Palm Pre soap brings webOS to the tub

Okay, so we sort of understand molding soap into familiar gadget shapes, but this bar of Pre soap utterly baffles by being scented "bourbon and Coke," which seems a bit self-defeating. Smell like a hobo with webOS for just $13 -- and don't worry, there's BlackBerry, iPhone, and Playstation soap on offer as well, presumably scented with Boone's Farm and OE 800.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm Pre soap brings webOS to the tub originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke Nukem 3D brings classic carnage to iPhone gamers

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store

Now playing on iPhones: the first-person shooter that armed a generation, Duke Nukem 3D [iTunes link], in all its crass and pixelated glory. While it may not be the best 13-year-old game on the platform, it's bound to be one of the more popular ones; the control system has been expanded for the touchscreen and early reviews on the App Store are positive.

Duke Nukem 3D is currently selling for $2.99, billed as a "One Day Launch Special"; no word on what the price will rise to when the sale is over. If you're hankering to do some damage, check it out.

[via AppShopper]

Duke Nukem 3D brings classic carnage to iPhone gamers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Duke Nukem 3D brings classic carnage to iPhone gamers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USAA’s Deposit@Mobile app puts check deposits a mug shot away

The problem with banks, you see, is that they're one of the few remaining weak links in our ultimate goal of eliminating all human interaction. If you've got a check you need to deposit in your account, you've got to trek all the way out to your local branch; sure, granted, you can slip the check in an ATM, but your odds of encountering another living creature in the process of doing that are nonzero. Fortunately, USAA -- which counts military personnel as a significant percentage of its customer base -- is helping to close that loop with its "Deposit@Mobile" service, a component of its just-launched mobile banking app in the iPhone's App Store. The secret, you see, lies in the iPhones magical camera which can "take" a "picture" of the check, transmit it to USAA, and boom -- your cash is instantly deposited. No muss, no fuss, and no pesky people to get between you and your hard-earned cash. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that you've got to get the check from someone in the first place... but, you know, one thing at a time.

[Via The New York Times]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

USAA's Deposit@Mobile app puts check deposits a mug shot away originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: Would You Give Up Using Your iPhone in the Car for Increased Safety?

Our sibling site, TreoCentral.com, reminds us about the NY Times report that even hands-free cell phone (including iPhone) use while driving radically increases the risk of accidents:

Studies say that drivers using phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as other drivers, and the likelihood that they will crash is equal to that of someone with a .08 percent blood alcohol level, the point at which drivers are generally considered intoxicated. Research also shows that hands-free devices do not eliminate the risks, and may worsen them by suggesting that the behavior is safe.

Some states have passed laws requiring hands-free phone use (it’s required where I live), some are no passing no-texting-and-driving laws, and some are trying to see if they can ban mobile use entirely.

Driving while talking on the phone is singled out, of course, though we’d suspect driving while following a map, eating, tuning the radio, checking out the scenery, even talking to another passenger (though arguably they have additional eyes on the road to mitigate) are all distracting to one degree or another.

TiPb’s curious what you think about talking on the phone while driving, and what, if anything, you think should be done about it?

Using a Cell Phone (or iPhone) While Driving–?(polling)

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

Poll: Would You Give Up Using Your iPhone in the Car for Increased Safety?

SlingPlayer 1.1 for iPhone promises DISH integration for US, 3G streaming elsewhere (maybe)

As history tells us time and time again, iPhone apps / updates submitted to Apple aren't a sure deal for approval. Still, we can't help but like where SlingPlayer Mobile is going with the recently-submitted version 1.1. In addition to providing true 16:9 widescreen support that stretches across the whole screen, Slingbox owners with DISH Network can now navigate using a touch-supported native browser, instead of pushing through the TV-standard browsing screen being streamed in. That last bit's great for US customers, but it's what the rest of the world might get that has our interests very piqued. The company's submitted a version for use outside of AT&T's homeland that would finally allow for streaming over a 3G connection -- again, not a certainty for approval, but we'll be most interested to see if that one makes its way through the system.

Filed under: Cellphones, HDTV

SlingPlayer 1.1 for iPhone promises DISH integration for US, 3G streaming elsewhere (maybe) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Civilization Revolution for iPhone

Many gaming companies brought watered-down, portable versions of their games to the iPhone. But the team behind Civilization Revolution have created a complex and deep strategy game that's approachable and intuitive for new players.

Found Footage: Control an unmanned aerial vehicle with an iPhone

Filed under: Accessories, Software, iPhone

What does a former US Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilot do with her time now that she heads MIT's Humans and Automation Lab? The short answer is "really cool stuff," and the long answer is even better.

During her tenure as a pilot, professor Cummings became frustrated with the Hornet's cockpit. "I spent whole time complaining - who was the moron who designed this thing?" she told Wired. At MIT, she and her students were inspired to consider a replacement for the huge controllers that US soldiers use to operate Raven unmanned aerial vehicles. Just six weeks and $5,000 later, they launched a working test flight of a small robotic crafted controlled by an iPhone.

The app they've created relays GPS coordinates to the robot, which then travels from origin to destination on its own. Wired notes that the phone in the video is not jailbroken and the app in question was created like any other. It's very cool indeed. Now if they could only design something to get my kids to the bus stop on time.

Found Footage: Control an unmanned aerial vehicle with an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: Control an unmanned aerial vehicle with an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USAA to offer iPhone remote check deposits

This week, USAA, a small bank that serves mostly military personnel, plans to update its iPhone application to allow customers the ability to deposit checks remotely. The feature will work by having customers photograph both sides of the check using the iPhone’s camera. Revealed in a story in Monday’s New York Times, the new feature highlights the [...]

No-go on the 8GB iPhone 3GS, according to sources

Would Apple really ship something so regressive and line-mudding as that? Yes, according to Canadian carrier Rogers’ website. Also, no, according to Canadian carrier Rogers’ website, and salespeople. If there was an 8GB version of the 3GS, it’s safe to assume it’d be cheaper, and just as safe to assume that Rogers would want to advertise [...]

iPhone App Allows Users to Deposit Checks in their Bank Account

Apple Working on Software Update for MacBook Pro Hard Drive Issues

CNET reports that Apple has officially acknowledged problems with some 500 GB, 7200 rpm MacBook Pro hard drives and promised that a software fix to address the issue is on the way, although no timeframe for a release of the update has been given.<p c...

CourseSmart Brings 7,000+ Textbooks to the iPhone and iPod Touch

The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) on CourseSmart, a service now offering e-textbooks for students on the iPhone and iPod touch. The platform consists of a free eTextbooks for the iPhone application [App Store] that int...

The Competition: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5

Check out the video over at WMExperts. Never mind that it’s Windows Mobile 6.5 rather than the still-in-the-desert Windows Mobile 7 — that words like “finger-friendlier” are being used in 2009 sends us into sympathetic collective apoplexy. Yet our ever brave sibling site holds to hope and we wish them well, ’cause we might see iPhone 4.0 sneak-previewed by the time this ships…

What do you think, enough to stem the bleeding, or too little too late?

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

The Competition: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5

Apple approved Gmail app for iPhone. Has hell frozen over?

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store

TechCrunch is reporting today that an iPhone App that utilizes the Apple Push Notification system to let you know you have new Gmail is about to hit the app store. The app, called GPush, is developed by Tiverias Apps, and gives Gmail users an instant notification that new mail has arrived. iPhone users will still have to read their mail, either in a browser or the Apple Mail client, but the notifications will be essentially instant.

It's an interesting development, given how badly other Google-related apps have fared of late on the iPhone. The developers of the app say it has been sitting unapproved for a month, and they are wondering about the timing of it suddenly being blessed.

Of course this app was not likely to get AT&T all hot and bothered, so it is not a perfect test of a seismic shift in the attitudes around Apple, but any change in the way the App Store works will be interesting to watch.

GPush will be US$0.99 for a week, then will be sold for $1.99 after.

via: TechCrunch

Apple approved Gmail app for iPhone. Has hell frozen over? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple approved Gmail app for iPhone. Has hell frozen over? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick App: BargainBin App Store Price Watcher with Push Notification

BargainBin [Free - iTunes link] keeps an eye on App Store apps and lets you know about sales and price drops. So, if there’s an app out there you’re waiting to try, but are watching your budget, this might be a way to keep track of any discounts coming your way. With push notification, you’ll also know quickly when to pounce on the right deal.

If you give it a try, let us know how it works for you!

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

Quick App: BargainBin App Store Price Watcher with Push Notification

Bank to allow check deposit via iPhone app

Private bank and insurance company USAA is set to allow check deposits online via its iPhone application.

Deposit checks with your iPhone

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

Earlier this summer I took a paperless vacation abroad, thanks to my iPhone and Evernote. I could have done a digital boarding pass for extra efficiency, but I was happy enough with my experience. The digital boarding pass is a matrix code sent to your phone or PDA via online check-in, saving time and benefiting the environment and those without a printer (also, printers just love to run out of ink at the most inopportune time). Continental, American and Northwest offer the digital boarding pass option (here's a good run-down on how they work).

Now, the privately-held USAA Bank intends to let customers deposit checks via a pending update to the bank's iPhone app. According to the New York Times, the feature will require customers to photograph both the back and front of the check with their iPhone's camera. From there, they simply send the images to the bank via the app and presto, the check is credited to that customer's account. They can then void and destroy the paper check; it's no longer needed.

Fraud is an obvious concern, but one of the bank's executive vice presidents, Wayne Peacock, says they've got the necessary security measures in place. Specifically, the service will be limited to customers who are both eligible for credit and insured by the bank. All told, about 60% of current customers meet the threshold for acceptance, according to Mr. Peacock.

I think it's a fantastic experiment and look forward to seeing how it goes. This further confirms my conviction that the iPhone is an amazing portable computer that affects our lives in tremendous ways. Some may chose to ditch their iPhones, but mine isn't going anywhere.

Deposit checks with your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Deposit checks with your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cheap smartphones set to boom in the pre-paid market

Smartphones are set to become much cheaper as mobile phone vendors are trying to get data-centric devices in the hands of pre-paid subscribers.

Review: Simple News for iPhone

As its name suggests, Simple News offers a simple approach to getting the day's headlines. The aggregator pulls stories from six sources with a minimum of buttons for navigating your way around the app.

Deposit Checks Via iPhone Photos

So you’d like to have the convienence of depositing your hard earned work check straight from your iPhone into your bank, no matter where you are? Well, there will soon be an app for that - USAA - a very small bank/insurance company is in the process of updating their current app.

USAA only contains one branch in San Antonio Texas and mainly serves military personnel. So with most of the banks customers deployed all over the world, this is an excellent idea. To make the deposit, simply take o photos. Take one of the front of the check and one of the back, and hit the send button. That’s all there is to it. There is not even a need to physically send in the check, void it and go on your merry way as it is all completely handled electronically.

Now we don’t know about you but if our banks had an app like this, we’d be all over it. Any of our readers bank with USAA and are willing to give this a try once the update is released?

[Via NYTimes]

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

Deposit Checks Via iPhone Photos