« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »
July 31, 2008
Review... EA's Games for iPhone
If you are like me, you are completely addicted to downloading apps at Apple's App Store. Besides downloading just about every version of a flashlight known to humanity, I've also been checking out some games. Today I'll take a quick look at three from Electronic Arts... Tetris, Scrabble, and Sudoku.
The first thing you will notice when you fire up these games is how gorgeous they look. Each uses rich graphics and animations to accentuate the games, and they are a pleasure to launch (well, two out of three were anyway, more on that later.) They all also use the touch sensitive and accelerometer features of the iPhone to give the player a really fun experience... shake your iPhone to shuffle tiles, pinch to zoom in and out, drag, flick, and poke game pieces across the screen, etc.
(reviews, screen shots, and video after the jump...
Scrabble:
I don't think I have ever actually played a real game of Scrabble, but since downloading the game I must admit I've played it several times, and it's kinda fun. You can play the computer, or use what they call Pass n' Play Game Mode for up to 4 players. If you are stuck for a word, there is the Best Word hint cheat, game rules are customizable, and of course there's multiple difficulty levels and statistics tracking.
Tetris:
Tetris® is probably one of the best known and most popular games ever, and if you are a Tetris fan, I think you will be quite pleased by EA's iPhone version. Tetris is made more fun with an iPhone, as you toss and slide the pieces down the screen. You can also shrink or draw game pieces, plus there are four suitably cheezie sound tracks to accompany you as you drop blocks.
I have a couple of nitpicks about Tetris. The first, I wish you could rotate a game piece by spinning it on the screen rather than by tapping the screen. The second was a bit more serious, and was literally a game killer. After a few launches, the app would suddenly no longer launch, crashing after a few seconds. I tried fixing it by deleting the copy on my iPod Touch, updating the app, and re-syncing the game from iTunes, but to no avail. So that was no fun, and if the reviews on the App Store are any indication, many people are having the same problem. (If I hear back from EA as to the fix, I'll update this post.)
UPDATE: it's working fine now, after a restart of the iPod Touch. yay!
UPDATE 2: EA sent in this notice:
EA is aware that some consumers have experienced technical issues with applications downloaded from Apple's new app store. EA is committed to providing top-tier titles, and stands behind every game with a proven consumer update procedure. To that end, EA will be delivering a free update on Friday, July 25th for our current iPhone and iPod Touch games. Consumers will be able to quickly and easily update Scrabble, Tetris and Sudoku for no extra charge simply by following the prompt on each game from their iPhone or iPod Touch. We appreciate feedback and comments and look forward to hearing from our consumers about our games.
Sudoku:
OK, I admit it, I am addicted to Sudoku on my iPod Touch. The game is a joy to play, with satisfying little animations with each grid or line completed. If you are stuck, you can use Cell Hints to solve the easiest cell, based on the givens and your input so far. Or if you are a complete wimp, use the Auto-Fill to fill every empty cell with valid annotations. On more difficult levels, you can use the pen Mode to write annotations on the empty cells, to keep a list of possible numbers.
With over 10,000 grids on five difficulty levels, I doubt you are going to run out of Sudoku, and if you do, you can always use Newspaper Mode to enter any Suduko that you see in a newspaper or magazine, or create your own... very cool.
Long story short...
if you are a fan of any of these games, I think you will love the EA's iPhone/iPod Touch versions. Check 'em out at Apple's App Store, all under 10 bucks. Don't forget, EA is bringing Spore to the iPhone soon, I can't wait for that.
Scrabble and Tetris screen shots...
Sudoku screenshots, and background image... very nice.
The video!
Posted by Snaggy at 11:34 AM | Comments (0)
July 30, 2008
Forum Tidbits to polish off July.
geekygoddess wonders What do you really want???, ... fs Imagines all the geeks... suggests Twitter in profiles, and inquires about Forum Response Etiquette, ... and The Famous Druid jets in with I've been waiting a long time for this!
And in SuperFan Clubhouse Tidbits: Dragonman's super script gets an update.
Posted by Snaggy at 12:08 AM
July 28, 2008
Monday's Forum Tidbits!
Snaggy creates a Steve Jobs Opening Line Generator, ... fs proves Sometimes, a picture... and ponders Helmet Cameras for Safer Cycling?, ... MacManKrisK delivers a super-short review of Superhero Movie and Steen asks are you a Geek, Dork or Nerd?
Posted by Snaggy at 12:01 AM
July 27, 2008
Presenting the Steve Jobs Opening Line Generator!
You may have read Joe Nocera's article from yesterday's New York Times, in which, (on page 2), he reveals that Steve Jobs called him on the telephone, and hit him with the opening line: "This is Steve Jobs. You think I'm an arrogant [expletive] who thinks he's above the law, and I think you're a slime bucket who gets most of his facts wrong."
You gotta admit, that's a great opener. 
Well, we thought so too, and then we thought to ourselves, wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to come up with such an original opening line if the need arise? Well, since most of us aren't that creative in the opening salvo department, we thought we'd use Steve's as a template, and build an easy to use pop-up menu opening line generator. Behold! (Note: please use with caution.)
You think I'm an who thinks he's , and I think you're a who
Posted by Snaggy at 02:13 PM | Comments (17)
July 25, 2008
You betcha! Friday's Forum Tidbits!
quantumfluff sees JOT goes to Harvard, ... Lady_Christy *waves spastically* and finds something How delightfully useless... tweety wonders What is wrong with people? Grummash presents A pleasant diversion, ... and Snaggy goes way out there with Do you think humans are ready for the news of aliens? and shows off Victoria B.C.'s newest tourist attraction.
Posted by Snaggy at 12:07 AM
July 22, 2008
Tidbits for Tuesday the Twenty Two!
Snaggy's been Poguedotted!, ... macmcseboy sees Ebert and Roeper call it quits! , ... Colonel Panic envisions Barack Obama: World Visionary!, ... dragonman pumps up 9/11 and 4/11, ... geekygoddess is all about cute tootsies, but this is a little weird!, ... and stringlion asks Could maybe someone with iPhone 3G answer a question or two? and was first to see The Dark Knight.
Posted by Snaggy at 12:32 AM
July 20, 2008
Start the week right with some Forum Tidbits!
geekygoddess's got a Slow Mac, and wonders Are there any NORMAL men left???, ... Steen's steamed over a Christian pickle, ... Callipygous folds the House of Cards - Radiohead Video, ... and Snaggy asks do you need to hide from the government?
Posted by Snaggy at 05:11 PM
July 18, 2008
Roz Rows alone, as the world cheers on!
Roz Savage is attempting to become the first woman to row the Pacific solo, and we here at GeekCulture Headquarters are addicted to following her along on her adventure. She's doing it in a three stage, three year project that will take her 7600 miles, from the United States to Australia! (She previously rowed across the Atlantic Ocean as the only solo female competitor in the 3000-mile Atlantic Rowing Race from the Canaries to Antigua. You can find a 4-part series about that trip on YouTube.)
There are many ways to track her progress. You can read her blog, listen to TWiT.tv's Podcast Roz Rows, track her real-time position via Marinetracker, or even follow her on Twitter! Her podcasts are particularly interesting, as Leo Laporte calls her on a satellite phone every few days.
(Nitrozac drew Roz's portrait for her iTune art, presented above in a glorious wide format.)
Posted by Snaggy at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
Friday's Forum Tidbits!
Snaggy loves Dr. Horrible's sing-along blog, geekygoddess asks about iPod's and syncing ???, ... tweety wonders how to play one album at a time, ... MMKK was in Blissfest, ... Colonel Panic finds a (not so) Great Billboard!, ... and maximile presents Animations Completed!
Posted by Snaggy at 12:41 AM
July 16, 2008
And on this day of the Norse god Woden, there begat Forum Tidbits!
geekygoddess wonders if two people can "go bowling" and remain Friends?, ... Colonel Panic thinks These folks should stop whining! and This is just too funny, ... fs finds Critters.org, ... the Mo man is Tilting at Windmills, ... and Snaggy says Go cat go!
Posted by Snaggy at 12:27 AM
July 15, 2008
Refurbished iPod Touches!
Drooling over the new iTunes App Store but can't afford an iPhone? We just got word of some special priced refurbish iPod Touches over at Apple...
For US customers:
Refurbished iPod touch. Apple certified, good as new. Special pricing starts at $199.
or if you are in Canada, here is your link...
Refurbished iPod touch. Apple certified, good as new. Special pricing starts at $209 at Apple Store Canada.
Have fun!
Posted by Snaggy at 02:53 PM
July 14, 2008
Monday's Forum Tidbits!
Snaggy enjoys The Ecstasy of Tech, ... Steen folds in with PocketMod, ... fs snaps The Photographer?s Right and Atheist soldier sues Army for 'unconstitutional' discrimination, ... commandershroom shows off New ink, ... and Bibo presents "Look and Feel Canadian Instantly Breath Spray".
Posted by Snaggy at 12:15 AM
July 13, 2008
The Ecstasy of Tech!
We are honoured to make a parody appearance in Sunday's Foxtrot! 
Very cool, thanks Bill!
Posted by Snaggy at 11:24 AM | Comments (1)
July 11, 2008
2001 error on iPod Touch?
If you are having trouble updating your iPod Touch with the new iPhone 2.0 software, my experience may help you. The update kept failing on my PowerBook running Tiger, I kept getting the error 2001. The iPod Touch would restore over on my Leopard machine, but unfortunately I had bought the 2.0 update on my TigerBook.
The solution was simple. Turn off Classic and try the update again. Worked for me!
Posted by Snaggy at 11:21 PM | Comments (3)
iPhone Day heartbreak!
There's been reports all over the net today about at&t's activation servers failing. People who have lined up for hours, and days in some cases are being forced to go home and "activate their iPhone when they can." Ouch!
Some of the reports... Engadget, Matt Asay from c/net, and live reports from Leo Laporte's 24 hour iPhone marathon.
I've been trying all morning to download the iPhone 2.0 software for my iPod Touch, with no luck. Looks like Apple and at&t (and we hear over on ehMac that the same thing is happening at Rogers stores in Canada) didn't anticipate the demand. Perhaps unleashing Mobile Me, the iPhone App Store, and a new iPhone all within 24 hours, across the entire planet, wasn't the best idea. :P
Update: Gizmodo reports it's the iTunes servers that have failed.
Update 2: My iTunes software updater is telling me that my iPod Touch software (1.1.4) is up to date, while earlier it referred me to the new 2.0 software. Looks like Apple is restoring their servers to yesterday's setting, in order to lower the crush on their servers.
Update 3: 5 PM. Still can't download the 2.0 software for my iPod Touch. :(
Update 4: 8 PM. Still can't get through to the iTunes store to download the 2.0 software for my iPod Touch.
Update 5: 10 PM. Yes, I can finally download iPhone 2.0 software. yay!
Posted by Snaggy at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)
Forum Tidbits for iPhone 2.0 Day!
Snaggy asks Anyone get an iPhone 3G?, ... cheerdoll thinks I'm gonna be alone forever! , ... deadpool drops in to say Hey, ... Grummash has a Network consternation!, ... TheMoMan seeks help with Linux, Wine, and Multipsk, ... and spungo presents an amusing Chili Cook-Off Report.
Posted by Snaggy at 12:00 AM
July 09, 2008
Fake Steve evolves to higher life form... (Dan Lyons!)
Dan Lyons, better known for his AKA Fake Steve Jobs, is calling it quits on the character.
Just FYI, I'll be launching a new site under my own name in the near future. Should be next week. I'll announce it here as soon as it's ready and provide a link. I hope you'll come check it out.
Good bye FSJ, and best of luck in the future Dan! We will anxiously await your new site. :-)
And just to relive some old memories, here's some of our Fake Steve Jobs related Joy of Techs...
Jobs on shutting down Fake Steve.
and the classic...
Yes Virgil, there is a Fake Steve Jobs.
Posted by Snaggy at 03:30 PM | Comments (1)
Rogers plan is (still) EVIL!
Well, Rogers has attempted to throw a little water on the Canadian iPhone revolt, but this video still rings true...
Posted by Snaggy at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2008
Technical difficulties in the Forums...
We're tweaking a bit in the Forums, and as a result, the Forums are not working properly. (Where's a Fail Whale when you need one!)
I'll try to have this fixed asap... thanks for your patience. :D
UPDATE: The Forums should be working now, yay! Thanks to the Tech Gods and to spinynorm (they are one and the same actually, :-D )
Posted by Snaggy at 10:58 PM
July 07, 2008
On being a Black Nerd...
David Adewumi has posted an insightful piece on why he thinks black nerds are so unpopular.
I would say, as a young black male, there is a strong inverse correlation between being a nerd and black, and being popular.
(Although one might argue that begin any kind of a nerd tends to make one unpopular. :P)
It's an interesting read, and there's some interesting comments to it, both on his site and over on Reddit.
Posted by Snaggy at 07:48 AM | Comments (1)
Buy an iPhone, or be a Millionaire? You choose.
If you had the choice of buying an iPhone now or being a millionaire later, which would you choose? This is the question we pose in our current Joy of Tech comic. Huh? You might be scratching your head over how we arrived at this strange conundrum's calculation, so let's see how we computed it.
The first part is pretty simple. In the USA, a top of the line 16 gig iPhone will cost you $299, but don't forget to add 36 bucks for the oh-so-important "activation fee". A top of the line plan (at&t's Unlimited individual iPhone 3G plan for $129.99 a month, which provides unlimited minutes and unlimited data and Visual Voicemail) will cost you $3,119.76 by the end of the two year contract. So add that up and you get a total of $3,454.76 for two years of iPhone 3G. Any applicable taxes not included.
Now let's pretend the dashing twenty-year-old dude didn't buy the iPhone, but instead invested the money. Using the Compound Interest Calculator over at moneychimp.com, if that $3,454.76 was invested in a broad-market index fund, and it earns the market's historical average of about 10% per year, by the time the young man is 65 years old, it would grow to a not-so-shabby $208,115.
That's pretty sweet, but if the kid can add to that pile of money every year, it gets really interesting, courtesy of the Miracle of Compound Interest. If he can add the $1560 that he would have been paying on an iPhone plan every year, in 43 more years his little iPhone-less nest egg grows to the deliciously giddy sum of $1,224,674.57!
Of course we make a lot of assumptions here. Investing money is almost never guaranteed, telecom plans tend to get cheaper, and you certainly don't have to forgo an iPhone in order to save some money. But the basic principles apply. If you are young, start to save a little bit of your money, and your money will take care of you very nicely in the future. If you are older, start to save some anyway, as you might live longer than you think!
Some additional links you might find interest-ing:
Want to Be a Millionaire? You Can!
What to Do With $5,000
Of course if you subscribe to the "Here for a good time, not a long time" club, well then... "iPhone 3G... WooHoo!"
Posted by Snaggy at 12:08 AM | Comments (12)
July 06, 2008
Start off the week Tidbits!
Colonel Panic sees a Cloak of Invisibility , ... Callipygous wonders Fancy a little waterboarding?, ... Snaggy goes Up up and away, in my beautiful balloons, ... and fs posts two Who Dr. Who Final Episode (No Spoilers), and Dr. Who Finale (SPOILERS).
Posted by Snaggy at 08:04 PM
July 03, 2008
Tidbits for Thurs!
Snaggy invites you to enter the Superhero Movie Giveaway, ... geekygoddess has a Blahm battery :( , ... Colonel Panic finds Fox Photoshopping, and iNoles asks about Objective-C and thinks the US is closing on Iran War.
And in SuperFan Clubhouse Tidbits: We present the Superhero Movie Giveaway for SuperFans!
Posted by Snaggy at 12:39 AM
July 02, 2008
100 Years Later, the Tunguska Mystery Revealed?
If you are a fan of meteors, meteorites, and comets like me, you will love this story about attempts to unravel the Tunguska event, the largest impact of a cosmic body to occur on Earth during modern human history. (Or was it an antimatter airburst, or an exploding UFO, or a wayward black hole? :-D)
Scientist Luca Gasperini, Enrico Bonatti and Giuseppe Longo, share their discoveries during a two week, mosquito-filled expedition to the region, where they focused on a detailed geological survey of a lake that sits close to the Tunguska event's ground zero. Is Lake Cheko the elusive impact crater? Click on over to find out!
Thanks to our pal Steve Wozniak for sending us this great link!
Posted by Snaggy at 07:27 AM | Comments (0)
July 01, 2008
The Joy of Tech's Superhero Movie giveaway!
Time for another great giveaway! And this time we are giving away TWO Superhero Movie DVDs.
Synopsis:
After being bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly and gaining superhero abilities, high school student Rick Riker uses his incredible strength and armored skin to become the masked crime fighter known as "The Dragonfly.” Standing in the way of the good-doer is the villainous Lou Landers, a.k.a "The Hourglass" who holds the power to steal a person's life force. With unimaginable strength, unbelievable speed and deeply uncomfortable tights, “Dragonfly” attempts to stop the sands of “The Hourglass” and save the world.
OK, I want that. How do I enter?
Easy! All you have to do is post a reply to this Forum thread, and you're in on the giveaway. And, if you are a SuperFan, you can enter again in the SuperFan Forum and you get a super chance to win! I will choose one winner from each thread!
Giveaway ends on Monday July 7th at 9PM Pacific. Good luck!
Posted by Snaggy at 06:33 PM
Forum Tidbits for Canada Day!
Snaggy points out How Canada stole the American Dream, ... Colonel Panic shares a Geek Mystery, ... JamesDublin's Powerbook's New Hard Drive Won't Start Up! HELP!!!, ... Steen shows Why computer based censorship sucks, ... and Say it ain't so girls!
Posted by Snaggy at 12:00 AM