Gotta hand it to Google -- the boys and girls in Mountain View can have some serious fun for April Fools' Day. Each year we get a handful of awesomely funny announcements and videos, including such gems as Google Translate for animals or Google Racing.
Google's getting started a day early this year. This morning it posted a video to YouTube announcing that it's received enough entries to finally pick the best video, and that YouTube will shut down at midnight tonight until 2023, at which time the winner will be announced.
Thanks for all your great entries. YouTube finally has enough videos to begin selecting a winner. What do you think is the #bestvideo on YouTube?
We've been thrilled with all of the diverse, creative entries we've seen so far, and we can't wait to begin the process of selecting the best video. We'll be announcing the winner in 10 years.
The cameos are worth watching as well. Antoine Dodson as a judge? Of course. Taking a shot at unboxings? Love it. iJustine, Rafi Fine. David from "David after Dentist" fame. Awesomesauce.
Check out the video after the break, and get ready for more from Google on Monday.
Next Thursday our own Phil Nickinson will be heading over to Facebook's third event of 2013, and their first that promises to be focused on mobile. Perhaps even disruptive to mobile. Phil has questions about the Facebook Android event, important ones, and rightly so. I have no answers, but I do have this:
Come See Our New Home on Android
Facebook is one of the few companies not already in the mobile platform game that's talented and wealthy enough to do something really interesting. Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Google, even Amazon have all already taken their shots. Each has tackled it according to their own unique corporate cultures and business needs. We've seen bits and pieces from Facebook before, from their mobile apps to their messengers to their social cameras. But what would really express their corporate culture and service their business needs?
Facebook has hired tremendous mobile talent over the last few years. Eric Tseng, who helped run Android at Google, and Mike Matas who helped create the modern era of textured design at Delicious Monster, are but two of the most prominent. Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly taken prominent iOS designers and developers for "Steve Jobs walks", and claimed Facebook was now the best place for them to dent the mobile universe.
What's all that talent been up to for the last couple years? Not making new iterations of the News Feed, and certainly not knocking out Poke apps, that's for sure. Yet Zuckerberg has also said, resolutely and on several occasions, that Facebook's mobile future doesn't lie in their own mobile hardware.
Given that Facebook so prominently name-dropped the mobile operating system of their biggest competitor, in arguably their biggest announcement of the year, might just indicate that Zuckerberg should be taken at his word. Perhaps the entire invitation should be.
Android has a concept of home screens, like iOS, but much more expansive and customizable than iOS. They can be skinned and they can be replaced. For good or for ill, Samsung with TouchWiz, HTC with Sense, and other device manufacturers often completely remake Android's stock interface with their own layers. It's not as extensive as Amazon's Kindle Fire fork, where Android is treated as little more than an embedded OS, but its enough to differentiate and provide some level of ownership.
Unlike Amazon, who wants to be in the hardware game and own their own content distribution platform -- who wants a shiny, proprietary box that will act as a dedicated front-end to the Amazon store -- Facebook wants to be ubiquitous across all platforms. Facebook currently enjoys system level integration in iOS, which is probably as deep as they'll be allowed to go. They'll never take over the experience there, or on Windows Phone or BlackBerry.
Android, however, could let Facebook own the system experience without having to own the system. Home could let Facebook provide deeper integration without turning partners into competitors. HTC could let Facebook show off an inspirational device other manufacturers and end users can immediately see and touch, while also letting them offer the same experience to other manufacturers and users down the road. Facebook for your contacts. Facebook for your photos. Facebook for your messaging. Facebook for your everything Facebook does, and Android for your everything they don't care to do, at least yet. And you feeding back all your identity, information, and transactions -- the data Facebook thrives on -- in exchange. They get to do to Google what Google does to others, they get to disintermediate Google using Google's own platform.
That's my best guess for what we'll see on Thursday -- a brilliantly engineered, gorgeously designed way to inject Facebook into the Android experience and remake it in the social giants image. If so, it's a strategy that gives Facebook a lot of benefit for very little risk, and disproportionate ownership compared to investment. Just as they overwhelmed browsers and walled the web to build their desktop platform, Facebook could be getting ready to face-hugger Android phones and remake them, Facebook-formed.
We'll find out for sure in less than a week.
Next Thursday our own Phil Nickinson will be heading over to Facebook's third event of 2013, and their first that promises to be focused on mobile. Perhaps even disruptive to mobile. Phil has questions about the Facebook Android event, important ones, and rightly so. I have no answers, but I do have this:
Come See Our New Home on Android
Facebook is one of the few companies not already in the mobile platform game that's talented and wealthy enough to do something really interesting. Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Google, even Amazon have all already taken their shots. Each has tackled it according to their own unique corporate cultures and business needs. We've seen bits and pieces from Facebook before, from their mobile apps to their messengers to their social cameras. But what would really express their corporate culture and service their business needs?
Facebook has hired tremendous mobile talent over the last few years. Eric Tseng, who helped run Android at Google, and Mike Matas who helped create the modern era of textured design at Delicious Monster, are but two of the most prominent. Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly taken prominent iOS designers and developers for "Steve Jobs walks", and claimed Facebook was now the best place for them to dent the mobile universe.
What's all that talent been up to for the last couple years? Not making new iterations of the News Feed, and certainly not knocking out Poke apps, that's for sure. Yet Zuckerberg has also said, resolutely and on several occasions, that Facebook's mobile future doesn't lie in their own mobile hardware.
Given that Facebook so prominently name-dropped the mobile operating system of their biggest competitor, in arguably their biggest announcement of the year, might just indicate that Zuckerberg should be taken at his word. Perhaps the entire invitation should be.
Android has a concept of home screens, like iOS, but much more expansive and customizable than iOS. They can be skinned and they can be replaced. For good or for ill, Samsung with TouchWiz, HTC with Sense, and other device manufacturers often completely remake Android's stock interface with their own layers. It's not as extensive as Amazon's Kindle Fire fork, where Android is treated as little more than an embedded OS, but its enough to differentiate and provide some level of ownership.
Unlike Amazon, who wants to be in the hardware game and own their own content distribution platform -- who wants a shiny, proprietary box that will act as a dedicated front-end to the Amazon store -- Facebook wants to be ubiquitous across all platforms. Facebook currently enjoys system level integration in iOS, which is probably as deep as they'll be allowed to go. They'll never take over the experience there, or on Windows Phone or BlackBerry.
Android, however, could let Facebook own the system experience without having to own the system. Home could let Facebook provide deeper integration without turning partners into competitors. HTC could let Facebook show off an inspirational device other manufacturers and end users can immediately see and touch, while also letting them offer the same experience to other manufacturers and users down the road. Facebook for your contacts. Facebook for your photos. Facebook for your messaging. Facebook for your everything Facebook does, and Android for your everything they don't care to do, at least yet. And you feeding back all your identity, information, and transactions -- the data Facebook thrives on -- in exchange. They get to do to Google what Google does to others, they get to disintermediate Google using Google's own platform.
That's my best guess for what we'll see on Thursday -- a brilliantly engineered, gorgeously designed way to inject Facebook into the Android experience and remake it in the social giants image. If so, it's a strategy that gives Facebook a lot of benefit for very little risk, and disproportionate ownership compared to investment. Just as they overwhelmed browsers and walled the web to build their desktop platform, Facebook could be getting ready to face-hugger Android phones and remake them, Facebook-formed.
Build a base with Tetris blocks, but don't get too far - those pesky red lines are out to get you
A hidden gem at GDC 2013 was tucked away at the PlayStation booth called Rymdkapsel. This is a minimalistic strategy game with some Tetris-style base expansion mechanics. Players have to collect resources, research new technologies, and defend themselves against the occasional wave of attackers.
The spring iOS and OS X developer and designer conference season is in full swing and this year more than ever the schedule looks jam packed with events and talent.
NSConf has already wrapped up in Leicester, England, where it sounds like a good time was had by all. Run by Steve Scott, and with presenters like Evan Doll, Michael Jurewitz, Craig Hockenberry, Daniel Jalkut, Daniel Pasco, Manton Reece, Rob Rhyne, and Emily Loop, that was never in any doubt. Hopefully the sessions will be available soon.
If you missed it though, there are several more coming our way soon.
CocoaConf Dallas - April 4-6, Dallas, USA - features Daniel Pasco, Manton Reece, and more.
Úll - April 12-18, Dublin, Ireland - is run by Paul Campbell of Hypertiny and Dermot Daly of Tapadoo. This year's slate of speakers includes Lex Friedman, Don Melton, Jennifer Brook, Matthew Panzarino, Jaimee Newberry, Matt Gemmel, and panels with Dave Wiskus, Neven Mrgan and Jim Dalrymple.
CocoaConf San Jose - April 18-29, San Jose, USA - features Michael Jurewitz, Matt Drance, Michael Simmons, and more.
NSNorth - April 19-21, Ottawa, Canada - is being held by Dan Byers and Philippe Casgrain. Speakers lined up include Guy English, Luc Vandal, Sam Vermette, Rob Rhyne, Gus Mueller, Caroline Sauve, and more.
UIKonf - May 2, Berlin, Germany - is run by Chris Eidhof, Matt Patterson, and Peter Bihr. Speakers include Chris Heathcote, James Weiner, Louisa Heinrich, and more.
One more thing - May 24, Melbourne, Australia - is put on by Anthony Agius and Lauren Watson of MacTalk. Speakers include Lex Friedman, Jaimee Newberry, Dave Wiskus, Louise Duncan, and many more.
And, of course, Apple should be capping it all off in June with WWDC 2013...
All of the events have lots of valuable information to share and many of them still have tickets available. So, head on over and grab yours now.
(If I missed listing your event let me know ASAP and I'll add it in.)
The spring iOS and OS X developer and designer conference season is in full swing and this year more than ever the schedule looks jam packed with events and talent.
NSConf has already wrapped up in Leicester, England, where it sounds like a good time was had by all. Run by Steve Scott, and with presenters like Evan Doll, Michael Jurewitz, Craig Hockenberry, Daniel Jalkut, Daniel Pasco, Manton Reece, Rob Rhyne, and Emily Loop, that was never in any doubt. Hopefully the sessions will be available soon.
If you missed it though, there are several more coming our way soon.
CocoaConf Dallas - April 4-6, Dallas, USA - features Daniel Pasco, Manton Reece, and more.
Úll - April 12-18, Dublin, Ireland - is run by Paul Campbell of Hypertiny and Dermot Daly of Tapadoo. This year's slate of speakers includes Lex Friedman, Don Melton, Jennifer Brook, Matthew Panzarino, Jaimee Newberry, Matt Gemmel, and panels with Dave Wiskus, Neven Mrgan and Jim Dalrymple.
CocoaConf San Jose - April 18-29, San Jose, USA - features Michael Jurewitz, Matt Drance, Michael Simmons, and more.
NSNorth - April 19-21, Ottawa, Canada - is being held by Dan Byers and Philippe Casgrain. Speakers lined up include Guy English, Luc Vandal, Sam Vermette, Rob Rhyne, Gus Mueller, Caroline Sauve, and more.
UIKonf - May 2, Berlin, Germany - is run by Chris Eidhof, Matt Patterson, and Peter Bihr. Speakers include Chris Heathcote, James Weiner, Louisa Heinrich, and more.
One more thing - May 24, Melbourne, Australia - is put on by Anthony Agius and Lauren Watson of MacTalk. Speakers include Lex Friedman, Jaimee Newberry, Dave Wiskus, Louise Duncan, and many more.
And, of course, Apple should be capping it all off in June with WWDC 2013...
All of the events have lots of valuable information to share and many of them still have tickets available. So, head on over and grab yours now.
(If I missed listing your event let me know ASAP and I'll add it in.)
Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a few games, a Mac app for developers, a companion app for Apple TV, a calculator, and an app for Pokémon fans.
This week, as it’s my final ever Pick of the Week, I have gone for a fun retro game. Kami Retro is a hugely entertaining platform game with vivid colors awesome music and fun game play.
The game combines the normal platform type running and jumping with a line drawing strategy that keeps the game interesting as well as challenging. The game reminds me a bit of Mario but it is also very different too.
If you fancy a game with 8 bit graphics mixed in with some classic platform type entertainment then Kami Reto may be right up your street. For the forty something audience among us, this game is sure to hit the spot and bring that old school gaming feel to your iPhone.
Magicka is fun fantasy-action game with a sense of humor. The game sees you take control of a Master Wizard battling against monsters out of Norse mythology. This take on the original Magicka, released for PC in 2011, keeps the spellcasting and four-player co-op of the original. Gameplay consists of casting spells of various type, such as fire, lightning, water, and ice. These spells can be combined to form more powerful spells. For instance, hitting fire once, then lightning twice, then fire once again produces a very powerful thunderbolt. You can buy a new staff or robe for your wizard using coins that you earn from completing levels. You can enter multiplayer mode with three other players through Paradox’s own multiplayer system, rather than Game Center. If you’re looking for a solid action game with a sense of humor, check Magicka for iPad out.
Allow me to hand this pick of the week over to Luc Vandal of Edovia for a moment:
Any developer serious about his work is using Deploymate.
And now a word from Jury, former developer evangelist at Apple:
At $19.99, Deploymate is an absolute steal. It would be money well spent at 5 times that price. Think about it. Is $20, $40, or even $100 worth it to you to avoid a failed launch or being at the mercy of an expedited app review? I'm pretty sure it is.
Here's why: There are multiple generations of iOS devices out there, not all of which are compatible with the latest version of iOS. Instead of accidentally using a new API when targeting an older device or OS version, and risking bugs, crashes, or rejection by Apple, Deploymate will ingest your code and spit out warning flags for anything problematic. You fix it in Xcode, run it through Deploymate again, repeat until clean, and then submit to the App Store.
If there is one product that Apple released that I absolutely detest, it's the stupid little silver remotes that came with Macs for the longest time and that still come standard with Apple TV. They get lost easily in couch cushions, underneath beds, and anywhere else they make their way to. I can't tell you how many times while watching the Apple TV in bed, it's gotten tangled in sheets or under blankets making it impossible to find without ripping apart the entire bed, even for a ninja.
That being said, there are numerous times that if I don't see that stupid little remote immediately, I reach for my iPhone or iPad and launch the remote app. Not only can it control one Apple TV, but all the ones we own in our home. I can change tracks on the living room TV from any room, anytime. Not to mention entering text with the physical remote is painful. The virtual Remote app makes it a breeze when searching for media and browsing YouTube or Hulu.
If you happened to grow up in the 90's then you no doubt have heard of Pokémon. Many years after their first appearance in 1996, people are still crazy over Pokémon and that's moved through several generations now as new fans are tuned into Pokémon. My 9-year-old son loves the cartoons and that brings me to my choice for this week. Pokémon TV is free to download, powered by the Cartoon Network and it allows you to view full length Pokémon episodes plus, it also contains some video content not found elsewhere. If you're a Pokémon fan or have kids who enjoy Pokémon, this is a simple pick.
I'm a mathematician and love bright, colorful things, so it's only natural that I adore the new iPhone calculator Llumino. This gorgeous piece of software is basic calculator with style. It features 6 button effects and three color schemes that make your eyes dance when making simple calculations. You can also create your own color schemes to make this calculator fit you and your style.
Not only are the button effects and colors a lot of fun, but so are the subtle movements in the display. As you make calculations, the digits slide into place, fade out of view, and just emanate elegance and style. For example, when hitting the percent button, the decimal point stays visible as it slides two places to the left.
Llumino may not be a full-feature scientific or graphing calculator, but since most of the calculations I need to do in everyday life are basic, Llumino is the prefect replacement for Apple's built-in Calculator.
Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!
Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a few games, a Mac app for developers, a companion app for Apple TV, a calculator, and an app for Pokémon fans.
This week, as it’s my final ever Pick of the Week, I have gone for a fun retro game. Kami Retro is a hugely entertaining platform game with vivid colors awesome music and fun game play.
The game combines the normal platform type running and jumping with a line drawing strategy that keeps the game interesting as well as challenging. The game reminds me a bit of Mario but it is also very different too.
If you fancy a game with 8 bit graphics mixed in with some classic platform type entertainment then Kami Reto may be right up your street. For the forty something audience among us, this game is sure to hit the spot and bring that old school gaming feel to your iPhone.
Magicka is fun fantasy-action game with a sense of humor. The game sees you take control of a Master Wizard battling against monsters out of Norse mythology. This take on the original Magicka, released for PC in 2011, keeps the spellcasting and four-player co-op of the original. Gameplay consists of casting spells of various type, such as fire, lightning, water, and ice. These spells can be combined to form more powerful spells. For instance, hitting fire once, then lightning twice, then fire once again produces a very powerful thunderbolt. You can buy a new staff or robe for your wizard using coins that you earn from completing levels. You can enter multiplayer mode with three other players through Paradox’s own multiplayer system, rather than Game Center. If you’re looking for a solid action game with a sense of humor, check Magicka for iPad out.
Allow me to hand this pick of the week over to Luc Vandal of Edovia for a moment:
Any developer serious about his work is using Deploymate.
And now a word from Jury, former developer evangelist at Apple:
At $19.99, Deploymate is an absolute steal. It would be money well spent at 5 times that price. Think about it. Is $20, $40, or even $100 worth it to you to avoid a failed launch or being at the mercy of an expedited app review? I'm pretty sure it is.
Here's why: There are multiple generations of iOS devices out there, not all of which are compatible with the latest version of iOS. Instead of accidentally using a new API when targeting an older device or OS version, and risking bugs, crashes, or rejection by Apple, Deploymate will ingest your code and spit out warning flags for anything problematic. You fix it in Xcode, run it through Deploymate again, repeat until clean, and then submit to the App Store.
If there is one product that Apple released that I absolutely detest, it's the stupid little silver remotes that came with Macs for the longest time and that still come standard with Apple TV. They get lost easily in couch cushions, underneath beds, and anywhere else they make their way to. I can't tell you how many times while watching the Apple TV in bed, it's gotten tangled in sheets or under blankets making it impossible to find without ripping apart the entire bed, even for a ninja.
That being said, there are numerous times that if I don't see that stupid little remote immediately, I reach for my iPhone or iPad and launch the remote app. Not only can it control one Apple TV, but all the ones we own in our home. I can change tracks on the living room TV from any room, anytime. Not to mention entering text with the physical remote is painful. The virtual Remote app makes it a breeze when searching for media and browsing YouTube or Hulu.
If you happened to grow up in the 90's then you no doubt have heard of Pokémon. Many years after their first appearance in 1996, people are still crazy over Pokémon and that's moved through several generations now as new fans are tuned into Pokémon. My 9-year-old son loves the cartoons and that brings me to my choice for this week. Pokémon TV is free to download, powered by the Cartoon Network and it allows you to view full length Pokémon episodes plus, it also contains some video content not found elsewhere. If you're a Pokémon fan or have kids who enjoy Pokémon, this is a simple pick.
I'm a mathematician and love bright, colorful things, so it's only natural that I adore the new iPhone calculator Llumino. This gorgeous piece of software is basic calculator with style. It features 6 button effects and three color schemes that make your eyes dance when making simple calculations. You can also create your own color schemes to make this calculator fit you and your style.
Not only are the button effects and colors a lot of fun, but so are the subtle movements in the display. As you make calculations, the digits slide into place, fade out of view, and just emanate elegance and style. For example, when hitting the percent button, the decimal point stays visible as it slides two places to the left.
Llumino may not be a full-feature scientific or graphing calculator, but since most of the calculations I need to do in everyday life are basic, Llumino is the prefect replacement for Apple's built-in Calculator.
Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!
