PocketGPSWorld.com CamerAlert

The CamerAlert 1.1 release has been tested with the latest iOS4 iPhone software, but does not implement multitasking yet. There are some major features added including camera management, HUD display, and numerous bugfixes.

From the Apple AppStore description:

This release introduces new functionality for management of camera reports. It is no longer required to have an active data connection to report cameras, the reports are collected and will be sent next time you have an internet connection. This means that CamerAlert will now work 100% without wireless data. Of course if you do not have a data connection you will not be able to display maps.

There is now a new HUD style display where all the data is mirrored allowing you to lay the iPhone flat on the dash and see a projection on the windscreen. Depending on your windscreen this my introduce ghosting.

There is a slightly more prominent reminder that a new database is available. This is displayed in the list mode.

Numerous bug fixes to improve the stability and performance of the application have been included.

FaceTime: Video Calls reborn

But that was way back in time, and things have changed since then. Video Calling which was the big selling point of upgrading to 3G died a death and was replaced by WAP and Mobile Internet. So why has Apple re-introduced video calling in the guise of Face Time?

Well some of the social media and new generation communications platforms have done very well with text, voice, and video messaging. So maybe it is time for mobile video calling to make a comeback. As far as bandwidth is concerned there shouldn’t be a problem (unless you are in San Francisco and your name is Steve Jobs at WWDC) and of course I think that is will be great for families and friends who are apart.

The restriction though is that you can only call iPhone 4 to iPhone 4. Why not iPhone 4 to Mac? Or iPhone to anything? Is restricting it to iPhone 4 going to cause it to fail? Does the fact that Apple has developed FaceTime mean that they will block the far more useful Skype from releasing video calling in their app? I certainly hope not, but even so the wireless carriers will be reluctant to allow this video calling over their networks as they will be struggling to provide the bandwidth that they have difficulty obtaining extra revenue from.

Maybe the recent withdrawal of “unlimited” data tariffs is more to do with gaining extra revenue from users wanting to use their devices in new and innovative ways, than punishing the tiny minority who have taken the networks at their word and “abuse” the “unlimited data”.

Lets face it with the cost of data fixed and falling the wireless carriers have to find a way to get the finances they need to invest in newer and faster networks. They have missed out badly on controlling what connects to their network so now they need to capitalise on the only “real” asset they have: the network and it’s airtime.

I am all for paying a fair price for a product to enable further development and innovation, and indeed for the company to make money, but being draconian and restrictive may very well stifle mobile innovation and effectively restrict what we can do with our mobile devices to static WiFi networks.

FaceTime: Video Calls reborn

This means that you will be able to run your Turn by Turn navigation app alongside your favorite Speed Camera Warning app (assuming that supports multitasking too).

Press release from TomTom follows:

TomTom for iPhone app to support Apple iOS 4 multitasking functionality

~ Seamless navigation features will leverage iOS 4 multitasking demonstrated yesterday at Apple WWDC ~

London – June 4, 2010 – TomTom will introduce multitasking to the TomTom app for iPhone. Its next version, which will be compatible with iOS 4, will be submitted to Apple for review after the June 21 release of iOS 4. Among the new features available in TomTom app for iPhone, will be support formultitasking functionality*, allowing users to get turn-by-turn guidance at the same time as operating other applications.

The current version of the TomTom app for iPhone (version 1.3) is available for purchase via the App Store, and both current and new owners of the app will be able to update to the new version immediately upon its availability for no additional charge. As an additional incentive for new users to start using the application, TomTom is currently offering the UK& Ireland and Western Europe versions of the app at a discounted price of £54.99 and £42.99 respectively.

Following the success of the recent promotion, TomTom is also making its award-winning HD Traffic service available to users at a new price that will make avoiding the jams that much easier. Beginning today, a 12-month subscription for TomTom HD Traffic is now offered on the TomTom app at £22.99. With TomTom HD Traffic, TomTom app users receive real-time traffic speed updates and incident reports continuously. As soon as any delay is found on the route, users are notified and can be automatically re-routed to an alternate, faster route. TomTom HD Traffic is an optional service available via in-app purchase.

“As TomTom continues to innovate and to take advantage of new capabilities of the iOS 4, users of the TomTom app will benefit from the combination of TomTom’s most advanced and acclaimed features and the iPhone’s unique functionality,” said Tom Murray, senior vice president of market development for TomTom Inc. “We are pleased to integrate multitasking capabilities to the newest version of our TomTom app, and to be able to ensure that users can now enjoy other iPhone features while they continue to receive the best routing directions from their TomTom application.”

*Available on iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3^rd Generation devices, running iOS 4.

Adverse events/side effects as well as pregnancies should be reported… to Schering-Plough Drug Safety Department on 01707 363773.

Well, it made me laugh anyway!

Destinator 9 for iPhone

Back in January we saw a demonstration of Destinator 9 on the iPhone at CES. It has taken a few months but now it is available in the Apple AppStore for Western Europe. With a price tag of £30 ($50) it represents great value compared to Navigon at £70 and TomTom at £53, but is more comparable with ALK’s CoPilot at £36.

Destinator 9 is a fully featured Turn by Turn navigation system with voice guidance and featuring Navteq mapping. It also has iPod controls, easy to use POIs including creation of your own ‘StickyPOIs’ but seems to lack importing of custom POIs, and does not have support for Speed Cameras.

The full Destinator Press Release follows:

Destinator 9 for iPhone – Experience the Difference

At its core, Destinator 9 is a solid and reliable turn-by-turn navigation application featuring on-board NAVTEQ digital map data for Western Europe and a routing engine that exceeds performance benchmarks. In addition to a host of new features designed to get people to their destinations easily, quickly and safely, Destinator 9 takes the navigation experience to a new level by integrating additional valuable features in the GPS application. Integrated iPod controls, advanced voice guidance, GoogleTM Local Search, NavStrip™, and extensive POI listings are a few examples. Destinator makes it easier to find what you need and get there with less effort and stress. Also, Destinator taps into the new wave of social mapping with a feature that enables the user to send their location or favorite POI to a friend.

The Destinator application is designed specifically with the iPhone user in mind to make the user experience seamless and intuitive with the overall phone experience. Destinator seamlessly blends with the iPhone functions allowing the user to simply route from existing contacts or messages. The integrated iPod™ controls allow for access and control of music while in navigation mode. And, the intuitive NavStrip feature enables the user to navigate to their destination more easily with less “clicks”.

Destinator 9 is now available for Western Europe with superior map coverage for the following countries: Austria, Benelux, Denmark, Eire (Republic of Ireland), Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and more.

Destinator 9 is available at an introductory price of €39.99 for comprehensive coverage of Western Europe including the United Kingdom.

For more information, images and interactive demonstrations please visit www.destinator.com or visit our product page on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/DestinatorGPS.

Feature Highlights for the Destinator 9 iPhone Application:

-On Board NAVTEQ Maps:Providing Western Europe map access and directions regardless of your connection.

-Extensive POI Listings:Coverage of Western Europe includes over millions of on board points-of-interest that are always accessible without a data connection.

-NavStrip™:Convenient access to all of your navigation commands from one intuitive, touch-and-go strip.

-Voice-Guided Directions:Keep focused on the road ahead with easy to understand turn-by-turn voice guidance.

-Lane Assistance: Clear visual guidance to direct you to the right lane for your route.

-In-App iPod Controls: Select songs and control music while in navigation mode. -StickyPOI: Intuitive one-touch placement of points-of-interest that interest you.

-TapNGo: Simply press any point on the map and navigate to the location.

-Trip Planning: Able to plan multi-destination routes with a convenient trip planning function.

-2D or 3D Mode:Map is offered at your preferred perspective – 2D or 3D.

-Brilliant Map Displays:Crisply rendered maps provide clear guidance. -Contact Routing: Navigate to an address stored in your Contact list.

-Send-to-Friend: Send your current location or favorite POI to your friend.

-Speed Limits Warnings:Limits are conveniently posted on screen for your current location.

-Google Local Search:Nearby POIs are a click away and a cinch to navigate to.

Grab it here and enjoy speedier web access over GPRS and EDGE! Not only that but it also features various search features (eBay, Google, Amazon, Wikipedia), search for text on a page, copy/paste text, bookmarks, the now familiar Opera home page with multiple ‘favourite’ blocks and quick previews of the current tabs/pages you have open.

On the website you can view all your previous tracks as well as historical data to see how (if?) you’ve improved and also see your friends logs. The maps can be easily shared via the likes of Twitter and Facebook.

The iPhone app is available for free here and allows friends to send ‘pep talk’ messages that are then read out using Text to Speech to the user for example “Come on Mickey, you’ve been sat in Starbucks for 30 minutes, now get moving”.

The app and website are completely free at the moment. Premium features will be made available in the future (such as personalised training regimes) but the app and site, as they are now, will remain free – it will simply be additional features that will be paid for.

CamerAlert is a Speed and Red Light Camera warning system for iPhones based on the popular PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database. It provides both audible and visual warnings as you approach a camera. When you are in a section of SPECs or Average Speed Cameras CamerAlert keeps track of your average speed to ensure you are aware of your average speed between each camera. To cut down on the number of “False Alerts” you are only warned for cameras that monitor your direction of travel.

CamerAlert works in two different modes: Map and List. In Map mode the main display is a map with the cameras positioned on it. This can be shown either as “North Up” or “Course Up”. The list mode simply shows a list of all the cameras in the area, highlighting the ones that you are approaching.

CamerAlert comes preinstalled with a Speed Camera Database. To ensure you have the latest camera information there is a free Latest Database Guarantee which allows you to download the latest database after product registration. CamerAlert allows you to use your existing PocketGPSWorld.com membership to keep the camera data up to date. With weekly releases of the database it is important to download the latest speed camera information to remain safe.

If you see a camera that is not in the database then you can report it using CamerAlert. This feature can also be used to change information about a camera already in the database i.e. changing speed or direction information.

Click here for more details and the CamerAlert user guide.

AA Best of Britain

Mobile Commerce has partnered with the AA, a UK motoring organisation and travel publisher, to deliver the AA ‘Best of Britain’ iPhone application. The application provides all the information the user needs to find and book a weekend, or week, away in Britain and acts as a guide locating local entertainment and points of interest.

The AA Best of Britain iPhone App

Using the AA’s extensive database and with fully installed content, Best of Britain offers a guide covering every aspect for planning leisure pursuits – from hotels, pubs, guest houses and restaurants, to days out, golfing, caravanning and camping – the application features over 14,000 inspected, selected and recommended establishments, offering the traveller an unparalleled choice of places to stay, eat, drink or play a round of golf in Great Britain.

Entries within Best of Britain have been researched by experts and include detailed descriptions, pricing information, opening hours, more than 5,000 images, phone numbers, links to websites and detailed search options. The user is able to search around their current location or enter a location of their choice, with the results displayed on an embedded Google map.

The AA Best of Britain application will cost £4.99 to download via the iTunes App Store.

So, what are the other options? Well, as Apple rightly advertise: ‘There’s an App for That’ although in this case there are 3 that do the job and are currently available in the UK AppStore. In alphabetical order we have: ‘Album Mixer – Shuffle by Album‘, ‘iAlbum Player‘ and ‘Quick Music‘.

Here follows a brief rundown of the pros and cons of each app.

iAlbumPlayer

I didn’t get off to a good start with this app. On first run it told me I had no music on my iPhone and that I should change some auto-skip settings. I couldn’t even FIND any settings but later realised it is one of those annoying apps that require you to close it to change any settings. Once closed you go to the main iPhone settings and scroll down to find the app. Here you can turn on/off ‘autoplay at launch’ and ‘auto-skip’. Auto-skip has two further settings to choose a minimum rating and a mysterious ‘track lacking’ (which I THINK is the minimum number of tracks in an album). Both these have an option of ‘never’ implying the app should play the album regardless of rating or number of tracks. However, even after setting both to ‘never’ the app still told me to change the auto-skip settings and that there were no music albums on my iPhone. Occasionally it would play an album and the screen did look nice and clear but by this point I’d given up with iAlbumPlayer. In theory I should be able to press the stack of CDs on the main screen and it plays me a random album but it’s too buggy for me to even bother. I’m impatient, and this app has now felt my wrath! A shame really, as this seems to have the nicest looking display once it decides to actually play something!

Album Mixer: Shuffle by Album

On launch you are faced with a big ‘shuffle albums’ button along with ‘filter’, ‘settings’ and some play controls. Good, the settings are easy to get to! Within the settings you can select how many albums you want the app to shuffle, set the app to shuffle on launch and also choose shake to shuffle. As I mainly use my iPhone in the car I always turn off shake to shuffle features as pot holes and speed bumps usually give undesired results…! For the purpose of this review I turned it on, shook my phone and, yes, it worked! In use it is as simple as pressing the big ‘shuffle albums’ button and a playlist of random albums is generated. It shows the album art on screen and, as the playlist is already generated, closing the app or putting your iPod/iPhone into standby means you can still listen to the albums in order. Back in the app you can shuffle the albums at any time, skip between tracks and also skip between albums.  You also have a ‘filter’ button that puts all your music genres and playlists into a single list. Selecting multiple items from this list will filter which albums will be chosen when you next shuffle. I like this app; it does what it was designed for with enough settings to fine tune your playlist too. The only downside, in my opinion, is the track names are illegible at the bottom and the artist and album title are quite small too.

Quick Music

This app isn’t specifically an album shuffler but it does have it as one of it’s advertised features.The main purpose of the app is to select music quickly. You can shuffle all your tracks; define your favourite artist and play only their tracks; define and play your favourite album; play tracks by a single random artist; and, the important one, play a random album. The settings are accessible from within the app and give you the option to start any of the play modes at startup (eg play favourite album at startup). You can also set your favourite artist and album here. Looking solely at the shuffle album feature here, it is slightly lacking. Yes, it will play a random album but as it only chooses a single album it means once the album finishes you need to open the app again to choose the next one. On a short journey this would be fine but on a long trip where you would normally listen to 4 or 5 albums it would get slightly frustrating having to continuously restart the app and/or press the ‘Play a random album’ button. When an album is playing the bulk of the screen is taken up by the play options and the artwork and track title seems squeezed in at the top. You can, however, put the iPhone into standby and view the full album artwork by viewing the lock screen though.

The purpose of reviewing these apps was to find a way to reinstate the Shuffle by Album feature that Apple disabled. As such, the clear winner is AlbumMixer: Shuffle by Album although the text size used in the app is miniscule, the actual album shuffle feature is very well implemented. Second place, and only because it isn’t actually specifically an album, shuffler, is Quick Music. Third place goes to iAlbumPlayer as it is too buggy to use.