Filed under: App Store
Two App Store updates: Trillian ships, Google Earth 2.0 arrives
There are two arrivals in the App Store of note. First, after a three month wait, the multiservice IM client Trillian is now available in the App Store [iTunes link] for iPhone and iPod touch.We previously discussed the fact that Trillian was sitting in approval limbo with no word from Apple as to why the app was being delayed. As of today it is available for US$4.99. Cerulean Studios website has more information on features, and we will be reviewing the app soon, but we wanted to let you know that it was available (for iPhone/iPod touch devices running OS 3.0 or later).
Second, the 2.0 update to Google Earth for iPhone [iTunes link] is rolled out now. The major new feature in the app is the ability to overlay your own custom Google maps onto the geographic display in GE; the app also improves POI selection and adds a slew of new languages. Google Earth requires iPhone/iPod touch OS 2.0 or later, and it's free.
[Google Earth hat tip to Ars Technica]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Danfo said 12:56AM on 11-19-2009
Please cover Trillian's launch time on iPhone 3G - even Ping!'s ~3 seconds is hard to take, and it seems to be a pretty lightweight app. Thanks!
Reply
TrendGiveAfuck said 1:06AM on 11-19-2009
I still don't see why you should pay for IMs and Twitter apps...
Reply
jb510 said 1:08AM on 11-19-2009
Exactly why YOU don't have to... seriously it's not like Cerulean is going to knock on a door with a gun and force you
puhsitch said 1:25AM on 11-19-2009
Because of the general understanding that people should be compensated for their work?
knight667 said 1:16AM on 11-19-2009
Now if only they'd come out with a Mac version...the iPhone/iPod touch version shows promise, though...
Reply
jc said 3:56AM on 11-19-2009
Google Earth still won't work behind a proxy server, and neither does the YouTube app. Yawn.
Reply
K said 4:39AM on 11-19-2009
I wonder how Trillian compares to BeeJive? TUAW feel like doing a comparative review?
Reply
TJ Luoma said 9:03AM on 11-19-2009
I've still yet to see anything that leads me to think the BeeJive does anything I need that justifies $10.
Andrew Conkling said 10:56AM on 11-23-2009
TJ, having bought Beejive when I got my 3GS in June, I can say that at this point, you're right: it probably doesn't do anything that warrants $10. For free, Palringo, IM+, or Fring will give you multi-account IM communication with push notifications. Beejive arguably looks better than those two, but not significantly (certainly not without fault). However, Beejive had these features first; at the time, I think my only choice for IM with push notifications was Beejive and IM+ (and I preferred Beejive).
That said, Trillian comes along at half the price and looks a lot nicer. I think, at this point, with the free contenders doing the job passably well, the question is how important this is to you and how much you like good UI. I'll likely pay for Trillian for the same reason I paid for Tweetie; best-of-breed experience for an app I'll use heavily.
Eileen Kroll said 6:47AM on 11-19-2009
I don't think anybody should complain about paying 4.99 for a version of Trillian. I realize that times are bad financially for alot of people. But times are bad for them also and they spend, I am sure, many hours working on this program for everyone to enjoy and I think they deserve to be paid for their efforts or they will stop making this and other great products for us to enjoy. Now we wouldn't want that would we?
Reply
TJ Luoma said 9:02AM on 11-19-2009
Of course that assumes that the app is useful, compared to free alternatives.
I shouldn't be expected to pay for an app that I'm not going to get anything out of, just to support the developers, right?
Jason said 7:16AM on 11-19-2009
Too bad Google Earth doesn't yet have access to the compass on the 3GS. That would be neat.
Reply
ZachJ said 3:53PM on 11-19-2009
Just get the Nimbuzz app, it's free and works great (includes landscape mode). When I got first got a mac I was so glad to replace Trillian with Adium and I've got no plans to go back to it.
Reply
Noah Genda said 1:09PM on 11-19-2009
push notifications?
Reply
UnhappyJan said 5:19PM on 11-19-2009
Sorry, Trillian for iPhone is a utter disappointment for me.
I've been using the free application "eBuddy" while I waited for Trillian,
The fact is once I got Trillian I felt that it was half finished and reading some of the dev comments on CS forum confirm this for me. They were waiting on store approval before they add more features.
Sorry but if you are going to charge money for an application then I expect ALL the basic features are included, and not having to wait another possible 60+days for the next version to be approved.
Half the features I expected to be in it, that ARE included in eBuddy arent even there.
-Facebook chat being one of them
-Contact list doesnt include offline friends (why not?, am I expected to remember everyones conact details to send offline msgs?)
- If you dont have friends sorted into groups then everyone falls under a "Ungrouped" tree (not "Online" as one would think)
- No options to change except your login details (sound/vibration on/off at least would have been nice?)
Thats all Ive picked up so far, and frankly I have no reason to load Trillian instead of eBuddy until Trillian is up to par with at least FREE IM applications.
Why would any iPhone user buy this application over one of the free or paid IM apps, unless they just want to be loyal to CS is beyond me.
Reply
UnhappyJan said 6:43PM on 11-19-2009
- No options to change except your login details (sound/vibration on/off at least would have been nice?)
I have found out these are actually in the General settings of your Iphone.
Either way, there is still a few things missing from the app that I can get from a free client.
PK said 2:02AM on 11-20-2009
Right now the most powerful feature of Trillian for iPhone is its connection with the Windows desktop client, which is way more powerful than eBuddy. It's hard to unleash its full potential when you are not using the whole suite.