Apple Is Kicking Knockoff Apps Out Of The App Store
Monday, 6th February 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: angry birds, Anton Sinelnikov, app, App Store, clones, knockoff, piracy, Rovio, Temple Jump, Tiny Birds
Written by: Craig Hunter
Even though some of the biggest iOS developers like Rovio are embracing piracy of its incredibly popular Angry Birds franchise, knockoffs like Misunderstood Pigs and Super Jump World by the NER Brothers may not be safe for long. The Guardian reported Apple today started to remove a number of notable fakes from the App Store, most of which are the work of one developer.
Anton Sinelnikov is the creator of Plants vs. Zombie, Angry Ninja Birds, Temple Jump, Tiny Birds, Zombie Air Highway, and Numbers With Friends. They are all clones of some of the most popular games from some of the biggest developers and publishers like Temple Run, Words With Friends, and PopCap’s Plants vs. Zombies. The worst part is many people have been scammed out of money thinking they were buying the real thing. Fortunately Apple has finally stepped up and removed the app’s. Continue reading “Apple Is Kicking Knockoff Apps Out Of The App Store” »
Apple Steals Xbox Live Exec To Work On Promoting App Store
Thursday, 2nd February 2012Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: app, App Store, apple, gaming, iTunes, market, microsoft, Nick Grange, Robert Saunders, robin burrowes, xbox
Written by: Craig Hunter
Following its most recent acquisition of Dixons’ and PC World’s John Browett as its new Retail SVP, Apple has poached an Xbox Live marketing exec from Europe to help promote the App Store. In case you were wondering how focused Apple is on further dominating the mobile gaming market in the months to come, its no coincidence they’ve decided to hire someone with 7 years of experience at Xbox…
With Apple rumored to be entering the living room with an HDTV possibly sometime this year, the hiring of Xbox’s Robin Burrowes shouldn’t be understated. Most recently Burrowes worked to market the latest Xbox dashboard updates in the EMEA. Continue reading “Apple Steals Xbox Live Exec To Work On Promoting App Store” »
NASA releases “Sector 33″ Air Traffic Control Simulator for iOS
Tuesday, 31st January 2012Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: air traffic, app, control, controller, game, iOS, ipad, iPhone, nasa, Sector 33, simulator
Written by: Craig Hunter
NASA has just launched a new iOS game called Sector 33 that is essentially an air traffic controller simulator that aims to teach math and troubleshooting skills. The game will see you directing a traffic stream over Modesto, California with your job being to make sure planes “NEVER violate minimum spacing requirements.”
NASA explained:
In the game the player acts as an air traffic controller guiding airplanes Continue reading “NASA releases “Sector 33″ Air Traffic Control Simulator for iOS” »
‘If I Die’ Lets You Keep Posting To Facebook After You Die
Wednesday, 18th January 2012Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: app, death, die, Facebook, If I Die, posthumously, suicide, update
Written by: Craig Hunter
Have you ever wondered what will happen to your Facebook account when you die? Unless your friends or family specifically request Facebook remove your profile, it will most likely stay up and become a memorial of sorts for your loved ones to share memories. However, a new app offers to give you control of your Facebook updates and posts…after you die.
If I Die is a new Facebook app that lets you set status updates and posts that will be published to your Facebook account after your death. The promo video for the app suggests a “bid farewell, a favorite joke, a long kept secret, an old score you wanted to settle, or even some valuable advice”. Continue reading “‘If I Die’ Lets You Keep Posting To Facebook After You Die” »
Call of Duty Elite iPhone App Launching In App Store Tomorrow, iPad Coming Soon
Monday, 9th January 2012Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: app, appstore, call of duty, elite, iOS, ipad, iPhone, ModernWarfare3, MWF3
Written by: Craig Hunter
Call of Duty Elite, the subscription stat tracking service and community for Modern Warfare 3, will officially be getting an iPhone companion app. According to a report from MacRumors, the app is set to launch in the App Store tomorrow, with an iPad version landing “shortly thereafter”.
The app will essentially provide access to just about every feature included in the web and console versions including the ability to track game stats, access career summary, view recent matches & challenges, and edit custom classes.
This is what Beachhead Studio head Chacko Sonny had to say: Continue reading “Call of Duty Elite iPhone App Launching In App Store Tomorrow, iPad Coming Soon” »
Is Apple Helping Atari Bully Indie iOS Developers?
Friday, 6th January 2012Posted in Apple, Blog Archive
Tags: app, apple, appstore, atari, battlezone, developers, game, iOS, tanks, Vector
Written by: Craig Hunter
The news recently broke that Atari was beginning to crack down on indie iOS developers creating games that sometimes only slightly resemble their classic arcade franchises.
As VentureBeat first reported, developers of iOS games like Vector Tanks have received legal threats from Atari, and Apple seems to be complying with Atari’s requests to remove titles from the App Store without independent review.
If you’re unfamiliar with Vector Tanks, it resembles Atari’s Continue reading “Is Apple Helping Atari Bully Indie iOS Developers?” »
Steam for Android: Unofficial Steam Client With Everything But Gameplay
Tuesday, 3rd January 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Technology
Tags: android, app, client, companion, IBF Programs, iOS, steam, third-party, unofficial, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
Despite just about every company and service having an iOS and usually an Android app too, we can understand the team at Valve might have some bigger development projects to worry about. If u can’t wait for the rumored official Steam clients/companion apps, at least Android users now have a decent third-party client (via Addictive Tips) that does just about everything but gameplay.
Thankfully developer IBF Programs has put together a pretty slick looking unofficial client called Steam for Android that will allow you to browse games/sales, view your Steam profile, tell when your friends are online and what they are playing, and interact with the community. Within the app you have access to following sections of Steam: Summary, Friends, Groups, Games, Specials, and Favorites. Continue reading “Steam for Android: Unofficial Steam Client With Everything But Gameplay” »
Get It While You Can– iMAME Emulator Hits App Store With Ability To Side Load ROMs
Thursday, 22nd December 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: app, apple, download, emulators, imame, ipad, iPhone, iTunes, roms, side load, store
Written by: Craig Hunter
Apple’s policies on accepting (only to quickly remove) most emulators from the App Store have been sketchy to say the least. Commodore 64 has slipped through the cracks and remains in the App Store, while the majority of others have already been given the axe by Apple. For whatever reason, it appears that they have now allowed iMAME.
There’s no doubt the free download, which comes with 9 pre-installed games, is definitely worth picking up. Among those titles– Circus, Crash, Fire One, Hard Hat, Robot Bowl, Side Track, Spectar, Star Fire, and Targ. Continue reading “Get It While You Can– iMAME Emulator Hits App Store With Ability To Side Load ROMs” »
Apps For the Musician: Rockmate and Shredder Guitar Synth
Wednesday, 14th December 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, NERDCORE
Tags: app, DAW, guitar, instrument, iOS, midi, mixer, oscillator, rockmate, Shredder, studio, synth
Written by: Craig Hunter
For musicians that are looking to breathe some life into your compositions or get a little inspiration when on the go, two cool new iPads apps launched today– one is a complete music studio mashed into a single instrument that anyone can play, and the other claims to be the “first professional iOS synthesizer” for guitars. Both are definitely worth checking out…
First up is Rockmate ($0.99)– Imagine taking every instrument in your average recording studio and creating a single instrument with elements of each that one person can play by themselves. It’s essentially a one man band packed into an iPad app, but it also includes a metronome, realtime looper, fader and pan controls, and a ton of effects, so it’s more like a mini studio built onto a single screen on the iPad app. Other features– up to 4 simultaneous players, customizable/saveable chord progressions, export to .aac and.wav, and Airplay support. Continue reading “Apps For the Musician: Rockmate and Shredder Guitar Synth” »
Apple Beats Out Google with 18 billion App Downloads
Monday, 12th December 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive
Tags: android, app, apple, apps, billion, downloads, Lion, mac, market, stats, store
Written by: Craig Hunter
Right on the heels of Google announcing 10 billion downloads in the Android Market, Apple has today shared some numbers announcing impressive stats for the App Store and Mac App Store.
Apple has officially announced the App Store on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is home to over 500,000 apps with more than 18 billion app downloads since the store’s launch.
Currently, an average of about 1 billion apps are being downloaded per month. Google also now claims approximately 1 billion downloads per month, but Apple’s numbers didn’t include the Mac App Store, which has reached over 100 million downloads in less than a year since launch. Continue reading “Apple Beats Out Google with 18 billion App Downloads” »
Microsoft Releases “My Xbox LIVE” App for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Wednesday, 7th December 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: app, appstore, download, iOS, ipad, iPhone, windows, xbox
Written by: Craig Hunter
Seemingly out of nowhere, Microsoft decided to drop a universal Xbox LIVE iOS app on us today.
While it obviously isn’t the full-fledged Xbox Live experience that you might be hoping for, it does at first glance appear to be quite a slick looking companion app.
Available for free as of today, the “My Xbox LIVE” app will let you manage achievements, send messages to your friends, edit your LIVE profile, and edit your 3D Avatar. Continue reading “Microsoft Releases “My Xbox LIVE” App for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch” »
Apple & Google Pass on ESRB Ratings For Mobile Apps
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: android, app, apple, AT&T, CTIA, esrb, games, google, mobile, rating, ratings
Written by: Craig Hunter
So as gamers we are more than aware of the ESRB’s work– you know…the ones responsible for that little black and white rating in the corner of just about every game.
The organization has been assigning the familiar “Everyone”, “Teen”, “Mature 17+”, etc., ratings on video games since around 1994 and now in conjunction with the CTIA are introducing a new rating system for mobile apps and games. Bloomberg reports:
“Mobile applications for smartphones and tablet computers may carry new ratings for violence and sexual content under a wireless Continue reading “Apple & Google Pass on ESRB Ratings For Mobile Apps” »
Police Capture Suspect Thanks to Apple ‘Find My iPhone’ App
Wednesday, 23rd November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Technology
Tags: app, apple, devices, FindMyiPhone, icloud, iPhone, LAPD, officers, police, robbery, tracking
Written by: Craig Hunter
There's an app for that...
As long as the feature is enabled on your iPhone, you can install the app on another iPhone or iPad (or access it through the iCloud web app) to locate your device and remotely wipe it if necessary.
Well, the feature has come in handy in a few sticky situations before, but this story from the LA Times blog goes to show how important it is to enable tracking solutions for our devices.
The victim was apparently robbed at gunpoint for her purse, which just so happened to contain an iPhone with Find My iPhone enabled. LAPD officers used a local citizen’s computer to track down the device. LA Times reports: Continue reading “Police Capture Suspect Thanks to Apple ‘Find My iPhone’ App” »
U.S. Government Spends $200,000 On (Useless) Smartphone App
Tuesday, 22nd November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Keeping it Real, Technology
Tags: app, cost, development, heat, jones, money, OSHA, requestFOIA, tax, taxpayer
Written by: Craig Hunter
Most of us know that, despite just about anyone being able to get into mobile app development these days, it can still be quite a pricy venture to have a professionally developed app (depending on its functionality). However, to spend $200,000 of taxpayer money on what might possibly be the most useless app ever created is an absolute abomination.
Thanks goes to developer Rich Jones over at Gun.IO who, after being appalled with the quality of the OSHA Heat Safety Tool app, set out to find out exactly how much it cost taxpayers. Continue reading “U.S. Government Spends $200,000 On (Useless) Smartphone App” »
Domino’s Pizza iPad App Lets You Make & Order Your Own Pie
Monday, 21st November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Offbeat
Tags: app, apple, appstore, com, domino's, game, hero, iOS, ipad, order, pizza
Written by: Craig Hunter
While it’s certainly not the first iOS app from a Pizza chain– Pizza Hut and Papa John’s have their own– Domino’s new ‘Pizza Hero’ game/ordering app is probably the most creative.
Rather than let you just pick your toppings, fill out your address and be done with it, Pizza hero is an interactive game allowing you to actually build your own pizza. Starting from smoothing out the dough Continue reading “Domino’s Pizza iPad App Lets You Make & Order Your Own Pie” »
Chrono Trigger Landing on iOS Next Month, Square Enix Gives Sneak Peek
Monday, 21st November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: app, apple, appstore, ChronoTrigger, classic, enix, iOS, iPhone, ipod, port, RPG, SNES, square
Written by: Craig Hunter
We all got excited when Square Enix announced Chrono Trigger (along with Final Fantasy Legends, Chaos Rings 2, and Demon’s Score) was in the works for iOS and Android.
While we’re still in the dark about a possible Android release, Square Enix today officially announced the iOS version will be coming sometime in December and also gave us a sneak peek of what to expect… Continue reading “Chrono Trigger Landing on iOS Next Month, Square Enix Gives Sneak Peek” »
Minecraft: Pocket Edition now available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Wednesday, 16th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: android, app, download, iOS, ipad, iPhone, iPodtouch, iTunes, Minecraft, Pocket Edition, released
Written by: Craig Hunter
Mojang’s long-awaited Pocket Edition of their build-anything sandbox Minecraft has finally landed on iOS with a universal app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Unfortunately, it might not live up to your expectations with stripped down gameplay and a price tag that might not satisfy your mobile Minecraft needs.
For those that were hoping the iOS version would be closer to a faithful port of the PC version in comparison to the Android port, you’re going to be disappointed. The app’s iTunes page provides a rather short list of features that mirrors the Android app’s listing– Randomized worlds, 36 types of blocks, local network multiplayer, and the ability to save multiplayer worlds. Unfortunately Continue reading “Minecraft: Pocket Edition now available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch” »
Not So Fast Farmville Clones, FACEBOOK Thinks They Could Be The Future of Gaming
Tuesday, 15th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: app, Facebook, future, games, HTML5, mobile gaming
Written by: Craig Hunter
Facebook’s presence in the gaming industry is, at the very least, highlighted by Farmville and a handful of other semi-successful titles. But if you ask Facebook’s European head of Gaming Partnerships, Julien Cordorniou, the platform will also be “the future for the gaming industry” in its entirety.
According to PocketGamer.biz, Cordorniou recently took the stage at the Social Gaming Summit in London to talk about Facebook’s future in mobile gaming. Perhaps his most intriguing comment was the fact he thought every “game that exists on PC, consoles, should come on the Facebook platform at some point”.
The report continues Continue reading “Not So Fast Farmville Clones, FACEBOOK Thinks They Could Be The Future of Gaming” »
Condition One: First-person, Interactive Video Experience Blurs the Lines Between Gaming and Film
Monday, 14th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Technology
Tags: 360, app, appstore, camera, condition, experience, immersive, Interactive, ipad, vantage point, video
Written by: Craig Hunter
Written By Jordan Kahn
Imagine being able to pan through a video as it’s playing, control vantage points by tilting the iPad it’s playing on, and change your field of view as if you’re in control of a virtual camera. No longer would you be limited to what the single shot any particular camera man decided to shoot. When watching video in the Continue reading “Condition One: First-person, Interactive Video Experience Blurs the Lines Between Gaming and Film” »
Nuance speech-to-text comes to Mac OS X on the cheap with Dragon Express app
Thursday, 10th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Technology
Tags: app, dictate, dragon, express, mac, recognition, software, speech, speech-to-text
Written by: Craig Hunter
It looks like I will no longer have to write these articles with my hands, as the new Dragon Express app from voice recognition experts Nuance is an inexpensive option for quality speech-to-text functionality on a Mac.
Well, it’s inexpensive at least in comparison to Nuance’s well-established Dragon Dictate software. The new app is essentially a lightweight version of the full $199 Dragon Dictate app, and provides the majority of features the average user will require.
So how does it work? After you’ve installed the app from the Mac App Store, it will exist within your menubar at the top of your screen. You can launch Continue reading “Nuance speech-to-text comes to Mac OS X on the cheap with Dragon Express app” »
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