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TheAppleBlog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products.
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Ngmoco's Eliminate and Touch Pets Dogs Come to the App Store

Ngmoco has been talking up its new offerings for a while now, including the visually stunning first-person shooter Eliminate, and the virtual pet Touch Pets series of apps. Both of these are now available, free of charge, on the App Store, as of yesterday.

Even though the apps are indeed free to download and install on your device, it should be noted that both of these apps represent the latest attempts to capitalize on Apple’s in-app purchasing system, in perhaps some of the most diabolical ways yet. ngmoco has recently used in-app purchasing to sell level packs for Rolando 2, which can now be downloaded for free with Chapter 1 included.

Eliminate (Free, iTunes Link)

Space marines, jumping, shooting, glowy surrounding, what more could you ask for? Eliminate is the first fully functional, original IP (not that we’re saying it isn’t derivative, mind you) first-person shooters to hit the iPhone platform, and it’s been highly anticipated as a result. It features global matchmaking for multiplayer combat over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks. Sorry, no EDGE, but it probably couldn’t handle the action anyway.

There’s also Plus+ network integration so you can track your stats and invite your friends and contacts to go toe-to-toe in deathmatches, and compare stats on the leader board. And the game includes a leveling and credit for weapon and armor upgrades and customization. Sounds pretty good, right? Now the bad news.

Eliminate is free to play, but it definitely gives you an advantage to pay. As the cleverly designed opening sequence relates, you are equipped with a set amount of energy in Eliminate, and when said energy runs out, you no longer earn credits for kills. Energy refills over time, or you can simply buy more using the in-app purchasing system. Credits allow you to upgrade weapons and armor.

You start with 30 power cells of energy. Based on my trials, that will probably last you about 10 to 15 minutes of play, if that, though I’m not sure of the actual conversion rate. Once you expend any points, a countdown clock starts until you charge again. The clock lasts around 240 minutes, so you are recharged every four hours, basically. You can buy additional power cells in blocks of 20, 280, and 975 for 99 cents, $9.99 and $29.99 respectively if you’re not the patient type.

The game is fun, and works surprisingly well given the touch controls you’re stuck with on an iPhone or iPod touch, and you can practice against bots or play without earning credits for free any time you want. All of which means that ngmoco is being pretty fair with its use of in-app purchasing this time around. Basically, you pay to progress, but the game is still enjoyable by all without that aspect. It’s a nice blend, and one that I predict will be hugely successful once Eliminate hits wide release.

Touch Pets Dogs (Free, iTunes Link)

I admit to once having owned a tamagotchi. Or if not owned, at least permanently on loan from my sister. The problem, of course, was that they always proved more of a nuisance than anything else. All of the demands of a real pet, and none of the benefits, like companionship or snuggle-ability.

Touch Pets Dogs follows in the footsteps of Nintendogs and other pet simulators before it. You pick out a puppy, name it, and then begin taking care of, playing with, and training it. It has a Sims-like interface for checking on your dog’s skills and happiness level, and even their Job status, which is a unique feature introduced by the ngmoco sim. You can train your dog to follow a career path, which makes it even more like The Sims.

There’s actually a lot to do in Touch Pet Dogs, and you gain levels as a dog owner in different areas, just like your dog can gain skills and job levels. It’s much richer than any other pet sim I’ve played, and it managed to keep my interest for more than one play-through, which is a record I think.

The in-app purchasing component to Touch Pets is fairly devious, though. You have to pay for food, which seems extremely cruel, since it’s such a basic necessity for your dog’s well-being. Luckily, your food automatically refills to a maximum of two bowls, and does so relatively quickly, so you can still play without having to cough up micropayments, but it will be harder to keep your dog hale and hearty. You can also buy more Puppy Bucks by converting food that you buy via iTunes.

The Future of iPhone Gaming?

Both of these new games from ngmoco show different types of attempts at capitalizing on the iPhone’s in-app purchasing system. It’s a thorny issue to navigate, since on the one hand, you could stand to make a lot more money than by selling apps in a more traditional manner, but on the other, you could inspire the rancor of your customers if you appear to be using the system unfairly. In my opinion, ngmoco’s done a good job of treading that thin line thus far, and it looks like they’re committed to making changes to make sure they strike the right balance.

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Rumor Has It: China Ontrade Reveals iPhone 4 Part

China Ontrade, a wholesale parts distributor that ships pre-production parts from upcoming devices, has just posted a part it calls the “Apple iPhone 4 Generation Midboard.” While not particularly pretty to look at, or indicative of any exciting, new features for the upcoming model, the part is tantalizing because it represents the first piece of leaked, hard info potentially linked to the next-gen iPhone.

It’s even more exciting because China Ontrade has a history of being accurate with its early leaks. As Gizmodo points out, the site began selling spare LCDs and other parts for the 3GS a month before its official release, and the parts turned out to be accurate when the iPhone received its customary teardown examination following its launch in June of 2009.

But that was a difference of one month, not eight months, as would be the case with this new part if Apple sticks to its standard June release schedule for new iPhone models. To have production parts ready eight months before launch is just bad business, since it costs money to store them all. It could be a part from a pre-production testing model, but it doesn’t make sense that the factory would be building them in large enough quantities that they’d have lots of spares to sell through China Ontrade.

Gizmodo suggests an interesting alternate theory: What if a new iPhone is only around a month away? It seems far-fetched, but there is some solid reason to suspect it might be possible. First, the 3GS, while successful, represented only an incremental update. A true successor coming around half a year after its launch wouldn’t be out of line with the product life cycle of some of Apple’s other hardware.

Second, Android is gaining ground and becoming more popular with network operators, due largely to Google’s less-than-free model for licensing its OS and applications. Further product line differentiation, and the availability of three distinct models of iPhone simultaneously, could help Apple block Google’s progress.

For now, I remain skeptical, but China Ontrade has promised to offer more parts for the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone for sale on its site in the near future, and shots of the device itself, too. The site also recently posted a part it claims is from Apple’s upcoming tablet, too, so it’s entirely possible that following that and the 3GS part reveal last summer, it experienced a heady spike in traffic and orders, and has thus learned, through positive reinforcement, that making claims about having hands-on access to parts from upcoming Apple devices is good for business.

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Is Backup on Apple's Back Burner or Simply Abandoned?

When Leopard was introduced, backing up became an automatic and effortless operation. Set it and forget it. Unfortunately, Time Machine backups are not off-site and don’t protect you against an on-site disaster. When I previously covered some online off-site backup solutions, Apple’s backup utility was not one of them.

Apple Backup is still a nifty way to back up critical files to your MobileMe account, or any hard drive you can mount, and I personally use it every day to back up my most critical files. I have tons of space on my MobileMe account, so I might as well use it. Best of all, it’s a free program with a MobileMe subscription.

However, in the move from .Mac to MobileMe and from Leopard to Snow Leopard, the development of this utility has seemingly stopped. The latest version is 3.1.2, and it was released on Oct. 27, 2007 — over two years ago. The branding of the program still states it does backups to your “.Mac” account and doesn’t mention MobileMe. I find it a complete resource hog while running in the background. Obviously, it’s not optimized for 64-bit processors. Humorously, it still has Quickpick options in the interface to automatically back up Internet Explorer data. Internet Explorer hasn’t been released for the Mac in over half a decade. If that doesn’t convince you Apple Backup needs updating, then I’m not sure what will.

Apple, it’s time to update Backup, and here’s what I want on the feature list.

First, make it fit into the current Apple product line. Change the references to .Mac, and optimize it for Snow Leopard. Additionally, allow me to schedule backups directly from iCal.

Next, give me Quickpicks for programs currently in use by typical Apple users. Remove the backup options for Internet Explorer and add programs such as Firefox and Quickbooks. While you are tweaking the code, make it easy for users to back up their Preferences directory. Sure, it’s not that hard to do it manually, but the average Apple user doesn’t realize how critical preferences are.

If you really want to knock my socks off, include encryption options like you did with the latest iPhones. I hate not having encrypted backups. Speaking of iPhones, how about a Quickpick to allow the automatic off-site backup of our existing iPhone backups?

Apple’s Backup application used to be a great added value for .Mac/MobileMe users and a convenient way for all Mac users to do backups. It has grown very long in the tooth and needs to be made relevant again. Apple, you have your marching orders, so get to work! Readers, don’t forget to add feature request in the comments below.

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Orange UK Unlimited Plan for iPhone Seems to Prohibit Almost Everything

The BBC noticed something a little off when they investigated the new pricing structure and terms of use for the the iPhone deals Orange is about to begin offering on November 10. First, it turns out that far from sparking a price war, Orange has basically adopted the same deal that O2 currently offers, with some minor changes meant to sway customers its way.

Secondly, and this is the real kicker, Orange’s “unlimited” apparently means up to a maximum of 750MB per month, if you look at the fine print. When asked to clarify, Orange stated that the cap was for its 3G network, and that another 750MB cap existed for use at the hotspots of its Wi-Fi partner BT Openzone. Finally, another clause in the Orange Terms and Conditions states that data is…

Not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, instant messaging, peer to peer file sharing, non-Orange internet based video). Should such use be detected notice may be given and Network protection controls applied to all services which Orange does not believe constitutes mobile browsing.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty certain I do almost all of those things on my iPhone over my carrier’s data connection on at least a daily basis. If true, this clause could block the use of programs like Beejive IM, Facebook, Spotify, and the BBC iPlayer.

By contrast, O2, when asked to clarify its fair use limits, said this:

We reserve the right… to contact customers about their usage if we believe it adversely affects the service of our other customers, eg if a customer uses their SIM in another device for which it is not intended.

So what advantage is left to Orange, then? Basically only network coverage and quality. This just goes to show that the iPhone is a cruel mistress no matter which carrier she appears on, and that the end of exclusivity might have less positive ramifications for customers than previously expected.

Data is the key to the iPhone’s success, as it is positioned as one of the few devices on the market that users increasingly use for internet access first, and phone functionality second. This presents a dilemma for wireless operators, since keeping up with demand can tax network quality and dependability considerably. AT&T in the U.S. is constantly under fire for its 3G network stability, for example.

Orange later said it would be reviewing the cap following the large volume of negative emails it received regarding it’s use of the word “unlimited.” Hopefully the company will also look at those ridiculous restrictions regarding data usage, since the real appeal of the iPhone for most users is the ability to do precisely those things which that clause specifically prohibits.

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