Category Archives: ios
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The Portable Podcast, Episode 50: An Interview with OpenFeint’s Jason Citron About The Future of OpenFeint
The Portable Podcast, Episode 50: An Interview with OpenFeint’s Jason Citron About The Future of OpenFeint is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
On This Episode:
OpenFeint currently stands at a crossroads – with Apple taking on OpenFeint in the metagaming space on iOS, they find themselves trying to remain relevant in the long-term. And as of today, it appears as if OpenFeint is looking beyond iOS for the future of their products. Today, OpenFeint is announcing that they are launching their service and Feint Spotlight app for the Android Marketplace, along with launch month titles such as Fruit Ninja from Halfbrick, MiniSquadron from MrFungFung, Flick Kick Football from PikPok, and Mega Jump from Get Set Games.
The CEO of OpenFeint, Jason Citron, was kind enough to sit down and speak with me about this announcement and what OpenFeint is doing in the future on iOS. According to Jason, OpenFeint’s goal is to unify the various platforms – for people to be able to play games with their friends on other phones, to bridge the gap between the various hardware that people have. As well as their future on Android, OpenFeint is launching tools for developers to let their OpenFeint scoring and achievement systems work with Game Center easily while still taking advantage of OpenFeint features that Game Center does not provide, such as replays, asynchronous multiplayer services, and the upcoming voice chat feature PlayTime, launching with OpenFeint 3.0.
Jason Citron spoke at length with me on the new episode of The Portable Podcast to discuss what they’re doing on Android, the challenges that Android’s various devices bring, and the perception of the Android market versus the reality of the situation. On the iOS side, we talk about how Game Center and OpenFeint can coexist (including Jason recommending that developers take advantage of Game Center), and how iOS fits in the future of OpenFeint.
Who Are We:
Music:
How to Listen:
Apps Mentioned on This Episode:
FREE!
iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-01-08 :: Category: Entertainment
[ The Portable Podcast, Episode 50: An Interview with OpenFeint’s Jason Citron About The Future of OpenFeint is a post from 148Apps ]
SHAtter Jailbreak – Tethered or untether that is the question.
New Jailbreak Exploit Working for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch 4G
New Jailbreak Exploit Working for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch 4G is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Yesterday, @MuscledNerd (a Dev-Team member) tweeted that @pod2G had found a jailbreak exploit. Today MuscleNerd went on to say “tweet” that the exploit works on iOS 4.1. He also mentioned that the exploit not only works on the iPhone 4 but also the iPad and the iPod touch 4. So… hopefully we are getting closer to a jailbreak! @pod2g tweeted that there will be a demo available soon (which I was trying to hold out for) but I haven’t seen it yet. They did however post a wiki page for “SHAtter” – which I’m assuming is the name of the jailbreak. … [visit site to read more]
Apple Loosens App Tools Restrictions, Publicizes App Store Review Guidelines
iOS 4.1 Now Available
The Portable Podcast, Episode 49
AutoCAD Triumphantly Returns to Mac and iOS Devices
AutoCAD Triumphantly Returns to Mac and iOS Devices is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
It is hard to even imagine what computer-aided design would be like without an application like AutoCAD. It has redefined the way that an entire generation of engineers look at problems and been a big proponent for PCs in the industrial design sector.
You would have to go back eighteen years to remember the last time that AutoCAD made an appearance on a Mac platform of any sort. At the time, one Steve Jobs had been shown the door and the company was floundering rather severely. In response to an indefinite future for the fledgling company, Autodesk decided to close up shop on their Mac OS based development team and focus on the more lucrative PC market.
The plan seemed to pay of for them at the time, but left Mac users out in the cold, forcing them to use emulation tools in order to get the same functionality on their platform of choice. Fortunately for all involved, that is now a thing of the past as it was recently announced by Autodesk that the AutoCAD franchise will be making a return to the once abandoned Mac universe.
But what would a return of Apple support be without iOS applications as well? Coined AutoCAD WS, AutoDesk will be releasing an iPad, iPhone and iTouch application that will allow users to both view and edit designs on the fly. As the sweet icing on the cake, the app will be completely free! This is kind of a big deal when you consider that a stand alone license of the application could set a user back as much as nearly $4,500.
I just find it staggering how far technology has come in the last twenty years. Even a decade ago it would be lunacy to consider what we can design on our computers, and now you can do the same thing on a device that you can fit in your pocket. It will be interesting to see what limitations are placed on the WS versions of AutoCAD, but we will never be ones to look a gift horse in the mouth.
You can look forward to this giant step forward in design and engineering to hit the App Store sometime this fall.
[ via InfoWorld.com ]
[ AutoCAD Triumphantly Returns to Mac and iOS Devices is a post from 148Apps ]
iPhotographer: Introductions, Filterstorm
iPhotographer: Introductions, Filterstorm is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
We here at 148Apps would like to welcome you to the new iPhotographer column. What exactly is the point here? That is a mighty fine question.
We will bring you tips, tricks, and reviews geared directly at photographers of all skill levels. There will be tips and tricks on how to perform tasks on an iOS device that just might have you questioning the need for a laptop. We might even delve into some photo techniques and how these techniques can take your iPhone photography skills even further.
Now the question becomes one of credentials. I am an IT professional who ditched his education in computers for life behind a camera. I am a self-taught photographer who is looking to continue to grow my skill set while helping others along the way.
My name is Chris Nitz and I started my own photography business. I have read more articles on shutter speeds, rule of thirds, lighting, and white balance than I can ever care to remember. I have a passion to see the world from a viewfinder. I am by no means a photography elitist or so called expert. I’m here to learn right along with you, and encourage your comments and suggestions at the end of every article.
Let’s get to the meat of this column with a small review. This review is trimmed down, as you will see this app show up in future articles. The app I am referring to is Filterstorm
Filterstorm takes programs like Aperture or Lightroom and brings them right onto your iPad. Filterstorm contains all the goodness of tonal curves, noise reduction, saturation, and so much more right to your finger tips.
Filterstorm’s interface is easy on the eye while maintaining simplicity in navigation. Firing up the app will have the basic controls on the left side of the screen. Loading up a photo is as easy as choosing it from your photo library. Those with a camera connection kit can even bring in photos straight off a memory card.
Once the photo is in the app the real work begins. All edits are made without destroying the original photo. There is even an apply button you have to hit before the changes are made. You can easily test how the changes will look without racing for the undo option.
Filterstorm also gives you options for what to do with your photos once you’re done. FTP, Email, and saving directly to the iPad are all options. While this maybe a small list, it does continue to grow with each new update.
Filterstorm is not perfect, though. While the interface can be tucked away, it still takes up a decent portion of the screen. No Facebook, Flickr, Smugmug, or Picasa integration might have some people crying foul. There are also some funny quirks, like locking a photo into place when you are editing it. This creates a longer workflow process as the changes have to be made, applied, photo moved, and changes reproduced. Good thing there is a way to record the process and store it as a macro.
The light at the end of the tunnel is that the developer is very active with users on Twitter and various internet forums. This program has come a long way since version one and is looking to make bigger changes with upcoming releases.
Filterstorm is by no way shape or form going to take over from the likes of Lightroom on your desktop, but it will give you the perfect option for making quick edits while on the road. Programs that are far more expensive don’t offer this much flexibility. This is worth its weight in megabytes on your iPad. Those of you with an iPhone, this app is currently being migrated to iPhone 4 and 3GS. Look for it to hit the app store soon.
$3.99
iPad Only App – Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Photography
[ iPhotographer: Introductions, Filterstorm is a post from 148Apps ]
The Big Recap — What Apple Announced, and What They Hinted At
The Big Recap — What Apple Announced, and What They Hinted At is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
The event of the day started out with Steve Jobs introducing his “partner in crime,” Steve Wozniak, who was in the audience. After a quick welcome, Steve Jobs started with a recap of new Apple Store retail locations including Paris, China, and London. The London store marked the 300th Apple Store and they are now in 10 countries. The foot traffic volume is amazing. Apple now sees on some days over a million total visitors combined coming through their stores. Another interesting stat — over 50% of Macs sold in Apple Stores are still to new Mac users, aka Switchers. A stat that has amazingly held for years.
120 million potential Angry Birds players.
Next up for the day is a recap on how iOS is doing. Steve took pride in noting that there are over 230,000 new iOS activations per day. This does not include upgrades. This goes well over and above the Google quoted 160,000 Android devices activated every day. That brings us up to a total of over 120,000,000 active iOS devices. That’s a staggering number for a new platform that is not even 4 years old.
How about some stats on apps? There have been over 6.5 billion apps downloaded so far. That’s over 200 downloaded each and every second. Also quoted was that the App Store recently surpassed 250,000 applications available, which is a number we’ve been tracking over at 148Apps.biz App Store Metrics page.
Continue reading for the rest of the info on the days events — and way too many pictures.
iOS 4.1 is coming next week. Prepare Yourself!
Chris Hall posted a great write up on iOS 4.1 features earlier today. In there you’ll find most of the things that we know about the new iOS incremental update. Steve was clear that OS 4.1 fixes a couple nagging bugs under iOS 4, including the nagging proximity sensor bug that plagues some iPhone 4 users. In addition, the performance issues for iPhone 3G users using iOS 4 are apparently fixed.
One new feature that we didn’t know about was revealed — HDR photos. HDR stands for high dynamic range and it’s a method for combining multiple photos to add details back to one image that may be over or under exposed on another. This is done by rapidly taking multiple photos and intelligently mashing them together into one photo to make the best possible photo. iOS 4.1 does this by taking 3 pictures, one over exposed, one under exposed, and a properly exposed image. It then mashes the three together to form the HDR image.
In iOS 4.1, there will be an extra switch on the camera screen that allows you to toggle this feature on and off. When active, the best exposure is saved along with the combined HDR photo (though this can be turned off in settings). In testing, this happens fairly quickly, though it’s not as fast as just rapidly taking photos with the setting set to “off.”
Game Center – one social gaming network to rule (some of) them all
Game Center is Apple’s answer to the social gaming network glut on iOS. While not as feature rich as some of the others, it’s a great start and will be built in to iOS 4.1. It’s a basis for supporting multiplayer games and we really do need more of those on the iOS platform. Expect additional features to be added over time to Game Center.
For this release though, there are a couple downsides to Game Center. For one, you can only add friends by entering their email addresses manually. Why a contacts scan can’t be done, I don’t know. A simple Facebook and Twitter check would be nice, too. For another, it will take a while for most games to support Game Center. Hopefully just a few months, but don’t log on the first day and expect to see all of your games there, ready to go.
Demo Time
Usually at these events, Apple brings in a few third party developers to demo their games or other apps on iOS. This time we got just 1 demo from Epic Games, showing off a demo of a game in development called Project Sword. This amazing 3D Game utilizes the Unreal Engine to produce some pretty sweet looking realtime 3D worlds. This will be released for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch this holiday season. You can try out a universal demo right now called Citadel. Be sure to look for it in the App Store.
What? 4.2 Already? We don’t even have 4.1 yet!
4.2 will be the release that catches the iPad up to the iPhone version of the iOS. The two main new features beyond the 4.1 stuff like multitasking and folders we will see are printing from apps with Print Center and AirPlay, the new AirTunes iteration. iOS 4.2 will release for all iOS devices (iPad, iPhones, and iPod Touch) in November. A beta for developers is expected soon.
iPods get their yearly refresh – where is the iPod Classic?
The shuffle gets updated and gets its buttons back. The Nano loses it’s buttons and camera, but sheds 50% of it’s size and gets a touch screen. And the iPod touch was updated as expected.
Steve made a point of noting that there are new models for every iPod line. And then failed to mention the iPod Classic. To me, this means that the classic is dead. If you really like the Classic, you might want to grab a backup now.
The update to the Nano was most dramatic. It is now a tiny little touch screen device. The Nano with the new touch screen looks as though its using iOS – Apple hasn’t admited to that – at least not yet. The small square screen would make an interesting place for apps. The 192×192 screen, no accelerometer, no GPS, and no networking would limit the usability, but some interesting things could be done.
When demoing the Nano, it was connected to a video system, much as all iOS devices are during the demo, via the dock connector. To me, that says it must be running iOS. If so, can a jailbreak be far behind? My head is spinning with the possibilities. It will make a fun toy at just $149.
The iPod Touch gets serious
The iPod Touch has become the most popular iPod by sales. As expected, the iPod Touch also got an update, this time with some of the best features from the iPhone 4. In addition, it’s even thinner than the previous version, shedding some of it’s modest thickness.
In addition to being the biggest selling iPod, the Touch has become the number 1 portable gaming device. Outselling Nintendo and Sony combined with just over 50% of the market share. Apple announced that over 1.5 billion games and entertainment apps have been downloaded to iPod Touch devices. This update brings it up to date with the iPhone 4 in the areas that matter.
The 4th generation iPod Touch now has the amazing Retina Display, the Apple A4 chip, the gyroscope, and front and back cameras. In addition, Facetime is available and it will work with iPhones. It should be noted that the rear-facing, HD-recording camera doesn’t seem to have the same fantastic specs as the one in the iPhone. As a matter of fact, it’s less than a 1 megapixel camera. Yeah, I don’t understand that one. Looks like the iPod Touch got the rejected camera from the Nano.
The updated iPod Touch will be available next week for $229 for an 8GB, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB.
iTunes gets social – did you hear a Ping?
Originally I was very pessimistic about this one. Apple, releasing a social network? Do we really need another social network? Then I started to think about it a little more. I have gotten to the point that I don’t want to check Facebook — I don’t want another Frontierville update. Another invite to join some odd group. And I really don’t care about 95% of the stuff I see on Facebook. Could Ping be the answer?
Work with me for a moment. Right now, Ping only supports music. But what if they expanded that? It would be easy to do. What if in addition to following musicians, you could follow movie directors, app developers, TV actors? It then becomes a full entertainment hub. Expand it beyond just music, and you might have something — without all of the annoying group invites.
It could, once fully built out, become a great music, book, app, movie, tv, entertainment discovery engine. It could rock. But it has to be built out. That will, hopefully come with time.
One more thing hobby.
Apple TV lives, and it’s 1/4th the size it was. That’s mainly because it has transformed into a streaming device. In what must be the precursor to a full iTunes streaming service, you don’t purchase content for the device, you rent it.
The actual functions of this model of Apple TV haven’t changed much from the previous model. The one big new content edition is the ability to stream Netflix — which is a pretty good feature. The downside is that no app functionality was included, but maybe it’s still there; we are yet to hear full details. There are a couple of possibilities, however.
One of the new features for iTunes introduced was AirPlay. This is more than what Steve highlighted, but it kind of works like AirTunes, only expanded out to more devices. You’ll be able to stream music from iTunes to speaker docs, stereo systems, etc. Just like you can do today with AirPort Express. In addition to iTunes to devices, you’ll be able to stream from your iOS device to your Apple TV. It works like this: start watching a video on you iPad, press the AirPlay button and that movie starts streaming on your Apple TV. Boom, indeed.
So what if this function were opened to other apps in iOS 4.2? What if, for example, you could be watching a video in Hulu+ and click the AirPlay button to view that movie on your TV. That gets us a lot closer to the idea I had in my head for Apple TV with the iPhone used as a remote. It’s just a little more iPhone focused. We won’t really know the full capabilities until the device is released and the hackers have a chance to get in there and see what the device is capable of.
Want to see the full keynote yourself and over analyze every word like I have? You can grab the Apple keynote right here. Overall, we think there were a lot of interesting devices and concepts introduced to us today at the keynote, many of which are only the beginning of a whole lot of potential.
[ The Big Recap — What Apple Announced, and What They Hinted At is a post from 148Apps ]
Algebra Touch Educates iOS Device Owners
Algebra Touch Educates iOS Device Owners is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
In modern society, which came first, technology or education? This is the personification of the age old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. In the case of technology and education, one cannot exist without the other, so the modern educational system has adapted to adopt the technologies of the age into the classroom experience.
Over time, everything from calculators to computers were successfully integrated into the education system and if the developers over at Regular Berry have anything to say about it, iPhones or iPads may be next on the list. Just yesterday they debuted Algebra Touch, an app that is targeted at streamlining the process of teaching students the key concepts of Algebra, while still providing an interactive experience.
So how interactive is this application, you ask? Why not take a look at the iPad and iPhone demonstration videos to see for yourself:
When I was watching these videos all I could thing about is how much better I would have been at Algebra, had this app existed when I was in school. It has managed to find a way to meld the processes necessary to be successful with the material, while still making it fun to do.
According to Regular Berry’s developer blog the application is current designed to cover the following concepts:
- Simplification
- Like Terms
- Commutativity
- Order of Operations
- Factorization
- Prime Numbers
- Elimination
- Isolation
- Variables
- Solving Equations
I may not be a math wiz or a seasoned educator, but I know enough to comprehend that a good portion of a teacher’s workload could be eased with software of this nature. Further encouraging classroom adoption is the compatibility with external display cables, which could be used to connect the iPad or iPhone to the teacher’s projection device of choice. So not only is it visually appealing, but it is convenient as well.
If there’s anything that concerns me about Algebra Touch it might be that the low level math is being done for the user by the software. In a classroom where you are working with younger children, it may be best to integrate in a process wherein the students do the basic calculations on their own. I know calculators made me lazy; I would hate to see the same happen here. Though, at the end of the end of the day, if it helps our future children learn, then it is all worthwhile. Good luck securing funds for a classroom worth of iPads.
[ Algebra Touch Educates iOS Device Owners is a post from 148Apps ]
OpenFeint Announces New Viral Game Sharing System
Apple Going Back To School – Devs Can Now Discount iOS Apps For Education
The Portable Podcast, Episode 43
The Portable Podcast, Episode 43 is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Note to new listeners: welcome to the first episode of The Portable Podcast on 148Apps!
For 43 episodes, this podcast has been providing interviews with developers of iPhone games, and discussions with members of the gaming media about big issues in the iPhone world. Hosted by Carter Dotson, the show aims for relatively short form 30-40 minute episodes, trying to keep a light tone while providing intelligent discussion of the mobile gaming world’s biggest issues. I hope you enjoy the podcast as it comes out every Tuesday, and hope you check out back episodes over on The Portable Gamer.
Oh Comic-Con, I miss you. Well, everything but my eyes do. Those things were scared after they learned there were geeks willing to harm them for getting uppity about a seat.
SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES OR REGRET IT:
LISTEN ON SOMEONE ELSE’S TERMS FRIDAYS AT 4PM CENTRAL OVER AT WRGT GAME TALK RADIO
Who Are We:
On This Episode:
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[ The Portable Podcast, Episode 43 is a post from 148Apps ]
AirAttack – iPhone App Review
AirAttack – iPhone App Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
AirAttack ($0.99)
Version – 1.0
Review – “A new face on a classic war game type!”
It’s been a little while since I’d played a war game like this one. AirAttack is a shoot ‘em up game where you control a jet that is attacking the enemy! It has a top-down feel much like the old
“1942″ game that was popular a long time ago.
One of the things that I really noticed about this game is it’s polished look and feel. Everything from the game menus, to the options and gameplay seemed to be well thought and easy to use. The main menu offers several options, including a local high score list, a settings screen and a help screen.
To start a new game just touch the “new game” button toward the top. You’ll then be asked to select your difficulty and level to start from. When you get everything set just touch the “start” button in the lower right corner of the screen. The game will take a few seconds to load and then it will prompt you to touch the screen to get started.
There are several different control schemes to choose from in this game. You can use everything from just dragging your finger around to tilting your device and even using a “joypad.” These can be set not only
from the main menu but also from within a game by pausing and going to settings. You can also adjust music and sound effects volume independently from here if you want.
AirAttack has some very nice 3D graphics built in, but most importantly it offers enough variety to keep 
from becoming too repetitive. Each time you reach a checkpoint you’re taken to a screen where you can purchase new weapons and options for your plane as you move!
Some of the weapons in this game will feel very familiar when compared to other shoot ‘em up games. With that said there are quite a few unique feeling weapons. These include things like adding wingmen that help you shoot, and even things like radar missiles and more powerful bombs!
This is a great app for someone that likes action, but needs to be able to exit a game and get back to doing other things quickly! If you’re still not convinced about this game though you should head to the App Store right now and check out the 2 levels that the free version has to offer. You won’t be disappointed!
- David H.
Download Now! (Free Version)
Download Now! (Full Version)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Developer – Art In Games s.r.o.
URL: http://www.artingames.com/project/2/AirAttack/
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If you have any questions, or are unsure how to redeem promo codes, please check out the following link on Apple’s website! — http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1917
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