Posted by Shiv | 0 Comments

AT&T to Announce VOIP App Approvals

Apple was very open to their Google Voice app rejection in late July which caused great controversy among the tech community with fingers directly pointed at AT&T with their so called “policies”. According to Apple the Google Voice app was simply still under review and was not directly rejected in any way, shape or form, however the FCC and Google seems to differ. For the individual App Review AT&T is not allowed to actually look over or review the app but rather is notified when any app using VOIP services is about to enter the App Store.

It seems though in the midst of all this AT&T along with Apple are beginning to “grow up” and now allow VOIP services such as Google Voice and Skype to enter the mobile phone networking arena which means Google Voice should be suiting up their iPhone App for the App Store battle soon.

This remains unclear what will happen to Google Voice or Apples relation with the FCC and Google in future meetings to come, but for now we remain voiceless for us GV fanatics.

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Posted by danielkane | 14 Comments

WWDC 2009 Round Up

WWDC was today and boy was it exciting! We saw the release of a whole new line of macbook’s, details of snow leopard, Safari Four’s official release iPhone 3.0, and a new iPhone.

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Posted by Sam Hayat | 4 Comments

Chess Pro Review

Developer: 99Games
Price: $2.99 as of 8/24/09
Version Reviewed: 1.2

iPhone Integration Rating: 3.5
User Interface Rating: 4
Reuse/Replay Value: 4

Overall: 4

Chess Pro is an intuitive application that allows you to play chess on your iPhone. With a realistic gameplay, hints for beginners, and 2-player mode, it’s a must-have for chess lovers.

The UI on this game was pretty good, but the menu wouldn’t respond for a few seconds sometimes when I was testing it out, which can get annoying. My personal experience with the game was pretty good, thanks to the hints, but I still lost. The two player mode is good, with a cool spin animation when its another player’s turn. I would highly recommend that 99Games adds a wi-fi 2 player feature.

The Reuse/Replay Value is high not necessarily because the app is good, but because chess is really fun. Obviously, this app is not too appealing for people who don’t know how to play yet or are just starting as it is priced a bit high. It is good for intermediate players as there are hints at your service.

Overall, Chess Pro is a good application. $2.99 is somewhat a high price, so I would recommend it for people who know how to play already, and for beginners, a lite version of a chess app is a good way to start off.

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Posted by Shiv | 0 Comments

Speck TuckPack Review

Always being on the go, I’ve been looking for something efficient to carry my computer in.  I’ve tried it all, or at least most of it.  Its very difficult to find a GOOD case, there’re all either too bulky, or it is so scanty and unprotective, that there is no point carrying those around.

But that all changed once I heard about the TuckPack, by Speck.  Most of you are probably familiar with Speck, and those of you who arent, Speck is a company that mainly focuses in making accessories for Apple computers, iPods, and iPhones.

As soon as I opened the packaging of my TuckPack, I knew that this had the best of both worlds.  The interesting part about this sleeve is that it also comes with a strap to put on your shoulder!  So its a sleeve that you dont have to carry, but can throw on your shoudler, which I think is something unique for a sleeve.

When I first put the MacBook (White) in the sleeve, I noticed the inside of the sleeve is made of Blue Microfiber, so it doesn’t leave any scratches on the surface of the computer.  I also noticed that its made of a thick, yet light-weight material with protects the laptop inside nicely.

I actually found the TuckPack sleeve to be BOTH a case and a sleeve, since it looks like a case, but it is thin and easy to carry around like a sleeve.  The TuckPack also features something most sleeves don’t, an extra pocket to keep you papers, iPod, etc.  Sleeves made by other companies are compact, but they all don’t have the protection and features that the Speck TuckPack Sleeve offers.  The only downside to the sleeve is that although the front cover of the sleeve Velcro securely closes the flap on the TuckPack, it would have been nice so have a zipper at where the computer slips into and where the extra papers you might have go into for added security.

The TuckPack is availible in two patterns, Speakeasy Black Pinstripe (The Pattern I reviewed), and Coffeehouse Brown.  The pictures below that I took are of Speakeasy Black Pinstripe, as that was the only color I had.

In the end, I think the sleeve is a great substitute for both a bulky case and a miniature sleeve.  The TuckPack Sleeve offers similar protection to a general case, yet the compactness of a sleeve, and some extra useful features as well, and it truly does offer the best of both worlds as it appeals to the professional business man, and to a simple teen, and every laptop should have the opportunity to be carried around in one.

Pros:  Nice Size, Protection, Optional Shoulder band, Extra pocket for papers.

Cons: Not too many color choices, no zipper

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Posted by Sam Hayat | 0 Comments

NotePad Review

Developer: Polar Bear Farm Ltd.
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed:1.5

iPhone Integration Rating: 5
User Interface Rating: 5
Reuse/Replay Value: 3

Overall NotePad Rating: 4

NotePad is an easy to use productivity application that is used to type notes on the iPhone, taking advantage of some of the phone’s great features. Things like special types of folders, shake to write, and computer syncing make the app really awesome.

NotePad’s UI is an amazing one, featuring just a few easy-to-use buttons, and my personal favorite feature: you can shake your iPhone once or twice to make a new note. You can also sync your notes to your desktop (which I didn’t try yet). Another cool feature is how you can make keyword or location-specific folders, making the app very advanced. My personal experience with the application was good, there was one bug that I managed to take a picture of (look at the screenshot with the popup), but other than that, the application ran very smoothly and I was very happy with it. The reuse value is weak because Notes delivers the same product and is free, but is strong due to the numerous features Notes doesn’t have: syncing and shake to write, for example.

Overall, NotePad is an OK app. Since it is $4.99 but has the same core function as Notes, which comes free with any iPhone/iPod Touch, NotePad is not worth it for your money. The cool features make it very modern and intuitive, though.

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