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Daily iPhone App: Cut the Rope: Time Travel sends Om Nom through the centuries
Cut the Rope is one of the most-downloaded apps on the App Store, and its developers, ZeptoLab, have made quite a character out of its lead, Om Nom. The series' latest incarnation is called Cut The Rope: Time Travel, and it's available on the App Store (in both iPhone and HD versions) right now. As you can tell by the title, Time Travel sends Om Nom through a crazy creation off into various time periods, and the biggest innovation in this game is instead of just feeding one candy to one creature, you have two pieces of candy to safeguard through the game's physics-based puzzles. Om Nom is joined by a period-specific friend in every level, and that friend also has some candy to eat. Additionally, every time period also offers new tools to play with, like chains that need to be cut a specific way, or a time-freezing tool you can use. One of Cut the Rope's charms is that it's always been very casual, and ZeptoLab's polish is on display here for sure. But I found some of these puzzles fairly hard, so I wouldn't be surprised if this one is a little bit tougher than the other Cut the Rope games. It's also interesting that while the first Cut the Rope was published by Chillingo, ZeptoLab has essentially abandoned that partnership, as they're self-publishing this game as well. That doesn't mean anything for the gameplay, but it is a fairly unique choice by ZeptoLab, as many developers that work with Chillingo stuck with the company. Aside from the game's publishing status, however, Cut the Rope: Time Travel is another excellent iteration of the popular series, offering plenty of new levels to explore, and another big helping of Om Nom's charm. ZeptoLab has doubled up the puzzle-based gameplay, and put together another sure winner for Cut the Rope fans. The iPhone version can be had for $.99, and the HD version is $2.99.
Double Robotics shows off its iPad-equipped robot
We heard about Double Robotics and their plan to make an iPad-topped robot last year, but the real thing is running around the floor of Macworld/iWorld 2013 this week, and I think it's the coolest thing I've seen at the show. Company founder David Cann told me that Double was originally working on a toy accessory for iOS, when he and his co-founder discovered that they'd have to do a lot of traveling to Asia to set up manufacturing and production lines. They had the idea then of making a telepresence robot with an iOS device, and from that idea, the Double was eventually born. The thing is quite impressive -- it's basically an iPad mounted on top of a long pole, which is then attached to a two-wheel base, so it all looks and works similar to a Segway. The iPad itself is only used for communication (it's controlled with another iPad remotely, with both movement controls, height adjustment controls and video passed back and forth across the Internet), so the box at the bottom is a real robot, running movement and keeping the whole setup stable. I got to drive the unit around for a bit, and it reminded me of a first-person shooter game -- there are two sticks, one for movement and one for rotation. The whole setup seems very strange at first, but I definitely get how it could be used, as the video is very clear from the cameras, and the unit itself is very easy to control and move around. Cann told me that the company has about 900 pre-orders for the device so far, and the team has heard of possible applications in security, schools, factories and even real estate: House sellers could use the device to give a remote tour, or potential home buyers could visit property from a distance, or at a specific time of the day when they couldn't be there in person. The battery in the robot unit will last about eight hours or so, depending on exactly how much driving you're doing, according to Cann. There's a stand on the bottom that you can extend remotely, to save a little battery life and hold the unit in place. And of course as the pole goes higher, the robot has a little tougher time trying to keep the whole rig upright, but as far as I could see, it was very stable. We even gave the robot a little shove, and it was more than capable of balancing itself out. The whole thing was very impressive. At US$2,500, this isn't exactly a consumer product, unless you're a consumer with a lot of money to burn. But for a telepresence solution, that price is relatively cheap, and the added benefit of using an iPad could be very attractive to potential buyers as well. Cann said the Double is just about ready -- the company hopes to have units shipping out to customers within the month.
Double telepresence bot spotted in the wild, we go eyes-on (video)
Double Robotics' telepresence bot showed up on our radar a few weeks back, and today we got to chat with its creators and see the thing in person. As a quick refresher, Double is a two-wheeled self balancing bot that turns your iPad into a telepresence screen. Company co-founder Marc DeVidts shared a few more details about his bot, letting us know that it's powered by a 28.8V, 2.9Ah lithium ion cell. And, it turns out the Double's controls aren't app-dependant -- it can be operated by either an iPad running the company's app or by web browser. For now, it's iPad-only, but because Double communicates with Apple slates via Bluetooth, the possibility for Android compatibility does exist, even though the company currently has no plans to make it happen. While you iPad owners wait for the one you undoubtedly just ordered to arrive, check out our video of Double's deliberate moves after the break.%Gallery-165183%
Double Robotics gives your iPad wheels, brings telepresence to the masses (video)
Walking iPads aside, usable telepresence remains one of geekdom's purest goals. Being able to attend meetings, without the minor irritation of actually being there, has been a motivator for professionals and hobbyists alike. Double Robotics, on the other hand, feel that they've spotted an opportunity. By leveraging the computing power of the iPad, coupled with some smart design, it has created the "Double," a self-balancing motorized iPad stand. You'll need a pair of Apple slates to get going, one to peer into and use as a controller (via an app), another to project your face, and act as the seeing eye (via the front-facing camera). Best of all, this is much more affordable than many existing options, rolling in at $1,999 if you pre-order ($2,499 otherwise), shipping in December -- iPads not included. Facetime on wheels? Why didn't we think of that? Roll past the break for the video.
Double, the iPad telepresence robot rolls around the office when you can't
Get ready to see iPads zipping around your office. As a remote worker I'm fascinated by telepresence robots, or a remote robotic avatar which lives at an office and roams the halls under your control, typically interacting through a 2-way video chat tool. Naturally, Double Robotics took the iPad's advantages and built what looks like a tiny Segway for the iPad to move about on, calling it the Double. The Double mounts an iPad up top for communicating, has an adjustable height, and uses a second iPad for controls. The video below shows the robot in action. The iPad is almost perfectly suited to this task, being a lightweight but head-sized video communicator when needed. It's brilliant, minimal and will cost you US$2,499 by December. You can pre-order for $1,999 but the iPads aren't included. The Double is quite reasonably priced for such a thing, as telepresence robots tend to be a specialized industry with units selling for $10,000 or more. Double Robotics may have a hit on its hands if the Double can stand up to the abuse of roaming around an office or industrial setting. [via Core77]
Double is Skullgirls' final, grossest character
You didn't think the entire Skullgirls character roster was going to be comprised exclusively of buxom cartoon vixens, did you? Reverge Labs had to do something to balance this stuff out, so what better way to show that it's what's on the inside that counts than to add a character whose insides are on her outsides?Double, the terrible, moist hand/mouth creature above, is actually much more disgusting in motion, as you'll see in the walkthrough videos after the break. A shapeshifter, Double's fighting style is an amalgamation of the other styles in the game: She morphs into other characters to perform tweaked versions of their normals, and most of her specials are moves that didn't make it into their respective character's final moves list.She's got some really original stuff as well, like a level-5 super that transforms her into an Easter Island head that spews bullet-hell projectiles from its mouth. We're intrigued, but also a little nauseous.%Gallery-147971%
LG DoublePlay review
It's no secret that Android's dominance of the smartphone world is due in part to the sheer number of models available running the OS. This abundance of choice, while undoubtedly good for consumers, presents a challenge for OEMs as they design and build handsets: how to craft a device that stands out from the crowd? At this point, we've seen slabs of all sizes, a legion of landscape sliders, and a dual-screen oddity join the Android family. Now, LG has created the DoublePlay, giving users both a hint of the Echo's dual screen experience along with a split physical keyboard for tactile typing. In doing so, the company has accomplished something we weren't sure was possible by building a unique Android phone. The question is, does this unusual form factor provide an improved user experience, or is it destined to go down in gadget history as a gimmick? %Gallery-140126%
Double experience weekend postponed for City of Heroes
Were you looking forward to heading out for a spin this weekend in City of Heroes and enjoying the promised double experience weekend? If so, well, we have some bad news for you. As it turns out, rather than giving players a chance to double their pleasure, this weekend will see experience rewarded at the usual rate after all. A bug has apparently cropped up in testing that has resulted in the weekend being postponed until the middle of August. It's not all doom and gloom, of course -- to test the new build and ameliorate the bad news, the development team will be hosting a series of task force runs on the test server this Wednesday. Still, it's a shame to see one of the most popular recurring events in the game delayed due to technical issues. Here's hoping that the next set of dates go off without a hitch.
Patent illustrations hint at double-dock iPad, touch-based corner button
Patently Apple has a few new patent illustrations from China that may hint at future iPad hardware features. The first is a second dock on the side of the tablet. As you can see above, the connector would come in handy if you wanted to view the iPad in landscape form, but didn't want to have a cable sticking out of the side. Personally, I can't really see Apple duplicating functionality in this way, though -- while a second port would be handy, it seems a waste to have a completely separate port used only half the time. Like most patents, this is only an idea at this point -- Apple isn't required to actually use it in a future release. The second idea is more interesting, in my mind: the images show what seems to be a touch-sensitive area on the corner of the front of the iPad. PA presumes that this would be a button-less button, an area you could tap or press to do things like return to the iPad's homepage or flip pages in iBooks. Now that's a really interesting idea -- the front glass section of the iPhone and iPad is pretty much unused at this point, and if Apple could work it out so that even part of it could become functional (even in a limited way), that would be exciting. And finally, it's worth noting that quite a few of these pictures have what's presumably a small camera sitting at the top of the iPad's screen. Yes, by now it's pretty much a given that the iPad will come with a camera in the next iteration, but there's another slice of evidence to stick in the growing proof sandwich.
App Store reaches 20,000 apps
Our friends over at Apptism, a site that tracks and rates App Store apps, have pointed out that their counter recently flipped over the big two-zero... zero zero zero. That's right, only three months after hitting the 10,000 mark (and that took only six months), the amount of apps in the store has doubled, and there's no sign the acceleration will be stopping any time soon.The ease of development in the iPhone SDK, combined with the huge success of the device and Apple's own promotion revolving around how many apps are in the store, mean that the platform is taking off like a rocket. Sure, numbers aren't necessarily the best indicator of quality (anyone want to speculate how many of the 20,000 apps have to do with farting or belching?), but the fact is that people are both developing and consuming apps from the App Store in gigantic numbers. How long before we reach 50,000 different applications on the iPhone? A million?
Breakfast Topic: Your doppleganger
I am engaged to Grandmaster Vorpil. I found this out during my first run of Shadow Labyrinth, when I bumped into my fiance, who was not in my party. Fortunately, my confusion kept me from attempting any communication with Vorpil, as he turned out to be somewhat prickly.Of course, just because Vorpil dresses just like my fiance, has the same hair and nearly identical features, does not mean he's exactly the same. Actually, he's a touch more pallid. That's when it was pointed out to me that I very much resemble a cross between Thrall and Drek'thar. Harumphing, I pointed out that the skin was all wrong and that I have an owl. I began to ponder what other famous NPCs look like me (!), or one of my alts. Have you ever bumped into your NPC doppleganger? Furthermore, have you ever met a twin from another realm in a merged battleground? A couple of months ago I found a holy pally with my shield, my hair, my skin, and my name (spelled with inferiority) in Warsong. The moment was definitely eerie.I also cannot help but wonder how Wrath of the Lich King will affect all of this. Will we finally be able to break away from looking like a third of all NPCs of a given race? Will the customization allow us to avoid bumping into ourselves in battlegrounds?
Nibris shows possible real game: Double Bloob
Controversial developer Nibris, known for the Wii Sadness trailer and the DS Raid Over The River, shared some videos and pictures of a new(ish) game with Cubed3. Double Bloob is the new name for Double Pang, which indicates that either they lost the rights to the Pang series (also known as Buster Bros.) or never had them in the first place. Double Bloob is a puzzle game about harpooning some huge bouncing blobs, likely called Bloobs, causing them to double. Given that there's a video of Double Bloob being played on a DS Lite, this may actually exist in some playable form. We hope. We're rooting for them to finish a game, at this point, hopefully after running spell-check. Check out the shaky video after the break.
Splatterhouse does the Monster Mash onto US/EU Virtual Console
The Virtual Console is really starting to heat up! We can't believe it, but it looks like American and European fanboys are going to get a great game before Japan does: Namco's gory Turbografx-16 brawler Splatterhouse. This is definitely one of the three best games ever about a masked parapsychology major trapped in a haunted mansion and forced to destroy lots of disgusting monsters with a board, and it's coming sometime in March!We're also getting Double Dungeons-- but as Turbografx-16 lovers, we're trying to put a positive spin on this news article, and would prefer to talk more about Splatterhouse.What Turbografx-16 games are you waiting for? We're dying for Blazing Lazers and China Warrior ourselves.[Via Siliconera]
Fake DS as seen in Crete
As snapped by a flickr user, this picture of a DS knock-off for sale in Crete is nothing short of hilarious. Do people actually fall for this? Does it come with a copy of New Super Mario Sisters?[Via Infendo]
