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iBook Lessons: Beyond the Story ships interactive book app for Almighty Johnsons, the best show you're not watching
The Almighty Johnsons is probably the best show you're not watching -- unless you live in Canada. Although the show airs in New Zealand as well, the viewer numbers there are roughly enough to put together a basketball team. On a good day. Crude, vulgar, hilarious and touching, the show is surprisingly well made, with a shoestring budget and a very real desperate sense of on-the-bubble/will-it-be-canceled-soon because of those pesty Kiwis who are failing to watch it. To put it in Canadian terms, it's as smart as Orphan Black, a lot funnier and more risk-taking than The Lost Girl. The show plays in Canada, the UK, Australia and, of course, it "airs" (not that anyone watches) in New Zealand. Today, Syfy announced a deal to debut the show in the US in 2014 (hopefully without too many edits for American tastes). Sadly, that air date means that the renew/don't renew decision might happen long before the US gets its first glimpse of the Johnson family. (You can still write letters of support to TV 3 in New Zealand, South Pacific Pictures or tweet a note of support/drop off a Facebook like.) That all said, the show has just jumped from the screen to iOS devices. Expatriate Kiwi developers Beyond the Story, based in London, but with Aotearoa accents, have been working with South Pacific Pictures, just recently delivering a show-specific app to the New Zealand and Canadian iTunes app stores. Their custom, enhanced-book platform was built over several years, with a 2.5 million pound development investment. Able to transform any long form text into an interactive experience, Beyond the Story has previously produced the quite noteworthy Diary of Anne Frank and the somewhat less noteworthy After Earth: Kitai's Journal. They have worked with Penguin and Harper Collins on additional titles. When visiting New Zealand, this past February, a meeting with South Pacific Pictures gave rise to the Almighty Johnsons app project. Offering script novelizations, behind the scenes insights, interviews with the actors, character sheets and more, the app includes a great deal of fan-centric material. On the geeky technical end of things, the app provided some interesting implementation details. Apparently, this is the first-ever TV novelization that's delivered live as the series premieres. As each broadcast goes to air, the app enables each "chaptersode." This was a bit tricky when dealing with multiple geographies, and multiple screening times. The developers focused on not ruining the experience for anyone. You cannot access a chaptersode until that program has gone to air. (When the app goes live in the UK and Australia, it will coordinate to the local broadcasts there for the third series.) Is it a great app? It... feels a little like DVD extras. This includes the hokey background music and tap-to-jump menu structure. The novelization is, well, what it is. It's not horrible, but I'm a little confused as to why it was included. The writing is fairly stiff, bringing little extra insight or liveliness. The background text material, too, feels like it's been repurposed, although I'm not entirely sure of that as a fact. The app presentation itself and the underlying engine, on the other hand, did show great promise. I'd very much like to check out the Anne Frank app now after seeing this one. I'm told the Anne Frank book/app will release globally near October. The best bits, in my opinion, are the behind-the-scenes video snippets, even though some of them are extremely spoilery at this time, especially James Griffin's discourse on Yggdrasil (although I do adore his shirt-of-radio-art). So be warned. I did not encounter any of the instability that users have mentioned in iTunes reviews. I tested the app on a somewhat geriatric iPad 2 running iOS 6. Is it worth the Canadian $3.99? I can't see why not, although spoilerphobes will want to wait until the entire series has aired before picking up a copy. It's as cheap or cheaper than a TV show magazine might be, and probably will offer at least as much enjoyment.
Kiwi offers Twitter-like browser for App dot Net
Echofon for Mac is no longer in development. TUAW's Twitter Client Project surveys popular desktop alternatives in highly subjective reviews. Sometimes the answer to Twitter clients might be to just go find another service to socialize on. Many people are now turning to App dot Net as a social outlet. I admit that I'm still a Twitterholic, but on Victor's request, I headed over to ADN for a couple of weeks of exploration and testing. There, I ran into Kiwi for Mac (US$9.99). Itself a refugee from Twitter's somewhat developer-unfriendly new policies, the devs withdrew the original Kiwi Twitter client. They are focusing on providing a full-featured ADN client instead. I really like the visual look of Kiwi. It's sparse and clean. The devs have made some really good layout choices. The icons are well-chosen and small touches like a global feed that can stay scrolled at the top (Prefs > General > Scrolling > Sticks to top when at top) show they listen to their users. I did, however, find the navigation more confusing than it had to be and encountered some bugs. This is a minor quibble, however. The buttons at the top of each screen are tied to the function being displayed. You can't just treat the app as globally tabbed, which is what I initially expected. It's a stack-based navigation browser, which keeps pushing new views. What makes this harder is that buttons at the top keep changing. The go-back button at some point switches to a personal profile button so if you just mechanically click (I did), you end up toggling back and forth between your home screen and some bit or another of your profile and never get anywhere. I think I would have preferred tabs overall so I wouldn't have to keep searching for the global feed which came and went by screen. Also, when you click a... what do you call it? Not a tweet. A twapp? When you click a twapp, I'd rather it have opened up a drawer to show detail views. It bothered me that basic functionality choices came and went depending on the screen. And also that where you clicked on the twapp mattered about what view came next because there were no visual indicators that each twapp wasn't a monolithic element apart from blue links. Kiwi experienced regular crashing during my tests, mostly when the app was idle. It's still under active development and version 3.0.1 was just released. I have not had a chance to extensively test the new version. One of the biggest problems I had with ADN was its APIs. As far as I can tell (and please correct me if I'm wrong), you cannot search the global feed with arbitrary phrases. For this reason, Kiwi only offers searches for users, not content. I liked how Kiwi supported image posting (a must-have feature, in my opinion, for any client) but I discovered that the lag in processing the picture through img.ly didn't mix well with typing. After requesting an image link, the client actually inserted the processed link as I was typing, so the link appeared like this. It was not what I was expecting. In the end, Kiwi seems to offer all the core functionality you need for App.net. I found it easy to read, reply to and favorite twapps. As for ADN itself, I'm still unconvinced on that front but I'm glad I gave it a whirl.
Rumor: 'Seizure' caught on tape for Assassin's Creed: Revelations [update]
A lot of disturbing videos slither their way onto the Internet, and many can linger unnoticed in the bowels of YouTube for years -- but not this one. Hosted on Kazakh sharing site Kiwi, this video is not only gruesome, it's mysterious. Here's what we know: It's titled "Assassins creed revelations Seizure - Ubisoft." It is described by the uploader as "an internal project we did here at Ubisoft Cinematics. I animated the character on the table. No mocap whatsoever." It features a serene doctor performing barbaric head surgery on a living dead man, all in the name of "memory binding." It is absolutely gorgeous. You can watch it right here. We don't know what this is, but we have some theories. For one, the Animus had to start somewhere, and Subject 1 may as well have been a schizophrenic guy with a broken back. For two, we don't think this is part of any actual Assassin's Creed game -- but it could be a supplemental short film, perhaps part of the Assassin's Creed: Embers short. Or, of course, it could be a really clever fan work. We're running our ideas by Ubisoft for clarification, or perhaps an impromptu, company-wide lobotomy. Update: The audio and visual inspiration is most definitely ripped straight from Jacob's Ladder, meaning this piece probably wasn't made for public release. Even if it is only an internal animation test, this baby deserves to be in the public eye (and frontal lobes).
New Zealand paralympian buys first Rex Bionics exoskeleton, takes robot walking legs for a spin
Surely we weren't the only ones to wonder aloud who would be the first come up with $150,000 for a Rex Bionics robotic exoskeleton when the Auckland-based company introduced it last summer. Of course, no price seems too high for the ability to walk again, but that's still a lot scratch to get together -- and the space has been getting a lot more competitive as of late. The honor went to fellow Kiwi Dave MacCalman, a multiple medal-winning paralympian, who lost the use of his legs after sustaining a spinal cord injury while diving into a river. The 6-foot, 4-inch athlete took his first steps in over 30 years with the use of his newly-purchased robot legs -- and from the look on his face, he definitely got his New Zealand dollar's worth. If you need a quick refresher on exactly what this thing can do, check out the video after the break.
Kiwi 2 delivers groups and themes for Mac Twitter users
Just in case you haven't been happy with any of the seemingly countless Twitter clients for OS X, Kiwi 2 is here to offer you another one to try out. Full of new features like inline images, account grouping, gesture support for trackpads, and a themeable interface, Kiwi 2 is a pretty solid Twitter client that looks right at home on the Mac platform. My favorite new feature I discovered when giving it a trial run? The ability to set rules to hide annoying tweets, which is something that should be built into any application designed to work with Twitter. I have been using Nambu on my Mac for months now, but it may have some competition in Kiwi 2 -- at least until the next cool Twitter client comes out. Kiwi 2 is available in 2 flavors: a free version supported by ads and an ad-free one which costs US $9.95. Click Read More to check out video of Kiwi 2 in action.
Windows Phone 7 now on sale... in New Zealand
Well played, New Zealand. Hobbit-infested scenery, Flight of the Conchords, the first in the world to get iPhone 3Gs... and now this. What you're looking at is purportedly the first person to purchase a Windows Phone 7 device, and even if that's not quite the case, it signals the launch of the phone for the island country, which would make it the first region in the world to put the device on sale. Have patience, non-Kiwi friends. Update: After the break, a shot of a Vodafone NZ HTC Trophy, purchased at Aotea Square in Auckland. Thanks, Jonathan! [Thanks, Stephen]
Rex, the robotic exoskeleton, aims to make wheelchairs obsolete
New Zealand isn't exactly known for being a hotbed of tech innovation, but this set of bionic legs might just realign that perception a little bit. The product of seven years of development work, the Rex exoskeleton is capable of supporting the full weight of a person -- making it suitable for paraplegics -- and moving him or her around in a familiar bipedal fashion. It's operated using a joystick and control pad and is simple enough for handicapped users to self-transfer in and out of. The best news, perhaps, is that it's about to go on sale in its home country this year, with an international launch following in 2011. The worst news? Probably the $150,000 (US) initial asking price, but then we'd hardly say we're qualified to judge the value of being able to walk again. Video and full press release after the break. [Thanks, Kurt and Simon]
Kiwi Choice launches U-Powered USB portable solar charger
Oh sure, we've seen quite a few solar chargers in our day, but rarely do we get the chance to actually use one for the weekend. A new outfit by the name of Kiwi Choice gave us such an opportunity recently, and today it's officially launching the U-Powered USB portable solar charger. Put simply, this here device folds out into a tri-pointed thingamajig with a trio of solar panels ready and willing to catch sunlight and store it within. The impatient among us can also juice it up via USB or AC adapter, with a full charge taking at least four hours. The device boasts a power capacity of 2,000mAh, and there's also a magnet for storing it underneath your vehicle's seat or dashboard. Oh, and there's even a LED flashlight on the front in case of emergency. The company ships the device with 11 different tips, one of which plays nice with Apple's dock connector. We tested it out on a few obvious candidates, and while it had no issue juicing up our iPhone 3G, the in-house iPad saw the dreaded "Not Charging" logo appear moments after it was connected. The bundle also includes an AC plug and an in-car cigarette adapter for times when the solar charger is pooped, but unfortunately, neither of those options would charge the iPad, either. We will say, however, that it managed to charge every other handheld we had just fine, and while the build quality wasn't exactly world class, it's suitable for tossing in the car and having around when energy is needed. It's available today for $49.99 if you're interested. %Gallery-93042%
Martin Jetpack public test flights taking off in early 2010
Those crazy Kiwis at Martin Jetpack like to pop in every now and then to show off their eponymous flying craft, and though we still don't have a timeframe for plunking down $150,000 to own one and donning our best Boba Fett costume for the inaugural flight home, the company is making accommodations. Starting early next year in its hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand, you'll be able to try out the flight pack yourself as part of the Martin Jetpack Experience. The "low, slow" thrill ride won't hover above 3.3 feet or go faster than 6.2 miles per hour, but according to The New Zealand Herald, it's only expected to cost about as much as bungie jumping, and if you ask really nicely, we're sure they won't mind you wearing the costume anyway.
Kiwi IMAP email client goes closed source
Developer (and sometime TUAW commenter) Matt Ronge has announced he's closing the source of the upcoming IMAP email client Kiwi he's been working on. It's a decision that's been a long time coming, he says, and most of the feedback he's gotten has been positive towards closing the source, so he's going ahead with it. MailCore and libetpan, the two code frameworks Kiwi is built on top of, will both remain open source, so the possibility of someone else building an open source client off of MailCore is still there.The question is, will Kiwi be worth paying for? The answer, as usual, is "depends." Ronge has some great ideas for how a well built IMAP client could work, but the proof is in the pudding, and right now, all we've got are some screenshots. Kiwi promises Address Book and Spotlight support, LUA customization, and good performance and scalability. If Ronge can make his app do all that, most users will be happy to pay for his hard work.[ via Brent Simmons ]
Study to research games' effect on Kiwis
Not to be outdone by the United States and its government-funded study on video game violence, the island nation of New Zealand is funding its own study on the effects of video game violence on Kiwis (the people, not the animal or the fruit). The $140,000 study is being headed by Dr. Gareth Schott, a psychologist at the University of Waikato who has previously looked at girl gamers, fan culture and the educational applications of games.With any luck, Schott's study will garner more evidence that can be used by the pro-gaming forces in the U.S. Then again, it might show that video game violence has a totally different effect on Americans than it does on New Zealanders. Wouldn't that just blow everyone's mind?
