Sony to make their own iPad?

 

At this point since I am not very satisfied with the Apple iPad I am welcoming any and all companies that are developing tablets. Sony is now claiming they will be building their own tablet in the near future, according to Sony’s CFO Nobuyuki Oneda:

“[Slates are] a market we are also very interested in. We are confident we have the skills to create a product…Time-wise we are a little behind the iPad but it’s a space we would like to be an active player in.”

Sony does make pretty decent electronics, their Vaio laptop line are a good set of computers, their TV’s and other electronics are great as well. But their PSP Go is ho-hum. The PSP has good games, much better than what I have seen on the iPhone but has done horrible in sales, and it’s UI is nothing to really be amazed with.
However imagine a PSP combined with a Sony Vaio, all in a handy tablet shaped touch screen device – and you might be on to something Sony. I don’t think it could be worse than the iPad.

Adobe scraps work to bring Flash apps to iPhone

What a difference two weeks and a few words of legalese can make to the future of a widely used programming technology.

In that span of time, Adobe Systems has gone from touting its technology for building Flash applications that run on the iPhone to canceling future development of that technology.

When Apple changed the terms of its iPhone 4.0 software developer kit license, it effectively blocked Adobe’s move. But in his Tuesday announcement that Adobe will cease future development of the Flash-apps-on-iPhone technology, Mike Chambers, Adobe’s principal product manager for the Flash platform, let loose a tirade that indicates the battle between the two companies isn’t over yet.

“As developers for the iPhone have learned, if you want to develop for the iPhone you have to be prepared for Apple to reject or restrict your development at any time, and for seemingly any reason,” Chambers said. “The primary goal of Flash has always been to enable cross browser, platform and device development. The cool Web game that you build can easily be targeted and deployed to multiple platforms and devices. However, this is the exact opposite of what Apple wants. They want to tie developers down to their platform, and restrict their options to make it difficult for developers to target other platforms.”

MiLi debuts Power Skin battery case and PocketPal charger

The device is called the Power Skin and claims to be the world’s thinnest external battery and protective case for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The case has a pass through USB port for charging the case and the phone at the same time. It also has a 1200 mAh battery with double the capacity of the iPhone battery alone.

The Power Skin also comes in eight different two tone color combos. Along with the Power Skin, the company has also unveiled a new charger called the PocketPal. It claims to be the world’s smallest mobile phone charger and has a folding plug for easy carrying. The device sells for $19.95 alone with the Power Skin retailing for $69.95. A combo kit with both devices sells for $79.95.

CAZE announces Zero 5 UltraThin Matte case for iPhone 3G/3GS

iPhone CAZE today is pleased to announce the release of the Zero 5 UltraThin Matte case today, a new addition to its World’s Thinnest transparent case for iPhone 3GS/3G. Zero 5 is currently the thinnest case for iPhone with wall thickness of 0.5mm. Clear and Black (Smoke) was available when it was released in 2008. Matte Black is a new member of its Zero 5 family and it comes with an iPhone stand and two screen protectors.

Zero 5 is currently the World’s Thinnest protective case for iPhone 3GS/3G, featuring a maximum thickness of 0.5mm. It’s so thin and light weight, it’s almost unnoticeable when installed. This ultra-thin case is especially suitable for users who wish to show the original iPhone outlook and shape while receiving the best protection. Zero 5 is purposely designed to increase the protection by extending the shell to wrap around the chrome edges and corners of an iPhone.

Customers who buy this product will get a Wallet size iPhone stand, a Mirror Screen Protector and an Anti-FingerPrint Screen Protector for free.

Paperboy Classic now available

 

Paperboy Classic is now available in the App Store, for your classic gaming fix. As of now the game is selling for $0.99, but that is listed as being an introductory price. The regular price, which is $2.99 is supposed to go into effect as of February 10.
Those of you that played Paperboy back in the day know the game is awesome and addictive, but you younger readers really need to check this game out as well.
This classic version just released is a teaser to the 3D version expected in the near future for release on the iPhone.

8-Bit Rebellion! Plays out in Linkin Park iPhone Game

Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion!, a new game for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone, pits players against an evil company called Pixxelkorp that aims to ruin gaming with high-definition graphics.

Players who complete the game will unlock an exclusive, unreleased track by Linkin Park called “Blackbirds.” The game, released Monday, also features new 8-bit remixes of more than a half-dozen popular Linkin Park tunes. You can hear a couple of the bleep-bloopy remakes on the game’s trailer (embedded below).

Voodo 2 – New Todo Magic for iPhone

I Wonder Phone today is pleased to announce the release of Voodo 2, a big new version of its simple yet powerful GTD/todo app for iPhone and iPod touch. It is celebrating the new Todo Magic with a 50%-off price in the App Store. Voodo perfectly combines a simple, clean user interface with a rich set of powerful features.

After trying existing GTD/todo apps, Ling Wang, an independent developer from China and the founder of I Wonder Phone, found those with wanted features are all too complex and they often Make Things Up more than really Get Things Done. So he decided to design a GTD app that is really simple and powerful at the same time. That’s how Voodo was born. He named it Voodo because he hopes it could help users Get Things Done like voodoo(magic).

Voodo 2 has an almost brand new design underlying to incorporate so many new features such as Non-intrusive Auto Sync, Task Search, Quick Add, Contacts Integration, Geo Locations, and Nearby Tasks. But it keeps the simple and intuitive user interface, so existing users will find it an old friend with new magic.

MaxNick Debuts iCurling 1.0 for iPhone – Olympic Curling

MaxNick today is pleased to announce the introduction of iCurling 1.0.1, their new 1 or 2 player game for the iPhone and iPod touch. The game comes in the wake of the excitement of the 2010 Winter Olympics, where the sport of curling generated world-wide enthusiasm. Similar to shuffleboard on ice, the game is played on flat ice curling sheet, roughly 15×150 feet. Players slide round stones of about 40 pounds towards bull’s eye targets at either end. Two teammates may use brooms to sweep the ice in front of the moving stone.

iCurling attempts to simulate Olympic Curling by incorporating many aspects of the actual sport. Fundamentally, curling is about force, mass, friction, momentum, rotation, and collision. The app exploits the sophisticated physics engine built into the iPhone OS to generate a convincing simulation of all these elements as they interact. In the terminology of curling the weight is the velocity of the stone; the turn is the rotation of the stone (which affects its trajectory); and the line is the direction of the throw or delivery. iCurling allows the player to continuously and independently control all three, permitting advanced tactics such as the guard, takeout and tap. In addition, the app allows the player to sweep the ice while their stone is moving, adjusting trajectory after the delivery.

Sky Siege augmented reality game

 

Augmented reality is still a somewhat new concept for iPhone gamers, but has been around a little while now. However, their is not a whole lot of great games out there that use the augmented reality style, that really do the genre any justice.
Sky Siege is looking to change that. Available now on iTunes for 3 bucks, Sky Siege uses the 3GS compass and the accelerometer to bring an aerial defence game to your surroundings. Use your rocket launchers to fend off the helicopter gun ships from gunning you down. Check out the video below to see the app in action:

[App Review] Super 7

Good at crunching numbers or really like those Brain Age-type quick math games?

Maybe you're also great at keeping your eye on multiple moving targets and maneuvering them to their proper destination?

Perhaps No Monkeys Super 7 is the game for you!

Priced at 99 cents, this super simple game concept gets tricky fast. Reminiscent of the flight control games in style and function, this game is easy to start playing from the get-go. Simply match the numbers in floating gems to count to their magic number 7.

Simple enough, yes?

Well, once you get the gist of things, the game will start throwing out other variables like negative numbers and bonus stars. To rack up points, you'll need to craft larger gems by combining smaller number combinations.

But beware! The more gems on the screen, the harder it is to maneuver in the traffic and once two gems touch that count for more than 7, the game is over.

Super 7 is simple enough for most anyone with basic math skills to effectively play. I find it's a great opportunity to brush up on some computational skills and have fun at the same time.