G-Map from XRoad sent us a postcard from their drive up highway 3.0 and let us know they’ve come back with great new features like real-time voice guidance and turn-by-turn arrows.

And as always, since G-Map 1.3.1 downloads its maps to your iPhone, you don’t need a data or Wi-Fi connection to use them, which comes in handy when in-between cities and off the grid.

Both G-Map East [$34.99 - iTunes link] and G-Map West [$34.99 - iTunes link] are currently on sale at a reduced price in the App Store. So, if no-subscription, download-to-your-iPhone turn-by-turn GPS navigation appeals to you, and you decide to give it a try, let us know if it gets you where you’re going.

Entering this contest counts as an entry in TiPb’s Birthday Bash grand-prize draw for an Unlocked ColorWare iPhone 3G!

G-Map for iPhone, in both US East and West flavors ($24.99 each – iTunes link), is the current king of the iPhone roads. Chad’s already gone on record with his love for this app:

I have been using G-Map US East for the iPhone now for a couple of months. Why wait for FULL GPS Navigation with Turn-by-Turn with Software 3.0 when you can have it now. All that is lacking is the audible cue to turn, but it has excellent visual cues. Easy to use and fast calculations make this one a winner! The developer says they will add Audible Turn-by-Turn with Software 3.0. Did I mention that Internet access is not required? That’s right, all of the maps are on your hard drive with no subscription!

With slick features like real 3D junction view, there’s nothing else like it for short hauls or cross-country road trips alike. Which brings us neatly to our first, and maybe one of our most challenging TiPb Birthday Bash contests!

• Great American iPhone Photo

Inspired by babydol‘s idea, head on over to the TiPb Birthday Bash: G-Map East & West Great American Give Away! thread in the forums and post a photo of your iPhone that best shows where it’s been, where you want it go, or just how you feel about traveling the United States. Be majestic, be funny, be creative. (And yes, Photoshop is fine too.)

Give us that EPIC moment of iPhone Americana, and we’ll pick five (5) of you to give promo codes for BOTH G-Map East & West (that’s $50 worth of apps!), courtesy of XROAD.

Contest details after the break!

• Access to the US App Store required to redeem promo codes
• Contest runs from today, Thursday May 7, to 12pm EDT Monday May 11
• One entry per day, per person.

Every week a few of us from team TiPb, bloggers and forum crew alike, will bring you our current favorite, funnest, most useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone (or iPod touch) related, they’re fair game.

So who’s on deck this week and what are our picks? Find out after the break!

Chad’s Pick: G-Map US East

I have been using G-Map US East for the iPhone now for a couple of months. Why wait for FULL GPS Navigation with Turn-by-Turn with Software 3.0 when you can have it now. All that is lacking is the audible cue to turn, but it has excellent visual cues. Easy to use and fast calculations make this one a winner! The developer says they will add Audible Turn-by-Turn with Software 3.0. Did I mention that Internet access is not required? That’s right, all of the maps are on your hard drive with no subscription! [$24.99 - iTunes link]

James’ Pick: Lose It!

Now that it’s time for swimsuit season, I need to lose my winter layer that has accumulated over the past few months. Lose It! is a free application that allows you to set your weight loss goals with flexibility. The app counts your calorie intake (with a pretty robust food database), tracks your exercise and progress towards your goal. [Free - iTunes link]

Jeremy’s Pick: UFC Undisputed 2009

[Ed: Since we couldn't pull Jeremy off his Xbox 360 in time to get a pick in, we tapped out and made his new affliction a rare exceptional pick ] 10 second knockout. On advanced difficultly I might add… I’m gonna be a beast in this game. [Free-ish Demo - official web site]

Leanna’s Pick: F-MyLife

This little app lets you see the stories posted on http://www.fmylife.com/. There was a recent update to F-MyLife that has made the user experience even more enjoyable. This is a great time-filler app when you’ve got a few minutes to kill, or if you’ve just had an FML experience, make a post directly from F-MyLife. [ Free - iTunes link]

Matt’s Pick: Geodefense

Current favorite for this week is GeoDefence. I was a bit hesitant in getting it as I had fieldrunners, however, this game is just as cool. It has more upgrades and towers also the main thing is that the path is created for you and you have to set up the towers along the path. [$3.99 - iTunes Link]

Rene’s Pick: 1Password

1Password is an app I use so often I’ve almost forgotten it doesn’t come standard on OS X — Mac or iPhone. Until I re-install or restore, then I try to login to a secure website and — Boom! — where’s my 1Password? I can’t think of higher praise than that. It allows you to store gnarly, pseudo-random logins for websites, providing security, yet use them with the minimum of hassle possible, providing convenience to boot. And it syncs between multiple Macs and the iPhone. Swoon [Free - iTunes link]

Special Guest Pick from Editor-in-Chief Dieter Bohn: Kindle

What’s great about it: used to be that if you needed information instantly, you hit up Google to see what the internet says. That’s great and I use it every day (heck, every hour), but while that’s great for breadth of information, it’s not always great for depth. Now that I have the Kindle app on my iPhone, I can ‘queue up’ deeper research quickly and easily. [FREE - iTunes link]

Your Pick?

Yeah, you’re part of team TiPb too, so what’s your pick of the week? What app was your absolute fav last week? Let us — and everyone — know in the comments!