App Store has gone live

Section: Apple News, Retail & Apple Store, iPhone + Communications, iPhone SDK & AppsYes, it is true. Apple has launched the App Store, the NDA is lifted and now everyone can finally talk about their applications! The store went live this morning with about 550+ applications, ranging from Super Monkey Ball to an Abacus (for only $0.99, you can count and calculate on this fully customizable abacus!). If you would like to get in on all of the App Store good-ness, downloading iTunes 7.7 (Apple’s site still lists 7.6, but Software Update has 7.7) will let you purchase applications from the store. At the time of writing, there wasn’t an “official” link to the App Store from the iTunes homepage, but you can access it by following one of the links above, or by going into preferences of 7.7, and checking the box that will have “Applications” show up in your iTunes sidebar. Searching for an application in iTunes will also bring up it’s information page. There is quite a selection available right off the bat, so those of you who have iPhones and iPod Touches have plenty to play around with. Now all that’s left is for Apple to release the iPhone 2.0 update so that you can actually use these applications on your device. Keep an eye out on the App Store, as more applications are expected to be added in the coming days. Full Story » | Written by Greg Healy for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

US iPhone, App Store mania builds as iPhone 2.0 launch nears

Even though the iPhone 3G won't be out in the US until tomorrow, users are already getting new software a day early. An update to iTunes, the launch of MobileMe, the introduction of the App Store, and some leaked iPhone 2.0 firmware offer plenty of pre-iPhone Day entertainment. Read More...

iPhone 3G at one million sold and counting, App Store hits 10 million downloads

You hear of this new iPhone 3G thing? Doing pretty well, or so we hear. Apple says they sold one million of 'em this weekend worldwide, compared to the 74 days it took them to hit one million with the last generation. So far the little bugger has invaded 21 countries, with France next on its hit list on July 17. Oh, and that App Store isn't doing too bad for itself either, with 10 million downloads so far to iPhone 3Gs, updated iPhones and iPod touches. No breakdown yet on paid apps versus free apps, but Jared is free, and that's all that matters. However, the saddest fact in all of this is that bunches of suckers enthusiastic fans are queued up at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store this morning in New York (pictured), showing either a level of devotion to this little plastic bauble, or of complete disregard for their jobs, which is altogether frightening. Read - One million iPhone 3Gs sold Read - 10 million App Store downloadsPermalink | Email this | Comments

Apple to comic book fans: get your decapitations elsewhere

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iTunes, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, iPhone SDK & AppsSeems that software developers aren’t the only ones having trouble getting their content into the app store, although I can’t image most are being rejected for the same reason as Infurious. Their digital comic Murderdrome has been “banned” from the iTunes App Store for “… breaking Apple’s content guidelines.” Infurious explains that, “This is due to the part of the sdk that suggests content must NOT offend anyone in ‘apple’s reasonable’ opinion.” Apparently, Apple feels the stabbing people in the face with a machete, hacking off their head and throwing into a hole in the wall for sport might offend someone. Go figure. When I hear stories like this, my first thought is always, “Well, what did you expect?” To their credit, though, Infurious aren’t calling for a boycot of Apple or asking us to flood them with requests to allow the comic in the App Store, they want us to rally behind their idea that Apple should implement a content ratings system for the App Store. But, would that really work? Murder, Satan, and gore! Gore! GORE! after the break. The problem with all of this is that Murderdrome is just a comic built into a comic reader app, which I think is just called Comic Reader (codename “Kirby"). The Infurious site is doing a terrible job of splitting the two, so it’s not really even clear what has been banned, the app or the comic. In their press release, Infurious explains they offer a service where you can submit your comic to them, and they’ll apply it to “Kirby” and go through the process of getting it into the App Store. Or, you can license the code to publish your own comics, but they really don’t explain this process on their site. The video below shows “Kirby” in action. Regardless, their first attempt at this process was blocked by Apple, apparently because of the violent imagery used in Murderdrome (although I haven’t seen any comment from Apple confirming this to be the reason). Infurious points out that violent, R rated movies are available through iTunes, and there’s certainly no shortage of music with violent themes. The only difference between those and the Murderdrome comic is that they’ve received ratings; parents are warned of the content ahead of time. It would make sense, then, for Apple to just rate the comic, right? Wrong. Apple is not in the business of rating content. Movies are rated by MPAA, games by the ESRB, and music by...uh...Tipper Gore? I can’t remember. It’s asking Apple quite a bit to set up a ratings committee to evaluate everything that goes through the Apple Store. It’s much easier (and cheaper) to tell a developer, “Sorry, it offends, be gone,” via their ambiguous rules than to defend those rules against angry parents, teams of lawyers, churches, slighted developers, etc. after said content hits the market. So, Apple is just playing it cautiously for now, I’m guessing. The App Store is in its infancy; as it develops, the company will learn how to handle content such as Murderdrome and figure out a way to get that content in without offending (or frightening off) a larger number of customers. Will demanding that Apple implement a ratings system push this along? Of course not. Infurious is not going to get enough people behind their cause to make an impression, and it’s not as if Apple is hurting for content to place in the App Store. Even if Murderdrome’s banning from the App Store were to make headlines in the major media, it would generally be conceived as good press for Apple. “See? Apple loves our children! They’re protecting them from the ghastly cartoons that would surely lead to lives of crime and villainy and the marijuana!” Instead, if Murderdrome fans really want to see a ratings system in the App Store, find some content already in there that could be questionable and protest it. I don’t know where to look, though...maybe Magic Orakul’s use of mystical (and likely Satanic) powers? Wine Snob’s promotion of alcoholism and elitism (amongst Satanists)? Big Bang Sudoku’s attack on Intelligent Design and rampant use of Satanism (the numbers 666 can appear on the board at any time)? Get the right people fired up about apps like that, and you’ll have your ratings system in no time. Unitl then, comic book fans will just have to look elsewhere to get their fix of violent sports, decapitations, and biting social satire on our current judicial system. Say...a bookstore, perhaps, where over-the-top violence is good and acceptable because it’s “literature”? Oh, and I also suggest you check out the reader comments about the Murderdrom ban on the Infurious Blog. The “soap-boxing” there is downright hilarious. Ah, the ideals of youth. How quickly they’ll learn… Via [Infurious Comics] Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh/iPhone software update round-up - November 13, 2008

Section: Software + Apps, Miscellaneous, Third-Party, iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, Mac + Computers, SoftwareMacintosh and iPhone software updates and announcements for November 13, 2008: Boinx Software has announced BoinxTV 1.0, a revolutionary live-production software for video podcasters that turns any recent Mac into a TV studio. BoinxTV is an audiovisual mixing application for recording high quality video podcasts, sports events, concerts, interviews, sermons, lectures, seminars and more using just your Mac and up to three cameras. With its innovative user interface, BoinxTV makes it easy to create professional ‘TV style’ recordings, setting a new quality level in the production of video podcasts. Warhorse Games & Candystand.com have released Blackbeard’s Assault for iPhone and iPod touch. The object of this fast-paced puzzle game is to remove all the balls as they travel along a path. Simply tap where you want to fire. When you match the or more balls of the same color, the group will be removed and you will earn points. Wellington based IMS Ltd. has announced Kana 1.1, an update to their Japanese quiz game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique abilities and interface, Kana assists in learning and speeding up recollection of Japanese hiragana and katakana. It’s perfect for manga readers, Japanese students, or children and family members of mixed Japanese families. unmarked software has announced the release and immediate availability of TextSoap 6.0.1, an update to its text processing utility for Mac OS X. The TextSoap 6.0.1 update is a maintenance release that fixes a number of reported issues and adds several minor enhancements, including plugin support for Coda 1.6. Take total control of text and its style. With a single menu selection TextSoap 6 brings unique processing power to users from within their favorite application. Hands-On Mobile, Inc., a leading developer of connected games and applications, today announced that one of the 1980’s favorite games, Crystal Quest, is now available for iPhone and iPod touch from the Apple App Store. Crystal Quest made its first appearance on the Macintosh in 1987, and has progressively grown its fan base throughout the years. Delivering a unique combination of therapeutic enjoyment and intense, adrenalin-boiling arcade action, the player’s objective is to collect enough crystals to open a gateway to advance to the next level. Milk Farm Software has announced the launch of the new product, Chronograph. Chronograph is a Mac OS X time tracking application. List your projects, divide them into tasks and start the timer; it is as easy as that! With its intuitive interface, Chronograph makes time-tracking and reports-generation as unobtrusive as possible. Veveo has announced the launch of its WikiTap application, now available for both the iPhone and T-Mobile G1 (Google Android). WikiTap lets iPhone and G1 users quickly and easily search Wikipedia to get the most relevant results from the first keystroke. The WikiTap application also allows users to actively enhance and expand multimedia content relevant to an entry by uploading photos and videos.  It is the first Wikipedia application developed for the iPhone and Android that allows people to not only read articles, but micro-contribute multimedia on the go, searchable by other members of WikiTap community. Speck today began selling their popular line of ultra-thin SeeThru hard-shell cases for the iPod nano 4G and iPod touch 2G. Presented in a wide array of colorful options, these compact, protective cases are available at Apple Stores, apple.com or speckproducts.com. Jumsoft has finally Keynote Photos 3.0, a collection of more than 300 textured photographs. Keynote Photos 3.0 fills the presentation creation gaps in Jumsoft’s Keynote theme and illustration add-ons. More than 300 textured and solid-colored photographs, all compatible with Apple’s highest Keynote slide resolution of 1024x768 ppi, allow users to utilize pro-photographers blinks to illustrate that special idea. Intrinsic Development Corp. Limited launches new iPhone Developer Training Course in the UK, offering developers endless opportunities in this exciting, dynamic market. With the ever increasing market share of the iPhone globally and in the UK, this is an inspiring time for mobile platform developers and programmers. There are new opportunities for discussion, interaction, and learning about the platform, frameworks, tools and languages that are used to create applications for this amazing new platform. ProteMac has announced ProteMac Meter 1.2, their network Activity monitor and network traffic logger utility for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, ProteMac Meter allows control network activity for each application on your Mac, showing you exactly what was transmitted and to where. The capability to audit what flows in and out of every piece of software is critical for security aware users. ProteMac Meter provides real-time network processes (applications and services) monitoring and shows the history of every network activity. Freeverse today announced the release of Burning Monkey Casino, the most stylish and entertaining casino game ever to hit the iPhone and iPod Touch. Whether your game is Video Poker, Blackjack, or Slots, the Burning Monkey Casino is open 24 hours a day with ultra-mod lighting, major payouts, and a friendly and simple interface. IGG Software has announced the release of Spoilage, its first handheld game product. Spoilage is an addictive game with subtle, chess-like strategy and basic, checkers-like moves. A single game can be played in just minutes, so you never need a large time commitment. The game is available exclusively via download from Apple’s App Store for use on iPhones and the iPod Touch. Zynga, the largest social gaming network, announced today the launch of “Live Poker,” the first truly live game on the iPhone. The game, a mobile version of Zynga’s popular Texas Hold’Em game, turns the iPhone into an always-on social gaming device. Agent 18 has announced their iPod touch 2G case line. With new iPod touch 2G cases in the popular styles of EcoShield, ClearShield and FlowerVest, Agent 18 has yet again created iPod cases that add aesthetic appeal while still providing premium protection. Hercules, the computer DJ and entertainment specialist, expands their successful XPS branded multimedia speakers with the new XPS 2.150 Multimedia Speaker. This modern system delivers performance and style with a black high gloss finish and subwoofer at a great price. Perfect for a contemporary home and just in time for the holiday gift giving season, the XPS 2.150 will be available for $69.99 at Dell.com, Amazon.com, Buy.com and NewEgg.com this December. GarageGames has announced that their flagship game engine, Torque Game Engine Advanced (TGEA), now supports Mac OSX. This project is just the most recent of many in 2008 that demonstrate their continued commitment to the Mac platform. Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

So Hot Right Now: Top 10 Appletell posts for the week of August 03, 2008

Section: Apple NewsHaven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! iPhone nano!? Rumors point to “yes”“ If Daily Mail is to be trusted, then there is a possibility of a new iPhone nano dropping before the end of the year.  The article breathes new fire into the…” MORE »Appletell giveaway - Speck and Griffin cases for the original iPhone“ Pity we poor, original iPhone owners, right? We see all these great new cases coming out for the iPhone 3G, while it’s pretty much the same ol’ same ol’ for us. What happened to the love? Where’s the excitement?…” MORE »Better e-mail management comes to iPhone“Apple has an odd habit of slipping unannounced changes into their updates, and sometimes those updates slip right past us, too. Such is the case with the iPhone’s Mail program. Although sending and receiving e-mail has always been a breeze, managing…” MORE »iPhone Firmware 2.0.1 is Live!“ Apple has just unleashed the latest iPhone and iPod Touch firmware update to the interwebs. The update is said to address numerous “Bug fixes.” It’s 249MB, and that’s about as much detail as can be found right now.…” MORE »Apple is producing how many iPhones!?!?“If you have been waiting eagerly for your local Apple Store to receive some iPhones, wait no longer. According to TechCrunch, Foxconn, Apple’s Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer, is producing iPhone 3Gs at a rate of 800,000 per week. Doing some quick…” MORE »Jobs admits Apple was wrong (gasp!) [Update]“According to Ars Technica, Steve Jobs sent an e-mail to Apple employees last night admitting that MobileMe was launched too early.  “It was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and…” MORE »Is this the new MacBook in an aluminum case?“ These pictures come from the same source, Apple Pro (via Engadget), as the last MacBook Pro aluminum case redesign rumor you may have seen. The picture shows a…” MORE »Apple pulls Box Office app“The iTunes App Store has seen a wide range of submissions, some of which Apple has deemed unacceptable. Apple has now gotten rid of the popular Box Office app, which displays Rotten Tomatoes film ratings on your iPhone/iPod touch. However, it seems…” MORE »Feral Interactive talks about their Legends Series of Mac games“ Last Thursday, the good folks at Feral Interactive announced they’d be publishing Sid Meier’s Pirates! for the Mac. Having been a huge fan of the game back in its Apple IIGS incarnation, I was both surprised…” MORE »Use SSH on your non-jailbroken iPhone with TouchTerm!“ Have you needed to have an SSH tunnel to your personal machine while on the go? If so, TouchTerm from the App Store may be a great solution for you. This application allows you to gain…” MORE » Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »