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- Six fun and useful iPhone apps
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Some iPhone apps are fun, some are useful (and some are neither). In this set of iPhone app reviews, we've got a mixture of each. In this batch of mini-reviews: iShred, Quik, Pro Basketball, Silly Songz, Wordology, and Silver Revolver.
iShred ($4.99US)If you like playing the guitar or other musical instruments, then you might want to consider this app -- it could be one of the most full-featured guitar apps on the iPhone. From the ability to create and record your own songs, to the ability to listen to others play songs around the world -- iShred [iTunes link] has it all. There are over 2,000 built-in chords, scales, and fret positions that get assigned to the two fret rows at the top of the screen. When you tap a fret and strum the strings, a sound will be played.
When you set up the frets for a certain song, you have the ability to save this setup for later. You can also save your songs or transfer them to another iPhone anytime you have a wireless connection. The application includes other effects including several virtual stomp boxes, like:
- Adrenaline: A treble booster
- HK-2000 Delay: Echo
- Hot Fuzz: Distortion
- Kömpressör: Power chords
- Sybil: Dual chorus pedal
- Trembler: Tremolo
- Wahsabi: Tilt control for wah pedal
Quik Search (free, pro version available)Searching different sites on the iPhone can be a kludge, especially if you don't like having only two search engines available natively with Mobile Safari. Quik Search [iTunes link] hopes to solve this by adding different sites and engines. Quik allows you to customize your search experience by adding a list of sites that you wish to search to the main screen of the application. You can choose from over 50 pre-designed search engines/sites (including Google, Amazon, Twitter, and of course, TUAW). Just enter your search term in the application and press the blue arrow ... your search query will be sent away to the site of your choice and you can view your results in the Safari-like browser built into Quik Search.
You might ask "What if they don't have my favorite site/search engine?" Well in that case, you can create your own "search plugin" by entering the name, adding an icon, and entering the template search string. The application helps you to understand what a template search string is, and how to format it for Quik. You can also enable/disable "Launch Safari" when searching (if you don't like the built-in browser).
If you are looking for a better search solution on the iPhone, then this application could definitely save you some time and energy. You can get Quik search for free on the App Store, although it is ad supported. If you wish to get rid of the ads, you can purchase a pro version [iTunes link] for $1.99US.Continue reading Six fun and useful iPhone apps
TUAWSix fun and useful iPhone apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Found Footage: Kevin Rose on iPhone 3.0 features
Filed under: Found Footage, iPhone, SXSW
Here's a short video from SXSW with DiggNation hosts Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose, where Rose goes through a laundry list of iPhone 3.0 features that will allegedly be announced tomorrow during the Apple Press Event.
This video sounds rather alcohol-fueled -- at least it appears that the audience members, who are screaming out their most-wanted features for most of the video, were rather drunk -- and Rose has a somewhat checkered past with his Apple predictions, but his description of cut & paste on the iPhone sounds quite realistic.
He also states at one point that the point of the 3.0 release is to bring the iPhone's feature set to the level of the Palm Pre. If that's the case, then we should also hear about Bluetooth tethering and integrated MMS messaging for the iPhone -- which I, for one, seriously doubt. Of course, we'll all see what's coming tomorrow, and you can get your coverage of the event here on TUAW. Note that the video contains words that may be offensive to some people.
[via Engadget]TUAWFound Footage: Kevin Rose on iPhone 3.0 features originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Boxee remote app for iPhone and iPod Touch available on App Store
Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch
We've made no secret of our love for the Boxee media center. Its lovable interface works great from 2ft. to 20ft. and covers just about everything an HTPC should on both the Apple TV and Mac mini. Now, after weeks of being in review, the folks over at the Boxee blog have finally announced the availability of the Boxee remote app (iTunes link). It's extremely affordable for everything it does (it's Free) and is available immediately. If you've lost your Apple remote, or for whatever reason don't have (or want) one, Boxee's remote app is a pure gem. Check it out now and then give Boxee some suggestions on how they can improve it.
TUAWBoxee remote app for iPhone and iPod Touch available on App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - TUAW @SXSW Interview: Pangea Software CEO Brian Greenstone
Filed under: Gaming, Developer, iPhone, iPod touch, SXSW
Pangea Software have made some of the most successful and fun software for the Mac. Games like Cro-Mag Rally, Nanosaur and their most popular title, Bugdom, have propelled them into the upper echelon of Mac game developers. More recently, Pangea is making games for the iPhone and iPod touch and have, in fact, made the decision to develop for those devices exclusively.
I sat down with Pangea's CEO Brian Greenstone during SXSW to talk with him about his favorite games, making games for the iPhone and why he thinks its easier to make games for the iPhone and iPod touch.
CHRIS ULLRICH: Hey Brian, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. First question for you about games on the iPhone is why the iPhone?
BRIAN GREENSTONE: Originally I chose the iPhone because i wanted to see my games on a mobile device. For years i had been trying to get my games ported to Gameboy or something and companies would always say they would do it then it would never happen. They would just vanish.
I just wanted a mobile version of a game so the iPhone came along and I decided to do a couple games for it. I didn't care so much if we lost money, i just wanted to do it. Of course it turned out well and now it's what we do full time.
CU: You're focusing exclusively on the iPhone now?Continue reading TUAW @SXSW Interview: Pangea Software CEO Brian Greenstone
TUAWTUAW @SXSW Interview: Pangea Software CEO Brian Greenstone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Talkcast reminder: 10 pm ET, live from SxSW
Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts
Last week's show was a treat, as we dove into the new hardware announcements and got to listen to both Dave and I confessing how wrong we were about the 5-USB-ported new Mac mini. You can download the show from Talkshoe or subscribe in iTunes.
Tonight, join the gang for a live report from the ongoing South by Southwest conference. With a hearty helping of mercy from the Talkshoe and Skype gods we'll have some subset of Christina, Chris, Victor and Nik on the line to update us on what's hot in Austin.
To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, or you can also use the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VOIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8. Talk with you then!
Recording support for the talkcast is provided by Call Recorder from ecamm networks.
TUAWTalkcast reminder: 10 pm ET, live from SxSW originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - TUAW review: Sponge for Mac OS X
Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, Reviews
I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to accumulate junk on my Macs. I start off with a nice, fat, clean hard drive, and before you know it I'm starting to panic about running out of space.
Sponge, from Dare to be Creative Ltd., is a US$26 program designed to look for the space-wasters on your Mac and help you get rid of them cleanly. There are other applications that do the same thing, Smith Micro's Spring Cleaning being the primary example of this. I actually shied away from cleaner applications since an earlier version of Spring Cleaning did a little TOO good a job a few years ago and rendered a Mac unusable until I reloaded the OS.
So it was with a great deal of trepidation that I decided to use Sponge to try to clean up my MacBook Air. It's a first-generation model with an 80 GB hard drive, of which 74.1 GB are actually usable. Since I was down to 16 GB of space, I figured that a quick cleaning might be in order. Read on for more about Sponge.Continue reading TUAW review: Sponge for Mac OS X
TUAWTUAW review: Sponge for Mac OS X originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - TUAW @SXSW: The iPhone Gaming Panel
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, SXSW
Panels at SXSW range from touchy-feely to nuts-and-bolts. This panel was the latter. The panelists came armed with data and didn't pull punches when it came to criticism of the store or other apps.The panelists: Stephanie Morgan from ngmoco, Danielle Cassley from Aurora Feint, Raven Zachary (moderator) and Brian Greenstone from Pangea Software.
Raven Zachary is the guy responsible for the Obama campaign app, and he started off with some stats from Pinch Media around how many devices are out there: roughly 20-30 million. We don't know exact iPod touch numbers because Apple doesn't publish those, but there was a huge jump in iPod touch browser detection after the holidays.
Thus, factoring in iPhone numbers and an estimate of iPod touches, we get upwards of 20 million devices. Another interesting point: 70% of mobile browsing is done via iPhone or touch. That's a staggering amount, especially in comparison to other platforms, with Java only accounting for 8%, Windows Mobile about the same, and it goes south from there. Plus, games account for most App Store downloads, with puzzle games being the most downloaded genre.
Next up was Stephanie Morgan from ngmoco, who discussed some things we all know: the iPhone is unlike any gaming platform or handheld. She explained a sort of tiered approach to ngmoco's efforts: starting with free apps to build awareness, moving up to building a platform for good games, and ultimately expanding into the paid apps -- where the money is, of course. Stephanie did put some stats on the board, however.
For one, we found out that iPhone games don't have to be designed for McNugget-sized attention spans. According to ngmoco, the average time spent playing Rolando is over 20 minutes each time it is played. Of course, there are lots of levels in Rolando. By comparison, MazeFinger average play time was around 6 minutes.
To find out about Aurora Feint's asynchronous gameplay efforts and Pangea sales numbers, keep reading.Continue reading TUAW @SXSW: The iPhone Gaming Panel
TUAWTUAW @SXSW: The iPhone Gaming Panel originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Comic Books on the iPhone: 'Super Kaiju Hero Force'
Filed under: Humor, Developer, iPhone, iPod touch
If you're reading TUAW you most-likely are a fan of all-things Apple including the Mac and the iPhone. You may also be a fan of comic books. If so, the folks at Crispy Comics have a deal for you.
Now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch directly from the iTunes store, Crispy Comics is producing a comic book series specifically for those devices. And did I mention the comic is absolutely free.
Here's the scoop directly from Crispy Comics:"Super Kaiju Hero Force" is the comedic story of 3 young fanboys who win a trip to Japan and end up trapped inside the monster costumes used on the hit live-action superhero show "Colossal Man." This first 11-chapter series follows Garganturo, Democules, and Mungor in the exciting origin to the series.
The series, which will be released on a bi-weekly basis and runs between 20 and 25 pages, will tell a continuing story culminating with a chilling cliffhanger. Then, once the original series runs its course, the Crispy Comics will release a "Special" edition with features such as creator commentary and iPhone wallpapers.
The "Special" edition will come with a minimal cost which is yet to be determined. The company also plans to release the "Special" edition on other platforms such as Android in the Summer of 2009. Check it out and if you do, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments.TUAWComic Books on the iPhone: 'Super Kaiju Hero Force' originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Inconceivable! iSperm for the iPhone / iPod touch
Filed under: Gaming, Humor, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Every once in a while, an iPhone app shows up that we just have to review because of the name. Mobigem's iSperm (click opens iTunes) is one of those apps.
iSperm is an arcade game in which you, as a single sperm cell, battle other sperm and obstacles to reach your goal -- fertilizing an egg and creating a new life. There are three phases in the journey up the Fallopian tube:
- In this phase, you shake your iPhone to make your cell move faster than the other sperm;
- Here, you tilt the iPhone to avoid obstacles that are blocking your way to the egg;
- Finally, you tap on the iPhone's screen to speed up and make it to the egg before the others.
You can pick up iSperm for just US$0.99. It's a hoot!TUAWInconceivable! iSperm for the iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - The iPhone needs a native Gmail application
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Features, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
[Update] Check the bottom of the post for a video from Mobile World Congress showing Gmail with offline support running on an iPhone.
The iPhone needs a native Gmail application. There, I've said it. Every time I bring this up with iPhone users, I get one of the following questions:
- What's wrong with the built-in Mail app?
- What's wrong with the Gmail iPhone-optimized web interface?
- How dare you criticize the iPhone!
Okay, that last one isn't a question, but you can tell that some people are thinking it.
Let's tackle the questions:
What's wrong with the built-in iPhone Mail app?
I have to admit that Mail on the iPhone is the best email client I've ever used on a mobile device. But that's really not saying much, since virtually ever app that I regularly use on the iPhone is better than the equivalent Windows Mobile or Blackberry versions I have used with previous devices. The main thing that I find to be missing in Mail on the iPhone is message threading. Gmail is the gold standard when it comes to keeping messages grouped by thread, and Mail.app on the Mac comes a close second, in my opinion. For me, this is a must-have feature, and it drives me crazy that it is missing from Mail on the iPhone.
One other frustration with the iPhone Mail client (admittedly one that native Gmail would not fix) is how many taps it takes to move between mail accounts. It sure would be nice for Apple to include an integrated Inbox that works the same way it does on Mail.app for the Mac.
Continue reading The iPhone needs a native Gmail application
TUAWThe iPhone needs a native Gmail application originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Rolando's Simon Oliver in the Daily Mail
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
The Daily Mail has reported the story of our friend Simon Oliver, creator of Rolando (whom we interviewed quite a while ago when the game originally came out). Apparently things have worked out very well for him -- the game has sold 700,000 copies so far, Oliver's set to be a millionaire, and he's now, as he says, the head of a game studio that already has a hit under its belt. Very impressive (too bad they still call him a geek).
It's stories like this that are pushing the little App Store bubble we've got going nowadays -- every investor with money to spare (not as many as usual, given the current economy) is happy to sink it into releases for the iPhone, and while there is plenty of money being made, not every developer ends up like Oliver (let's not forget he had a quality product in the first place).
But there is some good news here: without the App Store and the iPhone platform, this never would have happened. Say what you want about Apple's release policies or their initial "no SDK" choice, but with the iPhone, they've brought development and distribution down to anyone who can dream it.TUAWRolando's Simon Oliver in the Daily Mail originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - March Madness comes to the iPhone
Filed under: Video, iPhone, iPod touch
The NCAA and CBS Sports have teamed up to stream the upcoming Men's College Basketball Championship tournament for free online at NCAA March Madness on Demand. You can watch the "high quality" videos online for free, but even more interesting is a nifty $4.99 iPhone / iPod touch app (iTunes link) which allows you to watch every game from the first round to the National Championship. Unfortunately, this will only work over WiFi and not 3G. Nonetheless, if you've a big college hoops fan this looks like a must-have app.
CBS Sports NCAA March Madness On Demand is $4.99 from the iTunes Store.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!TUAWMarch Madness comes to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - First Look: Transactions for iPhone
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
First they wowed us with Handshake for iPhone, now the same developers are back at it again with Transactions [iTunes link] for iPhone. Transactions gives you the ability to charge a credit card from anywhere! This application is excellent for small business owners who need to process credit cards away from an office.
Transactions interfaces with PayPal and Authorize.net and allows you to easily type in a credit card number, expiration date, CCV2 code, amount, and zip code. Once you have that information, you can select a contact to automatically auto-fill the purchaser's address and phone number. You can also enter in the name, email address, and additional notes about the transaction. When all of these fields are completed, return to the main screen and tap "charge" -- the information is whisked away using 128-bit SSL encryption to the appropriate service (either PayPal or Authorize.net). If the information was correctly entered you receive a message telling you the transaction went through.
Transactions gives you the ability to easily import your PayPal and Authorize.net account information using a useful tool on their site. They send an email to your device with a special URL that inputs your account information when opened. The application allows you to view all of the transactions completed, and allows you to export them as a a CSV file that opens in Excel, Numbers, and other applications that can read comma separated files. All of the information stored within Transactions is kept safe inside of Apple's Keychain, and you can password-protect the application to enable even more security.
Transactions is now available on the iTunes App Store, and comes in two flavors: paid and free. The free version is limited to 2 credit card transactions per 12-hours, while the paid version removes this limit. If you use the free version and plan to upgrade to the paid version, you have the ability to transfer all of your settings from the free version to the paid version -- a first on the iPhone. You can visit the Transactions website for more details about this iPhone application. You may also want to note that Authorize.net or PayPal Website Payments Pro account is required, and that some fees may apply.TUAWFirst Look: Transactions for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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