iPhone Applications

Now that Marvel has finished taking over the big and small screens, they’ve turned their sights on the even smaller screen. As a tie-in to the release of Iron Man 3 on Blu-ray, the company has launched a free iOS app based on Tony Stark’s virtual butler JARVIS for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

Officially titled "Marvel’s Iron Man 3 - JARVIS: A Second Screen Experience,” it features the voice of Paul Bettany, who recorded over 20 hours of new material exclusively for the app. The voice-activated A.I. butler is similar to Siri and uses verbal commands to post on Facebook and Twitter, set alarms, remind you of appointments, and check time and weather. With the purchase of Iron Man 3 on Blu-ray, JARVIS can be used as a remote control to navigate the disc menu, as well as unlock special Iron Man armors in the iOS app’s gallery.

Apple is sweetening the deal for anyone who buys a new iOS device this fall. Starting on September 1st, the company started offering five of its paid apps free to anyone purchasing a new, iOS 7 compatible device. Free titles from the iWork suite include Pages, Numbers and Keynote, while the iLife apps iPhoto and iMovie are part of the deal.

Overall, the promotion by Apple will save those picking up a new iPhone, iPad or iPod touch a cool $39.95 when compared to the App Store purchase price. Of course, the more people use iWork and iLife apps on iOS devices, the more likely they are to seek out the desktop version, which runs on OS X. When it comes to productivity, iWork competes with Microsoft Office, while iPhoto and iMovie are geared more towards creativity.

Remember the good old days, when services like Ping were abandoned after just 25 months? Apple must have set a new record by officially canceling iOS Cards service after only 23 months in operation. In case you missed it, September 10 was the last day to order and send a physical card using the Cards app.

Cards service was first released in October 2011, along with the launch of the iPhone 4S and iOS 5. The app was a surprise announcement by Scott Forstall at the iPhone 4S media event. Users could choose from 21 template designs and add their own message and photos. Cards were sent for $2.99 with custom postage from the USPS, and paid for using an Apple ID.

BlackBerry's Messenger app was submitted to Apple two weeks ago, according to a Tweet from a developer who worked on the app. It is unknown why the approval process is taking so long since the current approval time for the App Store is 4 to 5 days. Perhaps that is why the Senior Strategic Account Manager at BlackBerry, Alex Kinsella, felt the need to send a tweet.

The popular messaging platform was promised to land on both iOS and Android devices "before the end of this summer," by CEO Thorsten Heins in June. At least iOS users now know that it's not BlackBerry's fault for missing their own deadline.

PayPal has immersed itself deeper into the mobile payment world by completely redesigning its iOS and Android apps. The company has also sweetened the deal by offering $100 worth of in-store deals to those who choose its app over other mobile payment options.

PayPal's iOS app will begin offering the ability to order ahead at local restaurants and cafes, and will allow independent merchants to offer a line of credit to PayPal users with the new "BillMeLater" option. The app also now features a way to search for local businesses who accept PayPal payments, and a "Pay at Table" tab for viewing and paying your bill at participating restaurants.