Magellan RoadMate for iPhone has just been updated to version 1.3 and that means a it’s received several new features to help you better and more enjoyably navigate from point A to point B:

• Location-based offers and coupons – First branded GPS App to provide relevant offers on-screen while you route to your destination. Users can re-route to the sponsoring store's location or save promotional coupons for redemption at a later time.
• iOS 4.0 support – Multitasking capabilities enable navigation with turn-by-turn instructions and continuous routing to run in the background while using other applications.
• LifeTime real-time traffic information – Included free in the version 1.3 update, users can avoid traffic congestion by comparing current and proposed alternative routes, making well-informed decisions ahead of traffic delays.
• Sharing points of interest – Users can easily share destinations and POIs via email using the RoadMate app.

To celebrate the update Magellan RoadMate is currently on sale in the iTunes App Store: Magellan RoadMate North America is available for $44.99 (regularly $59.99); Magellan RoadMate USA is $34.99 (regularly $49.99); and Magellan RoadMate Canada is $29.99 (regularly $34.99

They’ve also given us three (3) promo codes to pass on to you, our awesome readers. Details and screen shots after the break!

[iTunes link]

To enter the give-away just leave a comment in the thread below telling us which of the new features you like best. Make sure to leave a real email address (it won’t be public but we’ll need it to contact you if you win). As always, promo codes only work in the US App Store (Apple’s rule, not ours!)

Magellan RoadMate for iPhone updated, want a promo code? [give away] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Your votes have been counted, your voices have been heard, and we’re proud to announce the 2010 TiPb Readers Choice Award for Favorite Addictive iPhone/iPad Game goes to… Angry Birds!

Angry Birds is one of those rare games that electrifies a platform, becomes part of every conversation, gets downloaded onto every device and gets enjoyed by every iPhone and iPad user. You load up one of a variety of lethally enraged avians in a catapult and launch them at a bunch of fortified, thieving pigs. It sounds simple until you start playing and don’t stop even when the sun goes down and the alarm sounds the next morning. That’s what made it a phenomena and with word of a multiplayer option and a sequel in the works (from the pig’s perspective no less!) it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

We thank all readers of The iPhone Blog and every fan of Angry Birds for their continuing support,” said Ville Heijari, VP of Public Relations at Rovio. “We’ve worked hard to deliver the best possible game experience on the iPhone, and nothing is more rewarding than the positive feedback we get from our incredible fan community. We will carry on making Angry Birds an even greater game in the future, and rest assured – you have only seen a tiny glimpse of the Angry Birds world!”

Congratulations to Angry Birds on their 2010 TiPb Readers Choice Award!

[iTunes link for iPhone, iTunes link for iPad]

2010 TiPb Award for Favorite Addictive Game goes to…! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

According to a couple of tips sent into Engadget today, some TJ Maxx stores in the US are selling the Apple iPad for $399.

our tipster Aaron sent us these pics he took of a 16GB WiFi iPad that he found at a TJ Maxx in Vernon, NY — and not just because they’re going for a relatively reasonable $399.

There have been other locations advertising the iPad for sale throughout the country as well. At $100 lower than what it sells for from Apple directly, $399 seems like a steal.

We made a few calls to the local TJ Maxx stores in our areas, but were unable to come up with any locations carrying the iPad. Any readers out there seeing this in their area? Let us know in the comments!

[Engadget]

iPads going for $399 at TJ Maxx stores is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner is now available in the app store for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4. A first person action game, it puts players in the well known "Millennium Falcon" gun turret where you advance through 20 levels of action. Relive some of the most exciting missions like the Death Star escape, asteroid field pursuit over Hoth and infamous Kessel Run.

SPECIAL MODIFICATIONS: As you blast your way through waves of TIE fighters, Star Destroyers, and a few other special surprises, you’ll earn credits that can be used to make special modifications to the Falcon's offensive and defensive capabilities, including concussion missiles and a low-level tractor beam… perfect for grabbing TIE interceptors and launching them back at their black-helmeted buddies. For iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4G users, an optional augmented reality mode lets players use a device's camera to overlay enemy fighters on top of their natural surroundings and the device's compass or gyroscope to enable 360-degree, full body motion control movement.

Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Runner is fully compatible with the Retina Display, Game Center and also includes Facebook integration too. The game is only recommended for use on  iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 4; THQ state that older devices will experience memory issues. It is not currently available for the iPad, but will be come December (we do not know if the app will be updated to a universal binary or if there will be a specific version for the iPad at an additional cost).

Star Wars fans, go and grab it now, let us know what you think of it in the comments!

[$4.99 -  iTunes Link]

THQ launch Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner, available now! 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 just released iOS 4.2.1 GM (gold master) for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (build 8C148) to developers.

iOS 4.2 GM was originally released a couple weeks ago leading to speculation that a general public release was coming soon. However, last Friday Apple instead released a second iOS 4.2 GM for iPad, and now with a 4.2.1 GM it’s anyone’s guess what the internal schedule looks like (or why the update servers are going up and down today!).

If you’re a registered developer go grab it now. If you notice any changes, drop us a line or let us know in comments!

For more see our complete iOS 4.2 for iPad and iOS 4.2 for iPhone walkthroughs.

[developer.apple.com, thanks @daveizzle]

iOS 4.2.1 GM seed for iPhone, iPad released to developers is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Looks like the Apple software update servers are acting very oddly this morning. They are sporadically going down, then back up. Could this mean iOS 4.2 is imminent? As we near the end of November, it isn’t unreasonable to think that Apple is getting close to releasing iOS 4.2. As of now, I’ve had the update servers tell me twice the update servers couldn’t be contacted. Once it told me my software is up to date. We’ll keep checking!

And a friendly reminder to jailbreakers, make sure you save your SHSH blobs and don’t get too update button happy. If you’d like to keep your jailbreak, make sure you don’t upgrade to iOS 4.2 until a jailbreak released.

[via Macrumors]

Apple iPhone, iPad Software Update servers down – Start your iOS 4.2 rumors? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

In an interview with a Dutch newspaper, Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak made quite the statement about Apple’s main competition, saying Google’s Android would be the dominant platform in the future.

Woz told the newpaper that Android smartphones (yes Android is not a phone but an operating system), not the iOS powered iPhone would become the dominant smartphone on the market much like Windows was and still is the dominant PC OS. He also added that he believes Android phones have more features that users want and gives users more choices overall. He also believes eventually Android quality, consistency, and user satisfaction will match that of iOS.

Update:

Woz says he gave the De Telegraaf reporter a lengthy demonstration of voice commands on iOS and Android, pointed out that Android offered the ability to say “Navigate to Joe’s Diner,” and suggested that Apple would catch up through its purchases of Siri and Poly9. According to Steve, that’s about it — he says he’d “never” say that Android was better than iOS, and that “Almost every app I have is better on the iPhone.” Woz did say he lightly prognosticated that Android would become more popular “based on what I’ve read,” but that he expects Android “to be a lot like [Engadget]

The Woz also had some interesting insight into the beginning of the iPhone. He told a story of how back in 2004 Apple worked with a well known Japanese electronics company to produce a phone that would be ahead of its time. It obviously never came to market because, as Woz stated in his interview, they liked the build quality but wanted something that would simply amaze the world, which in turn ended up coming a few years later in 2007.

Steve Wozniak has some interesting points and we want to know what you think about his comments and we want to know your thoughts on the whole Android vs iOS debate. Just keep it above the belt in the comments below!

[ Engadget ]

UPDATED: Misquoted! Steve Wozniak: Android will be the dominant platform is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Ever wonder how to get your digital booklets into iBooks? All of us probably have some sort of digital booklet we received as part of an album in iTunes, right? To be honest, I never really viewed them because I would typically be on the go when the mood struck, not necessarily sitting on front of a computer.

Well, did you know you can “convert” your digital booklets in iTunes to make them viewable in iBooks? This is so easy, it should be illegal. We’ll show you how after the break!

• First, find the digital booklet in your iTunes library
• Next, right-click to get to the “Get Info” option and click it
• Next, click on the “Options” tab
• Last, change the “Media Kind” to “Book”

In your device menu, go to books and make sure your booklet is check-marked and sync. That’s it! If you want to place the digital booklet back into iTunes, just change the media type back to “Music” from the Books section in iTunes.

That’s it. You’re done! If you have any questions or know any addition cool iBooks tips, leave them in the comments below!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward…)

Tip: Send your digital booklets to iBooks is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Should you get an iPad or MacBook Air, or more properly, who should get an iPad and who would do better with a MacBook Air? That’s the topic for the very first episode of TiPb TV, our new, more conversational, video show.

Rene and I go back and forth on the pros and cons of the smaller, less expensive, iOS powered iPad and how it compares to the only slightly bigger, double the price, Mac OS X sporting MacBook Air. This is the first time Apple really has two very different products in overlapping categories and there’s really no best answer, just a breakdown of which might be best for you, for your kids, for your parents, or just for your inner geek.

Keyboard vs multitouch, storage, speed, battery life, portability, and which is better for things like reading, watching, and browsing vs. production and productivity are all huge factors in the decision (as is cost of course!)

So if you’ve been trying to decide between an iPad and a MacBook Air this holiday season check out our very first TiPb TV and we’ll try to help you make the best choice possible.

TiPb TV 1: Should you get an iPad or MacBook Air? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Skyfire for iPhone is a web browsing application that converts Adobe Flash to HTML5/H.264 so you can view it on iPhone or iPad touch. Seeing as Apple chose not to implement Flash into iOS, a lot of videos on the web still can’t be watched on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Skyfire steps in to try and bridge this gap and while it’s a nice feature to have, but not always the best experience.

iTunes Link

While having access to Flash content may be useful to some, the overall process can be daunting. A lot of times, I found that the app would take a while to convert the content. If you are on wifi, the process seems to be a bit smoother, but on 3G it was definitely noticeable. I will give them a little bit of a break here seeing as they sold a ridiculous amount of copies and had to pull it due to their servers being overwhelmed. This may be part of the reason streaming is taking a while.

Either way – in my experience, once the content did stream, it seemed to be quite choppy and broken up. I’m hoping this is something that will get better as Skyfire adds more server bandwidth. A lot of the times I noticed the audio streamed pretty quickly but the video portion would struggle to keep up with the audio or fall behind. Seeing as viewing Flash content is the main feature of the app, I’m really hoping we see major improvements in the near future.

As for the rest of the app, I actually quite enjoyed using it as a browser. Settings will give you an option to browse privately, which is nice. It also gives you the option of desktop or iPhone mode. To me, this is much easier than having to toggle individual sites from mobile to desktop view. It will save you a bit of time and you can just switch with two clicks instead of searching a site to figure out how to toggle mobile views on or off.

Sharing is also easy within Skyfire – you simply click the little plus symbol in the bottom right corner of the screen and you can share directly through Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. There is also a feature called Facebook Quickview which allows you to view your Facebook profile and stream from within Skyfire. It’s a nice feature but not something I really see a need for. I’ve never been a fan of the Facebook for iPhone app so I suppose having access to the mobile or desktop site in one click may come in handy here and there. It’s still not something I see myself personally using very often.

Skyfire also has a feature that allows you to search for video and content on any term you choose. When you click the search icon, it brings up suggestions of what you may search for based on the page you’re currently viewing as well. This is an extremely neat feature but sometimes it would throw out weird suggestions that had nothing to do with the site you’re browsing. If this feature is refined a bit more, I could see it becoming something I’d use frequently.

Bookmarks can also be added just like they can in Safari, so you should feel right at home if you’ve become accustomed to using bookmarks in Safari. It would be nice if your already existing bookmarks from Safari could be imported into Skyfire. Other than that, the overall browsing experience is great. I’m just not sure the main selling feature of the app is quite up to par yet.

Pros

• Great overall browsing experience
• Adds a bit more functionality than Safari currently offers
• Toggling between desktop and mobile mode is easy and more convenient than switching on individual sites

Cons

• Flash to HTML5 converting to streaming process can be quite daunting and slow at times
• Audio and video do not always sync up after streaming to HTML5
• Experienced a few crashes on 3G while trying to convert and stream video
• Search suggestions can be a bit off at times

Skyfire for iPhone – 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