TUAW’s Daily iOS App: Samurai Girl

Samurai Girl is a 2D Korean RPG on iOS that’s surprisingly deep. The combat is pretty traditional 2D stuff, but this game has all of the features that you’d expect in a full RPG, including over 50 quests and various skills to earn, a full collectibles and crafting system and even a pet system, which the game claims is the first ever seen in an action RPG (I’ll argue that Torchlight has pets, but whatever).

Unfortunately, the game suffers from a pretty cluttered UI, so while the controls are responsive, it might take a little getting used to all of the buttons and seeing around them. But the action is pretty fast and furious, and while the game’s Korean heritage doesn’t do it any favors (it can be a little confusing knowing where to go and what to do), the RPG elements are surprisingly deep and make for a nice big experience.

Plus, the game’s on sale for just a buck this weekend, so if you have any interest in playing this one at all, it’s more than worth a try.

TUAW’s Daily iOS App: Samurai Girl originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 13 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tweetbot for iPhone Gets Landscape Mode, CloudApp, Fixes

Tapbots has pushed an update for their Twitter client, Tweetbot. Tweetbot 1.1 introduces the much requested landscape mode, CloudApp support, user/hashtag buttons, improved location accuracy, and more.

Landscape Mode in Tweetbot 1.1 only works in three sections: Compose window to type with a larger keyboard, to view photos in landscape, built-in web browser to have a broader view of web pages. CloudApp integration not only shortens the URLs but also lets upload photos and videos to CloudApp.

Tweetbot Description

Tweetbot is a full-featured iPhone (and iPod touch) Twitter client with a lot of personality. Whether it’s the meticulously-crafted interface, sounds & animation, or features like multiple timelines & smart gestures, there’s a lot to love about Tweetbot.

Brief Highlights

  • Multiple Timelines. Quickly switch between your lists as your main timeline.
  • Smart Gestures. Use Twitter more efficiently with time-saving and configurable gestures.
  • Customizable Navigation. The last 2 tabs are customizable and unused tabs are easily accessible.
  • Support for multiple services like Read it Later, Instapaper, Cloudapp URL Shortening.
  • Push Notifications via Boxcar.
  • Save drafts, add locations and POI’s, attach photos and videos, manage your lists, and much more.

What’s New In Tweetbot 1.1

  • Landscape support for media, compose and web views
  • Added User/Hashtag buttons to compose toolbar
  • Improved accuracy of displayed locations
  • Tweet gaps now load above instead of below
  • Lists now sorted alphabetically
  • Login now handles email address or username
  • CloudApp image/video support
  • Improved hashtag picker
  • Fixed translation issue with British English
  • Improved saving behavior for older devices
  • Various bug fixes

Download Tweetbot

You can purchase and download Tweetbot for iPhone from the App Store for $1.99. [Download Link]

You can follow us on Twitter, Google Buzz, Facebook, and Subscribed to RSS Feed to receive latest updates.

Also checkout:

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Angry Birds Rio Gets Beach Volley Levels Update

Rovio has released the Beach Volley Levels update for Angry Birds Rio which is now available in the App Store. The beach volley update brings a whole new gameplay, new sounds and golden fruit along with existing Rio Levels.

In Angry Birds Rio, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magical city of Rio de Janeiro, where they eventually escape their captors and set out to to save their friends, Blu and Jewel – two rare macaws and the stars of the upcoming Fox motion picture, Rio. Angry Birds Rio will pair the physics-based gameplay of the original game with unique twists based on the film.

Angry Birds Rio features

  • Three fantastic episodes with 90 exciting levels!
  • Completely new achievements!
  • Special Hidden fruits – discover them all!
  • Put your Angry Birds skills to the ultimate test in a spectacular boss fight!

What’s New In This Version

  • Beach Volley!

You can purchase Angry Birds Rio for iPhone from the App Store for $0.99 [Download Link] and Angry Birds Rio HD for $2.99 [Download Link].

You can follow us on Twitter, Join us at Facebook, and also Subscribed to RSS Feed to receive latest updates.

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100th iAd campaign launched, Apple being sued, and more in this week’s mobile news

Apples has launched its 100th iAd campaign, which was for Coldwell Banker.

WebKit source for iOS 4.3.3 has finally been released by Apple.

Apple being sued over privacy issues…again.

iPad and iPhone shipments may be affected by labor and material shortages.

Did the last iOS update break Wifi on the iPad?

Open Source: Simple Drop-In In Line Browser View Component

If you are developing an app that opens up a web page, I found a very handy open source UIWebView replacement that you can push right onto the UINavigationController stack.

The view is complete with a nav bar displaying forward and back buttons, the web page title, a refresh button and an action button. The component is from Sam Vermette, and is known as SVWebViewController.

You can see the component, in action in the image below:

You can check out the Github for the component here complete with instructions:
https://github.com/samvermette/SVWebViewController

Sam’s writeup on the component can be found here:
Even More Web Views

The browser looks great, and is very easy to use.

©2011 iPhone, iOS 4, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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Tutorials: Xcode 4 Beginner Screencasts

Xcode 4 definitely has a learning curve, even (maybe especially) if you were an avid Xcode 4 user. I’ve created a page where I am placing Xcode 4 tutorials as I find them, and received a comment about some excellent free screencasts from the Pragmatic Programmers that cover many relevant topics for those new to the Xcode 4 ide.

The tutorial screencasts cover topics such as setting up projects, interface builder, code completion,custom code snippets, and more.  So far there are eight free screencasts in total.

You can find the screencasts here:
http://pragmaticstudio.com/screencast-tags/xcode4

These are great as seeing the use of the Xcode 4 ide in a screencast vs. a static tutorial makes things much clearer.  Thanks to the Tom for the tip about these screencasts.

Read More: Xcode 4 Tutorial And Guide Page

©2011 iPhone, iOS 4, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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Tutorial: Building An Breakout Game In The Corona SDK

The Corona SDK has continued to grow in popularity, and I see on this site that there are many searches for tutorials utililzing the Corona SDK.  Corona provides instructions, and several great code samples such as the recently shared fruit ninja example, but it is always great to see a tutorial that goes from the ground up building an application.

In this tutorial Carlos Yanez goes step by step through building a Breakout style ball and paddle brick breaker game demonstrating how to create customizable levels, handle collisions, and physics, draw animations and more with the Corona SDK.  This is definitely a from the ground up complete tutorial.

The tutorial is split into 3 parts and can be found on these pages:
Create a Brick Breaker Game with the Corona SDK: Application Setup
Create a Brick Breaker Game with the Corona SDK: Game Controls
Create a Brick Breaker Game with the Corona SDK: Collision Detection

If you are getting started with Corona, and are looking for a tutorial to hold your hand through the creation of a game this looks like a great place to start.

©2011 iPhone, iOS 4, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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Tutorial And Tool: Properly Scaling Retina Display Graphics

I found tutorial from Matthijs Hollemans on scaling graphics designed for the retina display on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4g for the lower resolution on older versions of the iPhone and iPod touch, and this is also useful if you will be using your graphics on other phones with a lower resolution.

The easy way out is of course just to load your images in an image editor such as Photoshop, and lower the resolution automatically using the bicubic filter.   In Matthijs tutorial he explains that this does not produce optimal results, and provides a simple command-line tool for producing better looking scaled down graphics.

Matthijs also provides a few other tips explaining how to create the best possible looking scaled down graphics.

You can find Matthijs’ tutorial and his Shrink PNG tool on his website here:
http://www.hollance.com/2011/04/drawing-retina-graphics/

If you want to make sure that every detail looks as good as it can when the graphics are displayed on a smaller resolution screen then you will want to check it out.

 

©2011 iPhone, iOS 4, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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How to AdMob integrate in your application in iPhone

This is the AdMob example. In this example we will see how to integrate AdMob in the application. I will show you the easiest way to integrate AdMob in the application.

Step 1: Open the Xcode, Create a new project using View base application. Give the application “AdmobiPhone”.

Step 2: Xcode automatically creates the directory structure and adds essential frameworks to it. You can explore the directory structure to check out the content of the directory.

Step 3: Xpand classes and notice Interface Builder created the AdmobiPhoneViewController class for you and generated a separate nib, AdmobiPhoneViewController.xib for the “AdmobiPhone”.

Step 4: First go to www.admob.com site, we need to register in this site for AdMob. After login, goto Sites &Apps –> Add site/App –> Select a site or app type –> Select iPhone App (See figure 1)

Next we need to full fill details (See figure 2)

Now you can download the AbMob SDK, it is required for publishing Ads and drag drop into the Xcode project.

Step 5: We need to add framework in project, so select the framework -> add New Framework -> Select AudioTollbox.framework, MediaPlayer.framework,MessageUI.framework and SystemConfiguration.framework add in the Framework folder.

Step 6: We need to add one background image in the project.

Step 7: Open the AdmobiPhoneViewController.h file, in this file we need to import GADBannerView.h file and create a instance of GADBannerView class. So make the following changes:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "GADBannerView.h"

@interface AdmobiPhoneViewController : UIViewController {
         GADBannerView *AbMob;
}
@end

Step 8:  Now open the AdmobiPhoneViewController.m file and make the following changes in the file.

#import "AdmobiPhoneViewController.h"
#define AdMob_ID @"a14dccd0fb24d45" // You can get this id from www.admob.com. This is Publisher ID

@implementation AdmobiPhoneViewController

(void)dealloc
{
    AbMob.delegate = nil;
    [AbMob release];
    [super dealloc];
}

(void)didReceiveMemoryWarning
{
    // Releases the view if it doesn’t have a superview.
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
   
    // Release any cached data, images, etc that aren’t in use.
}

#pragma mark – View lifecycle

// Implement viewDidLoad to do additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
(void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
      AbMob = [[GADBannerView alloc]
                   initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0,
                                            self.view.frame.size.height
                                            GAD_SIZE_320×70.height,
                                            GAD_SIZE_320×70.width,
                                            GAD_SIZE_320×70.height)];
   
     AbMob.adUnitID = AdMob_ID;
     AbMob.rootViewController = self;
    [self.view addSubview:AbMob];
   
     
       GADRequest *r = [[GADRequest alloc] init];
    r.testing = YES;
    [AbMob loadRequest:r];
   
}

(void)viewDidUnload
{
    [super viewDidUnload];
    // Release any retained subviews of the main view.
    // e.g. self.myOutlet = nil;
}

    (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:
(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
    // Return YES for supported orientations
    return (interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait);
}

@end

Step 9: Now compile and run the application on the device.

You can Download SourceCode from here AdmobiPhone

Samsung announces 2560 x 1600 display, could pave the way for iPad 3

Samsung will demonstrate an all-new 10.1-inch display at the SID Display Week 2011 International Symposium next week. Samsung’s new display will have a 2560 x 1600 resolution, far in excess of anything on the tablet market today. At 300 dpi, the display also compares favorably with the Retina Display resolution of Apple’s iPhone 4; meanwhile, Samsung claims the PenTile technology used in the display allows it to operate while drawing 40 percent less power.

It’s unlikely for a number of reasons that Apple will employ this exact display in the iPad 3. The 10.1-inch form factor exceeds the 9.7-inch size of the current iPad’s design, and the display resolution is also in excess of the pixel-doubled resolution of the iPad’s current 1024 x 768 display. The PenTile technology that’s made its way into displays for smartphones like Google’s Nexus One is also something Apple has shied away from thus far, preferring to stick with tech like in-plane switching (IPS) for its iPhones and iPads.

That having been said, Samsung’s new display does prove that high-res, tablet-sized displays are indeed possible without giving up power efficiency, which makes it all the more likely that we’ll see a Retina Display quality touchscreen in the iPad 3. It’s previously been rumored that Apple wanted to include such technology in the iPad 2, but was unable to do so because of high costs and manufacturing constraints. Although it’s looking less likely that rumors of a fall introduction of the iPad 3 will pan out, Samsung’s newest display does raise the chances of us seeing a vastly improved iPad display in 2012.

There’s no indication yet when this new display will find its way into Samsung’s Galaxy tablets; the company just announced the new display and won’t be demonstrating it until next week. However, if Samsung can find a way to mass-produce these displays and shoehorn them into the Galaxy Tab before Apple includes similar technology in the iPad, Samsung will finally have a major hardware advantage that it can hold over Apple’s more popular tablet line.

Continue reading Samsung announces 2560 x 1600 display, could pave the way for iPad 3

Samsung announces 2560 x 1600 display, could pave the way for iPad 3 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Bungie working on an iOS app

Here’s another interesting rumor (to match the one about Duke Nukem the other day) featuring a major gaming property coming to the iPhone. Touch Arcade spotted a trademark by game developer Bungie for something called “Crimson,” supposedly related to “computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones.” That would hint at an iOS and/or Android release from the legendary Halo developer, who recently split ways with Microsoft to work on an original IP for Activision. Bungie started out making games for Mac, and this latest game is rumored to be an online shooter, possibly with MMO elements, which would make it perfect for going cross platform on Windows, Mac, consoles and smartphones.

Of course, none of this is confirmed by any of the companies involved. All we have so far is this trademarked name, Crimson. But iOS is clearly growing in popularity as a platform among even more traditional developers, and Bungie, free as it currently is from the reign of Microsoft (who itself has even relented to the popularity of iOS), has got to be interested in the iPhone and the iPad as gaming platforms.

Rumor: Bungie working on an iOS app originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 12 May 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft hopes to invalidate Apple’s "App Store" trademark in Europe too

Microsoft has filed a formal application for declaration of invalidity with the European Union’s Community Trade Mark office over Apple’s “App Store” trademark. The European declaration is a continuance of the Redmond company’s campaign begun in the US in January. “App Store” is perhaps one of the hottest trademarks in the world today, as the future of much consumer technology seems to revolve around devices that get much of their added value from stores that give away or sell third-party apps.

It’s no wonder Microsoft doesn’t want Apple to be the sole owner of the term. “App Store” just has a nice and easy ring to it that “Android Market,” “Ovi Store” and “Windows Phone Marketplace” just don’t have. In a statement after the EU Community Trade Mark office filing, Microsoft said they were “seeking to invalidate Apple’s trademark registration for APP STORE and APPSTORE because we believe that they should not have been granted because they both lack distinctiveness. The undisputed facts establish that ‘app store’ means exactly what it says, a store offering apps, and is generic for the services that the registrations cover.”

Microsoft, of course, isn’t alone in their war on the term’s seemingly generic nature. In April, Amazon challenged Apple’s use of the term in the US, and today in Europe Microsoft was joined by HTC, Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Of course, the obvious question to Microsoft is that if “app store” is generic, why isn’t “Windows?” But perhaps more detrimental to Microsoft’s case is that, as John Paczkowski of All Things D points out, Apple was the first company to request a trademark for “app store.” But even much more interesting than that is that Paczkowski created a Google Trend line showing that the “app store” phrase didn’t enter the vernacular until 2008 — the time Apple began popularizing it.

Microsoft hopes to invalidate Apple’s “App Store” trademark in Europe too originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 12 May 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are The Beatles responsible for music’s digital growth in 2011?

Nielsen announced yesterday that music sales in the US are up 1.6 percent in 2011. That might not seem like a lot, but for the embattled music industry, any growth is good news. Interestingly, Nielsen seems to ascribe the growth of music sales to The Beatles’ deal with Apple. As Nielsen says in its report, “Catalog album sales are up 5.4 percent in 2011, thanks in part to a long-awaited 2010 deal allowing digital distribution of The Beatles’ albums for the first time.” The Fab Four’s music exclusively went on sale on iTunes in November to much fanfare.

I, for one, hate when someone can’t admit when they were wrong, so let me say that I myself didn’t think The Beatles news was that big of a deal. If Nielsen is right, it looks like I was very wrong. However, Peter Kafka at All Things D does seems to come to my rescue by saying that he has “a hard time believing the ‘Love Me Do’ bump extended into March and April,” six months after The Beatles’ debut on iTunes. But with the music industry the way it is, maybe The Beatles did help fuel a turnaround.

Other interesting stats from the Nielsen report include a decline in physical album sales year-over-year while digital album and track purchases increased 16.8 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively, and digital retailers, like Apple’s iTunes, received more than half of all music transactions.

Are The Beatles responsible for music’s digital growth in 2011? originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 12 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Docstoc lets you find business documents on the iPad

Docstoc is a document sharing site that offers users free and premium business documents. Though its main target is small business, the site can be a godsend to freelance professionals as well. Today the site has launched its official iPad app, which puts over 10,000 business and professional documents at your fingertips.

Document categories include everything from Career Development to various legal documents and financial planning forms, plus many more. The app also lets you search and download over 20 million library documents. Of the 10,000 documents included in the app, about 2,000 are free, with access to the other 8,000 (and all of the site’s other downloadable premium documents) costing only US$19.95 per month or $119.95 for an annual subscription.

Docstoc for iPad is a free download.

[via TechCrunch]

Docstoc lets you find business documents on the iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 12 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of Delaware campus will host an Apple Store of some kind

The University of Delaware has announced that it will allow the opening of an Apple Store on campus this fall. It’s unknown yet what kind of store this will be — whether it will be a full Apple Store, a mini-store or some kind of university-branded reseller, but whatever the site, the location is expected to open sometime later on this year. The University is just about to finish renovating a new building that will supposedly hold a Barnes and Noble, a Starbucks and a few other places, so this might be in there or just as a section in the main university bookstore.

University of Delaware students will be well-served by Apple, apparently. There’s already a small store on campus to buy Apple products, and just six miles away at Christiana Mall, there’s another store that benefits from Delaware’s no sales tax policy.

University of Delaware campus will host an Apple Store of some kind originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 12 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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