From the creators of the award-winning conversion app, Convert, comes the second of TapTapTap’s iPhone titles. This time, voice morphing. But does it really live up to the studios previous titles?

The Settlers for iPhone is a reincarnation of the classic PC-based title of the same name. With stunning visuals and audio to match, I found the game to be both immersive and addicting.

Can’t seem to get up on time? You probably need this. With it’s great UI and a wide range of settings, it is a great solution for your waking needs. I really like Alarm Clock Pro… even if it DOES have a flashlight attached.

Undercover 1.5 Tracks Stolen iPhones Using Push Notifications

If there’s one persistent problem with the iPhone, it’s its desirability as a device. That shiny black and glass fascia, and user intuitive software really does appeal to us. Unfortunately, most of the time it also appeals to a different group of people. A group of people with the sole intention to steal. With the introduction of Mobile Me, we saw Apple try to combat this age-old situation, introducing for every one of it’s users the ability to track their devices, directly from their online account from anywhere on the globe.

Before Apple showed it’s hand though, there was one prolific company who were set on making tracking stolen devices – specifically iPhone’s and Macintosh computers – their sole business. That company was of course Belgium-based software developers, Obicule. When their security software, Undercover, came to the iPhone, it hit the mainstream. But there were also the usual critics. See, the problem was that the software would only work as intended if the actual application was open on the stolen device. Today, Obicule are announcing what they deem to be a major update to Undercover for iPhone, version 1.5, and sees this exact launch-to-function issue, resolved. In a stark move, this update now adds adding the ability to remotely open the app on the stolen device.

So, How does it work? Well, Obicule have revealed that harnessing a clever use of push notifications, the user can remotely send the stolen device a push notification alert, (rather similar to ‘Find My iPhone’ on Mobile Me), therefore been able to ensure that the owner of the device can remotely open the application, allowing the tracking of the device. Upon registration at the Undercover Center, you’ll be able to access your ‘Undercover’ account online, from anywhere, and once the app is activated, this account will store the devices location and IP information, allowing you to track it under the radar.

To me, this update from the company really proves the true potential of and how powerful Apple’s Push Notification Service can be; and that if more developers put their mind to it, the service could in fact be used for more than just status updates and alerts. It seems the update is already live on the App Store, so if you are an Undercover user, I say go and grab it!

Universal Studios Announces Next Gen Blu-ray Interactivity. iPhone (and iPod touch) To Play BIG Part.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment have today announced their plans to offer next generation user interactivity on a selection of their upcoming Blu-ray titles. Arriving this coming holiday season, the studio will be focusing on bringing a variety of special features targeted for (and which will integrate exclusively with) both the Apple iPhone, and iPod touch. So, I bet you’re wondering what titles can be expect this functionality on? There are five new and upcoming titles, all on Blu-ray, which we’ll see include these special interactive experiences. These include: Bruno, Funny People, 9, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, Public Enemies, and Inglourious Basterds.

Split up into two main sectors, this new announcement sees Universal as an entertainment studio shift focus into the iPhone space, and equally importantly at the same time, jump on the ever-changing, ever-evolving social networking band-wagon.

The first of Universal’s announcements is pocket BLU. Described as ‘Groundbreaking,’ this free application will connect through Wi-Fi to any network capable Blu-ray player, and will extend the Blu-ray experience in an variety of new and exciting ways.

Feature extensions to your Blu-ray experience will include the following:

An Advanced Remote Control. Not only is Universal Studios set on extending your visual Blu-ray experience, it seems they also want to enhance the the way you interact with it. Pocket BLU™ will see the introduction of a sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. You’ll be able to navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease, straight from your iPhone or iPod touch.

Continue reading Universal Studios Announces Next Gen Blu-ray Interactivity. iPhone (and iPod touch) To Play BIG Part. »

Sulake Inc the guys behind the original online hit sensation Habbo Hotel brings Bobba Bar to iPhone and iPod touch. A watered-down, but graphically stunning version of the franchise.

id Software finally brings the Doom experience we’ve all been waiting for to your favorite iDevice. True and full, this port will replicate the experience that sucked up most of your childhood! But, just how are those controls?

Four Of The Best Photo Editing Apps For Your iPhone!

When taking photos on the move, sometimes it pays to have photo editing apps. After all, you’re not going to tweet that picture without a bit of increased contrast, or brightness – right? It’s a well-known fact nowadays that the majority of photos we see on the web have being edited in some way in a graphics package such as Adobe Photoshop. But what if you can’t get to your computer and need reliable and feature filled editing applications on the move?

Being a keen photographer and designer, I thought it’d be fun to give you my low-down on the photo editing apps I personally think you should have on your phone. I’ll explain why I think you should have them, and what features and benefits I like most about each application. Here we go!

PhotoForge

Definitely one of the more fully-featured photo editing App Store offerings, PhotoForge (in my opinion) should have you pretty much covered for your mobile editing needs. Just like all the editors I’m about to feature, the app will allow you to open, edit and save a photo to your iPhone’s camera roll. What makes PhotoForge a great pick for this over it’s competition is it’s feature set. As well as allowing you to rotate and crop your photo, the app also offers a wide range of both adjustment and visual effects which are comparable to Adobe Photoshop on a mobile level.
Continue reading Four Of The Best Photo Editing Apps For Your iPhone! »

100,000 apps and growing pains.

On November 28th 2008 Apple hit a landmark for their iPhone App Store. They reached 10,000 approved applications for their device. Less then a year later, Apple has hit another landmark in approving their 100,000th app. This number is mind boggling when you think about the amount of development man hours that have gone into it.

Recently I’ve read some other saddening numbers in that some developers are seeing piracy rates of upwards of 90% on their applications. I firmly believe that Apple’s recent move to allow developers to sell in game purchases in their free apps is a direct response to the massive pirating we see going on. If developers, publishers, startups and the like are going to make money consistently on the device in a complete sea of pirates and the race to $0.99 they are going to do start thinking and doing things completely differently. A lot of people are starting to expect a lot of game for almost no money. The problem is very few companies can exist by merely selling their app for such a low price, but then you’ll almost never get noticed if you price yourself higher. It is definitely a catch 22 for many devs. What I see happening in this space is that the devs who take the model of giving their game away for free and then convincing me to go farther by spending $0.99 or $1.99 will more likely succeed. The other approach is to lock people out of the game based on a timed events similar to how iMob does it. There may even be a 3rd or 4th solution to this problem that has yet to emerge.

This flood of apps will not stop, and some analysts are saying that we’ll see 250,000 applications by this time next year and that number may even be low if we look at the growth pattern over the last year and half. Crazy as it sounds, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg that will be the app store. Everyone will be developing stuff for the iPhone. At some point, Apple will be changing it’s slogan to “There are 100 apps for that” as extreme over saturation hits in all areas. Even Adobe is releasing a Flash game converter that allows you to make your Flash game into an app and with that every Flash game will get converted in no time.

Continue reading 100,000 apps and growing pains. »

Preview: Jules Verne’s Secrets of The Mysterious Island

Following on from the immersive RPG that was Return to Mysterious Island, iPhone publisher Chillingo have announced they’re bringing a sequel to the store, announcing Jules Verne’s Secrets of The Mysterious Island is coming to both iPhone (and iPod touch), shortly. The first of the series hit App Store shelves in May of this year, and like most adventure based titles seemed to go down in a storm with the iPhone crowd. Recently I seem to be saying that a little too often about various titles, but having actually owned (and played) this title myself, I can say quite honestly say the adventure was thoroughly enjoyable to play through.

Based on a graphic novel by Jules Verne’s, and carrying on from titles such as 1112 and Cassandra’s Journey, the game sees you take the role of Mina, a sailor who becomes stranded on an island, somewhere in the Pacific ocean. As you trail and tap your way around the island, trying your up-most to survive, and finding objects and (more importantly) food along the way, you try to unlock the mysteries hidden within.

Described by Chillingo as an experience which will mirror that of Robinson Crusoe, this new release will carry on from where you left off. The game will start off with a helicopter crash, and continuing the theme of being stranded, you will have to guide Mina to safety. This time will also see you visit new locations including: Captain Nemo’s base and scouring the ruins of an unknown civilization. Eventually, you will realize the cause of the threat to the island, and will aim to prevent it.

For approximately 700 Mb, the player will find out the end of the adventure of Mina. Jules Verne’s “Secrets of The Mysterious Island” contains stunning 3D graphics, many ambient sounds, music designed to enhance the mysterious atmosphere and feel.

Continue reading Preview: Jules Verne’s Secrets of The Mysterious Island »

Ustwo™ Announce ..™ (DOTDOT™) The Sequel!

Remember .™? If you don’t, the title was the debut of London-based iPhone development studio ustwo™. The game was 2D and involved the user guiding a white dot around a playing field, trying to avoid red matter (triangular), and collecting blue matter (circular). It hit the mainstream for a number of reasons, firstly for its design ethics, but secondly and most importantly being that it was the first ever application to have hit the App Store, whilst having been designed from concept to final within a 48 hour period.

This had never been done before. The thought of developing a polished title such as .™ within such a short period of time, to most other developers I imagine may have started their worst nightmare. There are going to be 6 titles within this ‘exclusive’ set of apps – sorta a “collect em’ all” diddy. The first was .™ which we profiled a few weeks back, and the next is supposedly Inkstrumental™ CRAZO™ (although as we mentioned in our previous first look, the studio themselves isn’t sure if that’ll ever see the light of day, yet.)

In the meantime the studio isn’t standing still, today announcing the sequel to their debut hit title. Calling it ..™. Having not seen the game yet myself, or had chance to play with it, I can only go off this visually stunning teaser trailer which the company has just released above, which to me seems to convey we might just be in store for some 3D goodness – (well .. I hope so)! While it’s not clear if this sequel will follow the 48 hour development method ustwo™ are now famous for, you have to admit that ..™ trailer is pretty damn trippy.

Having played .™, it’s addictive nature tends to bring with it high replay value, and as with any title, high replay usually means value for money. With no word on price yet, it’s hard to judge if ..™ will live up to it’s original – but according to ustwo™ we won’t have to wait long to find out. The title is expected to hit very, very soon.

Update: In a stark move, the studio has created a fully interactive online version of the upcoming game. Part of their new ‘48App’ section, you can now play both .™ and ..™ flash versions – here. Looks like ..™ will be 3D after all! Although, it’s still unclear whether the game will use touch and drag gesture controls, or take advantage of the accelerometer. We’ll see!

.™

Category: Games / Kids
Released: 2009-09-17
Price: $0.99

Orange UK to Start Selling 3GS – November 10th!

Following the announcement from O2 UK that the two-year exclusive contract agreement between both them and Apple over the iPhone handset is indeed about to end, Orange is believed to be gearing to start selling the iPhone 3GS (and iPhone 3G) just one day after Apple and O2’s exclusivity agreement ends – November 10th, adding to the 27 countries and territories the company already sells the devices in.

While O2 had originally believed it had the rights to sell the handset until 2012, the agreement originally signed in 2007 actually only secured O2 exclusivity of the handset for a two year period.

I know what you’re thinking; Everyone has an iPhone now, so what’s the big news here? Right? .. Wrong. According to SlashGear, Orange has already had over 200,000 people register their interest for the new handsets. The really big news here however, is that Orange is about to get feisty with their offerings. With the end of this exclusivity agreement between Apple and O2 UK, this opens the floor to other companies selling the handset. Yes – companies. More than one – and for the first time ever, this means one thing; competition.

As previously reported, Vodaphone UK also recently showed their hand, stating they too will be offering the handset. With the holiday season fast approaching, this launch will see both Orange and Vodaphone fighting to secure iPhone customers. Orange however, has a plan. Still speculation, Orange are said to be re-thinking the way they are going to offer the handset, with one UK columnist saying the telecoms company could offer customers bundled accessories or even pre-installed applications.

With no handset pricing or tariffs announced, we’re yet to see if the jump from O2 to Orange for existing customers is a viable or more importantly – affordable – option. What is certain though is it’s going to be a fight for customers, and a tough one. At this point, I can’t help but think that Orange has the upper hand.

In fact, according to one source, Orange has teamed up with T-Mobile over the summer, and are both allegedly already selling the device in other areas of the world – and, although Vodaphone UK has managed signed a deal with Apple to sell the devices, it now comes to light the company won’t get it’s hands on the handset(s) until early next year (2010).

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how all this plays out, and what the benefits will be for both new (and existing customers) – if any.

Imangi Studios: Harbor Master to Get Multiplayer

By now I’m sure you’re all aware of Imangi’s Habour Master. Ever since it launched back in June of this year, it’s been a well loved, and treasured App Store classic.

Similar to Flight Control, Habor Master centers around line-drawing, an App Store genre of game which first hit the App Store in January, with pretty big fanfare. In the game you’re in control of a busy harbor, controlling shipments of goods and packages, and docking the boats in a frantic bid to deliver these shipments to the right ports. It’s a fun title, taking into consideration the true mechanics and value of the iPhone platform, and taking advantage of touch, to create an overall addictive experience.

A few days ago, we got the heads up from Imangi Studios‘ very own Natalia Luckyanova, on a new upcoming update to Harbor Master which should hit the App Store any day now, and is bound to make you fall in love with the title again. The update we’re talking about is version 2.0, and it’s set to bring with it wireless multiplayer matches via Bluetooth. With the update, you’ll be able to select from the 6 included maps, battling to clear the harbor of ships, all the while playing against a friend.

But how are you going to keep track of all these boats? And just how exactly is this 2-player gameplay going to work? The studio explained:

“When a player sends an unloaded ship off the screen, it appears on the other player’s screen, at the same spot, fully loaded. That way, a player can use different strategies to try to overwhelm their opponent, such as timing waves of ships to send over all at once. The player who crashes first loses.”

We are told that the ‘Multiplayer’ aspect of this update will only work on OS 3.0 or higher, and you’ll have to have either an iPod touch (2nd Gen), iPhone 3G or a later model. That said, Natalia ensures the rest of the game will still work on all devices and OS versions.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Oh no, the update will also include a highly anticipated feature, which is been present in other titles for a while. A fast-forward button. Plus, we’re also told you’ll also be able to adjust the speed of this ‘fast-forward’ motion.

I for one love Harbor Master, I think it’s great – and this update looks like it’ll have me playing it even more! Look out for this mutliplayer update hitting the store very shortly!

iPhone Homescreen Exposé Concept Surfaces

It’s been a want by many that Apple would introduce a system in which its users could organise their homescreens. The introduction of iPhone OS 3.0 saw the first step, with the addition of a system wide search engine – Spotlight. Next came the recent release of iTunes 9.0, and this saw the second step, introducing better syncing functionality with more control over where our apps are positioned and placed, even before we sync.

But with the iPhone running a watered down version of Mac OSX, with an operating system this powerful people are starting to wonder if this form of organisation could (and should) be taken to the next level. The only question is: Is Apple prepared to take it there? We’re talking Exposé people, and yesterday, Sweedish design house Ocean Observations showed off their interpretation of what this functionality could look like, to MobileCrunch – and I have to say, I was impressed. Not by the invention of the concept, but by how easy it could be to navigate homescreens, with it.

The system they’re proposing is simple. In the video above you can see exactly how Ocean Observations see it happening. Tapping the home button and you’ll watch all your homescreens turn into a grid-like layout. From here, instead of swiping from left to right (which was supposedly why Spotlight was introduced in OS 3.0), you’d just tap the homescreen you want to shift to.

The amount of bubble notifications you had on each homescreen would then be displayed above the corresponding ‘homescreen tile’. A neat concept, one I personally think Apple should implement. But you do have to ask the question: Would you use it? As it is now, I don’t even use Spotlight. That said, something like this could be quite useful, don’t you think?

Hit the comments and let us know what you think!

Adobe releases its flagship photography editing software Adobe Photoshop for iPhone (and iPod touch). The question is: Is it really all that it’s cracking up to be? Don’t be too sure.

The second coming of arguably the most popular Twitter client on the iPhone has arrived. Loren Brichter’s Tweetie 2. But what features does this version bring, and can it really compete with the original in as far as style and ease of use? The answer? Yes. Yes it can. In every way.

RavenSword: The Fallen King. Coming Soon to iPhone (and iPod touch).

Like RPGs? In association with Human Powered Games and Cresent Moon Games, iPhone publisher Chillingo are announcing they will soon be bringing RavenSword: The Fallen King to iPhone (and iPod touch).

Similar to previous titles including: Assassin’s Creed, Hero of Sparta and Dungeon Hunter (to name just a few), RavenSword: The Fallen King is another fully-immersive 3D role playing-like adventure, set in the sunny times of damsels-in-distress and knights-in-shining-armor.

In Chillingo’s words:

“Controls are similar to most of the other 3D games, Hero of Sparta and Assassin’s Creed. The big difference with RavenSword – The Fallen King is that is has tilt look up and down, and it has First Person Mode. There’s also a recalibrate button right at the top right just in case you change positions while playing (standing or sitting) ..”

The game also has some pretty trippy concept art. Check that out below!

According to Josh Presseisen of Crescent Moon Games, we can expect “a cross between an adventure game and an RPG”, comparing the game to the likes of Oblivion and Zelda.

Gameplay Footage

More hi-res concept artwork and screenshots can be found over at the official game site. It is worth noting that the site states the game will work best on the new iPhone 3GS, but presumably the title will still be available for all iPhone models.

Look out for RavenSword: The Fallen King dropping for iPhone (and iPod touch). Fall 2009.

Canada to get multiple iPhone carriers?

Since the iPhone expanded into Canada, we have only had one option as a provider. That carrier has been Rogers (note: Fido also carries the iPhone, but they are owned by Rogers) and they have taken advantage of that market position and currently offer one of the worst contracts world wide of all the iPhone carriers.

Last fall, Canada also had a spectrum auction which allowed other companies to purchase access to the various remaining open wireless spectrum. The CRTC opened up the auction with the intention of leveling out the market and providing competition in the mobile space, which has traditionally been non existent in Canada compared to say the European markets. We have yet to see any of those new players really open up and act on their purchases yet. So those of us who wanted an iPhone, but don’t really care for Rogers have been out of luck. Well, an announcement today made by Telus and Bell seem to have changed all of that.

In anticipation for the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver the two carriers have spent a year upgrading their spectrum to allow HSPA phones on their network. Previously they have only run CDMA, which the iPhone does not function on. With this upgrade, they can now offer the device as early as next month, and the news is circulating throughout the internet today.

When these two carriers do jump into the iPhone field, this can only mean good things for consumers who have held out in purchasing the device. This also means many more units moved, more developers making apps, etc. I really hope Telus and Bell take advantage of the situation and offer a blockbuster deal. (Hint: Give me the 3GS in a 2 year contract, $60/month with unlimited data and I’ll be getting in line). Previously though these carriers have been somewhat disappointing with their offerings, but perhaps the iPhone will be the spark needed for some missing competition.

Just a word of warning to the two carriers. Don’t screw this launch up, much like Rogers did. Get lots of product in, set a competitive contract and rate plan against the world carriers, and don’t put fine print rules around the usage of data. The iPhone is changing the world and how we use smartphones. The market is glad to have you here, but please don’t screw it up.

Exclusive: MouthOff™ for iPhone, Goes Hell-oween!

You know Ustwo™ right? You can’t miss them. They’re the guys who seem™ to™ love putting ‘™’ after everything™. But, more than that, they’re also the iPhone development studio behind thinking up and creating the 48-hour apps concept. The concept being, they create a set of 6 exclusive applications, and each application is developed within 48 hours, from concept to final product. The first of which you’ve probably had the pleasure of being introduced to, .™. You may have seen this viral?

Well today, the studio are announcing that they’re about to release a spooky update to their popular real-time mouth simulator MouthOff™, just in time for Halloween.

They’re calling it, MouthOff™ Hell-oween™.

If you’re not familiar with MouthOff™ yet, it’s a real-time mouth simulator. The app basically allows you to control various well-designed cartoon mouths, by using just your voice. The app picks up on background noise via the iPhone’s microphone .. and the results are – undoubtedly – laugh out loud hilarious.

This update will include four new mouths for you to get chatty with, including: a vampire, a zombie, a pumpkin and that frankenstein-looking dude (as seen above). You won’t have to wait long either. Ustwo™ tells us that this update has already been submitted to the App Store as of Today (October 6th), and should hit shortly. So, stay tuned!

Adobe Flash Finally On It’s Way to iPhone?

Surely it can’t be true? Well, fasten your seat belts because this time ladies and gentlemen – it is. Adobe has today announced via its annual Adobe MAX keynote that its popular multimedia creation software, Adobe Flash will finally be making it’s way to iPhone. It’s not Flash Player, but it is Flash. Flash Magazine reports that according to Serge Jespers an evangelist at Adobe, we can expect a beta very soon.

“A public beta version of Flash CS5 Professional with this new capability is planned for later this year. This new capability in Flash CS5 Professional allows developers to use their preferred Flash Platform tools and technologies to develop content for a device that was previously closed to them.”

In fact, you’re probably not going to believe this but the first ‘Flash-based’ applications are actually already on the App Store. Yes, really. Adobe says it put them up in secrecy to avoid a leak of the announcement before the keynote.

The full list of applications which use the new platform are as follows:

– Just Letters
– Finger Paint
– Red Hood
– Chroma Circuit
– FickleBlox
– That Roach Game
– Trading Stuff
– South Park Avatar Creator

So, What does this mean for the market? Well, for one, once Adobe release this beta of CS5 in this quarter, you’ll likely see a huge explosion in flash development companies announcing that they’re going to start targeting their content for iPhone. We’ll also be likely to see long-standing and existing flash developers porting their well loved flash classics.

When asked if Flash Player would ever come to the iPhone, they also had this to say:

“Flash Player uses a just-in-time compiler and virtual machine within a browser plug-in to play back content on websites. Those technologies are not allowed on the iPhone at this time, so a Flash Player for iPhone is not being made available today.”

But moving into the future, what does this mean for us? As consumers we’re likely to see the level (and quality) of particularly our gaming experiences become more enhanced, polished, and feature-full, with Flash bringing with it smooth animation and fluency of motion.

The only question I can see myself asking at that point is; Will our iPhone batteries actually be able to cope with this new genre of App Store swooshy’ness?

EyeTV Arrives for iPhone (and iPod touch)

If I was betting, I’d bet most of you now watch TV through your Mac or PC .. sometime in the day, am I right?

Well, set aside that rather expensive computer of yours, and instead pull out that rather expensive phone of yours. How would you like to watch live TV on your iPhone (or iPod touch) instead? Your frantically nodding your head, aren’t you? Since Apple introduced the SDK which has gradually been getting more feature-full as the months have gone on, we’ve seen an influx of applications from companies promising us our live TV fix, on the move. Ed Lea’s Live TV for example.

Elgato is also one of those companies. Most known worldwide for it’s easy to use and accessible Mac based software, EyeTV. The software allows you to schedule, record, watch and rewind live TV. Not only that, but the software will also convert this recorded content into .MP4, and import them into iTunes if you so choose. This is partly why the software is so popular among the iPod crowd. It is worth noting though, that in order for any of this to work you will need to invest in one of the company’s many ‘Freeview’ USB sticks, available here.

I’ve been using their Mac software for quite some time now. It’s like having TV on demand. So, when this tweet shot across Elgato’s Twitter stream, as you can imagine – I was very, very excited.

Continue reading EyeTV Arrives for iPhone (and iPod touch) »

Apple Buys a Maps Company, Intends to Use It

Let’s face it. We all love Google Maps on our iPhone’s. The convenience of swiping here, and flicking there to get directions to where we want to go is all too .. convenient. But, it’s been like that for some time now, and it may just be about to change.

Remember when Apple and Google used to be such real good pals? Well, I’m afraid to say that sadly those days seem to be over. After the recent Google Voice saga earlier last month, which managed to generate huge media attention and even managed to get the FCC involved, Google and Apple seem to have been slowly drifting apart from each other.

Today, Gizmodo reports that another recent rumored purchase of Apple’s may confirm that this is the case. Uncovered via a tweet posted back in July from the founder of Placebase – Fred Lalonde, it’s now rumored Apple have bought Placebase, outright. The acquisition of the company took place in July of this year, but is only coming to light now, due to recent events involving both Google and Apple.

So, what exactly separates Placebase from Google Maps? Well, from this post published on Gigaom in early 2008, we can see Placebase has a few things Google Maps doesn’t. For a start, the service allows users to overlay layers upon layers of data on top of each other, to provide an overall richer, fuller experience. On top of this, it’s said that Placebase’s API is smarter and easier than Google’s claiming easier integration into third party products.

But, if Apple now has a maps company which is deemed superior to Google Maps, Why do they need Google? Now, that said I can’t see them just dropping Google and the arrangement they currently have for ‘native’ iPhone maps functionality, after all – it’s now one of the iPhone’s most prominent features. But you have to wonder. With a maps company under it’s belt, Apple could be gearing to compete with Google in this area, in a very big way.

New Screenshots of Tweetie 2.0 for iPhone

I just received these on Twitter a few minutes ago, from Jonah Grant. He assures me he has had confirmation from Loren himself that screenshots of the new upcoming app are okay to be leaked, due to the cat already being out of the bag. So, here goes nothing! ..

All in all there are 11 shots in this batch, a few of which depict more of what we can expect from the update. Most noticeably I think, is the fact that Tweetie’s ‘Nearby’ feature is now in fact an interactive map of nearby users. From the shot we can tell that the UI is not too dissimilar to Loopt, and you can switch from ‘Map’ to ‘List’ view.

You’ll also see they depict a new way to refresh your timeline. From the shots it suggests that you pull a ‘panel’ down from the top of Tweetie 2, and release to refresh – Pretty neat implementation I have to say. Now whether or not Tweetie will have a ‘Automatic’ refresh option is yet to be seen, but I know you guys sure want it, looking at my replies tab on Twitter.

Update: Tweet update… “Automatic” refresh will be included.

Update 2: This morning I asked Loren of behalf of all of you, that burning question; Would Tweetie 2 bring with it Push Notifications? Below is his response via a few DMs:

“Not in 2.0. It’s impossible to pull off reliably on the scale of users Tweetie has. I recommend Boxcar for now. (but there is some exciting stuff coming down the pipe ”

I’ve attached the rest of the shots after the break for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Continue reading New Screenshots of Tweetie 2.0 for iPhone »

Vodaphone UK To Also Take a Slice of the iPhone Pie?

iPhone users and future iPhone users rejoiced earlier this week, as O2 announced it has finally (and officially) lost exclusivity of the Apple iPhone handset. In the next breath, Orange UK announced it would be bringing the handset to it’s product line, starting this fall. In fact, it reckons it will start selling the iPhone 3G in the UK and Ireland next month.

But just when you thought that two carriers wasn’t enough, and not one to miss an opportunity, Vodaphone UK have today also announced that they too have signed a deal with Apple to carry the handset:

From the press release:

Vodafone and Apple today confirmed that they have reached agreement to bring iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS to the UK and Ireland in early 2010.

Beginning today, Vodafone UK and Vodafone Ireland customers can register their interest in iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS at www.vodafone.co.uk/iphone and www.vodafone.ie/iphone respectively. Pricing, tariffs and availability information will be announced locally in the future.

So what does this mean for all of us loyal O2 customers? Well, not much really. It was a fun ride while it lasted, but I’m afraid to say you’re no longer “cool” by owning an iPhone. Just think, if Orange and Vodaphone do manage to get the actual handset price down, you could see everyone in your street with an iPhone by January 2010.

There’s no doubting this will be good for competition, but don’t get your hopes up too high. There’s still that little thing called price-fixing, and I think we’ll see Apple fix the pricing on these handsets. Period.

iPhone MMS Finally Live in the US

AT&T finally today turned on MMS for the iPhone in the US. Having missed their original target date of “Late Summer”, it’s finally here and so far it’s actually working. Working slowly, but it’s working.

Enabling MMS on your iPhone requires a little work. First, you have to connect to iTunes and be running OS 3.1 if you aren’t already. Next, you need to click the Check for Updates button in iTunes. iTunes should then tell you that a carrier file update is available and ask you if you want to install it. Go ahead and do it, it’s really quick. It will look like nothing has happened, but the key is that you need to restart your iPhone.

Next you’ll need to restart your iPhone. Shut it down by holding the power until you see the Slide to Power Off screen. Slide the button and then power up your phone once it has shut down.

Once you have done that, launch the Messages app and look for the new little camera icon in the message entry dialog. Congrats, only 3 months after every other iPhone provider, AT&T have finally turned on MMS capability for your iPhone.

Want to know how to use MMS? The main thing you need to know is that you can include images, videos (if you have a 3GS), map locations, and contact details. You can include the images/videos from within the Messages app or you can copy / paste them from the other apps. Contacts you can click the share contact button from a contact details screen and select MMS. For maps, click and hold on a pin and select the blue chevron and choose the share location button.

If you want more details on how to use MMS, head on over to The iPhone Blog, they have a nice MMS walkthrough posted.

Don’t expect it to be speedy. In our first tests it’s taken about 30 seconds to send an image. Much longer to send a video. Receiving images seems to be fairly quick, but getting slower as our tests go on.

The question now is, will this overload AT&Ts network. They seem to be a bit worried. And if it does, will it just delay MMS delivery or will it bring the whole network down?

Spotify Wins!

Being a proud citizen of the United States of America, I enjoy many fine things in life. I eat Tex-Mex quite regularly, my Chinese food contains almost no vegetables, and I can go to football games (no, not soccer) whenever I get a chance, but there is something missing from my life. No, not a functional countrywide rail system… Spotify!

I had Spotify for about a month in the States (via nefarious methods) but those plodding Europeans shut down my account, saying that I was out of the country for too long. Sorry… I’m just bitter. That month may have been the best month, musically, of my life. I love Pandora to death, but having the ability to make a playlist using whatever song I want made me really happy. Unfortunately, due to what I’m sure is doing of a mentally incompetent Congressman, music laws prevent Spotify in its current form from existing in the US.

Regardless of my personal issues with the music industry, Spotify happily exists in Europe, and the iPhone app has just been approved by Apple according to PaidContent:UK. I could get into the approval process that Spotify had to go through, but the focus here is on me. I’m the one that can’t use the app. So lame. For all of you UK readers, here’s a really cool video of the Spotify app in action. Enjoy!

Urban Ducklings may sound like the subtitle of a really bad Howard the Duck sequel, but it’s actual a pretty nifty new casual arcade game. Thanks to the Iphone’s unique controls, Urban Ducklings gives the classic “cross the road” genre a new twist (pun intended).

32 x 32 is a simple and elegant drawing tool that allows even the artistically impaired to create a mini- masterpiece.

Win a New iPhone 3GS from PressOK!

Update: 8/16: We’ve got a winner!!! The winner of the iPhone 3GS is @auntiethesis Congratulations from PressOK and 148Apps!

Update: Bumper Stars is now on sale for only $0.99! Grab it now! (iTunes Link)

PressOK, the makers of BumperStars have partnered with us here at 148Apps to give away a brand new iPhone 3GS to one lucky Twitter follower. The contest runs from today through the end of August 13th.

How to enter the contest

To enter the contest, you just need to follow the Press_OK on Twitter and sent a tweet that includes the hash tag #FreeiPhone3GS. That’s it. Here’s an example of the tweet you might send:

I want to win a free iPhone 3GS! Follow @Press_OK and retweet! Contest details here: http://bit.ly/WinA3GS #FreeiPhone3GS

Click here to send that Twitter message or edit it to your liking.

You can enter more than once though your followers might not like like it if you go too crazy.

Contest Details

The contest is open from now until 11:59pm Pacific time, August 13th. Only entries before that time will be considered. The winner will be chosen and posted here the following morning.

You must follow Press_OK, the people giving away this huge prize. That’s how they will communicate with you on how you can redeem your prize.

You must send the tweet from an account that isn’t protected, suspended, or deleted. If we can’t find the tweet with this Twitter Search, then it won’t count. And there’s nothing we can do about that, it’s up to Twitter search.

The Tweet that you send has to have the hash tag #FreeiPhone3GS included for us to be able to find it.

You can enter as many times as you wish.

The prize will be delivered via an iPhone Gift Card from the online Apple Store for the price of the iPhone 3GS, $199 here in the US. We’ll do our best to accommodate other countries, but you can’t buy iPhone gift cards in all countries. In the case where an iPhone gift card can’t be purchased, we’ll make other arrangements with the winner for the prize.

Don’t have a Twitter account? Well just create one to get started.

Have any questions? Put them in the comments to this post and we’ll do our best to answer them.

More about Bumper Stars

Bumper Stars has been described as pinball mashed up with pool smashing into a game of Peggle. The goal of the game is to bounce around your helmeted beaver and gather all of the fruit on the screen in 3 shots or less. The games gets more difficult as more fruit and more bumpers get added to each successive level. The game is integrated with Facebook and allows you to see your friends score and challenge them to games. Bumper Stars is currently in the App Store for $2.99.

Bumper Stars - Addiction Alert!

Category: Games / Arcade
Released: 2009-07-13
Price: $0.99

How Has the App Store Changed Your Mobile Usage?

Today, July 11th, 2009, we celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the iTunes App Store. As of today the app store contains over 56,801 apps and has hosted well over a billion app downloads. I asked some of our writers to look back over the year and discuss how the app store and iPhone apps in general, had changed their mobile usage and their lives.

Read on for our thoughts, screen shots of our home screens, and our favorite apps.

Continue reading How Has the App Store Changed Your Mobile Usage? »