Chris Pirillo » itunes

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 Stream iTunes Music Wirelessly to Your Stereo

Chris — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:16:15 +0000

How to Stream iTunes Music Wirelessly to Your Stereo is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Did you see that packet of information fly by? It came from my wireless network here in my home. Even though you cannot see your wireless network, it’s still there. Sometimes, we need to transmit data wirelessly, such as music. If we want to do this with iTunes to send it to our speakers across the room – we can do that! It’s easy to do with Creative’s SoundBlaster Wireless!

Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes upgrades your PC or Mac to a premium wireless sound system. Simply plug it into a USB port, and stream your iTunes music wirelessly to your powered speakers or home stereo system via the Sound Blaster Wireless Receiver – no cables or network configuration required. Enjoy your music anywhere in your home by adding Sound Blaster Wireless speakers and headphones. Managing your wireless and playback functions is easy with intuitive software and remote control.

Most of us have iTunes these days, and this makes an excellent gateway to be able to listen to your music via your stereo.

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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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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):

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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iPhone 3GS Review

Chris — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:40:06 +0000

iPhone 3GS Review is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I decided I would record my iPhone 3GS review right from my iPhone 3GS. If you’re going to make a video review of your new phone, I encourage you to try it this way, and link my to your YouTube response! You do know that you can push the video directly to YouTube using the built-in tool from your phone, right?

Bottom line – my verdict about my new iPhone 3GS is “OH YEAH, BABY”. It’s fast – 50% faster than my last model. The camera is much better. There is touch-to-focus built in, to allow you to focus on a particular subject. The iPhone 3GS has twice as much capacity, and twice the amount of memory built in! The amount of usable memory has been increased by about 500%… resulting in far less App crashes.

There is voice control that works right out of the box. I didn’t have to train it first! The battery life has been improved. It’s interesting, because even though the phone is faster – you gained battery life. They throttled back a few things in order to accomplish this, including the video processing. Dude.. I’d rather have had a bit faster processing, and give up battery life. That’s why I carry around an external battery pack! However, I can understand and even agree with Apple’s decision.

For now, my old iPhone 3G is going to a friend to use. This person has been using Windows Mobile phones for years, and has been an advocate. I want them to try out the iPhone, and see what the hype is all about. Apple has exceeded my expectations once again, and I want to share that experience with others. I can’t fathom going back to Windows Mobile, nor can I even fathom going back to the iPhone 3G.

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Have You Tried SlingPlayer for the iPhone?

Chris — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:08:54 +0000

Have You Tried SlingPlayer for the iPhone? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I decided to relax by watching live TV on my iPhone, using the SlingPlayer App. It sells for about $30.00 right now. SlingPlayer is an excellent App. I can control the TV as if I was sitting right in front of a traditional television. I can tweak several different options, including the resolution. Also, I can access a full guide to see what’s playing!

SlingPlayer Mobile lets you watch and control your home TV and DVR via your Slingbox on your BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, or Symbian smartphones. Switch from your home cable box to your DVR – using your phone!

You’ll find all of the controls and features you’d expect. You can fast-forward and rewind, or even record. If there’s a feature on your television, then it’s on the SlingPlayer. This only works, of course, if you have a SlingBox, which I do.

The big drawback is that AT&T has throttled this App. They were worried about the amount of bandwidth usage. So I can only use the SlingPlayer if I connect wirelessly. That stinks. Boo AT&T. Big mistake screwing things up for us this way.

You might balk at paying $30.00 for this, but think of it this way: record all of your shows at home, and access them on the road. If you travel even a little, it’ll pay for itself quickly! Grab it for yourself, you’ll definitely not regret it.

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Mother’s Day iPod

Chris — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:25:15 +0000

Mother’s Day iPod is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I was fortunate to have my mom with me during Mother’s Day this year. I gave her an iPod, which is kind of funny. Up until now, she’s never wanted one. She had no idea how they worked, nor if she’d ever use the thing. She took it into an Apple store with her, and explained she had no clue what to do. They talked in circles around her about syncing and such. She walked out more confused than when they started.

Mom is a trooper though! She says that when she gets home, she will sync the iPod, since she has to choose between “sync or swim”. Yes – I get my sense of humor from her. She loves technology, of course. She still has the first transistor radio her father bought her several years ago – and it still works!

The iPod I bought for her was personalized, and even has her email address engraved on the back. During the video, I taught her to open the browser and search for something using the touch screen. I explained to her about Apps, and I have a feeling once she dives into looking at them she’ll go crazy! There are just so many cool things she can do using her iPod.

Did she roll her eyes when I told her she could subscribe to my podcast?!?! Seriously?!?!

Just kidding, Mom. You know I love you, and think you’re the best. Happy Mother’s Day!

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Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks on the iPhone?

Chris — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:20:48 +0000

Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks on the iPhone? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Pixie is not amused with the Bark Machine portion of the new Dog Tricks and Bark Machine App for the iPhone and iPod Touch. I can always move on to other aspects of this very cool new App, including ones that help teach her new tricks!

Dog Tricks & Bark Machine’s instructions were supervised by certified dog trainers, according to the App’s creators. The dog tricks part of this App includes commands, games and tips on how to correct behavioral problems. Dog Tricks and Bark Machine also features an informative section about popular dog breeds, as well as tons of photos.

The bark machine part of Dog Tricks & Bark Machine gives you eight different sounds that will get your dog’s attention. They include a woof, meow, doorbell, high-frequency whistle that only dogs can hear and other sounds.

Future versions of this App can let your dog be a star! Send in your pics and caption text to Dee to nominate your dog for future releases!

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How to Send Free SMS Text Messages on the iPhone or iPod

Chris — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:46:10 +0000

How to Send Free SMS Text Messages on the iPhone or iPod is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Hopefully within a few weeks, InfiniteSMS will be available in iTunes. That will allow you to send free SMS messages from your iPhone or iPod Touch. The App isn’t free, but the texts you send from it will be. Once the App has been released, I will be doing a giveaway where you can win this App for yourself! I have 30 codes to give away!

It’s really easy to use. Once you’ve entered your Google credentials, press the “New SMS” button. Then, key in any number you want to send a message to. Type your message – and send it! You will receive SMS replies free, as well! Messages won’t show up on your phone bill!!

You can send messages for free to any number within the US – even if you are traveling outside of the US at the time you send it! Messages are sent and received through Google using the Google Talk service. Your friend must respond. To prevent spam, Google may block you from sending to someone if they don’t respond after a couple of messages.

Now, as I said, I have 30 of these to give away. In order to win, all you need to do is to go to Twitter and send the following:

@chrispirillo I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

That’s it. If you want to be one of the winners of this App as soon as it’s available, send that tweet!

ADBonner: i love sending sms http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about 20 hours ago

Sat Feb 14 20:03:39 +0000 2009

DunuDeSilva: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about 23 hours ago

Sat Feb 14 17:17:58 +0000 2009

jordannott: I love sending SMS! Go.tagjag.com/SMS class=”TweetDate”>about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 15:44:52 +0000 2009

skoinm: How to Send Free SMS Text Messages on the iPhone or iPod http://bit.ly/JA4xw (via @chrispirillo)

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 14:22:04 +0000 2009

skoinm: I love sending SMS! http://www.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 14:21:50 +0000 2009

nickmontes: I love sending SMS!

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 14:10:21 +0000 2009

AppleGeeek: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 13:47:56 +0000 2009

ScottShockey78: I love sending SMS ! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 13:18:18 +0000 2009

mattmill: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 13:12:33 +0000 2009

virustricks: Oh yeah happy valetines

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 08:53:50 +0000 2009

RandDuren: I love sending SMS!

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 07:05:44 +0000 2009

kennyiscool: I love sending SMS. http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:32:18 +0000 2009

johnnylucas: i love sms http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:23:11 +0000 2009

Kringalingen: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:19:44 +0000 2009

AndrewF99: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:19:43 +0000 2009

Kringalingen: I love sending SMS! http://go.taggag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:18:20 +0000 2009

claudius753: that's all well and good, but where the hell is MMS! Biggest iPhone flaw IYAM

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:17:15 +0000 2009

Christyxcore: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:16:39 +0000 2009

CannonGod: While you're discussing SMS I wanted to mention a free Twitter SMS service for Europeans called: http://twe2.com

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:14:24 +0000 2009

Christyxcore: RT @chrispirillo: How to Send Free SMS Text Messages on the iPhone or iPod http://bit.ly/JA4xw

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:13:43 +0000 2009

sacredgeometry: are you constanly tweeting?

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:12:07 +0000 2009

davidjlock: twickie FTW

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:10:06 +0000 2009

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How to Free Memory on the iPhone

Chris — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:39:47 +0000

How to Free Memory on the iPhone is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Even though we know that Apple doesn’t currently let you run any application in the background. Sometimes, bits of the application will stay in the background upon exiting it, and it hogs up your resources. You can now use an App to help free up your memory!

The iPhone only comes with 128MB of runtime memory. This has nothing to do with the actual storage memory of 8GB and higher. Some applications that come with the iPhone will continue to run in the background even once you close them, such as the Phone and Mail applications, and even Safari! Over time, these Apps will bog down your iPhone (or iPod Touch), making it impossible to effectively open any further Apps.

Using Free Memory can solve this problem. you can see how much runtime memory is currently available for applications. You can also view all the currently running applications or system processes. By simply touching the “Free Memory” button, the App will clean up 20MB of your memory for you. If you already have over 20MB available, the App won’t even do anything.

I know your iPhone may not feel sluggish to you. But if you’re going to play a game or something, why not clear some memory out? I’m sure you’ve had Apps crash when you tried to open them in the past. I’d be willing to bet that it was because you didn’t have enough memory available to run it! Why Apple didn’t include something like this with the iPhone firmware natively is beyond me!

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How to Make Your Room Smell Like an iPhone

Chris — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:47:33 +0000

How to Make Your Room Smell Like an iPhone is a post from Chris Pirillo

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There’s going to come a time in your life when you feel the room you’re in just doesn’t smell very well. I had to get out my iPhone to freshen up the office recently, after Pixie had a little gas accident. All I did was use my new iFreshener App!

iFreshener was created in response to the flood of App Store programs designed to make the iPhone and iPod Touch fart, belch, and make other bathroom noises. Simply shake your iPhone to make the chemical-mixing sound, and then ’spray’ the air freshener around the area. You and everyone around you will instantly feel like things just smell better.

This App is fun and silly, and will get people talking! If you know of other fun Apps for the iPhone – or for any other tech gadget – I want to know about them!

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How to Use MSN, Yahoo, AIM, MySpace, Google Talk

Chris — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:15:23 +0000

How to Use MSN, Yahoo, AIM, MySpace, Google Talk is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’m using my iPhone to IM with a friend of mine, via MSN. I’m also chatting it up with people on AOL, Yahoo and ICQ. Heck, I can even chat using MySpace, Facebook and Google Talk! This iPhone App has over 1000 positive reviews! Beejive is $16.00, yes. You may be wondering why you’d pay that much for an instant messaging App, when there are free ones available. However, in this case, you definitely get what you pay for! Those free Apps have a lot of limitations on them, and they don’t always work so well. Read the negative reviews on them for yourself, and then read the 4+ star rating reviews on Beejive. You be the judge.

BeejiveIM is the most reliable and user-friendly mobile IM application on the market for your iPhone or iPod Touch, featuring desktop-like instant messaging and always-on efficient networking.

Some of the awesome features included are:

Uses your existing data plan: No SMS charges.
Works with multiple IM networks & multiple accounts per network.
Manage your buddy list, including add/remove, nicknames, groups, & blocking.
Set custom status messages, be invisible, set an auto-away status, & change privacy controls.
Customizable sound, vibrate, & LED settings and an optional global popup on new messages.
Real-time chats: quick switch between multiple simultaneous chats.
Customizable chat skins & emoticon support.
Click to browse, call, or send an email directly from the chat screen.

This App works amazingly well… it’s a quality instant messaging experience on your iPhone!

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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

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

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

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.