Google Latitude, which launched in February 2009, was not available on the iPhone after Apple asked the search engine giant not develop an iOS App to avoid user confusion between the integrated Maps Application. After living 2-years as a web App, Google Latitude was finally allowed to be developed for iOS devices and was recently approved for the App Store. The App supports real-time location updating even when it’s not running.

New Features Of Google Latitude

With Latitude, you can:
- See your friends on a map – find out who’s nearby and meet up.
- Share your location continuously with whomever you choose – help friends and family stay in touch with you, even when you canÂ’t take out your phone.
- Control your privacy – share only city-level location, hide your location, or turn off background updating at any time.

Google Latitude is available from the App Store for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, iPad and iPod Touch.

Now three times quickly please. HEX iPod Nano watch band, HEX iPod Nano watch band, HEX iPod Nano watch band.

Let me break you the great news now: that isn’t the complete name of those and actually they are called : HEX watch band for iPod Nano Gen. 6. In all honesty though, these watch bands don’t look too bad at all. While they immediately might make one think of our painfully beloved Hasselhoff and K.I.T.T, until you plug in your earphones the HEX watch band for …. yes those, look nice and come at the reasonable price of only $24.95.

While the ‘Patent pending’ statement ambitions seems, especially considered how many cases and arm bands already have been created for iPods and iPhones, I do like the concept of these iPod Nano watch bands for those among us who use their iPod Nano as… errr… watch.

As can be seen in above image, sadly the magic and slick look immediately disappears as soon as you plug in your earphones. Other than that they are nice and I think many a jogger or fitness freak could now have the perfect excuse to get a new Gen. 6 iPod Nano.

Get yours from HEX and get 10% off if you order today. These are way cool as the HEX site states itself.

Needz moar lightsaber we say.

I received a free care package from iFrogz a while back, and in it was this fancy pair of headphones, the iFrogz CS40s. I’m always on the hunt for good headphones, so I gave these a run for a few weeks to see how they worked.

The look is pretty cool, and they fit my mammoth head pretty well. The top is plastic and adjustable, and the headphone pads can rotate and fold for easy packing. But better yet, they’re comfortable, which is pretty important in a set of headphones. Although they’re not referred to as noise canceling, they were pretty good at dulling down the noise from my 8-month-old son (who was being watched by my wife at the time), and get pretty loud. So loud that I actually found myself popping my ears at times.

That brings us to the sound, arguably the most important part of a pair of headphones. The bass is pretty amazing, able to rock so hard that the pads start to vibrate with the beat. The problem here though is with the treble, which has a hard time keeping up. This caused me to jack up the volume to hear the lyrics, which just made my ears hurt in the end. It’s great for hip-hop – one of my chosen selections – but put it on talk or pop and the results are a bit disappointing.

They’re pretty cheap at  $39.99, but I find myself having a hard time recommending these for everybody. Like I said, if you like hard bass, these kick butt. Otherwise, you may want to pass.

When Steve Jobs introduced the new iPod Nano, he mentioned that one of his coworkers was going to buy a wrist strap for it and make himself a new watch. With that simple suggestion, he started what seems to be a little cottage industry of Nano wrist straps. Pictured above is the Incipio Linq, but there are lots of others coming out as well.

So is this a good idea? On the one hand, it seems kinda neat to carry your iPod with you every day while it doubles as your watch, but isn’t it a little bit dorky? Who wants to listen to music when the headphone plug is connected to your hands? It seems to me that if you’re actually using the thing, you’d have to take it off of your wrist.

I dunno, maybe I’m just getting old. But this seems like one trend that I just can’t get behind.

I’m not what people would call “active.” My wife on the other hand, she’s a little spitfire. She loves going out running, and can’t wait until we can get a new stroller for jogging with our little one. I’ve recently resolved to lose some extra weight though, and I’ve looked to my iPhone for help. IOS 4 comes standard with the Nike+ system, but I didn’t want to spend the money on the sensor if I didn’t really need it. Wasn’t there another option?

There is, and although there are other apps that do the same thing, Nike is now in on the game with the Nike+ GPS app [iTunes Link]. Just download the app for $1.99 and put your iPhone on your arm or pocket while you go for a run. That’s it, that easy. The app tracks your progress on a map using GPS, and you can use it to set a predetermined distance if you feel it’s necessary. You can also get feedback via the app to give you motivation while you run.

I’m not a big fan of running, but I’ve got to do something to get some exercise. Having this app is not only good motivation, but also pretty cool as well. And if you do enjoy running, then this app should be a gimme.

The new iPod Nano makes me wonder why anyone would buy the iPod Shuffle. Sure, the shuffle is cheap and all that, but you get tons more storage with the Nano and it’s only a little bit bigger than the Shuffle. Oh, and it’s got a display. But regardless, this small size makes some people wonder how they’re going to protect something so tiny. At least that’s what I assume Griffin is thinking when they designed this case, the Wristlet.

So … it’s a case. It’s made of silicone, and stretches around your Nano. But better yet – if you consider this better, anyways – it also has a wrist strap on it. That means you can wear your iPod Nano from a plastic rubber band dangling on your wrist, or just give your tiny device a little handle.

Is that an advantage? I’d think that the Nano now appeals to gym rats and the like, not people who need some kind of tether for their iPod. But whatever, it’s out there. And if you want to spend $19.99 on the thing, go ahead. Me, I don’t get it. But hey, I’m not everybody.

[Image via GigaOM]

We’re just a few days away from the next iPod event, and that means there’s lots of speculation coming down the pike. I’ve been monitoring many of these rumors for a while now, but like most rumors, they’re all full of crap. One of them though seems to be getting more and more persistant, and it’s coming from many different sources. It comes down to a combination of different bits of evidence, including an image of a square touchscreen, and pictures of some case prototypes. Ultimately, it seems like this rumor could actually happen.

The basic premise would look like something above, albeit probably without the button: A small screen capable of viewing movies and album covers, that would also integrate a touchscreen navigation system. I’d imagine something like a “swipe to advance tracks” type of thing. Would it work? Yeah, I think it’s definitely possible, and it would be pretty cool as well. The lack of any kind of track indicator on the current iPod Shuffle is a pretty big detriment, but it’s one that people have dealt with for years. The real problem is the lack of buttons on anything other than the headphones, which means that you can’t use every set of headphones with the player. I’m not sure how that translates financially for Apple, but I know that I haven’t bought one because of it. Now if this square touchscreen happened, then I think that becomes a high-selling model.

Just a few more days now and as they say, all will be revealed.

I love Monoprice. There are a few reasons why, but most of it comes down to their great customer service and low prices, both of which I’ve spoken about before. But now, it looks like they’re not going to be selling Apple cables anymore, and the reason why takes a bit explaining.

First, there’s a Bloomberg article about the topic. Let’s start there:

Apple Inc. sued companies it said are selling unauthorized electronic accessories such as chargers, speakers and cables for the iPod music player, iPhone and iPad tablet computer.

“Many are of inferior quality and reliability, raising significant concerns over compatibility with and damage to Apple’s products,” Apple said in the complaint, citing a user comment that a charger from one of the companies drained his iPod rather than replenishing the battery.

The suit is an example of the tight grip Apple keeps on its products, including approval of accessories and applications. Apple has a program called “Made for iPod” under which manufacturers get a license to sell accessories for devices. Apple collects a royalty of 20 percent to 25 percent from each sale of a licensed accessory, according to Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Bros. LP in San Francisco.

Wow. So this must’ve spooked Monoprice, I’d imagine. Guess it did, because it prompted this response via their Facebook page:

Unfortunately, all the iPhone/iPod cables and chargers are currently considered discontinued. I can not promise that we will be offering any new items to replace them anytime soon. For now, the only iPhone/iPod accessories we are selling are the cases and screen protectors. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.

And that was just today. A few days ago, it was this:

Kyler Pace: What happened to your iPod accessories, and earphones w/ built-in mic!!??

Monoprice: We have decided to suspend offering these products as part of our business plan. We will let you know if and when we resume selling these products

Wow. Well that certainly sucks, because I really liked their selection. Guess if you missed this news when it happened as I did, you’re just as disappointed as I am.

My son turned 5 months old the other day, and with it came an exciting new discovery: Yelling. That’s right, he’s now figured out how to yell, and he loves to do it. Now I work at home with my wife, with me doing the working while she does a little work and a lot of taking care of the kiddo. When he gets to screaming, it becomes pretty difficult to focus on anything other than his piercing sounds. To work that issue out, I’ve been considering getting myself a pair of noise-reducing headphones, but I just don’t have the cash.

Then I remembered about a pair of headphones I got last year as part of an article I wrote for a magazine I was working at back then. They’re called the Jaybird Endorphin Rush, and they’re designed for athletes. The earbuds sit deep in the canal, and my set came with a pair of plastic cord guides that fit over my ears. I decided to dig them out of a drawer and give them a listen.

When connected to my MacBook Pro, I started noticing sounds that I had never noticed before. Little details in the music that had failed me with other headphones, were now front and center. Plus, they have a good amount of bass, something that many tiny headphones just don’t have.

Ever since I found them, I’ve been using them exclusively. They don’t drown out the kiddo completely, but they do filter out enough noise to be able to focus on the day to day stuff. They’re not cheap – $99 online – but to me, they’re worth every penny. Granted, there’s a lot of competition out there for headphones at that price, but I sure like them and they’ve saved my patience.

Music, music, everywhere. It’s how I like my life, which is why we have music in every room in our home- from our bedroom to our kitchen to our bathroom (because there’s nothing quite like showering to Yo-Yo Ma after a long, tiring day).

To accomplish this, we’ve always had various stereo system and boom boxes set up- in our kitchen, we have an old CD walkman(!) hooked up to a pair of waterproof speakers. Last weekend, we decided that it was time to take the plunge and “modernize” our kitchen system.

Because I love our speakers, the first thing we looked at was an iPod Shuffle. It seemed like the perfect choice: small, unobtrusive, and available in a color that would go wonderfully with my kitchen walls. Best of all, at just $79 for the 4GB version, the price was perfect.

Just when we were about the make the purchase, however, we discovered something:

“Because of the extra tier on the 3.5mm jack/hub that connects the 3rd Gen. iPod Shuffle to other appliances, to connect the iPod to anything but the specific headphones that come with or similar compatible headphones you need an adapter.” (source)

That stopped us in our tracks. We needed a $19.95 adapter to be able to connect the Shuffle to our speakers? And to control the Shuffle as well?

So we looked at the Nano. For an additional $50, we could get double the GB, a built-in video camera, an FM radio, and be able to watch videos as well. And that’s what we did.

Which brings me to this question: why buy an iPod Shuffle at all? Is it really much better for working out at the gym? Is it the novelty of owning a music player smaller than a stick of gum?

I’d love to hear from iPod Shuffle owners out there- especially those who own the third generation Shuffles. What is it best for?

And then there are the apps. I’ve posted before about one of the cooking apps I use, and here’s one that I love even more: AllRecipes.com’s Dinner Spinner Pro.

Yes, it’s a cutesy name, but once you try this app you’ll see how apt it is. Don’t know what to prepare for dinner? The “spinner” lets you select a course type (e.g. Dessert, Main Dish, etc.), ingredients you already have (or feel like having), as well as how long the dish will take to make. Home cooks across the world, rejoice! You can search through AllRecipes.com’s massive recipe database, and read ratings and reviews from other cooks. Dinner Spinner is $2.99 at the App Store.

Of course, if you’re using your iPhone or iPod Touch heavily in the kitchen, you’ll want to protect it with a good, waterproof case. I myself am partial to this one:

The Rugged, Water-Resistant, Crushproof Case by OtterBox is $49.95- but, of course, the peace of mind it gives me is priceless.

Do you use your iPod Touch or iPhone in the kitchen?

I’m a big fan of docs. I don’t like my desk getting cluttered up with miscellaneous gadgets and doo-dads, just waiting for something to fall off and get broken. Docks put everything in their place, make it all look nice and neat, and they’re convenient.

I came across this on the intertubes today, and I got a little tingly, I’m not going to lie. Buffalo has just released their new Dualie Dock, designed to hold a 500gb portable drive as well as an iPod or iPhone, and can be connected to your Mac or PC by either a USB 2.0 plug, or a Firewire 800 cable. Bonus: It’s got an extra USB port too, so it can be used as a dock. Better yet, it’s made of fancy aluminum with a black plastic front, so it matches your iMac or MacBook Pro.

The cost? At $249, it’s a bit steep. After all you can get a 500gb USB drives with docks for around $120. But the firewire is nice, as is the dock, and it is very pretty. It’s now available at the Apple Store if you feel like spending some cash.

If the “Time Out New York” user is a bona fide tourist decked out in a four-foot squared map, two digital cameras with wide angle lenses and round eyes (that look as though they had spotted a bright ghost alongside the awesome skyscrapers), then this App is essential to finding friends, restaurants, museums, bars, clubs and, most importantly, unique events that are ongoing, like music concerts at Radio City, Madison Square Garden and dozens of others.

Look over a Google Maps-like picture of the city, and put pins on every potential pizza place that serves up steaming hot extra cheese pies for twelve bucks!

Even the NYC native cannot deny that the “Time Out New York” application is a city dweller’s best friend. This free iPhone program becomes invaluable to anyone and everyone in New York as it not only locates all of the arts, sports and hot dog vendors (well maybe not the vendors), but it gives critics’ reviews of whatever you desire to do, providing pertinent information such as what is free for students, what is costly to urbanites and what is somewhere worth going into for any fee.

This App works offline; so do not worry about losing service and guiltily stranding friends that you were supposed to meet at the MOMA, because the user-friendly map will still be there to guide you.

Grade: A+

In order to fight off the ruthless hugging armies Oliver uses his rifle and crossbow to blast off the horrid pink heads, spilling their rainbow blood. The player fortifies himself behind sandbags and resumes a position taking down the enemy as they make their approach over the surrounding hills.

This game is a must have! The sound, visuals and gameplay offer a “Call of Duty”-like experience. The command center even radios in orders to stay put and vanquish the Huggable Bears, before an extract point can be made to get Oliver out of enemy territory. Before he can leave, the colossal bears, varying in size and numbers, must all be destroyed; this feat then unlocks new weapons, like bazookas and chainsaws.

When the music blares and the onslaught of dozens of humorous pink bears get close, Oliver can tap the screen to aim with one thumb and tap the screen again with the player’s other thumb to easily send piles of bodies flying through the air in the nick of time.

Grade: A

[Visit to Download "Battle Bears" On Sale]

Well that’s New York, and its useful, necessary and intricate underground train system, the subway, is a mystery to tourists, and at times, a hazard to locals that have to travel the city’s evolved horse and buggy system, and attempt to catch the right train at the right time.

Welcome the NYC “KickMap” application, which has now become a necessary component in subway travel throughout the boroughs in and surrounding the greater Manhattan area. The NYC “KickMap” Lite App for the iPhone is free, and displays an entire zoomable subway map, that does not require internet, as in the dungeons even the fastest 3G internet connection can lapse.

The reputable “KickMap” App has been featured by The New York Times, and in this application every single subway line, stop and connecting train is shown. The innovative design screams touch-screen glory, as you can scroll, zoom, pinch, and peruse this program as if it were Google Maps on the iPhone: it is easy, detailed, and clear.

For a couple of dollars there is also the “24 Hour KickMap” version of the App, which shows the night service cutbacks of the trains in an additional NIGHT map, and it also has a built-in compass within the map itself to orient you to exactly which side of the train tracks you should be on!

Grade: A [iTunes link]

It’s generally not advisable to use these when underwater, but the sheer geek thrill of being able to listen to music while you’re swimming is orgasmic. It can be done, for a price, and that’s adding a huge bulk to your dive equipment. I’m referring to the complete H20 Audio iDive 300 — a huge waterproof casing that fits almost all iPods ever made in history, with headphone extensions that attach to your dive mask.

The system makes use of a series of shell compartments allowing you to fit in different models of iPods including the following:

• iPod touch
• iPhone 3G and 3GS (if cellphone signals can penetrate 5 feet of water, this would be a good stunt!)
• All iPod nano models from first generation to 4th generation, but we think the 5th gen will work too!
• iPod classic
• iPod 5th generation

The biggest disability of the iDive 300 is the fact that it attaches to your mask. The headphones don’t go into your ears — because that’s dangerous. Instead, both left and right speakers fasten themselves onto the mask strap about half an inch away from your ear. It sounds like crap on the surface, but once you go underwater, prepare for surround sound baby! The danger here is that you’ll have a hard time hearing anything else which can be potentially bad if your dive buddy is calling your attention with a tank banger or a horn. I’ve personally tried this and although there’s nothing like diving to Kenny Loggins’ ‘Conviction of the Heart’ (LOL!), be wary of your surroundings. When underwater, sound travels faster and you will have no sense of direction as to where sound is coming from (hence the reason why your headphones are auto-magically converted to surround sound).

The iDive 300 is also a good temporary solution to decompression stops (waterproof until 300 feet) as the latest dive computers don’t have the technology for built in games. If you happen to have an iPod touch underwater, you’d do well sitting out a decompression watching JAWS (it’s a good dare actually) while waiting for your nitrogen contamination to expel from your body.

The entire H20 Audio iDive 300 set costs $349.99.

Somehow the U.S. government has accidentally fired and lost all of the earth’s cows; the source of tasty burgers and filet mignon steaks are all encapsulated in oxygen bubbles keeping them temporarily alive in the harsh anti-climate of space.

This mooing application for the iPhone is a hit, because of the humor surrounding the shocking premise, and the fact that the game is incredibly fun, engaging and difficult.

The concept is simple enough: bounce teleportation bubbles into the cows, or hit the flailing hunks of beef into the teleport devices to transport the animals safely to earth’s viable meat market. Each space gun has a limited number of shots, however, meaning that players have to strategically choose which way to try and ricochet cows and bubbles alike.

The graphics, sound and playability are all up to par in the “Cows in Space” game, which is created by Donut Games, the company famous for its “Garbage Pail Kids” Apps for Apple.

The App gives a hilariously pertinent piece of advice as well: “Tip: Cows are fragile…” Who would have known that cows floating around in the vacuum of space, in transparent bubbles, would be at risk? Puzzles emerge as the lost cows crowd the phone’s screen mooing to be saved by a white knight in a butcher’s coat!

Grade: A

Though it may appear harmless, or possibly even potentially entertaining to fans of the rap star, 50 cent, there can be no doubt that this App is a waste of one megabyte on the precious iPhone’s memory; it is also a terrible expenditure of energy, in moving one’s thumb onto the surface to click and open this abomination.

In a purely profit seeking move, as a result of “vitaminwater” and 50, anyone, and not just all of the music engineers and producers out there, can remix 50’s new song “Baby By Me.” The song is sure to flop harder than my cousin Terry leaping in a fat-roll-gyrating cannonball that delves into the deep-end of the swimming pool. That said the free App is just a little self-promotional.

The graphics are subliminal as they say, “We mix the vitamins, you mix the beats.” Did I mention that “vitaminwater” is helping 50 cent with this one; the man’s ugly baldhead grimaces at you from this App, as though he were constipated. Sorry not the image I want to play anything by, and especially a terrible semblance of a game or App!

IMPULSIVE REVIEW Grade: F

50 cent's Terrible App

When the iPod was first introduced, it was just another MP3 player in a field of other models. But through iTunes and creative marketing, the iPod took off and the world was changed as we know it. Ever since it became popular, people have been trying to figure out a way to hook their iPod into their stereo, bringing their entire music library to the car. There have been lots of different options throughout the years, but the main problem has been that the car stereo manufacturers haven’t been able to keep up with the changes at Apple. They work on a once-a-year release cycle, whereas Apple puts out new iPods sometimes as much as two or three times a year.

This is Alpine’s latest in-dash iPod player, but it’s a little bit different than previous models. For one, there’s no CD or DVD player in the double-din interface. Instead, there’s a USB connection that allows the driver to hook up their iPod – or even a non-Apple MP3 player, if you’re that guy – and play it through the stereo. Previous models wouldn’t allow you to play video from the iPod to the deck, and this model fixes that problem, plus will allow you to connect your iPhone. Even better, there’s Bluetooth built in, so you can answer your iPhone through the stereo, instead of wearing a dorky Bluetooth headset.

I haven’t had any hands-on time with this deck yet, but I’ve been shopping for one for a while now, and this might be the one. When I make up my mind, I’ll give a hands-on review.

Alpine iXA-W407