The good news is that as promised phone-maker HTC has launched a new web tool that you can use to unlock the bootloader on selected Android smartphones. The bad news is that right now selected smartphones means the European version of the HTC Sensation… and that’s it.

Soon HTC plans to add the HTC Evo 3D and HTC Sensation 4G phones from Sprint and T-Mobile in the US to the list, but for now US customers are going to have to stick with unofficial bootloader unlocking tools.

The bootloader is a program that loads the operating system on your device. By locking the bootloader HTC could tighten security on a smartphone. But by giving users the ability to unlock their own bootloaders, HTC is making it easier for customers to load custom software such as CynaogenMod or other complete operating system replacements onto their phones.

While HTC is making it easier for users to unlock their bootloaders, the company is not officially supporting phones once the bootloader is unlocked. In other words, if you use the HTC tool to unlock your device you’ll void your warranty.

The unlocking process is a little complicated, and requires you to have the Android software development kit installed, Java running, and HTC Sync software.

HTC launches web-based bootloader unlock tool is a post from: mobiputing

The Nokia N9 is the first and last phone the company plans to make running the MeeGo Linux operating system. That might be enough to convince you not to buy the phone, since any apps you purchase probably won’t be able to run on the next phone you buy in a few years. But it’s still nice to have a chocie, because the N9 looks like a pretty awesome phone.

Unfortunately if you’re in the US, the choice is pretty simple — because Engadget reports Nokia won’t be offering the N9 in the States. There’s also mounting evidence that the N9 won’t be available in the UK either.

The Nokia N9 has a 3.9 inch, 854 x 480 pixel curved AMOLED display and a 1 GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3630 processor. The phone’s camera has an 8MP sensor and a wide-angle 28mm lens.

The MeeGo operating system should look familiar to anyone that’s used iOS, Android, webOS, or other modern smartphone operating systems. But it’s miles ahead of Symbian in terms of the look, feel, and usability on touchscreen devices. Symbian is the smartphone OS Nokia has been offering for the past few years, although the company recently signed a deal with Microsoft to ship Windows Phone 7 on future smartphones.

At this point there are still far more smartphone apps designed to run on Symbian than MeeGo — and unless another phone maker picks up the torch and starts offering MeeGo devices, that’s likely to remain the case. But MeeGo is based on open source Linux software, which could make the N9 a hacker’s dream.

Nokia: No N9 MeeGo smartphone for the US is a post from: mobiputing

The folks behind e-commerce site Alibaba have announced plans to launch an operating system called Aliyun OS designed for mobile devices including phones and tablets. The new OS will hit China by the end of the month. One of the first devices to run the operating system will be the K-Touch smartphone from device maker Tianyu.

Aliyun OS is based on Android, but it’s designed to run web apps using HTML5, JavaScript and other web-based technologies rather than native apps. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s very similar to the approach Apple took when first launching the iPhone. But it wasn’t long before it became clear that the iPhone was a big paperweight if you didn’t have an active internet connection and Apple launched software developer tools to enable third party apps. The App Store was born, and the rest is history.

Alibaba isn’t the only company banking on web apps though. Mozilla, the makers of the popular Firefox web browser, recently announced a project called Boot To Gecko which is also designed first and foremost to run web apps.

What’s changed in the last few years is that web programming languages such as HTML5 now support a range of features including the ability to cache data to a device or even access your phone or tablet’s GPS, camera, or other hardware.

Alibaba says Aliyun users will get 100GB of cloud-based storage for data including call logs, text messages, photos, and other media.

Developers writing web apps for Aliyun OS will be able to host apps on their own web servers or use Alibaba’s AliCloud distribution service.

It’s not yet clear if or when the operating system will be available outside of China.

The first images of the new operating system were leaked by a Chinese website earlier this month after rumors about the new operating system started making the rounds in early July.

via Penn Olson

Meet Aliyun, the new mobile OS from Alibaba is a post from: mobiputing

Tweetcaster already offers one of the most popular Twitter apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. Now the developers have introduced a new version of the app which plays well with the iPad as well.

The iPad user interface was designed to utilize the iPad’s 10″ screen, meaning you’ll find Trends, Nearby, Who to Follow and Search boxes all in the real estate of a single screen. The phone-sized app requires you to switch between views one at a time.

TweetCaster also developed a unique feature called Smart Filters, which filters your timeline in a single tap to show only tweets with photos or tweets with links.

Besides a clean, visually-impressive interface, you’ll find support for multiple accounts, Facebook integration, ‘advanced’ profile editing, and all of Twitter’s standard features (such as URL shortening and multimedia uploading.) Other features include custom color coding (for specific Twitter users, including yourself), multiple themes and font sizes, and Instapaper support for offline reading.

You can download TweetCaster for iOS from the App Store for free if you don’t mind seeing advertisements in the app. If you want to go ad-free, you can pick up the TweetCaster Pro for $4.99.

TweetCaster launches Twitter app for iPad is a post from: mobiputing

Remember when Apple introduced the iPhone and insisted there was no need to let developers write third party apps in native code because they could just write web apps? Yeah, that didn’t work out so well and it didn’t take long for Apple to offer a software developer kit, launch an App Store, and change the face of mobile computing.

But that was a few years ago, and HTML5 and other web technologies have come a long way in blurring the lines between what you can do with a native app and what you can do with a web app. In fact, web pages can now access you’re phone’s hardware to do things like track your location, automatically rotate when you move the screen, or record audio or video. So maybe it’s time to take another look at the web app-only idea. At least that’s the approach Mozilla seems to be taking.

The folks behind the popular Firefox web browser have announced a new project called Boot to Gecko, or B2G. The idea is to build an operating system designed to run web apps and only web apps. It will be based on the same operating system kernel as Android, but B2G won’t run Android apps. Instead Mozilla hopes to built tools that allow third party developers to access the phone’s telephone, camera, USB, Bluetooth and other hardware from web apps.

The whole thing will be built on open web standards — which makes sense coming from a company known for making web browsers. If the web succeeds as a platform, so does Mozilla.

Right now there are still a few key factors that make it difficult to operate in a web-app only environment, as early users of Google Chromebooks are discovering. While the latest web standards make it possible to cache some online content for offline use, if you’re using a Samsung Series 5 or Acer AC700 Chrome OS laptop, there may come a time when you board an airplane, enter a subway, or go somewhere else that you simply don’t have internet access. And if you haven’t had the foresight to cache some music, documents, or other files, your device may become useless.

Of course, that’s true for a lot of today’s phones as well. While Google Maps for Android recently added support for downloading maps for offline viewing, I noticed in a subway the other day that I couldn’t get transit directions without an internet connection even though I’d already downloaded a map of the area. I have to wonder though, if that kind of experience would be even more common on a device running B2G or another operating system based primarily on web apps.

On the other hand, Mozilla is one of the few companies that might have the expertise to push the boundaries of web development and the clout to get developers to hop on board. So maybe we’ll see new and innovative solutions for offline/online access to web apps. We’re already seeing plenty of web apps which load just as quickly and which are just as responsive as native apps on phones or computers with reasonably fast internet connections.

Right now B2G appears to be in the early planning stages. But it’s definitely a project worth keeping an eye on. Mozilla will release source code as the project progresses, and I get the feeling that while we may eventually see phones shipping with B2G, it’s just as possible that the whole thing is big experiment meant to spur development of web apps in general. It may be an OS meant for web developers and open source enthusiasts more than the general public.

via Business Insider

Mozilla working on a smartphone OS for web apps is a post from: mobiputing

Alibaba is probably best known these days for running an e-commerce site, but the Chinese company is thinking about moving into the smartphone operating system business. The Wall Street Journal reports that the OS could launch first in China, although it could eventually be available in other regions.

Right now the Symbian operating system dominates the Chinese smartphone market, but Symbian’s days are numbered, which means there may be some major opportunities for smartphone software makers in China.

There aren’t many details about the OS at this point — and the WSJ story is based on information from an anonymous source, so I’d take it with a grain of salt for now. But the Alibaba operating system sounds a lot like iPhone OS 1.0: Instead of downloading native apps to their phones, users would be expected to run apps hosted on a remote server.

It’s not clear from the description whether we’re talking about web apps like those that run on many Android and iOS smartphones today, or apps designed specifically by Alibaba which will run on the company’s own servers.

If you remember your iPhone history, Steve Jobs originally declared that apps would run in the web browser and HTML was the only development tool. It didn’t take long for hackers to start jailbreaking iPhones and installing their own native apps and shortly after that Apple released official software developer tools and then the App Store.

China is a different market though, as evidenced by the nearly 60 percent market share still held by Symbian. So maybe a cloud-based OS without apps you download to your device for offline use could succeed.

Alibaba may launch a cloud-based smartphone OS is a post from: mobiputing

Nokia has been working on a new Linux-based smartphone operating system for a couple of years. Originally called Maemo, the project merged with the Moblin netbook Linux project a while back to become MeeGo, a customizable, robust touch-friendly Linux-based operating system. Eventually the plan was to use MeeGo instead of Symbian in high-end smartphones. But then Nokia decided to sign a partnership with Microsoft to use Windows Phone 7 instead and most people figured that was the end of Nokia’s MeeGo ambitions.

But it turns out Nokia will launch one consumer device based on MeeGo. The company has unveiled a new smartphone called the Nokia N9. It’s a slick looking smartphone with the specs to match including a 3.9 inch, 854 x 480 pixel curved AMOLED display, a 1 GHz TI OMAP 3630 processor, and an 8MP camera with a wide-angle 28mm lens.

The phone runs a new finger-friendly version of MeeGo which looks absolutely wonderful in the demo videos (although that’s kind of what demo videos are for). There’s a Webkit-based browser, a maps application with turn-by-turn navigation, and a user interface designed for fingure input including support for swipe-from-the-screen-edge gestures to switch between functions.

Overall it looks like a great phone and it’s a shame that because it’s likely to be the first and last MeeGo phone from Nokia it’s unlikely that you’ll see a huge push for third party apps or other new features for the phone. That said, MeeGo is open source software and it’s possible that we could see other developers pick up the torch and carry on.

Nokia is also releasing a new phone aimed at developers called the Nokia N950. It’s similar to the N9 in many respects, but it has a slide-out keyboard and a 4 inch display. This model won’t be sold at retail, but instead will be made available to MeeGo developers.

via The Nokia Blog

Nokia introduces N9, N950 MeeGo smartphones for some reason is a post from: mobiputing

Songkick is an online service designed to inform you when your favorite bands are playing, and it’s now mobile with a new app for iOS.

As an ideal social network for regular concert-goers, Songkick provides more than just tracking of artists and venues near you. You can also stay up to date with your your buddies for event updates, as well as music from Pandora, Last.fm, and iTunes.

Simply sign in to the app to access all your saved artists, shows, and more. The app will find your current location, scan your iTunes library and compile a list of shows that might interest you.

The app will scan your iTunes, and from that data — taking location into account — compile a list of shows you might be interested in attending. You can check through a list of your favorite artists to see who’s currently touring, and even receive push notifications when they’re playing in your area. Also, you can look up ticket info, venue locations, show times and band lineups.

Songkick’s feature set isn’t particularly innovative, and you can find much of what it has to offer in apps like Dragonfly and SuperGlued. However, the addition of a personalized concert calendar that you can create within the app might appeal to some users. The interface is also incredibly sleek and modernized, which means convenient Facebook, Twitter and email integration.

You can download Songkick for iOS for free from the App Store.

via Mashable

Songkick app for iPhone lets you track your favorite artists on the go is a post from: mobiputing

Apple CEO Steve Jobs will unveil iOS 5 as well as Apple’s new iCloud service and OS X Lion in a keynote speech kicking off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6.

While iOS sparked a revolution in smartphone and tablet operating systems, it’s garnered a fair amount of criticism over the years.  iOS 4.x brought many new features to the platform, including multitasking, but it’s still lacking in some key areas. Maybe iOS 5.0 will fix some of these outstanding issues.

So what exactly are some of the issues that users are having with iOS 4? I certainly can’t speak for all iOS users, but I can list a few improvements that I’d like to see happen on my iPhone 4 come this June:

1. Better notifications system

A few months ago, Apple hired a former Palm executive to reform the notifications/multitasking system on iOS. While webOS has a tiny user base compared with iOS, it’s much better at notifying users when they get a text message, pop-ups or emails. When the iPhone’s screen is turned off, it obnoxiously lights up whenever there’s a notification. If you’re reading a Mobiputing article and you receive a message, it will display over your content and prevent you from scrolling.

The iPhone needs better notifications, and iOS 5 will be a major disappointment without a new system. The minimalist, pull-down bar model of the Android system is my preference, but with the hiring of former WebOS engineers, it looks like Apple will be moving in Palm’s direction.

2. Improved lock screen

The current iOS lock screen is good for one thing – unlocking your device – making it one of the least useful features in the operating system. Adding usability to the lock screen would be a major step forward.

3. Wireless syncing

On June 6, Steve Jobs and his team of executives will also be announcing iCloud, a new web-based service that we currently know little about. Perhaps the ability to wirelessly sync your files with your iOS device will come as part of the new service, which would add a new level of convenience to storing and moving information between your phone and PC.

4. More accurate auto-correction of text

iOS 4 was supposed to bring a more precise system of auto-correcting your misspelled words, but it’s still not that great. Android is leagues ahead of Apple with regards to this feature, considering it will remember your typing patterns and allow you to customize your corrections. The corrections in iOS 4 are also just bad at finding the right word. We can only hope that in iOS 5, Apple took this problem into serious consideration.

With any luck, all of these features will be part of iOS 5.0. But if you had to pick just one, which would it be? And what did we leave out? Let us know what you’d like to see in the next generation of iOS in the comments.

What do you want to see in iOS 5.0? is a post from: mobiputing

Microsoft is letting developers know that the Windows Phone Marketplace will no longer accept Windows Mobile 6.x apps starting on July 15th. Developers will also no longer be able to change the prices or other information in the Marketplace after the 15th.

This isn’t quite the end of the road for Windows Mobile 6.x users though. You’ll be able to continue downloading apps from the Marketplace for the immediate future. You just won’t see any new apps in the Marketplace.

Of course, when Windows Mobile first hit the scene, there was no centralized app store. Instead users simply downloaded software from developer web sites or from third-party stores such as Handango or Mobihand. And you can still do that. But with Microsoft throwing its weight behind Windows Phone 7, killing off the Marketplace for earlier devices, and a diminishing number of Windows Mobile 6.x phones on the market, it might be time to consider upgrading if you want to be able to run the latest apps on your phone.

via GottaBeMobile

Microsoft is effectively killing the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace July 15th is a post from: mobiputing

Zagat’s application for BlackBerry lets you search, view, rate, map, and make reservations for restaurants across the nation. You can also access Zagat’s famous restaurant reviews, which is what separates it from the countless other apps that have the same features. It’s a great app to have while traveling, and packs a lot of useful information about restaurants you might even be familiar with.

The latest version for BlackBerry brings a whole host of new features to an already high-quality app, most notably location based search and the ability to make reservations within the app. With location based search results, you can get ratings and more information on restaurants that are nearby, and make a reservation, of course.

More new features include a very convenient map view, meaning you can view Zagat-Rated restaurants on a map, for your location or within a search. The app has also added support for the latest BlackBerry devices, which translates into BlackBerry 6 support.

The biggest question mark over Zagat’s BlackBerry app has been its price, which can only be justified by its brand name restaurant reviews. Plenty of free apps, such as Poynt, Where and Open Table all pack the other features. You can download the app from Zagat’s official website for $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year. However, they do offer a 14 day free trial, so you can give it a try with no commitment. It’s available for all BlackBerry devices running OS 4.5+.

via Crackberry

Zagat for BlackBerry v8.0 now available is a post from: mobiputing

Back in April, Hugh Hefner tweeted that Playboy was coming to the iPad, “complete and uncensored.” However, we weren’t sure whether the magazine would be a web app or a full-fledged mobile app. Today, Playboy for iPad is live in the form of a web app, allowing it to be “complete and uncensored,” just as Hugh said it would be.

The web app is designed especially for the iPad, and contains every magazine ever published by Playboy. To see the enhanced navigation and scrolling, you can watch a video demo on iPlayboy’s homepage. You’ll find that it’s not an average mobile site; Playboy went to great lengths to optimize it for the iPad. Access to the content, however, can be quite expensive.

If you’re prepared to sign up for a year, it will cost you $7.24 a month. If you only want to commit for one month at a time, the price drastically increases to $17.95 a month. Playboy is currently offering a 3 day trial at a more reasonable $0.95. You may want to note that the trial requires payment details. If you fail to cancel after the 3 days, your subscription will rise to the full monthly charge of $17.95.

via TiPb

Playboy for iPad now live, includes every past issue is a post from: mobiputing

RIM announced the latest upgrade to the BlackBerry Internet Service (v. 4.0) today in the BlackBerry Support Forums. While Research in Motion hasn’t said when BIS 4 will be available, it may be rolling out as we speak.

Shortly after the announcement, a BlackBerry user leaked the above screenshot to N4BB which displays the Email Setup Application update version 6.11.0419.0755. We’re not certain, but this is likely the BIS 4.0 hitting its first wave of handsets.

The new features included in the BIS 4.0 update include Google Calendar synchronization improvements, additional language support, and automatic login improvements. Also included are secret question changes (as an option) and Windows Live Integration Re-validation removal.

BlackBerry Internet Service is RIM’s own Internet service that guarantees BlackBerry users features like top-notch security and excellent push email. Carriers also benefit from the service, as it adds a high level of efficiency to web browsing and the use of applications, which compresses the device’s data usage.

via N4BB

RIM announces BIS 4.0, possibly rolling out today is a post from: mobiputing

Google Tasks has been available for a few years, but it’s one of the most basic task management applications I’ve ever seen, essentially offering little more than a simple To Do list. If it weren’t integrated with Gmail, I’m not sure I’d pay any attention to it at all. But today Google released an API for Google Tasks which could be a game changer for Google Tasks.

A number of developers including Produteev, Mavenlink, Manymoon and Zoho have already integrated Google Tasks with their products, and the developer behind Pocket Informant has announced that he’s looking at adding support for Google Tasks synchronization to his mobile calendar and task manager app for Android, iOS, and BlackBerry — although it may take a while to implement.

Google Tasks API now available, expect to see third party apps soon is a post from: mobiputing

Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Messenger service has long been exclusive to BlackBerry products. But now it looks like you could soon be able to access BBM in a web browser.

Fixmo has released a public beta app designed to let you chat with your BBM contacts directly from your desktop. It’s important to note that the beta doesn’t allow for an AIM-style standalone desktop program, but will allow for BBM to extend from your smartphone to your desktop. This is done similarly to how you can use BBM on the PlayBook when you bridge it your BlackBerry.

To test the app, download the beta straight to your device at http://fwm.fixmo.com:8080/WebMessenger.jad. Then open the mobile app and create a new account with your email address and a password, which are then used to log-in to your BBM. Simply click ‘Connect’, then go to Fixmo Web Messenger Download | Fixmo Inc. and enter your login information. Click ‘Connect’ on the web interface, and you should be able to start using BlackBerry Messenger from your desktop.

For troubleshooting tips and other errors that may occur during the initial setup, visit the CrackBerry Forums.

via PocketBerry

Fixmo Web Messenger beta lets you chat on BBM from your desktop is a post from: mobiputing

At BlackBerry World 2011, Research in Motion showcased its new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and a preloaded application called Wikitude. The new Bold is the first BlackBerry to include a magnetic compass and the right display overlay software, meaning it’s capable of augmented reality technology.

Wikitude’s main function is the ability to check out geo-positioned Wikipedia articles. For example, pointing your smartphone’s camera at the Eiffel Tower and launching Wikitude will spawn the corresponding Wikipedia article. You can also include Flickr photos, YouTube videos, Twitter tags and Foursquare spots in your geo-referenced results.

Considering that RIM developed Wikitude, it’s not a surprise that it’s highly integrated with BlackBerry’s native apps-including BlackBerry Messenger. The developers adapted it so that you can see where your BBM friends are when you point the camera in a particular direction.

Wikitude also intends to use the social side of BBM as a way for users to meet new people. It’s likely that the BBM Social developer API helped make features like this possible.

The first BlackBerry handset to pack this feature, the Bold 9900, is expected to launch early this summer.

via IntoMobile

Wikitude app for BlackBerry brings augmented reality to the platform is a post from: mobiputing

VH1 has gone from ‘Video Hits 1′ to introducing a “co-viewing” application for the iPad. Sometimes called a “second screen”, the new Co-Star app is following a trend that is designed to supplement to your television masochist streak.

The app provides a social perspective to shows like Saddle Ranch and Mob Wives, centering around a feature called WatchWith. With this feature, you can see the best, most relevant comments from everyone watching. WatchWith filters and records the “best comments” (Tweets and Facebook statuses) and attaches them to the timeline of the show you’re watching.

Also included is a “DVR” feature where information will stream in real time from shows that you weren’t able to watch live. This is a unique feature to Co-Star that similar apps (like BET’s 106 and Park) currently lack. However, with the growing trend in “co-viewing” mobile apps, it’s likely we’ll see more of it soon.

Just login using your Facebook or Twitter to comment and be a “Co-Star”. You can choose whether your comments get posted to those services or just to the commentary stream in the app, which is a really nice touch. You can also watch video extras, browse photos and answer trivia questions.

You can download VH1′s Co-Star app for free in the App Store exclusively for the iPad.

via TUAW, Mashable

VH1 releases TV companion “co-viewing” app for iPad is a post from: mobiputing

Onavo is a new app for iPhone that aims to shrink your mobile data consumption. The app works by compressing the data usage from email refreshes, web browsing and other apps similar to Research in Motion’s renowned method of compressing BlackBerry’s data.

Following installation of a configuration profile (proxy) which allows the data to be redirected through Onavo’s servers, you’ll be able to access some insights into your data usage. You can then choose to compress the data, which will send less data to the operator (your carrier), which is considered less consumption. Onavo says it uses a variety of compression techniques, one example being the diminishing of image quality.

Despite the irritating process of installing the proxy, I found the app to be very easy to use and intuitive. It also works, but the results are marginal if you use Wi-Fi often. If you’re consistently on your carrier’s 3G connection, you will get positive results with Onavo’s compression techniques, which could easily lead to a lower phone bill.

Also, the app does not currently support streaming services such as YouTube  or VoIP. However, according to a recent press release, Onavo’s working on getting support for popular streams.

If you’re concerned about privacy, this app may not be for you. Onavo makes a good case as to how they take your privacy very seriously, but there’s no getting around the stubborn fact that your data (Internet traffic) is delivered to your carrier via an unaccountable third party server.

Onavo will be free in the App Store for a limited time, with the expectation of a price increase (but no ads) in the near future.

via The Telegraph

Onavo app for iPhone claims it can reduce your device’s data usage is a post from: mobiputing

The Facebook for BlackBerry v2.0 beta app launched about six weeks ago for BlackBerry smartphones running OS 6. Now, Research in Motion has announced a new version which adds support for users sporting OS 5.0, which is still far and wide the majority of BlackBerry customers.

The new beta also adds a host of new features and performance enhancements. In Facebook Chat, you can now see whether someone is typing with the visual cue, “is typing a message”. You can also filter your Online Contacts to find a specific friend quickly and start a Chat message.

In Profiles, a Mutual Friends and Friends List is available from the Info tab, but whether or not you can view these depends on the specific profile’s privacy settings. Performance enhancements include improved Facebook Chat connections, faster delivery of notifications, and improved overall loading times.

RIM also added even more integration with BlackBerry’s native app set, which has always been a strength for the platform. You can now click on PINs (BBM), phone numbers and email addresses that are displayed on Wall posts, messages on the Info tab, and either perform the respective action (like placing a call) or save the information to your device’s Contacts app.

To download the updated (free) version of Facebook’s BlackBerry beta, you’ll need to sign up for the BlackBerry Beta Zone and a device running OS 5.0 or greater.

Facebook for BlackBerry adds support for OS 5.0, new features is a post from: mobiputing

Hugh Hefner took to Twitter to announce that Playboy magazine will be arriving on the iPad “complete and uncensored” on May 18th.

In January, Hefner announced that it was coming in March, so we’re taking his promise with a grain of salt, but at least this time he provided an exact date this time, so that’s an encouraging factor.

Exactly what form Playboy will take on the iPad is currently up for debate, and several rumors are circulating. The most interesting result will be an app available through the iTunes App Store. This would be a great way to publicize the new iTunes subscription services that other magazines, such as The Daily and The NYTimes, are using.

However, Hefner may be referring to a dedicated iPad website for Playboy, which would bypass any regulations Apple may have. In the past, Apple has blocked adult content from entering the App Store, in an attempt to reach a wider audience and not upset anyone. If the Playboy app does, in fact, become available in the App Store, it may open the door for more adult content in the future.

Update: Mystery solved… it looks like the iPad app will be a web app at i.playboy.com.

via TiPb, @hughhefner

Playboy to hit the iPad, complete and uncensored, on May 18th is a post from: mobiputing

If you were one of the many Windows Phone 7 users who simply ran out of patience while waiting for the NoDo update and took matters into your own hands, you might now be stuck with a phone that won’t update. According to Microsoft’s Brandon Watson, “Walshed” phones “ do not contain an official image and cannot be updated further at this time.”

Fortunately, the Chevron team has quickly worked to come up with a fix and Watson says Microsoft will work with the team “to validate their solution and applaud the team for taking responsibility to do this.”

You’ve got to think that this problem could have been avoided if Microsoft had managed to deliver Windows Phone 7 updates to all its users in a more timely fashion…

Microsoft, Chevron team working to fix non-updateable “Walshed” phones is a post from: mobiputing

Google has been showing some love for its mobile Maps applications pretty often this year, and the company has just rolled put yet another update for its Android app. Version 5.4.0 captures your search history and places it into your Google web history.

This new ability to search your account’s history could certainly be useful to someone who, for example, typed an address on one device but wants to recall the address on a different device at a later date.  By centralizing your search history on your account, Google’s made staying organized a little easier and added a level of convenience to Maps.

Other features include additional business details, which include the star rating beneath a business’s name in the main map view. On a restaurant, for example, this adds the type of cuisine, parking, and meals served along with the opening date and neighborhood.

You can also now report a destination that Google Maps hasn’t already added to its vast database. On the rare occasions Google has ‘missed a spot’, you can easily report a location spot and Google will review and presumably add it. This has the potential to greatly improve on Maps’ accuracy and the user experience.

You can download the latest version of Google Maps for free in Android Market.

Google Maps for Android updated: Adds search feature to history is a post from: mobiputing

Taptu is an alternative news-aggregator that allows you to personalize your streams with anything from Facebook to a specific area of interest. It doesn’t deliver a magazine-like experience like the competing Flipboard, but for now that app is limited to the iPad and it’s capped at 21 sections of content. Taptu is available for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Pulse News is also a like-minded application, but you’re limited to 60 content sources.

Taptu, on the other hand, supports up to 200 streams in a clean grid interface. Read through your selected content and get a snapshot of your streams or you can tap on one individual headline to access the full story.

The full story pulls up right away, and there is no lag time while it goes out to another website within the built-in browser (looking at you, Pulse). To save a particular article and read it later, tap the star button in the top right corner of the app’s toolbar.

A unique feature Taptu holds over its competition is the mixed topic streams that aggregate content from multiple sources. For example, if you select NFL from Taptu’s StreamStore, a stream will pop up on the home screen that displays headlines from The New York Times, NBC Sports, The Boston Herald, and Fox Sports.

Taptu says its editorial team curates these topics with the help of advanced algorithms that emphasize mobile-friendly sites. Topics range from News and Sports to Arts & Entertainment, Travel, and Celebrities.

You can also create your own streams for your favorite content. You can build a news ‘playlist’ from scratch, selecting and merging your favorite feeds from Taptu’s StreamStore or you can edit the topic streams that Taptu’s already curated by removing and adding the streams you want. You can even share your streams with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.

You can download Taptu for iOS devices from the App Store for free. Taptu is also available for Android devices running OS 2.1+ in the Android Market.

Taptu newsreader brings your favorite social, web feeds together is a post from: mobiputing

FileXChange is a new app being developed by a company called iStartApp that is designed to make the process of transferring files between mobile OS platforms a little easier. While Bluetooth connectivity already does this job, transfering files over Bluetooth can be slow.

FileXChange is designed to make things faster by using Wi-Fi (or Bluetooth) for transferring large files from an iOS device to any Windows, Mac, Linux or Android device.

Among the app’s best features include its ability to transfer almost any file, whether it be a video, photo, PowerPoint, MP3 or text file. From what we can see in the video (below), it appears to have an intuitive and simplistic UI, with decent graphics to boot. You will have functions to email, zip, unzip files and protect your data via password lock. Of course, the whole feature set is centered around high-speed transfers.

Another FileXChange feature for iOS users is the ability to use your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad as a USB flash drive, so you can transfer files from a computer without syncing to iTunes.

For more information on FileXChange, view iStartApp’s website. The developer says the app is expected to enter the App Store soon.

via IntoMobile

FileXChange will make transferring files between iOS, Android easier is a post from: mobiputing

Parking in Motion is a new app for iPhone simplifies the tedious task of finding a spot by allowing you to to find, reserve and pay for parking across the US, Canada and Europe. From its database of 16,000 locations (300+ US cities, 50+ canadian cities, and 200+ European cities), just name a city and the app instantly gathers ultra-useful parking information.

This free app’s specialty is its extensive knowledge of your city’s parking options. This includes parking facility types (Garage, Surface Lot, Valet), hours of operation, and comparisons of parking prices. You can reserve your spot before you arrive, such as airport parking locations, and instantly find parking near your destination.

Parking in Motion isn’t even finished working on its in-depth parking intel. Additional features we can expect soon include real-time parking availability (for both street parking and garages) and street parking rules, restrictions, and meter locations. You’ll even be able to pay your meter from your smartphone (of course, this will only be compatible with certain parking meter systems).

Also, Android and BlackBerry apps are on the way. In the meantime, Android users can report and find open parking spaces using the Google Open Spot application.

For more information on covered cities in the U.S, Canada and Europe, visit PIM’s official website. You can download Parking in Motion for free in the App Store for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad running iOS 4.

via IntoMobile

Parking in Motion app for iOS makes finding a parking spot easy is a post from: mobiputing

The App Store’s cluttered corner reserved for note-taking applications recently got an app by Moleskine, a company known for their brand of physical journals. Moleskine for iOS allows you to choose between different virtual paper types (ruled, grid and blank blank), font sizes and colors for text. It also comes with Email, Facebook and Twitter sharing, among other standard features that most note-taking apps now have.

A unique feature is Moleskine’s “Map My Thoughts” function, which allows you to geotag a specific journal entry. This provides a way to go back into your journal and track all of your entries by location. The app also has a Sketching tool, which can add an artistic touch to your notes and projects. Surprisingly, the app lacks landscape writing functionality.

Moleskine’s mobile app is quite different than its physical product line of journals. The latter focuses on a ‘something for everybody’ approach, while the mobile application is essentially a hate it or love it affair. There are hundreds of full-featured journaling apps in the App Store, and personal preference will play a huge role in whichever feels most comfortable.

For example, Moleskine lacks some important features that other ‘full featured’ note clients have. These include a companion desktop application for syncing, Dropbox support, and scrollable text. If your journal entry is longer than a page, it takes two taps to go between pages in the same document.

What this app lacks in features, it makes up for in design. The app’s color scheme and interface style are very well done, and pages flip smoothly and resemble the page flipping of a real physical journal (almost). However, if you’re looking for a more mature, feature-centric app to cover your mobile note-taking needs, you may want to look elsewhere in the App Store’s productivity section.

You can download Moleskine for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad in the App Store for free.

Moleskine goes digital with new app for iOS is a post from: mobiputing

FoWare’s Typer app for iOS is a great way to enhance your social media and messaging experience. Typer provides you with twelve different cross-platform text styles such as ⓒⓘⓡⓒⓛⓔ, ǝɿʎʇs ʇxǝʇ pǝddıɿɟ, e̲̅n̲̅c̲̅a̲̅s̲̅e̲̅, s̸w̸o̸r̸d̸, and ţŗęŋd. You can copy and paste the text to any app on your iPhone to share your unusual words with your friends.

Not only is the app’s content quite unique, but its interface is too. Start typing a word, and the new text-style translation appears in white upon a dark brown background. Slide your finger across the bar above the keyboard to switch to a different font. Simply copy your specialized text and use it anywhere via iPhone’s paste.

You’ll also find access to emoji for hundreds of emoticons directly from your keyboard. Remember, this app is free for a limited time, so it doubles as a free symbol/emoticon database alongside its multiple text style offerings.

In the main window there are multiple different social tabs to choose from. At the top of the screen you’ll find SMS and email tabs, which will allow you to send your text within iPhone’s native email and messaging applications. To the right of the sliding bar (above the keyboard) is the post button, which allows you to post to Facebook via your Status or directly on someone’s wall. You can also Tweet your message within the app itself.

You can download Typer for free in the App Store for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad running iOS 3.0 or later. For more information, check out Typer’s website.

Typer lets you type cross-platform text styles, share them is a post from: mobiputing

Viddy is an iPhone app that lets you shoot a short video or choose one from your library, then add advanced graphic effects to it. These videos can then be posted for others to see using different social networking sites. If you’re an avid user of Instagram, an app that performs a similar function but with photos, this app will feel incredibly similar. 

The idea is simple: record a key moment of your life, customize it to your taste, and share it with friends and family. Register for Viddy’s free service, provide a profile photo, and advance to the app’s homepage. From there, you can access links to Viddy users you are following, as well as popular and trending videos. You can also access your recent activity, favorites, video feed and profile.

Tap ‘Share’ and videos may be taken on the spot or selected from your iPhone’s camera roll. You can then add a variety of effects, such as 3D, black and white, vintage and hued, as well as titling your film and adding tags. You can currently share your edited video with Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. Integration with Foursquare and Tumblr is expected to be added soon.

While this app has a unique central feature, everything about it is extremely similar to Instagram, a photo-centric app made by a separate company. From the color scheme to the layout of the UI, Viddy feels like Instagram’s video-related sibling.

Viddy is available as a free download from the App Store.

Share videos through social networking with Viddy app for iPhone is a post from: mobiputing

Paltalk‘s mobile video chat app is now available on the Android platform, allowing Android users to  access the Paltalk community’s 4 million members. Previously, the app was only available on iOS and BlackBerry.

Besides browsing and joining chat rooms by hundreds of topics and categories, you can view multiple simultaneous video streams within the rooms. Also, participate in group chats via text and chat one-on-one via IM or SMS. The app also includes multitasking capabilities, meaning you can continue to get messages while you listen to music, play games or check email on your device.

The app also supports photo messaging, both from a phone to a computer or another phone. It includes landscape and portrait multi-view video modes, and the app’s design is suitable for any Android device, including tablets.

Paltalk’s best quality is its ‘something for everyone’ approach regarding categories. Upon signing-in the app, you’ll face a list of broad room options: categories, featured rooms, my favorites and last visited rooms. However, downloading the app from the Android Market means that certain rooms will be unavailable (namely ‘R-rated rooms’, to put it nicely). To access these, you’ll have to download the app from Paltalk’s website.

If you’re a Paltalk user on your computer, you’ll want to have this app. To download it for free, head to the Android Market, App Store, or BlackBerry App World.

via Intomobile

Paltalk video chat based app comes to Android is a post from: mobiputing

Photofeed by Pixable is a free, high quality photo aggregator that organizes your friends’ photos from multiple social media platforms. It’s unique, fun, and highly addicting.

You can browse several categories of Facebook photos that friends have uploaded, such as ‘latest profile pics’ and ‘most popular’, and also view popular Instagram and Flickr photos. Photofeed will send you push notifications whenever your friends ‘Like’, comment on or tag themselves in their pictures. When viewing Facebook photos, you can still comment and ‘Like’ photos as if they were viewing them on Facebook itself. 

Photofeed has what’s called Multi Directional Navigation. Flick your finger left or right to browse through the photos of a category. Flick your finger up or down to browse through the album of the current photo.

The biggest question mark on this app is its method of calculating your Facebook’s ‘most popular’ photows. Pixable claims that their ‘technology analyzes your Facebook account to automatically rank and sort photos’, but fails to explain how. However, I think it’s safe to say that Pixable does what other ‘test your popularity’ Facebook applications do, which is rank in accordance to ‘Likes’, photo comments and album comments.

The app makes it easy to see the latest photos from your Facebook friends without having to deal with the massive amount of extraneous information in their Newsfeeds just to see their friends’ latest photos.

Photofeed by Pixable is available for download on the App Store for free.

via Mashable

Pixable’s Photofeed app for iPhone organizes your social media photos is a post from: mobiputing

With the App Store’s iPad news category getting awfully full of Pulse-like RSS readers, many news apps are starting to stand out by adding unique features and functions.

Hitpad does just that: it collects and organizes the news based on what’s popular around the web. Using some proprietary algorithms, it determines what people are interested in on the Internet across various media sources, like Twitter and video. It then displays trending news topics in a column along the left side of the screen under a search bar.

If you tap on a listed topic (take Libya, for example), you get a screen full of news regarding Libya, like videos, tweets and photos. Clicking on the headers transports you to the source web page in Hitpad’s built-in browser. You can favorite and find related videos using buttons on the bottom left corner of the screen, and stories can be shared to Facebook, Twitter and via email.

For those who have a ‘need to know’ addiction or are just plain news-junkies, you will find this free app to be simple, intuitive and very convenient. The purpose of Hitpad is to minimize the time it takes to discover trending news, so the app collects it for you and displays virtually all the information within a glance. I’ll be anxiously waiting for it to launch on more iOS devices.

You can download Hitpad for free in the App Store.

via TUAW

Hitpad app delivers the Internet’s most popular news to your iPad is a post from: mobiputing

Cooliris’ LiveShare app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7 makes group photo streaming easy. The app lets you create private shared groups and invite as many friends as you like to view and contribute to your shared photo streams.

With LiveShare, you can upload photos into a collective stream that others in your group can add to as well. Photos can come from multiple sources and can be added to the same stream. This essentially means that you don’t have to go through each member of your group’s facebook page to see all the photos from the last party or concert you attended. It will all be in a single stream and one location–LiveShare.

In its most recent release, LiveShare received an extremely well-done commenting feature. This adds a new social dimension to the service by simply allowing you and your friends to make comments to the pictures in your streams. Every time that a new comment is added by you or your friends, all group members receive a notification.

While the group messaging apps’ market has become rather crowded over the past year, LiveShare’s dedication to a single function makes it special. The quality UI: attractive and easy to navigate, plus the uniformity of ‘all your pictures in a single app’, makes it very convenient and a wise choice if your social group is looking for an easy way to manage and share photos.

LiveShare is available for free on iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 7. For additional information, visit The Cooliris Blog.

LiveShare app simplifies group photo management, adds comments support is a post from: mobiputing

One of the most recognized fake-news sources, The Onion, has officially launched its Onion Tablet app for iPad.

Within the app, you’ll find most of the Onion’s daily news content, such as News in Briefs and American Voices. It features HD-quality videos
and hi-res image content such as Statshots and News in Photos. Best of all, these images are full screen, meaning the app is fully utilizing the iPad’s beautiful 10″ display. The Onion’s A.V Club project is not currently included.

The new application supports a layout which allows the users to “touch the news”, meaning it’s optimized for the iPad’s large, touch-based user interface. You can easily touch and swipe left or right to manipulate the app’s content. This style of managing an application is on the rise, as opposed to dedicated buttons at the top and bottom of the screen.

The biggest complaint being reported so far seems to be the fact that it’s ad supported, but it’s also free. One ad appears right in your face when the app opens, and it sticks around for what’s said to be longer than it should. Of course, this kind of issue can always be fixed in an update.

Onion Tablet is current exclusive to the iPad. You can download it for free from the App Store.

via Tuaw

The Onion Tablet app for iPad now available in App Store is a post from: mobiputing

The folks at the iPhone Dev Team have released updated versions of the redsn0w tool  PwnageTool that lets you jailbreak nearly any device that runs iOS 4.3.1 — the latest version of Apple’s iOS operating system. The iPad 2 isn’t currently supported, and the developers haven’t yet released the tools to carrier unlock an iPhone running iOS 4.3.1, so if you plan to use your AT&T iPhone on another network, you should probably hold off on upgrading to iOS 4.3.1 in the first place.

But for anyone else with an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 3rd or 4th generation, original iPad, or second generation Apple TV, you can now use the latest tools for untethered jailbreaking. In layman’s terms, that means you can open up your iOS device to run code that’s not officially supported by Apple and install third party apps that aren’t available in the App Store — including apps that change the core functionality of the device.

The untethered part means that you won’t need to plug your iPhone into a computer every time you want to reboot the phone. Previous jailbreak methods for iOS 4.3.x were tethered, which meant you would lose the jailbreak if you rebooted without that USB cable handy.

If you have an iPad, you’ll need to use PwnageTool, which is available for Mac. All other supported devices can be jailbroken using redsn0w, which is available for Mac and Windows.

Windows users can also use the latest version of sn0wbreeze.

The following steps will show you how to use redsn0w to jailbreak an iPod touch using a Windows computer and redsn0w. The steps for jailbreaking an iPhone or iPad will be similar. I just happened to have an iPod touch handy.

1. Download redsn0w from the iPhone Dev Team web site (or download the OS X or Windows files directly).

2. Unzip the file and open the folder.

3. Run redsn0w.exe from that folder

4. Click browse, and the app should automatically locate the appropriate ipsw file. If not, you’ll want to browse for the file. If you recently updated to iOS 4.3.1, the files will likely be located in your iTunes directory in a folder called iPod (or iPhone or iPad) Software updates.

5. After you select the file, redsn0w will take a moment to process it.

6. Click Next.

7. Redsn0w will show a progress indicator as it prepares the files to load.

8. Select the options you want. Odds are you’ll at the very least want to install Cydia, which is an app store for software that isn’t available from iTunes.

9. Select Next.

10. Make sure your iPod is connected to your computer and powered off.

11. Click Next.

12. Follow the on-screen instructions carefully, but in a nutshell you have to a) Hold the power button for three seconds b) Keep holding the power button, but now also hold the Home button for 10 seconds c) Now release the power button but keep holding the Home button for 15 seconds.

13. Redsn0w should reboot your device and you’ll see lines of code running across the screen for a while before a pineapple and progress bar show up.

14. When your device finishes rebooting you should see the icon for the Cydia Store on your home screen. You’re now jailbroken and you should be able to install unsupported apps and tweak the heck out of your iDevice.

How to jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 (untethered) is a post from: mobiputing

The 2011 Major League Baseball season’s opening day is finally here, and so is a new iPhone app to help fans follow their favorite teams.

SportingNews.com has partnered with Zumobi to launch Sporting News Baseball, an ad-supported app that delivers scores, standings, stats, league and team news, player info, recaps and exclusive fantasy league content. The app also provides access to the Sporting News baseball blog’s MLB coverage and content. 

The app’s Stats menu is the most detailed of any sports app I’ve seen (and I use many). You can view stats from the AL and NL (respectively) batting and pitching, which covers stat categories such as batting average, runs batted in, stolen bases, and home runs. The scorekeeping function is also quick and responsive, with in-game score updates highlighted as soon as they happen.

While most avid baseball fans generally look no further than the MLB At Bat series of $14.99 apps, the free Sporting News Baseball is certainly worth checking out. While not nearly as advanced and feature-rich as At Bat ’11, it still does a solid job of keeping the most dedicated baseball fan up-to-date on all the latest stats, scores and news.

Sporting News Baseball is compatible with all iOS devices and available in the App Store. It is also available on the WebOS Platform.

Free baseball updates on your smartphone: Sporting News Baseball is a post from: mobiputing

Google is working with Citigroup and and MasterCard to develop a mobile purchasing system for Android smartphones. This would allow users to make purchases by simply waving their devices at a checkout counter.

Rather than swiping your MasterCard or debit card at a counter, you might soon be waving your Droid to pay for purchases. This would be done by activating a mobile-payment application designed for your specific Android phone model.

In addition to the payment technology, Android users would also be able to manage credit-card accounts and track spending on their device. This can be done now, of course, but I suspect that this function will be included in one universal payment application. The payment system is expected to require that your device have an NFC chip. Currently, the Samsung Nexus S is the only Android phone available that includes the technology.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the planned payment system would allow Google to offer retailers more data about their customers and help them target ads to mobile-device users near their stores. In turn, this would be a huge boost to the company’s advertising operation. The WSJ also reported that Walmart is already negotiating with Google.

via Techland

Google to add mobile payment features to Android OS is a post from: mobiputing

If you’re an Android user who’s concerned with your information’s privacy, there’s a new app in the Android Market worth checking out. Privacy Blocker is a tool for those who want to protect themselves from data mining and other invasions of privacy. 

Privacy Blocker scans all the applications you have installed, then identifies what data the apps are requesting about your device. It will then “fix” the privacy issue by replacing that data inside the app with fake data. For example, if an app is requesting that your phone number be sent to a server, Privacy Blocker will create a bogus 10 digit number.

In its Android Market app description, the developer correctly points out that other apps like Anti-Virus Pro, Lookout Mobile Security, and McAfee WaveSecure can’t find and fix problems the way Privacy Blocker can. This is because it can actually scan through other apps’ codes to find privacy issues. You can also customize these default values (privacy concerns) and make them virtually anything you want.

Privacy Blocker has an attractive and simple interface. You’ll find separate ‘boxes’ for each scanned app set against an aqua blue fingerprint background. Up to five apps can be processed at once.

Download Privacy Blocker today from the Android Market for $1.99 for a limited time. You can also download the app’s free (lite) version, Privacy Inspector, which is limited to just scanning your applications.

via Boing Boing

Privacy Blocker for Android keeps personal data secure is a post from: mobiputing

As a professional union musician and general lover of music, I can never seem to get enough out of the musical side of my iPhone. Although the App Store is well-categorized and has an excellent search function for finding music-related apps, there are loads of hidden gems in the App Store that you might not find unless you know what to look for.

Here are three of my favorites music apps for the iPhone and iPod touch.

1. bumpMusic  ($.99):

Apps don’t come much more underrated than bumpMusic. First released in January, 2010, this jukebox app only has 7 user ratings.  However, it’s the ultimate app if you’re interested in impressing your friends.

BumpMusic allows you to control your music by bumping the table your iPhone is sitting on, all within the app’s 60′s style jukebox interface.

Simply bump the table and it starts your selected songs (synced from iPod), bump twice to skip to a new track, and bump three times to go to a previous song. Tap the center of the jukebox to re-arrange and add songs to the app’s playlist. If you download the app, be prepared for some lag and bugginess. Still, it does exactly what it says, and remains responsive to even a subtle bump.

It’s safe to say the app was inspired by Happy Days’ Fonzie and his amazing fist-bumping abilities. While the Fonze had a way with the ladies, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend pulling this out on the first date, but it’s fun and entertaining nonetheless.

2. Dragonfly (free):

Dragonfly Search is a great app to help you discover new things about your favorite artists. It’s powered by Last.fm, so it tracks the listening statistics of millions of users worldwide, such as global listening trends. If you’re not a Last.fm user, which I’m not, don’t worry. The app’s central feature is its search functionality.

Dragonfly’s initial menu categorizes searches into departments such as Artists, Albums and Events among several others, making it easy to search for exactly what you want. For example, tapping ‘Events’ and searching for Aerosmith provides you with the band’s touring schedule.

Searching for an album title retrieves the album’s background information. Tap ‘Top Artists’ and you’ll find Last.fm’s most popular artists.  I’ve found this to be a great way to discover new music.

Soon, the app will provide information on what hardware and gear was being used by a particular artist or in an album/song. For a free app, Dragonfly’s ease of use and clean interface make it a great pickup in the App Store, and its future updates look bright.

3. Steinway Metronome (free):

Steinway & Sons has been making world class pianos for 150 years. The company’s foray into the mobile app market is a bit less storied, but Steinway’s full-featured metronome app is fantastic.

Musicians can customize the time signature, visual indicator, and sound options to your own preferences. You can also change the look of the metronome by adjusting the wood finish color scheme, which is something no other free metronome app can do. The polished design of the app, from the dial to the customizable wood finish, is its unique feature that sets it apart from other metronome apps in the App Store.

Three months ago, I couldn’t have recommended this metronome in good conscience. The time-keeping was notoriously inaccurate and unclear, which is obviously a deal-breaker for a metronome. With the most recent update (version 1.1.3), however, Steinway fixed the beating perfectly, and added other features such as landscape mode and a visual indicator. Hopefully in the next version, the volume capability gets a healthy raise. In the meantime, this free app deserves high marks for its functionality and feature set.

3 great (but underrated) music apps for the iPhone is a post from: mobiputing

Shortly after becoming an online writer, I began using Google’s Chrome desktop web browser as an alternative to Apple’s  Safari browser for desktop computers. Within a week, I had completely abandoned Safari for Chrome and its blazing fast page load speeds, and I took my 50+ bookmarks with me.

To keep up with these, I went app hunting in Apple’s App Store for a bookmark-syncing application where I could manage my desktop bookmarks on the go. To my surprise, very few mobile bookmark managers existed for Chrome. The only one I came across was Ukrainian app-maker Eugene Balun’s ChromeSync.

ChromeSync is a simple app that provides an immensely useful service with a solid feature set. By logging into your Google Chrome account in the app (it can support several), ChromeSync retrieves your bookmarks and retains their folders and subfolders. From the app, you can add, edit and delete your bookmarks, as well as re-order them. You can also search your bookmarks and view your recently viewed pages history.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t pack an integrated browser, meaning when you want to open a bookmark in a browser, by default ChromeSync will launch the mobile Safari browser. Recently the developer also added the option of using a third party browser. So if you use Opera or Skyfire, ChromeSync will let you open your bookmarks with that instead.

The app’s design reminds me of iPhone’s settings app. It’s simple, but fast and without a trace of lag. You’ll see a black text on white background, with your bookmarks’ icons to the left of their titles. On the bottom right corner, you can do a universal search of the app’s content. The bar at the bottom of the screen shows the total amount of changes made to your bookmarks in the app.

ChromeSync will cost you $0.99 in the App Store, which includes all of the features listed above. ChromeSync Lite, the free version, is described by its designer, Eugune Balun, as having ”only restriction – No more than two levels of hierarchy.” In my testing, the Lite version was prone to crashing. However, the ChromeSync paid version is well worth its $0.99 price tag.

Manage your Chrome bookmarks with ChromeSync app for iPhone is a post from: mobiputing

Caribou is an Android app that does what RFID cardkeys do with locked doors. Caribou remotely connects to a server managing the locks at a supposedly secure location, and exploits the servers’ poor security controls.

The app was written by written by security researcher Ian Robertson as a proof-of-concept demonstration of what he calls “incredibly poor security controls.” Ironically, these controls are supposed to protect widely used cardkey door control systems.

By providing Caribou with the IP address of the target cardkey system/device, the button “Unlock” will access the cardkey system and unlock all available doors in sequence. The app allows 30 seconds for entry and then re-locks all of the doors. According to Robertson and the guy who reported the importance of his app, Michael Gough (Hacker Hurricane), Caribou has the capability of performing a “brute-force” of any customized security PIN used with the system. A brute force attack is known to hackers as a highly effective password cracking method that simply tries to use every possible character combination as a password.

Both Robertson and Gough are reportedly working with US-CERT on the security flaws so that appropriate measures will be taken. However, if you have a cardkey system with an IP address open to the public, it wouldn’t hurt add a firewall for extra security. Businesses large and small need to go the extra mile in protecting their IP addresses, which hackers can find via email, shared public files and malicious programs managed offsite. Fortunately, Caribou has not been released to the public.

For more on Caribou, check out the video below.

via Engadget

Caribou app for Android exploits popular cardkey security systems is a post from: mobiputing