Once again drawing inspiration from Chad and Rene making fun of me on iPhone Live! we’re polling the TiPb nation to find out if you buy or download your apps and games directly on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or if you prefer getting them via iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC and syncing over, or if you go both ways?

I don’t think I’ve ever bought or downloaded an app on iTunes. I always get them right on my iPhone or iPad. My iPhone is with me all the time so it’s just easier that way and I’m usually with my iPad when I see a great new app or hot new game I want to try, so I just grab it right away.

What would be really sweet would be if I could buy an iPad app on my iPhone and have it pushed right to my iPad next time I unlock it (or vice versa).

Let us know how you get your apps in the poll above and then tell us how you’d prefer to get them in the comments!

Poll: Do you get apps on iPhone, iPad or iTunes desktop? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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BGR‘s tipsters are telling them that Apple might be launching something big on May 19 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Apple Retail Stores.

• During the overnight shift, it's going to be required that employees lock cell phones in the main office. They will also have to sign an NDA with Apple.
• Apple stores have apparently already received hardware to install, and are expecting more hardware to come on Friday or Saturday. All materials that Apple stores have received have been instructed to be under lock and key until after close on Saturday night.
• Apple employees will be putting up black curtains at all stores so that people walking outside cannot see inside.

We’ve heard previously that Apple was restricting employee leave for this event. So what could this be? It’s too soon for an iPhone or iPod touch, much less another iPad, and Apple just refreshed both MacBook Pros and iMacs. A new Mac Pro? Something totally new?

Let us know what you think in the comments.

[BGR]

Apple launching something big to coincide with 10th retail anniversary? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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TiPb’s developer spotlights are like DVD/iTunes Extras for the App Store — a weekly look behind the scenes at the programers and designers that bring you the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games you love. This week Rene talks with Robert Murray of Firemint.

What’s your name? Robert Murray

What’s your company’s name? Firemint

Where are you located? Richmond, Victoria, Australia, not too far from Melbourne proper.

What’s your website address? www.firemint.com

What’s your Twitter ID? @firemint

What apps do you make? Firemint’s two big IPs are Flight Control and Real Racing. Both games are available on iPhone and iPad, and we developed a sequel to Real Racing, Real Racing 2, which was released in December 2010.

Our most recent title is Real Racing 2 HD, optimized for iPad 2. Not long ago we put out an update that adds 1080p dual screen support, so you can sit on the couch and play while the action is displayed on your TV. At the same time, your device shows your lap times, position and speed. It's quite a sight to behold, and an entirely new way to experience the game.

Agent Squeek is our next massive title, due out this year on iOS. It features a suave cheese-loving mouse who’s lively imagination casts him in the role of a secret agent.

How long have you been a developer? Firemint has been around since 1999, though it began trading under the name nDimensional Software. Firemint really started growing as an independent game developer in 2003.

How long have you been an iOS developer? Our first original game was Flight Control in May 2009, however, we started work on Real Racing in May 2008.

Do you develop for any other platform in addition to iOS? If so, which one(s)? In the past, we’ve developed for a range of platforms including the N-Gage and Gameboy Advance. While Firemint’s focus in recent times has been iOS, we’ve released Flight Control on a variety of hardware – Nintendo DS, Windows, Mac OS X, Android, Windows Phone 7 and PlayStation 3.

What iOS device(s) do you personally use? I use an iPhone 3GS for phone calls, SMS, and browsing and gaming on the run. I use an iPad when I am at home or in meetings for gaming, browsing and email.

What’s your favorite thing about developing for iOS? It’s great having a unified set of platforms to develop for, as well as a robust publishing process that gives us a lot of control over how our games are released.

What do you do when you’re not coding iOS apps? Thinking about new ones! I should mention that I really don’t have time to do hands-on coding, the last time I did was when I made the first version of Flight Control, and I had to do that on my holidays. However I’m still very much involved in design and production and I still look forward to finding some time in the future to pull out the keyboard and some Red Bull.

What should we look for from you next? Agent Squeek! We’re looking to release it this year on iOS, and we’re extremely excited about it. The depth really sneaks up on you, it’ll definitely take a lot of people by surprise… a bit like Squeek himself!

Thanks Rob!

Developer Spotlight: Robert Murray of Firemint is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Lodsys, the company threatening to sue iPhone and iPad developers for infringing on in-app purchasing patents, has put up a series of blog posts in order to “respond and clarify” their position. For example, why are they going after small, independent iOS developers?

The economic gains provided by the Lodsys inventions (increase in revenue through additional sales, or decrease in costs to service the customer) are being enjoyed by the business that provides the product or service that interacts with the user. Since Lodsys patent rights are of value to that overall solution, it is only fair to get paid by the party that is accountable for the entire solution and which captures the value (rather than a technology supplier or a retailer).

Why aren’t they going after Apple?

Apple is licensed for its nameplate products and services.

As are Microsoft and Google, apparently, though none of them are licensed to pass on those services to 3rd parties.

So for those who don’t speak patent blog, here’s the bottom line:

Lodsys is going after iPhone and iPad apps because they can (they bought the rights to these patents), and they don’t want to leave any money on the table. Even tiny iOS developer tables.

[Lodsys blog, thanks @jhoove09!]

Lodsys “responds and clarifies” their patent threats against iPhone, iPad developers is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• PCalc RPN Calculator: A robust calculator with an optional RPN mode and multi-line display, a choice of button layouts, an extensive set of unit conversions, a paper tape, multiple undo and redo, engineering and scientific notation, as well as support for hexadecimal, octal, and binary calculations. Update to version 2.4 brings many enhancements. [$0.99 - iTunes link]

• Doodle Jump: New multiplayer racing achievements! Can you become the Racing Legend by winning 1000 races? or a Racing Hero by winning 500? Win 100 races and you’ll be the Racing Champ! [$0.99 - iTunes link]

• Pulse : Volume One: Enter an absorbing world where players become part conductor, part note-captor, part multi-touch master. Tap speeding notes as they cross the radiant pulse to conduct gorgeous original melodies. [$4.99 - iTunes link]

• Face Up! Greetings: Send a customized, animated greeting to anyone by choosing a high-quality background, adding one of your photos and recording a greeting. You can even change your voice! [Free - iTunes link]

• MyPad – for Facebook: A Facebook app for the iPad. Now with chat, re-share, auto-login and more! [Free - iTunes link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Monday, May 16 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Developer Codenrama has released a free tech demo which again shows off the free wandering, graphically stunning Unreal Engine for iOS devices. The demo which is very similar to Epic Citadel, takes you on a stroll through a beautifully detailed and accurately lit 3D setting based on the Italian town of Assisi.

So far we have seen a few tech demos but very few games using the Unreal Engine. Codenrama shed a bit of light on what the problem may be.

While developing Castlerama, we had to face the fact that newer devices such as iPhone4s and iPad2s are very different from their predecessors, iPhone3GSs and iPads, in that the former have twice as much memory. In order to have the app run on all devices, we had to compromise quite a bit, pushing the old devices to their limits (risking crash if other applications are left running) while keeping the new devices well behind their capabilities. In the future we believe we will have to develop two versions for each application.

If this turns out to be the case for other developers too, how many versions of games will have to be released to enable a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience across devices? Will we see a universal binary for iPhone 3GS and first generation iPads and then another for iPhone 4 and iPad 2 devices? What happens when the iPhone 5 arrives with additional spec bumps?

Take a look at the video after the break then pop back and let us know what you think in the comments!

[iTunes–Link via Touch Arcade]

Another Unreal Engine iOS tech demo video released; looks awesome but where are all the games? [video] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Apple is now offering free service and repairs to iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac computers that were damaged during the recent Japan earthquake and tsunami. The details were revealed in a Support and Information Service note on Apples Japanese website.

It confirms that Apple will offer free repairs of any Macs, Cinema Displays, iPhones, iPads or iPod touches damaged in the disaster. The offer only applies to those directly affected and who live primarily in the municipalities covered in the Disaster Relief Act of 2011.

Softbank, the Japanese service provider, already announced a similar scheme to repair iPhones for free; as well as offer orphaned children free phones and service until they reach eighteen years old.

[Apple via TUAW]

 

Apple offering free repairs to devices damaged in the Japan earthquake and tsunami disasters is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Android Central at Google IO 2011 Ice Cream Sandwich officially announced, coming in Q4 Droid Incredible 2 Review Samsung Droid Charge now available from Verizon, still $299	Official Statement from Research In Motion regarding recall of approximately one thousand BlackBerry PlayBook units Quick Review: Facebook for the BlackBerry PlayBook BlackBerry Messenger on your Desktop – Fixmo Web Messenger enters public beta!
Nimbuzz updates client, states 9 reasons you should be excited Enter the Nokia US support video contest by 16 May SugarSync for Symbian review posted on Ovi Daily App	Review: AT&T HP Veer CDMA+GSM Pre 3 stops by FCC on way to world tour June for TouchPad and Pre 3, Headed to Sprint?
Jabra STONE2 BT headset give-away! Friend TiPb on Facebook to enter! iPhone, iPad developers being threatened with patent infringement over in-app purchase system Analyst says iPhone 5 coming to Sprint, T-Mobile this fall	USA Today hits the Marketplace Facebook/AIM chat, Group Messaging and more coming to Windows Phone 7.5 Sims 3 – Review

Best of Smartphone Experts, 15 May 2011 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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