Blast from the past: The Apple QuickTake 150 digital camera
It’s possible to forget, but Apple used to have their own line of digital cameras. Back in the mid-nineties they launched three cameras under the ‘QuickTake’ product banner. What we have here is the second of those; say hello to the Apple QuickTake 150.
Launched in 1995, the QuickTake 150 cost new a staggering $700. Granted, this was a time when digital cameras were in the early days, but $700 meant this was not an item for the masses — much like Apple’s computers of the time. So what does an 18 year old camera provide in the way of specs?
The QuickTake 150 has an 8mm fixed focus lens, a flash, and 1MB of flash storage. It’s capable of shutter speeds between 1/30 and 1/175 of a second, and produces 24-bit images at 640×480. The on-board storage stores only 8 photographs taken at the full resolution, or 32 taken at 320×240 resolution. Unthinkable today that you would ever take an image so small. The QuickTake 150 also included a separate close up clip on lens as part of the kit.
Battery power comes by way of 3xAA batteries, with support for rechargeable ones with the optional charger that was sold separately.
By modern standards, the QuickTake 150 is a rather unusual shape. It’s more akin to a pair of binoculars than a camera, with a large eyepiece at the rear alongside the main controls, with the flash together on the front with the lens. While the shape may be unusual, it’s still surprisingly comfortable to hold.
A neckstrap was included in the box too as part of the kit, and it is insanely long. Apple also included their own image software with the camera — all 4 floppy disks worth of it — along with the serial cable required to connect the camera to the computer. With the QuickTake 150 Apple added support for Windows 3.1 — the previous iteration, the QuickTake 100 had been Mac only — in an effort to widen the market appeal.
The photos taken are stored on the camera in QuickTake file format, but can be converted using the bundled software into more regular and supported file types such as JPEG, BMP and TIFF. So, the bundled QuickTake software and the serial cable are 100% necessary to actually get images from the camera to the computer, and there lies the very reason that sadly I won’t be able to use it. For now, at least.
The QuickTake 150 can’t be connected directly to a more modern Mac running OS X, because there is a lack of support for the Apple serial protocol used. I simply don’t have any hardware old enough to support this camera, an unusual situation to be in. And, because the QuickTake 150 doesn’t have any kind of display on it there’s no way to preview any of the images taken without taking them off the camera first.
However, thanks to the Internet — and in this case, Wikipedia — here is a sample picture taken at maximum resolution with the QuickTake 150. Also thanks to the Internet, the full original user manual for the camera is available to view from Apple.
So, there’s a quick look at a piece of vintage Apple. The camera line didn’t live for long, with the QuickTake 150 being discontinued in 1997. It was though followed by a much improved model, the QuickTake 200 that looked a lot more like digital cameras of the modern day. It was also cheaper, had removable flash storage, a much wider range of shutter speeds and user-selectable focus and aperture controls.
It also serves as a reminder as to just how far camera technology has advanced. Sat next to my Panasonic Lumix G2 Micro 4/3 camera, the QuickTake 150 strikes an imposing figure.
So, did anyone of you purchase a QuickTake digital camera back in the nineties? What were your memories of it and what made you ultimately decide to purchase one? If you’ve any stories to share about your experiences with Apple’s short-lived range of digital cameras, drop us a line in the comments!
Best travel and vacation companion apps for iPhone and iPad
iMore takes a look at the best apps for planning your next vacation or business trip, and the ones you should always have while away.
Whether you’re planning a vacation or travel frequently for pleasure or business, there are literally hundreds of apps available in the App Store that deal with all aspects of travel. Everything from airport and transit guides to vacation home finders and more can be found. If you’re looking for the absolute best ones, here’s a list of the ones we’d highly recommend checking out.
TripIt for iPhone and iPad
If you travel frequently, TripIt is an absolute must have. It’s an entire trip organizer all under one roof. While there is a free version of TripIt that can help you stay organized, the Pro version also includes notifications, the ability to track frequent flier miles, and so much more. Don’t want to enter things in manually? Not a problem. TripIt gives you an email address to forward all your plans to and it’ll auto-fill and populate everything for you. It really doesn’t get any simpler than this for frequent travelers.
Packing Pro
Once you’ve planned a trip, whether it’s a vacation or a business trip, you’re obviously going to have to pack at some point. All of us have always had that moment where we forget something last minute. Packing Pro can help you prevent that by giving you the option to organize your trip way before hand by creating lists of what you need to bring and in what order. Beyond that, Packing Pro also has full iCloud sync support which means your travel list is always with you, regardless what device you’re on.
AirPorts by Travel Nerd
Airports are always cause for stress and confusion, especially large ones. If you get nervous about making flights and being sure you’re where you need to be at the right time, AirPorts by Travel Nerd is the app for you. Not only can you enter in flight information in order to check statuses, you can also view full layouts of many major airports around the world. This means you’ll not only know where terminals are but where bathrooms and other amenities such as WiFi hotspots are as well.
It’s a great app for infrequent travels to business users looking for a place to plug in and recharge.
Travel Channel Layover Guide
There’s nothing worse than having a ridiculously long layover or dealing with a canceled flight, especially if you’re on vacation. Instead of sitting in a hotel or wandering around an airport, Travel Channel’s Layover Guide can help cure boredom and irritation by giving you lots of local spots to hang out at that you may have never decided to visit. Everything from breweries to pubs to five start dining and local attractions.
Layover Guide specializes in helping you find the things that locals treasure, not your typical tourist attractions, even though there are some of those included. You can also become more familiar with an area’s musical culture and download music from those countries directly via iTunes links provided to you. Whether you just want to know more about the area you’re traveling to or simply want a better experience when traveling in general, you can’t go wrong with Layover Guide.
Fodor’s City Guides
If you’re traveling abroad and want to make sure you don’t miss anything you should be seeing, Fodor’s City Guides is a great way to check out the culture around you. Not only can you read up on popular landmarks and attractions, the imagery to go with them is gorgeous. And who doesn’t like looking at amazing photos?
Fodor’s City Guides has lots of information on the usual suspects you’d expect with everything from London, Rome, Paris, New York, Barcelona, and more. If any of these places are ones you’ll be visiting for the first time this summer or on a future trip, make sure you check out Fodor’s City Guides.
Pixter Scanner
If you’re traveling in a foreign country where the main language is not your first language, reading things such as traffic and transit signs can become overwhelming and quickly eat up a lot of time. Enter Pixter Scanner for iPhone. This little gem of an app can snap a photo of any text you’d like and then translate it for you to any given language. Just choose the language the text is written in and what language you’d like it to translate to.
I’ve tried a lot of text translators and Pixter is by far one of the fastest and most accurate. The fact that it pulls from images instead of re-entering text just makes it that much more awesome.
Dwellable
Not everyone likes to stay in hotels when they’re on vacation. Renting a house or finding a condo can be a task if you don’t know where to look, though. Dwellable can you help you with that task by aggregating a huge list of properties for rent near many popular vacation destinations including Hawaii, Vail, Orlando, Palm Springs, and more.
Many of the listings on Dwellable will also have reservation calendars showing when properties are available along with contact information. This way you know while looking whether or not something is available the dates you need to travel. If hotels aren’t your thing and you’re traveling to one of the spots Dwellable supports, make sure to check out what properties are available. You may just be surprised how many you’ll find.
Hotel Tonight
If you’re planning a last minute trip, or decided to extend a current one, Hotel Tonight does exactly what it sounds like it would do. It can find you a great deal on a hotel, tonight. Featuring a list of over 80 destinations in 12 countries, Hotel Tonight can provide you deals that you can’t get anywhere else. In most cases, you can even book for the night all the way until 2am.
Not only will you find great deals with Hotel Tonight, you’ll also enjoy the amazing interface and design that comes with it. So whether you’re in a bind and need a room fast or want to extend a stay somewhere you’re already visiting, make sure to check out what’s available on Hotel Tonight before booking.
Your picks?
Do you have any killer apps that you’ve either used to plan trips or while you’re away? Don’t be shy, let us know what they are in the comments!
Kite Surfer Review
Kite Surfer Review
Kite Surfer looks good and controls great, although it’s also a little light on content.
I’m not an expert on this sort of thing but I’m fairly certain people who ride surfboards while being pulled by a giant kite tend to steer clear of costal areas riddled with rocks and debris. Of course a leisurely glide across calm water probably wouldn’t make for a very exciting game. Fortunately Kite Surfer is riddled with rocks and debris, which does make for a reasonably exciting game.
Kite Surfer is a slightly more aquatic adaptation of those third-person endless runners that have been all over the App Store. Players control their little surfer via a series of swipes to dodge around, leap over, and duck under various obstacles as they try to go as far as they can while grabbing as many coins as possible. These obstacles can include docks, tiny islands, massive boulders, and more, many of which can actually be avoided in a number of different ways.Hiding among the coins and hazards are also a number of power-ups that can boost scores, attract coins, or even let the character fly temporarily. So what are the coins for? Upgrading a power-up’s effectiveness, naturally.
I’ll admit I’m not a massive fan of these kinds of runners but I did have fun with Kite Surfer. And I have to say the controls are incredibly smooth; the swiping is very responsive and can be queued up in a pinch to allow for multiple maneuvers back-to-back. It’s also a pretty good-looking game. It’s a bit cartoony, sure, but the textures on the rocks and items look nice and the water is actually pretty amazing.
I do find myself wishing there was a bit more to it, though. Kite Surfer can be plenty of fun for high score chasing but there’s not much else to keep players invested. It certainly doesn’t need unlockable outfits or persistent character upgrades to be relevant, but when so much of the competition offers just that it starts to feel a little empty.
Kite Surfer probably won’t receive any accolades for blazing trails or breaking molds, but it’s pretty fun. Fun, pretty, and controls incredibly well. It’s a great combination that definitely counts for something.
Posted in: Games, iPad Apps and Games, iPad Games, iPhone Apps and Games, Reviews
Tagged with: action, Action Game, arcade, endless, endless runner, endless running, free, free to play, Freemium, Kite Surfer, MUGOCO Inc, surf
Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.
Spottlife Review
Spottlife Review
Spottlife is a new way to view and interact with the world’s most popular social networks.
Most social networking websites, particularly Facebook and Twitter, face the problem of being woefully unorganised and cluttered when it comes to the news feed. This can lead to the dreaded endless scrolling that causes missed deadlines, failed exams and generally a huge waste of time. The team behind Spottlife have tried to remedy this by presenting a news feed that is divided into categories.
‘Social’, ‘Art’, ‘Technology’ and ‘News’ are just a handful of the headings that posts can be grouped under. This provides the user with a more productive social networking experience, in the sense that if they don’t want to read about ‘Politics’, then they can read about ‘Sports’ or ‘Music.’
The user interface is clean and simple, with the number of posts collected to the left, and one of the example posts to the right, under the name of the category itself. Upon clicking on a post, there is the option to comment, retweet or like it. Public announcement to make? Spottlife makes it easy, with a status bar that can post to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram simultaneously, saving time and effort.
One noticeable downside was that the ‘Other’ category had the largest number of entries on my list (86 to be exact), which still presented me with the temptation to look at posts I had no idea about. Also, in some instances, the categories don’t seem to get the gist of the post. For example, I posted about how my new Nike running shoes made me feel like I was running on clouds. Whereas you might think this came under ‘Sports’ or ‘Hobbies’, it was placed under ‘Weather’. I’d just like to apologise to anyone who was looking to me for a weather forecast that day, as they were presumably disappointed.
However, this is a rare occurrence, and Spottlife achieves what it sets out to do: create a simplified social news feed that combines posts from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+, in a smooth and functional manner.
Posted in: iPhone Apps and Games, Reviews, Social Networking
Tagged with: category, facebook, feed, free, gamai llc, Instagram, networking, organise, social, twitter
Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.
Where, oh, where is my regional Apple TV content?
I love my Apple TV, but what I’d love even more is a healthy dose of regional content on it. AirPlay is OK, but I see it more a means to an end in certain circumstances, not an integral part of my experience. When I’m relaxing watching TV, I don’t want to have to reach for my iPhone or iPad, or even my Mac in order to put something on there to watch.
The major free-to-air channels in the UK — BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 — all have on-demand video services. Each of them also has an iOS application to watch their TV content on your iPhone and iPad. On the Mac, you only need the web browser. On the Apple TV, I’d love each of these to have their own channel.
AirPlay isn’t quite the same
AirPlay is great, I use it all the time. Be it sending music or video from my iOS devices or mirroring the display on my Mac to the TV. Mirroring a Mac display doesn’t help in this situation though, because I can’t use it for anything else. OS X doesn’t provide the same media-only AirPlay options that iOS does. (Fingers crossed for OS X 10.9…)
The other issue is that the apps have to be specifically AirPlay enabled. For example, this method works great on the BBC iPlayer app, but doesn’t work at all on the ITV Player app, because it doesn’t have AirPlay enabled. Whether it’s DRM issues or contractual obligations that keep apps AirPlay free, or force strange AirPlay implementations, it makes no difference to the end user. We just think it’s broken.
In the absence of proper channels, AirPlay is all there is, for those that support it. I find myself using apps like the iPlayer more than ITV Player simply because I can watch them on the TV if I want to.
Never mind when you try to mirror from an iPhone and the Phone app actually rings, killing the TV…
The TV is for relaxing
I like to relax when I’m watching TV, so when I’m using my Apple TV I just kick back, find something to watch and off I go. There’s just not quite enough content to make me want to use the Apple TV more. The hardware is fine, the software is fine — to me, at least — I just want more content. I want to use my Apple TV more. I want to have one under every TV I have, and not have to think about whether I’ll need my iPhone or iPad to help decide what I want to watch.
So, coming out of WWDC I would really love to see some Apple TV news. I’d love to see Apple announce that they’ve struck a whole bunch of regional content deals all over the world. Or the ability for developers to make apps for the platform so the likes of the BBC could do it themselves. And I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing for a better spread of regional content.
So, what would you love to see Apple do with the Apple TV at WWDC? What kind of content are you longing for in your part of the world?
Plasma Pig Review
Plasma Pig Review
This porky pig needs a light touch.
Plasma Pig initially entices with a great, central idea. However, it doesn’t quite take that idea as far as it should go. It’s a great game, but the slightly wasted potential can’t help but sting. Still, landing among the stars is a good consolation prize for shooting for the moon.
When Pigsley, a simple Earth pig, is transported to the planet Lardo, he soon becomes the target of the bacon-hungry alien overlord, Than. Now, only the player’s finger can lead him home. In Plasma Pig, players draw ramps and platforms to guide the circular Pigsley to the level’s exit. The mechanic will be instantly familiar to anyone who played Kirby’s Canvas Curse on the Nintendo DS in 2005. That game set a new, high standard for what touch-based games could be and its hook is no less magnificent here than it was years ago. Players can also tilt Pigsley to help nudge him in the right direction, adding more finesse to the gameplay. While early levels are disappointingly sparse, with too many empty spaces, later worlds eventually introduce bounce pads and other tricks that give the game a satisfying amount of complexity.
Still, throughout its 100 or so levels, Plasma Pig only does the most basic things with level design. Often, the most immediately obvious path to draw to get all three stars will be the one that works. The limited amount of ink or “plasma” occasionally forces players to be more thoughtful and efficient with their scribbling but the levels themselves should provide that challenge, too. It’s not like the game is some platforming adventure where new ramps must constantly be drawn on the fly. Each stage is just a self-contained, overly straightforward puzzle.
At least they are good looking puzzles, though. While it may appear overly simple at first, Plasma Pig’s various worlds, including desert, jungle, and ice environments, impress with subtle depth and textures with a kid’s book, construction paper quality. Pigsley himself may not be too interesting but his surroundings are. The music also does a great job at putting players in the “space adventure” state of mind.
Plasma Pig may not make the most out of its killer hook, but it certainly doesn’t squander it either. It’s a fun, creative game that just doesn’t completely leave orbit.
Posted in: Games, iPad Apps and Games, iPad Games, iPhone Apps and Games, Reviews
Tagged with: $0.99, Angry Avocado Apps, drawing, plasma pig, sci-fi
Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.
Apple drops prices on refurbished iPad mini and iPad 4
Apple has lowered the prices of refurbished versions of the iPad Mini and iPad 4. The discounts hover around 15% off the original price, with the 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad mini starting at $279, and the 32GB and 64GB models starting at $359 and $439, respectively. These refurbished models had previously been available for $299, $389, and $489. The cellular models each go for $389, $469, $549, down from $429, $519, and $619.
Likewise, the iPad 4 models available also received price cuts. Starting with the 16GB version, prices for the Wi-Fi-only model are $419, $499, $579, from $449, $549, and $649. The refurbished cellular models come in at $529, $609, $689, coming down from $579, $679, and $779. A refurbished 128GB model is not available.
Apple notes that all refurbished iPads come with a brand new battery and outer shell. If you have been waiting for lower prices on either the iPad Mini or the iPad 4, now is a great time to get them.
Source: Apple, via MacRumors
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How-to, jailbreak, and DIY Editor at iMore, owner at The Pod Drop & AnoStyle, Potter pundit, and the ninja in your iOS
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Take the fight to those galactic pigs as Angry Birds Space goes free for iPhone and iPad
This weeks App Store free app of the week is Rovio’s Angry Birds Space for both iPhone and iPad. If for whatever reason you haven’t tried this particular version of the smash hit bird flinging adventure, both regular and HD versions are now free for the week.
Angry Birds Space takes the tried and tested Angry Birds formula and takes it into orbit, with a host of new birds and the effects of gravity — and lack of — to add to the challenge. As with all Angry Birds games, Space has been updated a few times since launch with additional levels, included a Curiosity Rover inspired Mars level. Grab it from the App Store now!
Hipstamatic Oggl Review
Hipstamatic Oggl Review
Remember Hipstamatic? It’s back with a host of features to challenge the likes of Instagram.
Long ago, as iOS reckons time, before the 1 billion dollar acquisition of Instagram by Facebook, and before photo filters were ubiquitous, there was Hipstamatic, a digital recreation of an analog camera, complete with changeable lenses and film types. But alas, time passed by and Hipstamatic, while still useful and engaging, lost mindshare to Instagram and the onslaught of photo processing apps. Many fondly remembered it, but used it less and less.
Hipstamatic’s developer hopes to change this with the introduction of Oggl, their new social network/camera app hybrid that attempts to link the Hipstamatic name and legacy to a powerful but easy to use photo hub.
First looks can be deceiving, and indeed that’s the case with Oggl. What at first appears to be nothing more than another Instagram clone reveals itself to be much, much more upon deeper inspection. Many of the basic features of other social camera apps are present in Oggl from the start: the square-framed pictures, the ability to follow other users and the option to see trending photos from around the world. The difference, however, lies in how photos are processed and then how they are shared.
Those used to the original Hipstamatic’s serendipitous pre-photo combos of lenses and films may be disappointed to learn that Oggl ditches that paradigm for an entirely post-processed method. AFTER taking a photo, users can adjust various visual factors by changing the film stock and the lens type. Yes, that makes the Oggl experience much more akin to using filters, but the film/lens analogy still works. What’s not appealing at the moment is the paucity of available films and lenses, though Hipstamatic promises to remedy this issue in the near future. I was also disappointed to discover that the paks I have purchased through the Hipstamatic app are not accessible through Oggl…yet. Again, the devs say this will be added in a future update.
Once a photo is taken it goes into a ‘holding area’ before final processing and publishing to the Oggl stream. Sharing options are abundant, and the interface to share to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, tumblr, Flickr and Instagram could not be simpler or better designed.
Taken as a whole, the interface used by Oggl easily trumps similar apps and services. The learning curve may be a tad steeper, and some options (such as finding other friends using the service) are needlessly buried when they should be front-and-center, but the look and feel of the app is one of the best I’ve seen in a while. In fact, it’s now my go-to app for taking and sharing photos across the social spectrum. Since I have a six-month-old, I take a LOT of pictures, so having one app that can appease my social and creative needs is ideal.
Oggl has room to grow, but it is far better than I expected it to be. Once links can be made to users’ pre-existing Hipstamatic camera paks, this may be the social photo app to beat.
Posted in: Photography, Reviews
Tagged with: camera, facebook, flickr, Hipstamatic, Instagram, oggl, photo, Photography, retro, share, Sharing, social, Social Media, twitter
Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.