iLounge

By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Tuesday, September 1, 2009
News Category: Mix

Apple may face hurdles attempting to offer the App Store on China Unicom-bound iPhones, a new report suggests. According to Chinese-language CNW (Translated Link), Apple and China Unicom are currently discussing how to solve the problems posed by the Chinese government’s regulatory policy, which may call for modifications in how the store operates and/or how much information Apple is forced to provide about the purchases and activities of App Store users.

MLB.com has released version 1.4 of its At Bat 2009 application for the iPhone and iPod touch, adding an in-game purchasing feature. For the remainder of the 2009 season, users will be able purchase any out-of-market game for immediate streaming for $1 each. All MLB.tv and MLB.tv Premium subscribers can already access all out-of-market games via the application; the new option simply offers a-la-carte access for other users. MLB.com At Bat 2009 is available now from the App Store and sells for $10.

A new application for the iPhone and iPod touch won the most votes at a recent Startup Weekend coder gathering, held on Microsoft’s campus. Of the 15 applications created at the event, 14 were built for a Microsoft platform, and only one—Learn That Name, created by attorney Eric Koester—was for the iPhone, yet won the top prize. “It’s been an awesome experience,” said Koester, who led a team of more than a dozen developers. “I was just looking for something simple and this was really way more than I anticipated in 48 hours.” Koester created the app, which helps users remember the names of people they meet at events, after forgetting the name of one of the attendees, and said he’s hopeful to have the $2.99 app approved in the App Store in the coming weeks. [via MDN]

Namco has released Mr. Driller, its latest game for the iPhone and iPod touch. The fast-paced puzzle game puts players in the shoes of Mr. Driller, who must drill through colored blocks covering his town to find the source. It offers three game modes—a survival mode with three difficulty settings, an Arcade Mode with two levels, and a Time Trial Mode—as well as three control options and Facebook Connect integration. Mr. Driller is available now and sells for $1.