Verizon Attacks AT&T 3G Coverage On Its Ads One More Time

NAVIGON MobileNavigator Updated, Traffic Live Available via In-App Purchase

NAVIGON dropped us a note to say that, as promised, their latest update to MobileNavigator [$89.99 for North America - iTunes link] for iPhone is now available via the iTunes App Store, and it includes Traffic Live as an in-app purchase (currently on sale at an introductory $19.99, $24.99 thereafter). Here’s how it works:

Traffic Live utilizes crowdsourced real-time speed data from over 1.3 million drivers including other NAVIGON app users (who opt. in to participate), commercial fleets such as trucks and taxis, as well as regular drivers with a GPS system. So if for example several vehicles on a road report slow speed, the system recognizes congestion and provides an alternate and faster route.

If you add the Traffic Live service, 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.

NAVIGON MobileNavigator Updated, Traffic Live Available via In-App Purchase

Shacking up: iPhone sales plan at RadioShack sparks rally

Filed under: Retail, iPhone

It's been in the rumor mix for well over a year now, first popping up in connection with the iPhones-at-Walmart & Best Buy deal, but now the cat is out of the bag and rummaging around in the shelves full of diodes, UHF antennas and talking robots: late last Friday, RadioShack announced that it would begin selling the iPhone in a few NYC and Dallas stores in time for the holiday shopping rush, with wider availability to begin in 2010.
While the addition of another retail outlet to the mix of stores (including AT&T and Apple's own operations) that carry the iPhone may not do a whole lot for general availability of the device -- frankly, if you can't find an iPhone 3GS near where you are, you can get one online in a jiffy -- it certainly did a lot for RadioShack's investors. The stock was up over 14% on the first trading day since the announcement, with analysts suggesting that the presence of the iPhone may help to drive up in-store traffic for the Shack during the busy holiday season and year-round.

Let's think about that for a second. Just having the iPhone in the shop for shoppers to fondle, nuzzle and take home as their very own is considered, in the eyes of the market, a material advantage for an electronics chain with nearly 5,000 US stores.

You've come a long way, baby.

Shacking up: iPhone sales plan at RadioShack sparks rally originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shacking up: iPhone sales plan at RadioShack sparks rally originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British carrier O2 to unlock out-of-contract iPhones

Filed under: Internet Tools, iPhone

In an interview with Times Online, Matthew Key, head of O2, shared his company's plans to allow users of out-of-contract iPhones to switch to other providers:

"Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator...."

Of course, this hinges on other carries -- namely Vodafone and Orange -- ending O2's exclusivity. Both Vodafone and Orange are scheduled to start selling the iPhone next year. O2 first announced UK pricing in June of this year.

That's good news for users in Britain and makes me wish the same were true in the US. While I love my iPhone, AT&T often ruins the experience with dropped calls and "fewer bars in more places." The thing is flawless on Wi-Fi; hit-or-miss via 3G. A part of that is likely due to my location (my neighborhood makes that town in Deliverance resemble Gotham), but I'm certainly not the only one complaining about coverage.

[Via Wired]

British carrier O2 to unlock out-of-contract iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

British carrier O2 to unlock out-of-contract iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Navigon updates US iPhone navigation app, live traffic updates are a go

A little later than previously alluded to, but Navigon's finally rolling out live traffic update to its MobileNavigator iPhone app. Same prices as mentioned before, it'll regularly be $24.99, but for the next four weeks, it's only gonna ring up at $19.99 for lifetime use, no monthly fees. Not that TomTom needed anything else to think about, of course. Full presser after the break.

Continue reading Navigon updates US iPhone navigation app, live traffic updates are a go

Filed under: GPS

Navigon updates US iPhone navigation app, live traffic updates are a go originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Brain Train Unotan for iPhone

This iPhone version of SoftBank Selection's popular brainteasing games entertains your noggin while also attempting to improve your memory and concentration. It's unlikely to stay on your iPhone or iPod touch for long, but while it's there, it's an entertaining enough diversion for quick-play sessions.

Shazam offers paid app, downscales free version

Filed under: iPhone

VentureBeat reports that Shazam [iTunes Link], an app that's long been a favorite among several TUAW staffers, is now offering a paid version. The $5 Shazam Encore (link opens iTunes) offers faster, unlimited tagging of music. A new mode designed for your car will tag whatever music is playing over the radio if you have your iPhone or iPod Touch hooked up to a car adapter. There are also recommendations based off existing tags, the ability to search Shazam's database, and more.

This new feature set does come at a cost to new users of the Shazam free app. New users can now only tag five pieces of music per month. The VentureBeat article adds that existing users of the free app can still tag with no limits.

[Via Macworld]

Shazam offers paid app, downscales free version originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shazam offers paid app, downscales free version originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Competition: BlackBerry Strikes Back-ish at DevCon 2009

Hot on the heels of Verizon pretty much burying the Storm2 in favor of their latest lust, the Droid, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion used their annual developer conference to announce a few improvements for the platform. No, not word one about a next generation BlackBerry OS (hey, Palm spent their time in the desert to get to webOS, and Microsoft is still trudging towards Windows Mobile 7, so RIM needs to pick up that canteen and get to stepping!).

Still, Kevin and the CrackBerry crew have been tearing up the coverage, so check out their DevCon 2009 liveblog, and here are a couple more handy links to help you keep track of all the pushy news:

• Open GL ES Support, Java GUI Builder and Theme Studio to Help BB Developers Generate Dynamic User Experiences
• BlackBerry Application Platform Enhancements to Foster Rich Content Development
• RIM Unveils New Services Platform for BlackBerry Developers
• RIM and Adobe to Simplify Delivery Of Rich Content and Applications for BlackBerry Smartphones
• RIM Announces BlackBerry Academic Program

So, what do you think, in the face of iPhone 3.x, Android 2.0, and webOS 1.x, is RIM doing enough to keep the BlackBerry competitive?

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

The Competition: BlackBerry Strikes Back-ish at DevCon 2009

Apple Releases Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 Update

Apple has just released their second minor update to their latest desktop operating system, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2. While there are a lot of fixes for Mac users, iPhone users may want to pay particular attention to the “general reliability improvements” for MobileMe and iDisk. (And yes, the infamous “guest account” data deletion bug looks to have been squashed.

If you’re a Mac user and go for the immediate update, let us know how it works for you.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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

Apple Releases Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 Update

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXX: HTC Hero gets iPhone flair

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXX: HTC Hero gets iPhone flair

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXX: HTC Hero gets iPhone flair originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.2 and Security Update 2009-006

Apple today released Mac OS X 10.6.2, the second maintenance update for Snow Leopard, via Software Update and the company's software downloads page. The update brings several bug fixes, reportedly including one for a serious issue involving Guest ac...

Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.2

Apple today released Mac OS X 10.6.2, the second maintenance update for Snow Leopard, via Software Update. The update brings several bug fixes, reportedly including one for a serious issue involving Guest accounts that has caused some users to lose ...

One Year After Announcement, Tethering Yet To Come To AT&T Customers

Time names Apple MacBook, iPod touch among best travel gadgets

Filed under: Hardware, MacBook, iPhone, iPod touch

Time Magazine has published their list of 2009's best travel gadgets, and the iPod touch and MacBook have made the cut. Time notes the MacBook's size and high green ratings as well as the iPod touch's speed, Wi-Fi compatibility and library of games worked in their favor.

I do my share of traveling (as does Steve) and find that my iPhone plus a couple of well-selected apps are enough to get the job done most of the time.

It's strange that the iPhone wasn't included, since its connectivity isn't limited to Wi-Fi as the iPod touch is. It's even stranger that several apps also made the list, like Yelp (tap the masses for dining tips) [iTunes link] and the Zipcar App (find a quick-and-easy rental), but not the device that would get the most out of them. Perhaps it was the high cost of service for the iPhone?

Stranger still is their inclusion of the Droid. We assume it made the cut based upon its proven track record. I mean, it's been out for a whole 3 days now.

[Via MacDailyNews]

Time names Apple MacBook, iPod touch among best travel gadgets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time names Apple MacBook, iPod touch among best travel gadgets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple rejects app because of politician caricatures

A Mad Magazine artist's app has been rejected for including caricatures of Congressional representatives.

Review: CardPro for iPhone

This organization app lets you keep track of your contacts by snapping a picture of their business cards with the iPhone's built-in camera and entering the name and company. CardPro has the potential to save you time in organizing the business cards you collect, though there are some caveats.

Shazam rolls out paid Encore app, changes free app

Shazam, creators of the popular song-identifying app for iPhone, has released a $5 version with more features and introduced limitations for new users of the free app.

Intel Core i5 Quad-Core iMac Begins Shipping

Several MacRumors readers have reported that they have received notification from Apple that their Intel Core i5-based quad-core 27" iMac orders have been shipped from Shanghai. There is no word yet on whether the upgraded Intel Core i7-based versio...

Google to buy AdMob, mobile ad company

Google plans to buy mobile advertising provider AdMob for US$750 million stock, the search giant said on Monday.

Google to Acquire Mobile Advertising Firm AdMob

Google today announced that it has agreed to acquire mobile advertising firm AdMob in a deal valued at $750 million. AdMob is currently the world's largest mobile advertising provider and is utilized by many of the top ad-supported iPhone applicatio...