That is why it has become the ultimate tool for the business user, as phones are able to increase productivity, put various resources into one device and even boost work performance. That is all thanks to the many apps that have been created specifically to improve the work experience of the owner.

Here are 10 must-have apps for anyone who is business oriented in their iPhone use.

1. Dropbox

If you wish you could always take your important files with you, whether to work at home, at the local Starbucks or anywhere else, now you can,. Dropbox is a very useful syncing program that allows you to move various files from your desktop into their folders. Those can then be accessed in real time on the website, through any other computer you link it up to, on your iPhone or iPad, or through other authorized user accounts. So not only can you take files anywhere you need to go, but you can share them with anyone you need to, as well.(Free)

2. Evernote

Considered one of the best apps ever created, Evernote is the perfect application for anyone who has a bit of a memory or a productivity problem – or just people who could use a little bit more note taking and organization in their lives. From concepts to ideas to reminders, you can put them all here and sync it with all of your devices all at once. You can even use them to store photos. (Free)

3. FuzeMeeting

Want to host a conference or meeting without going into the office? Whether it is local or international, you can do it with this app from anywhere, and with high resolution picture that is as clear as day. You can control all attendee requests and other information from the dashboard. (Free)

4. Skype

Possibly the most popular communication program on the web, Skype is available on your iPhone. You can use this app to hold video conferences, chat, keep track of your contacts or reduce your phone bill by loading up on credits and making calls. There is also now an iPad optimized version now. (Free)

5. Quick Sale

Keep track of sales, invoices and payments, all in one place. You can even apply discounts per sale, globally or by percentage, and save your favorites for quick access and repeated use. Quick Sale has unlimited space for inventory and non-inventory items, and categories for easy organization. ($0.99)

6. Online Payroll

If you have been looking for a way to create checks outside of the office, you know have it. Put together payment information, stubs and actual checks, pay by direct deposit or prepare paper checks for printing. You can even access information on past and present employees or contractors from anywhere. (Free)

7. QuickOffice

Do you use Microsoft Office almost continuously in your work? Then you can save, share and open your work with QuickOffice, keeping a smaller version with you anywhere you are. ($19.99)

8. Things

This is basically your all-in-one to-do list and calendar application that has worked to make it all much easier to use. You set reminders and make notes, lists and more. Everything is run through a very simple interface, making it better than probably any other app out there on the iTunes market. ($9.99)

9. Numbers

Charts, bar graphs, infographics…all of them can be built easily on this amazing spreadsheet app. You enter dates, numbers, provide photos, set durations or type in formulas, and it does the rest based on your specifications. There are more than 250 functions, and they are all easy to use thanks to a basic interface that is clear even for new users. ($9.99)

10. Streamtime

Use the digital whiteboard for ideas, leave yourself notes, set deadlines or track time with this fantastic productivity tool. It is easy to use, but very thorough in features. (Free)

Conclusion

If you have an iPhone and work in any kind of business sector, you can benefit from these handy apps. Most are free and the others are well worth the cost. What are some of your own favorites that you would hate to go without? Let us know in the comments.

Sonia Tracy is the content editor for PsPrint and editor of PsPrint Printing and Design Blog. PsPrint is an online printing company, which you can follow on Twitter and Facebook.

It’s hard to believe, but this picture-perfect recreation of an iPhone 4 seen on the web, was created with no images. It’s nothing but pure HTML. CSS 3.0, to be exact.

Vasiliy Zubach created this amazing demonstration of CSS3 technology (part of the underlying code that powers most webpages) without the use of any images, graphics, pictures, or whatever you want to call them, whatsoever. Every icon, every curve, bezel, gradient — all of it was made using nothing but written code. 3,395 lines of code, to be exact.

If you know nothing about HTML code, trust me: that’s a heck of a lot.

The most amazing thing about it is that it’s not static. The slide-to-unlock feature works, the icons slide into view when you unlock it, you can turn it off with the power button, and you can turn it back on with the Home button. So not only has Zubach equaled Photoshop with his coding prowess, but he managed to make it interactive, as well.

You really have to see it for yourself. Online visitors checked it out more than 370,000 times in the first month alone, after he posted it to his website. And if you don’t mind a little broken English, you can find out more about how Zubach did it right here.

Carcassone

Carcassone is considered the classic Euro themed game that gamers play to wean non-gamers into the flock. The game is relatively simple: you compete with other players to assemble and connect different types of structures to earn points. The game allows for up to 9 players including playing against the AI of various difficulty. It also includes support for online play + pass and play. The core game costs USD $9.99 and is well worth it compared to the physical board game price of about USD $ 39.99 or more. You also have the option of two expansion as in-app purchases.

Download Now

Monopoly

OK a classic game of Monopoly brings us back to the 80′s. It’s quite fun to introduce this game to the new generation, especially on the iPad. You can pick this up for 0.99 cents — for either the Classic Edition aka “Monopoly” or the “Here and Now Edition” which is basically a spruced up “skinned” version with renamed locations. I honestly prefer the classic. You can’t go wrong with Monopoly.

iTunes 0.99 Classic Monopoly
iTunes 0.99 Monopoly Here and Now

Bang! The Official Video Game

This is the second update for Bang! The Bullet (renamed as Bang! The Official Video Game) for iOS. It used to cost USD $4.99 but the price is now at a more attractive 0.99 cents. We previously made a thorough review of the game when it was updated last year.

iTunes 0.99 Bang! [HD]

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is again one of those family-friendly board games that has the potential to amount to tons of fun in the living room. Now, instead of setting the whole game up on the floor, why not just play on your iPad or iPhone? The game is very easy to learn. You can spend 5 minutes on the core rules and get going with your friends. Although the game isn’t a universal release, you can download both versions (priced differently) and play via WiFi / Bluetooth.

iTunes 4.99 Ticket to Ride

Caylus

Stunning graphics and beautiful implementation. This is one of the most respected board games and for $4.99?, you definitely can’t go wrong. Gameplay mechanics include huge strategy elements as you try to earn points by building things for your king.

iTunes 4.99 Caylus

Settlers of Catan

Who doesn’t love Catan? Well, unless you can’t bear the fact that this game can take forever, you can always take it with you if you really need to go. The franchise is pretty solid and lives up to its cardboard roots allowing you to purchase expansions and even choose between card art sets. The game also comes with multiplayer and the option for AI controlled opponents.

iTunes USD $4.99 Settlers of Catan

Puerto Rico HD

Definitely another classic, Puerto Rico HD (there are versions for both the iPad and iPhone) brings you back to the days of colonization and exploration. In Puerto Rico, you choose a role and from there gain certain perks to vanquish your enemies through trade, battle or depending on what your personality dictates. You can play with friends or up to three other AI opponents. If you’ve never played this before, the game comes with a built in tutorial

iTunes USD $7.99 Puerto Rico

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer

Ascension was designed by Justin Gary, one of the pro Magic the Gathering players (check out our interview with him). Ascension stands pretty solid in the deck building genre and is definitely a must have considering it is quite affordable. Last month, the Return of the Fallen Expansion was released for USD 2.99.

It’s not like news like this would still surprise us.

Apple has released their sales report for the first quarter of 2012 and as expected the company has exceeded its own projections and has broken sales records. Apple is reporting its largest revenue period yet – a whopping $46.3 billion.

According to the Apple report, the Cupertino, Ca. company has posted a revenue of $37.04 million in iPhone sales, an increase of a whopping 128 percent from the same period in 2010.The company also reported on its other products:

iPad – Sales of $15.43 million or a 111 percent year on year increase

Macs – 5.3 million, or a year on year increase of 26 percent

Only the iPod failed to post an increase in sales. In fact, sales went down 15.4 million, which means a 2.1 percent decrease, year on year.

Apple’s take is considered the largest quarterly revenue posted by any company in history. And not just that, the fourth quarter earnings was a 73 percent increase from third quarter earnings.

Apple has attributed the company’s success to a convergence of factors that ultimately helped its bottom line – the release of the new iPhone 4s, the increase in iPad sales over the holiday season and more traction among consumers in choosing iPads and iPhones over other products have all contributed to the record sales. Apple has even said that the release of the iPhone 4S last year (which drew criticisms because it was just an incremental upgrade from the iPhone 4) was the right move all along.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed confidence about Apple’s market leading positions in the smartphone and tablet markets, saying that the “ecosystem of the iPad is in a class by itself.” Cook further shared that the success the company is enjoying will only spur them to innovate “like crazy.”

AntiCrop

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
A clever app that smartly and quickly creates a “content-aware fill,” so you can un-crop any photo. Could be a life-saver!

Biobots Under Sea Rescue

for iPad
Price: $2.99
An intriguing educational tool, where you learn about sea creatures by building a rescue robot based on their physiologies.

Caylus

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $4.99
In the tradition of Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne, this German-style board game has you build up a castle and a village surrounding it.

Earth Now

for iPhone
Price: FREE
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory created this little app that gives you current/recent data about the global climate.

Fingle

for iPad
Price: $.99
A 2-player game that’s like Twister for your fingers. Some of the finger positions are a bit suggestive, so it’s recommended only for adults.

GroupShot

for iPhone
Price: $1.99
Photography app that lets you combine the best parts of multiple pictures, with the intention of creating the perfect family portrait.

iTunes U

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Apple spun-off iTunes U into its own app this week, adding the ability for teachers to create courses of any kind and offer them for free. Comes with extensive study tools.

LEGO App4+

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Fun adventure game for kids with buildable LEGO objects.

Niko

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE ($1.99 in-app to unlock full game)
Combines the mechanics of Angry Birds-style slingshot action with a traditional platformer.

Order Up! To Go

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Build your restaurant empire — one dish at a time. Cook in your kitchen to serve customers, and then move on to a different restaurant and a bigger challenge.

Puzzlejuice

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
An inventive, frustrating, wildly addictive puzzler that combines Tetriswith word-building.

Smash Cops

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $2.99 (unlock full game in-app)
Chase down bad guys and crash into everything around you in this simulation of TV-broadcast cop car chases sporting incredible graphics.

Soul Caliber

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $11.99
A great port of the classic fighting game, but the price tag is mighty steep.

Triple Town

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
A unique match-3 puzzle game where you’re charged with building the biggest city you can while outwitting giant bears who want to stop you.

TurboTax 2012

for iPad
Price: FREE
The annual release from Intuit that makes filing taxes without an accountant easier.

WikiView

for iPad
Price: $.99
Attractive Wikipedia viewer designed for the iPad.

CloudOn

for iPad
Price: FREE
Lets you use a virtual version of Microsoft Office on your iPad. Requires Dropbox account.

Dinosaur Stickers

for iPad
Price: $.99
Kids will love this app that lets you apply lifelike dinosaur “stickers” to any digital image.

Legendary Heroes

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Free-to-play real time strategy game.

Life is Crime

for iPhone
Price: FREE
MMO game where you fight other players over real-world locations.

Painting with Time

for iPad
Price: FREE
Interact with 14 landscapes to explore how they change through time and the seasons.

Paramount100

for iPad
Price: FREE
An interactive retrospective on 100 years of Paramount Pictures.

Phraseology

for iPad
Price: $1.99
Writer’s app that makes provides easy tools to greatly improve your writing.

Pocket League Story

for iPhone
Price: $2.99
Create your own team and battle for soccer dominance.

Streetbike: Full Blast

for iPhone
Price: $.99
Breakneck paced motorcycle racing.

Super Crate Box

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Simple but addictive arcade action.

Turtle Isle HD

for iPad
Price: FREE ($2.99 in-app to unlock)
Puzzle game set on a beach.

We’ve discussed the many virtues of the iPhone at length in so many articles. It’s a phone that can do practically anything. Now you can add “life saving device” to that list of features.

A Frederick, Maryland man was recently rescued after being lost in the woods with the help of his trusty iPhone. Christopher Tkacik, a 43 year old lawyer, along with his dog, got lost in the woods while hiking through the Gambrill State Park.

According to reports, Tcacik spent hours walking in circles. Upon realizing that they were hopelessly lost, he used his iPhone to call emergency services. The Google Maps app that was installed on his phone kept sending him wrong coordinates, but he was able to successfully send a text message to his wife, telling her that he’s lost but was otherwise okay. The local sheriff deployed a helicopter upon receiving the call from Tcacik.

When Tcacik heard the helicopter hovering near his location, he turned on the flashlight application of iPhone in order to catch the helicopter pilot’s attention. The pilot said that he immediately saw the light coming from the iPhone and was able to dispatch two rescue workers to where Tcacik was located. The workers rappelled 150 feet to help Tcacik and his dog. The whole experience lasted for four hours and Tcacik got home in time to attend a New Year’s Eve party.

Tcacik had nothing but praises for the iPhone. He said that a fully charged iPhone “made a world of difference.” He said he couldn’t imagine how worse off he will be if he didn’t have his iPhone with him.

Crayola Lights, Camera, Color!

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Turns any photo into a coloring book page, and provides tools to color it with.

Do U Wanna Touch Me

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Paint fractal animations with your fingers.

Dungeon Hunter 3

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Top-down RPG sequel in the vein of Diablo or StarCraft.

Final Fury

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Humans vs. aliens action/tower defense game.

G-Pad+

for iPad
Price: $.99
Works exactly like the official Twitter app, only for Google+.

The Grizzalope Stays Awake

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Cute storybook for kids by author Doug Mahoney.

The Incredible Inedible Meatball

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $2.99
Customizable, interactive storybook, with minigames built-in.

InstaPad

for iPad
Price: FREE
Stylish Instagram gallery for iPad.

Intro to Geography: North America

for iPad
Price: $2.99
Great-looking visuals accompany this learning aide for youngsters.

Jurassic Park: The Game – Episode 2

for iPad 2
Price: $6.99
Second chapter of interactive movie from Telltale Games.

Kingdom Rush

for iPad
Price: $2.99
Medieval tower defense game.

Law & Order: Legacies

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $2.99
With 7 episodes planned, this nice-looking adventure game lets you live the show and solve your own crimes.

LogMeIn

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Remotely control your Mac or PC from anywhere.

LostWinds

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $3.99
Gorgeous graphics highlight this side-scroller port of a popular Wii game.

Mirror Mysteries

for iPad
Price: $4.99
Gorgeous adventure game.

NFL Rivals

for iPad
Price: $2.99
A “visually stunning intense arcade football experience.”

Night of the Living Dead Defense

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $1.99
Top-down tower defense game based on the classic George Romero zombie film.

PegLight 2

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Create glowing peg art.

The Pirate Koostoe

for iPad
Price: $.99
Kids will learn important life lessons from this great-looking, funny interactive storybook.

SAS: Zombie Assault 3

for iPad
Price: FREE
Yet another tower defense game where you fight off zombie hordes.

Shape-O ABCs

for iPhone
Price: FREE
Educational puzzle game for kids.

Skitch

for iPad
Price: FREE
Popular screenshot utility for Mac comes to iOS.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 – Episode 1

for iPad
Price: $1.99
iPad port of the popular iPhone game. With additional episodes coming soon.

The War Horse Experience

for iPad
Price: FREE
Promotional app for the movie from DreamWorks, but still looks pretty darn cool.

The iPhone 4S is just a couple of months old. After the oohs and aahs over Siri, the iPhone 4s is really not that much different from the iPhone 4 so the attention of iPhone fans has again shifted to the real next-gen iPhone, the iPhone 5.

We’ve reported a lot about the iPhone 5 and what new features it will have. Count this as another iPhone 5 rumor report. As a recap, we’ve speculated that the iPhone 5 will probably sport a Retina display, a larger screen size, a faster processor and that it will be 4G compatible.

Based on the new rumors circulating online, the iPhone 5 will not only be a different phone in terms of features and looks. It will also be a different phone in terms of feel. According to sources who talked to BGR, a tech web site, the upcoming iphone will use a rubber or plastic material that will be used as the bezel of the phone case. The back of the phone will be made with a new aluminum back plate and will also have a new antenna system – probably as an answer to the initial reception problems the iPhone 4 had.

Regarding the release schedule for the iPhone 5, the belief is that Apple will still be following its usual summer launch. But if this does happen, Apple will be in for a very hectic summer. There are reports that Apple will also be releasing the new Apple iTV either in the second or third quarter of 2012.

Adaptu Wallet

for iPhone
Price: FREE
Finances on-the-go.

Biography – A Journey With History’s Most Influential People

for iPad
Price: $4.99
Walk through history with 70 of its most influential individuals, such as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Marco Polo, and more.

Broadway.com

for iPad
Price: FREE
The popular web destination for all things theater brings its content to a slick iPad app.

Caboodle Doodle

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Use stencils and splatter paint to create your own original works of art.

A Christmas Carol Bookstrack

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $1.99
Synchronizes a musical soundtrack to Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story.

City Guides

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $3.99
Goop.com presents its first app, a guide to New York City.

College Bowl Guide

for iPad
Price: FREE
An interactive guide to the 2011-2012 college football season, from the folks at The Daily.

DailyBurn

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (in-app subscription required)
A personalized fitness program that delivers daily workout videos to your iDevice.

Forestville

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Another “-ville” game from the makers of Cityville and Farmville, this one puts you in charge of a community of animals and their woodland home.

Fotopedia Wild Friends

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
As long as you have wifi, this terrific app will teach you all about animals with vivid photos and loads of data about each critter.

Frontline Commando

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Great-looking first-person shooter where you take it to the villains, Die Hard style.

Grand Theft Auto III

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $4.99
The console classic comes to iOS for its 10th anniversary. Reviews have been very positive across the board.

History of Rock

for iPad
Price: $7.99
App version of an exhaustive print book by Mark Paytress, telling the complete story of the history of rock & roll.

Ice Rage

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Foosball style 2-player ice hockey game with terrific graphics.

IndieBound

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
An ereader app your local independent bookstore can use to sell you ebooks.

Kinectimals

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $2.99
The popular animal sim for kids is ported to iOS with Kinect’s motion controls turned to multitouch gestures.

Life 75

for iPad
Price: $12.99
A 75-year retrospective on the famous photography magazine. Portrait mode shows you hundreds of Life‘s greatest photos, while portrait mode shows you its finest magazine covers.

The Logo Maker

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $2.99
Smart and easy to use, it helps you create an appropriate, stylish logo for your company or organization. Specializes in Web 2.0 style logos.

Magic Guitar

for iPhone
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
From the makers of Magic Piano comes this app that lets you shred like a pro. Has a nice catalog of hit songs you can rock out to on a variety of guitars.

The “No” Kid

for iPad
Price: FREE
Interactive storybook for kids with tons of activities and vocabulary learning.

Pad & Quill

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Really lovely note-taking app that organizes your thoughts, ideas, and lists in virtual notebooks.

Real Soccer 2012

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
The latest edition of this annual title comes with triple-A production values and tons of features. A must-have.

Rockmate

for iPad
Price: $.99
An all-in-one rock music studio that can support up to 4 players at once. Record your own tracks, create loops, mix your music, and much more.

The Sims FreePlay

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Completely free to play is this full-featured new version of Maxis’ wildly popular The Sims, made for iOS.

Sin or Win

for iPad
Price: $1.99
A very original “god” game where you have the choice of saving the cavemen who sacrifice themselves to you, or send them into a fiery pit. Great graphics by a Hollywood animator.

Skulls

for iPad
Price: $13.99
Incomparable nonfiction author Simon Winchester wrote the text for this incredible app that features over 300 animal skulls you can rotate a full 360º. From the uncompromising folks at Touch Press, creators of The Elements and Solar System.

Sleepy Jack

for iPhone
Price: $.99
Stunning 3D graphics complement this flying game where you play as a little boy flying-and-fighting his way through his favorite toys while dreaming.

Sonic CD

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $1.99
The fan-favorite Sonic classic comes to iOS with tremendous attention to detail.

Stunt Bug

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
48 missions take you through a series of death-defying obstacle courses. Oh, and you’re a bug.

SummitX Snowboarding

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $4.99
Carve up that mountain, pull killer tricks, and upgrade your gear in a realistic snowboarding game.

Tiny Places

for iPad
Price: $1.99
Cute puzzle game where you help a chameleon escape from small spaces using a variety of puzzle types.

Tongue Tied

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $1.99
Slapstick hijinks ensue when two cartoon dogs get their tongues tied together. Use physics-based gameplay to help them find the “WinterBone.”

Trenches II

for iPad
Price: $2.99
Sequel to the popular side-scrolling WWII-style combat game.

Windosill

for iPad
Price: $2.99
Part adventure game, part exploration experience, you can touch anything you see and watch it react in ways surprising and sublime.

Microsoft has been busy, secretly building apps for iOS that work with their existing products, or outright port their capabilities to iPhone and iPad. Best of all: almost all of them are free.

Last week brought the official Xbox Live app for iPhone and iPad both, which lets Xbox Live members adjust their profiles, send private messages to friends, change their avatar, view their achievements, and watch official Xbox Live community videos. It’s a very slick, very well done app that uses Microsoft’s “Metro” UI that’s all the rage on Windows Phone 7 and the upcoming Windows 8. Free.

Over the weekend, Microsoft released the official Halo Waypoint app for iPhone and iPad, which includes “ATLUS,” a function that lets you view multiplayer maps from overhead. It also lets you access all of your Waypoint details and stay in contact with your Halo friends. Free.

iPhone users have had OneNote for a while now, but yesterday Microsoft released an iPad version, and it’s pretty darn nifty. You can create notes, to-do lists, import maps and photos, and basically keep track of all of your projects in one attractive, easy to use way. It also syncs wirelessly with Microsoft’s SkyDrive service, so you can access your iPad notes on your computer via the Internet. Free.

Perhaps the most surprising app of all is the one that just arrived today: Kinectimals for iOS. This kid-friendly game for iPhone and iPad lets anyone have a life-like, friendly animal that they can interact with, play games with, and all sorts of other activities. It was originally made as a Kinect vanity app, to show off the incredible capabilities of Microsoft’s “you are the controller” device. But now it’s been ported to iOS, with all of those motion controls adjusted to work with multitouch gestures. It’s a surprising move for Microsoft, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. (I’d love to see lots more Kinect games ported to iOS.) $2.99.

Exciting stuff, and it makes you wonder what Microsoft is going to bring to iOS next!

270toWin

for iPad
Price: $4.99
Learn about the electoral college election process, follow projected winners, make your own predictions, and browse through the history of election results.

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $5.99
A partial port of the console game that has you fighting one villain after another, one-on-one style. Think Infinity Blade + The Dark Knight.

Beatforge

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Makes it super easy to create beats and music, simplifying the process so that even non-musicians can make amazing beats.

Google Currents

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Very slick Flipbook clone by Google.

Grabatron

for iPad
Price: $2.99
You are an alien spaceship pilot with an enormous claw that you use to grab things to help you destroy humans. Beautiful 3D graphics.

Infected

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Top-down combat game that pits you against hordes of zombies. Includes multiplayer game play, and purchases for in-game funds.

Judge Dredd vs. Zombies

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Zombies have invaded the comic book home of Judge Dredd. Why? I have no idea. But only Dredd can stop them.

Michael Jackson: The Experience

for iPad
Price: $4.99
Another console game port, this one translates the full body controls of the original game into shape-drawing finger controls. Four songs come with the initial purchase; additional songs can be bought in-app for $1.99 each.

Mini Motor Racing

for iPad
Price: $3.99
Vibrant graphics highlight this fun car racing game, with upgradable vehicles, multiplayer, and lots more.

MinoMonsters

for iPhone
Price: $.99
A Pokemon-style game where you select a miniature monster to train and control, and then guide him on adventures.

My Xbox Live

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Mobile access to your Xbox Live profile, friends, avatar customization, achievements, and watch Xbox Live community videos. All using Microsoft’s super smooth new “Metro” interface.

Paper Toss 2.0

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
New version of the hit game that comes with all sorts of new game modes.

Patchworkz

for iPad
Price: FREE (in-app purchase required to unlock full version)
The folks at Big Fish Games have done their usual excellent work on this puzzler with gorgeous graphics.

Six-Guns

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Open world Western that’s completely free to play all the way to the end, though in-app purchases are available to give you an edge. Includes gun-shooting game play, horseback riding, character upgrading, and 40 levels to play through.

Theme Park

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Cartoony Sim City-style game where you’re put in charge of building and managing your own theme park. From industry monolith EA Games.

Toy Story Showtime

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $4.99
Interactive storybook that helps kids learn new words and vocabulary skills.

Unstuck

for iPad
Price: FREE
A sort of personal life coach where you input your problem and the app helps you determine its cause and how to solve it.

One of the most popular apps for aggregating stories taken from the web and presenting it in a professional looking layout is Flipboard. Launched in 2010, it is one of the most downloaded apps for the iPad. Many iPhone users have been requesting that Flipboard make a version for their mobile device of choice. Finally, that request has been granted as an iPhone version of Flipboard has been made available.

The new Flipboard for the iPhone has been designed specifically to take into consideration the smaller screen of the iPhone. According to Flipboard executives new features have been added specifically for the iPhone version to make it more useful despite the smaller screen real estate. For example, there’s Cover Stories, a feature that not just automatically gets the most recent articles or web content into the app, but also the most recent photos you took. This feature will eventually be made to the iPad version in the future. For the iPhone version, articles will be shown on the screen one at a time. Flipping through the articles and photos have been made faster to make accessing the content you want more intuitive and adaptive to the smaller screen. Another added feature is Flipboard Accounts that will allow users to sync the content between their iPhone and their iPad Flipboard apps.

The Flipboard app is available for free at the App Store. This is a download you should really check out because it will change the way you access and view web content from your device.

The Amazing Spider-Man: An Origin Story

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $6.99
Fun storybook from Marvel and Disney that retells the origins of everyone’s favorite web-slinger.

American History Timeline

for iPad
Price: FREE
Terrific history lesson in the form of an interactive timeline.

Another Monster at the End of This Book

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Sequel to the adorable, entertaining (and funny!) interactive children’s book, starring Grover and Elmo.

Assassin’s Creed Recollection

for iPad
Price: $2.99
Real-time board game set in the gazillion-selling Assassin’s Creed universe.

The Bard’s Tale

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $5.99
A full iOS port of the cheeky Xbox, PS2, and PC role-playing game.

The Beatles: The Ultimate Album-By-Album Guide

for iPad
Price: $9.99
Rolling Stone magazine presents this rich, interactive journey through the Beatles’ celebrated music career.

Book of Heroes

for iPhone
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Fantasy RPG.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $6.99
A slick presentation highlights this polished port of the console game. Comes with 4x multiplayer and built-in voice chat, along with other extras.

Fishdom: Christmas Splash

for iPad
Price: FREE ($4.99 for full game unlock)
Holiday-themed variation of the popular match-3 game.

Harold at the North Pole

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $6.99
Interactive storybook for kids; sequel to the popular Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Infinity Blade II

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $6.99
Highly anticipated sequel to the acclaimed, bestselling RPG from Chair Entertainment.

Mr. Oops

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Quirky but simple puzzle game where you must help a disaster-prone stick figure avoid certain death.

Muppet Mail

for iPad
Price: $2.99
Promotional app for the new movie that lets you transform anyone you know into a Muppet, and send them a virtual greeting card.

Must-Have Recipes from Better Homes & Gardens

for iPhone
Price: $.99
500+ recipes in one app.

NCAA Sports

for iPhone
Price: FREE
Follow NCAA sports on the go, and even watch live games.

The Nightworld

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Top-down RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world where it’s always night, and your objective is to find what you need to survive — even if you have to fight other survivors to get it.

Sparky vs. Glutters

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
Zuma-style marble matching game.

Tetris

for iPhone
Price: $.99
Completely re-imagined and rebuilt-from-the-ground-up version of the classic puzzle game.

Van Gogh’s Dream

for iPad
Price: $9.99
Immersive interactive book all about the life and work of the master artist.

X Is for X-Ray

for iPad
Price: $7.99
The latest interactive book from the makers of Solar System and Gems and Jewels provides fascinating look at the insides of all sorts of everyday objects.

Zen Pinball

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Gorgeous virtual pinball game with additional tables available to buy.

We always read about people who try to feed their love for all things Apple to such extreme degrees that you’d think that they’re one of a kind. The most extreme acts may have been done by the very few but there are some actions that may not be categorized as an extreme act but still within the category of blind gadget love.

Take this for example. A recent survey conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, revealed that among current iPhone 4S users, 30 percent of them upgraded from Apple’s iPhone 4. What does this mean? Since the iPhone 4 was released last June 2010, any person who upgrades to the iPhone 4S right now will have no choice but to pay the early termination fee imposed by mobile service providers on subscribers who do not finish their contract. The early termination fee is different for both Verizon and AT&T but you can expect these switchers/upgraders paid between $175 to $300 just to upgrade their phones. This means that a significant number of people won’t care about additional costs or the financial squeeze if it means shifting from a year-old iPhone to the newer one.

This survey finding becomes more interesting given the fact that, aside from a few additional features, the iPhone 4S is more of an incremental upgrade from the iPhone 4. It even looks the same unless one closely looks at it. The addition of Apple’s digital personal assistant Siri and the impressive demos for this iPhone 4S exclusive feature may be the tipping point for some of these subscribers to decide to upgrade even if it means paying the early termination fee.

You can be sure that Apple fanatics won’t be content with a device that was released barely two months ago. Apple’s iPhone 4S may have just been released last October 14 but the grapevine is already buzzing with rumors about the next iPhone (which will definitely be an iPhone 5 or else iPhone fans are going to riot).

Even though it’s practically a given that the next iPhone that Apple is going to release is the iPhone 5, every little bit of news or rumor is enough to stir the multitude that are waiting for Apple’s new phone model. The latest news is that Apple had a bunch of 4-inch LCD screens manufactured by both Hitachi and Sony shipped already for use with the iPhone 5.

The news, which originated from macotakara.jp, was reportedly legitimate as the information was received from a supplier from the “far east.” The shipments reportedly came from Hitachi Displays, Ltd. and Sony Mobile Display Corporation. The source claims that the LCD screen shipments are going to be used for an iOS device that will be released sometime in 2012.

Two things point to the possibility that these screens are going to be used on the iPhone 5. First, Apple has a track record of releasing a new iPhone version at roughly one year intervals, so we can expect a new phone model by 2012. Second, there have been strong indications that the iPhone 5 will use a 4-inch touchscreen display, the timing of the shipment of screens with the exact measurements can’t just be coincidence.

• Chair has cut the mega-popular Infinity Blade down to $2.99.
• Com2uS has dropped many of its fan-favorites down to $.99.
• Disney‘s entire game lineup is $.99 (Where’s My Water?, Alice in Wonderland, The Incredible Machine, et.al.).
• EA Games has dropped many of its bestselling games down to $.99 (Battleship, Snood, etc.). Other premium titles have been dropped to $2.99.
• Gameloft, which sells some of the App Store’s most popular titles, has dropped some of its titles to $.99 (BackStab, Avatar, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, et.al.)
• Konami has some titles as low as $.99.
• Mumbo Jumbo‘s entire catalog has dropped to between $.99 and $2.99.
• Namco has several games on sale for between $.99 and $2.99.
• 99Games‘ entire catalog is now $.99 (Wordsworth, Create a Mall, Prison Mayhem, etc.).
• Phosphor Games‘ terrific Dark Meadow is just $.99 — down from $5.99.
• Rockstar Games has cut Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from $9.99 to $2.99.
• Sega has discounted selected titles to $.99 to $2.99.
• Telltale Games is offering its most popular adventure titles at discounted prices. The Back to the Future games are down to $2.99 from $6.99, for example.

Apple knows that there is now a palpable shift in mobile gaming from traditional gaming handhelds to tablets and smartphones like the iPhone or iPad and it is now trying to take advantage of this shift to benefit not just itself but also game developers and consumers.

Apple is now offering game publishers who develop games for Apple’s products an opportunity to charge a monthly subscription fee in exchange for the privilege to check out different kinds of games. According to reports, Big Fish Games was the first game development company that signed up for Apple’s new service. The company, which is based in Seattle, is now developing a handy app that will make accessing the games more easy. It plans to charge $4.99 monthly for subscription for a person’s ability to check out different games, even paid ones without having to pay extra. The plan is to increase the subscription fee to $6.99 monthly as more games are made available to subscribers. The new game package service is similar to Apple’s subscription services for apps. In fact, even Apple’s take is similar – 30 percent of the monthly fee as its own commission.

People who get the subscription will be able to gain access to a lot of games. The good thing about the service is that it gives the person the ability to check out a game without having to actually buy the full version. They can check it out by playing the games. The games are not going to reside in the device but will be streamed to it. Another app is also being developed by Big Fish Games that limit gameplay time to just 30 minutes and will be laden with advertising.

Which version of the app do you think will be more appealing to users?

Any owner of an iPhone has heard of jailbreaking, especially in the news. Apple has been vocally against the practice, seeking court injunctions against it and third-parties that encourage it. However, the courts have ruled a number of times that there is nothing illegal about jailbreaking any Apple product.

But you might still have a couple of questions. For example, what is jailbreaking and is it really worth it?

What It Is

You may have noticed that Apple’s iOS (the operating system used in devices) doesn’t allow you to get any app that isn’t specifically provided through the iTunes store. This is part of their restrictive policies of limiting the source of content, one that has been called questionable by many who believe that once you purchase a product, you should have control over what you use it for.

It is for this reason that certain third parties began creating applications that broke through the coding protections on the iOS so that people could start downloading anything that was offered in other stores or websites. In order to run any software not authorized by Apple and sold in iTunes, you have to jailbreak your device.

Is It Really Legal?

According to US law, there are two different processes for protecting business rights and copyright. The two are not protected under the same heading, which was pointed out by Columbia University Professor Tim Wu back in 2009, when jailbreaking software began appearing online.

Therefore, Apple’s assertion that they were protecting copyright by locking users out of downloading content from other providers was invalid. Many accused them of trying to keep a monopoly on content, as many apps are paid and many others profit through advertisement.

In the end, the court’s agreed. In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that jailbreaking was legal.

Is It Worth It?

The iTunes store has the largest available library of applications on the web. There are hundreds of thousands to choose from, and a number of those apps are free. Others are low cost, and most are a one time fee for continual use. This means you have your pic of features to install on your device without needing to jailbreak it.

In addition, versions for various brands such as Android and Blackberry have been created, which include the iPhone or iPad in their list. Those that aren’t have alternatives that do essentially the same thing, with similar functions and features for Apple products.

However, if there is a specific program you want that isn’t available, you will have to jailbreak in order to gain access through the protections on the iOS. In that case, it is worth it. But most users will find it unnecessary to jailbreak their device, and they can enjoy the apps offered through the iTunes. The main reason for using a third party is for opensource software.

Remember that there is always a risk involved. Security measures are not always strictly enforced through third party apps. There is also some malware that can infect your operating system. This is uncommon, but you should always make sure that if you do jailbreak, you take extra care to look into any apps you download to ensure they have been tested.

How Can I Jailbreak My Device?

You can find a number of programs that will do this for you. But for the current generation (and back to the iPhone 3), there are three major applications:

JailbreakMe

The most well known of all software, JailbreakMe was the program at the heart of the Apple legal battle that pioneered the use of jailbreak software for the modern user. Created by Jay Freeman of Brown University, it is free to use and easy to install. He has a PayPal donation button on the site, but it isn’t mandatory.

Seas0nPass

This software supported a tethered jailbreak, but it defaults to an untethered version of the iOS 4.3. Right now it is mainly being advertised as a break for Apple TV, but it works on any device.

RedSn0w

While it is one of the main choices for developers, RedSn0w might not have the features for the average user. But it is still very helpful, and their site is great for finding the latest news on Apple products and rumors about coming devices or generations.

Conclusion

Is it worth it to jailbreak your Apple device? Only you can know that, for sure. There are some risks involved, but it is generally considered safe. It is also perfectly legal as of last year. So if you are thinking of doing it, there is nothing holding you back. Just be careful about what you download.

Annie is a geeky blogger for Mobile Phone Finder, the free mobile phone comparison chart Check out our guide on how to compare Apple iPhone mobile phones.

Some out of the box ideas were actually considered for inclusion in one of the iterations of the iPhone if we’ll base it on newly discovered patents that were filed by Apple a a year ago. According to the supposed patent, the durability of the iPhone was a major consideration for the people at Apple, so much so that a number of ideas were forwarded as a means of adding more protection for the iPhone.

One of these ideas actually reached the Patent Office. The patent, which was filed during the second quarter of 2010, revolved around the idea of further strengthening the glass used on the display panel of the iPhone. The impetus for the idea originated from the quest for producing ever thinner devices. Any gains in terms of reducing the thickness of a device means having to produce thinner glass for the display. But with the display glass getting thinner, durability begins to suffer. Thin glass can break or crack more easily that’s why Apple filed some patents. One of the more out of the box ideas evolve around the installation of airbag-like attachments, specifically, shock mounts that are installed on the iPhone. These shock mounts can sense sudden jolts and will immediately retract to protect the device. Another idea revolves around a tunable shock mount that can compress and dampen to protect the electronic device and isolate the cover glass so that it won’t break or crack.

These patents reveal the great thinking minds inside Apple who are constantly looking to improve their best selling products.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $6.99
Lavishly-featured interactive storybook version of the classic holiday cartoon.

Age of Zombies Anniversary

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
A new game starring Barry Steakfries, as he takes out zombies to defend civilization. An upgrade over past games due to high-def graphics.

Appetites’ Easy as Pie

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $4.99
Learn to make 20 homemade pies with step-by-step video tutorials.

AutoDesk ForceEffect

for iPad
Price: FREE
Engineering app for simulation and analyzing design concepts.

Battle Nations

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Action/strategy multiplayer where you control forces at war in urban and wilderness environments.

Bullet Time

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Post-apocalyptic action/shooter from a top-down perspective. 2 campaigns currently available, with more to come.

Etsy

for iPhone
Price: FREE
Attractive shopping app for the popular “homemade goods” online store.

Food52 Holiday Recipe & Survival Guide

for iPad
Price: $9.99
75+ recipe cookbook with video tutorials and lots of interactive features.

Fotopedia Japan

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Explore 1,000 photos of Japan, with interactive features.

Homerun Battle 2

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $4.99
Create your own customized ball player and take on all comers in this multiplayer battle royale for “best hitter” bragging rights.

InkNotes HD

for iPad
Price: $3.99
Sophisticated handwriting and sketching app.

Jimi Hendrix: The Complete Experience

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Learn everything there is to know about Hendrix, and enjoy his music. Robust interactive, multimedia app.

Jurassic Park: The Game – Episode 1

for iPad 2
Price: $6.99
Top-notch production values highlight this interactive adventure game that continues the story of the first movie.

Minecraft – Pocket Edition

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $6.99
The mega-popular mining-and-building indie PC game comes to iOS at last.

Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove Collector’s Edition

for iPad
Price: $4.99
Classic, cinematic quality adventure game comes to iPad.

NFL Flick Quarterback

for iPad
Price: $4.99
Be the quarterback of your favorite team and make passes, dodge defenders, and throw trick shots.

The Oregon Trail: American Settlers

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
City management game based on one of the world’s oldest video games.

Snoopy’s Street Fair

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE (w/ in-app purchases)
Time management game for kids, with cool extra features like collectible Peanuts comic strips.

Starbucks Cup Magic

for iPhone
Price: FREE
Scan holiday cups at Starbucks to activate augmented reality cartoon characters.

Superman HD

for iPad
Price: $2.99
Side-scrolling game where you play in mid-air as Superman, using his powers to save the citizens of Metropolis.

Tap Tap Muppets

for iPhone
Price: FREE
Movie promotional app with six Muppety songs for you to tap out rhythms to.

Ticket to Ride – Pocket Edition

for iPhone
Price: $.99
Fun, German-style board game previously only available for iPad is now available in iPhone flavor.

XIII – Lost Identity

for iPad
Price: $5.99
No relation to the FPS, this version of XIII, again based on the French graphic novel, is an adventure game set in the world of covert ops.

Zombie Gunship

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99 (w/ in-app purchases)
The ever-present roving zombie horde is trying to eat the survivors of the apocalypse, and you are their only hope, as you sit in the gunner seat of an AC-130 and mow down zombies like ants.

This could be proof that the global Blackberry service outage that happened a few weeks back has had a very negative effect on RIM.

In a recent survey conducted by iPass, it was discovered that the iPhone has now overtaken RIM’s Blackberry as the preferred smartphone of businessmen and people involved in business. About 2,300 mobile workers involved in almost 1,100 different enterprises all over the world participated in the survey and 45 percent of the respondents said that they use an Apple iPhone, compared to the 32.2 percent who said they use a Blackberry. Just a year ago, the Blackberry was ahead (though just by a little margin) of the iPhone, 34.5 percent to 31.1 percent.

Another surprising result of the survey is the doubling of Android phone users. Among those surveyed, 21.3 percent said they own an Android powered smartphone.

Equally interesting is the answer to the respondents’ buying intentions for the next year. About 18 percent of the respondents said they will buy an Apple device. The next popular choice was Anrdoid, with 11.2 percent wanting to get an Android smartphone. Only 2.3 percent said they intend to get a Blackberry next year. The service outage may have been a significant factor for this very low intention to get a Blackberry device. The service outage affected a lot of Blackberry users, preventing them from getting their emails, which is the main come-on for buying a Blackberry device in the first place.

It remains to be seen if the new Blackberry operating system, BBX, will offer enough cool features to attract attention again.

In a perfect world, Jobs wanted the iPhone to run 100% under his terms. That would mean not having to choose AT&T as an exclusive telco partner. It would mean seeding the idea of a phone that could run on an unlicensed network in the same way that we use WiFi. Walk in the heart of the metro and you’ll see converging wireless hotspots. You can practically survive without GSM. And that was what Steve wanted to bring to the picture – a phone that didn’t make use of any of the telcos. Of course, he scrapped the idea owing much to the paradigm of big telcos being … well.. too big.

Would creating a phone under an unlicensed spectrum make sense? How would it fare? How would it have compared to merely selling the phone under no contract? If it’s anything about Steve, the man wanted to do things differently: call it his longing to control his products or a sincere effort to decentralize the tech industry, we will never know.

If Apple was a telco, it wouldn’t make sense. Branching out into building devices to run on an open / unlicensed spectrum would have been too risky. So Steve did exactly what he was good at, creating the public demand for an amazing device and dictating to AT&T the terms and conditions. In some way, he changed the paradigm of telcos.

In retrospect, if we look at the iPod touch — the “un-iPhone” it now looks as if Steve had grand plans for a WiFi only device seeing how people would behave by consuming data through a series of WiFi networks. And perhaps this is where we may see future progress.

Some users of the iPhone 4S reported experiencing problems with their phone’s battery life – which drains faster. It was initially thought as isolated incidents but with complaints beginning to pile up in various Apple forums, Apple Inc. finally looked into it and admitted that there was indeed a problem with the battery life of iOS 5 devices. Apple mentioned that some software bugs are the cause of the problem and will be releasing a software update to fix the battery life problem.

The update, version 5.0.1 of the iOS operating system was released to the public last Thursday and it was supposed to fix the issue with the battery life. But  reports are still coming in of users whose phones still exhibited the same battery drain problem even after installing the update. So it looks like the update has not completely solved the problem.

Apple has been typically quiet about the exact nature of the problem. The only thing the company is willing to share is that it is related to some “bugs” that only affect a small number of phones. But with the update proving to be a failure it only means that the engineers at Apple really don’t know the exact cause of the problem. Apple has issued a statement saying that the update did solve many of the battery related problems on iPhones but it is still investigating a “few remaining issues”.

All people can do at this point is to wait for Apple to release another update that will hopefully resolve this problem once and for all.

According to affected users, iOS 5 has affected their devices’ battery life. After the upgrade, their battery gets drained faster. Apple has finally acknowledged the issue last week and admitted that the issue is related to the installation of iOS 5 on these machines. The company said that it will be working on solving the battery life issue with an update. And now it looks like that new update will be coming sooner rather than later.

IT was reported last week that Apple has started distributing a beta version of iOS 5.0.1 to developers. The latest news is that the beta version is now being deployed to a number of select end users so that it can be tested. These select end users were chosen based on a referral made by AppleCare.

People who want to install the new beta version update are being warned by Apple that if they install the update they will not be able to revert back to the original iOS 5 version. As an upside the users who have been chosen to participate in the test will be able to access the new features being included with iOS 5.0.1, among them improvements to Siri and plugging a number of security vulnerabilities in the OS.