Reviews
App Review: MetroView NZ City GPS Navigation
We have reviewed a number of turn-by-turn GPS apps previously, but with the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand another big GPS Location provider has landed on our iDevices. MetroView NZ City GPS Navigation has been released into the wild to help fans get around, so how does it shape up?…
Read MoreiPad 2 – Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G?
While standing in the checkout queue of my favourite Apple reseller a few weeks ago, I found myself helping a young lady decide which iPad 2 option was most appropriate for her needs. She was specifically interested in the cheaper Wi-Fi only version and asked about the ease and reliability of tethering to her iPhone 4. I’m not sure which option she eventually chose, but I remember grappling with the decision myself before selecting my own iPad 2 and figured that what I’ve learned since may be of help to others.…
Read More
Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, Other News, Reviews
Kiwi App Preview: TradeKiwi Photo Uploader
A few weeks ago I reviewed the new iteration of the official Trademe app. As you may recall, I gave it very good marks overall, but did cite some missing features. One of the features that went unmentioned was the ability to combine multiple photos and upload them to your account. So unless you could use Photoshop you were in for multiple picture fees.
However, stress not! There is an app for that, at least there will be soon, thanks to Chewy Applications. Let’s take an exclusive look at TradeKiwi which will hit the marketplace soon.…
Read More
Posted in iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Reviews
Having issues with your APN settings under iOS 5 beta 7? Here’s a work around:
It would seem that Apple have removed the ability to change the APN settings in iOS 5 beta 7 for non-official carriers. Hopefully this is just an oversight in this beta and it will be fixed before the GM is released (if not it could leave a lot of users out in the cold). Personally I believe it is a bug as Apple sell the iPhone to use on “the carrier of your choice” when buying from the online store, so they are surely required to make sure you can use it properly (hence the reason it was allowed in the past).
In the meantime if you need to change your APN or it has stopped working here’s how you can do it (it requires you to have a Vodafone SIM or other “official carrier” SIM):
Update: Video below..…
Read MoreData Based SMS iPad App Comparison
With the evolution of gaming now extending onto the internet, many of us will find that we suddenly have a lot of friends overseas. In the past, we could just flick our mates a text to plan a game, but with overseas texts often excluded from our bundles and plans we cannot always afford it. So we turn to our smartphones (and similar such devices) and look for an app, but there are many choices!
So with Apple now wading into the thick of this market with their new iMessage service in iOS 5, does it change the balance of power? Is Apple’s app the superior product? Lets find out……
Read MoreTradeMe app updated, finally able to add new listings
Back in November last year we had an exclusive hands on preview with the TradeMe app when it first launched. In May, we wrote that it was time for more features. Now, almost a year after the initial release, TradeMe have released a new update, with the usual bug fixes, but also a critical functionality update… In-app listing has arrived!…
Read More
Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Reviews
Winter 2011: Web Browser Comparisons
On April 13th 2010 history was made, the first 3rd party Web Browser for iOS was approved. Opera Mini was the first amongst many browsers to grace the iOS and since then it has been followed by a succession of unique browsers.
However, if you try and find a review on them, to see which you would like the most before buying, you will be sadly disappointed. It has been many a month since any blog reviewed and compared the cream of the offerings. With iOS5 and its revamped Safari just around the corner (and because I am not restricted to the NDA) I think it’s time we changed that!…
Read MoreAccessory Review: Wacom Bamboo Stylus for iPad
There appears to be a never ending supply of options when it comes to notes apps for our beloved iOS devices, doesn’t there? It’s not surprising then, that there’s an equally extensive range of writing implements available for those apps.
The Wacom Bamboo Stylus hit our shores just a couple of weeks ago and, due to its remarkable pedigree, has a lot to live up to. I decided to put it through its paces and help you decide if it’s worth the $45 it’s selling for in New Zealand stores.…
Read MoreApp Review: Quota
Most people have heard of Consume by now, in fact we did a review of it when it first came out. It has become the industry standard usage app for the iOS. However Bjango has not updated it for sometime and is not natively iPad compatible, which is leading to a clunky and rather utilitarian UI.
However, there is now a new kid on the block. Quota (by SouthFreo) may be new, but it is sleek, sexy and worth a look.…
Read More
Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Reviews
Tools for Procrastination and Lecture Survival – Part 1
I have decided to write this two-part article as a part protest and part laugh, so sit back, relax and enjoy!
This is a scene that every tertiary student is intimately familiar with… You’re sitting in seats that you could swear were designed by sadistic old men, hell bent on your discomfort. Staring blankly at a lecturer, who is rambling on about something you couldn’t care less about, not because the topic sucks exactly, but because they use words like um & anyway as if they were vowels and it makes your head hurt. You’re drawing pictures, doing assignments or thinking about the pretty girl (or cute guy) a few rows down.
However my fellow students, do not despair! The apple may have got us chucked out of Eden but it is our salvation! You pay $700 for each class that drives you insane, so why not enjoy it? Be it an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, they will save you, the only question is how? With so many apps and also the internet at our fingertips what should we do?…
Read MoreiPad 2 case review: Booqpad Agenda
I recently got sent a couple of cases in the post that upon first look I just didn’t understand. The reason I didn’t understand is that they were an iPad 2 case with the addition of notepad and personally I just didn’t get why you would want a notepad when you had an iPad.
Well, keep reading to see my thoughts on the case and the interesting combination of old meets new……
Read MoreKiwi app quick look: Gaptionary
Now here’s a blast from the past: an app version of a good old classic ‘party’ game. High technology meets retro low-tech fun. You’ll have played this a dozen times already (perhaps at school). You know: the game where you’re asked to choose a noun or a name or a verb and your choices are inserted into a story. It’s right up there with with taking it in turns to draw sections of a picture on a piece of folded paper, only to reveal a hideous man-robot-fish-thing at the end of it all. But is it as fun as it was back then? …
Read More
Posted in All, iPhone, iPod touch, Reviews
TomTom version 1.7 brings HD Traffic to your iPhone
We’ve looked at TomTom in the past, way back when it first came out, but since then there have been a number of updates drop which have given you updated maps, vehicles, Map Share™ and additional voices that you can download (only you’ll need to be a Star Wars fan). But recently TomTom released their latest version [1.7] which also includes HD Traffic. Keep reading to see our look at this new premium service.…
Read MoreRead free eBooks on your iOS device the legal way, thanks to your local library
There seems to be a common misconception out there that because Apple hasn’t begun selling iBooks via its NZ iBookstore that the iPad is dead in the water in this country as far as functioning as an eBook Reader goes. Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! There are a number of perfectly capable alternatives available here including the Whitcoulls and Kindle apps which both incorporate NZ-accessible stores, as well as several stand-alone reader apps including Stanza which will allow you to import your own books / pdfs. But, little did we realise until we saw this comment from nz_ark, there is also a fabulous app called Overdrive Media Console which will allow members of Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland libraries to ‘borrow’ eBooks for free.…
Read More
Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Reviews
Hardware review: Two iPhone alarm clocks do battle
iPhone-friendly alarm clocks are a great thing – as well as charging your device while you sleep, they also allow you to wake up to your favourite tunes. I’ve recently had the opportunity to try out two different alarm clocks designed for iPod / iPhone, both with what appears to be similar feature-sets but very different price-tags. The first is the Thomson RC59I at $79.95 and the other is the Panasonic RC-DC1 at $149.95. With one being almost twice the price of the other, I wanted to know whether this was simply a case of paying extra for a more well-known brand or if you really do get what you pay for. Stay with me to find out!…
Read More
Posted in All, iPhone, iPod touch, Reviews
Kiwi App Review: Spokeys, the Spokey Dokey app that you’ll hate
Spokey Dokeys remember those? If you had a bike in the 80′s then chances are you had Spokey Dokeys on it’s wheels and now with ‘Spokeys‘ from New Zealand based developers elucidcode you can re-live your 80′s childhood on your iPhone, to a degree (a very small one). Keep reading to see why I hate this app. …
Read More
Posted in All, iPhone, iPod touch, Reviews
New and updated New Zealand news apps
For more or less as long as the iPhone has been available here in New Zealand most of the major players have had iOS apps including TVNZ, 3 News and Stuff. The New Zealand Herald didn’t come to the party with an iPhone app straight away, instead they waited for the iPad’s arrival and launched an app solely for that. Whilst we loved the app for the iPad we really wanted to see an iPhone version. Well the good news is that an iPhone version is now available and, not wanting to be out-shone, TVNZ and 3 News have both updated theirs.
We have also heard a whisper that the Stuff apps (both iPhone and iPad) are undergoing a complete back-end re-write to hopefully quash their many bugs. When that happens we’ll take a look at them. In the meantime here is a quick look at some of the changes to the other news apps and what’s available in the NZ Herald app.…
Read More
