For several years now, colleges and universities have posted for free academic courses via iTunes podcasts. But now in iTunes U, Apple is expanding the service by providing access to complete courses from leading universities and other schools.

For now the courses are completely free–requiring only your time to work through the lectures and assignments.

iTunes App

The iTunes U app can be used on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. When you subscribe to a coure all the core material for the course will be automatically downloaded to the app on your device.

Links to supplemental material will also be provided for download from the App Store, the iBookstore, and the iTunes Music Store. While the supplemental material may come at a cost, most of the video lectures and PDF document handouts seem to be available for free.

The beauty of iTunes U is how it packages core material into one application. A downloaded course typically includes a brief overview, a detailed course outline of lectures and assignments, a built-in Notepad, and links to course materials. The interface and setup is similar to how you might organize an analog three-ring binder.

Though courses are best viewed on the iPad, you can sync your notes and course information between your iOS devices. Unfortunately, however, Apple has not created a Mac client for iTunes U. Nor has it done so for its iBooks 2 textbook reader.

You can access and view all the courses in iTunes U either through the iTunes U application itself, or in iTunes on your Mac or PC. iTunes U already includes several dozen courses on a wide range of topics—from Basics of Culinary, Beginners Chinese, Masters of Photography, to Stanford University’s highly rated iPad and iPhone App Development course.

Standford CS193p

The Stanford apps development course, for example, includes 19 actual live lectures, slide show presentations, in course assignments.

Even better, the course doesn’t require you to purchase any additional supplemental material. And if you’re running OS X Lion you can download Apple’s app developers application Xcode for free from the App Store. All that is required on your part for this course is your time.

Copyright Course

Another interesting though lightweight course, titled Rights, Remixes, and Respect, is a five part series about the differences between creative inspiration, appropriation, copyright and fair use.

Kirby Ferguson, the developer for this course, provides short definitions of copyright related terms, and then presents excellent song and movie examples about sampling and remixing and creative productions. His video presentations are are linked to a website which means you don’t have to download those files to your device.

You can work through the course in less than a week, and it even ends with a couple of short quiz reviews. The course also requires a few paid download of songs from the iTunes Music Store.

Notepad

Another useful and practical tool in the iTunes U app is a built-in notepad. If you want to do pretty much all your work within your mobile device, this notepad will come in quite handy. It works similarly to to the default Notepad app in Apple’s mobile devices.

While iTunes U will never be as popular as the iTunes Music Store or the App Store, it’s a great opportunity and resource for self-motivated learning. And because courses are free, you learn as much as you like without taking out a student loan.

Let us know what you think of iTunes U.

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Fear not, apartment shopper, because with these three US-based iPhone apps, you will be ready to hit the apartment market with your best foot forward and armed with as much knowledge on what is available as possible. Each of these three apps has some great features, and because they are all free, there really is no reason not to download them all! Between the three, it is nearly impossible not to find what you need.

Apartment Guide

This is a great application for finding your next place to live. When you first boot it up, it will ask you to allow it to use your location, if you say yes it will be able to find apartments near you. At first, you can simply tap the “Search Nearby” button, and it will show you the apartments close to you. From the search nearby screen, you can tap refine to narrow the results by price, bedrooms, bathrooms and other parameters.

Clicking any result will bring you to the screen for more details on the apartment. You can quickly click “Call now” to call the place and set up an appointment to see the units. You will also be able to see a detailed description of the units, as well as a breakdown of different models and their prices. They also show amenities, pet policies, community features and special features.

You can also used the advanced search to limit the results it shows you to only ones that meet specific requirements. Of course, if you are not looking for an apartment near you, you can also type in a zip code to search anywhere. Another cool feature is that the app will remember places you have viewed recently as well as those you have called. It also allows you to store any place as a favorite for easy access later.

Trulia

Trulia is a full featured real estate iPhone application that does everything from finding houses for sale, houses that are sold, places that have been reduced in price, open houses and of course apartments for rent. To view the places available for rent, simply tap “For Rent” from the main screen. By default, the application will show you an aerial map view of all the places available in your proximity. You can tap any of them for a more detailed view.

If you do not enjoy looking at a map, you can tap the list button on the bottom right of the screen to view the apartments in an easy to read format. You can also tap the magnifying glass symbol to search using location,  minimum and maximum rent, the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and other things that are important in your search.

You can add places to favorites, but you must create a free account with Trulia. The nice thing about this is that you can get access to your favorites from another device or computer. Trulia, while not as easy to navigate as some apps, is your one stop real estate iPhone application.

MyApartmentMap

This app is incredibly streamlined and easy to navigate. It launches a simple screen that asks, “Where do you want your apartment?” The front page also features any places you have saved on the bottom. To start your search, simply enter a zip code or city into the box and click “Search!”

The results will start with a list, showing you all the apartments for rent in the area. You can scroll through these to find the one you like. At the top of the screen is where you can customize how you view the results. You can click “Map,” which, you guessed it, shows the results on a map. You can also click “Data,” which is an awesome feature that shows averages for the apartments in your results. You can see the average rents based on size and other data about the places you are looking for. You can also view deals on apartments in your area by clicking on the “Deals” tab.

On the top left of the screen you can click “Filter” to tweak the results. Do you need an apartment that will let you keep your dog? Do you need a place that is under $1,000 a month? Well from this screen, you can customize all that and more.

Conclusion

With these three applications, you will be ready to find the perfect place to live, for the right price and in a great location. They make finding an apartment as simple and painless as possible. The best part is; you can take them with you while looking at the places, to make sure they stack up to their description.

Image Credit: ShutterStock

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The apps featured in this article are tried and tested methods of ordering your favourite pizza with minimum fuss. Of course some are designed to order all kinds of take-away, so if you’re craving Indian, Chinese, Mexican or something else entirely you’ll only be limited by your local selection. I can tell I’m going to be hungry by the time I’ve finished this.

Pizza Hut (US & AU)

Regardless of what you think of Pizza Hut food, there’s no arguing that they’ve got one of the best mobile apps, at least in the US anyway. Not only do they let you order food and locate restaurants but they also provide a bit of fun, allowing you to construct your meal from scratch as part of the process (or use the app in demo mode without ordering).

Don’t worry, there are quick ways of ordering too (favourites and previous orders) so if you’re in a hurry there’s no messing around.

Currently Pizza Hut have US and Australian apps, though the US edition is better kitted out at the moment. I’d also expect the UK and other parts of Europe to get a similar app before long. US residents can see the full line-up of apps (including Android, iPad and Windows Phone 7 versions) here.

Download: Pizza Hut US @ App Store
Download: Pizza Hut Australia @ App Store

GrubHub (US)

If you’re lucky to live in one of the 19 supported US cities then your pizza and other take-away needs will be satisfied with the official GrubHub app. Featuring more than 20,000 eateries from Los Angeles to Miami to New York, this app will serve up all kinds of food based on the local selections.

The app is loaded with features including GPS location detection, multiple address storage, the ability to quickly order past purchases with a few taps and the ability to save payment information for an even quicker checkout process. GrubHub also has an Android app which can be found here.

Download: GrubHub @ App Store

Snapfinger (US)

Snapfinger isn’t just another restaurant ordering and delivery app, but a listing for pretty much every restaurant local to you. What this means is that though you can’t order from all of the restaurants featured on the service, you do get fairly quick access to menus, phone numbers, prices and the full local selection when choosing where and what to eat.

Ideally this should help you make a more informed decision, even if you have to make a phone call to get what you want. That said, it’s easy to order from those restaurants that are compatible with the service, and of course you can search by cuisine in order to get your pizza fix. The app features more than 500,000 restaurant listings, local eatery discovery and handy features like repeat ordering and directions.

Download: Snapfinger @ AppStore

Menulog (AU & NZ)

I’m currently living in Melbourne, Victoria and have found this service incredibly useful over the past few months. Menulog makes it really easy to order a pizza from the finest local participating restaurants. By now I’ve found my favourite places and meals so ordering takes no time at all. Unfortunately the app is only available on the Australian app store, so my UK account is useless.

Never mind because it plugs into the same great service, providing the same selection depending on where you are. SMS confirmations are usually here within a minute or two, and new businesses are added each week. Now, if only the app were available internationally – for some reason the New Zealand edition is…

Download: Menulog (Home Delivery and Takeaway) @ App Store

HungryHouse (UK)

Unfortunately the UK’s selection of food ordering apps is a bit disappointing at the moment. There are great services like Just-Eat, which sets up many independent businesses with a way to make money online but no iPhone app. Step in HungryHouse, a mobile version of the popular website that features restaurants and deliveries from all over the country.

The service is still growing and at present operates best in large urban areas including London, the Midlands and the North West (Liverpool and Manchester). View more than 3,500 menus, filter by cuisine or simply use your iPhone’s GPS to find nearby restaurants. Even if the service isn’t up and running near you yet it might be worth keeping an eye on it.

Download: HungryHouse @ App Store

Domino’s (US, UK & AU)

Last but not least (or is it?) comes Domino’s, featuring 3 separate apps for 3 separate territories – the US, Britain and Australia. Domino’s Pizza is an entirely subjective experience, so if you like it you’re bound to enjoy being able to order it from your phone. The US version (pictured) appears to exhibit the best design, with the recently launched Aussie version looking considerably better than its British cousin.

Of course all of the apps allow you to order pizza, sides and whatever else you want from Domino’s. That’s the point here, though the UK version does seem to be poorly designed and inferior to the other two.

Download: Domino’s Pizza USA @ App Store
Download: Domino’s UK @ App Store
Download: Domino’s Australia @ App Store

Conclusion

If you thought ordering food in your web browser was easy then your iPhone will delight you. The ability to order anywhere you like, choose delivery times or simply plan ahead is great. Of course this could all have been accomplished with a simple phone call, but that’s no fun now is it?

Hopefully more and more services will launch mobile apps (especially in the UK, which already has some leading online ordering services – but few apps) in the near future to provide an even better selection than we’ve got now.

Do you know of any great apps for ordering pizza? How about web services? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Image credit: Shutterstock

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The purpose of this app is to keep track of your stats while skiing. I hate to quote a line from an infomercial, but with this application, you really just need to “set it and forget it”.  It sits in your pocket while you ski or snowboard and keeps track of everything you do, from your speed, to your slope and everything in between. If there was anything you were curious about in your performance while on the slopes, chances are great that this app will have you covered.

How It Works

Ski Tracks uses GPS to keep track of your statistical information while skiing. It is able to find your location using the phone’s built in location service. The thing that is incredible is that you do not need to manage it manually. It knows when you are on a chairlift. This means it is able to start a new run automatically. You do not have to pull your phone out and fuss with it each time you ride to the bottom of the mountain. It is incredibly impressive.

Since Ski Tracks uses GPS, it can also track where you are on the mountain. This is awesome if you need to see what runs you have missed. In all honesty, the fact this app works as well as it does seems like some sort of voodoo magic to me. I am certainly not complaining, because it has made skiing even better.

Stat Tracking

This application’s main selling point is its ability to keep track of your performance on the mountain. To get it to track your stats, you simply need to open the application on your iOS device and click the start button on the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, you can just throw your phone into your pocket and it will keep track of everything automatically.

I suppose saying it keeps track of “everything” is a little broad and perhaps I should narrow it down. To start with, it keeps track of speed, which was the statistic about which I was most excited. It tracks your top speed throughout the day as well as your average.

Another of my favorites is distance. It lets you know how far you have skied and how far you have ridden on the lift. This gives you an amazing feel for how much ground you have covered throughout the day.

The complete list of stats the app tracks is as follows:

• Speed
• Distance
• Ski Vertical
• Altitude
• Number of runs
• Slope
• Duration

It will also break all of this information down run by run, so you can see how you compared on each run down the mountain. It is impressive just how much this application can tell you about your ski day.

Social Features

After you finish skiing, click the ski icon on the top right corner of the screen to edit the name of your day and give it some information such as the current weather and the snow conditions. Click “save” and the track will be locked in.

After you save the track, you can click the share button on the bottom right of the screen to email it to a friend, upload it to Facebook or send it to your computer with iTunes document sharing. This is an awesome way to show you friends how well you killed it on the slopes on your last trip.

The app will create an album in your Facebook photos and add all of the images there. It will add your charts, maps and any photos you took during that ski trip for all of your friends to see.

Of course, you can also access your ski tracks at any time from the application. This way, if you wanted to see how you did last time at a particular mountain, you can do so quickly and easily.

Other Features

Ski Tracks has iPod controls built right in. You can control your tunes while on the slopes without ever exiting the app. It also features a camera, so you can quickly take photos from the mountain.

They also added a proximity sensor that works similarly to using the phone. It will automatically turn the screen on when you remove the phone from your pocket and turn it off when you place it back. The app has surprisingly low battery drain. I was able to have it running for about 7 hours straight before my phone died. That is impressive considering it is constantly using location services.

On top of these cool features, you can also choose to have the app measure in metric or imperial units, depending on where you live.

Conclusion

This is without question the best ski application I have ever used. It keeps very accurate stats that make skiing a lot more fun. For example, you can try to beat your best speeds or cover a greater distance that you did on a previous trip. This app allows you to take the act of skiing and make it into a competition with yourself. The data it provides is awesome, and it is so useful for any skier or snowboarder.

iTunes Download Link

Image Credit: Shutterstock

View full post on MakeUseOf

The purpose of this app is to keep track of your stats while skiing. I hate to quote a line from an infomercial, but with this application, you really just need to “set it and forget it”.  It sits in your pocket while you ski or snowboard and keeps track of everything you do, from your speed, to your slope and everything in between. If there was anything you were curious about in your performance while on the slopes, chances are great that this app will have you covered.

How It Works

Ski Tracks uses GPS to keep track of your statistical information while skiing. It is able to find your location using the phone’s built in location service. The thing that is incredible is that you do not need to manage it manually. It knows when you are on a chairlift. This means it is able to start a new run automatically. You do not have to pull your phone out and fuss with it each time you ride to the bottom of the mountain. It is incredibly impressive.

Since Ski Tracks uses GPS, it can also track where you are on the mountain. This is awesome if you need to see what runs you have missed. In all honesty, the fact this app works as well as it does seems like some sort of voodoo magic to me. I am certainly not complaining, because it has made skiing even better.

Stat Tracking

This application’s main selling point is its ability to keep track of your performance on the mountain. To get it to track your stats, you simply need to open the application on your iOS device and click the start button on the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, you can just throw your phone into your pocket and it will keep track of everything automatically.

I suppose saying it keeps track of “everything” is a little broad and perhaps I should narrow it down. To start with, it keeps track of speed, which was the statistic about which I was most excited. It tracks your top speed throughout the day as well as your average.

Another of my favorites is distance. It lets you know how far you have skied and how far you have ridden on the lift. This gives you an amazing feel for how much ground you have covered throughout the day.

The complete list of stats the app tracks is as follows:

• Speed
• Distance
• Ski Vertical
• Altitude
• Number of runs
• Slope
• Duration

It will also break all of this information down run by run, so you can see how you compared on each run down the mountain. It is impressive just how much this application can tell you about your ski day.

Social Features

After you finish skiing, click the ski icon on the top right corner of the screen to edit the name of your day and give it some information such as the current weather and the snow conditions. Click “save” and the track will be locked in.

After you save the track, you can click the share button on the bottom right of the screen to email it to a friend, upload it to Facebook or send it to your computer with iTunes document sharing. This is an awesome way to show you friends how well you killed it on the slopes on your last trip.

The app will create an album in your Facebook photos and add all of the images there. It will add your charts, maps and any photos you took during that ski trip for all of your friends to see.

Of course, you can also access your ski tracks at any time from the application. This way, if you wanted to see how you did last time at a particular mountain, you can do so quickly and easily.

Other Features

Ski Tracks has iPod controls built right in. You can control your tunes while on the slopes without ever exiting the app. It also features a camera, so you can quickly take photos from the mountain.

They also added a proximity sensor that works similarly to using the phone. It will automatically turn the screen on when you remove the phone from your pocket and turn it off when you place it back. The app has surprisingly low battery drain. I was able to have it running for about 7 hours straight before my phone died. That is impressive considering it is constantly using location services.

On top of these cool features, you can also choose to have the app measure in metric or imperial units, depending on where you live.

Conclusion

This is without question the best ski application I have ever used. It keeps very accurate stats that make skiing a lot more fun. For example, you can try to beat your best speeds or cover a greater distance that you did on a previous trip. This app allows you to take the act of skiing and make it into a competition with yourself. The data it provides is awesome, and it is so useful for any skier or snowboarder.

iTunes Download Link

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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I have two applications that make your pictures on the iPhone truly something awesome to behold. If you need to give your photos a little more dramatic flair, these are the applications for you. Best of all, they are both available free in the iTunes app store, so you will be able to improve your photos, and not open your wallet!

PicYou

PicYou is a great app for giving your photos some cool effects and sharing them on social networks. When you first log in, the application will ask you to create an account or log in with your Facebook account. If you do this, you can share the photos you create quickly and easily.

To create a new photo, simply click on the camera icon on the bottom of the screen. To take your picture, click on the standard “take photo” button at the bottom. If you want to add an effect to a photo you already have, click gallery at the bottom of the screen.

Once you have your photo chosen, you can add all kinds of cool effects to it. The effects will do things like change the colors and hue of the picture and alter the border to give it a personal touch. It definitely goes a long way towards making your photos more unique looking.

You can also customize your profile to give other users more information about you with this application. Click on the Profile tab and you will see all the options available. You can find friends that already use PicYou and invite new ones. From this page, you will be able to link to your Twitter and Facebook accounts, so you can share your pictures with all your friends.

An important part of this app is following and viewing other users’ photos. You can click the popular tab to view the most viewed images. You can also click activity to see a timeline of the images posted and shared by your friends.

Pho.to Lab

This application is not as robust in the social aspect, but much more robust in the types of effects. Whereas PicYou is more about giving your images some artistic flare, Pho.to Lab is all about making your pictures crazy. They have effects such as putting a picture in a Santa Claus costume, on magazine covers and all kinds of other crazy effects.

The application will launch right into the effects selection. Some of them are not available in the free version and must be purchased. However, there are lots in the free version, so you can make a lot of this application without spending a dime (the app is ad-supported).

The effects are divided into categories. There are all kinds to choose from such as monsters, photo filters, cartoons, magazine covers and more. Once you decide on a category, click it to view the effects. It will show you a preview of what the effect will look like. Click one to select it. The app will then ask if you want to use a picture from your gallery or take a new one.

After you choose an image, Pho.to Lab will process it and show it to you. Click the share button at the bottom of that screen to share it to SMS, email, Twitter, Facebook or simply to copy the link to share it manually. You can also click the download button to store it in your device for later access.

This is an awesome application if you want to make some cool and funny photos. Instead of downloading one of the hundreds of applications that alter your images in funny ways, you can download only Pho.to Lab and let it handle everything.

Conclusion

With these two iPhone applications, you will be ready to make some of the best photos. They make adding effects easy, even if you are not technologically advanced. If you cannot be bothered with spending hours laboring in Photoshop, these are the applications for you.

Have you tried these apps? Or do you know of a better one? Post a link to some of your cool photos and apps in the comments!

Image Credit: Shutterstock

View full post on MakeUseOf

I have two applications that make your pictures on the iPhone truly something awesome to behold. If you need to give your photos a little more dramatic flair, these are the applications for you. Best of all, they are both available free in the iTunes app store, so you will be able to improve your photos, and not open your wallet!

PicYou

PicYou is a great app for giving your photos some cool effects and sharing them on social networks. When you first log in, the application will ask you to create an account or log in with your Facebook account. If you do this, you can share the photos you create quickly and easily.

To create a new photo, simply click on the camera icon on the bottom of the screen. To take your picture, click on the standard “take photo” button at the bottom. If you want to add an effect to a photo you already have, click gallery at the bottom of the screen.

Once you have your photo chosen, you can add all kinds of cool effects to it. The effects will do things like change the colors and hue of the picture and alter the border to give it a personal touch. It definitely goes a long way towards making your photos more unique looking.

You can also customize your profile to give other users more information about you with this application. Click on the Profile tab and you will see all the options available. You can find friends that already use PicYou and invite new ones. From this page, you will be able to link to your Twitter and Facebook accounts, so you can share your pictures with all your friends.

An important part of this app is following and viewing other users’ photos. You can click the popular tab to view the most viewed images. You can also click activity to see a timeline of the images posted and shared by your friends.

Pho.to Lab

This application is not as robust in the social aspect, but much more robust in the types of effects. Whereas PicYou is more about giving your images some artistic flare, Pho.to Lab is all about making your pictures crazy. They have effects such as putting a picture in a Santa Claus costume, on magazine covers and all kinds of other crazy effects.

The application will launch right into the effects selection. Some of them are not available in the free version and must be purchased. However, there are lots in the free version, so you can make a lot of this application without spending a dime (the app is ad-supported).

The effects are divided into categories. There are all kinds to choose from such as monsters, photo filters, cartoons, magazine covers and more. Once you decide on a category, click it to view the effects. It will show you a preview of what the effect will look like. Click one to select it. The app will then ask if you want to use a picture from your gallery or take a new one.

After you choose an image, Pho.to Lab will process it and show it to you. Click the share button at the bottom of that screen to share it to SMS, email, Twitter, Facebook or simply to copy the link to share it manually. You can also click the download button to store it in your device for later access.

This is an awesome application if you want to make some cool and funny photos. Instead of downloading one of the hundreds of applications that alter your images in funny ways, you can download only Pho.to Lab and let it handle everything.

Conclusion

With these two iPhone applications, you will be ready to make some of the best photos. They make adding effects easy, even if you are not technologically advanced. If you cannot be bothered with spending hours laboring in Photoshop, these are the applications for you.

Have you tried these apps? Or do you know of a better one? Post a link to some of your cool photos and apps in the comments!

Image Credit: Shutterstock

View full post on MakeUseOf

I have two applications that make your pictures on the iPhone truly something awesome to behold. If you need to give your photos a little more dramatic flair, these are the applications for you. Best of all, they are both available free in the iTunes app store, so you will be able to improve your photos, and not open your wallet!

PicYou

PicYou is a great app for giving your photos some cool effects and sharing them on social networks. When you first log in, the application will ask you to create an account or log in with your Facebook account. If you do this, you can share the photos you create quickly and easily.

To create a new photo, simply click on the camera icon on the bottom of the screen. To take your picture, click on the standard “take photo” button at the bottom. If you want to add an effect to a photo you already have, click gallery at the bottom of the screen.

Once you have your photo chosen, you can add all kinds of cool effects to it. The effects will do things like change the colors and hue of the picture and alter the border to give it a personal touch. It definitely goes a long way towards making your photos more unique looking.

You can also customize your profile to give other users more information about you with this application. Click on the Profile tab and you will see all the options available. You can find friends that already use PicYou and invite new ones. From this page, you will be able to link to your Twitter and Facebook accounts, so you can share your pictures with all your friends.

An important part of this app is following and viewing other users’ photos. You can click the popular tab to view the most viewed images. You can also click activity to see a timeline of the images posted and shared by your friends.

Pho.to Lab

This application is not as robust in the social aspect, but much more robust in the types of effects. Whereas PicYou is more about giving your images some artistic flare, Pho.to Lab is all about making your pictures crazy. They have effects such as putting a picture in a Santa Claus costume, on magazine covers and all kinds of other crazy effects.

The application will launch right into the effects selection. Some of them are not available in the free version and must be purchased. However, there are lots in the free version, so you can make a lot of this application without spending a dime (the app is ad-supported).

The effects are divided into categories. There are all kinds to choose from such as monsters, photo filters, cartoons, magazine covers and more. Once you decide on a category, click it to view the effects. It will show you a preview of what the effect will look like. Click one to select it. The app will then ask if you want to use a picture from your gallery or take a new one.

After you choose an image, Pho.to Lab will process it and show it to you. Click the share button at the bottom of that screen to share it to SMS, email, Twitter, Facebook or simply to copy the link to share it manually. You can also click the download button to store it in your device for later access.

This is an awesome application if you want to make some cool and funny photos. Instead of downloading one of the hundreds of applications that alter your images in funny ways, you can download only Pho.to Lab and let it handle everything.

Conclusion

With these two iPhone applications, you will be ready to make some of the best photos. They make adding effects easy, even if you are not technologically advanced. If you cannot be bothered with spending hours laboring in Photoshop, these are the applications for you.

Have you tried these apps? Or do you know of a better one? Post a link to some of your cool photos and apps in the comments!

Image Credit: Shutterstock

View full post on MakeUseOf

Giving you ideas to write about is the main reason StoryTree exists. They have many topics available to help you come up with cool stuff to write about. They make it easy to get your brain flowing in a creative direction with all kinds of topics. What you, as the writer, choose to do with those topics is completely up to you, but they move you in the right direction. They also let you share your creations with people close to you, if you should so choose.

Set Up

As with any iPhone app, you need to go the iTunes store and download it. You can click this handy link, or simply go directly on your device and search for “storytree” to download the free application to your device.

StoryTree greets you with a beautiful starting screen that gives a quick explanation of what it is. Then it will ask you to create a free account. You will need to provide your name, an email address (no verification required) and the name of your story tree. Once finished click submit, and you will be taken to the StoryTree main page.

This page features a sample post from story tree with a video attached. You can watch that video if you think you want to learn more about the app, or click the “+” to start your own story.

Writing a Story

When you open up the page to start a new story you will be given a few options. The first is the “Don’t know what to say” option. Clicking on this will provide you with a bunch of questions that will get you thinking. The next option is to take a video or photo and write about it. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and they can be a great place to find some inspiration.

They also give you the option of recording a voice note and choosing some media that already exists on your device. All of the options provide some great ways to get the creative juices flowing.

If you select the “Don’t know what to say” option, you can also choose to come up with your own question. If you know what you want to write about, you should choose this option.

Once you find an option you like, click it and the app will take you to a screen that allows you to add a photo and write the story itself. You can take a new photo or choose an existing one. The next screen will be where you can select which tree you would like to share it to (if you have more than one) and whether or not you want it to be private or shared on Twitter and Facebook.

The steps for writing something based on a picture, video or voice note are the same, but you need to provide a title for the story.

Invites

You can invite other users into your story tree so they can easily see your stories. They need to have a StoryTree account for this to work. If they do not, you can use the link on the top left corner of the screen and invite them directly from your address book.

If they choose to join, they will be able to share your stories and view them whenever they choose.

Conclusion

This is a great app for sharing photos and thoughts, and a great way to get the creative juices flowing. It has a great set of features for anyone who likes to share. If you are stuck with a bad case of writers block, you should check out StoryTree and see if it breaks you out of the slump!

Did StoryTree inspire you to write? Did you write something you want to share? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: ShutterStock

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That is where Covert Chirp comes into play. It is designed to keep your Twitter habits on the down low and keep you from getting into trouble if you should not be tweeting. Of course, we do not condone tweeting when you should be doing other things, but if you should choose to do so, then you will certainly want to check out Covert Chirp.

Installation & Set Up

The first step is downloading the free Twitter client from the iTunes app store. Simply click here, or search for Covert Chirp directly from your device.

When you first boot up the app, it will take you through a brief tutorial that will explain the basics of how to use it. It is quick and painless, and it lets you see what each of the buttons do so you can get in, do what you need to do and get out.

After the tutorial, you will need to authorize the application to get access to your Twitter account by entering your user name and password. The app will provide you with a code and ask you to enter it for verification. Click the box on the top of the screen between “Cancel” and “Sign in” and type the numbers.

Features

Covert Chirp is designed to look like the iPhone Notepad. This way, it looks as if you are reading or taking important notes, instead of checking your Twitter feed for the latest news on Kim Kardashian.

Once you have everything authorized, the app will show some random technical stuff on the screen that certainly looks like notes, even if I have no idea what they are talking about. Click on your user name from the “Notes” screen to view your Twitter timeline.

This will bring up your friends tweets on a screen that still looks like a bunch of notes. If someone happened to look over your shoulder, there is no reason that anyone would think you are browsing Twitter. The top of the screen even says “Action Items” to further create the illusion of being some notes for work or school.

If you feel concerned that someone may still be looking, you can quickly tap the garbage can icon on the bottom of the screen to bring up that technical jargon we mentioned earlier. You can click the small “@” symbol on the bottom of the screen to reach your interactions and the envelope will bring you to your direct messages.

You can have multiple Twitter accounts on this client. Simply click “Notes” to go back to the account screen and click the “+.” You will have to repeat the process I outlined earlier to add more accounts.

Obviously, posting a new Tweet is an important part of using Twitter, and you can do that with ease. Simply click on the “+” from your timeline and you will be taken to a screen labeled “New Notes” where you can create your tweet.

Conclusion

This application does everything you would expect from a Twitter client, only it does it in stealth. Honestly, I like the look and feel of the application enough that I am using it along with the default Twitter app when I need a change of pace, even if I am not concerned with being discrete. This is an app I recommend checking out if you are looking for something different.

Are you stealth tweeting like it is going out of style? Are you morally opposed to tweeting on the down low? Let us know in the comments!

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