Apple Job Posting Suggests More Speech Recognition Features Coming to iOS

9to5mac points to four new job listings that appeared on Apple’s website earlier this week and suggest the company is looking forward to implementing more speech recognition features in future versions of iOS. The job positions (1, 2, 3, 4) include one “iOS Speech Application Engineer”, two “Speech Recognition Engineers” and one “Senior Speech Research Scientist”.

Are you looking to contribute to a product that is redefining the smartphone? The iOS Application Frameworks team is looking for an exceptional Speech Engineer. You will work with our team on a wide variety of speech-related development activities. We need a team player - you will be working closely with engineers on the Application Frameworks team as well as other teams at Apple - and we need someone who is comfortable working in a fast paced environment with rapidly changing priorities.

The fact that Apple is looking for not one, but four Speech engineers may be a sign of the iOS team at Cupertino willing to catch up with Google, which already has powerful voice search and voice action functionalities on Android. Speech recognition features on iOS are limited to Voice Control and a few other App Store apps that come with their own speech technologies – apps like Siri Assistant, bought by Apple earlier this year.

If you think the pieces are coming together now for speech-related features to show up in a major new version of iOS next year, then I guess we’re all excited for voice actions to find their way on the iPhone and iPad.

Fruit Ninja Lite, N.O.V.A. 2 for iPad Now Available

Together with an update to Infinity Blade, two other popular games for iPhone and iPad were updated last night. First off, Gameloft finally released an iPad version of N.O.V.A. 2, which as you can guess is simply called N.O.V.A. 2 HD. The app isn’t universal, but at least it’s sold at the same price of the iPhone counterpart. The features are the same (improved graphics, new weapons, better AI, new multiplayer mode) and the game, like the first N.O.V.A., is “just” bigger on the iPad.

Your call if that’s a good thing or not – I personally can’t play first-person shooters on the iPad so well.

Also, Halfbrick Studios released Fruit Ninja Lite for iPhone and iPad (Fruit Ninja HD Lite), two free samples of the smashing mobile hits. The “lite” versions offer most of the game modes of the paid apps, but come with limitations (for example, only a few achievements) so you can try before you buy.

Check out Fruit Ninja Lite and other discounted Halfbrick Studios on the team’s App Store page.

First Infinity Blade Update Now Available→

First Infinity Blade Update Now Available

- 5 new Swords, 5 new Shields, 5 new Helmets, and 1 new set of Armor - Collect and Master them all!

- Maximum Character Level raised from 40 to 45!

- New Enemy - The MARROW FIEND! This creature is rumored to devour its victims, taking their bones for its blade and shield…

- Because it’s awesome, you can now listen to your own music while playing INFINITY BLADE!

- Optimizations and minor Bug fixes

Infinity Blade 1.1 is available here. I can’t wait for multiplayer mode to come in the next version.

Permalink

Shocker! Someone At Apple Killed The Unofficial WikiLeaks App

Three days ago we covered the unofficial WikiLeaks app for iPhone and iPad, a $1.99 piece of software available in the App Store which let you access the latest diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks and check on the organization’s Twitter account. It was also nicely designed and sold as a universal app.

Developer Igor Barinov, though, wasn’t planning on taking all the money from the sales of the app. Instead, he decided to donate half of the proceeds to WikiLeaks, a move that likely pissed off Steve Jobs, or someone else at the App Store team. In fact, for some obscure reason or App Store guideline we’re no aware of, the app is gone. Killed. Kaput. There’s no WikiLeaks app in the App Store anymore. Without an explanation, the developer got an email from Apple about the changed state of his app, which was “removed from sale”.

I’m not sure this app violated any of Apple’s guidelines. It was a wrapper for a website (the CableGate documents) and a Twitter account – both of them publicly available on the internet. We all know there’s worse in the App Store, and – to tell the truth – this was also a good app. Assange and WikiLeaks are controversial and one may or may not agree with his efforts to “reveal the truth”, but there’s no reason to remove an unofficial app.

Unless, well, you’re Apple and you don’t care about your own Guidelines.

Still Relevant? MySpace Updates Its iPhone App With New UI and Features

Just in case you were wondering, yes – MySpace appears to be alive. I know, you haven’t logged in the website in ages. But what was that? Two years ago? Man, that was fast. Facebook completely replaced MySpace in our daily digital sharing and wall-posting lives.

Still, MySpace has an updated iPhone app available. Version 2.0 adds a fresh new, darker and somehow sexier look (which reminds me an awful lot of the Facebook’s iPhone grid interface), possibility to browse without login, SuperPosts to share links at the same time on Facebook - MySpace - Twitter (why would I, I don’t really know) and instant notifications.

The update also comes with a bunch of additional features, which – if you really still care – you can check out in the full changelog below. The app is available for free here. Read more

Huffington Post Releases Completely Redesigned iPad App

If you’re loyal Huffington Post readers, happen to have an iPad and don’t mind downloading free apps from the App Store (why would you?), perhaps you’d like to take a look at the just released Huffington Post iPad app. The HuffPo’s iPad client has been around for a while, actually. Indeed, version 2.0 is a major redesign of the app aimed at taking it a step further, following the latest trends in iPad app development.

The app has this visually rich star page with a navigation sidebar on the left, main categories (Top Stories, News, Blogs, Slideshows, Popular) on the right. You can log in your account using a box in the upper left corner. You can browse the categories on the right by swiping your finger over the featured headlines.

As you tap on an article, a clean web view slides in allowing you to read without leaving the homepage. The design is nice and elegant. You can share a post, increase or decrease the font’s size, but you can go full-screen – unlike Twitter for iPad which features a similar concept but allows you to open web views in full-screen mode. Slideshows have a similar clean (although much darker) design, too.

Huffington Post for iPad is available for free in the App Store. More screenshots below. Read more

Apple Launches New iPhone 4 Ad “Under The Covers” To Promote FaceTime, Again

A few minutes ago Apple launched a new iPhone 4 commercial (available on Apple’s website and Youtube channel) to showcase, once again, the FaceTime capabilities of the device.

The commercial is called “Under The Covers” and features a kid who thinks he’s talking to Santa via FaceTime, while on the other device there’s his father dressed as Santa and calling him from their garage. It’s a pretty sweet commercial. In September, Apple launched a series of ads to showcase the iPhone’s FaceTime features in Europe; other FaceTime ads had appeared in the U.S. in July. Apple also targeted the iPhone 4’s battery life and Retina Display with commercials aired in the past months.

Check out the video below. Read more

Tap Tap Revenge 4? 25,000 Downloads Per Hour→

Tap Tap Revenge 4? 25,000 Downloads Per Hour

Decrem, who now serves as SVP and General Manager for Disney Mobile, says that the game is seeing around 25,000 downloads per hour right now, which is on par with what it saw on Christmas day last year (app downloads see a major spike on Christmas as people try out their new iPhones and iPod touches, so expect this number to surge even higher this year). Decrem says this is the fastest any of Tapulous’s games have ever hit #1, and it may be the fastest growing game ever (though he doesn’t know that definitively).

The app was released less than 24 hours ago. Apps like Flipboard, Twitter or Facebook didn’t see these numbers. But guess what? It’s a free game.

Permalink

Apple Shuts Down Mac OS X Downloads Page

Well, we all knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Apple is shutting down the OS X Downloads page, in lieu of the Mac App Store which is launching on January 6th. Here’s the email Apple just sent out to Mac developers:

Thank you for making the Mac OS X Download site a great destination with apps that offer users new ways to work, play, learn, and create on their Mac.

We recently announced that on January 6, 2011, the Mac App Store will open to users around the world, presenting you with an exciting, new opportunity to reach millions of customers. Since the introduction of the App Store in 2008, we’ve been thrilled with the incredible support from developers and the enthusiastic response from users. Now we’re bringing the revolutionary experience of the App Store to Mac OS X.

Because we believe the Mac App Store will be the best destination for users to discover, purchase, and download your apps, we will no longer offer apps on the Mac OS X Downloads site. Instead, beginning January 6, we will be directing users to explore the range of apps available on the Mac App Store.

We appreciate your support of the Mac platform and hope you’ll take advantage of this new opportunity to showcase your apps to even more users. To learn how you can offer your apps on the Mac App Store, visit the Apple Developer website at http://developer.apple.com/programs/mac.

The Mac OS X Downloads website provided for years a way for developers to showcase their Mac apps for free to the large audience of Apple’s website. It also served as a great way to get new Mac users started on third-part software for OS X. Clearly Apple thinks this is all going to change with the Mac App Store, which will be included in a Software Update for all Snow Leopard users.

No details have been provided about other categories of software currently promoted on the Downloads site, such as Automator workflows and Dashboard widgets.