App Store

Every once in a while an App slips through the watch of Apple’s ever vigilant eye and ends up causing a controversy. Take Netshare for example, you might not remember it but it allowed you to tether your iPhone to a computer. Yet, it was pulled shortly after by a request from AT&T. “Baby Shaker” however, was made available on the App Store until someone realized “Hey, we should probably take this down” when an complaint was made.

The App, developed by Sikalosoft, shows a sketch of a baby and the player must shake it until red x’s appear over its eye indicating the baby has been shaken to death. The App’s availability outraged Patrick Donohue, founder of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation who is devoted to preventing what this App does in the real world. After writing a letter to Steve Jobs with disgust for the App, it was pulled but you have to wonder, just why would this be approved in the first place knowing someone would question the morality of it?

While you can argue Apple should stop playing the moral protectorate of the App Store, the other main… more...

The much anticipated SlingPlayer App for the iPhone may have encountered some delays on its way to the App Store but a rumor is floating around that the iPhone’s US carrier, AT&T, is asking Apple to deny the App in fear of the unprecedented amount of network traffic it would generate.

Wireless carriers instill data caps to thwart data hemorrhaging users but AT&T may be over stepping its boundaries and exploiting their exclusive relationship with Apple to protects its interests over what would appeal to consumers. The problem AT&T would have with the SlingPlayer App is the amount of data downloaded by an iPhone users to watch video content. It all comes down to data consumption, something AT&T has been wary of since the iPhone’s launch and not so much the competition generated from a possible SlingPlayer App and AT&T’s own over the air TV packages as the later is unavailable for the iPhone.

While SlingPlayer has heard nothing from AT&T or Apple on the status of its App, BoyGenius has heard that the decision was to deny the App for the previously listed reasons: bandwidth consumption. The irony of… more...

Mactracker, the massive knowledge database for Apple products, has made its way from the Mac desktop to the iPhone.

While you could Google the specifics of the Mac, iPod or obscure Apple product you’re trying to find, Mactracker consolidates all of this data in to one App for the iPhone. The interface is minimal but gives you a quick look at which product families are available. The App mimics the web version made available by Ian Page, Mactracker’s developer but having access to the App on your Homescreen works so much better.

While Mactracker isn’t something you will be using every day, it comes in handy when shopping for used Macs at a flea market or when you’re grabbing hardware upgrades and you need to know what type of RAM your new Macbook takes. Mactracker can be downloaded from the App Store

Via: Macworld

Ever needed a dramatic sounding quote to amaze friends and random onlookers? Quote Book for the iPhone does just that.

Quote Book has thousands of searchable quotes that can spice up your conversation quickly and easily. Genres span from sports to art and technology but when you find a quote you like, you can look up the Wikipedia entry for its author, add it to your favorites or email it to a friend. The App normally retails for $2 but is on sale for $1 via the App Store.

Via: iPhone Central

Yahoo! has finally released its messenger App (iTunes Link) for the iPhone.

The App has the basic functionality of the desktop version allowing users to IM contacts, send media and emoticons. A video demonstrating the App’s capabilities is available below.

Yahoo! Messenger for the iPhone demo video from Yahoo! Messenger on Vimeo.

Via: iPhone Alley

Since the App Store’s debut in July of last year, Apple has made available thousands upon thousands of Apps and is now reaching 1 billion App downloads.

It’s only been a few months since the App Store hit half a billion downloads and in the short amount of time since then, Apple is set to double that number. To celebrate the occasion, Apple is giving away prizes along the way including the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes gift card so you can possibly download some more Apps but that’s just wishful thinking. To enter in the competition just download an App between now and the billionth downloaded App. More details can be found on Apple’s page

Via: The iPhone Blog

After racking up a record download rate, Skype has been banned on iPhones by T-Mobile in Germany in fear that the App would hog up network traffic despite its reliance on a Wi-Fi connection.

The cellular carrier made it clear that VoIP Apps would have no place on German iPhones due to the potential amount of network traffic generated by Skype. However, as like other German carriers, the use of VoIP apps is not permitted and says so clearly in their contracts but T-Mobile wants to go as far as to cancel contracts of those found using the App. Skype responded to T-Mobile’s threat:

“They pretend that their action has to do with technical concerns: this is baseless. Skype works perfectly well on iPhone, as hundreds of thousands of people globally can already readily attest.”

Via: iPhone Central

Skype’s arrival in the App Store early Tuesday has been met with much praise now that a real VoIP App is finally available for the iPhone. Unfortunately, one of the key features that makes Skype so great, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), failed to work over an active 3G connection and was restricted to a Wi-Fi connection. However, 3G connections are supported in the latest Beta version of the iPhone Firmware.

Firmware 3.0 is currently being Beta tested by developers and will arrive sometime this summer but already it’s throwing up surprises. When running Skype on Firmware 3.0, VoIP calls can be made over a 3G connection which goes against Apple’s commitment to cellular carriers that iPhone Apps will not hog their traffic. It will be interesting to see if this loophole makes it to the final release of Firmware 3.0.

Via: Gizmodo

CBS has released an iPhone App called Entertainment Tonight based off the show of the same name.

The App (iTunes link) allows users to browse media aggregated from the popular show and a tab to browse the show’s website.

Via: Macworld

MLB.com has updated their popular At Bat iPhone App just in time for the 2009 baseball season. While a number of features have been added, the price has doubled alongside the inclusion of a free stripped down version.

The more expensive (iTunes link) At Bat App features in-game audio for all major league games. The lite version is merely the previous season’s App with most of its features stripped away and made available under a different moniker.

Via: iPhone Alley