Filed under: Internet Tools, iPhone, App Store

We didn't want to let the week slip into the weekend without mention of the long-awaited release, on Thursday afternoon, of Google's Latitude client for iPhone, allowing users to update their locations to the social service and keep track of friends and family on the move (otherwise known as "iStalkU" -- no, sorry, that was Loopt, my mistake). You can access the service by browsing to http://google.com/latitude on Mobile Safari on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Yes, that's right, browsing. Latitude, believe it or not, is a web app -- which means that you can't get push notifications about your contact's movements, or keep constant tabs on folks without leaving Safari running. Intriguing. As Google's Mat Balez notes in his blog post announcing the Latitude release, Google actually developed a native app for Latitude... only to have Apple, uh, suggest that the big G redo the concept as a web app to avoid user confusion with the Maps app. Really? Must have been an interesting phone call.

David Coursey at PC World is frustrated with the limitation, and it's hard to fault him. Meanwhile, location-centric apps like Brightkite are already on the store -- of course, they are also kneecapped by the lack of a backgrounding mode to send updated position fixes.

If you're a Latitude fan, give us your feedback on the new web app below.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Changes in Apple attitudes force changes in Google Latitude originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Changes in Apple attitudes force changes in Google Latitude originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iPhone, App Store, App Review

While many have been waiting for the TomTom hardware/software combo for the iPhone, Navigon has delivered a very appealing app for the iPhone running version 3.0 of the OS.

MobileNavigator [App Store] has a striking on-screen display, with many features lacking in some of the other products that are out there. Unlike the AT&T Navigator and the G-Map apps, MobileNavigator allows you to access your address book for destinations. It works in landscape or portrait mode, and can warn you if you are speeding. It does not have any traffic info, and you can't call any phone numbers that are in the POI (points of interest) data base. A take me home function is done with a single click.

All the maps are loaded on your device (1.29 GB) so going out of range of an AT&T cell site is not a worry. If you get a call, the guidance stops, but resumes automatically when you conclude the call.

Maps can be 3D or 2D, and the 3D maps look great and closely mimic what is on the road in front of you. The voice directions are quite clear, in contrast with the AT&T app, which is garbled and pretty much a waste.

So how is it on the road? Pretty nice. I got a quick GPS lock. If for any reason you lose GPS, in a tunnel for example, you get a red bar across the top of the screen.

You can display POIs along your route, and many of the icons have company logos like Best Buy, most of the gas station logos, even Quiznos.

If you are navigating the next street to turn on is at the bottom of the screen. If you are not navigating, you see the street you are on. At the top of the screen you get the arrival time if you are navigating. Touching that part of the display will give you your speed, and another touch gives you the distance. Many streets alert you to the speed limit, and if you go go over, you can set a warning.

Intersections on highways are handled very well, with nice big road signs and clear directions of where to go. The voice directions come at the opportune times, and do not nag, the way the AT&T app does.

At my location, southern Arizona, the maps were complete and there were far more POIs than provided on the G-Map application.

Continue reading Navigon scores with MobileNavigator

Navigon scores with MobileNavigator originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Navigon scores with MobileNavigator originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Where there’s this many iTablet rumors, there just has to be an actual product Steve Jobs is finally happy with and will be unveiling to the world at a special Apple event in early 2010, right?

That’s what Apple Insider is reporting. The gist is as follows:

• 10″, 3G networked device similar to “a jumbo iPod touch”
• Guided by Steve Jobs from hospital, home, and work
• Culmination of at least 6 previous prototypes Jobs vetoed
• Will launch in first quarter of 2010
• Verizon may be the carrier
• Delays caused by lack of satisfaction over Intel Atom power consumption
• Hence Apple bought PA Semi to build in-house, custom chipset based on ARM

Check out the full article, linked above, for more.

Still and all, even if this is real, Bill Gates has been trying to push the tablet concept for almost a decade with little or no mass market acceptance. Can Apple work another product category miracle, doing for the tablet and e-book form factor what they’ve done for the MP3 player and smartphone?

Can Apple take the tablet from geek niche to consumer necessity? Or is this doomed to Apple TV “hobby” status from the get go?

Check out our fancy new blog poll, below, and let us know!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iTablet Rumor du Jour: Steve’s Finally Happy With the Giant iPod touch

The L.A. Times reports that Apple will begin allowing developers access to the tools they need to produce augmented reality applications starting with upcoming iPhone OS 3.1. While there have been many impressive demos floating around showing the p...

According to the LA Times, Apple will finally be allowing applications like Layar and TwittaRound that use the 3GS's combination of digital compass, live video and internet connection to superimpose a layer of content over the real world, thereby "augmenting" our reality (hence the term). Sources allegedly indicate that Apple will be releasing iPhone OS 3.1 in September, which will add the ability to make apps like these possible.

SlashGear reports that Apple has reversed their decision to stop allowing developers to issue promo codes for apps rated ages 17+. This means that developers of apps that include web content, such as Twitter or IM clients, will now be able to give out promo codes. Apple has yet to clarify their reasoning for both their initial decision or why they changed their mind.

Microsoft's offer to settle its antitrust issues with the European Commission was given a cautious welcome by the company's principal antagonist Friday.

The final text messages of Sun Danyong, the Foxconn worker who committed suicide after losing a prototype iPhone, have been released to the public. They make the picture of what happened before his death a little clearer, and all the more disturbing.

Scrabble is an interactive word game that provides you with seven tiles and a board, allowing you to form words and gain points through bonuses and word combinations. You can play alone, face the computer on different difficulties, or even challenge users on Facebook or WiFi.