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.
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
Previously leaked image of a rumored 2.8-inch iPhone touch panel
AT&T (NYSE: T)’s iPhone exclusivity deal, by most accounts, will come to an end in mid-2010. When that happens, iPhone fans hesitant to leave Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s network might finally have a chance to put a Verizon iPhone in their pockets. In fact, according to a new report from OTR Global proves accurate, the iPhone might very well hit the Verizon Wireless network in the third quarter of 2010.
Word on the street has Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) putting in orders to build a batch of iPhones equipped with a new hybrid UMTS/CDMA chip capable of surfing Verizon’s CDMA network as well as the 3G UMTS networks already used by carriers like AT&T. Apple is said to have tapped Asustek subsidiary Pegatron to manufacture the new iPhone, rather than current iPhone manufacturer Hon Hai.
There’s also talk of the hybrid iPhone sporting a smaller 2.8-inch touchscreen. We’d previously seen leak photos showing the 2.8-inch touchscreen panel sitting next to the 3.5-inch panel used on all current iPhone iterations, but we’ve yet to see a smaller-screened iPhone come out of Apple’s R&D labs. Will the rumored hybrid iPhone be the first to hit market with a smaller touchscreen?
At this point, nothing is confirmed. But, with a little luck, we might see Verizon picking up the iPhone in the second half of next year. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects AT&T’s business next year.
The question is – will the prospect of a Verizon iPhone keep you from pulling the trigger on another AT&T iPhone or Verizon’s Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid?
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.
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.
The cat-and-mouse game between Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and would-be iPhone hackers is about to get a little more interesting. Following the recent release of “blacksn0w,” an iPhone unlocking tool capable of unlocking new iPhone 3GS’s running the latest iPhone OS, Apple has posted a new job listing for an “iPhone OS Platform Security Manager.” Apple is apparently looking for someone to head the development team tasked with securing iPhone boot-up and operating system installation as well as other aspects of iPhone platform security.
We’re not sure if Apple is looking for someone new to fill the position, or if Apple wants to replace the current iPhone OS Platform Security Manager. In either case, it’s pretty clear that the iPhone maker wants to make sure that hackers like George “geohot” Hotz and the iPhone Dev Team aren’t able to keep cracking the iPhone.
The back-and-forth between hackers and Apple is an ongoing saga juicier than your daily soap operas. The iPhone and iPhone 3G were initially jailbroken (the process of opening the file-system to allow unauthorized application installs) and unlocked to work with any GSM network, courtesy of the iPhone Dev Team. Apple then updated the iPhone OS to close the jailbreak exploit known as “24kpwn,” eventually updating the baseband firmware (the code that controls how the iPhone connects to wireless networks like AT&T (NYSE: T) and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT)) from version 04.26 to 05.11 to prevent unlocking. iPhone hacker geohot countered with his “blackra1n” jailbreak utility, following that up with the release of “blacksn0w” to unlock the latest iPhone 3GS baseband (05.11) to work with GSM networks around the world.
That pretty much brings us up to speed (in a nutshell, from a very small nut). The iPhone platform is, at this point, jailbroken and unlocked. Now it’s Apple’s turn.
It’s conceivable that Apple’s incoming iPhone security manager will put an end to baseband 05.11 unlocks, but it’s hard to see Apple ever locking down the iPhone completely. Still, if you’re interested in jailbreaking and unlocking your iPhone, you’re best bet is to jump on board soon.
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.
Chalk this one up as a highly suspicious piece of information, but Einar Rosenberg, who is in charge of the Near Field Communications group on LinkedIn, a social network no one really uses anymore except those trying to find a higher paying job and to show off which fancy schools or companies they’ve worked for, is saying that a highly reputable source has told him that there are 4th generation iPhone prototypes floating around with a built in RFID reader:
Had to share this news. A highly reliable source has informed me that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built in and they have seen it in action. So its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery and I’m told that the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone.
If Apple does it, expect every phone manufacturer and their sister to begin pumping out NFC enabled phones, at least for service discovery and sync.
This just reinforces what we knew based on the two separate patents Apple submitted that had the iPhone enabled to read RFID tags. I’m told that the touch project video and the BT SIG’s specs were all driving forces to push this forward as well as other factors.
Guess I’ll be touching my iPhone to my Mac to link them together to sync iTunes by next year.
This is ballsy, and if it does happen … well then you’re looking at the start of something big. Apple was the one who pushed the rest of the handset makers to start making touch screen devices en masse, so if the 4th generation iPhone due to come out some time in 2010 comes with RFID then you can expect everyone else to follow.
iPhone + RFID + all those devices connected to an iTunes account = wicked awesome.
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.
Here’s one for hard-core back-from-the-days Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) dans – the Apple II classic text adventure Transylvania has been ported to iPhone!
Those not familiar with the game should check out a dedicated Wikipedia page for all the details. I’ll only point out key facts about the iPhone version:
The game was remade in collaboration with Antonio Antiochia, the original author of Transylvania!
Gameplay has been updated and you don’t have to text input commands. Using the magic of touch is enough, but if you’re so nostalgic that options still exists.
The graphics has been updated, which is kinda expected.
The price is 99 cents which is like nothing for the experience of time travelling.
Want to listen to police or emergency vehicle radio? Yeah, there’s an app for that. It’s called ‘Scanner 911′, and with it you can listen in on the likes of the LAPD, NYPD, and all sorts of other EMS radio channels from around the US and Canada. But not only can you listen to live radio, you can record live broadcasts to give them a listen later on (not sure how I feel about that feature…) There’s also a list of the 50 most active channels, and the developers are always adding new channels all the time. Rest assured, each time you pop this one open and give it a listen, something new and exciting will come of it (ok, maybe not ALL the time).
The cat-and-mouse game between Apple (
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