Any interactive media in the recent times sound obsolete without having its own iPhone application. And the latest to join the party is your very own CNN – which has been keeping you updated on the latest news and views around the world; but with the world going fast and mobile, it was an absolute necessity to make it available to the exclusive smartphone circle. So, what better than coming up with an Interactive News App?
The USP of CNN’s Interactive News App is that it has been developed keeping into account the iPhone’s latest capabilities. The application besides offering news delivery in a variety of formats can be used by users not only for downloading but for uploading news as well. This feature of the app that introduces iReport, makes it easier for citizen journalists (iReporters) to file their own video news reports from the field.
The required specifications for installing CNN app is iPhone OS 3.1. The application basically features four major sections: Headlines; My CNN - which defaults to weather and traffic but can also display local news from third-party affiliates; a Follow tab for tracking specific stories such as China or the wildfire in California; and Saved, which allows you to mark articles for future reading. Features: CNN Interactive News App
The CNN iPhone app has several advanced features than its web and mobile applications. In short, the CNN app features
- Well-designed live breaking news video and archived stories in short text, long text, video, and photo formats.
- Technology to capture and submit user-generated photos and (on the iPhone 3GS) videos for CNN iReport.
- Personalization and location tools
- Push notification
- The app is also supported by advertisements. Here the users can click on an ad, visit a sponsor's site, and make a quick return to their location in the app for the continued experience - reading news or watching video.
- The app also allows you to search news and content by following specific keywords. This is possible only on the iPhone app and not on the website CNN.com; thereby, saving time.
- All stories related to your keywords are stored in the iPhone’s memory cache and appear in the MyCNN section. Moreover, the app allows you to automatically save stories of interest by tagging them one-by-one in a special section for offline reading.
- CNN iPhone app is used exclusively to provide content from CNN.com. This app will always provide you news headlines in real time and will include similar, configurable breaking news alerts as in mobile services.
- Reports from reliable sources reveal that Apple had presented CNN.com with bandwidth guidelines for its videos. You can see that the video portion of the app call for lots of wireless bandwidth, which can be an expensive proposition for carriers (and users without unlimited data plans).
- CNN iPhone app features rich and enhanced imagery and video than CNN's mobile WAP site. The new iPhone app is dominated by video and enhanced by text in comparison to CNN's mobile site, which is dominated by text and enhanced by video.
- The app offers a live stream from CNN Live from which you can share content using e-mail, text message or social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
How it works
- The CNN iPhone app works with the help of an across-and-down navigation system. This makes for easy readability – as you can easily look over a large number of stories, (each marked by two bullet points of text and an image).
- The application also calls for a revolution in the way readers browse articles. Here the iPhone users can choose a category; say, United Kingdom or World news—and then see a lineup of about 10 stories. If you click say the first story, the app will display the story along with an image and video link. You can now navigate left or right, and track stories of your choice.
- If any of the stories interest you, the app allows you to probe deeper by tapping through to a video or text article.
- You can flip the iPhone sideways to bring up a tiled interface (now in landscape mode) the app will display the same array of articles using Cover Flow-like animation. You may also swipe a finger left or right across the screen scrolls between stories.
Become a CNN iReporter
Do you take interest in breaking news amongst your friends and colleagues? Well, you can definitely transform your interest into a profession by becoming CNN iReporter, courtesy CNN iPhone app. The app allows users to not only download, but also upload news. It is to encourage mobile reporting from the ground on any location where you as send iReport by recording it on the move. You can then edit it with the iPhone’s inbuilt video software (or capture footage from within the CNN app itself) and then upload it to CNN.com from the field.
Then, the content has to go through the selection process on the back-end, where editors may transcribe on certain ones before approval and on selection; they'll show up as vetted in iReport. Analysts are weighing CNN’s viability in involving eminent itinerant reporters for the service by linking it up with remote networks. This will facilitate iReporters to upload breaking news videos once to CNN and syndicate from there. Pricing
The CNN app costs $1.99 and is available in the App Store. This app although more expensive than the free mobile web version of CNN.com and other free alternatives, proves its worth by exploiting a wide range of the iPhone’s latest features.
An Apple update has always been exciting for all iPhone users and even more inspiring for the iPhone dev team and the large following of users who use unlocked/ jailbreak iPhone.
Although there has been no official acceptance of iPhone unlocking, the steady increase of iPhone users opting for jailbreak iPhone is on the rise and the number of readers (currently at 36, 162) following the iPhone dev team blog boosts confidence in itself.
One factor that has been keeping the dev team stressed on and off is that, if you are interested to continue with the jailbreak or unlock on your 3GS, you should restrain all temptations to install Apple’s official firmware updates; and that too without knowing if a jailbreak is viable for that version yet. If you acknowledge official updates regardless of waiting a different bootrom exploit for the 3GS that doesn’t require a signed official iBoot, it may cause you to be disconnected from the jailbreak.
What IF you ‘unknowingly’ take an official 3GS update…
It happens many a times when after being tempted to install the latest Apple updates for the iPhone 3GS into your jailbroken iPhone; you regret the decision and ponder if there was a way to retract. The dev team clearly cautions against this practice; however, at the same time it definitely the shows the way for all those who like to revert to a jailbreakable 3GS (not unlock).
You can opt for the dev team blog suggested methods like the iTunes /tmp technique and let us know your feedback. You may also seek the help of saurik’s new ’on file’ server method to future proof the jailbreak iPhone 3GS throughout all potential updates. The iPhone dev team also reiterates the need to avoid doing an actual firmware update, even after adjusting your iTunes setup.
iPhone ‘unlocking’ is lost with 3G S update
There are some clouds of confusion about the impact of Apple iPhone 3G S update on unlocked and jailbreak iPhone. Here, the dev team makes an incredible attempt to educate the users that ‘jailbreaking and unlocking have two different security mechanisms’. Even if you can restore jailbreak iPhone on installing Apple updates, you will possibly lose your carrier unlock forever on updating your 3GS (or 3G) to 3.1 or downgrading from 3.1 to 3.0.
Moreover, the dev team has developed method by which you will be able to create custom 3.1 IPSWs using PwnageTool. This allows you to pre-hack your 3.1 update in a specific way that helps you preserve the carrier unlock. So, there are no hassles involved; get ready for the excitement and unlock your iPhone with easyiphoneunlocking.com.
Mobile technology took another great leap as AT&T enabled MMS feature for iPhone users. It came after a much awaited haul since Apple announced the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) on the iPhone 3G and 3GS last summer. It’s an irony that you had to wait until today for AT&T to finally make it into a reality.
Enabling MMS on your iPhone is pretty simple. All you need to do is connect to iTunes where you can receive an instant update, to be downloaded in seconds. Are you sure your device is ready? To confirm, go to Settings > General > About. You have to reboot the Apple iPhone, once the download is complete. Soon after you can find the MMS functionality enabled and users can start sending those picture messages.
Moreover, besides your device being iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS (the original iPhone users are refrained of the MMS feature); you will have to make sure you have the latest iPhone 3.1 software update. Apart from that, your carrier version should be AT&T 5.5. Apple iPhone MMS – How it works
Everything about Apple has an aura and touch of elegancy; and this MMS feature is nonetheless different than its other software in this regard. Here you can find that the picture messaging is built into the Messages app used for SMS. The app already has a new ‘camera’ button that allows you capture a photo or video, or even attach a photo or video stored on the iPhone.
So the next time when you receive a picture or video message, all you need to do is tap on the thumbnail image in the Messages app to expand or play it; or hold down your finger on the picture to copy it. You can paste it into your camera album by just jumping over to your Photos app.
Can MMS be the savior in Apple-AT&T relationship?
There have been a number of theories doing the rounds about the recent upgrading of AT&T’s infrastructure to support MMS on the iPhone. Although, it is widely speculated that the exclusive carrier for iPhone is making a staggering attempt to increase its chances of continuing with Apple as is exclusive agreement with the smartphone giant is due to expire at the end of 2010.
Industry analysts consider this as an aggressive step by AT&T to retain its exclusivity in the United States, amide wide speculations that Apple is also in talks with Verizon and is weighing all options. However, time will say if enabling of MMS feature for can in any way act as the savior in Apple-AT&T relationship.
Why was AT&T apprehensive about MMS launch
It was not all smooth sailing for MMS as it made its way to reach out to iPhone users, with AT&T expressing much apprehension and nervousness prior to the recent release. It’s surprising that in spite of being one of the most sophisticated smartphones till date, the device lacked a basic feature like MMS. It was not too long ago, when iPhone users devoid of MMS feature had to opt for specific websites to access the MMS picture or video message sent (which was a shame as simple mobile phones come with the feature).
The apprehension from AT&T was mainly in regard to the carrier anticipating a mad rush in network traffic post MMS roll out on Friday. However, reports go by that AT&T has been upgrading their infrastructure over the last few months, in a bid to support the new MMS feature unveiled by Apple last June. In spite of that AT&T was nervous as their trial hinted at the possibility of a little ‘rocky’ experience as AT&T estimated a 40 percent increase with the new launch.
Have you enabled MMS on an iPhone 3G or 3GS? Let us know how it's working out for you.
For all those who are closely following the iPhone world, there is an evident question in everyone’s mind – Who will blink first: Apple Inc. or the iPhone dev team? Well, the cat and mouse game will continue for forever and both parties it seems are enjoying their prowess.
As Apple Inc. basks in the glory of its new and improved device with better features and functionalities it missed out on its prior version; the dev team on the other hand has built a powerful connect with the audience through its blog, and offers ready-made solution to all the shortcomings you experience in your iPhone device, just by jailbreaking your iPhone.
Dev-Team Releases iPhone 3.1 Jailbreak
In a recent development, the iPhone dev team has offered to release Pwnage Tool 3.1 for Mac OS X. This release will enable iPhone OS 3.1 jailbreak as well as facilitate unlocking. Divulging more details on this release, the dev team reveals that it has for now opted for multi-part release of iPhone OS 3.1 jailbreak, citing reasons to Apple’s update technique.
In the meantime, pwnage tool will enable jailbreak for first generation iPhone, iPhone 3G and first generation iPod Touch. However, the Pwnage Tool 3.1 will not support iPhone 3GS, second generation iPod Touch and third generation iPod Touch currently, according to a statement issued by the iPhone dev team.
How will Pwnage Tool 3.1 work?
For the users of iPhone and iPhone 3G who have ultrasn0w on your phones, you can first start by creating a custom .ipsw file using Pwnage Tool and later on upgrade your devices with the new custom .ipsw file. At the same time, iPhone 3G users will require to carry on using ultrasn0w with Pwnage Tool created .ipsw in order to apply their phone with iPhone OS 3.1 update.
For all the first generation iPod Touch users, they can use firmware 3.1.1 update to create a custom .ipsw with Pwnage Tool. Moreover, news is also rife that the redsn0w tool for Windows and Mac OS X will be released some time soon. So isn’t this a classic case of cat and mouse game between the two entities? So, get ready for the game - you too can be a part of it; unlock your iPhone now with easyiphoneunlocking.com and Get Set Go....
Yet to be fixed…
The iPhone-Dev team has been honest enough to throw light on the fact that unlocked users on the 3G may notice the name and/or logo of their carrier missing, in spite of having full bars and signals. They have referred to it as cosmetic issue, which will not impact your signal or coverage. However, the dev team is confident that they will be able to ‘fix’ this issue with the release of the 3GS compatible version of PwnageTool.
Apple iPhone has practically offered its users anything they wish for. You must have always wished to edit Word and Excel files, including docs and sheets on your Apple iPhone or iPod touch. However, you must have felt intimidated for not being able to run Microsoft Office on the devices.
Recently, the much in-demand writing and editing features are being offered by Quickoffice, the company providing Microsoft Office document support for the past 12 years to Symbian, Blackberry, Palm and now to Apple iPhone. The application also allows you to access and email files from your MobileMe iDisk, mount your Apple handheld on your desktop as a wireless drive, etc.
Why Choose Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite 1.4.1
Here are a few of the viable reasons that make Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite 1.4.1 a must buy application.
- App performance is very fast and responsive.
- Application installation is simple and quick with no desktop client to install; just simple browser files transfer from any computer
- The app offers completely functioning productivity suite delivered instantly; so you need not wait for Excel and no need to purchase MS Exchange to access or email files
- The application offers powerful, rich features for power users such as two finger zoom
- The application allows easy access and sharing of files, apart from user-friendly intuitive UI - no confusing menus
- Besides that, the app offers guaranteed Microsoft compatibility with 100% data integrity.
- Round-the-clock responsive customer support and services.
Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite 1.4.1 Features
- Quickoffice's integrated application for the iPhone offers enterprise-grade Microsoft Word and Excel Office functionality. It helps edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets.
- The app also allows the transfer of desktop files via WiFi and Email files directly via iPhone
- You can remotely access MobileMe® iDisk® accounts and mount your iPhone device as a drive with the help of this application.
- Quickoffice supports an absolute collection of file formats including .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff, .gif, .svg for Images; .doc, .docx for Microsoft Word; .xls, .xlsx for Microsoft Excel; .ppt, .pptx for Microsoft PowerPoint; .pages, .numbers and .key for Apple iWork.
- The application also supports .pdf (but not password-protected PDFs) for Adobe Acrobat; .htm, .html for Web Pages; .txt for Text. Besides that, it also supports .mp3 for Audio and .mov, .qt for Video.
Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite 1.4.1 app - All about Quickword and Quicksheet
Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite 1.4.1 application supports file creation and editing, amidst limited resources and capabilities. While, Quickword module focuses on Microsoft Word; Quicksheet handles Excel.
Quickword is an advanced Word Document Processing module of the application which allows editing and creation of files, shrewd cut, copy and paste of text and high-fidelity rendering. The app module also allows comprehensive text formatting; bold, italics, font sizes, font styles with the option to wrap text at any zoom level thus eliminating repetitive left/right scrolling. Apart from that, you can confidently edit with auto-save & auto-restore other than quickly edit bulleted or numbered lists. You may also easily use double/triple tap for word/paragraph selection.
Quicksheet, on the other hand is an advanced Excel Spreadsheet Editor which supports advanced Excel features and can offer professional editing & creation of Excel spreadsheets. The app module also allows you to simply tap, hold & drag column or row headers for increasing or decreasing column width and row height.
It also offers extensive formatting in font color, bold, italic, cell background, accounting, decimals, currency and currency symbols. You can also double tap on a cell & drag to select a range and easily recalculate after changing inputs.
The Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite 1.4.1 is available in the iTunes App Store for just $9.99. You can view a broad range of other files with this application; overall, it is a perfect app for all ardent MS Office users on the move.
If you are a music lover and have been keeping your fingers crossed for the day when a subscription-based music service arrives on your iPhone, then it’s the time to rejoice as Rhapsody has been approved by Apple Inc. for iPhone and iPod Touch. Rhapsody music service is available in the iTunes App Store for free download.
It is second such service made available at the App Store by Apple recently, the first being Spotify. However, Spotify is not available in the United States; therefore, it is anticipated that Rhapsody app will fulfill all expectations of iPhone users in America.
About Rhapsody
As we keep showering our praises on the introduction of Rhapsody app for the iPhone, it is however, not a new entrant to the world of music. Rhapsody pioneered subscription-based music way back in 2005 making people crazy with all the musical options and functionalities it had to offer, cutting across music lovers of all genres; which perhaps will not be possible with per-download services like iTunes. Rhapsody: How it works
- Rhapsody for iPhone is free for download from the iTunes App Store; however, you will require a subscription to the Rhapsody music service for availing the iPhone advantage.
- For that, you will have to firstly sign up on your computer, and only then can log in on your iPhone.
- Rhapsody app allows you to search for albums, songs, and artists from Real Networks' catalog of tracks and then add them to your queue for listening.
- From the queue, the songs are streamed to your iPhone or iPod touch via 3G or Wi-Fi.
- You can also create playlists and add music titles to your library; and all these are done by keeping in sync with the PC-based Rhapsody counterpart.
- With the ready availability of 3G or a Wi-Fi connection available, and an unlimited music streamed to your iPhone for $15 per month, you will never feel the requirement to go on to iTunes and download the songs you like by just queuing them up on Rhapsody.
Rhapsody App Features
- The Rhapsody iPhone app allows you to search for songs, surf genres and chart-toppers, and create queues and playlists.
- For all the fans of Pandora, the Rhapsody Radio feature, offers tailor-made stations built around particular artists or genres.
- With Rhapsody for iPhone, you can enjoy non-stop music as you can have active Wi-Fi or 3G connection.
- Rhapsody app is free download; however Rhapsody to Go subscription priced at $14.99 a month is required to avail the service.
Rhapsody App Limitation
Rhapsody is a breakthrough iPhone application; however, there are certain limitations which need to be worked on in the next version. For instance, Rhapsody for iPhone is not adept for offline listening of songs and the music is available as long as the Internet connection does. So, the application becomes obsolete in zero-networking (just as in a flight) as it does not have the capability to store songs or playlists for offline listening.
This is not the case for iTunes on your iPhone and even Spotify for iPhone, which it claims can store up to 3,000 songs locally. RealNetworks, the company behind Rhapsody has divulged that the later version of the application will allow you to store songs locally. However, no definite date has been indicated yet.
Moreover, Rhapsody cannot be played in the background as Apple allows only a handful of application to run in the background. Other than that another limitation that requires attention is that, landscaping mode of Rhapsody is unavailable. Have you found any more limitations, do share with us.
Apple is well-known for not disappointing its fans; because it believes in gratifying the anticipation of people to come true (by leaking forthcoming events), rather than giving a surprise or a shock. And keeping alive the trend, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the much awaited iPhone 3.1software update on the expected date Wednesday, September 09, 2009 amidst thunderous applause at the Yerba Buena Center during the “Rock and Roll” event.
The iPhone community waited with bated breath about the important announcement from Apple Inc. that can transform the way the iTunes App Store works. As Steve Jobs makes his first public appearance at the San Fransisco meet after his liver surgery. Apart from making several music-related announcements, some of which involved the iPhone, it has also released a new version of iTunes - the iTunes 9, which has the ability to manage iPhone applications within iTunes itself.
What is it all about iTunes 9?
Apple’s new version of iTunes, iTunes v9 has a few attractive features and has improved upon some limitations.
- The iTunes can be used to manage the iPhone home screen and move the icons around right from iTunes.
- The other assertive feature to envy is Home Sharing, which makes the iTunes capable of supporting multiple computers. Moreover, it also allows you to copy songs, TV shows, etc. connecting up to 5 computers. Besides providing you the facility to see all the computers you can share with, and its contents, you will also be able to drag it and copy it to your library.
- The other notable features that come with iTunes 9 are - improved syncing, genius mixes and iTunes LP.
- You can also send items in the iTunes Store as gifts, add them to a wishlist, and publish them to Facebook and Twitter.
New Features: Apple iPhone 3.1 software update
- The base note is that iPhone OS 3.1 will apply New Genius technology to Apps. As it becomes practically difficult to find new applications from amongst 75,000 apps in the App Store; the Genius media-recommendation algorithm was offered by Apple’s to its iPhone applications. It functions by looking at the apps you already own and making recommendations based on that information.
- In addition iPhone 3.1 beefs up the iPhone’s ringtone capability, allowing you to download over 30,000 ringtones from 4 major labels via a Ringtones section in the iPhone’s iTunes application. Ringtones will cost $1.29 apiece, and iTunes will feature free previews and one-click purchasing. They will also automatically show up in the iPhone’s Settings once they’ve been downloaded.
Dev Team warns Unlocked iPhone users: Do not use 3.1 software update
The unofficial iPhone Dev Team has warned iPhone users who have unlocked/jailbroken their iPhone to keep away from the new Apple iPhone OS 3.1, because you will lose your ultrasn0w unlock once you update to Apple’s new software using the normal iTunes process. They have also cautioned against permanent loss citing reasons that for most people the baseband firmware cannot be reverted to a previous version (unlike the main application CPU firmware).
Update: The iPhone 3.1 is free for all iPhone and iPod touch owners and will be available on Wednesday via iTunes.
The hottest news making the rounds is that Apple Inc. may soon change their perception of one exclusive carrier for iPhone and move on to bring the device to multiple carriers by next summer, 2010.
This smart move by the smartphone giant is considered to be a revolutionary attempt to maximize market penetration, considering the success of the multiple-carrier strategy Apple adopted in France.
Reports are rife that Apple is making a gradual transition of its present one nation-single carrier strategy to multi carrier model by 2010. This comes closely to statistics of good business and commanding around 40 percent of market share in France since Apple moved on from its exclusivity to French wireless carrier Orange, a multi-carrier model. Can Verizon Wireless changes the fortunes of Apple Inc in the U.S?
The exclusive carrier contract for iPhones in the United States belongs to AT&T until 2010; and rumors are doing the round that Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest carrier, with which Apple was in talks earlier, maybe a strong contender to it’s multi-carrier model.
As of now, Verizon’s current network doesn’t support the iPhone. So, once Apple gets in sync with Verizon’s network – as it completes its transition to 4G, by way of its Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology. Experts opine that this transition process could take several years, or it could opt for iPhone redesigning so as to adapt itself to work on Verizon Wireless’ existing infrastructure.
Apple Iphones Expanding To More Countries
Apart from working on the multi carrier model strategy, Apple is also considering expanding overseas iPhone sales from about 80 countries at present to 120 by the end of 2009. Moreover, Apple in much anticipation of its successful China Unicom deal has also predicted the rise of the Chinese market to comprise about 10 percent of all iPhone sales worldwide.
The contribution of the iPhone in dealing with various social causes is not unknown. It was not too long ago when Apple App Store approved of a breakthrough application to track the menace of swine flu called the Swine Flu Tracker app.
Since then, there has been many such applications knocking at the doors of Apple to be a part of the prestigious iTunes App Store. One such application that has managed to garner many eyeballs in its recent release is an application connoted ‘Outbreaks Near Me’.
‘Outbreaks Near Me’ app facilitates iPhone users to track and report local outbreaks of infectious disease. This application has been developed by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and the MIT Media Lab. The application skillfully combines the inbuilt GPS system in the iPhone with outbreak tracking information from HealthMap.org. The HealthMap.org is a cutting edge system that unearths official and unofficial Internet data sources for information on outbreaks of infectious diseases. How it works
Outbreaks Near Me app not only allows ‘location-based alerts’ of infectious disease outbreaks, but also allows iPhone users to set alerts to notify users of new local outbreaks especially when they are foraying into new areas.
The basic purpose of this application according to HealthMap.org co-founder John S. Brownstein is to make people aware of the prevailing health conditions and the precautions (including vaccinations) they ought to take accordingly while traveling to a new location.
The ‘Outbreaks Near Me’ app however, does not limit itself to just providing alerts, but also allows users to submit reports including photos (if possible) of potential outbreaks from their own iPhones, to be reviewed later by HealthMap. The application has been a major assistance in offering H1N1 alerts in recent times.
Experts in this field have acknowledged the contribution of the ‘Outbreaks Near Me’ app in cautioning people about H1N1 affected areas; even though it may not be probably beneficial in diagnosing individual H1N1 cases. However, experts consider the app as a very interesting technique, which could be fruitful in offering health officials with additional information on general incidence trends.
Basic Concept – For the people, by the people
The basic concept behind the ‘Outbreaks Near Me’ app is an attempt to place public health information in the hands of a larger number of people. With the help of this app, IPhone users who would like to seek information about the spread of swine flu or other infectious diseases in their area can track reports in real time.
Sharing his thoughts on this, Chris Freifeld, co-founder of HealthMap has said that this app has been developed for the empowerment of citizens in the cause of public health. It will not only provide users quick access to real-time information, but also encourage them to share their own observations, knowledge and expertise as well.
‘Outbreaks Near Me’ app is available for free download in the iTunes App Store. Statistics indicate that about 5,000 people downloaded the app on its first day.
Any interactive media in the recent times sound obsolete without having its own 
