Zombieville USA: more weapons, more controls, more lives

Mika Mobile has released an update to their highly rated zombie slaying game.

Zombieville USA version 1.4 new features include melee weapons, an alternative control scheme, and an option for extra lives.

Zombieville USA is one of my favorite iPhone/iPod touch games. Though the gameplay is relatively simple (kill zombies and  kill them good) it does require you to manage your cash and ammo carefully as the game progresses.

When the game was first released it had 15 upgradeable weapons: a selection of handguns, machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers and gas-powered weapons. The new version adds more to the arsenal: melee weapons. Melee weapons don’t do a lot of damage but are useful in knocking zombies away, especially those that pops up suddenly. There’s also a chance at dealing a critical damage, killing a zombie with one blow.

At the start of the game, the scowling zombie hunter is now equipped with a handgun and a baseball bat. The bat can be upgraded to a sledgehammer for $650. I’m guessing the upgrade after that would be the katana as mentioned on Zombieville USA’s App Store page.

The two other new features can be accessed through the Options menu: extra lives and an alternate control scheme. Players can now choose to have 1, 3, or 5 lives. The extra lives will help give the game longevity and more mayhem. The new control scheme moves the left and right movement controls to the left side of the screen while on the right side of the screen there are the two buttons for attack: red button for the original set of weapons, green button for melee weapons.

These are welcome new features to an excellent game and Mika Mobile promises more new stuff coming.

I’ll be doing a short review of Zombieville USA real soon. Please watch out for it.

Filed under: App Store, iPhone, iPod touch, update

iPhone OS 3.0: Just a few hours away

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I’m eagerly waiting for the release of the new iPhone OS 3.0 though it’s going to cost me $9.99.

I’m definitely going to be one of the early adopters. That means I’ll be taking one for the team.

There are two new things that I can’t wait to try out: Cut, Copy and Paste, and the new Spotlight feature. But I’m sure the novelty will wear off pretty quick.

Alas, I can’t try out the MMS. That will have to wait until I can get my hands on the iPhone 3G S. (Lucky bastards are going to get theirs Friday).

MacRumors has of what the iPhone 3.0 software update page will look like once the update is officially released. The page later reverted to iPhone OS 2.2 update.

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, OS X, iPhone OS 3.0, update

Updates: iTunes 8.2, Quicktime 7.6.2, iPod shuffle, etc

Apple released an update to iTunes and Quicktime today.

AppleInsider reported that iTunes 8.2 will support iPhones and iPod touches running the iPhone OS 3.0 which is scheduled to be released this month. It also includes “everal accessibility improvements and bug fixes.”

Meanwhile, Quicktime 7.6.2 include changes to “increase reliability, improve compatibility and enhance security”. Also included are some security updates.

Apple, by the way, posted a few updates last week:

• Third generation iPod shuffle addresses a playback issues and a few bugs plus new VoiceOver Kit languages
• Garageband 5.0.2 “addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and fixes a number of other minor issues.  The issues addressed include: improved purchasing experience for Artist Lessons in the GarageBand Lesson Store, and accessing installed Jam Packs in the loop browser.”
• iWork 9.0.2 ” improves reliability when saving some iWork documents and when playing some presentations more than once per Keynote session.”
• MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.3 “adjusts the fan behavior in MacBook Pro systems (15-inch and 17-inch) when running under high workload conditions.”

You can fire up Software Update utility or download the updates manually from the links I’ve provided below. (Except for the third generation iPod shuffle. The update is available in iTunes.)

1. iTunes 8.2
2. Quicktime 7.6.2 for Mac or Windows
3. GarageBand 5.0.2
4. iWork 9.0.2
5. MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.3

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, MacBook Pro, Quicktime, update

New white MacBook; free 8GB iPod touch* in Back-to-School promo [u]

First read about the updates to the white MacBooks over at TUAW, with readers tipping the staff  about the quiet upgrade.

The new internal specs are (previous specifications in parentheses):

• 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (up from 2.0 GHz)
• 2GB 800MHz DDR2 memory (up from 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
• 160GB hard drive (up from 120GB)

AppleInsider notes that the new white MacBook still uses the same NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card. The graphics card was updated January 21st along with the 1,066MHz front-side bus and doubling of the to RAM to 2GB.

The cheapest MacBook is still priced at $999, and according to AppleInsider the new white MacBook is eligible for Apple’s Back to School promo.

The just announced promo lets qualifying students, faculty or staff members get an *online rebate of $229 when they purchase a Mac and an 8GB iPod touch. Since the 8GB iPod touch costs $229, with the online rebate, it’s like getting the iPod touch for free.

The new white MacBook isn’t available in the Philippine Apple Online Store yet. Perhaps still waiting for stocks to arrive. Non-US TUAW readers have also commented that the upgrade isn’t available in their respective Apple Online Stores as well.

I’m hoping that we’ll have a back-to-school promo here as well.

Update: The Philippine Apple Online Store now has the white MacBook. It retails for ₱ 55,990.00 and estimated shipping is within 24 hours. No back-to-school promo though.

The internal specs between the polycarbonate and the low-end unibody MacBook is almost very similar (the unibody MacBook uses a faster DDR3 RAM). I’m expecting (more like hoping) for an update to the aluminum MacBooks real soon.

Filed under: iPod touch, MacBook, promo, update

23 Twitter apps for the iPhone/iPod touch reviewed

If you’re a Twitter fan and own an iPhone or iPod touch but have not yet installed a Twitter client app on your i-Device, I say, shame on you.

You ought to have a Twitter client or two or three, maybe even four, on your iPhone by now.

There in lies the problem.

To date, there are over 20 Twitter clients in the App Store. One can get real confused with all the choices available. What are you going to do, try them all one by one?

Well, you don’t have to.

The good folks at iLounge have devoted time and resources in putting together the most comprehensive review of Twitter apps for the iPhone/iPod touch that I know of.

Twenty-three all in all.

I won’t give you the gory details, just click on the link and be informed.

As a spoiler, the two highest rated apps are Tweetie ($3) and Twitterfon (free).

I got Twitterific (free) but trying out Twitterfon. Haven’t gotten it to work yet.

But I’m more of a Plurk user now. Using the free Plurk client, Plurk. Not as slick as I want it to be but that’s another post.

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, Social Networking, third-party, iLounge, review, Twitter

iPhone Software update version 2.2.1

It has been a busy week for updates from Apple.

Aside from the iDVD update today, Apple also released iPhone Software update 2.2.1.

The 246MB iPhone Software update improves stability of Safari and fixes an issue wherein images saved from mail do not display correctly in the Camera Roll.

An iPod touch update includes the fixes to Safari and Camera Roll as well as a fix to an issue that causes some Apple Lossless (ALAC) to skip during playback.

Version 2.2.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch can be downloaded via iTunes.

[Source: AppleInsider]

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, update

11 things you didn’t know about the new iPods

iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz lists down 11 things that you should know about the new iPod line introduced during the September 9 event.

The article mentions stuff like the new Genius software, the accelerometer in the nano, the built-in Nike+ sensor, crossfading, radio, games, and audio recording.

Head on to iLounge to know more.

Filed under: iPod

The iPod Touch v2.0 brouhaha

July 11 was a momentous day.

It was the release of the iPhone 3G, launching of the App Store and MobileMe, and the release of the iPhone (as well as iPod touch) 2.0 firmware.

The 2.0 firmware will allow first generation iPhone and iPod touch users to install applications from the App Store. (See how everything tied in together?)

There was a downside to the upgrade: iPhone users get it for free; iPod touch users have to shell out $10. Why the upgrade fee? Apple said it was for accounting purposes.

Fine. We don’t want anybody breaking the law now do we?

For those who were on the fence about whether to get the iPod touch or not, the ability to install apps probably pushed some over in deciding to get the less-capable cousin of the iPhone.

For me, I’m still torn on whether to get the iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPod touch. But I thought that if I were to get the iPod touch instead (because for some reason or another the iPhone just doesn’t cut it), I was going to wait for the stock of iPod touches with the version 2.0 firmware installed. I’m not going to pay anymore than I ought to.

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It’s been almost a month since the 2.0 firmware was made available. And I’ve been itching ever since. I just need to try out those apps.

Mind you, I’m still choosing from among the three (iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod touch) but I thought the fastest and easiest way I can start using the apps was by getting the iPod touch.

By now, iPod touches on store shelves should have the 2.0 firmware, right?

Nope.

Macworld contributor, Jeffery Battersby, writes about the iPod touch he bought on July 31, more than two weeks after the 2.0 update, still had the 1.1.4 firmware, and how he tried (unsuccessfully) to have it upgraded without having to pay $10.

Apple has been tripping and stumbling ever since July 11.

It’s like someone pulled Apple’s pants down and pushed them onto the stage. With the spotlight trained on them and the audience watching intently, Apple still couldn’t pull their pants back up because they still have their hands full with the MobileMe mess and iPhone releases.

Bad show, Apple. Bad show.

Filed under: iPod touch