TweetBot 2.8 released with Media Timeline and overhauled image viewer

TapBot's TweetBot isn't the most affordable Twitter client on iOS, but the download is definitely worth every cent, at least as far as I'm concerned.

And with Twitter killing off its TweetDeck software on iOS, Android and AIR platforms beginning May 7, the selection of free Twitter clients on the App Store is about to become a little less comprehensive.

If you were looking for an excuse to treat yourself to a copy of TweetBot - which costs three bucks for the iPhone/iPod touch and an additional $3 for the iPad edition - you'll be wise to consider taking the plunge following today's update, TweetBot 2.8. Check out the new features right after the break...

Apple now offering refurbished 7th-gen iPod nano online

Apple has been very active lately in the refurbished department of its web store. Last week it posted fifth generation iPod touch models to the page for the first time. And just weeks before that, it began offering fourth-generation iPads and iPad minis.

Today, the company has added refurbished 7th generation iPod nano models to its website, bringing its reconditioned offerings for iOS devices it introduced last fall full circle. You can now find nearly every late-model iPhone, iPad or iPod at a discount...

T-Mobile planning to leapfrog LTE competition with 3x faster LTE Advanced

T-Mobile is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the United States and also the furthest behind of the four major telcos in terms of deployment of the fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) cellular technology.

You'll recall T-Mobile has only begun testing its LTE last month, ahead of its April 12 iPhone distribution deal with Apple.

Right now, T-Mobile has LTE towers in just seven cities and their coverage plans call for 100 million LTE users by the end of the summer and 200 million by the end of the year.

Despite the slow pace of LTE deployment, the carrier thinks it can do better and take its rivals by surprise by deploying LTE Advanced fast, tapping its existing hardware already in place...

Surprise, Apple continues to lead the pack in US online movie rentals and purchases

Most folks are in agreement that Apple revolutionized the digital music industry, and the music industry as a whole, when it launched its iTunes store in April of 2003. At the time, there was no other service offering easy access to digital tracks for $0.99.

And I would argue that it did the same thing for digital movies and TV shows when it added them to iTunes in 2005 and 2006. No one came close to what Apple was doing in the space back then. And judging by the latest numbers, that still holds true today...

Twitter shutting down TweetDeck for iOS, Android, AIR on May 7

We had a feeling TweetDeck could wind up on life support after the micro-blogging and media platform Twitter had acquired them back in May 2011 for the reported $50 million.

Despite promising not to change the once popular application - and in spite of overhauling the UI and adding new features - last month was a disappointment for TweetDeck's loyal following as Twitter confirmed plans to phase out mobile apps.

The plan is to focus on the TweetDeck web app. And now, Twitter's most recent follow-up post makes it clear the company will be pulling the plug on TweetDeck for iPhone, TweetDeck for Android and TweetDeck AIR on May 1...

Logitech unveils Surface-like $149 FabricSkin Keyboard Folio

A month ago, accessory maker Logitech launched colorful new Keyboard Folios for iPads. Prior to that, the company announced the Ultrathin Keyboard for the iPad mini (our own Jeff Benjamin liked it) and a solar-powered Bluetooth keyboard which doubles as an iPad protective sleeve.

Tapping all that expertise and knowledge and taking a page from Microsoft's book, logitech today announced new iPad keyboard covers which behave a lot like Microsoft's Touch Cover and Type Cover for the Surface tablet.

These new covers are available with or without built-in keyboard, come in a range of colors and are billed as the first Bluetooth keyboard solution with keys seamlessly fused into its interior fabric.

I've included more information and two nice promo clips so jump past the fold to learn more about these Surface-like iPad cases...

Discovery Channel and TLC apps gain new ‘Plus’ second-screen experience

This is pretty cool. Discovery Channel Communications has released updates today for both the Discovery Channel and TLC iOS apps with a new interactive second-screen experience called 'Plus,' that promises to make TV watching more enjoyable.

For those unfamiliar with second-screen apps, they essentially allow users to sync their smartphones or tablets with TV shows/movies to serve up additional—meaning more than what's being offered through the show itself—content to them in real-time...

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 07: This relationship is over

Welcome to the seventh episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak. We've got a whole lot to talk about today, so this happens to be our longest episode ever. Today we talk about JellyLock vs atom – a battle of the Lock screen launchers. We discuss Abstergo, along with our announcement of the winners of the Abstergo giveaway. We've got more details on Auxo for iPad, Facebook Chat Heads on iOS, more awesome sleeper tweaks, and we chit-chat about 1Password. Join us in this informative and fun journey into the world of jailbreaking.

Popular iPad photo editing app FX Photo Studio HD goes free for a limited time

Those in the market for an iPad photo editing app will be happy to hear that the folks over at MacPhun have just announced that following the success of last week's free iPhone app offering, they've made their popular FX Photo Studio HD free for a limited time.

The team says that the $1.99 discount is in celebration of the iPhone version of FX Photo Studio hitting over 1 million downloads during its 3-day free promotion last week, where it became the top free photography app in the App Store of 39 different countries...

Refurbs: 3G iPad 2 now $180 cheaper, cellular iPad 3 discounted by $170

Apple started offering refurbished iPad 4 and iPad mini back in March, bringing the used 16GB iPad mini down to $299, representing a modest $30 saving. Refurbished products are always good buys as these little-used devices are good as new: Apple tests them for defects, throws in a brand new battery and outer shell and backs them with its standard one-year AppleCare warranty.

After realizing some people were kinda hoping for deeper discounts, Apple just instituted an additional $50 price cut on the second and third-generation cellular iPad refurbs. For example, the entry-level cellular iPad 2 with sixteen gigabytes of storage originally cost $399 refurbished, but customers can now pick it up for $349 for an additional $50 discount, or a nice $180 saving over its usual $529 asking price...

App recommendation software AppShopper returns as social tool

When is it okay for an app to recommend other apps? Only when your friends recommend them via any third-party software designed to curate crowdsourced app recommendations, according to Apple. In other words, get social. That's the word from AppShopper Social (formerly AppShopper), an app recommendation service which returns from banishment by Apple after allowing users to view lists of apps recommended by friends. Developers have discovered that by adding the slight wrinkle of social interactivity, they can avoid at least one Apple ban: being "similar to or confusing with the App Store"...

ITC drops Motorola’s complaint against Apple over proximity sensor patent

Apple's patent troubles with the struggling handset maker has largely been viewed as a proxy fight with Google, which acquired Motorola Mobility along with its vast patent portfolio in August 2011 for $12.5 billion. Two and a half years ago Motorola asserted its proximity sensor patent against Apple. Monday, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) threw Motorola's complaint out of the window, invalidating Motorola's patent because it's too obvious. That's good news for Apple as Google was hoping to leverage that patent to seek an import ban against iPhones...