iPhone Atlas: Apple iPhone tips, how-tos, troubleshooting, and news - CNET Reviews

Facebook Camera makes its debut

Sharon Vaknin — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:01:21 PDT

(Credit: Facebook)

Not so awfully long after it announced its $1 billion plan to purchase Instagram, Facebook today released a photo-sharing app of its own, Facebook Camera.

Currently available only for iOS devices, Facebook Camera allows users to shoot, edit, filter, and share photos to Facebook without ever leaving the app.

Features include posting multiple photos at a time, adding a caption, cropping, and applying one of 14 vintage-style filters.

More than just a photo-publishing app, however, Facebook Camera lets you browse photos your friends are sharing to Facebook, and allows you to comment and like images within the stream. Deleting photos or friends' comments doesn't seem to be an option, though.

The app is now available in the Apple App Store, and according to the Verge, Facebook is considering the app for other platforms.

The best way to upload pictures to Facebook

[Read more]

Tivoli adds Bluetooth to PAL radio, intros NC headphones

David Carnoy — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:40:00 PDT

The Tivoli PAL BT, which comes in multiple colors, ships in late summer for $299.99 (click to enlarge).

(Credit: David Carnoy/CNET)

Tivoli Audio's PAL radio has been out for several years and while it's pretty pricey, it remains one our favorite portable speakers.

Over time Tivoli has done little to change the PAL except to offer it in more colors and stick an "i" in front of its name for a white model that includes a cable to hook up your iPod. But now the company has finally added a wireless Bluetooth option to the PAL and its tabletop radio cousin, the Model One. Keeping things simple, the products are called the PAL BT ($299.99) and Model One BT ($259.99). They're due out late this summer.

Due out in Due, the $159.99 Radio Silenz is available in the Walnut finish pictured here, as well as Cherry and Black Ash (click to enlarge).

(Credit: Tivoli Audio)

In other Tivoli news, the company has introduced an active noise-canceling... [Read more]

Google speeds up iPhone and iPad search

Rafe Needleman — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:23:40 PDT

Google has updated the iOS Search app with a feature to swipe directly from a Web page back to search results.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)

Google just updated its iOS Google Search app (iTunes link). I have always preferred searching for Web content on the iPhone using Google's dedicated search app, compared to the search box built in to Safari. Now the experience is better.

The updated app focuses on speed -- both in terms of how quickly it runs (faster, especially autocomplete) and with a few user interface tweaks that make using it feel a lot better. On a mobile device, like my underpowered iPhone 4, these little things matter. For example, if you're viewing a page you got to from the search app (it has its own browser), swiping your finger left to right on the page pops you back in to your search result list. It makes sorting through results much less of a chore.

There's a nice easy feature to search within a page, something that's buried in Safari.

The image search in the new app is also much faster, kind of magically so. On the iPad, scrolling among image results gives you a slick Coverflow-like animation.

The app doesn't have the greatest feature of the original Google Search app, where you could lift the phone to your face to activate the voice search option. Voice search is st... [Read more]

'Men in Black 3' game: Let's hope the movie is this good

Rick Broida — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:45:55 PDT

Build your MIB agency with the resources you collect by completing missions.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

The summer movie season is officially under way, and that can only mean one thing: movie tie-in season is also under way.

Exhibit A (or should I say Exhibit K): "Men in Black 3," which opens in theaters Friday, just got the app treatment. Gameloft's Men in Black 3 is available now for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

Obviously any game based on the MIB franchise is going to involve a lot of running and gunning, right? Wrong. Men in Black 3 combines resource management with turn-based combat. And there's way more depth and replay value here than you'd expect from a movie tie-in.

As the new agent on the block, it's your job to manage the MIB agency. You'll train agents, develop weapons and gadgets, expand the agency with new rooms, and fight aliens on the streets of New York -- in both 2012 and 1969. (Hope that's not a spoiler; anyone who's seen the movie trailer knows the plot involves time travel.)

... [Read more]

Top weather apps for iOS

Jason Parker — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:29:34 PDT

Whether you live in rainy Seattle or are expecting thunderstorms in Albany, N.Y., it's always a good idea to carry solid weather apps on your iPhone for quick forecasts.

The Weather Channel released version 5.0 of its app late last week with an upgraded interface and a few more features that will be useful to amateur meteorologists everywhere, but it doesn't have everything. One of the more useful parts of any local weather forecast is when you get to see the live Doppler radar for your location. The Weather Channel will show you a radar overlay, but you can't see it move. That's where the second app in this one-two punch comes in, NOAA Hi-Def Radar.

With this pair of apps, you might find that one or the other is the best weather app for you, but hopefully this comparison will help you find what best fits your needs.

You'll get almost all the weather info you need, but you'll have to put up with the ads.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

The Weather Channel (Free) is a weather-monitoring application that provides many more features than Apple's built-in Weather app. Released first in 2008, the app recently received a complete overhaul to the interface, adding features that make it even easier to check weather conditions wherever you are.

You can find paid ... [Read more]

100 Apple iPads save Greece $140 billion

Joe Aimonetti — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:28:35 PDT

(Credit: Apple)

The daunting task of restructuring Greece's debt fell to Bob Apfel and his company, Bondholder Communications Group, according to Fortune.

To help complete a complicated series of transactions in which the country's Finance Ministry agreed to settle for far less than the $270 billion owed, Apfel and his team used a network of iPads.

DIY: Give your iPhone a mirrored rear panel

Sharon Vaknin — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:18:31 PDT

Rumor Has It host Emily Dreyfuss shows off an iPhone 4S with a mirrored rear-panel.

(Credit: Sharon Vaknin/CNET)

There's not much you can do in the way of customizing your iPhone's hardware. Unless you bedazzle it with Swarovski crystals, apply a GelaSkin, or give it a funky case, your iPhone will continue to stand undistinguished among its cookie-cutter siblings.

iFixit, a Web site that offers tools and parts to allow owners to repair, mod, and upgrade their iPhones, has another option for customizing your iPhone: unique rear panels.

After seeing iFixit's mirrored rear panel, I knew I had to have it. No, it's not a vanity thing -- I'm just tired of firing up the front-facing camera or squinting into the black rear-panel just to see if there's something stuck in my teeth.

Installation is simple, and requires just a replacement backplate and a Philips screwdriver (or a pentalobe screwdriver for the newer iPhone models.)

Watch the video to get started:

Give your iPhone a mirrored rear panel

You'll need:

An iPhone 4 or 4S
A screwdriver that matches the screws next to your dock connector (Philips or pentalobe)
A lens duster or hand-pu... [Read more]

Under the hood of Apple's iPhone, iPad charger

Joe Aimonetti — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:45:17 PDT

This is what goes into Apple's $29 wall-charging unit.

(Credit: Ken Shirriff)

No, it's not the first thing people gravitate toward when tearing open their brand-new iPhone or iPad. Heck, it's probably not even the second or third thing (the USB cable and the Apple sticker are more popular I'm sure).

But, hidden deep within that pretty box is a cube that makes the whole thing work. It's an AC wall-charging unit, and it's as technically impressive as any other component in that box.

Ken Shirriff, a technology buff and blogger, has a complete teardown of Apple's tiny technical wonder on his blog, detailing (exhaustively, I might add) why exactly Apple can charge $29 for it.

The details are fascinating if you have a mind for tech speak and electronics, but the basic summation of what Shirriff found is that Apple has gone through an immense amount of effort to create a safe, effective, and, yes, beautiful wall charger for its products.

Put all the iPhone 5 rumors together and you get this

Eric Mack — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:42:21 PDT

Isaac Royo's iPhone 5 concept isn't the prettiest, but it's still drool-worthy.

(Credit: Screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET )

iPhone 5 rumors are swirling about, as they have been since long before the release of the iPhone 4S. We do our best to keep track of all the iPhone 5 rumors, but Isaac Royo one-upped us and created this video that imagines what an Apple promotional video for the next iteration of the flagship phone might look like.

The video and phone concept are based off all the big rumors, including the notion of a bigger screen that we just heard about.

Watch the video below and you'll see that 3.95-inch screen, a Thunderbolt port, 12-megapixel camera, retina display, 4G LTE, and so much more.

Total runtime of this little fantasy is only 75 seconds, so be prepared for a rude awakening at the end when you return to the rest of your day in a world where none of this actually exists yet.

[Read more]

Sony releases Unlimited Music app for iPhone

Ty Pendlebury — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:53:34 PDT

(Credit: Sony)

Sony is taking on Spotify by releasing its first Music Unlimited app for iPhone this week.

The Music Unlimited app will launch by the end of the week after debuting more than 12 months ago on Sony devices.

At CES 2012, Sony initially announced the app would be released in summer.

The Music Unlimited app is only iPhone and iPod at the moment. Spotify released its official iPad app last month.

Other devices that currently feature Music Unlimited include Sony Bravia TVs, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Android tablets, and smartphones.

In January 2012, Sony said it had 1 million active Music Unlimited customers, while Spotify is estimated to have up to 18 million monthly users. Both Spotify and Music Unlimited lay claim to libraries of more than 15 million songs.

At CES, Sony Network Entertainment President Tim Schaaff said ... [Read more]

Super Diet Genius app puts superfoods to work

Rick Broida — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:10:52 PDT

Super Diet Genius plans your meals based on super-healthy superfoods.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

Diet apps are a dime a dozen. And with good reason: your smartphone is the ideal mobile companion for counting calories, managing exercise, and tracking overall health.

The latest entry into this crowded field: Super Diet Genius. What separates this $3.99 app from the likes of Lose It, Calorie Tracker, and MyFitnessPal? It's all in the "super."

Specifically, Super Diet Genius puts you on a diet that relies heavily on superfoods -- stuff that packs the maximum vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and overall nutrition goodness. (You know: not pizza. Not candy bars. Not French fries.)

Getting started with SDG is much like getting started with any other diet app: you supply details about your age, activity level, current and desired weight, and so on.

But then you'r... [Read more]

iPhone-powered gTar shreds digitally

Christopher MacManus — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:01:38 PDT

The digital gTar never needs tuning.

(Credit: Incident Technologies)

At first glance, a digital guitar with the brains of a super-powered smartphone and illuminated fretboard seems like a product that could change everything about guitar instrumentation. The digital dynamo by Incident Technologies aims to work as "the first guitar that anybody can play," as noted in description of the gTar on Kickstarter.

To start, one merely needs to plug an iPhone 4/4S in to the digital guitar. After selecting a song in the gTar app, illuminated frets await your fingertips to help you start playing along.

We admit this rocks, but still recommend you learn about music theory, tab reading, and so on. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Incident Technologies)

Selectable modes of difficulty make it easy to learn progressively. For example, budding musicians merely need to pluck the right strings in easy mode, while the medium setting requires the player to press down on the right notes. Both of... [Read more]

KurbKarma makes car parking social

Dan Farber — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:28:25 PDT

NEW YORK -- Social networking has finally come to the aid of drivers ceaselessly circling in hopes of finding a parking spot on Union Street or North Beach in San Francisco. Here at TechCrunch Disrupt, KurbKarma launched an iPhone app that could take the pain out of parking.

A user ready to vacate a parking spot publishes his or her spot to the app, which it locates on a map and then sends out the availability to the KurbKarma social network. Drivers circling the area can see the spots locally available, and send a request to take a spot. Drivers choose the lucky driver, and earn "KarmaKredits." Those taking the spots pay with the same currency. KurbKarma takes a $1 fee for each parking transaction.

The business opportunity could be significant. According to company co-founder Neha Sampat, San Francisco has about 400,000 parking spots, of which 50,000 are in high demand. The high-demand spots result in about 130 million parking exchanges per year. If KurbKarma attains just a small fraction of the exchanges, it could have a healthy business. The company plans to extend its social network to 25 cities, and claims its could generate $30 million per year in revenue for alleviating parking pain. KurbKarma could also end up with an auction model as drivers compete for spaces as the social network grows in specific locations.

However, KurbKarma will need to mov... [Read more]

Turn photos into sketches on iOS

Jason Parker — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:55:28 PDT

(Credit: CNET)

Everyone who uses Instagram, EyeEm, or other photo-sharing apps knows how easy it can be to add effects to photos and make them look even better than the original. But there's another group of apps at the iTunes App Store that add something more to your images, taking a mostly mundane photo and turning it into a work of art.

This week's collection of iOS apps turns your photos into hand-drawn works of art. The first offers one-of-a-kind effects to make your photos look like sketches. The second is an old favorite of mine for the incredibly realistic line drawings you can create. The third takes a different tack, turning your photos into super-realistic paintings in the style of some of the greatest painters ever.

PowerSketch has some interesting effects not found in other apps.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

PowerSketch (99 cents) has excellent options for turning your photos into sketches, but the interface can be so confusing at times that you'll need patience to appreciate what's good about the app. Like most photo-editing apps, you can start with PowerSketch by se... [Read more]

Sprint aggressively promotes iPhone 4S unlimited plan

Jessica Dolcourt — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:41:16 PDT

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Sprint today is shouting its unlimited iPhone 4S data plan from the rooftops, hoping to attract Verizon customers who are hopping mad at losing their unlimited data.

Starting today, you can trade in your current non-Sprint iPhone for the carrier's own model, and get at least $100 off when you sign a new two-year contract.

Of course, the limited-time offer also gets you Sprint's promise of capless data access for the device, and that's what Sprint hopes will be the real draw for fed-up Verizon subscribers.

CNET has contacted Verizon for a comment.

iSkin's Fuze cases: Full iPhone protection in a sexy package

David Carnoy — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:18:22 PDT

The Fuze SE ships soon and is on sale till May 24 for $49.99.

(Credit: iSkin)

Otterbox has built a booming business out of its ultraprotective iPhone cases but today has a lot more competition -- and it's only getting fiercer.

Case in point: iSkin's just-announced Fuze case, which also comes in a special-edition model, the Fuze SE. What's nice about these is that they offer solid protection in a relatively low-profile case.

The standard Fuze model comes in multiple colors.

(Credit: iSkin)

While they don't offer the same level of protection as the $80 Lifeproof case, which is waterproof and features an integrated screen cover, the overall concept and design are somewhat similar.

iSkin says the new Fuze cases took months to develop and are thin enough to be used with speaker docks and the Apple Universal Dock (with cradle adapters removed). The step-up SE model has a brushed-aluminum front plate.

The new cases aren't shipping quite yet but ... [Read more]

Blue skies for The Weather Channel's overhauled iOS app

Rick Broida — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:15:57 PDT

The Weather Channel 5.0 for iPhone.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

On the short list of must-haves for every iPhone owner: a good weather app. And the one that's bundled into iOS? Not so good.

If you ever checked out The Weather Channel for iOS and promptly turned your nose up at its cluttered, clunky interface, it's time for another look. The Weather Channel 5.0 for iPhone features a gorgeous new UI and some fun new sharing options.

Sharing? TWC has added a photo button to its Home screen; you can take a snapshot of the skies (or anything else) and share it via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or TWC's iWitness photo-sharing network. (Privacy buffs, take note: the app "may even share your weather photos on The Weather Channel or weather.com.")

Of course, the new interface is the real star here. The lovely, elegant Home screen, adorned with wallpaper that matches the current conditions (blue skies, rain, snow, etc.), lets you swipe between locations, search for other cities, and toggle a drop-down box filled with details like wind, humidity, visibility, and the UV index.

One tap away: hourly, 36-hour, and 10-day forecasts. And using the newly simplified five-button toolbar, ... [Read more]

Apple creating better-sounding speakerphone for iOS devices

Lance Whitney — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:35:47 PDT

(Credit: Apple)

iPhone and iPad users unhappy with their speakerphones may be treated to better sound in future models.

Apple has invented a new speakerphone system for iOS devices, according to a patent published yesterday by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The patent application is filled with pages of the usual technical jargon.

But in a nutshell, Apple is redesigning and repositioning the traditional speaker and surrounding components to enhance the quality of the audio possible in a relatively small space. Though the patent doesn't tout any specific benefits to consumers, "the new speaker positioning could provide iOS devices with generally superior sound, even when docked," according to Patently Apple.

Speakers on mobile phones tend to offer weak sound due to their small size. Even laptops and tablets don't have enough space for high-quality speakers, a factor acknowledged by Apple in its patent application.

There is a range of consumer electronics devices that are not dedicated or specialized audio playback devices, yet can benefit... [Read more]

Steve Jobs involved in design of future iPhone, says report

Brooke Crothers — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:16:27 PDT

Steve Jobs had a lot of input into the design of the upcoming the iPhone, according to a report.

The Apple co-founder and former CEO "worked closely on the redesigned phone before his death in October," according to a report from Bloomberg, which did not identify the source.

How to fix battery issues after upgrading to iOS 5.1.1

Joe Aimonetti — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:29:47 PDT

(Credit: Apple)

After Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update was released last week, several users began reporting that their iOS devices had taken a significant battery life hit.

While the issues are not common to most users, it appears as though some iPhone and iPad owners found that the battery life they had come to expect was not apparent after updating to iOS 5.1.1 using Apple's over-the-air updating.

If you find your device is not getting the battery life it once was, a few troubleshooting tips provided by Apple Support Communities user sbaily4 could be of help.

First, be sure you have a good backup of your iPhone or iPad. Plug your device into your Mac or PC, open iTunes, and sync it.

iPhone Atlas: Apple iPhone tips, how-tos, troubleshooting, and news - CNET Reviews

Facebook Camera makes its debut

The best way to upload pictures to Facebook

Tivoli adds Bluetooth to PAL radio, intros NC headphones

Google speeds up iPhone and iPad search

'Men in Black 3' game: Let's hope the movie is this good

Top weather apps for iOS

100 Apple iPads save Greece $140 billion

Related stories

DIY: Give your iPhone a mirrored rear panel

Give your iPhone a mirrored rear panel

Under the hood of Apple's iPhone, iPad charger

Related stories

Put all the iPhone 5 rumors together and you get this

Sony releases Unlimited Music app for iPhone

Super Diet Genius app puts superfoods to work

iPhone-powered gTar shreds digitally

KurbKarma makes car parking social

Turn photos into sketches on iOS

Sprint aggressively promotes iPhone 4S unlimited plan

Related stories

iSkin's Fuze cases: Full iPhone protection in a sexy package

Blue skies for The Weather Channel's overhauled iOS app

Apple creating better-sounding speakerphone for iOS devices

Steve Jobs involved in design of future iPhone, says report

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How to fix battery issues after upgrading to iOS 5.1.1

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