GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now
Filed under: Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store
Before you go press buy, though, I'll also tell you that I got a chance to play the game, and while it is about as faithful a Street Fighter IV game as you can get on the iPhone, playing a fighting game without actual buttons is not really an ideal experience. While I was able to pull off a Hadoken and almost all of the other old moves after a few tries, the highest levels of competition in a fighting game require precision and subtlety, and this control scheme has neither of those. If you just want to play Street Fighter on an iPhone, sure -- be an early adopter, pick up the game, and enjoy a few rounds of Guile vs. Ryu. But if you're looking for the kind of in-depth fighting experience that Street Fighter IV on consoles and in the arcades offered, you probably won't find it here -- the controls are a little too inconsistent to really dig into the deep counter and powerup systems on display.
Continue reading GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now
GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 10 March 2010 | 1:30 am
Black Swan brings Google Voice back to the iPhone without the App Store
Filed under: iPhone, App Review
Google Voice on the iPhone has been something of a sore subject for me. If you need a full-recap of the whole sordid iPhone/Google Voice story see this story from December or more of our coverage. I even started a little site devoted to waiting for Google Voice on the iPhone called IsGoogleVoiceAvailableForTheiPhone.com.
It has been 6 months and 19 days since Apple claimed it had not "rejected" Google Voice but was "studying" it. During the course of Apple's "study" the company moved to purge all existing Google Voice apps from the App Store.
There were three reactions to this from developers:
Google revamped the Mobile Google Voice page so that it looks a lot nicer on the iPhone.
GV Mobile released its app for free on Cydia for those who have jailbroken iPhones.
The folks behind Voice Central went a different route. They decided to make a web app instead. I've been using it in beta for the past few months, but as of today it has been released to the public as Black Swan.
The difference between the Mobile Google Voice site from Google and Black Swan is that Black Swan is stored locally on your iPhone, like Pie Guy from Neven Mrgan of Panic.com. Riverturn calls this a "weblication," which is a fairly awful name, but apparently they aren't the first ones to use it.
Continue reading Black Swan brings Google Voice back to the iPhone without the App Store
Black Swan brings Google Voice back to the iPhone without the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Black Swan brings Google Voice back to the iPhone without the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 9 March 2010 | 5:00 pm
Slate comes to the iPhone, along with a lot of advertising
Filed under: Multimedia, Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
I've always liked Slate Magazine on the web. It's sometimes sassy and irreverent, but always interesting -- an eclectic mix of politics, culture and tech news.Now, Slate has come to the iPhone in a US$1.99 app that features all the articles from the site, as well as the blog posts, staff tweets and streaming video from the Slate podcasts. Once content is downloaded you can read it off-line, which is a worthwhile feature. Access to Slate on the web is free, and you can read Slate from any mobile browser by going to mobile.slate.com.
So why the charge for the iPhone app? Slate says it cost something to develop it, and it gives you a much richer experience in a portable form. I can't argue with that, but I can argue with the ads that appear absolutely everywhere. Even the splash screen popped up with an ad. I think that's a bit much after I've paid for the app, but I'm beginning to see a lot of this in other apps as well.
I do like the app a lot, and it is a better experience for me than reading Slate stories in Safari on the iPhone. I even prefer the app to reading the site on my desktop or laptop. I just think the constant intrusive ads are a turn-off that will keep some people from pulling the trigger on what is an otherwise laudable effort.
Slate works on any iPhone or iPod touch with OS 3.0 or greater. I expect we'll see an iPad version as well.
Full disclosure: In the dim, distant past I worked at the Washington Post Company, which owns Slate.
Take a gander at some screen shots below:
Slate comes to the iPhone, along with a lot of advertising originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Slate comes to the iPhone, along with a lot of advertising originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 9 March 2010 | 3:30 pm
GDC 2010: Ngmoco explains how Eliminate was built
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Other Events, Developer, iPhone
Continue reading GDC 2010: Ngmoco explains how Eliminate was built
GDC 2010: Ngmoco explains how Eliminate was built originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
GDC 2010: Ngmoco explains how Eliminate was built originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 9 March 2010 | 3:00 pm
Tekken bound for the iPhone
Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store
Namco is bringing the popular Tekken franchise to the iPhone. It's not confirmed whether it's a port of the original game -- released back in 1994 in arcades, then on the PlayStation -- or the current Tekken 6. This comes a few weeks after Capcom announced the release of Street Fighter IV for the iPhone, leading to an eventual fighter game showdown in the App Store. While both games on the iPhone is pretty awesome, I'm waiting to see how they will look and play on the iPad. I also wouldn't mind seeing even more Namco titles on the iPhone - especially selections from the Tales RPG franchise.
Namco has a number of games in the store, including classics like Galaga, which was "remixed" for the iPhone, Burger Time Deluxe, which graced arcades way back in 1982!
Here's hoping for old-school Tekken.
[Via Gizmodo]
Tekken bound for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tekken bound for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 9 March 2010 | 2:00 pm
EFF releases iPhone developer license agreement
Filed under: Developer, iPhone
In a step towards transparency, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has made the entire iPhone Developer Program License Agreement available for the general public. This is the document that all iPhone developers must agree to when they become part of the iPhone developer program. As EFF points out, public copies of the license agreement are pretty scarce thanks to developers being locked under a non-disclosure agreement as part of the contract. EFF used the Freedom of Information Act to get its copy from NASA, which is the version from approximately a year ago (Rev. 3-17-09). The agreement has been updated since then.
The EFF characterizes the agreement as "a very one-sided contract, favoring Apple at every turn," and that's not an overstatement. Some of the clauses and conditions in the Apple developer agreement do smack of "our field, our ball, our rules" thinking from Cupertino. Highlights from the 28-page document include:
- A ban prohibiting developers from making public statements about the license agreement; however the contract itself is not considered "Apple Confidential Information."
- Apps developed from Apple's SDK are only allowed to be sold through the App Store. You can't push it anywhere else (Cydia, etc.), even if Apple has rejected the app for any reason.
- Developers are forbidden to tinker with any Apple products, not just the iPhone. This includes jailbreaking.
- Apple is not liable for more than $50 in damages in case something happens on their end to your app. This is laughable, and I'm honestly surprised that Apple has not had a legal challenge over this yet.
- Devices used for testing purposes could be locked into a "testing mode," and may not be able to be restored to their original condition. That is one way to brick your device.
Continue reading EFF releases iPhone developer license agreement
EFF releases iPhone developer license agreement originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
EFF releases iPhone developer license agreement originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 9 March 2010 | 1:30 pm
CBS Sports March Madness app will stream your games live
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
There is a lite version that offers up just scores and news, but the US$9.99 premium version gives you live video of all the games, and/or audio broadcasts as they happen from Westwood One (and the press release says CBS worked in conjunction with MLB Advanced Media, so I'd guess the quality is pretty good). If you're planning on watching the tournament at all, and think you might spend at least a game or two away from the television, the app will probably be worth it. It's up for download right now on the App Store -- play ball! No wait. What do they say for basketball? Tip off?
CBS Sports March Madness app will stream your games live originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
CBS Sports March Madness app will stream your games live originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 9 March 2010 | 7:00 am
Steph Thirion, creator of Eliss, annouces Faraway
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store, SDK
Thirion has also announced a new company to represent and sell his iPhone games, and he's calling it LITTLE--EYES. It's really great to see a very smart, independent developer come into his own like on a platform like the iPhone -- there's really no other mainstream gaming platform out there that lets developers really jump in headfirst and release experimental games like these to a a mainstream market. We'll keep an eye out at GDC this week for all kinds of indie developers making it big. While it's cool that Valve and other larger companies are finally coming around, we have to be sure not to forget developers like this either.
Steph Thirion, creator of Eliss, annouces Faraway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Steph Thirion, creator of Eliss, annouces Faraway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 8 March 2010 | 9:00 pm
Apple patent: use your iPhone as an electronic "iKey"
Filed under: Rumors, Odds and ends, iPhone
The Daily Telegraph reports that a new Apple patent has surfaced which could potentially allow the iPhone, or another Apple portable, to act as a sort of electronic key. The potential applications are as limitless as the number of things locked by old-school metal keys. It could be used for cars, offices, homes, or lockers. Basically, anything that could have an electronic receiver mounted to it in place of a metal tumbler-style lock could then use an iPhone as a key.While Ars Technica notes that "the patent application itself merely describes a unique way of using motion detection to generate an input, such as turning a virtual combination lock-style dial," the patent itself, as reported by the Telegraph, says that the device could be "any suitable electronic device such as a portable media player, personal data assistant or electronic lock" that could open up any number of physical lock types just by communicating wirelessly.
Continue reading Apple patent: use your iPhone as an electronic "iKey"
Apple patent: use your iPhone as an electronic "iKey" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple patent: use your iPhone as an electronic "iKey" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 8 March 2010 | 4:30 pm
Enter to win Trip Journal 4.0 for the iPhone
Filed under: Software, Developer, iPhone
The app is on sale for 99 cents right now, but it'll be back to the standard $2.99 price soon. We've got an even better deal, however -- iQapps has offered five download codes for us to give five lucky commenters on this post. Just leave a comment telling us where you'd like to travel to, and we'll choose five random winners after 48 hours to win the app for free. Here are the rules:
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
- To enter leave a comment telling us where you'd like to travel with Trip Journal
- The comment must be left before March 11th, 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Five winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Prizes: Promo Code for one copy of Trip Journal (Value: US$2.99)
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Enter to win Trip Journal 4.0 for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Enter to win Trip Journal 4.0 for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 8 March 2010 | 12:30 pm
Apple prepping Wi-Fi iPhone for China
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Apple Financial, iPhone
At long last, Apple and China Unicom Ltd. are working to introduce Wi-Fi-enabled iPhones to China.The iPhone has failed to thrive in China, due in part to an active black market and the Golden Shield Project (GSP), which censors certain Internet content. To comply with the GSP, devices that include wireless Internet have been required to use China's own WAPI standard. Meeting that requirement forced Apple to re-design the iPhone for China.
In the meantime, a change in policy permitted devices to have both WAPI and Wi-Fi, but by then it was too late, and the 1st round of re-designed iPhones were released in China without Wi-Fi.
Now, Unicom Chief Executive Chang Xiaobing says that iPhones with Wi-Fi will be made available to his company's customers. He didn't announce when that will happen, but did suggest that existing customers (without Wi-Fi) will be compensated, perhaps with expanded use of Unicom's high-speed 3G network.
Unfortunately, this probably won't send iPhone sales soaring. There's still a powerful black market to contend with and less expensive iPhones in Hong Kong.
[Via Silicon Alley Insider]
Apple prepping Wi-Fi iPhone for China originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple prepping Wi-Fi iPhone for China originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 8 March 2010 | 11:30 am
reMail may be reIncarnated as it goes open source
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
Several weeks back, we noted that Google had acquired reMail, and had placed founder Gabor Cselle and others from the reMail team on other Google projects. The reMail app distinguished itself from the iPhone's built-in Mail.app in several ways:
- It could download all of your emails in a way that takes up a much smaller footprint than in Mail.app on the iPhone.
- Its search feature is much faster than Mail.app, and is accompanied with niceties such as autocompleting the names of your contacts, remembering your past searches, and text mark up matches in your search results.
- And lastly, reMail's search is full text, unlike the header search like in the Mail.app.
Though reMail is no longer being offered in the App Store, we may see its likeness spring up in other ways in future apps. As had been rumored shortly after the acquisition, reMail is now open source. Its source code now lives at the Google Code and is available for your viewing here. By making reMail open source, Gabor Cselle hopes that those interested in "making email-related apps can use reMail code as a starting point."
reMail may be reIncarnated as it goes open source originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
reMail may be reIncarnated as it goes open source originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 7 March 2010 | 9:00 am
Another iPhone video conferencing rumor surfaces
Filed under: Rumors, Video, iPhone
There's been many rumors pointing to the possible inclusion of video conferencing in the next-gen iPhone -- everything from faceplate photos to code embedded in the iPhone SDK itself has set off our rumor radar. This latest rumor from site Redmond Pie tends toward the weaker end of the spectrum as far as evidence goes: UK mobile provider O2 has listed "Video Calls" as a "Key Feature" of the forthcoming iPhone, with pricing for video calling listed as identical to standard phone calls.Note that third-party sellers regularly advertise features for Apple's products well in advance of their actual release based on a "best guess" approach without any verifiable foreknowledge of the devices -- Best Buy's recent page update listing i7 processors for the upcoming MacBook Pro update is a perfect example -- so this latest update from O2 by no means confirms the presence of video conferencing capabilities in the next iteration of the iPhone. It's merely one more rumor to add to the stack we've built up so far. One thing is certain: given all the rumors that have been swirling around already, which will surely accelerate over the next few months, if the next iPhone doesn't have video conferencing capabilities in it, the internet rage is going to be pretty profound.
Another iPhone video conferencing rumor surfaces originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Another iPhone video conferencing rumor surfaces originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 7 March 2010 | 8:00 am
Analyst: Apple will sell 35m iPhones next year, with or without Verizon
One of the questions that always seems to come up during our TUAW Talkcast and TUAW TV Live sessions is "When do you think Verizon Wireless is going to get the iPhone?" According to recent comments from Merrill Lynch analyst Scott Craig, the answer to that question is irrelevant to Apple.Craig anticipates that Apple could sell 33 million iPhones in 2010, and that number would rise to 35 million in 2011 even without a second U.S. carrier. However, the upside to Apple in selecting a second U.S. carrier -- possibly Verizon Wireless -- is that the number of 2011 sales could rise to as high as 55 million.
Other Wall Street analysts believe that Apple's decision to stick by AT&T for the iPad indicates a vote of confidence for the carrier, with analysts at Credit Suisse even going so far as to say that there's a 75% chance that AT&T will keep iPhone exclusivity for another year.
While the analysts don't seem to see a real downside risk for Apple, Credit Suisse recently downgraded Verizon from Outperform to Neutral based on the absence of the iPhone from their product line. It would definitely be in Verizon's best interest to make an agreement with Apple to carry the iPhone; however, Apple is unlikely to make agreements with non-GSM carriers such as Verizon Wireless until they are well into a transition to the 4G LTE technology.
[via Cult of Mac]
Analyst: Apple will sell 35m iPhones next year, with or without Verizon originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Analyst: Apple will sell 35m iPhones next year, with or without Verizon originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 6 March 2010 | 6:30 pm
Apple's video advertising options detailed in patent application
Filed under: Multimedia, Rumors, One More Thing, iPhone, Apple TV, iPad
In the battle of the network superstars between free-to-stream, ad-supported video (the Hulu model) and pay-per-show, ad-free TV (the iTunes model), there's been a big missing piece: how to monetize shows and sell ads for content that's downloaded and played on mobile devices like the iPad? Obviously, it's a better deal for the user if they can watch at will, without having to maintain network connectivity on the go (to say nothing of the streaming quality, or lack thereof, when connected over 3G), but making sure they see the ads in the content -- and reporting back to advertisers who want to know who watched what -- is much more challenging for anywhere, anytime viewers.
Wherever there's trouble, they're there on the double: the Bloodhound Gang known as Apple's engineering team has a patent application that may offer a way forward. First filed in September of 2008 and made public on March 4, this patent received a thorough analysis over at Patently Apple. The core idea: watch a block of ads to 'unlock' the next segment of video content, not unlike the way most network streaming sites appear to work now. The difference is in the implementation, reporting and controlling how the ads appear and which content is freed up. Users might be able to 'pay past' the ads, or watch them all at the beginning of the program to deliver a more seamless viewing session.
More intriguingly, Apple's patents suggest that advertisers can require or customize a particular level & kind of user interaction that will be embedded in the ad experience, requiring viewers to engage on some level before proceeding to the next segment (thereby ensuring that they're paying attention and not off making a snack). That would be something of a Holy Grail for advertisers who fear that their messaging is getting lost in the TiVo/DVR 'just skip it' timeshifting era.
Combined with the October 2009 patent regarding ad-subsidized hardware platforms, which lists Steve Jobs and Mike Matas among its co-inventors, and it's looking like we might be moving towards a future where that $499 iPad can be had for a fantastic, subsidized price of $199... if you accept a certain level of embedded and un-skippable advertising alongside your media and mobility experience. "Magical & revolutionary," you betcha. The idea of power-ads taking over your media playback might not bother everyone, but if you buy Fake Steve's argument, that's where the $30/month TV subscription plan comes in. Can't take the ads? Just pay to play.
[via MacRumors]
Image from Apple patent, courtesy Patently Apple site. No comment on the fact that it looks like a picture of Charlie from Lost (Dominic Monaghan).
Apple's video advertising options detailed in patent application originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple's video advertising options detailed in patent application originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 6 March 2010 | 2:00 pm
Flickr faster with Flickit Pro
Filed under: Multimedia, iPhone, App Review
I love Flickr (and alliteration, apparently). That is, I love Flickr on my desktop, and often on my Apple TV. I've never really been in love with the mobile experience, mostly due to long wait times and cumbersome navigation. When Mike Bernardo from Green Volcano Software contacted me about Flickit Pro, his Flickr app for the iPhone, I was definitely game to try it. I bought a copy the same day in the hopes that it would bring a little joy to my mobile Flickring.
We've played with Photon before, so we know that Green Volcano knows how to make photo handling fluid and fast. That interface dexterity carries over to the iPhone app. I was impressed by the overall aesthetics, and as I played with it I quickly confirmed that it wasn't just eye candy. There are little details that made me smile, and then ask, "Why all apps don't do things like this?" My favorite of these interface gems has to be the ability to zoom a photo in quite far, drag it to the edge and hold it a sec, and watch it suck back down and load the next image. Whether or not you dislike the usual double-tap-before-you-slide on most iPhone photo browsers as much as I do, it's still a great feature and demonstrates some serious attention to detail.
The speed is impressive, the background loading isn't cumbersome or even noticeable, and the overall experience left a great impression. It was $3.99US well spent. There's a free version, Flickit (without the Pro), but I haven't tried it. I assume it's a cool app, but if you're a Flickr fanatic (or really like well-designed apps), check out Flickit Pro.
I put together a little gallery below, so in case you don't buy that whole "nice interface" spiel, you can dive in and see for yourself.
Flickr faster with Flickit Pro originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Flickr faster with Flickit Pro originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 5 March 2010 | 7:00 pm
VeriFone credit card reader gets deal to be in Apple Stores
Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, Apple, iPhone
I'm not quite sure what the reasoning is behind this one on Apple's side, as the PAYware service seems to be a little more clunky than the Square solution: you have to pay both an activation fee and a monthly fee on top of the per-payment charge that Square asks for, and the reader itself is much bigger, taking up the iPhone's dock rather than just using the headphone port like Square's. Whatever Apple saw in them, you'll be able to get VeriFone's system right along with an iPhone or iPod touch all at the same time..
No matter which system eventually prevails (if indeed anyone needs to prevail at all -- there's certainly more than one credit card company, so there's no reason why there couldn't be more than one payment system on the iPhone), this does seems like a model that will change a lot of business transactions in all sorts of industries. It'll be interesting to see how the curve takes off once these things are up and running.
VeriFone credit card reader gets deal to be in Apple Stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
VeriFone credit card reader gets deal to be in Apple Stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 5 March 2010 | 6:00 pm
TomTom submits updated app for Apple review
Filed under: Odds and ends, Airport, iPhone, iPod touch
The makers of the TomTom app for the iPhone have let us know that they've submitted an updated version that adds real-time traffic information, Google local search, and even some secret features the company isn't talking about yet. The TomTom app was eagerly sought out last year, but of late has fallen a bit behind market leader Navigon. This new release, with real-time info and Google local, will give both apps rough feature parity.
The current TomTom app is on sale for U.S. $49.99 at the app store (U.S. maps only) and it includes a "free update to the new version as soon as its available." That would indicate that some or all of the new features will be an extra charge for current owners.
Version 1.3 will be available as soon as it passes through the App Store vetting process.
[Thanks to Steve H. for the tip]
TomTom submits updated app for Apple review originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TomTom submits updated app for Apple review originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 5 March 2010 | 5:00 pm
Siri updated for iPod touch and gets some new features
Filed under: Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, iPod touch
Siri for the iPhone was quite a hit when it came out earlier this year. You could ask it questions like, "where is the best pizza nearby?" and Siri would find the answer. My favorite response was when I asked if there was a God, and Siri gave me directions to the nearest churches.As much as people loved the app, iPod touch owners were left out in the cold. Not now. The app has been updated to run on the iPod touch with OS version 3.0 or above. And if you've already been using it, the app has been improved with more data, a larger vocabulary and some improvements to its reasoning algorithms.
You can also give it integer math problems and you'll get an answer. The app uses Microsoft Instant Answers from Bing for the heavy lifting.
Siri uses the speech recognition from Nuance Communications, which also powers the Dragon Dictatation and Dragon Search apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. It is uncannily accurate in my daily use, so Siri has gotten a bit smarter and learned a few new tricks. For free, it's a must have.
Siri updated for iPod touch and gets some new features originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Siri updated for iPod touch and gets some new features originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 5 March 2010 | 4:00 pm
revMobile: write iPhone and iPad apps without knowing Objective C
Filed under: Developer, iPhone, iPad
One of the biggest barriers to entry for people who want to develop their own iPhone apps is the requirement to actually know how to program in Objective C. Runtime Revolution (AKA RunRev) has been developing and marketing a HyperCard-like development environment since 1997. To quote the company's site, "Rev uses plain-English words and phrases for most of its operations, eliminating the obscure symbols and complicated structures required of other programming languages. Rev is easy to learn and use, requires 90% less code, and can deliver a 10-fold increase in productivity over traditional languages."
What does this have to do with developing for iPhone and iPad? The answer is simple -- the company is stretching the development environment to the mobile computing market with a new product, currently in pre-alpha, called revMobile. For developers who want to market their products to the widest possible range of mobile devices, revMobile not only supports the iPhone and iPad world, but Nokia's Maemo platform and Windows Mobile 7 as well. Since apps can also run on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, this represents a very robust development environment. The video at the top of this post shows a simple game being conceptualized, designed, and written in a little over 3 hours.
RunRev has always been compiled at runtime, but for the purposes of getting RunRev apps into the App Store, revMobile apps are going to be compiled at build time so that a single executable is available for submission. You can find out more about revMobile, including pricing and availability, at the RunRev website.
revMobile: write iPhone and iPad apps without knowing Objective C originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
revMobile: write iPhone and iPad apps without knowing Objective C originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted on 5 March 2010 | 3:00 pm