domingo, 27 de enero de 2013

iPad By Davis: “MAME returns to the App Store this time hidden in a game called Gridlee” plus 7 more

iPad By Davis: “MAME returns to the App Store this time hidden in a game called Gridlee” plus 7 more

MAME returns to the App Store this time hidden in a game called Gridlee

Posted: 27 Jan 2013 01:27 AM PST

MAME returns to the App Store this time hidden in a game called GridleeA new game has been released in the App Store that offers a little more than meets the eye. Gridlee was a game that was originally developed for the arcade back in 1982 and never released; that is until now. It is a really simple game as you would imagine as it dates back to 1982; what's interesting here however is that it is built on the MAME4iOS engine. The information comes from Touch Arcade whose eagle eyed forum members made the discovery.

When word of this hit our forums, readers were quick to pull out iExplore and begin digging about the app's directory structure looking for a ROM folder. Well, it's in there, and sure enough, if one copies other MAME ROMs into that folder, the Gridlee app starts up with the standard MAME4iOS ROM listing, allowing for a great many games beyond just Gridlee to be played on the iPhone or iPad in this Universal app.

This is going to be pulled from the App Store very quickly so if you want the opportunity to grab a working MAME emulator for your iPhone or iPad get this free game now. iMAME was originally released in the App Store back in 2011 with a small bundle of included games. When Apple discovered that more could be added by dropping ROM's into a folder, it was pulled soon after. This game is no different so expect a very short shelf life. Also as this is a MAME emulator, it offers full iCade support; if you have one of those do not miss out, download it now!

Free – Download Now

Source: Touch Arcade

Apple releases iOS 6.1 beta 5 for iPhone and iPad

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 05:07 PM PST

Apple releases iOS 6.1 beta 5 for iPhone and iPad

Apple has released iOS 6.1 beta 5 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. This comes just a day before beta 4 was set to expire, and represents one of the longest gaps between beta releases in iOS' history. Furthermore, beta 5 still hasn't shown up over-the-air (OTA), so rather than the faster, more convenient delta-update-in-place, if you want beta 5 now, now, now, you'll have to download it from developer.apple.com and do a complete update via iTunes or Xcode.

As always, this beta is intended for registered developers so they can try out new application program interfaces (API) and make sure their apps are compatible before iOS 6.1 goes into general availability (GA), presumably sometime in the next couple of months.

(If anyone gets the OTA, let us know. It's spoiled us and made us lazy!)

Update: There's still no OTA, and this build has characteristics common to a gold master (GM) seed, including no expiration date. So whether this was a GM that Apple show stoppered for some reason and had to release simply to avoid the previous beta from expiring, or its something more, we'll have to wait and see.

Either way, if you want it, you'll have to get it via iTunes or Xcode.

Source: developer.apple.com

iMore editors' Choice: Scribblenauts, Ghostbusters, Trapit, Trall, and more!

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:32 PM PST

Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a ton of games, a smart news aggregator, and... did we say a ton of games?

Scribblenauts Remix - Michelle Haag

My daughter actually discovered this game on the iPad, and has played it non-stop ever since. Your goal is to help Maxwell get through each level by inventing objects to pass obstacles and challenges. Your imagination is the only limit in this game, as you come up with new and original ways to solve the puzzles. For example, in one level you might need to cross a river, so you type in the word 'bridge' and one appears for you to place in the right spot. Or maybe you need to get over a large cliff, so you type 'butterfly wings' and use them to soar over, unscathed. Scribblenauts Remix contains 40 levels from the original game plus 10 original levels and the Playground where you can create to your heart's content in a sandbox environment. The game has just been updated for Valentine's Day with all new content, too. Play on multiple devices with iCloud allowing you to seamlessly switch between them, share your scores with your Game Center friends, and so much more. You don't want to miss trying out Scribblenauts, just be warned that you'll be hooked right away!

Ghostbusters - Chris Parsons

If you're a fan of the Ghostbusters cartoon from the 80's then you'll want to check out the latest Ghostbusters game in the app store. History hasn't been all that nice to the franchise when it comes to video games but this latest rendition does a lot better than previous iterations out there of offering something for fans. Assemble your Ghostbuster team and take on some ghosts, you'll need to fight your way through numerous levels using an array of weapons and if those aren't sufficient, you'll have to power up and get better ones. Yes, there is a money making scheme here that suggests you get through the game fast by buying 'power cores' but overall it's not a bad game to sit back and play, especially if you're a fan of the cartoon. Now, who you gonna call?

Trapit for iPad - Joseph Keller

Trapit for iPad is news aggregator that learns what you like. Like Siri, Trapit was born out of DARPA's CALO project, an effort to make an intelligent digital assisstant. Trapit works by asking you for a topic, Apple, for instance, and then asking you to find stories you like in order to teach Trapit what it should pull into that section. The more stories you like, the more Trapit is able to learn about how it should refine what news it shows you. If it shows you a story that isn't relevant, might be spam, or is from a source you dislike, simple press the dislike button to get rid of it. As a service, Trapit is currently in beta, though the app itself is available for free on the App Store. Be sure to check it out, because it's definitely worth a look.

Momonga Pinball Adventures - Ally Kazmucha

Every once in a while I find a game with a decent story line and easy game play that's a great time killer. Momonga Pinball Adventures is a super cute game that's a pretty cool spin off of classic pinball.

Momonga is the last squirrel left that wasn't' taken by a gang of owls. Panda trains him to go rescue is tribe. Training and rescuing equals pinball action. You'll have to hit targets, dodge objects, and come out alive in order to save your tribe.

It's an easy enough game for children to play but stimulating enough to keep the big kids in the house entertained as well. If you're looking for a twist on an old classic, definitely check out Momonga Pinball Adventures. It's a universal download for both iPhone and iPad too so you can enjoy on whichever you prefer.

Traal - Simon Sage

Traal is simple, free, and altogether intense stealth game. You control an abstract, nameless character through a dark maze full of treacherous obstacles and monstrous aberrations. Players have to collect scrolls written in an incomprehensible language in order to figure out where they are and where they're going. You have to be careful where you shine your light though, as the inhabitants will chase you down if you shine it on them. The dark music and stark, 8-bit-style graphics create an atmosphere perfect for a few jumps and frights. There's a refreshing absence of ads or in-app purchases here, which makes Traal a cozy, intimate get-together with you and your fear.

Your choice?

Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!

Best Free iPad App of the Week: Endless Alphabet

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 10:28 AM PST

One of the best things about using an iPad is all the great apps that we can run on it. There are excellent apps for just about any purpose you can think of. Better still, there are lots of great free apps for the iPad. Our Best Free iPad App of the Week posts highlight [...]

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Imagining a skeuomorphic-free, all-aluminium iOS 7

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 09:17 AM PST

Imaging a skeuomorphic-free, all-aluminium iOS 7

Skeuomorphism -- the use of real world design in a digital context -- has been a target lately. At the extreme, it's held up as an example of iOS being boring, outdated, and bereft of innovation. In more reasonably terms, it's looked at as something that can be useful, but has perhaps been overused. I've gone on record as saying I think there are far more important things Apple needs to do in iOS 7 than wiping the world clean of skeuomorphism, both here on the site and in a podcast rant. But let's imagine for a moment it is on the agenda. That Apple's new head of all design, hardware and software, Jony Ive, was set to impose a new, unified, Aluminium theme. That, just like the Scarlet Witch in House of M, he whispered "No more Skeuomorphs."

Instead of arguing in the abstract about how much better or worse it would be, let's mock it up and see what could that look like...

A unified, aluminium iOS

Back before iOS 6 there were rumors of a complete, consistent re-skinning of the core interface into something more subdued and "silver". That didn't come to pass, though Apple's newest built-in app, Maps, did get a more subdued, more silver make-over, complete with new, floating buttons. Inspired by a discussion with Grant Paul for an upcoming episode of the Debug podcast,

I'm going to use something akin to that as a foundation, with a hint of the WWDC 2012 for the more heavily designed apps. I'm calling it "aluminium" in honor of how Jony Ive (properly) pronounces the word. Here's an example of Find my Friends, iBooks, and Game Center, stripped down and anodized.

Under the theory that consistency is usability, the more lightly-designed built-in apps could also adopt the same look and feel. Here's an example of Settings, Mail, and Safari.

Additional background

A lot has been written about skeuomorphism lately, by a lot of people far more experienced than me. Dave Wiskus, in an article for Macworld, explored the future of Apple design, saying:

Steve Jobs very purposefully built Apple to be a skate-to-where-the-puck-is-going company, and while skeuomorphic design has acted as a bridge between the physical world and digital abstractions, it's becoming increasingly obvious that the world is comfortable with digital now. Technology is no longer witchcraft to be feared by the masses. We've grown accustomed to having phones, tablets, and computers around us to do things. With both visual and interaction design, we're nearly past the point of real-world metaphors being useful, and the simplest representation is usually best.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball attributes much of this to the evolution from standard to HiDPI displays like Retina:

The trend away from skeuomorphic special effects in UI design is the beginning of the retina-resolution design era. Our designs no longer need to accommodate for crude pixels. Glossy/glassy surfaces, heavy-handed transparency, glaring drop shadows, embossed text, textured material surfaces — these hallmarks of modern UI graphic design style are (almost) never used in good print graphic design. They're unnecessary in print, and, the higher the quality of the output and more heavy-handed the effect, the sillier such techniques look.

Marc Edwards of Bjango also cites the print world, but mentions the technical limitations of rival platforms as a contributing factor to their simpler design languages:

In interface design, square finished corners are faster, because there's no masking. Not including shadows is faster, because there's less compositing. Drawing a flat colour is faster than drawing a gradient. When you have three or six pixel densities, drawing sharp textures is almost impossible, unless you include bitmap assets for every size you're targeting.

Sebastiaan de With brought up a counterpoint on Twitter:

Very 'flat' UI is a meaningless reactionary design fad vs. overdesigned UI. Good designers aren't limited by style but taste and discretion.

I'm still of the opinion that it's less about skeuomorphism or it's opposite, digital authenticity, than it is about usability. In some cases, skeuomorphism helps make things discoverable, approachable, and engaging. In others, it just gets in the way.

Check out the examples above and let me know what you think. Would a unified skin across all of Apple's apps be more elegant or just more monotonous? Would a face lift make iOS less "boring" or just less interesting?

Update: Super-designer Louie Mantia brings up a couple of excellent points, and throws in a gorgeous mockup, on Twitter:

it's not about "flat" vs. "skeuomorphic," but more about "chrome" or "no chrome". I think that this might be a more interesting discussion to have than making all UI aluminum.

Louie Mantia no chrome Safari

App Store Featuring Super Bowl Apps & Games This Week

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 09:19 AM PST

We're only 8 days away from what looks like a great Super Bowl XLVII. And the iPad App Store is featuring Super Bowl apps and games this week. The selection of apps and games for this Super Bowl focused section is not huge. There are only 10 selections – 5 apps and 5 games – [...]

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WhiskiPad Stand: An iPad Stand, Made from Whisky Barrels

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 08:31 AM PST

Well, need I say more than the post title? It's an iPad stand. And it's made from recycled whisky barrels. It's the WhiskiPad Stand, made by Heid in the UK. I get lots of approaches for new iPad accessories of all kinds, but I have to admit this one had no problem standing out from [...]

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

How to set a default Reminders list on iPhone and iPad

Posted: 26 Jan 2013 08:52 AM PST

How to set a default Reminders list on iPhone and iPad

The native Reminders app on the iPhone and iPad are not only simple to use, it'll automatically sync your content between any iOS device and Mac you own. Along with the ability to set up your own reminder lists, you can also choose a default one. That means that new events you add using Siri will end up in the list you've specified.

Here's how to tell Reminders what you want your default list to be...

  1. Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the Reminders section.
  3. Now tap on Default list.
  4. Tap on the name of the list you'd like the Reminders app to default to when you create a new reminder.

That's all there is to it. The Reminders app will automatically add any non-specified reminder to your default list. If you'd like to add them to other lists with Siri, you can also do that. Check out the link below to find out how.
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