Neat revises mobile scanning app, adds expense reporting
Pushing towards a paperless future, the neat folks at Neat have released version 2.0 of Neat for iOS. The new build of the scanning-on-the-go application features much faster performance, scan annotation, new sharing and collaboration options, plus a new expense reporting tool.
Neat has made its bones as a desktop scanning solution, offering both compact and ADF-enabled scanners that work with the company’s Mac and PC applications for document management. The Neat mobile app extends that find-my-files experience for access on the go, with scans and folders synchronizing to the NeatCloud online service. You can quickly share folders or individual scans to collaborate with colleagues, or search the OCR/indexed text of your documents to find what you need quickly.
The expense report feature is intriguing; it creates a summary PDF from a collection or folder of receipt scans, totaling up the expenditure and listing categories as it goes. It’s not going to supplant dedicated expense reporting iOS tools like Concur, but for mobile freelancers who want a quick way to send expense overviews while simultaneously filing the receipts for safekeeping, it may get some traction.
The NeatCloud platform also includes an optional human-powered verification step called NeatVerify, which will run the automatic OCR results from your receipt or business card scans (no documents) past the eyes of a real live person for checking. You can get 30 credits for this service for $ 4.99 a month, so it’s probably best to save it for key items.
Speaking of credits, while the Neat application is a free download from the App Store, the required NeatCloud service works on a paid subscription basis. After a 30-day free trial, you will need either the $ 14.99 or $ 29.99 monthly NeatCloud plan (discounted if you sign up for a year) to use the app; both plans offer additional features like extra users, cross-service search and more. Compare and contrast the $ 45 annual cost of an Evernote premium subscription, and you get the sense that Neat is aiming at the more demanding side of the market.
Neat revises mobile scanning app, adds expense reporting originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Chatology for Mac lets you easily search Message histories
Flexibits has released Chatology for Mac (US$ 19.99), which lets you search your Messages chat history with great ease and success. It’s looks will make it familiar to just about anyone who’s used a Mac within the last ten years and and its integration with Messages is just lovely. Say goodbye to Apple’s chat search.
Looks
Chatology is similar to iTunes, iPhoto and others as it has a list on the left and related details on the right. Again, it will be super familiar to most Mac owners, so you’ll be up and running in no time. Click any name on the right to view the associated chat logs in clear, legible text. Conversations, images and links are a mere click away.
Finally, you can opt to see your conversations as balloons or boxes (I prefer balloons).
Gallery: Chatology for Mac
Use
Chatology finds the chat logs stored on your Mac at launch and displays each conversation according to the person on the other end. Click any name in the leftmost column to see your full history with that person in the center column, sorted by date. You’ll also see the conversation’s start time and duration.
You can refine your history by viewing logs from today, within the last seven days, the last 30 or within the last year. Once you’ve selected a particular history to scour, you can view the full conversation, just images or just links. While testing this app I was able to find two images I remembered seeing in chat but failed to drag out. It was crazy easy to find them: I just pulled up the conversation, clicked “images” and there it was.
There’s a search box, too. Simply type in the term you’re after and there it is.
Here’s what I love about Chatology. There’s a preference to enable Messages integration. When enabled, you’ll be brought right to Chatology when you hit Command-F in Messages. It’s like launching über-search mode.
Finally, you can export any conversation as a plain text file, use Quick Look to view images and delete a chat log, all from the app.
Conclusion
Those who have lots of conversations in chat, especially those that might include desirable reference information, will do well to install Chatology. Likewise, it’s a good choice for users who are not satisfied with the search feature in Messages.
Chatology for Mac is available now for US$ 19.99 from the Flexibits Store. It requires Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later. Please note that Chatology for Mac will only be available from the Flexibits Store. It will not available from the Mac App Store. Unfortunately, Apple’s policies won’t allow an app like Chatology on the Mac App Store.
Pick it up now and get searching.
Chatology for Mac lets you easily search Message histories originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple TV 5.4 beta adds iTunes Radio, Conference Room Display
Apple has released the Apple TV 5.4 beta to developers. The latest beta software for Apple’s setup box adds support for several new features, notes iDownloadBlog. The first up is iTunes Radio, which Apple announced at WWDC would be coming to Apple TV in the fall. iTunes Radio functions much as it will over iOS 7: users can access the Apple TV’s built-in Music app to stream songs over the Internet.
Perhaps the coolest new feature is called Conference Room Display. As the name suggests, this mode is aimed at Apple TVs in the workplace. Users can set the Apple TV’s home screen with a custom image, like a corporate or event logo, and a custom message. Viewers will see the custom image and message and also an overlay telling them how to connect their devices to the Apple TV.
Finally, Apple has added increased subtitle features to the Apple TV. Users can now choose between closed captioning or subtitles and also alter the way subtitles look. Users will be able to set the font color and size and also the background color of subtitles.
It is presumed that Apple will release the Apple TV 5.4 software to users when iOS 7 ships in the fall.
Apple TV 5.4 beta adds iTunes Radio, Conference Room Display originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Adobe releases 15 all new Creative Cloud apps
Adobe has announced the release of 15 all new Creative Cloud apps. Adobe’s Creative Cloud apps allow files to be stored in the cloud and opened on devices running multiple platforms including desktop, mobile, and web. In addition to feature updates to Adobe’s apps, they all now feature Behance integration. Behance is the world’s largest social network aimed at allowing designers to share their work.
Adobe has spotlighted some of the new features available, including:
- Photoshop CC ships with new sharpening technologies and designer workflow enhancements. Camera Shake Reduction deblurs images that would have otherwise been lost due to camera movement. All-new Smart Sharpen makes texture and detail pop, and Adobe Camera Raw 8 adds even more powerful photographic controls to straighten and perfect images. Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC are the first Adobe desktop applications to include the ability to post files directly to Behance, showcasing work immediately and integrating peer feedback into the creative process.
- For designers, the Touch Type tool in Illustrator CC offers a new level of creativity with type. Move, scale, and rotate text characters knowing that it remains editable. This feature works with a mouse, stylus or multi-touch device. Illustrator also enables painting with a brush made from a photo. Art, Pattern, and Scatter brushes can contain raster images, so designers can create complex organic designs quickly, with simple brush strokes. And Illustrator CC features integration with Behance, so work can be shared directly to Behance to get feedback and showcase projects. A new, modern architecture for InDesign CC turbocharges performance, and in-browser editing in Adobe MuseTM CC — a tool for designers to create and publish HTML websites without writing code — allows clients to make edits to a published website, which can then be reviewed, approved, and updated by the designer.
- For video customers Adobe Premiere Pro CC includes dramatic new editing features, customisations and improvements to help editors work efficiently. Premiere Pro CC integrates powerful colour workflows, with the addition of the LumetriTM Deep Colour Engine to easily apply rich colour grading looks. A high-impact version of Adobe After Effects(R) CC brings motion graphics and visual effects artists more creative possibilities and allows them to work more easily in 3D with the new Live 3D Pipeline with Maxon Cinema4D integration. There are also all-new versions of Adobe SpeedGrade CC, Audition(R) CC, PreludeTM CC and Adobe Story CC Plus.
- Web designers and developers can look forward to significant advances in Adobe’s family of Edge tools and services. The latest Edge Animate CC lets web designers create animated and interactive content with amazing ease and precision, using native HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Dreamweaver users can look forward to the most up-to-date CSS and properties via the intuitive visual editing tool, CSS Designer. And Adobe Flash(R) Pro CC features a modern, modular 64-bit architecture rebuilt from the ground up to be fast and reliable.
Access to the full Creative Cloud suite is only available via subscription. Monthly subscription rates are US$ 50, with discounts available to current owners of Creative Suite software.
Adobe releases 15 all new Creative Cloud apps originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple shortens Jony Ive’s title to “Senior Vice President, Design”
Well it’s official now. With iOS 7 now out of the bag, Jony Ive’s title at Apple has recently been changed to reflect his added responsibilities and increased influence across Apple’s product line. Whereas he used bear the title of Senior Vice President of Industrial Design (as recently as June 9), he now holds a more comprehensive title — Senior Vice President of Design.
Ive originally made a name for himself as the man behind Apple’s gorgeous and often innovative hardware designs. With the October ouster of Scott Forstall, however, Ive began applying his design aesthetic to Apple’s software as well, an aesthetic which first became apparent last week when Apple unveiled a complete revamp of iOS.
via 9to5Mac
Apple shortens Jony Ive’s title to “Senior Vice President, Design” originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple’s love of ‘Mavericks’ has been around for a while
At this year’s WWDC Apple previewed the latest version of OS X 10.9 named Mavericks. The name was a departure from its previous scheme of naming OS X after cats. As Phil Schiller noted in the keynote, Mavericks is a popular surfing spot in California that many Apple employees like to go to to catch a wave – and as we’ve noted, it’s close to where Phil Schiller lives.
An interesting little factoid about Mavericks (courtesy of keen eye reader Tyler G) is that this is not the first time Apple has used the name.
Way back in 2005 the company spotlighted the Mavericks surfing spot in promo material for its then-newly released Aperture software. Surfing images from Mavericks, along with the locale’s name, can be found as elements of custom-made Aperture books and also as contact sheets on the original web page announcing the features of Aperture.
Apple’s love of ‘Mavericks’ has been around for a while originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Digg Reader beta launching next week on iOS
With the impending doom of Google Reader just around the corner on July 1, RSS fans have been searching for an alternative to their beloved feed. Digg has heard their cries, and will be launching the first public beta of its new Reader replacement, called Digg Reader, next week.
The beta will slowly roll out at first, but Digg promises it will be available to everyone by June 26. Digg has made it clear the service will become a freemium product, akin to services like Evernote which provide free services with extra paid options available to those willing to pay. However, all of the features available during the free beta will remain part of the free version of the reader in the future.
Digg Reader will come with migration tools to help you move your feeds from Google Reader. In addition, Digg promises the core product will feature mobile apps that sync with your Reader web page, a clean layout that focuses on article content and support for subscribing, sharing, saving and organizing.
The mobile beta will launch on Digg’s iOS app, with Android support coming in the 60 days following launch. Other upcoming features include integration of third-party services like Buffer and Evernote and improved sorting and filtering of feeds, notifications and search.
Digg Reader beta launching next week on iOS originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Automattic buys third-party WordPress app Poster to improve its own mobile apps
Automattic, the company behind WordPress, has purchased the iOS WordPress client Poster. Developer Tom Witkin is joining WordPress’ mobile team with the aim of bringing his app’s unique features to WordPress’ own app.
Sadly, progress for WordPress means Poster is no longer available in the app store, but there’s a bright spot for those who’ve already picked it up. Users who already own the app will be able to re-download it from their accounts and Witkin has announced that he will continue to provide support.
Poster brought a number of features not found in the company’s own apps to WordPress users, including Dropbox integration for importing articles from the cloud, support for Markdown and the ability to choose your own URL slug for posts. While it’s sad to see Poster leave the App Store, it’s nice to know WordPress’ own apps will most likely be seeing these improvements in the future.
Automattic buys third-party WordPress app Poster to improve its own mobile apps originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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MacStadium to provide new Mac Pro hosting and colocation
For the Mac faithful, it won’t do to share space on just any server — you want to use a Mac server. Likewise, we like to have our own Mac servers colocated at a place that specializes in Macs. That’s why hosting providers like MacStadium are so popular. Now MacStadium has announced that as soon as the new Mac Pros arrive, they’ll be ready to rack ‘em and stack ‘em in their hosting and colocation center.
The company expects to be able to fit 270 Mac Pro servers per POD on only 12 square feet of floor space in their datacenter. That’s what that Lego-like image above represents, with Mac Pros sitting on their sides stacked 15 tall, nine wide and two deep. That MacStadium facility provides redundant cooling, power and security systems, and each of those Mac Pros will be connected to the world with Gigabit Ethernet through a 50 GB/s network backbone.
The existing Mac Pro, according to MacStadium, has never been popular in the hosting and colocation world because of their huge physical footprint and high power draw.
MacStadium will be able to provide Mac Pros as a monthly rental or purchase, or you can send in your configured Mac Pro for collocation.
MacStadium to provide new Mac Pro hosting and colocation originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Daily iPhone App: Solstice Arena is Zynga’s shot at multiplayer online battle arenas
I first got to see Solstice Arena, Zynga’s latest iOS entry, at GDC earlier this year, and then had a short meeting again last week with the publisher at E3. But you no longer have to take my word on what it’s like: The game arrived on iOS worldwide last week, so you can grab the free-to-download title at your leisure.
And I recommend you do. Zynga has a reputation for pushy freemium elements in goofy casual titles, but I can confirm this game has none of that. This is a true mobile MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) title, similar to League of Legends, but very iOS-centric in its delivery. The game has been simplified in a lot of very smart ways, producing a high-quality title that’s very impressive. In my own play, I’ve found some minor balance issues (the healer character, for example, seems awfully overpowered, especially when teamed up with a burly bruiser), but I am sure those will get evened out as the game gets periodic updates and tweaks.
And while yes, this is a freemium title, that part is also done very intelligently. The freemium elements are mostly confined to customization and convenience. Just like League of Legends, the game opens up a number of free heroes to play every week, so there’s ongoing variety even if you never spend a dime. And if you do, real money can only buy you custom skins for the heroes you own, or can pay for boosts in your own XP, so spending money doesn’t affect the gameplay at all. Prices are a bit high (which is something else I expect will likely be tweaked in a future update), but all in all, the freemium elements almost never get in the way of the gameplay, which is very respectable on Zynga’s part.
In short, Solstice Arena is exactly the kind of game Zynga needs to help cleanse its reputation as a money-grabbing casual publisher. I would hesitate to call it truly hardcore (I think the game needs about double the heroes and maybe another map or mode to really start comparing its depth to a standard PC MOBA), but it’s definitely a “mid-core” experience that delivers a lot of fun. If you’re a MOBA fan or just want to see what Zynga is doing right lately, give it a download and a try on iPhone or iPad.
Daily iPhone App: Solstice Arena is Zynga’s shot at multiplayer online battle arenas originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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