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Twitpocalypse Crashes Twitterrific iPhone App

The upcoming "Twitpocalypse" that was being feverishly tweeted about on Friday, has claimed the recently updated "Twitterrific" app version 2.0.1 for iPhone as an early victim. Reports warned that Twitter would allegedly collapse once the number of tweets surpassed 2,147,483,647, it’s the largest number that can be stored as the data type known as a “signed integer.

The iCon Factory, developers of Twitterrific have reported the crash on their blog indicating that they're investigating a bug fix, but warn users that it may take some time to get the fix completed and approved through the App Store.

"We apologize for problems that iPhone and iPod touch Twitterrific users are currently experiencing due to the so-called Twitpocalypse. A fix for these issues was included in the 2.0.1 release to the App Store weeks ago, but the application is indeed returning errors at this time." Source: iCon Factory Blog

With Twitterrific Premium ($3.99) being one of my favorite Twitter clients for iPhone, I'm anxious to see the app returned to it's former glory. Developers encourage checking in @twitterrific often for updates. The company claims that their Mac desktop version of Twitterrific (Free) is functioning normally. Has the Twitpocalypse truly arrived in a micro dose?

I was originally skeptical of the rumored Twitpocalypse bug that failed to blow up Twitter as anticipated, but now it's proving to cause havoc for other related services accessing the Twitter API. The wildly popular iPhone app "Tweetie" appears to be working as normal via iPhone, so does TwitterFon, Twittelator and Twinkle that was updated to version 1.5 last week.

UPDATE: The iCon Factory has submitted version 2.0.2 (which fixes Twitpocalypse bug) to the App Store at 6pm EST. They're currently trying to expedite approval from Apple.

AT&T Posts Fail News for iPhone 3G S Pre-Orders

If you pre-ordered your iPhone 3G S through AT&T by Friday, June 12th it's possible you've slipped in under an invisible drop dead date for a June 19th delivery. When attempting to pre-order an iPhone 3G S on Saturday, June 13th, AT&T has now posted an epic fail message informing customers of a 7 to 14 day shipping time line after your order is placed. AT&T pre-orders are sold out!

"Pre-orders for iPhone 3G S will ship 7 to 14 days after your order is placed. Orders will be shipped on a first-come, first-served basis."  Source: Att.com

AT&T is only guaranteeing that pre-orders placed by Friday, June 12th are expected to arrive on time for the 7:00 AM chain-wide iPhone 3G S store launch on June 19th. Customers will receive an email notification when their 3G S has arrived and is ready for pick-up.

Best Buy To Launch iPhone 3G S With Accident Insurance Plan

The list of options for purchasing the latest iPhone 3G S will also include Best Buy stores on June 19th. The company will offer cult of iPhone fanatics more than Apple's standard two-year extended AppleCare warranty plan with their Geek Squad's Black Tie Protection service. The Black Tie accident insurance covers regular technical problems as well as spills, drops and other epic failures that would typically require a costly iPhone repair service in some extreme cases the need to purchase an entirely new device. Though this service comes with a hefty price.

While the same insurance for other cellphones costs $7 to $10 per month depending on the model, Best Buy has raised the rate for iPhones to $15 dollars per month (of course they have) which amounts to $180 a year. If you're one of those accident prone shaved apes that abuses your iPhone on a daily basis, premium Black Tie coverage may be right for you.

Under Best Buy's plan, the company will offer a temporary replacement phone to any customer who's iPhone can't be fixed or replaced on the spot. Best Buy will also stand by anti-lemon protection for any device that's brought in four times due to defects.

Opening hours for line sitters are as follows for Friday, June 19th: Apple stores 8:00 AM, AT&T stores 7:00 AM and Best Buy stores will serve customers starting at 10:00 AM. AT&T stores will host two lines, one for pre-order customers and one for the clueless.

New and qualifying AT&T customers can expect to pay $199 for a 16GB iPhone 3G S model and $299 for the 32GB model. iPhone 3G will be offered at $99 for 8GB and $149 for the 16GB device. Customers with current contracts will need to check for early upgrade pricing [here] which can be as much as an additional $200 premium on top of the prices offered to new customers. Pre-ordering your device through Apple or AT&T is also an option.

[AppleInsider]

Star Trek Communicator for iPhone Is Spot On

This classic Star Trek communicator app ($.99) for iPhone, slipped past us when it was first released into the App Store at the end of May. The spot on graphics and familiar chirping sound triggered when performing the epic cover-flip to access the communicator's controls is pure goodness. This one is guaranteed to have serious old school Trekkies drooling like a Basset Hound.

My favorite part of this app is that with one touch of a button a dialing pad is revealed that allows users to engage their communicator fantasies at will for making calls. Calling buddies for a beer run has never felt so incredibly satisfying.

This app is dangerously authentic and it's actually useful too. Unfortunately the developers had to originally name it Star Radio Communicator in order to keep Paramount from sniffing out their brilliant effort. Get it now before those filthy media hacks set their phasers to kill on this one.

Star Trek Original Series Communicator

iPhone 3GS RAM Doubles From Previous Model

I'm not exactly sure why Apple chose to omit processor speed and RAM details on their iPhone 3GS specs page, but T-Mobile in the Netherlands was happy to reveal the info on their own website. The processor speed is expected to be 600MHz CPU up from 412 MHz while the RAM has doubled to 256MB. The specs are spot on to what was rumored to be included on iPhone 3GS a few weeks back.

Most true Apple followers have quickly realized that the upgrades with iPhone 3GS in battery life, processor speed, RAM and camera are a typical interim bump the company has been known to do on most of it's product line year over year prior to a major redesign. A new iPhone form factor and redesign is still pending if Apple follows its well traveled pattern.

Many cult of iPhone fanatics we've spoken to are most excited about the OS 3.0 update and plan to hold off purchasing the new 3GS device in favor of a fantastical new iPhone which is anticipated to make an appearance sometime in the distant future. The real buzz is coming from gamers fixated on how powerful iPhone 3GS is for 3D graphics. For now a $99 dollar 8GB iPhone 3G with OS 3.0 is by far the sickest deal going for first time users. While they last!

[iLounge]

Parachute Panic Lands Top 10 Status By Design

The first thing I loved about the new Parachute Panic ($.99) app is that the developers went deliberately low-tech with the game's hand drawn graphics, designed to stand out from all of the App Store clutter. They took the basic stick figure animation concept made popular by "Falling Balls" then built it out to the extreme. A simple strategy that's already getting Parachute Panic the kind of massive attention that's helped propel it into Top 10 App Store status almost overnight. 

Several early reviews from the gallery of ultra-noobs complain that the game-play "gets way too hard too fast". While that complaint may be true for some whiny shaved apes, this game would be ditched instantly by most if it was too easy. Making the word "panic" an important part of the experience.

Parachute Panic does several things right, the game-play is addictive and easy to understand, the animation is brilliantly executed, and they include a quirky unexpected soundtrack to begin and the end the game. Sending a clear message that they don't take themselves too seriously. A genius move in my opinion! Though I do think the stark guitar notes during the frantic game-play is a tad underdeveloped and should be re-imagined in future updates.

Call me insane, but I believe Parachute Panic has the potential to nurture a rabid community of loyal followers if they invite iGaming nerds to build the storyline and character development like Bolt Creative has accomplished with their epic Pocket God app. The idea of users creating new art for this game and shaping it's evolution could make it an enduring classic for months to come.

This fast action, stick figure thrill ride has plenty of room to grow if developers listen to their audience and respond. Parachute Panic is a certified iPhone juggernaut, it's an original idea that should cause cult of iPhone fanatics to cheer out loud like a pack of school girls at a Jonas Brothers concert.

I bought Parachute Panic at full price and was not disappointed one bit, because it doesn't suck. Which is saying a lot for someone who truly blows at playing these kinds of games. My all time high score is 19 which reminds me that I'm best suited for extreme Tic-Tac-Toe.

Get Parachute Panic

iPhone 3GS: The 'S' Stands For Super

The fantastical idea of the (S) in iPhone 3GS being more appropriately fitted with the correct Super Hero emblem is not that far off from what true cult of iPhone fanatics would like to believe about Apple's epic 2009 upgrade. It's much more powerful!

Dr. Cullen wasted no time pandering to comic book fantasies by dragging iPhone 3GS into a world where Kryptonite matters. Faster than a speeding bullet... it can leap tall buildings in a single bound. The 'S" truly stands for super as much as it stands for speed.

I'll see you in line at the sleepover on June 19th.

A New Apple Product Launch On June 26th?

 

Steve Jobs was a no-show to introduce iPhone 3GS at Apple's WWDC 2009 event as some wishful thinkers had hoped for, which points to another Apple event by month's end as some analysts have predicted. Though it will not be to herald a new iPhone. The idea of an iTablet is still being swung around in the media like Thor's hammer, refusing to die a proper death especially in the minds of faithful Apple followers. So let's review this June 26th date.

In case you were snoozing during the 3GS launch date slides Phil Schiller presented, here's a minor recap. When Schiller clicked through the slides showing the US launch date for iPhone 3GS on June 19th, the very next slide revealed a mystery date of June 26th. Huh? The next slides that followed showed 3GS launch dates for a multiple of other countries for both July 9th and August 9th, but June 26th seemed to have no meaning at all. Or did it?

   

It's possible that ol' Phil slipped up and revealed the next date for a special Apple product launch hinted at by the Wall Street Journal, which might also include the anticipated return of Mr. Jobs. I would keep that June date locked on your iCal with eyes firmly fixed on Steve Jobs until further notice. I believe that one 'mystery slide' means something significant to Apple, it just wasn't meant to be seen today.

[Photos Courtesy of Gizmodo]

iPhone 3GS: The 'S' Stands For Speed

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple delivered up the highly anticipated iPhone 3GS today at their WWDC 2009 event to thunderous yelps, along with professional grade hootin' and hollering from the sold out crowd. Phil Schiller quickly announced the new 3GS feature set in the closing fifteen minutes of the event including 2X faster processing, an extended battery life, 3 megapixel camera, updated 3D graphics, on board video and a digital compass among some of the highlights. Several rumors tempted iPhone fanatics with a new matte finish, a glowing Apple logo, a black bezel frame and a front facing video camera for iChat, all of which failed to materialize this time around.

One of the more obvious thuds heard in the WWDC auditorium was the fact that AT&T will not offer support for iPhone 3.0 MMS until later in the summer, also leaving the highly anticipated iPhone tethering feature announced today by Apple in limbo. AT&T never fails to disappoint when it counts.

iPhone 3GS will go on sale in eight countries on Friday, June 19th for $299 (32GB) and $199 (16GB) US dollars. Apple also launched both the original iPhone and iPhone 3G on a Friday. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK are included in the initial launch. Dates given for an iPhone 3GS launch in other countries were July 9th and August 9th. Not sure if anyone noticed that Australia was left off the list which included New Zealand for July 9th.

The wildly popular iPhone OS 3.0 update is set to be released by Apple on Wednesday, June 17th announced as a free update for cult of iPhone users and $9.95 for the red-headed step children with iPod touch devices. Apple also announced an 8GB iPhone 3G model for $99 as many expected.

The entire globe would have rioted had Apple not announced a new iPhone model today, so I'm as giddy as a school girl over that news. The July 17th release rumor was an epic failure that I'm much too happy about. No one wants to wait that long for such a profound upgrade to their beloved iPhone.

The fact that Firewire 800 ports were added to the line of MacBook Pros today, along with a list of slick updates and a price drop is small cheese by comparison to iPhone 3GS. I'm certain their's more significant iPhone news to come before the summer ends.

The truth is out there. I want to believe. 

[Click here to watch entire keynote video]

Watch The New iPhone 3GS TV Ad

This new iPhone 3GS ad reveals little about the phone other than total flop on the floor exhilaration over the fact that it's finally announced. The voice in the clip saying, "I think it's the same" is a nice way of downplaying how huge of an upgrade 3.0 really adds to the device. Not to mention a considerable lift to speed and battery life.

 "It's the iPhone you love, now with video." Ok, count me in!