Want to load up a completely useless app on your iPhone? What if I told you that you’d have to pay for it? Still interested? Enter FirePlace from ToughTurtle. The app is a virtual fireplace with the added benefit of not actually being a fireplace. There’s no need to start up an actual fire, to tend to it, or even clean up after it. Bonus. You can use it in both portrait and landscape, and the app features lovely audio crackling noises as if you were in front of the real thing. You can even set it to play background music from your iPod library.

The cost? $0.99. Pick it up in the App Store (iTunes link).

Note: OK, perhaps I was a little harsh here. I could see this coming in handy during that geeky/romantic date, or perhaps as a sideshow feature at those family holiday gatherings. Heck, even if you live in a small apartment or condo, with this app you can turn on the fire and enjoy the vibe. Yeah, maybe I was a little harsh. Still, I don’t think I’d spend $1 on it. That’s just me though

Software-as-a-Service company Medallia is proving once again that iPhone is a decent business device, not just a multimedia toy. They’ve released a dedicated application in the AppStore simply called Medallia for iPhone, bringing customer experience and enterprise feedback management to the palm (NSDQ: PALM) of a hand. As a result, Medallia customers can access, monitor, and respond to real-time customer feedback while on the go. The application is free to all subscribers of Medallia’s Enterprise Feedback Management Platform and it works with all iPhone models.

Commenting on the announcement, Medallia’s President Amy Pressman said: “Our clients care about the rapid delivery of actionable customer feedback that is easily accessible at all times. Organizations that focused on customer satisfaction before the recession have outperformed their peer groups and delivered higher rates of customer retention in this challenging economic environment. To maintain a competitive edge, these organizations rely on real-time feedback, not information captured weeks or months ago. We developed Medallia for iPhone so our customers, who oversee divisions across all industries, can hasten the cycle of feedback and response to improve customer satisfaction and retention.”

Finally the AppStore link is here, but if you’re a Medallia customer you’ve probably already grabbed the app.

Promptu Systems announced that it will bring its ShoutOUT voice-to-text mobile application, powered by PayPal X, to the Android platform (it was the iPhone thing only, until recently). The release date is scheduled for Q1 2010, when interested users will be able to manage such tasks as send text messages and updates to Facebook and Twitter without typing a word.

As for the PayPal’s role, their new Adaptive Payments APIs sits at the backend, enabling purchasing of ShoutOUT voice credits…

And that’s about all we have at this stage. iPhone version is also in works — when I searched for it in the AppStore I found some other ShoutOUT app, so I’m guessing it will hit iTunes in no time as Promptu’s website talks about it like it’s ready.

A must have for any Arsenal fan, the Arsenal Football Club App for iPhone and iPod Touch keeps you up-to-date with the latest goings on in ‘Gunner’ land. Read news, fixtures, player bios, watch highlights, check out injury news, and much more. You can even pull up image galleries from past games.

The app itself pulls content from the official website, so this app serves as a ‘bridge’ of sorts, connecting you to the site when you’re away from your computer’s web browser. However, you may like this app so much, it may be all you use to stay on top of all news and info on the Gunners.

Unfortunately the app isn’t free… You’ll need to throw down $4.99 in the App Store (iTunes link). Gotta pay those player salaries somehow, right?

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps just keeps getting better. Google recently rolled out the “Layer” feature for Google Maps on BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), Windows Mobile and Symbian S60, allowing users to overlay different types data on top of Google Maps – stuff like Wikipedia entries and your friends’ Google Latitude locations. Today, Google is launching a new NYC subway map layer that should help anyone in The Big Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) navigate the city’s maze of subways.

In addition to the step-by-step public transit directions that Google Maps has been serving up for a while, the new Google Maps NYC subway layer “will help you quickly navigate the New York City subway system.” You’ll need to update your Google Maps for Mobile app to the latest Layer-supported version before you can use the NYC subway layer. Once you’ve done that, “just click the Layers menu and then turn on the Transit Lines layer.”

We’d whine about not having a San Francisco public transit layer available for Google Maps, but public transportation in the SF Bay Area sucks compared to NYC, so it makes sense that NYC gets first dibs. Which is why we drive everywhere.

Google Maps NYC subway layer

[Via: PhoneScoop]

The post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Fallen Earth, has just announced an in-depth iPhone app that lets you take care of quite a bit of in-game business from your mobile. For those not familiar with the genre, MMOs are generally subscription-based computer games that take place wholly online with other players (either cooperatively or competitively, as the case may be). Players control characters in the shared game world to embark on missions, gather equipment, craft items, and a bunch of other stuff. If you’ve heard of World of Warcraft, then you know what an MMO is.

Anyway, Fallen Earth is working on an app that allows players to do a few things in-game without having to be at your computer, which is actually really handy since things keep happening in the game even when you’re not playing. Folks will be able to view character information similar to WoW’s Armory app for iPhone, but the real kicker will be talking to clan members, managing auction house sales, and crafting queues remotely; that’s changing the mobile app from an MMO companion reference to an actual part of the game, which I really like. To stay updated on the app’s progress and learn more about the game, hit up Fallen Earth.

[via Icarus]

The app that recently won a Webby Award Honoree for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Devices has made it’s way to Android. I’m talking about ‘TheStreet.com’ App, and it’s now available for those of you on your Android devices via m.thestreet.com or in the Android Market.

The app delivers up-to-the-minute market data, articles, commentary from the one and only Jim Cramer and much more. No matter if you’re a day trader, or just a casual investor, TheStreet.com app is a worthwhile addition to your app portfolio for sure.

The port to Android was a natural one, according to Kunal Gupta, CEO of the developers at Polar Mobile:

“The buzz around Android is undeniable…With Motorola (NYSE: MOT), Verizon (NYSE: VZ), Samsung, LG and other major players taking a significant bet, it is essential for Polar to extend our SMART Platform to support Android devices for our customers. The application market is heating up and we get that media brands need help getting their content out across multiple platforms.”

Again, you can check it out via m.thestreet.com or via the Android Market. TheStreet.com app is also available on BlackBerry and iPhone.

[Read]

Virgin Atlantic is joining the “iPhone game” with the iVersion of their popular “Flying Without Fear” course. The goal is to get some press love (you got our attention), while providing a good service for the community.

The application features a video introduction from the man himself, Sir Richard Branson, a video-based in-flight explanation from start to finish of a flight, FAQ, relaxation exercises and fear therapy, a fear attack button, and quick tips. In addition, there’s the “My Program” section where you can rate your personal fears and add future flights to prepare them for their next trip. Finally, as a bonus, you get 2,000 points when joining Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club.

And before I let you go, the airline wants you to know that they’ve recently helped Whoopi Goldberg overcome her 13-year-long fear of flying, and “they can do the same for you.”

Now the questions are: 1) Do you have an iPhone/iPod Touch? 2) Are you willing to pour out 5 bucks to overcome your fear? AppStore link is here.

I’m not sure I’m familiar with Intrinsyc Software, or at least I haven’t heard about them as a big player in the navigation market. To be fair, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a compelling offering, quite the contrary — if you’re competing with the likes of TomTom, Garmin and now even Google (NSDQ: GOOG), you better have something special, otherwise no one will notice. And since they are definitely smaller company (compared to the larger rivals) I’m giving them some space on IntoMobile.

Anyway, they have released Destinator 9 in the Android Market. The application — as I’m sure you can guess from my ramblings above — provides users with navigation services offering “most compelling user experience specifically designed for Android smartphones.” I haven’t tried it myself (waiting for the GSM Droid), but I’m hoping there’s some merit to their over-hyped press release.

NAVTEQ provided the maps for the software and in addition to standard navigation service features, the application also comes with rich visual content such as extended lane guidance, speed limits, current weather conditions and 2D building footprints. Users can navigate to any map location using the TapNGo feature by using a long press on any point on the map and then tapping “Go” for voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, “Call” for calling the local business, “Save” location, or “Add to Trip Planner”…

Interested? Look for Destinator 9 in the Android Market.

Just a quickie here for the TweetGenius users out there. I noticed a little earlier via Twitter that TweetGenius has been updated yet again, this time to version 1.1.2. A bunch of bug fixes and tweaks have been addressed… Of course, no detailed changelog was made available, but we’ll have to assume 1.1.2 is a marked improvement.

If you’re running TweetGenius on your BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), the upgrade is free, as all upgrades are a free-for-all until version 2.0. If you haven’t bought it yet, you can pick up your copy for $7.99.

Happy Twittering!

Note: While you’re at it, follow @IntoMobile, would ya?