------------------------------------------------------------------
1) HP attacks Apple iPad over Flash
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/hp-attacks-apple-ipad-over-flash/
Filed under: iPad
During CES 2010, HP gave the public a slight tease of its upcoming slate device. The touchscreen device, which runs Windows 7, sports a form factor similar to Apple's iPad, as well as similar uses; it supports eBooks, music, videos, and of course, the Internet. But wait, there's more. According to a post on HP's Voodoo blog, the device will give you a "full Web browsing experience," not a "watered-down Internet" with "sacrifices." In other words, the HP slate device supports Flash and, well, the iPad doesn't.
While the blog posting didn't mention the iPad by name, it was fairly clear that the statement in question was an indirect jab at it. Accompanying the post is a short, 30 second clip. The highlight of the clip, which occurs toward the end, shows the user going to Hulu.com and watching a Flash-based video.
The reason that the clip is only 30 seconds long, and the [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Valve on Mac piques interest from other game developers
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/valve-on-mac-piques-interest-from-other-game-developers/
Filed under: Gaming, Multimedia, RumorsNow that Valve has committed to offering full support for the Mac for both its in-house games and Steam, its digital game delivery system, other developers are expressing interest in the Mac as a gaming platform, too.
Gas Powered Games, creator of Supreme Commander 2, Kings and Castles, and Dungeon Siege, has said of the Mac: "We, as a developer, will include a Mac platform option in all of our proposals moving forward. We're in 100 percent support of it, absolutely." Chris Taylor, founder of Gas Powered Games, says that porting games over to the Mac is relatively easy since Macs and PCs now have largely identical internal architectures. Intel processors and ATI or NVIDIA graphics cards are common to both platforms, making game porting far easier than it was back in the PowerPC days. Taylor also says that recent rises in Mac sales are another [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Count The Beats: Inspiration... two apps for the musician on the move
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/count-the-beats-inspiration/
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, iPhone, App Store, MusicRecently I've been preparing to move home and finally did last weekend. Naturally I had to pack up all my musical gear, equipment and of course, my Mac. In the week leading up to the move, I've had my iPhone and nothing else. With no creative outlet and the pressure of looming project deadlines, I found myself scouting the app store for a fix to help me start fleshing out a few creative ideas.
This is what I found that worked well for me.
1. TonePad and TonePad Pro
The iTunes Store describes TonePad Pro as "...the easiest way to make music. Discover the inner musician in you. Create songs by simply touching." And this is exactly what I found. With a 16 x 16 matrix, and an easy-to-use user interface (literally start tapping your fingers and music is made), I found myself coming up with little melodies and tunes immediately. [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
4) GDC 2010: Call of Duty: World at War Zombies postmortem
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-postmortem/
Filed under: Gaming, Retail, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store
Russell Clarke of Ideaworks Game Studio hosted a post-mortem report near the end of the first day of GDC 2010 about Call of Duty: World at War Zombies for the iPhone. The game was one of the first big brand hits on the App Store -- it successfully brought a game mode from one of Activision's Call of Duty console games (originally developed by Treyarch) to Apple's handheld device. After a quick joke about how a "post-mortem" was an appropriate exercise for a game about zombies, Clarke got into the nuts and bolts of how Ideaworks went about adapting the game for the iPhone.
The most major feature of the game's development, he said, was the decision last year around this time to sit down and work on prototyping for about six weeks. Nowadays, there are a few successful first person shooters around the App Store, but last [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
5) iPhone devsugar: Unit testing for iPhone view controllers
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/iphone-devsugar-unit-testing-for-iphone-view-controllers/
Filed under: AppleUnit testing refers to a software validation methodology that allows programmers to test individual program units for correctness. It's been an ongoing question in the iPhone developer community as to whether the iPhone's view controller class is testable or not.
In response to these discussions, iPhone developer Jonah Williams has written up a view controller unit testing how-to over at the Carbon Five web blog. His write-up offers examples that show how to incorporate some best practices into your code.
Williams points out how broken NIB bindings are a common problem for iPhone OS applications. To address these issues, he regularly adds simple assertions that test that each IB outlet and action are set properly from inside his view controller class implementations. These assertions check that IBOutlet instance variables are not set to nil and that IBAction targets [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
6) GDC 2010: Interview with Street Fighter IV producer Takeshi Tazuka
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-interview-with-street-fighter-iv-producer-takeshi-tazu/
Filed under: Gaming, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPad
We stopped by the Capcom Fight Club party here at GDC 2010 last night, and in addition to playing the new game, we also got to talk to producer Takeshi Tazuka. Actually, we got to talk to his translator -- Tazuka only speaks Japanese, and I only speak English, so the interview was done with a middleman in between.
But even with the language barrier, we did get some good chat in about the new game, Capcom's future plans for the iPhone, and what Tazuka thinks about making a game like this for the iPad. Read on for more.
Thank you for speaking with us, I appreciate it. So, a fighting game on the iPhone -- how did you approach that?
I used to create arcade games, and the equipment is kind of similar to the iPhone.
It's similar? But there's no buttons on it.
It is different. The device is completely different. But the behavior for [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
7) MacHeist nano bundle adds Tweetie for final day
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/macheist-nano-bundle-adds-tweetie-for-final-day/
Filed under: DealsThe ever-popular MacHeist bundle, offering eight Mac apps for $20 total, closes out at midnight Pacific Time tonight. If you've been on the fence so far about whether or not to buy in this year, two bits of news may push you over the brink.
First, all the initial applications have been unlocked; both Tales of Monkey Island and RapidWeaver are fully present and accounted for. Second, there's been a last-minute addition to the roster; Tweetie for Mac (normally $20 on its own) is now part of the bundle.
If you're Macheisting this year, let us know what you think of the app selection; if not, share your reasons why. (We will accept "I'm saving up for tickets to Tron Legacy" as a valid reason.)TUAWMacHeist nano bundle adds Tweetie for final day originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
8) GDC 2010: Ngmoco justifies the freemium model
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-justifies-the-freemium-model/
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store
As popular as Ngmoco and its games are, whenever we seem to post about them, the subject of their business model seems to rise to the top again. While they have emerged as one of the iPhone's top original developers, they've also lost a lot of fans by sticking with a model they call "freemium," even to the detriment of some of their most popular games. They release games for free, and then monetize the games by using microtransactions, selling both virtual items and virtual currency for real money.
digg_url = "http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-justifies-the-freemium-model/"
We have a lot of questions for the company, and we'll be asking even more of them coming later this week. But first things first: we cornered Ngmoco producer Allen Ma here in their suite at GDC 2010 and asked him to try and tell us why [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
9) EyeTV Hybrid shrinks down, gains Win7 compatibility
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/eyetv-hybrid-shrinks-down-gains-win7-compatibility/
Filed under: Hardware
Same price, same features (mostly) but a sleek and slender new look: yesterday Elgato introduced the latest revamp of its EyeTV Hybrid USB tuner for high-definition digital television. The US$150 widget gives you the option of watching over-the-air digital television in full HD glory, and can also tune in unencrypted (Clear QAM) and analog cable TV signals. If you've got an analog source like a VCR or videogame console, you can also route those signals through the EyeTV Hybrid to watch or play on your Mac (for those who don't need the analog option, Elgato also sells the HD tuner-only EyeTV One for $120).
The tuner ships with the EyeTV 3 software, enabling live TV, DVR functionality and shared recordings for your iPhone and iPod touch. With every new EyeTV Hybrid you get a one-year subscription to the TV Guide data feed, which provides full listings and enables the [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
10) GDC 2010: Ngmoco previews We Rule and GodFinger
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-previews-we-rule-and-godfinger/
Filed under: Gaming, Freeware, Developer, iPhone
We stopped by Ngmoco's suite at GDC 2010 on the afternoon of the first day of the show, and got a chance to preview two upcoming titles they're working on testing and releasing soon. Both of the games follow Ngmoco's popular (and yet much-maligned) "freemium" model, in which you download the game for free with the option to buy in-game items or currency that can change up or speed your gameplay. Still, while the model might turn some players off, the games we saw were the kinds of games Ngmoco is slowly becoming known for: polished casual experiences that bring an established genre squarely into their business model.
The first game we saw was called We Rule -- it's currently "beta testing" in the Canadian App Store and will be available to users in other App Stores soon. It was described to us as "Farmville meets Age of Empires," but [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
11) TextExpander 3 makes short work of keyboard shortcuts
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/textexpander-3-makes-short-work-of-keyboard-shortcuts/
Filed under: SoftwareTextExpander, one of my very most favorite (yes, I like it that much) utilities has been updated to version 3. This is a major update and renovation of the program, which has changed from a preference pane to an application.
I honestly don't think that I could use a Mac without TextExpander anymore. I have a customized list of "frequently misspelled words" that I have it correct for me, as well as a snippet of text for creating a new shell script, a shortcut to insert the current date or time, HTML markup, and more.
TextExpander has been able to sync via MobileMe for some time, but version 3 also includes the ability to sync via Dropbox. It can also correct "double caps" at the beginning of a sentence which happen when you accidentally hold down the shift key for too long. There is a feature to capitalize new sentences as well, but that feature was a little [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
12) Hack: The iPod serial library enables homebrew remote controls
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/hack-the-ipod-serial-library-enables-homebrew-remote-controls/
Filed under: Hardware, iPod Family, Hacks, iPhoneWarning: If you are baffled by people who think dismantling technology is fun, and completely fail to understand the excitement of building robots to battle other robots, this post may not be for you. Just so you know.
On the Make: magazine blog, they recently posted a piece about the evolution of a project. It was an iPod remote from last year that has gone from a "start and stop" only device to a full featured remote. It is a lovely piece of tech, powered by Arduino hardware. Arduinos are open-source circuit boards and software you can use to develop interfaces with all sorts of electronics.
I remember reading the first post about this remote last fall and being interested in where he would take this project, mostly because I love seeing what people do with Altoids tins. I have to admit hooking one up to a giant "Easy" button for my [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
13) Don't trust the critics: Four Apple products they thought would fail
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/dont-trust-the-critics-four-apple-products-they-thought-would/
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone, iPad
digg_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/dont-trust-the-critics-four-apple-products-they-thought-would/';
Ever since the iPad's introduction a month and a half ago, the internet has been awash in criticism of the as-yet-unreleased device. "It's just a big iPod touch," many have said. "No Flash, no multitasking, no sale," others bemoaned. And a few have gone so far as to say, "It doesn't do a lot of things that a netbook that costs half as much will do." For these reasons and many more, many of the pundits and forum dwellers have but one prediction: the iPad is going to crash and burn.
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/dont-trust-the-critics-four-apple-products-they-thought-would/'; tweetmeme_source = 'tuaw';
Don't you believe it, because the critics have been wrong before. Several times, actually, according to The Week, which [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
14) GDC 2010: Real Racing and Flight Control on the iPad with Firemint
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-real-racing-and-flight-control-on-the-ipad-with-firemi/
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Freeware, App Store, iPad
We got to sit down with Australian developer Firemint here at the Game Developers Conference 2010 in San Francisco -- it's a mobile game developer who hit it big last year with the very popular iPhone game Flight Control, and while it used to make mobile games for just a handful of larger game publishers like EA, the company is now trying to cement a reputation for making a smaller stable of high quality App Store games. "We like to joke that we went from ten customers to ten million," community manager Alexandra Peters told us.
She also showed us their second game, Real Racing, which has been winning all kinds of awards even in the crowded accelerometer racing game genre, and talked with us both about Flight Control HD (their upcoming "soon after launch" title for the iPad) as well as what's next for the company.
Real Racing [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
15) "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" uses Macs to solve mysteries
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-uses-macs/
Filed under: Cult of Mac
If you happen to have gotten caught up in the phenomenon known as the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, then you know that the computer of choice for these world-class computer genius hackers is made by Apple. I screened the film version of the story, and MacBook Pros are visible throughout as the the tool used to solve mysteries. It's a good film as well, as far as taut thrillers from Sweden go. In fact, I found it a refreshing take on the thriller (with a little social commentary thrown in) and was unsurprised to find it was based on a highly-regarded novel.
The lead character, Lisbeth Salander, actually uses her MacBook Pro to hack into all manner of places, just as Macs have managed to appear in all sorts of movies. There's even a Flickr group dedicated to chronicling the appearance of them in film and TV. If you got a kick out of Hackers back in the day, [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
16) GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-street-fighter-iv-for-the-iphone-out-now/
Filed under: Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store
Tonight at GDC 2010, I went out and stopped by the Capcom Fight Club party here in San Francisco, and while there, Capcom projected the actual App Store interface for sending their Street Fighter IV app to the App Store on various screens around the room. We actually got to see them press the button on the release live and in person, and sure enough, the game is in the App Store right now for $9.99.
Before you go press buy, though, I'll also tell you that I got a chance to play the game, and while it is about as faithful a Street Fighter IV game as you can get on the iPhone, playing a fighting game without actual buttons is not really an ideal experience. While I was able to pull off a Hadoken and almost all of the other old moves after a few tries, the highest levels of competition in a fighting game require precision and subtlety, and [...]
------------------------------------------------------------------
You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive Blog Alerts (email notifications of new posts) for The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW). If you no longer wish to receive Blog Alerts for The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), go to this link:
http://shootthebreeze.net/blogalert/index.php?action=leave&r=31736&k=HUJ55T9U47K7CP3R
==================================================================
Need a website??
Host unlimited domains for only $6.95 per month!
http://www.bluehost.com/track/bomdemais/ba
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire