Iphone Updates

Whatever you might think of companies creating games for the major purpose of marketing to potential customers, when done right you can still end up with a decent application.

Enter Barclaycard, which has just announced its new Waterslide Extreme game for the iPhone, coinciding with another showing of its advertising campaign. The objective? Steer a character down an increasingly difficult waterslide in the quickest time, collecting points and avoiding objects…

Do you use your iPhone incessantly? Do you boast about the latest cool app you’ve downloaded (there’s an app for just about everything, as the increasingly annoying Apple TV ads tell us) Do you find your friends slinking away when you approach them, excitedly clutching your phone? If so, then you’re probably an iBore…

Fans of simple, traditional games will be pleased to know that Astraware continues to release old favourites to the iPhone platform. Following the success of its Board Games and Sudoku comes Solitaire, and it’s available for a limited time for just 99c / 59p. Now, Solitaire has to be one of the most crowded niches on the App Store (or indeed, any platform). I counted well over 100 variants, so Astraware is certainly up against it…

Skype arrived on the iPhone back in March, after a long wait, and was generally warmly greeted. However, there were still some things that you couldn’t do, and not all of them were a result of the networks crippling innovation. A few months on and the first major update to Skype has made it into the App Store. Now it’s possible to listen to your voicemail messages from the mobile version, and also to send SMS text messages to contacts around the world…

In February, ITN launched its first iPhone application allowing users to watch videos and keep up with the latest news headlines. ITN On has now launched the free ITN Showbiz app which, as the name suggests, offers the latest video news from the world of celebrities, music and film…

Tradewinds 2, the popular PC strategy game from Sandlot Games, has landed on the iPhone and is available now from the App Store. This Caribbean-set trading game allows you to navigate a fascinating new world, discovering uncharted ports teeming with friends and foes. Be a master commander, defeating pirates and plundering their vast hordes of booty, or, play it safe by trading exotic island goods, gradually amassing untold wealth, power and influence…

Sennheiser has announced a new line of “HD” closed headphones which are supposedly optimised for iPod, iPhone and other portable device use and are distinctly affordable. The complete range of compact, lightweight and foldable HDs feature powerful neodymium magnets and ultra-light diaphragms and adjustable, comfortable ear cups.

Much as we expected after the iPhone’s software upgrade, TomTom has come up with its own satellite navigation hardware/software combo for the handset. As the iPhone’s GPS receiver is not quite as strong as those found in dedicated satnav units, TomTom sells a special hardware dock which includes a GPS booster and holds the iPhone secure. Software is based on TomTom’s award-winning turn-by-turn navigation system and includes IQ Routes and the latest maps from Tele Atlas…

The mobile phone company O2 in United Kingdom is not treating its best customers, the iPhone 3G already owners like it should. The cut the story short, if you want an iPhone 3GS, it’s around £440!!!

If somebody from O2 is reading this, believe me, you will have a lot of angry customers who took the iPhone 3G 1 year ago for free after an upgrade from the iPhone 2G, and usually with an 18 months contract. So for existing O2 clients, it costs a fortune to get the beloved mobile device.

Tags:440 iphone iphone 3gs nightmare O2440, iphone, iphone 3gs, nightmare, O2

Listen up, UK iPhone fans. Here’s the complete low-down on what it costs to buy a new iPhone 3G or iPhone 3G S, or upgrade from an existing iPhone, and then how much it’ll cost you to use it.

Buying a new iPhone 3G S or iPhone 3G

Here’s a breakdown of what it costs to sign up for a monthly consumer contract. Note that the iPhone 3G 16GB model is no longer available.

At long last Apple has implemented what many have wanted on the iPhone since the start — the ability to cut, copy and paste text in and between applications. Apple’s solution is pretty elegant, though it can be a little bit fiddly at times depending on which application you’re trying to select text from. Read this guide and you’ll soon be cutting and pasting like a pro.

Cutting, copying and pasting text

Let’s say you’re compiling a list of what you’ve eaten over the last few days, and it turns out you just can’t get enough of those sausages. Rather than retype it, simply copy Monday’s text into Thursday’s position: 1. Starting with:

2. Hold one finger on the screen to bring up the magnification lens and move it to the start of the text you want to copy (you don’t have to be precise as you can select more text in the next steps. Alternatively, you can double tap in the general area where you want to cut/copy text from:

Apple has released the latest version of its iPhone operating system: version 3.0. It’s now available to download via iTunes. Assuming you have a legitimate (non jailbroken) iPhone, connect it via USB to iTunes, then click on “Check for Updates” (if it doesn’t automatically do so). You’ll get a series of screenshots as follows (Windows version will look slightly different): Click “Download and Install” to get straight on with the installation and update the iPhone:

Apple has released the latest version of its iPhone operating system: version 3.0. It’s now available to download via iTunes. Assuming you have a legitimate (non jailbroken) iPhone, connect it via USB to iTunes, then click on “Check for Updates” (if it doesn’t automatically do so). You’ll get a series of screenshots as follows (Windows version will look slightly different): Click “Download and Install” to get straight on with the installation and update the iPhone:

iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update

This update contains over 100 new features, including the following:

• Cut, Copy & Paste with shake to undo
• Landscape keyboard in key applications
• Enhanced Messages application
– Send and receive photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS*
– Forward and delete single or multiple messages
• Added search feature in Mail, Calendar, Notes and iPod
• Spotlight search across iPhone
• Support for CalDAV and subscriptions in Calendar
• Improvements to Safari
– Performance
– HTML 5 support
– HTTP Streaming audio and video
– Auto-fill usernames and passwords
• New Voice Memos application
• Sync Notes with a Mac or PC via iTunes
• Internet Tethering over USB and Bluetooth*
• Browse and download movies, TV shows, and audiobooks from the iTunes Store**
• Stereo Bluetooth***
• Wi-Fi auto login
• Enhanced Stocks application
• More Parental Control options for Apps, Music, Movies and TV Shows
• iTunes account creation and login**
• YouTube account login and access to subscriptions, ratings and favorites**
• Shake to shuffle
• New languages, dictionaries, and keyboards
• Find my iPhone and Remote Wipe via MobileMe (subscription required)**
• Support for more Exchange policies
• Create and send Exchange meeting invitations
• Search mail on server (Exchange Server 2007 and supported IMAP servers)
• Search LDAP company directory
• VPN on demand and VPN proxy support
• Encrypted configuration profiles
• Encrypted iTunes backups
• 1,000 new developer APIs, including:
– In App Purchases
– Apple Push Notification Service
– Accessories support
– Peer to Peer Connectivity
– Embedded Maps
– iPod Library Access
• Bug fixes

Products compatible with this software update:
• iPhone
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 3G S

* Compatible only with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S and requires support from your wireless provider.
** Not available in all regions or in all languages.
*** Compatible only with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S.

Tags:firmware functionalities iphone 3.0firmware, functionalities, iphone 3.0

Apple has released the latest version of its iPhone operating system: version 3.0. It’s now available to download via iTunes. Assuming you have a legitimate (non jailbroken) iPhone, connect it via USB to iTunes, then click on “Check for Updates” (if it doesn’t automatically do so). You’ll get a series of screenshots as follows (Windows version will look slightly different): Click “Download and Install” to get straight on with the installation and update the iPhone:

If you already own an iPhone or iPhone 3G and want to know if it’s worth upgrading, check out this features comparison. If you don’t own an iPhone but are tempted by Apple’s latest offering, the iPhone 3G S, read on to see if it’s worth switching.

iPhone 3G S main features

At a glance, the iPhone 3G S’s main features are:

• Phone with visual voicemail
• Threaded (conversational) display of SMS
• MMS with video
• Full iPod music and video player
• Desktop-class email system
• Advanced Internet browser (Safari)
• A-GPS with Google Maps plus digital compass
• YouTube integration
• Huge range of third-party applications (both paid and free) available via iTunes
• 3MP camera, autofocus, VGA 30fps video recording
• 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Ability to add various third-party hardware via dock connection

Samsung recently launched its latest touchscreen mobile phone, the i8910 HD. The title hints at one of its main features – the ability to view, shoot, and output high definition video. How does it shape up against the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S? Read on to find out.

Look & Feel

The Samsung i8910 HD has a look not dissimilar to the LG Viewty Smart II, with slightly more curves in the screen than the iPhone 3G/iPhone 3G S, and with physical buttons underneath the screen. The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S are slightly thinner and smaller than the Samsung i8910 HD, at 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm versus 123 x 59 x 12.9mm. The i8910 HD is quite a heavy beast, at 671g compared to the iPhone 3G at 133g and iPhone 3G S at 135g.

So you’ve got an old iPhone and you want to know if it’s worth upgrading to the iPhone 3G S? Has Apple gone the extra mile or is it a bit of a lacklustre update. Read our specs comparison of the three major iPhone models to find out if it’s worth the upgrade.

So, is it worth upgrading?…

Apple was kind enough to announce its latest iPhone in the week I chose to go on holiday, and ironically although I could have used my own iPhone to attempt to report on the highlights, the network signal was so poor that it would have been agonising. Fear not, though, for I will be making up for lost time with a full analysis of the iPhone 3GS, how it compares to the current iPhone 3G, what the new OS 3.0 looks like, how the handset stacks up against phones from other manufacturers, the controversies surrounding upgrades and tethering, and and whether it’s really worth upgrading…

Tags:3GS guided tour iphone iphone 3gs3GS, guided tour, iphone, iphone 3gs

Finally we’ve got a new phone from Apple, with great new features, here is a snapshot:

– 3 Megapixels camera with video recording and editing
– Voice control
– Compass
– Better autonomy
– Copy paste of course with the 3.0 Firmware (available for download on the 17th June)
– MMS
– Search in all applications centralized
– iPhone as a modem, finally…
– Find my iPhone, in case it is lost or stolen (could be useful)
– Buy or rent movies straight on the iPhone, not for me…
– TomTom incar navigation, good good news

Tags:compass iphone 3gs modem movies tomtom voicecompass, iphone 3gs, modem, movies, tomtom, voice

A lot of questions for today’s big WWDC keynote in San Francisco. Let’s hope it’s a yes for both of them, I really like Steve Jobs presenting new products.

Tags:iphone steve jobs WWDCiphone, steve jobs, WWDC

Samsung recently launched its latest touchscreen mobile phone, the i8910 HD. The title hints at one of its main features – the ability to view, shoot, and output high definition video. How does it shape up against the iPhone 3G? Read on to find out.

Look & Feel

The Samsung i8910 HD has a look not dissimilar to the LG Viewty Smart II, with slightly more curves in the screen than the iPhone 3G, and with physical buttons underneath the screen. The iPhone 3G is slightly thinner and smaller than the Samsung i8910 HD, at 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm versus 123 x 59 x 12.9mm. The i8910 HD is quite a heavy beast, at 671g compared to the iPhone at 133g…

Following the launch of Sky+ Remote Control for the iPhone earlier this month, Sky News has announced a free news application is now available to download from the iTunes app store. The new app delivers breaking news by text, images and video and features seven different categories for users to choose from: top stories, UK news, sport, business, world news, showbiz and skynews.com’s popular ’strange news’ category. Users can sign up to receive breaking news via SMS text alerts…

It’s been a while since we’ve featured seriously blingy cases and covers for the iPhone, so we just had to jump on the news that Audrey Charm has released a range of crystal-encrusted frames for the iPhone 3G. “Made from silver, gold, or chromium plated metal, each frame features protective neoprene inner lining, cutouts for access to all ports and controls, as well as holes for attaching a lanyard or decorative charm, and either pink, clear, or black Swarovski crystals on the front.” The iPhone 3G version costs $66. Audrey Charm

The LG Viewty II (Smart) – also labelled the LG GC900 – is due out in the UK next month. How does it stack up against the iPhone 3G? Read on for a comparison…

Look & Feel

Not a dissimilar look between the two phones though in my opinion the iPhone 3G still has the edge in terms of sleekness. There’s not much to choose between them in terms of dimensions. The iPhone is very slightly larger, at 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm versus the Viewty Smart’s 108.9 x 56.1 x 12.4mm. The iPhone 3G is very slightly heavier, at 133g compared to 102g.

It’s not the first time there have been rumours or analyst opinions on a plan-free iPhone for the US. Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi said that he expected Apple to unveil new, cheaper iPhones that would appeal to more cost-conscious consumers. “I feel very confident there will be a lower-cost alternative,” he said, implying that not only might the handset itself be cheaper, but that it could also come without a data plan and instead be usable as a “pay as you go” model, similar to what’s already available in the UK and other parts of Europe (albeit with a hefty price tag)…

PURE has just announced its new Sirocco 150 DAB/FM radio hi-fi system offering full iPhone compatibility. Carrying the “Works with iPhone” label, it adheres to Apple’s performance standards. This complete system features a built-in CD player, both DAB and FM radio, SD card reader and USB port, plus dock for iPod and iPhone. There’s also a sleep timer and alarm, headphone socket and stereo audio input…

There’s a new cartoonish shoot-em-up coming to the iPhone in the form of Dinosmash from Eurocenter. Set in a 3D world and Internet connected so that you can pit your skills against other players, the mission is simple: you have to shoot other dinosaurs in order to score points. Up to 16 players can compete in a single game. Advanced multiplayer features include an automatic matchmaking system, so hopefully you won’t have to struggle to find others to play against…

Here’s a cool little find, still in the developmental stage. A prototype R2-D2 robot has been built to respond to movement of an iPhone’s accelerometer. Currently, R2-D2’s head moves round in one direction or the other based upon the accelerometer. Pretty neat. Here’s a short video of the robot in action.

A dedicated iPhone application based on Dragon’s Den-featured business LookAndTaste.com has launched today. Now users can view over 300 video recipes and 300 food glossary videos on the iPhone, with constantly updated content and the aim to eventually have over a thousand recipes online. It’s not the cheapest app available, retailing for $9.99 (£5.99) but given that its base of media-rich information will continue to expand, it’s a good investment for the budding home chef…

iPhone users who love Peggle will be pleased to hear that PopCap Games has released it for the handheld device. Now you no longer need to be chained to your desktop or laptop PC or Mac to get a bit of Peggle stress relief. It’s not just a simple port, either, which is unsurprising given the quality of work that PopCap puts out, and also because of the constraints and also the interface advantages offered by the iPhone…

Tags:advert fake funny iphoneadvert, fake, funny, iphone

Hands up who wants to win an iPhone 3G? Well, the good news is that not one but two of you with your hands in the air are going to do just that because the chaps and chapesses over at FileMaker are running a competition to give away two of the Apple handsets fully loaded with the latest FileMaker app, Bento for iPhone and iPod touch. But don’t worry, everyone else, because there’s five £15 iTunes Gift Cards up for grabs too. Bento is all about organising your business and personal life in the kind of way that I regularly fail to do on my own. You can use it to keep a track of your expenses, diet plan, digital media, vehicle maintenance, event planning or just simple stuff like to-do lists and adding more details to your iPhone contacts list. So, to go with the theme of personal organization, FileMaker wants you to justify why it is they should send you a phone with Bento on it. Just how useless at organisation are you?

Adidas has created a free iPhone application that gives users access to a Google Map of Berlin pegged with locations of urban art. It offers a “find artworks nearby” mode, utilising geolocation, as well as a gallery that lets users browse all artwork and then get directions using Google Maps…

Hands up who wants to win an iPhone 3G? Well, the good news is that not one but two of you with your hands in the air are going to do just that because the chaps and chapesses over at FileMaker are running a competition to give away two of the Apple handsets fully loaded with the latest FileMaker app, Bento for iPhone and iPod touch. But don’t worry, everyone else, because there’s five £15 iTunes Gift Cards up for grabs too. Bento is all about organising your business and personal life in the kind of way that I regularly fail to do on my own. You can use it to keep a track of your expenses, diet plan, digital media, vehicle maintenance, event planning or just simple stuff like to-do lists and adding more details to your iPhone contacts list. So, to go with the theme of personal organization, FileMaker wants you to justify why it is they should send you a phone with Bento on it. Just how useless at organisation are you?

If you run your own web server or have the need to access a remote server over SSH while away from your desk, you may have wished your iPhone had an application to let you securely log in and access the command line. This became very real to me when I received a text message alerting me to a web server crash. I was away from any computer with a SSH client already loaded, and so had no way to reboot the server for several hours. That’s until I found TouchTerm…

Kewlbox has announced its latest game for the iPhone. Land of the Lost: Crystal Adventure is a free game based on the forthcoming Will Ferrell movie of the same name. “Rick Marshall has been dropped in the Land of the Lost and is trapped in the Sleestak temple. Help him make his way through the levels of the temple by overcoming the pits and traps he’ll encounter. Each level presents its own challenging mix of obstacles to overcome in an effort to reach the large crystal. Push blocks, build bridges, and navigate around obstacles in order to reach the end of the level – all while avoiding the Sleestaks.”…

Gameloft has announced that it has secured the rights to produce a mobile game based on the forthcoming Sherlock Holmes film. Though the iPhone and iPod Touch aren’t specifically mentioned, Gameloft has produced a number of games for the platforms so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the game, due out sometime before the US theatrical release on Christmas Day this year.

The iPhone (and iPod Touch) have, perhaps surprisingly, become quite popular amongst musicians, particularly those dabbling in synth and ambient styles, so it’s rather fitting that the iPhone will be used during a Take That support act at Wembley in July. Gary Baker’s music was heard by Gary Barlow, who must’ve liked it so much that he invited him to play live. “I think it’s pretty amazing that I’m going to be using a mobile phone on stage at Wembley Stadium in front of so many people. I grew up behind the stadium, and used to listen to concerts in my back garden,” said Baker (stagename Go)…

Truphone has today announced that the third version of its iPhone VoIP application is now available in the App Store. New features include a slicker, more intuitive user experience, better account management, faster operation and improved call quality. Naturally, Truphone is keen to boost its market share over obvious rival (and relative newcomer to the iPhone), Skype. Here are five reasons Truphone believes it trumps Skype:…

Tim O’Reilly, one of the biggest author and publisher of technology books has written a book on Twitter, it is worth noting because Twitter is becoming a big way of communicating while on your iPhone and the Twitter iPhone apps have a great success with it. So go and check The Twitter Book.

Here is also an interview of Tim O’Reilly:

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Tags:iphone oreilly the twitter book tim oreilly twitter twitter bookiphone, oreilly, the twitter book, tim oreilly, twitter, twitter book

According to developers who are beta testing the next generation of iPhone operating system software, there’s a built in feature called Jibbler that allows applications to take advantage of voice recognition technology. While it’s mainly speculation at present (why isn’t that a surprise), ArsTechnica came across references to classes and methods called VSSpeechSynthesizer, VSRecognitionSession, SBVoiceControlDisableHandlerActions, SBSensitiveJibblerEnabled, and SBVoiceControlSoundCompletion…

Qype Radar, which launched as a native iPhone application late last year, has had an overhaul and is now back as version two. Various features include direct linking of the app to the user’s Qype account, the ability to write reviews of locations and venues in real time, batch upload photos, and saving of draft reviews, as well as the ability to get all relevant info about a place in one go. There’s also an API available which means other developers should be able to create interesting add-on functionality for it. Available now. Existing users can simply upgrade the app via the iTunes Store. Qype Radar

British Telecom has announced a new deal with the Starbucks chain of coffee houses in the UK which will see around 650 new wireless hotspots spring up over the coming months. Not only does this directly benefit BT’s 4.6 million…

It’s unofficially official — Championship Manager is coming to the iPhone very soon. The Times broke the story earlier today, pairing the article with a rather nasty screenshot of the existing mobile version which I’m sure does no justice to the finished article. Though no-one can officially announce the game yet, it seems likely that it will be available in the next few weeks. Hopefully, we’ll get hold of some proper screen shots and a review copy soon so that we can truly herald in what will hopefully be an amazing port. I loved Championship Manager – having it on the iPhone could well set off a new addiction. Watch this space…

The LG Arena is the latest handset to stand up to the iPhone 3G. Has LG pulled off a decent alternative to Apple’s wonder phone? Read on for the full specification low down and scroll to the end for Lucy’s video review, then make up your own mind.

Look & Feel

The LG Arena phone measures 105.9 x 55.3 x 11.95mm, compared to the iPhone 3G’s 115.5 x 62.1mm x 9.9mm, so it’s a little thicker (not much) and slightly smaller. Weight of the LG Arena isn’t known yet.

Screen

The LG Arena features a three-inch (diagonal) colour WVGA touchscreen sporting 480 x 800 resolution (like the Toshiba TG01). That’s a rather interesting 3:5 (or 5:3) aspect ratio compared to the iPhone’s 320 x 480 (2:3 / 3:2) aspect ratio. Neither offers “true” widescreen TV format. The LG Arena’s screen appears to be much glossier than that of the iPhone (not sure if this is the glass or the underlying display itself) which means on bright, sunny days it can be more difficult to use…

We’re always happy to do our bit for charity, so it’s cool that one of the most recent games to hit the iPhone application store is helping out Mind, via London Marathon sponsorship. Finger Marathon II tests your finger endurance while raising money for the leading UK-based mental health charity…

Riding the buzz surrounding the new Fast & Furious movie, Oberon Media and Universal Pictures have released the Fast & Furious iPhone game. It closely follows the storyline of the new blockbuster movie and uses social networking and Internet features including the ability to upload fastest races to YouTube, site posts and race challenges, plus full use of the accelerometer and Wi-Fi connectivity…

Sky has announced that its new Sky+ Remote Record iPhone application is now available as a free download from the iTunes App Store. The application gives Sky subscribers access to the seven day Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). This can be browsed, and programmes scheduled to record. Once a recording request has been sent to the customer’s set-top box, a message appears on screen confirming that the show will be ready and waiting for them when they get home…