Facebook just rolled out version 4.1 in the iTunes App Store which includes several new features and access to the Mobile Timeline. The Mobile Timeline feature is currently only available on the iPhone and iPod touch and it is only for users that have Timeline enabled on their account. To enable Timeline, log in to Facebook, browse to this website and click on the green Get Timeline button. Other features new to version 4.1 are lists for friend, subscribers and subscriptions as well as an easier way to post, comment on, and upload photos. So head over to the App Store to get this update and let us know what you think of Timeline on your phone.

Enjoy some screenshots from Viticci’s Facebook:

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has lowered the purchase commitment for marketers interested in advertising with the iAd mobile service. When the service first launched, advertisers were asked to make a $1 million dollar commitment to the platform, which was later dropped to $500,000. Today’s report states that Apple has lowered that buy-in commitment yet again to $400,000 – a staggering %60 below the initial launch price.

This strategic move comes on the heels of Apple losing another 4% market share of U.S. mobile display-ad revenue according to International Data Corporation (IDC). In contrast to Apple’s decline, Google’s mobile advertising service AdMob, is doing quite well and has grown to 24% of the U.S. market share in 2011.

In response, Apple is making some changes. It is showing more willingness to bargain on the spending commitment it requires of advertisers.

The roll-out of iAds made quite a splash when it was first announced by former CEO Steve Jobs back in April of 2010. Since the launch, the results have been less than expected and Apple seems more determined then ever to turn the declining business venture in to a success. Their commitment to quality in-app advertising is also a key element in their plan to retain developers for the iOS platform. If iAds become a thriving mobile advertising service that developers could utilize in their iOS apps, then they would be less likely to stray to competitor platforms.

[via The Wall Street Journal]

The holidays are right around the corner and there is no doubt that the iPad will be on a lot of Christmas lists this year. Apple is making it more affordable than ever to get your hands on either generation of the iPad. These models are refurbished but I don’t expect that to be much of an issue for consumers thanks to Apple’s high quality assurance standards.

The iPad 2 sales include two models:

• Black 16Gb Wi-Fi - $419.00 (save $80)
• White 16Gb Wi-Fi + 3G - $549.00 (save $100)

There are two models of the iPad 1 that also have limited time pricing

• Black 32Gb Wi-Fi + AT&T 3G - $399 (save $230)
• Black 64Gb Wi-Fi + AT&T 3G - $499 (save $230)

All refurbished iPads are subjected to full testing including a screen burn-in test. The devices are also put through a cleaning and inspection process before being handed off for a final quality assurance check. Apple has a few extras for these refurbished iPads. They are also including a 1 year warranty, a new battery, a new outer shell, and will be packaged with all the accessories in a new white box. There really is no reason not to take advantage of the great deals on iPads this holiday season.

[The Apple Blog via Macgasm]

Cox Communications has just launched a free app for streaming live TV directly to the iPad. This app is available exclusively for customers that have Essential/Preferred TV subscriptions as well as Cox Preferred, Premier, or Ultimate residential Internet service. Subscribers log in to the app with the same credentials used to access their Cox online account. It requires the user to be on their home wifi connection to stream which is an odd limitation but when attempting to use the app away from my house I received a pop-up that said it can only be used on a Cox network.. I would really like to see Cox improve the app by allowing the user to stream TV over remote wifi and 3G connections.

I am personally a Cox TV Essential provider and I have roughly 80 different channels each of which are aired in both standard definition and HD versions. After logging in to the iPad TV Connect app I found that it had 32 different channels including A&E, AMC, FX, History, USA, and many more. These are great channels I would actually enjoy watching. According to the built in TV Guide section, these are the HD versions but after streaming a few channels I would have to disagree. The quality is not bad but it does look a bit grainy when in fullscreen mode.

The iPad TV Connect app is a good first attempt but it fails in a couple of ways. The usability of the app could be greatly improved. It lacks the ability to swipe through channels in fullscreen mode which seems like a more than logical way to browse TV channels on a touch screen device. It also does not support AirPlay video streaming to an AppleTV. If you try to enable AirPlay Mirroring then the video playback will stop and you will receive a pop-up error message. You aren’t even able to playback audio over AirPlay speakers and keep the video on the iPad. I am not sure why they would choose to limit the app in this way but maybe an updated version will be released to fix these issues.

Although I am not completely satisfied with Cox TV Connect, as a Cox cable customer I am elated to have the app on my iPad. I hope to see Cox really get behind this app and strive to improve it because it does have great potential and I look forward to future versions.

Cox TV Connect for iPad is available for free on the App Store

The public release of Alfred 1.0 is now available and brings with it a multitude of new features as well as improvements to existing ones. For most software developers reaching version 1.0 is a special milestone. I had the opportunity to speak with Andrew Pepperrell, the developer of Alfred, about his thoughts regarding this release and this is what he had to say:

Alfred 1.0 is a meaningful release; it’s more than just the new features. Version 1.0 marks Alfred’s maturity in my own mind, and users will no longer see him as unfinished. To be honest, 0.9 should have been 1.0… maybe even 0.8

I think that sums it up extremely well considering the last couple of updates have dramatically changed the way we use Alfred. The recent addition of extensions was certainly a game changer in my opinion. Now lets take a closer look at this version and see what it has to offer.

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In a surprising turn of events, Bloomberg reported that Apple has pulled the highly publicized app recently debuted by Big Fish Games. The iPad app integrated a new model of game distribution that was set to usher in a new era of iOS gaming. Apple had approved the app and made it available on November 18th, only to swiftly remove it days later.

Apps being pulled from the App Store with little or no explanation is not uncommon but the circumstances leading up to this app’s removal are different from previous situations. Big Fish Games founder Paul Thelen said that his company had worked vigorously with Apple’s team to make sure all requirements were met to properly implement monthly subscriptions. When all the prerequisites were met, Apple had given the company permission to release the app on the iTunes App Store.

“It was officially approved,” Thelen said. Apple had even seen the app’s press release before it went out earlier today, he said

Apple was apparently going to take the standard 30% from the monthly subscription fees making the deal mutually beneficial for both parties involved. Removing the app without communicating with Big Fish Games points to the possibility of a miscommunication or a misinterpretation of the how the game actually worked causing Apple to quickly back out on the agreement. The business model that was designed for digital periodicals will apparently stay that way for the time being but Thelen seems determined to follow up with Apple and hopefully get some answers as to why the app was pulled.

[Bloomberg via 9to5 Mac]

Black Friday is here and the deals are pouring in. Apple has announced this year’s Black Friday one-day shopping event. They have dropped their prices on Macs, iPads, iPods, and a pluthera of accessories. If you were looking to do some post-Thanksgiving shopping then look no further because Apple has some great deals today.

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Bloomberg is reporting that for the first time Apple has agreed to let a game development studio break away from the pay once per-game business model. The company, Big Fish Games, will attempt to peddle their iPad games through a monthly subscription.

The company’s founder, Paul Thelen, says that the service will be similar to that of Netflix. Consumers will pay a monthly fee to play iPad games streamed directly to their device over a wifi connection without having to download each game from the iTunes App Store. Big Fish Games currently have 99 iPad games available for download and it sounds like there may be even more to choose from by the time this new service launches early next year. It appears that the launch will include a single app available for download that users will be able to browse available iPad games – similar to Big Fish Games “Game Finder” app.

Thelen reports that there will be several options for gaming subscriptions starting at $4.99 a month. There will also be an ad-supported and time limited free version.

Big Fish also will offer a free version of its game service that limits play to 30 minutes a day and includes advertising. The subscription will initially cost $4.99 and will increase early next year to $6.99 after more titles are added, Thelen said. Apple collects a 30 percent commission.

It will be interesting to see if there is actually a demand for a streaming game service on the iOS platform. Apple reportedly seemed hesitant to agree to the let the game development studio use the business model that has been previously reserved for digital periodicals. If this trial run is a success, we will likely see a flood of new apps utilizing this model. Hopefully it doesn’t have an effect on the quality of iOS games we have seen to date.

[Bloomberg via MacRumors]