iPhone … in an iPhone
Filed under: Humor, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone
Here’s a nice post-Christmas mind bender for you — it’s created by a company named Ogmento (they specialize in augmented reality applications — get it?) and is an iPhone app that creates an augmented reality version of the iPhone. In other words, they put an iPhone in your iPhone so you can iPhone while you iPhone. Dawg.
Why did they do this? Apparently it’s a promotion for the iPhone launch by Orange Telecom in Israel. But it’s pretty crazy — the iPhone inside the app even runs apps, though they’re just still pictures. And it’s a little disappointing that you interact with the fake iPhone via the real iPhone’s touchscreen. If it really was an augmented reality demonstration, wouldn’t you interact with the augmented reality iPhone just by moving your hand in the air where it should be?
Maybe that’s too mind-melting after a relaxing Christmas day. At any rate, enjoy the crazy video above. This isn’t anything we’ll see coming to the App Store any time soon, we’re sure, but it’s just the kind of thing to get your mind up and running again after all that egg nog and holiday cheer.
iPhone … in an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone … in an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Two GPS app updates for travelers
Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod touch
News in the GPS world keeps swirling around, and for downloaders it’s not too late to get some holiday GPS cheer. Here’s a couple of updates of note.
First, Gokivo [iTunes link] just announced a new pricing option that allows you to download Gokivo for just $0.99 for the first 30 days, and then pay $4.99 per month/$39.99 a year for service from then on out. We reviewed the app in November. It was middle of the road (pardon the pun) in performance and features, but it does have live traffic and text to speech for announcing turns, so it might be worth a look at this lower price.
Meanwhile, Navigon [iTunes link] has launched a version for Mexico at $49.99. The Mexico version includes many of Navigon’s premium navigation capabilities such as Google Local Search, Enhanced Pedestrian Mode, Speed Assistant, Route Planning and even a localized point-of-interest database. If you’re doing some driving south of the border, or happen to live down there, it should be on your list of travel options.
I expect the new year will bring a slew of enhancements and new products for the iPhone and iPod touch — who knows, maybe we’ll even get to see a tab
let navigator before 2010 is through.
Two GPS app updates for travelers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Two GPS app updates for travelers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Is Google Voice available for the iPhone?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store
Need a refresher on the Google Voice and Apple saga? Let’s recap the story to date:
Apple pulled all Google Voice related apps from the App Store back in July, which led to an FCC inquiry, which led Apple to claim they had not rejected but were “studying” Google Voice, which Google contradicted. The biggest surprise in the whole scenario is that AT&T said that they had no problem with Google Voice on the iPhone.
Yet here we are, 4 months later, and still no decision (that we know of) has been made. I’ve previously referred to this as Apple’s pocket veto of Google Voice where they are able to say they haven’t rejected it when they have, in effect, rejected it. Put it all together, and this has led me to put up a website for your “Google Voice on iPhone” questions, which I narrowed down to IsGoogleVoiceAvailableForTheiPhone.com?
As it stands today, the answer is a qualified “No” in that there are no Google Voice apps available from the App Store, but I was curious to see what options are available. I found three tools that you can use today, and one more which is on the horizon.
Continue reading Is Google Voice available for the iPhone?
Is Google Voice available for the iPhone? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Is Google Voice available for the iPhone? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Commodore 64 1.2 released in the App Store with three new free games
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Retro Mac, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
The creators of Commodore 64, that emulator app that eventually gained Apple’s blessing, emailed to say that they have released a brand new version [iTunes link] with some brand new (old) C64 games to revisit. The gist of this one is that you can buy C64 ROMs to play through in-app purchases, but right out of the gate with version 1.2, three different games are free: Bruce Lee, Laser Squad, and Samurai Warrior. So if any of those ring your nostalgic bell, you can go jump in on the app now — it’s $1.99.
If you want to add in some extra games, it’ll cost you 99 cents each, but they’ve now made Alleykat, Uridium, Paradroid, Stormlord and Nebulus all available that way. Unfortunately, not all emulator developers have been able to secure such a deal with Apple, but C64 enthusiasts have to be excited about what’s available with this one.
Commodore 64 1.2 released in the App Store with three new free games originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Commodore 64 1.2 released in the App Store with three new free games originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Gas Cubby now available in a free, sponsored version
Filed under: Software, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
App Cubby has been producing three wonderful iPhone apps for a while, two of which are associated with keeping tabs on the costs of operating your car. Both Trip Cubby [US$6.99, iTunes Link] and Gas Cubby [US$6.99, iTunes Link] have been lauded by users and bloggers alike for their functionality and usability.
Now there’s one more reason to use Gas Cubby. App Cubby and Honeywell’s consumer auto brands (FRAM, Prestone, and Autolite) have joined together to release Gas Cubby by FRAM [iTunes link], a free sponsored edition of Gas Cubby. According to developer David Barnard of App Cubby, this could be the “first sponsorship deal of it’s kind where an independent iPhone developer has partnered with a single company to sponsor a free app.”
Gas Cubby by FRAM will include ads for the Honeywell auto products, and Barnard explained to TUAW why Honeywell decided to partner with App Cubby rather than hire another developer to create their own app.
Continue reading Gas Cubby now available in a free, sponsored version
Gas Cubby now available in a free, sponsored version originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Gas Cubby now available in a free, sponsored version originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Font Game for iPhone is fontastic fun
Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Review
Be sure to check out our iPhone game review roundup via Joystiq.
Ask any designer what their favorite font is and you’ll get one of several thousand possible answers. Fonts aren’t merely pretty characters on a display; they are an art form. Each font family conveys a particular aesthetic meaning that can make or break any design, if used properly or improperly. In fact, I’ve long suspected the ancient Egyptian civilization was brought down by the creation of Papyrus. The recent appearance of the faux-ancient typeface in the film Avatar as subtitles will surely doom us all — especially if viewed in 3D.
The folks at ILT share our font fixation, and they’ve developed a highly addictive text teaser iPhone game that puts your font knowledge to the test. The Font Game [$0.99, iTunes link] challenges you to identify a series of fonts presented onscreen; you then select one of four possible answers.
Continue reading The Font Game for iPhone is fontastic fun
The Font Game for iPhone is fontastic fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Font Game for iPhone is fontastic fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ShoutOUT TXT brings voice recognition to SMS messaging
Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone, App Review
ShoutOUT TXT is a new app for the iPhone [iTunes link] that lets you dictate text messages to your iPhone and send them just as you would with regular SMS text messaging.
You set up an account and text away, using your existing contact list, or entering any phone number that can be texted. After a quick setup, I could see that the voice recognition was pretty good. The app is U.S. $0.99 and you get 25 text messages free. The catch is that you then have to make in-app purchases for messages beyond the free 25, paying $4.99 for 250 messages, or $1.99 for 50. At those levels, those rates are cheaper than the AT&T rates, so if you don’t have a text plan, or are maxed out, it isn’t a bad deal. On the other hand, AT&T charges $15.00 for 1500 text messages (with no voice recognition of course). 1500 text to speech messages on this app would be $30.00.
If you just want to send typed text messages there is no charge, which is certainly cheaper than AT&T. Since this app uses its own server, AT&T is bypassed.
It’s a bit of a mystery how this app got approved. It certainly duplicates some basic functions of the iPhone, and AT&T can’t be all that happy about it. It gets harder and harder to understand the app store rules, which seem to be in a state of perpetual flux.
Who is this app for? Heavy texters who don’t have a plan now, or keep running over their AT&T allotment. Of course, if you want text to speech you can use Dragon Dictation, which is free and supports text messaging, but you’ll still be paying for every message you send.
In my tests the app worked as advertised, with good recognition, and I was notified of incoming texts. If you are texting to unusual names, it probably won’t recognize them, but you can edit any text before it goes out. I have a basic AT&T plan, and don’t see the need to add something like this, but I think it would work well for some. I don’t have any feeling on how reliable the servers that power this app are. If they are good, it could be a winner for many iPhone users.
The app currently supports North American English. It works on AT&T in the states, and on Bell Mobility, Rogers, and Virgin Mobile in Canada.
Here’s an FAQ if you want to learn more.
ShoutOUT TXT brings voice recognition to SMS messaging originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
ShoutOUT TXT brings voice recognition to SMS messaging originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone games review roundup
The big-time gamers over at Joystiq have picked up the iPhone game review pace lately, and here’s a sampling of what they’ve tried lately.
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iPhone Top Gun game takes highway to the postmortem Top Gun on iPhone is one of the device’s many hidden treasures. Not only does it have cool, After Burner-esque gameplay, it’s also got one of the best easter eggs of all time (as you can see… |
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Ridge Racer: Accelerated comes to iPhone It appears the recently unearthed Ridge Racer: Accelerated trademark pointed to an iPhone entry in the long-running racing series. The title is now available on the App Store (try iTunes if you’re… |
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Battleship now syncing on iPhone Adding to its growing roster of Hasbro board games retooled for board-less play, EA has christened the iPhone / iPod touch version of Battleship on its maiden voyage to the iTunes App Store. The… |
Also of interest: | |
iPhone games review roundup originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone games review roundup originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Merry Christmas Eve: Evernote for iPhone gets a major update
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store
Evernote for iPhone [Free, iTunes Link] has received a major update to version 3.2.0, which went live late this evening in the App Store and should be arriving in App Store updates soon. According to our contacts at Evernote, the new app is much faster, with speed improvements in launching, searching, syncing, creating new notes, and browsing.
As TUAW heard during a November interview with Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, the updated app provides local caching and searching. Any note that is created or viewed on the iPhone is cached locally for viewing and searching, even when offline. Premium users can choose to have any or all of the notebooks they’ve created fully downloaded to their devices, once again enabling offline usability. Rich text notes can be converted to plain text for editing, and a copy of the original note is moved into the trash for future recovery.
Other new features include:
- In-app purchase of premium accounts
- A new “sync” tab
- Ability to search while syncing
- Additional languages
- A number of bug fixes and improvements to the app
A quick tour by the App Store on my iPhone this evening showed that the update was not yet available, but I was able to download the new version. For all Evernote users, this is a nice early Christmas present.
Merry Christmas Eve: Evernote for iPhone gets a major update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Merry Christmas Eve: Evernote for iPhone gets a major update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HBO releases iPhone app
Filed under: Software, Freeware, Developer, iPhone, App Store
HBO has released their very own app for the iPhone, and it’s surprisingly deep for an app released by a premium cable channel. There’s the obvious stuff — you can view schedules and watch clips and previews of HBO shows as well as behind-the-scenes and other content. But there’s even some cool iPhone-specific stuff, like creating SMS reminders when your shows come on, some hidden object games to play, and even the option to buy some shows with hooks straight into iTunes. The app is designed pretty well, too, and for an app that’s basically promoware, there’s a lot of content and features included.
It’s very well done — if you don’t have HBO, you probably won’t need the app, but if you are a subscriber with an iPhone or iPod touch, it’s well worth the free download.
[via Aaron H.]
HBO releases iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
HBO releases iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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