Archive for the ‘iphone’ category

TiPb Apps 4.4 — Business Card Reader for iPhone

March 11th, 2010

Business Card Reader iPhone

While I’m busy editing all the GDC 2010 gaming video we just shot, we’re putting up our second to last look at Macworld 2010. Here Rene and Leanna talk with Alexander Ostroysky, Customer Care at Shape Services about Business Card Reader for iPhone, IM+, and their other apps.

Watch along after the break, and let us know what you think!

YouTube Link

TiPb Apps 4.4 — Business Card Reader for iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, TiPb Apps, alexander ostroysky, business card reader, im, iphone, shape services

Birdfeed Twitter Client is now Brizzly… and Free!

March 10th, 2010

The delightful Twitter client Birdfeed has been bought, updated, and rebranded by Brizzly and is now available as Brizzly for iPhone… for free! [iTunes link]

If you’re looking for a great Twitter client, give Brizzly a try. (Note: per comment below, you do need a brizzly.com account to use it which might not appeal to some.)

[via Daring Fireball]

Birdfeed Twitter Client is now Brizzly… and Free! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, News, birdfeed, brizzly, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, twitter, twitter client

VoiceCentral Black Swan Brings Google Voice to the iPhone

March 10th, 2010

blackswan

Riverturn has entered into the Google Voice for iPhone arena with it’s latest offering VoiceCentral Black Swan. Google Voice and iPhone have a long history together and it has not been pretty, until now that is.

Black Swan is an application you can get outside of the App Store and you do not need to have a jailbroken device. It is not a web app like the official Google solution but rather a feature rich “weblication” that enables you to view and manage your Google Voice data just like you would with a native iPhone application. As you can see by the following features, no stone as been left unturned with this app:

Native iPhone look and feel.
Sync your Google Voice data.
Automatic and immediate updates.
Offline access to Google Voice data.
Listen to Google Voice messages and read transcriptions.
Swipe to delete calls, voicemails, or SMS conversations.
Google Contacts import.
Call using Google Voice or iPhone.

Simply visit the Black Swan web site directly from your iPhone to download. You will have a choice to select between two versions – free (ad-supported) or premium. The premium version will run you $6.00 a year and for that you will also get zero ads, the ability to import contact photos, favorites, ability to search your inbox, and a do not disturb option.

This is hands down the best current solution for those of you who use Google Voice on your iPhones. Be sure to check out the demo of Black Swan in action and let us know how it works for you in the comments below!

[Via TUAW]

VoiceCentral Black Swan Brings Google Voice to the iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Apps, Black Swan, Google, google voice, iphone, voicecentral

iTunes LP was Record Labels’ Idea?

March 10th, 2010

GigaOm is reporting that, contrary to speculation that Steve Jobs wanted to return us to a more analog time when we bought new albums and sank back for ours drinking in every liner note and detail, iTunes LP was actually the record labels’ idea:

I’m told by an industry source who preferred to remain anonymous that iTunes LP wasn’t Apple’s idea in the first place. Rather, it’s the result of the same renegotiations between Apple and the major record labels that yielded DRM-free songs and flexible pricing early last year, a concession by Cupertino to make a gesture in favor of album sales as consumers increasingly show a preference for digital singles.

It’s further said that Apple subsidized the first batch of iTunes LPs, whose production costs were an unbelievable $60,000. The more recent release of developer tools is seen as reducing that cost, and rumors persist of an iDVD-like replacement application from Apple that would work to make iTunes LP and iTunes Extra.

Either way, enthusiasm among artists and Apple itself seems to be low, though just over double the amount of iTunes LPs are available now than were at launch. GigaOm suggests artists are also interested in the App Store as a way to provide extra content to consumers, which might split focus for iTunes LP.

In terms of pushing the format forward, it’s now supported by Apple TV (stuttering though it may be), but there’s been no sign of support for the 75 million iPhone and iPod touch devices on the market. It will be supported by the iPad, however, though Apple hasn’t been pushing iTunes LP as a selling point so far.

Have you bought an iTunes LP? Are you interested in the format going forward?

iTunes LP was Record Labels’ Idea? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Music, News, apple tv, iTunes, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, itunes lp, record labels

TiPb Apps 4.3: Street Fighter IV for iPhone (GDC 2010)

March 10th, 2010

Live from GDC 2010 Rene talks to Tezuka-san, Street Fighter IV [$9.99 - iTunes link] iPhone producer for Capcom (via translator) about making Street Fighter for the iPhone and iPod touch, getting the controls right, and whether or not we might see Street Fighter for the iPad.

Tezuka-san points out how Capcom decided to make the controls very customizable, allowing users to choose whether they want the button low down, in the middle, or high up, and set the level of transparency. This means you can hold the iPhone or iPod touch anyway you like and set up the controls just the way you like.

I had a chance to play it just before release and while I got my butt kicked in multiplayer, the game looked gorgeous and handled very well. I could pull off what few moves I remembered from my childhood in the arcade, and I could resort to button (er… screen) mashing when all else failed. (Yes, just like my childhood in the arcade.)

For the iPad, they’re going to sit down and figure out how the controls work and what the experience is like on that screen with that form factor. If it makes sense, they’ll do it. If not, there are other Capcom games that certainly might. It’s all about the quality of the end product for them.

Watch along after the break!

YouTube link

TiPb Apps 4.3: Street Fighter IV for iPhone (GDC 2010) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Capcom, Games, TiPb Apps, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, street fighter, street fighter iv, tezuka-san

CBS Sports NCAA March Madness and MLB.com At Bat 2010 Now Available for iPhone

March 9th, 2010

march_atbat

Spring is in the air and March is a perfect time for all you sports fans out there to get your daily fix with the release of CBS Sports March Madness [iTunes Link - $9.99] and MLB.com At Bat 2010 [iTunes Link - $14.99].

For the full list of features to both of these great sport applications, follow us after the break!

CBS Sports NCAA March Madness is a great buy for anyone who can not get enough of their collage hoops. Not only does it provide you with live streaming video of 63 games over EDGE/3G and Wi-Fi but it also provides all of the following great features.

Video highlights on demand from every game
LIVE STREAMING OF THE SELECTION SUNDAY SHOW ON MARCH 14
Westwood One Radio coverage starting on March 16
Real time graphical bracket with updates on game match-ups, regions, and scores
Exclusive CBSSports.com Edge Matchup game previews, including team-by-team analysis and matchup comparisons
Alerts for favorite teams, as well as upsets, buzzer beaters, overtimes, and more
Breaking tournament news coverage
Box scores, recaps, and team stats
Access to CBSSports.com tournament brackets (requires sign-in with CBSSports.com ID/password)
Log into your Facebook and Twitter accounts to comment on games and talk trash to your friends

MLB.com At Bat 2010 is more of the same great baseball application from the 2009 season so you can still listen to the audio of every game in the regular season and postseason live, get scores and highlights, get push notifications, live streaming video (blackout restrictions apply), etc… They’ve even went ahead and added some brand new features for 2010.

Spring Training statistics and LIVE audio
LIVE video with MLB.TV beginning mid-March
Breaking news, schedules and interactive rosters and player stats for every team
Video library searchable by player and team
Enhanced LIVE game video (Regular Season)
Home/Away broadcast feed selection (Regular Season)
Background audio playback
Additional enhancements to come during 2010 season, including a suite of ‘At The Ballpark’ advantages in At Bat 2010, from customized, proprietary content to fan-experience tools and more

If you pick these up, let us know what missing features you’d like to see included (if any) in the comments below!

CBS Sports NCAA March Madness and MLB.com At Bat 2010 Now Available for iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, At Bat 2010, app store, cbs, iphone, march madness, mlb, sports

iPhone 4.0 in June, “Grand Unifying” iPhone 4.1 in September?

March 9th, 2010

Following on Daring Fireball’s suggestion that iPhone 4.0 might bring the Calculator, Clock, Stocks, Weather, and Voice Memo to the iPad, The Loop Insight argues that it might just be iPhone 4.1 instead:

Phone OS 4.0 will include lots of new features, just like you would expect to see from Apple. However, It doesn’t make sense for Apple to unify the two operating systems for 4.0 with the timeline they are working with.

Rather, I expect Apple to release OS 4.1 in September or October. It will not only address issues with the 4.0 release, but also unify the operating systems.

iPhone 4.0 would presumably hit with the 4th generation iPhone (not to be confused with an iPhone 4G for LTE which is likely 2012). For the last two years, new iPhone software has been released as beta at SDK preview events in March while new iPhone hardware has been debuted at WWDC in June. New iPod touch hardware has followed in September, typically with updated software.

If Apple sticks to this pattern, the above does indeed make sense as getting as many users — iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch alike — on the same version of the OS is better for Apple, better for developers, and better for users.

For us, we’ll take it one step at a time and wait for that iPhone 4.0 sneak preview…

iPhone 4.0 in June, “Grand Unifying” iPhone 4.1 in September? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in 4th gen iphone, 4th gen ipod touch, Rumors, grand unification, ipad, iphone, iphone 4.0, iphone 4.1, ipod touch

DF: iPad Stocks, Calculator, Weather, Clock, Voice Memo Apps Scrapped by Steve Jobs

March 9th, 2010

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber suggests that bigger, iPad versions of the built-in iPhone Stocks, Calculator, Weather, Clock and Voice Memo were scrapped by Steve Jobs:

It’s not that Apple couldn’t just create bigger versions of these apps and have them run on the iPad. It wasn’t a technical problem, it was a design problem. There were, internally to Apple (of course), versions of these apps (or at least some of them) with upscaled iPad-sized graphics, but otherwise the same UI and layout as the iPhone versions. Ends up that just blowing up iPhone apps to fill the iPad screen looks and feels weird, even if you use higher-resolution graphics so that nothing looks pixelated. So they were scrapped by you-know-who.

Gruber was responding to theories that these apps would instead be offered as App Store downloads, or could be part of some secret widget dashboard implementation. In other words, that it’s a design issue, not a technical issue.

However, new UI that would make the iPad an amazing bedside clock (how’s that for a Lock Screen), or show Stocks with a variety of graphs and related news and data, or weather for several days and cities at once, certainly seems possible for Apple’s UI wizards. Perhaps they simply lacked time to re-do the apps for the already extended April 3 release date?

Perhaps they’ll appear on the iPad in some re-imagined form this summer with OS 4.0, but when the iPad ships next month, there won’t be versions of these apps. At least that’s the story I’ve heard from a few well-informed little birdies.

Speaking of which, any little birdies hear anything about an iPhone 4.0 sneak preview event yet? Or is everyone just focused on getting the iPad out right now?

DF: iPad Stocks, Calculator, Weather, Clock, Voice Memo Apps Scrapped by Steve Jobs is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in News, Steve Jobs, Widgets, calculator, clock, daring fireball, ipad, iphone, iphone 4.0, stocks, voice memo, weather

iPhone No Longer “Mobile”, Big Enough to be Own Gaming Platform Now

March 9th, 2010

I already mentioned I’m on my way to GDC 2010 to cover the iPhone panel, and that iPhone gaming is getting big, so it’s interesting to see CNET reenforce just how big it’s getting:

strikingly absent among those 18 [Mobile Gaming] panels are any that deal with game development specifically for the iPhone. And why? Because for the first time, the GDC advisory board decided that Apple’s smartphone is an important enough platform to warrant its own summit. And it filled quickly.

Simon Jeffrey, vice president of social applications for leading iPhone game developer Ngmoco says:

“The iPhone is now recognized as a leading platform that’s independent from the mobile. People are specifically naming the iPhone as a threat to their businesses. Nintendo said the iPhone is taking customers away from [its popular] DS handhelds.”

The cost of entry is lower than Microsoft or Nintendo, and it’s getting more and more popular while still maintaining its cool factor.

While Android and Windows Phone 7 Series will bring the competition (and perhaps Palm as well), right now the iPhone is riding high on its head start.

iPhone No Longer “Mobile”, Big Enough to be Own Gaming Platform Now is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Development, Games, News, gaming, gdc, gdc 2010, ipad, iphone, ipod touch

Cameron Daigle’s “Is the iPad Just a Big iPhone?” UI Presentation from PodCamp Nashville

March 8th, 2010

Cameron Daigle’s “is the iPad just a big iPhone” user interface presentation from PodCamp Nashville. Note, the second slide is a gigantic “NO.”

[via Daring Fireball]

Cameron Daigle’s “Is the iPad Just a Big iPhone?” UI Presentation from PodCamp Nashville is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in News, cameron daigle, design, ipad, iphone, presentation, user interface

Zombie Castle Defender ‘ZombieSmash!’ Coming to iPhone and iPod touch

March 8th, 2010

zombiesmash!

Whether you are a fan of the Castle Defender genre or Zombies, you are sure to love the soon to be released ZombieSmash! for iPhone and iPod touch.

In similar fashion to the very popular Plants vs Zombies, ZombieSmash! adds a few new tricks to Castle Defender games with the addition of some fancy ragdoll physics and excessive amounts of cartoon gore. Look for ZombieSmash! to drop in the App Store sometime this month for $1.99.

Check out the official trailer after the break!

[Via Touch Arcade]

Zombie Castle Defender ‘ZombieSmash!’ Coming to iPhone and iPod touch is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Castle defender, Games, Zombiesmash!, app store, game, iphone, ipod touch

TiPb Apps 4.1 (and Give Away!) — Consume for iPhone

March 8th, 2010

Rene talks to Marc Edwards of Bjango about Consume [$0.99 - iTunes link] for iPhone. Consume lets you track your cell phone and broadband usage, packages (like new Apple Store deliveries!), club cards, and more.

And Bjango’s giving away ten (10) promo codes to TiPb readers! Just drop a comment below and tell us what you’d like to see in an iPad version of Consume. We’ll pick 10 of you at random (so make sure you leave a valid email address so we can contact you).

Note: Promo Codes are only valid in the US App Store (Apple’s rule, not ours), and they expire, so if you get one, use it asap!

YouTube link

TiPb Apps 4.1 (and Give Away!) — Consume for iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Consume, TiPb Apps, bjango, give away, ipad, iphone, ipod touch

Is Skype/Verizon Deal Delaying Skype Over 3G for iPhone?

March 7th, 2010

Is the recently announced Skype/Verizon deal delaying the release of Skype over 3G for the iPhone? Previously AT&T announced they would change their policy and allow VoIP over 3G, Apple announced they would change their SDK agreement to allow it, and Skype announced they would provide it to their iPhone users. AT&T has come through, Apple has come through, other VoIP clients have begun offering 3G. And Skype…? They said they were waiting to make sure Apple was okay with it. They made sure. They said they were waiting to improve 3G call quality. And…? Still nothing.

They did, however, announce a deal for Skype over 3G with Verizon at Mobile World Congress a couple weeks ago. Since then, WMExperts tell us the Windows Mobile Skype app is no longer available for download. According to Venture Beat (via BGR) their Symbian Skype App has now been pulled from the Ovi Store. When asked why Skype was removed from the Ovi Store, Venture Beat was told:

Skype has made a decision in the United States to not promote the Skype for Symbian app through the Ovi Store. We did this so that we could drive more attention to the recently announced Skype and Verizon Wireless agreement. This was a marketing decision — plain and simple

The iPhone Skype app [Free - iTunes link] is still in the App Store (after a short hiccup) but it’s still Wi-Fi only. When asked for comment after the Verizon agreement, a Skype rep would only tell TiPb that there was no further updates since last time.

So, is it just taking longer than we expected to get that really great 3G voice quality out for Skype? Or has the Verizon deal sucked all the attention out of the room? 9to5Mac thought so a couple weeks ago, do the Windows Mobile and Symbian actions now lend credence to that theory? And are you still waiting for Skype over 3G for iPhone, or have you started using alternatives? Let us know!

Is Skype/Verizon Deal Delaying Skype Over 3G for iPhone? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Apps, News, att approves voip, iphone, ipod touch, skype, skype 3g

All CrackBerry.com Gets For it’s 3rd Birthday is… a BlackBerry Slider?! — The Competition

March 6th, 2010

CrackBerry.com celebrates its 3rd birthday this week… and all they get is a BlackBerry Slider?!

First, we’d like to wish our sibling site, and best frenemy forever, CrackBerry.com and their fearless leader, CrackBerry Kevin a very happy 3rd birthday! They’re the #1 site for BlackBerry users… and abusers! for a reason, and they’re giving away a TON of free stuff to celebrate. If you have a BlackBerry in your other pocket, or know someone who rocks the pushy keyboard, get on over there and win you some stuff!

Now what do you get for the CrackBerry fanatic that has everything? How about leaks of a new BlackBerry slider that was once-upon-a-chuckle code-named “Mr. T”. Far as we can tell, it’s not anywhere close to what anyone would call sexy, but it does show how far RIM will go to try and get the full, touch screen but keep the physical keyboard.

It should ship with BlackBerry OS 6.0, which should include their new WebKit browser (as in the rendering engine behind iPhone Safari, as well as Google Android and Palm webOs).

Anyone wish Apple was making an iPhone slider, or are we thinking mainstream adoption of some 50,000 units shows the era of physical keyboards is over?

All CrackBerry.com Gets For it’s 3rd Birthday is… a BlackBerry Slider?! — The Competition is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in News, The competition, blackberry slider, crackberry.com, iphone

TiPb Gear: SCOTTEVEST Quantum Jacket, Fleece 5.0, Ultimate Hoodie for iPhone… and iPad!

March 5th, 2010

Rene takes a look at the SCOTTEVEST Quantum Jacket, Fleece 5.0 Jacket, and Ultimate Hoodie, and talks to Scott about SeV’s plans for the iPad!

As I explain in the video, this isn’t stuff I was sent to review, it’s stuff I bought to use. Based on a combination of the harsh Canadian winters, my proclivity for carrying a lot of gadgets around with me, and the traveling I’ve been doing to CES, Macworld, and now GDC next week, I went all in and have had good results.

The Quantum Jacket’s weather resistant outer shell combined with the warmth of the Fleece 5.0 kept me going on those days when it’s so cold your skin hurts on contact with the air. The dedicated, capacitive-touch friendly pockets for iPhone and iPod touch were great (though I need to make or get some capacitive gloves to really get the most out of them).

When traveling (especially this year with all the crazy security) being able to store an iPhone, iPod touch, cameras all the cables and headsets, not one but two mophie juice packs [TiPb Store link], my passport, papers, pens, and everything else — and just take it off and lay it in a security tray and then walk through the scanner is priceless. (Getting an inch around the “one carry-on rule” this year — beyond priceless).

I also had the chance to send Scott some questions about their iPad compatibility, so check out the video below and let me know what you think!

YouTube link

TiPb Gear: SCOTTEVEST Quantum Jacket, Fleece 5.0, Ultimate Hoodie for iPhone… and iPad! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Accessories, Fleece 5.0, SCOTTEVEST Quantum Jacket, TiPb Gear, Ultimate Hoodie, clothing, ipad, iphone, ipod touch

UPDATED: developer.apple.com/iphone Down!

March 4th, 2010

Screen shot 2010-03-04 at 2.27.47 PM

UPDATE: We’re getting really scattered reports, but it looks like the site has a new look/feel, a new $99 developer option for Mac (to match the $99 iPhone option), and…? Let us know if you see anything else.

Also, some developers have told us that their registration no longer works after the update, so there may be some bugs at work. Let us know if you’re having any problems accessing iPhone 3.2 or other resources.

ORIGINAL: It’s not the Apple Store, but 9to5Mac is reporting that Apple’s iPhone SDK developer portal, developer.apple.com is down:

We are busy updating the site. Please check back soon.

We know it won’t be new MacBooks, so any guesses as to what it will be? We’ll update as soon as we know!!

UPDATED: developer.apple.com/iphone Down! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Development, News, ipad, iphone, iphone dev center, iphone dev center down, iphone sdk, ipod touch

UPDATED: Upgrade Pricing Finally Coming to App Store?

March 4th, 2010

itunes upgrade discount

UPDATE: Or not, as this dialog’s been around for a while as per 9to5Mac’s @llsethj. Sad now.

ORIGINAL: Developer Frasier Spears posted the above “curious” iTunes dialog to Twitter. It appeared when he hit “Update All”. We have no way of knowing exactly it means, but we’re hoping it means upgrade pricing is finally coming to the app store.

As background, one of the problems still facing developers has been the inability to offer paid upgrades. Either they had to give away new versions for free, or they had to create new apps with no way to discount the price to existing users.

That’s led some developers to slow down or stop making major improvements to their apps (since they can’t count on upgrade revenue), and it’s led to backlashes when releasing new versions as new apps.

In an ideal App Store, developers could choose to give existing users a discount when they upgraded.

UPDATED: Upgrade Pricing Finally Coming to App Store? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Development, Discounts, Rumors, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, state of the apps, upgrade pricing

Home Theatre Setup Using Your iPhone and Shoe Box

March 4th, 2010

iPhone_theatre

For all TiPb readers who have dreamed of having their very own home theatre, we now have a solution for you and all that is needed is your iPhone, shoe box, and 1 to 2 hours of your time.

It’s a pretty clever idea, check out the videos after the break!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Home Theatre Setup Using Your iPhone and Shoe Box is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in News, Theatre, Video, iphone, movies

Games Way More Popular on iPhone than Other Smartphones

March 4th, 2010

Mplayit App Stats

Anyone surprised that games are way more popular on the iPhone than on competing plaforms? Mplayit has put out some interesting stats, not only on what apps are popular with their Facebook sharing users, but what kinds of apps are popular on the various platforms they monitor. While on Android and BlackBerry, non-game apps account for 83% and 67% of popular titles, on the iPhone they’re only 36%. That leaves 64% for games.

That might be a concern, frankly, if the numbers weren’t north of 150,000 leaving plenty of room for great productivity, utility, social networking, and other apps in addition to the increasingly good games. Embarrassment of riches indeed.

Check out the graphic above for the full breakdown. Time for Android and BlackBerry to get their game on, or does Apple really enjoy the lead Steve Jobs keeps saying they do?

Games Way More Popular on iPhone than Other Smartphones is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Games, News, iphone, iphone vs android, iphone vs blackberry, ipod touch, mplayit, stats

Vlingo 2.0 for iPhone Brings Voice to Email, SMS

March 4th, 2010

vlingo_20_03

Vlingo 2.0 for iPhone [Free with in-app purchase - iTunes link] brings an all new, all prettier graphical user interface to the table, as well as Email and SMS Paste dictation — as an in-app purchase.

The new UI looks great and more importantly, works great. The icons are big and easy to hit and helpful tips are littered everywhere. You can tap to start recording and tap again to stop, or just hold down, talk, and release. For the various situations where you need to use voice instead of typing — like while driving (if it’s legal in your region!) — that kind of ease of use is priceless.

With the free app you get Maps, Search, Social (Facebook and Twitter), and Voice Dial. As mentioned, the Email and SMS Paste dictation are via in-app purchase. Note, it’s called SMS Paste because, unlike with Email, Apple won’t allow apps to send SMS so it just copies your text and launches the Messages apps. You have to paste the text and then hit send on your own. The Email and SMS Paste options are $6.99 separately or $9.99 if purchased together. Whether they’re worth or not depends entirely on how important voice email and SMS dictation are to you right now.

TiPb got our hands on the final version a couple of days early so we had a chance to try it out for a while already. All in all, Vlingo 2 works about as well as you’d expect a voice dictation app to work — usually quite well, with hilarious tragedy on occasion. It does learn, however, so if you enunciate well and keep at it, your results should improve.

I liked it enough to buy the App Store version on release along with the Email and SMS Paste bundle. It’s bleeding edge technology that should get better and more elegant in the future. And I’m a sucker for the the Star Trek-style apps.

Screen shots and video after the break! If you try it out, let us know what you think!

YouTube link

Vlingo 2.0 for iPhone Brings Voice to Email, SMS is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Apps, News, TiPb Apps, dictation, iphone, ipod touch, vlingo, vlingo 2, voice, voice email, voice sms

TiPb Apps 3.4 — Smule on iPhone and iPad

March 4th, 2010

Smule Macworld 2010

Live from Macworld 2010, Rene and Leanna talk with co-founder Dr. Ge Wang about Smule’s iPhone apps, including I Am T-Pain [$2.99 - iTunes link], and their plans for the iPad.

YouTube link

TiPb Apps 3.4 — Smule on iPhone and iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Development, Smule, TiPb Apps, ge wang, i am t-pain, ipad, iphone, leanna lofte, macworld 2010, rene ritchie, tipb

Buzzie Unofficial Google Buzz App Hits App Store

March 4th, 2010

buzzie

The first unofficial Google Buzz application, Buzzie, [$1.99 on sale - iTunes Link] has made it’s way into the Apple App Store.

Up until this point all Google Buzz users have had to rely on Google’s web interface, even on Google’s own Android OS, so Buzzie is a welcomed addition within the App Store. Whether or not Google decides to step up and release their own native application remains to be seen. The way things have been going between Google and Apple lately, who knows if they’d even be interested in attempting to get a official Buzz application into the App Store… or if it would be approved?

So if you use Buzz and give Buzzie a try, let us know how it works for you!

[Via Gizmodo]

Buzzie Unofficial Google Buzz App Hits App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Google, app, app store, buzz, iphone

iPhone Apps for the Oscars

March 3rd, 2010

From official Oscars preparation to six-degress of separation, production information to ratings aggregation, the iTunes App Store has something for pretty much everyone. Here’s a sampling of iPhone and iPod touch apps to keep you company during the 2010 Academy Awards.

The Oscars [Free - iTunes link] is the official app from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Feature-packed including the ability to share pics over Twitter & Facebook and view trailers for all nominated films.

IMDB [Free - iTunes link] is the world’s largest collection of movie, TV and celebrity information. A must have.

Awards: The Oscar [$1.99 - iTunes link] is an amazing resource for any fan of the Oscars, has every Academy Award nomination since 1927, tons of helpful information and the ability to guess the 2010 winners.

Vanity Fair Hollywood [Free - iTunes link] is the app that should power all your voting pools. Facebook chat function, gift bags, news and unique Vanity Fair content leading up to the Oscars.

Actor Genie [$9.99 - iTunes link] is an essential app for those who haven’t quite made it to the level where they have their own assistant. Casting info, a who’s who of Hollywood players, helpful tips and top 10 lists.

Six Degrees of Separation [$1.99 - iTunes link] is the pop culture phenomenon brought to life on iPhone and iPod touch. Relies on the notion that any actor can be related to any other actor via his or her film roles.

Rotten Tomatoes [Free - iTunes link] is a great resource for all the info on films and the unique Rotten Tomatoes editorial for your favorite Oscar nominated movies.

The Red Carpet [$2.99 - iTunes link] is offering a $1 million prize for winner(s) who pick correctly in all categories! Includes latest Oscar buzz, movie previews Facebook, Netflix and Twitter integration.

E! Online [free - iTunes link] helps you get your fashion fix with “Live From the Red Carpet” and keep up with all the gossip around Hollywood’s big night.

Bonus: While it’s not an app, iTunes’ “At the Movies” podcast section [iTunes link] has the best free podcast on the subject of movies, from The New Yorker Film & TV reviews podcast to Rotten Tomato podcast. All useful in catching up on the nominees for the oscars and what the movie critics think.

Any other great apps for the Oscars? Any other ways to use your iPhone or iPod touch to better enjoy the 2010 Academy Awards? Let us know!

iPhone Apps for the Oscars is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

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Posted in App Store Apps, App Theme of the Week, Apps, actor genie, at the movies, awards the oscars, e online, imdb, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, oscars, rotten tomatoes, six degrees of separation, the oscars, the red carpet, vanity fair hollywood

AT&T: We’ll Carry iPhone for “Quite Some Time”, Variable Pricing, LTE in 2012

March 3rd, 2010

According to the Wall Street Journal, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson took the opportunity, while speaking at an investor conference, to once again talk about the iPhone remaining on his network, and also touch on the iPad, problems in New York and San Francisco, variable pricing, and Apple’s new darling, the iPad.

While Stephenson doesn’t seem to have insisted the iPhone would remain exclusive on AT&T, he does say the iPhone will remain an important part of their offerings for “quite some time”.
He’s pleases with the steps AT&T is taking to address network problems and dropped calls in New York and San Francisco. “We’re hitting our metrics,” he said. “I feel really good about our path.” And call quality should improve by mid-2010.
Stephenson claims AT&T is carrying half of US wireless traffic due to the amount of data use the iPhone generates. Carriers will have to eventually move to “variable pricing” so that heavy users are charged more and light users, less.
AT&T is “not in a tremendous hurry” to roll-out their 4G network; it won’t be widely available, and there won’t be a good amount of products using it, until 2012

So if we mash that all together, even if the iPhone also pops up elsewhere, you’ll still be able to get it on an improved AT&T network with tiered pricing (perhaps similar to the iPad’s $15 for 256MB, $30 for unlimited) until LTE is wide spread in 2012 and the iPhone 4G replaces everything.

How’s that grab you?

AT&T: We’ll Carry iPhone for “Quite Some Time”, Variable Pricing, LTE in 2012 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

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Posted in AT&T, News, exclusivity, ipad, iphone, lte, variable pricing

TiPb Apps 3.3: Brushes for iPhone (Macworld 2010)

March 3rd, 2010

Live from Macworld 2010, Rene and Leanna talk to Steve Sprang about Brushes [$4.99 - iTunes link] for the iPhone and the iPad version he showed off during Apple’s recent keynote.

YouTube link

TiPb Apps 3.3: Brushes for iPhone (Macworld 2010) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, TiPb Apps, brushes, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, macworld 2010, steve sprang

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