TUAW preview: Schmap for iPhone & iPod Touch

Posted May 9th 2008 10:30PM by Steven Sande
Filed under: Internet, iPhone

Planning some activities out on the town this weekend, or searching for a Mother's Day dining option? The fine folks at Schmap have a treat for you -- they'd like TUAW readers to have the first whack at their new iPhone City Guides and Local Search before the Mobile Safari-optimized site goes into official beta on Monday, May 12.

Point Safari on your iPhone or iPod Touch to www.schmap.com, then enter the pre-launch preview access code: 724627. Once you're in the site, pull up a Schmap Guide for your favorite city for info, maps, and more. Some of the search features aren't wired in yet, but they should be done soon.

Schmap's website has several Flash demos of the features of the Schmap Guides for iPhone. Check it out!

Thanks to Donald at Schmap for the invitation, and Kyle for the tip.

More iPod touch refurb love at woot.com

Posted May 3rd 2008 10:30AM by Michael Rose
Filed under: iPod Family, Deals

Update: Sold out, folks -- sorry! We'll keep an eye out for more refurb deals.

Looking to pick up a discounted, refurbished 16GB iPod touch? One-day discount vendor woot.com is offering the midrange version of the premium iPod for $290 + $5 shipping, comparing pretty favorably with Apple's refurbished sale price of $329/$349 depending on whether you get the $20 January Software Update bundled in. Judging by the description copy, the woot models don't have the update loaded, but that's still $39 cheaper than Apple's version and $79 less than a new unit, again discounting for the JSU.

Like all Woot deals, this is good for today (Saturday 5/3) only and it's valid while supplies last. Mother's Day giftgiving got you scratching your head? Need another touch as your development unit? Looking for a movie player for long car trips? Might want to pick one up. I've gotten in the habit of watching TV shows on my touch during my NYC subway commute; a 44-minute Lost is just about right for the ride. 16GB would mean less shuffling of episodes... where's that rebate stimulus check again?

Thanks Matthew

Cheap iPod touches at Woot

Posted May 1st 2008 12:00PM by Erica Sadun
Filed under: iPod Family, Deals

Have you been hesitating to buy an iPod touch because they cost too much? Or are you looking for a spare development unit? Or wanna just say "Happy Mother's Day" the right way? Today's Woot/Yahoo deal of the day is selling an iPod Touch for just $225 (including shipping). You can pick up an 8GB iPod touch -- and join that whole iPhone/iPod revolution thing. G'wan. I know you want to. Dump the iPhone-free TUAW feed and become assimilated.

Thanks, TedB.

Remote Buddy 1.10 offers iTunes streaming to iPhone / iPod touch

Posted Apr 30th 2008 1:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: iPod Family, iTunes, iPhone

I've long been a fan of Remote Buddy, which originally started as an Apple remote utility. Over time, however, it's developed considerably and some time back added support for controlling your Mac with the iPhone / iPod touch via a built-in web server. Version 1.10 takes this to the next level and offers iTunes streaming to your iPhone or iPod touch via wifi (among the changes).

While there have been several ways to accomplish remote playback on the iPhone, Remote Buddy works particularly well with playlists and albums. In addition, the new version improves support for controlling playback to multiple Airport Expresses.

Remote Buddy is €19.99 (~$31) and a demo is available.

[via iPhone Atlas]

iPhone 101: typing accented characters

Posted Apr 27th 2008 1:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: iPod Family, Tips and tricks, iPhone, iPhone 101

Over at MacTips they have a nice tip which I figured would make for a good iPhone 101. If you find yourself needing to type an accented character (acutes, graves, umlauts, etc.), all you have to do is hold down the relevant key for a couple of seconds and voilà a nice pop-up menu will appear with the available choices. The trick works for a number of different characters besides the vowels (e.g. 'z' and '?') and seems to function as well on the iPod touch.

Apple to get license for Haptic technology?

Posted Apr 26th 2008 10:30PM by Cory Bohon
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone

A recent Engadget post suggests that Apple may be licensing haptic (or force-feedback) technology for the iPhone; this would allow users to 'feel' button presses or other interactions with our favorite touchable UI. Immersion is the company speculated to be bringing this technology to the iPhone, as they've added this kind of feedback tech to the entire Nokia lineup.

Immersion had some interesting news of their own this week, as one of Apple's former executives, Clent Richardson, was appointed as Immersion's president and CEO. Executive swapping doesn't always lead to close collaboration, but it can't hurt.

Original Post by Palluxo

[via Engadget]

Apple iPhone SDK Beta 4

Posted Apr 23rd 2008 9:12PM by Cory Bohon
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone

Apple released the fourth version of the iPhone SDK beta today. The iPhone SDK now includes OpenGL ES support for the iPhone (Aspen) simulator. Here's what Apple's developer website says about the update:

The fourth beta version of the iPhone SDK includes Xcode IDE, iPhone simulator with Open GL ES support, Interface Builder, Instruments, frameworks and samples, compilers, and Shark analysis tool.

You can download the SDK update by logging into the iPhone Dev center and clicking the download link.


Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

9:31p New beta build is called 5A258f

9:31p SDK download is 1.15 GBs

9:32p No word yet as to whether pwnage will work with the new firmware--probably not. The last time it took almost a week for pwnage release to catch up (that was version 1.1).

9:34p We're getting tips that Apple is sending out e-mails to developers enrolled in the SDK beta. The e-mails include the same message as above,

9:35p Firmware sizes about 200+MB each for iPhone and iPod touch

9:36p Apple continues with its beta pre-installation advisory. Testing devices may be locked permanently into testing mode.

9:37p If you're new to the SDK program, make sure you phone has been pre-activated with AT&T before you attempt to load the beta software. Once the beta firmware is loaded, you may not be able to activate with AT&T's network.

9:38p No word yet on any other changes, other than those mentioned in the e-mail / website.

9:39p Apple just put the release notes on their website. You can find them here: http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/navigation/index.html

9:40p Code signing is now ENFORCED by Apple.

9:41p SDK no longer uses the Aspen code name for the simulator.

9:42p Audio Toolbox got a big load of new stuff

9:42p NSXMLParser support

9:43p UIFont is re-done with ascender and other professional font support that has been long missing.

9:46p Please keep sending in info as you find it out everyone! We really appreciate your tips. If you need anonymity, check out our tip line. Thank you to everyone for the great feedback so far!

Update: A blue and green birdie sang in our ear about the UIApplication delegate class: "There are definitely some very interesting methods added to UIApplication's delegate, including methods for badging the Springboard icon, and methods related to gaining and resigning "active" status - seems like background apps may be permitted somehow."

Found footage: Quake 3 multiplayer on iPod touch

Posted Apr 5th 2008 6:25PM by Michael Rose
Filed under: Gaming, iPod Family, Found Footage, iPhone

More Apple gold for superstar athletes

Posted Apr 2nd 2008 10:00PM by Dave Caolo
Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, iPod Family, Mac Pro, iPhone, MacBook Air

David Beckham recently received a snazzy gilded iPod touch from his teammates. That's nice and all, but this guy is a superstar. He needs some seriously togged out Apple goodies. With that in mind, we're offering the following shopping list:

• The golden MacBook Pro. This sucker features gold-plated casing, a keyboard painted to match and "...your logo in diamonds." Try opening one of these at Starbucks.
• The $39,750 MacBook Air. Twelve thousand hand-applied Swarovski crystals decorate its 24k gold casing. For forty grand, you would think you get a solid state hard drive.
• The golden iPhone. You knew this one was coming. Unfortunately, the pricing is still "to be announced."
• Golden "classic" iPods. Why stop at the touch? You can just as easily get your 160GB or 80GB classic dipped in gold, as well as the nano.

Here's hoping someone special in David's life reads our list and makes a purchase. While you're at it, a buffing cloth would be good, too.

David Beckham receives a golden Apple

Posted Apr 2nd 2008 9:30PM by Cory Bohon
Filed under: iPod Family

If you thought your iPod touch was expensive, then you might be in for a surprise when you learn about this gold-plated touch. David Beckham of soccer (or football as it is known in the rest of the world) fame received a golden iPod touch from his teammates after participating in his 100th national club appearance. Engadget is reporting that this iPod touch is worth over 600 English pounds (or $1,188 US dollars). Of course they didn't skimp on the iPod itself, as you can see it is the 32 GB model.


[via Engadget]

Mortal Kombat heading to iPhone/iPod Touch?

Posted Apr 1st 2008 6:15PM by Christina Warren
Filed under: Gaming, Rumors, iPhone

Update: yeah, it was a joke. Bummer!

OK, confession time, without a shadow of a doubt, Mortal Kombat/Mortal Kombat II is one of my favorite video games of all time. I don't really want to admit how much of 6th grade was wasted playing the SNES version of MK II.

TRMK.org is reporting that a port of Mortal Kombat is being developed by Midway for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Apparently Ed Boon (Mortal Kombat co-creator) posted coded message on his site, spelling out TOUCH. TRMK says that a source revealed to them that a Touch version IS in the works and was also able to provide a very, very convincing video demo.

The demo shows what looks to be motion controlled movements for the characters and the animations and actions looked pretty realistic to simply be pre-recorded (though I'm not ruling that out). From the characters in the Demo, it appears that this port is either of Mortal Kombat Trilogy or perhaps a new edition altogether.

Keep in mind that today is April 1 and that this could all be a hoax/joke. Mortal Kombat was one of (if not the first) fighting games to feature hidden characters and other Easter eggs ("Toasty!" and Noob Saibot anyone?), so this could all just be a really good prank. Still, the potential to see Mortal Kombat on an iPod Touch or iPhone is pretty exciting -- at least to a old skool gamer geek like myself. What about you? Would you play a 2-D platform fighting game on your iPhone or iPod Touch?

Thanks Luke!

ZiPhone 3.0 released

Posted Mar 30th 2008 10:00PM by Cory Bohon
Filed under: iPod Family, Hacks, iPhone

ZiPhone, the free jailbreaking and unlocking tool for iPhone, has hit version 3.0. According to the ZiPhone blog, new features include:

• NVRAM fix is no longer needed
  
• Greyed WiFi solution
• YouTube fix is no longer needed
• Apps installer is included
  
• Customized plug-ins
  

You can download the updated installer from the ZiPhone blog.

[via iPhone Hacks]

Thanks Leif!

Flickr find: iPhone in the hopper

Posted Mar 28th 2008 3:00PM by Dave Caolo
Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family, iPhone

While browsing our Flickr pool, we came across this shot of an iPhone perfectly perched by the toilet. Oh, don't be squeamish. You would if you could.

In fact, you can. The flexible arm holding the iPhone in place is a Naja King. It's a 3-foot coil which can pivot to hold your iPhone (or iPod touch) in either a landscape or portrait orientation, and pivot 360 degrees. The coil is made of steel and the grips are scratch-proof. They're $39.99 each.

Now you can enjoy your movie while keeping your hands free... for other things.

iPhone gaining traction in UK

Posted Mar 25th 2008 6:00PM by Cory Bohon
Filed under: iPod Family, Internet, iPhone

Currently in lead in the UK, Nokia may be given a run for its money as the iPhone is set to be the number one mobile web browsing device. According to iTWire and StatCounter, the iPhone took 0.06 percent of the total internet browser marketshare in the UK for March 2008.

According to StatCounter, the iPhone definitely has some work cut out, if it is to surpass Nokia's 0.15 percent market share to date as of March. iPhone is currently in second place with it's 0.06 percent (which goes up to 0.09 percent if iPod touch browsing is also figured in). But that is still way ahead of the Blackberry with it's 0.02 percent.


[via iTWire]

Craig Hockenberry on iPhone SDK and backgrounding

Posted Mar 17th 2008 8:00AM by Cory Bohon
Filed under: Software, iPhone

Craig Hockenberry is the man, the myth, and the legend behind the absolute best Twitter application on the Mac (he works for the Iconfactory). We would all love to see Twitterrific on the iPhone, but Craig offers up a "healthy dose of reality" regarding the iPhone SDK and backgrounding services (applications that run in the background even though the phone is running a different foreground app).

In a recent blog post, Craig attempts to explain why Apple will not be giving developers access to backgrounding services on the iPhone. He points out that in a mockup design of "Mobile Twitterrific," based on the jailbreak/community toolchain, refreshing the XML data from Twitter every 5 minutes led to a dead iPhone battery in only 4 hours.

"The heart of the problem [is] the radios. Both the EDGE and Wi-Fi transceivers have significant power requirements," he says. "Whenever that hardware is on, your battery life is going to suck."

He also reiterated what Apple said about the "Core Location" feature that Apple provided in the SDK: use it only on an "as-needed" basis. Craig said that the issue of backgrounding services may get addressed later on, but right now Apple is preventing iPhone developers from "shooting themselves in the foot." He said that it will take months before the desktop developers have gotten the mindset of an iPhone developer, and that thinking like a desktop developer will lead to bad designs.

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