Review: Harry Potter Spells iPhone App Is Magical, If Imperfect

To satisfy millions of people’s desires to be able to cast spells like harry potter, an iPhone application was created. It is called Harry Potter Spells, and can be purchased on the iTunes store for $2.99.

The game starts off by having the player enter their name, and just like in the series, he is given a suitable wand. Next, the player is sorted into one of the four a Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. After the player has finished that, he may proceed to lean spells.

There are fourteen possible spells, which the player has to unlock one at a time by successfully learning the previous spell. A spell is cast by making a particular motion with the iPhone which is unique to every spell. Apparently the games instructions for spell casting are not so clear, so a video was made to clear up all uncertainties. Finally, once the player has learned all fourteen spells, he can start to duel. Two players can play against each other if they both have the application. But if not, the player can still play against a CPU.

Each spell has an individual animation to it. As a spell is cast, its animation is played and a British female voice recites its name, just as they do in the series. However if the player is is unhappy with the default voice, he can record himself saying them.

By releasing this application, apple is getting closer to fulfilling its saying: “there’s an App for everything”. The application world has gone from reality into fantasy. By having such a broad spectrum of applications signifies society’s application of technology to most factors of life. As we accommodate to these accessories we create dependencies, which may lead to difficulties if in some point in the future if we run out of resources to continue spending on luxurious cell phones.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/11/review-harry-potter-spells-iphone-app-is-magical-if-imperfect

Google Chrome OS: Ditch Your Hard Drives, the Future Is the Web

For some time now we have been hearing of Google’s plans to create their own computer operating server (OS). Yesterday, Google released more information on its upcoming Google Chrome OS. Unlike Microsoft Windows, Chrome OS will not be available for download or installation, bit instead will be pre-installed netbooks, whose maker(s) are still unknown. Netbooks are a fairly new concept. They are a sort of mini laptop, whose main focus is to browse the internet. Introduced into in 2008, netbooks have been a big hit, resulting in 35 million units shipped in 2009. The Chrome too, will be web-based, revolving around the Chrome web browser. However the Chrome OS netbook will distinguish itself by being bigger than most netbooks, being closer to the size of a regular notebook. For file storage, the Chrome OS netbooks will not have hard drives, but instead on flash memory and also internet-based storage. Additionally, all programs will be web-based. This relieves the user from needing to install programs, manage updates or backup their data. Google claims the user will not even have to bother with anti-virus software; it will monitor code to prevent malicious activity in Chrome OS web apps. The Google Chrome OS netbook will have a sensational start up time of approximately 7 seconds. Their vice president of product management quoted: “We want Google Chrome OS to be blazingly fast … to boot up like a TV”. The Google Chrome OS netbook will be released in late 2010. Price wise Google estimates an average netbook price: between $300 and $500.

By realizing the Chrome OS netbook idea, we are shown that technology is slowly moving towards being almost entirely web based. This is of upmost significance, because the web has also shown its flaws. The Internet is very malleable; things come and go before you can even refresh the page. This results in valuable documents, pictures or videos being lost forever. Although an approach to a web based future has its negative aspects, I am sure those problems will be addressed so that technology will have a brighter future.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/11/google-chrome-os-ditch-your-hard-drives-the-future-is-the-web/

Terrifying Cheetah-Inspired ‘Bicycle’

Ever dreamed of running like a cheetah? Well, Pablo Lopez did, and the aspiration resulted in an inspiration to design the Pardo. The Pardo, short for quepardo which means cheetah, is a human powered tricycle which is designed to imitate the movement and feeling of a cheetah.

The pedal system of the Pardo has the rider pump both legs simultaneously. Overall the contracting and expanding motion resembles that of a cheetah. Yet the methods for steering are questionable.

Contrary to some people’s assumptions, this vehicle is not intended as a transport system such as a bicycle, but more as an extreme sport. Pablo Lopez stated: "My main goal is transmitting and creating sensations,”.

This new innovation definitely does intrigue me, since as a kid I did have a fascination for the cheetah, the fastest animal on earth. I definitely want to try out a Pardo, but sadly it is not out on the market yet. I don’t believe that when released, it will invade the transport market; however it might become a popular outdoor activity. The Pardo reminds me a lot of the Wave Board, since both are similar to a popular vehicle and both try to create a sensation of something totally different.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/11/terrifying-cheetah-inspired-bicycle/

TomTom XL 340S GPS

Tom Tom has released its new middle-priced GPS navigation system, XL 340S. It is packed with innovative and exciting features. First of all, for only 13 dollars one can change the default voice to that of a celebrity such as Mr. T (imagine being told in Mr. T’s inimitable voice: “I pity the fool who doesn’t take the next right on the road”). The downs-side is that by switching to a celebrity voice, one loses the text-to-speech capability. For some users this may not be a major loss.

To prevent the vexing uncertainty of in which lane to be on a highway, Tom Tom developed Advanced Lane Guidance. This feature notifies the driver well ahead of time about the lane to occupy in order to be ready for the next step in the driving itinerary.

Another new addition is the modified route planning feature, IQ Routes. Most route planners when calculating the fastest route only take the road’s speed limit into account. IQ Routes also takes traffic conditions into consideration. This helps prevent the driver ending up on a highway that is inflicted with bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The 340S has its own software, facilitating the connection to the car’s already existing GPS. This allows for adding maps, planning routes, updating the GPS and installing new voices.

One truly useful feature, “Help Me!” quickly locates nearby emergency service.

All these extra goodies add up to a satisfying product for which its price tag of $250 price tag is quite digestible.

The launch of this new product marks a further positive step in the development of affordable, but sophisticated GPS navigation systems for the average consumer.

http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/pr_tomtom_xl340s

Beatles Catalog Goes Digital, Inside a Plastic Apple

Nowadays, online music stores such as iTunes dominate the music industry. CDs are becoming less popular because of their digital rivals. Usually, digital music is downloaded from these online music stores (or regrettably by using illegal programs such as LimeWire) directly onto the computer. EMI has come up with a novel approach. It is now selling the Beatles catalog on an apple-shaped USB stick.
One might think that such an innovation is pointless. After all one could always simply download the Beatles’ music from iTunes, buy their CDs, or even find illegal copies somewhere online. However, EMI’s plastic apple provides several distinct advantages. The content is quite impressive. It contains 14 albums, documentary films, photos, cover art and liner notes. The music itself is in a DRM free, lossless FLAC format and it is 24-bit, which is better than CD.
Thirty thousand of these special Beatles catalogs will come on the market on December 7th. Despite the considerable content these catalogs are expected to sell for less than $300. Overall this product is original and will satisfy any Beatles fan.
The idea of selling music-filled USB sticks is innovative and compelling. With this, one can pass on music to friends legally, and save it onto multiple computers. Whether this method will catch on or not, only time can tell.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/11/beatles-catalog-goes-digital-inside-a-plastic-apple/

Review: DJ Hero Celebrates Malleability of Music

We all know Guitar Hero, the game with the guitar-shaped controller and the little colored fret buttons. The developer, Activision, released eleven further versions of the game and sold over 25 million copies with a revenue of 2 billion dollars. Now Activision has come up with a whole new game: DJ Hero.

DJ Hero is out for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2. Unlike Guitar Hero, where the purpose is to simply recite rock songs, DJ Hero is more about “mashups”, which are two songs combined together to create a unique sound.

Just like the Guitar Hero the controller is guitar shaped, the DJ Hero controller is turntable shaped. The plastic turntable comes with three buttons located where the album would be placed on a regular record player. Pressing a disk and spinning it back and forth will make the classic scratching sound. Next to the record player is a tone mixer where the player can slide and fade between tracks.

Disappointingly, the players are not really mixing the song, but simply mimicking what another DJ has already done. The player, as in Guitar Hero, is dictated what to do by so-called “rails”. Yet when the player is the middle of playing, he has the sensation as if he were actually doing the mixing himself.

DJ Hero features celebrity DJs such as Daft Punk, Grandmaster Flash and DJ Shadow. However, their cartoon versions come off rather cheesy.

In the game, there is the additional opportunity to plug in a Guitar Hero controller and play along. Sadly, the mixes give a rather cacophonous effect.

A notable success is the game’s final bonus song, whose scratching portion captures the essence of what DJ Hero is all about.

Quantity wise, the game’s 93-mix set list gives the player a large enough selection. Although the game has issues that clearly need resolution in the next version, it can provide the player with an exciting thrill of “creating” mash-ups.

The release of this game marks the entrance of DJ-ing into the music gaming world. But it is an entrance not without some question marks. Since regular DJ-ing (with record players) is already an electronic activity, DJ Hero is seeking to “game” something that is already electronic (this is different, for example, than when sports are turned into an electronic game). Whether this will come through to all the gaming public or even Guitar Hero players, is not clear. Possible, however, is that some within the public, particularly younger teenagers who have never tried real DJ-ing, just the video game imitations. Those that might get hooked on DJ Hero will get a false sense of developing a skill for true DJ-ing. Instead what they will be developing is a skill for a poor second-best. Like Guitar Hero the consequence will be a generation that plays a look-a-like when, instead, they could be playing the real thing. An alternative view is that some who try DJ Hero may become so fascinated with DJ-ing that they will try the real thing. Overall, DJ Hero’s entrance into the gaming world is a step, but into what direction?

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/10/dj-hero-review/