• app store,  games,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  ipod touch

    Max Payne Mobile “Hits” iOS

    April 12, 2012 /

    Just a short while ago, Max Payne Mobile just “hit” in the US iTunes App Store for iOS devices.

    [Parental Warning: Parents, you’ll want to check out this game before you outright buy it for your kids.  It’s a violent game.]

    For those who may not remember Max Payne on the PC platform, here’s a brief summary from the App Store.

    “A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Max Payne is a relentless story-driven game about a man on the edge, fighting to clear his name while struggling to uncover the truth about his slain family amongst a myriad of plot-twists.”

    I remember Max Payne for it’s famous “Bullet Time” gimmick.  Bullet Time became a popular game mechanic because it was similar to the slow motion bullets whizzing by Neo in “The Matrix” films.

    Max Payne Mobile is available now in the US iTunes App Store for $2.99 (App Store Link).  This universal app runs on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 4, iPad 1, iPad 2, the new iPad.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  retail

    Apple iPad 3rd Generation is in the House!

    March 17, 2012 /

    Ya, there was no chance that I wasn’t going to buy and Apple iPad 3rd Generation this weekend.  I was just getting my new “Business Tool” at the New Haven, CT Apple Store.

    The iPad’s screen looks AMAZING and is well worth the trip to pick one up this weekend.

    There are lots of units still in stock so go and grab yours now!!

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  • apple,  ibooks author,  ios,  ipad,  iphoto,  mac os x

    iPhoto ’11, iBooks Author Get Updates

    March 10, 2012 /
    As part of this week’s massive Apple product rollout, a pair of Mac OS X applications also received updates: iPhoto ’11 and iBooks Author.

    iPhoto only received one update, but I think it will be a very popular one, the ability to delete a photo from the Photo Stream.  iDevices running iOS 5.1 also have this ability.

    iBooks Author received updates in two areas.  The first is support for iPad 3’s (ok, Apple calls the new iPad, “the new iPad”) new Retina display.  The other area is performance and stability updates.

    All in all, it’s been a nice week for the Apple fan club.

    Both apps are available from the Mac App Store.  iPhoto ’11 9.2.2 is a free update to customers who previously purchased the software.  If you need to buy iPhoto ’11, it can be purchased for $14.99.  iBooks Author is free.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  ipod touch

    iPhoto Makes the Jump from Mac OS X to iOS

    March 8, 2012 /

    As part of today’s massive software deployment from Apple, our old friend iPhone received an iOS, touch enabled makeover and is now available as a $4.99 app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

    “With iPhoto for iOS, Apple brings Multi-Touch to photography in a breakthrough way. Browse, edit, and share your photos from your iPad or iPhone, like never before – all the powerful tools you need are at your fingertips. And with iCloud, you can share your experiences as stunning photo journals.”

    iPhoto for iOS is compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 Wi-Fi, and iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G and requires iOS 5.1 or later.

    You can purchase iPhoto for iOS from the iTunes Store.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  ipod touch,  itunes

    Apple Rolls Out iOS 5.1 for Current iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Models

    March 8, 2012 /

    Earlier today, while unveiling the new revolutionary iPad with Retina display and the third generation AppleTV, Apple released iOS 5.1.

    The new iOS update can be used to upgrade the following iOS devices:

    • iPad 2, iPad 1
    • iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS
    • iPod touch 3rd and 4th generation
    A separate update will be released to upgrade the software in the second generation AppleTV which also runs iOS 5.

    To receive the update on your iOS 5 device, go to: Settings > General > Software Update.  If you prefer to update your iDevice the ‘old fashioned’ way, or haven’t yet installed iOS 5, connect your handset to your computer running iTunes 10.6, also released today, and sync your device.  Then select your iDevice from the iTunes source pane and click the “Check for Updates” button in the pane on the right.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  ipod touch

    Apple Updates Many of Their iOS Apps

    March 8, 2012 /

    With today’s release of iOS 5.1 for current generation iDevices, Apple is also rolling out a number of software updates to their iOS titles.  iOS applications receiving an update today include:

    • iBooks 2.1
    • Find My Friends 1.1
    • Find My iPhone 1.4
    • iMovie 1.3
    • iTunes U 1.1
    • Keynote 1.6
    • Pages 1.6
    • Remote 2.3

    While some of the updates are specific to the new iPad and it’s new Retina display, there are some goodies for those of us with older iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches.

    The iOS versions of the iWork applications – Pages, Numbers, and Keynote – all received updates to take advantage of iOS 5.1 and the new iPad, but also gained support for creating and viewing stunning 3D bar, line, area, and pie charts.  The new versions of the iWork apps for iOS also include general performance improvements.

    To download the new software, I recommend first upgrading to iOS 5.1 on your supported iDevice, and then using the App Store application on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to make sure you have all the latest software installed.

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  • apple,  appletv,  ios,  ipad

    Apple Unveils the Revolutionary New iPad

    March 8, 2012 /

    Earlier today, Apple unveiled the revolutionary third generation iPad.

    For all the new features and specifications of the new iPad, check out the Apple website.  You can view Apple CEO Tim Cook’s keynote, the new iPad video, and the new TV spot also on the Apple website.

    In addition to the new iPad, Apple also unleashed a boat load of new software updates, including: iTunes for Mac OS X and Windows, iOS 5.1, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iTunes U, iBooks, Find My iPhone, Find My Friends, iMovie, and Remote.  Use the App Store application on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to upgrade your software.

    On the hardware front, Apple also unveiled the new third edition AppleTV.

    The new iPad can be pre-ordered now and has the same price points as the previous two generations of iPad, and will begin shipping on Friday, March 16.  The iPad 2 is still available at a new low $399 price point.

    The third generation AppleTV is available for order now at the same $99 price point and will begin shipping in 1-2 weeks according to the Apple website.

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  • apple,  ipad,  rumors

    Apple To Hold iPad Media Event on Wednesday

    March 6, 2012 /

    If all the rumors haven’t been enough for you, Apple is ready to publicly talk about the third generation iPad, presumably called iPad 3, this Wednesday.  The event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and will get underway at 10am PDT/1pm EDT.

    As of Monday, there is still some debate over the name of the new iPad, whether it will be called “iPad 3” or “iPad HD.”  There are also rumors circulating that there will be a new Apple designed case that falls somewhere between the original black iPad case and the new iPad 2 Smart Cover cases, that protects the entire iPad.  Perhaps the one rumor that I was glad to hear squashed was the one that suggested that each new iPad 3 model would be $79 more expensive to cover the costs of the new display.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  microsoft,  office mobile,  rumors

    Rumor: Microsoft Working on a Version of Office for the iPad

    February 22, 2012 /

    Take this one with a grain of salt; a big one.  According to The Daily, the iPad only News Corp. daily newspaper, Microsoft is working on a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad.  Just imagine being able to run Word, Excel, and PowerPoint natively on your iPad.

    Sounds too good to be true?  It might be.  Microsoft has come out denying that they are working on an iOS edition of Office and that The Daily flat out got bad information for their exclusive scoop.  I read the report this morning, interestingly enough, on my iPad while reading The Daily.  You can read the full story on The Daily website.

    Following up on the story, The New York Times wrote today:

    “A Microsoft spokeswoman issued this statement: “The Daily story is based on inaccurate rumors and speculation. We have no further comment.” She added that a screen image included with The Daily’s article showing an Office product for iPad was “not Microsoft’s software,” she said. 

    But perhaps that isn’t the entire story. Peter Ha, tech editor at The Daily, said that a Microsoft employee had demonstrated a version of the app on an iPad. “The launch screen may not be final, but the app itself is real,” Mr. Ha said. “We were told that the app was done and it was being tested internally.””

    So is Microsoft working on a version of Office for the iPad?  They might be.  And they might not be.

    Pros:
    1. Windows and Office have long been cash cows for Microsoft.  By releasing Office for the iPad, Microsoft opens the door to some 55 million plus new customers.

    2. Microsoft Office is the de facto office productivity suite, and now we can get Office on our Windows, Mac, and iOS devices; there by eliminating a number of cross platform translation and formatting headaches.

    3. Chances are that you’ve used a version of Office before and you will be instantly familiar with how to use the software.

    Cons:
    1. Microsoft wants to keep Office as a Windows Phone 7, Windows 8 Tablet Edition exclusive to help differentiate tables and phones running Windows from those running Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, or RIM’s BlackBerry OS.

    2. The iPad is regarded, by-and-large, as a content consumption device, not a content creation device. There may not be a strong demand for Office-on-an-iPad to justify the cost to develop the software.

    3. The development of iOS applications will draw resources away from the Windows and Mac OS X Office development teams.

    Personally, I think Microsoft is testing the water for iOS applications.   They’ve already released Bing, MSN for iPad, OneNote and Microsoft Lync 2010 for iPad.  There are a few iPhone applications also, including SkyDrive, Windows Live Messenger, and Photosynth.  That’s a lot of toes to dip in the water without developing a full blow Office suite.  I think OneNote and Lync 2010 are strong indications that Microsoft is at the very least, considering releasing a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad.  Only time will tell.

    [Via The Daily, The New York Times…]

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