The MacTrack – iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch and Mac News

You may find this of use, originally aimed at iPhone customers on the O2 network but should work on most networks and with all handsets (details taken from O2 website):

Can I increase the length of time my iPhone rings before diverting to voicemail?

Yes, just like any other handset you can change the length of time the iPhone rings before diverting to voicemail by entering **61*901*11*NN# SEND (NN is the number of seconds in increments of 5 and a maximum of 30 seconds).

Important Note:

In the example above 901 represents the number O2 customers dial to access their voicemail (irrespective of whether you are using an visual voicemail on an iPhone, 901 always dials into your voicemail system)

If your network uses a different (short) voicemail access number then simply substitute this and do not use 901

I have tested this on the O2 network and it works perfectly on the handsets I tried:  iPhone, Nokia, Sony Ericsson.  Each handset gives a different response (text) due to their operating system but usually it confirms that a voice call divert is active or similar (which is correct as your voicemail is simply a network function diverting unanswered calls to your voicemail account).

There’s no reason why it won’t work on all handsets and networks providing the network allows it’s subscribers to configure this setting.

Entering the above string of numbers isn’t the same as dialling a telephone number, although you do dial it like you would do a normal number.  Your handset recognises it’s a network code and sends the instruction to your carrier and waits for a success/failure response which it then displays on your screen.  You are not actually placing a voice call.

Obviously I cannot guarantee that this will work for you so all the usual disclaimers apply, and your mileage may vary.

Let me know how you get on.

Outlook, Washington, USA – Calf Trail Software, LLC today announced the version 1.4 release of Geotagalog, their GPS tracklog based geotagging utility. Version 1.4 brings significant improvements to speed and file handling, making the geotagging workflow even smoother.

Geotagalog enables precise iPhoto Places support with any digital camera. It automatically combines digital photos with location data from a GPS tracklog (in GPX, NMEA 0183 and Garming .tcx Training Center formats), showing a live location preview with mouseover thumbnails as the user adjusts camera time settings for better alignment.

Geotagalog:
* Opens tracklogs and displays them on a simple map
* Losslessly geotags JPEG and RAW photos from a connected digital camera or from files and folders
* Shows live preview of photo locations while user adjusts geotagging parameters
* Imports photos into iPhoto with the click of a button
* Allows photos from any digital camera to appear in iPhoto ’09 Places as if they came from a GPS-enabled camera

Geotagalog 1.4 adds:
* Ability to select individual photo files instead of just folders
* Non-geotaggable items may now be optionally imported into iPhoto
* Much better photo loading, adjustment and previewing performance
* Tracklogs, photo files and folders may now be dropped directly onto the map or Dock icon

Details/requirements:
* 13.3 MB download
* Requires Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard
* Universal Binary works on PowerPC and Intel

The improvements in Geotagalog version 1.4 are offered as a free update to existing customers. A quantity-limited demo is available; the full version remains at the introductory price of only $19.95 (USD).

Calf Trail Software
Geotagalog 1.4
Download Geotagalog
Purchase Geotagalog
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Geotagalog Icon

Calf Trail Software, LLC was founded mid-2008 by Nathan Vander Wilt and Jon Hjelle in Sunnyside, WA. Calf Trail designs and develops user-focused applications for Mac and iPhone, with a love for making engineering innovations accessible. Copyright 2008-2009 Calf Trail Software, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, and iPhoto are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries. Garmin, the Garmin Training Center and its logo(s) Copyright (C) Garmin Ltd.

I love photography and also have a keen interest in gardening, plants and flowers.

Recently, I made one of my regular visits to Felley Priory, Nottinghamshire.  It’s one of my favourite gardens with rare and interesting plants and superb herbaceous borders.  It was my first visit since becoming the proud owner of my first iPhone 3GS (black 32gb).  The day was a dull and overcast (initially) but the low cloud cover was very bright.

Any keen photographers amongst you will know these can be very challenging conditions in which to shoot, whether it’s still shots (photos) or moving images (video).  Whilst the conditions were not ideal I thought it’d be a perfect chance to test the video capabilities of my new iPhone’s camera.

My previous handset (a Sony Ericsson K850i) was 5 megapixels and a very competent camera with white balance, flash and exposure overrides plus many settings and other features to improve your shots.  The iPhone’s 3 megapixel camera with auto focus and no further controls are in fact a slight downgrade for me.  I love my photography and after weighing up the pro’s and con’s decided that the extra features and use I’ll get out of the iPhone tipped the balance in it’s favour.  I miss the control and superior photo quality of the Sony Ericsson handset’s camera but it’s a small sacrifice to pay with all the extra features packed into the iPhone.

Once home I reviewed the footage and whilst a little washed out in places was pleasantly surprised.  I exported it into iMovie ’09 and created a video sequence, shown below.  If you want to see the high quality (HQ) version you can by clicking on the HQ icon or a larger version (which is better) can be viewed directly on YouTube here, again remember to click on the HQ button on the playback control strip at the bottom of the video frame to switch on the high quality stream.

If you view it on YouTube directly it gives you a great feel for how well the video recording function of the iPhone 3GS works.  A point worth noting is that during the iMovie production the source video has been compressed and converted prior to upload and then YouTube processes the source video too.  That said, the result is still very good – although you’ll have to take my word for it that the original sequence is even better when viewed on my iMac

To see more photo’s of Felley Priory and it stunning display of borders and flowers, throughout the year, take a look at my complete Felley Priory photo stream here (may take Flickr a while to load as there’s a lot of photos, sometimes reloading the page helps).  Or for general examples shots of the iPhone’s photo quality you can see them here.  Click on the slideshow icon too if you fancy it.

I hope you enjoy the short video below or at YouTube (recommended) and my photos if you choose to take a look.

Oxford, UK – Freeway 5 will be featured at a pair of Los Angeles-area events followed by a presentation at the North Coast Mac User Group. First up will be a presentation for the Los Angeles chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) on Thursday, July 16th. Next up is the Digital Actor Workshop, a special event for actors looking to improve their online presence on Sunday, July 19th. The tour will conclude with a presentation to the NCMUG on Tuesday, July 21st.

“We are excited to participate in these events,” said Ian Schray, US Marketing Manager for Softpress. “It will be a pleasure to return our popular Freeway Roadshow to California.”

About Freeway
Freeway, famous for its ease-of-use and efficient standards-compliant code generation, is the tool of choice for professionals and home Mac users who prefer to focus on design, not on coding!

Pricing and Availability:
Freeway 5 Pro and Freeway 5 Express are both available for purchase and immediate electronic delivery directly from the Softpress Store.

Full versions of Freeway 5 Pro can be purchased for $249 (USD), and Freeway 5 Express for $79. Upgrades from Freeway 4 Pro to Freeway 5 Pro are $99, upgrades from Freeway 4 Express to Freeway 5 Express are $59. Owners of Freeway 4 Express can upgrade to Freeway 5 Pro for just $169. More pricing details (including student, senior and non-profit discounts) can be found on the Softpress site.

Softpress
Freeway 5
Purchase Freeway
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)
Digital Actor Workshop
North Coast Mac User Group (NCMUG)

Softpress was founded in 1993 to address the emerging needs of professional publishers and designers for cross-media authoring tools. Freeway, and its extensive feature set, result from Softpress’ ongoing efforts to identify and meet the real needs of web designers in today’s environment. Softpress creates tools that many people rely on for their day-to-day business, so they listen carefully to their customers. Future upgrades and product offerings will continue to demonstrate Softpress’ commitment to quality, leading-edge innovation and customer service.

Los Angeles, California – Toy Kite Software is excited to announce iSamurai Bluetooth, the new version of their action/simulation sword fighting game for iPhone and iPod Touch. iSamurai is the first Wii-like game for the iPhone, and now using Apple’s recently released 3.0 software, it is one of the first multiplayer games that can be played anywhere over Bluetooth.

In iSamurai, players attack and defend with their iPhones, slashing and blocking their way to victory against their friends. Advanced accelerometer analysis allows each iPhone to distinguish between four different attacks and four blocks. Each attack can be countered by the opponent using the correct block. The two devices communicate their actions and countering actions to each other over Bluetooth in real time and use realistic sounds to indicate whether an attack was successful or blocked.

“Using the iPhone’s new Bluetooth capabilities, developers can now make multiplayer games that don’t need a Wi-Fi connection,” said Robert Hogg, CEO and founder of Toy Kite Software. “And with iSamurai that means gamers can have a real life sword fight at the park, in line at the movies, or anywhere!”

iSamurai also includes a single-player mode with twelve levels of difficulty. Four unique characters: peasant, apprentice, warrior and samurai, yell out different attacks, and the player must quickly defend against them and launch offensive attacks by swinging the iPhone. To get players started, iSamurai has a tutorial featuring animations of the different attacks and blocks.

iSamurai Bluetooth: Real Life Sword Fight includes the following features:
* Two-player real-time Bluetooth game using two iPhones or iPod Touches
* Single-player game with twelve levels of difficulty
* Tutorial featuring animations of the different attacks and blocks
* Training “Dojo” where the player can practice the different iSamurai moves
* Report of final scores with images for the winner and loser
* Art of War quotes from legendary warriors

System Requirements:
* iPhone or iPod Touch 3.0 or later for Bluetooth, iPhone 2.2.1 or later for Wi-Fi

Pricing and Availability:
For a limited time iSamurai is on sale for $.99 (USD) exclusively through Apple’s iTunes Store. To schedule an interview with Robert Hogg, please call 323-982-8243 or contact online.

Toy Kite Software
iSamurai Bluetooth 1.1
Video – iSamurai Bluetooth
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Screenshot
iSamurai Bluetooth Press Kit

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Toy Kite Software is a privately held company founded in 2008 by robotics engineer Robert Hogg. Robert is a graduate of the Computer Science and Engineering program at UCLA, and works for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. Toy Kite’s goal is to create exciting software that fully leverages the capabilities of the iPhone platform. The Toy Kite team includes Robert Hogg, Arin Morfopoulos; technical director and lead software engineer, Doug Hogg; promotion and research director, and Ryan Rodriguez; director of design. Copyright 2008-2009 Toy Kite Software. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Kissimmee, Florida – Announcing the release of Disney at Work: Magic Kingdom(R) for the iPhone and iPod Touch by J. Jeff Kober of Performance Journeys, a training and development company. For business professionals who want to take their own organization to the next level, and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, this unparalleled benchmarking & training tool reveals valuable and proven insights Disney employs at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom(R). It will bring to life creative ideas, insights, and lessons in a way no business book or lecture ever could.

President of Performance Journeys, and author of “The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney”, J. Jeff Kober notes: “This work is a result of having made a study of the Walt Disney Company my entire life. In my unique leadership at Disney I was able to canvas the entire Disney operation to find the best ideas in customer service, innovation, team building and management. And with the technological ease, portability, and accessibility made possible by Apple, this is a truly unique App. Whether you’re brainstorming for new ideas at the office, or literally touring through Walt Disney World with this app in hand, you’ll be excited at the prospects of how you can make these ideas come alive in your own organization.”

Jeff continues: “I love seeing these ideas get translated to actionable initiatives whether it’s in a hospital, bank, store, or government institution. People “get Disney” and they are much more open to applying these important lessons to their own organizations. This iPhone and iPod Touch App helps you make those connections.”

Disney at Work is filled with scores of insights and hundreds of photos that focus on lessons in customer loyalty, leadership, creativity, and even change management. Even the biggest Disney fan will find something new they didn’t know before. This interactive showcase shares:

* Leadership stories of how Walt Disney and others built one of the greatest entertainment empires ever
* Onstage and up-close examples of how Disney pays attention to the details
* Outstanding industry and business ideas as practiced by management and operations in the park
* Little-known insights for how the culture of Walt Disney World succeeds in engaging Cast Members (employees) and delighting Guests (customers)
* Behind-the-scene examples of how the back of the house supports the onstage operation

Disney at Work: Magic Kingdom(R) will make you think about how you approach your work in a way you never thought of before! It’s now available at the App Store for a limited time at $4.99 (USD). Also, look for future editions to be made available for the iPod Classic, iPod 5th Generation and iPod Nano.

Disney at Work: Magic Kingdom(R) by Performance Journeys is made possible through Notescasts. Both are independent of, and not associated with the Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries.

Performance Journeys
Disney at Work

Performance Journeys is a training and development group that offers a variety of programming for groups of all sizes and interests. Performance Journeys offers expertise on a variety of topics dealing with customer service, team building, creativity & innovation, change management, and leadership. Performance Journeys offers thought leadership, consulting and programming in a variety of formats, whether it’s keynotes, workshops, toolkits, multimedia, or online tools. Readers will also enjoy “The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney” written by J. Jeff Kober and available through Performance Journeys Publishing. Copyright 2008 Performance Journeys. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Mainz, Germany – Synium Software today releases MacFamilyTree 5.6. This update introduces a completely overhauled Virtual Tree allowing the user to navigate through the three-dimensional representation of one’s family data and dive into the family history. One year ago, we revolutionized the way you approach all the branches of your family tree. Now, with version 5.6, this unique feature has been rebuilt, incorporating several customer requests. Loading times and alignment, especially with larger or complex trees, have been greatly improved. A new palette called “Person Scope” gives you quick access to a person’s close relatives.

What else? The extended media management. Select persons on your family pictures and assign them to entries in your database: persons, families, events or sources. This feature comes in handy when you start identifying your family members on those old group shots. Draw a rectangle on the photo and tell MacFamilyTree who that person is. This cut-out is automatically added to that person’s profile. The selected area can even be displayed in the virtual tree instead of a generic symbol.

Bookmarks have been enhanced, allowing the user to directly access entries in his Media Library. Editing images within the Media Pane (crop, change hue, brightness, sharpness and reduce noise) is possible as well.

New features in MacFamilyTree 5.6
* Rewritten Virtual Tree. Much improved performance
* Overhauled Media Management. Tag and edit photos
* Globe with higher resolution
* Unified theme in all dialog windows
* Several performance enhancements and improvements

System Requirements:
MacFamilyTree 5 requires a Mac with Mac OS X 10.4.11 or any version of Mac OS X 10.5, ATI Radeon 7500 or Intel GMA 950 or NVidia GeForce 4 MX graphics chipset or better. MacFamilyTree 5 is a Universal Binary running on Intel and PowerPC based Macs. Safari 3.0 or newer, which is available for free at Apple’s ‘Downloads’ section, must be installed for MacFamilyTree 5.6 to work.

Pricing and Availability:
Version 5.6 is a free update for registered customers of MacFamilyTree 5. The full version of MacFamilyTree 5 can be purchased for $49.00 (USD), upgrades from Versions prior to 5.0 are $25.00 USD. A demo is also available for download.

MacFamilyTree 5.6
Download MacFamilyTree
Application Icon
Virtual Tree Screenshot
Picture Tagging Screenshot
Virtual Globe Screenshot

Synium Software GmbH is a software development and consulting company, based in Mainz (Mayence), Germany. Apart from being a successful publisher within the Mac software market, we offer a popular web-based news service at MacTechNews for the German-speaking audience. All Material and Software (C) 2005-2007 Synium Software GmbH / All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries.

London, United Kingdom – Phantom Fish today slashed over 60% from the price of Byline, the popular RSS news reader and offline web browser for iPhone and iPod Touch. The sale runs for one day only to celebrate Byline’s first birthday on the App Store. In addition to the special pricing, the first forty people to forward their iTunes receipts to Phantom Fish will receive a promo code allowing them to gift a free second copy of Byline to a friend.

The sale celebrates the first anniversary of Byline’s release at the launch of the App Store. Byline has since become one of the best-selling news apps on the store, with cumulative sales of over 35,000 copies.

Byline synchronizes new items, starred items, notes and folders from a free Google Reader account. Major features include a streamlined interface for browsing folders from Google Reader, a built-in web browser for online and offline browsing, and a function to create and share notes.

Byline provides offline access to all articles, including embedded images. In addition, Byline’s offline browsing feature offers instant access to complete web pages. Offline browsing can be enabled for new items, starred items, and notes.

Minimum Requirements:
iPhone or iPod touch 2.2.1 or later

Pricing and Availability:
Byline is available from the App Store for $1.99 (USD) until the end of July 11th, and $4.99 thereafter. Promo codes are redeemable within four weeks from the US App Store only.

Byline 2.5.2
Download and Purchase
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
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Phantom Fish is an independent software development company focused on creating software for iPhone and iPod Touch. Phantom Fish released their first application, Byline, at the launch of the App Store in July 2008. Copyright Phantom Fish. iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Reader is a trademark of Google Inc.

Arcadia, California – Core Concepts Inc. today is proud to announce Rich Diamond 1.3 an update to their popular puzzle/strategy game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique abilities and interface, Rich Diamond features 335 levels, each ranked from easy to challenging. Puzzles are designed to fit perfectly in the iPhone’s screen, so the player can see the whole puzzle without the need to scroll around.

In Rich Diamond, each puzzle is stand-alone and can be solved in any order. It was specifically designed to be finesse, rather than brute-force. Players use their wits and cunning to maneuver around various perils to reach their goal, and have as much time as needed to plan their strategy and make a move. The primary goal of each puzzle is to collect all of the gems, then reach the exit. Each puzzle has a number of traps that provide the solving challenge.

“I get the most gratification from the feedback and comments of our customers” said Dave Johannsen, founder of Core Concepts. “I’ve had teenagers exclaim that Rich Diamond is their favorite game, and I’ve had conversations with 80-year-olds that say the same thing! Rich Diamond captures the imagination as it exercises the brain. Our level designers enjoy plotting traps for the players in anticipation of the satisfaction that will come when the traps are unlocked.”

The game offers two display modes: perspective and top-down. The player can instantly switch between the two modes, even while in the middle of playing a level. The puzzles are not timed, and the creatures in the game move only when the player moves. This allows the player to ponder actions rather than forcing them to move without thinking. If a mistake is made while solving the puzzle, the Undo button can be used to erase one or more moves. This eliminates the frustration of having to start over on a puzzle because of a simple mistake.

Feature Highlights:
* Each Puzzle is stand-alone; solve in any order
* Puzzles are not timed
* Undo without having to restart a Puzzle
* Two display modes; perspective and top-down
* Compelling UI and Graphics

“If I were going to be stuck on a desert island with my computer, and electricity to run it, of course, these would be the games I would want to be playing. Fantastic fun for the entire family. Rich Diamond is the best logic game for children and adults.” – Tribune-Review

System Requirements:
* iPhone or iPod Touch 2.0 or later

Pricing and Availability:
Rich Diamond 1.3 for iPhone normally sells for $2.99 (USD) and available exclusively through Apple’s App Store. Core Concepts is offering a limited-time sale at $0.99. There is also a free, Lite version available which offers 35 levels.

Core Concepts
Rich Diamond 1.3
Download and Purchase
YouTube Video
Screenshot
Application Icon

Headquartered in Arcadia, California, Core Concepts, Inc. is a small, privately held corporation founded in 1998 by independent game developer Dave Johannsen. With a focus on ease-of-use and meticulous attention to detail, Core Concepts’ aim is developing compelling and mentally stimulating games for the iPhone and mobile platforms, which are both non violent and family oriented. Copyright 1998-2009 Core Concepts, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.