iPhone Apps Available for Free or Heavily Discounted on the App Store for Black Friday

Linux hits the iPhone!

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Linux_ported_to_the_iPhone'; We knew this day would eventually come, but somehow we're still misting up a little -- Linux has been ported to the iPhone and iPod touch. Dev Team member planetbeing is the mastermind in charge of bringing everyone's favorite open-source OS to Apple's handhelds, and while it's a little rough around the edges (read: no touchscreen drivers, sound, or WiFi / cell radio support), it's definitely the first step on the road to hacking nirvana. The team is hard at work, and it even sounds like they're thinking about porting Android in the near future (!), so hit the read link to try it out and lend a hand if you can -- or just head on past the break for a quick vid of the port in all its text-scrolling glory.

[Via iphone-dev.org; thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Linux hits the iPhone!

Filed under: Cellphones

Linux hits the iPhone! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: World Wiki Plus for iPhone

Tech Lumina’s version of the CIA Factbook is an inexpensive and better alternative to competing products from the App Store.

Looking for Black Friday bargains in the App Store

The App Store doesn’t have a section that readily identifies which apps have gone on sale. But bargain hunters have a couple options for finding discounted apps on this heavy shopping day.

Hacking Away at iPhone 2.2 TV-Out Secrets

Updated iPhone with live Video Out from Ars Technica on Vimeo.

A few days ago we mentioned Ars’ iPhone expert, Erica Sadun was taking the lifting of iPhone OS 2.2’s NDA as an opportunity to dump code and sift for gold. Turns out she’s not only found some in the way of “hidden” TV-out features in iPhone 2.2, she’s sacrificed her well earned turkey day to experiment with them. From her previous post, here’s what’s at work:

The MPTVOutWindow class allows your iPhone to send its video to a connected TV rather than to the built-in screen. Intended to be used with movies, the unpublished class creates a live video feed that is sent out through the iPhone’s connector port. End-users will need to buy a video adapter or cable to use this functionality.

Early days still, but fairly awesome stuff. Can’t wait to see what she and other developers — not to mention Apple eventually — come up with!

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

Hacking Away at iPhone 2.2 TV-Out Secrets

Google’s Mobile App Uses Undocumented API’s to use iPhone’s Proximity Sensor to Prompt a Voice Search

Round Robin: Questions About the Palm Treo Pro?

[This is an official Smartphone Experts Round Robin post! Every day you reply here, you're automatically entered for a chance to win an iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset! Full contest rules here!]

Like all good things, bad things, and flummoxing things — all thing in general I suppose — my time with the Palm Treo Pro (see video preview) will be ending shortly, whereby shortly I mean this weekend when my final review goes up an I ship this hot little handset on to Android Casey for his turn at the non-Palm, not-Treo, arguably Pro device.

In the meantime, however, I should like to ask you, our readers, what if any questions you might have about it. What would you like to see better explored? Compared more directly with the iPhone? Put to the torture test?

Let me know in the comments and you’ll also get another chance to win our iPhone 3G prize pack.

(And remember to head on over to our sibling sites for more chances to win a Blackberry Bold, Palm Treo Pro, WinMo HTC FUZE, and Android G1!)

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

Round Robin: Questions About the Palm Treo Pro?

Review: WriteRoom for iPhone

If you find yourself using your iPhone or iPod touch as a replacement for your ideas notebook and don’t care for the devices’ included Notes app, WriteRoom is well worth its $5 price tag for the ease of copying documents to and from your mobile device.

TiPb’s 2008 iPhone Holiday Helper Gift Guide

What to get for that annoying iPhone owner who knows has everything? For that new iPhone user who’s just getting started? For that last minute drop in you never expected but suddenly have to render iSpeechless?

TiPb’s got you covered! Here’s our 2008 Gift Guide, jammed packed with iPhone goodness just in time for the holidays, after the jump!

Rene Recommends

Gift Certificates! Be they for the iPhone 3G itself, for anything at the Apple Store, or for iTunes and its App Store. Take the first two with you to the Apple Store for specialist, even Genius help, or shop in the comfort of your own iTunes with the last one, Apple’s made it easy to give the least assumptive gift of the season.

Dieter Recommends

• BodyGuardz Protective Skin is a scratch-proof transparent film for your iPhone 3G. Designed to custom fit each particular device, these protectors are made from the same material that is used to protect the front of automobiles from stones and other abrasive elements. Tough and durable, you can be assured that your device is protected by BodyGuardz.
• Motorola H15 Bluetooth Headset lets you enjoy pure sound quality on both ends of the conversation with CrystalTalk. The flip design is easy to use - open to talk and close to save battery.
• Griffin PowerDuo combines the redesigned PowerBlock AC charger and PowerJolt auto charger in one convenient bundle.

Brian Recommends

• Seidio Innocase II, which features their unique soft touch “rubberized” surface and is less than 1mm thick but provides a strong layer of protection and excellent grip for youriPhone 3G .
• The New Jawbone is the next step in the integration of best in class noise elimination technology with personal design that is both humanistic and minimal.
• Inno.dock junior desktop cradle from Seidio, which is powered through your computers USB port with the use of the included cable and the charging connector lets you adjust the docking position of your phone.

Casey Recommends

• Case-Mate Vroom, which Kicks it into high gear with a new tire-tread pattern iPhone 3G case. Made from 100% rubber, this sporty form-fit iPhone 3G case will protect your phone in style.
• Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset is your essential conversation piece, blending an elegantly simple design with crisp sound quality and lightweight comfort.
• Marware Sportsuit Convertible is the most versatile sport armband case for the iPhone 3G. The Convertible is really three cases in one: it transforms into an easily adjustable armband case, a clip-on case for a belt or shoulder strap, or a slim-profile sleeve for an extra layer of protection in a pocket, gym bag, backpack or purse.

Chad Recommends

• Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset let’s you answer iPhone calls wirelessly with a compact and lightweight Bluetooth Headset. You also get an iPhone Bluetooth Travel Cable for convenient syncing and charging.
• Griffin PowerDuo can’t be recommended enough. I am very pleased with the quality and versatility of this accessory, and I can proudly say I use it every day.
• Case-Mate Naked Case with full touch-through access to your screen via an electrostatic membrane that will also protect your iPhone 3G screen from scratches, fingerprints and other mishaps.

Jeremy Recommends

• Case-Mate The Hipster a durable leather pouch that keeps your 3G iPhone safely and stylishly by your side at all times. With it’s fixed belt clip and a magnetic snap, your iPhone 3G will be protected against the elements wherever you go.
• Griffin PowerDuo includes a charge/sync cable for iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch, or iPod Touch 2G with full-sized dock connector.
• The New Jawbone is a miracle of miniaturization and 50% smaller than the original Jawbone.

Your Recommendations?

What did we miss? Any killer apps? Must-have accessories? What does your secret gift’er need to wrap up for you this year? What are you telling Papa Jobs you really want left under your iPhone? We only started this list; didn’t even check it twice! Drop some ideas in the comments, would ya? Make sure we get this right!

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

TiPb’s 2008 iPhone Holiday Helper Gift Guide

9 iPhone business apps

Need to get real work done on your iPhone? Bill Wiecking suggests nine iPhones apps to enhance your productivity on the road.

Black Friday Sales = App Discounts!

Well, not strictly speaking, as some Apps are being discounted for more than just the day, and others have even gone up in price, but if you check out sites like AppShopper’s Price Tracker, you can see that some bargains are to be had!

Some deals are sure sweeter than what Apple Retail is offering off the iPhone (nothing!) and iPod Touch (a tiny bit!).

I might just pick up BeeJive for $9. If you find any sweet App deals, or any great deals on iPhone/iPod Touch outside Apple, please let us know in the comments!

Meanwhile, here’s what MacRumors has singled out:

• Ambrosia (Now $0.99): Mr. Sudoku, Mondo Solitaire, Aki Mahjong.
• Igloo Games (Now $0.99): Dizzy Bee
• Gameloft ($2 off): Diamond Twister, Brain Challenge, Backgammon Classics, Block Breaker Deluxe 2, Midnight Bowling,
• EA ($2 off): SCRABBLE, Spore Origins, TETRIS
• Pangea (Now $0.99): Cro-Mag Rally, Bugdom 2, Enigmo.
• Free for Limited Time: 2079, 300 Bowl HTG, TapToDo, Pathways.
• Others: Classics ($0.99), CameraBag ($0.99), BeehiveIM ($15.99->$9.99)

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

Black Friday Sales = App Discounts!

Black Friday 2008: $300 MacBook Pro Discounts, iPhone App Sales

Apple has officially unveiled their Black Friday sales for their online and retail stores. The discounts are very similar to last year's event. The only two Mac models on sale are the iMac and MacBook with discounts of up to $101 for the mi...

Apple Store Down! Black Friday Cometh!

The countdown has begun? Will we get super-cheaper-more-subsidized iPhones? Eh… probably not. Maybe some cash off the iPod Touch, though, along with the rest of the iPod line, and a few bills off the MacBooks.

Some rumors say bigger discounts than years past. Others maintain the same old, same slim.

We’ll know soon enough!

If you manage to snag any great Apple discount swag, let us know!

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

Apple Store Down! Black Friday Cometh!

Touchgrind in the App Store

Filed under: Gaming, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

I remain a complete non-fan of "fingerboarding," or skateboarding on a miniature skateboard with your fingers, but on the other hand (so to speak), I'm a huge fan of physics, especially on a touchscreen, so I'm torn about the release of Touchgrind, which has now made its way into the App Store for $4.99. Playing with a tiny skateboard in real-life seems kind of silly. But playing with a virtual skateboard that responds realistically to your fingers flipping and tapping on a multitouch screen could be really, really awesome -- like a skating game with the best controls ever.

Unfortunately, there's no free demos here -- either you jump in for $5 or you don't. But if you do, there's actually a lot on offer -- 3 game modes, 12 different boards each with their own abilities, and a set of tutorials to get you started. I'm intrigued: I'm not quite sure a mini skateboard will keep my attention for all that long, but it might be worth $5 just to see the physics in action.

Touchgrind in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Touchgrind in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TMSOFT Ports Quake to the iPhone; Features Include Accelerometer Controls

TiPb Presents: iPhone Live! Podcast #3

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iPhone OS 2.2 features and fails, including Google Maps and Podcast downloads, BlackBerry Storm watch, the Case-Mast Naked Case, and live chat question and answer. Listen in!

Background Reading

• Review: Naked Case Touch-Through Acrylic Case
• Review: iPhone OS 2.2 Software
• The 2nd Gen iPod Touch is Faster than Your iPhone 3G
• Safari’s New Look (Daring Fireball)
• How To: Get Our iPhone Podcasts Over the Air
• Want Japanese Emoticons? Hack Enables Them On Any iPhone 2.2
• David Pogue Downgrades BlackBerry Storm to a Depression (NYT)

Ultimate iPhone Accessory Pack Contest

• This week’s way to enter? Register in our forums, or refer someone to our forums! (use the big refer button in your profile!)

Credits

Thanks to the the iPhone Blog Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat, or sent in questions!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

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

TiPb Presents: iPhone Live! Podcast #3

Hidden TV out features discovered in iPhone 2.2 SDK

So, get a load of this. While tinkering within the iPhone 2.2 SDK, ArsTechnica discovered a neat little tidbit that could lead to some pretty extensible applications. In essence, the MPTVOutWindow class enables your iPhone to beam out video to a connected TV rather than the built-in screen. Of course, dock-connecting iPods / iPhones have been sending out videos for ages now, but this could actually enable applications to be used on the big screen. Sadly, the current code won't allow screen interaction while the TV out function is active, but the accelerometer is still a go. Check out a short demonstration clip after the break, and feel free to let your imagination run wild after peeking the read link.

[Via AppleInsider]

Continue reading Hidden TV out features discovered in iPhone 2.2 SDK

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video

Hidden TV out features discovered in iPhone 2.2 SDK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Billy Frontier for iPhone

Despite some frustrations with gameplay, Billy Frontier stands out for great graphics and sound. It’s a fun game you can enjoy for a few minutes at a time as well as for longer gaming sessions.

Round Robin: WinMo Expert Dieter vs. the iPhone 3G Video!

[This is an official Smartphone Experts Round Robin post! Every day you reply here, you're automatically entered for a chance to win an iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset! Full contest rules here!]

The Smartphone Experts Round Robin‘ is slamming into round 2! While I’ve been having fun with the Palm Treo Pro, uber-gadgeteer Dieter has been restoring his child-like sense of wonder with Apple’s iPhone 3G.

Says Dieter, horned WMExperts hat firmly in place:

The real story between Windows Mobile and the iPhone platform is this: the iPhone has elegance while Windows Mobile has power, versatility, and openness. It’s that last one that’s clearly becoming a bigger factor in my mind as time goes on (as it is with the entire the entire WMExperts Team). Podcast downloading is the touchstone example of the moment, but there are plenty of others. I’ll get into it quite a bit more in the final review, but for now, sit back and watch my video first take.

Is he right? And if he is, do we want to live in a world so wrong? Go on over and tell him what you think!

Remember, each SPE site is giving away their signature smartphone and accessories, so it’s not just an iPhone 3G up for grabs! Every day you comment on Dieter’s video, or my thread in the TreoCentral Forum, you get two more chances to win a smartphone (and accessories!)

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

Round Robin: WinMo Expert Dieter vs. the iPhone 3G Video!

Ultimate iPhone Accessory Pack Give Away Contest!

UPDATE: The contest is almost over! Your last chance to qualify is here!

1. Register in our forums
2. If you’re already registered, sign a friend up! Just head to your “User Control Panel” by hitting this link. You’ll find a link at the top with your “referral link.” Send that to a friend and when they use it to register, you’ll be entered to win. You can enter up to FIVE times by referring FIVE friends!

To celebrate the launch of our new iPhone Live! Podcast, the iPhone blog is revving up yet another contest! What is it and how does it work?

Every week, on both the iPhone Live! and Phone different Podcasts, we here at TiPb will each be choosing our favorite iPhone accessories (courtesy of the TiPb iPhone store!), and adding them to the prize pack.

How to Enter

Each week, we’ll give you new chance to enter. It might be joining us on a social network, sending us a tweet, replying to a forum thread, etc. Listen to our podcasts (or check out the show notes) to find out the entry method for that week. Do it.

At the end of the week, we’ll pick a qualifier from everyone who successfully entered that week. Each qualifier will receive a 15% off coupon for the iPhone blog store, and be entered in our grand prize drawing.

Enter as many weeks as you like (though only 1 entry will be counted each week!). When we have all our qualifiers, we’ll pull a name out at random and they’ll win our Grand Prize: The Ultimate iPhone Accessory Pack!

The Ultimate iPhone Accessory Pack winner will be revealed on iPhone Live! #3

Qualifiers (To Date)

• Week 1: Facebook Fan Tara Bennett!
• Week 2: Twitterer John Gallagher (JohnG_NYC)!
• Week 3: TiPb Forum member, mszatny!
• Week 4: Register for our Forum, or Refer someone who registers in our Forum!

Prize Pack (To Date)

iPhone Live! #1

• Rene: Blueant Z9i Bluetooth Headset
• Chad: Griffin PowerDuo

Phone different #30

• Mike: V-Moda Vibe Duo Headphones

iPhone Live! #2

• Brian: Belkin Sport Armband Plus with FastFit for iPhone 3G
• Casey: Seidio Innotraveler Car Kit

Phone different #31

• Jeremy: Case-Mate The Hipster for iPhone 3G
• Dieter: Mobi Cradle

Full details after the break!

Them Details:

1. Open to everybody in the US and Canada
2. One entry per week, but feel free to interact as much as ya like!
3. Contest will run each week for four weeks.
4. We’ll announce the previous week’s qualifier in the next week’s podcast (and show notes… and updated right here!)
5. Each qualifier will receive a 15% off coupon to TiPb’s iPhone Store
6. One qualifier will win the Ultimate iPhone Accessory Pack

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

Ultimate iPhone Accessory Pack Give Away Contest!