TUAW exclusive: Makers of Aurora Feint unveil new game, codenamed “VSL”

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Aurora Feint was one of the iPhone's first big games, way back in the early days of the App Store. Since then, the company behind that first hit has added on a few different games in the same universe, each with their own separate features and focus, but all in the same vein of puzzle-based RPG. Today, Aurora Feint, Inc. has pulled back the curtain just slightly to reveal their very first original effort since that initial App Store release. The game is only codenamed so far -- they're calling it "VSL" -- but the developers at Aurora Feint plan to turn it into a "showcase" of what's possible with Apple's new policy of allowing free apps to provide content on demand.

Above is the very first screenshot of the yet-to-be revealed game, and TUAW got a chance to talk exclusively with both Peter Relan and Jason Citron of Aurora Feint about the new game, what it'll be like, and how it'll integrate with their growing social gaming platform, OpenFeint. Click the link below to read on.

Continue reading TUAW exclusive: Makers of Aurora Feint unveil new game, codenamed "VSL"

TUAW exclusive: Makers of Aurora Feint unveil new game, codenamed "VSL" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW exclusive: Makers of Aurora Feint unveil new game, codenamed "VSL" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Was Going to Use Palm WebOS-style Widgets for iPhone in 2007, Abandoned Idea Due to Performance

As part of the commentary on Jamie Zawinski leaving the Palm Pre for the iPhone (linked in the previous post), Daring Fireball adds:

Apple had a similar idea to WebOS for the iPhone, where certain apps would run as Dashboard-style widgets, written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Apple abandoned the idea in the six months between the iPhone’s January 2007 announcement and when it went on sale at the end of June, concluding that performance for such apps was unacceptable and that they should go native Cocoa across the board. And Apple was only going to do it for small apps, like Weather, Stocks, and Calculator, not the flagship apps like Calendar and Mail.

Of course, web technologies have improved since 2007, especially JavaScript rendering. Usability and performance complaints aside, Palm embracing web developers in order to incentivize adoption of their platform was a smart strategy. Still, it’s interesting to see Apple’s reaction to it back then, and their decision to go 100% native. (Especially considering they’re now being criticized for not having widgets).

Did Apple make the right choice, do we still want widgets on the iPhone, or is HTML5 and SQLite in Safari making them redundant?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple Was Going to Use Palm WebOS-style Widgets for iPhone in 2007, Abandoned Idea Due to Performance

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Developers Turn, Return, and Reaffirm — iPhone Still Unmatched

Tim Cook (in)famously said other platforms and devices are still struggling to catch up with the original 2007 iPhone 2G, and while TiPb wouldn’t go that far (the App Store didn’t show up until the iPhone 3G in 2008), strictly in terms of user experience and functionality, he may have had a point.

First up, Jamie Zawinski (jwz) has abandoned the Palm Pre and gone all in on iPhone, despite Apple being worse than Palm when it comes to developer relations and closed ecosystems. Why? “Because it just [redacted] works.” He highlights Mac sycn, but especially performance as key. Long delays in being able to use the Pre calendar, phone, and camera apps are especially irksome.

I don’t expect the performance of this phone to be even remotely suitable for every day use for at least a year. I figure it’s going to either take a substantial amount of work on the lower levels of the OS, or they’re going to have to throw Moore’s law and new hardware at it…

Next up, Steven Frank, who abandoned the iPhone after the Google Voice incident, and returned to it when he couldn’t find happiness with another device, nails why that’s still the case some 2 years later:

It’s not just that the iPhone has fancy woo-woo transitions and purty graphics; it runs all the way down the software stack. For example, when I tap on something, I don’t have to hover for five seconds wondering “now did it get that tap, or do I have to do it again?” This is something other platforms are still struggling with. When we say you have a bad experience, this is the sort of thing we mean. It has little to do with features, and everything to do with core functionality.

Lastly, Daniel Pasco offers a theory as to why — Apple spent years and a fortune figuring out the iPhone:

Because of that effort, since the iPhone was released, everyone else has been struggling to play catch up, and no one has really come close. Apple raised the bar higher than anyone else had before, and by the time the competition realized how much of an effort would be required to seriously compete, the public had already turned to them to see how they would meet Apple’s threat.

Spending 2.5 years in secret, and who knowns how many of those billions, and then unleashing the iPhone 2G multi-touch user interface changed the game in 2007, and more — it forced competitors to play catchup in public. Sure, many have the iPhone now to copy, but Apple has the momentum to keep innovating.

The question is, can incredibly rich companies like Microsoft, and amazingly innovative ones like Palm — or Google which is both — bridge that gap at the core functionality and user experience level?

[via Daring Fireball]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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More on Apple’s New iPhone/iPod/iTunes/Apple TV Remote

As part of their massive, yet strangely casual, new product drop this morning, Apple also introduced a new version of the Apple Remote [$19 - Apple Store link], which when combined with an RF-enabled Universal Dock, can control your iPhone or iPod (as well as iTunes on Mac or an Apple TV sans-dock). Add in the A/V out cables, and the remote also lets your iPhone or iPod function as a mini, highly portable Apple TV all its own, showing your content on the big screen, controllable with the touch of a button.

Or three buttons now, as the new aluminum and black Apple Remote, which replaces the ancient white plastic one, not only matches Apple’s new design aesthetic, but takes the play/pause button out from the center of the 4 way, and puts it on its own, on the side next to the menu button.

Not sure how we feel about this new arrangement yet. It’s a little more scattered than Apple’s usual (and older) elegance. However, we’ll reserve judgement until we get our geeky little mits on it!

Apple’s info, after the break!

Apple Remote with iPod and iPhone

If you connect your iPod to a home stereo, powered speakers, or TV set, the Apple Remote lets you experience your songs, slideshows, and more from across the room. Plug your iPod into the Universal Dock and choose a playlist, slideshow, or video. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy. Ready to move on to the next song? No need to get up. Just press the Next button on the Apple Remote. Getting a call on your iPhone? Press Pause, then pick up where you left off.

The Apple Remote requires the iPod Universal Dock and any iPod with a dock connector or any iPhone.

Apple Remote with Mac

The Apple Remote gives you total command of your music, photos, videos, and DVDs from anywhere in the room. It works with Front Row — a menu-based, full-screen interface — to make accessing the digital content on your Mac as simple as navigating your iPod. When you press the Menu button, your desktop fades and the sleek Front Row interface takes its place to give you control over your music in iTunes, your photos in iPhoto, the videos in your Movies folder, and your DVDs. Turn up the volume. Shuffle. Skip to the next chapter on your DVD. Play a slideshow, a home movie you made in iMovie, even a movie trailer.

Compatible with Apple products introduced in 2005 or later that have a built-in infrared (IR) receiver.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Apple updates $19 Remote, predictably coats it in aluminum

Filed under: Peripherals

Apple updates $19 Remote, predictably coats it in aluminum originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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