There are hundreds of thousands of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps for just about everything — so how come the one you need, the one you know just has to be there, is so hard to find? Enter TiPb’s new weekly feature where staff and readers alike sort through the App Store and help you find just the right App for That. This week, @mfares asks:

Hey @llofte, do you know of any good apps for kids who just started to learn how to write ? I need it for my nephew. Thanks.

To see what we found, follow along after the break!

iWriteWords [$2.99 - iTunes link] is a game that simultaneously teaches your child how to write. The objective is to help Mr. Crab collect numbers in a sequence – which just so happen to be in the shape of letters. When all the letters in the given word are drawn correctly, a cute drawing appears.

iWriteWords is a universal application for iPhone and iPad, so your nephew can practice his writing on multiple devices.

Bonus: Writing with your finger is not the same as writing with an appropriate instrument, so to enhance the learning experience, check out the Ten One Design Pogo Sketch!

Anyone else have any App for That suggestions for @mfares? Let him — and all of us — know in the comments.

Having trouble finding what you need in the app store? Send us an email to news@tipb.com and let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll do our best to find you just the right App for That!

App for That: How to teach kids to write is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Amazon has an Android Appstore to compete with Google’s Android Market, and according to The Loop they’ve just released a Mac Download Store to compete with Apple’s Mac App Store, so how long until they decide they want to be in the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch space and try to buy Cydia, introduce a Jailbreak app store alternative all their own, or try some fancy HTML5 web app store?

iOS is theoretically a closed garden, yet Jailbreak and HTML5 apps are both alternatives, the latter even officially supported by Apple. Cydia has shown there can be commercial alternatives. Google has shown there can be great web apps. Playboy has shown there can even be subscriptions outside the app store.

Amazon is starting to feel their strength and, like when they launched CloudLocker without label support, they’re getting less shy about showing it. Their international support isn’t great compared to Apple’s, but if they fix that most of the other pieces are already in place.

Would Amazon buy Cydia? I doubt it. But iOS is far too lucrative a market for Amazon not to be considering attacking it in some way.

[The Loop]

So how long until Amazon buys Cydia? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

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!

• Stealth Vision: Uses the latest advances in real-time image processing to help you see what you’ve been missing using 1 of 16 live night vision effects! [$0.99 - iTunes link]

• TRAFFIQ Media Calculator: Enables media planners and buyers to solve for CPM deals, impressions and contract value, as well as perform KPI and net-versus-gross analysis, all while on the go. [Free - iTunes link]

• Text Candy: Send creative pictures of movie characters, animals and even fun holiday text pictures to your friends. [$1.99 - iTunes link]

• Demolition Dash: Take control of the tiny monster Zilla and annihilate everything in sight: wipe out SWAT teams, blow up cars and leave only rubble behind on your way through eight famous cities. [$0.99 for iPhone - iTunes link] [$1.99 for iPad - iTunes link]

• AT&T Mark the Spot: Now you can submit a report of SPAM received on your iPhone. [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 Thursday, May 26 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Could Apple be going with Samsung AMOLED for the iPad 3 display? Rumor has it Apple COO Tim Cook recently visited South Korea to work out just that deal:

Apple wants to tap into Samsung's AMOLED technology for an upgraded version of the iPad2, considered as many as the iPad3 [...] During Cook's trip last week, Apple seems to have offered Samsung an advance for the AMOLED displays.

An AMOLED display on the next iPad would offer improved brightness, and reduce reflection and power consumption. This also adds more fuel to the rumor that Apple may end up releasing the iPad 3 later this year, effectively resetting the release cycle to better align with the holiday season.

But with Apple going after Samsung for copying aspects of the iPhone and iPad, do you think they’d actually be able to come to an agreement? Could Samsung even produce the millions of AMOLED panels Apple would need for a real Retina Display iPad 3?

Either way, would you want it?

[Asia News Network via OLED-Info]

Apple tapping Samsung for AMOLED iPad 3 display? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Passwords are an important part of having an online presence. I always tell friends and family that you should never ever have the same password for all of your accounts. (Do they listen? Probably not.) Either way, having the same password means if someone gets hold of one of your accounts, they could potentially have access to all of them. Having separate passwords is the best idea but then comes keeping track of all of them. Apps like 1Password and DataVault set out to solve that problem.

I took a look at both of these popular password management apps and pitted them against each other. Follow along to see which one came out on top!

Management & Syncing

When it comes to password management, I want to have easy access to my passwords regardless where I’m at. Both of these apps seem to provide that. Both 1Password and DataVault have iOS apps, desktop apps, and syncing services. So if you need to reinstall your desktop client or iOS client, you won’t have to re-enter all your passwords.

I’ll have to give the edge to DataVault on this one simply for the fact that they offer many more ways to sync your data than 1Password does. 1Password currently offers wifi syncing and syncing with Dropbox. DataVault offers the same but also offers syncing with MobileMe, iTunes file sharing, ad-hoc, and sync servers such as Box.net. So if you don’t feel comfortable syncing with Dropbox or over wifi, DataVault may be a good option.

Features and control

Both apps have tons of features. You can create any kind of entry imaginable from logins, credit card accounts, bank accounts, and more. The desktop clients also offer a ton of profile options to auto-fill forms. Even though we are talking about the iOS version of these apps, I think it’s still important to talk about their desktop counterparts since they do work together for one single solution.

In my testing, both seemed efficient and did their job well. Feature-wise they’re about even.

Interface and ease of use

I’m the type of person that doesn’t want to spend an hour learning to use an app before actually being able to utilize it. (I’m a Mac user for a reason!) I somewhat felt this way while using DataVault. The interface felt uncoordinated and clunky. I had to figure out what exactly I was supposed to put in each field and a lot of times, I was entering things in the wrong fields. DataVault is definitely a powerful application but I just felt as though entering information was a task in itself.

1Password seems a lot simpler. Entering a login or password is easy and doesn’t require much work. I also like that I can set two passwords. One being a 4 digit number and the other being a master. I can easily require a master on sensitive passwords and only a 4 digit code for passwords that aren’t so sensitive. I use the 4 digit code option on things like forum passwords or membership passwords that don’t have any financial data attached. It allows me to access those passwords much quicker.

From a user experience standpoint, I much prefer using 1Password.

Pricing

DataVault and 1Password for the iPhone are both $9.99 at regular price. The desktop clients will vary. As of now, DataVault for Mac and Windows is on sale for $9.95 (regular price is $19.95). 1Password for Mac and Windows is a bit steeper as it starts at $39.99 and goes up from there if you’d like to purchase bulk or family licenses. The setup was a bit easier on the desktop version of 1Password opposed to DataVault.

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, DataVault may be a cheaper all-in-one solution if you want a complete password management solution but 1Password is definitely just as appealing. For me, I prefer the ease of use of 1Password over DataVault. Some users may want to save the $20 difference on the desktop client and spring for DataVault. The features and syncing capabilities are present in both apps. I do wish 1Password would add MobileMe syncing but for now, Dropbox syncing has always worked just fine. Since Dropbox is free, I somewhat consider it a non-issue for most.

If you decide to try one of these apps out (or already use one or the other), let us know which you prefer. If you prefer a different password management app, let us know why in the comments! Also check out the gallery below for more screenshots of both applications!

DataVault for iPhone – iTunes Link

1Password for iPhone – iTunes Link

1Password vs. DataVault for iPhone: Fight! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

We know that Apple's GarageBand for iPad has the potential to be able to create great pieces of music, for those talented enough be able to use it properly. One of those people is George Lambro who has created a mesmerizing guitar solo backed by drums and bass. All of the instruments were played using the GarageBand app on his iPad.

This is me creating a jam track with apple’s Garageband app for the iPad and then shredding a guitar solo over it! I am sorry about the bad video quality, but i could not find a way to record iPad’s screen in a fast framerate. Anyway i believe you will get the idea. Hope you enjoy!

Take a look at the video after the break then let us know what you think. Have any of our readers managed to get GarageBand performing as good? Let us know in the comments!

[Cult of Mac]

 

Amazing guitar solo performed with only the GarageBand app and an iPad [video] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Dancing while holding your iPhone and wondering how to stop it from switching tracks every time you shake your groove thing? It might sound silly, but we’ve been asked about this several times so we figured we better write it up once and for all. Luckily, it’s easy to prevent your popping from locking up, just follow on after the break!

We’ve already gone over how Apple implemented Shake to Undo for text editing in iOS, but they’ve also implemented Shake to Shuffle for the iPod (or Music) app as well. If it’s switched on, any significantly large movement will cause your current song to stop and a random new song to start playing. While you can use this to good effect if you mean to, if you’re not aware of it it can drive you crazy.

Here’s where you find the switch:

1. Tap Settings
2. Scroll down and tap iPod (or Music on an iPod touch)
3. Toggle Shake to Shuffle off

There you go, no more unintentional harshening of your dance mellow! And if you decide one day you do want to shake up to shuffle up, just repeat the process and toggle it back on.

If you have any other iPod/Music tips to share, drop them in the comments!

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 news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Daily Tip: How to stop your iPhone from switching tracks when you dance is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

The BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for iPad 2 is a skin that sticks to the aluminum black to give some texture and protect from scrapes and abrasions. They’re not the same as the thin, clear BodyGuardz films we’ve shown you how to apply before, and are actually even easier to apply.

The BodyGuardz Carbon Fiber for iPad 2 is available from the TiPb iPad 2 Accessory Store. Check out the video above and follow on for the how-to after the break!

Here’s how I apply the BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for iPad 2

1. Clean my iPad 2 screen thoroughly (I use iKlenz)
2. Peel off the front sticker carefully and lightly line it up on the front of my iPad 2.
3. Place the edge down, keeping a close eye on the alignment.
4. Push evenly and steadily out from the edge — I use a ruler to help
5. Check alignment and peel back and reposition as/if needed.
6. Smooth down to secure it in place.
7. Leave the outer layer on so I don’t damage the front while applying the back
8. Flip my iPad over
9. Clean my iPad 2 back the same way I did the front. I don’t worry about dust as much because you can’t see through the sticker on the back, but I want the best adhesion possible.
10. Peel off the back sticker carefully and again line it up. I use the camera and other cut outs to help guide me.
11. Same as above, place down and push out with the ruler when I’m sure it’s in the right place.
12. Smooth down the edges.
13. Flip it back over and remove the top layer from the screen protector.
14. That’s it!

I’ll be testing BodyGuardz Armor out for durability and report back in a review. If you have any tips for applying them, or any questions about them, let me know in comments.

How to apply BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for iPad 2 [sponsored] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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