Apple picker Dropbox presented Project Infinite, Instagram is testing the new look of the application, Shift will help you schedule calls across time zones, Scanner Pro has learned OCR in Czech as well, and Periscope, Google Maps, Hangouts and OneDrive from Microsoft received substantial updates. But there is much more, so read the 17th Application Week.
News from the world of applications
Facebook is reportedly working on a separate app for taking pictures and broadcasting live video (25/4)
Magazine Wall Street Journal reported this week that Facebook is preparing a new standalone application for taking pictures and recording videos. It aims to push users to share even more pictures and videos on the biggest social network.
The application is said to be still in development and will enable flash photography or filming, but last but not least, live video broadcasting. It should also "borrow" some functions from the popular Snapchat. The problem is that even if an app is actually being developed, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will ever see the light of day.
The fact is, however, that users are becoming more and more passive on Facebook. Although users often visit this social network, they share relatively little of their own content. So reversing this trend is an increasingly high priority for Mark Zuckerberg's company, and an attractive, quick-sharing app could be a means of doing so.
But it is also necessary to take into account the fact that Facebook already had applications for sharing photos and they were not successful. First, the "Camera" app was released without success, and then a Snapchat clone called "Slingshot". None of the apps are listed in the app stores anymore.
Source: 9to5Mac
Dropbox wants to change the way you work with files with Project Infinite (April 26)
A few days ago, the Dropbox Open conference was held in London. Dropbox introduced "Project Infinite" there. Its point is to provide potentially unlimited space for data, regardless of how much disk space a given user has on their computer. At the same time, a web browser will not be required to access files in the cloud - cloud content will be visible in the same place as locally stored Dropbox files, the icons of files located only in the cloud will only be supplemented with a cloud.
The way Dropbox on the desktop currently works is that any files stored in the cloud must also be on the drive of the computer using the app. This means that Dropbox acts like a backup or file sharing agent rather than an independent cloud storage. Project Infinite wants to change that, as files in the cloud will no longer need to be stored locally.
From the user's point of view, files stored only in the cloud will behave the same as files stored locally. This means that through the Finder (file manager), the user will find out when a file in the cloud was created, modified and what its size is. Of course, files in the cloud will also be easily saved for offline access if needed. Dropbox further emphasizes that Project Infinite is compatible across operating systems and versions, just like classic Dropbox.
Source: dropbox
Instagram is testing a new application design (April 26)
For a certain group of users, the Instagram application currently looks different than for the rest of the majority. Not to be found in it are the classic bold elements, the blue header and the dark gray and black bottom bar have turned into a light gray/beige. Instagram itself seems to have almost disappeared, leaving room for images, videos and comments. All the familiar bars and controls are still present, but they look different, less eye-catching. This can be good for the content, but it can also cause Instagram to partially "lose face".
If its more minimalist form is successful with a select sample of users, perhaps everyone will be able to accept it, or have to put up with it. At the moment, however, this is only "non-binding" testing. An Instagram spokesperson said: “We often test new experiences with a small percentage of the global community. This is only a design test.”
Source: 9to5Mac
New applications
Shift will allow you to schedule calls to other time zones
The interesting Shift application has arrived in the App Store, which will surely please everyone who is forced to communicate with people living in another time zone. The application, which is supported by Czech developers, allows you to easily plan phone calls across time zones. It is thus an ideal solution for all digital nomads and companies with teams in different parts of the world.
[appbox appstore 1093808123]
Important update
Scanner Pro can now OCR in Czech
Popular scanning application Pro Scanner it received a minor update from the renowned developer studio Readdle, but it is extremely interesting for the Czech user. As part of the update, support for the OCR function was extended to include Czech. So with Scanner Pro, you can now scan text and the application will recognize it and then convert it into text form. So far, something like this has only been possible in English and some other foreign languages. In the last update, in addition to Chinese and Japanese, support for our native language was added.
However, it can be seen that the function is still in a relatively early stage of development. The translation of the Czech text did not turn out very well during testing, and the Ukrainian developers will still have to work a lot on the new product. Even so, it is definitely a pleasant novelty, and the support of such a "small" language as ours gives the Scanner Pro application points in the fierce competition between scanning applications.
The new version of iMovie for OS X improves navigation within the app
iMovie 10.1.2 has little new compared to the previous version, but even that little can be useful, not only thanks to the classic minor bug fixes and improved performance and stability. These are slight adjustments to the user environment, which aim to speed up work with the application.
The button to create a new project is now more visible in the project browser. It's also faster to create a new project and start cutting a video with just one tap. Project previews have also been enlarged to make iMovie for OS X look more like the iOS version.
When working with video, one tap is enough to mark the entire clip, not just a part of it. This can now be selected with the mouse while holding down the "R" key.
Periscope expanded the stats and added sketches
A Twitter application for live streaming video from the device's camera, Periscope, gave broadcasters new ways to interact with their audience and better visibility into how their broadcast went. Thanks to the "sketch" function, the broadcaster can "draw" on the display with his finger, while the sketches are visible live (appearing and disappearing after a few seconds) to all who watch the broadcast, whether live or recorded.
Then, when the broadcast ends, the broadcaster can view quite detailed statistics about it. It will find out not only how many people watched live and how many from the recording, but also when they started watching.
Google Maps will tell you how long you will be home right in the iOS notification center
Google Maps 4.18.0 allows iOS device users to add the "Travel Times" widget to the notification center. The latter, depending on where the user is at the moment (and if they have provided information about their location to the application), calculates and displays the travel time home or to work. Calculations are carried out continuously according to current traffic information and you can choose between traveling by car or public transport. Tapping on the home or work icon will start navigation to that location.
The new Google Maps also makes it easier to tell people in your contacts how to get there. In the settings, the options to change units and the option to manually control the night mode were added.
The renaming of "Hue" to "Hue Gen 1" heralds the imminent arrival of new bulbs
The "Hue" application from Phillips is used to control the respective light bulbs, which can change the shade and intensity of the lighting. It has now been renamed "Hue Gen 1” and its icon has been changed, heralding the arrival of both the new app and the bulbs it will control.
The bulbs of the new edition "Hue White Balance" will stand on the border between basic white and the most expensive ones that change colors. As their name suggests, they will change the shade of white from cool to warm. The app, perhaps "Hue Gen 2", will in turn introduce automatic cycles corresponding to different activities, from waking up in the morning to falling asleep at night.
You can now share files via Google Hangouts on iOS outside of the app itself
Application Google Hangouts although it still can't work with iOS 9 multitasking, at least it appeared in the sharing bar. This means that it is possible to send a file via Google Hangouts directly within any application, there is no need to copy it to the clipboard, for example. To use this function, it is necessary to open the sharing bar (rectangle icon with a vertical arrow) in an application, tap "More" in the top row of icons in the bar, and enable sharing via Hangouts. When sharing, you can choose from which account you want to share the given file (or link) and, of course, with whom.
Hangouts will also now change its behavior if the iOS device in question goes into low power mode. In this case, the video will be turned off during the call.
OneDrive expanded integration into iOS 9
The latest update to Microsoft's cloud storage management app, OneDrive, mainly refers to collaboration within the iOS ecosystem. This means that the OneDrive icon will now appear in the sharing bar in any application, making it easier to save files to the cloud. The same works in reverse. Links to folders or files in OneDrive will open directly in that app, as iOS 9 allows.
Further from the world of applications:
- iOS 9 is on 84 percent of active iOS devices
- Stream.cz Internet TV can now be watched on the new Apple TV
- The popular game Chameleon Run was created with only one hand, says the Czech developer
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