According to a report from 9to5Mac published late last week, Apple is looking to patch up the In-App purchase hack in iOS 6 and has issued best practices to developers in an email as well as a temporary solution. This will allow developers to temporarily fix the issue until a proper fix can be released in the update. The purchase issue was originally created by a Russian hacker who created a hack allowing users to illegally download in-app purchases for free.

This is a serious issue for developers who are losing lots of revenue, as some in-app purchases can range anywhere from $0.99 to $99.99. The hack can be done in three steps and works from iOS 3 to the current version of iOS 5.The hack is creating a major security issue, especially with users attaching the hack to iOS devices with personal information, such as email accounts, Facebook, and credit card info which is susceptible to being stolen through the hack itself.

Apple is now reportedly cracking down on the hack by providing developers with best practices in order to use on their apps, to ensure that their apps are not affected. In the same email as the best practices, Apple also included a web document, giving developers a background on the hack and solutions to fix it. Apple has confirmed that a fix is coming in iOS 6, to be released later this fall.

A vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 5.1 and earlier related to validating in-app purchase receipts by connecting to the App Store server directly from an iOS device. An attacker can alter the DNS table to redirect these requests to a server controlled by the attacker. Using a certificate authority controlled by the attacker and installed on the device by the user, the attacker can issue a SSL certificate that fraudulently identifies the attacker’s server as an App Store server. When this fraudulent server is asked to validate an invalid receipt, it responds as if the receipt were valid. iOS 6 will address this vulnerability. If your app follows the best practices described below then it is not affected by this attack.

This is an issue that Apple is taking seriously as it not only affects the revenue stream for both the Cupertino company developer community, but also affects the users who are risking their personal information on their devices by installing the hack. Although Apple’s temporary fix will hold off the hack for some time, iOS 6 will ultimately fix the issue for both developers and patch it up for users. iOS 6 is expected to be released in October, alongside new iPhone 5 and new iPad hardware.

The wait for a new Jailbreak has been a long one and for those of you with the new iPad this is the first opportunity you will have had to discover the benefits of Jailbreaking as its not been possible Jailbreak it before.

It’s not just owners of the new iPad that will benefit from the new Jailbreak known as Absinthe 2.0, anyone who has an iPhone, iPod touch or an iPad on iOS 5.1.1. can also Jailbreak for the first time.

For those of you who are thinking of Jailbreaking for the first time Absinthe 2.0 is possibly one of the easiest to do. I’m not going to go through the steps you need to take as these are available via the official website at http://greenpois0n.com/ but take it from me it’s as easy as running the software and pressing a few buttons.

For me Jailbreaking is all about making an already awesome device even better. Most of the tweaks I use make my phone easier to use, from the quick access options of SBSettings to the quick dialing options if CallBar they make the iPhone more intuitive to use.

This is just the beginning though, I also personalize my iPhone and iPad with themes using Winterboard, tweak Safari and the Notification Center with customizations only available on Jailbroken devices as well as many other add-ons, tweaks and apps not available on the stock iPhone and iPad.

There are too many reasons to jailbreak for me to list here, instead you can watch this video instead which shows the top 100 reasons to Jailbreak.

To find out more head over to greenpois0n.com and make you iPhone, iPod touch or iPad the way you want it to be.

During today’s iPad 3 live keynote event Apple will finally unveil the third-generation tablet and release date is expected within two weeks from today. iPad 3 is widely expected to feature retina display with a resolution of 2,048 by 1,536 pixels, faster processor with improved graphics, better cameras and more.

iPad 3 is rumored to use Dual-Core A5X SoC that will not only be faster but also deliver enhanced graphics and include 1GB RAM. The design is not expected to see major changes however, it is believed that the new iPad will be 0.8 mm thicker when compared with the second gen tablet.

Apple could share an update related to iOS 5.1 software update and could announce its immediate availability. While we haven’t heard about any conclusive evidence which points to inclusion of Siri in iPad 3 Apple could be looking at bringing the “personal voice assistant” to the tablet.

What are your expectations from this years event? Let us know in the comments section.

Check back soon for the iPad 3 live coverage.

08:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM – Central
01:00PM – Eastern
06:00PM – London
07:00PM – Paris
09:00PM – Moscow
03:00AM – Tokyo (March 8th)

You don’t need to refresh this page! Live updates will appear below:

Sources: Engadget, Ars Technica, The Verge, gdgt

Reflection Review for Mac

If you have an Apple TV and an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad running iOS 5 then you’ve been able to mirror your device on to your HD TV via Apple TV for some time now. Now, you can also mirror your iOS device to your Mac thanks to Reflection, a $15 app that can be purchased from the developers web site.

Once you’ve installed Reflection app onto your Mac and have it running you are ready to go with no additional app required on your iOS device you can start mirroring your device to your Mac immediately.

The process is the same as mirroring your device elsewhere, simple double-tap the home button, swipe twice to the right to reveal the volume control and the AirPlay button. After pressing the Air-Play button you’ll see your MacBook listed as one of the devices to mirror too and with that selected and the mirroring option enabled your device will appear on your MacBooks screen.

Only one device can be mirrored at a time and you can’t actually control the device via your Mac, but for grabbing screen shots or recording your iOS device it’s ideal. The results are very responsive too with little or no lag between anything you do on the device being reflected on the screen.

Reflection will automatically adjust the orientation of the screen as you rotate the physical device or you can force either landscape or portrait mode. You can also go full-screen and hide all other windows as well as controlling where the iOS device’s frame is shown or not.

The app works flawlessly and while it would be great if you were able to manually re-size the image mirrored image to suit your needs and even have built in screen capture capabilities it’s still a great bit of software.

If you are a developer, reviewer, blogger or just like showing of the cool stuff you can do with all your Apple hardware then Reflection is for you. The app works painlessly and very easily, and it’s also great for taking advantage of those games that utilize AirPlay for multi-player gaming such as Real Racing 2 and Gangster Rio without the need for an Apple TV.

What we like:

• One simple install
• Fast and Responsive
• Full screen mode
• Mirror games and videos

What to know:

• No ability to manually scale the screen
• No built-in screen capture functionality

On Sunday, Adobe prematurely released the Adobe Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 app in the App Store, but soon pulled it, caliming that the app was scheduled for release on Monday, February 27th. On Monday, Adobe officially released the Photoshop app tailored for tablets, which is now available in the App Store for $9.99USD.

Transform images with core Adobe Photoshop features in an app designed for tablets.

Combine images, apply professional effects, share results with friends and family through sites like Facebook, and more – all from the convenience of your iPad.

As dominance of iPad 2 continues to rise, it is continuing to gain support for more desktop based applications, including the rumored Microsoft Office application. Adobe Photoshop Touch is one of the apps introduced by Adobe in a group of six which were announced last October.

The company has slowly been transitioning onto the iPad and other tablets, tapping into the mobile market. As tablets such as the iPad become more portable and more powerful, it is reasonable for Adobe to introduce apps to support it. The apps are not full desktop class, however, will likely build as time progresses and the iPad gains more processing power.

Adobe’s initial plans for the iPad app was to run a full desktop version, but the company scaled back to include only a handful of image editing features. This is only the beginning of the high powered apps on the iPad, and Adobe will likely add more features over the coming months. The Adobe Photoshop Touch app is currently available in the App Store but only for the iPad 2 running iOS 5.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) recently launched a new TV ad called “Harmony” which in 30 seconds highlights iCloud service for iOS and OS X. AAPL has been posting a series of iPhone 4S ads which show the all-new voice assistant Siri and the much improved camera and now with the latest ad the focus has turned to iCloud.

iCloud automatically stores music, photos, apps, calendars, contacts, documents and keeps all your iCloud enabled devices in sync. When Apple introduced iOS 5 during WWDC 2011 Steve Jobs took to the stage to talk about iCloud and repeatedly said, “it just works”. The new TV ad in a similar theme conveys that iCloud is “Automatic. Everywhere.”

The ad begins with the all-new welcome screen in iOS 5 which gives you an option to use iCloud and then goes on to show an album being purchased on iPhone 4S which then shows up on iPad 2 and MacBook Air. Then photos, calendar, app purchases, contacts update and iBooks are all shown to sync between different devices.

With the introduction of iCloud users can not only keep their iOS devices in sync but can also backup to the cloud, set up the device without connecting to iTunes and with iTunes Match they can upload their entire music library to the cloud.

iCloud is a free service available on devices running iOS 5 or higher however, if you need to add more space for backup then you could purchase additional storage right from your device.

The tweaks for jailbroken devices keep coming thick and fast. Some change the aesthetics of the iPhones while other change existing or and new functionality which the iPhone out of the box does not provide.

This week we deal with some of each and the first is one that we are running a competition to win 1 of five free copies, and that’s WorldClockCenter for Notification Center.

WorldClockCenter for Notification Center

A more detailed review of the tweak can be read here which includes instructions on the competition too.

In short WorldClockCenter for Notification Center simply adds all of the world clocks from the default clock app to the Notification Center and so if you have colleagues, family or friends located in different time-zones then this is a great app which will set you back a cent under $2.

PushTone

With the introduction of iOS5 notifications have come along way, however, one thing that you haven’t been able to do is know which notification you are being alerted too if you can’t see your iPhone.

That changes though with the introduction of PushTone which allows you to assign any of your Alert Tones or Ringtones to each individual application that allows sound notifications.

This is all done via the Notifications settings screen as a new PushTone option is added to each apps notifications page. It’s simple and effective, just make sure that you select short tones as the sound can’t be dismissed prior to it ending.

Graviboard

Graviboard is not a new jailbreak but it’s just been updated to support iOS 5 and it now works even better and smoother especially on the iPhone 4s and iPad 2. Graviboard adds gravity to your homescreens and with it your app icons and folders will float around the screen causing controlled chaos.

You can not only control when Graviboard activates but also whether you can still activate apps, swipe between pages, and how much gravity there is, how bouncy the icons are and how much friction there is.

Graviboard is a fun tweak and one that is surprisingly usable as the icons float around. It will certainly get your iPhone noticed too.

AnimateDock

AnimateDock is another tweak that will affect how your home screen looks, specifically the dock, and does exactly what you would expect it too, it animates the dock each time the homescreen is activated whether it be from unlocking the screen or closing an app.

There are multiple effect options to choose from and they can be enabled simultaneously too, so while you can have them rotating to the left, or zoom in and out you can also turn both on and have them rotate while zooming in and out!

AnimateDock is a little rough around the edges but can still produce some fun results.

What new tweaks have you installed this week? Let us know in the comments below or tweet me directly at @4forkssake.

WorldClockCenter for Notification Center – Jailbreak Tweak for iPhone

The sign of a good jailbreak tweak is one that is easy, effective and adds functionality to your device and with WorldClockCenter you get all those things.

WorldClockCenter for Notification Center adds all the world clocks from the iPhone Clock default app and adds them to the iOS 5 Notification Centre. If you travel with your iPhone or if you are one of the many people that work in an environment where you are working with colleagues and customers all of the world the this simple tweak is most certainly for you.

The tweak installs easily from Cydia and adds a new option to your Settings where you can tweak the app further. There are 5 options to play with so that you can get it looking just how you like. You can control the Time Format, Date Format, Text Size and the order of the Date & Time along with the option of showing the city name or not.

Via the Notification Center settings itself you can control where in it will display and I found the best option to be at the top of the screen. Along with the settings you previously set the national flag of the country in question is also displayed alongside each time. This could be repetitive if you have multiple clocks from the same country such as the multiple time-zones in the USA but it’s not a problem.

The clocks are displayed based on the order that they are in the default Clock app any change can be made without requiring a re-spring to have them take affect.

As previously mentioned if you work across multiple time-zones or have family and friends around the world then WorldClockCenter for Notification Center is for you and is available via Cydia right now for just $1.99.

But thanks to tweak author Edouard Durand (@xiaodoudou) we have 5 copies of this tweak to give away, all you need to do is complete the following two steps:

1. Follow @Touch_Reviews on Twitter
2. Tweet the following “I’m trying to win #WorldClockCenter @Touch_Reviews! Click here for more information. https://touchreviews.net/worldclockcenter-notification-center-jailbreak-tweak-iphone.”

5 randoms winners will win a copy of WorldClockCenter for Notification Center from those who have completed the 2 steps above before Midnight on Friday March 2nd.

Good luck and should you have any thoughts on this or any other Jailbreak tweak ask in the comments below or follow me on Twitter, @4forkssake.

Gallery

Apple has been busy getting iOS 5.1 software update ready for release as the company has been seeding beta to developers since November. As new beta updates were released details about future products, features and changes were revealed.

iOS 5.1 beta code had references to an unreleased iPad 2 model and then another beta release revealed that Apple will finally include ability to delete photos from Photo Stream from your iOS device.

In early January, details about the beta code pointing to quad-core A6 (A5X SoC) iPad 3 were widely reported and suggested that iPhone 5 and next gen iPad would support new processors. Now, according to a new leak iOS 5.1 software update will include a new camera button on the lock screen.

Among more than 200 new features which were introduced in iOS 5 Apple enabled a lock screen camera button to enable users to capture important moments quickly. When you double-tap the home button to reveal the quick camera access button instead of the regular button iOS 5.1 will now have a slider. When you slide the camera icon upwards it will launch the camera app so that you take photos with your iPhone / iPod touch camera.

BlogdoiPhone who gained access to “pre-GM” version of iOS 5.1 also claim that the upcoming update will finally include support for Japanese Siri.

We recently highlighted another rumor which suggested that code in operator profiles mentioned iOS 5.1 release date as March 9th. iPad 3 launch event is expected to be held on March 7th and it will be interesting to see if Apple mentions the release date for iOS 5.1 during the event.

{via MacRumors}

When Apple announced iPad 2 they called 2011 the “year of iPad 2″ and now the company is all set to repeat its breakthrough success in the tablet market with the introduction of iPad 3. According to reports published by WSJ and iMore iPad 3 release date is expected to be announced on March 7th.

Various leaks, rumors and analysts reports we’ve covered in the past suggest that Apple’s next gen iPad 3 would feature retina display, upgraded processor and there’s also a possibility of 4G LTE networking.

4G LTE networking has been another mystery surrounding the iPad 3, with a compatible Qualcomm chipset becoming available, but international LTE coverage is still slim, and in some cases a year or more away. It sounds like Apple has 4G LTE lined up for iPhone 5 this October, but we’re still not certain if the iPad 3 will get it earlier.

Jim Dalrymple of LoopInsight also seems to agree with the release date announcement of iPad 3 being March 7th. He is known to have reported or confirmed Apple rumors with a very good track  record. The report published by WSJ also pointed to an early March launch event.

LTE rollout has been very slow and while Apple has been rumored to include faster networking in their future products iPad 3 could possibly be Apple’s first iOS device to support LTE. The Cupertino-based company has been testing LTE in iOS 5 as it was revealed in an “internal iOS test build” of one of Apple’s major mobile partners.

Are you excited about iPad 3 launch event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The first of these new tweaks is RingerX VIP by @_Yllier_ which enables you to manage your call and message alerts on a contact by contact basis. If you want your iPhone to ring or vibrate for certain contacts even when the phone is set to silence or vice-versa then this is the tweak for you.

You can also mute you whole iPhone for a given time and it will automatically come out of silence mode when the timer runs out. The sign of a good tweak is one that works with minimal setup and maintenance and RingerX VIP certainly does that.

MusicBanners by serial Jailbreak tweaker @rpetrich is an even simpler tweak that does exactly what it says. While music from your iPod is playing every time the song changes the notification banner at the to of your screen will appear and show the artist, track name and the album artwork.

Ryan Petrich also quickly rolled out a response to the issue where the social networking app Path was found to be uploading your iPhone’s contacts to their servers. While Path also responded to the issue you can now be notified when any app attempts to use your contacts by installing ContactPrivacy.

Jepit is a tweak that changes the animation method when switching between apps via the multitask bar, it’s pretty subtle but nice none the less and there are a range of options to change the animation style and speed. The latest update also includes the ability to control the number of apps in your app switcher and whether or not they show badges.

Finally it’s recommended that if you want to be able to preserve your Jailbreak that you back up your SHSH ‘blob’. Your SHSH file will allow you to keep your device jailbroken even after apple disable your ability to use a firmware that is jailbreakable. iFaith and TinyUmbrella are two pieces of software that will help you do this.

These are just a few of the great reasons to jailbreak. If you have questions or comments about anything jailbreak related post in the comments below or tweet me @4forkssake.

Apple introduced Siri with the iPhone 4S, a virtual personal assistant on a mobile phone, and providing users access to voice activated commands. Wolphram Alpha is integrated with Siri on iPhone 4S running iOS 5. The service is a collection of information and can provide anything from flight info, to searches of people, and even math problems.

Since its introduction in October, Siri has grown increasingly reliant upon carrier’s 3G networks and Wolphram Alpha to provide users with information, therefore, it is not surprising that Siri makes up 25% of Wolphram Alpha’s searches.

On Tuesday, it was reported by The New York Times that Apple’s Siri software accounts for 25% of all searches on Wolphram Alpha’s information database.

Less than three years ago, Dr. Wolfram created a new kind of search engine, called Wolfram Alpha . Unlike Google or Microsoft’s Bing, Wolfram Alpha does not forage the Web. It culls its own painstakingly curated database to find answers. […] the technology has come a long way, including delivering many answers for Siri, the question-answering personal assistant in the Apple iPhone 4S.

Wolphram Alpha was originally introduced for math and science queries but has now grown to incorporate local show times or calculating distances. It is also used by other search applications and mobile devices, which provide their users with information from the web.

Siri accounts for about a quarter of the queries fielded by Wolfram Alpha, whose staff has grown to 200.

Apple sold over 37 million iPhones last quarter, resulting in the iPhone claiming the number one spot for smart phone popularity, and putting Siri and Wolphram Alpha’s software into the hands of millions of people. With this increased adoption of the iPhone 4S, there is no doubt that 25% of Wolphram Alpha’s searches derive from iPhone users.

{via iMore}

On Tuesday, Japanese site Macotakara reported that Apple is planning to hold an iPad event in early February to announce the iPad 3, which is expected to arrive with iOS 5.1. The website pointed out that they had an Asian supplier and a source in the U.S who could confirm these rumors.

Although the iPad 3 is expected to be announced in February, other rumors suggest that the iPad 3 will actually be released in March, the same as the iPad 2 which arrived on March 11. This long delay could be in part because of the Chinese New Year which is going to be celebrated from January 23 to the 28th.

Foxconn and Pegatron, two of Apple’s main suppliers are expected to start shipping the device to the Apple Stores in early March, likely for a mid-March release. The iPad 3 has long been rumored to include a higher resolution display, as well as the introduction of the A6 chip and better 2 megapixel camera, up from 0.9 megapixels.

Macotakara has a mixed track record with the release of Apple products, correctly reporting on Apple’s iPad 2 and iPhone 4S but incorrectly suggesting that Apple would be releasing a Macbook Air with high-speed 400MBps flash memory and that a fifth-generation iPhone would feature an aluminum back.

If the event is scheduled for February we can expect media invites to be sent out in the first week of the next month. It will be interesting to see if Apple will finally bring the retina display to the iPad, which will certainly make the poplar tablet worth an upgrade for many users.

{via AppleInsider}

The Loop reported on Wednesday that Apple has scheduled an education announcement on January 19th in New York City. The invitation simply reads “Join us for an education announcement in the big Apple” and does not disclose any specific information.

The New York Times later confirmed that the event is going to focus on digital textbooks and that no new hardware would be introduced.

The event will showcase a new push by Apple into the digital textbook business, but will not feature any new devices, according to a person briefed on the event who did not want to be identified talking about it before it occurs.

The event will take place in New York’s famous Guggenheim Museum, and is not open to the public, only press invited as with all other Apple events. Reports of the event were revealed last week, with many online news sources suggesting that Apple was planning to announce new hardware. The event will be highlighting publishing and digital textbooks, suggesting that Apple might ready to revamp their iBooks Store and its offerings from different publishers.

iBooks was released after the announcement of iOS 5 and gained some attention, but definitely not enough to Apple’s liking. With these new improvements, Apple will try to move further into the publishing market.

The event will be held on Thursday, January 19th, however, a time for the event has not been announced. The event will likely be held around 10AM, similar to earlier Apple events.

iOS beta code has often revealed details about Apple’s upcoming devices. According to a new report published by 9to5Mac iOS 5.1 beta code has evidence that points to a quad-core A6 chip which is rumored to debut with iPhone 5 and iPad 3.

The references to quad-core iPhone and iPad chips come by way of a hidden panel that describes cores that are supported by iOS device hardware. The updated core management software includes an option of “/cores/core.3,” and this represents a fourth available processing core…

Apple’s custom A4 chip had a single core and then with the introduction of iPad 2 and iPhone 4S Apple introduced a dual-core A5 chip. Various rumors and reports by analysts suggest that Apple will introduce quad-core A6 chip.

The fourth generation device’s code contains option for “cores/core.1″ suggesting dual-core chip while the reference found in iOS 5.1 beta additionally mentions “cores/core.3″ suggesting the fact that Apple’s software could support quad-core devices in near future.

It is widely believed that Apple will introduce iPad 3 in March and iPhone 5 in July. Both devices are rumored to feature the A6 chip but only the iPhone is expected to see a major redesign while the iPad 3 will only see modest changes in hardware.

{via MacRumors}

Just a few hours ago @pod2g updated his blog with the news that the untethered Jailbreak had been released for iDevices running the A4 chip, notably the iPhone 4 and the original iPad. Work on a Jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 which run on the A5 chip is now being worked on.

A few days ago, @pod2g gave the untether to both the iPhone devteam and the chronic devteam. We’ve put it into redsn0w 0.9.10 and PwnageTool, and the chronic devteam put it into a Cydia package (the same set of exploits is in all three).

After @pod2g had completed the Jailbreak it was handed over to the Chronic Dev Team who finalized the release and made it available to the general public. As always you can check out http://jailbrea.kr/ to check the Jailbreak status of your device and click here for the details of this new jailbreak.

On Monday, Apple released iOS 5.1 Beta to developers for testing, and upon dissecting the code it was uncovered that data for an unreleased iPad 2 model was referenced. Deep in the code for iOS 5.1 was the name of what appeared to be another device, called iPad 2, 4.

There are currently 3 different versions of the iPad, iPad WiFi, Verizon iPad 3G, and an AT&T iPad 3G. The number designations in the code appear as follows:

iPad2,1 – Wi-Fi iPad
iPad2,2 – AT&T iPad 2
iPad2,3 – Verizon iPad 2

iPad 2,4 is predicted to be Apple’s iteration of a Sprint iPad 3G, which is currently not available. In recent months, it was rumored that a Sprint iPad was in the works, but after the release of the iPhone 4S on Sprint, it’s highly possible that the iPad is made available on Sprint too. It is currently unclear whether Apple will wait for the release of an iPad 3 to add on Sprint to its list of iPad carriers, however, there is a very likely chance that the iPad 3 could be introduced as “world tablet” supporting all carriers on one device.

The iPhone 4S currently has the ability to support Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint all on one device. This allows Apple to manufacture more devices, at a faster pace, without having to worry about accomodating carriers. If Apple was to sell a unified iPad, it may come in the form of an iPad 3, giving customers their pick of carriers from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.

{via MacRumors}

DerManDar Panorama Review

The DerManDar Panorama app is a partner application of of the DerManDar website and the app allows to both take panoramic photo’s and enables you to directly upload your results to the DerManDar website or view the pictures that others have uploaded.

The great thing about this app though is how simple it is to take panoramic photographs. Launching the app takes you directly into picture mode so it’s quick to take pictures. From there it instructs you to hold your device vertically and when you have done that the start button becomes available.

From that point on it’s a simple task of rotating your phone to bring the two onscreen markers together, each time that they do a new picture will be taken and this is repeated until you’ve completed a complete 360 or you click the finish button.

Once you’ve finished the process the pictures are instantly converted to a panoramic photo and if you’ve completed a full 360 set of pictures they will be stitched together to produce a picture that you can spin around in both directions.

The onscreen marker does a great job of showing you your progress and whether you are still holding the phone at the right angle and both of these factors are key in producing great panoramic shots.

Once the picture has been taken you can either choose to save to your device or discard it and start again. Any picture that you save to your device can then be shared via Facebook, Twitter, Email and to your Picture Roll. The best results though are if you upload the picture to the DerManDer website which will allow you to share it with the world and provide a full 360 rotation of the picture.

Not only is this app a lot of fun and produce great results but it would be great for real estate agents who would be able to provide great 360 degree shots of the rooms in a house.

DerManDar Panorama is available in the App Store now for $1.99 and comes highly recommended for everyone with an iPhone.

What we like:

• Simple to use
• Great results
• Great website integration

What to know:

• Highly recommended

iTunes Movie Trailers {Free} has several screens that make it easy to see what’s soon-to-be-released, what‘s popular, what’s coming out when, and what’s in theaters now. It takes its visual cues from iTunes, but concentrates just on movies.

iTunes Movie Trailers puts the newest and most exclusive movie previews in HD in your hands. Browse trailers, clips, and featurettes for the biggest Hollywood blockbusters and independent cinema; view stunning HD photos; explore a year-long calendar of movie releases; find showtimes near you and get ticket info directly from your iPad or iPhone.

The app adds a few new views that give users choices to find the information they’re looking for, whether that is the next available show time, a release date, the cast members, or ratings, among other things.

This app makes viewing movie trailers much easier than searching for them through iTunes. It promises to be a one-stop shop for information on current movies. If you love to watch trailers or know about the latest movies then this app is certainly recommend.

Firemint has announced that iOS5, to be released on Wednesday, will bring a major update to its popular Real Racing 2 game.

First, Air Play will be supported. This allows you to use your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 as a wireless game controller for a game being displayed on your HD TV. This isn’t mirroring, it’s using the iPhone/iPad as a separate display and input device while the race is being shown on the big screen.

But the biggest update is Party Play. Now up to four people will be able to use the Air Play system to play simultaneously. Each player will be able to control and display info for their car on their iOS5 device. Displayed on the HD TV is a split screen view of each car participating in the same race.

In addition, there are several improvements to the graphics to make them almost better than realistic. Improvements to shadows, lighting, car details, window reflections, car reflections, road lighting, and HDR-like exposure make this updated game just stunning.

These features will only work with an already-released iPad 2 and the soon-to-be-released iPhone 4S, as it requires the A5 chipset to power it. You also need an HD TV and a 2nd-generation Apple TV to complete the system.

Real Racing 2 Party Play

Alongside the iPhone 4S, Apple on Tuesday updated the iPod nano as well as the iPod touch. The iPod touch didn’t receive a major upgrade, but did get a new white edition, similar to the iPhone and iPad. The iPod touch also dropped $30 in price from $229 to $199.

Most of the new features in the iPod touch will arrive in the iOS 5 update, pegged for an October 12th release. Apple also updated the iPod nano with larger icons on the small touchscreen, making it easier to see and navigate. Phil Schiller, also announced that the iPod nano can now be used much more easily for fitness purposes, with built in sensors ready to use out of the box.

Schiller also pointed out that Apple noticed a number of wristband watch (iWatch) cases for the iPod nano, so Apple has added 16 new clock faces to the nano for those particular customers. The nano also received a slight price drop with the 8GB model coming in at $129 (down from $149) and the 16GB models at $149 (down from $179).

Both models are currently available for sale now and come in seven different colors. Once again, Apple did not update the iPod classic, which was rumored to be eliminated from the lineup. The iPod shuffle also remained the same when compared with the last refresh.

Later today Apple will unveil the iPhone 5 / 4S during “Let’s talk iPhone” event. According to a new report published by 9to5Mac Apple’s press contact person has confirmed that the company will not be offering a live video stream of the iPhone launch event.

It’s interesting to note that Apple is indeed offering a private live streaming of the vent to its Covent Garden retail store in London for European journalists. Apple in the past has offered live streaming of September iPod event and in October “Back to the Mac” event.

The Cupertino, California-based company will be announcing the fifth gen iPhone at its headquarters. The media event is expected to be made available for download after the event.

We have been reporting and discussing the possible features of the next-gen iPhone and it’s safe to say that it will include dual-core A5 processor, 8 megapixel camera, more RAM and “groundbreaking” voice control features.

We are also expecting the release of iOS 5 GM (Gold Master) seed to developers and the final version could ship within a week from today.

Are you excited about iPhone 5 / 4S launch event? Will you be upgrading your iPhone this year? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

With Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” media event just around the corner, new details of the potential iPhone 5 / 4S are being revealed. An image of an N94 iPhone 4S appeared in Apple’s inventory database, clearly showing a model number, as well as the words, “iPhone 4S, White, 16GB”.

The name “4S” has been in use to describe a potential fifth generation iPhone since May 2011 and was used intermittently with iPhone 5 as well.

Rumors have also suggested that N94 was under a model number of MD234 while the lower end iPhone 4S showed a model number of MD239. 9to5Mac’s report suggested that IMEI and MEID numbers may suggest that the iPhone 4S may be a World Mode phone, capable of operating on GSM networks. The report also mentioned that the iPod touch might be getting a slight update and a lower price point, with the current 8GB model dropping to $199 from its current $229 price point as well as the addition of white models, improved ambient light sensors, and oleophobic coatings for the displays.

With each year, the iPod touch moves up a little closer to resemble the iPhone, but is slightly lower end than the popular smartphone. Apple is expected to unveil a major update to the iPhone, now being called the iPhone 4S.

If the photos are indeed genuine, then it can be assumed that Apple is manufacturing the devices at a rapid rate and may be releasing the week following the announcement. Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” event is to be held on October 4th at 10AM PST (1PM EST).

Will you buy the iPhone 4S? Do you think this photo is genuine?

{via Mac Rumors}

After a long wait, the world has finally learned that Apple is going to unveil and announce the release date for iPhone 5 next week. With speculation of when Apple’s event would be held at rest, we can now begin to think about what Apple has in store for us.

First off, an iPhone 5 is a given, however, whether the name will be iPhone 5 is still questionable. Apple is also expected to introduce iOS 5 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. In the past, Apple has announced iOS updates prior to any new hardware and broke this systematic product release earlier this year.

Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook will also be testing out his skills onstage, toting the new iPhone 5 and all of the new releases, without the assistance of Steve Jobs. After the announcement of the iPhone 5 / 4S, which will likely go on sale on the 14th as expected, developers will be allowed to experience the new device hands on.

Developers may also receive a GM seed of iOS 5 if that is announced alongside the new hardware. Apple’s October 4th “Let’s Talk iPhone” event will be a sight to see, something that has been systematic and smooth in the past. The “Let’s Talk iPhone” media event will begin at 10AM PST (1PM EST) on October 4th.

Stay tuned, we’ll keep you updated on Apple’s announcements and releases as they break.

Will you buy the iPhone 5? What are you expecting out of Apple? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple earlier today sent out invitations for a special media event scheduled for October 4th with a tag line “Let’s talk iPhone.” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook along with other executives are expected to unveil the iPhone 5 during this event.

The invitation confirms earlier reports about iPhone 5 release date event that was rumored to be held in the first week of October. Apple’s invite carries iOS icons for Calendar, Clock, Maps and Phone all depicting the details about the launch event.

Unlike, previous launch events this year Apple will announce the iPhone 5 / 4S at the company’s Town Hall auditorium at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The event will begin at 10:00 AM PT.

The use of the word “talk” and one notification on the Phone icon could point to speech features in the fifth-gen iPhone and only one model being announced. Many analysts have been debating about the possibility of a low-end iPhone and we’ll just have to wait and see what Apple has in store for us on October 4th.

According to various reports Apple could make the iPhone 5 finally available for sale around October 15th and would probably start accepting pre-orders a week before that. iOS 5 is also expected to be a part of the special media event.

We’ve been reporting on possible features of iPhone 5 and it’s widely expected to feature 8 megapixel camera, higher RAM, include new “Assistant” feature and have a thinner design.

{via Mac Rumors}