Palm App catalog hits 1,000 apps... okay, 946

Hey, good news everybody! The Palm App Catalog, which has lagged far behind its peers, has reached the 1,000 app milestone as of this morning. Well, to be precise, it's hit 946, as pointed out by Electronista, but still, it's a nice little sign of growth for the webOS apps, whose development was hampered by very restricted initial access to its Mojo SDK. In comparison to contenders such as Android, whose catalog numbers around 20,000, and Apples iTunes store, which boasts over 100,000, Palm's...

Hey, good news everybody! The Palm App Catalog, which has lagged far behind its peers, has reached the 1,000 app milestone as of this morning. Well, to be precise, it's hit 946, as pointed out by Electronista, but still, it's a nice little sign of growth for the webOS apps, whose development was hampered by very restricted initial access to its Mojo SDK. In comparison to contenders such as Android, whose catalog numbers around 20,000, and Apples iTunes store, which boasts over 100,000, Palm's numbers are extremely modest -- but progress is progress, especially considering it launched its App Catalog in June with just 30 apps. We look forward to hearing Palm's CES keynote, that's for sure.Palm App catalog hits 1,000 apps... okay, 946 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Electronista  | Email this | Comments

  • Palm's webOS gets a couple more apps -- are the floodgates opening?

    We're doing our darnedest not to be recklessly optimistic here, but after weeks and weeks of nothing, a few new somethings have sauntered into Palm's App Catalog. If you'll recall, we actually heard earlier this month that said catalog was destined to get some serious additions in the near future, and we're hoping that the surfacing of these two is a sign of things to come. Announced this morning over on Palm's official blog, OpenTable and Fliq Bookmarks are now available to download on the Pre. The former allows hungry owners to secure themselves a spot at a nearby eatery, while the latter works with The Missing Sync for Palm Pre to transfer Safari bookmarks from your desktop (Mac for now, PC coming soon) to the Pre. Sure, it's not like these two are the killer apps we've been longing for, but at this point, any progress is great progress.Filed under: Cellphones, SoftwarePalm's webOS gets a couple more apps -- are the floodgates opening? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed

    Steve Jobs back to work at AppleOf course, we'd been hearing of Steve's continual involvement in "key aspects" of Apple's business for a while now, so this seems like more of a rubber stamp on the status quo than a major change, Acer poised to beat Dell, become number two PC makerThat's a big deal -- no non-US company has ever made it so high -- and it's interesting that the strategies Acer took to get there are the same things Dell's been trying to do lately. Windows Marketplace launching with 600 apps, or one bazillion times what the App Catalog hasDepending on your perspective, that's either ridiculously anemic -- the iPhone's App Store has a couple orders of magnitude more currently available, for example -- or a veritable cornucopia. Other news of import 13-year-old trades iPod for Walkman, reports on mysterious ancient artifact Comcast launches High-Speed 2go WiMax service tomorrow in Portland, other cities to follow by end of year Palm's Mojo SDK beta for webOS leaks into the wild Supreme Court declines to hear remote storage DVR appeal, cloud recording is on the wayOf course, there's benefits to having a locally stored copy of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, but just in case we forgot to queue up a recording, ... Nokia, Apple, RIM and others agree on micro-USB phone charger standard for EuropeWhile the free-market works pretty well when, uh, left alone to be free, sometimes it needs a push from a visible hand. Canal+ live & on-demand TV comes to French Xbox 360s ASUS unleashes USB 2.0 Blu-ray drive -- government denies knowledge Hack: use Google Voice to add visual voicemail to your G1, Dream, or Magic Palm Pre gets upgraded to 1.0.4: homebrew installs via email dead for now Sprint follows Boost, gets Motorola Clutch i465 this summer The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed

    MacBook Pro 17-inch unibody reviewWill previous 17-inch fans find a slam dunk or a dud underneath the unibody exterior? Amazon's Kindle for iPhone hits the App StoreSure, Amazon could pit the Kindle squarely against phone- and PDA-based e-book apps, but why not play both sides? Sprint's Palm Treo Pro set to make its debut on March 15thWell, March 15th looks like launch day for Sprint's Palm Treo Pro, and it's about time, after all, we've seen it rumored, unboxed, reviewed, and now finally you'll get a chance to pick one up. Other news of import iMac (early 2009) unboxing and hands-on Apple Mac mini (GeForce 9400M) unboxing and hands-on NAB throws down, sues FCC over white space internet Check out all our CeBIT 2009 coverage ZillionTV brings ad-based streaming content to the televisionJust in case hooking up ZeeVee's ZvBox and getting access to all available online media is too difficult, there's ZillionTV. RIM names its app store 'BlackBerry App World'What's bigger than a store, a market, or a catalog? A whole frigging world, that's what. Slumdog Millionaire goes from Academy Awards stage to Blu-ray disc March 31 Ask Engadget HD: Easiest-to-use HD media streamer? HTC's rumored 2009 lineup gets fleshed out with specs, dates Reception issues with North American Nokia 5800s to be fixed with firmware? The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • Palm's app store christened App Catalog, games not a priority

    Following an apparent rejection of our suggestion of "Immaculate Collection," Palm's Developer Network site suggests that the official name of its app store for webOS is simply going to be "App Catalog". The name isn't terribly important, but the concept is critical -- every mobile platform of consequence is moving in the direction of intelligent, on-the-go app management, and with the Pre, Palm can't afford to be any different in that regard.Outside Palm's inner circle of trusted partners, the webOS SDK (playfully named "Mojo") won't be released to would-be app developers until we get closer to the Pre's launch, but we know a few key details. First off, as "webOS" implies, apps written for the platform are web-based -- HTML, JavaScript, that sort of stuff -- but unlike Apple's original vision for the iPhone, Palm's going to include libraries that allow devs to tap in to the Pre's hardware capabilities and interact closely with services exposed by the operating system. For users, that means apps are hopefully going to be rich and powerful, but graphically intensive, heavily interactive things -- think games, mainly -- aren't likely to happen. That's not to say Palm won't eventually offer a binary SDK, but the tools they appear to be offering up front won't get the job done, and we've confirmed in talking to Palm that Pre gaming was never a priority for the company during the development cycle. In a nutshell: Tetris, yes; Tetrisphere, not so much.[Via Mobile Roar]Filed under: Cellphones, HandheldsPalm's app store christened App Catalog, games not a priority originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • Engadget Podcast 187 - 03.13.2010

    How many SDK's does it take to screw in a light bulb? You won't find the answer in this week's leaky edition of the Engadget Podcast Show, but you will get an exclusive chance to peer into the future of Paul Miller's voiceover career. Hosts: Josh Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: MPC2059 - The Beyonce Error Hear the podcast 00:01:40 - iPad pre-order is go -- will you buy one? 00:08:37 - iPad mute switch magicked into a 'screen rotation lock' overnight, a flurry of other tidbits emerge 00:14:18 - Leaked Dell Streak flyer shows multitude of color options, confirmed specifications 00:14:35 - Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': exclusive pictures and details (update: video!) 00:16:35 - Leak: Microsoft Pink phones coming to Verizon, on shelves April 20th? 00:24:42 - JooJoo revamps interface ahead of launch, adds local video playback -- and changes color 00:32:02 - JooJoo hits the FCC, reveals NVIDIA Ion, 3G card 00:35:17 - HP Slate makes an appearance to show off Flash, stays for a rock concert 00:50:24 - Palm's webOS PDK beta adds Pixi native development, PDK'd apps will hit the Catalog mid year 00:51:07 - Android NDK hits Release 3, brings OpenGL ES 2.0 access to devs 00:51:30 - Microsoft shows off XNA games running on Windows Phone, full 3D is a go 01:04:38 - PlayStation Move: everything you ever wanted to know 01:11:45 - Joystiq and Sony VP Scott Rohde talk PlayStation Move 01:17:20 - Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @ohnorosco @engadgetFiled under: PodcastsEngadget Podcast 187 - 03.13.2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

  • Palm's webOS PDK beta adds Pixi native development, PDK'd apps will hit the Catalog mid year

    We just sat down with Palm here at GDC and fished out a few more details on the PDK beta front. Firstly, and most interestingly, Palm has confirmed that the PDK now works on all of its handsets (instead of just the Pre and Pre Plus), which means Pixi buyers can stop hating themselves pretty soon. Apparently the level of performance degradation should be comparable iPhone 3G vs. 3GS, which doesn't sound too horrible. This is functionality that wasn't available even to Palm's early PDK partners like EA and Gameloft, so we should be seeing versions of existing games make the jump to the Pixi when the time for PDK beta-developed apps to hit the Palm App Catalog. When will that time come, you ask? The "middle of the year," or "a few months," whichever sounds more promising to you. Palm's not saying whether this new era for the App Catalog (anyone being able to release PDK apps, and those apps working on the Pre and the Pixi) will accompany a full-on webOS update, but it seems logical to us. On a more technical front, we're told the PDK supports the Linux standard SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) to ease in porting and development (Unreal for Linux runs using SDL, for instance), and that developers could even build apps like an audio processor that rely on PDK components but don't show up in the UI at all, or OpenGL-empowered things that aren't necessarily games or in 3D. Also, existing developers have only been able to do "full screen" games that rely on PDK components alone, but the PDK beta lets you mix and match webOS UI with PDK elements. Currently there aren't many PDK games that use the extra Palm hardware like the QWERTY keyboard and the gesture area, but we're told that's all exposed to the developer, along with any other element of webOS that Mojo SDK users have access to. One notable plugin hangup is the fact that Flash only works in the browser, and can't be embedded into a regular webOS app, PDK or no -- though we have to assume this is something that's in the works.Palm's webOS PDK beta adds Pixi native development, PDK'd apps will hit the Catalog mid year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

  • Pre phones home with your location, which explains the black helicopters all around you

    Wondering why you keep getting followed by shadowy figures in trenchcoats and fake moustaches? Worried that those snipers on the rooftops always seem to know exactly where you are? We think we know what's going on: it's the Pre in your pocket. Turns out that Palm has code tucked away in webOS that's uploading your location periodically -- once a day or so -- along with a list of applications you've used and how long they've been open. Here's our take on the situation: One of the very first screens you see when you power on the Pre for the first time is a disclaimer asking you to allow Google to collect, aggregate, and anonymize your location data in order to improve the performance of location-based services. Furthermore -- and this is important -- "collection will occur regardless of whether any applications are active." We don't know whether Palm acts as a conduit for that data to get to Google, but we'd be surprised if Palm had built services to pipe location data straight to Google within webOS itself; in all likelihood, Palm's getting the data first, which is why it's being uploaded there. Bear in mind that you're seeing this warning outside the context of any Google app on the Pre -- it's right in the operating system. Palm has its own terms and conditions that you agree to above and beyond Google's, too, and they flat-out say they "may collect, store, access, disclose, transmit, process, and otherwise use your location data." There you have it. App usage is a pretty benign stat -- equate it to TiVo anonymizing and selling your viewing habits, except even less interesting, because we have no evidence to suggest Palm's trying to sell this. We can totally understand why Palm would want insight into app popularity, and when you think about it, this could actually lead to some pretty clever ranking systems in the App Catalog; the iPhone has starkly demonstrated that download volume doesn't equate to replay value, and Palm might be able to do something about that. Oh, and seriously, you need to cut it out with the Jon & Kate Plus 8. When an app crashes, Palm gets some more in-depth information about the crash, most notably a list of installed apps. You know what else collects and sends a crapload of information when an app crashes? Mac OS. Windows, too. If they really wanted to go into CYA mode, they could ask before sending the way those desktop OSes do, but we're not sweating bullets here -- we just want stability, and this kind of data helps them get there. Bottom line: we're all carrying phones that can identify who we are and where we are -- and they have the wireless means to ferry that data wherever their makers wish. And let's not forget that your Palm Profile lives out there in the cloud anyhow, right? [Via PreCentral] Update: Palm has issued a statement on the situation, basically confirming what we suspected -- it's collecting information to offer "a great user experience," which we take to mean that it's trying to squash bugs and keep location-centric apps functional, among other things. They've also mentioned that it's possible to turn data collecting services off without going into details -- ostensibly they're referring to the checkbox at setup (see above) that lets you stop sending aggregated location results to Google.Filed under: Cellphones, HandheldsPre phones home with your location, which explains the black helicopters all around you originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed

    A visual recap of the day's articles May 20th 2010 | 45 Articles http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/the-daily-roundup-heres-what-you-mightve-missed/ 12:51 am 0 Comments The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/acer-launches-11-6-inch-aspire-timeline-1825pt-netvertible/ 1:59 am 56 Comments Acer launches 11.6-inch Aspire Timeline 1825PT netvertible http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/apple-now-accepting-cash-for-its-cold-hard-ipads-video/ 1:31 am 263 Comments Apple now accepting cash for its cold hard iPads (video) http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/dram-cartel-settles-with-european-commission-will-pay-331-mill/ 2:57 am 27 Comments DRAM cartel settles with European Commission, will pay €331 million fine http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/lgs-windows-phone-7-phone-caught-in-the-wild-looking-good/ 4:08 am 107 Comments LG's Windows Phone 7 phone caught in the wild, looking good http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/ipad-app-store-goes-live-in-europe/ 3:29 am 65 Comments iPad app store goes live internationally http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/versace-unique-launched-vertu-put-on-notice/ 4:47 am 43 Comments Versace Unique launched, Vertu put on notice http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/forever-white-headset-plays-music-to-your-ears-while-bleaching-y/ 5:56 am 58 Comments Forever White Headset plays music to your ears while bleaching your teeth http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/dr-fritz-sennheiser-audio-pioneer-dies-at-98/ 5:28 am 63 Comments Dr. Fritz Sennheiser, audio pioneer, dies at 98 http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/ssd-power-consumption-reduced-by-86-percent-speeds-of-9-5gbps-a/ 6:53 am 59 Comments SSD power consumption reduced by 86 percent, speeds of 9.5GBps achieved by Japanese researchers http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/android-gingerbread-is-planned-for-q4-2010/ 6:21 am 123 Comments Android Gingerbread is 'planned for Q4 2010' http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/japan-proposes-holographic-3d-broadcasts-for-2022-world-cup/ 7:58 am 25 Comments Japan proposes holographic 3D broadcasts for 2022 World Cup http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/nintendo-wiimote-rvl-036-mysteriously-clears-the-fcc/ 7:27 am 23 Comments Nintendo Wiimote RVL-036 mysteriously clears the FCC http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/seagates-game-changing-storage-tech-coming-to-asus-rog-g73jh/ 9:09 am 27 Comments Seagate's 'game-changing' storage tech coming to ASUS ROG G73Jh laptop http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/samsung-wave-hits-vodafone-uk-on-june-1-free-on-25-a-month-pla/ 8:44 am 43 Comments Samsung Wave hits Vodafone UK on June 1, free on £25 a month plans http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/drobo-fs-gets-native-time-machine-support-we-go-hands-on/ 8:30 am 47 Comments Drobo FS gains native Time Machine support, we go hands-on http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/gateway-brings-zx4300-and-zx6900-all-in-one-touchscreen-pcs-into/ 10:11 am 14 Comments Gateway brings ZX4300 and ZX6900 all-in-one touchscreen PCs into a world of fingers http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/evigroups-android-wallet-mid-now-available-chrome-is-optional/ 9:50 am 31 Comments eviGroup's Android Wallet MID now available, chrome is optional (video) http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/bang-and-olufsen-announces-40-inch-beovision-8-lcd/ 9:31 am 33 Comments Bang & Olufsen announces 40-inch BeoVision 8 LCD http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/live-from-the-google-i-o-2010-day-2-keynote/ 11:01 am 181 Comments Live from the Google I/O 2010 day 2 keynote! http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/nvidia-gtx-465-detailed-ahead-of-june-1-launch-gtx-460-also-rum/ 10:55 am 27 Comments NVIDIA GTX 465 detailed ahead of June 1 launch, GTX 460 also rumored http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/quartet-of-dell-streaks-spotted-in-the-wild-in-seattle-testing/ 10:33 am 66 Comments Quartet of Dell Streaks spotted in the wild in Seattle, testing for AT&T http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/android-2-2-froyo-beta-hands-on-flash-10-1-wifi-hotspots-an/ 12:00 pm 110 Comments Android 2.2 'Froyo' beta hands-on: Flash 10.1, WiFi hotspots, and some killer benchmark scores http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/flash-10-1-for-android-beta-unveiled-hulu-a-no-show-froyo-now/ 12:00 pm 120 Comments Flash 10.1 for Android beta unveiled: Hulu a no-show, Froyo now a minimum requirement http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/google-claims-froyo-has-the-worlds-fastest-mobile-browser/ 11:56 am 37 Comments Google claims Froyo has the world's fastest mobile browser http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/android-2-2-froyo-officially-announced/ 11:48 am 69 Comments Android 2.2 Froyo officially announced http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/t-mobile-mytouch-3g-slide-coming-june-2-for-180/ 11:41 am 34 Comments T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide coming June 2 for $180 http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/hp-expands-laptop-battery-recall-again/ 11:22 am 28 Comments HP expands laptop battery recall, again http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/android-2-2-sdk-goes-live-developers-likely-unable-to-crash-goo/ 1:12 pm 34 Comments Android 2.2 SDK goes live, developers likely unable to crash Google's download server http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/google-tv-turns-on-at-i-o/ 12:23 pm 171 Comments Google TV turns on at I/O http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/google-adding-over-the-air-app-installation-and-itunes-streaming/ 12:17 pm 101 Comments Google adding over-the-air app installation and iTunes streaming to Android http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/ce-oh-no-he-didnt-sir-howard-says-when-you-beat-apple-youre/ 2:14 pm 150 Comments CE-Oh-no-he-didn't!: Sony's Sir Howard says 'when you beat Apple, you're dominating' http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/supposed-next-gen-iphone-cases-surface-in-china/ 1:52 pm 52 Comments Supposed next-gen iPhone cases surface in China http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/sony-internet-tv-platform-is-first-with-google-tv-dish-adobe-and/ 1:21 pm 61 Comments Sony Internet TV platform is first with Google TV; DISH, Adobe and others along for the ride http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/sim-unlock-now-available-for-atandt-palm-pre-plus/ 2:58 pm 35 Comments SIM unlock now available for AT&T Palm Pre Plus http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/msi-shows-off-convertible-sketchbook-laptop-concept/ 2:36 pm 46 Comments MSI shows off convertible 'SketchBook' laptop concept http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/logitechs-google-tv-companion-box-includes-smartphone-apps-we/ 3:58 pm 130 Comments Logitech's Google TV companion box includes smartphone apps, we go eyes-on http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/analyst-apple-selling-more-ipads-than-macs-at-the-moment/ 3:42 pm 193 Comments Analyst: Apple selling more iPads than Macs, at the moment http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/washington-establishing-timeline-for-sales-of-loud-evs/ 3:19 pm 77 Comments Washington establishing timeline for sales of 'loud' EVs http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/wikitude-drive-ar-nav-app-beta-announced-available-in-android-m/ 5:12 pm 45 Comments Wikitude Drive AR nav app beta announced, available in Android Market (video) http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/hp-developing-wrist-pc-for-military-finally-putting-that-flexib/ 4:32 pm 41 Comments HP developing wrist PC for military, finally putting that flexible display to good use http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/beambox-evolution-r-2-one-of-the-brightest-little-guys-around/ 5:59 pm 6 Comments BeamBox Evolution R-2 -- one of the brightest little guys around http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/hp-envy-15-said-to-be-suffering-from-blank-screen-issues-lousy/ 5:33 pm 70 Comments HP Envy 15 said to be suffering from blank screen issues, lousy webcam http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/corsair-expands-sandforce-sf-1200-based-ssd-family-with-60gb-12/ 6:54 pm 7 Comments Corsair expands SandForce SF-1200-based SSD family with 60GB, 120GB and 240GB options http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/mad-musician-makes-a-minimalist-maze-on-his-monome-video/ 6:22 pm 13 Comments Mad musician makes a minimalist maze on his monome (video) Google! Live from the Google I/O 2010 day 2 keynote! Logitech's Google TV companion box includes smartphone apps, we go eyes-on CE-Oh no he didn't!: Sony's Sir Howard says 'when you beat Apple, you're dominating' Android 2.2 'Froyo' beta hands-on: Flash 10.1, WiFi hotspots, and some killer benchmark scores Google adding over-the-air app installation and iTunes streaming to Android Flash 10.1 for Android beta unveiled: Hulu a no-show, Froyo now a minimum requirement Google TV turns on at I/O: runs Android and Flash, partnered with Sony, Logitech, and Intel Other news of import: iPad app store goes live internationally Analyst: Apple selling more iPads than Macs, at the moment Quartet of Dell Streaks spotted in the wild in Seattle, testing for AT&T LG's Windows Phone 7 phone caught in the wild, looking good Bang & Olufsen announces 40-inch BeoVision 8 LCD Don't you dare forget: The Engadget Show returns, this Saturday, May 22nd with Sprint's Evo 4G, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch, and an Engadget editors Q&A! The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

  • 100 Greatest iPhone Apps of 2009

    From marking its first year this past summer, to boasting over 100,000 applications in its catalog, the App Store has been great for many developers on the iPhone platform this past year. With 2010 right around the corner, we wanted to take a look back at the 100 greatest iPhone apps of 2009. These applications were nominated by Mac|Life readers. All of these apps have something in common: They've helped make the iPhone better over the past year.   MobileMe iDisk (free)This little iPhone app lets MobileMe users browse through files stored on their iDisk with ease. The app also lets you view files like PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Image files, and iWork files. In addition, you can share files right from your iPhone.  Evernote (free)Evernote is the free online service/application that lets you store notes and images in notebooks for later use. The iPhone application really comes in handy, especially since it syncs with the cloud. Coupled with the new offline viewing for premium users, Evernote has to be one the best iPhone apps, hands down.    Facebook (free)It seems like all of our friends are on Facebook these days, so why shouldn't Facebook be everywhere? Well, with their iPhone application it can definitely seem like that. This application allows you to manage all of your friends, posts, messages, uploads, and otherwise use Facebook without being inside of a browser.   Shazam (free)Without this wonderful application, we would still have that snazzy song stuck in our heads without knowing the title or band. Shazam provides a great service to iPhone users for the wonderful price of free; however, if you're into product(RED), they have a Shazam(RED) version available as well.   Tweetie 2 ($2.99) It seems like Twitter is becoming as ubiquitous as Facebook, and it also seems like there are a bevy of iPhone Twitter clients. Tweetie would have to be a newcomer that won the hearts of the iPhone users everywhere. Multiple Twitter accounts, contact linkage, multiple attachments, offline mode, and more. Tweetie 2 has you covered.   Twitterrific (free)Twitterrific is the great-granddaddy of Twitter clients on the Mac and iPhone, but it doesn't disappoint. Twitterrific got a new face lift this year that updated the client to be in line with other clients like Tweetie. By far, this is the nicest looking Twitter client on the iPhone.  SimplyTweet ($4.99)With the advent of push notifications for the iPhone, SimplyTweet is probably one of the cheapest solutions for bringing push to your tweets. This app also contains all of the features of other comparable Twitter clients.   Zipcar (free)Zipcar is one of those revolutionary applications, giving you the ability to not only pick out a rental car from the Zipcar service, but also unlocks the doors on the car right from the iPhone.   Dropbox (free)This small newcomer of a company has shown time and time again that they can play with the best when it comes to online storage in an iDisk-style fashion. Dropbox offers up 2GBs of free online storage to users (along with other premium paid services). With their iPhone application, you can view and manage files on-the-go with ease.  Pastebot ($2.99)With iPhone 3.0, cut, copy, and paste became a reality on the iPhone. With Pastebot, multiple clippings in an easy to use clipboard manager become a reality. This application also lets you sync over your clippings from your Mac to iPhone and vice versa.   Stanza (free)With Amazon Kindle-like finesse, Stanza lets you read eBooks on your iPhone for free or little cost. Download free Guttenberg Project books, or paid books from several publishers right from the app; then sit back and read.   TomTom U.S.A. ($49.99)This year gave way to turn-by-turn GPS navigation apps for the iPhone. TomTom is one of the many GPS apps available that is really well designed. This app has 3D maps, fast route calculations, and a new lower price that many iPhone owners will enjoy.  Navigon MobileNavigator ($59.99)With maps from NAVTEQ, and features like Lane Assist Pro, Navigon is a great navigation app for the iPhone. The app also includes Google local search, iPod control, and bird's-eye view of maps.   Things ($9.99)Sure, it's been around since the App Store launched, but it gained tighter syncing with its Mac counterpart, which makes it all the better. Things is a complete GTD (Getting Things Done) solution for your Mac and iPhone.  1Password Pro ($7.99)What would we do without 1Password? This handy application manages all of our passwords on both the Mac and the iPhone. And with the pro version, you get all kinds of nifty features like copy/paste passwords, folders for managing, and copying multiple field values. If you're always forgetting your passwords, this app is for you.   VNC Lite (free)This application is a must have if you want to control your Mac or PC right from your iPhone. It has zoom and scroll capability, landscape mode, and support for 8 and 32 bit color modes.  AP Mobile (free)AP Mobile lets you browse local, national, and international news right from one iPhone application. Utilizing news from the Associated Press newswire services, this application sends out push notifications of breaking news straight to your device. You'll always know what's going on with AP Mobile.  Air Sharing Pro ($6.99)Air Sharing Pro gives you the ability to turn your iPhone into a wireless hard drive that can be mounted on your Mac to add files for viewing from the device. You can also mount remote file server, connect to your computer, perform advanced file operations, and print files directly from your iPhone.    Documents to Go ($9.99)Docs to Go has been around since the Palm days, but the application has also made its way over to the iPhone and it's pretty decent. The application lets you sync your Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, etc.) files to your iPhone and create/edit Word and Excel files. You can then sync the files back to your Mac or PC with the included Desktop sync utility.   Yelp (free)Yelp has definitely helped us when we're hungry and visiting a new area. This application searches for places around you like restaurants, bars, cafes, and more; plus, it lets you write and read reviews. With the augmented reality of the Yelp Monocle built right in, this app is worth a look.   Remote (free)Apple's Remote application has cut down on the clutter needed for a Mac or Apple TV. With one device you can control the ATV, iTunes or Front Row on the Mac via a Wi-Fi connection.   Pandora (free) The iPod feature on the iPhone is great, but if you're looking for a great music experience, Pandora is a good way to go. This application allows you to stream uninterrupted music from Pandoras online service straight to your iPhone in an iPhone styled application.   AOL Radio (free)AOL Radio gives you a streaming music experience from their online service and from CBS Radio. This app also lets you listen to streaming local radio stations, including live steaming sports stations. Plus, AOL Radio now streams 128kbps while on Wi-Fi, 3G, or EDGE.   Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid (free)Ngmoco did something interesting with their latest iteration in the Rolando series. Rolando 2 is free for the first chapter, but other levels can be purchased using the in-app purchases. Ngmoco has created a game play that is like no other on the iPhone with the Rolando series.  OmniFocus ($19.99)OmniFocus is similar to other GTD (Getting Things Done) applications, but it gives you the ability to manage tasks by location. OmniFocus is like a task list on steroids.    Lose It! (free)So many people try to lose weight all the time, but often time fail to succeed. This iPhone application can keep you motivated to lose weight by keeping you on track with eating and exercise habits. Lose It! is a free application that also interfaces with an online companion website.    Todo ($9.99)Todo is a great GTD task manager that lets you sync with applications like iCal, MS-Outlook, Remember the Milk, and Toodledo over Wi-Fi and 3G. You also get a full calendar view for choosing due dates.   Assassin's Creed ($4.99)Gameloft has innovated the iPhone game marketplace with games like Assassin's Creed. They've taken a game that's from another console and brought it to the iPhone, but the game feels like it has been created especially for the device. You can take this great RPG with you anywhere.   Dragon Dictation (free for limited time)Dragon Dictation gives you speech to text software for the iPhone that lets you speak what you want to say instead of typing it. This application, which is built around the popular Dragon Naturally Speaking Engine, works extremely well.    Convertbot ($0.99) Ever out and about and need to convert between two units? Convertbot lets you convert between over 440 different units with ease. It can also convert currencies and the rates are updated upon launching the app.     I Am T-Pain ($2.99)Admit it, you've been singing along to T-Pain songs and you've really wanted to make your voice sound exactly like his? Well, with this auto-tune music application for iPhone you can do exactly that. Just select your favorite song and start singing. Being famous not included.  Shoot It! (free, paid service)Shoot It! is a social network application that lets you take any picture you want and turn it into an actual snail mail postcard. You can select a photo, add an address and note, and the next business day the postcard will be printed and mailed out for you for only $0.99 for the US.   IMDB (free)The Internet Movie Database has long been the go-to destination for looking up information about movies and TV shows, and now it has its own app on the iPhone. You can get all of the information you would on their website, but now in a convenient iPhone-formatted way.   Analytics App ($5.99)Analytics App for iPhone lets us see our Google Analytics stats no matter where we may be. This app offers up a Today report, dashboard quick view, and more analytics data than you could ever want.   HyperBowl ($1.99)Sure, there are a lot of bowling games for the iPhone, but none of them match the legacy that HyperBowl has. The gameplay feels organic, with its beautiful outdoor themed bowling lanes.  Wolfram Alpha ($19.99, on sale)Wolfram Alpha is the new smart search engine that Wolfram Research recently launched. You can now have all of that power right on your iPhone with this small application.   Wunder Radio ($6.99)Wunder Radio is an iPhone application that can stream live from over 50,000 Internet radio stations. This application also includes a sleep timer and ability to listen to local NOAA weather radio streams.   New York Times (free)Always stay up to date on the news with the New York Times application. The application synchronizes with the NYT news site so you can read stories even when you don't have an Internet connection.   Occasions ($0.99, on sale) Never forget any of those important dates with this application. It syncs with Facebook and your contacts to find Birthdays and reminds you via push notifications. Also reminds you of holidays and other important events.   Doodle Jump ($0.99) This addictive little game has been likened to the original version of Mario Bros. Tilt the iPhone to move around in this 2D game. Facebook and Twitter integration means you can brag about your accomplishments to your friends.  Touch Todo ($0.99, on sale)Touch Todo lets you sync your todos with Google Calendar (not Google Tasks, however) and in turn to the native iPhone calendar. Application backs up your todos on Google Docs for safe keeping, and send tasks from one iPhone to another.   Tap Forms Database ($8.99)The Tap Forms Database lets you easily and securely store information like social security numbers, drivers license number, or credit card numbers for later look up. Handy if cards get lost or stolen, and includes AES-256 bit encryption for all data stored in it.  Bento ($4.99)Bento for iPhone is the companion application for the Mac version. It will sync with your Mac and bring over all of your databases. You can then edit and create data on-the-go.   Daylite Touch (free, additional software required)The Daylite Touch application syncs with the Daylite Server on your Mac to help you manage your business projects, contacts, and tasks all in a streamlined interface that feels very native to the iPhone.   Skies of Glory (free)Shoot World War II airplanes out of the sky in this action game. Featuring awesome graphics and great Internet 8-player multiplayer mode, this game is a great deal.    BeatMaker ($19.99)Who says you can't create music on the iPhone? With BeatMaker that's completely possible. This application is basically a recording studio in your pocket with the ability to export your creations right from the device. Comics (free)Reading comics is just plain fun, and with Comics for the iPhone, you can read over 70 comics for free from one simple application. The app allows you to browse and view nearly 700 different comics.  Ustream Live Broadcaster (free, account needed)UStream Live Broadcaster gives you the ability to stream live audio and video from your iPhone over Wi-Fi or 3G to the world via the free UStream.tv service. You can also take live polls and see the UStream IRC chat room for your stream.  The Oregon Trail ($4.99)The classic Oregon Trail game is back in an iPhone version that's just as good as the original. In this side-scrolling adventure game, you'll guide a family through the Oregon wilderness in search of shelter. Along the way, you'll have to protect yourself from wild animals and other events that take place.   Amazon Mobile (free)Amazon has changed the way many of us shop online, and they've also changed the mobile shopping experience with their iPhone application. This application lets you do all of the normal Amazon.com stuff, but you can also take a picture of an object and let Amazon figure out where the product is on the website via Amazon Remembers. Tap Tap Revenge 3 (free) A music rhythm game that started out life as a jailbroken game when the iPhone was first released has matured into a great game backed by music from popular artists. The third iteration of this game boasts extensive online multi-player support over both Wi-Fi and 3G. In addition, TTR 3 gives you weapons and shields for use when playing online. Gorillacam (free)The iPhone includes a great camera, but some of the functions are limited. Gorillacam is an application that can extend that functionality to include a bubble level, grid, time-lapse, and even a self-timer. You can also specify how many shots are taken over a specified interval.  Photoshop.com Mobile (free)Good, free, photo editing software on the iPhone is hard to find, but who would have guessed that Adobe would release their Photoshop.com software on the iPhone for free? Well, you get some basic editing functionality and the ability to upload your photos to the Photoshop.com cloud.  Mover Lite (free) Moving items like photos, video, contacts, and calendar events from one iPhone to another can be a bit of a kludge depending on what application you're using. But with the free Mover+, it's easy and cool at the same time.    Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies ($9.99)A mini game from the World at War console game, CoD:WaW:Zombies lets you frag zombies all day... right from your iPhone, too! Choose from several different modes, including an infinite mode. This game makes any company meeting go by much faster (Please note: We're not responsible for any job loss resulting from the mention of this game).   BeeJive ($5.99, on sale)BeeJive gives a lot of instant messenger bang for the buck. Not only does it support the most popular IM services, but it also lets you create as many logins as you need. Plus the application includes Push Notification support, and the ability to send and receive attachments like photos, video, and audio (recorded directly from the application).    Awesome Note (+Todo) ($3.99)Combining both notes and to do lists, Awesome Note (+Todo) has a great-looking interface that lets you organize all of your ideas and projects in one app. In addition, you can insert images into notes from the camera, and import/export to Google Docs and Evernote.    Credit Card Terminal ($0.99, on sale)This application has been shown on Apple's commercials and is quite nifty if you are a small business. Credit Card Terminal gives you the ability to accept credit card payments anywhere you may be, quickly and easily.   ReelDirector ($7.99)Who says you can't put together a full movie on your iPhone? With ReelDirector you can, and you can even include opening and closing credits, transitions, and more. When you're done, save, email, or upload directly to YouTube.  Trivium ($2.99)Test your trivia skills against the computer or against a friend around the world. Trivium has thousands of questions for you to answer and a head to head network play that works over Wi-Fi, 3G, and EDGE. Four different modes including: Endless, Endurance, 100 Questions, and Timeless.   Rock Band ($4.99, on sale)A rhythm game to end all rhythm games, Rock Band lets you play the drums, guitar, or bass. Plus, you can sing your way to the top in this game that includes 26 free tracks.  Tweetr ($3.99)Have something amazing to say on Twitter, but don't want to tweet it right now? Tweetr is an application that lets you schedule tweets for multiple accounts for a later time when it might be more relevant.   Peggle ($1.99, on sale)Pop Cap's highly addictive game for Mac and PC made its way over to the iPhone in a move that just seemed natural. Shoot your way to becoming the Peggle master in this arcade adventure game.   NetNewsWire (free)NetNewsWire changed the way that many people read their favorite RSS (really simple syndication) feeds on the Mac, but that same experience was moved to the iPhone. The earlier versions were a bit clunky, but NNW now syncs with Google Reader which makes reading feeds on-the-go that much better.    Yowza!! (free) We normally stray away from applications with two exclamation marks in the title, but this one is just that good. Yowza can end up saving you a few chunks of change with its many coupons that are sorted by your location.  WriteRoom ($4.99)Distraction-free writing at its finest on the Mac, and now the iPhone. Sync documents over with built-in syncing, and just write. Plain and simply. You can change the colors in the preferences.  Wikitude (free)Augmented reality on the iPhone was a huge hit this year, and with Wikitude you can browse the space around you and see all of the Wikipedia articles that correspond to your location. Just launch the application and bubbles will appear all around you with Wikipedia articles for cities, buildings, etc.  Mark the Spot (free) AT&T finally started paying more attention to its network and users when they launched the Mark the Spot application for iPhone. You can submit network trouble spots, which will help AT&T in fixing network problems. Sure, this app isn't the nicest looking, but it gets the job done.   Ramp Champ ($1.99)Skee ball is just plain fun, and with the Icon Factory's Ramp Champ, it's even fun on the iPhone. Choose between several different lane themes, and even purchase add-ons that will expand the available themes. Earn tickets to "purchase" cool digital trinkets.  WordPress 2 (free)Mobile-Blogging (MoBlogging) has becoming increasingly popular among people who travel, and it's extremely easy with WordPress 2 on the iPhone. If your blog platform is WordPress, then you'll be all set to connect and add content right from your iPhone.   Fandango (free)Find movies around you, watch previews, get showtimes, and even purchase tickets on-the-go with the awesome Fandango application for iPhone. You can also see critic and fan ratings for different movies.   Flickr (free)Upload, view, and share your photos with the world on Flickr with this application. In addition, you can view friends photos and comment on them from one convenient location.   DOOM Classic ($2.99, on sale) Who doesn't love DOOM? Now you can play it all day long, right on your iPhone. Includes multi-player mode with up to four players over the Internet. MapQuest Navigator ($3.99, service plan required)MapQuest started offering turn-by-turn directions with its maps. Not only that, but they offered a completely different pricing strategy than the other guys: With the $3.99 purchase, you'll get 30-days of use, after which you can purchase different tiers of service between 30-days and one year.   Where To? ($2.99)With GPS-style POI (point of interest) searching, Where To allows you to pinpoint a location, be it a restaurant, amusement park, or even an archery range. The application then locates the POI inside of the Maps application on the iPhone.     Skype (free)Skype VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has been beneficial more than once for us, and with AT&T's announcement that they'll be allowing VoIP apps on the 3G network, we're extremely excited about Skype. This application will allow you to place calls through Skype and chat with your friends.   Fring (free)Fring is a free VoIP and chat solution for the iPhone. The cool factor about this application is that they just started doing one-way Skype video chat right from your iPhone.   SlingPlayer Mobile ($29.99)SlingBox Solo, Pro, or Pro-HD owners will appreciate the ability to stream live TV to their iPhone over Wi-Fi. In addition, you can  control the video for many set-top boxes including the Apple TV.   PocketGod ($0.99)A minigame that lets you rule over an island. You can bring life to new islanders, take life away, and otherwise demonstrate your powers in this hypnotic game.   FlightTrack Pro ($9.99)Never be in the dark about your flight information again. FlightTrack Pro lets you track your flight and get updates via push notifications. You can also see a live flight map with weather radar.   RedLaser ($1.99)Scan the barcodes of products and instantly get back product search results that includes the price online. A great way to bargain shop when in the store.   Attendance ($3.99)Always know who was missing at that last meeting with Attendance. This iPhone application lets you mark atendees present or absent for any meetings or class for later reference. You can import people from contacts in Address Book or from a CSV file on a web server.    Read It Later Pro ($4.99)Who says you can't put something off for later? Well, you can put off reading webpages with Read It Later. This application interfaces with a free online service and Firefox plugin that allows you to save webpages for reading later.   FastMall (free)Ever been in a mall and didn't know where the rest room was? Well, you could find a mall guide, or you can also bust out your iPhone with FastMall. This application lets you download mall maps (for a small fee) that will guide you around the mall similar to the way a turn-by-turn GPS does.   CBS Sports: Live College Games ($4.99) This CBS application lets you view stats and live stream video of college football and basketball games from the Big East, SEC, and Bit Ten conferences. This application will work over both Wi-Fi and 3G.   Vintage Video Maker ($2.99)Turn your iPhone 3GS into a camera that can shoot video with three different filters: 20's movie, black and white video, and 60's home video. You can assign classical 20's piano music to accompany your video or the sound of a projector running.  G-Park ($0.99)Never forget where you parked your car with G-Park. This application uses the GPS in the iPhone 3G or 3GS to park your car and locate it when you're ready to drive home.   CubeCheater (free)Solving a Rubik's Cube is fun, but you might be in the mood for letting your iPhone solve it for you. With CubeCheater, just input your cube's state and it will tell you how to solve it.   Where R U? ($0.99)Want to find out where friends or family are located geographically at a particular moment? If they have Where R U, they can let you know where they are and you will be shown their location on a Google Map. Nifty application for keeping tabs on your kids.   Photo2Contact (free trial, in-app purchase)Do you get tired of sending photos to each and every one of your friends or family members? Photo2Contact allows you to easily export a group of photos as a zip file and uploads them to an FTP location, and automatically emails your friends to let them know how to download them.    DogBook (free)Join the over 2 million pet owners who have created a Facebook profile for them. DogBook lets you see a list of your animals, their friends, and even lets you find nearby Parks. If your pet gets lost, use "Arf Alerts" to alert everyone in the area.   Qik Live (free)When you just want to post a quick video to the Internet, Qik is a, well, quick solution. Their new Live application lets you stream live video from your iPhone over 3G and WiFi. You can also send and receive chat messages with your viewers.   Cha-Ching Mobile ($2.99) Cha-Ching mobile is money management software that complements its Mac-counterpart. This application gives you the ability to manage your money and budget on-the-go and sync back later to your Mac over Wi-Fi.   Amazon Kindle for iPhone (free)Read Kindle books on your iPhone without having to purchase a separate version of the eBook. Amazon delivers the content wirelessly over Whispernet. Get an almost identical reading experience as on the Amazon Kindle.  Shelf Life ($1.99)Keep track of the expiration dates on food in your refrigerator and pantry with Shelf Life. This application uses a database that its users contributes to to determine the shelf life of foods found in your kitchen. You can also specify a custom shelf life.   Pizza Hut (free)Need food and need it quick? Pizza Hut now allows you to place an order for anything on their menu, directly from your iPhone. Checkout and pay right from the device as well without ever leaving your house.   Memento ($0.99)Send customized greetings to people through e-mail right from your iPhone. Memento lets you pick a template, add a photo and message, and send to loved ones. The application comes with 19 templates.  Eventful (free)Never be bored with Eventful. This free application lets you find local events happening in your area and lets you know what venues and performers will be heading your way.   OpenMaps ($1.99)OpenMaps for iPhone uses the open map data from OpenStreetMap.org, which contains editable maps for the entire world. The application lets you download maps for use when you don't have an Internet connection, and can use the built-in GPS to locate you.  TextGuru ($4.99)Sure, there are a lot of text editors for the iPhone, but TextGuru will let you edit HTML documents and preview them right from the device. In addition, you can download PDF files from the Internet into TextGuru for offline viewing.  Got a favorite app we missed? Drop it in the comments and share your excitement with the world.  

  • webOS 1.1 rumored to be on the way to Pres shortly, sounds boring so far

    If you were hoping for more system sound configurability, better notification control, or an equalizer in the music player (heck, we'll settle for bass and treble), your wait might be nowhere close to over -- but the good news is that it appears there's some sort of update on the way for Pres in the field that's significant enough to justify a 0.1 bump in webOS' version number to 1.1. Corporate types will get all fired up over better managed Exchange policy integration with support for device wipe after failed PIN attempts, auto PIN lock, minimum password complexity, and a bunch of other things that you're average Pre owner isn't going to give a flying iPhone about. Perhaps more interesting to everyone else is the claim that additional built-in apps are a possibility for 1.1, though there's no detail there -- it could be best-of-breed stuff culled from the App Catalog, new first-party apps, or a combination. PreCentral's hearing "within 30 days" for the release, so go ahead and get your firmware upgrade pants on now just in case.Filed under: Cellphones, HandheldswebOS 1.1 rumored to be on the way to Pres shortly, sounds boring so far originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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