Wolfram Alpha recently released an update for its overpriced iPhone app. The update includes some new keyboards, graphics, and tables. The one thing it didn’t improve on was the price. The app still runs $50, back up from the $19.99 it cost during the holidays.

It’s not that the app blows everything else out of the water. An app called BarMax runs a full thousand dollars. But BarMax isn’t available on the web. Wolfram Alpha is. All of it. They removed the iPhone-optimized version of the site some time ago, presumably to encourage sales for the app. You can still get everything out of Wolfram Alpha, though, if you just visit the website on your phone. The only thing you’re missing is screen specific formatting.

If you really need that kind of formatting and have $50 laying around, maybe this is for you. Personally, I’ll keep my Wolfram calculations on my laptop.

Source: TechCrunch

In November of last year Apple released a new iTunes feature called iTunes Preview. The service allowed users to preview the music available in the iTunes store without launching or even installing the iTunes software. It was a nice move, long overdue, and it’s now been extended to include iPhone apps.

Basically, any time you click an iTunes link for an app, your browser will redirect to a page that contains the standard iTunes information. You get screenshots from the application along with reviews, pricing, descriptions and ratings. From there you can click to view the app in iTunes and go through your standard download process.

I’m just glad I can’t be fooled into clicking those damn links anymore. It was so infuriating to be on a site and accidentally hit a link on my touchpad only to have iTunes blow up and start loading the app store.

Few things entice me more than a glass of small batch bourbon. Over the past several decades, the list of quality craft whiskeys has grown exponentially, yielding a market place that can be as confusing as it is rewarding. F. Paul Pacult wants to help you navigate the sea of options and blends with an iPhone app called iWhiskey from Jolt OS.

This app is definitely the best resource I’ve found on whiskey for the iPhone. It opens on a “shelf” of whiskey bottles with options for American, Canadian, Irish, single malt Scotch, blended Scotch, and whiskeys from other parts of the world for browsing. There’s a search function if you’re looking for a particular brand and a feature that allows you to save some favorites to your own “My Barrel” section.

Each individual whiskey has a feature page, complete with tasting and bouquet information and a picture of the bottle so you can more easily locate your preference at your bar or the liquor store. There are quite a few with missing pictures, something I’d assume will be updated in the future. The app also features a selection of cocktails made with various whiskeys. The list is small, but again, easy to update.

The app only has two drawbacks. First, it needs a home button. The front screen is so pretty, but there’s just no way to get back to it without closing the app and reopening. The second problem is the price. It’s tough to say whether $10.99 is really worth this kind of information on a phone with web access. Pacult’s reviews are top-notch, and it is a one-stop shop for more than 600 whiskey reviews, but I think you’ll likely only see this on a very serious whiskey lover’s phone.

iTunes Link

A few weeks ago I was in a crisis. I had an 11-hour drive in front of me and for some reason I missed a week of my This American Life podcast. It took a good bit of scouring, but I finally found a place to download it (no, it wasn’t available on iTunes any longer). Well no more!

My favorite radio show (and many others’ as the podcast rankings prove) finally has its own iPhone app, replete with on demand access to any episode of the show. You can stream for free or download any episode for the usual $.99. The app itself will run you $2.99.

If you haven’t listened to TAL, you need to. It’s just that simple. There are some truly incredible stories on the show, and often some very informative ones as well. They did a show about the sub-prime mortgage crisis that simply blew my mind. For my money, there’s not really a better way to spend a long drive.

One of the biggest complaints about the iPad, and even the iPhone, is the lack of Flash support. It’s something Apple’s been reluctant to add because of the potential for a security breach on either device. In order to be considered truly excellent browsing devices, though, I think Apple needs to find a way to make Flash work for both devices.

For now, though, Adobe is willing to take up the cause. It announced a product for developers at the end of last year that would easily convert Flash apps into something the iPhone can use. The company now says it will offer the same support for the iPad.

Here’s an excerpt from the official platform blog:

“We announced the Packager for iPhone at MAX 2009 which will allow Flash developers to create native iPhone applications and will be available in the upcoming version of Flash Pro CS5. This technology enables developers to create applications for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (though applications will not initially take direct advantage of iPad’s new screen resolution). It is our intent to make it possible for Flash developers to build applications that can take advantage of the increased screen size and resolution of the iPad.”

It’s a decent workaround, but definitely not a fix. By this method you’ll have access to the cool Flash apps available on platforms like Android, but it’s not like you’ll be watching Hulu on your iPad (unless they release a special app). Stay tuned on this one – it’s going to be a hot topic over the course of the year.

With all the hype surrounding Apple’s latest announcement, you may have forgotten that the State of the Union address is next Wednesday night. What better way to celebrate both events than by watching the President on your iPhone!

This White House app streams live video content to your iPhone, beginning with the State of the Union next week. Other than that, it’s pretty much a dressed up version of whitehouse.gov, replete with pictures and news feeds about everything related to the executive branch. Topic of the moment? Haiti, of course.

Which are you more excited about? Hearing more about unemployment or dreaming of owning that Apple tablet?

I hope you’re ready to feel underaccomplished and unsympathetic for your age. An 11 year-old boy named Cameron finished coding iSketch, a drawing app for the iPhone, this past December. Sales have reportedly been good, but instead of stocking up on Nerf guns and Lego mansions, Cameron is donating a large portion of his profits to the Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA where he received care for an undisclosed medical problem.

Cameron’s father wrote the following letter to CrunchGear:

My son Cameron is 11 years old and, last year, he had a medical problem that prevented him from participating in the physical activities he otherwise enjoys. (He is nearly fully recovered.) During that time, Cameron became interested in computers, and he began to read anything he could get his hands on. He watched Stanford University professors on iTunes, scoured the web for articles on programming and taught himself several different programming languages. (Neither my wife nor I have any idea how to program.) Cameron began to focus on the iPhone and iPod touch devices as the “apps” offered for sale for use on those devices seemed really cool to him. He began to work on a few different apps. After completing some summer camps on programming and continuing to read and learn, Cameron finalized an app, which he calls iSketch, and submit it to Apple. The app, which is a painting/drawing program, was approved by Apple for sale on its App Store in December. (He has since updated it several times..)

Inspired by the care he received at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, Cameron has dedicated a substantial portion of the proceeds from his sales to purchase entertainment and electronic items for Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA’s Child Life/Child Development programs in Westwood and Santa Monica so that pre-teens and teens will have additional age-appropriate options available to them during their Hospital stays. Cameron’s sales so far have been good, but he hopes to accelerate them so that he can donate even more to the Hospital.

Thank you, Cameron, for that healthy dose of what-are-you-doing-with-your-life-itis. If you want to feel marginally decent about yourself, you can get Cameron’s app for just $.99.

Remember that app called “I Am Rich,” the one that served no purpose other than making the developer a couple grand if people actually bought it. Apple pulled the app for the fear that a glut of such products would appear, polluting the App Store with useless junk. And yet, we still have fart apps.

Well there’s a new super-expensive app on the market, and it actually might be worth something. The app is called BarMax and it’s a preparatory tool for would be lawyers headed toward the bar exam. So why a grand? Well, the prep classes often cost as much as $4,000, so a 75% discount isn’t such a bad deal.

The coolest part of the app, in my non-litigating mind, is the audio lectures. The app itself is over a gig, which puts all sorts of papers on your phone, but you also get a huge selection of lectures to listen to. Good stuff.

iTunes Link

The Facebook iPhone app got a nice update today: push notifications! It took awhile, but considering the application’s most prominent developer recently quit, it’s not much of a surprise.

The update seems small, but it’s a pretty serious change in the way you can use the app. You no longer need to be working in the app to see updates. They’ll get pushed straight through, just like a text message. If you have friends like mine, that kind of up-to-the-minute response can be crucial. Incriminating photo gets tagged? Now you know instantly.

The update also included some handy contact syncing. Your Facebook contacts can now be linked up to your contact list, photos and all. It’s a nice way to get pics of those people you might not otherwise have in your phone. It also feels slightly less creepy than copying a picture from Facebook and using it. Yes, I’ve done that. Yes, I am ashamed.

Image: TechCrunch

Google has been notoriously quiet about the number of apps available in the Android Marketplace. After this week’s announcement that the mobile OS has 20,000 available apps, the search giant stepped in to set the record straight. As it turns out, there are just over 16,000 apps available, not that 20k AndroLib reported.

Google contacted TechCrunch with the updated stats, and mentioned that it was looking at new ways to disclose information about marketplace growth to consumers. Google wouldn’t confirm the ratio of paid to free apps. AndroLib claims the discrepancy is because Google is only counting the apps available to US customers, or not including anything since the end of November. I’d guess the former, since it’s highly unlikely 4,000 apps have been added in 16 days time.

Source: TechCrunch

There’s more good news for app junkies out there. UStream is now officially available in the App Store, allowing users to stream video content over 3G and Wi-Fi connections. It’s a big step for the app approval process and more like a leap off a cliff for AT&T’s network.

UStream isn’t the first app to offer streaming. That distinction goes to Knocking, another app that paved the way for UStream, proving that both Apple and AT&T would allow such a demanding application to break through the notoriously awful approval process. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the network can actually handle that sort of strain. In fact, AT&T has said several times that high data traffic causes most of the network issues. These apps definitely won’t help that situation.

It’s nice to see developers continue to push AT&T to provide some of the cool options the iPhone has available. Let’s hope AT&T will come around to the idea…right.

I still can’t believe it has taken this long to get an iPhone app from IMDB. It’s here, though, and free, so I suppose I don’t have much to complain about.

I was a little surprised to see it go with a dedicated app. For what it offers, I figured a web app would handle things just fine. It’s not like Facebook, where all kinds of nifty native hardware tricks are involved. In fact, the IMDB app doesn’t offer anything the website doesn’t, and it’s missing account support, so you can’t get Cate Blanchett’s phone number when you’re drunk (maybe that was on purpose). Still, for the way most people use IMDB, there’s no reason well-organized, free information won’t get the job done.

Now, if they charged me another dollar just to have access to the likes of Uma Thurman when I’m at my whiskey-drunk worst, I can’t say I wouldn’t go for it.

Aardvark, a social service that allows you to ask friends and other members to answer questions and give advice, is reportedly considering a buyout from Google. There’s no official word on price, but the rumor is that it’s over $30 million. To date the company has raised around $6 million in venture capital.

As TechCrunch has it, Aardvark isn’t just talking to Google, it’s shopping around. There’s even the option of acquiring more VC for sale of some personal stock from the founders. I was actually surprised to hear that the valuation was so high. Aardvark is a fun way to kill some time and it’s got a great iPhone app, but I’ve asked so many questions that have gone unanswered I lost interest pretty quickly (seriously, no one can tell me the name of that composer). If I were these guys, I’d take the money and never look back.

Source: TechCrunch

The iPhone model 3,1 has peeked its head above ground for a second time this weekend. You may recall the first appearance was in OS 3.0 beta firmware files back around June. Now the company responsible for iBART, a Bay Area Rapid Transit app, has found the model number showing up under access lists for the application. Someone in San Francisco has the new iPhone. DUN DUN DUN!

It’s not all that surprising. The more iPhones Apple makes, the more money it makes. It’s a simple business model for Cupertino. As for what this model will have, I don’t really know. The front-facing camera? Maybe, but my guess would be more speed, more wireless band support (new carriers) and maybe even a better camera.

As for timing, again, it’s all guesses. iPhone model 2,1 first showed in October 2008 and went on to become the 3GS eight months later. The first iPhone launched in June 2007, so it would be odd to see model 3,1 available within the same timetable as the 3GS, around February 2010. At the very least, I would guess AT&T’s exclusivity contract has a duration divisible by six.

Source: MacRumors

I’ve got another app review for you today, this time from Cycle World (which is published under Hachette Filipacchi Media along with Car and Driver). The app, appropriately named “Best of Cycle World,” can be picked up from the App Store for free.

Before installing the app I read a few users reviews complaining about the update schedule and limited content. I would wholeheartedly agree if the app was billed as digital magazine, but it’s not. It’s a companion to a subscription magazine and should be considered as such. Bearing that in mind, I think the app is a great way to carry CW content in your pocket.

The app works like a content-rich RSS feed for the magazine’s best articles. It’s a simple list that links to individual articles, all of which have a picture gallery. While the content is decent, a few simple updates could improve the app. I’d recommend a system by which the reader can see what’s been read and what hasn’t. Also, adding a picture count (1 of 8, etc.) to the galleries would be a small improvement.

Overall, can’t complain much about free content. If nothing else, it saves you the embarrassment of carrying a magazine into the bathroom while your girlfriend’s over. That is, if you still care about that sort of thing.

When I look at mobile apps for popular magazines I always look for the same thing: content. A lot of publishers skimp on content just to have a name in the App Store. Luckily, that’s starting to change, and Car and Driver’s Buyer’s Guide is part of a welcome shift toward content-rich apps. The Buyer’s Guide is a great companion for anyone shopping for a new car, and best of all it’s free.

The app is simple and straight-forward. You search for cars based on make and model, whereupon you can find reviews, photos, specs for every trim level, and a list of competitor’s vehicles to consider against your choice. The main page also has general categories like “Latest Reviewed,” and “Fuel Misers.” These are especially helpful if you’re just starting your search or are unsure where to look. In any case, there’s always plenty of information. Of the 20 or so cars I browsed through, I never left the app thinking they’d missed something.

The app also has a general advice section including articles like “How to Test Drive a Car,” and “What’s the Right New Vehicle for Me?” The articles are full-length and offer the same kind of advice you’d get from the magazine or any male relative over 40.

If I have one complaint about the app it’s that there are ads, but that’s the price you pay to get a free app. Otherwise, it’s a great tool for anyone in the market for a new vehicle.

One of the most exciting parts of the Motorola Droid launch was the inclusion of Google Maps Navigation, a free turn-by-turn GPS system from Google. At first the feature was only compatible with phones running Android 2.0, which is only the Droid. Today Google announced that it would be moving the nav system down to Android 1.6, opening up the service to phones like the MyTouch 3G and G1.

I’d call this a big win for Android users. Until this update the hope was that some enterprising developer would hack the thing down to 1.6. This still leaves out the Motorola CLIQ and HTC Droid Eris, but hey, it’s better than the original situation. The 1.6 release also adds layers, allowing you to overlay information on the map, like Wikipedia articles on local points of interest and public transit lines. The one thing 1.6 is missing is the “navigate to” voice command, so you’ll have to enter everything by hand. Life’s tough, isn’t it?

Gone are the days of harmless iPhone worms rick-rolling you into fits of laughter. The newest breach uses the same trick as the Australian version, but instead of Rick Astley you get your bank information stolen. For now the virus is contained the Netherlands, where it targets Dutch customers of ING who log into the banking system using a jailbroken phone. You also have to have installed SSH without changing your default password.

Sophos mentions dramatically reduced battery life on WiFi connections because the worm generates so much network activity. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, you should probably restore to a known safe backup. You do have one of those, right?

Luckily preventative measures are simple. Just install Mobile Terminal using Cydia and change your password from the default “alpine” to something a bit more secure. Also let this serve as a reminder that your phone is a computer capable of granting outsiders access to very sensitive data. Don’t get careless.

Source: Gizmodo

Like most things involving WebOS and the new Palm devices, the Facebook app for WebOS is underwhelming. Actually, it’s worse than that, considering how far app development has come since the smartphone app craze started. Maybe they should get Joe Hewitt involved? I hear he’s done with that other project he’s been working on.

The problem is just a total lack of features. You get unfiltered news feeds, even if you’ve unselected application updates in your profile, and videos and links pull you out of the app. Sure it’s nice to multitask but to do so unnecessarily is just silly. There’s seemingly no search feature, no way to access events, and clicking another person’s name seems to bring up little more than contact info.

What can you do? Well, you can upload pictures and post status updates and…well that seems to be about it. Another compelling reason to get a Palm Pre.

Now that the Droid has launched we all want to know how many have sold. Well, I want to know anyway, and I’m guessing a few of you probably do as well. If you take Bloomberg’s word, opening weekend showed 110,000 units sold. Developer uLocate, which develops the GPS app “Where” has confirmed those numbers and done one better.

According to uLocate, the Where app typically gets installed on 10% of new Android devices in the first month, jumping to a 25% penetration rate thereafter. The same was true for the Droid, boasting 11,000 downloads during opening weekend. Since last weekend that number is up to 25,000, meaning we’re looking at 250,000 Droid sales in the first week. Considering the Palm Pre only sold 300,000 in its first month, that number’s looking pretty good. Doesn’t hurt that you can get the Droid on Verizon who, despite recent bad press concerning fees, is the most desirable network in the country (though T-Mobile is probably a close second with its new plans).

Hopefully it’s onward and upward for the Droid. I’m not personally a fan, but success of the handset means good things for Android, and that’s something I can get behind.

Source: Boy Genius Report