Applications

TriviaBurst brings competitive trivia to iPhone

Calling all trivia buffs: if you're looking for one of those cool multiplayer trivia games like they have in bars, where you get to square off against other players (and even other bars) in real-time competition, well, TriviaBurst isn't it.

Though the game promises "group challenges" and Facebook connectivity, it's very much a single-player exercise.

I'm not saying it's not fun, but rather that it's a bit disappointing--and definitely a little buggy.

TriviaBurst offers more than 5,500 questions across three major categories and about a dozen subcategories. You can also submit … Read more

ClamXav updated to version 2.0.2, addressing Snow Leopard problems

Following our previous report on problems with ClamXav and Snow Leopard, it appears the developer has released a new version addresses these issues. Version 2.0.2 brings back contextual menu support, custom folder analysis, and application hangs.

The update is available from the ClamXav website and in addition to bug fixes, adds support for the new Snow Leopard "Services" menu. If you are a ClamXav user and have updated to Snow Leopard, we highly recommend you apply this latest update.

A utility suite for cheap and Madden football: iPhone apps of the week

Have you updated your iPhone to version 3.1 yet? Among the fixes and feature enhancements in the latest update, Apple added the Genius feature (formerly found in iTunes) to the App Store. Like its iTunes counterpart, Genius for iPhone apps looks at the apps you have on your iPhone and makes recommendations for apps you might like. I should point out that you need to digitally agree to Apple's terms and conditions, which you should read carefully before turning the feature on. The potentially objectionable part (that I have no objection to) is that Apple will track information, … Read more

Road test: AT&T Navigator GPS iPhone application

So far I've tested four flat-fee GPS applications for the iPhone with built-in offline maps: Navigon, iGo My Way, TomTom, and CoPilot Live. They all have pros and cons, but they share a few common shortcomings: a lack of real-time traffic, no support for text-to-speech (except for Navigon with its recent update), and outdated maps.

I've just finished testing a GPS navigation app that offers all of those previously unavailable features: the AT&T Navigator (version 1.2i.5). The catch? It doesn't have built-in maps (meaning you will need a working data connection to download the maps in real time) and it requires a monthly subscription of $10. The app itself is free.

This is one of the first GPS navigation applications made for the iPhone. It's actually a product by TeleNav and is also available for other cell carriers, including Sprint and Alltel.

Unlike the other aforementioned apps that take an hour or so to download using Wi-Fi, the AT&T Navigator has no built-in maps and therefore is a snap to install on the iPhone, even via a 3G or Edge connection. This makes it a perfect quick add-on when you suddenly need a GPS navigator.

The app also launches very quickly, taking just a second or two on my iPhone 3GS. When it can (more on this later), it also picks up GPS signals very fast. After about a week of use, I can say I really like the real-time traffic updates--which warn you both onscreen and audibly--and the text-to-speech features. This is especially helpful when you are in a unfamiliar town.

However, I found out that the traffic updates are available mostly for freeways only, unlike Google Maps, which offer them all the way down to street level for major cities.… Read more

Hands On: Mortal Kombat...er, Blades of Fury for iPhone

Let's just come right out and say it: Gameloft is rapidly becoming synonymous with "kick-ass iPhone games."

That's a personal opinion, but the developer's credits include some of my all-time favorites: Console smash Assassin's Creed, GTA clone Gangstar: West Coast Hustle, Guitar Hero clone Guitar Rock Tour 2, Madden clone NFL 2010, and even the lovingly remade PC classic, The Oregon Trail.

Now comes Blades of Fury, an arcade-style fighting game that, in true Gameloft cloning style, could best be described as Mortal Kombat (or perhaps more accurately, Soul Caliber) for iPhone.

Blades serves … Read more

Facebook for Android 1.0: First Look

Facebook's freshly overhauled iPhone app (Facebook for iPhone 3.0) is so stuffed with goodies, that we were anticipating a similar bounty of features with the much-awaited Facebook for Android.

Shame on the Google/Facebook development team (mostly Google's, with consulting from Facebook) for creating an abbreviated app that fails to offer a complete Facebook.com experience, and shame on us for holding Google up to the high standards we've come to expect from, well, Google.

Having said that, the Facebook for Android 1.0 application is by no means a failed application. Its features are limited, … Read more

Rhapsody approved for iPhone

If you were hoping for Apple to announce a subscription-based music service for the iPhone and the iPod Touch on Wednesday like I was, suppress your disappointment: early this morning, Apple approved Rhapsody for iPhone, and it's available in the iTunes Store.

It's the second such service Apple has approved, but the first, Spotify, is not available in the United States. (The Rhapsody application is not showing up in search results quite yet, but it is showing up within iTunes.)

Rhapsody was a pioneer in subscription-based music, and I'm a big fan of the service; in 2005, … Read more

Navigon iPhone app gets more new features

For the second time in as many months, Navigon has released an update to its MobileNavigator GPS app. The big news this time? Text-to-speech.

Since MobileNavigator debuted in late July, the App Store has grown crowded with competitors, including CoPilot Live, iGo My Way, and TomTom.

But not one of them offers the coveted text-to-speech feature (yet), which announces actual street names instead of just saying "turn right ahead."

MobileNavigator 1.2.0 adds that highly desirable capability--along with a few others. A new integrated iPod control provides one-tap access to your media library. A new location-sharing feature … Read more

Swine flu apps you'll want on your iPhone

The H1N1 Influenza, better known as the swine flu, is a real concern for just about everyone this year, making keeping up to date on the latest news paramount.

But considering we're all so busy, remembering to visit government Web sites can be difficult. Installing some basic apps onto your iPhone isn't. Check out some of these apps that will keep you abreast of all the latest news about the swine flu.

Swine Flu apps CDC News Reader If you want the latest and most up-to-date information on the swine flu, CDC News Reader is probably a good place to start.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides all the latest information available on the swine flu. And since it also provides information on other outbreaks the organization is tracking, you're likely to find some of the best health data of any app in this roundup. For 99 cents, it might be worth it.

H1N1 Cases by State If you want daily updates on how the swine flu is spreading, H1N1 Cases by State will fill you in.

H1N1 Cases by State automatically downloads daily all the new instances of swine flu in each state in the U.S. When you click on a new outbreak, you'll be brought to a page detailing it. You can also see how many deaths have occurred because of the outbreak. For 99 cents, it's not a bad app to have with you when you need some updates.… Read more