Apple reports over 10 million applications downloaded from the AppStore in its first weekend, according to a press release issued by the company today. There may be discord brewing between the company and developers of the applications being distributed in the AppStore, however, as blogger Bret Terpstra writes for The Unofficial Apple Weblog.
Many applications from the App Store are crashing frequently, according to Terpstra, and some veteran developers are pointing the finger at Apple, claiming crash logs indicate a “growing consensus that Apple has released a highly unstable “final” version of the 2.0 firmware.”
Written by Lonnie Lazar on July 14th, 2008 with no comments.
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If it seems prices of the latest iPod and iPhone accessories are rising, you may have Apple’s licensing department to thank, according to a story in Popular Mechanics. Though the company is typically reticent to discuss the details of arrangements such as the one that allows some electronics manufacturers to place a “Made for iPod” designation on their products, managers and decision makers for both retailers and manufacturers indicate Apple’s licensing fees and specially made chips that allow gadgets to work with Apple gear can add 10% or more to the price consumers pay for an item.
Last year, Apple introduced a proprietary authentication chip that works like a silicon key to unlock streaming video functionality on iPhones and iPods and generally authorizes the devices to work with approved accessories. The “auth chip” meant third-party companies wanting to produce iPod-compatible gadgets first had to deal with Apple—the only company selling the chip. Previous-generation iPods could output video over a generic $2 iPod video cable, but new phones and iPods require officially licensed Apple cables—and these can cost up to $50, according to the report.
Apple’s contention is that its authentication technology and licensing protocols, which can entail auditors from Cupertino poring over a company’s books and records to ensure that Apple gets paid for every device sold, helps maintain high quality for products associated with the Apple brand. Some manufacturers complain, on the other hand, they must reduce the quality of their wares in order to pay Apple its share and still keep prices at levels that stimulate consumer demand.
Written by Lonnie Lazar on July 14th, 2008 with no comments.
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I’ve been a gamer for a very long time. I distinctly remember my dad helping me to play one of the earliest Space Invader units by lifting me up (what with a diminutive version of your correspondent not being able to see the screen properly) and then pretty much instantly regretting it (what with me being rather heavier than he realized). I’ve devoured games on ZX Spectrums, Commodore 64s, BBC Micros, Amigas, PCs, Macs, and consoles from Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft and Sony. And although today’s gaming landscape is clearly significantly more conservative and homogenized than that of the 1980s or early 1990s, there are still many gems lurking amongst the dross.
It’s curious to see Apple again taking interest in games. Few will remember the disaster that was the Pippin, a joint production with Bandai that rightfully made #22 on a top 25 worst tech products of all-time list by PC World, and Macs have never really been at the forefront of gaming, with users typically forced to pick up two-year-old PC games at current PC-game prices.
With iPhone, there’s a feeling things might be different this time. Right from the start, Sega was extolling the virtues of the device, demoing a highly competent version of Super Monkey Ball, and reports suggest spec-wise that Apple’s hardware rivals Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS, which are the only two mobile gaming platforms worth a damn. Also, Jobs claims a third of the first wave of applications on the AppStore will be games.
My concern is that the genius of Apple’s lack of physical controls for most applications (thereby enabling context-sensitive controls and keyboards) might be its undoing in the games world. Jailbroken iPhones offer emulators of classic consoles, but the lack of tactile controls renders them borderline unplayable, and although the iPhone’s accelerometer and touch-screen will force (some) developers to create unique and innovative products, there’s a real risk iPhone as a gaming platform will remain a seriously niche concern, by virtue of lacking a D-pad and other ’standard’ controls.
Some might argue that iPhone’s unique controls can only be a good thing, using Nintendo’s Wii and DS consoles as ‘proof’. But while both of those devices have proved staggeringly popular, they offer alternatives to developers. Yes, you can wave the Wii remote around like a loony, or draw on the DS touchscreen, but more typical control methods are also catered for. And it’s pretty obvious that some developers try to shoehorn unwieldy control systems into games (a shocking number of DS games require hateful microphone-based controls at some point) on such consoles because they can. But with the iPhone, they will sometimes have to.
Looking at iPhone gaming demos to date, there’s already a split between games such as Super Monkey Ball using iPhone to fashion highly intuitive controls via tilting, and more traditional games being hamstrung, leading to having to ‘jolt’ your iPhone upwards to make a character jump. A quick glance around the web suggests I’m not alone in wishing iPhone catered for all, rather than those with an ‘accelerometer and tilting’ fetish. One Mac user created a mock-up of a PSX-style controller for iPhone, and the people over at icontrolpad.com (pictured right) have prototyped a device that almost turns iPhone into a PSP-style handheld console.
Unfortunately, any devices along these lines are likely to be limited to jailbroken iPhones—at least for the foreseeable. But here’s hoping Apple takes these ideas on board. For while I’m all for innovation and playing something new, it’d be a shame to restrict iPhone to certain types of games, simply by not giving developers access to a full range of controls, tactile or otherwise.
Written by Craig Grannell on July 10th, 2008 with no comments.
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Wired.com’s Italian correspondent, Nicole Martinelli, spotted this iCoffee table last week in the lobby of Milan’s Nhow design hotel.
Written by Leander Kahney on May 27th, 2008 with no comments.
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Micro FM Transmitter for iPod 
Micro FM Transmitter for iPod
You’ve never heard sound this great from an FM transmitter this small before. The Kensington 33361 Micro FM Transmitter for iPods plays your iPod wirelessly through any FM stereo–including a car stereo, home stereo, or clock radio–making it a great value for listeners who want to enjoy their favorite songs without headphones.
This unit includes such features as Aerielle wireless technology for superior audio and noise filtration; ClearFM circuitry for richer lows, crisper highs, and better stereo separation; and a digital display on the tuner that lets you select any available FM frequency. Best of all, the unit requires no cables, wires, or software, so playing your favorite iPod tunes on your home or car stereo is as easy as 1-2-3.
Compatible with any iPod with a dock connector–including the iPod nano 1G, iPod nano 2G, iPod mini, iPod 3G, iPod 4G (Click Wheel), iPod color, and iPod 5G/5.5G Video–the Kensington FM transmitter is backed by Kensington’s 1-year warranty.
Features:
- Plays your iPod wirelessly through any FM stereo–including a car stereo, home stereo, or clock radio–so you can enjoy your favorite songs without headphones
- Features Aerielle wireless technology for superior audio and noise filtration, and ClearFM circuitry for richer lows, crisper highs, and better stereo separation
- Digital display on the tuner lets you select any available FM frequency, so you aren’t limited to just a few options
- Requires no cables, wires, or software, so playing your favorite iPod tunes on your home or car stereo is as easy as 1-2-3
- Compatible with any iPod with a dock connector, and is backed by Kensington’s 1-year warranty
Play tunes through your home or car stereo wirelessly / Wirelessly through FM radio / Enjoy iPod tunes & hear great sound from an FM transmitter this small Connects to the bottom of the iPod Tune your stereo to any available FM frequency and match it on the Mirco FM transmitter Press play to start listening Dimensions - 5.25 x 1.50 x 5.25 inches
Price: $72.99
Micro FM Transmitter for iPod Micro FM Transmitter for iPod
Written by iPod News admin on March 10th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Stereo Sound System and iPod Accessories and iPod Car and iPod Mini and ipod nano.
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