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- A really bad approach to Reversi on the iPhone
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
Reversi, sometimes known under the trade name Othello is a really terrific board game. The game goes back to at least 1888, and is said with some truth that it takes a few minutes to learn but a lifetime to master. Reversi has been very popular as a computer game for many years. In most versions you can play another human, or play against the computer.
It seems popular among Mac enthusiasts, and Ted Landau, who created and oversees the venerable MacFixit web site is a one time National Champion of the game, and came in 3rd in the World Championships in 1984. Go Ted!
The iPhone/ iPod touch has had many Othello/Reversi games available. Some play OK, some do fairly well, but doing quality artificial intelligence on a phone is no small challenge.
That brings me to the app at hand, called ReversiSister [no App Store link yet], from Japanese game authors DigiDock. To call it a new approach to the game would be an understatement. As you play, music blares in the background, while an animated cheerleader shouts at you. As Reversi is a game that takes concentration, I can't imagine why on earth someone would think this is a smart approach to game design. On top of that, the game does not play very well, and in my first game the app crashed near the end so I don't know who won, but I was ahead when the game went south.
You can turn down the sound and the irritating cheerleader, but that really doesn't improve the game play, and even if the cheerleader is turned off you can still see her waving her arms around.
There are some pretty fair Reversi games at the app store, including Morocco, Reversi and Black and White, but Ted Landau, who plays far better than I has looked at most of them and thinks they are all pretty poor.
Well, good or bad there is nothing worse than ReversiSister. It's loud, irritating, plays badly and crashes every so often. I'd give you the link to the game, but it's not yet listed in the US App Store. That's probably a good thing, but watch for it if you are a masochist. Here's a link to a YouTube video of the game play. Consider yourself warned. The game is going to sell for $0.99US.
Here's a collection of screen grabs:
TUAWA really bad approach to Reversi on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Mac 101: How to set a default printer
Filed under: Mac 101
Over time you may wind up with several printers set up for your Mac. This results in a list of available printers every time you go to print. If the default (the first one selected) isn't to your liking you can always change it. To do so, bring up System Preferences and go to Print & Fax. Now right-click (you can hold the Ctrl key down if you don't have a 2-button mouse) on a printer in the list and choose: Set default printer. There you go!
Note the plus and minus signs below the list of printers. If you're just getting started, click the plus to add a printer. If you've sold a printer, click the minus to delete one after selecting it. Apple has an excellent 101 of their own about setting up a printer on your Mac.
Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section.TUAWMac 101: How to set a default printer originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Nambu native Twitter client for Mac
Filed under: Freeware, Internet Tools
In the most recent Ask TUAW, we addressed a question about Twitter (follow TUAW!), and asked readers for their favorite clients. Several users suggested Nambu, and having just put it through its paces, I can see why it's so popular.
Nambu is a native Mac application designed for multiple social networking services, but in practice it seems like its primary strength is as a Twitter client. It offers support for multiple Twitter accounts, which can in turn be viewed in several different ways. It also integrates support for the tr.im URL shorting service and the pic.im image service.
There's the standard list view which will automatically integrate tweets from multiple accounts into a single timeline. There's a three-pane view, somewhat similar to Mail, with a sidebar allowing you to choose between accounts, and finally (my favorite) there's a multi-column view reminiscent of the Adobe AIR-based TweetDeck and you can, of course, choose what appears in each column: main timeline, replies, sent messages, searches(!), etc.. In addition, replies are automatically threaded so they appear indented under the most recent tweet from the person to whom you are replying (as well as within the normal timeline). Another nice feature is that it automatically displays the domain of shortened URLs that appear in your timeline.
In short, I think I've found my new Mac-native Twitter client. Nambu is a free download from The Nambu Network.TUAWNambu native Twitter client for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Future iPhone may detect when you are truckin' like the doodah man, offer video chat
Macrumors has a detailed breakdown of a couple of new iPhone patent applications, but here's the gist: Apple is looking at how to trigger events based on movements (or gestures), and one patent filing shows a front-facing video camera. The camera is easy -- there's your 2-way video chat (we hope). The motion stuff? Well, Apple could go in several directions with that.
According to the indications in the patent filing, Apple is suggesting the interface on the iPhone could change under certain conditions. Specifically, contacts would get larger if you are running. That makes them easier to tap when you aren't able to be as accurate. This is just one example, but I think the more the iPhone can correctly guess the context of its use, the better. We were all a little excited when we saw the auto-orientation of (some) apps, and the relatively minor miracle of a proximity sensor which turns off the screen when you raise the phone to your face. The motion-sensing stuff takes this way beyond all that.
While this stuff won't likely make it into the next iPhone revision, it does show you where Apple is headed: more features, better usability. Although I do notice the power button seems to have moved to the right, away from the top. Will that be part of the next iPhone? There's mention of everything from a stylus to a scroll wheel (like BlackBerry), but I think that's just patent chatter (covering the bases, as it were). Here's a link to the patent filing.
[thanks to Alejandro for help in plumbing the patent filing]TUAWFuture iPhone may detect when you are truckin' like the doodah man, offer video chat originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Leaf Trombone out now in the App Store
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Developer, iPhone, App Store
I've been down on the fine folks at Smule in the past -- I've said that their app Ocarina seems kind of silly (even if people have created some pretty awesome stuff with it and other less annoying music apps). And about the only thing they could have done to make it up to me was to develop some sort of super massively multiplayer music app, some app in which you could play a tune and have it sent all around the world. So I guess I have to call off my pretend grudge against them once and for all, because that's exactly what they did: Leaf Trombone: World Stage is in the App Store right now.
This is, of course, the app with the strange name that we saw at Apple's iPhone 3.0 demo. It features a Chinese leaf-type instrument that sounds, as you can hear above, like a trombone. But the World Stage part is the most interesting -- Smule has set up a way to share the songs you play in the app with people around the world, and the people who hear your work can send back short messages and emotes to say how they felt. It's an interesting idea -- kind of combines what they were trying to do with Zephyr into a more Ocarina-like app.
At just 99 cents, there will undoubtedly be lots of musicians out there picking it up. And while the video above is... cute... we're sure there'll be some even better stuff to listen to soon.TUAWLeaf Trombone out now in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - News apps for the iPhone span the political spectrum
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
Building a native app that aggregates and spruces up the content of a single news organ's website is all the rage, although it seems like overkill in some cases -- personally, I enjoy curating my own reading list with good old Instapaper, which also offers the advantage of clearing out most of the graphical cruft and leaving nothing but yummy text. Still, if you like having all the news that's fit to print in the palm of your hand (yes, the 2.0 version of the NY Times app is quite nice), there are two new choices of single-site apps (SSA) for your reading pleasure.
In the right corner, weighing in at four sections, it's the Wall Street Journal! Yes, the official newspaper of American business (whatever's left of it) has an iPhone app, and according to Silicon Alley Insider it's pretty good; the app lets you cache content for offline reading (similar to the NYT app), and offers audio and video content from the paper, along with stories and rich media from sister sites like Uncle Walt's hangout AllThingsD.
Most notably, using the iPhone version of the WSJ -- which is free -- you can read most or all the content from the daily paper... which, via the WSJ.com website, is not free (most full stories require a subscription). There's no way to know how long this workaround will be in place, but for now it's a great way to get access to the paper's stories.
And, in the opposite corner, weighing in at one home page and sporting a killer left hook, it's the Huffington Post! The HuffPo iPhone app has been in soft-launch mode for the past month and was just updated to version 1.1, quashing bugs and improving performance. It's not as polished as some of the other SSAs yet, but it gets the job done. The app is free.
If you have a preferred single-site app for news, let us know below.
TUAWNews apps for the iPhone span the political spectrum originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Ask TUAW: Online file syncing, CD ripping, Time Machine to NAS, and more
Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAW
This time around in Ask TUAW we've got questions about online file syncing services, installing a faster drive for CD ripping, using a FreeNAS box for Time Machine backup, Twitter clients and more.
As always, your suggestions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X (we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!Continue reading Ask TUAW: Online file syncing, CD ripping, Time Machine to NAS, and more
TUAWAsk TUAW: Online file syncing, CD ripping, Time Machine to NAS, and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Reports: Mac OS 10.5.7 release imminent
Filed under: OS, Rumors, Leopard
Several outlets are reporting today that Mac OS 10.5.7 is due to drop any time now. Build 9J47 was released on Friday, less than a week after 9J44, and build 9J50 is said to have been distributed on Tuesday. Until now, these updates have been delivered weekly. This accelerated distribution, along with a shortening list of fixes (the latest build only addresses three) are clues that 10.5.7 is nearly ready.
Additionally, some customers have reported that the ATI Radeon HD 4850-equipped iMacs that they ordered have had their ship dates bumped up to this week (there's a rumor that the graphics card requires 10.5.7).
We'll let you know when this shows up, and report any changes (or problems) we experience after installation.TUAWReports: Mac OS 10.5.7 release imminent originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Sonos adds more firepower to iPhone app
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
Sonos, maker of the highly regarded multi-room music system, has updated the free controller software the company provides for the iPhone. The Sonos Controller [App Store link] allows the selection of music or playlists, selection of internet radio stations, control of Pandora, Napster, Last.fm and other music services, and now adds the ability to set, edit and delete alarms as well as set up networked music folders.
If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, this free app is an alternative to the $399.00US controller that is sold with the system, and it is actually easier to use because of the iPhone touch screen. The iPhone app requires users to update their Sonos software to version 2.8, which is a free upgrade that was released yesterday.
The app works very well, without glitches or drama. The screens look stunning, and the reflection effects for album art are a nice touch. Sonos could have easily charged for this app, but getting it free is a major bonus.
The Sonos product is one of many that distributes music around the house and is Mac friendly. Of course Apple has its own solution, the Airport Express Base Station, which effortlessly streams music from your iTunes library to to speakers or a stereo within range of the device. Logitech also has several solutions including the Squeezebox, the Squeezebox Duet, and the Squeezebox Boom. Olive has a well regarded high end solution that includes music servers and players for individual rooms.
Here are some screen grabs of the Sonos Controller in action:
TUAWSonos adds more firepower to iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - AT&T wants the iPhone until 2011
Why wouldn't they? I know about a dozen people who have switched to AT&T precisely because they are the only US iPhone game in town (mostly). The exclusivity ends 2010, but SAI asks, will Apple renew its contract with AT&T? The biggest problem plaguing iPhones appears to be the network -- AT&T is notorious for dropped calls and spotty 3G coverage, whereas now-number 1 service provider Verizon has a great reuptation for coverage (both voice and data).
The issue for Apple is compounded by the fact that AT&T uses the globally-accepted network standard of GSM, where Verizon uses the other, less-used standard CDMA. So now you've got two radios to deal with (as provided in the Blackberry 8830 World Edition), something I think Cupertino isn't eager to implement.TUAWAT&T wants the iPhone until 2011 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - iPhone RFID prototype is very cool
Filed under: Hardware, Internet Tools, iPhone
iPhone RFID: object-based media from timo on Vimeo.
Some things are really cool. Object-based RFID media for the the iPhone is one of them. The video above is a prototype demonstration of how this could potentially work. Basically, there's a small "tag" inside a physical object that triggers an iPhone action when it's in range via the attached RFID/NFC reader. In the demonstration it can be seen playing videos, launching podcasts, etc. Our favorite is that the phone begins playing home movies when moved within range of the little house.
This is full of potential. Could other actions be triggered, like send an email or open a web browser? What if, as the developers ask, the iPhone could send actions instead of perform them? Some really fun things could result.
Some bad as well. It seems like a marketer's dream come true, and I have this nightmarish vision of walking through the mall as my iPhone has a freakout. But let's look at the positive: Gaming, playing with toys and sharing media could get a whole lot more fun.TUAWiPhone RFID prototype is very cool originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Rumor: Upcoming iPhone parts list published
Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, iPhone
Once again, the folks at DigiTimes have leaked information about a forthcoming Apple product. Citing "Industry sources in Taiwan," they've published an alleged parts list for the next generation iPhone.
Standout items include the 3.2-megapixel CMOS image sensor from OmniVision, which seems in line with the rumored video features in iPhone OS 3.0. Also listed is NAND flash from Samsung and Toshiba and Mobile DDR DRAM from Samsung.
Most interesing is what missing from the list. Namely, the processor. So far, there are no solid rumors on what this could be, so it's really anyone's guess. We think it's safe to say, however, that Apple will release new iPhones this summer. Those who purchased original phones two years ago will have their contracts expire in June, just around the time that iPhone OS 3.0 and WWDC will drop. Here's to this summer!
Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
[via theAppleBlog]TUAWRumor: Upcoming iPhone parts list published originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Microsoft Office rolls up to 12.1.7, trial edition downloadable
Filed under: Software
There's an update in town, and it's all about locking it down: the 12.1.7 update to Microsoft Office 2008 (available within the suite via the software update tool, or downloadable from Microsoft) closes two security holes present in multiple versions of Microsoft Excel and first acknowledged by the company in February. These vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to create a specially-configured Excel file that, when opened, would allow full control of the target machine.
The update package also bundles up all the previous patches to Office 2008, which lends it heft (it weighs in at over 150 MB) but simplifies matters if you're a few revs behind. Note that there is no 12.1.6 update in the sequence; the previous patch level was 12.1.5.
If you haven't made the leap to Office 2008 yet (perhaps you're on a PPC Mac; perhaps you feel that you get better interoperability with Office 2003 users on Windows; perhaps you have to have Visual Basic support for macros), Microsoft is giving you the chance to consider moving up with a full-featured 30-day demo of Office 2008, now available for download in the USA. The package includes all the Office apps and can be upgraded to a paid license in the field without purchasing a boxed copy and reinstalling. Upgrades from previous editions of Office start at $240... of course, there are some less expensive alternatives out there.
[h/t Ars Technica]
TUAWMicrosoft Office rolls up to 12.1.7, trial edition downloadable originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Aperture, iMovie, Server Admin Tools updates available
Filed under: iLife, Software, Software Update
Yesterday Apple pushed out three updates via Software Update. According to Apple, iMovie 8.0.2 "...fixes an issue with projects having a size of 0 KB." That's a problem all right.
Aperture 2.1.3 is also available now and "...addresses minor issues in a number of areas, including the display of thumbnails on import and image rotation."
Finally, Apple has also pushed out Server Admin Tools 10.5.6v1.1 which is required to administer Mac OS X Server version 10.5.6 from a remote Mac client. These updates weigh in at 24.1MB, 48.11MB and 92.7MB respectively. The interesting thing here is that Apple was actually a bit forthcoming with exactly what these updates address. Not totally, mind you, but better than the "bug fixes" we usually get.TUAWAperture, iMovie, Server Admin Tools updates available originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - New Apple Store at North and Clybourne in Chicago
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail, Odds and ends, Apple
My current city of Chicago isn't really suffering for Apple Stores -- the one on Michigan Avenue kind of makes up for any other missed areas around here, as it's the nicest and biggest one I've seen (but then again, I haven't been to the ones in New York near Mr. Rose). But it's good to hear that we're going to be getting another store, this one a little bit outside the Loop, on the city's northside. State Street and the theater area, you might think, would be a little more fitting for the next big retail center, but no: apparently the burgeoning retail area between a gutted Cabrini Green and Lincoln Park is the place to be. Coincidentally, I used to work as a manager at the North Halsted Borders there -- served cafe sandwiches to John Malkovitch and found a book for Kurtwood "Clarence Boddicker" Smith, both visiting from Steppenwolf down the street.
But perhaps I'm getting too personal -- just color me excited to have a new Apple Store even closer to where I live now (near Clark and Diversey). The new store is set to open on the empty lot that used to be taken up by a gas station between North and Clybourn (right across from the Red Line stop) and would have about 15,000 square feet in the "long-term location." No word from Crain's yet, though, over when the store would open or even when ground might be broken. Still, all of the development guys seem happy -- they'll probably get in there as fast as they can.TUAWNew Apple Store at North and Clybourne in Chicago originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - On this Day is an iPhone app for the history buff
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
I admit I wasn't much of a history nut when I was very young, but as I got older I found the subject more and more fascinating. Heck, I even wound up writing a book about a producer of historical epic films. I think a good perspective on history helps you understand the present, so I welcome On this Day [App Store link] for the iPhone/ iPod touch. For $0.99US it's a pretty good way to find out what happened on the current day. It includes 14,000 historical events, so instead of seeing 2 or 3 items you often get 40 or so.
There are some other similar apps for the iPhone, including World Book- The Day in History and Today's History, but neither of them have as many events, and one requires an internet connection to work.
On this Day worked with no issues, but there are a few things that would make it better. Like most people, I wanted to check my birthday and see what notable events, other than my birth, took place. But the app only displays history from the current date. That's a real downer. I talked to the developer and he says he'll change that in a future version. I also found the info button with links to support and sources a bit picky about where I tap. The developer agrees, and says he'll fix it.
On this Day adds a nice feature to the iPhone, and has some real depth. I think a really nice 'blue sky' feature would be links to Wikipedia so I could learn more about these events if the mood strikes me.
Sample screens below:
TUAWOn this Day is an iPhone app for the history buff originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - First Look: Travel organizer Tripit.com offers iPhone app
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, First Look, App Review
Do you travel a lot for business or pleasure? If you do, then you'll find the new free iPhone app (click opens iTunes) from Tripit.com to be a great way to organize your trip plans.
Tripit.com imports and interprets your itineraries from airlines, hotel chains, ticket outlets, and other travel companies. When you receive an itinerary from one of these providers, you forward it to a special Tripit email address to have it translated into a trip plan automatically (the site supports hundreds of travel providers, and the translation from email into structured itinerary is really quite amazing). You can share your travel plans with friends or colleagues via LinkedIn, and see when your fellow travelers are heading to a city near you or when their plans align with yours.
That collection of trip plans is what you view with the Tripit.com app. The app is linked to your Tripit.com account, and displays a day by day list of flights, car rentals, and other events that make up your trips. Each event can be opened in further detail to show information such as arrival and departure times, confirmation numbers, and more. Links for airport codes bring up Google Maps of the airport vicinity, and other links can check your flight status with a touch.
Since you can always access the mobile version of the Tripit site from a connected iPhone or iPod touch, the big advantage of the native application is that the travel data is cached locally on the phone for offline review (mid-flight, for example). More full-featured apps like the $9.99US TravelTracker or FlightTrack Pro can also store and display your Tripit itineraries via the service's API, and Tripit's developers tell us that they intend to continue supporting third-party application access.
To use the app on your iPhone or iPod touch, all you need to do is sign up for a free Tripit.com account or forward your first itinerary to plans@tripit.com. Take a look at the gallery below for details of the Tripit app at work.
TUAWFirst Look: Travel organizer Tripit.com offers iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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