Iphone Updates

Want to track gas mileage the easy way? Use Gas Cubby. You can enter all the information quickly and easily while your gas pumps. A great addition to iPhone or iPod touch, the app lets you track mileage data for multiple vehicles, create charts, and export the data to a spreadsheetGas Cubby also tracks vehicle maintenance and will even remind you to change your oil.

Want to track gas mileage the easy way? Use Gas Cubby. You can enter all the information quickly and easily while your gas pumps. A great addition to iPhone or iPod touch, the app lets you track mileage data for multiple vehicles, create charts, and export the data to a spreadsheetGas Cubby also tracks vehicle maintenance and will even remind you to change your oil.

Newly engineered for Aperture 2, Portraiture 2 from Imagenomic lets portrait photographers dramatically reduce the amount of time spent retouching portraits. Using the new plug-in, Aperture customers can automatically generate skin tone masks, save them as presets, and achieve perfect skin with a click. The plug-in offers extensive controls for refining and previewing masks. Download the trial version today.

Fans of Monsters Vs Aliens, especially those who have kids (or are just big kids themselves), will probably enjoy the official Monsters vs Aliens B.O.B application…

Classic gameplay with Wolfenstein 3D Classic finally making it to the iPhone courtesy of id Software. You should find everything you’d expect from the original: all six original episodes with 60 classic levels and all the weapons you remember. Search levels for hidden secrets that reveal stolen Nazi treasure, health packs, ammo and weapons or even short cuts. Use the new top down map to see where you have already explored…

Do something good for the environment while still using your beloved iPhone. Yes, this one could put the bods at Greenpeace in a quandary. On the one hand, you’ve got an evil handset with (apparently) all sorts of horrible, environmentally unfriendly material in it. On the other, it’s being used to run iPhorest, an app that could be helping to save trees…

Classic gameplay with Wolfenstein 3D Classic finally making it to the iPhone courtesy of id Software. You should find everything you’d expect from the original: all six original episodes with 60 classic levels and all the weapons you remember. Search levels for hidden secrets that reveal stolen Nazi treasure, health packs, ammo and weapons or even short cuts. Use the new top down map to see where you have already explored…

Sennheiser has announced its latest range of sports-friendly earphones — the Sports II to be precise — and they come in a lovely bright shade of orange just in time for the summer. Oh, there’s blue too. In fact…

There’s a new chat and communications tool in iPhone town, and it’s called Sparkle IM. It’s not for your everyday, real-world instant messaging clients though. Created by Genkii, Sparkle IM allows access to Second Life and Opensim virtual worlds over Wi-Fi or 3G. Of course, you wouldn’t expect it to offer full access to all the processor-intensive stuff that you usually need a beefy computer to access, but what you can do is send and receive IMs, send and receive offline IMs, do region chat, send teleport requests, accept friend requests, and change your start location.

Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone

I admit it. I check Google out all the time when I need some information. It’s a good habit, and I feel better informed.

If you are a juror, however, you can be a wee bit too informed. The New York Times is reporting jurors with web enabled cell phones are doing their own research, Googling lawyers names, more information on defendants and even research into claims made by witnesses. Recently in a Florida case, such misbehavior resulted in a costly mistrial after 8 weeks of work by prosecutors and defense attorneys.

In an Arkansas case, a juror used Twitter to send updates to friends during a civil trial.Jurors are instructed to not do any outside research or communications, but some find the temptation just too great.

In some states, cellphones are not allowed in the courtrooms, but are allowed in the jury rooms. Most of these rules were designed to keep distracting noises out of the courtroom, and later the rules were trying to deter cameras built into phones. Many judges didn’t give a thought about jurors using their phones to do research until recently, but our do-it-all phones are likely going to force a complete rewriting of the rules. How can you learn more about this issue? Google it on your iPhone, of course.

TUAWJurors addicted to iPhones and Google causing mistrials originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cult of Mac, Odds and ends

He was resplendent in a pink satin shirt and geek glasses, but based on his comments earlier one might have thought he should dress in “anger-management purple” instead.

Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder and current Dancing With The Stars contestant, picked a fight yesterday with the show’s producers as he claimed they were faking results to engineer better ratings. His presence in the bottom two pairings, who had to dance for their lives (and no, I won’t spoil it for the TiVo crowd by telling you which one — Woz or Belinda Carlisle — is foxtrotting home), was cited as prima facie evidence of a rigged count.

After a cooling-off period, as CNET reports, Woz has updated his Facebook notes on the show to say that the production team has given him a detailed briefing and tour of the vote count configuration, and he now understands the integrity of the process — he’s apologized for his freak-out and he’s promised to be a model citizen from now on. Nothing like giving a geek a tour of the server room to smooth ruffled feathers, even if those feathers are on a boa and accessorizing a lovely pair of patent leather tap shoes.

[via MacDailyNews]

TUAWDancing Woz cries foul, then backs down originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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“The new (quad- and 8-core) Mac Pros, with their cutting-edge Nehalem processor technology, are able to execute more tasks at a faster clip,” writes Jim Galbraith (macworld.com). “And their new internal design makes adding hard drives, memory cards, and PCI Express 2.0 cards easier than ever. Apple’s most expandable Mac is the pro platform for power users.”

It’s never long before an iPhone rumour surfaces again, and this time it’s about a much sought-after update to the iPhone 3G. According to speculation emanating from AT&T (Apple’s exclusive mobile carrier in the US), the next iPhone could launch in June. That would sit very nicely with the updated software that’s coming “this summer”. The word is that it will be much faster than the current iPhone 3G, which wouldn’t be a huge surprise given that processors have moved on even in the last year. It will also tie in with AT&T’s U-Verse service that lets users control their PVR via the iPhone. That’s only really exciting if you’re an AT&T customer using that service — and even then it’s not that exciting…

Now you can purchase Apple products for friends, family, and colleagues living in many countries around the world. Instead of hopping a plane, just hop on the Apple Online Store, enter the local store of the country where you want to ship your purchase, place the products you want to buy in your shopping cart, and place your order using a credit card. It’s that simple to shop internationally with Apple.

Filed under: Other Events, iPhone, iPod touch

If you’ve been listening to all the clamoring on Twitter, or perhaps have seen the updated Apple page, then you know there was an iPhone event today to discuss a new version of the iPhone OS, version 3.0. While you will have to wait until the summer to get the new version (unless you join the developer program), Apple showed off over 100 new features that we’re all excited about. iPhone developers are also getting some love from Apple with over 1,000 new APIs.

Some of the biggest updates include:

• Push notifications will be standard in iPhone 3.0. Apple claims that there was a scaling issue when they first announced this feature last year, with thousands of developers clamoring to use it, so it had to be delayed. Developers will be able to build message, sound, and badge alerts into their applications.
• iPhone will support cut, copy and paste — copy text and pictures, then paste them in any application on the device. If you change your mind about the newly pasted data, just shake to display a menu asking if you wish to undo the paste.
• In-App purchasing — developers will have the ability to charge a fee from within the application for more levels in a game, magazine subscriptions, eBooks, etc. This solves the problem of the 20 ebook readers that only allow you to read one book each.
• MMS — you’ll be able to use MMS on your iPhone 3G (yes, 1st gen iPhones will not get the fortune of using MMS due to the use of a different cell radio). The new Messages application will be taking the place of the SMS app and will allow you to send voice memos and pictures to your friends.
• Peer-to-Peer connectivity — allows iPhone apps the ability to find other iPhone users over WiFi or Bluetooth. This can be using for anything from gaming to sharing data.
• Third-party Accessories — app developers can now access third-party accessories attached to the iPhone. This could allow for developers to interface with their own accessories to create a truly unique experience on the device. One of the demonstrated uses was a prototype blood glucose meter for the iPhone, from a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, which is already getting attention from our readers; it’s not for sale yet!
• Apple will now be allowing applications the ability to get GPS coordinates from Core Location and turn that into software that provides Turn-by-Turn directions for iPhone users. However, due to the terms of use with Google maps, developers will be required to license their own maps for this use (meaning that Turn-by-Turn GPS applications will almost certainly be paid apps). This isn’t a problem for vendors like TomTom or Telenav, who already have licenses for their map data.
• A landscape keyboard option is now available in all iPhone applications, including the infamous Mail.app.
• Voice memos will allow iPhone users the ability to capture audio and then email it, or send it through the Messages application as a multimedia message.
• System-wide Spotlight searching is built right into the home screen. To the left of the first home screen, there is a magnifying glass, so by flicking to the left of the first home screen will show this search app. You can search for anything, including mail, music, and notes. There is no word yet on how this will interface with third-party applications.
• Stereo Bluetooth audio devices are now supported through the use of A2DP technology.

iPhone owners should note that A2DP technology and the use of MMS will not be available on 1st generation iPhones. This is probably due to the iPhone Bluetooth spec used, and Apple has confirmed (during the Q&A session after the keynote) that MMS is not available because of the cell radio used.

iPhone OS 3.0 will be available for regular users “this summer.” iPhone developers will be able to get the beta of OS 3.0 sometime today — Apple is still busy updating their iPhone Dev Center, but we’ll let you know when it is available.

TUAWiPhone 3.0 feature roundup originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, Liveblog

Update: Well, if what you wanted wasn’t in that laundry list, you may just have unrealistic expectations. MMS, copy and paste, downloadable paid content, turn-by-turn, A2DP… the list goes on! We’ll have detailed reports momentarily.

The bad news is, we don’t have anyone on the inside of today’s press event; the good news is, we’ve got all of you. Join us for a live chat right here as we meta-liveblog the updates from all across the web during today’s iPhone 3.0 announcements.

<a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=174a9d0a52″ >Live Chat, iPhone 3.0 Event</a>

TUAWiPhone OS 3.0 live chat originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PopCap Games has announced that its Bookworm word building game has come to the iPhone. Based on the PC game, this version includes several features unique to the iPhone including “shake to scramble”, a bonus bookshelf of various themed words and a progress report accessed by turning the phone sideways. With the similar basic concept as Boggle or Scramble — building words from adjoining tiles — Bookworm is different in that it’s played on a staggered grid so that each letter has six neighbours, and when a letter has been used it disappears, allowing letters above to drop down…

Ever drag a number of files into the Trash, only to realize that you actually meant to keep one of them? Everyone has. In the past, finding the file you wanted to keep meant dragging them out of the Trash — one at a time or enmasse — and opening them. But Mac OS X Leopard offers an easy way to review such files without removing them from the Trash. See how in the latest Quick Tip of the Week.

Filed under: Video, Odds and ends, iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage

If you were looking for a challenge, you might consider running a marathon with an iPhone 3G strapped to your head. That’s exactly what TUAW reader Joseph Tame of iPhoning Japan will be doing next Sunday, March 22nd (Saturday night for those of us in the US).

Joseph was one of the 5,000 lucky people who were selected to run in the Tokyo Marathon, and he decided to livestream his experience to all of the people who weren’t so lucky as well as the rest of the world.

How’s he going to do this? Using a jailbroken iPhone 3G running Qik, software that gives the iPhone livestreaming capabilities. His “modified hat” uses the strap and the “sponge of speed” to hold the iPhone screen-first against his forehead.

Qik.com will be showing the race from Joseph’s head on Sunday / Saturday, and you can leave comments on iPhoning Japan to make his iPhone vibrate and let him know you’re sending along your best wishes.

Joseph has a fun, tongue-in-cheek introductory video on his blog that explains it all in more detail. All of us here at TUAW will be watching and urging Joseph along to a fast finish in the Tokyo Marathon.

TUAWTUAW reader livestreaming Tokyo Marathon from head-mounted iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Reviews, iPhone, TUAW Faceoff, App Store

Before the release of the original Amazon Kindle a little over a year ago, there were a number of electronic book readers that tried to create and capture the market for a replacement to traditional “dead tree” books. There have been readers for just about every handheld unit since the Newton, as well as a series of devices that all required would-be readers to hook their book to a PC or Mac to transfer the content.

Amazon changed all that with the Kindle by creating a device with built-in 3G networking that delivers books to you the minute you buy them. I was one of the people who purchased the first-generation Kindle, and though it delivered on wireless purchase of books, it was a clunky, poorly designed device.

In the meantime, Apple introduced the iPhone 3G and the App Store, and several ebook reader apps have worked their way onto the home screens of millions of iPhone owners. So, is Steve Jobs right? Is there no need for a dedicated electronic book device like Kindle?

I’ve used both the original Kindle and the new Kindle 2, and I’ve also read my share of electronic books on the iPhone. Which of the reigning champions of the ebook world is the winner? Read on to find out.

Continue reading TUAW ebook reader smackdown: Kindle 2 vs. iPhone

TUAWTUAW ebook reader smackdown: Kindle 2 vs. iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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

You can use up to four of these effects on a song. Getting to play your own songs is a cool feature of this app, but something just as cool is the ability to listen to others playing their iPhone guitars. AirPlay, a built-in feature, allows you to do this. Just open the AirPlay feature and watch as other users from around the world rock out. Overall, this application is great for guitar aficionados or people who just want to be able to play guitar anywhere. You can pick up iShred in the iTunes App Store for just $4.99US.

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.

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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.

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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.

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“I work almost exclusively with Logic,” asserts A. R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer of the music for Slumdog Millionaire. In fact, he’s “been working with Logic for almost 12 years. I use it as my writing tool because I can have it on a desktop or on a laptop. I can carry it all over.” Rahman has “looked at other programs but never cared to try them because the timing in Logic is the best.”

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.

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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.

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If you own a small business, and you’re looking for ways to increase productivity, let FileMaker help you get better organized with its new FileMaker Business Productivity Kit. Whether you choose the Standard or Service Edition, the kit includes a 30-day trial of FileMaker Pro 10, a great collection of business templates, 30 starter solutions, and free database and marketing guides.

Virtual address card (or vCard) files make it very easy to add contacts to your own Address Book or share your contacts with other people. No need to enter contact data (and risk typos), just drag and drop to have street addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and more added to your Address Book. Want to learn more about vCards and how you can use them? Then take a look at the latest Mac OS X Pro Tip.

“With its sleek lines, thoughtful and minimalist design, large and beautiful screen, robust operating system, polished iLife suite of apps, and updated hardware, the new iMac is a great value for anyone looking for a desktop computer,” asserts Michael DeAgonia (computerworld.com). In fact, he thinks the affordable 24-inch “iMac could be exactly what a budget-conscious videographer or designer might choose.”

Anemones relish Krill shakes. Pelicans won’t eat anything that isn’t perfect. And a diet high in Vitamin C can lead Lemurs to liver damage. So point out the chefs and veterinarians responsible for feeding and caring for the persnickety patrons of two of the more exclusive lunch counters in California: the Monterey Bay Aquarium and San Francisco Zoo. Catch their stories — courtesy of Quest — on iTunes U.

His girlfriend has been kidnapped. And the kidnapper (Aidan Gillen) tells New Orleans detective Danny Fisher (John Cena) that he can get her back only if he survives 12 Rounds of dangerous challenges. The taut thriller, directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cleaner), opens in theaters on Friday, March 27.

Starting today, you can purchase box office blockbusters for download from iTunes in HD for $19.99, and films will be available as iTunes Movie Rentals in HD for $4.99 within 30 days after release. Pre-order Twilight or Quantum of Solace today, and you’ll be able to download them when they become available on March 21 and March 24, respectively. Transporter 3, Punisher: War Zone, and other select titles are available in HD today.

Using the Mac Pro computers and the Mac-only microscope software Openlab, Dr. Ahna Skop captures images of cells in her lab during a crucial phase of cell division. A geneticist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Skop hopes Openlab and the Mac can help her better understand cell division defects, anomalous behavior responsible for cancer, miscarriages, and age-related disorders.

“Looks like Apple hit a home run,” reports Stuart Dredge (pocketgamer.co.uk). “Games developers and publishers,” he explains, “have reacted with huge enthusiasm to the iPhone 3.0 software upgrade” and are “champing at the bit to get cracking” with the new Software Developer Kit. Like to hear what some of them are saying?

Did you know that Mac OS X Mail can help you organize the email you receive? In fact, setting up “Rules” in Mail is easy, a simple matter of selecting menu options, adding selection criteria, and choosing folders in which to file your email. By setting up rules, you can have Mail automatically file email by project, sender, priority, or other criterion. Find out how by watching the latest Quick Tip of the Week.

O2 has announced that, from 3rd April, it’s to offer the 8GB iPhone 3G for free on the £34.26pm tariff (what happened to the £35pm? Not that I mind paying less) and the 16GB iPhone 3G on the £44.05pm contract so long as customers take out a two-year (24 month) contract. Until now, UK users have only been tied in to an 18 month contract, although 2-year contracts are becoming more common as mobile operators try to squeeze as much out of customers choosing high-end handset as possible…

Whether your opponents are across town or clear across the country, Chess with Friends lets you enjoy a great game of Chess whenever you want to play. In fact, you can have games in progress against multiple friends at the same time. Chess with Friends keeps track of everyone’s moves, tells you when it’s your turn, lets you chat while you play, even finds you random opponents to challenge. Care to play a game?

During this morning’s keynote, attendees got a good look at some of the new features coming this summer in iPhone OS 3.0. They learned about the new tools developers can use to create next-generation mobile apps for iPhone and iPod touch. And they watched ESPN, Oracle, Ngmoco, Smule, Electronic Arts, and other developers demo apps created in just two weeks using the new SDK.

Apple today announced that iPhone OS 3.0 software, coming this summer, will deliver 100 new features, including cut, copy and paste; MMS; landscape view for Mail, Text and Notes; stereo Bluetooth; Notes syncing; shake to shuffle; parental controls for TV shows, movies and App Store apps; and a new Voice Memo app. Apple also released an updated SDK, with more than 1,000 new Application Programming Interfaces, to registered developers.

Thanks to the oft-reproduced engraving that appeared in the first folio edition of his work, just about anyone who reads one of his plays knows what William Shakespeare looked like. But now a new portrait has emerged that puts a younger, more comely face, on the mighty bard. Listen as Professor Stanley Wells of the University of Warwick explains who may have commissioned the only portrait painted while the poet lived.

Directed and written by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, The Bourne Ultimatum), Duplicity reunites stars Julia Roberts and Clive Owens, who last appeared together in Closer. The two play former CIA and MI6 agents now enmeshed in the world of industrial espionage. The film, which also stars Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti, opens in theaters on Friday, March 20.

Taking a hike is no longer a low-tech affair. Just ask David F. Gallagher (nytimes.com), who used Trails, a cool GPS application that not only helps you stay on the trail, but also offers “a nicely designed interface for recording and saving the paths of various hikes.” After saving them, you can export the data and share your hikes with others in Google Earth along with geotagged photos you took along the way.

“Live sports are coming to the iPhone,” notes an enthusiastic Jefferson Graham (usatoday.com). The action begins next week when MobiTV and CBS Sports bring 63 NCAA basketball games to iPhone and iPod touch customers who purchase the $4.99 March Madness on Demand app from the App Store. In fact, Graham notes, if multiple games are underway, you can choose the one you want to watch.

Mac OS X Leopard has a great search tool. Accessible in the menu bar or from any Finder window, Spotlight lets you search any Mac on your network, perform calculations, look up definitions, launch applications, search recently visited websites, and much more. Using Spotlight, you can also define laser-specific search criteria simply by pointing and clicking. To find out how, watch the latest Quick Tip of the Week.

In the mood for a macchiato? Like to make one at home on your own expresso machine? Barista, a recent arrival on the App Store, can guide you through each step in the process of creating a caffè latte, cappuccino, americano, mocha, and other delightful expresso beverages. It also offers tips — on selecting and storing coffee beans and creating “latte art” — and a handy glossary.

Now available as a free download, iTunes 8.1 loads large libraries, browses the iTunes Store, and syncs with iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV more quickly than the previous version. There’s more. iTunes now automatically imports music from your CDs as higher quality, 256-Kbps iTunes Plus files, so your music sounds even better than before.

Apple today introduced the all-new iPod shuffle. The world’s smallest music player, the 3rd-generation iPod shuffle is nearly half the size of the previous model. To control it, you use the new earphone cord. Best of all, it talks to you. Thanks to the new VoiceOver feature, iPod shuffle speaks your song titles, artists, and playlist names. Available today in silver or black, it holds up to 1,000 songs and costs just $79.

Give your students an out-of-classroom experience they won’t forget by signing them up for a Field Trip at an Apple Retail Store. On a Field Trip, your class can either use the store as their computer lab, creating fun projects on a Mac. Or they can bring in projects they’ve already created and delight parents, classmates, and teachers with their talent. Ready to plan your Field Trip?

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.

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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.

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