Konami Announces Upcoming iPhone Titles - Metal Gear Solid, DDR, Silent Hill & Frogger

In a move that is surely to indicate that the iPhone is a legitimate mobile gaming platform, Konami has announced today that they are releasing four games for the iPhone/iTouch platform.  Available later in the AppStore this month will be Dance Dance Revolution S Lite, Frogger and Silent Hill The ...

Finally, SimCity for the iPhone

Finally, Electronic Arts has released a version of its famous SimCity game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nicely described by a site as "the grandfather of them all", SimCity now joins other EA-released games such as Spore, Scrabble, Monopoly and Tetris. The game is now available for $9.99 through ...

AT&T now offering refurbished iPhone 3G

AT&T is finally offering refurbished iPhone 3G models on their site. Though the prices are lower, it is still only a $50 savings for a phone that was bought, used, broken and then returned. Is all that worth saving $50 in these tough economic times? “previously owned devices that have been ...

The iPhone gets attachable breathalyzer

For those of us who are always out enjoying the nightlife including the drinks that come along with it, there is now a breathalyzer attachment for the iPhone that tells you if your in the right condition for driving if your not too drunk to give yourself the breathalyzer. This ...

Project: Yellowsn0w Is A Go!

Temporary notice: Hey guys, those of you using an iPhone or iPod touch, the video is not available yet on the iPhone’s YouTube application. The link to tap on is at the bottom of the post, but YouTube is taking their sweet time making it available for all of you ...

iPhone Buzz Week in Review - Week 51 2008

Those of you in Taiwan who went out and got the iPhone 3G the other day, you may have just picked up an unlocked iPhone 3G. Initial reports stated that these iPhone 3Gs would be SIM locked to Chunghwa Telecom, but it appears that a firmware issue left users able ...

iPhone 3G unlock yellowsn0w live demo!

It's a good news for those of you who really want to buy an iPhone 3G but prefer carrier's networks outside AT&T, or who just want buy an iPhone from another country. A group, known as Dev-Team, who created a software unlock for the iPhone 3G so that the device ...

NGMoco’s iPhone Game Rolando a Must Buy

With the release of Rolando in the iTunes AppStore about two weeks ago, NGMoco has shown that the iPhone/iTouch platform can be a serious contender in the competitive handheld gaming market.Rolando features 36 levels over four different environments, each with interactive environments that either you can manipulate directly or indirectly. iPhone features ...

Stay connected to friends with Pinger Phone

Pinger, a leading provider of mobile communication services has announced their new Pinger Phone application for managing and communicating with phone contacts as well as with friends on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Users can see IM status in their contacts and elect to call, text, instant message, email or even send ...

New rumored photos of the iPhone Nano surface

The past few weeks there has been a bunch of crazy rumors flying around about a new smaller version of the iPhone 3G called the “iPhone Nano.” We have seen product sheets and third party cases suggesting that there will be another iPhone announced, but as the last iPhone rumors ...

Round Robin: TiPb vs. iPhone 3G Video Preview

[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!]

We’ve come full circle. After previewing the Android G1, Treo Pro, HTC FUZE, and BlackBerry Bold, I’m finally — finally — back to the iPhone 3G.

Will I still know how to use it? Will it be enough to mellow my month-long harsh? Will my own childlike sense of wonder be restored?

Check out the video, and then head on over to my triumphant return thread in the TiPb iPhone forums, and help me find out!

Every day you comment here, you get one entry to win not only a supra-shiny iPhone 3G, but the Case-Mate Naked Case which allows full touch through access to the iPhone’s amazing screen. Smartphone Outlet is also kicking in the revolutionary Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset AND a runner-up prize, $50 coupon good at any SPE store, including the new Smartphone Outlet, where you can find refurb Smartphone Accessories at very (very!) low prices.

Check out our full contest rules!

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

Round Robin: TiPb vs. iPhone 3G Video Preview

Aurora Feint announces two new iPhone games

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Deals, iPhone, iPod touch

Stick with us here: first, there was the free Aurora Feint: The Beginning, which has recieved some pretty rave reviews as one of the first iPhone games. Then there was Aurora Feint II: The Arena, which added multiplayer and some much-awaited MMO features. And now the folks behind it all have announced two more Aurora Feint games: there's Aurora Feint II: The Beginning, which features the gameplay of the first game with new graphics and the extra MMO features included, and Aurora Feint II: The Tower Puzzles, which contains more of the gameplay seen in the "Tower" location in the full game. Got all that?

The Arena and The Beginning are not compatible -- The Arena offers multiplayer, while The Beginning is all singleplayer. And the second version (II) of The Beginning is still singleplayer, but offers the MMO features introduced in The Arena along with the singleplayer gameplay. And The Tower Puzzles is more puzzles based on the "Tower" mode, and according to the iTunes description, does not include the MMO features. Whew. Complicated, no?

The good news is that it's all cheap -- for now, anyway. The very first game is still free. The Beginning (version II) and The Tower Puzzles are both 99 cents right now as an introductory price, to go up to $2.99 and $1.99 respectively in January. And The Arena is $7.99 -- pricey, but it's the only place you can dive into multiplayer (and it's also not compatible with both versions of The Beginning). All are available in the App Store right now, and even if you don't want any of them, feel free to scan your eyeballs over the pretty pictures below.

Aurora Feint announces two new iPhone games originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aurora Feint announces two new iPhone games originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stocking Stuffer iPhone Apps

Filed under: iPhone

Looking for late gifts for iPhone owners? Here are some iPhone apps that are great for last-minute stocking stuffers or to show off your iPhone to your relatives during the holidays:

Charades ($1.99 US) -- While you're gathered around friends and family with nothing to do after the presents have been opened, use this app to generate some of the over 1000 charades games provided. The app offers a difficulty setting and Wikipedia links to each charade (in case you get stuck trying to act it out).

Continue reading Stocking Stuffer iPhone Apps

Stocking Stuffer iPhone Apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stocking Stuffer iPhone Apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Store bargains for the holidays

Appstoreapps.com has compiled a list of 40-plus apps that used to cost money but now are being offered for free under holiday promotions at the App Store.

Our Favorite iPhone Apps: Stay entertained

We wrap up our look at our favorite iPhone and iPod touch apps of 2008 with a half-dozen more choices sure to amuse divert you. From finding showtimes to providing badly needed diversions, these final six apps will never fail to keep you entertained.

Editorial: All I wanted this year was the best smartphone ever

This year, all I really wanted for the holidays was the perfect smartphone. Not too much to ask for, right? You'd think, but all I ended up with was constant swapping between 3 (or more) devices, hoping to find some balance of features that worked for me. Instead of one "go to" phone, I juggled the iPhone 3G, T-Mobile G1, and BlackBerry Bold for the last few months, desperately wishing I could merge them into one perfect device. I shall now break down my hopes for the upcoming year, with a prayer in my little old heart that manufacturers are listening.

Continue reading Editorial: All I wanted this year was the best smartphone ever

Filed under: Cellphones

Editorial: All I wanted this year was the best smartphone ever originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We have a real iPhone 3G unlock!

The iPhone Dev Team has been hard at work since the iPhone 3G was released back in June. They now have the most exciting news to report so far, you guessed it an unlock for the iPhone 3G. Just how long will we have to wait before seeing this unlock ...

Review: i.TV for iPhone

Featuring both movie and TV listings—not to mention the ability to manage Netflix queues and set TiVo recordings—i.TV may be the only entertainment app you’ll need to carry with you on your iPhone or iPod touch.

BlackBerry Bonus: TiPb vs. Storm Hands-On

A friend of mine works as a rep for a carrier and so, in the middle of my BlackBerry Round in the Robin, we made a deal: she would let me test drive the Storm and I would let her try out both the iPhone 3G and the BlackBerry Bold (don’t tell Kevin!)

Sidebar: She is an avid BlackBerry Pearl user who, disappointed with the lack of current Qwerty hotness on the CDMA side, was very impressed with the Bold. She is also an avowed iPhone hater. Or rather she was. While I don’t think Apple’s little touchscreen wonder won her over, she was amazed at the apps, especially things like Google Earth. The Storm… suffice it to say she wasn’t a fan.

Okay, fine, what was my take? Read on…

First time I picked it up I was immediately unimpressed with the build quality. Again, the iPhone is an iconic, singular slab of glass, metal and it-doesn’t-blend composite backing. The Bold, while lighter and not quite as solid, is still a Cadillac when it comes to build quality. The Storm felt cheaper somehow. I’m not sure what gave it that feeling, but it was definitely there.

I turned it on and was greeted with a very familiar BlackBerry experience. I used to dislike the word “experience” in that context — and it’s overused — but Kevin nailed the BlackBerry model when he said they currently provide the BlackBerry experience in a variety of form factors. You want a front facing Qwerty? Bold or Curve. Candybar? Pearl. Flip? Flip. And now, you want a touch screen? Storm.

The looks was similar to the Bold but stretched out over an iPhone-eque full touch screen display. I’m still not sold on the discoverability (Dieter’s word) of their iconography. The neon wireframes take a little while to visually distinguish and remember, especially without labels like the iPhone has, and extra-especially when you can have multiple similar ones in close proximity. The BlackBerry interactive metaphor of select vs. execute translated better than I’d presumed, however, with touch replacing scroll and press replacing click rather intuitively.

Yup, the whole-screen button held together — in that narrow circumstance. Typing wasn’t nearly as as bad as I feared. Actually, having heard so many bad things about it, I ended up surprised at how, well — not good — but not bad it was. Having to press down emphatically each time was slower than the iPhone, and did give me momentary pangs of BlackBerry Claw-itis in my forearms, but all in all I think it was an innovative idea from RIM and I’m glad they tried it. No doubt Storm 2 (Blizzard?) will improve on it still.

Where the whole-screen button failed, however, is where it needed to succeed most: the touch. It jiggles and slides around inside the frame. That’s stupefyingly incomprehensible to me. I tried playing BrickBreaker and as I attempted to move finger around to control it, the screen moved with me! Not only was this annoying, but it destroyed a large portion of the direct interactivity a capacitive screen is supposed to enable. Total touch fail.

When I laid the device flat on a table and tried to swipe and gesture, the combination of ridiculous teeter-totter speaker-feet and jiggly screen made it all but comedic.

RIM and Apple both make truly excellent integrated hardware and software devices, but have very different focuses and philosophies. The Storm may have been trying to bring the best of both worlds to Vodafone and iPhone-rejecting Verizon, and while I think it’s an important first step, needed innovation, and valiant attempt, I don’t think the Storm is ready for prime time yet.

Apple built the iPhone OS specifically for touch, and RIM adapting their already dated Java MicroEdition foundations while workable, certainly isn’t ideal.

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

BlackBerry Bonus: TiPb vs. Storm Hands-On

State of the Apps: iFart 10K Earn Rate, Private API Debate, Approval Delay Hate

No sooner did Apple flip the switch on Pull My Finger but 14 fart-themed apps have hit the App Store and according to Macrumors, leader of the app pack, iFart Mobile, generated $9198 in one day. I need to quit this blog and go make iDoody, or something (don’t tell Dieter!).

Daring Fireball weighs in on the use of private API’s, disagreeing not only with the practice of using them, but with the people who use and tell others hot to use them. A risky practice to be certain, and one that does endanger the user experience, but I like to think (or hope) developers are adults who will make their own informed decisions and take personal responsibility for those decisions, not try to lay blame on code samples or books.

Lastly, we have a rant sent in from PHARTGAMES developer Perry Hart who’s more than a littler frustrated with the continued delays and absolute opacity of Apple’s approval process:

I submitted ZombieMangle over a week ago now, Which was what i though would be a perfect time to release just before christmas. However, A few days after submission apple sends me an email stating that they require “Unexpected Additional Time For Review” with no reason whatsoever for the delay. So I do a search for any other developers who have received this email, and it appears there’s ALOT of them. What this email basically means is that your application has joined a queue which never gets looked at and your app wont be approved, or rejected depending on apples discression for months. One developer has been on the queue for three months, and received absolutely no information about what was wrong.

Emails to support were ignored, phone calls to support were outsourced and scripted, and complaints in the official forums have gotten boiler plate from the mods. Hart’s conclusion:

I think it’s time that all developers and potential developers know that they are working with amateurs.

Did Apple underestimate just how popular the App Store would be? Were they unprepared? And is their newness to the market — the newness OF the market — overwhelming them a degree such that they simply cannot cope? Or is this just Apple being Apple again, saying nothing and leaving people to increasingly frustrated assumptions?

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

State of the Apps: iFart 10K Earn Rate, Private API Debate, Approval Delay Hate