iPhone posts

Android, Palm, and iPhone users get new Google News page

by Jay Hathaway Nov 20th 2009

Google has launched a new mobile version of Google News, designed specifically for current-gen smartphones: the iPhone, Palm's WebOS phones (the Pre and Pixi, so far) and Android phones.

Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Symbian already had their own Google News page, so its only fair for the new kids on the mobile block to get in on the action, too.

Google's pretty vague about the changes in the official blog post, but it looks like they've just managed to do more with the same amount of screen real estate. Navigating between sections is easier with the new layout, and you can now customize your Google News the same way you've been able to in a full desktop browser.

Tags: android, google, iphone, mobile, news, palm

Filed under: Social Software, iPhone

Trillian brings impressive multi-network chat to the iPhone

by Jay Hathaway Nov 20th 2009

Trillian, the excellent all-purpose chat app we've loved for years on the PC, just made the leap to the iPhone.

There are a lot of things to love about this pocket-sized version of Trillian, including its great-looking interface and its support for several different chat services. You'll need to sign up for a free Astra account if you don't already have one, but it's nice that Trilian's existing desktop users can just plug and play with no account setup required.

Little perks of Trillian on the iPhone include push notifications (yay!) and the ability to send photos. Managing contacts is also pretty easy. In fact, Trillian's the first iPhone chat app I've seen that has a straightforward way of moving contacts between groups.

I do have a couple of minor bones to pick with Trillian, though. First, no landscape keyboard? Seriously? IM is a typing-intensive activity, and the iPhone's small portrait keyboard doesn't cut it for fast and furious chats.

Second: it takes two clicks to close your current chat (the "more" button and then "end conversation"). Can't we just get a close button? These are minor issues with what's otherwise a great app, and a decent value at $4.99, especially if you use more than one chat service at a time.

[via CNET]

Tags: AIM, astra, chat, IM, iphone, trillian

Filed under: Fun, Games, iPhone

Minim (now on iPhone): the game so nice we've reviewed it thrice

by Jay Hathaway Nov 19th 2009

If you've been a Download Squad reader for a while, you've probably heard about the 3-D molecular puzzle game, Minim. I reviewed it back in May, and Jason reviewed it again in July (oops!). However, I've got my hands on the iPhone version now, and it's worlds better than the Flash one we played before.

The object of Minim is to match up various numbered molecules until you clear the board. When you combine two of the same number, they form a single molecule that's one number greater. Eventually, you'll wind up with just one left, and you've won the level. The thing is, Minim is a lot more fun when you can use the iPhone's gestures to rotate the game board to see what you're working with. Using the mouse in the web version was fine, but the sense of manipulating the puzzle with your fingers adds an extra element of awesome. Check out the trailer after the jump to see how it works.

Minim isn't fast-paced (although you do get time bonuses for quickly solving puzzles), so it's ideal for mobile play on the bus, in the subway, or at your desk. It's cool, we won't tell your boss. The game comes with 50 basic levels, and there appear to be another 40 mystery levels, if you make it that far. For 2 bucks, you're getting your money's worth if you're a puzzle fan.

Tags: iphone, math, minim, puzzle

Filed under: Utilities, Google, iPhone

Google Earth for iPhone gets an update to 2.0

by Jay Hathaway Nov 18th 2009

When Google brought its amazing global map application, Google Earth, to the iPhone, it was a match made in heaven. (Okay, it was match made on Earth, but bear with with me, here.) The pinching and rotating gestures on the iPhone made exploring the globe on a handheld device fun and easy. Well, now Google Earth is back with version 2.0, which introduces some of the useful features you've come to expect from Earth's sister project, Google Maps. You can grab it from the app store now.

Although it's nothing earth-shattering (ha!), Google Earth can now access your saved maps - and other people's public maps - by logging into your Google account and using the My Maps interface. Bringing Maps and Earth even closer together, Google has also made it easier to search businesses, photos and places in Earth, just like you can in Maps. Also, in a move that seems fitting for an app that maps the entire world, Earth 2.0 supports 31 languages, up from the original 18.

Tags: google earth, google maps, GoogleEarth, GoogleMaps, iphone

Filed under: Text, Freeware, Open Source, Web

SimpleText.ws is a dead-simple online text editor

by Jason Clarke Nov 16th 2009

Keeping notes, todo lists, or just anything you are writing synchronized between computers can be a hassle. Some solutions, like using DropBox, require you to install software on computers that you regularly use. If your needs aren't that heavy, but you'd like a free way to keep your text available wherever you are, check out SimpleText.ws.

SimpleText.ws is an open-source, very light text editing environment that allows you to create and manage documents in a web service, and access them anywhere. It uses Google for authentication, so if you already have a Google account, signing in is as simple as clicking the Sign In link.

The fact that SimpleText.ws is open source means that if you're not comfortable hosting your text on someone else's server, you can grab the server code and host it yourself.

There is also a public API available for SimpleText.ws, which means that developers can write applications that synchronize with it. Currently there is only one, but it's a good one: Hog Bay Software's WriteRoom for iPhone.

How do you keep your text files available no matter what computer you're working on?

Tags: authentication, developers, google, hog bay, hog-bay, HogBay, iphone, Open Source, Open-Source, OpenSource, public api, public-api, PublicApi, server code, server-code, ServerCode, simpletext, text, web service, web-service, WebService, writeroom

Filed under: Social Software, iPhone, Mobile, Android

Bump for Android: slick contact-sharing app not iPhone-only anymore

by Jay Hathaway Nov 12th 2009

Bump, the impressive iPhone app that lets you trade contact info and other data by physically bumping two phones together, isn't just an iPhone app anymore. Bump for Android has arrived (so sayeth TechCrunch, at any rate), and it covers Bump's biggest weakness: you had to have an iPhone to use it. Between iPhones and Android devices, Bump now has the potential to become a common way of swapping contact info.

In addition to the Android launch, Bump also polished up its iPhone app. The new version, which is in the app store now, taps into Facebook to compare address books with your bumping buddies and see whether you have any contacts in common. You can also send either a message or a newsfeed post to yourself via Facebook when you bump someone new, so you can remember to get in touch with them later. These features haven't made their way to the Android edition of Bump yet.

[via TechCrunch]

Tags: android, bump, contacts, iphone

Filed under: Games, Retrocomputing

Did you know you could play Commodore 64 games on your iPhone?

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 11th 2009

C64 emulator on the iPhone. Image ruthlessly stolen from the c64iphone.com website.

Maybe you did, maybe you didn't... but now you know!

The aptly-named Commodore 64 Emulator is yet again available in the App Store for the frugal sum of $4.99 (£2.99 for my fellow imperialists).

It was originally released back in June but unavailable due to violation of Apple's rules on launching executable code (which is what an emulator does). Then in September it was actually approved by Apple -- but only for a few days because of another security issue.

And now... it seems it's back! Properly! 30% faster!

There's bad news however: you can only play games downloaded from the App Store. No uploading your own abandonware ROMs I'm afraid. Maybe some enterprising fellow will manage to hack it...?

There's a fun and detailed 9 minute video of the emulator in action after the break.

[via TouchArcade -- or visit the emulator's official site]

Tags: c64, c64 emulator, C64Emulator, emulator, iphone, retro gaming

Filed under: Social Software, iPhone, Microblogging

Tweetdeck back in the iPhone app store with new features, fewer bugs

by Jay Hathaway Nov 11th 2009

Twitter fanatics were disappointed when the hotly-anticipated update to Tweetdeck's iPhone app was pulled from the app store due to bugs, but it's available again today. The upgrade is a big one, including some of the most important features of the Tweetdeck desktop version. The biggest deal might be Facebook integration, a feature that keeps Tweetdeck competitive with its main desktop rival, Seesmic (which has Facebook support, but has yet to launch an iPhone app).

In addition, Tweetdeck for iPhone now has video uploading via 12Seconds.tv, taking advantage of the video capabilities of the iPhone 3GS. It also uses the device's GPS for a "nearby" feature that lets you read tweets from folks in your vicinity. Although I take every opportunity to bash Twitter's trending topics, fans of that aspect of the service will now find it in Tweetdeck. One feature I won't bash, though, is the address picker, which lets you choose a contact from list so your @replies are without typos.

Combine all those features with details like a landscape keyboard mode and the ability to save drafts, and you've got a pretty solid version 1.1. If you've been using and enjoying Tweetdeck, this update should be some sweet icing on the cake.

Tags: 12seconds, facebook, iphone, tweetdeck, twitter

Filed under: Developer, OS Updates, BlackBerry, Mobile Minute

Mobile Minute: Open GL and Flash support coming soon to your Blackberry

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 10th 2009

Not being pretty and white, nor slender, shiny and fashionable, the BlackBerry devices don't get as much attention as its SoCal sister the iPhone.

But that doesn't mean the clever folks over at RIM aren't busy developing and releasing exciting new technologies for their latest OS 5.0 devices! You just don't hear about them quite so often, which I hope to rectify with this little bit of news. As covered by our clever cousins over at Engadget, you can expect the following additions and changes to soon become available:

Open GL ES support -- this is the big one. This is the single change which will see the BlackBerry shift away from the black-straight-edged-suits and more towards the cool-chic-students. The developer kit is already out, so games makers should really get on to that right now...!
Extensive Adobe technology support -- not only will we be seeing great Flash support (as covered by Engadget Mobile previously), there will also be more integration with rest of the Adobe Creative Suite.
And much more -- the BlackBerry Payment Service, Theme Studio, and Advertising Service will all make an appearance at the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010.

These changes should cover all Storm and Curve owners, along with anyone that's lucky enough to own a Storm2!

So what does the iPhone do that the BlackBerry devices don't?

Does RIM really have to release a white-plastic-and-aluminum BlackBerry...?

Tags: blackberry, flash, iphone, opengles, RIM

Filed under: Business, News, Google

With AdMob purchase, there's really no escaping Google advertising now

by Lee Mathews Nov 9th 2009

Anyone who owns an iPhone or iPod touch is all too familiar with AdMob. Their tiny "don't mind me, I'm not really all that intrusive" ads power truckloads of freebies in the App Store.

While you might not love AdMob, someone does. That someone is Google.

Drawn together like half-cut, lonely singles in a dimly-lit bar at happy hour, the two are about to enter a long-term relationship. As in permanent. Today, Google announced that they have purchase AdMob for the tidy sum of $750 million dollars.

That's a whole lotta dough, but keep in mind that Google is ultimately an advertising company. AdMob's strong position in mobile ads is a juicy acquisition, especially with 1) the number of Android-powered handsets rapidly rising and 2) AdMob's recent launch of its Android advertising platform.

The move also gives Google easy access to gobs and gobs of delicious usage data from zillions of mobile users that they may have been missing out on. That data gets fed into AdSense, making it an even more attractive option for advertisers.

Here's a thought, though... At $750 million, Google could have simply bough 3.9 million people an iPod Touch and said "here you go, but we're going to track everything you do!" Hell, I would've signed up for that.

Tags: admob, adsense, avertising, google, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, mobile

Filed under: Security, iPhone

Jailbroken iPhones in Australia getting Rickrolled by a worm

by Lee Mathews Nov 8th 2009

If the possibility of having your jailbroken iPod Touch or iPhone held ransom for 5 Euros wasn't enough of a scare to make you change your root password, maybe this will. Users on an Australian forum site are reporting a new attack - one that's no stranger to love.

You guessed it, the newest attack on jailbroken devices is a wallpaper Rickroll. Along with Rick Astley's devilishly handsome headshot, the image also includes the message "ikee is never gonna give you up."

It's actually a pretty tame attack. There are no reports in the forum of sounds being replaced with that all-to-familiar opening verse or repeated, mind-numbing video assaults.

At least one variation has also popped up. In addition to Astley, one user commented that his image had been changed to a New England Patriots logo.

The moral of the story?

If you jailbreak your iPhone or iPod Touch, make sure you change the root password to something other than alpine so you can avoid the shenanigans.

Tags: iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, jailbreak, jailbroken, rickroll, worm

Filed under: Games, Apple, Retrocomputing

RPGs like Fallout and Oblivion coming to your iPhone?

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 8th 2009

Wolfenstein on the iPhone. Totally ripped off from Joystiq.

After an acquisition that most of us thought was fairly minor news, it turns out that John Carmack of Doom and id Software fame is a mobile games enthusiast! Not only is id Software still flogging the Doom horse, but we may be in for a little treat in the coming months. Gaming iPhone users are probably already aware that Wolfenstein is available and it's really good. And on the back of its success they are now looking to release other classic titles, new franchises and even... role-playing titles.

In Kotaku's great interview with the man himself, Carmack discusses the roadmap for id's iPhone games and some other really interesting possibilities. Amongst others: Fallout might come to the iPhone. One of the most popular franchises of all time is owned by id Software's parent company Zenimax. The path is there! This is more than mere positive thinking! He even admits that some early proof of concepts have been developed...!

I don't think we can expect to see it soon, but if a Fallout title appears it can only be a matter of time before we start seeing other RPGs -- and eventually... more massively-multiplayer online games. That reminds me -- do people play FarmVille on their iPhone? They must do...

[via Destructoid]

Tags: app, id software, IdSoftware, iphone, rpg

Filed under: Fun, Social Software, iPhone

Balloons: launch a balloon from your iPhone, see who finds it

by Jay Hathaway Nov 6th 2009

If you ever let a helium balloon float away when you were a kid and wondered where it eventually ended up, you already know what Balloons for the iPhone is all about. This cute little app lets you launch a virtual balloon with a message and a photo attached. Anyone with the app installed call pull down balloons near them -- Balloons uses the iPhone's location services -- and read messages.

I grabbed a few balloons to see what it was all about, and it was more addictive than I expected. My first balloon was an ad, launched by some marketer near my city (Boo! Hiss!), but then things started getting interesting. I caught a balloon that had drifted from London to Texas to Arizona, picking up new notes along the way. Balloons reminds me of the message-in-a-bottle feeling of the early days of the Internet -- "Hey, who else is out there?"

I tested the Lite version of Balloons, which is free. There's also a $2.99 version that adds the ability to track your balloons, in case you get really serious. TUAW interviewed the developer at this year's WWDC.

Tags: balloons, hgg, iphone, messages, SocialNetworking

Filed under: Social Software, iPhone

BeeJive iPhone app gets AIM chatroom support, sort of

by Jay Hathaway Nov 6th 2009

I once called BeeJive the best chat client for the iPhone, and for good reason: it supports several different chat services, offers push notifications, and has a user interface that makes chatting on the iPhone about as easy as it can feasibly be. BeeJIve just keeps getting better, too. The latest version, 3.1, now supports group chats in AIM ... almost.

Group chats are a great feature that I'm sure Beejive will fully implement soon, but I'm not a fan of the way they work now. To start a group chat, just click the plus button and add multiple contacts. So far, so good, but here's where things get sticky: the only option is a private chatroom. You have to invite contacts to allow them in.

There's also no control over the name of the room. It's just Beejive plus a random string. Also, you'll want to turn notifications off if your room is very active, because having your phone beep or buzz for every message in a fast and furious chat is a wee bit obnoxious.

I know these are all minor quibbles, but it would be great to have a separate "start group chat" button, with the ability to create and name a public room. For now, though, I'm not complaining too much when an already-excellent chat client adds a useful feature it didn't have before.

Tags: aim, beejive, chat, chatroom, group chat, GroupChat, IM, iphone

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Photo, Video, News, P2P, Social Software, iPhone, Mobile, Web

Now finally available - ubiquitous media sharing with Orb for Mac

by Dolores Parker Nov 5th 2009

It was pretty exciting news at Download Squad to hear Orb, the "sort of software version of Slingbox," was available for Mac. Orb allows you to broadcast your media to any device that has a web browser. After downloading Orb to your "always on" Mac with a high speed internet connection, you can access all your photos, songs, TV shows, and videos from any device with a browser and media player.

After downloading the app, Orb indexes your media and then prompts you to either log in to mycast.orb.com, or create a log in if you don't have an account. After you log in you can see your dashboard and all your media goodies.

Though my songs appeared immediately, my photos did not. There are various feed settings you can play with and channels to explore. Also, with a simple drag drop interface you can share your media with your friends via email, SMS, widget on your blog, or a public URL.

Checking it out from my home computer is one thing, but would it work on other devices? Success! I was able to access my media from my Dell PC.

A note for iPhone owners: The esteemed and indefatigable Jay Hathaway noted that he received errors when he tried to download the free version of OrbLive for the iPhone, which he tried from both his iPhone and his iTunes account on his Mac. There are 3 flavors of Orb available for the iPhone: OrbLive free, OrbMedia ($4.99) and OrbLive ($9.99)

Note to Orb: Please update your landing page to include PC and Mac, ok?

Tags: iphone, Mac, media sharing, media streamer, MediaSharing, MediaStreamer, mobile, Orb

The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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