An all in one exercising App : Argus for iOS

Exercising Apps have become a must have now a days with the kind of stressed life we lead.  What better way to monitor you health then to have App in you pocket which tells you how you have slept, ate and ran and how much you should eat, sleep and  run.  Many of the Apps on Apple Store cater to one part of the exercising but Argus for iOS has tried to blend all these metrics together.  

Argus has a great interface which lets you plan all your day to day exercising with ease.  If you click on the plus symbol the App will gives all popular forms of exercise like running, cycling and walking.  Argus also monitors the body weight and heart beat along with your daily water, coffee and diet intake.  

However you have to fill the details correctly and truthfully if you want this App to help you out.  And believe me, that can be pretty distressing, especially if you have a night out partying.  

Argus gives you three types of goals which you have to achieve, provided, as I said earlier, you input the data truthfully.  The App will tell you exactly how much you have slept and how much sleep you actually need.  The amount of water you drink and the optimum amount your body requires along with the distance you walk and are required to walk being other two goals which you should aim to achieve.

Argus has a ‘trends’ screen which shows all of the different data types as a colour coded chart for your information.   You can use this App rather nicely if you have serious exercising issues.  You can download the App here from Apple Store for free.

FREE cross platform messenger with voice calls comes to India, 'Line' comes with stickers like like Disney, Hello Kitty and Iron Man

Fresh on the heels of the successful launch of Tencent's WeChat, Japan's Line Corporation has entered India with its cross platform messaging App called Line.   What is more important is that it supports PC and Mac in addition to Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Nokia Asha and the dream of us all, it is free.

The instant messaging App also has features like free calls, voice chat and stickers.  

To make it more appealing to Indians, the company has launched a Hindi website in addition to the English one.  The App is similar to  WeChat because Line also has the features features like voice messaging and stickers Indians which we got to know from WeChat.  However Line has a nice range of its own stickers like Disney, Hello Kitty  Iron Man. 

The features of Line .

 More about LINE’s Features:

★Free Voice Calls!

All LINE smartphone users can enjoy free high quality voice calls, whenever and wherever you are.

Talk for as much as you want and best of all, it’s free!

★Messages Delivered to you Quick!

Instead of taking time to email/sms your friends, use LINE’s message function to send messages easily with colorful icons, photos and even location information.

・Express yourself using stickers and emoji.

・Send photos and voice messages with ease

・Available for PCs and smart-tablets

★Make it YOUR Social Network

・Have fun with LINE’s ‘Home’ feature: Share your moments with all your friends using photos, videos, and location info.

・Use ‘Timeline’ to see what your friends have been up to and what they have posted! Leave comments, messages and enjoy your communication.

Other LINE Features:

★New Sticker Shop! Find all your favorite characters here!

Hilarious and fun stickers featuring famous characters from all over the world can be found here!

★Get the latest info with LINE Official Accounts

Add these accounts as friends and receive messages from popular celebs and singers, as well as money saving coupons from various businesses.   

Do remember this App uses internet to communicate, hence be sure to have a unlimited data plan while using it.

Visitors who want to read about it and download it in Hindi please head over here.  

Android users can download the App from Google Play here.

iOS users can download the App from Apple Store here.

Windows Phone users can download the App from Windows Store here.  Supports Windows Phone 7.5 and 8.

BlackBerry users can download the App from appworld here.

Nokia Asha users can download the App from OVI store here.

Windows users can download the App for their PC here.

Mac OS X users can download the App for their Macs here. 

Windows 8 users can download the App for Windows 8 here.

Flipboard users can now share and view Instagram Videos with new update for iOS and Android devices

Though there is no official word about it but the Flipboard for iOS and Android now support Instagram Video.   Instagram Videos was launched last week by Facebook and Flipboard is one of the first web services to join the Instagram Video party.

Among other things this update now lests you share your magazines to Twitter and Facebook.  The update has also fixed some bugs and made UI improvements.  It also reminds users to save their feeds by tomorrow i.e. June 30 before Google pulls the plug on Google Reader.  

You can download the updated App for iOS here from Apple Store and Android users can download it from Google Play.

Enjoy 'Street View' with the newly updated Google Earth for iOS devices

Arch rival Google yesterday updated its flagship App, Google Earth for the iOS devices.  The Google Earth 7.1 released yesterday brings the street view to iOS users.  It will also cover more than 100 countries now with India being one of them, under the street view option.  

The updated App will now have a new streamlined interface to enable users to view different worldwide destinations including the likes of Stonehenge in Street View or the Chicago skyline in 3D.  The update also brings about new changes to interface.  Clicking on the Earth logo in top left now allows users to access more information through layers like Wikipedia and Panoramio Photos. For those who’d like to explore these regions themselves, the app claims to feature improved directions too, to let them visualise step-by-step transit, walking and biking directions in 3D. 

The Google Earth app for iOS devices is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad with devices running of iOS 4.3 and higher.     Download this must have App from Apple Store now.

Digg ready to take over from Google Reader from July 1, iOS App available for download and beta version being released to a select few

Image courtesy www.doodybrain.com

3 days is all that is left for Google Reader to die and already lot of princes are vying for the crown of being the most download Reader after Google Readers death.  Feedly for one has already brought about lot of changes to its UI and made it more and more user friendly and Google reader like.  I also have put up a feedly button for you to subscribe to.  The latest entrant in the field is the social networking giant Digg with its Reader.  The Digg.com/reader gives following message right now :

And the blog goes on to state that the first group of invites have been sent to the participants who had contributed towards its development.  Digg Reader has also been made available for iOS users.  For a change no separate download is required as Digg has bundled the Digg Reader with Digg iOS App.   From within the Reader App a user can “digg” the feed he/she likes while are reading which in turn will feature in the latest trending content diggs based on the "diggs" it has received.

Digg has promised to enhance the reader experience the users had with Google Reader to a completely new level.  The keyboard short cuts in Digg Reader are similar Google Reader for instance j and k to move between articles, s to save, d to Digg and v to view URL.  Depending on their preferences, users can view feeds in either List or Expanded View. They can also save their feeds to Instapaper, Pocket or Readability, or share articles to Twitter and Facebook. You also have full privacy authority over Digg Reader by choosing your profile to be either public or private.  

If you own a iOS device and are interested to checkout the latest offering from Digg, update your Digg App from Apple Store here.  Android users would have to wait 1 more day for the App, I suppose.  PC users can visit here to keep a track on announcements.  

Snapchat update for iOS now allows children under 13 years to use the App after registration

Snapchat, the popular Photo sharing App for iOS devices, has release a update which allows kids under 13 years of age to access the App.  Previously the App present the users with a registration form and kids under 13 years were barred from using the App.  

However as per its blog post, Snapchat says that the policy of not allowing under 13 children did not work out as it had intended.

Now with the update a child under under the age of 13 will have to fill out the registration form, but the child's information won’t be sent to Snapchat nor a account created. Instead they will be lead to a zone called “Snapkidz”  where they can take pictures, add captions, drawing and save them onto the device and this the farthest they can get.  The children wont be allowed to send or receive images or add friends.

In the Snapchats own words 

"We’re also trying out something new in this release. As you may know, Snapchat is for teens and adults— children under the age of 13 are not allowed to create accounts. The previous iOS update introduced age-gating, in which we asked people their age on the registration screen and didn’t allow them to proceed if the age entered was under 13. This was a pretty standard way of handling things, but it didn’t provide a very good experience. So now, in addition to age-gating, we’ve decided to try something a little different."

So the Snapchat has done two things with this update, addressed your concerns regarding your child's safety and privacy and also given them a chance to enhance their creativity by trying out different things with Snapchat.

If you think its worthwhile for your child to experience the Snapchat, download it for iOS from Apple Store here.

Facebook's Instagram Video a hit among users, meanwhile 'Vine' update lets you delete cache on Android devices

Facebook seems to have hit the right chord with users at long last.  With falling Facebook users, a flop Facebook smartphone, a flop Facebook Home, the things were quite miserable at Menlo Park.  But the Instagram Video has taken the tech world by storm.  It had unprecedented popularity on the first day of launch with 5 million videos being upload in the 24 hour period.

The above pic describes how the Instagram Video can be uploaded with filters,frames etal in three flat steps.  And that seems to have worked the magic for Facebook.  You can read all about Facebook's Instagram Video and download it here.

After attempting to promote 'Vine' on the day of Instagram Video release, today Twitter released a update for Android devices for 'Vine'  to clear cache memory.  How is this useful.  I will explain in plain vanilla English.

The 'Vine' lets you play the 6 second videos in a loop which mean that they are first downloaded into your smart phones memory and stored and played natively.  Hence you get the nice loopy video that you can watch.  However, day in day out of downloading the 6 second videos means a unnecessary waste of memory.  Vine does not have a limit for cache memory so pretty soon you will find out you have used a lot of memory.  There was a workaround available to clear the memory but nothing like a within App button to clear the cache in a zip.

Vine Engineers identified the problem and the new update gives you just that.  A button within the App to clear the cache memory in a jiffy.  

The update also brings integration for Facebook and you can now search for users and hashtags.  But as of now this update is only available for Android devices.  You can grab the update here from Google Play

Addicted to Facebook, try this fun Apps out on your Android or iOS devices and get deaddicted

How well do you use your smart phones.  My bet is half of the time you spend your free time is on Facebook which is both addictive and expensive vis-a-vis data charges.  It is none of my business to tell you how to spend your free time but I can give you alternatives to spending your free time with these quality Apps for Android and iOS devices instead of Facebook.  What is more that almost all of them are free.  So, if you want to use your time a bit more carefully then these Apps are just for you.  

1.  CamScanner : 

With this app you can take photos of news papers and crop and adjust them to read at your own leisure.  You can snap your notes, sync them, save them as PDFs and organise them.  A sure fire way to help you in your lectures.  

Download the CamScanner for iOS from Apple Store and for Android devices from Google Play and enjoy this one.

2. Goodreads :

This is one App that teaches you to derive pleasure from reading.  It will be a welcome break after your school and college hours.  Goodreads tells you what your friends are reading, reviews about books and has specific categories to suit your own style.  

Download the Goodreads for iOS from Apple Store and for Android devices from Google Play to check this one out.

3. Nexercise : 

This App is for those who are bored with sitting in front of computers, dabbling with smart phones and tablets and reading.  This motivational App provides you with that little bit extra to get out and exercise.  It rewards you for physical activity which can be redeemed for goodies that come along the way.  And there is a leaderboard to check out how your friends are doing.  

So put on your sneakers and download the Nexercise for iOS from Apple Store and for Android devices from Google Play to check this one out.

4.  Meetup :

This is a social App which locates the people with similar interests as you in your area.  The more you delve into the App, the more you will feel like getting out of your cubby hole and enjoying the whole world out there.   There are several Meetup groups comprising of stamp collectors, canine lovers, authors, artists, photographers whom you can meet in your very own area.  Further it lets you create your own Meetup group based on your own version of fun.  And believe me this App is very popular in Mumbai too with several Meetup hangouts happening in Mumbai, which you will find if you google 'Meetup'

So put on your sneakers and download the Meetup for iOS from Apple Store and for Android devices from Google Play and get into the grove with your favourite hobby or passion.

This are some of the Apps which may remove little bit of the Facebook addiction you may have.  If you like them, kindly comment in the comments box and I will bring more of them for you.

YouTube for Android and iOS goes in for a nice little suggestion overlays

With Facebook announcing Instagram Video, the tech companies seems to have pulled its socks and swung into action.  Barely hours after Instagram Video was announced Twitter started sending emails of advantages and features of 'Vine' to users.  And barely half hour after that YouTube has updated its app for both iOS and Android with InVideo Programming and Call-to-action overlays for content creators. Both these features aim to make watching videos on YouTube a better experience for both viewers and creators.  I am not suggesting in anyway the YouTube update is linked to the Instagram Video launch, but the way things are looking, it has made videos a red hot commodity.

First of the features is the InVideo Programming tool.  This tool was already available to PC users and has now been brought to iOS and Android by YouTube.  InVideo Programming tool feature shows a small screen within your video screen, which prompts you to check out another video. YouTube content creators can use this tool to get users to check out another video from their channels, driving your own views and subscribers base up. YouTube will make InVideo Programming feature available on the mobile website in future.  The videos selected by them on the desktop version of the service will show up on the mobile version too. 

Second feature is Call-to-action overlays which can be used by  video uploaders to share more information about their video to raise interest for their channels or their websites. These overlays are currently available for advertisers in AdWords for videos, but YouTube says that it is working towards making it available for all channels later this year. 

Besides this two talked about features the update has also brought  about closed captions for live streams and several stability improvements, including fix for app crashes. 

So to download this must have updated YouTube version head over to the Apple Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android devices.  Have fun YouTubing!!!

15 seconds video sharing with filters and frames for Instagram on iOS and Android devices

The video sharing wars are on and the swords are drawn.  The  latest salvo has been fired by Facebook which today announced video sharing support for Instagram that too for both Android and iOS devices.

Image courtesy thenextweb.com

Instagram has been a proven hit when it comes to sharing photographs with your friends, colleagues and loved ones albeit filtered.   And the big ticket announcement by Facebook, which by the way many had already forecast was the announcement of Video on Instagram for Android and iOS devices.

For Instagram users the more the merrier and videos are a good way to share another of your escapades with friends.  Another thing Facebook has done is, it has made this video sharing surprisingly easy.  So now when you're getting ready to take a photo on Instagram, you'll have the option to enter the video mode too. Click on the movie camera icon, and  you can take an entire video or several sections for a total of 15 seconds.

When you think of Instagram, you think of filters and the videos too have filters.  A total 13 brand new filters for videos named Stinson, Vesper, Dogpatch and more.   The user can also select the frame which they think will make the video more elaborative and enticing.  

The iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 get a feature called Cinema which uses advanced stabilisation effects to give you nearly-perfect looking video even if you have shot the video running around or your hands are shaking.   Another plus to Instagram video is that the video will not start playing till you have lifted your finger off it.  

My only grouse is the 15 second limit.  Why on earth do they need this second limits when the world is moving into minutes and hours.

Download the updated Instagram with video for iOS devices from Apple Store.

Download the updated Instagram with video for Android device from Google Play

'Yandex.Browser' the newest browser in town with a bottom URL navigation bar for Android devices and iPad

The Russian search engine giant Yandex today unveiled a new Browser for Android devices.  Called the Yandex.Browser, the browser has a distinct URL navigation at the bottom.  

There is also a customizable visual shortcut manager called Tablo on board which list the sites you visit often.  It also has a Opera like data compression engine to reduce your bandwidth consumption.  Rest all the features are a browser specific which are available in almost all the browsers available today.

But what I really liked about the Yandex.Browser was the design of bottom navigation for URL.  This is really helpful if you have large screen devices like tablets or S IV  

So if you like experimenting with browsers here is one for your.  Download Yandex.Browser from Google Play for Android devices now and enjoy it for a while.

And as far as iPad users are concerned the Yandex.Search has now become Yandex.Browser so if you also want a piece of Yandex cake you can download the Yandex.Browser from Apple Store.  The bottom navigation feature is not yet available for iPad and Yandex.Browser is not yet released for iOS devices as a whole

Gaana upgraded to version 2.0 for Android and iOS; launches Singalong App for Karoake style singing for PC

Gaana, the Indias premier music streaming and downloading site from Times Internet has updated its Android and iOS version to 2.0 and launched a  premium version called Gaana+.  The only difference is that Gaana comes with ads and Gaana+ comes ads free.  The Gaana+ will leave your pockets empty by $2.99(Rs.165.00) for Indians and $3.99(Rs.220.00) for rest of the world.  The other benefit of having Gaana+ will be that you can play music offline and the quality of streaming is much higher.

Simultaneously Times Internet has also  launched a karaoke-style for Gaana, which rates the quality of your singing and allows you to challenge your Facebook friends.  This App called called SingAlong let users notch points for singing against their friends and it has a leaderboard of best singer.   You get to choose from more than 300 songs across 5 different languages and multiple genres, including jazz, ballad, R&B and pop.  SingAlong doesn’t require any songs to be downloaded, they are instead played back via streaming. You can browse or search the available songs, queue multiple songs and favourite the ones that you like. Times has promised that Singalong will also be available across mobile platforms soon.

To download Gaana for your Android visit Google Play here.

To download Gaana for your iOS visit Apple Store here.

To download Gaana for your BlackBerry visit here.

To downlaod Gaana for your Windows Phone visit here.

To download the Java version of Gaana for older Java supported phones visit here.

Skype Video Messaging now available for PC, Mac, Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS, Android and BlackBerry

You must have previewed this one or at least heard of the Skype video messaging App.  Now Microsoft, owner of the Skype has announced a full fledged release of 'Skype Video Messaging' as follows :

Skype for Windows desktop, Skype for Windows 8, Skype for Mac, Skype for iPhone, Skype for iPad, Skype for Android and Skype for BlackBerry. 

Skype video messaging lets you  record and share a personal video message with your friends, colleagues and near and dear ones, even when your friends and loved ones are offline and then send it to them.  They will be able to view your message as soon as they log on to Skype.  Skype is good because your video message will reach only the intended contact and nobody else can view it.  

To send a video message on Skype, tap the "video message" button. Then tap the record button to capture your video message. Your video message can be three minutes long maximum and you can preview it before sending. You can delete and re-record your video message, until you have achieved the desired result. Once you're ready to send your video message, click on the envelope icon. Skype users can now send as many video messages as they want, at no cost except for the data charges. Check out the demo video below to understand it.

To download Skype for click below

1. Skype for Windows desktop

2. Skype for Mac

3. Sype for Windows 8

4. Skype for iPhone

5. Skype for iPad

6. Skype for Android

7. Skype for BlackBerry

8. Skype for Windows Phone

Rdio the ultimate online music subscription adds seven countries to its expanding list

Rdio the App for iOS and Android devices has added seven new countries to its online music subscription service viz. Malaysia, Hong Kong, Colombia, Chile, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Poland.

With this expansion, Rdio is now available in 31 countries in the world.  US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil,  Finland, Germany, UK and Netherlands,  Australia and New Zealand  are its primary markets.

Rdio is available for download for both the iOS and Android devices is expecially useful to music addicts because it is ad free and has a collection of more than 20 million songs from all genres.  It also provides an option to queue up songs that one could listen to at a later point.  The Rdio comes with 6 months free subscription for new users as a promotion after which come with in-App purchases of subscriptions to suit your style.

Another added advantage of using Rdio would be that you will not be restricted from using it on a single device.  Using its Sync feature, the music service can be accessed on multiple devices through a single account. This would mean you can use your single Rdio account on your laptop, desktop and also the music player.

iOS users can download the App from Apple Store here.

Android users can download the App from Google Play here.

Remember to check out if your country is supported by the App.

RunKeeper 3.5 for iOS devices a complete track keeper for your running, jogging and biking exercises

This is one ultimate iOS App if you are into exercises like running, jogging, walking, biking etc.  RunKeeper from FitnessKeeper Inc. has been updated to include new features that allow you to keep track of your own and your friends’ progress on social networking sites.  The new update also lets you compare your previous records over the current information.

Speaking about the new update the company has said, 

“From the beginning, the RunKeeper community has been a close-knit one where friends (both old and new) provide motivation to help each other reach their fitness goals.  You can see progress, chime in with praise or encouragement, and get pumped up by seeing all of the fun activities, milestones, and races of your RunKeeper friends.  But until recently, none of this social functionality was on your phone.” 

The full features of the App can be accessed only through paid Elite  version but the Free version lets you compare you outings.  The other features include :

Track your fitness activities and have fun doing it

- See detailed stats around your pace, distance, and time.

- Get stats, progress, and coaching through your headphones with built-in audio cues.

- Listen and control your music while you work out.

- Measure your heart rate with many available sensors.

- Take pictures along the way to share and save while you go.

Measure your performance over time 

- View a detailed history of your activities to see how you are doing.

- Get notified when you hit new personal bests and milestones.

- Measure your progress against your goals and targets.

- Follow detailed plans to help you achieve specific fitness objectives.

- Turn any activity into a route to do again later.

Share with friends

- Post your activities, achievements and plans to Facebook, Twitter and your friends on RunKeeper.com.

- Let supporters watch LIVE maps of your workouts and races as you go (must subscribe to RunKeeper Elite).

Get a broader picture of your health at RunKeeper.com

- Integrate your activity data with more than 70 other apps and services including Fitbit, Withings, Zeo, Garmin and many more, to get deeper insight into your overall health.

RunKeeper uses heavy dosage of GPS which can drain your battery life considerably.  To download RunKeeper visit Apple Store here.

Sharing videos over social media, the new trend; Check these Apps out for sharing your moving pictures seamlessly

Messaging and sharing photographs seem to be passe.  With the launch of Twitter's 6 second video sharing App 'Vine', the new fad is to share videos'.  It is needless to say that a video clip often conveys more then a normal photograph.  To help you with sharing your moving images memories like your first baby steps or your first bicycle ride, I have compiled a list of free video editing and sharing Apps for iOS and Android devices.  

Here are some Apps for your phones which will help you in snipping, clipping and adding filters to your videos before you share them with your friends and loved ones.

1. Viddy : This Apps is available both for iOS and Android devices and allows users to post videos of 15 seconds or less.

 The App  is very popular and is  known as "Instagram for videos" because of its ability to easily edit footage shot on smartphones with special effects, colour filters and music soundtracks. The app has simplified the process of sharing clips on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and blogs, and it gives users the option to send them via email, SMS or only post them to a personal account page at Viddy's site, the url of which you can share with your friends.  

This one is the simplest of all because it lets you add sound tracks and colour filters very easily even if you are a novice in the field of video editing.  You can change your effects, trim the video length, speed up the video to give it a comic effect, edit brightness and when done, you can share or keep it private.

To download Viddy for Android click Google Play, and to download Viddy for iOS devices click Apple Store.

2. Klip : This Apps is available both for iOS and Android devices.

You have to sign up with them first; you can sign in using you Facebook account.  Klip then asks you your favourite topics and suggests your kind of videos before letting you use the App.  Klip lets you use both rear and front camera and that is a big plus if you want to shoot your own video.  The only disadvantage with Klip is that you can't add effects after you have shot the video, so what ever effects you want to add, you have to do it while shooting the video.

I have recommended this App for its front camera shooting abilities.  If you have a iOS device download it here from Apple Store and Android users can download it here from Google Play.

3. Cinemagram : By now you must be using this App on your iOS or Android device, if you are not, you are missing something.  

This is a beauty of a App, it lets you create GIFs in addition to videos.  You can record a video, loop it, and select certain portions of the video to animate while other portions stay still (giving you surreal or comic effects as you want).   Cinemagram gives you added ability to create short, "edited" videos by letting you hold to record, releasing to change camera positions and continuing.  I have already written a review for Cinemagram, kindly read it here.  

Download Cinemagram for iOS from Apple Store here and for Android devices from Google Play here.

4. Loopcam : This App is sadly only available for iOS users.  Android users may have to wait a while for it.

Loopcam's USP is sort of different from above video sharing Apps.  You have to tap in the frame to shoot a video.  After a couple of taps if you feel you have a complete video press the arrow and a loop is created.  It has a 'hairline guides' feature which tell you now and then whether you are shooting the video properly.  Another feature available with the App is shooting in Ghost mode.  You can also toggle between the front and rear cameras of you smart phone and lets you switch on the flash if the surroundings are dark.  

The only thing missing in Loopcam is audio adding ability but for a novice this is the best App for loop video making.  Once you are done you can share it or keep it for yourself.

iOS users can download the App here from Apple Store.  

I have selected the best of the available Apps but this is not a comprehensive list.  If you have any suggestions do post them in the comments box and I will review them

Markdown editor Byword updated for iOS devices, now lets you post directly on WordPress, Blogger and Tubmler

Byword text editor for for Mac and iOS has received a major update that has added multiple new features to the App.   The most important feature of the newly updated Byword  is the ability to publish directly to multiple blogging platforms like WordPress, Tumblr and Blogger.  

The writing App has been designed to make writing an easier process in Markdown, following which you can preview your documents, export to HTML, PDF or rich text. You can choose your own theme as per your liking between light and dark ones and there are plenty of typefaces.  Using the updated App now lests you scroll position on the Markdown preview and copy rich text to keyboard on Mac. Application Sandboxing is also available with the update. 

Special detailing has been given to the iOS App with major emphasis has been laid on making the offline experience of iOS users. Your documents will now be downloaded automatically when you're connected to Wi-Fi so they're accessible offline. Support will be extended to Dropbox when you're offline, including options to rename, duplicate and delete.   As already written above  the update enables publishing to blogging platforms such as WordPress, Tumblr and Blogger. You will also be able to use this App on Evernote and Scriptogram. 

However the Byword is not free.  It comes at $2.99 (Rs.270.00) for iOS version and $9.99 (Rs.550.00) for the Mac version.  If you are interested, please download the Byword for iOS from Apple Store here and Byword for Mac from here.

Happy blogging!

Kindle for iOS App gets updated; lets users decide the line spacing of the text, fonts etc

Kindle for iOS App was updated by Amazon yesterday to give the ebook readers control over the spacing in the text.  The latest version gives users a host of new line spacing options that let you customise how tightly the text is displayed, i.e. you get to choose between loose, normal and tight line spacing.

The updated version also allows you to add multi-page highlights.  Now users can highlight lengthy passages spanning multiple pages. Another notable feature of the update is that you can now filter the ebooks and other stuff by type like notes, bookmarks and highlights. You can also sync starred notes between devices.

To improve accessibility, Amazon has added the ability to let users select a higher maximum font size. The app has also received some bug fixes and stability improvements.

The native Amazon Kindle App for iOS devices has been optimised for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The app lets you read Kindle books, newspapers, magazines, textbooks and PDFs, and gives you access to over 1,000,000 books on the Kindle Store, in addition to several newspapers and magazines.

With this update, reading ebooks can be fun on the Kindle App.  Get the updated Kindle App from Apple Store here.

Gmail for iOS gets brand new 'Inbox' in the latest update. gets a thorough professional UI

Google today updated its Gmail App for iOS and has rolled out a brand new 'inbox'.  With this the version number of the Gmail iOS App is now 2.3.1.

The highly professional looking INBOX lets you control it rather then other way around.   This brand new 'inbox' is similar to what is being offered on PC to desktop users with you getting to choose what goes where.  This will be particularly beneficial to the users who receive heavy amount of emails.  The new categories which are introduced are social notifications, deals and offers, confirmations, and so on.  This way your all Facebook, Google+ and other social mails will be clubbed under one window.  The important mail will be received in the Primary mail box.  And the offers etc. will go into Promotions mailbox.  

After you update to the latest version, the Primary inbox will show up when you launch launch the app. They can also toggle between the different inboxes as per their requirment.  The Gmail iOS app that has been been optimized for iOS 5.0 or later and will work with iPhones and iPads

What's more the update also brings new notifications options for iOS users, thanks to which, they can opt for being notified for messages, only important messages, or for none at all. They can set these changes in a per account basis. Additionally, these changes can be customised from the in-app settings page.

This is a fun way of checking your mail.  I am already using this method on PC and like it very much.  So head over here to Apple Store to download the latest Gmail for iOS App.

PC users can also opt for the professional INBOX by going to settings ( a little gear at the top right) and choosing configure INBOX from there.  Thats it, you now have a professional looking INBOX like the one described above.

BlackBerry Messenger coming to iOS and Android soon, Thornsten springs a suprise after two hours of dull keynote

The BlackBerry Live 2013 was a dull affair up to point of no return and suddenly CEO Thorsten Heins sprung a surprise that sent the whole mobile community abuzz.  In what could be a make or break decision for BB10, the new operating system from the house of Blackberry, Heins broke the news that BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) will leave BlackBerry world and be launched on Android and iOS in coming months. 

Right at the end of a nearly two-hour-long keynote address, Thorsten Heins broke the news that BBM is leaving the BlackBerry stables and will be available for Android and iOS in the coming months.   He also added that only iOS 6 or higher and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher users will be able to download the BBM App for free and get the best and secure messaging experience in the world.

Though as of yet only the messaging and group features can be accessed with the iOS and Android Apps, the non-BlackBerry users will be able to use the other premium services like BBM Video, BBM Channels, Screen Sharing and other functions over the later part of the year in a staggered manner.  

Next in line was a new social media BBM Channels feature, which Heins announced for the BlackBerry users.  The BBM Channels is a way for celebrities, people, companies and brands to connect with fans and other like-minded individuals through a stream of content within BBM. The new service allows users to search for and subscribe to channels, comment and share posts with friends and also have one-to-one interactions with celebrities and brands. Users can also create and curate their own channels, and get metrics to track the amount of traffic their BBM posts receive. 

Heins said that this service also was is currently in a beta stage and will gradually open up to more users. You can log on to www.blackberry.com/bbm/channels and sign up for the service if you are a BlackBerry user and enjoy the new social experience on Blackberry.

The BBM for iOS and Android dates are not yet divulged by the company, will keep you posted about the news and download links if anything shows up.

Vijay Prabhu