‘ABC Player’ Updated to Support 3G Streaming and Landscape Orientation

Earlier today, we noted that ABC had updated its ABC Player application for the iPad to support video streaming over 3G networks and that the new version had been submitted to Apple for review.

Apple certainly didn't take long ...

Humble Daisy unveils SonicPics 1.3 and SonicPics Lite 1.3 for the iPhone

Humble Daisy today is pleased to announce an update to its popular mobile recording tool, SonicPics 1.3 and it’s free counterpart SonicPics Lite 1.3. SonicPics is a tool for creating and narrating custom photo slide shows on the iPhone or iPod touch. The update includes support for device rotation when making recordings as well as [...]

iPad Live Podcast #2: Thoughts on thoughts…

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iPad Wi-Fi + 3G is here, Steve Jobs’ thoughts on Flash are clear, Leanna talks Words with Friends, Georgia likes Field Runners, Chad’s all over Gowalla, and Rene loves him some Instapaper. Listen in!

Want to be part of the show?

Grab your iPhone, launch VoiceMemo, record yourself introducing the show. Tell us your name, where you live, your favorite iPhone app, and finish it off with “…and my favorite podcast is iPhone Live!” Then email it to news (at) tipb (dot) com. We’ll pick one of you, and you’ll be on the show!

• Example: “Hi, this is Jon from Cupertino. My favorite app is We Rule and my favorite podcast is iPhone Live!!”

Credits

Thanks to the the iPhone Blog Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

iPad Live Podcast #2: Thoughts on thoughts… is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

We Rule content update, server fixes incoming

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, iPad

Ngmoco CEO Neil Young posted another update last week about We Rule. That game is probably the biggest hit Ngmoco has come across yet with its freemium model, but unfortunately, the title has been plagued with service outages since the release. Young says that they simply underestimated the amount of people who want to play the game, and that they're working as quickly as possible to scale the server infrastructure on both the We Rule and Plus+ systems. The game is free-to-play, but in-game purchases still seem to be doing well for the company, as the app currently sits at number 40 on the Top Grossing list in the App Store, above a few $0.99 apps and even much more expensive fare.

Young says the company is also pushing out content updates for the game -- there are new crops to grow and new buildings to buy and build on the farms. I'm playing We Rule (if a little reluctantly), and it seems like Ngmoco is playing around with the variations on crops and reward times -- some crops seem designed to bring people back to the app in as quickly as a few hours, while some promise a large reward daily (as if they're trying to at least drive people back in every day). I've experienced a few more bugs as well, like not seeing any of my friends' kingdoms on the main screen.

Despite the bugs and the issues, it certainly seems like people are playing (and paying), and clearly Ngmoco is dedicated to support and producing content (Young says they're planning more updates for players who've reached level 25 already). Other freemium games like Godfinger haven't quite taken off as quickly, but as a flagship title for Ngmoco and a learning experience for their future releases, We Rule seems to be working well.

We Rule content update, server fixes incoming originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We Rule content update, server fixes incoming originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Lady of the United States tweets first on iPhone

During the White House Correspondents Association Dinner, First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama sent out her first tweet, via CNN’s Ed Henry. After light-hearted negotiations and getting clearance from the top — the very tip top — Henry typed the tweet out on his iPhone on Mrs. Obama’s behalf:

“from flotus: ‘here at dinner this is officially my first Tweet. i am looking forward to some good laughs from the potus and jay’”.

POTUS, of course, would be President of the United States. Jay would be Leno, the one who cost Coco his happy.

The story is almost Sorkian and worth a read, so check it out via the link below.

[CNN]

First Lady of the United States tweets first on iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Cloud Based iTunes May Not Be Coming Soon

Review: USA Today for iPad

This iPad-optimized version of the nation's newspaper disappoints. Besides some bugs that will likely be addressed in a future release, the app doesn't make much of an effort to take advantage of the iPad's more expansive interface.

Next Generation iPhone Could Get A 5-Megapixel Camera

Phantom Fish preps update to Byline Google Reader client

A major update to this Google Reader client for iPhone brings over a dozen new features, including full Webpage caching for "read more" posts, Twitter and Instapaper integration, and quick per-feed reading.

‘Spirit’ Jailbreak Tool for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch Released

Over the weekend, a new jailbreaking tool known as "Spirit" was released, offering users the ability modify their iPhone OS devices to run third-party applications not approved or distributed by Apple. N...

Apple’s Evolving Corporate Acquisition Strategy Examined

Bloomberg takes a look at Apple's spate of corporate acquisitions over the past six months, which has seen the company reverse a long-standing policy of making very infrequent deals with its recent purcha...

How to cram twice as much music onto your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

Apple’s iTunes News has posted up a helpful tip on how to use the new automatic 128 kpps downsampling function in iTunes to squeeze double the music (if lower quality) onto your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

Audiophiles will no doubt rather scratch their ears out than listen to anything that highly compressed, but if your ears are more greedy than golden, the 128 kbps downsampling might just be for you.

You can find it when you plug your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad into iTunes over USB, on the general screen that comes up. (See screenshot, above). Here are the extra-geeky details:

The bit rate for iTunes Plus (which is the format used for all music from the iTunes Store) is 256kbps (kilobits per second), and that’s also the default for the Import Settings used when you rip CDs. It provides excellent sound quality through most any playback system. However, for many people 128 kbps provides very, very good quality itself and may be acceptable for most situations. Your ear, taste, and how and where you listen to the music matter at least as much as the bit rate. If you’re feeling squeezed for space on one of your devices, select this option to fit in twice as many iTunes Plus songs. The music on your computer won’t be altered in any way and you can always switch back to 256kbps (or higher if you’ve ripped music at a custom bit rate) by unchecking the option the next time you sync.

I tried it but ultimately switched back to the regular mode. I couldn’t really tell the difference, but I didn’t sync enough music for it to matter so decided just to leave it off. Let me know if you’re liking, and using it.

[Apple iTunes News]

How to cram twice as much music onto your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

iPad apps cost more than iPhone apps on average

The average iPad app in the Apple App Store costs $4.67 vs. $3.87 for the average iPhone app, according to new research from apps watcher Distimo.

Iron Man 2 for iPhone now in App Store

Iron Man 2 for iPhone — based on the upcoming Marvel movie about the Golden Avenger — is now widely available in the iTunes App Store [$6.99 - iTunes link].

You can play as either Iron Man (fast and agile) proper or as War Machine (powerful), and there’s a variety of other armor to try out as well, including the Mark IV, Mark VI, Stealth, and underwater.

Gameloft Live is supported for achievements. Check out more screenshots after the break, and if you try it out let us know what you think!

Iron Man 2 for iPhone now in App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

iPad Wi-Fi Vs iPad 3G: Battery Life Compared

Report: Feds may launch inquiry into Apple’s Flash stance

The New York Post, citing "a person familiar with the matter," says that either the Department of Justice or Federal Trade Commission will soon look into Apple's decision to block mobile software makers from using Flash to build iPhone apps.

3G-Compatible ‘ABC Player’ for iPad En Route

One of the early notes on the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G was the observation that several video streaming applications for the iPad such as Netflix and YouTube offer lower-resolution video over 3G than they do over Wi-Fi. Others, such as ABC's popular ...

Speedier phones still can’t keep up with networks

Next-gen smartphones will get faster surf speeds, but costs and technical limitations will keep them from getting the most out of the networks.

Review: Pinheads Party for iPad

Pinheads Party by Republic of Fun is one of the first multiplayer board games to appear on the iPad. It makes excellent use of the iPad’s larger screen and shows plenty of potential, however, the gameplay comes up a little short.

Finite Elemente’s Hohrizontal 51 iPod / iPhone dock is its own shelf

The world needs another iPod / iPhone dock like it needs another billion gallons of oil floating around in the Atlantic, but there's something eerily seductive about Finite Elemente's latest piece. The Hohrizontal 51 is no average dock, and in our estimation, it's a design element first and Apple accessory second. Designed to be wall mounted and hold up to 55 pounds, this stunning shelf integrates an iPod / iPhone dock into itself, and the inbuilt speakers / video outputs make it even more functional. There's plenty of space for a bedroom-sized HDTV, and if you're careful, maybe even an iMac. Too bad the $660 MSRP all but eliminates the hope of you ever springing for one, but hey, if you ever needed encouragement to sharpen your carpentry skills, you needn't look further than the source link below.

Finite Elemente's Hohrizontal 51 iPod / iPhone dock is its own shelf originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 May 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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