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- iTunes 8.1 Available Now
Amidst the hype of the new Shuffle, Apple has not-so-quietly updated its “What’s New” page for iTunes, mentioning a handful of improvements to be seen with the just-released 8.1 update. New features include improved speed with large libraries, Autofill, and a switch to 256-Kbps AAC as the new import default. To quote the page:Speed improvements
iTunes gets a speed boost. Now when it comes to loading large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, and syncing your devices, iTunes responds faster than before.Autofill any iPod.
Now the convenience of Autofill works with any iPod. Let iTunes choose what songs fill your pocket and enjoy your music at random.Import as iTunes Plus
Automatically import music from your CDs as higher quality, 256-Kbps iTunes Plus files. Watch a tutorial to find out how to import music from CDs.For a lot of users, the first two will be more-than-welcome additions — seriously, who can argue with speed improvements, especially if they apply to networked libraries as well. Also, as I’m sure a lot of other non-Shuffle owners will agree, the Autofill feature is one that has been much lamented over. The last improvement, however, is an interesting move and may cause confusion with some users when they suddenly can’t fit as many songs on their iPods and/or iPhones as they were used to, notable because Apple’s capacity calculations are still based on the 128-Kbps bitrate.
The update is available now via Software Update.
Переслать - The New iPod Shuffle: Digg Does Not Approve
Apple released the 3G iPod shuffle today. That’s “3G” as in third generation, not 3G as in the communications protocol used by the iPhone 3G. See? It’s as clear as the dirt on the floor. But I digress…Naturally, Digg Nation has weighed in on Apple’s latest move. Since we all know every tech reader on Digg is a would-be genius — and as a group they clearly have their pulse on the market. Their approval and support of the new device is critical to the success of— oh, forget it. Who am I kidding?
Truth is, it’s more like comic relief to read Digg comments, especially about all things Apple.
As usual, Apple adds features, which lead to changes, which lead to readjustments, which lead to cries of derision.
Controls on the headphones
This one gets the most attention but, really, Apple has moved in this direction for a while now; where have these people been? The latest gen iPods utilize special headphones for the mic feature, and the iPhone has always had headphone controls.
Do people always physically pull out the device to control volume, skip, etc? Really? Controlling via the headphones is so obvious and useful you really ought to give it a try.
As for cries that I must use Apple’s headphones, no. In case you haven’t noticed, third party vendors have come out with their own versions. Apple moving to this at the base iPod level will explode the third-party market. That’s a Good Thing™.
Size
I’ve seen some say it’s “too small.” I’m not even sure what that’s supposed to mean.
I suppose it’s possible that such a device could really get too small (i.e., if I drop it in the carpet I could lose the thing), but it ain’t there yet. For a wearable device, the smaller and lighter the better.
What they added
As usual, many people complain about what’s not there and blithely ignore what’s been added, which is more than just the headphone controls.
Previously, there was no way to know what song was playing. Now, with VoiceOver, there is. Is that not worth something? It is to me.
More importantly, in earlier generations there was no way to have playlists. Limited to 2GB memory, one might have argued this wasn’t a huge drawback. But the new shuffle is 4GB, and I think some method of using playlists is necessary. So they added it. Simply and elegantly.
Sure, if you had two dozen playlists, the voice interface would be time consuming, but I think Apple feels most people with a shuffle will have perhaps a half-dozen or so, so the voice interface makes perfect sense.
As for me…
I liked my 2G shuffle, but gave it to my daughter so she can listen to tunes at the bus stop for school.
I used it for bike riding, and was better off with the iPhone and headphone controls then fumbling with the physical unit, though the iPhone bulk was an issue in and of itself. So for me, the addition of headphone controls is huge. Now I get that great feature along with the tiny size. Perfect.
I’ve already put my money where my text is. I ordered a black one.
Переслать - R.I.P. iBook: December 31, 2002 - March 7, 2009
Our old 700 MHz iBook G3 passed away quietly on Saturday evening. My wife had used it to check her email that morning, and all had seemed well, but when she tried to wake it for a late-night check just before retiring, it refused to respond.
Over the next several hours I tried every method of resuscitation I could think of, plus some more than I looked up on the Internet, but no joy. The screen remained black; No start-up chime; no hard drive sound; indeed no sign of life at all other than a hum (normal) from the power manager when the AC adapter was plugged in. I tried the reset sequence for this model (Control + Option + Shift + Power) several times, also reset the PRAM, tried removing the battery and unplugging the power adapter and letting the machine sit for several hours, and eventually overnight. Nada.
Perhaps a motherboard failure. I’m doubtful that the problem is the hard drive, since the screen remains dead. Evidently, this sort of failure is not unheard of, or even terribly uncommon with the G3 iBook, which was not one of Apple’s better efforts in terms of OS reliability, and this one being past its sixth anniversary in service was probably overdue, although up to now it had been a trouble-free machine.
I bought the iBook — the first iteration of the “opaque white” dual USB model, on the last day of 2002, just under the wire for a tax deduction on that year. I was very happy with it. I loved the look and size, interestingly quite similar in the squared-off lines and footprint dimensions to my first Apple laptop, a PowerBook 5300, although much thinner and lighter in weight. I also loved the bright, razor-sharp 12.1-inch display with its tight pixel density (for the time).
On the other hand, I’ve never much cared for the keyboard or trackpad — the former having a cheap and clunky feel, and the latter being exceptionally “jumpy” and hypersensitive. Neither was a problem for this iBook’s primary role during the first three years of my ownership, during which it served me faithfully and well as my production workhorse, sitting on a laptop stand and connected to an external keyboard and mouse.
This was a basic, $999 entry-level iBook with a plain-vanilla, drawer-loading CD-ROM drive and a smallish 20 gigabyte IBM hard drive, and it remained essentially stock (not that there’s a whole lot you can do to upgrade or expand an iBook anyway) throughout my ownership except for being maxed out with 640MB of RAM (not enough toward the end of its workhorse days).
The computer, which originally shipped with Mac OS X 10.2 "Jaguar," was progressively upgraded through OS 10.3 and then 10.4, and finished its days running OS 10.4.11, which it did very comfortably. With only 16MB of video RAM and an ATI RADEON 7500 GPU, it just barely supported the more advanced Quartz Extreme and Core Image graphics technologies in OS 10.3 and later.
The only real functional issues I had with it were some modem problems and USB crankiness (that caused a few kernel panics) with OS 10.2 the early revisions of OS 10.3, but that disappeared with the later Panther builds and with OS 10.4. I did outgrow the capacity of the 20GB hard drive before I moved on, but the little IBM drive was reliable, and remained whisper-quiet throughout the iBook’s six-year plus lifespan.
I replaced it as my a No. 1 production Mac in February 2006, with an Apple Certified Refurbished 17-inch PowerBook, which has proved a superb performer, and the iBook was demoted to serving as my “road” laptop for a year and a half. It was compact and relatively light to lug around, but as previously mentioned, I wasn’t a fan of the keyboard and trackpad, and I eventually replaced it as my mobile machine with a hotrodded G4 Pismo PowerBook.
I’m sorry to see the iBook go, but it died with its boots on, so to speak, still in the harness when it expired from what appears to have been a major internal organ failure. It was a likable computer, will be remembered fondly, and if my new unibody MacBook serves me as well, I’ll be more than satisfied.
Переслать - Apple Cuts Down "A Real Tree," Shuns Charity Apps
Yesterday we covered Apple’s seemingly automated rejection of a new Tweetie update, which has thankfully since been reversed. It must’ve been a no brainer once they realized what they’d done, especially since, while using Wordbook last night, I found I was able to search for, find, and have a computerized voice speak any profanity I could imagine, so long as the filter was off in the app’s settings.
I was also made aware of a second rejection yesterday, this one actually less of a rejection and more of a revocation after the fact. The app in question in this case is A Real Tree (iTunes link), which we covered when it was initially released. Mokugift, the people behind A Real Tree, contacted me explaining the situation, and it provides some rare insight into how Apple deals directly with iPhone developers. As a bit of background, A Real Tree is an app that is used to help plant trees in areas hurt by deforestation. You purchase the app, they plant a tree. Simple.In the email, Mokugift’s representative describes how Apple called them a week ago to inform them that A Real Tree would need to be altered or would be removed from the App Store. The reason given was that a new policy was in place prohibiting apps from claiming to do anything beyond themselves, and that any and all applications related to charity were also no longer permitted. According to Apple, this was clear from the SDK agreement, though a search by Mokugift couldn’t produce any such reference in that document.
Not only that, but when asked for a written copy of the new policy, the Apple rep stated that they were only allowed to communicate it over the phone. In other words, they couldn’t commit anything to paper, where it might get out to the newsmedia and circulate. The shyness went even further, according to our source:
This person even declined to email us from an Apple email address to confirm that he worked for Apple. We wondered if this was legit, so we called Apple and asked for him via the front desk. He answered, so as far as we know he works there, but he won’t confirm his role nor this unwritten policy.
The conditions Apple gave in order to keep A Real Tree in the Apple store were to remove any reference to planting any actual trees, which is basically the entire point of the app. Mokugift was given until March 10 (yesterday) to comply, otherwise the app would be pulled. As of today, the app is still available, but there is no description associated with it.
Mokugift would like to continue helping the United Nations Environment Programme, but they’re at a loss as to how to convey the purpose of the app without stating that they will plant a tree for every app sold. They’d like our readers to offer suggestions as to how to get around the limitation. My own idea? Encourage users to write reviews which describe the app’s functionality, so at least it will be visible somewhere on the app’s page in iTunes.
Pretty sure we didn’t need another example of why the App Store review process is broken, but we got one anyway. Has me really hoping the Cydia Store pans out.
Переслать - Ode to Apple's Netbook Mini Touch HD Tablet Device
I’ve been reading all the rumors
Of Apple’s new machine.
Seems everyone knows just what it is
Although it’s never been seen.Some say it’ll be a netbook;
That’s what Chinese papers proclaim.
Their track record has been spotty at best
But we believe them all the same.Others say it’ll be a touch;
An amazing new device.
Stunning, breathtaking, typically Apple,
Right down to the asking price.Still others say it’s a tablet;
The form pushed by the last generation.
Some people just can’t let this idea go;
It’s like rumor constipation.
The competition will laugh.
“It’ll never sell” they’ll bemoan.
Then immediately tell their engineers
To begin making one of their own.Tech pundits of course will hate it;
They’ll nit-pick it and start naggin’.
But after an incredible blow-out quarter
They’ll scramble to get on the bandwagon.Apple bashers will decry it
Despite features with which it’s graced.
“Who cares that it can cure cancer,” they’ll wail,
“When its battery can’t be replaced?”Of course there will be cool features
Like only Apple designs.
Push a button and it logs in to the DMV
To erase all your parking fines.The broadband features are many,
I can only name a few.
It’ll jam the wireless signal
Of the loser’s Dell sitting next to you.Alas, this is just speculation.
No one really has a clue.
But that won’t stop anyone from bringing
All of this news to you.Truth is we don’t know much about it.
Not the inside, not the screen.
In fact I think all that we know for sure
Is that Apple will say it’s green.
Переслать - Apple Announces New, Smaller Shuffle With VoiceOver
In a somewhat atypical Wednesday hardware announcement, Apple released their newest iPod Shuffle. The biggest news about the iPod redesign is that it uses VoiceOver to tell you about the music you’re listening to, creating a marked improvement in the Shuffle’s navigation capability.The new Shuffle holds 4GB of music, or about 1,000 songs. It’s nearly half the size of the previous iteration of Shuffles, and comes in silver and black colors. It costs $79 an is immediately available for order.
Apple was able to make the latest Shuffle so small, due in large part to moving the controls (other than the on/play/shuffle slider) off to the earbud cord. Much like the iPhone’s microphone headset, the button located on the cord is multifunction, and handles the likes of play, pause, next track, volume up/down, and the new VoiceOver features. So the new Shuffle seems to be sacrificing headphone options for size…though I’m sure the 3rd party market will address this need in short order.
The prolific John Gruber hit on the idea of VoiceOver for the Shuffle a couple of weeks back. VoiceOver announces the name of the currently playing song (without interrupting the music) at a touch of the cord button. Hold the button longer and it will announce the playlists loaded on your Shuffle. Tap when you hear the playlist you want and it’ll begin to play. So with VoiceOver, an entire new level of control is brought to the iPod Shuffle (almost making the name irrelevant).
Check out the video tutorial on Apple’s Shuffle page for full details on how the new iPod Shuffle works.
Переслать - Jailbreak: Five Things You Need to Know
So you’ve just jailbroken your iPhone. Congratulations! Your iPhone life is about to improve in so many ways. Be sure to follow our Jailbreak series to get the most out of jailbreaking your iPhone. Going forward, here are some tips to bear in mind.
1. Never upgrade firmware directly via iTunes
In the process of jailbreaking the iPhone OS, a partition inside the iPhone OS is created specially to store the files and data necessary for jailbreaking to work. This partition is typically 500MB. If you look at the storage bar of your device in its iTunes page, you’ll see this 500MB partition marked as “Others”, since, naturally, iTunes does not recognize this third-party addition.
When a user attempts to upgrade the iPhone firmware by clicking on the ‘Upgrade’ button in iTunes, it will not count the 500MB into the storage space available to install new firmware. The result is that these 500MBs are effectively “lost.” For example, if you directly upgrade your jailbroken iPhone — running, say, 2.2 — to 2.2.1, you’ll find that you now have 1GB of used space in “Others”.
If you wish to upgrade the firmware of your iPhone, always restore to the default firmware first. After you’ve done so, you can safely click that ‘Upgrade’ button in iTunes.
2. You can be a law-abiding customer
Jailbreaking and unlocking are, to the uninitiated, one and the same thing. Do know, they’re not. Jailbreaking frees your iPhone to run applications and code that are not signed by Apple, while unlocking frees the device from the carrier that it is bound to as part of the service contract you’ve signed with your carrier of choice.
So, the fact is, yes, you have to jailbreak before you can unlock your iPhone, but unlocking is not a necessary step in jailbreaking. While tools such as QuickPwn and Pwnage include unlocking as part of their procedure, it is equally easy to skip that step. You are certainly not obligated to unlock if you choose to not violate the terms of service set by your carrier.
3. There is more than meets the eye in Cydia
Cydia, the jailbreak equivalent of Apple’s App Store, is, on the whole, well-designed and easy to navigate. But, being a community, pro bono effort, it is ad-supported. If you are new to jailbreaking, here is how you separate the wheat from the chaff.
This is what you’d immediately see when you click on an item listed in Cydia. Of most interest to you is perhaps the ‘More Information’ link. But before you tap on it, wait a couple of seconds (or more, if your data connection is slow).
What just happened? Ads have loaded and the ‘More Information’ link has been pushed down, out of sight. If you’d tapped before the ads could load, you’d have most likely tapped on the ad instead of the link you intended to visit. So, when browsing in Cydia, patience will go a long way in making your shopping experience a more pleasant one.
While we’re still on the subject, the only page links in Cydia that matter to the typical user are listed below.
More Information — Tapping on this takes you to a sub page where you can usually find a detailed write-up of what you are about to install. But sometimes, a More Information link can take you to an external site. This varies from developer to developer.
Changelog — Some developers offer a list of the changes the latest version of his or her application contains. Reading the changelog gives you a better idea of what to expect, and whether the app is worth upgrading.
Screenshots — Most of the hacks available in Cydia are visual ones. This is especially true of custom themes. Most developers will include screenshots — “Screenies” as they are commonly called in the jailbreak community — accessible thru the ‘Screenshots’ link.
But remember that every page in Cydia contains ads. So wait a while and let those screenshots load.
4. Secure your iPhone
Being an operating system with UNIX components, iPhone OS has a root account. The default root password has already been made widely-known on the Internet, so any one with some knowledge in SSH can easily access the contents of your iPhone wirelessly. Be sure to change the password after you jailbreak your phone.- Fire up Cydia on your iPhone.
- Browse or search for an application called MobileTerminal and install that.
- Open MobileTerminal and type ‘passwd’ (without the quotes).
- You will be prompted for the old password; for iPhone OS 2.2.x, the password is ‘alpine’.
- Hit the Return key. You’ll be asked to input a new password.
As an extra security measure, you can install utilities such as BossPrefs or SBSettings and turn off SSH.
5. If your device is getting sluggish, uninstall WinterBoard
“Jailbreaking slows down your iPhone.”
“Your device will become unstable.”
I often hear these two comments about jailbreaking. To be fair, there is some truth in them. If you think the performance of your iPhone is beginning to feel really sluggish, chances are you have installed too many WinterBoard themes and hacks.
WinterBoard is a well-known feature of the jailbroken iPhone. The most visible part of WinterBoard that you see is as an application that lets you apply themes to the user interface of iPhone OS.
The invisible part of WinterBoard is a platform for system hacks to run, injecting code into iPhone OS while it is running on your device. In an over-simplification, it does this via a system process called the Mobile Substrate. Mobile Substrate runs beneath SpringBoard, Apple’s name for the home screen of your iPhone. You can think of SpringBoard to the iPhone what the Desktop is to Mac OS. Some system hacks are dependent on WinterBoard, ‘piggy-backing’ on it and running in the background.
An iPhone freshly rebooted typically has about 30—50MB of free memory out of the total 128MB available to iPhone OS. Running in the background, WinterBoard typically takes up 11MB or so. Add a theme and some hacks, and it adds up quickly. Remove WinterBoard, and you will see a dramatic improvement in the responsiveness of your iPhone. But you’d lose what many users consider as the most compelling reason to jailbreak the iPhone, so it’s really your call.
If you really must keep WinterBoard, go easy on the number of themes and WinterBoard-dependent hacks you install. Also, uninstall the themes and hacks that aren’t in use; you can certainly claim some speed and memory back this way.
Переслать - Tweet Directly in Safari With Safari140
One of the reasons I can’t completely cross over to using Safari 4 as my full-time browser, aside from its dangerous (considering my line of work) incompatibility with some WordPress features, is its lack of add-on support. Firefox’s rich user community and extensibility makes sure that if there’s an add-on I need or find useful, it’s probably out there and available for download. Because the vast majority of my time on the computer is spent in a browser, the more that browser can do, the better.There are ways to get around the lack of extensive add-on support in Safari, and one is Input Managers. A new one designed for those who like to tweet is making the rounds, and as long as you’re more into the saying than the listening side of Twitter, it could suit your needs. Personally, it’s exactly the sort of thing I need, since it removes the distraction of the tweet stream while still allowing me to post links of interest or comments while working.
The extension, called Safari140, features automatic URL shortening support and character limiting, to make sure you stay under the Twitter limit (hence the “140″ in the name). While browsing, you can access Safari140’s post window at any time either by going to File > Post to Twitter (which is added when you install the extension) or by pressing “Ctrl+T”. The post dialog box will immediately appear, with the web address of the site you’re currently browsing already entered in the text box by default.
Safari140 works with both Safari 3 and Safari 4 Beta, and it’s a free download. Some people are apparently skittish when it comes to Input Managers, but I’m loving the beta, and I just want a way to tweet, so it works for me.
Переслать - Tweetie Update Blocked by Apple for Twitter's Potty-Mouth
Maybe Apple’s iPhone app review process is actually partially automated, because I can see no other good reason for having rejected the latest update of Tweetie (1.3) for objectionable content. The offending word (the F-bomb, in case you were wondering) would normally merit that kind of treatment, but considering the circumstances, it seems like a pretty ridiculous move on Apple’s part.
The word came up in a Twitter trends search, which, as those of us familiar with the popular micro-blogging service know, is well beyond the control of Tweetie’s developers. For those of you not familiar with Twitter or trends, when enough people mention the same thing, it shows up as a trending topic in Twitter’s search page, or in apps that use Twitter’s API. It would be a little like blaming Google for the contents of their search results.
By Apple’s logic, they should reject and remove every app that allows for Twitter searching or the viewing of Twitter trends. Which they haven’t. You can still get the existing version of Tweetie (1.2.1, App Store Link), which provides exactly the same feature, and no doubt showed exactly the same trending topics when the offensive word appeared.
This is exactly the kind of thing that worries me about Apple having as much power as it does in overseeing the App Store. Is the (brief) appearance of an offensive word in an open search really so much worse than tasteless fart and gun noise-making apps? Especially when the Tweetie update actually provides a large number of truly useful features and improvements, instead of just a single throwaway function that people will use only once and never again. Inject some intelligence into that approval process, Apple, before the App Store becomes as much of a joke as most of the apps it’s hawking.
Переслать - Observation: Bookmarks Dead
Going through the day-to-day realities of web crawling I find myself using the Favorites or Bookmarks feature of browsers less and less. Oddly enough, however, this statement is coming from the same guy with thousands of them backed up on multiple drives.
Early this week, I had an epiphany that resulted in me deleting thousands of old Bookmarks from Firefox, as I started filtering through a list which has been gathering digital dust for years. While narrowing down a list of seemingly endless Bookmarks, I noticed all of these web sites I no longer visit or, for that matter, remember. Many of these sites no longer existed or had since been left to ruin, and I began to remember how only a few years ago I typically carried a copy of my Bookmarks on a flash-drive wherever I went. But then I looked at a few of these old sites and started thinking… I started thinking about how someone such as myself can go from utilizing thousands of bookmarks to only using a select few.
I have noticed that many people such as I have began to use bookmarks less and less, but why?
RSS was one of the first widely used formats that allowed people to retrieve their information in quick truncated lists. Now that RSS has become mainstream, people have turned to Digg, Reddit or Delicious to not only uncover new Bookmarks but to store personal ones as well.
People are turning to more outlets for information than ever before. Services such as Facebook and Twitter have drastically changed how people receive information over the Internet. Allowing people to get vast quantities of information at any time, and thanks to the iPhone Apps for services such as these, we can now access this information anywhere.
The point is, people are moving away from using the Bookmarks feature of browsers and choosing a more advantageous route. People naturally want to find easier ways to accomplish tasks, and using services like Twitter, Facebook, and Delicious someone could find a link, a quote, song, or any other bit of information at any time of day. Where it is commonplace to update your Twitter status via your iPhone in the morning before brushing your teeth, and where people no longer mail invitations to a party, instead sending them via Facebook, it is in this same world that browser-based bookmarks have become obsolete.
Переслать - App Review — Watchmen: Justice is Coming (As Long as You Don't Mind Waiting)
App Quick Stats
With Watchmen arriving at movie houses around the globe, the iPhone game attempts to brings the grim world of the costumed hero to you.
There’s a whole heap of Marvel in my comic collection but, I’m afraid, not so much DC. I preferred my heroes to have hyphens and make cheap puns. Plus, Batman just ain’t a superhero, however you cut it: real heroes have powers.
Shielded from the darkness of the DC-universe, I never read Watchmen. Never got to bask in New York’s crime-ridden ’80’s underbelly. Failed to experience a mankind-enveloping conspiracy unfolding, page after page, the distinction between hero and villain smudged like a fresh inkblot test.
And so, in preparation for the iPhone game — a massively multiplayer online adventure — I purchased the Watchmen graphic novel. Now, having read this classic book, I’m ready to shine my healing torch of justice into an ocean of violence and crime, representing all that is good and just. I am The Ambassador.
New Frontiers
The idea behind Watchmen: Justice is Coming seems to be to take the MMO experience — think World of Warcraft, Age of Conan etc. — and transport it to the iPhone. It’s a seriously compelling prospect: forming your own crime-fighting syndicate and entering a dark, bustling fictional New York, teeming with hidden evils.
Having just read the graphic novel, everything seems almost real to me — the source material is so rich, setting the stage for a vast online adventure. Therefore, there’s much at risk and much that could be wrong; like more paranoid members of the Watchmen contingent, I got the feeling that there would be something awful waiting for me.
Before donning costume and taking up residence in the rotten core of The Big Apple, as The Ambassador, the first thing I had to do was set up an account. It’s fairly standard character-generation stuff, choosing skin color and a name, but there’s a clever twist thrown in with the Rorschach inkblot test — determining your hero’s personality type.
Vigilante Stuff
However, there’s no palpable impact as a result of the setup process. The Ambassador popped up on a New York sidewalk, wearing civilian clothes, nothing particular heroic about him and the result of the Rorschach test seemingly rendered irrelevant.
Moving around the streets is easy enough — pressing and holding your finger on an area of the screen starts your character walking in that direction. Unfortunately, you’re just another guy, wandering the streets, getting your drab city clothes soaked through in the everlasting rain, rifling through dumpsters in search of new clothes.
Indeed, aside from fighting, that’s how you up your XP and acquire new costume pieces: dumpster diving. Before you’re even ready to start fighting, it seems your first mission is to saunter around the curiously deserted back-alleys and street-corners in search of garbage.
Maybe it’s a tip of the hood to Rorschach’s trashy drop-off point in the graphic novel (a can rather than a dumpster), but it just doesn’t seem appropriate. We’re heroes — we get our hands dirty handling criminal scum, not digging through garbage for cast-off costumes.
Sham Crusade
The Watchmen graphic novel didn’t seem to be about fighting, or violence, or good vs. evil per se; the story seemed to be something a step ahead of traditional comic book fare. It’s a shame therefore that the MMO eschews all of this and seems to boil down to fighting.
The city streets seem to be empty much of the time. Maybe it’s because it’s early days for this MMO, occasionally though you’ll pass by another player and they’ll pick a fight with you. If you agree to fight, you’re thrown into a mini-game — an odd little affair which involves tapping a couple of buttons, no skill is apparently needed.
Another option for those of a violent disposition is to go hunting for Knot-Tops and other criminal rogues. These fights with computer-controlled characters can be accessed by locating floating red exclamation marks on the streets — something else which just doesn’t sit right, detracting from the atmosphere of the Watchmen universe.
A Perfect Grid
Despite the fact that the game plays out on an isometric grid — harking back to the old days of adventure games, an impractical viewing angle that I’ve never appreciated — the atmosphere is something which it almost gets right.
The New York of the graphic novel is grim, falling to pieces under the weight of fear, criminality and hysteria. The New York of the iPhone game — while devoid of the hustle and bustle — is a forlorn, broken location. It’s totally appropriate and feels just right. Or just wrong, as the case may be.
Walking the streets, I wandered past the Gunga Diner and kissing silhouettes nearby. I stood next to the Newspaper stand so often visited by the reader in the graphic novel. There was even a visit to the cemetery, where I paid my respects to The Comedian. It’s all, quite pleasingly, present and correct.
Graphically, the game is undeniably impressive, certainly drawing comparison to early PlayStation titles, even reminding me of the original Metal Gear Solid at one point. Although there don’t seem to be any sound effects, the soundtrack swoops and moans, dripping with melodrama and intrigue.
Under the Hood
Unfortunately, all the melodrama generated by the dark soundtrack and the aptly depressing scene-setting achieved by the graphics doesn’t help the game’s cause. In actual fact, this grim atmosphere feeds in to the frustration felt because of the game’s many bugs and flaws.
Other players seem to always want to pick a fight. This is a world of heroes and, although it’s mentioned in the graphic novel that heroes frequently end up in combat the first time they meet, it just doesn’t sit right. Why should all the heroes be fighting each other? There’s no scene-setting, no grand over-arching plot. (There is a plot, but it hardly seems to explain why there’s a proliferation of violent heroes on the streets.)
Plus, I’ve frequently been thrown in to a fight that I wanted to walk away from: the yes/no option is broken, it doesn’t work and it’s so frustrating. Once a fight starts loading, you’re taken off the streets, in to fight mode. This mode frequently doesn’t load, there are usually connection issues, and the game either locks up, disconnects, or takes around five minutes to reconnect you to the street server.
The game falls asleep too. So while you’re waiting to be reconnected to the streets, if your iPhone goes to sleep, it may not actually connect when it finally does wake up. It just feels unpolished, rushed and, frankly, rude on the part of the game developers.
The interface is clunky, it’s frequently unclear just what is a clickable object or button and what isn’t. Plus, there’s no visual or audible feedback from pressing buttons or interacting with objects. It’s disconcerting that from source material teeming with so much vitality and expression, can come such a lifeless and, at times, dull game.
Summing Up
I enjoyed the graphic novel so much, plus I’ve been waiting for an iPhone MMO, something with a compelling narrative and real mass appeal. Unfortunately, this isn’t a worthy companion to the graphic novel and certainly not the iPhone MMO I’ve been waiting for.
The game feels rushed and, as is a trend with games based on movies, is most probably a hastily created cash-in. It seems to have very little relation to the universe it’s based upon; instead it’s probably best described as a lazy, bug-ridden chat-room with pretty graphics.
With more players and less bugs, this could really be something special. For now though, The Ambassador is packing up his costume and retiring. Perhaps he’ll return when the world is ready for heroes like him.
Переслать - Using Git With OS X: 6 Tools to Get You Up and Running
Who are you calling a Git? When I say ‘Git’, I don’t mean the British derogatory term that was immortalized by the TV show Red Dwarf. I mean of course the latest generation of revision control systems, designed by Linus Torvalds for use on the Linux kernel. You can read up on the history of Git at its Wikipedia entry — but what you really need to know is that it is quickly becoming as popular as SVN and CVS and is being used for many open source projects. Thus if you have a need to obtain source from git, or contribute to a project being stored in a git repository, then you will need to install git.
There are a few ways to get the base Git package (with the Git command-line client and two basic graphical frontends) installed under OS X, including compiling the source-code yourself, or installing it via MacPorts. However the easiest is by simply downloading and running the Git os x installer, which will do everything for you.
Once Git is installed, you can quickly create a local Git ‘clone’ of a source repository such as VLC’s, by opening a terminal window, navigating to the directory you’d like the source to exist and then typing
git clone git://git.videolan.org/vlc.git. Once you have your local clone, you can make your changes and stage commits back with the command-line client. To find out all the power and functionality of Git, you can read the tutorials and detailed documentation that’s available at Git’s official webpage.As Git is quite new, there are not many UI front-ends available yet, and even less specifically for OS X — with none of them being very mature. However, I’ve compiled a list of six tools/apps for managing Git on OS X. The two native OS X apps (GitX and GitNub) should be watched carefully over the next year or so, as they could turn into some excellent software.
Gitk
GitK comes with the command-line git client and is a tcl/tk application that lets you browse the history of repositories. This can be launched by typinggitkin a terminal. It’s not pretty, but it does the job and serves as a reference for future clients.Git Gui
Git Gui also comes with the command-line client and is likewise also a tcl/tk application. This lets you perform staged commits on your code and can be launched by typinggit guiin a terminal. Note the space between the two words, tab-completion on the terminal will not find this, but it is there. While the UI is more appealing than GitK, it leaves a lot to be desired when one is used to the Aqua and Cocoa UI.GitX
GitX is an attempt to bring OS X’s shiny interface in all its glory to the functionality of gitk and git gui. It currently allows viewing revision history and committing files. You will need to make your local clone manually with the command-line client first, then you can open the cloned directory and use the UI to browse and commit.GitNub
GitNub is another OS X specific client being written in CocoaRuby. Its not yet officially released and the only way to get it running is by compiling it yourself by cloning the git directory and building it in XCode. Once built and pointed at a local git repository, it allows browsing the various history. Where this goes in the future could be interesting.OpenInGitGui
OpenInGitGui is an AppleScript extension to Finder that simply enables you to quickly and easily open the current clone in Git Gui without having to manually launch it from a terminal. After installing the compiled AppleScript, you then just drag it onto Finder’s toolbar to create a new tool button. Once you navigate to a local Git clone, you can just click the button to make Git Gui launch.Eclipse Plugin
There is a Git plugin for the cross platform IDE Eclipse that works under OS X. This is impressively functional with the ability to clone a Git repository and import it directly as an Eclipse project. It then lets you browse history, perform comparisons and diffs and do commits. If you use Eclipse, this is an ideal solution.The Future
Git is still very new, and as it grows in popularity, the number of clients supporting it will also grow. Stay tuned to TheAppleBlog for news and updates on using Git with our favorite desktop environment.
Переслать - First Look: Carbonite Online Backup for the Mac
Get ready for yet another cloud-based backup offering for the Mac. The folks at Carbonite are now shipping a beta version for us Mac folks. Should we be excited? Well, let’s see…
After trying out their software, I can’t say that it does anything more useful than my current solution, Backblaze. In fact, I can say it is less useful. Read on for details on the positives and negatives.
Installation & Main UI
Installing Carbonite is pretty straightforward. You download the package from the Carbonite site and follow the standard install process. Once installed, Carbonite adds a menu item and System Preference Pane.
Carbonite Primary UIWithin this screen, you can define if the Backup is Enabled, Disabled, or Paused. There is also a checkbox for using low-priority mode to conserve bandwidth. Honestly, I can’t tell if this is useful or not, as it took the app over 10 minutes just to calculate 100GB of data. Let’s say that from what I can tell, Carbonite is not speedy.
If you choose to disable Carbonite, this screen changes by adding an Uninstall button for quick and easy removal of the software.
Backup UI
What’s interesting here is that Carbonite works similarly to Mozy in terms of backing up specific data rather than just backing up all of your data like Backblaze or Time Machine. On the flip side, you can completely customize what you want to backup. However, you cannot specify applications or system folders.
Carbonite Backup UIRestore UI
Carbonite can restore your files via this simple UI. Just select the files you want to restore and then specify the drive for restoration.
Carbonite Restore UIIt also has a restore wizard. So, if your drive fails and you need to restore to another Mac, you can simply walk through this wizard and wait patiently for your files to download.
Carbonite Restore WizardSummary
Carbonite has done a reasonable job providing a simple Mac client for users who want offsite backup. The product is easy to set up and is competitively priced. However…
If given the choice between Backblaze, Carbonite, or Mozy, the answer appears to be simple: Backblaze. For the money (each service is approximately $50/year), you get more coverage with Backblaze and more recovery options as well. Mozy is a great alternative if you want some free storage (2GB) and then decide to add more.
In the end, what Carbonite is offering for the Mac is decent. You get roughly a two-week trial, so if it fits your needs, then please give it a shot. If you’re a small office and have been running Carbonite on your Windows PCs, then to maintain consistency it makes sense to use Carbonite with your Macs.
However if you are looking at all of the options available to Mac users for online backup, I would recommend looking elsewhere.
Переслать - Netbooks to Become the New OS Battleground
Microsoft has already experienced the power the netbook has to open up operating system options for PC consumers, since it saw Linux distributions being included as the default operating system on consumer-oriented machines for the first time with the advent of the small, affordable, feature-light machines. They’ve since managed to gain a foothold in the very lucrative market by staving off the end-of-support date for Windows XP, and it looks like they’re making sure Windows 7 is better suited for netbook use than Windows Vista was to ensure continued presence in that market.
But will it be enough? Recent reports suggest that others are poised to enter the fray, and the winner could well be determined by who provides an OS that can best deal with the hardware constraints presented by the netbook’s small form factor and lower price point. The new competitors Microsoft might have to deal with have already bested them in another mobile arena, that of smart phones, so it looks like competition will indeed be fierce. The new companies vying for the netbook market share look to be none other than Apple and Google. Round 2! Fight!
Apple, as we reported yesterday, seems to be working on a small touchscreen device, something which seems even more likely today, thanks to corroborating reports from the Dow Jones news service, which cites two sources “close to the situation.” The Dow report goes into even more detail, describing the size of the screen (9.7 to 10 inches) and reiterating the second half of 2009 launch date for the device. Has it struck anyone that Snow Leopard will in fact be the perfect version of OS X for running on netbook hardware? The whole purpose of it is basically to improve the performance and lower the processor footprint of Leopard. In retrospect, it seems like Apple was telegraphing their plans, and I just wasn’t clever enough to pick up on it.
Google seems ready to bring Android into the netbook realm, at least according to a report at DaniWeb about how support for mobile internet devices (MIDs), which could easily apply to netbooks, is hard coded into the OS, even though we’ve yet to see it borne out in real-life application. And why not? Their own Chrome browser is basically tailored to netbook use, and having it supported by a lightweight, touchscreen-capable OS is the perfect recipe for netbook success.
At the end of the day, we have to remember that each of these companies is, first and foremost, in the business of making money. That means that a revenue generator like the netbook can scarcely escape their notice. And it’s basically impossible, considering the numbers netbooks are putting up, that companies like Google and Apple who devote massive spending to R&D would just give it a pass. Much more likely they’ve just been playing their hand close to their chest, but pretty soon, I think we’re going to see all the cards on the table.
Переслать - 13 iPhone Games Based On Movies
Movie/game tie-ins are as old as the original NES and, as a booming gaming platform, the iPhone/iPod touch are no less susceptible to this continuing trend. To that end, here's a listing of games for your touch device that are based on a movie (Note: All links go to the App Store).
The Dark Knight: Batmobile Game (99 cents)
“How fast can you get Batman through Gotham City?” Tilt your touch device to avoid obstacles and gain speed for jumps.
Disney Fairies Fly! ($4.99)
Based on the Tinker Bell movie, Disney’s Fairies Fly lets you play as one of six fairy characters through five levels of gameplay. Using the accelerometer, you dodge obstacles and collect power-ups to progress to the next stage.
Fast and Furious: Pink Slip ($2.99)
Use the motion sensor to steer your car in one of four different types of races. Then, challenge others online to win their rides. Thirty-two cars to win in 32 challenging races.
Iron Man: Aerial Assault (99 cents)
Guide Iron Man through the skies as you use his high-tech arsenal to battle enemies.
Lightsaber Unleashed (Free)
Swing your touch device around to emulate lightsaber sound effects. Choose a Force Unleashed character of your choosing (or create your own) and play along to some dueling music.
Saturday Night Fever: Dance / Lite (99 cents/Free)
Tap and slide to perform hundreds of dance moves to disco classics such as “YMCA” and “Car Wash.” Choose from two playable characters and a multi-player mode on a single device.
School of Rock (99 cents)
Learn rock ‘n’ roll music theory, test your knowledge in the trivia section, then rock along to classic tracks by bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Scorpions, or to songs in your music library.
Shooter - The Official Movie Game ($1.99)
Choose from a large arsenal of weapons and equipment in over 30 levels of gameplay taking out enemies as Sgt. Bob Lee Swagger in this first person shooter.
Spongebob’s Atlantis Treasure ($3.99)
Play through five themed levels in this match three or more puzzle game based on your favorite pants-wearing sponge.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed / Lite ($5.99/Free)
Use the force as you tap, touch, and swipe your way through the foes of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice.
Star Wars Sound Board (99 cents)
Choose from sixteen unmistakable Star Wars sound effects, from Darth Vader’s breathing to Obi-Wan’s “May the force be with you.”
Underworld Game (Free)
Play as either a Vampire or Lycan in this head-to-head fighting game. Choose between three levels (the Woods, Castles, or Catacombs) in three modes of difficulty.
Watchmen: Justice is Coming (99 cents)
Team up and fight other players in this turn-based RPG based off the recently released Watchmen movie.
Переслать - 5 Fingers Bundle Turns 5 Apps in to One for the App Store
For the first time in the App Store (at least as far as games are concerned) competing developers are joining forces to release their wares as one in the 5 Fingers Bundle ($5 in the App Store). Similar in concept to MacUpdate, these five developers are offering their great games as one, for almost a 60 percent savings.
As many of us have experienced before, bundles usually have a shining star or two while the rest just ride the coattails. So what do you get with the 5 Fingers Bundle?
- Chopper - Was a No. 1 game for a while.
- BurnBall - I’ve become addicted to playing this game.
- Up There - A beautifully designed game, featured by Apple.
- Blackbeard’s Assault - A classic Zuma-style game with incredible graphics.
- Sneezies - A bubble-popping game which seems to have a great following.
Tim Haines — developer of BurnBall — shared the following:In an increasingly competitive market, five different development teams have taken a break from fighting for a spot in the App Store Top 100 to create something wonderful. Independently connected through a shared admiration and enthusiasm for each other’s work, they have joined forces and worked together to deliver a bundle brimming with quality.
Since the bundle consists of five games from five different developers, I was curious how updates would be addressed. According to Haines, bug fixes will be nearly immediate. App updates to the individual games will be handled in the Bundle on something close to a monthly basis.
Of course the $4.99 price tag may not represent a deal for you if you own 3 or more of the games already. But if you’ve found yourself bumping up against the 148 app limit, this is a good way to squeeze some additional apps onto your iPhone or iPod touch.
I wonder how this model will affect sales of the individual apps. It’s win-win for consumers, who will not only get 5 great apps for a bargain price, but who may also find developers with other apps they didn’t previously know about. With such a generous pricing model and update strategy, I hope it works out as well for the developers.
I love the concept, and think many others will too. Will we see more competing developers ’shacking up’ together for similar bundles in the future? I think it’s a great way to play off each others’ customer base, but I guess only time will tell. For now we’ll chalk it up as yet another interesting experiment in the youthful Wild West that is the App Store.
Переслать - Touch Screen Mac in the Pipeline for 2009?
Unlike our own timid news media, Chinese newspapers have no qualms about reporting tech rumors related to Apple, and, to be fair, they are much closer to the source, since China is where the bulk of Apple hardware is made. The latest report from Chinese news sources is cause for genuine excitement for the Apple faithful, because it tells of a long sought-after beast of legend, the Apple touchscreen device.
And not just any touchscreen device, either. If the sources are to be believed, this will be a touchscreen netbook computer, which, basically, is all I ever wanted in a girl, er, I mean an Apple computer. In fact, the very perfection of this rumor leaves me skeptical, but I can’t help but hope, and the news source is heavy on the specifics and seems pretty certain of what it’s reporting.
The details are as follows: Taiwan-based company Wintek has received the contract to supply touchscreen panels for Apple products, though it’s not sure what the final application will be. At the same time, Quanta Computer is reported to have won the contract for new Apple netbooks, which is where the Wintek touch screens will be put to use. The news comes from the Commercial Times, as translated and reported by Digitimes.
There are two very different ways of looking at this. On the one hand, it makes complete and perfect sense. Apple fans are clamoring for an OS X-powered netbook, and we have the hackintosh pictures and tutorials to prove it. At this point, Apple’s pretty much the only computer manufacturer not involved in the OS X netbook game. And the netbook segment is pretty much the only part of the consumer computing market that isn’t taking a huge hit thanks to the worsening economic climate.
On the other hand, Apple hasn’t really even entertained the possibility of getting in to netbooks, although some analysts would claim otherwise. They don’t like the value proposition that such a low price point offers, and cheapening the brand would detract from their general cache. That said, the longer the economic slump lasts, the less they’ll be able to depend on their brand perception to keep customers coming back in the face of dropping PC prices from competitors.
While the details seem sketchy, and the rumored product seems too good to be true, we won’t have to wait long to see if this rumor pans out. According to Wintek, shipments of their touchscreen panels are set to begin in the second half of 2009, so we could see a product announcement as early as WWDC.
Переслать - Hey Apple, Don't Be So Quick to Ditch Safari's Tabs On Top
The Safari 4 beta was released a mere two weeks ago, and I sometimes feel as if the battle over title-bar tabs may already be over. The heavy hitters have weighed in, and it’s not looking good.
There's MacDailyNews:
When the very first thing we did after the first day with Safari 4 Public Beta was to fire up the Terminal to nuke the poorly-thought-out tabs, restoring them back under the Bookmarks Bar where they belong… then Apple has a problem.
The MacObserver:
Next, because the tabs are placed on the top of the window, the user is now at a loss on where to drag the main window. Safari 4 fails.
Apple's worst decision was to move the tabs that represent open pages to the very top edge of the browser screen, above all the toolbars and menus,
And Daring Fireball:
But the problems with this new tab layout are significant.
Those last three articles go into much depth, so don't take my pull quotes as the whole story. They go into a lot of detail (too much, in my opinion) as to why Tabs on Top — and other parts of the new Safari UI — are a failure. They discuss the purpose of the Mac's UI, the consistency, user interaction, colors, background, click-through, click targets, user expectation, and on and on.
I don't discount the above, in that some consideration has to be accorded to all those things, but they write as if they're the elected Guardians of the GUI. As if Apple doesn't have anyone on staff who cares about the GUI any more. Like Apple somehow lost those people and they went on to become tech columnists or bloggers.
So, while I don't want to be the one to disagree with such venerable parties, I will.
First, I admit that as a 1.0 version of the interface, some tweaks are necessary to Tabs on Top, but I feel the feature itself is wonderful, and would hate to see it go. Below are some of the high-level thoughts I keep reading, and my comments on them.
Apple got this idea from Chrome
Can we dispense with this right now? What Chrome did was move the tab bar above the Address bar. I think that's a better place for it, but the fact is the tab bar remains.
This was not a particularly radical move. All it did, in my opinion, was show that the tab bar as we know it was not a particularly good implementation of tabs in the first place. Seems like every time some new feature was added to a browser a new "bar" was added; in the case of the tab bar it was added to the wrong spot.
The title bar now has multiple functions
So what? The title bar already has multiple functions. It’s used, when clicking on the right spot, to Close, Minimize, or Maximize the window. And it serves as the world's largest grab handle to move a window.
Of course, the title bar also told you what "document" or "page" you were in, but it still does this. Where were all these UI folks when tabs were first implemented, decrying the fact that with a tab bar we had the title in two places? That seems at least as egregious as some of the complaints I see now.
In my view, when using tabs, the title bar becomes the appendix of the browser UI, especially on the Mac where even identifying the app you're running is unnecessary, since it's right there, in bold, on the menu bar.
You have to careful where you click to move a window
I think this one is overblown. What about being careful when you click to use the three title buttons mentioned above? Why isn't anyone railing that, for example, it's a small target to hit for minimizing a window?
A million arguments may be given for this, but I submit that it's primarily because what we're used to we don't think much about any more, and what we're not used to we complain about as if we can't ever learn.
Bottom line is the area of the new title bar that will move the window is still large; you could blindfold me and I'd likely hit it eight out of ten times. Since I don't browse blindfolded, it's a no-brainer to reach up and grab a correct spot to move the entire window. In fact, I believe Apple can (and should) make that area a little bit smaller.
Apple wanted to save space, but the few pixels aren't worth it
Frankly, the extra line is nice on my 800 pixel monitor. But beyond that, as mentioned above, when a new feature is added to a browser it seems a new "bar" is added. When was the last time someone actually removed one (no, turning one off — and forgoing the feature — doesn't count)? For that reason alone I applaud Apple's effort.
Apple uses a different font on the title bar, it's a UI inconsistency
There are plenty of "UI inconsistency" arguments being made, and yet the UI has always been evolving and growing. There has rarely (ever?) been a Mac OS release that didn't likely have at least one UI element in transition. Compromise and change are the hallmarks of today's operating systems.
Had Apple stayed with the same title bar font, wouldn't people be complaining that the font was too big to show enough of the title? Seems a logical choice that when you're going to display more info you might want to re-think the font.
Seriously, the claim that maybe Apple should have avoided tabs in the title bar because the title bar font currently in use wasn't optimal is silly. If the font isn't optimal, change it. They did. Wisely. And it's not as if they went with Comic Sans; they stayed in the same font family.
And many more
I can't cover all the points here. Read the above linked articles and you'll see numerous other arguments.
These are thoughtful posts from people I respect, yet I can't help but think their belief that Apple has lost their GUI way, while they somehow know what's really happening, is like the guy in the fast lane on the highway who won't go faster than the speed limit. These self-appointed Keepers of the Speed may not be wrong, but they’re not right either. Ultimately, they simply slow things down.
What We Miss With Tabs on Top
I'm having a hard time buying into the arguments above, especially in the sense that I think they're overkill for the vast majority of Apple's users base (they're not all tech blog readers, you know). Take, for example, the different gradient ranges to differentiate between active/inactive tabs within active/inactive windows. These new gradients were needed, but if you tell me 95 percent of Mac users are going to notice or care — that it's anything more than just geek trivia — well, I respectfully disagree.
When I first used Tabs on Top, like most users the first thing I noticed is what I was missing:
- I couldn't double-click the tab bar to open a new tab.
- I frequently went to drag a tab and dragged the window instead.
The former is a muscle-memory thing to use a different method. I usually used Command-T, and now basically had to remember to use it all the time. A feature I used was gone. Bummer.
The latter is where I say that Apple should actually reduce the amount of "grab handle" area for the title bar. It's difficult to miss. When you want to drag the window just mouse up to the middle of any text on the title bar and you'll be fine. It's generally no harder than (and usually easier) than mousing up to a menu, so the talk about it being a lot harder to drag a window seems exaggerated.
No, what we lost was a good target to grab and drag a tab; the new one Apple provides is too small. Given that it's a triangle, I'd say it's even a bit harder to hit than a close box. In my opinion Apple could make it a small rectangle (maybe three times bigger than what we have now). That would provide a more reasonable target then the close, minimize, etc. buttons, while at the same time the advice for grabbing the title bar to move a window remains valid.
Why I like Tabs on Top
After getting into the habit of opening new tabs via Command-T (or the plus sign), and after having moved the window numerous times when all I wanted to do was move a tab (and, yes, I think there was cursing involved), but learning to avoid that, a few nice things occurred to me:
- I like the extra line on my 1280 x 800 monitor. For someone who turns off the status bar for an extra line, getting yet another line by re-purposing the antiquated (for a browser) title bar makes more and more sense to me.
- The interface is cleaner. My love for Safari is partially because I like how clean the interface is. As I said above, I applaud Apple for actually removing a bar.
- What we "lost" in the process is just an adjustment to a different and, in my opinion, ultimately better way of doing things.
- I can actually use the title bar to see, and control, all my windows/pages/tabs. I don’t have to use multiple bars. Imagine that.
I'll tell you what else occurred to me. If Tabs had originally been implemented using the title bar (i.e., if it hadn't been "obvious" that a new feature required a new bar), it would have seemed reasonable, and I don't think there'd have been the hoot and hollering we have now. I'm not sure Apple didn't just move tabs to where they should have been all along.
After less than two weeks, a browser window with a separate tab bar looks rather pointless and wasteful to me.
Conclusions
As I said, there are tweaks to the Tabs on Top UI that I think are needed. Making the drag area bigger is one. Clearly setting apart the three window buttons on the left from the first tab is another. Heck, one could even imagine a scenario where Command-clicking the title bar will always drag a tab, which would give an even bigger target for those who want it.
But I am hopeful that, after the consideration Apple must have made in making this change, that they will not be too hasty in dumping it in the face of all the flack they're getting.
I disagree with those that say simply putting in a preference for one way or the other is the answer. That's fine for smaller things, but this is big. I don't want Safari development slowed down because Apple must regress two interfaces for every new release. Browser development is heating up across the board and, unlike Google, Apple cares about the Mac and Windows at the same time, so they should not have the albatross of new and legacy interfaces around their neck.
Finally, does it not occur to anyone that we had to learn a lot of new things in order to use a tab bar in the first place? We survived, didn't we? Tabs is no longer some radical new interface, it’s mainstream. Chrome may have shown the tab bar was in the wrong place, but I think Apple’s showing we don’t really need it at all.
Переслать - iPhone App Store Gets Direct Competition From the Underground
As you are probably well aware, pretty much every one of Apple’s competitors in the smartphone market either has or is planning to develop its very own App Store-type method of distributing platform-specific software for their handheld devices. While this is generally a good thing, because it weakens the hold of carriers on the type of software available on phones they sell, it doesn’t really provide iPhone owners themselves with more competitive choice, unless they’re willing to ditch their hardware.Now there is an alternative: the Cydia Store, an unapproved marketplace for iPhone and iPod touch software created by Jay Freeman, the developer of the Cydia installer application for jailbroken devices. The Cydia Store is intended to be a way for developers to distribute their paid applications without going through Apple — and having to deal with Apple’s approval process. It’s good news for iPod touch and iPhone owners, since apps that are blocked by Apple or their cell phone provider partners, like ones that facilitate Internet tethering, could make their way into the Cydia Store.
The Cydia Store opened for business on Saturday, with a massive launch library of exactly one title, Freeman’s own Cyntact, which allows your iPhone to show profile pictures in your contact list. Cyntact is priced at $1. It’s a far cry from the official App Store’s 24,000-and-counting applications, but Freeman’s alternative is just starting out, and developers might also want to wait and see what happens with another unofficial application distribution method reportedly in the works called Rock Your iPhone, which apparently makes it even easier for the un-jailbroken to get a hold of non-Apple approved apps.
Apple’s still waiting to hear back about the case it submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office maintaining that the unauthorized modification of iPhones and iPod touches is illegal, but there is little doubt that whatever the outcome, they don’t cherish the idea of competition as much as Freeman seems to. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this encouraged them to take further measures against jailbreaking, to protect the massive additional revenue source iPhone app sales represent.
For me, the Cydia Store is just one more reason to be in favor of jailbreaking. I’ve yet to cross over, hoping against hope that Apple will implement the features and abilities I’m looking for legitimately. Time and a conspicuous silence on Apple’s part seem to indicate against that, however, and if the Cydia Store broadens its library, I might just have to go underground to get what I want.
Переслать - SkyCoaster 3D for iPhone
As someone who enjoys a decent roller coaster from time to time, I’m always intrigued by theme park and coaster applications. When I heard about SkyCoaster for the iPhone, I had to give it a try. It’s a simple roller coaster simulator, offering a variety of different modes, graphic options and speed settings.
The app has received mixed reviews in the iTunes Store, ranging from “Spectacular and brilliant, Download now!” to “This isn’t a game, it’s a short video clip that you pay for.” However, for the humble price of 99 cents I was game to download the app and give it a try. This review will outline my opinion of SkyCoaster, and explore the broader challenges surrounding the mobile simulator genre.
Settings and Configuration
Altering SkyCoaster Settings
Before you actually get started on the roller coaster, you need to customize how you’d like it to act. There are a number of options available, each of which effects how the simulator works:
- Max Height: Adjusts the distance you are from the ground
- Min Track Length: Used for altering the length of each trip around the track
- Loop-the-loop: Adjusts the number of loops present in the track
- Corkscrew: Adjusts the number of corkscrews present in the track
- Downward spiral: Again, adjusts this particular coaster feature’s occurrence
- Theme: A number of themes are available to recreate different environments
- Gravity: Adjust the speed and acceleration through messing with the gravity
If you’ve created a track that works really well, it’s possible to save it for revisiting at a later date. You can also adjust a quality setting, which doesn’t seem to make any noticeable improvement to the graphics but can be prone to cause a little ‘lag’ at times. It’s probably worth leaving this turned off at all times.
Gameplay
The first thing you notice when starting gameplay is that the roller coaster track is suspended above the ground, free of any structural support. The game starts with a fly-by overview of the track you’re about to ride — a nice touch, and good use of the iPhone graphics engine. Hitting the track icon will get the ride started.
The track overview
Once in motion, a few different options are available. The most notable is the ability to swap between a standard (on track) view and a suspended view, with the track above you. These change the feel of the simulator quite dramatically, and are worth messing around with.
Other menu options allow you to return to the settings screen, save the track as a favorite, toggle audio on/off, and start a new track with a set of completely random options. When flying round the track, you can look around by tapping and dragging on the iPhone screen. Your view is limited as it would be if you were actually sitting on a ride.
The suspended view
The graphics performance is actually very good, and the screenshots don’t really do it justice (looking a little jagged).
Conclusion
I expect that you’ll find SkyCoaster to be a novel simulator at first and probably enjoy messing around with the settings. However, after a few tracks it does get a little tiresome. It’s not a long-term attention holder, and while probably worth $1, won’t be one of the regularly used apps on your iPhone.
The main problem with SkyCoaster isn’t a lack of decent graphics or options; it’s the fact that the size of the iPhone screen makes it very difficult to feel immersed in a simulator experience. I’m sure that the actual graphics performance equals that of many physical simulator machines. Unfortunately, unless you have some crazy Myvu glasses, it simply doesn’t come near to recreating the experience of a roller coaster.
You might say that’s an obvious problem, but it isn’t always the case with other apps. There are plenty of smaller action games for the iPhone which cause you to feel immersed in the app. I think that the difference stems from the level of interactivity and concentration involved — there’s a direct correlation between concentrating on, and feeling immersed in, a mobile application. For a simulator-type game to succeed, I feel that you do need to have at least some control over what’s going on in real time.
Another issue is that of realism. The author has attempted to create a ‘perfect’ coaster experience, devoid of other riders, carriages, or structural supports. These missing elements would make for a fantastic ride in real life, but draw away from the realism of the game. I think I’d be far more interested if the ride simulated an actual roller coaster in a theme park, complete with other passengers and carriages.
In summary, SkyCoaster is a fun app to play around with. It’s worth $1 if you’re a roller coaster fan, but I feel there’s a long way to go before it offers any real, compelling gameplay. Do check it out in the App Store and let me know your thoughts on simulator-style games in general!
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