Smartphones provide for us a plethora of functions, and increasingly, we're utilizing them for the purpose of taking photos and shooting video clips. Now there's certainly not a shortage of image-editing utilities available over at the App Store for those on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but when it comes to video, the selection is decidedly less rich. If you've been looking for a way to spice up your boring video clips, Strum for iOS might just be of interest for you, since it quickly turns 15-second video clips into fun music videos.
Cydia is constantly being updated with new packages and enhancements that change the way how iOS devices operate, but it's always nice to see a new tweak land in the store that actually enhances the iOS software. The Speaking Keyboard package is one of those that pretty much does exactly what it says in the title, by bringing text-to-speech functionality directly to the keyboard on the device. The package requires iOS 5 or above and integrates with the built-in keyboard to bring audible letters, words and sentences as the user presses the keys.
Passwords are great mechanisms in protecting our private, sensitive data against the prying eye. However, with most entities setting different prerequisites - some want a capital letter, symbol or at least 8 characters, while other aren't so fussy - we end up with several passwords or codes inscribed on our minds. From a security point of view, having different passwords for different e-mail addresses, bank logins and sites is a great thing, since it means if somebody compromises one account, they won't necessarily manage to infiltrate others. However, remembering them all can be a pain in the backside, but with 1Password for iOS, Android, Windows and OS X, you can keep all of them stored securely, for whenever you need them.
In this Digital Age, we're somewhat spoilt for choice when it comes to finding new music. Not only are there countless download and streaming services available at our fingertips, but most of them also point us in the direction of other artists and songs we'd perhaps like, based on our listening habits. Last.fm is considered by many as the go-to service for the discovery of new music, and although several scrobbling apps have been released by third parties as well as Last.fm itself, todays App Store debut of Scrobbler for iOS presents an app truly worthy of the popular service.
Facebook - once condemned for its lackluster collection of mobile apps - has really been on its game this week. Following the updates to both the Android and iOS apps just a day or two ago, the social network has now released one for those running Windows Phone 8. Just like the refreshers released to the Big Two platforms, the new Facebook app for Windows Phone 8 brings significant speed improvements. More details after the break.
With Windows Phone 8 still being a very new platform in the vast mobile market, good apps for those running it are still at something of a premium. Even some of the common apps from the big companies seem to be missing, or lacking an update from Windows Phone 7, but today, WhatsApp has offered a reprieve to those app-starved early adopters by bringing its popular Messenger app to Windows Phone 8.
Notebook computers have been around in one form or another ever since the launch of the IBM 5100 back in 1975, and although the portable and compact machines that we have in modern times like the MacBook Air or ultrabook are far more advanced, light and mobile than that original IBM machine, the concept of a portable computer has been around for more than thirty-five years. Although laptop computers have developed significantly in the last three decades, we still have that need to protect and look after our large investment, which is where the designer of the VIVAX notebook case is hoping to become relevant through Kickstarter.
Back in June, Apple unveiled iOS 6 with much fan fair: the release included great long-expected additions, which included the big surprise of ditching Google Maps for Apple’s own system. While great additions were brought to the table, Maps in sixth generation iOS has had its own share of post-launch issues and inaccuracies (for London users, as an example, all of the Underground stations magically disappeared from an iOS version to another). Google has seized this opportunity to bring back its Maps to the iPhone, this time as a standalone map. Overall, we think you should give it a look.
For those of you that like to be frugal and shop only when the deals are rolling in, the holiday season is as good a time as any to take advantage of the many price drops and savings available on the market. While many of you will undoubtedly be meeting up with friends and relatives during the course of the coming weeks, time, financial and practical constraints mean it is not always possible to arrange face-to-face meetings, but in these instances, we've long since leaned on Skype for a helping hand. Microsoft acquired the telecommunications company some time ago, and in an effort to turn occasional or would-be users into regular, paying customers, the Redmond company is running a great promotional deal.
The holiday season is well and truly upon us, and with so many sought-after gadgets on the market, finding best offer can be somewhat bamboozling. Each of the major retailers will be grappling for the attentions of consumers, and two of the largest - Walmart and Target - have kicked things off with some great savings on iOS devices.

