Annamika: An animated, customizable kaleidoscope that comes with some beautiful stock art. But things get even more fun when you run your own images through the software (resulting in things like the trippiest game of Words With Friends ever.) It’s a bit steep at $5, but for iPad owners who enjoy the interactive art app genre, it’s worth a place in your collection.

Autodesk Fluid FX: Bringing Hollywood-grade multitouch image manipulation software from Autodesk Maya, the app offers tons of controls for creating cool images or warping existing ones. There might be a little bit too many controls, though—the interface is cramped and tough to use on the iPhone and even on the iPad is a lot to get used to. A steep learner’s curve, sure, but that means there’s plenty to discover. $2
Also works with the iPhone

Gravity Hook HD: From Semi Secret Software, the folks behind the acclaimed escape runner Canabalt, Gravity Hook HD offers beautiful, pixel-era graphics with simple, deceivingly difficult climbing gameplay, a la Oddy Smog’s Misadventure. $3

Radio Alarm offers features and customization that far surpass Apple’s native alarm, allowing you to set volume, snooze duration, and toggle fade-in for a less jarring wakeup. You can also choose from a variety of alarm sounds, from the classic “rooster” to the if-you-use-this-you’re-probably-insane “scream.” And if you want to make yourself earn a few more precious moments of sleep, you can set the app to snooze only after being shaken. If you need help falling asleep after waking up to horrible screaming sound effects, the app even has a sleeping aid mode, with the usual generic distant gulls and babbling brooks to comfort you at bedtime.

But the real meat of Radio Alarm is, of course, the radio. The app has full support for Shoutcast’s nearly 41,000 stations, and comes with some considerately chosen presets. The interface is designed to mimic an old timey radio, with neat attention to detail in the various buttons and clicks-there’s even an authentic sounding static effect when the app connects to a radio stream, as if you were scanning a real FM dial. If internet radio isn’t your thing, you app can rouse you with your own songs, too.

And all that for $2.

Chopper 2: Fans of the realistic side-scrolling helicopter adventure Chopper—and even if you hadn’t heard of it, you’re probably a fan of the idea—will find a whole lot to like with the sequel: it has better graphics, a better interface, better environments, better combat, and you can even use your iPhone as a remote to control the game on your iPad. A first rate iPhone production all around. Currently on sale for $3.
Also works on the iPad

Cloud Music: Take it away, Kat:

Heaps of music-streaming apps already exist for the iPhone, but Cloud Music has one novel selling point: you upload the music files to Google Docs, and then stream the songs from there. Docs is not just for word-processing anymore, remember?

MP3, MP4 and WAV files are supported by the app, which was only released yesterday to the App Store. If you’re wondering how Google Docs enables the upload and streaming of music files (here you were, thinking it was just a free Word and Excel replacement!), it’s down to Google opening up the types of files that are allowed to be uploaded-virtually any form of media is now supported, such as movies, photos, music and ZIP files. Only 1GB of non-Google Docs files can be stored for free (with each file being below 250MB in size), but for each additional GB uploaded you’ll be charged 25 cents each year.

Cloud Music also displays album art (if you upload it to Google Docs, that is), and can play music shared between friends. The app itself costs $2, and that music-sharing feature alone is well worth the money, in my eyes. Let’s just wait and see how long that feature survives for, though.

$2
Also available for Android

37signals Campfire: If you work on the internet, you probably use Campfire, an excellent collaborative chat service. 37signals, the company behind Campfire, just bought the formerly independent $10 Campfire app Ember and turned it into the free, official 37signals Campfire app. Awesome! It’ll work with both the iPhone and iPad and it’s free, so it’s kind of a no-brainer download if you do any work with 37signals’ product.
Also works on the iPad

Camera Sutra: Photo Booth, the application for snapping distorted and stylized shots using your Mac’s web cam, was improbably but undeniably a lot of fun. Camera Sutra brings that same real-time zaniness to your iPhone 4′s front facing camera.

The app takes advantage of one of iOS4′s multitudinous new APIs for live image previewing, giving you a chance to see how you and your friends’ faces look stretched, twirled, dented, infrareded out, and more-there are 13 effects in total-and then snap a picture of it to your camera roll.
The interface well-designed and the app works beautifully with the iPhone 4′s front-facing camera, though it supports the 3G’s rear camera, too. If you even occasionally are inclined to silliness, it’s well worth $2

Family Tracker: Brian, inveterate stalker, familial and otherwise, says:

Family Tracker’s not a new app, but this iOS4 update rescues it from near-uselessness. Thanks to the addition of multitasking, you can now track the GPS locations of family members all day, every day. Privacy invasion? Nah. That’s just love.

It’s a good bargain, though, compared to AT&T’s similar service that can cost $15/month. Family Tracker has a one-time payment of three dollars. Locations can be viewed from a browser, so you don’t even need an iPhone to play the most dangerous game-though your quarry does. Available here, now.

$3—a fair price to pay for all that power.
Also works on the iPad

AMNH Explorer: A new app from the American Museum of Natural History that gives you directions from exhibit to exhibit, lets you create custom tours of the museum, and plenty more. I wrote about it at length here, but suffice it to say that it shows incredible promise for how apps can enhance an already first-rate museum experience. Free.

DailyBooth App: An increasingly popular social networking site, DailyBooth lets you keep your friends up to speed with snapshots of what you’re doing—a natural fit for the iPhone 4′s front facing camera. You still have to set up an account on DailyBooth.com, but once you do, sharing’s a snap. Free.

HexaLex: The best moves in Scrabble are the ones in which you cram a word in a just a few open squares, linking it up with the surrounding tiles to create several words at once. HexaLex, which is basically hexagonal Scrabble with all of the attendant gameplay tweaks such a setup requires, provides many such moments, and its recent update brought crucial online multiplayer support. Scrabble purists might object, but the rest will find it a welcome lexical alternative. $3
Also works with the iPad

Star Trek Captain’s Log: Likely Trekkie Sam Biddle says:

The Captain’s Log app allows fans to eschew the iPhone’s vanilla Notes and Voice Memos in favor of a Starfleet-themed communicator, allowing for sound and text capture, plus the ability to map GPS coordinates as you chart your intrepid voyage to the corner store. Those looking for a fuller Star Trek experience can browse a 3D rendering of the Starship Enterprise before taking on a command rank of your choosing, and then share logs with fellow captains via social networks.

Two bucks—either shameful ones or the most easily justified you’ve ever spent, depending on just what subspecies of Star Trek fan you are.

Tabbed Out: Here’s what Casey said, drunkenly, even though we keep telling him not to drink and blog:

In the perfect life, I’d have an open bar everyday. In this life, I’d take having TabbedOut work in every bar. It’s an app that let’s you pay for your bar tab straight from your iPhone.
First things first, your local watering hole doesn’t support TabbedOut. In fact, the only bars that do support it are located in Austin and Dallas, Texas and Chico, California. So if you don’t live there, chances are you won’t get to ever use the app.

Sure, the 99-cent service charge (per use) is a bummer and probably a dealbreaker to some. And yes, this doesn’t really exist in my city. But one day someone will figure out how to do something like this and implement it everywhere. And I’ll never have to stand around waiting for a bar tab to come again. TabbedOut is the first step in the twelve step process. If you’re in Austin, Dallas or Chico, I envy you.

Also available for Android

Bump: The social networking app that gives people an excuse to give eachother pounds, Bump just upgraded to version 2.0, bringing Twitter and LinkedIn integration as well as the ability to send unlimited photos and contacts. If you’re routinely sending stuff back and forth between iPhones, Bump’s probably an easier way to do it. And free, too.
Also available for Android

Send an email to Kyle VanHemert, the author of this post, at kvanhemert@gizmodo.com.

A museum’s treasures aren’t worth much if you can’t actually find them, and with a sprawling facility like the AMNH, which covers 500,000 square feet in total, finding the exhibits you’re looking for isn’t necessarily as easy as you might think.

But the American Museum of Natural History Explorer, an app for iPhones and iPod Touches which uses over 300 Wi-Fi hotspots to triangulate your position inside the museum, takes the stress out of finding the particular piece of history you’re looking for.

After downloading the app on your own device or borrowing an iPod touch from the museum, you’ll find that figuring out where you’re going is just the start—you can also let Explorer guide you on preplanned tours or select from a list of exhibits and specimens to plot your own route through the museum. There’s an interactive fossil treasure hunt for youngsters, social media integration for updating your Twitter and Facebook friends about your day at the museum, and, yes, instant directions to the nearest restroom (which the museum staff explained is visitors’ most commonly inquiry.)

I roamed around the fourth floor of the museum this morning with Explorer as my guide, and overall it was an excellent experience—the app pinpointed my location accurately and guided me smoothly from room to room. Sure, part of the joy of the museum visit is the contemplative stroll—a rare respite from a hectic day—but even if you ditch the navigational functionality and just use it for getting some further info on the fossil you’re looking at, it’s incredibly handy.

And that’s what’s most exciting about the app: what it promises for the future. Currently, the informational content on individual exhibits is limited to a blurb of text, but it’s easy to see how audio guide content could be implemented seamlessly into the app. The museum wouldn’t give any specifics on where they were headed, but they said that they were committed to expanding the app and the museum’s digital experience. (They did confirm, though, that a native iPad app was on the way and that the Explorer platform was built for the possibility of expanding to Android in the future).

I’m sure some will contend that museums are fine the way they are (and have been) since they started collecting specimens dozens and dozens of years ago. But I think that AMNH’s commitment to exploring technology’s potential for enhancing their collection will ultimately make that history all the richer. [AMNH, iTunes]

Send an email to Kyle VanHemert, the author of this post, at kvanhemert@gizmodo.com.

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If you are considering upgrading your iPhone to a newer model, Mike Heller and Chris Pinnock made a video that will help you decide: A no-prisoners speed race between the original Jesusphone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4.

If you are going to buy the obvious winner, you should also consider our review and remember to order the free bumper that will avoid the antenna problem. [TUAW]-www.gizmodo.com

Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com.

The other 27″-sized beauty in Apple’s pack is of course the iMac, which many of our readers had (much-documented) troubles with, and led to Apple acknowledging the issues and offering extended support on it. Let’s hope this similarly-sized brother will fare better.

Ports and connectors remain the same as the 24″ model. The brightness has been turned up a notch, to 375 cd/m2, and the contrast ratio remains the same, at 1000:1. Response time has changed as well, from 14ms in the 24″ model, to 12ms in the 27″.

Weighing 10.7kgs (a little heftier, as expected, than the 24″ model at 9.5kg), the full measurements are 18.84″ tall, 22.57″ wide, and 7.76″ deep. Available in September.

CUPERTINO, Calif., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today unveiled a new 27-inch LED Cinema Display with stunning 2560 x 1440 resolution and 60 percent more screen real estate than the 24-inch LED Cinema Display. Featuring a built-in iSight® video camera, microphone and speakers, powered USB 2.0 hub, and universal MagSafe® connector, the new LED Cinema Display is an ideal companion for the MacBook® family or a Mac® desktop, and is available for $999.

“With built-in MagSafe charging, iSight camera, speakers, and USB ports, the LED Cinema Display is ideal for MacBook and MacBook Pro users,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With its massive 2560 x 1440 resolution, the new 27-inch LED Cinema Display is a perfect fit with our powerful new Mac Pro, and it gives iMac users an easy way to double their screen real estate.”

The new, larger 27-inch LED Cinema Display features a beautiful 16:9 edge-to-edge glass display on an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge that makes tilting the display almost effortless. The LED Cinema Display has vivid colors and exceptionally high contrast and uses a premium display technology called in-plane switching (IPS) to provide a brilliant image across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle.

Designed as a companion for any Mac notebook or desktop, the 27-inch display includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, an integrated MagSafe charger to keep Mac notebooks charged, built-in Mini DisplayPort connectivity for video and audio input and a powered three-port USB 2.0 hub so customers can charge their iPhone® or iPod® even when they take their MacBook with them.

The new LED Cinema Display now includes a new ambient light sensor which automatically adjusts the display brightness based on external lighting conditions and uses only as much energy as necessary to provide an optimum viewing experience. Made with mercury-free LED technology, arsenic-free glass and highly recyclable materials, the LED Cinema Display meets stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.* The new display contains no brominated flame retardants and all cables and components are PVC-free.

Pricing & Availability

The new LED Cinema Display will be available in September through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $999 (US). The LED Cinema Display requires a Mac with Mini DisplayPort.-Gizmodo

Send an email to Kat Hannaford, the author of this post, at khannaford@gizmodo.com.

ABC News: Did you know that news is just the plural for new? And there are new things all the time, so you can never have too many ways to keep up with it all. ABC News’ new iPad app has a kinda-swanky, kinda-gimmicky globe feature to navigate through stories, but definitely worth checking out for news junkies and globe lovers. Free

Sky Writing HD: It’s kind of one of those party trick apps, but it pulls it off well enough to be worth a mention—Sky Writing provides a number of international skyscapes (the sky above the Statue of Liberty; the sky above the Eiffel Tower; the sky above Big Ben) and lets you draw an airplane trail message that slowly wafts away just like a real cloud. $3 is pretty steep for the novelty, but it is uniquely soothing. $3

Green Eggs and Ham: It’s the good Dr. Seuss’ timeless classic, updated superbly for the iPad. The drawings look great, the text is read aloud, and you can choose background audio for each scene. If you can even conceive of a time in which your iPad will be close proximity to a small child, it’s probably worth plunking down $4 to make their 21st Century day. $4

Zenbe Lists: Says Jason, who is prodigiously organized:

Zenbe has become my de-facto todo list-beating Google’s and any sort of Apple solution-for two reasons: Ease of use and cross-platform compatibility. I can make grocery list on the computer and check them off on the iPhone at Safeway.

And, if you already have the iPhone version, you get this for free. It’s $3 for both otherwise.

Tron: With the movie still six months out, Disney has released the o-fficial Tron app, which they’ll be continually updating with premium content until the movie hits in December. For now, it’s just a tanks-style game, but it’s a damn good one, with some puzzle elements and plenty of neon thrown in for good measure. Free

Carcassonne: Adam Frucci, frequent visitor of the Carcassonne region, says:

The game is basically perfectly suited to make the transition from tabletop to touchscreen. It consists of a bunch of square tiles, each with features of a map on it. Elements include parts of roads, parts of cities and cloisters. You take turns placing the tiles down to create a finished map.
The actual competition comes in while you’re making the map, as you’re trying to complete various elements without letting your competitors complete theirs. So you’re trying to build a big city or long road, while your opponents are trying to keep you from completing it or to hop on board to steal its points for themselves.
The iPhone version is a perfect translation of the game, one that improves upon the original with a solitary mode, very good computer opponents and the ability to see just what tiles are left and what moves are and aren’t possible.
You can play either locally or online against friends or strangers, and a game can be banged out in about 10 minutes if you’re playing against the computer or speedy opponents. It is incredibly fun.

I heeded his advice and bought the game, and it is indeed very fun. $5

Plunderland: A beautiful Pirate-themed side scroller with smart game play—tilt controls, conventional aiming, good physics—and a cool visual style. Overall a very fresh experience, and one that’s tough not to like. And, c’mon, it’s pirates! $3

acrossair: Acrossair, who’s really having a go at making this whole augmented reality thing useful, just updated their app to support the iPhone 4′s gyroscope. Turns out it makes AR browsing smoother than a tub of butter. Free.

Dragon Dictation 2.0: Brian Barrett, who probably SPOKE this instead of TYPED it, because he is lazy, says:

Dragon Dictation has been our favorite speech recognition app for a while, and today’s 2.0 update only strengthens that opinion. Not only does it bring the requisite iOS4 compatibility, but you can now speak your tweets and Facebook status updates.

You can also send your dictated words directly to your text messaging client, if you’re tired of fumbling around with that on-screen keyboard. Plus, speaking your tweets aloud in a public space might win you a bunch more followers. Or possibly get a slushie thrown in your face. Either way, you’re making connections.

Say it with me: Free.

Skype: When Apple announced iOS 4′s various flavors of multitasking back in April, two of the most compelling were background music (Pandora) and background VoiP (Skype). With Skype’s new multitask-enabling update, we’re two for two! Still no videochat, though. Free

Risk: Mark, who has never completed a Risk game without at least one ill-fated attempt to conquer Asia, says:

However, those playing on the iPhone and iPod touch will have access to some interesting multiplayer options. Up to 6 players can share one handset to multiplay their way through a game, or up to 4 can join one another over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
But the one, missing feature I’d like to see is online play. No, I don’t want to connect to anyone in realtime over the internet, but a slower-paced, push-notification-based style of play could be perfect for killing time through the day-like Warfish, just on my phone.

That’s kind of a bummer. How am I supposed to conquer the world with no internet multiplayer? $5.

Star Wars: Trench Run 2.0 Updating to Star Wars: Trench Run 2.0 gets you new levels—defend Princess Leia, protect the Y-Squadron during the Battle of Yavin—and new ships—Darth Vader’s TIE, the Millennium F-in Falcoln—but best of all it lets you use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a controller for playing the game on your computer. Turning your iPhone into a starship that can make the Kessel Run in under 12 Parsecs? There’s a paid update for that. $5 app, $1 upgrade

iBooks: iBooks has been updated with “substantial performance improvements when reading PDFs” as well as the ability to include in-book audio and video content. Because how will we make the next Great American Novel without the ability to embed YouTubes in it? Free.

Zen Bound 2: Casey! Unwind:

Zen Bound 2, previously exclusive to the iPad, is now available for the iPhone. It takes advantage of the iPhone 4′s retina display and gyroscope to bring butter-like smoothness to the beautiful game.

Zen Bound 2 carries the same premise as the original Zen Bound: wrap up floating, rotating figurines with a rope. With the gyroscope involved everything feels slightly silkier and roping tho

The white iPhone 4 is turning into something of a white whale. And while there was a glimmer of hope last week, when it was announced that the white model would be available this month in “limited quantities,” that’s plan has apparently been scrapped:

Statement by Apple on White iPhone 4

CUPERTINO, Calif., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — White models of Apple’s new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.