Web Apps On iOS Being Throttled By Last-Generation Engine Now

This probably sounds worse than it is, but it’s strange that it should be an issue at all. It appears that web apps and games launched from the home screen (as opposed to being used in the browser) do not at present have access to iOS 4.3′s improved “Nitro” Javascript engine, and are restricted in using web-related cache and resources they would otherwise have when used in-browser. It could be that the Nitro engine simply hasn’t been extended for use by the non-browser web UI tools, but one developer says that the Safari team indicated the problem would not be fixed.

It’s a pretty serious oversight when Apple has indicated such an interest in HTML5 and standards-based apps, but it’s also worth considering that it has a large interest in making such apps available via the App Store, where they have editorial control and revenue possibilities. By refusing to give web apps that have “gone native” access to the improved Javascript engine or preventing them from being run while offline (another new trouble), they could be trying to subtly prod users in the direction of paid or ad-based “real” apps.

On the other hand, it could also be just a slow roll-out of a complicated new bit of code and the developers being affected could just be a minority being affected by this very specific problem.

If you’re interested, there are a number of threads and other sites investigating this issuecollected over at Register Hardware.

Apple Tweaks In-App Purchasing To Prevent Accidental Purchases

Bad news for any shady iOS developers out there: if you were sneakin’ In-App Purchase opportunities into the first 15 minutes of your game in hopes that lil’ ones might accidentally buy it, your evil-genius plan has been foiled.

For those who haven’t been keepin’ up on the ruckus: soon after Apple introduced In-App Purchase for iOS, someone figured out that users could make In-App Purchases without entering their iTunes password ifsaid In-App Purchase was made within 15 minutes of purchasing the app. That’s a marvelous idea, in theory — no one likes entering their password multiple times.

The problem? Parents would buy games, hand’em over to their kid, and come back to find that pint-size had unknowingly bought up all sorts of virtual goodies (friggin’ Smurfberries!) with real world cash. With the release of iOS 4.3, this should no longer happen.

As of yesterday’s software update, Apple will require your password be entered a second time before In-App Purchases can be made. Once that’s done, In-App Purchases can be made sans-password for up to 15 minutes. As long as you keep Junior’s prying eyes away from your password and don’t go out of your way to enable In-App Purchases, there shouldn’t be any more surprise charges for $99 boxes of virtual food for your kid’s virtual cat.

Or you could, you know, tell your kid to not buy these things. If they’re too young to understand that, they probably shouldn’t be using $500+ slabs of glass completely unsupervised anyway.

(Update: We’ve updated this post for clarification. We originally implied that a password was required for EVERY In-App Purchase, which isn’t the case. You’ll be asked for your password a second time to enable In-App Purchases, at which point you’ll be able to buy In-App content for 15 minutes without reentering your password. You can also disable In-App Purchases all together under Settings >> General >> Restrictions)

Peel universal remote adapter for iOS now available, $99 buying you expensive Fruit

You know your product name is clever when not one but two companies go for it. Such is the name "Peel." This offering we're talking about is not the sort that turns an iPod into an iPhone, rather it's the kind that turns an iPhone into a universal remote -- though it'll work with all the other iOS devices too. It's a combination app and hardware that we've been tracking since last year, and now it's up for order. The iOS app talks to a goofy shaped IR blaster, called the Fruit, which costs $99. The combination turns your mobile device into a Harmony-hunting universal remote, but a smarter one that not only knows how to turn on your TV but also how to tune it to the latest episode of Glee, apparently, since every promo shot seems to feature some bit of gleekery. The app is free now and the Fruit is up for purchase -- though it's currently showing as back ordered. Let's hope it doesn't spoil.

LookTel's Money Reader iOS app helping the visually impaired count money

We may not use cash as often as we once did, but there are still times when it comes in handy or is necessary, and that can pose some problems for the visually impaired. They now have one other possible solution courtesy of LookTel, however, which has just released its new Money Reader app for iOS devices. Using a "patented and proprietary object recognition technology," it's able to recognize paper bills (from $1 to $100) instantly, and simply speaks the value aloud. What's more impressive, though, is that you don't need to hold the bill steady in front of the camera, or even have the whole thing in the frame -- even just thumbing through a stack will work. See for yourself in the video after the break, and hit up the App Store to grab it now for $1.99.

Shoppingkoo: Android leapfrogs BlackBerry among US smartphone subscribers to take first place in market share

Last time we checked in with ComScore's report on smartphone platform market share among US subscribers three months ago, Android was doing a little happy dance as it overtook iOS for the number two spot overall. Well, the cuddly green bots have self-replicated yet again, enough to overtake RIM this time thanks in part to a 5.4 percent decline on BlackBerry's part (down to 30.4 percent in January) coupled with a 7.7 percent boost on the Android side, moving up to 31.2 percent. We imagine ComScore's next report -- covering the period through March -- will see a little boost on the iOS side thanks to Verizon's iPhone launch, but RIM's knight in shining armor might be further out; we still don't know when QNX-based phones are going to happen, after all, and devices like the Monaco don't really seem like cure-alls.

RIM now preparing to bring BBM to iOS and Android, change everything again?

Woah, now here's a juicy rumor to start your Thursday morning off with. BGR reports word from multiple trusted sources that RIM intends to take its BlackBerry Messenger outside the cozy confines of the BB ecosystem and straight into its competitors' app stores. BBM is reputedly all set to make its debut as a messaging app on both iOS and Android, though the specifics of what it might cost you have yet to be ironed out. It'll come in a stripped down version, you'll still need to own a BlackBerry for the full-flavored BBM experience, but that should nonetheless be extremely welcome news for folks finding themselves torn between platforms. The Android version is expected this year, say the sources, while the iOS app may take a little while longer thanks to Apple's more capricious approval requirements.

Apple iOS 4.3 GM available now to the developers

That's right, kids! The Golden Master version of iOS 4.3 has become available -- it's seeding as we speak. If you do any development on the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, and you're ready to get to partake in (or even dev for) all the new AirPlay and Personal Hotspot capabilities (for starters), you know where to go. As for the rest of us, we guess we'll have to wait until the OS gets its official release on March 11. By the way, there's no word of an OS update for Apple TV yet. Sorry, kids. That's what they call "tough love."

AT&T will get iPhone Personal Hotspot with iOS 4.3 on March 11

AT&T on Wednesday night confirmed with Electronista that it would start supporting the Personal Hotspot feature in sync with the launch of iOS 4.3. Subscribers will have the same support as Verizon customers when the update pushes out to the GSM iPhone 4 on March 11. Pricing should stay the same as for basic tethering and will need its new DataPro hotspot/tethering plan, which combines 4GB of total data with connection sharing for $45.

The pricing puts it on par with Verizon's own combined strategy except for flexibility. Verizon's plan has unlimited data on-device, but users can't draw more than 2GB while in hotspot or tethered mode without an overage. AT&T's plan is capped on all devices, but those who tether or use the hotspot often will have up to twice as much room. International carriers are still offering better deals, and Canadians will get free hotspot creation on plans that already included tethering at no extra charge.

Adopting the hotspot so quickly is a contrast with AT&T's initial approach to direct tethering. The carrier promised tethering would come to its version of the iPhone soon after iOS 3.0 brought it about but didn't make it available until a year later, after many carriers in other countries had already enabled it. Lingering concerns about the 3G network's ability to handle the load were considered the driving factor, but its then-unlimited plans may have played their own role.

iOS 4.3 Now Coming March 11th With Photobooth, Airplay Improvements, And More

At the iPad 2 announcement today, Scott Forstall announced a few updates to iOS that will be rolling out on March 11th, some to do with the iPad 2, some more general improvements.

First, they’ve added Photo Booth as a free app, with special tweaks to make it more touchable. For instance, you can adjust the swirl with your finger when you do that effect. Fun for fifth-graders, sure, but I think the rest of us will be happy simply with the ability to save snapshots.

They’ve improved Safari Javascript performance with a new engine they claim is twice as fast. They call it Nitro, since everything has to have a special name. I like “Gecko,” personally.

The switch on the side of the iPad is now, of course, either mute or orientation based on user preferences. Thank god, I think the move to switch an existing interface element to something new was really foolish. They’ve fixed it now, though.

Facetime! If you’ve got any Apple product with a camera basically, you can now Facetime to each other. It works from iPad to iPad, iPad to iPhone, iPad to Mac, etc. And of course you can switch to the rear camera as well.

They’ve improved Airplay and iTunes home sharing, mainly in the ability to run Apps and websites over Airplay. Could be handy for streaming video, though I think games will be a little strange on the big screen. Actually, racing games could be tight.

This will be headed out to all compatible devices on March 11th. If you don’t have cameras you obviously can’t take advantage of the camera features, but hey.

A Look At The iPad 2: Running Faster, Thinner, And With Two Cameras

The iPad 2 is official: as thought, it’s faster and thinner than the original version.

Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the new device Wednesday. It is about the thickness of the iPhone 4, about one-third as thick as the first iPad. Graphics performance was improved by about 9 times over the original, and a new dual-core chip called the A5 powers the device.

Two cameras are on the iPad 2, one facing the front and one facing the rear. They can capture video as well.

Apple will ship the new iPad 2 next week and it will be available in two colors—black and white—for the same prices as the original iPad, starting at $499. It will run on both Verizon and AT&T’s 3G network when it ships on March 11.

Apple also developed a series of “smart covers,” thin covers for the iPad screen that attach via magnets and come in a variety of colors. When the cover is lifted away from the screen, the iPad automatically wakes from sleep mode, and the cover can also be folded up to act as a stand for the device.

Users can still expect 10 hours of battery life on the device despite the more powerful hardware, Apple said.

Apple Unveilling iOS 4.3: FaceTime, Photo Booth, and Switch Options

Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) unveiled a new version of its iOS software, version 4.3, during its iPad 2 event Wednesday.

Scott Forstall, head of iOS software development, provided a few highlights of the new release following the introduction of the iPad 2 by CEO Steve Jobs. Safari performance has been greatly enhanced, and a new feature called iTunes home sharing lets you stream files stored on your Mac or PC to your iPad.

The new software also works better with Apple TV and Apple’s AirPlay feature, allowing for more creative slideshows to be built on the iPad, Forstall said. He also addressed the infamous iPad switch debate: whether or not the switch should be used to mute the device or lock the iPad from rotating as the orientation of the device changes. Users will now be able to set their own preference for that hardware switch, he said.

Since the new iPad 2 has two cameras, Apple enhanced the software with photo apps, like Photo Booth. And, as expected, now that cameras are in play the iPad 2 can do Facetime, Apple’s video-calling application, as well as a new version of iMovie that lets you edit videos on your iPad 2.

TruPrint bringing proper printer support to iOS if you brought the jailbreak

AirPrint is great in theory, but in practice your chances of finding a supported printer in the copier room are roughly equivalent to spotting a yellow-eared parrot in the wild. TruPrint boosts those chances dramatically, adding iOS support for "most" printers that are shared on the network. Unfortunately no actual listing of supported models has been provided, but there's a three day free trial if installed overCydia so you can try it for yourself -- yes, you'll need to jailbreak first. After that it's $9.99, which is a bit steep, but if it saves you having to wait in just one line at the airport terminal to print a boarding pass it's well, well worth it. 

SkyFire 3.0 Coming To iOS, Brings Over Features From The Android Port

Back in November of last year, SkyFire (the company behind the Flash-video-friendly smartphone browser of the same name) launched version 3.0 of their app to the Android Market. The big new features? It was all social stuff, like instant Facebook wall access, a one-click Facebook “Like” button that constantly lived on the nav bar, a “Popular” feature that scans social sites for popular content from the current domain, and the “Fireplace”, which lists JUST the Rich media from your social streams. I harshed on it a bit, with my main nag being that SkyFire was forgetting to Keep It Simple, Stupid. Just about everyone in the comments seemed to agree with me.

But hey, what do we know? SkyFire has apparently seen enough love for the new social staples that they’ve just been added to the iOS port, bringing that build on par with its Android counterpart. You can find it in the App Store for $2.99.

Hot ! iOS Notifications: Problematic or Primarily Perfect?

There’s been lots of talk lately that Apple’s notification system is seriously flawed. Some think Apple is poised to remedy that problem in iOS 5, which could be unveiled at tomorrow’s special press event. Once again, me and Kevin find ourselves at loggerheadswhen it comes to this debate. Here’s how our exchange went down:

Kevin: So I hear there’s an Apple event tomorrow and it’s likely geared towards introducing the next iteration of iPad hardware. That’s all well and good, but I wonder if software will be the star of the show as Apple gives us a glimpse of iOS improvements. While I think highly of Apple’s mobile platform, I still can’t believe that after nearly four years, the notifications in iOS are so atrocious! Although I dumped my iPad for a smaller Android tablet, I still keep a new iPod touch around for apps, surfing, Netflix, email and more, but every time I turn the darn thing on to quickly check something online, I get a barrage of activity-stopping notifications. That has to change soon, and perhaps this week is the when we’ll finally see notifications become more useful and less intrusive like on other mobile platforms.

Darrell: I agree that software will most likely be the star tomorrow next to an incremental hardware update, but I’m not so sure notifications will be a big part of that lead role. I’m not denying that iOS notifications are clumsy; they are. But at the same time, I don’t think Apple will make significant changes to its existing system, for the same reason iOS doesn’t resemble Android or other mobile operating systems in a number of ways. iOS notifications may seem simple and clunky to advanced users, but they do one thing quite well: they notify. Android notifications, in my experience, require a degree of fiddling that could easily exasperate less tech-savvy device owners. iOS notifications may not be ideal, but they make sure you stand the greatest chance of seeing something, when compared to notices on other platforms.

Kevin: Hmmm… I think calling iOS notifications “clumsy” is being generous. If I want to fire up my iPod touch first thing in the morning just to scan for email that arrived overnight, I shouldn’t have to tap a dozen or more notifications from other applications before getting to the task I want to use the device for. You’re right that notifications do what they’re supposed to do, but the method is inelegant and disruptive, at least for me.

I’m glad you mentioned Android because notifications there are the antithesis of the iOS approach. Notifications are all bundled up in a non-disruptive, pull-down “window shade.” And in my above scenario of checking email at first light, I can simply ignore the Android notifications or with one screen tap, I can dismiss them all. It might not be the most perfect approach, but it doesn’t stop me from doing what I intended to do with the device. And the notifications are always visible as small icons at the top of the screen, so there’s little chance of missing them.

Darrell: See, I would actually argue the opposite. The icons at the top of the screen are what irritate me most about Android notifications. It reminds me of the days of depending on the Windows taskbar to keep me up to date. I much prefer Apple’s simple sequential method that gives focus to one thing at a time, and I think that you’re part of a relatively small minority in terms of running into a notification pile-up when you leave the device unattended.

Recent studies suggest that iPhone users have downloaded an average of 40 apps per device. I’d argue that if you account for heavy app downloaders like myself and other tech enthusiasts, that number is on the high side when it comes to how many apps most iPhone owners are actually actively using on their device. Even with my many screens of apps, I generally only have to dismiss about two or three notices in the morning.

Apple, unlike its mobile competitors, continues to embrace a strategy of ongoing simplification when it comes to interface design. I don’t think it’ll introduce added complexity and potentially confusing elements to its mobile OS in the interest of catering to users with high technical proficiency and expectations based on a subtle awareness of how computing systems have generally worked in the past. This is the same company that doesn’t allow apps to repurpose hardware buttons, after all.

Kevin: Interesting because I’m actually not a heavy app downloader, yet I still have a queue of notifications. Perhaps I’m just using more apps that take advantage of push notifications, but ultimately I think the keyword here is “queue.” The fact that iOS notifications are implemented in a more linear fashion than Android offers less flexibility. With Android, I can choose which of my notifications I want to act upon, instead of being forced to deal with the notification that iOS pushes atop my app.

That actually raises another point: I’ve occasionally had media activities interrupted in iOS due to a notification. That should never happen in my opinion, because I should be in charge of which notifications and activities to see on my phone, not the other way around.

I had thought that by now Apple would take advantage of Rich Dellinger, who it hired away from Palm last summer. Dellinger was the brain-child of the webOS notification system, which I find even more elegant than the one used for Android smartphones. In fact, the new Honeycomb tablet notifications are more like that of webOS. Maybe I’m being overly optimistic, but I think — no, I hope — that Apple recognizes that it still uses an sub-optimal notification system and we’ll see the fruits of Dellinger’s labor in the form of a new system soon.

Darrell: We might see a change, but I don’t think it’ll address the areas you’d like to see it address. I think Apple will keep intrusive notifications, and stick with the alert dialogs it has been using since the feature was first introduced. Why? Because those best embody the communicative purpose of visual notifications on a phone, which is still primarily a communication device, and only secondarily a means of media consumption.

That’s not to say change is impossible, but I think it’ll go a different route. Apple’s notifications aren’t deeply flawed, but they are missing one crucial element: a central dedicated notification management page. I think that’s what Apple will bake into iOS 5, if it touches notifications at all. This would simply add a notification history to existing tools, which make it even easier for users to make sure they haven’t missed anything. But if you’re hoping for more, I think it’s only fair to notify you in advance that you’re probably going to be disappointed.

Game : Egg vs. Chicken

Games like Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies captured iPhone users' attention by providing fun, addictive gaming that takes advantage of the iOS devices’ mobility, touch screen technology, and portability. Although hundreds of games make their debut each month, few are exceptional enough to join the cannon of great, classic iPhone games. Developer Playfirst’s new puzzle action game Egg vs. Chicken may well be the latest addition to this elite group. The game utilizes fun cartoonish graphics and a unique combination of match-three and tower-defense gameplay to create an addictive gaming experience that, while in need of more levels, manages to stand out from the countless other games that hit the App Store each month.

Don't call them "Easter" eggs: these eggs are ready for battle.

To win the game, players must defend their pen full of eggs from the hoards of chickens trying to get at them. You must slide matching-colored eggs to the launch area at the front of their pen to make groups of three, and then flick to shoot the eggs towards the chickens, making them disappear. This combination of match-three and action gaming is a new twist on the puzzle genre. The pen gets a bit crowded at times, as new eggs pop up to replace the ones you’ve shot and spare eggs are also collectible outside the pen where the chickens are invading. To make room for eggs of the same color, tap an odd-colored egg to delete it.

Meanwhile, after you've collected your eggs and are ready to go on the offensive, there are different strategies to employ. Different chickens have different weaknesses; for instance, the yellow eggs electrocute chickens with metal helmets, but it takes three or four plain white eggs to ward off the chapeau-wearing birds. Additionally, grouping more eggs together makes for a bigger firing squad, and ultimately earns you more points.

The graphics in Egg vs. Chicken are fun and cartoonish. The egg/chicken battles take place in several different scenes like deserts and fields. The game is played with the phone or iPod in its upright position, rather than widescreen; this gives the necessary extra space for players to see the offending birds approaching, and the game never felt cramped or cluttered. The screen is composed mostly of the action of the game, with only your weapon choices at the top of the screen, your score, and a tiny green bar that tracks your progress, so you know how many more fleets of feathered foes you have to defeat before the round ends.

Based on how well you complete each level, you’re awarded a star score. Three stars indicate you performed perfectly, while one or two mark that you completed the level. The developer does a fine job of providing incentive for players to go back and try to collect more stars, though, in that you can use them as currency to buy defenses and special skills. You can upgrade your eggs so they’ll pack more of a punch when they strike, or purchase bombs and land mines to buy you time to organize your eggs when birds attack.

The puzzle of maneuvering the eggs is enjoyable, and my sole complaint about the game is that it needs more levels to provide the playability that keeps me coming back for more. It took me no time at all to earn enough stars to buy out the store, and after only a few days of playing Egg vs. Chicken, I succeeded in completing and gaining three stars in the thirty six levels the game debuted with. I’m really rooting for Egg vs. Chicken, and hope that the next update comes soon and brings more, harder levels; I can’t say I’ll keep the app around for very long if it doesn’t step up the replay value.

Another Infinity Blade update is going to come soon

Joystiq reports that Infinity Blade, the hit iOS game running on the Unreal 3 engine, is due for an update"very, very soon" according to Chair co-founder Donald Mustard. Following its release last December, Infinity Blade received a minor update just two weeks later featuring a new enemy and a handful of new items. From what Mustard has said, this upcoming update sounds a bit more ambitious; he said the update "will add a ton of new content to the game and expand on some of the themes and story that you've already started to see."

Chair is intently focused on providing support for Infinity Blade, and Mustard says, "We've decided we're going to give our content away for free." That's very refreshing news, and something I hoped for in our initialInfinity Blade review: more content than the somewhat limited initial scope of the game, at little to no added cost for those who purchased it.

Between Chair's commitment to providing updated content for Infinity Blade, the fact that there isn't a separate and more expensive "HD" version for the iPad, and the game being downright fun to play and gorgeous to look at, US$5.99 for Infinity Blade is looking like a very good deal the more time goes by.

EverNote bumping iOS version to 4.0, revamps UI

Popular multi-media note-taking and cloud-storage app EverNote, a staple of the iOS App Store, today went live with the all-new v4 which features a revamped user interface, a new home screen, Snippets View, the ability to simultaneously type notes as well as record audio, and many other features all based on user feedback that pointed back to one significant idea: moving around the app, creating things and finding things should be easier, said the company on its blog announcing the new version.

The area that got the biggest overhaul was the note creation screen, which has been completely retooled. Users can record up to 90 minutes of audio, easily attach images (multiple) to notes, easily add tags and assign notebooks, select multiple camera-roll items at once, and add or delete location information attached to a note.

Browsing notes and notebooks has also gotten a facelift. Users can browse notes by what notebook they are in, by tags or using the new, separate search screen. Images and attachments can also be quickly searched visually through galleries, as well as a map view for finding notes made in specific locations.

The company added that in the process of overhauling EverNote, too many ideas came to fruition to put into the new release without delaying it further, so some features will be forthcoming soon. Shared notebooks, Notebook stacks, in-app rich text editing of notes and significant changes to the iPad interface are among the promised features on the way.

EverNote is offered as a free app, and requires either a free or paid subscription (paid subscribers avoid ads and get extra offline features). Subscriptions cost $5 per month or $45 per year. The iOS version requires iOS v3 or later; a Mac version is also available.

We're now liveblogging from Apple's iPad 2 event tomorrow... be there!

There's really no telling what could happen tomorrow at Apple's little event. Sure, the company could talk about its success with iOS devices, how well the iPad has sold, and then introduce a brand new version of the wildly popular tablet... but maybe there'll be surprises too. We can't say for sure at this point, but that's okay, because come 10AM PST (1PM EST), we're going to be delivering all the news as it happens with the industry's best liveblog right here on Engadget.

If you want to follow along with the action, tune into this URL right here at the times below tomorrow. Just make sure you've got the popcorn and sodas ready -- this is going to be a fun one.

08:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
01:00PM - Eastern
06:00PM - London
07:00PM - Paris
09:00PM - Moscow
11:30PM - Mumbai
03:00AM - Tokyo (March 3rd)
05:00AM - Sydney (March 3rd) 

MobileNotifier: iPhone alerting improved

If you haven't jailbroken your iPhone yet then MobileNotifier might just push you over the edge -- a place you're probably already teetering upon given Apple's pathetic push notification implementation. MobileNotifier beta v3 is a free open-source rewrite of iOS' notifications from Peter Hajas (lead developer) and Kyle Adams (UI and UX). Perhaps the biggest feature of MobileNotifier is the addition of unobtrusive alerts that appear at the top of your existing app. Unlike Apple's interfering popups, MobileNotifier alerts can be ignored, leaving them on the display without inhibiting use of the device. You can also take immediate action on alerts or tap them away for later. Pending alerts can be found in the AlertDashboard -- the previously unused area above the app switcher, accessible with a double-press of the iPhone's home button. Pending alert counts are also displayed as a line item on the Lockscreen. We've been running MobileNotifier for a few hours. While it's not perfect (opaque windows?) we have no plans to remove it either. At least not until we see what Apple has in store for iOS 5 which, with any luck, will be revealed on Wednesday for a summer launch. Another screenshot and demo video can be found after the break.