First and foremost, iPhone 2.1 firmware will be out on Friday, September 12. Steve said it's a big update that includes many bug fixes, addressing dropping calls, crashing apps, long-backups, and battery life. And it's free to all owners! I am quite excited for this update, and have my fingers crossed that it will work as promised and that the issues many users, including me, have been experiencing are addressed.
Kevin Rose was spot on with iTunes 8, including the new grid-like view and Genius functionality. HD TV shows has also come to the iTunes store, though they are only viewable on your computer or through your Apple TV - there goes putting HD shows on my iPhone to output to our home entertainment center! Shoot!
iPods continue to kick ass in marketshare with 73.4%, with "Other" players a distant second at 15.4%. The iPod Classic is now offered in one size only - 120GB at the same price as the previous 80GB model, $249. The new iPod Nano is indeed like the leaked pictures that have been circulating on the internet - tall and skinny with a curved front and back. It features a new UI and has an accelerometer like the iPod Touch and iPhone, allowing you to turn it sideways to switch automatically to cover mode view. And the new Genius functionality works right on the Nano without needing to be connected to iTunes, and shaking the Nano puts it in Shuffle mode.
A nice accessory upgrade is a pair of headphones that have functionality similar to that of the iPhone's - a control button that allows you to double-click to get to the next song, and a microphone that will work with the built-in voice recording function. And it has volume controls! I sure hope those will work on the iPhone too.
Ever since I saw the demo of Spore on the iPhone on the web a few months ago, I've been looking forward to its release. TUAW reports that it's due out later this week from a conversation with Will Wright, the creator of Spore. It doesn't sound like it will have the same type of gameplay as the full PC version, unfortunately.
Apple seems to be taking a harder look at the Apps it approves for the App store these days. Over at MacRumors, a rejection email a developer received from Apple for his "Pull My Finger" app is posted , where his app is described as having "limited utility to the broad iPhone and iPod Touch user community." My guess is that this is a direct result of the issues with the infamous "I Am Rich" app that was available for a short time on the App Store with a $999 price tag that had no real use other than providing bragging rights. If Apple is indeed vetting apps against some utility standards, they have a lot of work ahead of them to go back through the App Store to review apps that they approved prior to the implementation of these standards.
iLounge claims to have the dimensions of the second-generation iPod Touch. We don't know if these drawings are the real deal, but if so, the next iPod Touch will bear more resemblance to the iPhone 3G with tapered edges and a thicker middle. The supposed 4th generation iPod Nano dimensions show a taller and thinner form factor similar to that of the 2nd generation Nano. Of course, new iPod product announcements are expected at Apple's September 9 event, so we'll all know soon enough!
The gents over iLounge have reviewed every personal finance app for the iPhone and offered up their opinions on which apps will help you manage your money. While there appears to be no clear cut winner, Balance , Pennies , and SplashMoney have all made it to their list of recommendations. Bankarama didn't fare so well, garnering an F, which apparently doesn't stand for fantastic. "It’s grossly overpriced for what it offers, so much so that we find it impossible to recommend on any basis." Ouch.
There are hundreds of free applications in the iPhone App Store. They range in capabilities from one trick ponies to in-depth apps that one would expect to find in the paid category. So what are the best free apps? What are members of EIC finding the most useful or simply entertaining at the price of free? In this new iPhone App economy, many free apps turn paid, so we'd advise our readers to download these free iPhone apps before they become paid. In no particular order, below are a few of our recommendations for free apps that you should add to your iPhone.
Tris : Tetris is a great game and even better when it's free. Tris is the free alternative to the paid Tetris app. The latter will set you back $9.99.
AIM : IM on the iPhone, that's all you need to know. Mobile AIM offers a host of features, supports .mac addresses and allows you to chat on your iPhone.
Simplify Media : Stream your music directly to your iPhone. If you cannot fit your entire music collection on your iPhone, this app fixes all of that. It's free for now, but the company has said this app will eventually find it's way to the paid category. Get it fast, while it's free!
Remote : This app is made by Apple and allows you to use your iPhone as a remote control for your iTunes. Next time you have a party, no need to rush to the computer to change the track when iTunes selects Milli Vanilli from your music collection. Remote allows full control of your iTune, works great and it's free.
SportsTap : The perfect companion for any sports fan. SportsTap is rated highly among our readers and on iTunes. You can access scores and stats from a host of leagues including the MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, Nascar and more. Faster than ESPN via Safari, take a look at SportsTap if you are a sports fan.
There are plenty of other great free apps, so explore the iPhone App Store, see what our members are saying in our iPhone App Store forum or check out the latest reviews . Think there is an app worthy of a future "Best of the Free Apps" list? Let us know in the comments.
iHologram is a new application coming to the iPhone that simulates the look of true 3D object that appears on the face of the iPhone. The process is the use of anamorphosis, which uses a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image.
The app was created by David Reilly and it's a visual trick that has to be seen to be believed. We're not sure when this will hit the App Store, but it's sure to be a hit at parties. Who knows, maybe it'll knock that best seller Koi Pod from the top of paid app list. Yes, out of the thousands of apps, you've made Koi Pond the best selling paid app.
Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, Revision3 and Pownce, has offered up a host of new rumors surround Apple product announcements that we can expect in the next month.
Revamp of entire iPod line.
Small cosmetic changes to Touch
Nano to see significant redesign to a candy bar shape with a widescreen display
iPods to see fairly large price drops to distance itself from the $199 iPhone.
iPod touch 2.1 software, iPhone to get update very soon after.
iTunes 8.0 which Rose says is a major update with new features
Mintyboost is offering a kit that transforms an Altoids Chewing Gum tin into a portable iPhone USB charger that works with both iPhone and iPhone 3G. It also works with the iPod family. This kit isn't for novices though, as it requires a soldering kit and a steady hand. The Mintyboost kit will set you back $19.50. You'll need to secure a tin of Altoid's Gum, as it's surprisingly out of stock on their site. For all the sorted details on how to create this dandy portable USB iPhone charger, check out forum member psylichon's how to guide in our forums .
The gents over iLounge have
