Archive | Original Site

Get Ready For Fancy 3D Flash Games With Unreal Engine 3

Posted by Jared Newman on October 4, 2011 at 3:07 pm

When I think of Flash gaming, I usually picture colorful sprites on 2D backgrounds in games like FarmVille and Bejeweled. But that may change with Epic Games bringing its Unreal 3 engine to Adobe Flash.

During Adobe’s MAX conference, the two companies demonstrated Unreal Tournament 3–originally a PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 title–running inside a web browser. Scads of modern games are based on Unreal Engine 3, including hits like Mass Effect and Epic’s own Gears of War series, and Flash 11 will be able to tap the hardware acceleration necessary to run these games within a browser.

Continue Reading →

2 comments

Microsoft on the Windows 8 Start Menu

Posted by Harry McCracken on October 4, 2011 at 2:11 pm

Curious what’s on the mind of the people who are creating Windows 8? Microsoft’s Windows team blogs the thinking behind its decisions in posts that are sometimes remarkably detailed. It’s published a post that’s the first of a series on the Windows 8 Start menu, which has nothing to do with any previous incarnation.

I think that Microsoft is making a mistake by removing the classic Start menu from Windows 8 altogether. If you’re in the desktop running conventional Windows programs and click Start, you get instantly dumped out into the very different world of Metro. It’s a jarring and unpleasant experience, even if you like Metro, and I think that Windows 8 skeptics are going to see it as an argument against upgrading. But I’m still glad that Microsoft is explaining why it’s doing what it’s doing.

No comments

Here it is, The iPhone 4S

Posted by Ed Oswald on October 4, 2011 at 11:03 am

Well whaddya know, all those rumors about the “iPhone 4S” were true. This phone looks completely the same from the outside — but don’t be fooled. “Inside it is all new,” Phil Schiller says. An A5 chip powers the device, long rumored to make its way into the iPhone lineup. This would mean the iPhone gets a dual-core process: something many top-tier Android devices have had for several months.

No more dual model iPhones. The phone has integrated GSM and CDMA, meaning it would operate on any of Apple’s partners. This obviously must save the company some money as it doesn’t need to produce two sets of phones, or for that matter worry about the development of two phones.

Continue Reading →

9 comments

The iPod is Getting Some Love (and Updates)

Posted by Ed Oswald on October 4, 2011 at 10:57 am

Well, the iPod wasn’t necessarily supposed to be part of the festivities — at least I thought — but Apple took the time to push out some updates to its products. The Nano is going to get a refresh with user interface enhancements, including a watch face for those of you who might want to wear it as a watch.  The enhancements are minor, and you’ll still get it in the same seven colors beginning today. The 8GB is on sale for $129, and 16GB for $149.

The iPod touch will gain a white version and remains basically the same device, just with iOS 5 enhancements. Prices have changed though, the 8GB is now $199, with the 32GB at $299 and the 64GB at $399.

No comments

Apple vs. Foursquare

Posted by Ed Oswald on October 4, 2011 at 10:48 am

Did Apple just take on Foursquare? It’s new Family and Friends app seems like it is. While it’s not “checking in,” it will allow iOS users to share their location at preset times. Could see this becoming a big hit for families on vacations…

No comments

Presenting iCloud

Posted by Ed Oswald on October 4, 2011 at 10:44 am

After finally giving us a solid release date for iOS 5, iCloud was the next topic. As is already happening, iTunes moves to the cloud and will be automatically synced to all devices. Photo Stream would do the same, keeping your photos in sync. Backups would also be taken to the cloud, as well as the Find my iPhone app. Essentially, it’s become a free version of MobileMe, pretty much as promised.

No comments

iOS 5 Up First

Posted by Ed Oswald on October 4, 2011 at 10:39 am

As expected, Apple devoted a significant section of Tuesday’s event to iOS 5 given by iOS chief Scott Forstall. Since we’ve already gone over the major points of iOS 5 back during WWDC, we’ll give you a quick rundown of the most exciting new features.

iOS 5 introduces iMessage, essentially Apple’s response to BlackBerry Messenger. Conversations can be started on one device and then finished on another: that is because the app is push-based. Obviously this has the carriers a little concerned because after all those text messaging plans are just another way to get another $10, $15, or more out of you every month. Most of your friends on iPhones? Well, obviously you’re not going to need so many text messages.

It also debuts notifications in a more Android like format, where you swipe from the top to see them. This is a great feature for those like me who get several in a row before looking at their phone, and then have to cycle through all those popups which gets seriously annoying.

Twitter integration’s another notable feature, which would be found across the camera, Safari, and maps apps. Developers would be able to also integrate Twitter into their own apps. I have to say that’s great and all, but what about Facebook?

Game Center gets some important enhancements which Apple likely hopes will push it to the forefront. Achievement points, friend recommendations and photos are just some of the additions, which makes it much more like Xbox Live (which it should be anyway).

But you really care when its available, and that’s October 12th. And oh yeah, it’s a free update.

One comment

Looking for Our Liveblog?

Posted by Ed Oswald on October 4, 2011 at 10:11 am

If you’re looking for our liveblog, Harry’s in Japan. But thanks to the fine folks at Macworld, we’re simulcasting their liveblog here: http://www.technologizer.co/iphone5. Join us!

(UPDATE: CoverItLive, which Macworld uses, seems to be having troubles–we recommend the live coverage at gdgt, which is working great.]

No comments

Your Last Chance to Read, Rate, and Spread Rumors About the Next iPhone

Posted by Harry McCracken on October 3, 2011 at 10:46 pm

Twelve hours from now, someone–most likely new Apple CEO Tim Cook–will be standing on a stage in Cupertino, well into the company’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event. Normally at this point, it feels like we have a pretty decent sense of what the company is about to announce. Not all the details–which is fine with me, since I like surprises–but two-thirds of the broad strokes.

This time? Things are surprisingly blurry. If there’s no Sprint iPhone of some sort, and no iPhone with ambitious voice commands based on the Siri technology Apple acquired, I’ll be startled. But we don’t really know whether there will be one iPhone or two. We don’t know if there will be a radically new iPhone 5 or one that’s a near-twin of the iPhone 4. We’re not sure if the screen size will change. Basically, most of scuttlebutt of the past few months is still in play.

So here’s a roundup of some of the major rumors. In each case, I’m linking to an article that spreads a rumor–and one which quashed it. If you need to refresh your memory, read any or all of ’em. And then–assuming you’re reading this before 10am PT on Tuesday–vote in our silly little poll. (I’ll report on the results once the news is out.

Continue Reading →

6 comments