Next week, Apple will launch Game Center for the iPhone and the iPod touch. The app and platform will allow video game players to track one another’s achievements, create multiplayer matches and discover new games.

The features are comparable to those found in Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network and Steam — online gaming services used by Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC gamers, respectively. Third parties have implemented similar features for iPhone games using their own networks, but the Apple Game Center will be built into the tools it gives to developers of iOS apps, securing an edge over the existing networks.

Game Center will be one of many new features included in iOS 4.1, a new version of the iPhone and iPod touch operating system. Apple unveiled that and several other entertainment-related products at a live event today, including an updated iPod touch with the same screen and processor found in the iPhone 4.

Video game developer Epic Games joined Steve Jobs on stage to demonstrate a graphically impressive 3D game tentatively titled Project Sword that utilizes both the new hardware and the Game Center service. When one player invited another to join him in a one-on-one battle, the invitee received a push notification informing him of the challenge. He tapped accept and moments later was squaring off against his friend over the network.

Game Center will be free on all iOS devices. iOS 4.1 for iPhone and iPod touch will launch sometime next week, but the iPad version (iOS 4.2) won’t arrive until November.

Screenshots

More About: achievements, apple, apple game center, game center, games, gaming, iOS, ios 4.1, ios 4.2, ipad, iphone, iPod Touch, multiplayer, online gaming, social gaming, video games, XBox live

For more Apple coverage:

• Follow Mashable Apple on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Apple channel
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

View full post on Mashable!

Apple’s Steve Jobs has taken the stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco to make a slew of announcements related to iOS, Apple TV, iTunes and the iPod. First though, he dropped some big stats on the state of the iOS ecosystem.

According to Jobs, Apple has sold more than 120 million iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. This is up from 100 million devices just three months ago. What may be more impressive is that Apple is activating 230,000 new iOS device every single day. That’s more than the number that Google touted in May of 100,000 Android device activations daily (though that number has likely grown significantly higher since then).

Unsurprisingly, the app store is also on fire. Jobs announced that 6.5 billion apps have been downloaded from the app store, and the pace of downloads is now at 200 apps per second. 25,000 of the applications in the app store are now iPad apps.

Apple’s retail stores are also growing. There are now 300 Apple stores in the world, including new ones in Shanghai and Paris.

More About: app store, apple, iOS
For more Tech coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech channel
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

View full post on Mashable!

Content discovery and recommendation engine is bringing its “best of the web” finds to mobile devices with new iPhone and Android applications. The web version, which enables its userbase of nearly 11 million members to “stumble” across content that other users have recommended, is being tailored for mobile by featuring a “best for mobile stumbling.” This includes photos, , and news, making the discovery experience more friendly for the mobile screen and connections. Below that are also the topics that users have indicated an interest in, as well as options to view favorites and recommendations from other users they’re following. The applications replicate the core experience of on the web, featuring a prominent “Start Stumbling” button that links to a piece of content that users can either give a thumbs up or a thumbs down to, alongside likes, reviews and sharing options. Browsing functionality is similar as well. However, what seems to be missing is the easy ability to add content users come across outside of the app (i.e. on the iPhone’s Safari browser) with the StumbleUpon community. The integration would certainly make the experience more connected. Also, in our test the iPhone application version was much faster than the Android version, which also had a few formatting issues. Overall, the mobile applications seem to stay true to the StumbleUpon experience, however. What do you think of the applications? The app is available for download on and by searching the Android Market. Below are some screenshots of both of the apps:

iPhone App: Home Screen

Both application home screens include a Start Stumbling button, the “Best For Mobile Stumbling” options and topics you find interesting.

IPhone App: Favorites

The application enables you to sort and view your favorite content.

iPhone App: Tips

The applications offer subtle tips to get the most out of your experience and navigate your way through the application.

iPhone App: Info

Similar to the Android app, the iPhone application also offers info on each piece of content, such as how much it has been viewed, who has liked it, and its reviews.

iPhone App: Liked

When you’re viewing a piece of content, the info section enables you to see who has liked the content, displaying their avatars.

iPhone App: Reviews

When looking at the info behind a piece of content, users are able to view the reviews by other stumblers.

iPhone App: Sharing

The application enables you to share content to your StumbleUpon friends and through the social space.

Android App: Home Screen

The Android app home page features similar layout to the iPhone app with a prominent “Start Stumbling” button.

Android App: News

This is what the “news” view in “Best for Mobile Stumbling” looks like.

Android App: Photo

The application enables you to stumble just photos, which are easy to view on mobile devices, as part of the apps “Best For Mobile Stumbling” option.

Android App: Info

The applications offer StumbleUpon info on pieces of content, such as how often it was viewed, its reviews and more.

Android App: Sharing

The Android app sharing is a bit different than the iPhone, mostly in that it requires another click for social sharing. Follow Mashable on More About: , , , , , , For more coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for iphone and iPad

View full post on Mashable!
Excerpt

Justin Long, the actor who starred as the Mac guy in Apple’s immensely popular “Get a Mac” series of commercials, is not afraid of bending the rules set by his former employer.

While on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Long whips out his iPhone, taking the audience through a particularly funny SMS exchange. At one point you can clearly see the Cydia icon among his iPhone apps, a clear sign his iPhone is jailbroken.

You can see the proof in the video below (the relevant bit comes up at 7:04, but the entire video is quite amusing). We’re sure Apple won’t particularly like seeing the Mac Guy using a jailbroken iPhone, but hey, jailbreaking is not a crime, right?

[via Engadget]

More About: apple, I’m a Mac, iphone, jailbreak, Justin Long

For more Apple coverage:

• Follow Mashable Apple on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Apple channel
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

View full post on Mashable!

This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.

Name: slydial

Quick Pitch: slydial is a free voice messaging service which connects you directly to someone’s mobile voicemail.

Genius Idea: If you’ve ever dreaded making a phone call and anxiously wished for a voicemail greeting as you dialed, you know exactly why this app is a genius idea. It strips away the awkwardness of a voice-to-voice call while still letting you claim to have attempted direct communication.

How perfectly passive-aggressive! We can imagine this app going over well for:

• Breakups,
• Firings,
• The-morning-after apologies,
• Stalling on or avoiding a meetup,
• Making excuses to a boss,
• “Duty” calls to chatty friends and relatives,
• “Just touching base” reminder/nagging calls,
• 3 a.m. calls that don’t need to be wake-up calls, as well,
• And ever so much more.

Essentially, the app “creates the illusion of communication” without making you actually have to listen to other people, play politics or hear someone else’s side of an argument. In theory, it works just as well for the incurable narcissist as for the cripplingly antisocial.

Before you protest, it’s true that slydial isn’t the Ghandi of applications. But it plays into a powerful part of the human psyche: Our desire to avoid conflict. The makers of slydial have paved the path of least resistance beautifully, and we can imagine that quite a few people will be traipsing down that path in the months to come.

To use slydial, which is free and audio-add supported, just dial 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              267-759-3425      end_of_the_skype_highlighting) and enter the mobile number of the person you want to leave a voicemail. You can also try slydial’s mobile apps, which include offerings for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile.

We gave slydial a try, and it worked just as promised; the other person’s phone didn’t so much as twitch while slydial connected me to the voicemail box in question.

What do you think of this app? It is something you’d use when you don’t have the personal fortitude or wherewithal to make voice-to-voice contact?

[img credit: djou]

---

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark

---

BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).”

---

Reviews: Android, PHP, SlydialMore About: App, Mobile 2.0, slydial, voicemail

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

View full post on Mashable!

Apple has sold over 3.3 million iPads so far, but Microsoft is still waiting for those Windows-based tablets to start capturing the hearts and minds of users. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, however, is confident the company has a bright future in this space.

Speaking to analysts on Thursday, Ballmer said Microsoft is hard at work to make Windows 7 a great OS for tablets. “We have got to make things happen. We’re in the process of doing that as we speak. We’re working with our hardware partners. We’re tuning Windows 7,” he said.

Ballmer also recognized the success of Apple’s iPad, saying the company has “sold certainly more than I’d like them to have sold.” However, at a later Q&A session he took a jab at one of iPad’s drawbacks. “When you get your Windows 7 machine, it will print. Some people actually like to print every now and then,” he said.

Ballmer is right: printing on iPad is a problem. But Microsoft might encounter far more problems adapting Windows 7 for tablets. Apple’s iOS was designed for a touch screen device from grounds up, while Windows 7 was primarily created with a regular keyboard-and-mouse-equipped PC in mind. And while Windows 7 was a clear win compared to the disaster that was Vista, Microsoft’s track record of late – remember Kin? – tells us that a great Windows 7 tablet, while not an impossibility, might not be right around the corner just yet.

[via CNET]

More About: microsoft, Steve Ballmer, tablets, Windows

For more Tech coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech channel
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

View full post on Mashable!

Part of Foursquare’s appeal is the mystery, the sense of flying blind when you’re trying to earn a badge or mayorship. No one really knows how many times you must check into a location to become mayor.

Well, wonder no more, Foursquare users. WhenWillIBeMayor.com has come to the rescue.

This clever little app searches your Foursquare history and tells you how many checkins stand between you and a gloat-worthy new mayorship. The application will also send you updates on your progress.

All you have to do is fill out a simple name/password/email form and authorize Foursquare access via OAuth. It’s a simple, two-click process.

Creator Greg Avola says the algorithm he uses is complex and requires a ton of Foursquare API calls, sometimes causing the app to bug out. And yes, he admits that WhenWillIBeMayor’s design is “horribleness.”

What do you think, readers? Should this app be considered cheating, akin to using steroids or some such trickery? Or does it simply up the stakes for truly devoted players?

For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

View full post on Mashable!
Excerpt

www.digitalhomethoughts.com This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the Dell Adamo laptop. This is the “Admire” model ($1999 CAD USD as of Sept 2009), which features a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (SU9300), 2 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD drive, Windows Vista 64-bit, a 13.4 inch 16:9 aspect ratio 1366 x 768, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, Bluetooth 2.0, a back-lit keyboard, two USB ports, one USB/eSATA combo port, gigabit Ethernet, Display Port out (it comes with an adaptor for Display Port to DVI), 802.11n WiFi, built-in speakers, and a 40-watt hour battery. It has no optical drive, nor any memory card slot. This is the Onyx version – it also comes in Pearl (white). Please subscribe, rate, and comment. Thanks! Distributed by Tubemogul.

If you value efficiency and effectiveness, then your Android device should be your best friend. These tech toys are capable of handling all kinds of work and personal tasks, from email and schedules to file management and to-do lists. And all the tools you need are conveniently located right in the Android Market. With so many choices, however, things can get a little complicated.

Here are ten highly rated, absolutely free Android apps that will help you work smarter, get more accomplished, save time and stay organized.

1. Dropbox

Dropbox is great because it’s not just a mobile app; it allows you to manage files in fully synced folders from desktop and mobile devices. Dropbox’s Android application allows users to access a Dropbox — and any kind of content it contains, including music and movies — from anywhere. Users can also upload files, such as images and links, to their Dropbox account. This video will give you an idea of how it works:

User comments:
“So helpful!”
“This worked perfectly for me.”
“A solid start for a free app.”

2. CamCard Lite

This simple application allows you to snap pictures of business cards and automatically import that information to your virtual Rolodex. CamCard Pro is also available as a paid app for $9.99; both versions of the app support multiple languages – from English to traditional Chinese.

User comments:
“High accuracy, impressive!”
“Did a fair job of getting info off the card.”

3. GDocs

GDocs is a text editing application that allows you to access, view, edit and sync documents stored in a Google Docs account. It also lets users create, send, import and export documents.

User comments:
“I like being able to make notes and edit documents and sync them back to my Google account.”
“Basic text works fine.”
“Pretty useful.”

4. Springpad

Springpad is brand-new to the Android Market, but has been getting rave reviews from users on other devices. Like Evernote, this app allows you to save items in a virtual notebook. But it doesn’t just save these items; it also pulls in data from other sites and helps you take action on your lists, not just remember them.

User comments:
“Superb interface.”
“Online sync is nice.”
“Great app, saves notes online and locally, so there’s no wait to view.”

5. SlideScreen

If you struggle with information overload, here’s an app that might help you. SlideScreen turns your Android device’s home screen into a display of your information with a meaningful hierarchy to distinguish signal from noise. The app shows a summary of data from text messages, phone calls, GMail, your calendar, Google Reader, stock market data, Twitter and Facebook. A pro version is available for $6.99.

User comments:
“Keeps getting better! Google Voice would be awesome.”
“Made for simple people with good taste in phones.”
“Nice concept and good looks.”

6. Remember The Milk

This app represents mobile task-management at it finest. Users can add and check off tasks on the go, organize upcoming tasks, get alerted when they are near a task location and sync their mobile actions with a web interface. It’s available with a $25 yearly subscription to the RTM web interface.

User comments:
“It helps me stay on track with what I need to do, and the email service is great.”
“Great, simple UI.”
“Very fast and intuitive.”

7. Astrid Task/To-Do List

Astrid is more than just a to-do list; its friendly reminders will help you stay focused and productive. It’s location-aware and can sync with Remember the Milk. Best of all, it’s open-source and built specifically with Google technologies in mind.

User comments:
“Really convenient, I absolutely love it!”
“Astrid keeps me out of trouble and on time.”

8. Evernote

Half notebook app, half reminder app, Evernote lets you save your ideas, inspirations and favorite things to the cloud for future access. It’s basically a virtual substitute for a good memory. You can record text, images or audio.

User comments:
“Ideal for taking snapshots of documents.”
“Almost perfect, just needs offline support.”

9. Voice Recorder

Here’s a simple, useful application for taking notes on the go, capturing ideas, remembering songs or recording interviews. The audio recordings are timed, and files are sent as attachments to your Gmail account. You can search for recordings by title or date, and you can set your recordings as ringtones.

User comments:
“Words like a charm.”
“Good sound quality.”
“Helpful for class instead of taking notes.”

10. Jorte

Jorte is a personal organizer app that was designed to be both attractive and practical. It’s a scheduler and to-do application that syncs with Google Calendar. Its three home screen widgets allow you to quickly view a monthy or weekly calendar or a to-do list.

User comments:
“Very good calendar app.”
“Very user-friendly and good customization.”

For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

More Android resources from Mashable:

- 8 Best Android Apps for Photo Editing
- 8 Best Android Apps for Health and Fitness
- HOW TO: Turn Your Android Phone Into a Killer MP3 Player
- 5 Amazing Android Apps for Baseball Fans
- 6 Free Android Apps That Will Make You Drop Your iPhone
- 5 Free Android Apps for Web Developers

[img credit: laihiu]

---

Reviews: Android, Android Market, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Gmail, Google, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Reader, Google Voice, Rating, Remember The Milk (RTM), Twitter, springpad

Tags: android, apps, astrid, camcard, Dropbox, evernote, gdocs, Google, jorte, Mobile 2.0, productivity, Remember The Milk, slidescreen, springpad, voice recorder

View full post on Mashable!

popscreensavers.net( http://www.popscreensavers.net )We here at POPSnail love fancy software, and we’ll try anything for our “World’s Most Popular Now!” award. The name of the game today is MPG SWF to iPhone Converter. Of course, some programs work better than others, and we’ve made it our mission to help you find the best of them, without you having to download and delete six different ones! We give our “World’s Most Popular Now!” award to the best of the best and nine runners up in five categories ? UI skin, speed, ease of use, user rating and popularity.
For today, the best of the best in MPG SWF to iPhone Converter are listed below. They’re clearly the winners in all five categories, as you’ll be able to tell immediately when you download them.
1. Cucusoft DVD + Video to iPhone Converter Suite

Cucusoft iPhone Video Converter Suite is an all-in-one iPhone video Conversion software. This iPhone includes “Cucusoft iPhone Video Converter” and “Cucusoft DVD to iPhone Converter”.

2. Accelerate DVD + Video to iPhone Converter

It converts almost all formats of video files that are already on your computer (AVI, MPG, MPEG, ASF, WMV, MOV, 3GP, AMR, FLV, FLIC, SWF, RM, RMVB etc.) and DVD movies into a format that’s compatible with iPhone video, that is, iPhone mp4 format.

3. Lenogo DVD + Video to iPhone Converter

It converts almost all formats of video files that are already on your computer (AVI, MPG, MPEG, ASF, WMV, MOV, 3GP, AMR, FLV, FLIC, SWF, RM, RMVB etc.) and DVD movies into a format that’s compatible with iPhone video, that is, iPhone mp4 format.

4. Cucusoft iPhone Video Converter

Cucusoft iPhone Movie/Video Converter is the easiest to use video converter software available. It can convert almost any video format to play on Microsoft iPhone Video Player, e.g. DivX, XviD, MOV, RM, rmvb, MPEG, WMV, AVI to iPhone Movie / iPhone Video format

5. Lenogo Video to iPhone Converter

Lenogo Video to iPhone Converter is a professional video to iPhone converter software. It can convert AVI, MPG, MPEG, ASF, WMV, MOV, 3GP, AMR, FLV, FLIC, SWF, RM, RMVB to iPhone

6. Wondershare iPhone Converter Suite

Wondershare iPhone Video Suite is an extremely easy to use DVD/Video to iphone converter. The software makes the process of converting DVD Movie, MTV, Music Video and TV Show to Apple iPhone MP4 or H.264 Video easily.

7. Alive iPhone Video Converter

Alive iPhone Video Converter is a professional video converter to convert almost all popular video/movie formats to iPhone MP4 format.

8. Accelerate Video to iPhone Converter

Its conversion speed is 3 times of the playback speed, even faster than real-time.AVI, MPG, MPEG, ASF, WMV, MOV, 3GP, AMR, FLV, FLIC, SWF, RM, RMVB to iPhone Converter.

9. Digiters DVD + Video to iPhone Converter

Digiters DVD to iPhone Video Converter Suite is a One-Click, All-In-One solution to convert DVD to iPhone, Tivo to iPhone, DivX movie to iPhone, Xvid movie to iPhone, MPEG video to iPhone, WMV to iPhone, AVI to iPhone, RealMedia to iPhone, etc.

10. PQ DVD to iPhone Video Suite

PQ DVD to iPhone Video Suite (PQ DVD to iPhone + iPhone Video Converter) is a One-Click, All-In-One solution to convert DVD, Tivo, DivX, MPEG, WMV, AVI, RealMedia and many more to iPhone and iPod Video.
source: http://www.popscreensavers.net/article/World-s-Most-Popular-MPG-SWF-to-iPhone-Converter.html