Audio specialists Bowers and Wilkins are today launching a new iPhone app called Zepplin Air.

Taking its name from the company's Apple AirPlay enabled Bowers & Wilkins speaker, it's a music app that lets users send tracks from their iDevices to AirPlay enabled speakers to create collaborative playlists.

Though made with B&W speakers in mind, the app should in theory work with anyAirPlay enabled audio devices you may have.

"There are many mobile apps that allow you to stream music, but the Zeppelin Air App is the first of its kind to enable users to share music and create collaborative playlists with friends, from mobile device to mobile device," read the app's press release.

"For nearly five decades, Bowers & Wilkins have been committed to delivering the ultimate music listening experiences. This app takes that commitment to the next level by allowing music fans to share in the Bowers & Wilkins true sound experience with family and friends, in real-time, in a familiar setting."

Grab the app for free by clicking here.

Gears of War 3 is wowing critics and gamers alike on the Xbox 360 after launching to rave reviews (including our own) last week. Those waiting for an iOS iPhone or iPad app port however shouldn't hold their breath; it's a Microsoft exclusive that's going to sit tight on the Xbox 360 for, well, forever.

That's not to say you can't get some quite obviously Gears-inspired gunning fun on your Jesus phone or iPad. Hit the video above to take a look at Shadowgun.

A 3rd person cover shooter from Madfinger Games, it's boasting absolutely stunning graphics for a mobile game, set to launch on the Apple App Store on the 28th of September before hititng Android devices soon afterwards.

And not an emergence hole in sight!

"Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess."

Choice words there from Edna Woolman Chase, editor in chief of style-bible Vogue magazine from 1914-1952. Tech Digest, however, can neither afford to be dedicated followers of fashion, nor had the benefit of being born with either grace or poise. What we can do, however, is spot a great app from 50 paces.

So, to mark the beginning of the 2011 London Fashion week, we donned our most sartorially-inclined specs and got to work tracking down the best Apple's App Store had to offer.

We wouldn't be seen dead without them.

For London Fashion Week stories go to our sister site ShinyStyle.tv

Topshop are hoping their student customers are as tech-savvy as they are fashion-concious with their new campaign, a social gaming app that offers real-world prizes to those who play.

Teaming up with the location-based SCVNGR app, Topshop are offering a 20% discount and the chance of a £500 shopping spree to UK students who undertake the game's many challenges. Players will rack up points by finishing the fashion-themed tasks, such as taking snaps of the the best "back to college" outfits or those who best identify key season trends.

It's not the first time Topshop have gone digital in order to promote themselves; they've previously ran campaigns with camera app Instagram and have also live-streamed their own catwalk show online in the past.

"We're always looking for new and innovative ways to engage our customers," said Mary Homer, Managing Director of Topshop.

"Following the popularity of SCVNGR in the US we wanted to offer our student customers the ability to interact with our brand, on and off-line in a more fun and engaging way."

To get involved, download the free SCVNGR app from iTunes or the Android Market, and then use the app to search for Topshop.

Name: Griffin Beacon

Type: Universal remote control with iOS app

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £57 from Amazon

One device to rule them all? That's the idea behind the Griffin Beacon, a universal remote control kit that works in tandem with your iOS device to control all the gadgets in your house that use a remote control. But is the Beacon a shining light in a murky sea of universal remotes, or is your best bet to dig under the sofa for that dusty lost zapper? Read on to find out.

The Griffin Beacon is quite the looker. Best described as a similar size to a black Apple TV box with a shiny black pebble placed on top, it'll sit comfortably and stylishly alongside most AV set-ups. Powered by four AA batteries, it syncs with your iOS device via a Bluetooth connection and, when used alongside the Dijit controller app, lets you control as many as 200,000 home entertainment devices from your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch straight out of the box.

Set up was incredibly simple. Once the batteries are placed in the bottom of the Beacon, you push down on its curved top till you hear a "Frustration" style click, which sends out a Bluetooth signal. It's then just a case of syncing the device with your iOS gadget through the Bluetooth device menu of your Apple phone, mp3 player or tablet. Rather than an actual remote control, the Beacon actually works to convert Bluetooth signals from your iOS device into infra-red ones that your entertainment devices can understand. Therefore line of sight thankfully isn't needed to control the Beacon's many functions (though you'll still have to carry it around if you want to use it in multiple rooms). There are no control buttons on the Beacon; this is left up to the free Dijit app, which is very good indeed.

Upon firing up the Dijit app (which syncs and recognises the Beacon very simply) you'll be presented with a quick set-up screen which lets you select all manner of AV gear, from TVs to home cinema receivers, games consoles to stereos. Everyone from the big name brands like Samsung and Sony right down to the sort of budget brands you'd find in a supermarket bargain bin are supported, which is a great achievement. There are inevitably gaps in the device list (Roberts DAB radios weren't supported for instance) but the majority of gear is there. App software updates will continually update the device list, so it's worth checking back later, and the Beacon can also be "taught" other unsupported devices too, though that's not worth the complicated set-up it needs.

The Dijit app is simple to navigate and select different units to control, but perhaps its best feature is the level of customisation it offers. You can add tens of buttons for each device you want to control through the app, resizing buttons to fit what's comfortable for you, add custom buttons to run controls not found on your regular remote, or even remove buttons that you find no use for. The days of squinting at remote controls for a hard to find tiny button are long gone, and you can even use it to invent touchscreen gesture controls, like a two-finger swipe to adjust TV volume for instance.

Another great touch is the Activities feature. This lets you program the Beacon to perform numerous buttons at the press of a single button. For instance, you might set up an activity that turns on your TV, Digital TV box and home cinema speaker system all at once. It's a great time saver, and one that once set up would suit to a tee a technophobe who finds multiple controllers confusing.

As you can probably guess, we were very impressed by the Beacon. But it's not without its faults.

Firstly, the decision to run off of regular batteries rather than a rechargeable built-in one seems an archaic one. Two months worth of battery life is considerably less than I squeeze out of my remote controls. Though the wire-free set up is handy, it would have been nice to have had the option of using an AC adapter for those not planning on moving the Beacon about.

The lack of Android support is understandable for a device that's launching as "Made for Apple", and though there is an app in the works, it's disappointing not to see it ready at launch. Even more disappointing is the lack of native iPad app support; using that big screen to house multiple remotes at once would have been a superb addition over a blown up, stretched iPhone one.

Lastly, the Beacon lacks some functionality in the UK that its US versions have. In the US, users can check TV listings and share them via social networking sites with their pals; in the UK you cant. Likewise Netflix accounts can be browsed and managed in the US with the Beacon and Dijit app, and while Netflix may not be available in the UK, no suitable alternative (like Lovefilm) has been added to fill the gap.

Verdict:

Despite some quibbles, the Beacon remains a superb solution to having tens of chunky remote controls laying around your living room. iPad support and a rechargeable battery are the main issues holding it back from top marks, but the amount of customisation easily lets us see past the Beacon's few faults.

It's arguable that the Apple App Store's key to success was its rock-bottom pricing of quality content. It's become a bit of a stickler within the games industry in particular, with Nintendo executives criticising Apple for "weakening the value" of video games. However, it seems now that Apple may be actively encouraging premium pricing on some apps, despite developers initial low-priced plans.

Speaking at Edinburgh Interactive, Steve Ackerman of Somethin' Else, the company behind the award winning Papa Sangre game, spoke of his conversations with Apple regarding pricing:

"Obviously Apple doesn't promise anything in terms of promoting games, but before the release of Papa Sangre they said they were very interested in the game, and that they might promote it.

"They asked us how much we were going to sell it for, and we said maybe ₤1.99. They said 'you must be joking, this is a premium app, this is worth more than the price of coffee.'"

The game eventually went on sale for £3.99 and was a success, selling over 50,000 downloads.

It's an interesting debate. Certainly, the quality of low-priced apps is so high as to demean the value of a £50 console game. Why splash the cash for a PS3 retail game when within seconds you can have downloaded a title just as fun for the loose change in your pocket?

But here Apple seems to be championing quality over value. While £3.99 is still a fair sight cheaper than the cost of your average console game, Apple look to be actively avoiding asking sweatshop prices of developer's apps. Keep in mind that Apple recently raised the base-line cost of all apps on the App Store recently, so perhaps the days cheap-as-chips apps may soon come to an end.

Via: Develop

iPhone-owning golf fans should make sure they've got the PuttLuck gaming app installed on their handsets this week.

The Wii-style club swinging app have teamed up with sponsors Black Widow to offer £500 worth of golfing gear to whoever posts the top score in PuttLuck using Game Center leaderboards.

9 touch-golf holes are to be played through, with whoever finishes the round in the quickest time and with the lowest number of shots claiming the gear.

Running in conjunction with the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, the competion runs from today until 23:59 on Sunday 14th August 2011.

Click here for more info.

iPhone owners may be holding thier breath for the launch of iOS 5 and with it the iMessage instant messaging service, but Facebook have pipped them to the post with their own IM service, Facebook Messenger.

An Android and iOS app, it works similarly to BlackBerry's BBM service, a Wi-Fi or 3G messaging service that lets you chat on the go to your Facebook pals, as well as offering location info, archived messages and the ability to group message not ony Facebook pals but mobile contacts too.

"When you're on the go, coordinating a bunch of people can be tricky, especially if plans change at the last minute," said Lucy Zhang, Beluga co-founder and Facebook engineer.

"With Messenger, you can quickly start a group conversation and message everyone at once. If you choose to add your location, the people you're messaging with can easily find each other on the map. You can also attach photos, so everyone else can see and comment on what you're looking at."

Launching today, its rumoured to contain code supporting video chat in the future, so keep an eye on the relevant app download stores to get Facebook Messenger on your device later today.

While you wait, click below for some images of the iOS version.

Unless you're on a tariff dedicated to making international calls, even the shortest of long-distance chats costs an arm and a leg. iPhone users looking to make regular calls abroad, or even just the odd ring to a long distance pal, may want to try out Time to Call.

Built by leading global telecoms provider Vonage, the app provides pay-per-call dialing to 190 countries far cheaper than through standard tariffs.

Using a Wi-Fi connection, the app features a simple billing system that charges your calls to your iTunes account, keeping it as secure as Apple app payments and avoiding the need to set up another confusing billing system.

"With the launch of Time to Call, Vonage has simplified the process of making affordable international calls for iPhone users around the globe," said Marc Lefar, CEO of Vonage.

"Not only does this service offer tremendous value for international callers dialing from their home countries, it also provides a great solution for international travelers who want to avoid the bill shock associated with international calls and roaming charges when they call back home. Time to Call requires far less effort than calling card services and other international calling plan options, and is substantially less expensive than dialing direct through a mobile carrier. It's simple, fast and fair."

For a limited time, Vonage are offering a free 15 minute international call to all Time to Call users too.

Click here to grab the app and find out more.

TuneWiki has made a bit of a name for itself as a leading music app on Android and Symbian phones, and today it tries its luck in the more crowded waters of the Apple App Store for iPhones and iPads.

The app is all about music discovery, and uses location based data and the tastes of nearby TuneWiki users to offer recommendations and track-purchasing links.

Linked to all the major social media networks as well as letting users listen to internet radio stations, TuneWiki lets users stream their own downloaded or locally stored tracks before calling in the SongBox feature. This aggregates your favourite, most played tracks and compares them to like-minded fans around the world before offering you new tunes to listen to. As such, you can quickly find out what the top track in Los Angeles is at the moment, and compare it to what the London hipsters have shuffling on their iPhones.

SongBox also offers TuneWiki users the chance to comment on artists and watch music videos, though its best feature is the chance to grab synchronized lyrics for all your songs, scrolling in time with the music playing and perfect for some bedroom karaoke sessions.

To pick up the free app, click here.

I'm not much of a chef. I make a mean cup of tea, but instant noodles are about as far as my repertoire of culinary delights stretches. Helping me up my game considerably this week has been the Great British Chefs app for iPods, iPhones and iPads.

Collecting 180 recipes from 12 UK chefs (with a total of 15 Michelin stars between them), the app holds your hand through the process of making some posh nosh.

It's a pretty ambitious menu, featuring the likes of stuffed tulip to bubblegum panna cotta, with top chefs such as Marcus Wareing, Nuno Mendes and Tom Aikens touting their dishes.

"I am excited to be a part of this new venture," said Wareing.

"A unique concept which will connect people at home to the very best recipes and ideas on the net. I have always wanted my favourite dishes to be accessible to the masses and Great British Chefs is now making this possible for me and I hope the public take full advantage of it".

Packed full of videos, a shopping list function and voice search controls for when your hands are sticky with ingredients, it's definitely worth a look.

Pick it up from iTunes now for £4.99 by clicking here for iPhones/iPods, and here for iPads.

Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away (Skywalker Ranch, to be precise) the near-mythic Star Wars Blu-rays are having the finishing touches applied before they hit stores on 12th September.

Those who have the patience of a wookie however will be able to get a sneak peek at the 40+ hours of bonus features set to ship with the boxset through new iPhone and iPad iOS apps.

The Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access App hits the App Store on July 20th, and will pick out a few highlights from the reams of never-before-seen special features set to feature in the boxset. Community aspects will also feature, as well as the ability to buy the Blu-rays from within the app.

Making its debut at Comic-Con in San Diego this week, the geek event of the calendar year, the app will be just one of many fresh looks at the Blu-rays.

One of Apple's App Store's main draws is its affordability - a tenner can kit you out with all manner of games, productivity software, books and entertainment apps.Things are about to get a little bit more expensive though, as App Store prices just got a bit more expensive, right across the board.

The cheapest apps will now start at 69p rather than 59p, marking a price jump of almost 17%. Apart from £2.99 apps (which retain their pricing) all other app price brackets also make a considerable jump.

The full list of changes is as follows:

59p now 69p
£1.19 now £1.49
£1.79 now £1.99
£2.39 now £2.49
£2.99 still £2.99
£3.49 now £3.99
£3.99 now £4.99
£4.99 now £5.49
£5.49 now £5.99
£5.99 now £6.99
£6.99 now £7.99
£7.49 now £8.99
£8.99 now £10.49
£9.49 now £10.99

Though prices still remain in the "pocket money" category for the most part, drag that out other say a yars worth of app buying and that a significant amount of extra cash lost.

Free app distributors GetJar have issued a no-holds barred response to Apple, following the cease and desist order the Cupertino iPhone makers sent out over the use of the words "app store".

Apple, who have sent similar legal threats to Amazon, are claiming ownership of the "app store" phrase. And while GetJar do not use the words in their strapline or branding, have used the phrase in descriptive terms since 2009.

However, GetJar look set to stand tall against Apple's threats, which they claim are "taking the piss".

"The ecosystem as a whole is becoming increasingly closed. It's character is dictated by larger companies exercising excessive force to get bigger shares of the pie," says GetJar CMO Patrick Mork in a scathing and hilarious blog post.

"For example, Android was supposed to be FREE and open; yet developers can't choose their billing solution. They have their price points micro-managed for them without input.

"If Apple isn't suing Amazon, it's suing start-ups. Now Microsoft, who is struggling to gain traction with Windows Mobile, is charging OEM's for using Android using our country's broken patent system. Where are all of these law suits and threats getting us? Is anyone actually worrying about whether app developers and content providers make enough money to keep the lights on?

"In conclusion, GetJar won't be subject to this kind of bullying. We're not going to "Cease & Desist". We were here long before Steve & Co. We were built by developers, to help developers. Not to help sell handsets or search results. In the words of Twisted Sister: We're not going to take it! Steve Jobs isn't our Dad."

Today's App of the Day is a tasty little treat from the Doritos team that sees you not only chasing high scores, but real world prizes too.

Dip Desperado tasks iOS gamers with flicking a Doritos chip across a hazardous Mexican landscape, racking up top scores by seeing your food-based-flyer reach the end of the desert course, avoiding giant sand worms and killer hornets along the way.

A nifty little game that recalls the Helicopter flash games you find all over the web, Dip Desperado's main draw lies in the 70,000 prizes up for grabs to players. Star prizes go to the three people each week who top the leaderboards, but even less skilled chip-flickers can nab a goodie by entering a code into the app found on the back of promotional Doritos chip packets and dip tubs.

Pick up the app for free on iPhones and iPods by clicking here, and click here if you'd rather grab it for the iPad.

Scroll down for some shots of the app in action.

ITV jump on the iOS VOD streaming wagon today, offering up their ITV Player app across iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.

With unlimited viewing allowances, you'll be able to catch programmes from ITV1, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. No more missing Coronation Street or the X-Factor then, while the launch of the app is also perfectly timed to conicide with ITV's coverage of the iTunes music festival.

Keep in mind though you'll need a Wi-Fi connection to access the shows. 3G just wont cut it, which is probably a good thing unless you're ready to foot a potentially massive data bill.

"I'm genuinely thrilled to be launching our ITV Player app across the Apple family of devices just in time for our customers to be able to catch up on what promises to be some amazing performances at this year's iTunes Festival on ITV," said Robin Pembrooke, MD of ITV Online and OnDemand.

"This launch is a key moment in our mobile delivery strategy and we're very proud that a simple, user friendly and quality ITV Player experience is now available across a range of mobile devices."

Totally free, iPhone owners can pick up the app here, while iPad owners can get their fix here.

An Android version also launched last week.

Assassin's Creed meets Pirates of the Caribbean in BackStab, an action adventure title from Gameloft first seen on Android phones now sailing its ship into iOS waters.

Mixing 3rd person swordplay with Creed-style free running and the odd cannon-firing boat battle sequence on the high seas, you take the role of sailor-turned-noble-scallywag Henry Blake, looking for vengeance against an old Royal Navy pal who royally did him wrong.

Though the odd glitch will see characters fall through solid floors and women hilariously, unintentionally scream with a mans voice, the game looks a treat, with detailed 3D models and large seaside ports to explore.

The hardware controls of the Xperia Play gaming smartphone (where the game made its debut) were a more comfortable fit for the action on show here than the virtual touchscreen buttons used by the iOS edition, but few mobile games are as ambitious as the adventure offered in BackStab. It lacks the polish of the likes of Infinity Blade, but it's as good as it gets on Apple devices when it comes to swashbuckling 3rd person action.

Click here to grab BackStab for iPhones, and here to grab it for iPads. Both versions cost £3.99.

Kabbee is London's first minicab price comparison and booking service app. Comparing fares from 60 registered and highly-rated minicab firms, you can pick rides based on the cheapest price, shortest waiting time or highest user rating.

Location data helps intelligently pick services that are in your vicinty (regularly leading to cheaper rides) while factors such as passenger numbers, luggage and children needing baby seats can all be added to a booking.

Options to pay by cash or card are both supported, while a pre-paid service can be set up so that you've always got money in your Kabbee account. We'd imagine a pre-paid service will be particularly useful after a heavy night on the town sees you misplace your wallet. No-one likes waiting in the rain for a smelly night bus, do they?

"By taking advantage of our background in the cab industry and looking at the recent research, we have developed an app that delivers what people in the industry want - a safe, secure and value for money minicab service, no matter where they are in London. We have launched in London first and we'll be rolling out across the UK in 2011," said Kabbee's Philip Makinson.

Available for free from the App Store for iPhone and iPods, you can also access the service from other mobile devices using their web portal at www.kabbee.com. An Android version will be launching in July.

Today's App of the Day is a multi-platform sat-nav app called Waze. Totally free, Waze relies upon its community of users to deliver real-time traffic and mapping updates.

By driving along with the app open, Waze users passively share info on routes and traffic information with other users, generating alternative routes on the fly. Users can add specific notes to points of interest during their travels too, geo-tagging photos of points of interest within the app or highlighting traffic-trouble hotspots.

"Driving Groups" within the app also allows Waze users to connect with fellow drivers who share the same commute, route, destination or freinds and colleagues, sending specific data relevant to those users only. Each group can have a corresponding Facebook and Twitter accout, meaning that Waze users have no end of ways to connect and share travel information; the perfect network for taxi or shipping fleets for instance.

With the Waze app so dependant on user-generated data, Waze have cleverly added a gaming-style incentive to the app. Real-world prizes are awarded by the Waze team to those who consistently give the most valuable on-the-road info to other users.

"Being based on a live and highly engaged community of drivers is what sets Waze apart," says Yael Elish, Waze's VP of Product.

"Our traffic information and other reports are user-generated and 100% real-time, pooling the power of the local driving community to help everyone improve their daily commute and save time. It's that human element, drivers working together for the common good on the road,that excites our users and puts us in an entirely new category."

Waze is available now through all major smartphone app store portals.

Introducing Technode; the new, free quarterly digital technology magazine from the editorial team behind Tech Digest and Shiny Shiny!

Available on all iOS devices as an app, as a web edition and PDF version for other operating systems via Magcloud.com and also as a traditional print edition too, each issue will focus on a key tech trend, with this first issue giving an overview of gadgetry in 2011 as a whole.

You can also read Technode online via Scribd

Check out the video above for a closer look at what's on offer.

How To Get Technode

Technode is available as a free iPad and iPhone app, as an online edition, and available for other tablet and smartphone OS's via Magcloud. Alternatively, you can order a print copy by clicking here, though this service comes at a small charge. We also plan to have a Kindle edition for future issues too.

We hope you like it! Any feedback can be left at Technode's Facebook page.