Google [GOOG] has announced a new update to Google Maps for Android. The latest version to download is now 4.5 and introduces Walking Navigation (beta) to the app. Street View smart navigation has also been added to the app.

When using the new Walking Navigation features, the app gives walking directions that follow paths (when paths are in Google maps) rather than keeping you to roads like previously.

“your phone will vibrate when you need to make a turn. You can even turn off voice guidance and just use these notifications while soaking in the sights and sounds around you. To help you orient yourself with your surroundings, the map will rotate with you as you turn the phone, and walking mode uses satellite view by default. Use it like a virtual compass with satellite imagery to look ahead or help pick out landmarks along the way.”

[Read more…]

Best Buy will have the T-Mobile G2 available for pre-order starting today. The price of the new smartphone will be $199 with a two year contract of course.

As for a launch date, the T-Mobile G2 is expected to be in stores on October 6 at Best Buy. T-Mobile has not confirmed it’s self yet when it will be launching the G2 in its own store although we expect it to be sometime around the 6th October. [Read more…]

Apple yesterday announced that third party apps could be used to develop iPhone apps. This was a big u-turn from the previous decision that had been made.

The decision to block third party apps was made earlier this year and which point, forced Adobe to stop developing the iPhone Packager software as it was no longer allowed to create apps for iPhone. Now that Apple [AAPL] has changed it’s stance, Adobe has announced that development of the iPhone Packager Software is now moving forwards again. [Read more…]

Engadget has uploaded the App Store Review guidelines for you to peruse through. The guidelines are very specific in what will and will not be accepted in to the app store.

Some of the specifics are as follows although the list is far longer than what we put below.

Apps that crash will be rejected
Apps that exhibit bugs will be rejected
Apps that do not perform as advertised by the developer will be rejected
Apps that include undocumented or hidden features inconsistent with the description of the app
will be rejected
Apps that use non-public APIs will be rejected
Apps that read or write data outside its designated container area will be rejected
Apps that download code in any way or form will be rejected
Apps that install or launch other executable code will be rejected
Apps that are “beta”, “demo”, “trial”, or “test” versions will be rejected

[Read more…]

Apple [AAPL] has changed it’s stance on using third party tools in the development of iOS apps. Prior to this change the tools were banned which included Adobe Flash CS5.

The changes now permit these tools to be used, “as long as the resulting apps do not download any code”.

It’s certainly a surprising move and one which we assume developers will jump on. [Read more…]

The Apple Newton was introduced in the early 90’s. Some classed the Newton as a failure. When compared to the iPhone, it certainly was a failure in terms of sales figures.

Charles Mangin decided to bring the two gadgets together by melding the unsuccessful with the successful. The result is the Newton iPhone casemod that sees a newton case wrapped around the successful iPhone. [Read more…]

Opera has released the Opera Mini 5.1 web browser for Windows Mobile devices.

The new version is designed to support devices with larger and high res screens and it has support for accelerometers too. If using Opera on a Windows Mobile device, you now have the ability to set 5.1 as the default browser. [Read more…]

Several videos of the Motorola DROID 2 R2-D2 special edition live wall paper have been leaked and posted online.

The special edition DROID 2 will feature four (known so far) Live Wall Papers such as the Millennium Falcon Asteroid Field, Jump to Light Speed, Interactive R2D2 and Space Slug. To activate them you need to shake the phone and at that point the wall papers come alive. [Read more…]

The iPhone iMovie app has been updated with the launch of iOS 4.1. The latest version of iMovie (version 1.1) has a number of new features that improve on the software. The first is that it is now compatible with the latest iPod touch.

The ability to split clips has also been introduced which was a problem before as you had to keep jumping out of iMove to go to the photos app to split video.

Music looping has been added as well as an In-App tips page. [Read more…]

The Windows Phone 7 release date isn’t officially known at the moment although some insiders today are hinting that October 11 could be the day the new OS and smartphones roll out.

The information comes from “multiple sources” according to Pocket Lint. The new OS will launch at an event held in New York on that date. [Read more…]

The T-Mobile G2 is another Android device that’s well worth looking out for when it arrives. It is a step up from the original T-Mobile G1 that launched a couple of years back and includes a fast snapdragon processor, runs Android 2.2, the latest OS from Google [GOOG], and connects up to 4G speed networks via HSPA+.

Pricing hasn’t been confirmed just yet although we have been told that pre-orders are opening up later this month for those who want to get their hands on one. [Read more…]

Just hours after Apple [AAPL] released the iOS 4.1 download, a vulnerability was found by the iPhone Dev Team that allows an iOS 4.1 jailbreak to happen.

The interesting thing with this particular security hole is that its a low level security hole that to fix, Apple will need to introduce new hardware. [Read more…]