November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Best iPhone & iPod touch apps

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 9:24 pm

Categories: App Store, Holiday Gift Guide, iPhone, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, Twitter Inc., Video, Road Trip, Apple iPod Touch, App, Smart Phones, Corporate Communications, Consumer Electronics

It’s that time of the year again! It’s hard to believe, but this time last year, we only had 5,000 apps to choose from in the App Store – this year there’s more than 85,000 apps to choose from. What a difference a year makes. Whether you’re looking for an app for yourself or to give to the iPhone or iPod touch user on your list, look no further.

I’ve got a couple of recommendations that will help you keep up with Twitter friends, store all your passwords, be more fuel efficient, count calorie and have a little fun in the process! Can’t decide? That’s ok too, you always give your special someone an iTunes gift certificate, they’re great for apps and music.

TweetDeck for iPhone

TweetDeck is best Twitter client on the desktop, so it’s not surprising that it’s also the best Twitter client on the iPhone (App Store, free) and iPod touch.

It features multiple accounts, growl notifications and a unique column interface that allows you quickly swipe between all friends, mentions, direct messages and saved searches – or any combination thereof. You can even sync your column preferences between the desktop and iPhone apps. TweetDeck for iPhone could use a better trends interface, but it’s other

Although there are literally hundreds of Twitter clients on the App Store, TweetDeck is still the top dog. (Don’t agree? Tweet me your pick @JasonOGrady)

[Vendor site] [App Store]

Bonus pick: Boxcar is a free app that displays a push notification any time someone mentions you or sends you a DM, and it works for Twitter and Facebook.

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September 10th, 2009

Jobs responds to iPod touch camera snub

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 9:32 am

Categories: Camera, iPod nano, iPod touch

Tags: Job, Apple iPod, Video, Apple iPod Touch, Corporate Communications, Digital Music, Digital Media, Marketing, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics

In a curious omission, Apple neglected to include a video camera in the third-generation iPod touch announced yesterday. It’s curious because the video camera from the iPhone 3GS successfully made the jump to the new fifth-generation iPod nano — leapfrogging the iPod touch in the process.

Phil Schiller mentioned in his onstage presentation: that Apple is really pitching the iPod Touch as a game machine these days. And to do that, you have to make it as inexpensive as possible.

In an interview with The New York Times’ David Pogue, Apple CEO Steve Jobs answered the question about the missing camera in the iPod touch, responding:

“Originally, we weren’t exactly sure how to market the Touch. Was it an iPhone without the phone? Was it a pocket computer? What happened was, what customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine,” he said. “We started to market it that way, and it just took off. And now what we really see is it’s the lowest-cost way to the App Store, and that’s the big draw. So what we were focused on is just reducing the price to $199. We don’t need to add new stuff. We need to get the price down where everyone can afford it.”

So he’s pitching the iPod touch’s lack of video as a cost-savings measure, which is kind of a weak argument in my opinion. How many users, if given a $10 or $20 option, would pay a little more for the ability to record video? I’d hazard a guess that most would do it.

The more unusual thing is the iPod nano’s ability to shoot video, but not still photos. When asked about this, Jobs noted that its a technical tradeoff with the still camera hardware’s thicker profile.

That reason, he said, is technical: the sensors you need to record video are extremely thin these days—thin enough to fit into the wafer-thin Nano. But the ones with enough resolution for stills, especially with autofocus (like the sensor in the iPhone), are much too thick to cram into a player that’s only .02 inches thick.

In the interview Jobs also talks about e-book readers and how he’s trying to put on weight. It’s a good read.

Photo: NYT

September 9th, 2009

Apple announces new iPods and iTunes 9

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 12:35 pm

Categories: Announcement, Apple, iPod, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod touch, iTunes

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, Apple Inc., Apple iTunes, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Jason D. O'Grady

Apple today announced new iPod touches, iPod nanos and a major revision to iTunes.

The third-generation iPod touch gets the faster processor and improved 3D hardware of the iPhone 3GS. Dubbed the “most affordable gateway to the App Store” the new 8GB touch drops from $229 to $199. But the high capacity versions $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB) now have the ability to run OpenGL|ES 2.0 (like the iPhone 3GS.)

The fifth-generation iPod nano gets a video camera, speaker, FM radio, Genius Mixes, pedometer for Nike+, larger display and glossy colors. Prices are $149 (8GB) and $179 (16GB).

Not to be left out, the iPod shuffle got five colors and a price drop to $59 (2GB), $79 (4GB).

iTunes 9 is a major upgrade to Apple’s jukebox software, adding iPhone app organization, Genius Mixes, expanded media syncing options, Home Sharing and iPhone app organization. According to MacRumors:

Home Sharing allows iTunes media to be copied and shared among 5 authorized computers in the same household, with settings available to make copying new purchases automatically. All authorized computers are visible in iTunes in the Shared category in the Source list.

iPhone app organization feature that was previously rumored. Replicas of the home screen pages of a connected iPhone appear within the Applications tab where apps can be selected for syncing and removal and dragged and dropped to appear on the desired home screen page.

Here are the press releases:

• Apple Premieres iTunes 9
• Apple Introduces New iPod nano With Built-in Video Camera
• Apple Introduces New iPod touch Lineup
• Apple’s iPod shuffle Now Starts at Just $59

Which (if any) are you purchasing?

September 8th, 2009

iPod touch camera modules failing?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 1:00 am

Categories: Camera, Rumor, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPod, Apple iPod Touch, Camera, Camera Module, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Jason D. O'Grady

File this one squarely under “R” for rumor, but both AppleInsider and HardMac are reporting that a production problem with the new camera module could impact the first shipments of the brand-new third generation iPod touches to arrive stateside.

HardMac reports:

According to one of our reliable source (however, it remains a rumor), Apple is facing problems with the production of the new iPod Touch. The issue would be linked to the new camera module. We did not get any further details, but the problem has been spotted in the first dozen of thousands units produced. Those units have been put aside.

Sources tell both sites that camera modules have been failing on the first units to arrive in the U.S. and that they are unsure whether the first batch of devices would make it past quality control and into the market.

It remains unclear how a delay like this would impact Wednesday’s “It’s only rock and roll” iPod event, but depending on severity, it could result in anything from a minor shipping delay to Apple bumping the camera-related iPods from the event altogether.

August 28th, 2009

Facebook 3.0 for iPhone released and reviewed

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 9:33 am

Categories: App Store, Facebook, iPhone, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPhone, Facebook, Apple Inc., Friend, Photograph, Jason D. O'Grady

As expected, Apple last night approved the highly anticipated Facebook 3 app for the iPhone and iPod touch – 11 days after it was submitted for approval. If you have a previous version installed you’ll get an update notification when you tap the Updates button. The newest version of the popular app adds several new features, including:

- Landscape mode
- See your upcoming Events and RSVP
- See your friends’ birthdays
- See Pages and post updates and photos to Pages you administer
- Write Notes and read your friends’ Notes
- Upload videos from an iPhone 3GS
- Upload photos to any album
- Complete photo management (create albums, delete albums, delete photos, delete photo tags)
- Change your Profile Picture
- Zoom into photos
- Like posts and photos
- See the same News Feed as the Facebook website
- Visit links in a built-in web browser
- See all of your friends’ friends and Pages
- See mutual friends
- Easily search for people and Pages
- Make friend requests
- Become a fan of Pages
- Quickly call or text your friends
- Create shortcuts to your favorite friends and Pages
- Friends sorted by first or last name according to your settings
- Chat friends sorted alphabetically

(emphasis mine)

TechCrunch has posted a review of the Facebook 3 app saying it may be the most useful app on the iPhone yet. Hewitt notes in a Facebook post that the one feature everyone is asking for, Push Notifications, didn’t make it into 3.0 but that we can expect it in a 3.1 update “later this summer.”

Developer Joe Hewitt has been a vocal critic of Apple’s app review process taking issue with Apple’s guilty until proved innocent approach to dealing with developers, saying “They don’t trust us, and I resent that, because the vast majority of us are trustworthy.” Hewitt proposed a radical change to the approval process, calling for Apple to remove it altogether.

The Facebook app is currently rated 4+ on the App Store.

August 17th, 2009

Leaked iPod touch 3G photos?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 11:20 am

Categories: Leak, Rumor, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPod, Apple iPod Touch, Photograph, Digital Music, Digital Media, 3G, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Cellular Phones, Jason D. O'Grady

Don’t you love the run up to an Apple announcement?

As Apple goes into quiet mode in advance of a an event (like the rumored music event on September 8) the rumor mill goes into high gear and pictures of new hardware begin to leak out.

As with anything not officially announced by Apple, the following images of the purported third-generation iPod touch should be viewed through a skeptical lens. That being said, the images of the alleged successor to the iPod touch appear to confirm the existence of a rear-mounted camera on the new model.

The images appeared on the on-air blog of Sirius radio’s Covino & Rich.

The rear-facing camera on the alleged 3G iPod touch.

Two more photos after the jump…

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August 13th, 2009

Apple music/iPod event rumored for September

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:29 pm

Categories: Rumor, Tablet, iPod touch, iTunes

Tags: Apple iPod, Event, Apple Inc., Apple iTunes, Loop, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Jason D. O'Grady

MediaMemo citing “music industry sources” reports that Apple is planning a keynote event for the week of September 7th. Apple has held similar events in September for the past four years, so it isn’t much of a surprise.

MacRumors breaks it down:

2008: Apple held a “Let’s Rock” event to introduce iTunes 8 and new iPod touch, nano, and shuffle models.

2007: Apple held a “The Beat Goes On” event introducing the original iPod touch alongside updates to the remainder of the iPod line, an iTunes 7.4 update, and iPhone price drops.

2006: Apple offered the “It’s Showtime” event introducing iTunes 7 and iPod updates, as well as a sneak peak at the “iTV” that launched several months later as the Apple TV.

2005: Apple’s “Here We Go Again” event introduced the Motorola ROKR mobile phone with iTunes support alongside the release of iTunes 5 and saw the introduction of the original iPod nano to replace the iPod mini.

If true, Apple’s event will most likely happen on Tuesday, September 8 as it prefers to make announcement on Tuesday so that they don’t get lost in the Monday new glut.

Based on Apple’s track record it’s pretty easy to deduce that the fifth anniversary event will probably be similar to years past: a music-oriented keynote announcing new iPods and possibly a new version of iTunes.

Some of the things that we could see on September 8 include:

• iPod nano 5G with camera
• iPod touch 3G with camera
• iTunes 9 (cocktail, subscriptions?, better Radio implementation?)

If you were waiting for the fabled iPad, don’t hold your breath.

The Loop cites “very reliable sources” that Apple’s much-anticipated tablet computer will not be introduced at Apple’s September keynote event. It’s sources agree with other reports pointing to an early 2010 launch for the new device.

What do you think Apple will announce at the September event?

August 13th, 2009

Conversion has never been so much fun

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 10:13 pm

Categories: iPhone 3.0, iPod touch

Tags: Fun, App, Tapbots, Robots, E-books, Smart Phones, Emerging Technologies, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, David Morgenstern

Some software programs have a certain “wow” factor. They are so much fun and so stylish that they can showcase the hardware platform. Who would think that an unit conversion utility could sell the iPhone/iPod Touch?

Tapbots’ Convertbot is from the collaboration of interface designer Mark Jardine and programmer Paul Haddad. They call their applications “utility robots” that aim to be “easy to use, focused, and lots of fun.”

Certainly, Convertbot takes unit conversion to a new height. It moves from a virtual, animated click-wheel interface to a keypad. Little icons move about, appearing to slide in and out of the sides of the screen. Amazing.

There are lots of little niceties in the app, such as the automatic updating of currency exchange rates (according to the company blog, users of the forthcoming Version 1.4 will be able to turn this feature off).

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August 12th, 2009

Apple shoots TV commercial for mystery product in 40s diner

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 11:46 am

Categories: Rumor, iPod, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPod, Apple Inc., TVs, Digital Music, Tv & Home Theater, Tablets, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment, Hardware

According to a post on 9-to-5 Mac Apple shot a television commercial for an “unannounced product” yesterday at a 1940’s style diner called Jax on the Tracks in Truckee, California. Restaurant owner Bud Haley told the Sierra Sun “Apple found us, they’re trying to show us as a hip and cool spot for the 20-something crowd.”

The product featured in the new ad is still a mystery but the consensus is that it’s most likely a new iPod (possibly the 4G iPod touch) as opposed to something like the rumored Apple tablet (a.k.a. iPad).

August 10th, 2009

Apple App Store to be bigger than Wal-mart?

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 11:29 pm

Categories: Analyst, Android, Android Market, Blackberry, Kindle, iPhone 3.0, iPhone Killer, iPhone OS 3.0, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPhone, Developer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Mobile, Apple Inc., Flurry Inc., E-books, Smart Phones, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics

A developer of mobile application deployment and analytic tools says project starts for the iPhone show no sign of slowing. According to its figures, Apple’s App Store could have more than 100K titles by the end of the year, putting it into Wal-Mart territory.

The data comes from a post in Flurry Inc.’s blog by Peter Farago, the company’s vice president of marketing. Flurry makes a platform of analytics, deployment and monetization tools for mobile developers. The company said that Flurry Analytics is often integrated early into the development cycle, perhaps 6 months before the app ships.

Farago compared its New Project Starts statistic to new starts in the real estate market. He said it provides a reliable indicator for the strength of the application pipeline heading to market.

… Specifically, it measures 3rd party developer support for the App Store, a key to Apple’s iPhone strategy, and support which has been increasingly sought after by companies like Google, RIM and Palm.

Over the last six months, the number of available applications in the App Store has more than doubled, from 25,000 applications in January to over 65,000 in July, which equates to 14% month-over-month growth. Flurry’s month-over-month rate for New Project Starts has been holding steady at 30% for the last several months. Assuming that roughly half of those new project starts are for new applications, the pipeline to the App Store shows no signs of slowing.

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