App Store

Stream and Manage Podcasts On the iPhone With Instacast

Do you like to listen to podcasts? Do you subscribe to multiple podcasts in iTunes? If so, you realize how much of a pain it can be to manually transfer your podcasts from iTunes to your iPhone. Perhaps you don't even sync podcasts to your iPhone to conserve disk space.

Podcasts can take a considerable amount of memory on a device with limited storage, not to mention the time and hardrive space it takes to download each episode in iTunes. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a robust streaming solution for podcasts?

Instacast can best be described as Netflix for podcasts. As a cloud-based podcast streaming solution, Instacast is a fantastic stand-alone app for any podcast enthusiast...

Angry Birds Sequel “Angry Birds Rio” Now Available in the App Store

The makers of the sensational Angry Birds title have released a sequel to their acclaimed game called Angry Birds Rio. In a collaboration between Rovio and 20th Century Fox, Angry Birds Rio has been released in the App Store prior to the movie release of "Rio."

Angry Birds Seasons has already been available in the App Store, and Angry Birds Rio is essentially the same gameplay with a plot based on the upcoming movie. 60 new playable levels are offered in the Rio edition of Angry Birds, and Rovio promises more to come in future updates.

Apple Files Lawsuit Against Amazon Over ‘App Store’ Trademark

Amazon has had an "appstore" developer portal since January; a place where developers can submit mobile applications for approval and then sell them on Amazon's website.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has filed a lawsuit against Amazon Inc. on March 18th over the “App Store” trademark used in their developer portal...

Apple’s “If You Don’t Have an iPhone” Ads Highlight App Store, iTunes, and iBooks

Apple has released some new ads that focus on the three main e-commerce stores for the iPhone. These short, 30 second promos focus on the App Store, iTunes, and iBooks.

The main focus of these three ads is to show what people who don't have the iPhone are missing. The "If you don't have an iPhone" tag line plays throughout the ad as different features of each store are pointed out. Each ad ends with a little jab: "If you don’t have an iPhone, well, you don’t have an iPhone."

What do you think? The ads clearly get the intended message across. Perhaps a little too boldly? Apple sure knows how to make a poignant little commercial.

[MacStories]

Qik Releases Video Connect App for iPhone

The popular option for video chat on Android handsets is now available and better than ever on the iPhone. Today, Qik officially launched its Qik Video Connect app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad 2 (although it isn't completely optimized for the iPad).

Qik Video Connect offers two-way video calls and also lets you record video mail. Qik's live broadcasting feature lets you post a live link to Facebook and Twitter, so friends can watch in real time as well...

Capcom Drops Street Fighter IV Down to $0.99, With All Proceeds Going to Relief Efforts in Japan

Capcom, the Japanese game publisher that's perhaps best known for its Street Fighter series, is engaging in one of the most important fights in the company's storied history -- the fight for survival.

After the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the island in an almost unbelievable proportion, Capcom is doing what it does best to help those in need -- it's letting characters from its most famous franchise do the fighting.

Today, the company dropped the price of Street Fighter IV for the iPhone to $0.99 and promised to donate all proceeds of the sales to relief efforts in Japan...

Localscope: One of The Best Location/Navigation Apps for the iPhone [Review and Giveaway]

There's a plethora of location-based apps to choose from in the App Store. Check-in services like Foursquare and Gowalla are popular, and there are some pretty niffty location-based search apps like Siri Assistant and Where.

Localscope, by Cynapse, is a search/navigation app that encompasses the features of most location-based tools in the App Store. By using the backend of services like Google and Twitter, Localscope allows for a more full and encompassing experience of searching for locations around you...

New iPhone App Development Software Available

Do you aspire to be an iPhone developer? Maybe, you have some million dollar ideas and just had no clue where to start. Well, allow me to point you in the right direction. Apple's iOS App development software, Xcode, has been a quiet factor in the huge success of the App Store.

Integrated, all in one, easy to use tools are a few things that make Xcode so attractive to developers. It's everything you need to make an app, from start to finish, and even includes an iOS simulator so you can see what your app will look like on the actual device. Xcode 4 is free to registered members of Apple's developer program, and available now. Not a member? No sweat....

Gamerami: The Ultimate iPhone App for Gamers

If you consider yourself a hardcore gamer, you most likely own multiple consoles and a vast collection of titles. Or perhaps you like to stick with one or two of the more popular games, like WoW or Call of Duty.

It can be daunting to swim through the vast ocean of video game-related news and releases. Gamerami, by Ballpark Apps, is an iPhone app that offers on demand news and game info. If you've been looking for a way to sift through the new releases and info in the world of gaming, Gamerami might be just what you need.

Twitter for iPhone Updated to Make “Quick Bar” Less Annoying

The official Twitter app was recently updated with some significant changes. Among other new features, Twitter decided to add the "Quick Bar" to the top of the timeline.

Twitter had good intentions with the Quick Bar; it was designed to help users keep a better tab on trending topics. As topics trend, they push through the Quick Bar. Tapping a topic will activate the search window for that related hashtag.

People didn't like Twitter's new Quick Bar. And an internet backlash on what was cleverly coined the "Dick Bar" has caused Twitter to push another update that attempts at making the Quick Bar less intrusive.

Pulse News Mini for iPhone: the News at Your Fingertips

If you have been looking for an RSS reader, that doesn't look like an RSS reader, then you need look no further. Now, Pulse News Mini for the iPhone and iPod touch is nothing new. Maybe you have experienced its older sibling 'Pulse' on your iPad. But this little gem from Alphonso Labs Inc. is definitely worth mention. If you are like me and enjoy the benefits of an RSS feed reader, but find the typical app in this category boring and redundant, you have to check this out.

So why would you want an RSS reader in the first place? Well, like the expanded name 'Really Simple Syndication' suggests, RSS feeds are news headlines and articles pushed out by websites. This allows its readers access to information quickly. An RSS reader application on your iPhone would allow you to get news from 100's of different websites. Typically, you browse headlines and a snippet of the article in text format, like an email inbox, and can choose whether to read further into the article or not...

What in the World is Yobongo?

No, Yobongo is not a way of life or a youthful catch phrase, yet. Yobongo is a new location-based chat application that is definitely turning some heads in the tech industry. What makes them different than all the other group chat and messaging applications already available for iOS devices? Reality.

"Be Authentic," is the 3rd and final rule in Yobongo's chat guidelines. "The world is full of places to be someone you're not, this isn't one of them. We value authenticity and honesty."

The folks over at Yobongo, Inc. might really be on to something...