dTunes is an all in one music player for iPhone

dTunes offers an alternative method for playing media files on your iPhone. What dTunes offers that the iPod player does not, is direct access to music ad video download sites. You can download music, video or even torrents directly to your iPhone. Using dTunes is very simple, just search for the ...

AT&T expands Wi-Fi hotspots by acquiring Wayport

AT&T has recently acquired Wi-Fi provider Wayport, adding thousands of hotspots to their network.  AT&T seems to be bumping up the amount of hotspots that they now have to offer with the opening of free Wi-Fi access to iPhone users. The purchase price for Wayport was $275 million. Now AT&T has ...

Google is listening, and iPhone users are talking

Filed under: Internet Tools, iPhone

According to the New York Times and the Google iPhone page, the big G is about to add voice recognition capabilities to its iPhone search app (iTunes link), with the new version showing up on the App Store any minute now. You'll be able to ask questions (the kind Google can answer, of course; someone else will have to tell you if those pants make you look fat) and get speedy search results returned from the web or your own address book.

The voice recordings from the application will be sent to Google's servers for processing "in the cloud." Given the size of Google's infrastructure and its ability to transfer gargantuan amounts of data, it may have the advantage over existing voice-driven search apps such as Yahoo's oneSearch. Google execs seem hesitant to quantify the accuracy of the voice recognition software, but here's hoping it at least tops some of the iPhone voice-dialers I've been playing with.

You can see a sample video of Googlers testing the feature in the continuation of this post.

[via Truemors / blogtopten]

Continue reading Google is listening, and iPhone users are talking

Google is listening, and iPhone users are talking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google is listening, and iPhone users are talking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Adds New Samples to iPhone SDK

iPhone developer extraordinaire Erica Sadun over at Ars reveals that Apple has expanded on the iPhone SDK samples, and with some pretty nifty new stuff.

While I can’t claim to understand it, included in the update is aurioTouch and oalTouch for scilloscope and positional audio, Accessory and TouchCells which (apparently!) give greater options in tables and cells, and URLCache and Reflection which focus on Web-based data and image reflections respectively.

Says Sadun:

The iPhone Reference Library is an amazing resource for developers. It offers access to sample code, guides, and release notes. The new items I listed here augment Apple’s already rich iPhone sample code suite. Make a habit of stopping by the library page; Apple will often add new items there without announcement.

Check it out!

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

Apple Adds New Samples to iPhone SDK

Whip it! Whip it good! Pocket Jockey for iPhone is spanktastic

Filed under: Gaming, Humor, Found Footage, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

When this app made it into the TUAW mailbox this afternoon, it raised a bit of a ruckus. You'll see why if you continue to the video in the second half of the post.

Pocket Jockey (click opens iTunes) is a US$0.99 horse-racing game that can provide a workout while you play. You can race against friends or the iPhone three different ways:

• Jump up and down while holding the iPhone in front of your face, then "whip" your horse by flicking the screen.
• Bouncing your legs like you're on the back of a horse after putting the iPhone in your back pocket. You can, ahem, whip the horse by spanking yourself.
• Tap the screen, and whip the horse by flicking the screen.

Multiplayer mode works with another player who is on the same WiFi network. Be sure to watch the video to get a feel for how the app works; TUAW is not responsible for injuries incurred while playing this game (or, for that matter, ridicule incurred).

There's no word on whether or not you can help your opponent's horse run faster by spanking her or him. We leave this as an exercise to the reader.

Continue reading Whip it! Whip it good! Pocket Jockey for iPhone is spanktastic

Whip it! Whip it good! Pocket Jockey for iPhone is spanktastic originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Whip it! Whip it good! Pocket Jockey for iPhone is spanktastic originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Citrix developing XenApps and XenDesktop for the iPhone

Citrix will make its XenDesktop and XenApp client and server software for remote access to Windows applications available for the iPhone in 2009.

Mobile searches to soon have a voice, thanks to Google

The New York Times reports that voice-activated searches will soon be coming to the iPhone courtesy of Google.

Forum Review: SearchDial for the iPhone

Forum Review by cjvitek

Note: This review was requested on the review request thread.

Search Dial is just that…a searching program for numbers to dial. But it adds a little more functionality into just looking through your contact list.

The Search Dial interface is very straightfoward. When you start the program, you are presented with a screen to select “call”, “SMS”, or “Email”. You then start to type a persons name (first or last) and as your type, contacts that match the description start to appear. The more you type, the more specific you are, and the more it narrows down the contact options. Let’s look at each of the options one at a time.

When searching phone number (call), you are given an individual listing for each phone number that a person has. To dial the number, you simply tap the persons name. This is a nice feature that differs from the normal contact book lookup, when you have to go into the contact the choose the phone number you want to dial. If you use the SearchDial program to dial the phone number, that number is stored in a “frequently dialed” cache, to act as your…well…frequently dialed list.

For the SMS message, when you start typing in a contact name, the mobile number appears. I tried to trick it by typing in a name of someone who didn’t have a mobile number, and no phone number appeared. So it is smart! When you tap a person’s name, you then can send them an SMS.

Lastly, the email button. Again, type in the name, and the person (and their email address) appear. I tried to type in a name of someone who had multiple email addresses, and they were all listed individually.

One nice feature with this is that you can actually type part of the email address, or part of their phone number (not just the person’s name) and the contact will still appear. You can also search with intials, company name, etc. The normal contact book doesn’t do this - there you need to use the persons name.

In all cases, when you hit a name to call, SMS, or email, the default program opens for the appropriate contact method.

When you first start the program, you have to refresh the information by syncing your contact list. If you make any changes in the contact book, you need to manually sync those changes in this program. It would be nice if you could schedule a sync when you start the program (say, making sure it has been updated once a week or so), but I am not sure how useful that would be since it can’t sync in the background (nothing can, Apple doesn’t allow programs to run in the background).

This is a pretty nice little application, if you want to use something other than the default contact list. And in my opinion, that is the biggest question. If you find the default contact book isn’t meeting your needs (and for people with HUGE numbers of contacts, it may not), or if you have contacts with lots of multiple information (multiple phone numbers, email, etc) then you may benefit from this program. On the other hand, if you have 50 contact, each with one email and only a few with multiple phone numbers, this program doesn’t seem like it would be that much benefit for you. Basically, this program is designed to cut down on time to find a contact…and the time only takes a while if you have a lot of contacts.

I will say that the search features are especially nice, and splitting up the contacts for each phone number or email address is nice as well. But with my measly 150 contacts (give or take), most of whom I only have addresses for, I don’t think it would be worthwhile.

Some improvements I would like to see would include that ability to have an entire contact list, and edit contacts in this program (and sync them back). Then it could completely take over for the existing contact book (although Apple may not like that, so they may not allow it…and it may not even be possible!). Also, it would be nice if it could import the recent dialed and recent received call lists from the phone app, rather than rely on using SearchDial to make its own frequent call list.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Delivers the results

Cons:

• Real benefit is when you have lots of contacts, or multiple information for each contact.

Conclusion

All in all, this is a nice app, that does exactly what it says it will do. And for some people, I could see a real benefit to using this. At $.99, if you think it might be helpful (if you spend too much time looking through your contacts to find the right name, phone number, email address, etc) it is worth giving a shot.

Forum Rating

[SearchDial is available from the iTunes App Store]

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

Forum Review: SearchDial for the iPhone

New app turns iPhone / iPod touch into Rovio controller

Filed under: Robots

New app turns iPhone / iPod touch into Rovio controller originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vintage games for the iPhone: Crystal Quest is back

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store

Back when the Macintosh meant a machine with a built-in black & white screen, there were some extremely popular games -- but for the generation that remembers the introduction of the Mac II's color display, the unmistakable gameplay of Crystal Quest is sure to spark a deep sense of joy. Collecting those crystals and escaping through the hyperspace hatch caused your Mac to emit a sigh of... well, relief would be the polite way to put it (I'm trying to find a sample of the audio to link). Xbox 360 owners have had a Crystal Quest version for a couple years now, and Vista users also got a build to play with.

The wild crystal excitement has made its way back to the future, as an iPhone/touch version of Crystal Quest is available. While it lacks the level-finishing 'ahh!' of the original, the rest of the gameplay should be familiar to graying fans of Mac OS 6-vintage entertainment. Crystal Quest is $4.99 in the App Store.

Vintage games for the iPhone: Crystal Quest is back originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vintage games for the iPhone: Crystal Quest is back originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Vegas Pool Sharks

Vegas Pool Sharks takes advantage of the touch screen, tilting, and gesture features of the iPod touch and iPhone. But flaws in the game’s artificial intelligence and gameplay detract from the experience.

Original MacBook Air Capable of 4 Finger Gestures Through Software Update

Hardmac points back to a post made in our own forums which details the experience of one user enabling four finger gestures on his 1st generation MacBook Air.

I can confirm the four finger gesture is possible on pre-October 2008 lapto...

First Look: Freeverse Burning Monkey Casino

Filed under: Gaming, Found Footage, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, First Look

The evil geniuses at Freeverse have just delivered their new baby -- Burning Monkey Casino for iPhone / iPod touch!

For only US$0.99, you're getting more fun in your pocket than...well, let's not go there. The app is packed with seven different games: Slots, Blackjack, Video Poker, Money Wheel, Pachinko, Scratch-n-Win Lotto, and 3 Card Monty. Not only do you have 18 different video poker games, 9 slot machines, and a blackjack game with 1 to 8 decks, but what other game app comes with its own lounge act and stand up comedian?

Burning Monkey Casino (click opens iTunes) is the app that dares to prove that "casino" and "Cupertino" rhyme. Be sure to check out the video clip above for details.

First Look: Freeverse Burning Monkey Casino originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: Freeverse Burning Monkey Casino originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official iPhone Qik App Brings TWiT’s Live!

Chief TWiT Leo Laporte just streamed live from his iPhone via the official (non-Jailbreak) version of the Qik App, which he says should be available in the App Store soon.

All the rage last year in the blogsphere, many iPhone users were stuck carrying around a Nokia 95 just for Qik live streaming. Perhaps, no longer!

Check out the recording to get an idea of the quality. Looks like it doesn’t handle motion very well, but is otherwise fairly decent. Still, we have to wonder, what will this do to AT&T’s “rabbit ear” 3G network?

Either way, we can’t wait for this App to drop!

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

Official iPhone Qik App Brings TWiT’s Live!

New version of Google Mobile App will Support Voice Searching [Updated]

Tips and How-To’s: Screenshot Savvy

If the iPhone is your first smartphone, then you won’t fully appreciate the lack of a means to send contacts or files via Bluetooth or IR (infra-red). What if you want to send your Google map to a friend to show him or her the way? What about sending a website link of your winning team to your buddy to rub it in? The iPhone is lacking in some of the more conventional methods of sending data to someone else, but the built-in screenshot capability can do wonders! Read on for more!

If you haven’t tried it already, just hold down the power button and home button at the same time and presto, your iPhone will capture a screenshot and send the image to Photos. Just about every other smartphone I can think of requires a third-party app to pull off this neat little trick, but fortunately the iPhone makes it easy as pie. There’s a lot of things you can do with this feature, and here’s just a few.

Send Contact Information

If you haven’t noticed, there’s no button or tab to send contact information to someone else via email or otherwise. Therefore, you have to be creative. Use the screenshot feature to snap a photo of the contact you want to send, go find it in Photos, and email that sucker to the one you want to have it. Easy peasy!

Send SMS Conversation

Maybe you have some important information in a text message that you need to send to one or more people, like movie times, an address, directions, etc. Since the iPhone has no copy/paste and no means of forwarding a text message, take a screenshot and email it. Starting to get the picture? Pun. Ugh.

Send Your Stock Quotes

Yeah, I know, why would you want to send the bad news to anyone? But hey, if there’s a reason to send stock quotes, it’s easy to do with screenshot and email. Maybe you want to send some stock ideas to a family member or friend. Maybe someone you know doesn’t have an iPhone (gasp!) with it’s easy access to stock quotes, so you can be helpful and send the bad news via email!

Send A Web Site Screenshot

Did your Celtics take your friend’s favorite team to the woodshed? Now you can do a little taunting of your own by taking a screenshot with your iPhone and emailing it to your friend to rub it in a little. Yes, it’s gloating. But hey, you have an iPhone - license to gloat, baby!

There are lots of possibilities - take screenshots of Google Maps, your new high score on a favorite iPhone game (again, send to a friend for some gloat-ness), and just about anything else that you can display on your iPhone. Be creative!

If you have a tip or how-to that you would like to share, drop by the forums and/or email us atbrian.hart@tipb.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Tips and How-To’s: Screenshot Savvy

Aspyr debuts on iPhone with Buggled

Buggled is Aspyr's first game for the iPhone.

Hack your VW’s budvase for the iPhone

Filed under: Hacks, iPhone, iPod touch

Perhaps you've seen a Volkswagen Beetle driving around with a flower in its dashboard bud vase. People put all sorts of things in there, but we say ditch the gerbera daisies and go for something more useful.

Bug owner Nathan Barry has hacked his bud vase to accommodate his iPhone. By sawing away one slot for his USB car charger's cable and another to steady the iPhone, he made a clever stand that's easy to see from the driver's seat.

Good job, Nathan! My iPhone can be found bouncing around the passenger seat when I'm in my wife's car. The audio jack in my car is hidden inside the arm rest, which is even less convenient. Yes, I've tried FM transmitters but decided that they're manufactured by Satan himself.

So, how do you listen to your iPhone (or iPod) in your car?

Hack your VW's budvase for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hack your VW's budvase for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACTPrinter acts like ‘virtual paper’ for iPhone

ACTPrinter combines an iPhone and Mac app, and acts like "virtual paper" for your iPhone or iPod touch, letting you carry e-tickets, barcodes and more.

The iPhone Almost Ran… Linux?!

Daring Fireball has been digging into the saga of Tony Fadell, the “Father of the iPod” who’s left Apple, potentially to be replaced by Mark Papermaster (if they can get around IBM’s lawyers, that is).

What’s been turned up?

The iPhone’s software is overseen by Scott Forstall (Senior Vice President, iPhone Software), and, at a technical level, Bertrand Serlet (Senior Vice President, Software Engineering). There is no such division between hardware and software with the traditional (pre-Touch) iPods. The story I’ve heard is that at the outset of Apple’s iPhone initiative, there was a heated debate within Apple as to what OS should be used. Forstall and Serlet pushed for using OS X. Fadell (and, according to one source, former Apple executive Steve Sakoman) pushed for using something else.1 Obviously, Forstall and Serlet won this debate, and, hyperbolic though it may sound, it may prove to be the single best early design decision in the entire history of the company. It seems hard to imagine the iPhone any other way now, but at the outset it was not a foregone conclusion that a stripped down and revamped version of OS X would work for a mobile phone.

And the OS Fadell is rumored to have wanted to use instead?

Linux.

Needless to say, harnessing the already tremendous effort and technology behind OS X for their mobile wireless platform seems wicked-obvious in hindsight, as is avoiding the fragmentation of resources and focus that introducing a third OS (counting the already embedded iPod OS) would entail. However, the choice to go with OS X seems to have marginalized Fadell, taking him from the man behind Apple’s music success, to the man behind the times on Apple’s next great success, the iPhone.

And, hey, Linux eventually found a home on Android anyway!

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

The iPhone Almost Ran… Linux?!