MORE ON APPLE’S BIG DAY:
Netflix, FarmVille, Guitar Hero, iMovie and iBooks were announced as the latest additions to the Apple App Store on Monday.
NETFLIX: The Netflix app will allow streaming of any video available through Netflix Watch Instantly. Registered users will be able to start a film or TV show on their TV, then resume playback right where they left off on their iPhone. Users will also be able to search Netflix’s database to make additions or manage their queue, or access personalized recommendations. The new Netflix app release is planned for “this summer,” and will be free for all Netflix customers.
FARMVILLE: If you’re a diehard Farmville fan via Facebook or Farmville.com, this is a happy day for you. With the iPhone and iPad lacking Adobe Flash, playing Farmville on any Apple hardware other than a computer was impossible — until now. FarmVille will be offering a dedicated iPhone app by the end of this month, which will even send you a text notification when your crops are ready for harvest. This news just made the new iPhone and likely the recent iPad that much more attractive for the online farmers.
GUITAR HERO: If you love Guitar Hero, then this new app for iPhone/iPad is designed just for you. It is largely similar to the console game, but has been optimized in a few ways for iPhone play, with new tapping and strumming mechanics. Users can download the app for $2.99 as of immediately and will even be able to share their scores via Facebook.
iMOVIE: Get ready for iMovie for iPhone 4. Already available on every Mac computer hardware from Apple, this app will soon make its iPhone debut. Record, edit, and produce your own movie directly on the iPhone. No computer necessary. That’s right… now you may use the new front facing or back facing video camera then edit videos right on the new iPhone 4, which will record for you in 720p HD video at 30fps.
iBOOKS: Introducing the new iBooks app for iPhone. This app will now have the added ability to view PDF documents within the app, and is also getting an updated bookmarking control where users will be able to add notes to books and documents. PDF viewing has been the most requested feature from iBooks users, and Apple has finally chosen to comply. PDF documents will be shown on a separate virtual bookshelf within the app, while Notes will be displayed as yellow sticky notes, imitating the Stickies application in Mac OS X. Both Notes and Bookmarks can be viewed on a new Bookmarks page when reading a book or document.
