Archive for 2009

App Rejection is a new portal where the AppStore applications that are rejected by Apple are collected.

The site can be used by developers to understand all those unwritten rules that lead to rejection. In other words you can learn from the mistakes and adopt your app to make it to the AppStore. To access the site just click here.

Electronic Arts, one of the biggest game developer company, EA has discounted all their iPhone games for this holiday week/weekend. You can save a lot of money:

• Wolfenstein RPG ($2.99 -> $1.99), iTunes link
• Monopoly ($4.99 -> $2.99), iTunes link
• Surviving High School ($2.99 -> $1.99), iTunes link
• Auditorium ($2.99 -> $1.99), iTunes link
• Command & Conquer ($9.99 -> $6.99), iTunes link
• NBA Live ($9.99 -> $6.99), iTunes link
• Mystery Mania ($1.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link
• FIFA 10 ($9.99 -> $6.99), iTunes link
• Madden 10 ($9.99 -> $6.99), iTunes link
• Boggle ($2.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link
• The Sims ($6.99 -> $4.99), iTunes link
• Tiger Woods Golf ($4.99 -> $2.99), iTunes link
• SimCity ($4.99 -> $2.99), iTunes link
• Tetris ($4.99 -> $2.99), iTunes link
• Need For Speed Undercover ($4.99 -> $2.99), iTunes link

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gameloft is having their own sale today with a few of their games reduced to $0.99. We're not sure how long this is going to last, so if you've been thinking about picking any of these up it probably is a good idea to do it now.

Here is a list of apps available at $0.99 for the Thanksgiving/Black Friday Sale:

• Castle of Magic ($1.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link
• Real Tennis 2009 ($4.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link
• Blades of Fury ($4.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link
• Terminator Salvation ($4.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link
• Brothers in Arms – Hour of Heroes ($4.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link
• Shrek Kart ($4.99 -> $0.99), iTunes link

Happy Thanksgiving!

iPhone Folders is a Windows Explorer extension that allows you to browse contents of your iPhone or iPod Touch like a regular removable drive. After installation you'll find it in My Computer folder.

Using this extension you can browse your phone filesystem, copy files to and from it, open files directly from iPhone, create shortcuts to folders on iPhone. In thumbnail mode program will display previews of png and jpg files on phone, application icons for installed applications (.app folders).

Compatible with x86 editions of Windows XP, Vista, 7 and x64 editions of Windows XP and Vista. Requires iTunes 8 or 9 for normal operation. Supports jailbroken and non-jailbroken phones (in the later case filesystem access is limited to Media folder).

You can download iPhone Folders version 1.0.31 here.

Agile Web Solutions is offering 1Password Pro free until December 1st for iPhone and iPod touch users.

1Password will securely store your important information and can automatically log you into websites with a single tap. There's no need to remember the username, password, or even the website address.

1Password Pro is normally $7.99 and can be installed from the AppStore (link).

Feature List:

• (pro) Special easy switching mode allows you to quickly copy-and-paste usernames and passwords to Mobile Safari.
• (pro) Support for copying multiple field values (for example, both username and password) from 1Password to Mobile Safari.
• (pro) Folders for better organization (in this version a desktop application required - sold separately)
• (pro) Features coming soon: Favorites, MobileMe/WebDAV syncing, and more.
• Securely store your website names and passwords so you never forget them again
• Save important information like credit cards and membership numbers
• Jot down other notes too sensitive for stickies or bar napkins
• Synchronize it all with 1Password for Mac via Wi-Fi (sold separately, available at http://1password.com)
• Automatically log into Web sites on iPhone and iPod touch to avoid remembering and typing usernames and passwords
• Hardware-accelerated AES encryption and Auto-Lock keep your data protected even if your iPhone is lost or stolen
• All cryptographic operations are performed using standard iPhone libraries to ensure there are no security gaps or backdoors
• Two-layer defense with Unlock Code and Master Password to combine security and convenience
• Data Backup & Restore option available on Mac, Windows and Linux.

iLingual, an app that use your or anybody else's lips and uses them to speak.

Here's how it works: you snap a picture of a mouth, yours, your friend's or just a photo from a magazine. iLingual analyzes and converts it for animation. Then, you choose a phrase from the app's library, hold your iPhone over your mouth and there, you sort speak French, German or a little bit of Arabic.

iLingual is a sponsored app, so it's completely free. Here's an iTunes link.

Watch the demonstration video:

Read the rest of this entry »

Gameloft company made an agreement with Capcom to bring new cool games to the iPhone platform. In particular here is a list of 6 games that will be avaliable in 2010:

• Resident Evil
• Uprising
• Street Fighter Alpha
• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
• Lost Planet 2
• Dead Rising 2
• Where's Wally 2

This collaboration represents the first partnership between Gameloft and Capcom. With a network of 180 operators in 80 countries worldwide, Gameloft has all the resources, tools and experience to distribute Capcom's games to a larger number of users.

Capcom's mobile games will be available during 2010.

AdMob has released their latest October 2009 October Mobile Metrics report with details on devices and platforms requests ads from AdMob network. The iPhone and iPod Touch platform (iPhone OS) has a comfortable 50% share of worldwide traffic and 55% of US traffic. In terms of top handset models, Apple’s iPhone accounted for 22.4%/24.1% (up 5.5%/5.2%) and iPod touch for 9.8%/11.4 (up 1.4%/2.3%).

Apple nearly reached the milestone back in May when it hit 49%, but the company's share temporarily dropped back over the next several months before beginning a sharp climb again in September.

You can read the full report in PDF here.

A second iPhone worm virus has been found by security company F-Secure. It is specifically targeting people in the Netherlands who are using their iPhones for internet banking with Dutch online bank ING.

It redirects the bank's customers to a site with a log-in screen (phishing). The worm attacks "jailbroken" phones - a modification which enables the user to run non-Apple approved software on their handset. Only handsets with installed SSH (secure shell) are at risk. SSH is a file-transfer program that enables users to remotely connect to their phones. It comes with a default password, 'alpine' which should be changed.

Here is a tutorial how to change the default SSH password and minimize the risk.

Musicbar is a new Tweak from user Gi-Lo that lets you control the music from the StatusBar.

Operation is very simple: install the tweak via Cydia and run it via a tap on the name of your operator. Now we can control the playback directly from the StatusBar.

There were rumors, that iPhone 4G will have integrated RFID chip. The Wireless Dynamics company has already created iCarte, RFID reader accessory for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

With iCarte we can send and receive information via RFID or NFC. This could turn the iPhone into a real electronic wallet. Here are spec details:

Read the rest of this entry »

The TV show Lie to Me (season 2, episode 3 to be exact) decided to lie — they showed an iPhone where one of the characters could swipe between SMS notifications.

To the trained eye, of course, it was merely screenshots of standard model text dialogs over the Notes app, with swiping no doubt courtesy of the Photo App, and sound effects added in post. (The whole screen, not just the alert dialog, changed on swipe). Why did they do it?

TomTom navigation application updated to version 1.2. Added features include updates to maps and IQ Routes, advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech, integrated iPod player support and support for the iPod Touch and first-generation iPhone 2G.

To use the app on iPod Touch and iPhone 2G, TomTom's car kit is required. This is due to the fact that both devices lack an integrated GPS receiver. TomTom's car kit is a cradle which contains a GPS module, integrated speaker, charger, and line out. It is not required when the TomTom app is paired with the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The cost for the kit without the app is $119.95.

Full list of what's new in 1.2:

• Improved search and route summary screens
• Updated map from v8.30 to v8.35
• Updated points of interest database
• Updated IQ Routes database with millions of new measurements
• Added Advanced Lane Guidance in both portrait and landscape mode
• Added Text-to-speech in English US, English UK, English Australia, French Canada, Spanish Latin America
• Added Help Me! emergency menu
• Added iPod player support
• Added support for original iPhone and iPod touch (all models)

The TomTom app is available in App Store for $49.99-$139.99 (link). Price depends on the map coverage. The highest price is for TomTom Western Europe. US & Canada costs $99.99. The cheapest version is for Hong-Kong - just $49.99.

Yesterday Tristan Nitot, the European president of the Mozilla Foundation, has responded to some questions about the future opportunity to see Firefox on the iPhone and iPod Touch:

"The issue is more with Apple than with us because they control the App Store and because they refuse applications which compete with something that is already on the phone. It’s unlikely that we’ll see a version of Firefox running on the iPhone"

As for Firefox Mobile, it will be launching on Symbian, Android, Windows Mobile, and Nokia Maemo tablets in December.

Google today announced that it has issued an update to Google Earth the companion iPhone and iPod touch application to the company's desktop application offering virtual globe and other geographic information.

Among the biggest changes in Version 2.0 of Google Earth is the ability to view custom maps stored in the "My Maps" section of users' Google Maps accounts:

By logging in directly to your Google Maps account, you can view the same maps that you or others have created, using the My Maps interface.

What's new:

• Take your maps with you wherever you go. View Google Maps created on your desktop computer on your iPhone.
• Visual feedback when you select photos, businesses, and other icons. It's now much easier to browse.
• Improved performance
• Available in many new languages and countries

The app is free and avaliable in AppStore (link).