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Filed under: Developer, Found Footage, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Found Footage: Little World Gifts enters the world of virtual gifting

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009

Have you ever wanted to send a loved one a rose, but knew that you wouldn't be able to deliver it yourself? Or maybe you wanted to cheer up a friend in the hospital, but you were on another continent? If the Liverpudlians at Little World Gifts have their way, you'll soon be exchanging virtual gifts with your friends.

The six-person UK startup has been working on a self-titled iPhone app that they hope to ship in December. The app lets you purchase virtual gifts from a shop and send them to others who either have the app or are Facebook users. As you can see in the video above, the gifts are high-resolution 3D items that you and your friends can touch and manipulate.

Your friends receive push notifications that you've sent them a gift, and can then add them to their collection in their copy of the app, or enjoy them in a separate Facebook app.

In case you think virtual goods are a silly idea, Little Worlds Gifts points out that it is estimated that consumers will spend over US$1 billion on virtual goods in 2009 through online games and social networks. Facebook generates almost US$40 million annually through sales of virtual gifts.

Little World Gifts hasn't announced a price for the app or the virtual gifts, but TUAW will keep an eye on this virtual boutique for future reference.

Tags: facebook, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, virtual gifts, VirtualGifts

Filed under: Gaming, Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, SDK

Chillingo officially launches Crystal SDK for iPhone game developers

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009

Chillingo recently announced that it would be launching Crystal SDK, a service joining the increasingly crowded social network market for iPhone games. Xbox Live on the Xbox is an official social network, but the iPhone has no such official service. A crowd of contenders, from the popular OpenFeint service to ngmoco's Plus+ network, are jumping in and trying to get developers on board with them. Crystal SDK is one of those -- they've now launched the official website and are asking developers interested to sign up and see what their software has to offer.

Like many of the other services, Crystal is offering to integrate challenges, achievements, leaderboards, and other social services into iPhone apps. The SDK seems like it's still pre-release, however -- there's only a signup, no information on cost or implementation or anything else on the site. Still, if you happen to be an iPhone developer still looking for a network to hook up with, they might be the one for you.

While we're at it: what do you consumers think? Have you actually chosen a network to go with, or are you doing what I'm doing and still basically going game by game? The goal of these networks eventually is to have a unified stable of developers, where you'll jump into a new game simply because it's linked to the network you're signed up with (and your friends will be playing over there and encouraging you to join). But in reality, I haven't seen that -- most people I know are just playing the games they're interested in, and the network the games are connected to hasn't made a big difference.

Tags: chillingo, crystal-sdk, developers, game developers, game-developers, GameDevelopers, gaming, iphone, network, ngmoco, openfeint, plus, social network, SocialNetwork

Filed under: Found Footage, App Review

Found Footage: Hands-on with Boardwalk Games from Skyworks

by Erica Sadun (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009

For just US$1.99, you could do a lot worse than picking up Skyworks's new Boardwalk Games [iTunes link]. Offering three carnival-style attractions, Boardwalk Games takes you into the midway with good gameplay, quality graphics, and audible sound. To be honest, those audible sounds kind of drove me a little nuts and I couldn't find a settings screen to could turn them off.

The three mini games are all simple toss-something-at-something games: toss a ball at tiki statues, toss a ball at milk bottles, toss a dart at balloons. It's fun. Admittedly, a little limited, but fun. The fun is probably worth more than the two bucks the app costs.

Just in case you think you're getting a little bit too good of a deal, well, you are. Skywork's included some fairly heavy-handed upselling ads in the game, which appear each time you finish playing a round. It's not too bad as these things go, but clearly they intend to balance their relatively low price point with targeted advertising.

I found the games easy to play and engaging. Will the app remain on your phone for the long term? Probably not. This is one of those use-it-for-a-few-days-or-weeks-then-toss-it kinds of games. There aren't compelling learning curves and not much room has been left for the app to grow. I'd recommend this for a rainy day / DMV visit / Doctor's Appointment, but it's not so amazing that you should rush out and buy it right away. It's amusing, it's well made, and I hate that music.

TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.

Tags: Boardwalk Games, BoardwalkGames, carnival, game, midway, Skyworks, TUAW peek, TuawPeek

Filed under: Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store, SDK

Schiller defends App Store approval process

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009

Well here we go. Up until now, we've heard a lot from developers about how much of a mess the App Store's approval process is, from people who've been rejected outright to people who've been forced to resubmit to people who've just given up completely. But we haven't heard much from Apple, and now Phil Schiller has spoken with Business Week about what it is about the App Store's approval process that has devs pulling their hair out.

The verdict? Schiller says the process is in place for a reason. About 90% of the apps submitted merely have bugs or technical issues, and he says for the most part that devs are happy to get that feedback (though TechCrunch doesn't buy that for one second). But the other 10% of the apps Apple denies are simply what they deem "inappropriate," which could be anything from problematic coding (code that steals passwords or other private information), or app content that doesn't belong on the store, from porn to apps that help break the law or steal in some way. Apple is also vicious about trademark defense -- Schiller says that "if you don't defend your trademarks, in the end you end up not owning them."

That all sounds fine and dandy (ok, well, the "inappropriate" label is a little unclear -- that's broad enough that Apple could fit almost anything under that umbrella, which is a bit troubling), but what about all of those angry devs? Unfortunately, Schiller doesn't address at all the idea that Apple might someday allow devs to release apps that haven't been through their approval process, on the App Store or anywhere else. As far as Apple is concerned, it seems like they're keeping their grip on what gets released, and anyone who doesn't like it is welcome to go elsewhere.

[via TheAppleBlog]

Tags: app store, app store approval, app-store, AppStore, AppStoreApproval, feedback, iphone, opinion, phil schiller, PhilSchiller, releases, rogue-ameoba, sdk, trademark

Filed under: Enterprise, iPhone

More growth seen for iPhone in business

by Ken Ray (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009

Support continues to grow for the iPhone in the enterprise. TBI Research (subscription required) says Apple's answer to telephony is gaining ground in business, thanks largely to employees and execs grabbing an iPhone for personal use and deciding they just have to have it for work as well.

TBI sees the iPhone having trouble in two of the biggest industries in the US. Government and finance are likely to keep favoring Research in Motion's BlackBerry, though Apple could take enough of the rest of the sectors to make up for what it misses. "The two industries we see as the least likely of switching from Blackberries are Finance and Government," says a TBI research note. "These are huge industries, but they make up only 20% of the total US workforce. That still leaves 80% of the total 150 million US workforce."

Meanwhile TBI sees iPhone adoption ramping-up aggressively in industries such as media, entertainment, hospitality, transportation, and consumer packaged goods.

TBI's report dovetails nicely with a report at the beginning of the month from Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore. Early in November, Whitmore said he expected to see 2 million iPhones in the enterprise market by the end of this year, giving Apple roughly 7% of the business end of smartphones in the US.

[via MacNN]

Tags: blackberry, business, deutsche bank, enterprise, iphone, macnn, market, research in motion, rim

Filed under: Found Footage, iPhone, First Look, App Review

Sneak Peek: Stair Dismount offers... broken bones, mostly

by Erica Sadun (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009

Remember Zen Bound? It's a gorgeous and fun-to-play little puzzle game. So when I heard that SecretExit, the makers of Zen Bound, were about to release a new app, I was excited to get a sneak preview.

Stair Dismount is a very different game to Zen Bound. Although, as you can see in the above video, the audio and graphics quality are consistently high, it's not really fair to compare the two. According to SecretExit, Stair Dismount is more focused on "humor and social elements" rather than problem solving.

The game basically involves pushing someone down the stairs and seeing how many bones they break. Playing this made me feel like the world's worst sadist. Hard to get game playing satisfaction other than tormenting the poor dude.

With Stair Dismount, you can add the face of a Facebook friend and send screen shots of their broken body lying at the bottom of the staircase. Secret Exit dev Jani Kahrama notes, "It feels better with a friendly Facebook face on the guy :)."

Your enjoyment of this will vary by your personal take but for me, I don't think Stair Dismount will be staying on my iPod or be exposed to my kids. Stair Dismount is due to hit the App Store within the week.

About the video: At this time, TUAW can only create preview videos for applications compiled for 3.1 or earlier using a development (not distribution or ad hoc) build and review videos for distribution-compiled apps that are 3.1 or earlier.

TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.

Tags: http:stairdismount.com, iphone, secret exit, SecretExit, stair dismount, StairDismount, violence, zen bound, ZenBound

Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

eBay Deals iPhone app pushes bargains in your face

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009

Do you use eBay regularly for shopping for goodies? If you do, and if you're an iPhone or iPod touch owner, you probably ought to turn on your device right now and download the new eBay Deals app [Free, iTunes Link].

In eBay parlance, a deal can be one of two things:

An eBay Daily Deal, which is a limited quantity item from a trusted seller, provided with free shipping
An item that is in big demand (an iPhone, for example) with zero bids and with less than four hours to go in the auction

But wait, there's more! The app also uses push notifications to give you the bad news that you're being outbid on an item or to tell you that an auction is just about over. There's a "Shake for Deals" option that provides random deals when you shake your phone.

The app has a nice little tutorial that shows how the features work and what various icons mean. That's a nice touch for getting users up and running quickly. If you're looking for that perfect gift at a bargain price, you may need to look no further than the screen of your iPhone.

Tags: bargains, deals, ebay, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch

Filed under: Security, iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage

Protect yourself from SSH-based iPhone worms

by Aron Trimble (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009

The internet has been ablaze with reports of jailbroken iPhones being infested with worms. The exploit takes advantage of unwitting jailbreakers who install OpenSSH on their iPhones via Cydia without taking into account all of the impacts on security. The most notable, and now famous, hole in this theory is that every iPhone ships with the same default password for both the all-powerful "root" user as well as the more-restricted "mobile" user.

Not surprisingly, Apple has officially commented on the situation noting that "the worm affects only a very specific set of iPhone users who have jail broken[sic] their iPhones and hacked it with unauthorized software." It is pretty clear from Apple's statement their feelings on the jailbreak community and its effects on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Luckily, if you need to have OpenSSH installed on your iPhone (who doesn't want a remotely-accessible, full UNIX terminal in their pocket?), there is a pretty simple solution to this problem that will prevent this breed of infestation from ever reaching your iPhone.

Remember, this only affects jailbroken iPhone owners who have installed OpenSSH...
Begin by installing MobileTerminal via Cydia (alternately, you can login via SSH from Terminal.app or a Cygwin-equipped Windows PC).
Type "login", you will be asked for a login name which should be "root" then a password which should be "alpine".
Type "passwd" then tap return, you will be asked to type the new password. Tap return and type the new password again.

Repeat this same process for the "mobile" user by replacing "root" with "mobile" in step 3. Also, when using passwd to change the password for "mobile" you may be asked the old password which would be "alpine". It is not necessary to use a different password for "root" and "mobile" but if you're highly security conscious, it wouldn't hurt. The second half of this post includes a screen image of my exact process working successfully on OS 3.1.2 with an iPhone 3GS.

In addition to changing the user passwords for your iPhone, another good security measure is to use one of the jailbreak apps like BossPrefs or SBSettings to have a toggle that will disable SSH when not in use. Obviously, having SSH disabled (or not installed) is the best defense against worms of this sort. Got any other iPhone security tips? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: bossprefs, jailbreak, openssh, security, ssh

Filed under: Features, Mac Pro

Mac Pro takes a bullet, brings justice

by Brett Terpstra (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009

This piece isn't about shooting Mac Pros, but it is about how the Mac Pro is helping forensics professionals solve cases faster and more accurately. Pyramidal Technologies produces a system called ALIAS (Advanced balLIstics Analysis System), a replacement for standard ballistic investigation systems that offers faster ramp-up times, increases data accuracy in ballistics investigations, and lowers operator error.

Pyramidal's tagline, "Solve more crimes, Convict more criminals, Save more lives" sums up their mission pretty succinctly. ALIAS will help to convict more criminals with more accuracy, and should even solve some previously-unsolvable cold cases. Helping to proactively build a civil society by identifying wrongdoers and exposing them to justice is among the many socially conscious goals of Pyramidal Technologies.

I found this story of interest because, in my limited experience, the world of law enforcement does not lean very heavily toward the Apple side of the computing spectrum. I assume that this is for the same primary reason that any agency, organization or company tends to stick with Windows: the software they depend on is Windows-based and often proprietary. What intrigued me here was the fact that the benefits of various systems, both hardware and operating system, were weighed in an OS-agnostic fashion, and the Mac won. Here's what I learned about the reasons why ...

Tags: ALIAS, ballistics, interferometer, mac pro, mac-pro, MacPro, Pyramidal Technologies, PyramidalTechnologies

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, iPhone

Two new iPhone ads: Apple defends AT&T?

by Chris Rawson (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009

Apple's jumped into the Verizon versus AT&T fray, according to BusinessWeek, with a couple of new ads -- and, somewhat surprisingly, they come out in full defense of AT&T. Both ads show an iPhone user in the middle of a phone call who multitasks by looking up movie information, restaurant ratings, and many other things over AT&T's 3G network. The ads end with the question, "Can your phone and your network do that?" with a very prominent AT&T logo in the final seconds of the ads.

As I'm personally somewhat on the outside looking in at the U.S. telecom spats, I don't know how much US smartphone users really miss the ability to do simultaneous data browsing and phone calls while on Verizon's network. Based on what I've heard about AT&T's network reliability, however, there are some areas of the U.S. where you'll be lucky to be able to make and receive calls at all, or hold on to a call in progress, much less multitask in the manner depicted in these ads.

What's most interesting about these ads is how favorable they are to AT&T. It's no secret that Apple's been less than thrilled with AT&T over the course of their relationship, and it's even less of a secret how dissatisfied U.S. customers have been with the telco giant. It's understandable that Apple wants to paint the iPhone in a favorable light, but I'm admittedly surprised that they seem to be going to bat for AT&T at the same time. Sure AT&T is their business partner, but from my point of view this smells a lot like telling your family that your less-than-presentable date for Thanksgiving has 'a really great personality.'

Read on to see the ads in action.

Tags: Ads, ATT, iphone, Verizon

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