Apple’s new iPod touch web ads almost makes you think the touch is a real gaming machine
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Hardware, Opinion, iPhone, iPod Touch
It’s no secret Apple is pushing the iPod touch as a gaming machine – Steve Jobs said as much when lamely trying to explain why the new iPod touches didn’t have a camera (as if game makers couldn’t find a creative way to make use of one).
But if there was any lingering doubt that Apple was trying to push the iPhone/touch platform further into the mindset of hard core gamers, this new web ad on super gaming site IGN ought to clear up any misconceptions.
Unfortunately, even a fanboy such as myself must admit that the iPod touch and the iPhone are somewhat lacking when it comes to games. For the past year I have tried to convince myself the touch screen could be made to take the place of analog controls, but I just can’t kid myself anymore. As the games being released become increasingly complex and ever more graphically stunning, it’s obvious that the interior of the iPod touch is more than up to the task of handheld gaming – but it’s the outside that needs work.
Oh sure, many developers have come up with clever tricks and inventive control schemes, but aside from a few standout casual games that were inherently designed for the touch screen interface (Flight Control, Puzzlings, Fieldrunners…) the majority of games would benefit GREATLY from some sort of analog control buttons. Sure, driving games LOOK like they work great in the 2 second clips in the Apple ads, and tilting to steer works well enough, but find me ONE die hard racer who likes having to precisely hit certain areas of a flat screen while turning said screen in order to break, shift, shoot, etc. Even some of the first games ever made (PacMan, BurgerTime, Frogger) are too difficult to play on the touch. And forget about First Person Shooters and Football. No matter how impressive the graphics, and no matter how well companies like Gameloft are able to design their psuedo-analog controllers, covering 35% of an already cramped screen with your thumbs is no way to play a game.
Above: Where the hell is the iControl Pad?
Quite frankly I am surprised Apple has not yet come out with it’s own dockable gamepad/external battery device. Remember the GameBone, the iJoyPad, and the ethereal iControlPad? They all looked great (well, they all appeared to WORK great, that is) but despite over a year of publicity and hype, to date not one has physically shown up here at the lab for testing (note to those developers, please send us one for testing, we’re DYING over here!).
Above: …and the GameBone?
Quite frankly by now Apple should not only have come out with its own controller, but it should have also have released a set of APIs to let developers incorporate the controls into their games. So far the avalanche of iPhone/iPod touch peripherals I expected after Apple announced support for 3rd party hardware earlier this year has yet to materialize. At this point it is pretty clear that if Apple wants to create a viable gaming accessory market, it is going to have to get the ball rolling itself – perhaps even literally with a dockable trackball, for Centipede.
Above: … and the iJoyPad?
In the family friendly hand-held gaming arena, there is no doubt that Nintendo is still king, but if Apple truly wants to compete with the big boys, they’re going to need to take a page from the New England Patriot’s playbook, and take a page from their competitor’s playbook. Nintendo always markets its own (usually superior) peripherals for its consoles and handhelds, but also allows other companies to market their own. Apple should do the same. Without a way to control games while avoiding covering them with our fat fingers (and stereotypes be damned, most die hard gamers DO have pretty fat fingers) all the advertising on gaming sites in the world won’t bring the iPod touch true gaming street cred.
Palm owners complain about defects, cheap construction, Oreos
Sure, the iPhone 3GS may be running hot enough to allegedly nearly melt the white models, but at least its keyboard doesn’t squeak! Ahhh, the joys of a touchscreen…
According to ABC News, owners of the “iPhone killing” Palm Pre (which sold 400,000 units last month, compared to the 1 million iPhone 3GS’ Apple sold its first weekend) are experiencing some hardware glitches, forcing some users to give up completely on the device after their 3rd returns.
“Yeah I will be exchanging mine as well,” writes one Palm owner on the site jkOnTheRun. “It is squeaky when i type on it, and I have found that if you squeeze the pre in a weird way OR slide the screen down a tad to hard my unit just turns off in a blink of an eye…..”
Across the web on Palm Pre enthusiast sites, more and more reports of build defects are surfacing, including an odd type of separation being described as “Oreo Twisting”. Here’s one of many complaints about the Pre’s build quality on the PreCentral forums:
“I’m on my THIRD pre (yellow box). Over the last two weeks, I’ve noticed an increasing amount of play with the screen. I’ve also noticed that on the left side of the device the two sections are separated enough that i can almost see the innards. When I push them together, you can hear squeaking. On top of that, the device came with a loose power button that doesn’t click nearly as firmly as that of other devices.”
… and another…
“On average its 4 slides to get it to turn off. I love getting an email, opening the slider, and seeing the screen go black. Then I have to wait 90 seconds for it to start up (longest OS start-up I have ever seen. Vista boots faster).”
… and another… Read more
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]
Further evidence that Darth Vader invented the iPod
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Hardware, Humor, Photos, design, iPod nano
Extremely long-time readers may recall that I uncovered evidence that Darth Vader in fact invented the iPod.
(above: the iPod was conceived a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away¦)
Well, I uncovered further evidence while watching the season finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As you can see, in the episode entitled “Hostage Crisis”, we can clearly see Anakin Skywalker (AKA Darth Vader lite) build an iPod nano out of spare parts.
OK, maybe this theory is a bit far-fetched, but you gotta admit it certainly makes more sense than Anakin building C3PO.
Review: Pico P1 portable iPhone/iPod projector
For many, including myself, the iPhone has quickly become one of the most indispensable gadgets in our lives. The iPhone owes its great success in large part to the sheer number of devices it can replace. Obviously it is both a phone and an iPod, but it is also can serve as a GPS unit, does an admirable job serving as a Nintendo DS/PSP-replacement, and it also packs in a decent amount of laptop functionality with its above average web browsing and e-mail abilities. But can it serve as a home theater replacement? A quick look at its 3.5″ screen would be enough answer for most people, but what if you could bump that up to, oh, say 60″? Well, that’s just what AAXA Technologies Pico P1 portable projector does, and it does it in a size not much bigger than the iPhone itself.
Above: The P1 comes with an RCA audio/video adapter and power cable, but you’ll likely want to purchase an iPod cable (right) for an extra $15.
The Pico P1 is a 6-ounce portable LED projector that can project virtually any standard definition video signal (meaning 640×480 resolution) at sizes up to 60-inches, depending on ambient light situations (obviously the darker the room, the better). Read more
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