iPhone Theme Store

Any iPhone totin’ PS3 users out there? You might want to turn your bluetooths up, the folks over at Deluxe Digital Studios have a killer app for your 2 favorite gadgets. It’s called Pocket Blu, a lovely little client application that talks to any internet capable Blu-ray player (PS3) that happens to be playing a BLU capable DVD.

Awesome thing is, it turns your iPhone into a Blu-ray remote for your PS3. Not so awesome thing is that it doesn’t work on all Blu-rays, just ones that are BLU capable, which judging by their library isn’t too many.

The app also has some special features for the movies like lost scenes, interviews with the actors, even live reviews from other Pocket Blu users, of the movie you’re watching. Debbie Downer told me that it requires a wifi connection to the PS3, but I have a feeling that’s not a huge problem for most of our readers.

Overall its a pretty sweet little app, easily worth the free download. If you’re a frequent Blu-ray watcher with a PS3, you’ll find some space on your springboard for this guy. Imagine you’re getting ready to watch a movie, you got your snacks, and your drink. You’ve forgotten what you wanted in the kitchen twice already and can’t wait to finally sit down and start the show. You sit in your favorite chair, and just as you go to recline back and start the movie, you realize, you don’t have the PS3 remote. As your left eye starts to twitch, you’ll remember you read this article and you’ll say to yourself “Thank you Cody” and pull out your iPhone.

Hey, your welcome, and here’s hoping we see many more movies become “BLU” capable.

UPDATE: Interestingly enough, there is an extremely similar application is BD Touch Remote by BD Touch LLC. Exact same premise except with “BD Touch” capable blu ray discs. I call this, 2 apps, 1 review.

Any question or comment, please feel free to write us a comment below!

Source:
Pocket Blu: A Blu-Ray Remote For Your iPhone

Even though Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told Reuters a few months ago that Netflix wasn’t going to work on an iPhone app for a while, it seems that Netflix has been feeling the water about it. A RWW article notes that:

Recently, Netflix sent out a survey to select subscribers in order to determine interest in an iPhone application for streaming movies via mobile phones. According to the survey’s wording, the proposed app would be Wi-Fi only and would offer the same content that the Netflix “Watch Instantly” service provides.

Hacking Netflix has the full text of the survey:

Imagine that Netflix offers its subscribers the ability to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on their iPhone. The selection availability to instantly watch includes some new releases, lots of classics and TV episodes. There are no advertisements or trailers, and movies start in as little as 30 seconds. You can fast-forward, rewind, and pause or watch again. The movies & TV episodes you instantly watch are included in your Netflix membership for no additional fee.

Whenever you want to instantly watch content on your iPhone, your iPhone must be connected to a Wi-Fi network (such as one you might have at home or at work, or in public places like coffee shops, book stores, hotels, airports, etc.)

If this functionality were available, how likely would you or someone in your household be to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on your iPhone via a Wi-Fi network?

As a long-time Netflix customer, I have to say that I’ve been waiting for an iPhone app pretty much since the iPhone came out. It does make sense for Netflix to be present on mobile devices, especially the iPhone.

Now there are two problems. First issue is technological. Flash is not going to happen, so what technology could Netflix use to make itself available on the iPhone? Well apparently, Microsoft has been working with Apple on porting Silverlight to the iPhone and it seems to be working well. That would be a solution. I personally think Netflix would develop its own format but it’s just a guess.

The second problem facing Netflix is… Apple itself. Would Apple allow video streaming when it has the same plans in mind for iTunes? While I doubt Apple will be particularly excited about having a Netflix app, I believe it will have to allow it in the App Store to avoid being taught a lesson by the FTC.

At any rates, I’m very excited about having Netflix on my iPhone. You know what? I’m even more excited about having Netflix on my iPad!

What say you?

Source:
Netflix On the iPhone? Yes Please!

There is no dearth of Location services apps in the App Store these days. With SXSW Interactive that just took place, the major location based players got some serious exposure but there really isn’t a clear winner amongst them yet.

Services like FourSquare, Gowalla, Loopt are all competing for market share in this area.

I just noticed on TechCrunch how Apple is also garnering a lot of attention to these services. On iTunes these apps have gotten their own area in New & Noteworthy. On the iPhone, they are featured in the top 5 spots (or more) in the What’s Hot section.

Here are the apps thats are getting a lot of attention from Apple

• FourSquare
• Gowalla
• Loopt
• Whrrl 3
• MyTown

Getting featured by Apple is huge for any iPhone app developer as that increase the number of people downloading the app in an insane way as a lot of good apps get buried in the 100,000+ apps in the App Store.

Personally, I am yet to get hooked on to any location based apps. As much as I am open on the Internet and social media, I still hesitate to advertise my whereabouts every day.

How about you? If you have sold your soul to location based apps, what’s your favorite one?

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What’s Your Favorite Location App?

A big mobile browser launch and mounting frustrations add up to some intriguing iPhone storylines

Norway-based Opera Software ASA’s mobile browsers — Opera Mini 4 (currently in beta for Mini 5) and Opera Mobile 10 — are the world’s most used cell phone browsers. One of the key challenges to Opera’s mobile market share over the past couple years has been Safari, the browser used on the iPhone.

Traditionally Apple did not allow third-party browsers on the iPhone. It recently relaxed these restrictions allowing third-party browsers — but only those based on webkit. Now Opera has offered a sneak peak of Opera Mini on the iPhone, leaving many unanswered questions.

Opera Mini is based on the Presto layout engine, not Webkit, and is underpinned by Java ME API calls. Opera has already been welcomed on less unrestrictive platforms, such as Google’s Android OS (which uses an emulation layer to translate the Java API calls to appropriate Android API calls). However, it seems pretty amazing if Apple actually allows Opera Mini — a huge threat to its big mobile browsing market share — on the iPhone.

Source:
Opera Mini Ready for iPhone – Wil Apple Allow It?

We’ve learned from iLounge that Apple is pulling the plug and banning the sale of film based screen protectors and removing them from their retail and online store fronts. This includes all stand-alone screen protectors as well as film-based screen protectors that come as part of a package.  The ban will affect all iDevices ranging from the iPod Touch to the new iPad due out early April 2010.

iPhone screens are made of durable glass that nearly impossible to scratch. This move comes as no surprise but it should make one wonder why Apple decided to sell these screen protectors in the first place.

Most screen protectors are nearly impossible to install and, with time, collects dirt around the edges. Not to mention the cost. Most of these screen protectors are $20 or more, depending on where you go; online markets are usually cheaper.

Just because Apple has banned film based screen protectors from the retail outlets, we are not completely without screen protectors. Film based screen protectors will still be available at 3rd party stores such as Best Buy, Fry’s or other electronic superstores. Odds are you’ll find them cheaper at an electronic superstore too.

Since the purchase of my iPhone [3GS] last July, I have invested roughly $100 on different screen protectors in hopes of finding the perfect one. Today, I swear by not using screen protectors since the iPhone screen has proven itself to be very durable and nearly scratch resistant. I do have a small scratch towards the bottom right corner but it’s nearly unnoticable except when screen is black. I can even recount how it happened and, to this day, I am still amazed the scratch is as small as it is.

Do you use a screen protector? If so, will this move affect the future of your iDevices? Please share you opinion.

Source:
So Long iPhone Screen Protectors and Thanks for Nothing