TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference

Filed under: Other Events, Developer, iPhone

About a month ago we reported that the 360iDev conference was going to be held in Denver, Colorado. The event is now underway, and since I happen to live in the area, I'm attending the event that's billed as the premiere iPhone developer conference in the world.

There are certainly a good number of iPhone developers on hand -- Tom Ortega of 360|Conferences, the group that's running the event, mentioned that the registration was at 225 developers, more than attended the last event in San Jose, CA.

The sessions last for the next day and a half, and there are plenty of opportunities for developers to learn, meet, and party. Stay tuned to TUAW for short interviews and more info from 360iDev.

TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick App: Dropbox for iPhone

Dropbox [Free - iTunes link] is now available in the App Store, and allows iPhone and iPod touch users to access their online Dropbox storage remotely.

For those unfamiliar with Dropbox, it provides something similar to Apple’s MobileMe iDrive, but with a free option at 2GB, and paid options at $9.99/month for 50GB and $19.99/month for 100GB, and syncing between any computers the Dropbox app.

The iPhone version lets you:

• Access your Dropbox directory
• View your files
• Download files to your iPhone
• Sync downloaded files
• Take photos and videos and upload them to Dropbox
• Share links to Dropbox files
• View photos

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

{Thanks Frank for the head’s up!]

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

Quick App: Dropbox for iPhone

Apps in Need of Rejection: Ones That Steal Your iPhone Number and Call You to Up-sell

So you make an app free, get people to download it, then use it to violate your users’ privacy by pulling their telephone number off their iPhone so you can call them and try to annoy them into coughing up money for your paid app.

Yeah, that should be a rejection, if not a banning.

(No, we’re not mentioning the name of the app, why give them publicity? Picture above is proof of concept code showing how the iPhone user telephone number is retrieved.)

[via Mac4Ever -- thanks everyone who sent this in]

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

Apps in Need of Rejection: Ones That Steal Your iPhone Number and Call You to Up-sell

App Store now offering CNN Mobile

CNN launched their CNN Mobile iPhone app today, and it will bring full print and video news reports, and even allow users to record their own news/eyewitness accounts of stories and submit it, if need be. More from the app description: — “Maximizing the revolutionary features of iPhone OS 3.1, the new CNN App showcases news of the [...]

mSpot offering streaming movie rentals on the iPhone?

Popular site/blog TechCrunch is reporting now that mSpot, who sells ringtones, music, and video for mobile phones is now offering streaming movies you can rent that you can watch on your iPhone (and other smartphones). mSpot offers 350 movies for streaming, and access can be per movie, or a subscription per month. It’s a model [...]

Apple Expands ‘Apps for Everything’ Categories

The Loop notes that Apple has unveiled a redesigned Apps for Everything section of its web site devoted to iPhone and iPod touch applications featured by category. While the "Apps for Everything" listings have been around for a while, today'...

Tweetie 2.0 - New and Improved Version of Popular Twitter iPhone App Coming Soon

Apple adds Apps for Everything collections

Apple's added a new section its Web site, Apps for Everything, featuring themed collections of iPhone apps and tips related to specific topics such as Travel and Money.

Five Apps for the Gastroenterologist

Filed under: Cool tools, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

Sometime this summer a wiseacre commenter (we get a few) suggested we do a "Five Apps" for a variety of somewhat offbeat topics. One wasn't so far-fetched however: gastroenterologist. One could say that a gastro doc has about the same needs as any doctor, of course, and that's an easy out. So here are 5 apps that are great for gastroenterologists and possibly any medical specialist... Coming soon: 5 apps for the lemur owner.

Epocrates Rx - This free app looks up drugs and is updated weekly. Epocrates [iTunes link] has already been available for other mobile platforms for a while, this is a must-have for physicians, I would think. There's also a Pro version that is designed for medical professionals, and it requires a yearly subscription fee to work. It's $99 for one year, which is pretty reasonable for what this does -- which includes an amazing pill ID tool.

DocWrite - Another free app with a service you subscribe to, but this may appeal to more than doctors. DocWrite [iTunes link] is a transcription service that sends your ramblings securely and sends you back a complete transcription in PDF or Word. DocWrite has a web-based dashboard for your stuff, too, so you'll never be without those documents in text or audio.

PubSearch - PubMed is a massive database of medical research papers and PubSearch (free version) [iTunes link] is an iPhone app that'll search them. Yes, of course you need a subscription to the database (noticing a trend here?). PubSearch also has a Mac desktop app, although there does not seem to be any coordination between the two. I'd imagine something like sharing bookmarks would be helpful. PubSearch Plus [iTunes link] costs $1.99 and is really the more functional version as it will show full articles and use EZProxy (where supported).

Medcalc - A free medical calculator? Yep, Medcalc [iTunes link] includes a ton of formulas for doctors, plus a few indices and charts and whatnot to keep a handy reference for those who need it. This app seems to cover a lot of ground, although I'm not sure how much applies to the field of gastroenterology.

Mobile MIM for iPhone and iPod touch - Sadly, this has yet to be released. But I'm guessing it'll be at the top of many doctors' wish lists. MIMvista makes real-deal medical imaging stuff and the MIM app for iPhone was demonstrated at WWDC. The demo was astounding, showing how doctors could merge CT and PET scans right on their iPhone and make notes for later use. The app is pending FDA approval, with no release date or price set.

Five Apps for the Gastroenterologist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Five Apps for the Gastroenterologist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation

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

The folks over at German developer HandyGames originally put together this slideshow presentation for their own internal use, but they determined that it actually could be useful for almost anyone following iPhone releases and their development, so they released it out into the world. And they were right -- there's some good info in here. Basically, they did a survey of the top 20 apps, both paid and free in five different regions of the world on the App Store, and then compared different qualities of all of those apps to see what the most successful apps had in common.

What did they find? Things like the fact that the majority of top 20 apps do not use all caps for the title and use an original IP for their releases. The differences are interesting as well: most paid apps are made by recognizable developers, while most free apps are made by smaller publishers. Free apps receive many, many more reviews than paid apps, though (if I'm reading the presentation right) they tend to be rated lower. Chillingo is the App Store's most prolific top developer, while Digital Chocolate releases games most often, with a full 1.5 releases per week since (I suppose) they started publishing games.

Very interesting stuff, though the numbers still require a little backgound knowledge to deciper (Backflip Studios appears in a few rankings, even though they've only just started releasing games last month -- popular games, but only a few games nonetheless). Cool to get an overall snapshot of the kinds of games that are doing well on the App Store so far.

HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retrievable iPhone numbers mean potential privacy issues

A loophole may allow app developers to retrieve your phone number; reports from Switzerland claim an app developer is using this information to upsell its customers.

Indie Movie Releases Via iPhone App - Is This The Future?

China Unicom offers more iPhone pricing details

China Unicom will offer five versions of the iPhone when the handsets go on sale next month.

Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, App Review

I checked out Zoom Lens [iTunes link] over the weekend, and I'll say that as far as zoom tools go, this one is great. A simple interface, simple use and the images look pretty good. Of course, you'll be less impressed when you view them on your Mac, because Zoom Lens, like all iPhone apps of the same nature, just crops the image, really. It's what you find on consumer cameras as "digital zoom" -- not much more than a zoom & crop in Photoshop or iPhoto, really.

But Zoom Lens does give you an interface that looks as though Apple made it themselves. Who knows? Maybe some day the iPhone will have a true zoom lens, although the optics would be tricky... Anyway, the best part is you have a chance to win Zoom Lens for yourself! It only works on the iPhone, of course, and we can only give codes for the US (no Canada, sorry!). But read the rules below and enter by leaving a comment before October 1.

Glimpse a before/after shot of the app in action on the next page.

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
• To enter leave a comment on this article (below).
• The comment must be left before Thursday, October 1, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing.
• Prize: Promo code for iPhone app "Zoom Lens" (Value: US$.99 )
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Continue reading Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone

Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Win a copy of Zoom Lens for your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIFA 10 coming to iPhone this Friday

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Apple, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

What's it going to take for us to get developers to release games for Apple products earlier than two years after the fact? The iPhone, apparently -- EA has announced that their soccer flagship FIFA 10 will be available for the iPhone this Friday, which is the same day the console game shows up in stores as well. The game will have everything the full versions have, including real teams and leagues, a licensed soundtrack, and all of the usual soccer standbys. One thing missing: online multiplayer, though local wifi multiplayer will be available.

Sounds good to us, especially if you're a fan of the sport all those crazy Europeans call football. The app should be $9.99, befitting of a premium EA sports app, though there will probably be a sale on it sooner or later. Now, about that actual Mac version...

FIFA 10 coming to iPhone this Friday originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

FIFA 10 coming to iPhone this Friday originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vodafone enters UK iPhone war, sales to begin in 2010

Filed under: iPhone

Vodafone has announced that they will start selling the iPhone 3G and 3GS in the UK and Ireland in early 2010. This comes just one day after Orange UK revealed its plans to offer the iPhone. Up to this point, O2 has had exclusive rights to the iPhone in the UK. No information on pricing is available at this time.

[Via Engadget]

Vodafone enters UK iPhone war, sales to begin in 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vodafone enters UK iPhone war, sales to begin in 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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O2 UK: We Still Have iPhone… and Palm Pre!

Pop-quiz: You’re O2 and you just lost iPhone exclusivity in the UK, and now have to compete with both Orange and Vodafone for users’ iPounds. What do you do? Why, tell them you still have the iPhone… and are getting the Palm Pre?!

We’re proud that we’ve been able to offer an exclusive iPhone deal to our 20 million customers for the last two years. We always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time, but our relationship with Apple continues and will be an ongoing success. We have over 1 million iPhone customers and they remain very important to us.

We aim to offer our customers the best devices on the market, including becoming the home of Smartphones and we are really pleased to now add another device in the Palm Pre. We also offer award-winning customer service and benefits, which is why more people choose O2 than any other network in the UK.

What say you UK readers, if you’re thinking of taking your iPhone to another network, will offering you the Palm Pre change your mind?

[via Engadget Mobile]

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

O2 UK: We Still Have iPhone… and Palm Pre!

Garmin nuvifone to be released on Oct. 4

Garmin's smartphone, featuring its GPS technology, is due to be released on October 4 in the U.S. as an exclusive deal with AT&T Wireless.

iTablet to be Announced in January, Launch in Early Summer, Run iPhone OS?

Apple might be preparing a 10.7″ multi-touch iTablet with 720p resolution, running the iPhone OS, for announcement in January and release in May/June 2010. That’s just one of the rumors dropped by iLounge this morning, from a source they say was accurate about the most recent iPod nano, iPhone, and Chinese iPhone stories.

Like the iPhone and the iPod touch, iLounge’s source claims both a 3G and non-3G version will be available, so users can weigh always-on connectivity vs. another monthly telco bill.

Apple is no stranger to big product announcements in January, but since exiting Macworld, they’re also now free to set their own schedule. Possible delays? Odds of it receiving the official “b’okay” from Steve Jobs in its current form are said to be 80% (after it already being nixed at 7″ for being “too small”). That’s good, but far from certain.

Also far from certain, but certainly interesting is Microsoft’s equal and opposite tablet concept — the Courier, which focuses not on media but on journaling. Gizmodo has another video up. It reminds us of those awesome, future-filled Bill Gates keynotes from CES. Most of what Gates demoed hasn’t made it to market, however. Hopefully the Courier will fare better.

People are used to phones, they’re used to MP3 players, laptops, desktops, even set top boxes. A decade later, there’s no indication of tablets breaking through into the mainstream, so Apple, Microsoft, and everyone else has their work cut out for them.

We’ll see if the iTablet can tell a compelling enough story, and offer a feature set that sells.

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

iTablet to be Announced in January, Launch in Early Summer, Run iPhone OS?

Rake in Grass released an adventure logic game for iPhone - Crystal Cave Classic

Crystal Cave Classic is a quest for long-lost treasures buried in pitch black caves, pyramids and temples of ancient civilizations. Huge gemstones were sheltered from the sunshine for eons of time waiting for explorers brave enough to unearth them. You - as an intrepid treasure hunter - will need all ...