Join Chad, Mickey, Rene — and quite possibly Dieter — for… well a battle royal over Apple vs. HTC and a look back to see if anything else happened this week!

If you have any questions, leave a comment below, hit us up on Twitter @tipb, or better still — join us live in the chat room via http://www.tipb.com/live

REMINDER: You can watch us live on your iPhone with the Ustream Viewer app [Free - iTunes link]. Just wait until the show starts (8pm ET) and search for iPhone. We’ll pop up. Literally.

Chat with you soon!

TiPb Live! Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT (1am GMT) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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The first unofficial Google Buzz application, Buzzie, [$1.99 on sale - iTunes Link] has made it’s way into the Apple App Store.

Up until this point all Google Buzz users have had to rely on Google’s web interface, even on Google’s own Android OS, so Buzzie is a welcomed addition within the App Store. Whether or not Google decides to step up and release their own native application remains to be seen. The way things have been going between Google and Apple lately, who knows if they’d even be interested in attempting to get a official Buzz application into the App Store… or if it would be approved?

So if you use Buzz and give Buzzie a try, let us know how it works for you!

[Via Gizmodo]

Buzzie Unofficial Google Buzz App Hits App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Billboard is reporting that Amazon MP3’s deals with record labels to offer certain albums a day early and a few bucks cheaper have caused iTunes to raise a few eyebrows… and flex some not-so-subtle music muscle.

In exchange for a Daily Deal promotion on a new album, Amazon has been asking labels to provide it with a one-day exclusive before street date and such digital marketing support as a banner ad on an artist’s MySpace page and messages on label and artist Web sites and social network feeds.

“When that happened,” the executive says, “iTunes said, ‘Enough of that s–t.’ “

As a result some labels have been opting out of the Amazon MP3 deal while others claim the situation is fluid and they’ll opt in and out depending on the album and the amount of exposure iTunes is likely to give them. One major label exec who remains nameless, however, shot back:

“[iTunes is] . . . diverting their energy from ‘let’s make this machine better’ to ‘let’s protect what we got.’ “

The battle is over the initial, high volume sales when a new album hits the streets. If Amazon can dash in and scoop iTunes, they stand to syphon off a lot of the sales, and iTunes doesn’t want to stand for that. Of course, the record labels could just give everyone the albums early and for less… We’d be just fine with that!

This, of course, is particularly interesting in light of the similar Apple vs. Amazon battles we’ve been seeing over eBooks pricing, where Amazon and not Apple is the entrenched market leader and Apple’s iBooks the scrappy new comer. Can they fight — and win — wars on so many fronts?

iTunes Unhappy Amazon is Getting Early Bird Album Specials from Record Labels is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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9to5mac.com has just posted a interesting little iPad tidbit — it seems as if Apple’s latest creation has the ability to make emergency calls.

The image above is a screen shot taken from within the iPad SDK emulator. To get to the emergency call screen the developer simply enabled the passcode lock and entered in the wrong password five times.

So why would Apple include this within the iPad? Is it a FCC thing because the iPad is a wireless device on a cellular network? Perhaps it’s something left over from the iPhone and will be removed before launch? Our take is that if the iPad can make emergency calls, it can make regular calls and maybe not out of the box but with a little hackery.

Do you think it’s possible we will see some sort of call feature when the iPad drops at the end of this month?

[Via 9to5mac.com]

iPad to Make Emergency Phone Calls? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

From official Oscars preparation to six-degress of separation, production information to ratings aggregation, the iTunes App Store has something for pretty much everyone. Here’s a sampling of iPhone and iPod touch apps to keep you company during the 2010 Academy Awards.

The Oscars [Free - iTunes link] is the official app from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Feature-packed including the ability to share pics over Twitter & Facebook and view trailers for all nominated films.

IMDB [Free - iTunes link] is the world’s largest collection of movie, TV and celebrity information. A must have.

Awards: The Oscar [$1.99 - iTunes link] is an amazing resource for any fan of the Oscars, has every Academy Award nomination since 1927, tons of helpful information and the ability to guess the 2010 winners.

Vanity Fair Hollywood [Free - iTunes link] is the app that should power all your voting pools. Facebook chat function, gift bags, news and unique Vanity Fair content leading up to the Oscars.

Actor Genie [$9.99 - iTunes link] is an essential app for those who haven’t quite made it to the level where they have their own assistant. Casting info, a who’s who of Hollywood players, helpful tips and top 10 lists.

Six Degrees of Separation [$1.99 - iTunes link] is the pop culture phenomenon brought to life on iPhone and iPod touch. Relies on the notion that any actor can be related to any other actor via his or her film roles.

Rotten Tomatoes [Free - iTunes link] is a great resource for all the info on films and the unique Rotten Tomatoes editorial for your favorite Oscar nominated movies.

The Red Carpet [$2.99 - iTunes link] is offering a $1 million prize for winner(s) who pick correctly in all categories! Includes latest Oscar buzz, movie previews Facebook, Netflix and Twitter integration.

E! Online [free - iTunes link] helps you get your fashion fix with “Live From the Red Carpet” and keep up with all the gossip around Hollywood’s big night.

Bonus: While it’s not an app, iTunes’ “At the Movies” podcast section [iTunes link] has the best free podcast on the subject of movies, from The New Yorker Film & TV reviews podcast to Rotten Tomato podcast. All useful in catching up on the nominees for the oscars and what the movie critics think.

Any other great apps for the Oscars? Any other ways to use your iPhone or iPod touch to better enjoy the 2010 Academy Awards? Let us know!

iPhone Apps for the Oscars is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Without being asked, Google decided to whip out an email to TechCrunch anyway and comment on the Apple vs. HTC patent lawsuit announced yesterday:

"We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it.”

This is interesting in light of suggestions that the real target of Apple’s patent offensive isn’t HTC but rather Android and Google. While some maintain it isn’t like Apple (or at least the crunchy, hippy Apple they hold dear) to use patents offensively, when combined with HTC (read: Google) as target, could it begin to make more sense?

With Nokia, Apple merely counter-sued, to go on the attack against HTC has led to speculation that, because of Google, it’s personal.

The Apple/Google relationship has been the subject of a lot of chatter lately as the once closely-tied partners have become increasingly competitive. As Gizmodo pointed out yesterday, Google CEO Eric Schmidt sitting on the Apple board — whether or not he recused himself from iPhone discussions — and then turning around and releasing Android and Chrome OS, when coupled with allegations that Steve Jobs told employees he believed Google was trying to “kill the iPhone“, more than hints at a possible motivation.

9to5Mac also notes the lawsuit was filed one month to the day after Google enabled multitouch on the Nexus One, which was 6 months after Eric Schmidt resigned from the Apple board.

Sure, Steve Jobs made it a point to defend Schmidt at the recent Apple shareholder meeting, and Google keeps saying things are “stable“, but the best of friends can become the bitterest of rivals. Given the current patent system, Apple has a right to defend their technology — in the case of Google, they could have far more incentive too as well.

If that’s the case, then Apple hasn’t changed at all — when’s the last time we heard about feeling screwed and not retaliating?

Google Comments on Apple vs. HTC Patent Lawsuit is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Slide-a-ma-jig [$0.99 - iTunes Link] is a game for the newest of iPhone users — the kids. You can slide your finger on the screen to switch between 30 different creature body parts as well as tap a button for different backgrounds. Give the iPhone a shake and you will see a random creature appear. There are sound effects as well to go with your new creatures.

To find out more about the application and how to enter the give-away, stay with us after the break.

I had my own little ones try out the game and my 4 year old stated, “Oh this guy is really silly, I like this game.” My 1 year old was able to swipe through the various body parts but then started to bite on the iPhone so I had to take it away. So while they both seemed to enjoy the game, if you give your iPhone to your one year old, its at your own risk…

On the Lucky Radish Amusements website website they also have a printable template where you can create your own pen and paper slide-a-ma-jig.

Now for the promo code givea-way — let us know how you use your iPhone to keep your kids occupied and we will chose three (3) of you at random to get the promo codes. (As usual, promo codes can only be redeemed via the US Apple Store, and they expire so if you get one — use it fast!)

TiPb Give Away: Slide-a-ma-jig Game for Kids is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson took the opportunity, while speaking at an investor conference, to once again talk about the iPhone remaining on his network, and also touch on the iPad, problems in New York and San Francisco, variable pricing, and Apple’s new darling, the iPad.

• While Stephenson doesn’t seem to have insisted the iPhone would remain exclusive on AT&T, he does say the iPhone will remain an important part of their offerings for “quite some time”.
• He’s pleases with the steps AT&T is taking to address network problems and dropped calls in New York and San Francisco. “We’re hitting our metrics,” he said. “I feel really good about our path.” And call quality should improve by mid-2010.
• Stephenson claims AT&T is carrying half of US wireless traffic due to the amount of data use the iPhone generates. Carriers will have to eventually move to “variable pricing” so that heavy users are charged more and light users, less.
• AT&T is “not in a tremendous hurry” to roll-out their 4G network; it won’t be widely available, and there won’t be a good amount of products using it, until 2012

So if we mash that all together, even if the iPhone also pops up elsewhere, you’ll still be able to get it on an improved AT&T network with tiered pricing (perhaps similar to the iPad’s $15 for 256MB, $30 for unlimited) until LTE is wide spread in 2012 and the iPhone 4G replaces everything.

How’s that grab you?

AT&T: We’ll Carry iPhone for “Quite Some Time”, Variable Pricing, LTE in 2012 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Live from Macworld 2010, Rene and Leanna talk to Steve Sprang about Brushes [$4.99 - iTunes link] for the iPhone and the iPad version he showed off during Apple’s recent keynote.

YouTube link

TiPb Apps 3.3: Brushes for iPhone (Macworld 2010) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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According to CNET on Gizmodo, Apple is once again rumored to be considering a streaming, cloud-based (iTunes.com?) movie service.

Apple has told the studios that under the plan, iTunes users will access video from various Internet-connected devices. Apple would of course prefer that users access video from the iPad, the company’s upcoming tablet computer, the sources said. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said Apple doesn’t comment on rumors or speculation.

Combine this with streaming music, and CNET’s sources claim Apple wants to eliminate the need for local storage (hard drives, but also the far smaller, more expensive NAND Flash drives on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad).

Studios haven’t signed on yet, however, since they’re worried they’ll be locked into Apple’s proprietary system. (Is that supposed to be funny, seeing how iTunes Music is now DRM-free and can play on anything, while Hollywood still insists on DRM and that’s what makes iTunes locked in?)

The CECE consortium, Disney’s KeyChest, and Google are all listed as competitors, but Apple’s iPad might give them the edge if it takes off with consumers — especially if it offers apps from “rivals” like Netflix, Hulu, etc.

In fact, that might just make Apple the best of all worlds. Now that would be funny, wouldn’t it Hollywood?

The important thing, however, is consumers. In the wake of Sidekick outages, Playstation Network outages, RIM BlackBerry outages — and of course MobileMe — are we ready to leave our media to the cloud?

Do You Want Apple to Stream Movies to Your iPhone, iPad From iTunes Cloud? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog