Around these parts, we consider a screen protector the most integral accessory for the iPhone. Screen protectors are a great way to prevent the iPhone display from getting scratched when storing the iPhone in a pocket, bag, or anywhere else.

Well starting in May 2010, if you are planning on buying a screen protector or any other type of screen film for your iPhone/iPod/iPad/Mac, the one place that you won’t be able to buy is at an Apple Store.

According to reports, Apple is to ban screen protectors and any other type of screen film from its retail stores and online store beginning May 2010. The change will affect both individually packaged screen protectors and screen protectors that come packaged with cases. At this point you’re probably wondering why is Apple doing this? The answer is only speculation at this time.

One case vendor is speculating that Apple’s actions are the result of a marketing attempt to suggest screen durability for their devices. While this is noble (maybe the new iPhone will have some kind of scratch-proof display), glass and plastic displays have been getting scratched for quite some time.

With Apple Stores dropping screen protector support, we can still purchase screen protectors outside of an Apple Store at the thousands of other available retailers. The only concern is that will case vendors make two separate versions of the same product; one for Apple Stores and one for everyone else?

[iLounge]

Effective April 15, 2010, Virgin Mobile will be increasing their rates for a number of provided services. Please note that the rate increases only affect those customers who are not on any type of plan or package providing the specific service.

Long Distance & Local Calling Price Changes

Beginning April 15, 2010, long distance charges on out-of-plan calls to Canada or the USA are increasing from $0.30/minute to $0.35/minute in addition to the local by-the-minute rate.

As mentioned previously, if you already have a Virgin Mobile Unlimited Long Distance add-on, then the price increase does not affect you.

The rate for local by-the-minute out-of-plan calls is also increasing from $0.30/minute to $0.35/minute.

Virgin notes that the above changes only affect customers who signed up before February 2, 2009, as customers who signed up after February 2, 2009 are already paying the new rate for out-of-plan local and long distance calls.

Web Browsing & International Text Message Price Changes

Also beginning April 15, 2010, pay-per-use web browsing charges are changing from $0.05/page view to $0.05/kb (Kilobyte) of data used.

Once again, if you are already signed up on a Virgin Mobile Data Plan or Unlimited Mobile Browsing add-on, then the change does not affect you.

Also changing is the international text message rate. International text messaging is increasing from $0.20/sent text message to $0.25/sent text message. Receiving text messages is unchanged and remains free.

Again, if you already have an international text messaging package, nothing changes for you.

[Virgin Mobile]

Today Apple seeded a new build of OS X 10.6.3, build 10D571. The last seed, build number 10D567, was released on March 5, 2010, which puts the current build at releasing just under two weeks since the last.

According to reports, the current build focuses on Graphics Drivers, iChat, QuickTime, Fonts. The build further includes:

• Compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications
• Performance improvements for 64-bit Logic
• Changes to QuickTime X that increase reliability and improve compatibility and security
• Printing reliability and compatibility with third party printers
• Issues resolved that prevented files from copying to Windows shares
• Issues resolved with recurring events in iCal when connected to an Exchange server
• Issues resolved that prevented files with the “#” or “&” symbols in their names from opening in Rosetta
• Issues addressed that caused background message colors to display incorrectly in Mail when scrolling
• Issue resolved that caused machines using BTMM and the Bonjour Sleep Proxy to wake unexpectedly

There was also a Known Issue identified as:

• Safari 4.0.5 will be reoffered by Software Update after upgrading to 10D571 from a previous seed

Well Mac owners, as mentioned before, the builds of OS 10.6.3 seem to be releasing very close to each other, but we have yet to see the full 10.6.3. This build period is turning out to be quite an extended one!

The Mac OS X 10.6.2 update was officially released on November 9, 2009. The first two builds of 10.6.3 were issued in January 2010 and the third through sixth builds were issued in February 2010. The seventh and eighth builds were issued in March 2010.

Mac OS X 10.6.3 will mark the third main revision to the latest Apple operating system, Snow Leopard.

For those of you who use the PayPal iPhone app, you will be pleased to know that the app just received a major update. The interface has been revamped and new features have been added, including the ability to use the Bump iPhone app to send payments.

Here’s the description on the latest update:

PayPal’s mobile money application is
the faster way to send money with your iPhone® to friends and family anytime, anywhere. It’s much easier than going to the ATM to withdraw cash, writing checks, and sending gifts the traditional way. And you can manage your PayPal account right from your mobile device. All of this with the security and protection you get from PayPal.

What’s New In This Version:
+ Brand new look and feel!
+ Bump: Easily start by bumping iPhones.
+ Withdraw funds from your PayPal balance.
+ Request Money: Get paid faster, it’s the easy way to ask for the money you are owed.
+ Split the Check: Instantly split the bill, calculate tip, and request everyone’s share.
+ Collect Money: Ask for contributions from a group for an event, gift, or cause.
+ Set Reminders: Never miss rent or a bill.
+ Refer the app to a friend

The new update looks really nice and retains the clean interface. It adds more features than before and is easy to use. Not sure how often I’d be using the Bump functionality but it’s a great addition for existing Bump users. The PayPal app is free in the App Store.

How do you like the latest update?

Developer limneos has annouced a new tweak for the iPhone 3GS called “SpringBoard Rotator”. This new tweak allows you to rotate the entire springboard, including your wallpaper, in any direction, just like the iPad. Just as you would turn your iPhone to landscape mode in any application, you can turn your home screen to landscape mode. Scrolling through all your pages works exactly the same, just in landscape mode!

This tweak is the perfect addition to any iPad Theme, including my own “Simple iPad Theme”, that is on Cydia right now. With the release of the iPad UI Theme coming soon, we’ll have little mini iPads before you know it! i should mention that you will need to have a jailbroken iPhone 3GS to get this tweak.

SpringBoard Rotator works with other springboard tweaks, such as Infiniboard, Iconoclasm, Shrink, Five Column Springboard, Five Icon Dock, and more.

According to limneos’s Twitter feed, he will have a beta ready in couple of days, and hopefully release in less than 2 weeks!

Here’s a video of this new tweak in action:

Doodle Kart is a doodle style top down racing game that is very much a blend of Mario Kart meet iPhone.

Doodle Kart by j2sighte

Doodle Kart is all about racing and using whatever means necessary to become first place, which includes launching objects at your opponents.

The game has a certain addictive element to it that mostly comes from its unique pen and paper “doodled” graphics. The entire game, including menus and all stages, have the look of being doodled or in other words, hand drawn.

Obstacles during a level include such items as rulers and pencils to keep with the doodle theme. However during a race, your opponents and you both have access to items and weapons that are good for whoever fires first and bad for the recipient. Items and weapons are collected by driving over flagged areas on the race track.

Weapons come in many forms, but one of the more useful weapons is a pencil which acts like a bullet and attacks opponents cars. Some of the items that can be collected include a car speed booster and an item to enlarge the car which can be used to run over opponents! There is a total of seven available items/weapons.

The game includes five different environments for a total of 25 race tracks. The opponents you race against are controlled by AI and you always race against three AI. As such, the two game modes are Single Race mode, which includes a solo race or a race against the AI, and a Championship mode, where players can unlock new environments.

Doodle Kart further includes four difficulties; Easy, Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. There is a fifth game mode called “Dark” but I was unable to unlock it. However if it is anything like Nightmare, I think I’ll avoid it as I am not worthy!

For controls, I really appreciate the available options. Players can control the game by touch or tilt, of which I recommend touch as there are some really tight turns. Players can also opt for an Auto-gas option that enables the gas pedal for you. For screen orientation, players can race in portrait or landscape and for me, both were equally comfortable.

Doodle Kart also saves the best time for each track in a local score board and further supports OpenFeint for online score tracking for each race track.

Doodle Kart is available in the App Store for $0.99. There is also a Lite version available for free.

Modmyi is reporting today, that Timothy Cook, the guy who covered for Steve Jobs, while he was on medical leave, received a $5 million dollar bonus to take the reigns of Apple for fiscal 2009. These were definitely some big shoes to fill, but it seems the company was very happy with the way Tim handled himself in the position.

Timothy Cook is currently the COO of Apple computers, and is thought to be Steve Job’s replacement, were Steve to ever leave the company. Tim definitely kept the company going while Steve was away, overseeing the launching of the iPhone 3GS, the new iPod Nano with Video, and Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Apple had this to say:

A one-time discretionary bonus of 5,000,000 and 75,000 restricted stock units in recognition of his outstanding performance in assuming the day-to-day operations of the company for the period in fiscal 2009 during which Jobs was on medical leave of absence.

This is quite an increase from Tim’s typical salary, which is less then $1 million, plus incentives. Still nothing to laugh at, though! I’m ecstatic if I see more than 4 digits in my bank account!

Sibling site iPadinCanada.ca recently covered how Apple’s latest iPad has a new battery replacement policy. This policy will cost iPad owners $99 plus shipping to get their batteries replaced. But here’s the catch: Apple will replace the entire iPad (new or refurbished, we don’t know yet) instead of just swapping out the battery!

This differs from the existing iPhone battery replacement program that will only replace your iPhone battery. Now, for those who care about keeping their original device, the iPhone program is great. But if you’re an iPad owner and your battery dies, you can just get an entire replacement iPad.

What policy is better? Take a look at them below:

iPad:

“If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.”

iPhone:

“If your iPhone requires service only because the battery’s ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will service your iPhone for a service fee.”

What do you think? There are still unanswered questions as to what kind of iPad you will be getting, new or refurbed. Would you want a new replacement iPhone or just your battery swapped?

If you are looking to get an iPhone 3G/3GS, you may want to consider service from Bell, as they are giving customers some lucrative credits when they buy.

Bell has detailed a promotion for potential iPhone buyers that gives customers an $85 credit. At this time, the promo is available at Best Buy and Future Shop locations and requires the purchase of an iPhone 3G/3GS on a 3-year agreement.

The $85 worth of credits breakdown into a $50 store credit (can be used for hardware or accessories) and a $35 bill credit. The promotion expires on March 31, 2010, so if this is worthy, maybe check it out.

[MobileSyrup]

There are numerous broadband testing apps available in the App Store, but you don’t get much more official than a broadband test app from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The FCC Broadband Test app provides users with information regarding the quality and speed of their mobile Internet connection. Users can test their upload and download speed, as well as the latency of their broadband connection. After a test is complete, users can share their results in an email export.

It is worth noting that test results may vary based on many factors such as location, hardware, and network congestion. Overall, the app is really clean and does provide fairly accurate results.

The FCC Mobile Broadband Test app is available in the App Store for free.