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Apple Removes 59 Clone Games from the App Store

Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 11:30 AM ET
Tags: Apple, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Shovelware (all tags)

Games made to confuse users into buying them are starting to get booted - it's a nice start for eliminating needless clutter. Now if only we'd see this on major consoles.

Copycat products are nothing new. When 'Transformers' came out in theaters, for example, the movie 'Transmorphers' was released on DVD. For every pet or baby game on the Nintendo DS there are at least a few cheaper versions of the same game. Where it's worst though, is on the iPhone.

Developer Anton Sinelnikov had 68 games on the App Store and is now left with nine. A whopping 59 of those games were clones of other games, created to trick users into buying them. Even the names were tricky. To profit off of the game 'Plants vs. Zombies,' for example, he created a game called 'Plant vs. Zombie.' A customer not up on their videogame literacy might not know the difference.

"This was really upsetting to us and damaging to our brand," says Natalia Luckyanova of Imangi. If you're not familiar, Imangi is the company behind the popular 'Temple Run,' which was ripped off in a title called 'Temple Jump.' She says that there's much more at stake here than just lost sales. "We work really hard to put out very high quality polished games and win the love of our fans, and we don't want them to think that we would put out crap to steal a dollar from them."

This incident prompted swift movement from Apple which is certainly a positive precedent for game developers. If only the Xbox Live Indie Games were as policed as this, people may actually be able to find games worth playing.

Source: Gamasutra

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Apple, Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony and EA Pull SOPA Support

Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 11:30 AM ET
Tags: Microsoft, Sony, EA, Apple, SOPA, Industry Trends, Censorship (all tags)

Five major gaming companies are now allying themselves against the bill that would allow the U.S. to censor the internet.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has been extremely controversial since it was introduced. Essentially, if put into effect, the SOPA would allow the U.S. government to eliminate advertising on, limit business to, or completely block websites that allegedly infringe on copyrights.

Initially the bill was supported by a great deal of companies but most of the big names - at least the big names in gaming - are pulling their support. The change in stance is almost certainly in response to consumer response, which has been extremely negative in most cases. Boycotts, petitions and even threats have been issued and seem to have had some effect.

In the last week or so, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Electronics, EA and Apple have pulled their names off of the SOPA, but there are plenty of supporters including the Entertainment Software Association. As Joystiq's Griffin McElroy points out though, every company belonging to the ESA has pulled their support, so it seems likely the ESA will follow suit.

Source: Joystiq

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Apple, Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony and EA Pull SOPA Support

Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 11:30 AM ET
Tags: Microsoft, Sony, EA, Apple, SOPA, Industry Trends, Censorship (all tags)

Five major gaming companies are now allying themselves against the bill that would allow the U.S. to censor the internet.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has been extremely controversial since it was introduced. Essentially, if put into effect, the SOPA would allow the U.S. government to eliminate advertising on, limit business to, or completely block websites that allegedly infringe on copyrights.

Initially the bill was supported by a great deal of companies but most of the big names - at least the big names in gaming - are pulling their support. The change in stance is almost certainly in response to consumer response, which has been extremely negative in most cases. Boycotts, petitions and even threats have been issued and seem to have had some effect.

In the last week or so, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Electronics, EA and Apple have pulled their names off of the SOPA, but there are plenty of supporters including the Entertainment Software Association. As Joystiq's Griffin McElroy points out though, every company belonging to the ESA has pulled their support, so it seems likely the ESA will follow suit.

Source: Joystiq

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Apple Announces iCloud with an October 12th Release Date

Thu Oct 06, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: Apple, Cloud, Industry Trends (all tags)

It's not as fully featured as we'd like in terms of video, but everything else is looking incredible.

In addition to new iPods, a new iPhone, and new updates all around, Apple announced a service called iCloud. It's designed to make things easier on anyone who uses Apple products, especially those with photos or music on the mind.

When you take a picture with your iPhone it's put on iCloud and ready to edit on your computer. Buy music on iTunes and you can play it back on any device you have. Documents, emails, calendars - pretty much everything you want gets sent to the cloud for access from any compatible device.

And then come movies and TV shows. You can re-download purchases from any device registered with iTunes, but that's about it. You can't sync up movies that you've put on your phone and nothing happens in the cloud when you buy a show. It's a little disappointing truth be told.

iCloud is free to anyone who owns a current Apple device (iPhone 3GS and onward) and will be available on October 12th.

Source: eCoustics

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Apple No Longer Renting TV Shows

Tue Aug 30, 2011 at 02:15 PM ET
Tags: Apple, iTunes, Industry Trends (all tags)

You can still buy episodes through iTunes, but rentals are gone.

If you’ve been renting television episodes through iTunes then you probably noticed by now - Apple has switched things up a bit. You can still buy all the TV you want, but episode rental is out the window.

The folks at Apple say that the reasoning behind the move is simply one of popularity. The majority of people preferred to buy shows instead of rent them so why keep the unpopular option going? Of course, this could be pointing to something even bigger.

It’s been long rumored that Apple would consider a subscription based streaming option and this may be the first step in getting that plan off the ground. We’ll have to wait and see what happens of course, but the possibility is looking even more likely after this move.

Source: Engadget

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The Vudu Movie Rental Service Comes to the iPad

Thu Aug 11, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: VUDU, iPad, Apple, Walmart (all tags)

Unlike many other services, Vudu hasn't launched an app, but simply made their site iPad friendly.

We're sold on the awesomeness of Vudu. You get streaming HD videos with excellent quality - the closest thing to Blu-ray out there - and the price isn't too bad all things considered. We're also sold on watching movies and TV shows on portable devices like the iPad. Clearly some movies are better suited for the home theater, but it's nice to have some entertainment with you.

Vudu on the iPad is a bit less exciting. The primary advantage of Vudu over other services is the ability to watch those gorgeous HD movies, but the iPad version is like the PC version - it only streams in SD. Of course, the iPad isn't an HD device to begin with.

Still, if you've rented a movie at home and you want to watch it on the iPad, you can do it. It works the other way around too - you can rent a movie on your iPad and then watch it on the big screen. At the very least, it's an easier way to navigate than your TV remote.

Source: Walmart

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Apple Expected to Bid on Hulu - Yahoo Demands More From the Service

Mon Jul 25, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: Apple, Hulu, Yahoo (all tags)

There's a lot going on in the impending Hulu sale with two big bidders emerging.

There are a few companies out there that are suspect for every purchase opportunity that comes along. Analysts have been expecting Google and Amazon to snap something up in recent years, but they've been quiet in the bidding war for Hulu. Instead, somewhat surprisingly, Apple is considering placing a bid.

The company is focusing on video in the future according to analyst Scott Sutherland of Wedbush Securities and Hulu would be a strong way to expand the company's own video offerings. Of course, it seems like that might cut down on sales of TV episodes through iTunes.

Yahoo put in the offer that spurred the Hulu sale, but they're not ready to bite at the $2 billion price that Hulu is expected to sell for. The reason they give is a lack of exclusivity to content. The current offer from Hulu's owners guarantees two years of exclusivity to the content, but Yahoo wants five.

Source: Bloomberg

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Apple to Build HDTVs?

Thu Jun 23, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Apple, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

File this one under Interesting Rumors for now…

While Apple has been selling their own displays for years, Daily Tech writer, Jason Mick, reported yesterday that Apple may be teaming up with a "major supplier" of HDTVs to enter the consumer display retail market. According to Mick, an anonymous former Apple Executive revealed, "Apple plans to 'blow Netflix and all those other guys away' by bundling AppleTV + iTunes inside physical televisions sets." Mick's source went on to say, "You'll go into an Apple retail store and be able to walk out with a TV. It's perfect."

If this "iOS TV" does materialize, Mick says it could happen as soon as this fall, or even sometime next year, due to "Apple's high standards."

Given that many TVs already have various streaming apps, as well as the lackluster sales of GoogleTV or Apple's own AppleTV, will Apple Fans be clamoring to get an Apple HDTV? With this finally be the system that takes Internet TV to the mainstream? Will any of you hold off on getting AppleTV or a new HDTV to see if you can get an all-in-one Apple HDTV?

Source Daily Tech.

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Apple May Bring AirPlay Video Streaming to Televisions

Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Apple, AirPlay (all tags)

Adding this feature could make the iPad and iPhone very attractive options for video streaming sources.

If you're not an iPhone or iPad owner, you probably haven't paid much attention to AirPlay. It's a cool idea that currently has fairly limited functionality. A device with AirPlay can stream audio directly from your Apple device without the need for a complicated setup.

AirPlay is currently found on a range of devices from iPod docks to receivers from companies like Denon and Marantz. Rumor has it that Apple is going to go one step further and bring AirPlay to televisions.

To accompany that, there's word that Apple will begin incorporating video into AirPlay. That means that with an AirPlay enabled TV, you'll be able to stream audio and video from your iPhone, iPod or iPad without having to go through any complicated setup.

Source: Crunch Gear

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The iPad 2 Features HDMI Out, Coming March 11

Wed Mar 02, 2011 at 03:35 PM ET
Tags: Apple, iPad, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

In addition to plenty of new apps, the iPad 2 offers dual cameras, a new processor, and an HDMI output accessory.

Apple is known for a lot of things, and big announcements is one of them. The reveal of the iPad 2 is no different. Sure, it has amazing capabilities, but the first big shocker was the release date. It's coming out next Friday.

Of course, there's plenty more to love about the iPad 2. For starters, it features a brand new dual-core processor known as the A5. It boasts up to twice the speed for tasks requiring the CPU and up to nine times the speed for graphics.

The iPad 2 features cameras on both the front and the back of the device to allow FaceTime calls to be made between iPads, iPhones and computers. It's a pretty slick setup.

In the home theater realm, one of the most useful new features is the adapter that allows you to output 1080p video from your iPad 2 to your TV via HDMI. It detects orientation, shows exactly what you have on the screen and you can even charge your iPad while you do it. Of course, that adapter is going to cost you an extra $39.

The iPad 2 starts at $499 and goes up to $829 for a 32GB model with 3G. Versions are available for AT&T and Verizon.

Source: Apple

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