One More Tap

DataViz‘s highly anticipated Microsoft Office documents viewer and editor, Documents To Go has been released for both the iPhone and iPod touch. Documents To Go, now in its 10th year, is the mobile office suite of choice and comes pre-loaded on millions of devices worldwide, including Palm and BlackBerry devices.

Currently, only Microsoft Word editing is supported, with Microsoft Excel support coming soon as a free update when available. Exchange email users will probably find the other version, Documents To Go with Exchange Attachments more useful. This special version allows users to access email attachments right within the Documents To Go application. If you constantly switch between editing a document on your mobile device and desktop, then you’ll probably find that DataViz’s InTact Technology ensures original document formatting is saved across edited files.

Documents To Go for iPhone features:

• create, edit and view Microsoft Word documents (including Word 2007 and 2008)
• view and synchronize Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat PDFs, Apple iWork and other supported files
• receive, edit and email Microsoft Word attachments (Exchange Attachments version)
• desktop application (Mac and PC) for two-way Wi-Fi synchronization

Documents To Go (Microsoft Word Editing) is currently available at an introductory price of only $4.99, while Documents To Go (Exchange Attachmentes) is going at $9.99 each. Hurry up, as this special offer expires on June 30, 2009. Note that competitor products like QuickOffice Mobile Office Suite is going for about $20 as of this writing, so if you have yet to decide on your office suite of choice, give Documents To Go a look. I personally have used most versions, starting from my Palm OS days.

written by xcool \\ tags: Apps, Documents To Go, iPhone, iPod touch, Productivity

After much anticipation, including rumored (yes, rumors!) delays – Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 finally sees the day with its release for both iPhone and iPod touch. Build number for this release is 3.0/7A341 – it seems to match the GM seed version that I have for my iPod touch.

Users can get the download straight from iTunes by clicking on the Check for Updates button. iPhone owners get the update for free, while iPod touch owners will need to purchase the update for only $9.95 – this is due to Apple’s accounting practice.

Most of the features are already quite familiar with those of us who swarm Apple news and rumor sites daily. Here’s a list of changes listed by Apple – they cover both the iPhone and iPod touch:

• Cut, Copy & Paste – self-explanatory, one of the most requested feature debuts with this new update
• Landscape keyboard – built-in apps now have this feature, something which should be there since day 1, if you ask me
• MMS – iPhone only, not many people sends MMS, but since you asked for it, please go ahead and make full use of it
• Spotlight Search – find what you’re looking for across the device from one convenient place
• Voice Memo – capture a memo, meeting or any audio recording, iPod touch owners will need to attach a microphone
• Internet Tethering – iPhone only, now you can share your internet connection with your laptop via Bluetooth or USB
• Peer-to-Peer Gaming – now you could waste more time, with a friend, provided the game supports it
• Push Notifications – apps can now receive information and let you know its there, even then the app is not running
• Movies, TV Shows and Audiobooks purchase via Wi-Fi – get the best entertainment titles from iTunes directly on your device

And many more. Head on over to Apple’s site for more details on the update. iPhone users. iPod touch users.

One more thing. If you device has been unlocked somehow using one of the (ahem) available utilities, I’d suggest that you wait for an official unlocker to be released.

written by xcool \\ tags: 3.0, Firmware, iPhone, iPod touch, OS

UPDATE: Moments after we published the review, SGN’s update for FAST went online in the iTunes Store, adding Bluetooth support. Also the game is now available at a reduced price of only $5.99 $4.99. Early adopters who paid the premium price of $9.99 will get a special treat soon. Now there’s no more excuse not to start an online war! Check out our review and then go grab the game!

We previously covered this game when it was announced in TechCrunch. I managed to secure a copy for my iPod touch, and after spending about a week plus with the game, I am impressed.

Originally slated to be a free game, with premium In-App purchases later, SGN’s F.A.S.T – Fleet Air Superiority Training! (subsequently referred to as FAST) turned out to be a premium-priced title, selling for $9.99 $5.99 $4.99 a copy in the iTunes Store. For a ticket that steep, it turned out to be a very entertaining and exciting game. In fact, this could be one of the best full 3D, complete-controlled dogfighting game available to date for the iPhone platform.

Continue reading »

written by xcool \\ tags: F.A.S.T., Games, iPhone, iPod touch, Review

Hello people! It’s Tuesday again, so let us all head over to the iTunes Store for some freebies!

Laura Izibor starts this week’s line up with Don’t Stay, the Single of the Week download. Hailing from Dublin, Laura Izibor has a voice that sings up and out over her surroundings, bringing a little bit of sunshine wherever she goes. She represents the new sound of soul music and brings to it a touch of sass and passion that makes her particular style stand out from the pack. The free download, Don’t Stay is a breezy, windswept funk with Izibor shining on the vocals. It’s orchestrated warmly with the intimacy of a Sunday morning church service. If you want more, check out her full album, Let the Truth Be Told, now available for only $7.99.

Continue reading »

written by xcool \\ tags: Discovery Download, Free, FREE ON iTunes, iTunes Store, Music Video of the Week, Single of the Week

If you’ve been trying out a lot of apps (free or paid) on your iPhone or iPod touch, then you would have most likely encountered an app or two that doesn’t behave as intended. It’s quite common to have some badly programmed apps to freeze or stop responding. Here’s when a tip like this falls in.

The iPhone OS, just like its big brother, Mac OS X, allows an application to be quit, forcefully – hence the name force quit. On the Mac OS X, you’ll simply press Command+Option+Escape key combinations. On the iPhone however, things seem to have gone into muddy waters, now that iPhone OS 3.0 as well as the iPhone 3G S was announced.

During the keynote presentation on Monday, June 8, 2009 – we were all told about a new function for the iPhone 3G S, and that is the Voice Control features. Activating Voice Control on the iPhone 3G S can be done by simply holding the Home button. As you can see, the Home button used to be the magic button that force quits an application when held for about 5 seconds. You’ll notice that when the application exits and the home screen reappears. Here’s a video I did some time back, demonstrating how to force quit the Safari application.

The function is now missing in iPhone OS 3.0 – or shall I say, enhanced. Force quitting an app in iPhone OS 3.0 can still be done, with an extra step.

If you are one of the lucky Lukes (or Leia, so to speak) to have iPhone OS 3.0 installed, try this the next time you want to force quit a misbehaving application. Hold the power button for a few seconds until you see the “slide to power off” prompt. Let go of the power button and hold the Home button until you see the application disappear and the home screen reappears.

Force quitting can be good avenues, not only to exit a misbehaving or frozen app. It’s also a good practice to quit background apps like Safari and Mail, which take up precious memory, especially before starting a game. Also, since most games save its state when you quit, you could actually force quit it if you want to prevent the game state from being saved. That’s what I did most of the time to somehow ‘cheat’ in certain games. Try it!

written by xcool \\ tags: Apps, iPhone, iPod touch, Tips