Dave Caolo
Articles by Dave Caolo
Quotely for iPhone saves memories for new parents
"You're messing up my creation and it's going to be a disaster." -- William, age four. As almost any parent can tell you, children are masters of saying unintentionally hilarious things. Quotely for iPhone (free) lets parents and other caregivers capture these funny moments easily, for sharing or reminiscing. Sure, you could keep track of Jr's one-liners in a notebook or a spreadsheet, but most of us have our iPhones with us all the time, and Quotely makes it trivial to share with far-flung family and friends who miss out on the hilarity in real time. It also supports conversations, photos and several templates, so you can capture and share anything for a single moment to a whole sequence of events. Looks The app is quite cute, and features a cute little birdie mascot, driving the kid theme home. The template browser is clean and easy to navigate and the overall color palette is pleasantly subdued. Often kid-centric apps are heavy on the pastels or even bright colors, and while pastels are available in Quotely, they're not the default. You'll find plenty of options for customization, which I'll describe, and it's all easy to access and implement. Quotely has a built-in help section, but you won't need it. Everything is self-explanatory. Use OK, you're in Starbucks with Junior when he notes that your latte smells like dad's gym socks. To capture this precious moment, grab your iPhone, launch Quotely and follow these steps: Tap New. The template chooser arrives. Tap Plain Quote. Tap the edit field and select Edit Narration. Type the line and hit Done. That's it. Nice and easy, right? While you're there, you'll notice several options. First, there are 49 fonts to choose from (the default is American Typewriter). You can also choose text alignment: left, center or right. Finally, you actually have room for two lines of text in the Plain Quote template, which you can reorder at will. Once you've completed the steps and customizations described above, you get an overview of the quote card. At the bottom of the screen you'll find even more customization options: Card Style. There are 18 background colors to choose from (here's where the pastels come in). The text will change to white or black automatically, depending on the background color. Text, quote or photo. There's a "+" in the center. Tap it and three icons pop up, Path style: Text, Quote and Photo. Tap anyone to add that particular element to your quote card. Finally, the button labeled Options offers so much. There are four main sections, namely: People, Tags, Dates and finally Notes. People lets you name an individual and add a photo. This is a great way to distinguish between your kids or anyone else who might be a frequent player in your little dramas. Tags work as you might expect. You can create as many tags as you like and apply them to your saved quotes. This works towards organization, as you can quickly search tags. Dates lists the date a quote was uttered, as well as the date you created the card and the last time the card was modified. Finally, you can add a note to any card, like "Dad was amused to hear about mom's sock-scented coffee later that day." The other templates work in a very similar fashion, but add more to the process. Specifically, the Conversation template highlights an exchange between two or more people; the Narrated Conversation template lets you easily add your commentary to an exchange; Photo highlights an relevant image (either from your camera roll or shot on the spot) and finally Story is a combination of the others. Sharing is extensive I've got to mention Quotely's sharing options. In a word, they are extensive. You can share any card with the usual suspects: email, text, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Alternatively, you can send a card to your camera roll as an image, or tap the More Options button for a whole slew of options, depending on what's installed on your iPhone. But the real surprise here is postcards. Opt for Mail a Postcard and the Quotely team will turn your card into a real-world 4x6 inch postcard that will be printed and shipped anywhere in the world. Did grandma miss Junior's Starbucks quip because she's doing research in the Arctic? No problem. Your quote card appears on the front, you can customize the message on the back and even add a cute profile photo. Postcards cost US$1.99 each. Conclusion This is a fun app that can provide a lot of sweet memories. The fact that you can turn those into adorable postcards is the icing on the quotable cake. I tried to find a flaw with Quotely but couldn't. New parents will love it.
Mix by FiftyThree makes Paper collaborative
Mix by FiftyThree expands on the popular, award-winning drawing app Paper by making it collaborative. Now you can sketch, paint, draw and work on a project with a co-worker or friend, with Mix pushing updates to participating devices. And the best part of all is you needn't be an accomplished artist to benefit. Here's a look at Mix. FiftyThree calls Mix "a visual conversation," and that's an apt description. It's build right into Paper so it's easy to use. Looks As you might expect, Mix is great-looking. Projects in your stream flow past a lovely gradient background as you swipe, much like moving past notebooks in Paper. A simple pinch lets you view items within a collection, like your full stream or images you've starred as a favorite. If you can swipe and pinch-to-zoom, you can navigate Mix. Use Start with a project on Paper or jump right into "the mix" (sorry, couldn't resist). After launching Paper, you'll see the familiar collection of notebooks. To access Mix, swipe down to push the notebooks away and reveal Mix's interface. Now there's a new row of projects to explore, starting with any you've shared, either from Paper or those you've found and edited while exploring. I'm following several creators, and each is represented by a thumbnail. When I tap that image, I can zoom in on a particular project. The resulting screen shows the original creator's name, the date the project was uploaded, how many "hearts" it has earned (hearts are favorites) and an option to mark it as a favorite myself. But the real fun is browsing the remixes. Swipe across the image to see the next version of it in the "pile." Each variation lists the creator's name as well as who inspired that particular iteration of the image. You can add to anyone of those images yourself by tapping the image to go full screen, and then tapping again to bring up the tools. If you like the changes you've made, confirm them and a new version is added to the pile for others to view and remix. And hey, you say you've got on iPad? No problem! You can access Mix with a browser at mix.fiftythree.com. Use the responsive web app to monitor your stream and mark favorites. Conclusion The whole thing is a lot of fun and is clearly the next logical step for Paper. It's just as satisfying to use casually or with professional colleagues. It's one thing to have a digital art studio in your pocket, and quite another to share its contents with collaborators so easily. Mix is that digital art studio.
The Walking Dead Pinball is great fun
The Walking Dead by Telltale Games is a lot of fun, and it's won a slew of awards. Now available in two parts, it tells a unique story set in the world of The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman. I played through part one on my iPad and loved it. Now, Zen Studios expands on the series with The Walking Dead Pinball (universal, free with in-app purchases). It features characters and situations from part one of Telltale's games with voiceover work from members of the original cast. You needn't play through Telltale's game to have fun with Walking Dead Pinball, but those who have will enjoy it on another level. Looks great When first launched, you're greeted with that droning, sad music that permeates Telltale's game. The same characters are all there, too, and the artwork is in the same style. I like the continuity between the two games, as it keeps the pinball game thematically relevant. The game itself looks great. You'll find many scenes from the Telltale game, including the mote, the barn, the train and more. All of the characters are there, too, from Clementine to Lee and the rest of the gang. Plus walkers. Lots of walkers. Gameplay The Walking Dead Pinball is similar to a physical pinball game. You pull back the knob -- in this case, an axe -- to launch the ball and tap anywhere to activate the flippers and keep it in play. Of course, you aren't mindlessly tapping a ball around. There are goals to achieve and experiences to unlock. But I'll let you discover those on your own. I will say that there are some fun cutscenes and "side quests," if you will, to complete. As your game begins, characters Clementine and Lee are watching the action. Certain actions cause certain events to happen. You might have to save Clementine or do something at the barn, for example. This next level of interaction adds a lot of fun and, as I said, is great fun for those who've played Telltale's game. You can sign in with Facebook to brag about your score (though this isn't required at all), and the "hotseat" game is a pass-and-play competition between you and a friend. The Walking Dead Pinball looks best on an iPad but I've been using it on my iPhone and it's still a lot of fun. Give it a try...and shoot for the head.
Overhead view of Apple's event building
There's speculation about just what Apple intends to do with a decent-sized, temporary structure it has erected for its September 9 press event. Here's an overhead photo of the structure taken from a drone. Does anyone else think drones will replace paparazzi within the next 10 years? [Via 9to5] Got a drone photo of Apple's building for next week's event at the Flint Center. @9to5mac pic.twitter.com/ycIKiC4v9U - Sachin Patel (@gizmosachin) September 4, 2014
Checkmark 2.1 makes reminders better
Checkmark 2 ($2.99) has been updated to version 2.1, which introduces several very nice changes. The iPhone reminders app from Snowman has been on my home screen since I first reviewed it, and this update only affirms that decision. One big change is the snooze feature, which lets you temporarily dismiss a reminder. Now, much like the persistent Due, Checkmark will bug you until you respond to a reminder. The fact that I could dismiss a reminder in the previous version and never see it again was troublesome for me (read: mind like a sieve). Now, Checkmark won't let me off the hook. I love it. Other changes include improved recurring reminders. Specifically, individual items must be checked off and they now affect the app's badge count. Finally, you can add tappable actions in notes. Got a URL with info that's pertinent to a reminder or location? Add it right in there. Again, this fixes one of my major complaints about the previous version. Checkmark 2 is a great reminder app, and 2.1 makes it even better.
Save time with Contact Center
Two years ago, Contrast's David Barnard released Launch Center Pro, a handy utility that lets iPhone users launch apps as well as complex, custom workflows (my initial review here). It's super useful and was embraced by -- let's face it -- the geeks (you can say "power users" if it makes you feel better). Today, David and his team have introduced Contact Center, (free) bringing the power of Launch Center to the masses, and I think it's a great idea. Looks Those familiar with Launch Center Pro will feel right at home with Contacts Center. It features a 3x5 grid of white squares, which you populate with icons representing the shortcuts you've created. The bottom row hosts ads which can be removed via in-app purchase. A gear icon in the upper left opens the app's preferences, while the pencil icon in the upper right lets you edit or create new shortcuts. It's all very clean and nicely laid out. Really, anyone who has used an iPhone for any amount of time understands tapping an icon to make something happen, and that's pretty much all you need to know to use Contacts Center. Once you've set up shortcuts, that is. Use There are three main types of shortcuts in Contacts Center: a Shortcut, a Folder and a Folder from a Contact. The Shortcut is what I used most often. To create one, hit the pencil icon in the upper right to enter edit mode. Tap an empty square and select "Shortcut" from the pop-up. You'll find nine basic options. The "most common" list includes: Email, Group Message, Message, Phone Each has several options. For example, create an email Shortcut and have nearly every field filled in for you, like recipient(s), CC and BCC recipients, the subject and body. There are several photo options, too, which is great. You can have a message automatically attach the most recently-shot photo, pull one from the clipboard or your library or launch the camera. You can even select a GIF from Giphy. Once you've attached several actions to a single button tap, you see how useful this app is. The other Shortcut options are: Call Using Keypad, FaceTime, FaceTime Audio, Search & Call Contact, and Show Contact Again, each offers a series of additional steps and customizations that can be combined into a string of automated actions that you kick off with a tap. The other options are Folder and Folder from Contact. Think of a folder as containing a whole new 3x5 grid that you can populate however you choose. Folder from a Contact is even more useful, as it allows you to assign a grid's worth of actions to a single person, including my favorite -- the boilerplate message. Create a custom message that can be shared via text, saving you from having to type it all the time. Conclusion I wish David and his team well with Contacts Center. It's just as crazy-useful as Launch Center Pro, but will appeal to a larger audience. Try it and see how much time you save.
Wunderlist 3 makes many nice improvements
Wunderlist is the cloud-based, task- and project-management solution from Germany's 6Wunderkinder. I say "solution" because it's available for iOS, OS X, Kindle Fire, Chromebook and the web. I've been playing with it for a few weeks and I'm quite happy. However, I don't think all users will be. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Version 3.0 is an interesting release. Many of the service's eight million users have been hoping for two things: a public API and integration with services like Dropbox and Evernote. Many of the 400+ comments on the announcement blog post attest. A major release, four years after its introduction, seems like a logical time to address those requests. Instead, the developers at 6Wunderkinder focused on what they called "...the number one problem our customers were having": sync. Wunderlist 3 offers real-time sync. I can tell you, it's very fast. In the weeks that I've spend with beta builds, I've been delighted with how quickly changes are synchronized between my iPhone, Mac and the Web. There's no need to initiate a sync manually, though you still can. I've added more than a dozen items at a time on my Mac only to find them waiting for me on my iPhone. Wi-Fi is not required. By focusing on sync in this release, Wunderlist's developers have done three main things. First, they've addressed a major concern, as I mentioned. They also laid the groundwork for other highly anticipated features, like integration with third-party apps. "Since we've also built [sync] to be scalable for the tens of millions," says community manager Simon Chan, "it'll be easier for us to turn our attention to the number 2 most requested feature, which is service integration by way of Public API." I'm glad that the Wunderlist team took the time to get sync working well (and it definitely does). Still, I suspect that this will be a divisive release among the service's long-time users. Some will appreciate the result as I do, while others will lament that this is just one more release that doesn't support [x]. Let's look at some other changes. Wunderlist 3 has a whole new look and that's quite apparent on iOS. A new overview screen is the app's default look and that's a huge improvement over version 2.x, which plopped you on whatever screen you viewed last. If you were grocery shopping last, you'd open to your grocery list. That wasn't very helpful while at the office. Now you get this great new welcome screen. There are four icons across the top, starting from the left: 1. Alerts 2. Conversations 3. Preferences 4. Search Swipe up to scroll through your lists or tap the big "+" that lives at the bottom of the screen to create a new list. Scrolling is nice and snappy, as is reordering. Tap a list to view its contents and you'll find another nice change in the form of several new ways to act on your tasks. A new Share button lets you invite collaborators with a tap. The Publish button is very cool. It creates a public URL that anyone can access. While you might not want to do this with work items, it's quite nice for lists you'd like to share. You can also sort alphabetically, just as you could in version 2.x, but the More button offers...well, more. Tap it to see four options. The first lets you edit a list's options, like who's invited and Do Not Disturb settings. This is separate from Apple's DND feature, although it works in a similar fashion. It lets you silence reminders on a list-by-list basis. Say you're going to be away from the office for the day. Well, all of those office-specific tasks aren't going to get done, so silence their alarms and avoid the guilt of, "Oh, I should be working on such-and-such a project now." Finally, you can email and print a list right from the app (provided that you've got an iOS-ready printer available). Other changes include free commenting (formerly a premium-only feature) and gesture support in iOS (swipe to edit or delete a list item). On a personal note, I'm thrilled that version 3.0 for iPhone addressed my two major gripes about its predecessor. First, tags are supported. Wunderlist doesn't have a full category feature. Instead, the OS X version lets you add a hashtag term to an action item. For example, "#errands" or "#email." They become clickable and searchable. Unfortunately, these "hash-categories" weren't available on iOS, so all of you careful tagging was for naught once you left home. Wunderlist 3 introduces full support for these tags on iOS, and they sync nicely, too. Second, the placement of the button that saves a note on the iOS app has been re-worked. Previously, saving a note meant tapping two buttons: one labeled "Done" for when you had finished typing, and a second labeled "Close" to put the note away. This was redundant at best, and it became quite problematic when you wanted to paste text into a note. The modal Paste button appeared in front of but not quite covering the Close button, with the result that I often closed a note by accident without adding any text. Annoying! Once again, version 3 comes to the rescue. Now there's a single button in the upper right that becomes "Save" while you're typing, and "Done" when you're not. Fantastic. I'm quite happy with this update. To me, it feels like Apple's transition from Leopard to Snow Leopard. There weren't a huge number of marquee features, just smart changes that made its software better. 6Wunderkinder has pulled off something very similar with Wunderlist 3. It still lacks features that many users want, but it makes very nice improvements while setting the stage for those future changes very nicely.
Tinker is a simple, interesting task manager for iPhone
Apple's App Store has no shortage of task managers. Poke around and you'll find options as involved or simplistic as you like. Last May, Tinker joined the fray (US$0.99), and I spent the last few days trying it out. It's a simple, nice-looking app that will appeal to those like a certain style of working. Here's my look at Tinker. Tinker is based on timed tasks. You won't find projects, actions, contexts or a detailed project history. Instead, Tinker lets you create per-task timers -- as many as you like. A timer can be used immediately or at a later date and time. Once your designated time arrives, the app pings to get started. To create a task, pinch-to-zoom. A circle appears, representing your task. There's a minimum amount of information to be entered: title, start date & time, and finally duration. Tap a task once to start the timer, and again to pause it. Or, use what could have been my favorite feature: cover-to-pause. Enable cover-to-pause in the settings and the app pauses the active timer(s) whenever the iPhone's proximity sensor is covered. So, simply flip your iPhone face-side down to pause, and turn it over again to resume. It's so easy and infinitely better than having to fiddle with buttons. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work consistently. Sometimes the feature would function properly, and sometimes I'd lift my phone, wake up the display and find that the timer had continued counting. At first I though my case was interfering: maybe the gap it created between the table surface and my iPhone was enough to mess with cover-to-pause. However, removing it didn't fix the issue. That's a big bummer and hopefully something the team will address. It negates what should be the app's marquee feature. Why would you use a task manager that uses timers exclusively? I thought of the Pomodoro Technique right away. In a nutshell, Pomodoro has you alternate timed work periods with timed rest periods. You could easily set a timer for 25 minutes, work the whole while, and then take a five-minute break. It's also useful or exercising, writing, or ben taking a nap (as long as its modest end tone will rouse you!). The app has a dark theme which is nice, but I suspect some users would appreciate a brighter alternative (myself included). All in all, I like Tinker a lot, despite the cover-to-pause issue. It's simple and useful. Give it a whirl.
Apple joins President Obama's 'SupplierPay' initiative
US President Barack Obama has extended the so-called QuickPay initiative to the private sector with "SupplierPay," and Apple (among others) has come on board. SupplierPay requires companies to pay their suppliers within 15 days of receiving an invoice. The thought is that the program keeps these companies from having to borrow money. Now, Apple, IBM, Coca-Cola and others have agreed to pay their small component suppliers more quickly. Apple is a proactive advocate of supply chain responsibility. For instance, its 2014 Supplier Responsibility Report highlighted progress made in securing tantalum, an important metal used in the manufacture of electronic equipment.
Apple buys 100 acres for new solar farm
Apple has purchased an additional 100 acres of North Carolina which it will use to add to the solar farm it already operates in the region. The state's Claremont City Council has approved the project, which will cost Apple a reported US$55 million -- that's sofa-cushion change for a company that's so firmly in the black. It's estimated that the farm's construction will take five years and create 75 jobs. When complete, it will generate 17.5 megawatts of power for Apple. Compare that to Apple's main North Carolina solar farm in Maiden, which produces 20 megawatts of power for a data center (pictured above). Apple intends to give back to its host as well. It will give two parcels of land back to Claremont that it can use as greenways. The value of that land is about $96,000. In September of 2010, Apple bought 200 acres in NC to produce a second 20 MW farm.
Skype 5.2 for iPhone brings voice messaging back
Skype has updated its iPhone app to version 5.2, which brings voice messaging back. Incoming messages now show up among your conversations and can be reviewed at will. Just tap to listen. Also, version 5.2 lets you review a contact's information with a tap, including their name, birthday, location and "mood message." There are other changes which you can review here, but the big news of course is voice messaging. Download it now and get Skyping.
Reading Rainbow reboot coming to Apple TV
Following a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, LeVar Burton's Reading Rainbow will soon hit an Apple TV near you. The original series aired on PBS from 1983 to 2006, promoting reading and exploration to countless kids and young people. LeVar and Co. will now use proceeds from their Kickstarter campaign -- their original goal of US$1 million was dwarfed by the $5 million they took in -- to launch the show on Apple TV, Android, Xbox and more. Burton says that, in 2014, television isn't the best fit for the project. "...in 2014 TV is not that place anymore. Now, we're trying to reach a new generation of digital natives." The show, when launched (no date has been given) will be aimed at kids aged three to nine years. That's absolutely a demographic that has never experienced life without ubiquitous access to the Internet. I loved Reading Rainbow when I was a kid, especially the "field trips." Good luck to LeVar and everyone involved. They've got a massive project ahead of them.
Judge: Apple may not use term "patent troll" in court
Apple and Hawaii-based GPNE Corp are preparing for a legal battle that's being heard by judge Lucy Koh, who has instituted a "no name-calling" rule. Specifically, Judge Koh has told Apple's attorneys that they may not refer to GPNE Corp as "patent troll" or "privateer" or "bandit" while in front of a jury. Additionally, they may not tell a jury that GPNE is engaged in a "shakedown" or "playing the lawsuit lottery." This is ironic, as GPNE appears to be the very definition of "patent troll." It manufactures nothing, and appears that is only "product" is making licensing demands for its patents. As of this writing, its website features the following four "news" items: April 8, 2014 GPNE Corp. enters into license agreement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc. April 1, 2014 GPNE Corp. enters into license agreement with The Kroger Co. March 25, 2014 GPNE Corp. enters into license agreement with ID Systems, Inc. March 14, 2014 GPNE Corp. enters into license agreement with Stanley Steemer International, Inc. As for its beef with Apple, GPNE claims the iPad infringes on old patents on transmitting data over a network.
Apple hires Alex Hsieh from Atlas Wearables
Apple has hired Alex Hsieh, formerly of Atlas Wearables. According to Hsieh's Linked profile, he began working for Apple in June, 2014 as a firmware developer. No other details about his current role or assignment are available. Here's a video of the Atlas wearable in action. As MacObserver notes, Apple has been on a bit of a hiring spree lately, snatching up people who, collectively, could produce a nice wearable device. If they were so inclined, that is. Meanwhile, Tim Cook recently told Walt Mossberg that "There are lots of gadgets in the [wearable] space. I would say that the ones that are doing more than one thing...there's nothing great out there that I've seen." Time for something great then, Tim?
Researchers crack iPad, iPhone PINs
"Shoulder surfing" refers to the practice of looking over someone's shoulder to watch them enter a PIN on a mobile device, like an iPad. It's not the most sophisticated hack ever, but it works, as long as the interloper has a line of sight. However, researchers from Lowell, Massachusetts have removed that restriction. The group at UMass Lowell has devised a way to reliably capture a user's four-digit passcode without seeing his or her iPad's screen. Using a camera and the knowledge that the lock screen's keyboard is static, the group's software can reference finger movements to estimate the passcode as it's typed. In fact, they were able to accurately guess a target PIN 83% of the time. When targeting the iPhone 5, the success rate jumped to 100%. That doesn't mean you've got to run into a broom closet whenever you unlock your iPhone or iPad. Just exercise a little caution. Meanwhile, the group is working on a way to randomize the Android keypad, to help prevent this very type of snooping. Hopefully Apple's Touch ID technology will make it to more devices soon, making this type of hack a moot point for Apple users.
iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak tutorial video makes it look easy
YouTube user Macmixing has posted a tutorial video on how to jailbreak iOS 7.1.1. The process can be intimidating for some, but this video walks you through the process step by step. There are a pair of caveats here. You'll need Pangu's tool and a Windows computer to get the job done; we'll leave it to you to find a download spot for this tool if you deem it necessary to jailbreak your devices. So, have at it if you're interested. Just be aware of the risks. If you don't know what you're doing, this is not a good idea.
Flickr Find: Steve's got your back
Flickr user Sam has found a clever use for her Steve Jobs Lego minifig. She attached the figure to a Lego stand and then slapped the stand on her desk with some Blue-Tack. A Lightning cable fits perfectly into "Lego Steve's" hand. Last week we wrote about Sugru, a playful material that hardens into rubber. Many people have used it to attach Lego figures to a surface, thus eliminating the need for the stand like Sam used. Adding Steve Jobs to the mix makes it that much better.
How to reorder Safari pages on iPhone or iPad
Apple's iOS 7 changed the way mobile Safari manages multiple open pages. The current version presents the list as a "fan." Scroll through it with a swipe of your finger to quickly browse all open pages. Did you know you can also reorder those pages? You can, and here's how. Simply tap and hold on the page you'd like to move for about a second. It will become slightly more pronounced in appearance while the others fade into the background bit. Now you can drag that page to any position on the list that you want. While we're at it, there are two ways to close a page. Either tap the "x" in its upper left-hand corner, or simply swipe it to the left.
Apple to open Prague retail shop
Apple is reportedly preparing to open a "store-within-a-store" retail arrangement in Prague (Google translate), the capital of the Czech Republic. Retail chain Alza will be the host, much as Best Buy hosts a similar arrangement here in the US. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Friday in Holešovice, a suburb north of Prague. It gets underway at 8:00 PM local time. Czech actor Martin Stransky will be on hand. Stransky recently recorded the Czech audio version of Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs.
Path gets updates, stand-alone message app
After a long hiatus with no updates, several layoffs and a "realigning of the company," Path is back with some big changes. Messaging has broken off into a stand-alone app called Talk, the core app's navigation has been simplified, and newly-acquired messaging service TalkTo will exploit the popularity of text communication. Talk At first, I was confused by Path's decision to move messaging out the core app. Isn't it more efficient for one app to perform all functions? Path CEO Dave Morin believes that Talk will be a major part of his company's future business model. But before we get to that, we must discuss stickers. Path released "sticker packs" about 18 months ago. Shortly after that, the company added a yearly subscription option to let customers acquire early-release stickers. All this to say that the sale of virtual goods has been a big part of Path's revenue stream. The same was true of TalkTo. This service let people get answers from area businesses via text, like hours of operation, product availability, prices and more. Its premium subscription let customers pay a monthly fee to get their questions moved to the front of the queue. TalkTo founder Stuart Levinson noticed that three-quarters of the questions his customers asked were about buying something, and that's what Morin hopes to capitalize on. "We want to bring a differentiated and powerful new use case to our users," he told TechCrunch. "We want to bring commerce and messaging together in a way that is user-first." The core app The UI has received a big update. Now, all of the buttons are at the bottom of the screen, meaning that cool slide-out panel that was always "behind" your timeline is gone. Meanwhile, tapping to leave a comment on a friend's post offers two options: "Comment" and "Message." The former works as expected while the latter prompts you to install the Talk app or pushes you to Talk if it's already installed. Other changes include a boost in the number of friends you can have. Formerly topping out at 150, you can now have as many as you like. Finally, the sticker store is still there, though I think it's harder to find. You must tap to add a comment, then hit the emoticon button and finally the store icon in the lower left. No more "swipe, tap" to jump right to it.. I've fallen in and out of love with Path several times. Today, my extended family and I use it to keep tabs on each other's activities, and that's working out fine. Here's to seeing what's next.