Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, even better, it’s a super selection of fresh picks, plucked from the App Store, especially for you.

But that’s not all I’ve got in store for you this weekend: After perusing the week’s happenings right here at TheAppleBlog, I’ve prepared a swift run-down of Apple news from the past seven days.

The folks over at Amazon kicked off the week by dropping an update to the Kindle for iPhone app. A few weeks back, Amazon acquired the company behind Stanza, the free e-Book reader. It seems as if Amazon is still pushing forward with the Kindle for iPhone app, rather than, as I would have expected, focusing its efforts, and considerable resources, on rolling Stanza and Kindle into one.

TheAppleBlog’s Henry Balanon helped melt away those Monday blues with a new iPhone Dev Sessions tutorial. For coders and tech-minded musicians alike, this should be a particularly interesting one, as Henry’s latest article is all about creating a drum machine app for iPhone.

On Tuesday, Microsoft launched a shot across the bow of Apple’s iPod, with its latest Zune advertisement. The ad features Apprentice-losing certified financial adviser Wes Moss, explaining why a Zune is much more of an economically savvy purchase than the iPod.

Perhaps signaling the end of the line for the iPhone 3G, Apple has now made it possible to purchase the device online. It’s the latest in a long line of what seems to be inventory-clearing tactics from Apple, making way for the rumored iPhone refresh this summer. Potential buyers should consider holding out for a possible iPhone announcement in the coming weeks.

Also this week, David Klein posted an excellent tutorial on setting up Google Sync for Mac and iPhone. This is essential reading, both for Gmail users looking to integrate their iPhone more closely with their Google account and for MobileMe users looking for a free alternative to Apple’s service.

Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at When Sysadmins Ruled The Earth, Guru Meditation, Resident Evil: Degeneration and Peggle.

When Sysadmins Ruled The Earth (free)
Blogger, journalist, author and super-smart guy, Cory Doctorow, has had one of his excellent short stories brought to the iPhone, courtesy of Robot Comics. The story centers around a bunch of sysadmins as chance survivors of a global apocalypse. Although the comic book reader software is incredibly bare-bones, it doesn’t matter, as the story makes for incredibly compelling reading. For fans of short science-fiction stories, this is a must-have app for the iPhone and well worth checking out over the weekend.

Guru Meditation (free)
Whether you use your iPhone for work or play, it’s just as important to get away from the incessant flow of e-mails and PDFs, zombie apocalypses and pachinko-esque puzzles. If you want to relax but just can’t seem to break away from your iPhone, Guru Meditation could be just the app you need. Created as an homage to an old mythical Amiga game, Guru Meditation could be considered a game in the loosest sense; it’s more a tool for encouraging relaxation and calm, albeit with a retro Atari-style look. To play, you simply find a quiet place, sit in a comfortable meditative position and then hold the iPhone still for as long as possible.

Resident Evil: Degeneration ($6.99)
If meditating isn’t your bag, though, and you’re just on the lookout for another zombie head to pop, this may be just the app for you. Capcom’s Resident Evil: Degeneration is an incredibly faithful addition to the long-running series, featuring excellent 3D graphics, shake and tilt to fend off zombies or reload, and, of course, a panoply of disgruntled undead folk to unleash your sweet gunnishment upon. It’s a deep, action-packed experience, certainly ideal for fans of the series, and, at the moment, this is as close to console gaming as the iPhone can get.

Peggle ($4.99)
We’re finishing up this week with Peggle — a pachinko-style puzzler, which is a genre that seems to be all the rage on the iPhone at the moment. Arguably one of the titles at the forefront of this genre, at least in the online casual gaming space, is PopCap’s Peggle. The iPhone version is astonishingly good value for money and an example of just how much of a better experience a little polish and attention to detail can bring. The game packs in 55 levels, various game modes, loads of score-modifiers, replays, and even an array of weird characters, all of whom give it an Adult Swim-lite vibe. Just like Rockchinko, which I reviewed earlier this week, it’s a brilliant game, but it could still do with downloadable levels and online connectivity.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

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Good Saturday and a Happy Weekend to one and all, it’s time to sit down, relax and wrap your big eyes round this week’s App Store Roundup.

This week on TheAppleBlog, we got in there super fast with an in-depth look at iMovie ’09, iPhoto ’09 and iWeb ’09. Of particular note was our very own Liam Cassidy describing iWeb as an, “embarrassing, backward cousin,” to the breathtaking updates of iMovie and iPhoto.

And in other news, Darrell Etherington reported on rumblings from two separate sources about a potential new iPhone.

With some of the week’s most notable news out of the way, let’s roll on to our weekly App Store Roundup.

This week I’ve been looking at Distant Shores, Sax Man, Photo fx and LifeTicker.

Distant Shore (99 cents)
Frankly I’m not a fan of LOST. The same location again and again, the same characters every episode, the same premise… it’s infuriating. I’ll take my re-runs of Cheers any day, thank you. However, this app — a virtual desert island which you can wander at your pleasure, soaking up the tropical ambiance — is a wonderful concept. You’re even able to cast off a message in a bottle and read messages from other stranded players. Think of it as LOST, albeit without the uncannily beautiful people, the perpetual onslaught of pointless puzzles or the hairy hobbit rockstar.

Sax Man (99 cents)
The folks over at Yudo are doing good things with their 1 Dollar Game series. The latest addition, while not strictly a game, is a fun little musical toy. Indeed, as a virtual saxophone Sax Man allows you to seriously get your jazz on.  In a control-scheme reminiscent of the utterly breathtaking Ocarina for iPhone, to play the Sax you simply blow in to the iPhone’s microphone while holding the corresponding key combination for a given note. It’s not too tough for beginners and musicians, particularly those experienced with wind instruments will find playing Sax Man to be a breeze.

Photo fx ($2.99)
Like Quantum Leap’s Sam, leaping from place to place and searching for a way home, my journey — from one disappointing photo app to another — searching for the perfect set of iPhone camera tools continues. The developers, The Tiffen Company, actually make real photographic filters, so it seems they know a thing or two about photography. The app itself is intended to simulate Tiffen’s glass filters, optical lab processes and photographic effects. On first look, this app is incredibly promising — feature-rich, easy to use and a wealth of interesting filters and effects.

LifeTicker ($9.99)
Allowing you to keep track of important events in your life — meetings, birthdays, medical appointments — LifeTicker could be an essential tool for some. Or at least as essential as a calendar. I’m gonna skip the pleasantries on this one: the app looks ugly, is light on features and vastly overpriced (even at $9.99 which is, apparently, a limited time 50 percent off launch-price). Users looking for an alternative that integrates more effectively with your lifestyle should try checking out Google Calendar (with NuevaSync) or Apple’s iCal (with MobileMe), both of which sync with your iPhone and are robust enough to feature notes, reminders and contact invitations.

Just One More Thing

Earlier this week, TheAppleBlog’s Darrell Etherington spoke about the recent rumors pertaining to a possible Premium Game Section in the App Store. Currently, in the game section of the store, the sub-categories relate to gaming genres such as puzzle, racing or casino.

If the rumors actually happen, it means that Premium Games will be an additional category in the App Store. Within this category would be products from the big game companies and the pricing would reflect this, with a download costing around $20 (regular players will know that games currently range from free to around 8 bucks).

EA's disappointing MySims Kingdom for Nintendo DS

When I say that the substantial price increase is a reflection of the fact that these are games from big companies, to be more specific, I mean that the big game companies desire to charge you more, much more, for games. This potential move by Apple absolutely does not mean that the games will be higher quality, better graphics or deeper gameplay.

So why is this happening? It’s all a matter of perception: as Pocketgamer.biz note, Apple sees the touch and iPhone as serious contenders in the handheld game wars, up against the DS and PSP where games are upwards of twenty bucks each. This new section in the App Store means that there will be a special shelf in the store for the games from the larger global publishers.

I’d argue that we’re seeing more innovation, more compelling gameplay, and more quality produce at appropriate price-points since launch in the App Store than on the DS and PSP combined. This is because the App Store allows independent developers to bring their wares directly to us on the same store shelves as the big boys, something which just does not happen (at least not enough) on Sony and Nintendo’s handhelds.

And while Apple’s potential move won’t directly stifle this innovation, it may draw the flow of cash towards premium products from risk-averse game publishers, towards games that some consumers will incorrectly perceive as higher-quality and better value for money and away from independently developed gaming pearls like Rolando and Trace.

That’s all for this week’s App Store Roundup, as ever, thank you for joining me for a rundown of the week’s most interesting releases. I’ll be back next Saturday with my picks from the week, in the meantime, drop by the comments and let me know which apps you’ve downloaded this week.

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So in keeping with the spirit of chilling, we’ve done all the hard work for you and hand-picked a few bright young additions to the App Store this week. Light some incense, breath deeply and let our wave of recommendations gently wash over you.

This week we’re looking at Yoga Stretch Lite, Sniff_Jazzbox, and Live Poker.

Yoga Stretch Lite (free) – Flexing your Chakras can be an expensive affair, with yoga sessions costing a fair few bucks. In this time of economic uncertainty, there’s a cost-effective solution to the pricey problems of relaxation: Yoga Stretch Lite is a free app that effectively squeezes a proper yoga sesh in to your iPhone. The app features audio instruction, sixty different poses and specially composed background music to help you stretch and chillax.

Unfortunately, in testing the app out, I discovered that the music is terrible and the softly-spoken female instructor had been recorded with the wail of a police car in the background. Very relaxing indeed.  Setting that aside, you can switch the music and voice-over off and it’s supremely helpful to have clear guidance for a yoga session squished on to the iPhone.

Sniff_Jazzbox (free) – Ever browsed for a Wi-Fi hotspot in the middle of a city and noticed all those locked networks? Unless you’ve got a password, they’re all but useless. Sniff_Jazzbox puts those networks to good use, converting them in to music, so as you walk round the city your iPhone spurts music like a fountain full of abstract jazz. It’s all a bit abstract, but certainly intriguing to hear those invisible networks rendered as an endless jazz odyssey.

Live Poker (free) – An incredibly polished poker app, with full multiplayer capabilities and connectivity with other players on Facebook and Myspace. Plus it costs absolutely nothing! It sounds like the ultimate poker app for iPhone and, despite a few version one bugs, it really is.

The free version comes with 1000 chips — replenished for every day you play — but there’s also a paid version ($9.99), which kicks the game off with 40,000 chips in the bank for you. I recommend that beginners and sharks alike grab the free version today and work your way up to the big money using your skills alone.

FriendBook from Tapulous

And finally, before you jump over to the App Store for a flurry of downloading, Tapulous have released their long-awaited contact management app Friendbook. Tapulous are the awesome development team behind Tap Tap Revenge, the free rhythm action game for iPhone/touch.

Available for free, Friendbook was originally released several months ago, touting an intriguing new feature called Handshake. Using the iPhone’s GPS functionality, Handshake enabled users to wirelessly share their contact details with each other. Unfortunately, it didn’t work quite as planned, and Friendbook users ended up receiving the contact deets for total strangers. Tapulous yanked the app before any serious damage was done.

Now the app is back in the store, still touting the Handshake feature (which we hope has been fixed) yet no longer free, priced at $0.99. Is it worth it for a buck? Several months ago, perhaps, but now there’s a raft of contact list management apps available (some free, some for a few bucks). Plus, there’s even a free app called Handshake which we covered right here on TAB a few weeks back.

That’s all from the App Store this week, I’ll be back next Saturday to delve in to the mixed bag of new releases and pick a few highlights just for you. In the meantime, drop by the comments and let us know which apps you’ve tried over the past week.

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This week we’re looking at Remember The Milk, Mokugyo (With Cat), Ocarina and iFriends.

Remember The Milk (free) - Remember The Milk is a clever site that gives you a selection of list-based tools for keeping track of all the tasks that life throws at you. It makes use of a great methodology called Getting Things Done. This fantastic iPhone app links in to your online RTM account, meaning you can become a blur of productivity even when you’re on the go.

Mokugyo (With Cat) (free) – While Mokugyo (With Cat) seems to be utterly useless, it’s endearing enough to warrant a quick mention. To reach a state of ‘nagomi’ (higher relaxation), you must tap on a Japanese wooden gong and what seems to be a singing bowl (used for meditation). This makes just enough sense until you try out ‘cat mode’, where tapping the bowl and gong triggers cat meows as you watch a totally weird lolcats-esque slideshow.

Ocarina ($0.99) – Rapidly becoming one of TAB’s favourite iPhone developers, Smule have created another unique app. By literally blowing in to the iPhone and pressing buttons on the screen, you can play different notes and, with a little practice, string together a tune. This is an enchanting musical instrument masquerading as an iPhone toy and certainly worth more than a buck.

iFriends ($1.99) – So far, it’s been worth steering clear of contact list management apps. They rarely bring added value, tend to be ugly, featureless and poorly-designed. iFriends, though, is potentially a worthy replacement for the phone button. The app features a dynamic top friends list with a clever friend scoring system, cutesy and slick graphics, contact searching and access to SMS too.

A recording studio in your pocket!

Before we close the gates on our fruity garden, we’ve got a few moments left to tell you about something we missed a couple of weeks back. FourTrack, from Sonoma Wire Works, is a traditional four-track recorder, crammed with a surprising number of features and functionality at the great price of $9.99.

By plugging in your iPhone headphones (with mic), you can record direct to FourTrack — effectively having a mini-studio in your iPhone. It’s great for toying round with ideas and creating quick track demos. Expect a full TAB review and tutorial for FourTrack sometime soon, in the meantime, for bedroom music makers and even pros on the go, you should grab this app and get recording.

That’s all for this week, we’ll be back next Saturday for another App Store Roundup. Drop by the comments and let us know which apps you’ve tried in the past week.

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