“Who is calling me?” Phone number reverse lookup for the iPhone

Caller ID doesn’t always tell the big picture about who is calling. Do you answer that call coming in from an unknown area code? Do you answer if you get a call from a local area code… but don’t know who it is? It could be the car dealer letting you know they left a bolt off of your car and they are calling from a different number than you call them with. Some places leave messages so that narrows down if you will answer next time or not. Many times the message left makes you wonder too.

A popular solution is Reverse Lookup Web sites. Just type in the phone number and it comes back with who and where the number is listed with. Rather than having to go to a Web site on your iPhone every time, the Number Guru app offers the feature, for free.

Simply type in the number that you have in question:

And Number Guru tells you the percent chance of it being a ‘spammer’ calling and comments left by others about their experiences with the number. Of course, you could be on a list by a spammer using a new number not yet reported on, but most likely you will get the full picture through the app. The developer states they have 100% of landline numbers and 50% of the cell phone numbers covered. Verizon doesn’t off reverse lookup on their numbers so those callers will remain a mystery… and not get answered on my iPhone.

A nice feature that Number Guru offers that you can’t get looking up a number on a Web site is to call the number back (or ‘text’ if you like). Great if you didn’t answer and now find that it was a someone you need to talk to.

Also available in Number Guru is adding the number to your contacts area. By doing this, the ID you put on the contact will show next time the number calls you so you know who it is and if you should answer. I put a few in under a Business name of ‘spammer’ for the spam callers which now I know when it comes in rather than trying to remember if I looked that number up before.

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Dynamic Light, HDR gone mad on the iPhone4

You have seen the photos, the colors more vivid and contrast around the clouds more pronounced. The effect can be done by taking a light and dark image, then merging the two together. This method takes a few seconds as you have to take two pictures without moving. Another option is through apps like Dynamic Light. The application, along with providing many other filters, can enhance a photo to may pretty dramatic images.

This effect doesn’t work well for all images and there are folks that don’t like the over ‘sharpness’ of HDR. Where you will notice the biggest impact is in photos that has very light detail. These will be brought forward to be contrasted against what was the front most details of the untouched image.

Dynamic Light auto applies a light HDR upon opening an image in it.

Beneath the name of the filter is a dial to adjust the percent of the filter being applied. Roll it to the right to apply more, to the right to lighten the effect.

The Dynamic Light app will work on images taken with it or from the iPhone’s Photo Library. The Fx button holds many more tuning filters. Tap to choose a filter, each can also be adjusted through the dial.

If you like the HDR effect and don’t think the default Dynamic Light enhancement is enough, just choose the ‘Overcooked HDR’ filter.

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Instagram for iPhone… faster, easier likes and auto-complete

There was an update to Instagram last night… if you missed it, go grab it now!

The update includes a few behind the scenes fixes and features, like a speed jump that puts it close to the speed Instagram runs on my iPad.

Also, three usability features:

Now you can double tap a picture to ‘like’ it. No more scrolling down to the bottom of the comments people have left for the image to find the little button. In this screen shot, you can see Instagram shows a heart for just a couple seconds to you know it received your ‘like’.

There was a rethink of the ‘comments’ text entry area too. If you enter a ‘@’, then start typing a person’s Instagram name, you will get a list of narrowed options to choose from or just keep typing and the app will auto-complete the name for you.

You will notice Instagram also gives you a view of what others have posted for comments when your typing yours. This makes it much easier to remember who you might be posting a comment in regards to.

Well, I just jumped right in there with my excitement didn’t I? If your wondering what Instagram is… it is a free photo social network where you post your pictures directly from your iPhone/iPad and comment on other people’s photos.

CameraBag update for iPhone includes Italiano

As you have seen before, I use a large variety of processing apps to get the image tuned before sharing it. Generally, there are several steps through several applications to get it just right.

There is the time though that a quick pre-set filter is all I need. I’m more concerned about getting a slight shift and getting it done quickly. This is where the little CameraBag app comes in handy. It’s an app I keep in my first folder of Photo Apps because I know it will get the job done in a snap.

I’ve reviewed it before, today I’m only outlining an update the developers of CameraBag rolled out.

When you launch the app and either snap the photo or import one from your iPhone Photo Library, you can sweep through the provided filters with a swipe of your finger. I generally go to the top pull down and choose one of the filters directly since I know what I’m going after.

A new filter added to CameraBag in this update is Italiano. A fun black & white effect with the addition of highlighting for an ‘older’ effect without making it look like a worn photo.

There is now multi levels of each of the filters, which can be gotten to by double tapping on an image you have a filter applied to. I have yet to see a way to go back if you keep double tapping and decide the previous was the look you where going after. But, like I said, CameraBag is more about get in and out quickly.

Interesting for me is that the simplest can actually make the biggest impact. Not one with filters from CameraBag but also features. One last item they added was the ability to exit the app and return to find the image you where editing as you left it. A huge life save, not sure why more photo apps don’t do this!