Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and 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, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

GTA 3 – @chrisoldroyd

I don’t play many games on my iPad however the release of GTA 3 has got me hooked. I used to play this a few years back on my PS2 and PSP; so hearing it was now available for iOS, I just had to get it.

The game plays amazingly well, the graphics are true to the original PS2 version; which in my opinion is some feat on a 9.7″ handheld device. The key to the success with games like these on the iPad is the controls system. Rockstar appears to have this just right, even I can control things and that’s saying something. All in all this game is streets ahead of anything else that I have played on my iPad, it is utterly brilliant!

• $4.99 – App Store link

Action Movie FX – @Alli_Flowers

JJ Abrams is nothing short of brilliant. I love his movies and tv shows, and now his iPhone app – Action Movie FX. Meant to highlight the explosive effects used in his latest endeavor, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, it gives you the ability to…well…blow things up.

Action Movie FX leverages the camera in your iPhone (or iPad 2), and allows you to take live footage and then apply an explosive effect. The app comes with a missile and a car roll. I’m not crazy about the car effect as it has limited use. The missile, on the other hand, is very practical, and kept me incredibly entertained on Christmas eve as we drove around the neighborhood looking at all the festively decorated yards. “Stop here!” I would shout, and my brother would pull over. “I want to blow up that yard!” I’m sure the neighbors were tickled to death that we were spending so much time admiring and photgraphing their displays. If they only knew….

You can purchase two additional effects packages, one of which I got for $.99 that includes a fire (gun) fight and an air strike. If you ever wanted to direct expensive movies with huge special effects (or just wanted to blow things up), I highly recommend Action Movie FX.

• Free – App Store link

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown – @reneritchie

I’m not a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and Dark Knight movies. He simply doesn’t understand the core of the character (nor is he capable of producing good endings.) Bruce Wayne doesn’t dress up as Batman. Batman isn’t his secret identity. He is Batman. It’s Bruce Wayne that he dresses up as; that’s his secret identity. And it’s his job to save everyone, from the citizens of Gotham to the Joker to Ras Al Ghul. It’s his job to make sure no one ever dies the way his parents died, not ever again. It’s those simple, essential truths that Frank Miller nailed so transformative-ly in Dark Knight Returns in the 1980s and Paul Dini and Bruce Timm realized perhaps best of all, detective and all, in Batman: The Animated in the 1990s, that Tim Burton touched on though ultimately stumbled all over in his attempt at the Batman franchise, and that Nolan missed completely, despite the great acting and production values of his soon-to-be completed trilogy.

There’s nothing wrong with Gotham that Batman can’t fix with his brains and his fists. Which brings me, circuitously, to Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, the latest attempt to bring the Batman franchise to video games and the first to hit the iPhone and iPad.

It looks great. It uses the same Epic Unreal 3 engine that powers Infinity Blade, and the designs are modern but true to the spirit of the characters involved. Control is good given the limitations of multitouch, and Batman: Arkham City Lockdown takes pains to walk you through them from the get go. Gameplay is a tad repetitive — you go from area to fairly similar area and box your way from bad guy to fairly similar bad guy. Early hyper-swiping (is that the multitouch equivalent of button mashing?) quickly stops working, however, as badder guys require more precise counters and attacks, and you need to build your skills if you want to make it past anything other than the early stages.

In general the Arkham series is an extreme take on the Batman — ultra-violent, with female characters whose, to quote Bill Watterson, powers seem to primarily consist of keeping their costumes from falling completely off. But it’s well executed (no doubt thanks to having Paul Dini involved with the franchise), with good atmosphere, and has more than enough to please both longtime Batman fans and those who just want some gritty gaming fun over the holidays.

• $5.99 – App Store link

Golden Axe – @skeetobite

It’s retro day as we enter the last day of 2011. My choice for the pick of the week is Golden Axe, by Sega. This is an import of the classic arcade game from the late 1980′s. You are a mighty adventurer, trying to save the King and his daughter from the evil Death Adder. Just like the arcade version, you can play as a Gilus Thunderhead, a dwarf; Tyrus Flare, an amazonian; or Ax Battler, a sword wielding barbarian. Pick up food and potions, ride dragons, and of course fight enemies along the way to the main battle to defeat Death Adder. Just like the arcade version, you can play mutliplayer here as well, using bluetooth. There are sequels (Golden Axe II and III) but this game is the real thing from the arcade. For anyone who played this game in the arcade, you MUST pick this game up asap and give it a try.

• $0.99 – App Store link

Bejeweled – @iMuggle

The new version of Bejeweled adds not only more awesome graphics but new game play modes. I’ve always been hugely addicted to Bejeweled Blitz so I already knew this was a purchase I wasn’t going to regret.

The newer version has a Zen mode as well as a diamond mine mode. While one is timed and you have to attempt to blast away the earth and dig deeper, Zen mode is not timed and is just endless gameplay.

If you’re a Bejeweled fan, make sure you pick up the new version.

• $0.99 – App Store Link

1Password – @sethclifford

I’m not much of a believer in the usefulness of New Year’s Resolutions since many people make grandiose claims they’ll never complete and end up feeling terrible about it, but if you make even one this January, make it to be more secure and efficient in your computing life and know outright that you can do it. 1Password is the key to unlocking success with this resolution. I chose it as one of my most-used apps of 2011 this past week (as did many of the TiPb staff), and I can’t say enough about it.

It is simply put, my single most valued application on both the Mac and iOS. We’ve talked about it at least a zillion times on TiPb, so I won’t go into everything again. But understand this: I couldn’t manage my life, our office, and the feeling of control over the myriad bits of information we all interact with on a daily basis without it. You might look at the prices of the apps and balk, but to me, there’s no price I can put on either security or knowing that all the important data I need to access is always at my fingertips. You can always make more money, but you can’t get more time, and an app this good is worth your time.

Ok, I’ll dial down the hyperbole now. But seriously, if you’re not using it, why not? Don’t you like making your life easier? Isn’t it worth a few bucks to support fantastic software development and simplify things for yourself in the process? I think you know the answer to that. Go forth and learn a new way of living with your tech. Seriously. Go. Now.

• $14.99 for iPhone and iPad – App Store link
• $14.99 for Mac – Mac App Store link

Navigon — andrewwray

Doing a lot of holiday traveling, and want to make sure you arrive at your destination on time? Or maybe you’re going out of town for the New Year, and want to make sure you don’t get lost along the way?

I’ve been using Navigon as my main GPS app all year, and then some. It’s one of the best GPS navigation apps available for the iPhone and can even run on the iPad 3G. Navigon provides quick access to Google search, subsequently making it a breeze to search for your desired location (restaurant, gym, grocery store, gas station, whatever) and it also offers in-app purchases for things like 3D terrain mapping in a panoramic view, live traffic and even police radar location information. I’m sure some of you have personal prefecences for other GPS apps, or maybe even prefer a standalone device, but for me, Navigon does the job perfectly.

• $38.99 (North America Only) – App Store Link

Your pick?

You’re part of the team as well, so we will be choosing one reader to make a submission each week! Just look for the announcement on twitter or our Facebook page each weekend for a chance to be picked! In the meantime, jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

It’s Black Friday and there may be one little store you forgot to include in your shopping plans – the App Store! A plethora of apps are having huge sales this weekend, and we have gathered a few of our favorites that you do not want to miss.

• Noteshelf for iPad – $0.99 [App Store link]
• FX Photo Studio for iPhone – $0.99 [App Store link]
• Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles
  • iPhone – $0.99 [App Store link]
  • iPad – $0.99 [App Store link]
• Real Racing 2
  • iPhone – $2.99 [App Store link]
  • iPad – $4.99 [App Store link]
• Flight Control HD for iPad – $1.99 [App Store link]
• Mirror’s Edge for iPad – $1.99 [App Store link]
• Garmin N. America – $29.99 [App Store link]
• Infinity Blade – $2.99 [App Store link]
• A Charlie Brown Christmas – $4.99 [App Store link]
• Checkbook HD – $0.99 [App Store link]
• procreate for iPad – $0.99 [App Store link]
• Navigon
  • North America – $39.99 [App Store link]
  • USA – $29.99 [App Store link]
  • Canada – $29.99 [App Store link]
  • US East – $19.99 [App Store link]
  • US Central – $19.99 [App Store link]
  • US West – $19.99 [App Store link]
• IM+ Pro – $4.99 [App Store link]
• Business Card Reader – $2.99 [App Store link]
• RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mac and Windows – $4.99 [App Store link]
• Flickr HD – $0.99 [App Store link]

Additionally, check out touchArcade for a great list of all of Gameloft’s sales. Also, EA [iTunes link] and Disney [iTunes link] have most of their titles on sale.

This is a just small portion of which apps are having Black Friday deals, so if you find any other good ones, please share them in the comments below!

Did you or someone you know just get a brand new iPhone or iPod touch, and are wondering which are the top 10 very best, most must-have apps and games you absolutely need to jump into the App Store and download now, now, now? Well, you’re in luck — whether you want to show off the beautiful Retina display, test the power of the dual-core Apple A5 processor, need to get things done, or just want to have some fun, TiPb’s top 10 have got your back! As part of our ongoing iPhone new users guide, here are our top 10 favorite, most highly recommended iPhone apps to get you started!

Note: App prices are current as of the time of this writing but can and do change frequently over time, including going up, down, and going on sale. Some free apps also sell additional content via in-app-purchase, or require a subscription. Always read app descriptions thoroughly before purchasing or downloading.

Social apps: Facebook for iPhone

Facebook is one of the most popular sites on the web, and not surprisingly, it’s also one of the most popular apps on iPhone. While Facebook for iPhone has a well earned reputation for general bugginess, it’s also been steadily improving as of late. Sure, you can visit Facebook.com on Safari, but the app gives you much, much more functionality, not the least of which is photo uploads. You also get Places, Messages, Chat, and many of your other favorite Facebook features.

• Free – App Store link

Also check out:

• Facebook Messenger is for those who want a fast, focused way to stay in instant touch with friends. Free – App Store link
• LinkedIn for iPhone has a brand new, way more distinctive interface for all your business networking. Free – App Store link
• Tweetbot is a great, highly stylized alternative to the official Twitter client. $2.99 – App Store link
• Find my Friends is Apple’s answer to keeping track of who’s where, either all the time or just for special events. Free – App Store link

Casual games: Angry Birds

Angry Birds is like the Mario or Sonic of iPhone and iPod touch gaming — so synonymous with iOS that even though it’s not made by Apple, even though it’s on other platforms now, it’s still the most famous, and still one of the most fun games ever to grace the App Store. While the idea of slingshotting variously powered birds at the variously fashioned fortifications and popping variously evil green pigs might seem thin at first, excellent gameplay and a constant stream of updates keep it fresh — and continuously at or near the top of the charts. Give it a fling… and prepare to lose many an hour chasing those elusive three star ratings.

• $0.99 – App Store link

Also check out:

• Cut the Rope is just as simple, just as enjoyable, and just as addictive. $0.99 – App Store link
• Plants vs. Zombies is a charming, horrifically funny take on tower defense. $2.99 – App Store link
• Tiny Wings shows that birds don’t have to be angry to be fun; they don’t even need to fly… much. $0.99 – App Store link
• Seigecraft is a beautifully done tower defense style game… with trebuchets! $2.99 – App Store link

Communications/IM apps: Skype

The iPhone is a phone, so it makes voice calls, it has FaceTime so it makes video calls, and it has iMessage, so it can do IM. What place is there, then, for Skype for iPhone? Turns out, a lot. FaceTime and iMessage are Apple-only technologies, so they don’t play nicely with other devices and platforms, and phone calls — especially international phone calls cost a lot of money. Microsoft’s Skype runs on almost every device and operating system, is free to call other Skype users, and cheap to call phones.

• Free – App Store link link

Also check out:

• BeeJiveIM supports AIM/MobileMe, MSN/Windows Live, Yahoo!, GoogleTalk, Facebook, MySpace and Jabber for flexible, full featured chat. $9.99 – iTunes link
• Google Voice for iPhone lets you access your GV calls, texts, and voice mail. Free – iTunes link
• WhatsApp is probably the closest thing to a cross-platform BBM (BlackBerry Messenger)-style instant messenger available. $0.99 – App Store link
• Verbs doesn’t support as many protocols but for GTalk, Facebook, AIM, and Me.com, nothing looks nicer. $0.99 + in-app purchase – App Store link

Productivity apps: Numbers, Pages, and Keynote

Apple’s iWork suite, which consists of Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Pages for word processing has recently been updated to work with iCloud, so all your documents get stored and synced between your devices (including, eventually, iWork for Mac when Apple updates it). Keynote was built for Steve Jobs so it’s absolutely best in class, while Numbers and Pages are easy to use and produce great looking docs.

• $9.99 – Keynote in App Store link
• $9.99 – Numbers in App Store link
• $9.99 – Pages in App Store link

Also check out:

• Good Reader is a powerhouse for PDF annotating and file management. [$2.99 - App Store link]
• Evernote stores text, images, and audio for easy reference later. [Free - App Store link]
• Elements is a text editor that syncs with Dropbox and has Markdown support. ‘Nuff said. $4.99 – App Store link
• Todo takes task management to the next level, with sync to Dropbox or iCloud among others. $4.99 – App Store link

Action/arcade games: Infinity Blade II

Epic’s Unreal 3 engine exploded onto iPhone with Infinity Blade, an on-rails sword fighting extravaganza with some of the best visuals we’ve ever seen. Infinity Blade II takes all of that to a whole new level. You literally will not believe a game that looks this good is running on your phone.

Infinity Blade II picks up where the first left off, with you locked in a battle with the Deathless, only this time the stakes are higher, the enemies badder, and the weapons more powerful than ever. It’s still a tad repetitive at times, but it quickly becomes as addictive as it is gorgeous, and ChAIR typically has regular updates so there’s always new gear, new enemies, and new aspects to enjoy.

• $6.99 – App Store link

Also check out:

• Real Racing 2 for amazing cars, online action, and AirPlay. $9.99 – App Store link
• Street Fighter IV Volt puts the classic fighter in the palm of your hands. $0.99 – App Store link
• Extraction: Project Outbreak is a fresh take on the top-down 3D shooter. $0.99 – App Store Link
• Atari’s Greatest Hits brings the oldest of old school to your brand new advice. Free – App Store link

Music apps: Rdio

While Pandora, Slacker, and Spotify get a lot of attention, Rdio’s focus on social networking means it really excels at music discovery — you get to see what the people you’re following are listening to. You can cache music for offline listening, so you can load up on Wi-Fi and save your data, and the available selection of music is great for mainstream and alternative music lovers alike. Give it a try with the free 7-day trial.

Also check out:

• GarageBand is Apple’s iLife music making app brought to iPhone. $4.99 – App Store link
• DJay will make you the mixing star of your next party. $0.99 – App Store link
• MadPad lets you remix and make music out of all the sounds around you. $0.99 – App Store link
• Shows lets you know when and where your favorite artists are in concert. $2.99 – App Store link

Photo apps: Instagram

Instagram is the current king of iPhone photography apps, and it took the crown through a brilliant combination of easy-to-apply filters and super simple social sharing. The latest version not only adds even more filters, but all tilt-shift effects. Whether you want to quickly share great looking snap shots to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, or Posterous, Instagram has you covered. In style.

• Free – App Store link

Also check out:

• Photogene2 is a photography powerhouse, with full featured editing, sharing, and much more. $1.99 – App Store link
• Camera+ is jam packed with features and filters to make your photos shine. $0.99 – App Store link
• Hipstamatic to bring that terrific toy camera look to your shots. [$0.99 – App Store link
• Flickr for iPhone lets you store and share all the shots you take. [Free – App Store link

Video apps: Air Video

Air Video automagically transcodes on the the fly and streams your videos — almost any videos, in almost any format — from your Windows or Mac PC to your iPhone. If you have an Apple TV, you can also beam them straight to your big screen television as well. If you’ve got a ton of content on your computer and you want to watch it on your iPhone, this is the app for you.

• $2.99 – App Store link

Also check out:

• iMovie is Apple’s iLife video editor, gloriously brought to iPhone. $4.99 – App Store link
• Netflix gives you access to tons of streaming catalog titles, right on your iPhone. Free – App Store link
• IMDb includes all the movie and TV details and showtimes in handy app form. Free – App Store link
• Slingplayer Mobile works with your Slingbox to put anything from your TV on your iPhone. $29.99 – App Store link

Internet apps: Dropbox

Dropbox is an amazing cloud sync solution not just for iPhone but for iPad, Mac, Windows, Linux, and basically everything you can imagine (several of us store almost our entire home directories in Dropbox). Not only does it give you access to any and all files in your Dropbox folder — along with easy links for sharing and the ability to store favorites locally — but many, many other apps use Dropbox to handle their sync as well, from password apps to writing apps to note taking apps. You get 2GB for free and can buy more if you need it. It’s different than Apple’s iCloud, but it’s just as awesome.

• Free – App Store link

Also check out:

• 1Password lets you have security and convenience with all your logins, credit cards, and accounts available on your iPhone. $14.99 – App Store link
• Skyfire is a web browser that lets you watch some Flash videos on your iPhone. $2.99 – App Store link
• Screens is a VNC client that lets you remote desktop to your Windows, Mac, and Linux machines. $19.99 – App Store link
• Articles wraps up Wikipedia into a great looking, easy to use app. $2.99 – App Store link

Location/GPS apps: NAVIGON

Get full fledged turn-by-turn driving directions on your iPhone so you can keep your eyes where they belong — on the road. NAVIGON provides on-board maps which means it keeps working in areas where there’s no data coverage. You can buy regional, country, or continents at a time, and there are also options for live traffic updates, parking directions, and enhanced panoramic views of the surroundings.

• Varies – App Store link

Also check out:

• Foursquare lets you “check in” to locations, keep track of your and your friends’ locations, and earn points for being there. Free – App Store link
• Yelp provides restaurant, gas station, bar, and pretty much any type of business location and recommendations. Free – App Store link
• Find my iPhone is Apple’s way for iCloud to help you locate, lock, and even wipe a missing or stolen iPhone. Free – App Store link
• Waze is a free, crowd-sourced, and highly social travel and nav app. Free – App Store link

Your top apps?

So there you have them, our top 10 best iPhone apps to get you started. Be sure to check out our Picks of the Week and iPhone App and Games Forum for more recommendations, and if we missed any of your favorites leave them in the comments below!

The popular navigation app, Navigon, has gone 2.0 and brings a new UI and two new features, MyMaps and FreshMaps XL.

MyMaps allows users to download maps by region. So if you’re not planning on leaving your state soon, you can download only the maps for your state and pick up other on an as-need basis. This will not only save some storage space on your iPhone or iPad, but speeds up the update process.

NAVIGON 2.0 is the first iPhone onboard navigation app that separates the app from the maps, allowing users to choose which map regions to download to their device. Users who, for example, own the USA version can pick the states they want immediately and download additional regions at a later time.

FreshMaps is available as an in-app purchase and will update your iPhone or iPad each quarter with the latests maps.

Always have the latest maps with NAVIGON FreshMaps XL! Update your device each quarter with the latest map updates from the experts. Your device will be kept right up to date and will not only include changes and additions to the road network, but also a whole load of new special destinations. This increases safety, reduces stress and saves time!

Navigon is available on the iPhone and iPad and prices vary. The North American apps and in-app purchases are currently on sale for a limit time. Here’s a list of prices:

• NAVIGON for iPhone North America: $39.99 instead of $59.99 [App Store link]
• NAVIGON for iPhone USA: $29.99 instead of $49.99 [App Store link]
• NAVIGON for iPhone Canada: $29.99 instead of $49.99 [App Store link]
• NAVIGON for iPhone East, Central or West: $19.99 instead of $29.99 [East App Store link] [Central App Store link] [West App Store link]

NAVIGON FreshMaps:

• North America: $14.99 instead of $19.99
• USA (upgrades to maps of North America): $19.99 instead of $39.99
• Canada (upgrades to maps of North America): $19.99 instead of $39.99
• MyRegion (upgrades to maps of North America): $24.99 instead of $49.99

Other in-app purchases:

• Safety Cameras: $4.99
• Traffic Live: $19.99

Other versions of the Navigon for other countries can be found by searching “Navigon” in the App Store.

Check out the promo video for Navigon 2.0 below!

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

What are your names Bernd, Andreas, Eva, Bernd, Christian, Andreas, Andrej

What company are you all with? NAVIGON

Where are you located? Wuerzburg, Germany

And on the web? www.navigon.com

What’s your Twitter name? @NAVIGON_US

What apps do you make? NAVIGON MobileNavigator, help2park

What apps, other than your own, are currently among your favorites? Shazam, WeatherPro, IMDB, Tiny Wings

How long have you been a developer? NAVIGON was founded in 1991 and this year we celebrate our 20th anniversary. We’ve developed many industry firsts, including the first navigation system for Pocket PC, the first dynamic traffic information service, and the first realistic display of highway interchanges and exits (Reality View), among many other features.

How long have you been an iOS developer? We started developing for iOS in 2009.

Do you develop for any other platform in addition to iOS? If so, which one(s)? NAVIGON develops navigation solutions for most major smartphone platforms, including Android, Windows Phone 7, Bada, Windows Mobile, and Symbian.

What primary computer setup do you use for your iOS development? Our iOS team mainly uses various iMacs and MacBook Pros. A Mac Pro serves as our buildserver.

What iOS device(s) do you personally use most often? We mostly use the iPhone 4 and iPad 2.

What mobile devices, other than iOS, do you currently use? We use 99.9% iOS devices.

What’s your favorite thing about developing for iOS? The SDK is very thought through and intuitive. Also, the overall structure of iOS and the App Store environment is very stable and reliable.

What’s your least favorite thing about developing for iOS? We partially miss API access to system functions.

What feature would you most like Apple to add to the iOS 5 SDK? We would like to see the integration of app content into the spotlight search. Since most content is saved within apps, this would make it much easier to find stuff. We would also really like to be able to only partially update our app with smaller changes like bug fixes, for example. Right now, users always need to download the full application no matter how big the update is. It would be great if iOS 5 would allow us to push out smaller updates, so our users only have to download the data that has been changed and not the full application.

What feature would you most like Apple to add to the App Store? We would love to be able to respond to user reviews or to have the option to get in touch with our app users. This would allow us to provide assistance and clarify misunderstandings.

If we were to eavesdrop on you while you were coding, what curse word would we hear you use the most? We sometimes hear a German word starting with “sch.”

What do you do when you’re not coding iOS apps? There’s not much time left… Other than working on NAVIGON’s iOS apps, we enjoy spending time with friends and travelling.

What should we look for from you next? We are working on some major additions for our MobileNavigator app for this summer. This will include some amazing surprises, stay tuned!

We would also like to point out that only those who have our latest version (1.8 or 1.8.1) are eligible to take advantage of the benefits in the next version, so we encourage everyone to update their MobileNavigator app. We will also roll-out a couple of new free single-feature apps, similar to help2park but with different functionalities.

Thanks Bernd, Andreas, Eva, Bernd, Christian, Andreas, Andrej and team NAVIGON!

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• Private Info: DIgital wallet, photo vault, video vault, file vault and wireless file storage and privacy app. [$1.99 - iTunes link]

• GemCraft: Experience a completely new chapter in the GemCraft series featuring an all new user interface, stunning retina art, and levels designed specifically for mobile gaming. [$1.99 - iTunes link]

• NewsTweet: A news reader for iPad that brings you web feeds and Twitter mashed up in a fresh Scandinavian design. [$0.99 - iTunes link]

• Instacast: Consume audio and video podcasts. Huge update brings support for OPML file format, ability to copy podcast URL to clipboard, Auto-Refreshing of subscriptions, and much more! [$1.99 - iTunes link]

• Navigon: Now with all new NAVTEQ map data, reality scanner, TrafficCheck and more. [prices vary - iTunes link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

We’ve heard rumors and gotten questions about whether the iPad 2 gains any GPS functionality when tethered to an iPhone 4 and, based on our tests (see the video above) — yes it does, albeit a little dumbed-down. GPS functionality seemed to be working in both Maps and Navigon, but it clearly doesn’t work half as well as the 3G enabled iPad with assisted GPS built-in. Still, if you’ve decided on purchasing the 3G enabled iPad 2 primarily for its GPS capability, you may want to consider tethering an iPad Wi-Fi to iPhone 4 as an option.

Keep in mind the test was conducted on an iPhone 4 running iOS 4.2.1 using MyWi to create a wireless hotspot, however the results should be the same when using an AT&T or Verizon iPhone 4 (running iOS 4.3 or 4.2.6 respectively) with the Personal Hotspot feature baked-in. Results should be similar on the original non-3G iPad as well, and make sure you have location services enabled on both devices for it to work properly.

So although this technically works, we wouldn’t suggest using it as a full in-dash GPS unit by any means. If you want to do things like location-aware tweets it should work like a charm by roughly pinpointing your location when Wi-Fi router mapping isn’t an option.

If you have a Wi-Fi-only iPad then pair it up with your iPhone 4 and let us know how it’s working for you in the comments below!

[Urbanape via Daring Fireball]

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• NAVIGON sale!: In celebration of reaching 2 million users, all NAVIGON apps are 50% off! [NAVIGON AG - iTunes link]

• Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter: Console-quality hunting game which lets players explore huge non-linear locations as they attempt to track down a variety of dinosaurs and not become a prey. [$2.99 - iTunes link]

• PADI: Hey scuba divers! Find you next diving location with this little app. [Free - iTunes link]

• News Republic: A robust news app that aggregates news from sources such as Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. You can read stories in the app and create your own channel. [Free - iTunes link]

• SHAPE Services sale!: In celebration of the Verizon iPhone launch, SHAPE Services is have a sale on IM+ Pro, Business Card Reader, iDisplay, Webcamera, RDM+, Mobiscope, Barcode Reader Pro, VR+, and IM+ Talk. [Shape Services - iTunes link]

Give-away! The folks at Tetem Games have generously supplied us with 5 promo codes for Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter. Leave us a comment below for a chance to win one of them!

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

NAVIGON, makes of the turn-by-turn app MobileNavigator, have introduced a “design focused” iPhone car kit. It includes an iPhone mounting cradle (suction pad type), an Apple-certified connection cord and a car charger.

“The iPhone is the most elegant smartphone available, therefore a mount should never get in the way of showcasing the design,” said Gerhard Mayr, vice-president worldwide mobile phones & new markets, NAVIGON. “The new NAVIGON car kit is a stylish example of German tech design with its “barely there” look, letting iPhone users navigate in style.” The mount is easy to fix to the windshield, reduces driver distraction and positions the iPhone for optimal GPS signal. The included car charger and the five foot long connection cable (combined $25 value) make sure the iPhone battery doesn’t drain. The NAVIGON Car Kit is now available for the iPhone 3G/S and 4 and sells for $49.99 with free shipping (introductory price of $44.99 until Feb 3, 2011) from www.bringmobi.com.

They’ve also updated their Traffic Live feature to include more comprehensive traffic feeds from INRIX, increasing road coverage by 76% to over 200,000 miles across North America. Major changes include integration of more than 87,000 miles of secondary roads, for example city streets and arterials.

NAVIGON has just announced version 1.7 of their popular turn-by-turn navigation app, Mobile Navigator, and also released their first single-feature app, help2park.

MobileNavigator 1.7 is now a universal app with full, optimized support for iPad as well as iPhone. It also includes optional Active Lane Assistant, Map Reporter, Retina Display support, user notifications, and ZAGAT Survey information available as an in-app purchase. [Various - iTunes link]

help2park is a free, stand-alone app that helps drivers find a place to park. Users can set the radius they’d like to search, tap, and get a list of options along with their distances. [Free - iTunes link]

MobileNavigator is 30% until January 6. Full details after the break!

MobileNavigator 1.7:

• Universal iPad Integration: NAVIGON is the first major GPS Company to make navigation universal; it now runs natively on the iPhone and the iPad. Users with MobileNavigator installed can use the app on both devices without extra charges. The app utilizes the iPad’s large display and user interface with a higher resolution, and new menus. Route planning is convenient on the iPad, showing a large scrollable, multi-touch map to select destinations in simple taps. Users can plan their routes at home on the iPad and then send them to their iPhone for navigation on the go. MobileNavigator can also be used for navigation on the iPad. Capitalizing on the large screen, the app demonstrates Reality View Pro™ and the map view side-by-side, providing an accurate overview of the way ahead. In-map elements such as direction arrows, Lane and Speed Assistant symbols are designed in proportion to the iPad display size.

• Zagat Survey: An In App Purchase offers access to Zagat’s signature ratings and reviews of over 40,000 restaurants, hotels, attractions, golf courses, nightspots and other leisure activities, based on the thoughts and opinions of a worldwide network of thousands of surveyors. Zagat has become the world’s most trusted source to help consumers make informed decisions about where to go. Zagat’s content is integrated into MobileNavigator’s point of interest search, so users can easily find locations within a city, state or nearby. A tap on the individual destination reveals further information such as ratings of the appeal, decor and service as well as prices, telephone numbers and the full review text.

• Active Lane Assistant: The market first feature Active Lane Assistant assists drivers with getting and staying in the correct lane by showing a live lane animation. Displayed in the lower right corner of the map view, the animation reflects the current lane configuration and allows drivers to see ahead. An orange line indicates the way the driver should follow. The optional feature can be switched on or off.

• Map Reporter: The new Map Reporter feature enables users with the power to store changed road names, new speed limits, and one-way streets and submit them to improve the accuracy of future maps. The information is checked, verified and then integrated into later map updates.

• Retina Display Support: Retina display adaptation is further enhanced and now also shows the map, map fonts and POIs in high resolution.

• User Notifications and Newsletter: The update now also allows users to receive on-screen messages with important information about MobileNavigator within the app. In addition, users can also sign up for a newsletter and receive exclusive offers and first hand information by email.

App prices:

• MobileNavigator North America $59.99 (on sale for $44.99)
• MobileNavigator USA: $49.99 (on sale for $34.99)
• MobileNavigator Canada: $49.99 (on sale for $34.99)
• MobileNavigator US MyRegion East, Central or West: $29.99, additional regions $14.99. (first region on sale for $24.99)

In-app purchase prices:

• Zagat Survey Ratings and Reviews: $7.99 (on sale for $5.99)
• Traffic Live: $19.99
• Panorama View 3D: $9.99

help2park:

• The first application in the “Search & Find” category, help2park, kicks of the series and is now available in the App Store. The application helps drivers find a parking spot nearby, using a clean and easy to use interface. By gently touching a dial, users can set the radius they’d like to search in. Tapping a “P” symbol then opens a list of parking options – including addresses and distances from the current location. By changing the view, the spaces can also be shown on a map. If NAVIGON’s premium navigation app, MobileNavigator, is installed on the iPhone, drivers can guide directly to the parking space of their choice.

NAVIGON has generously offered TiPb readers a bunch of promo codes for their amazing NAVIGON US MyRegion turn by turn navigation app for iPhone. We’re talking US MyRegion West, MyRegion Central, and MyRegion East (and did we say a bunch?!) If you’re not familiar with MyRegion, it’s basically the full on 2010 TiPb Readers Choice Award winning NAVIGON experience but covering smaller areas. That way if you only drive around the Western US, you don’t need to buy the maps for whole country or continent.

With NAVIGON US MyRegion you can transform your iPhone into a fully functional mobile navigation system that is every bit as good as the multi-award-winning personal navigation devices from NAVIGON in terms of its user-friendliness and features.

Thanks to a faithful adaptation of the menu functions, NAVIGON MyRegion fits in seamlessly with the operating concept of the iPhone. The application includes the latest map material from the market leader NAVTEQ.

NAVIGON MyRegion provides full map flexibility. For your convenience you can enlarge your map coverage by activating up to two more map regions directly from in the App.

They’re normally $29.99 each (on sale tomorrow for $19.99) but wouldn’t you prefer FREE? (I thought so!) Just leave a comment below telling us which US region (East, Central or West) you’d like to visit this holiday season and why. We’ll pick a bunch of you and give you promo codes courtesy of NAVIGON.

(Promo Codes only work in the US App Store, Apple’s rule not ours. They also expire so if you get one, use it quickly!)

[NAVIGON iTunes link]

To celebrate NAVIGON’s one year App Store anniversary they’re giving away 9 promo codes for NAVIGON MyRegion to TiPb readers, 3 each for East, Central, and West US.

Want one? Just leave a reply in our iPhone Apps and Games Forum thread telling us which MyRegion app you want, and where you’d like to use it to go. (Make it good!)

Note: Promo codes require a US App Store account. Apple’s rule, not ours!

Good luck!

[iTunes link]

NAVIGON has been on the iTunes App Store for one year, and to celebrate the anniversary they’re offering 50% off their turn-by-turn navigation apps and in-app purchases, including MobileNavigator and MyRegion:

To kick off its second year in the App Store, NAVIGON is celebrating for four days (August 12-15) with a half-off promotion for all North American MobileNavigator apps and most other country versions. The In App Purchase options Traffic Live and Panorama View 3D are also 50 percent off. The additional maps in the MyRegion app get a discount of more than 30 percent.

I recently tried MobileNavigator for the first time when I took a trip up north. We were going to be going through areas of no cell coverage so I couldn’t use the built-in, online Maps app (because they wouldn’t load without data). MobileNavigator puts all the maps on your iPhone so even if you lose data, you still have GPS and it can still display the maps. Sure, it makes for a big download (over 1.5GB for all of North America) but I must say it was amazing. It was very smooth and we never noticed when we dropped from 3G to EDGE or offline — it just kept navigating. It even reminded us about a side trip we’d forgotten about on the way and helped us find a restaurant we just couldn’t locate (we had to trust it though, our own sense of north and south had betrayed us!)

All in all I was very happy with it so if you’re looking for an on-board, offline navigation app for your iPhone, and NAVIGON interests you, this is a great time to try it out. (If you do, make sure you tell me how it works for you).

Here’s the app pricing:

• MobileNavigator North America (includes maps for Canada & US): $39.99 instead of $79.99
• MobileNavigator USA: $24.99 instead of $49.99
• MobileNavigator Canada: $29.99 instead of $59.99
• MobileNavigator US MyRegion East, Central or West: $14.99 instead of $29.99, additional regions $11.99 instead of $14.99.

And in-app purchases

• Traffic Live: $12.99 instead of $24.99
• Panorama View 3D: $4.99 instead of $9.99

[iTunes link]

NAVIGON dropped us a note to let us know that new, feature-filled, iOS 4-friendly version of MobileNavigator they previewed for us back at WWDC 2010 has hit the App Store and is available now. It includes:

• Live Weather
• Clever Parking
• Destination Information Display
• iOS 4 integration (including multitasking)
• Enhanced Retina display buttons and icons for the iPhone 4
• Latest NAVTEQ Maps
• Pedestrian Mode Voice Guidance
• Enhanced Reality View™ Pro and display of street names in the map view

What’s more, NAVIGON is offering limited time, promotional pricing to help ease new users into the new version — $49.99 for MobileNavigator North America and $17.99 for MobileNavigator US MyRegion is available for $17.99 (additional regional map can be accessed as an In App Purchase for $12.99).

[iTunes link]

A double dose of NAVIGON today as they’ve put out a video showing off MobileNavigator on iOS 4 making use of background location. Fast app switching, saved state, and the Location API for taking a call while still receiving navigation directions are all on display.

We’ve also got a video interview with MobileNavigator for iPhone product manager Bern Hahn taken during WWDC 2010 for your viewing pleasure. He tells TiPb what he thinks of Apple’s iOS 4 multitasking, the iPad, and of course, iPhone 4.

Video action after the break.

Multitasking with NAVIGON MobileNavigator iPhone and iOS 4

YouTube link

NAVIGON talks MobileNavigator, iOS 4, iPad, and iPhone 4 at WWDC 2010

YouTube link

NAVIGON is getting ready to celebrate WWDC 2010 (and no doubt the background GPS API in iPhone OS 4!) with sale of their MyRegion app. Whether you’re off to San Francisco for WWDC itself or just touring the bay area for fun and frolic, you can grab MyRegion for half off — $14.99 from June 1-11, 2010, with additional maps for sale for $9.99.

MyRegion gives you the power of choice by letting you pick the map region/regions you need but still includes the features known from the award winning North American version, MobileNavigator. It is the first iPhone navigation app that lets users upgrade to additional regions within the app and on the go, providing cross country navigation by choice. The total U.S. map is downloaded upon purchase of the first “MyRegion,” which allows activation of additional map regions via a seamless In App Purchase from within the application. NAVIGON MyRegion allows premium navigation at a reduced price including functions such as Reality View Pro, Google Local Search, Lane Assistant Pro, Enhanced Pedestrian Mode, NAVIGON MyRoutes and much more.

If on-board maps and options are your thing, check it out and let us know how it does for your summer travels.

[iTunes link]

Today’s top 5 is directed towards iPhone users who travel for work, for fun, or for a little bit of both. From booking to preparing, finding your way to finding your food, and keeping yourself entertained while go, the iPhone really does have plenty of apps for all of that. Just like our other top 5 must-have iPhone app posts, all of these applications are available in the App Store. For the full run down, follow us after the break!

TripIt

Tripit [free - iTunes link] is an iPhone front-end to the free TripIt.com online service. With TripIt, once you book your online hotel and flight information, you just forward them the email and they automagically create a itinerary for you include flight times, airport maps, hotel maps, etc. Basically, all you travel has belong to them — but they’ll package and present it to you in a hyper convenient and consolidated manner.

If you’re a hardcore traveler, TripIt.com also provides a pro version with added functionality.

Alternative: WorldMate [free - iTunes link] or [$14.99 - iTunes link], recommended by Alli.

Appigo Todo

Making a list and checking it twice isn’t just for Santa’s once-a-year trip, it’s for everyone who needs to keep track of what to pack, where they want to go, and what they want to see. Appigo’s Todo Lite [free - iTunes link] is a great starting point for task and list manager, and if you need more, there’s a full version of Todo [$9.99 - iTunes] with a feature set that syncs with just about everything.

Alternatives: If you prefer to keep your lists in note-taking apps, check out our top 5 iPhone note apps roundup!

AT&T Navigator or NAVIGON MobileNavigator

If you’re driving rather than flying, turn-by-turn navigation and your sense of direction is anything other than perfect, turn-by-turn navigation is a must and there are two major types for you to choose from — online vs. on-device and subscription vs. paid outright.

AT&T Navigator [subscription - iTunes link] provides online maps and if you only need them for a summer road-trip through areas with good AT&T coverage, you can pay $9.99 grab it and go. (Powered by TeleNav, you can find other carrier-branded versions, like Rogers Navigator in Canada, in international App Store).

If you’re going off-grid, however, you’ll have to go offline and NAVIGON provides everything from the 1.5GB North America [$79.00 - iTunes link] to (for example) just the US East Coast ($29.00 – iTunes link]. They have a variety of international versions as well.

Alternative: whmurray recommends the built-in Maps app, which isn’t turn-by-turn but is GPS-enabled and powered by Google.

ZAGAT To Go

Yes, it’s complete overkill and yes, there are a numerous free/cheap ways to find restaurants with your iPhone but once in a while when you’re traveling you just want to do it in style and that’s ZAGAT To Go [$9.99 a year - iTunes link]. You get ratings and reviews from ZAGAT’s famous guide, and an offline mode so you can download it all to your iPhone, iPod touch (or iPad — it’s a universal binary!).

Alternative: Yelp [free - iTunes link] was suggested by Jamesus.

iPod

It’s built right into your iPhone and iPod touch (separated as Music and Video) and can keep you entertained with music, audio books, TV shows, movies, and podcasts everywhere from the airport to the airplane, hotel to restaurant. You can either transfer your own media from home before you leave or use the iTunes Store app to buy and rent the latest from Hollywood or download the best free content on the go. When Apple said the iPhone was the best iPod they’d ever made, they weren’t exaggerating. (Sure, the iPad gets 10 hours of video out of its battery, but it’s still not easy to pocket as the iPhone!)

Alternative: If you’ve got a SlingBox at home and want to keep up with your local sports teams or favorite shows while you’re out of town, SlingPlayer Mobile [$29.99 - iTunes link] will transport your TV to your iPhone anywhere you have a Wi-Fi or 3G signal.

Conclusion

Well there you have them, our top 5 iPhone travel apps. Did we many any of your favorites? Be sure to check out our iPhone App and Games Forum for more of our members’ recommendations, and leave yours in the thread — or in the comments below!

The first of Apple’s big iPhone OS 4 announcements was multitasking, and the first set of multitasking announcements were APIs to let streaming music (think internet radio), location services (think navigation, check-in games, social networks), and VoIP services (think internet telephony) register threads in the background. For users this means you can keep listening to your songs, getting your turn-by-turn directions, and answering your virtual phone all while surfing the web or playing a game.

To find out what it means for developers, we asked some. Read what they had to say after the break!

NAVIGON, which makes MobileNavigator [$79 -- iTunes link]:

We are very excited about the background location feature and will work on implementing this into our app, so that the app can run in the background and provide directions when, for example, taking a call. We’ve really been waiting for this, so it’s great to see this happening now.

TeleNav, which powers AT&T Navigator [Subscription - iTunes link], Rogers Navigator [Subscription - iTunes link] and other location-aware services and apps:

Overall, we are very excited about the new multitasking and background location features as it opens up a variety of new capabilities for navigation and other location-based services on the iPhone. We’re actively working on new features and capabilities and look forward to sharing these with consumers soon.

Slacker, which offers Slacker Radio [Subscription - iTunes link]:

Right now 4 out of 5 of our mobile apps are on platforms that support multitasking and our listeners have let us know they enjoy being able to utilize their smartphone’s functions while listening to their favorite music. We are elated that soon Slacker listeners using their iPhone will have this same capability.

Fring, which makes the VoIP service of the same name [Free - iTunes link]

fring is congratulating Apple for reaching this decision, which will only enhance the iPhone/ iPad’s user experience. With the allowance for VoIP calls over 3G and now the background VoIP functionality, Apple is taking great steps allowing for the freedom of choice fring has been a big supporter of, since day one.

Seems like they’re happy. While some internet chatter has revolved around whether iPhone OS 4 is providing “true” multitasking or not, the end result for the user is that they’re getting these 3 types of functionality in the next update. Of course, we’d enjoy other services as well, including persistent connections for SSH and like protocols, and background updates for timelines like IM, but from zero to this for 3rd parties is certainly a good start.

NAVIGON’s new MyRegion is a customizable version of their turn-by-turn MobileNavigator app for iPhone that basically lets you buy just the navigation you need, when you need it, and expand via in-app purchase later.

Three “regions” are available in the US — Western [iTunes link], Central [iTunes link], and Eastern [iTunes link]. Each region is currently on sale for $24.99 until April 12, at which point they’ll be regularly priced at $29.99. Getting an additional region via in-app purchase will cost $12.99 on sale ($14.99 regularly).

What’s included?

NAVIGON MyRegion includes all the features and capabilities as MobileNavigator 1.4 plus NAVIGON MyRoutes. This new feature will be added to MobileNavigator North America via an upcoming update to 1.5.0 due this spring. NAVIGON MyRoutes is an industry first feature that learns from the users driving style to provide customized and better route recommendations. The feature also offers up to two alternative routes clearly displayed on a map including ETA, distance and driving time. This lets user choose the route that best serves their individual situation.

If you don’t already have MobileNavigator and on-board maps are a must-have but not necessarily a have-all, give MyRegion a shot and let us know what you think!

Live from Macworld 2010, Rene and Leanna talk to Bernd Hahn, product manager for NAVIGON MobileNavigator [$89.99 - iTunes link] about the latest additions for the iPhone, and his thoughts on the iPad.

Watch along and let us know what you think!

And now we can tell you why Navigon is so excited about their new 3D terrain viewing, social media integrated, intelligent routing version 1.5 update to MobileNavigator [$69.00 on sale -- iTunes link] that they’ve put it on sale and are giving TiPb readers a chance to not only win copies, but get a guided tour at Macworld 2010 on how to use it. Here are the highlights:

• Connection to Facebook and Twitter: A simple icon tap posts users current position, destination, and ETA without navigation interruption.

• NAVIGON MyRoutes: Analyzes driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each.

• Panorama View 3D (in-app purchase – $9.99): True 3D in-map views obtained from NASA’s height and terrain data enable intuitive orientation of surrounding environment, and what lies ahead with digital landscape elevations, shadows, and geographic images. Panorama View 3D is integrated in-map, independent from the phone’s data connection.

MobileNavigator is typically $89.99 but is on sale during Macworld for $69.00. The update is free for existing user. Traffic Live, typically a $24.99 in-app purchase is likewise on sale for $19.99. As mentioned, Panorama View 3D is also an in-app purchase at $9.99.

TiPb’s Navigon give-away is still going on, so check it out, MobileNavigator 1.5 will hit the App Store this spring and will run on iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and the iPhone 2G and iPod touch via GPS-enabled dock accessories.

Happy New Year and welcome to the iPhone blog’s 2009 TiPb Editor’s Choice Awards for the very best (in our opinion!) iPhone and iPod touch apps and accessories released in the last year!

Smartphone of the Year: iPhone 3GS (by default)

We’re not really doing Smartphone of the Year since, unlike our sibling sites, Apple has so far seen fit to only release one new iPhone each year. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t think the iPhone 3GS isn’t terrific. It is. Even if we consider the smartphone space as a whole, even if we put it up against the best Android, BlackBerry, Nokia, Palm, and Windows have to offer, while it might get bested — even eclipsed — in certain specs or feature sets, there’s still nothing that brings it all together in so appealing a mainstream package as the iPhone 3GS.

From its butter-smooth interface now with “s as in speed” to its singular build quality to its incredible ecosystem to its 120,000 apps for anything and everything, even if we did do this category — which we’re not — the iPhone 3GS would still be our pick for Smartphone of the Year. So there.

Competition of the Year: Palm Pre and webOS

Make no mistake, the Droid, the BlackBerry Bolds and Tour and Storms, the Nokia N900, the Windows Phone HTC HD2 — each brought it in their own way (hey, it’s why we do the Smartphone Round Robin), but each mostly brought it with hardware specs like 480p displays, or services like free navigation. They made good things better.

Palm brought it with a whole new OS, one that combined amazing visualization for multitasking with brilliant notification handling, and sidestepped the developer divide by using web technology as their SDK. If the iPhone woke up a complacent smartphone industry, Palm made sure they stayed awake another year. Sure the hardware could have been harder core and there was that whole iTunes sync brouhaha, but that combined with the “years in the desert” to go from PalmOS to webOS, made Palm even more of a comeback story, and who doesn’t root for Rocky? That’s why the Palm Pre is our competitor of the year!

Apple Innovation of the Year: $99 iPhone 3G

Last year Innovation of the Year was easy: the App Store. Now, two-billion downloads, well over 100,000 apps, and almost universal imitation not just from the Android Market, but now from BlackBerry App World, Microsoft Windows Marketplace for Mobile, Nokia Ovi Store, Palm webOS App Catalog, and who knows what else, it’s still far and away the market leader, if the idea itself has long passed being led. Not that Apple didn’t try in 2009, with the iPhone 3.0 Sneak Preview Event the undoubtedly innovative in-app purchases (including free apps no longer needing to stay free) and accessory access via the dock and Bluetooth. Push notification tops the candidates list as well. It isn’t he full-on multitasking some still demand, but it covers 90% of the functionality at 20% of the battery drain (ahem) and hey, even some multitasking smartphones don’t handle push notification yet.

But no, we’re going with something more important even if less interesting. The $99 iPhone 3G. Sure, it’s last year’s model, but it’s got the latest iPhone OS 3.x on it and most importantly it redefined — and disrupted — what was considered a budget smartphone and forced every other platform and player to lower prices and reconsider the — frankly crappy — handsets they offered for cheap. Up front cost shouldn’t mean much to people on contract for $2000+ over two years but it does. Getting under $100 was huge for Apple. And for consumers, who’s previous budget choices were the likes of Palm Centro, BlackBerry Pearl, or WinMo… whatever, it was huger still. That makes the $99 iPhone 3G our Apple Innovation of the Year.

App Store App Innovation of the Year: Augmented Reality

Last year Google Mobile snuck in some private-API wizardry (later made all nice and legal by iPhone 3.0) to make voice search so good we thought we were in Star Trek. This year Apple announced accessory access and all sorts of new API’s and developers certainly didn’t disappoint. Some of the most amazing new iPhone Apps weren’t new to mobile, however. RedLaser reads barcodes and finds competitive prices amazingly well, but Android had that first. Likewise Qik is finally streaming live, but geeks were doing that from the N95 a couple years ago. Still, with everything from the latest Apple Remote to Zipcar, it’s harder then ever to single one app out.

So we’re singling out a category — Augmented Reality. Take a live camera view, add location services and — one day, visual recognition — and layer data on top of it. Hold your iPhone camera up to a restaurant and the menu pops up for you to read. Point it west and see the tweets of the physically closest people you follow. Point it at your friend and get a reminder you owe him $5. We’re not sure if it’s just trendy concept or will really, truly prove functional one day, but just like Google Mobile made us think of Star Trek, this combines several cutting edge technologies in such a way that it makes us think of a dozen sci-fi heads-up displays and gorramit if we don’t want that future today.

UI Gem of the Year: Tweetie 2 “Pull Down to Refresh”

Too small to be the overall innovation of the year, this category is for the tiny little tweaks that never the less make all the difference. Lots of developers continued to make drop-dead gorgeous iPhone apps in 2009, including Tapbots’ latest Pastebot, Twitterrific 2‘s ability to hide so much functionality behind so sensible a layout, and Facebook 3.0 finally showed how to do massive social networking right on a local app, and Apple even rolled out new Voice Recorder and Compass app interfaces. It was something much simpler, however, much more insidious that got inside TiPb’s user experience this year.

Yeah, it’s totally Tweetie 2‘s terrific “pull down to refresh”. Apple built the wonderful, tactile feeling elasticity of the “rubber band” effect into iPhone 1.x but never did much with it. Developer Atebits took it and made it a simple, intuitive way to request new data from an internet server — in this case update your Twitter timeline. That many of us now try to use it to reload a page in Safari, or get new messages in Mail, or refresh anything and anything that feels like it should refresh when we pull down shows just how simple and intuitive it is. Sometimes it’s not the big once-and-a-while’s that make the difference, it’s the little use-it-all-the-times.

Camera App of the Year: ReelDirector

iPhone 3GS brought a much improved camera and video recording, amazingly improved photo software, and even trim-able video recording. A lot of apps took advantage, both of the old gear and the new. Leanna covered five fantastic ones earlier, and since then a couple have even come around to offering video for the iPhone 3G.

But if video is the new still, ReelDirector ups the ante from Apple’s trim to full-on (for a mobile) video editing. From titles to transitions, soundtracks to Ken Burns effects, it may not be Final Cut Pro but it’s definitely a fun first cut.

Productivity App of the Year: Documents to Go Premium

Over two and half years in and some are still foolish enough to call the iPhone a toy. Unless, of course, they mean the iPhone can make even productivity work more fun than it has any right to be.

Documents to Go, which updated their flagship app to Premium and added PowerPoint editing and Gmail attachment support at almost the last minute gets our vote. Even though Apple still hasn’t provided a universal document repository, or file picker (the way the picture picker works for images), Documents to Go continues to push the boundaries of what an Office-style app can do on the iPhone.

Social App of the Year: Twitter Clients

If Facebook had gotten push notifications, if Skype had actually gotten 3G access, this category might be even harder to decide than it already is. Likewise notification enabled IM clients such as BeeJive that now has group chat is a social powerhouse.

But those iPhone twitter clients just. won’t. stop. We already mentioned Tweetie 2 and Twitterrific 2, but there’s also Birdfeed, and both Twitbit and SimplyTweet made it into our staff picks of the year. And yeah, TweetDeck is on the iPhone now as well. In addition to the general-purpose clients, we have apps like Birdhouse that excel at writing and Reportage that make reading manageable. Heck, even Twitter’s own WebApp got a great makeover.

Twitter exploded in 2009, and the quality of iPhone Twitter apps exploded right along with it. They’re all so good, again we can’t pick just one, so we’re naming them all the social networking apps of the year!

Navigation App of the Year: Navigon Mobile Navigator

Another of app category made possible by iPhone 3.0 is turn-by-turn GPS navigation, and it didn’t take long for top of the line, premium-priced market leaders like TomTom to come on board (and with car kits!), and subscription services like the TeleNav-powered AT&T Navigator have come on board, but low-cost, crowd-sourced alternatives have also flourished. And even with the 800lbs gorilla of the newly announced Google Maps Navigation staring them down all searchy and free, they’ve continued to update and innovate.

Navigon’s MobileNavigator has been helping push the pace of those updates and that innovation. Whether it’s text to speech or live-traffic, this maps-on-board solution took iPhone 3.0′s APIs and didn’t run — it drove.

Action Game of the Year: N.O.V.A

If there was a theme to iPhone and iPod touch gaming in 2009 it was the maturing of the platform that brought both big franchises and games very much akin to the big franchises. There are literally too many to list (though Jeremy started and Chad focused in on FPS‘ a while back).

But N.O.V.A brought “Halo” to the iPhone. Maybe we should have found something more original, more uniquely dependent on the iPhone’s specific technologies. But N.O.V.A brought “Halo” to the iPhone.

Racing Game of the Year: Real Racing

Given the accelerometer, racing games are just such a natural fit for the iPhone and iPod touch that it’s no wonder there are so many great racing games for the platform (Chad’s picked out a top 5 already!) And with iPhone 3GS and iPod touch G3 level horsepower and OpenGL 2.0 no doubt there’s even better ahead (hey, we’ve seen a glimpse of it already).

For now, however, Real Racing is where it’s at. Our 2009 Grand Prix winner is also a racing game of the year.

Puzzle Game of the Year: Ramp Champ

A lot of great puzzle games have hit the iPhone, from Peggle to Stoneloops to Bejeweled 2 and Tetris, to well almost every great puzzle game that could come to the platform. In 2008, however, Trism showed you could do an iPhone-proper puzzler and do it incredibly well.

Ramp Champ took a flick at it in 2009, with gorgeous graphics, one of the best implementations of in-app purchases to date, and arguably too much challenge for its (or rather its players) own good. There maybe puzzle games with bigger brands, more levels, and perhaps even better physics, but when we think about what we love most about iPhone software — indie developers, attention to detail, love of UI — Ramp Champ lands squarely in the bullseye.

Jailbreak App of the Year: ProSwitcher

Even post-iPhone 3.0, Jailbreak continued to fill gaps in functionality like theming, BT keyboards, lockscreen widgets, notification management, and — of course — unlocking the iPhone 3GS. If Apple won’t do it, it’s been proven time and time again the Jailbreak community will.

ProSwitcher did the same, but looked especially great doing it. Take a Jailbroken iPhone, add Backgrounder to get your multitask on, and then manage the whole thing with Safari Pages-style — and yes, webOS cards-style UI candy.

Bluetooth Headset of the Year: Blueant Q1

Apple raised the stakes in 2009 by adding iPhone 3.0 support for A2DP stereo Bluetooth — sort of. Apple forgot to add all the proper control protocols, so you can’t skip tracks, but boy can you still rock out. Now iPhone and iPod touch users can enjoy music (and adjusting volume), and excellent products like the Motorola S9-HD and the Jabra Cruiser speakerphone.

And if that wasn’t enough, our pick for BT headset of the year, the Blueant Q1 got an update — really, how often to BT headsets get firmware update?! — to enable A2DP. It’s a premium product, just like the iPhone, but with voice control, and support for two phones (for you dual wielders), it’s also a fantastic one.

Case of the Year: Otterbox Defender

Apple can’t win. They change the design of the iPhone 3G and people with iPhone 2G cases complain their old accessories don’t fit. They keep the iPhone 3GS in the same duds, and people complain it’s boring. But at least the case makers could concentrate on better rather than different, and better they have. From the soft-stylings of the iSkin solo to the gloss of the Case-mate Barely There Chrome and the utility of the Golla bag, there’s definitely a “case for that”.

And if we’re talking case, and we’re talking protection, the Hummer of cases, the battle-armor of protection, is the OtterBox Defender. It’s not for those who just want a sticker or a skin, a splash of color or the smell of fine leather — it’s for those who want their iPhone survive. And it’s our case of the year.

EPIC FAIL of the Year: Capricious App Store Rejections

No doubt the App Store is such a smash hit that even Apple was unprepared for the tsunami of submissions they’re now facing. The numbers are staggering, but not as staggering as the growth rate. But choosing to be a gatekeeper comes with it the responsibility of being a good gatekeeper. It’s Apple’s store and they can fill it’s virtual shelves with what they want, but when the developers who make the apps those shelves are being filled with lose faith — when they no longer trust Apple’s rules, or realize there are no consistent rules being enforced, even if Apple and mainstream users don’t lose out, the platform does. Sure, they’ve made some small improvements inside iTunes connect and with the RSS feed, but they’re slow to the point of being arduous.

Some developers have been frustrated enough to leave the iPhone. A few returned only because the competitions’ development environment, install base, and user experience wasn’t competitive enough… yet. But that “yet” could change at any moment. And if the best and brightest developers are making the best and brightest apps for Android rather than the iPhone, that’s not a loss to Apple’s bottom line, it’s a loss to their heart.

That’s why rejected App Store apps, specifically the capricious, opaque way in which they’re continuing to be rejected, is our epic FAIL of the year.

Story of the Year: iTablet

We’ve mentioned most of the other big stories already — the still amazing Jailbreak journey, the still disappointing App Store rejections. And then there was the leave of absence, and triumphant return of Steve Jobs.

But iTablet/iStlate was the story that wouldn’t quit, however, and the rumors, speculation, and rampant geek want built and built throughout 2009. We’re not even sure actually announcing the device (which may just happen in 2010) could have been a bigger story — anticipation is just that powerful. Whether (more likely when) it ultimate comes out, Apple’s mysterious, mythical, magical, maybe iTablet is our story of the year.

Bring on 2010!

Well, that’s it — TiPb’s Editor Awards for 2009 gone and done! What will we see in 2010? Who knows, but we’re excited to find out!

Did you agree with any of our picks? Disagree? What would YOU have given the nod to? Feel strongly about it? Tell us — or tell us off — in the comments! (And we’ll have our next Readers’ Choice Awards coming up later in 2010 so you can put your apps where your opinions are as well!)

Happy New Year

–The iPhone blog team

Every week a few of us from team TiPb — bloggers, forum crew, and occasional friends alike — 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. Well, as 2009 winds to a close, we figured it’s time for the staff to bring you not just picks of the week but — PICKS OF THE YEAR!

So who’s on deck for the very best iPhone apps of 2009? What are our picks? Find out after the break!

Chad’s Pick: N.O.V.A. — Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

This game demonstrates what is possible on the iPhone from a 3D shooter. This game has set the bar. [$6.99 - iTunes link]

Chris’ Pick: Navigon MobileNavigator

Pick of the year, pick of the year…how do I choose a single app as my pick of the year? A game with which I have had lots of fun? A utility that I simply use all the time? A twitter app? After much debate and flip-flopping, I decided to go with Navigon as my pick of the year. Navigon (with the recent updates and improvements) is as close as I have seen to a turn by turn app done right. It has a plethora of features, has clear voice guided turn by turn directions, and really is one of the two or three utility apps that I use on a regular basis and gives the iPhone a feature that almost everyone was clamoring for from the beginning. [$59.99 until Jan. 11 - iTunes link]

Derrick’s Pick: Simplytweet

Simplytweet is not only my Favorite app but its my app of the year also,. It’s a great twitter app that has many features, including Multiple Accounts, Push Notifications, Photo Search, My favorite features are Landscape, retweet or quote tweets (via @theiphoneblog instead of RT @theiphoneblog), and Themes. [$4.99 - iTunes link]

Dieter, SPE Editor-in-Chief’s Pick:

Since the iPhone has become my secondary device, I’m finding that my go-to apps on it have changed a bit. The one I use the most: the Kindle app. I love that I have my books with me all the time now and that I can read it in bed without a light. Amazon really nailed the ‘just works’ aspect with the way they have sync set up – just a few seconds of data access is enough to get myself synced up to the last page I was reading on my actual Kindle. [Free - iTunes link]

Georgia’s Pick: Skype

Skype gives you the ability to call anyone else who uses Skype, anywhere in the world, for free. You can also call landline or cell phones for a small fee, and send out IMs. Anything that combines “call anyone” and “free” definitely gets my vote for app of the year. (And if the 4th generation iPhone gets a front-facing camera, maybe we will even be able to have two-way video calls next year). [Free - iTunes link]

Jeremy’s Pick: Twitbit

Twitbit has been my Twitter app of choice for some time now. Is it perfect? No, but then again the perfect app does not exist. What really makes Twitbit stand out as my favorite app of 2009 is the hard work that goes into it and the frequent updates to the app (and the updates are free unlike some other over rated Twitter app who’s name I won’t mention because it would hurt Rene’s feelings). The developer, High Order Bit, constantly is striving to improve this app and it has evolved very well. I highly recommend you check it out. [$2.99 - iTunes link]

Leanna’s Pick: 1Password Pro

iPhone + Mac + 1Password for iPhone and Mac = best combination ever. Before my discovery of 1Password, I used the same 3 boring passwords for everything. Now I have a different randomly generated password for each login and 1Password makes this simple and hassle-free. When I first started using 1Password for iPhone, I was nervous that it was going to be a pain to have to launch 1Password to copy a password each time I needed it but the process is actually rather quick and worth it knowing that I have secure passwords. This combination is a serious must-have for iPhone and Mac users. [$7.99 - iTunes link]

Matt’s Pick: Appigo Todo

Deciding which app I feel is my Pick of the Year was immensely hard. I immediately thought to myself “well it’s my most used application…”but then I realized, that wouldn’t be it. It had to be something that filled in the gap where the iPhone OS left out, revolutionize the way I worked on the iPhone. Was it easy to use? Could I customize it to fit my work? Finally I came upon the conclusion of – Appigo’s Todo application. One of main things I missed coming from the Palm to the iPhone was a todo application. Appigo’s Todo, goes above & beyond what the normal todo application should go. With several options to sync & push notification reminders, this is a killer app & an app worthy as a pick of the year [$9.99 - iTunes link]

Mickey, the Cell Phone Junkie’s Pick: All-in-One WiFiRemote

WiFi Remote is one of the coolest apps I have. For $5, it allows me to control my Windows 7 media center that I have connected to my living room TV over my WiFi network without having to deal with a keyboard and mouse. It is like having a pocket control for the computer with me all the time. I can sit on the couch and either surf, or simply control the media I want to watch. The best part is that both my wife and I have it installed on our iPhones, so either of us can control it. [$4.99 - iTunes link]

Rene’s Pick: Boxcar

And here’s why — iPhone 3.0 introduced a couple innovations to the iPhone app space, namely (and finally!) push-notifications and in-app purchases. Sure, augmented reality like Gunman is coming on strong, we’re all looking forward to Unreal Engine 3 powered games, and one day we may see the fruits of app accessory access, but for today, for 2009, Boxcar is delivering. Not only is it an innovative example of push-notifcation and in-app purchase, it uses both fill gaps both in other apps (like the PNS-challenged Tweetie, Twitterrific, and yeah, Facebook), for Apple and Google who still haven’t delivered push Gmail without taking up the lone ActiveSync slot on the iPhone (which GoogleSync requires), and in the latest version, for Growl and RSS notifications as well. Bottom line, Boxcar has leveraged iPhone 3.0 to make great apps and services better, and that makes it my pick of the year. [Free + in-app purchase - iTunes link]

Your Pick?

You’re part of team TiPb too, so what’s your pick of the year? In 2009, what was your most used, most eye-popping, most “this changes everything” iPhone app?

Navigon, makers of MobileNavigator [iTunes link] let us know that they’re now running a:

special Thanksgiving promotion for its iPhone navigation app striving to help drivers avoid this year’s holiday traffic congestion. For 10 days only, (November 20-30) NAVIGON’s iPhone app, MobileNavigator will be on sale for $69.99 instead of $89.99 providing a $20.00 savings. In addition, NAVIGON’s Traffic Live feature is also on sale for $14.99 instead of $24.99.

If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger, and price was your concern, how’s this deal do ya?

NAVIGON dropped us a note to say that, as promised, their latest update to MobileNavigator [$89.99 for North America - iTunes link] for iPhone is now available via the iTunes App Store, and it includes Traffic Live as an in-app purchase (currently on sale at an introductory $19.99, $24.99 thereafter). Here’s how it works:

Traffic Live utilizes crowdsourced real-time speed data from over 1.3 million drivers including other NAVIGON app users (who opt. in to participate), commercial fleets such as trucks and taxis, as well as regular drivers with a GPS system. So if for example several vehicles on a road report slow speed, the system recognizes congestion and provides an alternate and faster route.

If you add the Traffic Live service, let us know how it works for you.

So while the dust is by no means settling following Google’s bombshell announcement of their free Google Maps Navigation app for Android 2.0, it’s thinning enough that we can start to survey the landscape again.

In terms of the iPhone, Google is saying they’re working with Apple to add the same or similar navigation features to the iPhone’s built in Maps application that Android 2.0 now enjoys. TechCrunch thinks that, in light of the Google Voice situation, Google should make Apple beg for what they say is best car navigation software, with the richest feature set in the space (or at least the US space, since it’s not international yet). They see it as a replay of when Apple had to beg Microsoft to keep Office on the Mac, with the cloud being the modern “killer app” equivalent of productivity software then.

Apple is in a terrible position here because the future of mobile apps are Web apps, and Google excels at making those. Apple needs Google, it’s most dangerous competitor in the mobile Web market, to keep building apps for the iPhone. Google would be foolish not to since the iPhone still has the largest reach of any modern Web phone. But it will no longer be a priority.

However, Google delivering Google services to Android — Google’s own OS — makes sense. Android got native push Gmail before anyone else (something most handsets still don’t enjoy, GoogleSync being the alternative). Likewise, Google Street View was first shown off on the Android during it’s initial unveiling.

For arguments sake then, let’s say Google does indeed work with Apple to bring Google Maps Navigation to the iPhone Maps app and to all those search-happy, high-value iPhone users’ eyeballs — again, for free — where does that leave existing, premium priced, iPhone turn-by-turn software makers?

Navigon, one of the highest grossing apps in the iTunes App Store, told TiPb:

[Google's] app is not available for the iPhone yet and on Android it’s just launching, so we’ll have to see how professional the navigation experience really is and how well the map material supports navigation functionalities. We have over 18 years of experience in the navigation field which lets us develop unique and high quality features not found on other navigation software and we are using maps that were created specifically for this use case. We provide excellent features such as Text-to-speech, Reality View™ Pro and Traffic Live and are convinced that consumers will pay extra dollars for a better, and more premium navigation experience. Besides, their solution is off-board which means that the navigation is interrupted when there is no cell phone signal available while our iPhone app is on-board and therefore works like a traditional navigation device – you will continue to get directions even without cell phone signal. This is particularly relevant in Europe where you have to pay extra roaming fees when using an off-board solution and traveling from one country to another. In addition, we already have navigation solutions for Android as well as WindowsMobile and Symbian smart phones on the market in Europe and are currently evaluating the options for launching some of these in the US as well – including Android. Our iPhone app is currently the top 3 grossing app in the App Store.

TeleNav, which supplies the service behind the subscription-based iPhone’s AT&T Navigator app, had this to say:

It’s premature to assume that this will have any dramatic impact on the industry. We will see how many phones the service launches on, the content and usability, as well as consumer feedback before we make any assumptions or conclusions about any impact on the industry. We know that people value navigation and are willing to pay for a high-quality, differentiated service.

Certainly there are many industries where people are willing to pay a premium price for premium services. Will navigation software for mobile devices be one of them? Or is paid navigation software about to go the way of paid web browsers?

NAVIGON North America [$89.99 - iTunes link], just let us know that, fresh off adding text-to-speech for street names, they’ll soon be adding real-time speed information from actual drivers on the road, traffic messages, road sensors and cameras, and historic traffic flow data to reroute iPhone users around problem areas.

Billed as NAVIGON Traffic Live, it will be available in October and sold as an in-app purchase to existing MobileNavigator users. The added functionality will run $24.99, but go for $19.99 special introductory pricing at launch. And as with the main app, there’s no monthly subscription cost.

Will iPhone users be willing to pay more to get more? That remains a question. We’ve asked before for premium apps, and said we’d pay a premium price for them, and this is certainly an example of that kind of App Store model.

However, by aggressively adding new features so rapidly, NAVIGON is setting the pace when it comes to turn-by-turn GPS navigation on the iPhone. Users of up-front, subscription, and even crowd-sourced mapping apps will all benefit from that.

(Navigon Mobile Navigator for iPhone Forum Review by cjvitek For more Forum Reviews, see the TiPb iPhone App Store Forum Review Index!)

MobileNavigator North America [$69.99 - iTunes link], by Navigon, is the second GPS TBT app I examined. This one requires you to download all the maps in advance (1.5 GB for the US version, 1.67 for the European version) so make sure you have space on your iPhone. The advantage of this is that you can get GPS directions even if you do not have an AT&T signal. In addition, the actual “routing” process seems a little faster since it is not downloading directions OTA.

The map interface is very clean and flows very well, clearly showing direction and the upcoming street name. Unfortunately since the app doesn’t read the street name, you need to continually look at the app to see where to turn in areas when there are lots of streets next to each other. One nice feature is you can see POI on the map itself – not just a little dot or something, but an actual icon for the POI. When driving by a McDonalds, you can see the golden arches on the map. If the POI doesn’t have an logo, it just shows a general icon (gas station, food, etc).

To create a route, you can choose a variety of options in the route profile. These include fastest route, optimum (I believe for driving in cities), shortest, and scenic. You can also choose type of vehicle (including pedestrial), allow/avoid highways, toll roads, ferries, resident only streets, and HOV lates. I like the inclusion of a scenic route, although I am not sure the parameters. Will it take you ½ hour out of the way to see a nice waterfall? What about an hour?

Creating a route is very easy. The app has large buttons to press, and takes you through the step by step process (first state, then city, then street, etc). You can also choose to “take me home” where it will take you to your programmed home destination. At the bottom you can choose to select recent location, search your contacts, or select a favorite location.

Unfortunately you can’t specify roads that you prefer or want to avoid (like if you want to go a specific route, or travel by a specific town). In addition, sometimes the route choices seem…well…preposterous. When driving home yesterday, at one point the optimum route told me a certain way to go and get home by 8:07pm. The “shortest” route told me a similar route and got home by 8:08pm. The “fastest route” had me going to Corpus Christi, back down on a highway, and then backtracking – and getting home at 8:56pm. It made absolutely no sense what so ever.

When starting on the trip, I found the ETA to be generally reasonably accurate. An 11 hour, 630 mile trip was predicted initially as 12 hours. When looking at the map, you can tap the screen to see an overhead view, and also get a map summary. Unfortunately, there is no way to get a turn by turn summary of the whole trip.

Within the trip you have a lot of options. You have a speed option. The app comes with speed limits built in, which were accurate at least 90% of the time. You can program if you want the app to warn you if you are speeding (5 mph over, 10mph over, etc). Obviously you can’t rely on it, but it is a nice feature to have. In addition, you have the option of creating interim destination – basically a multi stop trip. This is one way to finagle choosing a specific route – just choose a city as an interim destination that is on the road you want to take! The app then tracks both trips, in terms of ETA and miles to go. You can also add a POI along the route (although I am not sure how far “off route” it searches – ½ mile? 1 mile?). You have a night map option and can also change your route profile (fastest to scenic, for example).

Searching for POIs is easy as well. First choose the location (nearby, a specific city, or statewide). You can preprogram three “auto” categories for quick searches as well – I chose gas, hotels, and food. Like other apps, you can’t define your search radius for “nearby”, but it looks to be about 5 miles or so. The POI library is somewhat lacking, however. While I can understand it for some out of the way hotels, there were some times that a McDonalds (or something similar) was mislabeled on the maps or couldn’t be found with a POI.

All in all, I found this to be a solid app, with lots of nice features added in. While the route choice was at times baffling, for the most part I had little to quibble about. The built in speeding warning is a nice feature to have, although you can’t rely on it because it is not always 100% accurate. The POI library was lacking somewhat, and I wasn’t really sure if I was missing some possible POIs along the way because of that. At $69 (on sale, normally $99) the app is not expensive, but still cheaper in the long run than a monthly fee system. Four out of five stars.

Pros:

• Easy POI lookup
• Maps on device
• Nice graphics and interface
• Lots of options for customizing
• Speed limit warnings!

Cons:

• POI database is lacking
• Doesn’t read street names
• Some routes are wildly inaccurate

TiPb Review Rating

Navigon just sent word that their turn-by-turn GSP navigation solution, MobileNavigator for iPhone [$69.99 on sale - iTunes link], North American edition is now live in the iTunes App Store.

Previously available in European flavor, the North American edition features the same NAVTEQ maps, Reality View Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant and Day & Night Mode component, points of interest (POI) along the route, and a host of other features.

Pricing is set at $99 — on sale for $69 through August 15. So, if you prefer to pay up front rather than entering into a subscription service, and you give MobileNavigator North America a try, let us know how it works for you.