Despite having a previously “confirmed” report that the iPhone 3G would launch with China Unicom on May 17 it looks like that will not be happening. In fact it seems that China Unicom is not yet even confirmed as a Chinese carrier for the iPhone 3G. Additionally, according to some sources it seems that negotiations

More images of what the next generation iPhone may look like have begun to surface. The latest, while far from official, actually seems like it could be a realistic interpretation. Basically, the mockup seems to be a slightly modified version of the current iPhone 3G. The back side appears to have a bigger curve with the

As expected Skype for the iPhone is now available in the App Store, but according to some reports it is not available everywhere. Notably missing from the available list is Canada. Of course, I cannot verify that personally, however despite my residing in the US and being able to actually download and install Skype, I still

Overview 

It’s Sims in the Wild West! Well…sort of. This is a real time strategy game that is based off the PC title of the same name by Sandlot Games. Explore, settle, and build your very own town while battling bandits, natural disasters, and the everyday life of the old west. This all takes place around a main storyline involving a con artist that you must track down and help the local sheriff bring to justice. Features The game features over 20 different levels and four different locations that you can explore and build on. The ability to make camp and build almost anywhere you want is another cool feature in the game. Just about everything is customizable from the towns and buildings to the type of personality and working traits each one of your characters have. There are also a few side missions that have nothing to do with the main story, but help to add a little more value to the game. Breakdown

 The Good: 
I really don’t like paying more than a few dollars for most applications on my phone, especially games. I only really play with them for a few hours and then they sit there on my phone, never to be opened again…ah, so many wasted dollars…sigh. However, I feel the biggest selling point for this app is what you get for the price. It’s easily worth $4.99 if you’re looking for Sims in the Wild West. Because that’s basically what this is. It plays out well here and there are tons of things to do. This game will easily suck you in and you’ll be surprised at how much time you’ll spend with it. The graphics and sound/music are top notch and the storyline actually works very well in terms of keeping things interesting. For the most part it’s a fun real time strategy game that is sure to keep you entertained for hours and hours. The Bad: So much waiting!!! There’s a ridiculous amount of waiting involved when playing this game. First, the mind-numbing tutorial that you can’t ever skip no matter how many times you’ve gone through it, is the absolute worst part of this game. It’s pretty terrible. After playing this game for a few minutes, you get how the controls work. Yet, the tutorial never seems to stop. After almost a half hour I was still being instructed on what to do. It’s incredibly frustrating. Next is the tasks themselves. I applaud the Devs for wanting to have the tasks on screen. It helps you to remember what to do and where to blah, blah, blah. But it takes up the entire top portion of the screen. It’s distracting and annoying as hell if you don’t want to look at them anymore. And there is no way to get rid of them until you do whatever it is that it asks you to do. Make it go to the tasks list or something if you need a reminder…seriously! You can see from the pictures here that it can get in the way. Especially if there’s like a lot of text there…which there always is by the way. Other than this really annoying feature, the game also has some lag issues. Also, controlling more than one person at a time or getting them inside a building can get frustrating as well. You get the hang of it eventually, but the controls just don’t feel as smooth as you’d like them to. Verdict

 Here’s the deal. Most games that are modeled after “The Sims” are all the same. Get your stats up, build something, get a job, yada, yada. If that’s what you like, then this game is great. The old west element is very fun and there’s enough of a challenge and story to keep things from getting boring or monotonous. However, if these types of games aren’t your thing, then stay away from this one. It has enough flaws in it that make it more trouble than it’s worth. I’m impatient when it comes to gaming. Have I ever read an instruction manual for a game? No! And most likely neither have you. It’s the freaking iPhone for crying out load. How hard can the controls be! The tutorial is so exhausting that by the time you get through it, you’ve checked out of the game entirely. And if you’ve hung in there, well guess what? There’s still more tutorials coming your way as you progress through the game. Seriously, I’m getting annoyed just writing about them so I’m done… Random Posts Major iPhone Update Coming in September Android Market Still Pales In Size To The App Store Review: Milebug - Mileage Log Ustream Barely Makes It Comparison: File Transferring Apps

Skype, Inc. has finally released their own official application for the iPhone. The question is, how good is it? Skype for the iPhone has garnered an extremely high number of user reviews and ratings in the short time the application has been available. At the time of this posting, there are over 1,300 ratings with many of them being a single star. The current average rating is hovering around three and a half stars, so what gives? After reading over many of the user reviews, the call quality seems to be pretty good. The real problem appears to be on the technical side. The application has been unstable for many users, crashing almost constantly at log in or even during calls. It could be that many of those users are using jailbroken iPhones, but there is no way to tell. Skype, Inc. specifically states that, “Skype is not responsible for errors or crashes which result from changes to the underlying iPhone OS.” It’s hard to believe that jailbroken users are the only ones having technical difficulties, so we will turn to you folks. Have any of you tried the new Skype application on your iPhone or iPod touch (jailbroken or not)? If you have, how would you rate it? Related Posts Skype Coming To iPhone On Tuesday Official MLB App Available In Time For Season Opener Wolfenstein 3D Arrives At The App Store App Store Insider: In-App Purchases App Store Insider: Developer Tricks

IDG, “the world’s leading IT media, research and exposition company,” announced today that MacWorld 2010 will be held from February 9th through 13th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. “IDG World Expo announced today that Macworld will be moving from its traditional January event dates to February 9 - 13, 2010. The location will remain at

Columnists wanted. Yeah, I said columnists. Here at Appleiphoneapps we are in the midst of a major website overhaul. Part of that overhaul is the implementation of a platform for a team of iPhone enthusiasts, overwhelmed with thoughts and opinions on the iPhone world that they must share. We are starting a set of columns, very similar to newspaper columns. These columns will run weekly and will focus on the passions of their authors. Authors must be investigative, highly opinionated and produce well thought-out articles. In addition to our regularly updated news and in-depth reviews, these columns will serve as a backbone to our site. We have already been “beta testing” some columns, like Tyler’s App Store Insider column, Jason’s Missing Features column and Matt’s Gamer’s Corner column. So do you have an unspeakable passion for the iPhone and want a platform to share your thoughts, ideas and opinions with an audience of over 500,000 people a month and growing? Then send us an email at ( iwanttowriteacolumn@appleiphoneapps.com ) and tell us your iPhone related passion that you would like to author a column of for the site. -AJ < email us at iwanttowriteacolumn@appleiphoneapps.com > Random Posts 5-Row Keyboard For Jailbroken iPhones Apple Decides To Remove All Emoji-Enabling Apps MacWorld Exclusive - Omni Group CEO Talks OmniFocus And Possible Future Apps (Video Interview) Because You Can’t Fit A Boy Scout In Your Pocket App Bargain Bin: Daily Price Drops

Apple must be proud of all of the iPhone game developers that were finalists and winners at this year’s Independent Games Festival (IGF), because they have devoted an entire iTunes App Store page to them. The page is accessible simply by clicking on the ad in the middle of the App Store page. There are 10 games in total, varying in price from $.99 to $4.99. The games include Frenzic , Fieldrunners , Zen Bound , Galcon , Edge , Smiles , Eliss , Dizzy Bee , Ruben & Lullaby , and Radio Flare . The iPhone game developers took home nearly every mobile award at the event, only allowing Reflection, a game developed for the Nintendo DS, to take home the award for “The Next Great Mobile Game.” So what are you waiting for?  Go purchase some award winning games from the App Store. Related Posts Apple Talks About The Direction Of The App Store And iPhone Gaming Independent Game Developers Attempt To Fill The Void App Store Rumored To Receive A Premium Games Section Hitting The iLotto IGF Mobile Award Winners Announced At GDC ‘09

Major League Baseball’s regular season opener takes place on April 5th, giving you just enough time to download the official iPhone application so you won’t miss any of your favorite team’s games. Major League Baseball has released the 2009 version of their popular iPhone application, MLB.com At Bat 2009 , available to you at the price of $9.99. The application features pitch types, real-time scores, and video highlights for every MLB game played during the 2009 regular season and postseason. In addition to those features, this year’s application also features live gameday audio broadcasts for both home and away teams. The price is a 100 percent increase from last year’s offering, but there are a couple of reasons for that. First off, the 2008 edition was released in June, not in time to cover the first two months of the regular season. That application also didn’t feature live audio broadcasts, a feature that costs $14.95 per year alone from MLB.com , making the iPhone application look like quite a steal at $9.99. The iPhone has been a lifesaver for almost all traveling sports fans and with applications like these, it only keeps getting better. And in case you were wondering, Go Twins ! Related Posts Skype Coming To iPhone On Tuesday Wolfenstein 3D Arrives At The App Store App Store Insider: In-App Purchases App Store Insider: Developer Tricks Metal Gear Solid Touch Now Available

Major League Baseball’s regular season opener takes place on April 5th, giving you just enough time to download the official iPhone application so you won’t miss any of your favorite team’s games. Major League Baseball has released the 2009 version of their popular iPhone application, MLB.com At Bat 2009 , available to you at the price of $9.99. The application features pitch types, real-time scores, and video highlights for every MLB game played during the 2009 regular season and postseason. In addition to those features, this year’s application also features live gameday audio broadcasts for both home and away teams. The price is a 100 percent increase from last year’s offering, but there are a couple of reasons for that. First off, the 2008 edition was released in June, not in time to cover the first two months of the regular season. That application also didn’t feature live audio broadcasts, a feature that costs $14.95 per year alone from MLB.com , making the iPhone application look like quite a steal at $9.99. The iPhone has been a lifesaver for almost all traveling sports fans and with applications like these, it only keeps getting better. And in case you were wondering, Go Twins ! Related Posts Skype Coming To iPhone On Tuesday Wolfenstein 3D Arrives At The App Store App Store Insider: In-App Purchases App Store Insider: Developer Tricks Metal Gear Solid Touch Now Available