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Tapes iPhone App: The Portable Tape Deck Dictaphone

tom — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:00:43 +0000

If you are a journalist, or someone who needs to create voice memos, to do lists, or, even, remember your shopping list, you probably have quite a few gadgets that will record your voice, so that you can play it back, to remind you, however, the £0.59p ($0.99) application, Tapes, by Senstic, means that you only have to carry one device around with you – your iPhone. This application obviously (but unfortunately) does not work with the iPod Touch, due to its lack of microphone (however, it could work with an external microphone). The application takes on the looks of an old tape deck, however, provides very 21st century features, such as WiFi synchronization to you Mac/PC using FTP (compatible with any internet browser), and being able to name and rename the tapes.

When you tap the icon that looks like this:

You should see a new tape, with the usual buttons that you would find on a tape deck, underneath:

Record
Play
Rewind
Fast Forward
Stop
Pause
Eject

The tape deck should look like this:

The first thing that I would recommend doing, is renaming the tape, so that you know what it’s about when you look for it at a later date. To do this, just tap next to the ‘A’ on the tape itself, then type in the name of the tape, just like you would put the Subject in an Email. When you have put that in, tap ‘Done’.

Then you can start recording your voice memo or reminder etc, to do this, press ‘Rec’ (Record), in the bottom left-hand corner. Then create your voice memo or reminder, to stop recording, press ‘Stop’. If you would like to listen to the recording that you have just made, rewind the tape, by tapping the ‘Rew’, and then press ‘Play’.

To see other tapes that you have created, tap ‘Eject’ (bottom right), this will bring you to a list that looks something like this, this is known as the ‘Tape Vault’:

To listen to one of them, tap it, then press ‘Rewind’, then ‘Play’.

This does not sound any different to the Dictaphone that I’m using now – what can this app do, that my Dictaphone can’t?

As I said earlier, ‘Tapes’, can syncronize to your Mac/PC using FTP in any internet browser. To access this, all you need to do is, in the app, navigate your way to the ‘Tape Vault’ menu (if you are on the Recording screen, tap ‘Eject’). At the bottom of this screen you should see an address that starts with ‘FTP://….’ then some numbers. The way that I like to get the files off of my iPhone, and onto my computer is by doing this: (instructions for Windows users)

Open Windows Explorer (A Folder like My Documents).
Type in the FTP://…. where it says Documents. Then Press enter.
Identify the file that you would like, then drag it into a different folder such as My Music.
It may take a while to copy, but when it has finished you will be able to play your recording.

This is a great app if you currently own, and use a Dictaphone, it will save room in your pockets as you will only be carrying around your iPhone (that you carry anyway). The app is cheap and has a retro style to it that, if you can remember what a tape deck looked like, you will be familiar with. The GUI could be a bit livelier, however, it does the job that it needs to. This application is certainly a must for people who need to remember things, or for people to use as an alternative to making notes on Post-it’s!

You can download ‘Tapes’ here

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Is Your Iphone App Laying In The Dust?

tom — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:54:33 +0000

If you are an iPhone/iPod Touch application developer, then there is always one thing on your mind – how well is my app doing in the App Store? This post is all about how you can maximize your chances of ‘making it big’ in the App Store – most of it, you can do with very little money.

Advertise

There is no point in having an App, if nobody knows about it – Is there? So, you need to advertise on websites, but you need to be careful – there is no point in advertising on a site about Weight Loss, when your application is a Car Racing App. You have to think about a couple of questions, Who is your main audience? Is it aimed people who are losing weight, or is it aimed at people who are into Cars and Racing? You then have to think about another question, What websites would these people visit? Would they visit a Weight Loss website, a Formula 1 website or an Online Auction Site? Think about the most likely sites that they would go to, then start advertising on them! However, you will have to create the advert yourself, and you will have to agree on page impressions per month etc, with the owner of the site.

Make a Website

This will give people the opportunity to read a little more into the app and see what you, the developer, is planning for future updates. This website should also have a ‘Contact Me’ section, where people can give their ideas for updates, and where they can ask you questions. Yet again, this is advertising!

Be willing to lose money, to gain money

So, have you ever had an Application Reviewer email you? No? Well, maybe, you need to have a way to get in touch with you you first! When you have done this, people will be contacting you all of the time! This tip means that if an App Reviewer does come along, and they would like an Application Code so that they get the App for free (for reviewing purposes only!), don’t say ‘No, go and buy it yourself, if you want it that badly’. Say ‘Yeah, sure!’. This means that your app will have a whole post written about it, people will read it, and hopefully download the app! Yet more advertising for your application!

Make a Lite Version of your App

Most people don’t want to pay a lot of money for one app that could be rubbish! So, give them a ‘lite version‘ of your application, this means that they get to try one or two levels of your app, in a free download from the App Store. Many companies like ngmoco who made the successful application ‘Rolando‘, have made a lite version. Yeah, but I’m losing money here – I’ve slaved over two levels, but I’m giving them away for free, that’s not right, surely? OK, maybe you’re right, but, in the long term you will make money – especially if the two levels that you give away are very enjoyable!

Take time and care over descriptions of the Application

Imagine that your application is called ‘Car Racing’. In the description (especially on the App Store), don’t say ‘The name of the App says it all, you race cars.’. Say something like ‘This fun and immersing game lets you race around the suburbs of towns. You battle against your rival gangs, to see who is the ‘top dog”. See how much more interesting the app sounds? You’ve only added a couple of sentences to the description! If you can, include some quotes from reviewers (obviously, don’t pick bad quotes!). Basically, all you need to do is ‘big yourself up’, obviously, though, you have to tell the truth, and not exaggerate on things.

Excellent! A lot of people have downloaded my App, what do I do now?

Don’t update your app, for the sake of updating!

If you think that your application needs updating, then make the update worth downloading, however, if there is a critical bug in your application, then make an update especially for that bug, as this will make the users time using the application, far more enjoyable. Also, make the update descriptions in-depth, don’t just say ‘Bug Fix’, say something like ‘Critical Bug Fix: This bug would make the Application Freeze’ – people are interested in what the update does.

Continue to advertise!

You can never have enough app downloads!

So, what do you have to do, basically, to get more users? Advertise! This is the most important point of them all, if you don’t advertise, no-one will know about your application, therefore, no-one will download it.

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Apple Showing Students The Right Way?

admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:19:14 +0000

Do students benefit or get distracted from an ipod?

Ipods distracting students?

In Business, you can spend millions of dollars on advertising and drive customers to your store. An easier way would be to place a store near the targeted audience and give a discount. Apple has always had the best products, backed with a spectacular business model and advertising strategies. In a grasping move by apple, students are also considered a very active customer base, and most universities in the United States have an apple store inside the campus. Students also get a discount of at least $100 in macbooks and even more in macbook pro.

In fact, most people who have used a mac, always feel the difference and it is the price of the competitors’ stuff that beats the apple’s products. Apple offers a discount to any college student, faculty including administrators. Apple also offers educational discount to K-12 schools. Students have always been in the focus as prominent buyers of apple’s goods.

In a reciprocation note, college administrators and faculty have also favored the products from apple, with a few college even make macbooks mandatory. In a recent press release by Shenandoah University, the university announced that all freshmen will be equipped with macbooks and a ipod touch.

Oklahama university is also on the same line as that of SU and announced that all freshmen, attending the orientation will receive a macbook. 5,000 students in Abilene Christian University also have an option to receive a iphone or an ipod touch. The college students in this university use the ipod/iphone to do everything from checking status of home work to participating in surveys and even to check their meal.

Duke university was one of the first universities to announce the use of ipod for a vast array of activities. Rochester College, another reputed university known for its research work, is also planning to give away free 13 inch macbooks to all the students.

What is your thought? Do macbooks and ipod touch make life easier for a student? Or is it plain distraction to use an ipod in a classroom? Is apple taking advantage of the vast resources in universities or are their gadgets really finding the potential users? Have your say..

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Will the ipod Survive? Will iphone Kill the ipod?

admin — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:02:35 +0000

In 2003, Steve jobs made a big break through in the history of apple by launching the ipod. Steve jobs was on the front cover of all business magazines, accruing the icon status of himself and also apple. Millions of ipods were sold, and whenever there was a contest, there was a ipod given away. I was sometimes inclined to think that these prize givers could have been more creative, but the ipod always attracted folks and was classy by itself. But can the ipod hold its fancy?

In 2007, the apple cult widened with the launch of iphone. Numerous admirers, and yet good percentage of iphone owners. Millions of iphones were sold, but only in few geographic locations. People around the world had to watch the iphone only on their computer screens, and read and just ponder about the magnificent gadget in every blog. With the launch of iphone, there was finally a totally integrated device that was “CAN DO ALL STUFF”. It was an ipod integrated with the phone. With the launch of Iphone 3G, the prices plummeted, but people had to shell out quite a lot of money for the 3G network.

Iphone rules the mobile internet and has dethroned so many other smart phones. There has been a sharp decline in the sales of blackberry and other smartphones. But with all these other competitors, did apple kill the ipod too? The price of the ipod has dropped. Ipod touch was given away for free as a school promotion sales. It was like buying a iphone without the phone functionality for more money.

The 3G network was costly, but the number of iphones getting multifold, service providers will go through the usual curve. The prices of 3G network will drop with more users using iphone3G. The ipod touch did have a redesign in the September event (lets rock) by apple. The ipod got slimmer and prices also dropped to $229, still costlier than the iphone. Is this the final blow? Should the iphone be priced more? This will happen only if apple decides to sell iphones without contracts. Or should ipod be priced lesser? I do nor see the prices coming down, but the volumes will.

Poor ipod, You ll be killed by the iphone!

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