Facebook for iPhone has been updated.
A Facebook update isn’t complete without the cryptic “bug fixes” claim. What bugs have you experienced to be fixed? More interestingly, what new bugs have been introduced?
Friday, July 22, 2011
This Is What the Next iPod touch Will (Probably) Look Like
The next-generation iPod touch will likely be joining the iPhone 4/5 and
Design changes in the fifth-generation iPod touch stop at the addition of a white bezel option. Where upgrades will be prominent are inside of the device with new hardware, including a dual-core A5 chip. Reportedly, there may also be improved cameras though it would not take much to top its current camera setup.
Take a look at these two pictures of the iPod touch’s white digitizer and decide for yourself whether these are legitimate or if somebody got too into a Photoshop “Color Replace” session. Note how there is not a cut-out for the iPhone’s top speaker, indicating that this part is in fact for an iPod touch to say the least.
Seeing how this does not have appear to be fit for a 3.8″ display with a smaller horizontal bezel, that’s either a telling sign that the rumors about an upgrade to a 3.8″ screen are wrong or that only iPhone 5 will feature a screen size bump. It also cannot be ruled out that this was simply a test, possibly even for the current-generation, and not indicative of the final device brought to market.
Check out the promotional photo again in its full-size:
Rat Fishing for iPhone now available
Bliss Software have released their new puzzle game, Rat Fishing.
Are you sick and tired of easy and boring puzzles that finish in a couple of days? Are you still into some girly childish games like Angry *****, or Cut the ****? If you are, it’s time to move on to a real mind bending game. Welcome to the world of “Rat Fishing”!
The puzzle games that frustrate and anger me are always the best kind and boy does Rat Fishing do just that. I will admit to being a little skeptical at first, but this is a great little game! My only complaint is that the mice are a little too cute and I feel bad killing them.
Rat Fishing is available for $0.99. Screenshots and video after the break.
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
iOS OTA updates don’t work if you’re Jailbroken
If you’re Jailbroken and trying to get iOS 5 beta 4 via over-the-air (OTA) update, you just might be out of luck according to iPhone Dev-Team member MuscleNeard:
The 5.0b4 OTA update won’t work on JB devices due to an explicit check of /Applications..almost like a present from Apple
they check to make sure /Applications is a real directory, which it isn’t in a stashed jailbreak (not sure how unionfs would act)
Never underestimate the resourcefulness of the Jailbreak community, but if you want to try OTA now you’ll likely have to restore to iOS 5 beta stock before proceeding.
Daily Tip: How to do an iOS OTA update [developers]
![Daily Tip: How to do an iOS OTA update [developers]](http://cdn.tipb.com/images/stories//2011/07/photo-33.png "Daily Tip: How to do an iOS OTA update [developers]")
iOS 5 developer curious how to do an over-the-air (OTA) update to iOS 5 beta 4 for iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch? Yes, Apple finally pulled the big test switch in the cloud and you can go from beta 3 to beta 4 via a svelte, under 200mb, bit differential (delta) update-in-place rather than the usual beefy 700MB+ iTunes restore of updates past. We’ll show you how, after the break!
Initiating an OTA update for iOS 5 beta 4 is easy as fairly easy pie. Some reports even indicate badge and/or popup notifications will alert you to its availability (though we haven’t seen any on our end… yet). To start it manually:
Seriously, once the download finishes it’s amazing quick and smooth Apple may not have invented OTA updates (Chris swears BlackBerry has had them for ages, and Nokia likely invented them in 1812…) but if beta 4 is any indication, they’re doing them right.
Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)
Apple adds iTunes App Store in 33 more countries
Apple has sent out a note to developers telling them they can now peddle their iTunes App Store wares in an additional 33 countries, namely:
Algeria, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Bahamas , Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Brunei , Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada , Guyana , Iceland, Montserrat, Nigeria, Oman , St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia , St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago , Turks and Caicos, Uzbekistan, Yemen
I believe Apple previously announced the App Store in 90 countries, so this would make 123. It will be interesting to see what type of app availability (especially games, which still aren’t available in some existing countries due to local ratings and content rules). It will also be interesting to see, in light of how much money Apple is making internationally, whether any of their competitors will start raising their own outside-the-US-of-A games.
Apple Releases iOS 5 Beta 4 to Developers
If you are an iOS developer, then you’ll want to make your way over the
T-Mobile USA targeting unlocked iPhone, iPad owners
Sure, AT&T might be trying to buy T-Mobile US, and sure, T-Mobile got into the microSIM game before AT&T and Apple made them famous, but it looks like now T-Mo is actually going after iPhone and iPad owners before the former, using the latter.
Already have a GSM phone or iPhone that you need to activate—or have an unlocked GSM phone you want to use on the T-Mobile network? Just get a Micro SIM card and choose a plan. Slip the ready-to-use Micro SIM Card into your phone and you’re ready to go.
And why not, there’s reported over 1,000,000 unlocked iPhones already on the magenta network.
When I roam in the US, often at trade shows like CES, I often have to switch between AT&T and T-Mo, as often as I change buildings. That’s not an option for US iPhone users, but if you’re willing to live with EDGE speeds and pay for a second plan you could have the next best thing.
(Though yeah, the two year contract is nuts)
[T-Moble via App Advice]
Verizon Q2 2011 results: 2.3 million iPhones activated
Verizon has now joined Apple and AT&T in reporting their quarterly earnings, and the big news for us is that they activated 2.3 million iPhone 4 devices. That’s up from last quarter, but perhaps not as many as expected.
In the follow up, new Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam acted shocked — shocked we tell you — that there was no iPhone 5 this summer. He, like the rest of us, expect it this fall. Given Verizon only launched iPhone 4 in February, over a half-a-year later than AT&T, it’s hard to believe they were completely out of the loop on Apple’s roadmap this time around.
Either way, Apple previously reported selling 20 million iPhones this quarter, and AT&T activated 3.6 million. That means 5.6 million of those 20 million iPhones were activated on an official US carrier, and further proves just how much of Apple’s business is increasingly international (gray market included.)
[Verizon]
iOS 5 beta 4 is an OTA update… if you can connect
It looks like the just-released iOS 5 beta 4 is an OTA update, with Apple pushing the bit-differential/delta file over the air, over 3G… if you can connect. Lots of people can’t, according to Twitter, and are getting “Try Again” errors. When it does work, however, it seems to work well.
Also, many of you are telling us you’re having no luck updating via iTunes or Xcode, with “this device isn’t eligible” errors cause all manner of frustration.
If you get your update on using either method, let us know!
[Thanks @MattAttack07]
Why Apple Would Want to Buy Hulu
There are
Apple’s iTunes Store offers a much wider selection of episodes from more networks than Hulu does; a practically endless library of everything aired except for the few shows that delay digital release. The key difference between iTunes’ business model and Hulu’s model is that Hulu is ad-based with two different options for distribution: free for a limited array of episodes or a $7.99 Hulu Plus subscription (that features the same amount of short ad breaks at the free option) including most or all of a participating show.
Within the iTunes Store your only choices are to either purchase a show’s entire season at a discounted price or each episode a la carte for typically $2.99 (for the HD version, lower-quality SD is $1.99). Apple also began experimenting with $.99 HD episode rentals, but only a very small fraction of purchasable shows offer rentals. Besides the upcoming iTunes Match that brings music that you already own into the iCloud, Apple has not pursued an iTunes subscriptions endeavor of any type.
How would Apple benefit from purchasing Hulu? Is there even any business sense in spending $2 billion, which is obviously a significant amount for Apple despite being one of the world’s richest corporations? Well, Apple already has a strong affiliation with more networks than Hulu does, so they have access to content. Apple would have no trouble launching its own new brand name either (iTVS, “S” for subscription, anyone?), thus there is no need to have the Hulu brand in order to propel them high in the free and subscription markets.
Then what is going through the executives’ minds if they really are pondering the acquistion? That part is simple: content licenses. Apple has licenses in place to sell television series for users to download, but not to distribute it through a streaming web player with ads or a Hulu Plus/Netflix-type model. Because of how significant the user base of the iTunes Store is, networks would want to negotiate high prices to launch a service that threatens sales since a tempting subscription would be right alongside a la carte purchasing. Apple may have found that the deals networks requesting were becoming unreasonable. Similarly, it may be cheaper to pay $2 billion for the plethora of licenses that Hulu already has in place.
Sure, a Hulu acquisition from a company that is already a huge, very important player in television series distribution does go behind the networks’ backs but Apple has shown in iCloud negotiations that they like to manage a facade that they are the ones in control. We cannot really expect content to be pulled from two of the biggest moneymakers and distribution centers just because Apple found a cheaper way to experiment with streaming services that Hulu and Netflix, which has 23.6 million subscribers paying at least $7.99/month each, showing that customers (including myself) enjoy subscription services for exploration of new media and watching favorites. (In my opinion, Hulu Plus’s offerings pale in comparison to Netflix’s library, both of which are the same price with only the latter being completely ad-free.)
There is a lot of potential in the subscription market. With Apple’s $76.2 billion pile of cash that the company is waiting for the right opportunities to spend, Hulu could bring Apple into the successful area dominated by it and Netflix then Apple could revamp the service, making better use of the content licenses so that it almost becomes something new and dare I say revolutionary. With Apple’s ascendancy of digital sales and deep pockets, it has access to more feasible content. In one fell swoop, the team of Apple and Hulu could dethrone Netlfix, placing Apple in the #1 position of another highly-desired service in the same way the iTunes Store and App Store did.
Developers: Apple releases iOS 5 beta 4 for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Apple TV, iTunes 10.5 beta 4 for Mac
Apple has once again pulled a Friday trigger on an iOS beta, this time iOS 5 beta 4 for iPod touch, iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV, as well as iTunes 10.5 beta 5 for Mac and Xcode 4.2 DP 4.
If you’re a registered, paid developer head on over and grab it all now. If you spot anything new and noteworthy, let us know in comments, and discuss away in our iOS 5 forum.
UPDATE: We’re getting a bunch of reports that iOS 4 beta 4 is showing up as an OTA update. We tried it and it errors out for us but let us know if you have any luck.
Dream Track Nation App Review – A Stitched Up Racing Game in Need of More Stitching
Released yesterday on the App Store, is
I downloaded DTN yesterday hoping its hyped game modes, online multiplayer and level-editor would satisfy, but I was letdown just a bit. Released yesterday, the game is a side-scrolling racing title in which you control a car through a various amount of flips, jumps and more with an overall object of reaching the finish line in time. With multiple game modes, different vehicles to be unlocked, a built in level creator and even a multiplayer mode, is not something you find on the iOS platform regularly, especially with only a $1 price tag.
The main mode has a total of 60 pre-designed levels available to be played. These are split up into three different locations, each sporting differently themed environments. These 60 levels can be played in two sub-modes: time trial and collecting all of the stars within a level to pass. So basically there are a 120 levels to complete in the form of 60 levels.
An additional way to play is the integrated, worldwide multiplayer mode. You can race against another person via Game Center, which works extremely well, although finding people to play with can sometimes be an issue. This is where I wish Game Center had some sort of reputation system built in to punish people who quit while in a game, but that has nothing to do with Dream Track Nation, so I’ll leave that rant for some other time.
I know that level-editors are difficult to include on games running on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and the developer Pow Pow Games has done a terrific job with this one, although there are things that needed to be fixed. It’s very difficult to build your own tracks as the screen is mostly unresponsive, moving items is extremely difficult, the smart idea of implementing a way to duplicate items has not been implemented properly and there’s no efficient way of testing built tracks. Also, sharing tracks online is in no way easy as you seemingly cannot change the name of your track after you first save it, and the sharing system is very lackluster; buttons are too small, the creator’s name is not displayed, etc.
The artwork is definitely one of the main points to cover when complimenting Dream Track Nation. With obvious time and effort being put in, the aforementioned aspect of the game boasts a wonderful stitched theme. Everything looks as if it was stitched together, piece by piece, which gives the game an extremely good and unique look. Additionally, the controls have been designed very well – they’re responsive by way of both tilt and on-screen buttons.
Content isn’t an issue here, it’s the other flaws that create that feeling of resent when opening the application. Regardless, the amount of things
Gameplay Video:
Mobile Nations 3: Full house
Phil, Kevin, Derek, Dan, and Rene talk Netflix on Android, media on Mobile, the RIM-pire striking back, news execs at webOS, Nokia Windows Phones, 20 million iPhones, and hitting the budget buyer sweet spot. Bringing together the heads of state of Android, BlackBerry, iOS, webOS, and Windows Mobile for full on round-table action. This is Mobile Nations!
Got something to say? Agree or disagree with something we said? Have something you want us to discuss on a future show? Don’t just sit there yelling at the screen, dammit, let us know!
Our music is pROgraM vs. Us3R by by morgantj. Introduction by Joseph Holder.
Thanks to the Smartphone Experts network of store for sponsoring this podcast, and to our fantastic live chat members for keeping us honest and making us smart!
Found Footage: a Monkey and an iPhone
Look, it’s Friday. I don’t want to work. You don’t want to work. Here’s a video of a monkey and an iPhone to keep you sane until the coffee kicks in.
[via BoingBoing]
Popcap’s, 4th & Battery Helps Child’s Dream Materialize
Popcap’s experimental label within, 4th & Battery had previously released multiple free titles onto the App Store, but not in a way more significant than their most recently released game,
The newest work from the sub-company, if you will, was released just yesterday in the App Store after a development process that is special from others. The game in itself is not anything special, (please don’t hate after you read the following) but there’s another factor along with the free price tag that makes Allied Star Police something you should definitely try:
As per the Make-A-Wish foundation, Owain Weinhart, a 9 year old boy, has directed the development of the game. He was supposedly in 4th & Battery’s offices every morning advising the development team on what he wanted the game to be like; art, gameplay, everything was dreamt by the boy. Basically, Popcap’s experimental outfit made Owain’s ultimately materialize.
It’s truly a nice thing to hear about, considering the game is now selling for absolutely free. But even if you’re not interested in the so-called “mushy-gooshy” part of the story, at-least pick up the game. It’s decent, and is sure worth a try.
And on a side-note, what’s the game of your dreams? I’d like to see a flying catart (informally a cat + poptart), but I already have
Kid With Leukemia Gets Wish To Make iOS Game
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the app store, you may have seen a title called Allied Star Police — a free title made by PopCap games, but with an amazing back story. ASP was the wish of leukemia sufferer Owain Weinert, a nine-year old who told the Make-A-Wish foundation he wanted to make an iPhone game. PopCap stepped up to the plate with their offshoot studio 4th & Battery, and with Owain’s directions, they made ASP. This wasn’t a slapdash effort, but a full 18 month push to get a major title out the door.
The game is a mix of tower defense, RTS, and side-scroller shooters, and so far has gained great reviews on the App Store. Plus, it’s free — but if you want to give some money to Make-A-Wish so they can keep doing projects like this, there’s a link on the official website.
[via CultofMac]
White iPod Touch Parts Leaked
9to5Mac has managed to obtain photos of what appears to be the front panel to an as yet unknown white iPod Touch. Now, we’re due for the 5th generation of iPod Touch to be announced in the near future — if previous years are any indication, it’ll happen during Apple’s big September event.
We don’t know for sure that this is the next iPod Touch, but with a white iPhone and white iPad on the market currently, there’s a certain thematic sense to having a white iPod Touch, too.
This backs up earlier reports that we might see a white iPod Touch in the near future.
Gameloft Drops 5 Games To Just $0.99
Gameloft is offering one of their pretty often sales, dropping the price on five of their big titles down to just $0.99 — none of them are very new, but they’re still perfectly playable. The lower price titles are:
There should be enough there to keep you entertained during this heatwave, when it’s about 20° too hot to move away from your nearest air conditioner.
New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Friday, July 22
Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!
Discovr Apps: An interactive map of App Store and makes its easy to discover new apps for your iPhone & iPad. Updated with many new features. [Free for iPhone and iPad - iTunes link]
Ringtone Architect: Make ringtones from your iPod library up to 40 seconds and apply custom time fade in and fade outs. [Free for iPhone - iTunes link]
Talking Rusty the Dog: Rusty is a kind and funny young dog with a lot of energy who enjoys his happy life playing and spending time with you. [$0.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]
Necrorun: Death has been challenged by knights to a duel, and if they win, Death will reward them immortality. [$0.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]
Animal Coins Golf: A Side Bet Game For Golfers: Do you love to play side games with your friends while playing golf? This app automatically keeps track of a fun side bet game called “Animal Coins Golf” that you play while on the golf course. [$1.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]
Any other big app or game releases or updates today?
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
Become an archer with SplitApple for iPhone and iPad
MKO Games has update their iPhone and iPad archer game, SplitApple.
SplitApple is a fun and beautiful archery game on iPhone / iPad. With beautiful and running smooth graphics, the game reproduces the feelings of archery.
There are 4 different game modes:
Update includes:
The graphics in SplitApple are amazing and are enough to get me hooked to this game. The games runs smoothly and has fun gameplay. This is also a great game to show off gaming on your iPhone or iPad because anyone can pick it up and intuitively try it out.
SplitApple is available for iPhone, or as a universal app for both iPhone and iPad and priced at $0.99 and $2.99, respectively. Screenshots and video after the break.
[iPhone iTunes link] [Universal iTunes link]
Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.
New iPhone Apps- Humor
On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, Jimmy Fallon showed off some new iPhone apps and some updates to some of his current apps.
My favorite from
Take a nap!
Is Apple Eyeing Up Hulu?
According to Bloomberg, Apple may be considering picking up internet streaming video site Hulu:
Apple Inc., with $76.2 billion in cash and securities on its books, is considering making a bid for the Hulu online video service, two people with knowledge of the auction said.
Apple, the world’s second-most-valuable company, is in early talks that may lead to an offer for Hulu, said the people, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
Hulu has had a troubled life, with difficulty getting studio support and then trouble monetizing their customer based — leading to the dreadful Hulu+, which still makes you watch ads, even though you’re paying to see the shows.
If Apple did decide to pick up Hulu, that would include a major set of show licenses. Just think about how many new titles would come to iTunes…
Apple To Go With Bluetooth 4 Rather Than NFC?
Apple’s interest in NFC technology has been the subject of much discussion — but a new rumor says that Apple may instead look to the next generation of Bluetooth technology for short-range communication. According to ITProPortal, Apple’s new MacBook Airs and Mac Minis are the first mainstream devices to push Bluetooth 4, a protocol which includes ”Bluetooth Low Energy” or BLE, a way for gadgets to use substantially less power for small amounts of communication.
ITProPortal thinks that Apple could use BLE instead of NFC for things swipe-to-pay, transferring contact details, and other low bandwidth activities, and then switch to full power for normal Bluetooth usage — which could all be done via a single chip rather than needing a separate NFC one.
Apple To Go With Bluetooth 4 Rather Than LTE?
Apple’s interest in LTE technology has been the subject of much discussion — but a new rumor says that Apple may instead look to the next generation of Bluetooth technology for short-range communication. According to ITProPortal, Apple’s new MacBook Airs and Mac Minis are the first mainstream devices to push Bluetooth 4, a protocol which includes ”Bluetooth Low Energy” or BLE, a way for gadgets to use substantially less power for small amounts of communication.
ITProPortal thinks that Apple could use BLE instead of NFC for things swipe-to-pay, transferring contact details, and other low bandwidth activities, and then switch to full power for normal Bluetooth usage — which could all be done via a single chip rather than needing a separate NFC one.
Adobe retracts incorrect statements about OS X Lion Flash performance
Georgia really wants Flash support on the iPad, with the option to toggle it on and off as she so chooses, and I’ve said in the past I’d like a Flash Player app (Flash is technically more than just video, but 90% of the time people talk about wanting Flash they just want their videos.) But [stuff] like this really makes me question if I even want that. When OS X Lion debuted earlier this week, Adobe quickly blasted off a blog post saying Apple had killed hardware acceleration and Apple was to blame for poor Flash performance in Lion.
And fair enough. It’s not like Apple provided a beta process, with a preview release in early June and a GM candidate several weeks ago. It’s not like major developers like Adobe didn’t have time or opportunity to get the beta, get it running on as many Macs as possible, and figure out any issues before the public release. So what did Adobe do?
The final release of Mac OS X Lion (10.7) provides the same support for Flash hardware video acceleration as Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6). The previous “Known Issue” described in a tech note suggesting that video hardware acceleration was disabled in Lion was incorrect and based on tests with a pre-release version of Mac OS X Lion that related to only one particular Mac GPU configuration. We continue to work closely with Apple to provide Flash Player users with a high quality experience on Mac computers.
“A” pre-release version, “only one particular Mac GPU configuration”?! And based on that they blast Apple in a blog post that gets wide pick up? Nice.
The retraction is classy but Adobe’s failed to innovate or improve Flash for much of the last decade. It’s the IE6 of plugins. In 2007 people complained about the lack of Flash on the iPhone and blamed Apple — when there was no version of Flash that could run on the iPhone. Now, 4 years later, there’s still no decent Flash for mobile, only various levels of beta that work only for Flash video, and even then are hit and miss at best (PlayBook and TouchPad both have serious firepower behind them and even they don’t approach a consistently great user experience for Flash.)
So either the Flash technology is great and deserves to continue, and is just taking longer than anyone would like to get there, or it was a proprietary filler, like ActiveX, that was clumsy but useful, and has reached its limits. Either way, my advice to Adobe remains the same — shut up. Stop bitching, stop blogging, and ship a great version of Flash for mobile. And for Mac. You’ve had a decade for the latter and almost half that for the former.
Cut the Rope’s Om Nom breaking into digital comics soon
Today at Comic-Con, ZeptoLab has announced a partnership with Ape Entertainment to develop a digital comic series featuring Om Nom. If you’re a fan of the popular game Cut the Rope, you’ll be familiar with, Om Nom. He’s the one everyone fell in love with when Cut the Rope was originally released.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to work with ZeptoLab on one of the app world’s most addictive and successful games,” said David Hedgecock, CEO of Ape Entertainment. “The comic book series is shaping up beautifully and we are making something that we know fans of Cut The Rope and fans of good entertainment everywhere are going to absolutely love!”
Angry Birds has spawned a brand beyond the original video game. Looks like Cut the Rope just might as well. What’s next, a toy line? 3D movie?
Sid Meier’s Pirates! now available for the iPad, well shiver me timbers!
Sid Meier’s Pirates! has just been released for the iPad and it is one of the games from that past that should bring a smile to the face of anyone over 30. Originally released in 1987, this was the first game to feature Sid Meier’s name in its title to attract fans of Sid’s other games; which were mostly flight simulators at that time. The iPad version released today has updated graphics but still has the great game play of the original.
All hands on Deck! Sid Meier’s Pirates! is an exciting high-seas adventure that allows buccaneers to helm one of 27 fully customizable ships as they descend upon unsuspecting ports of call to amass a motley crew of seafaring bandits. As a fearless Pirate Captain you will collect hidden treasure maps, undertake daring missions and courageous rescues, and swiftly hand out pirate-style justice to local braggarts at every port. The wild call of the ocean will lure you back to sea where they’ll encounter enemy pirates and engage in mind-blowing open sea battles unlike any other game before on the iPad.
Features:
- Take the helm of 27 ships and customize them with assorted ammo, cannons and other upgrades
- The classic adventure by renowned creator Sid Meier, re-imagined for the iPad to take full advantage of touch controls
- Use the iPad’s touch controls to parry, counter and effectively out duel your opponents into submission with lightning quick moves onboard ships, in taverns, and even in the exclusive Governor’s mansion
- Challenge and pursue the most famous pirates in history, including Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and Henry Morgan
The game is available for the iPad only. The iPad 2 also has some additional features; such as the ability to “Piratize” your own photograph, improved game graphics and additional video effects. This one is definitely the one to accompany me on my upcoming summer vacation!
[$3.99 – iTunes link]
Facebook to Revamp Its App Following Significant Criticism
You don’t make it to 750 million friends without a few critics. Thankfully for Facebook, those critics are only expressing negativity over a buggy iPhone app. Over 65% of reviews on the App Store for the Facebook app are unanimously unfavorable, rating the app one stars out of a possible five. The other 35% are not all that enthusiastic either, with only about 15% awarding the app five stars. After three years of updates providing minor improvements, the current version has an average rating of two stars. Ouch.
The main reasons for the backlash users have been citing are for issues with data being retained between updates, crashes, and most importantly how messages and notifications randomly fail to appear. Through my (admittedly too often, but who is not addicted to Facebook?) usage of the app, I can attest to the latter three being real annoyances.
With Facebook’s recent plans of bringing the social networking service to 2,500 feature (read: dumb as opposed to smart) phones coming to fruition a little over a week ago with the “Facebook for Every Phone” Java app, there has been a growing dedication to making Facebook accessible on every device. But with 750 million people using the latest-and-greatest version of what started out as The Face Book in a Harvard dorm room, who can blame them?
Spokesman Derick Mains is aware of the criticism and bugs users are experiencing, promising a “new app” in the near future. He refuted claims that Facebook has been “neglecting” it, saying that they “are fully committed to offering our iPhone users the best possible Facebook experience and have been innovating on the platform since its launch four years ago.”
Tens of millions of people will be happy about the better-optimized, less problematic iPhone app since there are currently a staggering 84 million active users. It does not take more than a guess to realize that Facebook is easily one of the most popular apps and certainly manages to keep users compelled to check it daily more so than most others.
We couldn’t imagine Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg anywhere else but staring at iTunes refreshing the reviews once the new update is released a la The Social Network.
[partially via
Young Leukemia patient granted wish to make iPhone game
A nine year old boy has developed his own iPhone game and it is now available in the App Store. Owain Weinert has pre-B Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and one of his wishes was to develop his own iPhone game. He asked the Make-a-Wish Foundation, who did what they do best and made his dream a reality.
The game he developed with 4th & Battery is called Allied Star Police. It was released yesterday and already has a few 5 star ratings. You take command of the Allied Star Police and it is your responsibility to blast your enemies in the side scrolling all action shooter!
“My brother can’t stop playing it, my dad can’t stop playing it, and neither can I,” Owain said. “This started off as a dream of mine and now my friends and people all over the world can play my creation.”
It is a free game and a universal binary too; so works with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Give it a try and show your support for this very talented young boy!
[Free – iTunes link via Cult of Mac]
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