Macgasm

iCab Mobile is a $1.99 web browser for your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad from the developer of iCab for OS X. If you’re looking for a surfing experience with a little more hutzpah and panache, iCab Mobile is worth taking a look at.

The main page for iCab Mobile lists a butt-load of features, so head over there if you’re interested. That said, my favorite features include: Offline bookmarks, UI shrinking, URL filtering, and address book integration.

It is also worthy to note that this app has been optimized for the iPad. No pixel doubling needed here. Your browsing experience with iCab Mobile will be tailored for you no matter what device you use it on.

Photo Credit: Zitzitoune & iCab Mobile

Why do we love Apple? We love Apple because they do things no one else is thinking about. Seriously. Anyone who says they would have guessed that Rotten Tomatoes ratings would appear in the App Store is clearly lying.

It’s a smart move, and it really helps me decide what movies I’m going to spend the cash on. For instance, Apple’s pushing some film called Valentine’s Day pretty heavily on the App Store. After clicking on it, and scrolling through the plot summary and iTunes Extras it seems like an “alright” movie with a decent cast. Scrolling a little further down the page and, “Abort, it only got 18 percent on the Tomatometer.”

The other cool thing is that they’re not just tossing up the meter in iTunes but they’re also serving some of film’s top critic reviews. I’m more likely to believe these reviews than the ones already in the review section in iTunes.

Here’s a case in point:

Just in case you’ve been wondering how you’re going to get access to the iPad applications when your iPad launches across the pond, Apple’s got your back.

They’ve flipped the giant switch, and you can now access the iPad section on the iTunes App Store. Previously, as rumour has it, if you somehow managed to get access to an iPad previous to launch in your country, you could access the iPad App Store through iTunes, but not the device itself. Now you can get access to those shiny new iPad apps however you please.

We’ve been cheating a little up here in Canada. I’ve been piggybacking on my American account for iPad apps. After all, who doesn’t have a US account these days?

Article Via Engadget

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If you’ve ever thought that Mac users aren’t the gaming bunch, you may want to rethink your opinions a little. More importantly, if you’re a game developer who thinks that there’s no market in the Mac world for your games, you’ll also have to rethink your stance a little.

Valve has just reported that Portal has been downloaded 1.5 million times in total and that a large number of the downloads have come through their brand-spanking new Steam client for OS X. If there was ever proof that Apple users are starving for legitimate gaming titles this is the proof in the pudding.

The numbers aren’t completely OS X based results, but we’re willing to bet that large chunk of the downloads came from the Mac community.

Valve’s also announced that two-thirds of the Mac users are running Steam on a laptop, and more than 11% of “purchases” on the Steam Network have come from Mac Users. They don’t specify if the free Portal downloads are being counted in that 11%, but we’re assuming they weren’t. Free doesn’t mean purchases in our books.

Here’s the biggest news out of Valve: the client is one-fifth as likely to crash on a Mac, despite running the same code base as the Windows version. Now that’s music to our ears. Mac users are so used to having ported applications being buggy, that we just assumed we were going to be getting the raw end of the stick. It’s nice to see that our platform of choice isn’t being well represented in bug reports.

I can’t wait to pwn @eastscene at CS:S once it’s released.

Article Via Steam Blog

When Apple first announced their new tablet, the iPad, there was a lot of speculation. One thing that people couldn’t decide, however, was if the iPad was to be a supplementary product to the iPod/iPhone, or to Mac computers.

Now that we have some actual numbers to work with, you might be surprised by the results. Apple expects to see an extra billion and a half dollars in revenue thanks to the iPad’s underestimated popularity (underestimated as in an extra 3 billion units than was originally predicted). It is hard to say how the iPad will do in foreign markets when it is made available overseas, and in Canada, on May 28th. Here are the forecasted shipments for iPads in Q3 and Q4 of 2010, as well as Q1 for 2011, provided by RBC:

It is difficult to predict whether these figures will be underestimated as well, as iPads have been selling out all over the United States. Now how does this impact Mac sales? Well, while iPads have been selling at a rate of about 200,000 per week, Macs are almost half that, at 110,000 per week. So does this mean that the iPad is replacing laptops? Or do you think these numbers reflect just a fad of early technology adopters? Only time will tell as to whether Apple can keep up the pace of iPad sales.

InfoCredit: AppleInsider

M-Edge manufactures cases for all the major e-readers, including the Kindle, the Nook, Sony e-readers, and now the iPad.  The company has an amazing selection of cases for the iPad as well as a stand and screen protector.  Today I am reviewing the M-Edge Executive Jacket for iPad.  M-Edge’s other iPad offerings are listed at the end of the review.

The M-Edge Executive Jacket is currently on sale for $49.99 (for leather) and $39.99 (for synthetic leather) (regularly $59.99 and $49.99). You can choose from six different colors, including black, red, green, fuchsia, purple, and mocha (synthetic leather only comes in black and red).

The front of the case is smooth, soft leather with a horizontal pocket for the closure strap. The closure strap is quite long, but that is so it can be used to support the case as a bookstand (see below).

The inside cover of the case, which is soft and suede-like, contains several pockets, presumably for credit cards and other items. Two elastic tabs, located in the spine, are for ear bud cord management. But, I suppose you could insert a pen or a pencil or a Pogo Sketch in the straps if you wanted to.

The iPad itself is situated in a four-point mounting system.  The two bottom mounts are leather and are fairly rigid.  The top mounts have elastic strips so you can easily pull the straps over your iPad’s corners.  The mounting system is well made and the iPad is completely secure inside the straps.  None of the straps obscure any buttons or access points on the iPad.

The back cover has a leather strip that matches the front cover, but it is a strap you can put your hand through to hold your iPad securely while reading or utilizing the touch screen.

The closure strap also functions as a bookstand allowing the iPad to be viewed hands free in landscape mode.  You can adjust the angle of the iPad a little depending on how much of the strap you insert into the front cover pocket.

Although the manufacturer doesn’t mention this, I discovered that if you fold the front cover all the way over and tuck the strap underneath, the iPad sits at a perfect angle for typing on the on-screen keyboard.

What’s Macgasmic:  The Executive Jacket is a nicely designed, book-style case that encloses your iPad in luxurious leather. The iPad is cradled by a four-point mounting system that is incredibly secure yet leaves all the buttons and ports accessible. The innovative wraparound strap keeps the case closed but also transforms the case into a bookstand.

What’s Not: I have a few concerns about the M-Edge Executive Case.  First, although I like the idea of the hand strap on the back cover (since keeping a good grip on my iPad is important), it doesn’t work all that well.  The problem is, if you use the hand strap, you can’t easily tuck the front cover behind the device (at least without squishing your hand).  So, the front cover hangs off to the side and is in the way.

Another concern I have is that when the front cover is folded over to form the bookstand, the leather bulges and buckles.  I wonder if, over time, that could permanently mar the case (creating unsightly folds in the leather or causing the leather to separate).  The leather on the case is supple, however, so the bulging may not be a problem. Only time will determine how the case stands up to repeated folding over on itself.

Last, I’m not sure how functional all the pockets on the front inside cover are. It seems to me that credit cards and other items might scratch the iPad’s screen.

Despite these reservations, the M-Edge Executive Jacket is a reasonably priced leather case for the iPad. If you’re looking for a beautiful, functional, protective cover that will keep your iPad secure and serve as a bookstand as well, the Executive Jacket will work quite admirably. And, if the Executive Jacket isn’t quite what you want, take a look at M-Edge’s other offerings below or see Macgasm’s iPad Case Roundup.

Other M-Edge Products for iPad (all prices are as stated on the M-Edge web site as of May 2010):

Flex-Stand ($24.99).  A flexible, portable bookstand for the iPad.

Platform Jacket ($49.99).  A leather case for the iPad that allows you to view the iPad hands free in portrait orientation (easel style).  This is essentially the same case as the Executive Jacket, just in portrait orientation. Comes in multiple colors.

Page Sleeve ($49.99).  A lightweight sleeve for the iPad with a closure strap.  Available in multiple colors.

Leisure Jacket ($39.99).  A nylon sleeve with a clear vinyl screen cover that allows touchscreen use while in the case.  Available in multiple colors.

Latitude Jacket ($39.99). A nylon jacket case with zippered closure. The case has front and back pockets and elastic tabs inside for ear bud cable management. Available in multiple colors.

Touring Sleeve ($29.99).  A neoprene zippered sleeve with a large outer pocket.  Several color choices are available.

Journey Bag ($44.99).  A messenger style bag which has a zippered inner pocket for the iPad.  This bag comes in red, navy, blue and black.

Trip Jacket ($39.99).  A book style case made of ScotchGuard-coated canvas.  Several color choices are available.

Flip Jacket ($39.99).  A notepad style case that opens vertically. Black only.

Slip Sleeve ($39.99).  A sleeve case with padded interior in a horizontal orientation. Only available in black.

Hip Bag ($39.99).  A compact messenger-style bag available in magenta and black canvas with a microfiber interior.Method Portfolio ($TBD).  A leather portfolio case for the iPad with an integrated sleeve.  Includes pockets for a pad of paper, an iPhone or Blackberry, and accessory storage. Will be available in black and mocha.

Screen Protectors ($24.99 for a 3-pack).  Screen protectors diminish glare and come with a cleaning cloth.

There’s a reason why I’m not a gamer: good games are addictive.  Sometimes, however, I let my guard down and a game slips by.  GodFinger, from ngmoco, is one of those rare games; it’s available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad as a free download from the App Store.

Play God? Okay.

GodFinger gives you a little world to hold in the palm of your hand.  At first, the world isn’t very exciting.  Then you find your first follower, praying for rain.  Before you know it, he is building a farm that you bought in the Awe Store (the in-game general store) and you are whisking him away at the tip of your finger to rest around the campfire.  As you play, you gain experience and new abilities: the ability to cause floods, cast lightning, raze the earth with a firestorm, and move mountains.  Your power (mana) is regenerated by the loving worship of your followers, who begin cropping up at regular intervals.  At its basic level, this is a resource-balancing game: gold, mana, followers, and buildings.

Buildings take time to build, and followers take time to rest.  Luckily, time passes within the game even after you close the app—the game is stored online, so things are happening, changing, and evolving even when you’re not watching.  You can set the game to send you push notifications of important events, so that you can take care of situations as they arise.

There’s also a social aspect to GodFinger. Over the Plus+ network, you can connect with other friends who are playing the game, populating the space around your world with their worlds.  You can even visit their worlds, and are encouraged to “enchant” their followers, to mutual benefit.  You can name your followers after your friends.  The game also gives you the option to post achievements to Twitter and Facebook, but I don’t want to become one of those people.  This isn’t Farmville.

Followers: very, very cute. Oh look, there's Josh.

Worst (or best) of all, your little followers are sickeningly cute.  They call out to you gently when they need rain or sunshine.  They chant “OM” as they worship around the totem pole.  They burp when they drink.  They scream when you drop them from a height, or accidentally set them on fire.  They snore when you put them to bed in their little tents.  They cheer for you when you gain a level.  You get attached to them.

The app is free, but the developers have an interesting revenue-generation model within the Awe Store.  You can purchase mystic power (Awe) for real money, and trade it in for gold, which you can then use to buy more buildings or decorations.  Thankfully, it’s not necessary to have a successful game—you don’t have to spend money to play, but if you really get into the game and have the disposable income, the option is there.

GodFinger reminds me distinctly of Populous (an old DOS game); in both games you rally your followers around a totem pole, unleash natural disasters that require different levels of power, and raise and lower land.  I have described this game to friends as a cross between Populous and a Tamagotchi, with maybe a little of LucasArts’ Afterlife thrown in.  The addiction potential is very high.

Addictive though it may be, it’s by no means perfect.  Maybe I’m just too good at it, but the game doesn’t seem hard enough.  For a resource-production game, I expect to worry about running out of money, or mana, or have followers get angry enough to break things.  It’s apparently possible for skeletons to get up and walk around, terrorizing the countryside, but I haven’t seen any; perhaps I don’t kill enough of my followers off, or leave them dead for long enough.

Why is she happy that I can burn her more effectively?

There are also some technical limitations, particularly when moving followers from place to place; sometimes they just don’t want to be picked up, and other times you end up with a chain of four that you didn’t intend to move.  Too often, the animation sticks when you reach the edge of the screen.  I imagine these problems are less evident on the bigger display of the iPad, or with the faster iPhone 3GS.  It is also a big power drain, presumably because the display is always on.

Also, and I don’t know if it’s just that I’m too dense to find the option to turn them off, the tips are annoying after the first few days of play.  Yes, I know that is a stack of gold.  I am aware that the follower bent over, not moving, is exhausted.  Please free up the display real estate and let me figure the obvious out for myself.

The fact that I’ve been continuously playing it for weeks, and managed to hook Macgasm’s own Joshua Schnell into joining me, should tell you just how much fun GodFinger is.  It’s addictive, it’s pretty, and it’s interesting.  It requires a lot of attention to start with, but after a while you can leave it alone for most of the day and it will do its thing with minimal intervention.

Of course, you won’t be able to resist checking in on your followers.  They are cute, after all.  And they need you.