App Store clutter remains an ongoing issue. In addition to “business card” applications that offer little or no functionality beyond a simple web page^[1], there are lite editions, demo editions, full editions, and even in the case of Tweetie 2, completely new applications providing upgraded functionality.

Each of those applications must be registered with a unique app identifier, each one takes up a separate slot when installed on your iPhone’s home screen, each application occupies a separate App Store listing, complete with its own screen shots, marketing material, reviews, and so forth. Each one must be managed by you in iTunes, where you must decide which to sync, which to keep, and so forth. Read more…

24/7 Wall St. reports that Apple and App Store developers appear to have lost approximately $450 million to piracy since the marketplace for iPhone and iPod touch application opened in July 2008. The rough number is based on several estimates regarding the proportion of downloads that are paid applications, the piracy rate for paid applications, and the proportion of pirated app users who would have paid for the applications had pirated versions not been available. Read more…

These days we have talked a lot about the new version of iBluetooth MeDevil that has almost completely finished. The application is entered in beta and we got to try so hard to find below the full review exclusively on iSpazio. The changes are really a lot starting from the GUI, continuing with the icon, functions and even the name. Fact no longer defined as “iBluetooth” but will be called iBlueNova.

iBlueNova is the only application in the world that allows us to send and receive files, pictures, videos, and photos via Bluetooth with all other phones, smart phones and computers. It is therefore a complete release of Bluetooth natively blocked by Apple for the only communication between two iPhone or iPod Touch.

As soon as we start the application by clicking on the switch we turn on the bluetooth place on top of the menu item “Enable”. At this point we can set the visibility of our iPhone, to appear on all other devices and receive files. Read more…

A new patent application revealed this week suggests Apple is looking to improve its touchscreen displays with technology that could make them thinner, lighter and brighter.

The application, entitled “Display with Dual-Function Capacity Elements,” describes a pair of voltage lines that run across adjacent display pixels. With the described technology, capacitors could be included in the pixels of an LCD display, and could operate individually.

This method would allow panels with integrated touch sensors to be manufactured with fewer parts and processing steps, allowing the display to be thinner, lighter, and brighter. The method would eliminate the need for a touch sensor panel overlaying a display. Read more…

Ryan Petrich and Chpwn have released their ProSwitcher utility to easily switch between background iPhone apps.

ProSwitcher 1.0 can be installed from the BigBoss Cydia Repository. It is a Palm Pre-styled application switcher which integrates with SpringBoard for a simple and smooth experience.

To force applications to run in the background you must use the Backgrounder application which can also be installed from Cydia.

Via iclarified.com

I know that many of our readers will be traveling during the holiday season, so I wanted to share a walk-through that will help keep your MacBook of choice connected on the go. This is an article intended for those using iPhones on carriers that do not officially support tethering. TUAW would like to remind you that this is unsupported and is enabled at the user’s own risk. This does require jailbreaking your iPhone, so the unadventurous in the audience may want to pass this up. If you’re not already jailbroken, you can download the necessary software, like blackra1n from George Hotz or Pwnage from the iPhone Dev Team.
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AT&T has released an iPhone application that gives customers the ability to notify the carrier of their location when they experience poor service.

“AT&T Mark the Spot” was released in the iPhone App Store Monday. The 0.3MB free application, version 1.0.1, requires iPhone OS version 3.0 or later.

“AT&T Mark the Spot is an application that provides customers a means to provide feedback on network user experience to AT&T,” the application’s description reads. The nation’s second-largest wireless carrier also listed the following features for its new software:
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Wizdaz, one of the iPhone DevTeam members is going to release the SmartScreen application that will allow widgets to be placed on your iphone lockscreen tomorrow. You will be able to have your calendar, stocks, weather, news, twitter and multiple other things running on your iphone’s lockscreen. It is said that there will be a lite version of this app that will let you run three widgets for free on your lockscreen but if you want to run more you will have to pay. Continue reading for full details on this app Read more…

Apple plans to release a new “Concierge” application for the iPhone and iPod touch that will allow customers to schedule appointments at retail stores, AppleInsider has been told.

According to a source that has proven reliable in the past, the App Store software will allow anyone to view memberships and make appointments for services at retail stores, like the Genius Bar or One to One. No release date or the alleged application was provided.

The information on the potential new iPhone application was corroborated Monday in a separate report from MacRumors.
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Apple has quietly launched iTunes Preview, a web based preview for those iTunes links that used to just open the application.

Previously, when linking to a song or album in iTunes your browser would open a blank page and prompt you to open the link with the iTunes application. This was fine if you had the iTunes application installed but annoying if you didn’t. Read more…