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Transformers Comic hits the iPhone App Store

Monday, March 1st, 2010

I caught this press release and thought of you, dear reader.

Well, maybe not you… but there are, I guess, hundreds of Transformers fans reading Mobile Industry Review. I kid ye not. I think it’s a generational thing. I’ll give you an idea of just how fanatical some of you are about Transformers: About 2 years ago, I was in Tesco with some readers. I won’t bore you with *why* I was in Tesco, I just was. One of the chaps with me spied a toy on display out of the corner of his eye. It was a Transformers AutoBot. A piece of plastic.

“Errr,” he said, “I, errr…” and he picked it up.

I looked at him for some kind of explanation.

“I’m, errr, I’m just a big fan,” he said. He bought the toy and then proceeded to educate me in the ways of Transformers. Although it’s ostensibly the subject of a children’s toy range and television programme, there’s apparently a huge backstory that is of significant appeal to science fiction fans around the planet.

So it’s with no small amount of delight, Transformers fans, that I tell you Titan Publishing has released the first of it’s super-smart Comics for iPhone. In this first edition, Transformers author, Simon Furman, gives the exclusive background to the characters in the blockbuster movie, detailing Optimus Prime’s desperate battle with Megatron’s forces.

You remember now, right? Optimus Prime is the goodie. Megatron’s the baddie.

Some screenshots:

And the direct link to the iPhone App Store: Transformers UK

The app is unfortunately only available in the UK and Ireland — plus if you’ve got anything other than an iPhone/iPod (and possibly a Sony PSP), you’re totally and utterly screwed because the developer, like most, is iFascist — i.e. doesn’t care about other mobile platforms. Hopefully that will change in time.

Tags: comics, iPhone, transformers
Posted in Apple, Applications, iFascist | View Comments

Apple continues to dick about with App Store policies: Explicit apps might be ok now [Scratch that]

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

On Monday, if you were a developer of adult themed mobile apps for the iPhone platform, you were screwed. You were in the middle of packing up your bags and heading out to another segment of the industry. You’d already phoned your investors, suppliers and colleagues to tell them it was ‘game over’ and you were busy investigating other application ideas — and perhaps looking at some other mobile app platforms to work on.

On Wednesday evening, you pressed pause.

Yeah. It’s back on.

Maybe.

Eric Slivka over at MacRumours is reporting that — no, it was all a big misunderstanding! Apple didn’t mean it. When they said they’d pulled 5,000 apps, they… well, you should have known! They didn’t actually mean that.

Have they reconsidered their decision to remove all explicit apps? No. They have redefined the market.

Eric has confirmed that Apple has:

… now added a new “Explicit” category in the iTunes Connect system for App Store submissions. The category is included in drop-down menus that allow developers to select categories for their applications to be placed in, and appears alongside the traditional App Store categories such as “Books”, “Entertainment”, and “Games”.

Who knows?

You have to wonder why Apple didn’t simply introduce the new category on Monday. No one would have complained. No one would have challenged it. Indeed, I’m sure a lot of developers would have welcomed the clarifying move.

But now that Apple has taken the temperature of the market and found it raaaather hot, it appears that they’ve done a u-turn. This is good news for developers. But a total waste of time and resources for them too.

Will there be a new explicit category? Well, there appears to be one already. But what does it mean? Does that mean that all 5,000 must be re-submitted there?

Could we have some clarity please, Apple?

And, have you got any more hairbrained schemes that developers should know about? Any plans to remove all the sports applications (apart from ESPN, MLB, NFL, etc.,) for some arbitrary reason? Just … do let us know.

Update: Ok, they are dicking about some more. MobileCrunch reports that the ‘Explicit’ category has now been wiped from the Apple memory.

Posted in Apple, Applications, Mobile Development | View Comments

iPhone 4G concept design

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Regular reader MAQ_Ecosse came across this rather interesting mock-up concept design of the next generation iPhone “4G” based on the iPad design:

It’s always fun to speculate. What do you think?

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Nokia on Apple: “A Fruit Confused”

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Staying on the subject of Nokia, I was delighted to read this post by Mark Squires on the Nokia Conversations blog.

Mark is Director of Social Media Communications for the company. He and his colleague Ray are amongst the finest in the industry. They run a disciplined well-oiled machine that was, for quite a while, entirely misunderstood by Nokia’s High Command. I swear some of Nokia’s senior executives thought social media was all about hanging around on Facebook wasting time.

In recent times though, the might that is Nokia has definitely bought the Social Media T-Shirt and recognised that the influence from Mark’s team is, in some quarters, significantly more important than banging out a press release.

I’m absolutely delighted to see Mark’s response to Steve Jobs last week. If you recall, Jobs explained to a fawning audience that since Apple makes quite a lot of Notebooks that are ‘mobil’ (“mobile”), and since Apple makes quite a bit of revenue, well then… that makes Apple the largest ‘mobil’ company on the planet.

Mark was having none of it:

The difference between the two companies [Nokia and Apple] is even larger if you use the more common measure: the number of devices sold. By that comparison, Nokia has been the largest mobile devices company in the world for a dozen consecutive years.

I think it’s about time we saw more of this type of action from Nokia. Sitting hiding behind the parapets isn’t good enough. The company is hugely powerful, hugely capable but generally afraid at getting stuck into the online debate. That’s where it matters though, particularly in the context of influencing the geeks, the opinion-formers and (crucially) the developers considering adopting the Nokia/Symbian/Maemo platform.

You only have to look at the trackbacks on Mark’s post to see the effect his post has had across the marketplace with hundreds of publications picking it up.

Kudos to Mark for getting the post up and out. More please!

Posted in Apple, nokia | View Comments

The iPad: Advertising must be more entertaining

Friday, January 29th, 2010

I’m delighted to be able to bring you the first of what I hope will be a series of perspectives from leaders around the mobile industry. Starting us off is CEO of MOFILM, Andy Baker. Given MOFILM’s focus on providing a platform for independent filmmakers to submit ads for some of the world’s leading brands (on a competition basis), I thought it would be good to see how they view the introduction of the iPad into the marketplace.

Over to Andy for his perspective:

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EveryoneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s talking about books, newspapers and apps for the iPad, but not many people are talking about film. At MOFILM weÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve built an entire business around the idea that user-generated video content is and will continue to be big on mobile, and we think the iPadÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s just going to accelerate that, and in the process, create a new advertising model.

Firstly, the iPad is unique in the mobile world in combining two things: a big, beautiful, touchable screen and the ability to choose, stream and download video content. Yes, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s nice watching video on the iPhone and iTouch, but video on the iPad is going to be in a different league. And with a nice long battery life, video is going to be one of the major apps.

But filmmakers and advertisers are going to have to rethink the kind of video they push out. iPad users arenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t going to have time for content that bores them. WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve already seen it happen with You Tube on the iPhone/iTouch: people are hungry for videos that they get a quick hit from, that make them laugh or make them think, the sort of videos they want to pass on to their friends.

This means traditional TV/cinema ads are going to have to change. I canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t imagine that people watching 4 On Demand, for example, will want to sit and watch Ã¢â‚¬Ëœbrand experienceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ TV ads endlessly repeated. In fact this kind of content is just going to annoy them.

So what can advertisers do? They have to find original, well made, engaging content, and lots of it, to fill the many available ad spaces without repetition. This is where independent filmmakers come in. MOFILM specialises in attracting Ã¢â‚¬Ëœuser generated contentÃ¢â‚¬â„¢, but what we really do is put ambitious, creative filmmakers in touch with the brands that need them for their advertising.

The deal is that the filmmakers pour their talent into making a film (theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re well compensated) and the advertisers get several completely original ads. And hopefully, iPad users get video that is a joy, not an annoyance.

- – - – -

Ah well here’s hoping Andy. Here’s hoping. Thanks for taking the time. I think you’re absolutely right and I hope that now there will (I imagine) be a common, easily accessible platform, we’ll see a ton more of this kind of entertainment-cum-advertising. I also hope we’ll get a lot more off the wall and exciting messaging, rather than the usual ‘it’s a perfume ad’ or ‘it’s a car ad’ bland creative.

By the way, in case you need a quick memory jogger on MOFILM, here’s a quick overview:

MOFILM believes that in the age of accessible, digital filmmaking, an independent filmmaker with just a camera and an idea can produce high-quality, commercial ideas. We want these ideas to be seen. Our competitions provide the platform for filmmakers to make ads for some the worldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s leading brands, winning money and prestige in the process.

MOFILM filmmakers are valued by brands. Our competitions give our partners a chance to tap a huge reservoir of international filmmaking talent, as well as developing a wealth of content to be distributed online and via mobile devices. Our partners discover a whole new advertising model.

And if getting stuck into the world of independent advertising floats your boat, head over to www.mofilm.com to view the current competition briefs.

Posted in Apple, iPad | View Comments

The iPad is nothing but an oversized iPhone–now where does the line form to buy one?

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Yes, it has a cringe-worthy name. Yes it’s a closed development environment. Yes it’s $500 I don’t NEED to spend. Yes it is highly derivative of the iPhone. Yes it has a huge bezel. Yes it’s on AT&T’s shameful excuse for a network. And yes, I want–nay–must have one. I will now address each potential problem area point by point.

The Name – It sucks. Who cares? I’m over it.
Closed – Oh no! Whatever will I do? As much as some arbitrary app rejections might suck here and there, the App Store has set the standard for all other app stores. All my favorite apps that I can’t live without will be on the iPad. And the fact that the App Store is closed; the fact that Apple makes the hardware and the software, is the very reason why people love the Apple experience. Developers can cry all they want about its policies, but the App Store made buying a mobile app mainstream. Millions of customers that wouldn’t have existed otherwise Ã‚Â are now accustomed to paying for mobile content. You’re welcome, snotty developers.
It’s $500 – OK, I already have a MacBook Pro, an iPhone 3GS, do I need an iPad? No, I desperately need an iPad. I just do. Tech is my life, it’s how I make my living.
Just a Big iPhone - Yes! Exactly! That’s like saying that if you have a fifty pound pile of cash–a great thing, who would want a 100 pound pile of cash? Me who. That’s who.
Huge Bezel – OK, I’ll admit, at first sight of the big bezel–especially after seeing those sexy barely-there-bezeled mock-ups–I was taken aback. But then I thought it through. Where else would you grip it? Would you hold it like a cocktail waitress holds her tray?
AT&T – This is the only part that kills me. But for my needs, I’ll go WiFi only, and save on the $130 bucks and extra monthly subscription to yet another service. I’ll use it to surf the web at home, and use my iPhone when I’m out in the wild–who wants to lug around a tablet anyway? So by default this doesn’t matter to me at all (I know a total cop-out and AT&T’s SHIT 3G network should be a dealbreaker if you require 3G connectivity).

So yes, sign me up! I have already pledged my soul to the His holiness in the church of Jobs. Call me a sheep, a weak-willed fanboy, but when you are fiddling with your stylus, trying to get your sodding handset to work with that fragmented application, I’ll be joyfully multi-touching my way through the Internet, an ebook or one of the most compelling 140,000 apps ever made for a mobile platform.

Posted in Apple, iPad, iPhone, iPhone Apps | View Comments

The official iPad Video

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

If you haven’t yet caught the official iPad video overview from Apple, the nice people at MacRumours have posted it.

Here it is:

Apple are simply superb at this stuff. The production of these kind of videos (let alone the actual product) is out of this world.

(Nice one Noah)

Watch this and tell me you won’t be getting one?

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Apple Launches iPad: The full press release

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Straight from the horse’s mouth, here’s the Apple press release on today’s iPad:

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AppleÃ‚Â® today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch(TM) display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds– thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction. The precise Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web on iPad an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. Reading and sending email is fun and easy on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard. Import photos from a MacÃ‚Â®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhoneÃ‚Â® or iPod touchÃ‚Â®. The iTunesÃ‚Â® Store gives you access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 11 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 8,000 films including over 2,000 in stunning high definition video. Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. The iBookstore will feature books from major and independent publishers.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWorkÃ‚Â® for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With PagesÃ‚Â®, KeynoteÃ‚Â® and NumbersÃ‚Â® you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, so you can sync all of your contacts, photos, music, movies, TV shows, applications and more from your Mac or PC. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

iPad’s brilliant 9.7-inch, LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.
iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours.* Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan.**
iPad comes in two versions–one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management.

Continuing Apple’s dedication to designing and creating environmentally responsible products, each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

Apple today released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for iPad, so developers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple StoreÃ‚Â® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch.

*Apple tested wireless battery life by browsing web pages and receiving email over an AirPortÃ‚Â® network, never letting the system go to sleep during the test, and keeping the display at half brightness. This is a typical scenario of use on the go, resulting in a battery performance number that is very relevant to mobile users.

**A properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

Posted in Apple, Devices | View Comments

	YES!		48%
	No - boring!		52%