Merry Christmas Eve: Evernote for iPhone gets a major update

Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store

Evernote for iPhone [Free, iTunes Link] has received a major update to version 3.2.0, which went live late this evening in the App Store and should be arriving in App Store updates soon. According to our contacts at Evernote, the new app is much faster, with speed improvements in launching, searching, syncing, creating new notes, and browsing.

As TUAW heard during a November interview with Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, the updated app provides local caching and searching. Any note that is created or viewed on the iPhone is cached locally for viewing and searching, even when offline. Premium users can choose to have any or all of the notebooks they've created fully downloaded to their devices, once again enabling offline usability. Rich text notes can be converted to plain text for editing, and a copy of the original note is moved into the trash for future recovery.

Other new features include:

• In-app purchase of premium accounts
• A new "sync" tab
• Ability to search while syncing
• Additional languages
• A number of bug fixes and improvements to the app

A quick tour by the App Store on my iPhone this evening showed that the update was not yet available, but I was able to download the new version. For all Evernote users, this is a nice early Christmas present.

Merry Christmas Eve: Evernote for iPhone gets a major update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Merry Christmas Eve: Evernote for iPhone gets a major update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NYT: Steve Jobs “Extremely Happy” with iTablet, Surprising Interaction Method?

And the iTablet Saga continues today, with the New York Times blogging that, according to an Apple employee:

“I can’t really say anything, but, let’s just say Steve [Jobs] is extremely happy with the new tablet.”

It’s long been known that Apple has had a tablet in the labs for years, and that the iPhone was a result of leveraging technologies experimented with for a “Safari Pad“, but Steve Jobs and Apple didn’t see a mainstream market for the device and so never released it in its own right. Arguably, they’ve been just fine with the iPhone and iPod touch filling that niche.

Moreover, the NYT post adds that former Apple employee has told them:

“You will be very surprised how you interact with the new tablet.”

Would that we could stare into its black gloss and will it to do our bidding. Is there an app for that yet?

Anyway, if these rumors have any substance to them, what’s changed in Steve Jobs’ and Apple’s minds? The App Store? The maturing of digital media content so that an iTablet could become the iPod of the next decade?

[via MacRumors]

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

NYT: Steve Jobs “Extremely Happy” with iTablet, Surprising Interaction Method?

Jobs “Extremely Happy” with Upcoming Apple Tablet and a Surprise?

Apple Tablet rumors have exploded in the past few days with reports suggesting that Apple may introduce the device as early as January. A New York Times Blog post by Nick Bilton adds a few tantalizing tidbits about the upcoming device.

...

HBO releases iPhone app

Filed under: Software, Freeware, Developer, iPhone, App Store

HBO has released their very own app for the iPhone, and it's surprisingly deep for an app released by a premium cable channel. There's the obvious stuff -- you can view schedules and watch clips and previews of HBO shows as well as behind-the-scenes and other content. But there's even some cool iPhone-specific stuff, like creating SMS reminders when your shows come on, some hidden object games to play, and even the option to buy some shows with hooks straight into iTunes. The app is designed pretty well, too, and for an app that's basically promoware, there's a lot of content and features included.

It's very well done -- if you don't have HBO, you probably won't need the app, but if you are a subscriber with an iPhone or iPod touch, it's well worth the free download.

[via Aaron H.]

HBO releases iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HBO releases iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Live! with CrackBerry’s Kevin Michaluk Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT (1am GMT)

Join us along with special Round Robin guest CrackBerry Kevin Michaluk of CrackBerry.com, for a look at how the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Storm2 compare to TiPb’s own iPhone. Plus all the week’s news, views, and rants. If you have any questions, leave a comment below, hit us up on Twitter @theiphoneblog, or better still — join us live in the chat room via http://www.tipb.com/live

REMINDER: You can watch us live on your iPhone with the Ustream Viewer app [Free - iTunes link]. Just wait until the show starts (8pm ET) and search for iPhone. We’ll pop up. Literally.

Chat with you soon!

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

iPhone Live! with CrackBerry’s Kevin Michaluk Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT (1am GMT)

TiPb Speculates: What if Apple Unveils iPhone 4.0 HD in January?

Given the rumors culminating today in the Tuesday, January 26th Special Media Event mother of all rumors, the speculation about the when is only compounded by the what, and on that raging inferno of fantasy, TiPb is once again wondering if maybe not only (or not even) an iTablet fits the bill — but an iPhone 4.0 unveiled early in advance of an iPhone HD.

Yes, we’re speculating about iPhone HD again (not just 5 megapixel cameras, thanksfortheflash). As we’ve noted many times, iPhone 3.2 has been screamingly loud in its absence, and one of the reasons we keep hearing being whispered is that’s because Apple’s investing all their energy into iPhone 4.0.

In the last year, devices like the Android Droid (and especially Nexus One) and Windows Mobile HD2 have been in-Apple’s-face about taking it to the iPhone in terms of size and quality of the displays, and while TiPb was straight-up wrong in thinking Apple would give us an iPhone HD in 2009, could they afford not to, competitively, make that jump in 2010?

If they do, it will break the much-ballyhooed “single platform” model of the iPhone that so appeals to developers, but that’s already straining under GSP/no-GPS, cell/no-cell, Cortex A8 processor/old slow, processor today. Apple will need to suck up the screen size break at some point, and if they do, holding an event in January rather than March like they’ve done for the previous two years would give developers more time to adapt their applications to fill an (AM)OLED WVGA screen (480 by 800something).

No other change, not 802.11n, HD-TV out, WiFi Direct, iTunes TV subscriptions, even multitasking or better notification system, the ever-popular glowing Apple logo, or even a shift to multi-core chips, will likely affect more developers in more ways than a jump in screen size. And if Apple is planning to show off an iTablet, either in January or in the near future, getting developers thinking about resolution independence sooner is much better than later.

Could that be why there’s signs of iPhone 4.0 and a 4th generation iPhone? Or is that just part of the regular cycle just like years past, and this just more fanboy-fed speculation, just like years past?

In January 2007 Steve Jobs showed off the almost final Apple TV and introduced the iPhone. In January 2010 could he show off the iPhone HD and introduce the iTablet?

(Tip of the hat to antonioj for speculative re-enforcement)

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

TiPb Speculates: What if Apple Unveils iPhone 4.0 HD in January?

Review: Texts From Last Night for iPhone

If you're a fan of the cringe-worthy SMS messages collected on the Texts From Last Night Website, you'll likely appreciate this app, which presents the same content in a mobile-friendly format.

BTstack Keyboard jailbreak app provides iPhone text entry

Filed under: iPod Family, Bluetooth, iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage

Due to hit the Cydia store momentarily, Matthias Ringwald's BTstack Keyboard app allows users to type text into any iPhone application using an external Bluetooth keyboard. Built on the open source BTstack project, BTstack Keyboard runs a daemon in the background of any jailbroken iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or iPod touch with Bluetooth support. As you type text on the keyboard, the daemon generates synthetic keyboard tap events; the effect is the same as if you'd typed that text using the on-screen keyboard.

You will need to install BTstack and the BTstack Keyboard packages on a jailbroken 3G or later iPhone or 2nd generation or later iPod touch. The software has been tested with an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, a Think Outside Stowaway Universal keyboard, and a Palm Wireless keyboard. There's no reason to think it won't work with any standard Bluetooth keyboard, i.e. one that uses standard BT protocols.

With this small utility, users will be better able to take notes on the go using a standard keyboard in any text-based iPhone application. Yes, you'll have to haul around the physical keyboard, but the availability of folding on-the-go Bluetooth solutions makes this an exciting development for anyone who wants to expand their text entry possibiilities.

Expect to pay $5 for BTstack Keyboard when the software goes live. For more details, see Ringwald's Keyboard information page at his website. Ringwald is the same developer whose BTstack work brought iPhone-Wiimote integration into play recently.

BTstack Keyboard jailbreak app provides iPhone text entry originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BTstack Keyboard jailbreak app provides iPhone text entry originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumorous Maximus: Apple Holding Special Event January 26

The Financial Times is dropping the Apple Special Media Event bomb:

Apple is expected to use the venue to make a major product announcement on Tuesday, January 26th. Both YBCA and Apple declined to comment.

Apple’s last event introduced the iPod touch G3 back in September. Absent Macworld this year, their next cyclical event would be an iPhone OS Sneak Preview in March.

If this event is real, there’s no way to know what Apple will announce. Of course, everyone and their Twitter account will be guessing, and perhaps hoping for, an actual Apple iTablet. (Which means if it’s “only” iLife ‘10 there’ll be a mini riot on the interwebs, right?)

It’s almost new year; put on your prediction hat and tell us what will happen!

[Thanks to everyone who made our inbox 'splode with this!]

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

Rumorous Maximus: Apple Holding Special Event January 26

Apple Special Media Event Scheduled for January 26th?

The Financial Times reports that it has received word that Apple has scheduled a special media event for Tuesday, January 26th in San Francisco. The event will reportedly be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, site of the company's music-fo...

Gas Cubby app turns free with new sponsored version

As part of an exclusive sponsorship deal with Honeywell, App Cubby is now offering a free version of Gas Cubby with ads by Fram.

Google’s Acquisition of AdMob Delayed for Further FTC Scrutiny

Google today announced that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has requested additional information on the company's proposed acquisition of mobile advertising firm AdMob as the regulatory agency continues to investigate the appropriateness of the dea...

Next-gen iPhone to get a 5 megapixel camera?

Filed under: Hardware, Multimedia, Rumors, iPhone

I'm about due for an upgrade to my first generation iPhone, and a sweet camera would help seal the deal. That's the rumor going around (more or less unrelated to the other set of rumors we heard today, though I probably wouldn't turn down a higher-resolution iPhone with better camera included) according to a few places, which seem to stem from a company named Omnivision Technologies. They're expecting to not only see an increase in production of iPhone CMOS image sensor parts from 20 million to over 40 million in 2010, but they also say they've landed a deal to put together 5-megapixel CIS pieces for a new version of the iPhone.

Take this with the requisite grain of salt, of course -- we've expected cameras in some of Apple's devices before, and a few of us were disappointed. But it's not a big stretch to think that if Apple does release a new version of the iPhone as expected this year (be it a normal handheld or a larger tablet product), the camera in there will be able to take nicer video and better pictures than before.

[via MacRumors]

Next-gen iPhone to get a 5 megapixel camera? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Next-gen iPhone to get a 5 megapixel camera? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors! Mythical iTablet Event in January, iPhone Devs Asked to make “Full Screen” Apps

From analysts to so-called insiders, the rumors are growing that Apple just might have an event in January to just maybe announce the just possibly new iTablet with just a few select iPhone apps running full screen, resolution independent by showtime.

Meh. Apple has held January events for a long time — they introduced the iPhone at Macworld 2007 after all, and while Apple has pulled out of that event this year, there’s nothing to stop them trying to once-again upstage CES and put on their own invitation-only shindig sometime during the first month of 2010.

TiPb has long believed Apple has an iTablet in the labs since before the iPhone, and they’re only waiting on Steve Jobs to decide it has a place in the Apple lineup (other than toilet web-reader, apparently) for it to go to market. If Jobs is happy enough with whatever the current working prototype is, we’ll see it soon-ish. If not, we’ll be waiting until he is. That’s why Apple pulled out of Macworld — to keep to their own schedule.

As to iPhone app developers being asked to ready “full screen” versions of their apps… okay. Some apps like Safari, Mail, iPod (movies) will of course need to work “full screen” regardless of the size of the device, be it an iPhone, iTablet, or WVGA-style 4th generation iPhone HD. In fact, a larger iPhone is theoretically more of a problem than a tablet, because they’ll have to scale while many 3rd party apps could just run as smaller windows on a tablet UI. Do calculators really need to be “full screen”? Do Twitter apps? (Tweetie and Twitterrific for Mac OS X aren’t “full screen”, and that’s considered an advantage). Sure, games will want to use every pixel Apple gives them, as will some other apps. For many, “widgets” will be the way to go. In a mythical iTablet universe, Apple would have a mythical UI brilliant enough to handle “full screen” and widget elegantly. (And would have already been telling developers to do stuff like use web-based UI and CSS buttons for scalability, where appropriate).

So, as we head into this magical time of year — no, not the holidays, the “next Apple rumorpalooza!” — let us know what you think.

Apple iTablet: signs point to yes, it is uncertain, at this time no, or ask again later?

[Silicone Alley Insider via MacRumors]

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

Rumors! Mythical iTablet Event in January, iPhone Devs Asked to make “Full Screen” Apps

Zicron Software intros Gift Box for iPhone, iPod touch

Zicron Software has introduced Gift Box for iPhone and iPod touch, a gift notepad allowing shoppers to take a photo of any item and remember the cost and store.

MMA Underground Brings Mixed Martial Arts, UFC News to iPhone

MMA Underground [$1.99 - iTunes Link] brings your daily fix of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) news to the iPhone and iPod touch. If you are fan like Rene and myself, there’s finally a worthwhile application that has elbowed it’s way into the App Store, and it sports some great features.

• Breaking MMA and UFC news
• Fighters record search – Name a fighter and he/she is here. Over 250,000 fighters in total with a full fight history and detailed information.
• Upcoming event information such as fight cards, results, etc…
• Access to the Underground Forum.

If the information you are seeking is on the MMA Underground website, you can be sure to find it in this top notch MMA application.

More screenshots after the break!

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

MMA Underground Brings Mixed Martial Arts, UFC News to iPhone

Next Gen iPhone to Come With 5MP Camera?

Apple planning event for January, with high-res iPhone or small-sized tablet in tow? Maybe just hanging out?

Breaking news, everybody: Apple's working on some stuff. The rumors are flying in all directions today, starting out fairly innocently with word from the oft-innacurate DigiTimes of an iPhone-destined 5 megapixel camera sensor. Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster piled on with an investor note saying they're giving an Apple January event a 75% chance of happening, and the tablet is squarely at 50 / 50. The most interesting word, however, comes out of the Silicon Alley Insider, who is quoting a "plugged-in source in the mobile industry" who says that Apple is working with some select app makers on prepping high-res apps to demo on a "new, larger mobile device." The device would be shown in January but not available at that time -- presumably in wait for these redesigned apps to mature (at WWDC, perhaps?). While that rumor is being piled in with the ever-present tablet hubbub, if we were to read between the lines we'd say it sounds more like a higher-resolution iPhone in the style of Google's Nexus one or Motorola's Droid -- both of which are making the iPhone's 320 x 480 screen look a tad archaic. Certainly more likely than Apple releasing "several tablets" to match up with all the disparate rumors we've seen of the 7-inch / 9-inch / 10-inch unicorn device.

Apple planning event for January, with high-res iPhone or small-sized tablet in tow? Maybe just hanging out? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nescaline - Nintendo Emulator iPhone App Removed from App Store After Brief Appearance

My wife needs an intervention for her Live Cams addiction

Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

It's a problem worthy of an episode of Intervention. Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that my wife is addicted to the Live Cams app on her iPhone.

It all started when she was searching for new apps in the App Store, and she noticed a little app called Live Cams [US$0.99, iTunes Link]. It sounded innocuous enough -- the app provides a way to search, browse, view, and in some cases, control live web cams all over the planet. At a price of less than a buck, Live Cams couldn't harm anything or anybody, could it? We were both sure that the developer, Barry Egerter, couldn't have any evil intentions, so she bought Live Cams and installed it on her iPhone.

That's when I noticed the changes coming over my wife. Rather than conversing over dinner, she would stare at her iPhone, occasionally touching the screen to switch to a new webcam or aim a camera at a new target. She'd interrupt my constant attempts at reaching a new high score in DoodleJump [iTunes Link] by waving her iPhone in front of my face, forcing me against my will to look at cute kittens cavorting on a cat cam in Tokyo. And when she started waking up at 3:30 AM to see what the "Really curvy road in Slovenia" looked like in daylight, I knew she had a problem.

Continue reading My wife needs an intervention for her Live Cams addiction

My wife needs an intervention for her Live Cams addiction originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

My wife needs an intervention for her Live Cams addiction originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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