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Juhu for Jaiku: A Mac OS X client for the other lifestream service
We've definitely caught the Twitter wave here at TUAW (we even have our own account), but it is by no means the only 'what are you doing' or lifestream service on the block. Another big player is Jaiku, which brings a fairly different perspective and set of features to the table. While Twitter focuses primarily on asking 'what are you doing?' and offers straight text input, Jaiku allows you to add RSS feeds from virtually any other blogs, sites or communities you post content, generating a sort of play-by-play for almost everything you're creating on the web. This definitely swings Jaiku over to the lifestream category, and it has a number of other features that will likely appeal to those who are looking for more than a plain text mini-blog, such as 'channels' that allow Jaiku users to all post in one theme-specific area (likening it to a giant chat room), as well as an actual comment system on posts. A major boost for web services like Jaiku (where we also have an account), in my opinion, is great software that can hook into them. While using a browser to interact with these services is fun and all, nothing beats the speed, flexibility and (ideally) extensibility of a well-written desktop client, and Juhu for Jaiku is exactly what I'm talking about. Doing for Jaiku what Twitterrific does for Twitter, Juhu is an app that lives in the menubar, giving you a resizable window for peeking in on what your Jaiku contacts are posting. Posts, RSS links and channel chatter are all available in Juhu's nice, compact UI, as are some of the nice little touches Jaiku offers, such as adding an icon to your posts and specifying your location. All in all, Juhu is a great client for a feature-packed service that's been progressing very nicely. Fortunately, just like Jaiku, Juhu is provided free and is also open source under the MIT license. If you've been looking for a different take on the lifestream service, Juhu makes Jaiku a great option for Mac OS X users.
Revisiting CoverSutra, now with Last.fm and Growl integration
It's been a while since we first mentioned Sophia Teutschler's CoverSutra, a new iTunes interaction and manipulation app, and it's come quite a ways since its v1.0 debut. From the start it's offered things like global keyboard shortcuts for controlling iTunes (including one for toggling Shuffle), Apple Remote integration and album artwork that can live on your desktop underneath all your other windows (for that nice Exposé peek-a-boo effect), but recent developments have brought two major new features. The first is integration with the increasingly ubiquitous Growl notification system of which we're big fans, but the second big new feature finally made me decide to buy a license: integration with the Last.fm music community. For those who haven't seen it, Last.fm can watch what music you're playing (on both Mac OS X and Windows) and upload what is more or less a history of all the songs you listen to (it doesn't upload the songs themselves; it isn't the next Kazaa/LimeWire). From there you can share your playlists and discover new music through both friends and strangers who also use the site, and even embed your Last.fm playlist in a website or blog. It's a great service for any music enthusiast, and now it's built right into Sophia's excellent iTunes controller app. Consider me sold.A demo of CoverSutra is available from CoverSutra.com, while a license sells for €9.95 or roughly $13 USD.
My Opera launches video games sub-site
To coincide with the release of the full version of the Opera browser for the Wii, My Opera has opened a page dedicated to video game news and reviews. The community-based site aims to pull together anyone interested in gaming, not just those who can (and have) beat Quake with their eyes closed. Although the introduction focuses on Wii gaming, My Opera Games will feature news and articles covering all major consoles, handhelds, PC games, and even the Mac.
Kongregate announces achievements and microtransactions for online Flash games
Flash gaming community Kongregate recently announced a few Xbox Live-ish upgrades to be rolled out over the next few months. Starting today, time-limited achievements will be available for select games. The current challenge for The Fancy Pants Adventure requires you to collect five trophies within the game and rewards you with a collectible Rumiko card. Gather cards to participate in the site-wide multiplayer game Kongregate will unveil in a few weeks.And coming this summer: microtransactions! Developers are working with Kongregate to weave this into their titles to allow in-game purchases. One use for this system will be unlocking extended versions of games for just a few pennies per level. Most of the microtransaction earnings are paid to the game's programmer, adding incentive for developers to hop on the unlockable-content bandwagon.Kongregate is setting itself up to be the most developer-friendly Flash community on the web. It's an easy hook for developers, but will the casual gamer get pulled in by microtransactions and collecting achievements?
Breakfast Topic: Is there a WoW community?
So there's eight million of us around the world. We've got guys, girls, old and young, and people from all kinds of different backgrounds. And we all love playing this gigantic game with each other.But does that actually make it a community? This forum thread is a really good read, and the two sides in it both have valid points. Some people say yes, WoW players all have one thing in common (playing WoW), and that makes them a community-- we have our own in-jokes, our own realm of knowledge, and we've all shared an experience that sets us apart from the rest of the world. That, they say, makes us a community of individuals, no matter what other experiences or identities we may have.But others say it's nothing like a community-- the only thing we have in common is that we all sit alone in a room with a computer for extended periods of time. WoW friends, they say, aren't really friends-- they're acquaintances, and the fact that someone else knows about WoW doesn't connect you to them any more than a random person on the street.So who do you think? Are we a community, or just a bunch of crazy people playing a game? Personally, I feel closer to my own guild as a community then I do to the player base at large, and even then I don't know how I'd associate with my guildies in real life (never done it). But then again, I do feel more connected to someone I meet when I find out they play WoW-- there is definitely a shared experience there that brings people together closer than if they had no connection at all.
Insomniac launches podcast, listen to sleep-deprived developers [update 1]
With Insomniac Games launching its podcast today, It now seems like everybody has an online audio show. But the Insomniac approach intends to be different than most because gamers get to hear what goes on inside a developer; the twice-monthly show should could be a great marketing and community-building move.Insomniac plans several regular segments, including interviews with members of its staff and even gaming personalities outside of the Resistance and Ratchet developer. The show will cover basics like gamers' mail and Insomniac product updates as, but we'll be regular listeners if it pulls off its fly-on-the-wall aspirations.[Update 1: Insomniac let us know that it changed its mind and won't have a "/podcast.html" URL for the audio show. Instead, the main page will be updated when the podcast goes live in the next few hours.]
Widget Watch: Twitterlex - Yet Another Twitter Dashboard widget
The web just keeps showing its love for Twitter, the new social service that asks the simple question: "what are you doing?" The service has exploded recently, capturing users from all around including Leo Laporte, Darth Vader and even your favorite Apple blog! Naturally, when a site becomes this infectious, plenty of add-ons, scripts, apps and widgets are sure to crop up, and Twitterlex by Brett Taylor is yet another Twitter related product. Like Twitgit which we previously mentioned, Twitterlex displays the latest updates from your friends, and allows you to post your own. Of all the widgets (and apps) I've seen so far, Twitterlex has the best UI in terms of a sleek, compact interface that lets you see your friends' updates as they happen. Sure, Twitterific from the Icon Factory has the sexy transparent smoke thing going on, but I love having everyone's names and updates displayed without having to manually scroll through a list.Still, to each their own, and thanks to the Twitter Fan Wiki and an enthusiastic community that seems to be growing exponentially, you each have no shortage of options for playing with Twitter.
The X360F Gears Of War Play-a-thon
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, announcing the 360 Fanboy Gears of War Play-a-thon. I'll be picking up the game this afternoon and playing the eff out of it. I can only assume that the other X360F bloggers will be picking it up in short order as well. By now, I'm sure you all know that multiplayer GOW is where it's at, so I ask you all to check out the offficial X360F leaderboard at MGC and find someone to play with, whether it be co-op or versus. If you'd like to play a few rounds with little old me, send a friend request to SenseiRAM (I know, I know, number 70 on the leaderboard). And since the leaderboard only holds 100 people, anyone who isn't listed can feel free to share their Gamertags here. So, go find a buddy an rev up that chainsaw, power your way through the campaign, or lay down some punishment in multiplayer.Once we've all gotten a chance to play and get the hang of setting up custom games (if possible), we'll try and set up an X360F multiplayer frag fest later this month. Have fun and we'll see you on Live!
Capcom tells fans to get Lost
Earlier this month, Capcom launched a community site for their highly promising third-person frag-fest Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Aside from the forum, there's a blog manned by "the voice of Capcom" Brian Dunn. He claims he's a real dude (Japanese translator), not just a marketing robot and judging by the Gears of War contraband in his cubicle, he's telling the truth. You can also down a Lost Planet skin for WMP, or at least you will be able to when the link starts working. LP:EC hits January 16.
Community: key to the console wars?
There is an interesting editorial up at the N-Sider which takes the position that the winner of the console war won't be the system with the best graphics, the most third party developers, or the most innovation. No, says Glen Bayer, the key to next-gen will be community. He points to the popularity of MySpace and YouTube as the basis for his position. Bayer said, "...people yearn to feel as though they're part of a community ... with services such as Xbox Live and WiiConnect24, we can finally facilitate this community. The idea is to let players share their user-created maps, user-created items, and even user-created games."If nothing else, it's a fresh take on the situation. Considering how much time we gamers tend to spend on forums and online communities, Bayer may be right. But the stalkeriffic tracking tools on Xbox Live seem less geared toward community than they are toward showing off, and the community aspects -- media sharing and more -- seem underused, which could mean Bayer is wrong. Do you think Bayer's editorial hits the nail on its proverbial head, and if so, how do you think Nintendo's WiiConnect24 will fare?
Community Events in the EU
The EU site, which always seems to be better at keeping up with community news, has recently started a Community Events page. Players will be able to submit community events information that will be featured on the Blizzard web site. This seems like a great idea to me, highlighting community events in a single, easy to find place is much better than having them spread out across the general noise of the forums. So, EU players, get submitting!
Will Sony charge for online gameplay?
An astute observation by x360Central (and a few readers as well) points out the absence of online gameplay and matchmaking from Sony's "Basic Community Services." These were outlined at E3 last week, but we never explicitly heard about the former features.This brings up the flamebait regarding the Sony online platform and similarities to Xbox Live. Should they choose to leave out free multiplayer after all, then it would reduce the PlayStation Network Platform to a musty spin-off of Xbox Live Silver.Sony has stated that they plan on giving gamers free online gameplay though, so until they come out saying that they will definitely charge for it, let's keep that in mind. This will be an interesting issue to watch develop as we get closer to the launch date.
In the back of the bus with Shane Kim
I had a chance to chat with Microsoft Game Studios GM Shane Kim in the back of Microsoft's well-appointed Xbox 360 Blogger Bus. After three days locked in a PR room doing the same routine, Kim's answers are pretty standardized, so he didn't really reveal anything not covered in Joystiq's previous sit-down. (Then again, it's hard to ask clever questions when your mouth is stuffed with Red Vines). However, his mere presence in the backseat is evidence of Microsoft's commitment to building their online community via the blogosphere -- a commitment easily measured in the amount of Peanut M&Ms, sodas and pizza they shoveled our way during the course of E3. I asked Shane why Sony and Nintendo would risk alienating alternative media, and he said I'd have to ask them. I told him I surely would, as soon as I finished the Red Vines. Will MS's transparent, yet tasty, attempt to influence blogs pay off, or is this post evidence that it already has?
Pimp your Camino
Safari isn't the only browser that can pimp it these days, as it looks like Camino has its own custom parts shop now. Pimp My Camino (started by John Hicks; he who set up Pimp my Safari) keeps track of the plugins, addons, haxies and scripts (and more!) for Mozilla's fantastic Camino browser.I don't know how long Pimp My Camino has been around, but they already have a whole slew of stuff like CamiScript (applescripts for saving sessions, grabbing site feed URLs, etc.) and CamiTools (a feature-packed pref pane), ready and ripe for you to blow an entire afternoon tinkering with.
Widget Watch: CreativeBits Widget 2.0
CreativeBits, a design and OS X-centric creative community, has produced a really slick looking update to their widget that acts as a portal for their site. Users can view the latest articles, forum posts, critiques and links. Clicking on a title in the widget opens the entire article in your browser, while the widget includes its own forward and back navigation if you'd like to simply browse the latest CreativeBits goodies right from the comfort of your Dashboard.
WoW Insider Guild Update
A few readers have asked about it, so I thought I'd post a quick update on how our WoW Insider guild building is going. The short answer is slowly. The long answer is that both myself and C.K. have been extremely busy the last two weeks and haven't had the time to even play, let alone build a guild. We're still very interested in having a WoW Insider guild (Horde on Akama; Alliance on Chromaggus). It also explains why you haven't seen us logging on the servers. I chatted with a few people early on, but haven't been able to get in the game for awhile now. Blizzard's problem with login times and getting booted from the servers certainly hasn't helped matters any.So, hang in there; we are still going to have a WoW Insider guild on each server and are very interested in playing with our readers. My calendar isn't allowing me to play again until Monday evening, but I'll be on Akama or Chromaggus at that time if anyone wants to stop by and sign the guild charter or chat.
Apple Second Life Feature
Are you familiar with Second Life? It's a virtual online community where you create your own custom avatar and interact with other losers whose first life isn't fulfilling enough other interesting people in a magical fantasy world beyond your greatest imagination! (Okay, okay, so I'm being a little hyperbolic and also mean with the strikethrough; in the words of the Great McNulty, "I kid, I kid.")
