The only Apple news worth reading…

Latitudie is the first Google Latitude client for iPhone that runs in the background and updates your location automatically.  Until iOS 4, iPhone apps could not run in the background, making it impossible for location based apps to track your position while the iPhone was locked or in another app.  Latitudie uses iOS 4′s new multitasking features to keep your friends updated on your location even when you aren’t actively using the app.

Latitudie gives you an option to use cell tower location when running in the background.  This can help save battery power by only updating your location when you have moved.  There is also an option to temporarily hide your location.

I’ve been using Latitudie for about a week now and am very happy with it.  Both the GPS and cell tower modes work great.  I had tried a jailbroken Latitude app called Longitude a while back, but stopped using it because I noticed my battery would drain quickly while it was running in the background.  I haven’t noticed this problem with Latitudie and I’ve been running it in the background constantly.

Latitudie is a must-have app for anyone who enjoys using Google Latitude to keep their friends updated on their current location.  It cost only $1.99 and is available in the App Store.

Apple upgraded their Safari web browser to version 5 yesterday.  Safari 5 brings some great new features and an even faster web experience.

One of the big new features in Safari 5 is Reader.  Reader lets you quickly remove any visual distractions and ads from online articles.  Safari will automatically detect if a web page is an article and place a Reader icon in the address field.  Once you click the Reader icon, the article appears instantly in a clutter-free view.  You can also change the font size and Reader will remember it the next time you view an article.  Besides giving you a cleaner reading experience, it also lets you see every page of the article in one continuous view.  Once you try Safari Reader, you will be hooked!

Another big new feature in Safari 5 is Extensions.  This feature, which was already available on Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox, lets developers enhance and customize the browsing experience.  With extensions, you could add a Gmail shortcut button to the toolbar that also tells how many new emails you have.  Another example could be custom search bars, like Amazon or IMDB.  Just make sure you don’t install too many or it might start looking like Internet Read more

BeejiveIM, one of the most popular instant messaging clients for the iPhone, is now available for the iPad.  If you’re looking for a great IM app, you will not be disappointed with BeejiveIM.  I haven’t found an IM app for the iPad or iPhone that offers as many features as this one.  One of my favorite, and in my opinion a must-have, features of BeejiveIM is group chats.  It also works great with multiple IM networks and accounts.  You can even merge multiple IM buddies into the same contact, this is great for when you have a friend who is on multiple networks like GTalk, AIM and Yahoo.

BeejiveIM is on sale right now for $5.99 in the App Store.  The iPhone version currently cost $9.99.  I think I paid over twice that when I originally purchased BeejiveIM for iPhone when it was first released.  It was one of the most expensive apps I had purchased at the time, but I still don’t regret it.  It’s an amazing IM app for both the iPad and iPhone.

BeejiveIM Key Features:

• Reliable and efficient networking: be connected 24/7, and it’s gentle on your battery.
• Be connected even after you close the application. Get notified instantly when you get a new message with Push Notifications.
• Works with multiple IM networks, multiple accounts per network: AIM®/iChat, MSN®, Yahoo!®, GoogleTalk®, Facebook IM, ICQ®, Jabber, and MySpace IM.
• Send and receive files, including pictures and voice notes. View and forward received documents.
• Desktop-like instant messaging with all of your IM buddies from a single intuitive user interface.

Read more

Cloud Browse lets you remotely control a Firefox browser with the results streamed to you on your iPhone.  Video and audio Flash content play great.  Cloud Browse can do this because you are actually using a full desktop browser that is running remotely and being streamed to the iPhone.  The remote browser has access to higher bandwidth, more memory and a faster processor than that of any mobile device.

When you launch Cloud Browse you see a Firefox browser on your screen, with tabs. The browser is touch controlled:

• Scroll the page by flicking your finger.
• Tap with one finger to navigate links and select textboxes. (A left mouse click at the finger location)
• Hold down one finger on screen to bring up a magnifying glass displaying what’s under your finger.

However, because you are controlling a desktop version of Firefox, which uses a mouse, some gestures are a little different.

• Two finger tap performs a right mouse click at the current mouse location.
• When the magnifying glass is displayed, finger movement will move the mouse instead of scrolling the page.
• Swipe three fingers right to go forward in browsing history and left to go backward.

Cloud Browse is free and available in the App Store.

TouchPad is one of the coolest apps for the iPad.  I hope no one goes out and buys an iPad just for this app, but if you already have one, you should definitely look into getting this.

TouchPad turns your iPad into a giant trackpad to remotely control your Mac through WiFi. Besides the trackpad, it also gives you a keyboard and media remote.  I’ve been using TouchPad with a Mac Pro I have connected to a TV in my living room, and I couldn’t be happier with it.  The media controller works perfect with Front Row and Hulu Desktop. Read more