Apple Game Centre – first impressions

September 15, 2010 By

When iPhone OS 4 was unveiled, our great and merciful ruler (henceforth known as Steve Jobs) spoke about an upcoming feature called the Apple Game Centre. It looked very much like a cut-down version of Xbox LIVE, with the option to designate players as friends, and compare achievements and high scores.

Well, the Apple Game Centre launched last week with the latest update to the iPhone OS. It is, apparently, not compatible with the iPhone 3G, but if you have a 2nd – 4th gen iPod Touch, iPhone 3GS or 4, you’re good to go.

We’re all friends here

The central point of the Game Centre is to link you with your gaming friends. This is done by sending invites to people via e-mail. Assuming their e-mail address is already associated with their Apple ID, the friend request will show up on the Game Centre. If it’s not, they’ll need to do that first and then accept the friend request. Once that happens, you’ll see their details in your friends list. Erm, great. So what do I do with that now?

What are you playing today?

If you open up a friend’s profile you’ll be able to see what games they’ve been playing. You’ll also get an idea of how good they are at the game as you see how many “achievements” they’ve racked up, and what their high score is. If you’re particularly competitive, you’ll want to top the rankings among your friends for both those things. I have to be honest and say I haven’t used the Game Centre for multiplayer gaming yet, but apparently you’ll be able to challenge your friends in compatible games too. Nice.

Marketing matters

One thing to remember is that Apple is a for-profit outfit. While the Game Centre is going to bring links between gaming friends, it’s also a way of introducing people to new games. I’ve already bought one because I saw a friend playing it, and you can search for Game Centre games from within the app… and most Game Centre games costs money. If you already have a large collection of games on your iPhone you’ll probably find that you have several that work with the Game Centre, but I’d be willing to bet you’ll buy at least one more while playing with it.

It’s possible, too, that Apple are taking the chance to centralise control of social gaming on their iOS devices. There are already a few gaming networks linked with iOS games, and now we see Apple moving into that territory.

Conclusion

The Apple Game Centre is yet another opportunity to make mobile gaming sociable and, while not exactly revolutionary, it’s good fun. If you’ve played games that are Plus+ or OpenFeint enabled you’ll know pretty much what to expect, but Apple’s own offering looks slick and seems to work well. When you consider that it’s a free update (not including cost of games), there’s not a lot to be lost by trying it out.

Have you tried the Game Centre? Do you like what you see, or is it an unnecessary addition give the other games networks already available? Tell us what you think in the comments.
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Digital SLR Photography Toolkit for Dummies [iPhone]

August 4, 2010 By

Photography is one of the passions of my life, and a while back I bought a Digital SLR camera. I can honestly say it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made, and has allowed me to take my photography to a whole other level. If you want you can have a look at some of my images on Flickr and RedBubble.

I rely quite heavily on the camera’s automatic settings… if I’m taking pictures of motor racing, I use “sport” mode. Landscape photography? That’ll be “landscape” mode then. I know the creative modes allow more, well, creativity, but I’ve never really got to grips with them. I need some sort of simple guide to what settings are appropriate in different situations so that I can learn what they do.

Get set…

That’s where the Digital SLR Photography Toolkit for Dummies comes in. It’s an iPhone app that aims to help you take great photographs. It’s the settings finder I’m most taken with – you select what kind of subject you’re photographing (e.g. flowers/leaves/nature), what the conditions are like (overcast), and it’ll tell you the best ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to use as well as giving you a bit of advice on the best technique. I tried this with some landscape photography and found it to be pretty much spot on, although you’ll want to check the photo’s histogram afterwards just to be sure. After all, “overcast” covers a pretty wide range of light levels!

Tell me more…

As well as the settings finder, there’s some useful teaching in the DSLR Toolkit. The section on “taking great pics” splits into several topics like how to take a good portrait, getting the exposure right, and thinking about composition. There’s also a section called “Part of tens” that reads like a very in-depth blog series… Ten tips for better photos, ten benefits of using Flickr, ten great online resources, and so on. It’s almost like carrying a photographic advice magazine around in your pocket.

What have I forgotten?

So you’ve managed to convince your friend that you should be the photographer at their wedding. Have they any idea what they’ve let themselves in for? Come to think of it, have you? What kind of equipment do you need for a wedding shoot, anyway? The Digital SLR Photography Toolkit for Dummies includes a series of checklists to help you avoid forgetting that all-important item when going on a shoot. You can even check items off as you pack them. I love the checklist for going on vacation, which includes a small point-and-shoot camera that will fit in your pocket. Yeh, a Digital SLR’s great, but it’s not the most discreet of cameras for snapping family photos when you’re at a restaurant. Seriously, though, the checklists are a very handy addition and should avoid those moments when you’re out and think, “I wish I’d brought the tripod”.

And finally…

Those are some really meaty features, but add in a photoshoot diary, diagrams of different camera’s controls, a spirit level (for ensuring your tripod is level), flashlight, glossary and exposure calculator, and you’ll have noticed that this is an incredibly useful app for anyone looking to improve their Digital SLR photography.

The Digital SLR Photography Toolkit for Dummies is available from iTunes and is well worth the investment of a purchase. Please note that some features require an on-board camera, hence the reason I’ve only listed this as an iPhone app.

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Review: Prince of Persia Retro [iPhone/iPod Touch]

July 5, 2010 By

I’ve been pretty lucky, when I think about it, in that my dad’s a bit of a geek too. That meant we always had a computer in the house and pretty much fed my geeky side from the very start. I’ve spoken elsewhere about our Commodore allegiance, but we also had a succession of IBM Compatible PCs.

One of the games I loved on the PC was Prince of Persia. Well, I say, “loved”… I mean “played and got immensely frustrated at”! It was a great game and, at the time, looked amazing. It was just brain-poppingly difficult! But it rewarded repeated play as you started to remember where the traps and dangers were on each level.

With the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time movie coming out, it must have seemed a good time to re-release the original game for iPhone and iPod Touch – which is exactly what Ubisoft have done. So what’s it like?

Hard as nails

It’s still bloomin’ hard – it’s very easy to miss a clue as to which floor panel will drop away and leave you impaled on spikes. Or, come to think of it, which panel will drop out of the ceiling and prematurely end your game. Trap-switches mean gates close just as you’ve navigate your way over to them, and there are more than a few areas I can see but not get to. The weird thing is that if this happened in a modern game I would be up in arms over it, but because this is authentic to the original Prince of Persia experience, I’m more wiling to let it slide.

Retro graphics

I’m pretty sure our PC had the EGA graphics card. We’re not exactly talking high-def here. The iPhone/iPod Touch graphics, however, are improved when compared to the original, but not to the point where it looks like a total conversion. Good plan, Ubisoft, because when I look at the original Prince of Persia on YouTube I’m a little surprised at how plain the graphics were. Tarting the graphics up a little keeps it looking decent without ruining the retro feel.

I do think it’s amazing how forgiving we were towards graphics back then. I guess it was because we knew that as about as good as it could get (at the time) so we just filled in the details with our imaginations. It makes it a little strange when you look back at games now that we’re used to HD content on demand. Anyway, back to the review.

I’m just a control freak

The controls are a simple affair. There are on-screen controls for moving left and right, jumping and crouching. I had completely forgotten that you could also sneak and grab hold of ledges as there isn’t an on-screen control for that… instead you touch the screen anywhere other than a direction control. You won’t be able to get very far without that ability, so remember it! I do have to say the controls are a little imprecise, though… I’ve run off a ledge more than once when I meant to jump.

Is it worth buying?

Prince of Persia is difficult, fiddly, and the graphics aren’t the best. But it’s the genesis of the whole Prince of Persia franchise and a classic piece of gaming history. It’s still as fun as it is difficult, and well worth adding to that ever-growing catalogue of app purchases you haven’t admitted to yet ;) It’s driving me mad, but I’m determined to defeat every level. Think you can do it before me?

Buy Prince of Persia Retro from the iTunes App Store (aff).

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Formula1.com releases official mobile app

March 15, 2010 By

The Formula 1 season restarted at the weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix. The race itself wasn’t particularly exciting compared to some I’ve seen, but I did discover a nice addition to the proceedings.

I wasn’t going to be able to see the start of the race as it began at twelve – our worship meeting at church usually finishes about quarter past. I wouldn’t get home until maybe one o-clock, and that was a big chunk of the race to miss.

Luckily, Formula1.com, the official F1 website, released a mobile app for the 2010 season that gives you live timing information on the move. And the best thing? It’s free! So after church this morning I could fire up my iPhone and see the state of play. I could see the running order, lap times, and even track data like surface and air temperature and which direction the wind was coming from.

At one point a group of us were watching the BBC’s website stream and I noticed that the app was right up to date. As soon as a car came into the pits my app updated. As soon as they were out, the same thing happened. I was really impressed with just how current the information on the app was.

The F1.com mobile app isn’t going to replace actually seeing a race, but I found it really useful for a time when I couldn’t see a television. I also know some people who have the timing screen on even when they are watching the race, so this isn’t just one for when the telly’s on the blink. As I said earlier, the best thing is that this is completely free (you need to register on the F1.com website), so if you’re into Formula 1 it’s well worth a look.

If you’re using an iPhone, you can get the app in iTunes. If you’re using a different mobile check out the Formula1.com mobile site and see if your model is supported.

If you used the app over the weekend why not tell us how you got on? Is it a good idea? Pointless? Tell us in the comments!

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Get your Formula1 geek on with F1 Drivers [iPhone]

February 17, 2010 By

Let’s get something out of the way right at the start – F1 Drivers is the kind of app you’re only going to want if you’re really into Formula 1. If that one phrase hasn’t put you off then read on!

F1 Drivers, by Jeff Maynard, is essentially a statistics and information app. I’ve never really understood some people’s fascination with exactly how many times their favourite football team has lifted the cup but after having a play around with F1 Drivers I’m starting to get a bit more understanding!

F1 Drivers lists every driver who’s taken part in the sport, including their career stats and photos if available. Photos tend to be available for the more modern drivers only, unless they’re Stirling Moss…

Also included is a listing of all the tracks in the 2010 season, with thumbnail map, information about how often the track has been used in the past and the date of the 2010 race. The part I found most fascinating, though, is the league of “Most Grands Prix, No Wins”. Did you know Martin Brundle’s never won a race? We’ll let him off with that, though, because he does such a good job during the race buildup and commenting :)

Most definitely one for the Formula 1 geeks, F1 Drivers is full of interesting information and stats. It costs £1.19 and is available from the app store (iTunes affiliate link).

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Why I upgraded from the iPhone… to the iPhone

December 23, 2009 By

That magical day, when your mobile phone company will let you upgrade your handset, finally came. I headed down to the O2 shop and asked about an upgrade… and I was told I was a day early.

The next day, though, I was in town again so I revisited the shop and sat down to talk my options through with the salesman.

What was I using at the moment? An iPhone 3G.

Had I thought about the Palm Pre? Yes; I was very impressed with and tempted by it.

OK, so what would I like to upgrade to? An iPhone 3Gs please.

A few people have asked my why I did that. Why not try out something new? The answer is simple and, I think, potentially a very clever move on Apple’s part: apps.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of money on customising my phone with applications. One application in particular, CoPilot Live, turned my phone into a fully functional satnav but at a cost. Then when I add up all the little bits of money I’ve spent here and there on games, utilities, or pointless (but fun) applications, it mounts up. If I were to switch to an altogether different platform I would have bought all those apps for nothing.

There is, however, a second part to the story. I also decided to stick with the iPhone because I genuinely think it’s a great phone. This is the first handset I’ve had where I haven’t been desperate to get rid of it after a year and, after eighteen months, I could easily have stuck with my 3G rather than upgrade. I just chose to because I could and, well, why not?

Many of the UK’s iPhone 3G users will be coming to the end of their original contract, and since O2 will allow you to upgrade a month early, will be in the position to change their handset. I’m curious to know whether any other 3G owners will be upgrading to the 3Gs or switching to another make of phone? Or perhaps you’ll be waiting for whatever Apple announce for this summer? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Do you want more on the iPhone? Find our best iPhone posts here.

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Cool BlackBerry Apps

May 27, 2009 By
051/2009

John is a Salvation Army Corps Officer who likes computers, Radiohead and F1. He lives and works with his wife Marta in Gainsborough UK, and blogs at johnager.co.uk and johnager.org

Following my review of the BlackBerry Bold 9000, I thought it would be helpful to review some apps that are readily available – probably through BlackBerry App World.

  • BBNotePad is a simple notepad that saves files in TXT format and integrates with the Memo app, it’s really useful for making a quick note.
  • BBTran translates text to and from many languages currently with a choice of four providers, including Google and SYSTRAN.
  • For a while I’d been looking for a good tracking app, but there were no free ones, not that is until I found beGPS one – definitely worth having!
  • BerryAnnoying has a small price tag, but gives you the opportunity of silencing the camera shutter sound.
  • BuzzMe simply enables you to have ringer and vibration at the same time.
  • Evernote is fairly well-known and there is now a BlackBerry app!
  • Facebook is a useful free app if you use this increasingly popular social media site.
  • File Manager Pro is not a free app, but is very useful – especially because you can save favourite folders.
  • Flickr! has an app for the BlackBerry, but it’s not one that I use very much.
  • FreeRange is an app I use nearly every day – it’s a free RSS feed reader for up to 10 feeds, and it has the advantage that you can create an account and manage the feeds from your desktop computer.
  • That brings me alphabetically to Google! If you use Gmail then the Gmail app is essential. If not, you still need Google Maps and Google Mobile App – both free!
  • Need a free spreadsheet on your BlackBerry? Look no further than GridMagic!
  • Opera Mini is an excellent alternative to the supplied browser, and has the added advantage that you can synchronise bookmarks with the desktop version.
  • QuickPull saves you having to remove the battery to do a complete reset!
  • ScratchPad and SnapScreen are not free (if I remember correctly) and are a clipboard extender and screenshot tool respectively.
  • TwitterBerry is a great app for Twitterers.
  • Last, but not least, is YouVersion which gives you access to more online versions of the Bible than you can shake a stick at!
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My Essential iPhone Apps

March 23, 2009 By

With all the fuss over the iPhone 3.0 announcement, I thought it was a good time to review the apps I couldn’t live without on my iPhone. Some are for business, some are for pleasure, but all are essential in my eyes. And, oddly for a miser like me, they’re all apps that I had to fork out some cash for…

  1. Easy TimeSheet

    Easy TimeSheet – I use Easy TimeSheet for tracking hours worked on various projects. Whenever you start work on something simply start the timer… when you finish, stop it again. It’s that simple. There’s the option to assign hourly rates to projects if you plan to bill someone for your work. The data can also be e-mailed to you so that you can compile reports/bills on your computer rather than trying to fiddle about with your phone.
    Click to view in iTunes store: £1.79

  2. Tweetie

    Tweetie – I used Twittelator Pro for mobile twittering for quite some time, and recently made the switch to Tweetie. When I changed, Tweetie seemed much “cleaner” and simpler… it just did its job and did it well. It allows you to send a link to your current location, and integrates with TwitPic. I’ve also found it to be very solid… I don’t remember it crashing on me yet. Since switching, Twittelator Pro has had an update which adds a load of new features, but having had a look at it I think it felt a bit too cluttered. For the simplicity of tweeting on the move, it’s Tweetie on my iPhone.
    Click to view in iTunes store: £1.79 (NO LONGER AVAILABLE – for the new version see Tweetie 2)

  3. Milog

    Milog – This is one I use every single day, and couldn’t do without. I have to track my business mileage in the car, and kept forgetting to fill in the log book. Rather than having to try and reconstruct my mileage a month after the event I downloaded this great little app that allows me to input the mileage for every trip, and then allows me to e-mail myself a report at the end of the month. The good thing is that this app is paying for itself, as I’m more likely to remember to claim small trips than if I were doing it all in one go.
    Click to view in iTunes store: £1.79

  4. Things

    Things – I’m notoriously bad at remembering to do things… but I’m also terrible at keeping lists. They get misplaced, or (believe it or not) I forget to write things on them. Because I always have my phone with me, though, and because I can have the icon on the first page of the start screen, an iPhone-based solution works better for me. I’m also impressed with the GTD method of task management, so decided to go for something that loosely followed that. Things is the solution, with an inbox where you just dump tasks as they come up, and “today”, “next”, “scheduled”, and “someday” lists to help break that huge list of jobs into manageable chunks. So far I’m definitely remembering to do more than I used to!
    Click to view in iTunes store: £5.99

  5. Pole Position: Remix

    Pole Position: Remix – a bit of fun to finish with, and a remake of an old game! Pole Position was good on ye olde computers, but steering by tilting the iPhone has added a nice new dimension to the game. Not to mention that I’m a bit of a Formula 1 freak so it’s nice to imagine that I’m racing round the circuit ahead of next week’s season-opening race in Melbourne. Shame none of the actual F1 circuits are in the game (only fairly simple layouts) but it’s still fun.
    Click to view in iTunes store: £1.79

Disclosure: All app links in this article are affiliate links and will generate income for Geek-Speak if you choose to make a purchase.

Do you want more on the iPhone? Find our best iPhone posts here.

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BlackBerry Bold 9000 Review

March 18, 2009 By
051/2009

John is a Salvation Army Corps Officer who likes computers, Radiohead and F1. He lives and works with his wife Marta in Gainsborough UK, and blogs at johnager.co.uk and johnager.org

Just to annoy all you iPhone afficionados out there, I nearly called this post Who Needs an iPhone Anyway? So why, when I upgraded my mobile, did I resist the tempation to get an iPhone? And how have I got on with the BlackBerry about a month and a half in?

OK, first of all, let me come clean! I’m with Orange and they don’t have the iPhone! But there is another reason! My TomTom SatNav is touchscreen and I’ve not always found it responsive to my touch, and this has sometimes irritated me. Also I wanted a smartphone for emails, and felt that a touchscreen might not have been the best option – Orange, of course, have many iPhone alternatives – but I went for the BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry Bold has won several awards, and has been well-received. It’s basically the first BlackBerry to do everything! For the record there is also the BlackBerry Storm, although this is limited to Vodafone in the UK and (believe it or not) doesn’t have wi-fi, and the SurePress keyboard entry system is something of an untried hybrid.

When you hold the BlackBerry Bold for the first time what immediately strikes you is that it’s a quality product, it feels good in the hand. It comes with a case, and you have the option to lock the unit automatically when placed in the case – a nice touch! Once you get used to the trackball it’s extremely fast to navigate the menu options, and there are lots of keyboard shortcuts to help you on your way as well. The camera may be a let-down for many people but, for me, it’s ideal to take a quick snap to send to Mobypicture or TwitPic – so maybe not such a downside after all. Do I really want a better camera in my phone than in my camera?

There are a good range of apps for the BlackBerry, although developers have yet to catch up with the range available for the iPhone. Apps seem to appear for the iPhone first! Grrr! Some of the essential apps are: Gmail, Twitter, BBTran, Facebook, File Manager Pro, Flickr, Google Maps, GridMagic (a freeware spreadsheet), Opera Mini, Scratchpad, Viigo and Wikipedia. The one that I am especially waiting for is an app for Evernote, although I can access it through the browser and send stuff by email. The Bold comes with apps to open MS Office docs. The media sound (and picture quality) is excellent, both from the unit itself and via the bundled earphones. Also supplied is a 1GB memory card, which I soon changed for a 8GB one! The software for connection to a PC/Mac is good, but don’t bother with the Media Manager – just copy the files over, it’s far less hassle! Unlike the current iPhone, voice notes come as standard! Check out some screenshots here.

So, all things considered, I am very pleased with my BlackBerry. One last thing, whenever you do upgrade and whatever smartphone you get, dont forget to haggle, haggle and haggle! You know it makes sense!

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MacHeist :: Puzzle your way to free software

February 16, 2009 By
MacHeist

Not quite sure how to categorise this one… MacHeist is a site that presents visitors with a series of puzzles, or “heists” over time. These might involve solving a simple puzzle, going on a treasure-hunt around the Internet, or any number of other puzzles and games. At the end of each heist is a juicy reward – free software (as you may have guessed from the name, it’s Mac software).

As you progress through the heists you can also earn a discount on the MacHeist bundle, a package of software still to be determined but sold at a discount and earning money for charity.

There’s a great community forming around the MacHeist site this time (we’re on MacHeist 3) with people divided into colour-coded teams and all trying to work out how the heck you get more points for your team! You can usually find plenty of people willing to help if you’re stuck with the heist too, which is fantastic.

If you want to exercise your brain, pretend to be a secret agent, and get free software, check MacHeist out today!

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