If you run a Wordpress powered site it can be tricky using a mobile to publish rich content that looks like the rest of your desktop published content. After many months of searching I have finally found a way to do so on my iPhone. Here are the tools I have been using-

BlogPress

There are a few options for updating blogs on the iPhone including the official WordPress app which doesn’t allow formatting at this stage and as such is only really suited to simply home blogs that do not require links or any formatting. BlogBooster boasts a WYSIWYG feature which is unique on the iPhone and many other features that mean it should be the leader in this field, but in my experience it is highly unreliable and I have found that 2 out of 3 posts created on it struggle to even make it to PDA-247. The multi-tasking is very poor and flipping between apps, which you need to do to create a blog post simply does not work most of the time with the text disappearing for no apparent reason. Multi-tasking is also very slow because the app continually tries to synchronise the site.

BlogPress has worked 100% of the time for me so far; multi-tasking is fluid and leaves your work in the exact state you left it and the html inserts are cleverly implemented. It isn’t WYSIWYG, but it doesn’t need to be because anyone can work with it. Simply highlight some text and choose your insert. Images are a bit tricky because a left aligned images drops the text one line and a centre aligned image truly is centred. There is no option for no justification. Besides that I can make most posts look the same as they do from a desktop.

Mobile Safari

Any browser will do for this task and Mobile Safari includes the only two options you need; saving images and copying the full URL you are viewing. Copying text is also a snap and works perfectly for this task.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Copying images from a web page is OK, but rarely will the image be the size you need. Crucially Adobe Photoshop Express allows you to select a part of an image and save that separately. It doesn’t do scaling and I am still looking for an app that does that, but it just about does what will be needed for most bloggers. Out of interest it also does borders and effects which could be useful for some sites.

My Writing Nook

I am using this more and more to create content and it has proved invaluable for not losing data. I am also using it to write a book at the moment and its simplicity is what makes it work so well.

These are the only tools I need to manage 247 on the go and I am 90% successful in posting what I need to. BlogPress needs a small amount of work on image handling and Adobe needs some more options, but it is great to finally be able to manage the site when away from home. Total cost: £3.58.

Skyfire is submitting its mobile browser for approval by Apple and the big news is that it will bring Flash capability with it. Will be fascinating to see where this one goes over the next few weeks. Thanks to Claire.

Skyfire’s Cloud Technology May End Public Standoff Over Flash on “iDevices”

Mountain View, CA – August 31, 2010– Skyfire is submitting a mobile browser to Apple’s App Store capable of playing Flash video while adhering to all Apple’s guidelines regarding HTML5 open-video standards on Apple devices.
Skyfire 2.0 for iPhone follows on the heels of Skyfire’s recent launch on Android, which has now become one of the most popular third-party browsers on Google’s mobile platform, with nearly a million downloads in its first three months.

“We’re excited to submit a mobile browser for iPhone and iPod Touch that addresses Apple’s concerns regarding Flash deployment on mobile devices,” explains Jeff Glueck, CEO of Skyfire. “Rather than enabling Flash, Skyfire will translate videos into Apple standards. Skyfire supports HTML5 but at the same time, we recognize that the transition to HTML5 for 100 million Flash publishers will take years. We hope to bridge that gap and solve a problem for consumers who want access to millions of previously-unavailable videos on their iPhones.”

Watching the demo of Epic Citadel on an iPhone 4 is impressive enough, but take a look at a screenshot showing the details in all its glory. I have uploaded one here to give you an idea of how crisp and detailed it really is.

The release of Tony Blair’s memoirs yesterday caused a bit of a stir which you would expect when any ex Prime Minister lifts the lid on the secrets of Government.

It also marked a welcome change in eBook pricing. Amazon is selling the Kindle edition for £6.99 which compares quite well to the hardcover which is £12.50. It’s also pleasing to see it released on the same day. I checked the iBooks library, but it was not available at the time of writing.

Epic Citadel is now available to download. This is the game that was demonstrated at the Apple Keynote yesterday and is the first that has made me think “This is on a phone?” Unbelievably good.

From the circus bazaar on the outskirts of the castle grounds to the mysterious cathedral at the center of town, Epic Citadel will dazzle you with a visual parade of special effects that recreates a stunning and realistic world only imagined by Epic Games, and powered by the critically acclaimed and award winning Unreal Engine 3.

Epic Citadel was created using the same tools and technology used to develop high-end consoles games, now delivered for iOS devices.

This is for those of you using Windows to access the internet- approximately 90% of you. Will update this once the Keynote starts. The Apple store is currently down which means that new products should be online imminently.

• Steve Jobs is on stage wearing completely different clothes than normal. Just kidding. Woz is there as well. ‘Really Cool’ already used once.
• Apple now has 300 retail stores in 10 countries. A new store in Spain will make it 11. On some days over 1 million people visit the stores. 80,000 1:1 classes taught per week. More than 50% of people buying Macs are buying their first.
• 120 million iOS devices shipped to date. Activating more than 230,000 iOS devices per day. 200 apps are being downloaded every seconds. Lots of annoying applause after each statement.
• iOS 4.1 being introduced today and is available next week as a free download. Proximity, Bluetooth and iPhone 3G performance bugs fixed. HDR photos added.

• HDR Photos enhances photos which can be affected by too much light on the device itself.
• Game Center is all about multi-player games. Auto matching, challenge friends, compare scores etc. Fair to say that the interface is very un-Apple and actually quite ugly.
• A game called Project Sword is being demonstrated- WOW! It’s not out yet, but it shows the potential.

• iOS 4.2 is all about iPad. It brings all that we have on iPhone to the iPad plus wireless printing. AirPlay is also being introduced which is, you guessed it, ‘really cool’.
• AirPlay is the new name for AirTunes; you can stream audio, videos and photos to other devices over Wi-Fi. iOS 4.2 demoed on the iPad. Basically offering what we know from iOS 4.1 on the iPhone. 4.2 will be released in November for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
• All new designs for every iPod model. The iPod Shuffle lives on. It is smaller, but the buttons return and voice functions remain. 15 hours (!) of music playback. Five colours and only $49.

• The new iPod Nano is 46% smaller. 24 hour music playback (!!), multi-touch touch screen and it looks like a tiny iPoad Touch. Actually looks usable despite the size. Built in FM Radio, has a clip and Steve is now demonstrating it. Impressed. It’s an iOS device and the screen can be rotated all the way around. 7 colours available including Project RED and is $149 for 8GB and $179 for 16GB.

• iPod Touch time! The iPod Touch is apparently the number one portable game player in the world- outsells Nintendo and Sony portable games devices combined; over 50% market share. 1.5 billion downloads to iPod Touch alone. Here we go-
• New iPod Touch is even thinner- has a retina display, powered by the Apple A4 chip, 3-axis Gyro and FaceTime. HD video recording included as well. 40 hours of music playback (!!!).

• Starting from $229 for 8GB Touch. You can pre-order today and they will be shipping next week.
• Onto iTunes. The next version is iTunes 10 and now has a new logo with no CD.

• Ping is new in iTunes 10 which is dubbed a social network for music. Apparently it is ‘really cool’. You can check what the artists are doing and also share information with friends. You get a customised Top 10 based on the people you follow. Lady GaGa mentioned a lot so far- so where is she Steve?
• Ping looks like a cross between Facebook, Twitter and everything else- can see where this is going. For a start it is a great way to get people buying more music from iTunes. Lots of talk about privacy as well including how you can limit it to your circle of friends. Open to 160 million iTunes users straight away.
• Demonstrated Ping and played a tune plus a video from GaGa telling everyone what she is doing, concerts etc. Nice bit of promotion there…
• Ping also works on the iPhone and iPod Touch- could be HUGE! iTunes 10 is available today!
• One more thing… AppleTV. Not a big hit so far. Fair to say that the new Apple TV is small- you can hold it in your hand.

• All rentals, no purchases- you store nothing. Content can be streamed from a computer- photos etc. $0.99 to rent HD TV shows, $4.99 for HD films. ABC and Fox signed up already- waiting for the rest. You can stream from Netflix as well to the new Apple TV plus YouTube, flickr and mobileme. Apple TV interface looks quite simple and clean.
• Now demonstrating Glee on AppleTV. My daughter is happy with that one… The system plays streamed content from a PC really well- looks like an iPod for photo slideshows.
• Back to AirPlay. You can stream content from an iPad or iPhone to the new AppleTV. US, Canada, UK, France, Germany and Australia supported at launch. Price is now $99. I might buy one of those. Then again, my iPhone 4 is pretty good for films and TV episodes already- what a price though- available within 4 weeks.
• To sum up- ‘Really Cool’.
• The guitar is now on screen again. Steve is introducing Coldplay. Noooooo! Anyone, but Coldplay… or U2. Oh well, the products were impressive anyway.

Co-Pilot for the iPhone and iPad has been updated and now includes ActiveTraffic which appears to be US centric at this time.

According to the AAA, 34.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles this Labor Day Weekend.  That means plenty of picnics, bbqs and a lot of TRAFFIC JAMS!

ActiveTraffic continuously monitors traffic conditions on over 260,000 miles of road for delays as you drive and will alert you if it finds a faster route.  If a faster route is identified, it will indicate the estimated time you’ll save and provide an option to preview the new route before you decide to detour.

The live stream of today’s big Apple event will make it a lot easier to track. It is a shame you need an Apple product to watch it though, but let’s hope the servers hold up.

Apple® will broadcast its September 1 event online using Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards. Viewing requires either a Mac® running Safari® on Mac OS® X version 10.6 Snow Leopard®, an iPhone® or iPod touch® running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad™. The live broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT on September 1, 2010 at www.apple.com.

This broadcast is the property of Apple and is protected by US copyright law and international treaties. Any reproduction or distribution is strictly prohibited without prior written approval from Apple. Please contact Apple Public Relations with any questions.

I am a person who is more likely to jailbreak and iPhone than most. I like the idea of shaking my phone to bring up Expose panels and I can see the benefit of many of the other apps and tweaks that are currently available. In theory you can customise and do much more with a jailbroken iPhone and it should be a no-brainer to make the jump and crack it open to enjoy all of the new possibilities.

It is not illegal and on the newer phones, like the iPhone 4, it should not have the performance impact that jailbreakers experienced on earlier iPhones, but still I haven’t made the jump and jailbroken my iPhone 4.

As much as I want to do this, I use my iPhone far too much to take the risk of bringing instability into my daily mobile routine. It would probably work perfectly and offer me much more flexibility, but I just can’t do it. Somehow Apple has made me believe that it will cause problems without implicitly saying so. One thing Apple is good at is making you feel that it’s core software configuration is always best and this is where the controlling nature is of benefit.

One of the very best passive holders, built by Herbert Richter, is now available for the iPhone 4. In fact there is now a whole range available from holdersandmounts.

Herbert Richter is a leading manufacturer and a renowned innovator of universal car accessories and mounting solutions for more than fifty years. They are well known for their superb design and highest quality. Today they are one of the leading manufacturers of mobile mounting solutions, inventor of Flexible Gooseneck and it’s property rights holder with manufacturing numbers of over one hundred millions units to date.

As industry leader, before launching a new product, each product is subject to stringent tests by external laboratories to ensure that products meets most requirements of consumer needs. All materials used in manufacturing process comply with RoHS and WEEE environmental standards.

If a Dual SIM iPhone 4 is on your wish list, your wish has now come true, albeit in a rather ugly fashion. USB Fever is offering a Dual SIM case for $28.99 which will give you the use of two SIM cards which are then held in the case at the back in the ugliest possible fashion. Looks verses function- you decide.

This is a very innovative design, it gives your a DUAL SIM for your iPhone 4G.

With this Dual SIM, you are no longer to hassle with your network problems when you are travelling from one country to another country.

Features:
- One iPhone (4G) with 2 SIM Cards (see note below)
- No need to cut your SIM CARD
- STK Menu (see installations below)
- Comes with Crystal case to protect the dual sim card and your iPhone

This accessory is compatible with:
- iPhone 4G (Firmware 4.0.0)
- iPhone 4G (Firmware 4.0.1)
- iPhone 4G (Firmware 4.0.2)

Set-up inside your iPhone:
- Home ==> settings ==> Phone ==> SIM Applications: select your desire SIM card
(If you don’t want it to select SIM card for you when the signal is low, please don’t select “auto/SW)

Note once you’ve chosen to another sim card, it will have a message “No SIM Card installed”, please wait 1 or 2 minutes, it needs aound 1 ~ 2 minutes to search, during this time, “No SIM” will appear in the top right of your iphone’s screen.

The FTC has ruled against a company accused of getting it’s employees to write fake iTunes user reviews. These reviews will now have to be removed.

How often do you read iTunes, or other ESD, user reviews and think that something is not quite right? Happens a lot to me.



From the BBC- “Reverb Communications employees posed as ordinary reviewers in a ploy that the FTC called “deceptive advertising”.

The firm must now remove all of the reviews posted by its employees.

The ruling is the first under new FTC guidelines, introduced last year, that cover bloggers and celebrity endorsements as well as online reviews.

Those guidelines were the first change to the FTC’s views on testimonials in nearly 30 years.”

After some considerable time trying to find software that makes mobile posting on PDA-247 worth the effort I may have finally found the answer. BlogBooster is available for free with ads and limitations or as a paid for app and so far is way ahead of all the other solutions I have tried. This is the first post I have tried with it and so far I am quite impressed because it actually looks like a normal post. If you have a blog, this could be the answer to your mobile blogging woes.

There are many iPhone apps and games on sale at the moment and you may want to pick them up while you can. Highlights include the following-

Sega has reduced many titles including Sonic The Hedgehog, Super Monkey Ball and Streets of Rage. You can check out all of the discount here.

Meridian has also discounted Alive-4-Ever, Ace Commando, Stick Dunk and many others. Details here.

The excellent WolframAlpha is down to just £0.59 / $0.99 as part of a Back to School promotion and is a steal at this price. Definitely one that will prove useful time and time again.

Golf Putt Pro is currently free and will prove as frustrating as it is addictive. Good fun though if you like pick up and play games.

For those of you of a certain age, me included, the release of R-Type for the iPhone will be welcome and likely to stir up all sorts of memories from those days when we could fit into normal sized trousers. It is amusing to see some of the people who can still fit into normal sized trousers review it. Here’s one example- “Looks and plays like an old game. iPhone can do better than this old rubbish. Save your money.” Here’s one from a grown up- “What a great conversion, arcade perfect!”

100% TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL ARCADE CLASSIC! Get back to the ‘80s video-arcade experience! Play the relentlessly challenging side-scroller shoot ‘em up on iPhone & iPod touch for retro-gaming at its best.

THINK IT’S EASY TO BEAT? THINK AGAIN!
It might be retro, but R-Type is still famously hard to master. It’s do-or-die all the way through every level. That’s why IGN ranks R-Type in its all-time Top 10 “Toughest Games to Beat”!