App Review: WorldCard Mobile

Developer: Penpower Technology Ltd.

App Store Link: 

Price in App Store: $6.99

App Review written by Clay Russell (The iPhonaddict) of the iOSDocked podcast

With the iPhone 4S capable of taking extremely good macro shots, there has been some quality apps released in the App Store that take advantage of that extraordinary camera. That brings me to the app I'm reviewing today. 

WorldCard Mobile by by Penpower Technology is a powerhouse of a business card scanner/contact builder application for the iPhone 4S. 

When first opening the application, you will notice that the user interface seems to be a stranger to the standard interface guidelines Apple would prefer to see implemented. It is actually more reminiscent of an Android or even Windows Mobile application. But don't let the aesthetics alone turn you away. Because of the handful of business card scanning apps I have used, this is is the fastest, most accurate and most feature rich of them all. The opening screenshot gives you 5 buttons (or options) along with a secondary menu featuring a "settings", "options" and "about" toolbar. The 5 buttons are for the following:

1) Camera: The camera icon gives you the option to take a standard photo scan of a business card which immediately OCRs (optimal character recognition) the data and loads the information from the card and displays it in contact view or you. There are additional options for stabilization as well as repeat mode allowing you to import business cards in succession one rights after the next. This could really come in handy after a business convention or business meeting of some kind. 

2) Card Holder: The second gives you access to the virtual card holder with options to group your cards into categories as well as backup your data to iCloud or Dropbox. (Having these two options is a win and a must for a true information management application such as this one.) Within our assigned grouped business card holders, there is also a quick alphabet bar for quickly finding the contact you are looking for. 

3) Photos: The third button will take data from an existing photo and build a contact for you following a scan of the text in the photo. 

4) Signature: The fourth button and probably my favorite is the signature feature. Simply copy the email signature from anyone of your emails and then select this option. It will take the data from that signature and build a contact for you with the information contained within the signature. 

5) QR Code Reader: The fifth and final option is for scanning (Quick Response) codes or QR Codes for short. This is added functionality really just rounds out the fullnes of this application and it's feature set. 

(download)

Click here to download:

app-review-worldcard-mobile-a-business-card-scanner-with-a-killer-feature-set-GzxfbEkpyguwbAelJyix.zip (193 KB)

What i-Like: feauture rich, Dropbox and iCloud backup support, quick, accurate

What i-Don't Like: The design lacks the polish in design compared to other apps in this genre. The price is a little steep compared to others.

Summary: While I don't necessarily like the design of the application, it should not deter your from taking a serious look at WorldCard Mobile if you are looking for a portable business card scanner for managing new clients, partners and other business relationships. This is a well groomed networking tool that comes recommended by the Wall Street Journal and is highly rated in the App Store and for good reason. As previously stated, it's a powerhouse of an app. It comes at a $6.99 price point for the full version but there is a fully functioning light version that will allow you to import 3 business cards for trial run purposes. So you have no excuse for not giving it a try. 

Is this something you have been looking for? Look no further than WorldCard Mobile by Penpower Technology Ltd. 

Are you truly getting the most out of your news reading experience on your iPhone or iPad? Probably not. I would like to share with you some tips on making the most of your news reading experience. By simply downloading an application and setting up a few services, using my methods you can become a truly productive and powerful news reader. 

First, there are some things you need to get set up. Before your proceed, you need to have a Google account setup to with at least a handful of your favorite news feeds set up in Google Reader and your are ready to go. 

Ready to proceed? 

Great. 

1. Install Reeder. In my opinion, and based off my years of experience using this application, this news aggregator is the cream of the crop in getting you the most news in the shortest time possible on your iPhone or iPad. It is steamlined, easy to manage and syncs harmoniously with Google Reader. But most importantly, if offers numerous sharing services to get the news you want where you want it. 

2. Second, set up your Evernote account. If you aren't using Evernote, then start using it. This is a perfect holding place for all the information of your life. Evernote was made to get information out of your head and into a place that is easily accessible, organized and referenced for your future needs. 

3. Third, set up a Pocket account. This is where all the news goes that you are truly interested in amongst all the trash news you may have in your feeds. It provides a clean and easy on the eyes expereince for you to enjoy the news that matters most. 

4. Fourth, and this is if you are really serious about your news reading is to set up a task manager for receiving news. Personally, I use Omnifocus. It is pricey, but it is worth the cash if you are really into serious productivity. There may be other options out there but the key ingredient is having a customized email address that you can send news articles to that will be imported as todos into your task manager of choice. 

5. Fifth, and if you are reading this, you more than likely came across the link in Twitter, is....you guessed it! You need a Twitter account. Twitter makes it easiest to share your favorite news stories with your friends and followers.

6. And finally, there is a web service that is new and quite impressive in it's feature set. Check out ifttt and dive in. ifttt is a web service that peforms actions from one web service based on the actions of another web service or a specific time, date or event. 

(Below is a screenshot listing all the direct links to services you can share your news with using Reeder.)

When you have everything setup above, you are truly ready to set up your Reeder experience. And this my friends, is where the magic happens. Open Reeder and setup all the accounts you created. You will have an opportunity to login directily to your Pocket (Read It Later) account, Evernote account and of course your Twitter account. You will notice there are several other options for services but none I found extremely uselful. However, everyone's needs are different and you may find one of these 3rd parties helpul in managing the bulk of your news headlines. Now in the options menu, you will notice an option to share a news story with one of these services using a simple right to left swipe gesture. Pick the service you think will be the most used. For me, that is Pocket. Every time I come across a news story I want to come back to, I simply swipe to the left and I know that the story will be waiting on me when I'm ready for it. If you want to share a story, it's simple. Just hit the share icon and share to one of the many optional services including Facebook as well as the email options which will allow you take advantage of that task managing option. I use the task managing email for reminding myself to check out a site, download some software or a reminder to add a product to a wishlist. The final and most useful tool at your disposal is to "star" a news item. A world of options awaits your very command when you tie a starred item to a rule using ifttt. Personally, I use the star function to simply send the most important news whether that be tips, tricks or hacks that I want to use for later reference directly into Evernote. There are a couple dozen other services that can all be linked to starred items in Google Reader. So explore and see what works best for your needs. 

So, do you think these tips could help you master the craft of news reading? Good. Comment below if you have any additional tips that you find helpful and thanks for reading. 

Alternative YouTube link here: 

So here it is. I have posted every app I currently use on all my Apple devices (iPhone, iPad and Macbook). Enjoy the show!

iPhone Homescreen Gallery:

(download)

Click here to download:

the-ultimate-homescreen-gallery-iDAjzjfvhDlEihAlfHnl.zip (14.36 MB)

iPad Homescreen Gallery:

(download)

Click here to download:

the-ultimate-homescreen-gallery-iuyvemBIaJhuEcDlxjgG.zip (30.21 MB)

Macbook Homescreen Gallery:

(download)

Click here to download:

the-ultimate-homescreen-gallery-tqtdaClBgpeGEFwIEyJa.zip (2.04 MB)

If you have any questions about any of the apps I use, feel free to ask away. 

Please be sure to check out the latest episode of the iOSDocked. Please visit the site for all the show notes and other information.

Check out Gadget Gurus Network for our network’s other great podcasts!

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This week my "i-Like" (pick of the week) was Songify for iPhone from khu.sh. 

This is a relatively simple application that takes your spoken words and magically turns them into song. The process is simple. Load the application, choose a melody, speak into the microphone and within a few seconds, your song is made available to listen and share. For an example, check out this Clay Russell exclusive titled "Joe the Canadian". 

Songify is free in the App Store and in app purchases are available for more song choices. So give it a go and share the link to your song here in the comments. 

(download)

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iosdocked-ep013-which-way-is-wright-i-like-songify-wdlGFxAfpdzwjeqfCuxw.zip (1.16 MB)

I've posted on the Social Networking landscape of iOS in the past. This time around, I would just like to share with you my favorite social networks and service clients along with how I use them on my device. So let's get started.

The Top 10 (In order of importance to me)

1. Twitter

App Used: Tweetbot by Tapbots

Use Case: This is my primary social interaction tool. I have created and maintained so many relationships on Twitter. I have numerous accounts for different things (blogs, podcasting, business, testing, and personal). The simplicity of Twitter is what is so attractive about this platform. It has become the instant messenger of the present and the forseeable future. It is perfect for keeping in touch with that special group of people placed somewhere in your lives between family, close friends and general aquaintances.

2. Facebook

App Used: Facebook

Use Case: Not everyone uses Twitter. Facebook is the King of social networks mostly because everybody uses it. You find family, childhood friends, ex-gilfriends, highschool buddies and co-workers on Facebook. You share memories and experiences with those you care about most on this platform. Not to mention, I use Facebook extensively for setting up accounts with 3rd party apps and services.

3. Google+

App Used: Google+

Use Case. This is a sleeper service for me. I don't think it's going anywhere, and I don't believe that Google+ has really opened the floodgates on their APIs to truly take advantage of their reach on this service. I don't like limiting myself to any particular service and I like to be able to reach anyone no matter what Social Network is their default. This service will continue to grow at it's own pace and become more important as in begins to incorporate more if it's own services as well as integrate with others. For now, it has replaced my iWeb Page as my profile page. Check it out my profile here.

4. Foursquare

App Used: Foursquare

Use Case: I use Foursquare for general location based check-ins. I honestly don't use it for badges or mayorships, but mostly as a record of where I have been and when I was there for my own personal use. But I do have over a dozen mayorships!

5. Path

App Used: Path

Use Case: This service has two distinct purposes. As I approach 1000 followers on my main Twitter account, keeping up with timelines has become impossible. So I then reverted to lists. Now even my lists are getting too big to keep up with. Now Path limits me to a sensible amount of friends which keeps me from getting carried away. The problem with Path is that people are not really flocking to this platform. Yes, they had the privacy issues a while back but aside from that, migration of my close friends and family to Twitter hasn't taken off either. I honestly think people get comfortable and stay put. Anyway, to get back on topic, Path has become a place to share with the closest of my friends on Twitter. Add the ability to link to 3 of the fore-mentioned networks (Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare) makes it a good place to go to post and share from one place and effectively reach who you want to reach when you want to reach them. Added options like photo filtering and music sharing are just icing on the cake. And extra points goes to Path for the original and beautiful user interface.

6. GetGlue

App Used: GetGlue

Use Case: This network has become more than just a place to share what I'm watching and when I'm watching it. It has become a place where I discover new shows and movies I would have otherwise never come to know. When looking for something new to watch, I check out what's trending and this social network makes it so easy to not waste time on poor quality entertaiment. GetGlue also makes it easy to share on Twitter and Facebook. GetGlue is only to become more of a player as time goes on and I look forwared to see what happens when network affiliates do more to work together with this service. GetGlue is not just about TV though, you can also share music interests, games you are playing, books you are reading, wine you are drinking or just conversation topics in general. Don't just check it out, start checking in.

7. LinkedIn

App Used: LinkedIn

Use Case: I used LinkedIn to further my reach in the restaurant industry and gain knowledge from respected and experienced people in my field of work.

8. Pinterest

App Used: Pinterest

Use Case: This is the fastest growing social network on the web. It is last valued in the billions of dollars and shows no signs of slowing down. Whether you use it for personal use or marketing your business, it has become a social networking sensation. It's simple, you post pictures of whatever you want, place them in a "board" and exchange comments with others. I would like this app more if it wasn't so dominated by women, but I guess the men are to blame for allowing that to happen. Regardless, it is very clean, straightforward and provides a home for photos of things that I like or just find interesting in some way.

9. Instagram

App Used: Instagram

Use Case: This now multi-platform photo sharing service is no stranger to the tech headlines as of late. The big news is that Facebook has recently purchased Instagram for the insane price of 1 billion dollars. Of course, the running joke is Facebook could have downloaded the app for free. Seriously though, Intsragram was an investment, as it is a major player in the photo sharing space with over 40 million users. Take a photo, make it square, tweak it with filters, tilt-shift and share with the World. What's not to like?

10. Posterous

App Used: Posterous

Use Case: Speaking of big purchases, this social platform known for hosting easy to manage blogs has been picked up by Twitter. There have been no changes to the service since the buyout and that is a good thing. I for one host 4 different blogs on Posterous, each tailored to a unique interest of mine. The layout is simple and the service is free. Throw in the fact that Posterous makes it easy to post to your site from the web or from your smartphone and it's a wonder to me that not everyone is using this service for their blogging needs.

Honorable Mentions

Foodspotting: Discover, share and rate meals

Soundtracking: Make a memory buy bringing together a song, a picture, a location and a personal note

Circle: Brand new application making it easy to locate and find friends within a close proximity to you as you are out and about

So am I missing any any of your favorites? Let me know.

I would not consider myself a hardcore gamer by any stretch of the imagination. But thanks to the iPhone, I have become a big fan of the casual gaming genre.

Free time is somewhat of a myth in my life. I want to believe it exists, but I just haven't found the evidence that it does. I have a lot on my plate and I try my best to stay on top of all aspects of my life whether that be as a husband, a father, an employee or a blogger/podcaster. Me-time is hard to come by. If by the rare chance it does become available to me, it is in the form of 10-15 chunks radomnly throughout the day.

I have invested in gaming systems in the past like the Playstation 3 that I picked up the day it was released or the XBox 360 with the whole Kinect set up. But those systems turned out to be a big waste because weeks would go by and no opportunity would present itself for me to enjoy them. That's the beauty of the iPhone and the casual gaming genre made popular by this device. Now if I have a few free minutes, that's all I need to pick up my iPhone and get a game going. The games are quick, easy to learn, addictive, entertaining and can often be played anywhere often using only one free hand. Another benefit is the price, you can by a few dozen of them for under the price of a top Xbox or Playstation title without sacrificing the entertainment value. That is the genetic makeup of a casual game on the iOS platform. And for some of us, it's the perfect gaming system for the on-the-go busy lifestyles a lot of us live today.

I would like to conclude this post by throwing out some recommendations to those of you interested in joining the casual game revolution on iOS. So the next time you have a couple minutes, fire one of these up.

• Doodle Jump
• Cut the Rope
• Words With Friends
• Flight Control
• Draw Something
• Jetpack Joyride

and of course...

• Angry Birds

There are several thousand others in the App Store. So go have fun!

Please be sure to check out the latest episode of the iOSDocked. Please visit the site for all the show notes and other information.

Check out Gadget Gurus Network for our network’s other great podcasts!

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This week my "i-Like" (pick of the week) was Paper by FiftyThree.

Paper is a sketching application that takes a minimalistic and elegant approach with the user interface. The learning curve is next to nothing and within minutes you will find yourself engrossed in the application. Your are presented with 6 tools to work with (sketch, write, draw, outline, color and erase), 4 of which are in-app purchases. But I think after using this application, you will be inclined to purchase the entire set of tools at the $7.99 price point. You can create different notebooks for different things so that your sketches are organized the way you like. There is a good selection of notebook covers to choose from as well as an option to choose a photo as your notebook cover. Now I am not the artistic type, yet the smooth flow of the strokes on the simulated paper surface gave me the impression that I had some natural sketching talents. If you are looking for an application that is perfect for sketching ideas or just simply doodling and don't want to be overwhelmed with a million different options, this app is for you. 

(download)

Click here to download:

iosdocked-ep012-jordan-in-a-miniskirt-i-like-paper-for-ipad-FEAJbdGmilyjAmEHfjAk.zip (7.72 MB)

iTunes link: Paper by FiftyThree for iPad

Price: Free

A lot has been said (and speculated) about the screen size of the next generation iPhone. I would like to share my thoughts on the subject.

The overall device will not get wider, thicker, or taller. However the screen size will be bumped to right at 4 inches. Contrary to what some may think, the extra screen real estate will not be used to increase the current 960 x 640 currently available to app developers. That will stay the same for the sake of developer sanity. No, the extra screen real estate will be used for some amazing new UI enhancements and new interface controls.

Here is what I'm getting at:

The speaker grill, front video camera and sensors will be pushed closer to the top of the device. The home button will go away, at least in it's current form. These changes allow for the screen to extend both at the top and bottom giving us the 4 inches we have all been hearing about (rumors, blogs, etc.). So what will the extra space be used for if not for apps? Well, I believe the top portion (of the new extended screen) will be used for banner notifications that will really be out of the way. I believe the bottom of the screen will become a customizable gesture and haptic feedback zone.

• Imagine a swipe area to quickly move between applications back and forth.

• Imagine haptic gaming controls with actual feedback that won't cover up the gameplay with your fat fingers.

• Imagine highly customized navigation controls for media apps.

• And how about a simple swipe up from the bottom from anywhere that takes you back home.

• But that's not all. This new screen size will finally allow us to watch full scale widescreen videos in landscape mode.

I think the iPhone hardware is due for some big changes. I think they will have a new UI to compliment such a change.

I might be dreaming. But with 12 months between iPhones, what else is an iPhonaddict to do?

I love the idea of home automation. I love the idea that more and more of the things we do every single day are being made easier by simply using our mobile phones. Wireless technology and home automation are two areas of tech that were meant to go together. The Smart Cord by the ZSmart Company has a product available that can help you get one step closer to fulfilling that dream of an automated lifestyle. I recently received a review unit from ZSmart and I thought I would share my thoughts with you on the product so that you can decide if this is something that would fullfill a need in your life. 

The Smart Cord arrived in a package containg nothing but the cord itself and a set of instructions. Along with that package came two documents. The first of which was a thank you letter and some brief instructions to help you get set up. They also made it clear in this document that they have a support team that stands behind this product should you have any issues getting started. The second document is full of FAQs (frequently asked questions), a couple of which were anwsered for me within the document. 

Now onto the device. The Smart Cord is simply a cable with a Bluetooth mechanism that receives "uniques modules" in the form of an audio stream. You connect to the Smart Cord by simply setting up a bluetooth connection with your mobile phone. Detailed setup instructions can be found here on the Smart Cord website. You will also want to download the Smart Cord iPhone app found here. (There are other alternatives for Android and Blackberry users. You can also use the web to power the Smart Cord if that is your preferred choice.) Although the app is not much too look at, it is the easiest and most straight forward solution.

Upon opening the package, I was delighted to see that the Smart Cord was just a cord. There was 1 piece and 1 piece only. No weird adapters or anything of the like. All I simply had to do was unplug whatever it was I wanted to use the Smart Cord with and instead plug it directly into the Smart Cord. Then plug the Smart Cord into the wall. Once you have your bluetooth connection set up, load the app and your are good to go. The app itself is straightforward. There is a power button and that is all. Press the button to power on and off the device that your Smart Cord is connected to. 

There are a couple of ways I tested this Smart Cord that I will share with you. The first test was simply using the Smart Cord to power a lamp on and off in my living room. As the day comes to a close and I am rocking my beautiful 5 month old daughter to sleep, I like to turn off any extra light I can in the room. This device works perfectly in this scenario. The second test was using the Smart Cord to power on and off my cable modem. I don't like the Wi-Fi in our home to be on all night long and the Smart Cord fills a niche in that it allows me to power down my modem from bed after the lights go out and I am done with my usual internet browsing or Netflix streaming sessions. The same applies for the following morning when I need to power it back up. I questioned the choice by ZSmart in the use of Bluetooth over Wifi connectivity, but I was thankful in this use case that they did. Here is why the company chose Bluetooth as their preffered method of connectivity in their words: 

"Our goal was to have products communicate directly with a phone or similar device. Telling people they needed a Wifi router, or internet access, or additional hardware to operate our products was not something we wanted to do."

This makes sense to some degree. But using Bluetooth brings it's own set of issues. The first of which is the limited number of Smart Cords you would be able to have in use at any given time due to the conncected device limit in mobile phones. So although I don't think it was meant to, you could not have a true full-fledged home automation setup using nothing but Smart Cords all over the house. The second problem that would arise is that you are not able to rename Bluetooth connections. So if you were to use mulitple Smart Cords, it would get easily confusing distinguishing between the connections. And finally, because it uses Bluetooth, if you are currently connected to any other Bluetooth device at the time such as a set of Bluetooth headphones, you will have to kill that connection to power off or on the Smart Cord and then go back and restablish your previous connection.

Now the Smart Cord is not without it's quirks. A connection to the the device requires you have the mute switch turned off and the volume all the way up. This is because of the afformentioned audio stream it uses to connect. This really puts a wrinkle into what at first seems like a hassle free process.

After 2 weeks with the Smart Cord from ZSmart, I can say with confidence that if you are looking for a specific need to be met where you could really benefit from the ability to remotely power and power off a device of some sort, then this device will do that for you and you can expect it to work as described. However, if you don't really have the need for such a connection, then I would save the $39.95 and do things the old fashioned way.

Thanks goes out to ZSmart for allowing me the opportunity to share this experience with my readers.