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Apple relents, allows cash for iPads
Good news, everyone! In response to the public outcry over Apple's no-cash-for-iPad policy, Apple has relented. You will now be able to purchase iPads in-store using cash and gift cards. Yes, you'll also have to set up a traceable Apple account at the same time, but the lack of credit or debit card will no longer bar the sale of iPads to consumers. Apple's controversial (although not illegal in most states) no-cash policy for the iPad was introduced to limit gray-market iPad redistribution. The demand for iPads remains high world-wide, and as the eBay iPad site shows, there's money to be made for anyone willing to part with their new electronic friend. It's kind of like Terry Pratchett's notion of "negotiable affection." Sure, you love the iPad -- but there's no question that it's profitable to share that love with others. Under Apple's new rules, you will still be limited to two-device-purchases per user. You'll be able to pay for those two devices using an expanded payment vocabulary, but Apple intends to firmly enforce its existing allocation control measures. So Apple will ban any customer it finds purchasing too many iPads -- even if you are picking that extra one up for a colleague or a gift. Thanks, Sara Bueno
Should the ESRB be on the App Store?
Here's an interesting topic of discussion from Slide to Play: Now that Apple seems to be going all-in on gaming with its Game Center app, should the Entertainment Software Ratings Board start looking at App Store games? The ESRB is the self-regulatory industry group that's responsible for passing out game ratings to game developers, and marking whether games are appropriate or inappropriate for younger gamers. So far, they've been pretty hands off on the App Store, relying instead on iTunes' Application Ratings to let consumers determine what's right for them. However, gaming on the App Store is getting bigger, and the ESRB has already shown interest in looking at App Store apps. Personally, I don't think this is needed; the App Store environment is already held down with an iron grip by Apple's editors, and if anything, it's probably too sensitive. Besides, as a former GameStop manager, I can confirm that the ESRB's ratings had little to no effect on most purchasing decisions in my store. Any parent who's responsible enough to monitor their child's game playing can probably already tell, even without an explicit rating, what's appropriate and what isn't. On the flip side of the argument , though, it could be said that if Apple wants to be one of the big boys in gaming, it should play by the big rules. What do you all think?
iPad tech specs reveal Cortex A8, 256MB Ram, PowerVR SGX 535
Now that the iPad has been out and tested for a few days, developers have a much better idea of what's exactly under that perfectly-formed hood. Turns out the A4 processor is modeled on the Cortex A8, a fact which was not only expected, but gives a little extra credence to the theory that chipmaker Intrinsity (who are behind the A8) was recently purchased by Apple. Elsewhere on the iPad, you can find the same PowerVR SGX 535 GPU and 256MB RAM that can be seen in the iPhone 3GS. But apparently the whole is better than the parts -- our buddy Craig Hockenberry sat down last weekend and did some serious benchmarking, and found that the iPad is actually many times faster than the iPhone 3GS at all sorts of tasks. As Craig said, this is doubly remarkable when you think about it: not only did they get these kinds of speed improvements in just a matter of years, but they've increased the battery life as well. Apple's purchase of PA Semi (and possibly Intrinsity) and their commitment to make their own chips has paid off in spades already. In other words, the hardware tells us what we already knew about the iPad: it's a beautiful and amazing device. And since there is so much shared hardware, it'll be interesting to see what kinds of speeds we get out of the next version of the iPhone. Lots of these changes and updates in the hardware seem directly transferable right back there.
Three ways to score an iPad, even if you didn't reserve on time
You've finally made up your mind. You want an iPad; you need an iPad; you are totally getting an iPad. Just one problem: You waited too long. You didn't get your reservation in on time and now you can't pre-order. So what can you do? Apple is no longer accepting day-of-release reservations; they simply don't have the stock to guarantee April 3rd shipments. Are you out of luck? Is there nothing left to be done? Worry not. TUAW has been hard at work figuring out the best strategies you can use to get a beautiful shiny new iPad into your hot sweaty little hands without breaking the law, clicking on a flashing "Win an iPad!!!1!!11" advertising banner, or committing armed robbery. Here are three practical ways you might yet be able to score an iPad on the 3rd. 1. Call your local Best Buy to see if they're stocking iPad units Start with Best Buy. All the Best Buy stores that have Apple Solutions Consultants and Apple in-store Mini Stores will be carrying 15 pads per store. You can check the Best Buy website to find out whether your local store is part of in this ASC program (search by state in the middle of the page, look for the stores marked with a *); if so, call to confirm stock on the 3rd. It may even be worth your while camping out at an ASC store with a nice McBreakfast early on the morning of the 3rd, in the anticipation that each store really gets its 15 units. There are approximately 675 iPad-friendly Best Buys out there; let your fingers do the walking and be ready to linewait or dash out early Saturday morning. 2. Call your local Apple Store to find out when they will release their reserved iPads Current reports suggest that reserved iPads remaining unpurchased will be released to sale at 3:00 pm local time, on a per-store basis. Check with your local store now, or on the day of, and find out when that actual time will be. If you haven't managed to do a Best Buy deal by early afternoon of the 3rd, you may want to grab some lattes around 2:30 pm (assuming a 3 pm release) and hang out at the Apple Store, waiting for one of those units to come free. If you have several stores nearby, check at 1 pm to find the store that has the most "not yet picked up" units. It wouldn't hurt if you showed up with a tray of, say, chocolate chip cookies or brownies for the Apple Store employees. Just saying. [Don't really bring cookies. –Ed.] For all you know, the store reps might simply say "Come on over, we have some for immediate purchase" when you call. Some stores are expecting (according to anonymous TUAW tipsters) a 10% "bump" in stock quantities, especially in large cities like New York and San Francisco. It is unlikely that any store will reveal their bump in advance, so these are calls you really need to make on the afternoon of the 3rd itself. 3. Buy one off someone else at the store. There's a fair number of people who reserved two units, deciding to wait until the last minute to choose which model they would settle on. Find someone who is only going to buy one of their two reserved units and offer them a little financial incentive to let you get in on the second. You can hover at the store on the day to try to find someone (a big "Reserved 2? Only want 1?" sign might help) or, you can track down a "reserved but will not buy the second unit" partner over Craigslist in advance. It will probably cost you less than you'd expect and you won't have to wait until the end of the day for a reserve unit release. Make your offer attractive (at least a nice iTunes gift card) but not desperate. You don't want to plant seeds of doubt as to how much that second unit would fetch on eBay. Alternatively, catch your consumer on the way out, instead of the way in. If you're frantic for your iPad, if money is no object, how about offering people departing the store more than what they paid? The real-world cost plus a small (or large) bonus might swing the deal. As Joshua Topolsky from our sister site Engadget puts it, "If someone offered me double, I probably would take it." And he's a tech geek! What would Joe or Jane Normal Consumer say? They'd probably say yes. Figure out exactly what a day-of-release iPad is worth to you. Doing a departing-the-store deal might just snag you the unit you're after. Thank you, TUAW tipsters (both anonymous and, um, nonymous).
I'm OK, You're OK: It's cool to be an early iPad adopter
The early adopter tax, along with any associated tech risks, has not escaped the notice of most tech enthusiasts. In the end, it's not much of a factor. We don't buy early because it's a good deal. We don't buy early because it's fiscally sound. We buy early because the technology is cool and we simply cannot or do not want to wait for our preciousssssss to finally come home with us. We are the People Who Stand In Line. In my case, this is a hereditary condition. I blame my father, who would bring home the latest gadgets to an adoring family. We'd gather around the latest technology, glowing in its radiance, having an utter blast using toys that no one had ever heard of, let alone bought. We were the first family on the block (and possibly in the state) to have a microwave, a fax machine (the size, may I point out, of a small car), a personal computer, or a hand-held programmable calculator. It wasn't just cool. It was awesome. Thank you Dad, for being an early adopter. Thank you for showing me the way of the technology geek. Thank you for teaching me that you have to live life in the moment -- because if you don't seize today and play with it, tomorrow will never come. Sure, something better and cheaper is always going to come along some day. Sure, the bugs will work their way out and the prices will work their way down. But if you don't hop aboard the adoption train, you're never going to get to Techsville. Me? I'm going to buy a first-day ticket and have my fun from the get-go.
Ngmoco cancels Rolando 3, says it can't fit into a free-to-play model
Here's some unfortunate news out of Ngmoco: The company tells IGN that while there was a Rolando 3 (the second sequel to the very popular and excellent rolling iPhone platformer) in progress, the game has been essentially canceled, and will never see release in its current form. Why? The second game wasn't exactly a sales success (though Ngmoco's Neil Young admits "it's done fine"), and it was that lack of a big splash that made Ngmoco turn the corner into "freemium," or the model of releasing free games that offer in-app purchases for premium content. They've had a lot of success with their Eliminate Pro shooter, and they want to adapt that model for all games: get a few hits for free, spend some real money on in-app purchases for the rest. And apparently when they couldn't bring that model over to Rolando 3, they scrapped the title. That's a real shame -- not every game on the App Store has to be a runaway hit, and Rolando 3 seems like a perfect candidate for the "slow burn"; release it at a price of $5 or $6, and just let it sit there as an example of great gaming on the iPhone (and the upcoming iPad). But Ngmoco has made their decision, and Rolando 3 is no more. They say the series isn't gone for good -- if they can figure out a way to do "freemium" with Rolando, we could see the roly poly guys on the iPhone again. You'd think that paying for a level or two at a time would work just fine, but who knows what Ngmoco's reasoning is on this. If I get a chance to talk with them at next month's GDC, I'll ask. [via Joystiq] Update: Reader Zyber sent us a petition he's started to try and get the game released. Online petitions aren't exactly proven to be effective, but we'll throw our support behind it just the same.
Online iPhone sales return to NYC
As Engadget is reporting, New York City residents can get back to buying their iPhones via AT&T's website after the strange outage that seemed to start yesterday kept them from doing so. It's been a rollercoaster of a story -- first we heard that they weren't being sold at all because of coverage issues, and then that was clarified to just online sales and only because of fraudulent online ordering. But as we predicted on the talkcast last night, AT&T didn't hold off on sales for long, and everything should be now back to normal. Unfortunately, we never actually heard what the fraud was, but that's not too surprising -- if there was a way to defraud AT&T's ordering process, it's unlikely they'd shout it from the rooftops anyway. And it's also not likely that we'll never know how many customers were actually affected. NYC is a big city, but there's no way we'll see official numbers on how many people couldn't buy iPhones because of the steps taken the other night. Considering that iPhone sales are off the charts in most markets anyway, it's doubtful that online sales in NYC missing for a day or two would make a dent in the numbers. In other words, nothing to see here. But just in case you were in NYC and trying desperately to buy an iPhone via the AT&T site last night, you can now go to it.
Poll: What part of your home theater is getting upgraded this holiday season?
Blame Christmas Creep (© Tuesday Morning Quarterback), but we're already getting our Black Friday (R.I. P. KURO Friday) attack plan laid out. With prices diving and features spreading on Blu-ray players, receivers, LCDs and plasmas -- remember when a $1,000 42-inch 1024x768 plasma was a big deal? -- we figure you must have an idea of a big ticket item getting replaced in the next few months. Poll choices are for which component is getting added/swapped out sooner rather than later, let us know what product you're waiting for a price drop on in the comments. %Poll-35388%
Uplay brings 'confluence' to Ubisoft titles
Ubisoft has just revealed a web-based service called Uplay, set to come out by the end of the year, that will enable people playing their games to connect up and share media, make purchases, and download game information, all through a standardized cross-game interface. It will premiere in their games later this year and will hope to accomplish Ubisoft's stated goal of "confluence": connecting developers with players and gamers with each other completely inside of the game menus themselves.We're skeptical, but they haven't pulled back the curtain on what exactly it will offer Ubisoft fans yet. But we'll find out by the holidays, as the first games to support Uplay will be Splinter Cell: Conviction, Avatar, and Assassin's Creed 2.
Breakfast Topic: A waste of money
Aysel is a little ashamed about spending 1000g on a title, though she shouldn't be -- "of the Shattered Sun" is as honorable a title as any other, and if you've got the money to get it, more power to you (though her suggestion that her guildies call her AOTSS is pretty funny).But I like her other question better: what's the dumbest thing you've ever spent a bunch of ingame gold on? My waste of money is probably more of a mistake than an actual embarrassment -- I remember spending a good 100g to outfit my level 40 Mage in the shiniest stuff I could find on the AH, including a couple of world drops and the whole shabang. I had in mind that I was going to take her all the way to 70 -- and then I think I never played her again. What a waste.I'm sure you all have better stories, though -- ever accidentally dropped a lot of cash on something you couldn't actually use, or splurge on an item that was a little silly, just so you could have it? What's the most money you've ever wasted on anything in the game, and what did you buy?
DS Daily: Recent purchases
We're gonna guess that you haven't bought an actual DS lately, since they're sold out most places we look (seems to be a trend for Nintendo), but we still like to keep up with the games you're picking up. Taken advantage of any great sales or preorder bonuses lately? Just picked up a game because you had to have it? What have you bought recently? Since there haven't been a lot of big releases (but that is changing, as of right about ... now), we're curious what you've done to tide yourself over in the last month or so. Or, if you're not buying games, are you buying accessories? We've been doing a lot of cooing over various cases lately here at the DSF offices.Also, we always like any excuse to watch this. Sure, it's not from a DS game, but hey, who's drawing battle lines between various Nintendo products here? Not us!
Apple patent reveals plans for more iPhone wifi purchases
I'd just like to say that I called it. Way back earlier this year when Apple first announced that you'd be able to use your iPhone to buy iTunes songs at Starbucks, I commented that this was only the beginning, and now Forbes publishes news about a patent that confirms exactly that: Apple is working on other ways to sell downloads (and even merchandise) on the spot to iPhone users.Imagine being at the movie theater, really liking the film's soundtrack, and having the ability to buy it on your iPhone with a click. Or ordering your latte from your seat at the internet cafe. Or hitting a button to buy something with your credit card at an electronics store, and then having it waiting at the entrance when you leave.All of these things are possible, providing that a) companies are willing to install the infrastructure in the store, and b) Apple is willing to create the software for the iPhone. Given the prices involved, it'll obviously only start with large chains-- you won't be able to walk into your neighborhood grocery store and do it right away. But there is money to be made here, and if Apple can find common ground with retailers we'll see the Starbucks deal happen in more places for sure.[Via Macrumors.com]
Wii Warm Up: Raw numbers
Here's one we're curious about -- how many games, on average, do you buy per year? Not just for the Wii or Nintendo systems, but overall? We're not talking about rentals, either, or games borrowed from friends, but rather the number of games you purchase for yourself or receive as asked-for gifts. With all the chatter about whether or not there are enough "quality" games on the Wii, we think this is an important part of the discussion. So c'mon -- discuss!
EA buys Bioware, their MMO delayed
Shocker! Huge videogame publisher EA purchased a company called VG Holding Corp. this afternoon, which suddenly means that the company that makes Madden and the company that made Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights are now one and the same! Both BioWare and Pandemic Studios are apparently held by VG Holding Corp, which means EA now owns them both.And while it means we don't quite know what's happening to BioWare's Mass Effect (one hopes it doesn't become Mass Effect 2008, with new TrueTouch roleplaying), it also means BioWare's planned MMO is being pushed back. While EA plans to get 10 titles out of the two game makers (the BioWare we know couldn't make 5 titles in 4 years if their life depended on it), the MMO is being pushed to "more towards the back end of the schedule," which puts it around 2011.Personally, for the sake of my sanity, I'm going to have a little more faith in EA than I would if you'd hypothesized this to me yesterday. I love BioWare and their games (all the way back to Baldur's Gate), and I can only hope that they'll stand strong against EA, and choose quality over quantity, a choice that EA seems to make wrongly time and time again. BioWare will still be BioWare, right? Right?... Right?
iPod touch 101: Free Tuesday selections on the wireless store
The secret to using the iTunes wireless store resides on your personal computer. Log into your iTunes account before you sync your iPod touch. The mobile music store then uses your account information from iTunes to facilitate your purchases. To take advantage of the iTunes weekly freebies, point Mobile Safari to the most recent TUAW freebies post. Tap on any of the links. Your iPod touch launches the mobile music store and loads a page containing the free selection. Tap the "free" button next to the item you wish to purchase. The button turns green and the label updates to read "Buy Now". Tap it. Using an adorable animation, the song "jumps" into your downloads folder. The touch prompts you for your password. When you enter it, the download begins.
DS Daily: How many?
No, not how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop -- but if you want to share your results, go right ahead; we'll compare notes. We want to know how many games you've bought this year for your DS. Further, how many more do you plan to buy? Be realistic ... most of us want more than we can actually afford, but if you can afford them all, well ... good for you.Can we borrow a couple?
The Tao of iTunes credits
Apple has a support article up today discussing how and in which order your iTunes Store credits get redeemed. Here's the run-down in a nutshell: If you have a free song credit from, for example, a Coke or Pepsi promotion and you're buying a song, that credit gets used first. It doesn't matter what other credits or allowances you have in your account. Buy a song, use the song credit. Gift certificates, prepaid cards and allowances form the second line of use. If you're buying an album (can't apply free song credits to albums), or if you've used up all your free song credits, these credits get used. If the cost of your items is less than your credits, you're done and dandy. If not, the balance moves up to your credit card. Your credit card only gets charged after you've exhausted all these other kinds of credits, and only for the remaining balance after applying the free songs, certificates, cards and allowances to your purchase. The credit card is basically the last line of defense, picking up any extra billing at the end of the purchase.
HP buying VoodooPC
With its high-profile XPS line and recent purchase of boutique gaming house Alienware, for awhile it looked like Dell would be the only major PC manufacturer willing to cater to serious gamers. Not anymore. In a move that caught everyone, including us, completely by surprise (you'll notice the lack of backlinks to any rumor posts about this), HP announced today that it will acquire Alienware rival VoodooPC for an undisclosed sum. After the deal closes -- following the usual regulatory rigmarole -- HP will form a new business unit dedicated to gaming in its Personal Systems Group, with Voodoo co-owners (and brothers) Rahul and Ravi Sood assuming the roles of Chief Technologist and Director of Strategy, respectively. As you're probably aware, the acquisition comes at somewhat of a turbulent time for HP: not only is the company still reeling from the bruising merger with Compaq under former CEO Carly Fiorina, it's currently undergoing unwanted public and governmental scrutiny over the so-called "pretexting" scandal that led to the recent resignation of chairwoman Patricia Dunn. Although we doubt that the Voodoo deal is going to make everyone forget about the alleged spying that has occurred, it's nice to know that once HP finally puts this ugly mess behind it, consumers (especially gamers) can expect to benefit from some hot products and lower pricing that can only be realized now that Dell has some real competition on its hands. [Warning: PDF link]
iTunes 7 music purchases don't play on iTunes phones?
A reader linked us to an Apple Discussion thread where a number of users have listed problems with playing purchases from the iTS through iTunes 7 on their Motorola SLVR and ROKR iTunes phones. It seems these users can play regular music they ripped from CDs, as well as purchases made through iTunes 6 - just not songs bought through the new iTunes 7. The thread hasn't reached biblical lengths just yet, but there are enough comments on the thread that I felt it warranted a post at TUAW.One commenter posted a link to this Apple Support doc which offers instructions for when this same problems happens to an iPod, and some of the procedures can easily be adopted for an iTunes phone (such as restoring/erasing the phone and deauthorizing, then reauthorizing iTunes). However, some users have already commented that the doc's solutions aren't fixing the issue either.Are any readers experiencing the same hiccup? If you have any thoughts on what's going on, please share your thoughts in the comments and, if you're up to the task, drop the frustrated peeps over in Apple's Discussion thread a line too. I'm sure they'll appreciate it.Thanks Anthony
