Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

I took a look at FX Photo Studio on the iPad earlier this year and gave it a positive review. Now the app has migrated to the Mac App Store, so that users who want to work on a desktop or laptop Mac can modify, adjust and remake their images using similar tools to the iOS versions. I’ve been using FX Photo Studio Pro for about a week and imported many of my images to see how it worked. The app is no substitute for Photoshop, but for the casual photographer who wants to explore filters, do basic sharpening, level adjustments, color balance, crop, rotate and change the color saturation of images, I think the app is worthwhile.

With 159 filters, you can dramatically change your image. As with all filters, you are more likely to mess the image up rather than improve it, but if you are after a big collection of effects, you’ll find them here. I thought the black and white conversion was nice and clean, and some of the vignette effects were also good. Things like night vision effects and some color glows that look like LSD-induced nightmares aren’t my cup of tea, but some people will love them. That’s the strength of having lots of filters. Use what you want and forget the rest. You can also create your own variations on the filters and save them for re-use. Images can be shared from within the app via Twitter, Facebook, email, Tumblr and Flickr.

The app has a handy split screen mode, so you can see before and after your changes, and of course, there is undo.

Continue reading FX Photo Studio now for Mac OS X

FX Photo Studio now for Mac OS X originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Have you ever wished you had more power from your context menu? That you could have all the menu bar options at your cursor without having to switch your focus to the top of the screen and the menu bar itself?

MenuPop shoehorns all of the menu bar options into a contextual app dependent upon a pop-up menu that appears right next to your cursor. The app allows you to control any function in virtually any program from a menu that can be activated with an alternate mouse click or a keyboard shortcut. If you’re one of the increasing numbers of dual-screen, large-monitor users, having all of the options the menu bar easily accessible via mouse keep your focus on the task at hand and speeds up common operations for non-keyboard jockeys.

The keyboard shortcut or mouse button is user customizable, although those with a two-button mouse will be limited to the keyboard shortcut. Text size is user controllable as well, with the option to show the Apple and Application menus, too.

MenuPop is available for US$4.99 from the Mac App Store.

TUAW’s Daily Mac App: MenuPop originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Recent rumors and a patent application suggest an upcoming version of iOS will include some form of speech recognition. Inspired by these revelations, graphic designer Jan-Michael Cart created a short video that shows how Apple could add this speech-to-text functionality to iOS 5.

His conceptualization takes speech recognition one step further than the patent, which focus on calling only. Cart envisions a world where speech is incorporated into the core of iOS and used throughout the user interface. For example, a long-press of the home button would launch the speech recognition module and let you create text messages. An API could be made available to developers so that they could add speech recognition to their applications. It’s an interesting concept that would make many users happy if Apple implements speech-to-text in this way. Read on for Jan-Michael Cart’s concept video.

[Via iPhoneDownloadBlog]

Continue reading iOS 5 speech recognition concept showcased in video

iOS 5 speech recognition concept showcased in video originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The past year has seen a flood of speculation about whether or not future iPhones would feature Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities. NFC technology would embed a special chip into your phone; waving the phone at a reader near a cash register would automatically pay for those items from one of your accounts.

According to a Bernstein analysis that was quoted on Business Insider this morning, the next-generation iPhone (allegedly to be called the iPhone 4S) will not feature NFC. As the BI post points out, the lack of NFC won’t be that much of a problem for Apple in the short run, as the technology isn’t widely used in the US. However, the Bernstein report also notes that NFC could provide Apple with another US$4 – $9 billion in extra revenue based on the company’s current share of the high-end smartphone market once (if) enabled.

The Bernstein report echoes statements from UK mobile carriers in March of this year that NFC would not be an option on the next-generation iPhone. There have also been rumblings that Apple might be developing its own technology to enable payments. Whatever the Cupertino crew decides to do, it’s obvious that we’ll have to wait until at least 2012 to see it.

Next-generation iPhone reportedly will not feature NFC payments originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

I had a hunch my email to Mark Small of Lodsys landed on the day his inbox blew up, and according to the Lodsys blog, that’s exactly what happened. The patent holding company has posted a lengthy Q&A on its blog, clarifying why it sent out requests to individual developers to license its “upgrade” technology for in-app purchases and lite-to-full upgrade functionality.

According to Lodsys, Apple (as well as Google and Microsoft) already licenses the Lodsys technology for upgrading, but this licensing does not extend to third-party developers. Considering Apple only sells a handful of apps to begin with, and of those apps I’m not aware of any that offer in-app purchases (let alone a “lite” version), obviously this licensing wouldn’t apply to those apps. It would, however, apply to all third-party developers like those getting notices last week.

So either Apple didn’t license things properly, or the onus is really on developers to come to terms with Lodsys. It’s fair enough for Lodsys to offer licensing, although I have to say their attitude in the Q&A is very defensive. At times (the remark about “pixie dust” in particular) they sound as if third party licensing isn’t even possible — which is ridiculous. Of course it is. Apparently Apple either didn’t do it or there’s been a misunderstanding.

Either way we’ll keep an eye on things — because this isn’t going away, nor is Apple’s App Store and iOS ecosystem.

Lodsys responds to targeted iOS developers originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elgato has just announced a new product that will let you watch and record digital TV in full high-definition on any computer on your home network.

HDHomeRun is a dual tuner that connects to both your cable TV or digital TV antenna and your network router, and then streams live TV over Wi-Fi or Ethernet. On your Mac, Elgato’s EyeTV 3 software is used to watch, pause and rewind live TV. The software can also be used to find upcoming TV shows, record the shows for viewing at a later time, and export the recordings to iTunes so that they can be played back on iOS devices. Elgato also notes that by using HDHomeRun with its EyeTV app, you can stream live or recorded video to your iPhone or iPad over 3G.

If you have a PC on the network in your home, you can watch and record the video using Windows 7 Media Center. The ability to stream to your iPhone or iPad is Mac-specific.

The HDHomeRun box is tiny — at 4 x 4 x 1 inch and 3.8 ounces, it won’t take up a lot of room in your media center. HDHomeRun is available through Elgato’s website, Amazon, the Apple Store and B&H Photo at a suggested retail price of US$179.95.

We hope to have a full review of the Elgato HDHomeRun for your reading pleasure in the very near future.

Elgato HDHomeRun lets you record live digital TV over network originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Seagate introduced the GoFlex Satellite, a portable, battery-powered hard drive targeted for iOS devices. The external hard drive includes an iOS app for the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch that lets you browse and view multimedia files stored on the drive. Different than most external drives, the GoFlex uses Wi-Fi to share its data with up to three Wi-Fi enabled devices at the same time. If you need faster transfers, an included cable lets you connect the drive to any USB 3.0 port. The battery-powered drive delivers 5 hours of continuous usage and 25 hours in standby mode. The drive ships in a single 500 GB capacity option (US$199) and is available for pre-order now from Seagate, Amazon and Best Buy. The drive should hit US retail shelves in July and international retailers later this summer.

[Via ZDNet]

GoFlex Satellite is your iPad’s portable, wireless hard drive originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The press release I received from SpotWorld sums up its newly released, free universal app adquately: It’s a social travel app where Lonely Planet meets Yelp meets Gowalla. The app, which makes its official debut today, takes its cues from having studied apps that Apple features in its prime locations on the App Store and does its best to emulate them.

SpotWorld is a well-designed, easy-to-use travel app. Launching it lists interesting travel spots near you, featured destinations, and it allows you to create and share your travel itinerary. Interaction with the SpotWorld community can be done via Facebook or creating a SpotWorld account. Once you’ve got an account, you’re able to check into locations and indicate if you’ve already visited with a separate “been there” feature. The “been there” feature is neat as it marks the locations you’ve visited on a map. Unfortunately, the check-in feature was not working at the time of this review. UPDATE: Joseph Chong, CEO of SpotWorld, said the check-in feature does not work unless you’re within three miles of a location. The been-there feature works anywhere. Thanks, Joseph!

Each spot has a brief description (that can be narrated by an automated voice), the street address, a map and distance from your current location, and other spots near the location. It’s great for exploring a new city or embarking on a spur-of-the-moment excursion. Like other similar apps, SpotWorld lets you contribute to its database of tips, photos and ratings.

I wish I’d had SpotWorld on a recent trip to New York City. It would have come in handy. It’s worth adding to your arsenal of iPhone travel apps. Have fun, and get out there!

SpotWorld combines the best of several travel, social media sites originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The folks at Apparent Software have compiled a new productivity bundle of eight apps designed to make your life easier. Individually, the ProductiveMacs bundle would cost US$221, but Apparent Software is selling the apps collectively for $29.99. Included in the bundle are the following applications:

• TextExpander: TextExpander lets you use customized abbreviations to let you insert frequently-used text strings and images. Originally priced at $35.
• Path Finder: Path Finder is a file browser and management application. Originally priced at $35.
• Socialite: Socialite is a multi-social network client that lets you pull information from Facebook, Twitter, Digg and Google Reader into a single app. Originally priced at $20.
• HoudahSpot: HoudahSpot increases the functionality of Spotlight with the ability to save queries, set up templates for common search terms and tag files. Originally priced at $30.
• Today: Today syncs with iCal and gives you a quick and easy way to view your daily agenda without launching iCal. Originally priced at $25.
• Blast: Blast tracks your file usage and prioritizes files that you frequently access by placing them in your menu bar. Originally priced at $10.
• Keyboard Maestro: Keyboard Maestro is a macro program the lets you execute scripts, launch applications, close multiple windows and more. Originally priced at $36.
• Mail Act-On: Mail Act-On is a Mail plug-in that lets you process multiple email messages at once using rules and keyboard shortcuts. Originally priced at $25.

The bundle is on sale now until the end of May, so you have another two weeks to snag these applications at an 86 percent discount. You can also receive it for free if two of your friends buy the bundle on your recommendation. Lastly, websites can join the affiliate program and earn $3 for each user who clicks through a hosted link and buys a ProductiveMacs bundle.

ProductiveMacs bundle features eight super apps originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Flipboard CEO Mike McCue confirmed over the weekend that its popular Flipboard app for the iPad no longer works in China. The company is investigating the problem, but it seems that China is now blocking Flipboard servers from sending data to the Flipboard app. All services, including Facebook, Twitter and RSS, are no longer available to Chinese Flipboard users.

CEO McCue questions whether this is part of China’s censorship policy or a way to promote Chinese businesses that clone Flipboard. He says,

“They (the clones) are complete replicas visually,” begging the question, “Do the Chinese censor US services to protect their regime or to protect their market?”

Chinese users account for a small percentage of Flipboard users, and this block will prevent the company from further tapping this lucrative market.

[Via TechCrunch]

iPad app Flipboard blocked in China originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We’ve mentioned the brainstorming, mind mapping, project managing notebook application Curio a few times before. The full version, Curio Professional, runs US$169.99, and the Standard version is $119.99, and both are well worth it in this blogger’s opinion. Today, however, Curio announced a new Core Edition in the Mac App Store, with a tasty price of $39.99.

The Core version retains many of the essential tools from the full versions, including the freeform note-taking and brainstorming style of the original. You can place rich text figures, flowcharts, mind maps in various configurations, shapes with gradient fills and shadow effects, connection lines, tables and more right into your workspaces. You can also embed documents, images, movies and other media. You have lists, outlines, and even to-do lists available. Sort your ideas on index cards and rearrange them in the freeform space.

Tagging, checkmarks, percent complete, priorities and ratings, as well as advanced search features make project management easy. There is also a wide array of import and export options, which keeps your data portable and makes presenting your ideas a simple task.

At the new price of $39.99, it’s worth a look for users who’ve been holding out, as well as for folks who’ve never heard of Curio before. While there’s not a free trial of the Core version available (Mac App Store-style), Zengobi just informed me that there is, in fact, a 15-day trial version (extendable to 60 days) of Core available at www.zengobi.com/curio/core. Consult the comparison matrix to see what features are available in the Core version vs. full versions.

New Core version of Curio in the Mac App Store originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Piclings is an interesting one. It’s a platformer, which means you guide a little character named Picazzo around a series of levels, picking up various coins and power-ups. It’s cute enough, but the real draw is that Piclings lets you create your own levels by taking a picture with your iPhone’s camera or using a picture you’ve already taken. You can use a level editor to design maps or let the app convert the image automatically, so even if you’re not a great designer, any picture you’ve taken works.

It’s pretty intriguing. Obviously, it doesn’t work perfectly all of the time, but that’s kind of the game — to see just how the app converts a picture that you take. Unfortunately, the controls are kind of hinky (you float around according to a meter rather than jumping like a normal platformer), but navigating is easy enough. There’s also no real overall goal. You can earn achievements and collect things in the levels, but there’s very little pushing you through the game as a whole. Game Center integration extends the gameplay a bit, and you can even “share” levels by passing your pictures around.

Piclings is a good idea, and while it’s not quite the best implementation, it’s definitely worth a look for US0$.99 as a universal app, especially if you’re interested in seeing how the picture levels work.

TUAW’s Daily iOS App: Piclings originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We’ve taken a look at MeLLmo’s Roambi in the past and were fairly impressed with the instant interactive visualizations created for business data and statistics. With Roambi, you import data created in another program or system (often Excel or another CSV-based spreadsheet program for personal data, or large-scale business analysis systems in enterprise use), and the app generates the dynamic charts using that data. The free Roambi Lite service works with Excel files; Roambi Pro adds on-demand connectivity to Google Docs and Salesforce CRM; and Roambi ES3 links to IBM Cognys, Oracle, Microsoft and SAP business systems.

MeLLmo is adding new capabilities to the product line with Roambi Flow, a new app and content system which will create original documents using Roambi from the ground up. It’s the sort of process imagined when the iPad was first conceived. Imagine creating a business analysis and having your static graphs spring to life. In theory, it could be used for anything from a science paper to a full corporate annual report; putting the deeper analysis of the Roambi graphs into the narrative content means that readers can construct their own interpretations of the data along with the conclusions or observations in the digital publication. The point-and-click interface is simple enough that most people will be able to create an elegant, interactive document either on the iPad or from a desktop browser.

The initial version of Roambi Flow will be available in June working with the Roambi ES3 enterprise system, which costs hundreds of dollars per user seat. Later in 2011, the Flow product will extend out to Roambi’s software-as-a-service offering for non-enterprise customers. In the meantime, to give the basic Roambi visualizer a try, check out the free app on the App Store.

MeLLmo’s Roambi Flow will create interactive business documents for iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

RiffSync (US$9.99) in the Mac App Store has found very clever way to perfect RiffTrax, … but before I get to the Riffsync app, you might need a little background about RiffTrax.

If the names Gypsy, Tom Servo, Cambot and Crow T. Robot sound familiar, you know about Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). The premise was that Joel Robinson was trapped in space on the Satellite of Love by Dr. Clayton Forester and was forced to watch horribly bad movies, mostly science fiction stinkers. With the assistance of four robot pals, Joel (later replaced by the show’s head writer, Michael J. Nelson) and the robots provided running commentary as the movie played. A large cult grew around the show.

After the show was canceled, some of the MST3K gang created RiffTrax. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett and a host of guest riffers sell audio tracks (usually about $3.99 each) to be synced with movies, bringing the MST3K experience to a huge catalog of current films. By running the film in the DVD Player application, VLC, iTunes or a physical DVD player, and simultaneously playing the MP3 RiffTrax in iTunes or QuickTime Player (if iTunes is playing the film), the guys recreated the art of skewering movies for the current generation of bad movie enthusiasts.

Though the results are hilarious, syncing the RiffTrax to the movie is a challenge. RiffTrax tries its best to help by giving you a chapter listing of how the RiffTrax relates to the film. They even give you a DisembAudio robot narrator that repeats a line in the film every so often to help sync. This can be tricky when you’re trying to figure out whether the movie or the RiffTrax is slower. If you want to pause the movie, you have to pause the film and the RiffTrax audio separately.

RiffSync solves this audio-sync problem and gives a few additional options to improve the movie experience. Read on for a full review of RiffSync.

Continue reading RiffSync for Mac perfects RiffTrax from the MST3K gang

RiffSync for Mac perfects RiffTrax from the MST3K gang originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SynthTronica is a new synthesizer app for iPad that provides some seriously cool audio modeling features. If you’re a musician looking for some new sounds or even a live-performance instrument, this is worth a look. Even for the hobbyist, this US$4.99 app is a great way to explore some musical possibilities.

SynthTronica provides a full set of tools, including multiple keyboard layouts, a unique multi-touch filter, built-in recording, sound editing and more. The presets are a great place to start (all 92 of them), but you can build an almost limitless library of your own sculpted sounds. With “Formant Distortion Synthesis” and the ability to apply any audio clip as “grooves,” you can even take the same synth presets and make them into entirely different synth progressions.

The multi-touch filter makes dynamic sweeps and live modulation a breeze, whether for recording or live performance. The keyboard remains visible while you work the filter, letting you play while doing multiple, simultaneous sweeps and band passes for some very cool effects.

If you want to handcraft some highly original, custom sounds, have a look at SynthTronica on the App Store (US$4.99 introductory price). Also take a look at the videos on the SynthTronica home page for a demo, and check out a brief performance by Jordan Rudess on YouTube.

Rock the electronic with SynthTronica for iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 16 May 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments