Quick Comparison: iPhone 2G/3G Video Recorder

While Apple is no longer giving total support on 2G & 3G iPhone, some developers actually still give supports by providing new capabilities in this 1-2 year old product: video recording. Only in a matter of days, there are already 5 to 6 video recording applications for iPhone 2G/3G in the AppStore, including Qik VideoCamera that released today.

But how about the ability & quality of these apps when handling video recording task in the old device? Here's a quick comparison from 4 apps I consider the best plus 1 from Cydia (jailbroken iPhone).

Qik VideoCamera ($0.99) (link iTunes & website)
iVidCam (free & $0.99) (link iTunes & website)
iVideoCamera ($0.99) (link iTunes & website)
ShowTime ($0.99) (link iTunes & website)
VideoRecorder3 ($19.95) (link website)



Summary:

Qik Video Camera
Pro: Better frame rate, save to Camera Roll, H.264 compression
Cons: Portrait recording only

iVidCam
Pro: Biggest frame size, 10x digital zoom, free version is available
Cons: Only upload to YouTube

iVideoCamera
Pro: Upload to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, email & save to Camera Roll
Cons: Smallest frame size, limited recording time

ShowTime
Pro: 5x digital zoom, share via email
Cons: Portrait recording only

VideoRecorder3
Pro: Upload to YouTube & email, best frame rate, MPEG4 compression
Cons: Expensive, only for jailbroken iPhone

Go get one, give your old iPhone another chance to reveal its true ability.

Quick review between iVidCam & Cydia VideoRecorder3

Seems Apple loosening it's grip for video feature on iPhone 2G/3G. Now new video recording apps for iPhone 2G/3G are available on AppStore. But are they good? Are they worth the price? Do we still need iPhone 3GS?
I pick 1 app from the AppStore called iVidCam & my favorite VideoRecorder3 app from Cydia (for jailbroken iPhone) for a quick review.


iVidCam ($0.99) (link)

Low light environment


Outdoor


Pro:
- Good quality video
- Encodes to MP4 for smaller size of file. Handy for EDGE network
- Sharing to YouTube
- Portrait & landscape recording 427 x 320
- No recording time limit

Cons:
- Low frame rate: 3 fps
- No option to save to Camera Roll
- No option to share via email

Note:
- Failed sending the file to Twitvid.com via email (using Cydia File2Mail app) due to Motion JPEG codec of the MP4 file


Cydia VideoRecorder3 (link)

Low light environment


Outdoor


Pro:
- High frame rate: up to 15 fps
- Encodes to MP4 for smaller size of file. Handy for EDGE network
- Sharing to YouTube
- Sharing via email (upload to Twitvid.com is possible)
- Portrait & landscape recording 384 x 288
- No recording time limit

Cons:
- Bad quality video - video becomes reddish
- No option to save to Camera Roll
- Only for jailbroken iPhone


Summary:
- Apple only allows 3 - 7 fps for the frame rate in their developer kit. Since Cydia developer not bound by Apple restrictions, they can push for higher fps. Cydia VideoRecorder3 is the winner
- Low fps helps capturing more lights and hence better video quality. iVidCam is the winner

So do we still need iPhone 3GS?

AfterTweets: Twitter in Disguise

We are all know that there's an application called SpreadTweet, so we can tweeting in disguise, as if we're working on a spreadsheet project.

But, for motion graphic designer like me, it's a bit odd to have a spreadsheet on our Mac monitor. The boss will get suspicious and ask me "What the hell you're doing with spreadsheet???"

So what if there's a script for AfterEffects that enables me to keep tweeting inside the application itself, disguised in a fake timeline window.



Right. This is a regular AfterEffects application. But look at the left side of timeline window & click this image below to see the detail.


(click to enlarge)

Yes! It's a Twitter in disguise. The Twitter timeline disguised as layers in regular AfterEffects. Every tweet have options like Reply, ReTweet etc. And each tabs contain our followers tweet.

I'm no script programmer, but wouldn't it sweet if we have this kind of script, AfterTweets script ^_^

iTunes : Download Movie Trailers with non-US iTunes account

We are all know that we cannot access music, movie, TV series - not even for free podcasts - via Indonesian iTunes Store. Only AppStore.

But at least we can access Movie Trailer page in Indonesian iTunes Store. You cannot access that page directly in the iTunes (the iTunes only gives you AppStore in its store).



Here's the trick. Go to http://www.apple.com/trailers
Click the link "Trailers in iTunes". It'll launch the iTunes and Movie Trailers page. There you can select any movie and download the trailers.



Just don't try to click any link in "iTunes STORE" box, it'll give you a warning box saying "The item you've requested is not currently available bla bla bla"

D'oh!

iPhone Camera.app vs Photos.app

I prefer Camera.app instead of crappy useless Photos.app in the iPhone.

Why?

Okay. It happens to me. I'm on the iPhone, in the middle of taking photo and want to upload it instantly via mail. No problem. Open Camera.app. Take photo. Close and open Photos.app. Choose the photo. Email it.


You can email photos without quiting Photos.app & Camera.app

But suddenly something else is happening and I need to take new photo. I can't! Because it's in the middle of emailing progress. I have to wait till it finish and jump to Camera.app. By the time it's emailed, the moment has gone.


Left, Camera.app with camera icon. Right, Phones.app without

With Camera.app, you can take photo, email it and turn on the camera right in the middle of uploading progress. Just click the Camera icon on the top right screen. In Photos.app, this icon is missing.

So is there anyway to delete this Photos.app in my iPhone?

$500 logo vs free logos & stickers

Steve Ballmer, "The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment - same piece of hardware - paying $500 more to get a logo on it?" (link)

$500 more to get a logo?

I think he was right this time. Without to pay an extra $500 for a logo, PC user already got lotsa logos & stickers for FREE!



MUAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Although those logos & stikers are free - and definitely FUGLY - I'd stick with "$500 logo", sir

Bring The Blue Progress Bar Back Alive in Safari 4 Beta

We need a blue progress in address bar, not another endless spinning wheel.

Launch Terminal and type these commands :

defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4IncludeToolbarRedesign -bool NO

defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4LoadProgressStyle -bool NO

Restart Safari.

Source :
- http://pastie.textmate.org/398861
- Daring Fireball

Using the iDisk file sharing feature in iPhone

Till now, there are no single app for using the long-promised iDisk file sharing feature in the iPhone. Even from Apple itself. But since I got this trick, there is a hope to use this feature.

First.
Fire up the Notes.app.

Type :
http://public.me.com/yourname/filename?disposition=download

Insert your iDisk username in [yourname] and the filename [filename]

Example
public.me.com/pinot/apple.png?disposition=download

Second.
Click the 'MAIL' icon to launch Mail.app.

That's it. You're ready to send the URL of the shared file.

Everytime you need to share the iDisk file, just repeat the step and change the filename.

This trick has some major hassles though :
- You have to remember the file name that you want to share. You can download the free version MobileFiles.app to view to iDisk folders on the go.
- There is no copy paste. Your brain is your clipboard. So, keep the file name simple and easy to remember.
- You can only share files from your iDisk Public folder *bummer*

Related stories :
- Direct Link from Public Folder in iDisk
- Delayed iDisk "Share File" Feature?
- Where's the iDisk "Share File" Feature?

iPhone & Citizen Journalism

13 Mei 1998.
Perjalanan pulang kantor, menyaksikan suasana rusuh. Di mana-mana asap dan api. Bakar sana bakar sini. Ada hasrat merekam peristiwa tersebut dan membuat live report, sekedar membantu menambah informasi yang didapat teman-teman di redaksi saat itu. Di mobil saya hanya ada laptop tua PowerBook 165c tanpa sambungan internet, handphone tanpa kemampuan fax & data dan video8 handycam tanpa interface digital (FireWire? What FireWire?). Apa daya? Saya hanya manyun memandangi peristiwa yang menorehkan luka dalam sejarah negeri ini. Terekam dalam otak, tapi tidak bisa berbagi kepada seluruh dunia.

2006 ke atas. Era-nya citizen journalism. Setiap orang bisa merekam peristiwa penting dan tersiar ke seluruh dunia, bahkan LIVE UPDATE. Thanks to the internet and media sharing sites. YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Qik to name a few. Any kind of device that can connet to the internet, can share medias straight to worldwide. Instantly. Dan device di tangan saya : iPhone.

Saya bukan reporter atau jurnalis profesional. Saya hanya warga biasa, mempersiapkan diri dalam status siaga, yang jika menjumpai sebuah peristiwa, tidak hanya menjadi penonton tapi juga berbagi cerita. Saatnya mengoptimalkan iPhone saya.

Citizen Journalist's Tools
Hal yang perlu dilakukan adalah sign-up ke beberapa website seperti di bawah ini :

- Flickr : Photos sharing site
- YouTube : Videos sharing site
- Facebook : Social networking site
- Qik : Video streaming site
- Twitter : Social networking & micro-bloggin site
- Blogger/Wordpress : Blogging site

Serta situs yang mengkhususkan untuk citizen journalism seperti :
- NowPublic
- Fox
- CBS

Selanjutnya, saya install beberapa aplikasi-aplikasi seperti ini :



- Mobile Fotos
- Qik
- Twittelator
- Tumblrette
- Facebook
- BlogPress
- Pixelpipe
- ShoZu

Beberapa saya jabarkan secara detail.


Mobile Fotos (US$ 2.99)
Aplikasi yang dulunya bernama MobileFlickr ini bertugas mengirim foto dari iPhone langsung ke account Flickr. Flickr sendiri merupakan situs photo sharing terbesar dan menjadi kiblat foto-foto citizen journalist (foto-foto banjir Jakarta di bulan Februari 2007 - jaman belum ada iPhone - yang kami dokumentasikan, dipinjam oleh beberapa situs berita seperti NowPublic.com)


Qik (free - jailbroken iPhone get from Cydia)
Live video report kini tidak hanya dimonopoli stasiun TV, tapi sekarang siapa pun bisa melakukan live video report dengan bantuan aplikasi Qik ini - mengirimkan streaming video langsung dari iPhone ke internet (melalui situs www.qik.com).
Selain Qik, terdapat juga Flixwagon.


Twittelator Pro (US$ 4.99)
Merupakan salah satu aplikasi Twitter paling powerful di iPhone. Twitter sendiri adalah sarana sosial online yang kini sedang jadi pembicaraan hangat seputar fungsinya sebagai citizen journalism tool. Walau layanan Twitter sendiri sudah ada dari sejak 2006, namun perannya sebagai alat jurnalistik merebak saat penyerangan teroris di Mumbai, India beberapa waktu lalu.

Hal lain yang perlu dipersiapkan adalah unlimited internet connection (EDGE/3G/HSDPA). Dengan begitu, apa pun yang terjadi, saya bisa publish on the spot. Tidak seperti saat hujan es April 2008 lalu, harus pulang dahulu untuk konek ke internet. Maunya 'breaking news', tapi baru publish 2 - 3 jam setelahnya ^_^

Oke. Saatnya stand by.
Semoga begitu ada peristiwa penting, batere iPhone ngga lagi drop ^_^

References :
http://www.uslaw.com/library/Copyright_Law/iPhone_Enable_Citizen_Journalism.php?item=165093
http://www.appleiphoneapps.com/2009/01/iphone-is-changing-journalism/
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/tag/iphone/
http://www.10000words.net/2008/07/how-iphone-will-revolutionize.html
http://newassignment.net/blog/tom_cheredar/dec2008/07/knoxnews_makes_c

Direct Link from Public folder in iDisk

I'm so happy!


Feature "Share File" yang tak kunjung tiba

Sekian lama Apple ingkar janji dengan feature "Share File" dari iDisk, akhirnya ada yang menemukan cara untuk direct-link file yang ada di Public folder iDisk.

Baca di blog ini, trick-nya pun ditemukan secara tidak sengaja. Hanya dengan mencantumkan URL seperti ini :
http://public.me.com/username/filename?disposition=download

Contoh :
public.me.com/pinot/apple.png?disposition=download

Now I can share my gigantic files via email!

Related stories :
- Delayed iDisk "Share File" Feature?
- Where's the iDisk "Share File" Feature?

Original post :
- Direct linking to files in the Public folder of a MobileMe iDisk