Another Week, Another Mac OS X 10.6.3 (10D561) Seed For Developers

There isn't much more to say about these Mac OS X seeds, except that Apple is still at it. Tonight, Apple delivered Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D561 for developers. iPhone Canada details the changes listed, which haven't changed much since the previous...

Apple Yanks “Explicit” Option from iTunes

We are sorry to pass on the news that according to Gizmodo, Apple has yanked the “explicit” option that was spotted earlier today within the App Store submission software, iTunes Connect.

Gizmodo’s iPhone developer tipster even verified the removal by contacting Apple via telephone and were basically told not to expect to see the explicit option back anytime in the near future.

So it looks likes explicit content has seen it’s day numbered within the App Store, just another reason for some of you to jailbreak eh?

[Via Gizmodo]

Apple Yanks “Explicit” Option from iTunes is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Tune Runner rises to the top on a wave of free

Filed under: Gaming, Freeware, Apple, Developer, iPhone, App Store

There's been some interesting discussion in our comments section lately about Ngmoco's freemium model -- first they made headlines by endorsing it even to the detriment of one of their most popular games, and then they bought Freeverse and the conversation started up again. But while customers don't seem to like the freemium model very much, there's a growing number of examples that go the other way, and here's another: Appy Entertainment is a company that's been doing fairly well with a game called FaceFighter, but last weekend, they decided to drop the price of that game to free, and use the giveaway to promote their newest game, Tune Runner. And the plan worked extremely well -- after just a week, their original music game is rivaling Rock Band and Tap Tap Revenge for downloads.

FaceFighter hadn't been doing badly, but offering it up for free not only increased its downloads to several hundred thousand (which sounds like a lot for Appy), but put the new game in front of a whole bunch of people who otherwise might not have heard about it. And Tune Runner is a "freemium" app -- you get the first hit for free, and can buy more premium content inside the app. With an example like this, why would a developer not go with a freemium model? As Freeverse's CEO told us, customers may complain about the model, but assuming your game has the quality to support it, it's the best way to monetize the App Store's huge audience.

That's not to say that the paid model should be abandoned for good -- even Appy says they plan to release a paid version of their app with the in-app purchase content already unlocked. But for all of the murmuring about the freemium model, it certainly seems that customers' actions are different than words on the App Store.

Tune Runner rises to the top on a wave of free originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tune Runner rises to the top on a wave of free originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alice goes down the rabbit hole to the App Store

Alice in Wonderland - An Adventure Beyond the Mirror features Alice and fan-favorites like the Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter as they make their way through a whimsical fantasy land inspired by Burton’s film.

iPhone Live! Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT (1am GMT)

Join Chad, Mickey, and Rene for a look back at all the week’s big news! If you have any questions, leave a comment below, hit us up on Twitter @tipb, 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!

iPhone Live! Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT (1am GMT) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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iPhone modded with titanium back

Filed under: Hardware, Mods, iPhone, iPad

Everyone's saying that the next version of the iPhone will have a case upgrade, but Martin Schrotz couldn't wait -- he encased his iPhone 3GS in titanium, and Engadget has a gallery of pictures of the ubercool mod. I thought he had actually put the titanium cover over the plastic back, but apparently he went whole hog and actually removed the back cover and replaced it with this one. The design isn't quite perfect (though it looks great for a one-man mod, don't get me wrong) -- the logo is a tad too big, and the metal looks a little homemade to be Apple's actual brushed metal -- but it is much cleaner than the current plastic design.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the iPhone's next revision does take away a lot from the iPad. Hopefully not just in the hardware, either -- a cool metal back would be great, but I'd like to see the firmware overhauled as well.

iPhone modded with titanium back originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone modded with titanium back originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Briefly Adds New “Explicit” Category For App Store Submissions; Then Removes It

The titanium iPhone is real, really real (video)

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Engadget_gets_a_titanium_iPhone_3GS_on_video'; You came, you saw, some of you were not convinced. So what's a gadget blog to do when picture evidence isn't enough? Why get those pictures moving, of course, right up to 30 frames a second. The stunning titanium iPhone 3GS from this morning is back, proving not only its existence in the corporeal realm, but also its much-disputed ability to place a call -- something that even the default plastic-backed units sometimes struggle with. Look, we're not in Austria and therefore can't lick it and tell you if it really tastes of titanium, but on the evidence we have the thing looks legit. Judge for yourself after the break.

Continue reading The titanium iPhone is real, really real (video)

The titanium iPhone is real, really real (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: PatternMusic for iPhone

This music app may not satisfy some serious musicians, but PatternMusic still provides an engaging experience for creating your own sounds and loops.

Mobile carriers defend early termination fees

Mobile phone carriers defend early termination fees, saying the charges help subsidize the cost of smartphones.

iTunes Music Hits 10 Billion Downloads!

So the contest is done and we’re waiting to see who won Apple’s 10 Billion iTunes Music download $10,000 iTunes gift card.

We’ll update as soon as they announce a winner, but in the meantime if you bought anything today in an attempt to get in on the action, let us know what it was. We’re always looking for some good tune recommendations!

iTunes Music Hits 10 Billion Downloads! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Apple COO Tim Cook On The iPad, Carrier Exclusivity And More

Apple serves up 10 billionth iTune, smiles all the way to the bank

Whether you love it or loathe it, there is now no way to deny the spectacular success of Apple's iTunes Store. The proprietary digital media player, organizer and salesperson has just now recorded its 10 billionth song download, marking a truly unique achievement in the still nascent world of digital distribution. Congratulations to Apple, whose response has been to thank you all for spending so much cash and making El Steve look like the techno pied piper. Hit the source link to find out what the most downloaded songs of "all time" were... you might not be surprised by the top three, but you should definitely be horrified.

Apple serves up 10 billionth iTune, smiles all the way to the bank originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes Store Reaches 10 Billion Songs Downloaded

Apple's iTunes Store today reached 10 billion music downloads since its inception in 2003, and along with the milestone comes the end of the company's "Countdown to 10 Billion Songs" promotion. The winner of the promotion, who is yet to be a...

iTunes Store Reaches 10 Billion Downloads

Apple's iTunes Store today reached 10 billion music downloads since its inception in 2003, and along with the milestone comes the end of the company's "Countdown to 10 Billion Songs" promotion. The winner of the promotion, who is yet to be a...

Mega Man 2, Earthworm Jim, Myst, Golden Axe, Secret of Monkey Island — TiPb’s Top 5 Retro Games!

Today’s TiPb Top 5 will be directed towards our iPhone and iPod touch wielding readers who love their classic, retro games. Just like our other TiPb’s top 5 must-have posts, all of these applications are available in the App Store. For the full run down, follow us after the break!

Mega Man 2

Originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1988, Capcom’s Mega Man 2 ranks in as one of the greatest retro games ever made. This iPhone version is a pretty close port of the Nintendo original. The game features the same simple graphics from the original version along with the 256×256 pixel playfield. Controls are handled via a virtual onscreen joystick and two buttons. The biggest negative that some of you may not like is the game’s difficulty — or lack there of. It’s pretty easy to get through this one, especially when compared to the original.

• Utilize virtual arcade controls to control the blue bomber.
• Rebalanced gameplay for the iPhone experience.
• Battle your way through 14 levels, and conquer 9 unique bosses, each with a unique weapon!
• Bringing the original classic NES game to the palm of your hand

Mega Man 2 [iTunes Link] is available now in the App Store for only $.99 but hurry as this price may soon change!

Earthworm Jim

Initially released on Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo back in 1994, Earthworm Jim broke new ground in 16-bit gaming and we are happy to say the Gameloft iPhone version holds up pretty well. No corners were cut with this one as everything that makes the original a classic is here. — nice crisp graphics, excellent sound and good controls.

• Run, gun, swing from hooks with your head, launch cows, bungee jump, rocket through speed levels and more!
• Face 12 types of enemies and 9 bosses.
• 4 different styles of gameplay: Side-scrolling run & gun, space racing, bungee jumping and underwater levels
• 10 original environments divided into 16 levels
• 4 levels of difficulty, including the challenging mode of the original game
• The re-mastered cult soundtrack
• iPod library access to play your favorite tracks while playing the game.

Earthworm Jim [iTunes Link] is currently available in the App Store for $4.99.

Myst

Myst was one of the first games to be put on a CD-ROM in 1993 and back then it simply awed gamers around the world. With the iPhone version of Myst you not only get an exact replica of the original but you get it improved graphically. Yes, the iPhone version of Myst is visually more impressive than the PC/Mac counterpart.

• All the original Ages & gameplay
• High quality images (better than original Myst)
• Full music & sound effects
• Original movies & animations
• Auto-save (when quitting or phone call)
• “Bookmark” system to save & restore progress
• Swipe to turn
• Auto-zoom in certain close-up areas
• Quick access to hint guide
• Works with iPhone 3G, the original iPhone, and iPod touch.

Myst [iTunes Link] is available in the App Store on sale for $4.99.

Golden Axe

Sega’s 1989 classic 16-bit game Golden Axe is available for your iPhone. Those of you familiar with the original will feel right at home as it’s a exact replica of the Genesis version. You pick one of three characters -a powerful Fighter, a female Amazon, and a mighty Dwarf. Each have different strengths and magical powers, and your mission is to battle through dark castles, on the back of a giant turtle, and even on the wings of an enchanted eagle to challenge the Death-Adder. Along with your sword and axe, you can hop on the backs of the Bizarrians and use their fierce attacks like fire breath and tail whips.

Those of you who do not own a iPhone 3GS may want to avoid this as there are reports of it being a bit sluggish on the older models.

Golden Axe [iTunes Link] is available in the App Store for $4.99.

Secret of Monkey Island

This remake of the 1990 classic PC title Secret of Monkey Island weighs in at a hefty 351MB and it is worth every single byte. If a brilliant story, great visuals and good controls are what you look for in a game, this one’s is for you. Some reviewers complain about the controls but we did not have any major gripes. Sure they could be improved but this very well may be the best version of this LucasArts classic.

• An all new re-imagined contemporary art style
• Complete voice over by members of the original Monkey Island™ franchise cast
• A re-mastered musical score using live instruments
• Plus, scene-for-scene hot swap to seamlessly transition between Special Edition and Classic modes at anytime

Secret of Money Island [iTunes Link] is available in the App Store for $7.99.

Have a classic retro game you would like to add to this list? Please share it with other readers in the comments below!

Mega Man 2, Earthworm Jim, Myst, Golden Axe, Secret of Monkey Island — TiPb’s Top 5 Retro Games! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Camera On Next Gen iPads To Come With Flash And Zoom?

Valet Hustle mixes puzzle gameplay with social message

Factory Games, a new San Francisco-based iPhone game developer, launched its first iPhone game, Valet Hustle. And the game makes no bones about its support for gay rights in general and equal marital rights for gays and lesbians in particular.

Hackers laugh at app store ban, Opera 6x faster than Safari, MeeBo multi IM chat app debuts

ChannelWeb reports that hackers who were banned from the App Store for violating AT&T rules are scoffing at Apple. Most of these hackers are more known for work on Jail Break software that malicious code. Opera is claiming that its Mini browser for the iPhone is six times faster than Safari. ...

reMail gobbled by Google, call for BBC app ban, and 21 useful travel apps

Search giant Google has acquired the firm behind the reMail search application for the iPhone. The app is designed to provide a search function for Gmail and IMAP email accounts. BBC News reports that a newspaper group is calling for BBC iPhone apps to be blocked. The reason behind the cry ...