Pfft, refresh buttons, who needs ‘em, right? Head into the new decade with style by adding Twitter app-esque refresh functionality to your email, courtesy of this latest jailbreak tweak.

That’s essentially all that the cumbersomely named Pull To Refresh for Mail does, although it performs quite well. The only suggestion I have for the developer is to perhaps fire their entire “app naming department.” Check inside for the full scoop.

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Earlier today we told you about Apple having a big event tomorrow, which is centered around iTunes. At the time, we speculated that the event will most likely be to introduce iTunes Cloud, a service that would allow you to stream music from iTunes, anywhere you are.

Well, it looks like this is not going to happen, at least not tomorrow. According to the WSJ, Apple will announce tomorrow that they finally have the rights to the entire Beatles catalog and that it will be available on iTunes… Read More

Some people say that sports are one of the few languages that are universal, crossing all boundaries, borders, races and nationalities. If that is the case, EA just sent a big, “screw you” to the world when they canceled the console iterations of the eagerly anticipated reboot of their licensed NBA franchise. Entitled NBA Elite 11, the game proved to be just the opposite of that, even resulting in the development of the entire series switching hands. Out of all of this chaos, the portable iteration was still ready to go on schedule and thus we have NBA Elite on iOS, while the consoles are left to pine for next season. But should this installment have been hung out to dry as well, or is it deserving of a little time in the spotlight?

To say the visuals in NBA Elite are a slam dunk may be a bit of a stretch, but the team over at EA has done a solid job helping to transition the hardwood experience to the retina display. Though still nowhere near drawing comparisons to venturing through the uncanny valley, the presentation is sufficient enough for players to be able to recognize the faces of many of their favorite stars. Sure, “sufficient” hardly has the same box quote caliber ring as “the best I have ever seen,” but it is more than can be said for the non-released versions on other platforms.

Oddly enough, the term “sufficient” seems to sum up virtually every aspect of this game. If you have ever played any modern sports game, you know that many higher tier franchises have play-by-play voice over from professional announcers. Problems arise, however, when you play more than one game in a sitting, because you will encounter more repeated dialog than in the film Groundhog’s Day.

By far the most disappointing aspect of the entire title has to be the “sufficient” but lackluster, and to be quite blunt, over-simplified and under-developed control scheme. On offense, players are only given a pass and shoot button, which seems semi logical, but confusing; the developers mapped turbo to a double tap on the left control stick. This proves to be both awkward and unwieldy while in the flow of the action. The pool of shallow gameplay is further muddied by the same two button scheme on defense, mapping block and player switching to the two face buttons. Not only does this neglect any sort of notion towards stealing the ball on offense, it handicaps the players ability to succeed in any aspect of performing an effective defensive stand. If the old phrase, “offense wins games, defense wins championships” holds true, you might as well not even bother to cross half court.

While able to be called “sufficient,” considering there are no other licensed basketball titles in the App Store, NBA Elite 11 falls far short of what should be expected for an iOS sports game. Plus, the inability to correctly imitate many crucial, let alone fundamental, aspects to the sport itself, makes the franchise feel like it needs to pull up a seat next to the coach on the bench.

[ NBA Elite 11 Review is a post from 148Apps ]

Many people, myself included, have gone almost completely mobile with their data syncing. There’s nothing wrong with syncing your iPhone to your computer to get info, but something about plugging my phone in seems very “last generation.” Through various apps, you can access just about any form of data right off your computer; no wires attached.

Since its launch, SugarSync has been one of the leaders in accessing data remotely. With the app (and the downloadable SugarSync Manager for Mac or PC), you can have complete access of your computer’s files, photos, movies, and music with little to no lag or usability drawbacks. Keeping music on your phone for everyday listening is almost silly with an app like this because you can now have your entire music library with you, whether you are at the office or taking a morning jog.

The only downfall, up until now, is that when you are out of a service location or are forced to turn off data (like in an airplane), you’re left with an empty iPhone, devoid of the media that makes it great. SugarSync version 2.1 remedies this by letting you sync files and folders directly to your device, enabling you to use the selected files for offline viewing. There are obvious space limitations, but having the ability to sync up a movie or two before a long flight is an invaluable resource for some.

Other features of the update include improved performance of photo uploads and file downloads, as well as the ability to lock the app with a PIN code in case your iPhone gets lost or stolen.

SugarSync 2.1 is out now and can be downloaded for free in the App Store. In fact, the entire app is free, so even if you don’t have it yet, it can be had for nothing. Happy streaming!

FREE!

SugarSync

+ Universal App – Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2008-08-28 :: Category: Productivity

[ SugarSync Brings Local Sync is a post from 148Apps ]