Should Apple Offer 24-Hour Return Policy on iPhone Apps?

Review: Weather radar apps for iPhone

If you like keeping close tabs on the weather, a number of dedicated radar apps are there for the choosing. The $10 RadarScope offers appreciable bang for the buck.

Surprise: Apple Loves Steve Jobs and the iPhone

Glassdoor collects data on how much employees love their boss and love their products. They also seem to collect data on the wicked obvious, at least where Apple is concerned. Flabbergasting: 91% of employees love Steve Jobs and on a scale of 1 to 5, think Apple’s products rate a 3.8 (we’re guessing MobileMe cost them a full point there).

To give some frame of reference GigaOm provides further details: Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer is loved by 44%, Palm’s Ed Colligan by 36%, and RIM’s co-CEO’s by 70% (does that mean 35% each?). Products vary far less, with almost everyone at the same level as Apple (RIM), a bit below (Microsoft at 3.7) or so (Palm at 3.2)

Biggest loser was Motorola with a whopping 10% and 2.6 rating. Could have been worse, however — they could have been off the list.

So how much do you love Steve Jobs and the iPhone? And how does that compare to your boss and your products/services? Or should we rather rate the raters? Gigaom and Glassdoor, how are they doing?

(Tip o’ the handset to Phil from WMExperts for sending this our way!)

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

Surprise: Apple Loves Steve Jobs and the iPhone

TUAW Tips: Maximize battery power for GPS apps

Filed under: TUAW Tips, iPhone

You know from reading a lot of my earlier posts that I am a real fan of iPhone GPS apps. I regularly use RunKeeper, TrailGuru, and Geocaching to keep track of my wanderings or find geocaches, but I've found that those apps usually suck my iPhone batteries dry very quickly.

Jason at FitnessKeeper let me know that one of their forum users, Valter, had tweaked various settings on his iPhone and was able to get a tremendous amount of battery life while still keeping both the iPhone's A-GPS and EDGE connection active. Those are the requirements for most GPS apps. What were Valter's secret settings?

• Wi-fi: off
• Push: off
• 3G: off
• Bluetooth: off
• Brightness: set at minimum (Note - I also turn off Auto-Brightness)
  
• iPod: off

Your mileage may vary, but the RunKeeper forum users found that they were able to improve battery life drastically. One reader had 70% of battery capacity after a two hour run with RunKeeper tracking his run, while Valter's personal tests showed 50% capacity after a 2 hour 45 minute run. For other GPS apps like Geocaching, your battery life will most likely be less as brightness will need to be set so that you can actually read the screen.

What are your optimum iPhone power settings for uses other than GPS apps? Leave a comment below.

TUAW Tips: Maximize battery power for GPS apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Tips: Maximize battery power for GPS apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Splash of color from Colorsplash

Filed under: Multimedia, Software, iPhone, Graphic Design, App Store, iPod touch

I'm continually amazed at the high end functionality being displayed by various photo apps for the iPhone/iPod touch. We've seen panorama creators, and image sharpeners, just to name two.

A good example is ColorSplash [App Store link] a $1.99US app that brings some of the sophisticated controls you'd find in Photoshop right onto the iPhone. ColorSplash can take a color image from your camera roll, or any image uploaded to your iPhone/iPod touch, and desaturate the photo selectively. You can have the photo all grayscale, except for a face, or take they sky to grayscale while leaving the rest of the landscape in color.

You can zoom into the photo using the usual finger controls, and paint color selectively on an image, leaving a very striking effect. You do all this with your finger on the touch screen, and with a bit of practice and judicious zooming you can really be very accurate. We're used to seeing images like this come out of high end photo programs, but doing it on the iPhone is a bit of a stunner.

The app allows unlimited undo, and brushes can be semi-transparent, so the amount of color can be varied. A palette gives you the option of hard edge or soft edge brushes, and you can save your work at any stage and go back to intermediate versions of your image if you want to. You can work in portrait or landscape mode, and there is detailed, built in help.

The program author, Hendrik Kueck. is a computer scientist from Vancouver, B.C. who contributed to the creation of Adobe Lightroom 2.0, so he's no slouch when it comes to imaging theory and practice. He previously did Juxtaposer for the iPhone and iPod touch.

The best way to see what the program does is look at some of the simple images I did in the gallery below, or click over to the author's web site for some more information.

A Splash of color from Colorsplash originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A Splash of color from Colorsplash originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Card counting iPhone app frowned upon in Vegas

Usually, it's Apple who has the problem with a potential app. Now, it's The Man taking issue with one that Cupertino deemed fit for distribution. Nevada gaming officials have been tipped off a card counting application that can be installed on the iPhone and iPod touch, which would obviously give Blackjack gamers an upper-hand over the system. According to control board member Randy Sayre, using a device to "aid in the counting of cards is considered a felony under Nevada laws governing cheating," and considering that the program can even be used in "stealth mode," it could be easy to miss unless you're really on the lookout. Of course, it's up to individual casinos to determine their policies on cellphones, but if you were planning to counter this recession by racking up on ten straight 21s this weekend, you might want to seriously consider the consequences first.

[Via TUAW]

Filed under: Cellphones

Card counting iPhone app frowned upon in Vegas originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android Market now accepting paid apps

Android Market, Google's answer to the App Store, is now accepting paid applications from developers.

Rinspeed’s Concept Car - iChange can be Controlled with an iPhone

17″ MacBook Pro Disassembly, RAM, HD and Battery Access

iFixit has posted disassembly photos of the new 17" unibody MacBook Pro that has started arriving in customers hands. The 17" MacBook Pro was announced at Macworld San Francisco and incorporates Apple's new unibody design but with a non-r...

Wired’s top 10 reader-approved iPhone games

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Freeware, iTunes, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Our friends at Wired recently asked their readers what their favorite iPhone games were, and their list is a pretty darn good overview of some of the best choices for gamers on the App Store. Some of the picks are already well known -- we posted about Trism way, way back, and of course Galcon has been lauded already. And some of the choices are a little wacky -- Cube Runner is cool, but it's not really much more than a tech demo at this point.

Still, there are a few gems you may not have discovered yet -- JellyCar looks like a lot of fun, and Topple did kind of get hidden underneath the shadow of ngmoco's other big release, Rolando. It's worth a try if you haven't played it yet.

It's notable, as well, that all but the top two choices are pretty simple. As fun as these games are, there's definitely a lot more room for some deeper gameplay on the App Store.

Wired's top 10 reader-approved iPhone games originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wired's top 10 reader-approved iPhone games originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Universal Charger Initiative Announced… Absent iPhone

No sooner did we ask you if Apple should ditch the dock, than Apple Insider reports that the mobile phone and smartphone industries are beginning to come together on a universal charging solution, and that solution is micro-USB.

So far, early signees for the 2012 initiative include AT&T, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile, and Vodafone. Several iPhone carriers there, but not the single iPhone creator, Apple.

Of course, Apple and their licensees have invested heavily in the proprietary 30-pin dock connector, so we have to ask: facing a micro-USB standard, will that be an increasing competitive advantage, or a growing problem?

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

Universal Charger Initiative Announced… Absent iPhone

iPhone app helps gamblers count cards

Blackjack Card Counter's stealth mode makes counting cards easy—and illegal.

AT&T to Light Up LTE 4G Network in 2011

Ah, it seems like only yesterday when little baby GRPS, barely faster than background radiation, burst on the scene. Then came EDGE, both 2G and 2.5G for our original iPhones, and HSPA up and down for our iPhone 3G. But time flies and yesterdays super fast is tomorrow’s far-too-slow, so it should come as no surprise that AT&T used the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to announce they’ll have their 4G network, known as LTE (Long Term Evolution) zipping along fat 100Mbps in just a couple of years.

Tests should begin in 2010, and deployment in 2011. (Which means customer complaints should follow roughly 30 seconds there after).

So, is AT&T’s roadmap fast enough for you early adopters? Will it keep you on the iPhone network longer? And what are you most looking forward to with that ultra-boardband speed? Playing WoW on your iPhone HD? 4-way Mobile iChat? Or finally being able to load that one Facebook friend’s page with every dang app conceivable jammed on it?

[Via Electronista]

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

AT&T to Light Up LTE 4G Network in 2011

Review: Iron Man: Aerial Assault for iPhone

Iron Man: Aerial Assault for iPhone is an inexpensive movie tie-in that has some clever iPhone controls, but may just barely be worth the low price.

South Park App “Dead in the Water”

Today is a depressing day for all of the South Park fans out there. The South Park app that Dieter told us about back in October has been rejected once again by Apple.

We first announced our iPhone App back in October, after we submitted the Application to Apple for approval. After a couple of attempts to get the application approved, we are sad to say that our app has been rejected. According to Apple, the content was “potentially offensive.” But Apple did admit that the standards would evolve, citing that when iTunes first launched it didn’t sell any music with explicit lyrics. At this point, we are sad to say, the app is dead in the water. Sorry, South Park fans.

Who is Apple to say what is offensive and what isn’t? They let fart apps in the App Store in groves. Who is to say those do not offend anyone? How about Wobble? An app that gives you the ability to make certain female body parts jiggle around your screen. That doesn’t offend anyone? That is a choice the consumer should be making, not Apple. Ok, I’ve made my point.

There is one simple solution to something that may offend someone. If you are offended, don’t buy it!

[Via Southparkstudios.com]

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

South Park App “Dead in the Water”

Quick App: Midway’s Touchmaster Volume 1 for iPhone

When Trillion-dollar stimulus packages are being passed and spent and the dollar seems to buy less and less, it’s nice to find some real values in the App Store, like Touchmaster Volume 1 from Midway. At only $3.99, you get 5 games for your entertainment - that’s only about $.80 cents per game (before tax, of course).

Included with this bundle are the following: 1) Spellwinder - a word search game using adjacent letters in any direction to score points; 2) Dice King - a dice puzzle game where points are scored for swapping adjacent dice to form matching combinations of three or more dice; 3) Prismatix - a hexagonal matching game requiring linking gems in color combinations displayed by a wheel at the top of your screen; 4) Combo 11 - form combinations of cards equaling 11 in value, eliminating cards as you go; 5) Carpet - similar to Solitaire, the object of the game is to discard all cards in their respective suits in sequences of Ace to King, using your deck and “carpet” of cards.

In addition to trying to get the highest score you can, you can also complete challenges and earn trophies along the way. The graphics are decent and the gameplay is easy with the touch interface. For $3.99, this 5-game package will provide hours of entertainment.

 

 

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

Quick App: Midway’s Touchmaster Volume 1 for iPhone

iPhone refresh could be straining Apple’s flash memory suppliers

Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, iPhone

According to Ed Sutherland from Cult of Mac, three out of four Apple's NAND flash memory suppliers are feeling the strain as the company demands storage for its new line of iPhones.

Sutherland cites a research report by analyst Vijay Rakesh from ThinkEquity. Rakesh says that Samsung has set aside its inventory of NAND chips for Apple until April.

Hynix, another supplier, reported softer sales growth for its NAND chips, and Toshiba is having problems supplying customers with 56nm NAND chips. Apple's fourth supplier, Micron, wasn't mentioned in Rakesh's report.

Aside from a new iPhone handset on the way, what does this mean? Higher memory prices, for one. Rakesh said that he expects NAND spot and contract prices to rise.

Many analysts around the time of Apple's Q1 conference call said they had high hopes for a new iPhone during the first half of the year. Some rumors suggest June might be the target date for release.

Continue reading iPhone refresh could be straining Apple's flash memory suppliers

iPhone refresh could be straining Apple's flash memory suppliers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone refresh could be straining Apple's flash memory suppliers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Cook: ‘Ideas’ for a Netbook, iPhone Price Changes, iMacs?

Macworld.co.uk relays (via MacBlogz) a report by Sanford C. Bernstein & Co analyst Toni Sacconaghi who recently met with Apple's acting CEO Tim Cook.

According to Sacconaghi, Cook hinted at "ideas" for an Apple netbook as well as iPh...

Review: Ski Lodge for iPhone

Skiers need to know a resort’s snow fall, weather, and trail map data. Ski Lodge displays this information in a beautiful, quick-to-read manner.

Game maker Gameloft: Apple their biggest client

Gameloft says that Apple is their biggest client, with almost 30 iPhone and iPod touch games in the App Store and more to come in 2009.