Skype app updated to include iPod multitasking
by Justin Horn on Aug 16th, 2010 @ 3:56 pmSkype finally released their 2.1 update, with multitasking, after only a month of coming soon (short for them) on July 21st. There was one oddity that I missed in this update, but Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac pointed out in this follow up tweet to me:
What’s New In This Version: “… Multitasking is available only with iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.”
That’s right, Skype thought it would be a good idea to not allow the 3rd gen iPod, which can run the new iOS 4 without issue, to run in the background.
Skype has seen the error of their ways with update 2.1.1:
- You can now disable IM alerts.
- The dialpad is now more responsive.
- The behavior of the volume, when Skype interacts with other Apps, is now much better.
- When your status is set to Do Not Disturb, notifications are not shown when Skype is in the background.Multitasking is available only with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod 3rd Generation running iOS 4.
Thanks Skype, now how about some video calls?
Follow me on Twitter @justin_horn
Android “open” Market really making Apple’s garden bloom
by Justin Horn on Aug 13th, 2010 @ 4:30 pmTweetDeck official Twitter account:
Someone has uploaded a “TweetDeck” app to the Android Market and is charging for it. THIS IS NOT THE OFFICIAL APP. Do NOT download.
Remember kids, curation is a bad thing.
UPDATE Click here to view the listing on DoubleTwist website (via DaringFireball)
Follow me on Twitter @justin_horn
Camera+ finally gets the boot from app store
by Justin Horn on Aug 12th, 2010 @ 9:23 am
It was revealed a couple days ago that you could enable VolumeSnap on the Camera+ app through an easter egg, a direct violation of the app store rules. So I’ve been checking a few times a day, wondering how long it would take for Apple to remove it. Gave it a check again this morning and it’s no longer listed. Usually trying to circumvent the Apple store rules would not only get the app pulled, but earn the developer a complete ban or suspension. With TapTapTap being one of the most prominent iOS developers it will be interesting to see what happens next.
Follow me on Twitter @justin_horn
How to enable VolumeSnap for Camera+ now, no jailbreak required
by Justin Horn on Aug 10th, 2010 @ 11:45 amI tweeted yesterday how Apple rejected TapTapTap’s latest update for Camera+ which would allow you to use the volume button to snap a picture instead of trying to find the spot on the LCD.
TapTapTap posted Apple’s reason, which is just going by the rules Apple clearly put in their terms:
Your application cannot be added to the App Store because it uses iPhone volume buttons in a non-standard way, potentially resulting in user confusion. Changing the behavior of iPhone external hardware buttons is a violation of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement. Applications must adhere to the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines as outlined in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.7
TapTapTap put in a request to have this as a valid feature, but who knows how long that would take (if ever) to actually get approved.
TiPb was alerted to an easy, non-jailbreak work around:
Flo from shimanke.com just let us know that there is way to enable VolumeSnap on the current version of Camera+. Just visit camplus://enablevolumesnap in mobile Safari. Doing so will launch Camera+ and VolumeSnap just works. There is a possibility that doing this will disable the volume control to your iPhone, but closing Camera+ from the multitasking dock quickly fixes it. To disable VolumeSnap, visit camplus://disablevolumesnap in mobile Safari.
Leanna Lofte from TiPb gave it a try and she said it worked great. I gave it a try as well and had the same results. Also, I did not encounter the issue with my volume control being disabled on my iPhone 4. I do get a bit of a weird feeling because the camera lens is on the bottom right, when you put the volume buttons in the standard top right orientation, but it’s just a feeling and works great.
Thanks to Tills for finding this and posting it as a comment on an iphone-ticker.de post.
Follow me on Twitter @justin_horn
Skype kills plans to charge for 3G calling next year
by Justin Horn on Jul 21st, 2010 @ 3:22 pmSkype released their updated iOS 4 app today, but the even better news is they no longer plan to charge for 3G calling next year as they previously stated.
At Skype, we believe that better call quality and better availability (which is achieved with an app capable of multitasking and/or making calls over 3G) lead to increased call frequency and longer calls. We also believe that the mobile world is in a period of significant change, for example, with some operators starting to move to tiered pricing models.
In light of that, we no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G. We’re delighted to make it easier for you to talk for even longer and do even more together using Skype.
Follow me on Twitter @justin_horn
Skype iOS 4 app with multitasking finally released, no video chat
by Justin Horn on Jul 21st, 2010 @ 3:17 pmOh, http://whenwillskypereleaseios4app.com, we had a nice run, but your time is over now. After coming soon for 30 days, Skype finally released their updated app with multitasking today. No support for video chat just yet, but no one was really expecting that were they? Time for http://whenwillskypereleasevideochatapp.com!
Version 2.1
Run Skype in the background with multitasking in iOS4. Receive Skype calls and IM while other apps are running or when your iPhone is locked.You can also continue your call while you switch to another application. Multitasking is available only with iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.
Go update! [iTunes Link]
Follow me on Twitter @justin_horn
