nüvifone™. The navigation phone.
Maybe this is the way to save newspapers?
Read nearly any newspaper in the world, right on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
PressReader brings more than 1,300 newspapers to your iPhone and iPod Touch.
In other words, it's a dream come true for news junkies. The app itself is free; you pay only for the content.
The above video explains most of what you need to know, but I'll sum up. PressReader lets you browse each and every page of the selected newspaper, zooming in and scrolling as needed.
Of course, if you've ever tried reading a PDF on your iPhone, you know it's not exactly comfortable. That's why PressReader also includes a text view: Just tap a headline to see the full story nicely formatted for the iPhone's screen.
You can also have a story read to you by tapping the headphones icon. Though it's a computerized voice, the quality is downright amazing.
For the month of November, developer PressDisplay is offering seven free editions of any paper--basically, a chance to give the app a test-drive (test-read?).
After that, each paper will cost you 99 cents--about what you'd pay if you picked it up off the newsstand.
I find that a little disappointing, for much the same reasons I think e-books are overpriced: There's no printing, no paper, no shipping, nor most of the other costs associated with newspapers--so why don't the e-editions cost a lot less?
Discussion for another day. If you're a voracious reader, you can sign up for one of two PressDisplay subscriptions: $9.95 monthly for 31 credits (one credit equals one issue, in most cases), or $29.95 monthly for unlimited content.
Interestingly, you can dip into the Online section of the app and read all the same content free of charge, with nearly all the same features as you get from a download. It also displays top stories culled from many sources, along with news, business, sports, and other sections.
Arguably, then, the only reason to download a newspaper at all is for offline reading, like when you're on an airplane.
That said, I found PressReader's Online mode to be slow and crash-prone, so maybe downloading is the way to go after all. In any case, this is one seriously slick app, a must-have for fans of news, newspapers, and the environment.
Updated 6/18/09 at 8:15am: Push notification is now live.
(Credit:
CNET/Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt)
The Associated Press was one company whose iPhone app was ready for Apple's software update to version 3.0 on Wednesday. AP Mobile 3.0 will now take advantage of the iPhone's new ability to push breaking news stories when the app is closed. When you boot it up for the first time, AP Mobile 3.0 asks if you'd like to activate push notification and then presents a list of feeds representing stories you'd like to be pinged about. International and domestic news, local news, entertainment, and sports stories are among them.
Integration with the multiplatform notetaking service Evernote (also updated for iPhone 3.0 today) is another change. In addition to posting AP headlines to Facebook and Twitter, you're now able to file them in your Evernote account, to reference from your Windows or Mac desktop, Web, or mobile phone.
Smooth scrolling, grayed-out headlines to indicate when you've read a story, and a few bug fixes round out the update.
Screenshot of the iPhone's new notification system.
In an e-mail sent to iPhone developers Monday, Apple asked them to try out the AP's news app for the iPhone, the first third-party application to incorporate long-awaited "push" notification on the device.
The e-mail asked developers who would like to participate to install the AP News application on an iPhone running iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5. Apple has already said that the OS 3.0 release next month will include an expanded notifications service for third-party applications. Currently, the service only works with the device's core applications: incoming calls, texts, and calendar appointments.
The service was originally set to be introduced by October last year, but Apple missed the deadline. Instead, it was rolled into the wider revamp of the phone's operating system.
The forthcoming Palm Pre smartphone is also set to launch soon. Industry observers have noted that the Pre's sophisticated multitasking could give the iPhone's notification service a serious challenge.
Extra! Extra! You don't have to pay extra to get Wall Street Journal content on your iPhone.
Good news for news junkies and anyone who can still stomach reading about the stock market: The Wall Street Journal just took the wraps off an eponymous iPhone app, offering news, video, and even podcasts. Better still, there's no charge for the app--or the content.
That may surprise Journal subscribers who pay a little more than $100 per year for unrestricted Web access. But it puts the app on an even footing with The New York Times and USA Today apps, among others, which also provide news at no charge.
The Journal app bears a striking resemblance to the Times app, with a five-icon toolbar that spans the bottom of the screen and a banner ad just above that. (Hey, somebody has to foot the bill.)
But this isn't just the Times repackaged. For one thing, the Journal app seems to load much faster than the notoriously pokey Times, and it sports prominent buttons for Video and WSJ Radio.
The latter consists of a two-minute podcast that starts streaming immediately when you tap through. But it lacks a time stamp, so there's no way to know without listening if it's any newer than the last podcast you played.
As for the videos: they flat-out refused to play, though we'll cut the app some slack on its first day; no doubt looky-loos have stampeded the Journal's servers.
Other amenities include a button to save articles for future reference and another to e-mail them to friends. Plus, you can customize the toolbar with any of 16 icons, giving you one-tap access to sections like Tech, Opinion, and Barron's.
Thus, despite a few early kinks, the WSJ app is sure to delight the business crowd--especially considering that they don't have to tap their slush funds to get it.
(Credit:
CNET)
The big news in the world of iPhone was Apple's sneak preview for the iPhone 3.0 software on Tuesday. Available this summer, iPhone 3.0 will bring many features people have asked for and some that will make things easier for developers of iPhone apps. The two major ones on my list were finally added: MMS (sending photos and other media) and the ability to cut, copy, and paste text. There are a ton of changes coming, so check out our coverage if you want to know all of the changes in iPhone 3.0.
This week's apps include a quick and easy way to measure bandwidth and a simple game that somehow manages to keep you coming back for more.
Watch as Speed Test measures your current broadband speed
(Credit: CNET)Speed Test (free) from Speedtest.net quickly tests your bandwidth speed wherever you are. A sleek blue speedometer comes to life when you hit the "Start Test" button, first measuring your download speed (the time it takes for data from the server to get to your iPhone), then upload speed (the time it takes for data from your iPhone to get to the server). You can then save the results, making it easy to track available bandwidth in different locations. By moving to different locations, you can even find out which parts of your house get a better Wi-Fi connection--useful if you want to download or update a big app.
Watch for and hit the lit-up cups to get the highest score.
(Credit: CNET)10 Balls 7 Cups (99 cents) is a surprisingly fun and challenging Skeeball game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Using crisp 3D graphics and a realistic physics engine, this game manages to capture what it's like to play Skeeball in an arcade. Each game you get 10 balls you can roll down the alley in an attempt to make them land in one of the seven cups of varying score values. Tilt your iPhone to add spin as your ball rolls down the alley. While playing, random cups will light up, and if you manage to land a ball in the cup, you get a score multiplier that lasts until the end of the game. Hit another lit-up cup to increase your multiplier. At the end, you receive tickets depending on your score that you can use to purchase silly items in the store.
When I first saw this game, I thought about how much I liked playing Skeeball as a kid, but didn't think it would translate well for the iPhone (or I would get bored quickly). But soon I was playing game after game, trying to get bonus multipliers, and getting higher scores. The only problem I have with this casual game is that there are no graphics for the silly items (Finger trap! Glittery T-shirt! Submarine (rare)!) in the store. But overall, this simple game is a great time-waster. If you're still not convinced, watch the trailer (I couldn't resist).
What's your favorite iPhone app? Got a better speed test or other useful utility I should check out? What's your best casual iPhone game? Let me know in the comments!
(Credit:
Apple Inc.)
Apple on Tuesday unveiled the next version of the operating system that powers the iPhone, dubbed version 3.0, at an invite-only event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. It will be available for developers beginning today, and to everyone else "this summer." It's a free upgrade for iPhone users; those who own the iPod Touch will again have to pay for the upgrade (Apple is charging $9.95). Here's a quick recap of what was announced:
New features
Systemwide search
Apple has integrated its Spotlight search technology across the entire device. This will let users search for specific e-mail messages, applications, contacts, and any other data from within those applications in one place. Users get to it from a new menu that's to the left of their first home screen. Swiping to the left brings up an open search box that brings in results as you type, similar to Spotlight search on Mac OS X.
Copy and paste for text, photos, and SMS
One of the most-wanted features, the ability to copy and paste text will be making its way to OS 3.0. Users will be able to select sections of text and take them to other applications. This is one of the new APIs that Apple is releasing to developers.
Users will now be able to copy and paste text from one app to another.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)To copy text, simply double-tap the screen, and it pulls up an option to cut, copy, and paste. Then simply drag a start point, and an end point, over the text you want, and then double-tap again. The phone will save the text in a clipboard, from which it can be taken elsewhere. You can also grab entire sections of text using a large rectangle that can be moved around to include paragraphs at a time.
Additionally, copy and paste will work with photos and SMS messages. For instance, if you feel like selecting multiple photos to send in an e-mail you can now select the ones you want, then send them together in one message. Previously you had to select them one at a time--through the Photos application, over to mail. The same goes for SMS messages too, so if you feel like relaying a text message to another contact you can simply forward it.
MMS
You can now send and receive multimedia messages (MMS). This means text messages can be sent with photos and voice recordings, all without using the built-in mail application to do it. Missing, however, is any kind of video support, which is an MMS feature found on many other phones with built-in cameras.
Push notifications
The feature that was supposed to appear in September of last year will finally be making its way to phones in version 3.0. Scott Forstall, the head of iPhone software development, noted that Apple had been late on this, and blamed the delay on scaling, saying that the original system was too taxing on both the handset's battery and its processing power.
The new system works just like old one, but has been optimized for over-the-air data transfer. It still relies on Apple's servers as a go-between to send audio alerts, text messages, and badge notifications. Users still have to fire up the application to get at the data though.
... Read moreApple has released information about a new iPhone 3G Gift Card, which can be used to give an iPhone gift this year:
"Give someone an iPhone 3G Gift Card and when the lucky recipient comes in to redeem it, an Apple Retail Store Specialist will take care of every detail. The Specialist will get your recipient's iPhone 3G up and calling, set up email, and help customize the Home screen, choose some great iPhone applications, personalize ringtones, and find favorite songs. "
These gift cards can be purchased online or at local Apple retail stores. The program is currently only available via Apple retail and there is no indication as to whether the program may be expanded to include AT&T or other cellular vendor outlets. It also notes the following in the fine print in case you are trying to avoid activation or looking to start another grey market:
"Receipt of an iPhone gift card does not automatically guarantee purchase. Purchase price of iPhone and required AT&T rate plan may be more than the value on the card. The iPhone Gift Card is good toward the purchase of an iPhone or any other eligible item in the Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store."
The program is apparently only available in the United States.
We've noted a wide array of MobileMe issues as they relate to iPhone users, including an issue in which MobileMe email accounts all send mail through the primary email name, drops in service and more.
Now Apple claims that a major overhaul of MobileMe will result in better access across platforms, including the iPhone. In a Knowledge Base document dated October 29th, the company says:
"Since server-side updates are a bit more innocuous than a standard software update to Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows, it's easy not to notice that updates are occurring. Usually the only hint of these updates is that things just 'work better'."
Among the listed improvements:- Improves experience when viewing Galleries on an iPhone/iPod touch
- Improves localization for MobileMe web applications
- Resolves an issue when attempting to Reply All to some messages
So, have you noticed an improvement to the service? If so, let us know at http://www.iphoneatlas.com/contact.
A few weeks ago, Apple announced that it was dropping the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for all released versions of Apple's iPhone Software, stating:
"We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software. We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don?t steal our work. However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone?s success, so we are dropping it for released software. [...] Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released."
Apple has now officially released the new agreement, which removes the confidentiality clause and makes several other changes. Theoretically, this means that developers can now truly feel free to discuss the iPhone APIs, applications can be open-sourced, and more.
As previously reported, users had already started distributing free iPhone SDK App source code.
The company has also announced an iPhone developer-to-developer forum, which includes its own set of agreements. Developers tell iPhone Atlas that the agreement states, among other stipulations:
"Apple may provide you with access to confidential forums within the Apple Developer Forums for discussion of certain Apple Confidential Information, such as the discussion of pre-release software. For purposes of such confidential forums, Apple is providing a limited exception to your iPhone Developer Agreement(s) by allowing you to discuss Apple Confidential Information that you have obtained from Apple under such agreement(s) with other Participants who are also on such confidential forums, but only within these confidential forums. Except for the limited purpose of discussions with other Participants within these confidential forums, you acknowledge and agree that this Agreement does not grant you the right to copy, reproduce, publish, blog, disclose, transmit, or otherwise disseminate any Apple Confidential Information."
Feedback? http://www.iphoneatlas.com/contact.
