Briefly: Playwatch sale, apps bootcamp, iTrip Auto

In brief: Playwatch, an iTunes controller, has been reduced to nearly half-price, dropping from $13 to $7 for the month of October. Meanwhile, Big Nerd Ranch Europe is offering an iPhone Bootcamp for developers who want to learn iPhone app development. It will run December 8-12 near Frankfort, Germany. MacNN has reviewed the Griffin iTrip Auto SmartScan FM Transmitter, commenting favorably on its performance, but questioning the high price.

Playwatch drops in price

Playwatch, on sale during October, is a menu-bar based iTunes controller, which lists artist, album and other track information in ticker form. It can additionally bring up lyrics and cover art on command. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher, along with iTunes 7.4. Mac OS X 10.5.2 or better is recommended.

German group organizes new iPhone camp

In response to the sellout of its first event, Big Nerd Ranch Europe is hosting a second iPhone Bootcamp near Frankfurt, Germany this December, between the 8th and the 12th. Also scheduled is a February, 2009 class; the course is aimed at novice iPhone developers with object-oriented programming backgrounds, namely in Java or C++. The main topics will be drawing with Quartz and OpenGL, working with multi-touch and the accelerometer, and accessing telephony. Students who sign up more than five weeks prior to the class get a €200 discount on the €2,800 price.

iTrip Auto displays mixed results

MacNN's review of the Griffin iTrip Auto SmartScan FM Transmitter gives the accessory four out five stars, noting an excellent interface, but an expensive price tag and mediocre performance in crowded FM markets. The SmartScan feature searches for empty FM frequencies, and sets presets based on open FM locations. The device also provides power to an iPod. It works with the first-generation iPhone, as well as the Nano 3G and fifth-generation standard iPod.

Filed under: iPod, iPhone, software, developer, accessories, iPhone apps
Other story tags: iTunes, iPod nano, Germany, FM transmitters