Label Interactive to release GameTable, a virtual board, games card app for the iPad

Posted by Dennis SellersLabel Interactive plans to release GameTable, which it says is the world's first virtual game table application for the Apple iPad. GameTable provides all of the pieces necessary for iPad owners to play such games as Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Poker, Solitaire and more.

Posted by Dennis SellersLabel Interactive plans to release GameTable, which it says is the world's first virtual game table application for the Apple iPad. GameTable provides all of the pieces necessary for iPad owners to play such games as Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Poker, Solitaire and more.

  • News: Label Interactive announces GameTable for iPad

    Label Interactive has announced that it is developing a virtual board and card games app for the iPad. GameTable takes advantage of the iPad's larger screen to provide a virtual game table on which users can play classic games such as Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Poker, Solitaire and more. Rather than taking the traditional single-player game approach, GameTable is instead designed simply to provide a virtual board for players to compete against…

  • First Look: Game Table for the iPad

    Filed under: iPad Here's some screenshots for another upcoming iPad app called Game Table. The app brings Checkers, Chess, and various card games onto Apple's tablet with detailed graphics and an "intuitive" interface -- the developers claim it's like carrying full board games around with you, but without all the little pieces and doodads. Unfortunately, that also means that you don't actually "play" any games on the device -- it's just a series of boards and interactive pieces for them, so it's up to you as the player to determine how you want to actually move them around. That could be either a benefit (if you have a weird variation of poker or chess that you like to play that wouldn't normally be found in a mobile game, there you go) or a hindrance, if you'd rather your board game action be a little bit more guided. But the price is right -- the Game Table is set to release for just 99 cents. Game Table will be available on the App store at launch. Gallery: Game Table for the iPadTUAWFirst Look: Game Table for the iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Unofficial Apple Weblog - IPad - Apple - AppStore - Board game

  • 50 of the Most Burning Apple Questions Answered

    You asked for help with the thorniest problems facing Mac, iPhone, and iPad owners, and we answered, providing 50 foolproof solutions that’ll come in handy for anyone who uses Apple gear. For months now, we’ve been asking you to send us your most burning Apple questions, and to put it mildly, you came through. The queue in our inbox looked longer than the lines that curled around NYC’s 5th Avenue Apple Store for the launch of the very first iPhone. And when we dug into the meat and potatoes of your queries, we could only marvel at the insightful list of vexing technical issues and twinkle-in-your-eye trivia tidbits that you challenged us with. We distilled all those inquiries down to the 50 best, most burning questions about Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple itself. Then we put our crack team of experts on the job of coming up with this ultimate answers guide for all things Apple. Struggling with iTunes syncing? iPhone backups? RAID cards? iPad printing? Or just wondering exactly what Steve actually wears every day? The answers await, backstopped and bulletproofed by the pros at Mac|Life. 1. Duplicates in iPhoto I can’t find any options in iPhoto for removing all duplicate pictures in one fell swoop, and I don’t want to find and delete them all myself. Any ideas?iPhoto lacks iTunes’ duplicate-deleting prowess, but the shareware app Duplicate Annihilator can fill this gap and free your photo library of clutter. Despite the name, it identifies and tags duplicate pictures with a keyword so you can collect them in a Smart Folder to review and annihilate at your leisure. 2. Wi-Fi DropoutsSince upgrading to Snow Leopard, my Wi-Fi connection randomly drops for no reason. I still get Wi-Fi reliably on my iPhone, and my wife gets it on her PC. Any advice?This problem seems to be affecting many Snow Leopard users, so we’ve come up with a series of steps that should resolve it. Start with the first and work down until the problem goes away:» Update to Mac OS X 10.6.3 or later.» Restart your modem and router.» Upgrade your router’s firmware to the latest version, particularly if it’s a non-Apple router.» Turn AirPort off then on again from your menu bar.» In your Network System Preference, create a new location and delete all of the previous locations.One of our best tips for troubleshooting Wi-Fi connection problems is to create one brand-new location and then delete all of your previous locations.» Within your new location, drag AirPort to the top of the service order by clicking on the gear icon and choosing “Set Service Order.”» Delete all of your preferred networks. To see your preferred networks, click on AirPort in the left margin, then the Advanced button, then the AirPort tab.» Within that Advanced area, click on the TCP/IP tab and turn off IPv6. Then, go into the DNS tab and make sure that your DNS servers are correct. If in doubt, try Google’s DNS servers of 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.» Run Keychain First Aid in Keychain Access, which is located in your Utilities folder.» Manually change your router’s wireless channel to another channel to avoid interference with other wireless networks. See which channels are being used by other networks with a utility like AirRadar ($20, koingosw.com).» Turn off 802.11n mode on your router, leaving it in 802.11b/g mode only.» Change the security settings on your router from WEP to WPA/WPA2.» Zap the PRAM on your Mac (get instructions here). 3. Multitouch Gestures Why can’t I do the one-finger double-tap to open documents in Snow Leopard?You can absolutely use the one-finger double-tap on your Multi-Touch trackpad to open documents in Snow Leopard. Simply go into your Trackpad System Preference and make sure that “Tap to Click” is checked. Your confusion may also stem from the fact that your Multi-Touch trackpad is capable of understanding many gestures. So if you’ve enabled “Dragging” or “Drag Lock,” you might be holding down your finger too long after the second tap. If you’ve enabled “Secondary Click,” you might be tapping in the wrong area of your trackpad. 4. Syncing iPhone Photos When I sync my iPhone, all 6,000 of my MacBook Pro’s photos move to the iPhone--very uncool! How do I remove them from the phone and ensure one-way photo transfers to the Mac in the future?That’s at least 5,950 pictures too many. Just connect your iPhone to your MacBook, then select the iPhone in the iTunes sidebar. Click the Photos tab, where you can choose to transfer none of your pictures or just specific iPhoto Albums, Faces, and Events to your iPhone. Re-sync to apply your new settings and get back a few gigabytes on your iPhone. 5. Uninstalling My Mac still runs processes from a program I deleted. How do I delete an application entirely and prevent this from happening?Unfortunately, there’s no standard way to remove a program from your Mac, but some developers simplify the job by including an uninstaller with their application. It may lurk in the main folder of the app you want to terminate--check those subfolders!--or it might be in the original installer itself. Launch the installer and proceed through it carefully. An uninstall feature may be obvious, or it could be hidden among options to customize the installation process. Be sure to quit the program you want to delete before uninstalling it.If an application didn’t come with an uninstaller, then the only way to delete it is to drag it to the Trash. However, this won’t remove preferences and other support files left behind on your Mac. You can use Spotlight to search for the deleted application’s name to find these strays, but if you have a lot of applications to remove, consider investing in a dedicated uninstaller like CleanApp, AppZapper, or AppCleaner. These programs automate the process of zapping unwanted programs--and their stuff--off your drive for good. 6. File Compression I’d like to save hard drive space with the Finder’s Compress command, but I’m not getting useful results. I recently compressed a 117.4MB file to just 116.7MB. Am I doing something wrong?Not all file types can be compressed with the same space-saving results. For example, compressing a ZIP archive won’t make a significantly smaller ZIP file. Some files, such as JPEGs, MP3s, and other media formats, have a certain level of compression already built in, but the sizes of text files and uncompressed image file formats can be dramatically reduced with ZIP compression. 7. Remote Control When I use my iPod touch as a remote for my Apple TV, it appears to only give me access to the Apple TV’s library as if it were an iPod. Is there a way to use the iPod touch like the traditional Apple remote? For example, can I use the touch to navigate to the YouTube app and search for videos, or to browse the movie rentals?Apple’s Remote app for the iPhone and iPod touch lets you control the playback of media that you’ve already purchased or downloaded. But for content that doesn’t live on your Apple TV, such as YouTube videos or the iTunes Store, you’ll still need your traditional Apple remote to navigate to those screens. However, the good news is that whenever an onscreen keyboard appears on your Apple TV, the Remote app will display its own keyboard, which lets you quickly type what you’re searching for. 8. Photo Migration Can Faces and Places data in iPhoto ‘09 be moved to another Mac, or do I have to click on all those faces and enter all those locations again?All your vacation sites and friendly faces will transfer to another Mac with OS X’s Migration Assistant, or you can drag your iPhoto library file from your Pictures folder to the same location on a new Mac. When you launch iPhoto on the new machine, you’ll be told the locations of pictures containing GPS data must be retrieved again, but custom locations you’ve entered yourself (for pictures taken with older cameras, say) will remain intact. 9. Gmail, Behave! I sync Gmail with OS X’s Mail, but when I delete a message from Mail, it remains in Gmail’s All Mail folder in the sidebar. What’s the right mailbox setting to move a message deleted in Mail to Gmail’s Trash?All your Gmail goes into the All Mail folder, whether or not it’s been recently deleted and no matter which Gmail folder label is attached to the message. Google’s default IMAP Mail settings (available here) are correct, but to send a Mail message directly to Gmail’s Trash, you’ll have to drag it to the [Gmail]/Trash folder in Mail’s sidebar. 10. Crash-Tastic It always happens at the worst possible time: I’ll be using my PowerBook G4 when the screen suddenly dims and shows a Rosetta Stone’s worth of languages telling me to restart the computer. Why does this keep happening, and how can I stop it?Ouch. What you’re describing is a kernel panic, a cute name for a not-so-cute problem. An operating system’s kernel acts as a bridge between applications and the computer’s hardware, and kernel panics are the last-ditch efforts of the operating system to recover from serious conflicts between them. The chief causes of kernel panics are faulty RAM and software incompatible with the operating system you’re running. Unfortunately, that range could include any number of bad things that may be happening on your poor PowerBook.Happily, even a kernel panic isn’t the end of the world, and we can offer some pointers to help you figure out what’s wrong. The first step is to look at your Mac’s history. Was there a time when it didn’t get kernel panics? Think back to any (and we mean any) new hardware or software you installed before the panics began. Update or uninstall them one item at a time to isolate the panics’ cause until you narrow down the trouble. Also note which hardware and software you’re using just before they strike--there may be a pattern. Whatever the issue, your Mac isn’t happy, so be sure to back up important files and verify your hard drive with Disk Utility regularly.Next page: Answers Guide continued >> 11. Get Zippy iPhone Backups How can I speed up iPhone backups so I’ll never have to cancel mid-backup again? They seem to take forever when a couple minutes really should do it.A. First off, keep your iOS software current. Not only will the latest updates squash bugs and add features, they can improve backup times. To update, sync your iPhone, select it in the iTunes sidebar, then go to the Summary tab.B. Pare down the number of applications on your iPhone. Application data like in-app purchases, saved games, and new documents are all backed up when you sync, and that can add up to a long wait while the backup progress bar creeps by. To start cleaning house, connect to iTunes, select the Apps tab, then delete your most infrequently used applications. You’ll lose the data saved in these apps, but you’ll gain speedier backups.Ask yourself this: Are those apps you never use on your iPhone really worth slowing down your backups?C. Sync often. If you sync at least once or twice a day, fewer applications will have new data to back up when you reconnect to iTunes. If you can’t bear to part with any of the applications on your Home Screen, making multiple faster backups will let you keep all your favorite apps at your fingertips.D. Keep Camera Roll clean. While the contents of your iPhone’s photo library aren’t backed up during a sync, the photos, movies, and screenshots in Camera Roll are. Transfer this media to iPhoto as soon as you begin a sync, and delete the files from Camera Roll when the transfer is complete to get this data copied onto your Mac while excluding it from being backed up in iTunes.More photos = slower backups.E. Connect to a USB port on your Mac instead of an external USB hub. Not all USB ports are created equal, and connecting to a powered, full-speed USB port that’s built into your Mac will ensure the fastest possible transfer speeds during backups. That means you can be off to your next port of call quickly, secure in the knowledge that your iPhone data is safe on your computer.F. Before you sync to iTunes, purge unnecessary SMS messages, old call histories, and non-essential files downloaded by apps that store data on your iPhone. For example, if you regularly copy files to your iDisk app or productivity apps like DocsToGo, make sure you’re only carrying what you need before a backup. Odds are these files live elsewhere on your Mac or iDisk, so there’s no need to back them up again.Junk your old, unused files, too. 12. Time Travel I’ve been running Time Machine for months in Mac OS 10.6.3, but I’ve never seen instructions about how to go back in time and retrieve information. Help!Mount your backup drive, then launch Time Machine from your Mac’s Applications folder. Your desktop will be replaced by a timeline and Finder windows showing your Mac’s contents as they were in the past. Just click a Finder window (or click within the timeline) to return to a specific date. You can also search within Finder windows for specific filenames, and more. When you find a missing file, select it and click Restore to return to the present with your document. 13. Rip Encrypted Movies I want an easy way to download a DVD to my computer so I can put it on my iPod or iPad. I used to use HandBrake, but that no longer works for encrypted DVDs.HandBrake (free, handbrake.fr) is still the quickest and most reliable tool for directly converting DVDs into video files that will play on your iPod or iPad. But you’ll also need to install VLC (free, videolan.org) if you want to decrypt commercial DVDs. Place both HandBrake and VLC into your Applications folder, and you’ll be able to convert encrypted DVDs with HandBrake once again. 14. Dump Discs I want to go disc-free on my MacBook, but a few of my games require a CD or DVD to play. Is there any way to make OS X think the disc is in the drive when it’s not?OS X’s Disk Utility can make a duplicate of your game’s CD or DVD and save it to your Mac as a file called a disk image. Once created, disk images can be double-clicked to open and mount on your desktop just like a conventional disc (you’ve already seen them in software installers downloaded from the internet). But there are two things to remember: copy-protection schemes on the disc may prevent duplication, and you should have plenty of room on your MacBook’s hard drive before you begin. A DVD’s disk image will take up several gigabytes.To get started, insert the disc you want to dupe, then launch Disk Utility from your Utilities folder. Select the disc in the sidebar, then click New Image in the Disk Utility toolbar, set the image format to DVD/CD Master in the resulting sheet, and save the disk image to your Mac. Next time you want to play your game, double-click the image file, then launch your game normally once the virtual game disc mounts. When you’re finished, you can drag the mounted disc to the Trash to eject like any conventional media, leaving the disk image on your Mac for the next time you want to get your game on. 15. Branching Out Which operating systems—and I mean all of them, not just Mac versions—will run on a PowerPC-based Mac?The PowerPC processor has become something of a museum piece since Apple abandoned it for Intel’s chips, but these Linux distributions can help you breathe new life into G5- and G4-powered Macs. Ubuntu, Yellow Dog, and Fedora all maintain builds that run on PowerPC hardware. When you’re looking to run a worthwhile alternate operating system on older Mac hardware, the penguin has you covered. 16. The $1M Question When will Adobe Flash content be viewable on iPhones and iPads?Never. In April, Steve Jobs had this to say about Flash on Apple’s website: “Flash was created during the PC era--for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. But the mobile era is about low-power devices, touch interfaces, and open web standards--all areas where Flash falls short.” 17. iLife Oops I accidentally deleted iMovie and the Apple Loops that came with GarageBand. Can I reload them from the original disc without losing all my other iLife files?Sure! First, launch the iLife ‘09 installer from your disc. At the bottom of the final screen is a Customize button that lets you install iLife components individually. Click it, then select the items you want to reinstall. The installer will insist on installing GarageBand along with your missing loops, but your missing applications and files will return to your Mac without affecting other iLife applications and documents, including GarageBand preferences. Just remember to run Software Update afterward to ensure that everything’s up to date. 18. iPad Printing What are the best ways to print from the iPad?Until Apple decides to build printing into iOS, there unfortunately isn’t a “best” way--although there are several apps in the App Store that might meet your needs.Canon’s Easy-PhotoPrint for iPhone runs on the iPad and will print photos to certain Canon printers. And the App Store is full of plenty of third-party apps that promise printing from your iPad, although in our experience the results are decidedly mixed. PrintBureau ($12.99) searches your network for shared printers. It reliably printed to one--but not another--of the printers on our home network without any intervention. There’s an optional free helper application you can run on a Mac to give PrintBureau access to your printers (a solution common to several iPad printing apps), but we’d hardly call that true iPad printing.We also had success with Air Sharing HD ($9.99), which is packed with features for moving and sharing files with your iPad. It didn’t work immediately with our Wi-Fi–enabled printer, but turning on Printer Sharing on our Mac made all our printers visible to the app. But--like using a companion app--that also requires that you have a Mac running. Ultimately, the least fiddly solution often ends up being emailing yourself a document and printing from a computer. Hopefully Apple has something better in the pipeline
 19. Tame Bookmarks I have tons of Safari bookmarks on my Mac. I don’t want them all on my iPhone, but Apple only allows syncing of all or none. Is there a fix?It’s almost elegant. Xmarks (xmarks.com) syncs bookmarks across multiple browsers, and its profiles let you decide which bookmarks appear on specific devices, including your iPhone. Best of all, you can view (and even search) them in a layout formatted for Mobile Safari. Just sign up for Xmarks, follow their instructions, and disable iPhone bookmark syncing in iTunes. Unfortunately, Xmarks doesn’t sync new bookmarks made on your iPhone back to your Mac. Like we said
almost elegant.Next page: Answers Guide continued >> 20. Stay Safe How can I tell if someone is using my Wi-Fi? Elementary, my dear Wi-Fi user! The mystery’s solution lies in MAC (Media Access Control) addresses, which are unique codes that identify network devices. Different routers have different ways of showing which addresses (and thus, devices) are accessing your network. If you have an AirPort router, launch AirPort Utility from your Utilities folder, double-click your router’s icon, then click the Advanced icon in the resulting window. Click Logging and Statistics, then Logs and Statistics. In the Wireless Clients section, you’ll see a graph showing the address of each device connecting to your network. The list will include your Mac, the AirPort router itself, and any other computers, iPhones, game consoles, or other devices using your Wi-Fi connection. Next, match the MAC addresses to your network devices. We’ll get you started: your computer’s address can be found in the Network section of System Profiler. When you’re finished, you’ll know the addresses of devices you want on your network, so you can tell when something with a foreign address is using your Wi-Fi. Then the game’s afoot! 21. Sim-plify I have a 1G iPhone that I want to use as a simple iPod touch, leaving aside the phone features entirely, but I don’t have the original SIM card. What are my options?Your options are slim. Unlike later models, the 1G iPhone requires a SIM card to operate as a basic iPod, even after AT&T service has been terminated or transferred to another phone. You can get a new SIM card from AT&T, but this will require signing up for a new phone service contract. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this limitation besides jailbreaking your iPhone with one of the methods floating around on the internet. 22. Merge Partitions Is there any way to un-partition a non-boot hard drive in OS 10.6 without wiping the data?You’re in luck. Since 10.5, OS X’s Disk Utility has been able to add and remove partitions from disks without affecting other data on the drive. However, Disk Utility won’t merge data from the deleted partition to another partition on the drive, so back up all your data--especially files on the partition you’ll be removing--before you begin.Once all your data’s securely backed up, launch Disk Utility from your Mac’s Utilities folder, then select the drive in the sidebar (be sure to choose the icon noting the drive’s capacity, not just its name). Click the Partition button, then in the shaded box showing the drive’s Volume Scheme, select the partition you want to remove. Click the minus button below the Volume Scheme chart to remove the partition (don’t worry, it won’t disappear right away). Click and drag other partitions to resize them and fill the empty space that will be left behind by the deleted partition. You can also click the plus button to add a new partition that can also be resized. Click Apply to commit your changes and begin Operation: Un-partition. 23. No Scratching I just bought a new 21.5” iMac (late 2009 model) and found a serious design flaw: the CD slot has sharp aluminum edges that can inflict permanent, irreversible scratches to valuable CDs. Help!These days, Apple’s really into razor-sharp edges. For example, the unibody MacBooks also famously have sharp edges where users rest their wrists, and those very same sharp edges have made it onto the slot on the side of the iMac where CDs are loaded. Luckily, those sharp edges are just on the outside, not on the internal drive itself. So if you carefully and slowly slide in your CD without touching the outside edges, you may avoid scratching your CD. But here’s a more practical solution: Put electrical tape around the edges of the slot. This isn’t the most beautiful thing to look at, but it’s almost guaranteed to keep scratches at bay. Another option would be to purchase an external CD drive to either use as your primary CD drive or to make copies of your valuable CDs. That way, if a CD gets scratched, at least it’s not the original. 24. Font Fixes When using Mail, any font that I use in my outgoing email always shows up on recipient PCs as Courier--that archaic, typewriter style font. How can I get my Mac fonts to translate onto PCs?In order for a font to be successfully seen on somebody’s computer, they need to already have that particular font installed on their machine. If your recipient doesn’t have the same exact font as you, their computer will substitute your font with a font that is already installed on their system. This applies to emails, websites, Word documents, almost anything. If maintaining the integrity of fonts is important to you, you’ll need to create PDF files or images and attach them to your outgoing email message. 25. App-Update Errors When I try to update apps from my iPhone, I get a “Cannot Connect to iTunes Store” error, yet I have no problem downloading new apps, and no problem updating them in iTunes on my computer. What gives?Assuming the problem is reoccurring and not a freaky networking accident, it sounds like your iPhone (or the problematic apps themselves) may be confused about the status of your iTunes account. This could be because a different user has logged into your iPhone, because you have multiple usernames or passwords tied to your iTunes account, or even because your billing information was recently changed on another device. The easiest place to start is by navigating to Settings, tapping Store, and confirming that yours is the currently active account on your iPhone. If it is, try signing out and signing back in with your most recent iTunes account information, then verify that your address and billing information are correct. If the problem persists, the apps may the culprit. Try updating them in iTunes, then deleting them from your iPhone. Reconnect your iPhone to your computer to sync the updated apps back to the phone. If, down the road, these same applications refuse to update from your iPhone again, deleting them from your Mac and re-downloading them from the iTunes Store may fix this. 26. Make Windows Behave I have various finder windows set to appear in different views depending on their content. But certain windows stubbornly--and randomly--refuse to remember my preferences. Is it a bug, or am I missing a setting?Setting a specific folder to open in a particular view (such as columns, icons, or lists) can make browsing files in the Finder a lot easier. Just open and set each folder to your preferred view, then select View > Show View Options in the menu bar and check the topmost button in the resulting window to force the Finder window to always open in that view. Unfortunately, the Finder has ignored these helpful preferences since the earliest days of OS X. Your stubborn folders aren’t the first!Your folders may be confused by corrupt .DS_Store files, the invisible files created by the Finder to store icon sizes, window backgrounds, and more. System utility apps like TinkerTool and Cocktail can reveal or delete these files for you, or you can use the Terminal to delete them yourself if your UNIX Fu is strong.If those options don’t do the trick, your Mac may think you don’t have permission to reset the view options of certain folders. Some, like the Applications folder, don’t technically “belong” to any user except the system itself, and only the system (also known as the root user) can make permanent changes to these directories. What looks like random stubbornness may be OS X remembering that it’s in charge of these folders, not you.To show your Mac who’s boss, log in as the root user, then set uncooperative folders to the view setting you prefer. Just be careful, and remember to log back into your normal user account and disable root access when the job is done. Moving or deleting the wrong files while logged in as root can have serious consequences for your Mac. Apple explains how to log in as root here. 27. Just Open! I used to double-click any photo, and it would open in Photoshop. When I installed 10.6, this feature disappeared. Now I have to drop the photos onto the Photoshop icon.Snow Leopard ignores “creator codes,” which changed its file-opening behavior--it’s all about file extensions now. Right-click a JPG, choose Get Info, and under Open With, choose Photoshop, and click Change All. Do this again for PNG, PSD, TIF, and any other photo file types you want Photoshop to get first dibs on. 28. iPads Kill Wi-Fi When enough of us use iPads on the office Wi-Fi, it can crash the Wi-Fi itself! I’ve heard this is a common problem--is there a fix?You’ve heard right, and it’ll take an OS and/or firmware update from Apple to vanquish this annoying glitch. Until then, know that the issue is caused because an iPad can stop renewing its DHCP lease when it goes to sleep, so if you set your iPad to never sleep (Settings > General > Auto-Lock > Never), you’re good. That’s hardly ideal, and at Mac|Life HQ, we set up an iPad-only Wi-Fi network, which creates a smaller pool of DHCP leases and keeps the main Wi-Fi network safe. Interestingly, iPads are also prone to other Wi-Fi glitches, like sketchy signal strength, frequent drops, and slow speeds. Bizarrely, one of the first things you should do is increase the brightness upward and turn off the Auto Brightness option (Settings > Brightness & Wallpaper). We can only guess that something’s screwy with iPad power management
 29. Mac Pros Are Hot I just wanted to bring to your attention a widespread, frustrating issue that exists with all 2009 Mac Pros. Whenever you play any audio, the CPU rapidly heats up (core temperatures as high as 90ÂșC, CPU heat sink 60ÂșC). This problem exists in 10.5 and 10.6, but does not happen in Windows running in Boot Camp, so it appears to be a Mac OS X bug. And after spending $8,000 on Apple’s top machine, I feel like I have been had.Yes, this seems to be a prevalent problem with the 2009 Mac Pros. Playing any type of audio heats up the Pro precariously close to--but not quite at--dangerous heat levels. If your Mac actually reached dangerous heat levels, it would shut itself down. This increased heat also causes decreased performance. Unfortunately, we don’t have any solutions for you, but we’re publishing your letter in the hopes that greater publicity on this issue will help get a speedy resolution from Apple.Next page: Answers Guide continued >> 30. What a Mess!One of my co-workers spilled juice on his older MacBook Pro, and now the keys are sticky (when pressed down, they don’t pop up right away). What’s the best way to clean up?Sounds nasty! Although this particular spill has long dried, we’ll start these cleanup instructions from the moment right after spillage to make them more widely useful. So: Immediately power down, disconnect the power cord from the MacBook, and remove the battery (if it’s removable). After doing as much as you can with paper or cloth towels, turn the machine over with the lid partly open to allow the liquid to drain, making sure that the laptop doesn’t close all the way. Give it about 72 hours to completely air dry and then take apart the machine to thoroughly clean the innards. The website iFixIt.com has great step-by-step guides to taking the keys off and getting your MacBook back to normal. When dabbing at disassembled keys and other parts, we recommend a bit of gauze lightly dampened with rubbing alcohol. 31. Airport Fizzles I stream my music from iTunes to an AirPort router, but it frequently cuts out. What can I do?First, make sure your iTunes and AirPort software are up to date. If the problem persists, move your router away from possible sources of interference. Wi-Fi is convenient, but it’s not an exact science. Signals can be impeded by microwaves, wireless phones, thick masonry, and more. If dropouts continue, try changing the channel on which your AirPort broadcasts in the Wireless tab of the AirPort section of AirPort Utility. 32. Family Planning My wife and I have our own iPhones and iTunes accounts, and we’re adding an iPad to the happy family. Can we sync both iPhones and the iPad (plus our Apple TV) to a single iTunes account, and share our apps on all devices without affecting our current library and future purchases?Bad news first: there’s no way to merge multiple iTunes accounts into one, so your family will have to keep juggling separate accounts and purchases from your iPhones, Apple TV, and bouncing baby iPad. The good news is that apps, like DRM-protected movies and TV shows, can be used on up to five authorized computers and the iDevices that sync to them. Just open iTunes, select Apps in the sidebar, then drag iPhone applications you want to share from iTunes to a networked computer or removable hard drive. Select File > Add to Library in iTunes on the second authorized computer, then choose the exported apps to load them into that computer’s library. These apps won’t retain saved data from the original computer, but otherwise they’ll be fully operational and can be updated normally. Apple TV purchases, however, will still be tethered to one of your computers. But even these files can be synced and transferred to multiple computers and iDevices.Here’s the better news: Home Sharing, introduced in iTunes 9, simplifies this process by allowing users to drag and drop media to shared computers within iTunes. Activate Home Sharing by selecting Advanced > Turn On Home Sharing. Repeat this step on all your computers, entering one iTunes account username and password on each. Then you can drag media from shared libraries in iTunes’ sidebar into a computer’s local library at will. Future purchases can be shared automatically by clicking the Settings button at the bottom of Home Sharing iTunes library, then selecting which media you’d like to share. Once you set up all computers on your network, syncing works automatically, zapping new media off to each machine. 33. Double the Addresses Why do I have duplicate Contact entries on my iPhone but not on my Mac?Odds are your iPhone has gained multiple groups of contacts after syncing them both wirelessly through MobileMe and through iTunes when you connected your iPhone to your Mac. Whatever the cause, check your iPhone Contact app’s Groups. If you see a group named From My Mac in addition to groups you’ve created in OS X’s Address Book, it’s a sign your iPhone thinks you have two distinct sets of friends.It's hard enough to find the contact you're looking for--who needs duplicate entries?To fix the problem, first back up your Mac’s contact data. Connect your iPhone to iTunes, uncheck Sync Address Book Contacts in the Info tab, then re-sync. If that doesn’t remove the extra contacts, turn off MobileMe contact syncing in Settings on your iPhone, choosing to delete the existing contacts on your phone. Next, turn Contact syncing back on, and choose to merge MobileMe’s data onto your iPhone if asked. Now you should have just one set of contacts shared between your iPhone and Mac. You’ll have half the friends, but half the hassles. 34. Conquer Syncing What's the most elegant way to sync iTunes libraries between work and home computers?We use SuperSync, a program that lets you sync your iTunes library among multiple computers on local networks or over the Internet. SuperSync’s busy interface can seem a little daunting, but in just a few quick steps, you can start copying music from your crib to your cubicle and back again. Casual Fridays will never be the same.A. Buy the SoftwareSuperSync looks and feels kinda like iTunes, but is a whole different beast.To get started, you’ll need a copy of SuperSync running on both your home and work computers. Two licenses will set you back $24, or you can snag ten for $34 and give one to your manager for Boss’s Day.B. Make the ConnectionsWhen you first launch SuperSync on your home Mac, it loads and displays your iTunes library in an iTunes-alike window organized by genre, artist, and playlist. While SuperSync may look a little like iTunes (and it can even play some unprotected audio files), it’s really a conduit and control panel for syncing, not a jukebox. Your DRM-protected files must still be played by an authorized copy of iTunes, although SuperSync will transfer them just fine.SuperSync can even keep metadata updated across different Macs.If your music collection doesn’t live in your Mac’s Home folder, you can point SuperSync to a library stored on a remote or network drive and share from there. To set up sharing, just check the obvious boxes and enter a password in the application’s Network preferences. While you’re there, you can fine-tune what you sync and how. For instance, you can keep specific media types--all videos, for instance--out of your shared library and pick which metadata changes will be synced back to your home machine. Whether you simply want to copy files or meticulously update their play counts, ratings, and more across your computers, SuperSync has your back.C. Start the SyncTo sync your library, install and launch SuperSync on your work machine, then turn on sharing and connect to your home computer. This is easiest (and fastest) on a local network, but you can sync your music over the internet by manually forwarding ports on your home router, or by using a UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) router and letting SuperSync do the work for you.When the syncing starts, SuperSync's interface gets pretty busy.Once you get both computers talking to each other, you can synchronize your entire library in one go, sync individual files, or transfer albums, artists, and whole genres at once. You can even sync your playlists--both their music files and the lists themselves in the iTunes sidebar. Naturally, files added to iTunes on your work computer can be synced back to your home Mac. Just finish your download in iTunes, then phone home with SuperSync. New files will be noted automatically and can be transferred with a click. 35. Hot Flash My MacBook Pro has been acting strangely. It will become sluggish, get hot, and the fans will come on at full speed. Activity Monitor shows that a process called “PTMD” is taking over 60 percent of my CPU. How do I prevent PTMD from taking over my Mac?This may not be a common question, but it certainly is a burning one! According to Apple’s Mac OS X Reference Library, PTMD stands for “platform thermal monitor daemon,” and it communicates any OS notifications effecting thermal conditions to your hardware. This daemon is supposed to automatically quit itself when it’s done communicating, but apparently your Mac erroneously thinks that its thermal conditions are continuously changing, so it’s trying to let your hardware continuously know this incorrect information.This seems to be a new problem that has cropped up for some users in Mac OS 10.6.3, so hopefully it will be fixed in a future update to the operating system. In the meantime, you can manually quit out of PTMD in Activity Monitor (launch it from your Utilities folder) whenever it starts acting up. You may also try resetting your Mac’s System Management Controller, which is responsible for thermal management (follow the directions here). 36. It's a RAIDI have Apple’s RAID card in my Mac Pro, and it always pops up this error message: “Write cache disabled due to insufficient battery charge.” But...what is a RAID card, and what should I do?Apple's Mac Pro RAID Card improves RAID performance and reliability.RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent/Inexpensive Disks, and it’s a tech that lets you combine multiple hard drives so they appear as one. RAIDs can either be mirrored or striped--in the first, each drive is an exact copy (or mirror) of the other drives, so if one fails, you’ll still have all of your data intact on another (known as redundancy). If you configure your drives as a striped RAID, the storage space of all of your drives is added together into one larger drive. This will give you increased performance and increased storage space, but no redundancy unless you’ve configured your RAID with parity handling (which uses a portion of each drive to hold identical copies of data from one of the other drives). RAIDs can be controlled by software like Apple’s Disk Utility or the excellent SoftRAID ($129, softraid.com), or they can be controlled by hardware like your RAID card. The main advantages of a hardware-controlled RAID are increased performance and reliability. With the error message you’re receiving, it sounds like the battery on your RAID card has died, so take it into Apple to get replaced. 37. iPad 2 What upgrades will we see in the next version of the iPad? (We emailed a trio of well-known tech experts for their predictions.)  Daniel LyonsNewsweek"I'd guess the following:» Front-facing camera for videoconferencing» Multitasking (duh, already announced)» Higher-resolution screen» No Flash» Gorgeous ads that will change your life» Unicorn tears"    Christopher NullYahoo! News, Technology"Dual cameras--a front-facing camera for videoconferencing will be huge for opening up a whole new market for the iPad."        Dylan TweneyWired"One of the things most obviously missing from the current iPad is a webcam. This would instantly transform the iPad into a videophone, and its size—just slightly bigger than the human face—would be perfect for face-to-face video chats. It’s also likely that the next iPad will have more memory and a faster processor. If we’re lucky, it might have an HDMI port too, so you can hook it up to a TV to show off photos, videos, and apps. One thing it definitely won’t have, though, is support for Adobe Flash. That door is closed, probably forever."   38. Mac Van Winkle When I wake my MacBook Pro from sleep, it doesn’t connect to my Wi-Fi. Sometimes it even forgets the Wi-Fi password. How the heck do I get it to remember?First, check out the extensive troubleshooting steps that we gave in Question #2 to see if any of those ideas solve your problem. Beyond that, your problem may be caused by one of the following issues:» Two Wi-Fi networks with the same SSID (wireless network name). For example, do you connect to one wireless router that’s named “Linksys” at work and then another router that’s named “Linksys” at home? If so, your Mac may be trying to apply the password from one router to the other router. Rename one of the wireless networks.» Keychain problems. Launch Keychain Access (in Utilities) and delete any AirPort Network password entries for the wireless networks that are giving you problems.» Preferred Networks problem. Go into your Network System Preference, click on AirPort, then the Advanced button, then the AirPort tab. Delete any unused networks, and drag your current network to the top of the list.» Corrupt preference file. Trash the file located at Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist and restart your Mac.» Security incompatibilities. Try changing the type of wireless security on your router (for example, WPA instead of WEP).» Wireless interference. Turn on interference robustness on your router or change the wireless channel.» Your system may need a general maintenance. Run Disk Warrior on your machine, repair permissions with Disk Utility, empty the caches, and run the UNIX maintenance scripts with Cocktail. 39. Style Manual What exactly does Steve wear on a daily basis?We asked our team of fashion experts, and they said, “The same dang thing no matter what.” So we made them stalk the streets of Cupertino and watch hours of keynote footage to bring you the scoop on Steve’s sartorial secrets. That’ll show ’em.Next page: Answers Guide continued >> 40. Sad Mac My iMac flat-out freezes when I try to wake it from sleep. I ran DiskTools Pro, which verified and repaired my hard drive, but it still hangs after waking from sleep.This is often a symptom of a failing graphics card or a failing logic board inside your Mac, in which case you would need to take your Mac into an Apple Authorized Service Provider for repair. However, before assuming the worst, you can perform a series of basic troubleshooting steps to rule out other variables that may be causing this symptom.» External devices: When your Mac fails to wake from sleep, try unplugging any external hard drives or peripherals to see if doing so makes your Mac suddenly wake from sleep. If so, those external devices may be to blame. » RAM: You may also have bad RAM inside your machine. You can try to pinpoint bad RAM by either removing one of your RAM chips and see if the problem continues, or by running the Apple Hardware Test to see if it can identify any bad RAM. To run the Apple Hardware Test, take a look at the DVDs that came with your Mac; one of them will say that the Apple Hardware Test is on it. Insert that DVD and restart your Mac while holding down the D key on your keyboard. » Reset your Mac’s System Management Controller (get instructions here).Next, try to rule out the software problems: » Trash the following files and then restart your Mac: Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.AutoWake.plist and Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.PowerManagement.plist » Reboot your Mac in single-user mode and run fsck (file system check)--get instructions here. » Back up your Mac, then erase and install Mac OS X.If all of these steps fail, it's time, sadly, to bring your Mac into an Apple Authorized Service Provider. 41. Stop Time When Time Machine is running, my Mac virtually comes to a stop. What is happening, and what should I do?Any time an application such as Time Machine is actively reading or writing to a hard drive, you may notice a tiny bit of a speed loss if you’re also trying to access your hard drive as well because the read/write heads take time to physically move to different locations on the hard drive platter.However, the key phrase is “a tiny bit of a speed loss,” meaning that the speed loss should be negligible to most computer users. Time Machine is designed to be fast and extremely lightweight, so if your computer is actually coming to a standstill, then something else is going on. The best way to troubleshoot this is by eliminating variables. First, make sure that you do not have any virus software scanning your backup drive. This is a known factor that could slow down your Time Machine backups to a crawl and that may affect your computer’s overall speed as well.Then, eliminate the possibility that your backup drive has a hardware problem by swapping it out with a different backup drive. If you don’t have another drive handy, a utility such as Drive Genius ($99, prosofteng.com) or Disk Warrior ($99, alsoft.com) can help you sniff out failing hard drives. Your backup drive must also be partitioned properly, as explained at tinyurl.com/3zne68.Next, use a different backup program like ChronoSync to see if the slowdowns continue. If they do, ChronoSync will let you see which file is actively being backed up while the problem is happening. It could indicate a problem with that particular file or with your internal hard drive.Other than that, you can try some general tips to speed up your Mac overall: Upgrade from Leopard to Snow Leopard; purchase faster internal and external drives (7200 RPM or SSD); use a faster connection interface (eSATA or FireWire 800); add more RAM to your Mac; and turn off hard disk sleep in the Energy Saver System Preference (this last one has a huge impact if your hard drive is powered via USB only and has no separate AC power). 42. Display Despair Why has Apple used so many display interfaces recently, and is the current Mini DisplayPort standard the best tech for the job?Mini DisplayPort meets VGA with this adapter.Apple’s flirtation with different video interfaces makes it seem like a puppet of the International Dongle Cartel, but it’s really all about doing more with ever-shrinking video ports. That includes today’s Mini DisplayPort, which can carry video and audio and connects to VGA, DVI, or HDMI displays at resolutions up to 2560x1600. We’re not sure if that makes it the best technology, but if it lets us carry just one small adapter that works on both MacBooks and iMacs, we’re happy. 43. Feelin' Social Does Apple have a Twitter account or Facebook page of any sort whatsoever?YouTube has your favorite Apple commercials.Steve may be cool with answering emails, but the company isn’t too keen on Twitter. There is no official Apple Twitter account. Facebook is a bit more complicated. While Apple hasn’t set up an official company page, it has created an App Store Facebook page: facebook.com/AppStore. Our preferred destination, though, is the Apple YouTube channel, which lets us check out all of our favorite Apple commercials: youtube.com/apple. 44. Feelin' Blu When will Apple include USB 3.0 and Blu-ray in Macs? What’s taking so long?USB 3.0 gear is already trickling onto the market, so it’s probably just a matter of time before the first computers sporting the blazing new standard roll out of Cupertino. Unfortunately, Blu-ray is another story. Apple’s interest in promoting its HD iTunes movie downloads and Steve’s declaration that bringing Blu-ray to the Mac is “a bag of hurt” don’t bode well for Blu’s chances on the Mac. 45. Photo Downloads There seems to be no way to download my photos from my iPhone directly to my Mac without using iPhoto. Even then, I have to drill down through some crazy iPhoto directories in the Finder just to copy the photos somewhere else. Can’t I just pull these photos off my iPhone and put them wherever I want?Any photos that are in iPhoto can be easily and quickly copied somewhere else on your Mac simply by dragging and dropping them out of iPhoto. For even more control over the size, format, and name of your photos, use the File > Export command in iPhoto. You don’t need to--and you really shouldn’t--be drilling down into any iPhoto directories on your Mac.Now, onto your next question of bypassing iPhoto altogether. In Mac OS 10.6, the Image Capture application gives you a significant amount of control over what happens when you connect your iPhone. If you have multiple cameras or iPhones, Image Capture even lets you set different preferences for each individual camera.Image Capture is the place to go to directly download photos from your cameras or to set what happens whenever you connect your cameras.You could have your iPhone launch Image Capture itself, which lets you manually download your photos into the directories of your choice and then delete those photos from the iPhone. You could have your iPhone launch Preview, which lets you import iPhone photos from the File menu. You could have your iPhone run an AppleScript.But perhaps best of all, your iPhone could launch AutoImporter, a hidden application that automatically imports photos to the directory of your choice, without you intervening at all. It’s located at Macintosh HD/System/Library/Image Capture/Support/Application/AutoImporter, and you can set this application’s preferences by choosing AutoImporter > Preferences. 46. Tame MobileMe I have four Apple devices: two MacBooks, an iPhone, and an iPad. It would be wonderful if MobileMe would do its job and sync all of my calendar and contact information, but I continually have glitches. One of the devices will often stop syncing, and then I have to wipe out data and start all over again. Is there any way to alleviate these problems?We’ve heard from an Apple support representative that syncing problems with MobileMe are very common because the MobileMe servers are not yet robust enough to handle more than 1,000 synchronizations before everything needs to be reset from scratch again. While 1,000 synchronizations might sound like a lot, consider that a sync takes place every single time you make a change to a contact or a calendar. The good news, however, is that this same representative told us that Apple is aware of its MobileMe syncing shortcomings and is continuously working to increase the competency of its servers.In the meantime, if you want to stick with MobileMe syncing, your best bet for solving the glitches you’re experiencing would be to follow our extensive guide from our November 2009 issue (or find it online here--scroll down to #37) on how to reset your MobileMe syncing from scratch on all of your devices.Alternatively, you may want to ditch MobileMe altogether and explore alternatives such as the web-based calendaring and contact solutions from Google, which can synchronize to your iPhone and iPad using Google Sync (google.com/mobile/sync). On your Mac, you can synchronize to Google using Spanning Sync ($25 for one year, spanningsync.com) or use the built-in (but more limited) syncing tools within Snow Leopard’s Address Book and iCal.If you have an extra Mac that you can use as a server machine, you can even take syncing into your own hands by using a product like Apple’s Snow Leopard Server ($499, apple.com) or the outstanding Kerio Connect ($540, kerio.com). 47. The Other Team I’m running Windows 7 on my Mac using Boot Camp. How do I maintain my computer so both the Mac and Windows platforms stay healthy? And how can I make a clone of my computer that captures both?For tips on how to keep your Windows 7 partition healthy, you’ll want to turn to our sister magazine Maximum PC (this is a good place to start), where you’ll find the experts on all things PC-related. Although conventional wisdom about PCs dictates that you’ll want to defragment your Windows hard drive regularly and immediately install antivirus software on your Windows partition, those are two things that Mac users are not required to do.Your Mac will continue to maintain its health as long as all those hundreds of thousands of Windows viruses can’t reach your Mac files from within the Windows 7 environment. And they won’t be able to since Boot Camp only allows you to read your Mac partition but not write to it.If you gotta run Windows 7, Boot Camp can get it done on your Mac.However, if you install a program like MacDrive 8 ($49, mediafour.com), you’ll have full read and write access to your Mac partition...and so will all those Windows viruses. So be doubly sure to have antivirus software on your PC side.To clone your entire computer, you’ll need to make two clones: one for your Mac partition and one for your Windows partition. For the Mac partition, use a tool like SuperDuper ($28, shirt-pocket.com) or Carbon Copy Cloner (donations requested, bombich.com). For your Windows partition, we recommend Winclone (donations requested, twocanoes.com). 48. Log Me OutMy iMac has separate user accounts for my wife and me, plus a Guest Account for when we have parties and people are drawn to the 27-inch screen to play. Can the Mac automatically return to the login screen after some period of inactivity? I don’t want guests to have access to our accounts, and I don’t want my wife to have to remember to log out when she’s finished. I just want it to go back to the login screen to force the next person to log in as a user or guest.No problem--head to System Preferences > Security and check the box for Log Out After X Minutes of Activity, setting X to be any number you like. While you’re there, make sure Disable Automatic Login is checked too. That way, the login screen always appears when you start up, instead of a default administrator account.The auto-logout option is in System Preferences > Security.It’s also easy to lock down the Guest Account with System Preferences > Parental Controls, which lets you select which applications will be available. By default any files in a Guest Account’s Home folder are deleted when they log out, but you could park an alias in the Dock to a shared folder on your hard drive, called, say, “Save Stuff Here.” While you’re sprucing up the Dock, add some big, pretty icons for party-startin’ apps like Photo Booth and Camera Bag.Set up a Guest Account with System Preferences > Accounts, then manage--or spy on--it with Parental Controls. 49. Silence How do I disable voice control on my iPhone 3GS? I never use it, and it's annoying when it's in my pocket and accidentally activates.Good news: You can shut off Voice Control dialing. Bad news: Voice Control everything else stays on. To shut down Voice Control dialing, you need to turn on the Passcode Lock option for your iPhone. To do this and turn off Voice Control Dialing, navigate to Settings > General > Passcode Lock. Once you turn on Passcode Lock, you can turn off Voice Dial. 50. Behind the Black Shirt What does it take to become a Genius Bar technician?There are fewer great occupations in life than working at the Genius Bar. Think about it: When someone asks you what you do for a living, you get to tell them that you’re a Genius. On top of that, you get to manhandle Apple computers all day long, dealing with situations like figuring out what in the heck is going on with a MacBook that a carpenter impaled with his drill (remember to tell him it’s no longer under warranty). Check out our handy chart to see what it takes to become a Genius Bar employee. A. Get Smart! First things first: You gotta have plenty of knowledge about past and present Apple products. Geniuses must know hardware ranging across entire generations of Apple products, as well as software offered for all of the latest operating systems. After all, you never know what to expect when you work at the bar. For all you know, a customer might bring in their Performa 460 and ask you to transfer their hard drive data to one of those newfangled Mac Pros. B. Be Happy--and Discreet Employees at the Apple Store must be like employees at Disneyland--you’re in the Happiest Place on Earth, so smile
and keep your lips zipped tight about any advance knowledge of upcoming Apple products you might have. Or else. C. Magic Hands Before you can get your hands on customers’ gear, you need to get trained. A lot. Applying to be a Genius begins with a battery of tech questions--and we’re not talking the ins and outs of GarageBand, either. Applicants are expected to have deep knowledge about how to diagnose and fix serious hardware and software issues--after all, most of their job involves coping with damaged or seriously broken gear. Survive that hurdle, and it’s off to Cupertino for four weeks of sessions that include acquiring three Apple certifications (OS, Desktop, and Portable) and practice time with fake customers who are really good at being a pain in your backside. After that, the apprenticeship continues in a real live Apple Store for as much as another month before you become true blue Genius material. D. Black is Boss The shirt color is an essential part of working in the Apple store. The shirt depicts what department you work in and makes it so that customers know who exactly the Geniuses are who can help them with their waterlogged iPhone. E. Load-Bearing Can you diagnose a problem and solve it within 15 minutes? The Geniuses at the Bar can. Appointments taken at the back of the store are only supposed to take as long as it takes to get you halfway through your favorite sitcom, which ensures that even stores with heavy traffic volumes have a chance to help everyone out.

  • 10 Must-Have Board Games for the iPad

    With the increased screen real estate of the iPad, it's the perfect device for playing board games. If you haven't had a chance to browse some of the great titles available on the App Store, here's some of our favorite board games to get you started. Scrabble Such a classic, Scrabble is awesome on the iPad platform. Enjoy playing against friends (or a computer) on a gorgeous large game board. If you have an iPhone, download the free Scrabble Tile Rack and arrange your letters on your own device. When it's your turn, simply flick them towards the game board and they'll appear, ready for you to place and score big. Similar to the iPhone version, you can play against your friends locally or over a local network. Scrabble is $9.99. Words with Friends If there's one app at the moment that's popular across social networks and mobile devices, it's Words with Friends. Similar to Scrabble, this game allows you to play, turn based, against friends who are playing on their iPads, iPhones or Facebook accounts. The app supports push notifications to let you know when it's your turn, and you can chat in-game with your friends. At $2.99, this is definitely a fun board game for those who enjoy playing against friends and don't want to take the leap to Scrabble. Game Table One of the first game apps on the iPad, Game Table provides a virtual game board for a variety of games, like checkers, chess, poker and other card games. It's not a traditional game in the sense that you'll have scoring or rules and stuff. Instead, it's simply all the pieces to play games without all the fuss so you can play them any way you want. For 99 cents this app is a great value and the developers have promised that additional game pieces for Backgammon, Go and Reversi will be added soon. UNO HD While UNO technically is more of a card game than a board game, I decided to include it because it's a very fun experience on the iPad. It features all of the traditional UNO rules and actions, like Draw 2, Reverse and Wild cards. It also supports multiplayer (sharing one device or multiple on a Wi-Fi network) and features challenges allowing users to unlock additional themes to give the game a fresher look. UNO HD is $4.99. Strategery Strategery is an engaging game originally designed for the iPhone that has been optimized for the iPad as well. This game of world domination features you as leader of a “country” (think Civilization style) and you battle against your neighbors to gain/lose territory. It supports pass-and-play style multiplayer (with up to five players) or online battles with push notifications. The iPad version allows for much larger maps and a much more engaging experience if played like a traditional board game (a group of players gathering around the iPad). At $1.99, this app is a definite must-have. Theme Checkers Of all board games, Checkers (or Chess) was probably the most expected to debut on the iPad. There are a variety of both available now, but my favorite is Theme Checkers HD. Just like a real game, the movement is very fluid and natural. This game supports one and two player modes and regularly updated themes for unique checkers experience. Users can even create and install their own custom themes as well. Theme Checkers HD is 99 cents, so give it a spin and see what you think. Board Box If you're looking for a little more than just checkers or chess, you should check out Board Box. Similar to some of the others I've mentioned, it includes checkers and chess, but this app goes further by including Reversi, Tic Tac Toe, Go, Draughts and more. Not only does it include the regular version of these games, but it also includes some variants. This app doesn't support an automated second player, so you'll either need to suffer from having a split personality or have a friend to play against. If there's nobody local, you can play against friends through email. The developers of Board Box have promised that there will be no in-app purchases for this app so as they continue to update and add additional game boards and variants, the updates will be free. At $3.99, Board Box is a great investment. Ludo If you're a fan of Parcheesi, you should definitely check out Ludo ($3.99). Supporting up to four players (both human or computer), the game plays like real Parcheesi, except with a fresh modern interface and smooth animations and sound effects. Though there are a few other Parcheesi variants on the App Store, this one is definitely the best for the iPad. Additionally, your game state is saved so you can start and stop the game as you please. Moonlight Mahjong If you’re one who loves playing mahjong, check out Moonlight Mahjong for 99 cents. Putting a literal spin on the traditional idea of mahjong, this version is 3D, allowing you to use touch gestures to tilt and turn and zoom in and out. There’s over 90 built-in board layouts. When you get bored with those, you can create your own and share them with others. Plus, it offers for support of multiple players (even across Wi-Fi or against an automated opponent). If you’ve never given mahjong a shot, this is an excellent game to reduce stress and relax. Honey, That's Mine! This is a “sweet” board game where players compete against each other to collect the most honey. If playing on the iPhone or iPod touch, the game supports pass-and-play for multiplayer, but if you're on the iPad, the larger screen makes it easy to just place your iPad on a table and play against your friends. The idea of the game is rather simple, but the options for computer opponents and difficulty variations give this game additional replay value. Honey, That's Mine is available on the App Store for $1.99. This is just a small sampling of some of the apps available for the iPad. If you've tried these or found others you like, share your thoughts in the comments below. Personally I'm thrilled to find replacements of my favorite board games on the iPad. Just imagine how many little pieces I don't have to keep up with anymore!

  • 50 Killer Mac Apps For Under $50

       Who doesn't need more for less? We present 50 Mac|Life-approved applications--many free, all under $50--that'll guarantee you get the most from your Mac without traumatizing your wallet. The Internet is full of noise--countless different applications for every occasion, with reviews everywhere that love and hate them at the same time. While that’s hardly news, it’s still a hassle that isn’t going away. Say you picked up a spiffy new MacBook Pro, and it’s time to kit it out with the leanest, meanest software. After all, Macs have that rich history of garage-roots development, of a few folks in a basement brewing up quality software that smokes the big-name stuff. So you’ve got a feeling there’s great, affordable software just waiting for you to find it--and you’re right. But how do you sift through the zillion calendar apps and jillion media players to find the gems worthy of your hard drive space? And more importantly, your time and money?We’re here to help with a compendium of essential software. It didn’t come easily--we debated, argued, haggled, and even pleaded to secure a prized position on this list for our favorite, most useful applications. But by limiting the software we’re highlighting to 50, we’ve guaranteed you the best of the best--no Internet spew here. And by capping the cost of the software we’ve selected at $50, we’ve made sure you can reasonably buy what you need. You may love your Mac already, but you’re not gonna believe how much it can do once you load up even a few of these choice applications.   Entertainment Sure, iPods and iTunes make music and movies easier to enjoy, but they're not without headaches of their own. That's where these awesome apps come in. They take the pain out of kicking back with your favorite flicks and tunes. Simplify Media Share & stream your iTunes library over the Internet.The iPod has made several portable music formats obsolete, and we sure don’t miss schlepping around fragile cassette tapes or heavy wallets full of CDs. But even the mighty iPod has its limits--namely capacity. That’s where Simplify Media (free, Simplify Media, simplifymedia.com) comes in handy. It guarantees that the size of your music library doesn’t matter by letting you stream music between computers via the Internet. Yup, this app will play your entire library on any computer (as long as the one that has your library is powered up and online).Stream your tunes from home or the next cube.Once installed, a simple login fires up your music. Simplify Media works with iTunes just like the built-in LAN sharing does, and the remote libraries appear under Shared, alongside any local shared libraries. Even better, you can add up to 30 friends’ shared libraries, and an iPhone app ($5.99) lets you pipe your music to your iPhone or iPod touch.  SuperSync SuperSync keeps multiple iTunes collections in sync. Speaking of iTunes libraries--streaming is great, but what if you want to sync libraries across multiple Macs? SuperSync ($22, SuperSync, supersync.com) makes it so. Sure, Apple introduced limited music-transfer capabilities with Home Sharing in iTunes 9, but that feature requires computers to be on the same local network. SuperSync one-ups iTunes by syncing iTunes libraries over the Internet. It’s perfect for anyone who uses multiple Macs, and SuperSync also has a bunch of other tricked-out features. In deference to the record companies, Apple makes transferring music from an iPod to a computer unnecessarily difficult. SuperSync handles the task with ease, making it a bacon-saver when the hard drive in your Mac kicks the bucket. SuperSync will even allow you to sync libraries cross-platform.SuperSync's color-coded interface helps you synchronize your iTunes tracks across multiple Macs.  VLC Media Player Never worry about video file types again. If most of your Mac video-watching happens in the form of DVDs or QuickTime movies, you probably don’t think too much about player software. But move beyond the most basic video types, and you’re asking for trouble. With the myriad formats, containers, and encoding parameters available, the simple act of playing back a cat video can become incredibly frustrating. VLC Media Player (free, VideoLAN, www.videolan.org) is like a Swiss Army knife for digital media. It’s open source and cross-platform, and the app will play back practically any audio or video file you throw at it. VLC also handles file conversions with ease, so you can use it to convert audio and video for use online or on portable devices.It plays, it converts, it makes toast (okay, maybe not that last one.)  RipIt Backup & convert DVDs with RipIt.There are plenty of legit reasons to rip a DVD. Backup copies of kids’ movies for the minivan, watching Glee on your iPod touch while you’re on the bus, or even just saving battery power on your laptop (playing back a file from a hard drive is much more efficient than spinning a DVD).RipIt's simple interface makes ripping DVDs seamless and easy.Once the domain of ĂŒbernerds, DVD ripping is a one-click affair thanks to RipIt ($19.95, The Little App Factory, ripitapp.com). And since it makes full rips, all of the menus, bonus features, and subtitles remain intact. You can play back the resulting files with DVD Player on your Mac or use a freeware tool like Handbrake to convert your rips into iPod-friendly formats.   Delicious Library We love the iTunes Store, but we still end up accumulating books, DVDs, console games, and, yes, even CDs. Delicious Library ($40, Delicious Monster Software, www.delicious-monster.com) helps catalog your collections by--get this--taking snaps of UPCs via your webcam and then automatically organizing your meatspace content onto virtual shelves for easy sorting and browsing. You can track loans to friends, post items for sale on Amazon, and publish Web catalogs formatted for your iPhone. That way, you can avoid buying another copy of John Hodgman’s More Information Than You Require.   Connect360 We’re Apple-faithful, but that doesn’t stop us from engaging in a little Modern Warfare 2 on our Xbox 360. And since the 360 is much more than a simple gaming machine, we also use it to stream iTunes tracks to our entertainment center and view pictures from our iPhoto library on our HDTV--with the help of Connect360 ($20, Nullriver Inc, www.nullriver.com), that is. It works over wired or wireless networks, and it even streams H.264 video straight from our MacBook. Sweet!   Peel Pack rats, beware: Peel ($14.95, Hjalti Jakobsson, www.getpeel.com) can get really overwhelming, really fast. But if you’re an avid follower of music blogs, Peel can automagically grab new tracks as they’re posted. So forget all that pesky right-clicking and manually adding to iTunes. Just feed Peel a list of your favorite music blogs, and then kick back as tons of new, free tunes get downloaded straight to your Mac. You may never have to buy (or pirate) music again.    CoverScout Cover Flow is one of those features that looks great in a demo but doesn’t quite translate at home. iTunes can attempt to find the album art that makes Cover Flow actually useful, but it’s limited in scope and can’t make fuzzy matches. CoverScout ($39.95, equinox USA, www.equinux.com) scours the Internet to find your missing album art and presents you with multiple options to let you choose the best images. Don’t Cover Flow without it.   TuneUp For all of those untitled and mistitled tracks in your music library, there’s TuneUp ($19.95/one year, $29.95/lifetime; TuneUp Media; www.tuneupmedia.com). Like CoverScout, TuneUp can find and download missing album art, but its best trick is cleaning up your ID3 tags--the artist, title, and album info displayed in iTunes. A quick search is all it takes to clear up all those Track 1s and Unknown Artists in your library. It sure beats cleaning up metadata by hand. Next Page: Productivity Apps >>  Productivity Takin' care of business, every day. Takin' care of business, every way. Workin' on a Mac, it's all right. This productivity software is workin' overtime. WriteRoom Blocks distractions so you can write in peace.Proving the tired adage that “less is more,” WriteRoom ($24.95, Hog Bay Software, www.hogbaysoftware.com) is a light text editor with a full-screen mode. Start a new document, and everything else fades away--your Dock, your menubar, and other windows on your Desktop. You’re left with a black screen and friendly green text for a clutter- and distraction-free experience. The Escape key toggles between full-screen mode and windowed mode, which resembles TextEdit with a live word count.WriteRoom can save your work as plain text, rich text, or Microsoft Word’s .doc format. The preferences offer tons of customization: auto-save, character counts, the appearance of text in full-screen mode, and more. But WriteRoom’s real magic is how it gets out of your way and lets you focus on what you’re doing.  BusyCal One calendar application to rule them all.BusyCal ($40, BusyMac, www.busymac.com) is iCal on steroids. It dances circles around iCal, chanting, “Everything you can do, I can do better.” And it’s right. Sharing is a snap: You can set up two-way syncing with your Google Calendar or with other BusyCal calendars on your local network or the wide-open Internet. But even aside from sharing, BusyCal offers tons of calendaring bells and whistles: customizable views, sticky notes, weather forecasts, moon phases, graphical icons, a to-do list, notes, tags, and much more. And since it uses the Sync Services built into Mac OS X, your BusyCal calendars can sync with MobileMe and your iPhone. You can even switch back to iCal anytime without losing any of the events or to-dos you entered in BusyCal.So what if iCal is free? BusyCal is better.  Things Flexible to-do list syncs with iCal and the iPhone. For busy people like us, a good to-do list is beyond essential. But some that we’ve tried are so complicated that just managing your tasks becomes a chore in itself. So the light, easy-to-understand Things ($49.95, Cultured Code, www.culturedcode.com) is a breath of fresh air. You can go the full Getting Things Done route, adding contexts, priority levels, a tickler file, and so on. Or you can keep it simple, with one-off and repeating tasks and multistep projects. iCal syncing can get your deadlines on your calendar, and Things on the Mac can sync wirelessly with Things on the iPhone ($9.99 in the App Store). We’ve tried multiple task-managment systems, from Web-based ToodleDo to iPhone apps like ToDo to Mail’s built-in To-Do list to good old paper and pencil. Things is the cream of the crop for its good looks, quick entry, and easy syncing.Things uses tags to organize your projects in a million ways--or you can ignore the tags altogether and just work.  Express Scribe Transcriptions made easy... well, easier.Transcribing an interview, lecture, or other recording is hard enough, just with the listening and typing. Toss in the extra arm movement as you frantically click from your text editor to your audio-playback application every time you want to pause the recording or rewind a few seconds, and your transcribing job just got tougher and more frustrating. Express Scribe (free, NCH Software, www.nch.com.au/scribe) lets you set system-wide hotkeys for audio playback so you can stay in your text editor, fully control the audio, and never need to reach for your mouse.Express Scribe can also slow down your audio without changing the pitch, supports video, works with lots of file types, loads recordings from analog or digital audio recorders, and more. Plus, it’s completely free. Wahoo!  NoteBook The Mac is silly with note-taking applications (Evernote, Yojimbo, ShoveBox, MacJournal
shall we go on?), but Circus Ponies’ NoteBook ($49.95, Circus Ponies, www.circusponies.com) is a standout. If you subscribe to “a place for everything, and everything in its place,” NoteBook can be the place for notes, Web clippings, bookmarks, documents, voice memos, photos, and more. It struts its flexibility with ready-made templates for planning a trip, writing a research paper, collecting recipes, keeping a journal, and so on, while its fun spiral-notebook interface is a nice touch.    TextExpander A thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters could produce Hamlet a lot faster if they knew how to use TextExpander ($29.95, SmileOnMyMac, www.smileonmymac.com). This wonder app installs as a System Preferences pane and lets you define shortcuts for your most commonly used words and phrases. Abbreviate long URLs, your email signoff, even your own photo or scanned signature file. Then as you type those shortcuts, they’re automagically expanded to what you really wanted to say. Brilliant.   iFinance 3 Sure, Quicken is popular and Mint.com is free, but iFinance 3 ($29, Synium Software GmbH, www.synium.de) was built from the ground up just for Macs, and it shows. The intuitive interface makes it a cinch--dare we say a pleasure?--to track your accounts, keep an eye on your cash flow, set up a budget, and graph your expenses. It can also import from CSV and QIF files for easier data entry. Plus, a companion iPhone app lets you enter transactions on the go.  FlexTime This charming timer app ($18.95, Red Sweater Software, www.red-sweater.com) lets you set up multistep routines that run once or repeat ad nauseam. Each step can be marked by a sound, spoken text, or even running a script. Once your routine is perfect, you can export the audio to iTunes--great for following a recipe’s carefully timed steps or taking your favorite yoga routines on the road.   DEVONthink Personal Another great catch-all for storing, sorting, organizing, and searching information, DEVONthink ($49.95, DEVONtechnologies, www.devon-technologies.com) can take almost anything you can throw at it. Documents, PDFs, photos, multimedia files, bookmarks, webpages, iChat logs--all of those can be imported, sorted, and read right in DEVONthink. Searching is easy, and you can cobble together a brand-new document from items in your DEVONthink database and export it to your favorite text editor for printing or as HTML for posting.  Next Page: Internet Apps >>  Internet It's a wild place, that Interweb, so there's nothing like a few primo apps to tame everything from blogging to FTPs to Twitter and Flash banners. Transmit Traveling the two-lane FTP highway.FTP has been around forever. Social networking and cloud computing may come and go, but FTP is in it for the long hall. Fortunately, there are a wealth of great FTP clients for the Mac, and the best of those is Transmit ($29.95, Panic, www.panic.com/transmit). The client utilizes a split directory window that shows the path on your computer and the path on the FTP site. With in-app search and the ability to sync folders on your Mac and on the FTP site, Transmit helps alleviate the search and drag-and-drop blues of other clients. The sync feature is especially helpful for Web developers and designers. You can even create desktop droplets for quick uploads to heavily used sites.Two-window FTP FTW.  Mac-Journal Web-based apps suck.Blogging about your life is a faux pas. Blogging about anything else that people actually care about is the proper way of utilizing of the blogging systems available out there. The ongoing problem is that most blogging platforms are bit of a pain to use because they’re Web-based. Plus, if you’re somewhere without Internet access, you can’t start laying out your blog posts for your site. MacJournal ($39.95, Mariner Software, www.marinersoftware.com) solves that problem with an easy-to-use multiplatform blogging client. Lay out your articles offline with images, video, and audio, then save them for later posting. The app includes the ability to both write in full-screen mode so you won’t be interrupted by your Twitter friends, and to record an audio podcast in the client.Create blog posts quickly and without browser issues.  Tweetie Multi-account Twitter action.After wowing the world with its iPhone Twitter app, atebits decided to release a desktop version of Tweetie ($19.95, atebits, www.atebits.com/tweetie-mac/). The app can handle multiple Twitter accounts, compose tweets in a separate window, allow you to change the account you’re sending a tweet from on the fly, and let you drag and drop pics and videos right into the Compose window. Don’t have the perfect media on your Mac for a tweet? Record a video or shoot a pic from your iSight camera directly in Tweetie. And since Twitter conversations can be difficult to follow, Tweetie displays the conversation you’re having in a timeline if you just double-click one of the pertinent tweets. The Tweetie bookmarklet in Safari also allows you to share links quickly from your browser.Have an actual conversation on Twitter with Tweetie.  Dropbox Stop, drop, and roll on home.Transferring large files can be a huge pain. Where the hell did you leave that thumb drive? External hard drives leave an unsightly bulge in your pocket, and all those cables are always getting tangled in your shoes. That’s a safety hazard, son. Dropbox (2GB storage for free, 50GB for $9.99/month; Dropbox; www.dropbox.com) is a cloud-based storage drive that you can access from any computer or iPhone. Just pop files into the Dropbox folder on your Mac, and it automatically syncs up with the online disk (which you can view on Dropbox’s website) and with any other machines you have the application installed on. You can even share folders and files with other Dropbox users. If the free 2GB box doesn’t cut it, you can upgrade to 50GB for $10 a month.Access your files from anywhere in the universe (with an Internet connection).  LogMeIn If you need to remotely access a Mac or (gasp) a PC with Windows on it, LogMeIn (free, LogMeIn, logmein.com) allows you to peer into your remote computer from anywhere. You can launch apps, move files, and adjust your preferences via a Web-based interface, as if you were sitting at that computer. For $29.99, you can get your iPhone in on the action too.   TweetDeck If you’re a Twitter power user, TweetDeck (free, TweetDeck, www.tweetdeck.com) should be in your arsenal of Twitter apps. The interface is a series of columns that displays info like your friends’ feeds, saved searches, mentions, direct mentions, and Facebook updates. You can also keep up with trending topics with just a quick glance. If there’s something you need to track on Twitter, TweetDeck can make a column for it.   Vuze Allegedly, BitTorrent steals medication from senior citizens, but isn’t it time to forget about all the evil things it supposedly does? Instead, focus on the greatness of Vuze (free, Vuze, www.vuze.com) and its ability to download legally available video files. After you’ve done the downloading, Vuze can convert your files for use on the iPhone, Apple TV, iPod, Xbox 360, TiVo, and PlayStation 3. It’ll even stream videos to your set-top boxes. Nice!   BannerZest Creating Flash banners is difficult, especially when you don’t know or own Flash. BannerZest ($49, Aquafadas, www.aquafadas.com) takes the pain out the process and gives you a simple way to create quick, beautiful Flash banners. From a standard gallery to an interactive experience, BannerZest comes with a collection of themes for different uses, and it uploads your banners to your FTP or MobileMe disk.    FileChute Sending large files over email can result in the dreaded bounced email. FileChute ($17.95, Yellow Mug Software, www.yellowmug.com) works with your MobileMe-, FTP-, or WebDAV-accessible Web server. Drop your file into the app, and it uploads it to your online server of choice and then creates a URL to add to your email. If you drop more than one file, you get an archive uploaded to your server. Adios, bounced emails!  Next Page: Content Creation Apps >> Content Creation Sure, Adobe's stuff is the gold standard, but you don't want to have to count on a good night at the poker table to pay for it, right? Cue these killer applications, which let you effectively draw, edit photos, render, animate, and even scratch for a very fair price. djay 3 Budgeted beats to grow on.You want to spin phat beats, but your slim bank keeps you from purchasing the high-end DJ equipment and software. That’s okay, young DJ-in-training, djay 3 ($49.95, algoriddim, www.djay-software.com) gives you everything you need to rock the house without losing your shirt. This surprisingly robust audio-mixing software integrates with your iTunes library and puts all the usual mixing and scratching right on your desktop. The application supports multitouch trackpad scratching and fading between tracks, so it’s especially perfect for the last few generations of MacBooks. And as you grow as a DJ, the application will grow with you thanks to its support for MIDI controllers. That means when you get the cash for those fancy digital mixers and turntables, djay will be right there with you.With your iTunes catalog at your fingertips, you'll find some pretty interesting mashups.  Audacity Free audio editor extraordinaire.Audio editing seems simple at first. Then suddenly, you’re knee-deep in samples, frequencies, and bitrates. Sound editing really is part science, part black magic, so we’re thankful that Audacity (free, SourceForge, audacity.sourceforge.net) removes one of the biggest obstacles: choosing a quality application and figuring out how you’re going to pay for it. Audacity is both terrific and free, which is kinda hard to beat. An audio-recording and -editing application, it captures up to 16 channels at once from multiple sources, features noise removal, includes a metadata editor, and supplies unlimited undos. It can handle most of the audio files out there, and it’ll work with multiple files types in the same project. Audacity is also is cross-platform, so if you’re a recent Mac arrival, you may already know about its awesome power.So many features, you'll second-guess the price: free.  SketchUp 3D for you and me.Maya, 3D Studio Max, and SketchUp--all of these will let you create magical 3D worlds. Only one will do it for free, and you probably nailed it in one--it’s Google’s SketchUp software (free, Google, sketchup.google.com) that brings the world of 3D to the average Joe. You can create your own items or utilize Google’s 3D warehouse to find models created by other SketchUp users. With all those models at your fingertips, you can create floor plans for your home, build a level for your favorite FPS, or export the files to animation software or Photoshop. The application includes tutorials that’ll get you up and rendering in no time at all
 so now nothing stands between you and virtual-world domination!Build a virtual man-cave for you and your stuff.  Ringer Wham-bam ringtone, ma'am.We get tons of people asking us, “How do I make a ringtone for my iPhone?” Until recently, we told them to launch GarageBand, cut a ringtone, and export it to iTunes. Now we recommend Ringer ($15, Pixel Research Labs, pixelresearchlabs.com/ringer) as the quickest and easiest way to create ringtones from your favorite songs and audio files. Ringer has access to your entire iTunes library and works with MP3, AAC, MOV, MP4, M4V, and QuickTime files. Yeah, you can make a ringtone from a video file. A super-simple editor with waveform information makes it a snap to select the perfect section of audio, and you can fade in and out of the file and preview the ringtone before cropping it and sending it to iTunes for a sync with your iPhone.   Acorn Using an image editor doesn’t have to cost you hundreds of dollars. In fact, with Acorn ($49.95, Flying Meat, www.flyingmeat.com/acorn), you’ll get features like layers, AppleScript support, 64-bit support, drawing, and filters in a package that’s easy on the wallet. This easy-to-use software strips away most of the features most people don’t use and gives you a clean image-editing tool.   Inkscape While raster-based image editors like Photoshop are great at pushing pixels around, the vector-based drawing programs are where all the real action happens. The open-source application Inkscape (free, Inkscape, www.inkscape.org) is similar to powerhouses like Illustrator and CorelDraw, but with one important difference--it’s free. The app utilizes the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format and includes a nice 3D drawing tool that allows you to set your vanishing points.    Screenflick With Snow Leopard, Apple introduced screen-capture into QuickTime, and it’s a nice feature if you’re looking to make a quick full-screen screencast. But if you want something that has features like fixed location output at up to 60 fps, Screenflick ($25, Araelium Group, www.araelium.com/screenflick) is an application you can get behind. It’ll highlight mouse clicks and keyboard events, adding a nifty visual cue into your screencasts that highlights what you’re doing.   Bracketeer While your eye can take in an amazing range of light to dark, your camera cannot. In order to help create images that include a tonal range that the average camera can’t capture, HDR applications and plug-ins have appeared on the market. These applications take a series of images that have been bracketed from dark to light and combine them to include the darkest darks to the lightest lights in one HDR image. Bracketeer ($29.95, Pangea Software, pangeasoft.net/pano/bracketeer) is a standalone application that does just that. Adjust the saturation, the contrast, and exposure from within the application. The application will even auto-align your images in case you got the hiccups while taking your pics.   iStopMotion 2 Home Most animators’ first animation was probably a stop-motion piece with Star Wars action figures. And whether those childhood lightsaber battles have you hoping to become the next Brad Bird, or you just love the look of stop-motion, iStopMotion ($49, Boinx Software, www.boinx.com/istopmotion/overview) is a quick, easy way to create simple stop-motion animations. Use your iSight or connect a camera to your Mac and start making your own Wallace and Gromit short. You’ll feel the Force, Lu
 sorry.  Next Page: Utility Apps >> Utilities Slick utilities can add crucial functionality to your Mac, so we've selected the best options for everything from secure password managers and system-troubleshooting tools to an app that will let you play Windows games on your Mac... without Windows! AppZapper Completely trash applications.Unlike using Windoze, installing and uninstalling apps on a Mac is painless. Drag an application’s icon into your Applications folder, and you’re pretty much good to go. Deleting them is just as simple--just grab them and toss them into the Trash. But if you’ve ever dug around Library or System folders on your Mac, you’ll see that even after you Trash an app, many of them leave crumbs in different parts of your machine. For cleaning up those last little bits, AppZapper ($12.95, Austin Sarner and Brian Ball, www.appzapper.com) is a must-have utility that’s also great for troubleshooting problems. Wiping out all of an application’s preferences and other random files can often turn a troublesome app into a perfectly behaved one after a clean reinstall. Completely remove unwanted applications with a simple drag and drop.  Hazel Clean and organize your Mac--automatically.Hazel ($21.95, NoodleSoft, www.noodlesoft.com) is kind of like Rosie the Robot for your Mac. Or it’s like OS X’s Folder Actions
 if they were super-awesome, easy to use, and perfect for helping you keep your Mac’s folders and files organized. Hazel installs as a pane in System Preferences, monitoring locations that you choose, and performs actions on files based on your criteria. By creating simple rules, you can delegate repetitive and annoying file-management tasks to Hazel--for example, automatically add downloaded MP3s to iTunes or move DMGs to an archive on an external drive. Hazel can delve deep into metadata for complex actions like copying images into subfolders by ISO settings or reorganizing music files according to bitrate. You can even set up simple rules for auto-deleting items that have been in the Trash longer than a certain amount of time.  1Password Keep all your confidential info on lockdown.You’ve heard it before--secure, unique passwords are the way to go. Yet there you are, still using the same password for everything from your maclife.com login to your Gmail and your bank account. Do we even have to tell you again why that’s a colossally bad idea? 1Password ($39.95, Agile Web Solutions, agilewebsolutions.com) can help clean up your online act, creating and managing complex passwords for every online account and then logging you in with a keyboard shortcut. The app can also be used to securely store personal information like credit card numbers and addresses for use in Web forms. And since all of your passwords are unique, you won’t have to worry about your banking info being compromised because of a data breach at that sketchy Russian website you used to download MP3s for a penny.1Password securely stores Web passwords, logins, software licenses, and other important information.  iPhone Explorer Store & browse files on your iPhone.Breaking tradition with the iPods of yore, Apple doesn’t provide the ability to use your iPhone as a USB drive. iPhone Explorer (free, myPod Apps, www.mypodapps.com) is a simple app that will let you drag and drop files onto your phone for easy portability. The app itself is lightweight, and all it takes is a USB cable to view your iPhone’s folder structure. In addition to storing files, iPhone Explorer can be used to restore iTunes tracks from your iPod to a Mac or to rescue photographs from the depths of your iPhone’s memory. No jailbreaking is required, but more adventurous users with jailbroken phones can also recover contacts, messages, email, and other data. It’s a powerful tool, but it’s simple to use for the careful novice.  AppleJack AppleJack (free, The Apotek, applejack.sourceforge.net) is one of those things you’ll install once and never think about again—if everything goes right. But if, god forbid, your Mac starts acting weird one day--or stops acting, period--it’ll be AppleJack to the rescue. It’s a command-line utility for diagnosing and repairing problems with your computer. Use the menu-driven system to repair permissions, validate preferences files, and remove screwy cache files.  SuperDuper With Time Machine built into OS X, there’s really no good reason not to have an automatic backup. But Time Machine has its limits--a big one being the lack of bootable backups. SuperDuper ($27.95, Shirt Pocket, www.shirt-pocket.com) easily handles creating and updating bootable clones of your Mac’s hard drive so you’ll be ready to go when disaster strikes. Just plug in your clone, restart, and you’re up and running again.   CrossOver Games PC fanboys like to slag the Mac for having fewer games, but with CrossOver Games ($39.95, CodeWeavers, www.codeweavers.com), Mac users--and Linux fans too--can easily play games coded for Windows machines. The list of officially supported games is hundreds deep, and since CrossOver is based on Wine, you don’t even need a copy of Windows just to play Team Fortress 2.   Clean My Mac Hard drives are never big enough. Whether you have a MacBook Air or a Mac Pro, there always comes a point when there’s just not enough space on your internal disks. Clean My Mac ($29.95, MacPaw, macpaw.com) can help with that problem, scouring your Mac’s drive and tossing out all sorts of gunk you don’t need. Use it to toss unneeded language files, scrub extraneous code from universal binaries, and thoroughly clean up after deleted applications.   rooSwitch OS X’s Fast User Switching is handy for juggling multiple user accounts and their corresponding settings, but rooSwitch ($19, Rocket, rooswitch.com) allows you to maintain different settings on a per-application basis. Use it to manage Home and Work browser profiles, for example, or to have different profiles in your word processor for writing or editing documents. rooSwitch works with nearly any application, and it supports Automator and AppleScript for the ultimate in customizability.  Next Page: Wild Card Apps & Staff Picks >>  Wild Cards Not all Mac apps fall into your neat little categories. These five break the mold and completely deserve a place on your hard drive. Bricksmith Virtual bricks you can't lose or step on? Sold!Legos are the official plastic brick of Mac|Life--we’ve had many discussions about the empires we built in our childhood bedrooms and how much we miss “playing Legos” as the soulless adults we are today. Bricksmith (free, donations accepted; Allen Smith; bricksmith.sourceforge.net) lets you recapture the magic in a highly geeky way. It’s a 3D Lego-model creator, offering drag-and-drop construction using thousands of parts in every color of Lego’s rainbow. Tutorials and the one finished model that’s included show you the ropes, and once you’re done with your virtual creation, you can export step-by-step instructions to build it for real. There’s even a mini figure generator where you can design and outfit a matching Lego man and insert him into your model. This software couldn’t be cooler.We can't believe an application this sweet is donationware.  CameraBag Desktop Give your photos a new identity or some old-timey charm.We named the iPhone version of CameraBag one of our “101 Essential Apps for 2008,” and now the same fun can be had on your Mac, thanks to CameraBag Desktop ($19, Nevercenter, www.nevercenter.com). You drag in a digital image, and the app re-creates the look of a real film photograph--choose from Helga, Lolo, Mono, 1962, 1974, Instant, Magazine, Cinema, or Colorcross.For more variations, click the Reprocess button, and all the options will change their look and coloring just slightly. Or check the Multi-filter box and experiment with adding multiple filters to a single photo. Of course, you can export your altered images back to your hard drive without affecting the original file. The novelty of taking an everyday digital snapshot and making it look like a Polaroid image or washed-out 1974 photograph never gets old.Your digital photos, plus extra personality.  SousChef Recipe database + shopping list + cooking assistant = one kitchen lifesaver.SousChef ($30, Acacia Tree Software, acaciatreesoftware.com) edges out MacGourmet ($49.95, www.marinersoftware.com) in the cooking-assistant category for its cloud database of recipes. Every time a SousChef user enters a recipe (133,000-plus at press time), it’s synced to the cloud, and you can search those and import them into your own library. You can also opt out of sharing your own recipes so Aunt Erma’s secret matzo ball soup stays in the family.Once a recipe’s in your library, you can edit, print, email, or blog it--or even add its ingredients to your grocery list. Click the Cook button for a full-screen view of the instructions that you can read from across the room, keeping your Mac out of the splatter zone. The Mac’s built-in speech recognition lets you advance the recipe’s steps with your own voice, or you can use the Apple Remote or a Keyspan Front Row Remote.  Temporis Attractive, drag-and-drop timelines make it easy to "show, don't tell."Everyone loves a good infographic, or at least geeky types like us do. (And the geeks shall inherit the earth, don’cha know?) Temporis ($24.99, Bartas Technologies, www.bartastechnologies.com) makes it easy to create neat-looking timelines on your Mac, which you can then print or export as PDF or TIFF files that are ready for importing into your presentation software, word processor, or page-layout app.Adding new events is just a Command-click away, and it’s a snap to drag the start and end dates around on the timeline. The Arrange button will automatically stagger your timeline’s events into the most logical and easy-to-read order, and the Inspector lets you tweak fonts, colors, titles, labels, and your timeline’s span and intervals. You can even export the event data separately as an XML or CSV file.  Manga Studio Debut 4 Create your own comics and manga, and even manga-fy your photos.Manga Studio Debut 4 ($49.99, Smith Micro, my.smithmicro.com) is a must-have for fans of Japanese manga or anyone who wants to make their own comic books. Its ingenious Beginner’s Assistant groups together the tools by processes so you can intuitively wind your way through a typical manga workflow: sketch, panel, draw, tone, and add character dialogue.You can scan or draw your own art (graphics tablets supported, natch), play with the included samples, purchase manga content from www.contentparadise.com, or even import your own digital photos and watch Manga Studio make them all comicky-looking. Draw speed lines, add dialogue bubbles, move your pages around, and then print or export your finished comic book. Manga Studio Debut 4 is the younger brother to professional-level Manga Studio EX 4 ($299.99), but Debut has plenty of advanced features too, including layers, templates, customizable patterns, and more. Mac|Life Staff Picks  Bass Tuner I’m a beginning bass player--like, very beginning. So it’s a huge help that I don’t have to worry about staying in key. This terrific, simple, and streamlined little app ($9, www.rustykat.com) lets me quickly get in tune in front of my MacBook using the built-in mic. With that necessity sorted, I can fire up some tracks and tablature and focus on struggling to play along.   Multiwinia Multiwinia ($19, www.ambrosiasw.com) offers crazy replayability. You devise a strategy for your stick-figure army, then watch them take on up to four other teams in six game types on 40 vector-graphic maps. Online multiplayer against Mac and Windows players works flawlessly and keeps me coming back for more. No Napoleon complex necessary.    MetaX If you need to tag a large amount of MP4 files, you could use iTunes’ painfully slow process. Instead I found MetaX (free, www.kerstetter.net) for all my tagging needs. The app will search the IMDB catalog and plug the information into the appropriate fields, then share that info via tagChimp. You can even scan DVD barcodes via iSight!    Bean For a word dork like me, word processors are a big deal. Bean (free, www.bean-osx.com) is a lightweight, open-source word processor. It’s missing many of the blinky lights and thingamajigs of the big boys, and that’s exactly the point. Fewer distractions equals better writing, faster. And for anyone who needs to hit a certain length, the live word count rocks.    Fluid I often find that Firefox has the tendency to crash when I have too many Web applications running. But Fluid (free, fluidapp.com) lets me create a site-specific browser out of my most essential websites, like Google Docs and Flickr. Simply plug in the URL, and voilĂ ! You have a separate application running that won’t go down if something else does.   Next Page: More Gaming Bang for 50 Bucks >>  More Bang for 50 Bucks Some of the Mac's best games are also its cheapest? Sweet!Fifty bones won’t buy you even one new Xbox 360 or PS3 game, but on the Mac, you can snap up a stack of premier games for less than that. Or at least, that was our theory when we gave Florence, our new associate online editor, 50 whole American dollars and asked her to max out her Mac with the best gaming that short stack of money could buy.  Man, did she score--check out the results of her diligent “research.” Plants Vs. Zombies $16, amazon.comLine up perilous peashooters and sun-soaking sunflowers against an abominable horde of zombies in Plants vs. Zombies.This animated tower-defense favorite pits you against a horde of zombies with one thing on their (decaying) minds--invading your home for brains! Pit your arsenal of zombie-fighting plants, each with their own spectacular organic weaponry, against 26 zombies and 50 levels of adventure. Fair warning: Once you start playing this excellent game, it’s incredibly hard to stop.  World of Goo $10, amazon.comStack up adorable globs of goo to build structures and watch them band together as you help transport them across various levels.World of Goo is another addictive and totally adorable puzzle game. Created around the idea that circular goo balls make adequate building materials (naturally), the game has you solving puzzles by dragging and dropping goo to create all kinds of crazy structures that enable you to transport your goo across the level. The oh-so-cute googly-eyed blobs pack the game with charm, and you can also connect online and play against other Goo architects around the world. Braid $15, playgreenhouse.comBraid's aesthetically appealing backdrop and profound storyline will keep you engrossed until the very end.Some games defy description, and Braid might be easy to pass over because it appears to be just a mix of platforming and time control set against a gorgeous backdrop. But it subverts and transcends those two well-worn clichĂ©s with brilliant design and an absorbing story that packs a twist that you’ll never see coming. Watch the YouTube videos if you need help solving its puzzles, but just make sure you see this masterpiece through to the end. Balcassa $8, openplanetsoftware.comBalcassa has a mountain of exciting brainteasers for the puzzle fiend.Balcassa feeds off those nightmares you still have about attempting to master that archaic, rainbow-colored Rubik’s cube. And while most of you probably never cracked the damn thing (we didn’t!), Balcassa gives you a second chance. The objective of the game is to slide the cubes into a specific sequence, pattern, or orientation. It may sound like a simple task, but much like fiddling with a Rubik’s cube, figuring it all out is the real reward. Freeware Fun If you’re interested in first-person shooters and MMORPGs, Quake Live and Second Life can give you hours of entertainment at our favorite price: $0.00. Both games perform smoothly on Mac OS 10.4 or later. Quake Live doesn’t require beefy hardware because it runs through your Web browser. But that doesn’t stop it from delivering all the fast-paced action of the classic first-person shooter. Second Life, while not as packed with storyline as World of Warcraft, offers a similar massively multiplayer world where you can meet people, customize your character’s look, and participate in a virtual world that’s just like our own. You don’t even have to watch the clock to make sure you’re on time for a player-versus-player raid!You don't need fancy computer hardware to frag your way through this beloved shooter. Vital Statistics on Our 50 Killer Apps Total cost if you bought all 50 apps: $1219.83Number of apps that are free: 13Apps that have an iPhone counterpart: 15Whaddaya waiting for? (apps that have a free demo): 39Number of countries these apps were born in: 7Apps named "iSomething": shockingly... just 3!Apps that require Snow Leopard: 1Apps that require Leopard: 14Apps that promise "iLife integration!": 9 

  • Episode 130: PowerPage Podcast

    Episode 130 of the PowerPage Podcast is now available. You can either download it from the iTunes Store or directly (19 MB, AAC). This week we switched the encoding back to AAC in order to keep the file size under the 20GB cap for OTA syncing on the iPad/iPod/iPhone. Panel: Jason O'Grady and Tom Hesser Topics: This week we discuss Apple's iPad launch, our first impressions, and everything from the hardware to the software. We wrap it up with a healthy dose of “What's on your iPad?” Here's what's on our iPads this week: Jason NewsRack ($3) - My RSS app of choice on iPad, syncs with Google Reader, plenty of sharing options. Instapaper Pro ($5) - Bookmark long articles and read them offline on the iPad later. Magic Piano ($3) - Play a virtual piano with a cool Internet-connected duet mode. iPad only. Flight Control HD ($5) - Land airplances at airport with your finger, fun with multiple players. Touchgrind HD ($8) - This skateboarding sim allows you to see more of the park and play a friend in splitscreen mode. Labyrinth 2 HD ($8) - An old school labyrinth game just like the one you grew up with, but more fun. Free trial available. Tom textPlus - (free, in app purchase of $2.99 to remove ads) – SMS texting client for iPad. Also an iPhone version. ABC Player (free) - Streaming television shows from ABC (like Lost and Desperate Housewives). Game Table ($1) - Classic games like checkers, chess, poker and most card games with beautiful rendering. Feedler RSS (free) - Google Reader reader with free sync for a limited time. A $4 Pro version is also available. Epicurious (free) - Over 28,000 recipes from Epicurious.com with a new full-screen cookbook view. Follow us on Twitter @jasonogrady @addicted2iphone Subscribe to the PowerPage Podcast in iTunes or add the Podcast RSS feed to your RSS client. Our theme music is generously provided by The Tragically Hip their new release “We Are The Same” is available on iTunes. Don't forget to join the PowerPage Facebook group.

  • 10 Reasons Why You Should Jailbreak Your iOS Device Today

     The cat and mouse game between Apple and the iOS hacker community took an interesting turn this week, with the return of a simple, one-click jailbreak that hasn’t been seen since the early days of the iPhone’s existence (iPhone OS 1.1.1, to be exact). Now that it’s so easy to do--and so easy to undo with a simple restore--we have a list of the top ten reasons you should go jailbreak your device, right now. Or, you know, right after you read this article first.So what exactly is jailbreaking? At its core, it’s a hack that allows you to install most anything you want on your iOS device, which include mods to change its appearance (such as “themes,” which make iOS look like other operating systems or show off your particular pop culture tastes), apps that have been kicked out of the App Store such as GV Mobile and even a carrier unlock to free your device from AT&T, or to use it with local SIM cards when traveling to another country.If you’re not quite sure why you would want to do such a thing, keep reading and see if any of our suggestions might sway your opinion.Give Apple the One-Finger SaluteIt probably goes without saying that Apple doesn’t want you to jailbreak your iOS device. They claim it’s a security risk (jailbreaks generally take advantage of bugs in the operating system to do their magic in the first place) and that your device is less stable. Despite how insanely easy it is to do now thanks to Sunday’s release of JailbreakMe.com (more on that later), there is some merit to Apple’s claims, which even the hackers probably couldn’t deny.But isn’t that a good reason to do it anyway? Like a spoiled kid who defies their parents at every turn, we iOS device owners have the ability to defy CEO Steve Jobs and the whole Apple corporation, just by hacking our device to do things the folks in Cupertino simply won’t allow. After all, Apple themselves used to sell their computers with the "Think different" mantra, and even go so far as to claim that Macs were the computers for the rest of us. So we say: Why shouldn’t our iOS devices have the same free-thinking, independent spirit? Jailbreaking your device tells Apple that you’re not just one of the crowd anymore.Reclaim Those Banned AppsIt seems like an eternity since Google’s own Google Voice app had the App Store door slammed in its face, which also caused a few third-party variations to also be shown the door at the same time. Apple’s official stance is that they’re still “evaluating” such apps--as usual, AT&T got the finger of blame pointed in their direction as well, but here we are, more than a year later and still no dedicated Google Voice app for the iOS.While many users have since moved on to Riverturn’s VoiceCentral Black Swan (a feature-laden web app that requires no hackery), it does have limitations, including the inability to directly access your device’s address book. After his full-featured GV Mobile app was kicked out of the App Store, developer Sean Kovacs headed to Cydia, the jailbreaker’s equivalent of the Island of Misfit Toys. And he’s certainly not the only App Store outcast to do the same.Back in May, we told you about an ingenious new app called Wi-Fi Sync from developer Greg Hughes, which wirelessly syncs your iOS device with iTunes. Not surprisingly, Apple denied the app access to the App Store, so Greg also hightailed it over to Cydia and for a mere $9.99, it can now be yours. Of course, most developers would still prefer to get into the App Store “holy grail” since that’s where the real money is, but it’s nice to know that we have another way to access choice apps that the folks in Cupertino would rather you not.App Store, Cydia or Rock: Freedom of ChoiceThe best news is that Cydia is not your only choice for jailbroken fun (although it’s the most popular one, and included with most jailbreaks, including JailbreakMe.com). Search for “RockApp” inside Cydia and you’ll be able to install Rock Your Phone, another jailbreak-only marketplace which is home to a number of popular apps, including My3G (just updated to allow FaceTime calls over 3G on a jailbroken iPhone 4) and MyWi, which allows your 3G-equipped iOS device to become a wireless hotspot, sharing your connection with up to five other devices at once.Both Cydia and Rock offer paid apps as well as plenty of free extensions, tweaks and mods. Certainly there is plenty of duplication on their virtual shelves, but it’s worth having both apps installed on your jailbroken device, particularly when Rock offers free trials for its most popular apps so you can try before you buy. It’s also worth noting that Rock has the ability to save a backup of your jailbroken apps and restore them easily, which is important if you want to restore your device and jailbreak it again later, particularly if you use a lot of jailbreak-only apps.Get Unshackled from AT&TWhile many of us are perfectly content with signing a two-year commitment to AT&T and their often-troubled service, anyone who has ventured outside of the United States has seen the beauty of how other countries handle their cell phone service. Prepaid SIM cards are commonplace in Europe and many other countries, but since your iPhone is locked to AT&T, you can’t take advantage of bringing your handset with you when you go. If you travel overseas and use your iPhone, you'll pay exorbitant calling and data rates for international roaming.That is, unless you have jailbroken your handset. Head to Cydia or Rock and download ultrasn0w, then restart your iPhone and experience what freedom from AT&T truly tastes like (you’ll have to trim down a full-sized prepaid SIM to fit in your micro-SIM sized iPhone 4). You can grab a T-Mobile SIM card and use it to your heart’s content (although their 3G service is not compatible with the iPhone, so you’ll be stuck with EDGE service for now), or head to your local Best Buy and pick up prepaid SIM cards from the likes of O2 for a mere $9.99, which gives you 50 free minutes and additional minutes as low as four cents per minute, plus free international calls to more than 50 countries.The Best User ExperienceSome of the iOS features we take for granted now were actually available to jailbreakers well before Apple officially blessed them and did their own. Copy & paste, multitasking, streaming audio & video over 3G--you name it, the jailbreakers did it first (and some would argue, still do it the best).Because jailbreaking your iOS device often gives you the best user experience while Apple is slow to play catch up, you can expect to enjoy such amenities as wi-fi syncing with iTunes well before the cooks in Cupertino add it to the iOS menu.Make It Your OwnHead to Cydia’s Sections tab, scroll down to Themes and be amazed and astounded by how many new choices you’ll have for dressing up your iOS device. At press time, there are nearly 2,000 themes in Cydia alone, which allow your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad look like most anything you want it to just by applying a simple theme which uses an app called Winterboard.Themes include screen dressing from popular movies such as Star Wars and Harry Potter, video games or even celebrity images such as Megan Fox, Scarlett Johanssen, Cameron Diaz and many more -- and yes, that includes even adult celebrities that Apple CEO Steve Jobs would likely frown upon seeing on an iOS device. The Winterboard app required to use the themes is donation-ware and comes courtesy of Cydia founder Jay Freeman (better known to jailbreakers as “Saurik”).Holy Cow, Thousands of Free Ringtones!Remember the dark early days when you couldn’t even have a custom ringtone on your iPhone? Apple finally plugged that glaring omission by offering 99-cent ringtones you could make yourself on iTunes, but most iPhone owners wanted complete freedom to create their own for free, using the music library they already owned (Apple’s selection was limited to tracks where music labels and rights holders would allow ringtones).If you’re not the resourceful type, or maybe you’re just too lazy and unmotivated to create your own ringtones, chances are you’ll find something to love from the selection of nearly 3,000 free ringtones featured in Cydia or Rock. A few clicks and your iPhone could be spewing Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” the next time somebody calls. Seriously, who wouldn’t get excited about that?Because It’s Legal NowJailbreaking has been going on since the debut of the original iPhone in 2007, and while it wasn’t exactly the kind of lawless, illicit activity that might land you in prison, it was definitely frowned upon by Apple, including being a clear violation of your warranty with them.Apple’s hardline warranty stance remains the same three and a half years later, but a recent ruling by the Library of Congress makes one thing very clear: Users are legally permitted to jailbreak and/or unlock their devices here in the United States, whether Apple and AT&T likes it or not. Obviously, that didn’t stop jailbreakers prior to the ruling and should the laws change in the future, it’s unlikely to deter them from continuing to do so--but at least we have a clear legal precedent, knowing that the U.S. government gives the practice a thumbs up.Support the Hacking CommunityLargely a community effort, most of the folks involved with creating jailbreaking tools do it simply out of love, rather than for profit. While some of the hackers who work on iOS devices do accept donations, the policy of some of the better-known groups like the Dev Team (who is responsible for the aforementioned ultrasn0w, as well as popular tools such as redsn0w and Pwnage Tool), do not.While Apple may be in a “cat and mouse game” with the hackers, frowning with disapproval at each new jailbreaking attempt, let’s not forget that Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak also started their own illustrious careers by doing such things for both fun and profit. In fact, one of their earliest efforts was a “phone phreaker,” a box that attached to the telephone and allowed you to make free long-distance calls. Ironically, the enterprising Steves were also quite happy to rail against “The Man”--in this case, telco giant AT&T. The more things change, the more they stay the same...Do It Now, Before Apple Plugs the HolePerhaps the best reason to jailbreak your iOS device is the simplest one: Because you can. Open Mobile Safari on your device, head to JailbreakMe.com and you’re one step away from having a jailbroken device. That’s a far cry from some of the gyrations that jailbreakers have had to endure over the years, worrying about certain versions of iOS being incompatible or fretting that their modem firmware wasn’t capable of being unlocked.Thanks to the hacker known as Comex and his unruly team of jailbreak wizards, you can throw just about any device (the original iPhone isn’t supported, but it’s freely jailbroken using Pwnage Tool or redsn0w), recent operating system version (3.1.2 or higher for most devices, including iOS 4.0.1) and firmware at JailbreakMe.com and still enjoy the fruits of freedom. The full list of devices compatible with JailbreakMe.com:iPod 1G on 3.1.2 iPod 1G on 3.1.3 iPod 2G on 3.1.2 iPod 2G on 3.1.3 iPod 2G on 4.0 iPod 3G on 3.1.2 iPod 3G on 3.1.3 iPod 3G on 4.0 iPad on 3.2 iPad on 3.2.1 iPhone 3G on 3.1.2 iPhone 3G on 3.1.3 iPhone 3G on 4.0 iPhone 3G on 4.0.1 iPhone 3G[S] on 3.1.2 iPhone 3G[S] on 3.1.3 iPhone 3G[S] on 4.0 iPhone 3G[S] on 4.0.1 iPhone 4 on 4.0 iPhone 4 on 4.0.1Of course, Apple is sure to plug the exploit used by JailbreakMe.com with an iOS 4.0.2 or maybe 4.1 update, but one thing that the last few years have taught us: Nothing is impossible when it comes to jailbreaking, and the hackers will always find a way, eventually.Perhaps Apple should see the light and offer Cydia and/or Rock as “alternative” app stores someday -- but for now, it’s fun and (mostly) free to enjoy the spoils of the jailbreak warriors who keep thwarting the iOS guardians in Cupertino just the same.Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

  • The 25 Best iPad Launch Games

       Whether you waited in line at your local Apple Store or Best Buy or constantly refreshed UPS.com while staring at your front door, take solace new iPad owners: the hard part is over. Now comes the fun of loading your glorious new tablet with tons of sweet and innovative apps. Regardless of whether you're a hardcore gamer or more the casual sort, the iPad App Store already has tons of great gaming options tailored specifically for the device. We tore into the App Store immediately upon receiving our iPads, and put together a list of 25 launch games worth the time and money of you lucky early adopters.Plants vs. Zombies HD ($9.99)PopCap's casual smash hit is more than a quick port of the iPhone version -- it's arguably the definitive version of the tower defense-style game, which has also appeared on Mac and PC. Pairing the crisp, hand-drawn visuals of the computer versions with the large, multitouch interface of the iPad makes for a brilliant experience, and knocking back waves of cartoon-stylized zombies with all sorts of ridiculous plant attacks has never been better than in this addicting iteration.Mirror's Edge ($12.99)Mirror's Edge began life as a first-person free running adventure game on consoles in late 2008, but this fresh iteration swaps in a side-scrolling perspective, letting you run, jump, slide, and tackle enemies with touches and flicks of the iPad screen. Like its console counterpart, Mirror's Edge is a striking, stylish-looking game, and while the iPad iteration drops the thrilling first-person viewpoint, it's still a lot of fun to scale buildings, run along billboards, and take daring leaps of faith on the iPad.Words with Friends HD ($4.99)We love the convenience of the iPhone version of this unofficial Scrabble knockoff, but we'll definitely be reaching for the iPad version whenever it's an option. Words with Friends HD uses the iPad's sharp 9.7-inch display to its advantage, displaying the entire game board and using a stylish popover menu (which seriously resembles the iPhone app) to let you manage multiple matches with ease. We're surprised even a game as simple as this looks so nice on the iPad.Flight Control HD ($4.99)The breakout iPhone hit comes to the iPad on day one, but instead of simply super-sizing everything, developer Firemint opted to give players even more space in which to direct planes towards their rightful destinations. The simplistic visual aesthetic pops on the iPad display, and enhanced multiplayer modes -- including a split-screen option and a local wireless mode compatible with both iPad and iPhone (or iPod Touch) -- make this a stellar port of the addictive original.Orbital HD ($2.99)Even after pouring hours into the awesome iPhone iteration of Orbital, we're psyched to do it all over again in this super-sized iPad version. Orbital HD finds you firing colored balls onto the screen, and the game lasts as long as you can keep firing balls without any crossing the bottom barrier line. Where the ball lands determines its size on the board, making this a strategic, sometimes heart-pounding little game with a lot of visual flair and bang for the buck. Well, three bucks.Fieldrunners for iPad ($7.99)You'll pay a slight premium ($5 more) for the iPad version of this celebrated iPhone tower defense favorite, but in our eyes, it's well worth it for the enhanced artwork (which was already excellent) and ability to see the entire game screen without squinting. Fieldrunners looks stunning in motion on the iPad, and includes all of the maps released for the iPhone iteration. Plus, developer Subatomic Studios says both free and paid add-on content is in the works.Geometry Wars: Touch ($9.99)We've seen numerous Geometry Wars knock-offs on iPhone, but now the real deal has appeared on iPad, and the twin-stick Xbox Live Arcade favorite works pretty well on Apple's tablet. In place of the real sticks are virtual ones that appear wherever you place your thumbs, with one for maneuvering your ship and the other for firing at enemies. Other than the control swap, this is pure Geometry Wars glory: frantic gameplay, mesmerizing visuals, and several worthwhile play modes.Metal Gear Solid Touch ($7.99)This shooting gallery-style spin-off of the immensely popular Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on PlayStation 3 gets a nice visual boost on iPad, with a high definition protagonist model and mid-mission stills popping right off the screen. It's not the most essential entry in the beloved action franchise, but it's a solid diversion, and Metal Gear aficionados won't want to miss it in its best form.Real Racing HD ($9.99)Real Racing is arguably the best racer on iPhone, and the upgraded iPad iteration certainly makes a case as tops on the tablet. On iPad, Real Racing HD offers an excellent and immersive driving simulation, complete with sharp visuals and the ability to customize your vehicle with any photo. With 12 tracks, 48 cars, and a robust career mode with 76 events, Real Racing has plenty to keep you busy, plus it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth multiplayer compatibility with the iPhone version!Harbor Master HD (Free)Harbor Master takes some flack for being a fairly transparent Flight Control knock-off, and we certainly won't try to dispel that. And though we'd rather play the original inspiration for it, Harbor Master HD does hold one huge advantage on iPad: it's one of the rare launch games that comes without a price tag. Indeed, you can now direct boats in HD without sparring a penny, and Harbor Master's a darn solid game on its own right, so why not give this one a download? Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition ($9.99)Super Monkey Ball is fairly synonymous with iPhone gaming, so it's little surprise to see an enhanced version of the sequel launch alongside the iPad. Still, while it comes pretty much as expected, the Sakura Edition is both nicely equipped and a good fit for the device, arriving with more than 100 total stages and new mini-games for the iPad. Tilting the iPad to roll the titular ball across increasingly elaborate stages feels right, and the game sports a clean, crisp look on the tablet.We Rule (Free)Here's another free game worth your attention on iPad. We Rule arrives on iPad shortly after its initial iPhone launch, and the kingdom-building game is fairly robust and very much social in nature. You must be logged in to play We Rule, but the upside is you'll be able to visit friends' kingdoms to interact and purchase items. Like ngmoco's other recent titles, We Rule is free to download, but you can spend some cash to improve the game by speeding up otherwise sluggish processes (like growing crops).N.O.V.A. - Near Orbital Vanguard Alliance HD ($9.99)Gameloft's sci-fi shooter certainly takes many cues from Microsoft's Halo franchise, but it's hard to think of a better first-person shooter on the iPhone. The iPad version offers a smooth visual experience, but some of the coolest upgrades come with the control scheme, which lets you curve grenade throws with a two-finger swipe, as well as target multiple enemies. With a complete campaign and online multiplayer, N.O.V.A. HD is sure to be a hot pick for early iPad action fans.Tap Tap Radiation (Free)Rather than bring its established Tap Tap Revenge series directly to the iPad, Tapulous instead opted to rework the rhythm title and unleash it as Tap Tap Radiation for the tablet. From what we've played so far, it's even better in this refreshed iteration, as the larger touch pads make it easier to jam along to the tracks. Radiation is free, but only ships with a few tracks. Luckily, several extra songs can be purchased, like a six-pack of Lady Gaga hits for just $2.99.X-Plane for iPad ($9.99)Movements of the iPad are surprisingly suitable substitutes for a proper joystick in this traditional flight simulator, which is unlike anything else on the device at the moment. X-Plane may not be as fully featured as its computer counterparts, but for a $10 handheld app, it nails enough of the sensation of piloting a jet plane to be well worth a look for both on-the-move sim junkies and casual flying fans.Zen Bound 2 ($7.99)Secret Exit's iPhone puzzle hit returns on iPad with a visually upgraded iteration that features 100+ total stages. In Zen Bound 2, you're tasked with wrapping a set amount of rope around a series of wooden sculptures, with a certain percentage of the sculpture needing to be covered to pass the stage. Between the minimalist soundtrack and at-your-own-pace approach, it's easy to zone out and get lost in this pleasant puzzler.Sam & Max: Chapter 1: The Penal Zone ($9.99)One of the surprise releases on the App Store this weekend was the debut episode of the third season of Telltale Games' well-received humor/adventure series, Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse. Launched two weeks before it arrives on other platforms, The Penal Zone is a hilarious graphic adventure boosted by strong, cartoon-like 3D visuals. Even if you're a newcomer to Sam & Max, The Penal Zone is a great place to start, and if you love it, four more episodes are planned for the coming months!Touchgrind HD ($7.99)If you ever bought a Tech Deck or any other sort of finger-controlled skateboard, you'll probably love Touchgrind HD. The concept is the same: you use two fingers to manipulate a board around a skate park, shifting your fingers around the board to navigate and pull off tricks. It takes a bit of time to learn how to control the board, but once you do, Touchgrind HD can be an epic time killer. Plus, the iPad version adds a split-screen two-player mode, so bring your skate crew!Need for Speed: Shift ($14.99)If you're seeking a slick iPad racing game with more of an arcade bent, check out Need for Speed: Shift. Like Real Racing HD, Shift features licensed vehicles and realistic visuals, but also lets you trigger nitro boosts, whip around turns using over-the-top drift maneuvers, and bump competitors aside for points. Shift comes at a definite premium, boasting a $15 price point, but includes 18 tracks, 28 cars (eight of which are exclusive to the iPad version), and some very polished aesthetics.Civilization Revolution for iPad ($12.99)We had few complaints about the stellar iPhone version of turn-based strategy favorite Civilization Revolution, but the upgraded iPad iteration really shows it up, using the extra screen real estate to display quite a bit more detail than before. The turn-based strategy genre might seem daunting to newcomers, but with multiple difficulty settings and handy advisors, Civilization Revolution's a bit more accessible than your average genre fare. Plus, the iPad version adds a scenario creator to let you customize your experience. Scrabble for iPad ($9.99)Even word geek writers like us would typically think it excessive to essentially list two versions of Scrabble (see the aforementioned Words with Friends HD), but we can't help but spotlight some of the cool features in this official iPad release. Single-player action (against the computer) is a plus, as is the local four-player Party Play mode, but our favorite feature is the accompanying Tile Rack app for iPhone/iPod Touch, which lets you virtually flick tiles onto the iPad game board. Brilliant idea!Command & Conquer Red Alert for iPad ($12.99)If the iPad version of Command & Conquer Red Alert is any indication, the real-time strategy genre has a lot of potential on Apple's tablet. Last year's iPhone version gets a big visual boost here, with detailed 3D models replacing the slightly cartoonish-looking units from the previous version. It gives the game a needed injection of style and flair, and the stellar touch controls make it a very playable and worthwhile iteration. Plus, this version adds six skirmish maps and an expansion pack!Angry Birds HD ($4.99)Angry Birds isn't the sort of game that requires a large, high definition display, but this stellar physics-based game is well worth playing if you missed it on iPhone (no need to double-dip if you have that version, though). It's a simple premise -- launch birds from a catapult in an effort to down structures housing evil green pigs -- but it's one that holds up well on the large screen. The HD upgrade gives the hand-drawn birds and environments a crisp, clean appearance, to boot.Labyrinth 2 HD ($7.99)After a couple successful iterations on iPhone, Illusion Labs' Labyrinth series gets the HD bump on iPad, and the larger form factor of the device offers the biggest boost, as it feels more like holding an actual, wooden labyrinth puzzle. Guiding a ball through the maze by tilting the iPad feels incredibly natural, and the enhanced visuals make it look even more like the real thing. Custom level support means you have thousands of extra levels to choose from, and unlike most launch games, there's a free Lite edition available.Diner Dash: Grilling Green ($4.99)It's tough to find a device (especially a mobile one) nowadays that doesn't have some version of casual smash hit Diner Dash, but we're glad to see that PlayFirst opted to start off with an exclusive new iPad iteration, Grilling Green. The game hasn't really changed: you play as waitress Flo, tasked with taking orders, serving meals, and seating patrons before their patience runs thin. However, now you can help cook the meals (in a nod to the Cooking Mama games), and the game can be played in either screen orientation. 

  • 25 iPhone Games That Should Rock on the iPad

      Apple's iPad announcement event didn't put an especially large focus on the gaming possibilities of the new device, but what was shown demonstrated how easily developers can modify current iPhone and iPod touch apps with just a brief time investment. We've already seen how updated versions of N.O.V.A. and Need for Speed: Shift will take advantage of the iPad, but it got us thinking -- how might some of the other best-selling or beloved iPhone games use the iPad's updated features to enhance the existing experience? Here's our list of 25 games we'd love to see enhanced for the iPad, but if you have your own dream app upgrade in mind, be sure to let us know in the comments!Bejeweled 2We love swapping Bejeweled 2's shimmering gems on our Macs, but we also dig the tactile feeling of actually flipping the gems in the iPhone version (even if our fingers are much larger than the tiny icons). An iPad iteration would be the best of both worlds: large, colorful gems that we can easily move about the game screen without accidentally hitting a nearby one instead. PopCap likes to take its time with new platforms, but c'mon -- it's bound to happen, and we welcome it!Call of Duty: World at War: ZombiesThe iPhone version of this awesome bonus mode from the console/PC version of World at War had promise, but shoddy controls, a shaky frame rate, and poor value limited its appeal. Luckily, Activision has the opportunity to right the wrong on iPad, using the larger display to address the control issues with additional virtual input buttons, preferably ones we can move around the screen as desired. And with the additional processing power, blasting the Nazi undead should arrive without slowdown. Just don't bilk us with a single map for $10 again, please.CanabaltThanks to the increased horsepower of the iPad, Canabalt can finally be liberated from its monochrome prison! Joking, of course -- we love Canabalt just the way it is, which is why we'd love to play even more of this obstacle-avoiding game on the iPad's larger screen (assuming the upgrade didn't muddle the sharp pixel-based artwork). And while the original course still keeps us coming back for more, we certainly wouldn't argue with an additional scenario to grind through time and time again.Command & Conquer: Red AlertTouch screens are a perfect fit for the real-time strategy genre, but 3.5-inch screens? Not so much. Command & Conquer: Red Alert would significantly benefit from the iPad's massive display, letting you quickly direct units while moving around (and seeing much more of) the battlefield with ease. The iPhone version is a good template for how to handle RTS games on a small screen, but we can't help but think that a properly designed iPad iteration would handily blow it away.Cooking MamaCooking Mama is a simple treat -- a mini-game compilation that has you slicing, dicing, and preparing ingredients to concoct various meals. We'd love to be able to use a stylus to play it on the iPad, but even if such a feature doesn't come to fruition, the larger display could still be used to give Cooking Mama a slightly more life-like feel. Imagine using the side of your hand as a virtual knife to chop up realistically proportioned veggies or meats -- it'd be a neat option for all ages, especially for kids.Doodle JumpDoodle Jump taps into the same sort of addictive power as Canabalt, challenging you to keep going higher and higher before undoubtedly failing and doing it again (and again). Part of the game's charm is its simple, hand-drawn look, and we wouldn't want that compromised for an iPad upgrade. What we would love, however, is for Doodle Jump to take a cue from the Drawn to Life series of Nintendo DS and Wii games and let you sketch your own hero and enemies, which could then be seamlessly inserted in the game.FieldrunnersFieldrunners is still one of the most distinct-looking iPhone games more than a year after release, and it'd be great to see those stunning hand-drawn towers, enemies, and environments maxed out on the iPad screen. We'd have much less of a need to zoom in for tower placement in this strategy favorite, letting us focus on battling back the challenging waves of grunts and motorcycle-based aggressors.Flight ControlFiremint has already confirmed an enhanced iPad version of this immensely popular airplane redirection game, and while its simplicity is key to its success, we'd love to see the iPad version amp up the challenge for skilled aficionados. Imagine scads of different plane types aiming for several different runways and helipads -- it'd be the game equivalent of Christmas Eve at LAX. With the huge multi-touch interface of the iPad, you'll be able to easily pinpoint the route for each plane while avoiding catastrophe.The Game of LifePass-and-play should be a thing of the past when it comes to board game adaptations for iPad. The Game of Life (or Monopoly, perhaps) could transform the iPad into a virtual board that can be laid flat on a table or floor, letting all players participate without needing to pass around the device. While the 9.7-inch screen is still much smaller than the actual game board, it's definitely a lot more portable, and would be great in a pinch while traveling -- or if the power goes out! Paper Toss World TourWe turn to Paper Toss time and again for a quick fix, even though it's one of the simpler apps in our regular rotation. But think of the possibilities on the iPad: with the larger screen and enhanced multi-touch capabilities, how cool would it be to quickly draw the arc of your throw, instead of just adjust a linear shot for wind? It'd lend Paper Toss a lot more credibility as a game, and require a whole lot more skill from players.Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsTruth be told, we don't have any major gripes we'd like to see addressed in an enhanced version of Chinatown Wars -- the iPhone iteration is already extremely impressive, and we wouldn't argue against a higher-resolution upgrade for the iPad. But given the choice, we'd love to see a customizable user interface in an iPhone version, letting players drag and drop the virtual control buttons to best fit their needs.Lumines: Touch FusionSpotty controls keep the iPhone version from being as intensely addicting as the console and handheld iterations, but with its stunning visual skins and engaging puzzle action, Lumines should be a perfect fit for the iPad. The additional screen real estate could be used to implement a dedicated virtual D-pad and rotation buttons, and we certainly wouldn't object to seeing the dazzlingly creative skins displayed on that 9.7-inch screen.Must.Eat.Birds.Protecting various desserts from incoming birds is serious business, and the simple act of flicking and launching the "Nomster" in this stylish iPhone game is consistently entertaining. We'd like to see the concept maximized on the iPad with larger versions of the game's stellar character designs, not to mention epic onslaughts of those curious winged creatures. Madden NFL 10Madden is another iPhone app that has a fair bit going for it, but it could definitely benefit from the added muscle of the iPad. Electronic Arts seems set on recharging its core properties for the tablet, and we're hoping for additional detail and fluidity in the on-screen action, better (and preferably customizable) virtual control options, and expanded use of the ability to draw your own routes on the touch screen. Instead of just scribbling hot routes on the spot, we also want to customize our own set plays to come back to again and again.Modern Combat: SandstormSeeing N.O.V.A. get the iPad treatment at Apple's event brought to mind Gameloft's previous iPhone first-person shooter hit, Modern Combat: Sandstorm. The modern-day, military shooter was one of the first of its kind to really take advantage of the iPhone hardware and work within its limitations, and we'd love to see it enhanced for the iPad. As with N.O.V.A, we'd want to see customizable controls, expanded multi-touch maneuvers, and hopefully some glossed-up visuals to boot.OrbitalOrbital is a perfect fit for the iPhone, but we'd love to see a super-sized iteration on the iPad, taking advantage of the larger screen to produce blinding visual effects and grander challenges. In this addictive original game, you launch balls onto the game screen, which then expand and need to be hit a certain number of times to be cleared. On the iPad screen, there'd be a greater disparity in size between the larger and smaller balls, letting you sneak more on the screen or suffer greatly when a poorly placed orb takes up several inches on the display.Pac-Man Championship EditionThe iPhone version of Pac-Man Championship Edition is a pretty admirable translation of the Xbox Live Arcade original (aside from making you buy various modes individually), but even with multiple virtual D-pad/joystick options, finding one that's consistently response can be a struggle. With the larger screen real estate of the iPad, Namco Bandai could put larger virtual consoles below the game screen, giving players better control over the titular gaming icon. And please, just bundle the entire game as one purchase.PeggleScrewing up Peggle seems impossible -- even the relatively mediocre iPod Classic port entertained us for hours before the excellent iPhone version came around, and we certainly wouldn't be able to resist an updated version designed to take advantage of the super-sized iPad screen. Moreover, we'd love to see the Fire button set further apart from the game screen, as we can recall too many occasions where we lined up a perfect shot and then wrecked our aim by accidentally tapping to the left of the icon. We'd happily take some Wi-Fi/Bluetooth multiplayer options, as well! Resident Evil 4: Mobile EditionWe certainly didn't foresee an iPhone iteration of Resident Evil 4, but against the odds, it ended up being a pretty functional port of the awesome console original. With the launch of the iPad comes the opportunity to make it great: bump up the textures and frame rate, make the user interface customizable, and take advantage of the larger average internal storage to pump in more of the cinematic tension that made the original version so great. We didn't ask for the iPhone version, but now that we have it, we're demanding a proper iPad upgrade.Rock BandWith the iPad's larger screen and enhanced multi-touch capabilities of the device, perhaps an enhanced version of Rock Band could hue closer to the series' multiplayer roots, letting multiple players jam together on a single screen. Four is probably too much to ask, but splitting the screen in half and letting a couple buddies rock out in tandem sounds like a blast, and with the larger internal storage of the 64GB model, perhaps we'll see an even larger push by EA to release frequent downloadable add-on tracks.Scene It? MoviesScene It? Movies works well on iPhone as a single-player trivia game, but an iPad entry could function more like the multiplayer party experience the franchise was built upon. Imagine putting your iPad on the coffee table as a central hub, with multiple players able to reach over and tap in when they have the answer. Add in higher-resolution video clips, and you've got an appealing substitute for the DVD-based board game and console video game versions.Skee-BallWe're stone cold Skee-Ball junkies; bring us to a carnival (or Chuck-e-Cheese) and we'll be whirling wooden balls within seconds. While the iPhone version is a solid diversion, the stock throw animations have us pining for more. We'd love to see an iPad version that takes advantage of the larger, enhanced multi-touch display to bulk up the physics system and give us more control over the throws. It'll never replace the real thing (unless the iPad can dispense little colored tickets), but it could be a fun little gem.Space Invaders Infinity GeneTaito's reboot of the arcade classic mixes the familiar alien-blasting gameplay with influences from the bullet hell shooters that followed it, and we're craving an iPad version if only to see the trippy visuals on a larger screen. But there'd be an added bonus, as well -- since the game can create custom stages based on the music in your library, those with the 32GB and 64GB iPad models will be able to store much more music than an iPhone, giving your play sessions more variety than ever before.Tap Tap RevengeRock Band has stolen a bit of Revenge's thunder on the App Store, but as the various Tap Tap iterations have proven, it's still the champ when it comes to creating an authentic and compelling experience for hardcore fans. With themed skins and song packs for many of the top rock and pop artists today, it's a perfect fit for the iPad, as the glossy aesthetic will draw in the same kinds of fans who will shell out for an iTunes LP.Tiger Woods PGA TourAs surprisingly solid and functional as Tiger's debut was on iPhone, we can pinpoint numerous areas in which we'd love to see an iPad iteration improve upon. Visually, the game could benefit from the iPad's larger screen and enhanced processor, with better golfer models and course details, and we'd love to see a more robust and customizable user interface with a more nuanced swing mechanic. We'd expect a new entry rather than an update, but either way, we're pumped for what could be a pretty fantastic game of golf on the iPad. 

  • Appular Announces World's First HTML5 Demo of iPhone Game

    There's been a lot of hooplah of late over what the future held in the area of video content delivery on the interwebz. Will Flash continue its reign or be overthrown by HTML5? Google just threw their hat in the ring with their open WebM video codec too. What's the deal with that? Apple has been pretty clear about their stance on the issue. Flash is bloated and crashy--HTML5 is the way to go. While iPad owners have been eagerly anticipating the announcement for more content providers that their services and content would be available for consumption encoded as HTML5, no one really stopped to ponder what else could be done with the format.Except Appular.In a press release sent out earlier today, the iPhone application marketing juggernaut announced that it has developed the first fully interactive HTML5 game demo for an iPhone game being sold in the App Store.The game in question is Hand of Greed, and Appular's HTML5 version of the game does the App justice, boasting "identical touch screen controls, fluid animations, and the same dynamic lighting effects as the iPhone version." The web app version of the game offers players the chance to work their way through three levels of the game before cutting them off with a message that the full version of the App can be purchased for 99 cents from the App Store. "We have already begun working with Admob to incorporate this web app within their ads, and are eager to do the same with Medialets and Apple's upcoming iAd network as well," says Appular's Brian Akaka. "Creating rich media ads like this will allow unparalleled opportunities for consumers to try out games without having to install a new app." Very true Mr. Akaka, but it could also mean so much more.In order to install any application to your iPhone that's not endorsed by Apple, handset owners have no alternative but to jailbreak their phones using third-party software. Sure, there are some fine Web Apps out there, but well, it's not a rich experience, let's just say that. While the jailbreaking process has become easier over time, the risk of turning your iconic smartphone into an iconic paperweight is always there. Were developers to have the option of building full, rich applications in HTML5 that could exist outside of the domain of Apple's strict submissions guidelines, the possibilities of what applications could be available to the iPhone, iPad and other HTML5 capable devices are limitless.Remember, to play the HTML5 version of the game, you're gonna be needing a touchscreen. Just thought we'd mention it before you spent an hour tapping at your iMac's monitor for an hour in dispair. 

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