software

Although I have many, one iOS app not yet in my photography tool box is Filterstorm (App Store link). It has been highly recommended (especially in the Instagram community) by others and it has been on my 'want list' for some time now. Well, if you needed an excuse to buy it now (perhaps such as myself), it is has recently been upgraded to 3.0. The upgrade features a new interface along with some new features. It will be interesting to see how this app compares with other full featured photography post processing apps on the iOS such as PhotoForge2 and Photo fx (App Store links) among many others of course. It looks to be more similar to the former than the latter. Despite its name, I don't believe it is what we would call a photo filter app on iOS today. To my understanding it considers adjustments to exposure, color correction, sharpening, etc. as filters (as opposed to more artistic filters such as those in Instagram and others). It is now on sale in the App Store for half off (currently $1.99 from $3.99) for June 23-24, 2011.

So you just got a new iPhone and you want to learn all the ins and outs of it? Or perhaps, you had an iPhone for some time, but you still feel like a newbie? Even for long time users, sometimes it is easy to forget the basics or not keep up with changes that each new iOS brings when it is upgraded.

Now you can have iPhone lessons right in your pocket... right on your iPhone. Your instructor is Worth Godwin. The app is the Video Training Course for iPhone (App Store link).

The Halftone App by Juicy Bits (App Store link) for iOS is available for Free this weekend!

(Superman cosplaer photo by Louis Trapani)

The Sonic Newsdriver app is now available in the Amazon Appstore for Android.Already available in the Android marketplace (for apps that run on Android OS based devices), AppBrain, and of course in the Apple App Store for iOS devices (iPhone, iPod touch), the companion app for the Sonic Newsdriver podcast, a podcast which delivers Doctor Who related news sonically is now also available in Amazon.com's new Appstore for Android OS based devices.

Being an avid Instagram user, I was excited to learn that there is a new client app for the social photo sharing service on the Mac. A third party app, called InstaDesk (App Store link).

Since Instagram opened their API to the public, there have been several new options for third party Instagram clients or web interfaces. For example, on the iPad there is Instagallery (App Store link) and Flipboard (App Store link) which will allow you to access your Instagram account. There are several web interfaces available as well, my favorite has to be Webstagram.

With the exception of posting photos and applying filters, you can basically do everything you can do on the official Instagram app (currently only available for the iOS) and more using Instagram API. Again, the best example of implementing the API is probably Webstagram that I have seen so far. As good as Webstagram may be though, it is still a website, not an application.

The popular 3rd party camera app for the iOS, Camera+ (App Store link) has been updated. Among some of the updated enhancements is a new feature called, 'Clarity.' While it seems like it is being trumped as a one button fix-all for all your bad photos, I would not be so quick to use it blindly. Like with any other post-processing feature for your images, you will want to compare the results you get from using it first. It is possible that while it may add 'clarity' to a photo, it may also affect the contrast and shadow elements as well.

The GetGlue app (from AdaptiveBlue) for iPhone and iPod touch has been updated and with it, it has a newly enhanced user interface and more. (See my previous article, Get Glued on GetGlue for more details on GetGlue). In addition to the user interface refresh, which is a quite welcomed refresh, it also now allows you to check into "sports" in addition to the previous categories already available such as television, movies, books, music, wine, etc. Also it now offers Foursquare location check-in integration as well (unfortunately, Gowalla is not also offered as an option as well).

It was X years ago today that Apple released Mac OS X, changing the face of the desktop OS forever.

Simple, quick, and easy iOS-like photo editing comes to the Mac desktop with the new application, Flare - The Iconfactory.

Since the introduction of third-party apps to the iPhone (now the iOS platform), one of the many genres of apps that have flourished are photo editing apps. Not surprising when you consider that the iPhone comes equipped with a built-in digital camera. A camera that at least with the iPhone has been getting better and better with each new model. While there have been some full featured, complex photo editing apps released for the iOS over the years, for the most part, they have been clean and simple to use due to the inherit design and use of the iOS mobile platform.

I made a mention of this via post on Instagram, but for those not following me on Instagram, yet are still interested in iPhone photography might be interested to learn that Hipstamatic - Synthetic Corp is on sale now until Saturday to celebrate their first year anniversary. It is currently half off now at 99¢ (normally $1.99).

I mentioned Hipstamatic back on Thanksgiving weekend when it was also on sale (see App Store Deals This Thanksgiving Weekend). It was the first time it dropped its price at that time. I purchased it then and since that time, I haven't used it too much, but I will admit that it is better than I had expected. It's not my go-to app when it comes to iPhone photography (that still remains the built-in app and Instragram), but for shots that I know I can take some time with, I may use Hipstamatic.

Outside of a possible coffee run or something of that magnitude, the one place you won't find me on what is known by some as "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving in the States) is at a retail store. That doesn't mean you won't find me on the iTunes App Store looking for a deal.

This Thanksgiving weekend is no exception and it wouldn't be the same without some great app deals for your iOS device (Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod touch). Here are some deals I discovered this year in the Apple iTunes App Store. I may be updating this article if I find more over the course of the weekend, so check back here for possible additions or follow me on Twitter: @LouisTrapani for shout outs about them.

"It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures," is how Burbn, Inc describes their free iOS app, Instagram.

Chiefly for the iPhone and the iPod touch (with camera), it can also be used on the iPad, just without the camera functionality, Instagram has really made an impact on how I and thousands of others take and share photos over the net.

Recently I have gotten glued to GetGlue. What is Glue or GetGlue? Before I explain, let me tell you how I came to discover and use GetGlue.

If you follow me on Twitter @LouisTrapani or the all so many other social media sites that I maintain a presence on, well, you know that I maintain some sort of presence on these various said services. Some I am engaged with more than others.

It seems like the all of the internet is currently flipping for the Flipboard as I write this now. So much so that it appears to be overwhelmed by it. In fact, I would like to include a screenshot of it from my own iPad, but right now no content is showing up. Even content that is being pulled in from my own feeds such as Twitter and Facebook. My guess is that the Flipboard server is caching content from those sources as well as their own once you add them. I am sure this current bog down is just temporary.

After struggling to get FileMaker Pro databases to work on the Apple iPhone and iPad by importing them (against their will) into Bento and using the iOS versions of Bento on the said devices, there are now options available for using actual FileMaker Pro databases themselves. Yes, that is plural...

First, the 3rd party software FMTouch which is a universal app (for both iPhone/iPod touch and iPad) has cut its price by two-thirds (now $9.99 as opposed to $29.99).

Secondly, FileMaker themselves have now entered the ring with their own app: