Archive for September, 2009

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Snaptu – London Underground App

September 24, 2009

tfl-shot I was in London yesterday to visit a few of the museums. Whilst using the London Underground can be an overwhelming experience for infrequent users like myself, I made use of the underground features of Snaptu to make the process a lot easier. Despite a few network issues, I found the app simple and intuitive to use. It allows you to enter the name of tube stations or common landmarks, then it’ll calculate the best route from the selected station/landmark making use of walking/buses/underground services (depending on set preferences). The app was a welcome relief compared to working out the connections/correct destination station myself, making the process of selecting the right trains a lot quicker, and simpler. 

Snaptu’s a free Java app, so it’s compatible with a wide range of non-smart phones. The app also features Twitter and Facebook clients, Fancy a Pint, Google Calendar, cinema listings and a TV Guide amongst other features. Since most features require Internet access, it’s recommended to have a sufficient data plan.

Posted in Internet, Mobile Phones, Web | 1 Comment »

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iTunes 9 Home Sharing and Future Features

September 14, 2009

apple-itunes-9 Since Spotify launched, I’ve been using iTunes less and less, and really only resorting to opening it to sync my iPod with new podcasts. However, with the recent launch of iTunes 9,  I was more than a little tempted to try it out, if only for the Home Sharing feature. Sharing iTunes libraries between multiple computers has often been hindered due to concerns over copyright infringement, but with third party applications such as Simplify Media being able to share the iTunes library it seems that it should have only been a matter of time before iTunes incorporated this feature.

Just like Simplify Media, Home Sharing allows you to share your whole library including play lists, rather than being restricted to purchases made through iTunes. This is basically what I’ve used Simplify Media to do for some time, however required the computer that hosted the source library to be turned on to serve the media. As well as streaming media, Home Sharing excels over Simplify Media as it is able to sync items between authorised libraries on multiple computer for offline listening. A small niggle that I do have is that podcasts aren’t categorised by show, instead every episode of every podcast is shown in an unorganised list.

I’m surprised that Home Sharing has been developed by Apple, considering their apparent concerns for potential copyright infringement. However, the service is limited to 5 authorised computers and restricted to use on the same network, whereas Simplify Media allows up to 30 users to share libraries across the Internet. Surely, the next step is for Apple to add the ability to sync the iPhone and iPod Touch over wi-fi, rather than connecting via USB.

Posted in Apple, Computing, Home Entertainment, copyright, digital media, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, music, podcast | 3 Comments »