June 17, 2010 will see the availability of the first cloud gaming service in the U.S., courtesy of OnLive, Inc., a pioneer in on-demand, instant-play video gaming. Announced Wednesday on the company’s website , The OnLive Game Service is billed as a revolutionary, on-demand video game platform capable of delivering the latest and most advanced games instantly via a broadband connection. Best of all, the service will be available on almost any Mac or PC, courtesy of a small browser plug-in, or even on an HDTV via OnLive’s MicroConsole TV adapter. "This marks a huge milestone for both OnLive and the interactive entertainment landscape as a whole, changing the way that video games are developed, marketed, accessed and played," said Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive. "We are opening the door to incredible experiences for gamers and enormous opportunities for developers and publishers." The OnLive Game Service will offer instant access to purchase or rent new release games, with early registrants in the 48 contiguous United States getting first crack at the service when it launches on June 17, perfectly timed during the annual E3 show this year. A $14.95 monthly service fee will provide access to an expanding library of high-end, new release, instant-play game content — with no expensive console system necessary. A short list of anticipated titles includes Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age Origins, Assassin’s Creed II, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Borderlands and Metro 2033. Better yet, the first 25,000 qualified registrants will have the $14.95 monthly service fee waived for the first three months of service.

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Filed under: Apple App Store clutter remains an ongoing issue. In addition to “business card” applications that offer little or no functionality beyond a simple web page [1] , there are lite editions, demo editions, full editions, and even in the case of Tweetie 2, completely new applications providing upgraded functionality . Each of those applications must be registered with a unique app identifier, each one takes up a separate slot when installed on your iPhone’s home screen, each application occupies a separate App Store listing, complete with its own screen shots, marketing material, reviews, and so forth. Each one must be managed by you in iTunes, where you must decide which to sync, which to keep, and so forth. Add to the mix, the possibility that we’re likely to see iPad- and iPhone-specific application releases in the near future in addition to the Universal Application solution that Apple has been heavily promoting. That’s because iPad applications offer developers the opportunity to re-imagine their interfaces, adding features without the constraints of the iPhone’s small screen and modal interaction limitations. An iPad app that adds significant new functionality may branch off and become yet another related app in a single application family. Continue reading iPhone devsugar: The need for multiple ipa delivery iPhone devsugar: The need for multiple ipa delivery originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

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It may be a little early to say this, but to me it seems like Microsoft took all the disappointment and fear resulting from Apple’s dominance of the mobile devices category over its own products through the years and used that energy to create the Courier . It’s the first time I’ve ever seen another company’s product and thought “That seems like something Apple would’ve made.” Engadget posted more details about the device late last week, including two lengthy HD interface videos. Microsoft isn’t yet officially saying anything about whether or not this will become a production device, but Engadget seems very confident in its sources, and I’d be inclined to believe them since it seems more than likely Redmond is taking a page out of Apple’s marketing playbook by keeping things somewhat hush-hush but using “leaks” to steal focus. Microsoft gets a lot of flak for doing a tablet the wrong way, as demonstrated by the HP model it unveiled ahead of the iPad to grab some of the attention away from that spotlight hog. But the Courier doesn’t have the same shortcomings. For one, it’s not based on Windows 7, but on a version of Windows CE 6, which also provides the basis for the Zune HD’s interface and the upcoming Windows Mobile 7 OS. It also runs on the Tegra 2, an impressive mobile processor. It also has some considerable advantages over its Apple rival, especially if the hype is actually representative of what a production version will look like. First, there’s the size. The clamshell design allows it to be smaller than the iPad, while providing more screen real estate.

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This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Steam is finally coming to the Mac, and bringing the entire library of Valve games with it. The popular application is King of the Games on Windows, but now it has expanded its reign to include Mac OS X, too. Steam is a digital games distributor, a social networking platform for gamers, a multiplayer host for huge frag fests, and one of the most essential pieces of software for computer gamers everywhere. And if you still have no idea what we’re talking about, think of game titles like Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life, Portal, and Counter Strike–these gems will finally be available for Mac heads everywhere. The availability of Steam for Mac gamers means that we’ll finally be able to kick the butts of our PC brethern, without investing in a pricey gaming console, or a Windows PC. Additionally, game publishers will be able to distribute all of their latest game titles via digital downloads, and we’ll be able to play all the various Valve titles across a multitude of different computers, regardless of operating system. We don’t doubt that the Mac versus PC debate won’t continue on for generations to come, but at least there’s finally some common ground. The Steam client for Mac beta will be available in April. To prepare you for the inevitable long nights of multiplayer game playing and trash talking, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the most essential things you’ll be able to do with the Steam client. Think of it as, a beginner’s guide to a whole new world. Create a personal gaming profile The avatar you choose is the first important step to becoming an integral part of the Steam community. Choose wisely, and your future as an elite computer gamer will flourish. However, if you choose poorly, you may be susceptible to a variety of cruel gamer jokes. See what your friends are up to Valve has managed to virtually emulate those treasured times during our childhood, when you’d head outside just to see what the neighborhood kids were up to.

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Apple just premiered the very first iPad commercial during the first ad break of tonight’s Academy Awards. It was very good, just a rock song and demoing every imaginable feature while continually rotating from portrait to landscape. We’ll post as soon as Apple or Youtube does. Embed from Engadget now in post. Real Apple version

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Filed under: Hardware , Peripherals , Apple , iPhone The Square credit card reader for the iPhone has gotten most of the buzz around here, especially after we saw that impressive demo at Macworld a few weeks ago. But VeriFone’s competing reader has been given the green light by Apple itself: the unit has been granted a deal for shelf space . VeriFone will be selling its PAYware Mobile units inside Apple’s retail stores coming up as soon as the end of March. I’m not quite sure what the reasoning is behind this one on Apple’s side, as the PAYware service seems to be a little more clunky than the Square solution: you have to pay both an activation fee and a monthly fee on top of the per-payment charge that Square asks for, and the reader itself is much bigger, taking up the iPhone’s dock rather than just using the headphone port like Square’s. Whatever Apple saw in them, you’ll be able to get VeriFone’s system right along with an iPhone or iPod touch all at the same time.. No matter which system eventually prevails (if indeed anyone needs to prevail at all — there’s certainly more than one credit card company, so there’s no reason why there couldn’t be more than one payment system on the iPhone), this does seems like a model that will change a lot of business transactions in all sorts of industries. It’ll be interesting to see how the curve takes off once these things are up and running. VeriFone credit card reader gets deal to be in Apple Stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . VeriFone credit card reader gets deal to be in Apple Stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

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BioWare’s lush, epic role-playing game is huge in every sense of the word.   BioWare doesn’t release a ton of games, but when one is ready to roll, the developer throws everything it has at it–including a native version for the Mac. The company’s latest epic single-player role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins was all that our Xbox-, PS3-, and PC-gaming friends could talk about when it was released in November 2009, and now we get to join the party. As in every RPG, you start by creating a character, choosing their race (human, elf, or dwarf) and class (warrior, mage, or rogue). What’s novel is your character’s origin story. Each of the nine possible combinations of race and class unspool with a different opening story and conclude by sending you off to start training with the Grey Wardens, an elite band of fighters battling the demonic Darkspawn armies. There’s really no negotiating with evil, demonically possessed trees. BioWare has never made a casual RPG, and the robust Dragon Age is no exception. You’ll customize your character and their specialization, leading to variations like a berserker fighting style for your warrior, shape-shifting or healing abilities for your mage, and improved lock picking for your rogue

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Section: Apple News , Conferences , Macworld , iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iPod touch , iDevice Apps , Macintosh / Apple Hardware , Peripherals , Speakers and Headphones One of our favorite things to do each year at Macworld Expo is to wander the show floor with no pending meetings, and no agenda other than to see what we can find. Many of the venders are the same each year, using the expo as a time to launch variations of similar products. That’s fine, as that’s what Macworld Expo is for, but it really starts to get fun when you stumble upon the booth of a new hardware or software developer happy to demonstrate something you’ve never seen before. Here are Appletell’s three most surprising finds of Macworld Expo 2010: a Twitter service for businesses, a photocard app for the iPhone, and a speaker system for everyone. Bill Stiteler It’s hard to say if there’s a “find” on the show when it’s half the size; not much can be lost. But as a social media wonk, I was intrigued by Tap 11’s product pitch: a business backend for Twitter and the like that gives you backend data on your clickthroughs, the best time to post, and so on. Still in private beta, so we’ll have to wait to see how well it works when it comes out. Product [ Tap 11 ’ Ed McKell My most surprising find of the show was not from an exhibitor, but rather from Guy Kawasaki’s presentation .

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Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone , iPod touch , iDevice Apps , Mac Software , Originals Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for February 22, 2010: Macintosh iPod Macintosh Kanex has announced the official pre-order availability of its Macworld 2010 Best of Show Award Winner: Kanex XD . This HDMI to Mini DisplayPort converter is specifically designed to give you multiple functionalities with your Apple iMac 27-inch display. Now you can enjoy your iMac 27-inch as both a desktop computer and an HDTV with the Kanex XD. Using the iMac’s beautifully backlit LED display, you can play your PlayStation3, Xbox 360 Elite, and Blu-Ray DVDs experiencing amazing HD visuals. Audio is also transmitted through the Mini DisplayPort into the iMac 27-inch for audio playback. Independent software developer Christian Kienle today announced Ebbinghaus 3.2 for Mac OS X. Ebbinghaus is an easy-to-use flash card application with a beautiful iTunes-like user interface. Organize your cards in decks, folders and smart decks. Ebbinghaus 3.2 comes with a lot of new refinements, including the ability to resize the study window

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Love was in the air. As was the smell of flowers and candies and chocolate and that really warm funny smell that comes out the vents of your MacBook when you’ve been streaming videos for hours. Yes, love. So instead of finishing off that Whitman’s Sampler, give your waistline and your scale a break and sample some of this week’s tasty treats from the Mac|Life crew. We promise: no coconut. Features: – 20 Years of Image Editing: Photoshop from 1.0 to CS4 – You’ve come a long way, baby. That’s right, little ol’ Photoshop’s all grown up now. It seems only yesterday that you were just a twinkle in Thomas Knoll’s Mac Plus when all people wanted was a way to fiddle with a tiny black and white image. Now, look at you

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