As the world prepares for the introduction of new and improved iPod models, major new releases in both the accessory and app worlds have slowed down significantly—thus, this week’s small initial gaming edition of iPhone Gems. We look at two recent titles, Electronic Arts’ Boggle and Disney’s Breakspin, and plan to add more to this column later in the event that something especially noteworthy emerges. Our top pick of the week…

Apple has sent out invitations to select members of the media inviting them to a special event on September 9th. Featuring a large iPod silhouette graphic at the top sporting the phrase “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it,” the invite states that the event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco, CA, and that it will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple is widely expected to announce its…

Rockstar Games has announced that it will be releasing its first two games for the iPhone and iPod touch this fall, including the platform’s first Grand Theft Auto title. Beaterator is a portable music-making application that allows people of all musical backgrounds and ability to create beats and songs, featuring thousands of loops and sounds made by both well-known producer/rapper Timbaland and Rockstar. Currently available for the Nintendo…

The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission has launched an investigation into possible illegal trading of Apple shares both domestically and abroad, according to a new report. Citing a series of SEC documents sent to the brokerage community, the Huffington Post reports that the commission is looking at four specific time periods, asking for the names of clients who specifically bought and sold Apple shares during those periods. The report states…

A Pittsburgh-area man who was robbed over the weekend used MobileMe’s Find My iPhone feature to help police track down the robbers and his stolen goods. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the man was robbed by two other men of his iPhone, wallet, and PIN numbers for his credit cards early Sunday morning; the man later used Find My iPhone to track the robbers to a nearby Wal-Mart where police said the suspects purchased goods using a stolen…

If you haven’t yet entered our Livespeakr Giveaway, today is your last chance. In our Giveaway of the Month for August, 10 lucky iLounge readers will receive a black Livespeakr for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPod classic. To enter, simply fill out and submit the form on the giveaway page—the giveaway will end tonight at 11:59PM Pacific Time. Good luck!
…

This week’s Ask iLounge topics: Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries, iPod touch Bluetooth headset compatibility, iPod holds less than advertised number of songs, Transferring media between iTunes Store accounts

Citing sources from Apple Authorized Resellers, Ars Technica reports that the entire current lineup of iPods has been discontinued. Stock of the current screened iPods, announced and released last September, is dwindling, with no more expected to come in; the fate of the third-generation iPod shuffle, released earlier this year, is unclear. Apple is reportedly planning a special event for early September—possibly as soon as Sept. 9—to…

Facebook has released version 3.0 of its application for the iPhone and iPod touch. The updated app sports a redesigned interface and several new capabilities, including the ability to write notes and read friends’ notes, upload photos to any album and manage a photo collection, zoom photos, see mutual friends, change profile pictures, and more. Facebook 3.0 for iPhone and iPod touch is available now as a free download from the App Store. OnOne…

To say that we’re excited about Augmented Reality would be an understatement. The concept—overlaying computer-generated graphics and data on top of live video feeds—quite literally has the potential to change the way we travel, shop, and acquire information on all sorts of things. Imagine being able to hold your iPhone up in a store and see prices for all the items inside at a distance, or walk down the street and see menus for all…