I-phone – Page 3852 – Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

Weekly Poll: Were You Excited or Let Down About the Beatles Announcement?

Were You Excited or Let Down About the Beatles Announcement?customer surveys

Earlier this week, Apple dedicated their homepage to a special announcement that something big was coming from iTunes. They hyped it as a day we would “never forget.” Speculation immediately ran wild, everything from an early launch of the Mac App Store to a cloud-based iTunes service was postulated.

We now know that the big news was about the Beatles finally coming to iTunes. This represents the end of years of legal struggles for Apple, but is it really a day you’ll never forget? Cast your vote and let us know! Then leave a comment below and tell us whether or not you’ve purchased any iTunes Beatles music.

iPhone Game Friday: New Releases

Good to see you! As always, it’s time to unwind after a busy week with some excellent App Store games.

This week’s roundup includes some fiendishly addictive titles, so dive in, take a look at our recommendations, and keep sending us your tips!

Stenches: A Zombie Tale of Trenches

Just in time for Remembrance Day, Thunder Game Works (makers of Trenches) presents us with Stenches: A Zombie Tale of Trenches. It was only a matter of time, let’s be honest.

Given the popularity of the unlockable Zombie Horde in the original game’s Skirmish mode, it was a good idea for the developers to detach it and form a dedicated title. Gameplay is very similar to the original in that it’s essentially a kind of mobile tower defense setup. You collect coins from killing zombies and use them to purchase more reinforcements, including different types of troops and devastating artillery strikes. The zombie waves can become quite punishing, with some especially menacing bosses.

Stenches is a well designed extension building upon the success of its predecessor. Even if you’ve never played Trenches (I hadn’t), Stenches is a well made game that’s easy to pick up and enjoy.

Price: $0.99
Developer: Thunder Game Works
Download: App Store

Kiko: The Last Totem

Brightening up this week’s collection is Kiko: The Last Totem. FABULAPPS has created an exceedingly attractive game here, featuring gorgeous visuals and audio elements and a rare level of replay value in the form of a level editor.

Gameplay in Kiko is fairly simple. It’s a unique puzzle game in which you control various small animals, friends of Kiko the kitty.]. They each move only up/down and left/right and won’t stop until they hit an obstacle. The goal is to get each one sitting on a pad of its colour. There are over 150 levels in the game, but the true treasure here is that the game includes a simple level editor with which you can make your own levels and share them with friends. Talk about endless replay. The editor is intuitive and makes it easy to produce great-looking levels quickly.

Kiko earns two thumbs up for being a truly attractive puzzler with a lot of great content and a fun spirit.

Price: $0.99
Developer: FABULAPPS
Download: App Store

Defender of the Leaf

Defender of the Leaf is a good example of an unknown developer producing a competent and attractive game.

Making use of the tilt controls, you’ll control Gonk, the ladybug defender of a leaf, as he hunts aphids, stinkbugs, and other troublesome insects that try to drink the sap from his leaf. There are 100 waves of increasing difficulty to survive, but luckily you have some help in the form of magical orbs of various types. Some will regain health for your leaf, others will slow your opponents or grant you invincibility. There’s even one that summons ants to help you ward off invaders.

Overall Defender of the Leaf is surprisingly engaging, with enough variety in the gameplay that it doesn’t get stale too quickly. The best part is that (at least for an unspecified time), it’s free! So grab it and have a look.

Price: Free (Limited Time)
Developer: FireBat Studio
Download: App Store

Silverfish

Silverfish is a throwback to the glory days of arcade visuals, but it doesn’t sacrifice a modern edge to accomplish it. Despite the nostalgic art style, the animations, sounds, and overall performance are clearly the product of today’s excellent technological means.

Controlling the silverfish with quick swipes, you must avoid the various species of critters swarming around while seeking out floating bombs. These bombs explode when you hit them, damaging all nearby enemies and giving you some extra breathing room. It’s a fresh gameplay mechanic and the three different game modes (Reaper, Onslaught, and Scavenger) each offer their own spin on the system.

It’s a hair pricier than your average game at $1.99, but Silverfish is a thrilling and very well polished game that deserves your attention.

Price: $1.99
Developer: Chaotic Box
Download: App Store

SteamBirds

This week’s final item is SteamBirds, a steampunk turn-based flight game from Semi Secret Software. You may have heard of a little title of theirs called Canabalt?

Anyway, SteamBirds is just as nicely produced, although the game itself is obviously completely different in style. In an alternate version of history, you control one or more planes against your opponent in a turn-based setup where you can use your main guns or several additional weapons to bring down enemy planes. The art is fairly basic but very effective because it keeps the interface from looking too cluttered as you try to set up your next move.

SteamBirds features just 20 levels for now, but they’re quite challenging and we shouldn’t be surprised to see more in an update. Some users have also reported a few issues with one section of the tutorial, but we couldn’t reproduce them and the developers have already submitted a fix that should be live by the time you read this.

Price: $0.99
Developer: Semi Secret Software
Download: App Store

What Have You Been Playing?

That’s it for this week, folks! Any of these titles strike your fancy, or have there been other games winning your favour this week instead?

Fill up the comments for us, we love hearing from you!

Talkcast reminder: Black Friday preview and more, 10pm ET

There’s nothing like a bargain, and many of our US readers will be searching eagerly for the best savings starting right after Thanksgiving. We’ll share tips and recommendations if you join us tonight on the TUAW Talkcast; we’ll also be talking about the expected 4.2 or 4.2.1 iOS release.

To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the Web UI, just click the “TalkShoe Web” button on our profile page at 10 pm on Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 — during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8.

If you’ve got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac or your PC, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients or by using the TalkShoe client’s ShoePhone tool; basic instructions are here.

We’ll kick things off at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT. See you there!

Talkcast reminder: Black Friday preview and more, 10pm ET originally appeared on TUAW on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Redsn0w 0.9.6b3 to Jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 GM is Out Now!

Redsn0w 0.9.6b3 to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 GM firmware is now available for download. Along with iOS 4.2.1 GM jailbreak, RedSn0w 0.9.6b3 also comes with the ability to install jailbreak apps (custom bundles) regardless of Cydia support. The release also includes OpenSSH, OpenSSL, and the basic apt installer programs.
RedSn0w 0.9.6b3

Important

RedSn0w 0.9.6b3 is mainly geared towards those developers who want to get their programs ready for iOS 4.2.1.
iPhone Unlockers must stay away from RedSn0w.
Redsn0w 0.9.6b3 supports tethered jailbreak. (The only exceptions to this are the iPhone3G, non-MC iPod touch 2G, and old bootrom iPhone 3GS. redsn0w will jailbreak those untethered!)
Cydia will not work on iOS 4.2.1.

We’ve made some updates to redsn0w to make it easier for jailbreak developers (and tinkerers) to get their programs ready for 4.2.1. As noted above, the public version of Cydia (and MobileSubstrate too!) is not 4.2.1-compatible. redsn0w will now let you install your own custom bundles independent of Cydia (the bundle can actually be Cydia if you’ve compiled it on your own). These bundles can be up to 15MB in size, and should be in the form of a gzip-compressed tar file.

Download Redsn0w 0.9.6b3

You can download RedSn0w 0.9.6b3 for Mac OS X or for Windows from below:

Download Redsn0w 0.9.6b3 for Mac [Link 1]
Download Redsn0w 0.9.6b3 for Windows [Link 1]
Download SSH Bundle [Link 1]

Steps to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 GM are similar to the guide posted here.

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

LEGO Harry Potter available for iOS, but iPad requires 4.2

Warner Bros. has released the game LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, and it’s available as a universal download from the App Store for US$4.99. Gameplay includes going inside Hogwarts castle, the most detailed LEGO game location ever; the game provides 40+ levels of play along with endless freeplay to discover areas not accessible in Story Mode.

Players can play as any one of over 100 characters including Harry Potter himself, and can cast spells, mix potions, or fly on broomsticks throughout the game. Mike Rose has played both the Wii and iOS versions of HPY1-4, and he notes that the iOS take is more isometric and ‘LEGO-like’ than the 3D action of the Wii version. The iOS game presents specific tasks/quests that have to be performed and puzzles to be solved before you can advance Harry and his cohorts to the next scene of the game.

Potential buyers should note that while the game is ready for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation) running iOS 4.1 or later, iPad owners will have to wait until they are running iOS 4.2 to play and sync their devices. This is clearly noted in the app description, but it hasn’t stopped some overeager buyers from giving the app one-star reviews because they didn’t notice the caveat beforehand. Maybe while they are waiting for iOS 4.2 to drop they can check out some LEGO guys unboxing an iPad to pass the time.

With Harry Potter popularity at a fever pitch right now due to the first-half film version release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, LEGO Harry Potter might have more than a few fans looking for a good game to download. I myself am looking forward to spending time digging through all the different worlds in the game, especially with a three-day train trip coming up. This should occupy some of that time, for sure.

LEGO Harry Potter available for iOS, but iPad requires 4.2 originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Mini DisplayPort video adapters from StarTech

All of Apple’s new offerings in the Mac line use Mini DisplayPort to pump video out to other monitors or video displays. Whether it’s an 11″ MacBook Air, a fully-loaded Mac Pro (with two Mini DisplayPort outputs), or any of the machines in between, Apple has standardized on Mini DisplayPort for video output.

To connect to different types of displays, Apple also sells a number of video adapters through Apple retail stores and the online store. There are Apple-branded adapter cables for VGA, DVI, and Dual-link DVI, as well as a Moshi HDMI adapter. Now a new source of these adapters has hit the market.

StarTech is a maker of parts, adapters, KVM switches and the like, and it apparently saw a big potential market for these cables due to Apple’s standardization. StarTech has just announced a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter (US$21.99), a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter ($21.99), and a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter ($33.99).

The pricing is great on the HDMI and DVI adapters; the HDMI adapter is a full $13 less than the Moshi HDMI adapter, while the DVI adapter is about $8 cheaper. The VGA adapter is about $5 more expensive than the Apple equivalent. If you need to connect your Mac to another video display, it’s good to know that you have another alternative for the necessary cables.

New Mini DisplayPort video adapters from StarTech originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple updates iTunes Connect Mobile for iPad

Apple has updated the iTunes Connect Mobile app to version 1.1. The app was first released in June of this year and allowed developers to view statistics about their products on the App Store right from their iPhone or iPod touch. Today’s update brings universal support for all iOS devices, including the iPad. It also adds support for multitasking in iOS 4 and adds support for iBookstore providers.

With today’s universal update to iTunes Connect Mobile, Apple has updated most of its iOS apps to take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen. The other remaining holdouts are iMovie, Keynote Remote, Apple Store, and Texas Hold’em.

Apple updates iTunes Connect Mobile for iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Count The Beats: A closer look at Amplitube 2.0 for iOS

A few weeks ago, IK Multimedia released Amplitube 2.0, the next iteration of its guitar effects and amplifier emulator app for iOS (don’t forget, you need the external iRig piece of kit, too). It’s only been about 5 months since version 1.0 came out, but when we got word that version 2.0 was in the works, we got pretty excited.

Update 2.0 brings 5 new stomp boxes (additional in-app purchase required), a promise of improved sound quality, a 4-track recorder and master FX section with 3 effects (in-app purchase), the SpeedTrainer as well as the ability to import songs from your iPod library, and a few other tidbits, too.

The nice thing is, you can download a free version of 2.0, like version 1.0. That means you get the improved sound quality, SpeedTrainer, and the ability to import your songs from your iPod library at no extra cost. However, the bulk of the new additions in 2.0 are only available through in-app purchase. The question is, are they worth it?

Click the “Read More” link below to find out.

Continue reading Count The Beats: A closer look at Amplitube 2.0 for iOS

Count The Beats: A closer look at Amplitube 2.0 for iOS originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

25 iPads used to make one big interactive touch display

This is awesome — a group of musical composers and artists connected up 25 iPads in an installation commissioned by the Environmental Ministry of Japan to create a huge display 25 touchscreens big. Not only do the iPads stream one big image, but they’re also interactive — you can speed the image up or down by swiping, or even change each iPad’s individual view. Each iPad also starts out playing one tune, all of them together in harmony, but as visitors come along and change the views and the speed and tone of the music, you eventually get 25 different sounds being played with 25 different views, a metaphor for how each of us affects our own little part of the world as we move through life. The challenge, then, is to get the iPads back together, all in sync, and rebuild the world that we each claimed a little part of.

You can watch video of how the installation works after the break, and there’s also a hands-on video with a little more technical background on the project. It’s very cool — a project like this would be much more expensive (and probably a lot harder to do) without Apple’s own magical and revolutionary device. The iPad keeps surprising us with all of the various ways it can be used to create and display interactive art.

Continue reading 25 iPads used to make one big interactive touch display

25 iPads used to make one big interactive touch display originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Borderlands Game of the Year edition for Mac gets a release date

2K Games has announced that the Game of the Year edition of the great “Diablo shooter” game Borderlands is on its way to the Mac. It’ll be out on December 3rd, and like other versions of the special edition, the game will include all of the title’s downloadable content packs, including The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx and Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution. All that gaming for just US$49.95, running natively on our favorite platform — pretty sweet.

I was a huge fan of Borderlands when it came out last year — you’ll probably need to enjoy the FPS genre to really get into it, but the best part of the game is the guns: killing enemies makes them drop guns, randomly created with all sorts of wacky attributes, from poison fire machine guns to exploding shell shotguns. When you add in a fun quest system and four different classes to play with, it’s a really great game with almost unlimited replayability.

One note: you’ll need an Intel Mac to run the game, of course, and you won’t be able to use any Macs with ATI X1xxx series, NVIDIA 7xxx series and Intel GMA series video cards. But if you’ve got a recent Mac and room for a new FPS to play, keep an eye out for Borderlands early next month.

Borderlands Game of the Year edition for Mac gets a release date originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Magellan updates RoadMate with free traffic and iOS 4 support

It was almost exactly a year ago that I reviewed the first version of the Magellan RoadMate app for the iPhone. Over the last several months the price has dropped, and features have been added.

In the latest update of the app, released this week, RoadMate USA now fully supports multitasking and fast application switching. If you are listening to music, it fades it for voice announcements, and voice guidance continues if you switch to another app. There is also an option to pause audio, which is nice if you’re listening to an audio book and the voice guidance needs to interrupt.

More value from Magellan: traffic info is now free (with a catch, see below). You won’t need an in-app purchase or any kind of subscription. I consider that a big plus if you commute in an urban area. The app also allows you to share your route or points of interest via email or with another Magellan user.

In a test drive, everything functioned very well. The voice guidance is clear, and you can choose a male or female voice, as well as other languages. If you zoom out and are in 3D mode, you can see the terrain, which is a nice feature. In downtown areas of bigger cities, you get 3D renderings of major buildings.

Gallery: Magellan RoadMate app screen shots

Continue reading Magellan updates RoadMate with free traffic and iOS 4 support

Magellan updates RoadMate with free traffic and iOS 4 support originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

TUAW interview: SAP CIO Oliver Bussmann on iPads in enterprise

A while ago SAP’s CIO Oliver Bussmann made some waves in the Apple news-o-sphere by commenting that SAP was to deploy several thousand iPads within the company. I spoke to Mr. Bussmann this week to discover that his employees are now using over 2,000 iPads at SAP and they have plans to buy many more.

However, the iPad is not the only tablet in SAP’s sights. As Mr. Bussmann explained, the possibilities of thin-client, fast-startup, tablet-form computing devices are enough for SAP to consider the Galaxy Tab, the PlayBook and possibly any Android tablet that meets their needs and specifications.

On the next page we discuss with Mr. Bussmann why SAP chose the iPad, how the company is using them and more.

Continue reading TUAW interview: SAP CIO Oliver Bussmann on iPads in enterprise

TUAW interview: SAP CIO Oliver Bussmann on iPads in enterprise originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iStopMotion adds tilt-shift effect to animation tool

For hobbyists and weekend filmmakers, playing around with stop motion and timelapse image capture is an enticing way to create memorable movies. On the Mac, the most user-friendly and accessible app for these projects is iStopMotion from Boinx. Starting at US$49 for the basic Home version, iStopMotion makes it easy to animate your furniture, Legos, kitchen items or anything else you happen to have lying about.

In the 2.5 version of the product, released this week, Boinx has added one marquee feature that’s going to be showing up in a lot of timelapse projects: tilt-shift. You’ve probably seen some spectacular videos using this effect, which simulates the fine control over focus that was traditionally available only with specialized lenses on still cameras.

When the selective focus effect of lens tilt is applied to timelapse footage, the scene appears to be acted out in miniature (check out the work of directors Sam O’Hare and Keith Loutit for great examples). It took Jim Clark weeks of effort to create 30 seconds of tilt-shift music video footage a few years ago, but now you can do something similar on a tabletop.

Boinx has also added compatibility with new Canon still camera models and a ‘Send to iMovie’ option in this version. In the Express and Pro versions of the app, color correction options are now included. E xpress, at $99, includes several additional features such as rotoscoping, a soundtrack and continuous capture; Pro, at $499, adds the option of full high-definition. Compatible cameras are listed here, and I’ve had good results with both an old iSight and an IPEVO p2v USB camera. You can see a video demo of 2.5 in the second half of this post.

If you’re a pro animator or effects artist and iStopMotion isn’t powerful enough for your needs, you may want to check out Dragon Stop Motion; it’s designed for professional work, with an interface and feature set to match. The $275 app can control lighting, shoot in 3D and more; it even comes with its own USB keypad for fast access to key commands. Happy animating!

Continue reading iStopMotion adds tilt-shift effect to animation tool

iStopMotion adds tilt-shift effect to animation tool originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Foxconn denies selling white iPhone parts

Manufacturer Foxconn has denied selling white iPhone parts in a statement made through the Taiwanese stock exchange.

Last August, we pointed out WhiteiPhone4Now, a website selling white iPhone conversion kits. Earlier this week, the site’s owner, Fei Lam, saw his project gain the attention of a private investigator who, according to Lam’s attorney, was working for Apple.

In the story that broke on Wednesday, it was stated that Lam was believed to be buying the casings from Foxconn, the manufacturer that assembles a number of Apple products (among other things). Today, Foxconn is denying the claim.

Of course, we still don’t know where Lam was getting his casings (the best-looking we’re seen), or how apparently intact, legitimate white iPhone 4s are appearing elsewhere in China.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to get officially unavailable white iPhones into the hands of people willing to pay top dollar, no questions asked.

Foxconn denies selling white iPhone parts originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iAd highlighted in new Apple video

Apple has updated its iAd advertising site with a show-reel showcasing some of the early advertisement adopters. Of course the best of the best have been selected, and all of the campaigns featured look great. We’ve only seen a few here at TUAW, like the Nissan Leaf ad at pictured at right, but those were memorable.

Releasing this video is a good move on Apple’s part, especially as iAd begins to launch internationally. It’s an opportunity to show off some choice examples and gives a little reward to the program’s early adopters.

Apple has recently increased iAd’s international reach, announcing plans for Europe and Japan. A look at this highlight reel should help get those new advertisers and developers excited.

iAd highlighted in new Apple video originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments