iPhoneMalaysiaBlog.com wishes everyone a very Hoppy and Happy Chinese New Year 2011 and may all of you have awesome health, wealth and happiness in the year of the Rabbit…..

Apple has recently announced that their AppStore has  more than 10 billion iPhone and iPad apps been downloaded since it was launched on the 10th July, 2008. Yes, it is not a typo error. It is 10 billion apps with a “B”(10 zeroes behind the “1″) and not an “M”.  This is a really incredible and impressive number of downloads from the Apps Store. What does that number mean? It means that on average, there are 18 million apps downloads per day or more than 200 apps per second. So, by the time you finish reading this very short posting, more than 1000 apps has been downloaded.

Last month Skype introduced a new version of its widely used iPhone app that includes video calling support. After evaluating numerous different poor quality video calling applications for smartphones, we were wondering if Skype would be any different. Fortunately, it is. Although video calls over Skype may not be as great as over FaceTime, Skype 3. 0 can make calls over the 3G network and to desktops, making it the best overall mobile video calling application out there.iPhoneMalaysiaBloggers tested Skype on an iPhone 4 over both Wi-Fi and 3G networks. Phone calls needed a bit longer to be connected than anticipated. Audio came through first with video appearing a second or two later. Audio and video quality began somewhat jerky for each call up, but they got better within a few seconds.
Once fully hooked up and past the initial jerkiness, calls were actually pretty fine. Sound came through pretty clear, and video quality, though not amazing, was steady and consistent. Using an iPhone 4, WE were able to have a clear conversation together with another person using Skype 3. 0 on a desktop Mac.The phone calles over 3G were equally good as phone calls made over the Wi-Fi network. Of course, the quality will be very dependent on the quality of the 3G connection.Skype says it produces calls in 320×240 image resolution, at up to 15 fps, and it appeared to live up to its promises. Video quality was also mostly smooth throughout the entire calls we made, even when we moved the cameras around considerably.We also did some direct comparability tests between Skype 3. 0 and FaceTime. We looked at sharpness, frame rate and overall video call quality. As per the video listed below the FaceTime won over Skype throughout all the three tests, although the differences aren’t so drastic as to render Skype useless.FaceTime’s video is meant to reach 30 fps, which is twice the price of Skype. In our tests FaceTime had a frame rate about 35% greater than Skype’s. That made for smoother, clearer video. But Skype still looks good enough for a video call to work just fine.And while FaceTime might be sharper, it is also a lot more limited in scope. Skype is the best video calling software available right now if you want to make calls over the 3G network, or make calls between a device running iOS and a desktop PC.Skype 3. 0 is certainly a step in the right path for Skype as well as for video calling in general. However Skype still requires to add video calling support for phones running operating systems other than iOS. Luckily, a Skype rep told us.

Below is a video showing the comparison between the iPhone 4 running Skype on 3G vs iPhone 4 running Facetime on 3G.

As the year 2010 comes to an end and as we enter the year 2011, the iPhoneMalaysiaBloggers team would like to wish all our visitors an Awesome HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 and may all of you have excellent health, wealth and happiness in 2011!  :-)

While we are still having the Christmas – New Year Holiday Season mood, we would also like to highlight the recent North Point iBand Christmas performance which we were fully played on borrowed iPhones and iPads. Enjoy the beautiful music and song below:-

See all of you again in 2011!

Apple has just revealed their list of top selling applications sold via  iTunes in 2010 thus far. Below is the summary of the key highlights from their iTunes Rewind 2o10.

Top Ten most downloaded paid apps(highest total number of downloads) in 2010 for iPhone/iPod touch category

2010 Champion:  Angry Birds

2010 Runners-up:  Doodle Jump

2010 3rd placing:  Skee-Ball

4th placing:    Bejeweled 2

5th placing:    Fruit Ninja

6th placing:   Cut the Rope

7th placing:   ALL-IN-1 GAMEBOX

8th placing:   The Moron Test

9th placing:   Plants vs. Zombies

10th placing:  Pocket God

Top Ten most downloaded free apps(highest total number of downloads) for iPhone/iPod touch category

2010 Champion:   Facebook

2010 Runners-up:   Angry Birds Lite

2010 3rd placing:    Words With Friends Free

4th placing:  Skype

5th placing:  Tap Tap Revenge 3

6th placing:  The Weather Channel

7th placing:  Paper Toss

8th placing:   Bing

9th placing:   ROCK BAND FREE

10th placing:   Talking Tom Cat

Top ten highest money grossing apps(total revenues received) for iPhone/iPod touch category

2010 Champion:   MLB.com At Bat 2010

2010 Runners-up:   Angry Birds

2010 3rd placing:  Call of Duty: Zombies

4th placing:   Bejeweled 2 + Blitz

5th placing:   FriendCaller 3 Pro

6th placing:   Zombie Farm

7th placing:   TomTom U.S.A.

8th placing:   TETRIS

9th placing:   Plants vs. Zombies

10th placing:   Doodle Jump

Top Ten most downloaded paid apps(highest total number of downloads) in 2010 for iPad category

2010 Champion:   Pages

2010 Runners-up:   GoodReader for iPad

2010 3rd placing:   Numbers

4th placing:   Angry Birds HD

5th placing:  Keynote

6th placing:  Glee Karaoke

7th placing:  WolframAlpha

8th placing:   Pinball HD

9th placing:   Friendly for Facebook

10th placing:   Star Walk for iPad

Top Ten most downloaded free apps(highest total number of downloads) for iPad category

2010 Champion:   iBooks

2010 Runners-up:   Pandora Radio

2010 3rd placing:   Netflix

4th placing:   Google Mobile App

5th placing:   Solitaire

6th placing:   Movies by Flixster

7th placing:   IMDb Movies & TV

8th placing:   Kindle

9th placing:   Google Earth

10th placing:   Virtuoso Piano Free 2 HD

Top ten highest money grossing apps(total revenues received) for iPad category

2010 Champion:   Pages

2010 Runners-up:   Numbers

2010 3rd placing:   Keynote

4th placing:   LogMeIn Ignition

5th placing:   SCRABBLE for iPad

6th placing:   Documents To Go Premium

7th placing:   Angry Birds HD

8th placing:   Real Racing HD

9th placing:   Plants vs. Zombies HD

10th placing:   Proloquo2Go

Congratulations to all the winners. If you have not downloaded these games/apps yet, you may want to do so.

Searching for a phone that is fiery, rare, unique and expensive? Search no more. Why not own the T-Rex iPhone 4. British Jeweller Stuart Hughes has yet again produced a rare breed of iPhone 4. The new History Edition of iPhone 4 by Stuart Hughes not only features beautiful diamonds, it also includes the actual tooth of a T-Rex. Instead of using the typical glass surface at the back, this iPhone has the actual tooth of a T-Rex – splintered into polished meteoric stone which dates back to 65 million years ago. Stuart Hughes’ corporate GoldStriker is famous for its customized luxurious electronics gadgets. Below is the photo of the iPhone 4 History Edition which is expected to be retailed at US$62,700 per piece. Only 10 pieces of this fiery, rare, unique and expensive iPhone 4 that will be made available.

Stuart Hughes has made history in October 2010 when he launched the most expensive iPhone 4 which costs US$8Million.

The handmade bezel contains approximately 500 individual flawless diamonds that total more than 100 carats; there’s 53 additional diamonds in the back, and the main navigation button is made of platinum, holding a single cut 7.4 carat pink diamond. Below is the record holder for the iPhone 4 at US$8Million. Only 2 units of this iPhone 4 is made available.

This is our first video that we have created on iPhoneMalaysiaBlog.com

Hope all of you like it………..

Looking forward to produce more videos in the future….

cheers,

iPhone Malaysia Bloggers

A few days ago someone has discovered a new hack into the iPhone iOS 4.1 software which enables him to break into your iPhone to make phone calls even if your iPhone has been password locked. There is a special sequence that you will need to follow in order to do this.

All you have to do is as follows:-

1.  Grab a password protected iPhone running on the iOS 4.0 or iOS 4.1

2.  Slide to unlock

3.  Press the “emergency call” button

4.  Key in *** or ###

5.  Hit the call button and immediately press the power(on/off) button immediately after

Voila………. you have just broken into the iPhone.

iPhone Malaysia Bloggers have tested this on both the jailbroken and non-jailbroken iPhones running the iOS 4.1 and found that both can be broken into. We have also tested it out on the iOS 3.13 iPhone 3G and it was alright(meaning it cannot be broken into). On the iOS 3.13 iPhone 3G, the screen just goes blank.

Well this is the bad news………..  :-(

The good news is ……….    :-)

Apple has acknowledged this security flaw and will get it fixed in the iOS 4.2 which will be released in November 2010(not too far away). So, in the meantime, if you are using the iPhone running on the iOS 4.0 or iOS 4.1, please make sure that you do not lose your iPhone even if it is password locked. Some beta users of the iOS 4.2 Beta 3 users have reported that the problem is solved and they do not see the problem in the iOS 4.2 Beta 3 version of the software.

Below is a video on how this is done:-

Although the iPhone comes pre-installed with Maps, it does not have voice navigation which is important for users who wish to have a full fledge GPS navigation solution. TomTom, one of the world’s top GPS maker, has finally released the version 1.5 of the software for iPhone. So, what’s new in the version 1.5 software. Below are some of the features that are available in this release of software:-

1. Navigate-To-Photo functionality: If you have a photo of the place you want to go, just tap on the image and TomTom will take you there. You will no longer need to enter the address to get there. This is one of the key feature of this new release and one that users want. What you see is where you’ll go!

2. New and updated maps: Your new TomTom app comes with the latest and most updated map, ready to navigate.

3. Optimized for iPhone 4: If you own an iPhone 4, Turn-by-turn navigation with TomTom just got even better, with high resolution retina display graphics. Menus are also more responsive, even with limited GPS reception.

The rest of the features remain unchanged and include multi-tasking support (included with the iOS 4), advanced lane guidance (i.e. which lane you should take for an upcoming exit), IQ Routes that take into account current traffic conditions, street name announcements, and so on.

Feature wise, this app is packed with a lot of great stuff. The only disadvantages are the continued use of the TomTom App on the iPhone will suck up battery life. The way around this is to install the car kit which includes the charger and holder for the iPhone device to allow true handsfree operation. In addition to that, the price tag of the app is a whopping US$59.99. At this price, it is probably one of the more expensive app available on the iTunes. Having said that, it is still a convenient choice for iPhone users who do not wish to carry another GPS device with them when they travel.

Below is the video on some of the features of the new TomTom GPS app(version 1.5):-

One of the highly popular and addictive games available on the iPhone is Angry Birds. This iPhone game is developed by Rovio, a developer based in Finland. Since its release to the Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices on 10th December 2009, the app has been downloaded/purchased more than 6.6 Million times.

Background of game: A group of evil pigs have stolen the eggs from the birds. These flock of birds are now furious and wants to take revenge as well as to retrieve back their eggs. To prevent these birds from attacking them, the evil pigs have built some structures that are made from various materials ranging from wood, glass and rocks. These pigs are hiding behind these structures. The objective of the game is to eliminate all the evil pigs by launching the birds using a slingshot.

There are different types of birds which have different capabilities in the game. Below are the list of the birds and their abilities:-

• Red birds – basic bird that use their size and momentum to attack.
• Blue birds – can be separated into three smaller birds by touching the screen to add punch into the attack
• Yellow birds – can speed up by touching the screen to dash into their targets with a higher momentum
• Black birds – can explode on command or after hitting with an object
• White birds – can drop egg-shaped bombs onto the structures to damage them as well as the evil pigs
• Green birds – can fly in the opposite direction like a boomerang to knock off the evil pigs
• Big Brother birds – almost like the standard red birds but bigger in size and can cause more damage

You will get stars depending on how many birds that you have used in order to eliminate all the evil pigs, the lesser birds use, the better the star rating. Hence, it provides a challenge to the players to strive for the maximum number of stars i.e. three. This is where it gets addictive as players will repeat the same level over and over again to make it to 3 stars with the highest score.

Below is the trailer of the game:-

Every levels have pre-determined types and number of birds in a sequential order which cannot be changed. The pigs also appear in different sizes and shapes. Some pigs even have helmets which makes them stronger and harder to be eliminated than others. Hence, it requires the player to think and plan strategically before the start of the game in order to maximize the power of the different types of birds.

Points are scored for each pig that is eliminated as well as for the extent of damages done to the structures. Players can receive up to three stars for each completed level, depending on the points scored.

Since its successful debut on the iPhone, the developer has also launched it on other smartphone platforms and is also attracting a huge following too.

It is currently available on the iTunes Store at a promotion price of US$0.99. If you would like to test it out first before purchasing the full version, the lite version of Angry Birds is available for free downloads.

Conclusion: All in all, i think this is a fantastic and highly addictive game. It gets the iPhone Malaysia Bloggers’ thumbsup. The graphics, sound and the many levels and variations to the game makes it very interesting and addictive.

Just found an iPhone video that has gone viral in Youtube attracting more than 2.7 million views since October 14 2010. Wow, that is an amazing number of views in less than 2 weeks?!? So, what is so great about this video that has made it gone viral in Youtube.

Let’s check it out……
It was created by a band called the “Atomic Tom”. In the video, they performed their song “Take Me Out” using only iPhones loaded with instruments Apps.  At the start of the video, they have claimed that they have lost their musical instruments and needed to improvise by using the iPhones as their musical instruments. They later confessed in an interview with ABC News that their musical instruments were not stolen and they actually have battery-powered amplifiers under their seats to boost up the sound from their iPhones.

Below is the video that has gone viral in Youtube:-

Well, a lot of people from Youtube commented that they are very talented……………  The iPhone Malaysia Bloggers think that they are not too bad but there are equally good ones from Malaysia like the Penang iBand. Malaysia Boleh! Penang Boleh!

Check out some of the videos produced by Malaysia’s very own iBand below:-

Penang iBand performed “Love Story” by Taylor Swift

Penang iBand performed “Kiss Goodbye” by Wang Leehom

Really keeps me wondering what is the real difference between the videos by Atomic Tom vs Penang iBand. Both has got talent but one has gone viral in Youtube but not the other. If you know the answer, do let me know by providing your comments below.

The race for smartphone market dominance continues to get more heated as the entire smartphone market grew by a whopping 78% annually to 77 Million units. In the Q3 2010, Apple has finally surpassed Research in Motion by shipping 15.4 Million units of iPhones globally compared to RIM’s 12.3 Million Blackberries, the Researchers at Strategic Analytics reported yesterday. With the 78% growth rate, the smartphone market is certainly on a major upswing. The top spot in the smartphone market still belongs to Nokia who is the top dog with 26.5 Million units shipped globally in the same quarter.

There may be more bad news coming to RIM as more and more corporates are slowly beginning to accept the iPhone as a corporate phone(a market that was dominated by RIM previously).

This Q3 2010 results may be skewed a little to Apple’s favour because of the launch of its iPhone 4. Since RIM has recently launched its Blackbery Torch, let’s see if they are able to wrestle back the 2nd spot from Apple in the coming 4th quarter.  :-)