Localscope 1.1 Integrates Navigon MobileNavigator For The Ultimate Find & Drive Combo

Localscope is well known for its location based discovery prowess, helping you gather information about your current location thanks to the combination of augmented reality, geo-meta-search, and social driven capabilities. Comparable to Google’s Places, Localscope enables users to find the nearest hotspots for coffee, movies, and more. As of Localscope 1.1, you can not only find the hip new club in your city, but you can navigate to it as well thanks to Navigon MobileNavigator integration. Swipe across your destination, tap the map, and bring up MobileNavigator so you can quickly reach your destination. Localscope with MobileNavigator brings the functionality that Android has delivered with Places and Navigation Beta to the iPhone: if you own both the applications, the combo presents a terrific way to traverse new landscapes without getting lost.

Localscope can be downloaded from the App Store for $2.99, and Navigon MobileNavigator (USA version) can be downloaded for $39.99.

Tip Of The Day: Check for App Store Updates With Keyboard Shortcut

For me, the most annoying thing in iTunes is that to check for app updates I’m forced to mouse to the “Check for Updates” button in the lower right corner, and most of the times I miss the little arrow next to it with my cursor. I used to hate this. I’m saying “used to” because thanks to this tip I found over at Finer Things in Mac, now I can check for app updates with a keyboard shortcut.

The shortcut is the usual Command-R. What’s interesting is that the shortcut is used to refresh the web view in the iTunes Store, and Command-R isn’t documented in the iTunes menu.

So, there you have it. Command-R to check for updates. A little trick that’s incredibly useful for me.

Key Codes, Free App To Display Unicode Values

If you’re a developer that always needs access to unicode values and modifier keys state or you simply want to quickly paste keys like ⌘ and ⌥ to your clipboard because you don’t know the proper keyboard shortcut, Key Codes may come in handy. A free download in the Mac App Store and developed by Many Tricks (the same guys behind Witch, Name Mangler and Desktop Curtain), Key Codes displays key code, unicode value “and modifier keys state for any key combination you press.”

A little utility for sure, but useful. Get it here.

Adobe Packager To Support iPad Apps Soon?

According to a rumor posted on Japanese blog Macotakara, Adobe is planning to update its Packager software for the iPhone to add support for iPad apps development. Adobe Packager, in fact, as part of the Flash Professional CS5 suite allows developers to re-use existing code to build native applications for iPhone. Since Apple lifted its restrictions on third-party development tools used to build iOS apps, many developers have relied on Packger to ship cross-platform software across a variety of devices and operating systems.

Macotakara also reports the updated Packager will include support for gestures in iPad apps, like pinch to zoom. Android and other “large LCD devices” should be supported as well. [via 9to5mac]

Twelve South Announces BookArc for MacBook Air

We’re big fans of Twelve South’s accessories for the Mac and iOS devices: from the Compass mobile stand and BookArc for iPad to Mac-only products, we think Twelve South makes the most beautiful third-party accessories for Apple devices. Today Twelve South introduces the BookArc stand for the new MacBook Air, which aims at turning the ultra-thin and portable machine into the perfect solution for your desktop.

The MacBook Air, in fact, can power an external monitor with ease, such as Apple’s own Cinema Display. The BookArc firmly grips the MacBook Air vertically and offers a system for cable management so you won’t have the power cord or USB cables cluttering your desk. Twelve South also promises an increase in performances when using the MacBook Air with a BookArc as the computer (when closed) only has to power the external monitor.

The BookArc for MacBook Air will be available next month at $39.99 both for 11-inch and 13-inch models. More information available here.

Doodle Jump Makes Deal with Hollywood Studio

The Doodle Jump developers Lima Sky have announced an unexpected deal with Hollywood studio Universal to bring movies into their popular iPhone game. What at first may sound like just another tie-in it’s actually something a bit more clever: Doodle Jump users will get a special Easter-themed level featuring the main character of upcoming Universal’s movie “Hop” as a bonus.

Doodle Jump isn’t new to “special levels” and themed-updates; a Hollywood deal, however, might increase the app’s popularity even more as Universal promotes Doodle Jump as the iPhone game featuring Hop.

How long is the road to Disney movies and Angry Birds now? [via TUAW]

The Mac App Store and “Half-Available” Updates

Panic, the developers of popular software for the Mac like Coda, Transmit and Candybar, wrapped up a critical update to their FTP client / file manager / all-in-one solution Transmit 4 on January 6th to fix “important bugs” and correct issues with the Transmit Disk feature and Amazon S3 connection. As they explain in a post on the company’s blog, their original plan was to submit the update to Apple and release it on their website as well once the Mac App Store version got approved.

Apple didn’t approve the update after two weeks, so Panic went ahead and posted the update on the application’s website so that users who didn’t buy the app through the Mac App Store didn’t have to wait any longer to have the bugs fixed. In their own words, Transmit 4.1.5 is now “half-available” as the app in still “in review” for Mac App Store approval. Read more

iFusion for iPhone: All-In-One Landline Dock, Speaker, Charger [Macworld]

Officially announced at the Macworld Expo yesterday, the iFusion for iPhone is an interesting all-in-one solution that combines a standard landline dock, a speakerphone, charger and USB connector into a single device that can let you have phone calls, listen to music, charge the iPhone and sync data with a Mac or PC. The unique design of the device, which will ship in April at $149, is highly ergonomic and allows for superior voice quality thanks to the hand-free speakerphone that, admittedly, also looks pretty good.

The creators of the iFusion call the product the first “iPhone communication docking station”, which comes with its own app (geared towards business users) but that, at the same time, can work with any other audio app for the iPhone, like Skype or Viber.

The iFusion can be pre-ordered here. Demo video embedded below, courtesy of TUAW. Read more

Microsoft Is “Looking At” The Mac App Store for Office→

Microsoft Is “Looking At” The Mac App Store for Office

How times change:

Microsoft says it continues to be pleased with sales of the Mac version of Office, but has not yet decided whether to offer the product or any of its components in the Mac version of the App Store, which launched earlier this month. Similar to the iPhone store, the App Store for Mac puts Apple in the position of retailer, taking a 30 percent cut of sales.

“It’s something we are looking at,” Microsoft’s Amanda Lefebvre told Mobilized. However, the company said its product is already available in lots of places as well as via the Web–including in a new, free 30-day trial version.

“It’s something we haven’t ruled out,” she said. “We just have to see how that relates to our business.

Or: “We have seen the success of other developers in the Mac App Store, and we would like to have Office in there. It’s just that we’re Microsoft, and it takes months (years) for us to take a decision.”

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