Apple has released a new iTunes TV commercial, this one focused on the Beatles and called Covers.

Let iTunes take you on a journey through The Beatles, from Please, Please Me, all the way to Abbey Road.

It’s a well executed, visually interesting commercial, and just in time for the holidays.

• The Beatles on iTunes

Hot on the heals of the controversial release of Twitter 4.0, one of the most popular iPhone Twitter apps, Tweetbot, has gone on sale for $0.99.

Tweetbot is my favorite alternative to Twitter for iPhone and at $0.99, it’s quite a steal. So if you’re not digging Twitter 4.0′s new duds, go grab Tweetbot now!

• App Store link

HP announced today that they’re going to open source the webOS operating system that once upon a time ran Palm Pre and HP Touchpad software, and showed the world how elegant multitasking metaphors and synergistic data handling was meant to be done. Derek Kessler from PreCentral pegs it thusly:

Notably absent from the press release is any mention of hardware, either from HP or possible partners. The open sourcing of webOS brings to a close months of speculation and hand-wringing about what HP would do with the operating system after former CEO Leo Apotheker cancelled hardware development. It's clear that HP's conclusion was that it would cost too much for them to try hardware on their own again, while simultaneously they were unable to find a suitor willing to meet HP's price and conditions for a sale of webOS.

Sad. Bordering on the pathetic. Ultimately HP lacked the innovative spirit of their better days and the testicular fortitude of their peers necessary to blaze a mobile future. So ever tepidly, timidly, they’ve opted for the least of the worst — offering a less developed if better looking open source alternative to Android to… whom exactly?

Will Samsung or HTC leave Android for webOS? Would Facebook or Amazon fork webOS instead of Android? Could Verizon or AT&T try to reclaim ownership of the stack with webOS as their starting point?

Say what you want about Google’s “openy” plays — and I’ve said plenty — but they’ve shown the will and tenacity and cunning to make Android a dominant OS platform. HP has shown none of this, even when they had the control and the reach to attempt it best.

Now what do they have? And more importantly, what does everyone in the webOS community, from Palm faithful to HP employees to developers to end users have?

Aside from PreCentral.net to give them voice, that is.

webOS may yet achieve something but if it does it will be because of the open source community, in spite of HP.

And it deserved better.

• Courage Wolf Jump: A new generation Jump games comes to the App Store, complete with weapons, cash, specials abilities, multiple worlds, extra lives and bosses! [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Demolition Dash: Take control of the tiny monster Zilla and annihilate everything in sight on your way through eight famous cities. Avoid dangerous obstacles by jumping, and destroy all objects and enemies around you with Zilla's mighty roar. Free for a limited time! [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Christmas Puzzle: Move the puzzle pieces with your fingers to put together the various Christmas images as fast as possible! The fun and festive atmosphere are guaranteed! [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Princesses Learn Spanish: Features a story-based approach, with games and songs, to expose children to Spanish. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Doodle Grub Christmas Edition: Enjoy the two new winter based themes for Christmas Holidays with tons of fearsome enemies and unexpected events! [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

We kind of figured the Grand Central Apple Store was going to be a huge deal, but we weren’t expecting thousands to line up to get in on the first day. With all the excitement in the air some of the folks waiting in line captured videos to share, showing off just how many people were around. Apple had promised the first 4,000 people would receive a free t-shirt, and within just the first hour there was 1,000 people in the store and 500 waiting patiently for their turn to enter.

Are you hitting the Grand Central Apple Store today? If so, drop your pictures and impressions into the comments!

Source: CNN

In case you hadn’t heard — blame your friends! — TiPb wants to give you the iOS device — or devices! — of your dreams. That’s right, a brand new iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPod touch, or Apple TV, or even iPad 3 in 2012, could be yours!

And this is week 2 so you now have a second chance to win!

The Prize: A $600 Apple gift certificate to put towards the iOS device — or devices — of your dreams. An iPhone or iPad for you or your special someone, a couple of iPod touches for the kids, a handful of Apple TVs for the whole family — you could even save it for an iPad 3 when Apple releases it! — whatever you choose!

How to enter: Each week we’ll have a special thread in a different TiPb iOS device forum. Just leave one (1) reply in each thread telling us why you’d love to have that week’s device. You can enter once per week, each week, for a total of four (4) chances to enter over the course of the contest.

The contest is on now and the winner will be announced on the iPhone Live podcast on December 28, 2011.

So what are you waiting for? Enter already!

• TiPb iOS Dream Device Giveaway: Week 2 thread!

pod2g has posted a video showing off an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5. When and if it will be made public has yet to be said.

hello. No it does not rely on [Charlie Miller's code signing vulnerability]. Next step do the same on iOS 5.0.1. Should be quick.

According to later a tweet sent out by pod2g, it looks as if it will work on iOS 5.0.1 which is great news for all the folks that already updated.

Tons of questions from my nice followers. Too early to answer. Will work on iOS 5.0.1, will try iPad 2 and 4S after others are ready.

I’m secretly (ok, not so secretly) crossing my fingers that an untethered solution will follow (heck, I’ll take tethered at this point) for the iPhone 4S.

An untethered jailbreak is one that doesn’t require an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad be plugged via USB dock cable to properly reboot, and typically seems harder and takes longer to achieve than tethered jailbreaks. While tethered gets the job done, an untethered solution is always preferred.

• Jailbreak Starters Guide
• Jailbreak Forums

For today only, the TiPb Store has the Incipio Smart feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for iPad 2 on sale for only $19.49!. Get them before they’re gone!

Get the Incipio Smart feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for iPad 2 now!

Chunghwa Telecom, the single largest telecommunications company in Taiwan, will be bringing NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S by way of a clamp you can connect to each device.

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has announced the launch of a NFC (near field communication) back clamp of iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S to provide combined NFC-based EasyCard and MasterCard PayPass mobile services through cooperation with EasyCard Corporation, MasterCard and NXP Semiconductor.

If you don’t want a silly looking clamp hooked onto your device, you can still add NFC to your iPhone using other methods, although it involves removing the back cover of the iPhone to get it working. It’s been rumored that Apple may be adding NFC to the next iPhone, and suggested we may see NFC penetration of smartphones in general exceed 50% within the next 2-3 years.

Until there’s that wide spread adoption, however, adding a clamp to your iPhone seems a little strange to us, so you may want to just hold out for the real deal.

Source: Digitimes, Digitimes

According to industry sources, the ever popular iPhone 3GS is set to hit manufacturing quantities of over two million units in the final quarter of 2011. The reason for the huge numbers is apparently down to Apple's increasing penetration into the entry level smartphone market.

Apple has been pushing the sale of its 8GB iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 pre-loaded with iOS 5 globally, and besides, AT&T has also been promoting iPhone 3GS to contract subscribers with zero subscription rates, the sources revealed.

The sources also believe that the first quarter of 2012 will also show strong sales of the iPhone 3GS with manufacturing figures expected to be around 1.4-1.6 million units. If you consider that that iPhone 3GS model is now nearly two and a half years old, these figures are quite astounding.

Source: Digitimes

 

Breaking down the best, most must-have alternatives to the official Twitter for iPhone and iPad app

The official Twitter 4.0 for iPhone has a radically overhauled user interface which, while it might potentially make tweeting more discoverable and approachable to new, mainstream users, could also annoy and alienate long time, power users. Luckily, if you’re one of he annoyed, the alienated, there are a variety of alternative Twitter apps in the App Store for you to choose from. These are some of our favorites, the ones we consider the very best, most must-have third party Twitter clients for iPhone and iPad.

Note: This has been updated from our previous, post #dickbar list of recommended Twitter app alternatives and includes several new and different picks. Check both out for even more options.

Tweetbot

Tweetbot by Tapbots is it a beauty. A text review can hardly do this app justice because it is impossible to put into words how beautifully Tweetbot is made. Sure, I can describe how, at your touch, a tweet slides up revealing a navigation bar while simultaneous emitting the perfect sound. I can explain that swiping a tweet to right reveals the conversation and swiping to left displays related tweets. I can tell you about smart gestures, multiple timelines, and customizable navigation. I can even spew out a concrete list of every feature that Tweetbot includes. What I can't provide you, however, is the experience.

Tweetbot is different. It's innovative and refreshing. Tweetbot isn't an app you use, it's one you interact with. Everything has an animation, a sound, a beautiful interface. And true to Tapbots' style, the sounds are subtle and pleasant – enriching the experience. For those who are suckers for design, innovation, and dare I say, personality, Tweetbot will rock your world.

Includes support for iOS 5 Twitter integration, Push Notification, and TweekMarker sync. Does not have an iPad-specific version or a PC version.

• $2.99 – App Store link

Twitterrific

Twitterrific by the Iconfactory was the very first Twitter application for the iPhone, even predating Apple’s official App Store. It is full-featured, award-winning client with a beautiful and intuitive UI. Twitterrific supports link shortening and tweet translation in addition to the ability to filter your timeline for specific tweet types and trends. It’s clean and elegant and color-codes your timeline so you can see tweets, @mentions, and DMs all in the same stream.

Twitterrific supports Tweetmarker and includes both iPhone and iPad optimized version in a single universal app, as well as a Mac app. It does not support iOS 5 Twitter integration or Push Notifications.

Available as an in-app purchase for $4.99, you can upgrade to Twitterrific Premium which will remove ads and enable multiple accounts.

• Free – App Store link

TweetDeck

TweetDeck, now owned by Twitter, is a desktop powerhouse that tries to bring the same multi-column, quick filtering functionality to the iPhone. Favored by social media marketing, analyst, and engagement types because of the ability to sort, organize, manage, and push out tons of Twitter material, the approach translates down to the much smaller screen with okay but not great results.

Still, for people who live and swear by TweetDeck on Windows or Mac, especially those with a TweetDeck account allowing for fast and easy setup, you might want to check this version out.

TweetDeck does not support iOS 5 Twitter integration, Push Notifications or Tweetmarker.

• Free – App Store link

Echofon

Echofon is a full-featured twitter client with a very clean interface and welcome features like a mute option to squelch users, clients and hashtags. Additionally, Echofon previews media directly in your stream which helps you decide if it’s something you’re interested in. If so, a quick tap of the thumbnail will open the photo or video.

Echofon supports Push Notification, had both iPad and iPhone versions in a single universal app, and will sync with Echofon on the desktop (their own service, not Tweetmarker). Echofon does not support iOS 5 Twitter integration (and actually has a slightly more complex, but secure web + pin authorization scheme in place.)

There are both regular and pro versions of Echofon in the App Store. The regular version is free, the pro version is $4.99, and you can update from regular to pro via a $4.99 in-app purchase as well.

As an in-app purchase for $4.99, you can remove the ads and upgrade to Echofon Pro.

• Free – iTunes link

Osfoora

Osfoora is a lot like the official Twitter for iPhone app was before the recent changes in version 4.0. That is to say, anyone who liked the original Tweetie will be immediately familiar with most of Osfoora. But Osfoora doesn’t just stick to conventions, it jams a lot more features in as well. There’s everything from a “home screen” with big icons for major functions to unread badges on the major sections.

If Tweetie/Twitter for iPhone pre-4.0 “just worked” for you and fit the way you used Twitter, and you don’t want to change, give Osfoora a try.

There are both iPhone and iPad versions of Osfoora but they’re not universal — you need to buy both separately. While Osfoora supports a ton of features, iOS 5 integration, Push Notifications, and Tweetmarker aren’t among them.

• $2.99/$3.99 – App Store link

Also check out

iOS and Twitter go together like chocolate and peanut butter, so as you can imagine there’s an almost embarrassment of riches when it comes to good Twitter apps on iPhone and iPad. Here are some more you might want to try.

• Tweetings – App Store link
• Tweetlogix – App Store link
• TweetList – App Store link
• Twittelator Neue – App Store link
• Hootsuite – App Store link

Your top apps?

So there you have them, our top 5 best alternative Twitter apps for iPhone and iPad. Be sure to check out our Picks of the Week and iPhone App and Games Forum for more recommendations, and if we missed any of your favorites leave them in the comments below!

Coming to us from Subafilms Ltd. is The Beatles Yellow Submarine book which is now available through iBooks for download. The beautifully illustrated book has iTunes exclusive clips from the movie as well as interactive animations, sounds and music clips.

If you fancy yourself a Beatles fan then you are no doubt are familiar with Yellow Submarine. That said; if you’re looking to add a little something nice to your digital Beatles collection then you’ll want to check this out.

You can grab the Yellow Submarine interactive books as a free download for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch — keep in mind iOS 5 is needed in order for it to work properly.

• Download Yellow Submarine – iTunes Bookstore Link

With Super Speller, you can create custom spelling tests for your child to study with. Teachers often say the words out loud and use them in a sentence during a spelling test, so Super Speller lets parents record the exact same thing so that it closely resembles a real spelling test. Super Speller provides instant feedback so that the student immediately knows if they got a word incorrect.

As parents of a child who struggles in spelling, we sat down and determined what would best help our child and keep our sanity! This is what we came up with. It has brought his spelling grades up, makes studying for spelling more fun for him, and in his words, “stopped mom from nagging!” We hope you and your child will benefit from this app as much as our family has.

• No more forgetting to bring the spelling book home!
• Made with what we, as parents, need it to do, but also has a playful look to make it more appealing to kids.
• You can create tests based on the words they are working on in school.
• You can record the word and use it in a sentence. Just like when their teacher gives them a test!
• There is a study screen for the child to hear and SEE the words.
• When the child is taking a test, they can immediately see if the word is correct or not.
• You have the option of randomizing the words in the test or do them in order.
• You can set a timer for the test.
• You can also use smiley hints! This lets your child see how they are doing as they are typing the word.
• Once they have completed and graded a test, they will have the option to retake the test or retake just the words they missed!
• Tests are stored until you delete them, letting you monitor your child’s progress.
• You can easily share tests that you create. This is great for homeschooling and for teachers to use in class!
• So easy to use, you will no longer have to stand over your child during spelling! This app helps the child be independent, but lets the parent see how they are doing and what they need help with.
• If you have more than one child, no problem! You can have multiple tests for multiple children!

Super Speller is available on the iPad for $1.99.

• [App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Seen those funky little QR (quick response) bar codes floating around and wondering how to scan them on your iPhone or iPad? QR codes are used to store useful information like web URLs, contact cards, e-mail addresses, etc… While QR reading isn’t built into iOS, there are, of course, apps for that.

1. First you’ll need to get an app that reads QR codes. There are tons in the App Store. Some are free and some are paid. In this example, we are using a free app called [RL Classic](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xhX*vKggN*k&subid=&offerid=146261.1&type=10&tmpid=3909&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Frl-classic%2Fid312720263%3Fmt%3D8) by Occipital. Others include [QR scanner](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xhX*vKggN*k&subid=&offerid=146261.1&type=10&tmpid=3909&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fqr-scanner%2Fid377643590%3Fmt%3D8) or [QR reader](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xhX*vKggN*k&subid=&offerid=146261.1&type=10&tmpid=3909&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fqr-reader-for-iphone%2Fid368494609%3Fmt%3D8) and tons to choose from will come up. Take your pick and download one.

2. Next you’ll need to find a nifty code to scan and open the app. It should pull up something just like above where you can scan a code using your camera app. Apps like RL Classic don’t require you to take a physical picture – simply center the QR code in between the bars and it should pick up on it.

3. Next you’ll get some type of prompt showing you the information in the QR code. In this example it’s a web URL. I can just tap to visit the URL or cancel and it will save it to my history.

That’s it! You can now scan all those handy QR codes you see floating around in magazines, books, stores, and more.

Daily Tips 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.

Fliks for Netflix is a new iPhone app that provides an alternative method of experiencing Netflix. You can customize your home feed, search and manage Instant and DVD titles, and play Instant titles.

Fliks for Netflix provides an immersive, beautiful way to browse, customize, discover, watch, and manage Netflix from your iPhone.

• Customizable Home Feed
• "Endless" Genre Sliders (hundreds-thousands of titles per genre)
• Search BOTH Instant/DVD Titles
• Manage BOTH Instant/DVD Titles
• Play Instant Titles from Fliks for Netflix
• iOS 5 Twitter Integration

Giveaway

The good folks at Digital Beluga have given us promo codes to give away to 5 lucky readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below letting us know your favorite movie or TV show on Netflix!

Flicks for Netflix is available on the iPhone for $0.99.

• App Store link

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

• Printer Pro: Print directly to many Wi-Fi printers and to any printer attached to your Mac or PC via helper application installed on your computer. [$4.99 for iPhone - App Store link] [$6.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• Tank Recon 3D: Piloting your new advanced tank, code named Alpha, you will be shooting it out with various units such as tanks, planes, helicopters, anti-tank guns and more. Fire your main cannon and watch as the enemy explodes into pieces. Use your guided missiles to bring down enemy planes or anything else that needs blowing up! [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• App Switcher: Create a quick launch list of your top tasks, as well as access them quickly via the OS 5 Notification Center. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Pop Bubble Pop: Takes the art of popping the bubble to a whole new level! Pop the bubble pigs! Pop the bubble cows! Pop the bubble sheep! Pop the bubble bubbles!? Pop whatever your bubbling heart desires… Just don’t pop the toxic bubbles! [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• A Snappy Christmas 3D: Live an exciting Christmas story with our two cute beloved heroes, Meline the girl and Snappy the little dragon. [$3.99 for iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.