Sunday, February 12, 2012
Which deal apps to you prefer? Shopping for gifts online, just in time for Valentine's Day.
I'm a sucker for deal sites, apps and email lists. Do I really need half off of $16 in comic books, a Valentine's Day gift of a photography class, discount movie tickets and an absolute steal on a service that will convert my Hi8 videos into DVDs? The answer is yes. (Or, mostly yes. I have still have to find my Hi8 video cassettes.) Right now, there's a huge market for daily deal apps, so this week I'm offering quick-hit reviews of apps currently on my iPhone. And, I'm asking our readers: Which apps do you use and why? Groupon ...is the 800-lb gorilla in the room, and with good reason. The app is easy to use, connects with my credit card and keeps track of my coupons. The quality of the deals themselves vary, but I still check it almost …
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Are you stranded in an airport due to snow and need flight information? Delta has an app for that.
Imagine: You're stuck in an airport full of grumpy fliers -- all of you waiting as your flights get pushed backbackback, wondering if you'll have to spend the night in the airport. Well, a week ago, I did not have to imagine. I was stuck in Atlanta, trying to make it back home for my birthday dinner (hosted by my lovely wife) while Chicago was getting pulverized by the first major winter storm of 2012. Earlier: Yipit: Deals by Map in this App Then, as they pushed back my flight for the third time, I spotted it: a sign advertising the Fly Delta mobile app. It read: "Cancelled Flight or Missed Connection? 1) Review and Select Other Flight Options 2) Use Scan & Go to Print Your New Boarding Pass.... (etc.)" Since I had nothing but time to …
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Business Card Reader eliminates that pesky step of typing information into your phone.
In this job, by the end of the week, I collect a ton of business cards. In fact, it's not unheard of for me to put on jackets I haven't worn in awhile to find business cards in the breast pocket and do one of those Homer Simpson forehead slaps—doh! When I first started this column, the folks at SHAPE Services suggested I try their app: Business Card Reader ($4.99), which will take a photo of said card and convert it to the fields in your iPhone address book. Perfect! I thought. Well, near perfect. I've been using this app for a few weeks now, trying to convert business cards to contact files. Mostly, it's been a success. Previously: Forget Watches—Try An App For Running I recently met Kathryn Auerbach at an event for Hacks/Hackers—a group …
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Starbucks' iPhone app is robust and useful — but in need of streamlining.
This job takes me to a ton of coffee shops. Mobile journalism means mobile offices, and for me, that means local cafes and caffeine dens. Oftentimes, I find myself at Starbucks locations for hours on end, which is why I was excited to try out the Starbucks iPhone App. What does it do? For starters, the mapping function allows you to not only find the Starbucks near you, but also its hours, which is handy for us suburban nighthawks. You can also buy drinks by scanning your phone, which deducts money from gift cards you've stored in there. And you can keep a log of your favorite caffeine addictions (mine: chai latte — but does that even have caffeine?) Earlier: Eliminate Rewards Cards Clutter with CardStar Other features let you browse food …
Sunday, October 9, 2011
This week, the App Hunter reviews the OverDrive Media Console app, which allows library patrons on mobile devices to upload ebooks and audio books.
Imagine this: Walking into your local library and finding an advertisement for an app that allows you to checkout ebooks and audiobooks on your mobile device! Inside, you yell, "Genius! Why hasn't this existed before?" That's exactly what happened to me with the OverDrive Media Console app. OverDrive has so much promise, so many tantalising possibilities that you can't help but like it. Earlier: A Review of Panoramic Photos by the Pano App. In my case, I really, really wanted to like it. But the experience speaks for itself. I tried this app out a year ago but was frustrated by its limited book selection and even more limited functionality. For example, I wanted to listen to The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Vol. 1 on my iPhone. …
Friday, June 3, 2011
Each Friday Patch will highlight the area's biggest news headlines in the Weekly PatchCast. Tune in to watch at noon.
Click on the video to see what's happened in Patch sites around you this week: Skokians Connected to Large Gambling, Drug, Racketeering Ring. UPDATE: Judge Denies New Trier Senior's Request To Walk At Graduation. Behind The Scenes: Selling The 'Home Alone' House. High School Junior Creates iPhone App. VFW Post Pays Tribute On Memorial Day.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Self-taught student codes 19,000 lines to build game.
Dylan Eirinberg lived a childhood similar to most who call Highland Park home. He played youth baseball and tennis growing up, and was not what one might consider a computer genius. Now, he's the proud, 16-year-old inventor of an iPhone App. “I’ve always been an Apple fan,” said Eirinberg, a junior at Highland Park High School who was motivated to create Glide from playing games on his iPhone. When a software developer kit was released that allowed anyone to create an app, Eirinberg decided to give it a shot. “It was really intriguing and that’s when I decided that I wanted to do it,” he recalled. Learning code on his own Eirinberg went out and bought a few books that explained how to create iPhone Apps and write the Apple-specific code …
New columns, new districts and new iPhone apps.
Real Urban Barbecue (RUB) celebrated National Brisket Day last Saturday with hundreds of pounds of smoked, saucy beef brisket ready for customers. Because the occasion coincided with Memorial Day weekend, owner Jeff Shapiro committed 10 percent of brisket sales to the USO of Illinois, which supports military personnel. Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) decided Tuesday that he would run for reelection in the newly redrawn 10th District. Dold’s current home in Kenilworth is located in the reconfigured 9th Congressional District, currently represented by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston). Dylan Eirinberg lived a childhood similar to most who call Highland Park home. Now, he's the proud, 16-year-old inventor of an iPhone App. Check out the story …
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The app is available for download starting April 14.
The mobile Patch app is finally here, which means now you can take Highland Park Patch everywhere. The iPhone app is available beginning April 14 in Apple’s App Store and features a variety of ways for you to stay connected and keep up-to-date about what’s going on in your community. For starters, the Patch app will consist of all the things you see on the website, including community news, weather, local business listings and events around town. Features like the Front 5 allow you to access top stories of the day and stay in tune with the latest in local news. Share your thoughts by commenting on stories, uploading photos and rating business listings. You can even share your favorite stories and/or business listings with your friends on …
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Free application tells Apple cell phone users which roads in county to avoid for smoother trips.
An iPhone app that lets motorists view real-time road conditions is now available through PASSAGE (Program Arterial Signal Synchronization and Travel Guidance), a project of the Lake County Division of Transportation. “It helps us by getting the word out as far as incidents, construction and travel conditions. Users are able to report back to us incidents such as a stall blocking a lane or traffic signal not working,” said John Nelson, a traffic engineer with the county agency. As of Feb. 25, there were 360 downloads of the application, Nelson said. The iPhone app became available Feb. 8. Users can view a map of current conditions. Red flags alert motorists of traffic events, such as accidents or blocked lanes due to road construction. …
Pam DeFiglio
10:36 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012
KGB...wait, isn't that the Russian spy agency? What exactly do they offer, Kalashnikovs? :-) more ›