transitions
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FlixAPix adds animated transitions to your iOS photos
FlixAPix (free) is an innovative app that lets you take a pair of photos and add an interesting transition between them. In-app purchases offer additional transitions. Photos can be captured live from within the app, or you can import from your camera roll. You can sign up for a free account, but it isn't required. All the rendering is done off your device on a remote server. With an account a space is created with all your animations. Without an account, they are still there but you may have to search among all the other unregistered people creating animations. Your photos remain private and are not viewable to others. I gave the app a try with a couple of scenic shots. All you have to do is select them, and the app does the rest. You can have sound effects or not. The included animation is a zipper, and the zipper is pulled down to reveal your second photo. The rendering was pretty fast, under a minute. My only issue is that each transition beyond the included one cost US$0.99. There should have been a couple samples included rather than just one. If you decide to get all the animations, which total 22, the app would get expensive. Some of the animations are creative and high quality, but the developer should include some multiple transition packs at a low price, rather than price each animation separately. Better still, charge a buck or two for the app and include 4-5 animations. Many of the paid EFX, like water droplets and falling leaves are really quite attractive. The included zipper effect, not so much for my taste. I like the idea behind FlixAPix. Your animation can be saved as a QuickTime movie to your device and freely shared. FlixAPix requres iOS 6 or later. The app is not universal, so it is best suited to the iPhone or iPod touch.
Tips for creating an iPad-compatible Keynote presentation
While the iPad version of Keynote represents a slight twist on Apple's flagship presentation app and serves as a gateway into multitouch computing on a large display, it has a few shortcomings when compared to its Mac OS X counterpart (as we noted back in April). As a result, those who start their Keynote workflow on Mac OS X may be surprised when some of their transitions, builds and fonts don't show up the same way on the iPad. No need to work in Keynote blind, however, for TUAW is here. Here are some tips that'll provide you a framework on preparing a Keynote presentation on Mac OS X with iPad compatibility in mind. A tip of the hat to The Apple Blog for their Keynote/iPad post.
Zenith's ATSC Digital to Analog Converter Box gets priced
Apparently, Radio Shack isn't waiting around for the hordes of Americans out there to receive those $40 coupons to help purchase a DTV converter box, as a recent newsletter reportedly shows the Zenith ATSC Digital to Analog Converter Box (model number 150-0148) as being available in "mid-February" for $69.99. Granted, we couldn't recommend more that you actually hold your horses and await the coupon before snagging one of your own, but at least now you know that you'll need to scrounge up an extra $30 or so to take this particular model home.[Thanks, JGarcia]
