Apple Daily Magazine

The UK trade regulator is launching an investigation into alleged anti-competitive price-fixing deals within the nascent digital book publishing industry following a “significant number of complaints.”

The Office of Fair Trading said the investigation is “into whether arrangements that certain publishers have put in place with some retailers for the sale of e-books may breach competition rules”.

However, it added: “The investigation is at an early stage and it should not be assumed that the parties involved have breached competition law.”

The investigation follows the launch of similar enquiries in the US states of Connecticut and Texas. In the UK, if parties — including Amazon and Apple — are found to be in breach of competition law they could face fines or a requirement to reparatory action.

The OFT did not say if it had the power to put an end to the agency model Apple has pushed to becoming de rigeur in the eBook world.

With Apple’s deeply-flawed decision to reject Sony’s Reader App from its store for some clearly self-centred reason, it looks like the fate of the iBookstore is becoming ever less well-starred.

“Apple’s made no change to its App Store Guidlines, it’s simply enforcing a rule that’s been in them all along: apps that offer purchases elsewhere must support in-app purchases as well. ?We have not changed our developer terms or guidelines,” company spokesperson Trudy Miller told me. “We are now requiring that if an app offers customers the ability to purchase books outside of the app, that the same option is also available to customers from within the app with in-app purchase.”

9 to 5 Mac

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, iDevice Accessories

New iPhone, iPod touch and iPad product announcements for February 1, 2011:

New iPhone, iPad and iPod touch apps

Power App has introduced SMSWriter 1.0 for iOS, their app with over 800 message templates for every occasion. It can be difficult to write a memorable message within the confines of a text message, but this app gives users some help. There are 843 different templates in English, and 1170 in German. Categories include: Love, Friendship, Birthday, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Greetings, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Weddings, and Jokes. Customized messages may be sent from within the app.
AvoApps Ltd. has announced Glow Sex Positions 1.0 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. This unique guide offers simple instructions and GLOW photos illustrations for the inquisitive mind. Each position is sketched with a level of difficulty. You can email and save each position. Your last position is automatically bookmark so you wouldn’t lose your last spot when you reopen the app. This is a great application that looks fabulous in the light and in the dark.
It’s time to put your money where your mouth is. In an effort to raise awareness of the Swing King iPhone game, Nicholas Henson is throwing the first Tournament for the app. Compete for the number one spot on the Swing King Leaderboard and claim your prize. The goal is to jump off the swing and see how far one can land. The Tournament begins on Feb 1, 2011 and ends on April 31, 2011.
Kyle Barber has announced that Candid Camera: Black Ops Edition 1.0, his hilarious iPhone application, is now free to celebrate the release of the First Strike Map Pack. Using a secret facial recognition software, Black Ops takes judging your friends to a new level. Take a picture of anyone and watch as the app assigns a Black Ops personality trait and description to each of your friends.
ActiveTrak Inc. has announced GadgetTrak for iOS version 2.5, the most advanced device and data protection service available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. GadgetTrak for iOS is tamper-proof, preventing thieves from modifying the application settings or avoiding being tracked. The award-winning GadgetTrak tracking technology gets important updates in version 2.5 to safeguard against iJacking, including camera support to snap pictures of thieves in the act.
Mac Software Box has introduced a new website dedicated to Mac, iPhone and iPad software reviews. The newly launched website empowers mac related product users to write reviews of their favorite apps, games and software. This website will serve as a user written review source for mac users. App developers can submit their apps, games etc. to the directory. Pictures and videos can be added to the software description to better reveal the qualities of added software.
The iGO My way Southern Africa edition is now available from the iTunes App Store. Making iPhone navigation and address search simple and accurate, this new navigation app is dedicated to bringing peace of mind to travelers in the five Southern African countries. The app features English, French, German, Italian and Russian as user interface languages. In addition, the application includes over 160,000 Points of Interest (POIs) in different categories such as banks, hotels, restaurants, pharmacies, hospitals, and other useful places along the route and around the destination. The Southern African maps cover over 570,000 km of roads in all five countries with the most up-to-date speed limits and toll sections.
Prativo Group has released an update to KitchenPad Timer 2.0 for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. KitchenPad Timer is a visual kitchen timer used to manage multiple cook times for your stove-top and oven. The convenient timer displays give you all the critical timer info at-a-glance. Version 2.0 was redesigned from the ground up with all new graphics, interface and controls. This “super-update” is truly giving its users the ability to take back control of meal time without hassle.
Syed Uddin has announced Mirror 360 HD 1.0, the most advanced mirror application for iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4. Mirror 360 HD is designed for everyone who is into fashion and wants to feel confident at any circumstances. It’s never been so easy to look perfect from all angles. Mirror 360 HD includes a recording feature allowing users to make a short clip and watch it within the app to check whether everything is good with their hair or face.
Jon Wiest has released AddVenture 1.0 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. AddVenture enables users to organize and present trips of any size in a beautiful way. It makes it easy and fun to record voice memos and videos, take photos, make notes and have event locations automatically marked on a map. Completed trips can be exported and shared with others via a web archive, KML file or iPhoto, or email.
Spearhead Entertainment has announced the release of their fourth title, Captain Puzzle, a comic book themed match three puzzle game for iPhone and iPod touch. Captain Puzzle, a pompadour-donning superhero and his community’s only hope for survival, is armed with a chromatic collection of neutralizers and must travel through four intricate locations to return a batch of pillaged stars to the city. Each of the locations includes 18 uniquely designed levels to test users’ ingenuity, mettle, and aim.
Kobo, a global eReading service that enables users to read on any device anywhere in the world, has announced that its social eReading experience, Kobo Reading Life, is now available for the iPhone. Reading Life is the industry’s first-ever global social eReading experience and is now available to both iPad and iPhone users.
Dingo Games has announced Tasty Planet 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. In Tasty Planet, players control a tiny ball of grey goo which eats everything smaller than itself. The more it eats, the bigger it gets. As players make their way through the game’s 60 levels, the goo grows from a bacteria eating microbe to a planet gobbling monster. Now there is no stopping this out-of-control bathroom cleaner.

New apps for iPad only

Factorial Ltd has announced ClipTouch 1.1, an update to their popular Final Cut Server client for the iPad. ClipTouch connects directly to any Final Cut Server without requiring any additional configuration, and lets you browse, share, collaborate, and present your media assets in a totally new way. Version 1.1 adds built-in support for audio, images and documents, and allows you to send files to other iPad apps.
Breek has announced The Farm HD 1.1, their educational app developed for iPad. Discover a beautiful picture book featuring sound effects and animal names in four languages. Toddlers will use it as a classic picture book, children will learn a second or third language while playing and having fun. The Farm HD features 20 high-quality original drawings, each with real animals sounds, carefully selected so as not to frighten young children.
m3me, Inc. has announced Remote Conductor 1.1 for iPad, an update to their popular productivity app for wirelessly controlling a Mac. Remote Conductor delivers three main features focused on streamlining everyday computing tasks: Application / Window Switcher, Remote Program Launcher and Wireless Trackpad. Version 1.1 adds top requested features such as a fully encrypted keyboard, direct connect by IP or host name and a network test mode.
One Man Left Studios has announced the first paid expansion for its Tilt to Live HD 1.4, called Viva la Turret. Available as an In-App Purchase, users can access a new weapon, the Perforator turret, and a new gametype called Viva la Turret. Tilt to Live HD is an arcade shooter with five different modes of play and a unique combat system. Earning 3.5 million lifetime points in Viva la Turret will unlock the new Perforator weapon for use in the game’s Code Red and Classic game modes.

New accessories

CAZE has announced their Animal Print Swarovski frame case for iPhone 4, a new addition to its Swarovski BlingFrame series. CAZE is combining Swarovski crystals and an ultra slim frame case to create a simple but luxury protective case in Zebra and Leopard pattern. CAZE used ThinEdge, the World’s slimmest and stylish frame case for crystal embellishment. BlingFrame has the thinnest possible wall-thickness and can fully protect the chrome edges and corners of an iPhone.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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