Weblogs Inc : Tag iphone

Google anuncia nuevas búsquedas visuales y "lugares favoritos" con códigos QR

Parece que los ingenieros de Google han estado muy ocupados últimamente con nuevos proyectos, y seguramente, no es casualidad que en un mismo día hayan anunciado dos productos nuevos. Primero tenemos a Google Goggles, que es un servicio de búsqueda basado en las fotografías del usuario. Es decir, tomas una foto de un lugar o producto, y Google intentará ofrecer resultados relevantes. Entenderás mejor mirando el video después del salto, pero antes de que saltes a buscar la aplicación, debemos aclarar que funciona únicamente en Android.

El segundo producto es Favorite Places, que por ahora está disponible solamente en Estados Unidos. Para este servicio enviaron pequeños carteles con códigos QR a los 100.000 restaurantes más buscados en Google y Google Maps. La idea es que los restaurantes colocarán los carteles en la entrada de su negocio para que los transeúntes puedan tomar una foto del código y así obtener información sobre el local, incluyendo puntos de vista de otros visitantes, menús, y hasta la oportunidad de calificar el establecimiento. El servicio funciona en teléfonos Android (con la aplicación Barcode Scanner) y en iPhones (con la aplicación QuickMark, que por ahora será gratuita).

Sin duda son dos propuestas muy interesantes del grande de las búsquedas, pero es demasiado pronto para decir si son prácticas o si terminarán siendo exitosas. Los usuarios tendrán la última palabra.

集眾 iPhone 之力，能否織出動人的樂章？12/10 見分曉！

把手機當樂器玩，已經不是啥太稀奇的事情了，不過用一票 iPhone 來搞一個『類』交響樂團，來自美國密西根大學（University of Michigan, Ann Arbor）電腦科學家 / 音樂家 Georg Essl，應該是創造了一個世界第一了吧？

他自課堂上集結了一票有志青年男女，為各自的 iPhone 撰寫各種不同的『樂器』軟體，他則要想辦法將這些『音樂』組織整合成動聽的樂曲；而『樂器』的操作方面，iPhone 能用的感應、操作方式幾乎都上了（一如加速感應、電子指南針、麥克風等），所設計出來的『樂器』，也不受傳統約束，基本上只要能發出聲音的都算。（會不會有點參差不齊呢？）

而 12/10 當天的表演（美東時間 12/9），大概就是上面那樣的陣仗，同學們手上綁著的，則是外接喇叭；姑且先不論演出當天的狀況，Georg Essl 真正的理想，是要讓智慧型手機有一天也能在音樂創作上佔有一席之地，或許從這方面來思考，這場『期末公演』，算是一個不錯的出發點吧！

跳轉後有訪問影片一則，各位可以移駕收看！

[出自 BBC]

[原文連結]

Google Goggles brings visual search to Android; Favorite Places brings QR codes to restaurant reviews

Looks like Google's been busy on the camera tip lately -- not only is it launching a new QR code-based Favorite Places mobile search product today, it's also demoing Google Goggles, a visual search app that generates local results from analyzing mobile phone images. Favorite Places isn't super-complicated, but it sounds like it'll be pretty useful: Google's sent QR code window decals to the 100,000 most researched local businesses on Google and Google Maps, and scanning the code with your phone will bring up reviews, coupons, and offer the ability to star the location for later. (It's not implemented yet, but you'll be able to leave your own reviews in the future.) Google hasn't built this into the Google Mobile app yet, so you'll need something to read QR codes with -- Android devices can use the free Barcode Scanner, and Google and QuickMark are offering 40,000 free downloads of QuickMark for the iPhone today. We just tried it out using QuickMark and it works pretty well -- although we'll wait to see how many QR codes we see in the wild before we call this one totally useful.

Google Goggles is a little more interesting from a technology standpoint: it's an Android app that takes photos, tries to recognize what in them, and then generates search results about them. Goggles can recognize landmarks, books, contact info, artwork, places, wine, and logos at the moment, and Google says it's working on adding other types of objects, like plants. Pretty neat stuff -- but how about linking these two services together at some point, guys? Check some videos after the break.

BetaBeat: .app/ads enters public beta, gives iPhone devs advertising flexibility

With all the existing iPhone-targeted advertising services out there like AdMob, Adwhirl, and more, is there room for yet another advertising aggregator? The people behind the new .app/ads web site think so. Offering a host of innovative features and control options, this new service provides ways to customize the campaigns that run in the ad space you offer in your iPhone applications.

The .app/ads service is just entering a public beta. Developers can sign up at their website, which is currently up and running. Their Open Ad Integration SDK is available now with pre-compiled libraries and will include the open-source code within the next two weeks. They plan to launch publicly in Q1 2010.

Read on to learn more about this service and why it stands out from the existing pack...

3G4 el emulador de Nintendo 64 para iPhone 3GS

Aunque a más de uno le resulte imposible, aquí está la prueba de hasta dónde es capaz de llegar un desarrollador empeñado en terminar un proyecto. Hablamos de la emulación de Nintendo 64 en el iPhone 3GS (y iPod Touch 3G) gracias a 3G4, un programa creado por NWorksDev (un grupo de desarrolladores formado por un niño de tan sólo 14 años). Todavía queda mucho por pulir, ya que faltan las teclas L, R y las de Z, pero está claro que la cosa va viento en popa, y sino mira el vídeo de demostración que tienes tras el salto.

The first iPhone development reality show?

We've heard stories of rapidly-developed iPhone applications before, but we've never seen the process play out live before our eyes (well, some of us haven't). That's exactly what the guys at Command Guru are doing: Developing an iPhone app from scratch with an international team and streaming the whole thing live over the course of 7 days.

Command Guru's founder and CEO, Alessio Zito Rossi, told prmac, "There are over 100,000 Apps and millions of users who do not have any idea of how they are developed. The stork doesn't deliver iPhone Apps! We will show the world how they are really born -- live and streaming!"

It started on December 6th and will continue through the 12th. The final product, described as "A sexy social networking app," will be available for free, as well as the source code. I've been watching a bit here and there and it's fun. They take questions from Twitter and literally go about their work as you watch. Witness coding sessions, meetings and more. In fact, the project timeline is laid out on the site.

Granted, this will appeal to a limited audience, but those in the audience should really enjoy it.

iPhone 3GS emulates N64, blows minds in the process

Look what we have here -- a preview of 3G4, a N64 emulator developed by NWorksDev. Compatible with the iPhone 3GS and the iPod Touch 3G, this bad boy appears to be rendering down the graphics (as one would expect) but all in all it seems to be running pretty smoothly. Of course, this is a work in progress: the developer (who claims to be 14 years old) says that he has to overcome duplicate button registers, delayed presses, and some crashing -- and he has yet to implement the L, R, and Z keys. That said, this thing is pretty sweet! Hit up the YouTube links for info on becoming a beta tester -- but not before you see the thing in action after the break.

AT&T offers app so you can report crappy service. Huh?

In one of life's supreme ironies, AT&T today posted an iPhone app that allows you to report substandard service. That's right folks. Got a dropped call? No reception? AT&T Marks the Spot [iTunes link] is designed to get that info to your favorite cell company so they can act on it.

Let's see... I don't have any reception, so I pull out my new AT&T app to notify them of the problem. Doh! No reception to do that. And the app even nicely brings up a GPS map showing where I am. The GPS signal is much more reliable of course.

Look, I know AT&T means well, but the app is a tacit admission that all is not well on the AT&T network. I know you could travel to someplace with good reception, and send the data to them, but I think this app will rub salt in an already sensitive wound.

This reminds me of when I worked at a PBS station many years ago in Ohio. We had pretty weak reception, and the Station Manager decided to do an hour long program to tell people how to adjust their antennas if they couldn't receive us. I tried, and failed, to convince him that the very people we were trying to reach couldn't see the program. My pleas fell on deaf ears, so we did the program and great hilarity ensued as the local press chewed us up for our stupidity.

AT&T says they will acknowledge the report with an SMS (and I assume not charge for it) and I truly hope that they use the information they get to improve the network, because if it is just a PR stunt it is likely to backfire. There are already reports of people sending reports and not getting any acknowledgment. Oh well.

Get yourself in the holiday spirit with Slacker iPhone Holiday Radio

In need of some cheering up this holiday season? Slacker just released a free Christmas version of their popular iPhone/iPod Touch streaming music app.

The Holiday version includes 11 festive channels, including "Dysfunctional Holiday" and several channels to cater for your personal taste in music.

As with the regular Slacker player, this one is free of charge. When you upgrade to Slacker Plus, you remove the ads from inside the app, and add the ability to skip more than 6 times per hour.

Still, even without the plus upgrade, this app is a fun and free way to get your daily fix of Christmas music. Thankfully the app also allows you to "ban" certain songs, which is exactly what I'll do when "Last Christmas" pops up in my playlist.

You'll find Slacker iPhone Holiday Radio in the App Store under "Slacker Holiday", or by clicking this link (iTunes URL)

Aplikacja Blower zamienia iPhone'a w dmuchawę, jest kompletnie bezużyteczna (film)

Dawno nie mieliśmy do czynienia z aplikacją tak absurdalną, jak iPhone Blower. Gdy usłyszeliśmy o niej po raz pierwszy, myśleliśmy, że to żart, ale filmik poniżej -- nomen omen -- rozwiał nasze wątpliwości. Rzućcie okiem na dalszą część posta i zaciskajcie z zazdrości pięści: ktoś na tym głupawym pomyśle zarabia, ale nie Wy.

[Za: Techeblog]

5 gifts for the iPhone owner

The iPhone owner on your list loves her iPhone. Really loves it. Become an enabler and give her the gifts she really wants. Here are five great gifts for the iPhone owner.

WallDock - $25

iPhones need frequent charging and it isn't always convenient to connect them to your Mac. If Apple's own wall unit doesn't float your boat, check out the WallDock from Digital Lifestyle Outfitters. It plugs into any US wall outlet for cable-free charging. The top is cushioned so it won't scratch your precious and it supports a slew of devices, from the iPod classic to the iPhone 3GS. If you're traveling this season, just pop one in your bag and go.

Three Free iPhone Snow Report Applications

Don't miss powder days and stellar conditions because you didn't know the resort a few miles down the road had gotten dumped on the night before. Instead, keep track of all your favorite resorts with one of the following iPhone and iPod Touch applications.

Snow and Ski Report by REI
Free
Apple Rating 3.5 Stars
2.9 MB

Why it's cool – Select up to 12 resorts and have instant access to snow reports, weather forecasts, snow cams, twitter feeds and trail maps.

Overview: With the look and feel of a REI retail store, this application got a recent upgrade and it's obvious developers took some time to talk to users about what was important. The easy-to-use interface is packed with information and being able to check out the resorts latest twitter feeds is a nice touch. I found out about a killer après ski deal at one of my favorite hills and drank for nearly free thanks to the insider info.

Ski and Snow Report
Free
Apple Rating 3.5 Stars
0.4 MB

Why it's cool – Live ski cams, locates resorts through units GPS and has first-hand ski reports published by other users.

Overview: Nowhere as sexy as REI's app, this is a quick and dirty way to keep up on your favorite resort and make sure to not miss the big powder dropped the night before. Speaking of powder, the application has a dedicated list automatically updating users on where the most powder has fallen.

Snow Bomb
Free
Apple Rating 2.5 Stars
1.1 MB

Why it's cool – Get up to the minute information about surface conditions, new snow totals, number of lifts open and instant access to resort websites.

Overview: Like Ski and Snow Report, this is more function and less glitz and glamour when it comes to delivering the goods, but don't let that detour you. The weather reports are more in depth than both REI's and Ski and Snow Report's application, and the quick access to resort websites is a nice touch.

AT&T Mark the Spot: an iPhone app that lets you report sucky service

Released by AT&T themselves, Mark the Spot is an iPhone app that very simply lets you report outages in your mobile connectivity. Have a look at the screenshot -- what you see is what you get. An honest, earnest piece of troubleshooting software!

Kudos must be given to AT&T for a truly humble app. Network admins have limited contact with the end-users during the best of times -- there's a smoke-screen of customer support FUD in between -- but with an app like this, AT&T can get direct, useful feedback.

But humble applications like these are double-edged blades. Imagine if you had an app that let you report, directly to Microsoft, every time Mr Clippy bugged you in a banal, bothersome fashion? I'm sure AT&T have released Mark the Spot with honorable intentions but I can foresee nefarious uses in its immediate future.

Being a British citizen I don't know if there are such things as 'Verizon Warriors' or some kind of 'V' zealotry (this is classic blue vs. red mentality isn't it?), but is it too crazy to imagine Verizon grabbing a bunch of iPhones, installing Mark the Spot, and sending its staff all over America to submit false feedback?

Relying on the customer for reliable feedback is risky at the best of times. Assuming app users will be trustworthy at the height of this polarized and bitter war between AT&T and Verizon is just plain stupid.

[via Just Another iPhone Blog -- Mark the Spot on iTunes (free)]

AT&T's new iPhone app conveys your disappointment in real time

OK, so the bigwigs at AT&T and Verizon have learned to make nice (for the time being at least), but what's a hapless iPhone user to do about dropped calls and other network problems? The AT&T Mark The Spot app offers long-suffering (or even the intermittently bedeviled) customers the ability to ping their carrier in real time, with location-specific feedback, should one experience a coverage crisis. To begin registering your gripes, hit the source link and download away! [Warning: iTunes source link]

Video: iPhone Blower App funktioniert, wenn auch schwach

Ein massives Gebläse sollte keiner erwarten, der sich das iPhone Blower App runtergeladen hat und nun denkt den Herbstlaub per Smartphone in die Tonnen pusten zu können, aber Nonsens und viel Lärm bringen tatsächlich immerhin eine Kerze zum Schweigen und Konfetti zum Tanzen. Diese bahnbrechende Performance gibt es nach dem Break zu bewundern.

[Via TechEBlog]

Students Create iPhone Orchestra

Playing a real piano with your iPhone is one thing. But assembling an entire orchestra of iMusicians? That's quite another.

A course taught at the University of Michigan offers students the chance to compose and perform music with an iPhone or iPod touch. The class, called "Building a Mobile Phone Ensemble," is taught by George Essl, an assistant professor of computer science and music who says he's been making sweet mobile phone music ever since 2005. Essl teaches students how to code their own instruments, using the full array of sensors that the iPhone so uniquely offers, along with a few extra audio tools. Once they've all honed their iSkills, the entire class gets onstage to show the world what they've conceived (video after the break). What's really cool is the extent to which some students have experimented with the medium. They've all come up with different ways to create sound using combinations of shakes, screen-touches, and puffs. One kid even came up with a way to implement the video display to create some sort of synaesthetic sound-color display. (We're gonna take a wild guess that it was one of these two).

Found Footage: The iPhone-controlled, solar-powered Arduino tank

Are you the type of person who likes to handcraft your Christmas gifts? This year, perhaps you can make someone's Christmas Day just a little bit brighter and happier when they unwrap their very own iPhone-controlled, solar-powered Arduino tank.

As you can view in the video above, the tank is pretty impressive in its current form; it could be used to strike terror into the hearts of unsuspecting senior citizens or small animals. It was built by Chris Rojas, a Colorado-based geek who used the iPhone TouchOSC app [US$4.99, iTunes Link], various parts from SparkFun including XBee modules and robot kits, and the Arduino open-source electronics prototyping platform to create this cool little tank. The tank can be charged by exposing a belly-mounted photovoltaic panel to the sun.

Maybe it's just me, but I'd love to see one of these modded out with a spinning saw blade, lasers, and maybe a paintball gun... What would be your accessory of choice for your iPhone-controlled tank?

[via Cult of Mac]

把 iPhone 变成万用遥控器的 RedEye 正式推出 USD$188

[撰文：Stone IP]

RedEye 这东西其实很久以前瘾科技就有讲过（点我），只是最近才正式公布。简单来说，RedEye 就是一个具备 WIFI 无线功能的红外线发射器。iPhone 用户可以利用 WIFI 讯号，把讯息传送到 RedEye ，RedEye 再利用其红外线功能，发送讯息到电视等家庭电器上，令 iPhone 成为家电遥控器。

比较特别的是 RedEye 新增移动功能，用户拿着 iPhone，作出指定动作可以控制家电，像向前摇是跳转到下一节，向后是上一节等等。这个功能虽然特别，但实用性不强。价格 USD$188，约RMB1，283。

iPhone Orchester der Universität Michigan (mit Video)

Dass man mit dem iPhone Musik machen kann ist hinlänglich bekannt. Dass man das Konzept des gemeinsamen Musizierens natürlich auch auf die Spitze treiben kann beweist der Dozent Georg Essl von der University of Michigan, der auch an der Entwicklung der iPhone Ocarina massgeblich mitbeteiligt gewesen war. Nun hat er ein Orchester kuratiert, dass demnächst erste Konzerte spielen wird. Die Instrumentalbesetzung besteht ausschließlich aus Smartphones. Wie das aussieht, sich anhört, zeigt das Video nach dem Break.

El porno, la gran diferencia entre DROID y el iPhone

¿Recuerdas la campaña Droid Does iniciada por Verizon y que cada vez se está recrudeciendo más? En ella, el operador mete el dedo en el ojo al iPhone poniendo sobre la mesa toda esa serie de funciones que los móviles Droid son capaces de hacer y el terminal de Cupertino no.

Pues bien, en la enumeración de funciones se dejaron en el tintero la más ~~interesante~~ llamativa de todas: el pr0n. Según destaca el diario The Week, los usuarios de Android -a diferencia de los del iPhone- podrán descargar contenido pornográfico en sus terminales y tal y como destaca PC Magazine "no hay que subestimar el poder del porno". ¿Marcará realmente una diferencia?