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- Even more LETHAL!
Filed under: Humor, Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
Remember LETHAL? It's an app that can keep you awake at night by telling you about all of the dangerous things that can kill, maim, or at least injure you. The good thing is that LETHAL does it in a humorous way.
We did a review of LETHAL a few months ago, and now the development team at Elany Arts has taken the app to a new level. Not only did they significantly upgrade LETHAL, but they also dropped the price of the app from US$1.99 down to US$0.99.
What's changed?
- LETHAL now gives a risk ranking for every US and Canadian town or city with a population over 100,000, plus all Canadian National Parks. If you're within a large metropolitan area, you can watch your LETHAL index change as you drive around.
- More disasters! More dangerous animals!
- The crime information is more specific, with new updated crime data from the FBI database.
- You can view rankings for all locations from most dangerous to least (or vice versa) for all indexes and specific risks. Want to find the #1 area to get killed by a grizzly bear? LETHAL can help.
- Speaking of animals, they're now displayed with their relative risk based on prevalence in the area and confirmed attacks (I griped about this in my earlier review, since they showed mountain lions as a big risk in my suburban neighborhood).
- Disasters are also displayed with their relative risk based on prevalence and confirmed incidents.
TUAWEven more LETHAL! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Baby Shaker further exposes App Store flaws
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Bad Apple, App Store
Sometimes, you really have to question the App Store approval process.
Sure, this isn't the first time that Apple has made an unwise decision regarding the approval (or lack thereof) of applications to the App Store. But, this one takes the cake. For the span of a few hours on Wednesday, Apple allowed the release of "Baby Shaker," an app from Slkalosoft (who, ironically no longer has the app listed on its site). The application displayed an image of a crying infant. You had to shake the iPhone or iPod Touch repeatedly in order to get the child to stop crying -- literally shaking the baby to death. When the crying ceased and two red Xs appeared over the baby's eyes, you succeeded.
There's plenty of criticism over App Store standards. You can find a plethora of fart-simulating apps and other programs designed just to be a sheer nuisance, yet legitimate apps such as Tweetie get caught up in the pipeline because of potentially offensive language. "Baby Shaker"'s approval quickly hit a lot of news sites, and it didn't bode too well for an Apple doing its best to spotlight its second quarter earnings.
App Store approval is already something that is cumbersome and vague at best - often leaving developers in limbo as to the status of their product. "Baby Shaker" certainly isn't the first dubious piece of software released into the App Store, but it is by far the worst . Even though Apple did yank "Baby Shaker" within a couple of hours, it does leave a nasty taste in people's mouths. It means that somewhere, somehow, there was a failure to communicate to employees that releasing an application promoting infanticide is a moronically stupid move. I do wonder how long "Baby Shaker" would have remained in the App Store if the media suddenly hadn't jumped on the story. What do you think this latest situation says about the App Store process? Let us know in the comments.
[Via CNet]TUAWBaby Shaker further exposes App Store flaws originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Bailout America Cash Giveaway
Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch
Whether or not you agree with the hotly debated bailout, you may find it hard to say no to cash in your pocket. With this in mind we're letting DoeDoe, makers of the iPhone platformer Bailout America, give you $1,000.
To win, all you have to do is name the 11 companies partially shown in the game screenshots. Go through the gallery, then come back to this post and leave your list in the comments. Of course, you could wait for someone else to do it and copy their answers, but where's the fun in that? And how do you know they are right unless you check?
Be sure to check out the full rules on this page, but the usual stuff applies: must be over 18, only enter once, US-only (sorry about that). Remember: leave your list in the comments on this post and we'll randomly select a winner with the correct list. Good luck!
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
- To enter leave a comment with the names of the 11 companies shown in the gallery attached to this post.
- The comment must be left before Thursday, April 25, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
- You may enter only once.
- One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
- Prize: a check for $1,000.
- Click here for Official Rules.
Continue reading Bailout America Cash Giveaway
TUAWBailout America Cash Giveaway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Upgrade your iPhone camera with LittleSnapper
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Review
LittleSnapper from Realmac Software has been available for OS X for quite some time (and was one of the apps available in this year's Macheist bundle), and a few days ago they released a trimmed-down version that runs on your iPhone. While it lacks the basic photo editing and annotation available on its desktop counterpart, LittleSnapper for iPhone is no slouch.
One of the things about LittleSnapper that first caught my eye was the interface, which is extremely slick and shows great attention to detail on the part of the developers. The real jewels of this app, however, are a bit less obvious. In fact, after just a few hours of use, it has supplanted the built-in Camera application on my home screen.
Using the default configuration, when you snap a picture, it's immediately added to your Camera Roll (hence the replacing of Camera). After you've taken your photo, you can then upload it to QuickSnapper (Realmac's companion photo sharing site, which is free to use). Once that's done, you can then email a link to it or post it to Twitter (via Tweetie, Twitterrific or Twitterfon) right from within the app. I don't know about you, but whenever I take a picture with my iPhone, there's a very good chance that I'd like to email it immediately afterward. For me, being able to do this within a single app is huge.
The other killer feature of LittleSnapper is the ability to screenshot any web page from within the application. The only downside to this feature is that you don't have access to your Mobile Safari bookmarks and you must type in the URL manually (or browse to it via another URL, like a Google search). Obviously this issue will be history once iPhone OS 3.0 is out in June (which includes system-wide copy-and-paste), so it's understandable that they didn't bother getting to crazy with the cheez-whiz in terms of browser integration and whatnot. LittleSnapper's chrome is also removed from the webpage snap, which is a nice touch.
Of course, no application is perfect, and LittleSnapper has a few (small) warts. For one, I'd love to see a subset of the annotation tools available on the desktop version, as well as a more iPhone friendly view of the QuickSnapper site when browsing your uploaded photos. Tighter integration with the OSX application (like syncing photos and their metadata) would also be pretty sweet. These aren't anywhere close to deal-breakers for me, but I can see them being becoming popular feature requests.
I'm very impressed with LittleSnapper and, given the amount of half-baked throwaway apps that seem to be cropping up lately, it's nice to see one with a good bit of polish. LittleSnapper [App Store] is available now for $2.99US.
TUAWUpgrade your iPhone camera with LittleSnapper originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Ask TUAW: tracking your iTunes purchases, quitting processes, doing a clean OSX install and more
Filed under: Software, iTunes, Ask TUAW, Leopard
Once again, it's time for another edition of Ask TUAW: the place where we try to answer all of your Mac and Apple-related questions. This week we're taking questions about tracking your total iTunes purchases, forcing processes to quit, doing a clean install of OSX and more.
As always, we welcome your suggestions for this week and questions for next time. Please leave your contributions in the comments for this post. When asking questions, please include which Mac and which version of OS X you're running. If you don't specify, we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac.
Dima asks:
I would like a way to require a password when the computer wakes from sleep, but not to require a password for just the screensaver. Is there a way for me to accomplish this?
The only way I know of to accomplish this would be to modify the plist file for the screensaver via the Terminal. However, unless this is really important to you, I would not advise doing it. If you want to do it, proceed at your own risk.
Either way, here's the command to enter in the Terminal if you want to try it.
defaults -currentHost write com.apple.screensaver askForPassword -int 0
This will set it so the computer only asks for a password after waking from sleep and not after the screensaver.
Frank asks:
In my finder window, next to my drive's name, there's a number in parentheses. it used to be a (2), but recently it changed to a (3). What does this number mean?TUAWAsk TUAW: tracking your iTunes purchases, quitting processes, doing a clean OSX install and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Apple Q2'09 results round-up
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Apple Financial
Today was a landmark day for the good ol' boys (and girls) at 1 Infinite Loop as they again posted record-breaking quarterly results. Profit was a svelte $1.21 billion for a grand total of $8.16 billion in revenue; or, as the guys in Wallstreet see it: $1.33 per diluted share. All of this is apparently good news as after-hours trading has shares of AAPL up about 4 points from the days close of $121.51. If you haven't already, you can check out some of our highlights of what drove those numbers as well as the full press release from Apple here. Also, MacJournals did a fantastic job covering the call via their Twitter feed, which can be found here.
One continuing theme through the course of the call was the economy's overall effect on Apple's numbers. One noticeable effect was that professional and education sales were down during the March quarter. Even with the release of an entirely refreshed line of Mac desktops, the quarter saw an overall decrease in Mac marketshare. It wasn't all bad for Apple, however, as iPod sales (particularly the iPod Touch) were up enough to seemingly offset the bulk of the lagging Mac sales.
While the results themselves are always nice to hear, the most interesting section of the quarterly call is the question and answer section that follows. The answers, while somewhat scripted, give the listeners a chance to hear Apple execs think and speak on their feet regarding Apple's results and plans for the future.
One of the more notable topics during this discussion was Apple's opinion on the netbook market. Tim Cook took the question and in an answer that was truly Apple said, that netbooks are "junky ... not a consumer experience that we would put the Mac brand on," while quickly following-up with a good, old-fashioned "If we can find a way to deliver an innovative product ... then we'll do that." If you remember the days before the video iPod, then this conversation should be very familiar to you. For a good overview of the Q&A check out MacRumors' excellent post on the subject.
If you don't care about the financial results and have grown tired of hearing Apple dance around whether they're going to release a netbook, then there is at least one bright spot in all of this. According Peter Oppenheimer, Apple is pleasantly awaiting the joyous return of Steve Jobs in June (we miss you Steve). I don't think anyone was really expecting any more or less information than that, but here's to hoping Stevie J. returns and brings with him all-new iPhones, netbooks, and pots of gold.
Overall, the results were very positive for a company that deals in "luxury" products given the current economic climate. I hope that in the future Apple continues to succeed and that this is the last quarter we hear of in which Apple loses marketshare to anyone.
[Via Engadget, MacRumors, and MacJournals]TUAWApple Q2'09 results round-up originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Apple 2nd Quarter: $8.16B revenue, $1.33 profit per share
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Apple Financial, Apple
Apple released its second quarter earnings today, posting revenues of $8.16 billion, a profit of $1.21 billion ($1.33 per share). This includes sales of:
- 2.22 million Macs
- 11.01 million iPods
- 3.79 million iPhones
Update (5:37 p.m.): There are plans to bring the iPhone to China within the next year. It was also reported that Steve Jobs is expected to make a return to his duties at the end of June.
The press release detailing the earnings is below the fold.Continue reading Apple 2nd Quarter: $8.16B revenue, $1.33 profit per share
TUAWApple 2nd Quarter: $8.16B revenue, $1.33 profit per share originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - A nice way to spend Earth Day
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
It's a bit hot today in Arizona so I stayed in for Earth Day -- I cut the air conditioning and ran the ceiling fans -- and spent part of this day looking at GreenSpot, [App Store link] an iPhone/ iPod touch app that keeps you up to date on all things environmental. It includes tips, podcasts, and articles about everything from food and agriculture to green architecture and buildings. There are also 'issue' areas, with details on climate and energy, the two green hot buttons of late.
The $1.99US app puts all the information in one handy place, and makes it easy to access by topic just about any information you may want.
Podcasts include Sierra Club Radio, and many radio stations that do green programming, as well as some independent audio productions.
It was pretty easy to update myself on the latest green news, but I have these nits to pick. I couldn't find many articles newer than a week old. I don't know if the app is feed based, or people are manually posting material, but the world changes pretty fast, don't ya know, and this app should be more up to date.
Some of the articles links are dead, so that's not such a good thing either. The podcasts I tried all played well, but not from within Greenspot. They launched the QuickTime player, so you then manually have to re-start Greenspot.
None of these problems put me off the application. We've seen how important these issues are, and having this info in your pocket is just another reason why we are so happy the iPhone exists.
There are far worse ways to spend Earth Day than by getting up to date on the latest green news. Most of us will choose those worse ways today, thereby making the point on why it is important to be environmentally conscious.
Screen shots below:
TUAWA nice way to spend Earth Day originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - First Look: Scannerless scanning with Creaceed Prizmo
Filed under: Software, First Look
Last year I resolved to start keeping track of my business expenses more accurately. I bought NeatReceipts for Mac, but found that even with the diminutive size of the included scanner I didn't want to take it on trips with me. The result? I still ended up with a pile of receipts at the end of each business trip that I needed to scan. What I needed was a scanner that was always with me and didn't take up any additional space in my laptop bag.
Creaceed has come up with a solution in the form of Prizmo, which allows you to use any digital camera -- including the one built into your iPhone -- as a scanner. Once you've taken a picture of any item, you drop it onto Prizmo on your Mac. The application then corrects for lens distortion and perspective, essentially "flattening" the item you're scanning, and provides tools for cropping, changing brightness, and tweaking contrast.
The lens distortion algorithm uses a calibration that is created for specific cameras. As users calibrate their own cameras through a process described in the Prizmo user manual, they can add them to a calibration library that is being created.Continue reading First Look: Scannerless scanning with Creaceed Prizmo
TUAWFirst Look: Scannerless scanning with Creaceed Prizmo originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Pixelmator 1.4.1 brings noise filter, Pixelmator Learning with it
Filed under: Desktops, Software
Our friends over at Pixelmator have released a new update, and while it's not quite as big as their point versions, it does add a few new features and a nice online guide to the program. The main new feature in-app is a noise filter that allows users to add random specks and pixels to an image, creating a little more realism and mess to whatever shapes they're working on. But the bigger addition is out-of-app: they've created an online Learning database with tutorials, tips, and lessons on how to make the most of the image-editing app. There's actually quite a bit of stuff there now, from text and video tutorials to even third-party tutorials submitted by users. If you are interested in learning more about how to use Pixelmator, definitely give it a look. They've also updated the user manual, too, so if you haven't seen that in a while, that's worth checking out as well.
There are also a few performance updates and bugfixes -- here's the list if you want to check it for something you're interested in. I still don't see my personal issue on there: it seems like whenever I switch between the Spaces on my Mac that hold iTunes and Pixelmator, the OS doesn't want to stay put -- it keeps jumping back to the iTunes Space while I'm trying to work on Pixelmator. Of course that might be an iTunes issue, but hopefully the Pixelmator team is looking into it.
Other than that, it's still a great app for editing and resizing images, and at $59, is definitely cheaper and simpler than investing in a big Photoshop suite. The 1.4.1 update will show up automatically for current users, and the app can be downloaded as a free trial from their site.TUAWPixelmator 1.4.1 brings noise filter, Pixelmator Learning with it originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Capo gives you play-along tempo controls for $39
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, Software, Developer
Capo is a new app from the makers of TapeDeck, and it's the talk of the town amongst musicians -- it allows you to simply change the speed or pitch of any songs you happen to have laying around your computer, so that you can play or sing along with them at your own pace. We got a chance to try out the app just before release (though it's available for $39 right now), and while the UI is very impressive, the actual purpose of the app is too limited, in my opinion, to be worth it.
Not that it does anything badly -- the speed and pitch manipulation are very impressive. While there's a little bit of clipping and distortion at the absolute extremes, that's to be expected when you're changing these attributes on the fly, and when you're not at the extremes, things sound really great here. The app is extremely responsive to the controls as well, which are very intuitive and well designed -- you can choose to quickly select various tempos or pitches on a meter, or drag the slider in between those to find exactly the point you want. And no matter how fast you move the slider, the music responds instantly without any noise or slowdown. If you want to change a song's pitch or speed in order to try to play along with it or give it a closer listen, Capo will let you do exactly that, in style.Continue reading Capo gives you play-along tempo controls for $39
TUAWCapo gives you play-along tempo controls for $39 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - AT&T is testing bumped-up 3G speeds
Filed under: iPhone
Some people may not be happy with the iPhone running on the AT&T 3G network, but at least it appears that network will be running faster. AT&T is already in advanced testing of its new faster 3G network, which was first revealed by Scott McElroy, AT&T VP of Technology Realization, in an interview with Telephony Online.
AT&T says it is going to increase the downlink capacity on its high speed packet access (HSPA) from 3.6 megabits per second to 7.2 megabits per second by upgrading the software at the base stations. Currently, AT&T has the enhanced network running in two test markets, but plans to extend the faster spec to its entire network. Then, AT&T plans to start migrating its networks to 'Evolved HSPA' which would triple peak speeds.
Of course the big question for many of us is will the iPhone work with these enhanced speeds? AT&T says most of the data cards, smartphones, and the iPhone will support the new tweaked specs, at least up to 14.4 Mb/s. It's probably a good idea for AT&T to drastically improve its network, especially as it is begging Apple to renew its partnership for another year.
Maybe that will get the SlingBox Mobile app running happily if it ever arrives. Grrrr.TUAWAT&T is testing bumped-up 3G speeds originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Convertbot updated to 1.1, adds more units to convert
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Odds and ends, Developer, iPhone, App Store
I haven't had much use for Tapbots' Weightbot, even though I actually am currently watching my weight, but I really appreciate the look and feel of the program -- it's one of the most polished apps on the App Store. And Convertbot is no different -- while the actual situations where I need to convert units are pretty few and far between, the app is just so intuitive and polished that you look for ways to use it, from the stylistic user interface to the little beeps and clinks that make the buttons feel as tactile as they can on the iPhone's touchscreen.
And now there's even more opportunities to use the app: with the newest version 1.1, out now in the App Store, you can convert more than 100 different units, everything from angles to lengths to cooking volumes to even speed, time, and work (I can't remember the last time I had to convert BTUs to Joules -- high school? -- but this app can do it).
At just 99 cents, it's definitely worth trying out, if you're a fan of quality iPhone apps at all. I kind of wish Tapbots would aim a little higher, but then again, this is kind of their thing: taking really simple apps and polishing the heck out of them until they shine way past their basic functions. It would be interesting, though, to see what they could do with a bigger concept.TUAWConvertbot updated to 1.1, adds more units to convert originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Full text from "Legal Copy" ad isn't quite PC-specific
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, OS, Retail, Odds and ends, Apple
You've probably seen all of the new Get a Mac ads we posted about on Sunday, and if you haven't yet, go ahead and watch them now. We'll wait. Just let us know when you're back, we'll be playing a little Zen Bound. Done? If you saw the Legal Copy ad, you know that's the one where as PC makes crazy and crazier statements about PC reliability, the screen fills up with unreadable legal copy. Unreadable, that is, if you're watching on a computer, and not so much if you're watching on a huge HDTV.
And so yes, MacJournals has actually retrieved and reprinted all of the text that appears in that ad. When Hodgman says "PCs are 100% trouble free," there is a long paragraph about how computers are targeted by spyware and malware, and how you have to install software drivers if you want to use any peripherals, how PC users should back up their systems, and how if they are not under warranty, they are not guaranteed a refund or replacement.
But wait a minute, says MDJ, don't those last few notes apply to Macs as well? Are Mac users able to avoid requiring backups, and is Apple trying to say that even after their warranties expire, they'll be giving out refunds and replacements (actually, they sometimes do that, though it's definitely not guaranteed)? Still, if the PC faithful wanted to nitpick -- and where exactly are the PC faithful these days, again? -- there's definitely plenty of nitpicking to do here. It seems like Apple needed to fill out the text for the joke of the ad, but it's too bad they couldn't just stick with PC problems (and there are plenty of those) rather than include some common computer issues in there as well.
[via Aulia Masna]TUAWFull text from "Legal Copy" ad isn't quite PC-specific originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Nvidia Quadro FX 4800 requires 10.5.7, which should be out soon
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, OS, Software, Odds and ends, Software Update
Sunday night on the Talkcast, we approached the rumors of a 10.5.7 release coming soon, and all pretty much agreed that yes -- whatever is in it, it's very likely coming soon. Here's another rumble of thunder that hints at the storm: Nvidia announced a brand new card recently for Macs, called the Quadro FX 4800 -- it offers "ultra fast performance," "realistic effect," and tons of triangles and all of the other things that comes along with a video card that looks more like a Flip Mini than an actual set of circuits.
But most importantly, under "Drivers and Downloads," you can see that the Mac drivers require Leopard 10.5.7. Combine that with all of the other speculation flying around, and odds are that we'll see a new version of the OS in Software Update as soon as later today.
Thanks, Daniel N!TUAWNvidia Quadro FX 4800 requires 10.5.7, which should be out soon originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone. What's the deal?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Rarely has an iPhone/iPod touch app seen so many ups and downs.
People have expected Sling Media to provide a version of their streaming video player for Apple since the iPhone first launched, but it has yet to materialize. In January, Sling demonstrated a beta of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone at Macworld and created a flurry of excitement.
Three weeks ago Sling announced with a great deal of fanfare that the app had been submitted to the App Store, but so far, all we're hearing are crickets...
Earlier this month AT&T changed its published Terms of Service to directly prohibit apps like SlingPlayer Mobile from operating on the AT&T network. After a major meltdown from AT&T customers, all the carrier could say was "whoops, we didn't mean it -- that was a mistake".
Last week, an anonymous tipster with a dubious domain told TUAW that he worked for Apple and stated that the company was going to reject the app because AT&T couldn't support the bandwidth demands. Of course, carriers do support the SlingPlayer on other phones, including the BlackBerry and several Windows Mobile phones.
So, here we are, more than three weeks after SlingPlayer Mobile was submitted to the app store, and there's still nothing. Nada. Bupkis. Zlich. In the meantime, Sling Media has alienated many Slingbox owners by intimating that a lot of their older gear won't work with the iPhone app when (or if) it is released.Continue reading SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone. What's the deal?
TUAWSlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone. What's the deal? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Making cocktails with video for iPhone
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
The App Store has some very nice apps with instructions for making cocktails. Type "cocktails" in the search field and you'll see a nice selection. Now, developer Unowhy from France has put together a very nice app with video, social features, and even information on the history of cocktails. iVideoCocktails [App Store link] is $3.99US and has detailed instructions for creating 50 cocktails. The video has to be downloaded to the iPhone or iPod touch, so 3G or Wi-Fi is a must.
You can let the app know what you have on hand, and it will suggest what you can make with your ingredients. You can also get a random suggestion, or just explore the database for something that interests you. You tell the app how many people you are mixing the drink for, and it will adjust the ingredients list. It also contains a nice list of non-alcoholic drinks that should please those so inclined.
The videos are very well produced, and obviously not the work of amateurs. I did notice that sometimes the videos were a bit slow to load, and a couple of times they stopped in mid-play, but eventually they picked up. The videos are not required to make the drinks, but they are a nice instructional touch.
Although not the only iPhone app that helps you make cocktails, it is well organized and visually attractive. My only gripe was the 'send to friend' function. I thought it would allow you to email a recipe for a drink to someone, but instead sends a pre-formatted email suggesting they go to the App Store and buy this program. Boo. You can also get ten more cocktail recipes by filling out a brief form and providing your email address, and answering some marketing questions about other services the developer might provide. Double boo.
Otherwise, this is a solid app that does what it advertises, and does it with visual style. A handy thing to have in your pocket when you want to drink something different, or see what you could create with what you have on hand. I'll drink a toast to this clever app.
If you want to spend your money on drinks rather than iPhone apps, here is a link to Cocktails, and Cocktails + which are free. (Note: Although the icon on Cocktails+ notes that it is free, it is still apparently $2.99US. It was free for a limited time last week, and Apple apparently did not update the icon.)
Screen shots below:TUAWMaking cocktails with video for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - G4 tower table
Filed under: Hardware, Cult of Mac, Odds and ends
The door to my garage doesn't have one of those elf doors or a potted plant or concrete gnome. A couple of years ago I acquired a dead G4 tower, the model affectionately termed "mirrored drive door G4." After gutting it down to the fan and a few cables, I set it outside my door. Why? Sometimes I'm carrying an arm load of items and have to set something down to unlock the door. This tower table is the perfect height to sit a glass of water down while I get my keys. Notice how the mirror finish, even after years of exposure to the elements, is still pristine.
Have you seen any old Macs pulling odd duty? Aside from aquariums, of course.
TUAWG4 tower table originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Red Bull Air Racing on the iPhone
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
Got a hankering to fly through some pylons? Red Bull Air Race World Championship Lite Version [App Store link] might be just the ticket. The $0.99US game puts you in air races in either San Diego or Abu Dhabi. Red Bull Air Race is not a flight simulator like X-Plane, but more of an arcade game. It uses the iPhone accelerometer for steering. and is pretty responsive. The course, said to be an accurate representation of the real locations, is rendered in nice 3D. On-screen markers point you in the right direction if you get off course. You will.
Flying the race is a good challenge, and happily you can choose to turn off the background music if you want to. You can choose a cockpit eye view, or follow along behind your plane.
In the hangar you can chose from 2 planes to fly, but you have no options to configure them further. An options screen allows you to change the volume, the vibration and sensitivity of the controls. There is also a calibration screen if things get off a bit.
The game is the lite version, with a more full-featured version coming. It runs on both the iPhone and the iPod touch.
My only complaint is that the game has a slow load time, made even slower by seeing an animated logo from the developers, then a video from a real race. It takes about a minute from the time you launch the app until you are flying. As they used to say around the flight schools, 'Got time to spare, go by air.'
Screen shots are here:TUAWRed Bull Air Racing on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - AOL Daily Finance app raises the bar for iPhone investment tools
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
The Finance section of the App Store does feature some heavy-hitters (Bloomberg, ATM Hunter) and some fairly weak beer too. A lot of these apps are unitaskers, particularly when it comes to stock quotes and charting. For a full-featured and free investment information portal, and a strong competitor to the Bloomberg iPhone app, you may want to try the newly-released AOL Daily Finance, powered by the dailyfinance.com site.
The first key feature to note is the free real-time equity quote service, provided from the BATS Exchange; major exchange (NYSE & Nasdaq) quotes are delayed, though. You can quote individual symbols or watch your entire portfolio with ease, whether you enter it on the device or link to your existing lineup under your AOL or AIM screenname; up to 25 separate portfolios can be managed. You can also view up-to-the-minute financial and market news from the AP and other sources.
The other standout feature of this app is its comprehensive charting support. Clicking the chart button on an equity page brings up a straightforward chart, but rotate your device into landscape mode and you're in a Cover Flow-esque lineup of all the charts in your portfolio. Double-tap a chart to access a full suite of advanced comparison options (vs. markets, vs. peers, seasonality, showing events like earnings & splits, and custom symbol comparisons). Holding down a finger on a single-line chart enables a crosshair cursor that lets you see the specific data for any point on the chart. All the functions are intuitive and easy to use; the charts are cached so you can see most of your data even if your device is disconnected from WiFi or cell service.
If you're of a mind to keep an eye on the markets while you're on the move, you may find this app has the tools you're looking for. Check out the gallery below for a few screenshots.
Editor's Note: TUAW's parent company Weblogs, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL.
TUAWAOL Daily Finance app raises the bar for iPhone investment tools originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - 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.
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