This is perhaps my new favorite and most used iPhone app in my iPhone App inventory. Rowmote, it’s a remote control for your mac. It’s just like the remote control Apple ships with all macs with an IR receiver but what if your mac doesn’t have an IR receiver? Well, for rowmote you don’t need an IR receiver since it uses your local network. Pretty damn sweet application. Works freaking awesome with my Hack Pro - Mac Pro Intel Core i7 clone, not to brag ;).

With rowmote, you can control almost everything you can with the standard Apple remote - Stuff such as, Frontrow, iTunes, iPhoto, QuickTime, DVD Player and a bunch of other cool Mac OS X applications. Just sporting 6 buttons, (Next, Previous, Volume up and down, pause/play, and menu) Rowmote has an extremely simple and beautifully designed interface that is such an ease to operate. Hell, you can even operate it like a real remote! Holding down the next button, for example, will fast forward the song you’re listening to! Now, how cool is that?!

From rowmote’s website:

On one side, Rowmote is just like your Mac’s remote control but over the wireless network. On the flip side, by tapping the Apps button, you get bonus abilities, switching between most controlled programs and toggling the iTunes Visualizer. Rowmote controls Front Row, Airfoil Video, Boxee, iPhoto, iTunes, Quicktime, DVD Player, Keynote ’08 and ‘09, PandoraJam, Plex, Powerpoint 2008, Skim, Spotify, and VLC. Rowmote 1.3+ also has preliminary eyeTV support (channel changing and volume control). Rowmote can even sleep and wake your computer!

Rowmote has definitely made my list of best iPhone app ever created! I personally tip my hat to the developer!

Requirements:

• Mac OS X 10.4.0 or later (Sorry Windows folks)
• The free Rowmote Helper program must be running on the Mac to be controlled.

Downloads:
You can download the Remote Helper app from either us on our iPhone Downloads section (Link below) or from the Rowmote’s website at the source link.
Download Rowmote Helper from iPhone-Hacks

Rowmote (iTunes Link) is a steal at $0.99USD and should be on every Mac user’s iPhone!

- source: rowmote.com

Despite all the anticipation for turn by turn GPS navigation on the iPhone, an application that does just that already exists on the AppStore. XRoad Co.’s G-Map U.S. West and G-Map U.S. East apps were released back in October and January. The application seemed to slip under Apple’s strict radar and got published on the AppStore.

The G-Map application is the first on-board GPS navigation solution to be made available for iPhone and iPod Touch download. This cutting-edge GPS-enabled application features an intuitive user interface with functions essential to the mobile consumer. Unlike other network mobile navigation services, there is no monthly fee involved and it makes instant route guidance without interruption. No internet or wi-fi connection needed to get you to the desired destination.

I instantly got intrigued by the application and put it to the test. I tested it on my iPhone 3G and drove around town for awhile and it works almost flawlessly. The application provides turn-by-turn directions (distance countdown to each turn) by way of GPS. Local points of interest (Food, Fuel, etc.) can be found, addresses can be searched, routes can be edited, detours added, and types of roads can be avoided (highways, toll roads, etc.). If a turn is missed, the route is recalculated. The application is said to even provide 3D images of major intersection, I am unable to confirm it actually does. Despite everything the application does flawlessly, voice prompts are no where to be found to let you know what street to turn to without having to look at the iPhone screen.

Weighing at a hefty 800-900MB, you need some serious free space to be able to install this application, all the maps are built-in onto the application so if you drive into a town where you have absolutely no Wi-Fi, EDGE or 3G then you can still get your maps without driving around without directions.

Each region costs $19.99 USD (East US - iTunes link or West US - iTunes link) - A Europe version is coming soon

G-Map is available on the AppStore:
Download G-Map U.S. East
Download G-Map U.S. West

The iPhone port of EA’s hugely awaited “Spore” game titled “Spore Origins” was released yesterday, the game managed to find it’s way into Today’s “Let’s Rock” event as well. Steve Jobs used it to showcase the iPhone as a mobile gaming platform and talked about how everyone loves Spore. So after a day of game play around town on the iPhone, how good is it?

It’s good, it’s real good! Spore Origin’s focus is on the first stage of the PC/Mac game where you are a simple multi cell organism swimming around in a microscopic world. The goal of the game is pretty straight forward, eat or be eaten.

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Saurik the creator of Cydia which appears to be the new defacto standard for installing 3rd party homebrew apps on your jailbroken iPhone, has released ‘Cycorder’ a free iPhone video recorder App, opting to use on-screen text ads rather than charging users. It’s a great alternative to the buggy ‘iPhone Video Recorder’ App which requires you pay after you’ve recorded 30 videos limited to 30 seconds each. The previously reviewed Qik will capture audio & video for free but requires you to be connected to a WiFi connection to steam the video to their service.

Cycorder can be installed via Cydia in the ‘Multimedia’ section.

Cycorder offers 6 - 15 frames per second depending on lighting and movement using MJPEG compression at 384×288 (4×3) screen resolution. This gives Cycorder an edge when it comes to video quality by sacrificing the small file size offered by the competition. You can watch videos on the iPhone itself or to really see the quality of the video you can download them to your computer. MOV extension video files can be found in the ‘/private/var/mobile/Media/Videos/’ folder on your iPhone. Unfortunately audio is still in the works and is expected in a future release.

Click the ‘more…’ link to see an example video, the latest in the Alias420’s boring apartment video series.

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Recently the power button on my iPhone failed, luckily I was able to use the iReboot app to turn off the unit or lock the keypad (reboot springboard). But this made doing things like DFU or Restore mode a real pain in the ass. Noticing a company advertising in our Google AdSense ads with the link ‘Toronto iPhone Repair’ I clicked through to investigate (who knew those ads could actually be useful?). The link landed me at TechKnowSpace.com. To my great fortune they are located about 2 blocks from my home and could replace the power button within an hour for $89CAD.

I took the long 5 minute walk over to Front st & Spadina st right in the downtown core of Toronto and dropped my phone off. 1 hour later I returned and they had my newly functional iPhone ready to go. I was impressed they were fast, friendly and most importantly got my beloved iPhone back to it’s original splendor.

If you live in or around the Greater Toronto Area and need to have your iPhone repaired I would recommend them. I inquired whether they serve people online wishing to get their iPhones repaired. Unfotunately they aren’t setup to process orders via their web page but you can feel free to make arrangements by phone and send your iPhone in via courier or snail mail.

BTW: I have received nothing for endorsing these guys.