Want something different for your iPhone 3G/3GS…

…which also makes a good video stand?

Available in 4 colours: Dark Chocolate, Chocolate, Strawberry Chocolate and White Chocolate!

Now available at SGD$15.90, inclusive of postage in Singapore.

Interested? Please make a reservation using the appended form and I will contact you via email shortly.

Edited: Sorry! This make shift blogshop is closed!

Ok peeps. Stop whining that iPhone 3G/3GS doesn’t come with flash. FastMac iV is here to save the day – A battery pack which also double up as a Camera Flash adapter. But it doesn’t come cheap…. It costs USD$99.95!

Are you getting yours?

The Hipstamatic application is based on plastic toy cameras from the 1980s! Some people actually commented that I am silly as all these are effects which can be done using other photo editing software such as photoshop.

Well, so be it. I like to see the my photos instantly after taking them. With Hipstamaic, it makes my random pictures look good! But this convenience doesn’t come cheap. The application cost US$1.99 (for a limited time only) and is bundled with the John S Lens, the Jimmy Lens, the Standard Flash, Ina’s 1969 Film, and Kodot Verichrome Film. Add-on packs cost $0.99 each. To date, I’ve bought all the packages offered in this application.

I did not even take out my Sony CyberShot H20 when I was in Bangkok. This entire album was shot with the Hipstamatic Application. Will anyone develop a full fledged lomo digital camera soon? I will be the first to purchase it.

Just got your iPhone 3GS recently? Here are some essential free applications which will enhance your iPhone experience!

Location Based Utilities

1. TranSGuide – Locate the nearest bus stops around you and provides you with the ETA of the SBS Transit buses!
2. Locacity SG – Locate DBS/POSB ATM machines, 7-Eleven and other Point of Interest near you in Singapore!
3. iCash SG – Locate POSB and OCBC ATM machines near you. DBS and Citibank will be included soon!
4. Carpark@SG – Locate the carpark and parking fee around your destination before making the decision on where to park your car!
5. iHealth SG – Locate Healthcare institutions and clinics around you! Pandemic Preparedness Clinics are also being highlighted!

Social Networking / Communications

1. Facebook – Upload photos and tag your friends on the go!
2. Plurk – I love the “Mark all as read” function!
3. Twitterrific – You can twitpic with this app and it retweets using standard conventions – RT username:
4. eBuddy – Get connected to Windows Live Messenger and other popular instant messaging networks on the go!
5. Ping! Lite – iPhone to iPhone messaging. Though I prefer Whatsapp Messenger, which is a paid application.
6. WordPress 2 – Blog on the go!
7. PicPosterous – Upload a picture to your posterous account instead of emailing!

Photography and Image Editing

1. Polarize – Create Polaroid like photos!
2. Photoshop.com Mobile – Scaled-down version of Photoshop on iPhone!
3. Flickr – Upload your photos to your flickr account!

Foodie’s Favourites!

1. buUuk – Locate makan places around you! It even highlight those which offer “Healthier Choice”! Can call and make reservations!
2. Hungry Go Where – iPhone version of Singapore’s No 1 Food Resource Website. Can call and make reservations too!

Music

1. Laylio – Listen to MediaCorp Internet Radio on the go! Currently offers Class 95, YES 933, Lush 99.5 and 987FM!
2. MediaCorp Radio Stations – Currently offers 93.8 LIVE and Capital Radio 95.8.

Other Utilities

1. 1-Click Wireless@SG – The name says it all! Just key-in your username and password once, and every time you launch the app, it will log on to Wireless@SG automatically!
2. iCab SG – You never need to remember the numbers of the respective Taxi Companies in Singapore!
3. TraffiCam SG – Check the traffic conditions “live” at key traffic hotspots in Singapore, including the two checkpoints!
4. DropBox – Access your files on the go! You can get a free account at Dropbox.com.

Yesterday, we did a speed test with our iPhone 3GS at Health Promotion Board. We used the Speedtest.net iPhone app to perform this test. At a count of 3, we pressed “Begin Test” simultaneously on our respective iPhone 3GS.

Speedtest.net performs three key measurements used to determine the overall quality and performance of the Internet connection.

• Download Speed – The speed at which data is sent from the Internet to your computer
• Upload Speed – The speed at which data is sent from your computer to the Internet
• Ping (Latency) – The time it takes in milliseconds for a small piece of data to be sent from your computer to the Internet and back

Results? *Drumroll*

We had a confusion earlier as the settings for the results for my iPhone was set to mbps, while the others are using kbps.

Starhub is clearly the fastest like it’s mascot Sparky, followed by SingTel the Red Brolly, and of course, M1 the scorching hot sun.

Google just released the Google Latitude web app for iPhone, instead of a native iPhone app. However, this web app has it’s limitation – It is unable to provide continuous background location updates like it does for users on Android, Blackberry, Symbian and Windows Mobile.

Initially, I wasn’t too keen to try it out. Under peer pressure, I’ve decided to give it a try. It’s rather interesting, I would say. My user id on Google Latitude is victor.tancs@gmail.com and I have only 5 friends on my list to stalk on.

So… Let me stalk you, will you? Add me on Google Latitude!

I must say that tranSGuide is my favourite iPhone App of all time! It beats the existing applications, such as SG Buses and SG Transport, hands down!

Unlike the other free apps that require you to input the bus stop number into the system, this app allows you to check for the arriving times of the SBS buses in 3 steps!

1. Launch tranSGuide app
2. Click on “Nearby”
3. Select the Bus Stop that you want to find out about the bus arrival timings

Hopefully, our fellow Gahmen colleagues at LTA can develop an API which allows developers to tap on and provide the arrival information of the SMRT buses as well. Alternatively, do have a mobile version of the existing PublicTransport.sg service – Not everyone loves to SMS!

Ah… Buying iPhone apps on iTunes is like Pringles. After my virgin purchase of the QuadCam app, today I was introduced to the CameraBag app through Brennan’s blog entry of his favourite iPhone Apps! Yup, another US$2.99 gone…

Don’t you think the effect of the photos look very much like a real Polaroid? I love this shot which I took accidentally with my friend in it! It has this “totally random” feeling which I saw in some of my parents’ polariod photos taken in the 70s!

Ah… I’m so lovin’ it! *snap snap snap*

DIY shot - FAIL

Last night, I was being introduced to Quad Camera through Brian’s plurk and decided to fork out US$1.99 to download this nifty app! It turns the iPhone into a Supersampler lomo camera! I used to own a Supersampler, but I was so clumsy that my film went exposed even before I could see my first shot!

I love the effect so much that I started to take picture of myself again, but FAILED lah. The above shot was the best among the worst!

It is really challenging to take a photo of yourself with an iPhone. There isn’t any dedicated button that you can just press like those that we have on the other phones. So, I haven’t been taking DIY shots with my iPhone, until the purchase of this app! I will master the art of taking DIY shots with my iPhone since there is a motivation now!

Anyone keen to be do a 四连拍 (4 consecutive shots) using my iPhone? Hee…