Pocket RPG iPhone Edition now available

Pocket RPG, the popular dual-stick action dungeon-crawler on the iPad, is now available on the iPhone.

Enter a world overrun by hordes of monsters. Explore trap-filled dungeons and face mighty bosses. Collect piles of treasure and items and invest in dozens of abilities and unlockable equipment. Test your skills against the oncoming darkness.

Pocket RPG iPhone Edition has a launch price of $0.99.

[App Store 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 airs iPad 2 commercial

Seemingly not content with Apple’s stellar run of Peter Coyote voiced iPad 2 commercials, Verizon has struck out on a commercial of their own (pun semi intended) simply entitled iPad2. (Lack of proper spacing theirs, not ours.)

It does start off saying iPad 2 is “faster, thinner, and lighter”. Thankfully, however, there’s nary a mention of Tegra 2 processors — or rather Apple A5 processors — in sight, simply a focus on buying iBooks on the beach, staying connected at the park, and photo tweeting while camping.

These make sense as a way to try and steal iPad 2 users away from the AT&T 3G model, much as Verizon did last year with their Break Away commercial for the original iPad + Mi-Fi combo deal, and both Verizon and AT&T have done for iPhone 4.

This one doesn’t feel as solid as any of those though. If you were on the carrier fence, would this make you choose Verizon?

Daily Tip: jailbreak iOS 5 beta 7 via Redsn0w 0.9.8b7

Currently running iOS 5 beta 7 and wondering how to Jailbreak? Well you’re in luck, you can now do so with the newest version of Redsn0w. Of course this one is also tethered like the previous beta versions of RedSn0w for iOS 5.

Be advised that not all jailbreak apps and tweaks have been updated to support iOS 5. If you’re alright with running tethered and don’t mind a few bugs here and there, follow along for a quick walkthrough.

By this point, almost anyone jailbreaking is already familiar with RedSn0w and how it works. It’s no different this time.

And I can’t say this enough times, if your device is not listed above, please do not attempt to jailbreak it on iOS 5!

After you have iOS 5 beta 7 installed on your device, your device backed up, and your version of iTunes upgraded to the newest beta version, follow the steps below to jailbreak.

1. First launch RedSn0w.




2. It should ask you to navigate to a firmware file. Simply navigate to the iOS 5 beta 6 firmware file instead of beta 7.


3. Once you click next, RedSn0w will take a minute to do it’s thing. You should see a patching kernel message and that Redsn0w successfully recognized your firmware.




4. Next select the options you’d like RedSn0w to perform. I typically only select Install Cydia. It’s worth noting that this is where you will perform a tethered boot if needed as well. You will just select Just boot tethered for now if you need to do this or your device reboots or dies.




5. Redsn0w will now walk you through putting your device into DFU mode




6. After you’re successfully in DFU mode, simply let Redsn0w do its thing and you’re done!

That’s it! The process is pretty much the same as the first time around. But if you do run into problems or have questions, make sure you check out our TiPb Jailbreak Forums. We’ve got tons of great members more than ready and willing to help!

[Daily Tips](http://www.tipb.com/tips] 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…)

Facebook for iPhone Gets Substantial Update

Facebook for iPhone (href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook/id284882215?mt=8">App Store link) was updated today to version 3.5. The update is rather substantial and offers a number of new features, along with the pre-requisite bug fixes. It’s free and available now via the Updates tab in your App Store app.

Made it easier to share with who you want

Facebook for iPhone updated to 3.5

Facebook for iPhone has been updated and brings a few new features and many improvements including the ability to tag friends and places in posts.

Facebook for iPhone is available for free.

[App Store 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.

Redsn0w releases jailbreak for iOS 5 Beta 7

Only a few days ago, Apple released the iOS 5 Beta 7 for developers. The new update features a variety of security and stability fixes. However, it seems that Apple may have underplayed the security issues because Redsn0w has already updated its jailbreak tool in order to take on the new update. The recent update is described as one that “explicitly supports” the iOS 5 Beta 7 update. This also means that users will no longer have to target the tool on iOS 5 Beta 6 when they want to jail break iOS 5 Beta 7.
 

The iPhone Dev-Team also posted a short description of the update on their website as follows.
 
About 12 hours after we released redsn0w 0.9.8b7 with some improvements for iOS5b6, Apple went and released iOS5b7 (what are the odds of that?!?).  Even though that redsn0w could still jailbreak iOS5b7, you needed to point it at the iOS5b6 IPSW to do so.  Today’s redsn0w 0.9.8b7b lets you point redsn0w directly at the iOS5b7 IPSW instead.
We’ve also added some overall improvements for old-bootrom 3GS owners (where the 24kpwn exploit applies):  on those devices, you can tell redsn0w to untether 4.3.5 and lower, or iOS5b7.  Old-bootrom 3GS owners can once again choose custom logos, and/or verbose booting (for the really nerdy iPhone3GS fans out there!).  And it allows 4.3.4 or 4.3.5 users to use ultrasn0w again (if they have a compatible baseband).
 
Users who wish to download the latest update can do so from the Dev-Team’s blog. The updated version of the jailbreak tool is now available for both the Mac and Windows. However, take note that this update should be used by jailbreak developers. This is not meant for casual iPhone users.
 
In the long-term, this looks like another salvo against Apple’s iOS culture. Unlike its archrival Android, Apple takes good care to ensure that it has full control over the development and distribution of its operating system. The only problem is that now Apple seems to be creating two different classes of iPhone users: legitimate users and jail breakers. Legally, Apple has lost the argument against jail breaking but it still has the power to deny users their warrant or after-sales services. While many have condemned the move, Apple still maintains a fanatical fan base that easily outnumbers its detractors.

Financial Times apps removed from the Apple App store

Apple is a demanding host and thus far, its sheer brilliance and the power it has accumulated through the iPhone and iPad have given it an immense negotiating advantage over its rivals. In exchange for superb services and the promise of attracting droves of new customers, Apple demands a sizeable reward. However, in the case of the Financial Times, Apple may have overestimated its position. As it turns out, the Financial Times will pull its iPad and iPhone apps off the App store market after a disagreement over the control of data collected through subscriptions.

 

Recently, Apple began forcing major firms to go through its own App store when selling subscription apps. This gives Apple full control over the ownership of valuable data about customers while also giving it a 30% share of all the revenues earned through the apps. Buoyed by the success of the iPad, Apple even launched its own subscription service for magazines, newspapers, music and videos but did not get a very enthusiastic response from major publishers because of the concern regarding ownerships and revenues.
 
Apple cannot be accused of being greedy because the evidence clearly shows that publishers who have manage to introduce apps for the iPhone and iPad have seen sales increase significantly. For instance, the iPad now accounts for almost 25% of FT’s total sales and is a major source of new subscriptions. More importantly, FT’s digital subscriptions increased by 34% to around 230,000 in the first half of this year. Mobile devices were responsible for 25% of the increase while accounting for 22% of the FT.com traffic.
 
However, FT did not leave Apple without a credible alternative plan. The company recently rolled out a web-based version of its mobile app that allows users to sign up on the website and then use the mobile web browser of any device (e.g: the Safari browser of the iPhone and iPad) to sign-in and view the content.  The experience is very similar to that of a native app. In addition, FT also plans to roll out an app for the Android platform.
 
Overall, the disagreement has not soured the relationship between the two companies. FT even promised to keep using the App store apps in the future. However, if there is a lesson to be learned here, it is that Apple’s power over its clients is steadily weakening as new technological alternatives become viable and its rivals become stronger. Apple would be wise to take note.