The iPhone User Guide

Ping! is much like the Blackberry messenger, but for the iPhone! This app was created by the guy who made PushGmail and is a mix between text messaging and instant messaging. And the best part, it’s free and it’s fast! Ping! looks and feels much like a built in iPhone SMS client. It also aims to provide free iPhone to iPhone (and iPod touch on wifi) messaging. The messages you send arrive at the recipient’s screen instantly, similar to IMs, but also pop up with a Push Notification if you’re not actively using the phone. It’s basically free SMS as long as you can convince them to sign up for Ping. Even if you can’t, the ones you do switch over might be enough for you to downgrade your SMS plan one notch to save some money. [via talkiphone]

The iPhone OS doesn’t allow third-party apps to run in the background, so location services such as Loopt and Google Latitude are unable to track your location at all times, something they can do on other mobile platforms. According to Business Insider, that’s all about to change, at least in sneaky sort of way, thanks to a deal Loopt has made with AT&T to offer always-on location services.

Via a deal with AT&T, and with your permission, Loopt will be able to access your location all the time you have a network connection, even when you’re not actively using the iPhone app. (The app isn’t running in the background; it’s working server-to-server.) Loopt cofounder and CEO Sam Altman tells us that it’s been users’ most requested feature

The Loopt app itself isn’t being given any extra special privileges, it’s just that AT&T is allowing the service to communicate server-to-server in the background even while the app isn’t launched. No more opening up the app to update your location, it will be all done for you. The service will be completely opt-in, so you won’t have to worry about your location being broadcasted if you are using the free Loopt app. Of course, there are some catches. First off, the service will be subscription-based, meaning you will be charged $3.99 per month to utilize it, and that cost will show up on your AT&T bill every single month. Loopt is offering a 14 day “free trial” to 5,000 customers, but you must be in the U.S., own an iPhone with a data plan and a text messaging plan, AND once the free trial has ended, you must cancel the subscription to ensure you won’t be charged for future months.

Another glaring point is that even though the service is “always-on,” your location is only updated every 1-2 hours. Plus, the service only uses cell tower triangulation and nothing more, which means it won’t be as accurate as GPS. So basically Loopt found a loophole in Apple’s system and went straight to AT&T with it. This gives them a huge advantage over the many competing location-based social networking services and it definitely will be interesting to see what happens next. Specifically, how will Google respond to these new developments? It must feel like a slap in the face considering their competing service, Google Latitude, was relegated to a web app, and their much-hyped Google Voice app got placed in app approval purgatory. Are any of you willing to drop $3.99 per month on an always-on location service for your iPhone? [via appadvice]

Push Mail does what it says on the box… it acts as an intermediary between your POP email account and your iPhone. When you get an email, it will send you a Push Notification. A nice alternative until more email providers offer Push on your iPhone.

Twitbit is the first Twitter iPhone app to provide full support for push notifications. You’ll be sent an alert when you receive direct messages or when you’re mentioned. Don’t want push notifications? Just turn them off in Settings.

Ebuddy is a free push-capable chat app that is able to display all of your friends from various networks under one buddy list. It works very well, and is stable, if you are looking to test out push notifications, and don’t want to buy the super expensive Beejive, then this might be right for you.

VERDICT: 78%

Ebuddy is a free push-capable chat app that is able to display all of your friends from various networks under one buddy list. It works very well, and is stable, if you are looking to test out push notifications, and don’t want to buy the super expensive Beejive, then this might be right for you.

VERDICT: 78%