Skip to Content

AOL Tech

appstore posts

Video Games, iPhone

Facebook Hit 'Bejeweled Blitz' Goes Mobile With iPhone App

Fans of the Facebook game 'Bejeweled Blitz' will be able to hone their gem-matching skills on the move when the free 'Bejeweled 2' iPhone add-on hits the App Store next week.

As with previous 'Bejeweled' games, the goal is to swap gems vertically and horizontally to match three or more. (A satisfying cacophony of explosions concludes the round if you've done your job.) But this streamlined edition gives you only one minute to do it, a boon for mobile users with some time, though not too much time, to kill. Best of all, 'Blitz' syncs automatically to Facebook, uploading high scores to a leaderboard in real time.

If users really feel the need to brag, they can post their scores to their Facebook profiles, reminding their family and friends who's the boss -- at least where puzzle games are concerned. [From: Games.com]

Cell Phones, Editor's Picks, iPhone, Mobile Software, Mobile Phones

9 Banned Apps You'll Never See on the iPhone

There's no denying the runaway success of Apple's App Store: to date, iPhone and iPod touch users have downloaded some 2 billion applications from its ever-expanding library of 100,000. But there's also no escaping the rumblings of discontent from many consumers and developers who feel that Apple is unfairly acting as judge, jury, and executioner by censoring apps and exiling them from the App Store.

Much of the consternation stems from the fact that Apple has never published hard and fast guidelines for what determines whether an app will be allowed through Apple's gatekeepers. To make matters worse for frustrated developers, Apple frequently contradicts itself in its judgments. So, say, while porn stars are free to peddle T and A to consenting adults, e-book packages that include the "Kama Sutra" are apparently too risqué for Apple. In the hopes of discovering a method to this maddening process, we've looked at nine high-profile iPhone apps that were found guilty of transgressing Apple's (unwritten) approval terms, and weigh in on the fairness of Apple's judgment and the likelihood an app will have it overturned on appeal in the future.

Read more →

Cell Phones, iPhone

iPhone App, Where's My Car?

We love holiday shopping as much as the next person, but we could do without the mammoth parking lots (and our embarrassing inability to navigate them). Honestly, is there anything more demoralizing, after a successful raid on Walmart, than not being able to find your own car when you get outside? We think not.

Thankfully, there is hope for the parking-lot challenged, and it comes in the form of 'Car Finder' [App Store link]. Using augmented reality (real-time video overlaid with computer-generated graphics), this marvel is available from Apple's App Store for $0.99. It sounds cool, and it is. Simply use the app to mark your car's location, and walk away. On your way back, Car Finder, in conjunction with the iPhone's built-in GPS, lets you view your surroundings in on the iPhone's screen. Simply rotate your body until the screen displays the general direction of your wayward automobile, and a big red arrow will guide you to the icon that represents your car's location. Neat, huh?

Read more →

iPhone

Passengers 'Flying Without Fear' Thanks to Virgin iPhone App

Most people suffer from a little bit of unease prior to takeoff, but a fear of flying can be a debilitating and crippling affliction. Severe cases can force people to seek alternate modes of transportation, or to even ingest illicit drugs.

Virgin Atlantic has been attempting to quell those flight concerns through its 'Flying Without Fear' program that, according to the company, enjoys a 98-percent success rate. The one-day program costs over $300 and offers various courses and relaxation methods, as well as a brief flight to practice the new techniques. Virgin, which famously provides quirky and fun methods of keeping customers happy, is now personalizing that course by offering a new app version for the iPhone.

Read more →

Cell Phones, iPhone

Preview Your Plastic Surgery With iSurgeon

Thinking about a nip here, or a tuck there? If you're not certain that a face lift or lipo is right for you, you might want to test the waters with an iPhone application. According to Reuters, two plastic surgery apps, both aiming to inform surgical candidates about different procedures, have been released in the past month.

The first, the Shafer Plastic Surgery App, was launched in October. It hosts a database of more than 1,000 questions and answers that people interested in surgery might ask. If you choose to pay $2.99 for the full version, you can also send the creator, Dr. David Shafer, direct questions about procedures. The second, iSurgeon, is a little creepier. This app, free to download this month, alters photos according to the plastic surgery procedure you select. For example, if you'd like to know what that breast enhancement would look like, simply snap a pic of yourself, select that procedure on the app, and bam. The digital version appears right before your eyes. Creepily easy, sure, but if just one less person ends up looking like Michael Jackson, these apps are successes in our minds. [From: Reuters, via DVICE]

Cell Phones, iPhone

'Firepower' iPhone App Lets You Vent Your Frustration

Do you ever have "one of those days?" You know, some jerk in an SUV cuts you off on the highway, or your co-worker's incessant chatter gets on your last nerve? For most of us, going postal just isn't an option, so we're left to stew with our frustrations. But now, a new iPhone app is giving you an outlet for all that built-up rage. According to Wired, 'Firepower' is like a real-life, first-person shooter. The app, which was developed by Magnificent Library, uses the iPhone's camera, and overlays a Gatling gun, target, and two "fire" buttons on the live view screen to make you feel like Duke Nukem (check out the video after the break). After paying $.99, just simply fire up the app, point, and shoot at whatever you'd like -- your desk, a boss, or, like the guy in the video below, your kids.

We don't want to stir the pot here, ourselves, but the idea behind 'Firepower,' not to mention its use of blood (albeit cartoony blood), will probably inspire some controversy. Then again, everyone knows that Internet addiction, not video games, breeds violence. [From: Wired]

Read more →

Celebrities, iPhone

David Hasselhoff iPhone App Gives Bad Advice

For the promotion of his new British-only TV show 'Meet the Hasselhoffs' (Maybe VH1 is all reality-showed out.), ex-'Baywatch' and -'Knight Rider' hunk (or, maybe 'Baywatch' and 'Knight Rider' ex-hunk) David Hasselhoff has put out his own iPhone app. "Ask the Hoff" is a bit like a Magic Eight-ball, but instead of mystically revealed, one-word answers in blue goo, Hoff's mug stares back at you to give snide answers. Typically, they're of the 'Yes' or 'No' variety, although we did get these gems: "If I told you, I'd have to kill you," and "That is a disgusting question. What are you, a pervert?" Not very helpful advice, say, for aspiring lifeguards.

The Big D has always been known for his feeble stabs at legitimacy -- so much so that he's now a parody of himself. Still, we can't help but root for him. The Switched Team pooled together the $0.99 fee and downloaded "Ask The Hoff" to see if his sunburned brain could answer a couple of questions. We queried: "Did you get the alcohol?" He responded: "Of course, the answer was yes." We didn't really have doubts, Hoff-man. [From: Textually]

Cell Phones, iPhone

'Scanner 911' Brings Live Police Feeds to iPhones

Next time you're sitting on the couch and thinking about what you can do to be a better citizen, just take a little stroll through the iPhone App Store and dive right into the lurid world of real-time crime fighting.

For both the vigilante and the voyeuristic, Scanner 911, a recent addition to the iPhone app megalopolis, provides dutiful citizens with live feeds of police radio from around the country. For more local fare, users can use a special "Near Me" button on the app display to get radio directly from their county (or parish, Louisiana) precinct. Listeners can even record those especially salacious or memorable feeds that stick out from the less scintillating reports of fender benders and cats stuck in trees. It may seem a little weird, but a lot of people are actually crimo-philic enough to buy the app. It's currently holding strong at number 19 in the App Store's most popular list, and its cousin app Police Radio is number 7.

Read more →

iPhone, Web, Social Networking

Pepsi Apologizes (Kinda) for Sexist iPhone App


Pepsi's latest ad campaign for its latest energy drink has certainly succeeded in getting a lot of people "amped" up -- and crying sexism.

As part of the soda company's efforts to promote its energy drink Amp, Pepsi released an iPhone app titled 'Amp Up Before You Score,' a how-to manual for helping men hook up with women. The app allows the user to choose one (or more!) of the 24 "types" of woman he would like to pursue on a given night. The "women" are displayed as curvaceous, cartoonish renditions of each branch of Pepsi's female phylum, running the gamut from "artist" to "military girl" to "sorority girl." After Casanova chooses the appropriate type, he's provided with a list of lines to drop in his pursuit, along with a SparkNotes-like primer of various subjects that a specific girl would likely talk about. If the guy's in a "punk" mood, the app leads him to a Wikipedia entry on punk rock. If he's feeling more Janis Joplin and less Joan Jett, he's provided with his own "tree-hugger" toolbox, replete with tips on "how to be a hippie." And, as the proverbial cherry on this sexist sundae, the Amp app even sports a special "brag list" feature, which allows the user to keep track of his, um, score, note the name and date of every conquest, and jot down "whatever details [he] can remember." (That sound you just heard was chivalry flat-lining.)

Pepsi, of course, issued an apology via the AMP Twitter feed: "Our app tried 2 show the humorous lengths guys go 2 pick up women. We apologize if it's in bad taste & appreciate your feedback." The company hasn't gone so far as to pull the app, despite any negative feedback from consumers, and we sorta understand the reasoning. The Huffington Post reports that the apology merely fueled the fire, with one Twitter user saying, "@cobra_DeEtta @AMPwhatsnext Your campaign is thoughtless and offensive despite the guise of juvenile humor to excuse it. Lame apology not accepted." Check out #pepsifail for more.

Read more →

iPhone

'Kondom Localizr' App Brings 'Rubber' Atlas to the iPhone


Apple has developed a reputation for taking a staid, old-fashioned approach to its iTunes store, but an app for Swiss iPhone owners could actually inspire people to engage in more carnal activities. According to Textually, the $3.99 'Kondom Localizr' app automatically alerts the user to the nearest of 3,000 condom dispensers throughout Switzerland. Since the safe-sex app is intended to raise AIDS awareness, it's nice to see that Apple can actually differentiate between shilling porn and promoting sexual health -- in Switzerland, at least. [From: Textually]

Audio/Video, Cell Phones, iPhone, Switched Video, Mobile Software, Home Audio, Mobile Phones

Finger Piano Share: Play Real Pianos From Your iPhone, Remotely

The iPhone increasing lets you do many things, but playing a real piano in real time so far hasn't been one of them -- at least until this past week at CEATEC, the annual consumer electronics show held in Tokyo, Japan, which we were fortunate enough to attend. On display at the Yamaha booth was one of the more impressive iPhone apps we've seen to date: Called Finger Piano Share, since it lets up to 10 people remotely play a real piano from their iPhones via Wi-Fi (the piano must be of the MIDI-enabled Disklavier variety, of course).

You'll see a bit of what the app looks like in the above video. You tap a virtual key on your iPhone screen, and the real key plays on the piano. Finger Piano Share lets you play music of your own creation, improvise along with other folks simultaneously for some kind of abstract jam session, or play pre-programmed tunes by following onscreen prompts, a la 'Rock Band.'

Read more →

Car Tech, Cell Phones, iPhone

Pay Off Your Mercedes-Benz? There's an App for That

Pay Off Your Mercedes-Benz From Your iPhoneEveryone has an iPhone app nowadays. The Hut, Starbucks, our friends of TUAW, even car sharing service Zipcar are now part of the club. So who was left sitting around without a cheaply and poorly developed, multi-touch doodad, that they could slap their brand on? Apparently Mercedes-Benz, and as expected, the luxury car maker couldn't wait any longer to hop on the bandwagon. This isn't the first car company to release an iPhone app, but it is the first to even attempt to do something useful with one. Last October, Ford released its Flex app, which lets you manipulate snapshots taken with your iPhone, but seems to have very little to do with the Flex Fuel vehicles it was supposed to be promoting.

So what exactly can you do with the new Mercedes-Benz app? Well you can pay your bill, see when your bill is do due (Ed. note. Thanks, Chris), and see how much you've spent so far in your quest to own a shiny transport box that will inevitably be worth about one-tenth of the purchase price by the time you finish paying it off. Mercedes-Benz also included some basic concierge type features that can direct you to a local Mercedes dealer (in case you need a second E-Class Coupe), help you shop for auto insurance, get you room upgrades at hotels, and lastly, connect you with a customer service rep.

Read more →

Cell Phones, iPhone

Tongue-Based 'iLickit' App Lets You Lick to Win

Remember when your parents would say, "You aren't leaving this table until you clean that plate?" Of course, you do. It's why you, along with millions of other Americans, turned into such a glutton. So, if you need to work out some deep gastrointestinal and parental issues, well, there's an app for that (maybe). According to The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), iLickit is the first iPhone application controlled by your tongue. It's a simple premise: just select a food and start licking the screen (video after the break). The game keeps track of the time it takes you to lick away all the food.

Yes, this is app is weird and probably unsanitary, but TUAW says iLickit will actually hit Apple's app store sometime soon. Although we couldn't find any other information indicating whether or not this is a joke, the demo video is pretty convincing. Pray it's a hoax. The last thing we want to see is some middle-aged guy's slobbery tongue plastered to his smartphone. [From: The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), via Eat Me Daily]

Read more →

Cell Phones, iPhone

CNN iPhone App Officially Hits iTunes


The highly anticipated CNN iPhone app has officially hit the App Store. The $1.99 app provides all of the expected benefits of CNN, on the go, including the day's top headlines, segmented into easily navigable categories, as well as high-quality videos of breaking stories. The app also provides a host of interactive and personalized features.

The My CNN function automatically locates your device, lets you choose what kind of stories to track, and almost immediately brings up the most significant news from your area, including region-specific weather, traffic, and local news updates. All stories can be easily saved and distributed to social networking friends using the easy-to-locate Share tab.

Read more →

Cell Phones, iPhone, Web, Social Networking

'Date Check' App Lets You Perform Background Checks on the Go

New iPhone App Lets You Perform Background Checks on the GoThe Internet has put an unsettling amount information at our fingertips. Now that the Web is finally usable on our phones, thanks to devices like the iPhone and Palm Pre, we can draw on this vast well of information (that many people would likely prefer remain private) anywhere we are.

One particularly creepy application appears thanks to Intelius, a company that provides a "people search" engine. The soon to be released 'Date Check' is a free app that lets you perform basic background checks on potential mates. While the app itself is free, the checks are not. After entering a person's name or cell phone number, 'Date Check' performs one of several types of searches, like 'Sleaze Detector,' which searches for a criminal background, 'Net Worth' provides details about a person's assets including property, and 'Interests' scours social networking sites for personal details.

Read more →

Switched Video

Follow Switched on Twitter

Deals of the Day

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

Top Product Reviews

  • Home Audio Reviews

    9.0 out of 10

    Definitive Technology BPX
    Works great with Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital. Full Review

    9.0 out of 10

    Denon AVR-4306 (black)
    Incredibly well-featured 7.1-channel receiver; excellent sound quality; three HDMI inputs; converts analog video to HDMI output; upconverts analog video to 720p/1080i HD resolution; iPod and USB MP3 player connectivity; Internet radio and MP3/WMA streaming audio via built-in Ethernet port; XM Satellite Radio compatible; touch-screen remote; multizone, multisource operation; browser-based control via home network; accurate autocalibration routine. Full Review

    8.8 out of 10

    KEF KHT3005 (black)
    The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review

  • Cell Phone Reviews

    8.7 out of 10

    SignalBoost Mobile Professional Amplifier Kit
    The Mobile Professional Amplifier delivers a powerful signal boost to your cell phone. Also, it offers a compact design and easy setup. Full Review

    8.6 out of 10

    Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL cell phone signal extender
    The Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL significantly boosts your cell phone reception and is easy to operate. Also, it uses a wireless connection to your phone. Full Review

    8.3 out of 10

    LG VX6000 (Verizon Wireless)
    Compact and stylish; impressive battery life; solid audio quality; sharp color screen; built-in camera; USB ready; affordable. Full Review

  • Digital Camera Reviews

    9.3 out of 10

    Canon EOS 1D Mark III
    Extremely fast, 10-megapixel continuous shooting; very low noise; highly customizable; well-designed body with weather sealing; 3-inch LCD; abundant optional accessories. Full Review

    9.0 out of 10

    Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
    Very low noise, high quality images; 21.1 megapixels; live view shooting; pro-level build-quality and performance. Full Review

    8.9 out of 10

    Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II (body only)
    Tremendous resolution; professional body; many improvements over original EOS 1Ds; superior handling; optional wireless photo transfer. Full Review

  • Desktop Reviews

    8.9 out of 10

    Velocity Micro Edge Z30 (Intel Core i7)
    Best value among midrange gaming PCs; Velocity Micro's consistently high build quality; compact case makes few sacrifices; second graphics card slot previously uncommon at this price. Full Review

    8.5 out of 10

    Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
    A minor specification update results in some significant performance gains; graphics upgrade an option on this 24-inch model; sleek, polished design didn't receive an update, but we won't start clamoring for a new design until the current one is at least 12 months old. Full Review

Featured Galleries

Nissan Land Glider
Vintage Keyboards
Retro Computer Logos
Vintage Computer Festival
Motorola CLIQ
iPod touch
iTunes 9
Video iPod Nano
The Beatles: Rock Band

 

Switched Desktop

Get the New Switched Desktop

Latest tech news, Switched mail, and more.

AOL Tech Network

Resources

Autoblog

Daily Finance

Download Squad

Engadget

Joystiq

Urlesque

Fanhouse Main

WalletPop

Gadling