Filed under: Humor, Multimedia, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store

Unless you're a fan of their website, you probably don't need the Giant Bomb iPhone app. It's a pretty limited use piece of software. While it does offer easy access to everything on their site, including videos, reviews, previews, and so on, it actually costs $1.99, and we can't really justify a purchase like that. Isn't browsing sites what Safari is for?

But we are thankful that they made the app, because, at the very least, it encouraged them to make the commercial above. It features a few spot-on parodies (the first one overstays its welcome, but stick with it), and even has some nice iPhone-related humor. I don't know about you folks, but I winced when Apple's device went in the drink during the ShamWow parody. The app itself might not be worth the price, but the commercial is definitely worth every penny.

Giant Bomb makes an app (and, more importantly, a commercial) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Giant Bomb makes an app (and, more importantly, a commercial) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom gave us a peek at their turn-by-turn GPS system for iPhone at WWDC, but we didn't know much about features or pricing. Macworld recently talked with TomTom's Market Development VP to get some answers.

Our latest forum giveaway came to an end on the 2nd and we now have our winner! Shutterrelease will be receiving a Juice Pack Air from the good folks at Mophie.

Congratulations to Shutterrelease and thanks to everyone who contributed to the forums these past weeks! We plan on having more giveaways soon so if you have any suggestions for giveaways, please let us know in the comments below!

Is the iPhone 3GS' screen defective? Will it float? More importantly, does it cut cheese? Show notes can be found at iPhoneAlley.com/podcast. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, email us at Podcast[at]iPhoneAlley.com.

Filed under: Gaming, WWDC, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

Yeah, so did you see Idiocracy? While I'm convinced it's merely a documentary sent to us from a future Mike Judge, warning us of the dangers of Brawndo and poor math education, one of the takeaway phrases from the movie has made its way into an iPhone app. Yes, Martha, you can say "balls" on the App Store. While tasteful slideshow apps like Minipops are rejected without so much as a "get bent," somehow Ow My Balls! became the first app on the store to use "balls" in this sense. Apple: always on the cutting edge.

Anyway, I wound up trying Ow My Balls! (iTunes link) on the plane back from San Francisco, and guess what? It really is strangely addictive. Not like Fieldrunners-grade addiction, mind you, but it's a low level thing that makes you play for a much longer time than you'd ever think you'd be playing. Is it worth $.99? Yeah, if you're into this sort of thing.

The game mechanic is simple: kick the guy off a ledge (in the aforementioned nether regions), tap him to "fart" and make him stay in the air longer. You have small goals like hitting every target and getting maximum rackage by hitting more stuff on the way down. That's really about it, but as I said, it's more fun than you'd imagine. My only problem: I can't find the very last object to run into. Ow, my finger!

The video of the app in action is next...

Continue reading WWDC Demo: Ow My Balls!

WWDC Demo: Ow My Balls! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WWDC Demo: Ow My Balls! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I am still consistently amazed by what people are able to do with their iPhones, and I would have never thought it would be used to make a music video, but that's just what one upcoming artist did.

Filed under: iPhone

What are your tips for traveling with your iPhone?

iPhone vs. Pre: The best air-travel companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone vs. Pre: The best air-travel companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Sirius XM reports today that the iPhone app [App Store] it released June 18th has become the top free download in the Music Category on iTunes.

It has been grabbed more than 1 million times either by Sirius XM subscribers or people who did not have Sirius hardware and simply wanted to pay the US$13.00 a month fee for access to the 120 plus channels available.

"Reaching more than 1 million downloads so quickly is a strong testament to our world-class programming and SIRIUS XM's instant brand recognition," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer of SIRIUS XM Radio. "Our goal is to give people access to the best audio entertainment wherever they go with what we think is the best music and audio entertainment application available on the App Store."

The numbers are impressive but the subscribers still can't listen to Howard Stern who is one of the big draws to the satellite broadcaster. Sirius really hasn't had any substantive comment about omitting Stern, but the issue appears to be Stern himself, who wants more money to be offered on cellular devices. On his daily show in June he said "It was a rights thing, a contractual rights thing, It was a rights issue and a whole entanglement thing. So, we're not on it. Maybe one day we will be."

Although the app is a very popular download, it has very negative reviews at the App Store. As of this morning more than 38,000 reviewers gave it one star, more than twice all the other ratings combined.

Sirius XM app soars even without Howard Stern originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sirius XM app soars even without Howard Stern originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 4-Bay Disk Station DS409slim can support up to 2 terrabytes of storage in a 120-by-105-by-142-mm enclosure. Also, Photo Recovery and EarthDesk both saw updates Monday.

Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

For those of you who still frequent brick and mortar stores, Jimmi Rehman has released the new FinalPrice 1.0 shopping app for the iPhone/iPod Touch at 99 cents. It requires 3.0 software to run.

This app is a useful one-trick-pony. If you find a sale, the idea is to have your iPhone figure out how much something will cost after the item is discounted and after adding your local tax.

The calculations are solid but I had some trouble with the interface. Tapping the info button didn't work well at first. I had to tap it a number of times using various amounts of pressure for it to be recognized. The other buttons are not as unresponsive, but it still takes a number of taps for any of them to be recognized.

The info screen tells you to enter the original price and then tap the check mark to the right. When you do, the full amount gets displayed on the top green window. Next, enter the sales tax and click the check box to the left. After a few tries, when the click was accepted, a picker with discount percentages in five percent increments is displayed and you can choose the discount percent. Lastly, click on the 'What's the Final Price' button and your calculated price is displayed in the top window.

This is a very useful app and for those who like to peruse shopping malls, which doesn't include me, I can see a good deal of value here. Along with the Amazon app, (previously reviewed) you'll be carrying a nice toolbox to check prices and find out if you are getting a deal or not.

I just wish the buttons were more responsive.

What apps do you take shopping? As an iPhone newbie I would like to know, and I'm sure so would many of our readers looking for another way to simplify their shopping trips.

FinalPrice shopping app released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

FinalPrice shopping app released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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