Apps, apps, apps - Iphone, Android et al - Post 'em up!

[Korr]

Originally Posted by Fast_ian

+1 I'd really like to "capture" the username/pwd they use to access the security cameras - I know it's standard HTTP on port 80 but as you say such tools are at best "frowned upon"..... They used to have a monitor in the back that showed which were working etc but not they just access 'em via the web server........
Cheers,
Ian

Port 80 access is so owners of said security devices can access the whole lot from home using an internet browser...it's likely you can access those feeds by sniffing out what ports the devices are using, likely they are using some ports other than 80 for basic com talk.

A decent Linux distro, a sniffing app coupled with a NIC in promiscuous mode will give you all you need to know in terms of what's zipping around the air around your house or the network you want to poke around in.

To this day, I am boggled by the number of routers that do not default to HTTPS for remote admin.

[EnzymaticRacer]

We have a modest collection of DVDs (>200) and Blu-Rays (maybe >30 and growing) Games (>50) that we would like to have cataloged.

We have an excel sheet that lists all of our movies, games for various consoles, etc in google documents. However it is a bit cumbersome to try and check while out looking to buy before we buy a duplicate, and has gotten somewhat out of date over time.

Does anyone know of an android app that would help us manage our collections without too much hassle?

[Fast_ian]

Originally Posted by Korr

Port 80 access is so owners of said security devices can access the whole lot from home using an internet browser...it's likely you can access those feeds by sniffing out what ports the devices are using, likely they are using some ports other than 80 for basic com talk.

Yep. When I scanned the ip address it showed a server on port 80 and indeed prompts for username/pwd when opened. It did also show another port open - Can't remember which right now but I assume that's where the video is actually streaming.

A decent Linux distro, a sniffing app coupled with a NIC in promiscuous mode will give you all you need to know in terms of what's zipping around the air around your house or the network you want to poke around in.

Indeed. My only Linux box is a big ol' tower though!

To this day, I am boggled by the number of routers that do not default to HTTPS for remote admin.

+1 And further, the # of 'em that allow access from "the outside" (by default) with a default (or no) password.

Cheers,
Ian

[wang]

I like Score mobile for my sports results both on iOS and android

[frefan]

Droidsheep, et al

You might want to think twice about using public wifi until you familiarize yourself with this app

[4re Nut]

Recently got an Android phone and looking for apps, preferably free. If it matters, it's one of the cheap LG models running Android 2.2.2.

Mainly interested in cars and sports. I've already downloaded CarBuzz, Speed, ESPN ScoreCenter, Yahoo Sportacular, and Motorsport Calendar. Any others I should try?

Some interest in financial and world news; maybe a Bloomberg, CNBC, WSJ app?

Not interested in games or social media like FB, Twitter, etc.

As for Tapatalk, what other sites use it other than FChat? Quite honestly I'm hesitant to get it because I already spend too much time on FChat as it is! And of course I'm too cheap to spend the $2.99.

TIA.

[EnzymaticRacer]

Originally Posted by 4re Nut

As for Tapatalk, what other sites use it other than FChat? Quite honestly I'm hesitant to get it because I already spend too much time on FChat as it is! And of course I'm too cheap to spend the $2.99.

TIA.

Can't really help with the other stuff.

However, as far as Tapatalk goes... it's impossible to get a complete list of forums using the software... there are over 25,000 of them.

Are you interested in any specific forums? If so, PM me a list and I'll search in Tapatalk for them and will let you know if they are compatible w/ Tapatalk.

[4re Nut]

Originally Posted by EnzymaticRacer

Can't really help with the other stuff.

However, as far as Tapatalk goes... it's impossible to get a complete list of forums using the software... there are over 25,000 of them.

Are you interested in any specific forums? If so, PM me a list and I'll search in Tapatalk for them and will let you know if they are compatible w/ Tapatalk.

Thanks for the offer but no specific forums other than FChat. Probably best that I keep my $3 else I'll get further sucked into the FChat abyss!

[Zack]

OK, so I gave up my iPhone last summer and switched to an Android phone (HTC Sensation) but I still keep up with iPhone stuff. A lot of my friends use iPhones, after all. Last weekend, I was shown a really great app--BigLens. It takes pics, and allows you to apply soft focus to parts of them, making them look very professional and as if they are shot with a high-end DSLR instead of a phone camera with a small focal length. Way cool app.

Unfortunately, it does not have an Android equivalent (yet) so far as I know.

Try it out, I loved what it could do! 99 cents on the App store. BigLens...might be Big Lens with a space.

[Korr]

Here's an update on the stuff that I use the most. I'm a moderately mediumcore user of Photoshop on the PC, and the iPad makes a pretty awesome adjunct to it.

Photo Transfer App:
No more Dropbox or iCloud or Sync to get your pix onto the iPad in a hurry. This $3 app uses wifi to spit images back and forth between your desktop and mobile device. It requires no software on the non-iOS device; instead, it uses the browser on your desktop to upload/download pix. Also, it doesn't screw with file sizes like Dropbox does, so the image on your desktop is the image on your iOS (before iOS fiddles with it of course). There's some amount of fiddling required to beam images to and from, but it's minor. And in Apple tradition, it just works.

You'll need a wifi adapter in your desktop to use it, though. I use this for W7 and it's been perfect: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833315096

iPhoto:
Just get it. The slideshow function itself is worth it. I haven't used the photo manip stuff with it because I have better stuff, but the slideshow itself is worth the can of soda in NYNY this thing costs. It will turn your iPad or HDTV into a slideshow beast of a machine.

Snapseed:
Same verdict as iPhoto: Just Get It. I use Snapseed to very quickly manipulate images with its decently broad range of filters, then squirt those images back to my PC for finalizing. Snapseed has filters that would cost me hundreds of dollars or many hours to replicate in PS 5.

PSTouch:
The mobile version of Photoshop. It can't compare to PS5's depth, but then again, there's no way it can. It excels at allowing you to gather up all the other images you've done on iOS and spits them out in a format your desktop Photoshop can use.

Pixlromatic:
Edges, borders, overall lighting effects. I don't use it as often as the others, but when I do, it works beautifully.

Apple Wireless Keyboard.
At $69, it seems to be a steep sell, especially next to my MS Ergonomic 4000. The MS Ergo 4K is an excellent keyboard for typing, but it takes up a vast amount of space. I don't have a small desk by any stretch of the imagination, but the 4K takes up more than its fair share.

Enter the somewhat diminutive Apple Wireless Keyboard. I bought a US Bluetooth adapter to use it with my W7 PC, and it paired right off and works well. Some nits: the BT doesn't work straight away at log in, but does after 10 seconds. Not Apple's faultT

The keyboard itself looks undersized at first glance, but it's actually a regularly sized unit but without the numbnutznumber stuff at the right. It uses a horrible chicklet key topography that negates pushing 100+ WPM for me. In all honesty, I'm not sure if it is the keys or the non-ergonomic nature of the device. I get my freak on with the MS4k that I've used for 6 years, so this can't really be seen as a slight against this device.

In the end, this keyboard has good key response and feels almost as good as what I paid for it.

Not perfect, but not anywhere near bad. Also, it takes up almost no space, so I use it with my Intuous and have enough room for my Ipad2 and mouse and my Thinkpad without feeling cramped.

[Fast_ian]

Originally Posted by Korr

Here's an update on the stuff that I use the most.

Thanks for those - Nice writeups, but, just one point;

Photo Transfer App:
No more Dropbox or iCloud or Sync to get your pix onto the iPad in a hurry. This $3 app uses wifi to spit images back and forth between your desktop and mobile device.

iCloud does that all by itself already - No need for Dropbox (although I still like it for other stuff) or syncing at all - Just enable iCloud and "magic happens" between all your devices. No PC or Mac needed now. [Some would say "at last!" ]

I don't see what this is buying me over iCloud? [Unless you don't want your stuff in the Cloud at all, in which DB is also out of course.]

Cheers,
Ian

[RGVA]

I need a data tracking app - free I hope. My wife's iPhone 4S eats up data at odd times when she's definitely not using it and Verizon is happy to bill away (half wondering if it's a scam on their part, but that's another thread). Plus she hardly uses data stuff anyway. It even eats up data when she's at home connected to wi-fi. At 7am a chunk is used!?! Driving to PA last weekend it ate up .2GB in the middle of the trip and her phone was sitting on the dash.

Mine doesn't do this and I think I have them set up the same. Aside from an app recommendation, any idea what's going on? We have Siri on but not for location reminders and only a few apps for location stuff - mainly weather apps and Google Maps. No games on either phone and almost no apps back up to iCloud. Thoughts?

[KevinW]

Originally Posted by RGVA

I need a data tracking app - free I hope. My wife's iPhone 4S eats up data at odd times when she's definitely not using it and Verizon is happy to bill away (half wondering if it's a scam on their part, but that's another thread). Plus she hardly uses data stuff anyway. It even eats up data when she's at home connected to wi-fi. At 7am a chunk is used!?! Driving to PA last weekend it ate up .2GB in the middle of the trip and her phone was sitting on the dash.

Mine doesn't do this and I think I have them set up the same. Aside from an app recommendation, any idea what's going on? We have Siri on but not for location reminders and only a few apps for location stuff - mainly weather apps and Google Maps. No games on either phone and almost no apps back up to iCloud. Thoughts?

I use an app called Data Usage (I know, original right?) that works great to keep track of my data usage. It also keeps track of when your data plans starts every month and reminds you when your data plan is renewing.

I have a list of all my favorite apps on SpringPad. Here is my notebook with all the iOS apps I love and recommend to my clients: http://sprng.me/e1i05

Kevin

[Korr]

Originally Posted by Fast_ian

I don't see what this is buying me over iCloud? [Unless you don't want your stuff in the Cloud at all, in which DB is also out of course.]

Cheers,
Ian

Speed. The longest wait of data transfer revolves around the tx/rx rate of the devices...which is pretty minimal. Also, this is direct transfer, so there's no middleman "Cloud" sitting between you and your data* and the resultant lag associated with blasting packets of data all over the country just to get data from device X to device Y that are mere feet away.

Another feature is that the app doesn't compress photos getting sent outbound from the iOS device. DB does so in order to save data that would otherwise eat into bandwidth caps. I am sometimes forced to use DB for other-than-photo use, and there's always a bit of a wait before that data pops up in the DBoxes of my other devices. Adobe's Creative Cloud sometimes has wait times of minutes which really isn't acceptable.

Yet another big feature is in the fact that there's no client software required; all the client device needs is a web browser. IE, Safari, Chrome and FF are supported...and as such, all major OS'es are supported. All that's required to use is the app installed on your iOS device of choice, and off you go.

The App will also xfer photos and video between iOS devices just as easily as it xfers photos from iOS devices to other web browsers.

*not much app security.

[Korr]

This is the best racing game for a wide audience on iOS after Real Racing 2 HD:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drawr...433127774?mt=8

Kids and adults who have tried this on my iPad love it. $3. The $2 inapp purchase cheater car is an easy buy because it keeps easily frustrated young minds in the game (and out of your hair). Allows 4-person multiplayer on 1 device, so it's a lot like board games of old, but with nice graphics.

[Fast_ian]

Originally Posted by Korr

Speed. The longest wait of data transfer revolves around the tx/rx rate of the devices...which is pretty minimal. Also, this is direct transfer, so there's no middleman "Cloud" sitting between you and your data* and the resultant lag associated with blasting packets of data all over the country just to get data from device X to device Y that are mere feet away.

Another feature is that the app doesn't compress photos getting sent outbound from the iOS device. DB does so in order to save data that would otherwise eat into bandwidth caps. I am sometimes forced to use DB for other-than-photo use, and there's always a bit of a wait before that data pops up in the DBoxes of my other devices. Adobe's Creative Cloud sometimes has wait times of minutes which really isn't acceptable.

Yet another big feature is in the fact that there's no client software required; all the client device needs is a web browser. IE, Safari, Chrome and FF are supported...and as such, all major OS'es are supported. All that's required to use is the app installed on your iOS device of choice, and off you go.

The App will also xfer photos and video between iOS devices just as easily as it xfers photos from iOS devices to other web browsers.

*not much app security.

OK, gotcha! Thanks.

I didn't realize DB compresses stuff - I haven't checked, but thought that was a tunable parameter. As for speed, I've been really impressed - Stuff shows up almost instantly for me.

Having said that, $3 suggests I really should check it out! I do like the lack of a client.

Cheers,
Ian

[Korr]

Originally Posted by Fast_ian

OK, gotcha! Thanks.

I didn't realize DB compresses stuff - I haven't checked, but thought that was a tunable parameter.
Cheers,
Ian

If you didn't realize it compressed outbounds, how did you think it was a tunable parameter?

The only real way to bypass DB's lossy compression while using DB is to zip photos before DB'ing them. Not at all handy. I haven't used DB in 2 months, so they might have changed this behavior since then, but it was definitely there when I used it.

[Fast_ian]

Originally Posted by Korr

If you didn't realize it compressed outbounds, how did you think it was a tunable parameter?

So, I popped into settings, and there's nothing there about compression level! Oops!

You can set up/download speeds, and on mine at least "Lan sync" is enabled - I guess that's why stuff appears on my LAN PDQ.

But, I will certainly give it a try - Thanks again,

Cheers,
Ian

[ferrarilover]

Hi

so I just got an iPhone, and I'm curious about this tapatalk. What is it really for? I can access FCHAT on my safari webbrowser. Is there real good justification for this app? Please list pros and cons (if any).

Thank you

Chris

[EnzymaticRacer]

Originally Posted by ferrarilover

Hi

so I just got an iPhone, and I'm curious about this tapatalk. What is it really for? I can access FCHAT on my safari webbrowser. Is there real good justification for this app? Please list pros and cons (if any).

Thank you

Chris

I use Tapatalk extensively on my Android devices.

For starters, it allows me to pick my favorite subforums and creates a list of just those so that I can quickly access those forums.

I also use the Dark theme which is much easier on the eyes at night (white-on-black instead of vice-versa)

I also use Tapatalk to access multiple other forums, and can switch between the various forums very quickly as it saves my login information for each.

I believe that on iDevices, Tapatalk is the only way you can upload files to FChat.