One of the biggest criticisms leveled at the iPhone and the iPad — that it can’t run third-party apps in the background — will be fixed at last (partially, anyway), with a little help from iPhone software 4.0, Steve Jobs announced Thursday. The major OS revision will arrive this summer for the iPhone, while iPad users will have to wait until the fall.
The new iPhone software will pack in more than 100 new features, Jobs promised, including (besides multitasking) a unified email inbox, support for Apple’s new iBookstore, a social gaming network, a series of interface enhancements (such as app folders and wallpapers for the home screen) and — yep, it was bound to happen — a new, Apple-controlled mobile ad framework, with Apple set to keep a generous 40 percent of future ad revenue for itself.
Without further ado, then, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:
Multitasking
Here’s how it’ll work: If you’re running an app on the iPhone — anything from the core Mail app to, say, a game like Tap Tap Revenge — you just double-click the Home key to pull up a small window shade at the bottom of the screen, which can show four apps at a time (just swipe to scroll through more running apps). Tap an app in the new multitasking “dock” and you’ll switch to the app, with the first app’s state saved in the background.
So, will all these apps actually be running in the background? Well, no (if they did, they’d slow iPhone performance to a crawl and eat up battery life, Jobs said). That said, Apple will be allowing a few selected processes to run in the background, including music, VOIP, and location-based apps.
For example, Pandora will still play music while you’re browsing on Safari (you can even pause Pandora or skip tracks using the iPhone’s “lock” control bar), you’ll be able to answer and maintain VOIP calls (think Skype and the like) while you’re working in other apps, and location-aware apps like Loopt will be able to track your location in the background via cell-tower triangulation. (An icon will appear in the iPhone’s top status bar to warn you if a background app is tracking your location; you’ll also get to tweak a series of new location-based privacy settings).
Universal e-mail inbox
Here’s a feature that’s been a long time in coming. Currently, iPhone users checking multiple email accounts have had to switch back and forth between those accounts to see their respective in boxes (a process that takes several more clicks than it should). With iPhone OS 4.0, however, users will at last get a single, unified in box, just like BlackBerry users have enjoyed since … well, forever. You’ll also be able to “fast switch” between accounts, sort messages by thread, and open attachments with a third-part app (nice). Also, good news for Exchange users: No longer will you be restricted to a single Exchange account.
Home screen enhancements
You know how the iPhone won’t allow you to select wallpaper for the home screen? (That’s the home screen with all your app icons, not the lock screen with the digital clock and the “slide to unlock” thingy). That’s all set to change once iPhone OS 4.0 comes out. You’ll also be able to create “folder” icons that contain a series of apps — say, for all your games — effectively boosting the number of apps that can be displayed on the iPhone’s home screen from 180 to more than 2,100.
Social gaming network
The Xbox 360 has Xbox Live, the PS3 has the PlayStation Network, and now the iPhone will have Game Center, a new social gaming system that’ll let you earn achievements, invite pals to your personal gaming network, compare top scores on leaderboards, and square off with other players via matchmaking. Third-party developers who’ve already set up their own social gaming networks for the iPhone (such as Gameloft and OpenFeint) aren’t gonna like this one bit.
A word from our sponsors
Plenty of iPhone apps already feature in-app advertisements, but Steve Jobs (unsurprisingly) thinks Apple can do it better — thus, iAd, a framework for dynamic new in-app, HTML5-powered ads that “deliver interaction and emotion” (I know, I know). Jobs showed off a series of demos, including a full-motion app for Pixar’s “Toy Story 3″ (shocker!), a Nike ad that lets you design your own shoe, and a Target ad that lets you set up your dorm room. Ads won’t pull users out of a running app, Jobs promised, and you’ll also be able to play videos, games, download wallpaper, and view maps from within the ad itself. Last but not least: Apple says it’ll split ad revenue with advertisers 60-40, with Apple keeping the 40-percent cut. Look who just got into the advertising business.
Other enhancements
Expect the iBookstore to come to the iPhone with OS 4.0, along with a series of enterprise enhancements (in-app encryption, wireless app deployment for an entire workforce, etc.) and support for Bluetooth keyboards.
Which iPhones/the iPad will be compatible with OS 4.0?
The iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod Touch will be fully compatible with the new OS, multitasking and all, Jobs said. If you have the iPhone 3G or the second-gen iPod Touch, they will run “many things” in OS 4.0, but multitasking won’t be one of them. Finally, the iPad will also be getting all the new OS 4.0 features — including multitasking — but not until this fall. Jobs didn’t mention the original iPhone or iPod Touch, nor did he mention a fee for iPod Touch users wishing to upgrade (as we’ve seen in the past).
What we didn’t get
No Flash support (just “no,” Jobs reportedly said). No status-bar notifications for new email or SMS messages (which already exist on WebOS and Android phones). And no mention at all of an iPhone for Verizon.

No, this has nothing to do with the Olympics or World Championships, but it is of equal importance to those who live and breathe Apple – paying members of Apple’s iPhone Developer Program can now access the Gold Master seed of the iPhone SDK for OS 3.2. What is the big hoo-ha for this, you ask? Well, for the uninitiated, this would be the maiden version of the operating system that offers support for the iPad that looks set to take the world (or at least, North America) by storm. Guess with this, we could be looking at a flurry of iPad apps coming our way sooner rather than later.

Want to catch up on the latest adventures of your favourite ABC program while you’re waiting at the departure terminal? With the ABC Player application for the iPad you’ll be able to do just that. And did we mention that it is entirely free?
We had an inkling that it was coming and that’s been confirmed as ABC has officially unveiled its iPad app on the App Store. ABC Player currently has about 20 of the network’s most popular shows, with the likes of Desperate Housewives, FlashForward, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Modern Family, and V making the list.
The app will allow you to browse through the shows and check out the network’s primetime television schedule. You’ll be able to watch full episodes for free, with a sprinkling of advertisements thrown in. However, video streaming is only supported over Wi-Fi. The app will maintain a history of the episodes you’ve watched and allow you to resume watching any of them from the point where you’d left off.
ABC Player is available on the App Store for free and is compatible with any iPad running iPhone OS 3.2 or later.

The process to develop an iPhone app is not as hard or as simple as one might think. I am not a programmer, but wanted to see if I could teach myself how to develop an iPhone app. The news features all sorts of articles about kids as young as 9 that can make them. If they can do it, surely the rest of us can, too?
Like cooking, there is a bit of a process involved in “cooking” up an app. This article isn’t about your style of cooking, per se (i.e programming), but just the general steps necessary to get it from your head and into iTunes.
Creating an app isn’t entirely free, so it is important to know up front that, at some point in this process, you will be shelling out $99 (USD). Also, it is important to know up front that you will need to use a Mac at some point, and will need to use specific Mac-happy code to create your app.
Now that we have all seen the fine print, here are the exciting steps to app happiness!
Step 1: Craft A Brainy Idea
Have a unique idea for an app? There are, as you probably know, a trillion (OK, may not a TRILLION) apps out there. So what makes an app stand out? Why would anyone want to use your app? Why would they pay money for it if you are going to charge?
Be sure to check that there aren’t other apps that do the same thing that you are proposing. Or if you want to create something better than an app that already exists, think about how your idea will be better. Draw it out on paper or on the computer.
Step 2: Get A Mac
The iPhone is an Apple product and uses a variation of the Mac OS. Currently, the iPhone development tools are only available for Mac users (even though there is evidence of designing in jail break mode on a PC), but in order to get it up in the App Store, you will eventually need a Mac to get it there. You can buy a Mac mini relatively cheaply if you don’t have a Mac at your disposal.
Step 3: Register As An Apple Developer
To work with the Mac tools, you will need to become an official Apple Developer. Registration is free so you simply have to give them your information and agree to their terms. You only need to register once, and you are able to use the same username and password used for your iTunes account. Once you are an Apple Developer, you can develop iPhone apps for any of the Mac products.
Step 4: Download The Software Development Kit For iPhone (SDK)
Once you are an official developer, you can download the SDK for iPhone. The version you need depends on the OS you are currently running. This download is HUGE because it comes with all sorts of documentation, sample codes, and all sorts of things you will be glad to have later on. It could take a few hours, so you might want to start the download, put in a good movie, and wait.
ManiacDev is a really great site with TONS of information geared to both uber-newbies like me and tech gurus. Just start with the first video, watch and take notes as you go. Really and truly, these are the best tutorials I have found!
Step 5: Download XCode
If you don’t already have it, download XCode. According to Apple, “Xcode is a complete, full-featured IDE built around a smooth workflow that integrates the editing of source code, with the build and compile steps, through to a graphical debugging experience – all without leaving the view of your source code.” This is another huge download, so you might want to rent a second movie.
Step 6: Develop Your iPhone App With The Templates In The SDK
Once you have your app drawn out on paper or in Photoshop, you can start designing it with the templates provided in the SDK. This is where that HUGE amount of download time will be a huge benefit. You will have lots of templates to choose from, and there are a lot of great YouTube clip tutorials on how to use the templates effectively.
Step 7: Learn Objective-C For Cocoa
If you love programming languages, you will love Objective-C. If you don’t know how to program, this is the part that can get pretty sticky, so you might want to find a programmer friend or hire someone. It really does help to get a book, too, for reference.
Step 8: Program Your App In Objective-C
Once you at least understand the basics of Objective-C (or at least know how to find answers to programming questions), you are ready to program your app. It helps to take screenshots as you go along so you can remember what you tried. Some apps can take just a few hours to program while other Apps can take months. Only you know how much detail you want out there for its maiden voyage in the App Store!
Step 9: Test The App In The iPhone Simulator and on relevant devices
The SDK comes with a lovely iPhone Simulator. You will need to load up your app and do your own testing. You should try to work out as many bugs as possible and think about all the ways someone might use your app.
Step 10: Host A Bake Sale
Remember when I told you in the fine print that you would have to raise some cash? This is that moment. Sadly, loading an app into iTunes costs a one time member fee of $99 (USD). There is no way out of this fee, but you might earn it back in triplicate if your app is worthy! Truly though, you DO get a lot for your $99. For one, you get access to some of the coolest people on this side of Pluto!
Step 11: Have Others Test Your App
Once you pay your fee, you will be able to have others in the app community test your app and help you work out final bugs. This is a great community, and testing new stuff is lots of fun. If you are a newbie like me, you will be in awe of the kings and queens of geeky stardom. Depending on the nature and complexity of your app, this process can take some time.
Step 12: Submit Your App For Approval
After testing your app in the community and working out all the bumps, you can submit the app to iTunes for approval. You will be able to upload it right from the community. The process of approval can take some time, so be patient!
Step 13: Watch The Dough & Traffic Roll In!
If you created a paid app, just wait for the money to roll in to shore. If you created a free app, watch the traffic!

On the surface, the iPad looks like a pretty good deal. After all, just $499 gets you in the door with the entry-level model, which seems plenty capable for most users.
But there’s a dark side to the iPad that’s now starting to surface, thanks to leaked videos of the soon-to-be-launched iPad app store. No, the apps themselves look fine: It’s the price of the apps that, to be blunt, can be downright exorbitant.
Consumerist took a close look at the apps being marketed for the iPad’s launch and found that they’re not going to be cheap. Far from it, to be honest. Where 99 cents is a common price point for apps on the iPhone, iPad apps are coming in around $4.99. The cheapest application displayed during the video demo costs $2.99, and one app shown costs $49.99.
On average, for applications that have an equivalent version on the iPhone, the price increase is 96 percent, almost double what you’d pay for the same apps on the smartphone format.
To be fair, these aren’t the exact same applications, but rather iPad or “HD” versions of the apps optimized for the larger screen. Most iPhone apps will run on the iPad, but they won’t take advantage of the larger resolution screen, so vendors have to rewrite applications for the iPad with the bigger display in mind. That’s worth something — but is it worth double, and in some cases five times, the original price? We aren’t talking about massive programming undertakings here, but primarily subbing in different graphics that will look better on the iPad’s larger screen.
Pricing on iPad applications is far from finalized right now, of course, and vendors probably know the lesson all too well that it is much easier to lower prices over time than it is to raise them. Start high and you’re a hero when you cut the cost by a buck or two, but double the price from $.99 to $1.99 and you’re a money-grubbing villain.

The first batch of iPad applications have become visible in the App Store. Applications can be purchased and downloaded, but obviously require an iPad to be functional. Downloaded iPad apps appear in a separate section of the “Apps” pane in iTunes, below iPhone and iPod touch applications.
Apple has also updated the Terms and Conditions for the App Store, reflecting the addition of iPad functionality and also clarifying that various types of iTunes gift cards and other credits are managed by a separate company known as Apple Value Services, LLC.
The early list of iPad apps can also be viewed at Appshopper.com. Notable early iPad apps includes:
Mirror’s Edge for iPad, AIM For iPad, Super Monkey Ball 2 for iPad, Things for iPad, USA Today for iPad, The Wall Street Journal, ABC Player, Keynote, Pages.

Mashable yesterday noted that Apple has rolled out revamped App Store pages in Facebook offering full browsing and search access for the store.
In the Featured tab on the App Store’s Facebook page, you can see top apps and view the sales charts for paid and free apps across different categories. This is the same information that you would get from iTunes or from the App Store application on your iPhone or iPod touch, but it’s all in Facebook.
Clicking the “Get App” button links users directly to the iTunes Preview or iTunes page for the item, allowing for easy purchase and installation. The new layout also incorporates a “Share” function to allow users to post links to items on their walls. A separate “Search & Share” tab moves things beyond the top apps lists to allow for full searching of the App Store.
Vitrue, the company behind the project, notes that the App Store pages are built on the same technology that powers the existing iTunes Facebook pages and will be expanded in the future to offer additional searching and sharing tools.

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Celebrate Passover and Easter with us.
Essential Oil iGuide at the discounted price of 99c for a limited time (March 28, 2010 to April 6, 2010).
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iPhone App – Essential Oils iGuide

Screenshots

Summary

A few things to note:

Essential Oils iPhone App has been designed as a simple and easy to use guide for the average person wanting to add a little alternative options to their daily living.
The concept of the application is to provide you with access to 3 basic features.
A list of essential oils (and this is by no means all there is).

Some General Uses listed alphabetically.

Then we have created a group of Recipes that show the versatility and wondrous uses of Essential Oils.

A few things to be aware of:

The information provided in this application is for general information purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information:

Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin.
If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner.
Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses.
It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an oil that you’ve never used before.

Apple officially invites developers to begin submitting iPad applications to the App Store for inclusion in the grand opening of the iPad App Store at its launch on April 3rd. In the e-mail sent to developers, Apple invites app submissions for an initial review of their readiness for the iPad.
iPad will begin shipping soon and your opportunity to be part of the grand opening of the iPad App Store starts today. Submit your iPad app now for an initial review by the App Review Team and receive feedback on its readiness for the grand opening.
Submit Your App by March 27.
- Build and test your iPad app using iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 available on the iPhone Dev Center. Only iPad apps built with iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 will be accepted for this initial review.
- Upload your distribution signed app through iTunes Connect by Saturday, March 27, 5pm PDT.
- The App Review Team will review your app on iPad and email you details about the readiness of your app.
- You will also receive additional information about submitting your app for final review before iPad ships.
- Only apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store.
Apple has provided iPads to a select set of developers under tight security in order to assist them with preparing their apps for the iPad’s launch. The vast majority of developers will, however, have to rely on the iPad simulator included in the iPhone SDK 3.2 for iPad for testing their apps.

First, Apple ticked off some iPhone app developers. Now it’s giving the boot to iPhone screen protector vendors.
In a scene in the 2004 movie Troy, a young virgin priestess professes her love for the god, Apollo. Achilles, played by Brad Pitt, replies, “I think you’ll find the romance one-sided.”
For a few of the Apple faithful, like Gerrard Dennis, CEO of The Simply Group, Achilles’ words can sting without warning. The Simply Group’s iPhone retail app for women’s beach apparel was caught up in Apple’s raid on smut in the App Store.
“I do understand [Apple's] motives,” Dennis says, “although they applied them with the finesse of a club hammer!”
Only three months into the new year, a rejuvenated Apple has shown god-like indifference to its faithful followers, even dealing crushing blows to the businesses of unsuspecting iPhone software developers and Apple-related product vendors.
In February, Apple shunned Macworld Expo, then took some wind out of Macworld Expo’s sails by staging its own announcement of the much-anticipated iPad just two weeks before the start of Macworld Expo.
When Apple launched its iPhone three years ago, industry watchers said the key to its success would be wooing apps developers. And they came to the new platform in droves, helping to make the iPhone one of the greatest tech stories ever told. Today, there are more than 140,000 iPhone apps.
But late last month Apple suddenly removed apps containing what it called sexual content. No forewarning. No explanation. No apologies. Never mind that Apple had already approved these apps. The raid also didn’t include top branded apps, such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit app.
Apple didn’t seem to care what happened to banned developers. Dennis’ phone calls and emails, for instance, went unanswered. Dennis says that he even wondered if anyone from Apple actually took the time to evaluate apps or Apple just made a sweeping decision based on keywords.
The Simply Group was one of the lucky ones; its banned iPhone app magically reappeared on the App Store four days later. Yet other app developers wrote to me crying foul. On an Apple whim, they said, their businesses had been obliterated overnight.
Next to feel Apple’s wrath: iPhone screen-protector vendors. Several vendors speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid conflict with Apple told Macworld that Apple will stop selling screen films for the iPhone, iPad and MacBook in its App Store and retail outlets. Apple did not explain the decision, they said.
To be fair, vendors told Macworld that screen protectors are returned at a higher rate than other products due to the difficultly of applying them without causing air bubbles. Power Support, a maker of iPhone screen protectors, did not return my calls.
The ban also includes iPhone cases with screen protectors, vendors said. “The move has left some case vendors scrambling to quickly repackage their products sans screen protection, so as not to lose their privileged place in Apple’s stores,” according to the Macworld story.
Screen and anti-glare films are popular among iPhone owners and have saved screens from scratches, including mine. Yet Apple apparently has decided that they aren’t important anymore given more scratch-resistant screens of the latest iPhone models.
Like others, vendors that have built their businesses on screen protectors find themselves suddenly out of luck without any recourse. Apple’s actions really do bear resemblance to the arrogance and apathy of the Greek gods.