View stunning photojournalistic photography with 2011 World Press Photo Contest

World Press Photo has released an app to display the work of the top photojournalists, 2011 World Press Photo Contest.

If you can’t get enough good photography, particularly photojournalistic, this app won’t disappoint – the pictures look stunning on the iPad. My favorite feature is that every photo also includes the EXIF details (focal length, f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO). The photographer biographies are also pretty neat.

2011 World Press Photo Contest is available for $4.99. Check out the screenshots after the break.

[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.

Daily tip: How to use Google+ from your iPhone

If you were lucky enough to get a beta invitation for Google+ and have an iPhone, you can already post updates and browse your Google+ streams quickly and easily. In just a few steps you’ll be posting updates, checking out your friends’ streams, adding them to circles, and more!

As a side note, this tip only works if you already accepted an invitation into the beta, otherwise you won’t be able to access Google+.

As a side note, if you have to sign in every time, you can remedy that by simply choosing to stay signed into your Google account. If you’ve been using Google+ let us know what you think. Do you expect more than the web app if and when they release an iPhone app?

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…)

Almost 64% of iPhone users access video

If you need proof of a smart phone’s performance, one is running a battery of tests and the other is to actually see how people are using the phone. For all the tech wizardry that goes into our reviews, perhaps the most reliable method of evaluating a phone’s operational capabilities is to actually measure the functions that are used by the owners. All smartphones (or most of them) are geared towards entertainment and the best form of entertainment is video. This is the basic building block of all entertainment. This is why firms like HTC, Apple, Samsung and others are investing so much to enhance the quality of video applications.

After much research, it seems like Apple’s users are the most likely to access video applications, a full 64% of them. That may not sound a lot but it is more than double that of Android users who watch video on their devices (32%). Perhaps one reason for this disparity is that iPhone users are relatively more tech savvy and since they buy the phone with a passion, they are more inclined to use it to its full potential. Some Android phones provide far better video quality but that does not necessarily mean that people are inclined to use these features. However, the industry wide trend seems to indicate that a higher percentage of users will eventually be those who are under 25 years of age; many of whom grew up with Facebook and YouTube for the better part of their digital lives.

Not surprisingly, the most widely accessed website via mobile internet was Facebook, YouTube and Google. This clearly shows that future generations will put a stronger emphasis on entertainment than just office work. This in turn will force smart phone makers and operators to increase both bandwidth and hardware quality, especially concerning screen-quality and sound.

5 Android features we may not see on the iPhone 5

Ever since we got our hands on the iPhone 4 we have been dreaming of the iPhone 5. Meanwhile we also witnessed the spectacular rise in the quality of Android enabled smart phones, both in terms of hardware and software. Now many people have gone on record to argue that Apple is the only true innovator and anything put forward by anyone else can only be second-rate. Unfortunately, this cannot be any further than the truth. Android users now enjoy certain features that Apple users may not even know about and they are beginning to take for granted stuff that iPhone fanatics are swooning over after the iOS 5 update details were released recently.

Things are not getting any better because the latest rumors suggest that some of the most anticipated features of the iPhone 5 will not actually be featured. Well we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best but clearly, that was not enough.

Flash Support: Steve Jobs already indicated that he despised flash and by the looks of it, he will be sticking to his guns because the iPhone 5 will not feature flash. Jobs indicated that he preferred HTML 5 instead and criticized flash for its alleged reliability and security flaws.

NFC: Google will rule the roost in this department because Apple will not be including this in the iPhone 5. Apple cited the lack of proper industry standards. However, it seems to have forgotten that this is a critical stage in which those standards will eventually be determined. On the other hand, Google’s Nexus S 4G will feature NFC technology.

Increased Internal Storage: It seems that Apple will not include a higher internal memory model. Therefore, users will have to continue to choose between the 16GB and 32 GB models. The unveiling of the iCloud also seems to reaffirm this strategy.

4G LTE: Apple will not be releasing this version because the Qualcomm LTE chipset is yet to meet its demands. Furthermore, it is said that transferring to 4G networks might severely affect the iPhone battery life.

Larger Display:  Apple will not be increasing the size of the screen. Instead it might focus more on screen quality and even introduce and edge-to-edge feature.

iPad Live 63: Angry ball of mostly hate

Georgia, The Keith Newman, and Rene talk iPad 3 rumors, the HP TouchPad, Google playing Nortel patent auction pranks, comics on iPad, the Kindle standoff, iPad 2 Jailbreak, and the iPad App Store hits 100,000. This is iPad Live!

Thanks to the TiPb iPad Accessory Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Music Hear me Roar by iPad Live theme song contest winner, DieselJesus!

iPad 2 vs. TouchPad: Form factor fight

Kevin Michaluk, pinch hitting for our sibling site, PreCentral.net has done the perfunctory HP TouchPad unboxing, and towards the end shows it off against the Apple iPad 2 (and BlackBerry Playbook) by way of comparison. (No, none of that was a typo, Kevin loves all his gadgets now, and you’ll see him with Apple’s and Androids and HPs and more as the weeks go on.)

For more, fall back on Derek Kessler’s TouchPad review, but for now, hit the link below and watch the inimitable Kevin, in full fashion watch and glowing green table, do an unboxing the way it’s meant to be done.

PreCentral.net

Should Apple cut the iPhone 3GS cost to $0?

Apple is already competing on multiple fronts with Android, RIM, Nokia and others on a variety of different platforms. However, recent years have not been kind on the iPhone. This is not because Apple has been slacking but rather Android has been playing a fast game of catch up. Now it churns out more powerful and more dynamic devices than the iPhone (Regardless of what iPhone fans say). However, Android and others are not just competing in terms of innovation but also in terms of price. HTC and Motorola rolled out some very impressive and affordable smart phones. This puts Apple in a very tight spot because realistically speaking; the cult like devotion Apple commands from its adoring fans is not going to last forever. Even Apple historians will tell you that.

So what can Apple do to even the odds? The answer is a price war. According to Forbes analysts Apple may start offering the iPhone 3GS for $0 with a two year contract from AT&T ($399 unsubsidized). In addition, it may cut down the price of the iPhone 4 to $99 and the iPhone 5 for $199. If Apple does go ahead with the price cuts, analysts think it may double its global market opportunity because it would put the iPhone well within the reach of economically conservative users.

In other news, this September might see two iPhones being released. One could be the iPhone 4S and the other the iPhone 5. Now there are is no official confirmation and even this rumor is weak by itself but it is worth following up. The iPhone 4S would be a basic unlocked model while the iPhone 5 will feature a new design and extra features. However, as we noted earlier, the iPhone 5 will not feature some of the upgrades we had hoped to see. Apple may not be slipping yet but its rivals are already steaming ahead.

iPhone 5 with a dual LED flash?

One of the biggest drawbacks of the current iPhone 4 has always been the camera. When you want good photos, you needed to resort to apps like HDR camera, Instagram, True HD or something like that. All this meant more time and effort to create the photos we wanted. However, now things might be taking a turn for the better. Recent rumors suggest that the iPhone 5 will feature a camera that is better and more powerful than anything ever encountered thus far.

Right not it is essential that Apple upgrade its camera, especially because almost all its rivals feature very powerful cameras including HTC, Nokia, Samsung and Motorola. If Apple keeps falling on the wayside on the camera issue, eventually the value of the iPhone is going to fall too. The current, 5-megapixel camera found on the iPhone 4 hardly satisfies everyone so an upgrade is almost certain.

Apple plans to devote a significant amount of resources towards the camera. According to the latest reports, the camera might feature 8 megapixels and a dual LED flash. This alone will significantly improve the quality of the pictures taken. However, that is not all Apple has in its bag of innovative tricks.

Apple has been filing some interesting patents regarding the iPhone. One of them is titled “Image Capture Device Having Tilt and/or Perspective Correction.” This is said to utilize a variety of sensors already on the iPhone like the gyroscope and accelerometer to measure a photo capture. This in turn will limit the need for editing once the picture is taken. Apple also filed a patent for multiple cameras that can capture 3D images.

Apple is good at zeroing in on its weaknesses and becoming stronger than ever before. It is great that they have finally taken aim at the camera.

Saver for iPhone hits the App Store

Alex Solonsky’s new expense tracker, Saver, has just hit the App Store.

I am a sucker for a stunning UI, and this app does not disappoint. Saver adds a surprising amount of beauty to the hideous and depressing task of tracking my expenses.

Saver is launching at $2.99. Screenshots after the break.

[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.

Review: Boxwave’s AcoustiMax In-Ear Headphones

Comfort, design, quality — everything that Boxwave’s onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.boxwave.com/acoustimax-in-ear-headphones/bwpd/gkk');" target="_blank" href="http://www.ip4help.com">AcoustiMax In-Ear Headphones are equipped with.

I was sent a pair of these headphones just the other day, and my first impressions were pretty strong. Other than the simplistic, okay packaging, the headphones were in mint condition and looking greater than ever. On the outside, they’re just a pair of simple, average-looking headphones – nothing special about them. In fact, the plastic outing does look a bit cheap. But your outlook on them instantaneously changes the first time you put them on with music playing.

The sound quality provided the headphones is incomparable by most other headphones. If your songs are top-notch, then the headphones will play them the exact same way they were meant to be played. It seriously sounds like they’ve got a built in equalizer. href="http://www.ip4help.com" rel="attachment wp-att-20172">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/headphones.jpg" alt="" title="headphones" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-20172" />Unless the quality of the your songs is horrible, then you wont hear any scratchiness or blemishes within the audio; everything is pristine and rich.

Along with the headphones, multiple sizes of ear caps are provided. Each is comfortable and easily blocks out any excess noise that doesn’t belong to your music./> href="http://www.ip4help.com" rel="attachment wp-att-20173">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/headphones-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" title="headphones (2)" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-20173" />/> The only possible problems I could see having with the headphones, would be caused by the fact that there’s no carrying pouch that accompanies the pair. Of course, you can’t expect one thanks to the reasonable price, though there’s nothing keeping the wires from tangling. Plus, the wires are relatively thin making them more tangle-prone.

If you’ve got impeccable taste, then you’ll surely pick up a pair of Boxwave’s AcoustiMax headphones. They capitalize on providing pure, clean sound and soothing comfort. It’s like having a live concert in your ears and only for $22.95.

The headphones are available in two colors: silver and black. Both look pretty nice.

iPhone 4 Prototype Shows Up On eBay

Want to get your hands on a famous iPhone 4 prototype? It’s now available on eBay, someone got hold of a test unit, and they’re selling it on the service. It’s non-functional for making calls, but otherwise seems to be in pretty good condition. So, what’s the big caveat? Since this auction was released to the public, it’s been absolutely slammed with fake bids. It was first spotted by ThisisMyNext, and the opening bid was $800. Since then in skyrocketed into the tens of thousands, the auctioneer then went through and culled a bunch of fake bids. However, that obviously wasn’t enough, as it’s now sitting on almost $1 million. A little rich for my blood.

AT&T Starts Offering Standard iPhone Insurance

Previously, if you wanted to insure your iPhone against damage with AT&T it would cost you a positively obscene amount — $14 a month with a $199 deductible. Yeah, that’s right, as much as a new iPhone on contract. Well, that’s about to get slightly more affordable. According to MacRumors, AT&T will now include iPhones in their standard  ”Mobile Insurance Program” starting on July 17th:

*Please Note: AT&T Mobile Insurance Update: Effective July 17, 2011, the Apple iPhone (all models) will be eligible for coverage with the AT&T Mobile Insurance program (formerly Wireless Phone Insurance). Enrollment restrictions apply. Customers can only enroll within 30 days of a new activation or upgrade, prior activations or upgrades outside of 30 days are not eligible.

Which means that you’ll pay$4.99 a month, with a $50 or $125 deductible.

Or else you could just use SquareTrade, who offer $99 for two years of coverage, and only $50 for deductible.

 

ZENandTECH 6: De-cluttering

Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you? This week on ZENandTECH, Georgia and Rene talk about the joys of de-cluttering your life, and how getting rid of the physical clutter can help you get rid of the mental clutter as well.

Read on for the show notes, and our t-shirt give away!

Please help us out by recommending ZENandTECH to your family, friends, and co-workers! They’re just as stressed as you are, help them out!

And if you haven’t already, please leave us a rating and review in iTunes!, it really helps us reach and help more people!

This episode of ZENandTECH is brought to you by the PreCentral.net Store, your one stop shop for everything Pre, Veer, and soon… TouchPad. Combine a TouchStone with a Palm Car Charger for the ultimate in on-the-go power. You spent a lot of money on your device, protect it, keep it charged, and keep yourself happy!

You can reach all of us @ZENandTECH, via email at podcast@zenandtech.tv, or leave a comment below!

Thanks everyone, you’re the best community on the web and we love having you with us!

While Georgia is a therapist, she’s not YOUR therapist. Everything said or implied on this show is for informational and entertainment purposes only. And shouldn’t be taken in any way as a replacement for proper, professional care.

Review: Boxwave’s AcoustiMac In-Ear Headphones

Comfort, design, quality — everything that Boxwave’s onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.boxwave.com/acoustimax-in-ear-headphones/bwpd/gkk');" target="_blank" href="http://www.ip4help.com">AcoustiMax In-Ear Headphones are equipped with.

I was sent a pair of these headphones just the other day, and my first impressions were pretty strong. Other than the simplistic, okay packaging, the headphones were in mint condition and looking greater than ever. On the outside, they’re just a pair of simple, average-looking headphones – nothing special about them. In fact, the plastic outing does look a bit cheap. But your outlook on them instantaneously changes the first time you put them on with music playing.

The sound quality provided the headphones is incomparable by most other headphones. If your songs are top-notch, then the headphones will play them the exact same way they were meant to be played. It seriously sounds like they’ve got a built in equalizer. href="http://www.ip4help.com" rel="attachment wp-att-20172">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/headphones.jpg" alt="" title="headphones" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-20172" />Unless the quality of the your songs is horrible, then you wont hear any scratchiness or blemishes within the audio; everything is pristine and rich.

Along with the headphones, multiple sizes of ear caps are provided. Each is comfortable and easily blocks out any excess noise that doesn’t belong to your music./> href="http://www.ip4help.com" rel="attachment wp-att-20173">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/headphones-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" title="headphones (2)" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-20173" />/> The only possible problems I could see having with the headphones, would be caused by the fact that there’s no carrying pouch that accompanies the pair. Of course, you can’t expect one thanks to the reasonable price, though there’s nothing keeping the wires from tangling. Plus, the wires are relatively thin making them more tangle-prone.

If you’ve got impeccable taste, then you’ll surely pick up a pair of Boxwave’s AcoustiMax headphones. They capitalize on providing pure, clean sound and soothing comfort. It’s like having a live concert in your ears and only for $22.95.

The headphones are available in two colors: silver and black. Both look pretty nice.

Developer Spotlight: David Ashman of LockInfo

TiPb’s developer spotlights are like DVD/iTunes Extras for the App Store — a weekly look behind the scenes at the programers and designers that bring you the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games you love. This week Rene talks with David Ashman from Readdle.

What’s your name? David Ashman

What’s your company’s name? dab Technologies

Where are you located? Washington, DC

What’s your website address? http://www.dba-technologies.com/

What’s your Twitter name? @Stimpy5050 for general rambling, @LockInfo for LockInfo specific support and @dbaTechnologies for other dbaTech projects.

What apps do you make? LockInfo (+Plugins), Popup Blocker, WeatherIcon

What apps, other than your own, are currently among your favorites? TweetDeck, biteSMS, Reeder, WeekCal

How long have you been a developer? I started tinkering with programming on the Apple II with basic. I studied computer science in college and have been a working developer for the past 15 years.

How long have you been an iOS developer? I’ve only been developing in Objective-C and specifically on iOS for the past three years.

Do you develop for any other platform in addition to iOS? If so, which one(s)? I’ve been a Java developer for the last 15 years, mostly server-side, but some applets in the past. I also tinker in PHP (enough to be dangerous).

What primary computer setup do you use for your iOS development? My primary setup is a MacBook Pro i7 with 8GB of RAM. I generally plug that into a 30″ Apple Cinema Display but I like the portability of the laptop when I want to sit in front of the TV instead.

What iOS device(s) do you personally use most often? I use an iPhone4 as my primary personal device (also for development). I use an iPad (1st gen) nearly daily for watching videos, note taking and general web surfing. I have another 4 iPhones that I use for development. I also have an AppleTV at home (does that count? ).

What mobile devices, other than iOS, do you currently use? I don’t. Everything I have is iOS at this point.

What’s your favorite thing about developing for iOS? The challenge of a tough problem to solve and the adrenaline rush from solving it. That holds true for any language or platform, but iOS has been particularly rewarding because it’s new and different from the server-side work I’ve done in the past.

What’s your least favorite thing about developing for iOS? Non-deterministic memory bugs. These are the bugs that are nearly impossible to reproduce, but when they happen, all hell breaks loose.

What feature would you most like Apple to add to the iOS SDK? I’d love to see Apple open up the Mail database APIs. The iOS mail app is fine, but I think that other developers could really come up with some great apps if they could get into there. I’d also like to see a widget API that would allow for more than static app icons on SpringBoard and a more usable lock screen natively in AppStore apps.

What feature would you most like Apple to add to the App Store? I’d like to see alternate profit-sharing models. The flat 30% Apple cut doesn’t work for some projects.

If we were to eavesdrop on you while you were coding, what curse word would we hear you use the most? I prefer the f-word, personally.

What do you do when you’re not coding iOS apps? When I’m not working on projects, I like to spend time with my family. I’m a bit of a TV addict and also like to go to concerts.

What should we look for from you next? I’m going back to my roots and spending some time on weather tweaks again. There’s also quite a bit still to do with LockInfo. I’m also thinking about some official AppStore app ideas, but nothing concrete enough to really talk about at this point.

Thanks David!

iCan ABC for iPhone hits the App Store [giveaway]

Monkeybin Studios’ new alphabet learning game, iCan ABC, has hit the App Store.

I’ve spent a few minutes with this app and it is going to be a fabulous learning tool for my daughter when she’s old enough. I particularly like that the “host” of the game is a Police Officer because it will help give children a positive association with cops.

The good folks at Monkeybin Studios have given us a few promo codes to give away to you, our awesome readers! For a chance to win, let us know who would benefit from you having this app – your son, daughter, niece, nephew, sibling?

iCan ABC is available for for $0.99. Screenshots after the break.

[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 show: 29 – “The Blobs”

Join your hosts Marianne Schultz and myself for The Show: 29 – “The Blobs”. You can subscribe to our show on iTunes, grab our RSS feed, listen now or download directly. We broadcast our iPad and iPhone podcast live each week. If you missed the live show, we hope you’ll join us next week for live chat and more. Our next show will be July 5th at 7pm EST. If you’d like to be included on a future broadcast, please call 646-820-3431 and leave your name along with your question. If you’d like to provide us with feedback, we’ve set up a topic in our forums.

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New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Monday, July 4

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!

Archers Online HD: A cute multiplayer game. Play against your friends on Game Center and redeem features with Game Center points. [Free for iPad, with in-app purchases - iTunes link]

Dragontape: Create mixtapes of your favourite YouTube and Soundcloud clips. Create, cut, edit, rearrange or remix tapes and share them on Twitter or Facebook! [Free for iPhone and iPad - iTunes link]

Winq (Sale): Share contact information between people. Free for today only! [Free for iPhone - iTunes link]

Touchnote: Turn the photos on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad into beautiful, printed postcards and send them anywhere in the world. [Free for iPhone - iTunes link]

Game Feed: Put all your Facebook Game Feeds in your hand – go mobile with your feed collection. [$1.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today?

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.

TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon App Review

In this 3D dual-stick shooter, based on the hit movie series, Transformers, you’ll take control of Optimus Prime or Bumblebee to defend against Decepticons. The story takes you across 13 levels, each with new enemies, weapons to unlock and more.

If you’re not familiar with what a dual-stick shooter quite is, it’s usually a shoot em up style game with two on-screen joysticks for controllers; one to move, one to shoot. The same applies to onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/itunes.apple.com/us/app/transformers-dark-of-the-moon/id442480572?mt=8');" target="_blank" href="http://www.ip4help.com">TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon.href="http://www.ip4help.com" rel="attachment wp-att-20159">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/transformers-300x200.png" alt="" title="transformers" width="300" height="200" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-20159" /> You’ll be in control of Autbot leader, Optimus Prime or Bumblebee through a story mode consisting of 13 considerably lengthy missions. Throughout the game, you’ll be able to upgrade your weapons and robot to make them less vulnerable and more power.

The controls for the game are pretty straightforward. You’ve got the two joysticks, the left one for movement and the right for shooting, a button that lets you perform a quick, evasive dive, the ability to tap the right joystick and slash at an opponent, and a button that transforms you to your robot and car form interchangeably. Everything is responsive and feels natural.

Artwork has really never been a problem for Electronic Arts, and the same stands here. The graphics are consistently satisfying, with their 3D elements always showing a bit of close detail, and the character sprites are anything but boxy. This is one of the best aspects of the game.

The good stops there, though. Sure you’ve got 13 unlockable weapons, two characters and a whole bunch of levels, but you’ve also got the unanticipated bore. Even with the hardest of three difficulty modes selected, the game seems to be too easy on you. AI is extremely weak and not too smart, missions are dragged on for too long, and boss battles seem like what regular enemies should be. Before you know if, you’ll be waiting for levels to be over. All in, it just doesn’t seem complete.

It’s $0.99 for a limited time only, instead of $4.99. At the latter price, I wouldn’t recommend it at all, but if you want a short thrill for the moment, you may want to pick it up.

width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hK9V_Os-23E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

FireCore updates aTV Flash (black) to Beta 6, big improvements for the second gen Apple TV [jailbreak]

FireCore has released an update to its aTV Flash (black) software that runs on jailbroken second generation Apple TV’s. The update includes a host of additional features like a brand new lightweight media player that has been specifically written for iOS devices.

The new media player will enable your second generation Apple TV to play a much wider array of media types without losing the simple Apple TV interface. Performance of HD content has also been greatly improved.

If you’re already running a version of aTV Flash (black) the new Beta 6 version can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu on your Apple TV.

The full list of fixes and new features are detailed after the break.

[FireCore]

What’s new in Beta6?

General

• Added show/hide options for standard AppleTV menus


• Added option to manually install if no AppleTVs are detected


• Improved auto-update disabling


• Improved installation error handling


• Minor UI adjustments

Media Player

• Added new lightweight player


• Added recently played items to ‘Top Shelf’ in main menu


• Added Favorites to main menu


• Added option to manually mark files as watched/unwatched


• Added ‘Test Connection’ option for AFP/SMB shares


• Added support for DVD subtitles


• Added support for multiple DVD audio tracks


• Added basic support for M2TS files


• Improved overall video playback (especially HD video files)


• Improved thumbnail generation when cover art is not available


• Improved FF/RW controls


• Improved DVD menu and video playback


• Improved DVD playback progress reporting


• Improved memory management


• Improved AFP/SMB streaming


• Improved error handling for invalid files


• Resolved most video stuttering issues


• Resolved energy saver mode issue


• Resolved issue that resulted in some DVDs being displayed in (squished) 4×3 mode


• Resolved numerous DVD playback issues


• Resolved flickering when navigating through certain menus


• Resolved additional conflicts with XBMC


• Reduced number of network connections used


• Minor UI and other miscellaneous fixes

How to cost-effectively deal with Lodsys and other app patent trolls

Florian Mueller from FOSS Patents has put up a heart-breaking yet pragmatic set of recommendations for developers on how to cost-effectively deal with Lodsys and other patent trolls who target small, independent app makers. (If you’re a mega corporation with billions of dollars in the war chest this obviously doesn’t apply to you.) While Apple has filed a motion to intervene, there’s no guarantees that it’ll work, and it’s unknown what, if any, support they’re providing iOS developers beyond that. Google has yet to do or say anything, leaving Android developers entirely in the lurch. So…

Mueller breaks it down in a lot of detail and sites a lot of examples, so if this is an area of particular concern, hit the link below and start reading.

[FOSS Patents]

UK broadcaster ITV launches its iPhone and iPad catch up app ITV Player

UK television channel ITV has released its catch up TV app, ITV Player. ITV Player is the first mobile app released that will allow you to watch ITV programs on you iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The content will be offered within the app for 7 days after it was originally screened live. You can also browse through recommended programs, search by channel or alphabetically and view the app in portrait or landscape.

The free app which is disappointingly WiFi only, offers content from the four ITV channels available in the UK. These are ITV1, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. All the video content is streamed from within the ITV Player app. There does not appear to be any AirPlay support.

Another bit of bad news, is the app is strictly UK only due to the usual rights issues; some UK regions may not be able to access all of the content either! If any of our UK readers give this one a try, let us know how you find it!

[Free – iTunes link]

TiPb Asks: Happy Independence Day America! How are you using your iPhone or iPad on July 4?

It’s the July 4 Independence Day holiday in the US, where rockets are red glaring and cannons are air bursting, and we have no doubt a lot of you are breaking out the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad to help you celebrate. And we’re curious how?

Are you using them to look up great places to go and things to do, to book your spots and to find directions how to get there? Are you using them to keep in touch with friends and family over the phone, via text or IM, or to keep up on the social networks like Facebook and Twitter? (Or to show off that you got in on Google+ ?) Are you keeping yourself and others entertained with great movies and games on-device, or shooting them up on the big screen via AirPlay? Are you going to take photos of the fireworks or shoot video of that utterly righteous cannonball off the rope, over the picnic, and into the lake? Or are you going to relax, sip a cold and spicy beverage, and lose yourself in a great ebook?

What are you doing for July 4 and how is your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch helping you do it?

Bring the Fourth of July Celebration to Your iPhone/iPad

It’s July 4, and every American knows what that means: celebrating our independence with extravagant firework displays! As fireworks going off around me all-night make obvious, it seems more than a few people can’t get enough of the festivities. To those (and tons of others), it is only natural to want to extend the firework display further. How about bringing some of the fun to your iPhone?

While the App Store is full of apps with firework effects, there is one particular free app that doubles as a game and entertainment, with game mode and display generation options, titled Fireworks Arcade. Users can create a show using multi-touch or have the app generate it so in the few moments when there aren’t fireworks being shot off, users never have to be without the spectacular effects and sounds, albeit on a much smaller scale.

An array of firework shapes enhanced by various effects makes each and every one unique. The realistic physics featured in the app extends to each firework particle. Adding a unique layer of effect, gravity can be manipulated by tilting the iOS device.

Of course, firework shows are not limited to the sky and the iPhone. Since the app is universal, onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.ipadngravy.com');" target="_blank" title="iPad" href="http://www.ip4help.com">iPad users can join in complementing the celebration on their device as well. After all, extra firework fun never hurt, err, extra virtual firework fun never hurt anyone.

Have a great Fourth of July!

[App Store onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/itunes.apple.com/us/app/fireworks-arcade/id435664934?mt=8');" target="_blank" href="http://www.ip4help.com">link]

Showdown: iPhone 5 Vs Nexus 4G

Apple and Google are at each other’s throats for a long time now and they are increasingly competing on the same turf. Apple’s crown jewel is the iPhone and the next generation iPhone (iPhone 5) is set to include a variety of upgraded features and revolutionary technology. However, Google is not going to stand by idly and by all accounts, it never did. Android already has a larger market share and things keep getting better. Right now, the Android phones are focusing on sheer power and increasing user-friendly features.

But let’s just take a look at the specs first.

The iPhone 5:

The Nexus 4G will also boast some impressive specs

The upcoming battles between Google and the iPhone will have a lot to do with hardware and software. Raw power can only get you so far, the rest depends on innovation. Let the battle begin!