The dev folk over at Tapbots have just unleashed a major overhaul to their famed Twitter client. Tweetbot 2.0 not only sees the addition of a few new traits and a design refresh, but it’s also on the receiving end of some welcomed iPad compatibility (iOS 5 only). Though, it’s worth mentioning the app isn’t universal — so you’ll have to cough up three bucks for the slate variant, even if you’ve already got the iPhone edition. Amongst the new goodies is a renovated timeline view with pic thumbnails, an optional New Tweets bar, auto-refresh, and a one-tap system for links. If you’re still using the official birdie app, but are looking for something a bit different, then hit up the source link below to scan through the rest of the features and see if you’re enticed.

SOURCE via TweetBot

Looking to save some coin on those international calls to your mates in Brussels? Vonage has just rolled out new Android and iOS apps that do just that. The Vonage Mobile app offers free talk and text for corresponding with fellow app users worldwide by way of WiFi or data connection. Need to update app-less Auntie Em while backpacking through the Swiss Alps? The outfit says it’ll save you 70% over major carriers and costs 30% less than Skype. For calls to folks without the app, users can add calling credit in either $4.99 or $9.99 increments right from the iTunes store or Android Market. The software also makes use of your existing number and extensive list of contacts without the need to create another username. Right now, calls to any phone in the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico are free from the app for a limited time — so long as you stay under 3000 minutes per month, of course. Hit the source link for more information before heading to your app repository to snag the free download.

SOURCE via Vonage Mobile

The limitations of typing on a touchscreen hinder how effective tablets can be as productivity tools. There is hope, though, at least for iPad users. This TypeWay keyboard supposedly makes things easier, by adapting the key layout for each user.

Like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park, the TypeWay replacement keyboard learns and remembers, automatically adjusting the layout and placement of keys depending on your typing style, skill level, or habits. It’s basically the first ergonomic on-screen keyboard that can still lead to repetitive stress injuries.

If you happen to find a layout that works particularly well for you, you can freeze the keys’ positions at any time, or save a specific layout for later use if you still want to experiment. At $6 it isn’t the cheapest iPad app in the App Store, but if it succeeds in making the iPad’s keyboard useful for long-form typing, consider it a cheaper alternative to an external wireless keyboard.

SOURCE via TypeWay

The X version of Final Cut Pro was supposed to be all things to all people — easier and more power for the serious amateurs and yet refreshing and comprehensive for the pros. In reality it seemed that neither camp quite saw it that way, but Apple has at least been listening. Today the company has announced version 10.0.3, which finally adds the one feature everyone’s been clamoring for: multicam support. But that’s not all. Join us after the break for a deeper look.

With this new version, Final Cut Pro X can now support footage from up to 64 separate cameras, each with different combinations of codecs, resolutions and frame rates. The app can obviously sync based on embedded timestamps, but it can also automatically take a shot at lining up footage by looking at the waveforms of associated audio from each cam, even if that audio isn’t used in the resulting production.

There’s also a new advanced chroma key feature, which enables better tweaking of green screen-like footage from directly within the app, and the ability to work with layered PSDs right there as well. There’s also beta support for broadcast monitoring hardware from the likes of Blackmagic, AJA and Matrox, all of whom are said to have or be working on Thunderbolt-equipped hardware.

Finally, three third-party add-ons are releasing today: Red Giant has a version of its Magic Bullet Suite, GenArts has is Sapphire Edge plugin and Intelligent Assistance has a $10 app called 7 to X that will convert legacy Final Cut Pro projects into the latest and greatest format.

The feature upgrades to Final Cut Pro X are nice, especially given this update is free to those who have already paid the $299 entry fee, but is it all enough to woo back those jilted pros who might have taken their multicam setups elsewhere over the past seven months? That we’ll have to wait and see.

SOURCE via Apple

There’s a good number of music services locked and loaded with millions of tunes to stream directly to your front door, all eagerly waiting for your hard earned dollar. However, which service to ultimately choose can be a hard decision to make given they all have their individual strengths and weaknesses.

However soon iOS device owners will have one more choice in the mix: Sony’s Music Unlimited which up until now was available only on Android devices, PCs and Sony products like the PSP and PS3 consoles. Tim Schaaff, head of Sony Entertainment Network, said at a small CES media gathering on Wednesday that a free app for Apple’s iPhone and iPad tablet will be made available sometime in 1Q12.

Schaaff said the iOS version will allow subscribers to cache music for offline playback, following the lead of competing music streaming services like Slacker Radio, Spotify, and Rdio which also offer a similar caching feature. He also indicated that the company plans to take a different approach with this version, targeting users who have yet to jump onto the cloud music service bandwagon.

Sony’s Music Unlimited is now part of the Sony Entertainment Network. For $10 a month, subscribers have access to over 10 million songs. Features include no ads, unlimited skips, and dozens of preset channels. Even more, users can easily sync music from their personal collection and play both Sony’s stock and/or their library across a large number of devices.

Music Unlimited’s second plan, Basic for $3.99/month, allows users to stream music to multiple devices, transfer personal music to the service, and enjoy a variety of internet radio programming. By comparison, the $9/month Premium plan throws everything Sony has at the users, from unlimited playback of music to premium channels to editing playlists.

SOURCE via Venture Beat

It’s no secret that many musicians use their iPhones and iPads to help them craft their tunes, and go-anywhere podcasting holds great appeal for many others. To serve such folks, IK Multimedia has unveiled three new peripherals joining the likes of its AmpliTube adapter and iMic accessories: the iRig MIC Cast, iRig MIX, and iRig Stomp. The MIC Cast is a unidirectional mic aimed at mobile podcasters that hooks up to your iOS device through its headphone jack (and has a 3.5mm port for headphone monitoring). It has a compact form factor that matches the iPhones slimness, and comes with recording and voice processing apps to get things sounding just right. Look for it Q1 of this year for €29.99 ($38).

Next up is the iRig Stomp, an electric guitar pedal crafted from aluminum that works with any iOS guitar, amp or instrument app. It connects to your iDevice’s 3.5mm headphone jack and comes with a free AmpliTude app for adding effects and will cost €44.99 ($58) when it lands in Q2. Lastly, there’s the dual-channel iRig MIX mobile music mixer, which can be connected to iDevices, CD players or other music sources using its stereo inputs. It’s got gain, bass, treble and volume controls along with a channel crossfader to tailor your tunes using the included apps: DJ Rig, AmpliTube, VocaLive, and GrooveMaker. Diplo wannabes can pick up the MIX in February for €74.99 ($96).

SOURCE via Ik Multimedia

Everyone loves Bibendum, a.k.a. the Michelin Man, including legions of iPhone users across the world. The list of the best App Store applications for 2011 has just been released, and three Michelin apps are among the year’s bestsellers.

They are ViaMichelin Mobile in the navigation category for iPhone, Restaurants in the Michelin guide France in the lifestyle category for iPhone and the Michelin France map in the navigation category for iPad. In 2011, a total of 1,400,000 Michelin applications were downloaded from the App Store.

ViaMichelin Mobile is a free iPhone app, the only free one among the Top 5 App Store apps in the navigation category. It allows users to take advantage of ViaMichelin’s experience and know-how in route planning and maps for mobile devices.

Developed for iPad, the Michelin France map app is offered offline so that users don’t have to pay any connection fees. Available in five interface languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish), the map can be downloaded for €9.99.

For gourmands, Restaurants in the Michelin guide France ranks among the App Store’s Top 5 in the lifestyle category. Downloadable for €7.99, it enables users to locate all Michelin selected restaurants in France, from three-star establishments to small neighborhood bistros. Bon Appétit!

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Many trademark, patent and IP holders may disagree, but even Nintendo is reportedly taking cues from Apple’s trend-setting App Store design and creating its own version for the Wii U. Smartphones in general seemingly borrow from iOS whereas PC and gadget manufacturers are scrambling to perfect and produce a tablet to rival Apple’s own iPad line.

Even more, Apple’s current Big Thing, Siri, produced imitations as soon as the company launched its new iPhone 4S back in October. Several have actually been rather fun to use, but The Next Web is currently pointing to one specific “clone” that purposely tricks users into thinking it’s a real product. Called “Siri for Android,” it’s published by developer Official App and on the surface looks legit, yet instead only serves as a shortcut to Google’s own built-in Voice Actions.

“You’ve got to understand what your Android already has and have a sense of humor to understand what this is. Its obviously a sarcastic parody,” writes one user on the Android Market. And while the app may indeed be a sarcastic parody — the app description actually claims it’s a Siri icon that opens “Google’s Voice Actions” app — the cause for concern stems from the app’s actual permissions: access to your location, full internet access, access to your personal information, and the ability to modify/delete USB storage and SD card contents.

For experienced users, this “official” Siri app for Android is clearly bogus. But for inexperienced users such as teens who received an Android device for Christmas, they may not know the difference. Unfortunately, Google is nowhere near as strict as Apple, and seemingly lets anything post to the Android Market unchecked within minutes. That said, it’s unknown at this point if the developer has side-loaded malware into the fake Siri app, using Apple’s popular brand name to ensure thousands of installs.

Presently the Android Market plays host to numerous apps that mimic and mock Apple’s Siri. Skyvi is currently the most popular, landing a 4.5 out of 5 via 19,205 votes. Vlingo Virtual Assistant sits in the second position, followed by one of our favorites Iris, Andy, and Speaktoit Assistant. Fake Siri for Android comes in a variety of languages, and there’s also Alice and Pocket Blonde 2. There’s even an app called Siri Says Silly Stuff that has nothing to do with voice recognition software whatsoever.

As always, Android device owners should keep an eye on permissions required by apps, especially those that really have no business sorting through your contacts, reading your text messages or trolling through the SD card. Also reading user feedback is a good way to determine if an app is a real tool, or a possible tool for hackers.

Looks like LogMeIn Inc. has suddenly cottoned on to the freemium business model, deciding to offer its basic remote desktop app for iPhone and iPad entirely gratis. Previously, you had to hand over $29.99 for the simple pleasure of accessing your PC and Mac desktops via LogMeIn Ignition, but the new free version (simply ‘LogMeIn’) amply provides for that barebones service, while bells and whistles are reserved for those who buy an in-app subscription to LogMeIn Pro at $40 per year — including things like HD video and sound streaming, file transferring and integration with cloud storage services . Confusing matters slightly, the old Ignition app won’t die. It’ll live on in the App Store with a massively inflated price to support old Ignition customers and — most importantly — give them grandfather rights to Pro features, so they don’t feel left out and start sniffing around the competition. There’s a full PR after the break, and it also mentions that Android update is on its way in 2012.

SOURCE via Slashgear

It’s time to show your iPad who’s boss – that is, your iPhone, naturally. The Tizi Remote app is presently available for free via iTunes, letting you use your iPhone to change channels, record shows and pause live TV on iPads connected to the Tizi or Tizi Go TV receivers — and if you happen to have a 4S, you can harness the power of Siri to change channels for you. Sadly, neither of the aforementioned pieces of hardware are available stateside at the moment, so for now, you’ll just have to watch TV shows on your iPad the old fashioned way.

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