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Microsoft has released My Xbox Live, a universal iOS application that allows Xbox users to access their Xbox Live accounts while on the go. The application allows gamers to connect with their Xbox Live friends, track and compare achievements and even change their 3D avatar dirtily from their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Users can review recent games that their friends have played or jump into the games hub to learn more about the latest Live games and apps. The app also provides access to Xbox Spotlight feeds, breaking news from Xbox Live, game tips and tricks and more. My Xbox Live requires iOS 4.3 or later and is available from the U.S. App Store as a free download.

Chair Entertainment has released Infinity Blade II, the much anticipated sequel to last year’s highly acclaimed sword-fighting action game, Infinity Blade (iLounge Rating: A). Infinity Blade II continues the epic story from the prior game with the God King defeated and the player now on a quest to discover the secrets of the Infinity Blade, descending deeper into the world of the Deathless tyrants and their Titan armies. Originally unveiled at Apple’s iPhone 4S Event in early October, Infinity Blade II was shown as a demonstration of the higher performance hardware in the new iPhone 4S; the game has been optimized for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 to provide extremely detailed and high-resolution graphics and lighting effects to create an immersive and dynamically changing environment with graphics and animation described as beyond what is being done on high-end gaming consoles.

Infinity Blade II expands on the gameplay of its predecessor adding three new styles of combat with multiple classes of weapons, armours and spells that include specialized capabilities such as Dual Wielding and Two-Handed in addition to the standard Weapon and Shield classes. The character customization has also been further expanded from the original, allowing players to use mystical objects that they discover in their travels to create and forge more powerful weapons and providing a richer storyline as the player explores and discovers the story of the Infinity Blade. iCloud support has also been included to allow players to synchronize game status between multiple devices. Infinity Blade II is available from the App Store for $7 and is a universal app supporting the iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S, the iPad and iPad 2 and the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch. iOS 3.2 or later is required, iOS 5 is recommended.

Apple has seeded its first beta version of iOS 5.1 to developers. According to the company, the update—listed as build 985117b—provides improved dictation support for text input views on “supported devices”. In addition, Apple warns that devices should be backed up either using iTunes or iCloud prior to installation, and that devices updated to iOS 5.1 beta will not be downgradable back to prior versions of the operating system. iOS 5.1 is available now to registered developers from the iOS Dev Center.

Apple has started to air a new commercial for the fourth-generation iPod touch. Entitled “Share the Fun,” the 30-second spot shows a number of middle- and high-school aged kids using the device to text each other over iMessage, video chat over FaceTime, play online multiplayer games using Game Center, update Twitter, listen to music, and record video, while the song “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove plays in the background. Notably, given the lack of new iPod touch hardware this year, the commercial emphasizes features added in iOS 5. The new ad is available for viewing now on YouTube or in embedded form below.

Apple has posted a teaser image on its online store, informing customers of an upcoming sale this Friday. The teaser page indicates that the one-day shopping event will be held this Friday, November 25, at which customers can “discover amazing iPad, iPod, and Mac gifts” for everyone on their shopping list. At past Black Friday events, Apple has offered modest discounts on its iPod and iPad models, as well as more substantial savings on Macs and select accessories.

Loud Crow Interactive has released A Charlie Brown Christmas for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Based on the 1965 animated classic, the app presents the tale in an interactive storybook form narrated by Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown along with the original dialog and digitally remastered illustrations, animation and music. The app provides interactive features on every page as the story unfolds allowing users to perform such tasks as playing Schroeder’s piano, finger painting and going carolling; users can also participate in the Super-Colossal Neighborhood Christmas Lights and Display content to unlock rewards and decorations for their very own Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. Word and note highlighting helps children improve reading and musical skills and individual words are repeated with the tap of a finger. A Charlie Brown Christmas is a universal app and is available from the App Store for $7.

New code found within iOS 5 suggests that Apple is considering releasing a unified iChat client for its mobile platform. RazorianFly points to a series of tweets from developer John Heaton, who found references to a variety of services, all consolidated under an IMService banner. Specifically, the code references iMessage, FaceTime, Jabber, and AIM; consolidating all those various messaging protocols under one application would substantially simplify messaging on the devices. Such a move could also lead to similar changes to iChat for Mac, which currently handles only the latter two protocols, while FaceTime is a separate app, and iMessage is currently unsupported on the Mac. [via Mac Rumors]

AOL has released a major update to its AIM instant messaging client for the iPhone and iPod touch sporting a new redesign from the ground up with several new features. AIM 5 adds support for storing and syncing message history across multiple devices so that all messages are more readily available, with the ability to take conversations “off the record” for privacy requirements. Group chat has also been included and enhanced to make it simpler to talk and share with multiple users and users can now share photos and locations directly in a conversation stream. The app also adds the ability to copy and paste messages, set quiet hours for muting sounds and push notifications, modify incoming message sounds and see notifications for activity on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in addition to the AIM network. AIM 5.0.1 is available from the App Store in two versions: a full version, AIM ($3) and an ad-supported AIM (Free Edition). An iPad native version is also available but has not yet been updated to version 5.0.

Google has re-released its official Gmail app for iOS devices as an updated version properly enabling push notifications. First released two weeks ago, the application presented a push notification error when starting up, causing Google to subsequently pull the application from the App Store and promise to release an updated version. Gmail 1.0.1 is otherwise identical to the prior version, except that users will now be prompted to enable Push Notifications when first opening the app and will be able to see badge counts and receive sound and vibration alerts when new mail is received. Gmail is available from the App Store as a free download.

Flixster has released an update to its Movies app for iOS devices adding support for downloading UltraViolet movies for offline watching. Flixster users can add UltraViolet Digital Copies to their collections using redemption codes included in Blu-Ray or DVDs that they have purchased and will then be able to stream or download those movies to their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad via the new Flixster app. The latest version also adds iOS 5 support and restores Netflix DVD Queue management which had previously been removed due to a Netflix policy change. Movies by Flixster is available from the App Store as a free download. Streaming requires an iPhone 3GS/4/4S, third- or fourth-generation iPod touch or iPad, a Flixster account and at least one UltraViolet movie in the user’s Flixster movie collection.

Apple has released iOS 5.0.1 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. According to Apple’s release notes, the update contains bug fixes and improvements, including fixes for bugs affecting battery life, the addition of Multitasking Gestures to the original iPad, fixes for bugs with Documents in the Cloud, and improvements to voice recognition for Australian users using dictation. iOS 5.0.1 is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad, iPad 2, third-generation iPod touch, and fourth-generation iPod touch, and is available now via the update feature in iTunes or as an over-the-air update. To update your iOS device over-the-air, open Settings, tap on General, and tap on Software Update.

Apple has started to seed non-developer end-users with a pre-release version of iOS 5.0.1 for testing. According to 9to5Mac, the new software is being offered to a small number of customers who have complained about battery life issues in iOS 5. The invitation email apparently warns that their devices cannot be downgraded to iOS 5.0, but that they will be allowed to upgrade to the final version of iOS 5.0.1 once it’s released. The report goes on to state that Apple Stores have been given a memo regarding battery life issues, which instructs them not to replace any phones that don’t exhibit hardware issues during regular testing, and to inform customers that Apple is aware of battery life issues in iOS 5 and will release a software update to address those in “a few weeks.”

Programmer Conrad Kramer has discovered a hidden Panorama mode inside the Camera app of iOS 5. According to Kramer’s Twitter account, activating the feature is as easy as changing the key for “EnableFirebreak” from “NO” to “YES” inside the com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist file. Speaking with Gizmodo, Kramer said that the feature only works on the iPhone 4 and later devices, as it is dependent on an internal gyroscope. This file is only available for editing to those who have chosen to jailbreak their devices; however, it does serve as proof that the feature exists, and suggests that Apple may plan on activating it in a future update to iOS 5.

Apple has seeded iOS 5.0.1 beta 2 to its registered iOS developers, the second beta release of the point update this week. According to the release notes for the first beta version, iOS 5.0.1 “fixes bugs affecting battery life, adds multitasking gestures for original iPad, resolves bugs with Documents in the Cloud, improves voice recognition for Australian users using dictation,” and “contains security improvements,” and also “introduces a new way for developers to specify files that should remain on device, even in low storage situations.” iOS 5.0.1 beta 2 is listed as build 9A404, and is available now as a download from the iOS Dev Center.

Apple has released iOS 5.0.1 to its registered iOS developers. According to the release notes, the new beta—listed as build 9A402—“fixes bugs affecting battery life, adds multitasking gestures for original iPad, resolves bugs with Documents in the Cloud, improves voice recognition for Australian users using dictation,” and “contains security improvements.” Notably, the update also “introduces a new way for developers to specify files that should remain on device, even in low storage situations,” seemingly addressing an issue recently brought to light by Instapaper developer Marco Arment. An Apple spokesperson confirmed that some iOS 5 users were experiencing battery life issues early today, telling The Loop, “A small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices[.] We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks.” iOS 5.0.1 beta for the iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch is available now as a download from the iOS Dev Center.

Google has released an official Gmail application for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad providing a native Gmail experience on the iOS platform. Google has had an HTML 5 mobile web app for some time that provided an iOS enhanced experience via the Safari browser, however it suffered from the same limitations as other web applications in its inability to provide notifications and limited offline access. The new official Gmail application is designed to be fast and efficient and provides full native access to Gmail including notifications for new messages, support for threaded conversations, archiving, labelling, starring, deleting and reporting spam. The app also includes support for Gmail Priority Inbox, auto-completion of names from Google or iOS Contacts and Gmail search. Users can also send photos as attachments from directly within the app. The iPad version also provides a standard split-screen view and the application takes advantage of touch gestures such as pull down refresh and viewing labels by swiping right. Gmail is a universal app requiring iOS 4.0 or later and is available from the App Store as a free download.

Update: Google has removed the app from the App Store, indicating in its blog that “it contained a bug which broke notifications and caused users to see an error message when first opening the app.” The post goes onto indicate that the company is working to release an updated version soon which fixes the bug and that users who have already installed the app can continue to use it.

Apple has released a free update to its highly acclaimed GarageBand music creation app adding universal device support. Chosen as iLounge’s 2011 App of the Year for iPad, GarageBand 1.1 can now be used on the iPhone and iPod touch and adds a number of other new features and enhancements including the ability to create custom chords for Smart Instruments, support for additional time signatures, the ability to transpose songs in semitones or full octaves and additional quantization options for recordings. Users can now also take advantage of additional export quality settings for AAC and uncompressed AIFF output and adjust velocity settings for Touch Instruments. The update also contains a number of other smaller enhancements including automatic fading, and arpeggiator control on the Smart Keyboard and improved audio import options. GarageBand 1.1 requires iOS 4.3 or later and is available from the App Store for $5.

Apple has been awarded a patent for its iOS devices’ “slide to unlock” feature. BBC News reports that U.S. patent number 7657549 states, “A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device.” As noted in the report, the broad language of the patent would appear to cover not only Apple’s unlocking method, but those used by rival platforms, including Android and Windows Mobile. The patent was originally filed in June 2009, and lists Apple senior vice president of iOS software Scott Forstall as one of the seven inventors.

Ten years ago today, Apple announced the original iPod, an early step in the computer maker’s evolution into a consumer electronics giant. Designed solely to store and play music, the first iPod was distinguished by its unusually small size for a then-considerable 5 Gigabytes of storage space, enough to hold roughly 1,000 songs. With a clear and white plastic face and a mirror-polished stainless steel back, the iPod used a physically moving Scroll Wheel and four physical buttons to navigate black text menus on a white backlit screen.

At the time of its introduction, the original $399 iPod was embraced by some Apple Macintosh computer fans, but derided by others—and much of the existing PC marketplace—as overpriced and lacking in features. iLounge’s founder Dennis Lloyd immediately fell in love with the minimalist design and created this site to gather information about it, launching around the iPod’s November 10, 2001 release date. By the end of its first year, only 125,000 iPods had been sold, but the numbers began to climb the next year as PC-compatible iPods were released, and then jumped considerably in 2003 with the introduction of more affordable, USB-compatible models with Dock Connectors. The iPod family continued to grow in popularity and market dominance as Apple added color screens with support for photos, videos, games, and apps, combined with lowered prices, and the evolution of the original Scroll Wheel into various types of touch interfaces.

This video shows the unveiling of the iPod at Apple’s headquarters on October 23, 2001. No one, including then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs, had any idea just how successful the iPod would eventually become. As of today, over 300 million iPods have been sold. The DNA of the iPod resulted in the iPhone, Apple TV, and iPad, while influencing the design of Apple’s Mac hardware and software. Elegance and simplicity were taken to new levels in the Apple products that followed the original iPod, leading to a widespread perception that Apple’s offerings were uniquely capable of catering to users of any age and skill level. The iPod’s “halo effect” led Apple to change its name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc., reflecting its shift into consumer electronics, and eventually to Apple’s valuation as one of the largest companies in the world. Yet the iPod family has recently received comparatively modest attention from Apple as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac have continued to surge in sales; even today’s anniversary has proceeded without a mention on the forward-looking company’s web site.

If you’re reading this or listening to something on an Apple device right now, there’s a pretty good chance that the iPod’s success is at least partially responsible for that. And we wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for the little music player that could. Happy 10th anniversary, iPod!

Apple has added a toggle for turning iTunes Match on and off to the Music section of iOS 5’s Settings app, suggesting an imminent launch for the service. Announced in June at WWDC, iTunes Match is a $24.99/year service that matches tracks in a user’s iTunes library with tracks stored on the company’s iTunes Store servers, uploading any tracks it can’t match, and offering users full access to all their music — up to 25,000 tracks — from any of their devices. The appearance of the toggle — which currently activates an alert stating that “You are not currently subscribed to iTunes Match. Use iTunes on your computer to subscribe” — has some suggesting that the service may launch ahead of Apple’s “end of October” estimate, however, the service does require iTunes 10.5.1, which is currently in developer beta and not available to the public at large. [via Mac Rumors]