WhatsApplebees: Lunch With America's Hottest Chain-restaurant App

Image by engadget

When news broke Friday of WhatsApplebees, an Applebee's-exclusive networking app, we were pretty pumped. A place for us to network with like-minded Steak Quesadilla Tower lovers sounds like it deserves a permanent place on the dock of our iPhone (move over email!). Anxious, of course, to take it for a spin for ourselves, we headed over to the Taj Mahal of neighborhood grills in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf (San Francisco's first location) for lunch to check out the amazing experience first hand.

If you're traveling and aren't quite sure where your nearest Applebee's location is, the app has you covered – offering directions in both Apple and Google Maps to the promised land. Our office (unfortunately) is a few miles away from our closest location, so we took an Uber. On the way to paradise, we casually mentioned the app to our driver. "Tell me more," he said instantly, with the enthusiasm of a true believer. Obviously a trendspotter, after hearing about WhatsApplebees he said he thinks it's going to take off, and even offered this accolade: "Nowadays people are always on their phones, so that might be a good idea." Might be a good idea? It's definitely a good idea.



WhatsApplebees is the brainchild of New York developer Mike Lazer-Walker, who doesn't seem to realize the app's full potential -- he actually built it as a joke (whaa?). "Lately I've seen so many apps that seem like they're a parody of Silicon Valley culture but are in fact real, actual products," Walker told us. "I wanted to create something just on the other side of that line - something that's clearly a terrible idea, but not SO outlandish compared to the current state of things that you might, for a second, believe it's real."

And real it is. Anyone within "around 100 meters" of an Applebee's is free to chat within the app. Conversations are presented anonymously with just text and time codes, and are archived for viewing later on. Walker says diners are kept secret on purpose. "I originally thought of making it pseudo-anonymous, with each user being given a randomly-generated username/avatar (a la the app Secret), but laziness prevailed. I would have loved to make a username generator that came up with fake Applebee's menu items to use as names." Good idea -- Bourbon Street Chimicheesecake does have a special ring to it.

Download Link

Source:WhatsApplebees
VIA:engadget

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Posted on 22:18

Categories: App , apple

FiftyThree's Paper Outfits Sketches For iOS 7 With Improved Zoom And More

FiftyThree has updated its popular Paper (no, not that Paper) iPad sketching app for iOS 7, and the visual tweaks should be immediately apparent. In addition to the usual speedier menus and simplified icons, the outfit crafted a fresh design, claiming to have "polished every pixel." There's a lighter color options, vibrant journal covers, custom fonts and improved readability across the board. In terms of new tools, there are two key additions. First, the Zoom function features tools that adapt when you need to get a closer look at that doodle. Draw, Erase and other options adjust automatically for better control without the need to toggle an on-screen switch.

Description 

Paper is where ideas begin. It’s the easiest and most beautiful way to create on iPad. Capture your ideas as sketches, diagrams, illustrations, notes or drawings and share them across the web. Try it free—buy additional tools from the in-App Store.

• Updated: Mar 12, 2014
• Version: 1.6.1
• Size: 54.6 MB
• Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese

Download Link

Paper (iTunes)

Source:FiftyThree

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Posted on 19:12

Categories: App , apple , iOS Apps , mobile , photo

Apple Releases iOS 7.1 With CarPlay Support

After pushing out several betas, Apple's finally ready to roll out its latest firmware update to the masses. iOS 7.1 is now available as a free download, and as expected, it adds a few new features to the mix. The new update should be heading your direction if you own an iPhone 4 or newer, iPad 2 or newer, either iPad mini or a fifth-generation iPod touch. Among the usual smattering of tweaks to the iOS UI and bug fixes, the most notable feature improvement is the inclusion of CarPlay support and fixes for the random reboot problem many iOS 7 users have been experiencing.

The biggest change to iOS with the new update is support for Apple's CarPlay feature, which brings iOS integration to your in-dash stereo and provides you with the ability to interact with Siri, access your music library and third-party audio apps, navigate routes using Maps, answer calls and send texts hands-free. Previously known as "iOS in the Car," the feature will be offered on select new Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Ferrari models, while plenty of other manufacturers are working on CarPlay options of their own.

• CarPlay
  • iOS experience designed for the car
  • Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle
  • Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps
  • Control with Siri and the car's touchscreen, knobs, and buttons
• Siri
  • Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when you're done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking
  • New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese
• iTunes Radio
  • Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song
  • Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing
  • Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free
• Calendar
  • Option to display events in month view
  • Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries
• Accessibility
  • Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs
  • Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations
  • New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point
• New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s
• iCloud Keychain support in additional countries
• FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device
• Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash
• Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition
• Improved performance for iPhone 4
• Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000
• Continued user interface refinements

Via:engadget

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Posted on 19:19

Categories: apple , iOS Apps , Updates

Apple TV Update Hides Unwatched Channels With Ease

Alongside the release of iOS 7.1, Apple TV also received a software update today. Most notable among the changes? An easier method for hiding those channels that you don't watch. Before now, you had to take a trip to the Settings menu and hide each option from a list. After installing Apple TV version 6.1, pick a channel from the main menu and hold the Select button to make the icons dance. Once they start to jiggle, use the directional buttons to move around before hitting the Play/Pause button to hide that content source.

Previously, you would need to navigate to Settings, then go through the list of available content sources and hide them. Now, all you need to do is highlight an icon on the screen, then press and hold the select button until the icons start to jiggle. Select the channel you want to hide, then hit the Play/Pause button to bring up the options, then press Hide. To undo this, simply go to Settings > Main Menu, then select the desired channel.

Via:engadget, iMore

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Posted on 19:07

Categories: apple , Apple TV , TV

Apple Announces CarPlay: In-vehicle Voice And Touch Access To Notifications, Maps And Music

Apple has officially announced CarPlay, its new in-car interface that'll be compatible with new Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo cars unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show this week. Designed "from the ground up" to bridge the gap between your iPhone and your auto, it will offer touch and Siri-based voice navigation of your smartphone services, including contacts, voicemail, notifications, map directions and music cueing -- it will even support third-party apps like Spotify and iHeartRadio from launch. Voice controls will be activated by a button on the steering wheel, while the in-car touchscreen is populated with those familiar iOS 7 icons for easy access. The service will launch as an iOS update for Lightning-enabled iPhones (that's iPhone 5 and up), with CarPlay-compatible vehicles launching later this year.

“CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing. “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction.

Source:Apple

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Posted on 01:48

Categories: apple , Music

Apple Is Reportedly Launching iOS In The Car Next Week With Ferrari, Mercedes And Volvo

The wait may soon be over, though, as the Financial Times hears that Apple will unveil formal car integration deals with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo next week. There aren't more forthcoming details, although the rumored announcement implies that the automakers could name compatible models and possibly show the technology in action. We wouldn't refer to iOS in the Car as Apple's "first in-car operating system," like the FT does -- it's still dependent on an iPad or iPhone to work.

Source:engadget   Financial Times

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Posted on 21:48

Categories: apple , Volvo

Apple's New US Promo Gives Apple TV Buyers Free $25 iTunes Gift Cards

Oops Enjoy !
Apple seldom offers discounts on any of its devices outside of Black Friday, and yet it just launched a short, US-only promotion (PDF) that gives Apple TV buyers free $25 iTunes gift cards to jumpstart their media libraries. There's no major strings attached -- you just have to buy the device between now and March 5th to get the bonus credit. It sounds like a solid deal, but you may not want to rush to the store right away. The promo comes hot on the heels of rumors of a next-generation Apple TV, which suggests that the crew in Cupertino may be clearing out inventory ahead of a new model.

Source:Apple (PDF)

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Posted on 15:23

Categories: apple , Apple TV , TV

Apple Explains How The iPhone's Fingerprint Sensor Keeps Your Info Secure

 
If you've ever wanted to know how the iPhone 5s' Touch ID fingerprint security works beyond a basic overview, you'll be glad to hear Apple has just delivered a motherlode of new details. An updated version of its iOS Security white paper (PDF) explains much of what happens to your finger data after you touch the sensor. In short, your information may be more hack-resistant than it seems at first glance. Each A7 chip has a unique secure space that neither the A7 nor Apple can read, and every authentication session is encrypted end-to-end.


Source:Apple (PDF)
VIA:engadet

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Posted on 06:15

Categories: apple , iPnone