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Hands-on: Let's Golf 2 for iPhone
One of the first games I downloaded when I got my iPhone 3G was Let's Golf and I couldn't believe how good it looked on the tiny iPhone screen. I was a big fan of Hot Shots golf on PlayStation 2, the console game that Let's Golf seems to be largely based upon, so seeing the familiar graphics and gameplay on the iPhone screen was truly a delight.
About a week ago Gameloft released Let's Golf 2 ($4.99), and it is even more beautiful graphically (optimized for the iPhone 4's Retina display) and adds to the already solid gameplay of the original. The cartoon-like graphics are more detailed in the sequel and you receive more of everything that was good about the original--more golfers to unlock, new courses to play on, and extra features to keep the game interesting.
You receive an aerial view of each hole before you take your first shot so plan accordingly.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)Let's Golf 2 comes with 108 holes to play across six uniquely designed courses, every in dramatic settings. The courses every have their possess specific feel, with features like Aztec temples, forest landscapes, snow-covered vistas, and even a Safari-themed course that lets you play rounds in Kenya. But the scenery isn't the only reason you should plunk down $4.99 for this golf game.
In Let's Golf 2, you now have six golfers to pick from (once they are unlocked in career mode), each with a unique ability that becomes available once you make several successful shots in a row. The default character, Vincent, lets you add extra power to a shot once you've filled up the skill meter, for example. Depending on the setting and what hole you're playing, this means you might be able to reach the green in less shots than you would otherwise. The skill for the character named Chris lets you reduce wind speed to zero, which might make an otherwise very difficult shot in strong winds a much easier undertaking.
Customize your character with different outfits, hairstyles, and golf balls to adjust skill points.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)The game mechanics are mostly the same as the original: aim your shot by tapping the left or right side of the touch screen; tap once to start your shot; tap again when you reach your desired power; then tap again to hit the ball cleanly (it's much easier than it sounds). But in Let's Golf 2, the designers have reworked the stroke interface to make it a bit easier to receive a good shot off and the character-based special skill will help to make your shots even better.
In addition to the character-specific skill upgrades, there are now several more outfits to unlock, each giving you tiny bonus skills like shot power, accuracy, recovery (better shots from traps), and putting. This means that with the right outfit, hairstyle, sunglasses, and special ball, you can customize a character that's perfect for the challenges of a specific course.
Once the meter is full, hitting the character icon in the upper left activates his special skill (which is followed by an animation).
(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)To round out the feature set, Let's Golf 2 gives you options to play against your friends over shared Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or an online mode through Gameloft Live. The first two modes worked fine in my testing, but I was never able to find a game in Gameloft Live so perhaps the company is still working out a few kinks. Aside from that issue, in every other way, Let's Golf 2 is a very polished arcade golf game, with plenty of replay value across the many courses and character choices. For more variation, you also can play the Challenge mode that lets you compete in situational minigames--such as longest putt competitions or "Birdie or bust" holes--for better equipment.
Beautiful courses (like Her Majesty's Course in England) offer unique challenges to tackle.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)Overall, if you liked the original Let's Golf, Let's Golf 2 adds optimized graphics, more courses, more characters with unique skills, and enough features to make it worth the $4.99 price tag. Even if you never played the original, this game will be fun for any golf fan. If the company gets the online component working, maybe I'll look you on the course!
28 Jul 2010, 7:14 pm | click here to view more
Safari 5.0.1 update fixes black Mail backgrounds, autofill, and more
Apple has released an update to Safari 5, which addresses a number of issues with the initial release, including the problem with black backgrounds appearing when generating mail attachments with scripts, and the potential security vulnerability with autofill that was recently uncovered. In addition, the program has a built-in link to Apple's new extensions gallery for people to download and install extensions.
The update is a 47MB download and is available through Software Update or as a standalone installer from the following web page:
In addition to the black background bug (which Apple mentions again in this knowledgebase article), Apple has fixed the recent autofill bug that posed a security threat for websites that could automatically receive personal information from the user's address book, so if you have turned off autofill because of previous reports, you can turn it back on after applying the 5.0.1 update. Other security fixes in this update are listed in this security bulletin regarding the update.
In addition to the security fixes, Apple addressed compatibility issues with various websites including RollingStone.com, Facebook.com, and Crateandbarrel.com when using Safari Reader, Flash, and when performing other functions like printing.
The Extensions gallery is quite intuitive, and installing extensions is as easy as browsing for them and then clicking the "Install" button. Once clicked, the extension will appear in the Safari toolbar immediately and be ready for use. While extensions can easily be installed through the gallery, the only way to manage and remove them is through the Safari preferences section for the extensions.
A full list of the changes in this update are the following:
New Features:
Customize Safari with features created by third-party developers Find extensions in the Safari Extensions Gallery, accessible from the Safari menu and extensions.apple.com
Fixes:
More accurate Top Hit results in the Address Field
More accurate timing for CSS animations
Better stability when using the Safari Reader keyboard shortcut
Better stability when scrolling through MobileMe Mail
Fixes display of multipage articles from www.rollingstone.com in Safari Reader
Fixes an issue that prevented Google Wave and other websites using JavaScript encryption libraries from working correctly on 32-bit systems
Fixes an issue that prevented Safari from launching on Leopard systems with network home directories
Fixes an issue that could cause borders on YouTube thumbnails to disappear when hovering over the thumbnail image
Fixes an issue that could cause Flash content to overlap with other content on www.facebook.com, www.crateandbarrel.com, and other sites when using Flash 10.1
Fixes an issue that prevented boarding passes from www.aa.com from printing correctly
Fixes an issue that could cause DNS prefetching requests to overburden certain routers
Fixes an issue that could cause VoiceOver to misidentify elements of webpages
For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit this site: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
Apple has also released Safari 4.1.1 for Tiger users, which fixes similar problems and can be downloaded via Software Update or from this web page.
Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or email us!
Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
Originally posted at MacFixIt
28 Jul 2010, 8:43 am | click here to view more
Firefox Home for iPhone, Firefox Sync see fixes
Updates to the Firefox Home app for iPhone and to the Firefox Sync add-on for Firefox (Windows|Mac) fix the top three problems users reported for each program, says Mozilla.
The new version of Firefox Home (1.0.1), a companion app for the Firefox browser on iPhone, now supports usernames with upper-case letters for logging in to the URL viewer.
It also inserts a help button on the log-in page that will link you to common troubleshooting tips. The final addition is a set of mistake notifications that Mozilla hopes will explain application errors with more clarity when they do occur.
The update hadn't appeared in the App Store on our iPhone at the time of writing.
Since Firefox Home is essentially an iPhone-flavored offshoot of the Firefox Sync service, Mozilla made some changes to that program a well. Firefox Sync 1.4.3 is now able to complete a first-time sync even if you're browsing in Private mode, a significant addition.
The update also corrects a problem with multibyte characters in passwords. Lastly, it adds a sync indicator on the interface to let you know your status, and how much time you have left to sync your history, bookmarks, and open tabs.
You can update Firefox Sync through the add-ons submenu in Firefox.
Firefox Sync stores data about your browsing history, bookmarks, and open browser tabs online. Firefox Home is the iPhone arm of the service that lets you access those URLs from your iPhone, as a way to keep time searching over again for links to your favorite sites. Using Firefox Home on the iPhone requires you to first run Firefox Sync for the Firefox browser.
Keep in mind that Firefox Home isn't itself a browser, though it does use the Apple-approved WebKit viewer to display your stored URLs. You can also open those sites in the iPhone's default Safari browser.
Originally posted at iPhone Atlas
29 Jul 2010, 5:55 pm | click here to view more
Are family tracking apps a good idea?
Family Tracker lets you keep tabs on iPhone-packing family members--or just your possess iPhone.
(Credit: LogSat Software LLC)Like iHound before it, Family Tracker was a fairly useless iPhone app until iOS 4 and multitasking came along. Now the app offers a fairly effective way for you to keep tabs on iPhone-carrying family members.
The question is, should you?
Family Tracker works much like the locator services carriers such as AT&T and Verizon have offered for years. In a nutshell, the app transmits GPS location data from the iPhone. Anyone you authorize can monitor the phone's location via a Web browser or another iPhone.
Shades of Big Brother, right? Yes and no. I can recall numerous times when my wife and kids were tardy coming home--and she wasn't answering her phone, usually because she couldn't hear it ringing. This resulted in a lot of extra worrying on my part.
If she'd had Family Tracker, I could have fired up my Web browser and seen that they were on their way home, not overturned in a ditch.
And what parent wouldn't relax easier knowing a bit more about the whereabouts of their kids? Especially kids who have to receive themselves home from school, who borrow the car, who are out tardy with friends, and so on.
But do apps like this represent an invasion of privacy? A few months back, I was running every over town to plan a surprise party for the missus. What if she'd been monitoring my location? At the very least she'd have been suspicious, and at worst it would have blown the surprise. Let's face it: sometimes you want to keep a low profile, even when family is involved.
This gray area is definitely open for debate, but one thing is certain: Family Tracker is an awesome deal. You pay only a one-time fee of $3.99 for the app.
Verizon's Family Locator service, in comparison, costs $9.99 per month, while AT&T's similar FamilyMap adds a whopping $14.99 to your monthly tab. (To be fair, both carriers' services offer a few features not found in Family Tracker, such as automated arrival and departure notifications from the "trackee.")
Another perk: Family Tracker pulls double duty as a lost-iPhone locator. That's because it works much like the aforementioned iHound, pinpointing your phone's location on a map. However, there are some battery-life concerns, so be sure to read the product description and user comments before buying in.
And let's hear your thoughts on the whole concept of apps like this. Are they a good idea? An invasion of privacy? A little of both?
Originally posted at iPhone Atlas
28 Jul 2010, 2:46 pm | click here to view more
New Search Results, from Technorati and Ingboo
Technorati and Ingboo have partnered together to provide an every new nice of subscription experience for Technorati content, including search results. Look for a blue Ingboo icon for a full range of subscription options.
Feeds are also available for:
Latest Original Articles from Technorati
We also have channel feeds, writer feeds, and tag feeds, which can be found on their respective pages.
4 Mar 2010, 5:00 pm | click here to view more
Start My Day lets you be lazy, but needs to stop slacking
(Credit:
Screenshot by Polina Polishchuk/CNET)
If you are like me, you have trouble pouring a cup of water in the morning, let alone hastily navigating through what seems like an endless stream of computer programs and sites. Start My Day is a desktop application that is supposed to clear your computer's morning fog by opening your selected favorite programs, Web sites, and music simultaneously. Though its main function is useful, the program has multiple bugs that make it less than satisfactory.
Once SMD is open, two messages will pop up before the application is visible. The first states that the "publisher cannot be verified," which you can pick not to look again, and the other message reads, "unhandled exception has occurred in your application." You can disregard this curious message by clicking "continue." To add programs, Web sites, and music for SMD to run simultaneously, simply click on the respective tab and select "add." When you want to run the programs, click "run every." Before they start, a message will appear saying "cannot start processes," even though they start moments after.
The program is extremely intuitive, but it has problems with some of its attributes. A function that would have been useful is the option to set an alarm for SMD to start running. This does not work. However, there is an option to run SMD upon computer start-up.
If or when the publishers decide to fix the over glitches, Start My Day will be extremely useful. For now, the option to run multiple programs at the same time is handy, but the random messages are frustrating.
28 Jul 2010, 6:54 pm | click here to view more
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BlackBerry App World 2.0 beta arrives for some
BlackBerry-maker RIM has certainly been scrambling to generate excitement over the next stages of its smartphone development and operating system release. First there were the video sneak peeks, a couple of new services (here and here), and the invitation to a press event to show off a mystery device, and a preview of the 6.0 home screen.
(Credit:
RIM/BlackBerry)
Now, RIM has started giving out beta versions of BlackBerry App World 2.0, the next generation of its application storefront, to a waiting list.
Among other feature enhancements, App World 2.0 will introduce an option to bill your phone operator or your credit card instead of to only purchase apps through PayPal. This is a personal favorite of ours, though we're also looking forward to scanning QR codes. While BlackBerry already does this in its BlackBerry Messenger app--a free BlackBerry-to-BlackBerry instant messenger--to swap user details, the new implementations will broaden its QR code-scanning to incorporate apps and URLs, similar to Google's compatibility with its barcode scanner.
Also notable will be the BlackBerry ID that will connect your app downloads and purchases to a larger user account that will overarch your entire BlackBerry experience--though we wish not in a Big Brother way.
Make sure you also check out our run-down of these upcoming features and more for BlackBerry App World 2.0. You can also receive a glimpse in the gallery below.
29 Jul 2010, 7:49 pm | click here to view more
Google licensing changes could cap Android piracy
(Credit:
CNET)
While it's easy slinging arrows at Apple for its closed and tightly-controlled iPhone App Store, there's something to be said for its security.
Google's Android operating system has long faced more complicated concerns with its much freer application approval process, its openness to side-loaded apps (installing apps via APK files that you receive through some source other than the Android Market), plus having users root the platform to take control over certain internal system processes.
The "unauthorized" use of apps was a concern that application developers repeatedly brought to Google's attention, the company said in a blog post. Copying the app to the SD card and then demanding a refund is only one method of abuse, though developers have likely seen them every.
In this mobile climate, the platform with the most or most popular apps can highly influence user perceptions, if not outright sway a person's decision about which smartphone to buy. It's therefore in the best interests of both Google and the developers to provide a more surefire method for protecting paid Market content, to ensure that developers receive paid and want to continue supporting Android.
Enter Google's new licensing service, which Google hopes to phase in as a replacement for the current copy-protection scheme "over the next few months." The new mechanism runs in real-time, with a server receiving requests to verify that an app was legitimately purchased through the Android Market. (Developers can check out more of the technical specifics here.)
There are still outstanding questions that will either be addressed by Google, or by consumers' usage over time, like how the the verification process might hinder user flow (Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage comes to mind).
Joining the new copy-protection program is free for developers of paid applications running on Android 1.5 and up, though developers will have to use a tad more elbow grease in preparing their code. In addition, the new license server, which is operational now, won't be able to retroactively verify the premium apps already in the Android Market. It will, however, be able to weigh in on participating developers' apps going forward.
[Via MobileCrunch and Engadget]
Originally posted at Android Atlas
28 Jul 2010, 3:31 pm | click here to view more
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