Category: iPhone

Coffee Talk #548: Best Game of 2012

There were a lot of great console games I enjoyed in 2012. The PlayStation 3 had two of my favorites in Journey and The Unfinished Swan. As far as traditional console games go, I quite enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII-2. On the PC side, I had some fun with Diablo III. To my surprise, my favorite game of the year wasn’t for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or a handheld console. It was for the iPad. I’m talking about…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, wishing McKayla Maroney a belated happy birthday, the hapless Los Angeles Lakers, or Josh Hamilton signing with the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim (such a stupid team name), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There were a lot of great console games I enjoyed in 2012. The PlayStation 3 had two of my favorites in Journey and The Unfinished Swan. As far as traditional console games go, I quite enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII-2. On the PC side, I had some fun with Diablo III. To my surprise, my favorite game of the year wasn’t for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or a handheld console. It was for the iPad. I’m talking about Final Fantasy Dimensions.

I loved almost everything about Final Fantasy Dimensions. In many ways, it’s the spiritual successor to Final Fantasy V. It’s an old-school JRPG that’s centered around the awesome FF job system, which I’m a total mark for. The graphics aren’t impressive, but they’re certainly nostalgic. The soundtrack is highly enjoyable. The writing is fun. Between the job system and “fusion abilities,” the gameplay is very deep. As a fan of old-school JRPGs, Dimensions has it all.

The only thing I didn’t like about the game is that the random battles could be a bit much, but that didn’t stop me from spending more than 70 hours playing the game. It was a delightful experience that reminded me of everything I love about classic JRPGs.

Now it’s your turn! What was your favorite game of the year?

Coffee Talk #546: Best Gadget of 2012

Out of all the “Best of 2012” picks, this one required the least amount of thought. The third-generation iPad was easily my favorite gadget of the year. Like my iPad 2, I love it for being an incredibly diverse entertainment device that allows me to read web sites, read comic books, watch movies, play games, and more. The third-generation iPad kicks things up a notch by offering an incredible 2,048 x 1,536 screen that’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s actually hard to look at the iPad 2 after…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the potential of 48p movies, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spending spree, or praying for Google Fiber to come to your home town, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Out of all the “Best of 2012” picks, this one required the least amount of thought. The third-generation iPad was easily my favorite gadget of the year. Like my iPad 2, I love it for being an incredibly diverse entertainment device that allows me to read web sites, read comic books, watch movies, play games, and more. The third-generation iPad kicks things up a notch by offering an incredible 2,048 x 1,536 screen that’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s actually hard to look at the iPad 2 after getting used to the resolution of this year’s iPad. The outstanding hardware is complemented by the most robust selection of apps and media around, thanks to iTunes. It’s just a perfect blend of hardware and software.

Once again, Apple has owned the tablet market with the iPad and once again the company has completely owned me with its amazing tablet computers.

Now it’s your turn! What was your favorite gadget of the year? Whether it’s a phone, tablet, television, or some other piece of consumer electronics, please share your choice in the comments section.

Pokemon Pokedex Hits Japanese iTunes App Store

Well look at that — an official Nintendo gaming product on a competing platform. I’ll be damned. That’s right boys and girls, The Pokemon Company has launched Pokedex For iOS. The app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users through the Japanese iTunes App Store. While it’s not exactly a game, it’s certainly a gaming product. And a Nintendo gaming product released for a non-Nintendo platform is a pretty huge deal, don’t you agree?

Do you think this is the beginning of Nintendo releasing more products on different platforms? Or do you think it’s a sign that the world is ending?

Steve Jobs Movie Covers Macintosh, NeXT, iPod Launches

Steve Jobs had a colorful life and was responsible for products used by millions of people around the world. With that in mind, there are so many chunks of his time on Earth that could be covered in a movie. Super-scribe Aaron Sorkin revealed that the biopic he’s penning for Sony Pictures will revolve around three product launches: the Macintosh, the NeXT Computer System, and the iPod. Here’s more from The Verge:

Sorkin revealed that the movie will be comprised of three, 30-minute sections that each take place backstage in the moments immediately preceding some of Jobs’ most iconic keynotes.

“This entire movie is going to be three scenes and three scenes only that all take place in realtime,” Sorkin said. “A half hour for you in the audience is the same as a half hour to a character on the screen.” The three presentations that will serve as backdrops in the film will be the original Macintosh, the debut of NeXT, and the first-ever iPod reveal in 2001. Sorkin says he chose the timeframe intentionally, with the classic “Think Different” commercial serving as a potential end point for the film.

In many ways, Sorkin’s idea reminds me of Ali. That Muhammad Ali movie featured some of his most famous fights and ended with “The Rumble in the Jungle” vs. George Foreman. As many of you know, Ali had many fights after that one, including memorable scraps with Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton, as well as the historic and brutal “Thrilla in Manila” vs. Joe Frazier. Like Ali, Jobs’ accomplishments are too vast to contain in a single two-hour movie. The centerpieces Sorkin is using cover the rise, fall, and rebirth of Steve Jobs nicely.

What do you think of Aaron Sorkin basing his Steve Jobs movie around the Mac, NeXT, and iPod keynotes?

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Today’s Poll: Most Exciting New Apple Product

Apple has declared war on Christmas by announcing a slew of new products set to ship this holiday season. While most tech nerds knew the iPad Mini was coming and many surmised that the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display was in the works, there were a few surprises. New models in the iMac and Mac Mini lines were also unveiled. While most Apple fans were thrilled by these new products, those that bought the “new” iPad earlier in 2012 were a bit annoyed that Apple unveiled a fourth-generation iPad too; the company typically refreshes its iOS products once a year, so this was a bit soon.

Out of all the products Apple announced today, I want to know which one excites you the most. Please vote in today’s poll and expand on your answer in the comments section.

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Apple October 23 Press Conference and You

Apple has sent out invites for a presser on October 23, 2012. All signs point to the iPad Mini being unveiled, but there are other product rumors floating around. Some pundits believe that a 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro will also be announced. Other think that the iMac will be getting a (much-needed?) refresh. There are even rumors of Apple going big with cloud offerings, starting with streaming music with a video coming next year.

Are any of you interested in the iPad Mini? How about the other rumored products? Please leave a comment with what you’d like to see announced during Apple’s October 23, 2012 presser.

Coffee Talk #526: Obama, Romney, and Apple

During last night’s presidential debate, moderator Candy Crowley asked President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney about Apple and outsourcing to China. The end of her question was, “How do you convince a great American company to bring that manufacturing back here?” Unsurprisingly, neither candidate gave an adequate or honest answer to the question. Steve Jobs told the President the deal in early 2011…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the depressing collapse of the NY Yankees, the world being darker because Austin Aries is no longer TNA Champion, or your favorite piece of chicken, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

During last night’s presidential debate, moderator Candy Crowley asked President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney about Apple and outsourcing to China. The end of her question was, “How do you convince a great American company to bring that manufacturing back here?” Unsurprisingly, neither candidate gave an adequate or honest answer to the question.

Romney talked about China’s currency manipulation, patent stealing, and cheating without offering a cogent solution. Obama was slightly more honest when he said, “There are some jobs that are not going to come back because they are low-wage, low-skill jobs.” The President knows better than this. He knows that the vast majority of those manufacturing jobs are not going to come back. Steve Jobs told him so.

During a high-powered dinner featuring some of the biggest players in Silicon Valley, President Obama asked Steve Jobs what it would take for Apple to bring some of those jobs back to America. The reply was unsurprisingly brusque in that charmingly arrogant Steve Jobs way: “Those jobs aren’t coming back.” I’m sure the President and his staff have explored many ways to entice Apple to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. I’m also sure that they came to the conclusion that the government doesn’t have any realistic way to change the situation in a meaningful way.

As a tech nerd, I’m glad a tech-nerd topic came up in the debates. It’s just disappointing that neither candidate gave an answer that meant anything. Though I suppose that could be said about most of the answers given in all the debates thus far.

Saturday Night Live Mocks iPhone 5, Tech Journalists

I absolutely loved the “Tech Talk” sketch on last week’s Saturday Night Live. Check out the clip below to see Christina Applegate and the SNL crew poke fun at the iPhone 5’s “problems”, tech journalists, and Chinese factory workers. While I’m sure the show is going to get some heat for its portrayal of Chinese people, it deserves an Emmy for its incredibly accurate depiction of tech journalists when they’re on camera. Everything was spot on — the dorky looks, the nerdy mannerisms, and warbled voices. It totally killed me! Continue reading “Saturday Night Live Mocks iPhone 5, Tech Journalists”

MLB Fans Dig iOS 6 Passbook

When the Passbook feature of iOS 6 was revealed, I thought it had great potential. I was surprised that most of you — the RPadholics that have used iOS 6, anyway — didn’t see the point or didn’t like Passbook. Do you know who likes it? Major League Baseball fans. In a pilot program used with four baseball teams, 12 percent of e-ticket buyers used Passbook to manage their tickets. For a new service that’s available on a limited amount of phones, that’s terribly impressive. Here’s more from Market Watch:

Passbook — which allows tickets and loyalty cards from a variety of outlets to be delivered to one iPhone app — proved to be an instant hit with fans, Bob Bowman, CEO of MLB Advance Media, tells MarketWatch. In its test run with four teams for the final two weeks of the season, 1,500 e-ticket buyers (12%) chose Passbook delivery. “That adoption rate really floored us — there is no question our fans want digital tickets,” Bowman says. “Fans can use the tickets, forward them to a friend, resell them, or even donate them to charity — and they never get lost or left at home.”

The MLB example shows the flexibility of Passbook and is a fantastic example of why I thought it had potential. That convenience is fantastic and the different things you can do with tickets  is awesome. More and more companies are flocking to Passbook, which is no surprise considering the tens of millions of people that have or will buy iOS 6 devices. Hopefully these companies use Passbook in interesting ways, just like MLB.

What do you think of how MLB is using Passbook? Are you surprise by the relatively high adoption rate? Does this application change your mind about the service?

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