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My cat Cinnamon reviews Friskies Cat Fishing 2
Cinnamon isn't the smartest cat on the block. He's adorable, a little bit chubby, and remarkably cuddly, but he's also a bit of an idiot. He eats his brother's food even though we yell at him every single day, he chews on power cords despite being shocked and nearly killed by one, and if you leave a dryer sheet in the laundry room he'll consume it whole. That being said, he's also an extremely skilled hunter that can snatch a house fly out of the air and jump 5+ feet up a wall to go after a laser pointer. So when I noticed that Friskies had launched a new version of its Cat Fishing app -- which Cinnamon had taken a great liking to years ago -- I decided I'd let him review it. I launched the app, called Cinnamon into the room, and waited for the fireworks to start. But they didn't. My little buddy just sat there and stared at the screen as the colorful fish swam about, with nothing in the way of an instinctual drive to attack. In fact, I think Cinnamon wanted to befriend the fish more than anything. I'm not sure what has changed in either the app or my cat since the original Cat Fishing game sent him swatting at the screen in a furry of hunger and angst, but it's not there anymore. When the app sensed that Cinnamon wasn't paying attention (after 30 seconds without interaction) it meowed loudly in a feeble attempt to elicit a reaction. It got one. Once Cinnamon heard the app's desperate meowing, he decided it was time for a snuggle, and as you can see in the photo at the top, he and my iPad are now best friends. Or they were best friends for roughly 45 seconds, at which point Cinnamon stood up, sneezed onto the screen, locked eyes with me as if to say "I guess you'll be cleaning that up now..." and walked back into the bedroom to fall asleep until dinner. Cinnamon clearly enjoyed his brief time with the app, and although he's too dumb (or too smart?) to go after the digital bait, it's definitely worth your time to download the free app and see if you can fool your own furball.
Caturday: Cat meets iPad meets Caturday photos
Not much is known about this mysterious cat, other than it is the owner of an iPad and a human named Lucy Fleming. But it obviously knows what iPads were expressly designed for: checking out Caturday photos. Do you think a photo of a cat looking at a photo of itself on TUAW's Caturday column would be a little over the top? Just askin'. We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to Lucy Fleming! Image via Instagram.
Space cats render Call of Duty: Ghosts a bit more cuddly-wuddly
The above trailer highlights the numerous new customization options found in Call of Duty: Ghosts, though if you're any sort of legitimate hard-nosed, elite, military killing machine, you'll obviously want to equip yourself in head to toe images of chubby orange cats floating in space. [Image: Activision]
Caturday: Gidget's a loyal TUAW fan!
Gidget is a beautiful cat who just happens to love reading TUAW. Her humans, Marv and Cilla Su, tell the story of Gidget's rescue and her affinity for all things Apple: We'd like to submit a picture of our sweet cat, Gidget. We adopted Gidget as a feral kitten a couple of months ago from the great folks at Feral Cat Foundation ( http://www.feralcatfoundation.org ). Gidget loves iOS devices and Macs, especially when we use them on our bed. She'll purr and purr and rub her cute little face against the edges and screen of an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook - anything as long as it's an Apple product! She's intrigued by the MacBook's fan when it comes on and she's figured out that the pads of her paws can do something when she places them on a MacBook's trackpad. In the picture, Gidget's admiring the TUAW website and mewing, "I love to read the Caturday posts on TUAW!" We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to Gidget, Marv and Cilla Su, and the Feral Cat Foundation!
Firearms, futuristic spaceships and lots of explosions in Naughty Kitties
Naughty Kitties is an action-strategy game that combines two of everyone's favorite things: kittens and high-powered weapons. As the player, you and your cats must keep your spaceship -- yes, spaceship -- alive as it cruises along the skies and takes down alien enemies. Your ship can be defended both by its built-in weapons and your kitties, which can be perched on specials areas of the vessel. Each cat performs a different task -- from firing on enemy ships with rifles or guided missiles, to repairing your own vessel after it's been hit -- and each can only perform their duties for a short period of time before needing a break. The game quickly becomes a focus on resource management as you replace offensive and defensive assets on your ship and activate your large main weapon at certain intervals. It's a mix of tower defense and real-time strategy, and manages to feel fresh and different despite familiar themes. There are a few different game scenarios to tackle and a host of offensive and defensive cats to unlock, along with upgrades for each. It's a very deep game, which you might not assume given its extremely cute animation and overall aesthetic. The game does fall victim to a bit of the "pay to win" mentality with various in-game currency and items available for purchase with real-world cash. I found it quite enjoyable to play without spending a dime, but it's clear that dropping a few bucks will make you more powerful instantly. Naughty Kitties is free, and even if you only play it a few times, it's worth a download. If you're willing to toss a few bucks in, you'll find the game to be a wee bit easier, but it's definitely not required.
Caturday: These cats have their own iPad
TUAW reader Amy Booth-Robinson loves cats and Apple technology; she has nine rescued cats and all of them have become Apple fans just like their mom. Here's what Amy says about the two felines enjoying a game on their iPad: My kitties LOVE my iPad...and my MacBook....and my iMac. This is one of the many photos I have of them using Apple products. This is Riley and Tinky playing one of their games on the iPad. I have several cat games on the iPad, so when I bring it out they think they get to play. I keep the original iPad just for them. It was easier to buy a new one for me than try to try to use it after showing them the kitty games. All 9 kitties are rescues and embrace technology to the fullest. We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to reader Amy Booth-Robinson for sharing the photo and details of her rescue kittehs.
Caturday: Just checkin' emails on the iPad...
Give a kitteh an iPad and a keyboard, and she'll be checking her emails in a heartbeat. That's what TUAW reader Andy Liggins caught his beautiful cat Blue doing... We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to reader Andy Liggins for sharing the photo of Blue with us.
Caturday: Our hearts go out to Pip and her humans
Every once in a while we get an email at TUAW that tugs at our hearts, and today's Caturday entry certainly did that. Here's Pip's story, directly from the keyboard of one of her parents: Our beloved cat that was only 5 years old just died today unexpectedly. Me (Dustin) and my partner (Ian) are completely devastated and heartbroken. Her name is Pip and she had a heart defect and today her heart suddenly stopped. She was such a special feline and there will never be another cat like her. In addition to her love for chasing lasers and stealing potato chips right out of your hand, she also loved soaking up the warmth of her Apple products, in particular my Time Capsule and also my MacBook. Please consider our beautiful girl Pip for your Caturday article this week as a memoriam to her. We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks and our condolences go out to reader Dustin Hawkins for sharing the photos and back story of Pip with us.
Scientists replicate kitty whiskers to help robots 'feel'
Cat whiskers are tremendously sensitive, so much so that cats can navigate around our glassware without sending anything crashing to the floor. It's that sort of sensitivity that a team from the University of California, Berkeley, is trying to replicate to help robots of the future. Ultra-sensitive fibers, made with carbon nanotubes and silver nanoparticles are designed to respond to pressure, helping future hardware navigate difficult and low-visibility environments. Team leader Ali Javey believes that the material is 10 times as sensitive as your smartphone display, and could even be used to track your heartbeat -- so maybe we'll be seeing this stuff getting woven together to make the next generation of connected onesies.
These 3D displays are looking better every day
The depth. The realism. The cuddles. I've never seen anything like it. [Photo Credit: Karin Dalziel]
Those irresistible Apple cords
I don't know what it is about iPhone cords (or white Apple cords in general), but my cat absolutely loves them. And by "loves them," I mean he likes to chew on them until they no longer function. Maybe a yarn-based substitute like the one above would be a good solution... [Image credit: Tom Thai]
Muramasa Rebirth spawns first fishy Genroku Legends DLC
Aksys Games launched the first of the Genroku Legends DLC for Muramasa Rebirth this week on PSN, and on January 22 in Europe. Announced in November 2013, the Fishy Tales of the Nekomata downloadable episode puts players in control of a girl named Okoi, who is possessed by Miike, a nekomata. Okoi avenges the death of her brother using her cat-like claws and demon powers to summon "hordes of cat allies" to battle alongside her. Basically, it's cat DLC. Fishy Tales of the Nekomata is the first of four Genroku Legends episodes coming this year to Muramasa Rebirth, each starring a different character. This week's episode has two endings and a slew of new bosses for players to paw at. Muramasa Rebirth launched in June 2013 as a PS Vita port of the original Vanillaware-developed Wii game, Muramasa: The Demon Blade. The Fishy Tales of the Nekomata DLC is priced at $4.99 on PSN.
Mew-Genics explains heredity through the miracle of kitten birth
Mew-Genics is an upcoming Team Meat production focused on cats: Cat breeding, cat sex, the horrors of cat genetic manipulation and, as the below .gif demonstrates, the adorably icky parts of cat birth. Though the cloud of afterbirth is a nice touch, the important thing to notice here is the kitten unceremoniously plopped onto the ground. He bears his mother's spots, but since his father is nearly pure white, the lil' fella's spots are less prevalent than they were in the prior generation. As Team Meat explains, this (and every other trait the kitten inherits) may change as the cat ages. Of course, Mew-Genics also allows players to influence the way their cats change over time. With a few subtle environmental tweaks, a kitten destined to grow into the feline equivalent of Mother Teresa might instead pledge allegiance to the thug life. Mew-Genics is currently slated for release at some point during 2014.
Caturday: I can haz AirPort Extreme
Life is tough for feral kittens, but fortunately they are sometimes rescued by nice people who supply them with lots of love and warm Apple products to sit on. That's the case with Torben, who was rescued by Margaret Martin last fall after she found him in her backyard. Margaret says that "Torben is now a healthy, socialized 4-month-old silver tabby, and he just discovered that the Apple Airport Extreme in my office makes a cozy place for a winter nap." He's also one of the most handsome Caturday "models" we've seen so far. We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to reader Margaret Martin for sharing the photo with us.
Caturday: "Everyone in this house is always on the computer"
TUAW reader Mike Morrow got a tip from our very own TJ Luoma that he ought to ping us with this fun Instagram he sent out last month with the headline "OMG, EVERYONE in this house is always on the computer." Related: that's one big, fluffy cat. We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to reader Mike Morrow for sharing the photo with us.
Caturday: MacBert
Take a cat and a Mac and put 'em in the same room, and eventually the two will migrate to the same place. Since Macs don't move on their own yet (unlike iPhones), the cat usually does a bit more migration than the Mac... In this case, beautiful MacBert jumped up on top of his human's computer desk and took his rightful place on the MacBook keyboard, as he should. After all, cats DO own everything that they touch. We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to reader Peter Ondruška for sharing the photo with us.
Caturday: Matej the multi-purpose cat
Whether it's laying comfortably in front of a classic slot-loading iMac in 2003 -- presumably there to clean off CDs and DVDs going into the drive -- or getting exercise more recently batting at fish in the Friskies iPad app (below), Matej knows his Apple products and loves 'em. Matej hails from Prague, Czech Republic, hanging out with TUAW reader Juraj. We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to reader Juraj for sharing the photo and video with us. Veselé Vánoce!
Mew-Genics will let you influence, mutate cats using furniture
Lots of people feel that cats have some of the strongest personalities in the animal kingdom; but what if instead of just animal personalities, a cat could be a hipster, a VHS lover or Super Meat Boy fan? What if you could control and selectively breed cat personalities so that you could, as Mew-Genics creator Edmund McMillen puts it in the latest update on the Team Meat blog, "storm the cat fights with your epic army of thugged out pussy?" McMillen explains that in Mew-Genics, cats will have varying personalities when they're born, "from lazy to sexy, from passive to psychotic." Personalities are influenced by items and furniture, which McMillen detailed the function of earlier this month. If a piece of home decor is rare, it's also possible the cat will identify with it so strongly that the cat will mutate and an element or design of the item will become part of the cat. In one screen, a cat that identifies with a Super Meat Boy doll has the same black eye and missing tooth as the hamburger hero. In another, a cat that identifies with gangster rap has a tattoo of a knife on his cheek and a bandana on his head. Again: there is a cat thug with a bandana and knife tattoo on his face. I ... I don't know how to end this post.
Caturday: Finn and Catniss enjoying the designs of Jony Ive
We all know that cats are more intelligent than humans -- I mean, what other animal gets to lay around sleeping all day, gets food handed to it, and really doesn't have to do much of anything to get free housing? Well, Finn (the ginger cat) and Catniss (the grey one) also get a ton of Apple-related toys to play with and sleep on as well. Says owner Scott Jones, "We have two cats that just seem to love all things apple (like their owners) - Finn (ginger) and Catniss (grey) just love to sleep and chew and sleep more on anything that was designed by Jony & Co. They even seem to find the blinking LED on the Apple TV as fun as a laser pointer (well almost)." Two words: spoiled cats. (But then, aren't they all?) We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to reader Scott Jones for sharing these photo with us.
Mew-Genics wants you to hoard attribute-boosting furniture
Team Meat recently unveiled another aspect of Mew-Genics' gameplay: furniture collecting. Super Meat Boy creator Edmund McMillen discussed the game's furniture system in a blog post on the game's site, drawing comparisons to Nintendo's Animal Crossing series. In Mew-Genics, players acquire furniture through Baby Jack's store then place it in a room in their house. Each piece of furniture, which belongs to one of five "types," influences a variety of stats in the game, from disease rates to each cat's life span. The five types of furniture are large, medium, small, wall furniture and those belonging to item sets. Team Meat says Mew-Genics will include 750 pieces of furniture in total, not including rare alternates for each one. The cat genetics and breeding game will launch in 2014 for Steam, iOS and Android.
