Daily Tip: How to save photos from Facebook for iPhone

Driving yourself nuts trying to figure out how to take photos from the Facebook for iPhone app? Don’t worry, it’s not you, it’s them. Unlike iOS, you just can’t tap, hold and select Save Image from a pop up. That functionality just doesn’t come with the Facebook app. But don’t worry, we have a work around and we’re going to share it with you, after the jump.

Here’s how to quickly and easily save photos from Facebook to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad camera roll.

Why this feature was not built into the app originally, I am not sure, but this is a quick and easy way to get all the pictures you want off of the Facebook app.

Any other Facebook photo tips to share? Let us know in 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 news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

TiPb hits 10,000 Posts! [Giveaway]

This is the 10,000th post to appear on TiPb. Okay, well, technically it’s the 10,000th post to appear on Phone Different, which merged with theiPhoneBlog.com, which became TiPb.com, but by pure post count we just hit one heck of a milestone. Reviews, how tos, editorials, apps, accessories, podcasts, videos, interviews, polls, games, live events, news, rumors, contests — we’ve covered it all.

So to Marcus Adolfsson who founded Smartphone Experts, to our editors emeritus, Dieter Bohn and Mike Overbow who started Phone Different for SPE, and Kent Pribbernow who started theiPhoneBlog, and to all the editors and writers and special guests, past and present, who’ve joined us along the way, thanks and congratulations.

We’re just getting started.

Now how about a little giveaway to help us celebrate? Yeah?

Get on over to store.tipb.com and…

We’ll pick ten (10) of you and send you the case of your dreams. We’ll also pick one (1) lucky poster and send you a $100.00 iTunes gift certificate.

Contest starts now and ends Tuesday, June 21 at 12pm. So what are you waiting for, get to it!

Podcasting live! Come chat!

(You can watch from iPhone via Ustream Viewer app (here’s how) and iPad (we recommend Duet Browser.)

If you have any questions or stuff you want us to make sure we cover tweet them to @TiPb, email them to podcast@tipb.com, or leave them in the comments below!

iOS 5 Q&A part 2 podcast tonight at 9pm EDT – Get your questions ready!

We’re doing the second half of our monstrous iOS 5 Q&A tonight, so get your questions together and show up right here for the big show!

(You can watch from iPhone via Ustream Viewer app (here’s how) and iPad (we recommend Duet Browser.)

If you have any questions or stuff you want us to make sure we cover tweet them to @TiPb, email them to podcast@tipb.com, or leave them in the comments below!

Apple Device Lineup/Revamp Imminent As the End of iPod Nears?

As iOS and Mac have become Apple’s most prominent staples, it is apparent that the traditional iPod is being phased-out by touchscreen devices. Though MP3 players of any sort seem to be synonymous with the word “iPod,” Apple may be taking a step away from iPod branding, as one of the first discoveries a user will make as soon as booting into iOS 5 makes obvious.

With iOS 5, the music player on tens of millions of devices will be simply renamed to a generic “Music,” rather than the current iPod name that is commonly associated with Apple. Losing the name may seem like a small deal, but it takes iPod, the word that Apple made famous and frequently appears in iOS on iPhone and iPad, completely out of the devices and thus makes mentioning the iOS music player more bland and mundane.

There are a few possible scenarios as to why Apple is reducing the number of iWords (in an unrelated note, it seems like this article has too many) in iOS. Firstly, the company may want users to shift their idea of iPod back to the device itself rather than the app. If I was going to be bold in my assumptions, it would not be a stretch to say that the full iPod lineup may be redesigned later this year.

Another scenario may be that Apple is beginning to get rid of the iPod and maybe even introduce a new name along with a redesign. It is not implausible to think that this fall could mark the end of the aging iPod OS and a shift towards iOS on every portable device in the company’s catalog.

That leaves us at the iPod touch. Should it still be considered an iPod now that its functionalities stretch much further? There is still a notable amount of average customers who do not know that the iPod touch offers similar features as the iPhone and iPad, or simply that it is not just a MP3 player with a touchscreen. What if Apple expands the iPad lineup so that the iPod touch is rebranded as something along the lines of the iPad Mini?

Some may think that I am taking what appears to be a small change too far, but in reality removing a term so important to and for a company is kind of a big deal. As the iPhone will likely be refreshed alongside other new Apple devices (traditionally iPods), it will be interesting to see if a lineup revamp and reorganization is the reason.

Donate $1 To Offset Your iPhone’s Carbon Footprint

The concept of carbon credits or carbon offsets is…shall we say…contentious. But for those who do believe that by helping fund carbon sequestering efforts they can offset their own footprint, here’s a way to help do right by your gadgets. Philanthroper (think Groupon for non-profits) is today offering you the chance to buy off the carbon emissions involved in creating your iPhone 4. If you send $1 their way, it’ll head to The Nature Conservancy, who claim to be able to trap 100lbs of CO2 with that dollar — which is about what is produced with the production of an iPhone 4.

The Nature Conservancy is a well recognized and well regarded charity, and one with a major national and international presence. They’re not a scam to take your money, and Charity Navigator rates them 3/4 stars.

Your call, but either way, it’s just $1.

iOS 5 features: Use your headset with remote as a camera shutter release

When Apple announced that iOS 5 would let you snap pictures with the volume up button, it was only a matter of time before some enterprising developers discovered the ability to use a headset equipped with volume remote control as a camera shutter release.

Using the stock Apple headphones that come with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you simply:

So camera enthusiasts, is this a big deal for you or just a nice to have? Will it change the way you take pictures with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad?

[MacRumors]

Google updates Google Sync for iOS devices

Google has updated Google Sync for iOS devices, a service that lets iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users sync with Google’s Gmail, Calendar and Contacts via Microsoft’s ActiveSync protocol.

Google Sync keeps your phone’s native mail and calendar apps in sync with your Gmail, Calendar and Contacts. Today, three new updates to Google Sync for iOS will allow you to:

All of these are welcomed additions to Google Sync, specifically the ability to search all mail in Gmail instead of just what’s stored on the device — right from the native Mail app in iOS.

Let us know how these new features are working for you in the comments!

[Google Blog via Phonescoop]

Facebook working on secret photo sharing app?

I looks like Facebook is working on a massive photo sharing application for the iPhone. TechCrunch got their hands on documents, photos, and screenshots outlining the features: location elements, likes, comments, multi-picture mode, filters, multi-user albums, face-tagging, and more. They say it’s almost like a mashup of Instagram, Color, Path, and Path’s upcoming With. And though it might seem to be a reaction to iOS 5‘s new Twitter integration, they say it’s been in development for a while now.

Since Facebook has nearly 1 billion photos stored to their service, it is reasonable for them to create an app with a focus on photos. It’s unclear whether this new app will be separate from the current Facebook app, a complete overhaul of the current app, or some combination of the two. What we do know is that Facebook is working on a photo sharing app – and it’s huge.

Check out all the pictures via the link below. All I ask is that this new app be a lot less buggy than what Facebook currently has available. What about you? Excited?

[TechCrunch]

Angry Business Man for iPhone and iPad now available

Angry Business Man is an extreme action tilt running game for iPhone and iPad. You must help the the business man never run uphill or downhill by rotating your device to align the world around him.

The free version, Angry Business Man 125m, allows you to run the first 125 meters. If you pick this one up, let us know what you think!

Trailer and screenshots after the break.

[$0.99 - iTunes link] [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.

Some Laughs for Your Hump Day

It’s hump day everyone, time for some laughs to get you through the middle of the week.

Charlie and the Apple Store

Apple Bans Passcode Harvesting App

Yesterday we posted about a developer who made an interesting blog post picking apart the most common iPhone passcodes. How did he get his data? He harvested the codes from an app he created called “Big Brother Camera Security,” which took a photo of anyone trying to use your phone. It turns out the developer was anonymously — and without permission — recording people’s passcodes. While he released this information with the best of intentions — namely getting people to use better protection — us and some others were a bit worried about the fact that he gathere d this info at all.

Now we’ve heard that his app has been pulled from the app store. Even though he was only gathering from his own app, Apple banned his app for “surreptitiously harvesting user passwords.”

There seems to be a lot of misinformation about what he actually did wrong, and he’s fighting the ban. While I can’t say I’m comfortable with him taking the passcodes from his own app, in no way is he gathering those from people’s actual lock screens. At the very least, he released the info in a white hat manner, and did so for the public good.

What  do our readers think? Should the app be banned for anonymously harvesting passwords? Or is that within the rights of a developer?

[via BGR]

TiPb Answers: How iMessage works [FAQ]

We’re getting tons and tons of questions about iOS 5‘s new iMessage, how it works, where it sends to, and how to avoid sending to the wrong person or device. Apple hasn’t given out a lot of details about it yet, but based on what they showed on the keynote and how they’ve previously handled user and device ID, we can make some guesses… after the break!

So here’s how iMessage works, as best as we can figure out at the moment.

When you enter a contact into Messages, you’ll see all the available phone number and email accounts for that contact.

When you pick a contact, it starts off gray and Messages will process it for a second.

No. Remember, when you enter in a contact, you can see all their associated numbers and email addresses.

Luckily, Apple’s fragmented ID system works in your favor. Just like FaceTime, iMessage email addresses are separate and independent from iTunes logins.

You can use any email account you validate with Apple (we even know some people using @crackberry.com accounts. Shh. No names.)

Just go through each of your devices and assign them the same email, or different emails, as suits your individual or family needs.

Again, we won’t know for sure until iOS 5 ships this fall and Apple officially explains how iMessage works, but this is our best guesses based on available information. If you have any corrections, or other questions, let us know!

Otterbox Defender for AT&T, Verizon iPhone

Have the AT&T/GSM iPhone or just get the new Verizon iPhone and want the fullest, toughest protection for it on the market? The OtterBox Defender Series case will help keep your phone protected from drops, bumps, dust and shock. It’s the full plate armor option for your iPhone!

Poll: Will you be buying an unlocked US iPhone 4?

Will you buy an unlocked US iPhone 4?Market Research

Now that Apple is finally selling the unlocked iPhone 4 in the US, will you be buying one? If so, is it the lack of a contract, the easy SIM-swapping when traveling, or some other reason that makes it compelling? (Like scalping them overseas, maybe? You can tell me!) Or with iPhone 5 just around the corner, is there no way you’re dropping $650-$750 on a 12 month old iPhone 4 at this point? Are you undecided, or decidedly no?

Both Rene and I bought unlocked iPhone 4s when they were first released in Canada, and while it was nice not to have to sign or renew a contract, the lack of subsidy made it really expensive. If I had to do it over again, I might just take the subsidy and save myself some cash.

Vote in the poll up top and let me know what you think in the comments!

Unlocked iPhone 4 Available on the Apple Website

Yesterday, Apple began selling unlocked iPhone 4s on their online store.  Is this leading the way for iPhones to be available on all US carriers?

Unlocked iPhones have been available since last year in Canada, France and the UK but starting yesterday you can buy them in the US.  You can buy a white or black 16GB or 32GB iPhone 4 for $649 and $749 respectively.

According to the Apple website, “If you don’t want a multiyear service contract or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone 4 is the best choice. It arrives without a micro-SIM card, so you’ll need an active micro-SIM card from any supported GSM carrier worldwide.”

But what this means, the only other carrier you can use in the US in T-Mobile or AT&T without the two-year contract.  There are other choices worldwide but how inclined are people going to be to pay either $649 or $749 for an unlocked iPhone they can really only use abroad?

Another thing we don’t know is how long these unlocked iPhones will be on sale.  Are they making way for an iPhone 5 or 4S or whatever it’s going to be called?  Does this mean that the new iPhone will be unlocked to where you can use it on different carriers?

 

The week in iPhone

Missed a compelling piece of iPhone news, a great review, or a killer how-to? We’re not collecting absolutely everything in iPhone here — you can hit up TiPb.com/iPhone for that! — but we’re carefully picking what we think is the best of the last 7 days and presenting it here for your review.

And hey! — these double as show notes for our iPhone Live! podcast tonight at 9pm Eastern. So join us at TiPb.com/live and follow along!

iPad 3 HD Graphics Hidden in iOS 5

Deep inside the bowels of iOS 5, developers have found assets that point to the iPad 3 having a higher resolution display. 9to5 Mac unearthed images in both the Twitter and Newsstand apps that are both iPad resolution (1024×768) and HD (2048×1536). This would double the pixel density of the iPad, leading to a four-fold increase in pixel count over the entire screen.

The discovery of similar retina-quality images earlier this year caused some to say the iPad 2 would have a 2048×1536 screen, but as we all know, that didn’t happen.

Meanwhile, the Economic Daily Times is saying the iPad 3 will have a 5-6 fold increase in resolution and will launch Q4 this year — which I’m not buying, as we haven’t seen any OEM make screens of that resolution yet.

These new assets have spurred a resurgence in rumors that September will see another iPad released — a rumor I’m not very comfortable with, as I can’t help but think it’d leave a lot of consumers feeling shafted for picking up the iPad 2.

State Department Releases iPhone “Smart Traveler” App

The US Department of State has just released a free app for travelers called Smart Traveler, designed to help find embassies, sort out their itineraries, and generally stay out of trouble — the perfect companion to your new unlocked iPhone 4. It’s exactly the sort of thing you probably won’t need until an emergency, but is great to keep on hand. It’ll tell you what to do if you lose your passport, let you set up itineraries, and check for travel warnings.

Here’s the full description:

Smart Traveler, the official State Department app for U.S. travelers, invites you to see the world with easy access to frequently updated official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more.

With Smart Traveler, you can create personal itineraries, add notes, and organize your trips.

Smart Traveler also provides access to the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Free STEP enrollment enables the State Department to better assist you in emergencies such as natural disasters, unrest in foreign countries, or lost/stolen passports overseas. During your travels, STEP can help your family and friends reach you in an emergency.

Smart Traveler also provides quick access to the Department’s Consular Affairs Facebook and Twitter pages. And for a bit of fun, you can shake your iPhone to get information on a random country!

[via AppShopper]

Adobe Updates iPad Apps, Drops Price

In May, Adobe released three apps for the iPad — all of which have just gotten notable updates and one a price drop. If you use Photoshop CS5 and have an iPad, now’s a great time to pick up these apps on the cheap, and let them talk to your desktop.

Adobe® Eazel for Photoshop® (now $2.99)

What’s New in Version 1.0.2

• Eazel image gallery

• Ability to save and open Eazel images

• Performance improvements

Adobe® Nav for Photoshop® ($1.99)

What’s New in Version 1.0.2

* Send an image from your iPad photo library to Photoshop CS5 from within Nav

* Bug fixes

Adobe® Color Lava for Photoshop® ($2.99)

What’s New in Version 1.0.2

• Ability to capture an image from within Adobe Color Lava to create a new color theme (with iPad 2)

• Bug fixes

Bungie Release Free Community App

Bungie — the game studio behind Marathon, Myth, Oni, and a little known title called Halo — have just released a free iPhone for members of their online community. Bungie Mobile lets you read the Bungie news feeds, track your Halo: Reach challenge and commendation progress, and gives you sweet blue flames for your helmet in-game — an effect previously reserved for staff members. Here’s the full description:

From the creators of the award-winning Halo games and Bungie.net, Bungie Mobile lets you check out your Halo: Reach Challenge and Commendation progress, link up with the Bungie.net news feed, and get access to our online swag bag (Love, Bungie!). Whether you’re on the go or on the can, Bungie Mobile will help keep you connected.

[via TUAW]

More signs of iPad 3 Retina Display in iOS 5 beta Twitter frameworks?

@Frankrockz told TechUnwrapped he found some interesting iPad Retina Display sized graphics hidden in the Twitter frameworks of the just-released iOS 5 beta.

As I was going through the iOS SDK I came across some images in the new Twitter .framework. The resolution appears to be 1,536 x 2,048.

That, of course, is the magic 2x number needed to take the 9.7-inch iPad display to Retina levels. Similar 2x graphics were previously found in iBooks before the iPad 2 release, so it doesn’t necessarily mean iPad 3 will be getting Retina Display — depending on costs and production yields it could be iPad 4 — but it does mean Apple is continuing to get ready for it at some point.

Would you be willing to pay more for a 1,536 x 2,048 iPad 3, or would you prefer Apple hold off until they can cram four times the screen into the same price?

[@Frankrockz via TechUnwrapped]

Daily Tip: How to use Google maps to find the closest restaurant (or pizza!)

Want to know how to find the closest sushi restaurant, or pizza, or who to call to make a reservation when it’s your anniversary and you completely forgot to make a reservation? Never fear, the native Google Maps app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is here! We’ll show you how it can save the day — or at least save yourself from pizza famine — after the break!

That’s it, a few simple steps to find the food, Starbucks, burger joint, pizza place, or 5-star restaurant of your choice, all right on your iOS device! If you have any other Maps tips, let us know in the comments!

[Special thanks to Master from the iPad live chatroom for this tip!]

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…)

Super Goblin War Machine for iPad now available

Super Goblin War Machine is a new side-scrolling action/arcade game for the iPad. The goal is to help the goblin horde design and build the ultimate war machine then smash, crush, and destroy the nearby enemy village.

If you pick this one up, let us know what you think!

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.

BBC developing its own app to enable reporters to broadcast live with their iPhones and iPads

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is deploying iPhones and iPads to its field reporters and also developing its own app for use within its own reporting system. The app will enable reporters to not only upload audio and stills but also broadcast live using only a 3G signal if needed.

Martin Turner, head of operations for newsgathering, told Journalism.co.uk the app was “a logical extension of what the BBC can do already” but added that it was a “significant development”. “Reporters have been using smart phones for a while now but it was never good quality. You might do it when there was a really important story. “Now it is beginning to be a realistic possibility to use iPhones and other devices for live reporting, and in the end if you’ve got someone on the scene then you want to be able to use them.”That capability is a really important one.”

This is a major coup for Apple and one we are sure to hear about in future Apple keynotes. Now all the BBC need is an iPhone with a slightly better camera and dare we say LTE or HSPA+. Then it will really have a viable system. Roll on iPhone 5!

[Journalism]

Talking Weather Alarm for iPhone speaks weather conditions and news

Here’s an interesting twist to an alarm clock: once you stop the alarm, it literally tells you today’s weather conditions and the latest news. All you have to do is listen.

If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Screenshots after the break.

[$0.99 - 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.

iOS 5 features: iPhone weather app gets hourly forecasts

With iOS 5, the built in iPhone weather app finally gets an update to include hourly forecasts. You can now tap on the daily forecasts and they’ll slide down to reveal hour-by-hour breakdowns of upcoming weather.

It’s certainly not going to hurt more full-featured weather apps in the app store, and it’s nothing as sexy as, for example, adding landscape mode for radar views, but it’s nice to see the long-neglected weather app get something at least. (It’s pretty much been untouched since its debut in iOS 1.)

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Wednesday, June 15

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!

do@ (doAT): A revolutionary mobile search experience. Start by typing a short query, which can be as simple as a movie title, a band, a product or any other subject or topic. Instead of links, your results will appear as mobile web-apps from the best publishers and app developers. [Free - iTunes link]

GetGlue: Connect with friends and fans around the TV shows, movies, music, and sporting events that you love. Now with push notifications and in-app alerts, easier access to your messages, and more! [Free - iTunes link]

Catalog Spree: Browse familiar catalogs, discover new brands, search for items, save them as favorites, and shop directly from your favorite stores… all from the comfort of your iPad! Now with over a dozen new classic retailers, visual search, and portrait HD. [Free - iTunes link]

Brickzors: A retro-style brick breaking game with a twist. [$0.99 - iTunes link]

Sticker Worlds: A creative scene building activity which will fire your child’s imagination. With colourful background environments, fun characters and objects, and easy drag and drop play, kids as young as 2 can create and save their own Sticker Worlds storybook. [$0.99 - 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.

iOS App Store purchase history brings all your porn home to roost?

Announced during the WWDC 2011 keynote and already available on all iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads running iOS 4.3.3, purchase history lets you go into the App Store and easily re-download all your previous apps, including your porn adult apps, and where by “you” it also means your significant other, kids, or anyone else on your iTunes account.

Yeah. Um. Awkward.

Of course Apple doesn’t allow real porn or even nudity on the App Store, but there’s an endless amount of “adult” apps with titles you may not want anyone else to know you ever downloaded, and aren’t prepared to make excuses for. “I was drunk.” “The app meant nothing to me.” “I came from Android, dagnabit!”

Should Apple offer a “permanently delete” option, where apps are removed from your iCloud locker? Even if it means you’d have to buy them again if you really wanted to re-download them?

[Thanks -- and sorry! -- Michael!]

Imagination announces next generation POWERVR GPU, possibly bound for 2012 iPad, iPhone?

Imagination Technologies, makers of the POWERVR GPUs that power iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, has announced that 6 new partners, including 3 unnamed — and presumably including Apple — have licensed their upcoming next generation POWERVR Series 6.

The POWERVR Series6 GPU family, which delivers unrivalled GFLOPS per mm2 and per mW for all APIs, delivers not only a clear technology advantage and exceptional roadmap, driven by one of the largest teams of graphics engineers in the world, but also an extensive ecosystem of third party developers which has created hundreds of thousands of apps optimised for POWERVR enabled devices to date.

The current iPad 2, and likely the iPhone 5 this fall, make use of the POWERVR SGX543MP2 as part of the Apple A5 system-on-a-chip. Apple claimed the A5 had 9x the graphic performance of the previous year’s A4, and lets the iPad do all sorts of wonderful things, like AirPlay mirroring for games the level of Real Racing HD. What an Apple A6 chipset could do with an even more powerful the Series 6 — other than melting a hole in your pocket — could start rivaling the experience, if not raw polygon count, of console games. It could also more than make up for an iPad with a Retina Display…

Now we just have to wait and see if they can be produced in volume in time for Apple’s 2012 release schedule.

[Imagination via MacRumors]