Appletell

Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup - July 9, 2009

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-10T03:35:43+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Third-Party, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for July 9, 2009:

Macintosh

iFunia, a professional developer of Mac multimedia applications, announced today the immediate availability of its new family of Mac video converter products that offer a quick and simple way for consumers to convert video formats on Mac. iFunia Mac video converter products allow consumers to convert their digital video content to appropriate format for use on personal computers or popular portable and mobile devices such as the Apple iPod, iPhone, Sony PSP, Apple TV Vision and Smartphones.
app4mac has released CheckUp 2.5, a new update to the innovative tool that allows you to check the health and monitor the behavior of a Mac computer. Built from the ground up with Mac OS X technologies, CheckUp features an amazing user interface. CheckUp is designed to check your disks and memory but also to monitor the usage of CPU, Memory, Disk Drives and Network Adapters in a very visual way. CheckUp works with any Mac with a PowerPC G4, G5 or Intel Processor.
Fanurio Time Tracking SRL has released Fanurio version 2.1, a time tracking and billing software application, highly appreciated by freelancers for its intuitive interface, flexible timer and ability to produce detailed invoices. Fanurio has lots of features for billing contracted work. It can record services and expenses, round time, apply discounts, handle subcontracted work, use multiple currencies, apply taxes, record partial payments and many more.

iPhone/iPod

The Binary Mill today has announced the immediate world-wide release of Amoebaz! 1.0, their latest iPhone 3D adventure game. Direct the Amoebaz! on their journey to find their gene pools. But be careful, these little Amoebaz! like to bounce and aren’t afraid to push each other around. Take too long directing them and they’ll never get the chance to contribute to the universal gene pool. Realtime physics make the Amoebaz! fun and unpredictable.
Edovia Inc. has announced their one year celebration of the App Store by offering a sale of all six of their products. This includes Rocket Taxi, Linguo, NumPad, Steps, Find Me! and Currencies. Save up to 75% off our apps. This event will be held for one day only, on July 11th, 2009.
Retina-X Studios, LLC has announced the immediate availability of Mobile Spy version 3.0 for the Apple iPhone 3GS. No other spy software is currently compatible with the iPhone 3GS, Users can silently track GPS locations, SMS messages and calls of children or employees inside a secure online control panel. Mobile Spy runs in total stealth mode and no mentions of the program are shown on the iPhone 3G
Sense Studios has released iFeel You for iPhone. With this massaging game you can start practicing without hurting anybody. This way you will become a real massage master with that perfect touch. The screen of your iPhone shows a lady who wants you to bring her in the mood. Get her going by softly caressing her back with your fingers. You’ll hear it right away if you’re hitting the right spot - or not!
Freeverse, Inc, a leader in iPhone and iPod development with two of the Top Ten Apps of 2008, today announced that Version 2.0 of their hit postcard application Postman is available now on the App Store. This update features a streamlined interface by noted U.I. designer David Lanham, professionally created built-in themes and much more.
Recently-formed game development studio Controlled Chaos Media has announced that its first game, Pocket Fish, is now available in the Apple App Store. Select your favorite fish and teach it tons of tricks, including barrel rolls, karate chops and air guitar, for a bubbly, aquatic experience in your palm.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Jonathan Ive creates huge iPod Nano for friend

Josh Holat — 2009-07-09T16:24:52+00:00

Section: Apple, iPod + iTunes, iPod nano

Jonathan Ive has always been known to be a fantastic designer over at Apple, having won numerous awards for his creation of beautiful products. So, what else would you expect him to do for a friend’s birthday other than send him a huge iPod Nano (which is quite the contradiction in terms if you ask me). The iPod is actually pretty awesome looking, and is very similar (at least the part that the photo shows us) to the actual iPod Nano.

Sir Paul Smith, the man who receieved the present, stated on his blog:

On Friday 3rd July, I received a really lovely mad gift for my birthday (which is on the 5th) from Jonathan Ive and Jody who works with him at Apple - a perfect model of an Ipod but as you can see slightly bigger than usual. Jonny knows I like strange things; as the real thing gets smaller, he sends me a giant version!

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind receiving something as cool as this for my birthday. Although the chances it has any function are very slim, it would still be very unique to have. Leave up to Jonathan Ive to design yet another awesome product.

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Appletell reviews Firemint’s Real Racing for iPhone and iPod touch

Jake Gaecke — 2009-07-09T12:52:00+00:00

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Reviews

Genre: Racing
Developer: Firemint
Minimum Requirements: iPhone OS 2.2+
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
Price: $9.99
Availability: Now
Version Reviewed: 1.01

I know, I know, another racing game. But any gaming platform has its (fair?) share of racing games, and the iPhone is no exception. And I think you’ll find that Real Racing is a step ahead of the rest, unless you’re a racing purist, or if you just plain don’t like to go fast.

Real Racing has a laundry list of cool features. You get 36 cars, 12 tracks, 5 game modes, 57 events in career more, and up to 6 cars on screen at any one time. Those are pretty good numbers for an iPhone game, and with the iPhone 3GS now available, they can only get better. With recent tech demos, it’s apparent that the iPhone 3GS can handle many more than 6 cars on screen at any time, but it’s unclear if they’ll actually up that number any time soon.

The first thing you’ll notice after you actually start to race is… well, before I tell you, why don’t you just look?

Ok, did you notice how beautiful this game really is? Thought so; it’s gorgeous! You might actually forget that you’re gaming on an iPhone, well, until you reach for some buttons at least. You have two viewpoint choices: cockpit and a trailing cam. Both are amazing. It’s really fun to see how the gauges react inside the cockpit, or (my favorite) the race info that’s attached to your car in the trailing viewpoint.

The game controls are superb for a racing game, as long as you aren’t that racing purist I mentioned before. You have a number of different choices, but it defaults to an incredibly intuitive tilt steering scheme with auto acceleration and auto braking. This means all you really have to do is steer your vehicle effectively, the game does the rest. If necessary, you can touch the screen to brake (or reverse if you hold it long enough).

I know what you’re saying; doesn’t that take away at least some of the challenge and some of the fun of playing a racing game? Yes and no. Realistically, you’re likely to just hold down the accelerate button about 95% of the time anyway, and with the current state of iPhone gaming, buttons take screen space, and that real estate is significantly more valuable than the housing type of real estate (currently, and in the foreseeable future). Then again, there is a certain sort of satisfaction involved with being completely in control of every detail of a game. It’s a trade off, but for an iPhone game, I think it’s a worthwhile trade off—at least for the time being until someone releases a gaming controller than becomes extremely popular.

The game also allows you to play multiplayer locally over WiFI and globally via online leagues. Local multiplayer is exactly what you’d want: you versus another player in real-time. The global multiplayer on the other hand, probably isn’t; there is no real-time, head to head racing, but it’s still something I suppose. What’s significantly cooler than the global racing leagues is the ability to post a video replay to YouTube. So, the next time you have a ridiculous time, post the replay and prove your skills (or luck).

If you had to narrow down your choices on racing games to just one on the App Store, you certainly could do a lot worse than Real Racing. Is it ultimately the best? I’m not sure, I haven’t played them all. But I can say with relative confidence that it’s likely at the top, and that’s good enough, it’s good enough for me, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Appletell Rating:

Buy Real Racing

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Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup - July 8, 2009

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-08T21:54:01+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Utilities, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for July 8, 2009:

Macintosh

Cynical Peak Software has announced the release of Rivet 2.2. Rivet enables users to stream video, music, and photos from Mac OS X to an Xbox 360 or PS3 over their home network. Users can now easily enjoy all of their media on their big screen TV from the comfort of their living room. Version 2.2 adds movie thumbnail and music album art support, expanded metadata, and performance optimizations.
publicspace.net has announced A Better Finder Rename 8.23, an update to its popular file, music and photo renaming utility. A Better Finder Rename is a sophisticated tool that caters for the full range of file renaming tasks encountered by the modern creative professional. The new release extends the existing music file renaming features of the tool with new capabilities.
DEVONtechnologies has released updates for the popular freeware utility EasyFind and the menu bar application and file launcher XMenu. The updates add a number of useful features to the freeware utilities EasyFind and XMenu and fix a few minor bugs. EasyFind finds files, folders, or contents in any file without the need for indexing. XMenu adds one or more global menus to the right side of the menu bar.
MacTI, BoxOffice Tickets and the WebObjects Community Association are pround to announce WOWODC East, a two-day conference about WebObjects, the Object Oriented Web framework from Apple. WOWODC has two tracks : a complete 15 hour track for people new to the platform, and a advanced track with advanced sessions and labs. WOWODC East will be held held on August 29th and 30th in beautiful Montreal, Canada.
Eternal Storms Software has announced the immediate availability of flickery 1.1.1, a unique desktop flickr client for Mac OS X Leopard. flickery combines the flickr photo-community with the ease-of-use and elegance of Mac OS X. Easily upload photos to Flickr photostream, organize photos in photosets and groups, browse Favorites and more. Version 1.1.1 features sharing of photos on websites by providing the HTML source, interface and speed-improvements and more than 30 bug fixes.
Macvide has announced iPod Converter 2.7, an update to their video to iPod mp4 conversion utility for Mac OS X. Developed specifically for Mac users, iPod Converter allows conversion of video files to mp4 iPod video. All of the most popular formats are supported, and helps bridge the gap between many video standards. iPod Converter offers an easy-to-use interface that guides the user through the conversion process.
QuickerTek has announced the Apple Juicz Lite External Battery for the MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. This new version is both smaller and lighter, as well as less expensive than the original Apple Juicz line. Users gain up to five hours of additional battery power~beyond the power of the built-in MacBook/MacBook Pro battery. The Apple Juicz Lite External Battery charges the internal battery of the MacBook or MacBook Pro while in use. Tekserve is the exclusive stocking reseller.
SkypeCap has announced SkypeCap for Mac 2.1, their Skype video and audio session recorder for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, SkypeCap for Mac allows recording of audio and video conversation from Skype to video and audio files. SkypeCap for Mac saves your Skype sessions so that you could hear and watch them again later or share them with someone else. It fully integrates the process into the Mac experience by allowing human interaction during recording and conversion.
LaCie has announced that its LaCinema Rugged multimedia hard drive is now available in High Definition: LaCinema Rugged HD. The LaCinema Rugged product range has the most compact, reliable, and mobile multimedia players on the market. Now, with enhanced HD capability, the LaCinema Rugged HD is the first multimedia player in its class, to allow users to store and play High Definition content—on any HDTV in Full-HD 1080p resolution.

iPhone/iPod

Robosoft Technologies and Virtual Programming have announced the release of Pipe Mania for the iPhone. The game is considered as one of the most successful puzzle games ever. Introduced in the year 1989, the game quickly made its way through several platforms such as the PC, DS, PSP, and Wii, and now it’s on the iPhone.
About Objects has released a new set of iPhone 3.0 developer examples as free, downloadable Xcode projects. The example projects form a progressive series designed to take developers from the rudiments of iPhone programming through the development of sophisticated iPhone productivity apps. Developers are free to use the examples for their own learning, and can even use the example code in their own projects if they so choose.
The Crumpery has released an update to DinnerDate, their restaurant and meal organizer for the iPhone. DinnerDate allows you to work from two different starting points: the restaurant (or other eating establishment) you want to go to and the meal you are having or plan to have.
Candywriter has announced the immediate availability of Word Solitaire 1.0, an iPhone and iPod touch app that combines word creation and classic solitaire. Word Solitaire cards are dealt just like the popular solitaire variant of Klondike but with a unique twist: instead of traditional playing cards, each card represents a letter of the alphabet. Each of the 25 levels in Word Solitaire progresses slightly in difficulty, with more challenging letter combinations featured on the higher levels.
No longer do you need to type the name of a sought-after product into a search field. For the first time, it is possible to compare the price of an item using a photo. Imagine standing in front of a discounted DVD rack and wondering if the “super-slashed sale price” really is a true bargain. Anyone looking to compare prices has had to either pound the pavement or shop around online. Spontaneous comparisons were not feasible. However, times have changed: one of the leading Swiss websites, price comparison engine comparis.ch, now enables iPhone and Android users to compare prices by taking a picture of the requested item. kooaba’s image recognition technology recognizes the product and triggers the comparison at comparis.ch.
M.O.C. Interior Designer has announced Mark On Call 1.3, a major update to their popular interior design and customization tool for iPhone and iPod touch. Users can create accurate custom-sized rooms, access and re-size 156 furniture and architectural elements, lay down surfaces, and render fabrics chosen from a palette of preset options or custom-created using the phone’s camera or photo library. Version 1.3 has been completely redesigned resulting in overall increased ease-of-use.
Advenio has announced the release of Cloudburst 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Cloudburst: it’s your quick and simple weather, all in a single glance. Cloudburst shows you the current weather conditions, including temperature, wind, visibility, etc. for your favorite locations. In the same view, you also get the current weather radar picture and the four day at-a-glance forecast. Weather conditions and radar in an instant.
WebIS Inc. has announced a major update to its Calendaring/To Do application for the iPhone, Pocket Informant. This release offers improved performance and stability, more robust synching, more complex recurrence options, shake to sync, To Do grouping/sorting, and much more. Pocket Informant offers Calendaring and To do management in one easy to use application and is the premiere Personal Information Manager for iPhone, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry devices.
SkyZone Entertainment, Inc., a leading provider of premium mobile games, content, and services with strong deployment capabilities, today announced three best-selling mobile titles now available on the iPhone and iPod Touch: Extreme Hangman, Jewel City, and The Rise of Atlantis. Available at the Apple App Store starting at $0.99, all three titles landed on the iPhone and iPod Touch after very successful runs on traditional mobile channels.
planning NYARO has announced an updated version of one of Japan’s top selling iPhone apps: Indicator Maniacs (ver 1.5). Indicator Maniacs is an iPhone/iPod Touch app aimed at fans of sci-fi, which features a variety of customizable indicators (such as a microphone meter, vibration meter, warp switch, and more), with designs and animations inspired by Japanese anime. You can choose your favorite indicators, customize their position and color, and even skin the background with pictures from the Photo Album.
Moblyng Games has released its newest social mobile game, m:Vampire. The cross-platform title for Facebook, Android/G1, iPhone, Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97 is the first vampire-themed role-playing game (RPG) that allows players to add and challenge friends from Facebook and a variety of supported smartphones, making it the only truly social vampire experience of its kind.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Chrome OS: Google throws down the gauntlet

Aaron Kraus — 2009-07-08T16:29:32+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Web Applications, Operating Systems

It’s official (even across the pond); Google is expanding the Chrome brand beyond a browser and creating the Chrome OS. According to the Google Blog, the OS is founded on a three S strategy: speed, simplicity and security. In an era of operating systems whose roots stretch all the way back to time shared mainframes (OS X’s BSD began in the late 1970s when computer technology still involved monochrome amber screens and mainframes still occupied an entire floor of an office building), it is refreshing to see someone building an OS based on current needs rather than supporting legacy applications. Not that Chrome will do away the familiar OS, but it may lead to some interesting changes!

According to the Google blog, this new “OS” is really a Linux kernel with a new windowing system, and only one installed application: the Chrome browser. Obviously, this is an OS designed for an age of web applications. And, conveniently enough, most of Google’s major web apps, like Gmail, Docs, and Google Talk are now out of the beta period in which they seemed perpetually mired. This certainly leads one to wonder what market Google is targeting: casual users are big on Gmail, but the Chrome OS runs quite well on Windows (Mac version may or may not be coming soon). Google Docs work well enough in any modern browser, and Google has worked hard to integrate corporate Gmail with Outlook. So what does does Google see in developing a new OS? Where, exactly, is the beef?

Oddly enough, there is a strong case for the Chrome OS being less of a revolution and more updated nostalgia. Many business users today run basic applications like Microsoft Office and store their work on network shares or collaboration portals like SharePoint. Most of those users stick with the basic features of the Office suite—meaning that Google Apps function as an excellent substitute. With online storage and app hosting, what need is there for thick clients on every desk? Why install and manage 10,000 copies of Office when you can have one server hosting Google Apps? And for that matter, why put expensive hardware on every desk when a minimal client with internet access and enough resources to run a web browser will do? If the OS is open source, and by extension free/cheap, as a CIO, it is virtually impossible to ignore this value proposition—in which case, where is Windows (and, sadly, Mac OS X)? We are back to a mainframe with dumb terminals again, only this time we are using web apps rather than timeshared mainframe cycles; it appears to be the network computer all over again, only this time, it actually has a shot.

As a home user, the value proposition of the Chrome OS is much simpler. Security and speed equal more time for you, the user. Security concerns on Windows cause headaches and require constant vigilance, costing both time and money for home users. Slow boot times and delays in application launching cost home users time—a small, lightweight Linux kernel and a safe, stable Chrome browser remove both obstacles. Initially, the Chrome OS will be targeted mainly at the expanding netbook market where Microsoft had planned on aiming the crippled “Windows 7 Starter Edition”. Given that most netbooks are incapable of running Vista due to its burdensome hardware requirements, and netbooks (as the name implies) are designed to live on the internet, a browser-based OS makes a lot of sense. If the netbook market continues to expand, and Microsoft fails to deliver a viable netbook OS, Google may have just the opportunity it needs to establish Chrome. What will be more challenging is adapting the OS to the more varied use case scenarios home users face: just guessing, but does anybody really think Photoshop will ever be a viable web application?

What is most interesting about the announcement is the development track that Google is taking, and how it compares to Apple’s. In a posting on the Google Blog, the genesis of this new OS is made clear: “[Today’s] operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web.” Google is rethinking the top heavy, legacy architecture we see on our desktops everyday and producing a brand new OS designed for today’s user requirements (although the Linux kernel underpinning the whole production is obviously not brand new). Apple’s OS strategy, both with the forthcoming Snow Leopard OS and the iPhone OS, has been to start with a stable base and streamline it to both size it down and speed it up, resulting in faster operation, lowered space requirements, and extended reach to more devices. In reality, Google is doing much the same, but the Chrome OS is focused solely on web applications. Whether this is a viable strategy for mass market adoption remains to be seen; Apple tried this with the iPhone (pre-SDK days), and it ended with the App Store. Are netbooks and business users enough of a market for Google to target a mainstream OS or is it merely a niche? Will we eventually see popular programs ported to run side-by-side along with the Chrome browser, or can Google generate enough momentum to get mainstream applications reincarnated as web apps?

Read [Google Blog]

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3GS launch still causing backlog in app submissions for Apple

Josh Holat — 2009-07-08T11:08:53+00:00

Section: Apple, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Originals

It’s well known by now that Apple has an issue when it comes to the amount of time required to accept certain applications. However, what is even more outrageous is the obvious increase in this already lengthy period at times when Apple is announcing/releasing/updating other products. For example, Cult of Mac is reporting that a developer they know had an application pre-release accepted within a week before the WWDC keynote. That same developer had to wait three to four weeks for the final version of his app to be accepted after he submitted it on the day of the keynote.

While I understand the amount of apps that came to Apple’s door that day was probably much, much greater than usual, they should be more prepared. Many developers depend on the money coming from their apps and deserve to get them accepted in due time. If you ask me, adding three weeks for a process that takes one week during less lively times seems a little high. This is yet again another way in which Apple needs to improve the App Store.

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Gadgetell Guide: Should I buy headphones or earbuds?

NEWS — 2009-07-08T11:07:10+00:00

FROM GADGETELL - A MP3 player is only as good as its headphones or earbuds. With that in mind, it is very important to decide whether headphones or earbuds are the way to go when listening to music. For me the difference between using headphones and earbuds is relatively simple. However, for others,… MORE »

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Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup - July 7, 2009

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-08T01:48:53+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Third-Party, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for July 7, 2009:

Macintosh

Wuonm has announced Layers 1.1, an update to their popular screen capturing utility for Mac OS X. Version 1.1 sports a new feature called WebShot. Capture complete web pages directly from the major Mac browsers, Safari, Firefox, WebKit and Opera. Screenshots captured in Layers are Adobe PhotoShop compatible, allowing anyone to save them as fully layered PSD files, composite images or as separate image files.
Tidal Pool Software has announced the release of MacProxy 1.0 for Mac OS X Leopard. MacProxy provides system-wide network proxy support for the Mac, including for applications without proxy support. It provides a simple and intuitive user interface via a menulet control and a System Preference pane. Easily enable/disable the proxy and quickly switch between multiple proxy servers.
Macvide has announced VideoFlash Converter 2.7, their video to Flash conversion utility for Mac OS X. Developed specifically for Mac users, VideoFlash Converter allows conversion of QuickTime compatible video files to Adobe Flash. All of the most popular formats are supported, and helps bridge the gap between many video standards. VideoFlash Converter offers an easy-to-use interface that guides the user through the conversion process.
St. Clair Software has announced the release of Default Folder X 4.2.1. Default Folder X enhances the file dialogs in all Mac OS X applications. It provides fast navigation to your files, convenient previews, integrated Spotlight tagging, and more. Version 4.2.1 adds file previews to Default Folder X’s hierarchical menus, refines support for OpenMeta tagging and offers many compatibility and feature improvements.
Small business software developer Acclivity has announced the release of the long-awaited Canadian version of AccountEdge, their small business accounting solution for the Mac. The release marks the return of AccountEdge to Canada after an eight-year absence. The Canadian version of AccountEdge comes packed with new features. The command centre interface has evolved with a more streamlined design, plus the addition of the Task List, a sliding drawer for quick access, and more.
MildMannered Industries has released Baseline 1.5, the superfast disk scanning app for Mac OS X. Version 1.5 adds a much requested feature, allowing users to select and delete multiple items from their hard drives. Multiple levels of undo are also supported, in case of over-enthusiastic deletions. Baseline 1.5 now uses zip for compress files and folders and includes many fixes for stability and memory usage.
Icon Lab has introduced their latest stock icon set titled Unity. This package includes 225 stylish and professional icons in various sizes and formats for web design, as well as application development on various platforms. This pack is a great choice for designing and developing web sites, web applications, as well as Macintosh and Windows applications.

iPhone/iPod

After months of development, Pixel Stream LLC has released Leaf Bound: Mecha Monkey Mayhem, a highly addictive game which allows for the player to take control of the hero Yuri as she bounces from leaf to leaf to reach the top and stop the evil mecha (robotic) monkey bosses. Sure enough, the evil mecha monkey minions are up to no good, and will try to stop Yuri at all cost. Be ready for all their monkey tricks and weapons, and help Yuri defeat the bosses equipped with deadly sleighs, industrial pirana cranes and even laser-armed rocket ships!
Blocks2 is a unique and exciting puzzle game. It is based on the concept of falling blocks, much like Tetris or Lumines. The game borrows elements from this genre, but takes it even further. Basically, the player’s mission is to rotate and place falling, square shaped blocks so that equally colored squares are arranged next to each other. These squares are then converted into points.
Roadee, the first openstreetmap based navigation system, is now on the iPhone. With Roadee, you can navigate to each address, point of interest, contact of your addressbook or your home. It also displays speed and driving directions. Furthermore, you can search for any point of interest and start navigating right away.
Blowfin, Inc. has announced Ninjahit 1.0 for the iPhone. Ninjahit is a ninja assassination game played with friends and co-workers. You are the ninja and your assignment is to take out your target before someone else eliminates you. Once you locate your target the app opens the camera feature and you take a snap shot of your target. It’s the element of surprise that makes the game so fun.
Bent Pixels has announced the release of Aqueous 1.0 for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Run your fingers thru the calming water, tilt your iPhone and a relaxing Waterwall transforms your day. Create your own, perfect acoustic environment that will transport you off into a state of unparalleled relaxation. Allow this soothing application to lull you to sleep, enhance your meditation or simply dial your world down.
Random Ideas, LLC has announced the release of What’s Goin Down 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. What’s Goin Down is a sophisticated, professional grade TCP server network monitoring tool. It allows you to test network connectivity to virtually any TCP based network service, including HTTP, HTTPS, POP, IMAP, SSH and SMTP, and can be used over WiFi, 3G, or Edge network connectivity.
Readdle has announced Air Sail 1.1, its extremely fun and addictive racing game for iPhone and iPod touch. The game’s mission is to guide a small ship across the pond by using player’s breath. Air Sail features cute cartoon graphics with 15 pretty levels filled with lily pads, leaves, flowers and rocks. Air Sail has peer to peer Wi-Fi multiplayer that allows players connected to the same Wi-Fi network to compete with each other.
syncRage has announced Sorty 1.0, their new game for iPhone and iPod touch. Drag all the colored balls over the bar of the same color getting rid of them and providing more space for new balls. To get more points, easily connect neighboring balls of the same color by dragging over them. Following the principle of endless gaming, the challenge always gets bigger. Every 5000 Points, bombs fall down which clear the playing field.
syncRage is providing its first successfull iPhone game with a free version for novice drivers. The player has to avoid an ever increasing number of other vehicles, while passengers have to be transported over the asphalt of New York. Taxi Drive enjoys an enormous popularity! Easy to play, very intuitive controls, challenging and really fun! To share this gameplay excitement with a greater audience, Taxi Drive is now available as a Free-Version with one playable map and all functionalities.
Rats! is a frantic game of rodent extermination in a race against time before the rats have a chance to mate and overrun the maze. To stop the vermin you use bombs, radioactive waste, gas, poison, plague rats, blocks and gender changing chemicals. Each weapon has its own characteristics so they need to be placed strategically or the rat population will keep increasing. And as the rat population increases your pulse rate will too!
With increased memory, video recording capabilities, voice control, a compass and other clever features, it’s no surprise that the new Apple iPhone 3GS has sold over one million units. So don’t leave your new device vulnerable; safeguard your investment with OtterBox Defender and Impact Series™ cases, compatible with both iPhone 3G and 3GS models.
Nothing like a good old recession to get the public’s blood boiling over busted investments, foreclosures, ponzi schemers and just about any other gift-wrapped corruption the financial industry has blessed us with over the last year. While there isn’t a sure fire cure for your economic blues, iPhone/iPod Touch owners can now purchase the Squash the $treet app for $0.99 and exact some digital revenge on Wall Street right in the palm of their hands.
Rock Ridge Games has announced that its first title, First Pitch Baseball, is now available in the Apple App Store. Just in time for All-Star Weekend, Rock Ridge is bringing all the pressure of the pitcher’s mound to your iPhone for an introductory price of 99 cents. In First Pitch Baseball, players find themselves alone on the mound, dealing with the exhilarating anxiety of throwing the first pitch in a stadium full of screaming fans.
GAMEVIL USA, Inc., the LA-based mobile games publisher, today announced that the free version of its classic action role-playing game ZENONIA for iPhone and iPod touch is available on the App Store. ZENONIA Lite features the opening worlds of the critically-acclaimed hit game ZENONIA, which has been one of the best selling paid RPG in June.

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Happy birthday, App Store!

Josh Holat — 2009-07-07T23:57:52+00:00

Section: Apple, Apple News, Retail & Apple Store, iPod + iTunes, iTunes, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps

It’s hard to believe it, but it has already been one year since Apple released the App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s been a long journey full of ups (hundreds of success stories from indie developers and companies) and downs (the stress of long wait times and random decline of applications), but there is no doubt that the App Store changed the mobile phone market. With over 56,000 applications now available in the store, the iPhone has become more functional by an unbelievable amount.

In Apple’s own words:

Light a candle and cue the music. Okay, forgive us for sounding like doting parents, be we’re just so proud - having watched the App Store go from promising newcomer to full-fledged revolutionary. To celebrate its first birthday we’ve gathered some of our favorite games and apps. Part fun. Part function. Entirely amazing.

It has been fun to watch the platform come so far, and I can’t wait to see what the next year of the App Store has to bring. There is no doubt Apple has once again changed the game with this product, and the continued innovation will surely be outstanding.

Product [iTunes App Store]

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More that 13,000 games in the Apple App Store and counting

NEWS — 2009-07-07T23:56:37+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - The game offering in Apple’s App Store has doubled in five months…
MORE »

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iPhone OS 3.1 beta: what’s new

Ed Parry — 2009-07-07T16:06:40+00:00

Section: Apple News, Updates, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Originals

The next update of the iPhone’s firmware—3.1 beta—was pushed to developers last week. Along with the usual bug fixes, some new features have cropped up. There’s nothing amazing here, just a few small additions to once again improve the iPhone’s software.

Voice Control

Yes, I know this is part of iPhone OS 3.0, and I’m sure many of you are already using it. You can press down the home button, speak a command, and there we go. But with 3.1, you’ll have the same control over your phone via your bluetooth headset. If giving instructions through your iPhone’s microphone was cool, wait until you can do it wirelessly—the world’s your oyster.

Home Screen

If you hold down an icon for long enough, they’ll all begin to move on your home screen, allowing you to move them around and organize them how you’d like. With the 3.1 update, this is confirmed with a vibration. You know, just because they can.

MMS

MMS was a known feature of iPhone OS 3.0 from the beginning, until the last beta update. For some reason, Apple removed it from the fifth beta and the public release for AT&T users, but I’m happy to tell you that the MMS functionality makes a return to Messages in iPhone OS 3.1. Still, AT&T aren’t playing ball yet, so you won’t be able to send MMS messages for the time being unless you decide to hack your iPhone. If AT&T still don’t have the service up and running by the time iPhone OS 3.1 is released to the public, it may be removed once again, but here’s hoping it’s here to stay.

Video Editing

If you’re the lucky owner of an iPhone 3GS, you’ll have had chance to play around with editing video. You may have been surprised to find out that once you trim a video, it’s saved over the original file, so there’s no option to return or undo. You’ve probably guessed by now that in iPhone OS 3.1, this won’t be the case. In 3.1, you’ll have the option to “Save a Copy” which will create a separate video file of the trimmed version.

Copy & Paste: Phone Numbers

It was a long time coming for copy and paste on the iPhone (a feature that should’ve been in place from day one). iPhone OS 3.1 sees copy and paste come to the phone’s keypad. By holding down your finger in the input area, it’s color will change from dark to light blue, and the copy and paste menu options will appear.

There are a few welcome features there, and along with a collection of bug fixes, this firmware update should prove to be quite a valuable one.

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App it Up: iJellyfish

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-07T10:57:16+00:00

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Originals

Category: Entertainment
Developer: Global Net Value Co.
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch
File Size: 2.7MB

What is it?

iJellyfish gives you pretty much what you’d expect from the title; it’s a virtual aquarium populated solely by jellyfish.

How does it work?

iJellyfish is meant to relax you, and I get that. There’s something about the glow and slow-motion movement of jellyfish that always tends to calm me when I’m at that exhibit of the aquarium. It may have more to do with the dim lights and often ethereal music that aquariums play near the jellyfish exhibit, but it works. Unfortunately, that’s something iJellyfish is missing. There is no audio, aside from a harsh chime when you make your color selections. Some airy new age music could’ve really rounded out the effect of this app. You can play your own music in the background, but I don’t have much use for jellyfish music when I’m not looking at jellyfish, so there’s just nothing appropriate on my iPhone. (I do have both albums by the band Jellyfish, but I find that just doesn’t fit.)

In app, you’re left with the ability to control the color of the jellyfish, the background color, the lighting effects (tint, more or less), and the number of jellyfish. Once you’ve made your selections, the jellyfish float around the screen. That’s pretty much it. You can touch them to send them scooting towards the top. Shaking the phone generally has the same effect. If you tilt the phone, the jellyfish tilt with it.

Features

Very nice color and lighting effects.
Calming…for a minute or two.

App it Up, Sum it Up

iJellyfish could’ve been really cool if the developers had put some more time into it. As it stands, it’s fun to look at for a moment or two, but fails in its claim to be a relaxation app. Most of us need to relax for more than the couple of minutes you can spend with iJellyfish before you get bored. The visuals are great and are cool to show off to people, but visuals alone don’t justify the purchase of an app.

Cost - $4.99
Worth the Money? - No, not at $4.99. But if they price is ever lowered to around $0.99, it’s worth checking out.
Availability - Now, at the iTunes App Store.

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Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup - July 6, 2009

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-07T00:02:24+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Third-Party, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for July 6, 2009:

Macintosh

Maggot Software has announced Conformalizer 3.1.3, the long awaited update to its cutting edge re-conform application for sound post-production professionals. Conformalizer enables sound editors to deal with complex and ongoing picture recuts as well as helping to detect Visual FX changes as the picture cut progresses. This latest offering adds official support for AVID Pro Tools 8 as well as a raft of other powerful new features to help sound editors untangle picture recuts.
Ambrosia Software has announced the release of Soundboard 1.0.1. Like cart machines in broadcast radio studios, Soundboard lets users map sound effects, audio clips, or musical accompaniment to keys on the Mac keyboard, easily triggered with a single tap. Soundboard is offered for $29. Registered WireTap Studio or WireTap Anywhere customers receive an additional 25 percent discount when purchasing Soundboard.
RapidWeaver theme developer seyDoggy has released Lights2 Pro RapidWeaver, a completely rebuilt successor to the extremely popular Lights theme originally created by Med Designs’ Scott Williams. Never one to let a great RapidWeaver theme die, seyDoggy would like to introduce the totally rebuilt Lights2 Pro. Lights2 is a polished, highly flexible theme capable of meeting a wide variety of design needs, from blogs to photo albums and everything in between.
Keynote Zone has released a free Comics Keynote theme. The Comics theme layout is based on hand-drawn picture frames and word balloon shapes to help create a well recognizable, branded style. Each theme comes in Standard and HD version. Keynote Zone is a developer of professionally designed ready-to-use themes for Apple’s Keynote application. Comics standard version theme comes in 2 sizes and is available as a free download.
Disk Doctors has announced that Photo Recovery software now has enhanced support for recovering Adobe Photoshop files. The software is updated with latest algorithm that will help users to recover lost/deleted .psd files from hard drives, memory cards etc. Apart from supporting the standard photo formats, RAW Digital Photo Formats, Audio files and Video Files, the PSD is the default file extension of the proprietary file format of Adobe Photoshop which is widely used.
Xeric Design has announced the release of EarthDesk 5.0.1, a major upgrade to its award-winning, real-time dynamic desktop map, for Macintosh OS X. EarthDesk 5.0 has been entirely rewritten in Cocoa, adds many new features and is fully compatible with both Leopard and the upcoming Snow Leopard. Version 5.0.1 is an update to fix three issues uncovered since the release of 5.0.

iPhone/iPod

Overcommitted has announced Ember 2.0, an update to the Campfire application for the iPhone. While instant messaging is good for one-on-one communication, Campfire is optimized for collaborating with groups and teams. Ember brings Campfire to life within a truly integrated iPhone experience. Join and toggle between chat rooms, view shared files and collaborate effectively on the go. Ember has been completely rewritten to take advantage of the new iPhone API’s available in the new 3.0 firmware.
TARI has introduced FlyBy 1.0, their new 3D flying game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique built-in tilting and gorgeous interface, FlyBy is first-person and incredibly simple to play. Fly through a 3D space among bumble bees, bubbles and sunbeams. Gamers avoid insects and try to hit bubbles and sunbeams simply by tilting their device to change the flight direction. FlyBy sports its own AI, so every flight is new and unique.
High Speed Chase 2.0, the latest high-octane release from innovative flash and mobile developer JohnnyTwoShoes, is available to download for iPhone and iPod Touch consoles via iTunes now. Launching at £0.59 / $0.97 / €0.69, High Speed Chase 2.0 mixes classic, top-down racing with intense gunplay, similar to iconic retro classic Spyhunter. This new version has been completely developed from the ground up, based on customer feedback and critic response to deliver pure fan service for new and returning players alike.
Independent iPhone developer Florian “Utsi” Martin, has announced Landleben 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. With this game for children, you can experience farm life with lots of animals living on a farm and around it. The 360 degree picture gets alive with sounds and little animations by tapping on the different elements. With Landleben children learn to relate real animal sounds to their picture as well as finding sounds from all the objects.
eCOMPOSITE has released 321Run 1.0 for iPhone 3G and 3GS. 321Run allows you to keep track of your runs, progress, speed and to see where you’ve ran. 321Run allows you to follow your run without having to read your screen with the touch of a finger. 321Run also contains several trainings to begin running, lose weight run faster or prepare for a semi. The coach tells you when to run, walk, change rythm. Hours of fun and run.
Spare Change Software has announced QuickTip 2.0, the latest update to their easy-to-use tip calculator for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and interface, QuickTip offers a fast and convenient way to calculate the tip for any bill. Version 2.0 sports a completely redesigned user interface with a custom number pad for quick bill amount entry, customizable tip selection buttons, and improved international currency handling.
Pixelglow Software has launched Instaviz 1.4, the latest version of their diagram sketching software for iPhone and iPod Touch. Instaviz turns roughly sketched shapes and lines into beautifully laid-out diagrams. Instaviz uses a new shape recognition engine based on advanced fuzzy logic and trained on over 2,500 sketches drawn by real users. Version 1.4 features full support for Apple’s iPhone 3.0 system update and the new iPhone 3GS.
JL Software has announced High-Risk Obstetrics 1.0, an all-new Handbook for iPhone or iPod touch. Handbook of High-Risk Obstetrics is a new and original reference source for the medical student or resident physician who needs a comprehensive yet concise guide to perinatal care. The Handbook covers all major areas of high-risk pregnancy, and is cross-referenced and indexed with over 3,200 keywords.
Blue Lightning Labs has announced an update to their popular iPhone application Mathemagics, an application for learning to mentally calculate math problems at phenomenal speeds. Aspiring Mathemagicians learn and then practice any of the 20 math tricks while progressively moving to higher levels of proficiency. Mathemagics 1.1 contains 20 different math tricks for multiplying, dividing and squaring numbers faster than many people can use a calculator.
Cobra Mobile’s iBomber, the amazing iPhone top-down WW2 bombing game has had a price drop this week as the game waits for its update to arrive. iBomber is on Special Offer for 59p/99c. iBomber is highly polished and all totally original iPhone gaming experience. A NEW iBomber update is imminent and will add New Missions, Tilt Sensitivity options and Software 3.0 features.
triggerhappy has announced Status Symbols 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Status Symbols is sign language for what’s on your mind. The app came about after recognizing the need to communicate in loud places and quiet spaces. Come up with your own creative usage or be lazy and refer to our handy key. Soon to be universally recognized as the liberation of communication, status symbols = sign language for what’s on your mind.
infiniteNIL has updated Numerology, its numerology application for iPhone OS 3.0. Numerology 1.6 adds the ability to email reports. Users can also search for profiles, and a personal month and day analysis has been added. A free lite version limited to 2 profiles is also available. Numerology is an application that helps you use the ancient science of numerology to gain insight into yourself and other people.
I-play has announced the launch of Blend the Boss for iPhone and iPod touch. Based on the hilariously crude Internet sensation from JOE CARTOON, the game allows players to have the thrill of turning the company top dog into a corporate smoothie. Taking the online game one step further, players can now import pictures of their boss for the most realistic leader liquefying ever. Additionally, this intoxicating cocktail of mayhem and destruction features original artwork by Joe Shields, creator of JOE CARTOON.
The Pragmatic Programmers have released Using the Map Kit, a 33-minute screencast video tutorial on how to embed maps inside iPhone applications using the new Map Kit framework available in iPhone 3.0. Watching this screencast is a great way to get up to speed on the new Map Kit framework and quickly integrate it into your iPhone applications. This screencast is available in DRM-free QuickTime and iPod/iPhone formats.
From Skyworks and David Crane, the creators of the hit iPhone/iPod touch game Arcade Bowling, comes another addictively classic game, Ten Pin Championship Bowling. Ten Pin Championship Bowling combines incredible graphics and physics with awesome sound-design and camera work to capture the local-color of America’s bowling alleys in this realistic Bowling game.
Enjoy playing the harp wherever you are with iHarp for your iPhone or iPod touch. iHarp features a clean UI and various functions such as an octave and half range or half tones controls. For every string you play, iHarp will generate a sparkle. This feature provides you a very nice feeling and atmosphere. iHarp also allows you to record and play your music.

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Internet Explorer loses 11.4 percent market share in four months

NEWS — 2009-07-06T19:48:38+00:00

FROM GADGETELL - The past month has seen a lot of Internet browser upgrades. Just about every major browser has been updated recently, each getting faster, supporting newer standards and adding features that might now seem standard. Given that, each browser underwent an upgrade, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see the numbers… MORE »

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Internal projectors coming to the iPhone/iPod touch?

Ed Parry — 2009-07-06T18:06:18+00:00

Section: Rumors, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone

Last week I wrote about a micro projector coming soon for the iPhone and iPod touch. Such devices will prove to be very useful for showcasing your holiday snaps or to simply project a movie where ever you are. But a company involved with manufacturing the iPhone, Foxconn, is rumored to be developing its own micro projection system that could feature in the next generation iPhone or iPod touch.

Micro projection technology is slowing making its way mainstream, with many companies now offering portable solutions for projection from a mobile phone or computer. Still, the technology requires the projector devices themselves to be similar in size to the iPhone. So, for a company to integrate the same technology and power into such a space that the iPhone doesn’t drastically grow in size would be an achievement. It is believed that other leading smartphone companies such as Nokia and Samsung have plans to incorporate this technology into their handsets this year, but only time will tell whether they take off.

For these projectors to be worthwhile, the bulb will need to be significantly powerful enough for a good quality image to be projected at around 40-inches in size. I’d hate to think what that would do to the iPhone’s battery life. It’s certainly an interesting concept, but until we know more details, that’s all it can be. Maybe in a couple of years everyone’s phone will be projecting movies and photos onto every blank wall.

Via [AppleInsider]

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Gadgetell Review: The Tonium Pacemaker

NEWS — 2009-07-06T10:38:57+00:00

FROM GADGETELL - What is it: The Tonium Pacemaker is a DJ tool that lets you make mixes using songs on its 60GB internal hard drive using a combination of buttons and a circular touchpad. Controlling tempos, effects like reverb, audio properties such as treble and bass are done via the circular touchpad… MORE »

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Popular technology industry news for the week of 6-28-2009

NEWS — 2009-07-05T14:53:48+00:00

Section:

You know what’s going on in the wonderful world of Apple, but what’s going on throughout the technology industry? Gadgetell‘s got you covered. Here a list of their top stories from this week…

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New iPhone TV ad shows off video editing capabilities

Josh Holat — 2009-07-04T18:37:09+00:00

Section: Apple, Apple News, Commercials, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps

Apple has a new iPhone TV advertisement that touts the new editing capabilities of the iPhone 3GS. The commercial consists of a person recording a skateboarder, followed by cutting out the end of the video clip where the skateboarder falls. The iPhone user then continues to email the video to a friend. Again, it is very well made.

In my opinion, the ability to “edit” (and I use quotes because you can really only trim it) is just another way the iPhone appears to be more like a portable computer than a consumer phone. With the Unix back end, the powers of this mobile device are quite outstanding. It will be fun to watch what Apple comes up with next for the iPhone line as I’m sure it will be even more amazing.

Via [Apple Ads]

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Gadgetell Review: SnapWords for the iPhone and iPod touch

NEWS — 2009-07-04T18:34:30+00:00

FROM GADGETELL - What is it? SnapWords is a game by Magnetism Studios that is meant to be played by lots of people. It’s kind of like Taboo or Password. Get a word on the game and try to get someone on your team to guess the word. When your turn is over,… MORE »

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Hot Apple gaming news for the week of 6-28-2009

NEWS — 2009-07-04T18:34:18+00:00

Section:

Miss out on any Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPod gaming news this week? Here’s a look at this week’s top Apple stories from our friends at Gamertell...

And don’t forget to check out our App Store updates.

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Who’s on Crack in Tech: 07.03.09

NEWS — 2009-07-04T00:40:18+00:00

FROM GADGETELL - Welcome to this week’s edition of Who’s on Crack. This week was overflowing with what clearly was drug-induced euphoria. Maybe we can blame it on summer vacations? Maybe we can blame it on the torrential rains in the east. Maybe we can just blame Milli Vanilli. Whatever the blame, we’ll… MORE »

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So Hot Right Now: Top 10 Appletell posts for the week of June 28, 2009

NEWS — 2009-07-03T20:40:29+00:00

Section:

Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

Looking for an iPhone 3GS? Check availability online.
” The launch for the iPhone 3GS seemed a little quiet at first, but the numbers seemed to tell a different story. AT&T reported that they sold “hundreds of thousands” on the first…” MORE »
Is Microsoft just skimming the Surface of multi-touch?
” Microsoft is really good at dreaming about the future; their track record on delivering it is not quite so shining. Seen ubiquitous Tablet PCs? Anybody remember SPOT? (No, it’s not a dog, it was the Smart Personal Object Technology…” MORE »
Appletell’s Red, White and iBoo giveaway
” It’s the 4th of July again, that time of year when the British celebrate losing control of us bothersome Americans, and we celebrate paying taxes to our own government, thank you very much. And what better way for you to…” MORE »
Micro projector specifically for iPhone and iPod touch coming soon
” Phonesuit have made a name for themselves in producing high quality iPhone and iPod touch accessories; to improve battery life, offer stylish bluetooth handsfree, and, of course, protect your precious iPhone. Now, they’ve decided to join forces with…” MORE »
Apple remains silent on apparent iPhone 3G S overheating issue
” Although I do not own an iPhone 3G S (yet) to confirm this issue, many iPhone 3G S, users are reporting overheating issues with the device, which is apparently dramatically affecting battery life. Reports of this issue…” MORE »
Appletell reviews FileMagic for iPhone/iPod touch
“Category:Productivity Seller: SplashData Requirements: iPhone OS 2.1 or later Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch File Size: 3.7 MB Version Reviewed: 2.0 Age Rating: 4+ Price: $4.99 Being the geek that I am, I…” MORE »
Walt Mossberg on MacBook Pro’s sealed in batteries
“Walt Mossberg has his official review of the new MacBook Pro batteries written and published, and his results and insight are very interesting. He makes some very good points regarding how well the built-in batteries in these machines will work…” MORE »
iPhone 3G S video capability exponentially increases mobile YouTube uploads
” It was obvious that when the iPhone 3G S was released that YouTube would see a nice little increase in traffic. Just as Flickr received a huge amount of traffic from iPhones uploading straight to their site, so…” MORE »
App it Up: Stuck Genie
“Category: Puzzle games Developer: Cobra Mobile Requirements: iPhone OS 2.0 or later Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch File Size: 9.0MB What is it? Stuck Genie is a unique puzzler that kind of combines those labyrinth marble games…” MORE »
New Apple ads tout copy and paste and voice control features
“Apple has posted two new iPhone advertisements on their website. This time around, they are touting Voice Control and Cut, Copy, and Paste—two new features on the iPhone that have existed on other phones for plenty of years now. That…” MORE »

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Does this case reveal the next generation iPod touch?

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-03T11:30:41+00:00

Section: Rumors, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPod Accessories, Cases, Originals

We’ve received a tip with a link to uxsight.com, an online retailer that is marketing a silicone skin for, apparently, the iPod touch 3G. The case is on backorder, of course (until a random Tuesday in September, perhaps?), and is selling for $1.69. The big difference between this and other cases? A hole at the top back that our tipster feels could indicate the inclusion of a camera.

Of course, a camera in an iPod touch doesn’t make much sense at this point. Apple won’t want the touch to come too close to the iPhone’s feature set, and the addition of a camera could pull even more customers away from the iPhone and its rate plan. A weaker argument is that the site states the case fits the 8GB and 16GB iPod touch 3G model. When Apple does release the next iPod touch, it’s likely they’ll follow their typical upgrade policy and drop the 8GB model from the lineup, bumping instead to 16GB and 32GB.

Better evidence that this isn’t real is the fact that Apple tends to not release model designs to case manufacturers this early. Indeed, many companies with whom I’ve spoken have no idea what a new model will look like until it’s released. And these are top name accessory developers. After all, it wasn’t until a few days to a week after the release of the iPhone 3G S that case developers were able to announce that their 3G cases were compatible. Why so long? Because they had to wait like the rest of us to get their hands on one to test. If they couldn’t even get that basic bit of information early from Apple, am I’m to believe uxsight.com somehow got this info in time to design, develop and manufacture a case possibly months before we even see a new touch?

So, why even post this? Because we love the conversations they generate. New Apple products are fun to anticipate, and the touch is due for an upgrade. Of course, the Classic is in more desperate need of something new, but we’ll save that conversation for the next anonymous tip.

Product [Anti-slip Silicone Skin Case for iPod Touch 3G 8GB 16GB Red]

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Leaked AT&T memo discusses record iPhone sales for the 3GS

Josh Holat — 2009-07-03T11:21:51+00:00

Section: Apple, Apple News, Retail & Apple Store, iPhone, Carriers, iPhone

Until now, there have been guesstimates of how many iPhone 3G Ss were sold on its launch day this year. Apple and AT&T have been keeping quite, and we do know that the devices are being sold out around the globe. However, after seeing a recent memo leaked to MacDailyNews, it appears as if the sales were of great quantities.

The following text was what was included in that memo:

1. Fact of the Week: On June 25, the day Michael Jackson died, text messages sent on our network spiked at 65,000 messages per second — the largest volume ever recorded — surpassing events like American Idol voting and New Year’s Eve, when millions of our customers wish their friends and family a happy new year via text.”

2. “iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here’s a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

* Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
* Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
* Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
* Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
* Largest order day in att.com history
* Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year’s launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008’s iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 — all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008’s launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours.

As you can see, there are a few pieces of information in this memo, and it appears as if AT&T has been having a pretty great month in their company. It also appears as if the iPhone 3GS sold extremely well both online and in brick and mortar stores - so well that it may have outsold the original iPhone 3G from launch day.

Via [MacDailyNews]

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Free Apps roundup for July 3rd, 2009

Jake Gaecke — 2009-07-03T10:47:44+00:00

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Originals

A slow week yet again on the App Store. But never fear, ~~underdog~~ I’m still here, digging up some goodies for you to download. Actually, I found a fairly exciting app for anyone who is jealous of Beejive IM’s functionality, but not its price tag.

eBuddy - The free app of the week for this week, in my opinion. It’s the answer to all of your IMing needs. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; it’s not Beejive IM, but it is free. It has support for all the major services, including MSN, Yahoo, AIM (free SMS), ICQ, Gtalk, and Facebook, and it lets you log in to multiple accounts (even on the same service). You can stay online after you exit, and yes, you can even get push notifications for free. If you don’t already have Beejive IM, this is a must download.
Fast & Furious The Game Test Drive - Spin some tires for free. Seriously, they want you to test drive the Fast & Furious game. You might be tempted to buy, but you also might just move from one demo to another to another to…
TouchChords Free - If you don’t already know how to play guitar, you need to learn. What better way than to learn on your iPhone? Well, I can think of at least one, but this is a nice way of learning the basics when you’re away from a real six string. You get four sequences in this free version.
Turnstyle - It’s a virtual mechanical counter. You press the button, it increments upwards. Short and simple.
Target Practice - This one has been available for almost a month, but it slipped past me. Use your iPhone’s motion sensors to control a gun and, well, practice shooting targets. Looks like fun.
AppConnect - You have me, but perhaps you need just a little bit more when it comes to tracking apps on the App Store. This app helps you to follow price drops and recommended apps from other users of the app. Price drops are awesome, as many paid apps can be had for free at various times. Check it out.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup - July 2, 2009

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-03T02:03:12+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Third-Party, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for July 2, 2009:

Macintosh

Selznick Scientific Software, LLC has announced PasswordWallet 4.4.7, a major update to their incredibly popular password management solution for Macintosh, iPhone, WindowsMobile and Palm Pre. With a focus on simplicity and ease-of-use, PasswordWallet encrypts and stores passwords and other private information in one, convenient location. Version 4.4.7 sports many new improvements across all platforms, including self-decrypting HTML export support for the Palm Pre.
ExactCODE GmbH has released ExactScan 2. ExactScan Pro grows to a product-family: Professional version with OCR and Barcode recognition to create searchable document on the Mac, or just to convert existing files into searchable PDF, multi-page PDF or TIFF. Together with the Spotlight indexing services built into Mac OS X, this features form a document management solution suitable for small-office and home-office environments.
equinux has announced TubeStick Map, the brand new digital television availability tool. This interactive map lists which free-to-air TV channels existing users of equinux’s innovative Mac USB TV Tuners are able to receive in their area.
Macvide has announced FlashVideo Converter 3.1, an update to its professional Flash to video conversion utility for Mac OS X. The FlashVideo Converter is a powerful and versatile program for converting any flash video file to one of many popular video formats including iPhone/iPod mp4, Mobile .3gp and MPEG2. Converted movies can be saved for custom editing, or recorded for use in DVD players, or on iPod, iPhones and other mobile devices.
wuonm has announced the v1.1 release of Layers, featuring “WebShots,” a new core feature added to its yet unique Photoshop layered capture mode. WebShot is a fast and accurate full web page capture mode for major Mac browsers: Safari, WebKit, Firefox and Opera. Layers grabs the image as rendered by each different browser—pixel-by-pixel accurate—exactly as it appears on screen. Most, if not all existing solutions, use the visited URL to reload the page in an internal webkit instance.

iPhone/iPod

Neon Chicken, the iPhone application studio, has announced its latest app, POKER FACE, now available in the iTunes App Store. POKER FACE is a feature-rich, multimedia reference guide that enables you to read people’s tells during a poker game.
Ibis, Inc., has just released Shuffle Ball in the App Store. Shuffle Ball is a 3D air hockey game in which you hit a smash by shaking or flipping the device as if it were a real racket.
QuickerTek has announced the Apple Juicz External Battery for the first, second and 3G iPhones, iPod and iTouch. With this external battery users get up to three times the battery life. 30 extra hours of music, 6 extra hours of video and 3 extra hours of talk time on the iPhone. The External Battery features a high capacity 2200 mAh Polymerized Lithium-ion battery, LED status indicator and is compatible with all iPod models with a 30 pin connector, iPhone and iTouch.
RG Entertainment has announced the availability of the “Super Capers Comic #1 - Back to the Feature” for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Designed exclusively for the iPhone/iPod Touch, this Interactive Motion Comic is the official prequel/sequel to the independent film Super Capers. The traditional 2D art style comes alive as you watch and listen as the action pops-in, hovers, bounces, and rockets off, with full sound effects and music from the film.
Readdle has announced the immediate availability of Cheiftent version 1.2, the latest version of their popular online project management tool for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The application allows Basecamp subscribers to manage their projects wherever they are directly from the iPhone, bringing the Basecamp look and feel directly to the iPhone screen. Chieftent stands out thanks to the native Basecamp look and feel optimized for the iPhone screen.
Izatt has announced MileBug 1.4, the latest release of it’s flagship iPhone app in both full and lite versions. Version 1.4 is compatible with iPhone OS 3.0, includes a new Lite icon, easy access to the MileBug blog, and more. MileBug helps those driving their own vehicles for business, charity, medical, or other reasons receive their reimbursement and/or tax deduction. MileBug provides the option to track miles or kilometers as well as enter custom rates.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple developing “active packaging” for mobile devices?

Josh Holat — 2009-07-03T01:16:52+00:00

Section: Apple News, Retail & Apple Store

According to a new patent application from Apple, the company we all know and love wants to create a new type of packing for their iPhones and iPods. As we have seen through the years, normal packaging is designed to put some sort of advertisement on the outside while also keeping the product inside safe and sound. With this new “active packaging,” Apple would be able to both power the device and send data to it in order to have it display some sort of media, such as a video, while sitting on shelves waiting to be purchased. As Apple puts it:

The power may be provided by a direct power connection to an external power supply or by one or more wireless power techniques. A data signal may be provided by one or more direct data lines to the electronic media device within the packaging, or the electronic media device may enable an integrated wireless network interface to receive a data stream while housed in the packaging.

In theory, this sounds pretty awesome, why not put the device to use while it is on shelves? However, in my opinion it will take a lot of research and development to work correctly and efficiently, the way most Apple products do. For example, Apple may have to get retailers such as Best Buy to offer some way to charge these devices while they are on shelves, which could be expensive and unpractical. That said, I would love to see this sometime in the future.

Via [AppleInsider]

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Hail to the red, white, and blue gadgets

NEWS — 2009-07-03T01:14:13+00:00

FROM GADGETELL - With Independence Day fast approaching here in the States, I thought it would be a nice time to have our own red, white and blue display. Of gadgets, of course. Ready for some bright, fun toys? Here’s a rundown of five I found. 1. The ScandiPhone This thing has apparently… MORE »

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Appletell reviews the Mophie JuicePack Air iPhone battery charger/case

Jake Gaecke — 2009-07-02T14:32:58+00:00

Section: iPhone, iPhone Accessories, iPhone, Reviews

Provides: Additional battery life
Developer: Mophie
Minimum Requirements: iPhone 3G or 3GS
Price: $79.95
Availability: Now

A little low on juice? Just can’t make it through the day? Are your mornings filled with smile and sunshine, yet your afternoons filled with darkness and a constant grimace (no, I’m not talking about the mysterious purple creature we all know and love…or am I?). Sounds like you need more battery life on your iPhone. Mophie can help.

The Mophie JuicePack Air is one of the premiere external battery solutions for the iPhone 3G and 3G S. It’s a case with an extra battery in it. The whole package couldn’t get much more simple, though that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

All you do is slide your iPhone into the bottom portion of the JuicePack Air and follow it closely by the cap on the top. Fits like a glove; a super tight glove that isn’t coming off anytime soon, so I hope you like it. On the bottom are the Micro USB slot and power switch, and the back has a button that lights up the battery guage (four LEDs).

On the bright side, it’s simple, it works, and it adds a layer of protection to the iPhone’s backside as a result of it being a case. You’ll get about a full recharge or so out of this battery, or supplemental battery, for some time. I’m told the iPhone uses more energy when charging, so you might be able to squeeze more time out of it by only flipping the switch to on when you actually need more power. And batteries like the iPhone’s rapidly charge to almost full, but take longer to top off, so you also might consider not filling up to full.

Did I mention you get to choose which color you want? As long as that color is Black, White, or oddly enough, Purple. So you can make a mild color adjustment if you wish, or just match your iPhone’s color.

On the not so bright side, it’s slim for a battery pack, which means it’s large for a case. You’ll definitely notice this in your pocket. A minor bonus is that you’re iPhone will feel super thin when you finally take it out. The case is very tight around the iPhone, which makes it fairly difficult to remove. And finally, it uses a Micro USB cable, because why, oh why would you want another dock connector cable on your iPhone when you can have something else?

I think this is not the sort of “case” you would use on a constant basis (not that this scenario doesn’t happen), so the relative thickness of this guy isn’t that much of an issue. The tightness is quite annoying, because it’s very difficult to remove your iPhone from the case without feeling like you are going to break or scratch something. And the Micro USB cable? That’s just irritating; it should have been a dock connector.

I don’t think anyone who doesn’t honestly need extra battery life is even considering this, mostly because it’s not priced at an impulse buy price point; $79.95 is far from cheap. But if you need the extra battery life, I think the Mophie JuicePack Air is a great choice. It works very well, adds battery life, and protects your iPhone in the process. You just have to decide if doubling your battery life is worth the price, or should you just pick up an extra iPhone cable to charge in the car or from the wall for significantly less money.

Appletell Rating:

Buy Mophie JuicePack Air

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Apple remains silent on apparent iPhone 3G S overheating issue

Patrick Lutz — 2009-07-02T10:22:38+00:00

Section: iPhone, iPhone

Although I do not own an iPhone 3G S (yet) to confirm this issue, many iPhone 3G S, users are reporting overheating issues with the device, which is apparently dramatically affecting battery life.

Reports of this issue first came up on Nowhere Else, but has been confirmed by tech editors David Coursey and Melissa J. Perenson of PC World, who have both personally experienced the problem. According to Perenson, the iPhone became so heated that she couldn’t even touch her face with it. Coursey believes the issue has to do with the new and improved processor in the 3G S, which seems to work overtime in some iPhones when working with memory-intensive applications. Others have said that the problem is with the battery itself, which seems to be supported by evidence of a white 3G S that turned brown along the back around where the battery is located (shown in the picture above).

Apple has been asked to issue a statement on the issue, but they have yet to give one. It’s hard to know if this is a major problem and how many iPhone 3G S devices are in danger of damage from overheating. It is not yet known if this is just a defective problem in some devices or if all iPhone 3G Ss are at risk of this problem when running certain memory-intensive apps. Most importantly, it is not yet known if people are at a physical risk because of the overheating.

Apple is known to have had battery problems in the past, such as with the Sony batteries used in the iBook G4 and PowerBook G4. However, the main problem in this situation is that the iPhone’s battery is sealed in, and replacing it yourself would void your warranty. Whether a recall is ahead is unknown, but this could potentially be a major inconvenience for 3G S users.

If any iPhone 3G S owners are experiencing overheating issues, feel free to tell us about it in the comments.

Via [Wired]

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Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup - July 1, 2009

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-01T23:04:12+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Third-Party, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for July 1, 2009:

Macintosh

Nisus Software has announced the release of Nisus Writer Pro 1.3, the latest version of their critically acclaimed word processor. To celebrate, Nisus also announces a sale on Pro. Nisus Writer Pro 1.3 adds a completely new document manager. The document manager now can manage any file on your drive, regardless of its location. You can create file groups, or use the predefined smart groups. There is also a style library, and an advanced search that leverages Apple’s Spotlight technology.
Maintain has announced Cocktail 4.4 (Leopard Edition). Cocktail serves up a scrumptious mix of maintenance tools and interface tweaks, all accessible via a comprehensive graphical interface. Version 4.4 adds ability to reset home directory permissions and Access Control Lists, adds ability to set Time Machine’s backup interval and to modify other Time Machine settings, adds support for more network interfaces, adds support for Safari 4 and ability to disable Safari 4 webpage previews.
iPresentee has announced iWeb Intros 1.0 to be used with Apple’s Web site building application. iWeb Intros is a part of iWeb Suite package. Visitors will like your web site more if they will get a nice welcome for them. iWeb Intros 1.0 includes five terrific welcome intros: Desert, Groove, Paint Splatter, Dreamy Intro and Multilingual Greetings. These intros can stand alone as intro page for your website or can be incorporated into any iWeb template.
RapidWeaver Themes has announced Bravado, a brand new theme for the popular website creation tool RapidWeaver. Serving as a professional theme with easy to use features. Bravado offers users some new and unique options which make creating their website as easy as possible. Numerous color schemes and beautiful theme styles come pre-installed to help you get up and running in the shortest amount of time possible.
Be.ez, designers of stylish accessories for the mobile lifestyle, is proud to announce two new additions to the LEvertigo notebook bag collection: LEvertigo Lime Art and LEvertigo Black/Pumpkin. Available in 13” and 15” sizes, LEvertigo boasts a unique design that positions laptops in a vertical orientation, instead of the horizontal layout common to most bags. The Lime Art and Black/Pumpkin bags are the first in the LEvertigo collection to be PVC-free, made from reengineered materials and packaged in recycled paper packaging.
The makers of Welcome to Macintosh announced that the documentary will be available to all US Comcast Cable TV subscribers on Pay Per View beginning July 1st 2009. Comcast Subscribers can find it in the Pay Per View channels as well as the Movie section of their On Demand service. Welcome to Macintosh is a feature length documentary that explores the many ways Apple, Inc. has changed the world.
Close on the heels of Apple’s release of the Safari 4 Web browser, TidBITS Publishing Inc. has published Take Control of Safari 4, ($10.00 USD) by Sharon Zardetto. The 92-page book helps beginning and intermediate Mac users learn new Safari 4 features like Top Sites and searching the page content of bookmarks and history, and it provides essential advice on smart ways to manage bookmarks, load multiple Web pages at once, fill out forms automatically, keep track of passwords, download files, keep up with favorite Web sites via RSS, and manage Web-browsing history.

iPhone/iPod

Njection LLC has announced that Njection Mobile (NMobile), their worldwide speed trap notification system for iPhone 3G, will release version 1.1.3 for free before the 4th of July weekend. In addition, Njection has released an Ad Engine that specifically uses NMobile’s unique localization features for displaying area store discounts and coupons for its users to take advantage of. This will assist more traditional “Brick and Mortar” companies to compete for customers.
Brainjuice has announced that the official release of Blogo 1.2.8, its Mac desktop blog editor and Twitter client, is available to the public. Awarded “Pick of the week” by Leo Laporte on Macbreak weekly, the application makes blogging on the Mac easy even for those with no knowledge of HTML. This release adds support for custom fields with WordPress, a much-requested addition and an essential feature for probloggers. Custom fields are used by plugins like the All in One SEO Pack and WP Post Thumbnail, and give bloggers the flexibility to add additional information to posts.
TimeStream Software has announced free downloads of its popular “Walt Disney World Secrets” Notescast for the iPod Classic and iPod nano for a limited time. Now iPod Classic and iPod nano owners can tour all of Walt Disney World Resort using their iPods in hand as their personal interactive tour guide as they discover one new secret after another throughout all of Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Nickelodeon’s AddictingGames will extend to the iPhone this July with the launch of several games and a cross-promotion publishing network for iPhone game developers called the AddictingGames iNetwork. Game developers will now be able to tap into the AddictingGames.com’s promotional reach, upsell capabilities and social gaming features—including: high scores; reviews; and player matching—in order to reach iPhone users with their game applications. Games based on properties from Nickelodeon, COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV and other divisions of MTV Networks will also be part of the AddictingGames iNetwork.
Last Legion Games (LLG) and their patented cloudMMO technology are delivering state-of-the art game play to the iPhone via Amazon’s cloud. Not only did LLG pioneer MMO game play on the cloud, they were the first to take cloudMMO to the iPhone with the acclaimed Watchman game to accompany Warner Bros. blockbuster release earlier this year.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Appletell’s Red, White and iBoo giveaway

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-01T17:45:15+00:00

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPod Family, iPod Accessories, Docks & Speakers, iPod, iPod nano, iPhone, iPhone Accessories, iPhone, Mac + Computers, Peripherals, Features, Giveaways

It’s the 4th of July again, that time of year when the British celebrate losing control of us bothersome Americans, and we celebrate paying taxes to our own government, thank you very much. And what better way for you to join the festivities than to pay taxes on your very own giveaway prize…an iBoo iPod Docking Station and 2.1 speaker system from Speakal ($89.99 value). The winner will be able to make his/her selection from the red, white or blue model.

The Prize

iBoo is compatible with all iPods with a dock connector, but can also be used with the iPhone, gaming systems, other music sources, etc. via a 3.5mm auxiliary input. The 2.1 speaker system offers 15W of total power, including a 9W subwoofer with Bass Reflex Technology.

Other features include:

Humanized Touch Volume Control and iPod control
Remote to control the iPig and iPod functions
Airflow optimized design for consistent sound performance
Eco-Friendly and RoHS Compliant
Multiple cradles to fit your iPod
30 day Money back guaranty
1 year limited warranty

How to Enter

To enter to win your iBoo, first make sure you’re registered with Appletell, then make sure you’ve read the Dabble LLC giveaway rules. Done that? Awesome. Then just comment below to let us know what will be the first song you play over the iBoo if you win. Maybe it’ll be a song of revolution and freedom. Maybe it’ll be your country’s national anthem. Maybe it’ll be “The Curly Shuffle.” Whatever. It doesn’t really matter because the winner will be selected randomly from all registered entrants.

Entries will be accepted through Sunday, July 12th, and the winner will be announced the following week. The IRS is willing to wait until next year for Americans to declare the taxes on your winnings.

Appletell 20% Discount

Yes, only one person can win a free iBoo, but aren’t we all winners, really, when Speakal offers Appletell readers a 20% discount on all of their products? From now through July 30th, 2009, enter the code “appletell20off” when ordering from Speakal’s online store to receive 20% off your order.

Product [iBoo]

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

EA discouraging used Sims 3 game sales with registration

NEWS — 2009-07-01T16:11:10+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - Users who purchase a used copy of The Sims 3 that has already been registered by the previous owner will be unable to access The Sims 3 website and online store.
MORE »

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App it Up: Stuck Genie

Kirk Hiner — 2009-07-01T12:09:27+00:00

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Originals

Category: Puzzle games
Developer: Cobra Mobile
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch
File Size: 9.0MB

What is it?

Stuck Genie is a unique puzzler that kind of combines those labyrinth marble games with Tetris, without really being anything like either.

How does it work?

Mostly, you just stare at it. This is definitely the type of puzzle game that requires more thought than interaction, but that’s a good thing. After working your way through an oddly cumbersome options/set-up menu, you’re presented with a grid of obstacles and balls resting on individual playing squares. You goal is to guide your yellow ball through the obstacles and next to all of the blue balls. This is done by flicking the touch screen in the direction you want to move. But you have to be careful; where you touch the blue ball is where it will stay in proportion to your yellow ball as you move on, so you need to line things up properly in order to advance.

That, then, is the Tetris bit; you can rotate all of the balls currently touching your yellow ball, but only clockwise, and the mass will retain its shape. For instance, if you have four blue balls in a vertical line beneath your yellow ball, rotating them will give you four blue balls in a horizontal line to the left of your yellow ball (the yellow ball is always the pivot point). So, as you carry these balls through the maze, you need to account for how you will reach all of them through the obstacles, and plan your pick ups accordingly. The board has to be cleared within a certain time frame, and you get more points for faster completion.

Features

73 levels.
Colorful graphics and lively audio with a polished presentation.
Simple gameplay makes it fun for children and adults, although many of the later puzzles are quite devious.
Ability to save multiple players.

App it Up, Sum it Up

Stuck Genie will not be a top app for the majority of iPhone gamers. Rather, it’ll likely become one of those games you play infrequently, but that you never delete from your iDevice because it’s always good for a quick gaming session. It’s very well designed, it’s stable, and it’s perfectly suited for killing time in 5 to 15 minute bursts.

Cost - $1.99
Worth the Money? - Yes, especially for puzzle gamers seeking something new.
Availability - Now, at the iTunes App Store.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Is Microsoft just skimming the Surface of multi-touch?

Aaron Kraus — 2009-06-30T23:08:49+00:00

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, Features, Operating Systems, Windows, Originals

Microsoft is really good at dreaming about the future; their track record on delivering it is not quite so shining. Seen ubiquitous Tablet PCs? Anybody remember SPOT? (No, it’s not a dog, it was the Smart Personal Object Technology that Microsoft envisioned us all using to read stock quotes on our watches. Seriously.) Okay, they kind of called the current netbook trend (a little early), but they were wrong about most of the details of what was then called the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC); they envisioned something between a smartphone and a netbook that was too small to be really useful and too big to be really portable. Microsoft also has a track record of blowing smokescreens to distract attention from gaps in their own product lines while they work to crush competition, and that list is exhausting in length: Cairo and Longhorn, with all their promised glamorous features, top the list. Given this track record, it is virtually not impossible to pose the question: what impact, if any, will Microsoft’s Surface have on everyday computing?

When you get right down to it, the computer-user interface has seen no major advances since the introduction of the mouse in the 1980s. Major advances in technology/capabilities have been made, but for the most part we still type stuff on keyboards and point & click things on the screen with a mouse/pen tablet/other mouse-equivalent device. The computer desktop, and most programs, present metaphors: files to double click, page turn buttons/scroll bars, and buttons that make some action occur. Microsoft and Apple both delivered touch-sensitive GUIs in handheld devices, with Windows CE and the Newton OS, respectively, in the mid 1990s. These UIs, however, were not really revolutionary; instead of mousing to an on-screen object, you touch it with a stylus. With the introduction of the iPhone, Apple is taking a step in UI design—all the multi-touch gestures are real world gestures. The metaphor of interacting with some elements is metaphor no longer; the user actually flicks a page to move to the next one. But this is only a small evolutionary step. There are still buttons to tap to launch apps or make configuration changes. Baby steps, in other words, while Windows Mobile is still stuck on the stylus as a mouse replacement.

Intro the Surface, which Microsoft promises will “[break] down traditional barriers between people and technology, changing the way people interact with all kinds of everyday information — from photos to maps to menus.” It looks, on the surface (sorry, but as usual Microsoft has burdened us with a name that makes conversation challenging—think “Word” and “Office”) like a brand new way of interacting with a computer. There is a great ars technica article about a design firm, Teehan+Lax, and their thoughts on the challenges of developing applications for this new Surface interface. The real problem that they see is one mainly of orientation: typical computers have up, down, left, and right on the screen, and one (maybe two) users. Surface allows a full 360 degrees of freedom, meaning that the number of users and their viewing angle is only limited by the size of the actual table (and maybe by how well Vista, which underpins Surface, can deal with that much input). How would two users, on opposite sides of a table, use Word, for instance? The text will be upside down for one user, as will all the tool bars. Writing a letter suddenly becomes a study in hieroglyphics and hand-eye coordination!

In theory, this challenge could be overcome by each user getting his own window to work with, but that just leaves us with a traditional computer and a huge screen. Hardly revolutionary. Some have suggested that content be the central focus of the computing environment, and UI could be personalized—each user gets hi own toolbar/menubar/whatever other interaction. But this does not cover the basic difficulty that the user may need text/media oriented to his viewing angle. Just because I have my very own text formatting toolbar in Word doesn’t mean I can apply Arial Bold 12 pt. to some text if it is upside down! Upon closer inspection, under the surface of Surface (just can’t help myself!) there is a dearth of substance (though there are some cool applications for this technology, no doubt). And while the product itself is real, and hence not vaporware, there is a strong odor of smokescreen about the world-changing credentials of the whole Surface idea that just can not be denied!

Microsoft would like to promote the advances that Surface brings as advances to the overall Windows ecosystem. There is just one tiny little problem: the devices where multi-touch and gesture-based computing are truly useful, like phones and media players, will not directly benefit from any of the technology in Surface. Windows Mobile, Zune, and the XBox all run their own, independent operating systems, while Surface is running a variant of Vista. This stands in stark contrast to Apple’s development strategy, which places a light version of OS X on iPhones, iPod Touches, and AppleTV (even though marketing jargon calls it iPhone OS, it’s still an OS X variant). This means that any mutli-touch improvements in one device can easily be ported to any of the others. And Apple’s approach of evolving multi-touch where it makes sense, rather than attempting to totally upend traditional computing paradigms, is introducing more fundamental changes in user interaction than Microsoft’s more heavy-handed approach in Surface.

Which brings me back to the main point: is Microsoft really pushing the envelope here, or are we supposed to follow the flashy effects while the man behind the curtain struggles to make truly useful product enhancements? In reality, does Surface just have a flashy—albeit niche—role to fill in computing as a big touch screen? Or is it the next big thing? Your thoughts?

Full Story » | Written by Aaron Kraus for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup - June 29-30, 2009

Kirk Hiner — 2009-06-30T22:07:26+00:00

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Third-Party, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for June 29-30, 2009:

Macintosh

restoroot.com has announced the release of Letter Opener 2.2, their winmail.dat converter plug-in for Apple Mail. At its basic, Letter Opener processes Microsoft Outlook winmail.dat files without the requirement for a separate, standalone application. Implemented as a plug-in, Letter Opener lives right inside Apple Mac OS X Mail, allowing users to seamlessly convert winmail.dat files to attachments, iCal files, vCards, and more.
Xeric Design has announced EarthDesk 5.0, a major upgrade to its award-winning, real-time dynamic desktop map for OS X. Version 5.0 has been entirely rewritten in Cocoa, adds many new features and is fully compatible with both Leopard and the upcoming Snow Leopard. EarthDesk replaces your static desktop with an image of the Earth showing current sun, moon and city illumination, as well as real-time global cloud coverage, allowing you to track hurricanes and other weather systems.
unmarked software has announced the release and immediate availability of TextSoap 6.2.2, an update to its text processing utility for Mac OS X. The TextSoap 6.2.2 update is a maintenance release that fixes a number of reported issues and adds support for using Services on rich text with images. Take total control of text and its style. With a single menu selection TextSoap 6 brings unique processing power to users from within their favorite application.
Cooliris, the fastest way to browse photos and videos Facebook, Google Images, YouTube, Flickr, and even your desktop, has been updated. Available at cooliris.com, it comes as a free plug-in that transforms your browser into interactive and infinite 3D Wall of content so you can search and browse thousands of images and videos without flipping from page to page.
Cadent Computing Inc. has announced wineCellar 2.0, a major update to their popular wine collection and organizer for Mac OS X and Windows. Perfect for wine aficionados and connoisseurs alike, Cadent wineCellar is a unique application for storing, viewing and retrieving information about anyone’s wine collection. The application can store up to 2000 wine entries (100 during the free 30-day trial).
Ergonis Software has released Typinator 3.5, the fastest and most robust version of its highly acclaimed text expansion tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos. Typinator has always shined for its speed and robustness as well as compatibility with arbitrary applications. The new version of Typinator introduces a new technology that makes the expansion and insertion of text even faster than before, reinforcing Typinator 3.5 the fastest and most compatible text expander ever.
Yazsoft has announced Speed Download 5.2, a major update to their flagship download manager. Speed Download 5 redefines the Mac OS X download manager by combining four amazing products; a turbo-charged download manager with auto-resuming downloads, a fully featured secure FTP client, a file sharing utility with full encryption, and complete .Mac/iDisk/WEBDAV connectivity into one small and easy to use application. And now with RSS newsreader integration.
Dale Webb, Director of The Protocol Centre in Coral Gables, Florida, has announced the debut of Etiquette Avenue 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. Etiquette Avenue puts screens of professional protocol advice in the hands of millions who can use it in ever-more competitive times. It is the first App dedicated to the rules of professional and workplace protocol. Etiquette Avenue’s information is a version of the company’s Best Protocol Practices curriculum updated and adapted to an App.
If you think computer security has improved in recent years, The Myths of Security (O’Reilly, US $29.99) will shake you out of your complacency. Longtime security professional John Viega, formerly Chief Security Architect at McAfee, reports on the sorry state of the industry and offers concrete suggestions for professionals and individuals confronting the issue.
QuickerTek has announced Quicky Junior II, a new wireless internet and networking USB device that triples the wireless range. This new Quicky Junior II is compatible with the Apple Extreme Base Station as well as almost every other 2.4GHz wireless equipment users are likely to run into while traveling. Whether using a coffee shop network or tapping into the network in the office, Quicky Jr. II provides increased range while maintaining speed.
Millard Grubb and Backyard Gazette Publishing have released a free audio CD for Mac owners that will help make their lives a little brighter. 7 Secrets Of Making Cash With Your Mac looks at using a Macintosh specifically to grow an information business right from your home. This CD explains how to use a Macintosh computer to start an information publishing business.

iPhone/iPod

Atom Software has announced the release of Boat Mania 1.0, a new boating game for iPhone and iPod Touch. You’ve played traffic control games in the air. Now it’s time to have some addictive fun at the marina. Gameplay is simple yet challenging which is great game for beginners and pros alike. Trace a path for each boat to land at the correctly colored pier. But don’t let them crash into each other or you’ll lose a life. Boat Mania includes two exciting modes of game play.
Freeverse, Inc., has announced the release of the new game Warpack: Grunts from UK partner company Strange Flavour. This pick-up-and-play squad based shooter springs to life on iPhone and iPod touch with colorful art, addictive gameplay, extensive content and iPhone OS 3.0 exclusive features! Players control a squad of four soldiers as they seek to complete 40 levels of explosive missions, from grenade-bombing the enemy, sniping the main antagonist Evil Dude, to commandeering tanks and helicopters.
eCOMPOSITE has released 321Run Lite 1.0, a free version of their health based running app for iPhone and iPod touch. 321Run Lite is the free version made for users of 321Run, a GPS-enabled version that also records the distance, calories and tells you and your friends what distance you ran. 321Run Lite is your coach on our iPhone. Plug your earphones and listen to it tell you when to change rythm, and how long you’ve run.
Mobila Interactive has announced release of its Tyrian port of iPhone OS. Tyrian is an arcade-style vertical scrolling shooter which was originally developed by Eclipse Productions and published by Epic MegaGames on the PC platform in 1995.
About Objects has announced a new public schedule for iPhone Programming Workshop, a hands-on developer training course on the iPhone SDK. The course has been updated to reflect Apple’s recent release of the latest 3.0 version of the SDK. Classes will be conducted July 27 - July 31, and August 10 - August 14, at the About Objects headquarters in Reston, VA, and August 24 - August 28 near the Apple campus in Cupertino, CA.
Robosoft, in collaboration with Virtual Programming, is bringing the classic game Pipe Mania to the iPhone. In this game, the player is provided with pipes of different shapes, which he/she must lay onto a grid to form a connection between a tap and a drain. He/she must do this before the time runs out and a slimy green liquid called Flooze oozes out of the pipes.
Joystick Ninjas has released myMotivator for iPhone and iPod touch. myMotivator is a unique application with the purpose to boost morale of users, and give them motivational and inspirational lift. The main feature is a clip, consisting of affirmative text and synchronized with music, specifically written for myMotivator. It also features over 100 related quotes. Joystick Ninjas is planning an update to bring the quotes to over 300.
Sonic Boom, a leading publisher and creator of mobile games and applications, today announced its partnership with Bight Games and the release of its stellar line-up. Big Top 10 is available now for iPhone and iPod Touch. The highly anticipated Kill All Bugs and Puzzlings are expected to launch in the App Store in the coming week, and will be published on major wireless carriers throughout North America this fall.
Contest winners and concertgoers at the July 18 San Francisco Symphony Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concert will participate in the first ever Ocarina Master Class and an Ocarina Orchestra post-concert performance, to be led from the Davies Hall stage by the iPhone app developer, Smule.
Loopt has announced that its service is available on the iPod touch—offering all the core Loopt social mapping features, including the ability see where your friends are via interactive maps, explore places recommended by services like Yelp, and meet new people nearby on Loopt Mix
Universal Electronic Accessories (Uniea) is set to unveil updates of four classic Uniea cases that will work with the newly-released iPhone 3Gs from Apple. The collection of cases includes the U-Suit Premium, U-Skin, U-Motion, and the U–Suit Folio Premium, all popular Uniea cases offered for previous generations of the iPhone that will now join Uniea’s new U-Glance iPhone hard case. A classic hip-case with leather-clip on the back will also be available as an alternative option.
Universal Electronic Accessories (Uniea) has announced the unveiling of a brand-new hard case to protect and hold the new iPhone that debuted on June 19th. Uniea’s new U-Glance promises to deliver an innovative list of new features to complement the buzz surrounding the iPhone 3Gs, both in styling and function. The release of the case will follow soon after the new iPhone.
Edovia has announced Rocket Taxi 2.0 iPhone and iPod touch. Rocket Taxi uses the device’s Location Services to find nearby taxi companies. Search has been extended to taxi companies and the biggest new feature is the new map system that is powered by Apple’s MapKit. This new version represents a much more mature product and includes a lot of improvements that users will enjoy.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

New Apple ads tout copy and paste and voice control features

Josh Holat — 2009-06-30T16:52:29+00:00

Section: Apple News, Commercials, iPhone, iPhone

Apple has posted two new iPhone advertisements on their website. This time around, they are touting Voice Control and Cut, Copy, and Paste—two new features on the iPhone that have existed on other phones for plenty of years now. That said, Apple’s implementation of them is once again above that of their competitors. For example, Voice Control is very English-like in that you can tell it to call people, play songs, or a variety of other things. Also, copy and paste also copies images and font styles.

As you can see, these iPhone ads feature the usual style with just a hand and the iPhone. These two features for the iPhone are surely long-awaited, and I think Apple did a fantastic job with both of them. I never really realized how much I would use copy and paste until I was able to on the new iPhone software. Hopefully, we see some more exciting features from Apple in the future. You can check out these and other iPhone ads over at Apple’s website.

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Steve Jobs back at work

Kirk Hiner — 2009-06-30T12:33:51+00:00

Section: Apple, Apple News, Steve Jobs

In a rambling, largely off-topic article, The LA Times reported this morning that Apple, Inc. co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs is spending a few days a week back in his office, according to Apple spokesman Steve Dowling. “He’s currently at work a few days a week and working from home the remaining days,” Dowling said. So…Steve’s keeping my schedule, which is cool. I wonder if his dog sleeps against his desk and if Steve has to deal with cheerleading practice going on down the street.

This news comes just a week after the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tennessee confirmed that Jobs had received a liver transplant. Obviously, it’s good news to Apple fanboys and Apple shareholders that Steve’s back on the job. But it’s better news to Steve and his family, and it’s great to see that he was able to return a few weeks sooner than expected.

Read [LA Times (but only if you want more conjecture on why Apple products are too expensive and unnecessary)] Via Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Walt Mossberg on MacBook Pro’s sealed in batteries

Josh Holat — 2009-06-30T02:33:34+00:00

Section: Mac + Computers, Laptops, MacBook, MacBook Pro

Walt Mossberg has his official review of the new MacBook Pro batteries written and published, and his results and insight are very interesting. He makes some very good points regarding how well the built-in batteries in these machines will work for various users. He also describes the growing trend of laptop manufacturers to have built-in batteries, as research has shown that less than 5% of laptop owners purchase an extra battery anyway.

Yet, the most fascinating thing is what he found to be true of Apple’s batteries. He wrote:

I’ve been testing these two new Apple laptops, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the 15-inch MacBook Pro, using my own harsh battery test, which I apply to all laptops I review. The results were excellent. These two new Apple laptops scored among the highest battery lives between charges of any laptop I have ever tested with a battery that fits entirely inside the machine’s dimensions, without sticking out of the back or bottom and adding weight.

If you ask me, that sounds like a pretty great performance for a battery. However, he wasn’t able to put Apple’s claim that the battery will charge 1,000 times before losing capacity to the test because that would simply take way too long. Also, Walt points out that one major downside to built-in batteries is that the whole machine must be sent in if there is an issue with the battery or it needs replacing.

Check out everything else he has to say in his review; it’s rather fascinating.

Via [All Things Digital]

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Couple slaps Apple with lawsuit over $0.30 price increase

NEWS — 2009-06-29T21:28:17+00:00

FROM GADGETELL - The latest entry in the book of frivolous lawsuits is one filed against Apple by an Illinois couple. They are accusing the company of gift card fraud and they are seeking monetary damages for what they call Apple’s “wrongful, illegal and fraudulent acts.” The charges in the suit include one… MORE »

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