Apple secures multitouch technology patent

Apple was recently awarded a patent for multitouch technology that could strengthen their case against Palm.

Podcaster finally makes it to App Store as RSS Player

Podcaster, an app that Apple rejected from the App Store, is now for sale under a new name: RSS Player.

Sketches updated to 1.5

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, iPhone, iPod touch

One of the first applications I used and enjoyed on my iPhone, Sketches, has updated to version 1.5. New in this version is the ability to change the alpha settings for colors (so you can change the opacity of the drawings you make on photos you take), and an edit mode for the corkboard view, to rearrange your drawings with. Additionally, they've moved uploaded photos off of a third-party server and onto their own page, so (for right now, anyway) no ads to get in the way. Not new in this app: a quality, fun, and surprisingly robust photo and image editor designed for the iPhone.

We've heard from the devs that there is a version 2 on the way as well, and both this version and that one are free to anyone who's purchased the app. But if you haven't picked it up yet, it is available for $4.99 over on the App Store, well worth it if you often take and share pictures with your iPhone.

Sketches updated to 1.5 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sketches updated to 1.5 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HD Downloads Starting to Appear in UK iTunes Store

Macworld reports that the first high-definition video downloads have appeared on the UK iTunes Store. The first two episodes of the fifth season of the hit TV show Lost are now available at a cost of £2.49 per episode, with a season pass available f...

Monitor your Mac from your iPhone

Need to know your Mac's status on the go? iStat for iPhone keeps you in the know.

Welcome Nokia Experts to the Family!

We’re incredibly happy to announce that we’re adding another member to the Smartphone Experts family of sites: Nokia Experts!  Nokia Experts will be run by the inestimable Matt Miller, also known as The Mobile Gadgeteer, host of ZDNet’s Smartphones and Cellphones blog, palmsolo, and all around mobility guru.

Matt has a ton of knowledge about a subject that the rest of us at Smartphone Experts have historically lacked, namely Nokia, S60, and the Symbian OS in general.  He gives himself a brief introduction here, in the unlikely event you’re not familiar.

Nokia has, as yet, not successfully made a big smartphone push in the United States, but that’s quite likely to change as they have a slew of exciting new devices coming out and are also likely to have their E71 messaging smartphone picked up by AT&T very soon.  In other words, if, like us, you’re relatively new to Nokia and S60 but want to learn more, Nokia Experts is surely going to be one of your best resources.  Heck, Matt’s already published a full review of the Nokia 5800 Tube XpressMusic touch screen S60 device.  The ‘Tube’ is already a best-selling device overseas and is more of a worthy contender than you might think, so the review is definitely worth a read.

Go on and head over to Nokia Experts now and give ‘em a big ol’ hello!

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

Welcome Nokia Experts to the Family!

New iPhone Ad Focuses on Finding, Figuring, and Fixing

No sooner did we mention Apple’s new “reading” themed iPhone ad, then another one caught our attention. Fix highlights Rocket Taxi for finding a cab, Tipulator for figuring out a tip, and MultiLevel for fixing a bookcase (presumably where your reading apps are sitting?)

Again, the ads are careful to show the entire experience from pressing a Home screen icon to launch the app to using the app, to getting answers and results.

“There’s an app for that” is clearly the message, and while some might say other platforms also have apps, Apple is showing no one (yet) has as good a user experience in getting, installing, and benefitting from mobile apps.

So the only question is, what theme — and which apps — will Apple highlight next?

(No one say “farts!”)

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

New iPhone Ad Focuses on Finding, Figuring, and Fixing

iPhone dominates IGF Mobile award finalists

IGF Mobile finalists have been announced, and it's dominated by iPhone/iPod touch games.

First Look: Hurricane iPhone is heading your way

Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Many intense hurricanes in the last five years have caused tremendous damage to the the Gulf Coast and eastern US, so interest in keeping a constant eye on tropical storms has definitely increased. Last August, TUAW covered AccuWeather's tropical storm tracker for iPhone. While this information is part of the overall weather coverage available from AccuWeather, there's a recently updated iPhone app that is focused solely at hurricane watchers.

The aptly-titled Hurricane (click opens iTunes) from Kitty Code, LLC is chock-full of hurricane data. Not only do you get up-to-the minute info on tropical storms gone bad, but you can also look at historical information and storm tracks for just about every storm that has been recorded since 1851.

Hurricane first appeared in the App Store in October of 2008, and a recent update has added many more features that will be useful when the 2009 National Weather Service Hurricane Season officially kicks off on June 1st. Click the Read More link to see the details.

Continue reading First Look: Hurricane iPhone is heading your way

First Look: Hurricane iPhone is heading your way originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: Hurricane iPhone is heading your way originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Pwns Indie Gaming?

Apple’s made a point to highlight gaming on the iPhone and iPod touch (the so-called funnest iPod ever), and six-months in, games still routinely dominate the App Store Top Ten lists. But what about outside the Apple ecosystem? How are iPhone/iPod touch games doing in the greater gaming ‘verse? TUAW lets us know:

the iPhone more or less owns the finalist list for the 2009 Independent Games Festival Mobile category. 11 of the 14 contestants aren’t on the Nintendo DS or PSP — they’re built and played on the iPhone and the iPod touch.

While Apple’s taken (justifiable) hits for policing their store, we’ve heard before that it’s nothing compared to hoops developers need to jump through to get in on the PlayStation or Nintendo action. Add to that a phenomenal SDK, great hardware, and that little App Store icon on every single iPhone and iPod touch (no UMDs or cartridges need be found here), and it makes for not only a killer offering, but pretty much brings the next, next generation in gaming home now.

So is anyone really surprised by this?

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

iPhone Pwns Indie Gaming?

iPhone is dominating independent gaming

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store, SDK, iPod touch

Our friends at Joystiq make a very insightful and very telling discovery: the iPhone more or less owns the finalist list for the 2009 Independent Games Festival Mobile category. 11 of the 14 contestants aren't on the Nintendo DS or PSP -- they're built and played on the iPhone and the iPod touch. The popular Fieldrunners and Igloo Games' Dizzy Bee are standouts, but even innovative games like Galcon and the pseudogame experience Ruben and Lullaby are being honored with nods.

Very, very telling -- the relatively low cost of entry into the App Store and the versatility of Apple's SDK makes the iPhone/iPod touch a dream platform for independent game developers, and clearly, even with less than a year of development time, Apple's handheld is making a big splash in the industry. Sure, there's still a few pricing hiccups that need to be worked out to get bigger developers on board in a big way, but for smaller and single person independent game developers, there's never been a better platform on which to make and market your games.

iPhone is dominating independent gaming originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone is dominating independent gaming originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Review: SoundClip

Our fearless leader/editor was able to meet some great vendors at Macworld 2009 this year and got a sampling of their products. I am rounding them up in a series of posts, so, let’s take a look at what we have this time!

Ever since the first iPhone, the external speaker just has not been loud enough. Then, with the iPhone 3G, we got an improvement on the sound; and I have been happy.

Until…

I started playing games in landscape mode. My hand would cover the speaker inadvertently and I would freak out, “Where did my sound go?”. Alas, no worries, it was just my hand. One Ten Design has a great little fix for this dilemma; the Sound Clip. This little plastic cover snaps into your iPhone 3G’s dock connector and presto! You now have channeled sound that is not only a little louder, but crisper too (you can refer to their website how they make that magic happen). I have also started to use it in my windshield mount. Believe it or not, it helps with the speakerphone while driving (assuming your mount will allow such an attachment).

Now, when I play games, the sound is no longer obscured and I can play games in blissfully. On top of that, the clip is lightweight, non-obtrusive… what more can one ask for! This iPhone 3G accessory retails for $7.95 and it totally worth it.

Pros:

• Small
• Lightweight
• Inexpensive
• Works as advertised

Cons:

• Only works on iPhone 3G
• Does not amplify ringtones (this is due to the db range of Apple’s ringtones. The “classic” ring seems to be louder)

TiPB’s Rating:

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

Quick Review: SoundClip

HanDBase for iPhone Giveaway

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch

Back in November, we treated TUAW readers to a full review of HanDBase from DDH Software. HanDBase is a full relational database for the iPhone and iPod touch platforms, and it's easy to set it up to keep track of just about everything in your life.

DDH Software and TUAW have joined forces to let a lucky TUAW reader win a copy of HanDBase for iPhone plus their choice of either the PC Desktop and Desktop Conduit, or the Mac Desktop and the upcoming Desktop Conduit for Mac. You can read about the different versions of HanDBase here.

What do you need to do to enter? Just leave a comment with your idea for a database that you'd create with HanDBase on your iPhone or iPod touch. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your creative answers!

• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter leave a comment telling us what kind of database you'd create with HanDBase on your iPhone or iPod touch.
  
• The comment must be left before January 30, 11:59PM Eastern Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• Prize: Promo code for free copy of HanDBase for iPhone ($9.99), and winner's choice of either the PC Desktop ($9.99) and Conduit ($14.99), or the Mac Desktop ($9.99) and upcoming Mac conduit ($14.99).
  
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

HanDBase for iPhone Giveaway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HanDBase for iPhone Giveaway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New iPhone Ad Focuses on Reading Apps

Classics (and all around awesome icon and UI) designer Sebastiaan de With posted on his Cocoia blog that his co-creation is currently being featured in a new ad for the iPhone:

How very awesome it is to see this on Apple’s website (and possibly on TV!). You can read about the design process of Classics here.

This latest ad continues Apple’s current trend of focusing on apps as the killer iPhone feature, this time specifically on a variety of different apps that let you “read” in one way or another: Yelp for restaurant reviews, OsireX for MRI scans, and Classics for “regular old book”.

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

New iPhone Ad Focuses on Reading Apps

Tweetie ver.1.2 Review

When atebits' Tweetie entered the iPhone AppStore in Nov. 2008, it was well-received by iPhone owners because they liked it's clean and easy to navigate iChat-like interface. Now with it's latest release (ver. 1.2), tweetie adds a lot of new features to an already solid feature set.Some of the new ...

iPhone can help snipers to hit targets

How can iPhone help snipers? Use Bulletflight and iSnipe apps on your iPhone and attach them to a rifle you are using in hitting the targets. the Bulletflight ballistics calculator, which predicts the trajectory of bullets fired from high-powered sniper rifles by taking into account half a dozen variables including wind ...

Apple hints legal battle over Palm Pre multitouch

"We don’t mind competition, but if others rip off our intellectual property, we will go after them," said Apple executive Tim Cook about iPhone competition. A follow-up question specifically mentioned the Palm Pre by name, since the Pre has some very iPhone elements, like multitouch and touchscreen gesture technology. SlashGear ...

Stanford students release some killer iPhone apps

Well-done, Stanford students!  Students from Stanford’s Fall 1008 iPhone class CS193P (iPhone Application Programming) released a nice batch of apps that are now available or will be soon for the iPhone. According to the the iPhone class students' site, all of these apps were final projects with the exception of Stress ...

Home Barista: iPhone app for coffee drinker

Looks pretty and useful. This is an iPhone app, called Home Barista, designated for coffee drinker. It's available now on the iPhone App Store for $2.99. According to its developer: It's called 'Home Barista'. It's basically like a 'Missing manual' (sorry Pogue) for home espresso machines. Plus on iPhones you can take ...

Palm replies to iPhone similarities threats

After Apple executive Tim Cook hinted about thinly-veiled threats of legal action over similarities between the Palm Pre and the iPhone, like multitouch and touchscreen gesture technology, Palm has just sent a clear message: “Palm has a long history of innovation that is reflected in our products and robust patent portfolio, ...