It was created in two or three days by an independent game developer, then quietly released in May last year. Now, the free Flappy Bird mobile app has been taken down after accusations it gamed app store rankings to become an overnight sensation and copied graphics from another game.
It all appeared to come to a head at the weekend, when the app creator, Nguyen Ha Dong, announced the grounding of the addictive game in a series of tweets on Saturday. He also apologised to Flappy Bird players.
Its chart success defies logic, it has captivated the world with its gameplay, and Dong is becoming an inspiring legend to indie app developers around the world
Earlier, Dong called Flappy Bird a success of his but said it had ruined his "simple" life.
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1/30/2010 06:37:00 PM
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By Matthew Shaer / January 29, 2010
The Apple iPad is good news for the book industry – on this much, most analysts agree. But is the Apple iPad good news for manufacturers of e-reading devices? Depends on whom you ask. In a statement to reporters yesterday, Steve Haber, President of Sony’s Digital Reading Division, welcomed the arrival of the Apple iPad, which he said would help facilitate the shift from dead tree books to e-texts.
The Sony Reader. Steve Haber of Sony has welcomed the arrival of the Apple iPad.
“The introduction of another mobile device, which includes digital reading as part of its functionality, is a good thing for the digital book business,” Haber said. “Mobile devices with reading capabilities will play a key role in the paradigm shift from analog to digital content. At Sony, we’re focused on devices optimized for digital reading and believe that digital books sales will surpass print sales within five years, if not sooner.”
The Apple iPad, in other words, will perform something of the same function as iTunes and the iPod: the device will widen the market, and help usher in an age of point-and-click sales. For Haber, it doesn't yet matter that the Apple iPad is technically a competitor. It matters only that the Apple iPad can help increase awareness and consumption of e-books.
Haber has always been something of a cheerleader for e-reading. In a Monitor article published in December, he predicted a major boom in e-reader sales. "It’s been building up for a year or so, but going into the [2009] holiday season, it’s suddenly mass exposure, multiple players in the market, multiple players rumored to be coming into the market," he said at the time. "And that’s what drives innovation. Every year from now on is going to be a leap ahead.”
Of course, not everyone is so willing to cheer on the Apple iPod. As we have reported, Amazon, the maker of the popular Kindle e-reader, has been on the defensive in recent weeks, announcing a boffo royalty deal for self-publishing authors and a Kindle platform for third-party developers. Both moves seem intended to undercut the capabilities of the Apple iPad.
When Apple released the iPod, it drowned out competition from all the other MP3 devices. The iPhone, on the other hand, helped pave the way for a bevy of next-gen smart phones. The new iPad
Do you think the Apple iPad will help strengthen the e-book market? Check out our iPad coverage page for more on the new tablet, and then drop us a line in the comments section or on Twitter.
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1/30/2010 06:18:00 PM
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By Glenn Chapman (AFP) – 10 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO — As Apple takes a bruising over the moniker of its latest creation some technology analysts are shrugging off the fuss over the name to focus on what's inside the iPad: a speedy new chip.
Critics and fans have been filling the 60-day void between this week's unveiling of what Apple chief executive Steve Jobs hailed as a "revolutionary" device and the time the first models will begin shipping globally.
By Friday, talk of the iPad's technical strengths and weaknesses was drowned out by comic awe rooted in Apple picking a name seemingly fit for a feminine hygiene gadget.
"It's always those kinds of words that are suggestive of feminine menstruation," said Michael Cronan, whose eponymous branding specialty firm in California named Amazon's Kindle electronic reader and the TiVo television digital recorder.
"Automatically, women frame up things that way."
Ironically, while being mocked about the name, Apple was also taking hits for not being the first to stamp it on a product.
Japan's Fujitsu says it launched an iPad years ago, and the name has also been used for small engines, bra inserts, and even adult nappies.
Fujitsu Ltd. said its US subsidiary in 2002 released the "iPad," a sleek handheld multimedia device used by retail store clerks to keep inventory data, scan barcodes and manage business operations.
Fujitsu's trademark application for the "iPad" name with the US Patent and Trademark Office is still pending, said Fujitsu spokesman Masao Sakamoto in Tokyo.
Apple has been embroiled in trademark disputes with other companies before, including Cisco Systems, which launched its "iPhone" before Apple. The two companies settled the dispute in 2007, agreeing to share the name.
Cronan is among those who think the iPad name hubbub is a temporary "tabloidy" tempest and that people will come to accept it the same way they have gotten over referring to digital lock interfaces as "key pads."
"At the end of the day, we will get beyond it," Cronan said. "It is much ado about nothing. Apple gets so much rank in the world that I think people intrinsically try to find a crack in their armor."
The underlying issue in the controversy is that there really wasn't a name for the creation that fits as aptly as iPad, according to the brand expert.
The "i" lead-in is so associated with Apple that it is arguably a trademark in itself.Related article:US holocaust survivors slam iPhone app
And "Pad" is single syllable, easy to pronounce, speaks to what the tablet computer is, and evokes thoughts of Apple's culture-shifting and winning iPod line, Cronan explained.
"It's a natural," Cronan said of Apple's choice. "Let's get on to enjoying what it's going to do."
Apple, as is its style, isn't commenting on iPad criticisms or rampant online sharing of an old Mad TV television comedy skit about a fictitious Apple iPad tampon.
"If Apple didn't have any idea of the repercussions of this, that would be surprising," Cronan said. "I am voting with them on this that they know what they are doing and people will not dwell on it."
Being overlooked is that the iPad has Apple's first microprocessor, an impressive chip that promises to spread to the cores of all of the firm's mobile devices, said analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates.
"I love the fact that Mad TV had that bit in the can well before Apple thought of using the name," Kay said. "It was fun to see Apple stumble, but the focus is more aptly on the chip."
The chip at the heart of the iPad delivers graphics and processing capabilities that typically require multiple microprocessors, meaning less power and space are used for similar performance.
"That is a real eyebrow raiser," Kay said. "They have gotten a lot of functionality into one chip. The main guys at Intel and AMD are still working on that."
The chip comes from innovations at small microprocessor design firm P.A. Semi, which Apple bought in 2008.
"This is a huge deal," John Gruber of daringfireball.net wrote in a blog post. "I got about 20 blessed minutes of time using the iPad demo units Apple had at the event... and if I had to sum up the device with one word, that word would be 'fast.'"
Kay expects the new chip technology to spread to all of Apple's mobile devices and, perhaps, even its line of Macintosh computers.
"Apple could potentially kiss Intel goodbye," Kay said of the US chip giant on which Apple currently depends. "I don't see any reason why not."
While Steve Jobs has announced US pricing for the iPad, Apple is keeping the UK prices under wraps untl the launch in March. Photograph: Ryan Anson/AFP/Getty
Apple has surprised would-be buyers of its new iPad touchscreen computer, saying it will not announce UK prices before it launches at the end of March.
Although it announced US prices for all six versions of the touchscreen "tablet" device with and without 3G connectivity at the launch on Wednesday night by Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs, the UK office said today that there will be no UK prices offered until the launch, expected in 60 days' time – or 90 days for the 3G versions.
The iPad is a 9.7in tablet computer with a virtual keyboard which can surf the web, do email, display ebooks and play video. US prices start at $499 for a basic version with Wi-Fi wireless networking but no 3G connectivity, rising to $829 for a 3G version with 64 gigabytes of storage. However iPad users in the US will have to pay separately for 3G data plans being sold separately by Apple's exclusive mobile partner there, AT&T, which already supplies the iPhone there.
Mobile phone companies in the UK – O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone – are looking to strike similar deals in Europe ahead of a launch later in the year. The Guardian understands from multiple source that no choice has been made.
Apple initially sold the iPhone through exclusive partners in the US, UK, France and Germany, but for the iPad the British mobile phone networks are not expecting Apple to offer exclusivity. None was willing to comment on the iPad.
Andrew Harrison, UK chief executive of the Carphone Warehouse, Europe's largest independent mobile phone retailer, commented: "To me, the really interesting thing is what we are seeing is devices designed with how the consumer uses the internet very much in mind, rather than just a computer that was made for business use trying to fit the consumer."
Bloggers and commentators had mixed reactions to the device. It cannot run Adobe's Flash software, used by many advertisers and games companies online to create eye-catching motion on web pages, which some see as essential to web browsing. Many women were dismayed by the name: the San Francisco Examiner pointed out that "for North American women the word 'pad' means but one thing, a sanitary napkin". But Nick Carr, author of The Big Switch, about the move towards cloud computing, described the launch as "the day the PC died", saying that Apple "wants to deliver the killer device for the cloud era, a machine that will define computing's new age in the way that the Windows PC defined the old age."
Without a price ahead of the launch it may be difficult for retailers to judge the public's interest – and so whether the device will sell in large or small numbers. Amazon's Kindle, which includes mobile networking in the price, only launched recently in the UK, and Amazon has never disclosed sales numbers, though it is reckoned to have sold only about 500,000 to the end of last year.
The decision to keep the UK price under wraps is unusual for Apple, which usually announces UK pricing simultaneously with any launch, and could either indicate concern about exchange rate fluctuations, or a desire to keep people intrigued about the device, or that non-US networks are seeking to sell it with some sort of subsidy.
Already several UK mobile phone companies subsidise the cost of laptops to persuade customers to sign up for long-term mobile broadband contracts. Anyone signing up to a two-year mobile broadband deal with T-Mobile at £40 a month, for instance, gets a free Sony Vaio laptop worth £499.
However, Apple has forced AT&T to give up persuading customers to sign long-term contracts in order to subsidise the iPad; instead, it will effectively be available on what in Europe would be seen as a 30-day rolling Sim-only contract such as those offered by O2 and Vodafone.
"It does not look as though it has the traditional subsidy model," said Harrison. "If you put Wi-Fi and 3G in it, it is actually more expensive not less expensive."
In a note relating AT&T's financial prospects following the news, Jonathan Schildkraut, analyst at Jefferies & Co investment bank said the tariffs are "in line with the current data add-on options available with voice packages, and well below the roughly $60 plans currently offered by wireless carriers for a laptop card. The prepaid plan can be activated directly from the iPad and, because there is no contract, can be canceled at anytime."
Meanwhile anyone who already has a wireless broadband "dongle" under a long-term contract and is thinking about installing its SIM card into an iPad will be disappointed. The iPad is the first mass-market mobile device to use micro-Sim cards, which are smaller than the current range of Sim cards and were designed for small consumer gadgets such as Birmingham-based Lok8u's range of wireless-enabled wrist watches.
The iPad is also likely to prove a major headache for makers of similar devices, especially Taiwan's Asus which recently announced plans for its own tablet, and Nokia which last year unveiled a "booklet" computer with built-in 3G. There are also understood to be several tablet computers running Google's Android software in the works, with France's Archos rumoured to be planning to release one in March.
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1/28/2010 06:31:00 PM
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Safari
The large Multi-Touch screen on iPad lets you see web pages as they were meant to be seen — one page at a time. With vibrant color and sharp text. So whether you’re looking at a page in portrait or landscape, you can see everything at a size that’s actually readable. And with iPad, navigating the web has never been easier or more intuitive. Because you use the most natural pointing device there is: your finger. Scroll through a page just by flicking your finger up or down on the screen. Or pinch to zoom in or out on a photo. There’s also a thumbnail view that shows all your open pages in a grid, to let you quickly move from one page to the next.
Mail
See and touch your email in ways you never could before. In landscape, you get a split-screen view showing both an opened email and the messages in your inbox. To see the opened email by itself, turn iPad to portrait, and the email automatically rotates and fills the screen. No matter which orientation you use, you can scroll through your mail, compose a new email using the large, onscreen keyboard, or delete messages with nothing more than a tap and a flick. If someone emails you a photo, you can see it right in the message. You can also save the photos in an email directly to the built-in Photos app. And iPad works with all the most popular email providers, including MobileMe, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and AOL.
Photos
With its crisp, vibrant display and unique software features, iPad is an extraordinary way to enjoy and share your photos. For example, the Photos app displays the photos in an album as though they were in a stack. Just tap the stack, and the whole album opens up. From there, you can flip through your pictures, zoom in or out, or watch a slideshow. You can even use your iPad as a beautiful digital photo frame while it’s is docked or charging. And there are lots of ways to import photos: You can sync them from your computer, download them from an email, or import them directly from your camera using the optional Apple Camera Connection Kit.
The large, high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching any kind of video: from HD movies and TV shows to podcasts and music videos. Switch between widescreen and full screen with a double-tap. Because iPad is essentially one big screen, with no distracting keypad or buttons, you feel completely immersed in whatever you’re watching.
YouTube
The YouTube app organizes videos so they’re easy to see and navigate. To watch one, just tap it. When you’re watching in landscape, the video automatically plays in full screen. And with its high-resolution display, iPad makes the latest HD YouTube videos look positively amazing.
iPod
With the iPod app, all your music is literally at your fingertips. Browse by album, song, artist, or genre with a simple flick. To play a song, just tap it. iPad even displays album art at full size. Listen to your music with the powerful built-in speaker or with wired or Bluetooth wireless headphones.
iTunes
A tap of the iTunes store icon lets you browse and buy music, TV shows, and podcasts — or buy and rent movies — wirelessly, right from your iPad. Choose from thousands of movies and TV shows (in both standard and high definition), along with thousands of podcasts and millions of songs. Preview songs before you buy them. Or just sync iPad with the content you already have in your iTunes library on your Mac or PC.
App Store
iPad runs almost 140,000 apps from the App Store. Everything from games to business apps and more. And new apps designed specially for iPad are highlighted, so you can easily find the ones that take full advantage of its features. Just tap the App Store icon on the screen to browse, buy, and download apps wirelessly, right to the iPad.
iBooks
The iBooks app is a great new way to read and buy books.* Download the free app from the App Store and buy everything from classics to best sellers from the built-in iBookstore. Once you’ve bought a book, it’s displayed on your Bookshelf. Just tap it to start reading. The high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displays everything in sharp, rich color, so it’s easy to read, even in low light.
Maps
See more of the world with high-resolution satellite and street view images. Even see topography with the new terrain view. You can also search for a nearby business type (“Restaurant,” for example), then tap the business to see the route and directions from your current location.
Notes
With its expansive display and large, onscreen keyboard, iPad makes jotting down notes easy. In landscape view, you see not only a note-taking page but a list of all your notes. iPad even circles the current note in red, so you can see where you are at a glance.
Calendar
iPad makes it easy to stay on schedule by displaying day, week, month, or list views of your calendar. You can see an overview of a whole month or the details of a single day. iPad even shows multiple calendars at once, so you can manage work and family schedules at the same time.
Contacts
The Contacts app on iPad makes finding names, numbers, and other important information quicker and easier than ever before. A new view lets you see both your complete contacts list and a single contact simultaneously. Need directions? Tap an address inside a contact and iPad automatically opens Maps.
Home Screen
The Home Screen gives you one-tap access to everything on iPad. You can customize your Home Screen by adding your favorite apps and websites or using your own photos as the background. And you can move apps around to arrange them in any order you want.
Spotlight Search
Spotlight Search allows you to search across iPad and all of its built-in apps, including Mail, Contacts, Calendar, iPod, and Notes. It even searches apps you’ve downloaded from the App Store. So no matter what you’re looking for, it’s never more than a few taps away.
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