DirecTV currently supports remote schedule via your desktop computer, but wouldn't it be handy to have a dedicated iPhone app? Looks that DirecTV is working on just that and it appears that a limited beta has hit the streets. It's not available in the App Store just yet, but it does appear on the horizon.
Well, not much to add to this title. The App Store is now home to 31 fart apps and the good folks at TUAW have compiled a video demonstrating all of them. If you are up 1:31 of your life that you will not get back, check out this video. Those at work will want to turn down the sound on their computer or face interminable ridicule.
Apple's hardware has been responsible for differentiating the iPhone from the rest of the bunch. Stunning design combined with unmistakable features like multi-touch have helped the iPhone become what it is today. Customers are fickle when it comes to hardware, but Apple hasn't had to worry much as many so-called iPhone killers have come and gone. The Palm Pre appears to be the first smartphone worthy of the title, but don't expect existing iPhone customers to jump to the new smartphone. Thanks to the App Store, Apple has created what Barclay's analyst Ben Reitzes describes as the "lock-in effect". Sure most iPhone owners are locked into AT&T contracts, but it's the App experience that will prevent most from never jumping to a competitive phone.
“This software strategy enables a distinctive “stickiness” for the iPhone, which should enhance customer loyalty over the long-term. We believe ‘apps’ personalize iPhones to levels that competitors cannot match. We also believe strong interest in the App Store is helping to pull through iPod touch units.”
Dataviz, developers of DocumentsToGo, are expected to demonstrate a version for the iPhone next week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Documents To Go is essentially a mobile version of Office for mobile devices.
Docs To Go would enable editing and viewing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. Those waiting for a killer app to come along for the iPhone, how about 3 in 1.
Apple continues to approve applications that do not infringe on their ecosystem and the virtual shelves of the App Store continues to get more and more cluttered with what we'll call nonsense apps. Krapps is website dedicated to dishing the dirt on what they call the "lighter and krazy side of apps … call ‘em anti-brilliant apps – slacker apps – not amazing apps". Today they inform us of a new low for the App Store. No I'm not talking about the forty some-odd flatulence apps. In some odd way, I do think there is a need for iFart which also appears to be a very well designed app. Starting today, you can purchase iPee (App Store link) for $1.99 or the free ShyBladder (App Store link). These applications are for those who have "a bashful bladder" and offer up various running water sounds to help move things along.
A new application has been released on Cydia that is troubling to both developers and Apple, as it circumvents the application protection scheme. Crackulous promises to allow for sharing of applications once it's been purchased from the App Store. A single purchase can than be pirated successfully to those running this application. To state the obvious, this is not an Apple sanctioned app and we suspect Apple's response will be quick to prevent what amounts to enabling piracy on their platform.
