News
Archive of all the latest news and blog posts
What is Facebook Connect?
Over the past two weeks you may have noticed some strange alterations to the way our news section functions. This is because we have been busy integrating an exciting new product called Facebook Connect. Previously, we had utilised a traditional comments system on our news as a way of engaging users when browsing content on the Waracle site. By integrating Facebook Connect into the Waracle site, we can make it easier for our community of readers to discover, share and engage with our content. The Facebook Connect feature enables our users to login to the Waracle site using their existing profile details and share content between the news section and their Facebook profile pages. There are still a few bugs that we need to iron out, but please have a look around and leave feedback using the Facebook Connect login. We have only started to scratch the surface in terms of what Facebook Connect can do, so please stay tuned for new features and developments.
What are the benefits of Facebook Connect Integration?
Facebook Connect enables extended community reach and increased site membership. According to Neilson, “Facebook is the worlds most popular social network”. As Facebook becomes a ubiquitous platform for enjoying and sharing different types on content with your friends, we feel it will become an important component of any online community. As a web site owner, you can now extend the reach of your brand and increase the effectiveness of your social media campaign.
How can Facebook Connect help your business?
- Allow Facebook users to quickly log into your site with their Facebook ID
- Leave comments with a user's Facebook username, avatar and friends list
- Publish stories and news to a user’s Facebook wall
- Easily invite other Facebook friends to join your site
Waracle are offering you the chance to be amongst the first site owners in Scotland and the UK to have your very own Facebook Connect login. If you own a website, or online community and would like to learn more about the features and benefits of Facebook Connect integration, please contact us directly on (01382) 529528.
Rumours are circulating the Internet today regarding a 4G iPhone that is bigger in size than its predecessors. iPhone repair shop specialists iResQ claims to have the front panel component of the eagerly anticipated iPhone 4G, allegedly hitting set for announcement in June 2010 (we previously thought it might be released in April…). iResQ has provided a couple of teaser screen shots to demonstrate how and why the new model will differ in shape and size.
Mashable has today suggested that the new iPhone 4G will be taller in order to accommodate for new hardware components (remember, we recently discussed that the ‘4G’ in ‘iPhone 4G’ represents fourth generation and not 4G super fast broadband). If the pictures that iResQ have posted online are the real deal, they may provide some clues as to what the beefed up iPhone 4G handset might possess.
Early reports are suggesting that the new model will have a ‘reflective, mirror-like’ surface positioned closer to the top of the iPhone 4G hardware. This sensor can be used to identify when a user is holding the phone to their ear, so that the iPhone can cleverly conserve valuable battery life whilst the user is talking. If this mysterious description of the new iPhone 4G is anything to go by, it may mean that Apple has additional features planned that will make use of the proximity sensor.
As with most of these stories regarding the new iPhone 4G, please take any speculation with a pinch of salt. Assuming there is some truth in it, what might these features be? Please feel free to add comments at the bottom; we are currently in the process of integrating Facebook Connect on comments to make this a bit easier for you!
Waracle are a leading iPhone development studio based in Tayside, Scotland in the UK. Waracle create apps for a range of mobile devices including iPhone, Google Android and Blackberry. Waracle specialise in the creation of high quality web applications to give your mobile software a competitive advantage. If you are interested in creating exceptional applications for the web and mobile devices including the iPhone, please contact us for a chat today on (01382) 529528.
If you haven’t already read my previous post regarding my iPhone battery experiment, for one weekend (Fri, Sat, Sunday) I reduced my iPhone to the simple role of making phone calls and receiving SMS messages. The task was to see if I could get the device to last a weekend of normal phone use without needing re-charged.
Today, I’ll summarize the results and talk about some great battery saving tips for those of you with iPhones that may occasionally require long-distance trips between charges.
Firstly, the phone made it. By 10:30pm on Sunday night I was left with 19% charge. Impressive enough, but it must be noted that I turned the phone off at night while I slept.
This shows that an iPhone can indeed be used for a weekend-long trip away from power, great news for festival goers, campers and hill walkers alike.
So how did I coax this extended marathon out of such a normally power hungry device like the iPhone?
1. Screen Brightness
Probably the most effective means of reducing power needs, turning the screen brightness all the way down goes a huge way to extending battery life. If nothing else, this should be your first port of call if your running low – but still need the other data services the device provides.
2. Turn off Wi-Fi
Fairly self-explanatory, but any time the device or any application requests a data connection the wifi is fired up to search for available networks. This is made worse in a situation where you are likely to be away from power as the antenna will be boosted and amplified when the device struggles to make a connection – further increasing power drain.
3. Disable Push Notifications
Push notifications generally work by keeping a persistent connection open to Apples servers. This causes CPU overhead and requires constant connection to a data service, sucking valuable volts in the process.
4. Disable 3G
3G networks are great for awesome data-rates but good old fashioned 2G wins hands down. In fact, using 2G over 3G can actually half the power used when making a call. Also, as 3G networks are generally more sparse than 2G the phone will constantly try and boost its 3G signal draining power.
5. Disable Email Fetch
Having emails arrive in your pocket is nice, but not entirely essential. Simply disable this to stop unnecessary data connections and save some juice.
6. Disable Bluetooth
As I’m sure its becoming clear by now, wireless connections drain power. While Bluetooth is an incredibly power-efficient wireless protocol, it’s hardly an essential when your out of power.
7. Disable Location services
Location services use a combination of GPS and carrier triangulation. Both of these methods put drain on power, neither of them are required to make phone calls. Not a big sacrifice, and a fairly attractive power saving.
8. Switch off in low signal areas
If your in the middle of nowhere and there isn’t a signal, don’t waste power trying to search for one. As I have mentioned power usage for any radio system is increased many times if the device has to continuously boost the signal both incoming and outgoing. If you are in a low signal area, the iPhone will boost the signal many times in an attempt to keep a working connection open.
9. Disable Vibrate
A tiny saving, but none the less helpful. Also, keeping the volume low may also help if your desperate. Apple also says to disable the iPod EQ. But seeing as your unlikely to be using the iPhone as anything other than essential communication by this point, I didn’t make a big deal out of it.
10. No Facebook
Apps drink juice. Unfortunately, data centric apps such as Facebook are even worse. And need I say it…Don’t even think about playing games!
This seemed to slip underneath the iPad hype radar last week, but one glaring omission from its feature set is the presence of a camera. New speculation suggests that the iPhone OS 3.2 (the same operating system that the iPad uses) will provide software hooks for supporting video calling. This could indicate that Apple is planning to integrate support for video in an updated version of the iPad.
As we recently discussed, rumors suggest that the iPhone 4G handset, due to hit shelves in the early part of 2010, will support phone-to-phone video conferencing functionality. Some of the code indicates that the user will be able to toggle between full screen and a minimized chat window when utilising the video chat feature. What makes this exciting, is the idea that both the iPhone 4G and an updated version of the iPad will support multiple processes, enabling the user to have more than one application running at any one time. This will enable users of the iPad and iPhone 4G to handle multiple applications, whilst using video chat functionality.
There are a number of reasons why Apple may have chosen to hold back certain functionality in version one of the iPad. One theory is that existing 3G cellular networks are not adequately equipped for bandwidth intensive tasks such as video chat. Another theory suggests that Apple simply wanted to hold back certain features of the iPad to keep costs down until version two is available. In any case, both video chat and the ability to run multiple applications should be a feature in forthcoming versions of the iPad and the iPhone 4G.
Waracle Ltd is a highly skilled team of software application developers for mobile and web, based in Scotland, UK. Waracle provide a dedicated development resource to take your idea from concept to the app store. Waracle specialise in the creation of apps for web, iPhone, Google Android and Windows Mobile. If you would like to discuss the development of an application to enhance your business, please contact Waracle today on (01382) 529528.
So after what seems like years, the worst kept secret in technology history is here and it’s called the ‘iPad’. Apple CEO Steve Jobs launched the iPad in San Francisco to a fanfare of media hype. Having hinted at the underwhelming performance of the average Netbook, Jobs has long articulated his desire to bridge the gap between the smart phone and its larger web-browsing companion. But what is the significance of the arrival of the iPad for app developers and is it a game changer? Here are some of the stats: At first glance, the Apple iPad is slim, speedy and lightweight. Notice it utlises an Apple chip as opposed to Intel. Memory: 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB models available. Screen: 9.7-inch IPS LCD screen. Resolution: 1024×768 pixels. Dimensions: 9.5 inches x 7.5 inches x 0.5 inches. Weight: 1.5 pounds (1.6 pounds for 3G). Chip: 1 GHz Apple A4 chip. Size: 0.5 inches thin. Battery Life: 10 hours (watch out for results of our experiment from last week on this!).
This guide will provide you with the 5 essential things you should know about the iPad:
1.) iPad: An Overview
Lets start off with the basics. At first site, the iPad seems to do three things well: games, movies and books. These are the areas where although sufficient, the smaller screen on the iPhone may pose certain constraints. What we have in the iPad is an iPhone on steroids. It’s bigger than its communication focused younger brother, but does it have a bigger bite? With a 9.7-inch screen and different memory options ranging up to 64 GB, the iPad offers application developers a plethora of opportunity. In addition to handling every single application in the app store with the help of a dedicated iPad SDK, the iPad also connects via USB to any PC or Mac and can stream movies and video in full HD. This means that developers can port existing apps on the iPhone and iPod Touch to the iPad with relative ease. Weighing in at $10 less than the Amazon Kindle, the Apple iPad will retail initially at a comparable $499.
2.) iPad: Email and Web Browsing
Predictably, the iPad utilises the safari browser and flash will not be enabled on the device. As we have already discussed on the Waracle blog, flash is a plug-in that Steve Jobs simply does not like. Many developers have argued that languages such as Objective C are better equipped to produce good results. Anyway, the iPad browser is essentially the same as an iPhone, but bigger. Both the Email and Map features on the iPad essentially run in the same way as the iPhone, with a few very minor tweaks and improvements. As Steve Jobs was keen to point out, one feature on the iPad that has undergone extensive cosmetic surgery is Photo, now offering a multiple galleries view amongst others.
3.) iPad: User Interface Design
The interface of the Apple iPad is based largely upon that of the iPhone. Based on the iPhone 3.2 OS, your four main applications appear on the springboard (or home screen) and users have the ability to swipe left and right between screens to browse their apps. Comfort in familiarity it seems for the millions of existing iPhone and iPod Touch owners. Lets get one thing clear, all existing iPhone and iPod Touch apps will run in the iPad. However, Apple has produced a dedicated SDK for eager iPad developers. Developers can utilise double pixel mode to view existing apps in full screen or simply run the app at a normal resolution in the centre of the iPad by pressing a button. Certain apps will run reasonably well on the iPad in double pixel view. What developers can now do with the iPad, is optimise and enhance existing applications and games to take advantage of the hardware improvements and modifications. The iPad means bigger, faster, shinier apps essentially.
4.) iPad: E-Books, Newspapers and Magazines
This is potentially the biggest ace up the sleeve of the Apple iPad and represents a game changer for the entire global publishing industry. Amazon executives will be perspiring at the arrival of the Apple iPad as it encroaches on a growing yet until now quiet market. Where the Kindle DX has Amazon, the Apple iPad has ‘iBooks’. The literary younger sister of iTunes has entered the building. Announced during the Jobs keynote speech, iBooks has already signed up five of the worlds largest book publishers to start deploying paid content online. As the issue of introducing paid online content zones in the newspaper industry rumbles on, the New York Times look set to focus on the iPad. This could be the platform all publishers have been waiting for.
5.) iPad: Movies, Video and TV
Offering full HD capabilities, the iPad screen looks sharp and bright. Again, millions of iPhone and iPod Touch owners will feel at home with a similar an identical view and controller screen on offer. On a rather underwhelming note, the iPad does not provide full screen viewing mode, something that Apple will surely have to address.
Waracle Ltd is an approved Apple developer based in Scotland, UK and provides software applications for iPhone, iPad and other mobile devices such as Google Android. Waracle’s team of skilled project managers and developers can guide your iPad or iPhone concept from the drawing board to the app store. If you are interested in developing a software application for the iPad or iPhone to enhance your business, please contact us directly on (01382) 529528.
Before owning an iPhone, I was always somewhat concerned by the apparent lack of long term battery life that the phone, in normal use, provides. As much as I understand this isn’t the fault of the phone – as just calling this device a phone is inaccurate, as it isn’t really a phone. it’s a portable device music playing web surfing app running social networking sort of thing – it’s an iPhone.
So, what about battery life then? What if I reduce the iPhone to merely just a phone, how long will the battery survive?
To find out, starting this morning and for the whole weekend, I’m going to try and use my iPhone as just a phone, nothing more. No Apps, no push notifications, no email, no Facebook(!) ,just calls and SMS.
I’ve taken drastic measures to scrutinise every available option in the devices settings and configuration. I will embrace every possibility to preserve battery life, except when using it as a phone. I will make and receive calls as often as usual and send and receive SMS as much as I always do – I’ll use it just as a phone and nothing else for one weekend.
On Monday I will post my results, and hopefully with some top tips which should be handy for when you need to be away from power for more than a day, at music festivals for example.
UPDATE:
The conclusion to this article is now available here.
Causing something of a stir when it appeared on Slashdot yesterday evening, the news that a talented JavaScript developer at http://paulirish.com/ had built an rendering engine that can play simple Flash movies is bound to get some people thinking.
Anyone with an iPhone will know that the built in browser, Safari, has no flash support. This is by design and is as such for a number of reasons. Some beneficial to the user others beneficial to Apple.
Steve Job’s has always said that the lack of Flash support on the iPhone was purely because the device wasn’t fast enough to render the high number of Flash adverts seen on the web. This was definitely true on the first-gen iPhone and to some extent probably even still true today. However many people, myself included, believe a stronger motivation is to prevent people developing high quality games and applications for the iPhone using Flash, and therefore bypassing the App Store altogether.
The immensely popular ‘Bloons’ by Ninja Kiwi which was ported to iPhone by Digital Goldfish is a perfect example of this. The original flash version of the game could have been easily adapted to utilize the touch screen control system, had Flash been available on the device.
In all honesty this probably isn’t a bad thing. Forcing apps to run natively on the iPhone probably has benefits for all involved – including the end user.
This new JavaScript engine however, DOES run on Safari, including Safari on the iPhone. Steve Job’s will have a hard time blocking this.
The engine works by using the SVG system, an internal JavaScript feature which is basically used for rendering vectors natively in JavaScript. I wouldn’t even like to think how quickly this will become a jQuery plugin for even more widespread use. The implementation is basic at this point, supporting only Flash version 1.0 but I’ve prepared a small demo you can view on your iPhone here:
www.waracle.net/iphoneFlashDemo.html
You can view the developer's examples here:
http://paulirish.com/work/gordon/demos/
And although there are no usage instructions, you can get the full source code here:
http://github.com/tobeytailor/gordon
The Waracle team is proud to announce the release of our latest iPhone application, now available on the iTunes store. The software was built in collaboration with the team at Waste Aware Scotland for their Love Food Hate Waste campaign. The ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ application is now officially available to download - perfect for food lovers who hate waste.
The Love Food Hate Waste iPhone application is the ultimate interactive tool to assist you in reducing your food waste. The handy portion size planner, recipe blender, meal planner, shopping list and hints and tips section ensure there is always a feature to help you reduce food waste. You can also save money every step of the way - from planning and preparation to storage and portioning.
Here are some interesting statistics on food wastage:
- In excess of £1 billion of food is wasted by consumers in Scotland every year. That's an average of £430 per household.
- Scottish households throw out 566,000 tonnes of food each year.
- Two thirds of all food waste could have been consumed.
- Half of the good food thrown out is completely untouched, with one in seven items still in their packets.
- At least £18 million worth of food thrown away is still in date.
If we stopped wasting all this food, we could effectively prevent the equivalent of 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year in Scotland. This is the same as taking 1 in 4 cars off the road.
Waracle develop applications for a range of mobile devices and platforms including the Apple iPhone, Google Android and Windows Mobile. If you are interested in developing a mobile application, please contact Waracle directly on (01382) 529528.
We recently discussed the release of the new £2.39 Guardian application and the implications of newspapers attempting to ‘paywall’ access to new content. Today, it seems The New York Times are poised to release a press statement on the matter. Reports suggest The NYT will formally announce a ‘metered paywalling system’ for its website. This would enable users to browse a limited number of pages within the site before being prompted to enter credit card details. The motivation for Rupert Murdoch to take such measures seems clear: online advertising revenues are yielding less than sales from traditional print media.
Consumer opinion seems to be divided. Internet users have been primed over the past decade or so to expect free content. In addition, The New York Times must compete with a whole array of free blogs and news outlets offering virtually identical content. The trade off it seems, may be to sacrifice website traffic for a slight uplift in revenue. By paywalling specific content areas of the site, The New York Times are jeopardising their page ranking in Google. The reason for this being that if users refuse to pay for content, they cant link back to the site and thus improve its overall performance in popular search engines such as Google and Bing.
Some commentators suggest that revenues are an important component of quality control and ensuring the ongoing success of any publication. What do you think?
Waracle specialise in the development of outstanding software applications for mobile and web. Based in Dundee, Scotland, in the UK, Waracle create mobile software applications for iPhone, Google Android and Microsoft Windows Mobile. If you are interested in developing a web presence, social media strategy or mobile application to enhance your business, please contact (01382) 529528 for more information.
The much loved Ruby-on-Rails web application development platform has approached a beta of version 3. The most streamlined and powerful version to date. We can expect to see this some time around late January. To add to the good news, the final version is expected to shuffle out during the first quarter of 2010.
Ruby-on-Rails is loved by developers worldwide, given its ability to let developers simply bash out applications rather than requiring they focusing on actual software architecture. This makes great use of developer time, but poor use of the hardware resources required to run such an application.
To address this, a merger with an MVC system known as Merb is underway providing access to a library of plugins providing features, rather than one enourmous library at its core. This marridge also provides a clearer API for handling request routes while opening new mechanisms such as subdomain routing.
We expect that as Ruby-on-Rail grows, it will bring more neat web applications into the world, which is always a good thing.
Waracle specialize in web design, web application development and bespoke content management systems utilising a variety of technologies. Working with clients in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and London, we provide experienced input into search engine optomisation for blogs, corporate sites and online shopping carts. Please contact us on 01382 529528 for more info.
