Chris Pirillo » iphone

How to Make an iPhone App

Chris — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:25:10 +0000

How to Make an iPhone App is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Anthony saw my call for screencasters, and stepped up to the plate. He has created an amazing tutorial for all of you would-be iPhone devs out there! In this screencast, he will show you how to get started, and walk you through creating a simple iPhone App of your very own! It’s not too late for you to submit a screencast to be uploaded to our channels. Click on the link at the beginning of this description for more information.

First, you’ll need to head over to Apple’s Dev Center and download the SDK. This includes the Xcode IDE, iPhone simulator, and a suite of additional tools for developing applications for iPhone and iPod touch. You do not need to buy a developer account – you can use a free one to start with. If you are interested in submitting something to the App Store at some point, you can then look at the membership options.

To create a new iPhone application, you start by creating a new project in Xcode. A project manages all of the information associated with your application, including the source files, build settings, and rules needed to put all of the pieces together. The Groups and Files list is where you manage the files in your project, including your source files and the build targets that are created from those source files. The toolbar gives you access to commonly used tools and commands while the details pane provides a configurable space for working on your project.

The Interface Builder is the next component you will need. It’s the tool that you’ll use to make your App user interface. Using this tool, you’ll assemble your App’s window by dragging and dropping preconfigured components into it. These include standard things like switches, text fields and buttons. Once you put them on the window’s surface, you can move them around, configure them and establish how these interact with your code.

The iPhone Simulator is used to test your App, so that you don’t have to use an actual iPhone. This will save you a load of time, and is very easy to use.

It’s not as difficult to create an iPhone App as you may have thought. With patience and time, anyone can learn how to do these. Once you create something unique that others may want to have, you’ll be able to start earning money on the App Store.

Thanks to Anthony for the excellent tutorial… and good luck to all of you budding iPhone developers!

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BeBot!

Chris — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:46:11 +0000

BeBot! is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Is this not the cutest thing ever? BeBot is a Robot Voice Synthesizer. Everyone needs one of these, I’m telling you. Not only is it probably one of the better synth apps out there, the cute little robot graphics are just awesome. The App designer, Robert, knew that he had to go a step further before releasing his Synth App – so he enlisted a graphic designer to help.

Bebot is an adorable little thing who lives inside a $2.00 iPhone App. He responds to multitouch with a variety of chirps and whirrs. He even has autotune – just like pop stars use!

You know you’ve wasted far more than two bucks on Apps you ended up hating, right? Go ahead – spend the money to grab BeBot for yourself. You’re going to be like me, and occupy yourself with it for hours on end. Heck, you might actually even smile!

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Air Hockey!

Chris — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:05:44 +0000

Air Hockey! is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I was in the middle of getting my tail kicked on this game when I recorded this game. This is an air hockey game for the iPhone. It’s addictive – even if I’m not any good at it! There are several different air hockey games available, so take your pick. You can play them against the computer, or against friends.

I enjoy playing against myself. It’s quite fun to kick my own ass, seriously! I actually did lose to myself at the end of this video. I told you it was coming!

If you have other cool iPhone Apps and games that you know of, just shoot me an email. I’ll be happy to take a look at it.

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How to Enjoy Your iPod / iPhone without Holding It

Chris — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:35:58 +0000

How to Enjoy Your iPod / iPhone without Holding It is a post from Chris Pirillo

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It’s time to let go! Actually, it’s time to put your iPhone (or iPod) In Your Face. Sure, you could keep holding your iPhone and give your fingers cramps. Or, you can grab yourself an In Your Face viewcase, and free those fingers up for other things – such as drumming on your desk!

The top clamp is spring loaded, so it will allow your iPhone to fit nicely, whether or not you have a protective case on it. This holder is perfect for hands-free video viewing, or even normal phone usage/talking. It can attach to virtually any surface, including your desk, and airplane tray table, or even your monitor at work!

I don’t know about you, but I get tired of having to hold my phone. And, I don’t like having to remove the case in order to use other types of holders. The In Your Face holder lets me use my iPhone… and be doing something else with my hands. Talk about multi-tasking! I can talk on my phone and still continue to type whenever I need to.

If you need a holder for your iPhone or iPod Touch – or even if you don’t know you need one yet – this is definitely one you want to check out.

IN YOUR FACE viewbase flexible holder for iPhone

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Which Technology Do You Need When You Travel?

Chris — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:19:46 +0000

Which Technology Do You Need When You Travel? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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After my trip to Hawaii, Traci was kind enough to interview another one of the local tech enthusiasts for me! Neenz is the chief evangelist for Alltop, spreading the news about them to the World. Alltop is an “online magazine rack” of popular topics. They update the stories every hour. Pick a topic, and they deliver it to you 24/7. Their tagline is: All the topics, all the time..

Traci noted during the early part of the interview that Neenz has such a sense of warmth surrounding her, which even comes across in her blog writing. Traci calls it the Aloha Spirit, and Neenz couldn’t agree more. To Neenz, the Aloha Spirit (also called love and/or friendship) is simply an action word. It’s something that you do, and that you show. You have to be sincere, even online. Be genuine, and transparent.

Neenz was instrumental in making my latest stay in Hawaii such an amazing one. She worked tirelessly helping to put together the Tweetups and other things I was able to do. I sincerely appreciate that! I had a great time, and am looking forward to going back again one day.

Just like with Burt, Neenz has definite opinions on what gadgets you need to pack when you travel. The first conference she went to, she massively over-packed. Her biggest piece of advice is to not do this! The main thing about a conference is to be comfortable.

She always makes sure she has her iPhone, including podcasts to watch on it while traveling. She also never forgets her Incase charger, to help boost the battery life. She also brings her laptop and her HP Mini Netbook. She likes to travel with the Mini because it’s so easy to grab while on the go in order to get things done. Lastly, Neenz brings along her Logitech Quickcam Orbit, so that she can stream (if allowed) what she’s watching through her website.

Now that Neenz has told all of you what tech she packs when she travels, how does her list match up with yours? What gadgets, gizmos and technology do you have to pack when you travel?

Once again, thanks to Neenz, Traci, Hawaiian Airlines and everyone else who made my trip so memorable. For more information about travel in Hawaii, be sure to follow @flyhawaiian on Twitter.

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What is the Ultimate Portable Console Emulator?

Chris — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:12:35 +0000

What is the Ultimate Portable Console Emulator? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’ve done videos about the Nintendo DS, the Sony PSP, and even the iPhone. I’m not a gamer, even though I like to play games. I also love gadgets and gizmos as you know. I have here a portable device that allows you to play games, record your voice, watch video and even comes with a calendar! I bet you’re wondering now what it is, aren’t you?

The Wiz lets you run Atari ST games, Commodore 64, NES, SNES, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, NeoGeo, Flash Games and more too numerous to mention. The Wiz can do a host of other useful things besides gaming. It can play video files including MPEG4, Xvid and DIVX. You even get a built-in e-book reader!

The Wiz does not come with any emulator software or game roms pre-installed. When you first unbox the Wiz, you can play the built-in Flash games, but that’s all. You have to download the free emulator for the console or system you want to emulate. Then you have to unzip the software for it and copy it to an SD card. Don’t forget to include some game roms, or you’ll have nothing to play!

If you want bragging rights, let your friends pull out their PSP or DS. You can whip out a Wiz and play something that is totally over the top. You know you want one! You have to have it!!

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16 Tech Things in My House

Chris — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:05:04 +0000

16 Tech Things in My House is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I was challenged by Lamarr Wilson to showcase 16 “tech things” in my house. Of course, I opted for the most portable items. How many of these do you have (or want)? Here, in order, are the items that I used:

If you’re inclined to record your own showcase, leave it as a video response to Lamarr’s original video, not mine.

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Son of a Beach

Chris — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:56:37 +0000

Son of a Beach is a post from Chris Pirillo

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This is the most amazing iPhone App you could ever imagine. When you run it, the App simulates standing on a beach, with your feet buried in the sand. It’s so real, it’s almost scary!

For only $99.00, you too can pretend you’re standing on the sand, right in the comfort of your own office. After all, we know that no Indoorsman would ever venture out, right?

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Could all of Life’s Conveniences be Killing Us?

Chris — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:19:42 +0000

Could all of Life’s Conveniences be Killing Us? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Reading this blog post on Geeks earlier stopped me dead in my tracks. I saw myself in what the author wrote, as I’m sure many of you will. He talks of how we have so many gadgets and gizmos to make our lives easier… and then wonders if it’s in fact making things more difficult:

People around the world are moving so fast, trying to do so much, that humanity as a whole is slowly choking itself with its own progress. We’re trying to cram so much into a day, so much into our minds that we don’t know how to do anything else. What we need to learn how to do, more than anything else, is to slow down. If you’re worried about progress, think about this, the best way to gain a clear perspective is to back away and let everything focus. People are supposed to smell the flowers that they plant. Just take some time to enjoy what mankind has done, rather than waste your time coming up with the next best thing that no one will take the time to enjoy.

All the ‘conveniences’ that we use and abuse only serve to get you to the next minute faster. Every inch of the way is packed with time savers that allow you to use more time savers. Just slow down, take a breath, get to know people, go to new places. Enjoy life before it passes you by, just to get to the next generation.

Wow. I’ve been pondering something very similar to this in my own life lately. That is why you’ve seen me out of the office more – trying to take time to relax and have fun. We tend to get so caught up in the daily grind of life that we often forget to live.

When is the last time you took a day completely “off”? I don’t just mean off of work… I mean OFF. OF. EVERYTHING. When did you put away all of your gadgets, your phone, your laptop and even your iPod and just chilled out? Can you even remember when it was, or what you might have done?

If you can’t bear to part with your computer, maybe you can take time out from working yourself into the ground, and enjoy what others are hard at work doing. They are writing excellent articles, like the one mentioned here, every day. They are sharing their thoughts with the world, and I sincerely hope you will consider doing the same. There’s something to be said for being able to write out what’s in your mind and heart, and it takes a very special type of person to be able to do so. The next time you’re stressing over the little things, and everything yet to do on your list, why not just let it all go and write? We’d love to have you join us on Geeks or Lockergnome.

What are Your Favorite iPhone Apps?

Chris — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:59:48 +0000

What are Your Favorite iPhone Apps? is a post from Chris Pirillo

After a photowalking tour of Seattle, my friend Kristin and I started talking about our favorite iPhone apps. She used to work for AT&T, and now… she’s looking for a job (so if you have a lead, be sure to reach out to her):

Can a Company Take Social Networking too Far?

Chris — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:24:49 +0000

Can a Company Take Social Networking too Far? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Word on the street is that Best Buy is now requiring applicants to not only be on Twitter – but to have at least 250 followers, as well. When I read this, my mouth hit the floor. In effect, the company thinks that hiring people with a large Twitter following will garner more business for them. How ludicrous is this? It’s not up to an employee to send out tweets and bring in business to a company like Best Buy. For one thing, what if a person chooses not to have that many followers? Not everyone is on Twitter to see if they can win the race for having the most followers. Some people actually use it only to follow interesting people and entities themselves, not caring whether others follow them back. Some of those same people never even update their own timeline. They choose, instead, to simply use Twitter to read the latest news, and keep up with what’s hot in the marketplace.

I cannot begin to understand why a company would – or can even be allowed to – require something like this. If a person’s job were going to be something along the lines of “Social Media Director”, I might be able to see the need for the applicant to already have some sort of following, establishing them as “social media savvy”. Beyond that – I’m just lost.

What are your thoughts? Is this going to become an eerie new trend in the job hunting process? Do you feel that this is just totally off the wall? Let’s hear your thoughts!

Quick iPhone OS 3.0 Review

Chris — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:51:00 +0000

Quick iPhone OS 3.0 Review is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I love my iPhone, that’s true. You might remember that I didn’t want to get the iPhone back when it first came out. I’ve eaten mountains of crow since that time, and have now accepted the iPhone into my life as my personal digital savior! iPhone OS 3.0 was recently released, and of course I’ve already upgraded. Is the upgrade worth it? Absolutely! There are so many features (some not even documented) are sitting under the interface!

Some of the awesome new features with this version of the os include cut,copy, paste, a landscape keyboard, spotlight search, voice memo recording, and an improved calendar! There are some small bugs, yes. But those I think are more personal preference, rather than actual bugs. I wanted to let you know the things that I feel are completely outstanding updates.

One of the first things you’ll notice is that Voice Memo app. It is relatively high-quality recordings, and it has a lot of features. You can send these to others, and even edit them if need be.

A lot of smaller tweaks in classic Apps are very welcome. For instance, in Notes you can now swipe and then delete a particular note. It also syncs through Notes back in iTunes. I think it’s cross-compatible with my Exchange account.

You can also have more page open for Apps. You not only have 11 pages, but you can put as many Apps that will fit in your iPhone! I had 300 of them at one point! I used to have to delete them, in order to stay under the threshold allowed. Now I don’t have to worry about it.

Spotlight Search is an amazing addition to the iPhone. Spotlight searches all of your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as everything in your iPod. There really isn’t an App that hasn’t been updated, which is just awesome.

The iPhone no longer auto-corrects swear words! If you want to swear, then by golly you can! This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but to me it is. If I curse, you can believe I meant to. I wasn’t happy that the iPhone wouldn’t let me say the words I intended to say.

All in all, I’m VERY happy with this upgrade. What are your thoughts on the new iPhone os 3.0? Are you using it yet? Do you love it – and why? Do you hate it? If so, uh… have you really used it? No matter, let me know that, as well.

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How to Protect Your iPhone / iPod

Chris — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:51:37 +0000

How to Protect Your iPhone / iPod is a post from Chris Pirillo

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While my new iPhone 3G S was syncing for the first time, I decided to talk to all of you about protecting your device. Why do you need protection? What if you drop the phone? I’ve done it countless times – it’s easy to do! Having a good cover or case can cut down on any damage the phone or device may have received.

When I bought my original iPhone, I used an inCase slider case. When I changed to my iPhone 3G, I switched to something different. Now that I have the 3G S… I’m going back to my inCase. It’s lightweight and works very VERY well.

Another thing I recommend is something that can help your eyes. I use an anti-glare film for my iPhone screen. Not only does it protect the screen, it will also help your eyes. You can check them out for yourself to order one for your phone.

When applying the film to the screen, you want to be careful not to have any bubbles. You can use any credit card or similar object to slowly smooth the film into place. I can’t believe I nailed it on the first try this time! It usually takes me forever to get it aligned just right.

There are my two top ideas for keeping your iPhone and/or iPod protected from harm. Don’t mind the Geek behind the anti-glare screen muttering to himself. He’ll be ok eventually – I think.

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iPhone 3G S Video Upload Test

Chris — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:54:18 +0000

iPhone 3G S Video Upload Test is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I uploaded this short video directly from my new iPhone 3G S. I think the quality is very good, considering this was compressed and passed directly across AT&T’s 3G network while I was driving down the road! It took about five minutes to upload (and longer than that for YouTube to process).

My car’s name is Vader, just so you know. It’s black, just like my iPhone! Yes, the blue Mustang that passed me during the video is an extremely “hot” car (according to Kat, anyway).

Do you have the iPhone 3G S yet? Have you uploaded videos with it? What have your experiences been like? Let me hear from you… I’m interested in hearing how things are working for others. I’m happy. I’m in love with my new iPhone!

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Unboxing the iPhone 3G S

Chris — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:33:29 +0000

Unboxing the iPhone 3G S is a post from Chris Pirillo

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A couple of years ago I sat at my desk claiming I’d never buy an iPhone on the first day. I thought my then-current phone was fine, and did everything I wanted it to. Not long after that, I recanted and started to use an iPhone. I’ve never looked back, and won’t GO back. My iPhones have done so much more than I could have ever asked for or expected from a phone, which is why I’m so excited about my new iPhone 3GS!!

I saved the unboxing and unwrapping of my new iPhone 3GS to do on this video. I know how much you guys enjoy these! I feel that AT&T is total fail with the way they’re handling these things, and the activations. Apparently, many are taking up to two days! Shame on them.

On a side note… I normally shave my face for no one. However, I felt the need to shower and shave prior to unboxing this. I shaved for my phone! What is the world coming to?

The box included the phone, of course, the instructions (Fingertips), and the cords. The box itself is easy to tell it’s for the 3GS model, since you see the icons for things like the Compass which are now included on the new model.

It looks exactly the same as my iPhone 3G. I connected my Richard|Solo 1800 in order to help extend my battery life. I couldn’t live without this awesome little thing. It has saved me on more than one occasion, when my iPhone 3G would have otherwise been dead in the water.

It’s definitely faster, it boots up a heck of a lot quicker than my 3G did/does. I had to connect to iTunes right away, of course. Had to accept Terms and Conditions, which is pretty standard. I then had to wait for them to process my request. They should play some music, daggone it.

And, of course, I received a notice (typical of AT&T)… “your activation will take additional time to complete. Due to high volume of current activations, it will take up to 48 hours to completely your request”. Thank you for a big bucket of epic FAIL, AT&T.

I had to figure out what to name this phone. My last one was boring, and simply named “iPhone”. So I asked the chat – and my dogs – what to call this one. I decided on “Gnome”, since I’m the Lockergnome!

I had to sync my information with the new device, so I know that’ll take awhile. I had 300 Apps to move over, so yeah… I’m addicted to them. I know it!

So anyways, there’s my unboxing and attempt to activate with my new iPhone 3GS. Keep your eyes peeled for more videos in the near future!

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.