Review: Madden NFL 10 for iPhone

The initial release of this iPhone edition of the renowned sports gaming franchise is not without some quirks that will likely be smoothed out in subsequent updates. But make no mistake -- Madden NFL 10 for the iPhone and iPod touch lives up to the Madden name.

Ralph Lauren launches Make Your Own Rugby app

Filed under: Humor, Software, Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

During the existence of the iPhone, shopping has always been the domain of Safari. Browsing web-based stores could be extremely awkward, thanks to bitty drop-down menus and inadvertent "quick views" of garments that you can't seem to click out of. No longer, my fellow clotheshorses. Today, Ralph Lauren launched a unique iPhone application integrating social media with fashion design and online shopping, called Make Your Own Rugby [iTunes link].

The app centers around Ralph Lauren's Rugby line, launched in 2004, that is inspired by the Ivy League atmosphere circa 1940 and that targets preppy college students. The company describes Rugby as "preppy meets urban," though you will only qualify for street cred through a few light touches such as embroidered skulls. The fact that the skull is embroidered on a varsity sweater probably won't do you much good in the back alleys, but you can hope.

The MYO Rugby app allows the user to select a blank rugby shirt, polo, sweater, or jacket from a set of stock designs and customize it with as many distinguished crests, football-themed patches and letters as they want. You can use it to design and purchase clothing for yourself, or you can be a little more creative (and financially devil-may-care) and make designs to be displayed for browsing in the application or to share with friends.

Continue reading Ralph Lauren launches Make Your Own Rugby app

Ralph Lauren launches Make Your Own Rugby app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ralph Lauren launches Make Your Own Rugby app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone OS 3.1 Enforces Exchange Encryption Policy; Affects Non-iPhone 3GS Users

Review: WriteRoom 2 for iPhone

Hog Bay Software's document editing app for the iPhone and iPod touch was already an impressive offering. But Version 2 of WriteRoom has added more key features, including a new search tool and true synching capabilities via WriteRoom.ws.

Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.1 and Security Update 2009-005

Apple today released Mac OS X 10.6.1, the first maintenance update for Snow Leopard, via Software Update and Apple's software downloads page. The most recent developer build of OS X 10.6.1, Build 10B504, was seeded just two days ago. The update bri...

iPhone OS 3.1 Blocking Encrypted Microsoft Exchange Connections on Non-3GS Devices

TUAW reports that a number of iPhone users who have updated to iPhone OS 3.1 are finding themselves unable to access their Microsoft Exchange accounts due to device incompatibility with Exchange's server-side encryption.

While the iPho...

Motorola Cliq coming this year with Blur social service

Motorola on Thursday announced its first Android smartphone, which will ship in the fourth quarter with T-Mobile USA under the name Cliq.

Holy Grail of turn-by-turn arrives: Navigon updates GPS app with text to speech

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store, App Review

Users have been begging for it, and now Navigon has updated the Mobile Navigator [iTunes link] app to read street names to you as you drive.

I've tested the app around town, and it worked well, and the speech is clear and easy to understand. Here in Arizona, a lot of the street names are Spanish, and in most cases, the app pronounced them correctly.

It meant that I could drive around getting navigation instructions without ever looking at the iPhone screen, which is a real safety improvement.

Navigon has also added good iPod control functions. You can add new playlists or tracks, and listen while you are using navigation. This is an option that must be turned on, so if you want the function, be sure to do so.

I also like that the app now knows when it is night time and switches the display accordingly. Again, this is a feature you can use, or disable.

When I updated, the old version of the app was completely replaced, and the new app is 1.44 GB, so make sure you have the room and the time to get it downloaded.

Other features added to version 1.2.0 include the ability to email a destination to another Navigon user directly from the app. If the person gets the mail while on an iPhone and taps the location, it will launch the Mobile Navigator app and set the app for the forwarded destination.

Navigon has said the app would be US$99.00 the first of September, but the price is $89.99 instead, keeping it just under the $99.00 TomTom app, and reflecting, I think, how competitive navigation apps are getting with each other.

The company has also announced a car kit available in October, but few details and specs are known. This is the second update to Mobile Navigator since it has been released. Navigon says more updates will be coming. Traffic info and weather data would be nice.

In my view, with text to speech, Navigon has pulled ahead of the pack. I'd still like to see more points of interest in the database, and of course multi-tasking would be nice, but that is an Apple issue, not a Navigon issue.

I like this app, and it has been aggressively updated. Check it out if you are looking for nav, and if you already have this app, get on with the update.

Holy Grail of turn-by-turn arrives: Navigon updates GPS app with text to speech originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Holy Grail of turn-by-turn arrives: Navigon updates GPS app with text to speech originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 3GS Users Can’t Restore to iPhone OS 3.0; But iPhone OS 3.1 Still Vulnerable

iPhone 3.1 breaking Exchange e-mail for iPhone 3G users?

Reports suggest that a feature within Apple's brand new iPhone 3.1 software update is disabling corporate Microsoft Exchange e-mail access for some first-generation iPhone and iPhone 3G users.

Box.net opens up collaboration service to iPhone apps

The online business information-sharing service has unveiled a new OpenBox Mobile program that lets iPhone app makers integrate Box.net's content management and collaboration platform into their apps.

TiPb Presents: iPhone Live! #66 – It’s only rock and roll, but did we like it?

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Join Chris, Matt, and Rene for an in-depth look iPhone 3.1, iTunes 9, and the new iPods, from Apple’s “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it” music event. Listen in!

No give-away this week, as Smartphone Experts is already giving away 5 TiPb Store gift certificates in celebration of our 10th year in smartphone communities! Go enter now!

Credits

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

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! #66 – It’s only rock and roll, but did we like it?

iPhone 3.1 Encryption Enforcement Fix Causing Problems for iPhone 3G, 2G Exchange 2007 Users

iPhone 3.1 apparently fixes a bug that didn’t properly enforce Microsoft Exchange 2007 SP1 encryption policies, and that looks to be causing problems for users of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2G (and likely first and second gen iPod touch users as well).

While the iPhone 3GS supports Exchange encryption and is thus unaffected, the previous generation devices reportedly do not, leading to the error shown above.

Outside buying an iPhone 3GS or getting your Exchange Admin to turn off the encryption requirement (good luck with that!) we’re not sure if there’s a fix for this fix yet.

If you’ve run into the problem, however, drop us a note in the comments.

[BroadbandReports.com via TUAW]

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

iPhone 3.1 Encryption Enforcement Fix Causing Problems for iPhone 3G, 2G Exchange 2007 Users

Rumor: iPod touch Camera Axed Last Month, May Make Surprise Return?

Did Apple plan to add a camera to the third generation iPod touch — just like the iPhone 3GS and iPod nano — but pull it roughly a month ago due to technical difficulties? We heard that rumor last week, after months of previous rumors and leaks that made the camera seem all but a certainty.

For his part, Steve Jobs said Apple prioritized lowering prices over adding new hardware features.

Now, AppleInsider is merging those two story lines into one consistent, and not incredible report. Sourcing people familiar with the matter (PFWTM), those familiar with the situation (TFWTS), and others familiar with the situation (OFWTS), Apple initially decided to add the cameras to the iPod touch feature set only to discover issues with the camera sensors they received. So, Apple execs made the call to yank the cameras last month. However, Apple still wants to add the cameras back in to the hardware, and could do it at any time, and at the same price point.

Obviously, not announcing new iPod touches before the holidays, or announcing that newer ones might show up at some point (who knows — maybe not even Apple yet — when exactly), were not options, so they went with the beefier internals at 32GB and 64GB.

Wether that’s the real, or even approaching real, story or not, likely only a few folks high atop Apple know for sure, but it does make a modicum of sense (even if well seasoned with salt grains).

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

Rumor: iPod touch Camera Axed Last Month, May Make Surprise Return?

iTunes 9 Focus: Tips for editing your iPhone apps screens

Filed under: iTunes, iPhone, iPod touch

While of my colleagues are tremendously excited about Norah Jones and iTunes LP, I've got to say I was far happier to discover the new iTunes 9 iPhone application management screens that Brett touched on yesterday (Sorry, Dave!). Located in the Applications tab for each iPhone and iPod touch device, the manager lets you organize your applications on a screen-by-screen basis from the comfort of your desktop. Unfortunately, the organizer remains fairly primitive.You can...

• ...check or uncheck apps that you want to sync or not sync.
• ...drag apps around individual pages to reorder them
• ...drag apps between screens to reparent them.
• ...change page order by dragging them within the page column.

And that's pretty much it. There's no way to sort your screens alphabetically or by category. There's no way to copy or share layouts between devices. There's no undo support if you change your mind about any changes. That having been said, there are some iTunes 9 tricks that may help you better organize your applications. Here are TUAW's top four.

Use Command-Click to group apps. Command-clicking an application icon adds it to (or if already added, removes it from) the currently selected group. You can move groups all at once between pages.

Use empty pages. If you have the pages to spare, use the empty pages that iTunes makes available to you to help organize applications by "theme". For example, you can drag an empty page into, say, the page 2 position and then start filling that page with games from the other pages. Adding apps to that empty page causes another empty page to appear at the end of the list if there is room. You're limited to 8 pages total for your applications.

Use the dock. Your dock provides a home for up to four applications that you use the most. Docked applications appear on every page, offering the quickest access to your most-used apps. Don't feel limited to the apps that the iPhone OS defaults to. It's your dock. Use it the way that best suits you.

Use the home screen. If you have more than four apps that you need quick access to, don't forget that the first screen of apps is always just a Home button click away. Tapping the home button when viewing apps automatically jumps you to the first page. Place your high priority apps on this first page if they fall short of the urgency of the dock items.

The new Application editor is certainly a great step forward from the way things were. Here's hoping that Apple will make it even easier to manage your applications in future iTunes releases.

iTunes 9 Focus: Tips for editing your iPhone apps screens originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iTunes 9 Focus: Tips for editing your iPhone apps screens originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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mophie Juice Pack Air for Power Hungry iPhone Users

mophie Juice Pack Air [$79.96 - TiPb Store link] is the newer, sleeker model in town. We’ve tried out several battery extenders here on TiPb, and I’ve tried quite a few personally, but like the grail we keep looking for longer, better, and stronger power. Did I find it with the Juice Pack Air?

James has been talking the Air up for a while, but I wasn’t sure about it. There are several variations in battery charger available for the iPhone, after all. First, form factor. Some chargers are modules that plug onto the bottom and while they can pack a punch, you have to be careful how you handle the iPhone when they’re connected, lest they become rapidly unconnected. mophie makes the other kind, the case-style, and the Air — as the name suggests — is molded to be as thin and remain as pocketable as possible. In this, it succeeds brilliantly.

Some have complained that the Air’s case-like form factor reduces their cell signal strength by a couple bars. I didn’t experience that, though I’m in Canada and — apologies to my long-suffering AT&T friends — the iPhone is solid on our network.

The other variation is charging style. Some battery extenders charge via a dock port that makes them very handy since dock cables are ubiquitous and if you already have an AC adaptor, car adaptor, etc. they “just work” with those.

The mophie, by contrast, uses a USB micro-cable, but not micro-USB, which is always a concern (if your forget it, or lose it, your battery charger ain’t getting charged).

Enough about what it is, what’s important is how it works. I tested this one out on a weekend trip, and on several heavy-duty usage days. I also ended up testing it out when I negligently pocketed my iPhone while still recording video, leading it to discharge fairly rapidly.

And it worked well, pretty much in line with mophie’s specs. It recharged my iPhone fairly close to full, and on one occasion recharged both mine and a friend’s halfway during a 2 hour drive when a car charger failed on us.

So, bottom line, if you need extra power and still want something sleek enough to easily carry your iPhone easily in your pocket, (and your cell signal is typically strong), the mophie Juice Pack is well worth checking out.

For more info and full specs, check out TiPb’s iPhone Store…

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

mophie Juice Pack Air for Power Hungry iPhone Users

Fifth-Generation iPod Nano Teardown Posted

iFixit has posted a teardown of the new fifth-generation iPod nano launched yesterday at Apple's "It's Only Rock and Roll" media event. While the teardown reveals very similar construction to the previous-generation model with the obvious ex...

Rhapsody lands on the iPhone

Rhapsody for iPhone allows you to access Real Networks' music service.

iPhone 3.1’s anti-phishing: not better than nothing?

The iPhone 3.1 update supposedly added anti-phishing protections, but it would seem that the system is buggy and inconsistent.

Nike+ Heart Rate Monitor Coming for Fifth-Generation iPod Nano?

AppleInsider notes that a newly-posted Nike + iPod User Guide (PDF) contains a reference to an as-yet unavailable heart rate monitor that will apparently only be compatible with the new fifth-generation iPod nano launched yesterday at Apple's...