AT&T Tops 3G Wireless Performance Study

PCWorld reports on the results of its recent 13-city performance tests of wireless carriers in the United States, and Apple's iPhone partner AT&T came out well ahead of the pack in both upload and download speeds while also fairing well in reliabilit...

Review: Stone Wars for iPhone

It’s obvious that developer Epic Force put a lot of time and effort into developing arcade platformer Stone Wars, but that might be its biggest problem: There is just too much going on here.

TiPb Give-Away: Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food: Fresh & Easy Recipes

Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food: Fresh & Easy Recipes [$0.99 - iTunes Link] has a great variety of recipe choices, simple-to-apply shopping, and an ingredient search tool, so you don’t have to make chicken casserole for dinner for the 6th night in a row…

What you get is all of recipes from Martha’s Everyday Food magazine in one app. Daily easy dinner selection’s make the hassle of choosing what to eat each a little easier. The search tool can be organized by ingredients, manner of cooking and holiday. You can also share your favorite recipes with your friends.

You may find ziplist and the advertising a bit out of place for a paid for application but the recipes are of Martha Stewart’s caliber.

Now for the give-away! We have two (2) promo codes for TiPb readers, so if you want to try out this app for FREE just let us know why you’d like Martha’s help in the comments! Give-away starts now and ends Thursday March 25 at 12pm PT. Promo Codes require a US App Store account (Apple’s rule, not ours). They also expire, so if you win, redeem quickly!

TiPb Give-Away: Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food: Fresh & Easy Recipes is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Study: Android, iPhone fastest-growing smartphone platforms

Android and Apple's iPhone OS were the best performing smartphone platforms in 2009.

Apple Shows Off “Family Travel” iPhone Commercial

It seems like “On hold” and “First steps” weren’t the only new, activity-focused commercials Apple had ready for the iPhone as “Family Travel” has now made its Olympic debut as well.

“Family travel” highlights Southwest Airlines [Free - iTunes link] for pre-checkin, Gate Guru [Free - iTunes link] to find the kids a snack, and the built-in iPod app to play them a little Finding Nemo while they wait. Oh, and some Schlage LiNK [Free - iTunes link] to make sure the lights were off at home. End line: “That’s why I don’t go anywhere without my iPhone.”

So the transition from “App for that” and “App for just about anything” to focused, lifestyle-specific “look what you can do with your iPhone” ads is now complete. Interesting to see how they go about step-by-step educational strategies even in their commercials…

Apple Shows Off “Family Travel” iPhone Commercial is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Pearson offers learning app, iPhone grabs 25% of US smartphone market, zoomIt adds storage to iPhone

Pearson is a company that is well known in the professional and tech communities for its library of informational and educational books. The company has announced a new iPhone app offering online libraries, video, and more. ComScore has announced that the iPhone now holds 25% of the US smartphone market. ...

Major publishers’ sexy apps escape purge?

Apple made waves last week by banning a reported 5,000 sexually themed iPhone apps from its store. Apps from major publishers like Time Inc. and Playboy have inexplicably escaped the ban, however, which could mark a new low for Apple's App Store garden.

Phil Schiller responds to sex app purge

Filed under: Apple Corporate, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Late last week, Apple removed some 5,000 apps from the App Store for what it called "objectionable content." The story broke when Jon Atherton of Chillifresh, developer of the app Wobble iBoobs, sent an email to Techcrunch detailing his app's removal. Since then, Jon posted what is allegedly Apple's definition of "objectionable content"* to his site, which includes:

• No images of women in bikinis
• No images of men in bikinis
• No skin
• No silhouettes that indicate that Wobble can be used for wobbling boobs
• No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex - all banned
• Nothing that can be sexually arousing
• No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content

Of course, that immediately raises the question about the Playboy app and Sports Illustrated (SI) Swimsuit app, which are both in the store as of this writing. Apple's head of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller addressed this question and others in a New York Times article published today.

"It came to the point where we were getting customer complaints from women who found the content getting too degrading and objectionable, as well as parents who were upset with what their kids were able to see," Mr. Schiller said.

When asked why the SI and Playboy apps are still available, Mr. Schiller replied, "The difference is this is a well-known company with previously published material available broadly in a well-accepted format."

Now that Apple has put its foot down, they've got stick with it. In the meantime, developers who have been making decent money off of consenting adults who enjoy their apps cry foul. At the same time, developers like Wally Chang, founder of Donoma Games, welcome the change. "There just seems to be too many of these really simple applications that do nothing but show pictures of girls in bikinis or in suggestive, adult poses," he said. Some parents would agree.

Some have suggested that Apple could create a "red light district" area of the App Store that's disabled by default, while others suggest that parents simply monitor what their kids are downloading.

*This list has not been confirmed by Apple.

Phil Schiller responds to sex app purge originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Phil Schiller responds to sex app purge originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gartner: iPhone Sales Double in 2009 as Apple Claims Third Place in Smartphone Sales

Earlier this month, research firm IDC released sales figures for 2009 showing Apple holding 14.4% of the smartphone market for the year on nearly 82% sales growth over 2008, with the company grabbing third place among smartphone vendors behind Nokia ...

Survey Sees Pent-Up iPad Demand, Some Cannibalization of Other Apple Products

In research note released this morning, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky shares the results of a ChangeWave survey of over 3,200 respondents earlier this month revealing pent-up demand for Apple's forthcoming iPad, with demand even exceeding...

Macworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite

Filed under: Macworld, Interviews, iPhone, App Store

We had the opportunity to interview Mitch Waite, the developer of iBird Explorer Pro (US$29.99). This is an iPhone/iPod touch App running under OS 3.0 or better. According to Mitch, it is fourteen field guide books rolled into one App.

Apple liked the App so much that it was included it in an iPhone TV commercial. Macworld liked the app too and it was awarded the best reference App of 2009.

This is one big App, since it contains over 900 beautifully rendered pictures of birds, that Mitch will tell you all about in the video. It weighs in at 391MB, which may be a concern for those of you running out of storage. It's self-contained, needing no Wi-Fi or cellular connection. This was a wise design choice, since out in the wild, Cell signals can be a hard commodity to come by.

We apologize for the poor audio syncing of the video, but Mitch's story is quite fascinating.

Click on the 'Read More' link to view the video interview and demonstration of iBird Explorer Pro.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite

Macworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Macworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hints of video chat for iPhones and iPads

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone, SDK, iPad

9to5Mac reports that it has found both icons and code in the iPhone 3.2 SDK that could be indicative of video chat functionality coming to future iPads and/or iPhones. Specifically, there are icons labelled "AcceptVideo" and "DeclineOrEndVideo" complete with camera icons reminiscent of those already used by iChat, as well as a text string in the TelephonyUI which reads: "setButton2:_updateButtonSettings:_buttonWidthinitForVideoChatWithFrame" -- both of which are indicative of at least the embryonic beginnings of coding for video chat.

This isn't the first hint we've heard of video conferencing coming to some future iDevice. Apple-issued replacement parts for the iPad's frame contain a slot identical to the one used for iSight cameras on the MacBook, and another repair company has recently issued pics of what it claims is the next-gen iPhone's front face, complete with a mysterious hole that could be used for a front-facing camera. Many have cited the lack of any kind of camera and therefore the impossibility of video conferencing as one of their biggest disappointments concerning the iPad. General consensus among analysts is that even if Apple doesn't include a camera in the first-gen iPad, it almost certainly will next year; 9to5Mac's unearthing of video chat code in the iPhone 3.2 SDK is only the latest bit of evidence in support of that theory.

[Via MacDailyNews]

Hints of video chat for iPhones and iPads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hints of video chat for iPhones and iPads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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‘MacBook Pro 2010′ RAM Modules Spotted?

ThesMac.gr (translation) claims that they have spotted evidence of new memory modules marketed for the upcoming "MacBook Pro 2010".


The site doesn't list the source for the image, though a quick search shows a site called Ad...

NYT: Apple SVP, Phil Schiller on Why Sexy Apps are Out, Sports Illustrated, FHM and Playboy are Still In

Apple Senior VP of Marketing, Phil Schiller, was quoted by the New York Times in an article on the removal of 5000 sex-based app from the iTunes App Store:

“It came to the point where we were getting customer complaints from women who found the content getting too degrading and objectionable, as well as parents who were upset with what their kids were able to see.”

To developers who weren’t afforded any warning or options to pre-emptively make changes where such changes would have been possible:

“We obviously care about developers, but in the end have to put the needs of the kids and parents first.”

As to why Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit app, the Playboy app, and a few other publication-associated apps were allowed to remain:

“The difference is this is a well-known company with previously published material available broadly in a well-accepted format.”

Key take aways:

1. Apple’s App Store ratings system doesn’t work, since Apple classifies anything with unfettered web access as 17+, parents can’t block sex-based apps without blocking Twitter apps, Wikipedia, and countless other non-sex-based apps. Apple needs to redo the ratings system and allow more granular parental control. (Though Safari again shows the ridiculousness of most ratings systems — anyone and everyone can and will find anything and everything in the ratings-free web).
2. This move seems entirely perception-based. Apple likely doesn’t believe people will complain about established corporate content like Sports Illustrated [Free/in-app purchase - iTunes link], FHM [$1.99 - iTunes link], and Playboy [$0.99 - iTunes link] where they will about the indie guy who floods the App Store with 3000 variants of the same underwear and swimsuit pics. (Or if someone does complain about SI, Apple can point to its mainstream profile as an easy out).
3. Since Apple has shown no signs of wanting to get out in front of these issues and give developers warning before taking major action in the App Store, developers have to come to terms with the reality that making any application that comes anywhere near a) areas Apple may consider their own or b) areas where Apple may consider their brand/image at stake, means constant uncertainty and the risk of being removed at any point. Or they have to consider Web Apps, or other platforms and give Apple feedback that way.

Stick to safe, friendly games and helpful utilities and you should be find. Push any boundaries corporate or familial and you could be gone. Which is kind of sad, because Apple seems like the one company who could champion as much creativity, innovation, and boundary-pushing in the App Store as they do in their technology.

NYT: Apple SVP, Phil Schiller on Why Sexy Apps are Out, Sports Illustrated, FHM and Playboy are Still In is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Found Footage: Photoshop v1.0 recreated on iPhone

Filed under: Multimedia, iPhone, Graphic Design

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Photoshop, Adobe recently recreated Photoshop 1.0 -- on the iPhone. Porting the venerable application over to the iPhone reportedly took Adobe a mere two weeks of development. The application is not available on the iTunes Store; Adobe only created the app as a promo for their 20th anniversary Photoshop celebration. The app is really only valuable as a bit of nostalgia anyway, as Adobe's free iPhone app, Photoshop.com Mobile, has far more features than the Photoshop 1.0 app demoed above, which only seems to perform global level and RGB channel adjustments.

Even though the app isn't available to the public and is of limited utility compared to more modern offerings, it was still pretty cool to see UI elements from Classic Mac OS running on the iPhone. Using the Mac startup chime when Photoshop 1.0 launches on the iPhone was a particularly inspired touch, even if they did use the modern chime rather than any of the three 1990-era chimes. Now, if someone ever ports HyperCard over to the iPhone, I think my geek-meter might go right into overload.

Found Footage: Photoshop v1.0 recreated on iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: Photoshop v1.0 recreated on iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiPb Apps 2.3 — Geodelic for iPhone (Macworld 2010)

Live from Macworld 2010, Rene and Leanna talk to Buddy Dillenberg about Geodelic [Free - iTunes link], location-based discovery for iPhone.

TiPb Apps 2.3 — Geodelic for iPhone (Macworld 2010) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Review: Alarm Clock Pro for iPhone

Both the paid and free version of iHandySoft's Alarm Clock application join the ranks of similar offerings in the App Store. Both are fairly decent utilities, but they lack compelling bells and whistles to make them stand out from the crowd.

Gartner: Apple, Android, and RIM winners in 2009 smartphone growth, Nokia and Symbian still dominate

Gartner just released its annual numbers for worldwide mobile phone sales to end users in the year known as two thousand nine. Looking at smartphone OS market share alone, Gartner shows the iPhone OS, Android, and RIM making the biggest gains (up 6.2%, 3.4%, and 3.3% from 2008, respectively) at the expense of Windows Mobile (down 3.1%) and Symbian (down 5.5%). Although Gartner says that Symbian "has become uncompetitive in recent years," (ouch) it concedes that market share is still strong especially for Nokia; something backed up by Nokia's Q4 financials and reported quarterly smartphone growth of 5%. Regarding total handsets of all classifications sold, Nokia continues to dominate with 36.4% of all sales to end users (a 2.2% loss from 2008) while Samsung and LG continue to climb at the expense of Motorola (dropping from 7.6% to 4.5% of worldwide sales in 2009) and Sony Ericsson. See that table after the break or hit up the source for the full report.

Continue reading Gartner: Apple, Android, and RIM winners in 2009 smartphone growth, Nokia and Symbian still dominate

Gartner: Apple, Android, and RIM winners in 2009 smartphone growth, Nokia and Symbian still dominate originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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