A few weeks ago we told you about TiPb’s shiny new Facebook group — a comfy place to de-harshen your mellow and hang with your fellow TiPbsters (TiPbites? Er… we’ll work on that!) on the FB!
Well, we got us some feedback. You wanted some features. You wanted to be able to keep up with news, for example, which is something not easily accomplished in the confines of a “group”. We shoulda made a “page”, you told us (most of us, at least — Chad bashed us over the head with that one about 0.01 seconds in).
Well, we listened. Introducing The iPhone blog’s brand spanking new Facebook Page!
And to celebrate both the launch of our iPhone Live!-Cast and the new page, anyone who becomes a fan of the TiPb’s Facebook Page this week gets one (1) entry into our new contest: the Ultimate iPhone Accessory Pack Give Away (details coming soon!)
So what are you waiting for? Phase 2 has begun!
Ars Technica’s David Chartier has sleuthed out a support document that reveals all sorts of updates to Apple’s MobileMe “push” service on the web side.
Many of the WebApp updates are resolutions to previous smaller problems, like keyboard shortcut behavior, compatibility with Internet Explorer 7, and the experience when viewing photo galleries on the iPhone or iPod Touch.
Ars rightly points out that it’s nice that Apple not only published the article, but actually detailed what they more often than not sweep under the rug of “this update includes bug fixes and improved compatibility”. We likes the info. However, it would have been nice to push out word of the update via Apple’s MobileMe News “blog”, as RSS notification beats digging through knowledge base articles any day.
If you’re a MobileMe user, let us know if any of this makes your life easier!
A few days back we mentioned how a developer claimed that his lighter application was blatantly ripped off by the lighter company Zippo. As you all know, there are always two sides to every story, eh… in this case 3 sides. Well TiPb received comments not only from Zippo but from Moderati as well.
Here is what Zippo had to say:
Zippo was approached by three different companies interested in developing our branded app for iPhone and the iPod touch at approximately the same time last summer. We evaluated each proposal and chose to pursue the opportunity with the partner that we determined to offer the best app, the best capability and that also shared our vision for the app’s distribution plan (including free download) and process. We’re confident that we partnered with the company, Moderati, that was best able to deliver the product that Zippo wanted. To make it clear, neither Zippo nor Moderati stole the idea for this app.
Shortly after I was contacted by Zippo I received a comment from Moderati as well:
Hi from Moderati – where we’ve been developing virtual concert lighters for mobile phones for a long time…in fact, check out this link in Wireless Week from 2005, when the iPhone was probably just a twinkle in Apple’s eye: http://www.wirelessweek.com/wallpapers-with-a-purpose.aspx
So there you have it folks. We now have 3 sides to this story. Who’s side will you be standing on?
Sorry we’re a almost as late at AT&T with this one, folks. (We were busy engineering a TiPbDOS attack over on Stickam, it seems!) But like AT&T, we’ll keep on keeping on… In their case, however, it’s (finally!) making good on the 3G launch-day promise of free WiFi for iPhone users at AT&T hotspots.
According to SMS and email notifications going out, here are the deets:
AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and FREE Wi-Fi is even hotter. Which is why FREE AT&T Wi-Fi access is now available for Apple iPhone at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. Users can relax and access music, email and web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their nearest location. For information visit www.att.com/attwifi.
So, if you find yourself at a Starbucks with your Gibson-esque Quinte-Vinte-Latte, let us know how good the side order of WiFi goes with that!
Just a reminder, folks, we kick off iPhone Live! tonight (Wednesday, Oct. 29) at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT.
What’s iPhone Live? Check out our previous announcement for the full details, but let’s just say our Podcast is not only going weekly (at last!), every second week it’s going LIVE!
To celebrate, TiPb will also be announcing our Ultimate iPhone Accessory Contest! Want to pimp out your iPhone on TiPb’s dime, with the help of your favorite staffers? Join us tonight, live, and find out how!
(For those unable to attend, remember we’ll be recording the audio and adding it to the Phone Different Podcast feed, so never fear — we’ve got you covered!)
Chat with you soon!
The Griffin Wave for iPhone 3G uses a unique wave lock design to create a snug fit for the iPhone and offer solid protection. The hard plastic case was unique among competitor’s offerings because instead of choosing a slide mechanism to connect the case together, it uses a front piece and a back piece to hold the iPhone. Does the Griffin Wave succeed as a case? We think so. Read on to see why.
Read on for the rest of the review!
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[This is a TiPb AT WORK App vs. App Interlude! Last week, we ran our Remote Desktop/VNC Showdown, with Jaadu edging out Mocha for the victory. But which forum voter and blog commenter won copies of the winning App? Congratulations MSZATNY and GOS
This week, while the TiPb iPhone Forums vote on THE TWIST Casey steps in to look at Earthscape and it's major-league new rival, Google Earth! They're both FREE, but if you comment below (and make sure you leave a valid email address in the comment form -- it won't be made public, but it will be used to contact you), you'll still have a chance to win an iTunes gift certificate from TiPb! Check out the full contest details, then grab your iPhone and get ready to get things done -- the TiPb AT WORK Interlude: Earth vs Earth is on!]
Google has a certain love affair with the iPhone. Yeah, we know Android is Google’s baby but that doesn’t stop them from putting out top-notch applications for the iPhone. The Youtube App and Google Maps are both best in class and Gmail and Google Reader on Safari are setting the bar for web-based applications. So though Android is all Google, they’re still not ready to leave the iPhone.
Case in point, the release of Google Earth on the iPhone. Anyone a bit surprised that they released one of their more unique products on the iPhone before it got even as much as a sniff for Android? Luckily, as iPhone users we don’t have to worry about the politics of the situation and we get to enjoy the app for what it is.
But Google Earth isn’t the only player in town. Earthscape has been around, is free (used to be $9.99), and works admirably. So in this arena of mobile Earth based apps, is Google Earth the young challenger or the new champion?
Read on to find out in this special edition of App vs App!
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Okay, fair enough, it’s not the nearly 7 million iPhones our big United Statesian brothers to the south consumed in the last quarter, but for a market the size of Canada’s (where it is cold and we must work hard just to survive…), 255,000 iPhones moved is EPIC.
Says Electronista:
The telecoms company sold and activated a total of 255,000 iPhones between the device’s July 11th launch and the end of September, helping the carrier boost its net subscriber additions to 191,000 and increasing the company’s average income per user “considerably above” the average thanks to many attaching a data plan to their services.
Rogers claims that the subsidies they provided for this many iPhones put a drain on them, but thanks to the huge — and ongoing — monthly service plans attached, I don’t think many give a flying hockey puck about that, especially after they just recently cut the commission rates for their reps.
Like in the US, these results are expected to have come at the expense of rival, in this case CDMA, networks Bell and Telus (since Rogers/Fido enjoys a GSM monopoly position).
Could their threat of ending their fairer 30$/6GB data plan last month have helped boost sales? I know roughly 8 people who all got iPhones for just that reason. Anyone else?
Right after we complete our contest for TiPB AT WORK: VNC, out comes a preview of LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone. LogMeIn is a free tool for remoting into your Mac or PC. Now, this functionality is coming to iPhone.
This application has me rather excited since I already use this service; and it works well. I am currently hooked on Jaadu and Win Admin, but this could be a very viable option for replacement of these apps. The preview page discusses little about actual functionality, but based on the third image in the above graphic, you will be able to use multi-touch to zoom in and out of the screen.
Also, by looking at the toolbar, it looks like you can search (a shortcut to Spotlight?) left/right-click, keyboard and even a globe (perhaps a shortcut to Safari?)
All in all, very exciting indeed! We will update you as we learn more!
Goodrec, from the company by the same name, is now available in the iTunes App Store for the absurdly low price of FREE and is also accessible online at their web site, www.goodrec.com.
Although there are numerous apps that take advantage of the location-based feature the iPhone offers in order to serve up local eats, treats and other items, Goodrec is worth a hard look and download.
Even though it’s free, does Goodrec deliver the goods? Is it worth taking up some space on your iPhone, or is it something you’ll use a couple times and then banish to the electronic void of deleted apps? Read on for my take on Goodrec!
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