1Password 4 for iOS

1Password by AgileBits is one of my favorite apps on iOS and also the very first app I install on a new iOS device. 1Password holds every single password I’ve used on any website, service or app & other information in it and has been a reliable companion ever since I first bought it for my Mac. It has truly become a crucial app to have these days.

While 1Password has been a functionally fantastic app on iOS, it wasn’t all that well with its UI. All that changed with the release of v4.0 of the app a couple of days ago. Every corner and pixel of the app has been redesigned, and beautifully at that. The app’s UI now uses some stunning icons for categories and overall has a nice feel to it.

Additionally, 1Password also gains a ton of new features, including a full-fledged in-app browser with a URL bar and tabs, a Vault, Folders & Global Search, Action Bar on every item (swipe to perform actions), a Demo mode to show off the app to your friends without disclosing your private data and a complete PC-less setup, along with syncing via Dropbox or iCloud.

Also new with 4.0 is that the app is now a single, Universal app. Previously, 1Password was available in 3 versions — iPhone, 1Pad and a Universal “Pro” version. With 4.0, AgileBits are now selling just a Universal app and it’s currently available at $7.99 on the App Store (Launch special price, regular price is $17.99).

December 14, 2012 ✚ Permalink

Apple TV to be Launched in India for Rs. 6990: BGR.in

BGR.in’s Rajat Agrawal with another scoop about the Apple TV this time:

Last week we exclusively reported that Apple was planning to launch its Apple TV in India. However, we were sketchy on details about when Apple would launch it and at what price. Multiple sources have now confirmed to us that in all likelihood Apple would launch the Apple TV in the coming fortnight for Rs 6,990.

With the launch of the iTunes Store in India, this isn’t surprising. The Apple TV is a great little device (I got mine from the US) and also makes for a great AirPlay receiver if you own one or more iOS devices.

December 13, 2012 ✚ Permalink

New iPhone 5 TV Ad — Orchestra

Even when the world gets noisy, iPhone 5 with noise canceling lets you have a better phone call.

Yet again, a simple, brilliant ad by Apple for the iPhone 5’s noise cancellation feature from the camera at the back.

There’s also another new TV ad called ‘Turkey‘, right in time for the Thanksgiving holidays in the US, but I love Orchestra more.

November 22, 2012 ✚ Permalink

Croma Starts Pre-Orders of the iPhone 5

Croma Retail, one of the big electronic retail chains in the country, has started pre-orders of the iPhone 5. They’re only listing the 16GB models on their site right now, but their brick and mortar stores have no idea about these pre-orders. Moreover, there’s no shipping information available on the site. While you can pre-order the phone today, Croma’s not saying when they’ll ship the phone.

Croma’s not the first retailer to start accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5. Both Airtel and Aircel are listing the 16GB models only and are expected to ship on November 2nd. Other online retailers taking pre-orders include Saholic and Indiatimes Shopping, with the former offering a discount of Rs. 3000 on the MRP.

Additionally, premium resellers like Imagine, Unicorn and Maple are also accepting offline pre-orders.

Update: I’ve just received word that Croma is also accepting pre-orders if you visit their stores. You can pay a 30% advance to prebook a unit.

Update II: And they’re out. Croma is no longer listing the iPhone 5 in stock now.

October 30, 2012 ✚ Permalink

Quora: What are the best stories about people randomly meeting Steve Jobs?

A small collection of stories of different people and their quick encounter with Steve Jobs at work or elsewhere. It’s fascinating to read about him in these, so very different than what we’re used to seeing him as in the media.

October 29, 2012 ✚ Permalink

Apple Rolling Out INR Pricing on the Indian App Store [Updated]

(See Update at the bottom of the post)

Apple today has started displaying the prices for apps on the Indian App Store in Indian Rupees (INR) instead of US Dollars. @Sirajsoft and @arvindVMA both pointed out on Twitter that some apps on the Indian App Store were starting to display prices with a prefix of “Rs” instead of the regular $ sign. Ever since its launch, the Indian App Store has always displayed the prices of apps in USD and the day’s FX rate is applicable when someone purchases an app.

A few apps are already displaying prices in Rupees as seen in the screenshots below.

The change seems to be rolling out inconsistently though, as not all of the apps are showing the correct pricing. While all the apps are now using the “Rs” prefix, some are still displaying the value in USD as it is. So while $0.99 should be Rs. 55, the value is still being shown as Rs. 0.99.

If you share a link to an app published on the Indian App Store, the price now shows up in Rupees in the browser too. I’m going to go ahead and call this a new feature and not just a bug or test, possibly in preparation of the iPhone 5 launched in India early next month. It’s also interesting to note that Apple is using a flat conversion rate of Rs. 55 per US Dollar and decided to use the “Rs” prefix instead of the now official Rupee symbol.

Update: According to @RajaVijayaraman, Apple has added the following local currencies to the App Store today.

  • Russian Ruble
  • Turkish lira
  • Indian Rupees
  • Indonesian Rupiah
  • Israeli New Shekel
  • South African Rand
  • Saudi Riyal
  • UAE Dirham

October 26, 2012 ✚ Permalink

A Fantastic iPhone App for Car Owners

Drive is a fantastic app for iPhone that makes commonly used actions like calling or texting your favorites or playing music while driving easily accessible by giving you big bold buttons to tap on and gestures to control them. If you drive a car with your iPhone docked on the dashboard or windshield, you should definitely grab it. It’s just 99 cents on the App Store.

October 20, 2012 ✚ Permalink

Apple Lowers Prices of iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S in India

The prices have been slashed further. See Update at the bottom of the post.

Gearing up for the launch of the iPhone 5 in India, Apple has lowered the prices of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in the market, reports BGR.

The iPhone 4, which was retailing for Rs. 37,900 has seen a huge price cut and is now available for Rs. 28,300. While this price now puts it in the sub-30k range, it still lacks many of the better features that exist in the other phones in the same price range. It has slim chances against Samsung’s Galaxy S3, probably the most popular phone in the Indian market, which is available at Rs. 34,900 or lower. The iPhone 4S on the other hand only sees a marginal cut, dropping from Rs. 44,500 to Rs. 41,500.

If these prices are any indication, I expect the price of the iPhone 5 to be no less than Rs. 45,000 and I’m assuming it’ll be close to Rs. 48,000.

Update: Apple has slashed the prices of iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in India even further. The new prices are Rs. 26,500 for the iPhone 4 and Rs 38,500 for the iPhone 4S (8GB and 16GB models respectively).

October 3, 2012 ✚ Permalink