TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Rumor: Sprint working on iPod touch-friendly 4G hotspot called "Peel"http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/29/sprint-working-on-ipod-touch-4g-case-called-peel/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/29/sprint-working-on-ipod-touch-4g-case-called-peel/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/29/sprint-working-on-ipod-touch-4g-case-called-peel/#comments I was first introduced to the wonders of the mobile Wi-Fi hotspot at Macworld earlier this year -- our own Mike Rose was carrying one around, and it was like magic. A Wi-Fi connection for up to five people anywhere you go? Yes please. I don't think the charges make it necessarily feasible for someone on a budget (say, a humble blogger like yours truly) to carry around every day, but it's certainly handy to have around, especially if you're traveling.

And now Sprint is apparently looking to piggyback one of these devices on Apple's iPod touch. Macrumors reports on new filings to the FCC that show a device that's almost a case; it's designed to be attached to the back of Apple's handheld, providing local Wi-Fi service anywhere you happen to be. It's called The Peel, and it doesn't connect to the iPod touch at all except physically -- it's just a case that wraps around and sets up a Wi-Fi spot whenever it's hooked up.

It's worth nothing that this isn't the first time Sprint has tried to pair up their 4G service with an Apple device -- you might remember the iPad 4G case that came out a while back. Makes a lot of sense -- Apple's devices need a connection, and Sprint has a much better chance of making you get one if you've already got a device to use it with. We'll keep an eye out for an official release of The Peel.

Rumor: Sprint working on iPod touch-friendly 4G hotspot called "Peel" originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogRumor: Sprint working on iPod touch-friendly 4G hotspot called "Peel" originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>4gapplecaseipadiPhoneipod touchipod-touchIpodTouchsprintwi-fiwifiMike SchrammThu, 29 Jul 2010 20:00:00 ESTHigh Society card game app is money (almost)http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/19/high-society-card-game-app-is-money-almost/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/19/high-society-card-game-app-is-money-almost/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/19/high-society-card-game-app-is-money-almost/#comments
As promised, RPGnet has transformed another Reiner Knizia card game into an iPhone/iPad app. The coders' last such project was the very well done Money. This time around, it's High Society [US$2.99], and RPGnet has kept the interface and look of the games almost exactly the same but swapped the bidding, set-collecting gameplay from Money with the bidding, card-collecting gameplay from the High Society tabletop game. Like with the first app, High Society is smooth and intuitive, allowing you to easily wrap your head around the new challenges and strategy. While they appear similar, the two games are quite different - as different as two light, auction-based card games can be.

The High Society card game was originally released in 1995, and it has since been published in a variety of editions. The RPGnet app takes its art from the latest physical version, currently in print from Gryphon Games (there's even a code in the app for a 10 percent discount off the card game, which almost covers the price of the app). Keep reading to find out if that discount is something you'll be interested in.


Gallery: Reiner Knizia's High Society

Continue reading High Society card game app is money (almost)

High Society card game app is money (almost) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogHigh Society card game app is money (almost) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>high society appHighSocietyAppipadiphoneipod touchIpodTouchreiner kniziaReinerKniziarpg netRpgNetSebastian BlancoMon, 19 Jul 2010 12:30:00 ESTRumor: FaceTime for iPod touch will use email addresshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/16/rumor-facetime-for-ipod-touch-will-use-email-address/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/16/rumor-facetime-for-ipod-touch-will-use-email-address/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/16/rumor-facetime-for-ipod-touch-will-use-email-address/#commentsThere are rumors about the next iPod touch getting a front-facing camera with support for FaceTime. Once it gets an A4 processor and some more RAM, we can't see why it wouldn't.

Since there's no phone app, however, how will users initiate FaceTime calls from an iPod touch? According to Boy Genius Report (BGR), the FaceTime app will look for a registered email address.

Paraphrasing an anonymous source, BGR claims that users will register their Apple IDs (typically a MobileMe email address) on a given device. That way, iPod touch owners can initiate a FaceTime call via this registered address. Push notifications will inform you of an incoming FaceTime call.

It's still unclear how an iPod touch will initiate a call with an iPhone, as that currently requires the iPhone's phone number. BGR speculates that the registered email address method will be carried over to all devices. iPods are typically refreshed in September, so we'll see if anything about this surfaces before then.

[Via Engadget]

Rumor: FaceTime for iPod touch will use email address originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogRumor: FaceTime for iPod touch will use email address originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>expire-images:2010-8-15facetimeipodipod touchIpodTouchrumorsDave CaoloFri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 ESTFirefox Home available for iOShttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/16/firefox-home-available-for-ios/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/16/firefox-home-available-for-ios/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/16/firefox-home-available-for-ios/#commentsFirefox Home is now available for iOS. Although not a full-featured web browser in its own right, the app is probably as close as we're going to get to running Firefox on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

Firefox Home is a strange app, so first let's look at what it is. According to the description at Mozilla's page, "Firefox Home provides access to your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and open tabs on your iPhone." So virtually all Firefox data on your Mac or PC transfers to the cloud and gets synced to Firefox Home... at least after you download and install the Firefox Sync add-on, restart Firefox, set up a Firefox Sync account, then enter your Firefox Sync username, password, and secret phrase into Firefox Home on your iPhone/iPod touch. It's not terribly complicated, but anyone used to the one-click simplicity of syncing Safari on the Mac with Safari in iOS may well wonder whether all of this will be worth the bother.

That's a good question once you look at what Firefox Home isn't. Click the "Read More" link to find out.

Continue reading Firefox Home available for iOS

Firefox Home available for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogFirefox Home available for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>App ReviewApp StorebrowserFirefoxFirefox HomeiOSiPhoneiPod touchMozillasyncChris RawsonFri, 16 Jul 2010 09:00:00 ESTBMW working on better iOS integrationhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/13/bmw-working-on-better-ios-integration/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/13/bmw-working-on-better-ios-integration/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/13/bmw-working-on-better-ios-integration/#comments

People have been plugging their iPods into their cars almost since their introduction. I had a headphone-to-cassette adapter back in the day. How glorious!

Now, BMW has announced that their cars will take advantage of "iPod Out," a new feature of iOS 4. Essentially, it allows a very iPod-like UI to appear on the car's in-dash display, making navigation, playback, etc. instantly familiar to the iPod owner. No more learning the car manufacturer's UI vs. the iPod's. BMW's solution will also add support for genius playlists.

Now don't go rushing out to the dealer just yet. BMW expects to have this feature in all of their cars (Minis, too) by next year. Until then, we'll just have to make do.

At least I still have my cassette adapter.




BMW working on better iOS integration originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogBMW working on better iOS integration originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bmwiOS 4Ios4ipodipod outIpodOutDave CaoloTue, 13 Jul 2010 10:00:00 ESTApp Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevicehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/29/app-review-pathology-hd-looks-is-a-simple-board-game-for-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/29/app-review-pathology-hd-looks-is-a-simple-board-game-for-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/29/app-review-pathology-hd-looks-is-a-simple-board-game-for-your/#commentsA few years ago, the game company Wizkids - best known for collectible offerings like Mage Knight and HeroClix - took a stab at the everything-in-the-box game market with an offering called Tsuro: The Way of the Path. The game had decent graphics and a vague Asian theme but looked (and was) pretty simple. You have a pawn that moves as far as it can along the path that it's on. Each turn, you have to extend the path by playing a tile in front of your pawn, and get a little bit closer but hopefully not too close to crashing into another player or running off the board.

Tsuro got a lukewarm reception from the boardgame community, and Wizkids eventually stopped producing the game (but it will soon be picked up by Mayfair subsidy Kosmos) Now, a graphically-simple version of the game lives in the App Store, and it makes an easy and light filler even easier.

The app comes in two versions, one for the iPad called Pathology HD that costs US$2.99, and one for the iPhone/iPod touch that's just called Pathology and costs $1.99. Looks and gameplay are the same on both devices, and there's only a little bit lost when playing on the small screen. Still, even a game this graphically simple is much more engaging on the iPad's bigger screen. Read on to find out how "the Way of the Path" operates and why it takes the idea of a filler game to the extreme.


Gallery: Pathology HD

Continue reading App Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevice

App Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevice originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogApp Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevice originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app reviewAppReviewipadiPhoneipod touchIpodTouchpathologypathology hdPathologyHdtsuroSebastian BlancoTue, 29 Jun 2010 15:30:00 ESTI've upgraded to iOS 4: Now what?http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/21/ive-upgraded-to-ios-4-now-what/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/21/ive-upgraded-to-ios-4-now-what/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/21/ive-upgraded-to-ios-4-now-what/#commentsYou've upgraded your iPhone to iOS 4, and you're anxious to play with all sorts of new and wonderful features. Before you do that, take a few minutes to make sure everything is working as expected. Here's a list of things to confirm. They aren't in any particular order, and not all of them will apply to everyone, but some of them will, especially if you have "restored" your iPhone.

1. Launch the phone app and go to the voicemail tab. Make sure that it isn't asking for your PIN. If you're really cautious, you might even call your iPhone and leave yourself a voicemail just to make sure it's working as expected.

Six more easy and necessary steps after the break.

Continue reading I've upgraded to iOS 4: Now what?

I've upgraded to iOS 4: Now what? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogI've upgraded to iOS 4: Now what? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>activesynccameraiosiOS 4Ios4iPhoneiphone4mobilemepinrestoredupdateupgradevoicemailTJ LuomaMon, 21 Jun 2010 16:00:00 ESTApp Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/12/app-review-roll-through-the-ages-makes-dice-rollling-civ-build/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/12/app-review-roll-through-the-ages-makes-dice-rollling-civ-build/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/12/app-review-roll-through-the-ages-makes-dice-rollling-civ-build/#commentsAny dice game review is required by law to compare the new game to Yahtzee (if we don't, we lose our right to ever roll a d6 again). So, let's get this out of the way early: the Roll Through The Ages app [$2.99], released last week, shares but three features with Yahtzee: it uses dice, you roll them three times (keeping the ones you like between throws) and you mark things off on a scorecard after each roll.

Instead of collecting simple numbers, in Roll Through The Ages, the goal is to quickly build up an ancient civilization from three small cities to, well, that's the challenge: do you go for more cities? Monuments? Developments? Goods? Or a little bit of everything?

RTtA (which is how the name appears when installed on your iDevice) faithfully implements the tabletop game, but it doesn't do so elegantly. Right now, the app is pretty much a trial-and-error mess with no tutorial or well-written rulebook explaining what it is you want to actually do in the game. Still, by using the limited in-app help menu and some online resources (the video pasted at the bottom of this review was quite helpful), we managed to struggle through.

Of course, anyone who's played the tabletop version of Roll Through The Ages should be able to adapt to the iPhone version in mere minutes. The app had better improve fast, thought, in order to attract people who aren't familiar with the dice version, lest it suffer the fate of getting lost in the never-ending barrage of good game apps. Thankfully, there's some precedent for board game apps that start weak and improve quickly. The Small World app didn't have a good way to learn the game at the beginning, either, but look at it now.

Read on to see if you want to give RTtA a chance now, wait for the improvements to come or pass altogether.

Gallery: Roll Through The Ages iPhone App

Continue reading App Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhone

App Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogApp Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dice gameDiceGameiPhoneroll through the agesRollThroughTheAgesrttaSebastian BlancoSat, 12 Jun 2010 10:00:00 ESTWWDC 2010: Second, third generation iPod touch gets free update to iOS4http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/07/wwdc-2010-second-generation-ipod-touch-gets-free-update-to-ios4/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/07/wwdc-2010-second-generation-ipod-touch-gets-free-update-to-ios4/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/07/wwdc-2010-second-generation-ipod-touch-gets-free-update-to-ios4/#commentsYes, iPod touch owners, your long nightmare of paying $5 or $10 for operating system upgrades would appear to be over. The next version of the system formerly known as iPhone OS will be downloadable on June 21, and this time you'll get it absolutely free, just like the iPhone users.

Apple's quirky accounting for iPhone sales -- which the company cited as a reason it was able to offer free updates for those devices, but not for the all-the-profit-at-once iPod touch units -- has been left behind, so now the equal playing field includes all the iDevices. Enjoy your upgrade!

Did I say "all?" Sorry -- only the 2nd & 3rd generation iPod touch need apply. The new OS won't run on the first-gen devices.

Updated to include 2nd and 3rd generation devices.

WWDC 2010: Second, third generation iPod touch gets free update to iOS4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogWWDC 2010: Second, third generation iPod touch gets free update to iOS4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>iphone+os+4ipod touchIpodTouchwwdc2010Michael RoseMon, 07 Jun 2010 14:54:00 ESTiPod touch with camera shows up in Vietnamhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/19/ipod-touch-with-camera-shows-up-in-vietnam/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/19/ipod-touch-with-camera-shows-up-in-vietnam/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/19/ipod-touch-with-camera-shows-up-in-vietnam/#comments

The Apple sieve continues to leak as a new prototype shows up in Vietnam and promptly hits the web. This time, it's an iPod touch with a 2 megapixel camera. For now, only the iPhone and iPod nano have cameras.

Tinhte has the story once again (you'll remember they posted photo and video of a 4G iPhone). In the video above, the prototype is seen running a diagnostic utility, from which we can glean that it's got 64GB of storage, a 2 megapixel camera and a backside illuminated sensor built by Omnivision. It also behaves as expected when connected to a Mac. The "DVT-1" stamp on the back identifies this as a pre-production unit most likely produced for testing.

It was reported by the Associated Press last week that a pair of mobile phone vendors were responsible for the iPhone prototype leak, but it's unclear how this one found its way to Tinhte. What is clear is that Apple's security isn't what it used to be.

You'll find a gallery of images at Engadget.

iPod touch with camera shows up in Vietnam originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 May 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogiPod touch with camera shows up in Vietnam originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 May 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ipod touchIpodTouchleakprototypetinhtevietnamDave CaoloWed, 19 May 2010 10:45:00 ESTReview: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/13/review-keltis-oracle-is-a-great-light-strategic-board-game-for/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/13/review-keltis-oracle-is-a-great-light-strategic-board-game-for/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/13/review-keltis-oracle-is-a-great-light-strategic-board-game-for/#commentsKeltis is a relatively new marquee family of board games - in Europe, at least - with a somewhat meandering history. The series started as the Lost Cities card game, which evolved into the original board game in the series, Keltis. That game won the Spiel des Jahres, Germany's highest board game honor, in 2008. Since then, there have been two expansions: a card game version (different from the original Lost Cities card game) and, most recently, a new board game called Keltis Oracle. U.S. board gamers will most likely recognize the Keltis games in the similar Lost Cities: The Board Game. Are you wondering why the European version of the game made it into your iDevice? Because the developers in Tribeflame are based in Finland.

In any case, the universal app (US$4.99) that's now available on the iPad and iPhone (and iPod touch) is the latest Keltis game. Is it the greatest? To some, maybe. It's certainly the most player-friendly of the batch, and it looks good on the iPad screen. The game works, but as you can see in the galleries below, it's crowded when packed into the iPhone's 480 x 320 pixel screen. Read on to see what the Oracle can do for you.

Gallery: Keltis Oracle on the iPhone



Gallery: Keltis Oracle on the iPad

Continue reading Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone

Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogReview: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>board gameBoardGameiPadiPhonekeltis oracleKeltisOraclelost citiesLostCitiesreiner kniziaReinerKniziatribeflameSebastian BlancoThu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 ESTReview: Bananagrams is addicting without the clickinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/20/review-bananagrams-is-addicting-without-the-clicking/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/20/review-bananagrams-is-addicting-without-the-clicking/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/20/review-bananagrams-is-addicting-without-the-clicking/#commentsPerhaps you've seen them, in Word Wars or another Scrabble movie; people who are a wee bit obsessive about their word games. For the iPhone-carrying among them, there is the official Scrabble app or Words With Friends. For people who like a little more variety in their word game apps, there are a hundred other options. Today, we look at one of the better ones, Bananagrams [$.99], which is quickly developing a fanatic player base similar to the Scrabble fans.

In bookstores, libraries, and cafes around the world, people are playing Bananagrams face to face. There is also an online version through Facebook. While Bananagrams shares a lot of gameplay with Scrabble, it's really much more similar to a less famous game called Pick Two!, which was released in 1993, and to the homebrew game of Speed Scrabble. Since Bananagrams hit it big a few years ago, Parker Brothers has responded with the Scrabble Apple, and the Bananagrams company also released Pairs in Pears. There was also an official Bananagrams tie-in book. As we said, there are a lot of word game freaks fans who like to build crosswords competitively. If you're interested in ways to play a quick game like this on the iPhone, read on to see what all the fuss is about.


Gallery: Bananagrams

Continue reading Review: Bananagrams is addicting without the clicking

Review: Bananagrams is addicting without the clicking originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogReview: Bananagrams is addicting without the clicking originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app revieAppReviebananagramsboard gameBoardGamegame appGameAppiPhoneipod touchIpodTouchSebastian BlancoTue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 ESTTUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/14/tuaw-faceoff-skat-vs-proskat-on-the-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/14/tuaw-faceoff-skat-vs-proskat-on-the-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/14/tuaw-faceoff-skat-vs-proskat-on-the-iphone/#comments
We've covered quite a few board and card games in this ongoing series of iPhone / iPad app reviews, but I haven't been as excited about any of them as I was when I saw that there was not just one but two Skat apps available for the iDevices. Considering that Skat is my absolute favorite card game of all time (in second place: SWCCG, an entirely different beast), I knew I'd need to download them both (at US$4.99 each, sadly) and see if either one offered an experience that is in any way similar to playing against real humans. The answer: as much as a touch-screen interface can replace your friends, they do.

The first of the two apps is called Skat and its icon looks like this . The other is called ProSkat and has this icon . Skat's icon is much better-looking and does a better job of instantly identifying the app as Skat, but in almost every other aspect, ProSkat is the winner. Read on to see why both of these apps have their place and how they allow you to cleverly bid and take tricks in style on your iPhone.


Gallery: Skat


Gallery: ProSkat

Continue reading TUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhone

TUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogTUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appboard gameBoardGamegame appGameAppiPhoneipod touchIpodTouchskatSebastian BlancoWed, 14 Apr 2010 08:00:00 ESTReview: here's hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked outhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/09/review-heres-hoping-the-kachina-board-game-app-gets-some-serio/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/09/review-heres-hoping-the-kachina-board-game-app-gets-some-serio/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/09/review-heres-hoping-the-kachina-board-game-app-gets-some-serio/#comments
The tile game Kachina came to the iPhone/iPod touch platform in waves. First, the app appeared as a single-player puzzle game using the Kachina rules. Then, an upgrade with in-app purchase allowed you to spend US$2.99 to get multiplayer functionality. Now, the Kachina app [$2.99] that you can find in the App Store is the full-featured version that includes both the puzzle and multiplayer modes. The developer, Gourami Games, has posted a mea culpa of sorts, saying:
The in-app upgrade has been removed and all copies are now enabled to play 2,3,4,5 player games. Now with an option to chose the computers difficulty level. Those of you that have made the in-app upgrade purchase, Thank you for your support, and we will make it up to you in a future update that will automatically detect the sale.
We like the idea behind the Kachina game, which uses Hopi spirit imagery and tests your math skills as you race for the high score, but this is a situation where too many serious bugs destroy what's really an elegant game. Read on to see what we mean.


Gallery: Kachina iPhone App

Continue reading Review: here's hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked out

Review: here's hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked out originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogReview: here's hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked out originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>board gameBoardGamegame appGameAppiphoneipod touchIpodTouchkachinaSebastian BlancoFri, 09 Apr 2010 12:30:00 ESTiPod touch devsugar: Fixing ineligible installshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/08/ipod-touch-devsugar-fixing-ineligible-installs/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/08/ipod-touch-devsugar-fixing-ineligible-installs/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/08/ipod-touch-devsugar-fixing-ineligible-installs/#commentsAre you a developer trying to install 4.0 firmware on your 3rd gen iPod touch? You may run into install problems based on device eligibility. That means that Xcode or iTunes will complain that it cannot install the beta firmware onto your device and may tell you that you are attempting an ineligible install.



Whether using Xcode or iTunes, your iPod will be left in recovery mode -- and you might think you'll need to restore the device and wait for however many hours you'll need to re-sync all your music, videos and apps back ...

Good news: you can kick yourself out of recovery mode and back to your previous firmware install without doing that. Just use a tool like iRecovery. As I discussed in an older post on TUAW, you can use iRecovery to set your iPod to boot back into normal user mode.

Download iRecovery from iHackintosh. Run iRecovery from the command line and supply the -s flag. Wait for the "]" prompt, and do not type anything except a carriage return (press return, wait and repeat if nothing happens within 30 seconds) until you see that prompt appear. It helps to only have one iDevice attached to your OS X desktop.

Once you have the prompt, enter the following commands:

] setenv auto-boot true
] saveenv
] /exit
After exiting iRecovery, you return to the command line. Reboot your phone by pressing the home and sleep buttons for 10 seconds, per the instructions on the iHackintosh, and your iPhone should boot back to its previous firmwall install without re-entering recovery mode.

iPod touch devsugar: Fixing ineligible installs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogiPod touch devsugar: Fixing ineligible installs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>devsugariPadiPhoneiPhone OS 4.0iPhone OS 4.0 SDKIphoneOs4.0IphoneOs4.0SdkiPod touchIpodTouchErica SadunThu, 08 Apr 2010 23:00:00 ESTReview: <strike>Hey, That's My Fish</strike> Honey, That's Mine!http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/06/review-hey-thats-my-fish-honey-thats-mine/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/06/review-hey-thats-my-fish-honey-thats-mine/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/06/review-hey-thats-my-fish-honey-thats-mine/#commentsBoard gamers looking for ported game apps on the iPhone (and now, finally, the iPad) might overlook the just-released offering Honey, That's Mine [$1.99]. The game uses little honeybee characters that fly across a board of hexagons to collect drops of honey. As they leave a location, that hex is removed from the board. Even though the bees fly, they can't cross an open space; this rule sets up a game that is much, much more than meets the eye.

Honey, That's Mine can be played in three flavors: simple, normal, and advanced. The simple game is almost an exact clone of Hey, That's My Fish, a 2003 game designed by Günter Cornett and Alvydas Jakeliunas that used penguins jumping around ice floes. Honey, which claims to be the design of Jeffery Vanneste, does have a few alternative rules for different bees, but the fact that it fails to mention its penguin roots makes us suspect it won't be available in the App Store for long. Hey, That's My Fish was ported to some mobile platforms and the Wii, but not (yet) to the iPhone Why? No one knows. However, the fact that this is at least the second version for the iPhone - a short-lived clone called Mining Bots is no longer available - proves that the original game designers should look into licensing the game for Apple's iDevice line. There's a hunger for a game like this out there, whether it's using bees, penguins, or robots. Read on to find out if you'd be interested as well.


Gallery: Honey, That's Mine!

Continue reading Review: Hey, That's My Fish Honey, That's Mine!

Review: Hey, That's My Fish Honey, That's Mine! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogReview: Hey, That's My Fish Honey, That's Mine! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>board gameBoardGamegame appGameApphey thats my fishHeyThatsMyFishhoney thats mineHoneyThatsMineipadiphoneipod touchIpodTouchSebastian BlancoTue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:00 ESTReview: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/02/review-mu-app-proves-that-deep-real-card-games-can-thrive-on-t/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/02/review-mu-app-proves-that-deep-real-card-games-can-thrive-on-t/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/02/review-mu-app-proves-that-deep-real-card-games-can-thrive-on-t/#commentsFans of light, mindless card games should not download Mü [$2.99]. There are plenty of thought-like time-killers in the App Store. Go play one of those. Mu, on the other hand, is a complicated (in a good way) game with a medium-high learning curve that should manage to entertain gamers for quite some time.

At its core, Mü is a trick taking game like Hearts or Skat, and the physical card game version is much loved by regular card gamers because it is deep, replayable and fun. The app manages to recreate all three of these important factors in one slick package, giving old hands a way to bring the challenge along for the ride. For new players, the iPhone version is a good way to learn how to play. Read on to see if more Mü would be good for you.


Gallery: Review: Mu

Continue reading Review: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhone

Review: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogReview: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app reviewAppReviewcard gameCardGamegamesiphoneipod touchIpodTouchmümuSebastian BlancoFri, 02 Apr 2010 11:00:00 ESTReview: Reiner Knizia's Topashttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/26/review-reiner-knizias-topas/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/26/review-reiner-knizias-topas/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/26/review-reiner-knizias-topas/#commentsWe don't mind it when iPhone versions of board games differ from their realspace counterparts, but the Topas app ($2.99) takes the basic ideas behind Reiner Knizia's 2009 game Topas and twists them into a mash-up of Tetris, the standard line-up-three-of-a-kind video games, and dominoes. The dominoes thing was in the original, but the video game vibes are all new.

Is this a good thing? Well, it kind of is. We like the variety that the app brings to basic Topas, but we don't understand why it was apparently impossible to carry over original gameplay from the physical card game. Even the game mode that comes closest to the card game version - weakest link, which is very similar to the card game's solo play - changes one minor rule. As to why, we have no idea. Still, Topas offers a decent amount of challenge and fun in an attractive package - maybe slightly overpriced in the App Store's admittedly low-cost ecosystem - for people who like their puzzle games to sparkle.

Keep reading to find out more about how Topas works and doesn't work as an iPhone game.


Gallery: Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas

Continue reading Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas

Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogReview: Reiner Knizia's Topas originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app reviewAppReviewcard gameCardGamegamesiphoneipod touchIpodTouchreiner kniziaReinerKniziatopasSebastian BlancoFri, 26 Mar 2010 11:00:00 ESTA unified mailbox coming to the iPhone -- what a concept!http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/25/a-unified-mailbox-coming-to-the-iphone-what-a-concept/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/25/a-unified-mailbox-coming-to-the-iphone-what-a-concept/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/25/a-unified-mailbox-coming-to-the-iphone-what-a-concept/#commentsIf the supposed note from El Steve-o is to be believed, the iPhone is getting a unified mailbox at some future date. Don't you wonder what Apple was thinking when it wasn't in the original iPhone plan?

In Mac OS X, I like seeing all of my email on one page, and with a quick click I can look at any email account segregated from the others -- easy peezy.

You would have thought that the famous Apple GUI designers would apply the same logic to the iPhone, but for more than two years I've had to really struggle to see what is coming in on 3 different accounts. I'm tapping more than the Titanic's radio operator just to see what email I have.

I hope the fix comes soon, and that it winds up on the iPad as well. The lack of a unified or universal mailbox is one of those strange Apple decisions that is hard to understand. The lack of cut, copy, and paste was another seemingly bone-headed choice that Apple finally got right. Now Microsoft seems to be drinking the same kool-aid with its upcoming Windows Phone 7 OS. The company says no copy/paste will be in the phone OS, and they're telling users they don't really need it anyway. Sure.

Apple makes a lot of great choices and we love Apple products, but every so often they seem to miss a big feature. After a lot of bad feelings from customers, they finally make it right. Usually. Sometimes. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for that unified inbox, and switching frantically between mail accounts. Grrrrr.

Can you think of some other big missing items? A camera in the iPad comes to mind...

A unified mailbox coming to the iPhone -- what a concept! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogA unified mailbox coming to the iPhone -- what a concept! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuresiPadiPhoneiPod touchmailuniversal inboxMel MartinThu, 25 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST'69 GTO controlled by an iPod touchhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/24/69-gto-controlled-by-an-ipod-touch/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/24/69-gto-controlled-by-an-ipod-touch/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/24/69-gto-controlled-by-an-ipod-touch/#commentsThe Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter was probably the coolest thing ever controlled via iPhone or iPod touch... until this. Dave Phipps has hooked up a '69 Pontiac GTO to his iPod touch -- he's been rebuilding these cars for a long time, and this particular one was picked up out of a farm for just $400. It's worth a lot more than that now, though, because he's replaced all of the wiring in the car and remotely connected it to his iPod, so he can start the engine, open up the doors, put the top up or down, and even control the radio all from the iPod touch.

There's a video of Phipps showing the system off after the break (sorry iPhone users, it's in Flash). He originally used Bluetooth, but now has the car set up on its own wireless network and he's got it working with a RedEye IR system, so he can even do macros and open all of the doors with one button and so on. He can't actually drive the car, but he can turn on the ignition, start the motor and even rev it up, all from the iPod touch. Very, very awesome.

[Via Make]

Continue reading '69 GTO controlled by an iPod touch

'69 GTO controlled by an iPod touch originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog'69 GTO controlled by an iPod touch originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>gtoiphoneipod touchipod-touchIpodTouchparrot ar.droneParrotAr.dronepontiac-gtoremote controlRemoteControlwirelessMike SchrammWed, 24 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST