iOS 6 beta has been with us less than a week and I actually love it. I didn’t think I was because some things just didn’t make it that I really wanted it to but yes I love it.
However the reason may surprise you. It isn’t the new maps because I am running an iPhone 4 that doesn’t get then. I have Siri on my iPad but that isn’t it either. It isn’t even the way the apps look a new blue with a status bar of many different colors. It’s the redesigned App and iTunes store!
Some of you are probably thinking in crazy but here’s why. I had the original 3G on 2.0 when the app store first made its debut into the world. However it has been like that from 2.0 to 5.1! However it has changed!
We all know the frustrating feeling when you are browsing for apps and you find one you like. You don’t even need to press the app section to download it anymore! Just hit the price and buy it. Also we know the feeling when we want more than one app but the app store brings you right back to the home screen. Bleh! No more! Now it will give you a little progress bar and will allow you continue to browse the store saving you some time. This is all available on the iPad too!
I love the design and the functionality in the new app store and iOS 6 in general.
I am going to be in a class while the announcement is happening today… However that isn’t going to stop me from bringing you what is going on in wwdc 2012! I will be tweeting or retweeting everything interesting on @apples_genius twitter feed. The widget is to the sidebar for updates and you can visit the twitter page as well! Enjoy!
WWDC is tomorrow morning for some and the afternoon for others. I am going to try and live blog the event tomorrow as best I can but before we go into all the rumors of what we are going to see I want to take some time and focus on the main thing I am excited about and that is iOS 6. A few days ago I said what I wanted to see from the jailbreak onto the actual operating system but this is going to be what I actually think is going to happen.
Revamped home screen
Let’s be honest the home screen of the iPhone is BORING! It has remained almost unchanged sense 2007. Actually I think the only thing that has changed is folders and being able to move apps around. I think it is time for widgets or themes. Not enough to kill the battery but maybe to see a new tweet, facebook, weather, news update, whatever. Or to customize your iOS device exactly how you want it. I think this is going to be a big thing for iOS 6.
Siri for iPad
I posted this a few days ago I posted a rumor from 9to5mac and I honestly think it will happen. It seems like a right move as the new iPad has dictation and just needs the functionality. One of the reasons I don’t think they released this with the new iPad is because it is still in beta for the iPhone and I don’t think they had how it would look done yet. I do think we will see this tomorrow.
Maps with find my friends built in
Apple’s own 3D maps are going to be in the native maps application instead of google’s which is almost confirmed now, however what I want to see is the option for find my friends to be built right into the application so maybe more people would start using it.
Better Widgets
I think one thing iOS needs is widgets. I said in the revamped home screen something to tweet or post to facebook and see what is happening around you. We have 2 widgets now Stocks and Maps and they are BORING. Come on Apple give us some widgets!
Missing Apps For iPad
When the iPad was released I had noticed there were some apps missing. Today the weather,stocks, and clock app are still missing from the iPad. All of these could be added with the addition of widgets in iOS or there could be an App that could combine them all into one. Have a 3-4 grid (add something) and have weather in a corner, stocks in a corner, etc.
Quick Reply
I said this in my jailbreak post that the only reason I keep going back to the altered world of iPhones is because I hate getting pulled out of my apps to answer texts. We have the best Mobile OS of any phone or tablet out there it is time to let us reply from in apps.
Better multitasking
I don’t like the way iOS handles multitasking. Well I don’t like the grid. I would like to see a view where you can see a little preview of what is going on in every app running. Sort of like webOS. Make it happen.
When Apple released the new iPad many were disappointed there wasn’t Apple’s all cool siri voice assistant on the new spectacular device. There was probably a number of reasons for this. One of the main reasons probably was because Siri was very beta then and still is and just wasn’t ready for the iPad. There probably wasn’t a great way they thought of to bring it to the iPad. Some said it was because the microphone was too far away from the users mouth, however that isn’t valid at all as dictation made it to the iPad.
9to5mac however has herd from very reliable sources that you may be able to talk to your glimmering new device with the release of iOS 6 coming later in the year (or if you are a developer next Monday). Either way I will be trying my best to live blog the entire event Monday with all the features.
With absinthe being released and getting my jailbreak back with WWDC and iOS 6 around the corner I thought it would be cool to look at the features from Cydia that would make iOS 6 amazing! So let’s get started!
Messages+
This is how quick reply was meant to be. It is amazing. Just tap the banner and it will show up just like that. Also a gesture brings up the quick reply. It works flawlessly. I would love to see this in the next iOS.
Barrel
Barrel adds a variety of 3D page switching to your iPhone or iPad. I really like it! I would like to see some 3D page switching in the next iOS.
Expose Multitasking
One of the best things I have seen for jailbreaking my iPhone is for expose multitasking. Let’s face it the style the iPhone has now is old and isn’t as glamorous as Android. This is a way to see all of the apps running with a little snap shot of what is happening in the application instead of just the boring sort of icon layout they have now. I want to see this make it but if I had to chose I would want the quick reply for messages.
Remember when Facebook Bought Instagram? Many users ditched and some stayed. Actually I have been getting into it a little more because I like how I can share to all the major networks at once (facebook and Twitter). Facebook has today introduced it’s own instagram app called “Facebook Camera” and to be honest… It’s actually not as bad as you would expect. So let’s go in depth into the newest app from the Social Network giant!
First thing’s first is there really is no reason for this app. At all. They could have easily put all the features inside the Facebook App itself, and I don’t see why they don’t! Actually ALL of the Facebook apps could be integrated into 1 app! With that being set in let’s look at the good the bad and the ugly.
The Good
There is a lot of thing’s I like about this app. However some of it should have been basic for the Facebook app in general and not need a separate app. Actually again all of the apps should just be integrated.
I really like the ability to upload multiple photos. I am not a big photo uploader to facebook but when I go on vacation and snap photos I want to upload them in a bunch not upload 1 at a time! Thankfully they have solved this problem! All you need to do is view a photo and press the little checkmark in the top right! Do that for multiple photos and then press the Compose button on the bottom right. You can also bring up the composer and press the plus for individual ones.
I will be completely honest in this. The effects are not nearly as good as the ones found in Instagram. However they will do. You have to add the effects individually for every photo you want to upload which makes sense. However you can not use blur effects or brightness effects but they might be saving this for another update.
As you can see the effects are similar to that of instagram minus the blur effects and brightness. As you can see from the side by side. Honestly thats the only good thing’s that I can think of right now.
The Bad
There is a ton of thing’s wrong with this app. Well not wrong just annoying little which will probably be fixed in a future generation of this app. One of the thing’s that annoys me the most is that you cannot choose what Album your photo’s will go to. It makes sense to allow people to upload photo’s to an album of there choosing to some but not to the maker(s) of this App. All your photo’s will upload to the Mobile Uploads section of your facebook.
Again it doesn’t make sense to me at all why they didn’t integrate this into the main facebook App which is one of the bad. Here is a note to developers: Not every feature has to have a separate app!
Blur effects are missing from the app and the effects don’t seem to really… Stand out as much as they did with instagram. Also there isn’t borders for it yet. If you think it is because of the sunlight in the image then check this one out.
The Smaller one is the instagram. I don’t know why it is so small. Sorry.
Conclusion
The app is fine. It works if you want it to. However it will never be able to replace the full instagram because it only shares to facebook. Right now it doesn’t even come close because it is missing some of the effects in instagram and basic functions that are in the Facebook mobile app. I don’t see this as an instagram killer… Only a want to be. I have included a video for you to watch to know more. However Facebook has a lot to learn from Instagram… They should use it to their advantage that they own it…
Angry birds space was released last week and just like every other Angry Birds game it has risen to the top of the App store. However how great is the newest game? You might not like it just a fair warning.
Gameplay
The gameplay of this game is great. It is less challenging than the other Angry Birds games in my opinion. You have to deal with gravity fields and floating rocks in outer space to get through the levels. You even get some new birds that would have been more useful in the other games than this one. The gameplay is great but again sort of simple and the birds are basic modifications of the old birds.
The Good
The good thing is Angry Birds space will keep you entertained for a while anyways but I will get to that later. The levels are a little more challenging with the gravitational pull. I like the new birds for the space theme too.
The Bad
The thing that saddens me the most with this installment is that I see more bad than good with it. The birds are the same thing just with one variation of the yellow speed bird which is now a purple speed that has aim. The only new bird I can see is the ice bird turning blocks into ice so you can destroy them.
So much payed content. You payed for the game right? Wrong! You payed for maybe about half of the game. You get 2 sets of levels and then you need to pay extra for more sets of levels. Rivio do you really need the money cause I refuse to pay for more levels.
Conclusion
It seems Angry Birds has plummeted into a way just to make some more money for the company and the people who created it. I honestly don’t love it. It is too obsessed with getting you to spend more and more without offering anything new. It is fun for a couple of hours until you have to pay for the extra levels…. I don’t say it is a must have because it is the same as every other Angry Birds Game.
It has been a big week for Apple with the announcement of OS X Mountain Lion and now Apple has posted that it is about to hit 25 BILLION App Downloads from the App store. Thats pretty good for about 4 years! You can try and win the contest in 2 ways. One you can try to download the 25 Billionth app or you could follow this link and input all the information to get selected. Please note to enter you have to be at least 13 to enter and you can only enter 25 times PER DAY. The main prize is a $10,000 gift card you can use on the iTunes store. So what are you waiting for get downloading and entering!
Instead of doing a giant post on an App Review I decided to make a video of it on what I like and how to use the app! There is even stuff I don’t like! Overall though Avid studio for version 1.o works very well for video editing on the go! It is so worth the $5.
uApps 