It’s time to delve in to the App Store and take a look at a select few releases that could find a happy home on your iPhone. This week I’ve selected four games that I’ll be zoning out with this weekend.

Of course there are scores of games out for the iPhone, but we’ve been lucky enough to have a few really excellent titles released in the past week or so.

My top pick for this week is 8-bit rhythm-action game Ninja Honda Karate. Plus, I’ve also been looking at Eliminate Pro, Horror Racing and Minima.

Ninja Honda Karate ($2.99)

Amongst the endless generic game clones constantly arriving at the App Store, Ninja Honda Karate is a true breath of fresh air. It takes 8-bit video-games, Japanese culture, chip music and rhythm action gameplay, mashing it all together into a multicolor milieu of awesome.

The game premise just barely makes sense. You play as Karate Alberto Honda, a very Mario-esque but nonetheless cute hero. The aim is to karate chop coins in time to the blippy bloppy beat. Occasionally you’ll tap a mushroom, triggering a psychedelic rocket launch across the screen. At the end of each level, before the scores are tallied, you’ll also deliver a giant mushroom to the princess.

While the premise is gloriously nonsensical and convoluted, the gameplay is plain simple. Coins come out of various tubes on the screen, as they emerge, you simply tap the coin in time with the music. In effect, you end up performing the soundtrack as you play the game. The game certainly isn’t innovative, but that’s the point: it’s a beatific mashup of everything else.

Eliminate Pro (Free)

Developed under the apt codename FPS, this might not be the first first-person shooter to hit the iPhone, but it’s certainly the most polished. Eschewing a proper plot, or even single player mode, Eliminate is all about big guns, futuristic robotic suites and online multiplayer death matches.

The game certainly looks the part. Inside the immaculately designed arenas — all shiny metal-plating and steel walkways — you’ll face competitors in customised power-suits, armed to the teeth with explosive weaponry. Eliminate is, in essence, the pocket-sized lovechild of Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament.

However, a word of warning about the game’s price. It’s free to download and free to play, however your character is given a limited amount of energy per day. When your energy runs out, you’re no longer allowed to compete. You can either wait 24 hours for your energy to re-charge, play a few practice rounds or buy more.

And that’s where some of the more frequent players may take issue. Purchasing energy cells, starting at a dollar a pack, just isn’t good value. It’s a great quality game, certainly worth downloading, but don’t expect to play for free more than a couple of times per day.

Horror Racing ($2.99)

Halloween is over and Horror Racing was released around three weeks ago, so this almost didn’t make the cut. Horror Racing’s saving grace though is that it’s actually a really fun little game. The game brings to mind old-school arcade racers, viewed from above the track you have the perfect vantage point to observe the havoc and wreak devastation.

The game has very little to do with horror, though. The characters are more cute than scary. The circuits are awash with browns and greens, making it look like a muddy mess. The sound helps remedy the situation. The constant RC car buzz as you speed your way around the circuits is perfect.

And then there’s the gameplay itself. The races, a mix of explosions and skill, are downright fun. There are several gameplay modes, including an excellent on-going Championship Mode. As you play through the game, you’ll earn money which can then be spent upgrading your car’s engine, armour or weaponry. All that’s really missing with Horror Racing is a multiplayer online mode.

Minima (99 cents)

Clearly I’ve got a bit of a think for anything wrapped in retro visuals. I suppose I miss the glory days of my old BBC Micro and Commodore Amiga. My final pick for this week takes the retro aesthetic a step further, reducing the graphics to a grid of giant glowing pixels.

Minima takes after its name and keeps the gameplay incredibly minimal. You control a color-changing pixel. The objective is to avoid other pixels by changing color and blending in with them. Further enhancing the game’s retro-vibe, each of the nine levels is styled after a particular classic video-game.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with a fresh selection of App Store recommendations.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

The long-awaited weekend has finally arrived and with it comes the opportunity to consider purchasing some shiny new Apple hardware. If you’re looking for a distraction from those wallet-emptying new Apple toys, I suggest you check out my picks from the App Store.

This week’s picks are all about distractions, I’ve selected four apps to take your mind off everything else. My top pick is NFB Films, the National Film Board of Canada’s official iPhone app. Plus I’ve also been looking at Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals, Rebtel and Mr. Bounce.

NFB Films (Free)

Knowing little about the National Film Board of Canada, I was admittedly drawn to the app for other reasons. You see, I’m a long-time fan of Boards of Canada, a Scottish duo who make crackling, whistful electronic music. The pair are known for borrowing samples — and even their name — from Canada’s NFB.

The app itself has absolutely nothing to do with the musicians. It’s actually a meticulously archived selection of videos plucked from the National Film Board of Canada’s brimming library. There’s both classic and current content, organized into categories such as Classics, Documentaries, Animated Films and Social Issues. It’s worth noting that these aren’t clips — the videos are feature-length presentations.

For such a vast quantity of content, it’s encouraging that the app is focused on usability. Browsing content feels just like Apple’s own iPod app, you can mark videos to be watched later, or send to a friend too. There’s even a button to find out what other nearby users are watching. And all this for free, too. It’s really quite brilliant. It’s a truly wonderful app and the NFB should be commended for allowing us all access to such a fantastic collection.

Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals ($7.99)

Cooking might not be everyone’s idea of fun but, for the non-believers, I can assure you that once you get started it’s a joy. There’s nothing quite like creating a gorgeous looking plate of food and then, in the process of devouring it, discovering that it’s actually quite tasty too.

The turning point for me came after I attempted Jamie Oliver’s recipe for pan-fried tuna steak with fresh asparagus wrapped in pancetta. Before that, the extent of my cooking ability was scrambled egg. Or omelette if I happened to get distracted and forgot to do the scrambling. For me, Jamie made cooking easy and accessible. A pleasure instead of a complex chore.

The iPhone app is essentially a Jamie Oliver cookbook infused with a dollop of multimedia goodness. There are 50 recipes included, all of which can be thrown together in 20 minutes. Each recipe features mouth-watering step-by-step photos and audio clips from Jamie too. There’s even a range of videos presented by Jamie to help you learn essential kitchen skills. A proper pukka package, as the man himself might say.

Rebtel (Free)

News broke a couple of weeks back that AT&T is finally ready to allow Internet voice calls over its wireless network. What this means for iPhone users in the U.S. is that soon you’ll be able to make calls using the Skype app over 3G.

We’re still waiting for the news to manifest itself in an actual Skype app update, furthermore it’s unclear whether carriers across Europe will follow suit with AT&T. This is where VOIP service Rebtel comes in. The company claim that their new app allows super-cheap VOIP calls on the iPhone today.

Except the app doesn’t quite do that. What it actually does is uses a smart workaround to create a clever compromise. When you call a contact using Rebtel, the app automatically generates a local number which your call is routed through. It’s essentially an automated version of the Skype To Go service.

Mr Bounce (99 cents)

The last of my devastatingly distracting picks this week comes in the form of a game. Mr Bounce gives Atari’s oft-cloned Breakout an intriguing physics-based twist. Rather than just controlling the bat, you also control the ball’s altitude.

Initially it feels complicated. Like a physicists re-imagining of a classic game. Changing the altitude effectively changes the bounciness of the ball. There’s also trajectory projection, so you can see the path that the ball will follow. The game is even rendered with an RGB aesthetic and glowing vector geometry.

Once you’ve traversed the first few levels though, the game clicks and you’ll be guided through 25 excellent levels by the catchy blippy bloppy soundtrack. Great fun and great value too as Mr Bounce is currently only 99 cents.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with a fresh selection of App Store recommendations.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

It’s the weekend and I’m over in London investigating a host of new iPhone apps out later this year. In the meantime, I’ve hand-picked four of the latest releases from the App Store for you to check out.

This week I’ve selected a smattering of fun games. My top pick for this week is Canabalt, plus I’ve also been looking at Nota, Tap Tap Revenge 3 and Real Football 2010.

Canabalt ($2.99)

Earlier this week Adobe announced that the latest version of Flash, version CS5, will support iPhone app development. What this means is that an app can be created using Flash and then effectively rendered out as an iPhone-compatible app file.

Ustwo, who I spoke to earlier this week, prototyped its minimalist designer game .™ in 48 hours using Flash. With CS5, developers will be able to handle prototyping and development without leaving Flash. What this means for us folk who download apps is that we’re on the cusp of another exciting period in iPhone development, especially in terms of gaming.

Which brings us to Canabalt, a game which debuted several weeks ago online in Flash form and has since been ported across the the iPhone. It’s a furious filmic rush as you dash across a futuristic rooftop, jumping buildings, dodging debris and trying to survive for as long as possible. This is one button gaming at its very best, a worthwhile download for all iPhone gamers.

Nota ($2.99)

The iPhone has great potential as an e-learning tool, but so far, it feels like an unexplored area. It’s fair enough I suppose…developers need to make a living too and other app genres, such as games, seem like they have more potential for generating profit. It’s a shame though as there’s so much potential to create something wonderful for learning on the iPhone, something just like Nota.

Nota is a music learning tool. It’s got all the beginners stuff, covering notes and crochets and all that jazz, but it dips into the realms of advanced music theory too. There’s a comprehensive reference section containing music terminology, a music quiz with two difficulty levels and even a four octave piano with a real-time musical stave.

As a musician and producer myself I think it’s important to make learning music more accessible to everyone. The app’s rich selection of tools and toys, combined with a quality finish in terms of the visual design, make this a great investment for professional musicians and students alike.

Tap Tap Revenge 3 (99 cents)

The third iteration of Tap Tap Revenge touched down in the App Store earlier this week, but this time it’s going to cost you. The two previous iterations have been free but with the third game Tapulous is charging 99 cents, a paltry sum for such a feature-packed offering.

The game packs in all the usual TTR staples, such as online play, track downloads and competitions. There’s a refreshed track-listing bundled with it too, containing music from Fall Out Boy and Tiesto, alongside premium track downloads supplied by some seriously impressive names, including Smashing Pumpkins, Killers and Foo Fighters.

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it can be summed up as Dance Dance Revolution for the iPhone. Instead of dancing with your feet, you tap with your fingers, plus there’s some shaking and tilting thrown in for good measure too. Regardless of whether or not you’ve got rhythm, if you love music, this is the game to download.

Real Soccer 2010 ($3.99)

Yet again, Gameloft has launched another game that’s terribly similar to a couple of other big name console franchises. This time the folks at Gameloft have taken their inspiration from the FIFA soccer franchise and the ISS Pro series.

Aside from the omission of real soccer team names — Manchester United becomes Man Red, for example — Real Soccer 2010 delivers everything you’d expect out of a console soccer game. There are real player names, a massive range of teams, a convincing in-game commentary system, single-player leagues as well as online matches and so much more.

Normally I’d condone this type of uninspired game design, but the thing with Gameloft is that the end product of its barefaced borrowing is always executed with such flair, focus and immense polish. For soccer fans especially, this should be a definite download.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with a fresh selection of App Store recommendations.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

It’s the end of another week and so it’s time for me to scour the latest releases in the App Store for the hottest new iPhone apps. As ever, I’ve selected four hot picks released in the last seven days for you to check out.

This week I’ve plucked our picks from across the globe. Hailing from Japan, my top pick this week is Brain Controller.

I’ve also checked out Finland’s Pajatzo, France’s Adrenaline Golf and Germany’s Vinyl DJ.

Brain Controller ($2.99)

Created by the apparently twisted minds at Motion Portrait Inc. over in Japan, Brain Controller might not be the most useful app to add to your collection but, it may well be the strangest. If you’re looking to drop some jaws and raise some eyebrows while showing off your iPhone, this is the app for you.

After shooting a photo of your friend, the app will work its truly impressive magic on your unsuspecting cohort. Brain Controller creates a Men In Black-style video, featuring a small alien emerging from your friend’s cranium before delivering a personalized message.

Those that still need convincing can check out some of the videos, uploaded directly from the app to YouTube, or even try out mpChange, an excellent little site that uses the same technology to mess with your face in a variety of utterly weird ways.

Pajatzo (99 cents)

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know how I regularly indulge in pachinko-based fun on my iPhone. It all started several months ago with Rockchinko, a pachinko game that introduces rockabilly and bullet-time to the mix.

As a newcomer to Finland, I couldn’t help but notice pajazzo machines in a few of my favorite haunts. Pajazzo is the Finnish equivalent of pachinko. Played by shooting a coin into the machine, your coin will ricochet around before hopefully scoring a jackpot and earning you a modest return on your investment.

As pajazzo’s success never quite reached the epic proportions of its Japanese counterpart, and seeing as most machines are now dusty disused relics, Pajatzo for iPhone might be your only chance to try out this addictive Finnish classic.

Adrenaline Golf (99 cents)

From the folks behind Adrenaline Golf and Adrenaline Poker is the imaginatively titled Adrenaline Golf. Eurocenter, based in France, specialize in developing online games for iPhone. In fact, looking at their back catalogue, all of their releases feature an online component.

While Eurocenter’s Poker wasn’t the most effective online poker game for iPhone (my pick would be Zynga’s excellent Live Poker), they’ve managed to create something solid and fun with Adrenaline Golf. Online multiplayer matches are mixed up with trampolines, bumpers and even cannons.

Particularly surprising is Adrenaline Golf’s price. For just a buck iPhone 3GS owners get a true taster of the fledgling device’s graphical prowess. The details are delicious, from shimmering tropical waters to glowing night-time torches.

Vinyl DJ (99 cents)

This week’s final pick comes to us from Germany. Developed by Armin Heinrich, Vinyl DJ is strictly for iPhone-owning audiophiles who long for the golden days of music, when the closest thing to the iTunes Music Store was wandering down to your local record shop and sifting through never ending racks of dusty vinyl.

Vinyl was kicked to the curb though, sidelined for streamlined, portable and, most importantly, digital formats. Even though the benefits of digital are hard to ignore, there are some who claim that our new-fangled devices are lacking a certain je ne sais quoi.

And that’s where Vinyl DJ comes in. This app brings back that vintage vibe with a variety of effects including dust, crackle, scratch, mechanical noise and, of course, that all important record deck hum.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with a fresh selection of App Store recommendations.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

The Beatles may not have arrived in the iTunes Music Store just yet, but it’s not all disappointing news: the App Store has been updated with a new look and a stack of new iPhone apps have been released. As ever, here are my picks from the latest additions.

My top pick for this week is Hitchcock, plus I’ve also checked out Newsstand, Blades of Fury and Rhapsody.

Hitchcock ($19.99)
There’s a fantastic range of apps on offer to budding iPhone-based photographers at the moment. Tools such as QuadCamera and ColorSplash make for fun and effective photo-enhancing toys, and, once you’re done touching up your latest masterpiece, you can share your photography on Flickr via their official app. For folk who want to take their photography a step further and start dabbling in film, Hitchcock has arrived. Don’t let the messy interface fool you, this is a powerful app that’s packed with seriously useful features. Essentially a storyboarding tool, the app allows you to drop in photos as panels, outline camera movement, set shot durations and even add audio notes. Once you’ve laid out your latest shoot, you can export as a PDF too. Possibly a tad pricey but potentially an indispensable tool for indie film directors.

Newsstand ($4.99)
Byline might have been the most useful RSS reader on the block, but there’s a new news-gathering app in town and it’s got a great feature-set and good looks too. Newsstand incorporates a gorgeous newspaper rack style interface, fusing traditional with modern, allowing you to skim the latest headlines in style. Alongside Google Reader syncing, Instapaper support and sharing via Twitter, Newsstand also incorporates two essential RSS features: offline browsing and an embedded browser. I like to be able to open the app up and sync the latest news and happenings across the web for reading later. And for when I’m connected, an embedded browser is essential for those moments when I want to explore a story a little further.

Blades of Fury ($6.99)
There are two interesting things about this app. First up, this game is effectively classic Japanese coin-op and console beat-em-up Soul Calibur, shrunk on to the iPhone. It’s 10 medieval fantasy characters, each brandishing a different sort of pointy stick and an array of special moves. And secondly, Gameloft has seriously upped its quality on the iPhone. It’s heavily leaning on the ideas of other more-successful gaming franchise, like Gangstar’s GTA-style gameplay and Modern Combat’s Battlefield vibe, but it’s releasing good games nonetheless. Just like it’s predecessors, Blades of Fury is derivative, but that’s only noticeable because it does such a stunning job of re-creating Soul Calibur. The artwork and graphics are a true achievement, I’m surprised to see that the iPhone can be pushed so far and while the control scheme isn’t perfect, it certainly works well enough to make for a fun hack ‘n’ slash fighter.

Rhapsody (free)
The joys of Spotify might not have reached the U.S. just yet, but that doesn’t mean that those of you who are stateside can’t enjoy the benefits of all-you-can-eat music streaming. Real Networks, the folks behind the wonderfully bloated ad-touting Real Player, launched its own iPhone app this week. Rhapsody hooks into Real’s music network, giving you wireless access to their gargantuan library, apparently touting more than 8 million songs. There are some neat music browsing features, like Rhapsody Radio and Charts, however, as our own Darrell Etherington noted, the sound quality isn’t so hot. It’s worth checking out though as, although you’ll need to be a paying subscriber to use the app on a regular basis, Real is currently offering a seven-day free trial of the service.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with a fresh selection of App Store recommendations.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

The first week of September has seen a deluge of new arrivals at the App Store. It’s time for me to search through the latest releases for iPhone and hand-pick my recommendations for the past seven days.

This week I’ve been looking at Button, Facebook, BlogPress and Quicksilver.

Button (Free)
One of my favorite sci-fi novels, “Better Than Life,” oscillates between a deep space distopia and an almost perfect Earth as it follows the surviving crew members of the Red Dwarf mining ship. It’s soon revealed that the crew’s collective vision of Earth is actually a highly addictive massively multiplayer online game beamed directly into their brains, leaving their real bodies in a seemingly catatonic state. Rather than take a giant leap towards this sinister style of multiplayer gaming, Button instead takes baby steps. There’s a big button, everyone around the world sees the button, when the button lights up you must push the button, sometimes you win a prize, usually you don’t. Button is effectively a nonsensical distraction that seems to tickle just the right bit of your brain. Plus, you can ramp up the futility by playing as a team. I’ve created a special team called tab just for readers of TheAppleBlog, come join my group and let’s push buttons together.

Facebook (Free)
The official Facebook app has finally received its first major update for some time, bringing the service’s iPhone implementation almost (but not quite) up to speed with the 3GS and 3.0 firmware. For starters, the app’s user interface has been streamlined and tidied up — gone are the tiny buttons, pointless scrollable horizontal groups bar and crash-happy inbox. The main feed benefits from having a clutter free interface and now incorporates likes and comments. The menu screen features several big chunky buttons, designed for ease of navigation. Notably, the app now allows video recording and uploads, a real boon for iPhone 3GS users. However, it’s seems that when Facebook update their app, there’s always something missing. In this case, there are no Push Notifications, an OS 3.0 feature which could have been designed solely for apps just like Facebook.

BlogPress ($2.99)
The official WordPress app just isn’t working out for me. While I appreciate the WordPress app being free, I’m still not impressed by the app’s sluggish navigation and overly technical user interface. In essence, the WordPress app doesn’t feel pretty and it doesn’t work as it should. With this in mind, I’ve been on the hunt for a replacement and BlogPress seems to be just the app to knock WordPress off my iPhone. The app features a WYSIWYG editor, incredibly important as you certainly don’t want to be tweaking your latest post’s code on your iPhone’s keyboard. There’s also video uploading, something which the WordPress app doesn’t currently support, handled by uploading your video to YouTube and then embedding within your latest post. BlogPress also supports posting simultaneously to multiple blog services, including Blogger, MSN Live Spaces, WordPress, Movable Type, TypePad, LiveJournal, Drupal and Joomla.

Quicksilver ($1.99)
And finally, while on the subject of replacing apps, I’ve been on the hunt for an alternative to Nimbuzz — while it’s an excellent feature-rich iPhone IM app, and free too, I’ve been feeling like I need a more streamlined solution. With it’s minimal iChat-esque interface, Quicksilver is the perfect app for a quick bit of iPhone IMing, with one caveat: it’s made for XMPP-compliant servers only, which, in non-geek-speak, means it’ll work with Google Talk but not MSN. The really great thing about Quicksilver is that it incorporates Push Notifications, making it more than worth the two buck asking price. When you close Quicksilver, you’re not logged out of chat, instead you’re status is changed to away. If one of your contacts should get in touch, the message will arrive on your iPhone as a push notification.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

It’s time to take a look at my recommendations for iPhone, hand-picked from the week’s App Store releases.

This week I’ve been looking at Mujik, Whiteboarder, Qik and Civilization Revolution.

Mujik (Free)
There’s a special screen on my iPhone dedicated just to sound toys and music apps. Top of the list is FourTrack, which recreates the classic analog four track recorder on the iPhone, complete with metronome and bounce downs — it really is an essential tool for music makers. In the sound toys section, I have RjDj and Bloom, and now Mujik, a brand new electronica toy from App Store newcomers Lucky Frame. The app does away with traditional tech-infused electronica interfaces, instead offering up tilt-activated hot air balloons and a shelf of dusty old books filled with musical bugs. Despite the fact that the interface does away with a traditional feature-laden sequencer interface, there’s a surprising amount of depth and variation that can be achieved within moments of downloading the app. It’s a great app for electronica composers on the go and also an accessible sound toy for those with absolutely no musical skills.

Qik (Free)
With its updated camera, capable of recording and uploading video, the iPhone 3GS has brought about a weekly stream of new video recording tools to the App Store. With Apple opening the doors of the App Store to video services, Qik — the European equivalent of Ustream — has finally released its official app. Qik had previously been available only to iPhone owners savvy enough to jailbreak their devices. The jailbreak version offered live video upload with very little latency, although the actual video quality was somewhat under par. The official Qik app does away with streaming video live to Qik and instead forces the user to upload after recording. Even though the app’s potentially unique feature has been crippled, this is still a worthwhile download for users looking for an alternative to the Ustream and YouTube iPhone apps, especially as you’re able to share your video productions on Qik.com as well as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Whiteboarder ($2.99)
In amongst the torrent of mainly useless tools making up the App Store’s Business section, comes a potentially handy app for the workplace. Created by Avatron Software, the folks behind Air Sharing, Whiteboarder can convert your meeting room whiteboard scrawlings into digital files, archived and ready for sharing. Once a meeting has ended, simply open the app and take a photo of the whiteboard you’d like to store. The app then flattens out the image, de-skewing, cropping and enhancing — even applying a white balance. Safely stored on your iPhone, you’re then able to to build up a library of previous whiteboards, which can then be mailed to colleagues and clients, or even printed directly from your device. Whiteboarder is a useful app, one which potentially waves goodbye to those situations where you’re not sure whether rubbing out a colleagues previous doodling will destroy the only record of the latest recession-busting concept.

Civilization Revolution ($9.99)
Finally this week, I’m slipping in another classic game update that has just arrived on iPhone. Sid Meier’s Civilization series has been a mainstay in the turn-based strategy genre since its original release in the early nineties. The game begins in 4000 AD, with you as ruler of a tiny settlement, the aim being to build upon your meagre beginnings and, over hundreds of years into the future, nurture an advanced civilization. This is compelling strategy-heavy fun, the type of game that sucks up your time and saps any potential productivity out of the day, that said, if you succeed you’ll gain a reward fit for an emperor: your own tiny world to preside over. Note that the full game is ten bucks — definitely a tad on the pricey side if you’re in unfamiliar territory with Civilization. I recommend that potential players who aren’t familiar with Sid Meier’s Civilization series first check out the Lite version of the game, available for free from the App Store.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

The weekend has arrived, bringing with it the opportunity to reach that perfect state of iPhone-related relaxation: open the App Store and get ready to download the latest recommendations.

Before we get to the weekly picks, it’s time to take our usual look back at Apple news for the past seven days.

First up, more odd goings on with Apple’s utterly inconsistent App Store approvals process. This time round, Apple has chosen to banish Google Voice from the App Store. This means apps that allow users to access the Google Voice service, such as GV Mobile and Voice Central, have been disconnected from iTunes. An incredibly disappointing decision on Apple’s part.

It seems that some over-enthusiastic Chinese peripheral manufacturers have produced cases for Apple’s unannounced forthcoming Nano and iPod touch updates. As expected, we’re going to be seeing a camera-integrated touch and a Nano with a wider screen and smaller wheel. And let’s not forget the usual weekly rumor about Apple’s tablet too.

Staying in China for a moment — Chinese Apple fans have cause to celebrate this week as China is finally getting an official release for the iPhone. The device will be released via China Unicom, a carrier with over 135 million subscribers.

Our own David Appleyard posted a truly wonderful tutorial for those interested in customizing their Macs. David introduces BootXChanger, an application that allows you to change the default OS X Boot Icon. It’s an incredibly simple and potentially visually-yummy hack. So simple in fact that I’m considering replacing my Apple boot logo with Katamari Damacy.

From an unexpected corner of the portable media player galaxy comes news of the Zii Egg. The device, a handheld StemCell Computer running Android, is being touted as a serious competitor to the iPhone and iPod touch. It looks gorgeous and the specs are certainly up to par, however it’s worth remembering that it’s the content — namely the apps — that makes a device, not the hardware.

And finally, in its ongoing battle with the iPhone jailbreaking community, Apple has announced that jailbreaking could disable transmission towers. I’d have to side with Darrell that this sounds much like sensationalist scare tactics.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Ghostly Discovery, Let It Sleep, The Secret of Monkey Island and Space Invaders Infinity Gene.

Ghostly Discovery (Free)
Ghostly International, electronic record label extraordinaire, just keeps pushing it forwards, signing Internet-electronica superstar Tycho, releasing a compilation album with Adult Swim as a free download and now creating their own music streaming app. The app allows you to decide what kind of music you hear (all of which is from Ghostly’s catalogue), based on your mood or how digital/organic you’d like the tracks to be. Best of all, this gorgeous-looking streaming music box is absolutely free — for folk who like their ambient synths, glitches and bleeps and other electronic noises, this is an absolutely essential download.

Let It Sleep (99 cents)
Occasionally an app comes along that’s a bit of an oddity, and Let It Sleep falls in to this category. It’s not genuinely useful, but it is functional in a charming kind of way. Wrapped in John Lennon-inspired artwork (a reference to Let It Be), the app allows you to record your nocturnal noises. Using the iPhone’s mic, the app will start recording if you trigger the sound sensor. It’s very sweet and, for only a buck, certainly worth downloading. Especially worthwhile if you’re curious as to what goes on at night while you’re sleeping.

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition ($7.99)
A classic of the point ‘n’ click graphic adventure genre, Monkey Island is fondly remembered by many for its painfully obscure puzzles, wit-infused sword play and laugh out loud script. Sure it was horrendously difficult for most kids (and many adults too), but it was all about the journey: becoming Guybrush Threepwood, grogging it up with pirates and locating Monkey Island. Now the original game has arrived on iPhone complete with the same bizarre puzzles. The control scheme is disappointing, given the potential for re-designing the interface around the iPhone, but it’s still the same classic adventure.

Space Invaders Infinity Gene ($4.99)
Another classic video game in this week’s App Store picks, except this one has been totally re-imagined and re-equipped for the iPhone. This isn’t your daddy’s Space Invaders as Infinity Gene packs in gorgeous vectorized graphics and an armory of fresh weaponry too. The game stays true to its roots though. It’s still 2D, the invaders are still as iconic as ever, but now the gameplay and visuals evolve as you advance. Japanese game shop Taito have built something special here, capturing the essence of the retro shooter while blending it with modern gameplay conventions.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

A turbulent week of Apple news comes to a close, but with a selection of new app’s available for iPhone, it’s not quite over yet — it’s time to take a look at this week’s recommendations.

Hold up one moment though as, before we run through this week’s picks from the App Store, we should take one last cursory glance back at the week that was on TheAppleBlog.

The week opened with the admittedly amusing allegation that Apple are in bed with the Mafia. Apple has allegedly, and I use the word allegedly with the full weight of its meaning, colluded with the Mafia in an effort to send death threats to a gentleman named Gregory McKenna. The best bit though is that Mr. McKenna claims that the threats were sent to him via his iPod Shuffle, “This is the voice of Steve Jobs, I’m watching you. Boom!”

After such a bizarre opening to the week, news took a decidedly pedestrian turn with further rumors concerning Apple’s maybe-but-maybe-not forthcoming tablet. This time round, the claim is that the device will be subsidized by Verizon, a deal that would certainly make sense if the tablet ships with 3G straight out-the-box.

Taking a step away from tablet rumors and downright weird allegations, our own Andrew Bednarz produced a gargantuan rundown of 27 Bluetooth-enabled multiplayer iPhone games. There’s a diverse range of genres represented in the article, certainly something for everyone. My pick from the list would be Flight Control. It seems to be a cute implementation of a deliciously moreish single player game.

Rather than go with Palm’s approach, hacking a workaround into the Pre so that it syncs with iTunes, RIM is going it alone and producing an official BlackBerry desktop application. The application, due out in September, will handle contact and calendar management, alongside App Store-style software installs.

TheAppleBlog’s Clayton Lai posted a wonderful write up on how to build yourself a poor man’s iPhone 3GS. Essentially it’s an iPhone 3G, upgraded to OS 3.0, jailbroken and then loaded with a few device-enhancing apps. With Clayton’s quick and easy guide, you can have video recording and voice control on your iPhone 3G in no time.

And finally, we’ve got yet another Apple hardware rumor: there’s apparently a new iPod touch, with camera and mic, already in production. The move to integrate the extra features would take the iPod touch even closer to replacing ultra-portable netbooks, a subject which Mark Crump also wrote about earlier this week.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Photo Forge, Layers, Puzzling and Salad Fingers.

Photo Forge ($1.99)
There’s a very easy way to sum-up Photo Forge: this app is Photoshop on the iPhone. Although it’s essentially rolling in the various features that I’ve seen in simple apps in to one über-app, Photo Forge feels like a real leap forward for image editing and processing on the iPhone. Regular tools like the paint brush are there, but there’s also cropping (including various aspect ratio auto-crops), smudging and even a usable clone tool. The app also packs an impressive array of adjustments and filters, including Simulated HDR, Blur, Auto Exposure and — a great one for quickly processing iPhone camera images — Lomo. Incredibly good value for the money, Photo Forge is an essential pick for designers and photographers.

Layers ($4.99)
If you’re a budding iPhone artist then Layers could be the app for you. It’s a finger painting app, somewhat similar to Brushes, the iPhone app used to paint the cover of a recent edition of The New Yorker. As the name would suggest though, the special feature for this app are the separate layers, within each image, that you can paint on to. Five separate layers means that you can add greater depth to your paintings before — and here’s the best bit — exporting them as a JPG, or even layered PSD. It’s a tough choice between Layers and Brushes, but if you need something with Illustrator-esque layers functionality, this is the app for you.

Puzzlings ($2.99)
Last summer I played a fair amount of DS games, usurped by the iPhone more recently, my Nintendo device has been gathered dust at the back of the old gadgets cupboard. Back then, one of the games that was the cause of shape-laden puzzle-solving dreams was Puzzle League, a simple game of matching three-shapes on a touch-screen grid. Puzzlings clones the gameplay style of Puzzle League but then takes it up a notch, setting the game in a land of cute creatures with you as a clay doll. By solving certain puzzles within each level, you’re able to unlock items and apparel for your clay doll, playing a sort of glam goth dress up game as you advance. Well worth three bucks, the only thing that’s missing is a head-to-head Bluetooth multiplayer mode.

Salad Fingers (99 cents)
Opening the week’s news with the utterly bizarre case of Apple’s alleged Mafia association and subsequent harassment of an ex-male model via his iPod Shuffle, put me in just the right mood for some Salad Fingers, perhaps some of the most darkly surreal cartoons on the internet. Lucky for me, Salad Fingers hit the iPhone earlier this week as a fully fledged video app. Containing all eight episodes, alongside written commentary for each one, the app is well worth a buck. For fans of electronic and ambient, the soundtrack to the series is also notable, containing classics from Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works and Boards of Canada too. Weird, wonderful and frequently very wrong.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

Once again, it’s that special time of the week when we all join hands, take a deep breath and exhale as we take a spiritual journey through the latest app picks for iPhone.

Before we reach app Zen, however, it’s time for a refreshing run through of the week’s iPhone news and Apple happenings.

Credit cards at the ready, the week opened with the resurgence of the Apple tablet rumor. Fueled by word from component suppliers in China, the rumor is that we could see an Apple tablet retailing by October this year.

One year on from the App Store’s launch and Apple is feeling particularly pleased with its paradigm shifting achievement. So pleased, in fact, that it dropped a big number in celebration: 1.5 billion App Store downloads in the first year. Impressive indeed. I wonder if Nokia, Palm or RIM will ever catch up?

Our own Clayton Lai returned this week with “Jailbreak,” an ongoing series that’s all about getting the most out of your jailbroken iPhone. His latest offering explains how to spruce up your iPhone’s lock screen with calendars, Twitter feeds and more.

Still on the subject of jailbreaking, over on the iPhone 3GS there’s a new unlock in town: purplesn0w. It improves on the Dev Team’s ultrasn0w, providing a much more stable unlock, while improving battery life and Wi-Fi connectivity.

It seems that most users won’t notice any difference with the latest iTunes update, however Palm Pre owners are in for a surprise sandwich filled with the meat of disappointment: Apple has blocked Palm Pre syncing in iTunes. Pre owners, I adore your device, but it was bound to happen, it has happened, get over it.

And finally, Google has brought local web search to the iPhone. The service makes use of the iPhone’s 3.0 software update, which now includes HTML 5 Geolocation API support in Safari. This basically means that web sites can determine your location and provide you with relevant and useful data. By which I mean adverts, lots of adverts.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Worms, Spell Number, Zombies & Me and Tap Star.

Worms ($4.99)
This brings me back to the old days — all the cool kids got their console fix with the SNES or Genesis, but I had an Amiga 500. For a time, I had very little interest in chubby Italian plumbers or a blue hedgehog with an attitude problem. It was all about British dev studios churning out classic games: Sensible Software’s Cannon Fodder, Ocean’s Robocop and, of course, Team 17 with Worms. Featuring a brigade of cheeky, well-armed worms, the game is a turn-based strategy, incorporating a bevy of weird weaponry, perfect for extended multiplayer gaming sessions. For the retro fanboys with a penchant for the Amiga, this is a definite download, but it’s also worth checking out for newbies looking for an explosive (and amusing) strategy fix.

Spell Number (Free)
So you’ve updated your iPhone to OS 3.0, or you’ve taken it one step further and bagged yourself an iPhone 3GS. Either way, there are a few tweaks and improvements that may make your Apple device even more wonderful. One such tweak, provided by Spell Number, activates Emoji — colorful and scrumptious emoticons, available exclusively to iPhone users over in Japan. Simply download Spell Number, enter the number 91929394.59, then press the Home button, go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Japan and activate Emoji. Unlike various other Emoji-activating apps for iPhone, this one is absolutely free and, notably, works for OS 3 and the 3GS. This is a definite download, especially for folks who would like to spice up their SMS and email messages with some Emoji goodness.

Zombies & Me (99 cents)
The slow-moving dinosaur of the game industry, EA, recently founded its own micro-game production studio to start churning out potential iPhone hits at a fast rate — one a month — while experimenting with new gameplay styles. Zombies & Me is the first release as part of this initiative and, surprisingly, it looks gorgeous, sounds scrummy and plays well, too. The premise is simple, Granny’s house is about to be raided by hungry zombies and it’s your job to dash around the garden, leading the undead in to various bombs, while trying not to have your brains sucked out. Serious kudos to EA for stepping away from the big brand franchise factory methodology and investing in something a little more experimental.

Tap Star ($4.99)
Finally a viable competitor to Tap Tap Revenge hits the App Store. Created by Epic Tilt and with serious support from Sony Entertainment Music — clearly wanting to get in on the App Store game to leverage some of its content — comes Tap Star, a new rhythm action game. While Tap Star lacks the character and flair of Tap Tap Revenge, it makes up for this failing by bundling tons of tunes from Sony’s catalogue, including tracks from Elvis, Cyndi Lauper, Pink and Britney. I’ll be sticking with Tap Tap Revenge, it’s just so much richer, but fans of Sony’s catalogue in particular may want to check out Tap Star.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

Wave good-bye to the week and say hello to the weekend, complete with a hand-picked selection of the latest apps to hit the iPhone.

Prior to diving into the picks, it’s customary ’round these parts to provide an enlightening summary of the week’s iPhone news and Apple-related happenings.

First up, accident-prone owners of the iPhone will be particularly pleased to note that Apple is now replacing iPhone displays while you wait. Apparently the magic happens behind the scenes, armed with a giant suction cup your designated Apple Genius will pull the damaged screen off your iPhone before replacing it with a shiny new one. Great news, but potentially expensive if you’re out of warranty.

We may be in the midst of Summer, but the rumor-mill just keeps on churning out potentially golden nuggets of (dis)information. This time, Apple has apparently ordered a large quantity of super-cheap camera modules, supposedly to be integrated into the next iteration of iPod.

Prowl, a new iPhone app specifically for devices on the latest OS 3.0 software, allows you to receive desktop Growl notifications via push. This means that Growl notifications generated by desktop applications, such as torrent clients, instant messaging or email, can now be piped directly to your iPhone when you’re on the go.

Augmented reality has finally made it to the iPhone in the shape of Nearest Tube, an app that takes your iPhone’s camera feed and overlays directions. Designed for use in London, hold the iPhone up and it’ll point you to the nearest underground train station — perfect for locals and tourists alike. While it may not be useful for most of our readers outside the UK, it’s a compelling look at where the future of iPhone apps may be heading.

This year, July 11 doesn’t just signify a lazy Summer weekend, it also happens to be the first anniversary of the App Store’s official launch. In celebration of this, Apple has compiled a list of its favorite apps from the store, notable picks include Rolando and Dictionary.com’s excellent (and free) iPhone app.

TheAppleBlog’s Darrell Etherington may be a subscriber to Apple’s MobileMe service, but I certainly am not. I just don’t see the value in paying so much for a service that can be pieced together for free: Gmail, Picasa, Dropbox, Google Calendar and Google Sync. Now yet another reason has been added to the anti-MobileMe list, in the form of GPush — an app that generates an iPhone push notification whenever your receive new mail.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at iTwitter, VideoUp for Facebook, Mecho Wars and Evacuation.

iTwitter ($3.99)
Several months back, I posted a rundown of the most notable Twitter clients on the iPhone. Since then, the landscape has barely changed: Tweetie is still a firm favorite with the masses, TwitterFon is the well-rounded underdog and Twinkle is the pretty but shallow airhead. Until now, the only notable addition to this perpetual 140-character battle has been TweetDeck, introducing groups and a Palm Pre-style browsing interface. iTwitter isn’t a massive leap forward, but it does introduce push notifications — a feature which its competitors have yet to integrate. The app also looks great, is easy to navigate and can be used in landscape or portrait orientation. This is definitely one for the frequent tweeters to check out.

VideoUp for Facebook (99 cents)
Those who aren’t early adopters, take note, this app is for iPhone 3GS owners only. The latest iPhone integrates video recording straight out the box so, unlike the iPhone 3G, no nasty jailbreak-related hacks are needed. By default, you’re able to upload your videos direct to YouTube, which is great but not ideal for users of other social networks. VideoUp for Facebook is a simple uploader app that, once you’ve trimmed your vid down, allows you to upload direct to the social networking service. In particular, Facebook users who are a tad trigger-happy with iPhone 3GS video recording will find this to be an essential download.

Mecho Wars (99 cents)
I was excited to discover UniWar a few weeks back, a polished turn-based strategy with a sci-fi vibe. Now Mecho Wars joins the fray, bringing turn-based action inspired by Nintendo DS Advance Wars to the iPhone. The graphics have a retro-2D Japanese style to them, with weird robo-bugs and lunar landscapes, and the gameplay even features excellent cut-scenes for the battles. There’s also single device multiplayer, which means that you can compete with a friend using one iPhone. The app is also on sale for a limited time, so grab it while you can for just a buck.

Evacuation (99 cents)
Recently, I’ve developed a growing obsession for flash games — they’re the perfect distraction, quick to loud, easy to learn and occasionally great fun. With gameplay reminiscent of the Kill Bill flash game, one of my favorites of late has been Too Many Ninjas, a hack ‘n’ slasher with Commodore 64-esque retro graphics. Ported to the iPhone, Evacuation is another fun mini-game from the creator of Too Many Ninjas. It’s a puzzler where the goal is to shoot all the purple aliens out of the ship’s airlock, without blasting your crew in to space, too.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

In just a few days time (July 11), the App Store will officially celebrate its first anniversary. To mark the occasion, Apple has introduced a special section in iTunes, which gives kudos to some of the company’s top App Store picks. The apps on the list are mostly ones you’d expect to see, based on their general popularity or prior success, but there are a few unusual choices that make the list interesting.

The lists vary by country, but I’m pretty sure apps are common to all where availability allows. So for instance, here in Canada we get CP (Canadian Press) Mobile instead of AP Mobile, and miss out entirely on Pandora. I’ve highlighted some picks below, all of which should be available in most countries.

Favorite Apps

Photogene ($2.99, iTunes link) — This has long been a standby on my iPhone, and it recently became far more useful, thanks to the inclusion of MMS in iPhone OS 3.0. It’s a lightweight, but effective, photo editor in your pocket, so you can touch up and add fun effects, like speech bubbles, to pictures you take with your iPhone’s camera (or that you download from the web). Yes, you can use it to make your own instant Lolcats.

Dictionary.com Dictionary & Thesaurus (free, iTunes link) — Between the iPhone’s auto-correct and this app, you have no more excuses for poor spelling. I bought Wordbook before this Dictionary.com app was released (the day before, actually), and I regret it. This free app offers everything most of the paid ones do, and doesn’t require an Internet connection to function.

Favorite Games

Before I get into specifics here, I just want to point out that a few companies are very well represented in this list. Chillingo, ngmoco, Gameloft, and EA all take multiple spots in this top list, and rightly so. They’re the ones to watch in this space, with ngmoco especially topping my list of iPhone gaming heavy-hitters.

Zen Bound ($4.99, iTunes link) — I love this game, and it actually does help to focus, relax and center me. It sounds cheesy, but download the free trial and you’ll see what I mean. This is one of the few titles I recommend to friends without considering their general taste in gaming.

Rolando ($5.99, iTunes link) — I’m sure that if Rolando 2 had been out long enough, it would’ve made this list as well. If you’ve yet to experience just what the adorable little Rolandos have to offer, give either or both of these games a try. There never was a better game designed so perfectly for the iPhone/iPod touch platform.

Now that you’ve had a year with the App Store, what are your picks?

It’s that time of the week — when we welcome you to the weekend with a selection of the freshest picks for the iPhone from the App Store.

Hold your horses, though, because before we dive headfirst into a glorious ocean of iPhone apps, I’ve got a roundup of notable Apple news from the past seven days.

We’re starting the weekend by giving you the chance to win a free game for your iPhone, courtesy of Poppy, an excellent one-man game studio in Japan. The game in question, Brave Man, is reminiscent of Bishop’s knife trick from Aliens, except instead of an interstellar synthetic, you play a lumberjack trying not to cut his hand with a knife. Want to win a promo code for Brave Man? To be in with a chance, leave a comment at the end of this post telling me about the bravest thing you’ve ever done.

Some unexpected bad news for early adopters of the iPhone 3GS this week when their new devices became literally too hot to handle. It turns out that the 3GS suffers from an overheating problem that is so bad that apparently white iPhones have been turning pink. Is that going to stop me from purchasing a 3GS? Absolutely not, I’ll take mine in limited edition blazing hot pink, please.

The latest update to the iPhone software, OS 3.1, has been rolled out to developers. This also means that it’s probably not too long before it’s pushed to regular iPhone users, too. Expect a raft of fixes and updates to the OS, including improved boot time, fraud protection in Safari, and the potential for video editing in third-party apps.

There’s been a slow drip-feed of app’s hitting the store that support OS 3.0’s new features. Notably, Remember The Milk is the first to-do app supporting push notifications. This means that, even when the app isn’t running, it’ll ping you with a reminder for forthcoming tasks that need completing. It’s a premium service, available only to subscribers, but one that may prove essential for iPhone-toting productivity connoisseurs.

Over in the EU, several phone manufacturers, including Apple, have agreed on a standard charging interface for all cell phones. The news of Apple signing up for this standard comes as a surprise. At first glance, it implies that it would be dropping its traditional proprietary dock port from the iPhone. An Apple representative cleared up the confusion, stating that the iPhone will, at some unspecified point, start shipping with a micro USB adaptor.

And finally, potential purchasers of the iPhone 3GS should head on over to Apple’s brand-new 3GS availability page. After serving an astounding 1 million devices in the opening weekend, sales are clearly going strong enough to warrant launching this handy inventory tool.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Jamble, Birdfeed, Rolando 2 and RunPee.

Jamble ($5.99)
I just can’t get enough musical toys for the iPhone. I’ve even got an entire menu screen dedicated just to sound-related diversions. My favorites include Brian Eno’s ambient music app Bloom and, of course, Leaf Trombone World Stage, winner of TheAppleBlog’s coveted Golden Apple Award. Jamble, a clever creative toy for making your own mash-ups, may be another welcome addition to my sonic collection. The app takes a bunch of loops from artists including Gorillaz and David Bowie, then lets you seamlessly blend them together to create your own mash-up masterpieces.

Birdfeed ($4.99)
Not even a month after we get hit with Tweetdeck for the iPhone, (which, you should note, is available for free) comes another potential challenger to Tweetie’s Twitter-client throne. The app is called Birdfeed, and it’s got a stripped-down, simple aesthetic, à la Tweetie, but unfortunately, no Tweetdeck-style groups. If you’re already comfortable with Tweetie, this may not be the app for you, but frequent tweeters looking for a change of client should definitely consider checking out Birdfeed as a simple, stylish and functional Twitter solution.

Rolando 2 ($9.99)
iPhone gamers, let us collectively rejoice. It’s the second coming of Rolando in the App Store. Indeed, the app I’ve been waiting many months for has finally arrived at the App Store, albeit for the slightly pricey sum of 10 bucks. The sequel takes place on a tropical island, updating the artwork with a semi-3D view and introducing tons of new gameplay quirks, including weird contraptions for destroying the bad guys and special floating characters. There’s even a special shack dedicated to Manchester’s funky beat maestro Mr. Scruff, where you can listen to all the tunes contributed to the game. We’ve got a full review coming to TheAppleBlog next week, so stay tuned.

RunPee (99 cents)
We’ve all experienced those extended sessions of torture, watching a movie, squirming in your seat, desperate to go rest but afraid to miss a critical moment. RunPee is a quirky stroke of genius and an app which will prove particularly useful for those with small bladders. The RunPee database contains a listing of the latest movies. Just pick the one you’re watching, and it’ll provide a number of opportunities for which you can discreetly exit the movie theater for some much-needed relief. While you’re away, the app gives you a countdown, to make sure you’re back in time, alongside a plot summary for whatever you’ve missed.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

It’s the weekend, people, so prime your downloading finger and get ready to make good use of it as I guide you through the latest picks from the App Store.

Thanks to the release of OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3GS, there’s been a constant stream of Apple happenings. Before we get to the apps, let’s take a glance at the week’s news.

First up, good news and bad for the iPhone 3GS’s new video functionality. The bad news is that keen eared early adopting customers have discovered a high-pitched whining noise on their iPhone 3GS video footage.

However, the incessant whining (of the 3GS, as opposed to disgruntled amateur video makers) hasn’t stopped video uploads to YouTube, direct from the iPhone. Just six days into the device’s release and YouTube has seen a surge of 400 percent in daily mobile uploads, attributed directly to the iPhone 3GS.

With the official release of OS 3.0 also came an updated jailbreaking tool, enabling upgraded users to install non-Apple certified software on their device. I tested the jailbreak software earlier this week and, although it was surprisingly user-friendly, I couldn’t find a good reason to keep it: My iPhone now has copy/paste, tethering and more, straight out the box.

Speaking of tethering, Bryan Schuetz, one of our new arrivals at TheAppleBlog, posted a link to an excellent guide on how to activate tethering on your iPhone. I managed to test out tethering yesterday and had mixed results; it worked perfectly initially, until an hour in when I lost my data connection entirely. It makes me wonder if some carriers will be on the lookout for illegitimate tethering and throttle bandwidth accordingly.

Our own Sultan of Statistics and Maestro of Economic Mathematics, Darrell Etherington, posted news featuring a rather large and impressive number this week. Indeed, Etherington revealed that an utterly unprecedented 1 million 3GS iPhones were purchased during the first week of the device’s release.

And finally, Apple hasn’t been the only ones launching awesome, new products into the consumer nether. British dev studio UsTwo has updated MouthOff, a sound-reactive mouth toy, for iPhone. The MouthOff Signature series includes a selection of 37 weird mouths, including 12 specially commissioned mouths by artists including Jon Burgerman, Pete Fowler and, my fave, Mikko Walamies, the artist behind Rolando’s gorgeous graphics.

Check out the vid I tweeted of the app in action and, if you decide you want to get a new mouth on with MouthOff, then you can win a free promo code for the app. Simply leave a comment at the end of this post telling me why you should get your MouthOff to be in with a chance of winning.

Moving onto the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Jukebox, App Gmail, Star Defense and Taxiball.

Jukebox (99 cents)
My favorite feature back on those early iPods was the music quiz. With an ever-expanding collection of digital music, I loved to test my muso abilities with the Name That Tune-style game bundled with the iPod, courtesy of Apple. Come the release of the iPod touch and iPhone, the game was curiously absent from the new devices — despite the potential for an even-more muso-centric gaming experience. That is until now, thanks to the iPhone’s new 3.0 update, giving developers access to the music library. Jukebox is a gorgeous implementation of this old game, incorporating album artwork and custom gaming modes.

App Gmail (Free)
Apple’s own Mail for iPhone might do the job, but in the meantime, Google has been squeezing a raft of new features and improvements into its Gmail web app for iPhone. Navigational elements have been tweaked, making it easier to skim and sort messages, but the real head-turning feature is offline Gmail, via the web app. All well and good, but there’s still no dedicated app for Gmail, making accessing the web app via Safari feel a tad sloppy. App Gmail meets us halfway to solve the issue — embedding the Gmail web app within the app itself — ridding us of the Safari interface elements. It’s still not an official, dedicated app, but it’ll do the job for now and it’s free.

Star Defense ($5.99)
It may have come out earlier this month, but Star Defense is only just coming into it’s own, thanks to the iPhone OS 3.0 update. The game itself is traditional tower defense given a graphical overhaul — the game features all the usual staples of the genre — multiple towers, waves of baddies — but the 3D graphics and Mario Galaxy-esque palm-size planets make it a thrilling experience. The 3.0 update integrates ngmoco’s Plus+ network. Think of it like the iPhone’s version of Xbox Live, which means multiplayer mode, challenging your friends and gamer points. What’s more, if a friend issues you a challenge, the game sends you a push notification.

Taxiball ($2.99)
As a student, sharing a house with a bunch of messy guys, we’d settle cleaning disputes with a game of Virtua Tennis on Sega’s Dreamcast. The console, sadly, died a premature death, criminally under-appreciated for what it was and the games it offered. Aside from Virtua Tennis, one of my other favorite Dreamcast games was Crazy Taxi. For those who aren’t familiar, driving your cab against the clock, you had to race across town delivering folk where they needed to go. It was massive, thrilling, looked gorgeous, and played like GTA without the constant death or Good Fellas voiceovers. With that in mind, Taxiball replaces the taxi with a big, yellow ball and brings the game to the iPhone. It’s frantic and moreish, well worth checking out.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

A hand-picked selection of the latest releases for iPhone? Plus, a handy summary of Apple news from the past seven days? We’ve got it all, you lucky person, you.

Despite the deluge of announcements at last week’s WWDC, we’ve had no time to rest this week, either. Indeed, the news hasn’t stopped rolling in, so before we get to the iPhone picks, let’s look at this week’s Apple news.

First up, put on your dancing shoes and shimmy around the room, for it’s time to celebrate: iPhone OS 3.0 has been released. Head on over to iTunes pronto to download and upgrade. Notable new features include copy/paste, Spotlight and shake to undo. For a full feature list, check out this post.

My iPhone Twitter client of choice, Tweetie, met some unexpected competition this week when TweetDeck’s official iPhone app was launched at the App Store. The new app rolls in many of the features from TweetDeck’s big brother on OS X, plus it squeezes in a natty card-swishing interface reminiscent of the Palm Pre.

Our own Tom Reetsman has been playing rebel fanboy this week: In a bid to secure himself an iPhone 3G S on release day, he ordered not one, but two of Apple’s new devices. But before you go placing multiple pre-orders, check out Charles Jade’s excellent piece on selling your old iPhone. He covers all the details to ensure you quickly sell off your stodgy old iPhone 3G.

Before most folk could even get their iPhone 3G S out of the gorgeous recycled eco-friendly packaging and breath in the sweet scent of freshly unboxed Apple hardware, news has already rolled in about the next iPhone to be released. Rumor has it that the device will have a super zippy dual-core processor, meaning that, by the time it gets released, the S on iPhone 3G S will probably stand for slow.

And finally, Apple fired a major warning shot at the Palm Pre, a device that I feel is the iPhone’s most viable competitor. A new technical note was released this week, implying that Apple will soon disable syncing between iTunes and the Palm Pre. For me, the Pre’s tight integration and communication with iTunes was a major advantage for the device; it’ll be interesting to see how Palm responds when Apple pulls the plug.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Whole Foods Market Recipes, WikiHow, Speed Racer 1, and Bomberman Touch 2.

Whole Foods Market Recipes (Free)
Besides frequently napping and tweeting on my iPhone, eating is one of my favorite ever pursuits. It’s nourishing and fun, plus, if I make the meal myself, it’s oh so satisfying. Which brings me on to cooking, a pursuit which is almost as fun as eating. Back at the start of this year, living in London, I did my weekly shopping over at Whole Foods. Their new app rolls in a Google Maps-powered store finder with an extensive recipe book. And best of all, you can enter in the ingredients you have and it’ll find you something yummy to make. It’s even got options for those on special diets, such as vegan and gluten-free. Budding chefs should definitely download this new release.

wikiHow (Free)
It may have been released back in March, but this app is just so interesting, I had to recommend it to you. Traditional how-to manuals can feel somewhat outdated, so some clever folks have created a massive wiki (à la Wikipedia) containing a guide for how to do just about anything. In the past few minutes I’ve learned how to play Zombie Tag, how to crochet my own leg warmers, and how to make a shelter in the wilderness — all of which, I realize, are essential skills come the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Setting the undead aside for just a moment, if all this DIY stuff sounds like your bag, the iPhone version of wikiHow contains all the how-to goodness of the web site in one free app.

Speed Racer 1 ($1.99)
A few weeks back, I recommended Go! Manga, an app that contained a veritable treasure trove of classic comics, all for free. One thing I did wonder about was the legality of the app and, sure enough, only a few days ago Go! Manga was shut down due to copyright claims. I’m always suspicious of seeing big-name content — videos or comics — available cheap or free on the App Store. However, potential purchasers of this app will be pleased to note that Zoo Vision, the folks behind Speed Racer 1, seem to be doing animé the legit way. The app lets you view a classic episode of Speed Racer — the original 1967 series — although two bucks does seem a little pricey for a single episode.

Bomberman Touch 2 ($2.99)
It’s somewhat strange that, while ngmoco, a relative newcomer to game publishing, has managed to release a steady stream of excellent games, creating new characters and brands in the process, a seriously experienced company such as Hudson Soft has been slow to exploit its classics on the iPhone. Finally, an entire year after the release of the original Bomberman Touch for iPhone, Hudson has squeezed out the sequel. This game includes Bluetooth-enabled multiplayer battle mode, alongside tons of new maps and features. Due to the slightly dodgy controls, this release will be best-suited to fans of the original.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in another seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

Your head might be spinning from the torrent of Apple happenings at WWDC this week, but fear not, I’ve got the cure: fresh picks from the App Store.

It’s been an exciting week for TheAppleBlog, with our correspondents posting live from WWDC in San Jose; we’ve been covering the event from all angles. Before we look at this week’s apps, let’s take a moment to summarize the latest Apple news.

We kicked off the week in style with Apple’s official keynote at WWDC. Behind the scenes we had Henry Balanon and David Koff with live reportage from the event. Streamed live to our WWDC coverage page, we hosted over 74,000 readers. If you missed it first time round, replay it here.

In an entirely unexpected turn of events, the 13″ MacBook has now gone professional. Indeed, the new 13″ MacBook Pro includes an SD card slot, up to 8GB of RAM, and a backlit keyboard as standard. Early adaptors of the 15″ Unibody MacBook Pro can join me in irking 13″ MacBook Pro owners by collectively running our greasy fingers down their glossy 13″ screens.

And, as if that wasn’t enough for us early adopters, the 15″ MacBook Pro has also been updated. In a nutshell, the update means more storage and improved battery life. Plus, the pretty much redundant ExpressCard slot has been replaced with a more useful SD card slot. Readers looking for an overview of the updated MacBook Pro line should head on over to Tom Reestman’s article.

Apple has also announced that Snow Leopard, the latest upgrade to their desktop OS, will be released this September. It’s fully 64-bit, features Exchange support, and is basically pretty wonderful, but the best thing about it isn’t the feature set, it’s the price: Current Leopard users will be able to upgrade for just $29. In the meantime, those looking for a quick software update hit should download the official release of Safari 4.

Then there’s the big news, the product announcement that I’ve been waiting months for: the iPhone 3G S. It’s exactly the same form factor except there’s more RAM, greater storage and — this is a big deal for me — a better camera. The iPhone 3G isn’t going anywhere yet, though; it’ll still be available, at least for a limited time, at the new price point of $99.

Just like the MacBook Pro family, it’s not only the iPhone hardware that has been updated, it’s the software, too. Apple is officially releasing iPhone OS 3.0 on June 17. There are tons of new features, more than I can mention here. Rest assured, though, that crowd-pleasers such as cut/copy/paste, MMS and shake to undo have been included in the update.

To celebrate the launch of the iPhone 3G S and OS 3.0, the folks at Polar Bear Farm have given us two promo codes for their latest app. The app is called Face Match; for a chance to win, simply leave a comment telling me why you’d like to use this face recognition tool for the iPhone.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Photo Zen, Tumblr Gear, Swiss Maker and Spinal Tap.

PhotoZen (Free)
Until I bag myself a new iPhone 3G S, containing upgraded camera and integrated video-editing, my iPhone photography lineup consists of Quadcamera and Flickit. The idea is that since the camera on the iPhone 3G isn’t so hot, I want to take quick, fun shots and upload them efficiently, without having to sync and manage via iPhoto. PhotoZen captures this quick and fun photo-sharing ethos, allowing you to post your own images to a social bonsai tree, receiving images from strangers in return. Sweet, simple and free.

Tumblr Gear (Free)
I’m particularly interested in Tumblr Gear because it’s an alternative to Tumblr’s official iPhone app. That’s not to say I have a problem with the official app, quite the contrary; it’s great for posting new content whilst on the move. Rather than for creating new posts, Tumblr Gear was devised for browsing your dashboard and seeing what your friends have been posting. It’s optimized for the iPhone and efficient to use. For the avid user, this could be an essential app.

Swiss Maker (Free)
In reaction to the Swiss design style — stark typographic imagery featuring Helvetica — the Boston-based marketing agency Dirk+Weiss started a site: anyonecanswiss.com. Their clever site, now available as an iPhone app, lets you design a Swiss-style poster in seconds — just enter a few words and it does the tough job of changing the font to Helvetica and printing the text on a black background. Creative folk will appreciate the app for sure, those who don’t get the joke should download the app regardless — show it to your friends, they’ll think you’re erudite, topical and witty.

Spinal Tap (Free)
Around the release of their 1982 album, “Smell the Glove,” their music was described by one journalist as such, “This pretentious ponderous collection of religious rock psalms is enough to prompt the question, ‘What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn’t he have rested on that day too?’” It doesn’t matter what the critics said though because Spinal Tap is back and they’re ready to rock. Alongside finally releasing “Saucy Jack,” the band has put out its very own iPhone app. The app is a hub of Tap-related information, there are new tracks to listen to, a Fan Wall for chatting with other listeners, brand-new videos, and even tweets. It’s good to have Spinal Tap back, both fans and those unfamiliar with the band should download the app immediately.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

The week may be drawing to a close, but here at TheAppleBlog we’ve got an array of apps to get your through the weekend.

As ever, I’ve got four notable new iPhone releases from the App Store to tell you about. Before we jump into the apps, though, let’s take a look at the week that was with a quick news roundup.

The week kicked off with a bit of a downer as news broke that Apple will be charging for re-downloading premium apps that you’ve already purchased for iPhone. It’s not a big deal — it seems downloading via iTunes will still be free — but it’ll be an inconvenience to users who are prone to deleting and re-downloading apps while on the go.

Next up, Microsoft is well and truly on the warpath with its forthcoming Zune HD, and what’s more, it’s gunning for the iPod touch. The new device will have a touchscreen, web browser, Wi-Fi, HD radio and, I think, looks rather scrummy. Delicious-looking it may be, but I still don’t know if that makes it a true contender.

Our own Henry Balanon stepped up to the plate with a seriously impressive iPhone development resources article. He managed to squeeze in 43 different links to various resources around the ‘net. Coders should head on over to the article and bookmark it immediately; it’ll prove useful as a reference tool.

Another new feature coming to the iPhone has been doing the rumor-rounds: Apple is integrating geo-location within Mobile Safari. Are location-aware web sites the next big thing? Setting aside Google Latitude, I’m not entirely convinced. Hit up the article for Darrel Etherington’s take on the matter.

Pipping Apple’s new devices to the post, Palm’s Pre should be hitting the shelves today. Owners of the Pre will be pleased to hear that Palm’s new devices will sync seamlessly with iTunes.

To celebrate the recent release of Dave Matthews Band Revenge for iPhone and iPod touch, I’ve got three promo codes to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, leave me a comment explaining why you’d like to play this new game.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Put Things Off, Jaman Free Movie Fridays, Pocket Alan, and Terminator Salvation Lite.

Put Things Off ($2.99)
My essential iPhone tool for staying organized is Evernote, however, sometimes I seriously consider switching; especially in the case of Put Things Off — an app that packs in the functionality I need, with great visual design, too. The app allows you to focus on the tasks you need to get done on a given day, filtering everything else out of your immediate to-do list. The aesthetic strikes the right balance between satisfyingly tangible, with office-esque paper trays, and functional. My favorite feature is the auto-nag mode: putting off a task for too long moves it to your “Today tray,” forcing you to complete a given item rather than endlessly procrastinating.

Jaman Free Movie Fridays (FREE)
Never turn down a free dinner, and never turn down a free movie, either. Free food almost always tastes scrumptious, and free movies can make for unexpected fun. In the case of this app, Jaman bring you a new movie to watch every Friday. There are a few big names in there, like the complete collection of classic Superman cartoons and black-and-white spook-fest Nosferatu, however, you won’t find the latest Transformers, Terminator, or Star Trek films on the list. Most notably, though, there’s a great selection of independent full-length features, alongside new short films.

Pocket Alan (99 cents)
It’s interesting that Apple seems to have no sort of process in place for protecting the intellectual property of copyright holders. Interesting but, in this case, lucky for us, as Alan Partridge has unofficially arrived on the iPhone in the shape of a handy soundboard. Essential classics such as, “Ahaa,” and, “Jurassic Park,” are there, alongside oft-forgotten, but no less amusing sound-bites, including my favorite, “Jackanackanory.” Plus, fans of Partridge with friends named Daniel will be be able to make good, repetitive use of the, “Dan,” button. Cheap and fun, nothing more than a novelty item, but a perfect toy for fans of the show.

Terminator Salvation Lite (Free)
Gameloft seems to have surpassed itself with its latest movie-based game. Terminator Salvation packs in convincing 3D environments, reminiscent of console games, alongside a well-designed control-system and game mechanic. Of course, the real joy is trudging through the distopyian, post-apocalyptic devastation, offing shiny silver terminators with a variety of weapons. TheAppleBlog’s David Appleyard checked out the iPhone version of Terminator Salvation a few weeks back. If you’re looking to try out the game without spending five bucks on the full version, download the Lite edition today.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

Just when you thought the weekend couldn’t get any better, along comes a selection of the freshest picks from the App Store.

This week I’ve selected four playful picks for you to toy with over the weekend. It’s not all fun and games, though, as before we get to the apps, I’ve got a roundup of the week’s news.

Another week closer to the release of the iPhone 3.0 update means another leaked addition to the new OS. This time, Apple is bringing video purchasing to the iPhone. All well and good, but I can’t imagine how downloading a 2GB movie is going to work over 3G.

Our own Nick Santilli procured a selection of apps that raise the potential for photos taken with the iPhone’s camera. It’s essential reading for iPhone owners who are disappointed with the device’s awful camera. My pick of the bunch is QuadCamera — it makes shooting with the iPhone fun again.

The iPhone made the front cover of The New Yorker this week, though not in the way you might expect. Using Brushes, a cute little painting app for iPhone, artist Jorge Colombo created the cover illustration for the latest issue. Brushes isn’t exactly a pro-level art package, but it can generate stunning results — budding artists can grab the app for four bucks (it’s currently on offer) and start practicing now.

Tweetie for Mac, the excellent older sibling to the iPhone Twitter client Tweetie, received a fun little upgrade this week. The app now allows video tweeting, via the iSight camera or a quick .mov file drag ‘n’ drop. This article is particularly worth checking out because you get to watch a Twitter video of me, playing Sigur Rós, on the glockenspiel — blog-based musical interludes do not get better than that.

And finally, there could be an Apple game console on the incredibly distant horizon. This is according to the CEO of gaming giant Ubisoft. Frankly, I don’t see it happening, but then who am I to argue with the CEO of the company that brought us Splinter Cell and a refreshed Prince of Persia franchise?

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Space Ace, Light Wars, BeatRider Touch and Drum Tracker.

Space Ace ($4.99)
A quick refresher for readers who may not have come across Space Ace — the game is a gorgeously illustrated animated adventure from the folks behind Dragons Lair. Those who remember the original will be pleased to note that, visually, it’s still as vibrant as ever; however, it’s also just as frustrating in terms of gameplay. The game is essentially one long animation in which you just perform the correct actions at the correct time to keep the story moving forward. Frequently silly, regularly annoying, but it’ll have you coming back time and time again.

Light Wars (99 cents)
One glance at this game and any seasoned gamer will tell you that it’s a direct rip of Geometry Wars — an excellent console mini-game that brings classic messy shoot-em-up Robotron to mind. Light Wars is incredibly fast-paced and frenetic, throwing tron-style nasties at you from all angles as you speed across the vector map, dodging enemy ballistics and racking up insanely high scores. Currently on sale at 99 cents and definitely worth checking out for fans of arcade-style shoot-em-ups.

Beatrider Touch Lite (FREE)
Tap Tap Revenge may be the current king of rhythm-action games on the iPhone, but that shouldn’t stop other titles from trying to topple the game from its well-earned throne. Beatrider Touch incorporates more sliding than tapping, plus it brings something entirely new to the genre — song uploading. Upload your favorite tune and you’re able to play it as a level in Beatrider. The free Lite version supports one song upload, the premium version — retailing at five bucks — lets you upload up to 20.

Drum Tracker ($1.99)
If you’re not in the mood for gaming, but beats are your thing, then Drum Tracker may be the app for you. The developers, a team calling themselves Simple is Beautiful, have squeezed a fully-featured drum machine down into one gorgeous-looking iPhone app. This is a tool that, while it could be tons of fun for anyone looking to toy around with a few beats, could prove useful for electronic music producers on the go. Worth checking out for the more musical readers of TheAppleBlog, especially as it’s priced so competitively for a sound app.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

What’s that, you say? You’re looking for iPhone app recommendations alongside a smattering of the week’s Apple news? Read, on my friend, I have just the article for you…

Before I present you with my four recommendations, hand-picked from the freshest apps to launch for the iPhone, it’s time to take stock and review this week’s Apple news.

As if Monday couldn’t get any grimmer, the big news to start the week was all about Microsoft. Specs and other info about its new Zune, apparently code-named “xYz,” have been doing the rounds. Perhaps presenting a genuine challenge to the iPhone and iPod touch handheld gaming throne, the device may even play XBox Live Arcade content. Very exciting indeed, considering the breadth and quality of games on offer via Microsoft’s online service.

Speaking of which, the big surprise of the week was news that Braid, the top-rated, critically acclaimed Xbox Live Arcade title, has been released on Mac. The game is a side-scrolling platformer, incorporating a host of headache-inducing time-twisting puzzles. Good fun indeed, and a worthy workout for cerebral gamers on the hunt for a challenge.

Coming to the U.S. in the very near future is Spotify, the legal music service that’s essentially like having access to the entire iTunes Store for free. The service has already been on offer in Europe since late 2008. Spotify’s founder, Daniel Ek, believes it’ll be officially available stateside by the start of 2010 at the latest.

While the Spotify iPhone app is still under wraps, Digg.com founder Kevin Rose has been impressed by the desktop version, “… playing w/Spotify, hot damn it’s responsive – plays pretty much any song on earth in <1 second.” Being stationed in Helsinki, Finland, I’ve had the pleasure of using Spotify for several months now — it really is as fast as Rose describes.

My favorite news of the week concerns the latest update to the iPhone. More rumors abound, as a fresh list of specs has been released. Notable possible enhancements to the iPhone include 32GB of storage in the high-end model, built-in FM transmitter, OLED screen, rubber tread backing and discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Mover, Burger King Now, Lexulous and Flashback.

Mover (free)
With Air Sharing (among others) firmly covering file-sending over the Net using the iPhone, there’s still no convincing solution for sharing with other users in your immediate vicinity. Those that are available are severely lacking in ease-of-use and appealing looks. Mover addresses both of these issues directly and, as such, is quite different from the solutions I’ve seen previously. Allowing you to share either contacts or images with other users on the same Wi-Fi network, you simply select the name or photo you’d like to send, then literally drag it across to your friend’s device. As developer Infinite Labs state, seeing is believing, so, before you pick up the app for free, check out the demo video of the app in action.

Burger King Now: Phone Ordering (free)
Back in my student days, I lived off a hearty combination of Domino’s Pizza and McDonald’s. In fact, I accrued a sizable debt due to my adoration for fast food and apparent inability to cook. These days, I love to cook and, what’s more, meat isn’t really a part of my usual diet, saved instead for special occasions — like the meatballs at Ikea. Deep down, my junk food lust hasn’t left me: Upon discovering Burger King’s new app, my mouth watered and my heart sank to think of all the glorious grease I’d be missing out on. This may not be as oddly compelling as BK’s Subservient Chicken, but it’s a time-saving app that uses your iPhone to order a tasty trans-fat treat.

Lexulous ($3.99)
Up until yesterday, I was under the impression that Scrabble-clone Scrabulous had dissolved under the threat of legal action from Hasbro. It seems, however, that the popular Facebook app has been reborn under the apparently less-libelous moniker of Lexulous. What’s more, the crossword gaming ante has been upped by the release of the Lexulous iPhone app. One of the joys of playing Lexulous via Facebook is challenging friends across the globe, something that both the official Scrabble iPhone and Facebook app don’t allow. With a solid iPhone app, Facebook integration and global challenges, Lexulous is a must-have for crossword game fans.

Flashback ($4.99)
Originally released for Amiga back in 1992, Flashback will bring memories flooding back for retro-gamers. The game featured Prince of Persia-esque rotoscoped animation, a sprawling alien jungle and a plot reminiscent of Philip K. Dick’s writings. The iPhone version is pretty tough, especially given that the controls have been ported to the touchscreen. But I’m not entirely sure of the legitimacy of the iPhone iteration; the app may get pulled from the store. If you’re interested in trying out this classic platform adventure, download now.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

You can’t have pizza without cheese, socks without shoes, a sandwich without bread, or a complete week without hearing about the freshest iPhone apps.

Before I present you with a hand-picked selection of the latest iPhone releases to hit the App Store, as is tradition, we’ll take a moment to review notable news and take stock of the week that was.

For iPhone supporters, the week seemed to start on somewhat of a downer as news broke that RIM’s BlackBerry Curve is the belle of the ball, surpassing the iPhone in popularity. Plus, darkening the mood a little more, it seemed that the developers gathered for our Monday App Store Roundtable were, understandably, none too pleased at the App Store’s review system.

By Tuesday, the week began to pick up with speculation that Apple may adjust their app approval policy upon the release of the iPhone 3.0 update this summer. In short, there’s a possibility that “adult-only” apps will appear in the App Store; perhaps tasteless topless images will become the new novelty fart sound maker?

Also this week,Bento, the personal database application for desktop, was released on the iPhone. David Appleyard was on hand to provide an excellent overview of the app. Although I use Evernote for collecting info on the move, users who need to go beyond lists and start making databases will find Bento to be an indispensable tool.

Midweek mirth was provided courtesy of Apple, when someone on the Cupertino campus inadvertently approved a listing for QuickPWN — the iPhone jailbreaking tool — in the official web app directory.

The other notable rumor of the week concerns a possible feature coming to new MacBooks in the future. Based on a job posting straight from Apple, it’s looking likely that the next Macbook will have integrated 3G. Although 3G may be the death knell for USB sticks touting the same functionality, on the flip-side it means less peripherals and more connectivity for Macbook-users.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Offmaps, GadgetTrak, Kids vs. Zombies Lite and Battalion.

Offmaps ($2.99)
Having Maps on your iPhone is all well and good, but when you’re out and about without a data-connection, the app is essentially useless. For frequent travelers (or even iPod Touch users) Offmaps compliments Google Maps perfectly. The app allows you to download specific maps directly to the iPhone, even allowing the user to set the zoom level — useful for those looking for a high level of detail. A worthwhile companion to the embedded Maps app, and surprisingly cheap given the excellent functionality.

GadgetTrak (Free)
This seems to have been released back in August last year, and while I try to feature the latest apps, it’s occasionally worth rewinding a moment if I’ve missed something worthwhile. GadgetTrak is incredibly similar to Caught You! Both of the apps create a dummy icon on your iPhone which, in the event of your device being stolen, a thief will hopefully click. The dummy app then e-mails your iPhone’s GPS coordinates to you. Unfortunately, Caught You! seems to have gone AWOL from the App Store — I’ve checked both U.S. and UK stores, and it’s no longer available — as such, it’s worth checking out GadgetTrack as an alternative (and free) tracking tool.

Kids vs. Zombies Lite (Free)
Recommended to me by Larsonian, via the comments section of last week’s App Store Picks, I thought I should take a look at this game. In the midst of a zombie apocalypse, you take control of three kids who happen to be armed to the teeth. In terms of gameplay, it’s a coin-op-esque shooter, wrapped in gorgeous cartoony 3D graphics, with a sprinkling of the undead. Each of the characters have different attack abilities — close combat, long range and explosives — plus, you’re able to visit the Hardware Store and upgrade the weaponry for even more effective zombie devastation. Check out the free Lite version first and, if you enjoy destroying the living dead, upgrade to the full version for only two bucks.

Battalion (Free)
If you’re looking for a 3D shooter with a retro vibe, then check out Battalion. The game was originally developed for the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment, aka CAVE (I love a good recursive acronym), and found the player becoming a movie-style giant monster, literally stomping around a town and taking on the might of the military. The controls are incredibly tough to get used to, combining a mixture of tilting, tapping, double-tapping and even dragging, however, after an initial learning period, it’s good fun (and a strangely effective stress reliever). While this version is certainly not as immersive as the original virtual reality Battalion, you get to choose from one of four cute but angry B-movie monsters. Recommended for those looking for a free and fun new game.

We’re all done for the app picks this week. In keeping with our usual schedule, I’ll return next week with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?