OpenFeint Multiplayer iOS Platform Shutting Down, Could Break Older Games
Developers have until December 14th to migrate away from OpenFeint, at which point it'll be offline forever. Even under normal circumstances this sort of deadline would be pretty crazy, but it's especially insane now given the massive influx of developers working around the clock to get their apps and games submitted before the cutoff to have them approved and on the App Store before the iTunes holiday freeze.
Basically, to make this cutoff, developers are going to need to drop everything they're doing, open up every old project that utilizes OpenFeint and re-code all of those API hooks to either use Game Center or whatever proprietary solution they come up with on their own. Assuming that doesn't take too long, compiling, uploading, and crossing their respective fingers might result in no downtime for their users.
iPad Shipments Rise 80% in China Following Trademark Settlement
Shipments of the tablet in the third quarter reached 2.07 million units, up from 1.15 million in the previous quarter, according to Dickie Chang, an analyst with research firm IDC. [...]
Apple's third-generation iPad went on sale in China on July 20, four months after it was made available in the U.S. The launch was delayed as Apple got embroiled in a legal battle with Chinese firm Proview, which had registered for the "IPAD" trademark in China years before.
With the trademark issue resolved and the third-generation iPad able to enter the market, Apple undoubtedly hopes to continue tapping into the booming Chinese market that has contributed significantly to Apple's revenue growth over the past several years.
Twelve South's BookBook for iPhone 5 Ships Monday
Twelve South's popular BookBook iPhone case has been updated for the iPhone 5 and will launch on Monday November 19th, MacRumors has learned. We don't have any details about pricing, but the new BookBook should begin shipping on Monday as well.
Interested users can sign up for a notification list to learn when the BookBook for iPhone 5 launches. The current BookBook for the iPhone 4 and 4S is $59.99 and is available in both brown and black.
Update: Twelve South has now posted an information page on the BookBook for iPhone 5, noting that it does indeed launch on Monday and is priced at $59.99.
Algoriddim Launches Vjay for iPhone, Offers Djay for iPhone For Free
Algoriddim today launched vjay for iPhone, the smaller brother of vjay for iPad which launched earlier this year.The software allows creative types to remix music videos in real time, similar to what djay does for music. djay for iPad won an Apple Design Award in 2011.
Mix and scratch your favorite music videos from iTunes or combine songs from your music library with personal video footage into an interactive audio visual experience. Or use your iPad's built-in camera to create your very own music video live. vjay lets you get creative with your content, display directly to a TV, stream wirelessly via Apple TV, or record your performances live to share on your favorite social channels.
To promote the launch of vjay, Algoriddim is giving away djay for iPhone and offering djay and vjay for iPad for half price.
vjay for iPhone is available on the App Store for $0.99. [Direct Link]
vjay for iPad is available for $4.99, down from $9.99, for a limited time. [Direct Link]
djay for iPhone is available free for a limited time. [Direct Link]
djay for iPad is available for $9.99, down from $19.99, for a limited time. [Direct Link]
$1.5 Million Worth of iPad Minis Stolen from Airport Warehouse
The New York Post reports that thieves managed to steal $1.5 million worth of iPad minis from a warehouse at Kennedy Airport in New York City on Monday night. The heist, which appears to have been an inside job, netted the criminals two pallets containing 3,600 iPad minis.The crooks arrived at Building 261 around 11 p.m. in a white tractor trailer marked with the name CEVA on the side, according to the sources. They pulled up to the side of the airport building that faces onto a street and has less security than the other side, which is accessible from the airport tarmac.
Sources believe someone let them into the area and then let them out after they grabbed the iPads.
They grabbed about 3,600 of the minis that were being shipped by a company called Cargo Airport Services, which said the iPads had just arrived from China and were destined for locations around the US.
The report does not specifically identify which types of iPad minis were stolen in the heist, but with pre-orders of the new cellular-capable models on their way to customers over the next several days, it seems possible that the units were LTE models in the process of being distributed for launch-day sales.
Elevation Lab Releases Lightning Adapter for Popular iPhone Dock
Elevation Lab has released a $15 adapter that allows its popular Kickstarter project, the Elevation Dock, to be used with the iPhone 5. The company is also selling an $89 redesigned dock that is specifically designed for the iPhone 5.
With either solution, users need to provide their own Lightning to USB Cable.
Jawbone Releases Updated UP Wristband
Today, Jawbone released version 2.0 of the UP wristband, promising redesigned hardware and a better user experience. The wristband is similar to the Nike+ FuelBand that Apple began selling last month.
The Up, which was and still is a flexible bracelet, had two distinct issues that led to the hardware failures and thus the returns, Bogard explains now. The first was that small amounts of water were able to get into the band, causing moisture and contaminants to break some of the internal technology. The second was that the bendable nature of the band caused some of the tech components to break; people were bending and playing with the bracelet more than Jawbone had anticipated.
"In the last year we have learned a ton and we learned a lot from what became this beta in the real world. We got a lot of rich data from our users," Bogard explained. And with that the company built the next version of the Up, which is launching today in eight colors for $129.99.
Apple Online Selling iPhone-Enabled Fender Strat Guitar
The $199.95 guitar has USB and iOS connectivity built-in, designed to allow recording directly into GarageBand on the Mac, iPhone and iPad. The USB output on the guitar is a USB Mini-B and a USB-mini to 30-pin adapter is included in the box, meaning users with a Lightning port on their iOS devices will need a Lightning to 30-pin Adapter.
The Squier by Fender Stratocaster guitar offers bi-directional audio streaming and includes a high-quality headphone amp so that you can monitor the processed guitar signal right from the guitar itself. Thanks to the guitar's own audio interface, you can record audio straight to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac—no additional hardware needed. And the analog output means you're also free to use this as a standard guitar.
Via 9to5Mac VirnetX Files Follow-Up Patent Lawsuit Targeting Apple's Latest Products
Fresh off of a $368 million patent lawsuit victory over Apple regarding virtual private networking (VPN) connectivity used in Apple's FaceTime video calling feature, VirnetX has filed a new lawsuit targeting all of Apple's latest iOS devices and Macs, which were not included in the original lawsuit. The new lawsuit was unearthed by Patently Apple earlier this week, but VirnetX did not announce it until today.The complaint includes allegations of willful patent infringement regarding four patents owned by VirnetX, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,502,135, 7,418,504, 7,921,211 and 7,490,151. In its complaint, VirnetX seeks both damages and injunctive relief. The accused products include the iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5th Generation, iPad 4th Generation, iPad mini, and the latest Macintosh computers. Due to their release dates, these products were not included in the previous lawsuit that concluded with a Jury verdict on November 6, 2012.
Apple is expected to appeal the ruling in the original case, and will of course fight the inclusion of its new products in a similar judgment. Annual iTunes Connect Shutdown Set for December 21-28
As noted by MacStories, Apple has sent an email to developers informing them that the iTunes Connect portal for the App Store will be shut down over the Christmas holiday, as it has the past several years. This year's shutdown will extend from December 21st through December 28th.As in past years, Apple suggests developers not schedule price changes or new releases during the shutdown period.
Most of Apple's corporate employees in the United States will also be taking all of Thanksgiving week off in recognition of the company's success this year, but the company has made no announcement about whether this will include employees responsible for app reviews and other App Store functions.
'Angry Birds Star Wars' Arrives on iPhone, iPad and Mac
After weeks of teasers and hints, Rovio has finally released Angry Birds Star Wars. Don't expect anything revolutionary, however. The game is exactly what one would expect: Angry Birds, but with a Star Wars theme.Our sister-site TouchArcade has a walkthrough video of some gameplay and some background about how the game actually works.
In fact it's drenched with Star Wars stuff. Every level, bird, and most of the game's mechanics, both old or new, are covered in a thick layer of Star Wars.
Red bird, for example, resembles Luke and has a secondary lightsaber attack that shears through hard surfaces and pigs. The blue bird is now a rebel pilot, able to fire spread shots from its pistol. Levels are set in classic Star Wars backdrops and every time the game introduces a "new" bird, you'll see a classic Star Wars scene starring the birds.
Angry Birds Star Wars is available on iPhone ($0.99), iPad ($2.99), and the Mac ($4.99).
Microsoft Releases 'Xbox SmartGlass' for iPhone and iPad
Microsoft has released an upgrade to its Xbox Live app, changing the name to Xbox SmartGlass and dramatically expanding its functionality. Microsoft announced SmartGlass earlier this year, aiming to turn a mobile phone or tablet into a second screen to compliment Xbox content.
It allows Xbox owners to remotely control their media, navigate through the Xbox dashboard, and more -- including the ability to use the iPhone's keyboard to type messages on the Xbox. SmartGlass has deeper functionality as well:
More exciting than this beefed-up interaction with the Xbox Live service itself is that Xbox SmartGlass is also "smart" enough to recognize when you're playing certain Xbox 360 games that offer additional content, and will display said content on your iOS device giving you that "second screen" enhanced experience that seems to be all the buzz as of late.
Xbox SmartGlass is a free download for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]