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First Look: SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone

After some hiccups in the development process, Sling has finally released SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone. The software works with your Slingbox at home, and lets you control and watch your satellite or cable box and DVR from your iPhone or iPod Touch.

All of the functionality found in previous SlingPlayer Mobile platforms is still intact. You'll have access to a menu bar that'll let you use a remote-like interface on-screen to control your box as well as switch sling devices and manage your favorite channels. What's new are a few gestures that'll allow you to scroll through your favorite channels as well as let you scroll up and down through channels.

SlingPlayer Mobile will work with new Slingbox and legacy devices, but Sling officially won't support the Sling Classic, AV, and Tuner models--that means that if you've got a problem with one of those devices, Sling won't be able to help you troubleshoot your issue.

Now here's the real bad news: SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone only works with a Wi-Fi connection, meaning you cannot use the 3G network to stream video. Also, we should note that SlingPlayer Mobile will probably perform better on your home network rather than a public Wi-Fi spot.

Performance wise, the software worked well.… Read more

SlingPlayer for iPhone release imminent: $30, Wi-Fi only

The long-delayed SlingPlayer for iPhone will be hitting the iTunes App Store in the next 24 hours--but the software will only stream video over Wi-Fi, not AT&T's 3G data network. The restriction is a big blow to the usability of the software, which allows owners of Slingbox set-top boxes to stream their home TV in real-time to anywhere in the world.

The SlingPlayer app will cost $29.99--expensive for iPhone apps, but the exact same price as previous iterations of the SlingPlayer Mobile apps available for Windows Mobile, Palm OS, BlackBerry, and Symbian handhelds. SlingPlayer Mobile should … Read more

iPhone developers claim Apple not paying up

May isn't shaping up as one of the best months for iPhone developers. A number of complaints have surfaced over the last week, from the usual App Store rejections (as in the SlingPlayer case), to developers claiming that Apple isn't paying them.

According to a TechCrunch report, a vocal group of developers is considering suing Apple for breach of contract after claiming to have not received payment for downloads of their applications.

You can see examples of complaints on developer forums at iphonedevsdk.com, where the posts indicate that some developers have not been paid for App Store … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 972: New Zune in June?

According to the Office 10 Twitter account, Zune lovers will be happy in June. If that wasn't weird enough, they also warn you not to buy an iPhone or Palm Pre, which is probably standing orders at Microsoft. Also Natali carries knives in her sports bra quite often. Or so we have come to understand.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 972

Report: Intel to join Microsoft in EU antitrust purgatory http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/05/report-eu-readying-to-fine-intel-for-antitrust-violations.ars

Apple freezes Snow Leopard APIs http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/12/0213242

Greece puts … Read more

Amazon tweaks its Kindle store for iPhone users

On Monday, Amazon.com put out a small tweak to its Kindle application for Apple's iPhone (iTunes link) that takes users to an iPhone-optimized store when they click on the "get books" button.

There's now a page that lets users search either by title, author, keyword, or category. It also lists some of the New York Times best sellers, and items that have been recommended based on past purchases and browsing habits. Previously it would simply offer up a link to the desktop version of Amazon's Kindle Web store, which required a whole lot of … Read more

The worst video YouTube has ever seen?

Some things look description in the eye and say: "Go on. Take your best shot. You ain't got nothin' on me."

Which is why I would like to offer you a TV spot for the Red House furniture store in High Point, N.C.

It has already been viewed by more than 600,000 people on YouTube. And it is, it is...well, I think it would be best if you tried to add the words to finish the thought, as I have been temporarily paralyzed. I am not sure if it's fright, shock, disgust, or … Read more

Reznor nails his way back into App Store

Well, Apple has finally approved an update to the official iPhone app for industrial-rock band Nine Inch Nails, after previously rejecting it due to objectionable content pertaining to the band's 1994 album "The Downward Spiral." No changes were made from the rejected version

Maybe Apple relented just to shut up NIN frontman Trent Reznor, whose bloggy rant against Apple was pretty much the equivalent of trashing Steve Jobs' hotel room. Not only did he tell Apple to "think your policies through and for f***'s sake get your app approval scenario together," good heavens, he … Read more

Ow My Balls for iPhone: Make Joe hurt

If you're a fan of dystopian humor, like in the movie "Idiocracy," this may be the game for you.

Introduced Monday by Jetson Creative, Ow My Balls! is a funny game that brings some unusual humor to the iPhone (and iPod Touch).

The game incorporates gravity simulation, funny sound effects, and a very peculiar method of directional acceleration.

I was a little dispirited by the name and the nature of the joke but I tried it anyway. After all, the game made it through the parental vetting process for Apple's App Store.

In the game, you'… Read more

The 404 335: Where we get a wet rub from the Food Dude

It's been almost a year since our favorite chef, the Food Dude Kevin Roberts, has graced The 404. Kevin has once again brought us the magic that is Frank's Red Hot and shows us the tech behind perfectly saucing a batch of chicken wings.

We chat with Kevin about some tips on eating well during these tough times and how shockingly easy it is to save money at the grocery store. Kevin also dishes out some of the dirt on his new sponsors and how his own show is in the works.

The second half of the show we dedicate to some questionable applications on the App Store. Trent Reznor is calling Apple the new Wal-Mart because of its questionable censorship practices regarding a Nine Inch Nails application. Next, we laugh at the idea of Sarah Palin on Twitter and Justin explains how your high school yearbook photo tells a lot more than just what was in style at the time.

We're still accepting Star Trek Photoshop submissions for a chance to see the film a day earlier with us in NYC! We've had a lot of great ones so far, so check out the competition below and be sure to send all of your creations to the404 [at] cnet [dot] com. As always, leave us a voicemail, 866-404-CNET.

EPISODE 335 Download today's podcast | Subscribe in iTunes | Subscribe in RSS… Read more

Tip: Get free iPhone apps without a credit card

The iTunes Store rarely listed free items until the debut of the iTunes App Store. Now, you'll find thousands of free iPhone and iPod Touch apps there, none of which require a credit card to download--a nice change for anyone loathe to hand over private card information.

Apple has released a new technical bulletin that gives explicit details on how to create an iTunes Store account without a credit card, entitled, surprisingly enough, Create an iTunes App Store account without a credit card.

The bulletin's instructions are straightforward, but just remember that you need to have opened and … Read more