Clash of Clans for iPhone and iPad was updated today with new content. The real time strategy game from Supercell has been a huge hit on the App Store. Supercell and Backflip Studios were recently mentioned by Apple in their press release announcing 40 billion App Store downloads, two emerging game development studios that brought in over $100 million combined for their leading freemium titles.

The game is free-to-play where users have an option to pay for in-app purchases. Freemium titles on the App Store have proved to be a huge success. Clash of Clans has been consistently featured as number one Top Grossing app on Apple’s App Store.

The latest update version 3.25 brings new leaderboards, level 6 troops (barbarians, giants, archers and balloons), new air defenses and much more. The developers at Supercell have been very active at updating the game with new content. User reviews are mostly favorable and the game continues to top the charts.

If you love real time strategy games or war type games then Clash of Clans is certainly the game for you. It may not be for hardcore gamers but it is certainly fun for some casual play. If you’re a beginner or haven’t played any real time strategy games then Clash of Clans is an excellent start. Just one thing, be prepared to get addicted and soon you’ll know how much fun farming, donating and getting more trophies can be.

Love Clash of Clans? Have you unlocked all level 6 troops? Post a photo of level 6 troops in the comments section below and share your thoughts on the new update.

Earlier this week, reports suggested that Apple updated Siri in iOS 6.1 to add movie ticket purchases. This would allow users to voice navigate movie theatres, times, prices and ultimately purchase the tickets. Now Apple is working backwards and connecting Siri to its already existing applications. Apple has released an update to the Apple Store app, adding support for Siri and the ability for users to email PassBook enabled gift cards through the app.

Although the two new features appear to be included in the Apple Store app, they have not yet been enabled yet. It is possible that Apple is waiting to include the features in iOS 6.1 alongside the movie ticket purchasing feature. With Siri integrated into the Apple Store app, users can now ask questions such as, “How much is the Macbook Pro?” and Siri will automatically route them to that specific section in the app and will pull up the product page for the Macbook Pro.

What’s New in Version 2.4

– Buy new gift cards and email them to friends and family right from the app. These gift cards are easily integrated with the new Passbook app (U.S. only, iOS 6 required).

– Ask Siri to help you find prices and shop for Apple products. (Siri-enabled device required.)”

The Apple Store app with the new update is now available on the App Store [Direct Link].

{Via MacRumors}

Apple’s new Passbook feature, introduced with the latest iOS 6 is compatible with a host of apps on the Apple App Store, and is capable of storing boarding passes, gift cards, tickets, and even prescription, putting them all in one place for easy access.

Upon release of the new Passbook app on iPhones and iPod touches, the only airlines that supported the feature were Lufthansa and American Airlines, which allowed users to store and scan their boarding passes directly on their devices. Late last week, Air Canada released an update to their iPhone app, adding electronic boarding passes through Passbook, as well as support for the iPhone 5.

Customers who check-in on mobile.aircanada.com, aircanada.com or at and airport kiosk and access their Electronic Boarding Pass with a supported device (iPhone or iPod touch on iOS 6) will receive the Passbook version of the Electronic Boarding Pass. The Passbook version works just like our existing Electronic Boarding Pass and will allow customers to identify themselves at airport kiosks, check-in counters, enable them to pass through security and board their flights.

Air Canada has also mentioned that they have Passbook enhancements planned for 2013, which will likely further integrate the Air Canada iPhone app features into Passbook. As more airlines adopt the Passbook format of their electronic boarding passes, as well as other companies including their services through Passbook, it is becoming increasingly simpler for users to use their iPhone and iPod for mobile payments. If Passbook becomes a major feature of the iPhone, it is also very likely that NFC would become a possibility, and perhaps even the arrival of credit and debit cards on the iPhone.

{Via iMore — Image Credit: iPhoneInCanada}

Apple has posted a new page on their website, counting down to a total of 25 billion App Store downloads since its introduction in 2008 with iOS 2. The user who downloads the 25 billionth app or who submits an entry form during that time will win a $10,000 Apple Gift Card which can be applied to any of Apple’s online media, including the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store.

As of today, nearly 25 billion apps have been downloaded worldwide. Which is almost as amazing as the apps themselves. So we want to say thanks. Download the 25 billionth app, and you could win a US$10,000 App Store Gift Card. Just visit the App Store and download your best app yet.

The winner must download the app after the 24,999,999,999th app download or submit the form, whichever comes first and will later be announced on the web page if they are the winner. Apple has done such promotions in the past, including ten billion App Store downloads taking place just over a year ago and another one for ten billion iTunes Music Store downloads, as well as one billion song and app marks and at the 100 million song milestone.

Apple changed the prize to a $10,000 gift card last year after giving away big time prizes including Macbook Pros, iPhones, and iPod Touches in the past. Apple’s countdowns have gained much attention over the past few years and have become a part of Apple’s massive success with their online stores and online sales. The 25 Billion App countdown is expected to end early tomorrow, with App downloads about 500,000 away from 25 Billion.

Just under two-thirds of the total apps in iTunes are paid apps. Games still come a close second to Books as the most downloaded media both having a smidgen under 17% each of overall downloads.

One thing worth considering is that this figure is not necessarily showing us the whole picture. Although it is probably a good estimate, there are a lot of apps which have been in the App Store, but have been taken off sale. However, as a counterpoint to that, this most recent survey data, collated by Mobclix, does not take into account many apps sold outside the US.

The Android Marketplace is fast on the heels of the App Store, now reported as having over 100,000 apps.

Both marketplaces are set to grow further as we get closer to the end of the year but the Android Marketplace is expected to do so more, as a shower of new Android tablet devices hit highstreet shelves.

Will Android Apps overtake those of iOS in 2011? When will the App Store hit 1 Million apps? 2011 or 2012? Have your say in the comments.

Shoemaker has a whole host of iPhone Apps that he sells under his company name Gray Noodle LLC. Included in his “portfolio” of work are not the stunning works of software excellence we would expect from an Apple employee who is directly responsible for overseeing the approval and rejection of our apps. No, it’s a litany of Fart, Wee and Poop apps, with accompanying graphics and sound effects of the basest and most simplistic nature.

Not only that, but casting an eye over the screenshots that Wired have of these apps it is clear that Shoemaker has used the most rudimentary and cynical methods of putting apps together. Not even bothering to customise the default Interface Builder buttons Apple provide for prototyping apps, so that they appear as generic white ovals with plain blue text in them. In short, the apps are not worthy of a kindergarten programmers efforts.

As soon as Shoemaker discovered that Wired were onto him he attempted, rather clumsily, to cover his tracks. Showing that he does indeed at-least realize the hypocrisy and distastefulness of his duplicity. Perhaps he fears for his job, and rightly so in my opinion.

Apparently he has also played rather fast and loose with some of his comments about certain iPhone developers on his Twitter feed. Which he had wiped today also.

Further, whilst it is acceptable to sell apps that you made before you joined Apple, which is what Shoemaker claims is the case, it is clear from his deleted Tweets (available as a download from Wired) that a large number of his apps were published after he started working at Apple, and after he had starting rejecting independent developers apps. Something which it is not clear that he had permission to do.

This behaviour is so unacceptable on so many levels. Selling shoddy apps of low value is a minor crime. Potentially breaking your employment contract by selling apps in a store you are employed to “police” is perhaps forgivable. Or perhaps he had special dispensation. But doing so when you are the one rejecting other people’s apps for faults that your own apps exhibit in abundance is totally unacceptable.

Do you think Apple should show Shoemaker the door? Let us know in the comments.

Disclosure: I am an active App Store developer, and have had no issues with Apple’s approval process to date, with any of my products. But I am happy to stand up and be counted and ask that this guy be asked to leave the Mothership.

Clicking on one of those search results takes you directly to Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) App Store. Once there users can view the application’s listing, creators name and user reviews.

At the moment this feature is only available for US users, but searches can be made from either iPhone or Android handsets. Google plans to roll it out globally eventually.

In Steve Jobs’ interview at D8 he expressly said that Apple had no plans to replace Google on the iPhone as the main search option, and that Apple had no plans to get into the search engine business.

So it seems that there is still some love between the two tech giants.

Have you tried this search feature out yet on your iPhone or Android? Let us know how it performs for you in the comments.