Archive for category Apple iPhone

iPhone iOS 4 Software Update Is Now Available for Download

Apple has made available the iOS 4 software update for iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPod touch. Connect your iPhone’s to iTunes and click the Check for Update button to download and install. This latest iteration of the iPhone’s software introduces new major features like folders for apps, background tasks for third-party apps, and global spellchecking.

For a thorough look at the new software features, we recommend checking out the TiPB‘s iOS 4 walkthrough.

Battle For Hoth, Star Wars Tower Defense Game, Looks Good

Star Wars: The Battle For Hoth is a good looking, just-announced iPhone game that combines two geek favorites — Star Wars and tower defense — into one packet. Casting you as a Rebel leader, you have to defend the Hoth shield generator against 15 levels of Imperial attack. While the exact release date and price aren’t known yet, over at 148apps they have a detailed preview and say that the release of the app is “imminent.”

Rather than currency, the player uses “command points” to place and upgrade units, with the key factor being making sure they’re in the right location to stop the Imperial onslaught. As levels progress, new units will be available for deployment, but the enemy will add new foes to fight as well.

[via Cult of Mac]

More details after the jump:

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iPhone Game Review: iDodge: Space Ninja

iDodge: Space Ninja ($5.99, link) has some of the best accelerometer controls around and makes use of the iPhone’s tilt controls in a surprisingly precise way. Relying on the accelerometer as the primary method of control for any game can be dodgy if done incorrectly, but Space Ninja does it very well. The game has you navigating mine fields and enemies using only your dodging prowess, controlled by said accelerometer, through a frankly ludicrous number of levels.

Each level is of set vertical length, and you try and dodge a gauntlet of obstacles to cross the finish line. You don’t have any weapons at your disposal, so it’s up to using the accelerometer and some mad agility to avoid incoming attacks from multitudes of enemies. While you may not be armed, you do have some tricks up your sleeve. Pressing and holding on the left side of the screen activates a magnetic field to pull things in, and the right side lets you slow down time, making it easier to dodge. However, every level is apparently beatable without using them, and you get bonus medals if you do so — it’s just freakishly hard.


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iPhone Game Review: Sway

Sway ($4.99, link) is a puzzle game for the iPhone that, underneath its simple concept, lies a surprisingly tricky game — one that belies the childish theme of the game.

Sway uses an innovative twist for multitouch controls, with each half of the screen corresponding to one of your characters hands. You play a small, stuffed animal-like monkey with hands that stick to the background. When hanging by just one hand, you swing the character, and lift your thumb to send them flying — but be careful to grab hold of something before you fall to your death.

The object is to make your way Tarzan style across the level, flinging and swinging from platform to platform, avoiding obstacles and barely catching moving sections. Completing each level gives you a rating based on how fast you completed it and the number of stars you collected along the way.

It’s a simple idea and control scheme but surprisingly tricky. It takes a while to learn how to accurately throw the character around, and I spent a huge amount of time plummeting to my death. It’s remarkably hard, and once you throw in hazards and moving platforms, it gets even trickier. If you’re trying to beat each level in the time required to get the medals, you have to master the art of flinging with wild abandon, to move with sufficient speed. Luckily, there’s no penalty for dying, you just start at the most recent checkpoint.

The levels are laid out on a branching path, and as you complete them, you gradually unlock more characters with different attributes. For instance, the first character you unlock has longer arms, but moves more slowly.


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Game Review: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 ($9.99, link) takes the incredibly successful skating game, and shrinks it down to pocket size, squeezing almost all the functionality of the classic game into its iPhone counterpart.

THPS2 is arguably the best of the series (either it or its immediate sequel), and came long before the poorly regarded recent entries, like Proving Ground or Ride. An immensely well-received game, it sold gangbusters on the PS1, N64, and was one of the few games that would run happily on my old 12-inch Titanium G4.

The Tony Hawk games put you in a series of themed levels, which you skate through, attempting to work through a number of goals for each one. There’s cash scattered around, which is used to buy tricks and increase your stats, hidden tapes, secret rooms, special grinds to be done, and usually some sort of level-specific collectible. On top of that, you want to try and hit various high score amounts. As you pass each level, more open up, including a number of competitions, where you have three runs to rack up as many points as possible. Or you can just play free skate, and bum around to your heart’s content.


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Cat and iPhone Have a Conversation (Funny Video)

Cat echoes what comes out of the Cat Piano iPhone app ($0.99):

Head on over to the Macenstein blog for a funny collection of cats interacting with the Cat Piano app. It also seems to make cats want to fight each other.

Verizon CEO Says No iPhone Deal Yet (Video)

Anyone hoping for a clearer picture of when the iPhone will be available on Verizon’s network will have to wait a little longer. At a Council on Foreign Relations meeting in New York, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg took a moment to address a number of Apple-related subjects, including the Google vs Apple rivalry, iPhone rumors, and the iPad, but couldn’t offer any positive news on the Verizon iPhone front, only clarifying that there was currently no deal in place with Apple.

When asked whether Verizon was taking sides in the Google vs Apple mobile phone battle by offering Google Android phones, Mr. Seidenberg said Verizon wasn’t taking sides but rather maintained the view that “networks should be neutral to anybody’s device, and we want to carry anybody’s device.”

Mr. Seidenberg also addressed recent rumors from the Wall Street Journal that the iPhone may soon be offered on Verizon’s network. Seidenberg seemed to downplay the rumor by stating that, in terms of making a decision to bring the iPhone to Verizon, the ball was squarely in Apple’s court. He stated that Verizon had already “expressed an interest” to Apple for carrying the device.

When asked if he had any idea of when Apple might make a decision, his response was “No.”

Mr. Seidenberg indicated that Verizon’s CDMA network may be the stumbling block for Apple, who preferred AT&T’s more widely used global GSM network. Seidenberg pointed to the next-generation LTE 4G networks that both Verizon and AT&T are planning on building as a way to conform to Apple’s vision of “one phone for phone world.”

To clarify the technical barriers of a Verizon iPhone, Seidenberg said:

So Verizon runs its wireless business on a technology standard that — it’s called CDMA, so it’s a different standard than the one that AT&T runs, GSM. So Apple decided to build its first device on the GSM standard because that’s a more accepted global standard.

I mean, our view, over time, is that as the devices come to a common architecture, we would be eligible for Apple to consider putting their devices on our network. It’s their shot, their call. We’re open to doing it.

A recent Wall Street Journal article claimed Apple was gearing up to manufacture two separate models of iPhone this year, one of which would be compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network. With Apple rumored to release a new GSM iPhone in this summer, it’s unlikely a deal with Verizon could be ready in time to release a separate CDMA iPhone alongside. Late 2010 or early 2011 would seem more likely if this scenario were true.

Concerning the iPad, Mr. Seidenberg said Verizon was very interested in its video-streaming possibilities from a network point of view, as the need for a unique stream of data to each device for delivering video would increase data traffic over Verizon’s network.

EA iPhone Games On Sale in App Store

Electronic Arts is throwing a big spring sale in the App Store, with many games lowered to $0.99 and bargains on several others. The sale will last until April 5. A standout bargain is Simpsons Arcade (link) for $0.99; it averages 4 stars in the App Store.

99-cent games:

Other deals:

Frustrated With Your iPhone?

We all get down on our iPhones now and again, whether it’s the poorly designed Mail app or other grievances. Well, here’s something to put things in a little perspective. Here’s a video showing Nokia’s flagship N97, currently around $500 on Amazon, in real life use being compared with Nokia’s own promotional video of the device:

Wow, they shipped that.

Via Daring Fireball.

Photos on iPad: Apple’s Official Guided Tour (Video)

Apple’s guided video tour for the Photos iPad app is the longest of the tours, coming in at a little over 3 minutes. Mac users should find most of the features familiar: a film-strip browser at the bottom of the screen, slideshows with special transitions and the ability to use your own music, and iPhoto features like Faces, Events, and Places. The video does give us a glimpse at the iPad Camera Connector kit, which will allow users to directly import photos from cameras to the iPad. Photographers in the field should love that. The video also shows a second connector in the kit that allows importation from an SD card.

Again, nothing mind blowing. Spot anything new? Let us know in the comments.