Just came across this great video review of the latest version of my iPad photography app Portfolio To Go for Flickr. If you want to preview all the new features I’ve added in a recent app update this review from Adorama TV covers most of them 
Portfolio to Go for Flickr has just been approved for sale by Apple and is now availabile for iPad on the App Store.
Following the success of Portfolio To Go Lite – a top 10 free iPad App for Photographers – this pro version adds many new features including:
- Photo Wall:
View all your Flickr photo galleries at once – scroll each gallery horizontally to browse thumbs, scroll vertically to traverse through all synced galleries. Click on any thumbnail to jump into the main image view. - Main image view displays gallery thumbnails to enable improved gallery navigation. Just click the main image to go full-screen.
- Pick and choose which galleries to display and which to hide
- Share your photos and Flickr links in app via Facebook, Twitter or Email
Apple has chosen to feature Portfolio to Go for Flickr in the new and noteworthy section of the iPad Photography category – they did the same for the Lite version
After 5 months ‘ad hoc’ development and a short but anxious 6 day wait in the Apple submission queue we have finally launched our ‘Social Learning’ App for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch: Loop&Learn.
Loop&Learn is more than just ‘my best ever iPhone App’, it is my best ever app… desktop, web, mobile or otherwise. It is both technically and content-wise the coolest software I’ve been lucky enough to develop.
Whether you want to learn Chinese or are an avid bird watcher, there’s a loop for that
Here’s my business partner, Neil Gerstenberg, presenting our app on YouTube:
As Neil describes in the video, Loop&Learn is a tool to help you learn ANYTHING! Right on your iPhone you can create multimedia ‘Learning Loops’ consisting of recorded audio phrases, images and text. On iPhone and iPad the audio recording works directly from the device microphone. On iPod Touch you’ll need a compatible microphone earphones for authoring but all of the study and learning loop playback is compatible without any extra hardware.
Create
We’ve designed the authoring process to be as intuitive as possible with features such as:
- body text is auto split into loop phrases based on line/paragraph breaks – so you can easily import large learning texts into the app
- auto-record in the phrase editing screen detects silences and enables you to split up your multiple audio phrases without continuously clicking a record button
- the full current paragraph text is instantly displayed when recording each phrase
- while editing body text the app enables users to play the existing audio phrase associated with the current text cursor position
New/Edit Loop Home Screen and Body Text Editor
Phrase Record and Edit
Learn
Likewise, in study mode here are just a few handy learning features offered by our app:
- multi-gesture control: double tap to start/stop playback, swipe left and right for next/prev phrases, swipe down and up for next/prev looping groups
- single or multi-select the loop blocks at the top of the screen to split your learning into looping bite-size chunks
- 2 learning modes: ‘Repeat with me’ and ‘Listen’n'Repeat’ – the latter plays the full loop group and then repeats silently giving you the chance to repeat aloud
Share
Saving the best for last, my favourite feature of Loop&Learn is the new collaborative learning concept it introduces: ’social learning’.
Users of our app can share the learning loops they create via our ‘Loop Library’. All that’s required is an account with Twitter. Once a user shares one or more of their learning loops they retain ownership of the loop and can change and update it at any time via the same share and update process.
Think of the amazing possibilities that social learning offers. Language learning for example: User A is French and wants to learn English, User B is English and wants to learn French. If User A and User B create and share language loops in their native tongues then they both will benefit from the shared content!
In anticipation of launch, Neil, myself and friends have created some example loops that demonstrate how versatile the app is. Take a look at the Featured Loops page on loopandlearn.com. You’ll find learning loops for:
- Chinese Phrases
- First aid/CPR
- Local Brighton History
- Learning Poems
- Cloud Formations
- US Presidents
- French for Kids
Just a few of our examples to kick off the app. As more people purchase Loop&Learn we expect the content to grow and it will always remain free to download user generated loops so the loop library should get bigger and better
Thanks to the power of Twitter when users share new learning loops Loop&Learn sends a tweet with a link to the newly created loop preview page on our site. Like this one for example: http://www.loopandlearn.com/9ddbb9
what’s really cool is that on the top right of that preview page is a download link which when clicked on by Loop&Learn users via Safari or most iPhone Twitter clients Loop&Learn will automatically:
- launch on the iPhone
- download and install the loop being previewed
The Website
www.loopandlearn.com stays up-to-date automatically with the latest learning loops uploaded by Loop&Learn users. We have also launched the site with a ‘Hot Loops’ / Featured Loops section.
Happy Looping!
About me
I'm a Freelance iPhone and iPad Developer based in Brighton, UK with an additional 10+ years experience developing web and desktop applications.
I freelance directly for UK and US clients such as the BBC, Channel 4, Pearson, Manga High, Gridclub and numerous others.
I've developed Apps that have been recognised by Apple for intuitive design such as Portfolio To Go: the perfect iPad app for artists and photographers who use Flickr.com to showcase their photographs online. A winner of Apple's 'iPad App of the Week' award.
I've conceived and developed e-learning solutions such as a desktop application that enables content writers at Pearson to create 100s of Interactive Learning CD-Roms each year.
I've developed Flash games and applications for BAFTA award winning websites. I regularly post and share tips on iPhone and Flex Development on my blog and present at Software Development User Groups and was one of the 3 minute wonders at Flash on the Beach '09 conference drawing parallels between Flash and iPhone Development to the 1000+ attendees in the Brighton Dome.
