Gameloft on Tuesday announced the release of GT Racing Motor Academy at the App Store. It features more than 100 realistic vehicles, from 25 manufacturers, along with a career mode, multiplayer racing for up to six drives, 60 events to compete in, and 14 tracks, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

A help wanted ad in Apple's job posting site suggests that a camera may be a part of a future iPad device. The Cupertino company listed a job posting for a Performance QA Engineer in the iPad Media group at Apple, and the key phrase in the job posting involves skills relating to digital cameras.

Apple released Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.0 Tuesday, an update that adds support for RAW images for several digital cameras to both Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09.

Apple released iLife  Support 9.0.4 Tuesday, an update that adds compatibility with Aperture 3, which Apple announced earlier on Tuesday. The update also improves performance in media Browser and iPhoto's slideshow feature.

Google announced Tuesday a new service the company is calling Buzz, a social information sharing service the company is building into Gmail. Buzz allows users to share information, links, pictures, videos, etc. to their friends on Gmail. The company claims the service helps users find the signal in the tidal wave of information noise.

This is the last article I intend to write about the iPad until I can actually get one in my hands and play with it. Until that happens the only thing I or any tech writer can do is hypothesize, speculate, and fantasize. As fun as that can be I’m about hypothesized, speculated, and fantasized out. So this is it for me until March when I can get a 32GB WiFi iPad and give it a good once over.

Google has lowered the "equipment recovery fee" it charges for those who buy a Nexus One at a discount with a T-Mobile contract to $150, down from $350. InformationWeek reported that the move was in the face of pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The Deal Brothers noted that Apple is offering the refurbished 13" MacBook 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo for $749.00, $100 off the company's previous price.  That includes free delivery and one year of AppleCare.

Macworld Expo kicked off today, February 9, marking the fist year Apple won't have any kind of official presence at the conference. The Internet is full of reports that the event is dead in the water thanks to Apple pulling out, but those reports are flat-out wrong because it's really up to the attendees, vendors and IDG whether or not this is the year Macworld Expo dies.

Texas Tea is an iPhone app that combines the challenge of matching skills with elements of poker and a timed game. Nancy Gravley put Texas Tea to the test to see if it's a game worth coming back to, or just a quick diversion.

Along with the launch of Aperture 3, Apple released a series of tutorial videos showing how to use several of the new features in the professional image management and editing application.

Today TMO readers are talking about the best ways to backup the images stored in your iPhoto library.

SmileOnMyMac announced on Tuesday that Notebook, iThoughts and iType2Go now support TextExpander touch for the iPhone and iPod touch. The announcement brings the number of apps that directly support TextExpander touch up to 16.

Computing, as we know it is going to change dramatically over the next decade. A slew of new technologies, appliance computing, better security models, Android, and mobile computing will fundamentally change the nature of our computer experiences.  All of this new technology is being formulated by Apple and Google, and Microsoft, with questionable leadership, is in a very poor position to react.

Apple introduced Aperture 3 on Tuesday, adding an enhanced version of iPhoto 09's Faces and Places features to the professional digital image management and editing application. According to Apple, Aperture 3 offers over 200 new features.

Apple's MobileMe may be a handy way to make sure your contacts and appointments are always synchronized between your computer and iPhone or iPod touch, but the service isn't all that useful when syncing stops working. If your aren't making their way to your iPhone, the fix can be as simple as resetting the sync process.

Apple's online retail Web site went offline Tuesday morning, leading to speculation that the company is about to introduce updated versions of its MacBook Pro lineup.

The Mac Observer's Bryan Chaffin also happens to be a member of the Atomic Love Bombs, and the band will be performing at a special concert during Macworld Expo 2010 to raise funds for Haiti earthquake victims. The concert will be at the Red Devil Lounge on Friday, February 12, and starts at 8PM pacific time.

Network equipment vendor Juniper Networks is planning to unveil software it says will greatly improve network performance for cell carrier networks. Dow Jones Newswire reported that Juniper will unveil the software  that allows carriers to automatically prioritize traffic at next week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The Hess List is a popular resource for Macworld Expo attendees looking to stay on top of what's going on at the conference, and the freshly updated version for the 2010 show hit the Web on Monday, available just in time for the multi-day event.

A survey from online consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo found that Apple's iPad media event significantly raised awareness of the device, but failed to convince those who were not already interested in the device that they needed one. On the other hand, the survey also found a marked increase in the percentage of customers who would like to buy an iPad, from 3% to 9%.

The Mac Observer's Mac Geek Gab co-host, Dave Hamilton, will be presenting a session at Macworld Expo 2010 on Thursday, February 11, on keeping your Mac running in top shape. Dave's Running Your Mac Lean, Clean & Mean session starts at 3PM pacific time, and is open to User Conference attendees.

The Mac Observer's Mac Geek Gab co-hosts, Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun, will be recording a special podcast on Thursday, February 11, at Macworld Expo 2010 in San Francisco. The special Macworld Expo edition of Mac Geek Gab will be recorded live on the Macworld Main Stage at 12:30PM pacific time.

The Deal Brothers found a deal on the Western Digital WDBABM7500ABK 750GB My Passport Essential SE Portable Hard Drive for $129, including delivery.

nova media announced the immediate availability of FoneSync for LG phones on Monday. The utility lets LG handset users sync data with their Mac.

The iPhone Dev Team released Pwnage Tool 3.1.5 on Monday, only days after Apple released its iPhone OS 3.1.3 update. Pwnage Tool is a utility that "jailbreaks" the iPhone and iPod touch so users can install and run applications that aren't available at Apple's iTunes-based App Store.

Saudi Arabia iPhone users are about to get a feature that U.S. customers are still waiting for: Tethering. Medhat Amer, Mobily's CIO, made the announcement via Twitter.

Today TMO readers are talking about APple's iPhone, Google's Android platform, and the impact both are having on the smartphone market.

John F. Braun checks out TrueCrypt, a cross-platform solution for encrypting and securing your data.

The United States International Trade Commission has decided to pursue an investigation into possible patent violations on Apple's part based on a complaint cell phone maker Nokia filed in December 2009. As part of its complaint, Nokia requested that the ITC block Apple from importing and selling most of the products the company makes.

Malkinware announced the immediate availability of Reference Tracker 1.6 on Monday. The update for the academic reference management and research application for Mac OS X added support for the AGPS Harvards reference style.

Google sold approximately 80,000 of its Nexus One smartphones, according to analytical firm Flurry. If true, it would mean that the device is off to a slow start, despite the hype surrounding the leadup to the device, and the fanfare with which it was greeted after its release.

Vern Seward is wondering what Steve Jobs was holding in his other hand at the iPad announcement

In this week's congeries of technical news debris, John looks at regrets and delights. Will Apple ship a whole line of tablet devices?  Will Apple regret not including the iSight camera in the iPad? Will Apple have enough iPads to meet demand in March? Does Sir Patrick Stewart regret passing on Twitter? (But he loves his iPhone.) And why did Dan Frommer give up his 'Hulu Household' and cave for cable?

In this week's installment of Free on iTunes, Vern Seward takes an in-depth look at one of the most popular eBook readers available, Stanza.

The Deal Brothers are keeping an eye on storage for you with this deal on the Toshiba 640 GB USB 2.0 HDDR640E04XR Portable External Hard Drive for $89.99.

For a company to remain great, its leaders must have a certain kind of passion: one that leads to sacrifice and true leadership. But for many companies, executive power is merely an end in itself: a means to acquire more power. That will cripple any company that depends on high tech innovation. How did Apple preserve that passion and Microsoft lose it?

Game Developer Research, the sister service of game development news site Gamasutra, on Friday announced the release of its 2009/2010 State of Game Development Survey. It revealed a large jump in development for mobile platforms, with nearly 75 percent of those respondents targeting the App Store and its iPhone and iPod touch, more than double the support for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

Stephen Colbert isn't the only person outside Apple lucky enough to get their hands on an iPad before it ships in March -- assuming a LEGO-build iPad counts, too. Flickr user jmenonemo took the time to build his own iPad to scale with the popular building blocks, and then shared pics of his LEGO iPad online.

The Mac Observer's Bryan Chaffin joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoicesTV to talk about the upcoming Macworld Expo 2010 event, the iPad, and more.

The Tenqa SP-109 is a Stereo Bluetooth speaker that lets you listen to audio from any device equipped with stereo Bluetooth A2DP such as most Macs, iPhones, and other mobile smartphones. 

Dave and John are back for a second time this week, talking about Keychain passwords, the pros and cons of admin accounts, personal finance software options, comparing VirtualBox with others, and more! Don't miss it, download today!

Apple's recently announced iPad multimedia tablet and ebook reader will run iPhone OS 3.2 and isn't locked to specific cell service providers. Today TMO readers will include support for multiple U.S. carriers for the iPhone, too, when iPhone OS 4.0 rolls out.

Hachette Book Group is throwing its support behind changing how publishers charge customers for electronic versions of books, according to GalleyCat. Hachette is the second major publisher to toss its hat into the agency pricing ring following Macmillan's high profile clash with Amazon.com.

If you really want an iPad right away, but are too lazy or busy to stand in line at the Apple Store, one budding entrepreneur is ready to take on the job for you.

Houdah Software announced the immediate availability of ACTRocket 1.0 for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on Friday. ACTRocket is an app that queries multiple online search engines without requiring users to first launch Mobile Safari.

Microsoft has created a "dysfunctional corporate culture," according to former vice president Dick Brass. In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Mr. Brass laid out the case that Microsoft is coasting on the success of only two products, Office and Windows, and that the company's culture today discourages innovation and change.

A manufacturing company in China is accusing Apple of ripping off the design of the iPad from a tablet it introduced in Berlin  in 2009. Shenzhen Great Loong Brother Industrial (SGLBI) of Shenzhen, China, thinks the iPad is copied from its own Windows tablet, the sexily named P88 (see image below). The company said it would sue Apple if and when the iPad was introduced to the Chinese market.

The App Store continues to be a place for everything from the latest titles from big publishers to experimental slices of gameplay delivered by small studios, and the latest batch of games is no different. Konami has released Rhyme Player, a rhythm game featuring Lady Gaga, the Jackson 5, and other artists, while Tale of Tales has published Vanitas, in which random objects appear in a box while cello music plays.

Shares in Apple Inc. tumbled amidst a broad market sell-off as investors worried about the state of the global economy. Also making news was a research note from Credit Suisse, which said there was a 75% chance that AT&T would keep its exclusive contract for the iPhone throughout 2010, locking out Verizon. The firm then downgraded Verizon on that assessment.

The Deal Brothers found a deal on the Fantom GDP2000EUGreenDrive Pro 2TB eSATA and USB Hard Drive for $149.99 - that's the price after a $20 mail-in rebate, and the device ships for free.

Wiley announced Thursday the release of Incredible iPhone Apps for Dummies Thursday. The book was authored by our own Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus, who will be autographing copies of the book at Macworld Conference & Expo on Friday, February 12th, at booth 1765 from noon to 1:00 PM Pacific.

Apple's iPhone looks to be susceptible to potential phishing attacks thanks to a flaw in the way the combination iPod and smartphone handles authentication certificates.

Amazon looks to be ready to ramp up the Kindle's features to include multitouch support now that it has purchased Touchco. The small company specializes in touch screen technology, and Amazon plans to roll the Touchco team into its Kindle division

The iPad is due to ship in March, and today TMO readers are talking about what types of applications they want to see on Apple's multimedia tablet.

TMO columnist Ted Landau joined Chuck Joiner on the MacNotables podcast to talk about Apple's recently introduced iPad and to highlight what you need to know before buying one.

Cell service provider O2 is apparently negotiating with Apple for a U.K. 3G wireless data deal for the recently announced iPad. The 3G-compatible version of the iPad will ship as an unlocked device so users can choose the carier they want, but Apple is also working on special package deals with certain service providers.

Apple expanded its iTunes Store in-browser previews to include the App Store on Thursday. The change means that following an App Store link in a Web browser will take people to a preview page without requiring iTunes to launch.

Savoy Software announced the immediate availability of Liquid Scale 1.0 on Thursday. Liquid Scale is an image editing application for the iPhone and iPod touch that lets users selectively scale and crop images.

Gendai Games on Wednesday announced the five finalists of its GameSalad game creation contest. All five, which were chosen by a panel of judges from 32 entries, are available for play now on the GameSalad web site: Bork’s Adventure, the skill game Kill the King, the maze games Stunt Squirrels! and The Cat Rides the Astrobus, and the arcade title Traffic Ninja.

EA this week released High-End Loft Stuff, a collection of furnishings, electronics, and other items for The Sims 3. The company published several such collections for The Sims 2, so it’s not a stretch to assume that High-End Loft Stuff will be the first in a series of similar releases for The Sims 3.

Apple's new iPad has helped to define the broader tablet market, even though it has yet to ship, according to research firm ABI Research. The firm said Tuesday that shipments of tablet devices - defined as touchscreen interface devices measuring five to eleven inches with WiFi, video and gaming capabilities, will measure four million units in 2010, and rise to 57 million units by 2015, prodded along by the iPad.

Apple's share of the smartphone market dropped in the December quarter of 2009, according to ABI Research. The Wall Street Journal reported that ABI's data for the quarter shows iPhone's market share at 16.6% during the quarter, which is down from the 18.1% share Apple enjoyed in the September quarter.

The North Face Snow Report for iPhone and iPod touch provides everything the skier needs to plan a day trip or longer: snow totals, snow conditions, detailed current weather with forecast, trail maps, and a resort locator via Google maps. Best of all, it's free.

Shares in Apple Inc. rose in afternoon trading Wednesday, as tech and Internet stocks rallied around AOL's December quarter earnings report. For some reason, investors were cheered by this news, and became bullish on tech stocks, including AAPL

The Deal Brothers noted that Apple is offering the refurbished Apple TV with 160GB drive for $189.99, with free delivery and one year of AppleCare.

Logitech's Touch Mouse app recently hit the App Store with the ability to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a Wi-Fi based wireless trackpad and keyboard for your computer.

Macworld Expo's iMacworld 2.0 app for the iPhone and iPod touch is available at Apple's iTunes-based App Store in time for the show's February 9 kick-off.

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin wants information from Apple and several other companies detailing their human rights practices in China. Mr. Durbin requested the information following Google's announcement that it planned to stop cooperating with China's Internet censorship policies

Gravity Applications announced the immediate availability of Tags 2.0 for Mac OS X on Wednesday. The new version of the file tagging and organization application added support for including tags in Adobe application files, along with Firefox and Mailplane.

So far, all we know about the iPad is what Apple has told us. Today TMO readers are sharing what they want to know about Apple's new multimedia tablet and ebook reader, or as our own John Martellaro calls it, Apple's SmartBook. Hop into the forums and lets us know what iPad questions you want TMO to answer for you.

ScrollMotion may not be a household name, but the company looks to be making a name for itself thanks to deals with big name text book publishers. The company is working on adapting text books from several publishers into ebook formats, and is prepping many titles for Apple's upcoming iPad

There is a cult SciFi theme that goes like this: a spirited group of technologists, engineers, scientists and others manage to build a fleet of spaceships, leave Earth, set up a colony on Mars, and make it self-sustaining. They set up a new, more modern government. That got me thinking.  When I consider the Apple iPad, this device may be just the beginning of a similar dream for Apple: leaving the PC world forever behind.

The Mac Observer's Mac Geek Gab co-host, Dave Hamilton, made an appearance on theDigitalLifestyle.tv podcast with host Ryan Ritchey to talk about Apple's new iPad.

Softpress and SmileOnMyMac announced a new application bundle on Tuesday that includes a free copy of PDFpen bundled with Freeway 5 Pro. PDFpen is a PDF editing utility, and Freeway 5 Pro is a graphic-based Web site design application.