Mobile Apple Me

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Macintosh / Apple Hardware, Originals

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for February 25, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• For those who manage their money on a Mac, Quicken Essentials for Mac is now available from Intuit Inc.  Built from the ground up with the look and feel Mac users expect from their products, QEM, as it’s known, provides a simple and easy way to handle the essentials of money management.
• For AppleTV users, there hasn’t been an easy way to get Boxee’s Beta loaded since they released it publicly at CES this year. They’re now reporting that a few users teamed up to resurrect the ATV-Usb creator and craft an updated solution specifically for the Boxee Beta. Even better; if you already have Boxee Alpha installed on your AppleTV, you should be able to just update Launcher and then update Boxee to install it, no new patchstick needed.
• iEntertainment Network has announced WarBirds’ Dogfights—the latest release in the successful WWII aerial combat WarBirds series. Single-player Dogfights presents player pilots with fast-flying combat contests across the embattled skies of Europe and the Pacific. Dogfights is filled with player choices. Players can choose among 100 historically accurate aircraft to battle an armada of incoming aircraft in thousands of unique combat mission combinations. With Dogfight’s dynamic game engine, no two air battles will ever be the same.!
• As Google prepared to open its Chrome Extensions Gallery in early December, iOpus Software was working behind the scenes, creating a virtual Swiss Army Knife for the streamlined browser: iMacros for Chrome. Now absolutely anyone can use this powerful, free software to automate the most common tasks performed within the Chrome browser. iMacros for Chrome is poised to become one of the top Chrome add-ons. For the past three years, iMacros has been wildly successful as a recommended add-on for the Firefox browser, with more than 4.7 million downloads and a growing gallery of scripts shared by end users.
• Algoriddim has announced djay 3.1, the latest version of its groundbreaking DJ software. The latest version of this next-generation music software for Mac provides improved Auto-BPM detection, Quantized Cue Points, extended Plug-and-Play support for MIDI Controllers, enhanced shortcuts for international keyboards, Auto-Saving, and other improvements to existing features.
• InfoLogic, Inc. has announced MathMagic Pro Edition 6.91, their award-winning professional level equation editing software for Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress for Mac OS X. With a focus on the equation quality and productivity for publishers, MathMagic Pro Editions come with InDesign Plug-ins and Quark XTensions to help InDesign & QuarkXPress users insert and edit math equations right inside their documents. Version 6.91 supports batch conversion of equations out of MS Word documents and more.
• iPresentee has extended the finest iWeb Intros collection to be used with Apple’s Web site building application. The iWeb Intros design uses short flash animations and sounds to give visitor a delightful first impression of the web site. iWeb Intros 3.0 adds five new welcome intros: Cityscape, Sunset, Highway, Nature and Factory. Each intro can stand alone as intro page for any website or can be incorporated into any iWeb template as a part of the page.
• ProteMac has announced ProteMac LoginTrap 1.0, a tool designed to prevent unauthorized usage of a Mac computer. ProteMac LoginTrap monitors all login events and detects whether a login attempt was successful or failed. After a login attempt was made the program captures an image from the iSight camera, so that you are able to see who is trying to break into your Mac. An alarm e-mail with iSight camera snapshot attached is sent immediately after a login attempt.
• The Escapers has announced Flux 2, an update to their flagship web design application for Mac OS X. Flux is an incredibly advanced WYSIWYG web design application, which uses drag and drop to create amazing websites, that aren’t just restricted to pre-set templates. The latest release of Flux 2 includes dedicated support for jQuery and MooTools. The Escapers have also produced a tutorial screencast on creating an animated menu using jQuery.
• ActyMac today announces ActyMac DutyWatch Remote 1.0 for Mac OS X, a distant computer monitoring application that can be used on iPhone/iPod touch. The program allows to monitor a specific computer or a group of computers within local network. A DutyWatch Remote user is able to check each employee’s activity and control their productivity at any time during the day, week or month even being far away from the office.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced File Courier 1.1.2, an update to its automatic digital delivery solution with emphasis on needs of graphics industry professionals. File Courier delivers files and folders to FTP and local destinations and sends automatic e-mail delivery notifications. The software can also create a lo-res version of PDF file, compress items and protect deliveries with password. The new update addresses some issues related to SMTP authentication.
• DEVONtechnologies, LLC has released the final, non-public-beta version 2.0 of all editions of its information manager DEVONthink as well as of the smart note-keeper DEVONnote. Version 2.0 of DEVONthink and DEVONnote brings an immense number of improvements over version 1.x and many enhancements over version 2.0 public beta. This release is the first of six major releases scheduled for 2010.
• Apparent Corporation has announced Barcode Producer 5.8, a minor update to its barcode generation software for Mac and PC. Built for graphic designers, Barcode Producer is Apparent’s award-winning, industry standard barcode creation suite for Mac OS X and Windows. Barcode Producer now offers support for ITF-14 barcodes as well as Light Margin Indicators for I2of5 barcodes.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced BatchOutput 3.6.4, a maintenance update to its popular professional solution to automate printing and exporting from Adobe InDesign. Developed originally for one of the largest Canadian ad agencies, BatchOutput offers output of multiple files as single pages, link auto-update, PDF preflighting, variable file names and other time-saving features. The new update addresses several issues related to PDF auto-preflighting.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• App Inspire, LLC, has released an all-in-one application for pet parents. This brand new, easy to use app is a directory of over 130,000 businesses catering to all aspects of pets and their care, as well as a source of user ratings and reviews. As animal lovers themselves, the developers are donating 5% of all profits to the American Humane Association.
• Onederr Inc. has released Social Fun Box 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users who want to liven up their Facebook and Twitter posts. The application offers seven very cool, fancy features that bring life to otherwise boring text updates. Users can add symbols, icons and emoticons, as well as share their location, photos and original drawings. Users can now replace their boring text notes with bright, noticeable posts.
• Apps For All, LLC has announced Caregiver Apps 1.0, its latest health care application for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Caregiver Apps provides peer-recommended healthcare apps from the App Store based on user feedback, and allow caregivers to take a more proactive approach to those that they care for. These apps focus on areas such as healthcare for the elderly, general health questions, medication reminders and tracking, health records, health news, illness tracking, and first aid.
• When you gotta go, you gotta know: Where to Wee is an iPhone and iPod touch appication that uses your exact location to recommend the nearest and cleanest restrooms. The App was launched this fall and already has over 60,000 worldwide washrooms in its database, with more being added every day by Where to Wee users.
• AllStays has released iExit 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users who travel on the interstate. iExit determines which direction a user is driving in then loads the upcoming exits, along with the user’s favorite places to stop. It offers an incredibly easy way of looking up interstate information, usually within ten seconds. Ideal for pinpointing rest and fuel stops, iExit has native GPS, mapping and offline use capabilities.
• California based Bowers Technologies, Inc. has announced that their best selling iPhone app, PrayerJournal, broke into the top 100 sales ranking on the iTunes store. As a result, they announced a discount sale on their most popular apps in celebration. iPastor is a valuable tool for pastors, ministers, missionaries, church staff, and even volunteers. TrackMyTime is a simple to use app that allows someone to accurately record time in order to better manage billable hours.
• Inner Ear Solutions has released iTinnitus Solutions 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users suffering from tinnitus. It is a comprehensive package for tracking tinnitus and sound therapy. Using validated sound therapy techniques applied to dynamic tinnitus tracking, iTinnitus Solutions can improve the degree of perceived tinnitus. It helps users pinpoint the frequencies of their tinnitus. Once done, the frequencies can be tracked on a graph and emailed to a specialist or insurance company.
• Lovett Apps has announced Love Taps 1.02 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Love Taps promises to help users navigate those squirmy, tenuous, first few weeks of a new relationship, and assists users in not screwing up the beginning of a new relationship by over-texting, calling, and/or facebook stalking a potential love interest. The application tells the user whether it’s okay to contact their love interest right then, or whether the user should wait a little while longer.
• Punflay has announced Rafter 1.3 for iPhone and iPod touch. Rafter is an engaging game with blocks and spheres which have to be dropped with precision to strike a mine. Spread over 21 plus 20 challenging levels, it tests the user’s attention and skills to strike the mine as the timer ticks. The game has the scores tied with the number of moves made. The Physics based iPhone App has received some great reviews from top iPhone reviewers.
• Stas Olekhnovich has released HereYouAre 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch. HereYouAre provides its users with an opportunity to share their locations using the latest Apple’s Push Notification technology. Once you know your friend’s username and codeword, you can add him to that list and ask him/her a simple digitally encoded question. There is no need to keep an application running, no need to use emails or SMS and open embedded Maps links.
• Super Happy Fun Fun has announced a free, lite version of their critically acclaimed Star*Burst game. See why the critics all agree that this is a truly unique and wonderfully addicting twist on the wildly popular puzzle genre. Designed by the original designer of Klax, Star*Burst’s rich heritage shines like the well-polished gem that it is. The Lite version features a sampling of the various levels and all of the quirky and beautiful collectible achievement cards as well as the ability to link to your Facebook account. Impress your friends that you have your priorities straight and know how to spend your leisure time.
• The Cleveland International Film Festival has announced the release of its free 34th Cleveland International Film Festival app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The free app allows film fans to browse all of the festival’s films by title, category, program, or day. Users can view film details, multiple images, and real-time, up-to-the-minute screening information as we as the trailer for this year’s festival.
• Art Beat Inc has announced NYArtBeat 1.0, their new cultural event finder app for iPhone and iPod touch devices. The new NYArtBeat application enables users to easily discover art and design events happening around them as they move through New York City. The Nearby Search feature helps users visit a series of nearby events in one outing. No need to plan museum and gallery visits from home anymore. The app gives instant access to more than 600 art and design events.
• Little Guy Games has announced an update that enables multiplayer via Bluetooth for their debut title Battle Blasters, a futuristic, 1-on-1 fighting game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The most-requested feature from fans and players allows fighters to have maximum control over the battle as they swipe, flick and tap their opponents to death. Also announced today is the release of a free demo for Battle Blasters, available now in the App Store.
• Opetopic has just reduced the price and released a huge update for IsoWords, the first word search game on a three dimensional cube! While IsoWords pays homage to many of the basic principles of the word search genre, Opetopic has made it their big, hairy, audacious goal to quite literally add some dimensions of their own (pun intended!). With additions like global leaderboards, 3 local multiplayer modes, and daily challenges, Opetopic is celebrating the update by bringing the price of IsoWords to $0.99 for a limited time on the iTunes App Store.
• You’ll need more than a bright idea and great code to compete in today’s App Store arena. The Business of iPhone App Development by Dave Woolridge and Michael Schneider shows you how to incorporate marketing and business saavy into the iPhone App development process, giving you the extra insight you need to set your app apart from the six-figure crowd.
• En Masse LLC has announced Skeemo, a addictive game for all puzzle lovers. In Skeemo, you have to make horizontal, vertical or diagonal rows of the same color by dragging pieces across the board and get points and power ups.
• Handmark has introduced Power Line Mobile, a novel application enabling readers to carry “the best of the conservative web” in their pockets. Named TIME magazine’s first-ever “Blog of the Year,” describing it as “a certain Ping-Pong, finish-each-other’s-sentences conversational chemistry” merrily covering the politics and culture of the day, is read from the halls of Congress to the newsrooms of New York to offices around the world. The site attracts more than three million readers per month. The new mobile application provides users with an instant, real-time access to Power Line content, as well as special connections to other conservative commentators. Readers can download the Power Line Mobile app, inviting their favorite writers into their lives, incorporating the ‘steam’ of news and thought into the everyday.
• Aha Radio has announced a new free iPhone App: Aha Radio. Aha Radio answers drivers’ important questions, such as “what is traffic like up ahead?” and entertains them with everything from Facebook updates to their favorite podcasts. With Aha Radio, the things you want to know while driving are read aloud and organized like pre-set radio stations, letting you listen in while keeping your eyes on the road. Aha Radio is the first iPhone App that creates on-demand audio stations based on your preferences, location and driving direction. The app is now available for free in the iTunes store.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Reviews

Category: Arcade action
Seller: The Code Monkeys
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 8.0MB
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Price: $0.99
Age Rating: 4+

Here’s a game where you throw bananas at monkeys. The monkeys are on pedestals high above the jungle floor, or a body of water, or lava. I guess it’s not terribly important. What’s important is that there are monkeys throwing bananas at each other.

Is that enough to make a game entertaining? I suppose that depends upon how you feel about dodgeball. That’s pretty much what Manic Monkey Mayhem is, after all, although you’re on platforms like Discs of Tron. And you’re a monkey. Throwing bananas. But I think I’ve covered that.

The action is quite simple to grasp, but it takes the ability to multitask to really get good. You throw your bananas by swiping forward. You select your monkey target by swiping left and right. You dodge enemy bananas by tilting the phone.

The game becomes more complicated when you factor in distance. You can’t just swipe up and expect to hit the targeted monkey; you have to gauge his distance and swipe when the strength meter is at the right spot. It’s fairly forgiving, so you should quickly be able to learn when to make your attack. But looking at the gauge means you’re not looking at your opponents and any projectiles coming your way.

This is all fairly easy to do when you’ve just got one thing going on. Combine them, and it’s…well, manic. Some would even say it’s mayhem. And of course, things get harder. Power-ups appear in boxes you can smash open, but whether they help or just confuse the issue will depend upon how good you are at controlling the game.

But that won’t factor into my review. I never felt comfortable with the control scheme, but that’s not the scheme’s fault. For the most part, everything works as it should. The side swipes for aiming sometimes wouldn’t register, but throwing/catching wasn’t a problem, and the accelerometer was quite responsive (just make sure you calibrate before each game).

What will factor into the review is that there really just isn’t a whole lot to do here. There are multiple game modes to play, but they’re just variations on the theme (team battles, pass the bomb, etc.). The levels change up a bit as you progress, but not in a way that’ll keep you hooked.

The graphics are jagged, but colorful and attractive. The music is appropriate. The game is stable. Manic Monkey Mayhem is certainly worth 99 cents. But it’s not a game that’ll keep you up past your bedtime. Rather, it’s fun in short bursts. Play a couple rounds while waiting for something else to happen, then pick it up again later.

Of course, that’s the way it is with most iPhone games. Manic Monkey Mayhem is also available on WiiWare, and I’d like to try it out there at some point so I can see if the better Wii controls enhance the feel of the game. Until then, the iPhone version will have to suffice for my monkey banana slinging action.

Until I find an adult dodgeball league, anyway.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Accessories, Reviews

Provides: iPhone cradle with enhanced GPS reception
Developer: Magellan
Minimum Requirements: iPhone or iPod touch (2nd Generation or above) with Magellan RoadMate app
Price: $129.99
Availability: Now

If the accuracy (or lack thereof) of the iPhone’s built-in GPS receiver isn’t cutting it for you, you have basically two options to improve it; TomTom or Magellan.  Both function nearly identically. The main difference is that there’s only one Magellan version from which to pick for both iPhone and iPod touch. But how does it compare to TomTom’s car kit?

I think the first thing I should discuss is why you might need a GPS enhancing car cradle. Obviously, you need something to hold your iPhone in the car if you plan to use it as a GPS navigation device. You could just get a standard car cradle, like the ones from Kensington or JustMobile. This would work just fine, but you might notice your position in an app like TomTom or Navigon tends to jump around from time to time. That’s because the iPhone doesn’t have the world’s best GPS receiver built in. It works fine most of the time, but it tends to fail when you really need it.

That’s where a GPS enhancing car kit comes in. It has a much more powerful GPS reciever built in, which amplifies GPS signals and passes them off to the iPhone. This should enhance GPS reception on all navigation apps, not just the maker’s app since it amplifies GPS signals instead of directly providing them to the iPhone. The iPod touch is another story. This actually needs a GPS receiver in it, so this needs to happen through the dock connection.

You might also enjoy the extra features provided by some of these cradles; features like a powered speaker so you can actually hear the directions, a speakerphone so you can talk on the phone without holding anything, and device charging since the iPhone’s battery drains like an open milk jug turned upside down when using GPS. Will a standard cradle work? Yes, but you paid for an iPhone, i’s monthly cell phone bill and a navigation app. Let’s face it, you like spending money. So let’s get to this review already…

You might be familiar with TomTom’s car kit from my review.  I found it to be a very nice unit since it has all the necessary features that a car kit can and should have.  It holds the iPhone effectively, it amplifies your iPhone’s audio with a powered speaker, enhances your GPS reception, charges the iPhone and even functions as a handsfree speakerphone.  Funny, that’s the exact feature set of Magellan’s Premium Car Kit.  That’s not to say that there aren’t differences though, because there certainly are.

First off, and most obviously, these use different apps.  Both kits will enhance GPS reception of the iPhone using any app, but for an iPod touch, you’re locked in.  TomTom’s car kit only works with the TomTom app and Magellan’s car kit only works with the Magellan app.  This is to be expected, and as I suggest in my reviews of the TomTom app and Magellan RoadMate app, you might just decide to buy into TomTom products.  Why?  Well, currently, TomTom has more features built in and on the way for their app.  Things like lane assistance.  I sat down with TomTom back in January at CES, and it seems as if they were very tuned in to what consumers want to see in their app.  Hopefully, this means they’ll continue to update it with features such as real time traffic data.  Magellan, on the other hand, just doesn’t have the features that their competition does.  There’s no lane assistance and no traffic data, with no announcements of any of these or other enhancements planned as of this writing.  That’s two points down.

Secondly, Magellan only has one car cradle for both the iPhone and iPod touch.  TomTom doesn’t include Bluetooth functionality with their iPod touch cradle since they assume you won’t be making any calls with it, which is reasonable.  Magellan would rather have just one kit, and I actually like this approach much better.  Just because you have an iPod touch now doesn’t mean you will never have an iPhone.  Or, what if you have an iPhone and another family member has an iPod touch?  Tough crap if you have the TomTom kit.

Magellan’s decision to support both devices with one unit is immediately apparent when you look at the cradle.  The top portion allows for height adjustments in order to support numerous devices.  This is great for iPhones in cases, and should also be safe when Apple changes the dimensions of a future iPhone, so that’s great.  What’s annoying is that the cradle also needs you to adjust a spacer on the back side since the iPhone is much fatter than its anorexic brother (also to support for iDevices in cases).  Getting your iDevice in and out of the cradle could be easier, but it’s not bad.  The iDevice is connected with the dock connector first, and then pivoted backwards into the cradle.  But once it’s in, it stays put pretty well.

The cradle attaches to your windshield with a suction cup.  Nothing surprising there.  The arm is very adjustable, and it pivots in 90 degree increments.  The only thing stopping you from spinning it around forever is the power cable.  This makes the whole show run by powering the speaker, the mic and keeping your iDevice charged.  Actually, if you just want to use the cradle as an expensive Bluetooth speakerphone, you can do this since your iPhone doesn’t need to be plugged in at all.

The speaker is definitely loud enough. You’ll be able to use the Magellan app and listen to music (through your car stereo) at the same time without worrying about not hearing directions.  Or, even better, use the line out to let your iPhone control nearly every aspect of your in car experience.  The speakerphone works pretty nicely as well.  It’s still a speakerphone, so you’ll have to speak up a bit, but it is noise canceling and definitely works better than some I’ve tried.  Plus, this is way safer than holding your iPhone to your head while you’re driving.

Now I should probably clarify one thing once again just to make sure.  Magellan advertises that this cradle works with most GPS navigation apps.  But to really get the full functionality of this cradle with an iPod touch, you’ll need the Magellan RoadMate app since it won’t pass a GPS signal to the iPod touch (2nd gen) without some code.  If you have an iPhone, this whole clarification is unnecessary because the GPS enhancement for the iPhone works for all navigation apps since it is merely enhancing the GPS signal, not completely providing it.

Overall, I really like the Magellan car kit.  It works just as well as the TomTom kit and is comparatively priced. Actually, I think this cradle is more worthwhile since it’s more flexible in what devices it supports, which always makes me happy. Even if you don’t have the RoadMate app, you might opt to buy the Magellan kit for its charger, speaker, speakerphone and enhanced GPS reception for the iPhone on any other app (yes, even Navigon).  Really the only gripe I have with the kit is that you need to have the Magellan app to make any use of it with an iPod touch. Magellan has a great piece of hardware here, all that’s left is to play feature catch up with TomTom and Navigon with their app.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Mac Software, Originals

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for February 24, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• Recosoft Corporation has started shipping PDF2Office Personal v5.0 for Macintosh. PDF2Office Personal v5.0 contains over 60+ new features and enhancements. A major new feature of PDF2Office Personal v5.0 for Macintosh is the ability to convert PDF documents directly to the native Microsoft Word 2007/2008 format. Additionally, PDF2Office Personal v5.0 has been enhanced to be fully compliant with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• Defend hotties from a motley crew of nerds while making love connections. Hottie Hookups is a whole new kind of time management game for the iPhone & iPod touch created by the designer and programmer behind the #1 iPhone game Sally’s Spa. Draw lines to connect hotties dancing on a variety of trendy dance floors. Once you’ve hooked up the hotties, defend them from a variety of nerds by flicking, tilting, or shaking them off. After the hotties have had enough time to groove together, send them away in a taxi to continue the party!
• Small Wonders S.L. has made their fascinatingly odd and original, linear strategy game for the iPhone and iPod touch even better. With OpenFeint leaderboard and achievement integration, as well as an improved AI and harder difficulty levels, Small Wonders has added some of the most requested features to Battle of Puppets. Also, in celebration of the update, and as a thank you to all its dedicated fans, Battle of Puppets is now only $.99 for the next week in the iTunes App Store! Promo codes are available to press upon request.
• Penpower Inc. has launched their newest contact management tool for the iPhone and iPod touch called WorldCard Contacts. Worldcard Contacts is designed to replace the existing contacts manager in the devices, and adds new features specially designed for business users.
• Let Car Control enchant you with its 1950s charm. With its latest freemium title, HandyGames brings the Rock’n'Roll and lifestyle of the fifties to your iPhone and iPod touch. Traffic chaos will ensue all over the city unless you take action. Cars of different color have to reach their designated targets by using a complex street network. In order to guide them there, you have to switch road junctions to the correct position. It’s the only way to avoid crashes, to clear traffic jams and to make sure that everyone has a save trip. The faster you guide all cars to the exits—and the fewer errors you make—the more points you will receive at the end of the level.
• WaKi Apps—in collaboration with Travel Medicine Specialist Dr Deborah Mills—have released their new iPhone app Travel Health, the only comprehensive guide on the iTunes App Store specifically designed to help travelers look after their health whilst overseas. The app is available for free to download in the next 2 days before the price is set to $9.99.
• For over 120 years, Gela Skins’ newest collaborator has earned itself the honour of being one of the most recognized and highly regarded scientific and educational institutions on the planet. Their photography of the natural world is the industry standard and second to none. Really, when it comes to this universe of ours, they’ve got it covered. That’s why Gela Sins is excited to announce the National Geographic Society as their latest addition. Simply beautiful.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »