Digg Reader Update, posted today, June 17, 2013:

“Over the last 90 days, the Digg engineering team — all 5 of them — has been heads-down building an updated take on the RSS reader. For our first public release, in time to (just) beat the shutdown of Google Reader, our aim has been to nail the basics: a web and mobile reading experience that is clean, simple, functional, and fast. We’re also introducing a tool that allows users to elevate the most important stories to the top.”

It aims to be fast, simple, and able to import feeds and folders from Google Reader. And made on Mac:

Digg Reader will have a rolling launch over the next week, and everyone will be able to access Digg RSS Reader by June 26th. It’s free to use and will eventually become a freemium product, where existing features are free, and optional features will be available for purchase.

Android users will have to wait for months after launch.

On March, Google killed the beloved RSS Reader and other services in what it called “spring cleaning”. Despite the protests, Google Reader is shutting down on July 1, 2013. Let’s hope that Google spring cleans Android soon.

Related posts:

1. Free Download: Pulse RSS News Reader
2. EFF: Google Android Play Store ad blocker censorship
3. Google Admits Android Fragmentation Problem, 2 Years Late

Running out of big cat names, Apple will go with “OS X Mavericks” for the next ten years. New OS X features include:

• Optimized for multiple display: Dock and menu across multiple displays. Apple TV acts as external display
• Finder tagging
• Optimized for battery life reduces CPU use up to 72%.
• Auto Nap: Safari will turn off CPU use of hidden tabs (awesome for those who usually keep dozens of tabs open)
• Synced iCloud passwords, save and sync complex passwords and optionally auto fill credit card
• Calendar redesigned – no stitching
• Maps app with Flyover for Mac
• iBooks and iBook textbooks for Mac

Developer preview available today. Release planned for this Fall. Looks great.

Related posts:

1. Mac OS X Lion: Features, Price, Release Date
2. Valve: Steam Database Hacked, Watch Your Credit Card Records
3. iOS 5 Features + Built in Apps

Will Google Glass kill the iPhone dominated mobile photography? Doesn’t look like it.

What’s an always on-your-face camera good for, besides invasion of privacy? Apparently not mobile photography. Video by Gogrovo, which shows the awkwardness of being a Google Glass POV photographer.

Related posts:

1. Google Glass future? It blows! [video]
2. SNL mocks Google Glass [video]
3. Where’s My Wife? Google Project Glass Spoof

Mr. song a day man, Jonathan Mann (who previously sang Siri duet) notes that the song is a response to:

“Steve Wilhit, inventor of the Graphics Interchange Format let everyone know, once again, that it’s pronounced with a ‘J’ sound, not a ‘G’ sound.”

Here’s the announcement from Steve Wilhit at the 2013 Webby:

Related posts:

1. iPhone 4 Antenna Song by Jonathan Mann
2. Jonathan Mann Sings Apple Patent Song
3. Jonathan Mann sings 2011 WWDC Keynote Musical

This distorted image featuring Mr. long face was used by Microsoft Canada as a promoted post on Facebook today, May 19. Of course I have to share it on FB for laughs and giggles.

The original image was uploaded by Microsoft on April 26, almost five weeks ago. As an example of Microsoft efficiency, the low quality image inexplicably takes up almost 400 KB. The crowd definitely loves it, jokes at Microsoft’s expense include:

“Windows 8 is apparently not that great for scaling photos before posting them to facebook” – Jean-Michel Boily

“You can tell a Microsoft product took this pic. It’s terrible.” – Jeremy Wallace

“all you have to do is bloat this image width wise just as much as windows is and the image will look perfect! lol” – Joe Friedel

Well, at least Microsoft didn’t Photoshop out a black man this time.

Related posts:

1. AT&T iPhone 4 Display Fail: Powered by Windows?
2. Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft Org Chart
3. Epic Fail: Microsoft Kills New Windows Mobile Kin Phone

Pudding Monsters

Puzzle game created by makers of Cut the Rope. New level pack “Sky View” was newly released yesterday bring the game up to version 1.2. Like other ZeptoLab games, it’ll continue to get free level packs in the future.

Download Pudding Monsters iPhone & iPod touch app 28 MB / iPad app 69 MB
$1.99 -> free

N.O.V.A. 3

Halo inspired first person shooter. 10 level single player campaign, 12 player multiplayer battles, voice chat, and multiple people can use a “not warthog” vehicle. Works with the controller Duo Gamer for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch (but the controller maker seems to be out of business).

Download N.O.V.A. 3. Universal app, 1.69 GB
$6.99 -> free

Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders

Beautiful WW2 air combat game with AirPlay, Game Center, iCloud syncing, online multiplayer. Has both cockpit view or third person view.I love their previous game – Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy, which I mentioned briefly in the iPad warmgate article.

Download Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders. Universal app, 470 MB.
$4.99 -> $0.99. At this time not for Android.

Related posts:

1. Asphalt 7: Heat [free iOS app download]
2. [Free Download] Cut the Rope: Experiments for iPhone & iPad
3. N.O.V.A. 3 FPS for iPhone & iPad [$0.99 App Sale]

Bastion [Universal App, 568 MB] is an award winning action RPG with stunning hand-painted artwork, original music score, and “reactive narration”. It’s normally $4.99 and it’s on sale for $0.99 right now. It’s a must have if haven’t play it before.

Requires an iPad 2 or newer, iPhone 4S or newer, or iPod touch 5th gen. Features include:

• iCloud game progress syncing across iOS devices
• Game Center achievements and leaderboards
• ‘New Game Plus’ mode unlocked after finishing the story

And of course, it’s not available for Android.

33 second teaser:

Slightly longer trailer:

And a song from the Bastion Soundtrack:

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1. How to Play Multiplayer Game Center Games
2. Max Adventure Shooter for iPhone + iPad (1080P iPad 2 out) $0.99 Sale!
3. Plant vs. Zombies for iPhone or iPad [$0.99 Sale]

Trailer: SideWalker, Late to Work

Ever want to punch those pesky tourists who are slowing you down from getting to work? This is the game for you.

SideWalker: Late to Work [free, Universal app], announced this winter from Walking the Game, is officially released today. The game is produced and coded by Andrew Garrahan, who has developed some OMGPOP games in the past, but now runs his own shop called Gutpela Interactive. 7 people, 2 interns, and 5 voice actors worked on this game.

You play in a Minecraft styled New York City, as someone who woke up late and needs to get to work. Your character is in such a rush that he forgets to put on his pants.

Unlike the typical runner such as Temple Run, you can change your own pace. You can go at a snail’s pace, or attempt to navigate the sidewalks at Gran Turismo speed (not recommended unless you buy the full version).

The challenges include: avoid various types of pedestrians, dodge killer taxi cabs, avoid running into objects, and get phones to pacify the boss. Just as you think you get a hang of it, you might encounter construction zones that forces you to cross the street or weave in traffic. Pro tip: slow down when appropriate.

I like how the music changes depends on urgency to call the boss, and the phones become more prominent.

Of course, you can collect cash aka sidebucks to buy upgrades. You can also hit tourists to collect extra cash and get power-ups such as pants. Going near hotdog stands will get you a hotdog. What does it do? The developer told ObamaPacman:

“Hotdogs will give you more points, unfortunately it’s not hooked up yet.”

The game comes with 5 lives, and tries to use the wait-or-pay system so people to buy the game. To get more lives, you have to press the “wait” button and wait a few minutes (go back to home screen to see timer), or pay $0.99 to buy the full version with unlimited plays. If you leave the game long enough, you can come back with maximum 5 lives. There’s also in app purchase of “sidebucks”. Freemium games typically sell in game currency (other runners) or game plays (You Don’t Know Jack), but rarely sell both. But of course, a dollar isn’t that much for the uninterrupted version of the game.

Areas for improvement (tested with version 1.0.5):

Pants power-up actually adds a whole suit. Perhaps pants & suit can be separate power ups: if you have pants, then you’ll get the suit. And vice versa when you take a hit.

Game Center integration currently involves challenging friends to beat high scores. Perhaps add achievements.

Developer response: “We just discover last night there is a bug with the game center high score. It is not working in this version. We will however be supporting high-score and achievements in upcoming patch.”

The game should show where your best run. I came upon a chalk walker outline, not sure if this is the previous record or not.

Developer response: “This is correct the chalk outline is your last run, at the moment it is only a marker but in a future patch you will get bonus cash for walking over your previous death marker.”

It’s actually harder to find a phone in eagle mode. Perhaps add some visual cue to show where the next phones are.

Pedestrians pop out of thin air and through construction zones.

Conclusion

Overall, I like SideWalker: Late to Work. It’s different runner / walker game than Temple Run clones. Give it a try to see if you’re up for the challenge.

Related posts:

1. Temple Run [Free iPhone + iPad Game]
2. Zombies, Run! Immersive Running Game Released for iPhone & iPod touch
3. Free App: Great Little War Game HD Universal Game

On this weekend’s SNL episode, Randall Meeks – white guy with Google Glass describes how the device functions on Weekend update with Seth Meyers. See the clip from the May 4, 2013 Saturday Night Live here (season 38, episode 19 with host Zach Galifianakis) and from NBC:

NBC limited the above video to US only. Try this if you are outside of US:

Google Glass’ awkward way to activate the device, lack of mobile internet (the $1500 device only has WiFi), and lack of volume control are made fun of by the comedy show.

In related note, here’s a vision of the Google Glass future,what happens when Google Glass is loaded with ads, and a new way to hurt yourself with Google Glass.

Related posts:

1. Where’s My Wife? Google Project Glass Spoof
2. Awkward: Google Glass Photographer [video]
3. “ADmented Reality”, Google Project Glass with Ads! [spoof]

Download Lego Star Wars: the Yoda Chronicles Universal App. 205 MB download.

*Compatibility with iPod touch 5th and 4th generation coming soon.

Play as as a Jedi or a Sith in this new iOS game, where you create and control armies from Clone Troopers to Droideka Battle Droids. Comes with eight levels and three bonus levels, more levels are expected later. The game requires LEGO ID to save progress, but supposedly it’ll be used to sync progress across devices.

Looking for Android version of Lego Star Wars: the Yoda Chronicles? Droids can keep drooling because the game is not available for Android at this time nor does it has a launch date on the censored “open” platform.

Related posts:

1. May the fourth be with you: Star Wars Pit Droids iOS App [Free Download]
2. OLD!? Star Wars iPod Silhouette Ad Spoof
3. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 [$0.99 Sale]

Video tour of iPad EFF in MD-80:

Kent Wien, a pilot who writes for the Gadling travel blog describes FAA approval process for the iPad EFF:

“To get that approval, American had to have the iPad tested in a hypobaric chamber to simulate how the device would handle during a rapid decompression. They also had to arrange for mount testing with the FAA, which is ironic since our manuals weigh far more than the iPad and aren’t secured in place. Many takeoffs have resulted in a book or two sliding off the side table and onto the floor.”

What about battery life and redundancy? Both pilot and co-pilot have an iPad, each with its own backup battery that can add 24 extra hours to each iPad ($169 – $349). The battery pack has high power 10W USB port that allows high speed charging of iPad. FAA is satisfied at that redundancy.

Ken noted in the comments section that updating paper maps used to take more than 60 “mind-numbing” hours per year. By using the iPad pilots saves that time.

And of course, iPad also saves airlines paper and fuel.

Related posts:

1. American Airlines to Replace Paper Charts with iPad Electronic Flight Bags
2. iPad Electronic Flight Bag Replaces Paper for Alaska Airlines, FAA Approved
3. United Airlines + Continental Deploying 11,000 iPad as Pilot Electronic Flight Bag

Video by iTunedSteveJobs. Nice touch of Bill Gates as Buper Man. Looks to me a certain tech titan who introduced the best computer OS in the world – Windows wanted to play Super Man. But at least Bill Gates got this smile down.

Source: Colbert Report episode from January 30, 2013:

Steve Jobs philanthropy

Is Bill Gates out there saving the world while Steve Jobs gets the cool factor? Jobs doesn’t toot his own horn when it comes to philanthropy.

Bono of U2 said under Steve Jobs, Apple was the large contributor to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria under project RED. Jobs is also seen as a prime candidate of someone who made an anonymous donation of $150 million to cancer center at the University of California, San Francisco

Under Steve Jobs, Apple also contributed to Stanford hospital:

Related posts:

1. Steve Jobs Talks to Bill Gates About Cause of Death [humor]
2. Story of Bill Gates’ Microsoft Company Name
3. Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Reveals Bill Gates ‘Hell’

In “Did an Apple 2.0 story touch a nerve at Samsung HQ?” Philip Elmer-DeWitt described the action by Samsung’s fake review army in response to the article about Samsung’s dirty tricks (via The Loop):

“Twenty six hours later, we’re up to 343 messages and counting […] what happened at about 2 a.m. EST — Sunday afternoon in Seoul, South Korea — was new.

In the space of a few hours, more than a thousand votes were cast on the DISQUS feedback system, voting down any comment remotely anti-Samsung and voting up anything — no matter how inane, in-artful or wrong — that disparaged Apple, the thesis, or me.”

Be sure to read the article, which contains two outstanding commentaries censored by shameful Samsung drones.

Drone army image: Star Wars episode I

Related posts:

1. Samsung Sends Fake Protestors to Apple Store?
2. Orange-Hatted Scalper Army Invaded Shanghai Apple Store iPhone 4S Launch Lines
3. Black Eyed Peas ‘The Time’ (Dirty Bit) RIM Playbook Product Placement Fail

The 2013 WWDC tickets went on sale around 1:15 eastern (10:15 PDT), and they are gone in a flash. Reports are that the tickets sold out in under 2 minutes. Some say it sold out in 90 seconds, some say it sold out after 100 seconds.

everyone is slightly incorrect, it didn’t sell out after two minutes, it sold out after one minute and 40 seconds. trust me, I’d know.

— Will Strafach (@chronic) April 25, 2013

Here’s a history of WWDC ticket availability. From the look of it, if interest grows at the same rate, Apple will sell out 2014 tickets in about two seconds.

• 2008 WWDC: sold out in 2 months
• 2009 WWDC: sold out in 1 month
• 2010 WWDC: sold out in 1 week
• 2011 WWDC: sold out in 12 hours
• 2012 WWDC: sold out in 2 hours
• 2013 WWDC: sold out in 2 minutes

Perhaps a better way for Apple is to implement a lottery system for the 2014 WWDC tickets?

For the developers who can’t attend, Apple will post session videos.

Related posts:

1. WWDC 2012 Sold Out: Comparison of Ticket Availability History
2. Apple Sold Out of World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2010 Tickets
3. Apple: WWDC 2013 ticket goes on sale tomorrow April 25

The 2013 Apple WWDC will take place on June 10-14 in San Francisco. Tickets will go on sale 10 AM PDT tomorrow, Thursday April 25.

“Get an in-depth look at what’s next in iOS and OS X, and learn how to take your apps to the next level. With over 100 sessions, extensive hands-on labs, and engaging events, you’ll connect with Apple engineers and fellow developers for an incredible week of inspiration”

Tickets are $1,599 each and only available for existing member of the iOS Developer Program, iOS Developer Enterprise Program, or the Mac Developer Program.

Tickets for 2012 WWDC sold out in under two hours. I bet the 2013 WWDC tickets will be sold out in record time. Can’t make it? Apple notes:

“Can’t make it to WWDC? We’ll be posting videos of all our sessions during the conference, so Registered Apple Developers can take advantage of great WWDC content.”

It’s so bright, so vivid! What does it mean?

From the spectacular mix of colors, I would imagine something colorful is being introduced at this year’s WWDC. So, is Apple changing the look of the “stale” iOS design? Or does it has something to do with free LSD trips for developers?

And this year’s WWDC logo hints at Apple sponsoring a free LSD trip for all attendees.

— Cocoanetics  (@Cocoanetics) April 24, 2013

Maybe Apple is introducing the new iWatch with multiple neon colors at WWDC 2013? Since Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned yesterday that the next major Apple product to be “introduced” in the fall, this logo might be related a developer centric product.

Perhaps Adobe should watch out?

Related posts:

1. WWDC 2013 tickets sold out in 2 minutes
2. WWDC 2012 Sold Out: Comparison of Ticket Availability History
3. Apple Sold Out of World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2010 Tickets