23 thoughts on “AppSlappy #9: "Verizon hates Apple"”

1. I wonder what Scott and Eric would think of the Meat Clock app? It is just another clock app, but it tells the time in beautiful meat numbers. I found it while looking for a meat thermometer and just had to have it.

2. Funny that Eric didn’t mention anything about the story and humour of Monkey Island. I guess the control scheme should’ve been better. And no mention about the two-finger -swipe to switch from the special edition graphics to the old-skool pixelart of old.

   A bad review if I may for all Eric really said that it looked old and the controls were not top notch. Well I guess if you don’t like adventure games, then you don’t. Plus if I understood correctly it was not played for a long time, so I wouldn’t have called it a “review”.. Perhaps “quick impressions”?

3. Hey Guys – guessing you’ve already seen this, but it relates to the whole “Google Voice” bit of this week’s podcast:

   http://gizmodo.com/5325539/apples-chickenshit-approval-process-has-gone-too-far

   From that article, it sounds like the Google Voice application would’ve utilized a person’s plan minutes. Not sure what other features would’ve been ban-worthy, but it seems pretty strange to me that this is allowed on AT&T’s blackberry devices, but not on iPhones. There may be more iPhones than blackberries on the AT&T network, but #’s of blackberries can’t be insignificant…

   I think you’re probably right about AT&T being behind this, but i’m thinking it’s more about them being concerned about being turned into a “dumb pipe” for services (although i agree that if the app did allow for free calls over 3g, that’d be a reason to ban it).

4. Thanks for the talk about the “Watch’ list on appshopper. Also what was the way on doing the “Garage” thing to make free ringtones? Is that on a window pc as well?

5. Hey guys, could you please fill out the show notes a bit more by including more information about the various things you’re talking about?
   Eric threw out a tidbit regarding a possibly useful twitter account that posts info every time an app goes from pay to free. I came here looking for that link, the name..something. Oh well, I’ll “rewind”.
   (Do we still call it that when it’s a digital recording??
   LTS!

6. There is an app that does let you keep track of apps that go on sale – i use the app called App Miner (almost everyday). It’s a free app, has a few sections on that i think Scott and a lot of people would find useful – it has a section on what the new apps are, what apps are on sale and even as a section where you can keep track of apps that you’re waiting for apps to go on sale. the only flaw is that it doesn’t have every app on the app store but close enough.

   love the show! (because i’m obsessed with apps too!!!)

7. Correction… it was a voicemail from a listener who mentioned it.
   Here is the link
   http://twitter.com/148apps_nowfree
   Oddly enough http://www.148apps.com don’t even list this account on their site.
   Super secret!

8. A good financial software for multiple bank accounts is Mint. I really like to for watching all my bank accounts and budgeting.

9. Request near the end of the podcast for app to view info from multiple banks without using a separate app for each of them.

   The ‘mint.com’ app is a good (and free) step in this direction, it let’s you check your finances across accounts you’ve entered on the mint.com website. The app is limited to viewing balances and transactions only (can’t transfer funds, pay bills, or add new accounts), but it can view many difference kinds of accounts. On my phone I can see two credit cards, checking and saving from two banks, as well as my (meager) investments and retirement accounts.

   NOTE: please protect your iphone with the passcode lock if you use any app with sensitive information (bank passwords, account numbers, etc.)

   mint.com website, must register accounts here to use the app
   http://mint.com

   Review of the app on lifehacker
   http://lifehacker.com/5114147/mintcom-brings-balance-management-to-the-iphone

10. Scott, you’re reasons for why ATT wouldn’t want google voice on the IPhone don’t quite make sense. They don’t need to use any private APIs or do anything tricky for the basic functionality. You can still use googlevoice without an app via the safari. You enter the number you want to call and google calls you and connects you to the number you want to call. It uses your minutes because you’re connected to a google phone number just like any other.

11. You were talking about how it would be cool to have an app that watches for when other apps drop in price.

    I have been using one for a while called AppMiner. You can add an app to the watch list on it and it will tell you when it goes on sale. I don’t think it will alert you until you physically check your watch list, but still it is a decent way of keeping track of apps you are hoping drop in price

12. For the poor guy who called in trying to figure out how to get ringtones onto his phone for free. Just in case he is on windows (like most iphone users), he may actually need the link Scott chose not to include in the notes. Here is that link:

    http://www.ehow.com/how_2160460_custom-iphone-ringtones-free.html

13. Hey, thanks for answering my question about ringtones. Too bad I don’t have a mac – will have to use the long and tideous Windows walkthrough.

14. Eric’s “two-step solution” for creating custom ringtones for the iPhone only works for Mac OS users. Here is the link that Scott forgot. http://www.ehow.com/how_2160460_custom-iphone-ringtones-free.html
    Also here is an update on the Google Voice App. Turns out the government is now looking into Apple’s App Approval Policy http://www.ehow.com/how_2160460_custom-iphone-ringtones-free.html

15. Whoops here is the actual link.http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10301259-37.html?tag=mncol

16. Mint.com has a great app that brings your entire financial profile into picture. It will help improve somebody life and has a cool app!

    @bizarrowill on Twitter

17. hey theres 2 things i want to mention. Theres an even easier way to make a ringtone pick the song you want go into the get into section change the time you want to be the ringtone (no more then 40 seconds) then ok, right click then create aac version once created click delete then hide go to were it is in you folders and change extension type to .m4r and click on it it will be in your ringtones section!

    also theres a great app called appminer in which you can watch apps, pick what price your willing to pay and notifies you when it does. Ive probably saved 30 through this app

18. You guys got something really wrong on the last podcast with respect to google voice. If used on your mobile phone it still uses your minutes. You can do free text messages but it still uses your cell phone minutes. That is a pretty big thing that it seemed like you guys weren’t clear on

19. On the Google Voice app — it’s actually not a Google app, but rather developed by an individual Sean Kovacs. As mentioned, the app causes the Google Voice servers to call your phone. It is therefore not end-to-end VoIP and uses account minutes. Some of the features of interest are a version of visual voicemail, integration with iPhone contacts, and the general benefits of using a dedicated app versus Safari.

20. I agree, great podcast, but you guys did not do enough research on the Google Voice issue. A little disappointing.

21. Okay a few answers for questions from the latest podcast…

    1. financial app – few people mentioned Mint, which is good. But then i tried the Quicken Online Mobile app and it is much better. more graphs, more usability, a little more confusing, but once set up from the website it works very well. and you can lock it with a PIN unlike Mint.

    2. two other app watch app’s, AppMiner was mentioned, but check out Bargainbin and Pandorabox. all three work well but with different layouts obviously.

    3. finally, surprised no one’s mentioned these two websites for turning ANY MP3 into a ring tone for your iPhone, it almost makes me want to keep them for myself! but since I’m nice i won’t. completely free and easy to use.

    http://audiko.net/

    and

    http://www.myxer.com/

22. I’ve seen other comments before but I just want to second (or third) the BargainBin app for “app watching”. I just found out about appshopper.com you mentioned and I’ve signed up for it.

    Thanks!

23. I agree with Matt and others that have mentioned BarginBin. It has recently been updated and will now let you “Watch” an app for a drop in price to a price that you have set. It’s a really great app and has for a free app cost me LOTS of money
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