I was recently contacted by the developers of this new iPhone app called TrafficDito and I was supposed to make a preview post but I couldn’t install the beta version of the app on my iPhone 4 so I waited until the app was ready for download from the App Store. And so it was released a couple of days ago and I finally got to see the app.

Similar to the MMDA iPhone app, TrafficDito is also a traffic monitoring app. But unlike, the MMDA app, TrafficDito relies on inputs from users for monitoring traffic conditions. Yes, it doesn’t have the same traffic monitoring system as the MMDA app, but you’ll find it most useful for side-streets and major thoroughfares not covered by the MMDA app.

TrafficDito is well organized and designed as well. But its usefulness will solely depend on the validity of the traffic conditions of posted by users. Anybody who has the app installed on their iPhone or who’ll register from the TrafficDito.com site can post traffic updates. How accurate those traffic updates are depends on one’s discretion I guess.

Check out TrafficDito from the App Store now and see for yourself if it can help you in traversing the Metro.

In case you were sleeping so soundly last night, you might have missed the news that iOS 5 is now out there in the open, waiting for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Yes, mga kababayan, it’s our favorite time of the year again, Apple has released the much awaited – iOS 5. Fire up your iTunes, connect your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, grab a cup of coffee and bread or something, do your morning chores and hope that PLDT myDSL or whatever Internet provider that you are using at home don’t choke up. In time, you’ll have your iDevices running the best iOS version to date.

If you have no idea what to expect from iOS 5, you better this comprehensive guide and screenshot tour .

Good luck and have fun!

Related articles

• New iPhone 4S Specs, Prices, Release Date, Available in the Philippines in December? (aczafra.com)
• MMDA Traffic Navigator for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (mobilepinas.com)
• Apple Unveils the New iPhone 4S! (mobilepinas.com)
• MMDA Traffic Navigator App for iOS is Now Available on the App Store! (aczafra.com)

Note: Sorry for the wrong info. I didn’t notice that pre-ordering for the unlocked iPhone 4S is still unavailable. I was too surprised to see it on the site that I didn’t bother to try adding it to the shopping cart. (Thanks Mark!)

After a few hours of downtime, the U.S. Apple Store is again up and I guess it’s no surprise anymore – the iPhone 4S is now available for pre-order. What’s surprising is that if you scroll down the pre-order page, you’ll see an option to pre-order an unlocked version of the iPhone 4S.

Wait, unlocked iPhone 4S? This means that we here in Manila can pre-order the iPhone 4S and use it with our local telcom SIM card? — YES of course!

The Apple guide to unlocked iPhone 4S confirms this:

About the Unlocked iPhone

And just like that, Apple has announced the fifth generation iPhone. It’s not the iPhone 5 but the iPhone 4S. It’s basically the same iPhone 4 in the outside but the changes were made on the iPhone’s internals.

Specs of the iPhone 4S

• Dual-core A5 Processors
• Dual-core graphics
• 8MP camera
• Dual antenna
• World phone (CDMA and GSM)
• 1080p video recording with video stabilization
• Full Twitter integration
• iOS 5
• iCloud
• Siri Voice Assistant

Since I really liked the SGP Neo Reventon Yellow Case that I got for my Samsung Galaxy S II, I thought I’ll get one for my iPhone 4 as well. And that’s what I just did. Thankfully, Applewerkz in Katipunan was opened this afternoon and they are still having a sale for most of their items. So, in short I got the Neo Hybrid II EX Series Reventon Yellow for iPhone 4 case.

The original price of the case was P1890 but I got it for only P1512. Nice discount (Thanks Applewerks!). The case has two parts actually, or better yet frames. One is made of soft rubber which serves as protection for the iPhone 4 and cushions its contact from the hard frame part of the case. Like most cases, the frame has all the necessary cutouts to reveal the different ports of the iPhone 4.

The package also comes with two screen protectors for the front and back of the iPhone 4. So, it’s really a good deal.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the SGP Neo Hybrid II EX Series Reventon Yellow iPhone 4 Case that I bought. Now, it looks good side by side my Samsung Galaxy S II.

In case you’re not following @MMDA on Twitter, you might have missed their announcement of the release of the MMDA Traffic Navigator for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Yes, finally! After a long haul, the app is now available as a free download. And what can I say? It is certainly one good iOS app. I’ve reviewed tons of iOS apps and I can say that Gyro Apps did a pretty good job of coming out with a very good app.

So, what does the MMDA app lets you do? Here are its features:

• Navigate your way through Metro Manila traffic
• View the traffic situation in System, Map or Line View
• Includes EDSA, C5, SLEX, Roxas Blvd, Espana, & Quezon Ave.
• Share or Report traffic info via Twitter
• View problem areas so you can avoid them
• MMDA FAQs built-in for your guidance
• Includes MMDA Directory

Pretty much everything you need to guide you in traversing the major thoroughfares of Metro Manila. Hopefully, some more not so major roads will be included, specifically Marcos Hi-way and Ortigas Ave. Extension.

So, what are you waiting for? Download the app now. And Congratulations to Atty. Yves Gonzales and Laura Noel for a job well done!

Google-owned Photovine has just opened up to the public. It was previously on closed beta and the only way you can get in is if Google likes you enough and hand you down an invite. Well, that was before. Right now if you install the Photovine iPhone app, you can now sign up and enjoy vining.

But wait, what is Photovine again? Well, it’s a photo sharing app just like Instagram, PicPlz and others where social networking is done by sharing with the world how good of a photographer you are. If you’re familiar with Instagram you will be able to adapt to Photovine easily. Unlike Instagram though, Photovine doesn’t have those cool photo editing presets that you can apply to your photos before sharing them

But unlike Instagram, Photovine has more sense and directions because you just don’t upload and share photos for the sake of displaying your iPhone photography skills. You upload and share photos based on a central theme that you think others will be able to understand and follow by uploading their photos aligned with the theme.

So for example, you can start a new vine about your daily gadgets, take a photo of your gadgets, upload it to Photovine, tag and describe and wait for other users to upload photos of their gadgets as well. Soon enough, you’ll see your vine grows.

Photovine as it is right now is a pretty promising mobile app. It may or may not kill Instagram depending on how far Google will want to push this app. The app still has some more rooms for improvement. One feature that I will really like to see is of course the photo editing facility, because come to think of it, iPhone photos as they are may not be too enticing. Photo presets add more vibrance and flair.

Photovine is available now as a free download from the App Store.

Remember Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions from Squaresoft? If my memory serves me right, this game came out sometime in 1997 for the Playstation console. It’s been 13 years since this game has conquered the lives of many Playstion gamers, myself included. I can still recall the time I spent playing this game over and over again during the wee hours of the morning. Now, guess what – the game has just been ported for iPhone and iPod and is now available for download from the App Store.

The game is pretty much a direct port of the 1997 Playstation version as well as the PSP version which came out later. Only this time, it utilizes the touch control features of the iPhone and iPod Touch. Graphics was also optimized to fully utilizes the small screen real estate of the iPhone/iPod Touch. I’m currently looking at the game right now and I would have to say that the graphics of this game is simply fantastic. Suits the iPhone 4′s Retina Display pretty well.

Take note, the game is for iPhone and iPod Touch only. Square says an iPad version is coming out sometime this Fall. While I can’t wait for that version, I tried downloading the game on my iPad 2 and just like other apps, when rendered in 2x mode, the graphics are rasterized. I also tried mirroring the game on my HDTV using the iPad 2 cable and it worked. This further made me feel excited about the upcoming iPad version.

In the meantime, if you’re a FFT fan, you should be downloading this game right now. The price tag is a little bit on the hefty side ($15.99) but hey, it’s all worth it if you want to relive your FFT gaming days.

Alright, time to take on the game right now. You can download the game from the App Store, now.

In case you’re not reading the news, Apple has just announced the upcoming iOS update, iOS 5 is coming in sometime this fall. That’s around September or October I think here in the Philippines (Right?) Anyway, I couldn’t wait that long to get a full hands-on experience on how good the iOS 5 will be. So, through Google search, I managed to get the iOS 5 beta version and had it installed smoothly on my iPhone 4. For a week now, my iPhone 4 is running on iOS 5 beta and my verdict – iOS 5 on iPhone 4 is going to give you one heck of a nice experience with its so many new features.

In fact, the new features of iOS 5 has more than 200 new features. Yes, that’s a lot. So, to get you a bit excited with iOS 5 on iPhone, I selected 10 of the key  major features – I call them 10 killer features of iOS 5 on iPhone. Read the full review here.

If you’re using the Facebook app on your Android or iPhone, go check it out right now and when you’re at the main menu option, tap on Places which sits right at the center of the screen. Yes folks, Facebook Places is now available in the Philippines. Facebook has not officially announced this yet but I’m pretty sure they will in no time at all.

So if you’re using Foursquare for checking to places you visit and you’ve set the option to automatically post your Foursquare check in to your Facebook account, you may now stop using this and use the Facebook Places instead.

via Mobiputing