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3 Market Leading Apps from New Zealand Brands
Here are my thoughts on three market-leading apps I have found myself using a lot this month which have been developed for major New Zealand brands.
Air New Zealand mPass
The Air New Zealand mPass app has functions for:
- Booking and changing flights
- Keeping track of your upcoming flights
- Checking the balance of your Airpoints dollars
- Checking in at the airport
- Finding your way to where you need to go.
Before arriving at the airport you can check your flight number, seat number, and any departure time updates.
Once at the airport, if you’re checking in a bag you can get your luggage tags at the kiosks by scanning your personalised barcode for your flight in the app which saved me fluffing around in my emails trying to find my booking reference when I was checking in in a hurry.
If you’re travelling domestically without bags you can apparently go straight to the gate with your phone and ID to check in there with your phone acting as your boarding pass. The barcode can also be used for for entrance to the Koru Lounge if you’re lucky enough to be a member.
The airport maps and FAQs I am yet to use, but the link to call a taxi is something which is extremely handy when you’re in a city you don’t have a local taxi number on hand for.
Read on to see the rest……
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Confessions of a Sext Addict
I confess – I’ve partaken in the odd sexting exchange during my time. I’ve always known enough not to have any identifying features in the pictures, but the fact these images most likely remain to this day on the devices of former correspondents is perhaps not something I fully considered in the heat of the moment.
The developers of Snapchat are adamant their app was not created for sexting however there is wide speculation in the media that this is what young adults use it for. Needless to say when I read about Snapchat and it’s self-destructing messages I thought it was genius. It seems Facebook did too as when they failed to purchase Snapchat, they developed and launched their own version of the app – Poke……
Read MoreMy Top Sports Apps For iPhone
Kiwis have a huge passion for sport and it is a massive part of my life so I thought I would share my favourite and most important sports apps. To be honest I’m not sure why I have not written about this before.
There are some seriously cool sports apps out there for iPhone, I am going to focus on the ones which I enjoy the most.
Carry on reading to see which ones I have picked!…
Read MoreMy Top iPhone Apps for Students
As a student at Otago University, I find myself using some apps more than others around campus. I thought I would share the apps that I find most handy.
The first is Student Timetable, this is a pretty basic timetable app which is exactly what students need. This App effectively organises my life from Monday to Friday, telling me where I need to be and at what time.
Any former students know that money is always a struggle, this is where the grabaseat app comes in handy. This app allows me to find a cheap flight to get home for the holidays. The best thing is, I can set alerts for my chosen destinations so I dont miss out when cheap flights come on.
Most students are always on the hunt for ways to make money. 
Seek is my favourite jobs app, it allows me to monitor advertised jobs as they get posted, in the areas and classifications that I specify. My CV can be saved on the app which means I can easily apply for a job straight from my phone.
When I’m busy in class or having a late night at the Library, the Sky app is often a saviour. I can set reminders so I don’t forget any of my favourite shows or I can remotely record the show onto the mysky decoder at home through my phone, so that I can watch it later.
Lastly, all students need a bit of humour, this is where 9GAGR comes in. When in a boring class or in need of a laugh on a Monday morning this is where I go. 9GAGR is full of hilarious pictures and mockeries of current events, celebs and much more. A smile is guaranteed after five minutes in this app.
So there we have it, my favourite apps as a student. What would you add?
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Read MoreBooktrack App Review: Interactive Reading on iPhone and iPad
Reading your favourite e-book on iPhone or iPad has just become a lot more exciting with Booktrack. This app was founded by a New Zealander and has revolutionised the e-book experience.
Booktrack synchronizes music and sound effects to match the story you are reading. For example when reading about a boy running through the forest, the reader can hear everything from the leaves rustling to the bees buzzing. The App has the ability to sense the speed at which you are reading by recognising when you turn each page. This technology makes the sounds happen at the right time for the reader.
Some people think that listening to music while reading is distracting, but the Booktracks are synchronised so well, it enhances the experience. There are some similar apps out there but this one has a real ‘Kiwi’ influence. All of the software development is completed in Auckland.
To get the best experience headphones are essential, the music and sounds are so well synchronised, it is very easy to get lost in the story. The tempo of the music rises and falls depending on the situation in the story. The reader can chose from a number of guides, which displays where the app is currently up to.
With just a simple tap on the screen, the story pauses and the viewer can change the following settings. Clockwise from the top left-hand corner:
- Go back to the home screen
- View the contents page of the book
- Share the book via social media
- Add a bookmark to a page
- Tool settings- edit the speed
- Audio settings- edit volume of different effects
- Font settings- edit font type, size, and colour
Co-founder Mark Cameron is Originally from Auckland and Booktrack is now based in New York City.
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Shapeshifter App
Thanks to our good friends at Watermark we’ve got a press release about Shapeshifters new App.
Shapeshifter have released a revolutionary 3D application for their single “Monarch”.
Through an augmented reality Shapeshifter have created an interactive world for users to create their own music video experience.
Developed by New Zealand creative collective Watermark, this groundbreaking app allows you to Interact with the plants and creatures that appear – just about everything responds to touch or proximity.
You can share your experience by taking photos and videos of the application and sending them to friends and Shapeshifter and upload them to their library on Shapeshifter’s website.
Simply download this app from iTunes and get a copy of the ”marker”. The marker is the image needed to trigger the experience. To get a copy of the marker, have a look in the ”help” section in the app for information or get it from the Shapeshifter website. Print it out, or look at it on screen to begin your journey.
This app is free and will only work on the following devices: iPhone 3S, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad2, iPad3. There will be an android version being released at a future date.
Download the free Shapeshifter “Monarch”
http://itunes.apple.com/nz/
www.shapeshifterlive.com
www.watermarkltd.com
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iPad & iPhone App Review: Super Rugby
Now that the Super rugby season is in full swing I think it would only be fair to have a look at what’s on offer in the App world for the S15 rugby-head. For the purpose of this review I will take a look at three of the most popular free apps out there.
Basically all the apps provide fixture and results data, live match reporting with the standard analysis on tries, penalties, conversions and drop goals. However, when conducting my review I found it difficult to find apps that provide in-depth game analysis which I find rather frustrating considering data is widely available. Whilst watching a game live, there is a great opportunity to use your app, it would be good to know player and team stats at the micro level e.g. tackles made and meters gained per player.
Union Live 2012
Free
Made by: Sportsmate Mobile Pty LTD
Australia’s number 1 live app which also has a version for the NRL and AFL. This app has the best team analysis with good historical data. Great for pre-game analysis between the two sides you are about to watch. I particularly like the player ages and match experience stats which is great if you like to put the odd wager on at the TAB.
- Enhanced match day engine providing faster live scores and live stats.
- Automatic live game day refresh.
- All new graphical worm.
- Improved ladder – including brief and extended overview plus teams next 5 games.
- Head to head analysis (the perfect tool for your tipping competition).
- Extended player profiles – including club & first grade debut, rep honours and previous year’s stats.
- Integrated news from Australian Associated Press (AAP).
- Integrated team video channels (via YouTube).
- Game day analysis – including team line-ups (ins and outs), form streaks, latest odds, weather and AAP match previews
Super Rugby 2012
Free
Made by: Roopesh Govind
This is probably my least favourite app as it has limited analysis and is flaky in performance. My one accolade is that it is aesthetically nicer than the other apps when it’s working. The news section consists of straight RSS feeds from New Zealand Herald, Fox Sports Australia and Sport24 South Africa. Not bad but could be a lot better.
- Match Fixture
- Real time Live Score
- Real time score event
- Completed match scores
- Match schedule, team, venue
- Top sport news
- Team Ladder
Super Rugby Live Scoring
Free
Made By: ESPN Australia
This is my favourite app by far. There is plenty of pre, during and post match analysis. Two of the main stats I like to look at are possession and territory and they aren’t included. Once again these stats are standard and widely available so I can’t understand why they are missing. Player stats include tries, conversions, drop goals, penalty goals, kicks, line breaks and errors. My only bug bear with this is that they are only updated after the game. This is also the only app with a live twitter feed. Great for hearing what the players are saying.
Instant score updates and scorers.
- The latest news, weather forecast, odds, winning streak and tipping trends for every game.
- The Super Rugby ladder and win/loss history for teams.
- The latest Super Rugby news from the major news outlets.
- The most up to date twitter posts from your favourite accounts.
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