1. Google Street View: This includes coverage of public transits and walking directions, address display, and sharing location via e-mail.

2. Email enhancement: This includes fixing the issue of fetching scheduled email.

3. Safari performance becomes more stable.

4. Call drop and call set up issues fixed.

5. Direct download of podcasts via Wi-Fi or cellular network (iTunes app on the iPhone supports this).

6. Sound quality improved for visual voicemail messages.

7. Pressing home screen from any of the home screen page takes you to the first page of the home screen.

1. Auto correction can now be turned off and on.

Well, that’s a lot. Apart from iPhone 2.2 update, Apple earlier also has released iTunes 8.0.2 update.

The magical world of National Geographic might have glued you to the TV sets or the magazines on many Sundays. You might have enjoyed exploring the great ranges of travel - both in physical worlds and through time and wished you could take active part in one of those adventures and expeditions. Here is a solution. Play with those stories and narratives now.

As part of National Geographic’s lateral development in content distribution, the famed geographic society has announced that they have built an internal games division. In collaboration with Namco Bandai Games America and Sony Computer Entertainment, National Geographic will be bringing in some games to the App Store and other platforms:

The first of these games will bring the  Biblical King Herod to your iPhone. “Herod’s Lost Tomb”. The content will be taken from the glossy pages of the December 2009 issue of the magazine as well as from the TV show with the same name in the Nat Geo TV.

National Geographic on Tuesday said that it has formed an internal games division that will work with publishers and developers on games for consoles, computers, mobile devices, and online play.

Titles for the next games in this series suggest that the narrative will cut across famous Nat Geo topics like science, wilderness, exploration and culture.  Thematic topics “National Geographic: Panda” and “National Geographic: Africa.” December will bring “Sudoku Traveler: China.” And releases planned for 2009 include “Rain Forests,” “Greencity” and “From the Bottom Up.”

It’s not yet sure whether these apps would be free or paid. But most probably these goodies won’t come free as this gaming division of Nat Geo is part of their “for-profit unit”

What’s next? A game based on the latest space mission. Or one that goes back to the world of dino haunting? Is Disney watching? Where is the Ice Age game? And I want the forgetful Dori and the little Mr. Incredible and Wall –e on my iPhone.

I should stop now as it looks like I am getting real greedy!

Note: What do you want from Nat Geo? Antarctic Adventure? Mission Mariana Trench? Let us know what do you think about this latest development as well what you want to see.

The case comes with an advanced and innovative option that looks like an answer to the iPhone’s nagging battery issue as well. The case has, what is known as a Touch-thru Glass Screen. What’s more, the case allows to send a signal to the iPhone to drain the case’s power first before using the iPhone’s battery. This helps in letting the iPhone receive an additional 200% battery life, thus allowing more talk time, more audio and video playback, more browsing on the net and of course, more gaming time

The set provides extra protection to the iPhone through its Polycaebonate hard shell and Polysilicon coating.

Plus, it’s a pretty sllek-looking set to say the least!

Here are 10 nifty reasons why you should buy this Quattro:

1.    Integrated Touch-Thru Glass Screen

2.    6 light LED battery status indicator to provide visual confirmation about the remaining battery.

3.    The QuattroPower™ case can be charged without removing the case.

4.     It includes a USB cable and a power charger

5.    QuattroPower™ has a full rechargeable lithium polymer battery embedded into the Quattro case that provides a non-slip, soft grip case.

6.    Standby Time – Up to 350 hours

7.    Talk Time – Up to 6 hours on 3G | Up to 12 hours on 2G

8.    Internet Use – Up to 6 hours on 3G | Up to 7 hours on Wi-Fi

9.    Audio Playback – Up to 28 hours

10.    Video Playback – Up to 8 hours

This product is priced at $99.99 and will be available for sale on December 22th.

So if you want to buy a nifty, all-in-one iPhone accessory, visit the product website here.

When some News reporters contacted Steve Jobs about the meeting, Steve Jobs, although reluctant, admitted that they discussed on what Jerry Yang needs to do to come back as a hero. Steve Jobs added:

I feel sorry for Jerry, his achievements have been overshadowed by some mistakes. Little mistakes are never forgiven and achievements hardly get rewarded. I know that he has done many things for Yahoo. He is a strong and a born leader; I won’t be surprised if he comes back as a hero.

Jerry Yang was not forthcoming about the meeting. However, in a press conference early Tuesday after the decision to oust him was all in the major newspapers and the Internet, Jerry had his say. He said he was not surprised or shocked by the decision of the Yahoo Board of Directors. It seems he had foreseen the storm. When asked how he should have done things differently, he said that in whatever he did “Better Company future” was always on his mind. He regretted that his actions have created many misunderstandings in the company. When asked what he would undo if he were able to go back in time, he said:

Well, I will sign the $45 billion Microsoft deal. That was the point where people in Yahoo started gossiping. Nothing would have failed if the deal was sealed. Google would not have come in to give me a bad name if that was done.

However, he quickly added:

I did what I did in good faith that the decision I took then was best for the company. I feel sorry for the employees who were laid off in February and for those 15,000 employees Yahoo is going to lay off again. It is the bad economy to be blamed. Moreover, most of the decisions were taken together; it’s hard to understand that I am chosen as the scapegoat. I will come back; my tryst with Yahoo is not done yet.

Industry analysts at Silicon Valley are speculating that firing Jerry Yang is a strategy to gain the lost strength of the company. George Hurns, professor of International Business Studies at Stanford University said:

Jerry Yang will be back to revive Yahoo. History is repeating. Apple did the same to Steve Jobs to make him learn how to serve the company better. Yahoo knows this worked. Stanford University will be glad to give Jerry Yang the time to deliver a Commencement Address as we gave the chance to Steve Jobs on June 12, 2005. Adventurous and inspiring stories are always good for the students.

Jerry Yang has not hinted at starting a new company; this leaves room for the speculations that he plans to come back. The chances of joining other companies in Silicon Valley are ruled out by industry analysts for now.

Jerry Yang has done the right thing in running to Steve Jobs for guidance and comfort. Silicon Valley is buzzing with the rumor that Jerry Yang is starting a new company; however, Steve Jobs seemed to have advised him not to rush. Meanwhile, Yahoo is frantically searching for someone to replace Jerry Yang, so that he can go to exile without spoiling the painful fun of exiling leaders, which has become a tradition in Silicon Valley.

Via iphonefootprint FAKE NEWS.

Operation Manager of Ask.com, Gene Wood was traveling on a subway train and was watching a movie on his iPhone. A hand of a mugger appeared from behind and the iPhone was snatched away. Gene Wood gave a hot chase for his iPhone and nailed the mugger to the ground. The incident occurred at Church Gate Station when the Train stopped for a while.

Unlucky, so to say for the iPhone thief, Wood stands 6 feet tall and weighs 240 pounds and also happened to be a good runner. The thief couldn’t get away that fast, Wood got back his phone after pinning the thief and screaming:

Give my fucking phone back bitch!

Wood walked back to the train as a hero for saving his personal iPhone and continued the travel.

This is old news, but the lesson that we have learned from this incident will ring long and loud. iPhone users are henceforth warned not to flip out their devices in public places, the temptation might be hard to control, but it is better to do what is good for you. iPhone thieves should think twice before snatching the device from someone who stands 6 feet and weighs around 240 Pounds, it’s a risky business!

In what we observe as a good sign for both Apple and the Chunghwa Telecom, Chunghwa’s market share climbed 3.6 percent following the announcement of the iPhone launch. Thanks to the iPhone!

Sources inside Chunghwa Telecom said the device will be available before the end of 2008:

Chunghwa has signed a contract with Apple, and will provide third- generation iPhone services in Taiwan before the end of the year.

The pricing detail of the iPhone 3G is expected to be announced soon.

The case looks like bacon. No not made of bacon, but felt, by the look of it. Whatever the material is, (it looks like felt, but since I do not know German and nobody really trusts Google Translate on sensitive issues like this) it certainly is not meat as one feature description would assure you:

“Die Illusion ist perfekt.  The illusion is perfect.”

The case is available for international customers. And not only for iPhone. A range of electronic gadgets can now be bacon-ed. For example: iPod, iPhone, iPod Classic, Mobile, Nintendo DS, PSP, Digital Cam, etc.

Interested in buying this sleek piece of German-ware for your iPhone? It costs only 25 Euro or $ 31. With extra shipping charges added for overseas customers.

None of these bacon pieces are alike, it seems.

Visit the Google Translated page of Antje for more details about this deliciously classy looking iPhone case.

Smack boxing is the first of its kind in the games category from the developer of the exciting game ElectroCute, which we also have reviewed earlier. The developer of the app indeed has managed to bring out something original for the iPhone. The app brings the boxing ring where you are faced with the challenge to take your opponent down with your best jab and punch. Smack Boxing brings out the forgotten inner boxer in you.

The original idea

The developer does not claim that Smack Boxing brings a real life kind of boxing match to the iPhone. The original idea was thus to give something that is a blend of reality and imagination and at the same time that gives something new for iPhone users. A virtual boxing match where you can smack not so well liked world leaders, was the original idea. Here is a note from the developer:

We picked Fidel Castro, Kim Yong-il and George Bush as opponents and made funny caricatures of them. We did this tactfully as not to step over the fine line.

Most of us would have loved this original smacking match, but Apple rejected the idea and the whole thing was reworked.  Nevertheless, Smacking Boxing still has that originality and the fun is not distorted. Give the best punch to your opponent and watch him going down, it gives real sense of accomplishment and there is no feeling of remorse, no one gets hurt in the end; it’s all virtual. The flying stars around the head of your opponent when he is down gives animation touch to the game.

Game play

The game is so easy to learn and also to master (you have the complete instruction), but the addiction is hard to die. To give a jab, you tap on either the left or right corner of your iPhone/iPod touch. Swiping sideways is for giving a nice swing and for upper cut swipe up the side of your device. Tilting the device controls your movement. Smack Boxing is one game that makes perfect use of the accelerometer and touch technology.

To win, you need to learn the right moves, know the exact time to block the blows from your opponent, and determine the right position to jab, swing and give upper cuts. I have mastered the game in two days, but the fun is always there in taking down the virtual opponent.

More Updates

For now the excitement and fun of the game could be partly due to the newness of the game, however, I should say that this is definitely a great start and the developer is all welcome to genuine suggestions. What more can we expect? Here are few things that are likely to come soon.

1. The ability to move around the whole ring and not confined to one corner.
2. Adding of more opponents and maybe levels of difficulty
3. The option to select weight category won’t be a bad idea too
4. An option to pause the game would be great

Pricing

Smack Boxing is priced at $1.99, which I should say is a fair deal for all the fun that it gives. This is just the start, more fun and excitement will come soon. Even the next update might be already on the way as you read this review.

• App Name:Smack Boxing
• Price:$ 1.99
• App Category:Games
• Ratings: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
• Developer: Full Control ApS
• iTunes Link: Click to Download

The iWorld is becoming tough for lawbreakers, sorry jailbreakers. The new MacBook series is not jailbreak friendly and now Apple grip is tightening with the upcoming 2.2 update. In the past, iPhone dev guys always managed to bail you out whenever you updated the iPhone software and your device becomes a brick. This time the process is likely to change, the warning tone is more serious:

Installing ‘2.2’ straight away on the iPhone 3G using the iTunes auto-updater could affect your chances of any software unlock in the near future (should one be found and released), so when you see an update in iTunes await our instructions first!

Wait for their instructions? Here is the ultimatum now:

Please don’t blindly install the update and then complain about it later 

There is still bad news for iPod 2G users. The whole iPhone Dev team is working on cracking the iPhone 3G software. So nothing new is expected for iPod 2G users.

Is it still a good idea to own a jailbroken device? Or a good idea to jailbreak at all? I leave that to you.

xCube Labs, the creator of some exciting games such as Fire Drop, Idle Hands, and handy medical applications like Health n Me and Health n Family has something new to give to iPhone gamers. Rescue Angels 60 and Rescue Angels 500 are here to provide unlimited fun for the iPhone users. You are on a mission to set free the angels trapped inside bubbles to let heaven rejoice.

Fun Element

Rescue Angles 60 contains sixty intriguing missions that can keep iPhone and iPod touch users engaged for hours at a stretch. Rescue Angels 500 on the other hand contains 500 missions capable of keeping you engaged for days. All the missions cannot be completed at a go. That is assured and this adds to the ultimate fun element. The game play and the interface look simple. However, I warn you it’s not only about shooting; you need to think a lot to determine the correct angle and the way to shoot. The game is thus more of a puzzle cracking mission.

There is a minimum number of angels to be set free to complete each of the missions. The number of arrows for the missions is also limited. You can adjust the direction of your bow and then slide up or down the side of your device to give the exact arrow power to set free the maximum number of angels per shots. There are some hidden ways to earn extra arrows and power ups. Here you need to figure out the best way to get them.
Rescue Angels has 60 three sections - Bronze, Silver and Gold. Rescue Angels 500 has five sections; Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Clearing each of the sections earns you the corresponding badges.

The game concept

The concept of Rescue Angels is all new in the App Store. The combination of old bow and arrows games with the twisted idea of you saving angels is completely new and exciting. The game play is not complicated, you just need to determine the exact angles and give the exact power level to the arrows.

The devil’s giggle when you fail to set free the minimum number of angels is cool as suggested by a reviewer in the App Store. Yes, the games are equally addictive for all age groups. Small tussles for Rescue Angels can always happen if there is only one device in the family. It is that addictive!

Pricing

Rescue Angels 60 is priced at $0.99 and Rescue Angels 500 is priced at $4.99. The developer has done a fair job even in the pricing. Paying a little more for having the ultimate fun is not a crime in the gaming world.

The missing Link

However, I am confused on not finding a free version, of the game. This missing version would have been a good strategy to let iPhone users know the addictiveness of Rescue Angels. A game with 15 odd missions will push iPhone users to purchase the full version.

I have got Rescue Angels 500 and I am struggling with the Platinum Missions. I will updates you about the various challenges as soon as I clear the five sections.

• App Name:Rescue Angels 60 and Rescue Angels 500
• App Category:Games
• Ratings: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
• Developer: xCube Lab
• iTunes Link: Click to Download

That will ll probably be possible from tomorrow as Google gears up to update their existing Google Mobile App for the iPhone. With this update you can have a really smooth, button-less keyboard less searching experience.

The way it works is simple. Once a natural language query is spoken to the iPhone, Google will return the usual text-based responses that you get when a Google search is performed.

This exciting update is not yet available though Apple has approved it on Friday.

The way it works is simple:

1.    After tapping the Google Mobile App, you need to hold the iPhone to your ear and wait till you hear a robotic beep sound.

2.    Speak your query now. And see your responses returned in seconds.

3.    You can also switch on the speaker and speak your query.

Nifty advantage: The search is corelated with the iPhone’s GPS system. For instance if you are in New York and looking for restaurants, just say “Restaurants” to your iPhone. Google will return results about restaurants in New York.

The technology behind it is a bit unusual (as you might expect from anything Google). The Google Mobile App starts recording your search query by using the iPhone’s motion. And if you don’t speak anything It runs an automatic Google search.

What’s more, this will be available for free at the App Store. So far it’s only iPhone specific though it seems that Google is looking to extend this service to other handsets beyond the iPhone in future.

This proposed service will be ground breaking in the domain of search-based mobile applications. However, this raises an obvious query – what is wrong with Google’s own G series (ahem, Android)?! Why does Google choose the iPhone to be its platform for releasing this service? Here is what Gummi Hafsteinsson, senior product manager of Google’s mobile search team has to say in the La Times blog:

I want to bring the most valuable applications to as many users as possible, We treat all high-end [mobile] platforms equally.

Let us know what do you think about this whole scenario.

Spore Origins, one of the offerings by EA and also one of the most famous iPhone/iPod touch games was originally priced at $9.99.  Right now, it has a Lite version as well. And that’s not all, giving it company is PacMan Lite as well.

What’s happening here is that these Lite versions are soaring up the ranks at the App Store, sometimes at the cost of their more illustrious original versions.

When these games were launched first the scenario was different. Launched in the early days of the App Store, they enjoyed an almost supreme and solo run with their loyal users installing them right on to their iPhones/iPod touchs.

Within  four months and more than 200 million downloads later it seems that the whole scenario has taken a dramatic topsy-turvy turn. The “app”alanche has arrived. And has especially hit the “Games” category. Users now have choices. Each new arrival, especially if they are free, are just a click away from sitting pretty in the App Store ranks since the phenomennal click-o-phobia has ensured that free apps have a remarkable tendency (no matter what they do) to get downloaded your iPhone/iPod touch.

What this click-o-phobia (or mania?) has done is that it has shoot some of the new arrivals, right at the coveted top 10 at the App Store, forcing the old guards to make room.

So much for the effect of the Lite versions.
Now, some sunny Sunday thoughts on the phenomenon of the Lite.

Let’s follow the old adages. First things first. Why do you need a Lite verion in the first place? Blame it solely on Apple’s whimsical policy at its hi-tech and ground breaking store. The store in itself is brilliant. Shiny and sleek. However, this store, strangely, does not allow any demo of the product. So, apart from the freebies, if you like to see a sample of a pricey app before making up your mind on buying it, all you have , is the Hobson’s choice. Either risk your dollars and buy it (can you hear the  developer of “I Am Rich” chuckling somewhere?)or do window-shopping at the world’s most famous online store.

So the beautiful store should allow a demo space, shouldn’t it? After all it keeps 30% of the revenues for “Store Keep”. Why not arrange a demo space?

However, as long as Steve Jobs, ahem Apple, approves this, you have to accept this (sigh). So how to make the best of this situation?

The reason why developers are going for Lite versions over youtube demos, I guess is the fact that there is a difference in advertising and direct version. Someone plays a part of the game on youtube, you decide on that and buy that. Fine, but not entirely. Youtube might hide some irritating facts. After all there is nothing like the “try before you buy”. After all youtube is not an alternative for the “try before you buy” option.

The most important thing about the Lite version of a game however, is nothing else but its teaser quality. After all Apple did set the precedent for this through the Macintosh commercial, the greatest teaser ad of all time. That said, we all remember the famous 1984 Macintosh ad vis-à-vis the not so famous Macintosh sale. 

We know that the Lite versions are not teaser advertisements. They are teaser promotions. What if you can squeeze in enough teasing and tickling staff into your promotional Lite version? QUestion is, does the Pac Man Lite have enough teasing and tickling quality to lure the buyer to the full fledged and pricy version?

How to do it? That always is the biggest question. What is the perfectly tickling and teasing quotient to turn a trier into a buyer? What’s the final balance?

Some people are clever enough to take advantage of this and Apple’s stupidity as well. There is no dearth of positivists after all. Take the case of some of those free apps that show direct, on-your-face ads while the app is on.  That’s the downside in quite a few Lite versions since this might tax you, if you are on a limited data plan. Also, lining up their other games and apps in this Lite version.

If nothing else, I guess it does help the developer to take stock of the user psyche and behavior. Tracking conversion of clicks and tweaking them into purchasing is affter all the heart and soul of digital economy.

Finally, does it offer an insight into the mysterious world of ”app”onomics? Has Apple’s economic ecology just discovered a new organ? Demo games, information about the developer’s other games within those games and more and more ads within those demos/Lite versions?

Have a nice Sunday. Are you going to the App Store today?

The App Store is not exclusively for Mobile platform developers. After the boom of the App Store as an advertisement platform, big players from Hollywood Studios have seen a way to promote their upcoming and released movies. James Bond 007 is the perfect example. For those of you who do not know, James Bond 007 is an iPhone application for the latest Bond movie Quantum Of Solace deployed by Columbia Pictures. The application is one of the hottest apps in the Entertainment section.

Movie promotion through mobile device of course is not a new thing; however, this is something different distribution of ringtones, screen photos, etc. The iPhone has shown yet another way to big Hollywood movie studios. We will see more applications coming to the App Store with every major release.

James Bond 007 application is a trailer of the movie, where you can view trailers of the movie and other related movies. The app description page in the App Store gives provides the storyline of Quantum of Solace. Movie info section within the application provides the synopsis, cast and makers of the movie.

The wonderful theme song (Another Way to Die) by Jack White and Alicia Keys can also be purchased via the application, kind of neat.

Things are changing fast for the iPhone, the ability to book movie tickets might be coming soon in this type of movie advertisement applications. This actually is no more a wild wish.

We are glad that flashlight and calculator applications for the iPhone and iPod touch have done really good. Now I think we (Apple) know where we are heading and the future of the App Store has become so clear.

Of the 20 million downloads almost 55% were flashlight applications. The same source also revealed that among the flashlight applications, iPhone users have more preference for the paid ones. Apple earned estimated revenue of a quarter million from the 30% cut from flashlight applications alone.

Jim Sommers who works with Colarado Division of Wildlife (DOW) said that he use flashlight applications to scare away wild animals while taking the usual rounds at night. Jim has a bunch of flashlight applications on his iPhone. He said that flashlights are more powerful than most of the equipment supplied by his department as the device is new to the techno ignorant animals. Jim also added that animals after a point in time become familiar with the source and types of lights. He hopes that developers will deploy more flashlight apps so the stock will not run out for him.

LightPad, Flashlight, Rave Light and Pulsar are some of the applications that Jim said are really good. All these applications were on his iPhone.

What about the calculators? Many poll predictors for the 2008 US Presidential Election used iPhone calculator applications. For many pollster and election analysts some of the calculator apps turn out really handy. We heard that Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight.com whose polls prediction was the most accurate this year used one of the calculators to make out the figure.

Vice-President Elect, Joe Biden was holding an iPhone on the day the Election Results was declared. We got a confirmation from sources close to the Vice President elect that, he does have a bunch of flashlight and calculator apps on his iPhone. It is probable that all the candidates were aware of the importance of iPhone calculator for predicting and counting their voters.

Paid calculator apps priced $4.99 and higher did really well according to the announcement. Though the download is lesser here compared to flashlight applications, the revenue Apple earned from the 30% cut comes close to the figure for flashlights. This is obvious as users downloaded more of those calculators retailed higher than $4.99. Among the calculator apps, PCalc RPN Calculator, 12 C Classic Full RPN Calculator, Love Calculator, HiCalc Winner of Best Calculator topped the download list.

When Steve Jobs was contacted on this new achievement of Apple, he said:

I am happy that my dream to make App Store the largest flashlight and calculator applications repository has come true. We will see more of these applications to make sure that no company ever breaks our record.

Industry sources are speculating that Tony Fadell is leaving Apple to start a new iPhone app development team to bring out more innovative flashlight and calculator applications. That really is a personal and family reason for leaving Apple. Amazon.com on the other hand are also reportedly pushing publishers to release more books with the words, “flashlight” and “calculator.” Flashlights and calculators have finally become blockbusters.

(via iphonefootprint FAKE NEWS.)

To make the announcement a little confusing, the largest network operator in Thailand, Advanced Info Service (AIS) also said that Apple is talking with every operator, including of course AIS and the second largest operator Total Access Communication (DTAC).

It is likely that Apple is considering multi-carrier launch even here in Thailand as it has already done in many countries. Sources in AIS said that the firm is eager to strike a deal with Apple for launching the iPhone 3G.

The iPhone already is very popular in this small country. An estimated 100,000 people are using jailbroken iPhones. The black market for iPhone 3G seems to be doing really well because of the delay in the official launch. In Bangkok a 3G iPhone is sold for around $842 and iPhone 3G smuggled from Hong Kong reportedly is sold for around $999 as users get the device unlocked. For iPhone fans, early launch of the device will be a great relief.

However, one drawback for iPhone users in Thailand will be the absence of proper 3G network implementation. Thailand is still testing 3G network spectrum. iPhone users will have to use the existing EDGE or GPRS networks even when the iPhone is officially launched.

Open the application if you have completed the installation. The process is simple, follow the steps:

1. Add the .flv files by clicking on the Add button placed on the top left corner (add one file at a time)
2. Select the output folder (see the image below)
3. When the files are added, click on the Convert button.

That’s it, the files will be converted to MPEG 4 format, which you can import to your iPhone or iPod touch via iTunes. I am sure you know how to do that.

Let’s look at another math app that will probably hook the kids even more towards the mystic world of mathematics and (also to the iPhone/iPod touch!)

This app does the same thing –i.e. helps in understanding the four basic mathematical functions – addition, substraction, multiplication and division.  At each level you score certain points and then proceed to the next levels.

The innovation lies in its presentation. As teachers will tell you, cognitive learning helps kids to grasp concepts better and faster. This is particularly helpful when you are dealing with abstract concepts like digits and the relation between them -i.e. various mathematical functions.

This app does precisely that. It uses a visual method to let your child learn quickly. Imagine introducing addition and multiplication to your 6 year old math-averse child against the backdrop of a lighthouse by a placid ocean and azure sky with a hint of white cloud floating by. Numbers and mathematical signs float by at this scenario, inside colorful bubbles. (There are more pleasant surprises along the way as well.)

Plus, there are nice animations at the end of each level.

Rating for the UI:4

These digital bubbles arrive in pairs. All you have to do is to match the right pairs. For instance, you might have two bubble pairs, the blue bubble with “5 + 3”, the red with “7” trapped in it, the green with “3+ 4”within it and the violet with “8” in it. All the kid has to do is to match the right pairs together. (For instance, match the “5+3″ bubble with the “8″ bubble.)

There is no win-lose scenario here which lets the kid learn in a stress-free and fun-filled fashion.

Rating for the concept:4

Nifty advantages: You can save your last level as well as start from the very beginning.

This is the developer’s first app in the app store and if this is any standard to go by, we should expect some real nifty staff in future.

App Store reception: The app has been launched pretty recently and has so far got a 5 star reception.

Final verdict: Go for it. This is one dollar one spent if you are having difficulties in teaching math to your kid.

• App Name:Pop Math
• Price:$ 0.99
• App Category:Education
• Ratings: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
• Developer: Pop Soft
• iTunes Link: Click to Download

The latest in this series of app -enhanced iPhone ads features the popular Shazam app. This latest Ad in the iPhone series, like the latest trend with the iPhone ads, makes use of one of the apps, one popular app that is, at the App Store -Shazam. The ad displays a hand holding the iPhone, with the Shazam app running on it. The invisible user (and his visible hand) puts the iPhone in front of a speaker and lets the song be recorded on to the iPhone. And then the voice over says the punch line: “Solving Life’s dilemmas, one app at a time”.

This marks a change in the way users are viewing the iPhone. The initial “How to enter the App Store” ad is gone. The latest trend is showing the iPhone’s effeceticvity – famously, one app at a time.  See the entire app ad gallery at the Apple gallery.

What’s next?

The following versions are available under the Reference category: English Definitions, French-English Dictionary, German-English Dictionary, Spanish-English Dictionary, Italian-English Dictionary, and Portuguese-English Dictionary. Each title costs $24.95.

The advantage of these palmtop multilingual dictionaries is that the technology behind them is pretty advanced:

Ultralingua technology will automatically recognize inflected words (conjugated verbs, irregular plurals) and will even allow users to conjugate verbs in all their tenses. Each dictionary also includes a number-to-text converter, allowing users to type in a number and see how that number is expressed in words in a given language.

Source:1888 Press Release

Looks like translation has just gone to a different level. If you are a global traveler, you don’t necessarily need to have an interpreter any more. The iPhone is increasingly developing a global identity for itself and in that its polyglotic nature is emerging as a major feature.

Now what can be new in a game like that? I was a bit skeptic in the beginning. However, the snaking movements, especially on a touch-screen has its own charms and so installed it and was presently surprised.

To say the least, the game is pretty engaging. No, the rules remain the same. The digital serpentine snakes its way through screen as it used to do on other sets and in its other avatars. The innovation is in the presentation, which as the name of the game suggests, is “sleek”. This digital snake does have a head and a tail. It’s slightly devilishly green with a tinge of yellow.

And this green digital snake weaves on the backdrop of a black screen which makes the whole thing look just that little more sleek.

Rating for presentation: 4

The actual gameplay remains very much the same as its classic and original version.  You lead the snake toward devouring the goodies that are placed on the screen and avoid hitting against the wall or coiling too much into itself. These challenges, like the original version, keep growing as the snake itself becomes larger.

It’s also a high-scoring game, unlike some other snake games at the App Store.

Rating for actual gameplay: 3.5

Use of the iPhone: Sleek is one of the best iPhone snake games in its use of touch sensitivity. Its touch sensitivity is really effective, unlike a few of its other cousins in the App Store. Use and compare it with other similar apps and experience the difference. This snake is real sleek!

Rating for using the iPhone technology: 4

App Store reception: No wonder, this has (so far) got a favorable reception (four and a half star) at the App Store.This is the developer’s first app at the App Store and going by the looks of this snake, we might expect some exciting staff from him.

Overall, a nice game and certainly worth the $.0.99.

• App Name: Sleek
• Price:$ 0.99
• App Category:Games
• Ratings: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
• Developer: Ivan Galic
• iTunes Link: Click to Download

A laughing application? Yes, You Shake iLaugh is an application, the first of its kind that can make iPhone users laugh like crazy.  The application will make even serious geeks laugh out their lungs. There are many reasons that make people laugh lesser as they grow old; yes many researchers have proved that. Stress at work place, some silly ego problems, anger, jealousy tend to make us suppress the urge to laugh most of the time. You Shake iLaugh will likely bring some change here. Kill stress; laugh more so says this simple application. This app outshines those cheap jokes.

Not sure what inspired the developer, but sure the whole idea is totally new and innovative. The application makes perfect use of the accelerometer to detect your motion. Open the applications and shake gently, you’ll hear a soft giggle and then a gentle laugh. When you shake the phone harder, it will emit an outrageous laughter. Shake even harder, your eyes will be filled with tears of fun as you hear a hysterical laughter and you realize that you have had a good laugh with your iPhone. Sounds strange, but is there anything more innovative than this?

The application is simple and the graphics looks awesome. The only thing that you may need to master is the exact momentum to shake so as to find the exact pitch of the laughing sound you like. Predictably, you’ll find this application in the Entertainment section at App Store. I think it might also encourage a barrage of new apps designed particularly to tickle your funny bone.

The application is free for now. The developer might charge few dollars after the expiry of the “limited time” offer, which I think is justifiable. Download it now! The application can make your mind calm and tranquil, can be a stress buster and will likely reduce your blood pressure if you laugh more. It might as well replace your laughing class sessions for the time being. What more do you expect from a simple and free application?

It’s time to laugh again with friends, this time listening to the iPhone.

• App Name: You Shake iLaugh
• Price: Free
• App Category: Entertainment
• Ratings: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
• Developer: Roman Reyhani
• iTunes Link: Click to Download

These styluses are available in four different colors - black, gunmetal, silver and cranberry. They come with a brushy end instead of the pointed ends used for the earlier devices. The tip of this stylus is perfectly designed for the iPhone icons.

Pros: 1. Significantly reduces typing errors.

2. Protects the iPhone screen from smudges and greases that inevitably comes with using your fingers.

3. Pretty handy for using some applications like drawing and/or sketching. It should also help in shooting games and in zooming. I found the stylus particularly handy for navigating.

Some apps which you can use better with a stylus are Flipbook, iGrafitti and Brushes.

4. Fits into the back of the iPhone when its plastic base is snapped at the back of the iPhone.

5. This stylus works through most of the major screen protectors.

6. A great advantage of using the stylus is that weather ceases to be a matter of inconvenience. Just imagine the inconvenience of using the iPhone screen with gloves. Now you don’t have that problem.

Cons: 1. Might not fit with every iPhone case around.

You can’t play a game like, say Bubble Wrap with the Pogo stylus.

Price: $19.95. Do you think that’s a bit high? Let us know what you think.

This artist branded applications will be available for the iPhone (now, and may be for the Android legion later).

How is it different? As pointed out in Red Orbit:

New technology is being used to fill a glaring omission that has existed since the beginning of downloadable music: the lack of liner notes, lyrics, photos and other information that are typically included with most CDs.

This app will contain photos, track listings and lyrics from the band’s entire discography along. Plus there will be links in it to purchase the tracks themselves from the iTunes.

This might turn the existing music industry on its head where standard downloads are crippled by licensing nuances and technology tidbits. Right now the glitches will probably mean, in the immediate context, that is – a rise in the price and also probably device incompatibility. That’s where the iPhone apps offer a practical work-around.

The whole experience of being a fan of a band has completely turned upside down…You used to listen to the radio, watch MTV or go to a show, and that’s all you could do. Now, the possibilities are limitless. Anything you can think of, you can do.

Dan Kruchkow of Crush Management, which works with Fall Out Boy.

In future this might lead to iPhone optimized websites from the popular bands. (A precedent already set by none other than famous Mac fan Tom Cruise)

However, this trend is still at its very nascent stage. As Christian Jorg, Island Def Jam senior VP of new media and commerce points out:

We can’t do for everybody what we’re doing for Fall Out Boy.

Seems like exciting times ahead for both the music lovers and the artists. That’s since these artist-branded iPhone apps are addressing one of the central ideas, providing them with multiple modes of communication.

Source: Red Orbit.

What exactly has happened and who is the victim?

The Apple axe this time has fallen on the latest version of the CastCatcher Internet Radio. The version 1.3 has been blocked from the App Store because:

CastCatcher Internet Radio cannot be posted to the App Store because it is transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network, which as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.15, is prohibited.

That raises the following questions:

1. How were the first three versions of the applications allowed behind the iron gates of the App Store ?

2. How come a similar app like the Last.fm still sits pretty in the App Store?

3. Is Apple planning some Internet Radio streaming in any of its future updates? Remember the ill-fated Podcast app? That app was killed by Apple with a similar vague reasoning and then came the news of Apple introducing Podcasting as a feature in its firmware 2.2.

We invite your comments on this issue.

To see excerpts form the developer’s e-mail and more, visit here.

1.    Games: Pinch n Pop (iTunes link): A pretty original game with a great splash of color to refresh you. The idea is simple. Push, flick and squeeze your way to fun. Keep pinching to keep the population of self-replicating squirms under control as well as maximize your score with well-timed power-ups. In short, an arcade avatar that is splashed with colors.

2.    Healthcare and Fitness: iStayFit (iTunes link): This app in the Healthcare and Fitness category lets you keep track of your workouts in a neat and nifty way. It has a host of pre-defined exercises and loads of extra features that let you customize your workouts. Basically the app remembers your workout details and that’s nifty enough to have on your palmtop.

3.    Music: Noise.io Pro (iTunes link): The best app if your are interested in the nuances of music. Gadgetold.com suggests that “It’s the best iPhone synthesizer at the App Store …competition doesn’t even come close to coming close”. I am not sure about that, but here are some facts. The app features 90 presets, 3 generators, 3 sequences with touch and accelerometer controls. And lots more. Definitely worth having on your iPhone if you are interested in music synthesizing.

4.    Social Networking: PhotoKast: (iTunes link) Under the Social networking category, this is the latest release by Ten23Software that lets you share, spread and popularize your photographs with other Photokast users from your iPhone. Also includes unlimited messaging options.

Keep watching this space for more.

How about capturing the first sound of your toddling child? The reasons why you need an audio recording application on your iPhone or iPod touch are countless. Some of the good recording tools are listed below .

Audio Recorder: Audio recorder is a simple tool to record audio memos on the go. This application supports saving of the recorded voice memos and note. You also can share the recorded files with others via email. Users can also rename and organize their recordings anytime.

Audio Recorder is one of the earliest voice recording applications in the App Store. Apart from emailing option, the developers of this application will soon be releasing an extractor to make downloading much easier.

• Price: $2.99

SpeakEasy Voice Recorder: This application from Zarboo Software can turn your iPhone and iPod touch into a mini recording studio. Record anything on your iPhone ranging from a quick personal note, interviews with celebrities, lectures and scores of other things. The voice quality is one thing that customers are happy about this application. The option to transfer the recorded files onto iTunes either on Windows or Mac has driven some creative customers to create ringtones out of the recorded files.

It is not a bad idea to surprise your co-travelers by talking to your iPhone or iPod touch. SpeakEasy is an innovative software that will attract and amaze people. It’s time to be a little creative and naughty.

• Price: $1.99

BeatMaker: BeatMaker is a mini recording studio on the iPhone and the iPod touch. If you love music and also love to compose music samples, BeatMaker will likely boost your creativity as you can have this always in your pocket. The application is a mobile music creation studio first of its kinds for the iPhone and the iPod touch. Users can synchronize, share and save their musical samples using BeatPack. The application comes with a pack of sample musics from different genres and artists, which can all be used for creating you personal musical scraps.

• Price: $0.99

EccoNote Pro: EccoNote Pro is also for recording notes, memos, meetings, etc. The time of recording is displayed alongside the name of the saved sound files. The usual control features that you might look for, such as play, pause resume are provided. Moreover, you have the option to share recorded audio files via email for small files and use FTP for transferring larger recorded files.

Recorded files can be sorted by name, date of recording and file size (length). Users of this application find the application handy for recording Jam Sessions, lectures, transcription and doctors use the app as an alternative for Dictaphone. The most creative use of this app will of course be taking quick notes of rare ideas and thoughts that come once in a while.

• Price: $0.99

HappyTalk Recorder: Best for business: HappyTalk is an application suitable for recording minutes of business meetings and college or University lectures. The app has selective modes capable of capturing sounds evenly despite distance gap. Conference mode captures voices spoken from a distance or just nearby in the same pitch. You have the option to save your recordings in your iTunes library and also transfer the recorded audio files via FTP.

Users use this application for various purposes and requests for more features seem to be pouring in. The latest feature request and sort of a strange one is the option to play a recording multiple times, which is kind of handy when you are learning a new language or word. The developer incorporated this feature to ensure that users are content with the app and at the same time serve their weird and creative requirements.

• Price: $2.99

iDicto Record: iDicto Record is ideal for recording flashing ideas that come to your mind, notes, reminders, etc. iDicto Record is suitable for both business and personal use. You can copy your recorded files on to your PC or Mac via Wi-Fi. All the control features such as record, pause, resume, play, rewind, delete are provided within the application interface.

• Price: $0.99

iProRecorder: iProRecorder is ideal for recording voice memos, lectures, sermons, legal briefings, interviews, business meetings, dictation, recording music, etc. How about recording the first word of your toddling child or anything that is memorable?

• Price: $0.99

iRecorder Pocket Voice Recorder: iRecorder is for capturing your ideas, notes and to do tasks conveniently using your iPhone or iPod touch second generation. Recorded audio files are automatically saved with the date and time.  You can even drag and drop the recordings and rearrange the saved files. However, one drawback is that you cannot download, sync or mail the recordings, it is locked to the phone.
Some users have used this application for recording the campaign lectures of President Elect Barrack Obama and Senator John McCain. Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, and Sync options are coming soon, so says the developer.

• Price: $0.99

iTalk Recorder: iTalk recorder is also for recording anything that you love to remember or any sounds that you hear around you. Recorded files can be transferred to your computer via Wi-Fi. The fact that the developer is giving away the app for free adds demand for the iTalk Recorder.

• Price:Free

Note2Self Audio Recorder: A voice recorder with a difference. Lift the phone to the ear and start talking, recording starts then and there, bring down the phone and the recording stops automatically. The recorded content can be either mailed or saved. You can add notes to the recorded files.

• Price: $2.99

Recorder:A very simple application from Retornyms and one of the most popular recording applications for being simple and stable. Users can record for any length of time. The application has two buttons to start/stop recording and to pause. Recorded files can be either mailed or shared via Wi-Fi. This application is thus ideal for recording memos, notes, interviews and ideas.

• Price: $0.99

TapeMe Voice Recorder: From the developer of MyBudget Moneyt Management, TapeMe Voice Recorder is a simple, but a complete voice recording application. For TapeMe users, TStar file server and Bonjour makes it pretty simple for transferring recoded files over W-Lan. Recorded files are generated in PCM audio coded file format that can  be  played with almost all audio applications on the Mac.

• Price: $0.99