The Woz Says Jobs Sounds "Healthy, Energetic"

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said Steve Jobs sounds "healthy, energetic" a month before the CEO is expected to return to the company.

On the sidelines of the All Things D conference, Mr. Wozniak said Mr. Jobs “doesn’t sound like he’s sick,” nor did he seem to be in a health crisis. Mr. Wozniak said, however, he has never directly asked Mr. Jobs how he is.

Mr. Jobs, one of the highest-profile CEOs in the tech sector, went on medical leave in January, saying in a letter to employees that his health issues "are more complex than I originally thought."

His health has been a subject of widespread speculation, with analysts asking about his return during earnings calls, and others wondering if he’ll make an appearance at next month’s developer’s conference. There are also questions about whether Mr. Jobs will assume all of his previous responsibilities when he returns or take on another role.

Mr. Wozniak has had a few star turns of his own in recent months, sometimes doing the worm, sometimes wearing a pink feather boa, as a contestant on ABC’s "Dancing With the Stars."

iPhone to replace register at Japan university

SAGAMIHARA, Japan (Reuters) - A Japanese university is giving away Apple Inc's trendy iPhone to students for free, but with a catch: the device will be used to check their attendance.

The project, which is being tested ahead of its formal launch in June, involves 550 first and second year students and some staff of a department at Aoyama Gakuin University, which is located just outside Tokyo in Sagamihara city. The school's iPhones are meant to create a mobile information network between students and professors, but they are also a convenient way for the teachers to take attendance in class.

As students enter the room, instead of writing their name on a sheet, they simply type in their ID number and a specific class number into an iPhone application. To prevent students from logging in from home or outside class, the application uses GPS location data and checks which router the students have logged in to.

"We don't want to use this to simply take attendance. Our hope is to use this to develop a classroom where students and teachers can discuss various topics," professor Yasuhiro Iijima told Reuters as he demonstrated the application.

University officials insist the project is not intended to infringe on students' privacy or track them down.

"With Japanese cellphones it's possible that the location data is automatically sent. However, with the iPhone, you must always confirm before the GPS data can be sent," Iijima said.

Many of the students testing the system said they were happy with it.

"Up until now, we've been using little slips of paper to take attendance. But with a cell phone, you don't have to spend time collecting all of those and so I think it's quite nice," 20-year-old student Yuki Maruya.

When the system goes fully online next month, the university also hopes to provide video podcasts of lectures to help students who missed classes, or just can't remember their lessons.

Matte Finish & Enhanced 3G in Next Generation iPhone?

If MacRumors.com is right, the next generation iPhone will have a matte finish and include enhanced 3G as part of it's new features to be unveiled sometime next month during the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). Additionally, if we are to believe other swirling rumors, it will also have a electronic compass, 32GB of storage and a radio...although I'm not exactly sure about it including a AM/FM tuner.

In any case, take these rumors with a grain of salt, it'll only be a matter of a few days before we know the truth...For yours truly, depending on how much of an upgrade it is, I may be waiting for the fourth generation iPhone... Hopefully Apple stuns us all once more and I'll have a new phone by July...

New Apple iPhone Rumors Abound As WWDC Nears

With Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference just about two weeks away, rumors of new iPhone hardware are gathering steam, promising everything from a 32-GB giant version to an Apple iPhone capable of video recording.

It's no surprise that the spotlight is on the Apple iPhone as WWDC kicks off June 8 in San Francisco. The smartphone has been Apple's bread and butter since it launched two years ago and the launch of a new iPhone device at WWDC would fall in sync with Apple's iPhone launch schedule, which saw the first-generation iPhone hit stores in June 2007 and the now-iconic iPhone 3G follow in July 2008.

Here are some of the latest iPhone rumors dominating the blogosphere:

First, the third-generation iPhone could to come in six distinct versions, two with 3G connectivity, two with enhanced 3G, a Chinese version and one more. Each version uses the country-specific networks where they're available. While this one is feasible, rolling out six completely different hardware models, when the previous generation only featured two, is a bit of a stretch, even for Apple, which knows how to keep costs low while still churning out innovative devices.

Another rumor is that Apple is preparing to launch a massive 32 GB iPhone, doubling the storage capacity of its largest model, the 16 GB iPhone 3G. Word of this hulking iPhone started in earnest when Apple reportedly began scooping up oodles of flash memory chips a few months back. This rumor makes the most sense, as when it comes to storage bigger is always better. It's just a question of whether the iPhone-hungry masses would drop an extra $100 for a bulked up smartphone.

It is also widely speculated that an OLED iPhone could be in the offing. An iPhone Apps blog is speculating that a new iPhone will hit the market on July 17 and feature an OLED screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 256 MB of RAM, a strong processor, longer battery life, rubber-tread backing, an FM transmitter and an Apple logo that lights up on the back, similar to the Macbook icons that glow in every neighborhood Starbucks. In this instance, the iPhone is also expected to feature turn-by-turn directions and a built-in compass and come in 16 GB and 32 GB sizes. All of these features sound great, but seem to focus more on fashion than function.

And, yes, there are still rumors swirling that a mini iPhone, or iPhone Nano, could be the next big -- or little, if you will -- innovation to come out of Cupertino. Theories on a shrunken down iPhone have been kicked around for months and were quickly refuted. But with WWDC nearing, they've kicked up again offering promises of a new 4 GB iPhone model with a recession-proof price-point of just under $100. This one, too, is plausible, seeing that there are also rumors that Apple plans to update its iPod Nano line at WWDC, so a miniature iPhone might not be too far afield.

Lastly, and most realistically, is a rumor that the new Apple iPhone could get video capabilities. Rumors of video, along with all of the others that swirl, include that the newest iPhone software, iPhone OS 3.0, will support MMS. Logic would dictate that if the new iPhone hardware can support MMS, it can support video. Additionally, word is apple is working to upgrade the built-in iPhone camera to make photos clearer, meaning video capabilities wouldn't be a stretch.

Interview with Chillingo founder Joe Wee

Recently Know Your Mobile has posted an interview with well known iPhone game publisher - Chillingo.

So here we go:

With hits like iDracula and Zen Bound, Chillingo has etched out a name for itself as one of the iPhone's big players. Rather than developing games themselves, they act as the publishing and marketing muscle behind developers who perhaps don't have the financial clout or experience do to the job themselves.

We got to talk with Joe Wee, one of founders of the company, about how they got to where they are today and their plans for the future.

Know Your Mobile: Chillingo’s back catalogue is full of games from different genres, from hardcore RPGs to casual games like Sneezies. What are the main factors you consider when deciding what content to sign up?

Joe Wee: The most important factor that we look out for is gameplay innovation – if you look at iDracula, Zen Bound, Bike or Die, Sneezies – they all create a unique gameplay experience that is truly iPhone centric. For example, the jog-wheel control mechanism that iDracula has coined has already sparked quite a cult following amongst new apps that are in the market now – who needs buttons on a phone if you can do it that way?

KYM: Although Chillingo is known primarily as an iPhone games publisher these days, its subsidiary Clickgamer offers games for all mobile platforms. Do you feel there’s much life left in traditional Java mobile gaming?

JW: Going forward, we will be pushing only AAA game titles through our Chillingo publishing brand, whilst our clickgamer.com publishing brand will be focusing on A grade iPhone apps. Since clickgamer.com’s inception in 2002, we have always concentrated on high quality mobile apps, hence, in a way iPhone publishing is a very natural progression for the brand.

There is a big shake up happening in the traditional java games world. I think that the answer to that question lies in how the ‘traditional mobile value chain’ will readjust itself to fit in with the new wave of manufacturer-based appstores – and how network operators will reinvent themselves if they wish to continue to take a large chunk out of mobile content revenues.


KYM: Chillingo is one of the few publishers that has managed to establish itself as a trusted, truly iPhone-centric publisher. How have you managed to do this?

JW: We have always been passionate about great games, and we will continue to do so – the iPhone as a gaming platform deserves great games on it! I believe that as long as we do not stray away from the core of our business, we will continue to build a reputation for ourselves for super-great iPhone games.

KYM: Did the huge success of iDracula come as a surprise?

JW: When we first started to work on iDracula with Moregames – our mission was simple if not too ambitious – to create a No.1 iPhone game that was great value for money. To that end, we have achieved our goal! The combination of a great game and a great hype engine fuelled the success quite effectively.

KYM: Which Chillingo game are you most proud of?

JW: It has to be circuit_strike.one that we have just submitted to the App Store only last night – it has been months in the making and we are VERY PROUD of how it has turned out… it will be the shooter game to end all shooter games. It will set a new bar to how shooter games should be on an iPhone.

KYM: What are you favourite iPhone games?

JW: Personally, Eliss and Zen Bound

KYM: If you could add one element of functionality to the iPhone to make it even better as a gaming device, what would it be?

JW: iPhone 3.0 actually fulfils a lot of our wishlist – we are already working on incorporating a lot of the features such as push notification and peer to peer networking to our upcoming games. Finger crossed – that Apple will release a true gaming console in the future ☺

KYM: Ngmoco’s Neil Young said the company missed out on the opportunity to publish Zen Bound. Are there any iPhone games you wish you’d had the chance to work with?

JW: Of course, there are one or two, but we are confident that our roadmap of upcoming AAA titles like Vampire Origins, Knights Onrush, Touch KO, Underground, Return To Mysterious Island and Hardgore – will keep iPhone gamers very busy in the foreseeable future!

KYM: How do you think iPhone gaming, and its audience, will develop over the next 12 months?

JW: We are very optimistic about the future of iPhone gaming, the market is only in its infancy – the closest competitors are at least a few years away from getting it right. We believe that the iPhone is here to stay as a true mobile gaming device.

KYM: Do you think Android phone gaming could take off in that time frame? If so, would you consider making games for the platform?

JW: It is a question of handsets penetration and quality of games available for Android. If they get it right, then the answer is yes.

Creation of an iPhone Game

Browsing the net I found an interesting tutorial from Owen Goss who is Streaming Colour Studios owner and Dapple developer.
This document step by step explains all process of game creation:

• Pre-production
• Production
• Post-production
• Distribution, Marketing & Sales
  

TowerMadness iphone game review

Like all tower defense games, the objective is to defend your base (in this case herd of sheep) from the waves of enemies (aliens). TowerMadness offers 16 different enemies consisting of aliens, bugs, and flying vehicles of varying sizes and strengths. Each enemy destroyed provides you more money to buy new towers and upgrade existing towers. If you let too many enemies through the game is over.

The 3D engine allows you to easily view the action from overhead or pinch all the way down for a first-person view of the action. So you can literally watch aliens walking down the path and get a close inspection of the weapons. Visually the 3D engine works well and played smoothly on both the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2G, and the character graphics were adequate. While the zoomable 3D landscape works well, I'm not sure how much it really adds to gameplay. I suspect most players will simply find a comfortable zoom level and stick with it throughout the duration of the game.

As my opinion this game isn't so unique. The only difference from others "tower defence" games is 3D graphic - I think it's not so important for such type of game. Anyway graphics is not so good and sfx are very monotonous.

Hi, it's my first post!

It's a very happy moment for me - I have opened my own blog! First of all I want to warn you that I'm just a russian guy, so my english is not perfect :)

Here I will make reviews for the most recent and cool iphone games which appear on App Store ;)

Hope you like it.