If you've been enjoying the blissfully commercial-free experience of Facebook's iPhone and iPad apps, we're sad to inform you that Facebook will be integrating ads into their news feeds effective immediately. What's more, "premium" ads will be displayed on the desktop logout screen as well.

This comes after Facebook recently filed for IPO, and hot on the heels of rival social network, Twitter, announcing plans to integrate promoted tweets into their official iPhone app.

Up until now, Facebook has only pushed ads on the desktop and only below the ticker, on the side of user profiles. They no doubt hope mobile ads in the news feed will increase revenue and profitability. Like Google, they offer a free service to end users, but the price of that free service is advertising, data mining, and marketing. We're not the customers, we're the product. Facebook, like Google, hopes the service they offer is valuable enough that we'll put up with the advertising and keep sharing our data, so they can sell more ads to show us.

It's been an incredibly successful business model for Google, and could prove to be similarly successful for Facebook. However, ads in search may be more tolerable than ads in timelines. Search doesn't feel as personal as our social circles, and ads shown when we're looking for something might feel more helpful than ads shown when we're trying to share with our friends.

How do you feel about ads in your Facebook news feed?

Source: Facebook

Google is facing an inquest after having allegedly been caught bypassing Apple’s Safari web browser privacy settings on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Google gets the big headline, of course, but Vibrant Media Inc., WPP PLC's Media Innovation Group LLC and Gannett Co.'s PointRoll advertising companies were all named in the report for tracking the web browsing habits of Safari and Safari Mobile users even when users have opted out of such tracking via Safari's cookie settings. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google and the other advertising companies used a special code that tricked Apple’s Safari browser into providing information even though it should have blocked it.

The Google code was spotted by Stanford researcher Jonathan Mayer and independently confirmed by a technical adviser to the Journal, Ashkan Soltani, who found that ads on 22 of the top 100 websites installed the Google tracking code on a test computer, and ads on 23 sites installed it on an iPhone browser.  The technique reaches far beyond those websites, however, because once the coding was activated, it could enable Google tracking across the vast majority of websites

Google issued a statement to the WSJ claiming that it had mischaracterized what had happened and claimed Google had used known Safari functionality to provide features that signed-in Google users had enabled.

Google has since disabled the rogue code after being contacted by The Wall Street Journal. WebKit, the open-source browser engine that powers Safari (as well as Google's Chrome browser) already has a fix in place to prevent the work around, and Apple should be rolling that out to iOS users in a future update.

An Apple official said: "We are working to put a stop" to the circumvention of Safari privacy settings.

This bypass seems specific to Safari because, according to one of the advertisers, no other major web browser blocks their tracking by default. (Which should make any Chrome, Firefox, etc. users race to their settings post haste.)

This should also serve as yet another reminder not to believe companies by the words, but by their deeds. "Don't be evil" or "we care about every customer" is easy to say, and as technology enthusiasts we're predisposed to believe and even vigorously defend the companies we love. But they're big, they're out to make money, and as advertising revenue increases, we become their products, not their customers.

Were you surprised by this news? Is Google getting more of the attention than they deserve because they have the biggest name? How do you feel about companies bypassing Apple's tracking protection?

Source: WSJ

Valve has released Steam Mobile for iPhone and iPod touch into the App Store. Sort of. It is available to download and install on your iOS device, but unfortunately you need to be part of a limited beta to actually begin to use it. We are sure this will change fairly soon but it is very frustrating for those gamers that use Steam and want to use the app now.

With the free Steam app for iOS, you can participate in the Steam community wherever you go. Chat with your Steam friends, browse community groups and user profiles, read the latest gaming news and stay up to date on unbeatable Steam sales.

• Connect with friends:  Steam on your mobile phone is the easiest way to keep up with your Steam friends while on the go.
• Steam Chat: Now you can take your Steam chats away from your computer with Steam for iOS and Android.
• Shop Steam: Browse the extensive Steam library of Windows and Mac titles from your phone. Find out about Steam sales wherever you are.

The Steam Mobile app is available for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. It is not a universal binary so you are looking at 2x mode on your iPad. Hopefully Valve will rectify that soon as well.

• App Store link

Have an app you’d love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Ion, the guys who brought us the magnificent iCade iPad arcade gaming cabinet have now announced some new gaming accessories for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. There are three new accessories in total to compliment the original iCade and they all look awesome. The iCade mobile is a handheld gaming system for your iPhone or iPod touch. The iCade Core is similar to the original iCade but doesn't include the cabinet surround. Finally the iCade Jr is a version of the original iCade designed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch.

iCade Mobile

Gamers of all ages will love iCade Mobile's classic controller configuration, designed to play modern and retro games the way they were meant to be played. iCade Mobile's four-way directional pad, four front-facing action buttons and four shoulder buttons are designed to withstand even the most fierce button mashing. iCade Mobilegets your fingers out of the way and gives you a full view of the action with a specially designed cradle that ensures safe loading and unloading of your iPhone or iPod touch, while also providing a solid, secure fit even during the most intense game-play sessions.

iCade Core

iCade Core's specially designed cradle ensures safe loading and unloading of a user’s iPad, while also providing a solid, secure fit for even the most intense gameplay sessions. Beneath the cradle is a custom-designed pass-thru slot, which allows users to charge the iPad with their standard 30-pin cable. The cradle also swivels to allow either portrait or landscape so that orientation is never a problem. iCade Core's top-quality arcade controls quickly connect to the iPad using Bluetooth wireless technology. Once the iPad is in place, simply launch any compatible app and it’s game-on.

iCade Jr

A sequel to the smash hit ION iCade controller for iPad, iCade Jr. brings the arcade excitment to your iPhone or iPod touch. Game-on with great iPhone and iPod touch games with this pint-sized arcade powerhouse. iCade Jr. gives you a joystick and four front buttons, plus four rear trigger buttons for ultimate control over tons of iPhone and iPod touch games. This mini-arcade cabinet will give you a novelty gaming experience like no other!

Source: Ion

Wondering how to re-open a recently closed tab on iOS 5 Safari for iPad? When Apple released iOS 5, it included some nice new updates to mobile Safari, especially on the iPad. One of the best features on the iPad is tabbed browsing, it makes opening and using multiple web pages a breeze. What happens if you accidentally close one of them down and need to quickly open it back up again? Well there is a way to it very easily. We will show you how.

• Open up Mobile Safari
• Look to the far right of the screen about an a half inch down from the toolbar
• There should be a + sign

• Hold your finger down on the plus sign and a box will open up

• The box now shows a list of the web pages that you recently had open and its scrollable
• Click on the one you want to re-open and there you go
• That’s it, you are done

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

A portable and easy-to-use device, EyeTV Mobile connects directly to the iPad and does not require an Internet connection. The EyeTV Mobile app, available for free at the App Store, offers a full range of TV viewing features including pause, rewind and record. The integrated EPG lets users view up to 7 days of detailed programme guide information and send recommendations to friends by email. EyeTV Mobile is available immediately at a price of 99.95 Euro.

Source: Elgato

Sainsburys and Sky TV have teamed up to create a new style shopping trolley which incorporates a tilting iPad holder and speakers. Sainsburys will be carrying out a trial of the high tech trolley in its supermarket (grocery store) in Kensington, West London.

The shopping trolleys have been developed by Sky to highlight its Sky Go service which allows you to watch live sports or news on your iPad or iPhone. The idea is to get more people out shopping even when major sporting events are live on TV. With the new trolley and the Sky Go app you won’t miss a thing as you push your trolley around the store.

Ian Burgess of Setwo Designs, who created the trolleys, said: “Being able to create a gadget that is practical yet innovative is often a challenge but I think with the trolley we’ve cracked it. The trolley can be used in the traditional way for shopping yet streams the latest sports news easily.”Sainsbury’s believes that there could be commercial benefit in the trolleys if they make shoppers more likely to visit a store. Brett Hart, the supermarket’s trolley buyer, said: “We strive to make our customers’ lives simpler, which is why we’re looking at these new trolleys.”

[The Telegraph]

Twitter is rolling out a significant redesign to their mobile website, the one you see when accessing Twitter.com via Safari on iPhone or iPod touch, and other mobile device browsers. The new web app layout is molded around the official Twitter for iPhone app and is heavily doused in HTML5 goodness (however the menu bar has been switched to the top instead of the bottom).

We want you to be able to access Twitter no matter where you are; regardless of what device you use; or, whether you prefer to access Twitter through a mobile application or the browser. Today, we’re starting to roll out a new version of twitter.com for mobile devices. This web app allows us to provide a high-quality and consistent Twitter experience on high-end touchscreen devices – whether or not an official Twitter application is available. It was built from the ground up for smartphones and tablets, which have more advanced browsers that support the latest web technologies, including HTML5.

We're not seeing the redesign on our end just yet, as Twitter has only allowed a small percentage of users to see the new layout. Word around town is that it looks and functions a lot better than the previous design, and judging from the screenshots, we get the feeling we'll all be in full agreement once it's rolled out to everyone.

Any TiPb readers out there seeing the update?

[Twitter Blog]

Today it was announced that Howard Stern has inked a new deal with Sirius XM satellite radio that will keep him on air through 2015. This is great news for all of the iPhone toting Stern fans out there as this new deal allows for his show to be on for another five years but it also allows the show to be streamed over your iOS device via the Sirius application, something that was not allowed previously due to Stern's old contract.

Sirius XM executives would not comment on whether they paid extra to work this arrangement into the new contract and they would give no time frame of when the streaming would start to take place.

[Electronista]

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad is finally getting near to release. A short video walkthrough of the new app has been posted on Sling's official YouTube account. The video emphasises that the app is all about the quality of the video, due to Apples excellent H.264 streaming capabilities. The interface looks very similar to other recent versions of Sling Player Mobile.

Now here is the bad news, Sling Player Mobile for iPad will be a separate app, no universal binary love here. If you already have the iPhone version you will have to pay again for the iPad version. It will cost another $30, the same price as the current iPhone version.

Also, Sling point out that the iPad version will only work with Slingbox PRO-HD and Slingbox SOLO equipment. Legacy versions do not have the hardware capability to stream at the iPad’s higher resolution.

No word on when this is going to hit the app store; but you can sign up now, to be kept up to date on availability information.

Are you are looking forward to this app? Do you think it is fair that you will have to pay again for the iPad version? Let us know in the comments!

[Engadget]

Google has posted an update to their blogger account notating some new changes to their mobile version of Gmail.  From the looks of it, scrolling looks to be much improved as far as smoothness goes.  Before the pages seemed to be a bit more choppy and the distance it would scroll wasn't always very accurate.  That problem appears to be fixed.

They've also added a floating toolbar that will remain static even when you scroll.  This should make it a lot easier to jump around your mailbox instead of having to scroll all the way back up a long thread in order to return to your inbox or another folder.  Google is noting these updates are compatible with devices running iOS 4.0 and up.

They're also asking that if you have suggestions or comments, you should feel free to visit the Google Support Forums or tweet it and mention #gmailmobile.  Do you guys use the web version of this app at all? I personally just have Gmail set up as exchange.  Seems a lot less work to me.  What do you guys think?

It seems Google has slipped in some improvement for Google Docs document viewing via iPhone and iPad (and Android). For quite a while, the only documents that really played nice (at least for me), were spreadsheets. You can now go to docs.google.com on your Android or iOS device and view formats such as .xls, .pdf, .ppt, .doc, and .docx. I didn't see anything about .pptx though, I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one. If they're supporting .docx, not supporting the newer Powerpoint format doesn't really make sense to me.

The only glitch I seemed to find is that Word documents aren't that pretty. Some of my old accounting Word attachments were formatted pretty bad. I checked them on the computer and it wasn't the actual document. That may be something that needs a tweak on Google's end.

Here's a quick tip for iPhone users as well. What I actually do is open the Google Mobile App and click Google Docs, it'll automatically route you to the docs.google.com page in Safari. So you can go that route as well.

Hit the jump for some screens!

[Google Mobile Blog via Android Central]

According to Mary Meeker and analysts from Morgan Stanley, Apple has a two to three year lead over its competitors in the mobile Internet space. Even though Apple's iPhone and iPod touch represent just a small piece of of the global smartphone pie with 17 percent, the two devices are responsible for a astounding 65 percent of all mobile internet use.

The iPhone and iPod touch have significantly surpassed the likes of Netscape, AOL, and NTT's DoCoMo in the first nine quarters of being on the market with an install base of 57 million users. That's most impressive if you consider that in the same time frame DoCoMo achieved 25 million users, Netscape 11 million, with AOL coming in last with 7 million.

We can't say Apple is slaughtering the competition, not with Android coming on strong and other platforms just rebooting (or about to). But, we are not likely to see this trend die anytime soon as Apple continues to gain more and more market share in the smartphone world.

Very reasonably priced and there won't be a need to have a discount for existing customers...

What are you hoping for? Word, Excel and PowerPoint functionality? I would love the triple play. Do you think DataViz will deliver?