It looks like Nike is throwing in the towel with its Nike+ pack and has instead decided to go for a more direct route. The old app relied on a buggy sensor inside a special Nike shoe (which was sold separately). The new Nike+ GPS lets you track your jogging runs without having to purchase the entire Nike+ iPod pack. (That alone saves you an easy $30.)

The new app makes use of the built-in GPS sensor and accelerometer on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 to track your speed, distance, time and calories burned. According to Nike, the app will still work even when the GPS signal is lost (though I’m guessing you probably need to have it running to start, so it can initially locate you). If “social” is the hot buzzword, then Nike’s hopped all over that too: Users can upload data to Nikeplus.com to share progress, set goals and even accept challenges (like running longer distances or doing a previously recorded run at a faster pace). The verbal words of encouragement and “powersong” features are like icing on the cake.

iPod Touch owners can also use the app to track distance and speed, though the lack of GPS means it won’t be able to map out the course.

If Nike isn’t your thing, there are still some pretty good alternatives in the App store like Runkeeper Pro and Run Tracker. But they lack the Nikeplus app’s social networking capabilities, so the $1.99 pricetag makes Nike+ GPS a good deal in my book. Check out the description on iTunes and if you give it a whirl then let us know how you like it.

Via: Intomobile

When it comes to Verizon and Apple, it’s been quite an interesting history: First there were rumors that Apple went to Verizon, offering the iPhone for the CDMA network. Big Red subsequently turned them down based on device control. (Apple wasn’t going to give that control up to anyone, so they went to good old Cingular with the offer, which later became AT&T.)

Then a year or so later, Verizon started to take some punches at Apple’s device with its “Droid Does” campaign. The ads focused on the popular Droid smartphone doing things that you couldn’t do with the iPhone. There was also the pretty controversial “There’s a map for that” campaign, which played on Apple’s “There’s an App for that” commercials while pointing out AT&T’s comparative lack of 3G coverage.

Now we’ve got another jab at the iPhone with Motorola’s Droid 2 (also on Verizon). A new full-page newspaper ad simply states, “Flash websites? There’s a phone for that.” Since the Droid 2 comes with the Android 2.2 OS, it is capable of running Flash using Adobe’s Android application (which has been available for Nexus One’s for nearly 4 months).

Flash has probably been the #1 controversy created by Apple’s smartphone since Steve Jobs first (and ahs repeatedly since) banned the technology from iOS devices. Some say that the lack of Flash has iPhone users missing out on at least 80% of the web content available on a desktop computer.

I say the problem’s been overblown. Yes, there are a lot of videos that require Flash, but it’s not that hard to recode video into the HTML5 standard to make it viewable on the iPhone. (There’s even an app submitted and in review for the App Store that claims to do this on the fly.) On the user side, the big things we’re missing without Adobe’s technology are the games and ads, ads, ads. I really wish I had access to play these simple games, but I really don’t miss the blaring, animated advertisements.

Also worth noting is that native Flash support slows down webpage loading. I have been using Flash on a Nexus One for a while now, and it doesn’t really add much to the web browsing experience. Sometimes I even have to turn it off, so I don’t have to sit around waiting for Flash content to load. And when it comes to load speeds, faster internet doesn’t necessarily fix the problem. Much of the content goes through the phone’s processor, so even if the data connection and speeds are fast, you may still have sluggish performance. (I have been browsing the internet on Tmo’s new “Like 4G” internet connection, and it hasn’t changed a bit.)

What say you guys? Do you still consider Flash the essence of the Internet, or can you live without it? (And for you jailbreakers, if you still want the real thing on your iPhone, there’s always Frash.)

Via: Electronista

When the iPhone first came out, it was a pretty big jump from what phones were like at the time. It was considered a huge touchscreen (with a huge lack of buttons, except for home, volume and power). Most people fell immediately in love. But others just couldn’t get past the fact that it lacked any form of a physical keyboard.

Most took it upon themselves to let their imaginations run wild, and whenever that time of the year came for a new iPhone, there would be endless numbers of rendered mock ups showing the Apple device with a keyboard. If you were one of those who pined for a hardware QWERTY, then your dreams may have just come true. It may not be built in, but it’s possibly the next best thing.

This weekend Nuu showed off an interesting accessory at this weekend’s IFA show in Berlin — The Nuu Mini Key for the iPhone 4. (It’s a nice little keyboard that actually reminds me of the one on T-Mobile’s yet-to-be released G2, but without the staggered keys.) It connects to your device via Bluetooth, to let you hammer out those long, drawn-out emails that otherwise would be a pain to type up on a display alone.

Right now it’s just a prototype, and the design could change a lot before we seen the finished result. But I wouldn’t mind seeing the accessory in stores just as it is now. Surprisingly the keyboard doesn’t look like it adds that much bulk, at least according to the pictures, and that’s definitely one thing I want to avoid.

From the images, people are supposing that it opens like a clamshell keyboard, but from what I can see, this looks more to me like a slide out keyboard that angles up. None of the pics seem to offer definite proof of which type of design it really is. What do you think? If you can shed some light on the subject, weigh in below at the comments.

Via: MobileMag
Photo: Via Engadget

We heard last Wednesday from Apple that the next iOS update should be bringing the much awaited Game Center feature for iOS gaming. This is something I’ve been excited about ever since the iOS 4 announcement back in June. Being able to see how well you stand against your other friends is pretty good motivation to try harder and beat their scores every time.

Well now something even better is coming our way. Aurora Feint has announced that its popular gaming social network, OpenFeint, will receive a major update called PlayTime. The scores, rankings and multi-play won’t be limited to iOS users either; they’ll get to battle Android users too!

Now we might actually get a chance to see which platform actually is the best for gaming. My money will still be on iOS, I have yet to see anything earth shattering come from the Android market that really gets my adrenaline pumping. Hopefully someday we can see game development become very similar for both platforms like we see today on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

With more developers like those behind Angry Birds making the move to other mobile OSes, we should see a nice surge of applications beginning to use this awesome feature.

Via: Engadget

Remember the good old days when you would beg your parents for a ride down to the arcade? I remember spending endless hours running around from Pacman to Asteroids, and then to the best of them all — the pinball machines. If I’d never spent all those quarters, I would definitely be a rich man today. But it was always money well spent.

Well now you can save yourself some coins. New Potato Tech has a new little accessory for your iPhone that transforms the device into your very own pinball machine. At $39.99, this “gaming case” offers a very realistic feel to the original arcade games. In addition, you’ll need the Pinball Magic app, which requires iOS 3.0 or higher.

By connecting your iPhone or iPod Touch to the 30-pin connector, the device’s screen serves as the playing field for the virtual silver ball that rolls around, trying to avoid slipping past the rubber flippers. And to make things even better, you can also tilt the “machine,” thanks to the iPhone’s accelerometer, and buzz out “TILT” warnings.

Other features of the game include:

• Multiple classic and unique playboard layout
• Advanced multi-level and multiplayer competition
• Four possible multi-ball modes
• End-of-ball and replay bonuses
• Ball saver

Here is New Potato Tech’s own description:

Get ready for iPhone and iPod touch entertainment that’s in a class by itself! The Pinball Magic [app]cessory creates realistic and engaging gameplay, bringing classic pinball machine cabinet design and fun to iPhone and iPod touch. Pinball Magic, just like the classic cabinets (only smaller), works with the free Pinball Magic app to create a portable arcade experience, complete with flipper buttons and ball-launching plunger.

Even though the accessory has not been released yet, the website states that it will be ready for August 2010. It seems they may miss their own deadline unless they decide to let the buying commence at 11:59 pm tonight.

All I know is that I’m going to be spending endless hours hunched over on my desk once I get this nifty little accessory for myself. What about you guys? Ever wanted to own your own pinball machine? Or do you still prefer the atmosphere of your local arcade?

Via: NewPotatoTech

Anyone that has used an Android 2.2 device has undoubtedly played with many of its new features, like WiFi tethering, Flash, and the really cool Chrome to Phone. While tethering and Flash were highly requested — and now highly used — features for Android, Chrome to Phone never seemed to take off like it was expected to. Maybe it’s because no one needs it, really, but I think it could possibly be one of the neatest things to hit smartphones since the internet itself. And now, it looks like iOS users will get a taste of similar functionality.

Android’s Chrome to Phone works like this: It sends information from the desktop Chrome browser to the user’s Android 2.2 device, opening an associated app or webpage. There are two components, the Chrome to Phone app on the phone and the desktop browser extension. By signing into both, users can have their browsers and devices linked together. This can be extremely helpful if, say, you need directions and you’re about to head out the door. Just look it up on Google Maps, send the info to your device and voila! Your phone can open the maps app without you ever touching it. Same goes for sending page links to the mobile browser.

For iOS, Tom Lerendu has developed a quick and easy duplicate called Chrome2iPhone. Although not as integrated with the device’s system as the Android feature, it does succeed in sending links from the Chrome desktop browser to iDevices. (Unfortunately it won’t actually open applications or mobile Safari without user intervention.)

It’s not a downloadable iPhone app, but rather, a desktop extension that makes this possible. Obviously, you’ll need the Chrome desktop browser. Then you install the Chrome extension (available here). It gives you a link, which you save as a bookmark on your mobile’s homescreen. After that, every time you send a link from Chrome to your device, you just tap that homescreen icon, and it will take you directly to the webpage you were viewing on your computer. It also opens YouTube and Google Maps URLs in their respective applications.

And guess what — it’s not just for iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads. I tested this out on a Nexus One, and it worked. I imagine it may even function with Blackberries or even WebOS devices. (If you’ve got one and give this a shot, let us know how that goes!) The cross-platform possibilities could be endless.

So what are you guys waiting for? Go ahead and try this feature out for yourself. And don’t let those Android fanboys hate on you. Chrome2iPhone may not automatically open apps or websites like their version does, but it’s still pretty darn cool! I’m going to go mess around with this some more. Let us know if you’ve had any luck getting it working on your phone too.

Via: Tom Lerendu

Well, at least we’ll know one thing that will probably be announced at Apple’s media event this Wednesday (Sept. 1). It seems that the App Store is widening the gap between it and other application storefronts: It surpassed 250,000 apps available for download. 148appz.biz reports that there are currently 253,432 active applications for iOS devices, and it’s still growing!

Other platforms have tried to catch up with Apple by opening their own app stores: Blackberry’s App World, Google’s Android Market, Palm’s App Catalog, and even Microsoft’s hugely unsuccessful Marketplace. Each has played their hand in the app industry and found that it’s just not as easy as Apple made it look. The closest competitor, the Android Market, still has less than half the inventory, at nearly 100,000 applications.

The Apple App Store’s 250,000+ count is no small potatoes, especially in light of the fact that almost 50,000 programs were yanked by either Apple or the developers themselves. If you include those, the total number of applications that have been developed for iOS is a whopping 300,000!

So do you think the competition will ever be able to catch up with Apple and its ever-burgeoning number of applications? Did an enormous App Store play a part in your decision to become an iOS device owner? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Via: 148Appz.biz

Looks like everyone was off by about a week. Today, Apple sent out invitations to its annual media-centric event, to be held on September 1st. Usually, the company uses this event to announce its new iPod line-up, and the rumors predicted a September 7th date for this year.

The invitation features an acoustic guitar with a sound hole in the familiar shape of our favorite logo, the bitten apple. And now thanks to these, we have confirmation on the date to mark off on our calenders.

So how many predictions do you think will pan out? Possibly the biggest rumor involves a new iPod Touch with a front-facing camera (presumably for FaceTime chats). I think any camera on the device would be welcome, as one has been expected for over a year now. And if it can offer decent still pictures, it would probably take a big chunk out of the digital camera space. It’s also possible that a small touchscreen could be added to a new lineup of iPod products, not to mention a Retina Display.

Oh, but iTouches aren’t the only topic of discussion for the media event. Plenty of tongues have also been wagging about Apple possibly revealing a major refresh of its not-so-popular Apple TV. Mainly referred to as iTV, the new device — which is expected to boast iOS — could be Jobs & Co’s way of trying to create excitement for what has primarily been viewed as a secondary “hobby” of the CEO.

The fact that it’s powered by iOS is intriguing. If Apple takes its cue from Google, it could make apps that allow iDevices complete remote control to operate iTV, just like Google TV.

The new set-top box would have access to iTunes and the App Store — though it’s not clear if it will support today’s current apps, like the addictive Labyrinth. In fact, it would be impossible to play that app without picking up an accelerometer-driven device. No, if gaming is in the future of iTV, then it may have to be via static puzzle games — or a whole new breed of iTV-oriented game apps. Now that’s an intriguing thought. Could Apple intentionally be trying to muscle into the gaming console market? Enabling users to play iOS apps on their TVs would be a clever way to do it.

I’m more than excited for the possibilities this could offer the media center (or living room) some of us spend most of our time in. What about you guys?

Via: Gizmodo

You may remember a while back, we told you all about the ClamCase keyboard for the iPad, which was the first we heard of a keyboard that offers the look and feel of a laptop on the tablet. Well, it seems it may not be the first one available in stores though.

We could see another clamshell-designed Bluetooth iPad keyboard arrive pretty soon. The BL-BKB76 by Shenzhen Paoluy Silicone Technology Co. Ltd. passed through the FCC on Friday, and claims to have 100 days of standby time and a 90-hour max of battery life during continuous usage. In addition to the U.S. market, it’s also set for release in the UK under the name “KeyCase iPad Folio with Integrated Bluetooth Keyboard.”

Not only does the accessory double as a leather casing to protect that iPad, but the clamshel loverall looks pretty polished, which would allow users to show off their “professional” side. For me, that’s probably the bigger selling point. Who wants a product that doesn’t look good, right?

It also offers some other nice little features, like a magnetic fastener (so it doesn’t just flip open at will) and a sleep mode that kicks in after 10 minutes of non use. The keyboard charges via the same USB cable that comes with the iPad, making it easy to switch from powering up the device to juicing up the accessory.

So what do you think guys? Is the BL-BKB76 good enough to make your iPad the ultimate mobile computing device? Or are you torn between using the tablet and saving those pennies for a brand new MacBook, like Justin? Let us know in the comments.

Via: AppleInsider

Well, it’s about time. With barely any competition in the tablet computer market, the iPad has had a pretty long head start on everyone else. Not that there hasn’t been reports of all sorts of tablets out there — from Android, WebOS, Windows 7 and even Blackberry, with its supposed Blackpad. But now, it looks like we could finally have a real contender to battle it out with Apple.

According to the DownloadSquad, a source has the nitty gritty on a Google tablet sporting the Chrome OS. The search giant showed off the operating system earlier this year at its Google IO, its annual developers convention. Supposedly Google have contracted with HTC — which is pretty much the leading manufacturer of Android phones the and maker of Google’s own Nexus One — to produce the device for release on November 26th, aka Black Friday.

There are some interesting things to note with this rumored device: First, it may be cheaper than the iPad — possibly even free — on a data contract. Second, the carrier looks like it will be Verizon, a solid network from the nation’s number-one cellular provider. Third, the DownloadSquad (not the source) speculates that it could boast NVidia’s fast, robust Tegra 2 chip, as well as a 1280×720 multitouch display and 2GB RAM. (In contrast, the iPad has a custom A4 processor, with a 1024×768 screen and 256 MB RAM.) The site also believes that the Chrome tablet could also boast 32+GB SSD card support, WiFi/Bluetooth and 4G connectivity, GPS, camera, and maybe even a multi-card reader.

As for the operating system, let’s take a look at the kind of experience the software could offer. If you’ve used Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop, then you’ve basically used the Chrome OS. It’s based heavily on the web browser, but will feature an app store for web apps optimized for touchscreens. At Google IO, the company demo’ed Facebook, GMail, Pandora and even Tweetdeck web apps made for Chrome.

Wait — but aren’t web apps what Apple was trying to push in the first place? Remember way back in 2007, when the first iPhone came out? Everyone was baffled that it didn’t run onboard software, as in third-party apps (even phones like the Razr had apps. They were horrible, but they still had them). Now, we know that these third-party apps are big business and the fuel that feeds Cupertino’s hyper popular App Store, but at the time, Jobs deemed them unnecessary. He said the web could offer just as good of an experience. (Ironic, no?)

So my question is: How can Google hope to try this and win where Apple didn’t? Maybe the search company found a better way to make web apps seem more like onboard apps. But unless this is done with an amazingly rich set of features, it would be hard to fool even the most non techy consumer.

Come Black Friday, we’ll see how much of an impact this could have on the iPad, if any. And whether Google’s decision to run with Chrome — instead of Android — was a successful idea or not.

What do you think guys? Does this Chrome tablet have what it takes to dominate the iPad’s marketshare? (I’m assuming just the mere fact that it will be on Verizon is a huge deal maker for some.) Let us know in the comments.

Via: The DownloadSquad