apps

Facebook on Tuesday released version 2.0 of its popular iPhone app (iTunes Store link). This release contains a lot of the functionality that is in the full version of Facebook, making the iPhone version much more attractive. Some key features added include friend requests, notifications, people search, photo tagging/captioning, full News/Mini Feeds, message attachments, and inbox search.

The application, overall, seems to be more snappy and definitely has a better look to it. The inclusion of friend requests and notifications is big here, adding a whole new level of usefulness to the app. People search is also … Read more

Apple made a few changes to the App Store over the weekend that should cheer up developers, even if the underlying issues remain unaddressed.

Reviews for App Store applications must now be filled out by someone who has actually purchased the application in question, making it more difficult for developers to pump up their own application with favorable reviews as well as for rival developers to "Astroturf" a competitor's application with fake reviews. Applications will also now be listed according to their original release date; before this weekend, an update to an application reset the release date … Read more

I was on the bus yesterday during my commute home and I decided to check out one of my latest iPhone apps to see if it worked as advertised. There was a loud-talking person yammering away on his cell phone (why must people do this?) and to get away from the racket, I stuck in my ear buds and launched WhiteNoise.

WhiteNoise offers several neutral sounds that are perfect for blocking out annoying sounds and also can be quite relaxing. The interface offers eight buttons of soothing sounds you can start up immediately with a timer if you'd like … Read more

When I was at the Web 2.0 Expo in New York last week, many of the panelists and speakers invited the audience to ask them questions by submitting Twitter messages. A Google engineer named Taliver Heath has gone one step further by creating Google Moderator, an application that lets the audiences at lectures and discussions submit questions and vote on the ones they'd like to hear answered.

Google Moderator, earlier named "Dory" after the inquisitive fish from Finding Nemo, started out as an internal tool. It was originally intended for the audiences at Google's "… Read more

Developing an application for the iPhone continues to be a popular yet very frustrating exercise.

Almost since the first day Apple formally announced plans to bring third-party applications to the iPhone, developers have chafed at what they feel are excessive restrictions on what they are allowed to do and say within the program. At the same time, however, they are flooding Apple with their applications: blogger Russell Beattie counted 450 new applications appearing on the App Store in a week.

Feeling that those applications are just the start of a huge iPhone land grab, Beattie thinks that Apple is going … Read more

On today's show, we get schooled about how cell phone 911 works, we school the music industry on its consistently terrible ideas regarding physical formats (seriously? Albums on micro SD cards? Are you kidding us with this?), Obama cools his pro Net neutrality stance, and Japan gets to work on the space elevator. Jason already volunteered to go. He's so brave. We'll miss him.

SanDisk, record labels announce new music format http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10047311-93.html http://www.crn.com/retail/210602962 http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/22/music-on-microsd-i-cant-believe-the-labels-fell-for-this/… Read more

This tiny app quickly closes frozen programs, but clicking too fast or in the wrong spot could cause problems. One Click App Killer doesn't have a standard interface, as it simply turns your mouse pointer into a bull's-eye. Click anywhere on the frozen application's interface to quickly eliminate it from your screen and memory.

It is possible to click too fast and eliminate the wrong program, so proceed with a bit of caution. Also, clicking outside the frozen program's interface could close Windows. Thankfully, those problems are rare and can be avoided as long as you'… Read more

If you missed last week's news about Google's feature-honing update for its native BlackBerry app, here's your chance to see it in action.

As part of a few well-appointed changes, the new Google Mobile App for BlackBerry does away with its predecessor's penchant for hogging space on the home screen and has rearranged its resources to pack a greater wallop with search. Tune into the video to see what we mean.

You thought your iPhone was hot before? The Sonic Lighter, a new app from Smule, emblazons your phone's display with a simulated flame that you can control by touch or tilt. Ignite the fire with a virtual strike of the display; breathe on the device to control or extinguish the flicker (engage in this latter action in public at your own peril, of course).

While a cool and innovative visual effect for 99 cents, we wouldn't call this a useful iPhone app. Ge Wang, co-founder and chief technology officer of Smule, however, might disagree. "I've found … Read more