LogMeIn is joining the masses and launching a beta version of its Ignition application for the Android Operating System.  Similar to the Unlocked iPhone version the new Android version will let LogMeIn users connect to their desktop computer systems using their Android handsets.  Once connected users can control the remote computer, share files and edit documents remotely.  Anyone interested in this newest app can grab it in the Android Market.

LogMeIn has been one of the better apps for the iPhone especially those users who are constantly on the go but would like access to their personal computers.  LogMeIn allows people to not have to worry about forgetting any important document or file on their computer as they can easy access or share that document from their mobile device.

LogMeIn is certainly one of my favorite smartphone apps and I am extremely excited for it to finally come to the Android OS.  This new app is sure to be a big hit among the business crowd as people will no longer have to worry when they forget a file while on the road for a business trip or sales call.  They will now be able to access their computer’s entire hard drive, both home computer and work, with this great new app.

More and more exciting apps are hitting the market place for Unlocked Google Nexus Android devices and LogMeIn is another edition to this list.  I am extremely excited to see what application developers have in store when the newer version of Android 2.2 is finally released.  I am sure that there will be a handful off applications that just blow our mind and will utilize the expected Flash technology that is going to be included with the new Android handsets.

For all of you iPhone 3G owners and would be Windows Phone 7 owners who desperately wish their mobile devices had true multitasking capabilities you might not want to read all of this story.  In mid January there were reports of a Palm Pre Plus running 50 simultaneous applications.  A week after that initial report surfaced a Samsung Omnia HD performed the very same feat despite having only half the RAM of the Pre Plus.  Now this is the part that might make other smart phone owners jealous.  It now appears there is video on the internet of the i8910 running no less than sixty-two applications thanks to a custom ROM by HyperX.

This latest video can only be seen as a big slap in the face to all of the other mobile devices that do not currently support true multitasking.  Since fans of the iPhone have been clamoring for multitasking ability since the phones initial release the fact that other mobile devices now support this feature is sort of disappointing to some iPhone customers.

While Apple has recently announced their new iPhone OS 4 will support a form of multitasking it is not true multitasking that is seen here with the i8910 from Samsung.  These applications are able to run in the background and continue to load webpages, run messaging programs and load the program fully while you are doing something else on your device.  Portions of the new Apple iPhone OS 4 will have multitasking capabilities but it will not be a true multitask as the applications will not use their own resources to run in background.  These apps will require some power from the phone’s OS to continually run.  One thing is for sure though it looks like the Samsung i8910 has multitasking down pat and offers it’s consumers a great mobile device experience.

As an avid gamer I was extremely excited when GameFly announced they were coming out with iPhone app last fall.  Just the thought of being able to access my GameFly account while on the go had me brimming with excitement.  That excitement quickly disappeared though when the app was launched as it was nothing like what I thought it was going to be.  With the original launch you could not even access your shipping queue which just about rendered the app useless.  After GameFly customers complained the video game rental company that is similar to Netflix released an on the fly workaround that allowed users to access their queue but it was just an embedded version of the mobile site.

However, in an update released today it appears as if GameFly has gone ahead and finally developed the app I thought I was getting back in October.  They have included native code that allows users to access their game queues along with a handful of other new options.  These new features include:
* Personalize games and news for your platforms
* Similar games recommendations for each title
* Share games you add to your Q with friends
* Improved UI for browsing games and news
* More game trailers with higher quality

The addition of these new features greatly enhances the user experience associated with the GameFly application.  Being able to browse games and news is a great new feature that I really enjoy.  It allows me to do a little research and find upcoming games that I would be interest in adding to my queue.  After using this updated app for a few hours I really have to say kudos to the gang over at GameFly.  They have really developed a great iPhone app that I will enjoy using.

Every successful mobile device maker is inundated by lookalikes and imposters mass produced in the Far East and Apple is no exception to this rule.  While the fakes are usually pretty terrible in overall quality compared to the original they will look awfully similar to the real thing as far as hardware design.  It only takes one iPhone to generate a ton of exact replicas as far as dimensions, shape and materials go.  Recently Apple has started taking steps to combat this growing problem of imposter phones when they were granted a patent for the iPhone’s hardware likeness.

The patents were filed in 2007 (for the iPod Touch) and in 2009 (most likely after the 3GS design was finalized and on the market.)  While the wait times for these two patents were not that long in relative terms it did still take a little while for Apple to finally be granted the patents for their iPhone design.

One of the main benefits expected to come out of this patent ruling is the decreased likelihood that more bogus iPhone lookalikes will continue to be produced.  This will lower the chances that you are ever sold a fake iPhone that will surely be lacking in quality from the real devices sold by Apple.

It is good to hear that Apple was awarded this patent.  It would unfair for other companies to steal the design that Apple came up with for their popular iPhone.  While many mobile device companies will still mimic the overall shape and feel of the iPhone these companies will have to come up with their own specific design and features so as to not be too similar in appearance to the iPhone.

In a bit of good news for all of you Unlocked  IPhone consumers out there it looks like the highly anticipated iPhone OS 4.0 upgrade is set to have some new features that will surely grab your attention.  Among some of the new features are third party multitasking which will finally be addressed with the aid of a UI feature similar to Expose.  In OS X, Expose shows users not only what applications are open but displays thumbnail images on contents of each individual application window making navigation simple.  However, since the iPhone is just a mobile phone with a screen that is expected to be about 3.7” it would be nearly impossible to show the contents of each application if there were several apps running simultaneously.  What Apple plans to do is just show the icon of the applications that are active so that users can easily switch between them.

Also expected to be included with this OS update is the addition of a global mailbox that you can use to manage several email accounts in one location.  This will be a welcomed addition for those of you who have several email accounts and hate switching between all of them to receive and respond to messages.  There will also be a way to add contacts from the home screen which will also be a nice time saver when you are adding new numbers or email addresses to your iPhone Unlocked Phone.

Many of these updates that are expected to come with the iPhone OS 4.0 have been much needed and long awaited.  The ability to multitask has been an issue for many iPhone users ever since the first phone hit the market.  I am sure that this will be a big success when the OS is finally released.

Last September Starbucks became one of the first few companies to utilize the iPhone’s ability to create an app that can be used as a gift card to pay for merchandise. With this app users could enter their Starbucks Card information, verify a few details and then use the app as their gift card to pay for their morning coffee. While this sounds like an awesome idea and just another example of how the Unlocked IPhone is on a course to change our daily lives it was never fully implemented. As of yesterday this technology was only available in sixteen Starbucks stores. Considering all of the Starbucks locations you can see how this number is quite low and does not offer this great service to many customers. Well all of that has changed as it is now possible to pay for your coffee using this iPhone app in more than 1,000 Starbucks located within Target stores.

The increase in test locations is a very welcomed site for all of us tech savvy people who wish to use the iPhone to simplify our lives. Hopefully this increase in test sites will mean that Starbucks is looking to implement this feature in all of its stores nationwide very soon. A lot of people can save some time when they are getting their morning coffee fix by just swiping their iPhone Unlocked Phone app to pay for their morning latte.
I am very eager to see how this initial test goes for Starbucks and if any other major retailers will be willing to implement this feature as well. This Starbucks app sounds like a great way to save some time in the morning and easily pay for your coffee especially if you left your wallet in the car or back home. Because of this added convenience I do hope that other retailers are interested in trying out this new technology.

Apple has made a recent change to their App store.  If you have ever wanted to send one of Apple’s awesome paid apps to a friend or family member as gift you now have that capability.  Recently Apple has quietly added the feature to gift an app to the desktop version of their app store.

One of the bigger complaints by Apple app store users has been the inability to send apps as a gift.  If you wanted to do such a thing you would have to send someone a gift card or make the purchase on their computer for them.  As I am sure you can tell this could be quite a hassle and not very convenient when wanting to send a real quick gift to someone.  Now with this new addition to the app store it is possible to quickly and safely send any app as a gift for iPhone users.

When you make a purchase to send an app as a gift Apple will charge your credit card after you enter the name and email address of the person you would like to send the app to.  It sounds like this is going to be a great new addition to the Apple app store.  I know that I will be more likely to send an app as a gift as it will be just a few clicks of a mouse and away the app will go to my family member or friend’s iPhone mobile device.  Also, this will be a great addition around the holidays.  Instead of giving out impersonal gift cards I can now search the Apple app store and find specific apps for specific people and tailor my gifts to their personalities.  I will definitely be using this new feature by Apple in the very near future as I am sure many other people will too.

As they do every year, Apple will release a new version of the iPhone sometime in 2010.  Based on previous release dates, we can reasonably guess that there will be a summer release, but as usual the date itself is shrouded in secrecy.  While software and hardware upgrades are expected, the new iPhone will also likely offer multitasking support.  This is all speculation, but if this is true, it will be one of the most important of iPhone OS upgrades yet.  We usually hear some kind of announcement from Apple by mid-March (as we did last year around this time for the OS 3.0), but its possible Apple is delaying their announcement because of the recent unveiling of the iPad.   Apple is currently rolling out the beta versions of the iPhone OS 3.2, which is the OS which will be used with the iPad.

Multitasking would be a monumental change for developers, who no doubt have been waiting on this day for quite some day.  It really is only a matter of time before an iPhone is released that can run third party apps simultaneously, doing so with more RAM, faster processors (similar to those found in the iPad), and better battery life.  These components will all be crucial to multitasking support, which will help developers create even better and more efficient apps.

It could be the case that Apple simply does not have a release date set in stone yet.  They might be giving the iPad a few more months to gain some traction before we hear anything official.  One would think that Apple would give developers plenty of time to implement any changes necessary for multitasking before the actual OS 4.0 is released.  The release date could easily be pushed all the way back to late summer or early fall for a new iPhone at this point.  We shall see…..

The Xachi pets are an adorable stuffed animal that kind of reminds you of a Furby. The only difference is the Xachi is controlled through your iPhone 3GS or iPod, and it has a huge LED screen instead of a face. Taptic Toys will manufacture the toy, although they have not begun production as of yet. The best part about this story is that it is probably going to cost less than $40.

The toy is nice and furry but inside, it is all tech. It has an eight bit speaker, robotic legs that will let it dance and an accelerometer. Finishing it out with a LED screen that give you animation, as well as be able to play games. It is very similar to other products, where you feed it, keep it healthy and make sure it’s happy and of course to not let it get thirsty. You do all that is right from your iPhone or iPod, where you can monitor all the things that you need to do to take care of your new Xachi Pet. You can even use your iPhone to be able to play game that will show up right on the screen of the Xachi. It is kind of like a bubble buster, where you try to pop the bubbles on the Xachi screen.

Your new Xachi Pet will even be able to dance to whatever you are playing on your phone. There are also other types of learning games where you can do math, and spelling as well as other different types of learning exercises. This should be a huge hit with the kids as there are over 65% of the iPod touch users are all teenagers. It is cute, it is cuddly and it will make a great gift idea. Hopefully it will be available before the Christmas season this year, as I think it may be a huge hit. I know for that price I will probably be getting it for my niece as soon as it is available.