The Iphone Blog

Archive for August, 2009

Want to convert your favorite audio file or an mp3 as a iPhone ringtone? Here are some handy applications which enable you to create iPhone compatible ringtones from different audio formats MP3, WAV, WMA and MP4 etc., for free.

iRinger: Free iphone Ringtone Maker Software. It allows any iPhone user to customize their iphone ringtones. It’s a handy ringtone maker solution that does not require any ” jailbreak” for your iphone. You can customize the ringtones with a variety of features supported by iRinger. It runs on all the versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows Vista. It requires iphone firmware 1.1.2 or newer, iTunes software 7.5 or newer, also works with the new iphone 3G.

ToneShop: Free iPhone ringtones maker (Windows). ToneShop is an free software utility which allows us to make ringtones from MP3, WAV, WMA and MP4 audio formats. It’s very simple to use, just we need to select the input file, define the audio snippet you want ringtone of and select the desired output format according to your cellphone. Using ToneShop you can create ringtones in MP3, WAV and AAC formats. The Apple iphone M4R (AAC) format is the latest addition to it. ToneShop Works on Windows 2000, XP and Vista PCs (32 bit and 64 bit)

[via Quick Online Tips]

Get a Free iPhone 3GS! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way …. straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone 3GS!

Go to Source

With employees spread across five continents, effective mobile communications are essential for Illumina, a San Diego, CA-based biotechnology company that designs breakthrough tools for genetic analysis. Using iPhone, sales reps can track customers, executives can manage employees, and everyone can stay in touch. And soon Illumina will make it possible for consumers to carry their personal genomes with them on iPhone.

iPhone was an obvious technology choice, says Jay Flatley, Illumina’s President and CEO. “First and foremost, it’s a great phone. But what our employees need goes well beyond that. They need a computer in their hands that can do calculations and data searches, and can manage sales using SalesForce Mobile. Because of the flexibility of the interface, iPhone was the ideal tool for us.”

With iPhone apps like Workday HR management software and Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, Illumina executives can do everything from tracking payroll to participating in meetings wherever they are. “iPhone has improved the overall productivity of people at Illumina,” says Scott Kahn, Illumina’s Chief Information Officer. “It’s rare that you deploy a tool and don’t get any negative feedback. But with iPhone, the first response is usually ‘Thank you.’”

[via Apple]

Get a Free iPhone 3GS! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way …. straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone 3GS!

Go to Source

New York artist Adam Sacks brings us his twisted and hilarious new commercial parody based on Apple’s current iPhone campaign. With over 50,000 apps who knows what we’re going to see next?

Get a Free iPhone 3GS! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way …. straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone 3GS!

Go to Source

Below is today’s roundup
of news and blogs that haven’t yet hit top story status by our community. Visit
Apple iPhone news and blogs for even more
news and blogs converage.

  •   Apple Reaches Agreement to Sell the iPhone in China –
by By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT > iPhone
  •   The App Store Goes To China (Brian Caulfield/Forbes) –
from Techmeme Firehose
  •   From the Tips Box: Pandora Workarounds, Ice Cube Plant Food, and Packing Tips [From The Tips Box] –
by Rosa Golijan from Lifehacker
  •   Stupid and unjustified App Store rejection letter of the day –
by Steven Sande from The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
  •   TUAW's iPhone app: it's alive –
by Joshua Topolsky from Engadget Mobile
  •   TUAW's iPhone app: it's alive –
by Joshua Topolsky from Engadget
  •   JobsSearch! 1.0 – Good Job on 12 countries just cost one buck –
by nobody@vox.com(prMac) from Vox’s posts tagged iphone
  •   Developers Call BS On $2.4B iPhone App Store Number | Cult of Mac –
by John C Abell from Wired: Epicenter
  •   Apple iPod Mobile Speakers Look Like Bags but Aren’t –
by Evan Selleck from SlashGear
  •   FCC ’seeking to ensure’ wireless competition –
by Will Park from IntoMobile – Cell Phone News, Information, and Analysis

See complete Apple iPhone news, blog, video, and photo coverage at Boxxet.

Go to Source

Written by Michael Rose
originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Original story at

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
.

View our complete collection of news and blogs, plus related videos, photos and more at
GearShrine: Apple iPhone.

Go to Source

Engadget published FCC documentation today that confirms that TomTom’s
iPhone Car Kit is quite real and may be worth an add-on for the previously released
iPhone app.

TomTom iPhone Car Kit

(Credit: Engadget)

According to the FCC, the kit comes with a few extras that we’ve been expecting. It should feature a mount and dock for the iPhone that will charge when docked, Bluetooth functionality for hands-free calling, and the “SiRFstar GPS chipset,” which will definitely give users better location accuracy than the TomTom iPhone app alone.

For the full scoop on the kit, to browse photos, read its manual, and see FCC certification tests, click over to the FCC’s Web site.

Go to Source

(Credit: CNET)

Apple recently announced that September 9 will be the date of their 2009 iPod event. For the past four years, Apple has hosted these events in San Francisco to unveil its latest generation of iPods. This year, there has been much speculation at rumor sites that Apple will introduce camera capabilities to its iPod Nano and iPod Touch media players. Many sites are also posting that we will see iTunes 9 with rumored social networking features. As with all things Apple, you can never know what its going to announce at the event, but as we get closer to September 9, check our Download blog for the latest rumors.

Both of this week’s apps are games. The first app is a close remake of a physics-based motocross Flash game, and the second game is a new survival shooter with RPG elements to keep you playing.

Tilt your iPhone to land safely so you don't lose your momentum.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Moto X Mayhem (99 cents) is a fun physics-based side-scrolling game that’s been popular at the iTunes store in recent weeks, but I’ve been reluctant to write about it. In the game, you use your accelerometer to lean forward or back, and press the screen to accelerate as you navigate your way through a 2D course. You get five lives to try to complete seven different courses in a row to finish the game. The graphics are cartoon-smooth and the controls are excellent, but once you’ve played a few games, you’ll be able to finish fairly easily.

I was reluctant to write about this game because I used to play what I assume was the original–a free game called TG Motocross–at Teagames.com a couple of years ago. At the time, I was obsessed with getting the best times and thought it was a great free time waster (and so was the sequel), but now that it’s on the iPhone, I feel as if it isn’t enough. Teagames hasn’t had any new games for quite awhile, so maybe this iPhone game is its new endeavor. In any case, Moto X Mayhem is quite a good game, but if it added more levels or a way to pull off tricks, I would feel better recommending it at 99 cents. I guess the good news is that you can try it online before you buy.

Don't forget to reload (bottom center) or you may end up surrounded.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Alive4Ever is part survival shooter and part RPG in which you’ll fight off zombies using onscreen joysticks. It’s similar to iDracula: Undead Awakening, a survival shooter game I’ve reviewed here before, but adds several new elements to make it even better. In Alive4Ever, you choose between four characters with varying strengths and weaknesses, and you play through 30 missions of increasingly hard zombie mayhem. When you’re low on health or ammo, you can often fight your way to pickups to replenish your supplies. As you complete missions, you’ll earn experience to increase your character’s capabilities and extra cash to buy new and more powerful weapons.

While it is a top-down 2D survival shooter, Alive4Ever also borrows a lot of elements from Left4Dead (yes, even the name is similar), the 2008 game-of-the-year first person shooter from Valve. There are four characters to choose from and even some of the zombie characters resemble those in the popular PC game. But probably the best element borrowed from Left4Dead is the capability to play co-op multiplayer over a Bluetooth connection with your friends. We tried it here in the office with a couple of iPhones and had a great time working together to stay alive as long as possible. Overall, Alive4Ever is an excellent and well thought-out app that combines good elements of two popular games to make probably the best survival shooter for iPhone. One word of warning: it can get quite bloody so it might not be right for the whole family.

What’s your favorite iPhone app? Is Moto X Mayhem just fine the way it is or do you agree with me that there should be more? What do you think of Alive4Ever? Let me know in the comments!

Originally posted at The Download Blog

Go to Source

(Credit: University of Washington)

If you’re anxious to develop an iPhone app but don’t know where to start, the University of Washington offers iPhone and Cocoa development certificates that teach the basics of iPhone and Mac development.

The courses include Programming with Objective-C and Cocoa Framework, Developing with the iPhone SDK, and Advanced Cocoa and Mac OS X Development. Currently, the courses aren’t offered online, but the university hopes to have online versions next year. You can download a program overview (PDF) of these courses for more information.

Experienced iPhone and Mac developers from Apple, Disney Interactive, Google, Microsoft’s Mac Business Unit, NewsGator, and Omni Group developed each course syllabus. What’s more, the instructors are experienced Mac and iPhone developers with a combined level of 55 years of experience developing apps on these platforms.

If you don’t live in Seattle, there are many alternative ways to learn iPhone development including numerous books and Web sites. There’s also Stanford’s free iPhone developer course at iTunes U.

Are you interested in developing apps for the iPhone? Have you taken iPhone development courses somewhere that you would recommend to others? Tell us
about it in the comments.

Go to Source

As I’ve already told you, managing hundreds of apps on your iPhone isn’t easy. To date, I’ve acquired via evaluation license, beta testing, downloaded, or purchased a total of 292 iPhone apps, though only 207 currently reside on my iPhone.

The dilemma stems from the fact that new app icons typically go to the first available space on your home screens. You’ll also find your existing icons rearranged after you install updates, delete apps, or perform a restore. Rearranging them again can be tedious.

<p

Fortunately, Jeff Stieler, an intrepid iPhone developer, has come up with an application that takes the pain out of app management for jailbroken iPhones. Movement uses your Mac to rearrange your apps on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

The video demo of this new Mac OS X iPhone app management utility is embedded below:

A solution for non-jailbroken iPhone users may be around the corner. iTunes 9, which is rumored to be coming soon, should have support for arranging app icons on the iPhone and iPod Touch like the proof-of-concept we covered previously.

Go to Source

The hot trend of 2009 has to be augmented reality, particularly with all the impressive tech demos and futuristic games currently in development across the world.

On the iPhone in particular, several companies have promised Twittering, search, and other navigation using layers of real-time data overlaid onto live video from the iPhone’s camera. Imagine a heads-up display on reality itself, and that’s what augmented reality is promising.

Yelp shows me what's outside my window.

(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

Apple has been onboard with these developments, promising that the upcoming OS 3.1 will provide full compatibility for AR apps. But it turns out we don’t need to wait after all. In addition to French and British AR map programs hitting the App Store early, a much better and cooler solution has been lurking under our eyes the whole time.

Called “Monocle,” it’s an Easter egg within Yelp. As in, Yelp 3.0, the one that’s currently available on the App Store. When I first read a tweet about it, I was disbelieving. But all you have to do is shake your phone three times like in some fairy tale to trigger the Monocle button, which suddenly appears on the top of the screen.

Launching it brings up honest-to-goodness overlaid restaurant and bar information that moves as you move, aided by the iPhone 3GS’s built-in compass. It resembles the demos seen by the Layar browser.

That compass is key for AR apps to work properly, because it senses direction. GPS alone won’t cut it, which means you’d better have a 3GS to pull this off. Give it a try, though, and let us know if your 3G will work on it. And don’t forget to update the Yelp app before shaking.

Will we use this? Maybe not so much, but we sure will enjoy showing it off.

(Via Fast Company)

Go to Source