Oliver Haslam

Printstagram Takes Instagram Photos and Turns Them into Pictures, Books, and More

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

Instagram is definitely in danger of taking over the world. What started out as a neat little app for taking and sharing stylised photographs on an iPhone has ballooned into something more than we could ever imagine. But wouldn't it be awesome to get those great photos off of your iPhone and into the real world?

Bursting out of the digital realm and into the analog one is something that Instagram photos have done before. Not that long ago we told you about an art gallery that was opening in London. The gallery was going to be showing Instagram photos, and only Instagram photos. If you ever wondered what it would look like to take an iOS app and blow it right up, then this is perfect example. Well, this and Angry Birds.

Now you can take your Instagram photos and have them made into all manner of photographic keepsakes, and we have to say that they look pretty impressive...

Infinity Blade 2 Starting to Hit the App Store, Here’s What People Are Saying

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Infinity Blade was one of the first real games to hit iOS. Yes, Angry Birds and Flight Control had come before, but those type of games could never be called an epic adventure full of swords and things to swing said swords at.

When the Infinity Blade creators, Epic, originally showed the game off on an iPhone 4, it looked gorgeous. The sequel goes one or two steps further, and if you're playing the game on an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 then you're in for a real treat.

Some lucky folks have been playing Infinity Blade 2 for a while now, and they've gone and shared their opinions with us, the people of the internet. Here's a quick roundup of what people are saying...

RIM to Offer Enterprise Tools for iPhone and Android

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 9, 2016

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's the approach BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is taking with its ailing smartphone market. The company has announced that it will be offering an easy way to get iPhones and Android users plugged into its enterprise tools.

The move by the once-dominant force in the business smartphone industry illustrates the relevance that Apple and Google have made in a sector that was almost entirely owned by RIM not that long ago.

Perhaps more importantly, this may well be the first sign of RIM trying to move away from offering hardware, in an attempt to concentrate on the software and security their past successes were built on.

Apple Was Fifth Most-Visited Store on Black Friday

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 29, 2011

Apple has found itself in the top 5 most-visited online stores in the United States for the first time, according to data compiled by comScore for Black Friday. Sitting pretty in fifth place, Apple is the highest ranking product brand in the list, almost overtaking Target in the fourth spot.

The impressive results come as Apple is also experiencing fantastic sales in its brick and mortar stores, with the Black Friday sales apparently breaking forecasts left and right...

Get Haptic Feedback on the iPad with the TouchFire Keyboard

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

Those with good memories, or at least those that can remember back to January of 2010, will probably remember the intense debate that raged around the original iPad. While many decided that it was purely a content consumption device, others argued that the on-screen keyboard's generous size would make it a device that could be used to create content, too.

Fast forward to today, halfway through the iPad 2's life cycle, and we're not really any wiser as to how useful the iPad is as a content creation device. Most of our misgivings come down to that software keyboard and its inability to offer any long term writing usefulness.

Part of the problem is the complete lack of haptic feedback, and as if by magic, one Kickstarter project is aiming to put that problem right.

Siri Controls an Entire Room Using the Power of Voice

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 28, 2011

We're just going to right come out and say it: we're pretty much in love with SiriProxy, and we're not ashamed to admit it.

Created by Pete "Plamoni" Lamonica, SiriProxy lets Siri interact with pretty much anything on a network, and people have done some pretty awesome things with it, ranging from opening car doors to launching apps on a Mac.

As is so often the case with such hacks, the clever people of the internet have not stopped with new ways of using SiriProxy, and a new video just popped up on our radar that we think you'll like, especially if you've ever been a fan of Star Trek...

Exclusive Interview with Pete “Plamoni” Lamonica, the Creator of SiriProxy

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

SiriProxy has been making the headlines as of late. The server technology makes it possible to use Siri to unlock your car, interact with apps, and even set your thermostat.

The man behind SiriProxy, Pete Lamonica, has taken Siri and shown Apple what it looks like to think outside the box. If enthusiastic geeks have the technical knowledge, the possibilities of SiriProxy are nearly endless.

Pete has let iDB in on the development process for SiriProxy and explained what his motivation was for putting the proxy together. This is his first official interview since SiriProxy went viral...

iPhone Sets Itself On Fire Aboard an Australian Flight

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 28, 2011

If there is one thing you really don't want to happen, it's your iPhone setting itself on fire. If there's something you really, really don't want to happen, it's the aforementioned combustion happening on an airplane!

During a flight between Lismore and Sydney, Australia, a passenger's iPhone began to emit "a significant amount of dense smoke, accompanied by a red glow," which apparently isn't a good thing to happen mid-air.

The fire was extinguished and the flight landed safely, but the poor iPhone has certainly not survived...

Apple Beat Retail Sales Record on Black Friday

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 28, 2011

If you needed proof that Apple is indeed recession-proof, then this may be it. Reports surfacing today suggest that Apple's sales for the Black Friday event last week may have been the company's best for a single day, ever.

With the global economy far from at its best, results such as this would certainly reinforce that Apple seems to be immune to the usual pains suffered by tech companies in a climate such as the one we are currently in.

SiriProxy Plugins Arrive for Controlling Mac Apps and Google Voice

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 27, 2011

Barely 12 hours goes by without a handful of new SiriProxy plugins surfacing that blow our minds, and we've come across a few more that we thought might blow your minds, too.

Put together and shown off on YouTube by Ian McDowell, these new plugins bring the power of Siri to Google Voice on the iPhone, but more impressively, allow the launching of, and interaction with apps on a Mac. Sending messages using Google's telephony app is one thing, but launching apps on your computer is a completely different one.

The control of a Mac towards the end of the five-minute video certainly has a Star Trek feel to it, even down to the "Computer" prefix added to Ian's commands...

Create Your Own Fake Siri Conversations with iFakeSiri

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 26, 2011

Since Siri is turning into the biggest thing to hit the internet since cats playing pianos, it was probably inevitable that someone would get around to making an easy way to fake Siri screenshots, and it has finally happened.

By offering a simple interface, the iFakeSiri web app allows self-professed comedians to enter their imaginary Siri conversations and have a fake screenshot created. This is perfect for, say, anyone that needs to write blog posts about Apple's fancy assistant technology!

Best Buy Completely Sells Out of iPad 2 Stock, Still Plenty of Android Tablets Left

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated October 16, 2017

With Black Friday finally over and the madness it creates beginning to dissipate, stores and online retailers are now taking stock and more importantly, counting the cash.

If Best Buy's online store is anything to go by, Apple's iPad has been the big seller this year, with all of the iPad 2 stock now unavailable to order due to high demand. Best Buy did offer a near $50 off discount on the iPad 2 yesterday.

But it's OK, Best Buy still has plenty of of Galaxy Tabs available for purchase...