iOS - page 86

Check this video out – it’s a developer who’s used a Siri development plugin to control his Phillips Hue IP-controllable light bulbs. While the video is short, the guy who did it, Brandon Evans, has posted the code and instructions needed to make it happen on your own iPad, assuming you know what he’s talking about.

Evan has this to say about the project:

The Philips Hue hardware was first intriguing to me because they explicitly mention that it’s a ZigBee certified product on the packaging and labels. ZigBee is a wireless technology that is different from WiFi in a few important ways: Low power, equivalent range and intended for light data mesh networks. It’s popular with DIY hardware makers (think Arduinos) for this reason, as well as that it’s much cheaper than WiFi modules. It seems like it may be the wireless standards of choice for consumer home automation systems that are coming to market. As an example, the Nest thermostat was also found to have ZigBee hardware inside, although it isn’t supported in software yet. Because of all this I wanted to see exactly what hardware Philips was using, and if it would be possible to replicate the Hue system.

Looks like a great first step to using off-the-shelf technology to control home systems. Bravo, Mr. Evans!

Source: Brandon Evans
Via: Loop Insight

If you’re looking to pick up a few of Gameloft’s hit titles at a fraction of the cost, you might want to check out the holiday sale they have going on right now. Starting today and running throughout the weekend, Gameloft is offering up a few hit titles for $0.99 each. Titles include The Amazing Spider-Man, BackStab, and more. Gameloft is certainly among the top publishers of console quality mobile games, so don’t miss out on this great deal.

I didn’t expect Card Now to actually make me laugh, but it did. The idea of a business card-conjuring trick app made me shiver with horror – why would I inflict such a thing on other people?

But the reality, when I tried it out, was hilarious. When I “magically” pulled a freshly-printed business card off of my phone’s screen and into the real world, people’s reactions were delightful. I ended up laughing out loud.

I’ve seen the iPad morph into a lot of things, but the press release for this little trick definitely slackened my jaw: It’s an appcessory that turns the iPad into a miniature foosball table.

Sometimes, discovering a free app is like finding gold; other times, it’s more like finding a rock covered in gold paint. Case in point: While we really dig the free version of HoursTracker HD for iPad, the freebie of the iPhone version is severely hobbled — and not nearly as useful.

But just for today, the superb full version of the HoursTracker iPhone app is free.

If you’re a Comcast subscriber and have been using the XFINITY TV Player app on Android or iOS, there’s a sweet little update waiting for in your respective app market. Sometimes the only thing getting in the way of enjoying one of your favorite TV shows or movies on your mobile device is a bad connection or no WiFi. Thankfully, Comcast is taking care of this issue by allowing users to download some of their favorite content straight to their device to be viewed at a time when a connection may not be available.

The Three Laws of Robotics are supposed to save humankind from an evil robotic uprising. It didn’t really work that way for Will Smith in iRobot, and based on Siri’s answer to the question, “What are the three laws?” we’re probably screwed as well because she doesn’t know them either.

If you ask Siri, “what are the three laws” she’ll respond with the following:

1. Clean up your room
2. Don’t run with scissors
3. Always wait a half hour after eating before going in the water.

Sometimes she’ll even give you a fourth law:

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has been one of the most outspoken proponents of the idea that Apple will release their own television, having predicted it for at least the last years every three or four months Now he’s at it again, promising a sub-$2000 Apple HDTV before the end of 2013. That’s not the weirdest thing he’s predicting though: a retina iPad mini by March, and a third-gen by September 2013.

During a roundtable session at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, world-renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk gave his opinions and impressions on a number of topics. Issues ranging from sustainable energy to planet colonization were bounced off the brain of Mr. Musk. As the man behind multiple $50 billion companies shared his insight, the billion dollar question was asked: “Who will come out on top: Apple, Microsoft, Google, or Facebook?”

Roger Dean is famous for his fantasy world artwork, which graced many a record sleeve and book cover during the 1970s and 80s. His work is iconic and instantly recognisable to a generation.

This app – Dragon’s Dream – is an unfortunate foray into iOS. It fails to do justice to Dean’s skill as an artist, and fails to offer iOS gamers an experience worth five dollars.

Apple’s App Store first made its debut on the iPhone 3G back in July 2008, much to the delight of iPhone owners whose only taste of third-party software prior to that was with web apps. Now, just over four years on, it has received more than 1 million app submissions.

Back in October of 2010, iOS developer Applidium brought VideoLAN’s legendary VLC media player to the App Store. Unfortunately, the universal app had a short shelf life, as it was pulled at the request of VideoLAN a few months later. The issue revolved around VLC’s General Public License (GPL) licensing agreement. Because VLC is open source software, it was technically illegal for Applidium to sell a port in Apple’s DRM-restricted App Store.

Fast forward more than a year later, and a change in VideoLAN’s licensing means that VLC can be legally brought back to the App Store in all of its glory.

Priced at only $99, the Apple TV is a pretty awesome deal. But if you thinking streaming movies from you Mac to your LED Plasma 3D Ultra High-Definition TV isn’t worth that much, then maybe you just need a cheaper Chinese knockoff solution.

Xiaomi Box looks pretty similar to an Apple TV, it’s cheaper than an Apple TV, it even comes with the ability to use Apple’s AirPlay protocol like an Apple TV, but it only costs $64.

The biggest shopping day of the year is fast approaching. The day after Thanksgiving in the United States is Black Friday, and it’s the best time to begin you’re holiday gift shopping — if you can face the frenzy, that is. Retailers all over the U.S. will be offering big discounts on some of this year’s hottest gifts, and the Apple store will be no exception, having given Black Friday discounts to Apple Store customers for the last few years regularly.

Next Friday the 23rd is Black Friday, and while Apple hasn’t tipped its hand as to when

If you’re looking to save cash on the latest Macs, iOS devices, and accessories, then Black Friday is an ideal time to buy them. Based on Apple’s previous Black Friday deals, here’s what you can expect to see this year.

I haven’t seen an episode of Vampire Diaries before, but it’s great to know that if I ever have a hunkering for more vampire love affairs I will still be able to get my fix after this last Twilight movie comes out.

Warner Bros. released their new iOS app yesterday called “Day After US,” that allows iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad owners in the U.S. to watch all of Warner Bros. popular TV shows the day after they air.

If you’ve explored all the creative possibilities offered by Instagram’s built-in filters, and people have stopped commenting on the pictures you upload to Facebook, maybe the time has come to push yourself a little further. Photo Assignment Generator for iOS can help you with that.

Ever had an idea for an app, but no way to record it? Worry no more: Pop is an ingenious free app for prototyping apps. You don’t need to know any code. All you need is a pencil and paper and an idea.

Nintendo, unlike many software developers, has chosen to ignore the goldmine that is Apple’s App Store by refusing to develop its titles for iOS. It’s almost guaranteed that the Japanese company would make an absolute killing if it just brought fan favorites like Super Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon to our iPhones and iPads. But president Satoru Iwata is adamant it will only develop titles for its own hardware.

There are signs, however, that Nintendo is cracking. It just released its first paid iOS app, a mobile version of the Nintendo 3DS’s Pokédex, to customers in Japan.

Google is putting the finishing touches on its standalone Maps app for iOS, according to a new report today from The Wall Street Journal. A beta version of the app has reportedly been distributed to select testers within and outside Google as the search giant gets ready to submit the final version to Apple’s App Store.

Since Apple introduced its own Maps app in iOS 6, there has been much speculation surrounding Google’s plans for its own mapping service on the iPhone. Unless Apple says no, Google Maps should be arriving in the App Store soon.

That’s right: The game Verticus, which dropped onto the App Store today, was crafted with input from comic legend Stan Lee (is the “comic” part even necessary?), who wrote the story and created the titular character. Oh, and did I mention that he also lent his 89-year-old voice for the game’s Mission Commander?

Meet Dave. Here he is. Dave Pell. He writes one of the best internet newsletters there is, and now his newsletter is an app called NextDraft.

We’ve been talking about it for several weeks, and today, Evernote 5 makes its public debut on the Mac — exactly a week after touching down on iOS. This mammoth update brings over 100 new features, in addition to a swanky new user interface. The whole thing has been “re-imagined” to make it more accessible and more useful than ever before.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was at the Churchill Club in Santa Clara this week to be interviewed by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. One of the most interesting subjects he talked about was Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, and how it compares to its two main rivals, Apple’s iOS, and Google’s Android.

As you might expect, he didn’t have many good things to say about his competitors. In fact, he called Android “wild” and “uncontrolled,” before saying the iPhone is too expensive and too controlled. Windows Phone, he feels, sits in a sweet spot between the two.

Hello, reader. while you’ve obviously found a source of news you like for Apple-related info, where do you go for non Apple-related news? (I know: “If it’s not Apple-related, I don’t wanna read it!” But just bear with me here).

Expedia launched an all new updated mobile app today for both Android and iOS. Bringing new flight info, an updated interface to browse and search across hundreds of hotel properties and airline flights, and special mobile-only deals. The updated app is only available in the US at this time, and brings functionality closer in line with Expedia’s web-based features.