Swipe Issue 35 Sample

NEWS

4

Apps

NEWS

11

4

Features

Apps

23

12

How-To

Features

28

25

How-To

27

Send an eCard

from your iPhone PLUS

PIRATES! • WATERCOLOR PHOTOS

iPhone SWIPE

NEWS • REVIEWS • TIPS

mag

HELLO! Welcome to this sample of Swipe: the iPhone magazine. We’ve put together a taster of what each edition offers, with all the hottest iOS news, reviews of the latest apps and accessories, plus expert advice from the people that bring you Tips & Tricks – iPhone Secrets. We hope you enjoy this small slice of what Swipe has to offer, and don’t forget to check out the full free trial on the App Store. Happy reading!

THE SWIPE TEAM

NEWS

Apple R&D Patents point to Apple ideas

A

slew of Apple patents have recently surfaced, covering a range of different areas. First of all Apple has patented a ‘smart dock’ with voice recognition, the idea being that you would dock an iPhone or iPad, and be able to control it via voice commands, presumably using a version of Siri. So you could potentially just shout across the room to send a text, or if you’re streaming music or video to your AV equipment, you could just tell your iOS device to skip a track or play a certain film.

Apple’s idea for a ‘smart dock’ could let you control your equipment by voice control

The smart dock is able to charge the device and also has speakers, so it can act just like a typical music dock.

Interestingly, it also suggests that it could be connected to any other voice-recognition compatible device such as laptops, videogame systems, or even household appliances. “Fridge, go get me a beer.”

Goggle glass Another intriguing device appears in Apple’s patent for video goggles, which provide a “personal media viewing experience.” The idea seems to be that you can see what’s displayed on your iOS device – movies or games, perhaps – and it would generate a much larger view than the screen of the device, and possibly in 3D too.

The patent for these video goggles actually dates back to 2007, which explains why it looks like some ski goggles connected to a fourthgeneration iPod.

You can tell how old the patent is by the old-school scrollwheel iPod

Finally, Apple’s latest patent is for using an iOS device to ‘geofence’ a car, so that different actions are activated as your iPhone enters a certain geofenced area (i.e. regions centered on the car). With such a system in place, as you approached your vehicle in a shopping mall car park, for example, the trunk would automatically open. Geofences can also be time-based, so when the car deems you to be five minutes away, it could begin heating the interior.

Geofencing can be used for things like having the trunk automatically open in

So while Apple may not have had the most exciting year in terms of fresh new products, it’s certainly thinking about lots of different areas.

Bump ‘n’ run Rally car gets virtual damage

W

e’re all familiar with iOScontrolled devices, but Griffin has come up with new twist for its MOTO TC Rally car. With the free app, you can control your car as usual using any iOS device, over Bluetooth.

But the car has a new feature called ‘bump ’n’ run’ – when you race against other car owners, every nudge and bump is registered and affects the way your car handles.

Cars can both dish out damage and take it, with attacks that include reducing an opponent’s speed, tampering with the controls or flipping the steering directions.

Receive enough damage and your car becomes undrivable. The app also includes bonuses to repair damage and add protective armor – all done virtually, of course.

The MOTO TC rally is available for $100 or £75, from Griffin. The car itself features independent suspension, proportional steering and looks like a load of fun.

APPS

Waterlogue TINROCKET, LLC

Splash out on this app and turn boring photos into works of art

W

e were already fans of Tinrocket’s previous app, Popsicolor, which turns your photos into funky screenprint-style popart. Well now the team has taken its watercolor technology a step further with Waterlogue, which aims to make your images look like real watercolor paintings – not just like you’ve run them through a dodgy Photoshop filter.

Waterlogue’s interface consists of two buttons and a row of scrolling presets

The app’s interface is nice and simple, with a pair of buttons to access your photos and share images, plus a scrolling line of icons at the bottom.

These represent the dozen watercolor presets, settings for size of preview, five levels of lightness, plus the option to create your image with or without a border. And that’s pretty much it.

Presets and previews To use the app you simply select an existing image or take a photo. It’s immediately turned into a watercolor using the last-used setting, and from there you can tap the various presets to see how it will look. A window pops up on the right hand side, giving a quick preview of the effect; tapping this initiates the filter which then draws itself on screen. (Actually, the previews don’t always have a lot in common with the finished article, so they’re only of use as a rough guide.)

bottom right. Tap this to apply the effect

The quicker your iPhone is the faster this process will be. We’re testing it on an iPhone 5s and it runs at a decent pace, slow enough to see the image being created, but quick enough that it’s not frustrating to use. Your mileage may vary!

Then it’s just a question of trying different settings until you get the result you’re after. But while a lot of the presets look really good, this may not always be possible; after all, it’s a simple one- or two-tap operation, without any deep controls so, you may find you get near your ideal, but not quite bang on. Just remind yourself you only paid four bucks for the thing!

view the high-res version on a big screen

When you’re happy with the result, tap the heart icon and then you can share the image via Instagram, Twitter, tumblr or email, save it to your Photos app or even open it in another app to add an additional layer of processing.

Genuine fakes Generally, we were pretty impressed with the results. The images look impressively like watercolors, complete with color bleed, pigment grain and paper texture. And while they look good on the iPhone, it’s really only when you open them up on a large screen that you see just how authentic the end result is.

Some of the presets work better than others, and the app works better on certain images, so you’ll need to experiment to get the best results.

We found those presets that add dark lines are less effective with most subjects, and images with areas of poor contrast look more like pencil sketches than watercolors.

the outlines on the building are less effective

But it’s fun experimenting, and does get quite addictive, repeatedly turning your collection of boring photos into glorious, mildly abstract, hue-strewn watercolors. In summary: it’s cool and we think you should buy it.

VERDICT

STROKE OF GENIUS “We haven’t seen a watercolor effect as good as this before, so if you like the idea of painting with your photos, go and get Waterlogued”

DOWNLOAD SCREENSHOTS

GET A BETTER HOME SCREEN #17

APP ROUND-UP Replace Apple’s default apps with our A-Z of the best alternatives

A

nd so, after the best part of half a year, we’ve come to the end of our giant series on replacing Apple’s default apps. We hope you’ve enjoyed the journey and now have some genuinely great apps taking pride of place on your Home screen.

We’ve covered almost every Apple app and service over the course of this series We’re just taking this opportunity to recap on what we said, and introduce any new apps that have come along and changed our minds. In this issue and the last, we’re systematically going through all of Apple’s Apps and services in alphabetical order, proffering the best alternatives we can find. And now, to draw the series to a close, we’re covering the remaining apps, from Messages to Weather.

Messages

M

essages combines SMS with Apple’s own iMessages protocol.

The idea is the system seamlessly figures out whether the recipient is also using Apple kit; if they are, messages can be sent for free. In reality, sometimes messages arrive comically out of order, but when Messages works it’s great.

Apple’s Messages supports inline images and messages are date stamped

IM+ Pro7 Shape GmbH PRICE $4.99/£2.99

SIZE 20.0 MB

VERSION 8.0.1

It’s also quite limited in terms of protocols (SMS and Apple’s own), which is where the awkwardly named IM+ Pro7 comes in. The app supports a staggering number of messaging services, from big hitters like Facebook, MSN and Yahoo!, through to smaller players you may not have heard of. The interface is smart and simple, and there’s cross-device iCloud sync for settings.

IM+ Pro 7 can handle messages from all sorts of sources

BUY IT NOW

Music

I

f you’ve got a reasonably sized music collection, figuring out what to play can be a pain, and Apple’s Music won’t help. The iOS 7 interface is minimal and sleek, and the album grid landscape looks good, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a deluge of different music.

The Music app is okay for curating and

Groove Flexibits Inc. PRICE FREE

SIZE 24.0 MB

VERSION 3.0

Groove instead concentrates on discoverability, exploring your music collection for similar artists, to create on-the-fly mixes and playlists; it intelligently tries to pick out songs and albums you might like to listen to, and it’s transformed our music listening habits on iPhone entirely.

Take your music appreciation to another level with Groove

BUY IT NOW

Notes

W

e’re not really sure what’s going on with Apple’s Notes. We’re happy to see the back of the lined yellow notepad and handwritten font, but why there’s now a paper texture, we’ve no idea. We thought Apple was done with that kind of thing. (And yellow text on white? Yuck.)

when it does...

Scratch Karbon PRICE $2.99/£1.99

SIZE 36.9 MB

VERSION 5.1

Scratch feels like the minimal note-taker Jony Ive and co. should have made instead. New notes are easily created and shared, and a searchable history is available with a tap. However, Scratch also boasts surprising depth, largely from its toolbar – swipe it to access a word/ character count, special characters, and Markdown buttons.

Scratch is a great note-taking app with tools for writers and bloggers

BUY IT NOW

FEATURES

Send greeting cards with your iPhone

Get your message across this holiday season and beyond

A

s the holidays swing into gear there are a number of reasons to be sending cards. As a thank-you for those stylish socks from grandma, as invites to parties or simply to wish season’s greetings. Whatever the reason, there’s no need to trudge around the shops looking for the perfect design, or break out the macaroni and superglue to provide that personalized feel. Your iPhone has you covered.

Whether you want to send a card by traditional snail mail, cut down on waste with a paperless version or print your own cards at home, there are a number of apps available, many free, to help you do just that. Of course, the cost of sending your card is a consideration but, surprisingly, many of the services we’ll be covering provide a more affordable and often reliable alternative to the traditional stamp and mail process. An additional benefit is the option to send multiple cards at once without having to repeat the card creation process. Check out our suggestions to boost your productivity and bring a little holiday cheer to your friends and loved ones this festive season. There are links to every app at the end of the feature.

Save time (and the planet) with an eCard

W

hile many see eCards as impersonal or even lazy, the clever creators of these digital missives have jumped onto the ecofriendly bandwagon by suggesting that it’s not only easier to tap out and send a digital card but also saves on wasted paper and pollution.

Cartolina Cards The facts are hard to argue against and, when you see some of the designs on offer plus the customization options, you might not be so averse to the idea of an email-based greeting. Some apps aren’t limited to email-only either, like the Facebook posting of Cartolina Cards, for example, which provides a frankly beautiful way to send a virtual greeting when an SMS or standard email isn’t enough.

Cartolina Cards is notable for its retro designs and vintage artwork

Born from the Canadian design house of the same name, Cartolina’s range of digital cards is as beautiful as its printed work and support multiple languages and sharing methods. The app can even remind you when cardworthy events like birthdays and anniversaries are near. As Cartolina itself says, for less than the price of a single greeting card, you can choose from and send as many digital versions as you like.

Paperless Post Similarly, the free Paperless Post app allows you to track virtual invites, RSVPs, greetings and messages you’ve received via the popular service and even send private messages. The app is set to add card creation soon but, for now, greetings must be sent using the iPad version. The app manages to creep into our selection for its beautiful design, handy features and lack of a price tag.

SomeeCards For those who like a more irreverent eCard, the guys at SomeeCards.com have a free and paid version of their SomeeCards app available. The free version offers the top ten new cards in each category while the full version includes all available cards plus the option to save them to your phone.

The SomeeCards app stores your name and email address so you can send cards more quickly in future and you can personalize each card with your own greeting, which can then be sent to a range of social networks plus traditional email and SMS.

SomeeCards is the place to go

PingSome ecards Twisting the traditional eCard format somewhat, Jeego.com’s PingSome app is free to download and your first customizable, animated card is free.

Beyond that you’ll have to pay for credits in order to send these funky digital messages via email, SMS or on Facebook and Twitter.

The styles are unique and there are a number of templates to choose from, within which you can quickly insert your own face or that of someone else imported from your iPhone’s photo library. Credit packs start at around a dollar for ten and it costs three credits to send a card.

Animated eCards are a fun and cost effective way to send a digital greeting

FaceMe Video Booth FaceMe Video Booth is similar in that you’ll need to buy credits in order to send animated eCards. However, with such a wide range of entertaining animations in which you can place your own images, it’s worth the dollar or so it costs to send out more comical and personalized messages right from your iPhone.

FaceMe Video Booth

HOWTO

Get started with

Pages part two

I

n the last issue of Swipe we went over how you can add styles and images to your Pages document. In this issue we’re going to cover how to change your doc’s settings and how to share it once you’re finished.

Document Settings While editing your document, there are several options to help see your progress and aid with placing images.

Tap the icon to open the Tools menu. From here tap Settings and turn on options such as Word Count and Center Guides or Edge Guides. If you now move images, you’ll see yellow lines appear when you try to drag too close to the margins of the page.

Change Margins If you’d like to change the margins, return to the main Tools list and select Document Setup. First off you can change the type of paper by tapping Change Paper Size and choose between US Letter or A4.

Change the margins of your document by dragging on the arrows From the Doc Setup page you can drag any of the blue arrows to alter the margins of the page. It’s also possible to change the header and footer by tapping the relevant labels at either end of the page. If you wish to add an image to every page, such as a logo, tap the ‘+’ and edit its size and position as described in the last issue. Once your happy tap Done to return to the main editing window.

Add your company logo to every page by placing on the Doc Setup page

iPhone SWIPE

NEWS • REVIEWS • TIPS

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In your next packed issue...

Apple in 2013 We recap on Apple’s year, looking at the company’s highlights

App reviews All the latest games, utilities, and creative apps tested and rated

Expert advice Now you can use Pages on your iPhone, it’s time to learn Keynote

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