Facebook’s photo app: Dissecting the latest details

The allegedly leaked information on the Facebook photo app has fully surfaced, and here's our quick takeaway about what's (hopefully) bound for your iPhone.

This morning, the world got a hold of an early look at Facebook’s photo-sharing app. Being the social networking giant it is, Facebook is poised to take the mobile world by storm with what could easily be the photo app to rule them all. Even the brief glimpse and limited information we’ve had about the project have been enough to yield praise and excitement over the forthcoming application. Now TechCrunch has revealed more thorough insights about its early look at the Facebook mobile photo app that could make a convert out of even the most loyal Instagram addict. Here are some of the initial impressions we can gather from what’s available thus far, as well as a couple of the most intriguing features.

More than just a photo app?

There’s the distinct possibility this is more than just a photo-sharing app. It could very well be an entirely redesigned Facebook application, something that mobile users have been petitioning for. The depth of what this app seems to offer also makes us wonder whether it’s being designed with the iPad specifically in mind (there currently is no official Facebook app for the iPad). Whether it’s a redesign for smartphones or Facebook’s first go at a full-blown iPad app, some of the images make it look like there’s more than photo sharing at play here.

Facebook and Apple go head-to-head over social-mobile tech?

A new patent from Apple revealing geo-social networking software and a few leaked Facebook mobile projects suggest the two industry titans may be edging in on one another's territory.

Apple and Facebook are two Silicon Valley titans that have a stranglehold on the digital world. And until quite recently, it seems like they have each been content to dominate their respective arenas of technology: Apple’s being mobile and Facebook’s being social. Of course every Web 2.0 company understands the need to not be the best at one thing but at least try to be the best at everything, and recent projects from Apple and Facebook that have surfaced reveal they are both taking this to heart. Looks like some toes are about to get stepped on.

Facebook gets mobile

Facebook’s been rather quiet on the mobile scene. Its official app hasn’t been anything to write home about (unless you’re complaining about it, as many have), it hasn’t released an iPad app yet, and all those Facebook phone rumors haven’t panned out (at least yet) unless you’re counting the deep Facebook integration with the INQ Cloud. When Apple announced that iOS 5 would feature Twitter at its core, it seemed solidified that Facebook’s mobile ambitions have either stalled or are in flux. But after yesterday’s revelation, we’re more inclined to think Facebook might want to go its own way. Details about a forthcoming Facebook photo-sharing app of some sort surfaced, showing off a highly-developed project that would take elements from all the most popular photo-sharing apps out there and combine them with the mass appeal that the world’s largest social network has. It’s uncertain whether this is a standalone app that will complement Facebook or something to be woven into its current app; whatever it is, it’s getting hype for all the right reasons. It would be a natural transition for Facebook to segueway into mobile: The camera phone is inarguably one of the most popular features of the smartphone, and photo-sharing apps (especially those that integrate with Facebook) are big business. Take into account that Facebook is the world’s most popular photo-sharing platform, and you can see the progression toward the company getting a firm foot in the mobile door.

Adding to Facebook’s mobile mix is this Project Spartan business. Facebook is allegedly planning to redesign its apps for the mobile Safari browser via HTML 5. The assumption here is that the social network wants to take away some of the strength Apple’s App Store gives it over mobile while also giving users a way to access apps on mobile browsers. A Facebook Web app store has possibilities, but call us skeptics for the time being. But if anything, it’s an indication Facebook isn’t totally content playing second fiddle.

Apple gets social

Facebook’s not the only one edging in on another’s territory. Apple has filed a patent application to connect iOS users to those in their general vicinity who have similar interests. “A user of a mobile device can identify another user using another mobile device who is close by, if both users have requested to participate in networking. Common interests and experiences of two or more users located close to each other can be identified from content, including automatically created usage data of the mobile device.” The patent goes on to explain that users will be notified about their potential friend and “means of initiating communication” will be provided. Apple says meeting new people with similar backgrounds can be difficult and time-consuming, and letting your iOS device pull your data and then search the area for another iOS user with similar software could cut down on the tedious process. Bundle this with some sort of platform to find, collect, and access these found contacts and you have a viable Apple social network on (or rather, in) your hands.

Right off the bat, this doesn’t seem as fluid a step as Facebook’s mobile-photo project does. There have been third party apps with similar concepts that have been passed off as creepy or raise privacy concerns. Of course, being an official iOS app means it will bear more weight with users, but after Locationgate, not every Apple aficionado is as trusting with this information. That said, it has promise: The immediate fanfare social app Color received was due to its technology and revolutionary way of seeing social networks in relation to geography. If Apple can harvest this idea and avoid Color’s missteps, the app could find a fast following. And the very things that Color got wrong, Apple notoriously gets right. Simple, intuitive UI, well-executed product launches, automatic user base. Color co-founder Peter Pham (who recently left the company), a former employee of Apple, praised its self-explanatory applications and UIs, saying Color wanted to mimic this – something it wasn’t able to do, partially contributing to its user isolation. And the fact that Color hasn’t been able to build a database of loyal years means the app hasn’t be able to work as it should, and everything iOS comes with hoards of fans willing to try its services at launch.

Are Apple and Facebook stepping into the ring?

Just because Apple and Facebook have respective social and mobile aspirations, does it mean the two are about to become enemies? There are two of the most powerful companies in the world that also happened to have a bit of a past. There was some documented fallout after Facebook pulled integration with Apple’s Ping service, and there have been ample undocumented whispers about remaining tensions between these two ambitious companies. An all-out public airing of grievances a la the Facebook-Google data wars fiasco seems unlikely, as both Facebook and Apple tend to keep their business cards close to their chests. But it’s clear that being the best at one thing isn’t good enough, and each know that mobile and social platforms and applications are only going to continue dominating the digital landscape. Having a tight grip on one simply isn’t enough.

Apple-fan cop uses app to catch iPhone thief

When a distraught crime victim told a New York cop that someone had just taken her iPhone at gunpoint, he immediately believed he had a fair chance of making a quick arrest—thanks to his knowledge Apple's smartphone device and in particular, one of its apps.

A quick-thinking cop used his knowledge of Apple products to lead him to an iPhone thief within 30 minutes of the device being stolen.

The New York cop, Officer Robert Garland,spoke to the New York Times about the incident, which took place in Manhattan on Thursday.

Garland said the episode began when a woman working at a Tuci Italia store on the Avenue of the Americas was robbed of her iPhone at gunpoint as she was using the device to watch YouTube videos during a break.

Officer Garland arrived at the scene of the crime with his colleague, Sgt. Richard Coan, to find an upset and shaken victim.

Once Garland understood it was an iPhone that had been stolen, he realized that there was a fair chance he could locate it. You see, being a fan of Apple products and himself owning an iPhone, iPad and various Mac computers, Officer Garland knew a thing or two about all things i and was therefore familiar with the popular Find My iPhone app, a piece of software that does exactly what it says on the tin.

Without missing a beat, he entered the victim’s Apple ID into his own iPhone and using the app, pinpointed the location of her phone on a map.

Wasting no time, Garland and his colleague followed the information on their map in the hope that they’d be able to make a quick arrest.

After a short time they were confident they could see the robber, outside a Food Emporium store on Eighth Avenue and 49th Street. To confirm it was the right man, Garland pressed the ‘Play Sound’ button on the app, which immediately caused a pinging sound to emanate from the stolen phone.

The cops moved in and sure enough they found the victim’s phone stuffed down one of the man’s socks. And the woman’s reaction to Garland’s recovery? “She was ecstatic,” he told the New York Times.

Of course, the free Find My iPhone app will also come in useful when you misplace your phone, so be sure to download and enable the app on your iOS device. Then if you lose your phone, all you need to do is sign in to icloud.com through any Internet-enabled computer or simply use the Find My iPhone app on another iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to see its location on a map. You also have the ability to display a message on the phone in case someone finds it, or clear the device of all its data if you’re worried about security.

Apple borrows from BlackBerry, Android, and WP7 with iOS 5

There's no question that the mass amount of new features Apple will introduce with iOS 5 are impressive. Question is, are they original?

Yesterday Apple revealed a massive 200 new features that would hit iOS devices come fall. Among them are innovative and simple tweaks that will make using iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches easier and more fun. Some of them are even original – and some of them take…let’s call it inspiration…from Apple competitors. For a brand that often takes shots at other mobile manufacturers out there, it certainly seems like the company admires their work. Imitation is the purest form of flattery, right? Here are some of the improvements in iOS 5 Apple is being especially heralded for that we thought looked a little familiar.

iMessages

There’s no denying that iMessages is Apple’s version of BlackBerry Messenger. BBM is one of the most well-loved features BlackBerry has to offer, and gives its users a private messaging app that keeps chatting exclusive between other BlackBerry users. Beyond just feeling privileged enough to be granted access, BBM offers security by keeping your messages between other BlackBerries only. Of course, this was more of an advantage when the brand was the handset of choice for the corporate world, but Apple has been edging in on that status. Now iMessages does…exactly the same thing. Both allow unlimited characters, both show you when recipients have viewed and are responding to your messages, and both allow various types of content.

Swipe for notifications

Apple’s nemesis, Android, got there first when it comes to this notification display system. Apple’s gotten a lot of flak for its previous notifications, which interrupted other use and gave you no choice but to view them right away (often rolling in one after another, in a endless stream of things you had to be caught up on) or ignore them, never to be seen again. Now, taking a page out of Android’s book, you can swipe from the top of your screen downward to see your recent notifications. The Android Notification Bar set the stage for Apple’s Notification Center – and was a feature available in the very first Android phone ever.

Twitter integration

Now this one deviates from straight up copying its competitors. As we all now know, Apple has deeply integrated Twitter into its handsets with iOS 5. Nearly every single thing you do via an iOS device now can be shared on Twitter with one touch. While Android doesn’t have this specific tool built-in, its smartphones have Intents. This means that apps that want to include a share button allow users to customize what the share options will be: Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, etc. We know, Apple didn’t directly take this from Android, but it’s a similar idea and one that’s been on Android smartphones for awhile.

The split keyboard

Score one more for Android. Apple users are thrilled they can finally customize their touchscreen keyboard to their liking – an option Android users have already been able to enjoy. It was a new feature that Apple focused on too much yesterday, but one that iOS users (especially those of the iPad persuasion) are excited about. If should also be mentioned we’ll be seeing this in Windows 8.

Camera function on lock screen

This roundup wouldn’t be complete without Apple being influenced by Windows Phone 7. Yesterday we were reminded how popular the camera function of the iPhone is: It’s one of the top cameras on Flickr. While it’s always been an incredibly easy app to use, Apple has made it easier by giving users immediate access to it even when the screen is locked. A Camera app icon now appears next “Unlock” and users merely have to click the volume-up button to capture an image. Nifty, right? Windows Phone 7 thinks so too! Head of Windows Phone 7 product definition and design Joe Belfiore even commented on the similar features, which include a host of new photo tools: “Feeling flattered today. Lots of great WP ideas headed to iOS. (Camera button/above lock, auto-upload of pics…)”. He also informed one excited iOS user that WP7 handsets have a dedicated camera button that actually wakes up your sleeping phone and takes you directly to the camera. He cheerfully adds the handset has “Been shipping for eight months!”. Do we detect a hint of sarcasm?

How To: Recover lost contacts on an iPhone

Accidents happen and sometimes you happen to delete a contact on your phone on accident. It could happen because you’re trying to enter a new e-mail address or phone and accidentally remove a previous one.
Don’t worry too much, you can get those lost numbers back. It’s not lost forever to the ether.
1. Open iTunes on your computer.
2. Plug your iPhone in to your computer using the USB connector cable.
3. Go to “Devices” on the left-side of the iTunes window and click the iPhone tab.
4. Right-click on the iPhone icon in the “Devices” column and select “Restore from Backup”. Select one of the backup versions from the drop-down menu. Click the “Restore” button. This will restore any contacts that you may have deleted since the last time that you synced your iPhone with iTunes.
5. Eject your iPhone. Go to your contact list. Your lost contacts should be restored.
A couple of notes for you to consider for the future:
- We recommend that you occasionally make separate backups that aren’t the ones that iTunes automatically does when you sync the iPhone. iTunes replaces the previous backup each time it syncs. To ensure that you keep things that you want or as a just in case, it’s good to have different back ups. Create a separate backup by right-clicking on the iPhone under the “Devices” tab in the left column. Then select “Back Up”. You can also restore contacts manually if you sync contacts with your contact list in either Outlook or Address Book (Mac) and re-entering the info by hand.
- If you haven’t synced in a while you might have to re-download any firmware updates or apps that you have added to the iPhone since the last backup. They won’t be kept in the previous backup file.