TeleNav the makers of Scout continue to impress with their free navigation app Scout for iPhone. Scout has received an update that includes a revamped user interface, bringing a redesigned dashboard, a larger “Where I Am?” map and a button to take you directly to your recent activity.
Also included in this update is the “Things To Do” section, which can be found in the more tab. Things To Do gives you listings for events around your current area. This includes Live Music, Museums and Theater Events. You’re even able to look ahead and see what’s coming up in the near future.
You can take a look at the new optimized Scout for iPhone 5 in video below.
Ford and Glympse have announced the first in-car, voice-activated location sharing app for Ford vehicles with SYNC AppLink. Now, by just using simple voice commands, drivers can share their location with others by saying “Send Glympse”.
This feature is helpful to let friends and family know where you are without having to get distracted and make a phone call or send a text.
To use Glympse, drivers just need to have the app installed on their smartphone, and have it connected via bluetooth or USB connection. Once the driver chooses to “Send Glympse”, it will send their location to a friends email, mobile number, FaceBook, or Twitter. The recipients can then monitor that person via real time on either a smartphone or desktop computer.
Glympse is available on iPhone and Android, and is now compatible with Ford SYNC AppLink vehicles.
Instagram for iOS received an update to version 3.2, which includes improvements to the look and speed of the camera and brings a new filter called Willow.
Improvements made to the camera are instagram-themed shutter and shutter release button, you’re able to preview the most recent photo on your camera roll, improved camera roll image selector (iPhone 5 only) with quick access to your last picture, optional grid guide for live photos and a permanent grid guide for the scale and crop screen.
Other improvements include:
News Feed redesign
Larger images
New welcome screen design
Infinite scroll on user profiles and other grid views
Filtered photos are now saved to a separate album called “Instagram” in the iOS camera roll
Foursquare integration
You can download the upgrade if you haven’t yet through the links below.
One of my favorite iOS sports app on iPhone ScoreMobile has changed names to theScore. With every update come even more features. This is great to see in a free app.
Along with the name change they even completely optimized theScore for the iPad. You can quickly share information from the app to your favorite social network with a simple tap. You can check out our previous review of the app via this link.
Other feature updates included in this version:
iPhone 5 support fully optimized for the larger screen to get you more scores and news
If you still haven’t found an alternate to Apple Maps, you might want to check out Scout by TeleNav. Starting today the free version for iPhone users has voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation for both driving and walking directions. Previously this required a paid subscription.
The free version of Scout also includes 12 new car icons to choose from including a convertible, motorcycle, SUV, minivan, muscle car and sports car.
Other features include:
My Dashboard: Personalized commute times to work and to home from you current location.
My Places: Users can save and share the places they love for easy access at any time.
My Search: Find it faster as Scout learns friends, favorites and recent places.
Traffic: Real-time traffic information.
Speech recognition: Speak commands like “Find a nearby Starbucks” or “Go Home”
You can download the free version by following this link .
Facebook for iOS has a new update Version 5.1, which has added a number of new features making it easier for users to chat with their Facebook friends and share multiple pictures at a time.
Your even able to send gifts; I mean real gifts to your friends on Facebook using the new Facebook Gifts option. This feature is only available for users in the U.S. currently.
New features:
Swipe left anywhere in the app to quickly see who’s available and send a message
Add friends you message most to the top of your Favorites
Share multiple photos fast
Give real gifts to your friends using Facebook Gifts (US-only)
When sending messages, see who’s active so you and your friends know how soon to expect a reply.
Follow this link to download your update if you haven’t already.
Pictures are “Frozen memories in time” some would say, but there isn’t always enough space on your smartphone to hold all those capturing moments. AT&T understands this and has provided their customers with AT&T Locker, a free and easy-to-use picture and video sharing service for both Android and iOS users.
With AT&T Locker, customers can get 5 GB of storage for free, which is enough for up to 5,000 average sized photos.
“Customers use smartphones to capture special moments in their lives. That’s why we designed AT&T Locker to help you store those memories,” said Mark Collins, senior vice president, Data and Voice Products, AT&T Mobility. “With Easy Upload, every photo and video is uploaded directly to AT&T’s cloud, which can be accessed safely and securely anytime from a customer’s smartphone or the Web.”
AT&T Locker allows users to upload their pictures or videos to a secure online storage and easily share them to their Facebook or Twitter. Your even able to customize albums online from a web browser.
If you love taking photos and 5 GB might not be enough space for you, AT&T has different tiers of storage available at very reasonable costs. For $3.99 a month you get 30 GB of storage and for $10 a month you get 100 GB.
Google has been trailing behind Apple in their application market, but now Google has closed the rather significant gap between the two. The Google Play Store has reached 700,000 applications available across all Android devices.
Last week at Apple’s iPad Mini event they announced that they have 700,000 applications available for download in the App Store, and less than a week later Google announced that they have reached the same amount of applications in the Google Play Store.
While the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store may have the same amount of applications avaliable for download, Apple still leads the pack with over 35 billion downloads and Apple has a much tougher approval process.
When it comes to training and keeping track of your results there are number of different applications out there on Android and iOS. When it comes to training like a Spartan that races through a number of different obstacles over long distances what do you use?
Spartan racer and Life On My Mobile Fan Dallas Bessette uses Nike+ Running and MAPMYRUN on iOS.
I know what you’re thinking when you hear Nike+ Running; I have to buy the special sensor piece. With the latest update all you have to do is grab your phone and go. With Nike+ Running you’re able to map your runs and track your progress.
Features of Nike+ Running include:
Your iPhone’s GPS and accelerometer accurately record your distance, pace, and time. In-run audio feedback lets you know these metrics at every mile, so you can stay focused on your run.
Get in-ear cheers from your friends on Facebook and Path when you broadcast that you’ve started a run. Tag the Facebook friends who you ran with and share a map of your route with friends and family.
Have a song that gets you pumped? Set up PowerSongs to give yourself a boost with the tap of a button.
Syncing your run to the Nikeplus.com website allows you to view your maps on a larger Screen, Set a new goal, and find Nike+ Top Routes in your area.
The other app MAPMYRUN is the winner of the Best Running App 2012 Reader’s Choice. This app is simple to use and allows you to track your runs and log your workouts. If your one that likes to brag about your runs or accomplishments, you can post what you accomplished to Facebook and Twitter.
All your information syncs securely with your free MAPMYRUN account. With MAPMYRUN you’re even able to join sponsored challenges and win prizes like running shoes and trips.
MAPMYRUN Features Include:
Pace
Live Route Map
Distance
Calories
Elevation
Nutrition
Friends (live map, and activity feed)
Stats (Heart Rate – requires purchase of accessory)
Voice prompts give you updates on your progress as you go
Connect with our community of over 9 million fitness enthusiasts
Both Nike+ Running and MAPMYRUN are free apps and are available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
If your interested in seeing Dallas in action, you can follow this link as he is currently trying to get into the Epic Racing Arena challenge and would love your vote. If you think he has what it takes show your support and give him a like to help him make it into the race.
Today Microsoft has officially launched their Windows Phone 8 OS and a list of new/enhanced features it has to offer. Joe Belfiore, Program Manager took the stage to detail the features.
With Windows Phone 8, there is a “new lock screen” which will refresh content, notifications and other tiles depending on which mobile apps are being used, such as Facebook. You can also change it into a photo slideshow; display sports scores, weather and more. It is a completely customizable experience.
Skype is now completely integrated into the OS, resulting in an always-on solution. You are able to receive calls or messages at anytime and it does it without running code in the background improving battery life.
If you love Pandora you are going to love the deal they have for you with Microsoft. Pandora users get the service ad free for the first year.
Another major addition is the Data Sense technology. Not only does Windows Phone 8 compress data to conserve expensive cellular data it also keeps track of usage in real time and alerts you to potential problems and apps chewing through your plan. Verizon users will be the first to get their hands on Data Sense feature.
The addition of Kid’s Corner, in directly allows for a makeshift multiuser environment. It allows you to set a restrictive environment to allow a friend or child limited access to your device. You can choose what apps or features the user can access.
The People Hub gets better as it has a new feature called Rooms. If you are a GroupMe user you maybe experiencing a little deja vu. Skype purchased GroupMe and Microsoft purchased Skype. With the list of technology buyouts Microsoft has deployed their own private chat area for family, friends and coworkers.
Microsoft has released a 19 minute video highlighting Windows Phone 8. If you have any interest in the OS we suggest you check it out below.
Sprint’s Direct Connect, “Push-to-Talk” is already available on multiple phones like the Kyocera Rise, but just recently the company has announced that more Android devices like the LG Optimus Elite and others will gain the ability to download the app.
“Sprint Direct Connect Now expands access to next-generation push-to-talk functionality,” said Michael Wallace, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Internet Services. “This offering, leveraging Qualcomm’s IP-based push-to-talk platform, enables functionality and device selection ideal for a broader base of consumers.”
Sprint Direct Connect Now key features:
Interoperable with Nextel Direct Connect and Sprint Direct Connect
Group Connect calls up to 21 participants
Call alerts to notify others you want to talk without interrupting
Convenient touchscreen controls
Display contacts image for speaker
Synchronizes contacts with device’s address book
Creates favorites for most contacted Direct connect contacts
Here’s a link to check if it’s available for your device.
TeleNav has acquired ThinkNear a privately held hyper-local mobile advertising company based in Los Angeles. With TeleNav’s Drive-To Advertising and ThinkNear together it will combine for a solution to create a new mobile local advertising platform called Scout Advertising.
“We are extremely excited to combine ThinkNear’s technology and expertise with our own to provide an even more comprehensive solution for advertisers to reach and drive more customers,” stated Paczuski. “This is a platform built from the ground up to leverage the mobile experience. We will help advertisers reach the right people while deploying the right mobile measurement tools. We expect this to change the game for advertisers. We are 100 percent focused on providing them with a clear and remarkable ROI on their mobile advertising spend. The proof will be the increase in customers driving to their front door.”
ThinkNear’s technology helps advertisers reach consumers within 100 meters of any location, which is more actuate than a zip code and designed market area (DMA) that is normally offered by most ad networks. ThinkNear also enables Situational Targeting, meaning it takes into account where you as a consumer, what you’re doing and what is happening around you.
Scout Advertising also combines with Scout GPS navigation service to give consumers directions to the advertiser’s retail location.
This technology will enable much more targeted advertising. Imagine using Scout to drive to Olive Garden for dinner. There is a Starbucks in the same shopping center and they send you a special deal to come enjoy coffee after dinner. This is really taking mobile advertising to the next level.
Ford and Glympse have announced the first in-car, voice-activated location sharing app for Ford vehicles with SYNC AppLink. Now, by just using simple voice commands, drivers can share their location with others by saying “Send Glympse”.
