We’ve been giving out free stuff all week via Twitter, and while today is no exception we’ve decided to spice things up by having a Twitter Trivia Giveaway. If you’d like to join our two other winners and receive a free iMainGo X we’d be happy to have one sent to you as long as you play by the rules.
Looks like the small tweaks are starting to roll in. A couple of our Twitter followers sent us pictures of a new feature for the App Store on their iPhones that allows them to view their recent app purchase. The app lets you view not only what you’ve purchased, but also what apps aren’t installed on the current iOS device you’re using.
Is your head still spinning from the smackdown of new details Steve Jobs and the Apple crew just slammed you with? Apple’s iCloud page just went live so you can get all the details on the new software that Apple is bringing to you for free later this fall. Of course, Cult of Mac will be posting all new material throughout the day breaking down iCloud and it’s features, so don’t stray too far.
After yesterday’s story about Apple enforcing third-party promotions and possibly nixing iPad giveaways, we followed up with companies who are trying to give away the magical tablet.
One of them got back to us with the following email from Apple, stating that an app had just been rejected because the company was found in violation of Apple’s giveaway guidelines.
While much has been made over Apple’s uncharacteristic pre-conference spilling of the beans regarding the impending announcement of a new, web-based service called iCloud, no one really knows what this “amazing,” “fantastic” and “magical” new service is going to look, feel or sound like — and won’t — until Steve Jobs unveils it to the audience at San Francisco’s Moscone West auditorium next week.
Still, we can put together a reasonable idea of the service iCloud will provide based upon Lala, the streaming music service Apple bought back in 2009. Assuming that Apple is basing iCloud on Lala and filling in the blanks with the latest industry reports and rumors, here’s a complete overview of what we think iCloud will look like when it’s announced on Monday.
iTunes is often called Apple’s worst piece of software. It’s criticized for being a bloated and slow way to manage music and sync iOS devices. This becomes especially apparent if you store a lot of content on your device or have a large iTunes library. iTunes doesn’t have to be so painful to use though. In this video, you’ll see a few ways you can make iTunes speedier and more responsive.
With the Arab Spring turning everyday citizens with cell phones into witnesses — sometimes the only witnesses — on tumultuous events, the time for the citizen journalism app has definitely arrived.
There are currently dozens of apps in iTunes available for people to submit news tips; some simply offer a way for people to send in local story ideas, others target specific networks and users can send pics and video directly to newsrooms.
Most are free — which speaks to how badly news organizations want no-cost, on-the-ground global coverage.
A week after its release, a memoir about Navy Seal Team Six is topping sales on iTunes. The elite military personnel are trained to conduct the most top secret operations involving combat, anti-terrorism and dangerous rescues – like the one that led to killing Osama Bin Laden on May 2.
The SuperTooth Disco is a portable speaker that will wirelessly stream 28 watts of sound for your next parties dance floor. Here’s a hands-on review.
It won’t take the place of a dedicated sound system like the one you might have in your living room with only 28 watts of power, but for a portable Bluetooth device it is pretty impressive.
Apple released iTunes 10.2.2 today and the new version of iTunes contains a number of important bug fixes. According to Apple these fixes include:
• Addresses an issue where iTunes may become unresponsive when syncing an iPad.
• Resolves an issue which may cause syncing photos with iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to take longer than necessary.
• Fixes a problem where video previews on the iTunes Store may skip while playing.
• Addresses other issues that improve stability and performance.iTunes 10.2 came with several new features and improvements, including:
• Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.
• Improved Home Sharing. Browse and play from your iTunes libraries with Home Sharing on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.
For information on the security content of this update, please visit: support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
Get your copy now via Software Update or download a copy to install the software manually yourself later.
The hubbub over the app from Christian group Exodus International keeps growing. The petition against the app for “homosexual strugglers” has reached nearly 130,000 signatures.
Apple has still not responded and, at this writing, the free app is still in the iTunes store. The battle is also being waged in the reviews for the app – currently there are 371 five-star reviews and 836 one-star reviews.
Exodus International spoke to the Christian Post about how they hope Apple the reviews won’t shake the initial 4+ rating for their content – meaning it contains no objectionable material — and how the app has been misunderstood.
There are plenty of questionable apps available on iTunes – from the plethora of fart clones to belly jam – but here are some that Apple approved then removed because they were offensive.
What Apple approves, keeps or pulls in iTunes was on my mind over the weekend as I watched the number of signers to the online petition to remove a “gay-cure” app from Christian group Exodus International boom.
When we first wrote about the app, there were 6,700 signatures – about as many that got the much milder Manhattan Declaration pulled – there are now nearly 90,000.
An app from a Christian Ministry is “designed to be a useful resource for men, women, parents, students, and ministry leaders” over what it calls “homosexual strugglers.”
Yesterday’s update to the iOS 4.3 includes a requirement that buyers must enter their passwords for each purchase in iTunes.
The move comes after parents and legislators squawked that kids were making too many accidental buys in “credit-card bait games” in part because passwords stayed active for a 15-minute grace period.
“We are proud to have industry-leading parental controls with iOS,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told the Washington Post. “With iOS 4.3, in addition to a password being required to purchase an app on the App Store, a reentry of your password is now required when making an in-app purchase.”
What do you think about the new requirement?
And do you think it will stop these games targeting kids?
If you’re ready to play at smuggling illegal immigrants over the US border, check out the demo for “Smuggle Truck.”
The game, from Boston company Owlchemy Labs hasn’t yet been approved by Apple, but you can try it out on gaming portal Kongregate for free.
“Smuggle Truck: Operation Immigration” has released a storm of controversy – and free publicity – for the game devs hope will be approved for iTunes by March.
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!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on this article and recommended other great iOS applications which help us to get fit. We’ve taken a look at all of the suggestions we’ve received and updated the article below to include a few of the great applications we missed first time round.
Steve Jobs introduced iTunes ten years ago this week, on January 10, 2001 at the MacWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco, where he proclaimed a belief in the “revolution” of “digital music on computers.”
At the time, Macs still ran on OS 9 and iTunes was all about “ripping audio CDs onto your computer disk;” tens of billions of dollars in digital music sales were yet a glimmer in Jobs’ eye.
At the time, iTunes launched as a competitor to existing products from companies such as Real Networks and Microsoft, and Jobs admitted at MacWorld that his company was “late to the game.”
iTunes, of course, quickly became the only game in town, as Apple soon launched OS X and seamlessly integrated its music software with iPod, the line of portable music players that “changed everything” and helped Apple become the tech industry powerhouse it is today.
Smurfs’ Village, the iPhone/iPad game a lot of parents point the finger at for accidental in-app purchases, has now added a few warnings.
The first sentence of the game description now reads:
“Smurf Village is free to play, but charges real money for additional in-app content. You may lock out the ability to purchase in-app content by adjusting your device’s settings.”
What goes around comes around: one of the disc jockeys busted with running a six-figure iTunes scam has admitted his role.
Lamar Johnson, 19, admitted he was involved in this modern take on chart rigging, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud in court.
Nine British djs are charged with using 1,500 stolen or cloned credit cards to buy their own tracks to the tune of £500,000 (about USD $780,000). They were paid £185,000 (USD $288,000) in royalties before getting caught.
In-App Purchases are no joke. With the Freemium model becoming a mainstay for many popular apps, iOS users may get confused and can easily rack up a $100 tab in minutes. To prevent this from happening to you we’re going to show you how to disable all in-app purchases.
Beatle mania continues on iTunes: after the Fab Four launched on Apple’s store, selling some two million downloads in the first week, a course about them on iTunes U is also soaring in popularity.
Liberal Studies class “The Beatles: Popular Music and Society” from the University of Illinois Springfield has been available on iTunes in podcast form since 2005, but just this week it came in as the second most popular course on iTunes U. (Number one? Oxford’s “Critical Reasoning for Beginners.”)
Half a million people have downloaded the 39 podcasts – a crash course in 1960s music for people not born when John Lennon was killed in 1980? — and another two million have previewed it.
Steve Jobs publicly vowed to make the iTunes app market porn free, telling customers if they want smut they should get an Android. Whether you want sexy stuff on your smartphone or not, there’s undeniably an appetite for adult material.
That’s why developers keep submitting salacious apps to the iTunes store – playing peek-a-boo with the public as they are approved and then shut down. Big names like Playboy and Hooters iTunes offerings are, kind of a tease – lots of skin, but no nudity and “games,” like a squeaky-clean screen washing app. Android is another story.
While there is no adult material in its official app store, almost exactly a year ago a company called www.mikandi.com launched a porn app market for the Android platform, billing it as the world’s first mobile adult shop. (See our post about what Android users get a looky-loo at when they use it).
Google adopted a hands-off policy towards this parallel porn shop – and following its pattern of keeping mum about it, a Google spokesperson declined to comment for this post. It’s also worth noting that Android’s open approach allows users to use and install third party apps without jailbreaking phones.
Cult of Mac talked in exclusive with MiKandi (it’s pronounced “my candy”) CEO Jen McEwan about what’s hot in the store and where the market is headed.
To prove seeing is believing, we downloaded MiKandi, the adult app market for Android about to celebrate a year in business, and took a little tour of the apps offered there.
Mikandi (pronounced “my candy”) was a quick download on the Nexus One phone we used. To install, users must agree to allow the app to have access to the phone store and location (info they need to combat the Android’s ongoing fragmentation problem) then a lengthy end-user agreement that begins with the caveat that users must be over age 18.
In a few seconds – the waiting message reminds us it’s “loading goodies” — and the store opens. (If you’re concerned about prying eyes, you can also register for a secure account online or through the app store itself).
On Tuesday, Apple made the addition of the Beatles’ repertoire to iTunes the story of the week (ho-hum though the story was), and this Sunday, the company made the new partnership the centerpiece of every NFL game, flooding the airwaves with multiple ads drawing on still images from the Get Back/Let it Be sessions (and occasional Ed Sullivan performances).
It’s all a bit retro, but there is some kind of nice unifying warmth to the band that made Helvetica rock-and-roll being featured by the company that made Helvetica high-tech.
The ads are nice, though, particularly if you’re enjoying a holiday beverage or two and are feeling nostalgic about the excitement of four friends, a recording studio, and creativity. Take a sip, sit back, and remember that love is all you need.
