Author: Robyn

Have you ever had trouble determining where to eat a meal? Or, have you ever wanted to try a new place to eat, but weren’t sure if you would like it? If you answered yes, then Great Food Nearby is an app that should be in your iOS collection. Great Food Nearby is to the food industry as Pandora is to the music industry. The app makes suggestions of restaurants based off of how you rate other restaurants. When you first start up the app, you are asked to choose types of cuisine that you enjoy. Then, you are asked…

A few months ago, we discussed the importance of keeping the brain active with games and exercises designed to enhance the brain’s performance. Along with this observation, we reviewed an app called Fit Brains Trainer. The app worked to train a brain through a series of tests. I mentioned that there are many apps available in the Apple iTunes store that work to keep brains fit and active. Today, we bring you another one of these apps – Lumosity. The concept of Lumosity is very similar to Fit Brains Trainer. Lumosity seeks to improve the brain’s potential for memory retention,…

Blotter version 2.2 brings Retina display support and many backend updates. A couple of months ago, we published a review on Blotter for Mac OS. This app delivers a transparent calendar widget for your desktop that works with the Mac’s native calendar application. We were highly impressed with this app for many reasons, but the most popular reason was the ease of viewing our schedules without having to open the calendar app. Developer, Wireload LLC, released a highly anticipated update on July 18th. Version 2.2 includes the following: Support for Retina displays Better support for Google Calendars Improved support for…

This week in tech news – Apple looking at bigger screens for iPhone and iPad, Ubuntu hoping to release Edge in 2014 and Apple’s developer site was hacked. Apple Testing Bigger iPhone Screens? Some potential prototype pictures that suggest a larger screen may be in store for the next iPhone have hit the Internet. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal the Cupertino-based company has recently been testing an iPhone screen larger than 4 inches with its Asia suppliers. This report also suggests that the iPad screen may be increasing in size as well. Screens slightly smaller than…

As more and more digital photographers are using their iPhone as their primary method of capture people, places and things, more and more apps are hitting the marketplace to enhance the photographer’s toolkit. There are the ‘essentials’ like iPhoto and Instagram that allow users to edit photos with ease. Photo editing apps are getting close to being a ‘dime a dozen’ and it can be a struggle for developers to come up with something unique. Earlier this month, developers Artware, Inc. released Layrs, an iOS photo editing app. So, what make Layrs so special? It allows users to mark the…

One of the things I really appreciate Apple is that they help people find what they are looking for and suggest apps for different lifestyles. At this point in time, the iTunes App store has a featured category of “Back to School.” The apps featured within Back to School are meant to maximize productivity for students when they return to school after the summer break. Some of the apps included are Pages, Numbers and Keynote, which are comparable to Microsoft Office. There are several free apps listed, but there are also some ‘pay-for’ apps. If you are returning to school…

Sums Gesture Calculator for iOS gives a new reason for gestures. Even though the iPhone comes equipped with a native calculator, there are dozens of calculator apps available in the iTunes App Store. Some of them have sound effects like an adding machine and others make clicking noises. But, I’ve only found one that uses iOS gestures to activate the calculator’s functions. Sums Gesture Controlled Calculator uses multiple gestures to complete the math functions of the calculator. For example, if you want to add 2 and 2. You would enter 2 on the keypad on the screen, then swipe to…

Auto Memory Cleaner frees up your memory on autopilot. Here on MacSources.com, we have discussed the importance of cleaning your computer’s memory from time to time. When your computer starts to lag or act a little slower than usual, cleaning up your memory is usually the first thing you want to check. There are many ways to do this, but quite possibly the easiest method is to simply open Terminal and use the ‘purge’ command. This allows you to free up computer memory that isn’t being used without tying up additional memory with an application that does the same action.…

This week in tech news – prices are cut due to low sales, trade-ins are offered for upgrades and Apple is on a hiring spree. Microsoft Cuts Surface Prices Microsoft Corp. has decided to cut the price of its first tablet computer, the Surface RT, but as much as 30 percent as it struggles to capture customers in the tablet market. Since its debut in October, only 900,000 units of the Microsoft tablet have been sold. By comparison, the Apple iPad had over 14 million units sold in Q4 of 2012 alone. Best Buy Held an iPad Trade-in Event For…

Sky Guide is your iOS window to the universe. For quite some time, Starbucks has been giving free music away to loyal customers on Tuesdays. This music giveaway promotion started in store and Stabucks gradually moved the promotion over to their mobile app. Since its partnership has tightened with Apple and iTunes, now the app offers free app downloads on Tuesdays, too. I’ve used this nifty reward program for a while and have downloaded a few songs, but mostly ignored the option until apps were included. Now, I download an app nearly every week. This week’s app was Star Guide.…

Any Screen Record Pro allows users to selectively capture video. As someone with a video production/post-production background, I can say that I’ve used most methods to grab videos from all kinds of sources. I’ve converted video from DVD, VHS, DVC Pro, Mini-DV, Hi-8 and even Betacam. One thing that always seems to elude me is video screen capture. Mac actually includes a screen capture option within Quicktime now, but it captures video from the entire screen. It does not allow for selective video capture. Any Screen Record Pro for Mac does. Any Screen Record Pro is the a great resource…

This week in tech news – Apple celebrates App Store birthday, iOS 7 Beta update released, WebTV to shutdown and inventor of the computer mouse dies at age 88. WebTV to Shutdown September 30 Microsoft owned MSN TV, formerly known as WebTV, is to be shutdown on September 30th. The service was one of the first to connect TVs with the Internet. Microsoft acquired WebTV in 1997 for $425 million. This news comes as Apple increases its efforts with set-top boxes. Apple to Celebrate iTunes App Store Anniversary on July 10 The iTunes App Store is turning 5 on July…

Argus is the all-in-one health and fitness app for every one. I have many apps on my iPhone that track different aspects of health and fitness. I’ve been hoping that at some point I would find one app that tracks the same types of information so that I would not have to have multiple apps for health and fitness. It looks as though Argus may be that app. Argus is a one-stop health and fitness app that tracks every piece of a user’s activity. Some of the features include: Daily step counter and activity tracking Helps users create a food…

This Week in Tech News – Yahoo shuts down AltaVista, Google closes Reader, Apple files for iWatch Trademark and next iPhone may have LTE-advanced. Yahoo to shut down AltaVista Search engines have changed the way we find information. One of the first indexing search engines, AltaVista, is scheduled to be shutdown on July 8th. Yahoo acquired AltaVista in 2003 and anyone looking for AltaVista after the shutdown will be redirected to Yahoo’s main site. Google Closes Book on RSS Even though diehard fans were outraged, Google still discontinued Google RSS Feeds, its free Reader service. The reasoning behind the decision…

Shape Magic gives users three utilities in one. In this ‘everything is better as long as it’s faster’ world, menu bar utilities are among some of the most popular apps downloaded. They make us more productive and help us complete our normal daily computer tasks much quicker and easier. Most of my current menu bar utilities only feature one task. But, I recently acquired Shape Magic, which incorporates three utility functions – Internet searching, taking screenshots and hiding apps – into one app. Shape Magic is a menu bar utility that features three shapes – diamond, square and circle – that…

Stellar Speed Up Mac restores speed to the Mac. As powerful as they are, Mac computers are still susceptible to periodic speed bumps like corrupt files, too many widgets, cache, log and temporary files, and applications running in the background. Because I use my MacBook Pro for app testing and writing, I do experience some lag from time to time. It is easy to accumulate those files that contribute to slow down when you are frequently using a machine to do tasks like app testing or web browsing. There are utilities that will assist you with cleaning unwanted files from…

Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad brings style and functionality to the iPad accessory. According to a recent study by Pew Internet Research, one-third of the adult (age 18 and over) population in the United States owns a tablet. Of that figure, 46% of are Apple tablets (iPad or iPad Mini). I happen to fall into that category. I have been an iPad owner since 2011 when I received my iPad 2 as a birthday gift. At the time, I have used it in a variety of functions – the most recent being an e-reader, which I never thought would…

Climate for Mac provides quick, easy management of your Nest thermostat. With the price of utilities constantly fluctuating installing a programmable thermostat can help families manage their energy usage much better. There are many different models and kinds available and there are even those that work with your smartphone. The Nest is a programmable learning thermostat. It connects to your home WiFi network and can be programmed and controlled even when you are away from your home. The Nest has a native web app and iOS app from the manufacturer that ensure you can always connect with your thermostat. In…

This week in tech news – Apple holds WWDC 2013, Microsoft Xbox One and Playstation 4 began taking preorders, Saudi Arabia to Ban Skype and WhatsApp and AT&T releases emergency update. Apple Holds WWDC 2013 Apple held its annual World Wide Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Traditionally a place where software and hardware innovations are announced. MacSources.com posted a recap of the event earlier this week along with a First Look of iOS 7, the newest mobile operating system update announced by Apple. Microsoft Xbox One and Playstation 4 Begin Taking Preorders 2013 marks the resurgence…

By now, most Apple users have seen what iOS 7 will be able to do when it is released this fall. It is a completely redesigned, re-imagined operating system for the most popular smart phone in the market. For those who invest in a developer account for iOS, iOS 7-Beta was available for download on day one of WWDC 2013. Our experience thus far with iOS 7 has been positive. The general feeling here at MacSources is that there are still some bugs to be worked out, but it is a Beta version…and that’s what Beta is for. Here are…

WWDC 2013’s Keynote featured new OS, software and hardware. WWDC launched its 2013 conference with its traditional Keynote address featuring not only Apple’s Executive Management, but also some software and hardware updates. I will show a few of the main releases that were announced today and their features.iOS 7 Apple’s mobile operating system iOS is getting its first major revamp since the original release of the iPhone. Sure there have been some technological updates to the system, but this time the look has been completely redone, too. iOS 7 will be available for download this fall and will work with…

This week in tech news – WWDC 2013, AT&T changes upgrade policies, GamePop to run iOS. WWDC 2013 Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is scheduled to begin tomorrow, June 10 10AM Pacific/1PM Eastern. Traditionally, WWDC’s Keynote is used to announce new technologies and software. In 2012, the Keynote included new models of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro Retina, OSX Mountain Lion and iOS 6. This time of year always brings a lot of speculation of what Apple will announce. Some of the predictions this year include iOS 7, OS 10.9, Airdrop for iOS, iRadio and a refresh of the…

Encyclopedia Britannica educates the next generation via mobile app. Encyclopedia Britannica has been teaching history since 1798. Generations have turned its pages to write countless research papers and enrich one’s knowledge of the world around them. It is written by and continuously edited by 100 editors. The most recent and final written version was published in 2010. In 2012, publishers announced that the 2010 edition would be the last in print. The move to digital includes a weekly, monthly or annual subscription fee to access the information from the website or mobile versions. The volume-based set  can be found in most libraries…

8mm gives a vintage look in real time recording. I was introduced to video and video production at a young age. I learned how to edit tape-to-tape and run a 1-inch reel machine. These two skills are becoming a lost art. As a previously non-digital art, becomes more and more digital, there are more ways to effect video. When I was working in video post-production, I learned how to ‘fix it in post’ and color correct videos as well as put special video effects on video to make it have a specific feel or look. With the advancement of the…

Tornado by American Red Cross prepares you for disaster. Be prepared. If you were ever a boy or girl scout, these two words were drilled into your head. These two words were also a part of your daily vocabulary if you grew up in the part of the the United States known as ‘Tornado Alley.’ The technical definition of ‘tornado alley’ is the part of the country where tornado occurrences are more frequent. While no geographic location is immune to the effects of tornados, there are locations that have conditions that are more favorable. With that in mind, ‘be prepared’…

This week in tech news – eBook Trial set to begin, 8-inch Windows 8 tablet announced and iRadio looking to make WWDC appearance. Apple under the gun with eBook Trial In a trial that began a year ago, Apple will begin its defense of pricing eBooks this coming week. The case alleges that Apple conspired with publishers to raise eBook prices. Amazon.com, which declined to comment on the situation, controls at least 60 percent of the eBook market and is believed to incite the investigation. Acer announces the first 8-inch, Windows 8 tablet The Iconia W3, the world’s first 8-inch…

Hotel for Tonight helps the stranded traveler find a place to stay. I’ve been quite the connoisseur of hotel websites and apps for quite some time. Ever since online booking became available, I’ve been using it. It can be a crap shoot sometimes, but with more and more people reviewing locations, it’s easier to find reputable places to stay. Recently, I took a trip to Indianapolis, Indiana and was attempting to find a decent, clean hotel within a certain budget. Some of the spots I found seemed great and they were chains that I’ve stayed in a trusted as a…

As a graphic designer, I learned the basics of Photoshop very early on in my career. It is one of the primary applications designers use to modify and enhance images. Some would even call it the ‘premiere’ application for such work. For many years, Photoshop has been at the forefront of graphics and has always been sold at a premium. As technology advances and more and more companys utilize cloud-based services, consumers will be forced to make certain choices – either stick with the application they know and pay a higher premium than before or find a comparable application through…

Phlo helps users save time searching the Internet. When I open an Internet browser window it is usually to search for something. Directions, statistics, factoids…they can all be found through search engines. My personal favorite is Google search, but some of the others – Bing, Yahoo! and even Facebook – are becoming powerful forces in the search engine marketplace. On my MacBook Pro I use the utility, Alfred, which searches through indexed content on my computer as well as applications to increase my productivity. While Alfred does include some Internet search engine assistance, that’s not really its main purpose. With…

iPad vs. Windows 8 commercial pokes fun at the functionality of iOS. The Apple versus Windows battle rages on with the revolution of the tablet world. The Apple iPad was the first into the marketplace with a successful tablet in 2010. Since then, there have been many followers in the market. The Galaxy series by Samsung and the Kindle Fire by Amazon.com are two leaders in the non-Apple tablet market. And, most recently, the Microsoft Surface series has joined the pack. Looking at the first quarter sales of 2013, Apple’s iPad still leads the market with 39.6% of the market…