• apple,  ipad,  iphone,  itunes,  touch

    Apple Resumes iTunes App Approvals

    9To5Mac.com has posted a note today to let us know that Apple’s iTunes Connect department is back from their week long holiday shutdown.

    That means that we will start seeing new apps and updates to exiting apps showing up in iTunes and on our iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches in the next day or so.  It also means that the pricing freeze is over, and we should expect to see applications and games that were heavily discounted during the Christmas holiday returning to normal.

    If you have been putting off getting that game or app while it has been on sale, better get it soon!

    [Via 9To5Mac.com…]

  • apple,  att,  blackberry,  droid,  evo,  google,  hp,  iphone,  ipod,  palm,  pre,  sprint,  torch,  touch,  verizon

    Year End Deals on iPods, iPads, iPhones, Smartphones

    Didn’t get the cool new phone or iDevice for Christmas that you were hoping for?  Are you sitting on a pile of cash or gift cards?  Don’t worry!  There are still deals to be had on new and refurbished hardware between now and the end of the year.

    Apple (Refurbished Hardware)

    • iPod Classic (Silver or Black) – $209
    • iPod touch 32GB (third generation) – $229
    • iPod touch 64GB (third generation) – $299
    • iPad Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G – $50-100 off refurbished units

    AT&T Wireless (Refurbished Hardware)

    • Apple iPhone 4 16GB – $99, $36 activation fee
    • Apple iPhone 4 32GB – $199, $36 activation fee
    • Apple iPhone 3GS 8/16/32GB – $29/$49/79, $36 activation fee
    • BlackBerry Torch – $9.99, activation fee waived
    • HP Palm Pre Plus – $0.00, activation fee waived
    • HTC Aria – $0.01, activation fee waived

    Keep reading for Verizon Wireless and Sprint phones.

    Sprint

    • BlackBerry Bold 9650 – $150 off online order
    • BlackBerry Curve 3G – $200 off online order
    • HP Palm Pixi – Free when ordered online
    • HTC Evo 4G – $150 off online order

    Verizon Wireless

    • HTC Droid Incredible – $149.99, BOGO
    • BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 – $49.99, BOGO
    • BlackBerry Bold 9650 – $99.99, BOGO
    • HP Palm Pixi Plus – $0.00

    Depending on the phone model and service plan, a $36 activation fee may apply.

  • games,  ios,  iphone,  touch

    Angry Birds for iPhone/iPod Touch Updated to 1.5.0

    Angry Birds for the iPhone and iPod touch has been upgraded to version 1.5.0 following Monday’s update to Angry Birds HD for the iPad.

    The Angry Birds 1.5.0 update includes:

    • A new theme in the Frontier Badlands
    • 15 new levels and one new golden egg
    • Game Center support
    • Introduces the Mighty Eagle

    [Notes] The Mighty Eagle feature is a $0.99 in app purchase.

    Head over to the iTunes Store or hit the App Store on your iPhone/iPod touch to get in on all the new bird flinging action!

  • android,  apple,  appletv,  google,  ipad,  itunes,  podcast

    SPF360 Podcast Show 2

    For the second SPF360 podcast, I discuss:

    • Google Nexus S smartphone
    • “Price Wars” in the iTunes App Store
    • Apple sells 1 million second generation Apple TVs
    • Angry Birds HD 1.5.0 for iPad
    • In-App purchases and how to protect yourself from unexpected charges

     Listening Options
     
    I have submitted the SPF360 .m4a podcast feed to Apple for review, and with any luck, publication.  In the meantime, please use the following listening choices.

    SmartphoneFanatics.com RSS feed (for use in your favorite podcast catcher)
    Direct .m4a Download
    Direct .mp3 Download

    • apple,  appletv,  itunes

      Briefly Noted: 1 Million Apple TVs Sold

      By way of a brief Apple press release, we have learned that sales of Apple’s second generation Apple TV have crossed the 1 million mark.

      Long considered a “hobby” by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the Apple TV has not been met by the same commercial success as iTunes and the iPod.

      “Apple® today announced that it expects sales of its new Apple TV® to top one million units later this week. The new Apple TV offers the simplest way to watch your favorite HD movies and TV shows, stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe℠, all on your HD TV for the breakthrough price of just $99. iTunes® users are now renting and purchasing over 400,000 TV episodes and over 150,000 movies per day.

      Now with AirPlay®, recently available in iOS 4.2, users can wirelessly stream their music, video and photos from iPad™, iPhone® and iPod touch® to their new Apple TV, making it the perfect iOS accessory. Users can also control Apple TV with their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch using the Remote app, available as a free app on the App Store℠.”

      The second generation Apple TV is available now from Apple’s online store, Apple retail stores, and authorized resellers for $99.
    • games,  ios,  ipad

      Angry Birds HD 1.5.0 Update Released [UPDATED]

      Rovio Mobile, the makers of the insanely popular bird launching game, Angry Birds, has released Angry Birds HD 1.5.0 for the Apple iPad last night.

      This update includes:

      • A new theme in the Frontier Badlands
      • 15 new levels and one new golden egg
      • Game Center support
      • Introduces the Mighty Eagle

      [Update] The Mighty Eagle feature is a $0.99 in app purchase.

      My kids have been watching the trailer for the Mighty Eagle for weeks now and can’t wait for this update.

      For current owners, this is a free update.  If you haven’t yet gotten in to an avian flinging addiction yet, you can purchase Angry Birds HD from the iTunes Store (link) for $4.99.

    • apple,  facebook,  ios,  iphone,  itunes,  lifestyle,  touch

      Facebook for iOS Updated to Version 3.3.3

      Today, Facebook for iPhone and iPod touch has been updated to version 3.3.3.

      Included in this maintenance release of Facebook for iOS are the following enhancements:

      • Improved reliability in chat and messages
      • Improved notifications interface
      • Fixed a memory usage bug
      • Fixed some conditions which cause the application to crash
      • Removed the text field for walls you can not post to
      • Restored the ability to post on a Page where you are an admin
      • Fixed a group photos bug
      • Improvements to the Places feature

      You can download the update directly to your iPhone or iPod touch by using the App Store icon, or you can dowload the application to our Mac or Windows PC (link) and iTunes sync it to your iDevice.

      You can use the Facebook application on your iPad, however, this it is not a “Plus” application which means the app will not take advantage of the large display and the text and photos will look a little bit fuzzy when you use the 2x zoom feature of iOS on the iPad.

    • games,  ipad,  iphone,  touch

      Rage HD Updated to 1.11

      id Software has updated their first person shooter (FPS), Rage HD for the iPad, iPhone 4 and 3GS, and iPod touch 4G and 3G.

      This update adds some new features to the game that will enhance the game for players that enjoy fragging muties in this rails based shooter.

      Rage HD 1.11 adds the following new features:

      • Game Center support fro Leaderboards and Achievements
      • Gyroscope support for the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G
      • Explore all 3 levels in “Museum Mode” before the shooting starts
      • Mirror Mode allows you to play the original three levels backwards
      • Second display support so you can play Rage HD on your TV with Apple’s video out solutions
      • Control Rage HD from your iPhone or iPod touch
      • Language localization for French, Italian, German, and Spanish
      Rage HD is a universal binary game that works on both the iPad and current model iPhones and iPod touch models.  You can buy Rage HD for $1.99 and version 1.11 is a free upgrade to current game owners.
      For more details, check out Rage HD in the App Store (link).