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Angry Birds Update Coming March 17th

Vince — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:09:09 +0000

Speaking at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Rovio Mobile’s Peter Vesterbacka has confirmed when we’ll be seeing the next update to Angry Birds Seasons and what the theme will be.

It’s set for release on the 17th March and will be St. Patrick’s Day themed. It will replace the current Valentine’s Day theme, which in turn took over from Christmas and Halloween. Once more we imagine the update will be free for those who already own Seasons, but will require purchasing for first-timers.

The only hint as to what we can expect from the next version of Seasons was for Mr. Vesterbacka to hold up a plush green pig and exclaim ‘more of these!’ when asked about the content!

A St. Patrick’s Day theme has come as a bit of a surprise, as I was expecting an Easter-themed update, especially given the handily appropriate eggs already in the game! Still, Easter is late this year, so perhaps Rovio will spoil us with two updates in as many months.

SOURCE: iPhoneFreaks

iPhone mini looking more likely by the minute

Vince — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:15:44 +0000

A mini iPhone is looking more and more likely, as a report has just been posted by the WSJ suggesting that a less-expensive iPhone will launch in an attempt to increase sales of smartphones, due to growing competition.

According to “people familiar with the matter”, the new mini iPhone will apparently be around half the size of the current iPhone 4, and would allow carriers to subsidize a good portion of the retail price, thus allowing for a much more competitively priced phone.

Along with the new device there is also talk of Apple updating its MobileMe online storage service. This revamp may involve making the service free, which currently costs $99 to use. Although the storing of personal data would mean an initial loss for Apple in the short term, the closed nature of the service could mean that Apple benefits in the long term – as the data will be stored in the cloud, freeing up memory on the new mini Apple device.

Social networking and music should also be key features incorporated in the new service.

This news also suggests that Apple is taking no chances with its smartphone future, and maybe it’s taking the news of the Nokia and Microsoft teamup a little more seriously than previously expected.

The new mini iPhone and updated MobileMe service should be launched sometime in the summer.

Via: http://www.pocket-lint.com

iPhone Nano ‘due out this summer’

Vince — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:53:40 +0000

By Sean Poulter of www.thisismoney.co.uk

Apple is rumoured to be planning a budget version of its best-selling iPhone which will sell for less than a third of the current model’s price. The smaller iPhone Nano could hit the shops as early as this summer with a price tag of less than £150, or like other iPhones, free of charge if bought as part of a two-year contract, according to U.S. reports.

The new version would be around twothirds the size of the current iPhone 4, which is 4.5in long, 2.31in wide, and just 0.37in thick. It would be designed to challenge the mass market products made by the likes of Nokia, Samsung and Motorola. The move would also put Apple head to head with Google, which has lent its name and Android operating system to a large number of mobile phones on the market.

Analysts say the introduction of a cheap Nano handset would be an aggressive move for Apple, which has previously traded on its reputation for building upmarket and expensive technology.

The latest iPhone 4 has a starting price of £510 in this country but can cost £612, according to Apple’s UK online store. The company has previously had enormous success developing ever-smaller versions of its iPod.

The ‘nano’ version of the music player is particularly popular with joggers.

Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co. in New York, said: ‘Instead of targeting 25 per cent of the global mobile phone market, Apple would be going after 100 per cent.’ He said a cheaper iPhone would help Apple make deeper inroads in markets such as China and India, where many shoppers opt for lower-priced handsets that don’t carry longterm contracts.

The rumours about the iPhone Nano, which were triggered after a prototype was circulated to some industry insiders, have dominated the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, where Apple’s rivals are currently showcasing their latest handsets and tablets.

One reason for the success of the iPhone is the thousands of applications, or Apps, such as maps and games, available for it. Sceptics will question whether these Apps will be useful and easy to navigate on a smaller screen.

WSJ corroborates the mini-iPhone, says Apple may make MobileMe free (update: ‘edge-to-edge’ screen)

Vince — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:37:20 +0000

By Sean Hollister posted Feb 13th 2011 at 6:40PM

The Wall Street Journal has weighed in on rumors of Apple’s smaller iPhone, and citing “people familiar with the matter” the publication says that the rumors are likely true. One such familiar person reportedly saw a device half the size of the iPhone 4, bearing the codename “N97,” and said that the handset will be only about half the size of the original, and at only around half the price too. Amazingly, those anonymous sources continued to divulge information, expressing the idea that Apple could finally make its MobileMe cloud service suite free, and that it just might be the platform from which Apple could finally launch a streaming music platform and lessen the need for all those gigabytes of flash storage in your pocket. We’ll let you know if or when any of that happens, okay?

Update: The WSJ‘s source proved even more talkative after getting an eyeful of the Samsung and Sonyannouncements this morn; the publication’s article has been updated to read that the device is “signifcantly lighter” than the iPhone 4, has an “edge-to-edge” touchscreen, and “voice-based navigation” of some sort.

Apple to Launch Low-Cost iPhone

Vince — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:42:15 +0000

By Carrie-Ann Skinner, PC-Advisor-(UK) Feb 11, 2011 10:31 pm

Apple is thought to be preparing to launch a low-cost version of theiPhone.

According to Bloomberg, which cites a source that claims to have seen the device, the iPhone Mini will be around a two thirds of the size of the existing iPhone and does not feature a ‘home’ key. It is likely to cost around $200 in the US, although no speculation was made on UK pricing.

It is thought the smaller handset will be available with a “universal” SIM that allows users to switch between networks without having to remove on SIM and insert another. Furthermore, it is likely to be made available on a Pay As You Go (PAYG) basis rather than 18-month or two-year contracts.

Apple hopes the low-cost device would help rival the success of Google Android, which as well as targeting the high-end smartphone market, has become popular with low-cost devices that offer many of the same functions as smartphones.

“Instead of targeting 25 percent of the global mobile-phone market, Apple would be going after 100 percent,” Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co, told Bloomberg.

The source also revealed that Apple initially aimed to unveil the device mid-way through 2011 and very few Apple employees know the ‘iPhone mini’ exists.

Transfer iPhone contacts with Swip Swap Contacts 3.0

tayaub — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:21:20 +0000

Anybody remember the iPhone 2G on the first day it was launched? Yes that’s right either you don’t remember a thing, or you remember just how simple the iPhone was. There was no app store and a VERY basic OS. One of the major niggles on my first day as an iPhone user was the fact that I could not move my contacts from my SIM card to my phone! A while later when everybody else had got an iPhone and I realised we couldn’t move contacts from iPhone to iPhone!

Ah the good old days! However as time has progressed so has the iPhone, with many applications now available to sync contacts with other users. Now we have a new one.

The application called Swip allows you to swap contacts between iPhones AND other devices. It was created to be a simple yet efficient way of transferring contact information from your device. All this can be done through Bluetooth, Wifi or even using email and the vCard format. The application gives you a lot more control over what you send. It uses WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface, so you can see exactly what information you are sending.

Swip also has a lovely meeting feature, enabling users to send information to many devices instead of one at a time. The interface is spot on allowing you to navigate select and send contacts with ease. It reduces time and is a vital application for anyone who needs to swap contacts regularly. For privacy nuts there is an option to PIN protect the data you are sending, so users without the PIN can’t receive the information.

Swapping can be time and location stamped but this is to the users discretion, when enabled it will add the information to the swap. Just as the iPhone does when taking a picture and attaching a time and location stamp on the picture. This allows you to build up a map of where swaps have taken place and at what times.

It isn’t just for phones! Swip even allows you to transfer information to programs like Microsoft Outlook using your vCard formatted contacts, when used on the iPhone with OS 3.0 or above it also allows you to send multiple contacts and view them before sending them. Editing or removing any information that you do not wish to send.

Private registration on the website will also allow you to login, track and analyse all the swapping you have been doing. Not to mention that the application is also compatible with some social networking sites. It has the ability to send tweets and post the contact information on sites such as Twitter, FriendFeed and Shizzow.

All this rolled into one neat easy to use and very efficient application. Swapping contact details has always been a bit dreary on the iPhone. The Bump app was a nice way of doing things but really lacked the funtionality that Swip comes with. And best of all it’s FREE!

Check it out on iTunes

Meebo on iPhone

tayaub — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:47:56 +0000

Meebo is a service that allows you to connect to multiple social networking and messaging accounts at once. This means you can browse FaceBook, twit away on twitter and also chat to people on AIM/MSN/Yahoo etc.

Every service in one App

The people at Meebo have now released an app for iPhone users, tagged as “the one app to rule them all”, there are some very nice features integrated into Meebo. First and foremost is the support for many services, support for Landscape Mode and the application not only records your chat history but lets you search through it at any time!

iGangster!

tayaub — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:43:26 +0000

There is not a soul in the gaming world that hasn’t heard of Rockstar Games. The people, who gave us the absolutely massive Grand Theft Auto series, have now turned mobile! The game is called Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

He tried stealing my iPhone!

Not only does Apple’s little device support a plethora of applications: Satellite Navigation, Fitness and Office Tools to name a few. For £5.99 you can now play Grand Theft Auto on it! All from the comfort of your phone. No court cases and an unlimited set of lives, so what are you waiting for? Get the guns out and have some fun.

The game is exactly the same as the versions released for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. After purchasing the game the first thing that struck me was the size, 186 MB! That could only mean good news.

The graphics are surprisingly crisp for a game of this calibre on such a small device. The first major difference is the camera angle; it has been reverted back to the classic birds-eye view.

The 3D carnage is still in the game, just viewed from above this time

The controls are a little bit of a fiddle but only because of the size of the iPhone’s screen. It can be a little frustrating when trying to maneuver in a tight space or when trying to fire at multiple targets. Being a touch screen phone can have disadvantages, it gets especially annoying when involved in a shoot-out or car chase. But this is a small price to pay for being able to play GTA on your iPhone. After a while of playing the slightly dodgy controls will be forgotten as police and others chase you!

Owners of the DS will remember the little side games included, such as hot-wiring a car. These have now been implemented into the iPhone version. As well as having all the other side-quests (Fire, Police, Taxi Missions). It seems that they have picked the best from the PSP and the DS versions, and then ported it over to the iPhone.

But by far the best feature in my opinion is the ability to play songs from the iPod whilst you play the game! All you have to do is set up a play list with the songs you wish to listen to and then add it to the Independence Radio Station in-game.

Anybody remember Dope Wars? Released for all types of phones, it was a small game that centered on the user being a drug dealer. Flying to different locations to buy “goods” and then selling them in other locations for profit. It was a very popular game, and a similar thing is included in GTA. You can meet different dealers and do business with them!

All in all for the price this game is an absolute gem, GTA fans will love the little portable version. Giving endless hours of fun even after you have completed all the missions in the story mode. The game is absolutely massive, it completed smashed my expectations. It may have its odd problems, but for something on your phone it’s definitely a 9/10!

Check it out on iTunes –

5 Novel uses for your iPhone

Vince — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:28 +0000

On top of the iPhone’s voice, text, and internet functions, the versatility of the hardware, and the plethora of apps available from the iTunes store make the iPhone a very flexible device.

Here’s our pick of 5 unique uses for your iPhone, in no particular order:

Use your phone as a security camera

It’s actually possible to set your phone up as a CCTV camera, protecting your room/car/office while you are away. If you always wondered who was stealing your M&Ms, now you can find out!

Control iTunes over your WiFi

Save money on fancy HiFi remotes, and simply play your favorite tracks on your computer, and control it with your iPhone! You’ll need a home WiFi network (who doesn’t these days?) and it’s a simple case of pairing your phone with iTunes. Now there’s no need to get out of your comfy seat to change up the music.

Measure the performance of your car, including 0-60 times

If you ever wanted some performance figures to impress/bore your friends with, now you can take measurements with your iPhone. BMW have released a free app called the “M power meter” that uses the iPhone’s accelerometer, and can measure and display 0-60 times, acceleration, G forces etc. All the numbers a petrolhead could dream of!

Reading eBooks, without an expensive eBook reader like the Kindle

The iPhone’s high resolution screen makes it suitable for reading long documents, and books, without too much eye strain. Stanza is a free application that makes it easy to download eBooks onto your phone from a vast collection, and read them using book-like gestures (e.g. turning the page with a side flick of the finger). You can even convert books from other formats that you have, e.g. PDF, and download them to your phone. Very neat.

Keep fit by using your iPhone as a pedometer

It didn’t take long for application developers to realise one of the simplest uses for the accelerometer built into the iPhone: tracking steps, in the same way a clip-on pedometer does. Making sure you take at just 6000 steps a day has been correlated with better health, so get going and install one of these simple pedometer applications on your phone now!

New Facebook iPhone App Now Supports The Vision-Impaired

vikram — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:26:30 +0000

The new 3.0 version of the Facebook iPhone App, which did not have VoiceOver (VO) support earlier, now does, and therefore, is capable of being used by the visually impaired.

This news was tweeted out by Joe Hewitt, the developer of the application.

Joe Hewitt, Developer of the Facebook App for the iPhone

He also spoke about software bugs having been fixed in the latest avatar of the application.

via InsideFacebook.com