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25 Seriously Addictive Sudoku Apps

Everyone’s favorite numerical puzzle game has exploded on the iPhone with more great apps than you can shake a stick at. If you’re unfamiliar with how to play, the basic premise is that each row, column and block of nine squares must contain only one of each number 1-9. The premise is simple and the possibilities endless! Prepare to be addicted.

Below we’ll take a look at a good representation of the Sudoku apps you’ll find for the iPhone. The first section represents some of the best standard Sudoku apps you’ll find, the second section contains solvers to help you out and scanners to grab printed puzzles, and the last section contains some really interesting and unique Sudoku interpretations. Let’s get started!

Standard Sudoku

Sudoku ?

“Two separate keypads, one for entries and one for notes, allow you to enter values quickly and easily. No more tedious switching between entry mode and note mode to complete your puzzle. The optional auto-notes feature enters all of the notes into the puzzle for you and keeps them updated as you solve. If you don’t want that much help, the optional smart notes feature automatically deletes values from notes you have entered manually when they are no longer valid.”

Price: Free
iTunes Rating: 3/5

Sudoku ?

:) Sudoku

“With unlimited play at sixteen difficulty levels, novices and experienced players alike will appreciate Enjoy Sudoku. Our tutorial, extensive feature set, and advanced hint system offer something for every player. The more you play, the more you will enjoy it!”

Price: $2.99
iTunes Rating: 4/5

:) Sudoku

Sudoku

“Makers of the Best Sudoku Game of 2008, Sudoku (Free), we offer you the best selling Sudoku game for iPhone with great features and 800 unique puzzles! Sudoku will give you many hours of fun and puzzle solving. Enjoy the challenge of solving Sudoku puzzles whenever or wherever you are using your iPhone or iPod Touch.”

Price: $2.99
iTunes Rating: 4/5

Sudoku

+SUDOKU

“+SUDOKU is sudoku with unlimited puzzles of any difficulty at any time + the ability to switch between multiple active grids. The “easy” level is great for a quickie puzzle on the go. Or, try “diabolical” for a sleepless night of puzzle solving. With 6 distinct difficulty levels, there’s always a puzzle ready for any occasion! And with multiple active grids, you can always put one aside when you’re stuck and go back to it later.”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: 4.5/5

+SUDOKU

Sudoku!

“Sudoku! has a unique, clear and beautiful interface suitable for longevity Sudoku game play. It also comes with awesome features to help anyone easily complete a puzzle from the novice to the expert without any frustration. Sudoku! has a variety of puzzles ranging in 5 difficulties from Easy to Devilish to keep you entertained for hundred of hours.”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: 4.5/5

Sudoku!

Big Bad Sudoku Book

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: Not rated

Big Bad Sudoku Book

Sudoku 100,000,000

“With over 100,000,000 Sudoku puzzles, you’ll never see the same puzzle twice in Sudoku 100,000,000! You can select the classic nine-by-nine Sukodu gameboards as well as Grand Sudoku which challenges you to complete five intersecting Sudoku boards simultaneously! Just a beginner? Don’t worry – With three difficulty options, even the most novice player can complete a Sudoku with ease. But if you’re a seasoned pro, challenge yourself in ‘Expert’ mode and test your true skills. It’s time to get your thinking cap on and see how many Sudoku puzzles you can conquer!”

Price: $9.99
iTunes Rating: 3.5/5

Sudoku 100,000,000

Amazing Sudoku

“A game of logic and concentration! Strain your brain and enjoy impressive graphics and infinite game play! Classic Sudoku and Magic Sudoku with different levels so both skilled Sudoku players and novices will definitely like it. ”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: 3.5/5

Amazing Sudoku

Sudoku 2 Pro

“Sudoku 2 PRO is Sudoku + Point System, Runs, and Online Leaderboards. Discover the next evolution of Sudoku with amazing graphics, animations, and ease of use. This is a Sudoku like one you have never experienced before .”

Price: $2.99
iTunes Rating: 4.5/5

Sudoku 2 Pro

Tap Sudoku

“This feature packed rendition of Sudoku brings the supremely addictive classic to the iPhone with rich, bright graphics and completely absorbing game play. Get lost for hours in endless entrancing boards, beat today’s high score and improve your Sudoku skills with tips from the experts.”

Price: Free
iTunes Rating: 3.5/5

Tap Sudoku

Social Sudoku

“Social Sudoku – The first multi-player Sudoku from the puzzlers behind the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Telegraph as well as the world’s largest Sudoku community – sudoku.org.uk! Want the Sudoku you know and love? Social Sudoku has all your favorite styles within the same app ranging from Gentle and Moderate to Diabolical and Extreme!”

Price: $3.99
iTunes Rating: Not Rated

Social Sudoku

Mr. Sudoku

“If you’re already a Sudoku fan, meet your new best friend — Mr. Sudoku. If you’re not yet a Sudoku fan, you soon will be! The unique and innovative interface lets you use a familiar input device to select your digits — your own personal digits! Draw the number you want, and it’s instantly converted into the actual number. Mr. Sudoku is a casual game you can pick up and play whenever you want, yet dismiss quickly to take that incoming call. When you’re ready to resume, tap the Mr. Sudoku icon and you’re back where you left off!”

Price: $1.99
iTunes Rating: Not rated

Mr. Sudoku

Sudoku with Dr. Dim Sum

“You no longer have to search newspapers for a Sudoku puzzle to solve, all you need to do is launch ‘Sudoku with Dr Dim Sum’ on your iPhone or iTouch. With over million Sudoku puzzles to solve, this is the one stop application for all Sudoku fans. Get going with Dr Dim Sum, through various difficulty levels including the ability to customize the puzzle grid as per your own liking. Keep Solving!”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: 2.5/5

Sudoku with Dr. Dim Sum

Tile Sudoku

“TileSudoku combines the famous puzzle game with natural interface that feels just right on the iPhone. It presents the puzzle as a game board covered with tiles which you can move around the screen with your fingertip. To enrich the gameplay experience even better, there are rich graphics, animations and sound effects. Playing is easy — To fill the board, you just drag number tiles into open slots. If you change your mind, just drag that tile to another slot or back into the tile tray at the bottom of the screen. To sketch in possible numbers, a quick double-tap on a slot allows you to select the numbers you want to remember.”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: Not rated

Tile Sudoku

Solvers and Scanners

Sudoku Grab

“Use the iPhone’s camera to grab a puzzle! Also has an augmented reality mode to really show off. Just take a photograph and Sudoku Grab does the rest. You can grab as many puzzles as you want, the puzzle database has a handy “tagging” system that lets you quickly grab and tag so you know exactly where your puzzles came from.”

Price: $1.99
iTunes Rating: Not Rated

Sudoku Grab

Sudoku 101 (Free)

“Wondering what the hype is about Sudoku? This is the introductory course for Sudoku, ideal for beginners. It is a Sudoku game, a generator, a solver, and a teacher/tutor.”

Price: Free
iTunes Rating: 3/5

Sudoku 101 (Free)

Sudoku Magic ? The Ultimate Sudoku App

“With Sudoku Magic, you can capture any Sudoku puzzle -from a newspaper, a magazine, even from your computer screen- just by taking a photo with your iPhone’s Camera. But this is more than just a cool app to impress your friends with! Sudoku Magic also provides a unique playing interface to create, play and solve an unlimited number of Sudokus.”

Price: Free
iTunes Rating: 3.5/5

Sudoku Magic ? The Ultimate Sudoku App

Sudoku With a Twist

Sudoku Cross – A Sudoku/Crossword Puzzle Hybrid

“The more you play the more addicted you become! Enjoy Sudoku Cross today! Sudoku Cross is a hybrid between Sudoku and Crossword puzzles. If you like the challenge of Sudoku puzzles and the intriguing way crossword puzzles fit together then you will absolutely love this game!”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: Not rated

Sudoku Cross – A Sudoku/Crossword Puzzle Hybrid

GemSudoku

“This is the most gorgeous sudoku you’ve ever seen! Not only beautiful, the colors aid in your judgement too! We prepared thousands of puzzles for your puzzle-solving enjoyments. GemSudoku follow the basic sudoku rule: you fill the empty cell with number/gem 1-9 so that each row/column/block has exactly 9 different gems.”

Price: $1.99
iTunes Rating: 3.5/5

GemSudoku

Soccer Sudoku 2010

“To all those who love soccer and challenges, Soccer Sudoku 2010 offers a unique experience. Screw in your cleats, put on your boots and play for your team Sudoku against the clock, in relax mode or against other players around the world.”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: 3/5

Soccer Sudoku 2010

Deca Color Sudoku

“Deca Color Sudoku presents a colorful twist on the known and loved Sudoku puzzle. Instead of numbers, the board is filled with 9 different colors for you to complete.”

Price: Free
iTunes Rating: Not rated

Deca Color Sudoku

Color Sudoku!

Another variation of color-based sudoku, much like the one above.

Price: $1.99
iTunes Rating: Not rated

Color Sudoku!

Jigsaw Sudoku

“Jigsaw Sudoku offers an exiting new angle on Sudoku puzzles, with challenging puzzles in various board shapes. Whether if this is your first Sudoku game, or you are already familiar with Sudoku, you will find the puzzles and challenges exiting and refreshing.”

Price: Free
iTunes Rating: 3/5

Jigsaw Sudoku

a red yukendo – Sudoku / KenKen variant

“yukendo is an addictive puzzle game that shares many concepts with sudoku, but adds some variety to the well known gameplay. Easy to learn but difficult to master – a game for puzzle fans and number crunchers.”

Price: Free
iTunes Rating: 2.5/5

a red yukendo – Sudoku / KenKen variant

Sudoku 3D

“Sudoku 3D, by oBo Games, has figured out how to put millions of Sudoku puzzles onto a cube. Then they added all sorts of fun features to make your puzzling experience very challenging. ”

Price: $0.99
iTunes Rating: 3.5/5

Sudoku 3D

Which Is Your Favorite?

The apps above should collectively provide a virtually endless stream of Sudoku puzzles to players of all levels and even to those looking for a fresh take on the game.

Leave a comment below and let us know what your favorite Sudoku apps are. Also, what other Sudoku-like puzzle games have you found?

Best of AppStorm in December

We’ve collected the top five reviews, roundups and how-to articles from across the AppStorm network in December. Whether you’re interested in Mac, iPhone, or Web apps, there’s bound to be something you didn’t spot over the course of the month. Now would be a good time to explore a part of the AppStorm Network you’ve never seen before!

Thanks for reading AppStorm, and I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday period!

Best of iPhone.AppStorm

The Best iPhone and iPad Apps of 2010

We are mere weeks away from the end of the first decade in this new millennium. This year has been a big one for Apple’s multi-touch product line with the arrival of the iPad, iPhone 4 and iOS 4. Along with these new technologies has come a seemingly endless barrage of great apps that keep us coming back for more.

Today we’ll take a look at some of our favorite apps that were either introduced or popular throughout the year. Some of them made the list as a result of huge sales while others are an important piece of iOS history. A big thanks to all of our Twitter followers who submitted votes for their favorite apps! You’ll definitely see many of your submissions included below.

The Google Nexus S Squares Off Against the iPhone 4

When Google’s last “iPhone killer,” the Nexus One, fell flat on its face, many predicted that Google would get out of the hardware game and focus on developing Android for handsets made by other companies. However, the king of search is back with an impressive attempt to revive the Nexus line.
Below we’ll answer the one question iPhone owners really want to know: How does the new Nexus S stack up against the iPhone 4? Does it blow away our beloved Apple device or will it be pale in comparison? Let’s take a look!

Gift Plan: Santa’s App For Mere Mortals

Christmas time is here again. I am reminded of the holiday’s presence by the decorated trees, sparkling lights, Christmas tunes on the radio and that huge pile of festively wrapped gifts. Oh wait! I knew I was forgetting something! It looks like yet another last-minute gift-grabbing spree for me!

But now the real challenge begins. Her favorite color was red, right? Does he worship or despise Manchester United? And after all the effort I went through to secretly sneak into the closet to find her real shirt size, I’ve already forgotten what it was. And how much was that new iPod Touch going to cost again? If only I could keep track of all of that and more. If only I had known about Gift Plan sooner!

Put Things Off 2: Embrace Procrastination

Way back before iPhone.AppStorm even existed, we did a few iPhone app reviews on Mac.AppStorm. The original Put Things Off application was one of the rare apps that made it in during that time period. It was an attractive and extremely unique task manager that we really enjoyed using.

Recently, we were thrilled to get our hands on the newest iteration of the app, Put Things Off 2. Below we’ll take a look at the beautifully upgraded interface and walk you through the apps features. This is one review you won’t want to “put off” reading!

How to Break Into Your iPhone Apps

Every app on your iPhone syncs with iTunes, which means it also resides on your Mac. Unlike the iPhone, our wonderful Macs are fairly open and make it easy to dig around in important files. Put these two statements together and you get the realization that you can use your Mac to tear apart your iPhone apps to see what’s inside (no jail-breaking required).

Today I’ll walk you through the basic process of breaking into an iPhone app in addition to discussing why on Earth you would want to do such a thing.

Best of Web.AppStorm

10 Great Chrome Web Apps Built For Chrome

By now I’m sure you’ve heard of Google’s new Chrome Web Store and some of the great apps you can find there. What you might not have heard or found out for yourself yet is that many of the apps in the Web Store are actually just links to existing web apps. Lots of people were expecting more apps to be optimized to take advantage of Chrome’s capabilities, and they’re not.

We’ve dug through the Chrome Web Store to find 10 really great Chrome apps that aren’t just links to existing apps, they’re either specifically a Chrome app or optimized for Chrome. Take a look and let us know what you’ve found.

10 Ultra-Lightweight CMSes For Simple Projects

Each and every piece of content created is unique in some way and so are the many Content Management Systems available. Content Management Systems were supposed to be a wrapper that holds the content together in a preset format, however, over time, CMS developers have gotten ambitious and started adding as many features as possible to stay ahead of the competition.

The question is, how many people actually use all these features? A bloated CMS can also slow down a website, aggravating visitors. If you just have a single purpose website or focus is only on content that loads faster, flat file CMSes are a viable alternative. Check out our list of ultra-lightweight CMSes that don’t require a database to run.

The Best Web Apps of 2010

2010 has been quite a year for web apps with HTML5 and CSS3 really beginning to catch on, giving web apps more power and capabilities than they’ve ever had before and bringing them closer to their desktop rivals—or completely redefining the way we do certain things (social media?).

With 2011 right around the corner, the AppStorm team thought it would be a great time to take a look back on 2010 and some of the best applications developers have brought us. So we bring you 20 of the best web apps from 2010.

In preparing this post, I was taken back by the incredible number of fantastic web apps I’ve seen this year, so it’s very possible you’ll find something new and amazing yourself. Go on and take a look!

12 Fantastic Finance Tracking & Management Apps

Managing money can be as difficult as earning it. Proverbs like “A dollar save is a dollar earned” are awfully nice to read and quote but can be tough to put into practice. Starting to track the money you spend is one of the simplest first steps one can take. Once you see how much is going where, you will automatically scramble to cut down wasteful expenses.

Since our generation is known for its acute ADD, noting down every expense on a notebook or an iPhone app won’t last more than a couple of days. In the aftermath of the personal finance revolution spearheaded by Mint, there are a ton of online apps to help you pinch personal & business pennies and after the jump we’ve a compiled a few for your financial well being.

The Top 8 Killer Alternatives to Google Analytics

Google Analytics is one of the most well known website analytics around, not to mention being one of the best. Although Google Analytics is a fantastic app to tackle your site’s analytics needs, there are actually several other options available that many would argue are better choices. We’ve pulled together eight of the best alternatives to Google Analytics and some information about each; price, plugins, mobile apps, real-time tracking and requirements.

Which analytics app do you use and why? Read on to see if there’s anything more fitting for your needs or if you have something you’d recommend.

Best of Mac.AppStorm

The Best Mac Software of 2010

The software industry is moving ahead at a rapid pace at the moment – particularly on the Mac. We’ve seen some brilliant new applications released this year, and a few classics updated with an impressive new feature set.

Before we forge ahead into a new year, likely dominated by the onset of the Mac App Store and everything that entails, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the past twelve months to remind ourselves of what happened.

Bringing iOS to the Desktop: Why You Should Get Excited

When Steve Jobs gave a preview of the new version of OS X, he talked at length about the idea of bringing what they’d learned through iOS “Back to the Mac”. Unsurprisingly, sweating the details of one of the best mobile interfaces in the industry has given Apple a great deal of insight and experience that can be applied to OS X.

This concept excites some people, and disturbs others. Although I love my iPad, do I want the same experience on the desktop? Or is this platform still better suited for more intricate, complex interface design?

10 Blockbuster Games Available for Mac

It used to be that if you wanted to buy a game for your Mac, you had to dig into the crates at your local CompUSA and find a version of Tetris that might work on OS 7. But now, Mac gamers are starting to be taken seriously, and there’s a whole world of to programs to buy.

If that wasn’t cool enough, we also have the Steam platform, making it simple to purchase games on the fly. But enough about that, let’s get into the good stuff. After the jump, check out some great, blockbuster games that are available to download and play on your Mac right now!

Discover the Hidden Power of TextEdit

Although we recently took a look at some major players in the word-processing world and marveled at their fancy features, if you’re into having a minimalistic work environment and making the best of what you’ve already got, then it will interest you to know that TextEdit, OSX’s native text editing application, is a lot more powerful than you might have given it credit for.

If it’s actual word processing we’re after rather than document design, then what functionality do we actually expect? Text wrangling with fonts, styles, and justification? Check. Tables, charts, and images? Check. Spelling and grammar checking? You bet.

30 Stunning HD Photo Wallpapers for Your Mac

Interested in finding a beautiful new desktop wallpaper for the holiday period? I’ve collected a selection of thirty vivid photo wallpapers, all available in a huge resolution for your 30? monitor!

These are bright, bold, and colourful – perfect to chase away those winter blues! I hope you enjoy the collection, and I’d love to see a few of your own suggestions in the comments.

Share Your Ideas

Is there something in particular you’d like to see on the site next month? We’d absolutely love to hear your suggestions for articles, topics and giveaways. Just let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading AppStorm!

Mac OS X 10.6.6 Is Now Available For Download !

Apple has just released the final version of Mac OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard. It is a recommended update and it implements hundreds of fixes since the last few updates, 10.6.5 (November 2010), 10.6.4 (June 2010), 10.6.3 (March 2010) and 10.6.2 (November 2009). Also included is the much anticipated Mac App Store. You can get the update from Snow Leopard’s Software Update, or directly from the Software Downloads page here.

Mac OS X 10.6.6 There UPDATE WITH Mac OS X 10.6.6 MAC APP STORE DOWNLOAD

Download Mac OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard (Combo)

iPhone 5 Parts Video

Searching the net I managed to get the famous video
shows the parts of the new iPhone 5!

Apple certifies the accuracy of the components of a next-generation iPhone 4 or 5 calling for the removal of the movie. Increasingly likely that it may be themultiband model is intended to serve the customers of Verizon.

Mac App Store is Live, Hit the Update Button on Your MAC

The wait is over, Mac App store is live and already equipped with over thousands apps. All you have to do is go to the preferences > Software Update. You will find a MAC OS X 10.6.6 update of 114MB. This updates your snow leopard and ads the app store, it also has some stability issues fixed. Mac App Store is a desktop application its not integrated into iTunes or something.

[ Download MAC OS X Update 10.6.6 ] Direct Link
Mac App Store works exactly like iTunes (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) App Store. You have to login with your Apple ID to download apps and games to your MAC. The feel and the look is different but the idea is same, so I am sure you guys will like it and would easily get used to of it.

Here is the change log for this update followed by Mac App Store screenshots:

The Mac OS X 10.6.6 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. It also includes the Mac App Store, the best way to discover and buy new apps for your Mac. The Mac App Store, a new application you’ll find in the Dock, includes the following features:

Discover Mac apps: Browse featured apps, top charts, and categories, or search for something specific. Read detailed app descriptions and user reviews, and flip through screen shots.

Buy and install: Easily purchase apps with your iTunes account. Apps install in one step and are quickly available from the Dock.

App updates: The Mac App Store keeps track of all your purchased apps and notifies you when free updates are available.

More details on the way, stay tuned. Below is a direct download link or you can just hit the Software Update on your MAC and download this latest update to enjoy Mac App Store.

Components alleged new iPhone, Apple calls for the removal of the movie

Apple certifies the accuracy of the components of a next-generation iPhone 4 or 5 calling for the removal of the movie. Increasingly likely that it may be themultiband model is intended to serve the customers of Verizon.

Apparently those shown last night by Global Direct Parts seems that they were members of a new and not yet released iPhone.

Difficult to come to other conclusions by reading what we read this morning instead of the video uploaded by YouTube ”This video is no longer available due to a claim of copyright infringement by Apple Inc.”.
The application for removal of the movie is in fact the admission by Applethat something genuine in about five minutes of presentation provided by the American company that takes care of spare parts there. Never worry about Cupertino to take action to deny or admit the veracity of a rumor butwhen he decided to formally request the removal of images or movies, as it did in this case, we consider them dangerous for its development plans and this is only if they can leak valuable information, and then because it’ssomething really out of the system that leads to the production of Quachthing connected with the business strategy.

Recall that Global Parts Direct had shown some evidence of whatappeared to be a new iPhone, a close relative of the model 4 but at a time,even different. In particular, the middle part of the case that holds andseparates the battery from the motherboard and is connected to the metal edge, shows a different engineering of antennas, some holes with differentpositioning and moving slightly down volume button and switch the silencer.

The hypothesis is that they are parts of the iPhone multi-band CDMA /UMTS that Apple will launch in the coming weeks to reach customers ofVerizon. A second argument is that we can deal with the structural elements of the iPhone this summer, although it seems quite unlikely that, even now, Apple has delivered to the Chinese assemblers (certainly fromwhere came the pieces shown by Global Direct Parts) and finished partsready to be mounted with the electronics of a product that will not arrivebefore six months. Are excluded at this point, the other two assumptions:that it was a forgery for the purpose of marketing or a clone Asia.

McAfee: Mac and iPhone to informatics security risk

McAfee has released its 2011 Threat Predictionoris a report compiled bycomputer security experts , whichforecasts more about the objectivestargeted by unscrupulous hackers . Will the smartphone devices suffer most pressing digital crime, followed by Apple’s devices, including Macand iPhone, but not yet courted by cybercriminals. The ubiquity of mobiledevices, equipped with defense systems rather vulnerable, making themattractive to carry out phishing attacks or to intercept calls and SMS.

The gadget made by the company Steve Jobs represents a highly risky.Not only their spread makes them attractive to thieves, but the lack ofcaution users mistakenly believe they are invulnerable to the threats of theWorld Wide Web makes it easy for each operation.

The software company acquired by Intel does not spare even the socialnetwork. Although the success of Facebook, Twitter and so reduced thetraffic, and then e-mail spam, increased transactions in breach of privacy,all addressed to the theft of sensitive information and data.

Strong support also gelocalizzazione numerous applications such asFacebook Places, and Foursquare Gowalla. Through a few clicks a cyber criminal has the ability to monitor the place where a person is, to discoverhis interests and the software used ..

via

CES 2011: Microsoft Shows Off Windows 8 on ARM

At a special press conference held at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011) in Vegas, Microsoft today showed off Windows 8 running on ARM processors.

President of Windows and Windows Live Division, Steven Sinofsky, demonstrated an early build of Windows 8 running on both System-on-a-chip (SoC) platforms from NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments on ARM, and as well as x86.

Happy New Year everyone! At CES 2011 in Las Vegas, we hosted a press conference announcing that the next version of Windows will support System on a Chip architectures from Intel, AMD, and ARM. We announced that the next version of Windows will support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures including ARM-based systems from partners NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments. On the x86 architecture, Intel and AMD continue their work on low-power SoC designs that fully support Windows, including support for x86 applications. SoC architectures will fuel significant innovation across the hardware spectrum when coupled with the depth and breadth of the Windows platform. We are making this announcement now so that our ecosystem can start working together to enable the widest possible range of devices, from tablets on up, to ship with the next version of Windows. More detail about this exciting news is available in our press release and this Q&A with Windows & Windows Live president Steven Sinofsky.

via

You Can Now Install Your Own Custom Firmware on PlayStation 3

It was only a few days ago when we posted about how the PS3 was pwned for life. And now, KaKaRoTo has released some tools that will allow you to install your very own custom firmware on the PlayStation 3.

This seems to be the first step towards installing third-party applications and Linux, which was promised by the fail0verflow team. These tools should work with any PS3 firmware, including the latest one.

Update: Depending on your situation you may need to install the CFW PUP from the PS3 Recovery Menu. To do that, follow these steps:

Ensure the PS3UPDAT.PUP is in /PS3/UPDATE/ on your USB device.
Power down the PS3.
Now press and hold the power button, the system will startup and shutdown again.
Release the power button, then press & hold power again, you’ll hear one beep followed by two consecutive beeps.
Release power then follow the on-screen instructions. You’re now in the recovery menu.
Connect the USB device and select “System Update.”
Hope for the best.

Thanks for the tip, Carlos. Note: you can restore OFW using the above method too.

Update: KaKaRoTo has fixed the missing XMB menu items and also enabled is PS1/PS2 support for backward compatible models. So here are new PUPs for your flashing pleasure.

Download: PS3 CFW 3.41 | PS3 CFW 3.55

Congratulations to you, KaKaRoTo! Cheers!

Next Generation iPhone 5 Parts

A firm called GlobalDirectParts claims to have the parts of the next generation iPhone. They have uploaded a detailed video showcasing the parts of the next iPhone, which they are referring in the video as the iPhone 5.

The casing is still made from aluminum, and it has a micro-SIM card slot. This suggests that the device uses the GSM bands, or it could be a global CDMA phone for Verizon. Apart from that, there are some differences from the current generation iPhone 4, such as the new iPhone 5 has the black separation lines on different spots as can be seen in the images attached above and below.
To see it all for yourself, watch the video embedded below. At the beginning of the video, the company seems to have a fully assembled next-gen iPhone (at 0:23 to be exact). And at the end of the video, they say “More coming next week.” As always we will keep you updated. Stay tuned.

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Driving around with the Garmin StreetPilot iPhone app

It was only a matter of time before Garmin had to get on the iPhone navigation bandwagon, and now it has finally happened. Garmin StreetPilot joins a crowded field of nav apps wanting some space on your iDevice. StreetPilot is US-only and sells for $39.99.

I spent 2 days driving with the Garmin app, and in general it was a good experience, but I have some serious reservations. Feature-wise, it competes well with the big boys like Navigon, TomTom and Magellan. It has turn by turn directions with text to speech for street names, real time traffic (no subscription required), built-in local search, address book integration, iPod music controls, multi-tasking and weather.

The maps are very clear and look sharp on the Retina Display. In general, the GUI has been taken from the excellent Garmin hardware-based product, and the functions are clear and easy to understand.

Gallery: Garmin StreetPilot screens

Continue reading Driving around with the Garmin StreetPilot iPhone app

Driving around with the Garmin StreetPilot iPhone app originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TekTrak phone locator offers two-use free version

Just because Apple released a Find My iPhone app and then made it free, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a little friendly competition.

TekTrak originally took on Apple’s built-in iPhone location service by offering TekTrak Pro at a one-time $4.99 instead of Mobile Me’s $99 annual fee. Now that Apple made it free to iOS 4.2 users on iPhone 4, iPad, and fourth-gen iPod touch, TekTrak is answering back with a free version that allows two uses fo, plus additional uses for inviting friends.

This week, TekTrak launched a new free app to let anyone with a iPhone 4 or 3GS find their phone, track its previous locations, and remote ring the phone from any web browser.

Continue reading TekTrak phone locator offers two-use free version

TekTrak phone locator offers two-use free version originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Realmac talks about the future of the Mac App Store and reduces pricing

In anticipation of tomorrow’s opening of the Mac App Store, Realmac Software announced pricing for its line of Macintosh software that will appear in the store. In a blog post yesterday, Realmac wrote that it believes the Mac App Store will usher in more focused apps that will do one thing and one thing well. The days of Swiss Army types of programs may be winding down. Realmac also believes upgrade pricing is a thing of the past with software vendors taking a cue from Apple that sells its iLife and iWork suites for a set price and provides minor upgrades until a new full version is released when the consumer is then charged the full price for the new version. Lastly, Realmac believes that prices of apps in the Mac App Store will get cheaper since the iOS App Store created an auction market that drove down prices. Where prices will end up is anyone’s guess.

In light of this, Realmac made some pretty big changes. RapidWeaver, the web site creation tool, is dropping in price both on the Mac App Store and on the Realmac site, from US $79 down to $39.99 for a limited time. It seems like Realmac is taking a flyer on this, since they are interested in seeing how prices shake out, and intend to adjust the price accordingly as time goes by.

LittleSnapper, a powerful, flexible web site and screen capture utility (read our review of the 1.0 release here) is dropping in price from a previous $39 to $24.95 on both the site and the Mac App Store.

Courier is a social networking app that let’s you create a postcard and drop photos, videos or documents on it that will be transferred to your choice of a number of sites including: Flickr, Vimeo, Amazon S3, Ember, YouTube and Facebook. Courier is being taken out of the Realmac online store altogether and will be the first app that’s only available in the Mac App Store. The price will dramatically drop from $19.99 down to a very inexpensive $4.99 when it hits the store. In an unprecedented move, Realmac will refund the purchase price for anyone who previously bought Courier and re-buys it in the Mac App Store. I’m very curious to see how this gamble plays out. Here’s our first look at Courier when it launched.

Socialite is one of fellow blogger TJ Luoma’s favorite apps of 2010. It collects all of your data from Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Flickr, Google Reader or just about anything else into one program. Socialite has been sold off to Apparent Software, who will be selling in both in the Mac App Store and on their site for $9.95 as an introductory price, down from about $25 for the ad-free version.

It looks like the first few weeks, or months of the Mac App Store will be similar to the trampoline ethic of the iOS App Store where prices fluctuated all over the place at introduction and took some time to calm down. If I were you, I would keep a sharp eye out for potential bargains showing up tomorrow and grab them while you can. When the market settles, I’m sure that some of the introductory bargain prices will vanish like a puff of smoke.

Realmac talks about the future of the Mac App Store and reduces pricing originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mophie Pulse adds stereo speakers, extra vibration to iPod touch

Gamers who enjoy playing on the iPod touch can look forward to getting their world rocked by the Mophie Pulse, a sort of ‘rumble pack’ case that Mophie is showing off at CES 2011. The pulse will feature front-facing speakers as well for stereo sound while you play games.

If you’re worried that sudden vibrations might cause you to accidentally drop your iPod, Mophie has added a rubberized grip to help ensure that your game doesn’t get away from you.

While there’s no word on a release date or pricing just yet, this certainly looks like a fun addition for anyone who likes gaming on the go.

We’ll try to get a closer look at this unit from the show floor.

Mophie Pulse adds stereo speakers, extra vibration to iPod touch originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DocScanner successfully transitions from iOS to Mac app

Today I spent a half hour playing around with the first iOS app to Mac OS X app port I’ve gotten my hands on, and if DocScanner is any indication of the quality and usability of other iOS apps transitioning to the Mac, the Mac App Store is gonna rock indeed.

DocScanner iPhone is an existing app that turns your iPhone into an OCR scanner. You simply snap a photograph of a document and the app uses built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to extract the text from the document. The app then lets you save the text as a PDF for emailing or sharing with Evernote.

DocScanner Mac is the OS X version of the iPhone app that works just as well and offers added functionality because it allows you to turn any camera into an OCR scanner. Simply snap a picture, import it to your Mac then drag it to DocScanner Mac’s interface. You’ll then be presented with a PDF version of the text which you can copy and paste into any editable document. The logic for bringing DocScanner from the iPhone to the Mac doesn’t end with simply allowing you to use any camera as an OCR scanner. Porting the iOS app to Mac OS X allows DocScanner to take advantage of the OpenGL 3D accelerated graphics on your Mac. The results are much faster image processing and OCR extraction than you could ever hope to get on your iPhone.

Out of the hundreds of thousands of apps for iOS, a large majority of them would probably not offer added user value if they were ported over to Mac OS X (like currency apps or apps that are fronts for websites such as Mint or Yelp). But an app like DocScanner is an excellent example the the usefulness that select iOS-to-Mac ports will provide.

DocScanner iPhone is on sale now in the App Store for US $0.99. DocScanner Mac makes its debut tomorrow exclusively in the Mac App Store for US $14.99.

DocScanner successfully transitions from iOS to Mac app originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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