iPhone Atlas

iPhone OS 3.1.3 users unable to download new apps

iPhone owners still running OS 3.1.3 are apparently bumping into trouble trying to download new apps from Apple's App Store.

Several users of the older OS have chimed in on Apple's Support Communities reporting that they can update existing apps and sync apps from iTunes to their phones, but they can't install new apps directly to their devices.

One commenter described the problem in part as follows:

Whenever I go into a specific app in the app store, none of the buttons work properly. 1) clicking on the price no longer downloads the app, 2) … Read more

Amazon Kindle Fire lights up mobile ad network

Amazon's Kindle Fire was one of the hottest devices tracked by ad network Millennial Media in November though it didn't debut until halfway through the month.

Millennial Media's November Mobile Mix report found that the number of ad impressions on the Fire grew at an average daily rate of 19 percent, slightly outshining the growth of the first iPad in early 2010.

"We're not just seeing millions of impressions, we're seeing a monthly run rate of hundreds of millions of impressions," said the report of the Fire.

The Kindle Fire is also facing … Read more

Unlocked iPhone 4S now working in some T-Mobile network pockets

According to a support thread on T-Mobile's troubleshooting site, an unlocked iPhone 4S could be used on T-Mobile's network, utilizing the iPhone 4S UMTS 1 band.

This theory has been backed up by a report on an unofficial T-Mobile blog, claiming that an unlocked iPhone 4S, in certain parts of the country, can run on T-Mobile's 3G network.

iPhones have been a part of T-Mobile's landscape since the beginning. In fact, T-Mobile offers a quite nice support community for iPhone users, despite not officially offering the product.

Now, as TmoNews reports, T-Mobile has begun reframing some … Read more

Arcade puzzle games for iOS

Are you a puzzle gamer? My iOS devices have a mix of gaming genres, from action arcade titles and racing games, to FPS shooters and role-playing adventure games. But sometimes I also like to focus in and test my logic and problem-solving skills with puzzle games.

Some great games have come out recently that are worthy of any puzzle-gaming fan's iPhone. All of these titles are worthy of checking out, because they have plenty of challenge, are all very polished graphically, and are perfect for when you want to put your brain-teaser skills to the test.… Read more

Siri gains access to entire Best Buy catalog

Because of Apple's partnership with search comparison engine Wolfram Alpha, Siri now has the ability to search the entire Best Buy catalog, a feature added to Wolfram Alpha today.

Best Buy has public APIs that have allowed Wolfram Alpha to leverage the data from more than 35,000 products that Best Buy sells. Because Wolfram Alpha was built on a natural-language interface, as Siri is, the ability to get accurate and informative results using voice recognition is that much more impressive.

Siri, using Wolfram Alpha's access to Best Buy's APIs, has access to pricing information, tech specs, … Read more

Microsoft's latest iOS app: Kinectimals

First came OneNote, then SkyDrive. Now, Microsoft is jumping into the iOS games market with Kinectimals, a mobile version of the popular Kinect console title.

"Game" might not be the right word. Kinectimals simulates adopting and playing with a tiger cub (your choice of five breeds at the beginning, with five more you can unlock). Target audience: 3-year-olds.

OK, slightly older kids might enjoy this as well, but Kinectimals is so simplistic that I think anyone over the age of 7 is likely to lose interest pretty quickly.

That's not to say this Tamogotchi-style experience is bad, because it's not. Rather, it's cute as the dickens, with frisky tiger cubs who jump and coo and catch (or at least paw at) tennis balls. Soothing new-agey music plays in the background.… Read more

Tweaked iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S released, Apple TV 4.4.4 also

Apple has publicly released two updates today, one a tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S users and the other an update to Apple TV, now version 4.4.4.

The version of iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S users is build 9A406 and does not have any listed changes from the version of iOS 5.0.1, which was released last month in an attempt to solve battery life issues many people had been complaining about.

According to iDownloadBlog.com, this new update now includes decrypted RAM disks, which essentially means that users can write … Read more

Gmail app updated with Scribbles, signatures

The Gmail app (free) for iOS received an update today adding useful features like signatures and a vacation responder system.

When the Gmail app came out not too long ago, Google said it was just getting started. Released today in the iTunes App Store, an update to the Gmail app adds a few new features that make the popular e-mail app even better.

Along with (what Google says are) numerous UI improvements and bug fixes, a few features were added that will be welcome additions for Gmail users. You'll now be able to create nested labels; similar to a … Read more

Hit and run: Grand Theft Auto 3 arrives on iOS, Android

Mobile phone and tablet games are fast becoming the repository for all things retro, and there's no better indication of that than tomorrow's release of Grand Theft Auto 3: Ten Year Anniversary Edition.

Available from the App Store and the Android Marketplace on December 15 for $4.99, it's the exact same PS2 game I remember fondly--with improved graphics and a touch interface, of course.

This isn't the first GTA game to hit mobile: Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars is a port of a Nintendo DS and PSP game, but relied more on top-down gameplay. GTA 3 is a third-person game that's the precursor to the console-based Grand Theft Autos we know today, complete with a truly 3D Liberty City. It's all there to browse, cruise, and complete secret missions in. After spending some time this morning playing the final version, I can attest that it's as good as a touch-based GTA could be.… Read more