As we get closer to closing out 2011, it’s that time of year when people start making new years resolution and hopefully, try to keep them as well as looking back on the year that was 2011. What’s on your list as a new years resolution? What was your favorite moment of 2011?  Join us in the forums and lets us know, you can register now to get started today:

• TiPb Lounge: New Years resolutions.. What’s yours?
• iPhone 4S Forum: Can I risk going without a screen protector?
• iCloud Forum Deleting iCloud account, what will it do?
• iPad 2 Forum Printing from an iPad 2 without AirPrint, is it possible? If so, how?
• Apple TV 2 Forum No sound but picture works great — anyone else experiencing this?

If you’re not already a member of the TiPb Forums, register now!

It has taken me so long to write up my most used apps of 2011 because – how was I supposed to choose just five apps? However, I’ve managed to narrow it down. My first home screen page is dedicated to my most used apps. This list isn’t in any particular, so here we go!

• Jessica

1Password

I live and breathe this app 24/7. I can’t live without it. My entire life is stored within it. It’s way more than a password manager to me. 1Password has the best customer support and it’s a well designed, easy to use app.

• $14.99 for iPhone and iPad – iTunes link
• $9.99 for iPhone – App Store link
• $9.99 for iPad – App Store link

Echofon Pro for Twitter

I love Twitter but trying to keep up with my timeline was killing me. It wasn’t bad when I was only using Twitter via my iPhone. Then I added my iMac to the mix and it got a tad bit more complicated. And, well, I was completely done for once I got an iPad. Echofon is my Twitter app of choice. Echofon had tweet syncing long before other apps and Tweet Marker. Tweet syncing is my number one priority when it comes to any Twitter client. But that’s not the only thing I love about Echofon. It’s a universal app and it’s inline photo/video preview is topnotch! It’s not the prettiest Twitter app but it is one of the most function. I’ll take function over pretty any day of the week. The Mac app is full of awesome too.

• $4.99 for iPhone and iPad – App Store link

Downcast

Oh how I love this app! This is app is AMAZING! It doesn’t get the credit it deserves either. This app does so much. You can customize it as little or as much as you like because it has a TON of features and settings. I’m pretty hardcore when it comes to my podcasts because I’m subscribed to so many. I like to be as efficient as possible so I love how I have control over every feed individually. This app is universal and the iCloud syncing rocks.

• $1.99 for iPhone and iPad – App Store link

iBooks

I still adore this app. The latest update has fixed everything I didn’t like when I made iBooks my Pick of the Week many months ago. ‘Nuff said!

• Free for iPhone and iPad – App Store link

Reeder

What can I say about this app that hasn’t already been said by Rene, Ally, Andrew, and Chris? So I’ll just say, “Ditto” but I’ll also say the Mac version rocks too.

• $2.99 for iPhone – App Store link
• $4.99 for iPad – App Store link

Rockmate for iPad is a music studio for the iPad. One of it’s unique features is the ability to play 4 interments at once to play with your friends. Then you can record your jams and export them as .wav or .aac files.

Rockmate is a breakthrough music creation app. It turns your iPad into a complete music studio easy and super fun to use.

You can compose, record and play songs with up to 4 Rock players on one single iPad. Rockmate is easy to play with smart chords progressions, sounds great with separated guitar effects and in-house produced audio samples and is also fully customizable with multiple drums and keyboard styles

• Realistic design and animations
• High-quality samples
• 4 players on one single iPad
• Realtime looper
• Smart metronome
• Mixer with level and pan controls
• Realtime Fx (distortion, multiFX, powerchord)
• Chords progression customizable
• Create your own chords
• Save your styles (Chords progression, FX, Drum, keyboard style…)
• Export: .wav or .aac
• Sharing: iTunes sharing folder and Email.
• Airplay

Rockmate is available on the iPad and on sale for the weekend for $1.99.

• $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.

Georgia and Rene discuss how to make successful New Year’s resolutions, including setting reasonable, specific goals and managing expectations. This is ZENandTECH!

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Hosts

• @GeorgiaTiPb (Georgia)
• @reneritchie (Rene)

Contact

You can reach all of us @ZENandTECH, via email at podcast@zenandtech.tv, or leave a comment below!

Thanks everyone, you’re the best community on the web and we love having you with us!

Disclaimer

While Georgia is a therapist, she’s not YOUR therapist. Everything said or implied on this show is for informational and entertainment purposes only. And shouldn’t be taken in any way as a replacement for proper, professional care.

Credits

Music is Peace on Earth by wellman.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Microsoft Lync 2010 for iPad: Extends the power of Lync to your mobile device – including rich presence, instant messaging, audio conferencing, and calling features from a single, easy-to-use interface.

• Free for iPad – App Store link

Particlescape: Create beautiful patterns at your fingertips! Particlescape is an interactive particle and gravity simulator designed to be as beautiful as possible and to create an organic link between fingertips and screen.

• Free for iPhone and iPad – App Store link

PhotoString: An app for people who like put many photos together vertically, just combine multi photos into one like a string.

• $0.99 for iPhone – App Store link

Ideal Me: Motivates change for the better. It lays out concrete steps to help you become the best version of yourself. By separating out the specific areas of your life that need attention, Ideal Me allows you to tailor the perfect array of habits necessary to attain your goals.

• $0.99 for iPhone – App Store link

Newser Tablet: Want more news in fewer words? Newser is a news aggregator that draws stories from the best sources all over the web and synthesize these articles into sharply written stories of two paragraphs or less, perfect for the mobile format.

• Free 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.

Our very own Seth Clifford, he of the iOS and mobile design podcasts, took a second look at how Amazon’s Kindle Fire stacks up against Apple’s iPad 2, now that the Fire has gotten its first, much-needed software update.

As a nerd, the Fire is a waste of time for the most part. You’re limited by the choices Amazon’s made in the hardware and software, and getting stuff done around those choices is possible, but probably not worth your time unless you really feel like poking around. People have been hinting at how great a CyanogenMod build would be for the Fire, so you may want to go that route eventually, but then again, why not just buy another Android tablet if that’s what you want it for? Surely if you’re willing to hack to that end, you can save yourself some time with other hardware. But I guess there’s the challenge too.

As a normal person, the Fire is pretty good. Seriously. The software update (which auto-installed minutes after I unboxed the Fire) made a big difference in responsiveness. Prior to that, half my button presses didn’t even register and scrolling was pretty lame. If you’re comfy with Amazon’s selections, and you don’t mind a few weird moments (like always tapping the screen to do everything), you probably won’t mind it too much. There’s plenty to do and it’s laid out clearly for you. If you use the device in the manner Amazon has envisioned, you’ll be fine. It’s when you stray outside of that use case that you face some resistance. My guess is that most Fire owners won’t make that choice.

Seth’s far more forgiving than I. Too much about the Kindle Fire — from the ill-position power button and the lack of volume buttons, to the laggy video, to the way the software is designed almost entirely as a giant front end for Amazon’s e-commerce engine, to its bizarre lack of content outside the U.S. — is like finger nails on a chalk board. It shows a lack of care and concern, and if they can’t think this stuff through beforehand, I have little faith in their magically fixing it in the long run. Here’s why — it’s Amazon-prioritized, not user-prioritized, and I value my time and sanity far more than the $300 difference between a Fire and even a base-price iPad. (Your use cases and priorities may be different, of course.)

Check out Seth’s complete comparison for more.

Source: SethClifford.me

Amid a swirl of negative reaction and FCC attention, Verizon has reconsidered their recent $2 payment surcharge.

"At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time," said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.

They’ll no doubt try to get the money from somewhere else, but for now at least you can extinguish the torches and call off the hounds.

Source: Verizon via PhoneScoop, Android Central

Much like the other TiPb staff, my most used apps are the native applications that come pre-installed on the iPhone and iPad, but unfortunately they don’t meet  all my needs. I have spent a lot of time (more than I would like to admit) in the App Store looking for applications that fit my needs, and I have found a bunch that I use on a daily basis.

Camera +

I love to take pictures with my iPhone 4, for a cell phone camera it can take some rather stunning pictures, but sometimes you need just a small edit or two to make it what you really like. Camera + allows me to not only take great pictures, but it loads quicker than the stock camera, and allows me to further crop and edit my photos than the stock one allows. The additional filters and edits allow me to take a standard picture, spice it up a bit and then share it right from the app if I wish.

$0.99 – App Store Link

Sonos

One of my favorite gadgets that I got this year was a Sonos system, and the ability to control it from my iPhone makes it even better. The Sonos controller is only helpful if you have a Sonos system to use it with, but it allows me to easily manage multiple zones of audio in my house, set alarms, download firmware updates for the system and much more. If you have a Sonos system this application is a must have on your iOS device.

Free – App Store Link

Tweetbot

Twitter is a great social media tool, and Tweetbot does a great job of allowing you to make the most out of Twitter in an enjoyable fashion. With added features like double and triple tap, swiping left and right and more the application is not only packed with features, but absolutely beautifully designed. If you enjoy a well designed, feature loaded application that won’t break the bank, this is a great choice.

$2.99 – App Store Link

Google +

Google+ isn’t such a hit all around with everyone, but being an Android user also (insert your boo here) I love Google+ and the iPhone application offers a pretty good experience for it. Google+ is a great way to communicate with a wide variety of people and the threaded replies to posts keep it nice and organized. The iPhone application appears to receive as much support from Google as the Android version which makes me happy, and the control of the notifications is great with tons of options.

Free – App Store Link

AirToDo

Recently in an effort to remain organized, and become more productive I have begun using Google Tasks since I live in my Gmail inbox, and can easily add tasks to be reminded about at a later time. Finding an application that offered solid sync, push notifications and some added features was a bit of a struggle but AirToDo has nailed every feature I needed, and more. Being able to set reminders by time and date is awesome, and you can add notes, locations, and more which help keep you nice and organized.

$0.99 – App Store Link

After yesterday’s news that Verizon would be charging a $2 fee for paying bills online and over the phone, the FCC has chimed in.

"On behalf of American consumers, we're concerned about Verizon's actions and are looking into the matter," the statement said.

A lot of subscribers have spoken out against Verizon’s decision to institute this new convenience fee. It’ll be interesting to see what the FCC ultimately decides to do, and what if any effect that has on other networks like Sprint which don’t “surcharge” but do offer “discounts” for their preferred payment options. (Just goes to show how far smart PR and better marketing language can get carriers who aren’t Verizon…)

Source: NYT

If you’ve been hanging onto older software on your Apple TV 2 for fear of losing your Jailbreak or simply not wanting a tethered solution, then the day has come where you no longer need to worry about that. The fine folks from Firecore have updated Seas0nPass to make use of @pod2g‘s latest work and as such — now have a untethered jailbreak of the latest 4.4.4 (iOS 5.0.1) AppleTV software. As a reminder, here is what’s new with the 4.4.4 update:

• AirPlay Mirroring: Now with video mirroring – wirelessly stream what's on your iPad 2 screen to your HDTV.
• Photo Stream: View photos recently taken on your iOS device and pushed to your Photo Stream in iCloud.
• Trailers: A whole new way to browse and view hundreds of the latest theatrical trailers.
• National Hockey League: Watch live games. View highlights, scores, and more.
• Wall Street Journal Live: Watch up-to-date news, business commentary, and financial analysis from leading experts.
• Audio output: Addresses an issue in which audio may not play through the optical port when the TV is turned off.
• Netflix: Added support for Netflix in Mexico and Latin America.
• Stability and performance: version 4.4.4 includes general performance and stability improvements, including a fix for an issue that displayed an error when playing some video content.

If you’re already running the tethered version of Seas0nPass, you will need to re-jailbreak in order to take advantage of the untether. But as always, Firecore has released Seas0nPass for free so all it requires is a few minutes of your time. Hit the source link below for the full details, and download of the latest Seas0nPass.

[fireCore]

SwitcherLyrics is a new jailbreak mod in Cydia that offers the ability to view lyrics for any most tracks stored in your iPod music library.

With SwitchLyrics you can have your song’s lyrics and information right in your Multitasking bar. You just have to double tap the Home button to make it work. SwitcherLyrics takes the song’s lyrics from the iPod.app library. If iPod.app doesn’t have any lyrics, SwitcherLyrics will search it on the web automatically.

This is a great mod in theory and brings with it a lot of added value –when it actually works. I noticed a lot of bugs right out of the gate when playing around with it. For example, when I tried messing with the settings to reveal more information in the Fast-App Switcher tray, my phone locked up completely and required a reboot.

This is one of the reasons the video demonstration was short in duration. I didn’t get into any of the additional settings for fear of locking up my iPhone again, but in any event, when I played a track without lyric support in the video it still ended up locking up on me.

It’s a great idea, but I’m going to wait it gets some bug fix updates and runs more smoothly before trying it again.

• $.99 – Cydia Link

A twelve year old boy and his mother have been left in a state of shock after a Siri on demonstration model of an iPhone 4S insulted them. The iPhone 4S was being displayed in a Tesco's supermarket in the UK and earlier in the day pranksters had messed around with Siri and set its owners name as a seven word string of insults.

A lad of 12 who tried out the new iPhone 4S in Tesco was stunned when it told him: “Shut the f*** up, you ugly t***.”  The phone’s Siri system, which answers spoken questions, came back with the foul-mouthed insult when Charlie Le Quesne asked: “How many people are there in the world?”

Staff were informed of the way Siri was responding to questions and agreed to immediately remove the iPhone 4S from display. They went on to explain that the phone had been tampered with and its owner's name changed to reflect the bad language that had been heard. Siri often says its owners name when answering questions hence the way it responded in this case. Tesco claims to have returned the iPhone 4S to Apple for further diagnostic tests.

In other words, s*** happens. Similar to photo bombing or loading up adult content on web browsers, there will always be those who seek to take advantage of live demo units. Dummy units would solve this problem but greatly reduce the ability of consumers to test and evaluate devices prior to purchase.

Source: The Sun

If you listened to Girls Gone Gadgets last night, you heard Ashley, Kim, and me debate Verizon’s new $2 convenience tax — where and when it’s actually applied and how much money they stand to make from it over the course of a year. (Plus, perhaps, some mature language and impassioned ranting.) But at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks but Verizon customers. If you’re one of them, is $24 a year insignificant to you? Is it annoying but something you’ll just pay attention to avoid? Or is it the last straw that drives you to another carrier? (Who might just be smart enough to phrase or hide their fees better — cough, Sprint, cough.)

We’re running a cross-site Mobile Nations poll, so vote below and give us your thoughts in the comments below.

My most used apps of 2011 include an endless list of Twitter apps, 'video streaming apps', and of course, the default apps like Safari, Mail, Messages and YouTube. When I do download apps from the App Store, I immediately store them into folders: “Games, Utilities, Utilities 2″. However, there are a select few apps that live outside of folders, because I use them so often. Here are the top 5 that I've used this year.

Twittelator Neue

I've used a few Twitter apps this year. I used Tweetbot, TweetTime, Tweetings, but most of the time I ended up reverting back to the official Twitter app, but when Twitter updated their iPhone app to #dickapp, I went on a search for another Twitter client. That’s when I found Twittelator Neue. Its gorgeous and was made for iOS5. Its got most of the features you’d expect from a Twitter app and is definitely the app that I will be using in the foreseeable future. So what if it doesn't have push support yet? It's so pretty!

$1.99 – App Store Link

BBC iPlayer

The iPlayer app is on both the iPhone and the iPad, however I love them both for different reasons. The iPad version is my No.1 source for my BBC content. Its easy to navigate and lets you save a list of favourites, so I never miss a show. Its so convenient for watching my favourite BBC shows in bed before I go to sleep. The iPhone version wins me over because it has 3G support and live channels, so I can watch TV, while I'm out and on the go.

FREE – App Store Link

Tiny Tower

Tiny Tower is an annoyingly addictive game. I’m constantly checking my tower and improving it. It’s almost become part of my everyday routine. ‘Wake Up, Have Breakfast, Play Tiny Tower’. It’s an endless game, as there is no limit to how tall your tower can go, so I’ll be playing this for many more years to come.

FREE – App Store Link

Wikipanion

When I need to look something up on wikipedia, I always use Wikipanion, not just because it’s a full featured, easy to navigate wikipedia app, but because it has multiple wikia support, which is great for viewing topic-specific wikis as well as the standard wikipedia.

FREE – App Store Link

Checkbook HD

I like keeping a close eye on my money, however, My bank doesn't have an app (yes, I should leave them.). Checkbook HD, allows me to keep a close eye on all my spendings offline, so I can see at a glance how much money I have at any given time. I’ve got multiple accounts, and the app adds up all my money to tell me how much I have altogether. Time to save for next Christmas.

$0.99 – App Store Link

For today only, the TiPb Store has the Incipio DRX Case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 on sale for only $16.95!. Get them before they’re gone!

Get the Incipio DRX Case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 now!

Don’t ask why now, don’t ask why 32GB, just know that if you want to BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free) a 2010 iPhone 4 — again — head on over to Best Buy.

Buy the Apple® iPhone® 4 32GB and get one FREE. Choose from Verizon or AT&T.

In-store only. Stores open Friday, 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. 2-year activation required on each phone.¹

While you’ll still end up paying thousands of dollars over the course of those contracts, and may well decide an iPhone 4S has better overall value in the long run, if you’re strapped for up-front cash now, it’s a good deal.

Source: Best Buy, thanks Gregg!

A prototype of an Apple phone has been uncovered and it dates all the way back to 1983. Designer Hartmut Esslinger came up with the design whilst working for Apple on other projects such as the Apple IIc. Wikipedia has it noted that Esslinger was contracted to Apple in a $1,000,000 a year deal.

In 1982 he entered into an exclusive $1,000,000 per year contract with Apple Computer to create a design strategy which transformed Apple from a “Silicon Valley Start-Up” into a global brand. Setting up shop in California for the first time, Esslinger and Frogdesign created the “Snow White design language” which was applied to all Apple product lines from 1984 to 1990, commencing with the Apple IIc and including the Macintosh computer.

This information is confirmed in the recent Steve Jobs biography too but there was no mention of an Apple phone prototype. Looking at the picture, it is obviously a fixed line phone rather than a mobile device. It is interesting to note that even in the early 1980's the device still has some form of touch input; even if it was via a stylus!

Source: iPhoneFreakz via iClarified, Wikipedia

 

Kids have access to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and curious how to prevent them from deleting your App Store apps the moment you’re not looking? They’re fun and games can cause a lot of additional work for you if you’re not careful. Luckily, Apple lets you lock down app deletion.

1. Jump into the Settings app.
2. Tap General settings.
3. Next, tap Restrictions.
4. At this point, you’ll be prompted to enter your 4-digit passcode if you have one set, or create one if you don’t.
5. Scroll down and switch Deleting Apps to ‘OFF’.

That’s it! Now, if you ever hand over your iPhone to a friend or family member, they’ll have no ability to accidentally remove or delete your favorite apps from the iPhone Home screen.

**Bonus Tip: Using an older version of iOS that doesn’t provide for app deletion restriction? If you’re jailbroken check out No Uninstall in Cydia, which removes the ability to delete apps from the iPhone Home screen.

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.

Randomly accurate rumor site Digitimes is reporting from “industry sources” that Apple plans to utilize Sharp’s IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology in the iPad 3, which has been rumored to come packed with a 2048×1536 Retina display.

Speculation that LG and Samsung, expected producers of the Retina display panels for the next iPad, had run into production issues could indicate why Apple has turned to Sharp, or at least added Sharp to the mix. Panel supply constraint has been a challenge for Apple since the launch of the original iPad in 2010.

Source: Digitimes

Girls Gone Gadgets 3, with the awesome Ashley Esqueda, fabulous Georgia, and special BlackBerry Champion Kim Lachance Shandrow, hits the ‘net tonight! They’ll be talking news, giving you their, accessory, and app picks, and answering your questions about love, life, and tech!

Time: 7:30pm PT / 10:30pm ET

Place: http://www.tipb.com/live

If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to discuss, just leave them in the comments, then come be part of the show!

(And yes, you can watch from iPhone or iPad via Ustream Viewer app (here’s how) — just search for “mobilenations”.