agree that’s not quite the best path. But even just putting a slight arc in the face or curving the top or bottom would be enough for me, as long as it’s tweaked just a little. All of the renderings I’ve seen have a cool aluminum back and a wedge shape to the phone which almost echoes the MacBook Air. Something like that would be perfect, I do think the iPhone 4 was a step above the 3GS and previous iPhones, and it had just enough of a tweak in it to make it seem new and unique. That’s all I’m asking for: Just a little step outside of the iPhone 4′s boundaries, that’s all.

Conclusions

I hope when the iPhone 5 comes out we will see something different. So far, the bets have been on a solid redesign, and I still hope that’s the case. What I think may be more likely is that the iPhone 4 just gets tuned up a little bit, then released into the wild, just like the iPhone 3G and 3GS (and to a lesser extent, the original iPhone) were very similar looking products. Maybe they put a matte finish on the backside, or coat the stainless strip in some kind of color, but I’m 50/50 that it’ll be a full redesign.

That said, it needs to be new. Let’s hope that it is.

I’ve been buying new iPhones on launch day since the iPhone 3G, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. But in my purchasing time, I’ve bought two phones that looked pretty much identical, and one that really stood out from the crowd. For this next iPhone – what I assume will be called the iPhone 5 – I need something different than the Leica-esque look of the iPhone 4. And I think we all do too.

Why? The iPhone 4, despite its faults, has been hugely popular for Apple since day one. Why fix what isn’t broke? Well there are a few reasons, and I’ll get into them after the jump.

The Early Adopter

I’m the guy who sits in line on launch day to get his new iPhone, then walks away, very proud of my purchase. The moment I put it up to my ear, I want people looking at the phone to know that I have the latest gadget. I’ve got the new iPhone, not the same one everyone else is carrying around. I’m on the cutting edge, and I’m proud of my early adopter status.

But because people keep their iPhones for so long, it’s not surprising to see an iPhone 3G still out on the streets. If my phone looks like theirs, then I’m not considered to be hip and trendy or cool. I’m just another guy with an iPhone, and that’s not my bag.

Point is, in a perfect world each successive generation of iPhone would stand out from the one before it. That way, the early adopters can stand out from those that either keep their phones longer or who don’t need the latest Apple product.

That Whole Antenna Thing

Like it or not, Antennagate ruled the iPhone 4′s world at the start, and even though Apple ended up selling a bazillion iPhones, there’s no telling how many customers that cost them. Even though it’s not that big of an issue, it’s still an issue, and I guarantee that if the iPhone stays with the same body the press will be all over it. “Look, the iPhone 5 has the same antenna issues as the last one,” and so on. Last time, people were talking about recalls, so let’s just not push the issue here any further. Change the design and put the antenna back in the case.

Strength

I don’t know about you, but I’m scared to drop my iPhone. I’ve always been the guy who handles his phone pretty carefully, but that glass front and back scares the bejeezus out of me. It’s glass, after all, and no matter what kind of gorilla it’s made from, it can break if dropped just the right way. So in my book, the glass has got to go, and don’t go with plastic because it’s not a better option. My 3GS cracked like everyone else’s, and it seems to me like if Apple went with something metal and different, we might be able to get a really cool phone in the process. Now I have no real alternatives here, but I do think that it needs some kind of major change so that it’s less fragile than it is presently.

That Fresh Gadget Feeling

Before the iPhone, I used to buy the same type of cell phone every time. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the phones, but they followed a trend for years at a time. First it was flip phones, then the candybar shape, then the candybar shape with a keyboard (be it sliding or otherwise) until we came to 2008 when I bought my iPhone 3G. I’ve had the same basic iPhone for a few years now — let’s do something different.

I’m not saying to do a flip or anything with a slide-out keyboard, because I think we all can agree that’s not quite the best path. But even just putting a slight arc in the face or curving the top or bottom would be enough for me, as long as it’s tweaked just a little. All of the renderings I’ve seen have a cool aluminum back and a wedge shape to the phone which almost echoes the MacBook Air. Something like that would be perfect, I do think the iPhone 4 was a step above the 3GS and previous iPhones, and it had just enough of a tweak in it to make it seem new and unique. That’s all I’m asking for: Just a little step outside of the iPhone 4′s boundaries, that’s all.

Conclusions

I hope when the iPhone 5 comes out we will see something different. So far, the bets have been on a solid redesign, and I still hope that’s the case. What I think may be more likely is that the iPhone 4 just gets tuned up a little bit, then released into the wild, just like the iPhone 3G and 3GS (and to a lesser extent, the original iPhone) were very similar looking products. Maybe they put a matte finish on the backside, or coat the stainless strip in some kind of color, but I’m 50/50 that it’ll be a full redesign.

That said, it needs to be new. Let’s hope that it is.

I’ve been buying new iPhones on launch day since the iPhone 3G, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. But in my purchasing time, I’ve bought two phones that looked pretty much identical, and one that really stood out from the crowd. For this next iPhone – what I assume will be called the iPhone 5 – I need something different than the Leica-esque look of the iPhone 4. And I think we all do too.

Why? The iPhone 4, despite its faults, has been hugely popular for Apple since day one. Why fix what isn’t broke? Well there are a few reasons, and I’ll get into them after the jump.

The Early Adopter

I’m the guy who sits in line on launch day to get his new iPhone, then walks away, very proud of my purchase. The moment I put it up to my ear, I want people looking at the phone to know that I have the latest gadget. I’ve got the new iPhone, not the same one everyone else is carrying around. I’m on the cutting edge, and I’m proud of my early adopter status.

But because people keep their iPhones for so long, it’s not surprising to see an iPhone 3G still out on the streets. If my phone looks like theirs, then I’m not considered to be hip and trendy or cool. I’m just another guy with an iPhone, and that’s not my bag.

Point is, in a perfect world each successive generation of iPhone would stand out from the one before it. That way, the early adopters can stand out from those that either keep their phones longer or who don’t need the latest Apple product.

That Whole Antenna Thing

Like it or not, Antennagate ruled the iPhone 4′s world at the start, and even though Apple ended up selling a bazillion iPhones, there’s no telling how many customers that cost them. Even though it’s not that big of an issue, it’s still an issue, and I guarantee that if the iPhone stays with the same body the press will be all over it. “Look, the iPhone 5 has the same antenna issues as the last one,” and so on. Last time, people were talking about recalls, so let’s just not push the issue here any further. Change the design and put the antenna back in the case.

Strength

I don’t know about you, but I’m scared to drop my iPhone. I’ve always been the guy who handles his phone pretty carefully, but that glass front and back scares the bejeezus out of me. It’s glass, after all, and no matter what kind of gorilla it’s made from, it can break if dropped just the right way. So in my book, the glass has got to go, and don’t go with plastic because it’s not a better option. My 3GS cracked like everyone else’s, and it seems to me like if Apple went with something metal and different, we might be able to get a really cool phone in the process. Now I have no real alternatives here, but I do think that it needs some kind of major change so that it’s less fragile than it is presently.

That Fresh Gadget Feeling

Before the iPhone, I used to buy the same type of cell phone every time. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the phones, but they followed a trend for years at a time. First it was flip phones, then the candybar shape, then the candybar shape with a keyboard (be it sliding or otherwise) until we came to 2008 when I bought my iPhone 3G. I’ve had the same basic iPhone for a few years now — let’s do something different.

I’m not saying to do a flip or anything with a slide-out keyboard, because I think we all can agree that’s not quite the best path. But even just putting a slight arc in the face or curving the top or bottom would be enough for me, as long as it’s tweaked just a little. All of the renderings I’ve seen have a cool aluminum back and a wedge shape to the phone which almost echoes the MacBook Air. Something like that would be perfect, I do think the iPhone 4 was a step above the 3GS and previous iPhones, and it had just enough of a tweak in it to make it seem new and unique. That’s all I’m asking for: Just a little step outside of the iPhone 4′s boundaries, that’s all.

Conclusions

I hope when the iPhone 5 comes out we will see something different. So far, the bets have been on a solid redesign, and I still hope that’s the case. What I think may be more likely is that the iPhone 4 just gets tuned up a little bit, then released into the wild, just like the iPhone 3G and 3GS (and to a lesser extent, the original iPhone) were very similar looking products. Maybe they put a matte finish on the backside, or coat the stainless strip in some kind of color, but I’m 50/50 that it’ll be a full redesign.

That said, it needs to be new. Let’s hope that it is.

I’ve been buying new iPhones on launch day since the iPhone 3G, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. But in my purchasing time, I’ve bought two phones that looked pretty much identical, and one that really stood out from the crowd. For this next iPhone – what I assume will be called the iPhone 5 – I need something different than the Leica-esque look of the iPhone 4. And I think we all do too.

Why? The iPhone 4, despite its faults, has been hugely popular for Apple since day one. Why fix what isn’t broke? Well there are a few reasons, and I’ll get into them after the jump.

The Early Adopter

I’m the guy who sits in line on launch day to get his new iPhone, then walks away, very proud of my purchase. The moment I put it up to my ear, I want people looking at the phone to know that I have the latest gadget. I’ve got the new iPhone, not the same one everyone else is carrying around. I’m on the cutting edge, and I’m proud of my early adopter status.

But because people keep their iPhones for so long, it’s not surprising to see an iPhone 3G still out on the streets. If my phone looks like theirs, then I’m not considered to be hip and trendy or cool. I’m just another guy with an iPhone, and that’s not my bag.

Point is, in a perfect world each successive generation of iPhone would stand out from the one before it. That way, the early adopters can stand out from those that either keep their phones longer or who don’t need the latest Apple product.

That Whole Antenna Thing

Like it or not, Antennagate ruled the iPhone 4′s world at the start, and even though Apple ended up selling a bazillion iPhones, there’s no telling how many customers that cost them. Even though it’s not that big of an issue, it’s still an issue, and I guarantee that if the iPhone stays with the same body the press will be all over it. “Look, the iPhone 5 has the same antenna issues as the last one,” and so on. Last time, people were talking about recalls, so let’s just not push the issue here any further. Change the design and put the antenna back in the case.

Strength

I don’t know about you, but I’m scared to drop my iPhone. I’ve always been the guy who handles his phone pretty carefully, but that glass front and back scares the bejeezus out of me. It’s glass, after all, and no matter what kind of gorilla it’s made from, it can break if dropped just the right way. So in my book, the glass has got to go, and don’t go with plastic because it’s not a better option. My 3GS cracked like everyone else’s, and it seems to me like if Apple went with something metal and different, we might be able to get a really cool phone in the process. Now I have no real alternatives here, but I do think that it needs some kind of major change so that it’s less fragile than it is presently.

That Fresh Gadget Feeling

Before the iPhone, I used to buy the same type of cell phone every time. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the phones, but they followed a trend for years at a time. First it was flip phones, then the candybar shape, then the candybar shape with a keyboard (be it sliding or otherwise) until we came to 2008 when I bought my iPhone 3G. I’ve had the same basic iPhone for a few years now — let’s do something different.

I’m not saying to do a flip or anything with a slide-out keyboard, because I think we all can agree that’s not quite the best path. But even just putting a slight arc in the face or curving the top or bottom would be enough for me, as long as it’s tweaked just a little. All of the renderings I’ve seen have a cool aluminum back and a wedge shape to the phone which almost echoes the MacBook Air. Something like that would be perfect, I do think the iPhone 4 was a step above the 3GS and previous iPhones, and it had just enough of a tweak in it to make it seem new and unique. That’s all I’m asking for: Just a little step outside of the iPhone 4′s boundaries, that’s all.

Conclusions

I hope when the iPhone 5 comes out we will see something different. So far, the bets have been on a solid redesign, and I still hope that’s the case. What I think may be more likely is that the iPhone 4 just gets tuned up a little bit, then released into the wild, just like the iPhone 3G and 3GS (and to a lesser extent, the original iPhone) were very similar looking products. Maybe they put a matte finish on the backside, or coat the stainless strip in some kind of color, but I’m 50/50 that it’ll be a full redesign.

That said, it needs to be new. Let’s hope that it is.

Once It’s Gone, It’s Gone…

We’ve seen a fantastic response to the Freelance Mac App Bundle over the past week, and thousands of our readers have taken advantage of the awesome deal we put together. If you haven’t picked up your copy already, there isn’t long left! In 24 hours time, the doors will close and we’ll stop accepting any more orders.

Just as a quick reminder, for the next 24 hours, you can get your hands on all the following for the rock-bottom price of $49:

The Apps

We’re featuring eight awesome applications that can make your life easier, and more enjoyable, as a freelancer. These are:

• Billings – Powerful time billing and invoicing for anyone (Usually $39.99)
• TextExpander – Save time and keystrokes with frequently used “snippet” abbreviations (Usually $34.95)
• WriteRoom – The best distraction-free writing environment (Usually $24.99)
• Radium – The easiest way to listen to internet radio on Mac (Usually $24.99)
• Arq – Online backup built especially for the Mac (Usually $29)
• LittleSnapper – Build up your own versatile design scrapbook (Usually $29)
• 1Password – Have you ever forgotten a password? Never again (Usually $39.99)
• Alarms – Prioritise and track your daily tasks (Usually $16.80)

Marketplace Resources

In addition to the above apps, we’re also throwing in a few fantastic Envato marketplace items:

• Highlight WordPress Theme (Usually $35)
• Ultimate Client Manager (Usually $20)
• Translucent Business Card Template (Usually $6)
• Rockstar Freelancer eBook (Usually $29)

And a Free eBook!

Even if the bundle isn’t for you, anyone can grab a free copy of Smashing Magazine’s Successful Freelancing eBook, worth $9.95, just for sending out a tweet about the bundle! Head over to the bundle page to find out more, and grab your free eBook.

Don’t Miss Out! Grab the Bundle Today

This awesome offer will only be available for 24 hours, and we’d hate for you to miss out. After the timer hits zero, you’ll never see another offer of this magnitude again – don’t be kicking yourself when you realise the bundle is no longer available tomorrow!

Once It’s Gone, It’s Gone…

We’ve seen a fantastic response to the Freelance Mac App Bundle over the past week, and thousands of our readers have taken advantage of the awesome deal we put together. If you haven’t picked up your copy already, there isn’t long left! In 24 hours time, the doors will close and we’ll stop accepting any more orders.

Just as a quick reminder, for the next 24 hours, you can get your hands on all the following for the rock-bottom price of $49:

The Apps

We’re featuring eight awesome applications that can make your life easier, and more enjoyable, as a freelancer. These are:

• Billings – Powerful time billing and invoicing for anyone (Usually $39.99)
• TextExpander – Save time and keystrokes with frequently used “snippet” abbreviations (Usually $34.95)
• WriteRoom – The best distraction-free writing environment (Usually $24.99)
• Radium – The easiest way to listen to internet radio on Mac (Usually $24.99)
• Arq – Online backup built especially for the Mac (Usually $29)
• LittleSnapper – Build up your own versatile design scrapbook (Usually $29)
• 1Password – Have you ever forgotten a password? Never again (Usually $39.99)
• Alarms – Prioritise and track your daily tasks (Usually $16.80)

Marketplace Resources

In addition to the above apps, we’re also throwing in a few fantastic Envato marketplace items:

• Highlight WordPress Theme (Usually $35)
• Ultimate Client Manager (Usually $20)
• Translucent Business Card Template (Usually $6)
• Rockstar Freelancer eBook (Usually $29)

And a Free eBook!

Even if the bundle isn’t for you, anyone can grab a free copy of Smashing Magazine’s Successful Freelancing eBook, worth $9.95, just for sending out a tweet about the bundle! Head over to the bundle page to find out more, and grab your free eBook.

Don’t Miss Out! Grab the Bundle Today

This awesome offer will only be available for 24 hours, and we’d hate for you to miss out. After the timer hits zero, you’ll never see another offer of this magnitude again – don’t be kicking yourself when you realise the bundle is no longer available tomorrow!

Once It’s Gone, It’s Gone…

We’ve seen a fantastic response to the Freelance Mac App Bundle over the past week, and thousands of our readers have taken advantage of the awesome deal we put together. If you haven’t picked up your copy already, there isn’t long left! In 24 hours time, the doors will close and we’ll stop accepting any more orders.

Just as a quick reminder, for the next 24 hours, you can get your hands on all the following for the rock-bottom price of $49:

The Apps

We’re featuring eight awesome applications that can make your life easier, and more enjoyable, as a freelancer. These are:

• Billings – Powerful time billing and invoicing for anyone (Usually $39.99)
• TextExpander – Save time and keystrokes with frequently used “snippet” abbreviations (Usually $34.95)
• WriteRoom – The best distraction-free writing environment (Usually $24.99)
• Radium – The easiest way to listen to internet radio on Mac (Usually $24.99)
• Arq – Online backup built especially for the Mac (Usually $29)
• LittleSnapper – Build up your own versatile design scrapbook (Usually $29)
• 1Password – Have you ever forgotten a password? Never again (Usually $39.99)
• Alarms – Prioritise and track your daily tasks (Usually $16.80)

Marketplace Resources

In addition to the above apps, we’re also throwing in a few fantastic Envato marketplace items:

• Highlight WordPress Theme (Usually $35)
• Ultimate Client Manager (Usually $20)
• Translucent Business Card Template (Usually $6)
• Rockstar Freelancer eBook (Usually $29)

And a Free eBook!

Even if the bundle isn’t for you, anyone can grab a free copy of Smashing Magazine’s Successful Freelancing eBook, worth $9.95, just for sending out a tweet about the bundle! Head over to the bundle page to find out more, and grab your free eBook.

Don’t Miss Out! Grab the Bundle Today

This awesome offer will only be available for 24 hours, and we’d hate for you to miss out. After the timer hits zero, you’ll never see another offer of this magnitude again – don’t be kicking yourself when you realise the bundle is no longer available tomorrow!

Once It’s Gone, It’s Gone…

We’ve seen a fantastic response to the Freelance Mac App Bundle over the past week, and thousands of our readers have taken advantage of the awesome deal we put together. If you haven’t picked up your copy already, there isn’t long left! In 24 hours time, the doors will close and we’ll stop accepting any more orders.

Just as a quick reminder, for the next 24 hours, you can get your hands on all the following for the rock-bottom price of $49:

The Apps

We’re featuring eight awesome applications that can make your life easier, and more enjoyable, as a freelancer. These are:

• Billings – Powerful time billing and invoicing for anyone (Usually $39.99)
• TextExpander – Save time and keystrokes with frequently used “snippet” abbreviations (Usually $34.95)
• WriteRoom – The best distraction-free writing environment (Usually $24.99)
• Radium – The easiest way to listen to internet radio on Mac (Usually $24.99)
• Arq – Online backup built especially for the Mac (Usually $29)
• LittleSnapper – Build up your own versatile design scrapbook (Usually $29)
• 1Password – Have you ever forgotten a password? Never again (Usually $39.99)
• Alarms – Prioritise and track your daily tasks (Usually $16.80)

Marketplace Resources

In addition to the above apps, we’re also throwing in a few fantastic Envato marketplace items:

• Highlight WordPress Theme (Usually $35)
• Ultimate Client Manager (Usually $20)
• Translucent Business Card Template (Usually $6)
• Rockstar Freelancer eBook (Usually $29)

And a Free eBook!

Even if the bundle isn’t for you, anyone can grab a free copy of Smashing Magazine’s Successful Freelancing eBook, worth $9.95, just for sending out a tweet about the bundle! Head over to the bundle page to find out more, and grab your free eBook.

Don’t Miss Out! Grab the Bundle Today

This awesome offer will only be available for 24 hours, and we’d hate for you to miss out. After the timer hits zero, you’ll never see another offer of this magnitude again – don’t be kicking yourself when you realise the bundle is no longer available tomorrow!

In this Quick Look, we’re highlighting Streamzoo. The developer describes Streamzoo as a mobile photo and video sharing app for iPhone and Android. It’s a great way to share and connect with people all over the world, discover interesting things and organize your mobile photos and videos with #hashtags.

Read on for more information and screenshots!

Screenshots

Streamzoo Home

Streamzoo streams

About the App

Here are the top five features you can expect to see in the latest version:

• Follow people and #streams
• View trending and popular #streams
• Weekly and monthly leaderboards
• User to user messaging
• Full gallery with pinch and zoom

Requirements: iOS4+

Price: 0.00

Developer: Phonezoo Communications Inc.

Vote for a Review

Would you like to see us write a full review of Streamzoo? Have your say in our poll:

Would you like to see Streamzoo reviewed in-depth on AppStorm?customer surveys

Quick Look posts are paid submissions offering only a brief overview of an app. Vote in the poll if you think this app is worth an in-depth AppStorm review! If you’re a developer and would like to have your app profiled, you can submit it here.

In this Quick Look, we’re highlighting Streamzoo. The developer describes Streamzoo as a mobile photo and video sharing app for iPhone and Android. It’s a great way to share and connect with people all over the world, discover interesting things and organize your mobile photos and videos with #hashtags.

Read on for more information and screenshots!

Screenshots

Streamzoo Home

Streamzoo streams

About the App

Here are the top five features you can expect to see in the latest version:

• Follow people and #streams
• View trending and popular #streams
• Weekly and monthly leaderboards
• User to user messaging
• Full gallery with pinch and zoom

Requirements: iOS4+

Price: 0.00

Developer: Phonezoo Communications Inc.

Vote for a Review

Would you like to see us write a full review of Streamzoo? Have your say in our poll:

Would you like to see Streamzoo reviewed in-depth on AppStorm?customer surveys

Quick Look posts are paid submissions offering only a brief overview of an app. Vote in the poll if you think this app is worth an in-depth AppStorm review! If you’re a developer and would like to have your app profiled, you can submit it here.