Apps

AppShopper App Helps You Find Deals on iPhone Applications

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

The iPhone App Store has had over 300,000 entries accepted in its short lived history while almost 250,000 are currently available for download. I often find myself asking how I can find an obscure application or when a popular entry might go on sale. Enter AppShopper.

Gizmodo recently reported that the popular website now has a native app for the iPhone that will track when apps go on sale and announce the arrival of recently added entries. Certainly this beats Apple's featured apps tab and the best part about it is, you guessed it, it's free...

Skyfire Submits App That Brings Real Flash Videos to Your iPhone

Guest Author ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

Anyone who has an iPhone knows that trying to watch Flash videos is just not possible. There are a few hacks and cracks that bring synthetic Flash knockoffs to your device, though the jury is still out on how well they actually work. That could be changing real soon.

Skyfire has submitted an application to the App Store that would perform a nifty little conversion and bring real Flash to your iPhone. We know that natively, the software would never get a chance to grace the presence of Apple territory, so the developers created a way to make the content compliant...

The way it works is when you click on a video that is Flash based, the app takes it from its original format and converts it to HTML 5. Such a simple sounding but brilliant idea by whoever is behind the development. HTML 5 of course is the format that Apple has regarded to be the future that eliminates Adobe's software.

The video shows off the seemingly stable app in action by loading an episode of The Daily Show. I can see Apple approving this and revering it to be the sort of example they speak of when they claim HTML 5 is the future. If only the app could make Jon Stewart consistently funny.

Will Apple approve this application or deem it too controversial? I wonder if the guy who decides will have to make a call to Steve himself. Let us know what you think of the app's presentation and concept in the comments below.

The iPhone App Store Adds “On The Grid” Category & it Looks Like Advertising

Guest Author ∙ August 30, 2010

I must say that I have enjoyed the anticipation that has come with waiting to see which category the App Store will add under their featured apps section. This week I was sorely disappointed by the organization of location-based apps entitled "On The Grid".

It should come as no surprise that Facebook tops the list after adding their take on the service via Places. Foursquare and Gowalla are next on the list that only sports a dozen entries...

FTC Takes Care of Fraudulent App Store Reviews. Sort of

Guest Author ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

One of my pet peeves is the current state of how apps in the App Store get their review grades. As you probably know the system as it stands is simply set up to allow anyone to write about and rank an application as many times as they like. Nothing had been done to prevent fraud in the sense of app developers writing multiple high ball reviews, until now, kind of.

The Federal Trade Commissions office has satisfied a complaint against a California based PR group called Reverb Communications. It turns out that the company who have worked with several developers were having their employees posing as actual users, and having them write up glorified reviews of different applications...

New Jailbreak App Announces Who’s Calling You

Sébastien Page ∙ August 24, 2010

CallTell is a new jailbreak app that will tell you who's calling before your phone starts ringing. If the person who's calling is in your contacts, it will just say his name. How cool is that? The app also works with text messages and can go as far as reading the text message to you!

CallTell only works on the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4. All options can be enabled/disabled within the Settings.app.

You can download CallTell from Cydia for $1.99. Tell us what you think about this app if you download it.

Naturespace for iPhone Gets iOS 4 Update

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

With all the predictable and monotonous apps that flood the charts in the App Store, I am pleased to report that Naturespace Holographic Audio has been updated for iOS 4. Those who are unaware of Naturespace and its mesmerizing abilities ought not sleep on this gem any longer. Whether your a Buddhist or just need to free your mind, you will happy with the content you're rewarded with.

It works by using binaural techniques which means having two microphones spaced the same distance as your ears are apart. Using your best pair of earphones your body will be overtaken with a complete state of zen...

Google Brings Push Notifications to the iPhone

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

The Google Mobile application for the iPhone now offers push notifications for Gmail and the Google Calendar. The app is free in the App Store and is said to offer "real" notifications that give you message type previews.

Previously iPhone users were required to use a 3rd party service to bring these types of notifications to their iPhones. Also included in the app is "search as you type" results.

Let us know if you're able to download the update and tell us how its working in our comment box.

How Many Gadgets Have Your iPhone/Apps Replaced?

Guest Author ∙ August 21, 2010

Whenever I show my iPhone to someone who has very limited care or information regarding mobile technology, it never gets old hearing them gasp at the reality that the device they are looking at is indeed a phone. And why should it? The gadgets and basic household items that have since been replaced (or thrown away) by the hand of my iPhone is an ever expending list:

Facebook “Places” An Update in Their iPhone App

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Late Wednesday evening, Facebook added a location check-in feature to their hugely popular iPhone app. "Places" is the official title, and the social media kingpin is expected to be the eventual champion of such (GPS) location based utilities.

Similar applications allow you to publicly announce your whereabouts, with Gowalla and Foursquare among the most popular. At least they were.

The Washington Post is among the seemingly endless sources that report once a user "Checks In", their location is broadcasted on both their personal and public feed. Security adjustments can be made within your profile to change just how known your want your movements to be.

This seems certain to be a dagger to Foursquare and company, but Facebook's approach doesn't have the add-ons that other apps have. In Foursquare, you're awarded various badges and even mayorships based on the frequency and uniqueness of your visits.

Places seems to simply announce your position to your friends, and shows your profile picture on a GPS map. Facebook allows you to 'tag' those you're with (like with their photos) so others can follow where they are as well, though they need to authorize you to do such beforehand.

On the surface it all seems like an inevitability merely coming to fruition. My opinion is that this addition to the application spells trouble, and not the type related to the new-found competition of existing services. From my experience, many people are "friends" with individuals they barely know or have just met. For instance someone meets you at a party, and after talking for 10 minutes asks "Are you on Facebook"? And just like you're mutually privy to each others profiles.

So will this kill Foursquare type apps? Or will the competition from the 500 million potential participants on Facebook just make them step their game up? Will you be participating or do you plan to keep your Places to yourself? We at iDB would love your opinion in the comment box on this important addition to the world's largest social network.

CEO Says the iPhone App Store is Crashing

Guest Author ∙ Updated February 16, 2018

This week at Europe's GDC (Game Developer Conference) Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz claimed the iPhone App Store is headed downhill. He states that the profits boasted by Steve Jobs aren't put into perspective. However, according to TUAW, Hubertz also acknowledged Apple as a flagship of mobile space. So which is it? A bit of each can be true.

Perhaps you have noticed that the average price of apps (especially games) has trended downward. Why you ask? The reasons for the decline are probably more intricate to explain in just a simple article so we'll leave that alone. However I think that the CEO is generally off-base in his declaration. With record number of iPhone owners, there has never been a better time to cash out in iPhone development. More people equals more potential revenue.

The very nature of the App Store wasn't to support huge pre-existing gaming corporations. Quite the opposite is true. Allowing every Mac owner the opportunity to help create apps for the product they use was the point, and in that respect the App Store has surpassed these owners expectations. Every time we hear of a kid creating applications, Apple looks like the hero.

There are plenty of platforms for big corporations to thrive in gaming. iPhone developing can be another but that isn't the purpose of it. Do you agree with Heiko Hubertz? Has the App Store maximized itself, or have we only seen the beginning of the App Store's capabilities? Let us know in the comment box.

NES Games Sneak Back Into the App Store

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

We've been here before. It seems as if a variety of Nintendo NES games have sneaked their way back into the App Store. 8 bit Gamepack and 8 bit Gamepack LITE are direct off-shoots of Ice Climber and Wild Gunman, both exclusive Nintendo titles. A more popular game called Duck Hunt needs no explanation of its thievery.

The legality of this will probably send the entertaining games into oblivion, but if you get the chance go and get them as I was able to get Duck Hunt. Nintendo games have came and quickly left in the past. However a closer look at Duck Hunt shows that the game has been in the store since June 18th of this year. If these apps are pulled, it once again shows Apple's shortsightedness in allowing illegal applications into the App Store. Then again the store's director has been busy lately.

iPhone App Store Director Makes Fart Apps

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

This is a nice little find. The folks over at Wired report that the man in charge of regulating what gets into the iPhone App Store actually makes his own line of Fart apps. I'm not blowing wind here. Phillip Shoemaker has a few apps that we know of that include Animal Farts, iWiz (which is actually a urine simulator), and a refrigerator magnet app called Medical Poetry.

His company titled Gray Noodle doesn't make the apps for the love of undesired bodily sounds either. The apps cost between $1-$2 and his highest rated entry holds a 3 1/2 star mark. Seems that Shoemaker has pulled all reference to his prestigious selection off his social media sites after learning his secret was out. Embarrassed much?

Does this piss anyone off (pun intended)? Should the head of the App Store even be allowed to include his own entries? Surely his own applications don't get put under the same amount of scrutiny that those submitted by the rest of the developers. Perhaps I'm wrong but I think Phil should stop being so anal, and get back to his respected position at Apple. Thoughts?