Apps

Cydia Store Applications vs. The App Store – The Download Showdown

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

[digg-me]UPDATE: The Cydia Store is now open! I invite you to read this post for more details.

If you didn't read the title to this article in the deep voice of the movie previews guy, please go back and do so at this time, just to give you an idea of how huge this is. Now, if you've navigated to our blog and are reading this article, hopefully you have some idea of what Cydia and the App Store are. For those of you who don't, I will provide a brief breakdown of each program before I list their stand out features.

Both programs offer a sizeable library of applications and games that can be downloaded directly onto the phone from virtually anywhere you can get a cell phone or wifi signal. Please no hate mail from Installer fans, as it's obvious it has not garnered near as much support as Cydia since the iPhone was updated in firmware over the summer. But now to the main event, the Download Showdown. Who will take home the title as the Champion of iPhone applications? Let's get it on.

You've seen the commercials, you've seen it in the world-reknowned iTunes software, heck you see the icon everytime you look at your iPhone, it's the App Store. Riding the coat tails of success of Apple's enormous online music store, is the online application store that has redefined software distribution for the mobile market. Never before has an online library of mobile software been so accessible, as it can be reached from any mac or pc, or from any iPhone or ipod touch with web connection.

Another reason it is so groundbreaking is the 70/30 deal it has made with iPhone platform developers. That means that Apple keeps 30% of the profit from the software sales, and gives the remaining 70% to the people that make them. On top of attracting big name software companies like EA and THQ, this 70/30 deal has made several independent companies like Tappulous and The Blimp Pilots (koi pond creators) extremely wealthy.

The App Store's main advantages have got to be it's stability and ease of use, two of the most important things you can find in any software. I can't tell you the last time my App Store crashed or froze, and its interface is about as simple as you can get. You'll also find that most applications fall in the $0.99 - $9.99 price range, keeping purchases from breaking your bank. For the froogle audience, there is also a large FREE section of applications and games that has yet to disappoint me.

Finally, the fact that Apple, is the company behind the App store has its ups and downs. For example, Apple pre screens all apps submitted to the App Store, minimizing malicious code and low quality software epedimics. This also prevents very good software from reaching the App Store due to opinions held by Apple (see R.I.P article). Downloading is also kept very quick and simple by Apple, as typing in your iTunes password, ok's any download, free or not. You also don't have to jailbreak or "hack" your iPhone to access the App Store, how charming. So bottom line here is that the App Store is easy to use, extremely reliable, has a huge library of free and non-free applications, and it's not against AT&T's TOS (terms of service) to access.

Now for the challenger. A product of James Freeman, or Saurik, Cydia has been around since the original jailbreaking days of Ziphone and iBrickr. Originally, Cydia stood in the shadow of the Installer application by the Dev Team, which did the exact same thing (offered 3rd party downloads). Now, thanks to its I-got-to-firmware-2.1-before-you-did attitude, Cydia is flourishing.

But these guys [devteam, Saurik, Spazio, etc.] really opened the eyes of the world to the possibilities of the iPhone, and let users unlock their iPhone's potential with 3rd party applications, a touchy subject in the beginning of the life of the iPhone due to Apple's lack of 3rd party support.

Enough history, how does it stack up today against the colussal App Store. Size? Nope. The size of Cydia's library of software doesn't hold a candle to Apple's App Store. Price? Nope. While a majority of Cydia downloads are free, some are only trial versions that demand paypal payments to continue using them. So then why in the world would you even want Cydia? Exclusivity. Boom. Cydia is the only place to download applications like Winterboard and Cycorder, software that goes against Apple's guidelines for App Store approval. I couldn't have a see-through dock with a customized icon set without Cydia. I couldn't have recorded a video of my dog doing cart wheels without Cycorder, and it's only available through Cydia. Is VIP access to cool customizeables enough to make this underdog a Champ? Let's review.

It seems on paper Apple's App Store should win by a landslide. Thousands of more software titles, the technical and customer support of a Fortune 500 company, and its overall ease of use should give Apple the belt hands down. But you can't forget about the little guy. If a firmware update prevented the downloading of Cydia or a similar program, how many users would be devastated? How many would avoid updating? If you're like me, chances are you have App Store, Cydia, and Installer (at least the first 2) icons sitting on your springboard right now, and aren't likely to delete any of them any time soon. I like having all 3 for the simple fact that if I read about an application and want to download, I know I am covered, and can find it in one of the 3 libraries.

It looks like a split decision here, but I am going to give the nod to Apple's App Store for a number of reasons I already listed. Once again in an ideal world we could have a united application that would offer the best of both worlds. For now, it seems the App Store will hold the download Showdown title. Thanks for reading, this article is a treasure, so digg it!

LockDockBar is a free alternative to IntelliScreen

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

LockDockBar is an application that displays 4 icons on your locked screen: SMS, Calls, Emails, Calendar. The app displays the notification badges for each app so if for example you have a new email, you will see this notification next to the email icon. From there, instead of unlocking the phone and launching the mail app, you simply tap the mail icon from your lock screen and it takes you there directly.

I think it is a great and free alternative to Intelliscreen, and it works perfectly with Status Notifier.

DataCase vs. Air Sharing

Guest Author ∙ Updated February 15, 2018

[digg-me]One of the reasons I chose an iPhone is because of the large amount of onboard memory. However, a non-jailbroken iPhone can only sync files through iTunes. That means you are limited to the files you can upload to your high-tech device. That's where applications from the App Store come in.

There are many apps that can fill this need. However, two seem to stand out from the rest. Datacase [iTunes link] was one of the first of the wifi file syncing apps. And, Air Sharing [iTunes link] is apparently the most popular wifi file syncing app. As of this writing, Air Sharing is No. 48 on the iTunes Top Paid Apps list. That ranking, however, may or may not be skewed by the fact that it was offered as a free app for a limited time. Keep in mind that these apps can only view documents and not edit them.

For a long time, I believed Air Sharing (pictured, left) was superior to DataCase because of how smoothly it handles PDF documents. However, it appears that DataCase has made significant updates to compete with Air Sharing.

I downloaded the same files to both apps to compare how each app performs.

PDF - Winner: DataCase. Like I said earlier, I believe both apps handle this file type fairly smoothly. When turning to landscape mode, there is a noticeable pause on both apps. But, I'll give the nod to DataCase. DataCase has controls to go to the first and last page, which is helpful for PDFs that are hundreds of pages long. Datacase also has a great bookmarking feature, to tab pages that you frequently go to. Air Sharing does have an accelerated page turning function if you hold down the button. But, that doesn't cut it when you're trying to get to page 200.

Excel - Push. Both apps perform equally well when viewing Excel documents. But, then again, I don't have really complicated Excel documents.

MP3 - Push. Both apps had no problem playing the same MP3 file using QuickTime.

Pictures - Air Sharing. I downloaded a JPG to both apps. I'll give the slight edge to Air Sharing because I can use a double-tap OR a pinch out to zoom. A single tap in Air Sharing removes the border for full-screen viewing. In DataCase, a single-tap removes the borders but cannot recognize a double-tap to zoom.

MHTML & QuickTime Movie - Push. Although you can upload them, both apps equally failed at displaying an MHTML file and playing a QuickTime movie. Granted, MHTML is a weird file type but I knew both could view HTML files. And for some reason, neither app can play QuickTime movies which is really disappointing.

Setup - Air Sharing. Air Sharing is by far easier to set up. It has instructions right inside the app. DataCase's setup is a bit quirky, for Windows XP users at least. It's best to go to the Veiosoft website to learn how to set up DataCase.

Graphical Interface - DataCase. Air Sharing has a straightfoward look to it, which is not bad in itself. But, DataCase brings a lot to the table. The opening screen of DataCase shows a doughnut which is a graph of the amount of free space on your iPhone. As you fill up Datacase, you will see colors which represent the different types of files. Also, when you're uploading large files (pictured, above) DataCase tells you how far along you are in your uploading. It's also nice to see which types of files are taking up the most space. And, you can filter out certain file types when navigating. One nice feature that Air Sharing does have, however, is the ability to easily navigate through a string of folders. On the other hand, I'm not sure why you can't create folders in the Air Sharing app alone. You have to do it in the shared folder on your desktop.

Both apps are $6.99 in the App Store.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint on your iPhone?

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated December 26, 2016

DataViz, a company that develops and markets Office compatibility and productivity solutions across a variety of platforms, quietly announced on its blog that they will soon be releasing the iPhone version of "Documents To Go", an application that let's you create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

There is no excel word about when this app is supposed to be released.

That's a type of application that many business users have been waiting for a long time.

MiVTones brings video ringtones to your iPhone

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

]MiVTones used to be called Videostone. Don't ask me why they changed the name because I have no idea. Maybe a trademark issue or something? Anyways. MiVTones is a new application by iFoneTec available in Cydia that allows you to have video ringtones on your iPhone.

You may use MiVtones 2.0 with basic features for free,but you have to purchase a $20 license (ouch!) to use MiVTones 2.0 with advanced features. To enjoy video ringtones on your iPhone, you will first have to register your phone and create an account at http://www.MiVTones.com. Then you will have to install miVTones, which is available through the ModMyiFone repo. In case you don't see it, make sure to add this source: http://app.ifonetec.com/cydia.

Once you have activated your account and installed MiVTones, you'll finally be able to add your own videos to your iPhone. Use Winscp or CyberDuck to upload your own video ringtones to /var/mobile/Media/VideoTone/Video

Say Who? It’s a little More Like Say What?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

So here we go, from the same people who brought you the application Say Where?, comes another decent attempt at voice recognition software. Or is it?

The idea is quite simple. It allow users to dial their contacts by speaking their name. Always interested in shortening lengthy tasks, I downloaded this application to see if I could eliminate the 4 step manual dialing process (press phone, go to contacts or recent calls, scroll to find number, and press call).

At first glance it seemed as though this application might find its way into an exclusive spot on my springboard. Clicking the icon opens up a single screen that has a large square button to press when you are ready to speak a contact's name. Well that's only 2 steps, so Say Who wins, right?

Wrong. It's 2 steps to get to your first attempt at dialing a contact. While the previous app I reviewed from Excuse Me Services shined in the voice recognition department, this one fell flat on it's face. Both voice dialing and speaking the contact's name returned horrible results. Sure, in exact silence, using perfect diction, I was able to get a few right answers.

But I don't live in solitary confinement, I live in the real world, and the real world has background noise in it. Especially when traveling in my car, which is where I would find this app most useful anyways.

Maybe if they were to combine this with their Say Where application with more accurate voice recognition, it'd be worthwhile to download. It would also be advantageous to continue to run in the background, or at least when the screen is locked (once again in my car dock). We continue to see innovative software from these guys, but unless you're accustomed to yelling obscenities at your iPhone driving down the turnpike, I suggest you stay away.

This one definitely falls in the "look-what-my-phone-can-do" category, but may throw you under the bus when trying to demonstrate to your friends. "Call Randy" , "Calling Mom." "No I swear it usually gets it on the first try, watch!"

Sonic Boom is the perfect complement to Sonic Lighter

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated October 9, 2018

Last month, I talked to you about a fun yet useless application called Sonic Lighter. At the time, we even got an interview with Jeff Smith, the CEO of Smule, the company behind Sonic Lighter. A month after Smule launched its Sonic Lighter to worldwide acclaim, they release their newest complementary product, Sonic Boom in the App Store.

Sonic Boom [iTunes Link] turns your iPhone into a virtual firecracker that can be ignited using your finger as a virtual match or a second phone running Sonic Lighter. Strike the match, ignite the fuse, wait...BOOM!

Sonic Boom’s real-time explosions can be documented around the world – since it first became available about 36 hours ago, over 7,500 explosions have been detected. While explosions thus far have been concentrated in North America and Europe, several recent explosions were detected in the town of Curepipe, Mauritius in the Southwest Indian Ocean.

It's still useless but it's still fun!

vMail xPress Voice eMail Free Lite Edition

Guest Author ∙ Updated February 14, 2018

In my ongoing quest to find iPhone applications that will revolutionize the way we live, I found a cool app that I think will come in handy for anyone who uses e-mail on their iPhone.

vMail xPress Voice eMail has been out since September 3, according to the App Store. But, I heard no buzz about it and it sold for $9.99 in the Business category. A few days ago, the developer of the app released a Free Lite Edition [iTunes Link]. So, I decided to give it a try.

The app allows you to bring up a contact by simply saying his or her name and then you can send that person an audio e-mail and a picture. It's e-mail creation without typing at all! I found the process to be very simple.

First, you enter your name and an e-mail address (presumably the one you're going to use to send the e-mail). This app gets brownie points for not having to register and figure out another password. Then, you SAY your contact's name. I found that slower is better. On the down side, the contact name and e-mail address you send to need to be in your iPhone contact list. I used my Gmail account and, for some reason, I thought the app was going to search my contacts in Gmail. Maybe that would be asking too much for a free app. As soon as the app has the contact you want to send to, you can choose to record an audio message as well as post a picture that will go in the e-mail. The picture can be taken on the spot or from your photo library. After you review your audio e-mail, you hit the send button and you're done!

Your recipient will get an internet link to your audio e-mail and picture. I had hoped that the audio and picture would simply be attachments in the e-mail but I suppose it's too tempting for a developer to get instant traffic on its website.

Looking at the paid and free versions, it doesn't look like there are any differences (and one reviewer on the App Store pointed that out). The developer, AdelaVoice, has not hinted in its app synopsis or website that the free version will be out for a limited time. My advice is to get it while its free even if you don't think you'll use it.

UPDATE: The Free Lite Edition of vMail xPress Voice eMail allows you to send up to five vMail messages. After that, you'll have to buy the $9.99 app. The app also lets you send your voice message and picture as an attachment in addition to the link.

Change your iPhone boot logo with LogoMe

Sébastien Page ∙ October 19, 2008

LogoMe is a new application available in Cydia that will change your boot logo without having to rejailbreak or restore. All you need to do is installing the application, launching it and typing in the URL where the photo can be downloaded from (that means that your photo has to be somewhere online - ie. Flickr). You will not be able to change your boot logo by using a photo from the library.

Once you've typed in the location URL, tap "Download" and LogoMe will download the file. After having downloaded it, you'll be able to preview your boot logo. When I previewed mine, it showed a white bar at the top but I decided to install anyway. When you're done, reboot your iPhone and you should see your new custom logo. Note that the white bat doesn't show on my custom boot logo anymore once installed.

Create an iTunes account without a credit card

Sébastien Page ∙ October 18, 2008

[digg-me]So you have a spanking new iPhone or iPod Touch and you can't wait to download all these applications from iTunes until you realize you need a Credit Card to have an iTunes account. Or, maybe you do have a Credit Card but the app you want is not available in your country? Don't panic, there is an easy solution to this problem, and best of all, it's totally legit and should take you about 2 minutes to set up.

This tutorial will teach you how to create an iTunes account in any country whether you have a credit card or not. All you need is 2 minutes, an Internet connection and have iTunes already running on your computer.

Movies Invade The Apple App Store

Guest Author ∙ Updated February 14, 2018

I thought it was funny that Warner Bros. came out with an iPhone app that could draw the Joker's signature logo from "The Dark Knight" over people's faces. "The Dark Knight: HaHaHa" [iTunes Link] was a small way to keep a mega-popular film in the back of people's minds. Little did we know that other studios would be seriously considering iPhone applications as a way to market films.

Next, came the Columbia Pictures app "James Bond - 007." [iTunes Link] It features everything you'd want to know about the film "Quantum Of Solace," not unlike the content you'd find on the official movie site. I think it's brilliant. Only the ultimate Bond fans would sit at home at their desktops watching production videos. But when you're on the go and need to kill time, this app would come in handy.

Warner Bros. struck back with an app directed at fans of another recent movie "Sex And The City." Although "Sex And The City: Carrie's Closet" [iTunes Link] is a bit late to promote for the big screen showings, there is no doubt the studio is trying to up its DVD sales.

The most curious movie-tie in, however, is the "School Of Rock" [iTunes Link] app. Why would Paramount Pictures go through the trouble of making a $6.99 app based on a movie that is five years old and been out on DVD for years? Well, there have been rumblings that a "School Of Rock" sequel is in the works. But, an article from aceshowbiz.com last month says that the director of the film is not sure he will do it. My guess is the studio made the app to see how much interest there really is in a "School Of Rock" sequel. I am downloading the 114 MB app as I write this blog, and I will post my findings in a future article.

And, at least one television show is getting into iPhone marketing. "South Park" will have an app on the App Store that will stream clips on your iPhone among other features. Boingboing.net has some screenshots of the upcoming app.

Firemail brings free email landscape mode to the iPhone

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 14, 2018

Firemail is a new application that does exactly what TouchType does, except that Firemail is free...

As soon as you launch Firemail, it will allow you to type your emails in landscape mode. Type in your subject line and email body, then you can choose to "send to MobileMail", which opens your default email. From there, you can select the recipient and send the email. You can also "Save to bookmarks", which saves the snippet of text to use it in another email.

Firemail [iTunes link] is free and is currently your best option for typing emails in landscape mode... well, at least until Apple decides it's a must-have feature.