Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Apple's iOS 4

Last night I upgraded my iPhone 3G to iOS 4 (formerly know as iPhone OS 4). Though the OS will be best on the new iPhone 4, it is a great improvement from the 3.0 OS I had before.
The best feature in the new OS would to me be hands down the folders. I am now able to better organize my apps, and know where all of my favorite apps are. An added bonus to the folders is that I am able to fit many more apps on my phone, as I have had my phone full from a few weeks after I got it until last night. I now actually have empty spaces on my home screen.
Another great feature is the new inbox setup. I am now able to check all inboxes at once, as well as independently, saving a lot of time.
There are many other minor tweaks, such as the option of choosing different search providers in Safari, and minor graphical redesign among them.
iBooks does not come preloaded with iOS 4, but it is available for download from the App Store for those who have upgraded to iOS 4. The app is a great eBook reader, with plenty of free books available among the paid books.
The biggest surprise I encountered from iOS 4, is that it does not slow down my device. I expected my device to perform slower, as it is a few generations back, but it performs nicely on the new iOS.

I would recommend that all iPhone users (3G and up), at least try the new iOS, I don't believe you will be disappointed.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

E3 Nintendo Presentation


I am highly looking forward to a lot of the offerings that E3 has shown today. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, looked very cool.



The game uses the Wii MotionPlus attachment to enable the player to experience a near 1:1 interface with the sword, shield in the game. The advanced control allows you to feel as if you are truly integrated into the game, and the game makers have taken advantage of this, as some puzzles and enemies require you to slash your sword in certain direction. Shield use becomes much more prominent in this game as well, as the nunchuk becomes your shield, enabling you to block instinctively while also slashing your enemy. The game also uses this enhanced control for other items. The bow uses a similar control scheme to that of Wii Sports Resort Archery. The game has some familiar items such as the slingshot and bombs and some added functionality to such items as the bomb, as you can now toss it much as you would grenades in many shooters, and you can even roll the bomb like a bowling ball. There is a cool beetle item which you control remotely, and allows you to collect items from afar.


Nintendo also showcased many other games such as Donkey Kong, Mario Sports Mix, Kirby Epic Yarn and others. A huge announcement for Nintendo was the 3DS.


This is a successor the the DS handeld, that actually allows you to play games in 3D sans 3D glasses. This is a very interesting development in the world of gaming, and 3D entertainment in general, and though I often loath 3D movies, and the impending headache that often follows, I am excited about this development, and hope it works much better than Nintendo's "portable" 3D system, the VirtualBoy. I am sure they have gotten it right this time.

My Wii Console Number and Friend Codes

I have enjoyed playing the Wii since Christmas, and now want to play online a bit more. Feel free to add me, and I will in turn add you back as a friend to any of these games. Though I play them all, I have listed them from most frequently played by me, to least frequently played.

Send your friend codes to: zartonis@gmail.com


My Wii console Number: 7525-6936-8547-8104




Wii Friend codes:


Mario Kart Wii: 0861-4152-9563


Super Smash Bros. Brawl: 1162-3029-2637



Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom Ultimate All Stars: 1634-7481-1650



Animal Crossing City Folks: 2236-1015-7185




The Conduit: 1892-5213-9931