Iphone apps

Going loco: Everplaces and Circleme hit public beta

Is there any way to stand out among the glut of social, local, mobile services? Everplaces and Circleme, two new European startups just coming out of private beta, certainly hope so — and both are attempting to put their own twist on the combination of people and places.

12 stories to read this weekend

On this last day of 2011 and the end of the first year of me writing my occasional newsletter, Om Says, I have picked out 12 stories from the archives that I feel are something you might want to revisit this weekend. Happy 2012, everyone.

Gwyneth Paltrow gets into the iOS app game with GOOP City

Gwyneth Paltrow just became the latest celebrity to toss her cap into the mobile app market. GOOP, the lifestyle-focused email newsletter run by the Oscar-winning actress, announced on Tuesday the debut of a new iPhone and iPad app called “GOOP City,” which costs $3.99.

Get Satisfaction goes mobile with HTML5-based web app

Get Satisfaction, the company that makes online customer support tools, has finally gone mobile. On Wednesday, the company announced the public beta launch of its first customer-facing mobile app, built with HTML5 and running entirely on the mobile web browser.

Wikets debuts on iPhone to simplify social recommendations

Even with all the expert and amateur reviews available on the web today, people still like to get recommendations the old-fashioned way: asking their friends for advice — aka, polling the “lazy web.” That’s where a brand new iPhone app called Wikets wants to help.

Photo app Waddle lands funding, launches updates

Waddle, the San Francisco-based startup that makes a group photo sharing app for the iPhone, is preparing to get a bit bigger: The company has landed seed funding from Chinese Internet giant Tencent. It has also released an update to its photo sharing app, Waddle 2.0.

At last: VCs turn focus to Android apps

For years, owners of Android phones have generally gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to having great apps. But venture capital firms are finally starting to realize that the Android market should be much more than just an afterthought.

Travel app Trover makes its Android debut

An Android version of Trover, the snappy mobile app aimed at letting travelers share photos of their off-the-beaten-path discoveries, is now available. For a social app like Trover, which is only as good as the content its users contribute, expanding to Android is key.

Postagram CEO: We’re not afraid of Apple Cards

Apple’s new “Cards” app turns any iPhone or iPad photo into a greeting card — exactly the same business as San Francisco startup Sincerely, which makes the Postagram app. Despite the big competition, Sincerely CEO Matt Brezina says his company is ready to battle.

How Quora grew way beyond the tech set

Quora, the crowdsourced question-and-answer website, has come a long way in the 15 months since it launched to the public. Quora says it has fostered that growth mostly just by getting out of the way, letting people be themselves — their whole selves.

VYou rolls out iPhone app, adds status updates

New York City-based Q&A site VYou has gone mobile, enabling users to respond to messages from wherever they are with an iPhone app. It has also added status updates to its communication options, which could put it in closer competition with mobile messaging services like Tout.

The sweet spot for mobile apps

It’s often said that the rise of mobile devices means that people are now “always on.” But it turns out there are still times when people are more “plugged in” than others. A new study about how — and when — people really use mobile apps.

TaskRabbit comes to the iPhone. It is multitasker heaven

TaskRabbit, the online marketplace that allows people to outsource errands and other jobs, has debuted its first iPhone app. The whole point of using TaskRabbit is to save precious time, so the iOS app is great — it allows people to get things done on the go.

Up and away! Trover travel app now in wide release

Trover, the travel app aimed at sharing off-the-beaten-path discoveries, has formally launched out of limited beta. The app, which was initially available only on iPhone through Facebook Connect, is now also open as a web app on Trover.com and accessible to anyone with an email account.

Scribd launches Float, an app for the digital bookworm

Scribd has launched a new iPhone and web application called Float aimed at putting all of a user’s reading materials — from books, to blog posts, to newspaper and magazine articles — in one integrated format. But will the app be too ambitious for its own good?

Pack your bags: Hipmunk travel search comes to iPad

Travel search startup Hipmunk is bringing its super slick user interface (UI)– and arguably the web’s cutest mascot– to the iPad, just in time for the summer travel season. The San Francisco-based company has launched a custom iPad app and an update to its iPhone offering.

What Makes Apps Delightful?

With over 650,000 apps seeking our attention, it is not an easy task for apps to get our attention. In order to be successful and stand out, the mobile apps have to have little friction and in the process overcome smartphone & mobile web’s three limitations.

5 Apps to Get You Back On Your Bike

Depending on where you live, you might be experiencing a slight hiccup on the way to spring. But a slight delay doesn’t mean it isn’t going to happen. And when it does, you’ll be ready to get back on your bike with these five great apps.

Viddy Attracts VCs With Instagram-for-Video App

Viddy, an iPhone app for editing and sharing mobile videos, is set to close on $1.5 million in first round financing according to Co-founder Brett O’Brien. Viddy does for video what Instagram does for photos and it’s growing at a similar clip.

Riese Back Soon on SyFy, Plus Felicia Day iPhone Game

The steampunk web series Riese, which will be relaunched on SyFy.com within the next month, is getting even more cross-platform than before, thanks to a iPhone/iPod Touch game to feature narration by Felicia Day, a potential series of novels, and just maybe a TV adaptation.

Justin.tv Rolls Out iPhone App for Live Streaming

Justin.tv is quickly expanding its mobile capabilities with a new iPhone app that will allow its users to broadcast or view video from its live streaming site. The release comes just two weeks after it introduced its Android app, and includes some iPhone-specific features.

Clicker Launches iPhone App for Mobile Video Discovery

Clicker is taking its social and search capabilities mobile with a new iPhone app. The app, which will act as a companion to its website, will enable users to search for videos, share what they’re watching and create playlists of shows and videos to watch later.

Can Miso, Philo and Tunerfish Compete With CBS’ Social TV App?

CBS is introducing a new service called TV.com Relay that will enable users to share what they’re watching and collect virtual rewards. CBS will push the app through on-air promotions, which could be a huge advantage over other social TV apps like Miso, Philo and Tunerfish.

Where to Watch the 2010 PGA Championship Online or On Your Phone

The PGA Championship kicked off this morning at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, and will continue through Sunday. While the Championship will be broadcast on TV throughout the weekend, you can still catch at least some of the golf “action” online and on your mobile phones.

Vodpod Adds Mobile Apps for More Social Sharing

Vodpod became the latest online video startup to introduce more social features with the launch of mobile apps on the iPhone and Android mobile platforms. The new apps, which are available now, are designed to give its users a new way to discover mobile videos.

Burbn Funded for HTML 5 Version of Foursquare

Burbn, a stealth startup that brings mobile location check-in gameplay to the mobile browser, has raised $500,000 from Baseline Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Running through a mobile browser, the HTML 5 app doesn’t lose much of the experience afforded to native iPhone and Android apps.

Lokast P2P Mobile Media Service to Launch at SXSW

NearVerse plans to launch a new proximity-based media-sharing service called Lokast next month at SXSW in Austin. Lokast is to debut at some of the festivals’ shows, with bands releasing exclusive content to the members of their audiences with iPhones.

"This American Life" Tries a Paid iPhone App

“This American Life,” the well-loved personal narrative public radio show, today released a paid iPhone application for on-demand access to its nearly 15-year-old archive. The app includes a complete searchable library of the show, behind-the-scenes content, alerts and live show streams.

iPhone Users, Get Ready for Flash Games

OneAppAtATime, a new startup from Evan “Rabble” Henshaw-Plath of Yahoo Brickhouse/Fire Eagle and Twitter precursor Odeo, will convert Flash games to apps and shepherd them through App Store approval in return for 35 percent of revenues.

How Technology Won the Presidency, Pt. II

I explained yesterday how the Obama campaign utilized data integration techniques to realize a distinct advantage in targeting voters. However, all that…

Bond Comes to Your iPhone

iPhone apps might some day be the gold mine for advertising.  In the meanwhile, we are seeing the emergence of a new trend:…