Hot on the heels of the Navigon update, AT&T is adding more features to its subscription based Navigator app for iPhone [iTunes link]. This update includes 'shake-to-go,' which allows users to shake their iPhone at any time while in an AT&T Navigator menu screen; the phone will automatically initiate a route to a pre-designated "home" address the user has set. This doesn't work while in navigation mode, so there's no worry about a pothole or bumpy road initiating a new route during a trip.

Other updated features include:

• Speed Limit Display & Alerts: Navigation screen includes speed limit information and provides visual alerts if the limit is exceeded
• Last Trip Origin: Once a trip is completed, users can easily return to the origin of their last trip by accessing the "Recent Places" menu
• Nighttime Maps: The brightness levels of map screens are adjusted for nighttime driving for easier viewing
• Improved Route Avoidance Options: Drivers may now choose to avoid routes that make use of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes or choose to avoid routes that include toll roads
• Improved Pedestrian Mode: Users will be able to clearly identify when they are navigating in pedestrian mode with the introduction of a new pedestrian icon on the map screen

All current subscribers will get the new features free of charge. The app, which was developed for AT&T by TeleNav, costs US$9.99 per month, or $69 a year. The maps on this app are not present on the iPhone, so to use it you will have to have a good cellular signal and the maps will be downloaded as needed.

The latest version is 1.5i and current owners should be able to download the latest build from the iTunes store.

Well, it's Tuesday, and that's Apple's favorite day to update software.

Today we get an iLife '09 update, and a bunch of camera RAW updates.

Here's what Apple has to say about the iLife update:

Provides system software resources that are shared by iLife and other applications. This update improves overall stability for the Media Browser and iPhoto slideshows. It also provides compatibility between Aperture 3 and the Media Browser.

The update is recommended for all users of iLife '09, iWork '09, and Aperture.

And the camera updates:

This update extends RAW image compatibility for Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09 for the following cameras and formats:

Canon PowerShot S90
Canon sRAW
Canon mRAW
Leica D-LUX 4
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

It's not earthshaking, but will be welcome for heavy iLife '09 users. You can get these from the software update option under the Apple menu.

[Thanks Michael for the tip]

It certainly caused a lot of excitement when the Apple web store went down this morning. No, it wasn't an updated MacBook Pro line but Aperture 3, Apple's high-end photo editing and image management software.

The latest version is U.S. $199.00, and upgrades are available for any existing Aperture users for $99.00.

Apple says Aperture 3 has "more than 200 new features", including Faces and Places, brought over from iPhoto '09. There is an enhanced tool called Brushes, which allows photographers to paint adjustments and filters directly onto their images using new enhanced edge detection.

This latest version of Aperture runs in 64 bit on Snow Leopard and 64 bit processors.

Aperture has been in a long features war with Adobe Lightroom, a similar and very popular application. Aperture was last updated in February, 2008.

We'll have a close look at Aperture 3 when we get our hands on it. Apple has a free 30 day download for people who want an advance look, but as of this writing download links haven't yet been provided. Aperture 3 needs an intel-based Mac, so older machines like the G5 are out of luck.

Navigon has been very aggressive about keeping its highly rated MobileNavigator app [iTunes link] up to date. Now, new features are putting it even further ahead of a lot of the competition.

The update adds three innovative features: in-app connection to Facebook and Twitter, Panorama View 3D with 3D terrain views powered from NASA data, and personalized route delivery via NAVIGON MyRoutes, an intelligent direction provider.

For Facebook and Twitter connectivity, a simple icon tap posts the user's current position, destination, and ETA without navigation interruption -- handy for advising family of your expected arrival or updating other travelers with your location if you stopped for a break.

The MyRoutes feature analyzes driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each.

The 3D views enable intuitive orientation of the surrounding environment, and show you what lies ahead with digital landscape elevations, shadows, and geographic images. Panorama View 3D is integrated in-map, independent from the phone's data connection. The Panorama View 3D feature will be available via an in-app purchase.

There is a special Macworld promotion of the current version of MobileNavigator for US$69.99 and one time in-app purchase of Traffic Live for $19.99 (regularly $24.99) from February 5-15. All the new features except Panorama View are free updates for existing owners of the app. The Panorama View feature will be $9.99. All the new announced features are expected to be available this spring.

Besides being available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the NAVIGON app also runs on the first-generation iPhone or an iPod touch. Additional accessories are required for GPS navigation on these devices.

Looks like they might. That's the opinion of a note out last night from Credit Suisse quoting meetings with Apple executives. The Wall Street Journal this morning quotes Senior Analyst Bill Shope as saying "While it remains to be seen how much traction the iPad gets initially, management noted that it will remain nimble (pricing could change if the company is not attracting as many customers as anticipated)."

This is a similar situation to the original iPhone launch in 2007, where the original price quickly dropped US $200 from the original $599 retail. Agitated early adopters got a $100 Apple store credit from Apple.

Apple will be watching sales of the device carefully in the early days, and the company appears to have enough margin built into the iPad to take some hits if it is slow moving.

On the other hand, if the iPad blows the doors off Apple stores in sales, don't expect any discounts soon.

We're getting closer and closer to some of the stuff we see it science fiction literature and films. Siri [iTunes link] is a small Silicon Valley startup with a really breakthrough product that for now only works on the iPhone.

Here's the deal. You download the free app, start it up, and tell it what you want. It could be "Will it snow in Des Moines today?" or "Where can I find the nearest burger" or it could be "Find the nearest parks". It parses your comments, runs out to the web for a few seconds and comes back with a lot of suggestions. It gives you buttons to call the places you've found, or to show them on Google Maps and get you directions.

I tried to get a bit fancier saying "Make me a reservation for 2 at the nearest Olive Garden tonight at 7." The app figured out Olive Garden didn't take reservations through their service, but it provided me a number for the nearest Olive Garden and offered to map it.

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Well, that took a while. AppleInsider is reporting that AT&T has now agreed to let SlingPlayer for iPhone [US$30, iTunes link] stream over the 3G network.

When the app was released last May, there was great moaning that the SlingPlayer Mobile app only worked on a Wi-Fi connection. That was in contrast to other versions of the Sling app running on other phones like the BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and some Palm devices -- all of which were allowed on the AT&T network.

AT&T now says they have worked with the Sling Media developers, and found ways to reduce the bandwidth footprint. Getting it all up and running will require a new version of the Sling App, which should appear shortly. The app will be a free upgrade for current owners. The posted version was released in August of last year.

A source at Sling Media told me this morning they were glad AT&T "finally saw the light." We'll keep you posted on developments, and we'll test the new app when it's online.

The Patently Apple website is reporting that Apple has been granted patents dealing with tablets and advanced touch technology. The first patent concerns an 'intelligent bezel' where a user could control volume, brightness, zoom or even controls for games by sliding a finger along the edge of the device.

A second patent was also granted for tracking multiple finger and palm recognition as hands approach, touch and slide across a multi-touch surface. Taken together, the patents hint that Apple is working on some very futuristic hardware and software platforms that go beyond the simple touch screens Apple offers now.

When you look at the current iPad, you see a very wide bezel that has no touch functions now, but it is easy to imagine how a future tablet could incorporate the new features. Now, if they can just get a camera in there...

[Via MacRumors]

App Genie [iTunes link] takes a lot of little apps and combines them into one for U.S. $0.99. Even if you only use 4 or 5 that's a good price. Some of the apps require web access, some require the 3GS iPhone, and the weather app only works in the U.S.

Here are a few I found useful... and some not so much:

Product Search uses your camera to scan barcodes on 3GS phones. It worked well, and linked the barcode to products with price comparisons. There are apps that only do this that sell for more than this app.

Language Translator. Type in one language. Translate to another. This app needs web connectivity. You can email the results which is a nice feature. There are dozens of languages. My check of German looked good. My Icelandic isn't so hot, but if you need this function, it appears to work well.

There are all kind of Country Facts, i.e. population of Angola or ethnic group distribution in Canada. Lots of facts, in a handy place.

Then there is Amazing Facts. Tap it and you'll get some piece of obscure information. Tap it again and you get more.

There's a Unit Converter, a Tip Calculator (natch). a Magnifier that lets you zoom in digitally with your camera. There is a Battery Level meter for your iPhone with voice, that gives you the percentage of battery on your iPhone, talk time, and estimates for how long you can play video or audio files. It also provides an estimate of how long you can browse the web.

There is a nice Checklists app with templates for a variety of activities like shopping, trip planning and house chores. Each checklist has sub items, and those are reasonably complete and helpful, or you can create your own.

There's a Where am I? app that shows your location on a Google Map, which I think is reaching since it's already available on your phone.

There is an up to date Currency Converter. It's web based, and handy if you are on the road a lot out of your native country.

For less than a dollar this is a great app, even though it may duplicate some functionality you already have on your iPhone or iPod touch. I thought the product scanner app alone was worth $0.99. The rest is gravy.

Some screen shots below:

I think all of us were surprised at the entry level cost of the new iPad at just US$499.00. In a recent article at ars technica it's stated that the pricing "confirms what a major shift in strategy the iPad is for Apple's business." My colleague Sang Tang also says the evidence is persuasive that the price of the iPad makes it disruptive for competitors.

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