Frequent readers of San Leandro Times and Castro Valley Forum are in for a big treat. MonkeyByte.com teamed up with the two weekly newspapers to develop their very first iPhone applications for the iPhone. Visitors equipped with an iPhone will enjoy up to the moment news updates with the latest local columns streamed right into the iPhone.

"We know the iPhones can read a regular website. But, what is the fun in that," says Yon Hardisty, partner at MonkeyByte.com, "We see lots of opportunity with the iPhone and want to expand our application offering for it by developing new titles as well as working with other developers to publish their applications. The fact that any application created for the iPhone can double as a web-based offering is a huge incentive for our team to go to town with new offerings for both mediums".

Click over to test drive the two new applications.

Future releases of these two news iPhone applications will include login services as well as expanded menus, archive searching, image sharing, news submissions, and new home listings. To keep up to date on the latest releases, visit www.SanLeandroTimes.com or www.CastroValleyForum.com. Updates and new applications will be available directly through the MonkeyByte.com website as well.

"Taking news sites to the iPhone is just the first logical step to take," says Nicholas Murphy, partner at MonkeyByte.com, "What we are really excited about is taking our games to the iPhone platform. I think the iPhone games will offer a much needed solution to those long lines at the Post Office".

MonkeyByte.com have plans to release Galactica Anno Dominari gMatcher utility and the arcade game Galactic Patrol:Invader (my all time favorite game).