Macworld ran several benchmark tests on the new iPhone 5s and it kicked some serious ass.
Macworld Benchmark
New From Smile: PDFpen Scan+
It’s always fun unloading nerdy secrets and this one has been weighing on me. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I like to use optical character recognition in my PDFs and I’ve never been entirely happy with the options for pulling this off with my iPhone or iPad. Not anymore.
Today Smile released PDFpen Scan+, an app designed to capture documents and images and turn them into OCR’d PDF images. I’ve been using it in the day job for a month and it works great.
The workflow is pretty simple:
1. Shoot a picture of a document, or look at an existing picture.
2. Set borders and save to PDF.
3. Apply OCR and watch the magic happen. The application supports 16 languages.
The app will send the completed PDF with OCR to PDFpen or any other PDF-friendly app. You can also send it away via email or up to your cloud storage. PDFpen Scan+ is another outstanding app by an outstanding group of people. There is an introductory price of $4.99 but it is going to go up so get it now.
Also, here’s a small video I made.
iOS 7 Wallpaper Apps
I’m a fan of subtle wallpaper on the iOS Springboard. Today Federico Viticci at MacStories ran an article with a few good app recommendations to help you create your own.
Six Zeros
Apple reports selling nine million iPhones over the weekend. Just to clarify that is a 9 followed by 6 zeros.
Sponsor: Cleartones
I’m real excited to welcome a new sponsor this week, Cleartones. Like it or not, people judge us by our ringtones. Use one of the stock Apple ringtones and it shows you just aren’t trying. Create your own Kenny G ringtone and I lose all respect for you. For years now, I’ve been using Cleartones for my ringtones and notification sounds. There are two sets with one created digitally and the second created in a professional percussionist’s studio. They are all spectacular. There is a third set on the way and if you buy now, you’ll get 50% off the new set.
In case you’re wondering my iPhone ringtone is the “My Favorite” Cleartone. Thanks Cleartones for supporting MacSparky.com
MPU 156: Editorial and Federico Vi-ticc-i
Mac Power Users episode 156 is up and we are joined by the handsomest voice in podcasting, Federico Viticci. We then digress into a long talk about the state of iOS text editors and all the great stuff we’re doing with Editorial. Enjoy.
Microsoft Office for iPad, Revisited
I’ve been yammering away at this subject for two years now. Sadly, most people in my line of work use Word and Excel so I spend plenty of time in those applications. With a massive installed based of iPads, I can’t understand why Microsoft isn’t already there. If they were holding back to try and give the Surface an advantage over the iPad, that didn’t work very well.
Anyway, Steve Balmer is now cryptically saying it is coming. If so, I’m guessing you’ll only get it with an Office 365 subscription, like the existing iPhone Word application. While I understand Microsoft is probably doing a smashing business with lawyers and accountants, I have to wonder how relevant Office is at this point with everyone else.
Timeline 3D for iOS Gets Impressive Update
My favorite timeline application, Timeline 3D for iOS (both iPad and iPhone), got a nice iOS 7 update. Not only does the new design fit right in with iOS 7, there are also several new features.
The app can now publish interactive cinematic timelines to the web. Where before timelines were slideshows you can now get interactive timelines, letting you jump around (forward and backward) at will. If you’ve ever presented with a timeline, you already know how big this is. Everything is built on WebGL and very clever. Here is an example.
That’s not all. They’ve improved the lighting for a better sense of 3D. (As a longtime user of this product, this was immediately noticeable.) You can also share timelines and media between devices using Dropbox or AirDrop. iOS 7 dynamic text adapts the interface to user preferences and the 3D perspective uses parallax motion dynamics.
If you want to impress a client or customer, build a professional looking timeline on you iPad while they are explaining events to you and then hand over the iPad at the end and ask, “Is this right?” This is a nice update and a great time to check out Timeline 3D (website)(iOS App Store).
Billings Pro Makes it to the iPad
Marketcircle has released a version of its popular Billings Pro on the iPad. This isn’t just a mobile timer but a full-blown billing application worth checking out. Billings Pro is now on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Begin – A Simple Task Planner from Ben Brooks
Back in law school my task list was a napkin. Everyday I wrote down the two or three things I needed to get done and stuck it in my pocket. At the end of the day I’d check off those items, use the napkin with dinner, and start again the next day.
Unfortunately, that no longer works for me. I’ve got too many oars in the water for a system that simple. However, not everyone is a freak like me.
My friend Ben Brooks released an app called Begin that gives you a simple list of tasks for today and tomorrow. This app would have served me well in simpler times. I can see Ben’s design aesthetic all over this application and it’s worth checking out particularly if you have a simple task list.