iOS Archives - Page 5 of 9 - Serious Startups

Apple Unveils iOS 6, Brings 200 New Features & Officially Kicks Google Out With New Maps App

The last thing that Apple brought to WWDC 2012 was the unveiling of iOS 6. The new iteration of iOS will have over 200 new features, and a few of them are outlined below. iOS 6 will be coming to iPhone models from the 3GS and later, the 4th generation iPod Touch, and the 2nd and 3rd iPads generations. They have announced a new notification center with not only Twitter integration, but Facebook is coming along for the ride this time. You can now like everything from photos to apps in the App Store, and you can post things to Facebook in the same way that you could with Twitter in iOS 5.

They have also updated Siri to be able to do even more things and provide even more information. Siri can now launch apps, and Apple showed off a lot of new questions that Siri can answer such as sports statistics and turn-by-turn navigation right from Siri itself. Apple has also added a new app called Passbook that virtually transforms your iPhone into a gift card and event ticket wallet. You can now receive notifications of when you are near a store at which you have money to spend or when a boarding pass at an airport gets updated. Apple even released a template for third-party developers to implement their own services into Passbook. They have added a “Do Not Disturb” function to iPhone as well that allows you to shut off notifications and specify exactly what comes through and when. You can set a VIP list for email so you receive specific notifications from senders right to the lock screen. Facetime also be available over a cellular connection, which will revolutionize how much people use the service when they are out and about.

Apple has also kicked Google out their maps equation by launching their own maps complete with turn-by-turn navigation. This maps service will be crowd-sourced, and with the huge number of iOS users out there, this could definitely take the place of Google Maps without a problem. 3D maps are also available and looks extremely fluid and well-designed.

Apple is bringing a lot of new features to the table, and iOS 6 will hit iOS devices worldwide this Fall, likely with the launch of the next iPhone. We will be sure to keep you updated with any developer previews and information we receive.

OS X Mountain Lion Will Hit Macs This Summer For Only $20

Along with the new MacBook lineups, Apple also gave us more of a look at OS X 10.8, Mountain Lion. Mountain Lion will bring a lot of new features that will closely integrate it with other Apple products. Notification Center will be brought to Macs, so users can get all of their notifications throughout their devices. This means Twitter, Calendar, and even iMessage notifications will come right to your Mac. They have also added a mute button for this, so users don’t have to get a ton of notifications if they don’t want.

They also have added GameCenter so users can take their gaming across all Apple platforms, and invites to games will now come to Macs as well. AirPlay now has mirroring for Macs, and the HDMI port on the new MacBooks will help with that as well. Apple has added a feature called PowerNap which updates the entire system while it is sleeping so your MacBook will always be up to date even without you initiating it. There are over 200 new features in Mountain Lion, and it will hit Macs this summer for only $19.99.

Photo credit: Engadget

Atlanta Startup: NearbyThis Launched Last Week At Virginia Highland Summerfest

NearbyThis is exactly what you think it would be, a new “discovery” mobile app for iPhone. Ray Abram CEO of NearbyThis and lead developer Glenn Martin, say that their app is different though because it drills down and geo targets advertising.

“NearbyThis helps consumers see what’s going on around them in real time and save money with daily deals by leveraging social media,” Abram said. “For retailers, NearbyThis offers the power to have two-way conversations with mobile customers. Advertisers, meanwhile, can take advantage of innovative geo-targeted technology by placing ads on users’ phones when they’re nearby places that sell their products.”

“Imagine going to a mall and having all coupons for nearby stores on hand, having the ability to receive realtime communications from the stores, as well as promotions from advertisers selling goods in those stores,” Martin said to the Examiner. “Other advertising models target users by behavior. We do it by proximity, which is more efficient and cost-effective.”

They recently launched NearbyThis at the popular Virginia Highland Summerfest in Atlanta last weekend. It was a great opportunity for them to launch the app in front of tens of thousands of people in an outdoor environment with plenty around to find and discover using NearbyThis.

NearbyThis also aggregates daily deals. We all know about Groupon and Living Social. We also know about the countless emails you can get for daily deals. NearbyThis pulls all that info into their app as well.

We’ve solved the problem with daily deal spam,” Abram said. “You get these emails every day, but you don’t want to unsubscribe because occasionally you find ones you like. We put all deals for nearby places on one page so you can just scroll through the list to see what you like.”

Another key advantage to NearbyThis is that Martin is no stranger to technology, mobile apps and big data. He holds the patents that power the widely popular Kayak.com travel site.

NearbyThis is combining the power of daily deals apps,social networking apps and geo-location or LBS (location based services apps) into one easy to use app and interface.

Linkage:

Find out more about NearbyThis at their website here

Here’s the iTunes page for NearbyThis

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We’ll Be Live At io/LA Covering Hollywood Hack Day

This weekend, while Kyle will be on the East Coast at another Startup event. I’ll be at a Hackathon on the West Coast covering the Hollywood Hackathon. The event, which has moved to io/LA’s venue near the famed Hollywood and Highland intersection in the middle of Hollywood. Will be filled with those trying to make it into the entertainment field by way of Tech.

Foursquare 5.0 Brings Complete Redesign, Available For Android And iOS

The completely redesigned, new version of Foursquare that we have been hearing about for so long is finally here today–and it is awesome. Foursquare is still Foursquare. Meaning you still check-in, you still can explore, you still compete for mayorships with your friends and complete strangers. However, the way Foursquare goes about this puts a bigger emphasis on finding you new things to do.

It all starts with the design. As soon as you open the app for Android, you will notice that it has the brand new ICS themed layout that we’re starting to see with more and more apps. In the iOS version, the same idea is present only in the standard row of tabs on the bottom of the screen. In the same direction that both Facebook and Google+ have gone, Foursquare is also enlarging all of the photos in the app, making it a more visual experience than ever. This works hand-in-hand with the new Facebook Timeline integration, which inevitably makes Foursquare look like a native part of Timeline when posts are viewed on Facebook. The whole thing just feels like that “modern social network” that all of the top social giants seem to be heading towards these days.

The Explore feature now remembers the places that you often go and the places you mark as a favorite, and suggests them to you. For example, right now my Foursquare app knows that it is Thursday afternoon, so it reads “Suggestions for Thursday afternoon.” Under that line, it shows a lot of my favorite lunch places, starting with Chipotle Mexican Grill. And to be honest, I could go for some Chipotle right now, which is exactly the reaction that Foursquare was looking for with their new app.

You can view your stats in a beautiful new grid layout, that shows your friends, check-ins, mayorships, and trophies as well. It looks really good, and is definitely the best Foursquare experience yet. In my opinion, this update is exactly what Foursquare needed to renew its novelty feel, keep users coming back, and bring back users that have parted ways. Grab the update for Android in the link below, and the update for iOS is available at the iTunes link below.

Play Store link

iTunes link

Google Introduces Offline Maps And Higher Resolution 3D Maps

Last week Google told us they would be showing off the “next dimension of Maps” today, and so they have. A lot of people thought it would have to do with 3D, and some of it does, but the big deal of Google’s event is the introduction of offline Maps. And offline Maps is a big deal.

I can’t count the amount of times that I have had to wait on Google Maps to pull up my directions or navigation due to a poor data connection. Now, this is usually when I am in the middle of nowhere, but it was still an issue. Google will now allow users to download Map areas to their device (this is already offered in Labs, to some extent) and will improve upon any offline downloading that is currently available. They didn’t specify exactly how it will all work, or how much you can have offline at a time, but it will be coming to Android soon.

They also will be improving their 3D maps pictures, giving them much more detail and more of a realistic look. This feature will be coming to both iOS and Android however, because Google is looking to bring these features to both platforms. Google has started using new forms of mapping to obtain these images which will give us higher resolution images as well. They have also introduced a new backpack camera that they will use to obtain Street View pictures in places that they can’t get cars.

Pretty cool stuff.

We’ll be sure to let you know when Google finally pushes these features to their iOS and Android apps, and give you our opinions of how they actually work when on devices.

iPhone To More Prepaid Carriers, Next Up Virgin Mobile

We knew when we reported earlier this month, that Cricket Wireless was getting a prepaid version of the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4, that other prepaid carriers wouldn’t be far a long. Cricket will start offering the iPhone on June 22. A mere 10 days later the iPhone will also arrive on Virgin Mobile, one of Sprint’s prepaid arms.

While Cricket has a presence in most of the Best Buy’s in the continental United States, they are still considered a regional carrier. At last count they covered 60 million pops with their own network, however they have a roaming agreement with Sprint and even offer service in Best Buy stores that aren’t part of Cricket’s actual footprint.

In contrast, and using Sprint’s entire footprint, Virgin covers 278 million people.

Both prepaid brands offer an “unlimited” data option although there is throttling involved on the Cricket side.

The prepaid wireless industry has evolved over the last few years. Earlier on it was considered an industry aimed at older folks who literally only needed a phone for emergencies, people with bad credit and people who needed a “disposable” or “burner” phone.

Now cost conscious consumers across the country are going with the reliable convenience of prepaid carriers like Cricket Wireless, Virgin Mobile (Sprint), Metro PCS and Boost Mobile (Sprint). T-Mobile has a pretty big prepaid arm. AT&T and Verizon also offer prepaid services but nothing to the likes of any of the other prepaid carriers.

Consumers may rather opt for the higher cost of phone acquisition to get the iPhone without having to be roped into a two year contract.

Source: Business Insider

CM4 Has The Ultimate Case For Dads & Grads With iPhone 4 & 4s

A premium accessory manufacturer in Austin Texas has come up with the ultimate case for people on the go with an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s. It’s the perfect gift for any dad or grad with an iPhone.

The Q-Card case houses the iPhone in a protective silicone case, protecting it from bumps and bruises. At the same time it has a tight fitting card carrying pocket on the back side of the case. This pocket is perfect for dads who have business cards to hand out at events. It’s also perfect for grads that are looking for a case to hold their license and their debit cards.

For dads the case comes in a very executive looking black finish. It almost looks like a hybrid between a wallet and a phone case.

For grads that need a little more style, CM4, the creator of the Q-Card case has just announced new colors. The Q-Card case is now available in Pink Sapphire, Pacific Green, and Pearl White.

The sleek, streamlined Q Card Case matches the essentials of a wallet with the modern elegance and efficient utility of the iPhone 4/4S. The Q Card Case employs a patent-pending construction that provides comfortable and easy pocket or purse removal. Natural Throw™ buttons compliment the phone’s tactile response to maintain an organic connection with your phone. The case also comes with a protective Screen Guard™ to ensure the screen looks pristine even with every day wear and tear.

“We’re excited to release these new colors that our fans have been anticipating,” said Matt Altschul, president and CEO of CM4. “The case delivers protection, comfort, convenience, and style in one eye-catching package.”

If you want to get one, head on over to CM4 here

Austin Startup MapMyFitness Announces $9 Million Dollar Round

Austin fitness startup MapMyFitness has received a $9 million dollar round of funding.

SiliconHillsNews is reporting that Austin Ventures and Milestone Venture Partners led the series B round for the fitness app development startup. Competitor Group Inc, and The Running Specialty Group LLC also participated in the round through other business partnerships.

The Austin based startup makes a variety of fitness apps that allow their users to track their progress on their smartphone or other mobile device. They’ve already built up a strong community of over nine million registered users. They are currently adding 25,000 new users per day.

“Austin Ventures’ continuing enthusiasm is a great validation of our success to date. We’re also thrilled to leverage Milestone Venture Partners’ unique expertise on healthcare technology services, and to deepen our business partnerships with Competitor Group and run.com, the e-commerce platform for The Running Specialty Group,” said Richard Jalichandra, chief executive officer of MapMyFITNESS. “This Series B funding allows us to continue innovating and improving our tools for people of all levels to improve their fitness, nutrition and overall health.”

One of MapMyFitness’ strong points is how their apps are resonating within the fitness community. Fitness event producers have used MapMyFitness to track participants progress in races, decathlons and more.

“MapMyFITNESS’ amazing growth of one of the largest audiences of runners, walkers, cyclists and active people has tremendous synergy with what we’re doing at Competitor with events like the Rock N Roll race series,” said Scott Dickey, president and chief executive officer at Competitor Group, Inc.

“The MapMyFITNESS team has created one of the most engaging utilities for fitness enthusiasts, one that complements what we’re trying to do with our new website, run.com,” said Ken Gart, President of The Running Specialty Group.

MapMyFitness is available across multiple platforms. Of course iOS and Android are their leading platforms but it’s also available as a native app for Blackberry, Windows Mobile and iPads.

Linkage:

Find out more about MapMyFitness here

Source: SiliconHillNews

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Microsoft Unveils SmartGlass, Internet Explorer For Xbox, And 35 New Service Providers For Xbox

While they didn’t bring a next-gen console to E3 this year, Microsoft really pushed the limit on what the Xbox 360, their current-gen console, can do. Xbox has recently been given access to an “app store” where users can download and purchase things, and download service providers and apps such as Netflix and YouTube. These were obviously a huge hit, and Microsoft is planning to expand their providers by adding 35 new companies to the mix. Machinima, Nickelodeon, and Paramount can all give users a taste of what they can view with their cable providers, and do it all from one console. Microsoft has also announced they will be adding NBA Gametime and WatchESPN apps to the market so users can finally catch live sporting events via their Xbox. Clearly, this is bad news for cable companies.

Microsoft has also announced a new application called SmartGlass that will enable users to use their tablets as “remotes” for any Windows 8 devices, and of course, the Xbox to play different media types. Think AirPlay. Users will be able to start streaming content on one device, and pick up on another anywhere at any time. They also are enabling a “second screen” with tablets and phones that can be integrated into the Xbox’s experience, which is likely their shot at Nintendo’s new Wii U Gamepad. This app will also come to iOS and Android, though, meaning Microsoft is looking past just Windows Phone for their newest technology.

Microsoft is also pushing for more Kinect integration by adding easier ways to search with voice and gestures, and Internet Explorer will be added to Xbox by the end of the year. Xbox Music was something we have been hearing about for quite some time now, and today it became official that it was coming, and that it would work with Windows 8 devices. This means the Xbox can literally be the media center of a home for the first time. Sports, surfing the web, gaming, television–all of these can now be accessed by Microsoft’s home console. It’s no wonder the Xbox has become the best selling console worldwide.

Massachusetts Startup: iCache Releases Digital Wallet For iPhone

So far the only true NFC product available to smartphone users is Google Wallet. ISIS, the collaborative effort by AT&T, Verizon Wirless and T-Mobile is slated for a launch sometime this summer. However, Friday, iCache, a Massachusetts based mobile payment startup has released their GeoCard and iCache Geode Wallet.

This $200 accessory is part iPhone case, part card reader, part biometric security system and a whole lot of mobile wallet.

By now we have all realized that bar code scanning on a mobile phone is hit or miss, and anyone who has tried NFC has probably experienced that blank stare from the cashier like you just did the latest human chopping trick from David Copperfield’s arsenal before their very eyes.

Whether Google wants to admit it or not, we are still way ahead of the NFC curve and even further ahead of the NFC revolution.

In the meantime the folks at iCache have figured out safety, security and convenience with the Geode Wallet and GeoCard. The wallet supports all barcode based loyalty and reward cards and all magnetic stripe based credit cards.

For credit cards you simply use the enclosed credit card reader to extract your information to your phone. Then, when you want to use any of your credit cards, you select which one you want to use and it loads that cards info onto your Geode Card which is a rewritable magnetic stripe card. You have one card now, that’s safely and easily stored in the phone case that rewrites your info super quickly and securely onto your Geode Card.

What about safety and security?

The only way you can access the Geode Card on your wallet app is after use inning on using your finger print. Yes, iCache has included a biometric finger print reader. Only after your fingerprint is deleted can you access the wallet and the ability to rite write onto the rewritable card.

As for loyalty cards, they are just as easy. Simply take a picture of every barcode reward and loyalty card you’ve got and it captures the card information. Add a few notes if you would like and you’re ready to roll.

iCache already knows that barcodes are hit or miss on a smartphone or even iPhone screen with retina display, that’s why they’ve included an e-ink display on the back of the case which makes the barcodes as easy to read as on the cards themselves.

Now I know you’re thinking that $199 is a lot for any accessory but now that you really can leave the wallet at home, and it’s super secure, it’s worth every penny. iCache leaves no stone unturned.

Just don’t lose your phone.

Check it out for yourself at iCache.com

Interview With NY Startup Edamam Becoming The Worlds Food Knowledge Base

Edamam founder and CEO Victor Penev has a lofty goal. He wants his company to become the goto place for food knowledge in the world. While the goal seems quite lofty as I am writing this right now, if you watch the video below you’ll see that Edamam may well be on their way to doing just that.

They launched their consumer facing product, a mobile app which pulls over one million recipes from different sources, at the DEMO conference in April in Santa Clara California. This isn’t just your run of the mill recipes.com app though, the UI is appealing, the navigation is a breeze and you can separate and search through recipes six ways to Sunday.

On the business side Edamam offers an intense, information packed widget for food blogs and websites to tap their vast knowledge base in the same ways as the mobile app and more. They are also offering an API for developer partners to tap that big food database.

In this interview with Edamam they talk about how they plan on being the goto place for food knowledge. In a few years time they hope that the end user will be able to go to the grocery store, by a piece of salmon and get a treasure trove of possibilities wrapped around Edamam information.

Off camera he admitted that he would love to see Edamam being tapped by the users smartphone in the grocery store, and then a smart refrigerator, stove, or other appliance that offers recipes, food guidance, wine recommendations, anything. We’re talking the Jetson’s Rosie in the big data era.

We’ve covered quite a few food startups here at Nibletz, this is the first time that a startup has such a clear path to the future. We really wish these guys well, and after you watch the video you’ll see they have their stuff together and could easily achieve that lofty goal.

Linkage:

Check out Edamam here at their website

See more of our TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2012 Coverage here

We’re on a sneaker-strapped, nationwide startup roadtrip, check it out here

Cricket Becomes First Carrier To Offer iPhone On Prepaid Plan

As of today, Cricket Communications is the first carrier to offer a pre-paid iPhone plan. The company announced that they will begin offering the iPhone on June 22 with a plan of unlimited voice, text, and data for $55. This plan is, obviously, contract free, so the price of the iPhone will be higher, but users will not be locked in for any amount of time. They will offer the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S, $399 for the 8GB iPhone 4 and $499 for the 16GB iPhone 4S.

Because this is a CDMA network, these devices are not unlocked, and you cannot buy an unlocked version from Apple and use it on Cricket’s network. It must be bought directly from Cricket, and they are currently not offering the iPhone online so you will need to call and order via phone or in-store until they do so. This should be a pretty big deal for any Cricket users trying to find their next high-end smartphone, and it’s another big step for pre-paid carriers in the US. The iPhone has finally started to branch out here in the states after going to Verizon, then spreading to Sprint and trickling down to smaller carriers such as Cricket. We’re still nowhere near the UK when it comes to purchasing any phone and taking it to any network, but it’s nice to see steps in that direction. Be sure to give your Cricket store a call on June 22 to pick up a shiny new iPhone.

We Catch Up With Social Photo Sharing Startup StreamZoo At TechCrunch Disrupt VIDEO INTERVIEW

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2011 in New York City, our Managing Editor, Cameron Wright caught wind of Phonezoo’s latest startup project StreamZoo. StreamZoo is a multi platform photosharing application for Android and iPhone that has unique elements that make it one of the most popular photo sharing experiences outside of Instagram.

For starters StreamZoo allows users to follow users and streams that are created by hashtags. For example, co-founder Manish Vaidya talks in part three of this interview about how international users in Indonesia and Brazil make streams for their countries which draw more photos from other users in their country.

Wright also talks to Vaidya about the impact that Instagram has had on StreamZoo. Vaidya says that StreamZoo wasn’t really affected by the adoption of Instagram. Users were steadfast in their ways with their photosharing apps. What did happen however, was when Lightbox was acquihired by Facebook and subsequently shutdown StreamZoo found a lot of users migrated to their service. Those users used a stream #lightbox to find each other on StreamZoo.

StreamZoo also offers a badging element reminiscent of GoWalla which was also acquihired by Facebook. StreamZoo has the ability to create badges centered around locations, businesses, fun places to go and events. In fact Vaidya created a special badge unique to just Disrupt.

In Part I of the interview Wright talks with Vaidya about the progress that StreamZoo has made since they met the previous year. They also talk about how the StreamZoo community influences changes in the 8 person Sunnyvale based team. StreamZoo had gone a little notification crazy but quickly reacted to the community adding a more effective way to manage notifications in messages within the UI. Check out part I below:

In Part II of the interview Vaidya talks about the impact of Instagram, Facebook and Lightbox on the StreamZoo application. Check out part II after the break