“You can tap on a window to expand it (replete with animation) to fill the screen or long-press on it to bring up the familiar “x” button for shutting it down. This is all accompanied by a new “Search iPhone” dialog at the very top, which sends you into Spotlight search that looks very much the way it currently does (though it seems to no longer be accessible with a left swipe from the first homescreen as on previous versions of iOS)”

Some things in the video seems peculiar, however. In the first clip, the Home button on the iPhone doesn’t seem to match the ones advertised by Apple. Also, the design of Exposé software seems to resemble something that looks a lot like a jailbreak software for the iPhone called multifl0w. With those characteristics in place, it seems very likely that this is just a customized iPhone with a jailbreak software attached.

Contrasting that belief is the second video. In this clip, the Home button on the iPhone appears a lot like that of the advertised white iPhone and the recently released white iPad. Also, within the “About” option in the device’s settings, build numbers are displayed that coincide with a typical Apple produce iOS software. In the video, you get a glimpse of the build number beginning with “8A” which is what would be expected in a Apple manufactured software build. In essence, this could possibly be a legitimate iOS 4 build rather than an iOS 5 one as been assumed by others. However, that doesn’t  mean that Apple could not implement one of the features seen in this demonstration. On the back of the device are two “XX”  placeholders for numbers followed by the GB abbreviation for gigabyte to inform how much storage is available internally. The “About” information pane in the iPhones software indicated that their is 64GB of storage at the devices disposal.

Along with that information, applications are presented on the device in which Apple themselves use for demoing, testing, and diagnostics, providing further justification that this is a legitimate iOS test build.

Alongside the major update to the Creative Suite collection, Adobe introduced a new type of touch SDK that allows developers to create software for the mobile and tablet devices of today and have these softwares interact with PS.

Our friends over at MacRumors did some great profiling of the details of the new SDK

Adobe Eazel

With Adobe Eazel, you can use your iPad and your fingertips to paint beautiful works of art. Paint across your entire iPad screen, and easily access the tools you need. Send your artwork directly to Photoshop CS5 from any location?all you need is a network connection between your iPad and computer. Or do all your painting in the app, and share via email.

Adobe Nav

With Adobe Nav and a network connection between your iPad and computer, you can customize the Photoshop CS5 toolbar on iPad to easily access the tools you use most. Browse, reorder, view, and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop documents on iPad. Tap a document on iPad to make it the active document in Photoshop CS5. Disconnect from the network and use iPad to easily share files in person with others.

Adobe Color Lava

With Adobe Color Lava, you can use your fingertips to mix colors on your iPad and create custom swatches and five-swatch themes. Instantly access them in Photoshop CS5?all you need is a network connection between your iPad and computer. Or use the app wherever inspiration strikes, and then bring your colors into Photoshop CS5 when you’re connected. Share colors via email, too.

Macworld gives you an in-depth peek at these application for the iOS platform. These apps are not yet of the App Store.

There is no real news about the Mac OS X Lion software, but some features within the video on YouTube were never showcased to the public in previous Apple showings of the software. That being said, the video does provide a in-depth look at the development of Mac OS X Lion. Within the video, features are presented that weren’t shown in the public reveals of the software. The Appearance Pane in System Preferences, for instance, is presented with totally new options. What’s even more interesting is that the theme option is deactivated which leads one to think that Apple may be adding a new theme to the software, quite possibly the Marble theme that has been in discussion for the past three years to replace the current Aqua theme. The video is a very good representation of what’s to come to the Mac.

Apple plans on releasing Mac OS X Lion this summer, however, the company didn’t exactly give a specific release date for the software. Most people are guesstimating that Apple might be positioning the launch of the software sometime around WWDC ’11. Based on evidence that has been provided this year along with the typical cycle that Apple conducts things, Cupertino could be throwing their event around mid June to early July.

With the introduction of the next generation operating system for the Mac, Apple has based this rendition of Mac OS X on the mobile software that it help build, iOS. Demoed this week at the Back to the Mac event, Cupertino showed off three aspects of the new OS that is patented iOS and will be making its debut this summer with the Lion release: Launchpad, Mission Control and the every so familiar App Store.

Launchpad has been designed to behave like the Home Screens on iOS. Using the power of Multi-Touch through your Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse, users can navigate through multiple home screens (there was no limit mentioned at the event) to launch all the applications that are currently installed on your Mac. Users can even drag applications on top of one another to create folders, just like it’s done on iOS.

One of the things that we here at MacApper are particularly very interested in is the addition of Full-Screen applications. Mirroring another aspect of the iOS front, Apple has decided to include ability for apps to embrace the screen real estate of Mac machines and provide an entirely immersive full display experience of that application, oppose to the conventional window method. We are definitely excited about this because of the intimacy between users and apps that we have witnessed and experienced on the iPhone, iPod and iPad. The Full-Screen experience approach makes interaction with an application seem more “one on one” and significantly enticing than an application window. Far more than a maximized window, an application could offer a completely different form and function from running it in its window format, ridding of all the other content in the background and taking over the display entirely with a specifically designed UI to utilize the size of the screen. We really feel that Apple made a great decision on this and has very possibly open the door to a totally different level of app design and ability. At the “Back to the Mac” event, Cupertino briefly showed off the Preview application in Full-Screen mode. Though a bit subtle, you can probably realize what we are talking about as you see the animation effect of flipping through multiple content on the app and the software simply entering in to Full-Screen mode as well.

Apple has decided to consolidate Spaces, Exposé, Dashboard and Full Screen Apps into one single feature called Mission Control. This is something else that we personally loved in the presentation. Multi-Touch really brings the power out of this feature. With Mission Control, users can see all the activities that are active on the system. Windows are arranged through Exposé as they are now, but Apple has added some more function to the feature. Windows are now arranged into clusters to represent how many are open for a given app. With Multi-Touch, users can divide and select the window from the application that they want to be the focused. With a swipe to the left on a Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse and get to the Dashboard to reveal all of your widgets. The same method can be used to switch from multiple Full-Screen apps.

Probably the most surprising development would be the introduction of the App Store to Mac OS X. Again, the Mac version of the most dense app community in the world and probably the universe resembles the iPads interpretation. Steve Jobs made clear that it wont be the only place that users can find apps, erasing any theory that Apple would isolate application installation in the Mac OS environment to material solely from the App Store. The Mac OS App Store operates and works precisely like it does on iDevices. Its presented with Featured, Top Charts, Categories and Update sections. Users are automatically notified when a update is available for an application or a set of apps and can be either updated selectively or all at once. Apps will be licensed for use on all of your personal Macs and can be re-downloaded as many times as the user wants for free. Unlike installation packages where endusers have to manually initiate the installation process, the App Store automatically downloads and installs the app on the system, exactly how its done on the iOS platform. However, whats more interesting to us is if the uninstallation process operates like it does on iOS, which we think would be ideal, but that remains to be seen. On a developer stand point, the App Store for the Mac OS is applied the same way it is on iOS. There are no fees for the developer to worry about and Apple still gives the same 70-30 percentage split, 30% going to the house (Apple), which we think it reasonable. We arent exactly sure about this, but its likely that the same restrictions from the App Store that we know of will be carried to the Mac, so that means no private APIs and no touching the Mac OS X kernel, kiddies. However, even with those restriction the App Store…well…being honest, it is the most successful and vibrant app environment there is. Youre probably involved with apps on your iPhone, iPod and iPad more than on your Mac or PC, thats just how successful it is. We dont see why the same trend would build up on the desktop.

As practical as it may seem, FaceTime on the Mac is really fun! Its like video calling a MacBook, only, your not. Youre visually interacting with people who have a FaceTime device (i.e an iPhone or iPod, for the time being). This is something that was highly requested by the millions of people who already use FaceTime on their iPhone and iPod . We think its a great addition to the Mac and would probably increase the use of the FaceTime camera (formerly known as iSight) on the Mac threefold. There is a little security issue with information that has risen since its use on the Mac, but it requires physical access to the machine, still though, no one likes to know that their information is vulnerable. There ha also been some questions about the future of iChat, but whos to say FaceTime is going to be an independent app? It is in beta. Apple will probably revamping the iChat application and adopt the FaceTime aspect as a function of the software, but who knows¦

Even though there was probably a ton of other things that Apple didnt want us humans to see, from the presentation of Lion in its raw form, it is looking like a you must update to this new OS kind of system software. We really like how Apple is incorporating things that they have learned from iOS to Mac OS. More than likely, they will be applying more features as time for the release draws closer and hopefully we will see this Marble interface that will take over Aqua, not that there is anything wrong with Aqua, we just really want to see this GUI in action.

Update:

I’d like to make a correction about the appearance of IOS scrolls bars making there way to the Mac OS X platform. It came to my attention from reader tobor68 that their was a brief appearance of the bars in the Lion demo Apple performed. So, I re-watched the footage and their is definitely an appearance of the scroll bars.

I’d like to personal apologize for my lack of attention during this part of the session. Sorry about that folks

This week Apple rolled out iLife 11, the new upgrade to the user-friendly multimedia software suite. iLife 11 incorporates some new features that make the software more powerful than its predecessor set.

iPhoto brings home the new influence of full-screen apps on the Mac OS X front, incorporating the elements from iOS. The full-screen view goes more in-depth than the previous experience adding new functionalities and features. Along with that, Apple also expanded on some features, more precisely, iPhotos social network integration. Facebook integration now includes updates and comments made on the photos posted on the users account. The app also includes an more elegant, simplistic, integrated method for emailing photos to recipients. You can now set up an email message with the photos cropped according into a variety of templets. Custom letterpress options are also now available in iPhoto. Letterpress is the process of printing from a hard, raised image under pressure, using a thick and consistent ink. Being that the theme of the event was creating a cycle between the iPhone/iPod, iPad and Mac, the new iPhoto also introduces a new iBooks-like shelf to hold all of your album creations.

iMovie receive the same treatment getting a bunch if new nifty features that make the software just easy and fun to use. To accompany the precision video editing of iMovie ’09, iMovie ’11 bring audio editing. From sound effects to music, you can manipulate the audio clip with a variety of sound effects in the iMovie toolbox. To make it easier to alter sound, iMovie presents content as color coded wavelengths so its easy to distinguish how much effect is being added. It also allows you to fade sound with a fade edge thats similar to the one in GarageBand. One-Step Effects enables users to apply many visual effects, such as slow motion and freeze frame, to their creations within one single function. Apple has made it simple as picking where you want the effect to take place, dragging where you want to the content to stop and then clicking the corresponding One-Step Effect button. The results are…honestly…very professional (much like you would expect from Apple). Taking a move from the iPhoto playbook, iMovie now incorporates a People Finder. People Finder allows you to find content of a certain person that you would like to use and add them in to your project instead of manually combing through material. Not only can you use it for people, but Apple has extended it to certain aspects of a project such as spotlighting all the close ups, wide angle, medium shots and group content, making it quick and easy for you drop content into place, which is ideal for the new Movie Trailer feature. Movie Trailers allows users to create professional looking, ready-made movie trailers, as the name of the feature implies. The feature entails custom made soundtracks composed by a famous British orchestra. It also includes recognizable trailer logos that users can implement into their creations. Social integration for Facebook, CNN iReport and Vimeo has been added to the already present YouTube and MobileMe selections.

GarageBand has received updates to it’s renditioning as well. To improve rhythm and feel to your compositions, Apple has added two new features: Flex Time and Groove Matching. These fix the timing and the groove of the music a user creates and makes them precisely even, resulting in a great end product. Cupertino also added additional amps and stomp box effects for your creation tool kit. With now an arsenal of 12, you can mix these sounds with the various stomp boxes to create numerous ways to create music. Apple didn’t forget about the beginners either. They add a “How Did I Play?” feature along with new lessons for starting piano and guitar players, 22 genre based lessons bringing the total lessons to 40. How Did I Play tests your skills in the lessons you have studied and helps hone your skill by listening, recording and monitoring your performance with a performance meter, colored notes and a progress bar, perfecting  your skills.

The new iLife is definitely a step above from the one of yesteryear. Apple has went the mile and added tons of features that really put high-grade professionalism in anyone’s project. iLife is available now for $49.99, and if you have just bought a Mac, you can grab it up for seven bucks. Definitely a well polished software suite. One of the many reasons why people are attracted to the Mac.

Apple got the patent rights to an idea that has received a whole lot of attention from the media this week. The idea, originally submitted in 2007 and made public for viewing in 2008, makes it possible for supervisors of a device to filter or block out certain email and SMS content. The idea has received consideration from the media being that it can be used to prevent parent’s children from participating in to what has become a hot topic in recent time: “sexting”. Sexting (for those of you who don’t watch daytime television) is the action of sending sexually explicit content by SMS/MMS or email means.

The invention, in various embodiments, addresses deficiencies in existing attempts at solutions by providing systems, methods and devices that enable an administrator to control the text-based communications of a user of a text-based communications device through an administrative mode of an intelligent text-based communication control unit or application. The text-based communication control application filters incoming and/or outgoing text-based communications based on administrator-defined criteria.

The technology, essentially, would identify a number of standards inputed by the user. When these standards are met, the system will edit out the content that is set to be filtered and then deliver the rest of the of the message accordingly.

Be that as it may, Apple’s actual intentions extended beyond that to develop a way where educational institutions could teach, expand and promote more articulate language by, more or less, forcing the user to use certain words in their everyday conversation to expand one’s vocabulary. It can also be used to help individuals learn a new language by, again, forcing them to include the aspect of the language in their everyday dialogue.

This week, Apple released a new build to the Mac OS 10.6.5 development. Build 10H555 was release to a section of the their development community for testing, following the same two week release of the previous build.

Like the last build, there has been no mention of known issues with the software from Apple. Also, the build asks users to concentrate their testing on printing, QuickTime, Time Machine, graphics and USB devices. With Apple again not posting any known issues with the software, OS 10.6.5 seems to be on its way from earning the golden-master label and hit Apple servers for a public release.

Cupertino will more than likely get that out as soon as possible as they are ready to introduce the world to their next big cat: Mac OS 10.7, with the highly speculated codename Lion. The Back to the Mac event is scheduled for next week Wednesday at 10PM Pacific Standard Time. A public launch date for the software is expected to be announced at the event.

Apple Releases Logic Pro and Logic Express 9.1.2

With the release of the new Mac OS X software this week, Apple also released a coupled update to their lineup of multimedia creation software. Logic and Logic Express new update brings compatibility to Apple new line up of Mac Pros as well as several enhancements to the software including:

Issues addressed with 9.1.2 include:

- Improved compatibility with 6 and 12-core Mac Pro systems
- Support for iOS control surface apps that utilize the OSC protocol
- REX files now supported in 64-bit mode
- Improved compatibility with select Audio Unit plug-ins

Full details of the new additions and fixes of the software can be found on apple.com. The update requires Mac OS 10.5.8 or later.

Apple is hardly ever behind are they? The company is getting everything set for the September 1 Media Event kicking off at 10AM Pacific time (thats 11 oclock for you folks in the mountains, Noon for the midwest, and 1PM for the people on the east coast), which is the usual time they have been throwing these things. People are expecting a wide array of developments to show their face next week, including the new iPod touch, iTV and a social web-based iTunes. The iPod as been the subject of the week recently with some new cases for the iPod touch being pitted into the while giving the impression that the hardware will be receiving the same squared off goodness of the iPhone 4. Not only that, the iPod nano looks like it might taking off the world famous Click Wheel (yeah, you heard right. Thats what the buzz is on the Net.) Well, like we said, we have the day circled in red on our calendar.

Apple Update iWork To Version 9.0.4

Im sure most of you out there has got the news via your Software Update application. However, just in case you didnt, we though we might make it known if you visit us today. Apple has released the 9.0.4 update for iWork. Addresses issues in the software including a little problem with tables that some users have been murmuring about. Cupertino also added ePub support with some tutoring online to help get started using it. Great for iBooks! |^_^|d

You can download from the Apple site if you’d like, too.

PS: I have been getting some emails from users saying that they can’t get the update in Software Update or when they are trying to install it manually. Their Mac tells them that it cannot find the corresponding software to update in the iWork ’09 folder. Well people, no need to worry. We got your back on this one. You might’ve retitled the iWork ’09 folder to something to your liking. Essentially, Software Update and the manual installer is looking for the folder name that Apple gave it with the installation. Simply locate the folder on your Mac, rename it iWork ’09 and run Software Update or the manual installer again and you’ll be ready to go.

Well there has been plenty of news to come rolling out right at the beginning of the week. One of the latest developments is built around the new Apple TV (speculated to be rebranded as iTV). Founder of Digg, Kevin Rose, chimed in via his blog by saying that the new set top box from Apple is going to “change everything.”

“From what I hear we should expect to see the iTV launch in September.”

“With Apple’s iAds, content producers (eg. ABC/NBC/etc.) can directly monetize and distribute their content,” he said. “This will eventually destroy the television side of the cable and satellite industry, as your only requirement to access these on-demand stations will be an internet connection. Say goodbye to your monthly cable bill.”

In addition to that, he also stated that the new iTV was going to be priced at $99, which is the same amount that experts on the matter forecasted. The new Apple TV will also be losing the self-entitled software and adopting the revolutionary iOS platform. Owners will be able to access the App Store and run applications right in their living room. Speaking of iOS, Kevin also mentioned that Apple is also going to enable the iPad to be a choice of remote control for the new set-top box. User will be granted in-depth control with iPad including controlling applications and experiencing “interactive television” features. Rose gives the example of watching a football game a numerous angles all with a tap on your iPad.  A feature that will allow users to share their personal content “at the push of a button” will also be included in the software. Users will be given an update when new content it available for viewing. He didn’t go out of his way to mention Apple’s new competition in the market, more precisely Google, and their Google TV set-top box and integrated television service set to take off this fall.

“Also, keep an eye on GoogleTV – this is going to be a hot space in 2011.”

The space seems to be heating up indeed. Apple has been expected to debut their apparently revolutionary new development at their annual iPod-oriented event in September. Aside from the iTV spark, naturally, Apple is also expected to showcase another creation that the public is also waiting to see the new iPod touch. As far as these mentioning for the new Apple TV/iTV, we don’t know what to make of it. Kevin could actually have a source that’s giving him the beef and broccoli behind what’s going on in that department for Apple. He has rang in before about rumors of Apple’s plans to dazzle the world and they have been hit and misses. However, like we said, their has been some hits from him. We have to say that we are now really anxious to see what this is going to be about. We all won’t have to wait too long. September is just around the corner…

Say what you must, but Apple did change the industry with the iPhone, as the did the music and movie industry with the iPod and iTunes and the tech industry back in ’84 with the Macintosh and the GUI (graphical user interface). One thing that Apple is notoriously known for is their software (being that they are primarily a software company) and hardware design. Even though it may seem like a small aspect of the iOS software, cheers were shared at the unveiling of the original iPhone when Steve Jobs slid his finger to unlock the UI of the system. A lot of “oohs” and “ahhs” were also given with inertial scrolling and the scaling up of keys as Steve typed on the iPhone. Today, Apple was granted the official rights to the keyboard and lock screen eye candy.

Trivial to probably some, most of the UI we see today on touch-based devices incorporate similar aesthetically pleasing animations (more from Apple’s softboard and home screen then from the unlock screen). Even though that some designs are blatantly from Apple’s iOS, groups have managed to add enough of their own genius to show some type of evidence of their own thinking. With this approval from the USPTO, Apple has added to their arsenal of legal weapons the right to charge license fees to anyone who uses the same exact or extremely similar elements in their software design. Well, you know what they say, “it’s the little things that count.” Check out the grants.

In accordance with one disclosed embodiment, data may be recorded from a videogame executed on an electronic device. The recorded data may include character information, dialogue from the videogame, and results and metrics reflecting the performance of the user in the videogame. The recorded data may be inserted into a narrative data structure having pregenerated text. In some embodiments, the recorded data may be used as the basis for selecting among a plurality of pregenerated text. A book, e-book, or comic book may be produced from the narrative data structure.

The patent goes on to state that the content could then be printed or viewed a number or electronic devices, such as an iPad, iPod or iPhone. To put it into perspective, Apple explains how the technology can be used to take snapshots of the video game Mass Effect. The user can then take the content and form an ebook detailing the content of the gameplay. If you aren’t familiar with the game, Mass Effect is a game the gives players different choices to choose from as the game progresses. Depending on the choices that a player makes determines the outcome of the next scene and the ending of the game. Apple’s patent implies that a user could turn their experience of the game in to a comic or book and share it with others providing in-depth detail through the player’s gameplay.

The new iOS 4.1 beta that was released to developers earlier this week probably has presented the most supportive information to the theory that Apple will be applying FaceTime to devices that are not iPhones. Cupertino has given email address support for FaceTime calls. That means the future possibility of you calling your friends whether they are on an iPhone, iPod, iPad or even a Mac has gotten ever-so bright. A new option in the Contacts app gives you the option to place a FaceTime call through email.

A lot of people have been waiting for actual conformation from Apple being that a leak of the FaceTime email option presented itself prior to the beta release. This new evidence definitely does support the leaked images of the new iPod touch front panels that show a hole for a camera to have some FaceTime action. It’s speculated that Apple will debut the new iPod in addition to two new models of the MacBook Air at their annual September event. Story also tells that the iPad is more than likely going to receive the same camera treatment when it’s time to refresh the product. That would make sense being that we, along with other associates of ours, found some software and hardware information that confirmed Apple indeed planned on adding camera capabilities to the iPad, but decided to cut them off in the end run. When is a refresh coming? Nobody really has the answer to that. It’s more than likely, though, that Apple will refresh the iPad much like they have been doing the iPod and iPhone: Every year.

Update

MacMagazine has uncovered some information from a source that states that Apple will be holding their iPod-centered event sometime this month. A little bit earlier than the usual September date with the source saying that sometime in the middle August is when Apple wants to have the event (which is just around the corner).  The report even goes as far to state what the big “A” is planning to discuss. On the menu for the event, Apple will (obviously) unveil the new iPod lineup as well give an update on the status of iOS 4.x making it’s way to the iPad. You can also expect the debut of the new MacBook Air. There wasn’t any word on when these products would be in an Apple Store and iTunes near you. We, along with our friends at MacRumors, wouldn’t be surprised if you see iLife make an appearance. A while back, some info presented itself that speculated Apple was gong to be releasing a new version of iLife somewhere around August 17. If Apple does hold the event in mid-August and does debut the new iLife, the mysterious application that was mentioned and will be included in the new multimedia software suite may just be tied to iOS in someway, given the level of focus the iPod touch has at the event.

Our friends over at Cult of Mac discovered a new social application that turns you iPad into a magazine that catalogs all of your social content into a magazine-like interface.

Designed from the ground up for iPad, Flipboard creates a magazine out of a users social content. Simply launch Flipboard and flip open the cover to get started. From the Table of Contents readers can view their sections and personalize the magazine.

The software generates magazines  by adding social networking accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, and using the content from those accounts to populate the magazine’s material. As updates are being made to social networks, they are added to your personal Flipboard magazine where you can read, view, comment and like the content that your friends publish. Though we have yet to experience the application (which we are in the process of doing), we are rather impressed with the GUI for this software. It presents your content in a clean, stylish and immersive demeanor, and we love pretty things. Their has been a few kinks reported with the app, mainly connection errors that have been occurring, but that’s probably just a result of high demand for the product. The app is available on the App Store and is free of charge. You should definitely take a gander at this if you have an iPad and tell us what you think.

Edit User Dictionary

Apple has allowed the user to add new words manually to their operating systems intelligent keyboard. The feature can be accessed by going to Settings then to General then to Keyboard and you will see the option presented at the bottom of the panel. NOTE: Certain keyboards incorporate this feature such as the Japanese Ten Key keyboard.

Turn Off Cell Data

You now have the option to completely turn off cellular data from carrier. Go to Settings then General then Network. You will see the option below the Enable 3G switch.

SMS Character Count

If you would like iOS to tell you how much character you are typing in a SMS message, go to Settings then Messages, Youll see the switch for that option at the bottom of the panel.

Wikipedia Search

You no longer need that Wikipedia app on you iPhone or iPod touch anymore, Now Spotlight conducts Wikipedia searches for you.

A Refined Contact Panel

The Contact Panel has received a sprucing up, streamlined to be more efficient.

Events, Faces and Places

The Photos app (if you sync with a Mac) now presents your photos in Faces, Places and Events.

Toggle Lyrics in iPod

Many of us love to sing the lyrics to our favorite song with our iPods or iPhones making sure we are saying the right words. However, there are people who wish they can turn it of when they are not karaoke-ing. Well, you now have that option in iOS 4, go to the iPod panel in Settings and turn it on.

Resize Photos Before Sending

This comes in handy when you want your mail photo to be sent in a hurry. A menu now presents itself provide a small, medium, large and actual size option.

Create a Playlist

You can collect a group of songs in a playlist and name the playlist anything that youd like.

Album Art in Album View

You can now see they cover art of your favorite songs in iOS 4 when browsing in Album view.

Alphanumeric passcodes

Want to give nosey people a wider variety of passcodes to guess so they cant invade your personal life, Apple has now given you the option to set alphanumeric passcodes.

Yes, Folders Show Your App Updates

For those of you who have been asking, folders do showcase that an update to an app is presented by putting a badge on the folder with an ! or the number of updates.

Contact Pictures in Emails

If the people you converse with over email have a photo of themselves associated with their account, youll see it now.

Close Apps

Yes, you can close applications that are in the background just by holding the icon till it jiggles and tapping the - button

Smart Data Has Gotten Smarter

iOS is now better at recognizing dates, numbers, and locations and by tapping on them you can view a geographical area, call a number or ad an event to your calendar, much like Mail on Mac OS.

Bluetooth Pairing

You can now pair Bluetooth peripherals, such as an Apple Wireless Keyboard, and use it on your iPhone.

Note Syncing

Wireless syncing is here, just activate it in Settings, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and then go to youre MobileMe to flip the switch on. Now all your notes will be sent to the cloud.

Smoother Animations and Transitions

Apple has optimized the system to take more advantage of the iPhones GPU with iOS 4 to render much more fluid animations and transitions.

Smart Address Bar and Search Engine Suggestion

Apple has incorporated the Smart Address Bar from the Safari 5 on the Mac in Safari on the iOS. Smart Address Bar allows users to look up destinations on the internet they have already visited from the most vague to most specific. They have also implemented Search Engine Suggestions from the corresponding search service the enduser is using (Google, Yahoo! or Bing)

Camera File Type Filtering

When using the Camera, you can tap the camera roll and filter your photo and video files separate.

Keyboard Toggle Shortcut

If you hold down the keyboard toggle button, you can specifically select a keyboard.

Roam through you iPhone and experience the feature packed goodness for yourself. Enjoy fellow iDevices users.

At the E3 conference, along with the All Things Digital [D8] event, an organization called OnLive showcased a demonstration of their streaming gaming service on the iPad. TouchArcade managed to record footage of the demo playing the Xbox 360/PC title “Borderlands” at the event [posted below]

Because of its raw tech demo state, the controls are less than ideal. The client uses a weird virtual joystick button layout that I don’t really think would be very useful for anything outside of just demonstrating what is possible. The following video walks through the OnLive iPad client, and shows Borderlands running, an XBOX and PC game. Also, after that, we load up Dragon Age: Origins, which didn’t work because it didn’t have gamepad controls, and finally we spectated on some games in session by other OnLive members.

OnLive has been making highlights in tech news since 2009. The company announced its video-game streaming service that would deliver graphics congruent to their dedicated console counterparts on PCs, Macs, and to HDTV sets by streaming the game from their central servers. More impressively, they have claimed that the user of the service does not require a machine that is capable of rendering high definition graphics, rather the machine just has to be able to play back the amounts of a video stream to the game while controls inputs to the game are sent back to the servers. The gorup states that they are dispersing major titles to the service that do not require the user to download and/or install anything.

OnLive did not give confirmation on whether they had plans to venture onto the iOS platform. However, the demo does show how the iPad makes a compelling catalyst for such as service by implementing touch sensitive controls. Besides the iPad at E3, they demonstrated the possibilities of their service on the iPhone in 2009 as well.

[click or tap to play]

The description of the job posting states that the big “A” is looking for a software engineer that will be collaborating with a group “tasked with creating the next generation application for manipulating media.” The developer will be specifically plugged in providing “new user interfaces” that allow “the user to manipulate content in new and exciting ways.”

As typically not providing any depth into what these inferfaces will be entailing and how the user will be interacting with the software, it does raise eyebrows into what Apple might be planning. Software is something that is sown into the very base of what Apple does effortlessly and primarily. Since the debut of the Mac back in 1984 pioneering the all-in-one design, GUI (graphical user interface) and mouse-and-window concept, user interface is something that Apple obsesses over down to the “T”. While the description of the job is rather vague (which is not surprising at all), people have been paying attention to the wording that Apple uses in the posting, more specifically the phrase “manipulating content in new and exciting ways” and “manipulating media.” Many people have associated the wording to the recently leaked Multi-Touch track-pad peripheral. The yet to be introduce technology could pay a major role in this new type  of software currently in the works.

In the vast jungle that is the App Store, there are many application that do a variety of amazing things. There are apps that can make reservations for you at the hippest restaurant in town and others that can start your car in the garage or driveway while your rushing for the door. One company plans on making its contribution to the App Store by developing an application that could have users of the iPhone receive their room keys from accommodations that they book. OpenWays is a company that has developed a technology in which consumers can acquire a key to a room on a mobile device electronically, completely bypassing the front desk procedure.

Crypto Acoustic Credential or CAC is the technology that the company has develop in making it possible for users to obtain an electronic key on their device and use it to open doors for their reserved room. Basically, the customer books a room, either by phone, in person or the most used method nowadays, the Internet. Afterwards, theyll receive a message from the hotel welcoming them and displaying room and booking information. When the customer gets to the hotel, they can skip any check-in procedure at the front desk and go right into the room reserved for them, having the check-in information automated when the user opens the door. The company explains how this is a major improvement to the conventional key card method.

The OpenWays CACâ„¢ principle wraps the lock key-card data within an encrypted acoustic envelope while never compromising the cryptology on the key card data. In fact, an extra layer of security is added on the top of the key card data. Equally important, the OpenWays solution allows management to control and track Master Keys in a real-time fashion. Today when a Master Key card is lost, the hotel staff must walk to each door in order to cancel the lost card in every lock of the hotel. It takes a lot of time and no one can really be sure that every lock was reprogrammed. With OpenWays, any lost credential is stopped real time by simply canceling it online at the server level. In addition, as the server controls the credential issuance at all time, the OpenWays application allows real-time tracking and audit trail of all keys and Master Keys. The same real time on-line capability allows for features like change a room or extended a stay without having to ask the guest to come back to the front desk. By controlling the credential issuance in on-line and real time fashion OpenWays offers on-line management capabilities to stand alone off-line electronic locking systems. This is a major improvement on its own.

Doors are opened with the CAC technology that creates a unique encrypted sound personalized for the customers device and emits through the receiver. Once the door is open with the audio key, the device is now synchronized with the door. So, in essence, all an iPhone user would have to do is open the application, as this technology is purely software based from the users end, and the door will open. Whats even more intriguing is that with the release of the iPhone OS 4 software and Apples implementation of multitasking abilities in the new OS, the app could run concealed in the background allowing the user to walk up and open the door without having to launch the app on the iPhone.

The software is said to be compatible with a wide variety of handheld devices. The company is in the midst of developing the application for the iPhone. They give visual demonstration of the technology opening a door lock module with OpenWays software embedded inside of another application. OpenWays said they are planning on introducing the application to the iPhone sometime in the near future. The also extend the use of the software to other means of use such as rental cars, privileged or ranked personnel use and even at home. Check out the video on YouTube and visit openways.com for more details.

Graphics + Sound + Gameplay

Like it’s predecessor game, the object of Labyrinth 2 is just like any game of labyrinth get the ball is the hole. However, with this version of the game, there is tons of innovative obstructions and clever abilities that make the game come more alive and have you trying again, again…and again to get that metal ball where it needs to be. This reiteration presents several new obstacles that you face into achieving you goal. Cannons are places in the game to bounce you around with rubber-balls the objects fire at you, or some of them skip the nice play and completely obliterate you into a cloud of smoke, placing you right back at the beginning. Good thing about the game is that it comes complete with checkpoints in case said event happens to you (which we found necessary). Another obstacle of the game is the fans. Typically easy to get through on the earlier levels, but as you progress through game, you’ll find those fans blowing in directions you don’t want to be pointed in. Switches are also presented on that game. The switches are unique being that they activate some new surprise that will either be good or bad to you…or both. Some activate doors to get you through the level, some activate cannons to evaporate you, some are pressure sensitive where you’ll need another one of you to help keep weight on it (which we’ll get into later). Some even activate trip lasers. Magnets are placed on levels to pull you away (being that you are made of metal). Even merry-go-rounds are in the game as obstacles for you. The graphics and visuals of the game are amazing. 3D elements are applied and correspond with the iPhone accelerometer as you navigate throughout the various levels. Frame rate of the game is amazingly smooth. While we were playing the game, we experienced no lag of any sort. The accelerometer controls are extremely responsive and intuitive. The pause menu is cunningly activated when tapping the screen and then tapping the stripe that reveals itself. From the menu, you have the option to skip levels, restart the game, adjust settings and navigate back to the menu. You can share your stats on Facebook and Twitter directly and automatically from the application as you are playing. Calibration is also available in the settings option. The creators implemented multiplayer functionality for you and a friend to go one-on-one right into the game. You can connect through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Sets of achievements are placed in the game which will have you playing over again in your effort to earn them all. There is also vibrate functionality built-in!

The Kinks

While we have been playing the game, we haven’t experienced any lag or glitch whatsoever. The game plays very smooth and doesn’t present any problems, again, as far as we know.

What’s Missing?

In all honesty, I have to say that we are satisfied with game completely. Illusion Labs packed many features into the game. Multiplayer, tons of variety, graphical eye-candy, seamless gameplay. We are very impressed with the current version.

In The End…

This game has it all. Illusion Labs really worked up a beautiful piece of work with this game. Labyrinth 2 has tons of depth and a high replay value with the achievements that are included in the game. Graphics are amazingly smooth, gameplay is seamless, and the game is featured packed. This game is definitely a step up from the original. We highly recommend you guys check this out. It’s tagged in the App Store for $4.99. There’s a demo available if you want to get a taste test of the action yourself.

Another compelling patent from Apple has shown its face in the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) today. In this particular software patent filing, Apple describes the ability to create a shopping list on the iPhone OS and the software permitting the user to check out electronically.

The patent, numbered 20100082447, explains and illustrates systems and methods for offering shopping information for a consumer. Continuing in the reading, the file discloses embodiments and functions of how the system (iPhone OS) would allow the user to create shopping lists by scanning products and supply different types of information on the product(s) such as product quality, consumer ratings, pricing information of the product in that store and price comparison of the product among several stores in the area. It also goes to state that the system could even allow the users to collect x amount of items into a list and then begin to check the items out themselves electronically, preventing the need for check-out stations. The individuals given credit for the production of the invention is Amir Mahmood aMikhak and Gloria Lin. In the patent, Apple states:

Certain aspects of embodiments disclosed herein by way of example are summarized below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms an invention disclosed and/or claimed herein might take and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of any invention disclosed and/or claimed herein.

Indeed, any invention disclosed and/or claimed herein may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for executing various shopping related transactions on a mobile electronic device. For example, in some embodiments a mobile electronic device may be used to identify a product and obtain pricing information relevant to retailers of the product within a specified geographical location.

In another embodiment, a mobile electronic device may be used to acquire pricing information for a shopping list of products. Embodiments may also include a variety of features that make the shopping experience quick and efficient while allowing the consumer to hunt for a better bargain. Furthermore, several embodiments also allow the product manufacturers and/or retailers to distribute relevant product information to targeted consumers who are known to be, or who may be, interested in buying a particular product.

More details can be seen on Patently Apple

Word has been given that Apple has already begun filming commercial spots for the next generation iPhone being directed by Sam Mendes. Within the commercial, Apple will be showing the ability of video conferencing software, Engadget reports from a personal source who has provided information in the matter, including a series of tweets from auditioning.

The information from the source states that the next-gen iPhone is codenamed internally as N90/”Mammoth”. Continuing on, information was given on a scene from the commercial that illustrates a mother and her daughter having a visual conversation by way of the iPhone’s video conferencing software and the new front-facing camera. Engadget also provided information from tweets of actors who have auditioned for Apple’s latest commercial campaign.

Many clues in both software and hardware have been publicized throughout the various iPhone OS 4 betas and the recent next generation iPhone leakage. Strings of code displaying alerts for video conferencing interactions were discovered with the betas clearly labeling video chatting capabilities. There was also evidence of an “iChatAgent” process running in the operating system that was featured in the Mac OS Activity Monitor. The discovery even labeled the process as a mobile device calculation. After those finding were released, the facial stricture of the iPhone became leaked, which showed an opening in the face of the device next to the devices earphone speaker. The finding was widely embraced as an opening for a front-facing camera. Later, when the actually device was leaked, visual confirmation was received that the next-gen device will be coming with the aforementioned abilities.

Apple is more than likely expected to debut the facts of the next generation iPhone at WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) scheduled to take place on June 7^th to the 11^th at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, California. Developers are gearing up and in anticipation for the event as it is set to take off just around the corner to see what Apple has in-store for Google, who announced a string of advancements at their Google I/O event.

Given the recent leak of the lost iPhone prototype, it should be pretty obvious that Apple will be debuting a front-facing camera in the next generation iPhone that will be most likely to be introduced at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) Apple hosts every year around June. What adds more fuel to that fire of truth is the recent discovery of prompts and messages designed for video conferencing within the new beta software. Apple has left breadcrumbs of the feature being inducted into the next iPhone in past software releases and the new SDK beta join that collection of software.

Apple seems to be pulling that black cloak of mystery they are notorious of using on their new developments, particularly this new feature of the iPhone, ever so slowly off. In the beta, developers have discovered status and error strings that clearly entail the mentioning of a native video conferencing software. One specifically reads:

ACCOUNT_NOT_REGISTERED_MESSAGE = “This device has not been registered for video conferencing.”;

Their is even more strings that prompt the end-user of visual call errors and notifications.

IMAVCHAT_COULD_NOT_CONNECT_NO_REMOTE_WIFI = “The video call could not connect because a remote Wi-Fi connection could not be established.”;
IMAVCHAT_DISCONNECTED_NO_LOCAL_WIFI = “The video call disconnected because the local Wi-Fi connection was lost.”;

Whats more interesting with these findings in the software is that there is no mention of 3G or any form of cellular connectivity. Most people have been expecting that Apple would allow for video conferencing over cellular networks. Being that there is no evidence of cell networking for the video conferencing feature could mean a number of things. Probably the most likely culprit would be that Apple hasnt consulted with AT&T about the feature being used through their data network. Another reason could be that Apple is probably still testing the feature on AT&Ts network through select test handsets and optimizing it for use. Whatever the case may be, the ability to video conference through the AT&T data network is, as of right now, non-existent in the current beta.

More evidence on video conferencing capabilities revealed itself with more notification strings that are presented in Apples new social gaming network Game Center. From the looks of the strings content, it seems players can conduct visual conversation with each other either one-to-one or in a group.

IMAVCHAT_ERROR_NO_SUCH_PLAYER_ID = “No Such Player ID”;
IMAVCHAT_ERROR_NO_SUCH_ACHIEVEMENT = “No Such Achievement”;
IMAVCHAT_ERROR_UNRECOGNIZED_GAME_DESCRIPTION_HEADERS = “Unrecognised Game Descriptor Headers”;
IMAVCHAT_ERROR_NO_SUCH_GAME = “No Such Game”;

From all of these discoveries in the latest software, it seems pretty sure that Apple is implementing one of the key features people are speculating to present itself in the new iPhone. Steve Jobs did say that Apple will provide updates that Google’s Android, second to the iPhone OS, cannot keep up with and make it the superior mobile OS in the game, as well as saying that the next iPhone will be an A+ upgrade. From the looks of things so far, Steve was not lying…and he means business.

Well, for those of you that have been waiting for when Apple was going to announce when their annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) was going to be taken place, they have finally broken silence. WWDC will be taking place in the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco, California from June 7^th to the 11^th.

The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is the premier technical conference for developers innovating with Apple technologies. Over 1,000 Apple engineers will be at Moscone West to present advanced coding and development techniques that will show you how to enhance the capabilities of your applications with the revolutionary technologies in iPhone OS and Mac OS X.

The usuals of the conference will be taking place, such as hands-on sessions, training from Apple engineers, Q&A segments and, of course, announcements of new developments and the state of Apples presence as it stands today. Tickets, as you can see from the headline image above and the image below, are priced at $1599 and, for the past several years, have been selling-out at a rapid rate. Given the record for how the events ticket sales have gone in years past, it is highly suggested, if you are a dev (or not), to buy your badges as soon as you can. Probably, at this very moment, tickets are going very fast as mentioned.

In light of how the boys in Cupertino have been doing things for the past two-to-three years, it is more than likely that they are going to debut the next-gen iPhone. Even though that a prototype of the upcoming iPhone evolution has been recently leaked and massively publicized through several major media outlets do to some associates of Apple who seemed to have misplaced the device (by the way, he didnt get a pink slip from Apple), it is likely that their is more to be revealed at the event. One of the most obvious (as speculators put it) features that is predicted to be announced is the inclusion of video conferencing, given the front-facing camera on the device, into the iPhone OS. Accompanying that feature, according to proven speculators, is the addition of a higher megapixel camera on the back of the device with very bright flash, longer battery life, advanced performance and a dramatically higher resolution display.

One thing that is interesting about this WWDC is that there is barely, if any, mention of the Mac OS X platform being discussed this year. From the headline image entailing thousands of app icons to the content descriptions depicting iPhone OS features, we dont see anything illustrating that Mac OS will be discussed, extensively anyway and as far as development is concerned. It has been reported a while back that Apple was shifting almost all of its attention to the iPhone OS while working on Mac OS in the shadows and saving its new developments for a later announcement. From the looks of things, though, it does not seem that the Mac will have a strong presence at WWDC this year.

With features such as Piles and four walls and a floor to throw your stuff around on, BumpTop’s interface is a versatile workspace to organize your files. It isn’t a Finder replacement, but if you like to organize your stuff in plain sight, such as multiple files relating to a project, or a bunch of pictures, you can resize them and place them on any of BumpTop’s surfaces. It’s also easy to quickly jot a note and literally throw it up onto the wall in front of you, sticking there to remind you about your son’s soccer game in two hours.

It’s a nice interface to be sure. It’s pretty, smooth, and is more like a 3D Spaces iteration for the files on your desktop. You can customize the images on each wall, and even double click the background to get a traditional 2D view of your desktop.

There’s two versions, free and paid (obviously). The pro version is the one with the Multitouch Gestures, like pinching to resize items, and swiping through individual items in your Piles. You also get Find-As-You-Type, useful for locating lost items in a crowded desktop. After all, you’ve got 5 surfaces to store stuff on, and if you utilize them, you’ll need this feature for sure. BumpTop also stays out of the way when using Spaces, Exposé, and QuickLook, letting you use these awesome integrated OS X features without a hiccup.

As much as I was impressed with the smoothness of the transitions between surfaces, I found the interface to be a little congested when used on my 13-inch MacBook Pro. Shrinking the files helped, though I liked the preview of photos, and shrinking those too much sort of killed that experience.

Additionally, I’m an avid GeekTool user, and with files in stacks and piles and on walls and such, the text files I display on my desktop with GT are obscured to say the least, if not unreadable and unusable sometimes.

Overall, it’s a great experience for those who love to see their files in front of them and use their mouse or trackpad. Quicksilver lovers will no doubt be unimpressed, but those loving nice graphics and wanting something new to try out against their traditional Mac desktop will be glad they gave it a shot. BumpTop is free to use without the Multitouch and other features, and the all-inclusive Pro version will run you 29 bucks.

When the app first starts, a scanned products screen is displayed which contains a database of everything that has been scanned. Items in this database can easily be deleted just like deleting an email. There is also the ability to email the product list to a specified email address. Scanning products is a breeze, when the scan button is pressed the iPhone utilizes its camera, a box will appear with an image in the background; line the image up with the barcode and it will automatically capture it. The best part is it will auto capture it when it gets a good read so there is no need to constantly take pictures over and over trying to get a good read.

On top of taking pictures there is also the ability to manually enter a barcode, which is also useful if a good scan cannot be obtained. When a product list is emailed out it will only display the items and a link to Google Products and Amazon so the prices can be seen there. It will not send the prices in the actual email, which was a bit of a disappointment.

When it comes to barcode scanning Red Laser isnt always perfect. It will not locate some products, which is understandable. The fact that it only searches Google Products and Amazon is a bit restrictive, Google Products does utilize a lot of websites, but a lot is not enough. When I search for cat food I would expect it to search all of the major pet retailers including Target, Wal-Mart, PetSmart, PetCo and so on but it only searched for the food in PetCo and other various online retailers. When I am buying cat food I am more interested in going down to the store instead of ordering online and paying for shipping. If this could be worked out it would be the perfect barcode app and would be well worth the $1.99. If you dont mind comparing online prices and ordering off of the internet then this app is well worth it, if you expect it to search all of your major local retailers then you will be disappointed.

If you’re having trouble coming up with an idea for a unique image for stand-by time, look no further as we dream up 5 fresh ideas for iPhone wallpaper.  And be sure to check out our comments for even more ideas from our readers!

The Space Age – The 1950′s was a special time.  World War II had ended, business was booming across America, and for the first time ever the world was on the brink of reaching the stars.  This lead to a boom in popular discussion and popular culture about what the future would look like.  Flying cars, houses on the moon, jetpacks — nothing was impossible!  And while the fantastic world we dreamed of more than 50 years ago never came to pass, artifacts of that idealized future can still be found strewn across the internet.  Why not check out some images of what we thought the future would look like and shrink them down to 320×480?

Telephones – The iPhone is many things to many people.  Email, GPS, Facebook, video camera…  the list goes on and on.  But how many of us actually use the thing as a phone?  Maybe you should choose a wallpaper that reminds you of its intended use.  The neat thing is, thanks to the long and storied history of the telephone, there are limitless possibilities for a hip photo opportunity.  Hand-crank phones, rotary phones, big ol’ 1980′s-style mobile phones — you name it, there’s a picture online.

Comic Book Covers – As a big comic book nerd growing up, it’s pretty easy for me to link great art with great comics.  Few things are as iconic or as personal  to a comics reader as a favorite cover, so why not share yours with the world?  Getting good scans of old comics covers used to be hard, but since 2006 one website has made it easy to find any comic cover you might be looking for – CoverBrowser.com.  With nearly half a million covers to choose from, I had very little difficulty in tracking down a specific Detective Comics cover that’s been haunting me since I was a kid.  Thanks CoverBrowser!

The Cold War – It may sound like a strange notion at first, but the Cold War brought to life some of the most unique imagery of the last 100 years.  Gas masks.  Soviet propaganda.  ICBM’s.  If you grew up any time before the fall of the Berlin Wall, you no doubt remember the daily threat of global thermonuclear war that quietly hung over all our heads.  Despite the terror it invoked at the time there’s a real kitsch nostalgia to the era and a rich photographic history to go along with it.  A quick search can find anything from Mickey Mouse breathing apparatuses to rusty old fallout shelter signs.

Video Game Art – I know what you’re thinking — using the latest screenshot from the hottest game just feels overdone and tacky.  But if you’re a gamer at heart and want to show some street cred, why not try and track down some tasteful shots or stellar fan art to show of your love of all things playable?  The screen above is a clip from 2008′s indie darling World of Goo (now available for Mac!) and offers up a great vibe without ever really feeling too fanboyish.  If you’re looking for fan art instead, you should do some searches on DeviantArt (here’s a personal favorite by NoBullet).

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As you have probably guessed by now, these are just one geek’s ideas and clearly cater to my own personal tastes. Maybe you loved these suggestions, maybe you hated them.  No matter how you felt I just hope it got you thinking a little bit more about the personality that can be added to every iPhone with just a simple image search on the web.

You’ve seen our ideas, but we’d love to see yours!  Tell us what you like to put on your iPhone standby screen.  Link to wallpapers you’ve used and loved.  Tear down that curtain and show us how cool your iPhone can be!

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A Few Words About iPhone Wallpaper: Setting your wallpaper is as easy as choosing an image from your Photos app and selecting wallpaper, but formatting it isnt always so easy.  You can always zoom and crop on the device, but if you want something thats going to really shine youll probably want to do some fiddling in a proper program.  Whether you prefer Photoshop, GIMP, or some free web-based alternative, you just need to know one thing:  iPhone wallpaper is 320×480 pixels.  Work within those dimensions and youre good to go no matter what image you choose.  (On a side note:  all of the wallpapers featured in this articles have been sized to 320×480, so they’re ready to use.)

Resources – While we’ve mentioned DeviantArt and CoverBrowser, there are a number of other simple but prolific options out there for finding great images.  Flickr is a terrific resource, as is the simple Google Image Search.  Check out different online communities and see what’s out there in the world of photography and art!

When it comes to depth of content, lets get one thing straight; the database in Movie Genie isn’t just IMDB-like, it is IMDB.  Less a movie database and more an method of presenting IMDB in an iPhone-friendly way, Movie Genie acts as your go between for IMDB when you’re on the go and it does what it does incredibly well.  The fine folks at IMDB have been dragging their heels on developing an iPhone app for far too long.  Now that Movie Genie is here, they may very well have regretted the wait.

Any actor, director, or film can be found in seconds via the search feature.  Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, the profile is streamlined to make for easy navigation.  At the top of each page are two tabs; one that brings up a person or projects details, and one that brings up the cast & crew or filmography.

The Details page offers up all of the relevant information that you would find in an IMDB profile that’s not pertaining to the list data on the second tab.  Plot, trivia, goofs, user reviews, taglines — you name it, it’s on there.  In fact the only thing that seemed to be missing were trailers, and even they won’t be gone for too long.  The developer currently has trailers slated for a future update.  To keep things streamlined, each of the items on the details page offers up only a few short lines of text.  If you want more, you can just click on the feature to get all of the information.  This makes sure that the Details page provides access to everything you could want without ever getting cluttered.

In addition to the basic search feature Movie Genie also lets you keep track of favorites so that you can revisit material at a later time.  If you’re a big fan of Pauly Shore for example (and who isn’t?) you can bookmark his IMDB profile to your favorites for a quick visit whenever it’s needed.  Even better than the favorites feature (which, lets be honest, was totally expected) is the history tab.  Just give it a quick click and see all of the pages you’ve visited in reverse chronological order (ie most recent first).

Because it uses IMDB as its source material, Movie Genie can help you keep track of more than just movies.  TV shows and video games are also organized here, as well as all of the people associated with them.  If you want to know all the video games Ron Gilbert has worked on or all the TV shows Norman Lear has produced, the information is all at your fingertips.

The only negative to be found with Movie Genie is its nearly total lack of offline functionality.  Because it depends on IMDB for its database resources, Movie Genie needs to remain online for it to work.  And while this should pose no problem for iPhone owners, iPod Touch users will be left out in the cold.  Sure they can browse explore and enjoy when near a wifi point, but let’s be honest — how much of this app’s appeal is for users sitting near a wireless router at home and how much is it for those wanting a point of refernece while in a video store?  Or settling an argument with a friend while out and about on the town?  The idea of Movie Genie is to have a movie database on-the-go.  For iPod Touch users, that simply isn’t the case.

Still, that’s not to say the app would have zero appeal to those who are stuck offline in public.  Let’s say you’ve used your favorites tab to assemble a list of movies you’d like to see.  That list will still be visible regardless of internet connection.  If you want to go any deeper than that though, like finding out who is in the movies on your list or reading a quick synopsis, you’re fresh out of luck.

The lack of offline functionality will definitely be a dealbreaker for a number of iPod Touch users, but when it comes to everybody else?  Movie Genie is easily the best movie reference tool in the iTunes App Store so far.  IMDB should consider dealing directly with developer Taylan Pince when they finally get around to developing an iPhone app, because they’d have a hard time topping what he’s produced with Movie Genie.

The first thing to be said about Postage is how good it looks. It has an amazing UI, and it is no wonder that in won an Apple Design Award this year. But it’s not just the UI that’s nice-looking, it’s the postcards you create as well that look great. And they’re easy to make It just takes a couple of steps.

The first step is to choose the style for the postcard. As of now, there are over 55 styles in 10 different categories, which is more than enough. In the preview of each style, it shows you exactly where the picture will go, and where the text will go too. After you have chosen a style, you can choose a picture from your iPhone’s photo library. It would be great if you could see a preview with the picture as you were browsing photos, but I think that is an issue of Apple not allowing direct access to photos, you must use the list. After you have selected a picture, you can add one of 7 effects, or keep it as-is. More effects would be nice, and maybe even sliders for exposure, and saturation. But, this is supposed to be a simple app that allows you to make a postcard in just a minute, so it is not a necessity.

The next step is text. With Postage, not only can you choose what it says, but you can also choose a font, text style and text color. There are 9 different fonts to choose from, all of which are very different. If they added more, some would look alike, and you might end up spending minutes trying to figure out which one looks best. So, maybe you should be happy there aren’t more. The styles are normal text styles: left, center or right-alligned and normal or bold. I’m surprised that italics are not in there though, but for a simple message, I’m not sure you’d usually need them.

The final step, but most important one, is the addresses. You can choose someone from your contacts, or just enter someone’s email address. And, you can choose any email address that it will be marked as being from. So, if you want to surprise them, but down a random email address. You can also choose to add the postcard to your photo library, so you can keep track of all the ones you send. I would have never thought of doing this, but it is a great idea. Then, once you have finished everything (and you can go back to the previous step at any point), you must click Send, and your postcard is complete.

Just as easy as Actually easier than Mailing an actual postcard and you can choose your own image, style and text style and it arrives almost instantly. All this for the (normal) price of ($4.99) about 8-10 postcards (with postage), and this allows you to send unlimited postcards. But as this is being written, Postage is 40% off, or just the price of ($2.99) 5-6 postcards (with postage). So, if you’re on vacation, or going on vacation soon, Postage can assure that you don’t have any angry relatives for not sending postcards What’s not to like? It’s available in the App Store through This link for only $2.99 as of now.

It’s this spirit of preservation that has allowed the underground world of digital comics to flourish.  Rather than risking damage to that Action Comics #71 you have tucked away for a down payment on a house, digital reproductions allow you to view the comics in your collection without ever taking them out of their protective plastic.  The lack of a decent portable program that allowed for the reading of these digital iterations has kept many a reader tied to their desktop… until now.

Comic Zeal allows you to transfer your digital comic book collection directly to your iPhone or iPod Touch, and presents you a number of great viewing options for reading.  Each page can be zoomed and navigated using the same tap and zoom mechanics that iPhone users have grown used to.  Comics can be read in landscape or portrait depending on your preference, with pages being flipped through by simply sliding your finger to advance through the story.  The fundamentals of page navigation, something that is at the core of any good comics reader, should be second nature to any iPhone user.

Clarity is the other cornerstone of a solid comics reader, and here too Comic Zeal excels.  While the default view even in landscape blurs the words a little too much too be readable, a light zoom fixes that right up.  And since you can still navigate from the zoom, you can simply set it once and forget it forever.  Presentation outside of an issue is just as good as inside.  Comics are displayed in “boxes” of series, which when clicked on will give you a cover view of every comic in that box.  It’s a nice touch, and a fantastic step up from the boring old text lists that most programs of this nature rely on.  Comics is a visual medium, and Comic Zeal embraces that fact.

Not everyone who loves comics has ventured into the world of digital reproductions, and unless you’re willing to scan your own or step into some of the internet’s shadier locales to download back-ups of comics you already own (MacApper in no way supports piracy, comic books are a dying medium, please support it!) you may not have much of a use for Comic Zeal.  Thankfully the developers at bitolithic recognized this and added some built in functionality for those looking to pick up some public domain comics to get a taste of something new.  Links to downloads from the indie superhero imprint Flashback Comics as well as a selection of Golden Age classics ranging from Atomic War to The Blue Beetle are available to anyone looking to expand their collection.

Despite these inclusions, Comic Zeal isn’t really aimed towards the reader with little previous experience with digital reprints.  Those with massive collections filling their hard drives have been dying to get their hands on a convenient portable reader that would allow them to read their collections.  Fantastic single issue iPhone apps have demonstrated the devices amazing capabilities pertaining to digital comics on the go, and while Comic Zeal can’t offer the amazing readability they do, it does allow you to port your comics to the iPhone with ease.

While one might hope for out-of-the-box support for the standard .cbr file type that most comics are read in, it’s not entirely the case.  Rather than reading .cbr files, Comic Zeal require you to convert your comics to their proprietary .cbi format via their freeware desktop application.  It may seem like a nuisance, but it makes a lot of sense when you see the reason behind it.  Traditional cbr’s exist at resolutions that are ridiculously high for iPhone usage.  Converting to cbi brings these down to a reasonable size, helping to conserve battery life by putting less strain on the processor.

When the app first launched there were endless hoops you’d have to jump through to get your files converted.  Before installing the desktop coversion software Comic Zeal Creator, you had to install supporting software.  Then you had to sort out server nonsense.  It was a mess.  Bit if past experiences with Creator turned you off of Comic Zeal, you might want to give it a second shot now that they’re released Creator’s successor, ComicZeal Sync.

Sync cuts out all the run around of it’s predecessor and opts for drag and drop simplicity.  After you drop an item into Sync, it will immediately begin the conversion.  If file names follow a certain structure, Sync should be able to sort out what file belongs to what series and keep your collection tidy without any first-hand involvement from you.  If your files aren’t that tidy, don’t worry.  While processing you can add basic info for the item such as series name, issue name, and issue number.  This will make sure that when you pop open Comic Zeal on the go everything is ready and waiting for you.  The only real problem here is that you can’t go back and edit that data after the file has been converted.  It’s not a major hassle, but it’s downright silly that the option to edit after conversion isn’t available.  And while you can also bulk convert, the necessity of providing correct info to keep your collection nice and neat kind of suggests that maybe you shouldn’t.

Syncing is a fairly painless process as well.  Clicking the sync button on the desktop app and the sync button in the iPhone app will get all of your new comics copied and sorted for you with no fuss or muss.  It’s all handled on the backend through the universally-acclaimed SyncDocs, so it’s highly unlikely you’ll find yourself running into data issues as a result.

The only real downside to the app, apart from the inability to edit your collection once converted, is how it underperforms compared to those single issue apps that exist for comics like Atomic Robo or The Terminator.  Being designed to specifically capture an individual issue means that each “page” can be a single panel, navigated frame by frame.  Using pre-existing scans simply doesn’t allow for that level of ease.  Despite this, ComicZeal offers up a fantastic experience for readers looking to take their collection on the go, even if it means they’ll have to pan and zoom to get through each page.

Unless Marvel and DC start to offer single issue downloads of their complete back catalogue in the AppStore, Comic Zeal will reign king as the premiere app for comic book lovers looking to take their favorites on the go.

Comic Zeal is available on the iTunes AppStore for $2.99.

Star Walk shows you all its information based on the time of day and your location. Using Apple’s location services, you must only allow it to find your current location, and everything else is automatic. If you would like to change the time of day you’re looking at, simply click on the Clock icon (in the upper-right corner) and you can change it. To navigate around the map, you just use pinching and dragging. There are even four markers for North, East, South and West so you know exactly where to look for a specific constellation. There is also a red line for the horizon making it, again, even easier to see where something is.

Star Walk is cool enough with just the ability to look around a virtual map. But, it also adds some other features. When you press on a constellation name (in the virtual sky), you will see a white drawing of it with the stars. This feature is great for showing to kids (and for helping one find the constellation). While the name is still selected, if you hit the “i” button, you will get more information. A “W” button will also appear allowing you to see a Wikipedia article on it.

Constellations are not the only things Star Walk knows. If you click on any star or planet on the screen, you can also hit the “i” button and get more information.

What I would say is one of the most important features that Star Walk carries is its search. If you hit the search button (lower-left corner), you can search for stars, constellations, planets and messier. If the object is visible to you, its name will be in white, if not, they name will be grayed out. When you click on one, it will take you there on the map. This makes it so easy to find what you want.

Star Walk also includes some nice preferences. The first one is night mode, which basically turns everything into a red-ish color. There is also the ability to turn of the pictures of constellations and sounds. And finally, you can adjust the brightness of stars, planets, etc. All of these can be accessed from the button in the lower-right corner.

Star Walk costs $4.99 in the App Store and is the International Year of Astronomy 2009′s official product. It is extremely intuitive and also provides many features for amateurs and even pros. Anyone who likes watching the stars (and has an iPhone or iPod Touch) needs this app.

Buddy the Bus offers up a 21st century take on the book-and-record sets we used to get as kids.  Back then you’d dig out your Fisher-Price turntable and listen to the narrator read along with the story.  Now that we live in “the future,” both audio and book are magically transported as one package in this totally free app.  Your kids can pop in their headphones and listen along as Buddy the Bus takes his passengers all over the town.

Baby Flash Cards is, to no ones suprise, exactly what it sounds like.  Flash cards are considered by many to be a great way to stimulate a child’s mind.  But why shell out $5-$10 for a set of real cards when you can get a fantastic free set right here?  The free set included in Baby Flash Cards features a variety of real world objects and animals paired up with their matching words.  Cards can be explored alphabetically or randomly, and you can set it so that all the info is on the card at once or the words are hidden until you touch them.

SimpleDraw proves one solid universal truth: kids LOVE coloring.  It’s timeless.  Give a kid in 12th century Mongolia a crayon and he’ll know what to do with it in seconds.  So it should come as no surprise that the one app my 2 year old is always trying to wrestle away my iPod for is the one she calls “COLOR!!”  SimpleDraw’s name couldn’t be more accurate.  You can select from a handful of colors and brush thicknesses, but asides from that things are kept alarmingly minimalist.  Your little one can just put a finger on the screen and go to town.

Children’s Classics let’s you put the tradition of reading with you’re kids right in your pocket.  Sure you could ask your child to sit quietly and patiently on that long train trip/airport wait/doctor’s office visit, but wouldn’t it be more fun to break out the bedtime stories in the middle of the afternoon?  Children’s Classics offers up 16 classics children’s reads ranging from Pinnochio and Robin Hood to Aesop’s Fables and The Secret Garden.  If you find your family is really digging it, make sure to do a search on the AppStore for BeamItDown Software.  Not only have they pblished this great collection, but they have a number of other classic family stories like Alice in Wonderland or A Christmas Carol available completely free of charge.

myHomework is an app that every iPhone/iPod toting student should own, and every parent encourage.  myHomework lets a child keep track of their class schedule, assignments, tests and other school activities.  Even better, it has color coded reminders to let them know when something is about to come due or has missed a deadline.  Organization is a cornerstone to success, and what better developmental task to apply this to than the daily juggle of academia?

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  There are many apps, both paid and free, that prove to be a great resource for parents the world over.  What iPhone apps do you share with your kids?