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Apple's Launches 2 New Apps: "Find My Friends" and "Cards"

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At the iPhone 4S launch event today, Apple launched two new apps: Find My Friends, and Cards.

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Cards is an iOS version of the greeting card-maker built-in to iPhoto, but with a twist -- instead of printing and shipping cards to the user, who then has to buy stamps, address and mail the cards -- Apple takes care of printing, mailing, and postage and sends the card directly to the recipient, with a push notification going to the senders iPhone upon delivery.

As iOS SVP Scott Forstall explains, "you create the card on your iPhone, and we'll do the rest."

Users will take pictures, design the card (choosing from 21 different designs), customize the greeting and Apple takes care of the rest. Cards will cost $2.99 each when mailed within the US, $4.99 internationally. The Cards app itself will be a free download, launching October 12th, with iOS 5.

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Apple's "Find My Friends" feature was hinted at earlier this year, and has now arrived as an App to locate (with permission) users' friends and family with iOS devices on a map, much like Google Latitude.

Users can easily set privacy controls including only sharing location during certain times of day and more. “At the end of the day, location sharing stops automatically. Easily locate friends and family, temp sharing options, simple privacy controls…”

Find My Friends is free with iOS 5 and will launch October 12.

Cards image courtesy This Is My Next

Find My Friends image courtesy GDGT

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Top Rated Comments

N
None Such
191 months ago
"Find My Friends" is bad news. It might as well be called Husband Tracker. You know you can't refuse to share your location with your wife.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nicky G Avatar
Nicky G
191 months ago
Bah -- who needs an iPhone 5, when I have... CARDS! :rolleyes:
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
nagromme
191 months ago
Oh no, iCards lives! :eek:

Actually this solves a real-world problem for me—I’m ALWAYS really lame about getting cards out when I should.

And I could use my own art (even painted on iPad) instead of photos, so they'd be more personal than a store-bought card too.

Was this some manager's pet project that they managed to get approved? With all Apple is doing, starting to compete against Hallmark and getting into the printing business seems an odd choice.

Apple’s been printing cards, via iPhoto’s service, for years. This is an evolution of that. Only a small feature. But what’s wrong with developing small features sometimes? I’d hate to use a platform with only the big features!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiRez Avatar
HiRez
191 months ago
I thought I was on the Onion site... this is... an Apple without Steve Jobs.

I was waiting for him to say "We believe the future is in printers!" Seriously, there is nothing wrong with a cards service, but I think it left a bad impression to lead off with that because you know everyone in the audience (and investors watching from home) was thinking "So this is Tim Cook's first big idea?". Not fair, but it was there.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
nonameowns
191 months ago
We created the first app that sends printed cards from an iPhone over a year ago. Our price was and still is $2.99. You can also send postcards for just $0.99. I may have to contact Tim about this. Any idea what to do about this situation?

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photoraven-send-postcards/id370197152?mt=8

you're ****ed.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
swingerofbirch
191 months ago
Does Apple have someone to sign the card for you or are the sent unsigned?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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