The Download Blog

Business Insider uncovered some big news this week regarding an upcoming secret Apple conference designed for iOS app developers. Apparently, the invite-only event will focus on improving the quality of apps at the iTunes App Store, which can only be good news for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users. To be frank, I have no complaints so far, but any push for even better apps to choose from is great news in my book.

According to the article, this push for better apps is a reaction to the growing success of Google's Android platform that is becoming more attractive to developers because of an easier app approval process and continued growth with Android on several new smartphones.

Whatever the reason, a little competition can only mean good things for the iTunes App Store, and I look forward to the next generation of iOS apps.

This week's apps include a unique image manipulation app that turns pictures into art and a vast galaxy exploration game where you pilot a ship and defend the human race.… Read more

There's a lot to like about iLife '11, Apple's just-updated suite of media sharing and editing applications. We got our grubby mitts on it last week, and posted the full review on Friday.

Click here to read it.

Apple had a long history of releasing a new version of the suite every January for four years, then it was six months late for the '08 version before getting back on track for '09. This version comes a year and nine months off that cycle. The big question you're probably wondering is whether it was worth the wait? … Read more

Riding on the coattails of yesterday's MacBook Air and iLife '11 announcements, Apple also updated its high-end Aperture photo editing and management software with bug fixes, performance improvements, and updates to match features in iPhoto '11.

iPhoto is geared for consumers, while Aperture is aimed at photo enthusiasts and professionals who want more sophisticated controls for editing and cataloging. There's a lot of overlap, though, and one is the ability to create themed slideshows. All six of the new iPhoto '11 slideshow themes also arrive in Aperture 3.1

That includes the new Places theme that's specifically … Read more

You know the drill: you're recording some video of the kids doing something cute, when suddenly you realize you're about to miss a snapshot-worthy moment.

Alas, Apple's Camera app locks you into one mode or the other--you can't take a photo at the same time you're shooting video.

Camera Duo can. This 99-cent video recorder includes a button that instantly captures a photo while you're recording.

This is pretty cool, though you'll have to live with a few limitations. First, photo resolution is limited to the maximum resolution of the video recorder: 1,… Read more

Apple today released an update for its MobileMe Gallery app, bringing full support for the iPad.

MobileMe Gallery is an app that allows subscribers to Apple's Internet services to view their MobileMe photo galleries. It also enables users to view any movies and video clips they may have stored on MobileMe.

Among the changes in MobileMe Gallery 1.2 is support for multitasking, a feature currently available on the iPhone and coming to the iPad with the release of iOS 4.2. Support for the iPhone 4's Retina display, and the ability to view a friend's gallery … Read more

The big news this week in the world of iOS devices is that we are drawing ever closer to iOS 4.2, the update that will add new features and bring the iPad up to speed with the feature set on the iPhone 4.

As noted by our own Josh Lowensohn a couple of days ago, iOS 4.2 for iPad has been seeded to developers so they can get started bringing their apps up to date. With iOS 4.2 on your iPad, you'll be able to multitask like the iPhone, make folders for your apps, get connected with Apple's Game Center, and get an updated interface for iPad e-mail. Josh also pointed out in another story this week that the 4.2 update will turn the iPad's rotation-lock switch into a volume-mute switch just like on the iPhone.

Even more exciting, both the iPhone and iPad will receive AirPrint, a service that automatically locates connected printers on a network and over Wi-Fi without additional driver software. iOS 4.2 will also bring AirPlay to all iOS devices, letting you stream all of your multimedia to multiple TVs, computers, and set-top boxes.

iOS 4.2 is set to be released in November, but you can bet that Apple will have more tweaks before then.

This week's apps include an image collage maker with a ton of features and a driving game where the undead try to make you crash.… Read more

If you ever wished for a way to view your iPhone snapshots on a bigger screen (without first copying them to your PC), here's your answer. WiiPhoto transmits photos to your HDTV by way of your Wii game console.

It's a terrific idea, but one marred by a couple of gotchas and the limitations of the console itself.

The app works with any iOS device that's connected to your home Wi-Fi network: iPhone, iPod, iPad, and so on. You'll also need the Wii Internet Channel on your console if you don't already have it.

When … Read more

When I bought my 32GB Wi-Fi only iPad, one of the first apps I downloaded was Netflix. With the added screen real estate and the capability to use the Netflix Watch Instantly library, the iPad became a great device to watch a movie on the go. I quickly found that the iPad-Netflix combo also works great as a personal movie screen when the rest of the people in the house are watching something else.

Just this week, Netflix announced they updated the Netflix app to work on the iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Now, along with being able to update your Netflix queue while away from your computer (previous iPhone app functionality), you'll be able to watch full-length movies and TV shows right on your iPhone as long as you're a Netflix member. The free Netflix app even works work connected via a 3G network,  so you can watch on your commute or really anywhere as long as AT&T's 3G coverage is strong in your area.

With the iPad I think this functionality made a little more sense because of the size of the screen. I wonder whether watching movies and TV on the iPhone is something that will really take off. Let me know in the comments what you think about watching Netflix on your iPhone. Will you use it?

This week's apps include a photography app that lets you organize multiple images into a collage and a big-name ice hockey game that's both fun and loaded with features.… Read more

Adobe Systems pushed out updates Wednesday to both its Photoshop Express online photo tool and photo-editing app for Android devices that bring some noteworthy improvements.

The biggest change, besides an increase in overall speed on the Web version of Photoshop Express, is that the site no longer requires users to register in order to use it. Unregistered users can now upload their photo, make edits, then download it without any administrative barriers. Adobe has also separated each tool into its own unit, similar to what it does with the library and develop modules of its Photoshop Lightroom software.

As part … Read more