Yes, the wait is over. Ngmoco dropped the bombshell (on the App Store at least) earlier today on the immediate availability of both Eliminate (formerly known as LiveFire) as well as their social puppy game app, Touch Pets Dogs.

Touch Pets Dogs is a free social puppy game. Adopt your very own pup, care for him, shower him with gifts, then share him with the world. Who knows, maybe your new best friend will meet the dog of his dreams during a playdate. It’s FREE.

Eliminate is a 4-player, console-like, online shooter from ngmoco. You can frag your friends from any place that has Wi-Fi or 3G. It’s also FREE.

Turn-by-turn car navigation for iPhone 3G/3GS is finally here. Courtesy of TomTom. Previously, they started rolling out GPS navigational apps for a list of other countries too, back in September this year.

Everywhere you go, you can have the most advanced TomTom navigation technology to lead the way. The TomTom app puts award-winning technology at your fingertips.

Tap and go – Using iPhone’s innovative technology, the TomTom app lets you tap your way from A to B – putting you in touch with all the best routes. Scroll through the menu, or pinch to zoom in and out on a map using the iPhone’s multi-touch display.

Go your own way – Why follow the rest? See your route, your way. Simply rotate from portrait to landscape to get an easier view of the road ahead.

Meet up with friends – Find an entry in your iPhone contacts list, and the TomTom app will find the way there. It’s that simple.

Find a place to eat – Thinking of stopping for lunch on the way? Choose a restaurant, call to reserve your table, then find your way there – the TomTom app does it all.

The world at your fingertips – Always be prepared for what’s around the corner. The TomTom app comes with an up-to-date, detailed map – and you can add worldwide locations to suit you.

Map coverage statistics:
*Detailed map seamlessly covering Singapore and Malaysia.
*Countries fully covered (99.9%): Singapore
*Countries partially covered: Malaysia (54.5%)
*Additional information: major Malaysian cities, including Kuala Lumpur, are fully covered and coverage of the major road network gives seamless navigation throughout the rest of the country.

TomTom (MY/SG) would set you back by $59.99. Or you can opt for Sygic instead.

[Updated] “Cracked & Pwned.” – TomTom Malaysia & Singapore

The iPhone arrives in China today amid speculation that a missing feature could seriously hamper sales, according to an Associated Press report.

China Unicom starts selling iPhones Friday night at 2,000 stores reaching across the nation. It hopes to gain an edge against China Mobile, the world’s biggest phone company by subscribers.

Unfortunately, China Unicom’s iPhone is priced high and lacks an important feature, Wi-Fi.

“There’s going to be a perception that the phone they have is dumbed down from the one that somebody has in California,” said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China Ltd., a Beijing-based technology research firm. “We’ve seen before that Chinese consumers don’t like to be treated like second-class citizens.”

The retail price ranges from 4,999 yuan ($730) to 6,999 yuan ($1,025) for the 32GB iPhone 3GS. This is well above the $835 price charged for a Wi-Fi enabled 3GS on the black market.

Unicom’s iPhones lack WiFi because it was banned by Beijing who is trying to push their own WAPI standard. The ban was lifted in May after iPhone manufacturing had already begun, meaning its likely that future iPhones will have Wi-Fi enabled.

A Unicom spokesman, Yi Difei, confirmed this saying, “We are talking with Apple and expect the problem to be solved by the end of this year.”

The real question is who will purchase an iPhone from China Unicom considering a Wi-Fi enabled version is coming within months and a cheaper, unlocked, Wi-Fi enabled phone can be easily purchased from street vendors.

[article via iClarified]

In a follow-up to the release of the BlackRa1n Jailbreak Tool, Geohot has announced that an unlock dubbed BlackSn0w for the iPhone 05.11.07 baseband is coming soon.

This means that all iPhones will be unlockable; including those that have accidentally or intentionally upgraded to the latest firmware.

hello there, this is geohot
this is the most complicated injection i have ever done, and it uses a public command
… prepare for blacksn0w, although i gotta still figure out this zamboni

We will keep you posted once the updates come in.

[Additional Recent Updates that you may want to reference]
(a) Previous Update on the Pwnage Tool – 312 & You.
(b) GeoHot’s 5 Seconds Jailbreak Tool released – BlackRa1n
(c) iPhone OS 3.1.2 Firmware for iPhone 2G, 3G & 3GS – Direct download links

The mouse formerly known as the Mighty Mouse is shipping from the Apple factory in super-clear packaging, albeit an aesthetically ugly one  if you were to ask us. Don’t take our words for it – check out the photos in this post and decide for yourself. By the way, an aside – the Magic Mouse now comes with a full multi-touch upper shell that was launched as part of the new Mac-lineup.

As for the packaging, come on Apple, you can do better than this.

MacWorld takes a closer look at how some of the technology inside the iPhone works in an article titled, “How the iPhone Works.”

The article explains the science behind:

- Screen coating protects against dirt
- Screen dims to automatically save power
- Light sensors scan for electromagnetic intensity
- Capacitive touch screen
- Proximity sensor blanks screen automatically
- Going full tilt
- Shake to shuffle and more
- GPS finds your current location
- Apps that use the iPhone microphone
- Augmented reality apps show pop-up data

Things like the iPhone’s oleophobic coating have been covered in the past; however, you may find some interesting information you haven’t heard before.

WordPress 2.0 - Here & Now
Barely have we just posted an update in regard to WordPress 2.0 hitting the App Store soon that we received an update earlier today that it is already live in the App Store. Mobile iPhone bloggers rejoice at the thought of this! Hey, it’s free as well. So, why not?

Developer of WordPress 2.0 speaks…

“Our efforts were focused on creating a better user experience — the beginnings of a user interface overhaul that we’ll continue with the next version, and eliminating the bugs and incompatibilities with some self-hosted WordPress setups that was the source of the majority of the support requests we see in the forum.”

What’s New in Version 2?
* A new, more efficient user interface that makes it faster to switch between comments, posts, and pages.
* Various user interface refinements and bug fixes
* New Comments interface, with Gravatars and the author URL shown in the comment list
* Passwords are now stored in the keychain
* Posts are now automatically saved and restored if network connection is lost during publishing
* Added persistence, so the app re-opens in the blog you last used
* Added an interface for manually entering the XMLRPC endpoint for non-standard setups
* Fixed rotation-related visual glitches
* Fixed errors where malformed XML prevented access to XMLRPC endpoint
* Fixed edge case where local drafts were sometimes not saved
* Fixed the order of photos so that they’re displayed in the order they’re uploaded

WordPress for iPhone is an open source application and is available free from the Apple App store.

THE BUZZ
Google announced earlier today the beta version of their own ‘Maps Navigation’ app for their Android platform. Speculation has it  that the iPhone version would be next in line. It features 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting.

SPECIAL FEATURES
The most recent map and business data
When you use Google Maps Navigation, your phone automatically gets the most up-to-date maps and business listings from Google Maps — you never need to buy map upgrades or update your device. And this data is continuously improving, thanks to users who report maps issues and businesses who activate their listings with Google Local Business Center.

Search in plain English
Google Maps Navigation brings the speed, power and simplicity of Google search to your car. If you don’t know the address you’re looking for, don’t worry. Simply enter the name of a business, a landmark or just about anything into the search box, and Google will find it for you. Then press “Navigate”, and you’re on your way.

Search by voice
Typing on a phone can be difficult, especially in the car, so with Google Maps Navigation, you can say your destination instead. Hold down the search button to activate voice search, then tell your phone what you want to do (like “Navigate to Pike Place in Seattle”), and navigation will start automatically.

Traffic view
Google Maps Navigation gets live traffic data over the Internet. A traffic indicator light in the corner of the screen glows green, yellow or red, depending on the current traffic conditions along your route. If there’s a jam ahead of you, you’ll know. To get more details, tap the light to zoom out to an aerial view showing traffic speeds and incidents ahead. And if the traffic doesn’t look good, you can choose an alternate route.

Search along route
For those times when you’re already on the road and need to find a business, Google Maps Navigation searches along your route to give you results that won’t take you far from your path. You can search for a specific business by name or by type, or you can turn on popular layers, such as gas stations, restaurants or parking.

Satellite view
Google Maps Navigation uses the same satellite imagery as Google Maps on the desktop to help you get to your destination. Turn on the satellite layer for a high-resolution, 3D view of your upcoming route. Besides looking cool, satellite view can help you make sense of complicated maneuvers.

Street View
If you want to know what your next turn looks like, double-tap the map to zoom into Street View, which shows the turn as you’ll see it, with your route overlaid. And since locating an address can sometimes be tricky, we’ll show you a picture of your destination as you approach the end of your route, so you’ll know exactly what to look for.

VERIZON + MOTOROLA DROID
Verizon Wireless and Motorola today unveiled DROID by Motorola, the first smartphone powered by Android 2.0.

“We’re proud to work with Verizon Wireless and Google on the first smartphone to feature Android 2.0,” said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices. “DROID by Motorola delivers a rich consumer experience with warp-speed Web browsing, a mammoth screen, and Motorola’s expertise in design and voice quality. Combined with Android’s open, flexible graphical user interface and the power of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, DROID is a smartphone that simply doesn’t compromise.”

“This is an exciting announcement for Verizon Wireless, as the DROID by Motorola is the first device that we are bringing to market under our ground-breaking strategic partnership with Google,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “DROID by Motorola gives customers a lifestyle device with access to more than 12,000 applications that will help them stay in touch, up to date and entertained, using the best 3G network in the country.”

DROID by Motorola has a solid exterior, intelligent interior and is one of the thinnest full-QWERTY slider phones available. It is a no-fuss, high-tech, location-aware, voice-recognizing, over-the-air updating, multi-tasking machine – and it is available just in time for holiday wish lists.

FEATURES FROM THE FUTURE
* Zip through the Web: Access the Internet at 3G speeds via the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network or from any Wi-Fi hotspot. The multi-window HTML browser with a massive processor delivers the Web the way you expect.
* See it all in cinema-style: View the Web, e-mail, Google Maps™, videos and more in widescreen on a brilliant 3.7” high-resolution screen. Boasting a width of 854 pixels to reduce the need for side-to-side panning and more than 400,000 pixels total, DROID has more than twice that of the leading competitor.
* Run multiple applications at once: Customize your DROID with thousands of applications and hundreds of widgets available on Android Market™. Toggle back and forth between up to six applications at a time to juggle the universe and your apps.
* Perform Google Search™ at the speed of sound: Simply tell DROID what you’re looking for using voice-activated search, and it will serve up Google search results based on your location. If you want more, simply type what you’re looking for into the search bar on the home screen and DROID will also search content on your phone, such as apps and contacts, and the Web.
* Capture moments: Snap digital camera-quality photos with a 5 megapixel camera loaded with the works, such as a dual-LED flash, AutoFocus and image stabilization, or capture your friend’s antics in 16 million colors with DVD-quality video capture and playback. Store it all on the included 16 GB memory card, so you always have it on hand.
* Multi-task like a master: Keep tabs on all your messages with integrated Gmail™ and Exchange e-mail pushed directly to you, but don’t let them get in your way. With the handy Android notification panel, go straight to the message or simply ignore it, and get back to the task at hand. And, a smart dictionary learns as you type and automatically includes your contacts.
* Get where you need to go with Google Maps Navigation (Beta): DROID is the first device with Google Maps Navigation, providing turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps. It’s powered by Google and connected to the Internet. Use voice shortcuts and simply say “Navigate to [your destination],” and you’ll be on your way. See live traffic, use Street View or satellite imagery to view your route, and get access to the most recent maps and business information from Google Maps without ever needing to update your device.

PRELOADED APPS + ENHANCEMENT ON THE MOTODROID
* Google Maps: With layers in Google Maps, view geographic information, such as My Maps, Wikipedia, and transit lines, right on the map.
* Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
* YouTube™: One-touch recording and playback from homescreen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
* Google Talk™: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
* Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
* Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
* Facebook: Syncs Facebook contacts to your address book, and a live widget gives the ability to update status and view latest updates from friends.
* Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
* Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.

PRICING + AVAILABILITY
DROID by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, Nov. 6, for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

The goal of the game is to avoid damage and ultimate destruction of your gate at the bottom of the board from hoards of zombies. You can take out these zombies through the use of the pinball itself and collect money for upgrades.

Yes you read it right, it’s a pinball and it has undead monsters! Run over the hordes of evil with two types of special undead purging balls, use the scenery and the iPhone accelerometer to your advantage and defend the gate at any cost!

With 3 beautifully rendered 3D tables and two enthralling gameplay modes, Undead Attack! Pinball mixes two successful types of games(pinball and gate defense) to offer a great experience for both casual and invested players, exploring the iPhone unique capabilities to give you new weapons in the fight against the hordes of evil. Check out its features:

- Real-time 3D tables and balls.
- Unique music and sound effects.
- Great physics simulation.
- 3 different tables.
- 2 types of balls.
- Campaign and Survival mode.
- 5 different types of enemies with unique behaviors.
- Up to 50 enemies in the screen at the same time.
- Use of accelerometer for ball control(Spiked Ball).
- Use of shake gesture to knock down the enemies.
- Unusual weapon to catch the enemies at the gate by surprise.
- Shop with upgrades that help in the fight.
- Dynamic tables with various secrets for you to find out.
- And much more!