According to Flickr last year, more than 3,000 images are uploaded to the photo sharing site every minute with 5 billion photos already on there. Who knows how much that’s changed in the past year but there are clearly a heck of a lot of photos on Flickr for users to explore. So how best is it to browse through the site? The makers of Flickr Explorer hope that they’ve come up with the solution.
The app promises no distractions. Users can simply browse through pages upon pages of photos until they come across one they want to see on a larger scale. A tap of the relevant image and the user can then view it in fullscreen, landscape or portrait mode. Sharing options are also available with the option to share via Twitter, Facebook and e-mail amongst others.
Flickr Explorer is simplicity itself but also rather soothing to explore with no distractions. The photos do the talking.
It’s out now, it’s universal and it’s priced at $0.99.
One of the big drawbacks about the iPad 2 is its camera; identical to the iPod touch 4th generation’s camera, it only takes photos at a 960×720 resolution, paling in comparison to the resolution available from the iPhone 4′s camera, if not all iPhone cameras period. This is such low resolution that it is actually smaller than the iPad 2′s screen resolution of 1024×768. This means that users should not expect to be taking fantastic photographs with the iPad 2; and apparently very few people are.
According to Flickr’s stats, there are an average of 36 users per day uploading photos to Flickr from their iPad. Compare this to the over 4000 that upload daily from the iPhone 4 (which is trending toward becoming the most-used camera on Flickr, period), over 3000 that still upload photos from the iPhone 3G, and just under 2000 that upload from the iPhone 3GS per day. In comparison, the iPod touch 4G, which has an identical camera as the iPad 2, gets 455 users that upload to photos to the site per day, which is enough to make it the 5th most popular ‘cameraphone’ on Flickr; stats are not available for the original iPhone on Flickr.
Granted, there is a definite possibility that the numbers are being skewed by Flickr’s userbase; it may skew more toward photography enthusiasts than the casual photo taker, and the iPad 2′s camera is one that few if any serious photographers would actually use. The percentages may likely be higher on Facebook and Twitter photo services, where casual and convenient photos are more prominent than well-prepared shots, where a higher-quality camera would likely be used.
However, what is clear is that iOS users have definite options to upload photos from the phone to Flickr, as shown by iOS cameras being 4 of the top 5 cameraphones on Flickr. The iPod touch’s inferior camera is still popular enough to make it notable among cameraphones on Flickr. The conclusion is that tablets just may not be devices that users consider as regular cameras. iPhones and iPod touches are devices designed to be carried around in users’ pockets, and can be used to take photos when an opportunity arises. The iPad is usually carried around in a case or a bag, and may not be as immediately available for casual photo taking, and its inferior quality camera dissuades taking high-quality shots as well. Apple may have known this and only put a rear-facing camera in for posterity, rather than for actual usability, because no one is using the iPad 2 to take photos.
Flipboard is already considered a must-have iPad app, but now it’s even more irresistible thanks to a massive update. The social media app is now capable of including Google Reader, Flickr and live article previews. Really, what more could you ask for?
First up, those using Google Reader will find it to be nearly identical to what their familiar with on their desktop, but with a few minor concessions. You won’t be able to share items with a note, run a search or manage subscriptions, though those features may become available down the road. For now though you can still read through items, star items, share without notes and most of the other familiar Reader features. It’s not an exact duplication of the true experience, but it’s pretty close.
Flipboard now also finally supports Flickr, one of the web’s biggest photo hubs. Now you can easily view photos, mark favorites and leave comments, as well as thumb through Flickr groups and daily albums. Finally, you can leave snarky comments about your friends’ drunken shenanigans right from your iPad. How did we live without this?
Another nice feature is that Flipboard will now let you preview articles before opening them, so if you just want to get the headline and a paragraph or two you won’t have to wait for the whole piece to load. Also, the websites on which articles appear now pop up below whatever story you’re reading, so if you want to see more stuff from the same outlet all you need to do is drag the screen up and surf the site as you normally would. Congratulations, it’s now easier to be distracted than ever before!
This is just the tip of the iceberg of what the new Flipboard has to offer, but we don’t want to spoil the fun of discovery. Check out the video of the new features and then start digging into them for yourself. And if you don’t yet have Flipboard then what sort of crazy person are you?
iOS has brought users a great all-in-one stop shop for taking photos, manipulating them, posting them online, and composing a whole blog post over that spectacular shot. In fact, because the iPad and iPhone have such great apps, there are some pros that don’t even carry a laptop with them onto photo shoots. Everything they need for quickly getting photos to the world can easily be handled right on these magical devices. Let’s look at just a few tools that make this possible.
Shooting The Photo
The first major change is just how the iPhone takes photos. Long gone are boring, under/over exposed, bland photos. Now we have HDR embedded right in the included camera app. If this is not powerful enough for you, apps like TrueHDR and Pro HDR can take your HDR photos to higher levels than what is already available.
Maybe you like adding a bit of flair to your photos — this is where wonderful apps like Hipstamatic come into play. I use this app all the time when I am shooting fun setups with all my Lego People. The various lenses and films all add up for some fun, and unique shots that I have thought of recreating with my DSLR and Photoshop.
Processing Without Photoshop
The next part of any good shot is the post-processing step, and yes, just about any photo worth its weight in metallic paper is photoshopped in some form or another. This may be as simple as removing dust particles or increasing saturation levels, to full-blown photo manipulations in layers that a slice of Tiramisu would be jealous of.
Apps like Filterstorm, or Photoshop Express, allow for some basic photo-editing while away from your computer. Filterstorm even allows you to make adjustments in that all too familiar layer workflow so many of us are comfortable with. Are these apps going to allow you to completely avoid using Photoshop on a laptop? Of course not. However, what you do have is the ability to post process while sipping on a beer at the local pup without all the worry of dropping a pint on your precious laptop.
Uploading Those Shots
Uploading photos does have a few gotchas, as there is not one single great app to handle the huge number of uploading services. There are apps to handle some of the most popular sharing services like Facebook, Smugmug, Flickr, Twitter, and Picasa, however. Worst-case scenario is you have to email your photo to a client or a photo sharing service. This is undoubtedly one of the bigger downfalls of doing photography with the iOS devices, rather than a laptop.
Composing A Photo Blog Post
Once your photo is captured, processed, and uploaded, you just might want to quickly write up a small blog post about the photo. There are apps to allow you to do just that as well, but again, this will be limited to your choice of blog host. Some services may even support one iOS device over another device, as is the case with SquareSpace only supporting the iPhone at this time. There are applications like BlogPress and WordPress that can be used to update blogs, too. A tip here: if you can’t post from an app, type it up, email it to someone you trust, and have them add the blog posting. We all know that content is the key to keeping your viewers coming back.
iOS is not perfect, but it is getting better with every release. More companies are releasing apps that easily allow photo manipulation, sharing, and blogging for those who are constantly on the go. How has your iDevice changed your workflows while travelling? Are you one of those few who now leave your laptop at home in exchange for the lighter iOS devices?
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted March 22nd, 2010 by Ryan Wood Our Rating: :: DIARY DELICIOUSNESS
Momento takes keeping a diary to the next level with its ability to tag and sort posts and upload pictures to each entry. It's a must try for those that enjoy keeping a diary.
Posted December 16th, 2009 by Jeff Scott Our Rating:
eStarling's TouchConnect digital photo frame is the most connected and easiest to set up frame yet. And the kicker? It's easy to send pictures AND videos to it right from your iPhone.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted July 14th, 2009 by Jason Philo Our Rating: :: Cornucopia of drawing entertainment
Type Drawing is a fun app that brings a unique element to art on the iPhone. If you want to do something new and interesting with your iPhone drawings you'll want this one in your arsenal.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted May 22nd, 2009 by Donna Harrison Our Rating: :: VERY NICE
Docked on a nightstand or desk, your iPhone makes for the perfect digital photo frame. DreamStream greatly enhances viewable photo sources by accessing pictures from MobileMe, Facebook albums and Flickr tags among others. Even your friends' photos aren't safe!
OneConnect is an attempt by Yahoo! to unify all of the social networks you use into one application. They have released this pretty interesting looking application to the iTunes App Store now. Downloading now…
Features:
* Get a full-featured phone book that can integrate contacts from your Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone, and your social networks (including: Bebo, Dopplr, Facebook, Flickr, Friendster, hi5, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube).
* Connect with your friends via Yahoo! Messenger or SMS. Have fun with emoticons, avatars, and photos.
* See what’s happening on your favorite social networks with an at-a-glance view of status updates, photo uploads, and more.
* Find your favorite people quickly and call, message, or send an e-mail—with one tap.
According to Flickr last year, more than 3,000 images are uploaded to the photo sharing site every minute with 5 billion photos already on there. Who knows how much that’s changed in the past year but there are clearly a heck of a lot of photos on Flickr for users to explore. So how best is it to browse through the site? The makers of Flickr Explorer hope that they’ve come up with the solution.
One of the big drawbacks about the iPad 2 is its camera; identical to the iPod touch 4th generation’s camera, it only takes photos at a 960×720 resolution, paling in comparison to the resolution available from the iPhone 4′s camera, if not all iPhone cameras period. This is such low resolution that it is actually smaller than the iPad 2′s screen resolution of 1024×768. This means that users should not expect to be taking fantastic photographs with the iPad 2; and apparently very few people are.
:: ENJOYABLE AND USEFUL
:: POTENTIALLY REVOLUTIONAY
