Is the “free re-download to iPhone” gravy train over?
Filed under: Rampant Speculation, Rumors, That's Weird..., iPhone
While beta testing the iPhone’s 3.0 software, Michael over at iAPPetite noticed that Apple seems to not be as generous with its bandwidth as it was with the version 2 software.
Currently, when you delete an app from your iPhone, and then find you’d like to have it back while you’re out and about, you can redownload it to your iPhone again for free – no computer required. However, when trying this with the new firmware, Michael got the following message:
“You’ve already purchased this. You can redownload it for free on your computer, or tap Buy to buy it again.
We’ll have to wait until the offical release to see if this new “feature” makes the cut to the iPhone 3 firmware, but it looks like Apple (or more likely AT&T) is trying to trim their iPhone-related bandwidth needs. Somehow I feel like those “direct to iPhone movie downloads” are going to be a Wi-Fi only deal.
[via iAPPetite]
Games you SHOULD be playing: :Shift:
As we all know, I happen to live under a rock (for financial reasons) so somehow I missed hearing about the (apparently) popular online Flash game :Shift:. Well, the game has come to the iPhone (iTunes link :Shift: 99¢), and while I never heard of it before today, I can see why it has a loyal following.
What at first glance may appear to be a simple “run and jump” platformer is actually so much more creative and fun than that. :Shift: is actually more of a puzzle solving game, and it’s its unique controls that make it so fun. The goal of each level is to get to the exit (the door) while avoiding spikey hazards. To do this, you will need to occasionally “shift” (invert) the screen, causing the elements which were black to turn white, and the white ones to turn black. By alternately doing this, you can run and jump your way to the various parts of the board necessary to get to the exit. The idea of shifting may sound a little confusing, but check out the video below (taken from the Flash version) to see what I’m talking about.
The game has wonderfully simple black and white visuals (with an occasional splash of red when you mess up), as well as a great control scheme and overall sense of humor. Even if you are familiar with the Flash version of the game, there is reason to check out the iPhone version, as 25 new iPhone exclusive levels have been added.
If 99¢ is a little too much to part with based solely on my recommendation, then try out :Shift Lite:, the free version of :Shift: to get a feel for the gameplay. In either case, :Shift: is a game you should be playing now.
Spot the iPhone
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, Celebrity Mac Chick, iPhone
Faithful Macenstein reader Jake swears there’s a white iPhone somewhere in this picture of Brazilian model Luciana Morad, but for the life of me, I can’t find it. In fact, I’m not even sure that woman has a head.
I have a better chance of finding Waldo.
[via Celebslam]
It’s bikini season!
No, not summer… WWDC!
Yes, faithful Macenstein reader Paul sent us this link to a Craigslist ad for WWDC Bikini models. We’re not yet sure who the company is soliciting for the girls (we assume they want girls, although the ad doesn’t say), but they are offering $100 an hour, so start doing them crunches ladies! You only have until June 8th!
Speaking of bikini bodies, on a related note, we are actively seeking new Mac Chicks for our Mac Chick of the Month feature(and these WOULD be females we’re looking for), so if you or someone you know would look great holding a Mac in a bikini, please let us know. Oh, and while we’re wishfully thinking, we are extra super duper actively seeking twin Mac Chicks. Spread the word!
WTF? Palm Pre syncs with iTunes? Let the countdown to the next iTunes update begin!
Faithful Macenstein reader Jimmy Schapira did what I did not have the time (or quite frankly, the interest) in doing today – he actually followed Engadget’s live Palm Pre event at D7. And good thing he did. First, we learned that the Walt Mossberg-hosted event was for some reason hosted in barber chairs.
But secondly, and almost as important, is that apparently through some sort of evil, blasphemous hackery, Palm has found a way to get iTunes to sync music and video from iTunes to the Pre. On a Mac, no less!
As you might expect, the media needs to be DRM-free, but nowadays just about any music you buy from iTunes WILL be DRM-free. Of course, we fully expect an iTunes update citing “bug fixes” to be released soon after the Pre goes on sale, but this is still actually pretty big news. Now, ordinarily I would say that we should all run out and sell our Apple stock, but coincidentally on the day of Palm’s big coming out party comes rumors that Steve Jobs showed up at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters today, doing one-armed pushups with 2 female interns on his back. So I am predicting a 4% jump in AAPL tomorrow despite this iPhone-killing announcement.
Skulls are cool
Faithful Macenstein reader Roger clued us in to a pretty cool T-Shirt that both Mac geeks and fans of dead people alike will love.
Not since Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney sat down together and wrote one of the worst songs in history have I beheld such a wonderful homage to racial harmony. (OK, so it has more to do with being bad-ass than getting along… but so what?)
It’s a classic skull design but made with the keys from an extended white Mac keyboard and the keys from the black keyboard from the original iMac (the one with the half sized F keys). I could say it depicts the obsolescence that all computer equipment faces, but really it’s just skulls make great tees! What Mac geek wouldn’t like to see a design featuring Mac keys, and only only closer inspection can you find the classic Apple command key.
I’m not sure I want people closely inspecting my stomach, but hey, until Mac keyboard boxer shorts with strategically placed “Command” keys appears, this will do.
You can find the tee here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/rubyred/t-shirts/3125274-1-key-skull in 22 colors, if you are so inclined.
Well, at least we still don’t know exactly what the BACK looks like…
Filed under: Hardware, Microsoft Bashing, Rampant Speculation, Rumors, design, iPhone
If only there were residents of Cupertino California willing to work for $10 a month, maybe then Apple would be able to plug some of these overseas leaks. Behold China Ontrade, a supplier of replacement parts for pretty much any device you can think of, including Apple’s as-of-yet unreleased 3rd Generation iPhone.
Currently they are selling two iPhone parts, the front bezel as well as the LCD screen, which I guess means OLED is right out. I’m not sure what an OLED screen is and I don’t feel like looking it up – I’ll just assume it can extend battery life or save the environment or some other lame thing – but I assume since it has an extra letter in front of it over an LED screen, it must be worlds better than a regular LED screen. In fact, Microsoft recently announced their upcoming Zune HD would have an OLED screen, and if it’s good enough to Microsoft, then… um… never mind. I think themiPhone’s LCD will do just fine.
Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader Your Mom for the tip!
[via Gizmodo]
This app got approved
Once again, Apple’s crack team of app store approvers has done another stellar job. Behold Luigi vs. Pac, a game I ASSUME is a fully licensed joint venture of Nintendo and Namco who obviously were so overwhelmed with work they hired CSA Applications to create this game for them featuring two of their flagship characters.
“Defat”?
Luigi Vs Pac
***************************************************************
CSA APPLICATIONS IS PROUD TO PRESENT: Luigi Vs Pacman
***************************************************************
Want to play a totally different style of pong? WELL YOU GOT IT!Play Luigi As he has to defat the almighty pac man.
****************************************************
Update Coming Soon!!
Different Playable Characters
Increased Stability
Different enemies
*****************************************************************
SEND COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS TO
swiftskater2@gmail.com
Hmm… I can think of ONE comment…
Sonic the Hedgehog for iPhone isn’t a game, it’s a Genesis emulator
Sega’s recently released Sonic the Hedgehog for iPhone has received well-deserved accolades for bringing an amazing faithful port of the 1991 Sega Genesis classic to the iPhone platform, yet at the same time, it has also received almost as much criticism for its slow frame rates and performance issues. Well, the guys over at AllTechRelated may have discovered the reason. Apparently, Sonic isn’t so much a port to the iPhone as a Genesis emulator running Sonic on the iPhone.
It turns out if you open up the Sonic app folder on a jailbroken iPhone (as I’ve done below), you can replace the file named “rom.bin” with another Genesis ROM file you may own, and it will play. In their tests not all ROMs worked, (so far, they’ve had success with Sonic 1 and 2, Afterburner 2, and Ecco the Dolphin).
Above: Replace this file with a bin ROM of your own, and you’re good to go.
The obvious catch here is that only the D-Pad and A button are supported, so only certain games will play well even if they launch. I have tested out Sonic 2, and as you can see from the shots below (featuring Sonic’s friend Tails) the hack does indeed work. (I only tested that ROM because I still own the original Sonic 2 cartridge, and the underlying feeling in the ROM community is that you shouldn’t run emulated games you did not buy at some point).
I actually noticed the ROM for Sonic 2 plays smoother than the “official” Sega Sonic for the iPhone. For some, perhaps the knowledge that Sonic can in fact run many Genesis titles may help justify the $5.99 price tag on the laggy app. Of course, if you have a jailbroken iPhone, there’s already a free Genesis emulator out there.
As someone who plans to UNjailbreak my iPhone when the version 3 OS comes out, here’s hoping Sega decides to do right and fix the performance on Sonic, but in the meantime, running Sonic 2 ain’t a bad consolation prize.
[via AllTechRelated]
Another Apple supplier under fire for alleged labor violations
GlobalPost is claiming that yet another of Apple’s Chinese parts suppliers is being accused of labor rights violations – this time it’s flat panel supplier Wintek in the hot seat.
Above: Protesters are allegedly being put on blacklists.
The above video is taken from a protest outside Apple’s Taipei office (which unfortunately for BMW seems to predominantly sport the BMW logo). A protesters holding signs reading “black-heart business” and one man holding an Apple laptop with the Chinese Characters for “responsibility” can be seen. According to the National Federation of Independent Trade Unions, Wintek has recently fired 600 employees, drastically cut salaries, and is forcing the remaining employees to work unpaid overtime to fill orders in less than ideal working conditions. Wintek denies any wrongdoing, blaming the cuts on the overall down global economy, and claims its policies “are in line with local laws and regulation”.
Back in 2006 Apple came under fire for similar labor violations uncovered at one of its iPod manufacturing facilities.
At this point China has such a bad reputation for labor violations it is easy to just assume every report is true. Whether or not it turns out Wintek is responsible for any wrongdoing, odds are the quickest way out of this PR debacle is for Wintek to somehow embed some cute pictures of its female assembly line workers into its monitors. That seems to work wonders for public relations.
[via GlobalPost]
