Taplulous' Tap Tap Revenge iPhone app proved a surprise success, taking on the rhythm gaming big-guns like Guitar Hero and Rock Band and beating them at their own game. Tap Tap Revenge proved wildly popular, and now Tapulous are looking to replicate that success with the new Riddim Ribbon game.

A cross between a racer and music mixing app, players use the iPhone's accelerometer to roll a ball down a sloping circuit to a soundtrack by the Black Eyed Peas. Hit an obstacle and the music track grinds to a halt, but take alternative routes and you get a brand new mix of the song.

The game's co-producer, will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas said, "I am so excited about this game. It makes you re-think the concept of playing a song. It makes you re-think the remix".

So far the game is set only to include three Black Eyed Peas songs: Boom Boom Pow, Meet Me Halfway, and I Got a Feeling. Remember though that Tapulous have a reputation for releasing new content for their iPhone games, so if the Black Eyed Peas aren't your cup of tea there's a good chance other artists may get thrown into the mix later on.

Via: Games Beat

The Apple iPad has landed, and with it comes the news that most of the app store's current apps will be fully compatible with it. So think of this latest collection of apps as an investment for your future iPad!

Thankfully, this week's collection includes the cinematic Assassin's Creed II Discovery, the perfect app to put the iPad's gaming capabilities to the test, as well as more sombre budget managing Money Book.

Click the image below to get started

Ever checked out the Threadless website? If you haven't, you really should; it's a great online, community driven t-shirt store. Users submit their designs to Threadless, the community votes on them, and the best are made into limited-run t-shirts and hoodies. It's a great concept that delivers unique, user-generated fashion at pretty attractive prices.

Showing they've got their finger on the pulse, Grifin Technology have teamed up with Threadless to produce a new range of Threadless-themed iPhone 3G cases.

The three cases hitting UK shores are 'I'm Like A Bird', featuring a carefree image of a giraffe among birds, 'Living in Harmony', with an electric and acoustic guitar pictured, and 'Hi', emblazoned across a black background in pink and white.

"The collaboration with Griffin is fantastic because it places a spotlight on the amazing talent within the Threadless community," said Jake Nickell, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of skinnyCorp, LLC, parent company of Threadless. "Griffin has gone to great lengths to make sure the artists get exposure for their work. It'll be an amazing feeling for each artist to see their designs being used across the UK."

The cases are available at Apple stores nationwide, priced £24.99.

Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Derek Wyatt has become the first politician in the world to have his own iPhone app.

The MyMP app aims to get younger people involved in politics by offering text and Twitter based discussions on local and national policies. Users can:

• View what Derek is doing in their area, as well as local stories.
• Tell Derek if something's bothering them locally, via telephone or email.
• Find out when Derek is holding his surgeries.
• Give their opinion on local and national issues.
• Take part in personal discussions with Derek.
• Watch and take part in discussions between Derek and other residents.

Speaking to Kent Online, Wyatt said : "We want to encourage more MPs to put their application on the site so we have designed it so every MP in the United Kingdom can participate if they just fill in their details.

"It has got a lot of traction; I think a lot of young people like Twittering and texting more than they like emailing. An amazing number of people are already texting on the site.

"I have been quite surprised. More people have want to come to discuss by mobile than have on my website over the last eight years and my website is one of the biggest in Britain politically."

The app has already had over 4,000 downloads. It'd be interesting to see how many of those 4,000 are actively using the app, or are even based in the Sittingbourne and Sheppy area. Personally though I think it's a great idea; constituents can often feel removed from and uneasy about contacting their MPs. Wyatt's embracement of Web 2.0 tools has made him more approachable, and likewise made It easy for constituents to comfortably get involved in local politics. Let's hope other MPs follow suit.

Pick up the app here, free of charge.

You'd assume it had already been done (RightMove?), but apparently not; Hamptons International claim to have become the first UK residential property agent to launch an app for the iPhone.

Buyers and sellers can use the app to search for properties and check prices. Other features include GPS-enabled local searches, overseas searches that include properties in the UAE, USA and India and the ability to contact Hamptons International via email directly through the app if a house tickles your fancy.

Shakeel Barok, managing director, Hamptons International states, "The Hamptons app for iPhone marks an incredibly exciting development for Hamptons International and the residential sector. The way people are searching for property and the mediums they are using to do so are changing dramatically. The launch of the Hamptons app reflects our commitment to driving innovation in what we do, and going above and beyond expectation to meet our customers' requirements."

You can grab the app for free here.

While it may have been a tad more useful a month or so ago, the Met Office have today launched their official iPhone app.

It features five-day forecasts, national severe weather alerts, national and regional weather maps and a UK rainfall radar.

Mark Wakefield, founder and COO of app developers Gorillabox said: "Gorillabox has worked closely with the Met Office to develop an application utilising a range of iPhone features and incorporating the Met Office weather alerts that will provide users with the latest and most accurate weather information wherever they are"

Better late than never we suppose.

Pick up the app here.

Those storks best watch their backs: it looks like iPhones will be delivering little bundles of joy from now on.

Take Lena and Dudley Bryce from Kelvinside Glasgow. For four years the pair had tried to have a children, but to no avail.

"Doctors couldn't find any reason why I hadn't been able to get pregnant" Lena told the Scottish Sun. " We're young, fit and healthy and just expected everything would be fine, so it began to weigh a bit heavily on us".

The Bryces were considering adoption and IVF treatment when Dudley gave Lena an iPhone, who then put the Free Menstrual Calendar app on the handset. The app predicts when the most fertile moment to conceive is, and even suggests some sexual positions to get things started.

And, as if by magic, two months later Lena conceived. Little Lola Bryce was born at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, weighing a healthy 6lb 12 oz.

Is there anything an iPhone can't do?

Fancy giving the app a go? Kick-start a 21st century baby-boom by clicking here.

More good news for Mr Jobs ahead of next week's big launch. Vodafone is claiming that in a week it has sold over 100,000 iPhones in the UK.

The company isn't saying much but Vodafone UK CEO Guy Laurence, said "The demand from both consumer and business customers has been phenomenal. They want an outstanding phone on an outstanding network and we're delivering that."

It'll be interesting to see how long it takes to get to 200,000.

Big rumours this morning that Apple is going to launch a streaming music version of its iTunes service in early summer. Speculation about Apple's plans has been sparked by a round of tablet-related rumours in The Wall Street Journal. In among talk of TV subscription deals and agreements with magazine publishers the WSJ piece mentions that a web based iTunes.com music streaming service could be coming as soon as June. This would make perfect sense as at the end of last year Apple bought music streaming service Lala.

It is conceivable that Apple would only run the service on its tablet (iTablet/iSlate/iWish wehadanameforit). This would certainly help make what could be a tricky sell amore compelling proposition. If it does offer streaming, and this seems inevitable now, it'll be interesting to see how this impacts on sales of music downloads. Also would the streaming service be available tom iPhone owners? It would certainly put the pressure on Spotify.

It's that time of the week again, when Tech Digest round up all that is good and great from the last seven day's additions to the App Store.

This week, the App Store gets its first killer game with the release of GTA: Chinatown Wars, and Red Bull look to keep you up all night with their Red Bull Music Academy Radio app.

Click the image below to get started

Vodafone have today launched their new Sure Signal 3G booster box. Timed nicely to coincide with last week's iPhone launch on the network , it aims to significantly improve 3G signals within the home.

The Sure Signal service is part of an overhaul that replaces Vodafone's previous Access Gateway. The plug in box connects straight to your broadband line, helping to bolster 3G download speeds to at least 1MBPS.

Users have to register before connecting with the box. Up to 32 people can use the Sure Signal, with four people able to access it simultaneously.

"No other network in the UK can ensure a great mobile phone signal in the home, because the Sure Signal is unique to Vodafone," says Guy Laurence, Vodafone UK CEO. "Customers tell us it is life changing. If they live or work in a basement for example, the only way they may be able to get consistent mobile coverage could be with a Vodafone Sure Signal."

Sure Signal is available for a monthly charge of £5 or a one-time charge of £50.

For more info, click here.

Via: Fone Home

Here's one to bolster the argument that the iPhone is a bona-fide gaming console; Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is now available for the iPhone.

The perspective has changed, but the idea remains the same; from a top-down viewpoint players embark on a life of crime, this time with a focus on the Triad syndicate and gang warfare.

In a wise move, the game doesn't rely on accelerometer controls. Instead, a virtual thumb stick and buttons are put onto the touchscreen. It's an incredibly faithful port of the game, lying somewhere between the DS and PSP versions.

The DS version's touchscreen mini-games also make a welcome return.

The £5.99 asking price sure is a steal too; you're looking at probably at least double that price for the PSP and DS versions.

Pick up GTA: Chinatown Wars here.

In what might well be the most bizarre headline of the year the Telegraph has confimed that 'Apple moves to ban Nokia selling iPhone in America.'

Come again? So Nokia is going to start selling the iPhone in the US but Apple isn't happy about it?!

The story actually relates to the current ding dong between Apple and Nokia in the US courts. In case you've forgotten in October Nokia accused Apple of pinching 10 of its patents related to GSM and 3G mobile phone technology. Apple then responded by accusing Nokia of "stealing" its technology and infringing 13 Apple patents.

Now, according to the Telegraph Apple is pushing for Nokia to be banned from selling its 'popular mobile phone' (is this the iPhone they mention in the head) in the US.

Confused? You betcha. Is there really someone writing about technology about the Telegraph who thinks that Nokia makes the iPhone? Could be.

Back in the real world it appears that Apple is trying to stop Nokia from selling its phones in the US. Here's the Reuters story which does actually make sense. I wouldn't think Nokia is too worried about the US market anyhow. It appears to have given up on the States and instead is focussing on countries like India and China.

In not related news check out this Express article on Twitter and the BBC - bizarre

If you've got up early today and already sorted yourself out with a new Vodafone iPhone, you'll be happy to hear that you can grab yourself a free-to-try Sat Nav app too.

The Vodafone Navigation app provides turn-by-turn 3D navigation for your handset, with voice activated instructions and speed camera alerts nationwide.

The app is free until April. After that a £3 per month subscription kicks in, or you can choose to use to it only when you need it for £5 a pop. Additional Western Europe maps cost an extra fiver, too.

You can pick up a Vodafone iPhone from today. Check all the latest deal and offers on the handset here.

So you've just picked yourself up a new iPhone on Vodafone and you're looking to fill it up with these new-fangled app thingies that everyone keeps going on about. Not sure what to get? Then You've come to the right place. Here's Tech Digest's guide to five of the best iPhone apps to get you started.

Spotify

The daddy of music-streaming services, Spotify is changing the way we get to our favourite music. With a library of millions of songs, the Spotify iPhone app lets you browse the entire catalogue, allowing you to set up play lists and buffer them offline, or grab them on the go over the air using a 3G connection. Subscription fees apply, but once you start using Spotify, you'll never look back.

Guardian

It's only been out a month, but it's proving to be massively popular, already topping 70,000 downloads. The Guardian app features news feeds, comments, features, galleries and audio content form guardian.co.uk. It's got a clean and easy-to-browse UI, and cen be viewed offline too.

Tweetie

One of, if not the best Twitter clients for the iPhone. Tweetie lets you handle multiple Twitter accounts at once, live- filter your tweet stream, has an offline mode and a fully integrated landscape mode, as well as all the basic Twitter functions you are used to and more.

Layar

Layar is an augmented reality app, using your iPhone camera and GPS tracking to overlay digital content onto the world around you, via your handset's screen. Point it at a restaurant, and Layar will tell you all the table booking information, prices and offers, for example. Using web sites as "layers" of information, if you cant find what you were looking for first time, a quick swipe of the finger will give you information from another web address instead. The app is undergoing some maintenance at the moment, but expect to find it back online in the near future.

Around Me

AroundMe allows you to quickly found out information about your surroundings. It will help direct you to the nearest bank, bar, restaurant , petrol garage, hospital, hotel, cinema, supermarket, taxi rank and theatre by locating where you are, and then mapping a route for you on Google Maps.

The iPhone 3G and 3GS models go on sale from Vodafone today. Click here to check the pricing details on all Vodafone's iPhone contract plans.

The brand new option sees the Vodafone-connected handset enter an increasingly competitive market. The iPhone is now also available from Orange and Tesco Mobile, after O2 lost its exclusivity rights to the handheld late last year.

As our previous posts suggested, there is little difference between each of the tariffs, so in the end personal preference or brand loyalty is the ultimate decider. Unless perhaps if you're a film fan, where the Orange Wednesdays 2 for 1 cinema ticket offer may have you swing in their direction.

The Guardian newspaper's iPhone/iPod touch app has proved incredibly popular. Available to readers in most European countries and also Australia, Canada and the US, it's racked up a massive 70,000 downloads in a single month on sale.

The Guardian app features news feeds, comments, features, galleries and audio content from guardian.co.uk. It has an easily browsed UI which probably didn't hurt sales, and neither did the ability to catch up with news offline too.

Emily Bell, Director of Digital Content, Guardian News & Media, said: "We are thrilled with our download figures for the first month of the app. The feedback we have received from users has been excellent, yet also extremely informative in terms of features and functionality that can be improved in the future. Over the Christmas break the app became available in many areas of mainland Europe, as well as in Canada and Australia for the first time, so we hope our global audiences will enjoy using the app as well."

It's certainly an impressive figure. 70,000 apps downloaded at £2.39 a pop makes £167,000 in the bank by my calculations. With so many people getting their daily news fix not only online but on their mobiles too, it'll be interesting to see the daily circulation figures for the Guardian's print format.

The Guardian app can be picked up here.

Snowed in or snowed under with work? Fear not! The App Store round-up is sure to have something either to warm your cockles in the blistering cold or to aid your heavy workload. This week we've got a sneek peek at Paul Hoffman's new novel "The Left Hand of God", Chelsea FC's news app and TravelNews, sure to be useful in avoiding the weather-beaten chaos of Britian's roads right now.

Click the image below to get started

We're a long way away from grinding through all of the rumours destined for Apple's mill this year. This latest one sets a more-than-tentative release date for a brand new iPhone "4G" model at April of this year.

The report published by Korea Times suggests that this new 4G model would have an OLED screen, improved camera and video conferencing straight out of the box. This news, along with the supposed April release date, comes courtesy of a "high-ranking" Korean network executive.

If the source is to be believed, it's the wave of new Android handsets that has pushed production of the rumoured Apple device into fifth-gear.

Can it be believed? Probably not; the report allegedly quotes an Apple executive too. Either the exec is totally disenfranchised with the company or totally bogus, as Apple traditionally stonewall any speculation about new products. We'll let you make your own mind up, but we're pretty certain this is a load of smoke and no fire.

Keep an eye on the Apple press conference later this month for more concrete news on any such handset.

Broken Sword, one of the most well-loved point and click adventures of all time, is headed to the iPhone. This "Director's Cut" update will build upon the sweeping, globe spanning narrative of the original game, as George Stobbard and Nico Collard become entangled in a web of intrigue concerning the fabled Knights Templar.

New improvements to the original game include touch screen controls, revamped graphics, a context sensitive help system and brand new puzzles and dialogue, adding 20% more play time to compared to previous versions.

"We're excited to be introducing the game to a whole new audience" says Revolution Software's MD Charles Cecil "I am confident that the quality of the original adventure coupled with significant updates and new assets will ensure that the game appeals both to new players as well as those that played the original first time around."

Broken Sword: Director's Cut will be available through the App Store by the end of the month.