iPhone Tip Of The Day! Safari Edition.

Got iOS 7? Yeah? Want to know a Safari feature not many people  know about? Yeah? Yeah?

Here you go: In Safari on iOS 7 devices you have the option to search within a page for a specific word!

Start typing the word you’re looking for into the URL bar at the top of the page. The results will show you the google search results first but if you scroll down it will show you “On This Page” and let you jump through the mentions of that page.

Sweet!

Images courtesy of Quickmeme & Troll.me

National Geographic Photographer lurves the iPhone 5s

National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson went to Scotland ( lucky, cos Haggis and Irish whiskey is awwwwesome) and he took his iPhone 5S.

Uh…and?

AND he took a bunch of photos and said that the camera on the 5S is really, really sahweet. We may be paraphrasing.

He said this exactly:

“With intense use (I’ve made about 4,000 pictures in the last four days) I’ve discovered that the iPhone 5S is a very capable camera. The color and exposures are amazingly good, the HDR exposure feature does a stunningly good job in touch situations, the panorama feature is nothing short of amazing—seeing a panorama sweeping across the screen in real time is just intoxicating. Best of all it shoots square pictures natively, a real plus for me since I wanted to shoot for Instagram posting.

Once I figured out what the camera could do well I began to forget all the things it couldn’t do at all.
While the iPhone 5s still uses an 8-megapixel camera, it utilizes a sensor that has a 15 percent larger surface area, which means it will produce higher quality photos in low-light conditions. It also has a 5-element lens with an aperture of f/2.2, an improvement over the iPhone 5’s f/2.4 aperture and the pixels are larger, at 1.5 microns, for better light absorption. All in all, the iPhone 5s has a 33 percent increase in light sensitivity.”

Have you got an iPhone 5S? How are you finding the camera?

Check out Jim Richardson’s blog post on National Geographic here, or follow him on Twitter @jimrichardsonng

Image courtesy of Appleinsider.

WWDC lowdown!

Alright guys, so yesterday was THE BIG DAY!

The four day annual world wide developers conference for Apple began yesterday morning, kicking off at the Mascone Centre in San Francisco at 10am.

As per usual, WWDC began with a perfectly orchestrated keynote speech given by Tim Cook, featuring a few other key Apple guys AND more importantly, featuring some new Apple software and hardware announcements and previews.

DOUBLE RAINBOW EXCITING!

For the first time, the keynote was broadcast live from the Apple website and on Apple TV.

The two hour address was, as expected, super stylishly presented, with multiple media presentations, some jokes, and a few fantastic and even surprising new Apple products and updates.

The top things you should know about that were announced today are:

– The new Mac Pro. Stellar, revolutionary and round.

– iOS 7, the biggest change to iOS since the iPhone came out.

– OS  X Mavericks – the new operating system named after a California beach break.

– New Macbook airs with super extended battery life.

– iTunes Radio – the much talked about radio product that actually sounds better than we expected!

Super double rainbow exciting, right!?

We’ll have even more from WWDC coming up this week!!

iTunes Radio/ i wish they’d called it iRadio cos it’s easier to type

Yay! We really like this one.

iTunes radio is the Pandora-like radio streaming app we’ve all been anticipating from Apple, except it’s not standalone, it’s stuck inside iTunes. Which is actually a lot better, because it makes it easier for you to intertwine your own music and what you stream.

iTunes Radio provides a bunch of featured radio stations like ‘Summer songs’, around 200 genre based stations, as well as whatever songs/stations that are trending on twitter, and stations that your friends are listening to ( using Airdrop).

You can create your own station ( and share it with friends) based on genre, song name or artist. You can also start a station from a song in your own iTunes library.

When listening to a station, you can tell iTunes Radio to ‘play more like this’, ‘never play this song again’, or to add the song to your wish list. Like Pandora and Spotify, the app will learn from these actions and will intuitively play songs and artists more and more to your liking, whilst at the same time letting you discover new music.

You can look over your entire history on the app, as well as your wish list, giving you a super easy way to buy the songs you like from the store, straight into your itunes.

iTunes Radio is free, but it is supported by ads. If you are an iTunes Match subscriber than you get it free, with no ads.

Now, people have been freaking out a little bit since iTunes Radio was announced yesterday, saying RIP Pandora ( and Spotify and iHeart Radio etc) and other such way-ahead-of-yourselves-stuff, which we think is a little hasty. We love Pandora.

But here’s the thing. A yearly Ad-free subscription to Pandora is $36. A yearly subscription to iTunes Match, and hence ad-free iTunes Radio is $24.99. Some people will care about that $11 a year if the service and experience is comparable.We just don’t know that it is yet.

On the other hand, if you are like a lot of people and can just put up with ads, even if it’s the same damn one over and over and over again, then we can’t compare iTunes radio with any other radio streaming service yet, because the only hint to how many ads you’ll get is the word ‘occasional’.

One thing that Apple has over the other services is a whole other system built into some of the devices iTunes Radio will be used on. Siri wil be integrated into the service so that you can ask her to change the song, skip a song, ask who it’s by, ask her to play more songs like it, etc.

Apple promises first releases of new tracks and has apparently made deals with Universal, Warner and Sony in an effort to get access to a huge range of artists and songs. We can’t wait to try it, but until then, and maybe after, we still love you Pandora!

iTunes Radio is built into iTunes and will be available in the Fall with iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks across all devices, Apple TV and  iTunes on PC.

Image courtesy of Apple.

Friday Afternoon App review: Tinder…

The two newest dating/meetup Apps that everyone is talking about are ‘Tinder’, and ‘Bang With Friends’.

Yes, you read that right.

We at iPhone Antidote take app reviewing seriously so we have tested both of these (…not to the full extent…) and, if you’re interested in meeting up, dating, or, umm… banging people, whether it be Facebook friends or strangers/potential friends, here’s the low down.

Tinder first.

The rather more subtly named Tinder has gained extraordinary popularity spread mainly by college students (those horny buggers). You sign in using your Facebook logon information, although what happens in the app, stays in the app- the (necessary) promise is that nothing will ever be shared on Facebook or posted on any walls!

The app does however use your Facebook profile picture, (cue reminder to make sure your profile picture is you, not you and your boyfriend/girlfriend, a group of people/a cat.)

The app scans the area using preferences set by you in the settings tab. Preferences include- the scannable distance from a 5-mile to a 50-mile radius, and the gender of people that you’re interested in.

Then, it scans. It’s pretty exciting.

And this is the crux of the app. A photo appears on your screen, and you say if you like them or not.

Tinder is mainly based on looks, but you can also see if you have similar interests from Facebook, like the 49’ers or Coachella and you can also see if you have friends in common, which is good to know for many reasons, from ‘oh that’s neat’ to ‘oh god, don’t click like, don’t click like, avoid that awkwardness’.

You have two choices to like or dislike someone. You can click the cross or the heart, or you can swipe left for not interested, right for interested. Warning- this has the potential to become too automatic!

The first time you like or dislike someone, you get a warning asking you if you’re sure – and after that, you’re on your own. Not the end of the world, though.

Once you like someone, if they’ve already liked you, then you get a match! Yay! You now have the ability to message them through the app. You can also get notified if someone you like, liked you back after the fact. That’s a lot of liking.

If you dislike someone, well, no-one will never know. Kind of.

The people who had the most likelihood of being liked, in our humble opinion, was not only good looking people, but people who had good pictures- pictures of famous landmarks, famous people, the people doing awesome things.

Even though the app is designed to be almost purely superficial, it is human nature to respond to other triggers within the photo that suggests personality traits that are more admired- success, adventure, fun etc.

The user average (in our area at least) was 18-24 for girls, and mid to late twenties for boys, but there were ages up to 70 in both genders.

In our testing, guys will say that they like a girl far more easily than girls will say that they like a guy. Kinda like the world, right? Am I right?

Out of about 30 matches, only 2 people messaged after the match, one was super graphic, one was really nice. Sorry really nice guy, iPhone antidote was just testing!! Bad iPhone antidote.

So, Tinder. Definitey an addictive ego boost. Definitely useful for singles, but only if you and the person you match with are in it for the same reasons and you actually talk to the people you match with! Also, kinda like life.

Next time: Bang with friends. Review. Bang with friends review.

Image courtesy of Businessinsider.com

Tablets taking over the world?

Tablets are predicted to overtake notebooks this year in sales, and projected to overtake sales of PC’s and notebooks combined by 2015, making tablets pretty much the king of the computer castle.

This is according to research firm IDC who released the figures in the last week, saying that tablets are expected to grow 59% this year, shipping 229 million units compared to a measly 144.5 million last year.

Although tablets have been around for a long time, their recent popularity is thanks to the Apple iPad, but the current growth is due to the proliferation of cheaper Android tablets and the role of Apple pushing for tablet use in education.

Here is a graph:

Pretty impressive, tablets. Anyone would think you had an evil plot to take over the world…or something.

Of course, these numbers don’t account for the mini computers we call phones, or any super awesome blow your mind technology that will be released between now and then, and it certainly doesn’t render the personal computer sector obsolete. Take that, tablets.

Now, when we start to get tablets that are flexible, have holographic keyboards, floating capabilities ( so you don’t have to carry them, d’uh), and an included wormhole for teleporting, then maybe tablets will be ready to take over the world.

p.s I love you iPad.

Photo courtesy of crowdcare.com

More iOS speculation

More speculation yesterday about Apple’s upcoming iOS 7!

So far, we all ( think we) know that the system update will be flatter and less skeuomorphic than the iOS we all know.

This means that some such features originating under Steve Jobs, such as the Notes app looking like a real notepad and other real world aesthetic replication will be gone under the leadership of Mr Jony Ive who took over in October last year. Gone also will be the shine and gloss of app icons.

Now, according to website 9to5mac, as well as being flatter, iOS 7 will have a monochromatic design and according to their sources, each app will have a white back with a splash of color individually assigned to that app.

Jony Ive is said to have made his mark throughout the whole of the updated version of iOS 7, which is due to be announced and previewed at the keynote address of WWDC on June 10th in San Francisco.

Looking forward to it Jony!

image courtesy of Redmondpie.com

1. Google Hangouts (Integrated, multi- platform video & chat product)

So, Google has this thing called Hangouts, available to Google + users, where a group of people (up to ten) can get together in an online ‘place’ and video chat, for free, with the option to share Youtube clips.

The program started online, and grew to iOS and Android usability.

Now, it’s been updated to a standalone App with integrated video, chat and multimedia sharing that many think (and Google hopes) is going to be a force in the video & chat industry- up against Skype, Facetime, iMessenger, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, etc.

According to Google:

“Today we’re launching a stand-alone version of Hangouts that combines text, photos and live video across Android, iOS and your computer.

Now that Hangouts spans modalities and devices, you can finally fuhgeddaboudit (the technology, that is), and focus on what really matters: creating lasting relationships. And that, we think, is a plus.”

I’m not sure what kind of relationships they think we should be creating, but, with most video chat products, it has the potential to be an excellent way to sustain relationships, from business meetings to family get togethers’, to taking shots with your buddies in the Australian outback.

In Hangouts, you have the ability to save your video chats in the cloud with multi-user access, (which can also be turned off). This could serve business and family video interaction well, possibly less useful for the inter-country shot takers out there amongst us.

Here at iPhone Antidote, we’re pretty partial to Skype, so we’ll be testing this app pretty thoroughly over the next few days ( shots anyone?).

We’ll let you know how Hangouts stacks up against the loyal favorite!

You will need a Google account to participate ( which you will upgrade to Google + upon setup of the App). Check it out for free from the App store, Google Play and the Chrome Web Store.

1. Google Hangouts (Integrated, multi- platform video & chat product)

2. Google Maps update and iPad App

3. Google Play Music All Access

4. Google Play Game Services

5. Updates and the future of the Google search engine.

Photo courtesy of Engadget.

What’s next for Apple?

2013 should bring some interesting moves from Apple, and these are already being rigorously debated by those who are in the position to do so, and those who aren’t.

As per usual with Apple, everything is a guessing game, and we are only at the mercy of the limited amount of information analysts pour through patent documents to discover or that which is leaked – purposefully or not.

Over the next couple of days we’ll be looking at and making predictions for everything coming up in the Apple world in 2013 – their release schedule, the possibility of new products, new updates to existing products, and how this will affect you, as a customer, and the industry as a whole.

There are people who say that after the very public lawsuit with Samsung, Apple (as well as other industry players) will be reticent to create anything unless it is completely new and revolutionary. In other words, we won’t see anything new released that might be seen to have been built on the technology of other products as that would only welcome more lawsuits, which is bad for not only the company but for the whole industry.

There are others that are adamant that this year, after an arguably lackluster year in 2012, Apple must impress the tech world and it’s fans with new products or surprising updates to current products if they want to stay relevant.

Who’s right?

We’re going to pick through all of the  predictions and rumors, educated guesses and outright optimistic hopes for Apple in 2013, and give you the best of all of it.  Stay tuned!!

iPhone Antidote 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Here’s a list of awesome gift ideas for your loved ones just in time for Christmas! From the cheap and cheerful to the truly luxurious, for kids all the way to grandparents, we think we’ve got everything covered for gifts in the iPhone world! Merry Christmas!

1. The good ol’ fall back stocking stuffer- the iPhone case. For this year’s version, we suggest going to zazzle.com or vistaprint.com and ordering a custom iPhone case, perhaps with a picture of your smiling face on the back… or for something more ingenious, try for a picture of the side of your loved one’s face, so when using it, their phone will look see through…

Alternatively, you can go for something a little bit more… flashy, perhaps something you wouldn’t stuff into a stocking. Introducing the worlds most expensive iPhone case- designed by UK brand Uunique, who claim that it’s London Lotus iPhone 5 Case is the most expensive on the market. At $302,985, I bet they’re right.

2. Another stocking stuffer, but more of the necessary ‘school shoe’ type. If you don’t know what to get someone, and you don’t really like them that much- get them some iPhone lightening to USB cables. $19. Super… useful.

3. For the reader in the family, sign them up for some audio books. Go to audibleshopnow.com to sign them up, and they get two free audio books of their own picking, plus whatever book you want to pony up the cash for. If they can’t handle people speaking books at them, buy them some books on iBook for their idevice.

4. The gift of music. Music is the soundtrack of our lives. It creates moods, aids memory, allieviates boredom and enhances life events. It can also be a whole lot of fun. For the gift of music, buy them a Pandora gift card, or an iTunes gift card.

Pandora Internet Radio is a service that recommends and plays music based on the user’s selected preferences through any computer or idevice. A one year subscription for Pandora is $36 www.pandora.com/one/gift

Giving an iTunes gift card means your loved one can buy the tracks and albums they really want. You can buy these online over here or at many major shopping outlets- you may want to look around too, as you can often get great deals on these if you buy multiple.

5. Headphone splitter. A very small gift, capable of bringing so much joy. Have you ever needed to share something with a loved one, friend or work colleague in a public space? Ever wanted to watch a TV show in an airport? At school/work? Ever need only the two/three/four of you to hear? The headphone splitter is tiny little gadget gold. Buy one for your girlfriend with a DVD copy of that show you don’t want people to know you watch together. Less than $5 at Radioshack.

6. Speaking of headphones– another excellent Christmas Present. The two top picks from us are; Skull Candy Heavy Metal and BeatsByDre.

For Skull Candy , not only are the Heavy Metal earbuds a very decent, sexy product, all Skull Candy earphones and headphones come with a lifetime warranty, so you’re effectively buying your loved one headphones for life. Right now you can get 50% MSRP by entering the coupon code REDBULL50 at checkout. www.skullcandy.com

If you want to go for a more professional sound quality and have a little more cash up your sleeve, we recommend BeatsByDre headphones. With a range from Wireless to Studio, the listening pleasure is guaranteed with these bad boys. www.beatsbydre.com

7. For the times when headphones aren’t needed, you can give the gift of music OUT LOUD! Good speakers are invaluable and make for a great Christmas present. Our recommendations are on the cute, cheaper side and the slightly more expensive, quality side. How much do you really like them??
For cutesy, go for the Deadmau5 MP3 Speaker from Urban Outfitters. Damn Cute. $35.
For quality, sophistication, and ease of use, try Jambox- either the original or the big Jambox. Also not bad looking, this speaker is wireless, can be used with any of your devices capable of Bluetooth and produces amazingly pure sound quality. They come in multiple colors and you can buy them from multiple retail stores such as Costco, Fry’s, Best Buy, Staples or Radioshack. You’re looking at about $150 for the original, smaller Jambox.

8. If a friend or family member is obsessed with Draw Something or similar game on iPad or iPhone, or simply prefers the antique skill of handwriting, a shiny new Stylus is a perfect present for them. The best one in our opinion for design, precision and overall quality is the Hand Stylus, available as of Sept this year. Go to www.handstylus.com. $29.95

9. Christmas time means snow! Snow means everyone having one freezing cold hand whilst they use their iPhone for updating that all important Facebook status right? No! Staaahp! Get a friend some Touchscreen Gloves and they’ll have two cosy hands all winter long! Best to get are Mujjo Leather touchscreen gloves, $168, second best are Mujjo Knitted touchscreen gloves for the more acceptable price of $32, orrrr, go to the national deals section of livingsocial.com and get some very respectable ( but perhaps not as warm) Sol and Oscar touchscreen gloves for $21.00.

10. For the friend that loves to use the Camera on their iPhone or iPad, the Griptight Gorillapod tripod for iPhone is a perfect present. Making their iPhone completely stable for that crucial photo taking moment, giving them the ability to set the tripod up on any surface, and giving them the opportunity to be all that much closer to taking the perfect iPhone picture. Or selfie. $30 from www.joby.com ( Currently Free US Shipping).

11. So you got your brother/sister the Tripod, and they’re happy as Larry taking photos. How about you ingeniously join presents together by theme, and get Mom and Dad a photo printer or Digital photo frame, so they can enjoy their progeny’s genius photography? Hammacher Schlemmer sell the The iPhone Photo Printer and the Wireless Smartphone Photo Printer, both of which print out extraordinary quality 300 dpi resolution photos (without ink cartridges), the second with the added bonus of not having to plug your iPhone in to the printer. The first is $159, the Wireless version $219. Take a look. http://www.hammacher.com/product/79938

12. Something for the Chef’s in the house. The iGrill oven Bluetooth thermometer is a digital thermometer that can be connected to any Bluetooth-enabled device, and enables the user to set a timer, view the current temperature in the oven, and look up recipes online. Sweet. $80. http://store.igrillinc.com/

13. If you’re someone who has to make sure the four legged members of your family get presents under the tree, this might be something less tasty but more useful than the usual bones and cat treats. The Tagg GPS Pet Tracker is a waterproof GPS-powered collar so that if they ever go missing, you, or someone in your family can check the Web-based map and know exactly where Scruffy got off to. $99 for peace of mind.

14. This one… Well, this gift idea might just have to be for yourselves, kids. Or me. It’s pretty damn awesome. The Logicom SPY-C Tank.

A futuristic tank. Tick. Moveable camera. Tick. Controllable from any iOS or Andriod device. Tick. It’s own wifi hotspot allowing you to control it both indoors and out. Tick. Night vision mode. Tick. Walkie Talkie Capability. Tick. The Spy-C tank will even let you record videos and upload photos via email or various social networks once they have been saved to your device. Santa… Hey Santa…you there Dude? I… I have a question…
$210.00

15. And last but not by any means least, Apple. D’uh. If you have the cash, spread the Apple joy this Christmas! Of all the products, we think that the iPad Mini or Macbook Air would be most welcome under the Christmas Tree. Both are long serving gifts and both have the ability to help the new owner improve their lives through the magic of technology. iPad Mini starts at $329 and Macbook Air 11 inch starting at $999.

Merry gift giving and the happiest of Holidays Kids!