Uba Kontrovasie

DIY DJ

I’ve stumbled upon Mac DJAY, easy to use DJ software for Mac OSX. It is very cool indeed as it imports all your music from iTunes and lets you record your own mixes.

The software easy to use for amateurs (like me) and it has features for the pro’s too. I sense a few house parties brewing!

Tags: Apple, apple dj software, audio software, dj, djing, mac, mixing, music software, remix, remix culture

Big Words

Ever stuck in the middle of a sentence and not sure what word to use? If you’re anything like me you probably haven’t done an english degree or swallowed an dictionary recently, thinking about the right words to use in sentences doesn’t always come naturally.

The problems don’t stop there as reading tech/design/marketing blogs and magazines do not improve your vocabulary either.

So as nerdy as it sounds I’ve gone back to using a tried and tested method of expanding my vocabulary, good old “word of the day”.

Merriam-Webster have a good word of the day page on their website and if you’re using a Mac running Leopard you can use Safari to create a web-clip and dashboard widget.

Tags: Apple, language, vocabulary, webclip, widget

My iPhone

I’ve had it for a few months now, yes I was one of those sad people queuing outside the O2 store during the first month they came out.

This little gadget has seriously changed the way I work these days, here’s why:

- It syncs with my calendar at the office
- It syncs with with my work e-mail in real-time via the exchange
- The internet is fast enough for me to read my RSS feeds on it each morning en route to the office
- I have a better back because I do not need to a lug a laptop with me everywhere I go mon-fri

I haven’t massively got into all the fun applications just yet, however, here’s my run down of the ones that I’ve found the most useful:

Shozu - lets you upload pics from your iPhone to Flickr
Evernote - my “cloud” notepad of choice
Facebook for iPhone, need I explain any further
Twittereffic - All things twitter
Wordpress - Blogging on the fly
Google.co.uk/reader/i - access to my feeds
Light Saber - Yes a Light Saber on your iPhone (hours of fun)

Another app I also recommend is EventSync for the Mac, not an iPhone App as such but it lets you sync all Facebook events to iCal and iTunes does the rest by syncing everything to your handset. I’ve given up on the Upcoming + Facebook app working, it just keeps dying and not syncing both ways.

My criticisms? bad battery life, I’ve had to drop the screen brightness right down to make the battery last a full busy day. Also the camera could be better, they could have quite easily incorporated an LED flash like they did on the Sony K750 a few years ago.

Rant and praise over, hope you guys find the tips useful.

Tags: 3G, Apple, eventsync, evernote, facebook, flickr, ical, iphone, phone application, phone applications, shozu, twitteriffic, upcoming, wordpress

Nano Chromatic

Apple strike again with another really well made iPod ad. Apple have become renowned for using bands such as The Fratellis and Feist in iPod ads of days gone by. This time Apple have enlisted Chairlift; who have an easy, Vampire Weekendish sound.

Apple are clearly another brand that have successfully piggybacked their marketing and advertising off good music, the use of new music from innovative bands is a good sign that Apple understand their core audience really well.

Other well known brands that are tapping into the music scene come in the form of the mobile networks.

O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone are all sponsoring events and music based marketing initiatives in order to get closer to younger audiences.

Tags: advert, Apple, bruises, chairlift, chromatic, ipod, nano

Chrome Androids

Well I guess there’s been a lot of talk about Chrome over the last couple of days and using it today I have to say I’m mighty impressed with load speeds, fast as promised!

What I’ve been even more impressed with recently is Google Android, the new Google OS for mobile phones. I believe it will be the first mobile OS to rival the Apple’s mobile version of OSX 10, which harnesses Apples “Core animation” using MBX 3D hardware; this stuff was the tipping point for me to go out and buy a handset.

Google seem deadly serious about tipping the mobile market on its head (once again) as the SDK for Android has been made available for developers to start putting together applications. In addition to this a fund of $10,000,000 has been set aside to reward developers who develop the best applications.

Chrome will no doubt be a part of the Android package and I look forward to seeing what type of handset houses Android…we hope it matches the practicality and the aesthetics of the iPhone.

Above everything else Chrome and Android are further indicators of the direction Google is taking to become a credible technology company and not just an internet property/media owner with frills. With free high end web applications, a blazingly fast browser and a cutting edge Mobile OS, I think we’re close to seeing Google provide a fully extended OS for webbook style devices in the not too distant future.

Tags: android, Apple, chrome, Google, mobile OS, operating systems, osx, osx 10

Brands start using the iPhone as a marketing tool

I’ve had my iphone for just over a month now and I’ve been looking at all the clever things you can do with it. Facebook, twitter, wordpress and IM are all now accessible via my handset.

With all the technology available I was keen to see which large brands would have a hit with using the iphone as marketing tool. Well it turns out it’s Audi with their A4 driving challenge game.

It has become the second most popular download from the Apple free apps store. The game uses iPhone motion sensor technology to provide a game which people will keep playing time and time again, a great way to keep people engaged!

Also well done to Carling who put together iPint, lots of virtual drinking fun here…but can we please stop placing an “i” before every single iPhone app.

I’m yet to see any non-digital brands put really useful brand utilities within the free apps store, I guess it’s only a matter of time.

Over a year ago brands were competing over widgets and now thanks to the iPhone and the halo effect it’s had on the rest of the mobile market I am sure we will see brands run to provide the best mobile brand utility, not just for the iPhone but the generation of other handsets posing to be iPhone alternatives.

Tags: Apple, Brand Utilities, iPhone motion sensor technology, iphone, mobile applications