It’s time for yet another Monday iPhone App Giveaway brought to you by Appular! This time we’ll be posting delicious app codes on the Cult of Mac Facebook and Twitter pages and it’s up to you to grab them first. We’ll be dropping codes throughout the day so it’s best to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter so that the codes are immediately delivered to your desktop.
Special Thanks to Appular for helping us put together these app code giveaways! If you’ve got a mobile app that you’d like marketed effectively, contact the good folks at Appular!
The Verizon iPhone might not be official yet, but AT&T’s already firing an opening salvo in the war of words. Things are about to get nasty folks.
Speaking to Business Insider, AT&T PR head Larry Solomon couldn’t resist commenting upon the prospect of a Verizon iPhone by saying that he wasn’t “sure iPhone users are ready for life in the slow lane,” while noting that AT&T’s GSM-based network is faster than Verizon’s for 3G speeds.
That’s actually not debatable, but for most users, the speed advantages of AT&T’s 3G network are negligible… and my guess is that many customers would be more than happy to give up a few kb/s downstream if they could trade them for Verizon’s coverage and reliability. What do you guys think?
Now that the festive period is out of the way and we begin to settle in to the new year, Apple has returned to reviewing App Store submissions and games and apps are starting to trickle in again. Here’s our pick of the best iOS apps to enter the App Store over the past week.
8mm Vintage Camerais a great new video application that shoots old-fashioned 8mm movies in real-time. It was recently reviewed by the Cult’s own David Martin, who was very impressed with the app’s effects and awarded it 4 out of 5 stars.
Trimensionalis a ground-breaking photography app and the world’s first 3D scanner for the iPhone. It cleverly uses both the screen and the front-facing camera on your device, detecting patterns of light reflected off your face to create a true 3D model. The results are extraordinary and you can check out some screenshots after the break.
If you’ve made any New Year’s resolutions for 2011, Zendrefor your iPhone is the app you need to keep track of your goals and achievements. Reward yourself progress points every time you do something towards meeting your resolution, and get the motivation you need to keep your resolutions going.
Find out more about the applications above and check out the rest of this week’s must-have iOS apps, including Awesome Files HDand Symphony Pro, after the break!
Now that the festive period is out of the way and we begin to settle in to the new year, Apple has returned to reviewing App Store submissions and games and apps are starting to trickle in again. Here’s our pick of the best iOS games to enter the App Store over the past week.
Grimmis the first I’ve discovered, and probably the first you’ll play, in which your aim is to navigate a lost baby’s carriage and successfully deliver the child home to its mother. This side-scrolling adventure is set in a dark and stylized world and delivers something a little different that iOS gamers are sure to love.
Block Rogueclaims to be the biggest mobile puzzle adventure ever made, and the game in which each solution brings you one step closer to the truth. Problem-solvers will love the hundreds of mind-bending puzzles and dark mysteries that Block Rogue has to offer.
The latest highly addictive iPhone game features a big, colorful elephant named Clumsy Bob, who’s about to set off on an adventure around the world. Bounce Bob across the vibrant cartoon environments as far as you can for your highest score, then challenge your friends to beat it.
Find out more about the games above and check out the rest of this week’s must-haves, including Ascendancy and Flying Hamster, after the break!
The Wall Street Journalreported today that the Verizon iPhone will be announced Tuesday, January 11.
The announcement will happen at an event at New York’s Lincoln Center and will be headlined by Verizon President and COO Lowell McAdam, according to the story.
Journalists were sent invitations by Verizon today, but those invitations did not specify what the announcement would be. The Journal says the iPhone announcement was confirmed by “a person familiar with the matter.”
There can only be so many good reasons as to why someone would feel compelled to do this, but apparently, some ingenuitive hackers have managed to get Android 2.3 Gingerbread ported to an iPhone 3G.
After several weeks of work, Nick Pack and others have found a way to install the Android OS on an iPhone 3G, using the OpeniBoot software that has been used on previous ports. OpeniBoot is an open source implementation of iBoot for iOS devices, which allows booting of unsigned code, such as Linux kernels, on the device.
LAS VEGAS, CES 2011 — Mophie’s newest case, launched yesterday, incorporates a credit-card reader and allows business owners to process physical credit card transactions through the iPhone. To interface with the case’s reader, Mophie recruited Intuit’s free GoPayment app, which is compatible with Inuit’s flagship QuickBooks small business accounting package.
Even considering Mophie’s reputation for cutting-edge iPhone cases, this one is pretty remarkable — and a challenge to products like Square’s credit card reader for iPhone. The case is available now, and sells for $180.
LAS VEGAS, CES 2011 — The very next time I hear the term “iPhone-killer,” I will go absolutely Looney-Tunes nuts. I will tear up telephone books, gargle with raw eggs and Marmite, the whole bit. Seriously.
On the other hand, Samsung really does seem to be taking precise aim at the iPhone 4 with their new Infuse 4G Android smartphone announced yesterday. They’re claiming that, when (if) released, it’ll be the lightest, thinnest phone on the market, and it’ll be equipped with oodles of goodies: a 4.5-inch, “next-generation” Super AMOLED screen (which they say will have better readability in bright sunlight) and a snappy 1.2 ghz processor. And get this — it’ll sit exclusively in the AT&T stable.
LAS VEGAS, CES 2011 — I guess a strange product collaboration with Yao Ming was somewhat entertaining to hear about (don’t you want Yao Ming headphones??), but my ears didn’t really perk up until Monster brought out their Tron inspired iPhone dock and headphones.
LAS VEGAS, CES 2011 — Pioneer launched its SmartCradle for the iPhone at its CES presser today, further proving that the aftermarket auto industry seems to be embracing the iPhone with rapidly increasing gusto.
They really pulled out the stops on this one, hardware-wise: a dedicated GPS receiver with an external antenna, which they said will give even newer iPod Touch models GPS capability; an accelerometer and gyro sensor for better location awareness; hands-free calling an integrated amplified speaker with the ability to vary volume based on ambient noise; and audio/video output. Of course, it’ll also charge the iPhone; Ted Cardenas, Pioneer’s director of marketing, made of point of this — but since the iPhone won’t last long with location services going, any dock even remotely similar already includes charging ability. Nary a whiff on price or availability yet.
A prototype fuel cell mobile phone by Hitachi. Apple may be working on similar technology for the iPhone and iPad. Photo: Slashphone
Apple has been granted its first patent related to Liquidmetal, a space-age metal alloy. But the patent isn’t for a new iPad enclosure or iPhone antenna, as experts have predicted. Instead Apple’s Liquidmetal patent is for an internal component of a fuel cell.
Last year, Apple signed an exclusive agreement to use the Liquidmetal Technologies’ IP in consumer electronic products. But of course, the ever-secretive company hasn’t hinted at its plans for the material. The possibilites are endless. Liquidmetal is a super lightweight, high-strength, scratch-proof metal that NASA says is “poised to redefine materials science as we know it in the 21st century.”
LAS VEGAS — Griffin revealed something really cool today: a sensor that hooks up to your car’s diagnostic computer and feeds all kinds of info to your iPhone. Griffin calls it the CarTrip, and it attaches to your car’s OBD-II sensor (the thing car mechanics uses to diagnose problems), collects and stores the data, then sends it to your iPhone (we’re not sure how, because the press release doesn’t say), which then displays the data in realtime with the help its free partner app, CleanDrive.
The app/hardware package will reveal all kinds of information, like fuel consumption rates, acceleration, and it’ll interpret diagnostic codes. It’ll also display a “Carbon Score,” so you can figure out how much you’re befouling the planet by driving around.
CarTrip should be available in early 2011 for $90.
Update: CarTrip is equipped with Bluetooth for relaying the data to an iPhone. Thanks Levi!
LAS VEGAS — After hours of driving through the cow-infested flatness of California’s Central Valley, CultofMac Editor Leander Kahney and I have finally arrived in Vegas, primed to report from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The doors only officially open on Thursday, but here’s some of the sparkly new stuff we saw released today that we’re mega-pumped to get our hands on at this year’s show:
With the release of AirPrint late last year, Apple finally gave iDevice users what they’d been clamoring for (and quite loudly, since the iPad’s debut): the easy ability to print from a wifi connected printer. Hurrah! Problem is, it only works with printers made by HP — owners of Epsons, Canons and the rest were left out in the cold.
However, for Epson owners willing to shell out $10, Thinxtream‘s PrintJinni app already provided a means to print to select Epson wifi-connected printers. In late December PrintJinni became a free download to put itself on even footing with AirPrint, pricewise — question is, how good of a solution is it?
Where do you characterize the iPad and iPhone in the music making process? They can be your instruments, recording console, video edit system, and playback devices all in one. With new tools comes new talent, taking advantage of what progress has to offer. The Age of the iDevice in Music has only just begun.
Korean musician Yoari and an all-iDevice band performed this cover of Beyonce’s Sweet Dream in June 2010. The apps used in the piece are noted during the performance – a nice touch. And not a bad jam!
Happy new year! Are you interested in learning why you should jailbreak your iDevice in 2011? Or are you just looking for some cool apps and tweaks after recently jailbreaking? Look no further!
In this guide, we’re covering ten of the most popular jailbreak apps and mods you can obtain through Cydia. These usually wouldn’t be possible, but with the help of jailbreaking, they are!
Just six months have passed since the iPhone 4 launch, so it may seems a little premature to be speculating about its successor. But given the long lead times involved, you can bet that Steve Jobs’ A-team is already hard at it, toiling away in a maximum security lab, under his close personal supervision.
But where next for the iPhone? What can you add to the smartphone that has everything? With the growing competitive threat from Android, I think that Apple’s roadmap for iPhone in 2011 will switch from adding new features to product diversification, targeting multiple consumer segments and price points.
Instead of the iPhone 5, Apple will launch the iPhone Play and the iPhone Air. Here’s why…
Skype’s official iOS client can now make video calls using an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, or fourth-generation iPod touch. People using any of these devices can share real-time video between themselves and people using Skype clients on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. If you are using an iPad or third-generation iPod touch you can receive video from the other clients, but since you don’t have a camera you won’t be able to send video.
The new client supports video over Wi-Fi and 3G connections and with an installed base of clients greater than those currently using FaceTime it may give FaceTime a run for its money.
Skype version 3.0 for iOS offers the following improvements:
A burglar was caught red-handed in Denver this week, thanks to an iPhone app that shows the camera feed from a home computer.
A woman named Claire, who gave only her first name to the press, uses the app to keep tabs on her dog while she travels. But when she logged in Tuesday, she saw a crook going through her stuff.
Police arrested a suspect. But when they told Claire that he didn’t steal anything, she informed them that in fact she has iPhone video of the suspect stealing her iPad.
While most of the Western world was wolfing down grammies Christmas pudding and singing Christmas carols, our gadget squad was quietly steeling itself (in between eggnog and unwrapping gifts, of course) for the onslaught of new tech at the monster of all gadget events, the annual Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.
The madness kicks off early next week, and we’ll be smack in the middle supplying wall-to-wall coverage from the get-go. From advance information we’ve received, the really big news this year will be a dizzying acceleration toward hardware that interfaces with iDevices, including what seems like a massive dose of app-enhanced gadgets — gadgets that are built to interface with an iDevice and come with their own app, basically making the iPad or iPhone an intrinsic part of the gadget.
In fact, we were pretty surprised and disappointed during last year’s CES when it seemed all we could dredge up of the promising new concept was a clock and an insipid speaker dock. But the concept had only just been made available (with uncharacteristically little fanfare from Apple) earlier that year, and it seems gadget makers have caught up — we’re seeing teasers for everything from an iPhone-connected thermometer, to a car stereo that integrates the iPhone as a display to, a little bizarrely, an iPhone-controlled ball.
Not quite as cool but wider in appeal is the vast assortment of new wifi and Bluetooth connected sound hardware that’ll be on display; there’s also an increase in gadgets that stream and/or communicate with the cloud. And of course, we’ll be covering all the usual suspects: portable audio, speakers, docks, storage, cameras, gaming hardware, peripherals — you name it. Stay tuned.
Flying’s a frustrating experience, and I think all of us have been tempted at one point or another to take that frustration out on an obnoxious neighboring child. Perhaps he’s kicking your seat rhythmically and incessantly: not one of us would blame you for turning around, dumping your soda all over his crotch, standing up and then loudly shrieking, “Look! The baby wet himself! Big baby!” over and over again until he burst into tears and the rest of the airplane burst into applause. That’s not vindictiveness… it’s just justice.
We draw the line, however, at actually hitting kids. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what 68-year old Russell Miller did on a recent flight heading to Boise, Idaho, after a neighboring fifteen year old refused to turn off his iPhone (which seems to have been in Airplane mode, and we being used to play games and music, not make calls),
This is a guest post by the author of the controversial CrApple Store blog, written by a former Apple Genius. [More on the CrApple Store here]
If you can cast your minds back 10 years, you might remember the slight excitement of getting a new mobile phone.
Features like a colour screen, customisable ringtones, a camera and games were all part of the learning experience that came along with obtaining a new handset year after year.
In recent years I’ve found this geek factor to be missing from the yearly iOS update (same phone, same-ish software and settings), and with the signal/bumper fiasco with this year’s iPhone, I decided that having to have a case on a phone I just paid £500 was not acceptable.
Along with Apple’s childish behaviour of putting up videos of other manufacturers’ handsets supposedly doing a similar thing, I thought enough was enough and decided to return my iPhone 4 for a full refund. Also not happy with paying hundreds of pounds for last year’s 3GS model, I thought what better opportunity than to dip my toe into the Android platform, and see what, at least some of the fuss was about.
Now, every day I regret the purchase of an Android handset.
Japan’s Green Gables bakery has been selling life-size iPhone cookies for two years. But recently, photos have appeared on Twitter and elsewhere, sparking huge demand.
Originally, the small, local bakery made the cookie as a special birthday present for a customer’s husband. But thanks to social media, the $33 cookie is being ordered by hundreds of people around Japan (it’s unavailable outside the country, so you’ve got to know someone). The current waiting time for an iPhone cookie: Two months!
You got another Apple gadget for Christmas, didn’t you? And you love it, don’t you?
So at what point do you officially declare yourself to be one of those Cupertino Kool-Aid-guzzling, Steve Jobs-worshiping, pathetically devoted Apple fans you used to loathe?
Ten years ago, there were two kinds of people: PC users (a.k.a. “regular people”) and Apple fanboys. At least that’s how it looked from the PC side.
Macs were pretty, but considered by us PC users to be overpriced, underpowered, insufficiently supported by either software or hardware, too hard to customize, optimize or repair and completely devoid of key application areas, such as games.
The world was black and white. You were either a PC or a Mac. Then things got complicated.
