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Apple over-the-air 3G download cap increased to 20MB
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Rumors, Wireless / WiFi,
Just a quick update as it pertains to downloading iTunes and App Store content on your iPhone. If you are connected via cell connection (meaning, you aren’t connected to Wi-Fi,) you can now download content that’s up to 20MB in size over the air. Previously, the downloads were capped to apps that were 10MB or less, and iTunes content 12MB or less. With the iPad looming on the horizon, it looks like Apple is pre-emptively preparing for apps that are larger in file size that users would want to download to their tablets while connected to 3G. The changes have taken effect so far in in the US, Germany, and Canada.
Read More 
| 9to5 Mac
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SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone now 3G capable
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Entertainment, App Updates, Video Apps, Above $10,
Over the weekend, SlingPlayer Mobile 1.2 was released for the iPhone, and it marks a big step for both the application, as well at AT&T and data streaming. If you are unfamiliar, SlingPlayer Mobile allows you to connect to a Slingbox, which in turn lets you watch live and recorded television right on your device. The problem in the past was that AT&T wouldn’t allow all that data on their network, so you’d have to be connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot in order to use it. Well now, with AT&T supposedly working to optimize and improve their network, they have now allowed SlingPlayer Mobile to work using their 3G connection, giving users a real way to watch TV and control their DVRs remotely, wherever they have cell or Wi-Fi connectivity. We’ve tried it out, and it’s great. We definitely recommend giving SlingPlayer Mobile a try.
Read More | SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone
In app purchase now available for free apps
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: App Store News, Free Apps,
It took Apple a while, but finally, in-app purchases are allowed to be used in free apps. Why is this exciting? Well, previously, only apps that had a price were allowed to include an in-app purchase model. That means that games like Tap Tap Revenge 3 has to cost at least $.99 if the developer wanted to sell you add-on packs. This is also the reason that you see so many demo, or “Lite” versions of apps in the App Store. Now, you can download a demo version of an app, and upgrade to the full version while playing the free version. We’d love to see apps like Shoot It! get on board with this as well, as we think the freemium model is the sweet spot in the App Store.
Tweetie 2 makes long-awaited debut
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, New Apps, Reviews, $2.99,
Tweetie 2 has just launched and is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch, and the popular Twitter app brings with it many, many improvements and feature additions. Some of the more notable additions include full app persistence, which means that if you leave the app for any reason and come back to it, Tweetie 2 will remember exactly where you were. There’s also a nice offline mode, that lets you read, favorite, and even write drafts of tweets. Once you connect to the Internet again, everything gets synced up.
Many users have been waiting for video support and push notifications to come to Tweetie as well, and Tweetie 2 delivers on both fronts, but we feel both are lacking. With video support, we’d love to see Posterous added as a hosting service, as opposed to just yFrog and TwitVid. As is pertains to push notifications, Tweetie 2 gives it to you, but only on a per-user basis. So you have to go into each user that you want to receive notifications from, and enable them in a menu that is buried a couple of levels deep. We’d love an option to get all mentions and direct messages pushed to the phone from Tweetie 2, rather than having to rely on another Twitter app that can do it (like SimplyTweet) or an app dedicated to pushing content (like Boxcar.)
Still, don’t let those two issues deter you. We’ve been playing with it for a while, and can say without hesitation that Tweetie 2 is now our iPhone Twitter application of choice. It is fast, elegant, and a great deal at $2.99. You can buy Tweetie in the App Store now, we’ve got a full feature list for you after the jump. Oh, and feel free to follow Gear Live and App.tapper on Twitter!
Click to continue reading Tweetie 2 makes long-awaited debut
Read More | Tweetie 2
iTunes 9: iTunes LP, App Arrangement, Redesigned Store
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software,
iTunes 9 details have slipped out just a tad bit early, and we’ve got the details for you. The main attraction here seems to be a completely redesigned and optimized iTunes Store. Navigation has been made a heck of a lot easier, and there is even a new full window display that allows you to browse the iTunes Store in full screen. Seems silly, but hey, why not?
There are also new preview mechanisms that let you preview content from anywhere, just by rolling over it with your mouse.
iTunes LP is a new addition to the iTunes experience, which Apple describes as a “gorgeous, immersive digital version of select albums.” Basically, while listening to an album, you can also get animated lyrics, liner notes, performance videos, photos, and more. We have to see it in action, but it sounds an awful lot like the Zune Now Playing feature.
There are now iTunes Extras. When you rent a digital movie, you get the movie, plus extras. Typically, you would only get to view special features on a DVD. Now iTunes brings you cast interviews, deleted scenes, photo galleries, and more.
Aside from these new features, iTunes also picks up some nice syncing enhancements. You can now arrange how you want apps to appear on your iPhone and iPod touch right in iTunes, and sync those right over. There is also a much more powerful syncing mechanism for all the other content (like, sync just these Faces for photos, sync all of this artist, etc.)
There’s also a new feature called Home Sharing, which lets you actually move content around from up to 5 computers in your home, rather than just being able to stream between them. iTunes 9 will be available very shortly.
Monkey Island Comes to the App Store
Posted by Brandon Gribin Categories: Games, New Apps, $7.99,
The Secret of Monkey Island is now on the App Store! The classic point-and-click adventure game was originally released in 1990 on the Atari ST, Macintosh and PC systems. The Special Edition version released on the iPhone/iPod touch is also available on PC and Xbox 360.
The Special Edition features updated graphics, music, and voice recordings. You can switch between the new and old versions simply by swiping your fingers across the screen.
The game seems to be an excellent update although there have been mixed reactions to the controls. You move the cursor around by sliding your finger on the screen and using it like a track-pad. The game does not allow you to simply tap on a part of the screen to interact with it but hopefully LucasArts will adjust that in a future update.
All in all, Monkey Island coming to the iPhone is only a sign of more good things to come. From LucasArts, hopefully other classics will be revitalized soon - like Sam and Max and Day of the Tentacle.
This big App Store release clearly shows how much of a player the iPhone is becoming in the gaming world - even if not all hardcore gamers want to admit it.
Read More | Monkey Island: Special Edition
Resident Evil 4 released for iPhone and iPod touch
Posted by Brandon Gribin Categories: Games, $7.99,
Talk about big iPhone releases! Resident Evil 4 has hit the iPhone. It’s going for $7.99.
No word on how the game is. On the one hand, it is Resident Evil and the graphics don’t look bad. On the other hand, it is a port.
Read More | Resident Evil 4
The Apple App Store Turns 1 (on the 10th)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Software,
Wow, iPhone fans!
July 10th marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of the App Store. It’s because such a part of our digital lives, it’s hard to imagine what it was like without it. Kudos to all the iPhone and iPod touch app developers out there, who aim to make the iPhone a little more fun, useful, and productive. You can check out our section that’s completely dedicated to the App Store and iPhone apps, over at App.Tapper.
The App Store is now home to over 56,000 apps. That’s in one year. Be impressed.
What are some of your favorite apps? Anyone remember the first app they downloaded?
[Thanks, Jason!]
Beejive 3.0 goes live, supports push notifications
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, $9.99,
Our favorite instant messaging app for the iPhone and iPod touch, Beejive (pronounced bee-hive,) just got updated to version 3.0. While there are a few nice additions, the biggest is that Beejive now supports push notifications on the iPhone. If you are unfamiliar, this means you can tell Beejive to stay persistently connected to Apple’s push servers, even when you close that app. So you can keep a conversation going, while you also check your email, surf the Internet, and more. If you get a new IM, you will get a text notification telling you so, which you can simply close, or use to launch Beejive and take you directly back to the conversation.
Seriously, if you want a downright amazing IM app on your iPhone, consider BeejiveIM.
Read More | BeejiveIM
Tap Tap Revenge: Dave Matthews Band edition launches
Tap Tap Revenge has really become an iPhone staple, and today it just keeps on coming with Tap Tap Revenge: Dave Matthews Band. If you’re a fan of Dave Matthews Band music, and also happen to love rhythm games, you’ll want to grab this game, which costs $4.99 in the App Store. Here’s the track list:
- Funny The Way It Is
- Shake Me Like A Monkey
- Tripping Billies
- Everyday
- Ants Marching
- American Baby
- Crash Into Me
- What Would You Say
- So Much To Say
- Two Step
See? A lot of the Dave Matthews classics. Tap Tap Revenge: Dave Matthews Band is available now in the App Store.
Read More | Tap Tap Revenge
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