Author: Jeff Morgan (Page 156 of 168)

      Bypass Apple’s App Approval with Easter Eggs

      May 19, 2009 /

      The Baby Shaker app.Apple’s iPhone App Store approval process has created a flurry of news with its stringent requirements, the latest of which involved an eloquent rant by Trent Reznor. It’s pretty hard to disagree with Reznor on this one, though we may have done so with more carefully chosen words (you’re too old to care so much about your rocker persona). The apps that do and don’t make it through seem arbitrary at best, and near fascist at the worst.

      Developer Jelle Prins has found a way around the mess by hiding the “worst” of his app with a nifty little easter egg. Prins’ App, Lyrics, which displays the lyrics of songs in a user’s playlist, was initially rejected because it would display all lyrics, even the obscene ones. Approval came only after Prins installed a profanity filter.

      That’s not the end of the story. Alongside the profanity filter, Prins scripted an easter egg that enables profanity at the user’s discretion. Just head to the “About” page on the app, swipe your fingers down three times and confirm you want to see the naughty lyrics. Prins said the egg was easy to implement because it’s a difficult thing to notice in the source code.

      Prins also says the app was likely approved due to a lack of manpower on Apple’s part. Lyrics ties in to an online database to monitor usage. That database showed only one use during his approval process, meaning just one person fired up the app, searched for a few profanities, and then pushed the thing through when he couldn’t find any. Scouring lines of code for things like Prins’ easter egg isn’t even on the map.

      Of course with all the attention on Prins and his little workaround, I would not be surprised to see the app pulled until 3.0 parental controls go live. So much for sticking it to the man.

      Source: Wired

      Apple, Apps, Gaming, iPhone

      iPhone Push Notifications Enter Developer Testing

      May 19, 2009 /

      Push Notification is on the way.The long awaited push notification service that Apple’s been touting since the birth of the App Store has finally entered load testing. In case you’ve forgotten (it’s been awhile since they promised us this) push notification will allow third-party applications to update their home page icons and pop up status messages without actually opening the program.

      The load testing comes with the way Apple plans to implement the system. Every notification has to actually run through Apple’s servers, which gives them a huge amount of data which can be used internally or, and this is the more likely case I’d say, sold to the highest bidder. Apple has only opened testing to App Store developers, and only for one app: a pre-release version of the Associated Press app.

      Obviously developers will be jumping all over this thing, if just to see how the system works. From the looks of things, applications will each have their own settings for push notification, which could make buying apps a bit more complicated. Sort of like when you buy a new video game and have to tweak your control schemes, mouse inversion, graphic settings (shush Steam users, I know you’ll get your panties knotted here), each application will require you to set preferences for alerts.

      Could we see push as early as the next iPhone release? Doubtful, but a girl can hope, can’t she?

      Source: Apple Insider

      Apple, Apps, iPhone, Mobile

      Palm Pre Gets a Date!

      May 19, 2009 /

      The Palm Pre.Sprint and Palm have officially announced the release of the Palm Pre for June 6, starting at $200 after contract and the included $100 rebate. If you’re worried you won’t be able to get Palm’s new beauty in your area, fret no more. The phone is being sold nationwide starting on the 6th and will be sold in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and even some Wal-Marts.

      So what do you think of the date? It’s a Saturday for starters, which could mean both the manufacturer and the service provider are hoping for big weekend sales. It’s also two days before Apple’s Keynote Presentation at WWDC where it’s no secret people will be waiting for a very special iPhone announcement. I suppose if you have some sort of buying disorder you might not want to want two days.

      To me it seems like Palm must be a little uneasy about the iPhone refresh. It would be so easy to wait a few days, or even a week, and then pitch the Pre against the iPhone’s shortcomings, like running background apps. They may be planning to do that anyway, but then why have an understated launch 2 days before a potential boon for Apple sales.

      Truth is, I think we all know the iPhone isn’t going anywhere, and pitching the Pre as an “iPhone-killer” would likely turn Palm’s blade against themselves. I’d say the best they can hope for is a load of sales because their device is something different. If we’re lucky, the competition, meager as it may be, will push Apple to improve the product the world loves.

      Apple, Mobile, News

      Mario Kart Teaches Students Not to Text and Drive

      May 18, 2009 /

      Texting while driving.Vail Christian High School in Colorado hopes to teach students not to text and drive by employing Mario & Co. for a few driving lessons. In a simulation set up by the school, students take the Wii’s motion-sensing wheel in one hand and a cell phone in the other and attempt to text.

      Vail is just one of 20 schools using this same program to help teach driving safety. Sounds great, but Mario Kart? Your biggest consequence for a missed turn is falling off the map and getting replaced by a Koopa. Also, I can’t help but think mixing the challenge of a video game with texting is a terrible idea. The first thing I thought when I heard the news was, “I bet I could do it.” The school has added another element of challenge to a driving game, and if we know anything about gamers, they’ll try to beat the best we can throw at them.

      One of the tested students said, “I ran into a lot of things and it was very stressful.” Was it $9.6 million stressful? I doubt it.

      Source: Gizmodo

      Gaming, News

      Cameras Coming to iPod Touch, Nano?

      May 18, 2009 /

      iPod Touch.According to Hardmac.com, “informations [sic] from one of [their] sources” claims the next generation iPod Touch and iPod Nano will be getting cameras added to their hardware specs. The source also suggests the next iPhone won’t change externally, despite rumors.

      I’m willing to believe the first “informations,” but only half-way. A camera on the Touch makes sense. There are plenty of apps that integrate camera use, making them obsolete if used on the Touch. Also, acquiring and integrating a camera into a device already running Apple’s mobile OS should be no trouble.

      But why add a camera to the Nano? The device is meant to be the ultra slim, stripped down version of the much sexier Touch. Why do you need a camera? And why introduce a camera at two price points? If it’s only on the Touch, snapping pics is just another reason to upgrade from your Nano to your Touch. I also doubt Apple would try this on an iPod not currently running the same OS as their other camera-capable devices.

      On that last rumor, I could go either way. The iPhone 3G is a sleek little device, and I don’t see much reason to update it. On the other hand, Apple’s way is to make the newer, faster versions of things prettier as well. Nothing screams “buy me” like “I don’t look like your other iPhone.

      Apple, iPhone, Music

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