Instacast, a podcast subscription manager, has received a big update that includes many new features such as AirPlay support, chapter lists, continuous playback, and optimized UI elements. Alas, Instacast no longer supports iOS 3.
If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Check out the screenshots after the break.
[$1.99 - iTunes link]
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
Double-billed, have a purchase you didn’t make, or just have a problem with an iTunes purchase and wondering who to contact an how? There are millions of users and credit cards on file with iTunes, so every once in a while weird issues are bound to pop up. Unfortunately iTunes doesn’t have a phone line to call but they do have a pretty good support team that answers e-mails and deals strictly with iTunes billing issues. Keep reading and we’ll show you how to contact them!
All you’ll need to do in order to contact iTunes customer support is find the problem invoice on your iTunes account and e-mail them a little blurb explaining the issue. You can find your invoice in either the email receipt iTunes sends you after you purchase an app (or a few apps, they try to bundle them to lower credit card transaction fees), or by logging into your account via the iTunes desktop app and then clicking on Purchase History.
Once you have the right invoice…
I’ve always had a great experience when dealing with them. They always seem to respond promptly and resolve the issue at hand. What was your experience? Let us know!
Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)
Rene, Seth, Ally, and Georgia talk iPhone turning 4, iOS 5 beta 2, “Sherlocking” apps, SHSH blobs, tiered pricing, and Google+. This is iPhone Live!
Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!
Our music comes from the following sources:
Tweetbot for iPhone has been updated to 1.3 and brings new features and improvements such as the ability to view local trends and translate direct messages.
Tapbots has also put up a blog post explaining why there are no push notifications (they need approval for the beta streaming service from Twitter), why they’re not making an iPad or Mac version any time soon, and why they choose not to support Twitlonger. Check out the link below for the details and if you pick this one up, let us know what you think!
[$1.99 - iTunes link, Tapbots blog]
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
Starbucks for iPhone as been refreshed with a new look and brings the ability to send eGifts via email or Facebook. You can now also transfer balances between cards within the app.
If you pick this one up, send me an eGift and let us know what you think! Screenshots after the break.
[Free - iTunes link]
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
The App Store hits another major milestone as there are now over 100,000 fully
During Apple’s iOS 4 press event five days after iPad’s April 3 launch in 2010, Steve Jobs had said that the App Store featured 3,500 apps designed for the iPad. Then a month afterwards, that number shot up to almost 6,000. The rest is history, as growth happened at an aggrandizing rate and will continue to do so, seeing how there is no end in sight.
As of the beginning of this month, there are over 425,000 apps total in the App Store. Of course, that means that about 25% of apps are optimized for iPad or universal for all iOS devices. (Though over 99% of apps can run on Apple’s tablet as intended for iPhone if necessary.) Due to the popularity of all iOS devices across the board, developers have been striving to make apps accessible to as many customers as possible with multiple versions.
In comparison to other app markets, the iOS App Store truly puts them all to shame, for lack of a better way to say it. Running through statistics for apps on other devices is nothing short of embarrassing for companies involved. So, let’s continue. The webOS store on the HP Touchpad has 300 apps. As for other stores such as what is on Blackberry PlayBook and Android Market, well, neither RIM or Google are bragging about the tablet app selection so statistics are difficult to dig up.
Let’s make a
Tweetbot for iPhone has been updated to 1.3 and brings new features and improvements such as the ability to view local trends and translate direct messages.
Tapbots has also put up a blog post explaining why there are no push notifications (they need approval for the beta streaming service from Twitter), why they’re not making an iPad or Mac version any time soon, and why they choose not to support Twitlonger. Check out the link below for the details and if you pick this one up, let us know what you think!
[$1.99 - iTunes link, Tapbots blog]
The folks over at MacStories have spotted a very important milestone in the life of the iPad: there are now officially over 100,000 apps available on the platform. Noticed while browsing the app lists, this comes after the app store hit 75,000 apps in the end of March.
100,000 apps. For comparison, there are about 1,300 apps for Android tablets. In the 16 months since the iPad has debuted, there are now 100,000 apps that will run natively, without being upscaled iPhone apps. That’s more than 6,000 apps a month, more than 1,500 a week.
Now, how many of those are actually good apps is a whole different story.
Wouldn’t it be great if all that was required to bring your devices into the 3D era is a thin piece of film? Well, Pic3D has a promise to make that pipe dream a reality. Considering how we are talking about a 3D pipe dream, glasses are not required. (You can use them to be a third-dimension hipster, but they will not affect the experience at all considering how this is designed to be glasses-free.)
Pic3D’s magic is supplied courtesy of lenticular lens technology, which magnifies the screen in a way that provides an illusion of depth. The Pic3D film will be able to work with special side-by-side video (with half of the video optimized for the left eye and the other half for, you guessed it, the right eye). All that is required by a user is to purchase the film and place it over their device of choice, then anybody can play around with optimized content to his or her heart’s content.
Fujitsu has already released a
When the film will be available to purchase in August, the iPhone version will be about $25. There will be other models for various screen sizes, including a version designed for the
To see the technology demonstrated on multiple devices, take a look at the video below:
[via
According to Apple’s on-device counter, the iPad App Store is now home to over 100,000 apps and games, this less than a month after Steve Jobs announced 90,000 during the WWDC 2011 keynote.
This is obviously a huge advantage, especially when Google’s Android Honeycomb devices, RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook, and HP’s webOS TouchPad are launching with very, very few native tablet apps in their own markets.
How many iPad apps have you downloaded?
[[MacStories[(http://www.macstories.net/stories/the-ipad-now-with-100000-apps-available/)]
Today, June 30, is supposedly the deadline for apps like Kindle to remove buttons or links to their external web stores or risk expulsion from Apple’s iPhone and iPad App Store. Originally, Apple was requiring developers to not only remove external store links but also match any external sales and pricing with identical in-app purchase options (which would require giving Apple 30% of the price). Apple quietly stepped back from the content and price matching provisions earlier this month, but not the prohibition against external links.
So will Amazon update the Kindle app today with the Kindle Store button removed, will Apple “Sony” the Kindle app, and pull it from the App Store after the deadline expires, or will the Kindle app keep the button and stay in the store (either with Apple’s permission or convenient silence)?
Apple makes and markets the competing [iBooks](http://www.tipb.com/tag/ibooks] and associated iBookstore for iOS.
If you close your eyes, you can almost see the transport ship racing towards the blockade lines…
Last year saw Puzzle Agent, a uniquely quirky and darkly humorous puzzle game, hit the app store to much critical acclaim. Think of it as Twin Peaks meets Fargo meets Profesor Layton. Sorta. Anyway, the second title in the series has finally arrived for the iPhone ($4.99) and iPad ($6.99). Maybe we can finally get to the bottom of those cursed red gnomes…
Here’s the official description:
CREEPY PUZZLE ADVENTURE WITH MYSTERY & DARK HUMOR!
Agent Nelson Tethers just solved the biggest case of his career. So why isn’t he satisfied? There’s still the case of a missing eraser factory foreman, a whispering madness is still creeping from mind to mind, and a troubling recurrence of… creatures… is lurking into the town.
The FBI’s Department of Puzzle Research has marked the case closed — are they sweeping it under the rug? Or worse, do they not even care? Worried that the case will languish forever unsolved, Tethers must go rogue and venture back to the eerie town of Scoggins, Minnesota to solve the mystery of “the Hidden People” once and for all.
To celebrate the launch of their newest iOS Street Fighter installment, Capcom is instituting a frankly bizarre pricing scheme for STREET FIGHTER IV Volt: the longer you wait, the more it costs. Each day from today, they’ll add a buck to the pricetag, until it hits the originally planned price of $6.99 on the sixth of next month.
“Starting” 2011/6/30 : $0.99
From 2011/7/1 00:00am GMT : $1.99
From 2011/7/2 00:00am GMT : $2.99
From 2011/7/3 00:00am GMT : $3.99
From 2011/7/4 00:00am GMT: $4.99
From 2011/7/5 00:00am GMT: $5.99
From 2011/7/6 00:00am GMT: $6.99 (Fixed price)
To celebrate the fourth of July, TomTom has dropped the price on two of its apps for the next 48 hours. TomTom U.S. & Canada is now $39.99 (was $59.99) and TomTom U.S.A. is $34.99 (was $49.99). These will transform your iPhone into a fully fledged GPS, with spoken navigation, traffic reports and the whole nine yards.
Finally, iPad music mixing app djay has halved its price down to $9.99, and added a cart of new features:
- Added support for Numark iDJ Live controller for djay
- Added PFL buttons for individually assigning pre-cueing channel
- Added Cue/Mix slider to fade between master and pre-cueing output
- Added pre-cueing “Auto Select” option in Advanced settings
- Improved pre-cueing auto-select behavior
- Improved update of speed slider range when syncing tracks
- Improved Bounce Loop with Key Lock enabled (iPad 2)
- Improved cue point set accuracy in certain cases
- Added support for high efficiency AAC files
- Fixed occasional freezing of audio when switching from background
- Fixed occasional sound drop when activating Key Lock (iPad 2)
- Fixed drop outs when playing recordings on iPod touch 3rd gen
- Various other improvements and fixes
Many of you are aware of the makeover we have given the TiPb forums, but we have no intention of stopping there. We are constantly thinking of new add-ons that will make your experience even better.
Enter the “Like” button.
So what’s the difference between the existing “Thanks” button and the new “Like” button? “Thanks” values the author, “Like” values the content. So, when you “Thank” a post, you’re giving credit to another forum member because they answered your question, provided a link or guide that helped you out, etc. It gives them a pat on the virtual back. When you “Like” a particular post, you’re recommending the information. You’re giving it a thumbs up.
Clicking the “Like” button on a post will put a “Like” tree at the top of that particular thread. Clicking that then drops down the most liked posts of that entire thread. So in a single click you can get to the best posts that may be deep into a thread vs. having to scroll through page after page of posts.
So that’s our new “Like” button. Be sure to check it out along with all of the other improvements we’ve made by visiting the forums today!
Last week, I
Despite the application still lacking proper push notifications, (they are only available, at the moment, if you have downloaded the application Boxcar) Tweetbot is still in position to be a killer of a Twitter utility – especially if new features are added almost monthly. What was added yesterday, and the significance of some of the new features:
- Improved multiple account switching: If you have multiple accounts that you tweet from, Tweetbot made it easier to switch between each. Instead of having to go back to the accounts and settings page, the application now opens a small window, when desired, which will easily let you switch between accounts.
- Local trends (can be set in the account settings): This new page in the accounts and settings page lets you select a country to see trending topics, and in some cases from cities within those countries.
- Improved recipient selector when creating a new direct message: When composing a DM, or direct message, Tweetbot now displays a list of all of the people you follow along with a search bar. All in all, it’s much more user-friendly and easy to select someone.
- Ability to copy, delete, and translate direct messages (swipe on a thread to delete a whole group): The DM conversation list is improved now, with the ability to copy, delete and translate individual messages just by clicking on them. It’s nothing new to Twitter clients but is new to Tweetbot.
- “Add to List” feature improved and renamed to “Manage List Memberships”
- Added “go to user” feature in people search (shows when typing into the “Search People” box): Before, you could not automatically go to a user’s page if you already knew their Twitter username. Now, if you know the “@…”, you can go straight to their user profile and further see their tweets, replies, favorites, etc.
- Gaps now load above or below depending on position of gap when button is invoked.
- Compose Tweet from hashtag (by holding down on a hashtag in a tweet): If you see a tweet in a trend list or from your followers that has a hashtag you want to use, you can simply click and hold on the hashtag, which will start a new tweet with the topic already copied in.
- Drafts button now displays # of drafts: <---
Says it all
- Support for Favstar (hold fav button to invoke ‘tweet of the day’, double-tap profile tab to see your own favstar page)
- Various bug fixes.
Again, despite the app’s lack of push notifications, it seems complete due to the constant addition of new features in every update.
Australian schoolgirl Holly Bligh has started using an iPad to assist her learning in her school, and it is reaping huge rewards. Holly has albinism, which has badly affected her vision to the point that she needed a large magnifying glass to see textbooks and papers. Now, with the use of an iPad, all it requires is a simple tap or pinch gesture to blow up the area of interest and she can join in with the rest of her class. The iPad has also brought about a cool factor for Holly compared with having to use a chunky magnifying glass.
Holly’s mother claims that the iPad has increased Holly’s attention span and estimates that visual fatigue now takes twice as long to set in. She was so impressed with how the iPad has improved her daughter’s life that she emailed none other than Steve Jobs to thank him; and received a response too.
Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Do you mind if I read your email to a group of our top 100 leaders at Apple? Thanks, Steve.
Can’t get enough of the Casey Anthony trial? Thanks to Progressive Lifestyles, you can now stream the trial live to your iPhone for only 0.99 cents! Progressive Lifestyles claims that 100 people were streaming the trial live on Thursday, which they bragged placed it at the number one spot for awhile.
“So an hour into thursday there are 100 Casey Trial LIVE Streaming iPhone,
A couple’s wedding day is said to be the most important day of their lives. One particular couple decided to risk their special day’s memories by only shooting the photographs and video using an iPhone 4. Sure the iPhone 4 has a very good quality camera but is this taking it a little too far?
Well it is not quite as risky as it seems. the couple brought in professional photographers and videographers for the big day and the results are quite impressive. Of course more than one iPhone 4 was used in gathering all the footage and the final editing we assume wasn’t done on the iPhone either. Either way it is apparently the first time that this has been done.
Take a look at the video after the break. Let us know what you think of the final result. Would you risk an important occasion such as a wedding solely to the iPhone 4’s camera?
[YouTube]
In Zoombie Digger World Tour, you must defend United States, Australia, Russia, and Mexico against zombie attacks. Don’t let their cute appearance fool you, these zombies are quite evil!
If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Check out the trailer and screenshots after the break.
[Free, with in-app purchases - iTunes link]
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
iOS 5 brings the much heralded iMessage service to the Messages app, beta 2 has added a small but long-requested feature all its own — the ability to swipe away the keyboard. In current versions of iOS, one you tap into the text entry box it’s a bit of a chore to get rid of it again, which is annoying if you want to see the full screen view of your messages.
Now, with iOS 5 beta 2, you simply touch above the keyboard and swipe downwards, and the keyboard goes away. Simple. Sweet.
Again, a minor feature to be sure, but one that will no doubt be appreciated by many.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!
Rhythm Guitar: Play guitar with your iPad! [$2.99 for iPad - iTunes link]
Tagged Recorder: Simply
record conferences, lectures, seminars, talks and easily find your records by tags and location. [$1.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]
Horse Zoom: – Over 2000 images of Horses by renowned professional photographer. Mark J. Barrett. [$11.99 for iPhone and iPad - iTunes link]
Miso Music: Plectrum: Learn how to learn to play the guitar, ukulele, bass, banjo and mandolin. [Free for iPad, with in-app purchases - iTunes link]
Busy Gears: Tap anywhere on the screen to jump from gear to gear to spring to air puff while reaching the bonus stars. Watch out for the spikes, flying razers, speed gears, and invisible gears. [$0.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]
Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
According to trade rag Digitimes, Apple has large plans for the iPad 2 in Q3 of 2011.
As the IT market approaches the third quarter, the traditional peak season, Apple is turning more aggressive in placing orders for its iPad 2 and is set to ship 12-14 million units in the quarter, up from 7-9 million units in the second, according to market watchers.
You know, I can’t help but feel that Apple could have been selling that many every quarter since launch, if they had just managed to keep them on the shelves. I personally spent weeks trying to get hold of the model I wanted before finally breaking down and ordering online. If Apple could just keep up with demand, I can easily see them hitting more than 1o million in sales.
Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of the industry shattering iPhone. Defying any and all expectations, the iPhone fundamentally altered the smartphone market, and despite what anyone says, if it wasn’t for the iPhone, every other smartphone on the planet would function very differently.
The good folk over at Mashable have put together an incredible infographic about the iPhone, which we’ve embedded after the jump. Because it’s huge. Really, really big.
If you are rightfully cautious, then it would not be a bad thing to have an app on your iPhone that can “Skin Scan” for
After taking a picture of a mole and the skin around it with the camera, Skin Scan examines the image to then analyze any abnormalities. Of course, if it finds the mole to not be anything worth worrying about, medical help should still be sought based on a user’s own opinion. The purpose of the scanning is to alert users if the algorithm utilized creates data that suggests that a mole is potentially cancerous and requires medical attention.
Especially since tanning is a regular activity for many during this time of year, $5 is a small price to pay to stay on the safe side. A quick examination by Skin Scan of any oddities that arise cannot hurt. In fact, early detection is the most important step in curing cancer.
According to
If we were to take the word of an iTunes reviewer, it seems the app’s algorithm may be fairly effective. A user that has a wife with melanoma found that the app was consistent with their doctor’s evaluations.
Though you cannot fully trust an app for medical advice, Skin Scan presents an easy-to-use, hassle-free detection method. Even if it should not be considered completely reliable, the instantaneous feedback makes it effortless to check regularly, thus checking for issues becomes a more convenient, accessible task. Skin Scan may truly be a life saver.
[App Store
Facebook for iPhone received an update today, and despite being absent from the release notes, profile pages have received a UI change. The change brings uniformity to the app in that you will find Share Photo and Write Post buttons across the top of profile pages. These are similar to the Photo, Status, and Check-in buttons on the news feed.
Here are the traditionally cryptic release notes that Facebook did include with the update:
I am always bothered when Facebook doesn’t inform us exactly which of the many bugs have been fixed, so if you’ve discovered what some of them are, please let us know!
What do you think about the new profile pages?
UPDATE: @SohrobN has let us know that you can now save photos with the Facebook app! Just tap the arrow while viewing a photo and tap Save Photo.
[Free - iTunes link]
Worried that you might be filling up your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and wondering how to check to see how much storage you have left? Take a picture, download an app, and come up with a message that tells you there is not enough space on your device to install or save? Checking your available storage can save you a lot of time and headache, and let you know when you need to free up space before you run into any problems. Hit the jump to find out how.
To check available storage on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad:
That’s it, now you know! If you have any other device management tips, let us know in the comments!
Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)
While we’ve heard some rumors about what the next iPhone will look like, it’s not been anything absolutely concrete, but designer Michal Bonikowski has put them together into what looks like a design Apple would totally approve of. An iPhone 5 with a slightly larger screen? Check. Curved aluminum back, reminiscent of a MacBook? Check! Touch sensitive rather than mechanical home button? Check!
Now, we know this isn’t real, but as far as fan mockups go, it’s pretty steller. I certainly wouldn’t mind getting an iPhone that looks like this. The only thing that doesn’t gel with rumors is the discussion of a shifted flash, and maybe a tapered back.
[via YankoDesign]
Facebook for iPhone received an update today, and despite being absent from the release notes, profile pages have received a UI change. The change brings uniformity to the app in that you will find Share Photo and Write Post buttons across the top of profile pages. These are similar to the Photo, Status, and Check-in buttons on the news feed.
Here are the traditionally cryptic release notes that Facebook did include with the update:
I am always bothered when Facebook doesn’t inform us exactly which of the many bugs have been fixed, so if you’ve discovered what some of them are, please let us know!
What do you think about the new profile pages?
[Free - iTunes link]
Yesterday, Google announced a new social network called Google+. Doubtless powered solely by the fervent wishing of the company’s execs that it won’t go the way of Buzz or Wave, this new social networks seems to combine video chatting, Facebook, easy image uploading, and a bunch of other features already found in disparate other services into one handy website.
While it remains to be seen if Google can ever do anything that doesn’t fail miserably in the social media sphere, they’re at least getting things sorted out early on the app front. In their FAQ on the new service, they mention that a native iOS app is “coming soon” — but until it does you can use a web app.
Now, how do we get into the beta?
[via 9to5, iPhone Italia]
I don’t usually post about freebies, but today, I just felt I had to. With such great titles (in my opinion) available totally free, you can’t miss them. Check them out below:
That’s all for now. Download all of those, beat them to the extent possible, and then let me know how you liked them – maybe then I’ll post some more freebies.
There’s been a lot of chatter recently about Apple trying to tap into an international, low price market (more on that later, we’ve got an editorial in the works), but today another analyst says that in America, in addition to dropping the price of an iPhone 4 to make a new low-end model, Apple could start offering the iPhone 3GS for free on a two-year contract. This comes from Mike Abramsky at RBC, who says the iPhone 4 will drop to $99 on contract, and the iPhone 3GS will cost a big, fat $0 if you sign up to AT&T for two years.
$0 would be a major draw for getting people into the iOS ecosphere, but the big problem there is that it’s already two years old, and we’re starting to see apps that have trouble running on the 3GS. I also have the sneaking suspicion that iOS 5 might not be fully compatible with the older model, but we’ll have to wait and see if all the features make the cut.
PreCentral.net‘s Derek Kessler, who’s rapidly become one of my favorite voices in mobile, has just released the his HP TouchPad review. Widely anticipated due to its super smart, incredibly elegant webOS 3.0 operating system, but uncertain due to Palm’s recent history of middling hardware and tepid launches, it’s been simultaneously heralded as the first real iPad competitor and decried as a me-too device, both before it even hit the shelves. Which is it?
If you already have an iPad that you’re satisfied with or think you’d be better served by an iPad, you probably shouldn’t get a TouchPad. But if you’re looking for a multi-tasking monster with fantastic web browsing, email, a growing app store, and oodles of potential, then you might want to consider the TouchPad.
As expected, the are issues with the software — it’s version one of webOS on tablets after all — and in the sheer quantity of apps available. Time, patches, and the phenomenal webOS developer community can fix all that. Issues with the hardware were also to be expected — Palm has struggled with that for a while — and there’s really no fixing those, just hopes TouchPad 2 gets it better. As to whether or not they “copied” iPad with the form factor, frankly they’d have been stupid not to. The Palm Pre Plus was essentially an iPhone 3GS and that made for easy game porting via the webOS PDK. If HP can get iPad games ported over just as easily, it’s worth any amount of teasing over the spec similarity.
No matter which way you slice it, the HP TouchPad is a contender for second place now in the tablet market, and that’s going to be the first great battle to win, and an important step in proving there’s a market for these things beyond the iPad.
HP has all the pieces in place, they just have the nail the execution. And soon. (Or, like RIM, preferably prior to launch.)
Check out Derek’s review and then come back and let us know what you think — is the HP TouchPad the best contender to date?
Earlier this week, the blogs were afire with a rumor that Apple would be producing two iPhones in 2011 — a full featured “iPhone 5″ and a toned-down “iPhone 4S” available at a cut-price and on a prepay contract. While people are divided as to if this will actually happen (my money’s on no), it does raise a very interesting point: Apple needs a prepaid iPhone.
A post up on the analytical blog Asymco illustrates the key reason for this: the vast majority of the world is prepaid. If Apple’s really serious about expanding internationally, they need to look beyond the contract model and into people who pay as they go.
The reason for this disconnect from the way the vast majority of people use their cellphones is simple: America’s phone networks are aberrations when compared to the international scene. I’ve spent most of my life bopping from country to country, and whenever I used to visit America — and eventually when I migrated — I was always astonished by the manner in which cellphone plans were managed. The biggest thing that surprised me was that it cost minutes/money/messages to receive, not just send. Seriously, it costs you text messages to receive one? How is that a thing? But the other major difference is that in the USA, the contract model is king. Here, almost everyone who has a phone buys one subsidized by their carrier, and is locked into a monthly contract. Elsewhere — in the Antipodes at least — this was extremely unusual, as few people liked being tied to having to pay a set amount per month. You pay for what you use, right?
Now, this subsidized contract model and the iPhone go hand-in-hand. The iPhone was built and designed in the American ecosystem, and especially for this usage model — and as such the model has expanded with the iPhone. In places like Australia and New Zealand where previously contracts were rare, the immense popularity of the iPhone has prompted many to switch to the dark side. Even so, there are millions — and I say that without hyperbole — of potential customers turned off on the idea of signing their soul away for years at a time on a monthly plan.
Look at that graph above again. Look at Africa, Asia and Latin America. In many nations in Africa and Southeast Asia, cellphones are the defacto communication networks, as phone lines tend to get torn down and stripped for metal. People use cellphones as their lifeline: for business, for family, for everything. You don’t think they’d be willing to drop some more money on a smartphone that would last well, too? You honestly think the huge Chinese middle class wouldn’t be interested in a prepaid iPhone? There’s even some indication that Apple is planning just such a move in India.
There already exist ways to get your iPhone on prepay plans. Hell, you can even do it with AT&T, if you don’t mind being a bit sneaky and assuming your phone is unlocked. Even so, that still misses the point: this needs to be there out of the box, for more people. There needs to be a cut-price, international, prepaid iPhone that anyone can buy off contract for a reasonable price, and take anywhere in the world.
Prior to purchasing my iPhone, whenever I travelled overseas, when I landed in a new country I’d pop in to a cellphone store, drop $30 or so on a SIM card, and be able to get buy with just that for however long I was there. I’ve managed that once with my iPhone, but every other time the difficulties of unlocking have been too great — tethered boots and new versions of iOS killing any sort of practicality.
On the other hand, buying an unlocked iPhone will now set you back $650 — an excessive amount in the USA, let alone developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Apple is incredibly serious about expanding into these markets — especially China — so getting over this hurdle is a major problem.
There’s also a large number of people who need to be able to easily swap out SIMs, either because they’re travelling or maintaining multiple numbers.
So, what we have is an incredibly large market that Apple actively wants to tap. One where people rely heavily, if not exclusively on their cellphones, but would much prefer a prepay plan, and don’t want to drop $500+ on buying a cellphone outright.
Can you see where this is going? Apple would have very little trouble making absolutely huge inroads in the international market if they had a phone that was able to meet these demands.
Now, the current crop of rumors hints that Apple might be attempting to hit this market by producing a new entry-level iPhone, priced at a much lower cost. John Gruber thinks you can look at the iPod for how Apple might split the product. iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, iPod Classic? Do you think we would see a simple, low-cost iPhone Nano/Slim/Light with the next announcement?
The other option is that Apple tweaks their existing strategy of recycling older models at low price. Currently, you can buy a generation old iPhone 3GS for $50 on contract. An iPhone 4 costs $200 on-contract and $650 unlocked, which would equate to the iPhone 3GS still costing $500 if we assume the same level of carrier subsidy. I’m willing to bet that AT&T doesn’t subsidize a full $450 on the 3Gs — but even if we whack another $100 off of that, you’re still looking at a $400 phone.
The Asymco blog post I linked above mentions that there’s a very important psychological price point at $200, which is arguably why the contract iPhone starts at that price. $199 is mentally immensely affordable, but I’d be willing to bet that $299 would even work for an entirely prepay iPhone. But can Apple produce a fully functional smartphone at that price? The iPhone is bordering on miraculous in terms of quality and compactness. Will Apple be able to create a phone that not only continues the tradition of the iPhone, but drops the price and opens the doors to the rest of the world?
It’s pretty clear that there’s an obscenely large prepaid iPhone market just sitting there waiting to be tapped, as long as Apple can figure out a way to get in on it — but getting the iPhone down to a price point where people will buy it unsubsidized might be too big of a hurdle, even for Cupertino.
Google+ is the search giant’s take on a social network, and while it will get its own iOS app eventually, it’s already got it’s own world-class web app (would you really expect anything else from the company that’s defined the modern web?). Here’s a quick look at it, primarily the profile, circles, and friends elements.
Check it out the photo gallery, after the break.
Verison 1.3 of Tweetbot (see our Tweetbot review) has been approved by Apple. According to Tapbots, version 1.3 brings a host of new features and fixes including the following:
They have yet to find a solution for push notifications due to cost issues. In any event, if you are a Tweetbot user, grab the update today.
Tumblr, the incredibly popular microblogging platform, has just given their iPhone app a total overhaul. Tumblr 2.0 has been redesigned from the ground up with tons of new features and a totally new interface. Here’s the rundown:
Tumblr is rapidly becoming the most popular blogging platform around, already surpassing WordPress in natively hosted blogs. The app is still completely free.
Now we’re just waiting for an iPad version.
[via TechCrunch]
The Seidio Desktop Charging Cradle is exactly what its name implies, a docking and charging station for your iPhone.
In contrast to Apple’s white dock, this cradle is matte black. It is very sturdy which allows you to easily use and tap on your iPhone without the risk of knocking it over. With dimensions at about 4″x2.5″x1″, the Seidio Desktop Charging Cradle isn’t tiny, but it isn’t bulky either.
My favorite feature of this dock is that it is compatible with cases. There is a removable plate included with the cradle; this ensures that your iPhone fits properly in the dock regardless if you’re using a case or not . I use an Apple Bumper on my iPhone 4, and it fits perfectly with the plate removed. If the plate is attached, my iPhone 4 fits nice and snug in its naked state. Although the Seidio Desktop Charging Cradle is advertised for the iPhone 4, I tested it with my 3GS, and it fit just fine with the plate accessory removed.
If you’re looking for a charging dock for your iPhone, I recommend checking this one out. In addition to being a stylish way to charge my iPhone, I also enjoy having a slideshow display on it at the same time. The Seidio Desktop Charging Cradle is available in the TiPb Accessory Store.
While not specifically called out as part of Apple’s iOS 5 “cutting the (iTunes) cord” initiative, the ability to finally create and manage photo albums directly on-device for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch helps achieve just that. No longer are you stuck with what you sync over via USB. Now you can add a new album and move photos between albums and from Camera Roll and Photo Stream (for iCloud) to albums.
Only Photo Stream pictures appear to be synced stored and pushed to all your devices, however, not the folder structure. That’s a little disappointing. It would be great if whatever folder system you set up on your iPhone — family, friends, dogs, hawaii trip, etc. — would automagically be replicated on your iPad or iPod touch, but… baby steps.
Along with the photo editing features, on device album management is a great addition to iOS.
Tumblr, the popular blogging platform, has updated its iPhone app with a new look and new features. You can easily manage multiple blogs, read and reply to messages, and more.
If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Screenshots after the break.
[Free - iTunes link]
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
Happy birthday original iPhone! You hit the world 4 years ago today in all your 2G, no App Store, aluminum-backed glory. And what a world it was, dominated by front-facing QWERTY in the Palm Treo and BlackBerry lines, and the beasts that were Windows Mobile. Palm didn’t think Apple could walk into the phone market, BlackBerry didn’t think anyone would want to type on glass, and Microsoft said they’d get no marketshare. Now, four years later, iPhone is one of the most dominant devices in the world, and the best selling smartphone on the market. And every one of their rivals (including Google who’s Android looked like a BlackBerry before the iPhone hit) have retooled or rebooted since.
Sigh. Our little baby is all grown up. Sniffle.
Do you remember what you owned before the iPhone? Did you get an original iPhone? Did you wait in line, or get crazy angry after Apple dropped the initial, exorbitant price? Did you upgrade it to iOS 2 and marvel at the App Store? Do you still have one?
While we cut the cake and hand out the party hats let us know your memories of the original iPhone, and the smartphone market before and since.
[Hat tip to iPhoneDownloadBlog and 52 Tiger, get your own iPhone cake]
Wondering why Google+ looks, well, uncharacteristically good for a Google product? Turn out Andy Hertzfeld, an former Apple design guru going back to the days of the original Mac, has been given the freedom to exercise his creative genius on the new Google+ project. No wonder it has such a simple, useful — dare we say elegant — look and feel to it.
Hertzfeld credits some of his work done on the project to Apple, saying that Apple’s reign on the mobile industry may have had “A little bit to do” with his creative design into the project of Google+.
Does knowing that a famous former Apple designer had a big hand in how Google+ looks and works make you any more likely to try it out?
[Wired]
Time called for updating, and that’s exactly what Google did. Their previously lackluster mobile homepage has been faced with a major overhaul, which is much overdue. Open Safari on your iPhone or iPod Touch and navigate to
Even though it was long overdue, I’m pretty happy that Google finally got around to getting the page updated to be more innovative and efficient. If you wanted to do any of the above, before, you’d have to manually search up the tool or type in the URL; it just makes it so much easier to have everything in one place like so. Although they did improve on what they were lacking before, I would not like to see the ability to customize the homepage, especially with the new interface. If Google could incorporate Apple’s pages or drag-to-rearrange, it would be great.
On a side note, if you want all of the above but in the form of an application, Google has a large collection of applications available on the app store, which are all extremely easy to use and definitely handy.
[Via
Apple today posted a Q&A in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Final Cut Pro X, and one of the the responses concerned the availability of volume licensing within the Mac App Store.
Can I purchase a volume license?
Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4 Commercial and Education Volume Licensing will be available soon via the Apple Online Store for quantities of 20 or more. After purchasing, customers will receive redemption codes they can use to download the applications from the Mac App Store.
It’s not clear to me if Apple intends to offer discounted volume licensing with Final Cut Pro X, or if they mean something similar to the existing App Store Volume Purchasing Program for educational institutions, which lowers management overhead but not price.
At WWDC 2011, Readdle spoke about customers who wanted to deploy their PDF Expert across their workforce, so their employees could easily sign documents while mobile. It’s not hard to imagine a transportation company wanting to license turn-by-turn navigation apps in bulk either, or a school wanting a price-break on apps for their iPads, or a retailer for the point-of-sale iPod touches. And there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer for that today.
If a reduced price could be paid in exchange for a batch of redemption codes, however, there are a lot of developers and purchasing departments alike who would probably appreciate that functionality. It would introduce a level of complexity to the App Store model, both for Apple and developers, and that alone might mean we’re as unlikely to see it as we are upgrade pricing or real app demos. Like with upgrade pricing and demos, however, the overall value might more than make up for the cost.
(Aside: Apple’s continued use of the Q&A mechanism to handle customer relations is clever. It worked well for the Location Data controversy; we’ll see how well it works here. If nothing else, it immediately changes the dynamics of the conversation.)
Time called for updating, and that’s exactly what Google did. Their previously lackluster mobile homepage has been faced with a major overhaul, which is much overdue. Open Safari on your iPhone or iPod Touch and navigate to
Even though it was long overdue, I’m pretty happy that Google finally got around to getting the page updated to be more innovative and efficient. If you wanted to do any of the above, before, you’d have to manually search up the tool or type in the URL; it just makes it so much easier to have everything in one place like so. Although they did improve on what they were lacking before, I would not like to see the ability to customize the homepage, especially with the new interface. If Google could incorporate Apple’s pages or drag-to-rearrange, it would be great.
On a side note, if you want all of the above but in the form of an application, Google has a large collection of applications available on the app store, which are all extremely easy to use and definitely handy.
[Via
Shotlist is an iPhone and iPad app designed to help with planning and tracking video shoots. It brings the “Production Stripboard” system used in the industry to the palm of your hand.
If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Check out the screenshots and video demo after the break.
[$29.99 - iTunes link]
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
It turns out that the
Already on
The tweet read: “Dear Friends, I just launched
It’s already gotten tons of attention from the media, after being posted just yesterday.
Embedded below is the video showing the Pope type the message above, himself:
Your thoughts?
I’ve been thinking this morning about all the iPhone does and how much I rely on my iPhone daily.
Here’s a typical day with me and my beloved iPhone:
It’s not even 11 and I’ve already used my iPhone for 13 things so far. And I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten that I’ve done to because I do it out of habit now. Some joke I’m addicted to my iPhone, but am I addicted or is it now something I use all the time because it’s easier then pulling out my giant
Before I had an iPhone 3G, I had a Samsung Blackjack and used it all the time too but there were things I just couldn’t do on that phone and had to get on a computer to do. I
I have to charge my phone throughout the day so it will make it through the day. If I don’t charge it, it’d probably be dead by 2 or 3 every day.
How often a day do you use your iPhone?
Four years ago today Apple released the first iPhone. Happy Birthday, iPhone! Only 4 years? It seems like we’ve had the iPhone for sooo much longer. It’s amazing how the world can change in only 4 short years.
Once the iPhone release was announced, predictions ranged from revolutionary to no big deal. No one could have predicted what the iPhone would be or do for society. The iPhone is undoubtedly one of the most influential technology products in history.
Many consumers balked at the high price tag for the original iPhone, yet those who gladly handed over the cash were not disappointed. As new models were released, more and more customers jumped on the wagon. The iPhone has changed the mobile industry in more ways that one can count.
The iPhone also changed Apple as a whole. Apple was definitely no slouch with their success from products such as the iPod, iMac and iTunes, but the iPhone propelled the company into more homes than ever before. In the past four years Apple’s stock has tripled, add in the annual revenues and Apple beats out Microsoft easily.
How many of you purchased the original iPhone?
And, where is the cake, Apple? I must say, I’m slightly disappointed.
How do you watch videos on your iPhone? When the original iPhone launched — 4 years ago today! — it came with an iPod app that could play iTunes/H.264 MP4 movies and video podcasts, and a last minute YouTube app addition for online videos. Fast forward to today and iOS 5 is set to break the iPod app in two, Videos and Music just like iPod touch and iPad, YouTube can be played in Safari and embedded web views via Google’s web app, and a host of other sites and services now make apps and web apps as well.
There’s Netflix and Hulu, ABC and Global, and BBC and MLB, HBO and Comcast, Ustream and Air Video, and a ton of others.
In addition, since iPhone 3GS, you can now shoot your own videos and watch them in the Camera or Photos app, even Messages and email if other people’s videos are sent your way. And now there’s the iPad with a big, beautiful 9.7-inch screen to enjoy your videos on as well… or even beam them to your Apple TV via AirPlay.
So with so many video options on iPhone and iPad, what do you find yourself using the most?
Classics – Arcade Buttons is another accessory aimed at improving the gaming experience on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. The Classics – Arcade Buttons enables you to use real hardware buttons on the screen of your device. We already have a couple of alternatives to replace the on-screen joystick, namely the Fling and Joystick-IT; now we can address the buttons too.
The Classics bring tactile feel to gaming on the iPhone, iPad, Android, and all other capacitive touch screen phones and tablets. The Classics use a special micro-suction cup material that sticks onto the screen of your device and holds on tight, but is easily removed. No adhesive and no unsightly, large suction cups to get in your way of pure pwnage.
The escalation continues in the dispute between Apple and Samsung, with the Korean conglomerate now asking the International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the import of iPhones, iPods, and iPads.
If the ITC agrees to investigate such a complaint (which is pretty certain to happen here), a final decision is reached within 16 to 18 months.
We’ve seen ITC complaints, both from and against Apple, several times already, and it seems like a fairly common weapon in the legal arsenal. Asking for and getting a ban are two very different things, however, and Apple could be considering an ITC complaint of their own.
Or, if Apple’s “copy-cat” lawsuit pans out, maybe Samsung will succeed in getting their own devices banned as well?
Samsung and Apple remain partners on the manufacturing side. For now.
