App Review: PhotoSync

Over the weekend I came across a really cool app called PhotoSync. Tried and tested this is by far a great app that works beautifully. PhotoSync eliminates the need for a cable to transfer photos and videos from iOS device to Mac and vise versa. With an easy setup and simple user interface PhotoSync is a must have application. The app allows for transfers over both wireless and bluetooth networks and all that is required is for you to download the free PhotoSync Companion application for mac or windows to your desktop and you're all set to go. 

PhotoSync boasts 3 main features:

• Unlimited image and video transfer to and from you mac and iOS device.
• Smart feature, which basically means that PhotoSync keeps track of all photos and videos transferred. Therefore allowing transfer of new pics and videos with just one click.
• For Mac users, direct importing into iPhoto and Aperture. A drop and drag feature is also available for transferring to iOS devices. 

In addition to the already mentioned features, PhotoSync app also supports Dropbox, Flickr and FTP uploading. I've been using this app for a few days now without problems. The app is stable and more importantly, it works!!! At $1,99 this app is extremely well priced considering all that the app offers. 

I've added a link to the iTunes store below where the app can be purchased and downloaded along with a short clip to further demonstrate the app's features. Enjoy!

Associated Links:

PhotoSync iTunes Store 

PhotoSync Website

Camping at Salmonsdam Nature Reserve

Salmonsdam Nature Reserve is approximately 150km out of Cape Town. There are two routes that can be taken from Cape Town but the route I chose allowed us to pass through beautiful Hermanus. The reserve is 834ha in size and comprises of beautiful mountainous landscapes renowned for its bird life (more than 120 bird species), fynbos, waterfalls, various antelope like the Bontebok and Klip-Springer. Baboons and other mammals are also present within the reserve. There is no river close to the camp site for swimming, so the only other option is a cement pool which I decided against. The reserve also boasts three amazing hiking trails which are highly recommended for all visitors.

We arrived at the camp site in the mid afternoon. The weather was cool, with minimal sunlight and lots of cloud cover. The sites of the surrounding mountains and hills were breathtaking to say the least. My girlfriend, Rafeeka organised an amazing tent as the one I had apparently never met minimal standards lol. Pitching the tents was quick and easy and in under an hour we had two huge tents setup, a "kitchen/storage tent" and an eating area under a gazibo. My friend Faghrie was kind enough to organise all the lighting we needed to light up our camp site since there was no power available. We were all set. Steaks, chops and sausage were on the menu for dinner. 

Relaxing around the fire, listening to the cool sounds of Bob Marley and a sky lit up by millions of stars was exactly what the doctor ordered. Dinner was served at about 9, a lil later than the norm, but hey I wasn't complaining. Kudos to Woolworths for the best Garlic and Parsley rolls I have ever had! It amazes me how quick time really flies by when you're busy, having fun or both, so before I knew it day 1 had come to an end.

Due to heavy winds and rainfall I was up at 7am, not exactly what I had in mind for my getaway but no point in complaining to mother nature. The ground was wet and the weather was unpleasant but I was in no way going to let this minor change affect my mood. Scrambled eggs, fried sausage, green peppers and fried mushrooms were on the menu for breakfast. Unhealthy I know, but so darn good! Despite the fact that there was no available electricity on the camp sites, all showers were equipped with gas heaters. Since the morning was quite wet out, most of the time was spent indoors, but by the afternoon the weather had cleared up and we decided to do one of the three hikes. We chose the Waterfall hike which is approximately 3km and absolutely beautiful. The hike took us through thick fynbos, indigenous trees and ended up at a breath-taking waterfall, making the hike ever so worth it. The hike completely tired me out so the rest of the evening was spent roasting marshmallows over a fire being prepared for a late night braai. 

Three days was definitely way too short and I would love to go back as soon as I could to complete the other 2 hiking trails and maybe even mountain bike up one of the 4x4 routes. I must admit that one of the things I loved most about this camp site was that despite the large area made available for campers, only 11 site were allocated. Which means that you have ample space between camp sites as apposed to feeling cramped by other campers. Also, listening to the rain pour over our tent, wild cats fighting in the background and the fear of baboons or Bontebok visiting our camp site during the night added so much more to our experience in the wild. . I would definitely recommend adding Salmonsdam Nature Reserve to your 'To Do' list.

I've added a Google Maps link below with easy directions to the Salmonsdam Nature Reseve

Salmonsdam Nature Reserve (directions)  

App Review: Seamless

This morning I received an email from the guys at MacHeist about an app for iPhone, iPod and Mac. The app is called Seamless and was created by the peeps at FiveDetails.com. Based on the quick description of the app on the homepage I was immediately intrigued. Seamless is an app that allows you to transition music that you are currently playing in iTunes on your Mac to your iPhone or iPod touch with one easy click. What that basically means that if you were enjoying an album while busy on your Mac and you had to run off to a meeting or whatever is on your schedule, you could, with one easy click transition that very point where you're at in the album to your iPhone/iPod touch and continue listening in the car or while walking etc.

This is such a cool app that I'm sure will come in handy. And at 99cents it's a steal! The setup is so quick and easy. All that needs to be done is to pair the iPhone/iPod touch with your mac. Once that is done, whatever music is currently playing on your Mac will be displayed on the app's home screen. Thereafter you need just click the "Transition Music " button and it's done, that easy! The only catch is you need to be connected to a local network though. The app needs to be downloaded from both the iTunes and MacApp stores, I've added links to the stores below. Enjoy!

Associated Links:
Seamless iTunes Link
Seamless MacApp Store Link 

A quick fix to the Twitter for Mac and Spaces problem

About 2 weeks ago I created a post about Spaces for Mac and how simple it was to setup and use. Since then I've enjoyed using Spaces and my desktop looks less cluttered and much easier to navigate through. The only problem I kept having is that the Twitter application kept following me around from space to space, which kind of defeats the purpose. This was of course due to a bug within the Twitter for mac application. With a little online searching and reading I found a simple method to work around this annoying problem, so i thought I'd share it. 

Go to System Preferences > then choose Expose' & Spaces.

In the Spaces menu > go to the Application Assignments, click the + and add Twitter and choose 'Every Space' (essentially this is what we do not want to do, but it's a necessary step nonetheless.)

Then choose the space that you would like Twitter to be in. (in my case, Space 1)

And that's it! Twitter should now only be in 1 allocated space. This preference however will be forgotten if the Twitter application is closed. It's obvious that this a bug in the application, so hopefully the developers will have it fixed on the next update. But in the meantime these simple steps will have to be followed. Please leave any comments if this did not work for you. Enjoy!

Using Spaces in Mac OSX

Ever felt that your desktop was way too cluttered with all your open windows? Spaces in OSX is the solution to the problem. I generally have a few browser windows open with each having numerous open tabs as well. That of course excludes all the different open applications, notes, mail app, calender, etc. hence a cluttered desktop. Using Spaces neatens everything perfectly, having everything exactly where I need it to be. Spaces allows you as the user to create 2 to 16 extra screens on your mac. Think of them as virtual workspaces or desktops where you can easily drop or group certain applications that you are using, not only to reduce the clutter but also to simplify your desktop to assist you to focus on one thing at a time. For example; you could have one Space for anything work related like spreadsheets or current work projects, another space for personal items like random web browsing, games or movies, and maybe even another space for hobbies like blogging or anything related to photography, etc. The possibilities are endless.

 

Spaces is built in to Mac's OSX Leopard and can be found in System Preferences. The initial setup is extremely simple, as to be expected from almost anything that is Apple. Once you've selected Spaces from System Preferences you need to click on the 'Enable Spaces' box found in the top left corner of the window. In the top right corner is a box 'Show Spaces in menu bar' which can be clicked if you want Spaces in your menu bar. The section below allows you to choose the number of Spaces you require. I've chosen 4 as that's all that I need right now. You can choose up to 16 Spaces if so needed. 

The next step is to assign applications to their respective Spaces. By using the '+' sign you can choose from the list that appears which applications to select. Once this has been done you can assign one of the Spaces to the app. More than 1 space can be assigned to an application if so desired. For example, an application like Mail can be assigned to all Spaces making it available in all Spaces. 

The last step is to customize the shortcut keys. There are 3 different settings each having their own options as well. Once this has been done you can use your shortcut keys to switch between applications and Spaces. I've used Expose' to add an Active Screen Corner for my Spaces which makes it so easy to see all my open Spaces. 

And that's it! Once you've gone through this easy setup you are ready to enjoy Spaces!!!

App Review: Self Image

With my new found interest in photography and having not yet bought the SLR Camera and lens of my choice, I find myself downloading more and more photography apps from the app store in the mean time. A few days ago I came across this really cool and really cheap application called "Self Image" by the team at Debacle Software. Now this application does not have numerous fancy features as most of the photography apps found in the app store boast. The app has merely 1 feature, however, this does not make this app obsolete at all since it's only feature is "Face Detection"

As you know the iPhone's camera is on the rear (unless you're using an iPhone4) which makes it pretty difficult to take a really cool photo of yourself or even a portrait of you and a friend. With the Face Detection feature built in to the app, taking self portraits are so much easier. The app has 3 settings; 1. A shot with just you. 2. A shot with you and a friend. 3. And a Self-Timer shot. Once your chosen your setting, turn the phone around and wait for the 3second countdown and done! Its really as simple and easy as that. All photos are automatically saved to your camera roll. 

Debacle Software are the same guys that brought the amazing panoramic photo application "PANO" which has won numerous awards since 2009, so based on that reputation you know you're getting a bargain at $0,99. I've added a link to the iTunes Store below where the app can be downloaded. Enjoy! 


Associated Link: Self Image Application

App Review: 8mm Vintage Camera

About a week ago I started playing around with an app referred to me by a friend, so I thought I'd share it. 8mm Vintage Camera app shoots the old fashioned style videos making your clips a whole lot cooler than before and its so simple and easy to use. If you enjoyed movies like Casablanca and Doctor Zhivago then you'll love playing around with this app. 

When using this app you can switch from the classic black and white look of the 1920's, the colorful 70's, Siena and the muted imagery of Sakura. When switching between settings the app allows for a change of lenses and filters to make your choice of clips look even more authentic. A 'jitter' setting is also added to allow jumping of frames for added effect. A projector sound can be used or simply have the sound muted for a 'Silent Movie'. The developers have added many other extra features like being able to mail recorded clips, upload them to You-Tube or just saving them to your camera roll. The app also supports geo-tagging when your location service is switched on and is compatible with iPhones 3GS/4 and the 4th generation iPod touch running on iOS4.1 or later.

If you enjoy photography and special effects then this app is definitely for you. The app costs but a mere $1,99 and for what you get I feel the app is well priced. I've added a link below which will take you to the iTunes store where the app can be downloaded. Enjoy!!! 


Associated Link: 8mm Vintage Camera

Jaibreak your iPad using GreenPoison

So I finally got bitten once again by the "Jailbreak" bug but this time however it was with my iPad. I'd jailbroken my previous iPhone 3G and despite having tons of cool apps, I found my handset to be very problematic thereafter. But after chatting with a number of friends with Jalibroken iPads having no problems at all, I decided to take the leap. 

There are a few things to consider when deciding to jailbreak an iOS device like software versions, basebands, tethered or untethered and whether your device relies on an unlock. I'm not going to bore you with lengthy explanations of what exactly all this means and how they come into play when jailbreaking but I will add a link at the end of this post to help you decide which Jailbreak application is for you. My iPad is running on a 4.2.1 software with a baseband of 07.10.00 and until recently a jailbreak app for these specs was not available. The guys at Chronic Dev Team has recently released the much awaited GreenPoison RC5 which brings a full untethered Jailbreak to all iOS devices running on 4.2.1. Unlike its predecessors, GreenPoison RC5 is not complicated and is so simple that you could jailbreak any iOS device even out of the box.


The following are step by step instructions on how to Jailbreak your iPad (4.2.1) using GreenPoison:


Step 1: Download GreenPosion from the following link ... www.greenpoison.com

Step 2: Connect your iPad to your Macbook or iMac and click on "Jailbreak" as seen below.

Step 3: Follow all the on-screen instructions to enter DFU mode: 

• Press and hold the Sleep button for 2 seconds.
• Continue holding the Sleep button, then press the Home button for 10 seconds.
• Now release the Sleep button and continue to hold the Home button for 15 seconds.

Step 4: GreenPoison will now start Jailbreaking your iPad.

Step 5: Once this process is complete your iPad will successfully be Jailbroken. Now start Loader found on the home screen to install Cydia. 

And that's it! In 5 easy to follow steps your untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 is complete! Enjoy!!!

Below is a step by step video guide, compliments to the guys at RedmondPie.com 

Note: Jailbreaking is done at your own risk so make sure to backup your iPad using iTunes before attempting Jailbreak.

Associated links: 
http://jailbreak-me.info/
http://www.geohot.us/ 

U2 360 Degree Concert Tour

Last night I attended what was without a doubt the greatest concert ever!!! The last time U2 performed in South Africa was over 10 years ago and I was not prepared to miss this concert at the risk of having to wait another 10 years to see them. I am lucky enough to have a girlfriend who knows what I love and was thus suprised with U2 tickets as a Valentine's gift. 

Due to the massive crowds that were drawn in for the event I parked in Bo-Kaap at about 6:30pm and decided to do the fan walk which was the best decision by far. The fan walk was amazing, the atmosphere was exhilarating. All the coffee shops, bars and restaurants were packed to the max. The famous Cape Minstrels (Kaapse Klopse) were there as well gracing us with their presence. The ques going into the stadium were really long but kudos to the organizers because the wait was not long at all, I was definitely impressed with the way this was coordinated.

Entering the stadium was a feeling that can best be described by experiencing it, saying it was absolutely breathtaking would be an understatement. The atmosphere inside was electrifying and the claw-like 360 degree stage was a beautiful site to look at. The opening act was by the Springbok Nude Girls with Arno Carstens as the lead singer. It was really great to see a local band like the SNG open up for U2 and I have to admit that even though I don't know all of their music, they definitely brought their 'A Game'.

U2 eventually came on stage at about 9:30pm and opened up with "Beautiful Day" and they could not have made a better choice, the crowd exploded with applause and screams. The visual effects were somewhat out of this world with the claw like stage changing color at every song. Bono is such an amazing performer filled with so much energy, it was truly an honor to see him perform live. 

I have to admit that the quality of the sound was initially really bad. There was way too much bass and I could hardly here a single word Bono was saying. I assume the sound engineers picked up on this and tweeked it a bit because the sound drastically improved later on. At first I thought it was my location in the stadium, but after speaking to many others I came to the conclusion that it was definitely a slip on the part of the guys handling the sound.

Having said that I still undoubtedly had an incredible and unforgettable night. U2 sorta brought back the whole Fifa World Cup moto of "I was there!!!" Friday the 18th of February Cape Town stadium became a City of Blinding Lights!!!

BBM vs WhatsApp

So it's become evidently clear that text messaging is the preferred way of communicating. Even though people like myself who are old fashioned and still believe in actual voice calling, we have to admit that sometimes text messaging presents an easier and sometimes more direct approach. Besides the most common method of text messaging (sms), other methods have somewhat become more popular of late like Instant Messaging (IM). I remember a time years ago when IM applications like IRC were very popular and others like Skype, MSN, Yahoo and ICQ dominated the market. The downside to this was that to chat with a contact both you and the contact needed to be online via a desktop computer or laptop and also needed to be connected to the internet. As we know many things have changed since then, IM has become possible via mobile phones and there are hundreds of applications that allow for conectivity. Not to say that applications like Skype, MSN, ICQ and the rest have become obsolete but mobile phone users seem to lean more to other mobile phone specific IM applications like Blackberry's Messenger (BBM), WhatsApp, Mxit and many others.

BBM has been a favourite in the market of mobile IM applications for sometime now. BBM is an IM application specific to Blackberry users and allows for many features like unlimited character length, group chats, push notifications, sharing of pictures and videos and many more. WhatsApp on the other hand is a cross platform IM application, meaning it works with iPhone, Blackberry, Nokia, Android and other smartphone handsets. Its features are very similar to BBM and is fast becoming a popular application. Some of WhatsApp's features in addition to sending text messages are sending Multimedia (audio, photo, video) as well as Map locations. WhatsApp will also automatically scan your contact list on your phone to find friends already using the service to add to your contact list.

Below i've added a Pro's and Con's list of the two applications.

Blackberry Messenger (BBM)

Pros:
Threaded text messaging
Group chat
Custom avatars
Set status
Emoticons/Smileys
Take a picture of your friend's bar code to instantly add them to BBM
New interface design
Ability to backup contacts list remotely or locally

Cons:
Voice Notes sometimes fail to send, if not, very slow transfer rate
Pictures sometimes fail to send, if not, very slow transfer rate
Pictures must be saved to your Device Memory or Media card first before viewing
Status updates is limited to two lines

WhatsApp 

Pros:
Cross platform (works on all smartphones including Blackberry)
Automatically scans your phone's contacts to find friends using the service
Can send all multimedia (videos, photos, audio) and map locations
Includes delivered and sent items in thread
Clean interface
Set status

Cons:
No group chat
Free only for the first year, thereafter $1,99 

At the risk of sounding biased, I will have to admit that a cross platform application definitely trumps the limitation of being able to only text to contacts using the same make of handset. I myself use Whatsapp and have contacts using various smartphones. Having said that, BBM has been around for some time longer than WhatsApp thus being more popular and who knows, the developers might just add a cross platform feature. Anyways, this topic kinda stuck in my head all weekend, hence this post, so I hope you enjoyed it! 

Posted on 14th February 2011
Note: As of February the 10th, WhatsApp now allows for Group Chat.

My Visits to the Land of Sand, Dubai (UAE)

Dubai International Airport

With all my travels abroad flying with Emirates Airlines I must have passed through Dubai's International Airport over a dozen times. But if Dubai's International Airport is anything to go by then one can only imagine the wonders that awaits you beyond it's walls. I think the people that designed Dubai had one common concept in mind "Go Large or Go Home". I say this because this city houses so many of the "biggest, largest and tallest" icons in the world. 


My visits to Dubai were strictly for business but I always made sure that I did as much sight-seeing as I possibly could. What immediately struck me on my 1st arrival was the efficiency of the airport staff and the airport shuttle service. I'm not really a fan of the Arab people, I find them to be very arrogant, but I am most definitely a huge fan of efficient service. Dubai is not a huge city so the ride from the airport to almost anywhere in the city is not really that long, and on-route to your hotel you can enjoy the sights of the amazing architecture that Dubai is famous for.

Dubai Mariner

Pic taken at the Dubai Mariner Mall

Me at the Dubai Mariner

View from the Radisson Blu Hotel at Dubai Mariner

On my first visit to Dubai I stayed in an area called Bur Dubai which literally translates Mainland Dubai. Its the older part of Dubai filled with many Souks, small markets, the Dubai Museum and a small port called Port Saeed. I stayed at the Arabian Court Hotel which was disappointing as a 4 star hotel. The hotel had all the necessities but was rather old and failed hopelessly with the image I had of this modern city. So if you're looking for a real 4 or 5 star experience don't stay in Bur Dubai. February is a good month to visit the city as the temperatures are cool and pleasant and to experience Dubai at night is an absolute pleasure. My second visit was in May, Do not visit Dubai in May month!!! The Souks in the area are a must see for great bargains in jewelery and fine watches so be sure to pay them a visit, I sure did. Other than that and a few shady clubs there's not much to see in Bur Dubai. 

View from the Radisson Blu Hotel

As a tourist you find yourself taking taxis everywhere which is not a problem really because they're so easy to find and not that expensive, but I think it would be taxing as a resident to be using them everyday though. When I stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel on the Dubai Mariner I found this hotel to be of a superb quality all round and very well located. Getting around from here was easy and visits to malls were but minutes away. Definitely a hotel that I would recommend. I visited many malls in the city but 2 specific malls definitely stood out amongst the rest, firstly the Dubai Mall, being the largest mall in the world, is without a doubt overwhelming to say the least, and secondly the Mall of the Emirates being the first mall I had ever seen with a built-in Ski slope! Another spectacular sight at the Dubai Mall is the massive aquarium found inside the mall. Other than that, all the malls shared many similarities like indoor ice rinks, huge food courts and all the top brand named stores. The Ibn Battuta Mall, however outclassed the rest when it came to food courts. The mall was named after a Moroccan traveller and had 6 courts representing each country or region he travelled to. So you can imagine one would be quite spoiled for choice! At the Dubai Mall you'll also find the infamous Burj Khalifa (previously known as the Burj Dubai), the tallest building in the world. At 828m (2717ft) the Burj Khalifa towers of everything in the city. It truly is an amazing sight, so tall that I couldn't fit the whole building in my camera's view.The Burj Al Arab standing at 321m is the 4th tallest hotel in the world and most certainly in my opinion is the most beautiful hotel i've ever set sights on. It's also the world's only 7 star hotel and just for the record, even though the Burj Al Arab is only the 4th tallest hotel in the world, the buildings that hold 1st, 2nd and 3rd place can also be found in Dubai. 

Radisson Blu Hotel

Aquarium at the Dubail Mall

Ice Rink at the Dubai Mall

Aquarium inside the Dubai Mall

Aquarium inside the Dubai Mall

Aquarium inside the Dubai Mall

Exhausted after a day of shopping at the massive Dubai Mall

  
Other than the amazing architecture Dubai has a really cool night life. Malick and I checked out a few clubs in the city and "WOW!!!" would definitely be an understatement. Zinc, 360 and Sanctuary are but a few names of the hot clubs to checkout in Dubai. I loved 360 the most for its open air circular bar and perfect location with views of the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and luxurious yachts docked nearby.

Me at the Burj Khalifa

The Burj Al Arab Hotel from Jumeirah Beach

The Jumeirah Beach Hotel

View from Mina A Salaam

Inside the Ibn Battuta Mall

Me at the Ibn Battuta Mall

My friend in Dubai, Masnoena and I

 As said before, every time I've visited Dubai it was for business but I always managed to squeeze in as much sight seeing as possible. I still feel that there's still much for me to see here, and since Dubai is always changing, I don't think I'll tick her off my "been there, done that" list just yet. 

Still to come:
Desert Run
Wild Wadi
Buddha Bar
The Address