A few days after announcing 4.25 million users in 7 months and roughly two weeks after the latest 1.7 update, Instagram just released version 1.8 in the App Store, adding the usual speed and stability optimizations and a couple of new interesting features. The app went under some speed-related updates before, but now it feels snappier than ever, really: I’m sure the future version 1.9 will make this statement obsolete, but Instagram 1.8 is fast at opening new screens, loading photos and comments. Speaking of which, the team reorganized the comment section to make it faster and more interactive – check out the screenshot above or simply try to leave a comment to a photo and see how it works for you. You get full access to a comment interface that, if you’re viewing your own photo, allows you to delete comment with a swipe or by hitting the gear icon in the upper right corner. In the text entry field, Instagram now comes with username autocompletion for faster writing and replies – just type the “@” symbol and Instagram will retrieve a list of users you can address a reply to. But more importantly, version 1.8 now lets me double-tap on photos to like them, which is incredibly more intuitive than hitting a dedicated heart-shaped button. Overall, it’s (once again) a nice update.
Instagram 1.8 Released: New Comment Screen, Autocomplete, Speed
iChromy Wants To Bring The Chrome Experience To The iPad
Released earlier today for free on the App Store and developed by the same folks behind web-based bookmarking service Diigo, iChromy is a new third-party iPad browser that aims at bringing the Google Chrome experience on the tablet, obviously without using Chrome’s underlying Chromium open-source project, which can’t be implemented by developers due to Apple’s restrictions. From the name of the app to the iTunes description, the developers of iChromy don’t hide their intentions of developing a heavily Chrome-inspired browser for the iPad; while it still might not look as beautiful as this mockup, I took the app for a quick spin to see whether Chrome (which I love and use on my Mac desktop) could have a proper, unofficial, lightweight counterpart on the iPad.
iChromy is free and the developers will likely introduce a Pro version with more features and deeper Diigo integration in the future, but right now what we have is a simple iPad browser that lacks several must-have functionalities (most of them also available in Safari and not necessarily in powerful alternatives like iCab Mobile) but it’s got tabs on top, a Lion-like Reading List (with the same eyeglasses icon) and decent memory management. More importantly, iChromy has an Omnibox that allows you to search and type addresses in the same bar, like Chrome. So while tabs on top and the Omnibox make for a nice Chrome-like experience that reminded me why it’s still possible to innovate in web browsers on any device, iChromy falls short in the details: you can’t re-arrange tabs, you can’t tap on the status bar to scroll a webpage to the top, you can’t pin tabs. The Omnibox is really, really nice, but the app’s keyboard doesn’t have a .com button and there’s no way to get search suggestions or modify the default search engine. Bookmarks and history are displayed in the Omnibox, but the lack of the .com button on the iPad’s soft keyboard is annoying. Similarly, you can create bookmarks by hitting the “star” button in the Omnibox, but you can’t organize these bookmarks in folders, sync them back to the cloud or import / export them. The Reading List, however, works fairly well in the way it makes entire webpages available offline. Too bad it doesn’t sync anywhere else either, which comes as a surprise considering Diigo’s cloud-oriented nature.
In spite of its missing features, I can’t say iChromy isn’t “nice” in how it mimics Chrome for Mac. The browser is very lightweight, it never crashed on me with multiple pages open in the background and, personally, I think it’s always great to see a browser with tabs on top (I was a huge fan of Safari 4 beta, until Apple killed that magnificent tab implementation). Overall, I see Chromy as an interesting experiment that a) needs some obvious adjustments like the .com button, top scrolling and search suggestions and b) with an upcoming Pro version could have a chance to become a Chrome-inspired, powerful competitor to my personal favorite iCab. We’ll see. In the meantime, go download the app here.
The i9 - A Hybrid iPhone / Leica Concept
Black Design Associates, LLC, an Los Angeles-based consultancy, revealed a concept for a hybrid iPhone / Leica called the i9. It’s a 12.1 megapixel, 8x zoom, fully featured iPhone 4 accessory. Before you break out your credit card, remember this is only a concept.
The i9 has a camera/iPhone toggle that turns on your camera with an instant start-up time of 0.3sec., while simultaneously loading the Leica app on your iPhone 4. A zoom/volume control adjusts tight and wide when your camera is on, and adjusts volume up and down when your camera is off. Dedicated aperture and shutter dials offer fast and easy options for manual operation. Pass-through and actuators give you full access to your iPhone 4 controls and headphone jack. The flash and light meter offers higher quality photos and videos in low-light conditions.
Amazon Launches Mac App Store Competitor: Mac Download Store
Amazon has it’s eyes set on Apple again. Today they have launched the Mac Download Store. It features over 250 titles like from Microsoft Office (which the Mac App Store does not have), Adobe Elements and Call of Duty 4. The games are available for purchase via “an install-less download process.” Amazon says for Mac downloads, you don’t need to install any software, the Downloader will launch within the browser. It also appears that the Amazon Mac Download Store will also support trial versions of software that can be upgraded within the app unlike the Mac App Store.
Amazon is even launching a special with the Mac Download Store. “Save $5 on Mac Software and Game Downloads” - Celebrate our new Mac downloads stores and save $5 on any Mac game or software product through June 1, 2011. To save, click the “Buy and download” button on the product you have chosen, then enter the code SAVE5MAC in the “Gift Cards and Promotions” box. Limit 1 discount per customer.
There is no official press release from Amazon yet, but The Loop and All Things D have both confirmed that the Mac Download Store is here.
Update: We’re hearing the new Amazon Mac Download Store currently offers no way for independent developers to submit their applications – we’re told Amazon simply worked with existing, established sellers like Microsoft, Adobe and others to set up the new web interface and download system. No indie dev channel has been implemented yet, apparently.
Google Wallet May Work with Future NFC iPhones
Earlier today Google officially unveiled Google Wallet, the company’s first foray into the near-field communication payment market, based on an app capable of running on the Nexus 4G device and backed by names like Citi, First Data, Sprint and MasterCard. Through the usage of an NFC chip for mobile phones and the Google Wallet app for Android, users will be able to pay with real money from a credit card or “Google Prepaid Card” just by tapping on screen and saving a new transaction. The system is currently being field-tested by Google and will launch publicly this summer in the United States, furthermore it will also support Google’s new Offers platform for special deals and discounts as well as MasterCard’s already deployed PayPass terminals.
Google Wallet has been designed for an open commerce ecosystem. It will eventually hold many if not all of the cards you keep in your leather wallet today. And because Google Wallet is a mobile app, it will be able to do more than a regular wallet ever could, like storing thousands of payment cards and Google Offers but without the bulk. Eventually your loyalty cards, gift cards, receipts, boarding passes, tickets, even your keys will be seamlessly synced to your Google Wallet. And every offer and loyalty point will be redeemed automatically with a single tap via NFC.
As Google is stressing the open nature of its commerce ecosystem, MG Siegler at TechCrunch reports someone at the media event today asked Google’s VP of Commerce Tilenius if the Google Wallet app would eventually run on NFC-enabled iOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 devices, getting a surprisingly promising answer:
Today, during their Google Wallet/Offers unveiling at the NYC headquarters, Google touted the openness of their new system. Naturally, someone asked a question about what this meant for other, non-Android phone?
“In terms of iPhone, RIM, Microsoft — we will partner with everyone,” Google VP of Commerce Stephanie Tilenius said. Of course, that depends on two things: 1) the inclusion of NFC chips in their phones. 2) the willingness to work with Google on this system.
Of course, considering all the rumors surrounding Apple’s NFC implementation for future iPhones and iPads, it is very likely that Apple will rely on its own payment system based on iTunes accounts or external collaborations with credit card companies, rather than allowing Google to become the preferred system for NFC payments on the iPhone. So while Google is promising today that their app could run on a variety of devices and that they want to partner with everyone to extend the ecosystem, it remains to be seen whether or not Apple will let them release a Google Wallet app for iOS. TechCrunch also reports Google mentioned a “sticker” that could be attached to any device to enable NFC functionalities, and when tapped on another NFC terminal would allow for payments through Google’s cloud, and the Wallet app. Of course, the app would still need to be approved in the App Store or, perhaps, work as a webapp.
Apple was initially rumored to be implementing NFC in the iPhone 5 set for release this Fall, though more recent reports claim the feature will come in future iPhones, not necessarily the one supposed to ship later this year.
#MacStoriesDeals - Thursday
Here are today’s @MacStoriesDeals on iOS, Mac, and Mac App Store apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get them before they end!
Get Social with the Sparrow 1.2 Giveaway!
Sparrow is the email client for the rest of us who want nothing more than an elegant app that requires no setup, looks good, and works seamlessly with Gmail out of the box. There is no concept of mapping folders to your Inbox or setting up an archive heap: Sparrow simply works with your IMAP or POP3 accounts with little needed configuration. As you may have previously read, Sparrow recently updated to include a universal inbox so you can see all of your activity in one place, and Facebook fans will be happy with the additional ability to add people as Facebook friends and pull down profile pics. Toss in Gravatar and Address Book support, and Sparrow aims to keep you connected its venture towards social integration. A lite version of Sparrow is free in the App Store, and the full version can be found for $9.99. Today, AppSumo is offering a 40% discount off Sparrow so you can pick it up for just $6, and we’re teaming up with the sales gurus to make the deal even sweeter. We’re giving away ten copies to our email churning MacStorians, and you can find all of the necessary rules past the break.
Intel Could Make non-Intel Chips for Others
At an investor event in London earlier today, Intel CFO Stacy Smith said the company would be open to make chips based on external intellectual properties and cores, Reuters reports. Using Intel’s chip manufacturing process, widely regarded as superior to most competitors in the silicon-making space, producing chips for other companies would be a “fantastic business” for Intel, Smith said, though it would trigger an “in-depth discussion” within the company.
If Apple or Sony came to us and said ‘I want to do a product that involves your IA (Intel architecture) core and put some of my IP around it’, I wouldn’t blink. That would be fantastic business for us.
Then you get into the middle ground of ‘I don’t want it to be a IA core, I want it to be my own custom designed core,’ and then you are only getting the manufacturing margin, (and) that would be a much more in-depth discussion and analysis.
Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors are currently used in Apple’s MacBook Pros and iMacs, with the popular MacBook Air line rumored to get an upgrade to the same CPU architecture in June or July. Intel, however, does not make chips for mobile devices like the iPhone or iPad, a growing market where Intel has been left behind, putting British company ARM in a leading position as the only chip maker for iOS devices and upcoming tablets that will hit the market later this year. In the past months, due to the popularity of ARM’s architecture, it was rumored Apple could consider switching from Intel to ARM on the desktop as well; on the other hand, Intel announced its intention to develop chips for always-on, always-connected mobile devices with Silvermont and Airmont processors said to be included in future Android and MeeGo devices. As for Apple, it is unlikely that the company will switch architectures on its iOS and OS X platforms in the immediate future, though Smith’s statements could open to some interesting possibilities when it comes to Apple-designed cores combined with Intel’s manufacturing power.
Apple Patents LCD Screen That Plays Nice with Sunglasses
A new patent application surfaced at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled ”Display that Emits Circularly-Polarized Light” and discovered by AppleInsider today points at a new kind of LCD screens capable of playing nice in outdoor viewing when an iPhone or iPad user is wearing sunglasses to protect himself from harmful UV rays. The problem with polarized sunglasses – not necessarily LCD screens exposed to directly sunlight, something Apple’s own displays have long been criticized due to poor performances when compared to the Amazon Kindle – is that they “only allow through light with an electric field that vibrates in the vertical direction”, and considering current LCD displays have an electric field that vibrates in one direction, the user wearing polarized sunglasses may see distorted images when looking at the screen from certain angles. Polarized sunglasses and LCDs don’t play nice together, and Apple’s proposed solution is aimed at building an LCD display that, with circularly polarized light, allows sunglasses to not see black areas, distorted images, and so forth.
The layer receives the linearly-polarized light on one surface, converts the linearly-polarized light to circularly-polarized light, and then emits the circularly-polarized light from another surface,” the application reads. “By emitting circularly-polarized light, the display reduces the perceived distortion found at some angles when the display is viewed through a linearly-polarizing filter.
The patent design seems to suggest Apple might get around the problem of iOS devices used outdoors assuming people generally tend to wear sunglasses in direct sunlight. The patent credits John Z. Zhong, Wei Chen, Cheng Chen, Victor H.E. Yin, and Shawn R. Gettemy as inventors.