Developer tap tap tap submitted an update for their app Camera+ which included a new feature called VolumeSnap. VolumeSnap allowed users to use the volume controls to take a photo, a feature that many iPhone users have asked for. Apple, however, does not approve of using the iPhone’s hardware in this manner. Here’s what they had to say to tap tap tap:

Your application cannot be added to the App Store because it uses iPhone volume buttons in a non-standard way, potentially resulting in user confusion. Changing the behavior of iPhone external hardware buttons is a violation of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement. Applications must adhere to the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines as outlined in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.7

The iPhone Human Interface Guidelines states:

Users use the device's volume buttons to adjust the volume of all sounds their devices can play, including songs, application sounds, and device sounds. Users can always use the volume buttons to quiet any sound, regardless of the position of the Ring/Silent switch.

Using the volume buttons to adjust an application's currently playing audio also adjusts the overall system volume, with the exception of the ringer volume. (Using the volume buttons when no audio is currently playing adjusts the ringer volume.)

Although tap tap tap is disappointed that their app got reject, they are appreciative of the fact that Apple was very informative regarding the reason behind the rejection.

Flashlight apps that use the iPhone 4’s LED flash were originally in violation of Apple’s policy, but it got changed after a developer encouraged Apple to review it. So tap tap tap is encouraging developers and users alike to submit a feature request to Apple to get this policy changed.

So there you go, if the ability to use the volume buttons to snap a photo is something you desire, make your voice heard!

[tap tap tap via @justin_horn]

Camera+ update featuring “VolumeSnap” rejected, feature request filed is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

The Baltimore Sun has found an SEC filing that shows Apple has broadly licensed the intellectual property of California amorphous alloy maker Liquidmetal, perhaps for use in future iPhone and iPad devices. What’s liquid metal?

It’s a mimetic poly-alloy that can create bladed weapons–

No, sorry, that’s from Terminator 2.

According to its Website, Liquidmetal is a “leading force in the research, development and commercialization of amorphous metals. [Its] revolutionary class of patented alloys and coatings form the basis of high performance material utilized in a range of military, consumer and industrial products manufactured by Liquidmetal Technologies.”

The new metals that Liquidmetal develops offer several benefits in strength, hardness, elasticity, corrosion- and wear-resistance, and acoustical properties.

While this doesn’t mean next-generation iPhone or iPad antenna could morph themselves around reception problems, it does show that Apple is continuing to push the boundaries of consumer electronic innovation.

[Baltimore Sun]

Apple licenses Liquidmetal for future iPhones, iPads? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Digitimes, which should always be taken with a huge honking grain of salt, is reporting that Apple is readying CDMA iPhone 4, a 7-inch Cortex A9-based iPad 2, and only Jobs knows what else:

• Apple is set launch an upgraded 9.7-inch iPad adopting a new ARM Cortex-A9-based processor and 512MB RAM in the first quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, the company will also launch a 7-inch iPad using the Cortex-A9 processor and an IPS panel with a resolution of 1024×768

• As for the CDMA iPhone, Pegatron Technology is expected to start mass production in December and will supply to both US-based Verizon Wireless and China-based China Telecom

• The CDMA iPhone’s back plate will be forged from metal materials and will feature an integrated antenna, according to Digitimes Research.

• Apple is also set to launch a new Apple TV using AMD’s Fusion solution and will not include a hard drive.

ARM’s Cortex A9 is the next-generation version of the current Apple A4 chipset’s CPU used in iPad and iPhone. With multi-core capabilities, it’s an obvious upgrade to make. Verizon iPhone rumors have been on the rise again in recent weeks, though CDMA can mean different things in different reasons. I still think Apple won’t fracture the brand new iPad market with a 7-inch iPad any time soon. It’s not about matching resolution, it’s about pixel density — a 7″ 1024×768 screen would need a whole new UI for the buttons and other UI elements to remain usable by fingers. Apple TV running iOS would be great — but why AMD’s Fusion and not Apple’s own chipsets?

[Digitimes, thanks everyone who sent it in]

Your crazy CDMA iPhone 4, 7-inch iPad with ARM Cortex A9, AMD and iOS Apple TV, rumors of the day is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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There have been complaints of the iPhone 4 experiencing audio problems when connected to AT&T’s 3G microcell. Specifically, the incoming sound will skip, making it nearly impossible to understand the person you’re talking to. There does not appear to be a relation to signal strength and the skipping does not affect outgoing audio. It also only seems to only be a problem with the iPhone 4.

I have owned a microcell for a few weeks now and have experienced this issue on multiple occasions. It has only occurred in one spot of my house – at my desk. Once I move, the call clears up and I can hear everything fine. Not once has this skipping resulted in a dropped call.

What about you? Have you noticed skipping audio when using an iPhone 4 on your AT&T microcell? What about another device?

Video demonstrating the problem after the break!

[AT&T forums - thanks Allen for the tip!]

iPhone 4 skipping audio on AT&T microcell is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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I was excited to see that Let’s Golf 2 just appeared in the App Store! I am not a golfer in real life, but I enjoy a good golf game every once in a while. Let’s jump right in and see what this new version has to offer.

Let’s Golf 2 is not meant as a real golf simulation like a Tiger Woods Golf. Instead, you are greeted with cute, often funny characters in outlandish environments that are beautiful and colorful. This does not mean that the levels are easy, in fact they become quite challenging later in the game (how can that be a par 4, impossible!)

There are several new characters to select. But in the beginning of the game, you one have two to choose from; Vincent and Jane. As you progress through the levels, you unlock a lot of customizations including clothes, hair, golf balls and clubs. A fun addition is the new Skill for each character. I am using Jade for example and her power is “Power of Charm”. This move is useful when putting as no matter how hard you hit the ball when putting, you can use her power to stop it anywhere on the green. The character powers, once used, have to replenish over time and can’t be used again and again without replenishing; use your characters power wisely.

Single Player has a few different modes to choose from; Instant Play where you play across three random holes from a variety of courses. Career where you complete against other virtual players for the trophy. Challenge where you play a series of “challenges” and score the highest points. Free Hole where you can setup the course you would like to play. As you play courses you earn points and medals that go towards unlocking courses and character customizations as well as increasing your character’s abilities.

Multiplayer uses Gameloft Live for online play, but you can also play locally with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Once online you can create or join a room and view the leaderboard. The game is a blast online as you complete in matches against a competitor from around the world.

Gameplay in Let’s Golf 2 is really straight forward. You can tap on the course map on the left of the screen to view where the ball is going and tap left or right on the screen to adjust or use the zoom controls to pan away form the action for a big picture of the course. You have the option of changing your clubs as well, but I have found for the most part the AI does a good enough job that I don’t have to change clubs too often, I can typically control the outcome of my swing by adjusting the strength I am swinging. Swinging your club is accomplished by tapping the golf ball on the right to start swinging and then tapping it again to center the swing for angle and strength. One feature that is missing is some sort of advanced club swinging mechanic. These swinging moves are typically accomplished by swiping your finger in a direction and letting go at the strength you want. Alas, this feature is not available that I have been able to find it.

I really enjoy Let’s Golf 2, but there is one issue that really bugs me. The framerate/accuracy of your club swings is not spot on. Depending on the course I often find that I have to touch the swinging meter ahead of when I plan to swing in order to assure accuracy. This is really frustrating sometimes as golf is a game that focuses on the smaller number of strokes in a game and I often find that through no mistake of my own, I miss a swing or calculate the incorrect swinging strength because of this flaw.

Don’t let my previous statement sway you from getting this game. Granted, the timing of some swings can be frustrating but the online play coupled with many characters and unlockables makes for a fantastic golf game.

[$4.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Colorful graphics
• Diverse courses
• Unlockable characters
• Unlockable character customizations
• Online and local wireless play
• Many different types of golf games to play

Cons

• Framerate can be slow at times
• Easy to miscalculate swing due to input latency

Let’s Golf 2 for iPad- app review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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I have just finished my stint with the Incipio Feather Ultra Thin Case for iPhone 4 (hence-forth “Feather”, that title is just way too long). What can I say? I like! The really thin nature of the case and the grip it provides is really nice. Plus, there are some extra benefits too. Keep reading to see all you get with this awesome case.

The first thing you will notice when you open the packaging for this case is that you get more than just a case, you also receive two surface protectors and a cleaning cloth. This is a very nice value for the price of this case ($23.95). The case itself is, as described, light and thin. It adds minimal thickness to the iPhone 4 and has a nice grip too it. I often refer to this as “grippy” plastic. Not slippery, but adds enough traction to be useful and stick in your pocket. The cut of the case is very precise. The back is completely covered except the camera and flash exposed. The case is very flush against the back with no real room for lint to enter. The sides flush as well. In fact, once you slip on the case, it can be a challenge to take it off. This, is a good thing.

The only issue with this case is that it does not protect the screen at all. For example, Apple’s bumper case extends past the glass to prevent any accidental scratches, etc. So, to remedy this and make the case as thin as possible, Incipio kindly includes two surface protectors. To make it easy for you, they even include an applicator for the surface protector. The side of the case only extends to cover the height of the silver antenna, so there is still about a millimeter or so of glass exposed. Even with a screen protector, it is possible that the glass could crack if hit at the proper angle.

This is easily one of the best cases for the iPhone 4 if you like this style of case. It isn’t rubber, but plastic, grips well and keeps the device thin and comes with two surface protectors. This case not only looks awesome, but protects in conjunction with the included protectors. Oh, and if you want colors, there are a whopping 12 colors to choose from.

You can find the Incipio Feather Ultra Thin Case for iPhone 4 at the TiPb iPhone 4 accessory store.

Pros

• Really light and thin
• Solid protection
• Grippy feel
• Lots of colors

Cons

• Case offers no frontal protection (includes surface protectors though)

Incipio Feather Ultra Thin Case for iPhone 4 – accessory review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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We’ve seen Frash, the Jailbreak port of Android Flash, on the iPad but now it’s making its move over to iPhone courtesy of Comex who coded it and Grant Pannell who compiled it.

Ally is going to look at this more in depth later in the week, but if you’re Jailbroken and you’ve just been dying to get some Flash on your iPhone, there’s now an alpha for that.

I’ll just note here, however, that I’ve turned the official Flash 10.1 mobile off on my Nexus One since it didn’t really rock my world (maybe I’m just used to not having it?), and while they complain about Apple like whiny kids on a forced march, Adobe still hasn’t shipped a working version of Flash for webOS or BlackBerry — two platforms that really, really want it.

All that to highlight just how alpha and unofficial this Frash build is, and remind you to keep an eye on your resources. (Or check out Comex’s tweet longer…]

Update: Ben Miller let us know that you can now go to his Cydia repo, repo.benm.at, to install Frash more easily.

[DigitalDJ.net, thanks everyone who sent this in]

Updated: Frash brings Flash to iPhone Jailbreak is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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As part of the fallout from Mark Papermaster’s exit from Apple, a couple of reports have surfaced indicating Apple knew about the potential for iPhone 4 antenna “death-touch” (detuning at the spot on the lower left side) for 1 to 2 years prior to launch.

The Wall Street Journal claims one year:

It was Mr. Jobs, rather than Mr. Papermaster, who decided to move forward with the development of the phone even though the company was aware of the risks of the antenna design as much as a year ago, according to people familiar with the matter.

Daring Fireball says two year:

One last tidbit from an informed source: the bug on the "touching it wrong" signal loss issue was filed two years ago. This is not a problem they didn't catch, or caught too late. So, on the one hand, clearly the fundamental antenna design predated Papermaster's time at the company. But on the other hand, there was plenty of time to find a solution to the problem. I.e., it's not that Apple should not have used an external antenna. It's that it should have been even better.

And again it’s worth pointing out that the issue as it currently stands is part real problem for people in low signal areas who do touch the phone on the left, part media feeding frenzy, and part Apple mishandling the introduction and subsequent media frenzy.

If Steve Jobs, as part of the WWDC 2010 iPhone 4 introduction, had explained the new iPhone 4 antenna as providing better reception in most cases, allowing for a bigger, longer-lasting battery, and adding to the structural support of the phone — with the trade-off being that spot of detuning — information like the above probably wouldn’t have even made it to post.

Now we’re getting free bumpers. (Though HTC still hasn’t offered me a free sun shade for my daylight impaired Nexus One AMOLED display…)

[Wall Street Journal, Daring Fireball]

iPhone 4 death-touch risks known for 1 to 2 years? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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The Wall Street Journal (and the often informed Yukari Iwatani Kane) are reporting that while it’s unknown how much iPhone 4 antennagate and white iPhone 4 delays played in SVP of mobile hardware, Mark Papermaster’s exit from Apple, there were broader cultural issues at play:

Mr. Papermaster had lost the confidence of Mr. Jobs months ago and hasn’t been part of the decision-making process for some time, these people said. They added that Mr. Papermaster didn’t appear to have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple and wasn’t used to Apple’s corporate culture, where even senior executives are expected to keep on top of the smallest details of their areas of responsibility and often have to handle many tasks directly, as opposed to delegating them.

One of these people also said Mr. Papermaster had difficulty maneuvering Apple’s internal politics.

The WSJ does say it was Steve Jobs, not Papermaster, who decided to go ahead with iPhone 4’s new antenna design.

Papermaster apparently also started his tenure with Apple while Jobs was on leave of absence and might not have been prepared for Jobs’ intense management style when he came back to work.

[WSJ]

Papermaster’s exit from Apple was cultural, not iPhone 4 specific is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Best of Smartphone Experts, 8 August 2010 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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