Nine out of ten iPhone owners would probably agree that this article, containing the freshest picks from the App Store, is a nutritious and delicious source of information. Before we kick things off with this week’s picks, let’s take a quick look at happenings in the world of Apple this week. Business news first, Apple’s shareholders have re-elected the board . This means that Jobs, Google’s Eric Schmidt and Internet-inventing eco-savior Al Gore are here to stay for the time being. Rumors abound that He-Man and The Ultimate Warrior will be joining the Apple board’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen this time next year. Subscribers to MobileMe will be overjoyed to hear that the service has been tweaked, incorporating a few minor improvements . The most immediate difference is the updated log-in page, however, most impactful in terms of productivity will be the changes made to Mail’s address handling and Calendar’s speed-boost. My favorite post from TheAppleBlog this week came from Tom Reetsman. Tom decided to take journalist and Microsoft-zealot Paul Thurrott to task in an amusing dissection of Thurrott’s Safari 4 Beta review . I’m loving the Safari 4 Beta , in particular the Top Sites feature has become an essential browsing tool. It’s just a prettyfied list of dynamic bookmarks, but I really dig the combination of actual usefulness and swish aesthetic: there’s no good reason why our digital desktops shouldn’t work wonderfully and look great too. Moving on to the apps, this week I’m looking at Re<ords 003, Cooking Mama, WordFu and PhotoKeys.

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Section: Mac + Computers , Desktops , iMac , Discontinued Products Have you got an old Macintosh lying around at home, gathering dust in the corner? There wouldn’t happen to be, say, a Dreamcast and monitor lying next to it, would there? If so, you’re in luck! One member of the CGCC.ca forums decided to incorporate his Sega Dreamcast and a 15-inch LCD screen inside his old third generation Apple iMac. Can you guess what he called his creation? The iCast, of course! I can’t imagine that if Apple ever did create a gaming console, as Microsoft did with the xBox, that it would look anything like this iCast. I guess the iPhone is the closest thing Apple has to a gaming device, and there’s no arguments with its capabilities on that front. I don’t think Apple will ever venture into the game console market at all, but if they did, it would probably be one sweet looking device that would proudly hook up to your 54-inch HD OLED television and present you with the latest and greatest games around. What…we can dream, can’t we? Have you ever decided to reinvent your old Macintosh computers

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Section: Software + Apps , Miscellaneous , Third-Party , iPod + iTunes , iPod touch , iPhone , iPhone , iPhone SDK & Apps , Mac + Computers , Software Macintosh and iPhone software updates and announcements for February 27, 2009: Macintosh nova media has unveiled launch2net version 1.8.8.4. launch2net is an Internet connection wizard which allows to establish mobile Internet connections worldwide. The new release supports additional modems from Option and Vodafone. The software supports many mobile phones, most USB modems and datacards available worldwide and already includes drivers and network access information for a hassle free global online experience. Ambrosia Software is bundling three of its award-winning games at the revolutionary price of $19, from now until 11:59pm (EST) on March 4th—the launch date of Multiwinia, their new real time strategy game for Macintosh. The “ Insurrection Collection “ is composed of three action-strategy games: DEFCON, Darwinia, and Uplink. Each offers players pulse-quickening gameplay that will test their tactical abilities and cunning in quests to destroy the world, save the world, or manipulate the underpinnings of the global economy, respectively. You say you want a revolution? The Mac U has been created to help Mac owners learn to use OS X, iLife and various other software applications to get the most out of their Mac. A fifteen day free trial is offered during which users will have full access to the members site

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Image: Nobuyuki Hayashi The perception of iPhone as a “failure” in Japan is largely the result of what people read in newspapers, according to Nobuyki Hayashi, the Japanese journalist who was cited as a source in the Wired article we posted on late last night , and who put up a lengthy post of his own Friday to clarify the situation. “The majority of Japanese … haven’t even touched one,” Hayashi wrote, adding, “So as soon as I give lecture, show it to them and let them play with it, they change their mind and become a fan of iPhone.” Much of the chatter about the issue in the iPhone blogosphere Friday, stemmed from Wired writer Brian X. Chen’s headline, which stated unequivocally that Japanese “hate” the iPhone, but as Hayashi points out in his post, Chen relied on quotes from a conversation Hayashi had with writer Lisa Katayama back in late 2007 to make his case. Obviously, much has changed in the iPhone ecosystem, a well as in the US and Japanese economies since then. Te reality is like more that the iPhone has been a relative disappointment in Japan and that the device can do much better in Japan if Apple gives SoftBank more control in how they market / advertise the device, and if Apple enables feature sets dear to the Japanese consumer, such as a built-in TV tuner and the ability to use it as a mobile payment system . For a detailed look at Hayashi’s position on the iPhone in Japan, see his blog post .

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Section: iPod + iTunes , iPod touch , iPhone , iPhone , iPhone SDK & Apps , Reviews Category: Music Seller: Lexues, Inc. Requirements: iPhone 2.0 software update Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch File Size: 0.3MB Version Reviewed: 1.0 Price: $4.99 BeatMaster is a simple application that aims to enhance your sense of rhythm and timing. Featuring a basic interface and simple tapping method, it does what it says on the tin. There’s nothing special about BeatMaster. In some ways that can be a good thing—there’s nothing to distract you; no special features or brilliant concepts here, unfortunately. It simply allows you to tap along to a constant beat to see how accurate you can be in keeping time. It’s a lot harder than you’d think, too. It’s very strict, and I’ve yet to get a perfect score. Alongside college and technology, music plays a substantial role in my life. I play in various orchestras, and so consistent timing is quite important. I’ve been using BeatMaster on and off for the past week, and while I can’t say I’ve noticed a considerable improvement, I think it’s slowly helping. It could be a lot more effective, but at the moment it’s still missing some key features

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Apple tapped Ernst&Young Friday to be the company’s independent accounting firm, severing ties with KPMG, which had audited the company’s books since fiscal 1997. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple said there were no disagreements with KPMG “on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure” during the past two fiscal years. The move, according to an Apple spokesperson quoted for a Reuters article, was a result of a recently adopted board “policy to review the appointment of its independent auditor every five years.” Apple said the decision to change auditors was made after a competitive process, in which several firms including KPMG were invited to participate. The regulatory filing said KPMG’s audit reports on Apple’s fiscal 2007 and 2008 financial statements contained no adverse opinions. Via CNN

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Section: iPod + iTunes , iPod touch , iPhone , iPhone , iPhone SDK & Apps , Originals There were really a ton of great apps to be released this week, so it was more difficult to choose the best apps this week, otherwise this list would go on and on and on. As usual, I’ve got a great selection of both apps and games. So, here it is, my list of the best new apps from the past week. SlotZ Track Editor – I’ve aspired to be more like my editor here in every way possible…hey Kirk!  But I’m pretty sure that being an editor of tracks for SlotZ Racer isn’t quite the same thing. Anyway, the editor is free so you can make tracks and then play then in SlotZ Racer. Wooden Labyrinth 3D Lite – It’s like Labyrinth, only way better. I’ve always thought Labyrinth should have been in 3D in the first place, and now you can have it that way.

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Section: Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! Apple takes huge step forward in Windows app design, step back on the Mac “ With Safari 4, Apple apparently got over its “let’s bring Mac OS X style windows into a Windows environment” mentality, and has done a really great job making Safari 4 fit in with the environment in which it…“ MORE » Safari 4 Top Sites first look “ One of the coolest features revealed in today’s Safari 4 beta release from Apple is Top Sites. This provides a cover flow-style gallery of the sites you’ve recently visited most often. Aside from being helpful, it’s always…“ MORE » Why Apple can do whatever the hell they want to “ Today, I read an interesting article on MrGadget about why Apple needs to release the next generation of the iPhone soon. If they don’t, apparently Palm is going to break the deathgrip that Apple has on its…“ MORE » Best Buy offers great deal on iPhones, only $99 (this is legit) “ Are you looking for a fantastic deal on an iPhone? Are you part of Best Buy’s Reward Zone program? Then you’re in luck, as you are eligible for some major savings on Apple’s 3G iPhone. As…“ MORE » Apple releases Safari 4 “ Today, Apple have updated their web browser Safari to version 4. It’s currently in beta testing stages, but is available to the public to download. On the face of it, Safari 4 looks brilliant. A full…“ MORE » Appletell reviews the Western Flyer laptop bag from Tom Bihn “Product: Laptop carrying case Manufacturer: Tom Bihn Accommodates: 12 to 15” laptops Retail Price: $160.00 Availability: Out now Those of us with smaller laptops, such as my 13” unibody MacBook, have special needs. Pricing issues aside,…“ MORE » iPhone app management concept “Take a look at this great concept idea offering an ideal way to organize your iPhone/iPod touch applications. Using iTunes, you can visualize on screen where the applications will lie, on what page. You have the option…“ MORE » Why the double monitor port Mac mini is likely “  Regardless of whether the Mac mini that has been popping up in pictures and video is the real deal “2009 Edition” or not (my bet: not), a key point many are making to prove it is fake actually makes…“ MORE » How the Safari 4 interface can be improved “ On Tuesday, I released a list of the 8 principal things wrong with the Safari 4 interface from a usability standpoint

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The AppStore is filled with useless programs for iPhone and iPod touch. Sometimes, a truly special useless program emerges above the rest. Today, that’s AngryCat . A program that displays a picture of a wet cat, then plays angry cat noises and occasionally has it attack you when you try to touch it. Now, you might think that this is meant for laughs. You would be wrong. This is a simulator to prepare you for inevitable angry cat attacks! “Nonscientific studies have shown that 94.3% of all people are completely unprepared for an angry cat incident. For that reason, we created AngryCat – the Angry Cat Simulator.” More: “The best thing you can do when confronted with an angry cat is walk away (or, in some cases, bow and crawl backwards away slowly, acknowledging its supremacy).  This application is designed to simulate the effects of what happens when you do NOT do this.  Touching and moving an angry cat is a bad idea!  If you don’t believe us, try the app and see for yourself what can happen.” Even funnier are the reviews it has garnered so far. Messiarnd gives it five stars and calls the program “hilarious,” while Famous_Original_Pmatt gives it one star and dubs it lame. He expected it to be more than a static picture of an angry cat. I think his expectations are too high. The debate will rage on.

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Filed under: Internet Tools , Apple , MobileMe After a less than stellar debut last year, Apple is doing a better job of communication with MobileMe customers who need to decide if they want to stay on as paid users or try other options. In an email to subscribers, Apple says it has been working hard on getting MobileMe up to spec. The email details these improvements: Easy File Sharing. It’s especially nice to have the large file sharing turned on and working. It was supposed to be available months ago, and while one could quibble about how it is only available from the web client, at least it has been delivered Faster Syncing with Mac and PC. The speed of updates between computers and the iPhone have been increased. My own experience confirms that this is now working very well. Your mileage may vary, but most reports are positive Improved notifications and sync on iPhone. Apple says the reliability of new email notices and syncing of contacts and numbers with MobileMe have been improved. Apple suggests you run iPhone software version 2.2 or later for optimal notifications. Better web app performance. Apple wants customers to know that the web app is faster, particularly with regard to start time for Calendar and Contacts search. I can’t confirm this. Loading my Calendar took more than a minute this morning using Safari 4 beta

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