Sygic Mobile Maps for iPhone has got a major update. It is bringing a whole UI reworking to its users free of charge – sweet! It is traffic-ready and the traffic info system will be gradually launched to the regions during this quarter. Additionally, it supports speed camera or road incident sharing between the app users and much more – such as:

• Fresh new look and feel of the whole application
• Natural scrolling through menus with no buttons needed
• Pinch to zoom the map
• Dynamic menu animation
• Optimized music playback during navigation
• iPhone-like keyboard
• Contacts integration enhanced by means of utilizing 1400 common abbreviations for address segments across 24 languages
• Policetraps community – share mobile and static speed cameras and get warnings updated in real-time. Sign up on policetraps.com or report anonymously. Tap the bottom part of the navigation screen to report speed cameras or incidents
• Traffic info icon is already present in the main menu – it will be activated at the moment of launching the service, availability and launch time depends on region
• Useful indicators – network signal, battery status, GPS signal strength icon and time – now present throughout the menu on top right panel
• New instruction voices added
• The address input within the country simplified by means of skipping the country name input field – the user can still decide to take the step back if he/she happens to be in different country compared to the last route
• The app is ready for Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Local Search and Sygic is awaiting the green light from Google. The weather information feature is also ready and awaiting activation

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well I know I’ll be checking it out in my Local iTunes store (the UK)!

Sygic Mobile Maps (UK & Ireland) / £29.99 (but update is free if you already have the App) [iTunes link]

If you’re thinking about updating your iPhone to the latest iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware, you might want to note that the update will essentially stop you from unlocking your iPhone for use on GSM networks that aren’t your official iPhone carrier. The iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware comes bundled with a new baseband firmware version (05.12.01) that makes it impossible to unlock the iPhone to use on, say, the T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA network. We’re telling you this because we’re a bit surprised by new stats from Medialets that indicates that 14% of iPhone users have updated their iPhones to the new iPhone OS 3.1.3 since last week.

The baseband modem is the piece of technology that allows your iPhone to communicate with wireless networks like AT&T (NYSE: T) and T-Mobile. It’s this baseband modem’s firmware that controls whether or not you’re allowed to surf multiple GSM networks, or just the one that sold you your iPhone. The thing is, there are hacks out there that will unlock almost all versions of the baseband, but none of them work on this latest version. Even the latest iPhone hacking utility, PwnageTool, won’t be able to hack this new baseband to work with unlocking utilities like blacksn0w or ultrasn0w.

Medialets also mentions that 87% of those that updated to iPhone OS 3.1.3 came from the previous iPhone OS 3.1.2 firmware. The only real benefits of the new iPhone OS are it’s less buggy batter meter and better support for third-party apps that were reportedly crashing with 3.1.2. Considering that most people probably don’t need the iPhone OS 3.1.3, we thought it was only right that we let you know what you’re losing by updating your iPhone.

In the end, if you don’t travel or could care less about using your iPhone on other GSM networks, just ignore this post. This concludes our Public Service Announcement. You’ll now be returned to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Via: Medialets]

ALK Technologies today announced the availability of Premium Live Services for CoPilot Live v8 customers using Windows Mobile and Android smartphones. In addition, all CoPilot Live v8 customers across all platforms will be able to access Local Internet search from directly within the app for free.

A range of Premium Live Services is now available for all platforms, including:

• Live Traffic information – High quality, constantly updated traffic information about your route with automatic warnings and re-routing. Avoid stressful delays and always be informed on route conditions with CoPilot Live’s real-time traffic service.
• Live Fuel Prices – CoPilot Live v8 can instantly guide you to the closest – or the cheapest – petrol station near your current location. Spend less. The new Fuel Price service in v8 can help you find the cheapest petrol station nearby or on-route. So whether you are running on empty or want to fill up without emptying your pocket, let CoPilot Live lead the way.

Real-Time Traffic and Live Fuel are available as Premium Service package for £19.99 to purchase as upgrades through CoPilot Live Central 2.0 desktop software or CoPilot e-store. For iPhone users, it’s available as in-app purchase. Existing Windows Mobile and Android users can find out how to upgrade to free Local Search by visiting the CoPilot site. CoPilot Live iPhone customers will receive access to Free Live Local Search in a forthcoming update via iTunes.

It’s only been a handful of days since Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) released their iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware update through iTunes, and the iPhone Dev Team has already come out with a way to jailbreak the new firmware. The new firmware does little more than fix buggy battery level indicators and Japanese language keyboards, so most of you probably won’t need to install the update. But, there’s invariably going to be a subset of jailbroken iPhone users that can’t resist the urge to update to a brand spankin’ new firmware. For those of you in this group, the iPhone Dev Team has released PwnageTool 3.1.5 to jailbreak iPhone OS 3.1.3!

The PwnageTool utility creates a custom iPhone restore file that you can use to update and jailbreak your iPhone in one felled swoop. PwnageTool 3.1.5 will strip the iPhone OS 3.1.3 update file of its newer baseband modem firmware and replaces it with an older version that can be unlocked with ultrasn0w – this allows you to keep using your iPhone unlocked on any GSM carrier in the world. If you were to update your currently unlocked iPhone 3GS to iPhone OS 3.1.3 without PwnageTool, iTunes will replace your iPhone’s baseband firmware with a new version that cannot be unlocked.

For those of you using a newer iPhone 3GS or had previously updated your firmware to a newer version (05.11.07), you’re going to want to avoid updating to iPhone OS 3.1.3 altogether, if you plan to use your iPhone on unofficial GSM carriers. As long as you stay at iPhone OS 3.1.2, you can jailbreak your iPhone 3GS using blackra1n or PwnageTool and then run GeoHot’s blacksn0w unlock utility to free your iPhone of GSM lockdown.

Get PwnageTool 3.1.5 here.

The iPhone AppStore has and always will be controlled Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s iron-fisted app approval team, which is fine, because that usually means iPhone users can expect reliable and high quality apps. But, when Apple uses its control over the AppStore to censor more than just “adult” content, it starts to feel a little Big Brother-ish. Finding itself directly at odds with Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s Android platform, Apple has reportedly prohibited an iPhone app from mentioning “Android” in the app’s description. The Flash of Genius iPhone app’s description wasn’t obscene or erotic in any way, it just happened to mention Google’s Android Development Challenge.

Having Apple filter apps through its “decency” screen is one thing, but to censor an app’s description of the word “Android” just rubs us the wrong way. This is the notice that the developer of Flash of Genius, Tim Novikoff, got from Apple:

“During our review of your application, we found that your application contains inappropriate or irrelevant platform information in the Application Description and/or Release Notes sections.

“While your application has not been rejected, it would be appropriate to remove ‘Finalist in Google’s Android Developer’s Challenge!’ from the Application Description.

“Please log into iTunes Connect to make appropriate changes to the Application Description now to avoid an interruption in the availability of Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab 2.2 on the iPhone App Store.”

Now, Apple didn’t come right out and say it, but it’s clear that Apple would drop the Flash of Genius app if the developer didn’t remove its claim to fame in the Android space. The app is live on the AppStore at the time of this writing, sans any references to the mobile operating system that shall not be named.

Is it right? We say no, but you might disagree. Either way, let us know what you think in the comments below!

[Via: PCWorld]

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that wireless carriers in the US tend to move slow on the innovation and development fronts, and I’m going to use AT&T (NYSE: T)’s recent SlingPlayer Mobile announcement as an example. I’m not even going to mention how the Windows Mobile and BlackBerry versions of the app were happily humming along over 3G for a while now, while the iPhone version got the shaft. Nope, what I’m going to talk about here is how long it took AT&T to simply review and approve the bandwidth optimization feature that has been built into SlingPlayer Mobile since its release last year.

First, background. The blogosphere blew up today, claiming that AT&T lied when they said that they were working with Sling Media to optimize its SlingPlayer Mobile app to stream video over 3G more efficiently. AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said in a statement that “Sling Media was willing to work with us to revise the app to make it more bandwidth sensitive. They made important changes to more efficiently use 3G network bandwidth and conserve wireless spectrum so that we were able to support the app on our 3G mobile broadband network.”

Sling Media’s John Santoro mentioned to Ars Technica that “AT&T never discussed any specific requirements with us.” This is the statement that got bloggers all riled up today, with many positing that AT&T lied about having worked with Sling Media on their SlingPlayer Mobile app. Turns out, though, AT&T and Sling Media have been working together and that AT&T has “Over the course of the last couple of months, they have been testing the app in their labs,” according to Sling Media’s general manager John Gilmore.

Sling Media says that while AT&T did not specifically request bandwidth optimization code in the mobile app – the app has been able to optimize bandwidth use to minimize its impact on data networks – they have been working with AT&T for months now. AT&T may have overstated their involvement in the development of optimization code in the SlingPlayer Mobile app, but it’s not like they lied straight-out about the two companies’ relationship.

So, the issue isn’t about whether or not AT&T specifically requested 3G bandwidth optimization code in the SlingPlayer Mobile app. The issue is that the app has been capable of streamlining its data use over 3G network since it was launched last year. That means it has taken AT&T several months to approve a feature of the app that has been available for a long time. Should we even be surprised that AT&T needed all this time to review and approve that feature?

Did AT&T drag its feet in approving the app in order to buy time to shore up its 3G network to handle the flood of video-streaming iPhone hitting its airwaves once the 3G feature was rolled out to SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone? Does that mean the 3G network is now robust enough to handle 3G video streaming apps and other data-heavy iPhone and the iPad come this summer? Will AT&T find itself playing having to play catch-up with its data network again?

Time will tell, folks, time will tell. What do you think?

[Via: Ars]

AT&T (NYSE: T) has just launched their new FamilyMap iPhone app for families looking to stay connected and, more importantly, for parents looking to keep an eye on their kids’ whereabouts in real-time. I have no idea what it’s like to be a parent, but I’d imagine that it’s a big ball of stress, what with having to worry where your hormonal and rebellious teen is spending his or her time. AT&T’s FamilyMap app might be just the thing to give you parents out there a little peace of mind. The app lets you track family members’ location, in real-time, on an interactive map, set schedules for families with hectic calendars, set up landmarks, and lets you send messages to family members from within the app.

The app is available as a free download on the iPhone AppStore, but it’s worth less than your kid’s macaroni art (I’m talking monetary value here, sentimental value has no place here) without a subscription to AT&T’s FamilyMap service. The service costs $9.99 per month for tracking up to two iPhones, if you need to track up to five iPhones, the service will cost you $14.99 a month. But, the first month of service is free, so you can try it out and decide if tracking your kids is worth an extra $10 bucks on your monthly bill.

Word to the wise, tell your kids this is a cool new social network that only your family is a part of. They might not take too kindly to being tracked. Or, if your kids are too tech savvy to fall for that, just remind them that you’re paying for their iPhone, damnit.

AT&T FamilyMap (FREE) [iTunes link]

If you’re going about your day thinking your iPhone is as secure as any other smartphone out there, you obviously don’t know about a newly unearthed security flaw that could give hackers control over your Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone. Turns out, a method for installing new configuration settings on your iPhone could potentially allow hackers to mess around with your WiFi settings and lock you out of email, Safari or other iPhone apps. Hackers have figured out a way to create iPhone configuration provisioning files to look like they’re coming from a legit Apple source, allowing them to trick people into installing some “update” and hand over control of their iPhone to hackers.

The thing is, Apple probably never intended for their configuration provisioning system to be used to hack an iPhone. The purpose of the system is mainly to allow enterprise fleets to quickly configure each iPhone with settings that adhere to some corporate security policy. The method has been exploited by iPhone modders to quickly enable internet tethering on the iPhone, though, so it’s not too surprising that the provisioning file has been hijacked by hackers.

The hack currently making its way around the web is a configuration file that claims to be “verified” as coming from “Apple Computer.” That’s bad news because, well, because who wouldn’t trust an update digitally signed by Apple? Once a user is tricked into installing the file, they essentially hand over control of major iPhone features to the hacker. That allows a hacker to peek inside your data traffic to learn bank account numbers, passwords, and the like. Also, it’s really hard to clean an affected iPhone of the hack without doing a full restore.

Whatever Apple plans to do about the problem, we have one piece of advice that should keep you safe. Do not install anything on your iPhone that you haven’t explicitly requested. Especially if it looks like the image above and to the left.

[Via: MobileCrunch]

There’s never enough time in the day to keep up with work and all your hobbies/interests, especially if you’re big on sports. Your iPhone helps you stay on top of mission critical tasks for work, but now it can help you keep tabs on the sports games that are most important to you. That’s where FanPulse comes in. FanPulse keeps you up-to-the-minute on games, scores, sports news, and your friends’ activity. FanPulse is now available in the iPhone AppStore as a free app to to transform your iPhone into a game-tracking, push-notifying, trash-talking sports tool.

The idea behind FanPulse is to allow you to “follow” your favorite sports teams news, games, and scores in bite-sized chunks. FanPulse knows that you can’t possibly follow all your favorite teams’ games – hell, you probably have trouble keeping tabs on even a single team’s home games – and aims to keep you informed at all times. In addition to sports and game update, the app let’s you chat (we talk “trash”), in real-time and through push notifications, with your friends about a particular game.

What you do is tell FanPulse which teams you’d like to follow. You then set preferences for the kinds of alerts you’d like to have pushed to your iPhone – final score notifications, basic score updates, or detailed game updates for more frequent real-time game updates and scoring plays for NFL and NHL. FanPulse will give you a list of upcoming games for your teams, and gives you the chance to “check in” to games you’d like to follow. From there, FanPulse will track the game and keep you in the loop.

You don’t follow sports, you say? Well, chances are you’ve been relegated to the non-speaking table when your group of friends start up a conversation about [fill in your favorite sport here]. It can get lonely being the only one of your friends without a penchant for sports trivia. But with FanPulse installed on your iPhone, you have a virtual sports news cheat-sheet in your pocket. The FanPulse news feed continually updates you with new developments on the teams that matter most to you, allowing you to keep up with significant sports news without having to scour ESPN.com and tracking tedious stats.

FanPulse is free and available now in the AppStore. Give it a download, if for nothing more than to talk trash on your friends’ favorite sports teams.

FanPulse (FREE) [iTunes link]

The iPad apparently isn’t about revolutionizing computing, it’s all about allowing new apps to revolutionize they way we use the iPad. At least that’s what a new app development fund, called AppFund, believes is the real draw of the iPad. AppFund was created by CNET co-founder Kevin Wendle and MusicNation co-founder Daniel Klaus with the goal of seeding development costs for app developers looking to launch new iPad and other tablet-based apps.

The AppFund will invest anywhere between $5,000 and $500,000 to help get iPad apps off the ground. The more complex the app, the more money AppFund will throw its way. AppFund has millions of dollars sitting in its coffers, just waiting to be doled out to eager developers with a great new iPad app idea. Developers are being asked to submit app proposals as soon as possible, in preparation for the launch of the iPad in mid-2010.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen an investment fund created solely to jump-start app development in the mobile space. Previous funds have done a great job of nurturing interesting app ideas into full-blown, marketable apps. With a fund dedicated to iPad and tablet app development, we might very well see the tablet space take off in 2010 and 2011.

Check out AppFund here.

[Via: TechCrunch]