Informal Brain

One of my favorite iPhone applications called Byline by Phantom Fish has just been updated to version 2.0.

What an impressive update!

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Folders: You can now see each of your Google Reader folders.

2. Clean, fast new interface: The interface has been cleaned up. Gone are the flat blues and now we have a cool wood grained view which is easy on the eyes. And did I mention faster! The entire application is much faster to load new items.

3. Notes: You can now write notes while sharing items just like in the web based google reader application.

4. Built in Web Browser: No more sudden swaps to Safari. Now you can browse inside the application without switching. This is a favorite feature because I would frequently hit a link by mistake and swap to Safari. No more.

Finally!  Version 2.0 of Facebook for the iPhone launched today.  Ever since I saw the totally amazing photo tagging demo on YouTube about a month ago I have been following the release date of this new version closely.  Today the wait is over.

Highlights:

1. Photo Tagging — Click, tag and go.  It is fast, and amazingly easy to tag a photo and get it posted.  This is simply the best photo sharing experience for the iPhone now.

2. Inline Commenting — This is a game changer for the level of interactivity within the Facebook newsfeed.  Now you can click on the small link beside pretty much any wall post, newsfeed item or photo and leave a quick inline comment.  Works very well.  Look out Friendfeed!

3. Chat — Works better then ever.  Looks just like iChat.  Nice job.

4. User Interface — Lots of subtle effects like fly-ins when posting make the UI really fun to use.

Improvements!

1. Quick scroll to the top of the page.  Steal this from Twitterific and Mobile Safari guys.  When you are way down a page it takes a bunch of finger swipes to get back to the top.

2. View Friends of Friends.  This is a nice feature which helps you pick the right person out of the crowd when searching.

Otherwise, again this is a GREAT upgrade.  Good job Facebook team.

Start your appstore checks! Facebook 2.0 is released! Review coming shortly.

This morning the screenshot for the Facebook iPhone application changed to a version 2.0 shot. The application is still 1.1 however. Keep refreshing. We should see the new version soon.