It seems that more iPhone apps will get a review on my blog. However, I am going to stick to applications for Mac mostly. The only iPhone apps I will deal with are those that impress me much. One of them is Paris 3D – 3D map of Paris and its architecture.

Paris 3D is a part of Mobile 3D City series, however, so far it’s been only Paris, but another cities in 3D are under development. Paris 3D app enables zooming in and out and turning and moving a view in all directions. Thanks to that user can get familiar with architecture and locations of Paris. No need to add that we can walk the streets with an iPhone in a hand and we shouldn’t get lost. Application offers not only a 3D view. Clicking on objects of importance will give us a brief info. We can also search for many services and facilities. Just take a look:

Paris 3D is available in AppStore: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=323822225&mt=8

Paris 3D site: http://www.mobile3dcity.com/

Apps for iPhone and iPhone itself is not a main concern of my blog. I deal with iPhone apps only when I found them useful. One of such apps is Navigon Mobile Navigator, Easter Europe edition.

Despite of widely discussed introduction of TomTom to iTunes AppStore, here in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries TomTom is not available yet. In that circumstances the best app we can find is Navigon Mobile Navigator.

I have been testing this app for a few days now. It works well in the city. I haven’t noticed any latency in positioning my car on the map. Navigon Mobile Navigator informs about suggested maneuvers about time and in some time before. Application is available in local languages – at least in English and Polish, but I am sure it is available in every language used in the country access to iTunes AppStore.

Woman’s voice lead the driver throughout junctions, motorways, from one place to another. The only problem is that iPhone itself is to quite. However, if your car audio has AUX slot you can connect iPhone with onboard car audio using mini-jack cable. In addition, there can be played music in the background, however changing playlist requires turning off Navigon. It is better then to listen to shuffled playlist.

App works very good. If we decide to take another way, not suggested by Navigon it will recalculate it and suggest new route. We can choose preferred types of roads. By default Navigon avoids small streets in residential zones. However two times Navigon suggested me to take a road through residential areas. They were regular streets, but rather small. In my home city I knew which one to take, but it can be a problem in new locations not known to the driver.

Apart of the streets and roads it can show petrol stations, shopping malls, museums, monuments, and garages and other services. It also alert driver if the speed is far to high comparing speed limits.

Mobile Navigator is available in a few editions for each region or continent. Price varies depends on it.

Navigon Mobile Navigator Europe: 79,99 €

Navigon Mobile Navigator Eastern Europe: 49,99 €

Navigon Mobile Navigator Australia: 42,99 €

Navigon Mobile Navigatorh North America: 54,99 €

One of best ever games has been finally ported to iPhone. I remember when in 1991 I saw it first time on Atari ST, watching the Earth moving and listening to the well known music theme. Since that time work of Sid Meier has been one of my favourite games. This game is CIvilization.

iPhone matters are not the main topic of my blog, however, from time to time it happens to me to write something about it, mostly about something which interests me – a ordinary iPhone user. This time it is an information about Civilization Revolution.

There is 16 civilizations in the game. Players can finish the game through the military, economic, cultural or scientific victory. 2K Games promises to release free of charge expansions. Civilization Revolution is available at Apple AppStore, unfortunately it is not available for Poland. It costs 9,99$

I must admit, that this kind of application I have been looking for a long time. I have been using iPhone for over 1,5 year, including classic version brought from the States and iPhone 3G I bought with pay montly contract from Orange Poland. Since not all of the programs are available in iTunes Store both of them were Jailbroken, so I can use Cydia. One of the apps that are not available in iTunes is Cycoder that turns your iPhone into a small camcorder. I use it many times, especially during our concert tours, parties etc. Other “non iTunes” app I use is MXTube, that enables me to record YouTube videos straight on my iPhone. So far all the files created by these programs had to be transferred to my Mac using FTP client apps and WiFI network. Simple process, but requires FTP app on Mac and WiFI network or – when I am out of my place – Ad Hoc wireless network between one of my Macs and the iPhone. Luckily, there is a much simpler solution – a free iPhone Explorer by myPod Apps.

iPhone Explorer enables access to the iPhone files and folders just when you connect it to the Mac via USB cable. Transferring files between iPhone and Mac is by simply dragging. User can also create and delete folders and hide system files and folders.

You can get it at: http://www.iphone-explorer.com/

Starting on this Friday (23.01.2009) one of the three leading Polish mobile providers Era GSM will offer all of the mobile phones (offered by that operator) will be on demand available without sim lock. The unlocked phones will be available both in the pay as you go and pay monthly plans. This is the first Polish mobile operator/provider who decided to limit the devices to only its own network, but to enable to use their favorite mobile phones with the sim cards of other operators. It is seriously the beginning of the revolution in the mobile services in Poland. Era is one of the two operators that offers iPhone 3G and there is no information about possible exclusion of the iPhone from the sim free offer. Thus Era is going to be a mobile network that offers unlocked iPhones. I am going to check it by myself this Friday.

More about that in Polish

After a few days of shipment the new Apple toy - iPhone 3G 16 GB finally arrived, though I found the white one instead of the black one that I ordered. Surely Orange has run out of the black ones 16 GB versions and decided to send me the white one. I am a bit disappointed. I don’t like the white one’s look, though I wont replace it since I appreciate and the power of the device more than its look. Actually I am just about to order one of the amazing Gelaskins and I will surely forget about the white back of my iPhone.

The new iPhone 3G is amazing, though there is not so many changes to the old version, but the faster download is the most important. GPS is OK, though it is not very handy for driving. It is ragher good tool when you are lost somewhere or you need to find the fastest and the shortest way (but you will have to keep the eye on the map to stay on track). Aside of the other amazing functionality there is at least two that are pretty handy. Both of them are available on the dark side of the force… on Cydia.

I am about to sign up to Apple iTunes Store, though.. I am waiting for my new credit card. Apple doesn’t accept Polish debit or virtual visa cards, so I have no possibility to sign up for legal apps. Worth to mention is the fact that Apple iTunes Store in Poland is limited to the iPhone apps (even not all of them are availlable). Music is not available for us. At the moment I am actually cut off of Apple Store, but not all handy apps are available over there. There are at least two apps that are available only for jailbroken iPhones, and the one is very important to me.

Aside of LAN at home I am also a 3G mobile internet user. I have actuall two services. One is provided by PLUS GSM together with USB 3G modem (HUAWEI E220) and the other is an additional 3G Internet service to my paymonthly contract with Orange. The Orange internet service suits my iPhone perfectly while the USB modem is for my MacBook. This weekend I found a problem. I am off for the country while my wife is going to stay at her family house. She wants to take with her a laptop and internet – obviously my USB modem with PLUS GMS service. I was about of spending the weekend with the internet limited to iPhone. Luckily I have found a great app – iPhone Modem, that changes my iPhone to a 3G, WIFI modem. The whole system bases on Mac OS X app that sets up an ad hoc wireless connection with Iphone and the iPhone app that works as a modem. Though it doesn’t work with Firefox (at least it needs some additional adjustment) it works fine with Safari.

The other apps are Cycorder that turns iPhone into a video camera (with reasonable quality) and MXTube that allows to save on the device and play offline videos from YouTube.

and the old one iPhone 2G? My wife is lost, she is mad about Mahjong

Thanks to Blip.pl (kind of Polish Twitter) I have find out about intersting application for Mac, called Plex. In my opinion it is a Front Row replacement. Multimedia browser/player/viewer. According to the site, thanx to the long list of codex you shouldn’t have any problems with playin video or audio files. Apart of media player, it can be used as a images viewer, RSS reader and weather forecast source. Despite of interesting interface it is rather far from being user friendly. Mouse pointer is disabled by default, the navigation is based on arrow keys on the keyboard, and many options (like adding films to the library, adding music etc.) is completely not intuitive. It is also quite hard to navigate to settings tab straight from the other player (I had big problems with setting the subtitles during the play of the film). I couldn’t find an easy short cut for the full screen or windowed (default) mode. After 1 hour I spent with it, getting lost in the navigation, I am not willing to use it, but the idea is quite interesting and I will keep my eye on it. More about Plex on the project website: http://www.plexapp.com/

Almost month ago IPhone 3G was introduced in Poland by two Polish mobile networks – Orange and Era. Everybody have seen the massive histeria in fronts of the mobile network operators’ shops in US, UK, Holland, Belgium and other countries when the new iPhone 3G became available. Our Polish Orange decided to help the Polish histeria. Since we – Poles – are not as rich as people in the western Europe, iPhone is not as easily available for us as for the western people, no body predicted crowds in the fronts of the mobile networks’ shops. But the queues appeared couple of days before this very special “iPone day”. Unfortunately people in the queues were not Apple maniacs or gadget maniacs in general. They were rather kids from the high schools and students. They were not familiar nor with other Apple products nor showing any iPhone excitement. Some of them prepared cardboard signs “place in the queue for sale for 500 PLN” (almost 150 Euro). Of course nobody wanted to buy it. The kids were clearly regarded as a hired by mobile operator. And now we have some news on business pages of Yahoo about Orange statemen in which the operator admit that hired “actors”:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080822/poland_fake_iphone_seekers.html

I have been using IPhone 8GB for over 6 months now. Of course I bought the cracked one (jailbreaked) on Allegro.pl (Polish online auction system). I must admit, I am very happy with this handheld computer/mobile phone. IPhone made obsolete two other devices I used previously – Nokia N73 and Nokia 700 Internet Tablet.W With Apple device I have all what I want in one. I am can not even complain on lack of the 3G technology, since my first steps in mobile access I made with PCMCIA GPRS card in my old laptop. I am not doing a big things on IPhone (websites, mail, google maps) so the lack of 3G is usually not painful.

Since I am paying rather high bills (over 100 Euro/month) due to my over 1 hour calls to Ireland twice a week, I bought additional service from my mobile network (Orange), Orange Free – EDGE/3G internet with 6 GB transfer limit. It costs 35 Euro (120 PLN) / month.

There are of course things that are missing in my old IPhone 1.1.4. I would warmly welcome saving pictures and other files feature, copy and paste feature and folder structure like on the Mac OS X, I mean easily accessible pictures, documents and music folders.

Yesterday I got a call from Polish Orange. They offered me new pay monthly services plan (24 months contract). For 250 PLN /month (74 Euro) I will get 400 minutes to every Polish network and landlines plus EDGE/3G internet access (6GB transfer limit), plus IPhone 3G 16GB for 140 PLN (41 Euro).

It is going to be shipped next week