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Chilli X has birthday - everyone gets presents, but no cake
If you look under your seats, you'll find a bevy of free iPhone apps. That's right ... you get an app, you get an app, everybody gets an app (or 16)! We've mentioned Chilli X a few times, and I've developed a fondness for their collection of sleek, simple iPhone apps with great-looking interfaces. And now it's their first birthday, and they're giving out presents: this weekend only (starting right now), you can grab any (or all) of Chilli X's iPhone apps for FREE. There are plenty to choose from; 16 apps in the App Store and one just submitted for approval today. We've mentioned Done [iTunes link], MyCal [iTunes link] and Playlist Alarm Clock [iTunes link], but much has happened since then. What follows is a roundup of some of the latest apps, but you can find them all by searching for "Chilli X" in the App Store.
TomTom's Car Kit for iPhone will be your co-pilot in October
Well, it just passed through the FCC last week, and it looks like TomTom itself is now finally getting a bit more specific about when its new Car Kit for iPhone will start shipping. While it's still not providing an exact date just yet, the company's newly-updated FAQ now says that the device will be available directly from TomTom sometime this October. What's more, the company also says that the kit (which also works with the iPod touch) will be initially sold without the TomTom iPhone app, contrary to what was previously rumored, although it's not clear if a bundle with the app will also be available at a later date.[Via NaviGadget]
Microsoft: how to port iPhone apps to Windows Mobile
With just a few months to go before launching the Windows Marketplace for mobile applications, Microsoft has published details on porting iPhone apps to its Windows Mobile platform. It's a case study of the app Amplitude [App Store link], which lets users hear far-off sounds with ease. It's a detailed writeup that takes readers through the entire process. Microsoft will have quite a task ahead of them in this market, considering Apple's considerable lead and foothold. However, there are many (to say the least) Windows Mobile devices out there as well as people for whom "Windows Mobile" means business. It will be interesting to see if and how iPhone/iPod touch app developers choose to move their products to Windows Mobile. The Windows Marketplace for mobile applications is expected to drop between September and December of this year, as are Snow Leopard and Windows 7. It's going to be an exciting autumn. [Via Macworld]
Google Voice app GV Mobile ported to jailbroken iPhones, web app version in the works
So well-mannered, straight-laced iPhone users got a pretty big slap in the face yesterday by way of Apple's (and AT&T's, no doubt) total Google Voice rejection. Looks like jailbreakers are picking up the pieces, as GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs -- whose app was in the iTunes store for some time before being yanked yesterday -- has ported the Voice client over to Cydia free of charge, although donations are gladly accepted. Even more interesting, but less concrete, Kovacs said he was already working on a web app version, possibly for submission to Palm's app catalog. No word on the fate of GVdialer, an app that was also unceremoniously pulled, but we wouldn't be surprised if it followed in similar footsteps. Read - GV Mobile now on Cydia Read - Sean Kovacs on Twitter
SoundAMP hearing aid app for iPhone unleashed on our delicate ears
We've just caught wind of a new app for the iPhone / iPod touch... should you be either a little hard of hearing or a little nosy. SoundAMP works a lot like those Sonic Earz you see on the infomercials -- you run the app with your earbuds plugged in, and then sit back and enjoy listening to the sweet sounds of whatever's going on around you -- only louder. The app allows you to control volume and tone, and you can also replay the last 30 seconds of what you've been hearing -- in case you missed something particularly juicy. Now, personally, we put in the earbuds and crank up the tunes to shut out the outside world, but if this is your kind of thing -- it's available in the iTunes store right now for $9.99. [Warning: read link takes you to the iTunes store][Via CNET]
Email'n'Walk iPhone app finally lets us leave the house
We can't believe it's taken this long for an app to do this, but Phase2 Media's Email'n'Walk app overlays an email composition window over live video from your iPhone's camera, allowing you to pound out messages while avoiding sidewalk-hogging obstacles. We just wish it didn't rely on the actual Mail app for sending and it'd be nice if it handled SMS as well, but obviously Apple's not going to let that happen. Free in the App Store for now.[Thanks, Becky; warning: iTunes read link]
Vinyl record iPod touch app gives you the spins
Vinyl has been on the verge of a big-time comeback for ages now (and for some of us, it never ceased to be the format of choice anyway), so we're pretty happy to see that even the land of zany iPhone / iPod apps is no longer immune to its charms. The spinning vinyl app by Theodore Watson makes use of the iPod touch's accelerometer to control the speed that the "record" is played at. The video (which is after the break) might make you a little sick when you watch it, but it sounds great. Analog rules, doesn't it?[Via Make]
DirecTV's free iPhone app manages 100k downloads in its first week
Shockingly enough, people seem to be interested in the possibility of easily browsing TV schedules and programming their DirecTV DVR from the iPhone / iPod Touch, for free. Available for just one week so far, it's already ticked over 100,000 downloads so yeah, it's popular, our only question is what's next? You've probably checked it out by now, let us know what features need to be changed or added, or just tee off on the fact that your TV or cellphone provider hasn't unveiled a similar setup yet, we're listening.
DirecTV's free iPhone app manages 100k downloads in a week
Shockingly enough, people seem to be interested in the possibility of easily browsing TV schedules and programming their DirecTV DVR from the iPhone / iPod Touch, for free. Available for just one week so far, it's already ticked over 100,000 downloads so yeah, it's popular, our only question is what's next? You've probably checked it out by now, let us know what features need to be changed or added, or just tee off on the fact that your TV or cellphone provider hasn't unveiled a similar setup yet, we're listening.
DirecTV iPhone app now available
All those eagerly anticipating the DirecTV iPhone application, and all its remote scheduling, program browsing capability can download it right now from the App Store. All that's required is iPhone software 2.2.1 or higher; anyone can pick it up to check out channel listings, but you'll need a DirecTV subscription and DirecTV Plus DVR (models R15, R16, R22), DirecTV Plus HD DVR (models HR20, HR21, HR23) or TiVo Series 2 receivers with 6.4a software registered to DirecTV.com to take advantage of the remote scheduling over WiFi, EDGE or 3G. And did we mention that it's free?
XRoad G-Map iPhone navigation map gets reviewed, patted on the back
While the world waits for a tried-and-true navigation app from Apple, XRoad is taking advantage of the situation by offering up its G-Map app in the interim. Kicking Tires decided to take the new software for a spin, and while the map quality took a pretty harsh beating, the overall offering was highly praised. More specifically, not every street name was present during testing, meaning that you had to rely implicitly on the turn-by-turn instructions if you weren't familiar with your surroundings. Outside of that, however, it seemed to nail all the important points. Accuracy, routing, ease of use and design were all smiled upon, and it seems critics gave the street name snafu a bit of a break with the hope of future updates solving the issues. If you're still a touch hesitant to drop your hard-earned cash, give that read link a gentle tap.[Thanks, Ronald]
Nine-year old writes iPhone app, hates vegetables
We've seen plenty of remarkable kids -- the world is just bursting with them -- and Lim Ding Wen, a nine-year-old from Singapore is no exception. Like his father, Wen enjoys writing iPhone apps in his spare time. His application, called Doodle Kids, is a drawing application for children that he wrote for his two younger sisters, who enjoy drawing, and it's already been downloaded over 4,000 times (we just checked in the App Store and it does indeed appear to be quite popular) since its release on February 1st. Wen, who is fluent in six programming languages and enjoys reading books about -- you guessed it -- computer programming, is already hard at work on his next app, a game called "Invader Wars." We can't wait to see that one!
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XRoad G-Map app brings bona fide navigation to the iPhone
At long last, iPhone users who have grown increasingly frustrated by using Google Maps as their primary navigational tool can find relief... sort of. Available right now in the App Store, XRoad's G-Map application requires no internet connection whatsoever in order to function; rather, it packs oodles of maps into a 932MB package that covers most of western America and a few sporadic locales on the east. We're a bit baffled (and angered) by the not-at-all-comprehensive coverage, but we suppose we can expect updates to patch the gaps in the near future. It provides most of the same amenities you're used to seeing on real-deal GPS units, including POI editing, memo capabilities, location searching, etc. A word of caution, though: early reviews don't seem too stoked about it, so you may want to gloss it over good before hitting your card for $19.99.[Thanks, Karel]%Gallery-39999%
Mobispine pens tell all about their iPhone MMS app, doesn't exactly tell all
We've heard a few things about the Mobispine MMS app supposedly being developed for the iPhone, but the company's just answered a lot of questions, and we thought we'd give you a quick rundown. Interestingly, the app will utilize Apple's announced but delayed push notification, which Mobispine says is due "pretty soon," though carriers may use SMS notification in lieu of the service. The company says that the app will be carrier-branded, and that it will be up to them how much to charge you, the MMS-starved consumer. Mobispine says that the software will "probably" be made available through the App Store, "probably" because it's still in some vague phase of development, and has yet to be approved by Apple. Just let us know when the thing is ready, okay guys?[Thanks, Carlos]
Tether your iPhone, wirelessly. Maybe. (updated with video)
We're not sure how this one got past Apple's App Store censors, but the clever kids at Nullriver have released what appears to be the first tethering solution for the iPhone. The $10 NetShare app is just a SOCKS proxy that links an ad-hoc WiFi network to the iPhone's 3G or EDGE connection -- and if we could get it to work, we'd probably think it was a fine, if hacky, solution to a major limitation of Steve's baby. As it stands, though, the instructions are pretty sparse, and while we can get the app to recognize a connection, we're not able to actually load anything. We're not sure how long this one's going to last -- anyone else willing to give it a shot before it gets yanked?[Thanks, Zoli; Warning, link opens iTunes]Update: Aaaaand it's offline. Shocking.Update 2: We've added our own video hands-on after the break.
Unfair practices in the App Store?
The App Store might be only a few days old, but it has already proven itself to be a viable and potentially lucrative outlet for developers. With so many apps (and more being added all the time) for sale, getting exposure is extremely important if a developer wants to stand out in the crowd. Unsurprisingly, the market, especially in the games sector, is very competitive. But is the quest to compete leading to some unfair, and ultimately consumer unfriendly practices? Note: All of this data refers to the U.S. App Store, I'm unsure of the situation in other parts of the world.We got a tip from an iPhone developer, who requested anonymity, about some shady techniques being employed by some developers to obtain a higher app ranking in the App Store. As it stands right now, if you choose to browse the App Store in iTunes, not using the search but using the "All iPhone Applications" category, apps are visually displayed in alphabetical order. Well, they are supposed to be displayed in alphabetical order. As it stands right now, only five of the 21 titles displayed on the first page actually fit that criteria -- and they are the last five apps on that page.Some developers have figured out that adding a symbol or space before the game name will promote the app to the first page. Thus, Solitaire City, which alphabetically should be on page 26, is the very first app listed in the store. Other tiles like Whack the Groundhog, $0.99 Sudoku and 'ColorRise 3D' are all listed on the first page, instead of where they should be cataloged.%Gallery-27489%
InsanelyGreat iPhone apps
Magnetism Studios, the guys behind Insanely Great Tees, have just launched four iPhone apps, which they are dubbing "Magnet Apps."Two of the apps are $4.99 and two are $2.99.Here are the details:Tile Sudoku ($4.99)Sudoku is a popular puzzle game choice for iPhone devs, but Tile Sudoku has a neat little twist. Instead of selecting a number from a list, you drag numbered tiles to the correct space on the Sudoku grid. If you make a mistake, you can move the tile to the correct space or back to the tile bar. I haven't used any of the Sudoku iPhone apps yet (I have played some of the web-based versions), but this seems to make a lot of ergonomic sense.You can buy it from the App Store here.Mr. Shuffle ($2.99)It's Mr. Potato Head on the iPhone! Mr. Shuffle lets you create funny faces out of cartoon parts. You can then add speech bubbles or captions to customize the images further. While all that is cool, the most fun part is probably the feature that lets you add elements to pictures you take of your friends from the iPhone camera. You can buy it from the App Store here.City Transit ($2.99)Everytime I visit New York City, I dread having to carry around a transit map guide like a tourist. And even then, you never really know where the closest station is to your location or if there has been some sort of service change. City Transit aims to change all that. For $2.99, you get officially licensed MTA subway maps, a GPS-based station finder to find the nearest station (and it is integrated with Maps so you can get walking directions too) and service advisories from the MTA website, so that you know can quickly out about any line changes.Magnetism has designed City Transit to have an expandable architecture and in the future you should be able to download maps for buses and commuter rail lines. This really looks like the perfect app for anyone who commutes to NYC.You can buy it from the App Store here.File Magnet ($4.99)File Magnet, which right now will only work in conjunction with Macs running Leopard, is a way to transfer files to and from your Mac from your iPhone or iPod Touch over Wi-Fi and then view them. It supports PDF, DOC, TXT, RTF, RTFD, HTML, PNG, TIF, JPEG. GIF and iPhone compatible movies and audio files. Support for Excel and iWork files is coming soon. So instead of having to e-mail yourself PDF files, you can just load the File Magnet Uploader on your Mac and send it directly to your iPhone. It does require Wi-Fi to transfer files back and forth, and is not compatible with Windows.You can buy it from the App Store here.%Gallery-27397%
What iPhone apps do you want to see?
Well, now that you've all had a bit time to consider that little bombshell, we'd thought we'd give you a chance to have you say about what third party apps you'd like to see for the newly SDK-friendly iPhone (and iPod touch). Our wishlist has, of course, been growing since day one, but we'd be particularly keen to see some IM apps, push-style email, a Sling client, or even some Jam Sessions-style music creation apps, among a multitude of other possibilities. But enough about us, hit up the comments to make yourself known.
Installer.app beta for iPhone: Install, update iPhone apps over Wi-Fi
All sorts of interesting iPhone apps have sprouted up these past few weeks, but unless you're checking out our own Erica Sadun's excellent work with iPhone apps, they can sometimes be hard to find or install. While Apple wants us to keep twiddling our thumbs in anticipation for true apps to come to the iPhone (perhaps they are just waiting for Leopard), a new Installer.app (of course, a beta) could help simplify things by acting as an iPhone app management hub. Installer.app can install and update a good handful of iPhone apps (with more to come, I'm sure) over Wi-Fi, and uninstall them as well. Of course, you'll need to use iFuntastic command line tools like iPHUC or something similar to get Installer.app onto your phone in the first place, but after that it seems like this is a good solution for endowing your iPhone with new apps until Apple opens things up.Thanks Abdul
Media Temple boasts iPhone friendly control panel
Media Temple, a well known hosting provider, has recently rolled out a beta version of their control panel made just for the iPhone. Judging from the number of folks who sent this to us (thanks to all of you!) there seems to be a large, and until now, untapped market of people who want to be able to register a domain from anywhere.Aside from registering domains you can also restart services, pay your bill, add email addresses, and submit a tech support ticket. I'm not a Media Temple customer myself, nor do I own an iPhone (and we all know how I feel about iPhone specific web apps) but I must admit this looks slick. You can access the iPhone version of Media Temple's control panel here.
