Treeduck

Two prominent Web-based programming advocates have left Mozilla for Palm, arguing that the time has come to use browsers to bypass Apple's controlling role in mobile applications.
Dion Almaer and Ben Galbraith, who help run the Ajaxian site for elaborate Web interfaces and who worked on Mozilla's Web-based Bespin tool for collaborative programming, announced their move to Palm on Friday.

Palm is a logical place for them to go. The Palm Pre has won accolades as a competitive mobile phone, and its foundation for applications is a WebKit-based browser, meaning that Palm programs are essentially Web programs.
"I will be joining Ben, my best friend, partner in crime, and fellow Ajaxian, as we take a new role as directors of the Palm Developer Relations team. We will have the responsibility of the developer experience with Palm. We will be trying to create a rich connective tissue between the company and the Web developer community that we love," Almaer wrote on his blog.
Web-based programs are typically slower and less capable than alternatives that run natively on a computing device. But they have one big potential advantage: written once, they can run on any device with a browser and hardware up to the task.
Although Galbraith and Dalmaer are excited by the possibilities of Web applications and the new era of mobile computing ushered in most notably by Apple's iPhone, Galbraith appears to be concerned about the control Apple exercises over the applications people can use on their phones.
"Clearly, a revolution in hardware is taking place, and it doesn't take a prophet to work out that the future of computing lies along this new trajectory," Galbraith said. "However, my enthusiasm for this amazing new world is tempered by some unfortunate decisions made by some of the players in this space. It seems that some view this revolution as a chance to seize power in downright Orwellian ways by constraining what we, as developers, can say, dictating what kinds of apps we can create, controlling how we distribute our apps, and placing all kinds of limits on what (we) can do to our computing devices."
He didn't mention Apple by name, and I don't want to put words in his mouth, but who else besides Apple could Galbraith be referring to? The programmers and Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Apple exerts its control to try to give iPhone users a simple, stable, and useful experience. But that control can be at odds with what programmers and users want, as was most clearly illustrated in Apple's rejection of the Google Voice application--though Apple said it hasn't actually rejected the application.
Meanwhile, as it did with its Latitude location application for the iPhone after Apple rejected a native version of that software, Google is working on a Web-based interface for Google Voice. It also offers a Web-based Gmail application for the iPhone.
What's curious is that the Palm Pre, the Google Android operating system, and the iPhone OS all use a browser based on the WebKit project, and Apple is among those working hard to advance the state of the art for Web application programming through its WebKit work. So there is some philosophical agreement along with the differences.
Originally posted at Deep Tech

Orange will carry the iPhone in the U.K. in the fourth quarter of this year, the operator announced Monday.
The move marks the end of competitor O2's lucrative exclusivity on Apple's handset in this country, and comes days after O2 announced the release details for the rival Palm Pre smartphone, on which it has U.K. exclusivity.

Orange did not say exactly when it will begin to carry the iPhone. When O2 launched its iPhones in November 2007, it did not specify the duration of its exclusivity deal with Apple, other than to describe it as "multiyear." The most conservative understanding of "multiyear" as "two-year" indicates that the earliest Orange could start stocking the handset is November 9.
All currently available versions of the iPhone--the 8GB 3G, the 16GB 3GS, and the 32GB 3GS--will be offered by Orange, a spokesperson for the company said. The France Telecom-owned operator has not given details of pricing. Orange sells the iPhone in 28 countries and territories worldwide.
The end of O2's iPhone exclusivity in the U.K. confirms rumors that had been circulating in recent months, and "fits in with O2 getting the Palm Pre," Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said.
"It's something we expected, given how Apple moved away from exclusivity deals in all the other countries except the U.K., Germany, and U.S.," Milanesi said. "Apple will get a larger footprint in the U.K., which is their biggest market outside the U.S."
Milanesi predicted that Orange will offer similar iPhone tariff pricing to that available on O2 and will rely instead on "differentiated offerings on services" to set it apart from its rival. O2 has various tariffs for the iPhone--for example, a 44.05-pound-per-month ($70 per month) tariff on a 24-month contract gives the user the iPhone 3GS for free.
The Gartner analyst also said O2 would be likely to position the Pre as an alternative to the iPhone for "people who want a similar experience but with a QWERTY keyboard."
Orange and T-Mobile are currently in talks regarding a merger, which is scheduled for mid-2010. A spokesperson for T-Mobile said Monday that the two operators are remaining "standalone operations" for now, and that the Deutsche Telekom-owned carrier has no plans to stock the iPhone.
David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.
Originally posted at Apple

Voice over Internet Protocol service provider Vonage on Monday announced that it has launched its first mobile apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and BlackBerry devices.
Dubbed Vonage Mobile, the company's free VoIP app enables users to place international calls from their mobile devices. iPod Touch owners can do so by placing calls through Wi-Fi. BlackBerry owners will transmit calls over the cellular network only. iPhone owners will be able to place calls from Wi-Fi or through AT&T's network.
According to Vonage, its app will help users save up to 50 percent on international calling charges levied by carriers. After downloading the app, users need to enter an international number. They can also select a call recipient from their existing iPhone or BlackBerry contacts list. Those who receive calls will see the user's cell phone number on their caller IDs. Charges will be taken against the user's credit card, which they need to input when they first start using the app.
For now, Vonage is offering per-minute rates. The company said in a statement that by the end of the year, it will offer the Vonage World plan to users. Vonage World for home users currently allows them to make calls to more than 60 countries for $24.99 per month.
Vonage's app launch comes on the heels of controversy over whether Google's similar Voice app should have been denied access to Apple's App Store. The debate still rages on.
Vonage's new mobile app is available now in Apple's App Store and Research In Motion's BlackBerry App World. Both versions are free.
Originally posted at The Digital Home

While the number of Apple-owning households continues to grow, the vast majority of those Macs are sharing space with at least one Windows-based PC, according to a new study.
The NPD Group said Monday that its online survey found that 12 percent of households with a computer have at least one Mac, up from 9 percent a year ago. Nearly 85 percent of those with a Mac, though, also have at least one Windows-based PC.

(Credit: Apple)
Overall, Mac owners tend to have more computers and more electronic devices than non-Mac owners. Two-thirds of those with an Apple machine have three or more computers, compared with 29 percent of Windows-only houses.
Houses with Macs also tend to be home to twice as many gadgets, including more iPods and GPS systems than are present in non-Mac abodes.
That makes me feel a bit better about my own domicile, which is home to several Macs and PCs, not to mention more gadgets than I care to admit. There's another reason, though, why Apple owners tend to have more digital gear than their non-Mac-possessing counterparts.
"While Apple owners tend to own more computers and more electronics devices, there is also a high correlation among Apple owners and more affluent consumer households," NPD analyst Stephen Baker said in a statement. "Thirty-six percent of Apple computer owners reported household incomes greater than $100,000, compared to 21 percent of all consumers. With a higher household income, though, it's not a surprise that those consumers are making more electronics purchases."
NPD compiled its results from 2,300 responses to its online survey.
Originally posted at Beyond Binary

Apple recently announced that September 9 will be the date of their 2009 iPod event. For the past four years, Apple has hosted these events in San Francisco to unveil its latest generation of iPods. This year, there has been much speculation at rumor sites that Apple will introduce camera capabilities to its iPod Nano and iPod Touch media players. Many sites are also posting that we will see iTunes 9 with rumored social networking features. As with all things Apple, you can never know what its going to announce at the event, but as we get closer to September 9, check our Download blog for the latest rumors.
Both of this week's apps are games. The first app is a close remake of a physics-based motocross Flash game, and the second game is a new survival shooter with RPG elements to keep you playing.

Tilt your iPhone to land safely so you don't lose your momentum.
Moto X Mayhem (99 cents) is a fun physics-based side-scrolling game that's been popular at the iTunes store in recent weeks, but I've been reluctant to write about it. In the game, you use your accelerometer to lean forward or back, and press the screen to accelerate as you navigate your way through a 2D course. You get five lives to try to complete seven different courses in a row to finish the game. The graphics are cartoon-smooth and the controls are excellent, but once you've played a few games, you'll be able to finish fairly easily.
I was reluctant to write about this game because I used to play what I assume was the original--a free game called TG Motocross--at Teagames.com a couple of years ago. At the time, I was obsessed with getting the best times and thought it was a great free time waster (and so was the sequel), but now that it's on the iPhone, I feel as if it isn't enough. Teagames hasn't had any new games for quite awhile, so maybe this iPhone game is its new endeavor. In any case, Moto X Mayhem is quite a good game, but if it added more levels or a way to pull off tricks, I would feel better recommending it at 99 cents. I guess the good news is that you can try it online before you buy.
Don't forget to reload (bottom center) or you may end up surrounded.
Alive4Ever is part survival shooter and part RPG in which you'll fight off zombies using onscreen joysticks. It's similar to iDracula: Undead Awakening, a survival shooter game I've reviewed here before, but adds several new elements to make it even better. In Alive4Ever, you choose between four characters with varying strengths and weaknesses, and you play through 30 missions of increasingly hard zombie mayhem. When you're low on health or ammo, you can often fight your way to pickups to replenish your supplies. As you complete missions, you'll earn experience to increase your character's capabilities and extra cash to buy new and more powerful weapons.
While it is a top-down 2D survival shooter, Alive4Ever also borrows a lot of elements from Left4Dead (yes, even the name is similar), the 2008 game-of-the-year first person shooter from Valve. There are four characters to choose from and even some of the zombie characters resemble those in the popular PC game. But probably the best element borrowed from Left4Dead is the capability to play co-op multiplayer over a Bluetooth connection with your friends. We tried it here in the office with a couple of iPhones and had a great time working together to stay alive as long as possible. Overall, Alive4Ever is an excellent and well thought-out app that combines good elements of two popular games to make probably the best survival shooter for iPhone. One word of warning: it can get quite bloody so it might not be right for the whole family.
What's your favorite iPhone app? Is Moto X Mayhem just fine the way it is or do you agree with me that there should be more? What do you think of Alive4Ever? Let me know in the comments!
Originally posted at The Download Blog

The H1N1 Influenza, better known as the swine flu, is a real concern for just about everyone this year, making keeping up to date on the latest news paramount.
But considering we're all so busy, remembering to visit government Web sites can be difficult. Installing some basic apps onto your iPhone isn't. Check out some of these apps that will keep you abreast of all the latest news about the swine flu.
Swine Flu apps

CDC News Reader If you want the latest and most up-to-date information on the swine flu, CDC News Reader is probably a good place to start.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides all the latest information available on the swine flu. And since it also provides information on other outbreaks the organization is tracking, you're likely to find some of the best health data of any app in this roundup. For 99 cents, it might be worth it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is your primary source.
(Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
H1N1 Cases by State If you want daily updates on how the swine flu is spreading, H1N1 Cases by State will fill you in.
H1N1 Cases by State automatically downloads daily all the new instances of swine flu in each state in the U.S. When you click on a new outbreak, you'll be brought to a page detailing it. You can also see how many deaths have occurred because of the outbreak. For 99 cents, it's not a bad app to have with you when you need some updates.

H1N1 Cases by State will help you determine where the outbreaks are.
(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)
Outbreaks Near Me Outbreaks Near Me is clearly one of the most useful applications in this roundup.
With the help of Google Maps, Outbreaks Near Me maps all the known swine flu outbreaks in your area. The app also lets you report outbreaks if you find someone who has swine flu and isn't included in the map listing. This free app even supports push, so it can alert you whenever a new incidence of swine flu has affected your area. Check out our full review here.

Outbreaks Near Me shows you where outbreaks are in your area.
(Credit: Outbreaks Near Me)
Swine Flu--Breaking News and Information If you're only looking for the latest news on the swine flu and you don't need with a map showing where the outbreaks are, Swine Flu--Breaking News and Information might be for you.
Swine Flu--Breaking News and Information gives you access to the swine flu's Wikipedia page. From there, it searches for breaking news each day to update the app. When there's some news, you can simply reload the application and view it. It's nothing special, but if you want a simple, free app to consult quickly, it might be worth trying out.

Swine Flu--Breaking News and Information is for information-seekers.
(Credit: Swine Flu--Breaking news and Information)
Swine Flu Tracker Swine Flu Tracker is a simple application designed to keep track of where outbreaks of the swine flu are occurring all over the world.
When you start using Swine Flu Tracker, you'll find a series of maps that lets you see each instance of swine flu outbreaks. You can check around your area or elsewhere around the world. The app also features an information pane, providing detailed data on the swine flu, where it comes from, and how to prevent it from affecting you. It's available for free.

Swine Flu Tracker helps you find all the outbreaks.
(Credit: Swine Flu Tracker)
Swine Flu Tracker Map Not to be confused with Swine Flu Tracker, Swine Flu Tracker Map provides you with information far beyond what its name might suggest. Aside from mapping where outbreaks have occurred, the app also provides some valuable information on H1N1 Influenza.
Swine Flu Tracker Map first alerts you to changes in the swine flu warning level. So if it has moved to a level five, the app will explain what that means, how to protect yourself, and more. Swine Flu Tracker Map also features an assortment of articles to educate you on the swine flu. How does it affect humans? What are its chances of survival? All those questions are answered by the app. Even better, it's free.

If you're looking for basic information on the Swine flu, this app is for you.

(Credit: Swine Flu Tracker)
Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute aims at becoming your daily source for everything related to the swine flu.
To do so, it starts out by telling you where the worldwide alert level is. It then explains what each level means to you. The app also features the world's "status" to let you know whether it's safe to travel to certain countries. If you want to learn more about the swine flu or influenza in general, Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute has some documents for you to read. Even if you're looking for the latest headlines, you'll find it with this app. It's full-featured and affordable at 99 cents.

Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute has some nice features.

Apple's dropping bombs all over CNET in the form of brand-new iPods and a freshly updated iTunes. You know what that means: harried editors scrambling to get you all the freshest details. This week's podcast has all you want to know about iTunes 9 and the updates to the iPod Shuffle, Nano, Classic, and Touch. Plus, we have plenty of video demonstrating the fifth-generation Nano's many new features.

Congratulations, iPhone, you can finally join the cell phone family. AT&T announced Thursday that the long-awaited multimedia messaging would arrive on Apple's device in the United States starting September 25. The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G will support the service, but owners of the original iPhone will miss out since that handset lacks the proper radio.
In its brief statement, AT&T offered few reasons why it's taken so long to get such a basic cell phone feature. It only said MMS "required us to work on our network MMS architecture to carry the expected record volumes of MMS traffic and ensure an excellent experience from Day One."
The carrier also said it appreciates the patience of its customers (it better) and that it knows that many iPhone customers are "eager" (that's putting it mildly) for the MMS rollout. Other iPhone carriers around the world have offered MMS since the 3.0 update went live earlier this year.
On the magic day, you'll need a software update before you can send your first photo to another phone number. As we reported last month, some users have seen the MMS commands on their iPhone after the most recent software update, but they've been unable to use them.
And in case anyone is keeping score, September 25 is three days after autumn officially begins on September 22. At Apple's WWDC in June, a company exec said MMS would come later in the summer. And one more thing: we're still waiting for that promised tethering support.
Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

So you just got your new iPhone 3Gs, and want to know which apps (applications) are essential and these are the 10 that I use regularly.

The Weather Channel (Free) – this app does a great job of giving you detailed information about the weather. It can be localized by zip code or city, and can store multiple locations. The Weather Channel app provides great detail about the weather, including humidity, UV index, Sunrise and Sunset times, maps and videos. Most importantly it will give you hourly, 36 hour and 10 day forecasts. It has a “share this” button which easily allows you to send the weather report to your friends (most useful I found this past ski season in determining if trips to Vermont were going to be epic, or epically bad.) Why is a weather app essential if there is one that comes with my iPhone? Because the built in weather app on the iPhone doesn’t come close to providing the amount of weather information that the The Weather Channel does. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By The Weather Channel

Flixster (Free) – this app, brought to you by the same team that built Flixtser.com is one of the best apps for fans of movies. It uses the built in location services on your iPhone (you can disable) to tell you what the new theatrical release are, and where & what time to see them. The application is tied in with Flixtser.com you also get, movie information, synopsis, and running time. My essential feature on this phone is the instant reviews, because the application is tied in with Flixster, movies ratings and reviews by 7,000,000 other movie lovers are available right through the app. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Flixster

Sportacular (Free) – Sportacular is a sports fans dream (and in my opinion easier to use than the newer ESPN branded app.) Sportacular provides you with fast, up to the minute access to scores, standings, stats and news for most major sports. Plus, make game predictions and share comments with fellow fans. I find this app essential, as I am an ardent Miami Dolphins fan, who lives in NY. My opportunity to view live games over the past 15 years has been slim to none (unless the Dolphins were playing the Giants or the Jets) Sportacular allows me to follow the game in their play by play mode, while still sitting with my friends and family who are watching the local NY teams. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Citizen Sports

Yelp (Free) – I love discovering new things. Yelp, which started as a community created “best of” guide app is essential for me. It uses the location services (you can disable) and tells you what the best businesses near you are. Yelp’s restaurant system is the highlight for me, using the Yelp iPhone app allows you to find restaurants that are close to you, that are open now, that are within certain price ranges, and can be filtered based on cuisine. This is essential for me, because I travel a fair amount, and I am a vegan…while Yelp helps me in hometown of New York, it is essential for me when I am in a city or town that I am unfamiliar with. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Yelp

Facebook (Free) – this application is a very good assimilation of the Facebook.com experience, all in the palm of your hands. If you are active on FaceBook, then this is an essential application for you. There are also iphone versions of Linkedin and MySpace, but both are not nearly as robust as the FaceBook iPhone application. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Facebook

Twittelator (Free and $4.99 for the Pro Version) – Disclaimer, if you use Twitter, read on…if not, what are you waiting for? This is the first application that I ever paid for, and it (and Twitter) have become essential for me. There are a lot of Twitter applications available (and one of my favorite desktop clients TweetDeck released an App today) but Twittelator is the Gold Standard. The team behind the application is constant improving the tool with feature additions and updates. There is almost nothing that Twittelator can’t do that you can do from you desktop or laptop. In conjunction with the iPhone 3Gs launch they justed added this list of new features; Audio and Video Tweeting, Subgroups, Offline tweet composition, drafts and saving tweets are features unique to Twittelator Pro. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Big Stone Phone

ToDo (Free and $9.99 for the Full Version) – If you use lists to organize your life, then this application will be essential for you. Todo is a powerful tool that makes task management simple and fun. Use Todo by itself or synchronize your tasks to the web or your desktop using a popular online todo list like Toodledo or Remember The Milk. Todo helps you focus on what matters most and allows you to integrate the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology or your own. The essential part of this app is that it syncs with iCal, which allows me to get reminders on all those important tasks that need to be completed (I reminded myself to write this post with Todo.) Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Appigio

Pandora (Free) – Pandora Radio is your own personalized radio now available to stream music on your iPhone. Just start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a “station” that plays their music and more music like it. This has become an essential way that I listen to music, especially when I am away from home. The service works over the 3g network, although the quality of the music is slightly better over WiFi; when you are driving down the road, or on a train, or waiting at an airport, just pop in your ear buds, and discover some new music! Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Pandora

Concert Vault (Free) – If you love live music, Concert Vault for the iPhone gives you free access to the world’s largest collection of live concert recordings right in your pocket. Concert Vault for the iPhone lets you listen to the Vault’s latest additions, most popular concerts, and any of our radio stations playing hundreds of songs from thousands of concerts spanning the 1960s through today. The app syncs with Wolfgangs website so all your playlists and favorite concerts from the website play right on your. Like Pandora, Wolfgang’s Vault offers full support over WiFi, 3G and EDGE connections on the iPhone, with advanced automatic bandwidth detection and stream adjustment. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Wolfgang’s Vault

PocketGod ($.99) – If you have children between the ages of 6-12 than this essential app will keep them out of you hair, although they will always ask for your iPhone. Pocket God is a game that allows you to create very cute animated people at will and then torture them to your heart’s content. Feed them to sharks, strike them with lightning bolts, throw them into a nearby volcano (it’s actually an acquired skill) and, if you feel especially generous, feed them by cracking coconuts on their heads. The game creators have been pushing out an update (or “episode”) about once a week. Recently, Episode 10 introduced vampirism. (Tap the moon to create a bat which turns islanders into vampires.) Disclaimer; some parents may think PocketGod inappropriate for children, I strongly encourage you to check out the content before giving your children access to this game. Click here to go to iTunes to get this App now. By Bolt Creative

Big thanks to my good friend Scott Sala, who will be sporting a new iPhone 3Gs tomorrow. I hope this list helps you decide which apps to start with. As an aside, last night I had to re-install my factory settings while upgrading to the iPhone 3.0 OS and these are the 10 apps that I reinstalled immediately.

Back in March, I touched on the rumors floating around that Apple was going to launch a Netbook. It's interesting to watch Apple's communication strategy when it comes to rumors. Jacqui Chang at Ars Technica is one of my favorite tech pundits and this was one of her arguments as to why the Cupertino company would phase in a Netbook:
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