Take your vitamins for Post-apocalyptic Skunks and Fevers - Postcard #54 (.mp3, 16:35, 15MB)

[audio http://uncleweed.net/podshow/postcards/postcards-54.mp3]

Read along at Mountain Highway

One way these tracks

night lake diving

Comfortably Lonely, Cabin Porch

Waiting at Jericho

betwen night and light

Coastal Starlight 2 hours late

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Weigh anchor for Howling at Land and Sea - Postcard #53 (.mp3, 17:51, 16MB)
[audio http://uncleweed.net/podshow/postcards/postcards-53.mp3]

Photo by DaveO on Pender Island, Art'ed up by Bread the Producer

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Bomberman Touch - The Legend Of Mystic Bomb

Hudson-Soft bringt den erfolgreichen Spieltitel gleich zum Start auf den iPod/iPhone. In der Rahmenhandlung geht es um einen Archäologen und seinen Gehilfen, die in einem geheimen Tempel nach einem Schatz suchen. Doch das Flugzeug stürzt auf dem Weg dorthin ab, und man absolviert seine ersten Trainingslevel auf dem Weg zum Tempel. Als man dort ankommt wird man von "Dr. Bobal" alleine gelassen, und muss sich selbst durch die Wege zum Tempel kämpfen - davon gibt es nämlich 3, die man alle der Reihe nach ausprobieren kann bis man den richtigen gefunden hat.

Und da kommt schon der erste Minuspunkt ins Spiel: Es gibt keine Funktion einfach mal zwischendrin zu speichern! Zwar wird das Spiel pausiert, sobald man den iPod ausschaltet, dennoch wird nur in Intervallen gespeichert - was den Spielspaß doch ein wenig trübt!

Betritt man nun einen der 3 Pfade wird man gleich von einer ganz anderen Qualität von Monstern willkommen geheißen. Waren die Jungel-Level noch relativ leicht zu absolvieren, so ist man jetzt als Anfänger evtl. leicht überfordert.

Die Spielfunktion ist jedoch die gleiche bewährte geblieben wie bisher: Man wandert als kleine Figur über ein Labyrinth aus Klötzen und Steinen und legt Bomben um sich seinen Weg zum Ausgang zu sprengen. Doch der tut sich erst auf sobald man alle Monster gesprengt hat, was das ganze ein bisschen spannender macht.

Ein weitere Minuspunkt ist die Steuerung, die ja bei den meisten iPod-Touch-Games ein herausragendes Element darstellt: Immer dort wo man den Finger auf den Bildschirm legt erscheint ein Steuerkreuz, das man bedient indem man den Finger einfach in die gewünschte Richtung zieht. Das funktioniert zu Anfangs ganz gut, und man ist eigentlich sehr positiv überrascht, doch gegen Ende des Levels (man wandert meistens auf die rechte Seite) verdeckt man schnell mal mit dem Daumen die eigene Spielfigur - was natürlich bei schnellen Aktionen nervtötend sein kann. Nichts desto trotz muss man sagen, dass die Steuerung trotzdem gut funktioniert und wer gleich gut mit beide Händen umgehen kann wird große Freude damit haben.

Bomberman Touch ist ein gelungenes Spiel, das trotz überzeugender Grafik und guter Rahmengeschichte noch ein paar negative Gesichtspunkte zeigt (recht schnell nervende Hintergrundmusik, Steuerungsprobleme, kein Speichern zwischendurch), und so nicht komplett Überzeugen kann! Es kostet 5,99€ und ist hier zu finden.

Von mir gibt es 3 von 5 Punkte!

Wingnuts - Moto Racer

Frisch aus den Studios von Freeverse kommt Moto Racer - Ein Rennspiel bei dem es darum geht so schnell wie möglich im Ziel anzukommen und rechtzeitig die Checkpoints zu erreichen. Auf der Strecke muss man zusätzlich auf den Verkehr achten und sich vor gegnerischen Gangs in Acht nehmen, und sie am besten irgendwie vom Motorrad stoßen - doch wie man das macht konnte ich bis jetzt noch nicht herausfinden, denn es ist weder ein Tutorial oder Hilfe-Kapitel vorhanden!

Man gibt Gas und bremst ab indem man den 'GAS'-Button drückt, und lenkt, in dem man das iPhone/iPod seitwärts kippt. - Und damit ist schon fast alles gesagt. Es gibt keine große Story drum herum, oder ein großes Finale auf das das ganze zusteuert.

Wingnuts Moto Racer ist ein Spiel für den Gamer zwischendurch. Nicht die Geschichte, sondern das Spielen steht komplett im Vordergrund und ist somit perfekt um mal schnell zwischen 2 Bussen an der Bushaltestelle zu zocken. Leider sucht man ein Tutorial vergebens, und auch die Genauigkeit des Lagesensors verbirgt sich hinter der unpassenden Übersetzung 'Schwierigkeit'. Trotzdem überzeugt MotoRacer durch seine gelungene und nette Grafik, die über ein paar Übersetzungsfehler hinweg sehen lässt. Wingnuts Moto Racer kostet 7,99€ und ist hier erhältlich.

Von mir verdiente 4 von 5 Punkte!

Enigmo

Enigmo ist wohl eins der bekanntesten Spiele für den iPod Touch - schließlich wurde es ja schon mehrfach auf den Keynotes durch Pangea Software vorgestellt, und heimste auf diese Weise viel Aufmerksamkeit ein. Das Gameplay sollte vielen bekannt sein: Aus einem Behälter tropfen Tropfen mit von Behälter zu Behälter unterschiedlichen Farben. Man bekommt verschiedene Gegenstände (Trommeln, Kanonen, Leitungen, Schwämme, ...) zur Verfügung gestellt, mit denen man die Tropfen in die farblich dazu passende Vase leiten muss. Nach jedem Level (es gibt 50 Stück) wird der Schwierigkeitsgrad erhöht, und man muss mehrere verschieden Tropfen zu den Vasen leiten, oder Gitter freischalten um ans Ziel zu gelangen.

Enigmo bietet eine besonders intuitive Bedienung, da es von Apple's Multi-Touch gebrauch macht um z.b.: in das Spiel hinein zu zoomen. Jedes Level bietet viel Spielspaß und erfordert auch einiges an Hirnschmalz. Enigmo kostet 7,99€ und ist hier erhältlich.

So stellt man sich Apps für den iPod/iPhone vor! 5 von 5 Punkte!

Spinner Prologue

Spinner Prologue ist eine Entwicklung von 'Fuel Industries' und ist kostenlos im App-Store erhältlich - bietet somit eine nette Alternative zu den meist kostenpflichtigen Spielen. Ziel des Spiels ist es den Pfeil in der Mitte des Bildschirms möglichst schnell ins Ziel zu befördern und dabei nicht die Wände zu berühren. Die Schwierigkeit besteht darin, dass sich der Pfeil nicht von der Stelle rührt, sondern sich die Wände immer entgegen der Pfeilrichtung bewegen. Ändern kann man die Richtung nur durch das Drehen des iPods, was einen netten Effekt ergibt.

Spinner Prologue ist zwar grafisch nicht unbedingt sehr 'ansehnlich', dennoch bietet es eine Menge Spaß und verdrehte Hände sind vorprogrammiert. Es ist kostenlos und hier im App-Store erhältlich.

Da es kostenlos ist und viel Spaß bietet 3 von 5 Punkte von mir!

Ich bin momentan schon von den Möglichkeiten des iPod Touch's 'blown away' und freue mich riesig über die Spiele, die die Möglichkeiten voll ausschöpfen. Wenn man bedenkt, dass wir gerade eben erst am Anfang sind ist eine spannende Spiele-Zukunft so gut wie sicher - Ich freue mich sehr darauf!

Wer noch mehr Bilder der Spiele sehen möchte kann sich diese gerne auf meinem Flickr-Account anschauen und auch beliebig weiterverwenden!

UPDATE (7/15 - 17:43)

Moto Racer

Des Rätsels Lösung bzgl. des 'Gegner-Pushen'-Problems: Finger vom Gas - auf das 'Push'-Symbol drücken - Finger wieder auf's Gas setzen! Das Spiel unterstützt anscheinend kein Multi-Touch, weswegen man das Gefährt kurz abbremsen muss wenn man sich vom Gegner befreien möchte...

With those third-party applications, my 'touch will become more of a PDA and the iPhone will become more of a smartphone.

Still, I was able to access the App Store using iTunes 7.7 (which I downloaded directly from Apple's iTunes website since it wasn't showing up in Apple Software Update). Adding the "Applications" item in the left-hand sidebar (available through the "General" tab in iTunes Preferences), I can see a list of applications already downloaded in iTunes (i.e., nothing at first launch). At the bottom of that page, there's a link to get more applications which leads to the App Store.  There, I can browse applications, get free apps, or buy some of the paid ones (using the payment information stored in my iTunes account). Prices are the same in USD and CAD (since they are pretty much on par, it all makes sense). Searching and browsing for apps follows all the same conventions as with music, movies, podcasts, or iPod games. Application pages appear in searches for application names (say, "Trism").

I went through a number of apps and eventually downloaded 28 free ones. I also noted a number of apps I would like to try, including Trism, Units, Things, Outliner, OmniFocus, Steps (one of the rare apps available in French), iCalorie, and one of the multiple Sudoku apps. However, I can't put apps on a wishlist and demos aren't available directly through iTunes (I'm assuming they're available from the iPhone or iPod touch).

I'm actually looking forward to trying out all of these apps. I don't tend to be an early adopter but this is one case for quick adoption, especially with free apps. I guess a small part of this is that, since Apple has sorted through these apps, I'm assuming none of them contains any malware. Not that I ever fully trust an organization or individual, but my level of trust is higher with the App Store than with, say, the usual software download site (VersionTracker.com, Tucows.com, Download.com, Handango.com). And I trust these download sites much more than the developer sites I find through Web searches.

One thing I notice very quickly is how small many of those apps were. After downloading 28 apps, my "Mobile Applications" folder is 31MB. Of course, many PDA apps were typically under 100KB, but given the size of OSX iPhone devices, I'm glad to notice that I can probably fit that I can probably fit a lot of applications in less than 1GB, leaving more room for podcasts, music, and pictures. On the other hand, filesizes are apparently not listed in the "Applications" section on iTunes (they're specified on the individual apps' pages).

Overall, there's a number of obvious apps, many of which are PDA classic: to do lists, phrasebooks, clocks and timers, calculators (including tips calculators), converters, trackers, weather forecasts, and solitaire or other casual games (like sudoku). No surprise with any of these and I'll probably use many of them. Typically, these can be difficult to select because developers have had very similar ideas but the apps have slightly different features. Typically, with those apps, free wins over extensive feature lists, even for very cheap software.

Speaking of price, I notice that AppEngines is selling 43 different Public Domain books as separate apps for 1$ each. Now, there's nothing wrong with making money off Public Domain material (after all, there wouldn't be a Disney Company without Public Domain works). But it seems strange to me that someone would nickel-and-dime readers by charging for access to individual Public Domain titles. Sure, a standalone app is convenient. But a good electronic book reader should probably be more general than book-specific. Not really because of size constraints and such. But because books are easily conceived as part of a library (or bookshelf), instead of being scattered on a handheld device. The BookZ Text Reader seems more relevant, in this case, and it's compatible with the Project Gutenberg files. Charging 2$ for that text reader seems perfectly legitimate. For its part, Fictionwise has released a free eReader app for use with its proprietary format. Though it won't transform OSX iPhone devices into a Kindle killer, this eReader app does seem to at least transfer books through WiFi. Since these books are copyrighted ones, the app can be a nice example of a convenient content marketplace.

I'm a bit surprised that the educational software section of the App Store isn't more elaborate. It does contain 45 separate apps but several of those are language-specific versions of language tools or apps listed in other categories which happen to have some connection to learning. If it were me, I'd classify language tools in a separate category or subcategory and I might more obvious how different educational apps are classified. On the other hand, I'm quite surprised that Molecules isn't listed in this educational section.

The reason I care so much is that I see touch devices generally as an important part of the future of education. With iPod touches being bundled with Mac sales in the current "Back-to-School" special and with the obvious interest of different people in putting touch devices in the hands of learners and teachers, I would have expected a slew of educational apps. Not to mention that educational apps have long populated lists of software offerings since the fondly remembered Hypercard days to PDAs and smartphones.

Among the interesting educational apps is Faber Acoustical's SignalScope. At 25$, it's somewhat expensive for an OSX iPhone app, but it's much less expensive than some equivalent apps on other platforms used to be. It's also one of the more creative apps I've seen in the Store. Unfortunately, for apparently obvious reasons (the iPod touch has no embedded audio in), it's only available on the iPhone.

Speaking of iPhone-only software... There's already a way to get audio on the iPod touch using a third-party adapter. I understand that Apple isn't supporting it officially but I wonder if the iPhone-only tag will prevent people from using it. Small point for most people, I guess. But it'd be really nice if I could use my 'touch as a voice recorder. Would make for a great fieldwork tool.

One thing I wish were available on the App Store is an alternative mode for text entry. Though I'm already getting decent performance from the default virtual keyboard on my 'touch, I still wish I had Dasher, MessagEase or even Graffiti.

Among the apps I've browsed, I see a number of things which could be described as "standalone versions of Web apps." There's already a good number of Web apps compatible or even customized for OSX iPhone devices. The standalone versions can be useful, in part because they can be used offline (great for WiFi-less situations, on the iPod touch). But these "standaloned Web apps" also don't seem to really take full advantage of Apple's Cocoa Touch. In the perception of value, I'd say that "standaloned Web apps" rate fairly low, especially since most Web apps are free to use (unless tied with an account on a Web service).

I was also surprised to see that a number of apps which are basically simple jokes are put for sale on the App Store. I was amused to see an OSX iPhone version of Freeverse's classic "Jared, The Butcher of Songs." But I'm puzzled by the fact that Hottrix is selling its iBeer app for 3$. Sure, it's just 3$. But I don't see the app providing with as much pleasure as a single taster of a craft beer. Not to mention that the beer itself looks (by colour, foam, and carbonation) like a bland pilsner and not like a flavourful beer.

Overall, I'd say the Store is well-made. Again, the same principles are used as for the iTunes Store generally. All application pages have screenshots and some of these screenshots give an excellent idea of what the application does, while other screenshots are surprisingly difficult to understand. Browsing the Store, I noticed how important icons seemed to be in terms of catching my attention. Some application developers did a great job at the textual description of their applications, also catching my attention. But others use "marketingspeak" to brag about their product, which has the effect of making the app more difficult to grasp. Given the number of apps already listed and the simplicity of the classification, such details become quite important. Almost (but not nearly as much) as price, in terms of making an app appealing.

It seems pretty clear to me (and to others, including some free market advocates), that price is an important issue. This was obvious to many of us for a while. But the opening of the App Store makes this issue very obvious.

For instance, regardless of his previous work, CNET journalist Don Reisinger is probably on to something when he argues, in essence, that the free apps may outweigh the benefits of the paid apps, on Apple's App Store. Even though Apple allegedly coaxed developers into charging for their apps, the fact of the matter is that the App Store clearly shows that no-cost software can be a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The same advantage is obvious in many contexts, including in music. But, as a closed environment, the App Store could serve as an efficient case study in "competing with free." One thing to keep in mind, as I keep saying, is that there are multiple types of no-cost offerings. In the software world (including on the App Store), there's a large number of examples of successful applications which incurred no purchase on the users' part. Yes, sometimes you need a bit of imagination to build a business model on top of no-cost software. But I think the commercial ventures enabled by these "alternative" business models are more diverse than people seem to assume.

One thing I noticed in terms of application pricing on the App Store is that there either seems to be a number of sweet spots or pricing schemes come from a force of habit. Sure, Apple only has a finite list of "tiers" for amounts which can be charged for a given app (with preset currency conversions). But I think that some tiers have been used more than others. For instance, 10$ seems fairly common as a threshold between truly inexpensive apps and a category similar to "shareware." Some apps are actually as expensive as the desktop versions, though it seems that the most expensive app so far is under 100$.

One thing to note is that several developers of those early App Store products have been involved in Mac development for a while (the Omni Group being an obvious example) but there are also several organizations which seem to be entering Cocoa development for the first time. This could be a bigger halo effect in terms of Mac sales than the original iPod or the iPhone. Profit made through OSX iPhone apps (either through software cost, through services, or even through other monetization schemes) could lead them to develop software for OSX Leopard. At least, they already made an investment in the development platform.

It'll be interesting to observe what happens with software pricing in relation to the "apparent hand" of a constrained market.

But I'm less interested in this market than in the actual apps. When can I install the "iPhone 2.0" firmware on my iPod touch? Is it now?

trapped by your feeling
my insides are there
i can smell your house
touch your blanket
feel the beads on your pillow
the way the chair squeaked as i turned towards you

have you ever noticed that everything you do is in some way a reaction to something already done?

i am scared i will never forget it
moreso, that i will never be able to unlive it

everyone is born the same. we all start out at pretty much the same point. but the instant you take that first breath, your soft innocent shell immediately starts to harden. as life goes on, as you go to sleep and awake the next day, day in and day out, events and people and emotions in your life harden that shell. i have met people that are so hardened on the outside that the only way to see who they really are deep down in that minuscule innocent part of who they were is to lock eyes, not say a word, and for a split second it will come to the surface. if you blink you might miss it. but that's where the beauty is. before the nervous laugh, before the jokes, before the look aways and the head turns, before any of that, it's there.

is it better to be hardened, sometimes so much so it's as if the person's shell has been put in a kiln, baked at two thousand degrees, so that you don't feel anything? or for the shell to be soft, the extra layers like playdo instead of sheetrock? so that all the feelings ever felt, all the moments ever remembered, that burned themselves in to your souls' memory, could still be known as if it were still happening? the hopelessness of certain situations? the pure ecstasy of others? the smells and scents and looks and feels of someone desired but never obtained? the touch of a love given, but one that you couldn't receive?

the moment was fleeting
but it was there
all too real
all too familiar

lost in timeless thought
years becomes decades and still you look in the mirror
asking the same question
with the same answer

who are you?

i'll hold on to the illusion that my words will mean something to somebody someday. maybe even just for a moment, isn't that all we can hope? that we will make a difference somewhere, on some point in history, for a moment? can one moment be remembered? i remember all too well moments i wish i never lived, and others that were too good to let go, creating a void needed to be filled by something similar.

we only get one chance at life. i want to live it, not watch it pass by, let it go by in dreams never met, moments never loved, never lost, never felt. i want to be in life every day. i want to experience from so many different ways, so many different forms, but it's impossible to recreate yourself, maybe only possible to mold yourself into a slightly different form of the shape you've always been becoming. only one life. the finiteness of that feeling is overwhelming to me. i wish someone could sell me an illusion that it didn't have to be that way.

live in more places than one, be in more times than now, experience moments that our decisions or those decisions made by those who came before us will never allow us to experience. what does the sand in brazil feel like? the sun in miami? the cold of buffalo? the water as it's carried on the wind from the pits of the falls at niagra to your face, safe on the sideline? what does the night sound like in fiji, on top of the water, in a hut, with a fiance?

i want to buy into what you're selling me. give it to me.

When they see you coming.

Or others who cross the road at your approach.

Think of the seagull that follows you home, above,

Because you're walking with a packet of crisps,

Or a bag of chips.

The cat that stops and stares at you as it crosses your path,

And the little mouse that escapes alive,

Because you have distracted its predator so.

Consider even, each step you take;

Weeds and insects living underneath,

All dependent on your footfalls for survival.

Everywhere we exist, an entire world thrives around us. A world full of life utterly affected by even the slightest of your elections. And you are far from alone in your world; yours is intrinsically connected with mine. Every choice you make that affects your own domain spills over into the next. The person who smiled at you, for example, has a different tenor now and his own decisions will be altered as a result. Follow the effect and you will see a ripple undulate across the entire globe, each wave colliding with myriad others and redirecting itself thus, affecting new people and new creatures; new ecosystems.

In this vein, it is very easy to see how you, whom I may have never met, have a very powerful relationship with me. One which can, from the minutest to the most colossal extent, determine my future. And I yours. It is true that the whole world really does revolve around you.

So if you are feeling despondent or inconsequential, always remember: without you in it, this would be a very different world!

Much Love

leaping from the storm

the 2AM moonlight

fractures with the impact

the rocks below 

clarified by the 

glacial melt

jagged but deep enough

for divers and explorers

escaping ennui and malaise

on the shore bobbing over rocks

shook freed from constraints

the absence reveals

no barriers for the lubricious and clumsy 

emerging from the cold

to stumble on the wretched shore

where bullets won't start a fire

only tinder and a spark

is all i can stammer

darters into waves which 

don't seem to mind

Leaning over sideways

to control both power and time

Flocking into clusters

brushing past the buoys

like galaxies swirling 

spun by translucent kite-strings

Leaving tracers to catch a gaze

the stone mason

experiment invites 

me and strangers to rest awhile

only at lowtide when the waves release

a rusted boxspring fence and

gives way to me, the barnacles

and the bay of flashing darters 

to make the crabs easier 

to capture

lulls along the darters

and sunnyday foghorn

Sailors waiting

papers aren't order

sandwiches and waiting

waiting, watching

for the crackled word

we're moving out

red snapper grill marked

smoking peppers 

rolled with twigs

i learned 2 spanish words in advance

the boy, 14-ish shaggy haired

"do you need nails?"

"no just the hammer" 

learning the preferred Mexican term 

entirely different and dissonant

and unnecessary to the situation 

"you sold me tacks yesterday"

as though he'd care

considered like a bleeding toe

in a sandy crab pinch and attached 

to the words of nails and canvas

elegance and restraint

teasing out the extravagance

of innocence and youth

super mini

mary paz

3 avocados

and sack of 

dark beers

mango, rollies

spreading change

taking three times to 

count it wrong

thick blades arch and thrust

you collared to the clouds

dappling your supple shadows

graceful valleys

no secrets

only tales to distract

away

my constant gaze

and eager intentions

if you manage to stand
and can navigate by orion
you'll arrive in the bay
left by bandits, fishers and seers
where abundance and tranquillity await
so replenish your weighted mind
tired traveler
and soak in the nectar of another
delirious day

Wandering in the Wilderness . . .

It was a boyhood fantasy, coming

across a bare-breasted beauty in some

deserted place where she might rely on me

to rescue her, and her all willing

to reward my capable action with

tenderness and something undefined . . .

But now a man, I find myself here

in this deserted place, with this bare-

breasted young woman and I wonder

only where her accomplice hides

to leap out and leave me bleeding,

Samaritan in roadside ditch, naked,

penniless, ignored by the well-meaning

young men afraid of my flaccid manhood

and their own revulsion to weakness.

And yet, no villainy shows in that round

face, that melancholy countenance. She

pleads, with her raw eyes for something

unknown, perhaps unknowable. And her

breasts hang there in pert defiance,

as though her heart upheld them

in taut-nippled perseverance against

whatever mysterious malaise afflicts

her mind. And it is that beauty, her

mind now that attracts me, and my own

curiosity and compassion drive me

to intervention despite great risk.

David M Pitchford
9 May 2008