iLounge

Game updates begin appearing for Game Center

• September 8, 2010
• iPhone, Apps + Games, iPod

Following the release of iOS 4.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch earlier today, the first Game Center enabled games have begun to appear on the App Store. Pangea Software has released updates to Nanosaur 2, Cro-Mag Rally and Enigmo, enabling support for Game Center achievements and leaderboards for single-player games as well as multilayer Game Center support including Voice Chat and Auto-Match. FireMint has also updated its iPhone and iPod touch versions of Real Racing and Flight Control with support for Game Center achievements and leaderboards. Namco Networks has also released an update to Ms. Pac-Man adding support for Game Center achievements and leaderboards. All titles are available from the App Store now and are free updates for owners of the previous versions.

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iPod touch 4G teardown: Only 256MB of RAM

• September 8, 2010
• iPod

iFixit has posted its teardown of the fourth-generation iPod touch, discovering several interesting details about the new media player. Most notably, the touch 4G’s A4 processor carries the same marking on it as the iPad’s A4, indicating that the new device offers only 256MB of RAM, which is somewhat surprising given that the iPhone 4 has 512MB of RAM. The iPod touch 4G also features a a slightly thinner front-facing camera module, and it appears that the LCD and front glass panel are fused together like the iPhone 4’s, meaning users will need to replace both components should one become damaged and/or fail to function properly.

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Apple posts iPhone Configuration Utility 3.1 for Mac OS X

• September 8, 2010
• Apple, iPhone

Apple has posted version 3.1 of its iPhone Configuration Utility for Mac OS X, its iPhone configuration management utility for enterprise users. The utility allows enterprise users to create configuration profiles which can then be used to setup multiple iPhones. According to Apple’s release notes, “iPCU version 3.1 adds support for new Mobile Device Management (MDM) features introduced in iOS 4 and enables wireless delivery of configuration profiles. It also includes support for Cisco AnyConnect and Juniper Networks SSL VPN clients, CardDAV, multiple Exchange accounts and SAN support using Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP).” iPhone Configuration Utility 3.1 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later and is available now as a free download; a separate version is available for Windows. [via Mac Rumors]

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Apple releases iMovie 1.1 for iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G

• September 8, 2010
• Apple, iPhone, Apps + Games, iPod

Apple has released an update to its iMovie application for the iPhone 4, adding support for the fourth-generation iPod touch and several other new features. iMovie 1.1 adds the ability to split video clips and automatically loop music when video extends beyond the end of the music track. Users can also now scrub to preview clips in the Video Browser and view an in-app Tips page to learn how to use key features. The new version also includes an updated Photos Browser with the newest images at the top, a Mute badge to indicate video clips that have audio disabled and additional performance and reliability improvements. iMovie 1.1 requires an iPhone 4 or fourth-generation iPod touch running iOS 4.1 or later and is available from the App Store for $5 and as a free update for current users.

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The Wallee iPad case doubles as wall mount

• September 8, 2010
• iPad Accessories

The Wallee is a new case for the iPad that doubles as a component in a wall mounting system. The case itself is made from a hard glossy material, with openings for access to all ports and controls, integrated thumb tabs for easy removal, and an “X”-shaped hole on the back for attaching to the included wall plate. The plate itself is round in shape, and uses an integrated locking “X” mechanism to securely mount the iPad, with a turn and click required for attachment and another turn and click for release. The Wallee case and mounting solution for the iPad is available now in five colors and sells for $50 AUD, or roughly $45.

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iPod nano 6G interface, iPod + iPhone family photos posted

• September 8, 2010
• iPad, iPhone, iPod, iPod nano, Site News

In addition to our earlier galleries showing the unboxing of the sixth-generation iPod nano and fourth-generation iPod touch, comparisons of the new models to their predecessors, and images comparing the rear-facing camera of the iPod touch 4G to that of the iPhone 4, iLounge has posted new photos to our Flickr photostream showing off the touch-based interface of the new iPod nano, as well as a new photo—seen in limited resolution above—of the entire 2010 lineup of iPods, iPhones, and the iPad.

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iPhone 4/iPod touch 4G camera comparison photos, video posted

• September 8, 2010
• iPhone, iPod

iLounge has just posted a new gallery of images comparing the camera capabilities of the iPhone 4 to that of the new fourth-generation iPod touch. Notably, the iPhone 4’s camera is a five-megapixel shooter while the fourth-gen touch’s camera is designed primarily for capturing 720p HD video, cutting off the sides of the 1280x720 sensor when shooting stills, resulting in 960x720 stills and a greatly reduced effective width. In addition, a pair of videos have been added to our Vimeo account comparing the video capabilities of the iPhone 4 to those of the iPod touch 4G.

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iOS 4.1 for iPhone, iPod touch now available

• September 8, 2010
• Apple, iPhone, iPod

As expected, Apple today released iOS 4.1 for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, second-, third-, and fourth-generation iPod touch. The update brings a number of bug fixes and new features, including a fix for the iPhone 4’s proximity sensor, Bluetooth issues, and performance problems on the iPhone 3G. Notably, the iPhone 3G is left out amongst its iOS 4.1-capable peers in support for Apple’s new Game Center social gaming service, which is also included in the update, along with support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography on the iPhone 4 (a comparison shot appears below), HD video uploading over Wi-Fi, and support for TV show rentals from the iTunes Store. iOS 4.1 is available now as a free upgrade for all compatible devices via the update feature in iTunes; for more information on iOS 4.1, see our Instant Expert article.

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Fall 2010 iPod lineup now in stores

• September 8, 2010
• iPod, iPod nano, iPod shuffle

For those customers who didn’t pre-order their new devices through Apple’s online store, the company’s entire lineup of Fall 2010 iPods is now available in its retail stores, including the fourth-generation iPod shuffle, sixth-generation iPod nano, and fourth-generation iPod touch. Notably, not all colors and/or capacities may be available at your local store; calling ahead to make sure the particular model you want is in stock is advisable. For more information on the new iPods, see our comprehensive review of the fourth-generation iPod shuffle, as well as our unboxing and comparison photo galleries for the fourth-generation iPod touch and sixth-generation iPod nano.

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iOS 4.1 required for iPod touch-to-iPhone FaceTime

• September 8, 2010
• iPhone, iPod

iLounge has discovered that an upgrade to iOS 4.1 is necessary for FaceTime chats between fourth-generation iPod touch and iPhone 4 units. Likely due to the fact that FaceTime on the iPod touch uses an email address to connect to Apple’s FaceTime servers, something that isn’t supported in iOS 4.0.2 on the iPhone 4, attempting to connect to an iPhone 4 user running the older software results in failure to connect message. Thus, early adopters of the fourth-generation touch will likely find few friends able to FaceTime chat initially, although that number should grow as more and more iPhone 4 users upgrade their device to the latest version of iOS.

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Unboxing photos of iPod nano 6G, touch 4G posted

• September 8, 2010
• iPod, iPod nano, Site News

iLounge has received its sixth-generation iPod nano and fourth-generation iPod touch units, and has posted a gallery of unboxing photos to our Flickr account. The photos include all seven colors of the iPod nano and the new FaceTime-capable fourth-generation iPod touch. We will be updating the gallery throughout the day with comparison photos and other new photography, so be sure to check back later.

Update: Color comparison shots have been posted in a separate gallery.

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Mix: 3GS on T-Mobile, iPod touch sales, Apple ads, FaceTime promo

• September 8, 2010
• Mix

Wired Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson recently tweeted that a T-Mobile manager “casually mentioned to [him] that they’re going to get the iPhone 3GS (but not 4, oddly) later this year,” and asked if this was common knowledge. As Business Insider points out, it is odd that Anderson would broadcast this rumor over Twitter instead of giving it to one of Wired’s reporters to research and report.

Asymco has posted an analysis of Apple’s recent announcement that it has sold 120 million iOS devices, using it to estimate total iPod touch sales to date. Based on sales of 59.6 million iPhones sold through June, and 3.2 million iPads sold, along with estimates of 8 million iPhones and 4 million iPads sold during August and July, Apple has sold 45.2 million iPod touch units, or 37.7% of all iOS devices sold thus far.

According to an internal Google document obtained by Advertising Age, Apple spent just under $1 million on AdWords advertising during June. This compares to the Google’s top advertisers Expedia, which spent $5.9 million, Amazon, which spent $5.8 million, and eBay, which spent $4.2 million in June.

For the launch of the fourth-generation iPod touch with FaceTime, Apple has put up new window treatments (Pictured) at its retail stores, highlighting the ability to do FaceTime calls between the iPhone 4 and the iPod touch 4G. A larger version of the image appears below.

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Teardown: iPod shuffle 4G ‘extremely difficult’ to open

• September 7, 2010
• iPod shuffle

In completing its teardown of the fourth-generation iPod shuffle, iFixit has indicated that the device is “extremely difficult’ to open, rendering it nearly unserviceable by end users. iFixit found that the device’s control wheel is attached to the logic board via a connector, making it easy to remove, while the battery is soldered to the logic board, making replacement difficult. In addition, access to the shuffle 4G’s internals is only possible by removing the device’s back clip assembly, which is both press-fit and glued to the body, requiring “a good half hour of prying and heat-gunning to open.” Overall, iFixit gave the device a two out of 10 on its repairability scale, with 10 being considered the easiest to repair.

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Apple confirms: no Game Center on iPhone 3G

• September 7, 2010
• Apple, iPhone

Apple has confirmed via a graphic on its Game Center web page that the iPhone 3G will not support the upcoming social gaming network. The graphic indicates that Game Center will be supported on the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and second-, third-, and fourth-generation iPod touch. Mac Rumors notes that in its iOS 4.1 betas, Apple had initially offered support for Game Center on all iOS 4-capable devices, but removed support for the iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod touch in a revision last month, only to add back support for the touch 2G. In addition, it appears that Apple has also reset the service ahead of its public launch, deleting the accounts of developers who had been using Game Center during the iOS 4.1 beta period.

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Apple replaces 5K iPod nano batteries in three weeks

• September 7, 2010
• Apple, iPod nano

Apple Japan replaced around 5,000 iPod nano batteries over a three week period in August, according to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. The Mainichi Daily News reports that Apple replaced 4,994 first-generation iPod nano units from August 11 to September 1, a substantial increase that can be attributed to the company’s posting of a statement on its website explaining how users of first-generation iPod nano units can receive a replacement battery. Apple was ordered by the Ministry to post such a statement earlier in August following complaints from users that it was too difficult to find information on the battery replacement program. [via AppleInsider]

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Chopper 2 adds TV Out Support for iPhone 4

• September 7, 2010
• iPad, iPhone, Apps + Games

Majic Jungle Software has released an update to Chopper 2 adding TV Out support for the iPhone 4 and several other improvements. Chopper 2 is a side scrolling action game where players fly a helicopter to undertake missions such as escorting vehicle convoys, rescuing civilians and attacking enemy vehicles and fortifications. A universal app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, the game features HD graphics and gyroscope controls on supported devices and includes 36 missions with 12 unique locations and a 3D game engine with spatial sound effects. Users can also use a second iPhone or iPod touch as a remote control to play Chopper 2 on the iPad or iPhone 4. Version 1.1 adds support for TV Output from the iPad or iPhone 4 when using another iOS device as a remote control, allowing the game to be played on a TV screen or computer monitor and adds Wi-Fi based remote control support to allow first-generation iPod touch and iPhone devices to be used as remote controls. Other improvements include new tilt sensitivity, manual calibration and control positioning options, the ability to sync progress and high scores between multiple devices using OpenFeint and new remote control options that can be configured on a per-device basis. The update also provides several bug fixes and game play changes. Chopper 2 is available from the App Store for $3 as a universal app and is a free update for current users.

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iPod shuffle 4G color comparison photos posted

• September 7, 2010
• iPod shuffle, Site News

In addition to our earlier unboxing photos of the fourth-generation iPod shuffle, we’ve now posted several images comparing the colors of the fourth-generation iPod shuffle to those of past iPods, including the second- and third-generation iPod shuffle and the second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation iPod nano. More photos are available on our Flickr photostream.

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Apple releases Find My iPhone app update

• September 7, 2010
• Apple, Apps + Games

Apple has released a minor update to its Find My iPhone app for iOS devices, adding support for the new fourth-generation iPod touch and translation fixes for French, German and Japanese languages. Find My iPhone is a free app that allows MobileMe subscribers to access the Find My iPhone service directly from an iOS device. Users can log in to their own MobileMe account and locate, play a message, or remotely lock or wipe any devices that are registered with their MobileMe account. Find My iPhone is available from the App Store as a free download. A MobileMe subscription is required.

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