Macgasm

Back in September I wrote an article about the TomTom iPhone app based solely on my opinion without actually having the product. Today I write with hands on experience with the TomTom iPhone app. If you are not aware of what TomTom is, TomTom is a company that produces high end GPS Navigation products on the portable side. With a wide variety of products there is a price and model for every one. Now the TomTom iPhone app is on the pricey side at $99 USD in the app store. But what you get is nothing less than what you would get with any of their GPS line. My first impression of the app was that of it being an actual GPS in my hands. The software is just like the software you will get on their other devices. You don’t have to use the app for going to a specific place, but you can put in an address if you want. You also have the choice to “Call” points of interest.

While testing this app out I used it two ways. These are the same ways I use my other GPS. I used it as just a dashboard/seat side map and then used it to get me to a specific location. Using it as a map it was fairly accurate to where I was traveling. Some of the street names were a bit off, But here in Missouri most our streets have 2 – 3 names. Timing of the map moving was normal as well as compared to my other GPS. Some areas were also a little off, but that I can blame on my area growing and new places and streets being built. For all intents and purposes though, it was very accurate.

Now when entering an address, the app seemed to get a little confusing. You put in the city, then it asks for the street and also suggests street. That is where it confuses me. I don’t want to see options when I am trying to enter information like that. I also feel that it should ask for the address first or give me the option to skip. But that may just be me. After getting all the info in I proceeded on my route. Now, I tested this 2 times. The first time I went the way that I go every day, which is a backwards way to get to my job. The app did as expected. It freaked out! The TomTom app wanted me to go the easy route and I didn’t want to. Every time I went the way I go, it wanted me to turn around. It didn’t say “make a u-turn” but it would imply it. Eventually the app stopped trying to figure me out and let me drive with out giving me any instructions until getting within 2 miles of my destination. This seemed odd to me, I feel the app should have recalculated based on my current route to help me. Again I was being a stubborn driver. The next test, I followed the apps instruction all the way. I arrived at my destination with little problems. It was accurate and took me on the standard route.

I would like to see some changes to the app. It is kind of discouraging when a GPS app gives up on you when you don’t listen to it. I think easier navigation through the menus would be nice. Recalculations based on your current route would be a nice addition as well. I am not sure if TomTom will be offering free map updates or not, or if it will be a cheap update used with in app purchases. But I think that should be an option and I am sure we will find out more later on that. All in all, I think that this is a pretty nice app. I still believe it is a bit pricey, but after seeing all the work that they put into this and the accuracy to bring it up to par with their other devices, I can understand the price. If you are a TomTom fan and use their products and have been happy with them in the past, then I say go for it. You can find more info on the TomTom iPhone app on their website.

After Snow Leopard was released, it became very clear which applications were 64 bit capable, and which were not. For chunky applications, like video transcoding, there was a rush to make the apps 64 bit capable. Even if the 64 bit label didn’t improve the application’s performance, nobody wanted to be left out of the gold rush. Unfortunately, that lead to a few problems.

Applications like HandBrake and FairMount rely on libraries that are included with VLC. If you’re running a 64 bit build of HandBrake, you’ll have to be running a 64 bit build of VLC. Most of these applications have since released compatible 64 bit and 32 bit versions, but that wasn’t always the case.

The point is, just because something is shiny a new, that doesn’t mean you should jump on it immediately. Research a little bit, and make sure that you won’t run into any incompatibilities that will ruin your day.

Photo Credit: tanakawho

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In this episode, we talk about some pros and cons of MobileMe.

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I didn’t have high expectations for the first iPhone game I played that was based on a new movie in theatres. Zombieland is a free app that actually does build momentum for the flick – though it’s good for all zombie lovers alike.

In each level, you’re faced with the worst enemies of your time: hungry zombies hunting after you. You must use the weapons available to you (a chainsaw, a gun, an axe pick, and even a banjo, among others) to hack them to death and progress to the next levels. All the while, you’ll run into more zombies and more challenges. And you’ll also see that you must multitask to survive; this is a two-hand game no matter how hard you try to get by without it.

As you may see, there are a good number of controls. Thankfully, the game features a very detailed tutorial that lets you acquaint yourself with the controls, which even change depending on the circumstances. And yes, you need to be familiar with all of them (and use them when necessary).

I already heard that Zombieland was a good movie. (I’m planning on seeing it.) I didn’t expect the game itself to be good too, but I was pleasantly surprised. Zombieland’s iPhone companion gives you an experience that keeps you entertained with progressively harder levels of attack, hack, and blasting fun.

BLU-RAY! I have been doing a lot of complaining lately about the lack of Blu-Ray playback on Mac OS X. If I want to watch a BD on a computer, I would have to install Microsoft Windows, and that isn’t something I’m willing to do. That said, I do have a friend who has a Windows computer with a Blu-Ray player. I was over at his house, and we decided to watch a movie. No luck.

Turns out, the software that came with his drive has had its AACS keys revoked. In essence, that means that the software will no longer play back commercial BDs. When we went to try to update the software, we found that we can only accomplish that by buying the latest version in the $90 range. Very unfortunate.

When Steve Jobs called Blu-Ray a “Bag of hurt,” he wasn’t joking. The draconian DRM scheme that they have implemented is absolutely ridiculous. Maybe it would be better for us Mac users to skip over this technology completely, and just stick to downloading video.

Photo Credit: Tom (hmm a rosa tint)

If you’re anything like me you probably spend a lot of time thinking about awesome iPhone applications and ways to cash in on all the crazy app users out there. It’s a big pool, and someone has got to be willing to pay $0.99 for my game changing ideas, right?

But, here’s the problem. It’s not the coding that’s holding me back, I’m no coder, but I can get around when I need to, instead it’s XCode. Every single time I open up XCode I get a little bit anxious. Pro applications tend to do that to me, I’m not sure why, but it takes a lot of mental strength for me to push myself. My first step to overcoming it is usually acquiring some kind of guide book or tutorial that takes me through the things I want to do.

iPhone Application Development, does just that. It doesn’t walk you through coding tutorials and Objective C examples. It has absolutely nothing to do with coding, and instead highlights the entire app creation process. It takes you from creating downloading the SDK to publishing the application on the AppStore. It explain Xcode quite nicely, and breaks down what the heck all those windows mean when you open it for the first time.

It’s a great place to get started, and it’s even a great reminder tool for people who’ve been using the SDK for a while, it also highlights features of the SDK, gives some tips on UI design, and it’s all pretty handy stuff.

Think of it as an algorithm assistant for your application. It gives you things to think about before you hop into coding, and it could potentially save you a bunch of time by preventing oversights.

Again, it’s not a programming tutorial book, but it will help you get your thoughts together for your application. It’s a great place to start.

It has helped me mind map some ideas and break down my applications into smaller chunks.  I don’t feel so overwhelmed by Xcode, or creating an iPhone application any more.  I highly recommend checking the book out.

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In this episode, we talk about our new video podcast, our new Facebook page, and our new author page.

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Halloween’s knocking at the door, and everyone I know is out trying to find a costume. For guys, it’s something badass, and for the ladies it’s anything that lets them be a naughty something or other. Now they can be a naughty Steve Jobs. Good times.

If you’re hard pressed for a costume, and still have no idea what the heck you want to be, may I suggest His Steveness. You can even print out this awesome mask and wear it around town. Complete the costume with turtle neck and some jeans, and you’re all set.

What a great way to start the morning.

via Cult of Mac