Did BlackBerry maker RIM just buy DataViz, maker of Documents to Go for iPhone and iPad (and other platform)? CrackBerry.com has multiple sources saying they did, and for about $50 million cash.

This might just be why Docs to Go has cancelled their webOS app before ever releasing it. What does this mean for the iPhone and iPad version? We don’t know yet. We like having it as an option and with 120,000 iOS device on the market, there’s a lot of money on the table for DataViz… er… RIM if they want it.

Apple has made iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) for iPad already, and rumors persist of an iPhone version. There’s also QuickOffice, though with Microsoft have Office mobile, Google having Docs, and now RIM having Docs 2 Go, HP might just want to snatch them so they’re not the only platform without a home grown office suite.

Documents to Go maker DataViz bought by RIM? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Skyfire is a browser on other mobile platforms that was at one point purely proxy-based like Opera Mini (where everything was pre-rendered on a server then pushed out to the device via compressed files) but is now an all-grown up WebKit engine where Flash content is still proxied (processed server side and sent out as iOS friendly video).

They’re submitting it to the App Store — we know because, also like Opera, they announced their intent to submit — for iPhone and some concerned internet denizens are wondering whether or not it will get accepted, and what if anything it may mean about Apple’s current stance on Flash.

Short answer: nothing.

Long answer: Skyfire for iPhone would use the built-in WebKit viewer any app could use, and would probably proxy Flash the same way Microsoft claimed they worked with Apple to serve Silverlight. That means you’ll have a way to watch video, but probably not interact with punch-the-monkey adds. Win. [Hat tip to @sachasegan]

Why is it an apparent issue then? Because Skyfire posted about submitting it, because Apple conspiracy theorists love to conspire about theories concerning Apple, and because the App Store approval process remains utterly opaque and at times seemingly arbitrary.

Hopefully Skyfire gets approved and works well. My guess is it will get approved partly because it won’t work well — on-the-fly transcoding Flash to H.264 is a daunting task for developers (getting Flash to run native on Android is still hit and miss), and will be an exercise in patience and perseverance for users accustomed to things that just work.

We’ll see.

[Skyfire]

Regarding Skyfire and proxied Flash on iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

It seems like only yesterday Steve Jobs introduced make-your-own ringtones in iTunes, where you could take a song you already bought, and pay again just to use it in cut-down form as a ringtone. And — whoosh! — now it’s gone from iTunes 10?

The recording industry is no doubt to blame for the $0.99 price tag — they manage to both charge consumers and stiff artists on those, keeping all the money for themselves — but I’m guessing there were at least a few people for whom the ease of use was worth the price.

You can still roll your own ringtones outside iTunes, or purchase them pre-made by Apple (though reader John shows you may be subjected to a humorous iOS downgrade image, after the break).

I never used the ringtone creator myself, so I won’t lament it, but surely someone is going to miss it? Right?

[MacLife]

$0.99 iTunes ringtone creator no more? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

I spent the past week using the PixelSkin Case for iPhone 4. Speck has a lot of great accessory lines from iPhone cases and skins to everything iPad and iPod as well, but I was a little hesitant at first as I’m not a fan of cases that add bulk and most pattern or etched cases do.  I was pleasantly surprised with this one and still have it on my iPhone. 

I’ve never been a huge fan of textured cases, but this one is deceiving. It isn’t really “textured”. Most of the square pattern you see is actually smooth on the outside of the case. It feels nice in the hand and slides in and out of pockets incredibly easily. Part of the reason I have always preferred smooth cases is I’m not a purse girl by any means. I prefer keeping my phone in my pocket. I carry about a messenger type bag with me for all intensive “purse purposes”. Throwing my phone in there, it would take me 20 minutes to find it when I needed it. Pockets are quicker and easier. So I’ve always looked for cases that don’t fight me when trying to slip it back into my pocket. Finding smooth, thin cases and not sacrificing any protection is always a tough battle.

This particular case not only feels good in the hand, but protects the sides of the phone and allows the screen to be a bit recessed without adding extra bulk. I’m the master at dropping my phone and I dropped it once with this case on it. It landed face down on hard wood floor with no damage to be seen. Since the case comes up over the edges, it helps for those times when you’d like to set your phone screen down, or Jobs forbid it, you’re like me and just have the clumsy gene. Either way – if you’re looking for a case that provides a decent amount of protection without adding “too” much bulk, check out the Speck PixelSkin case for iPhone 4 in the TiPb Accessory Store. It’s available in purple, pink, and black. If you already have it, let us know your thoughts on it in the comments as well! Still not the case for you, browse the rest of our case selection in the TiPb iPhone 4 Accessory Store!

Pros

• Doesn’t collect dust or pocket lint

• Extremely smooth despite being silicone

• Rugged look but smooth in your hand

• Doesn’t add bulk

• Doesn’t get dirty quickly like many silicone-based cases

Cons

• Stretches out a bit after being taken on and off

• Some 3rd party chargers and accessories may not fit into the dock connector with the skin on

Speck PixelSkin Case for iPhone 4 – Accessory Review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

iOS 4.1 adds HDR photo capability to the iPhone — and now iPod touch — Camera app. HDR stands for high dynamic range and usually involves a photo with one or more identical photos that are over and under exposed and then combined together so that far more light and shadow information is available than a single exposure would allow. These high dynamic range images can then be tone mapped to provide a far greater amount of detail, far more like what the human eye can see. (That’s my lay person, non-photo geek understanding of it anyway — feel free to tear me apart in the comments, but only if you can explain it better).

So basically, you can see detail in the sky and in the shadow under the tree, rather than having one blown out or the other lost to black.

To enable HDR you simply tap the HDR button, much like the LED Flash button under iOS 4. Then, when you take the picture, iOS takes not only the regular shot but one overexposed and one underexposed. Shooting the picture seems to take roughly the same amount of time, but saving it takes noticeably longer.

So far, based on the results we’ve seen online, iOS HDR does a good job pulling color and detail back into what were previously blown out skies, but an only okay job revealing detail in shadowy areas.

For non photo geeks, however, all they’ll notice is better pictures with bluer skies and brighter people, which is probably why Apple added the feature in the first place.

iOS 4.1 features: HDR photos is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Net Applications is reporting that iOS has passed Linux to become the third most popular platform accessing the internet. With a 1.1% share, they’re still behind big brother Mac OS X’s 5% and way behind Windows all-encompassing 91.3% share. However, for a mobile OS, especially considering the next most popular mobile OS, Android, is at 0.2%, that’s a fairly huge accomplishment. According to Vince Vizzaccaro, VP of NetApps:

"Whatever the sales are, we're seeing iOS totally dominate the market on the Web. iOS has nearly a 6:1 advantage over Android."

Eh. Given the high adoption rate of greeks and mainstream now, Android will probably catch up quickly. Linux probably won’t. Mobile as a whole is on a tremendous growth curve.

[NetApps via 9to5mac]

iOS now 3rd most popular internet platform after Windows, Mac is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Apple introduced a new iPod nano this week with a multitouch screen, and a new Apple TV with an A4 chipset, but didn’t make clear if either or both were running iOS. Unlike iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, where they shout iOS from the rooftops, they’ve historically kept mum about iPod and Apple TV OS.

iPod nano looks like it’s running iOS. It has an iOS-like user interface with a subset of iOS-like built-in apps controlled by iOS-like gestures. There’s inertial scrolling with elasticity. You can even put icons into jiggly mode and rearrange them. In fact, when demonstrating that during his keynote, Steve Jobs said (emphasis mine):

Say… I want [albums] on the home page, I can just push down, jiggle it, and move it, just like I can with my other iOS devices

Not official confirmation to be sure, but think about it this way: given their focus on iOS of late, would Apple spend the effort to re-create that interface on the old iPod OS just for iPod nano, or to spend it getting iOS running on iPod nano hardware?

Apple TV on the other hand looks nothing like iOS. However, it’s running on an Apple A4 chipset which has, thus far, only been used for iOS devices. Again, given Apple’s focus on iOS, would they spend the effort porting OS X to Apple A4 just for Apple TV, or recreate the Apple TV UI for iOS?

I didn’t hear Jobs mention anything about iOS during the show but Daring Fireball’s John Gruber claims it’s definitely iOS.

I’d love to know for sure, but for now my guess is Apple sees iOS as their future and any effort they put in to new mobile or media devices is going to be put into iOS, including iPod nano and Apple TV.

Are the new iPod nano and Apple TV running iOS? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

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We’re all up in Apple’s 2010 Special Music event – new iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch with Retina Display and FaceTime, Apple TV with iOS… but no apps! Along with iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2. We’re streaming like crazy. This is iPhone live!

Oh, and here’s the Vapor Case give-away we mentioned…

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

iPhone live 115: Whoosh! Another 200! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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