class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iOS5-300.jpg" alt="ios operating system" />Learn all about iOS 5, the latest operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. If you’ve upgraded but aren’t sure what’s new, or are considering upgrading but want to know what you’re getting into, this manual from Lachlan Roy is what you looking for: “Using iOS: Your Guide to the Latest and Greatest Mobile Operating System.”

When Apple released the iPhone back in 2007, it was different to anything else on the market. It wasn’t the first touchscreen phone, but it was the first one to be so pretty. But as gorgeous as the hardware was, that wasn’t what made the iPhone so great, or what shook the cellphone industry. It was the software which made the iPhone what it was.

Now iOS 5 has been released, providing updates, tweaks and brand new features to make the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad even better and easier to use than before. Want to know what it brings to the table? Download this manual to find out.

style="text-align: center;"> href="http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/using-ios-your-guide-to-the-latest-and-greatest-mobile-operating-system">DOWNLOAD Using iOS: Your Guide to the Latest and Greatest Mobile Operating System

style="text-align: center;">The guide is free but password-protected. Gain access to the guide by:

style="text-align: center;">1- subscribing to our newsletter (you may do this on the download page itself, link above). Existing subscribers will receive the password via email in the next couple of hours.

style="text-align: center;">OR

style="text-align: center;">2. Simply share the guide on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ on the download page. Quick and easy.

 

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iOS5-3page.jpg" alt="ios operating system" width="580" height="270" />

Download this free MakeUseOf guide to learn:

• What iOS 5 is, and which devices you can use it on.
• New features in iOS 5, from reminders to Twitter integration.
• Mastering the new, Android-style dashboard.
• Using the new messaging to send texts for free over WiFi, even from an iPod touch.
• Device-specific features, such as Siri.
• iCloud: what it is and what it does.

style="text-align: center;"> href="http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/using-ios-your-guide-to-the-latest-and-greatest-mobile-operating-system">DOWNLOAD Using iOS: Your Guide to the Latest and Greatest Mobile Operating System

style="text-align: center;">The guide is free but password-protected. Gain access to the guide by:

style="text-align: center;">1- subscribing to our newsletter (you may do this on the download page itself, link above). Existing subscribers will receive the password via email in the next couple of hours.

style="text-align: center;">OR

style="text-align: center;">2. Simply share the guide on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ on the download page. Quick and easy.

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/cat_mobile.jpg" alt="" />New research class="vt-p" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14401476">has suggested that British people are becoming even more addicted to their mobile phones, with more than half of adults and two-thirds of teenagers saying that “they have used their smartphone while socializing with others”.  But according to class="vt-p" href="http://www.telenav.com/about/pr-summer-travel/report-20110803.html">our new infographic, across the pond, American mobile users love their phones even more with one third saying they would rather give up sex than part with their phone (there’s always Internet porn right?)

66% of those questioned said they sleep with their phone next to them (I can identify with that) and 28% of iPhone users would rather not see their “significant other” for a week instead of giving up their phone.

Can you identify with any of these stats?  Would you give up sex in favour of your mobile phone?  Would you sacrifice partners because of your iPhone?  Do you sleep with an Android in your bed?  Let us know in the comments.

class="vt-p" href="http://digg.makeuseof.com.s3.amazonaws.com/infographic_phonewars_lrg.jpg"> src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/infographic_phonewars_lrg.jpg" alt="" />

Infographic via rel="nofollow" href="http://www.telenav.com/about/pr-summer-travel/report-20110803.html">Telenav, Image Credit : rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kazatzka/255283275/in/photostream">Kazatzka

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Snappr-300x300.png" alt="" />You’ve probably noticed that nowadays the world is buzzing with citizen journalism. Whenever there’s civil unrest, accidents, celebrities and other news to be noted there often seems to be an average Joe with a phone camera on hand ready to record the event far sooner than any photo journalists or reporters. Maybe you’ve even done this on occasion yourself. If you saw something newsworthy like riots or some extreme weather, would you be taking photos and sharing them online? That would make you a citizen journalist – at least for the day.

But what happens when you don’t have Internet access on your phone? Maybe you’re outside your home country and haven’t paid for roaming Internet access? Maybe in your home country, Internet access isn’t really affordable? Maybe you don’t have a smartphone? There’s plenty of reasons this situation might come up. How do you share the pictures then? Here’s where class="vt-p" href="http://snappr.eu/">Snappr comes in. You can upload pictures to Twitter using Snappr and MMS on your phone.

What Is Snappr?

Essentially, class="vt-p" href="http://snappr.eu/">Snappr is the bridge between your phone, Twitpic and Twitter. It allows you to send an MMS photo to Snappr, which then forwards it on to Twitpic for you. Twitpic then posts it on your Twitter account for you, getting that photo out there where people can see it pretty much instantly.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Snappr-Splash.png" alt="" />

All this is done without the need for you to have a phone with Internet access, a Twitter application or even a smartphone. If you can send photo messages to people, Snappr will work. All you need to do is make sure you’re signed up with class="vt-p" href="http://www.twitpic.com">Twitpic and you’ve got the details for Snappr ready in your phone before you need them.

Set Up Twitpic

Sign up to class="vt-p" href="http://www.twitpic.com/">Twitpic using your Twitter credentials then check out your class="vt-p" href="http://www.twitpic.com/account/settings/mobile">Twitpic settings to find your secret email address for uploading photos.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Snappr-Twitpic-Email.png" alt="" />

Set Up Snappr

To set up Snappr all you need to do is have the MMS number in your phone – 84433. I’d personally advise that in the contact name you remind yourself of the format for sending messages to Snappr, which we’re about to go through.

Send Photos To Snappr

When you send your photo by MMS to Snappr using the phone number 84433, you need to add in the text of your message the word “PIC” followed by your Twitpic secret email address. If you remind yourself of this in the contact information for Snappr it will make your life easier.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Snappr-Howto.png" alt="" />

Once the MMS photo message has been sent to Snappr with the correct information they will forward it on to Twitpic and it will be in your Twitter updates in no time.

What Else Could You Use?

Well, obviously, if you’ve got Internet access or the ability to send email from your phone there are numerous other ways to do this. But this method could come in handy at times, so it’s worth having it ready.

If you’re interested in tools for low-tech phones or Twitter generally, have a read of these articles:

• class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/low-tech-ways-to-twitter-from-a-cell-phone/">How To Twitter From A Low-Tech Cell Phone
• class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/2-simple-ways-send-audio-tweets-twitter/">2 Really Simple Ways To Send Audio Tweets To Twitter
• class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-set-up-email-on-a-basic-cell-phone/">How To Set Up Email On A Basic Cell Phone
• class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/regular-cell-phone-smarter-smsmms-data-plan-required-part-1/">How To Make Your Mobile Phone Smarter With SMS/MMS

Have you set up class="vt-p" href="http://snappr.eu/">Snappr yet? You may as well have it ready just in case! When could you have really used something like this in the past?

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/sbux.png" alt="" />With products like class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/square-creates-virtual-wallet-app-realworld-payments-news/">Square and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/google-introduces-wallet-offers-puts-credit-card-smartphone-news/">Google Wallet, the ability to pay for real-world items using virtual financial institutions is rapidly becoming the most common form of commerce. However, Jonathan Stark, a mobile application consultant, has a new take on this concept of class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/paypal-mobile-pay-paypal-account/">Internet-fueled trade, and he has brought it to the next level.

As noted class="vt-p" href="http://jonathanstark.com/blog/2011/07/14/broadcasting-mobile-currency">by one of his blog posts, he believes that anyone can broadcast mobile currency for wide individual usage. As an experiment, Stark has published an image of a Starbucks card on the Internet so that people can purchase coffee using it, and whenever they happen to have money, they can put it back on the card. It’s like a village well of espresso, and anyone can drink from it.

Get A Coffee

The premise of class="vt-p" href="http://jonathanstark.com/card/">Jonathan’s Card is fairly simple. If you’re short on cash and need a class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/cofeeseekr-starbucks-coffee-locations/">caffeine kick, just use an image of the card to purchase a cup of coffee at Starbucks. The question is this though – how does it work?

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img12.png" alt="" width="570" height="465" />

Stark has published a digital image of the card on his personal website, so all you have to do is download the image to your class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/smartphones/">smartphone, go into your local Starbucks, scan your phone into the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/barcode/">barcode reader, and after that, voilá – free coffee. As stated by the creator himself, the whole concept is very similar to Italy’s class="vt-p" href="https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=410014862860">“caffé pagato” custom or the trend of “take a penny, leave a penny” in US convenience stores.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img111.png" alt="" width="580" height="598" />

As an app developer, Stark has implemented scripts to check in on the financial status of the card every fifteen minutes. After checking, the script then publishes the status of the card on its class="vt-p" href="http://www.twitter.com/jonathanscard">Twitter account. The scripted messages simply state how much money is in the account, warn users if the account is getting low, and request money if there isn’t any available at all.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img121.png" alt="" width="580" height="199" />

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img71.png" alt="" width="580" height="241" />

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img61.png" alt="" width="580" height="273" />

On his class="vt-p" href="http://jonathanstark.com/blog/2011/07/14/broadcasting-mobile-currency/">blog, Stark requests that you limit yourself to drinks that are around $3.00, but as we all know with Starbucks, that might be problematic. For instance, it might be best to grab a tall rather than a venti on your Stark-sponsored visit. He also asks that you publish a class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/adding-pictures-to-your-twitter-stream-with-twitpic-flickr/">picture of you and your drink to class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/twitter/">Twitter, and after that, Stark himself (presumably not the bot) will give you a shout-out tweet.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img91.png" alt="" width="580" height="538" />

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img131.png" alt="" width="580" height="286" />

Give a Coffee

As you may have gathered, Jonathan’s Card could be fairly exploitable if put in the wrong hands. Just because anyone can put money on the card doesn’t mean anyone actually has do it. Everyone can use the card to purchase a drink anonymously, so there really is no way to have an accountability system, and this could prove to be difficult. Based on one of the card’s class="vt-p" href="http://twitter.com/#!/jonathanscard/status/98110507197796352">tweets, someone once cleaned out the card’s account without even as little as a Twitter picture to contribute – bummer.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img101.png" alt="" width="580" height="309" />

By all appearances, Stark does his part by occasionally putting money on the card himself and donating coffee to the community. Also, with only about 300 legitimate followers, it can be hard to have a constant flow of money making it to the card. That being said, it is very important for the Jonathan’s Card community to donate money to keep it alive.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img141.png" alt="" width="580" height="338" />

Basically, if you are feeling generous, just head over to the class="vt-p" href="https://www.starbucks.com/card">Starbucks website, click where it says “reload a card”,  punch in the card number (6061006913522430), and you’ll do a favor for the rest of society by giving whatever you think is a good amount. Furthermore, if you do reload the card, you can tweet Jonathan, and this will merit another shout-out. Else, you could always remain anonymous and enjoy the fact that someone out there is sipping a delicious drink that you helped provide.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img51.png" alt="" width="580" height="507" />

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img81.png" alt="" width="580" height="316" />

Furthermore, if you wish to contribute and happen to an app developer, you can check out the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/api-good-technology-explained/">API that Stark provides on the card’s website. Although he has not yet produced an app for the sharing system, there is definitely room for it. Since it is a community project, you could likely help him out by submitting him your ideas or works-in-progress.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Img151.png" alt="" width="580" height="392" />

Conclusion

The concept of Jonathan’s Card is very similar to Pepsi’s futuristic class="vt-p" href="http://www.pepsico.com/PressRelease/PepsiCo-Introduces-Social-Vending-System-the-Next-Generation-in-Interactive-Vend04272011.html">social vending system in which users can purchase drinks for another person who enters a code that is delivered to his or her mobile phone, and based on these two currency broadcasting systems alone, it is highly possible that our world will be seeing a new trend in this social sharing method. Being a writer, I’ll admit that coffee certainly helps me out whenever it is on hand, and Jonathan’s Card is something that I could make use of. As a final note, you can embrace the magic of the card by following  class="vt-p" href="http://www.twitter.com/jonathanscard">@JonathansCard on Twitter.

Have you been able to use Jonathan’s Card? What other similar social sharing systems (even if they are locally based) have you been able to use? Have you tried using Jonathan’s Card with a hard-copy image or even just the code?

Image Credit: class="vt-p" href="http://twitter.com/#!/jonathanscard" rel="nofollow">@JonathansCard

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/0_fbmess.jpg" alt="facebook messenger mobile" />There are two things we all (well, most of us) rely on to keep us connected with our friends, family, and loved ones throughout the day – our phones and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/">Facebook. Statistics show that Facebook is still at the very top when it comes to traffic and user retention, and as for mobile phones, well, don’t even get me started.

When it comes down to getting a hold of someone, a simple text or Facebook message will usually do the trick. In fact, we’ve become so reliant on these means of communication that most of us don’t even remember telephone numbers anymore. We still won’t need to, because Facebook class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/facebook-messenger-launches-on-iphone-android-news/">just released Messenger, a new mobile app that simplifies how messaging works.

What Is Messenger?

Remember Beluga? Beluga was/is a nifty group messaging application for iPhone and Android that I class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/beluga-stay-touch-groups-friends-iphoneandroid/">wrote a story on back in early March. It allowed you to quickly create groups to stay in touch with your friends. At the end of my article, I mentioned that I had just seen reports of Facebook acquiring Beluga, which was something we should all keep an eye on in the coming months.

Well, it looks like I was on the right side of history with this one, because the Facebook Messenger mobile app happens to be a combination of Beluga and Facebook Messages.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/1_fbmess.jpeg" alt="facebook messenger mobile" width="350" height="583" />

The end result is a standalone app that allows you to quickly message others.

What Does Facebook’s Messenger Bring to the Table?

Since Messenger is an extension of Facebook Messages, all of your conversations are in one place, including your texts, chats, emails and messages. Whether you’re on your phone or on the web, you can see the full history of all your messages.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2_fbmess.jpeg" alt="facebook messenger" width="350" height="583" />

You can use Messenger to reach all of your friends – whether they’re on Facebook or in your phone contacts – just by typing their name. As I said, it is a separate app, so it only takes one click to get to your messages or send a new one, and messages are delivered through notifications and texts.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/3_fbmess.jpeg" alt="facebook messenger" width="350" height="583" />

Here are some of Messenger’s top features:

• Message friends, groups of friends, or anyone in your mobile contacts.
• Map your location, find your friends, and make plans on the go.
• Get mobile notifications so you never miss a message.
• Include photos so friends can see what you’re doing

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/4_fbmess.jpeg" alt="facebook messenger mobile" width="350" height="583" />

Basically, now you can send Facebook messages directly to your friends on their mobile phones, as well as share your location (if you choose to!) and other things like photos, etc.

Where Can I Get Messenger For Mobile?

The easiest way to get Messenger is to head over to class="vt-p" href="http://www.facebook.com/mobile/messenger">Facebook’s official page and click the Get the App button. A box will pop up allowing you to text the link to yourself. Or, if you have an class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook-messenger/id454638411?mt=8#">iPhone or class="vt-p" href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.facebook.orca">Android device, you can just go straight to their respective pages to download and install the application.

Once installed, you can begin sending messages to your Facebook friends. Those who don’t have the app yet will receive your message via text (This happened to me), and they will be able to respond just like they would for any other normal text message. They will also see a small link that, if visited, takes them to class="vt-p" href="http://m.facebook.com/mobile/messenger/sms">this simple message.

Conclusion

There has been speculation of video conferencing capabilities within Messenger as well ( class="vt-p" href="http://9to5mac.com/2011/08/09/facebooks-messenger-app-hides-a-dirty-little-secret-video-chats/">source), possibly for a future update to the app. It makes sense that Facebook would eventually build this into their messaging platform (Remember class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/facebook-introduces-video-calls-skype-news/">Skype?). I guess we’ll just have to keep an eye on it.

What do you think of this move by Facebook? Are you surprised that they went ahead and built a standalone app for messaging?

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/pogoplugthumb.jpg?54167" alt="" /> class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-reasons-why-students-should-be-using-dropbox-as-a-study-tool/">Cloud services have become a popular way to share files with others, and they work well in most situations, making it easy to upload photos or documents and then access them on a variety of devices.

This is not the only way to send files between devices, however. Streaming software such as class="vt-p" href="http://www.pogoplug.com/products-pogoplug-free-software.html">Pogoplug has advantages, such as a lack of storage caps and a simpler user experience, since you don’t have to hassle with local and cloud copies.

Streaming vs. Cloud: What’s The Difference?

class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/pogoplug3.jpg?54167" alt="" width="521" height="295" />

Before I go into detail about Pogoplug, let’s talk about how it’s different from popular and well-established services like class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/dropbox">Dropbox.

Pogoplug does not offer a cloud. At no point do you upload files to a server so they can be downloaded again later. Instead, you create an account when you install the software and then share folders on your PC. Those folders then can be accessed on other devices and computers, and you can share information on those as well, creating a network of computers that share files across the Internet.

As there’s no cloud to upload data to, there’s no monthly storage charge once you go over a certain limit. The storage is all on devices you personally own. You also no longer need to worry about the service possibly being hacked or inaccessible.

Streaming Made Easy

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/pogoplug2.jpg?54167" alt="" width="570" height="333" />

Once installed, the Pogoplug software is easy to use. The included remote access controls are used to determine what is being shared on your computer. On my class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/two-tools-to-monitor-your-macbooks-battery-mac/">MacBook, for example, my Desktop, Documents, Music, Movies, and Pictures folders were selected by default.

Any folder can be de-selected by removing a check from the appropriate box, and new folders can be added as well. All remote access can be cut off using a big remote access switch on the interface.

Once shared, the files can be accessed using Pogoplug software on any other computer as long as you log into your account. Remember however, that this software depends on access to the various devices sharing information. Unlike a cloud service, this software won’t let you access data from a shared folder if the computer hosting it is turned off.

Pogoplug Mobile Access

One of the greatest advantages of a cloud service is the ability to access information while on the go. Pogoplug replicates this both via a web interface and on your mobile device.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/pogoplug1.jpg?54167" alt="" width="462" height="243" />

The web interface is impressive, as it provides access to a wide variety of content and is quite snappy. All of your folders that are shared via your Pogoplug software will be accessible, and the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/dropmocks-create-picture-gallery-instantly/">Gallery tab lets you view photos as a class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-ways-to-create-beautiful-slideshows-of-your-digital-pictures/">slideshow. Those who pay for the class="vt-p" href="http://www.pogoplug.com/products.html">premium account (a $29 one-time fee) will also be able to stream music and video content via this in-browser interface.

Android and iOS users will have access to the same features via the Pogoplug app available for free on each operating system’s respective marketplace. This app provides mobile access to all of your content with the exception of audio and video, which again is restricted to those who have a premium account.

Backup and Printing

Although the ability to stream and share content between devices is the focus of Pogoplug, it does have two other notable features.

One is Active Copy, a simple but useful backup feature. It effectively links two folders together so that their content mirrors one another, making it easy to keep an up-to-date backup of important information on a multiple computers.

Another great extra is online printing, which can be used to send documents to a remote printer connected to a computer running Pogoplug. It’s even possible for friends to share a printer with you, which means you can use their printer while logged into your own account. It’s even possible to print from the Android and iPhone apps.

Conclusion

Pogoplug isn’t a perfect service, but it has definite advantages compared to cloud services. My situation is a great example. I have multiple computers that I need to keep synced, but Dropbox won’t work (for free) because the amount of data I need to sync is in excess of 10GB.

With this alternative, I’m not able to sync when one of my PCs is turned off, but that’s a trade-off I’m willing to make in exchange for the ability to freely transfer a very large volume of data. The Active Copy feature is an excellent way to keep my data backed up, as well.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.pogoplug.com/products-pogoplug-free-software.html">Give it a try and let us know what you think of it in the comments.  Any missing features you would like to see included?

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-files-folders-computers-mobile-devices-pogoplug-windows-mac/">Share Files & Folders With Computers & Mobile Devices Using Pogoplug [Windows & Mac] is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

More articles about: href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/backup/" title="backup" rel="tag">backup, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/cross-platform/" title="cross platform" rel="tag">cross platform, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/file-sharing/" title="file sharing" rel="tag">file sharing, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/mobile-phones/" title="mobile phones" rel="tag">mobile phones, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/printing/" title="printing" rel="tag">printing, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/streaming/" title="streaming" rel="tag">streaming />

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/shutterstock_61048210.png?54167" alt="mobile video player" />A few months ago, we covered the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-mobile-video-players-android-phone/">8 Best Mobile Video Players For The Android Phone. It’s now time to cover 3 brilliant video players for the iPhone. Not as many as for the Android but these three iPhone players don’t just play video. Each one has at least one unique feature that makes them stand out so you may choose to install either one or all of them.

Here are the top three that you should consider, next time you want to watch a video file on your iOS device.

class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/buzz-player/id389744738?mt=8">BUZZ Player

This is the basic player out of the three but don’t take that to mean that it’s not feature-rich. It just means that it doesn’t have a specialty, like the other two do. It has a lot of features, including :

• Subtitles and subtitle offset.
• A nice interface (yes, I consider that a feature).
• Playlists.
• Playing from network URL, SAMBA & FTP & uPnP sharing.
• Choosing which side the sound comes out from and boosting the volume above 100%.
• Changing the aspect ratio.
• Built-in web browser.
• Downloader & unzipper.
• Support for a lot of formats, including FLV, full HD quality (1920 x 1080), QuickTime formats (mp4, mov, m4v, mpv), DV quality (720 x 576), other media files, and more.

This application costs a measly £1.79 ($2.88) for iPhone 3Gs+ and the iPod touch 3G+. For phones and touches below that, you can buy the classic version for £1.19 ($1.90). Sadly the app is not universal, so if you have an iPad, you will have to buy the HD version for £2.39 ($3.82).

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/photo-2-1.png?54167" alt="mobile video player" width="480" height="320" />

class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/photo-1-1.png?54167" alt="video players for mobile phones" width="480" height="320" />

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/photo-5.png?54167" alt="video players for mobile phones" width="480" height="320" />

Supported Container Formats

3GP, AVI, ASF, FLV, MKV, MOV, MP4, NUT, Ogg, OGM, RealMedia, Bink, WMV, Xvid and DivX.

Supported Video Formats

Cinepak, DV, H.263, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, HuffYUV, Indeo, MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG 4 Part 2, RealVideo, Sorenson and Theora.

Supported Audio Formats

AAC, AC3, ALAC, AMR, DTS, FLAC, Intel Music Coder, Monkey’s Audio, MP3, Musepack, RealAudio, Shorten, Speex, Vorbis, WMA and Bink.

class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/video-stream/id342124650?mt=8">Video Stream

This app’s specialty is streaming from your computer. However, I find it to be much better than most other streaming programs as the developer has made a really powerful package. We’ve covered class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hassle-free-video-streaming-to-your-iphone-and-ipod-touch-with-air-video-windowsmac/">streaming videos to your iPhone and iPod touch before but this app’s REAL specialty, which distinguishes it from all the other streaming apps in the App Store, is conversion and downloading.

The server on the computer can not only stream the videos to the iPhone, it can also be put to work converting the videos on the computer and then pushing them for download directly onto the app. So even if you have forgotten to convert the files for streaming, the built-in converter means you never have to go to your computer directly.

The company used to offer a lite version which was ad-supported, but unfortunately, I could not find that anymore. It may have been temporarily pulled. The full version is £1.79 ($2.88), but unlike BUZZ Player, it’s universal, which means you only have to spend once to use the app on both the iPhone and the iPad.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/photo-5-1.png?54167" alt="video players for mobile phones" width="480" height="320" />

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/photo-4-1.jpg?54167" alt="mobile video player for mobile" width="320" height="480" />

class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/video-safe-no-1-for-video/id306066434?mt=8">Video Safe

This is another app by the developers of Video Stream. This app’s specialty is secret videos and images. What makes it stand out from the rest of the App Store however, is the Snoop Stopper. This is a handy feature which makes you look completely innocent if someone happens to open this app. Sure, if you have a jailbroken phone, some apps can masquerade as innocent things, or you can hide them. But for those who prefer a smoother experience, while appearing innocent, Video Safe has you covered.

The Snoop Stopper is basically a feature which loads some fake videos and pictures. So if you have some torrented videos (or anything else you want kept secret), just enter Snoop Stopper mode by entering the incorrect passcode, add some home videos and the like, then exit the app. Close it by clicking the minus button. Launch it again and if anyone enters the incorrect passcode, they will enter the fake vault. You can also use a special Snoop Stopper passcode, which if used, leads users to the fake vault.

The luxury of this app will cost you £2.39 ($3.82) but it’s not universal. You can also purchase Video Stream as an In-App Purchase from within Video Safe too if you want, since they’re made by the same company.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/photo-3-1.png?54167" alt="mobile video player" width="320" height="480" />

We’ve also covered class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/watch-type-video-iphone-ipad-ipod-touch/">VLC and OPlayer on this site before, which are two other possibilities you can look at.

Are these apps unique enough from each other that you would consider installing any or all of them? Do you know of any alternatives that can do the same for a cheaper price or even free? What are your favourite mobile video players for iOS devices? Let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61048210/stock-photo-a-flat-screen-television-has-a-blank-black-text-area-with-photo-images-coming-out-of-the-sides-of.html">Shutterstock

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-mobile-video-players-iphone/">The 3 Best Mobile Video Players For The iPhone is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/winmobile.png" alt="" />A few years ago, I covered a list of Windows Mobile apps, like the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/make-4-coolspy-gadgets-with-your-windows-mobile-phone/">4 spy apps or the 6 useful class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cool-downloads-for-your-college-kids-cellphone/">apps for college kids. Karl also hit on a number of cool apps for Windows Mobile, like the full class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-makeuseof-windows-mobile-guide-pdf/">PDF guide, and his list of sites to get the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-3-sites-to-download-windows-mobile-6-freeware">best freeware for WM6. But I’ve now switched to a Motorola Droid. The Cingular 8125 running Windows Mobile 5 has been stored away in my bedside drawer since 2010.

Recently, I’ve been building a home web server that I have running in my office without a keyboard or monitor attached. I connect to it class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-spy-on-your-spouse-with-your-computer/">via VNC from my laptop whenever I want to work on it. The other night, I stumbled upon my old Windows Mobile phone and at that moment, my brain started turning. Why do I have this great device stashed away in a drawer, when it could be put to good use? Even though there’s no cellular service, it still has Wi-Fi capability, so it can still serve as a little mobile computer.

Realizing that there are probably a lot of other people out there with devices like this collecting dust, I decided to transform this seemingly useless phone into a highly-useful, productive mobile network device.

Accessing Music & Information

Basically, I wanted to transform this device into a bedside tool that I could use to get instant access to news, music, and of course the time and calendar. I also wanted the device to have constant connectivity to my home network, for troubleshooting and working on the server.

The first order of business was to load up useful Internet-ready content apps. The first choice I went with was class="vt-p" href="http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-open-web-radio.html">OPENweb Radio. This application gives you access to streaming content from local radio stations all around the world. After installing the app and launching it, I found a few stations around here.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps0011.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

When you click to listen to the station, the streaming audio comes up in Windows Media Player. If you want to use the device as a bedside clock, having a radio is an obvious feature that it really needs.

I also wanted to make sure that the mobile device could also stream podcasts from around the web. I have a number of NPR (National Public Radio) podcasts that I really like, and being able to plug my headphones into my old WM5 phone and listen to them while lying in bed would be very cool. The best app for that is class="vt-p" href="http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/get-ppcpodcast-beta-6.html">PPC Podcast.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps0071.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

You can choose podcasts from the list of categories included with the app, or you can do like I do and just manually type in the RSS link for your favorite podcast feeds from throughout the Internet.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps008.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

Just like OpenWeb Radio, the content streaming takes place in Windows Media Player on the device.

Finally, I wanted to load the highest quality bedside clock app as possible on the WM5 device, and I discovered a pretty cool full-screen alarm clock app called class="vt-p" href="http://wolfclock.en.softonic.com/pocketpc">WolfClock that works on Windows Mobile 5 just fine.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps009.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

WolfClock is a fully customizable alarm clock application. You can completely change the color scheme and background of the display, and you can also modify how and when the clock runs, and what the alarm sounds like when it goes off. You can even set it to start the alarm soft and then increase the volume over time.

Network Monitoring Device

Even more than using the old device as a bedside clock and media device, I also wanted the ability to pick up the device and use it to access remote systems on my home network. One very useful app, particularly in a bedroom where you might have a computer running a video display across the room as a television, is class="vt-p" href="http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-remote-control.html">PPC Remote Control.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps0021.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

As you can see from the image above, you can use this app to control just about everything the computer can do. This includes launching and controlling PowerPoint presentations, controlling Windows Media Player, and even remotely controlling the PC mouse and keyboard.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps003.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

Surprisingly, mouse and keyboard control is very intuitive and easy to use, even on an old Windows Mobile 5 device with an old-style touchscreen that requires a little more pressure than today’s touchscreens.

The app that I was really looking forward to using was the class="vt-p" href="http://www.jamlent.com/2009/11/remote-control-your-pc-with-vnc/">VNC Viewer. All I needed to do was install a VNC Viewer on this old WM5 phone and I can connect to my web server just like I’m sitting in front of it.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps005.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

Of course, when you’re network troubleshooting, you want the ability to quickly check out the integrity of your connections. Ping is required for that, and the perfect app to perform ping with your old WM phone is class="vt-p" href="http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-pingbox-v1-4.html">PingBox.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps006.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

Just type in the IP to check, click on “Ping“, and the app takes care of the rest.

Finally, the last monitoring tool that I find nice to have handy is the PPC Interface tool which provides a graphical display of all traffic in and out of the Windows Mobile device.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wm5apps010.png" alt="" width="375" height="500" />

As you can see, it seems silly to store away a perfectly good smartphone in the back of a drawer, when there are so many cool things you can still do with that device. The fact that it can still access the Internet through Wi-Fi means that it can become a fully-functioning mobile computer. All you have to do is install the apps above, and you’re in business.

Do you have any old mobile devices hanging around the house? Have you reused them as useful wireless devices on your home network? Share some of your own ideas and experiences in the comments section below.

Image Credit: class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/988579">Stephen Davies

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-apps-windows-mobile-phone/">10 Apps To Make Your Old Windows Mobile Phone Useful is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/intro7.jpg" alt="track halo stats" />Halo is one of the most successful console franchises ever, and if you’re an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/xbox360">Xbox 360 owner both Halo 3 and the latest incarnation, Halo: Reach, are must-have games. Of course, you probably already knew that – especially if you’ve been playing online for a good while.

All that time you’ve been pummelling foes and sucking up bullets the folks who brought you the game have been quietly recording your every move. You can access your statistics online using your web browser and now on-the-go using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. The level of detail recorded on the website is impressive to say the least, and if you’re an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios">iOS user then there’s even a couple of in-game rewards to sink your teeth into!

Bungie Mobile – Halo as you Go

Once you’ve downloaded the class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bungie-mobile/id441444902?mt=8">Bungie Mobile app on iTunes and logged in (using your Windows Live ID, which is tied to your Xbox Live gamertag) you have limited access to your challenge and commendation progress on the Profile tab. Unfortunately I was only able to choose Halo: Reach stats from Bungie mobile, even though I have plenty of Halo 3 stats on Bungie’s servers.

Fairly quick access to challenges (especially daily and weekly challenges) is very useful, as checking this in-game can be a bit of a drag, especially when you just want to play the game. Players who often play split-screen will find this useful as they won’t have to interrupt the other party’s session with boring statistics.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_overview.jpg" alt="track halo stats" width="333" height="500" />

As well as challenges and commendations, there’s a View Spartan button which fetches the last known configuration of your character, complete with custom armour. If you hit the small plug button in the top right corner of the View Spartan screen then you’ll be prompted to save the picture to your camera roll.

This might seem a bit pointless, but the image makes a nice unique-to-you class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tips-improve-desktop-wallpaper/">wallpaper for both your home and lock screens. There is a More Details button on your profile tab also, and this opens up the Bungie site in Safari – we’ll come to that in a bit.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_lockscreen.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="333" height="500" />

In addition to the profile tab, there’s Find which allows you to search for friends by gamertag (and displays the same information that you’d find on your own overview), News which is… news and More, which features a link to Bungie and some other boring bits.

But wait… there’s also a Love Bungie tab! This is where you can claim your rewards for simply signing up to the Bungie Mobile service. Two rewards are available – Blue Flames and the All-Star Nameplate.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_lovebungie.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="333" height="500" />

You’ll need to activate each (only once) before turning on class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/caring-xbox-360-tips-fixing-dead-console/">your Xbox, launching Halo and heading to the Armory section to apply your prizes. The Blue Flames is an armour effect, causing pretty blue flames to emanate from your Spartan’s helmet, and the All-Star Nameplate places a small star alongside your name and emblem in the scoreboards.

The Blue Flames is single-use (meaning you must sign into the iOS app from your gamertag to enable it) however the All-Star Nameplate can be gifted to 7 of your friends. That’s pretty much it for Bungie Mobile, if you want some really in-depth analysis you’d better check out…

Bungie.net – A Wealth Of Stats and More

Leaving the mobile platform alone for the moment, Bungie also supplies an impressive resource for gamers via its class="vt-p" href="http://www.bungie.net/">online Bungie.net service, which tracks nearly everything you do and provides space to store and share media.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/overview.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="575" height="369" />

Bungie.net provides a far more in-depth look at your Halo habit. You can filter by game (Reach, ODST and Halo 3) and access your Game History in exquisite detail, right down to individual game scores, medals and any files (screenshots or video) that relate to that particular match.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/gameoverview.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="580" height="558" />

One of the more intriguing and potentially useful features are personalised heatmaps of the levels you play. This works for Halo 3, ODST and Reach and essentially shows you a top-down image of a map with areas of interest highlighted.

style="text-align: left;">You can choose to show kills or deaths and even narrow it down to a particular weapon. If you’re the type who likes to analyse your playing style, heatmaps will probably give you an idea of where you’re going wrong (areas you’re always dying in) and what you’re doing right (lots of kills).

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/heatmap.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="523" height="519" />

Finally there’s your File Share, which is a public area to share map variants, custom game types, screenshots and videos you have taken in-game. Unfortunately you’ll need to pay for a Bungie Pro account to class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hassle-free-video-streaming-to-your-iphone-and-ipod-touch-with-air-video-windowsmac/">stream video (it has to render it for you, after all) but screenshots don’t cost.

Once you’ve uploaded an in-game screenshot you can retrieve a high resolution image to do what you want with from your File Share. The website also tags you in the picture much in the same way Facebook does!

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/screenshot.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="580" height="460" />

Conclusion

If you’re a die-hard Halo fan who hasn’t checked out the wealth of stats and other goodies on either the Bungie.net service or Bungie Mobile then you’re in for a treat. If you’re really dedicated then you can upgrade to Bungie Pro for streaming videos of past games and files, more space to share things and some class="vt-p" href="http://www.bungie.net/projects/bungiepro/default.aspx">other benefits for 320 Microsoft Points per six months.

Have you tried Bungie Mobile? How about Bungie.net? Spartans report in via the comments box below.

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/track-halo-stats-bungienet-bungie-mobile-ios-app/">Keep Track Of Your Halo Stats With Bungie.net & The Bungie Mobile iOS App is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/intro7.jpg" alt="track halo stats" />Halo is one of the most successful console franchises ever, and if you’re an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/xbox360">Xbox 360 owner both Halo 3 and the latest incarnation, Halo: Reach, are must-have games. Of course, you probably already knew that – especially if you’ve been playing online for a good while.

All that time you’ve been pummelling foes and sucking up bullets the folks who brought you the game have been quietly recording your every move. You can access your statistics online using your web browser and now on-the-go using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. The level of detail recorded on the website is impressive to say the least, and if you’re an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios">iOS user then there’s even a couple of in-game rewards to sink your teeth into!

Bungie Mobile – Halo as you Go

Once you’ve downloaded the class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bungie-mobile/id441444902?mt=8">Bungie Mobile app on iTunes and logged in (using your Windows Live ID, which is tied to your Xbox Live gamertag) you have limited access to your challenge and commendation progress on the Profile tab. Unfortunately I was only able to choose Halo: Reach stats from Bungie mobile, even though I have plenty of Halo 3 stats on Bungie’s servers.

Fairly quick access to challenges (especially daily and weekly challenges) is very useful, as checking this in-game can be a bit of a drag, especially when you just want to play the game. Players who often play split-screen will find this useful as they won’t have to interrupt the other party’s session with boring statistics.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_overview.jpg" alt="track halo stats" width="333" height="500" />

As well as challenges and commendations, there’s a View Spartan button which fetches the last known configuration of your character, complete with custom armour. If you hit the small plug button in the top right corner of the View Spartan screen then you’ll be prompted to save the picture to your camera roll.

This might seem a bit pointless, but the image makes a nice unique-to-you class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tips-improve-desktop-wallpaper/">wallpaper for both your home and lock screens. There is a More Details button on your profile tab also, and this opens up the Bungie site in Safari – we’ll come to that in a bit.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_lockscreen.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="333" height="500" />

In addition to the profile tab, there’s Find which allows you to search for friends by gamertag (and displays the same information that you’d find on your own overview), News which is… news and More, which features a link to Bungie and some other boring bits.

But wait… there’s also a Love Bungie tab! This is where you can claim your rewards for simply signing up to the Bungie Mobile service. Two rewards are available – Blue Flames and the All-Star Nameplate.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_lovebungie.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="333" height="500" />

You’ll need to activate each (only once) before turning on class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/caring-xbox-360-tips-fixing-dead-console/">your Xbox, launching Halo and heading to the Armory section to apply your prizes. The Blue Flames is an armour effect, causing pretty blue flames to emanate from your Spartan’s helmet, and the All-Star Nameplate places a small star alongside your name and emblem in the scoreboards.

The Blue Flames is single-use (meaning you must sign into the iOS app from your gamertag to enable it) however the All-Star Nameplate can be gifted to 7 of your friends. That’s pretty much it for Bungie Mobile, if you want some really in-depth analysis you’d better check out…

Bungie.net – A Wealth Of Stats and More

Leaving the mobile platform alone for the moment, Bungie also supplies an impressive resource for gamers via its class="vt-p" href="http://www.bungie.net/">online Bungie.net service, which tracks nearly everything you do and provides space to store and share media.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/overview.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="575" height="369" />

Bungie.net provides a far more in-depth look at your Halo habit. You can filter by game (Reach, ODST and Halo 3) and access your Game History in exquisite detail, right down to individual game scores, medals and any files (screenshots or video) that relate to that particular match.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/gameoverview.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="580" height="558" />

One of the more intriguing and potentially useful features are personalised heatmaps of the levels you play. This works for Halo 3, ODST and Reach and essentially shows you a top-down image of a map with areas of interest highlighted.

style="text-align: left;">You can choose to show kills or deaths and even narrow it down to a particular weapon. If you’re the type who likes to analyse your playing style, heatmaps will probably give you an idea of where you’re going wrong (areas you’re always dying in) and what you’re doing right (lots of kills).

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/heatmap.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="523" height="519" />

Finally there’s your File Share, which is a public area to share map variants, custom game types, screenshots and videos you have taken in-game. Unfortunately you’ll need to pay for a Bungie Pro account to class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hassle-free-video-streaming-to-your-iphone-and-ipod-touch-with-air-video-windowsmac/">stream video (it has to render it for you, after all) but screenshots don’t cost.

Once you’ve uploaded an in-game screenshot you can retrieve a high resolution image to do what you want with from your File Share. The website also tags you in the picture much in the same way Facebook does!

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/screenshot.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="580" height="460" />

Conclusion

If you’re a die-hard Halo fan who hasn’t checked out the wealth of stats and other goodies on either the Bungie.net service or Bungie Mobile then you’re in for a treat. If you’re really dedicated then you can upgrade to Bungie Pro for streaming videos of past games and files, more space to share things and some class="vt-p" href="http://www.bungie.net/projects/bungiepro/default.aspx">other benefits for 320 Microsoft Points per six months.

Have you tried Bungie Mobile? How about Bungie.net? Spartans report in via the comments box below.

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/track-halo-stats-bungienet-bungie-mobile-ios-app/">Keep Track Of Your Halo Stats With Bungie.net & The Bungie Mobile iOS App is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

More articles about: href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/fps/" title="fps" rel="tag">fps, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/information/" title="information" rel="tag">information, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios/" title="iOS" rel="tag">iOS, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/mobile-apps/" title="Mobile Apps" rel="tag">Mobile Apps, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/statistics/" title="statistics" rel="tag">statistics, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/xbox-360/" title="xbox 360" rel="tag">xbox 360 />

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View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/intro7.jpg" alt="track halo stats" />Halo is one of the most successful console franchises ever, and if you’re an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/xbox360">Xbox 360 owner both Halo 3 and the latest incarnation, Halo: Reach, are must-have games. Of course, you probably already knew that – especially if you’ve been playing online for a good while.

All that time you’ve been pummelling foes and sucking up bullets the folks who brought you the game have been quietly recording your every move. You can access your statistics online using your web browser and now on-the-go using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. The level of detail recorded on the website is impressive to say the least, and if you’re an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios">iOS user then there’s even a couple of in-game rewards to sink your teeth into!

Bungie Mobile – Halo as you Go

Once you’ve downloaded the class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bungie-mobile/id441444902?mt=8">Bungie Mobile app on iTunes and logged in (using your Windows Live ID, which is tied to your Xbox Live gamertag) you have limited access to your challenge and commendation progress on the Profile tab. Unfortunately I was only able to choose Halo: Reach stats from Bungie mobile, even though I have plenty of Halo 3 stats on Bungie’s servers.

Fairly quick access to challenges (especially daily and weekly challenges) is very useful, as checking this in-game can be a bit of a drag, especially when you just want to play the game. Players who often play split-screen will find this useful as they won’t have to interrupt the other party’s session with boring statistics.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_overview.jpg" alt="track halo stats" width="333" height="500" />

As well as challenges and commendations, there’s a View Spartan button which fetches the last known configuration of your character, complete with custom armour. If you hit the small plug button in the top right corner of the View Spartan screen then you’ll be prompted to save the picture to your camera roll.

This might seem a bit pointless, but the image makes a nice unique-to-you class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tips-improve-desktop-wallpaper/">wallpaper for both your home and lock screens. There is a More Details button on your profile tab also, and this opens up the Bungie site in Safari – we’ll come to that in a bit.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_lockscreen.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="333" height="500" />

In addition to the profile tab, there’s Find which allows you to search for friends by gamertag (and displays the same information that you’d find on your own overview), News which is… news and More, which features a link to Bungie and some other boring bits.

But wait… there’s also a Love Bungie tab! This is where you can claim your rewards for simply signing up to the Bungie Mobile service. Two rewards are available – Blue Flames and the All-Star Nameplate.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mobile_lovebungie.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="333" height="500" />

You’ll need to activate each (only once) before turning on class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/caring-xbox-360-tips-fixing-dead-console/">your Xbox, launching Halo and heading to the Armory section to apply your prizes. The Blue Flames is an armour effect, causing pretty blue flames to emanate from your Spartan’s helmet, and the All-Star Nameplate places a small star alongside your name and emblem in the scoreboards.

The Blue Flames is single-use (meaning you must sign into the iOS app from your gamertag to enable it) however the All-Star Nameplate can be gifted to 7 of your friends. That’s pretty much it for Bungie Mobile, if you want some really in-depth analysis you’d better check out…

Bungie.net – A Wealth Of Stats and More

Leaving the mobile platform alone for the moment, Bungie also supplies an impressive resource for gamers via its class="vt-p" href="http://www.bungie.net/">online Bungie.net service, which tracks nearly everything you do and provides space to store and share media.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/overview.jpg" alt="halo stats analyzer" width="575" height="369" />

Bungie.net provides a far more in-depth look at your Halo habit. You can filter by game (Reach, ODST and Halo 3) and access your Game History in exquisite detail, right down to individual game scores, medals and any files (screenshots or video) that relate to that particular match.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/gameoverview.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="580" height="558" />

One of the more intriguing and potentially useful features are personalised heatmaps of the levels you play. This works for Halo 3, ODST and Reach and essentially shows you a top-down image of a map with areas of interest highlighted.

style="text-align: left;">You can choose to show kills or deaths and even narrow it down to a particular weapon. If you’re the type who likes to analyse your playing style, heatmaps will probably give you an idea of where you’re going wrong (areas you’re always dying in) and what you’re doing right (lots of kills).

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/heatmap.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="523" height="519" />

Finally there’s your File Share, which is a public area to share map variants, custom game types, screenshots and videos you have taken in-game. Unfortunately you’ll need to pay for a Bungie Pro account to class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hassle-free-video-streaming-to-your-iphone-and-ipod-touch-with-air-video-windowsmac/">stream video (it has to render it for you, after all) but screenshots don’t cost.

Once you’ve uploaded an in-game screenshot you can retrieve a high resolution image to do what you want with from your File Share. The website also tags you in the picture much in the same way Facebook does!

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/screenshot.jpg" alt="halo stats" width="580" height="460" />

Conclusion

If you’re a die-hard Halo fan who hasn’t checked out the wealth of stats and other goodies on either the Bungie.net service or Bungie Mobile then you’re in for a treat. If you’re really dedicated then you can upgrade to Bungie Pro for streaming videos of past games and files, more space to share things and some class="vt-p" href="http://www.bungie.net/projects/bungiepro/default.aspx">other benefits for 320 Microsoft Points per six months.

Have you tried Bungie Mobile? How about Bungie.net? Spartans report in via the comments box below. />
/>Need Assistance? Ask questions to MakeUseOf staff and thousands of other readers on href="http://www.makeuseof.dev/answers/" target="_blank" >MakeUseOf Answers!

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href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/track-halo-stats-bungienet-bungie-mobile-ios-app/">Keep Track Of Your Halo Stats With Bungie.net & The Bungie Mobile iOS App is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/00_join_me_logo-1.jpg" alt="web conference call" />Your friend has called. They have a problem with their computer and are asking for your expertise. You want to help, but it’s a bit difficult to assist your friend if you can only rely on their limited oral description and your imagination. Everything would be so much easier if you could see what’s on the screen, and if possible take control of their computer from your computer.

You can probably think of several other occasions when you would need to class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tag/screen-sharing/">share computer screens and maybe do something on the remote computer. There are class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-easy-screen-sharing-and-remote-access-tools-all-free/">several applications – both desktop and online – that can help you to do that. But class="vt-p" href="https://join.me/">join.me is probably the easiest of them all. It’s the simplest way to have a web conference call between computers. The product comes from LogMeIn, the name behind class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-your-desktop-remotely-with-multiple-viewers-easily-with-logmein-express/">LogMeIn Express.

Let’s Start The Conference

To start a web conference, all you have to do is visit the class="vt-p" href="https://join.me">join.me website from any class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/windows/">Windows or class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/mac/">Mac computer and click on the orange “share” button. Registration is not needed, but you can register for the paid pro version if you need more bells and whistles.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/01a_share.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference call" width="580" height="200" />

If this is your first encounter with join.me, you will be asked to download a little application/java applet to your computer. The applet will be your main interface to access the web conference.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/01c_dl_Java_Applet.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference" width="525" height="131" />

After the download has finished, the application will open and connect to the web. You will see a set of numbers in a link that will identify your conference session. The link is called the “viewer link“. You can copy the link to the Windows clipboard to be used later or send it via email to your friends. The numbers will change every time you start another conference.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/02b_java_applet-2.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference" width="350" height="140" />

Now you are ready to have a web conference.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/02c_applet1-2.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference" width="310" height="120" />

There are five buttons on the interface: The first one is the “Get conference number” button, followed by “Chat“, start/pause “Share screen“, “Participants“, and the last one is the “Share control” button.

Let’s Join The Conference

Joining a conference is also easy. On the right side of join.me’s main page, put the viewer number in the “join” field and press the arrow button. If you are the one who started the conference, share the viewer number to your friends so they can join your conference.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/01b_join.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference service" width="580" height="200" />

The conference application will open after you click the green button. You’ll notice that the color of the buttons is green on the participant’s side. The features are almost the same. The only difference between the orange and green side is the middle button.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/05b_on_client_side.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference service" width="280" height="100" />

The number on the fourth button shows you how many participants there are in the conference. Clicking on the button will show you a list of attendees. You can edit your own name on the list by double clicking on it and retyping the word. However, you can’t edit other people’s names.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/04c_viewer.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference service" width="300" height="260" />

Using Join.me

Now that everybody has arrived, what’s next? What can you do with join.me?

For a start, if you are the host and you have more than one monitor, you can choose which monitor you want to share with the others. To do that, click the small arrow button on the right.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/03a_share_monitor.jpg" border="0" alt="03a share monitor" width="450" height="200" />

The chat button allows you to send messages to one of the participants, or to everybody. Click the button to start, then use the dropdown list at the bottom to choose the recipient(s).

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/04_chat.jpg" border="0" alt="04 chat" width="272" height="328" />

You can also send files to the participants. Click the “Participants” button and hover your mouse over one of the names. Then click the square button in the middle.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/04e_extra_menu.jpg" border="0" alt="04e extra menu" width="272" height="150" />

To let other participants control your computer, click the “Share control” button and choose one of the names. Only participants who access the conference from a personal computer can take over another’s computer. Those who access the conference from a mobile device can only monitor.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/04g_share_control.jpg" border="0" alt="04g share control" width="300" height="240" />

Let’s Go Mobile

Other than web access from a personal computer, join.me is also accessible from mobile devices. At the moment, the mobile access is only available from iOS devices like the  class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/iphone/">iPhone and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ipad/">iPad. But the developer has promised that the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/android/">Android version is on the way.

After downloading and installing the iOS app, open it, write down the viewer code, and tap on the green button.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/07b_insert_code.jpg" border="0" alt="07b insert code" width="320" height="460" />

The shared screen will appear on your device’s screen. But there are only three features available via mobile access: Conference number, Chat, and Participants.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/07b_computer_screen_on_iOS.jpg" border="0" alt="07b computer screen on iOS" width="460" height="290" />

This kind of arrangement is good if the one with mobile access will only give comments and advice to other participants without the need to take control of another computer.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/07e_chat.jpg" border="0" alt="07e chat" width="320" height="460" />

The End Of The Conference

To end the conference, click the small “X” button on the application. First time users will be asked to install the app so future meetings can start faster.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/06_close.jpg" border="0" alt="web conference call" width="300" height="230" />

So if you need to set up a quick web conference call with your friends, try join.me and tell us what you think about it. But please note that the quality of the conference will really depend on the speed of your Internet connection.

If you know or use other similar services and applications, such as  class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/be-a-remote-support-superhero/">TeamViewer, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/almostmeet-online-group-collaboration/">AlmostMeet, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/dimdim-excellent-free-web-conferencing-solution/">Dimdim or class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/remote-pc-assistance-with-crossloop/">Crossloop, please share them using the comments below.

Image credit: class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="https://join.me/">join.me />
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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/intro13.jpg" alt="become a citizen journalist" />When a big story breaks, and there’s no journalist around to hear it – does the news still have a voice? The guys behind Meporter, an intriguing new location-aware news app certainly think so – and they’d like to put you forward for the job. Everyone’s a citizen journalist these days, as more and more news stories comprise of grainy (though not always) camera phone video or blurry shots that only an eye-witness could have captured.

The recently launched class="vt-p" href="http://www.meporter.com/">Meporter is your chance to streamline the citizen journalist role. Currently there’s only an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/iphone">iPhone app available, though both class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/android">Android and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/blackberry">Blackberry versions are on the cards and hopefully won’t take too long.

You Stay Classy, San Diego

The main problem with citizen journalism is the often amateur nature of an untrained reporter in the wild. Don’t expect the “ class="vt-p" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ws">6 Ws” (what, where, who, why, when and how) in your opening paragraph, and don’t expect a highly detailed news story with quotes, figures and perfect wording either.

Instead what you will often find is a rough description and (hopefully) pictures or video of a news event, shot at the scene. The point I’m making here is that Meporter will not become class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/google-reader/">your primary news app, mainly due to a lack of proper reporting.

This isn’t to say it’s not useful, and more to the point quite fun. Many events reported on Meporter have yet to (or never will) make it to the national press, and there’s a vast range of news, views and content to explore. The service accepts submissions in categories such as opinion, nightlife and entertainment as well as the traffic, weather and general news reports you’d expect to see.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/use_location.jpg" alt="become a citizen journalist" width="333" height="500" />

As the app is location-aware, the first screen you’ll see (after class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/meporter-local-area-news-events/id419659270?mt=8">the download and granting permission to use your location) is your local area, with reports marked on the map with red pins. At first it took a while to load stories, with news pins seemingly vanishing. After a few minutes the app settled down, and I was able to read some local news and goings on.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/main_map.jpg" alt="" width="333" height="500" />

Panning around the map allows you to browse global reports, tapping a pin will reveal the report title and tapping it a further time loads the story. Afoot each story are 4 buttons – Favorite which marks the story for later, Eyewitness which allows you to “check in” and verify the story, Directions which is fairly obvious and Share for posting to social networks.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/newswire.jpg" alt="how to become a citizen journalist" width="333" height="500" />

As well as the Map view, there also exists a Newswire panel which lists all stories coming in. It’s not a bad way to see what’s happening though unfortunately you can’t filter by region (you can still filter by category). On this screen it is also possible to subscribe to and follow particular users, though you’ll need to register first.

Making Headlines

Registering allows you to produce content, communicate with other Meporters and customize your very own profile. Within the app, tap Profile then Join and fill out the registration form. Once joined, finding associates that might be using the service is pretty easy over on the Friends tab.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/friends.jpg" alt="how to become a citizen journalist" width="333" height="500" />

Next you’ll want to prepare a news post, on the Post tab. You’ll need to give your story a title and some body text with the option of adding a photo or video as well. Choose a category and tag your location (automatic if access to GPS is granted) before choosing whether to class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/2-ways-to-add-social-bookmarking-buttons-to-your-blog/">post to Twitter or Facebook as well.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/create_post.jpg" alt="how to become a citizen journalist" width="333" height="500" />

Unless the building across the road is on fire, you’ll need to find something decent worth posting. There’s plenty of categories to choose from, including classified adverts and weather reports if you’re especially short on material (I was).

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/my_weather.jpg" alt="become a citizen journalist" width="333" height="500" />

Once you’ve posted a story or two, you’ll begin to earn “Press Passes” which are essentially the same as class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/check-mayor-favorite-venues-foursquare/">badges on Foursquare or class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/discover-favorites-entertainment-getglue/">stickers on GetGlue – trophies from your past reportage. This isn’t a bad touch, though it has less “punch” here than say Foursquare because Meporter seems to be far more useful in the first place.

From here on out it’s up to you to find news, check out local happenings and share your findings online for all to see before the media get their hands on it. Of course, it doesn’t have to be newsworthy provided it’s interesting and fits into one of the categories!

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9GZYv6oYxU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9GZYv6oYxU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always">

Conclusion

Meporter is a fun app that currently suffers from a lack of reporters. At the moment it’s up to the iPhone crowd to provide the news, but hopefully with Android and Blackberry apps on the way they’ll be joined by an army of additional mobile correspondents in the coming months.

If you ever find yourself in the thick of it, Meporter can help get the story out there in record time. Joining Meporter at this early stage in the game earns you the Million Man press pass, entering you into a competition to win cash and other prizes as Meporter attempts to build up a solid userbase of at least one million active users.

What do you think of Meporter and other citizen journalist projects? Useful, fun or a waste of time? Will you use the Android or Blackberry versions when they land? Let us know what you think in the comments. />
/>Need Assistance? Ask questions to MakeUseOf staff and thousands of other readers on href="http://www.makeuseof.dev/answers/" target="_blank" >MakeUseOf Answers!

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View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/0_mobli.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" />Photo sharing apps have officially taken off, thanks primarily to mobile devices. These kinds of apps let you take pictures on your phone and share them with your social graph. There are a lot of great apps out there that promote social photo sharing, like href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-life-photos-free-instagram-app-iphone/">Instagram, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/color-hottest-smartphone-photo-sharing-app-androidiphone/">Color, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/path-personal-photo-sharing-app-waiting-iphone/">Path, and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-iphone-android-photos-style-picplz/">Picplz, for starters. Each of these applications has seen success in the mobile space and is helping to transform how we use our phones, and they all offer something unique that makes them worth using.

Enter Mobli, the iPhone media sharing app that instantaneously uploads your pictures and videos in the background while taking them. This app is hot on the scene with plenty of interesting features to get us all excited about. In this article, I’ll show you what those features are and why you should add Mobli to your photo sharing arsenal.

What Is Mobli?

href="http://www.mobli.com/">Mobli enables people to quickly and easily share high-quality photos and videos that are uploaded in real-time. With the integration of channels and geo-location, users can share their events and experiences with communities of individuals looking to do the same thing.

“Mobli is a real-time visual media platform made up of subject-based channels such as people, places, and topics. Mobli enables users to see the world through other people’s eyes!”

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.07.50-PM.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" width="324" height="483" />

Simply put, Mobli is great for seeing what’s going on somewhere you couldn’t be and for showing others the cool places you do go to. Whether you’re at a concert or sporting event, Mobli gives you the platform to connect with others and watch “Channels”.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.06.30-PM.jpg" alt="iphone photo sharing app free" width="323" height="480" />

For instance, let’s say it’s Sunday and your favorite football team is playing. If you are at home watching the game, you can use Mobli to view your team’s Channel and see any photo or video taken during the game in your feed. You can interact with other fans and “see” the game from different angles, making it feel like you are there. If you are there, you can share content directly from your seat.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.06.43-PM.jpg" alt="iphone photo sharing app free" width="322" height="481" />

On Mobli, you can see what is happening as it happens through a live feed, as well as view what is going on around you at any time. You can also leave comments and interact with others socially through pictures and videos.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.07.30-PM.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" width="323" height="483" />

If you would like to share the photos and videos you take with Mobli with your personal networks, you can connect the app to your Facebook, Twitter, and email accounts as well.

Conclusion

Mobli is currently available for href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobli/id426679976?mt=8#">iOS devices (iTunes link) with versions of the mobile app for Android and BlackBerry still in alpha. You can head over to Mobli’s href="http://www.mobli.com/">homepage to check out what’s popular and see the types of Channels and photos you’re likely to find on the app.

I’m a fan of social photo sharing apps, and even though there is certainly a lot of competition in this space this generation of apps seems to be thriving. I like the idea of using my photos to help depict an event I’m at rather than just putting them on display for everyone to see.  What do you think? />
/>Need Assistance? Ask questions to MakeUseOf staff and thousands of other readers on href="http://www.makeuseof.dev/answers/" target="_blank" >MakeUseOf Answers!

/>

 

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View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/0_mobli.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" />Photo sharing apps have officially taken off, thanks primarily to mobile devices. These kinds of apps let you take pictures on your phone and share them with your social graph. There are a lot of great apps out there that promote social photo sharing, like href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-life-photos-free-instagram-app-iphone/">Instagram, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/color-hottest-smartphone-photo-sharing-app-androidiphone/">Color, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/path-personal-photo-sharing-app-waiting-iphone/">Path, and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-iphone-android-photos-style-picplz/">Picplz, for starters. Each of these applications has seen success in the mobile space and is helping to transform how we use our phones, and they all offer something unique that makes them worth using.

Enter Mobli, the iPhone media sharing app that instantaneously uploads your pictures and videos in the background while taking them. This app is hot on the scene with plenty of interesting features to get us all excited about. In this article, I’ll show you what those features are and why you should add Mobli to your photo sharing arsenal.

What Is Mobli?

href="http://www.mobli.com/">Mobli enables people to quickly and easily share high-quality photos and videos that are uploaded in real-time. With the integration of channels and geo-location, users can share their events and experiences with communities of individuals looking to do the same thing.

“Mobli is a real-time visual media platform made up of subject-based channels such as people, places, and topics. Mobli enables users to see the world through other people’s eyes!”

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.07.50-PM.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" width="324" height="483" />

Simply put, Mobli is great for seeing what’s going on somewhere you couldn’t be and for showing others the cool places you do go to. Whether you’re at a concert or sporting event, Mobli gives you the platform to connect with others and watch “Channels”.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.06.30-PM.jpg" alt="iphone photo sharing app free" width="323" height="480" />

For instance, let’s say it’s Sunday and your favorite football team is playing. If you are at home watching the game, you can use Mobli to view your team’s Channel and see any photo or video taken during the game in your feed. You can interact with other fans and “see” the game from different angles, making it feel like you are there. If you are there, you can share content directly from your seat.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.06.43-PM.jpg" alt="iphone photo sharing app free" width="322" height="481" />

On Mobli, you can see what is happening as it happens through a live feed, as well as view what is going on around you at any time. You can also leave comments and interact with others socially through pictures and videos.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.07.30-PM.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" width="323" height="483" />

If you would like to share the photos and videos you take with Mobli with your personal networks, you can connect the app to your Facebook, Twitter, and email accounts as well.

Conclusion

Mobli is currently available for href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobli/id426679976?mt=8#">iOS devices (iTunes link) with versions of the mobile app for Android and BlackBerry still in alpha. You can head over to Mobli’s href="http://www.mobli.com/">homepage to check out what’s popular and see the types of Channels and photos you’re likely to find on the app.

I’m a fan of social photo sharing apps, and even though there is certainly a lot of competition in this space this generation of apps seems to be thriving. I like the idea of using my photos to help depict an event I’m at rather than just putting them on display for everyone to see.  What do you think? />
/> Follow href="http://twitter.com/MakeUseOf" target="_blank" >MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/0_mobli.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" />Photo sharing apps have officially taken off, thanks primarily to mobile devices. These kinds of apps let you take pictures on your phone and share them with your social graph. There are a lot of great apps out there that promote social photo sharing, like href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-life-photos-free-instagram-app-iphone/">Instagram, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/color-hottest-smartphone-photo-sharing-app-androidiphone/">Color, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/path-personal-photo-sharing-app-waiting-iphone/">Path, and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/share-iphone-android-photos-style-picplz/">Picplz, for starters. Each of these applications has seen success in the mobile space and is helping to transform how we use our phones, and they all offer something unique that makes them worth using.

Enter Mobli, the iPhone media sharing app that instantaneously uploads your pictures and videos in the background while taking them. This app is hot on the scene with plenty of interesting features to get us all excited about. In this article, I’ll show you what those features are and why you should add Mobli to your photo sharing arsenal.

What Is Mobli?

href="http://www.mobli.com/">Mobli enables people to quickly and easily share high-quality photos and videos that are uploaded in real-time. With the integration of channels and geo-location, users can share their events and experiences with communities of individuals looking to do the same thing.

“Mobli is a real-time visual media platform made up of subject-based channels such as people, places, and topics. Mobli enables users to see the world through other people’s eyes!”

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.07.50-PM.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" width="324" height="483" />

Simply put, Mobli is great for seeing what’s going on somewhere you couldn’t be and for showing others the cool places you do go to. Whether you’re at a concert or sporting event, Mobli gives you the platform to connect with others and watch “Channels”.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.06.30-PM.jpg" alt="iphone photo sharing app free" width="323" height="480" />

For instance, let’s say it’s Sunday and your favorite football team is playing. If you are at home watching the game, you can use Mobli to view your team’s Channel and see any photo or video taken during the game in your feed. You can interact with other fans and “see” the game from different angles, making it feel like you are there. If you are there, you can share content directly from your seat.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.06.43-PM.jpg" alt="iphone photo sharing app free" width="322" height="481" />

On Mobli, you can see what is happening as it happens through a live feed, as well as view what is going on around you at any time. You can also leave comments and interact with others socially through pictures and videos.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-23-at-1.07.30-PM.jpg" alt="iphone media sharing app" width="323" height="483" />

If you would like to share the photos and videos you take with Mobli with your personal networks, you can connect the app to your Facebook, Twitter, and email accounts as well.

Conclusion

Mobli is currently available for href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobli/id426679976?mt=8#">iOS devices (iTunes link) with versions of the mobile app for Android and BlackBerry still in alpha. You can head over to Mobli’s href="http://www.mobli.com/">homepage to check out what’s popular and see the types of Channels and photos you’re likely to find on the app.

I’m a fan of social photo sharing apps, and even though there is certainly a lot of competition in this space this generation of apps seems to be thriving. I like the idea of using my photos to help depict an event I’m at rather than just putting them on display for everyone to see.  What do you think? />
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