Here are the winners from our last few contests, including our mega mophie juice pack air giveaway to keep your charged and going, and our super sweet Peggle HD for iPad giveaway to keep you entertained and happy. If you didn’t win, don’t worry! We also have a bunch of awesome new contests under way, so check them out and enter now!

mophie juice pack air

• Taeisme

Peggle HD

• Kyle Riemenschnitter
• Crunch
• Tony
• joltupper
• Blurcat

More chances to win!

These contests are still open, so hurry up and enter!

• Win a FREE Jabra DRIVE Bluetooth Speakerphone!
• Twelve South BookBook for iPhone 4 [Giveaway]
• App Giveaway: Win a free copy of Pages, Numbers, or Keynote for iPhone and iPad!
• Manage your finances with MoneyWiz for iPad [Giveaway]

If you won you will be receiving an email either from us or directly from the retailer/developer in the next few days. (If for some reason you don’t receive an email within 7-14 days — be sure to check your spam/junk folder just in case — you can email us at news@tipb.com and we’ll be sure to get you taken care of! Please be patient as some prizes may take longer than others to arrive. Congrats to all the winners, and if you didn’t win this time, we have lots of contests you can enter now, and more on their way!

Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they're iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they're fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Blackout Alarm – @sethclifford

Anyone living on the East Coast last weekend either heard about or had to directly contend with Hurricane Irene as the storm tore a path northward, bringing huge amounts of rain and heavy wind. While not as damaging as predictions had indicated for many, the storm left a swath of destruction in its wake.

Our basement flooded in February of this year, due to our sump pump failing. Some of you may even remember me diving out of an iPad live show at the last minute to deal with it. We’ve since replaced the sump pump, but it still needs power to work. If Irene knocked out power to our neighborhood, we would have found ourselves in a similar predicament. Exhausted, very late last Saturday night, I made plans to set my iPhone to alarm every 30 minutes, and was prepared to sleep with a lamp on, so I’d at least have a clue if the power went out before it was too late. I desperately needed a way to determine the moment the power went off, and quickly, because by my estimate, I had about 10-15 minutes before water would make its way into our house.

As I was laying there, I kept thinking about how I wouldn’t be getting much rest at all, periodically waking up in a panic, and turned as a last resort to the App Store. To my amazement, I found an app that did what I needed. Blackout Alarm is an app that does exactly one thing: it tells you when your power goes out. That’s it. The end.

You fire up the app and plug your iPhone into its charger. If at any point, the app detects that the phone is on battery power, a loud alarm sounds, waking you up. There’s also a log within the app to see exactly when the power went out and for how long. There’s nothing more to it. I tested it by pulling the plug out when the phone was charging, and it worked perfectly. I cranked the volume on my phone, turned out the light, and was assured that if the power went out, I’d be up exactly when it happened, and could prepare my manual pump to keep the water at bay.

If you listen to Iterate, you know that we all love a beautifully-designed app that enriches our waking moments. However, there’s a real place in our lives for apps, that despite their appearances serve a purpose so focused on what we need at that moment, that we can overlook just about everything else. Make no mistake; that screenshot below doesn’t lie – this app is no supermodel. But for someone in my position, it was absolutely indispensable.

We always say things like “technology really changes our lives”, but this was one of those moments (no matter how small) in which it was so obvious and tangible, I couldn’t help but smile widely as I fell asleep, for a few hours of respite from the storm.

[$0.99 - App Store link]

Instapaper – @iMuggle

Ok it’s not a new app but it’s still one of my favorites. I know Apple has added their own native Reader support to Safari on iOS and Mac OS X but I’m still a huge fan of Instapaper. Most of my main reason for still using Instapaper is the tremendous amount of apps that support it. Everything from Twitter for iPhone, Tweetbot, Reeder, and many more have built-in support to send articles and tweets to Instapaper.

Until Reader for iOS and Mac OS X has the wide support that Instapaper has I don’t think I’ll really use it much. Even then, I’ve become so accustomed to using Instapaper I think it would be a hard habit to break. And the setup really isn’t much of a big deal either. Once you’ve got the bookmarklet saved it’s just as easy to use as Apple’s built-in reader function.

[$4.99 - App Store Link]

Groupon – @Alli_Flowers

The best part about Groupon is not the incredible savings you can get – it’s the app. How often do you get coupons for somewhere, and then find yourself there without the coupon? I hate to admit how often that has happened to me. But it will NEVER happen with Groupon. If you have purchased a Groupon, all you have to do is pull up the app and let your salesperson/server take down your ticket number – or better yet, scan it. I’m all about saving trees!

If you don’t know about Groupon, now might be a good time to come out from under that rock and visit the Groupon website to sign up. (http://groupon.com) Groupon offers discounts on local restaurants and stores, as well as national online retailers.

[Free- App Store link]

Luminance – @chrisoldroyd

I have been looking for a good photo editing app for quite a while now and this week Luminance caught my eye. It is a very proficient app for editing your pictures directly on your iPhone or even the iPad. The app is a universal binary after all. There are filters galore to play with and the effects you can use and results created can be quite stunning. Some of the filters include White Balance, Exposure, Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation, Tone Curve, Split Toning, Vignette, Colors and Sepia.

The app is an absolute bargain but does have one glaring omission! There is no way to crop an image, the developer is working on this; so expect it to be included in an upcoming update.

[$0.99 - App Store link]

apple.com/feedback – @reneritchie

Does something about your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch frustrate your? Something about iOS drive you crazy? We’ll complain about it on the TiPb.com front page to try and get you some attention, and we’ll help you troubleshoot it on the TiPb Forums but never forget you can also let Apple know exactly how you feel via apple.com/feedback

Whether it’s a new feature you really want to have or something they simply must get rid off, tell them how you feel and if enough of your fellow iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad owners do likewise, even Apple might just pay attention.

You get your choice of Enhancement Request, Bug Report, Design/Ease of Use, Efficiency/Workflow, Software/Hardware Compatibility, Connectivity/Interoperability, and Configurability, and a big old text box to tell Apple exactly how you feel.

Have at it!

[apple.com/feedback]

Bloons TD 4 HD – @skeetobite

My pick of the week is Bloons TD 4 HD. Unfortunately, I have to find a generic picture of the app online, since my daughter is currently playing the game and I am not allowed to touch the iPad (this has been true for the past three days now). It’s easy to play, and evidenced by the new addiction by my daughter, loads of fun as well. Bloons TD 4 is a tower defense game, where you try to pop balloons before they get to your home base. In TD 4, as you progress, you unlock new towers (monkeys), upgrades for the towers, and new maps and game modes. This is an import of the web based flash game from Kiwi Ninja, and it works quite well on the iPad. The game play is identical to the web based version, although there are a few extra game modes thrown in (like challenge mode and some new tracks). If I ever got a chance to play, I am sure I would love it (I previously reviewed a Blood TD game, and that was a blast). Alas, I will just have to wait…

[$4.99 - App Store link]

Spy Mouse – @llofte

I am loving this game! The overall objective of Spy Mouse is to make paths for your mouse to take to collect cheese and not get caught by the cats. Every level has mini objectives like only using a certain number paths or making a cat run into a wall.

Spy Mouse is this week’s Pick of the Week at Starbucks, so if you haven’t already, go pick it up!

[$0.99 - App Store link]

eKEY – @HeatherMelnyk (Reader’s Choice)

I’m a full time realtor. eKEY is a really convenient and easy tool that will save any realtor with an iPhone tons of time. Manually updating Supra keys and lock box information can be a headache. eKEY gives you access to lock box information and updates keys over the air. Ever since purchasing the eKEY adapter I haven’t had to worry about having a computer around to sync keys.

If a client calls and wants to see a property, I don’t have to worry about running home or to the office to sync a key to gain access. I can just set an appointment and go. My key will automatically update on my iPhone. It’s compatible with all versions of the iPhone. You just need to be running iOS 3.1.3 or above.

The app is a free download in the App Store but you will need to purchase the eKEY adapter from your local Association of Realtors or order one from the Supra website. The adapter costs around $55 plus shipping and handling if you’re getting it online. You’ll also still have to pay your monthly fee like you would with any other electronic access key service.

[Free - App Store link]

Your pick?

You're part of the team as well, so we will be choosing one reader to make a submission each week! Just look for the announcement on twitter or our Facebook page each weekend for a chance to be picked! In the meantime, jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

Twelve South are well known for the uber-cool, finely crafted Mac accessories and now they’ve entered the iPhone market with BookBook, a wallet-style case that hopes to provide the perfect mix of looks, protection and function. How does it fare? Keep reading to find out… and to enter our giveaway!

[Twelve South]

Twelve South’s packaging has always been gorgeous and the Book Book is no exception. And the case itself — from the moment you remove it you can just smell the quality of the leather. If you close your eyes, you’d think you were in a fine Italian coat shop or had just cracked the door on a brand new luxury car.

The styling is meant to invoke an ancient tome, weathered and worn from hours of loving reading. It works but is just a tad overdone for me (though I appreciated the fleurs de lis!). My iPad I could see in a tome but for my iPhone I’d love the same quality and fit and finish in a slightly more modern wallet style.

I can see where this design holds appeal, however. If you miss the old address book you kept in your purse or the little black book that held all your phone numbers, if you yearn for the days of notebooks beautifully bound or pocket books from a shop in old Europe, the BookBook is definitely something to check out.

Inside you can store your iPhone 4 snuggly while still keeping access to all the major ports (though you’d have to remove it to change SIM cards while traveling). You’ve also got three slots for cards so you can keep your license, credit card, debit card and anything else you like handy — including cash and receipts. (Which is both a good thing, since it will force you to keep an extra close track of your stuff, or a bad thing because if you lose it, you lose everything.)

I tried the BookBook out for just over a week and it performed amazingly well. The stitching is perfect, the edging is clean, the surfaces smooth on the outside and soft on the inside. There is added bulk because of the leather and the cards but nothing over what a wallet by itself would require. (In other words, you might want to stay away from the skinny hipster jeans — cough, Derek, cough — if you want to pocket this bad boy.)

The one major annoyance I had is the lack of a camera hole on the back. I take a lot of photographs — a lot! — and having to slide it up so the camera could peek over the top quickly grew tiresome. Hopefully they can punch a hole in a future version.

Overall, it’s a great wallet style case. If you’re de-cluttering and want a really cool looking way to carry everything together in one simple, small package, check out Twelve South’s BookBook for iPhone 4 and let me know what you think!

UPDATE: Check out another review on the BookBook for iPhone 4 by @WyattLeCadre

Giveaway

Want to win our Twelve South BookBook for iPhone 4 review unit? Yes, we did test it for a week but it’s still in perfect condition and we’d love for it to find a loving home! Just leave a comment below telling us how much you want it (and how much you love TiPb giveaways wouldn’t hurt either!) and we’ll pick one of you for the win!

Despite a day of wild rumors, SFWeekly is reporting that the San Francisco Police Department did assist Apple investigators when an iPhone prototype device again went missing in a bar late July this year.

Contradicting past statements that no records exist of police involvement in the search for the lost prototype, San Francisco Police Department spokesman Lt. Troy Dangerfield now tells SF Weekly that “three or four” SFPD officers accompanied two Apple security officials in an unusual search of a Bernal Heights man’s home. “Apple came to us saying that they were looking for a lost item, and some plainclothes officers responded out to the house with them. My understanding is that they stood outside. They just assisted Apple to the address.”

This follows claims that Apple employees had actually impersonated police officers however these now appear to be well wide of the mark. Just as well as that would have been a criminal offence! One thing does remain a bit of a mystery, why did San Francisco Police Department take so long to actually record the incident?

[SFWeekly via MacRumors]

Long title, longer legal filing, but the gist is Apple seems to be claiming Android founder Andy Rubin was working for Apple and reporting to the man who filed for a patent on Apple’s behalf that Apple is now suing HTC for violating in their Android phones. Even longer:

Android and Mr. Rubin’s relevant background does not start, as HTC would like the Commission to believe, with his work at General Magic or Danger in the mid-1990s. In reality, as the evidence revealed at the hearing, Mr. Rubin began his career at Apple in the early 1990s and worked as a low-level engineer specifically reporting to the inventors of the ’263 [realtime API] patent at the exact time their invention was being conceived and developed. [...] It is thus no wonder that the infringing Android platform used the claimed subsystem approach of the ’263 patent that allows for flexibility of design and enables the platform to be “highly customizable and expandable” as HTC touts. [...] While Mr. Rubin’s inspiration for the Android framework may not be directly relevant to the pending petitions for review, that HTC felt compelled to distort this history is illustrative of the liberties it takes in attacking the ALJ’s [initial determination] and the substantial evidence supporting the ALJ’s findings.

FOSS Patents Florian Mueler says that since Rubin works for Google, not HTC, this would be far more meaningful if Apple eventually sues Google directly, or if/when Google’s Motorola purchase goes through.

Google (or a Google subsidiary like [Motorola Mobility) would almost certainly be found to infringe the relevant patent intentionally, and willful infringement would greatly increase Apple's chances of obtaining an injunction as well as triple damages.

Mueler also points out Rubin and co. may have willfully infringed Oracle (formerly Sun) Java patents in Android as well.

Regardless of where you fall on the whole Apple vs. Android and patent system issues, right now it's just more fuel for the legal soap opera.

[FOSS Patents]