Webster’s Dictionaries application released in App Store

Leading technology developers for mobile devices, Paragon Software Group, has launched the world-famous Merriam-Webster’s Dictionaries application for iPhone and iPod Touch. The application consists of one explanatory and two bilingual – Spanish-English and French-English dictionaries. The database contains over 476,00 entries with more than 143,000 etymologies detailing word origins, 100,000 quotations ...

Say Who application review

We recently had the chance to try out Say Who by Excuse Me Services Inc. Say Who is a free voice dialing application that allows you to quickly and accurately dial names or numbers without even looking at your iPhone. Just launch the application and hold the button as you either ...

iPhone Buzz Week in Review - Week 45 2008

The new MacBooks are made to prevent the jajilbreaking of iPhones. They do not recognize and iPhone in recovery mode, users will have to find another way to restore their iPhone. Piergiorgio Zambrini, creator of the Ziphone application, has found what is believed to be the largest security hole in ...

Hack gives iPhone Developers Access to Dynamic Launch Images

Apple Likely to Offer Black Friday Sales

Barclay's Ben Reitzes safely predicts that Apple will offer Black Friday sales this year, including $100 price reductions on "at least a few Mac models". Apple has regularly participated in sales on the day after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday") for a...

Xperia will be pricey iPhone challenger

Sony Ericsson announced that the Xperia Windows Mobile phone will sell unlocked for $800 in the U.S., starting after Thanksgiving.

Installer App Updated; Introduces Feature to Rate Jailbreak Apps [Updated]

Six free Apple iPhone downloads you don’t want to miss

CIO.com’s Al Sacco picks a half-dozen App Store downloads that will enhance your iPhone without costing you a dime.

V-Moda debuts Vibe II earphones with mic, for iPhone

The Vibe II headset from V-Moda features sound isolation technology, a jeweled look and a built in microphone.

Apple Affected by LCD Price Fixing by LG, Sharp, Chunghwa

CNet reports that LG Display, Sharp, and Chunghwa Picture Tubes pled guilty to criminal charges for LCD price-fixing and agreed to pay $585 million in fines.

The three companies worked in concert to set prices on thin-film transistor ...

AT&T’s Tethering Plans for iPhone Leaked?

iPhone Live!-Cast Tonight at 8pm EST!

Just a reminder, folks, we kick off the next iPhone Live! tonight (Wednesday, Nov. 12) at 8pm EST/5pm PST.

Join in via http://www.tipb.com/live

(For those unable to attend, remember we’ll be recording the audio and adding it to the Phone Different Podcast feed, so never fear — we’ve got you covered!)

Chat with you soon!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone Live!-Cast Tonight at 8pm EST!

Apple Focusing on MobileMe Improvements in Latest 10.5.6 Builds

Apple is still hard at work on the next version of Mac OS X 10.5.6 according to published reports on the internet.

The latest Mac OS X 10.5.6 (9G35) build appears to focus heavily on testing of MobileMe syncing features for notebook ...

24” LED Cinema and In-Ear Headphones Shipping Soon?

Apple may be finally preparing to ship both the new In-Ear headphones and new 24" LED Cinema Displays to customers. Apple pre-announced the products at their September and October media events, respectively.

According to sources, App...

App vs. App: Air Mouse and Snatch

[This is an iPhone blog App vs. App review! Last week, we ran our Shazam vs. Midomi showdown, with Midomi scoring the win. But which commenter won an iTunes gift certificate? Congratulations Patrick! Want your chance to win the winning app this week? Comment below!]

Ever used a laser pointer? Ever used a wireless mouse? Ever wish you could have both in one and more? Well, there are some apps on the iPhone that allow you to do just that! These devices work great! They turn the iPhone into a remote mouse with a virtual touch pad. You use your finger to control the mouse; left-click, right-click, scroll, it makes no difference! You can even create macros to automate launching applications! Let’s take a look at two of these apps: Air Mouse [iTunes Link] and Snatch [iTunes Link]

Function

Air Mouse (ver 1.1): This product turns your iPhone into a remote mouse AND a “laser” pointer! You have two configuration options, both with a keyboard. One turns your touch screen into a track pad, and you use your finger to guide the mouse. The other is a laser pointer. Simply tap and hold to activate. Both options also give you left and right click, our can you double tap the screen for a single click.

Snatch (ver 2.1): This app offers a slightly different approach. You get your track pad, but lose out on the laser pointer. But what do you gain? Macros baby! That is right, you can program Snatch to launch your favorite apps with the touch of the screen!

Specifics

Air Mouse (ver 1.1): Offers only portrait orientation with a constant keyboard available (an update for landscape is said to be coming from the developer). This makes for a comfortable and natural hold of the iPhone as a mouse. You get a nice yellow hue under your finger as you move it across the glass, so you know you are touching the screen accurately. You can change the “type” of mouse you are using on the fly from the icon located in the top right corner of the touch screen. Simply touch it and it changes instantly. You also have shift, control and command keys with the on-screen keyboard to allow for more complex keystrokes. You even have a dedicated space to use as a scroll wheel… nice touch! Setup was a breeze. Air Mouse uses the local LAN you are on to transmit signal, just like the Apple Remote app. It was easy and painless. There is a “server” install, but more on that later.

The “laser pointer” feature is quite nice. It uses the accelerometer in the iPhone to track your movements onscreen, thus replicating the effect of a laser pointer with your mouse. Simply point the iPhone at the screen and make your gestures; tilt to the left or right, up or down and the on-screen cursor responds accordingly. I found this to be effective, but a little fickle and practice is definitely need, but it does work as advertised. Having the instant switch feature really enhances its usefulness as well. Switching on the fly from pointer to mouse is really an added bonus.

Snatch (ver 2.1): Though similar to Air Mouse, Snatch offers a few more  configuration options for the remote mouse. For instance, you are not limited to just portrait, you can also use landscape as well. How many mouse buttons would you like? You can create up to three virtual buttons with Snatch.

Multiple mouse buttons one of the advantages over Air Mouse; there are more options too. Air Mouse offers virtual no options where Snatch gives you just about any option you can think of. Let me give you a small selection:

• Button placement (top or bottom)
• Inertia (on/off)
• Speed
• Cycle between text or numerical keyboard
• Plus a few others!

Just like Air Mouse, Snatch gives you the ability to cycle between “mice”. You have a full screen mouse, a full screen scroll mouse and a full screen keyboard, very nice. Snatch does not offer the laser pointer function. However, Snatch does offer a very, very nice option; macros. You can launch any application on your Mac directly from your iPhone! The process works like this; you create the shape and color for your macro. You then use spotlight (built into Snatch in a clever way) to find your app and “save” it to the shape you want. Ta-da! That is it, Easy and convenient. You can have up to 36 macros! DOH!!

Configuration

Air Mouse works on both a PC and Mac. Snatch, I am afraid only works on a Mac. Regardless of the app used, you still need to install a small application on your computer to allow your iPhone to communicate with your computer. When installed Air Mouse it “just worked” with zero configuration. Snatch was a little more temperamental. However Snatch also gives you the ability to add a password to your connection.

One more thing, and this is really important: These apps only work on your LAN. For example, you are at your house and the computer and iPhone are using Wi-Fi though the same router. These apps MAY NOT work at say, Starbucks or your corporate environment. However, Snatch does offer the ability to create your own Ad-Hoc network with your Mac, so this is not much of a problem for Mac users.

Conclusion

Both apps are great, but I have to say that Snatch takes top prize for me; it does more, gives me more options and I like the layout better. The pointer in Air Mouse is nice, but since you can’t change the pointer to a red dot, for example, you might as well just use the remote mouse functionality instead. In this reviewers opinion, if you are looking for a remote mouse app for your Mac, look no further than Snatch, it really delivers and is only $2.00 more; well worth it for what you are getting.

Air Mouse Rating

• Solid app
• Fast
• No-hassle setup

Snatch Rating

• Portrait and landscape
• More configuration options
• Macros

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

App vs. App: Air Mouse and Snatch

iPhone bug a potential threat?

Filed under: Bugs/Recalls, iPhone

There's a lot of "could" and "might" in this story, folks, so keep that in mind. MacNN is reporting that a group of iPhone developers has identified a bug in the current iPhone firmware that could lead to an exploit of the Default.png file.

Default.png is what's displayed when an application is launched in the iPhone. Typically it's a static image, but some of Apple's applications use a dynamic file, which could be fooled into granting access to third party code.

This sounds like conjecture to us, and MacNN's sources are not known, so keep that in mind. Plus, iPhone firmware 2.2 is rumored to be released on the 21st. Perhaps it will lock this down.

iPhone bug a potential threat? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone bug a potential threat? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ars: AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

Ars Technica's Justin Berka quotes MacBlogz, which claims a source at AT&T confirmed that tethering for the iPhone will closely resemble the phone-as-modem plans already available for BlackBerry.

The plan will cost at least $30 a month, and the cost will be rolled into a new plan for the iPhone. The source said that the plan will cap data transfer at 5GB, and AT&T will terminate the tethering connection if you go over the limit.

Also mentioned is the connection process: iTunes may be required to at least set up the initial tethering configuration, and may be required every time you connect.

Speeds will apparently start at 30kbps for areas serviced only by GPRS, and top out at 1000kbps for a really spectacular 3G connection. No release date was mentioned.

All this comes from deepest Rumorland, of course, so all due caution is advised. MacBlogz says the source has worked at AT&T for "some time now" and the rumor could be taken "relatively seriously."

Ars: AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ars: AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s Greg Joswiak touts iPod touch as the future of handheld gaming

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio, Portable Video

We speculated in our review of the new iPod touch that Apple had designs on more than just consumption of music and video, and now an interview with company VP of iPod and iPhone product marketing Greg Joswiak all but confirms that sights are set on the gaming market. In a conversation with T3, Joswiak boasts that the devices are breaking through as a viable alternative to established handhelds (such as the PSP or DS) due mostly in part to competitive software pricing and the company's content delivery system. While much of the interview focuses on iPod sales figures, it does delve into more detailed comparisons of platforms, with Joswiak stating, "The 3D graphic power here [iPod touch] is significantly greater than what you have here [picks up Nintendo DS]. So this allows people to do significantly higher quality games." While it's not unusual to hear Apple's honchos hyping their products like they just skipped across some water to heal a few lepers, it is a new trend to see the company aggressively going after gaming platform mainstays so directly. WIth Sony and Nintendo just getting up to speed on non-traditional content delivery, Apple may find an edge come holiday season with casual gamers -- the real question is whether the hardcore will bite.

[Via Eurogamer]

Apple's Greg Joswiak touts iPod touch as the future of handheld gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhoneHellas: 2.2 coming November 21

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

According to iPhoneHellas.gr, version 2.2 of the iPhone firmware will be made available on November 21. The site says that the tipster is "reliable" but offered few details. Gizmodo calls the site "consistently reliable."

The tipster did say, however, that the update will not contain Greek keyboard support. Rumor has it that the update will contain:

• Street View, public transportation and walking directions for Maps
• An always-visible search field in Safari
• A rating request before you delete an app
• The ability to download podcasts directly to your handset
• Location sharing via email
• Support for Emoji icons
• An option to turn off auto-correction

There is still no word, of course, about the most requested and elusive of options: copy and paste. Gizmodo seems to think that -- if the release date is indeed on the 21st -- the major features of the update have been frozen. Looks like we'll have to wait until 2.3.

[Via O'Grady's PowerPage.]

iPhoneHellas: 2.2 coming November 21 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhoneHellas: 2.2 coming November 21 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Loopt for iPhone

Despite a flawed way of inviting friends to join the social network, this location-aware way of showing where your friends are and what they’re up to can be quite useful.