Today, Supergiant Games, the developers of Bastion, announced that the game is now available for the iPhone. Bastion had previously been available for the iPad, and the newest update makes the game compatible with all of Apple’s newest mobile devices. The game now works on iPads from generation 2 on, the new iPad Mini, the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5, and the newest iPod device. In addition, the game has been optimized to take advantage of the iPhone 5′s retina display.

The game studio explained on its blog the reasoning behind putting what was originally a PC and console title onto smaller devices:

Then, a couple of months ago on September 12, Apple unveiled the iPhone 5. Now, we’d previously stated in our FAQ for the iPad version that we chose to focus exclusively on iPad both for technical reasons and because we “felt the game experience would not translate well to the iPhone’s smaller screen.” Well, the iPhone 5 added quite a bit of screen real estate, so we decided to take another look. And sure enough, we found that Bastion looked great and ran beautifully on the new device. Of course we still needed to update all the menu screens and re-tune the controls to fit the smaller form factor, not to mention implement iCloud support, so all that took a little while. But it’s finally ready!

Bastion costs $5 on any of the available Apple platforms. That isn’t as inexpensive as the game potentially was as a part of the Humble Indie Bundle V, but is still a good price for a game that has won nearly universal acclaim.

Today, Apple launched its holiday gift guide website, featuring the perfect gifts for the Apple fans. The guide is split into four parts, one section for each of Apple’s major products – iPhone, iPad, iPod, and the Mac category, which includes Macbooks, iMacs, and Apple TVs.

In addition to the Apple products themselves, Apple is selling a myriad of accessories for all Apple products. Aside from the requisite cases, headphones, adapters, and gift cards, the company has a few less-practical (but really cool) products. A few of the highlights are a USB Fender Stratocaster Guitar, an iPad edition of Monopoly, and bluetooth RC cars & flying drones.

Apple is providing free shipping for anything listed in the holiday gift guide, as well as all orders over $50. For impatient Apple fans, Apple also allows customers to purchase some of the items in the holiday gift guide and pick them up at a nearby Apple store.

There’s no sign of a Google Play Android holiday gift website yet. With its new Nexus lineup, though, Google might finally have some products around which to base a few good accessories.

Gigaom reports that Apple has started to ship out early iPod Touch pre-orders to early adopters. In this case, the device is being shipped via FedEx from China to the states with an estimated delivery date of October 15. The strange shipping method could be Apple’s way of cutting down on delivery time by shipping straight from the Chinese suppliers.

Of course, this brings up the question of why Apple listed the device as shipping in three weeks on the Australian store. Reports from The Next Web suggests that the current iPod Touch pre-orders are only being shipped to US and Canadian customers. It could also indicate that Apple won’t have the devices generally available on the Apple store until three weeks from now.

Apple could also be limiting the supply to these early pre-orders as they work to get production ramped up to meet demand. The iPhone 5 and iPod Touch share a lot of the same components including the larger 4-inch screen. GigaOm suggests that Apple could be prioritizing shipments of iPhone 5s as that device is Apple’s true money maker, whereas the iPod Touch is more or less a diversion these days.

Regardless, we’ll keep you updated on the strange launch of the iPod Touch. Apple should be making an official announcement regarding general availability soon.

A report from Today’s iPhone found Apple accidentally revealing the ship date for the new iPod Touch last week. The company’s Australian store listed the ship date for the new iPod Touch and the iPad Nano to be shipping in three weeks time. That puts the device’s launch at sometime near the end of the month. It may even coincide with the launch of the iPad Mini.

The new iPod Touch, like all of Apple’s other big hardware revisions this year, is set to take the holiday season by storm. The device has seen some massive improvements over the previous iteration to make it an attractive purchase for folks who want the iPhone experience without the phone part.

During its event last month, Apple announced that the iPod Touch would feature the same 4-inch retina display as the iPhone 5. It’s also seen a massive improvement in the battery department with a full charge being able to play music for 40 hours. In fact, the iPod Touch’s processor is the only thing that’s inferior to the iPhone 5. The new iPod Touch features the iPhone 4S’ A5 chip. It’s understandable why Apple would restrict the iPod Touch’s specs, but it’s a little disappointing nonetheless.

The launch of the new iPod Touch is only one part of Apple’s master plan to win the holidays. The company already has the iPhone 5 and the iPod Nano on tap to rule the holidays. The iPad Mini and whatever else is announced later this month will most likely further propel them to the top. Some are even saying that Apple might announce a hardware revision for the new iPad (iPad 3). We won’t know for sure until later this month, but Apple’s holiday game plan is already looking mighty impressive.

People who visit the Apple Web site today will be greeted with a video memorial that celebrates the life of Steve Jobs. It covers all the major achievements of Jobs’ life including the launch of the iMac, the iPod, and the iPhone.

Current CEO Tim Cook also shared his personal tribute to the Apple co-founder:

Steve’s passing one year ago was a sad and difficult time for all of us. I hope that everyone will reflect on his extraordinary life and the many ways he made the world a better place.

One of the greatest gifts Steve gave to the world is Apple. No company has ever inspired such creativity or set such high standards for itself. Our values originated from Steve and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We share the great privilege and responsibility of carrying his legacy into the future.

I’m incredibly proud of the work we are doing, delivering products that our customers love and dreaming up new ones that will delight them down the road. It’s a wonderful tribute to Steve’s memory and everything he stood for. – Tim

Apple is celebrating the life of Steve Jobs today, but others have been looking back on his achievements for the past week. In fact, a futurist talk from Jobs that was thought to have been lost was recently uncovered and shared with the world this week. Even if it’s a little creepy, a Chinese company has also paid tribute with a wax replica of Jobs.

Others may share stories or pay tribute to Jobs today, but Apple sure has the classiest tribute of them all. I’m sure Jobs would be pleased with its simplicity and matter of fact nature. It’s already been a year since his passing, but the effect Jobs had on the tech world will be felt for quite some time.

For those who don’t need an Apple device that doubles as a cell phone, the new, 5th-generation iPod touch debuted. Apple Vice President of Worldwide iPod, iPhone, and iOS Product Marketing Greg Joswiak took to the stage at Apple’s event today and showed off what he says is the best iPod Apple has ever made.

The portable media player is only 6.1 mm thick, and is the lightest iPod touch ever created. The case is made of anodized aluminum.

Excitingly, the display on the device is the same one that is used in the new iPhone 5. Meaning a 4-inch, 1136 x 640 resolution, 326 PPI retina display. As with the iPhone 5, the battery life of the iPod touch has been increased so that it can now play 40 hours of music without being charged.

The iPod touch will not be getting the iPhone 5′s new A6 processor, but an upgrade to the A5 should keep mobile gamers a part of what Apple seems to be hoping is a burgeoning mobile game industry. Also, the iPod will be getting a 5 MP iSight camera with the same “sapphire crystal” as the iPhone 5.

A new accessory, the “iPod touch loop” will also be available this fall. It’s a plastic bracelet that connects to the iPod touch to keep users from dropping it.

The iPod touch will also come with Apple’s new, bulbous “earPods.” The headphones are designed to be more comfortable in customers’ ears and direct sound straight into ears.

Apple sees a point, however, with rumors from 9to5Mac pointing to a new iPod Touch to be released alongside the new iPhone this September. Continuing in the fine tradition of nerfing the iPod Touch to be one generation behind the current iPhone, the new iPod Touch will be more like a iPhone 4S.

The rumors point to the new iPod Touch at least having one thing that its newer contemporary has – a larger screen. Leaked front frame images show that that iPod Touch will get a slightly larger four-inch display. That’s where the similarities end, however, as the new iPod Touch is reportedly getting the current gen A5 chip and an iPad inspired shell.

It still remains to be seen if the new iPod Touch will be running on iOS6. The iOS5 for iPod Touch page features a teaser for iOS6 near the bottom, so it seems likely.

It’s a little disappointing to see the iPod Touch get increasingly ignored over the last few years. It would be nice if Apple would bring it up to par with the curent iPhone builds. Some of us just want an iPod Touch and it would be nice if we could be on equal footing with our iPhone toting brethren.

Solutions to this problem are beginning to roll out in the form of Bluetooth controllers, some of which have holders for a iPhone or iPod. However gamers might as well get an older handheld gaming system for all the cost and poor design of most of them. Thankfully, elegant solutions, such as the Ringbow, are beginning to solve this seemingly intractable problem.

Chris Jorgensen and Andi Greisel decided to come at the problem of touchscreen gaming from a different direction. Jorgensen states that the iPhone is too slick for some games and that the iPad is too large for on-screen controls. To solve this problem, he and Greisel have created the GameDock, a dock for iOS devices that turns them into home consoles. The GameDock can be connected to a TV, and will allow gamers to play iPhone games on their TV using up to two USB controllers.

The pair have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise the money to manufacture the GameDock. They claim to already have all of the technical issues worked out, and are promising to ship early-bird GameDocks to people who pledge $100 or more. Those who pledge $150 or more will get a “retro” USB controller that looks exactly like a controller for the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

Watch the video below to see Jorgensen and Greisel pitch the GameDock and describe where their inspiration for the device came from:

The one thing that is not made clear in the Kickstarter pitch is whether the GameDock will allow users to play any game they have on their iPhone. Will players be able to use usb controllers to play Max Payne for iPhone, for example? While it is stated that the GameDock is compatible with existing iCade games, a broader functionality could help set it apart from other touchscreen gaming solutions.

The iPad edition of the Kindle app received the more major changes, with the app now having smaller margins and a “cleaner” look. More exciting, though, is the new inclusion of comic books, graphic novels, and children’s books, as seen above. The layout for these titles has been improved, and they are displayed in full color. Amazon states that over 1000 children’s books are currently available, including titles from the Brown Bear and Curious George series.

The iPhone version of the Kindle app got more technical, but needed, upgrades. The app now has a search feature that allows users to search through their Kindle libraries for a specific title or author. An issue with the iPhone version that prevented it from looking up words in Google or Wikipedia has also now been fixed.

The Kindle app is available in the Apple App Store. It allows users to access their Kindle library and read books that are synched across any Kindle device or any device running the Kindle app. It is free and comes in a variety of languages, including the major romance languages, German, and Japanese.

“Customers tell us that they want access to all of their music, wherever they are, and on all of the devices they use,” said Steve Boom, vice president of digital music for Amazon. “By bringing Cloud Player to iPhone and iPod touch, we now have the most widely compatible cloud playback solution available, giving our customers the ability to buy once and enjoy their music everywhere.”

The Amazon Cloud Player has already been available on the web and on Android devices, including Amazon’s Kindle Fire mini-tablet, for some time. The Android version of the app can be downloaded through either the Amazon Appstore or Google Play and is called “Amazon MP3 with cloudplayer.” Since all Amazon customers have 5 GB of free Amazon Cloud Drive storage, Apple fans have been asking Amazon for an iOS version of Cloud Player since the app launched. Storage for Cloud Drive can be increased through yearly subscription options that cost around $1 per GB. Customers who purchase one of these increased storage options will, for a limited time, receive unlimited Cloud Drive storage space for MP3 and AAC music files.