Apple defends app removal, iPhone takes 3rd for 2009, iPhone Os going to new platforms

Apple is defending the removal of some adult apps from the App Store. In a nutshell, Apple is saying that a few devs spoiled it for everyone with more and more apps containing very objectionable content. The iPhone took third place in smartphones globally in 2009 according to numbers from Gartner. ...

Photoshop 1.0 recreated for iPhone

Adobe already has a version of Photoshop available for the iPhone in the App Store, but what if your tastes run more retro than that? Ansca Mobile has taken their Corona iPhone development platform and a copy of Photoshop 1.0, and produced a special version intended for last week’s ...

iPhone Universal Remote Case, Unioo backup batteries, and iPhone card scanner

We all need extra power for our iPhone at one time or another and if you play lots of games, that need probably comes frequently. A company called Unioo has unveiled three new batteries and two of them connect to the charge connector on the iPhone. A company called Power A ...

I SPY and Clifford Apps From Scholastic Break Top 10 on the App Store

Scholastic Media is pleased to announce its I SPY™ Spooky Mansion iPhone™ app cracked into the Top 5 in the “Paid Kids Games” category on the App Store. With 3,000 apps in this category, I SPY Spooky Mansion jumped up nine spots in one week experiencing the highest number of ...

Unioo i800, i1500, and i5400 batteries for iPhone, iPod and other devices debut

The i800 is an iPhone/iPod touch charger that will also work with other iPods that have the docking connector. The battery clips onto the bottom of the device and has an 800mAh battery providing up to three more hours of talk or video. The i1500 is the same sort of ...

Power A unveils iPhone Universal Remote Case

Power A has unveiled its new iPhone Universal Remote Case that works in conjunction with a free software app to turn the iPhone or iPod touch into a universal remote that can control any IR device. The IR transmitter is built into a shiny black case that fits around the ...

iControlPad in production, no explicit app category, and MobileMe on Mobile Safari enhanced

I like playing games on my iPhone. I probably spend more time gaming on the thing than talking on it. If you like to game on yours, but you want a real controller the iControlPad is in production and said to be launching soon. The device gives real buttons for ...

iControlPad for iPhone in production; release imminent

The basic iControlPad will be a simple sleeve into which the iPhone slots.  It will have a D-pad plus two analog joysticks, four control buttons and two function keys (Start and Select).  As for the second upgraded model, that will also squeeze in a battery which can be used to ...

V-MODA Remix remote headphones for iPhone, iPhone owners to drive iPad sales, Vogue mag launches app

A new set of headphones for iPhone 3GS users has been unveiled called the V-MODA Remix Remote. The headphones have a mic and inline remote for controlling track and volume and can be bought at Apple Retail stores for $99. A survey has been conducted and claims that iPhone owners will ...

TigerText is deletes texts, iPhones made by kids, ZonePlayer S5 is tested

We have all sent texts at one time or another and wished after the fact that they could be deleted. A new app called TigerText is available that lets users send messages to each other via the application and set them to delete automatically. The app is $2.50 for unlimited ...

Assassin’s Creed II multiplayer, Rayman 2 out now on the iPhone

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

Two major league games have hit the App Store already this week, one of them for the surprise price of free. Ubisoft has released the multiplayer version of their Assassin's Creed II game on the App Store, and it's available for free for the first 48 hours. The game's a top-down multiplayer game that has you walking around the world of the console version, both targeting other players and being targeted yourself. All the reports say it's definitely worth a try, and if you can catch it before they raise the price back up (sounds like Ubisoft is trying to find a place for their releases), you should.

And as expected, Rayman 2 is also out on the App Store -- it's a port of the 3D Playstation platformer that was actually a Ubisoft property, but as you can see from the trailer above, this one's been ported by Gameloft. As with most iPhone platformers, the game uses virtual controls, but Touch Arcade says they work just fine. The save system is the biggest issue -- your iPhone is not the best platform for playing games for long stretches of time, and any game that kicks you back out to a menu if you happen to step away for a second will cause frustration eventually. Still, it sounds like a solid platformer port, and there are certainly fans of those out there. The game is $6.99 on the App Store right now.

Assassin's Creed II multiplayer, Rayman 2 out now on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Assassin's Creed II multiplayer, Rayman 2 out now on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How To Extend Your iPhone’s Battery Life [iPhone Tips]

AT&T plans for SXSW 2010

Filed under: Gaming, Freeware, Internet, Apple, iPhone, sxsw

Happy March! The super hip and trendy South-by-Southwest music and tech festival is coming up this month, and like many tech conventions these days, AT&T is working on a plan to keep their network up and running as thousands of iPhones descend on Austin, Texas to send around voice, texts, and data.

GigaOM has a little insight into how they're planning to do it this year, and if you're interested in the nuts-and-bolts of keeping a cell phone network up and running (or at least trying to -- this is AT&T, after all), it's worth a read. They're beefing up the cell towers in the city's vicinity, setting up a whole new system around the convention center itself, and putting money into the backend as well, to try and increase bandwidth coming into the region. I don't know if they've done anything like this before (I can't really judge with Macworld -- while my iPhone worked fine most of the time, I still only have a 1G, and I was using Sprint MiFi on my Macbook most of the time), but it sounds like a pretty comprehensive setup.

Of course, the other reason AT&T is pushing to get ready for SXSW is that the convention has become sort of an unofficial testing ground for the next big social apps. A few years ago, Twitter made its first big push around SXSW, and last year, Foursquare was the app to use (which has since spawned a brand new genre of app, the "check-in" network). So what's going to be the app pushing data through the AT&T network this year? The buzz so far is around Twitter's coming ad platform, though it's hard to think that an ad platform could be a killer app. My money's on some sort of location-based social game -- while Foursquare has gaming elements, I think an app like MyTown could take the concept even farther, and we still haven't really seen an actual GPS-based RPG or MMO break out. Even those of us who aren't at SXSW this year will be paying attention to what people are doing on their iPhones there, because odds are good that the app that clicks with attendees there will be what we're all playing with in a few months.

AT&T plans for SXSW 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AT&T plans for SXSW 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone/iPod 101: How to get the most out of your battery

Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone, iPhone 101

Since you can't just swap out the battery on your iPhone or iPod, it's important to know how to get the most life out of your device's battery, particularly if you won't be able to charge it for a while. Apple has two pages on its site that detail how to prolong battery life on both iPhones and iPods. The pages are far more detailed than the general lithium-battery tips floating around, and they tell you very specific steps you can take to increase your device's battery life.

The iPhone page is the lengthier of the two, and most of its tips apply to the iPod line as well. Apple notes that the most important thing to do is keep iPhones and iPods away from heat sources like direct sunlight or the inside of a car on a hot day. I can vouch for that one; my wife absentmindedly left her first-gen iPod nano in our car for several days a couple of years ago with its battery almost fully discharged. When she finally pulled it out of the car, the nano's battery was fried and couldn't be recharged.

Continue reading iPhone/iPod 101: How to get the most out of your battery

iPhone/iPod 101: How to get the most out of your battery originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone/iPod 101: How to get the most out of your battery originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad Inventories Might Be Limited At Launch Due To Production Problem?

Review: Pocket Reference for iPhone

If you're the person everyone's always looking to for answers, this app saves untold time fumbling around with Google searches.

Live from the Red Carpet: E! Online mobile app relaunched for Oscars

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Just in time for the Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7th (when you should be participating in the TUAW Talkcast...), E! Entertainment has relaunched the popular E! Online mobile app.

When we say popular, we mean it -- there are apparently over 1.4 million iPhone and Android users who enjoy their celebrity and entertainment news direct from the free app. The new version of the app includes the "E! Talk Box," which gives users a chance to record their own video commentary for possible inclusion on E! and/or E! Online. While your chances of getting your video snippet on the air are probably slim, at least you can finally talk back to the TV.

Part of the app update includes a new carousel navigation menu above the news section (see photo at right) that highlights coverage during the award season with special videos and a "Live from the Red Carpet" section.

You no longer need to tear yourself away from your iPhone or iPod touch to watch E! shows. The app, for better or for worse, lets you watch complete episodes of such favorites as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Soup.

If all you want is the scoop on your favorite celebs, you can also create a custom celeb list and get the news delivered directly to your iPhone or iPod touch.

The free app is available in the iTunes Store now. Be sure to let TUAW know if your iPhone submission to the E! Talk Box gets on the air.

Live from the Red Carpet: E! Online mobile app relaunched for Oscars originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Live from the Red Carpet: E! Online mobile app relaunched for Oscars originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Apple’s In-House A4 Chip Truly Revolutionary As It Is Made Out To Be?

Thumbplay Poaches Apple Executive, Launches Subscription Music Service

Media Memo reports that popular ringtone site Thumbplay has launched a new subscription music service, offering consumers unlimited streaming for $10/month with the option to purchase songs from a catalog...

AT&T says network will be ready for SXSW 2010

After experiencing disastrous coverage and network problems at SXSW 2009, AT&T has taken special measures to address those issues for SXSW 2010.