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Fly over Paris with all your VR friends in 'Eagle Flight'
While Microsoft and Sony sort out why one person playing Rocket League on a PlayStation 4 can't compete against someone on an Xbox One, VR developers are bringing everyone together regardless of which headset they own. The folks behind Eve: Valkyrie started it and now Ubisoft is on board as well with Eagle Flight.
Students get iOS apps running (slowly) on Android
Running apps from one mobile platform on another is theoretically great for boosting your app selection, but it's not a trivial task -- even BlackBerry's Android support is rough. However, some Columbia University students have managed the daunting feat of running iOS apps on Android with their Cider compatibility layer. This isn't a regular emulator or virtual machine, like you might expect. Instead, it simply tricks apps into believing that they're in a native environment: they adapt code on the fly to make it work with Android's kernel and programming libraries. Even 3D benchmarks run properly.
BlackBerry taking 'serious look' at bringing BBM to desktops
Remember when BlackBerry was hesitant to let BBM wander to other platforms? So do we, but now that the company has committed to cross-platform support by pushing its messaging service to ecosystems like iOS and Android (including the Nokia X series), it isn't stopping there. Recently we've heard that it's heading to Windows Phone in the coming months, and in an interview with Reuters BlackBerry CEO John Chen mentioned that his team is "taking a very serious look" at bringing the service to the desktop as well. Such a move would make it possible to start a conversation on your PC and finish it on your mobile -- or vice versa. It's a logical strategy for BBM, which enjoyed an uptick of 20 million new users when the service launched on iOS and Android, but has stayed stagnant at 85 million monthly active users in the past month. It's hard to say if the addition of desktop support will trigger new growth, but given the breadth of platform availability, it will at the very least give users more incentive to stick around.
EA preps 'single identity' system to bridge gaming experiences across platforms
Now that EA has gotten Origin for both Windows and Mac under its belt, it's clued GamesBeat into its plans for a cross-platform account system that's taken 1,500 engineers 18 months to build. With the "single identity" solution, gamers can play games tied to their accounts, find friends currently online and join up for multiplayer, message fellow users and access save states across platforms ranging from consoles and smartphones to tablets and social networks. Of course, the business side comes into play too: by keeping tabs on users, Electronic Arts could make better game recommendations and boost its marketing's effectiveness. As of now, there's no word on when the system will find its way into your gaming.
Testing for OS X vs iOS
Yesterday, I was messing around building shared NSLayoutConstraint code to be used across iOS and OS X. I put in a few #if TARGET_OS_MAC directives, assuming they'd just work. They didn't. Turns out that you should always check for TARGET_OS_IPHONE first, before TARGET_OS_MAC because the latter is true on the iPhone but the former is not on OS X. Here are some of the most common checks suggested to me yesterday as I messed with this dilemma. #if TARGET_OS_MAC #if TARGET_OS_IPHONE #if TARGET_IPHONE_SIMULATOR #if TARGET_OS_EMBEDDED #if defined(__MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED) #if defined(__IPHONE_OS_MIN_VERSION_REQUIRED) And here are the results of running them on the Simulator, iPhone device and OS X: SIMULATOR Target OS Mac Target OS iPhone No Target OS Embedded Target iPhone Simulator Mac OS X Version Min Required is NOT defined iPhone OS X Version Min Required is NOT defined PHONE Target OS Mac Target OS iPhone Target OS Embedded No Target iPhone Simulator Mac OS X Version Min Required is NOT defined iPhone OS X Version Min Required is NOT defined OS X Target OS Mac No Target OS iPhone No Target OS Embedded No Target iPhone Simulator Mac OS X Version Min Required is defined iPhone OS X Version Min Required is NOT defined Since I was most interested in determining whether to use NSBox/NSView vs UIView, my solution ended up looking like this: #if TARGET_OS_IPHONE #define VIEW_CLASS UIView #elif TARGET_OS_MAC #define VIEW_CLASS NSView #endif This approach ensured that the iPhone platform triggered first, and then the second check mandated OS X. This created definitions that allowed my code to successfully compile and execute cross-platform. Thanks Gwynne Raskind and everyone else in #iphonedev
LG and Philips / TP Vision announce Smart TV Alliance for cross platform TV apps
Following up on last year's promise to build a standardized SDK for creating Smart TV apps, LG and TP Vision (the new owner of Philips' TV business) have announced the creation of the Smart TV Alliance. Its goal is to create a "non-proprietary ecosystem" to encourage developers to make platform-independent apps based on standards like HTML5. One of the main problems currently for the Smart TV market is that there's many different platforms, some manufacturer specific while others like Google TV and Yahoo! Widgets play across differently branded devices. Curiously, Sharp was included in the previous announcement at IFA last fall and is not mentioned by name this time around, although the press release hints at "other Japanese manufacturers" in the process of joining that will be announced accordingly. The current plan is to release SDK 2.0 by the end of this year, until then interested devs are asked to register on the group's website for more info.
Sony demos Cross-Play, announces Cross-Controller DLC for Vita and PS3
One of the things we can look forward to in the coming year from Sony is some some lovely cross-platform content that makes the worlds of the PS Vita and PS3 just a bit more tightly integrated. Games like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will allow players to compete against each other, regardless of which Sony console they're using. The so-called cross-play functionality isn't limited to live play either, some games (including the aforementioned PS All-Stars) will allow you to save your game on one and pick up where you left off on the other. There will also be new downloadable content that will span Sony's home and portable consoles. The cross-controller DLC will come first to Little Big Planet 2, which will let you use your Vita to actually create levels on the PS3. Sadly Sony wouldn't divulge too many more details, but we can expect Battle Royale to hit shelves this holiday season. We guess this multi-screen entertainment thing is really going to take off this year.
Mozilla plans war on fragmentation, reveals unified UI design for Windows 8 and mobile devices
Mozilla has shown off ideas for future versions of Firefox as it becomes less of a traditional browser and more of a "soft, friendly, human" ecosystem. Slides released on the web hint at a new desktop environ with a simplified menu, cleaner download interface, and a more functional startpage -- all the while maintaining the same curved-edge look as the mobile variant. A Windows 8 Metro tile-based version is also in the works that's similar to the Firefox tab layout on Android. There's no word when Mozilla's so-called Kilimanjaro project will come to fruition, but you can check out the slideshow after the break for an early glimpse.
Interview with Inglorious Apps, a webOS to iOS developer switcher
Inglorious Apps is well-known in the webOS world for its work on Notes, Voice and Glimpse, a multi-tasking app for the Touchpad that lets you divide up the screen and use several different widgets at the same time. Now that webOS is on the decline, the talented development company has ported its apps to iOS and Android using Enyo. Enyo is a multi-platform development tool created by HP/Palm that lets webOS developers write an app for webOS and then port it to the iPhone, iPad or Android devices. After a few months of diligent coding, Inglorious Apps ported two apps from webOS to iOS. Dock is a stylish screensaver app that displays information like your RSS feed, Twitter feed, headline news and more. Panes is an iPad app that tries to simulate Glimpse for the Touchpad. The first version of Panes, which was a straight port from the webOS app, was rejected because Apple's developer agreement doesn't allow apps that use widgets. A modified version of the app is available, but it's a work-in-progress as Inglorious Apps codes around this restriction. We took some time to talk to the developer behind Inglorious Apps (who preferred to remain unnamed) about his experience with iOS development and what he thought about the switch from webOS to iOS. You can read our questions and his answers below. Do you develop full time or is this something you do as a secondary career? I develop apps part-time. Mostly during my spare time, when I get off my (real) day-time job. How many hours a week are spent on development, debugging, updates, and customer service? I spend roughly between 25-30hrs/week total. You are well-known in the webOS community for your work on Glimpse; were you able to reuse any webOS code to create your Panes or Dock app? Or are they new programs created from scratch? Yes, Dock and Panes are a direct port from webOS. I re-used a lot of my code. I only had to make a few changes to things that were "webOS-specific." Where you reused existing code, how long did it take you to port the code for iOS? It took about 10 minutes to port over to iOS (and Android). It then took about 2 months to make everything work as intended. What's the major difference you've found between programming for a webOS device versus the iPhone/iPad? The major difference is in multi-tasking. in webOS, an app stays open forever as long as the 'card' is open. This removes the burden of multitasking from the developer. iOS, on the other hand, multi-tasks differently. So you as the developer have to put a little extra thought/effort into how your app should operate. What was the biggest hurdle you encountered when you created your iOS Apps using Enyo? Since I wasn't quite proficient in Objective-C, the biggest hurdle was having to implement a few "webOS specific" features using Objective-C. So, making the apps (Dock & Panes) wasn't quite as simple as copying/pasting my old code. How is Enyo as a tool for writing iOS apps? Can you easily write code that adheres to Apple's standards? Can you debug effectively without always testing on an iOS device? I found Enyo to be quite useful. Enyo is a Javascript framework that emphasizes modularity. I think of it as a making an app with Lego blocks. You can make fairly simple to fairly complex apps (like Panes) using Enyo. There's also no problems adhering to Apple's standards. Debugging is very easy. Apps written with Enyo can actually work in Webkit browsers [like Safari or Chrome]. Actually, I do a lot of my quick tests in the Safari browser. Though, it's always nice to test on an actual device, just so there are no surprises. After reading this article, users will know that your app is written using Enyo. Is there any performance difference between your app and an app that's originally written in native code? Actually, my app is sort of a hybrid combo of native/non-native. I'm accomplishing a few things (e.g. the web widget in Panes) using native C code. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what "native" means anymore. I think that line is blurred. Sure, depending on the complexity of the app (or task), you may notice slight performance issues. But overall, I do think the average user won't be able to tell "native" vs. "non-native," so I don't think app performance should/would be a source of concern. How thorough is the Enyo programming environment, especially when it comes to graphics or data stores which may be handled differently on webOS? Do you have to tweak things on the iOS side? Enyo is quite thorough. The only tweak I had to make was updating graphics (i.e. doubling their sizes) for Retina display. Are you concerned that HP will stop working on Enyo and won't update it to support new versions of iOS? Do you have a contingency plan if Enyo is abandoned? So far, HP has shown signs of dedication to Enyo. They're currently working on a more cross-platform friendly version (i.e. Enyo 2), and things are looking optimistic. I'm not too worried about possible abandonment, since Enyo is open-sourced. So, I don't have to sit around and wait for HP to make updates, I can just go in and fiddle around with the code. So no, I don't really have any 'contingency' plans. I'm just hopeful the open-source community will sustain it. Do you have any advice for other webOS developers looking to write apps for iOS? I'd advise webOS developers to actually use iOS before trying to develop for it. Coming from the webOS world, the UI paradigm is quite different. I think the most effective way to develop for any platform is to be an actual user of that platform.
RIM unveils BlackBerry Mobile Fusion for enterprise, extends reach to Android, iOS
In an apparent attempt to solidify its standing in the corporate world, RIM has unveiled a new platform that allows IT specialists to more tightly manage company devices -- even those from rival manufacturers like Apple and Android. With the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion software, announced this morning, companies will be able to set up rules governing employee passwords apps and other software across a variety of smartphones and tablets, including the iPhone, iPad and Android handsets. The system also allows managers to remotely wipe and lock any devices that go missing or stolen, potentially bringing enhanced security to a workplace that's become increasingly fragmented. "Our customers have been saying, 'We're moving to these different adoption models, and we'd like you on board with that,'" said Alan Panezic, vice president for enterprise product management, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Slated to launch during the first quarter of next year, Mobile Fusion represents RIM's first foray into the multi-platform management market, and may expand even further to encompass Windows Phone devices, as well. Compatible with BlackBerry OS and BBX, Mobile Fusion will also allow users to remotely manage PlayBooks from BlackBerry handsets, though that won't happen until February, when the tablet finally receives a software update. No word yet on pricing, but Panezic says it will be "competitive" with the market.
Adobe's launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all
While we've had access to Adobe's Flash Player 11 in beta form for months, the company announced it will finally get official, along with Air 3, next month. Among the many new features included are support for accelerated 2D and 3D graphics with a claimed 1,000 times faster performance than Flash Player 10 and Air 2. That's enough to enable "console-quality" gaming on both computers and connected TVs and on mobile devices (Android, iOS, Playbook) with a pre-release version of Flash 11 (a production release you can take on the go is expected in "the near future"). Other new options include allowing developers to package Air 3 along with their apps in a single install, HD video quality on multiple platforms including iOS, DRM for video rentals, 64-bit support and more. Check out Adobe's pitch to developers with a press release and demo videos after the break, including a look at the hit iPad game Machinarium which was built with its tools.
New developer tool will port Xbox 360 games to iOS
ExEn is a brand new tool for developers that's designed to bridge the gap between XNA, Silverlight and iOS (and eventually Android). XNA stands for "Xbox New Architecture," and is the general API used by developers to create games for Microsoft's Xbox console, and ExEn purports to take those games, and bring them over to Microsoft's Silverlight platform as well as Apple's iOS. It's still a work in progress, so some features are missing (the biggest of these being, of course, that Android compatibility), but it's completely free and open source, so any developers who have XNA code that they want to try and port are welcome to go grab it and give it a shot. If it works (I'm not a developer, so I haven't actually used it), this might put an interesting wrinkle in the developer ecosystem. I had a nice chat with the creator of I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1 (yes, that's really the name) a few weeks ago -- that strangely-named dual stick shooter is perhaps the most famous Xbox Live Indie game title, and he recently ported his title over to Windows Phone 7 with the blessing (if not the full support) of Microsoft. But I wonder what his options would have looked like if a tool like this could have allowed him to easily and quickly bring the game over to iOS. At any rate, we'll see if any big XNA developers try to take advantage of a system like this. If it works, hopefully we'll see great XNA games, like Cthulu Saves the World, appear on the iPad and iPhone. [via BGR]
Financial Times web app debuts for iOS, more tablets to come (video)
It's not often that we get the opportunity to mention the Financial Times and Playboy Magazine in the same sentence, but the two publications do have at least one thing in common: App Store aversion. Today, the FT launched a new, entirely web-based app, designed to circumvent iTunes (and Apple's 30 percent revenue cut) altogether. The paper says its single, cross-platform app will allow it to issue updates with more frequency, while reaching an audience that extends far beyond the iOS realm. Though the subscription service is only available for iPhone and iPad users at the moment, versions catered for Galaxy Tab, Xoom and PlayBook users are coming soon. Perhaps more important, however, is what this move could mean for other publishers -- many of whom haven't taken too kindly to Apple's subscription revenue and data-sharing practices. FT managing editor Rob Grimshaw says his paper has "no plans to pull out of any apps store," but if the system proves viable, it could open the door for others to pursue their own, similarly HTML5-based ventures, in the hopes of retaining full revenues and access to subscriber information. We'll have to wait and see whether this iTunes exodus ever materializes, but in the meantime, iOS users can hit the source link to enjoy the new app, available for free until July 14th. Others, meanwhile, can head past the break to see a demo video, narrated in appropriately dulcet, British tones.
KonnectUs cloud-based software makes easy cross-platform sharing a reality, we swoon (video)
Last year, we expressed a yearning for something we called the Continuous Client that would allow us to pick up on one device where we left off on another, and in less than a year we saw the advent of HP's "Touch-to-share" technology, but our dreams weren't fully fulfilled -- we longed for a platform that would offer seamless sharing across all of our devices. Well, it's like we rubbed a bottle and KonnectUs popped out. The cloud-based software is a collaborative effort between Sensus and Open Exhibits that enables you to transfer files and information across platforms -- including Windows, iOS, and Android -- with a simple swipe of your finger. As it turns out, KonnectUs was built with museums in mind, but the company is offering APIs for integration into third party applications -- so maybe the perfect world isn't that far off after all. Oh, that's right -- we still don't have a robot to shake our martinis after a hard day at the office. Video after the break.
Sony reveals PlayStation Suite framework, store for Android gaming
Sony just dropped a bomb on the Japanese stage -- not a single PlayStation Phone, but a PlayStation Phone experience for everybody. The company unveiled a cross-platform software framework called PlayStation Suite, which sounds rather boring in those words, but what it amounts to is an official PlayStation Store filled with games for your Android tablets and cellphones. Sound familiar? Sony's starting with an emulator for existing PSOne titles and is promising an Android game store later this year, but soon it might be much, much more: the company's calling PlayStation Suite a "hardware-neutral" development framework to make games portable for all sorts of handhelds, and says that "new and exciting content" is also on the way. Sony will sponsor a first-party licensing and quality-assurance scheme called PlayStation Certified, and provide the marketplace as well, likely hoping to attract major game developers to build top-tier titles for mobile and get a piece of the action too. If your device doesn't have a pop-out gamepad handy, it looks like PlayStation Suite will emulate touchscreen controls, and you won't necessarily need a phone to get in on the action, as Sony says the next-generation PlayStation Portable will be compatible with games developed for PlayStation Suite right off the bat. Doesn't look like we're getting any details on game prices or compatible devices, but we imagine one particular phone will change all that at Mobile World Congress next month. Update: Looks like PlayStation Suite requires Android 2.3 at a minimum, and it's PSOne, not PlayStation Portable titles that will be emulated here, despite Kaz Hirai's quote during the festivities. PR after the break! %Gallery-115181%
Chopper 2 for Mac controlled by iPhone
You've probably seen Chopper 2 here on TUAW before -- we originally covered the app's iPad-out-to-TV feature and then chatted with creator David Frampton back at WWDC last year. With the news of the Mac App Store coming soon, Frampton has decided to port the game over to the Mac, and since he already included a way to control the universal iPad app with an iPhone, he's decided to do the same thing for the Mac. On the next page, you can see a video demo of the app on the Mac being controlled by the iPhone version over Wi-Fi. It's very slick, and I don't think this will be the last connection we'll see between iOS apps and the Mac App Store. When developers are able to "control" versions of all three of their apps (iPhone, iPad and, eventually, the Mac), there are probably many more ways they can connect them up, from straight controls like this to regular syncing of information and other connections. I wouldn't be surprised if we even see Apple getting in on the action, both enabling this type of cross-platform compatibility in its own apps (controlling Keynote on the Mac from an iPhone, for example) and including helpful calls in the API to let developers do so themselves. But kudos to Frampton for his work on this one -- he tells TUAW that he wants to have the Mac app ready to go on launch day, so if you're a Chopper 2 fan, you'll be able to load it up and play right away.
Windows Phone 7's short-term future includes phone-to-console gaming, Twitter?
At this point you'd think we covered almost every nook and cranny of Windows Phone 7, from games and UI to a launch device or six, but of course there's a few dust balls of info our swiffer of newsgathering has yet to grab up. Microsoft Canada's Greg Milligan has revealed at a recent Xbox 360 event. The big takeaway is future plans for phone-to-console gaming. While suggesting an initial use would be companion games that bring enhancements to full 360 titles (our first thought is how both a web game and Arcade casino title directly tied into Fable 2), he says it's something they are "absolutely" working on for the "near future" -- likely initially through WiFi only due to network speed sensitivities. "Near future," on that note, is a lot sooner that the impression we got at the recent hands-on, but in either case, we won't believe it until we see it with our own eyes. In news that won't directly affect your gamer score, Twitter, which has been noticeably (and annoyingly) absent from our time with the device, Milligan had this to say: "Twitter is not part of the base platform, but we're working closely with a number of software developers to make sure we have a twitter experience... on or very shortly after launch." Some on the staff are divided whether or not this implies full integration or just some third-party apps, but let's be hopeful for the former, aye? Video interview after the break.
HP's Rahul Sood says Microsoft killed Xbox vs PC online gaming due to keyboard-mouse superiority
Once upon a time in 2007, there was a little-known game called Shadowrun, that let gamers on both Xbox 360 and PC destroy one another for sport. Such is the environment that Microsoft facilitated, but alas, it wasn't for long, as the moment Shadowrun flopped the cross-platform feature was dropped, though it resurfaced once or twice in third-party titles as the years shot by. Outspoken HP exec Rahul Sood (of Voodoo fame) spins a slightly more complex yarn, however: he says Microsoft killed the project when it found that "mediocre" PC gamers could wipe the floors with the very best players on Xbox. Now, we're not confirming his story, and there are plenty of other possible explanations if you follow the money, of course, but we can't help but feel a hint of admiration for the longevity of gaming mouse and keyboard. Here's hoping we can all leave our predilections at the door as developers pit Android vs. iPhone.
Qualcomm demos augmented reality and peer-to-peer tech, tries to punch cellular gaming's block off (video)
It's just a tablecloth and a piece of paper, until you pull out a Nexus One, at which point it magically becomes an arena where toy robots fire off punches. Augmented reality isn't anything new, of course, but Qualcomm seems determined to bring it to cell phones in a big way -- launching an AR game studio, sponsoring a $200,000 developer challenge, and announcing a free software development kit (which will see open beta this fall) all on the same day. The company partnered with Mattel to build the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots proof-of-concept you see above using that very SDK, and you'll find a hilarious video of grown men pretending to have the time of their lives with it right after the break. However, augmented reality is only half of Qualcomm's mobile gaming plan -- a rep told Pocket-lint games like Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots are only financially viable if they can work across platforms. To that end, the company also demonstrated a simple three-player peer-to-peer title, but with -- get this -- a Nexus One (over Bluetooth), a Nokia N900 (over WiFi) and a Dell Latitude laptop all playing the same synchronous game. To commemorate this mishmash of awesome, the company funded another video; listen to an individual with a ludicrously bad accent give you the play-by-play after the break. Oh, and find some press releases, too.
Steve Jobs responds directly to developer over new iPhone SDK rules, cites blog for explanation
Plenty ink has already been spilled about the new restrictions in clause 3.3.1 of the new iPhone SDK terms of use. The new wording disallows developers to use third party, cross platform development tools (like Flash CS5) to build their apps, and plenty of folks (like Adobe) are angered by it. Now it seems Steve Jobs has chimed in as well. Developer Greg Slepak reached out to Steve, citing the large outpouring of negativity on the topic, including a post by John Gruber of Daring Fireball, who Greg calls Apple's "biggest fan." Steve apparently responded, citing a newer post by Gruber that explains Apple's theoretical reasoning for locking down the platform like this. Steve called the post "very insightful." When Greg replied, raising some very legitimate defense that highly popular, important apps like Mozilla Firefox are built with cross platform frameworks, Steve Jobs had a slightly less terse response: We've been there before, and intermediate layers between the platform and the developer ultimately produces sub-standard apps and hinders the progress of the platform. On Greg's blog he breaks down some of Gruber's claims and makes a pretty compelling case for third party toolkits -- important examples of which can be found all over the Mac and Windows landscape. We get the feeling his impassioned pleas, and the oft-bandied threat of developer migration, will fall on deaf ears at Apple as always, but at least he helps shape this debate somewhat, which will no doubt rage on for months and years to come. Check out the full conversation between Greg and Steve, including Greg's final response, after the break.
