Firemint, makers of the hugely popular iPhone air traffic control game Flight Control, on Friday confirmed plans to release a version of its auto racing game Real Racing for the iPad. (more…)
Boston hosts the very first Penny Arcade Expo – PAX – to happen outside of Seattle, Wash. PAX East 2010 is now in full swing, and runs through Sunday. The event gathers thousands of gaming enthusiasts at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center. (more…)
There is a story on Gizmodo today with pictures of Steve Jobs and Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, having coffee in Palo Alto. (more…)
We already knew that Apple had started accepting iPad apps from developers, but today approved apps started showing up on the iPad App Store. It’s a good sign that shows Apple should be ready for next Saturday when the iPad officially reaches the public. The list apparently shows several dozen apps with details of what they do.
iPad App Store Reveals Launch Apps, Top Seller Lists, App Details [Mac Rumors]
The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) is holding its annual Best of Photojournalism awards this week and Apple’s photography workflow application, Aperture, is playing a big role. (more…)
I guess this shows just how much we value our money. Maybe it shows how much we want to public to believe everything online is safe and that we should continue buying. Regardless, a man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for stealing millions of credit cards from T.J.Maxx, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Barnes & Noble. Seems he did pretty well for himself too.
In an 11-page plea agreement (PDF) last year, Gonzalez admitted to unlawfully accessing a computer, wire fraud, identity theft, and other crimes. He agreed to forfeit a Miami condo, a 2006 BMW 330i, a Tiffany diamond ring, three Rolex watches, and more than $1.65 million in cash.
Apple on Thursday released updates for its pro photography workflow application and its consumer-focused iMovie, according to MacUpdate. (more…)
The names of several iPad games have slipped through the cracks – apparently pushed live to the App Store prematurely (the iPad isn’t released in the United States until April 3rd). The names include ones we’ve already heard about, such as Flight Control HD from Firemint, along with other pleasant surprises, like Worms HD and Plants vs. Zombies HD. Labyrinth HD also is a natural fit – its iPhone predecessor is one of the surefire ways to convince non-iPhone users that its accelerometer is cool for games. I already own Plants vs. Zombies for my Mac and iPhone, and I’m looking forward to buying it again for my iPad.
One of the guitar resources I use the most on the Web, Ultimate-Guitar.com, has jumped into the iPhone app business. (more…)
My favorite drum loop company, Beta Monkey, released two new drum libraries for Rock musicians and engineers. (more…)
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom is TransGaming’s latest Mac release. The game is available for purchase and download using TransGaming’s GameTree Online download service. It costs $49.99, and a “Gold/Collector” edition costs $10 more. (more…)
There’s been a lot of talk since last week when it came to light that some iPhone app review sites were charging developers to do reviews of their products. Shawn King and I talked about this last night on Your Mac Life — readers should go to sites they trust. As a reader, I don’t trust a review that was paid for by a company or a site that requires cash to do a review.
Several developers have responded by promising to avoid sites with such policies. In reaction to our article, Jeff Campbell, owner of Tapestry Apps, pledged to blacklist pay-to-play websites and urged other developers to do so as well. Alexandra Peters, community manager of Firemint, which develops the popular iPhone game Flight Control, also said she would avoid sending news releases to pay-to-play sites.
Developers, Websites Respond to iPhone App Payola Story [Wired]
I don’t know that I’ve ever talked to someone that didn’t like their TiVo. Most marvel about the ability to record their favorite programs, share media around the house and transfer recordings to their computers. The newest Tivos are out and the reviews are complete. Two of my favorite gadget sites were among the first to give their opinions of the TiVo Premiere.
It’s not fast and it’s completely devoid of eye candy. Corners were cut, and there’s no excuse for those moments when basic elements of a UI don’t match.But the Premiere is still the best turnkey set top DVR I’ve ever used—TiVo has me there. As a self-contained package that combines your cable subscription with goodies on the internet, it’s very intuitive, natural and, ultimately, successful. Indeed, it’s a peanut-wielded TiVo through and through.
TiVo Premiere Review: Where’s the Razzle Dazzle? [Gizmodo]
It’s been three years since the TiVo HD first arrived and just about a year and a half since TiVo first started beta testing this interface, and after using the Premiere for a day, here’s what we want to know: what the hell has TiVo been doing all this time? The new UI is excellent, but it’s only skin deep, lags like crazy, and accessing any deeper functionality requires a resolution switch and a fallback to the old interface. The major content partnerships have been in place for a year now, and the interfaces used to access them haven’t been updated in any significant way beyond integrating the search results.
TiVo Premiere review [Engadget]
The Pwn2Own contest kicked off today at the CanSecWest security show. So far, the iPhone, Safari, IE 8, Firefox have all been hacked. Charlie Miller won $10,000 for hacking Safari without having physical access to the machine. All I know is these guys all scare the hell out of me and make me want to turn off my computer completely.
iPhone, Safari, IE 8, Firefox hacked in CanSecWest contest [CNET]
Apple released a pro applications update on Wednesday, targeted to Final Cut Studio users. (more…)
For a lot of musicians Boss is one of the most trusted name in the music business. The company on Wednesday added to its product line with a portable studio. (more…)
There has been a lot of talk about how much Apple will charge for books in its iBookstore, mostly because it is believed that Apple will charge more than Amazon. That may not be the case. A report from someone that has seen the iBookstore says the prices are exactly the same for Amazon and Apple.
Anyway, at the moment, out of the 32 eBooks featured in the New York Time’s Bestsellers section, 27, including the entire top 10 are priced at $9.99.
iPad iBooks Pricing Revealed – Matches The Kindle [AppAdvice]
Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit on Wednesday released Messenger for Mac 8 beta, adding support for audio and video calls. (more…)
Even though Apple has many of the top book publishers signed up for its iBookstore, one of the largest — Random House — is still missing. While the company conceded the iPad and similar products were here to stay, executives are still being cautious.
But the absence of the book market leader would prove a blow to Apple. Markus Dohle, Random House chief executive, did not exclude the possibility of reaching a deal before the iPad goes on sale on April 3, but said he was treading carefully, as Apple’s pricing regime could erode established publishing practices.
Random House fears iPad price war [FT.com]
iTunes U has a new contributor to its educational content. Harvard University on Tuesday launched its own content channel on Apple’s service. (more…)
Apple has entered the consumer marketplace with several products, but one analyst expects the company to delve even deeper into the market with a connected-HDTV. (more…)
Mac software developer, Freshcode, on Tuesday officially launched its Mac App Store called Bodega. (more…)
Nintendo has quietly announced on its Japanese Web site plans to introduce a new portable game device capable of producing 3D graphics. Nintendo said it will reveal more news at E3, the annual gaming convention which returns to Los Angeles, Calif. in June, according to a report at The Wall Street Journal. (more…)
I had a feeling that if Valve stood up and walked into the Mac market without fear that others would follow, and I’m hoping this is a sign that I’m right: Apparently Gas Powered Games plan support for the Mac, going forward via Valve’s Steam distribution service. “We, as a developer, will include a Mac platform option in all of our proposals moving forward,” (Supreme Commander 2 developer) Chris Taylor reportedly said. “We’re in 100 percent support of it, absolutely.” There’s also some whispering that DICE may bring Battlefield: Bad Company 2 to the Mac, and surely if these things come to pass then others will follow. Keep your fingers crossed.
Interestingly, one can’t help but wonder if SC2 is positioned to be Starcraft 2’s only real competition in the same genre on the Mac this year.
Game developers eye the Mac after Steam’s jump to Apple [AppleInsider]
I remember Now Software from way back. The main products the company had at that time were Now Contact and Now Up To Date, two personal management tools for the Mac. Sadly in recent years, the company’s projects were too much for them. (more…)
Monday is a good day for those that want to use an iPhone 3GS on a wireless network other than AT&T. (more…)
Apple on Monday added the ability to gift apps on the App Store. This means that you no longer have to buy a generic gift certificate to get someone an application, you can buy them the application itself. This has ramifications beyond beneficence, however – developers routinely run out of comp redemption codes for their apps when dealing with reviewers. This will make it easier for devs, publishers and their marketing minions to make sure that apps end up where they’re supposed to, and that reviewers don’t end up using that gift card code to download something else entirely.
Apple adds Gift this App option to App Store [Macworld]
Amazon on Monday announced a new app designed specifically for Apple’s iPad and other tablet devices. It’s not a big surprise that they will have an app, but can they compete against Apple on the platform? (more…)
One of the most well-known names in the gaming industry is Sid Meier, who brought us the legendary Civilization series over the last few decades (as well as some other titles which few of us can remember the name of) said a few things at the recent Games Developers Conference about what makes a gamer tick. He’s a level-headed guy who seems to have a clear view on what gamers are all about, and says some interesting and controversial things such as “games should have moral clarity”, “players are egomaniacs” and “Game play is a psychological experience”. Interesting insight from a guy who actually knows something.
Game guru Sid Meier explains gamers [VentureBeat]
Amazon and Barnes & Noble already have e-book reading software available for the iPhone and iPod touch. While those apps will certainly run on the iPad as well, both companies have disclosed iPod-specific plans as well, according to the New York Times. Amazon and Barnes & Noble, which manufacture the Kindle and Nook e-book readers respectively, view the iPad as a way to sell more e-books – despite the potential competition for their own hardware.
Rush Is On to Be First in iPad Apps [New York Times]