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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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Time Warner Cable - Now Streaming to Your iPhone

Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: iPhone, Android (all tags)

The company has finally rounded out its mobile apps to include the iPhone.

When creating mobile apps, companies have an order that they tend to stick with. it comes out for the iPhone, then Android phones and then the iPad. Sometimes it gets switched around, but the iPhone is almost always the first. Time Warner Cable, as it turns out, does things differently.

TWC TV, Time Warner's streaming app, is finally available on the iPhone, ten months after the same app was released on the iPad. Downloading it to your phone will allow you to manage your DVR, search through programming and, of course, watch TV on your phone.

There's no word from Time Warner on when the Android version of the app will be updated to include live streaming.

Source: Endgadget

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'Chrono Trigger' Comes to the iPhone

Fri Dec 09, 2011 at 09:30 AM ET
Tags: iPhone, iTunes, Square Enix, Chrono Trigger (all tags)

It's one of the most highly regarded RPGs of all time and it's yours for $9.99

From the sound of a ticking clock that opens the game to the final battle with Lavos, from BC to AD and from Alya to Robo, 'Chrono Trigger' is one of the most beloved roleplaying games of all time. It blew nearly everything else out of the water during the 16 bit era and completely captured fans with the variety of ending available to unlock.

Today the acclaimed game is available for the iPhone at a price of $9.99. Unlike many games that make the jump from the console to a touchscreen, 'Chrono Trigger' should be well adapted to the platform. After all, it was released on the DS recently, and offered a variety of touch-screen options.

You can pick up the game now on iTunes.

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'Chrono Trigger' Comes to the iPhone

Fri Dec 09, 2011 at 09:30 AM ET
Tags: iPhone, iTunes, Square Enix, Chrono Trigger (all tags)

It's one of the most highly regarded RPGs of all time and it's yours for $9.99

From the sound of a ticking clock that opens the game to the final battle with Lavos, from BC to AD and from Alya to Robo, 'Chrono Trigger' is one of the most beloved roleplaying games of all time. It blew nearly everything else out of the water during the 16 bit era and completely captured fans with the variety of ending available to unlock.

Today the acclaimed game is available for the iPhone at a price of $9.99. Unlike many games that make the jump from the console to a touchscreen, 'Chrono Trigger' should be well adapted to the platform. After all, it was released on the DS recently, and offered a variety of touch-screen options.

You can pick up the game now on iTunes.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Logitech Harmony Link Makes your iPad or phone a Universal Remote

Mon Sep 26, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: Logitech, Remotes, iPad, iPhone, Android (all tags)

The highly customizable setup even allows for multiple user specific iPads.

There are a few devices out there that give you tablet and smartphone control. As cool as that is - and it really is pretty cool - controlling just one device in your home theater isn't enough.

Logitech is known for making some impressive universal remotes, but the Harmony Link takes things in a different direction. It turns your existing smartphone or iPad into a fully featured remote that uses gestures and on-screen menus to let you navigate with ease.

The menus and the navigation options are incredibly nice looking - check out the video - and are simple enough for even the family technophobe to handle. You can get a fully customized experience by using multiple iPads, but smartphones won't have that capability at launch.

The Logitech Harmony Link will launch in October for $99.

Source: eCoustics

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iPad Users Get a Sneak Peek at the Star Wars Blu-rays

Fri Jul 22, 2011 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Star Wars, iPad, iPod, iPhone (all tags)

iPhone and iPod Touch owners will be able to get their hands on it on August 2nd

Despite not including the pure, unedited, non-special edition versions of the original trilogy, the 'Star Wars' Blu-ray set is still one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year.

If you're one of those folks that's craving the 'Star Wars' experience on Blu-ray and you own one of Apple's iDevices, you can check out a preview of what's to come. If you're an iPhone or iPod Touch owner you'll get your preview starting August 2nd, but if you rock an iPad you can jump on it now.

It's just a sampling of over 40 hours of footage of course, but you'll get to check out some never before seen content and a few interviews to boot. If you're going to Comic Con - and if you are, we who are left behind are incredibly jealous - you can stop by booth #3528 to see even more.

Source: iTunes

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Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Blu-ray)

The TiVo App is Now Available for iPhone and iPod Touch

Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: TiVo, iPhone (all tags)

New features include support for older models and a guest mode that lets non TiVo users see what they're missing.

TiVo's iPad app has made its way to the iPod and iPhone along with a few additional features. Like the iPad version, it uses gesture based controls and allows you to schedule recordings, view your program guide, and control your TiVo, but there's more too.

The best new feature for those using older TiVos is the ability to control TiVo Series3 HD and HD XL units. You won't have quite as many features as those using a TiVo Premiere, but it's still a nice setup. The TiVo app is also available to those without a TiVo so they can get a taste of what it's like.

"As the maker of the world's first and only smart DVR, offering a brilliant TV experience," says TiVo VP Jim Denning, "the TiVo App is an extension of TiVo's best-in-class user experience to iPhone and iPod touch users."

Source: Engadget

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Smart Homes Gain Popularity Thanks to iPhones and iPads

Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Home Automation, iPad, iPhone (all tags)

Consumers are more eager to control their homes from one device thanks to Apples touchscreen devices.

It's been just over four years since the launch of the original iPhone and much has changed since then. The cell phone industry has been transformed of course, but there have been some big developments in home theater as well.

In the last year or two, we've seen an increase in the amount of devices that can use smartphones for control, starting with the iPhone and then moving to Android and other platforms. Now it's not uncommon for a Blu-ray player or receiver to have iPhone compatibility.

The iPhone and iPad have also had significant effects on the automated home market - one that's tied in closely with home theater. Folks are getting used to the idea of controlling things with a touchscreen and one analyst expects four percent of mainstream homes to have some sort of automation by 2015. Compare that to now, where only a tenth of a percent feature automation.

Source: CE Pro

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SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone and iPad Gets Video Out Capabilities

Fri Feb 25, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Slingbox, iPhone, iPad (all tags)

Your Slingbox/iPhone combo just got that much cooler with the addition of the new feature.

If you're using the SlingPlayer mobile app, you'll be happy to know that the latest update adds one very cool extra feature. In addition to a few bug fixes, the newest version of the player adds the ability to put video from your device to your TV via component cables.

It may seem a bit redundant at first, since the Slingbox is essentially sending video from your TV to your iPad or iPhone. There are plenty of uses though.

Take travelling for example. If you're in a hotel with a TV that has inputs free on the back, you'll be able to hook your iPad right up to it so you can enjoy your shows on a decent sized screen.

Alternatively, if you're at a friend's house and he hasn't seen the latest episode of 'Community' or didn't see the Oscars, you can hook your iPhone right up to his TV and show him. Pretty slick.

Source: Endgadget

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XBMC Now Works on Jailbroken iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, XBMC (all tags)

No light versions here - this is the real thing.

The biggest problem with the Apple TV is that there's not actually that much you can do with it. You can buy movies from iTunes, watch movies from Netflix or... rent movies from iTunes. It's a pretty sad little device.

But if you jailbreak it, you can turn it into something much better. XBMC, once famous for turning your Xbox into an impressive media playing machine, is finally available for the new Apple TV. You'll have to do a little bit of hacking, but once you do, gone forever are the file type restrictions and limited playback capacity of Apple's box.

Owners of iPhones and iPads are in luck too, since the XBMC is now available for those devices as well. It's a big day for XBMC, and an even bigger day for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV owners.

Source: Engadget, CrunchGear

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