MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

As part of the iPhone/iPod Touch 3.1 Software update released yesterday during Apple's rock and roll event, Mobile Safari gained anticipated anti-phishing features currently present in its desktop version. However, security firm Intego is criticizing the feature's inconsistency as being worse than if the feature hadn't been included at all. We've had a number of people test [the anti-phishing...

RealNetworks' Rhapsody app has been approved and is now in the App Store. The app, which provides on-demand streaming music, had reportedly been submitted to Apple just over two weeks ago. The RealNetworks blog elaborates on how the app works for subscribers and those who wish to try out the service: If you're already a Rhapsody To Go subscriber, all you need to do is download the app and...

We took a first look at the TomTom U.S. & Canada turn-by-turn navigation app a short while ago, and have taken it through its paces over the past few weeks to complete our full review of this highly-anticipated app. Navigation Guidance The TomTom app offers several options when choosing a destination. Contacts integration is built-in, so it's easy to select a contact as a destination, and...

Yahoo's Flickr service now has a native app available in the App Store. We recently reported that the iPhone had become the most popular cell phone camera used to upload photos to the image sharing site and it's likely this new native app will only increase its popularity among Flickr users. When you first sign in to the Flickr app, you are required to authorize the app to use your...

The music streaming app by Spotify, a popular Swedish music subscription service, is now available in the App Store. It was reported just last month that the app had been approved by Apple and the app was expected to be available in the App Store shortly. The app is capable of streaming music over Wi-Fi or an EDGE or 3G data connection. It also offers the ability to store offline playlists...

iFun.de, a German iPhone news site, reports [

Forum member Jape has discovered a wall entry in Navigon's Facebook page that reveals the navigation company has a car kit for the iPhone in the works. In response to a question from another Facebook user, Navigon states, "...we are working on a kir [sic] kit for the iPhone...more information will follow." Navigon was one of the first turn-by-turn navigation apps available for the iPhone...

TomTom's FAQ for its iPhone navigation app now notes that the anxiously-awaited Car Kit will not be released until October: The TomTom car kit availability was originally planned for this summer. But we have decided to take some extra weeks in order to deliver the highest quality on this innovative product. So, the car kit will become available this October on www.tomtom.com. This update to the...

Vonage, a digital phone services provider, has put out a brief press release stating that Apple has approved its iPhone app. The app is not yet available in the App Store and Vonage notes that it "is currently conducting a beta test and general availability will be announced at a later date." It was revealed just last week that Vonage had submitted an iPhone app to the App Store for approval. ...

Image courtesy of Joe Stump's Flickr page Blunder Move's Chess Wars app, which allows users to place chess with Facebook friends via Facebook Connect, has been rejected due to chat bubbles that reportedly imitate those of the iPhone's Messages app too closely, according to the blog of one of the developers, Joe Stump. [Warning: this blog post contains profanity and may be NSFW.] Chess...

The MLB.com At Bat 2009 app has received an update today that offers in-app purchases of live out-of-market games for $.99, as well as customizable notifications to alert users before a game starts. MLB.com's press release highlights the value of the new in-app purchase feature for those who do not subscribe to the MLB.TV service: Now fans can have it both ways, just as the pennant races are ...

TouchArcade.com reports that Rockstar games has announced they are bringing Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars to the iPhone and iPod Touch platform this fall. "Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay...

Dow Jones Newswires reports that Apple's deal with Chinese wireless provider China Unicom to bring the iPhone to that country, announced last week, is in fact not exclusive. Early reports had claimed that the deal contained a multi-year exclusivity arrangement for China Unicom, but the official denial by Apple opens the door to the company allowing other Chinese wireless providers to offer the...

Engadget has pointed out that information on the highly-anticipated TomTom Car Kit is now up on the FCC's site following its testing for approval. The entry includes internal and external photos of the kit as well as the user guide. The FCC also tested the Bluetooth capability of the kit. The kit's user guide states that a Bluetooth connection is required to use the iPhone with it. ...

An update to Convertbot, a popular conversion app by Tapbots, was rejected by Apple because of an icon that was thought to be too similar to another one already used in the standard iPhone interface, according to the Tapbots blog. Image courtesy of Tapbots.com Convertbot offers a time conversion feature and the icon that represents it, which has been the same in all versions of Convertbot...

In another seemingly controversial App Store approval decision, Apple has forced iPhone developers to remove functionality that allows users to "free memory" on demand. While third parties are limited from developing background applications for the iPhone, Apple allows their applications such as the iPod, Safari, and Mail applications to continue to run. After prolonged use, these background...

Facebook iPhone developer Joe Hewitt reports that Facebook 3.0 [App Store, Free] has been approved by Apple and is now available in the App Store. While the App Store description still contains information for version 2.5, the actual download is now version 3.0. A note posted on the company's Facebook for iPhone page last week detailed the numerous enhancements in the new version, and offered ...

Last month, we noted that popular Swedish music subscription service Spotify had submitted an iPhone application to Apple for inclusion in the company's App Store. At the time, there was some question as to whether Apple would approve a subscription-based music application that would appear to directly compete with Apple's own iTunes music offerings. UK news site paidContent:UK reports that...