Not a fan of touchscreen controls for your emulated games? Enter the gPod, an iPhone case with an integrated gamepad. I must admit, the gPod is one of the coolest smartphone accessories that I have ever come across. It certainly blows away the Motorola Droid Game Gripper. How does the gPod work, you ask? It's certainly not magic, but close:

The gPod, an iPhone case with integrated gaming control pad. Interfacing with the Apple 30 pin connector and providing tactile buttons in the conventional game pad layout, the iPhone Game Pad allows a massive library of arcade and console games to be ported to the iPhone and not loose that old school interface that people who grew up in the 80′s and 90′s enjoyed so much.


A proof of concept working prototype was produced to suit the original iPhone and is shown in the video below. A refined design has been developed to suit the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

The only problem, and it's a huge one is that CP-Design, the company behind the device, is still looking for investments to get production started. Also, the prototype has only been developed for the original iPhone. CP- Designs promises that a 3G/3Gs-compatible version is in the works, but no word on an iPhone 4 version. If/when the gPod hits retail, would anyone be interested in purchasing it? Check out the gPod in action, but don't expect to see one up for sale for a long time:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkB9vQDY3eU&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

via Engadget
source CP-Design

Over the past month or so, many user have been complaining of slowed upstream speeds on their AT&T smartphones. Some went as far as to say that AT&T deliberately began to throttle upload speeds to (underhandedly) accommodate for its overburdened 3G network. And this problem seemed widespread, as many users noticed their upload speeds had dropped ten-fold from 1Mbps to under 100kbps. Well, AT&T had remained mum on the topic, until today. AT&T released a public statement, explaining that the whole situation was just one big mix-up; it was all due to a software malfunction in their Alcatel-Lucent equipment. Anyway, AT&T stated that they applied the appropriate software patches, and remedied the situation:

AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent jointly identified a software defect — triggered under certain conditions – that impacted uplink performance for Laptop Connect and smartphone customers using 3G HSUPA-capable wireless devices in markets with Alcatel-Lucent equipment. This impacts less than two percent of our wireless customer base. While Alcatel-Lucent develops the appropriate software fix, we are providing normal 3G uplink speeds and consistent performance for affected customers with HSUPA-capable devices.

So, has anyone recently noticed improvements in their 3G upload speeds? Let us know.

via MobileCrunch

This is a story which has been picked up by the British media, which tends to get a bit hysterical about these things, so have a pinch of salt ready when you're reading it. It's possible that there is a kernel of truth in the story though, in which case it's something that British iPhone users possibly need to be aware of when travelling overseas this summer. According to a report in the Telegraph newspaper, as well as other newspapers, some UK iPhone customers have been returning home from trips abroad to find themselves with big data bills, despite having turned off the data roaming option.

Apparently many users have complained to consumer champion Martin Lewis's well-known MoneySavingExpert.com website about the matter, with one user even saying that she was charged almost £1,500, despite having turned off data roaming during a recent trip to the US. According to the report, many users who have complained have managed to get their charges refunded. Apparently the complaints are from users of all mobile networks in the UK, although the most complaints have been from O2 customers, that's probably because they have the highest number of iPhone users, according to the Telegraph. Martin Lewis is advising those who think they have been unjustly charged to contact their network and ask for a refund. According to Lewis, the number of complaints about this issue coming into his website have increased greatly in the past week.

An O2 spokesman has said that the company is "investigating these problems with Apple", so watch this space in other words!

Source: The Telegraph

Can't say it often enough, everyone loves free games, unless they're rubbish ones of course, so if you're a fan of hospital time management type games, get yourself to the iTunes App store for this weekend only, Saturday and Sunday July 24th and 25th, where you can download Hollywood Hospital for free. The game, which has just been updated to make it iOS 4-compatible, and which also works on iPad, is a time-management sim with a twist - you're not just working on any old run-of-the-mill patients in your hospital, you're treating Hollywood residents, in Tinseltown's number one medical institution!

The gameplay stretches across an epic 35 levels, as you attempt to save the Hollywood folks from a virus that has transformed them into larger-than-life movie characters. Along the way, you'll get to treat wacky diseases inspired by classic movie characters such as Rambone, J-Low and LockJaws.

It sounds like a lot of silly fun to me, it's had some good reviews from the likes of Appmodo, and it's free anyway, so might be worth a look if you like this type of game, or even if you don't!

Source: Zed Worldwide

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu3E2OWvn-Q[/ame]

Nuance Communications has today released Dragon Dictation 2.0 to the App Store, which is the iOS 4-compatible update for its popular (and free!) speech-to-text app. The updated app supports both US and UK English, with additional language support to be added soon, starting with German at the end of July. Another feature of the update is the upgraded interface, which now includes a pop-up toolbar with app icons that enable you to speak a status update and send it directly to Facebook or Twitter, or to speak any text and send it directly to the text messaging client or clipboard, all without ever having to leave the app. Dragon Dictation 2.0 also features an Auto Save function that automatically saves your dictated text when interrupted by an incoming phone call.

First introduced in December 2009, Dragon Dictation has since been downloaded by millions. Here's Michael Thompson, senior vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile, talking about Dragon Dictation 2.0:

“Millions of people have downloaded Dragon Dictation for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and this latest version is a direct result of the features our user community has voiced would make the ‘must-have’ app even better. And with support for more languages, we’re answering the call from our Dragon fans around the world.”

Source: Nuance Mobile

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKy22OUBvUU[/ame]

Saurik from the iPhone Dev Team was interviewed today, talking about the iPhone 4 Jailbreak. He shows off, his, Jailbroken iPhone 4 as well as the Cydia Store. He talks a little about progress and other things. This is just a video you should watch for yourself if you are interest in the iPhone 4 Jailbreak.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDj_Q2HuhPw[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDIZlUnG8rQ[/ame]

Apple finally started their iPhone 4 FREE case program. This video will show you where to go and how to order your free case. There are an abundance of cases that Apple is offering and shipping them to you within the next 3-5 weeks. Yeah, it's a pretty long time, but at least they are trying. You have to have bought your iPhone 4 before July 23rd. People who bought it after this date are just SOL. =[

iPhone 4 Case Program

Canada, the wait is almost over! Anticipation has been building since the iPhone's stateside launch on June 24th. And now, one month later it's officially launching in Canada. Canadian carriers Telus and Bell will be launching the iPhone 4 on July 30th. We all know it's been a long time coming (well a month is a long time for some people), but are extremely pleased to see the iPhones international launch continue as scheduled. Anybody of our friends to the north have big plans when you finally get your hands on the latest offering from Cupertino?

Check out Telus' iPhone site here, and Bell's here.


via BGR 1, 2

Gameloft has today announced the release of an iPhone 4-optimised update for FPS N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, which it says has the distinction of being the first ever FPS on the App Store to incorporate the iPhone 4's gyroscope controls. Gameloft says that the new control mode, which has never been seen before on PC or console, offers a much more intuitive gaming experience, with players being able to rotate their camera as though they were moving their own head. The gyroscope enables players to view the entire 3D environment of the game around them in real time by fully rotating their iPhone 4.

Gameloft says that the new update also takes full advantage of the Retina display's excellent screen resolution, improving the depth of the game, with the enhanced graphics providing 4x better resolution and finer details than before, all while maintaining the same screen size.

Gameloft plans to have 20 titles optimised for the iPhone 4 by the end of the summer, including Asphalt 5, which will be updated with new gyroscope controls.

Source: Gameloft

Apple has this morning issued the following official statement about the whereabouts of the elusive white iPhone, which it had said would be available by the end of July:

"White models of Apple's new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected."

As Engadget recently reported, a story in Chinese newspaper, 21st Century Business Herald, said that the main "challenge" Apple was encountering in the manufacture of the white phones was the fact that Lens Technology, the Chinese company responsible for processing the raw glass needed for the iPhone glass panels, was having problems working out the correct formula of paint thickness and opacity, in order to get the perfect white colour for the cover. Engadget also said that they had received information that when the white iPhone does finally get released, Lens Technology may have trouble meeting demand.

Source: Apple, Engadget

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQuNioJDXJE[/ame]

After Apple announced that they were giving refunds and free cases to everyone, we wondered how it was all going to go down. Apple said late this week, well, it is late this week and it started...kinda. Apple is give refunds to everyone who bought a case online. If you paid with a credit or debit card, you should be seeing your refund within the next few days. No word on free bumpers of refunds for people who bought them in store yet, Stay Tuned iPhone World.

Devotees of classic SEGA games will probably need to have a bit of a lie down when they hear that SEGA has today released Ecco the Dolphin and Space Harrier II to the Apple iTunes App Store for iPhone and iPod touch. The release is part of the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive Classics series of apps being released this summer for iPhone and iPod touch. The games are available for $0.99/£0.59 for Space Harrier II and $2.99/£1.79 for Ecco.

Fans will fondly remember Ecco as the young dolphin who got to spend his days merrily galivanting around the ocean, bursting through the waves and generally having a blast swimming around, until one day a freak whirlpool took away his home and left him all alone. It's your job to help him find the clues scattered around the vast ocean, across 25 gorgeous levels, that will lead him back to his family. Sing to communicate with other sea animals and perform flips to catch oxygen.

Space Harrier II is set in the year 6,236, and features Space Harrier, a hero who, armed with just his trusty laser, is on a mission to defend Fantasyland from the enemy hordes. Lead him across 13 stages and 2 Bonus Stages. Use either your iPhone's accelerometer to tilt your device, or the virtual D-pad, to blast the alien hordes, and face off against 13 bosses until you meet the boss of bosses, Dark Harrier.

Can't believe how good both these games are looking, here's hoping for more iPhone/iPod touch releases soon.

Source: SEGA