Be a star in your own comics with ComicBook! for iPhone and iPad

3DTOPO Inc. has released their new comic book creation app, ComicBook! After designing your realistic comic featuring you and your friends, you can tag everyone and share to Facebook.

Excuse me – I have a comic about a pack of Ewoks who set out to steal Rene’s Mac Pro but are surprisingly greeted by an angry, green version of our Editor who was recently hit with a Gamma Bomb to write. You’re not going to want to miss this one!

ComicBook! is available 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.

Verizon Wireless Ends Unlimited Data For New Customers

Verizon Wireless announced that it’s discontinuing unlimited data plans for new smartphone customers. Starting Thursday, July 7, new customers will be offered four tiered plans: $10 for 75MB, $30 for 2GB, $50 for 5GB, and $80 for 10GB. Current Verizon customers with a plan, along with those who upgrade on or after July 7 will not be affected by the change. Upgrade-eligible customers will be able to retain their plans when switching to a new mobile device.

Customers who exceed their capped plan will be charged $10 per gigabyte or $10 per 75MB on the entry-level plan.

[via onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/07/05/verizon_confirms_unlimited_iphone_data_plans_no_longer_offered_come_thursday.html');" target="_blank" href="http://www.ip4help.com">Apple Insider]

Review: The HiShop Oleophobic Protective Screen for iPod Touch 4

What makes this screen shield different from the rest? It’s manufactured to prevent fingerprints, hence the oleophobic in the name. TheHiShop’s onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thehishop.com/oleophobic-front-1pcs-film-for-ipod.html');" target="_blank" href="http://www.ip4help.com">Oleophobic Protective Screen is a protective shield for the iPod Touch 4th generation that claims to protect against smudges better than other films and provide the best screen definition.

Yes, those claims are true. The film is an easy-to-apply adhesive shield that is available for $6.50. It comes in one piece for only the front of your device.

I’m not the best at applying shields, so I was pretty glad when this one went on smoothly. There were hiccups in the process, nor did I have to reapply. Once you peel the backing off, the adhesive side instantly sticks to your device. The bubbles didn’t stay for too long; in just a few hours, the front of my device looked pristine and clean.

Along with the film, there was an installation cloth, which is meant to be used to clean the front of your device before applying. It’s nothing special, but it was helpful that it was included.

I really do hate when oil from your fingers smudges on the screen. This shield does a considerably good job in keeping your screen smudge/fingerprint-free. And that would be the only separation between this film and the whole plethora of films available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. You can check it out on onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thehishop.com/oleophobic-front-1pcs-film-for-ipod.html');" target="_blank" href="http://www.ip4help.com">TheHiShop for a sale price of $6.50. The same film is also available for the iPhone.

Supplier Exec Pleads Guilty To Leaking iPad Details

As a member of the rumor mill and blogosphere, leaked product information is my bread and butter here at EiC — but for tech companies, that information is priceless, and leaks can cause major losses. Now a former exec of a supply company inside Apple’s chain has pleaded guilty to sharing privy information to outside sources. Walter Shimoon, formerly of Flextronics plead guilty to telling Apple’s plans to Broadband Research and some ten other hedge funds.

Shimoon earned at least $45,000 by leaking information about the iPad and iPhone 4 before they were widely known, earning the cash for himself and allowing the hedge funders to perform some shifty insider trading.

This is part of a widespread crackdown on information leakers and insider trading.

Shimoon pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of security fraud, but won’t be sentenced until July 2013.

[via NYT, Electronista]

Bing’s Updated App Brings Awesome Lasso Search

Bing for the iPad has just updated to version 1.1, and has brought an intensely cool new feature: “Lasso” search. You can check it out on the video above, but if that won’t play on iOS (I’m pretty sure it’s a Flash only vid), then here’s how it works: you press the lasso icon on the top right corner. You circle a word of phrase. Bing searches for that word of phrase.

How freaking cool is that? It far and away beats Apple’s clunky selection mechanism.

Right, Apple, you happily steal other awesome ideas, right? Lets get this implemented for more apps! Maybe even systemwide!

[via GeekWire]

Starbucks creates iPhone app

Coffee has become a part of our modern lives and no other business does it better than Starbucks. It is already one of the most popular franchises in the US supplies millions of Americans all over with the heavenly brew to get us through the morning of a tough week. Now the company is moving towards a new digital era dominated by smartphones and Wi-Fi, hence it is moving to release yet another innovative app to increase online usage and interact with customers directly in the hopes creating new revenue streams and moving its costly marketing campaign to more tech-savvy users (who also happen to be big fans of caffeine).

Now the franchise is launching an enhanced app for the iPhone, which combines features from its existing apps: myStarbucks and Starbucks Card Mobile. The exciting thing about the new app is the Starbucks eGift Feature.  This helps streamline everything into one single app and makes things easier for Starbucks fans.

The new app will allow users to access their beloved Starbucks Card Features, track their My Starbucks Rewards, make payments via mobile and send a mobile gift. Other innovative features that will be further incorporated include the Starbucks store locater and access to nutrition information of the food and beverages featured in the shops. If you are a real coffee aficionado then you even build your own virtual drink with the Drink Builder. For all your college students (amongst others) looking for part time jobs, do not forget that the app also allows you to search for jobs. 

The Starbucks eGifts also make full use of Facebook and allows senders to add a personal message if necessary. The gift cards can range from $5.00 – $100.00 (depending on the generosity of the sender). You can get the app free from the App store or the Starbucks Website. We can add this app to the daily list of essentials.

iOS 5 an incentive to jailbreak?

iOS 5 has been released to developers and the result has been more than positive. However, one class of users who are slightly upset: users of the iPhone 3, iPhone 3GS and let us not even talk about the iPhone 2.

What is known is that most of the new features will certainly work on these devices, but the effectiveness of these updates is questionable. The infamous update that almost crippled earlier versions of the iPhone is a credible example. Analysts say that regardless of what Apple says, it is not very concerned with older models of the iPhone, since it makes all of its money via hardware sales. Therefore, customizing updates for older models is not exactly part of the bigger picture. A more sinister motive (Seldom said aloud) is that new updates try to act as incentive for users to upgrade their iPhone.

As we know, functions like the Twitter integration, camera grid update, Newsstand and Safari reading list, will all work just fine with older devices. What may not work are the new Safari Tab options and even the photo editing features.

The concern has many people asking themselves if this is the time to jail break their iPhones to get full access to the updates on the iOS 5. While there is a possibility that some of these features may cause more harm than good, we recommend waiting for the official test results before resorting to jail breaking. If you do plan on jail breaking your iPhone right now, then it is best that you do some research online and ensure that you use the best method currently available. Also, remember that once you have jail broken your iPhone there may be no coming back. Apple plans to come down hard on all jail breakers despite recent legal battles that have gone against its way.