Looks like there’s no FaceTime for the Middle-East version of iPhone 4 if local product pages are to be believed. Michael Rose of TUAW:

This adjustment to the product sites — just ahead of the anticipated late September launch of the phone in these countries — may represent merely a cosmetic tweak, keeping the cultural sensitivities of these largely Islamic countries in mind. Or it might mean the feature itself is going to be blocked for iPhone users there; note that it’s not just the image that’s changed, the current versions of the iPhone pages omit the description of FaceTime as well.

If FaceTime is missing in function and not just in image, will this change any Middle-Eastern reader’s mind about getting a local version? Does it make an unlocked iPhone from abroad more appealing?

[TUAW]

No FaceTime for Middle-East iPhone 4? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

iOS 4.2 for iPhone brings with it a new Voice Memo icon and with it the most drastic redesign of a built-in iOS app icon to date.

Yes, Calculator got a facelift recently, but it retained that pseudo-realistic look and feel Apple used for the other “utility” apps, like Compass and Camera. Voice Memo goes from faux microphone to strictly white icon, similar now to Phone or iPod, but without the diagonal pin stripe. If it was in the dock it might fit, but grouped in the default Utility folder, it kind of sticks out.

Sure, icons are icons and only designer geeks spend time arguing over their relative merits, but just in case you’re on of those aforementioned aficionados, I’m curious to know your thoughts.

I asked on Twitter on Friday, now I’m asking her. New Voice Memo icon, pro or con?

iOS 4.2 Voice Memo icon – one of these things is no longer like the others is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

VLC for iPad has hit the iTunes App Store, bringing with it support for a far wider ranger of video and audio formats than are natively supported by Apple.

They don’t state exactly which formats are supported by VLC though we’re guessing those AVI and MKV files so popular on the internet will be among them.

For the technically-inclined of you, the sources are being uploaded to videolan.org, and should be made available before the end of the day. Also, we've got many questions regarding an iPhone version. It's in the works! We started with the iPad, but an iPhone and iPod version is coming. We'd also like to thank the VideoLAN team which has been very, very helping and supportive, as well as all of you who sent us nice messages on twitter and by email.

As always, with a new release it might take time to propagate to all the regional iTunes servers and stores, so if you can’t find it yet, just keep checking back. If you manage to grab it, let us know what you think. Are all vidz can be yours?

UPDATED: Lifehacker has some tips on how to get the most out of it. Translation: it has a constrained set of videos it works with. Sigh.

[VLC on iTunes link - Free]

Updated: VLC for iPad hits iTunes App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

The music subscription-based Napster application is now available in the App Store to use on your iPhone or iPod touch. Last year the application seemed to be ready to go but due to apparent high licensing fees it was never released. The app made it’s debut last night and gives you the capability to save songs, albums and playlists for offline playback and also tosses in music recommendations for your listening pleasure.

While the application is free to download, there is a $10 a month fee attached to the Napster plus mobile subscription to use on your iOS device. With so many subscription-based music services already available do you think Apple has been thinking twice about introducing their own service or are they taking their time developing something much bigger and better?

[iTunes link - free]

Napster iPhone app now available in App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Apple has once again opened that $40+ billion bank account and, according to reports, purchased Swedish face-recognition company, Polar Rose.

The Malmö-based company specializes in developing technology which makes facial recognition, not unlike what Apple already has and uses iPhoto for Mac OS X. Through sophisticated algorithms, manages the software of the Arctic Rose to recognize faces in images and the company offers three different products using this solution. Two of the (Face Cloud and FaceLib) them seem to be very interesting for Apple.

Likely yet another talent and technology acquisition, will this simply be used to bolster the existing iPhoto/Aperture Faces feature, or could Apple have grander plans for facial recognition? They do have iSight on Mac and front-facing cameras on iPhone and iPod touch, and likely iPad as well soon.

[Mac1 via 9to5Mac, additional video via MacRumors]

[iOS compatible version of above video]

Apple buys Polar Rose face-recognition company is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Facebook phone was the big internet flurry of the weekend — are they making one, are they not making one, what does a Facebook phone even mean?

Techcrunch, who claim the Nexus One vindicated their longstanding assertions of a Google phone, now say Facebook is also working a branded device.

Facebook is building a mobile phone, says a source who has knowledge of the project. Or rather, they're building the software for the phone and working with a third party to actually build the hardware.

In a world where Apple, Google, Microsoft and HP/Palm have branded devices to go along with their other assorted software, hardware, and services, TC says Facebook is doing it as a competitive hedge.

Facebook issued a statement to Mashable denying the “charges”:

"The story, which originated in Techcrunch, is not accurate. Facebook is not building a phone. Our approach has always been to make phones and apps more social.

Which could be read as similar to Steve Jobs’ “no one wants to watch video on an iPod” statements, and is followed byso much marketing speak as to be rendered appropriately meaningless anyway.

Facebook has Joe Hewitt, who created the once trend-setting, now languishing, Facebook for iPhone. Facebook has Eric Tseng who used to be intimately involved in developing Android for Google.

Facebook sees the battle-lines being drawn. They’re a closed garden on their own website but they’re only one app, one site, among many on a smartphone. Apple has launched Game Center and Ping. Microsoft is bringing Xbox live to mobile. Google is stalking Farmville-makers Zynga and might be on the verge of launching their own “Google Me” Facebook competitor.

Friendster, MySpace, plenty of other networks have seen their user population migrate to newer, more appealing platforms. It’s a competition for attention, retention, and the ad an assorted other revenue that comes with captured eyeballs. Facebook, like everyone else, wants to and needs to stay competitive in an increasingly mobile world. Google’s already shown them the model – huge web presence with services on every mobile platform, and a platform of their own that no one can ever lock them out of.

Facebook is absolutely working on a branded phone with killer Facebook integration (maybe on top of Android OS?), at least in the lab, at least as a contingency plan.

Whether they ever decide to release it or not is a completely separate question.

But they’re working on it. Or they’re nuts.

Facebook is absolutely working on a phone (or they’re nuts) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars HD for iPad (GTA henceforth) is a great homage to its console brethren. Good story? Check. Good graphics? Check. Plenty of adult-themed action, adventure, and melodrama? Check. Check. Check.

You start off GTA on a flight back to the US, specifically Liberty City to transport your recently deceased Chinese Mafia Father’s sword to the new leader. However, as soon as you arrive you are kidnapped and left for dead. Without spoiling anymore of the story, that’s where you begin. I am not going to give away any more of what happens to you. Instead I am going to focus on the play mechanics, environments, etc.

GTA is structured in an isometric 3/4 view topdown action game. You are centered above Huang Lee’s (the main character) head and move him around via a virtual d-pad on the bottom left of the screen. You can sometimes get turned around quite easily, so you can center the camera behind your character by double-tapping the d-pad. On the left of the screen you have your action buttons. These buttons are dynamic depending on what you are doing. You basically have some core functions; jump-kick, leap (over an obstacle such as a fence) and punch. If you acquire a weapon, the punch button is replaced with the weapon of choice. However, switching weapons is a little painful; you have to go to the pause menu located in the upper left and tap the weapon you want. This can remove you from the action in the middle of a fire-fight and is a bit disappointing.

The story is driven by mini-quests typically given to you by your uncle early in the game. You go to his house, some dialog ensues and you are then sent on your way. Examples might be to meet a family friend and escort them to a location, take out a rival gang and more. To do this you have to take advantage of your environment such as car-jacking anything from trucks to motorcycles to boats in the harbor.

The environment is absolutely huge. To help you get around you are given a GPS with map to get you to any destination. This is a very necessary tool. I couldn’t tell you how big the city is in virtual miles, but it is quite large and with a lot of variety. You have everything in Liberty city including different burrows ala New York City style. You can go where you want, take people out for cash, play mini games all while time moves in accelerated time. Day goes to night and so on. The night effects are particularly nice as car, street and building lights all have neat effects on the environment which is quite impressive.

I think it’s a fair statement that though there have been a few iterations of the game, the iPad version resigns supreme if for only having the larger screen. I absolutely love the gameplay and the fun uses of the touch screen from throwing out trash in a dumpster to manually having to hot-wire a car. Is the game groundbreaking? No, especially compared to other consoles. Is it fun? Oh yeah.

[$9.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Great graphics- details, light effect, shadows, etc
• Pedestrian back-talk
• Robust mobile iteration of the consoles legacy
• Easy to play with the iPad screen

Cons

• Inconvenient means to switch weapons
• Vehicle controls can be frustrating at times

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars HD for iPad – app review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Apple announced last night that iPhone 4 would be headed to China on September 25, availability will be via:

Apple Retail Stores including the new Apple Store® Hong Kong Plaza in Shanghai and the new Apple Store Xidan Joy City in Beijing opening on the same day. iPhone 4 will also be available on Saturday at China Unicom retail stores for qualified buyers with a new two year contract.

And pricing:

iPhone 4 will be sold in China through Apple's retail stores for a suggested retail price of CNY4,999 for the 16GB model and CNY5,999 for 32GB model without a contract. At China Unicom stores, iPhone 4 will be available for qualified buyers with a new two year contract, sold separately. For pricing and tariff information please visit www.10010.com.

Needless to say that’s a huge market that, thanks to unlocked (officially and otherwise) iPhones from other countries, already has a huge gray market. It will be interesting to see how an official Chinese version does this time around, especially with the continued lack of a China Mobile model. Any bets?

[Apple PR, thanks Geo Coldz)

iPhone 4 coming to China on September 25 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Best of Smartphone Experts, 19 Sept 2010 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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