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- TUAW's Daily App: Archetype
Filed under: App Store
Well now, this one's interesting. Archetype is a brand new title on the App Store that's aiming to put what seems like a big budget experience on Apple's small screen. The game is made by MunkyFun (a company led by ex-LucasArts developer Nick Pavis) and published by Villian, "an independent producer and publisher of portable game titles" that seems to have a history in mobile gaming, but not much of a website. Basically, Archetype is purporting to be Eliminate without Ngmoco -- a full-featured multiplayer FPS without any of the microtransactions or other nonsense.
And it lives up to the hype. The controls will take some getting used to, even if you're a WASD veteran. In just 30 seconds on Wi-Fi, I was loaded up and playing a 5v5 deathmatch FPS game. Even on an Edge connection, I was able to play smoothly, and even pull of a kill -- I don't know what kind of code witchery makes that possible, but it works.
The graphics don't really compare to modern console shooters, but I think the multiplayer gameplay easily beats Metroid: Prime Hunters and the current crop of iPhone shooters. Of course, the game still has to deal with the issues of the genre -- if you're not a twitch gamer, you'll likely get murdered very quickly, and while there are plenty of high-ping people to play with now, it's not clear what will happen if the servers get overloaded or, conversely, if the crowd thins out. You're still playing a FPS on an iPhone, and I'd much rather play a shooter on my PC or a console than this.
But given the limitations of the genre and the device, Archetype is certainly an impressive title. You're still kind of going in blind at US$2.99 -- Archetype doesn't have a free version to try yet. But if you can expect to put three bucks of your time into playing this surprisingly solid multiplayer FPS, by all means, jump on in.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: Archetype originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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IPhone - AppStore - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Apple - First-person shooter
Переслать - Steve Jobs stops by Paris Opera store
Filed under: Steve Jobs
I have my doubts about what's going on here, but I'll let you judge the veracity of this one for yourself. The above video is supposedly a short clip of none other than Steve Jobs walking through the newly opened Paris Opera Apple Store during this past weekend on July 3rd. A commenter on 9to5Mac says that the guy in black walking in front of Steve is Steve Cano, the senior director of Apple International Retail, so supposedly Steve and entourage were there to check out the new store and see how things were going.
Of course, not everything you read and see about Steve is true -- while it certainly makes sense that he'd be there (and that he's probably also dropping by the new store in Shanghai), there's no verification on this one, so we don't know for sure if this is him or just a well-dressed French impostor. But either way, enjoy the fleeting glance of what seems to be the man himself out in public.
Oh, and Steve? You were too busy to spend the July 4th weekend at home, cooking on the grill and watching fireworks with the rest of us? Sure, it was probably just a bit of bad timing, but next time the Independence Day holiday rolls around, take a break and enjoy it a little, won't you?TUAWSteve Jobs stops by Paris Opera store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - 'App farming' update: Apple says only 400 accounts compromised
Filed under: iTunes
The good news is, one crooked developer has been booted from the store. The bad news is, some iTunes accounts were pillaged to fund his rise to the top of the Books category.
While Apple's official statement this morning simply reminded us to be careful out there (change passwords, check with your bank, don't get fooled again), some other sites have been continuing to dig into the App Store's funkier corners, turning up additional stories from users that had their accounts compromised (and in the process, dinging game developer Storm8, which was previously sued for collecting user phone numbers).
More disturbingly, among the victimized iTunes account holders are at least a few who claim they did use strong passwords, didn't fall prey to phishing attempts, didn't have malware or keyloggers on their machines -- but one day discovered that hundreds of dollars of apps had been bought on their accounts. Creepy.
The problem of Apple IDs being hijacked is not a new one -- developer Joe Streno pointed out the weak spots in the password change protocols when his account credentials were swiped back in June of 2009. In this particular go-round, late word from Apple (via Clayton Morris) is that fewer than 400 accounts were compromised, out of over 150 million accounts worldwide. Morris also reports that Apple will be tightening up payment security a bit, requiring more frequent entry of credit card secondary security (CVV2) codes.
As always, if you've had an issue with unauthorized app purchases on your account, let us know below.
TUAW'App farming' update: Apple says only 400 accounts compromised originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Mac sales still up, despite iPad release
Filed under: MacBook
If the iPad is going to cut away at the audience for more full-featured computers, it's not going to be the Mac audience, apparently. Even though Apple introduced a tablet earlier this year, Mac sales are still up 35%, showing that the iPad is much more a new category all to itself than a subset of desktop or laptop users. NPD data from the month of May hints that Macs may see 19-23% growth year-over-year this year, which would top Wall Street's estimates.
If there's an issue in Apple's line at all, it's the iPod -- that device is set up to be down 13% year-over-year, which is a higher drop than expected. But that's not a huge worry -- the iPad sells for more than the older, smaller devices, and rumor has it that Apple is going to refresh that line with new functionality anyway, from a cloud-based iTunes to better camera integration.
So it looks, according to the data so far, like Apple has done what it wanted to: successfully created a new kind of computer, something that sits in between the mobile functionality of the iPhone and the full OS of the MacBook.TUAWMac sales still up, despite iPad release originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Found Footage: Browsing speed compared on the iPhone 4 and 3GS
Filed under: Found Footage, iPhone
Thanks to Obama Pacman, here's a neat (audio muted) video comparison of web browsing speed over 3G on an iPhone 4 (shown on the left) and an iPhone 3GS (shown on the right).
The test was done using only mobile 3G with Wi-Fi turned off, and it shows a variety of sites using Safari in a head to head comparison. In almost all the tests, the iPhone 4 was much faster in Web browsing.
When you look under the hood at the iPhone 4's 3G performance, the improved browsing speed is not much of a surprise; CNET benchmarked the 4 against the 3G (not the 3GS) and found dramatic improvement across the board. Even against the more recent 3GS, the iPhone 4 delivered stronger download performance in Andy Ihnatko and John Gruber's tests.
The processor is obviously kicked up a notch as well. MacRumors, running benchmark tests, found the iPhone 4 processor to be 31% faster than the 3GS using Geekbench 2.1. The iPhone 4 came in with a 2.514 score across routine tests like memory allocation and view drawing, easily besting the 3GS at 2.298. Both were tested under iOS 4.
Benchmark tests are not really analogous to real life usage, of course, but they do give a basic indication for comparison purposes. So although it probably takes more muscle to paint the screen using the iPhone 4's high-resolution Retina Display, the faster A4 chip combined with the improved network throughput (when you've got all your bars, that is) seems more than up to the task.TUAWFound Footage: Browsing speed compared on the iPhone 4 and 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPhone sales expectations lowered due to supply shortage
Filed under: iPhone
We've already heard that Apple is taking a risk by being low on supplies for iPhone 4, and now at least one analyst says it's too far: Shawn Wu of Kaufman Bros. is lowering his expectations for iPhone 4 sales this year. Of course, that means he's cutting expected sales from 9 million to 7.5 million (which means Apple would still make truckloads of money), but nevertheless, Wu says that "an inventory drawdown and screen supply constraints could impact near-term shipments over the next two quarters." Ouch -- that's pretty harsh by analyst standards.
I think Apple was in the same boat with me on this one -- after such a successful iPad launch (and a not-bad 3GS launch last year), I didn't think that the iPhone 4 launch would provide too many issues. But from all of the anecdotal and sales data we've heard so far, it was huge -- much bigger than any of the previous iOS device launches so far. Apple's probably not worried -- 7 million phones is still plenty of phones for them. But it certainly seems, especially since a lot of stores still don't have phones ready and in stock, that they were caught off guard by demand.TUAWiPhone sales expectations lowered due to supply shortage originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - PhoneHalo for your iPhone helps finds your keys
Filed under: iPhone
If you've ever lost your keys in the house but have your phone, then PhoneHalo might be what you're looking for -- apart from your keys. The Bluetooth device attaches to something (typically keys) and allows you to "ping" the device via an app on your iPhone. It works the other way as well, although no word on support for backgrounding or push notifications. The video has a brief description, although the app isn't available on the iPhone yet.
In the video, the narrator mentions a heavy social component, but I'm not really keen on telling my friends on Twitter and Facebook that a) I've lost my keys or b) where they are. Nevertheless, if you are a chronic key loser this could be your new best friend. Currently available for BlackBerry and Android, the iPhone version is slated for September 30 and you can (somehow) pre-order it now for US$1. You can order one PhoneHalo device (plus software for the currently-supported phones) for $59.95. Order 2 devices for $95.95 or 3 for $139.95. Or just tack a nail to the wall so you can hang your keys up.TUAWPhoneHalo for your iPhone helps finds your keys originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Proximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal
Filed under: Retail, Apple, iPhone
Following the recent release of iPhone 4 several of you reported an issue with the proximity sensor running amok during your calls. Our poll results were dead even with 50.1% of readers seeing issues and 49.9% having no problems. At the time I considered myself in the all-clear category, but recently that changed. Read on for my story of woe, intrigue, and incredulity.TUAWProximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - devsugar: Understanding iPhone 4 backgrounding
Filed under: Developer
If you're looking for a simple and easy-to-follow introduction to iPhone 4's new backgrounding abilities, head on over to Oliver Drobnik's weblog and check out his latest write-up. You'll find a lovingly crafted graphic that walks you through the iPhone application lifecycle, showing how an application reacts to system changes like incoming phone calls or users' home button presses. A small portion of the chart appears at the top of this post.
Don't miss Drobnik's write-up in addition to his flowchart. I like the case he lays out for using applicationDidEnterBackground as the perfect place for saving state before giving up application control. As he points out, applicationWillTerminate will not get called in many application suspension cases.
Drobnik continues to refine his write-up, so keep checking back in for last-minute tuning and updates.TUAWdevsugar: Understanding iPhone 4 backgrounding originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Video evidence of the iPhone 4 death grip -- this time with real numbers
Filed under: iPhone
You wanted a demonstration? You got a demonstration; we've put together a video to show how the iPhone 4 antenna issue is not simply a result of Apple's miscalculation of how many bars are being displayed. Our own Erica Sadun wrote an iPhone app (at the suggestion of Engadget's Nilay Patel) to display the raw signal strength, the number of bars, and what Apple calls the graded signal strength. Erica's tests (see video above) show that the "Kung Fu grip of doom" results in the signal strength dropping to almost zero. According to Erica, removing her hand from the antenna gap brings the signal strength back to normal.
The Apple iPhone Bumper provides a cushion, but Erica's tests show that the death grip (otherwise known as holding the iPhone 4 normally in your hand, as shown in Apple's promotional video) can kill signal integrity even with the bumper installed, depending on the signal strength in your area. Marginal signal areas are affected most by antenna signal attenuation. Users in areas with strong reception will not see the same results.
It looks like Apple needs to 'fess up on this issue, and soon. NBC's Today Show brought up the antenna problem this morning, continuing to publicize the issue to a nationwide audience. They also cited the wave of YouTube videos from irate owners showing the grip issue. You can view the Today Show clip by clicking the Read More link at the bottom of this post.TUAWVideo evidence of the iPhone 4 death grip -- this time with real numbers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - US government posts more mobile apps
Filed under: iPhone
US President Barack Obama famously used an iPhone app and several social media tools in his successful campaign for the White House. Now, the US government has released more mobile apps.
Just this week, USA.gov has added several new apps, including:- Product Recalls This mobile-optimized site lists product safety updates from Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Agriculture.
- My TSA Find out if a particular item will be allowed on your flight before you leave home and save potentially costly guesswork.
- FBI's Most Wanted An up-to-date list of those the FBI would most like to apprehend.
- Find Your Embassy Quick directions to the nearest American Embassy, no matter where you are.
The government in your pocket. What more could you want?
[Via Information Week]
TUAWUS government posts more mobile apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Geocaching Version 4.0 features UI redesign and new functions
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
As a longtime fan of the pastime of geocaching, I've been following the evolution of the official Groundspeak Geocaching app (US$9.99) since the painful early days. With the release of Geocaching version 4.0 yesterday, it appears that Groundspeak has raised the bar with a new design and additional features.
If you're not familiar with geocaching, it's a location-based hobby where you seek caches (usually small containers with a logbook and goodies inside) based on hints, latitude and longitude coordinates, and a keen eye. You can also hide caches for others to find. GroundSpeak has a free Geocaching Intro app available if you're interested in learning about the hobby but don't want to make the $10 investment in the full app.
So what's new in Geocaching v.4? A lot. The user interface has been redesigned to make it much more streamlined. I found that actions that formerly took a number of screen taps are now usually no more than one or two taps away. Although I'm not fond of long lists of features, there's no other way to show all of the additions and improvements:
-- Google Maps integration (now have choice of Google Maps, Bing, or OpenStreetMap)
-- Ability to take photos and submit them with geocache logs
-- Ability to submit logs for trackable items such as geocoins and travel bugs
-- A logs tab with displays of pending and sent logs
-- Better reliability downloading pocket queries
-- Online / offline indicator
-- GPS acquisition status and location display
-- Listen to iPod app during caching
-- Support for home location (specified in geocaching.com user profile)
-- Notepad for every geocache listing
-- View any list of caches on map
-- View trackables inventory
Geocaching 4 has not been specifically rewritten for iOS 4 or the iPhone 4, so if you want to see the map graphics in all of their glory on your Retina Display, you're out of luck. A few screenshots of the revised app are included in the gallery below.TUAWGeocaching Version 4.0 features UI redesign and new functions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Nice white iPhone 4 mod
Filed under: iPhone
While we wait for Apple to begin selling white iPhones, people have been coming up with their own solutions. The folks at Engadget used several spare parts to build theirs. But TUAW reader Trevor took a decidedly simpler approach.
First, he created a file with a JPEG of the vintage Apple logo and then sent it to Gelaskins' upload tool. From there, the process is simple. Using the online tool, drag the uploaded image to the iPhone 4 template and set it just so. You can even create matching wallpaper. Finally, make your purchase and let the Gelaskins worker bees do the rest.
Yes, it's just a stick-on skin, but the vintage logo ads a bit of cool and, unlike Engadget's solution, all of the original parts are intact.TUAWNice white iPhone 4 mod originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPhone 4 reception issues? A network reset might help
Filed under: iPhone
I know this sounds like a bit of Voodoo, but it's worth a try. If you've upgraded to the new iPhone 4 and have restored your old software, you may see what appears to be a signal drop-off. Let's stay away from the whole iPhone 4 "death grip" controversy; that aside, no matter what you do, you're not seeing as many bars or getting reception that's as good as what you had with your older iPhone.
Here's something to try. On your iPhone preferences, navigate to "General," and then scroll down to the bottom where it says "Reset." Tap that, and then tap "Reset Network Settings." You'll get a warning, and the phone will reset to factory defaults. You'll likely lose some Wi-Fi passwords, but you may also find that your cellular reception gets a lot better.
I have two friends who tried this, and they went from one or two bars to four or five at the same locations. This is the same trick they are doing at the Genius Bar, and my research shows that it can help in many (but not all) cases. We've talked about this fix before, but we have a lot of new readers, and some old ones, who may have missed it. There are also some discussions about this on the Apple support board. If you have seen a drop-off in reception, it's certainly worth a try. If it doesn't work, we're sorry. If it does, well, the price is right for the fix. Let us know in the comments if it helped, or sadly, if it didn't.TUAWiPhone 4 reception issues? A network reset might help originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Lenovo says Apple is missing the boat to China
Filed under: Apple
We've heard before that one of Apple's main areas of concern, as of late, is raising its quality in China, but here it is straight from the mouth of a competitor. During a recent dinner, Lenovo's founder allegedly said that his company was lucky that Apple hasn't stepped up in the Far East. "If Apple were to spend the same effort on the Chinese consumer as we do," he reportedly said, "we would be in trouble." A spokesman for the company later said that the remarks were taken out of their dinner table context. Apple replied by pointing out its upcoming Shanghai store opening and a few other initiatives that it's already begun in China.
It's not news that Apple has to do better in China; in past earnings calls, Apple has said exactly that and pointed out that making headway in China is a large goal. It's very interesting to hear it from a competitor, though. That's almost confirmation that if Apple does what it's planning to and, in fact, does "spend the same effort on the Chinese consumer," then even well-heeled Chinese companies like Lenovo will end up running scared.
[via MacStories]TUAWLenovo says Apple is missing the boat to China originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: HexaLex
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
HexaLex is a new title from developer Nathan Gray that offers up an interesting twist on the online Scrabble phenomenon. HexaLex has the same basic rules as most other word games (Words with Friends being probably the most popular iPhone title so far), with one big change: instead of squares, you use hexes to mark out the words. That creates a few interesting gameplay effects, including that you get a "bye" of two nonsense words per turn. If you can use the hexes to spell out multiple words, though, you can build up your score that way, too.
Other than that, things aren't too different; you have a number of tiles to choose from, you can shuffle or exchange them as needed, and there's a full online complement to the game, complete with push notifications and nice options to brag or send messages back and forth. Unfortunately, the online service requires an account, which is something that probably would have been an obstacle for me if I was just checking out the game on my own.
That's the main issue with a game like this -- if all of your friends are already playing Words with Friends, you'll be hard pressed to get them all to switch. Still, if you're a big wordsmith or if you have a few fellow players who are ready for a new variation on word games, HexaLex is worth a look. You can check the game out for US $2.99.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: HexaLex originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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