Interesing Apps Episode 4 - My Sketch

Here comes another interesting app I've been meaning to mention for some time now.

It's a simple app that takes a picture taken on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad and converts it to a sketch drawing. That's it. Results can be cropped and tweaked with two sliders, and can be saved in 3 different sizes and uploaded to Facebook, Twitter or emailed. The only issue i've noticed is the final result sometimes looks like it was additionally cropped at the top. Here's a few sample with pics I took...

Granted these are nothing more than "filters" but since he app is free at the moment its not a bad download to fool around with...

If you've found or use a better app for this price i'd love to hear about it and do my own comparison.

See ya next blog!!

FIX IT!

Ok any of my regular readers should know by now that my release schedule for blogs changes at the drop of a hat. But I have a excuse this time, honest!

It would appear that chicken noodle soup and keyboards just don't mix (big surprise). In a sloppy attempt at self medication, alongside playing "catch up with video editing," I spilled some soup on my keyboard...

Sucks I know...

I thought I avoided the worst but in the end it appears my "T" and "F" buttons are not very responsive anymore. They DO work but it's hit or miss. You can imagine how hard it is to try and type long sentences when you constantly have to check whether or not your t's and f's went through.

AKe a look a a sample o how bad yping on a broken keyboard could look if I don' consanly check behind mysel... Very ime consuming indeed...

But never fear that's what I have a iPad for. I'll just open up Blogpress and keep it moving right?

...

Right?

...

Well apparently Blogpress doesn't want to work for me either, and chicken soup had nothing to do with it this time. While I'm not 100% certain I'm fairly sure the problem stems from the recent iOS 5 update. Blogger has recently update their site but I doubt that would affect the app itself. As soon as it opens it crashes, not a good look for a paid app. What this means for now is that I don't have access to the rough drafts of a few of my blogs.

Sadly this is not the first issue I have had with a app not working with iOS 5. While free apps can be a nuisance if they don't work with iOS 5 paid apps are a little more serious because you paid money for something that you no longer have access to.

Welcome to the FIX IT blog!

I hope this will prove to be a beneficial segment for apps that don't work properly on iOS 5. Consider it a stop sign for those who updated and are interested in certain apps, or a warning for those that haven't updated to the new Os in fear of incompatible older apps.

In order for this to work well I need reader participation. In the comments below feel free to post problems you have had with PAID applications in iOS5. As for me I'll be updating with issues I find as well as when said apps are fixed.

• Update #1 November 2, 2011

Blogpress 

As I mentioned earlier, this app won't even start. Fortunately the people behind this app are pretty good with updates so I don't think this will be a issue for too long...

X-Men Arcade 

When I went in the app store and saw the X-Men Arcade game for 99 cent I knew it was a "download now!" unfortunately this game freezes midway through the first level and crashes on iPads with iOS 5.
"But Dennis! That's probably just because you have a first generation iPad and that game needs the faster processor of the iPad 2." not true. This game was also tested with a 4th generation iPod touch with iOs 5 and the same problem persists. KONAMI FIX THIS!!! Till then, don't waste your dollar...

That's all for now but as a final note, be a smart shopper. Check the reviews. Remember that these are NONREFUNDABLE purchases so do your homework before shelling out cash, unless of course you got money to throw away, and if that's the case, I could use some help with these bills...

See ya next blog!

Interesting Apps Episode 3 - Splashtop vs Teamviewer

I'm probably late to the party once again but if you remember my Teamviewer blog, then you know how useful I think remote desktop apps can be. Since the writing of that blog, Teamviewer has been a staple app on my iPad as well as on my android phone. It's worked so well for me that I never bothered examining the competition, after all, you get what you pay for, and being free i've been content with the few adjustments working with Teamviewer from a iPad or phone. To be honest, I'll probably still continue to use Teamviewer for the foreseeable future but i couldn't help but be impressed with a new app I discovered that does the same thing. Allow me to introduce you to Splashtop.



Now I'm not gonna rehash the benefits of using a remote desktop, so instead i'm going right into the differences and similarities of these two apps.

The similarities...

Both are very easy to set up. Download the app. Download the server program for your PC. Connect. Done!

Both have decent security measures and can support connectivity from other sources as well.

Both apps stream at a excellent display resolution, but more on this later.

Both provide mouse and keyboard control.

Both apps are free, (kinda)

The differences...

Back to display resolution. The resolution Teamviewer uses depends on the connection speed. This can be overridden but then the refresh rate is affected even more. The resolution on Splashtop is constant and the refresh rate is a whole lot smoother. So much so that you could stream video from your PC or Mac straight to your iPad. This leads me to the next big difference...

Sound! Splashtop also streams sound from your PC/Mac to your iPad. This is not a feature of Teamviewer. This opens up a whole new set of possibilities.

Although both apps have mouse and keyboard control, they are done differently. Teamviewer essentially turns your screen into a large trackpad. You move the mouse using the whole screen in this manner. Splashtop uses more touchscreen support. You just tap what you want to select to select it. Multitouch gestures control scrolling, zoom, etc. It's a little confusing when your used to Teamviewer but its a great feature. the only problem is when some precision is required in clicking. My big fingers have a problem sometimes closing windows/minimizing windows, or selecting text.

I mentioned that both apps are free, and to a certain extent they are. Teamviewer is free to use unrestricted, but wants you to "play fair" and pay $99 dollars if you plan to use the app for business. Splashtop has a free version of the app that is limited to 5 minute connections while the $10 regular app has a unlimited connection time.

The wrap-up

Splashtop probably deserves a dedicated review to cover all it's features, as well as tests on how well it streams with various connection speeds but this blog has dragged on long enough. I'm sure someone else has already reviewed it anyway, (I'm too lazy to search...) Both are excellent apps. I'm still a Teamviewer fan because I also have the option of using my Android phone to connect in addition to my iPad (in contrast to popular belief, i don't carry my iPad everywhere I go...)

I know there are other remote desktop apps out there and if they have free versions, i'll probably try them out too. (Hey money is too tight right now to be paying for what I can do for free.) I do however think that $10 could be worth a remote desktop app with multitouch support, high res display, and sound, but only for those that could really benefit from the added features.

Give it a try, and see ya' next blog...

Its not a secret anymore...

It's been a interesting couple of months health wise and the internet has proven to be a great source of information when it comes to research on diets, diabetes, exercise, and support. (Note: Although the internet has countless resources it should never replace regular doctors visits)

Now, more than ever, it's been important for me to watch what I eat and in this day and age counting carbs is easier than ever before. It's one thing to buy supermarket items based on the nutritional information found on packaging, but what happens at restaurants, picnics, or anywhere else where your in the dark on how bad or how good a meal is for you? In the past I liked using a iPhone app called "lose-it." It's a great app with a large database of restaurant and supermarket foods. It lets you track calories, monitor weight, and combine common items for custom meals. The only problem I have had is while it does have a large database I still find many meals I eat not making the list. Making custom entries is possible, but time consuming.

So I started searching the net for a website with a larger database of nutritional info and I came across fatsecret.com. It's a great site. The first time I used it was to find the info on the Sizzlin Chicken and Cheese at TGI Fridays. The results were fast and accurate. I was also impressed at the fact that the site was free to use. Without any form of registration you can go and get info on tons of food. But so much more comes with registering.

I've been using fatsecret.com as a reference site for close to two months now, but only recently decided to register to see what else they had to offer. And that is what prompted be to write this blog. This is a great site for anyone interested in tracking and maintaining a diet. I'm still exploring the many resources offered but so far a few things have really impressed me.

First, the fact that it's free. No Subscription fee, no "lite" version, no trial period. Just free. To quote the site:

"...FatSecret is not like those other diet sites that promise free consultations, profiles, plans or advice and then try and push you into some paid product or 'premium' service. We are totally free and we very much aim to stay that way..."

The next impressive part of this site is the options you have in searching for, recording, and tracking diet plans. Lets face it, it's hard to stick to something when it becomes too much of a inconvenience in your daily life. I don't carry my iMac everywhere I go, but you know what I do carry? My phone!

"FatSecret has integrated applications for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, Android, BlackBerry & Windows phones, Facebook, iGoogle and a great tool for Firefox users."

Each interface is simple to use and syncs automatically so whether I'm at my PC or out and about all my information is up to date.

While on the subject of the interface. It's a breeze to work with. I just search for a item or meal, and it gives me the option to add it to my Food Diary. If it's something i regularly eat that I can find it again in the "Most eaten", "Recently eaten," or "Quick Pick" categories. Putting in goals is just as easy and you have the option of sharing your goals and progress with "buddies" through a integrated friends list similar to Facebook.

I'm sure there are hundreds of sites like this but all I need is one thing that works for me, and right now, this is the thing. The website fatsecret.com gets a A+ and my book. The Calorie Counter apps get a A+ as well. One small note though is that a internet connection is necessary for searching through the database so if you don't regularly have a internet connection I would still suggest the lose-it app since the entire database is actually on your iPhone vs. the web.

Everything's free so why not give it a try. Feel free to add me as well (dvdeluxe), and see you next blog!






PS: I am in no way affiliated to fatsecret.com and the opinions provided in this blog is based solely on my personal experiences with the site so far. Feel free to share your opinions below.

Terrible Apps Episode 1 - Rate my Photography

I like critique. Especially in my photography. It's something I often wish I could have more of. DeviantArt is great, my website gets a few hits... a month, and I can always depend on friends to comment on my photos once they become someone else's profile pic. That's what drew me to this little app store program called "Rate my Photography" by Pistol Shrimp Ltd.



Here's the app description:
"Join the craze and download Rate My Photography today. Scroll through endless pictures of the beautiful, amazing, funny, weird, interesting photos from all over the world uploaded by users like yourself!"

They then boast that you can rate photos by other users as well as upload your own photos to see what other people think.

Where's the problem you ask? Well there are two MAJOR ones.

First you cannot delete the pictures you upload. That's a major flaw. How hard would it be to add a delete button? Now this company published this app alongside other free ones that follow the same formula of uploading and rating pictures. Examples are: Rate My Kitten, Rate My Ride, Rate My Bike, Rate My Shoes, Rate My Funny Face, etc. Now the reason I mention this is because a few of these other apps have "premium" versions that you can pay $1.99 to buy. What's the difference? "No Ads", "Manage the comments for your photos", and "DELETE YOUR PHOTOS!"

You've got to be kidding me! Your actually going to make a person pay for a app just so they can delete pictures? The primary reason you would want to delete a pic in the first place would probably be because you didn't like the app and you wanted to sever ties with the program. That's like eating a free cheeseburger but in order to take a dump you gotta pay a dollar!

The second problem is directly related to this statement...
"All photos are screened by our team so please make sure you upload photos that are relevant to the app."

That makes a ton of sense and I completely agree. My question is, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO APPROVE ONE PICTURE!
I downloaded this app a month ago, uploaded three pictures and I'm STILL waiting for approval. No problem If you don't want to approve them I'll just delete them and... OH YEAH... I can't delete my own pics!

Final Verdict...
This company is a complete joke. They haven't answered any of my emails and their website appears to be a broken link these days. The average rating for the current version, which was updated July 8, 2010, is 3 stars. My rating? 1 star is too much for this garbage, but hey, maybe if I buy the premium version I'll gain the ability to give it a zero star rating...