iPhone Approll

Merck has released a new medical book and its companion iPhone app, The Merck Manual--Home Edition, a reference manual that includes timely health topics such as H1N1.

(Credit: Merck & Co.)

The Merck Manual, a New York Times best seller that has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, is one of those medical tomes you don't typically find in a layperson's home library. It's big, heavy, not terribly exciting, and like most physicians' desk references, not the cheapest book around.

Not to be outdone by the competition, Merck & Co. released a new edition Thursday, called The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook (3rd edition). Because the book is still big, heavy, not terribly exciting, and not terribly cheap, Merck has released its contents as an iPhone app as well (home edition: $9.99; professional edition: $29.99), thereby solving its problems of size, weight, cost, and yes, even excitement, as the app has way more going on than its old-fashioned counterpart.

(Credit: Crave UK)

A Digg application for the iPhone is in the works, two years after Apple announced its own version. Kevin Rose, co-founder of the popular social-bookmarking and Web aggregation site, was spotted playing with the app in London.

Rose was attending the Future of Web Apps conference, where he hung out with our own Nate Lanxon and Natali Del Conte. Arnt Eriksen and Thomas Moen of Norwegian videocast Sofaprat clocked Rose playing with a trial version of the app on his iPhone.

Rose was unforthcoming about the functionality of the app, chuckling, "You're not even supposed to know about that." A quick way of submitting links to Digg would be useful, but we wonder how you'd move from the Safari browser to the Digg app, as Apple locks out apps from running in the background. It seems likely the app will have a built-in mini-browser, allowing you to view submitted content, then vote stories up or down, known as digging or burying.

A Digg iPhone app was announced in Apple's app news in 2007. This mobile version of the site includes iPhone scrolling, mini-permalink pages with the top five comments, and digging ability. Rose claimed then that the mobile site was coded in 48 hours, so who knows what kind of features they could have come up with in two years?

(Source: Crave UK)

(Credit: VW/Fish Labs)

Volkswagen and Fish Labs have partnered to create yet another iPhone/iPod Touch advertisement, err, game. This time around, VW is giving you the opportunity to pull the Scirocco R out of your pocket and take it for a spin around the Nurburgring.

The game's title is a bit misleading. You don't actually get to complete a full 24-hour endurance race, which I'm sure would be impossible with the handheld's battery life. Rather, the game drops you in at last leg of the race in 11th place with 23 hours and 50 minutes already on the clock--just enough time for two more hot laps. I'm guessing VW Scirocco 10-minute Challenge was just too stupid of a name, necessitating this gimmick.

There's also a Time Trial mode, as well as a multiplayer option. Of course, the app includes the requisite links to order brochures and find your local VW dealer--which, if you live in the United States, will definitely not have the Euro-market only Scirocco in stock.

While we don't get the Scirocco R in the U.S., we may get the Golf R20, which is mechanically identical.

(Credit: VW/Fish Labs)

The gameplay itself is about what you'd expect from a marketing piece. There's only one vehicle to choose from (the titular 265 horsepower VW Scirocco R) in four colors and there's only one track. Users are given the option of steering with the iPhone's accelerometer or by touching onscreen directional arrows. Likewise, the game features onscreen gas and brake pedals that are tapped with the thumbs.

As a Nurburgring veteran (in Gran Turismo 4 for PS2), it's fairly obvious that the track in VW's 24H Challenge is more of an homage to the Green Hell, as it is far from accurate. Famous turns such as the Carousel are missing and the final straight past Nurburg Castle isn't nearly long enough. So, don't go thinking that your 4:25.604 lap time means that the Scirocco R is a Porsche-slayer. It's only a game.

The steering is sluggish and unresponsive and the accelerometer doesn't ever seem to level out for the straights. Every time you touch the brakes, the Scirocco lays down thick skid marks--which is an odd design choice, because I'm sure the real-life 'Rocco is equipped with ABS.

At the end of the day, I'm willing to forgive VW Scirocco 24H Challenge of all of these gripes because it's free and available now in the Apple iTunes Store.

When friends and family ask me to show them a useful application on the iPhone or iPod Touch, I have no trouble pulling up four or five that convince them it's a solid platform. "A Virus Protection Mask" is not one of those apps. This 99 cent gem (which usually costs $2.99) simulates a protective face mask...for your phone.

There are a dozen mask colors to pick from, all of which sport the same design, and do not actually protect you or your phone from anything. Especially a "you paid for that?"

(Credit: Apple/CNET)

Related:
10 absurd new iPhone apps
10 (more) absurd iPhone apps

MLB is now streaming all games via At Bat app to MLB.tv subscribers.

(Credit: MLBAM)

Major League Baseball took another step in proving its technical superiority over the other three major sports leagues Wednesday, by connecting its wired MLB.tv subscription package with its At Bat iPhone application.

Beginning Wednesday, MLB will stream every single regular and postseason baseball game to fans via the $9.99 iPhone and iPod Touch application it initially released last year. Customers who already subscribe to MLB.tv and MLB.tv Premium packages--its online baseball viewing service--can now watch any game live from their phone or computer. The games will be streamed over the iPhone or iPod's Wi-Fi connection or 3G network. Games can be paused and rewound while playing.

Just after the iPhone OS 3.0 update was released in June, MLB added the feature that any purchasers of the At Bat app would get one free streamed game per week chosen by MLB, no MLB.tv subscription required. It took a little over a month to add the MLB.tv package, which streams 15 live games at a time.

The same rules of MLB.tv still apply however: if a game is blacked out in a local broadcast area, it won't be available to be streamed live, though the game will appear in the video archives at the conclusion of the game.

The most curious part of all this, however, has nothing to do with MLB, but AT&T. MLB is streaming 15 three-hour baseball games live every single day of the week, which is great for fans of the game, and AT&T is apparently cheering for it, too. So why is the carrier OK with this, but has restricted Sling's SlingPlayer Mobile application to Wi-Fi only?

SlingPlayer was not approved for the App Store with 3G streaming capability because streaming live broadcast TV over its 3G wireless network "violated the company's terms of use." MLB At Bat is now doing the same thing, but with AT&T's approval.

Starting next week, Universal will release an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that controls content on Blu-ray Discs.

It's a first for the industry, but it falls in line with the Blu-ray format's efforts to expand beyond the disc and into other personal electronics devices. The app will launch to coincide with Universal's release of "Fast & Furious" on Blu-ray July 28.

Depending on the title it's associated with, the free application will allow bonus features from the disc to be downloaded to an iPhone or iPod Touch, and will let either device act as a remote control for some Blu-ray features. While watching the film, the app will also feed related info about the cast or the film itself.

For "Fast & Furious," the application will have access to the "Virtual Car Garage" bonus feature. While viewing bonus features, app owners can use their iPhone or iPod Touch screen to control 360-degree views of the cars from the film.

It's notable that this offering is coming from Universal, known for being the last major film studio to leave HD DVD for Blu-ray, thus effectively killing Blu-ray's rival disc format in early 2008.

This post was updated on 7-21-09 to reflect the app's price and correct usage. It previously misstated when the application could be used.

Developers frequently give away their apps. Follow 148apps_nowfree to find out every time this happens.

Still think there's no good reason to have a Twitter account? Here's a damn good one: iPhone app-review site 148Apps has a Twitter feed that notifies you when an app's price drops--to zero.

See, developers frequently run temporary promotions in which they give their apps away. Of course, it's all too easy to miss these freebies because you didn't know about them.

Based on what I've seen of twitter.com/148apps_nowfree, these promotions happen a lot. In the last 12 hours, I received tweets about at least 20 apps. Some darn good stuff, too.

Looking for a good way to keep tabs on this and other Twitter feeds? The popular desktop app TweetDeck recently made its way to the iPhone. Highly recommended.

Still not up to speed on this whole Twitter thing? Here's help: "Just what the heck is Twitter, anyway?"

Finally, while we're on the subject of free iPhone apps, I think many of you overlooked my recent post on AppGiveaway, a site where you can win promo codes for all kinds of iPhone apps.

In the past few weeks, I've registered for maybe eight giveaways--and won six of them. Your mileage may vary, of course, but for now it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Go sign up!

The B&N Bookstore app lets you read book reviews.

(Credit: Barnes & Noble)

Barnes & Noble has joined the iPhone app generation. The world's largest bookstore announced on Monday its B&N Bookstore app, which is available for both the iPhone and iPod Touch. Among other things, users can browse books and reviews, and find store event information.

One of the first big brick-and-mortar retailers to create an iPhone app, Barnes & Noble partnered with LinkMe Mobile and Spotlight Mobile to design phone-friendly features.

One of them lets users snap a photo of a book cover, which then links to more information about the book. Although this seems a bit redundant--since to take a photo of a book you'll have to have it in hand--it could prove helpful in quickly scanning a friend's book collection and later reading reviews, synopses, and the like. Yes, you could do that with a Google search, but a photo couldn't hurt, right?

The app also includes a store locator, recommendations on other books that might appeal, a store events calendar, online purchasing, and video clips of interviews with authors.

Other apps for bookworms include Amazon Mobile, which lets users search, shop and read reviews; SnapTell, which, like the B&N Bookstore app, lets users take a picture of a book cover and get information on the book; and BookBargin, which compares prices of books at different online stores. These apps and the B&N Bookstore app are free.

Barnes & Noble's president, William Lynch, said the company decided to create an app based on an increase in the store's mobile traffic.

If you haven't figured this out already, I'm a serious airline geek. Yes, I'm the kind of person who keeps track of all his flights and I can identify planes as they taxi by at the airport. Want to know which airlines flies nonstop between San Francisco and Sydney? Well, I can tell you (United and Qantas). Some would call it an obsession, but I think that it's just an interest.

Airport Status

If you're like me, you'll be delighted to know that the iPhone App store has quite a few options to indulge your passion. Without ever leaving your iPhone, you can check for delays, find the best seat on your flight, learn facts about your aircraft, and find your departure gate at the airport.

The following is a list of apps that I've used on CNET's iPhone. When I'm not using them just for fun--like I said, it's an interest--they have come in handy quite a few times. The titles that I've highlighted below aren't the only such apps available, but they are the ones that I've used. If you have other picks, be sure to tell me about them below.

Airport Status
99 cents

This app won't show delays for specific flights, but it will show general delays affecting U.S. airports. This is especially useful when your home airport is San Francisco International--due to low clouds it often suffers from "ground stops" where flights are held at their departure airport until the weather improves. Newark Liberty is another airport that's constantly on here. New Yorkers and Jerseyites, take note. ... Read more