Tekkeon announces myCase for iPhone, a new family of silicone cases that protect iPhone 3G S, iPhone 3G, and iPhone with a fun three dimensional style. myCase is available in eight unique styles that provide easy access to all user controls while protecting iPhone from every day wear and tear. For advanced screen protection, each myCase comes with a myGuard Screen Protector for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S. “myCase adds a bit of flair to iPhone with a unique three dimensional look,” says Jerry Yang, president of Tekkeon, Inc. “With eight designs to choose from, it’s easy to find the case that expresses one’s personal style.” The MSRP for Tekkeon’s myCase for iPhone is $29.95. Tekkeon’s cases are available from the Tekkeon store at www.tekkeon.com. The cases come with a one-year limited warranty.
Altec Lansing announced the addition of the BackBeat™ PRO to the award-winning BackBeat line of stereo earphones and headsets. The BackBeat PRO earphones includes high-end armature technology, engineered to deliver an in-studio sound experience at a price level far below competing headphones costing several hundreds more. The BackBeat PRO technology allows high-definition audio in a uniquely small package, providing a custom occluded fit for superior noise isolation and exceptional comfort.
Altec Lansing designs its audio products for authentic music reproduction, the way the artist intended the sound. The BackBeat PRO earphones use a single balanced armature to achieve musician-grade audio.“The armature is a high-precision microstructure that generates and moves the natural sound through the earphone chamber,” explains Will Squier, Product Manager for Altec Lansing Earphones. “The BackBeat PRO was inspired by custom fit monitor earphones that return only true, reproduced sound for the musical artist while on stage.”
There are three clear benefits to the BackBeat PRO’s armature technology. First, it generates highly-accurate audio frequencies that match the ear’s natural response to sound. Second, it requires less space than traditional speaker microdrivers, assuring a comfortable non-imposing fit within the ear canal. Third, the small size allows for a more custom-fit and a superior seal to block out ambient noise. The passive noise isolation is made possible with multiple sizes of ultra-comfort silicon ear tips, including a set of dual flange tips for extra noise reduction. The result is professional “studio quality” audio that doesn’t compete with outside noise.
Compatibility and Extras:
Compatible with iPod and other MP3 players, as well as the iPhone, the BackBeat PRO uses a standard 3.5 mm connector. The earphones are also ideal for use with desktop and laptop computers, making music editing more comfortable.
The BackBeat PRO cord goes well beyond the ordinary, featuring braided reinforcement for strength and tangle-resistance, smooth PVC coating for friction dampening, and oxygen-free copper for a superior audio conduit. A convenient neoprene carry case and eight-piece fit kit are included.
Best Buy Sound Matters Campaign
Altec Lansing is partnering with Best Buy and their Sound Matters Campaign, http://www.soundmatters.org, to raise awareness among young music listeners of the significance of hearing and hearing loss prevention. The audio performance and ambient noise isolation qualities of the BackBeat PRO earphones let the music enthusiast enjoy full sound definition at lower volumes.
Pricing and Availability
The new BackBeat PRO (model UHP606) is currently available exclusively at Best Buy and www.alteclansing.com for $99.95 U.S. MSRP. For more information visit www.alteclansing.com.
Depending on the physical movements of the two players, slashes and thrusts are interpreted by both devices and immediately registered as successful or blocked. When a player swings and the opponent blocks by holding up another iPhone, the ring of steel on steel is heard from both devices. An unsuccessful block results in the defender’s iPhone emitting one of a number of cries to indicate a hit. Toy Kite has posted videos on its web site (as well as on YouTube) demonstrating the game in action. A training “Dojo” is offered so players can practice the different iSamurai moves.
“With iSamurai, we have been able to implement a two-player sword fighting game that uses the iPhone’s accelerometers to determine when a player attacks with his or her iPhone or uses it to block an opponent’s attack,” said Robert Hogg, CEO and founder of Toy Kite Software. “The iPhones communicate with each other over Wi-Fi in real time, and if a slash is not instantly countered with the correct block, a hit is scored. With iSamurai, we take the game out of the iPhone’s screen and into the real world - players actually sword fight with their iPhones.”
Advanced analysis allows the iPhone to distinguish between four different attacks. Each attack can be countered by the opponent using the correct block. The two devices communicate their actions and countering actions to each other over Wi-Fi in real time and use realistic sounds to indicate whether an attack was successful or blocked. After the battle, both devices report the scores with appropriate images for the winner and loser.
iSamurai includes a single-player mode with four levels of difficulty. Four unique characters: peasant, apprentice, warrior and samurai, yell out different attacks, and the player must quickly defend against them and launch offensive attacks by swinging the iPhone. To get players started, iSamurai offers a tutorial featuring animations of the different attacks. The game also includes quotes from The Art of War by Sun Tzu and from The Book of Five Rings by samurai Miyamoto Musashi.
“As robotics engineers, we were excited about the iPhone’s ability to sense motion,” said Arin Morfopoulos, Director of Development at Toy Kite Software. “Using that capability and inter-phone communication over Wi-Fi, we created a game where two iPhones are instantly aware of each other’s motions and respond with the sounds of battle.”
System Requirements:
* iPhone or iPod Touch 2.2.1 or later
Pricing and Availability: iSamurai: Two-Player Sword Fight for iPhone is only $2.99 (USD) and is available now exclusively through Apple’s iTunes Store. For a limited time, iSamurai will be on sale for $.99 (USD). iSamurai 1.0 uses a Wi-Fi connection for two-player mode. iSamurai 2.0 will be a free upgrade for Apple’s upcoming iPhone software 3.0, allowing two players to compete anywhere using blue-tooth communication between their iPhones. To schedule an interview with Robert Hogg, please call 323-982-8243 or pr@toykite.com.
First, Murray wouldn’t answer the Big Question Number 1, what’s the exact release date, and Big Question Number 2, what’s the price? He was firm to point out TomTom is stating the release is to be, “Later this summer,” and was clear to point out to me that doesn’t mean the end of the summer. Hope, folks, hope.
What Murray did tell me is that the Car Kit is a big piece of the puzzle, but the puzzle still can be put together without it. Meaning, you do not have to have the Car Kit in order to enjoy turn-by-turn navigation on your iPhone sometime this summer, it’ll just “enhance” your experience. What’s that mean? Well Murray told SvenOnTech that it was a “combine solution” of software and hardware that was really the “ideal marriage” of the two. With the built-in speaker, mic, and other unspecified electronics - say a compass? - the Car Kit will enable drivers not to lose signal in those urban cannons of downtown San Francisco for instance. It’ll also help your iPhone recalculate a new route if you miss a turn so you don’t crash into a cable car waiting for your next turn.
Now don’t worry if you don’t spring for the Car Kit or you find yourself in need of some turn-by-turn assistance on your vacation to San Diego because Murray told me that it was, “Quite effective without the Car Kit” and ever user would still have a “positive experience”. The Car Kit is really just a “sweetener”. Phewf.
The application will be available on the App Store along with the maps packaged all in one. This means if you purchased the North America maps and wish to take your iPhone and TomTom on a trip to France, you’ll have to purchase that app along with that regions map. There will be no way to simply add maps to your TomTom app, though Murray did say it was a, “Safe assumption,” that you’ll be able to purchase updated maps for your current purchase when made available.
While we won’t know until a, “Later point and time,” if the software will contain TomTom’s Advanced Lane Guidance, voice navigation, Internet POIs, traffic updates, or even the ability to send addresses to it from your desktop computer like the defunct Dash Express, SvenOnTech was told that IQ Route and TeleAtlas maps are definitely in this baby. Again, phewf.
An amazing logic game and memory training tool in one! Flip the face-down mosaic tiles and remember the pattern on the other side. When you find two similar patterns, you score points.
The smart logic game Twice combines the main principles of a classic game: an attractive appearance, popular and simple rules and a variety of game modes. Its rules are well known: you have to flip the face-down tiles in the puzzle one by one and remember the pattern on the other side. When you flip two identical tiles, you score points. To complete the level you have to find all of the pairs. Twice has three game modes so you can pick the game that suits your tastes – race against time, limited number of attempts or no limits at all. Just choose one of them and you will not be able to stop playing! The magical graphics and traditional Oriental music add a mysterious charm to this game.
Twice – a perfect realization of simplicity and genius.
Game features:
- Colourful Oriental style graphics
- Pleasant, relaxing music
- Three game modes for all tastes
- Excellent memory training tool
- Captivating gameplay
The detailed information about the game, including screenshots, trailers and links for demo version are available on the HeroCraft PDA site - http://smart.herocraft.com/twice.
I sincerely ask you to write a review (it would be just great!). Just let me know if you are interested in this game, and I will immediately provide you with setup files!
Check out the YouTube video for more deets.
With much anticipation, Apple took off the covers of its latest version of the iPhone OS today from its Cupertino headquarters. As believed, Cut and Paste, MMS, and tethering support was announced. Actually, tethering was brought up during the Q&A and was confirmed by Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iPhone Software at Apple, telling the audience, “We’re supporting tethering in the client side, we’re building that support in. We’re working with our carriers around the world.” Dozens of other features, mostly for developers, where announce as well such as support for Google Maps so applications will no longer have to send a user to the Google Maps application but rather integrate it directly into its application. This also means turn-by-turn directions will be supported though it will be “bring your own maps” for licensing reasons. TomTom has a chance!
Forstall early on admitted blowing it on a feature that should have been out last year saying, “Next, Push. You know, we’re late on this one.” Working with developers and listening to their suggestions lead to a re-tooling of Push and now Apple believes the version that is in 3.0 is much better than what it once had. Examples of push, such as IM, were shown to work very nicely much like SMS or reminders in the current version of the iPhone.
Subscriptions will also now be available for software making way to purchase multiple levels of a game or more months for a sports service, for example. Peer to Peer connectivity is also added allowing for easier connection between two or more iPhones for multi-player games or for address card exchange, though the latter was not mentioned.
Hardware vendors will also have use of the iPhone via the dock connector, finally. Examples shown were the iPhone docked in a speaker system in which you could control the tone with an onscreen EQ. SvenOnTech is aware of Altec Lansing showing off alpha hardware to Apple in January and suspects that this very hardware was shown in the slide show, today. Other items shown were a blood pressure cuff and a blood tester for diabetes. With this access, it’s quite conceivable third-party vendors can finally tap into the phone and possibly tie it into car stereos or home dock systems. The ultimate speaker phone.
Copy and Paste looks fantastic. When asked what the hold up was all about the answer given was “security” without any further explanation. I find this a very interesting response since nearly every device on the market has this feature and these manufactures, such as Microsoft and RIM, seem to have not been worried about “security”. It’s hard to say if it was a cover-up excuse or something deeper RIM and MS haven’t considered.
Other goodies include landscape support for SMS, Mail, and Notes. Speaking of Notes, you’ll finally be able to sync those scribbles in your iPhone with 3.0. Voice notes was also shown off which looks to be quite nice. Steaming video was demonstrated by ESPN which looked incredible. YouTube will now allow you to enter your account information keeping favorites and subscriptions synced between phone and desktop. Multiple pictures can now be sent in Mail as well as direct access to the mail application for other apps. Safari users will also be happy to know Auto-fill has made its to the upcoming summer release of 3.0 as well.
So, what about that MMS and A2DP (stereo Bluetooth support) caveat? You know, how Apple just kinda breezed over the fact that you’ll need to have a 3G iPhone to get that working? Mmm, kinda fishy, we think. While it’s solely possible that the lack of support for stereo Bluetooth may be so on the older hardware, we’re at a loss why MMS cannot be supported. Let’s see, you can take a picture in the Facebook app and send it to your profile, today. Same with Twittelator Pro to post pics and embed the link in your Twitter posts, but Apple can’t open the camera in SMS and grab a shot to send because of hardware? Doesn’t make sense to us. Other 2G devices do MMS just fine, so why not Apple’s? We believe it’s a way for Apple to force users to purchase new hardware though we could be wrong on this. Still, can’t see how hardware other applications use without issue for photos can’t be used by Apple.
All-in-all a great announcement for developers at the iPhone OS 3.0 preview announcement. If they use the tools given to them today, this free update for all iPhone users, $9.99 for iPod touch, could be a mean and exciting update for sure. Guess that puts egg on our face for last nights post, huh? 
Excitement is brewing with anticipation for the iPhone 3.0 OS update preview tomorrow. Rumors are already spilling details that include Copy and Paste (FINALLY!), MMS, and built-in tethering (at a cost, I’m sure.) Unfortunately, folks, I really don’t see this as a major update, just like 2.0. Apple, with Steve Jobs on stage, does a great job of making nothing seem special. Tomorrow it will have a difficult job pulling that task off without iCon front and center. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll agree with me, there’s nothing special in what we’ve heard thus far. Copy and Paste should have been released in a minor update with 1.x. MMS should have been there on Day One and tethering introduced no later than 2.0. So if these rumors are true, and most likely they are as Kevin Rose is backing some of them and was dead-on with his last predictions concerning Apple, why are we all getting excited? Give me a break, the Plane Jane Motorola RAZRs have 2 out 3 of these features. Yawn.
Some may point out the addition of the Premium App Store as another rumor for 3.0 but I discount that since it’s not tied to the OS and more to the back-end of the store. Who cares. This is nothing more than Apple trying to make more money, encourage better games, and crack deeper into the PSP and DS market. This is not an operating system advancement.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that these reported features will finally make it to the phone I love to use, but I’m just trying to add perspective here. There’s no reason to get all giddy for nothing short of what we should have already had. I truly hope there is MUCH more coming and that the Palm Pre tit-for-tat reports are correct. It would be nice to see a turn-by-turn GPS application announced (which again, nothing new for many other smartphones), video support (more same-old-same), and push-notification finally supported promised by Apple at its last software upgrade preview nearly a year ago. I want to be dazzled like I was at Macworld when Steve announced the iPhone. Please Apple, don’t just repackage your competitions features as something new and amazing. Do us right.
Jeff Musa, the founder and former CEO of Cutting Edge Software, Inc (now operating as Quickoffice, Inc.), has launched a new company named One Moxie Ventures LLC. The new company is focused on developing quality mobile applications and web services for the education and lifestyle markets.
Mr. Musa’s previous company was a leader in business productivity applications for Palm OS powered mobile devices. The company’s core product platform, Quickoffice, earned numerous awards and served a user base of over 350,000.
One Moxie Ventures released its first iPhone application titled Math Flash Cards, which is available now (iTunes link) from the Apple App Store. The application has already broached the Top-20 list of paid-for educational applications.
The cool factor is Apple’s signature. Math Flash Cards combines rich graphics, a fun-to-use interface, and the educational outcome that parents are craving.
“The iPhone is a natural fit for education titles because kids are drawn to the crisp graphics and rich media on the device,” said Mr. Musa. “The cool factor is Apple’s signature. Math Flash Cards combines rich graphics, a fun-to-use interface, and the educational outcome that parents are craving.”
The company is in the process of developing several additional titles for the iPhone platform to be released throughout 2009.
So what’s a good game you ask for the iPhone or iPod touch? You know, something that’ll keep you happy for weeks to come and not give you buyers remorse just hours later? Well, we just reviewed a game that may fit that description and keep you entertained for hours if not weeks and weeks.
I played Cronk for a good few weeks and, well, read the review and see what happened after some game play.
Dude, looking for a sweet deal on some groovy headphones? You know, bad economy but you gots to have your head covered with something for them ears? Cash low but tunes need to be high? Ya, we gottcha back, homie.
We just put the review for the iFrogz Custom Fallouts up. Good, round, sounding headphones for your iPhone, iPod, or computer. Heck, plug ‘em into your Denon and enjoy.
Okay, no more playing, go read the review and see if you want to nuke your old pair of headphones and enjoy some Fallouts today.