New Technology Reviews!.: appstore

Shazam violates Developer Agreement, blames Jeff Rock

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<img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="375" mce_src="http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/9641/shazampush.jpg" mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px;" src="http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/9641/shazampush.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="250" /></div>
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Jeff Rock happened to notice a push notification on his iPhone after installing Shazam. He checked it and it turned out to be an advertisement that had popped up. Since it didn't seem like expected behavior (push notification of an advert?), Jeff tweeted the Shazam folks to ask about it. Instead of a) Apologizing and trying to sort it out, b) Taking him seriously and helping troubleshoot, or c) Ignoring him entirely, they chose d) Tell Jeff it was clearly his fault.</div>
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Not so fast there, Shazam...missing the point he was trying to make, they told him that he must have turned notification on himself and needed to turn them off. Let me just point out that his complaint was not that he received A notification, it was that he received an AD as a notification. Telling them so got him the reply that he had clearly opted-in to notification at some point.</div>
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Jeff, trying to be more clear, quoted back chapter and verse from the iOS Program Standard Agreement that this particular "feature" was violating. This got a different response at least; now they say they'll "look into it".</div>
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For Jeff in particular, I can see how this would be extra frustrating. He's a developer himself, co-founder of Mobelux who built the app that is now the official iOS Tumblr client. It seems the number of "Can you believe I got rejected for that!?" incidents is in decline, but with the number of apps that still get rejected for small reasons, it is odd this particular violation happened to make it through the approval process.</div>
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Shazam violates Developer Agreement, blames Jeff Rock

Jeff Rock happened to notice a push notification on his iPhone after installing Shazam. He checked it and it turned out to be an adver...

Mint "busy developing an iPad App"

Mint "busy developing an iPad App"

Apple fans who are still looking for a replacement for Quicken or Quicken Essentials on the Mac might want to hold out for the Mint iPa...

App Store expands to 33 additional countries

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="145" mce_src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4844/applemacappstorelogo130.jpg" src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4844/applemacappstorelogo130.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="147" />Apple has expanded App Store availability to an additional 33 countries. With this latest expansion, App Store apps are now available for purchase in about 123 nations. Apple still has some room left to expand, with several African, Middle Eastern, and South Pacific nations remaining unrepresented on the App Store.</div>
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New countries added to the roll include:</div>
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<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Algeria</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Angola</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Anguilla</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Antigua and Barbuda</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Azerbaijan</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Bahamas</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Bahrain</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Barbados</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Belarus</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Belize</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Bermuda</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Bolivia</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">British Virgin Islands</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Brunei</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Cayman Islands</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Cyprus</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Dominica</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Ghana</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Grenada</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Guyana</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Iceland</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Montserrat</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Nigeria</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Oman</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">St. Kitts and Nevis</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">St. Lucia</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">St. Vincent and The Grenadines</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Suriname</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Tanzania</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Trinidad and Tobago</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Turks and Caicos</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Uzbekistan</li>
<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Yemen</li>
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App Store expands to 33 additional countries

Apple has expanded App Store availability to an additional 33 countries. With this latest expansion, App Store apps are now available for...

Report: Apple 'likely to lose' App Store trademark case

Apple is likely to lose its court battle to prevent Amazon using the term Appstore for its mobile app offering, according to the judge presiding over the case.<br/><br/>Bloomberg reports that US District Judge Phillys Hamilton admitted that she is "probably" going to deny Apple's request following a hearing in Oakland, California on Tuesday.<br/><br/>Judge Hamilton says that Apple has been unable to demonstrate that Amazon's naming has created confusion among consumers.<br/><br/><strong>No evidence of confusion</strong><br/><br/>During the hearing, she said that Apple had so-far failed to offer "real evidence of actual confusion" among customers which is a "stumbling block" for the company<br/><br/>"I'm troubled by the showing that you've made so far, but that's where you're likely not to prevail at this early juncture," she added.<br/><br/>Amazon raised the ire of Apple back in March when it decided use the term Appstore for its Android app shop, claiming that its own App Store holds that trademark.<br/><br/><strong>Windows win?</strong><br/><br/>Amazon wants the trademark infringement case to be dismissed, clearing the way for them, and perhaps others, to use the term.<br/><br/>The court proceedings may have implications for Microsoft's ongoing battle to open up the name "Appstore" for its own Windows Phone platform.

Report: Apple 'likely to lose' App Store trademark case

Apple is likely to lose its court battle to prevent Amazon using the term Appstore for its mobile app offering, according to the judge presi...

ContourGPS Connect View app hands-on

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="1" height="280" hspace="4" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/9427/contourviewfinder201104.jpg" style="margin: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="420" /></div><br/>The $350 ContourGPS sits among the top-tier of consumer-friendly helmet cams, but it's always posed one major problem: you can't really tell where it's pointing. Sure, it shoots a pair of wicked lasers out of the front, but it's always a challenge to gauge the extents of its 135 degree lens. We knew there was a secret trick in there waiting to be unleashed, which we got to play with at CES, and now here it is. Contour has released its Connect View functionality for iOS, letting you view live footage from the camera right on your phone. Keep reading for our full impressions.<br/><div><br/><br/><strong>Gallery: Contour Connect View</strong><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/6378/contourviewfinder201104h.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/8460/contourviewfinder201104z.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/1360/contourviewfinder201104x.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/8522/contourviewfinder201104b.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/1369/contourviewfinder201104v.jpg" /><br/><br/></div>

ContourGPS Connect View app hands-on

The $350 ContourGPS sits among the top-tier of consumer-friendly helmet cams, but it's always posed one major problem: you can't rea...

RunKeeper Pro is free through January -- there's no excuse to be a couch potato

<img align="right" alt="" border="0" hspace="8" src="http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/2842/runkeepericontuaw410012.jpg" vspace="8" />If you read my recent roundup of exercise and dieting apps for iOS, you'll probably remember that one of my featured apps was <a href="http://runkeeper.com/">RunKeeper</a> for iPhone, which I use to track my walks and bike rides. Up until this time, I've used the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runkeeper-pro/id300235330?mt=8">RunKeeper Free</a> edition, which lacks the customizable audio cues, coaching features, and improved fitness class experience of the Pro version.<br />
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Well, I just upgraded to the Pro version for free, and you can, too. As a way of encouraging people to get off their couches and to thank RunKeeper users for their support over the last two and a half years, the company is making <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runkeeper-pro/id300235330?mt=8">RunKeeper Pro</a> free to download through January 30, 2011. It doesn't matter if you haven't used RunKeeper Free in the past, you can still get the Pro version at no cost.<br />
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This giveaway comes in the wake of RunKeeper Pro being named by Apple as one of the <a href="http://itms//itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMultiRoom?fcId=402042790">Top Grossing Apps of 2010</a>. Note that the Elite service, which allows others to follow your progress while you're out exercising, still costs either US $4.95 per month or $19.95 annually. For TUAW readers who use Android smartphones, you'll be happy to know that RunKeeper Pro for Android is also free through the month of January.<br />
<a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/30/runkeeper-pro-is-free-through-january-theres-no-excuse-to-be/"></a> <br />
<h6></h6><a href="http://runkeeper.com/blog/mobile-app/runkeeper-pro-is-free-through-the-month-of-january">Source</a>

RunKeeper Pro is free through January -- there's no excuse to be a couch potato

If you read my recent roundup of exercise and dieting apps for iOS, you'll probably remember that one of my featured apps was RunKeeper ...

New Year's App blowout lowers prices on some iOS apps

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="212" hspace="8" src="http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/4530/battleforwesnothsale377.jpg" vspace="8" width="400" /></div><br />
The sales are almost all done this holiday season (EA , you may have noticed, has raised its prices back up from that 99 cent price point that was so strong during Christmas), but here's one more to help you pick up a a few more iOS games to play over New Year's. <a href="http://newyearappblowout.com/">The third annual New Year's app blowout</a> features a deal put together by a bunch of indie developers, and is offering sales on some really great iPhone and iPad apps. I can heartily recommend <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/battle-for-wesnoth/id340691963?mt=8">Battle for Wesnoth</a> for just 99 cents, and <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/displaypad/id399786470?mt=8">DisplayPad</a> for just $2.99 is a nice deal as well. Other than those, some of the games on the list look worth a try, and there are some that have dropped all the way to free, so jump on in and download those.<br />
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Hopefully, after all of the new games out this holiday season, and all of the crazy sales on apps from earlier on this year, you've got more than enough to play on your iOS device. But just in case not, feel free to take advantage of this last big "blowout" before we head on into whatever magical apps we'll see in 2011.<br />
<a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/30/new-years-app-blowout-lowers-prices-on-some-ios-apps/"></a> <br />
<h6></h6><a href="http://newyearappblowout.com/">Source</a>

New Year's App blowout lowers prices on some iOS apps

The sales are almost all done this holiday season (EA , you may have noticed, has raised its prices back up from that 99 cent price point t...

NoseDial lets you dial your iPhone with your nose

<img align="right" alt="NoseDial" border="0" hspace="8" src="http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/4590/nosedialerxyzyzc.jpg" vspace="8" />Hands full of gifts to return after Christmas but still need to make a call with your iPhone? Well don't worry, as <a href="http://www.nosedial.com/">NoseDial</a> is here to help you out. NoseDial is exactly what the name implies that it is -- a visual dialer for your iPhone that lets you scroll through your contacts by tilting your phone and then call them by pecking at their picture with your nose. Sure, you still need to be able to somehow tilt the phone with your hand or some other way to move through your contacts, but if your fingers are otherwise occupied with bags and/or inside your winter mittens, at least you can still make a phone call using just your nose.<br />
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While you may get some rather odd looks from those around you, NoseDial is a pretty neat concept even if not a particularly smooth way to dial your phone. Available from the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/de/app/nosedial/id408719052?mt=8">German iTunes App Store</a> for a little bit over US$1.00, NoseDial could come in handy on those freezing cold walks to work -- or if you were a super-secret spy whose hands were otherwise tied up.<br />
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We've seen some interesting visual dialers and custom dialers before for the iPhone, but this is definitely the first we've seen designed with nose dialing in mind.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nosedial.com/">Source</a>

NoseDial lets you dial your iPhone with your nose

Hands full of gifts to return after Christmas but still need to make a call with your iPhone? Well don't worry, as NoseDial is here to ...