IphoneApps -- Engadget Mobile

IphoneApps posts

'Endless Racing Game' iPhone demo video isn't endless, is endlessly entertaining

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 2nd 2009 @ 10:28AM

We're not going to bore you with details, but we are going to tell you that it's more than worth your while to watch this demo video for the iPhone title "Endless Racing Game." We can't attest to how fun (or not fun) the game is to play, but the clip is certainly worth your 90 seconds of attention. Check it out after the break.

[Thanks, Lena]

Continue reading 'Endless Racing Game' iPhone demo video isn't endless, is endlessly entertaining

Jibbigo iPhone app translates from English to Spanish and back again

by Laura June posted Oct 30th 2009 @ 10:37AM

Jibbigo is a recently released iPhone app which promises to help you out the next time you're desperately trying to make yourself understood by your Spanish-speaking compadres. The app is capable of recording a sentence and translating it -- essentially in real time -- back to you. As you can see in the screencap above, you can speak either Spanish or English, and the translator will do its work, displaying both your original and a translation into the other language. The dictionary contains about 40,000 words, and the app is aimed at travelers. Jibbigo also requires the iPhone 3GS to make use of the bi-directional translation tools, and the app also reportedly functions a heck of a lot slower on anything other than the 3G. The app is available now for $24.99.

[Via, iPodnn]

Free iPhone apps can now include in-app purchases

by Ross Miller posted Oct 15th 2009 @ 6:11PM

One of Apple's many curious restrictions on iPhone apps has now been lifted. It used to be that, in order for developers to have microtransactions / in-app purchases, they had to charge something upfront for the software, essentially requiring consumers to pay at least twice, or not at all. Well, all that's changed, as the company has sent word to its developer community that the restriction has been lifted, meaning those annoying "Lite" and "Full" versions cluttering the app store can now be one and the same, with folks downloading the demo and paying to upgrade from within the app itself, a model that's worked to success in other software ecosystems like Xbox Live. Sure, there's gonna be developers out there that abuse the newly-minted business model, but it's not like anything was stopping them before when they charged $2 upfront only to get you again later. The mass email announcement is reprinted after the break. [Warning: read link requires iPhone developer account]

[Via Daring Fireball]

Continue reading Free iPhone apps can now include in-app purchases

David Hockney paints with his iPhone, results not typical

by Laura June posted Oct 11th 2009 @ 9:36AM

Artist David Hockney isn't afraid of picking up new media -- over the years, he's used Polaroids, photocollages, and even fax machines to create his art -- in addition to regular, old-fashioned painting. Now, he's taken to using his iPhone to create new works of art. The resultant "paintings" have been exhibited at the Tate Gallery and Royal Academy in London, as well as galleries in Los Angeles and Germany. Like artist Jorge Colombo (whose iPhone fingerpainting was featured on the cover of The New Yorker), Hockney uses the iPhone app Brushes to create his works. In an interview with the New York Review of Books, Hockney notes that he prefers and still uses the original version of the app, not the more recent updates. Hmm... maybe the reason our own Brushes paintings stink is because we're using the update!

[Via All Things D]

TomTom's Car Kit for iPhone will be your co-pilot in October

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 4th 2009 @ 2:31PM

Well, it just passed through the FCC last week, and it looks like TomTom itself is now finally getting a bit more specific about when its new Car Kit for iPhone will start shipping. While it's still not providing an exact date just yet, the company's newly-updated FAQ now says that the device will be available directly from TomTom sometime this October. What's more, the company also says that the kit (which also works with the iPod touch) will be initially sold without the TomTom iPhone app, contrary to what was previously rumored, although it's not clear if a bundle with the app will also be available at a later date.

[Via NaviGadget]

Google Voice app GV Mobile ported to jailbroken iPhones, web app version in the works

by Ross Miller posted Jul 28th 2009 @ 9:02PM

So well-mannered, straight-laced iPhone users got a pretty big slap in the face yesterday by way of Apple's (and AT&T's, no doubt) total Google Voice rejection. Looks like jailbreakers are picking up the pieces, as GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs -- whose app was in the iTunes store for some time before being yanked yesterday -- has ported the Voice client over to Cydia free of charge, although donations are gladly accepted. Even more interesting, but less concrete, Kovacs said he was already working on a web app version, possibly for submission to Palm's app catalog. No word on the fate of GVdialer, an app that was also unceremoniously pulled, but we wouldn't be surprised if it followed in similar footsteps.

Read - GV Mobile now on Cydia
Read - Sean Kovacs on Twitter

SoundAMP hearing aid app for iPhone unleashed on our delicate ears

by Laura June posted Jul 9th 2009 @ 10:29AM

We've just caught wind of a new app for the iPhone / iPod touch... should you be either a little hard of hearing or a little nosy. SoundAMP works a lot like those Sonic Earz you see on the infomercials -- you run the app with your earbuds plugged in, and then sit back and enjoy listening to the sweet sounds of whatever's going on around you -- only louder. The app allows you to control volume and tone, and you can also replay the last 30 seconds of what you've been hearing -- in case you missed something particularly juicy. Now, personally, we put in the earbuds and crank up the tunes to shut out the outside world, but if this is your kind of thing -- it's available in the iTunes store right now for $9.99. [Warning: read link takes you to the iTunes store]

[Via CNET]

Email'n'Walk iPhone app finally lets us leave the house

by Nilay Patel posted May 14th 2009 @ 9:53PM

We can't believe it's taken this long for an app to do this, but Phase2 Media's Email'n'Walk app overlays an email composition window over live video from your iPhone's camera, allowing you to pound out messages while avoiding sidewalk-hogging obstacles. We just wish it didn't rely on the actual Mail app for sending and it'd be nice if it handled SMS as well, but obviously Apple's not going to let that happen. Free in the App Store for now.

[Thanks, Becky; warning: iTunes read link]

Vinyl record iPod touch app gives you the spins

by Laura June posted Apr 28th 2009 @ 8:36PM

Vinyl has been on the verge of a big-time comeback for ages now (and for some of us, it never ceased to be the format of choice anyway), so we're pretty happy to see that even the land of zany iPhone / iPod touch apps is no longer immune to its charms. The spinning vinyl app by Theodore Watson makes use of the iPod's accelerometer to control the speed that the "record" is played at. The video (which is after the break) might make you a little sick when you watch it, but it sounds great. Analog rules, doesn't it?

[Via Make]

Continue reading Vinyl record iPod touch app gives you the spins

DirecTV's free iPhone app manages 100k downloads in a week

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 7th 2009 @ 8:11PM

Shockingly enough, people seem to be interested in the possibility of easily browsing TV schedules and programming their DirecTV DVR from the iPhone / iPod Touch, for free. Available for just one week so far, it's already ticked over 100,000 downloads so yeah, it's popular, our only question is what's next? You've probably checked it out by now, let us know what features need to be changed or added, or just tee off on the fact that your TV or cellphone provider hasn't unveiled a similar setup yet, we're listening.

DirecTV iPhone app now available

by Richard Lawler posted Mar 30th 2009 @ 3:21PM

All those eagerly anticipating the DirecTV iPhone application, and all its remote scheduling, program browsing capability can download it right now from the App Store. All that's required is iPhone software 2.2.1 or higher; anyone can pick it up to check out channel listings, but you'll need a DirecTV subscription and DirecTV Plus DVR (models R15, R16, R22), DirecTV Plus HD DVR (models HR20, HR21, HR23) or TiVo Series 2 receivers with 6.4a software registered to DirecTV.com to take advantage of the remote scheduling over WiFi, EDGE or 3G. And did we mention that it's free?

XRoad G-Map iPhone navigation map gets reviewed, patted on the back

by Darren Murph posted Mar 9th 2009 @ 11:16PM

While the world waits for a tried-and-true navigation app from Apple, XRoad is taking advantage of the situation by offering up its G-Map app in the interim. Kicking Tires decided to take the new software for a spin, and while the map quality took a pretty harsh beating, the overall offering was highly praised. More specifically, not every street name was present during testing, meaning that you had to rely implicitly on the turn-by-turn instructions if you weren't familiar with your surroundings. Outside of that, however, it seemed to nail all the important points. Accuracy, routing, ease of use and design were all smiled upon, and it seems critics gave the street name snafu a bit of a break with the hope of future updates solving the issues. If you're still a touch hesitant to drop your hard-earned cash, give that read link a gentle tap.

[Thanks, Ronald]

XRoad G-Map app brings bona fide navigation to the iPhone

by Darren Murph posted Dec 23rd 2008 @ 1:39PM

At long last, iPhone users who have grown increasingly frustrated by using Google Maps as their primary navigational tool can find relief... sort of. Available right now in the App Store, XRoad's G-Map application requires no internet connection whatsoever in order to function; rather, it packs oodles of maps into a 932MB package that covers most of western America and a few sporadic locales on the east. We're a bit baffled (and angered) by the not-at-all-comprehensive coverage, but we suppose we can expect updates to patch the gaps in the near future. It provides most of the same amenities you're used to seeing on real-deal GPS units, including POI editing, memo capabilities, location searching, etc. A word of caution, though: early reviews don't seem too stoked about it, so you may want to gloss it over good before hitting your card for $19.99.

[Thanks, Karel]

Gallery: XRoad G-Map app brings bona fide navigation to the iPhone

Mobispine pens tell all about their iPhone MMS app, doesn't exactly tell all

by Laura June posted Nov 24th 2008 @ 11:07AM

We've heard a few things about the Mobispine MMS app supposedly being developed for the iPhone, but the company's just answered a lot of questions, and we thought we'd give you a quick rundown. Interestingly, the app will utilize Apple's announced but delayed push notification, which Mobispine says is due "pretty soon," though carriers may use SMS notification in lieu of the service. The company says that the app will be carrier-branded, and that it will be up to them how much to charge you, the MMS-starved consumer. Mobispine says that the software will "probably" be made available through the App Store, "probably" because it's still in some vague phase of development, and has yet to be approved by Apple. Just let us know when the thing is ready, okay guys?

[Thanks, Carlos]

Tether your iPhone, wirelessly. Maybe. (updated with video)

by Nilay Patel posted Jul 31st 2008 @ 9:02PM

We're not sure how this one got past Apple's App Store censors, but the clever kids at Nullriver have released what appears to be the first tethering solution for the iPhone. The $10 NetShare app is just a SOCKS proxy that links an ad-hoc WiFi network to the iPhone's 3G or EDGE connection -- and if we could get it to work, we'd probably think it was a fine, if hacky, solution to a major limitation of Steve's baby. As it stands, though, the instructions are pretty sparse, and while we can get the app to recognize a connection, we're not able to actually load anything. We're not sure how long this one's going to last -- anyone else willing to give it a shot before it gets yanked?

[Thanks, Zoli; Warning, link opens iTunes]

Update: Aaaaand it's offline. Shocking.

Update 2: We've added our own video hands-on after the break.

Continue reading Tether your iPhone, wirelessly. Maybe. (updated with video)