Appletell

Maverick Software has announced its line of iPhone and iPod Touch games that will be available through Apple’s App Store. All these games are built from the ground up and are fully native to the iPod Touch and iPhone. With four new games, this company really wants to make an impact in the App Store. Here they are:

• Comet Cowboy - This is an original, $4.99 game that consists of an outer space mining expedition. Users have to use their finger to draw a lasso around comets and try to gather as many of them as they can within the time limit to advance.  It also contains a high score list, so you can compete with all of your friends.
• Yulan Mahjong Solitaire - This version of solitaire contains eight different board layouts and full support for panning, zooming, etc.  If you get stuck, you can use the built in hint feature, reshuffle your tiles, or sort through the infinite undos. This game is also $4.99
• Snowglobe - Coming in at $.99, this is simply a snowglobe application. You can adjust the size, speed, and numbers of the snow flakes, and then simply shake your device to move them around. You can even use a picture from your photo library to put in the inside.
• Blip Solitaire - Free at the launch of the App Store, this game simply asks users to move their paddle around and keep the ball bouncing for as long as possible.

Do any of these games sound interesting to you?  If so, they will all be available at the launch of the App Store for you to grab a hold of and touch. Could it possibly take any longer for July 11th to come around?

Product [Maverick Software]

According to AppleInsider, Apple and Best Buy have plans to expand their Mac Program well beyond 600 stores (they currently have about 500), but could face some difficulties due to real estate issues. Apple asks that their large kiosks are in a central location that is easily visible, and they are currently in most of the larger stores which have about 35,000 to 50,000 square feet of room. However, due to the size of their kiosks, which contain large LCD displays and computers, the smaller Best Buy stores are having trouble finding room for Apple.

Hopefully, they will be able to figure this out soon because Best Buy is increasingly helping Mac sales. Research analysts believe Best Buy is not only “...presenting the Apple image, but is actually pushing healthy volumes of Macs out of its in-store boutiques.” They go on to add that this shows in the near 51% Mac increase this past year. Best Buy currently runs about 1,150 stores worldwide, so further expansion of this program could be of great help to Apple.

Via [AppleInsider]

According to some recent patents published by Apple, they want you to be able to control your touch devices not only with your finger but with your fingernails and gestures as well. Many of these patents credit either John Elias or Wayne Westerman, both of whom founded FingerWorks, a company that Apple got ahold of in 2005. For example, one patent describes a technology that could decipher between different body parts by analyzing the pixel values of the area touched.

Another patent further describes a new method of touch technology. The user could not only use the skin on his finger to activate a menu, but could flip his finger over to use his fingernail to apply pressure and bring up a different menu. And finally, Apple seems to realize that all of these different touching techniques may become too confusing. A third patent allows for hand gestures to control devices, and it could work by following the color trail left behind by the hand. Although this idea isn’t new, I’m sure Apple could execute it in an innovative way.

These are all very interesting ideas, but we must remember they are just patents. Apple tends to get patents that are never put into context. I suppose we will just have to wait and see if our iTablet ever does come out.

Via [AppleInsider]

Berbie Software’s Trailrunner application has been updated to version 1.7, and now supports the Nike+ SportBand as well as nikeplus.com. This means runners can now display their Nike running data in Trailrunner and analyze their performance with Trailrunner’s built in tools. Another major update to this version is improved GPS support for optimized course merging and a better overall workout history chart.  For those of you with heart rate monitors, you will also see improved support.

Trailrunner “...is route planning software for all kinds of long distance sports, like running, biking, hiking, inline-skating, skiing and more...” and comes with a ton of features. With this app, you can easily calculate a route of any distance, then have the directions exported to your iPod. Once your run is done, Trailrunner offers many features to help you analyze your performance. You can manage your goals, add personal notes, and publish your results with .Mac. If running is your thing, be sure to check Trailrunner out.

Product [Trailrunner]

Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Seven problems with the iPhone 3G
  “The new iPhone 3G hasn’t even been released yet, but seven problems with the new iPhone have already been pointed out by many, all of which have been based on demos and published specs of what the iPhone 3G…” MORE »
• 10,000+ Canadians petition for lower iPhone 3G rates from Rogers
  “ The iPhone is finally making its way to Canada on July 11, 2008 and Canadians aren’t as happy about it as they should be due to voice and data rates from one of the only two carriers that will be…” MORE »
• Apple to Intel: No iPhone for you.
  “Apple has given Intel the cold shoulder and has decided to not use their chips in the next generation iPhone 3G. Although Intel is working hard to produce smaller versions of their popular and powerful x86 chips, Apple “...chose not to take that road map…” MORE »
• Telstra announces the iPhone 3G prices for Australia
  “So, while Canadian iPhone fans are petitioning for lower iPhone 3G rates from Rogers, our friends from the land down under will most probably be happier with the pricing rates of the iPhone 3G when it hits the Australian market on…” MORE »
• Turn your old iPhone into a WiFi iPod
  “If you still don’t know what you’re going to do with your old iPhone once you upgrade to the iPhone 3G, AT&T is suggesting something which might actually appeal to you and the rest of the old iPhone users. AT&T will allow…” MORE »

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Marware doesn’t just give the iPhone 3G some love with their cases, they also share it with the iPhone’s thin sister, the MacBook Air. This time around they have two new cases for you to decide between. The first is called the Sportfolio Deluxe and is available for $79.99. The strap on this case is easily adjustable and it comes with plenty of room for your accessories. It is made with black neoprene on the outside and a plush liner on the inside, giving your laptop ultimate protection.

Details and images after the break.

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Midnight Mansion 1.1.4, a free update to ActionSoft’s popular action/exploration game, has been released. The update can be downloaded from the ActionSoft website and contains the following improvements:

• Turned off an output log option that was accidentally left on in version 1.1.0 and later, that may have caused occasional brief pauses in the game while playing.
• Fixed a bug in Castle Doom Hard, room 16703 where Jack could get stuck if he fell to his death in the wrong spot.
• You can now register the game from any admin account to register it on all user accounts on the computer at once. Just make sure the admin account you use to register the game was not already registered. If it was, follow the instructions in the FAQ.

Continue exploring past the break.

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Looks like it might be time to invest in a Macbook Air, that’s if you’ve been holding of. Apple quietly, and without explanation, has slashed the price of the 1.8GHz model to just $2598 which is $500 than it’s previous price at $3098. Adding the solid-state drive to the 1.6GHz model will now cost just $599 from its previous $999 and will reduce the price of upgrading the 1.6GHz processor to the faster 1.8GHz model from $300 to $200.

Apple hasn’t officially noted the price drop, but it’s obvious that the increase in SSD production has led the to the cheaper price points. All the Air needs now is a larger storage capacity (and more power), but the wait shouldn’t be too long as Samsung, which currently produces the SSDs for the Macbook Air, have said they could be delivering cheap 256GB SSD drives later this year, as well as a 128GB model.

Product [MacBook Air]

It seems AT&T has learned its lesson from the release of the first generation iPhone last year, as the company has decided to open its stores at 8:00 a.m. on July 11th, rather than at 6:00 p.m. when the original iPhone was released. AT&T’s early opening is specifically targeted towards customers who wish to purchase Apple’s newest iPhone 3G, which will be released that day.

To gearing up for a busy day and to help ease the stress that July 11th is sure to bring, AT&T will open the doors “...bright and early to sell the iPhone 3G at 8 a.m. instead of last year’s 6 p.m.,” according to AT&T spokesman Cathy Lewandowski. She was also quick to add that all activation will be done in-store this time, which is why such an early opening time has been chosen.

Starting July 11, the iPhone 3G will be available from Apple and AT&T for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model with a mandatory two-year contract with AT&T. Existing AT&T customers may purchase or upgrade to the iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model. Both options require a new two-year service agreement, although AT&T will soon be offering a no-contract-required iPhone 3G option for $599 (8GB) or $699 (16GB).

Via [Memphis Business Journal]

Kind of sounds like a bad PBS kids’ cartoon doesn’t it? Well, put away thoughts of happy dragons and rainbow skies, because this is all about the game of the gods: pinball. For those who’ve never heard of LittleWing (and really, why would you have?), they’re a Japanese company that’s been making some fantastic pinball sims since the days of Mac OS 7.5. Fairy Tower is their ninth, all of which have been Mac compatible. Eight of them are still available, although Tristan is PowerPC only.

The Fairy Tower v1.1.7 update is for both MacOS X and Windows, and fixes the jackpot bug when getting Super Tower Multiball and Ultimate Tower Multiball. This version will not clear the high score records, because the score will be increased only with this update. I’m not sure exactly what that means, so I’ll assume something got lost in translation.

A free demo of the new version is available at the LittleWing website. Fairy Tower sells for 3,200 Yen ($29.98 at press time). My two favorites, though, Crystal Caliburn and Loony Labyrinth, currently sell for $18.55 each. It wouldn’t hurt you to start there.

Product [Fairy Tower]