iPhone Savior

Swine Flu Tracker App For iPhone Awaits Approval

Thanks to the jittery fingers of Twitterers everywhere, the epic Swine Flu craze has evolved from panic and misinformation into a serious threat. Is there money to be made from Swine Flu hysteria? You bet there is! The quick thinkers at IntuApps have submitted their original idea for a Swine Flu Tracker app to Apple for approval into the App Store.  

While it's too early to start believing that we might be moving towards the plot line of the film "I Am Legend", it's good to know that now anyone with an iPhone or iPod touch can panic while on-the-go. Plus you can help everyone in close proximity panic too!

Swine Flu Tracker (free) shows you the current threat level for the disease using a Google maps feed with pins placed in the areas where confirmed or suspected influenza cases have been reported. An alert page containing breaking Swine Flu news and a page with Swine Flu facts is also a handy feature that along with your iPhone's GPS can help you flee infected areas on a moments notice. Add Twitter to the mix and you'll be a threat alert legend.

Swine Flu Tracker is like playing "Where's Waldo" except there are hundreds of Waldos and they're all carrying a life threatening disease. Which makes playing along much more meaningful. I love the idea of this ingenious but truly helpful app. The first person with a Swine Flu Tracker app wins! Congrats IntuApps. Any chance you'll make a Limited Edition Swine Flu Tracker tee shirt?

[Cartoon Barry Blog]   [Swinefighter Game]   [CNN]

Turn Your iPhone Into A Ghetto Rangefinder Camera

STYLE GUIDE: This is the kind of thing that happens when mind numbing "case boredom" sets in. The result is a rather crude DIY iPhone case painting experiment designed to resemble a 1950's style rangefinder camera made popular by Leica and Contax. It's sort of rangefinder-ish, right?

If Incase grabs hold of this simplistic camera case concept, they could forever change iPhone case design just in time to hype iPhone's next-generation 3.2 mega-pixel camera upgrade. If done right, this idea could become the hottest new groove in iPhone fashion. The first mass produced rangefinder iPhone case to market wins. Oh snap!

Ghetto Paint Job Design by LeventMagic

Pocket God Accused of Being "Totally Degrading"

The wildly popular iPhone app Pocket God, a game that encourages humorous torture of cartoon islanders has come under attack by Elaine Howard from the international Pacific Women's Information Network who has forwarded a complaint on to developers Bolt Creative stating the game is an "arrogant slap in the face to our people". What she means by 'our people' is specifically Pacific islanders. But US creators Bolt Creative argue the game does not depict any particular nationality.

"How do you think people would react if you created a game where you were God and you could create and kill as many Mexicans as you wanted? Or Asians?" wrote Howard, who lives in the US.

In Pocket God, the user takes on the role of an "all-powerful god ruling over a miniature tribe of primitive islanders". This $.99-cent juggernaut which has sold over 850 units since it's launch on January 9, 2009 has been heralded  by the iPhone Savior as "One of those fantastical ideas that opens up a world of new possibilities for iPhone users." Daily downloads of 7,000 to 8,000 units from the iTunes App Store after almost four months has proved our earliest assessment to be true.

The Ultimate Tasteless iPhone Apps Revealed

Since the release of the repulsive virtual baby killing iPhone app "Baby Shaker", that was yanked down from the App Store only 48 hours after its release, there's no telling what kind of tasteless apps Apple might approve next. That's what makes the App Store so much fun. With the company's app approval process becoming more and more confusing for developers with every new submission, we thought we would take at crack at unveiling our own Top Ten list of tasteless iPhone apps submitted for your disapproval.

Indulge yourself with this ultra-trendy, Chris Brown inspired iPhone app Celebrity Beatdown. Select from an always growing library of celebrity snapshots, then add gashes, stitches, bandages and bruises on command. Beatdown your favorite celebrity just because you can. Your iPhone will be a regular Grey's Anatomy trauma center for celebs without the prying paparazzi.

Best Buy Customer Finds Large 'Brick' Inside New MacBook Pro Box

TEXAS - Months before the 2009 MacWorld Expo, rumors began to run wild about Apple developing a new device code named "The Brick". That rumor may be true! It appears Apple made only one such brick and a man in Texas uncovered it hiding inside the box of his new MacBook Pro purchased at a Best Buy store. The box was supposedly sealed, making it Apple's problem according to Best Buy. This fantastical story comes to us from The Consumerist website.

"When I got home I opened the box and found a paving stone packed with bubble wrap, instead of the MacBook Pro," said Ryan, a Best Buy customer, "I returned to the store and the manager, "Keith", was not too willing to help me out. He kept falling back on the line "Apple seals the boxes, not us. Take it up with Apple."

I'm just not not buying into this sketchy tale. Ryan reportedly sent an email to Best Buy corporate and immediately contacted his credit card company who indicated they could do little to help until his $2164.89 charge was processed. If Ryan had called Apple tech support they would've asked him; "Is your brick plugged into a power outlet?"

Some days it sucks to shop for Apple gear at Best Buy. Now it just sucks to be Ryan!

[The Consumerist]

Apple's WWDC 2009 Event Is Officially Sold Out

 

Apple unofficially announced Tuesday that tickets for its World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2009 are Sold Out. The company posted a small graphic at the bottom of their Developers Connection page sending shock waves of horror out to lag-meisters who waited too long to buy in. This marks the second year in a row that WWDC tickets have sold out. The schedules of Sessions & Labs are now posted on the website.

It has become clear through both graphics and wording used in the WWDC materials that the 2009 sessions are weighted in favor of iPhone though certainly not limited to only the handheld device. The WWDC takes place from June 8 through 12 at the Moscone West hall in San Francisco, CA.

It's expected that Apple will use the opening day keynote address on Monday, June 8th to unveil their next-generation iPhone. An expectation that's currently unconfirmed by Apple. Though my Magic 8 Ball tells me... "all signs point to yes."

Pocket God Gets New Home, Hauls In Over Half A Million Dollars

 

After fifteen consecutive weekly updates, the immensely popular iPhone app Pocket God, which took only one week to create, has shifted into new territory providing the bite size pygmy islanders with a brand new home in Episode 15. The new island environment has been something faithful followers of the game have been pushing for since the app launched back in early January.

The latest game play sets the pygmies up on a new island complete with an old fashioned outhouse featuring farting sounds. Extended waiting for the turd closet causes an implosion too dumb for words. But that's the kind of humor that makes Pocket God such a hoot. Users are now given the opportunity to name each pygmy and to follow their personal stats, two upgrades included in Episode 14 that fans of game have been anxiously awaiting. Switching back to the original island and torture traps is also part of this recent evolution.

"A New Home" is the first part of a planned trilogy of updates followed by "The Tyrannosaurus Strikes back!" and "Return of The Pygmy!" The Bolt Creative team have announced a one dollar price hike, taking Pocket God to $1.99 after the trilogy updates are launched. I asked Dave Castelnuovo, one half of the Bolt Creative's dynamic duo, what makes this trilogy special?

Fifth Avenue Apple Store Among World's Most Photographed Landmarks

A group of academic geeks from Cornell University analyzed over 33 million images posted on Flickr, the wildly popular photo-sharing website shared by some 307,448 users. The group's findings revealed that the flagship Apple store on Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan is the 28th most photographed landmark on planet earth.

Even a cursory pass through Flickr using the search term "Apple Store" immediately reveals how popular the Fifth Avenue retail location has become for users. The stunning glass cube, featuring the iconic Apple logo suspended in the center, opened in May 2006 and has since become a mandatory stop for thousands of Apple faithful visiting New York City. The location, which never closes, is known to be one of the busiest retail stores in Apple's chain.

"I've photographed the flagship Apple store over 300 times this past year. I'm smitten with the glass cube," said Flickr user Camaml Dern, "It's a love affair I thought I would eventually get over, but our relationship has been getting more serious over time. I'm in for the long haul if she is."

The research was published in a document unveiled at the WWW 2009 conference in Madrid last week. New York City was named the world's most photographed city with more than 12 million photos taken there. The Apple store was also ranked as the fifth most photographed landmark in New York, beating out the Statue of Liberty at number #7 falling in right behind The Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center and Grand Central Station at the number #4 spot.

[The Sydney Morning Herald]    [photo by sunkenplanet]

Apple To Launch Media Pad and iPhone Lite With Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is said to be in active talks with Apple to distribute two new iPhone-like handhelds according to a report by BusinessWeek. The report claims that Apple has created prototypes of the devices, pointing to discussions with CEO Steve Jobs and Verizon dating back six months. The companies could unveil at least one of the new devices as early as this summer.

One device is being called "iPhone Lite" which has been described as smaller, thinner and less expensive than iPhone 3G by a person who's seen it up close and personal. The other new Apple product has been identified as the long rumored media pad that would enable users to listen to music, watch HD videos, view photos and place calls over Wi-Fi. Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu also cited industry sources earlier this month indicating a “build plan” for two new iPhone models, though a media pad was not mentioned.

"The media pad category might go to Verizon," said the person who has seen the device. "We are talking about a device where people will say, 'Damn, why didn't we do this?' Apple is probably going to define the damn category."

The media pad is reported to be smaller than Amazon's Kindle book reader, although it's touchscreen is said to be bigger than Kindle's, according to one person who's seen the device. The Kindle currently sports a 7-inch screen featuring a black and white display.

"In the last six months, I have talked to Steve Jobs," Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam confirmed.

Although McAdam would not reveal what the two companies discussed, two people familiar with the subject said talks covered the new smaller iPhone-like device under development. Source: BusinessWeek.

Ringrr Roulette Turns Drunk Dialing Into Sport

 

Here's a fantastical $.99 shaker app that was mostly overlooked when it was first released late last year. It's totally worthy of a glaring second look. It's a one of a kind app that combines the risk element of Russian roulette with the excitement of drunk dialing! Ringrr Roulette turns the concept of drunk dialing into a dangerous sport for the modern risk taker. You'll be a winner almost every time you give your iPhone a proper shake. Unless you happen to call your Mom totally wasted, instantly confirming what she's always expected.

Launch Ringrr Roulette, shake your iPhone and your contact list will start randomly whipping buy at the bottom of your screen. Once you've landed on that special someone you'll be given 10 seconds to Chicken Out, Exclude This Person or Dial Now. I found the exhilaration of random calling even more fun while being completely sober.

If you're looking for an app that elevates the stupidity of drunk dialing to an epic new level, Ringrr Roulette is the one. Add even more thrill by including your local police department, a few ex girlfriends or the parents of your spouse to your contacts just for shits-n-giggles. The rush that follows is priceless!

Get Ringrr Roulette Now