Week after week has seen the same champion atop the pile of iPhone app games from the App Store. Bejeweled 2 has been challenged a few times, but it has continued to lead the way until this week. There is finally a game worthy of taking the top spot and it is none other than

Anyone that had been considering picking up the 1Password app for the iPhone can now do so for free. The developer, Agile Web Solutions has made 1Password Pro available as a free download for a limited time, until December 1. This free download was done in conjunction with the release of 1Password3 for the Mac. The

It looks like the iPhone is going to soon be expanding into yet another market — South Korea. The news comes by way of mobile carrier KT, who have stated that the iPhone would be available as of November 28. In terms of pricing, a 32GB iPhone 3GS will set customers back 396,000 won (about $343

Despite a previous false start, the updated (and working) version of the RssPlayer app is now available in the App Store. Which is version 2.1. As to what we can expect in terms of new features; first and foremost is the addition of push notifications for new episodes. But there were also improvements made in

Ebay is on a mobile development role today with the release of an all new iPhone app, eBay Deals, and an update to the eBay iPhone application. They’ve also updated their mobile website, located at m.ebay.com. So why the increased focus on mobile? Ebay tells TechCrunch that that their mobile efforts are on the way

If you plan to brave the Black Friday crowds, then you owe it to yourself and your sanity to be prepared. That means arming yourself with the best iPhone apps for finding deals, finding your car, or finding your way home again. Whatever you need to get an advantage in the craziest brick-and-mortar shopping day of the year, as the often repeated saying goes, there’s an app for that. And, because we know the whole point of   Black Friday is to save money, most of these iPhone apps are free or cost $0.99. Park’n Find ($0.99): Don’t waste time searching for your car in a crowded mall parking lot. Find your car quickly and move on to the next sale! Park’n Find uses GPS to remember where you parked so you can find it again later. The app can also remind you to put more money on the meter using push notifications. Black Friday Wish ($0.99): This shopping app turns everything around. Rather than searching by store and combing through numerous ads to find a super low price on a laptop, Black Friday Wish has users build a wish list. Then, as deals are found that match the list, the super low prices will find you. Users can search by keyword and compare items from different stores to find the best deal. Black Friday ( free ): FatWallet.com is a year-round bargain hunters playground where thrifty forum members meet online to swap deals, coupons codes, and assorted savings strategies. But each year, as Black Friday rolls around they really get serious. Black Friday will keep users up to date on the latest BF ads and discounts. It pulls information from the online forums as new deals are posted. TGI Black Friday ( free ): Powered by TGIBlackFriday.com and DealCatcher.com, this app is designed to help users prepare for the Black Friday. Find ads, deals and coupons from major retailers — sometimes before they are released to the public — then create a shopping list and compare prices. inoDeals ($0.99): inoDeals isn’t tied to any particular website, instead the app compiles a comprehensive list of Black Friday deals from more than 15 different bargain-hunting sites. Search for the best Black Friday sale  by website, product, keyword, or retail store. If you do find a super low deal, then save it to your favorites where you can color code them for easy browsing later. Then, when you’re ready to shop inoDeals can use your current location to find the nearest local store. Nearest ( free ): During a long day of marathon shopping, you don’t want to find yourself out on the road hungry and low on gas. But if you do, Nearest can help. Quick access to common searches such as “gas station” or “coffeehouse,” the app uses your current location to find the closest destination on your agenda. Never underestimate the convenience of one-handed search capability. Plus, Nearest won’t cost you a dime. If you’re willing to pony up a few bucks (and you’re saving so much money you should be!), these premium apps may also be useful during your Black Friday shopping spree: Mall Maps ($2.99): Tired of walking in on the wrong side of the mall? Get to those Black Friday deals faster by knowing the layout before you arrive. Mall Maps has detailed floor plans for more than 1,000 shopping centers in all 50 states. You can even directions to the mall or search the phone directory of the mall’s retail stores. Gas Buddy ($2.99): The Gas Buddy website has long-been the go-to website for bargain hunters that need to top off their tank. The great folks at Bottle Rocket have packaged everything that is good about Gas Buddy into one convenient app, and (of course) added a few extras just for iPhone users. The most important difference between Gas Buddy and the me-too cheap gas apps is the user base. Most prices are submitted by users, so the platform with the most users is going to have the most accurate up -to-date low prices. ‘Nuff said. © AppCraver , 2009. | Best Apps for Black Friday: 8 Apps You Need to Make it Through Black Friday | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter !

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not musically inclined whatsoever. However, I still feel a certain draw to the apps that claim they can turn me into a musical master. Sure, I’ve dabbled here and there on different instruments but never have I committed to one. Well thanks to the ever growing instrument section of the

The App Store is making the news just as much as the iPhone is these days and it is no wonder. iPhone ads are constantly bragging about how many apps are available on the iPhone, but Senior VP of Apple, Phil Schiller, recently did an interview with Business Week (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2009/tc20091120_354597.htm) where he hinted that maybe

I’m always amazed when a new app fits so seamlessly into my routine that it’s as if it has always been there. That’s the case with Mail Notifier from Enflick. The productivity app provides push notification of email and it works beautifully with Windows Live (Hotmail), AOL, Gmail and any IMAP account. Bear with me while I roll back time  to start from the beginning. Unlike many iPhone owners, push notification is not a feature that I waited impatiently for or even wanted. I have enough alerts vying for attention throughout the day, I didn’t want to open my phone only to be bombarded with another 17 badges showing RSS feeds I haven’t read, Rolandos left to save, Facebook Mafia requests, or any of the myriad app notifications that developers have included to remind me of all things I haven’t done today. Mail Notifier is the first app to change my mind about push technology. The app handles alerts in a way that is familiar and only as intrusive as I want it to be. Even better, that annoying little badge (which read 389 at last count!) can be turned off without affecting live notifications of new email messages.* Brilliant. Mail Notifier provides just the details I need, without the nagging badge of guilt! And, the notifications really are live , often arriving quicker on my iPhone than they do on my desktop for the same IMAP account. Getting Mail Notifier up and running is the same as setting up the built-in Mail app. You’ll need to enter your username, password and, if using an IMAP account, the mail server settings. Using Mail Notifier is ruthlessly simple too. Getting an email notification is just like getting an SMS. A semi-transparent window will pop up with details from your newest message — which email account it was sent to, who it’s from and the first few lines. You can control what info is displayed independently for each email account in the Mail Notifier settings menu. You can also set a distinctive audio alert for each email account. This makes it easy to determine if an alert really requires attention even if you can’t see your phone’s screen. For instance, I know that when the Bicycle Bell rings it’s probably a client because that’s my business email. But if my device is “barking,” then it’s just my personal email and probably not as urgent. You can also set up a “silence period” At first, I expected a bit more from Mail Notifier and was surprised that I couldn’t use it to actually respond or send messages. It’s not an email program. Apple doesn’t let apps access the mail program or duplicate the functionality. (However, if you’re using Gmail, Mail Notifier can be set to open into webmail.) After the initial surprise, I came to appreciate the simplicity. If Mail Notifier could send replies, it would be just like my regular email program — I would avoid it until I had time to read and respond to the messages. Instead Mail Notifier delivers just the right amount of information. I can glance at the screen and quickly make a determination whether an email requires immediate attention or not — usually the answer is not — so I can continue with my current game task. The iPhone changed my life. And now, Mail Notifier is changing my relationship with email. Instead of dreading the daunting task of sorting through a “million” messages, I can triage all day. All the important emails get answered and I can take of the rest at my leisure. Mail Notifier has taken the stress out of email. Push notification for email on the iPhone seems like a no brainer, but for me it took an app like Mail Notifier to see that a little push can be a good thing. (* If you want to go badgeless, then be sure to turn off the badge notifications before you fire up Mail Notifier. Go to Settings > Notifications > Mail Notifier. This setting manages badge updates. Turning it off will stop the badge from updating, but won’t remove the badge. So, you need to catch it before the app runs so that it doesn’t detect your unread messages. If you miss this step, you can still uninstall/reinstall the app to start over, but you’ll have to input your email account info again.) Watch the Mail Notifier video demo to see the app in action: rating: 9/10 app_name: Mail Notifier © AppCraver , 2009. | Mail Notifier: Push Notifications for All Your Email Accounts | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter !

Magic Earthwand is an interesting app that was clearly a labor of love and the first app out of the gate for new iPhone developer, SwalleyLama. Magic Earthwand gets kudos for being developed in a 3D algorithm designed specifically for iPhone and for its rich graphics and completely hilarious and “enchanting” story line, but it is likely one of those apps most people will either love or hate. Magic Earthwand is a game that simulates the “ball and cup” toys you can easily find at Chuck E. Cheese redemption counters and likely played with as a kid. The difference here is that instead of trying to maneuver a ball attached to an elastic string into a cup, you are trying to maneuver a ring over the tip of one of three rather priapic objects that mostly resemble swords or daggers representing the game’s princely characters. Players are given the option to play “story mode” or “free play” in one of three different difficulty levels. “Story Mode” is prefaced with a fairytale story about three princes who are fighting against the evil of a dark wizard who — no lie — is named Duche Baggums. Though this “enchanting” story unfolds like the pages of a storybook, the only real difference between Magic Earthwand’s story mode and free play is the required number of ringers to advance through story mode. Free play simply lets players tinker around with control and balance, making as many ringers as you feel like in any chosen difficulty setting. While I can’t say I was riveted by Magic Earthwand or found it particularly addicting, it certainly has some original features that may appeal to some. The physics response is pretty accurate, more so in touch play than accelerometer, and the background graphics and music lend an air of credibility to the overall story and design. If you enjoy repetitious efforts and the challenge of trying to whip a ring over the tip of a sword, then likely you will get your money’s worth. As it is, many app shoppers might find the asking price of $2.99 too much to pay for a game they couldn’t try first and one that lacks the depth of game play an app of this price should have. I would feel better about recommending Magic Earthwand if there was a free version featuring even one level for players to try before they buy. Though Magic Earthwand may not be the instant classic or app store “jewel” the developers were hoping for, I do think it will be interesting to see what the future holds for SwalleyLama app_name: Magic Earthwand rating: 6/10 © AppCraver , 2009. | Magic Earthwand Has Some Original Features for a Classic | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter !