Archive for the "iPhone" Category

Yesterday, Josh Williams of Gowalla posted about 2 new features in Gowalla: Trips and Bookmarks.

Custom trips have been talked about by many on Gowalla’s GetSatifaction.com forum and now they’re available, but their creation is only available from the web site. You can access near by trips from the app so you can do them. You can create as many as 5 trips, each including up to 20 spots. Not bad. More improvements to that will be coming also in the future. You can also create bookmarks now for your favorite spots, from the web site and from the app.

Gowalla Logo

Here’s the blog post:

Today we’re thrilled to announce the launch of two new features: Trips and Bookmarks. Let’s talk about Trips first.

Until today, all Trips in Gowalla have been curated by the team at Gowalla with a little help from select friends. But our goal has always been that you would help us create these trips. And today you can. Simply login to your Gowalla account on the web, visit a spot page, then click the Add to Trip button. You’ll be able to name your trip, give it a description, add up to 20 spots of your choosing, then publish it to Gowalla. Your published trips will be viewable in the Gowalla app by your friends.

Here’s where it gets fun: We’ll be looking for unique and exciting trips created by our community to feature in Gowalla. Featured trips will be promoted based on the quality and relevancy of the trip, the number of people who have completed the trip, and will be given their own custom pin artwork that will be rewarded to those who have completed the trip.

As of today, you can create as many as 5 trips, each including up to 20 spots. As we improve the feature we’ll allow you to create more trips, order their lists of spots, and categorize them into logical groups like Pub Crawls, Nature Hikes, and the like. Also, for now, you may only complete featured trips and trips created by your friends. This is just the first step in making trips a truly key part of Gowalla’s future. We have lots more to do.

Today you can view nearby, featured and friend-created trips in Gowalla 1.4 on your iPhone by tapping the Browse button in the upper-left of the Trips tab. Our forthcoming Android and WebOS clients currently in development will also support this feature.

I’d also like to tell you a bit about bookmarks as well. Now when you visit any spot page at Gowalla.com you can bookmark that spot. You’ll be able to find all your bookmarks in Gowalla for iPhone by tapping Browse on the Spots tab. This simple feature makes it easy to find your way back to a favorite spot. Soon you’ll be able to add bookmarks from your mobile device as well.

Today’s release of Trips and Bookmarks to our community is simply a first step. There is a lot of depth here to be explored. We’re excited to hear your feedback as we continue to improve these, and other, features. Thanks for going out with Gowalla!

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EA Mobile has released their second iPhone game in the SPORE universe today, SPORE Creatures. It starts off where SPORE Origins left off. You come out of the prehistoric water onto land where you need to continue to evolve to survive.

SPORE Creatures Icon

You can customize your SPORE Creature with over 45 unique body parts like legs, mouths, shells, and wings, plus different skins, shapes, and colors. EA Mobile says there’s over a billion possible combinations within the SPORE Creature Creator. Plus there are 20 levels across 4 different sprawling zones: Sandy Shores, Barren Desert, Dark Forest, and Icy Mountains. You will need to avoid snapping, carnivours plants, shooting urchins and more while trying to solve puzzles to complete each level. And like SPORE Origins, you will need to collect DNA to evolve. There are 5 abilities to max out to build your survival skill-set.

You can get SPORE Creatures at the App Store for $6.99.

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In a statement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that “the products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about.”

Apple sells 8.7 million iPhones during fiscal Q1 2010, 100% more than last year

Total iPhone sales are now at a total of 42,445,000 as of the press release today. Apple sold 8,700,000 iPhones in during fiscal Q1 of 2010. That’s up 100% unit growth over the year-ago quarter. AMAZING! That’s over 1 million more than Apple’s best iPhone selling quarter, fiscal Q4 2009, which saw 7.4 million iPhones sold.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Josh Williams from Gowalla posted a new blog post yesterday. Coming soon is Gowalla’s API to developers and already in place is a new privacy policy.

The new privacy policy will allow you to hide your passport from all Gowalla users, if you so desire. By default, Passport Privacy is off. This allows others to view the stamps in your passport and the items you have collected, which include a history of the day and location where you picked up the item. If you choose to turn Passport Privacy on, your stamps (the places you’ve been) and your items will only be visible to your friends.

Gowalla Privacy Policy Update

To find this, log into the Gowalla web site, click Settings, and then Privacy.

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RPA Tech, Inc. has just released a major update (version 2.0) to their Air Mouse Pro iPhone app. It’s the best remote/trackpad that you can use on your iPhone to your computer (Mac or Windows PC). Make sure you also get the new updated server application too from their web site (www.mobileairmouse.com).

The new 2.0 update includes:
- Application launcher/switcher: All your running programs will appear inside Mobile Air Mouse and allow for easy switching between running programs, as well as the ability to launch your favorite programs.

- Relocated Function Keyboard: Moved the extended keyboard to the main keyboard toolbar, allowing for easier switching between keyboards, and the ability to use modifier keys with function keys.

- Numeric Keyboard: Allows you to enter true numeric keyboard numbers.

- Revised media screen interface: Redesigned the media screen.

- Media Eject button: Now you can eject CDs/DVDs from your internal drive.

- New custom media keys: Added 8 additional custom keys along the left and right side of the media screen. These are fully customizable and can be given names, which will show on the media screen for each program they were assigned to.

- Revised the Web screen: Added buttons for opening a new tab or window.

- URL Open button: When pressed, it will highlight the address bar text and bring up the URL keyboard on the iPhone, making it very easy to enter a URL on your computer.

- Double Tap To Zoom: To zoom in on your screen, double tap the scroll pad but hold your finger down on the second tap and run it up and down to zoom in and out. (Only supported on OS X 10.5+ and Windows 7)

- Sleep/Wake your computer: When starting up the app, it will automatically try to connect to the last connected server. If the server is sleeping, it will attempt to wake it before connecting. If you want to manually try to wake a sleeping computer, go into the preferences screen, then press the power button in the upper right hand corner. You can also put your computer to sleep by holding your finger over the OS icon in the application switcher.

- Auto-updating remote definitions: The server program can now download new and updated remote definitions off our server.

- User published remote definitions: Added the ability for users to submit their own remotes.

- Consolidated program list: Revised the server UI to list all supported programs together.

- Custom scripting: Added the ability to write scripts for any of the custom buttons. In addition to being able to assign keystrokes, you can now assign Applescript on the Mac, or VBScript on the PC.

- New protocol: Changed protocol to TCP. This will allow for more reliable communication and smoother mouse response, while also preventing lost packets over unreliable networks, which can cause dropped keystrokes.

- Improved Mac keyboard compatibility: Programs which were only typing a’s, should now work properly. Dvorak keyboards are now supported also.

- Status messages: Now shows when you are searching, resolving and connecting to servers.

You can get Air Mouse Pro from the App Store for $1.99.

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I’m a big time fan of Gowalla, as you can tell from some of my posts. Today, Gowalla announced that they’ve partnered with case maker Incase.

Gowalla & Incase partner

If you check into any Apple Store, you have a chance to pick up to 6 new virtual Incase items! I was at my local Apple Store today before I knew about this news. I didn’t get anything. This first week, some people will have the chance to score a real Incase Slider case if they also find the virtual Incase Slide. A fine prize indeed! If you collect all 6 virtual Incase items, you’ll receive the Incase Pin of Glory!

UPDATE 01/06/2009: I scored a virtual Incase Slider today after work! Now I guess I’m waiting for an email from Gowalla, just like with the Golden Gifts they did for Christmas.

UPDATE 01/07/2009: Found another virtual Incase Slider today at the Apple Store. I also posted the question on how we win a real one on the Gowalla forum on GetSatisfaction.com. Here’s the post. Not everyone that finds a virtual Incase Slider wins a real one. Gowalla failed to properly and clearly state the rules. Shame on them. It appears that one person that does find a virtual item will win a real Incase Slider that will be announced on their Twitter feed. I feel very, very fucking disappointed.

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In case you missed it last week, TapulousTap Tap Revenge 3 iPhone app became a FREE app (down from $0.99). It’s still free and Tapulous has doubled the number of Premium music that you can pay, download, and play. Some good stuff too! And they’ll be adding more music too! What’s also good is that all Premium tracks have their own theme.

Here’s a list of the new Premium artists/bands that you can get:
Duran Duran, Motorhead, Lily Allen, Depeche Mode, Papa Roach, George Thorogood, Sublime, The Hives, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Elton John, David Guetta, LCD Soundsystem, Steve Miller Band, Ok Go!, Jackson 5, Spoon, Dashboard Confessional, Smash Mouth, Wolfmother, Evanescence, 30 Seconds To Mars, Fat Boy Slim, Keane, One Republic, Rascal Flatts, Thievery Corporation, War, Lifehouse, Jimmy Eat World, The Temper Trap, Silversun Pickups, Rush, Lady Antebellum, Flyleaf, Ingrid Michaelson, Schwayze, Steppenwolf, The Prodigy, Thriving Ivory, and New Kids On The Block.

TAP TAP REVENGE 3

Also, there’s a new system of achieving levels, in which you unlock awards, weapons, and music, and online features have been added including new weapons, shields and radar. There are still weapon-free rooms for those purists who just want to do skills-based online games.

Achievements have been enhanced with more challenging options rewarded with better prizes. You can also redeem coins in the store for avatar gear, weapons and music.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of new music has been added, including special channels for labels such as Big Sounds International, Black Hole Recordings, Bug Music, Downtown Records, Fearless Music, Nettwerk Records, Quango Records, Rocket Science, Ultra Records. You can download ten tracks for each of those labels, and play in their online rooms.

Tapulous says that they’re aware some people might be annoyed that they’ve spent $0.99 on what’s now a free game however and so it’s handing out special avatars to those players who’ve paid for the game. And it points out such users will be protected from the majority of the in-app ads that the players of the free app will view.

Here is Tapulous’ blog post on this topic.

Info from PocketGamer.co.uk

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Q. What is Gowalla?
A. Gowalla is, plain and simple, a free virtual geocaching app for the iPhone. Currently there is no Blackberry or Android app for it. If you have an Android device, you can use http://m.gowalla.com in your web browser to play. Gowalla says apps for Blackberry & Android phones are months down the road. It is a shame that it can’t be sooner.

Gowalla Logo

Q. Why should I drop items at spots?
A. When you drop an item, you become one of the ‘founders’ of the spot. Each spot can hold 10 items and can have 10 founders. This allows Gowalla to determine what spots get higher traffic. If a spot gets a lot of traffic it can become a featured spot. Dropping items will also eventually get you new pins.

Q. What’s a pin?
A. A pin is received hen you accomplish certain tasks like, creating a certain number of spots, becoming a founder of a certain number of spots, checking into a certain number of spots, visiting a specific number of specific types of spots. You can also get pins for completing trips. You can see what pins are available here.

Q. What’s a trip?
A. A trip is a collection of spots that have been grouped together by Gowalla. You need to check into each spot on the trip to complete it. You can see the list of current trips from Gowalla’s web site.

Q. How do I know if I “need” items for my vault?
A. Right now, you can either (1) check Gowalla’s web site to see if you need an item or (2) add a link on one of your iPhone’s home screens to http://iphone.gowallatools.com in Mobile Safari on your iPhone (click the + at the bottom to add a bookmark and click “Add to Home Screen” button) and use that to check what items you need in your vault when you’re on the go. (More info on Gowalla Tools can be found at http://gowallatools.com.)

Q. Why do I need to vault items?
A. As you find items you can store them in your vault. Each item is numbered so you can try to find the lowest number of each item, as many items as you can, collect unique items (so just one of each) or you can vault as many as you can. It’s just an element of fun added into Gowalla.

Q. Can I remove items from my vault?
A. At this time, no you can not. WARNING: Once you vault an item (even duplicates), there is no way to remove it. Gowalla has no plans at this time of adding this function.

Why should I swap items? Is there a method/strategy to the swapping?
A. When you check into a spot, you might run across an item that you do not have in your vault sitting in the group of items for that spot (each spot can hold 10 items). If you have an item in your pack (also limited to 10 items) you can swap one item from your pack with an item at that spot you are currently checked into. You gain a new item and hopefully someone that will check into that spot in the future will find an items that they need too.

Q. Why is finding friends so hard?
A. That’s a good question. I have a low number of friends on Gowalla. Feel free to add me as a friend on there.

Q. There are no spots in my area. Why should I use Gowalla?
A. Someone has to be the first. Download the app and start creating spots. If you use Twitter or Facebook, you can have Gowalla update your status on either or both sites to attract more people in your area to start using it.

Q. How do I get more items?
A. You have to check into spots, even ones you’ve checked into before. This is part of the gameplay of Gowalla. So get going.

Q. Someone created a spot and the name is wrong, in the wrong location, or it’s a duplicate. What do I do?
A. Go to http://getsatisfaction.com/gowalla and create a new post. Copy the URL for the spot (from Gowalla’s web site), paste it into your post saying what is wrong with it and the correct info. If the location is wrong, you can use Google Maps to find the correct location. You can also contact the Gowalla Street Team Elite on Twitter or here. Also make sure that you clearly state what you want done. I just had a request that got all fouled up by Gowalla staff and a spot I created 250 miles away got deleted, when it shouldn’t have.

Q. What if a spot that I created is not in the correct location?
A. Log into Gowalla’s web site, go to the Passport tab, click on the item, and under the map there is the Edit button. Click on that and reposition the spot. You can also fix the name, category, and check-in radius. When you’re finished, click the Save button. The position may not update right away, so you may have to give it some time.

Q. Do you work for Gowalla?
A. No I do not work for Gowalla/Alamofire. Nor have I been paid or bribed by them (but I won’t refuse if offered). I am just a big fan of theirs and love Gowalla.

Gowalla Icon

Do you have any other questions about Gowalla? Feel free to ask me either by leaving a comment here or sending me a @reply on Twitter. Maybe I’ll add your question to this post.

Updated on 01/21/2010

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Now you can get your favorite comic strip character on the iPhone! Dilbert Mobile is out now. It’s the official Dilbert iPhone app! Get immediate access your daily Dilbert comic as well as the 20+ year archive of the entire Dilbert collection – all from your iPhone.

Dilbert Mobile features a random button (called “Random Comic”) that will flash you back to hilarious Dilbert comics from the past. You can also pick the date of the comic in Calendar View or by week with Weekly View. Even select your favorites. No matter where you are you can always get your Dilbert fix.

This app is a must for any Dilbert fan. Pick up Dilbert Mobile for $3.99 at the App Store.

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I stumbled across this little “gem” just a few minutes ago while going through AppShopper.com for new apps.

The app is called Safe Sexting. The developer claims that it’s “the only program of its kind for sexting on your terms” and “the ultimate app for the lovers in your life”. Safe Sexting is a plain camera app that allows you to place four different objects (thin black bar [see the picture below], a big black bar, a black circle covering your face, and a red, see-through silk bar) to cover your naughty bits. Once you select what you want covered up, you tap anywhere on the screen to take the picture (great for you naughty ladies taking pictures of yourself for me). Next you can tap on the thumbnail of the picture in the app and email it to whoever you want to.

Safe Sexting features:

  • Take pictures with your iPhone and show as little or as much as you want.
  • Instantly preview pictures before you send them out.
  • Only send out the pictures you want to whom you want.
  • Four ways to “block” parts of your photos.
  • Teaser “silk mode” where the recipients can partly see through.

Technically, it’s not sexting since the app uses email to send the picture, but the picture is saved in your Camera Roll so you can actually send the naughty image via MMS.

Pick up Safe Sexting in the App Store for FREE for a limited time.

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