iPhone - page 411

Lucky me. I got the husband’s cast-off iPhone 3GS. But only after my old Razor phone fell in a lake. Although I do love the iPhone (who wouldn’t?), I am often forgetful and lazy with it. Meaning that I never charge it and never download photos to the computer.

This is where the Iomega’s SuperHero Backup and Charger for iPhone saves the day. This small portable dock charges your iPhone and downloads your data simultaneously.

So when I inevitably drop my iPhone in the garbage disposal, at least I won’t lose my address book.

Wunderlist HD – (Free) iPad – Productivity

Wunderlist is a beautifully elegant task manager that’s been around for a short while on the iPhone, and now it’s available in all its HD glory on the iPad. Use it to boost your productivity by managing your tasks and to-do lists, while effortlessly syncing them between your Mac and your iOS devices to ensure you’re always on top. Its impressive list of features includes task sharing, push notifications, email reminders, notes, customizable backgrounds, and lots more.

With all its features and its near-perfect user interface, Wunderlist gives many paid task management applications a good run for their money.

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If you want to know how much (or how little) you’re making compared to your peers, check out this new iPhone app.

Called Salary Checker, offered gratis in iTunes, it harnesses data from international recruiter Robert Walters.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6pT_2E5xI0

Tiny Wings – ($0.99) iPhone – Games

The next iPhone game to join the likes of Doodle Jump and Angry Birds as hugely popular titles that seem to cling to the top of the App Store charts for months on end could be Tiny Wings – a simple one-button arcade game based on a dream of flying. Featuring a loveable little bird whose wings are too small to fly, the aim of this game is to slide up and down hills as fast as you can, flapping your wings when the time is right to achieve a moment’s flight… before gravity brings you back down again.

Fly as far as you can, fulfilling each of your tasks to upgrade you nest, and try to unlock all 27 of the tricky OpenFeint achievements. While the object of the game seems fairly easy, it features enough of a challenge to ensure you’re quickly addicted to its charm, and you won’t be able to put it down. Its most unique feature is the procedural generated graphics that make the beautiful visuals look different every day you play. Tiny Wings is a remarkably simple idea that makes for a wonderful game.

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2H–IsTL_E&feature=player_embedded

Tap DJ – ($1.99) iPhone – Music

Not many DJ applications for iOS devices quite deliver the experience you get from using Tap DJ. Its bucket-load of features, together with its brilliantly designed and incredibly intuitive user interface, make it the ultimate pocket DJ application. Featuring integrated access to your iPod library, a 9 pad sampler, voice recording, FX, a 3-band equalizer for each deck, and lots more – it’s never been easier to mix, scratch, and add FX to your favorite tracks.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Tap DJ makes it unbelievably simple to play around with your music and create mixes you never thought were possible with an iPhone app. Boasting many of the features you’d find in a pricey desktop application, but at a fraction of the cost, there’s never been a better time to try your hand at being a DJ!

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A German man tired of relying on public services to ferry him around in his wheelchair has developed a crowdsourced iPhone app with info on access to public places.

Though Raul Krauthausen doesn’t lament the services available for the physically handicapped in Germany – special taxis and grocery delivery, etc. – he wanted more flexibility.

“Sometimes I feel I’m treated like a child who isn’t allowed to decide specific things by myself,” said the 30-year-old who suffers from a genetic disorder that makes his bones brittle. “I want to remain flexible and not be dependent on when a driving service has time to pick me up.”

Volcano Escape – ($1.99) iPhone – Games

One of my favorite games to hit the iPhone recently is Volcano Escape – a brilliant new action platformer that takes you on a fun-filled mission to escape a scorching hot volcano, while a hoard of tribal minions attempt to ruin your progress and barbecue your bones. Wield a selection of impressive weaponry that includes grenade launchers, jet packs, and shotguns, and take out the evil tribe on your route to safety through a rich 3D environment with beautifully bright visuals.

Volcano Escape is a terrific platformer that provides level after level of action-packed entertainment, which, together with its crazy characters and explosive weaponry, makes it one of the greatest games in its genre.

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Oscar Backstage Pass – ($0.99) Universal – Entertainment

To help you make this year’s Oscars the most enjoyable, the official Oscar Backstage Pass application for iOS gives you access to live streams from exclusive cameras places throughout the red carpet, the Kodak Theatre, and the Governors Ball, so that you can go beyond the TV broadcast and experience more live action as it happens. Watch the 83rd Academy Awards with this ingenious interactive application on your iPhone or iPad and get access to more stars, more glamour, and more of everything you love about the Oscars.

Its brilliantly designed user interface makes it easy to navigate between each live camera and shows you exactly where each camera is placed at the awards – this marvellous idea ensures you won’t miss a single moment of Hollywood’s biggest event.

Watch the Oscars live this Sunday, February 27th, at 8et/5pt on ABC.

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AT&T is now offering information about their 4G HSPA+ coverage in the U.S. The cities and areas that have completed the backhaul upgrades to support this are:

●Bay Area, CA
●Greater Los Angeles, CA
●Northern, CA
●Chicago, IL
●Boston, MA
●Baltimore, MD
●Charlotte, NC
●Buffalo, NY
●Providence, RI
●Houston, TX
●Dallas, TX
●Puerto Rico

If your area has HSPA+, but not the backhaul upgrade then you will not be able to experience the new 4G network speeds. However, AT&T’s network completely supports HSPA+ and they will eventually have the backhaul upgraded everywhere else.

You can check out AT&T’s coverage map that includes 4G coverage by visiting www.att.com/network and clicking on the coverage tab. Hovering your mouse over the map will reveal the 4G HSPA+ cities and locations listed above.

Have you noticed the difference? Tell us about it by leaving a comment.

[via iClarified]

This week’s must-have iOS games includes the incredible sequel to Gameloft’s hugely successful sci-fi FPS, N.O.V.A. This follow up title boasts new enemies with improved AI, a larger range of weapons and powers, and 10-on-10 online multiplayer – you won’t want to miss it!

Starfront: Collision is the second of Gameloft’s latest hits to make our list this week. Once again the company has looked at an incredibly popular game and created an iOS alternative that doesn’t disappoint. It’s a model they’ve been following for while with their App Store releases, and one that certainly seems to be working well for them. For fans of Blizzard’s Starcraft series and other real-time strategies, I highly recommend Starfront: Collision.

Since I first read it was coming, Back to the Future: Episode 1 for iPad was a game I couldn’t wait to see hit the App Store, and thanks to its striking voiceovers and delightful story line, the wait for this game didn’t disappoint. It’s sure to warm the hearts of fans of the movie and firmly earns its place in our favorite games.

Find out more about the games above and check out the rest of this week’s must-have, including Mahjongg Dimensions and Sky Combat, after the break!

Camera+ – ($0.99 for a limited time) iPhone – Photography

Camera+ is quite possibly the best, and certainly the most popular, photography application for the iPhone. It’s so good that it has replaced Apple’s official Camera app on my iPhone’s home screen, and is now my go-to application for snapping all my photos. With dozens of effects, touch exposure and focus, 6x digital zoom, and multiple scene modes, Camera+ is the ultimate way to get the most out of your iPhone’s photos.

In addition to a major updated that includes over 50 awesome new features and improvements, Camera+ has also been reduced for a limited to time to just $0.99. Anyone who’s used Camera+ on their iPhone will agree that you won’t find a better day-to-day photography app, and with the recent performance tweaks and new features, $0.99 for this fantastic application is a steal!

Inception: App Edition – (Free + $11.99 in-app purchase) Universal – Entertainment

Inception: App Edition is one of the first of Warner Bros.’ App Store releases that not only delivers the full Inception movie, but also offers a stack of movie extras all within an app. You can download the movie on to your device to play at anytime, even when you’re offline, or, if you’re keen to save space, you can stream the movie over Wi-Fi or 3G. The app features five exclusive tracks, bonus features that take you behind the scenes, an array of movie film posters, and multiple languages.

For film fans and movie buffs, Inception: App Edition is the ultimate way to experience this breathtaking film on your iOS device, and it features hours worth of additional content you wouldn’t normally have access to if you’d have purchased the film through the iTunes Store.

The Dark Knight is also available as an ‘App Edition’ from Warner Bros.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0AsGfcJjuc

Starfront: Collision – (Free + $6.99 in-app purchase) iPhone – Games

Starfront: Collision is the latest in Gameloft’s long string of smash hit releases, and claims to be the epitome of real-time strategy games. It packs 20 action-packed missions across five gorgeous environments, a competitive online multiplayer mode, and striking 3D-redered environments, making it one of the best RTS titles for iOS to date. Discover the deep and engaging story of a war of resources told throughout the solo campaign, or wage war against friends in 4-person online multiplayer. Live your first battles as a commander completely free, and if you’re ready to take up the challenge of the full game, you can unlock it through an in-app purchase.

Gameloft has once again looked at an incredibly popular game and created an iOS alternative that doesn’t disappoint. It’s a model they’ve been following for while with their App Store releases, and one that certainly seems to be working incredibly well for them. For fans of Blizzard’s Starcraft series and other real-time strategies, I highly recommend Starfront: Collision – with its near-perfect UI and control system, countless hours of intense gameplay, and eye-popping 3D visuals, I think it’s one Gameloft’s most impressive releases so far.

Apple announced its new plan for content publishers this week, and already it’s making money for the publishing industry by enabling wild, eyeball-grabbing headlines guaranteed to bring in the readers.

“Apple Just F****d Over Online Music Subs”

“Steve Jobs to Pubs: Our Way or Highway”

“Apple Launches Subscription System, Gouges Publishers in the Process”

“Apple Subscription Plans Anger Content Providers”

Digital-publishing-technology provider NewspaperDirect called Apple’s new policy ” unjustifiable,” “inexcusable,” “self-serving” and “ridiculous.”

The International Newsmedia Marketing Association felt “betrayed.”

OK, OK. We get the idea.

Movie critic Roger Ebert summarized another view in some quarters by tweeting: “Steve Jobs contributes his bit to the destruction of print media.”

That’s a compliment, not a criticism, by the way.

Meanwhile, just a day after Apple unleashed its new plan, Google unveiled one of its own, called Google One Pass. USA Today says the Google plan “undercuts Apple.”

So let’s collect ourselves and think this through. Is Apple’s plan really a major slap in the face to the publishing industry? Will it help kill print? And is Google’s One Pass a preferable alternative?

Readlines – ($0.99) Universal – News

Readlines makes great use of your iOS device while it’s sat in its dock on your desk, and turns an otherwise boring blank screen in to a big, bold stream of random headlines from your Google Reader RSS feeds. In the same way that the recent Trickle application displays tweets from your Twitter feed, Readlines cycles through your unread stories and displays a constant stream of headlines. Clicking on a headline that interests you will take you straight to Safari where you can read the whole article.

If you use your Google Reader account like I do, you’ll get hundreds of news stories every day that you’ll have to sift through to get to the good stuff that you want to know about. With Readlines you can simply get on with your work while your headlines are streamed to your desk, and it makes picking out only those that interest you incredibly simple.

Mahjongg Dimensions – ($0.99) Universal – Games

Just like classic Mahjong, the main aim of this game is to use your creativity, speed, and memory by matching and removing all of the tiles before the times runs out, but Mahjongg Dimensions offers a whole new way to play. Rather than a set of 2D tiles, Mahjongg Dimensions is a rotatable 3D cube that requires you to explore each side in order to find your matches. The faster you match, the more points you’ll earn, and the points multipliers and bonus rewards ensure there’s plenty of excitement and intensity to keep you hooked.

For puzzle lovers, today’s must-have game is certainly worth its dollar price tag! I think it’s a great new way to play the classic game of Mahjong and offers a highly addictive challenge to those who are looking for something a little bit different.

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is working on a “major revamp” of MobileMe, including a “locker” that will stream movies and TV shows to iPhones and iPads.

We’ve learned that Apple is going far beyond this. The company is looking to add a ton of ambitious cloud computing features to MobileMe — possibly in anticipation of a streaming-only iPhone.

Among the many services Apple is working on are:

• A live video-streaming service like Ustream
• A location-based check-in system like Gowalla or Foursquare
• A geo-tagging system codenamed “Tokens” that tags real-world locations, like Facebook Places on steroids.

According to our source, who asked to remain anonymous, Apple is working on a lot of streaming data services and location-aware technologies. It’s not clear when or how these features will be rolled out, but they appear to complement our report that Apple is working on a streaming-only iPhone.

“A ton of ideas were hatched on what they could do, and from what I heard, a lot of their ideas were shelved for a later date in order to focus on a few of them,” said our source.

Even as a munchkin bolting around on my grandparent’s farm, weeds licking at my calves, my life had its own soundtrack. That the sound came from the single anemic speaker of a heavy, D-cell burdened cassette-radio that loved to lunch on my Queen’s Greatest Hits tape didn’t matter — there was music in the grass, floating through the dust, on my shoes. It was awesome.

Flash forward to our MP3-laden, music-streaming days of wonder where, unexpectedly, Philips’ powerful, Bluetooth-equipped Fidelio DS8550 triggered that same feeling in me — which is pretty impressive, considering my expectations have evolved far, far beyond tinny speakers and misbehaving machinery. In fact, Philips has stuffed so much sound and so many clever features into the DS8550, it’s become my go-to gadget in a way that maybe no other sound accessory has before.

Sky Combat – ($0.99) iPhone – Games

Sky Combat is a vertical shooter from Chillingo that combines cutting-edge graphics with classic shoot ’em up gameplay to deliver one of the most visually stunning aerial assault games for the iPhone. It’s packed full of intensely exciting levels and challenging bosses that pack some serious action; dodge missiles, hails of bullets, tank fire, and turrets, on your mission to take over the skies. Three difficulties levels ensure Sky Combat is hugely enjoyable whatever your level of gaming experience, and give you a reason to keep coming back for more in a bid to beat every tier.

For an unparalleled aerial combat experience and blow-away graphics that make the Retina display worth having, grab Sky Combat today for the bargain price of $0.99!

Tap Forms Database – (Free) iPhone – Business

Forget sifting through every piece of paper in your home to find your insurance details when you need to make a claim, or panicking because you’ve forgotten your PIN at the ATM when you need some cash – it’s now with you wherever you go.

Today’s must-have app is Tap Forms Database, a fantastic way to carry a database of important information with you wherever you go, all stored securely on your iPhone. It’s never been so quick and easy to organize all of your data and have it at your fingertips whenever you need it. Effortlessly create your own database and use the 25 ready-made forms to store passport information, vehicle registration information, credit card numbers, bank account details, software serial numbers, online login information, and so much more.

Download Tap Forms Database today for free and you’ll soon wonder how you ever lived without it!

HubbleSite – (Free) iPhone – Education

Today’s must-have iOS application is HubbleSite, the online home of NASA’s Hubble space telescope. For over 20 years Hubble has orbited the Earth, beaming home images of celestial splendour; now you have access to the world’s most remarkable Hubble images at your fingertips, to enjoy on your iPhone anytime, anywhere.

Cast your eye over a vast collection of spectacular sights from the Hubble archives and vote for the images that you find the to be the most astounding. Download a selection of wallpapers for your device, all of which have been chosen and edited to deliver beautiful results on the iPhone & iPod touch with a Retina display. Read a compilation of amazing facts about the Hubble telescope’s history and the scientific discoveries it has revealed, from the age of the universe to the mysterious force known as ‘dark energy’ – all within the official Hubble iOS app.

For anyone interested in space and the universe around us, HubbleSite should be the next application you download from the App Store.

New over at Photojojo is this bizarre $35 add-on for iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4: an 8X zoom lens kit.

You get more than just the lens. The kit comes with a slide-on case for your phone, on to which you attach the lens itself. There’s also a mini tripod so you can keep the whole thing steady.

It certainly looks weird, but it’s so cheap that I can see plenty of photo nerds jumping at the chance to play around with iPhone zoomery.

If you do, let us know what you think of it, or link to some of your sample images.

UPDATE: The big question about a streaming-only iPhone is apps: How will users download apps? My source compared it to the second-generation Apple TV, which is a streaming-only device but includes 8GB of onboard memory (for the OS and buffering media). “I’m not 100% sure on the amount of memory available for the user,” he said. “I know there is some memory but it acts more like the memory on the AppleTV. There is some there, I’m just not sure how much.”

We have more detail on Apple’s iPhone nano, which according to Sunday’s Wall Street Journal is real and may be headed to market this year.

But what we have will blow your mind.

This week, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch all published rumors that Apple plans to compete in the mid-ranged smartphone sector, with the launch of a smaller, more affordable iPhone, to be sold alongside the iPhone 4. At Cult of Mac, we predicted as much six weeks ago.

Of course, rumors of a smaller, cheaper iPhone are nothing new. They’ve been around for almost as long as the iPhone itself. And with good reason. Any seasoned Apple watcher will recognize this as Steve Jobs’ standard MO. Launch an iconic, up-market product, allow the market for it to grow and mature, and when the underlying technology becomes cheap enough, introduce a smaller, more affordable mass market version.