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March 1st, 2010, 16:33 Posted By: wraggster
Web report claims 16GB device will cost under £400
The iPad will cost as little as £389 when it eventually arrives in the UK, claims a website which says it has received leaked price information from a mystery source.
Geeky Gadgets says that the base 16GB model will cost £389, with the 32GB costing £439 and the 64GB coming in at £489.
If correct, UK consumers are facing a premium compared to their US counterparts. Across the pond the 16GB will cost $499 (£308), the 32GB $599 (£370) and the 4GB $699 (£433).
The site doesn’t yet have any information concerning the top-of-the-range 3G models.
The source also claims that the first shipments will arrive in the UK in April and not in March as Apple had previously suggested.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/33215...-prices-leaked
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March 1st, 2010, 16:34 Posted By: wraggster
Android is more popular than iPhone in eight US states, with seven of them in the west and midwest, according to stats released by mobile content firm Myxer.
The company has published a map of the US comparing downloads from users on the two platforms, which makes the geographic trend jump out even more.
The company plans to publish the map once a quarter, to track the ongoing growth of Android, and how it's faring against the iPhone.
Myxer has also been digging into Android usage patterns among its customers. It identifies Google's own Nexus One as the 'manliest' Android handset - 75% of registered Myxer users with it are male.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/36199...tes-says-Myxer
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March 2nd, 2010, 01:06 Posted By: wraggster
People rarely talk about iPhone app piracy, but when they do, it sounds devastating: 90% piracy rates, $450 million in lost sales, etc. Here's the truth: App Store piracy isn't a big deal—and it never will be.
With these shockingly high reports comes the general air that developers are being marauded and pillaged by Viking hordes and that Apple isn't doing enough to stop it. This resonates! Developers don't control much about the App Store, so if the entire app protection system has been cracked—which it has—you'd expect the looting to be wholesale; the impact on developers to be immediate and devastating; and the problem to be grave indeed.
And yet the piracy issue seems to be dying. The story behind the lack of a story, it turns out, is that iPhone piracy is nowhere near as serious as many people say it is, and that before long, it may not be a problem at all.
How It Works
It's tough to talk about iPhone app piracy without tacitly endorsing it. The mere mention of DRM cracking methods and application sources is—or rather, was—enough to send people looking, and presumably, stealing. But look at the piracy subscene today reveals that, like the jailbreak scene it's a part of, it's just not the same as it used to be.
Kicking off your career in app theft isn't too hard, and it'll only take a few minutes of Googling to get the full instructions. Still, I'll keep this as abstract as possible. Here's how you do it:
• Jailbreak your iPhone or iPod
• Open Cydia, the jailbreak equivalent of the App Store, and add a particular download source that isn't part of the default lineup
• Download two apps: One that lets you crack apps you've purchased for the benefit of others; and another that lets you install cracked applications yourself
• Download cracked apps to your heart's content, from various sources around the internet
At the peak, there were sites that aggregated huge numbers of download links together into an easily browsable website, which meant that once your phone was cracked, you could tap through these websites like you'd browse the App Store—links to the latest apps were plentiful, and you could snag that game you just read about on Gizmodo within a day or so, tops.
The most popular of these sites, called Appulo.us, disappeared just last month, leaving pirates without a centralized resource for apps. Soon, torrent sites and carbon copied link-dumps picked up the slack, at least for people dedicated and savvy enough to find them. So, yeah, piracy is alive, to be sure. But how serious is it?
The Problem
I wanted to find out how bad piracy was, so I went straight to the developers. I started with the types of apps I thought would be least vulnerable, just to set a baseline: Productivity apps. The verdict? Yes! Piracy happens!
"Roughly 10% of our paid app users are coming from piracy." That's Guy Goldstein, CEO of PageOnce, the company behind Personal Assistant, a top-selling organizational app. This is pretty stunning, if you think about it. Personal Assistant is available in a fairly full-featured free version, and as useful as it is, it's not the most glamourous of apps—it's a utility, not a flashy game. The paid version tracks a little high for a productivity app, at $7, but not matter how you slice it, Personal Assistant isn't the most obvious target for piracy. Nor, apparently, is it a serious victim: "Although i think piracy is generally bad and negatively effects companies, for us it's not big issue—our business model is based on purchasing, but also advertising. The more users we have, the better." Right, so piracy is happening here, but it doesn't really matter. Let's move onto the people who you'd really expect to be getting ripped off.
I contacted TomTom, whose navigation apps start above $50. They were cagey. Cagey and brief:
TomTom takes piracy very seriously. Per corporate policy, we do not disclose information about our ongoing efforts to disrupt software theft.
So I moved on to their direct competitor, Navigon, whose MobileNavigator North America app runs $90:
Navigon is well aware of hacked iPhone Apps. As with any other software, it is only a question of time when applications are being hacked and distributed illegally. There's no security mechanism available to prevent this 100%. Since hacking of additional application functions, which are available through Apple's In App Purchase mechanism, is more difficult, this helps to better secure Apps from software piracy. Our legal department is watching this very thoroughly and Navigon will fight piracy with all legal means.
Less cagey, and more ragey. But this is an official position—a conversation with a Navigon rep left me with the impression that while they don't condone piracy, obviously, it wasn't exactly the Issue of the Day. Ripe targets that they are, nav companies don't seem to be losing sleep over this. Which leaves the game developers.
What apps are more pirateable than games? They're shiny, they're extremely popular, and they're often expensive. Surely the EAs and Gamelofts of the world are the hardest hit, right?
On record, they basically clammed up. Off the record, though, they were a bit more free. A rep from one of the largest studios—you've probably played one of their games if you have an iPhone—told me "It happens, but I don't think it's that big of an issue." I couldn't coax out any specific stats, but in relation to total sales, piracy figures are "small."
In fact, it was hard to come by hard piracy figures from any major developers, but one thing is certain: The occasionally reported 50%+ piracy rates are rare among major developers. And overwhelmingly, major devs are underwhelmed by the problem. So, where are all the pirates?
The Jailbreak Factor
Peter Farago, a VP at iPhone analytics firm Flurry—the guys who spotted the iPad in their logs days before it was announced—track roughly one out of every five apps purchased from the App Store, and their software runs deep: Though it doesn't collect individualized personal data, it can tell if a device running a tracked app is jailbroken or not. In other words, Flurry knows exactly how many of the millions of devices its tracked apps are installed on are jailbroken. Take a guess.
It's... as low as you might expect. Lower, even.
"Under 10% of the iPhone installed base is jailbroken."
Just to make this clear, a company that at any given time is tracking five out of the top ten most downloaded apps in the App Store is detecting a jailbreak rate of under 10%. Less than one out of ten, and often significantly less. The figure tends to bottom out at just above 5% after every time Apple issues a software upgrade, slowly creeping back up to previous levels as the Dev Team and the like issue updates to the jailbreak software. Bear in mind, jailbreaking is a prerequisite for app piracy, but not every jailbreaker is running even one pirated app. Start peeling off the people who jailbreak just to enable multitasking or Wi-Fi tethering, or to skin their iPhone, or just to see what all the fuss is about, and "under 10%" starts to looks even slimmer.
Given the state of jailbreaking, I find these numbers easy to believe. Back in 2007, before there was an App Store, jailbreaking was as easy as opening a website in Mobile Safari. Today, it's a bit more difficult, and depending on which iPhone you have, sometimes impossible. (Sorry, late model 3GSers!) And Farago says it's always under siege: "There's a cycle that exists, but basically, it's this kind of thing that happens—every time there's an OS swap, it goes away for a while," dipping by "a few percent" before creeping back up to previous levels.
Now, I don't want to play down these numbers, because even a tiny percentage of a user base as large as the iPhone's is enough to throw a developers' pirated/paid stats out of whack—this can happen, and cases in which pirated downloads exceed paid downloads have been documented—but such stats are misleading. Without even having to speculate about what percentage of pirates would have otherwise purchased the app, they represent a small portion of the app-buying population. In such small numbers, jailbreakers simply can't screw a developer over, except in those rare cases in which the developer has to pay significant continuing costs to deliver data and services once an app is installed. Even then, Flurry finds that pirated apps are often launched just a handful of times after they're downloaded.
With the App Store offering most—though not all—of what the jailbreak scene used to provide, cracking your phone, going through the trouble of ducking regular upgrades and enduring the constant fear of rendering your phones permanently useless just isn't that attractive anymore. To be a pirate right now, you really have to want to be a pirate. This isn't Napster. This is Usenet. And pirates aren't potential customers. They're pirates.
Why Developers Don't Care
At first I found many developers' silence on the issue curious. But after talking to a few, and finding out the scale of the problem, it makes sense: An app developer has nothing to gain by taking their fight public—Apple is clearly aware of the issue, and it's not like you can somehow convince hardcore pirates to start paying for all the dozens of apps they steal, because they were never going to buy them in the first place. To these people they're literally just free samples, and are most frequently treated as such. Developers do have something to lose, be it investor confidence (a lot of studios are heavily funded by VCs, who probably don't want to hear about any theft problems), a relationship with Apple (who would most likely prefer that developers discussed app DRM cracking and piracy privately), or the goodwill of the public, who aren't usually going to feel sympathy for a company anyway.
Most importantly, if developers do have a problem with piracy—say that, like PageOnce, they found themselves prominently featured on one of the more popular pirated app repositories—they can do something about it.
When an app is cracked, that is to say that its DRM has been stripped, and the app has been reduced to an unprotect .IPA file, ready for sideloading through a jailbreak utility. But in the middle of 2009, Apple introduced a system by which app developers could sell services or add-ons from within their apps. This was good way for paid apps to extend their profitability, and the in-app purchases were effectively unpirateable.
Then, in October, Apple changed the rules: In-app purchases were allowed in free applications as well, meaning that developers could provide free trial apps that could be upgraded to full versions by way of in-app purchases. Popular apps could consolidate their free and paid versions into one app, and on the way, make piracy all but impossible. After all, what's the point in cracking and bootlegging an app anyone can get for free?
Apple even says as much (albeit with no lack of redundancy): "Using In App Purchase in your app can also help combat some of the problems of software piracy by allowing you to verify In App Purchases."
Ngmoco took their fight against piracy public last year, quoting impressively high unauthorized download figures during new apps' first days in the app store. Today, nearly their entire product lineup is based on on the in-app upgrade model. And even after the transition, Ngmoco insists that piracy wasn't the motivating factor in their switch. In an interview with TouchArcade, it was the massively high download rates for free apps, vs paid apps, that lured Ngmoco toward in-app purchases. The elimination of piracy was a pleasant side effect, at best.
The moral of the story for developers? If you think you have a problem with piracy, you probably don't. If you still think you have a problem with piracy, you can stamp it out. Simple as that.
In-app purchases change the way developers market and sell their apps, and just as much, the way we consume them. Downloading a single app and then purchasing expansions for it is a superficially different procedure than downloading a free trial followed by a full app, or just taking a risk on a full app in the first place. But the way in which your transaction happens is different, too.
When you buy an iPhone app, it can be synced to multiple devices, as long as said devices are authorized on your iPhone account—the cap here if five, but that's enough to share amongst your family or friends, or to enable an easy transition from an old iPhone to a new one. In-app purchases, however, don't work the same way, at all. Here's what Apple says about syncing in-app purchases across devices:
• Consumable products must be purchased each time the user needs that item. For example, one-time services are commonly implemented as consumable products.
• Nonconsumable products are purchased only once by a particular user. Once a nonconsumable product is purchased, it is provided to all devices associated with that user's iTunes account. Store Kit provides built-in support to restore nonconsumable products on multiple devices.
• Subscriptions share attributes of consumable and nonconsumable products. Like a consumable product, a subscription may be purchased multiple times; this allows you to implement your own renewal mechanism in your application. However, subscriptions must be provided on all devices associated with a user. In App Purchase expects subscriptions to be delivered through an external server that you provide. You must provide the infrastructure to deliver subscriptions to multiple devices.
Problem is, this isn't how it works right now. In-app goods are sold on a strict per-device basis, because the only user information available to developers is the device identifier, not the account identifier. As it stands, when you buy something by way of an in-app purchase, it applies to your phone only, and not all the registered devices—iPhones and iPod Touches—on your iTunes account. Maybe that's no big deal now, but when the iPad arrives, this might become a problem.
Pirates... From the FUTURE
App piracy today may not be a massive factor in the App Store economy, but it would be wrong to characterize it as nothing. It does exist, and to a developer who makes money selling apps, even one illegally downloaded app is one too many. Still, looking forward, this issue is clearing up almost completely:
• iPhone app piracy is already low, and isn't on the rise in any meaningful way
• The latest iPhone 3GS has proven very difficult to jailbreak, and Apple seems to be actively thwarting efforts with each baseband/software release
• In-app purchasing is coming of age, and effectively eliminates piracy
If you want to call the iPhone pirate a species, he would be an endangered one; if you want to call the jailbreak scene a subculture, it would be passé; if you want to call app piracy a problem, it would be more nuisance than crisis.
Apple's pending extermination of piracy is great news for developers, but for users, it'll come at a cost. And for want of an example as to why, this post couldn't come at a better time, with Apple purging "offensive" apps from its official store, which will increasingly be the only place for iPhone owners to download apps. If Apple wants to be the only provider of apps (and they do!) then they need to be held to a high standard of transparency and consistency, which—trust us—they're nowhere near meeting.
http://gizmodo.com/5477732/the-myth-...one-app-piracy
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March 2nd, 2010, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo USA
The third version of the access tool kit is even more useful than previous versions. There are new tools and the access also now supports Apple products like the iPhone and iPod, and also can be used to repair most cell phones.
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March 3rd, 2010, 23:29 Posted By: wraggster
Several mobile gaming companies are developing cross-platform multiplayer games allowing Android and iPhone users, for example, to play games against each other. Last month touchArcade reported on a cross-platform baseball game developed by Com2Us called Homerun Battle 3D. Unlike turn-based multiplayer mobile games, Homerun Battle 3D allows players to compete against each other instantly, but you don't see the other player — instead you only get to see your competitor's score being updated. Pushing cross-platform multiplayer games even further, a company called Bulky Pix has created a table-football-style game that displays the action as it happens — both players see the ball moving around. This hopefully suggests that cross-platform, multiplayer mobile shooters aren't far behind.
http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/0...ining-Traction
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March 3rd, 2010, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster
A new survey sent out to Netflix subscribers indicates that the iPhone might be the next device that its streaming service rolls out on in the coming months. (The NY Times credits Hacking Netflix for the tip.) According to a tip sent to Hacking Netflix, the subscription video company is now asking users how likely they would be to use an iPhone app to view movies via its online streaming service. According to the survey, an iPhone app would give users all the same functionality that they have when streaming on a PC or other device, including all the same movies and TV shows without advertisements or trailers. If the app is rolled out, the ability to watch on the Apple mobile device would be offered at no additional charge to existing Netflix subscribers. There is good news for AT&T implied in the survey questions: it appears that the app would require users to be connected to a Wi-Fi network
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/0...-an-iPhone-App
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March 4th, 2010, 14:53 Posted By: wraggster
You know, for all the praise the iPhone has received in its time, we never thought it looked quite Matrix-y enough. Thankfully, that all-important deficiency has been remedied by a man named Ryan Glasgow up in Portland, who has just started selling the above case to all who care to have one. It's built out of stainless steel on the outside and silicone padding on the inside, with strategically located cutouts for wireless signals and heat emissions to get through. You can flip the front plate open, turning it into a rather outsized clamshell, or you can just talk with the lid closed, it's all up to you. Aluminum and engraving options (can we suggest "my other phone is a Vertu"?) are also available with each case costing a slightly spendy $95.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/i...-wait-for-the/
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March 4th, 2010, 14:54 Posted By: wraggster
After a disappointing initial effort, Palm has unleashed version 1.1.0 of its webOS Facebook app. Currently only available via the update function but not the standard App Catalog, users will find new and improved access to their inbox, all their friends' photo albums, profiles, direct photo uploading, friend search and a list view for upcoming events and birthdays. The first thing we noticed was the initial news feed now matches the notification preferences set on the standard webpage stopping the inevitable flood of Farmville updates we blocked so long ago. Features still missing include chat, video and the ability to respond to friend requests but with a distinctly faster and tighter experience, it's certainly surpassed the mobile webpage as the best way to access Facebook on the Pre. Can't reach the update button right now?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/03/f...h-appreciated/
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March 4th, 2010, 14:55 Posted By: wraggster
It only came at the tail end of an announcement of a new New York metro section for The Wall Street Journal, but Rupert Murdoch has finally confirmed that the paper will indeed be heading to the iPad. The really interesting bit, however, is that not only is the company now being allowed to work on an iPad, but that Murdoch says it's kept "under padlock and key," and that "the key is turned by Apple every night" -- a bit of hyperbole, maybe, but then again, maybe not. In other newspapers-going-digital news, Murdoch also said that the WSJ would be heading to half a dozen or more other devices within a year, although he didn't name any specific devices.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/03/m...under-padlock/
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March 4th, 2010, 19:52 Posted By: wraggster
[Richard Cabrera's] iPhone was scratched from years of use. A big part of the appeal of Apple products is the dose of sexy that comes with them, so he set out to remedy this abomination. His iPhone case rehabilitation guide walks you through the miraculous transformation. One of the tools he uses is a headlight lens restoration kit from 3M because its polishing pads include graduated levels of grit for the transition from rough sanding to buffing. As you can see, the logo and text have been buffed off but that’s a small price to pay for what looks like a shiny new device.
http://hackaday.com/2010/03/03/iphon...ehabilitation/
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March 4th, 2010, 20:07 Posted By: Shrygue
via Engadget
Dear Microsoft,
We've had it up to here with these shenanigans. You're jerking us around, and we're sick of it. We get it, you have a very particular concept of what sort of phones you want running your new Windows Phone 7 Series OS. Not only do we get it, but we're kind of proud of you for sticking up for yourself for once and ensuring some sort of sameness across your platform. Unfortunately, it's not the holiday season yet, so we can't buy one of these fancy WP7S phones yet. Meanwhile, on the other end of town, HTC is bringing the HD2 to T-Mobile in the US this month. Sure, it runs your soon-to-be-outdated Windows Mobile 6.5 OS which nobody wants, but it's also pretty much the best hardware we've ever seen. Bar none.
This brings us to our plea: Microsoft, please put a line in the sand and tell us if the phone will be upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 Series. Of course we know why you won't, you don't want to "Osborne effect" the sales of your one last hope for Windows Mobile 6.5 success, and you don't want to harm one of your most loyal handset builders. But what about your consumers? You've recently pushed out a number of statements about the device, full of wimpy non-line-in-sand-ers like "We currently do not have plans to update the HTC HD2 to Windows Phone 7 Series." Sure, you're not telling us to get our hopes up, but you're also just cruel and calculating enough to leave room for hope. We're pretty resigned at this point to receiving our Windows Phone 7 Series update on the HD2 from our good friends at xda-developers, but we'd just like to hear it from your mouth. Or better yet? Just get WP7S on there yourself, caveat it as "non-preferred" or whatever makes you comfortable, and save us all from this paralysis.
See you at MIX!
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March 5th, 2010, 19:15 Posted By: Shrygue
via Joystiq
The Red Star never had its chance to reach an audience. Originally in development by Acclaim for Xbox, the game was delayed when Acclaim ceased to exist, and didn't make it into stores until 2007 (well after the PS3 launch), when XS Games published the PS2 version to generally positive (and occasionally effusive) reviews.
XS just announced that it's giving the alternate-universe Soviet shooter-brawler game another shot at success, by releasing downloadable versions of The Red Star on PSP and iPhone. We have no idea how the game will play on an iPhone, but the PSP has buttons very much like a PS2 controller! The publisher offered an "early spring 2010" release date for both versions, which sounds like soon.
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March 5th, 2010, 19:19 Posted By: Shrygue
via Gizmodo
This isn't a Nexus One celebrating Gay Pride month—it's CNET Crave UK's broken Google phone. According to HTC's technical support, "they don't go in pockets," lest the screen gets cracked.
Only thing is, Crave UK swears up and down the Nexus One suffered the damages while charging on a desk—with no tampering by vicious iPhone users recorded. After being recommended by Google to speak to HTC's technical support, Crave was told that "putting a phone in a tight pair of jeans and sitting down would usually cause the kind of damage," and that "people sometimes forget that they don't go in pockets." Say what?
Here's the second stinging lash—the cracked screen will cost £180 to fix. That's $270, or $100 more than the whole phone's parts cost, according to iSuppli. Yeouch.
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March 5th, 2010, 20:52 Posted By: wraggster
Apple has announced that its iPad tablet will go on sale in the US on Saturday 3rd April. That's the Wi-Fi-only model - the Wi-Fi + 3G model will go on sale there in late April.
That's a slight delay - the Wi-Fi version was expected to go on sale in late March. When it was unveiled on 27th January, CEO Steve Jobs said it would go on sale in 60 days.
Still, only six days late isn't bad.
Apple has also announced that all iPad models will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.
However, Apple says it won't launch international pricing for the device until April. iPad will be available in other countries later this year.
US pre-orders for both models will kick off on 12th March from Apple's online store, with customers also able to reserve Wi-Fi models to pick up from an Apple retail store on 3rd April.
"iPad is something completely new,” says CEO Steve Jobs in a statement.
"We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."
Apple has confirmed that only the US will get Apple's new iBookstore e-books store as a downloadable app on 3rd April. Other countries will get it "later this year".
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/36278...slips-to-April
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March 5th, 2010, 20:56 Posted By: wraggster
NaturalMotion has announced that its Backbreaker Football iPhone game has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times on the App Store. The game is available in both paid and free versions, and the company hasn't split out the 1.5 million figure between them.
Even so, given that the game - developed by UK firm IdeaWorks Game Studio - was originally designed as a teaser for the company's upcoming console game of the same name, the iPhone version has to count as a success.
"Backbreaker Football has been a phenomenal success on iPhone and iPod touch, with sales wildly exceeding our initial forecasts," says NaturalMotion CEO Torsten Reil.
However, another stat that's even more impressive is the company's claim that BackBreaker Football only has a 1 per cent piracy rate on iPhone.
http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/299...hone-downloads
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March 6th, 2010, 02:19 Posted By: wraggster
EA has already said that it was able to get 3D games up and running on webOS in a "matter of weeks" using the OS' PDK (or Plug-in Development Kit), but it looks like Palm might be ready to step things up even further at GDC next week. While any official word will have to wait until then, John Paczkowski of AllThingsD says that he's heard from sources close to the company that Palm will be now demonstrating how iPhone apps can be ported to webOS "in a matter of days," and with virtually no degradation in performance. Not much more to go on that that at the moment, unfortunately, but you can be sure we'll be there at GDC to how this and anything else Palm might have in store pans out.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/i...on-tap-for-gd/
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March 6th, 2010, 02:21 Posted By: wraggster
For whatever reason, Android's high-performance Native Development Kit introduced back in the Cupcake days never got a ton of attention despite the subtle hints that it'd give devs the low-level access they needed to create killer, graphically rich, immersive environments ready to compete with pretty much any other gaming device you could shove in your pocket. Of course, at the time, every phone in the market was running an older, slower ARM11 core -- so maybe the new generation of ARMv7-based devices we've got hanging around now like the Nexus One and Droid are the catalysts we need to get this party started in earnest. Japan's HyperDevbox studio has just shared the news that its ExZeus Arcade shooter makes full use of the NDK, your microSD card, and a custom sound driver to bring a gaming experience hotter than pretty much anything we've seen on Android thus far; the only catch is that you need Android 2.0 or up and a phone with a dedicated GPU to get it going. It's available now in the Market for a seemingly reasonable $3.99 -- and let's let this serve as a reminder to other game studios that they've got the tools and the horsepower to rock Android hard.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/h...-games-are-de/
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March 6th, 2010, 19:59 Posted By: wraggster
We aren't trying to lump these two together or anything, but we figured we'd give those of you who opted for Palm's second set of webOS handsets an opportunity to pool your thoughts in order to make the smartphone landscape an even better place to survey. We personally didn't find too much new to laud on Verizon's Palm-branded twofer compared to the original Pre and Pixi, and those of you who were hoping for all new hardware from the company at CES were undoubtedly let down. Still, there's something to be said about a webOS product on America's "largest 3G network," and frankly, we're interested in hearing how you'd change things. Would you have overhauled things more drastically? Expanded the screen size? Bumped the resolution? Enlarged the keys? Go on and tell Jon exactly what you think in comments below -- who knows, the Pre Plus Plus might just carry your calling card.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/06/h...and-pixi-plus/
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March 6th, 2010, 20:01 Posted By: wraggster
My friend and colleague Harry McCracken recently bought a brand new Droid from Motorola. He says it's a "loaf of day old bread." He's right. The Droid and Android 2.0 were introduced with much fanfare in December, but have already been eclipsed by Android 2.1 running on Google's Nexus One, and there are some serious ramifications for being behind. For example, Google recently touted the latest mobile version of Google Earth, which is a cool app that you won't be able to use unless you're running 2.1. Sure, Google says "Google Earth will be available in Android Market on most devices that have Android 2.1 or later versions," but that's most, not every. And what does Google mean when it says "as devices like the Droid get updated..." to 2.1? When will they get updated? Is it any wonder that some Android users are starting to get pangs of buyers remorse?
When Android was announced, I wrote that if "Google can deliver, the impact could be huge," but I caveated a major issue: Google would need to prevent the market from fragmenting and allow it to succeed where other mobile and desktop Linux implementations had failed. Linux fragmentation remains one of the many reasons the open-source OS has failed to capture a meaningful share of the PC desktop market, and Android is rapidly following a similar path by fragmenting into different versions with different core feature sets, different users experiences and run different applications.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/e...-the-platform/
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March 6th, 2010, 20:07 Posted By: wraggster
Street Fighter IV isn't the only fighting game to be shoehorned awkwardly into the iPhone. According to Pocket Gamer, an anonymous Namco staffer has confirmed that a Tekken game is on the way to the platform -- a platform that, we feel we should remind you, lacks not only a high-quality arcade-style joystick, but any mechanical controls at all. Last year, Namco's Jonathan Kromrey mentioned that the company was considering porting its fighting games onto the iPhone, and it would appear that nobody successfully dissuaded the publisher.
No details were given about the game, except that its development is near completion. We'd say Soul Calibur is next on the list, but Gameloft kind of already did that.
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/05/ki...ing-iphone-te/
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March 7th, 2010, 22:06 Posted By: wraggster
New from Mr Modchips UK
Supply power to your PSP GO, PSP-3000, PSP Slim, PSP-1000, NDSi-XL, NDSi, NDSL, NDS, iPod, Nano, Shuffle, iPhone 2G/3G/3GS ,Nokia mobile phone and other AV electronic appliances in your car with this car-lighter adapter which provides power supply to the rechargeable lithium battery pack.
It comes with a red light indicator that will light up when the console/device is charging.
Specifications :
High efficient, stable and support over 12 kinds consoles
For supply 12V and charge console battery power in the car
Fully compatible with PSP GO, PSP-3000, PSP Slim, PSP-1000, NDSi-XL, NDSi, NDSL, NDS, iPod, Nano, Shuffle, iPhone 2G/3G/3GS, Nokia mobile phone and other AV electronic appliances
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March 8th, 2010, 20:43 Posted By: wraggster
Apple has aired the first advertisement for the iPad, shown during last night’s Oscars ceremony.
According to the Guardian, Apple CEO Steve Jobs attended the event.
The ad, which can be watched below, shows the tablet being used for a range of functions including watching films (specifically, the recent Star Trek movie), checking email, viewing photos and reading e-books and newspapers.
The advert follows Apple’s recent announcement that the iPad will be available in the US from 3 April. The device is due to land in the UK later that month.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/33261...-during-Oscars
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March 8th, 2010, 20:44 Posted By: wraggster
Zen Bound 2 will be available as an Apple iPad exclusive, despite the original’s popularity on the iPhone and iPod touch. The larger screen will allow for easier object manipulation, improved graphics and a closer view of the rope as players wrap it around wooden sculptures.
Developer Secret Exit plans to create a range of new levels, objects and upgraded versions of stages from the original.
Zen Bound allows players to paint wooden sculptures with a piece of string, with the focus being on relaxation rather than fast-paced action.
Secret Exit said: "This is both a sequel and a revision to the original."
It is aiming to release Zen Bound 2 close to the launch of the iPad in late April. A confirmed date and price are yet to be announced.
http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/299...eiled-for-iPad
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March 8th, 2010, 21:00 Posted By: wraggster
Gaming on the iPhone and iPod touch has been a huge hit for Apple — a neat, unique experience combining a relatively big screen, multi-touch controls, motion-sensor controls, network access for social gaming, in-app commerce for virtual goods, and more.
The gaming experience on the iPad could be even crazier. And the iPhone game developers we're talking to are really excited about it.
The iPad's big screen in particular is going to bring a new element of fun and possibilities to the iPhone gaming platform. Besides just having larger, more vivid graphics, and more pixels to use for game controls, the iPad will offer more multi-touch input sensors, therefore adding new control possibilities to iPad games.
Specifically, one iPhone developer tells us that the iPad will support up to 11 multi-touch inputs — which means you'll be able to control your iPad with all ten fingers and your nose.
There's all sorts of ways that could be figured in to games, ranging from new ways to navigate role-playing games, to new ways to control action games, to even more realistic or imaginative music games, such as a piano (hello, education market!).
To be sure, there will obviously be some limitations for iPad gaming, like the device's relatively hefty weight and its initially small user base.
But if it's ever cheap and/or popular enough to make its way into millions of living rooms, it could give gaming heavyweights like Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony a run for their market.
http://kotaku.com/5488357/ipad-games...-crazy-awesome
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March 9th, 2010, 01:07 Posted By: wraggster
Recently we saw the first iPad ad, but in it we didn't see some of the default apps found on the iPhone. Why aren't the Stocks, Calculator, Clock, Weather and Voice Memos apps on the iPad? Here's a possible explanation.
According to Daring Fireball, it boils down to design and Steve Jobs' perfectionism:
Ends up that just blowing up iPhone apps to fill the iPad screen looks and feels weird, even if you use higher-resolution graphics so that nothing looks pixelated. So they were scrapped by you-know-who. Perhaps they'll appear on the iPad in some re-imagined form this summer with OS 4.0, but when the iPad ships next month, there won't be versions of these apps. At least that's the story I've heard from a few well-informed little birdies.
Part of me hopes those little birdies are wrong. I'm far too attached to the Clock and Calculator apps and would dread having to find alternatives in the App Store.
http://gizmodo.com/5488676/why-isnt-...s-default-apps
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March 9th, 2010, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster
We've definitely heard of a few different Android-based satellite and cable boxes in the past year, but it looks like Google's exploring a real move into living room: the Wall Street Journal reports that El Goog and Dish Network are testing a TV search service on a new box that runs on "elements" of Android. (We're taking that to mean it's a stripped-down version of the OS tailored for a set-top, not some totally crazy remix.) The box features a QWERTY remote, and users can search both Dish content and other services like YouTube, which sounds like the same riff TiVo's trying to pull off with the Premiere. Unfortunately, none of this seems destined to hit consumers anytime soon -- the WSJ also says the trial "is limited to a very small number of Google employees and their families and could be discontinued at any time." Okay, but can we at least get some hands-on pictures first?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/08/g...d-based-set-t/
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March 9th, 2010, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster
We know from a brief spat of iPhone 3GS controversy that OpenGL ES 2.0 brings a new level of immersive realism to 3D gaming on mobile devices, so Android developers (and users, for that matter) should be delighted to hear that a new release of the official Native Development Kit exposes its capabilities to anyone targeting Android 2.0 or higher. As a refresher, the so-called NDK is a bolt-on to the standard Android SDK that gives folks the ability to write and compile critical pieces of functionality in native code, closer to the processor without that pesky Java virtual machine standing in the way -- in other words, it's exactly what gamers and game devs need to make Android a serious gaming platform, and better access to badass 3D capabilities are a fun little piece of the puzzle. The latest NDK's available for download now -- so seriously, hurry up and go wow us with your revolutionary first-person shooter. Git!
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/08/a...ccess-to-devs/
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March 9th, 2010, 23:14 Posted By: wraggster
Security researchers have found that Vodafone, one of the world's larger wireless providers, is distributing some HTC phones with malware pre-installed on them. The phone, HTC's Magic, runs the Google Android mobile operating system, and is one of the more popular handsets right now. A researcher at Panda Software received one of the handsets recently, and upon attaching it to her PC, found that the phone was pre-loaded with the Mariposa bot client. Mariposa has been in the news of late thanks to some arrests connected to the operation of the botnet.
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/...-Pre-Installed
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March 9th, 2010, 23:15 Posted By: wraggster
The EFF is publicly disclosing a version of Apple's iPhone developer program license agreement. The highlights: you can't disclose the agreement itself (the EFF managed to get it via the Freedom of Information Act thanks to NASA's recent app), Apple reserves the right to kill your app at any time with no reason, and Apple's liability in any circumstance is limited to 50 bucks. There's also this gem: 'You will not, through use of the Apple Software, services or otherwise create any Application or other program that would disable, hack, or otherwise interfere with the Security Solution, or any security, digital signing, digital rights management, verification or authentication mechanisms implemented in or by the iPhone operating system software, iPod Touch operating system software, this Apple Software, any services or other Apple software or technology, or enable others to do so.'
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/0...ement-Revealed
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March 9th, 2010, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster
Anyone who currently owns an iPhone and was hoping they would be able to use it as a mobile Web access point for a Wi-Fi iPad just got some bad news. Reportedly, Steve Jobs has said this will not happen. Swedish blog Slashat.se claims they e-mailed Jobs directly to ask him whether or not you'd be able to tether your iPad and iPhone and received a terse 'No' in reply. According to the report, the email headers made it plausible that the reply had come from Jobs's iPhone.
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/...iPad-To-iPhone
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March 9th, 2010, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster
If you've been looking to get in on some of that red hot game development action that Palm's been all about lately, check it out: among the announcements at this year's GDC, Palm has announced the release of its public beta PDK for webOS. This bad boy promises to let devs "use C and C++ alongside the web technologies that power the SDK and mix them seamlessly within a single app," just the thing for porting game titles to the webOS platform. And it's available now! Hit the source link to get started -- and maybe someday we'll finally get to play Mr. Jelly on our Pixi.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/09/p...on-the-public/
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March 10th, 2010, 01:24 Posted By: wraggster
Suspense! Drama! Surprises! Unrealistic expectations! It's always a veritable roller coaster of emotions whenever Apple gets around to cutting a new SDK build -- and without a doubt, iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 4 is no exception. We don't yet have a good read on what's new here, so if you're a member of Apple's $99 dev program and happen to get it downloaded and installed, let us know if you find anything awesome, like an iPhone 4 or iPad 2. Or, you know, anything else. Have fun!
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/09/i...ta-4-drops-in/
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March 10th, 2010, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster
The App Store censorship horse may have been beaten to death, but mainstream German media—whose iPhone applications have been censored by Apple because of its content—are not surrendering. I'm glad. In fact, I hope they win this war.
The censorship problem is not only about the 5,000 titillating apps that fell down in flames after Apple's latest puritanic raid. Except for apps from well known slippery-when-wet publishing houses like Playboy, that raid closed the smutty graphic category entirely. The censorship problem goes a lot deeper than that, and it has affected mainstream publications already.
Freedom of the Press
The polemic in Germany started when Apple took down Stern's iPhone app without notice. Stern—a very large weekly news magazine—published a gallery of erotic photos as part of its editorial content. It wasn't gratuitous: It was just part of the material published in the magazine itself, integrated in their usual sections.
The entire app was taken down, according to the Spiegel, and publisher Gruner + Jahr had to eliminate that content in order for the application to go up to the store again. They learnt their lesson, since they haven't published any other material that may offend Apple's "moral police"—as the German press calls it.
Then came Bild, a large daily newspaper printed by publishing powerhouse Axel Springer AG. Bild also distributes its content through a dedicated iPhone application. This app gives access to its sections from a central springboard. Last December, they released a new mini-app called Bild-Girl, which shows a woman moaning and getting rid of her clothes every time you shake the iPhone with your free hand.
Apple didn't take that well and asked Bild to put a bikini on the girl. Bild complied. But now Apple also wants Bild to censor the naked girl that comes in the PDF version of the printed newspaper, which is accessible from the Bild application too. Apple is trying to force them into censoring their publication, even while the women are pre-emptively censored: Their nipples are pixelated and unrecognizable in the iPhone-distributed PDF document.
That's when the Bild editors went ballistic.
It Can Get Worse
I don't blame them, because I'm going ****ing ballistic at this stage of the proceedings too. How Apple can force Bild to change their editorial content? Or putting it another way: If Gizmodo decides to release an iPhone application tomorrow, would Apple take it down whenever we publish a NSFW post that shows nipples?
Probably they would, if they receive enough complaints. (We receive some from time to time, so it's not out of the question). What about magazines, books, or comic books—like Watchmen and other adult graphic novels—that contain explicit sexual descriptions or graphics? Would those be censored too in the future, if enough people think it's politically incorrect?
What about other content? Like Bild Digital's CEO Donata Hopfen says: "Today they censor nipples, tomorrow editorial content." The Association of German Magazine Publishers agree, and they have asked the International Federation of the Periodical Press to make a complaint to Apple. I agree too: This is just not about the nipples. If Apple had established a firm set of rules about tits and pink beforehand, there wouldn't be any problem. But this censorship is completely arbitrary and unexpected.
How? Imagine Gawker develops an iPod/iPad application, one that gives access to Gizmodo.com, Gawker.com and all its publications—except Fleshbot, for obvious reasons. Now imagine that we get the scoop of the Next Big Thing from Steve Jobs, and decide to publish it in the app. Would Apple send another letter threatening us to take down the app, perhaps? Would Apple have banned an hypothetical Gawker app when Gizmodo uncovered Steve Jobs' health problems?
I don't think that's a crazy thought. In fact, knowing how things work, I think it's entirely possible.
And it doesn't have to be about Apple or tits. There are plenty of applications that have been deemed blasphemous or offensive by Apple, and banned from publication. Would publications showing a caricature of Prophet Mohamed be taken down as well? That would get Phil Schiller plenty of complaint letters.
I don't really know what Apple may do in these cases. And that's the problem. The fact is that they forced Stern and Bild to do change their editorial content decisions, and anyone or anything could be next. Apple is a corporation and they can do whatever they want, after all. In fact, that's the argument of the people who defend these decisions: It's Apple's prerogative to do whatever the hell they want with their store.
But knowing that the Apple iPhone-iPod-iPad triumvirate is the largest mobile application platform in the world—practically owning the category—couldn't that be considered an abuse of quasi-monopoly power? I have no idea. I will leave that question to the lawyers of the Association of German Magazine Publishers. And the lawyers of the International Federation of the Periodical Press.
And if indeed things get any worse, I hope the lawyers at the European Union, and hopefully some commission at the United States' Senate will give us the answer.
http://gizmodo.com/5490310/its-time-...les-censorship
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March 11th, 2010, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster
There's only about a month to go before Apple drops the iPad on the world, and it looks like all those theories about a last-minute camera addition were just fond fanboy wishes -- iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 4 just came out, and in addition to stripping out several video-call related icons, we've been told the docs contain this little tidbit about that Camera tab:
Launching the Photos application under the iPad Simulator will initially show three tabs: Photos, Albums, and Camera. The Camera tab represents photos available via the Camera Connection Kit for iPad, and is not relevant for the Simulator. The Camera tab will disappear after a few seconds.
So much for that, then. In the meantime, we also have some good news -- 9to5 Mac did some digging and found some files indicating that Apple's opening up some new gestures to app developers, namely the long tap currently used to pop up the copy / paste menu and the triple-tap used to flip the display on and off when using VoiceOver. It's a small consolation, to be sure, but at least the iPad, will, um, be a great game machine, right?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/10/i...t-adds-new-ge/
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March 11th, 2010, 18:10 Posted By: wraggster
This device can jailbreak an iPhone. It doesn’t require a computer and it can either reboot a phone that was one-time-boot jailbroken using the blackra1n exploit, or jailbreak a factory fresh unit. We wouldn’t say this solves the tethering problem cause by blackra1n (needing to return to a computer to reboot the phone), but it certainly does ease the pain. We saw some info about the board layout but no parts list or firmware. See the demo after the break and leave a comment if you have more information on the parts or code.
http://hackaday.com/2010/03/11/hardw...-reboot-pains/
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March 11th, 2010, 21:02 Posted By: wraggster
Opera Software has released a beta version of its Opera Mini 5 browser for the on the Android platform.
The news comes hot on the heals of a beta release of Opera Mini 5 for Windows Mobile last week.
Features include tabbed browsing, password manager, bookmarks and Speed Dial. As with all Opera mobile browsers, this one can compress data traffic by up to 90 per cent.
The Android beta can be downloaded from m.opera.com/next via the Android browser or by searching for Opera Mini 5 in the Android Market.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/36328...-beta-released
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March 11th, 2010, 22:10 Posted By: wraggster
Speaking exclusively to PC Pro, Eugene Kaspersky has claimed Apple has repeatedly refused to deliver the software development kit necessary to design security software for the phone. 'We have been in contact for two years with Apple to develop our anti-theft software, [but] still we do not have permission,' said Kaspersky. Although he admits the risk of viruses infecting the iPhone is 'almost zero,' he claims that securing the data on the handset is critical, especially as iPhones are increasingly being used for business purposes. 'I don't want to say Apple's is the wrong way of behaving, or the right way,' Kaspersky added. 'It's just a corporate culture — it wants to control everything.
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/0...urity-Software
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March 11th, 2010, 23:05 Posted By: wraggster
Sure, in the past we've got a hearty chuckle out of initiatives that involved Redfly terminals and Clippy variants, but the question remains: how can we get cutting-edge tech into the hands of soldiers faster? We've recently come across some RFIs for DARPA projects aimed at developing apps and an App Store for Android and the iPhone OS, with two in particular -- Mobile Apps for the Military (DARPA-SN-10-27), and Transformative Apps (DARPA-BAA-10-41) -- catching our eye. The agency is calling for apps for battlefield, humanitarian, and disaster recovery missions, including command and control, mission planning, surveillance, reconnaissance, and language translation. Of course, if you start taking commercial smartphones out to the field there's the small matter of network coverage -- if you thought that getting a reliable connection in midtown Manhattan was an issue, what about downtown Kabul? Looks like DARPA also has plans for a military that brings its own towers with them, light-weight mobile base stations that could create a "secure mobile tactical network ... compatible with commercial smartphones." What do you think? Looking to help your country out, make a bit of money, or maybe a little of both?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/11/d...pps-app-store/
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March 12th, 2010, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster
At last night's Indie Game Maker Rant, Tommy Refenes, one half of Team Meat, appropriately let off some steam about Apple's App Store, saying, "The majority of people who do anything for the App Store work on it and then kind of get screwed over." Refenes suggested that what the App Store specializes in are cheap ports of established brands, sold on their established names alone, as he compared it to the Tiger LCD handheld games of the late '80s and early '90s.
"It's just a way to sell a brand," Refenes said. "That's what the Tiger handheld games were, and that's what I think the App Store is."
To prove a point that the App Store is "kind of shit for most things," Refenes recounted the experiment he launched with Canabalt creator Adam Saltsman. The two developed a "joke game" called Zits & Giggles (in which players pop pimples) and submitted it to the App Store at the 99 cents price point. Each time sales dropped off, they raised the price. Consumers kept buying it, however, as the game rose to $15, then to $50, and so on -- it was even purchased for $299!
We don't know what to take away from that, but luckily Refenes had an observation: "My conclusion to all of this is that the people who you're selling to on the App Store are not necessarily gamers." Care to challenge that theory?
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/11/su...of-generation/
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March 12th, 2010, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster
You can now pre-order an Apple iPad; but do you really want to, asks Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols. 'I mean, I get why you'd want an iPad. I'd like one too,' he writes. 'But,' he says, 'when I consider that there are soon going to be literally dozens of cheaper, Linux-powered iPad devices on the market, I find it a lot easier to resist putting $499 on my credit card. On top of that, Apple will be including DRM on some eBooks and other iPad content. I really, really hate DRM. All that said, I agree the iPad is really cool. I predict with absolute faith that the iPad and its clones are going to kill off single purpose devices like dedicated eReaders such as Amazon's Kindle and GPS devices within the next three years. How can it not work out this way? For the same price as a high-end dedicated device you can get a tablet that will do everything they can do and far more. But, and this is the important bit, you don't have to buy an Apple iPad to get all of the iPad's goodies. ARM, a mobile microprocessor power, is predicting that we'll see no less than 50 ARM-processor-powered iPad clones by year's end. And, what will they be running? These ARM-powered entertainment tablets will all be running Linux.
http://linux.slashdot.org/story/10/0...ux-iPad-Clones
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March 13th, 2010, 02:01 Posted By: wraggster
This is exactly why the 3G model is the iPad to buy, unless you're positive it's never leaving your Wi-Fi-covered house. You can buy data and cancel at any time, right from the iPad.
Look at it this way: That $100 up front for the 3G model? It's insurance. Because if you need 3G and don't have it, you're just screwed. But if you have it and never use data, it's no bigs, 'cause you're not on a contract.
http://gizmodo.com/5491994/how-ipad-...uy-the-3g-ipad
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March 13th, 2010, 02:07 Posted By: wraggster
A pair of iPads was just revealed in the FCC's system in perfect synchrony with that little pre-order sitch with which you may or may not already be familiar. Apple, of course, has a track record of timing its FCC filings perfectly so that virtually nothing is revealed before Cupertino wants it to be, and frankly, you're not going to get much here that you didn't already know -- the photographs (both external and internal) and the user manual are all still under confidentiality. Both units were tested for WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, while one -- model number A1337 -- adds in GSM 850 / 1900 and UMTS 850 / 1900, so it appears that Apple has bundled all of its 3G and non-3G models into just two filings regardless of storage capacity. We caught A1337 flipping through an old issue of 2600, so for all we know, it socially engineered its way to FCC approval -- whatever it takes to make that late-April launch window, right?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/a...reaks-the-fcc/
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March 13th, 2010, 02:09 Posted By: wraggster
Apple's pushing out a few more scraps of info about the iPad in conjunction with the launch of pre-orders. One of the quirkier details is that what was previously known as the mute switch on the iPad -- similar to the one on the iPhone -- is now known as the "screen rotation lock" on Apple's website. We suppose it makes more sense for this sort of device, both due to the "hold it any way you feel like" marketing push, and since it's less likely to start ringing in the middle of a Remember Me screening than your iPhone is. In other news, it's been confirmed that iBooks will be able to sync free (non-DRM'd) ePub titles in from iTunes, which is good news for people who want to use an existing ePub stash of theirs with Apple's fancy page-flipping interface. Also on the books front, it was clarified today that the iPad can indeed use VoiceOver screen-reading for reading pages of books out loud -- we knew the screen reading tech was on the iPad, but now it sounds as if it will be more directly integrated into iBooks. Apple also clarified today that folks who sign up for the 250MB iPad data plan will receive pop-up alerts when they're running short on data, similar to battery warnings, at the 20 percent, 10 percent and zero marks. There's an account management pane that lets you sign up for or cancel service, add another 250MB, or swap to an unlimited plan. But wait, there's more! Apple's also confirming a few more iPhone OS 3.2 features, like the addition of Google's "Terrain" view in maps and a slightly revamped iPod app UI. 3.2 also brings some nice video tweaks like support for additional formats (AVI and MJPEG) and native uploads to Facebook -- further boosting the iPad's external camera friendliness.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/i...lock-overnigh/
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March 13th, 2010, 02:11 Posted By: wraggster
After years of rumor and speculation, Apple's now taking orders for its iPad tablet. And now that cash money is involved we'll finally see if Apple has a success on its hands by filling the void between smartphones and netbooks/laptops -- something Microsoft and its hoard of vendors just haven't been able to muster. Today's order is delivered on April 3rd (in the US) for free and orders are limited to two per customer. But rather than wait for analysts and Apple's financial reports to tell the tale, let's get a jump on things with an informal poll: are you ordering the iPad?
Did you order the iPad?
Yes, I'm just like that.
Not yet, I want to see what OS 4.0 will offer first.
No, I'm waiting for HP's Slate or some other Win7 device.
No, I'm holding out for a Chrome OS tablet.
What's an iPad?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/i...l-you-buy-one/
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March 13th, 2010, 02:14 Posted By: wraggster
Mobile manufacturer and platform market share stats for the US are in for the month of January thanks to comScore, and as usual, they tell a fascinating (and somewhat unpredictable) story of what's actually going on at the cash registers. Motorola -- which has long since fallen off its high horse on the global stage -- still maintains a commanding presence in the American market by representing some 22.9 percent of all subscribers, though that's down 1.2 percent from October 2009; that's particularly interesting in light of the Droid's success, and a possible sign that smartphones still aren't on the cusp of dominating the phone market overall. Samsung recently touted the fact that it had held onto the States' overall market share crown, though Sammy was undoubtedly referring to sales, not subscribers -- in other words, there are still a ton of legacy RAZRs out there inflating Moto's stats.
Turning our attention to smartphone platforms, BlackBerry OS, iPhone, and Android all saw gains, while Windows Mobile and Palm both saw significant downturns. You might use Palm's loss of 2.1 percent of overall market share in a single quarter as a big nail in webOS' coffin, but we're inclined to believe this includes legacy devices -- and considering the huge installed base of Palm OS-based handsets (Centros, for instance) that are coming off contract these days, it's neither surprising nor alarming to see that kind of drop. Android's gain, meanwhile, likely comes in large part from WinMo's whopping four percent loss -- it's no secret that WinMo 6.x is well past its expiration date with customers leaving in droves (even before Windows Phone 7 Series announcement), and our informal observations lead us to believe that many of those folks are heading for Android. After all, it's kind of convenient that Android gained 4.3 percent and WinMo lost about the same, isn't it? BlackBerrys still dominate the American smartphone landscape, and the iPhone market looks like it might be mature for the time being -- Apple added just 0.3 percent to its market share in the quarter, possibly a sign that folks are holding out for whatever Cupertino brings us come Summer. Is this a sign that Palm needs to step up its game yet again? Undoubtedly -- but at the same time, we wouldn't call the loss of those Palm OS subscribers a death knell just yet.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/11/a...ays-the-price/
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March 13th, 2010, 11:28 Posted By: wraggster
Apple has been dealt a severe blow having been told that it no longer has a monopoly on the letter 'i' for product naming. IP Australia, the government body that oversees trademark applications, rejected Apples' complaint against a company selling 'DOPi' laptop bags. Last year Australian computer company Macpro Computers claimed that after 26 years of flying its own Macpro brand that Apple was 'trying to burn us out' with legal fees. This was after Apple released its own Macpro line 3½ years ago. Apple lost that complaint, but is appealing. Last year Apple went after supermarket Woolworths complaining their new logo which featured a 'W' fashioned into the shape of an apple. (Woolworths sells real apples.)
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/03/...nt-Over-i-Name
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March 13th, 2010, 11:31 Posted By: wraggster
We know you've been champing at the bit for some Odroid news... wait, you forgot already? You know, the Android-powered handheld game system that the manufacturer, Hardkernel, bills "the developer-focused portable game device"? To be honest, we'd hope that the company would focus on game players, but that's really beside the point: the thing finally has a release date: "early March." And for those of you lucky enough to get in on the ground floor, they've gone and upgraded the thing to Android 2.1.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/o...tin-android-2/
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March 13th, 2010, 11:32 Posted By: wraggster
We've seen blow-hard electronic music makers in the past (one particular didgeridoo hack comes to mind) but still, when one makes us take note we feel like we just have to pass it along. Onyx Ashanti is an American living in Berlin and a one-man band to boot. His instrument of choice is a Yamaha MIDI wind controller for triggering audio and the TouchOSC app for iPod touch for controlling PureData audio processing. And the music he makes from the two is pretty, pretty wild
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/o...-clarinet-fro/
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March 13th, 2010, 11:33 Posted By: wraggster
Usually when we hear the phrase "contract-free developer phone" the words "unlocked" and "GSM" follow shortly thereafter, but apparently Palm didn't get the memo -- it just announced discounted hardware prices for its devices, but they're carrier-locked to Verizon and Sprint. Yeah, that's a big sad face out of us -- it's not like Verizon's going to give you a cheaper plan if you show up with a contract-free device. In fact, you might be better off picking up a $79 Pre on a Sprint contract from Amazon and just canceling after a year or so -- the ETF will have been prorated to $120 by then, putting you way ahead of Palm's $439 price tag. So much for that dream -- at least we still have our fantasy of driving to Mexico for an illicit Telcel Pre smuggling run.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/p...-developers-t/
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March 13th, 2010, 11:34 Posted By: wraggster
Using a camera as an input device is hardly a new idea -- even on a mobile device -- but most examples so far have been to enable functionality not possible on a touchscreen. As Master's student Daniel Bierwirth has shown in the video after the break, however, a phone on a camera can also be used as an alternative input method for features like scrolling or zooming, potentially allowing for easier interaction on devices with smaller screens. Bierwirth also takes the idea one step further, and sees the system eventually including a second camera that's worn by a person, which would be able to detect when your hands are near the phone and allow for a range of other gestures.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/g...-on-an-iphone/
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March 13th, 2010, 20:50 Posted By: wraggster
In addition to the orientation-lock button, yesterday's pre-order commencement delivered another surprise nugget: the iPad will read all EPUB books out loud. If you remember the shitstorm that surrounded Kindle's text-to-voice feature, you'll know that this is a bold move.
Wired noticed that on its updated iBooks page, under a heading "Change your reading habits," Apple explains that "iBooks works with VoiceOver, the screen reader in iPad, so it can read you the contents of any page." While it may not spark a widespread change in reading habits, for many vision-impaired users it's an essential feature.
But the authors of the books themselves aren't so hot on the idea of being read aloud without their permission, deeming these recitals as "derivative works" for which they deserve additional audio-licensing fees. This battle flared up around Kindle 2's text-to-speech feature, which resulted in an ugly clash between the Authors Guild and the National Federation of the Blind and ultimately in Amazon making the feature optional for authors.
Even in the event that Apple has already received permission from publishers to run the e-books its sells through its text-to-speech software, we know that iBooks will work with any non-DRM EPUB books, which means they, too, can be read aloud and are subject to the derivative works objection.
From a legal standpoint, all of this is a little bit hazy. Amazon touted Kindle's text-to-speech as an dedicated e-book reading feature, whereas Apple's VoiceOver, already included on the iPhone, is an accessibility software that can read the text of any screen. Still, by mentioning it in a section that encourages you to "change your reading habits," its hard to imagine that the Authors Guild will stay mum on the topic
http://gizmodo.com/5492622/apples-ip...-e+books-aloud
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March 13th, 2010, 20:52 Posted By: wraggster
Whoa, Nelly! Isn't this something? Apple has just posted details on its iPad battery replacement service, which is really not a battery replacement service at all. Check out the company's opening line:
"If your iPad requires service due to the battery's diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee."
Now, let's compare that to the verbiage found in the iPhone's battery replacement program details:
"If your iPhone requires service only because the battery's ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will service your iPhone for a service fee."
We can see the puzzled look on your face from here, and we're sharing in the same disbelief. Apple is actually saying that it won't bother cracking open your withered iPad, replacing the battery and sending it back your way; instead, you'll pay $105.95 (including shipping) for a completely different iPad, which certainly has its pros and cons. On one hand, you're getting a new (or potentially refurbished, actually) iPad in around "one week," but on the other, you'll be waving goodbye to every morsel of personal data on the device that you send in -- unless you backup beforehand, of course. Here's Apple's take on answering "will the data on my iPad be preserved?"
"No. You will receive a replacement iPad that will not contain any of your personal data. Before you submit your iPad for service, it is important to sync your iPad with iTunes to back up your contacts, calendars, email account settings, bookmarks, apps, etc. Apple is not responsible for the loss of information when servicing your iPad."
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/13/d...ust-sends-ano/
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March 15th, 2010, 16:45 Posted By: wraggster
[Benjamin Blundell] built an RFID reader for the iPhone. A jailbroken iPhone connects to this project box by patching into a standard iPhone USB cable. Like in past iPhone serial projects, [Benjamin] is using openFrameworks for the software interface. Right now this reader only detects low-frequency tags but he’s working on the code to read MIFARE tags as well. See the magic of a tag ID displayed on the screen in the video after the break.
http://hackaday.com/2010/03/14/rfid-reader-for-iphone/
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March 15th, 2010, 19:54 Posted By: wraggster
We don’t remember where we read it, but our favorite criticism of the iPad is that is does the same things a lot of other Apple devices do. So why wait until April to get your hands on that functionality? [Alexbates] built his own iPad clone using existing hardware and software. This started with an MSI wind that he used as a hackintosh. A touchscreen was added to the display, the keyboard removed, and the LCD flipped around. Boom, a tablet running OS X was born. This is different from others because [Alexbates] took the time to alter the UI to look like the iPad. Sure, it doesn’t automatically flip the display when rotated and there’s no pinch-zooming. But it does have more processing power and storage space.
http://hackaday.com/2010/03/15/eat-your-heart-out-ipad/
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March 15th, 2010, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster
Gloves off. Knuckledusters on. Attack. Google has hired Tim Bray as its developer advocate, seemingly with a specific responsibility for Android. He's a big name in tech circles, having been one of the people behind the XML web standard.
Anyway, he's announced his new job on his blog, with a list of reasons why he's excited about Android, praising its improving user experience, its developer-friendliness, and its open nature.
What does he think of Apple though? Well, he has a few views.
"The iPhone vision of the mobile Internet’s future omits controversy, sex, and freedom, but includes strict limits on who can know what and who can say what. It’s a sterile Disney-fied walled garden surrounded by sharp-toothed lawyers. The people who create the apps serve at the landlord’s pleasure and fear his anger. I hate it."
And furthermore:
"Apple apparently thinks you can have the benefits of the Internet while at the same time controlling what programs can be run and what parts of the stack can be accessed and what developers can say to each other. I think they’re wrong and see this job as a chance to help prove it."
As Bray makes clear in his blog post, these are his views, not the views of Google itself - although he admits that Google asked to see a draft of this particular post before publication, and didn't suggest any changes.
But the post does highlight the fact that the big battle between Apple and Google isn't about personal emnity between the companies' CEOs, or even particularly about patents and technology.
It's about openness. And specifically about whether mobile users are best served by a controlled environment or an entirely open ecosystem.
Google's hiring of Bray brings it a powerful and respected advocate of the latter approach. This battle just got even more interesting.
http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/299...uck-into-Apple
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March 16th, 2010, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster
There is an entertaining and telling article in the Wall Street Journal about iPhone use by Microsoft employees. Apparently, despite it being frowned upon by senior management, iPhone use is rampant among the Redmond rank and file. The head of Microsoft's mobile division tried to explain it away as employees wanting 'to better understand the competition,' although few believe this. Nowhere does the article mention attempts by the company to understand why the iPhone is more attractive to much of Microsoft's tech-savvy workforce than the company's own products.
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/0...-Their-iPhones
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March 16th, 2010, 00:24 Posted By: wraggster
Get ready for some buyer's remorse if you're one of the thousands who pre-ordered an iPad last Friday: your soon-to-be new toy already pales in comparison to the $19,999 diamond-coated iPad from Mervis Diamond Importers. What you have here is a stock unit of undisclosed specifications that's been coated with 11.43 carats of G/H color diamonds rated VS2/SI1 for clarity -- not exactly top-shelf stuff but chances are you'll be so transfixed with the amazingly beautiful user experience you won't notice the flaws. This poor iPad is just the latest in a long line of ridiculously expensive gadgets made more luxurious (many of an Apple persuasion) and is every bit as tasteless as the rest.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/15/w...gical-experie/
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March 16th, 2010, 00:33 Posted By: wraggster
It would appear that finger skating is about to go "pro" with a Tony Hawk game for iPhone. The pro skater recently tweeted, "In the PR world, this is considered 'going rogue,' but I'm too excited. This is real & dropping soon." The attached picture, as you can see above, appears to be an iPhone version of his venerable skating series. The message has since been deleted, but as we saw it on the feed of an Activision employee, we feel pretty confident it's on the level.
Man, Tony just couldn't be more of a rebel, could he? Not only is he a skateboarder, putting curb wax on church steps and listening to rock 'n' roll too loud ... on his boom box, now he's using his Twitter feed to take on the corporate fat cats! Is there such a thing as too extreme?
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/to...dropping-soon/
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March 16th, 2010, 20:37 Posted By: wraggster
Facebook is the top branded app on iPhone's App Store this week, according to a chart produced for Brand Republic by UK firm Ustwo.
It's pulled the data from its PositionApp application, which tracks App Store downloads around the world.
Gibson Learn & Master Guitar is the second most popular branded app this week, according to the chart. It's followed by Alice in Wonderland, Google Earth, and Creme Egg.
The inclusion of Facebook and Google Earth could be seen as puzzling - yes, the two companies are brands, but many people might not see their applications as 'branded apps' in the same category as the Gibson and Creme Egg apps.
Even so, it's an intriguing insight into what's currently hot on the App Store with a branded tie-in.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/36392...-this-week-are
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March 17th, 2010, 21:38 Posted By: wraggster
Joint venture with Microsoft has different uses from Apple's tablet computer, HP exec says
Apple’s iPad and the HP/Microsoft Slate are not in competition with each other, an HP exec has suggested.
Phil McKinney, vice president and chief technology officer for HP’s personal systems group, took care not to mention the rival firm by name at a press event in Barcelona today, claiming he preferred to refer to Apple as “the fruit company”.
“We never positioned the Slate against their product, the use cases are not the same, the things people do with them are not the same,” he said.
“It’s not about saying ours is a better slate than theirs, it’s about two different segments of the marketplace looking at products doing two different things.”
McKinney added that rather than competing against one another, having two tablet computers in the market was actually helpful to the vendors.
“The benefit of having both players in the market coming out with products at the same time is you’re not in the mode of having to spend a huge amount of dollars trying to educate the customer to get ready for these new categories. If we had brought the slate out two years ago when we had it done, think about what the consumer reaction would have been,” he said.
Eric Cador, senior vice president for HP’s personal systems group, made a point of showing the device at the ‘Touching the Senses’ event, saying “I just wanted to show you that it’s real, it exists.” He added that the device is on schedule to ship later this year, but did not give a more specific timeframe.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/33309...ting-with-iPad
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March 17th, 2010, 21:43 Posted By: wraggster
Neil Young, the CEO of iPhone developer and publisher ngmoco, has said that the revenue made from free-to-play iPhone titles can rival that made from console games if designers are able to deliver compelling enough content.
Speaking at GDC, Young said that ngmoco's own business model – which has now moved entirely to free-to-play – was developed over time following the company's launch in 2008.
To begin with the company launched two titles simultaneously – one, Mazefinger, as a free title and the other, Topple, as a paid app.
"It was very useful for us because we were able to see how a paid app performed versus a free app - a 10 times difference," the company's VP of social applications Jason Oberfest told GamesIndustry.biz. "We realised if we can figure out how to monetise that free user base that's going to be a much better business."
Thereafter, the company started to unlearn many of its previous business practices in the transition from traditional games to digital, said Young.
He noted that at the start of its life, the iPhone market was growing 400 per cent quarterly, while the numbers of games grew 1200 per cent. "I made the call it was going to get messy," he said, adding that ngmoco's first instinct to put out new apps every 1-2 months was taking its toll on the team and stunting creativity.
Deciding instead to focus on monetising the large user base its free-to-play titles had generated, the company made the decision to either adapt the current games it was making to support the freemium model, or suspend them.
"Daily active users became the basis for the whole business," said Oberfest, adding that using this model starts disconnecting the developer from chart position which, while valuable, doesn't beat having a large user base in the long term - "With a big user base you can do your own promotion," he explained.
In order to build that user base, Oberfest said the company focused on three "critical pillars" in the design of its games.
"It's not about the notification system that Apple or Facebook or anyone else offer, as much as it is about, does a game truly make you want to invite your friends to it, does it make you want to come back and does the game make you want to invest some money," he explained.
"Those are the three critical pillars of a successful free play game. We're constantly balancing those three things in our game design and using our software, which is very sophisticated in terms of the analytics it provides to make sure that any one thing that we do to optimise this cannot come at the expense of the other two."
Despite coming from an online background in business development for Facebook himself, ngmoco was still first and foremost a games maker, said Oberfest.
This opinion was backed up by Young, who says that this new business model is the most significant shift and opportunity since the start of the industry for game designers specifically.
Design is now connected to business success and has direct correlation to performance in the marketplace, he pointed out. People that can evolve to create great games, which retain users and are simple and scalable for long and short-term gameplay, will thrive.
He added that the freemium model isn't a new one as such, but more an adaptation of the model utilised by arcades in the early days of gaming.
As with the arcades, a few subsidise the many, he said – pointing out that around 2 per cent of the players of a free game will spend money within it.
Like the arcade, its the deeply engaged players that are compelled to spend the money which supports an ecosystem that a large number can participate in, he said.
Added to that is the social aspect of these games – people would put more quarters into an arcade machine if their friends were watching them, just as they're more likely to spend money on fast progression or on self-expression within an online, social game.
Other aspects to ngmoco's success included its implementation of push notifications – if someone plants some crops then, 12 hours later, they get a notification saying they've grown, they'll return to the game, said Young – and on building a big enough user base that it could offer meaningful advertising to third-parties,
The company has two new games currently being tested in Canada and due to launch worldwide imminently – GodFinger, which was developed by Wonderland Software, and We Rule, a game created by studio Newtoy in conjunction with ngmoco.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...onsoles-ngmoco
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March 17th, 2010, 21:52 Posted By: wraggster
The lovely people over at AndroidCentral have broken the announcement that Android 2.1 is finally coming to the Motorola Droid, with actual proof on Verizon's droid support page (PDF). I don't know about my Droid brethren, but I'm pretty excited to see the new series of Android ROMs for the Droid phone that are based on a stock Android 2.1. As most of us know, the existing 2.1 ROMs can be buggy as hell and either running vanilla 2.1 or a custom ROM, this phone is still a tinkerer's best friend.".
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/...es-It-To-Droid
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March 18th, 2010, 19:06 Posted By: Shrygue
via Computer and Video Games
Square Enix has released an iPhone app that lets you view Final Fantasy XIII art. Oh, and it costs £5.49.
No, we're not joking. It's a digital gallery that lets you view "beautiful mastered CG images" - artwork of the game widely available on the internet - on your small iPhone screen.
It's special feature? The ability to zoom in. And as if that's not already enough awesome for you, it even features a clock and calendar, just in case you're bored of the clock and calendars already included on your iPhone.
All this for FIVE actual pounds. And 59 pence. Buy it (if you like being mugged off).
Screenshots
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March 19th, 2010, 17:19 Posted By: wraggster
Rake In Grass is proud to present the release of an adventure logic game Crystal Cave Lost Treasures.
Crystal Cave Lost Treasures is a quest for long-lost treasures buried in pitch black caves, pyramids and temples of ancient civilizations. Huge gemstones were sheltered from the sunshine for eons of time waiting for explorers brave enough to unearth them. You, as an intrepid treasure hunter, will need all your ingenuity to pass the traps and dangers of the underground and collect the treasure in more than 100 levels.
Crystal Cave Lost Treasures is a spin-off of Crystal Cave designed for casual players. The game is available for iPhone and iPod touch.
The main features:
- Explore lost tombs and ancient dungeons
- Lots of logic riddles - train your brain!
- Play 100 original levels
- Use teleports, boulders and other types of rocks to solve levels
- Three graphic scenarios
- Create your own levels using our simple editor
Game's official site:
http://crystalcave.rakeingrass.com
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March 20th, 2010, 01:54 Posted By: wraggster
Namco today announced the launch of its Match 3 PC hit Tinseltown Dreams: The 50’s for the iPhone and iPod touch. The game is currently available on Apple’s App Store for $2.99.
Hollywood is at the center of Tinseltown Dreams: The 50’s, a Match 3 movie-making game that allows players to create their very own box-office sensation. Assume the director’s role and swap tiles to earn a budget, hire a superior cast and crew, and purchase more props. Developed by Big Blue Bubble, who also worked on Namco’s Garters & Ghouls, the game boasts 35 cinema inspired levels based on Namco’s highly acclaimed original PC version.
“Merging the best Match 3 mechanics with the ability to create your own films using characters, sets and props is unlike anything else on the App Store and provides hours of enjoyment,” stated Jonathan Kromrey, general manager of Apple Games for Namco Networks.
The title features Facebook Connect, which allows fans to share scores and in-game achievements. Apple fans can expect the game to be available on Mac in the near future. For more information on Namco’s library of iPhone/iPod touch games, or to experience the PC version of Tinseltown Dreams: The 50’s, please visit namcogames.com or NAMCO GAMES on Facebook.
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March 22nd, 2010, 21:45 Posted By: wraggster
Blazing Games today announced a video game called the Slide Prince which derived from the popular CHA-CHA SLIDE song and dance. The game will be released in three stages: single player (October, 2010), multi-player (October, 2011), and massively multi-player persistent world (October, 2012). The first release (single player version) shall be tentatively published on the following platforms: www.slideprince.com, Facebook, Myspace, I-Phone, www.newgrounds.com, and on multiple other mobile game apps store fronts and digital game portals (all toward the end of this year).
The game is a strategy/action game where the players take the role of young kids who never die, never grow old, and have developed the renowned dance into a martial by doing different combinations of the dance sequences and steps and afterwards shooting slime. The players are the heroes, the Slide Family, and battle the evil Sludge Hunter Ministers and their armies of CHA-CHA Mongers in slashing dancing battles in the fictional land of Chaville. The game is based on a children's book, also entitled The Slide Prince. The book will be published simultaneously with the game and sold on the same website, i.e., www.slideprince.com. The Slide Prince is the adventure of warring clans of kids for control of the planet's resources (like de-slimer dust which heals victims of slime injuries), land, precious items, and de-slimer dust mines. Players may also enhance their armies and troops by gaining more soldiers, falcons, whales, Chanetic Magic weapons, bonus clothing, and bonus shoes. Players may advance their characters to build larger armies and build estates in the City of Freedom (headquarters for the Slide Family, located on the Slide Islands).
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March 22nd, 2010, 23:23 Posted By: wraggster
Uh oh, Nexus One. We heard from 9 to 5 Mac that Apple was due to begin selling an unlocked variant of the iPhone in the near future "at list price." And guess what happened when we inquired to an Apple store? That's right folks -- you can now pick one up for $499 (3G), $599, or $699 (3GS). We've confirmed this info at no less than five stores, so you should be hearing the same message at your local Appletorium. Given the current unfriendly climate between Apple and Google, this is the perfect, nasty jab. This isn't the first time an unlocked iPhone was made available -- in many parts of Europe (France, Spain, and Poland, for example) you can pick up the carrier-unattached device -- though this is certainly a major change in policy for America. So what's next... you getting one?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/22/o...ones-unlocked/
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March 22nd, 2010, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster
Are you an amateur photographer? This mobile Photo Book from Lonely Cat has been designed for you! PhotoBook is an easy-to-use program to display digital photo collections taken with your mobile phone or downloaded from PC. Application contains a graphic photo browser and photo viewer. There is a handy system for photo enlargement, previewing and many other functionalities.
http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...uto=784&faq=14
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March 22nd, 2010, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster
BigBen by Cellphonesoft protects your smartphone from accidental use by locking keys, while displaying a large digital or analog clock. By selectable background images and hourly chimes you can even make your phone look and sound like the famous tower clock in London! The program can also display visible and audible reminders for unattended events, like call or SMS.
http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=783&faq=1
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March 22nd, 2010, 23:41 Posted By: wraggster
JoikuSpot has been updated to version 2.6. With this software installed, you connect your laptop or iPod to internet everywhere through your mobile phone, and enjoy 3G speed. JoikuSpot turns your phone to a mobile WLAN (Wifi) HotSpot. No need for USB dongles, cables or Bluetooth. Email, secured access and corporate intraweb (VPN) supported. JoikuSpot software installs direct to your phone, and you will carry 3G internet in your pocket, and can share it over WLAN with your friends.
http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=524&faq=4
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March 23rd, 2010, 22:58 Posted By: wraggster
iPhone games may have had an even more significant impact on the handheld gaming market than previously thought, growing share at the expense of the DS and - more drastically - the PSP.
That's according to calculations made by analytics site Flurry using sales data from NPD and Apple, which note that iPhone games accounted for five per cent of the total US portable software market in 2008, while DS took a 75 per cent slice, and PSP 20 per cent.
By 2009, iPhone's share looks to have grown to 19 per cent of the total portable market, while PSP shrunk to just 11 per cent, and DS declined to 70 per cent.
That portable category was thought to be worth an estimated $2.25bn in 2008 and $2.55bn in 2009. The site estimates iPhone game revenue accounted for $115m and $500m in each year respectively.
Pitting the Apple device's standing in the overall console market, the site calculates iPhone took an estimated 1 per cent of overall share of the console market in 2008 and 5 per cent in 2009.
That revenue excluded any made through online services such as virtual goods, social network games and subscription fees.
In comparison, the portable sector took a 20 per cent share of the market in 2008 and a 24 per cent share in 2009, while the home consoles accounted for 79 per cent in 2008 and 71 per cent in 2009. Figures that indicate a loss in ground by the home consoles to the portable category.
Overall revenue made from console software in 2008 was $11bn, while in 2009 it was $9.9bn.
"Controlling 5 per cent revenue of a $10 billion industry in just a year and a half is significant," noted the site.
"Our main finding is that iPhone (and iPod touch) is a gaming platform to be reckoned with," it added.
"From a market share perspective, console games lost ground to portable platforms and iPhone. While the downturn in the economy may have dampened sales of the more expensive console games category, there is no denying that iPhone has generated substantial revenue and entered strongly into a mature industry.
"As prices come down for the iPod Touch, and games sold through the App Store continue to have lower price points, more of the young gaming generation may switch to Apple devices over Sony PSP and Nintendo DS for gaming."
Nintendo has previously denied that Apple's business is impacted on the DS, saying it doesn't go after the same "affluent" consumers as Apple.
"It is true that the current Nintendo DS business is not that heated up as it used to be sometime ago, when no one could tell how far ahead DS might be able to grow," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said at the end of 2009.
"On the other hand data [has shown] that DS has not lost its footing at all. Actually it has been even increasing its footing all around the world."
"Because the original iPod business itself was big, my view is that Apple was able to leverage a very good timing to expand its business to telephones just when the original iPod business was nearing its saturation point.
"In other words, in my opinion, iPhone did not grow itself to a huge business, but something already grown up was able to prevent its growth speed from slowing down," he added.
It is estimated that over 30,000 games have been released onto the App Store since its launch in 2008.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...oth-ds-and-psp
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March 23rd, 2010, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster
Games market analyst Colin Sebastian has claimed that Nintendo’s freshly confirmed 3DS could potentially threaten iPhone’s rise as a viable portable games machine
“With a differentiated 3D display, high quality games, and profitable business model for publishers, we believe the 3DS could help reduce the competitive threat from smartphones,” Sebastian noted.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/36469...reat-to-iPhone
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March 23rd, 2010, 23:40 Posted By: wraggster
You may be seeing a rumor doing the rounds today about Palm throwing in the towel and moving to the Android platform as a means of survival -- but just hang on. Most reports are citing an email that made its way to the inbox of what looks like every major tech outlet, stating that CEO Jon Rubinstein issued an internal memo to software developers at the company about the switch. The supposed memo quotes Jon as saying, "While Palm is incredibly proud of our engineers who spent timeless work and effort to bring us this advanced operating system, consumers simply have not caught on. To provide a better future for ourselves and our customers, the only logical choice is to transition our hardware and software to the Android platform." The plan -- according to this email -- would be to create a kind of Sense UI-ish webOS interface on Palm devices, while leveraging Android's market footprint. The anonymous emailer went on to say that the full memo would be made available on Wikileaks at midnight last night.
But guess what? Not only did the memo not appear at the stroke of 12, but when we picked up the phone and actually spoke to Palm, they had a pretty quick response. Their answer? Our sources at the company essentially laughed when they heard this news, and they emphatically stated that there was no memo, and no move internally towards Android. Furthermore, many of the reports are citing a bunk piece of news from Monday which erroneously stated that Palm had halted production -- that news has also been refuted by the company. Admittedly, our minds reel at the concept of Android with a webOS UI, but until we get some real, verifiable evidence of that (and not just a random email), we're going to assume it's not happening. You should do the same.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/p...rding-to-palm/
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March 23rd, 2010, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster
With anticipation increasing prior to the launch of Apple’s iPad in North America on 3rd April, PocketGamer.biz has analysed data based on the games announced for the new device.
Using a list of 97 titles, (either publicly announced or that are known to be coming to the platform), the team discovered the typical launch game for iPad will be a port of an iPhone puzzle game developed by an indie American studio.
In terms of a detailed breakdown of the data, the most popular genres are;
Puzzle 26%
Action 12%
Sports 10%
Strategy 7%
Card or board games 7%
Shooter 6%
The origination of iPad games is as follows;
Port of existing iPhone game 65%
New title 16%
Version of console game 10%
Sequel of iPhone game 4%
Version of PC game 3%
Version of mobile game 2%
Breaking down the type of studios launching iPad games;
Indie 44%
Publisher 31%
Mid-tier developer 23% (large indie)
Other 2%
Finally, the geographical location of developers;
US 48%
UK 10%
Canada 7%
France 5%
Korea 3%
Germany, Finland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Poland 2%
“It seems most iPhone game developers are planning to release a title for iPad, so it will be fascinating to see how this breakdown analysis changes as we get closer to launch and more games are announced,” said Jon Jordan, PocketGamer.biz editor.
“There’s certainly not going to be a lack of iPad titles available on 3rd April and we’re already seeing some novel announcements with the likes of Oujia board app SpiritPad, not to mention larger versions of old favourites such as Flight Control and Zen Bound.”
The full analysis can be read on PocketGamer.biz http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/...re.asp?c=19302
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March 23rd, 2010, 23:48 Posted By: wraggster
MeanFreePath LLC has released version 1.3 of its free geo-based iPhone and iPod touch app, Turf Wars. Version 1.3 adds an optional landscape mode, and Facebook Connect, which allows you to show off your turf and capo titles to all your Facebook friends.
“Facebook Connect adds bragging rights to Turf Wars, allowing you to show off when you capture a turf or become the capo of an area” said Nick Baicoianu, creator of Turf Wars and founder of MeanFreePath LLC. “Sharing your conquests through Facebook adds another social dynamic to Turf Wars letting you smack talk your friends and keep tabs on them.”
Receiving rave reviews from tech entertainment and gaming press, including 4 out of 5 stars from the Times of London, an A- from The Onion’s AV Club and a nomination for both Best MMO Game and Best Use of Location Services for the “Best of 2009” awards at 148apps.com, Turf Wars is a free geo-based crime app that utilizes the iPhone and iPod touch’s GPS capabilities, allow ing players to grab real turf on a map, adding a more realistic feel to the gameplay. Complete missions to level up and take control of turf with one goal in mind - become the top dog or “Capo” of your town!
**NOTE: iPhone/ iPod touch users must be running Apple’s GPS-enabled, OS 3.0 or higher in order to play Turf Wars**
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March 23rd, 2010, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster
Korner Entertainment SL announces the release of Math Blazer for iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed by Blit Software, this is the game for those whom enjoy crosswords, sudokus and scrabbling around with tiles.
Math Blazer presents a challenge that will totally hook the users. The goal is to build mathematical operations using tiles that represent the basic signs and numbers in maths (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing)… and to use the premium multiplication squares on the board to add more points to your operations!
Features:
- Practice, Player vs. CPU and Multiplayer Modes.
- Challenge players around the world to thrilling games thanks to the online multiplayer option.
- Different difficulty levels designed for every kind of user.
- Tested playability for all audiences.
Thoroughly addictive…You’ll always want to play just one more game!
How do you play Math Blazer?
The game consists of adding up points, forming expressions of equality (equations), horizontally from left to right or vertically from top to bottom, on a board.
The player beginning the game must put the first equation on the centre square on the board. From that point, the rest of the equations formed must be joined to an earlier one already on the board.
Math Blazer comes with 80 tiles divided between 14 numbers and symbols. What’s more, the user has to try to make the most of the 5 types of premium multiplication squares on the game board. Knowing how to take full advantage of them could be the key to turning the game in your favour!
Please visit our website for more information: www.mathblazer.com
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March 24th, 2010, 17:57 Posted By: wraggster
Since launching in the US in February, The Game Trail userbase has grown over 400%. Driven by a desire for information about iPhone games and gameplay video, The Game Trail users are a specific sub-set of the iPhone shopper demographic; they play a lot of games and care about game quality. The average user spends nearly five minutes in the app and browses an average of 4.5 game titles. Out of several thousand visitors to date, about 10% go on to buy an app that they viewed in The Game Trail. The app's sudden popularity corroborates independent research that suggests shoppers are 3-5 times more likely to buy an app when shown video of the game. The current most popular game genre as determined by The Game Trail users is Strategy.
The latest update to The Game Trail introduces users to the concept of "trailing." If you know what games you already like, The Game Trail will suggest similar titles that you may also like. Via "trailing," The Game Trail enables iPhone gamers to build a collection of great games suited to their individual tastes. The new update also includes an "Upcoming" section, providing users a first look at soon-to-be-released iPhone games. The new "Upcoming" feature highlights unreleased titles and provides a great way to build and measure buzz, as interested users can click a button to be notified upon release of the new game.
The iTunes App Store has quickly risen to become the most populated mobile game marketplace in the world. With over 25,000 game titles available now, the proliferation of content available to consumers on the iPhone has far outpaced that of any handheld, console or mobile gaming device in existence. What the App Store lacks in video trailers and independent reviews from professional sources, The Game Trail offers in a simple free app.
The Game Trail, a product of Swedish mobile developer Fabrication Games, was created in order to guide iPhone game shoppers down the right path and towards only the highest quality content available. Featuring video trailers, reviews, and unbiased rankings, The Game Trail database adds new games every day and is growing at a rate of 50% per month. With easy access to video trailers and reviews on The Game Trail app, App Store buyers’ regret is a thing of the past.
Access The Game Trail online at www.thegametrail.com
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March 24th, 2010, 18:01 Posted By: wraggster
Fruity Slots Deluxe™ (Casino/Simulation) for iPad coming 3rd April 2010
Fruity Slots Deluxe, the fruity themed 5 reel casino slot machine where you can win a virtual cash fortune!
Try to win as much cash as possible by also playing mini-games such as: Mega Melons, Fruit Climb and the Cash Wheel to accumulate virtual credit prize bonuses.
Upload, share and compete with your hi-score around the world online via AGON Online and post to Facebook and Twitter.
Features:
Supports All 4 Orientations.
5 Reels.
Holds.
Nudges.
Feature Trail.
Wild Symbols.
Free Spin Feature.
Mini Cash Bonuses.
Mega Melons Skill Climb.
Fruit Climb.
Cash Wheel.
Line Bets.
Min. Bet & Max. Bet.
18 Win Lines.
Pay Tables.
Auto-Spin.
Multi-Combo Payouts.
Continue Save Game Credit Accumulator.
$100,000 Max. 5-Bar Jackpot!
Arcade Quality Graphics.
Realistic Slot Machine Sound FX.
Online Hi-Score Upload via AGON Online.
More information and some Q&A here...
http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=48958
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March 24th, 2010, 20:51 Posted By: wraggster
Easter Eggs is a simple but mind-boggling and addictive puzzle game. You have to guide the bunny to the eggs by placing arrows on the map. If you think you have placed the correct arrows just press go and see if you were right. But beware: each arrow can only be used once, do not fall down the cliffs. Will you be able to find the 50 lost easter eggs?
You will get fifty level for only 0.99 USD!
Compete with your friends and the whole world
- Connect with your facebook Account to compete against your friends
- Share achievements on facebook & twitter
- Become the worlds best easter bunny 
Media
iTunes Link: http://itunes.apple.com/de/app/easte...361728760?mt=8
Pics & Video: http://mobilebits.de/EasterEggs
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March 24th, 2010, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster
The MobiVU application allows the phone to automatically answer incoming video or audio calls. The live sound can be accessed by any phone, while video calls needs to be made by 3G phones.
MobiVU provides remote visual monitoring, once installed in your 3G phone. Place the phone with the application installed (MobiVU-phone) at the region to be monitored, then use another 3G phone (on which no software is required) to make a video call to the MobiVU-phone from anywhere in the world to view live video footage. You can also make voice call to listen (no visual) to the MobiVU phone, if your second phone is not 3G or there is no 3G signal available where you are.
http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=785&faq=1
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March 25th, 2010, 21:28 Posted By: wraggster
doublesix, part of the Kuju Entertainment Group, are excited to announce the launch of what will undoubtedly be one of the more attractive arena shooters to grace an iPhone, Babeorella.
Babeorella features classic arcade game play, though with the added bonus of a buxom bikinied blonde. Babeorella is available exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch on March 25, 2010.
Babeorella has crash landed on a remote asteroid, which would be enough of a problem by itself... except it's also filled with hordes of evil killer robots! Babeorella must use her charm, guile and vast array of power-packed weaponry to wipe out wave after wave of the metallic horde.
KEY FEATURES
• Distance-context based attacks, weapons change depending on the range you engage the enemy
• Upgradeable abilities and attacks
• Multiple enemy types that attack in a variety of ways and ranges
• In-game challenges
• Unlockable outfits
For more information on Babeorella, including the multi-part comic and a trailer head over to http://www.doublesixgames.com/babeorella
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March 25th, 2010, 21:33 Posted By: wraggster
Nordcurrent, announced today that it has launched Robin Hood: The Return of Richard for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The game will be available to download worldwide on iTunes for a price of $2.99 in the U.S. and ?2.39 in Europe. To coincide with the launch, Nodcurrent has also released the game's official gameplay trailer that highlights all of the fast-paced action and exciting challenges players will face.
"Robin Hood is a beloved character and players will have a lot of fun with this fast-paced shooter on their iPhone and iPod Touch," said Victoria Trofimova, Director at Nordcurrent. "Once players get a look at the gameplay via the trailer, they will be eager to give this game a try."
While Richard, the true King of England, is absent from his throne, his country rages in chaos. England has been invaded, and enemies burn and destroy local towns and villages. After the house of expert archer and hunter Robin Hood was burned down, he, together with a group of free archers like himself, hides in Sherwood Forest and begins his fight for justice. The fate of the people now lies in the player's hands!
Robin Hood: The Return of Richard for the iPhone and iPod Touch takes players through 12 levels while defeating numerous enemies and visiting several different medieval locations in England. Players will enjoy fast-paced action as they fight with super villains such as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. For more information about Robin Hood: The Return of Richard, players can visit:
http://www.nordcurrent.com/games/rob...f-richard.html
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March 25th, 2010, 21:47 Posted By: wraggster
From the developer of Wackylands Green for Apple iPhone™ and Apple iPod touch® comes CubeHead – a hilarious, colorful, fun and addicting take on the Match-3 puzzle genre.
Having been exiled many years ago by his unhappy subjects, the wily king CubeHead has returned and seeks to recover his throne. Your task is to help the Cubies fight back and protect the kingdom before it is too late! Beware though, as protecting the kingdom is not as easy as you might think: Not only do you play against the clock; you also have a limited amount of energy available to succeed.
If you can match Cubies in lines or columns of 3 or more, you can score points and defeat king CubeHead. You will encounter funny little animated Cubies, bombs, hidden prizes, and booby traps as you compete against time. But you must also be careful to conserve your energy and avoid unnecessary moves. Special tiles can help you in your quest, or get in your way. By successfully completing each level, you could potentially be good enough to earn yourself a spot on the high score table. Expect to develop an uncanny ability to speedily maneuver tiles as CubeHead challenges your mind! The game features intuitive and simple-to-learn controls, in-game tips, 3 difficulty levels, pause and automatic save and resume functionality.
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March 25th, 2010, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster
It's a story tailor-made for the fear-mongering subset of news media. This week, a pair of gentlemen lured an unsuspecting virgin iPhone to a malicious website and -- with no other input from the user -- stole the phone's entire database of sent, received and even deleted text messages in under 20 seconds, boasting that they could easily lift personal contacts, emails and your naughty, naughty photos as well. Thankfully for us level-headed souls, those gentlemen were Vincenzo Iozzo and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann, security researchers performing for the 2010 Pwn2Own hacking contest, and their $15,000 first prize ensures that the winning formula will go to Apple (and only Apple) for further study. Last year, smartphones emerged from Pwn2Own unscathed even as their desktop counterparts took a beating, but this makes the third year in a row that Safari's gotten its host machines pwned. That said, there's no need for fear -- just a healthy reminder that the Apple logo doesn't give you free license to click links in those oh-so-tempting "beta-test the new iPad!" emails.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/25/i...ds-news-at-11/
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March 26th, 2010, 17:27 Posted By: wraggster
Could You Survive On A Desert Island Stranded Without A Phone?
Survival Game Released On Apple iPhoneTM And Apple iPod Touch®
Stranded Without A Phone from independent developer Gilligames is a desert island survival game set in the Space HoRSE universe. Four passengers on a space ship were on a mission to colonize a new planet when the ship crash landed on a planet that is almost completely covered by ocean. You, yes you, are the sole survivor, an upper-management executive from the Decoo Corporation, the company that sponsored the original mission. In this visually attractive game you must use your survival skills to stay alive long enough to get rescued. Build shelter, find food and drink, and collect salvageable parts from the wreckage that wash ashore. Use the parts to build a space radio and call for a rescue team to win the game.
Stranded Without A Phone features a familiar RPG-style inventory system, an incredible amount of items to utilize (more than 70!), randomly generated maps and realistic environments including day / night cycle and weather changes! To survive long enough while waiting to be rescued you must search for natural resources, and then use them to create other items using various combinations. For example, you need to search dirt areas for small boulders to build a fire pit, you can find coconuts as an immediate source of nutrition and hydration and if you’re good enough you can find fish in shallow waters.
Since the game’s original release in October 2009, Gilligames has carefully listened to consumer feedback and made available several updates to the game to include new enhancements, features and a web-based item guide on popular demand. The developer has also released a free “Lite” version allowing prospective players to get a taste of what it would feel like to be stranded, isolated and stuck without a phone on a desert island!
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March 26th, 2010, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster
One of the world’s most recognised hackers has claimed to have developed a method to ‘crack’ the Apple iPad – weeks before the device even arrives at retail.
George Hotz shot to fame following his success in hacking Apple’s iPhone, developing a method for users to both use the device on any mobile network and install unauthorised software.
He has also claimed to have hacked the PS3, though Sony’s system seemingly remains piracy free for the time being.
Late last year Hotz released his latest iPhone-cracking software, blackra1n, which offers a one-click jailbreaking solution for users of the device. Now Hotz is claiming that blackra1n “will probably work on iPad too”.
With piracy proving such a huge problem in the iPhone market, the news – if true – will undoubtedly be a crushing blow to format holder Apple. However, don’t discount the possibility of Apple working in some sort of block to Hotz’s software before the iPad arrives next month.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/38228/Hotz-claims-iPad-hack
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March 26th, 2010, 22:59 Posted By: wraggster
What will Apple's next move be in mobile services? The company has already shaken up the mobile industry with its App Store, but more is surely to come.
We've been thinking about six ways Apple could jump when it comes to mobile services: Advertising; Mapping & Location; iTunes in the Cloud; Gaming, Apple TV Everywhere, and Social Media.
The conclusion: Apple has the potential to provide exciting new platforms and APIs on which developers can build, but it could also end up in competition with some of the companies in the iPhone space, from social gaming platforms like OpenFeint and streaming music services like Spotify through to Facebook and Foursquare on the social side of things.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/36525...-entertainment
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March 27th, 2010, 20:09 Posted By: wraggster
Well, look at this. If you've been desperate to know what your App Store experience would be like on the iPad, here's a chance to live the dream. Apparently these shots were discovered while the App Annie folks (an app tracking and analytics site) were "searching for clues" on the device and this "actual feed" was stumbled upon. While that's all very unclear, what isn't unclear is that Apple will be using the HD moniker to denote applications that have either been tweaked in a special iPad version, or have had their resolution upped so they wouldn't just be scaled standard apps. Additionally, we're seeing some applications that aren't even available on the iPhone right now, such as the $49.99 OmniGraffle, which we're assuming will be very close to its desktop counterpart -- a good sign that iPad apps are majorly upping the functionality. One more long shot after the break for your viewing pleasure.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/26/i...nshots-leaked/
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March 27th, 2010, 22:14 Posted By: wraggster
No more unnecessary fees for internet access! Roaming Guard monitors application access to data connections and, based on your settings, enables or blocks it. Access may be denied for individual functions such as MMS, E-mail, Web, Mail for Exchange, Ovi Maps and Other data. Available options include: Never, Roaming, or Always.
http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=788&faq=1
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March 27th, 2010, 22:15 Posted By: wraggster
Fun Flash by Smartphoneware is an application combining an advanced torch, a Morse transmitter and a siren. The Torch function allows specifying the color of the on-screen torch as well as using red or white flash as the source of light. Morse transmitter can be used for sending messages as well as learning the Morse code. Siren allows imitating police, fire-engine, ambulance alarms and others.
http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=787&faq=1
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March 28th, 2010, 21:11 Posted By: wraggster
We already knew that the iPad would be getting a few pieces of software that haven't shown up on its tinier, phone counterpart -- but now that a few screenshots of forthcoming apps for the device have reared their head, we're getting a clearer picture of just what this thing will feel like. If these shots of the new Yahoo! Entertainment, Bento, OmniGraffle, and Brushes are any indication, the iPad will be doing a lot more than just zooming up your Facebook profile. There's definitely an emphasis on content creation, file exporting (if not saving), and syncing with desktop versions of some of these apps, and Yahoo!'s work (alongside Brushes') shows that we've only begun to scratch the surface of what interfaces will be like on this device. We're sure the next week will be filled with all sorts of these kinds of leaks, but for now you can cherish the moment when you first laid eyes on your new way to check a TV schedule. A few more shots after the break, and lots more at the sources.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/27/n...ing-seem-less/
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