The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Digit-Eyes identfies everything for the blind without breaking the bank

David Winograd — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT

The Digit-Eyes Audio Scanner and Labeler (US$29.95) from Digital Miracles is a remarkable Assistive Technology (AT) app for the iPhone and iPod touch geared to the blind and visually impaired community. What it does is fairly straightforward once you get the big idea, but the implications of its uses are fairly mind-boggling.

The app does three things. The first and simplest is, using the built in camera, scanning UPC and EAN codes found on most everything. Taking advantage of the VoiceOver accessibility capability built into the iPhone/IPod touch, it searches a database, brings back the results and reads it to you. There is also a button to search Google for more information. That's really no big deal since a variety of barcode scanning apps such as Red Laser can do roughly the same thing. You need an Internet connection for this since you are referencing the Digit-Eyes database.

The second thing it does, is more compelling. Once you register for a free account on their site, you can create text labels for printing on over 50 sizes of standard Avery labels. Select a type of label and a template page is displayed full of empty boxes representing labels. In each box, type in up to 100 characters of anything you want the label to say.

Once done, all your text is transformed into a .pdf page of QR (quick recognition) codes like the one shown in the upper right corner of this post. Print the page on the Avery label stock, and stick each on whatever you wanted the label to say. For example, if you typed in "Blueberries bought on July 31st", you would stick that corresponding label on a container of blueberries. Then using the Digit-Eyes app, scan the label on the container and the screen will display and a voice will read back "Digit-Eyes label read: Blueberries bought on July 31st". The database of what's behind each label is stored on your iPhone so you won't need an Internet connection to access the information.

Gallery: Digital-Eyes

The third capability of Digit-Eyes is even better. Go to the site and print out a page of audio labels on the same Avery Labels and stick each one on something. The labels are empty, but serialized so each label has a unique number associated with it. Using Digit-Eyes, scan the label (when scanning you hear a tick every few seconds to tell you it's working and another sound when the scan is done) and the iPhone will display a screen with a Record button on it. Tap the button and speak whatever text you would like to have associated with the label. You can speak for as long as you like. Once done, tap the Stop Recording button and you'll see a brief screen saying Finalizing, while the app processes the audio file.

In a moment you'll hear your voice reading back what you spoke with a button allowing you to Stop Playback. After the sound file is played, Stop Playback becomes Scan which is displayed along with two other buttons marked Delete and Re-Record. If you liked what you heard, do nothing, but you are also given the options re-scanning, which erases the sound file and lets you start over and re-scans the label, deleting the connection of sound and label so the label can later be re-used, or re-record the voice memo that will be connected to the label. The next time you scan the label the recording will be read to you. All audio is stored on your device, so again you need no Internet connection. Everything is backed up when you sync, so if your iPhone breaks or gets lost, restoring on a new one will put everything right.

This may all sound rather complicated, but it's really not once you get the hang of just what's going on. The text labels when printed are already filled with content that you input, while the audio labels are empty but serialized, waiting for you to scan one and attach a voice memo to it that will be read back anytime the label is re-scanned.

I didn't get the idea at first, and had long conversations with Nancy Miracle, the president of Digital Miracles (with a name like Miracle, you just have to use it), about improving the extensive tutorial found on the Digit-Eyes site from an Instructional design perspective. It's been re-written just about from top to bottom and I think it's now extremely clear. What you need to understand is that Digit-Eyes is not an app that you can be productive with as soon as it's downloaded. it will take around 20 minutes of reading and practicing before the curtains are drawn and you realize what an achievement it is, and how wonderfully useful this can be for the blind or visually impaired.

So what can you do with it? There are many ideas to be found on the site but they just scratch the surface since you can really do anything that will assist the blind with identifying objects. Put some labels on cans, that all feel the same, and it will prevent you from opening a can of dog food when you really want peas. Differentiate between bottles of wine. Take some audio labels to the drug store and when the pharmacist explains the three different bottles of prescription pills, record an audio label detailing what the pill is and the dosage instructions and stick each on the corresponding bottle. Most pill bottles feels the same as do many pills, and I've never seen a UPC code on a prescription label. Put a label on all the doors at your place of work and you'll never knock on the wrong door again. Play the first few seconds of a CD since you've already mixed up the CD cases, record a label and put it on the jewel box while telling yourself to be more careful in the future. I can go on, but I think you get the picture.

The pricing needs to be addressed. There is a lite version for free which doesn't allow you to make audio labels or scan UPC/EAN codes, but does let you print and scan text labels. However, I think the real value is in the audio labels and that will cost you $29.95 at least until the end of September when the price may go up. Just like Proloquo2Go, the competition is stand alone uni-functional devices. An example of such a device is the ID Mate Summit which costs $1299. This uses an actual red laser to scan UPC/EAN codes. You wear it around your neck, which is far more intrusive than having an iPhone in your pocket, and you can scan codes that are read to you. There is also the ability to add voice memos to the codes that are stored on a SD card. The database for the Summit is more extensive and gives a lot more information than provided by Digital-Eyes by scanning. It also does a few more tricks, but it costs $1269.05 more. For a lot less money you can get the non-portable Metrologic Scanner for $299. This standalone scanner needs to be tethered via USB to a Windows computer that already has screen reading software installed. Probably the most popular software is JAWS, at a cost of $895.

But what if you want screen reading capabilities on another smartphone? You can add voice to phones running the Windows or Symbian OS for $295 by buying Mobile Speak, and that doesn't include scanning software. There are a number of free screen readers for Google's Android OS, but there is no standardization of gestures and many of the products are considered by the blind to be inaccessible. The iPhone is the most reasonable platform. According to Nancy Miracle, the fact that Apple has integrated VoiceOver into the phone, that VoiceOver uses common gestures across all platforms, and that VoiceOver comes at no extra charge are all huge advantages. She said that if she were selling iPhones instead of software at various AT conventions she would have made a fortune.

Digit-Eyes, by leveraging the power of VoiceOver, offers the blind and visually impaired a truckload of functionality for a price that's laughingly cheap. Instead of just being an app, it's a total system incorporating labels printed from the web site and scanned on the iPhone, giving users a total solution to an unfathomable number of problems. It does this in an non-intrusive manner that doesn't require the blind to carry or wear a device that broadcasts that they are visually impaired. Digit-Eyes is just one of an ever increasing list of AT apps that prove, once again, that the iPhone is the best mobile device on the market for the Assistive Technology community.

TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.

Lost's Apple II up for auction

Mike Schramm — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:00:00 GMT

The Apple II computer from the hit show Lost was one of the things that unfortunately wasn't really answered as the series ended. I get that the Dharma Initiative was trying to contain a leak from the source, probably because of Jughead going off, but what was up with that scene of Michael supposedly chatting with Walt? How did Walt get to a computer, and why didn't a chat ever come up any other time? I'm sure there are theories running around out there, but I don't think the show ever provided a reasonable explanation for that one.

Maybe you can film your own, though -- the actual Apple II plus from those scenes is being auctioned off later next month in Los Angeles by a group called Profiles in History. If you submit the winning bid, you'll not only get the computer from the set of the show, but also an Apple III monitor to go with it, and a Disc II floppy drive, along with a printout stating "system failure" from the show's big crash of Oceanic 815. The auction page doesn't say if it still works or not (which could be a good thing -- do you really want to punch the numbers in every 108 minutes?), or what the starting bid might be. But it would be cool to own both a piece of Apple history and an object from The Island, wherever that is.

[via MacStories]

First look: OmniFocus for iPad

Erica Sadun — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:00:00 GMT

With OmniFocus for iPad just now hitting the App Store, I haven't yet had as much time as I would like to use the application to its fullest potential. My initial interaction has, however, been positive. Costing a rather steep $39.99, OmniFocus for iPad brings another professionally priced tool for professionals into the App Store iPad arena.

OmniFocus offers a way to create to-do lists on steroids. You can brainstorm out ideas, then start organizing and classifying them into separate projects, tasks, and "contexts"; contexts allow you to make tasks relevant to where and when you are working on things. Items related to working at home will not intrude into your "Office" context, for example.

As you organize your to-do elements, your data can used locally, be synced to your local desktop, over the air to Mobile Me, and so forth. So if you're progressing with your work on multiple devices, your task completion and ideas can move with you. That means if you're used to working with OmniFocus on your personal computer or iPhone, that data can now integrate with your iPad using a native app that takes advantage of the iPad's extended geometry and native features.

As with the previous Omni products I've looked at, OmniFocus has really thought about the new user. Like Omni's other iPad apps, OmniFocus immediately draws you into the application and teaches you how to use it from the ground up. Their "Welcome to OmniFocus for iPad" series of Inbox items describes how to use their product and get help along the way. You'll quickly start adding new inbox items, assigning due dates, and attaching items to projects.

The GUI has been very well built. This really feels like a proper iPad application with an expansive workspace that doesn't need to cramp or fold itself to fit onto an iPhone screen. I had a few very minor quibbles with the design (for example, why does the "create new item" button look like it's a toggle that's paired with the Inbox, when it's not?) but for the most part everything seemed solidly laid out and, if you excuse the pun, focused on getting the job done.

OmniFocus is not going to be a tool for everyone, especially with its high price tag. It's clearly aimed at serious business users who need a fully-realized task management tool that allow you to build, manage, and visualize projects. Although I have not spent a lot of time using this application yet, my initial reaction is positive. Features like the calendar-driven Forecast screen where you can explore your due dates and the beautiful collapse and show grouping elements in the Projects and Contexts tables highlight how much work and thought has gone into this app. So, in a nutshell: expensive? Yes. Worth it? Very possibly, especially if you are Omni's core business user demographic.

TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.

Valve to release GL code, games on Mac see sales bumps

Mike Schramm — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:00:00 GMT

Boy, if you had to choose one company (including Apple) that has really led the charge for Mac gaming recently, I'd have to say Valve takes the cake, and that's no lie. Not only has the company brought an unprecedented set of quality titles to the Mac with Steam, but it's now announced that it will be sharing some of its graphical code for the Mac with Steamworks developers. That graphics layer coding is apparently the "real hard work" in making a game for the Mac, and Valve is trying to make that as easy as possible for its partner developers.

Why? Because -- and get this -- games sell more when they're on the Mac. Games that have added a Mac version since Steam went live on the Mac are seeing a 15 to 20% sales increase. That's actually for both platforms -- most Steam games available for the Mac share ownership on both Mac and PC, so they're not really tracking sales of one platform or the other. Still, having a game available on the Mac is a big bonus, as not only does it make Mac players possible, but it drives attention for both platforms (as you may have even seen here on our site -- when we post that a game has finally come to the Mac, even PC gamers consider going back to check it out).

Excellent news for developers already working with Steam, and also good news for those of us who enjoy running our favorite games from the dock rather than the start menu. Even Apple hasn't put the kind of work into reviving Mac gaming that Valve has in just the past few months.

[via Joystiq]

MindMeister comes to the iPad

Brett Terpstra — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Looking for even more productivity on your iPad? MindMeister has released an iPad version of their collaborative mind mapping application, allowing iPad users to mind map locally and sync with the web version to share ideas with others. We've mentioned MindMeister before, and they were part of our suggestions for mind mapping on the iPhone, but ever since the dawn of the iPad, I've been waiting for it to come to the big screen!

MindMeister on the iPad may not be the most complete mind mapping application available for the iPad, at least as far as bells and whistles. It does its job well, though, and the synchronization with the web version is a huge selling point, at least for me. The web version is my favorite online mind mapping tool, with its real-time collaboration features and very useful integration with external web services. Being able to update and edit my online maps from my iPad is very exciting, indeed.

If you're a mind mapper, or someone who's looking for a new way to share ideas and collaborate with friends and co-workers, definitely check this app out ($7.99US on the App Store). There's a version for the iPhone ($6.99US), and a companion iPhone app for sending quick notes to your maps instantly, called Geistesblitz (free), too. The app functions fine on its own, but really shines when combined with the web version. The Basic plan for the web app is free with 3 maps at a time, and you can get unlimited maps for $59US a year. Check out the pricing plans at the MindMeister website.

A new approach to iPhone panoramas

Mel Martin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:30:00 GMT

There are plenty of iPhone apps that shoot panorama photos. You take a picture. Move to the left or right, and after you have 3 or 4 images the panorama software stitches the images together.

Now, Occipital is offering 360 Panorama, a different approach to getting wide, or even 360 degree images. The app is dead simple. Click on a button to start the process, then slowly turn left or right. You appear to be taking one continuous image, and as you move you can see the image filling in on a grid. You don't do any stitching, the software does it in nearly real time. You can go wide, or even shoot vertical images. Or you can do both, panning up and down, and moving left or right. The image will fill in. It's pretty cool to watch. When you tap 'save' the image goes to your camera roll.

The app does a lot of processing and therefore needs to run on an iPhone 4 or 3GS. I had good luck using the app. I did have some trouble getting the edges to line up in a complete 360, but I think that is a matter of practice. Boinx released a similar app last week called You Gotta See This!

Gallery: 360 Panorama images

The resolution of the photos does not equal the sharpness of the iPhone camera running under the Apple on-board software. It's a trade-off between speed and quality. The developers say the resolution will improve in later versions of the software. I found the resolution as-is more than adequate, but of course I'd like it to be higher. I have a few samples of images I did around the neighborhood. They are reduced in size to make them more web friendly. Check out the gallery to take a look.

Unless you can rotate very rigidly, the images will need cropping. You can always do this in iPhoto when you export your camera roll, but I think the cropping should be built in as you will almost always want to crop. I'm using Photogene, which runs right on the iPhone, and offers other enhancements besides cropping.

360 Panorama is very interesting and thought provoking software. What it does would have been unthinkable on a full size computer a few years ago. To have it on a cell phone is extraordinary. I'm looking forward to updates and improvements, but the current version is quite good and blew some people away when I demoed it.

360 Panorama is very unique and very useful. It's US $2.99 at the app store.

UK soldiers use iPad app to train for Afghan operations

Dave Caolo — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:00:00 GMT

At the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire, UK, troops have been learning how to manage a fire mission (firing artillery at the enemy from several miles away) with the help of iPads. Early reports indicate that the technique has accelerated their learning.

BBC Radio's Newsbeat had an exclusive look at new training being given to these soldiers. One trainee described the app as a nice alternative to classwork. "This has been designed to let us practice," said Lance Bombardier Jason Markham, "that when we get out there into theatre we're a lot slicker. It makes it more fun instead of being sat in a classroom looking at a presentation being given information."

Training officer Major Rich Gill, who assisted with the app's deployment, sees additional benefits, calling it a way to reduce training time and more quickly prepare troops for their time in Afghanistan as well as their return home.

The group that developed the training app is also working on a 3D app for new pilots. It's an interesting use of the technology and emphasises the notion that the iPad's best feature is the fact that it's a blank slate for developers. Whatever app it's running, that's what it becomes.

Nozbe for iPad 1.1 integrates Evernote with your projects

Brett Terpstra — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:00:00 GMT

We've mentioned GTD app Nozbe a few times before, but not since the release of their iPad app. If you're looking for a complete, easy-to-use task management app for your iPad and haven't checked it out, here's your kick in the pants to take a look.

Nozbe was originally a web-based application (still is), and creator Michael Sliwinski (also editor of Productive! magazine) has continued to develop amazing features into the web version. One of the more recent developments was Evernote integration, where you could tag projects in Nozbe with tags used on notes in Evernote, and have your Evernote notes show up when viewing projects in Nozbe. The latest version of the iPad app includes this functionality, along with improved file attachment handling.

The Nozbe iPad app is a full-fledged task manager which doesn't require a subscription to the web app to be fully-functional. In my opinion, though, the online synchronization and ubiquitous availability of your tasks on any platform is a major part of the appeal of this application. The iPad app is easy to use and easy to understand, offering full GTD compliance while not inundating you with choices and options that just make task management too complex. There's a version of Nozbe for iPhone as well, and they all sync together via the web application.

Among the many features of Nozbe that impress me are the myriad ways of getting tasks into your lists. From Twitter to plain text import, email, Dashboard widgets and, of course, the iPhone and iPad apps, finding a method that fits your workflow is an easy task. For the geeks, there's even an API that's pretty well fleshed out, allowing you to create your own means of adding tasks, checking them off, managing projects and more. I do long for a Mac desktop app, but I'm finding plenty of ways to make it just as easy to use the web version, and discovering that there are benefits to "working in the cloud" when it comes to task management.

If you're just interested in the iPad app, pick it up on the App Store for $14.99US, and check out the iPhone version for $4.99US. Subscriptions to the web version start at $7.50 per month (if you prepay a year). You can have a go at the free trial, too, and see if it's a good fit for you.

iPad class action lawsuit heats up

Mike Schramm — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:30:00 GMT

I guess when you're the big guy in town, everybody paints a target on your back. First, Apple and AT&T were sued for the data plan change on the iPad, and now another class action lawsuit about the iPad is underway in California, claiming that the tablet overheats way too quickly when held or placed in warm sunlight. The lawsuit alleges that the iPad "does not live up to the reasonable consumer's expectations created by Apple," and that it "turns off, sometimes after just a few minutes of use," when used in bright sunlight.

The suit, filed in Oakland, seeks "unspecified damages," and as far as I can tell, it's still in the earliest preliminary stages. All of Apple's devices tend to overheat to a certain extent when used to their full potential, and anyone who's left an iPhone or an iPod in a hot car knows that there's a limit on what these things can take. But at the same time, even when I've had my iPhone overheat on me, it usually just takes a few minutes of sleep or standby to bring it back to normal -- hardly an inconvenience worth suing over. We'll have to wait and see what happens with this one.

The art and science of the iPhone 4 CAD drawings

Steven Sande — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:00:00 GMT

If you're a sucker for technical drawings, then feast your eyes on the CAD drawing / iPhone 4 photo mashups recently published on Core77.

Hipstomp (AKA Rain Noe) found out that Apple had released the CAD drawings of the iPhone 4 exterior with special annotations for case manufacturers, and he promptly overlaid the technical drawings on top of the actual product photos. The result, as you can see in the photo above, is pure artistry. There are more drawings in the original post (click the source link below to view them), and if you'd like, you can download the bare CAD drawings directly from Apple.

Wouldn't you love to see an officially-sanctioned black T-shirt (or mock turtleneck) with this silk-screened on it?

A wiki for prepaid (iPhone compatible) SIM cards around the world

Dave Caolo — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Here's a great resource for any iPhone user who frequently travels. The Pay As You Go SIM with Data Wiki provides an ever-growing list of disposable SIMs that will work with the iPhone all over the world.

The project's goal is to collect a list of iPhone (and Android) compatible pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIMs from around the world. Since the card is pre-paid, they're useful for someone who will be traveling for a brief time. To make the list, a card must be capable of handling data as well as voice.

For example, in France you can get an Orange card called "Mobicarte," which provides 30 days of unlimited data for 12 euros, or a subscription from LFR called "La carte" which provides unlimited data for 9.90 euros. Voice and text are charge separately on a graduated scale.

Of course, the iPhone 4 has a micro-SIM, and they're more difficult to find on the PYAG shelves. Fortunately, there are ways to make a full-sized SIM fit. We posted about one method not too long ago. Basically, you can buy a kit to help you physically cut a standard SIM down to size. There's also a hardware cutter that resembles a stapler, which all but guarantees a proper cut every time. Plus, it comes with an adapter that will let you re-use the diced card with a full-sized device.

Some SIMs are locked to a given provider. The wiki provides information on how to deal with that, too. The whole thing seems well-curated and timely. Add it to your travel plans and avoid coming home to an iPhone bill equal to one month's salary.

[Via Nik F.]

Safari extension highlight: MLB.com Toolbar

Steven Sande — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:30:00 GMT

With the addition of the Safari Extensions Gallery to Apple's website over the last few days, TUAW will be highlighting extensions that we think are special, useful, or just plain fun.

I'm a baseball fan, but other than my beloved Colorado Rockies and the rest of the NL West, I don't follow a lot of other teams. While it would be nice to have a browser window open to MLB.com all the time, my screen is just too cluttered with work for me to be able to keep an eye on what's going on in Major League Baseball and get work done. So what's a Mac-lovin' baseball fan to do?

One of the first Safari Extensions I downloaded was the MLB.com Toolbar. Written by the staff at MLB Advanced Media, it adds a tiny toolbar to the top of your Safari page, as well as an icon emblazoned with the unforgettable MLB icon. The extension displays scores of games in progress as well as games that are completed. As with the example above, you can see that the team logos are nicely rendered, the score is easy to see, and the winning (Ubaldo Jimenez 16-2!) and losing pitchers are listed. Each score remains visible for 5 seconds before fading away and being replaced with another.

A control on the right side of the toolbar allows you to stop the parade of scores and "fast-forward or rewind" to the next or previous score. If the scores are getting too distracting, you can make the toolbar disappear with a click on the MLB icon. Want to bring it back? Click again.

This extension is a perfect example of what a Safari extension should do -- add functionality without being too distracting. Let's hope that the NFL follows the lead of MLB with a well designed and executed scoreboard extension.

Apple's London Covent Garden store to open on August 7

Michael Grothaus — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Calling fellow Londoners! The London Evening Standard is reporting that Apple is finally set to open the Covent Garden store on August 7th. The store will be housed in a building that was built in 1877 and feature a glass roof over a courtyard that was originally for delivery by horses. The new location is comprised of four floors, the top two for offices and exhibitions and the bottom two comprising the store itself.

Apple's store on Regent Street is currently the most profitable store in London based on sales per square foot, and if you've ever stepped foot in it, it shows. The Regent Street store is packed from open to close. Sometimes it's so busy, it takes you half an hour just to check out. Getting a Genius Bar appointment takes even longer -- many waiting times are measured in days, not hours. It is hoped that the Covent Garden store, which is located about a mile from the Regent Street store, will take some of the pressure off Apple's first European flagship location. Good luck to Apple with that, because most days it seems like there are as many people in Covent Garden as walking along the Oxford and Regent intersection.

According to the Evening Standard, Apple spared no expense in designing the store and restoring the building. They even reportedly removed a set of brick arches piece-by-piece and then rebuilt the arches exactly as they were on a new floor. Why? Because they wanted to lower the arches by a mere four inches. The Covent Garden store opens at 10AM on Saturday, August 7th. Its normal operating hours will be 9AM-9PM Monday through Saturday and Noon-6PM on Sunday.

Image from ifoapplestore.com.

TUAW giveaway: HexaLex for iPhone

Mike Schramm — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:00 GMT

We featured HexaLex as our daily app a little while back. It's an excellent Scrabble alternative, and it mixes up the tried and true formula just enough that, if you and your friends are looking for something different to play, it's worth checking out. And we're here to make that easy for you. TUAW's got 10 promo codes to give away to 10 lucky readers, so you can download a copy of HexaLex for free!

To enter the giveaway, leave us a comment telling us the highest word score you've ever earned in a word game (or make one up if you've never played before). Here are the official rules:

Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment telling us the highest word score you've ever earned in a word game.
The comment must be left before midnight on Monday, August 2, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
You may enter only once.
Ten winners will be selected. All will receive one promo code for HexaLex, valued at $1.99 each.
Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Good luck!

App Review: Medici ships good gameplay onto your iPad

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Medici is the latest in a growing, impressive line of heavy-ish board games to make the jump from the table to the iPad, and it's amazing to see this game – so carefully crafted and respected by the designer board game community – on a touch screen with an animated background. With Medici being a game of perfect information in real life, it works amazingly well as an iPad app, and if you've ever wanted to practice your Medici bidding skills for your next board game night, this digital version provides a lot of AI opponents of varying ability to challenge. The app isn't perfect (more on this later), but it does a fine job of bringing a 15-year-old board game to life for a new generation of gamers. Read on to see if you might be someone who enjoys this sort of thing.

Gallery: Medici

The Game

Published in 1995, Medici is an auction game about shipping merchants hanging around a harbor and buying up the best goods at the lowest prices. Designed by Reiner Knizia for three to six players, the game was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres, and it's easy to see why.

Medici is part of Knizia's so-called "auction trilogy," along with Modern Art and Ra, both of which are also coming to the App Store in the coming months (and they should be good, too, since the developers of Medici, Sage Board Games, plan to bring us Ra, and the developers of Money and High Society are working on Modern Art – it's a good time to be a digital board gamer). The goal of the game is kind of greedy – the player with the most money wins – but instead of just, say, overcharging your opponents rent the way one might in a lesser board game, you need to figure out whether or not to bid on different lots of goods as they come up.

The number of goods up for bid in each auction is left up to the player whose turn it is. On your turn, you can add one, two, or three goods to the auction. When you're happy with the lot, you start the round, and every other player gets one chance to place a bid. The person adding the goods goes last, so they can buy it as long as they have enough money and room on their boat (each holds a maximum of five goods), or they can let the current high bidder take it. If no one wants the lot, the goods go into the water.

Aside from collecting numbers of goods, it's also important to keep an eye on their value, as there are two ways to get money (score points) in the game. First, whoever has the most total value on their boat gets points. Second, whoever has the most of a particular type of good scores points. Second and third and etc. get fewer points, depending. We recommend reading the game's built-in rules for the full details.

The game is played as a series of three rounds (days), with the end of a round coming either when all the ships are full or all the goods are sold. At this point, a scoring round happens and, after three rounds, the game is over and the trader with the most money wins. Want more detail? You can download the "How To Play" podcast about the game here or check out BGG.

The App

In short, the app is a wonderful port of the game, but we wish it was a bit more polished. The problems we experienced are probably easily fixed, we just wish they had been caught in beta testing. But first, what's good about this app?

Like with the Settlers of Catan, the iDevice version of Medici allows two human players to play the game when they don't have the minimum number of players. Given that the game scales so well no matter how many players you have, giving players the option to have as many AI or human players as they want (within the three to six player limits) is incredibly cool. And, once everyone knows what they're doing, you can play an entire game in five or ten minutes. It takes at least 30 minutes to play in real life (sometimes close to 45 or 60 minutes), but since the app takes care of scoring and "shuffling the cards" (resetting the goods on the dock), things move briskly. Is it fun? I think so, but I'm a fan of the board game version, so this didn't surprise me. Like the other board game apps that I've reviewed where there's a real mental, play-the-opponent aspect to the game (like Poison), Medici is more fun against people than bots, but damn if this isn't a fine substitute.

The app saves the game for you to return to, which is pretty much a requirement, but there are a few places where the user interface just isn't up to par. Setting up a new game takes a bit too long, for example, and the worst part is that you need to enter the options every. single. time. You need to pick your opponents from the list of nine different AIs and assign them all a color. This kind of makes sense the first time, but we'd really appreciate a way to tell the app to set up a four-player beginner game with one human player, and off we go. Also, if the app just remembered our settings from the previous game so we could replay with the same options, that'd be hawt.

The developers are aware of the problem with the "portrait selection" screen and told TUAW:

We have submitted an update to Apple with fixes for these problems and some additional tweaks and features. The issues have to do with canceling the keyboard during name entry and also with clicking outside of the portrait images and the cancel/confirm buttons.

The app is prone to crashing intermittently, and we also had a very bizarre bug where, when we tried to click on a link within the rules (to go read about scoring, for example), the entire app somehow got copied to GoodReader, which then tried and failed to open it. Like we said, it was very strange. Here's hoping this gets fixed, along with the other issues, soon. We'd also like to see some sort of icons to help the color blind, but maybe it's not a big problem.

Even with these minor problems, once you get going, Medici is a wonderful game and a true antidote to button-mashing video games. The game is an evolving lesson in the value of buying something, and how what's valuable can differ from player to player and from turn to turn. If you bought a lot of cloth early, it helps to keep the lead in that goods category so you can keep scoring the 10-point bonus. If you're way behind in the race for spice, then only when you get a really, really good deal on a bunch of spice (like, three tiles for six florins) is it worth it to buy them. Good opponents won't ever let you get that deal, and that's the challenge of the game. This is a thinking person's board game, and it happens to be completely enjoyable on the iPad or on the table.

Gallery: Medici

The American Museum of Natural History's Explorer app for the iPhone and iPod touch

David Winograd — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The American Museum of Natural History on New York City's Upper West Side has released AMNH Explorer (free) for the iPhone and iPod touch. This app, funded by Bloomberg, is a tour guide and personal navigation system that allows you to easily traverse the museum's huge collection. You can search for an exhibit by popularity, exhibit hall, or an alphabetical listing, and the app will use the museum's free Wi-Fi to give you step-by-step directions to your intended destination (using either the stairs or elevators). You can also get directions to the closest restroom or exit as well as information about restaurants and gift shops.

Gallery: American Museum of Natural History Explorer app

If you want to know more about an exhibit, tap its card to see more detail. After you've seen an exhibit, you can mark it as visited, which puts a banner on the exhibit's information card. You can also bookmark exhibits, which will send you an email that details what you've bookmarked as a record of your visit. There is also an option to send exhibit information to Twitter or Facebook.

Tours can be personally built by adding attractions to a list that you can rearrange, and the app will walk you to each one; you can also use one of the packaged tours. There are four tours built into the app; the Dino tour and the Earth and Space tour are preset, but if you're strapped for time, the Highlights tour gives you the choice of a tour that is short, medium, or long with varying numbers of exhibits in each. The Night at the Museum tour shows you exhibits that were featured in the popular film. There is also the option to go on a treasure hunt, which will give you some information on an exhibit and provide hints until you hunt it down.

Floor maps can be displayed with your location pinpointed to allow you to orient yourself. I've gotten lost in the AMNH more than once, and this is quite valuable. An easy to follow orientation video that is subtitled for the deaf is also included in the app.

If you haven't brought the app to the museum, they will lend you a device for free during your visit; I think that's very nice indeed. If you've ever been to the AMNH, you know how daunting finding an exhibit can be. This app solves that problem, and it does a lot more. Since some of the functions can only be done at the AMNH, I can't wait to get there and try it out on-site. I'm sure that using it will make anyone's visit much more enjoyable.

TUAW's Daily App: The Screetch

Mike Schramm — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The Screetch is a great game with a funny name. At its heart, it's a match three game; you want to match three of a kind for a certain round gem while you're constantly dropping them from above (Tetris style). The game's namesake is where things get slimy, though. The Screetch is constantly "infecting" gems that are dropped onto the board, and you can only clear it out by matching three gems and putting the slimy, oily dude into a flask.

It sounds complicated, but of course, it starts out simple and builds up from there. As the game progresses, the Screetch moves faster, requiring you to drop gems in the right places quickly. There are also lightning gems that will clear out whole lines of the board and quite a few levels to ramp up the difficulty as you play along. The Screetch element adds a fun, new twist to the standard match three gameplay, and the graphics are pretty well polished to boot.

The game is available on the App Store right now for US $2.99, and the addition of online league play and trophies extends the playability a little bit. If you're a fan of match three games or just want a fun thrill to pick up and play for a few minutes at a time, check it out.

Parrot AR.Drone now available for pre-order at Brookstone

Mike Schramm — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:30:00 GMT

Good news, everyone! The long-awaited Parrot AR.Drone (as seen being crashed into one of Parrot's PR reps by yours truly) is finally available for pre-order over at Brookstone. And as promised back at E3, the iPhone-controlled quadricopter will be available for US $299.

It's available in a couple of different color schemes, comes with a free "flight bag" (if you're within the first 300 orders), and requires a shipping fee of $10. Unfortunately, there's no shipping outside of the United States, and of course, the iPhone or iPod touch is sold separately. According to the pre-order page, orders are "expected to ship" on September 3rd, 2010; that's just over a month from now.

The $299 sticker price is a little steep if you ask me, but then again, if you have a need for an iPhone-controlled quadricopter with not one but two cameras on board, you probably have a couple hundred bucks to put into it. If you do order one, be sure to keep us updated on when it ships, and let us know what you think of the device. Happy flying!

TUAW giveaway: Fusion of Ideas StealthArmor for iPhone 4

Steven Sande — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:30:00 GMT

Here at the TUAW giveaway headquarters near Denver, Colorado, we get a lot of fun items to give away to readers. So many, in fact, that sometimes we neglect to give away some of the items until they reappear from the bottom of a pile.

With sincere apologies to the wonderful folks at Fusion of Ideas, that's what actually happened to the four StealthArmor for iPhone 4 kits they sent to us. For iPhone 4 owners who want to resolve the "grip 'o death" issues without an Apple bumper, StealthArmor provides a classy solution.

Each of the four kits we have to give away comes with a set of parts. There's a nano-fusion scratch-resistant screen protector, a set of custom-cut corner and side bezel pieces, and then an industrial-grade back cover. Unlike the bumper and most cases that are on the iPhone 4 protection market, StealthArmor adds very little weight and bulk to your device -- but does add a lot of protection. The kits also come with complete installation instructions, although you might want to view the video (above) before attempting the install.

The four kits we're giving away are each a bit different:

Matte White back with clear corner and side bezel pieces
Carbon Fiber back with brushed aluminum corner and side bezel pieces
Woodgrain back with clear corner and side bezel pieces
Tungsten back with brushed aluminum corner and side bezel pieces

To enter the giveaway, leave us a comment telling us which of the four kits you'd most like to win. We can't guarantee that you'll get the one you want, but we'll try our best. Here are the official rules:

Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment telling us which of the four StealthArmor kits listed above you'd like to win.
The comment must be left before midnight on Sunday, August 1st, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
You may enter only once.
Four winners will be selected. All will receive one Fusion of Ideas StealthArmor for iPhone 4, valued at $35.
Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Good luck!

Civil War: America's Epic Struggle comes to the iPad and iPhone

David Winograd — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:00:00 GMT

Civil War: America's Epic Struggle (US$4.99) from MultiEducator Inc. is a full history course in an iPad and iPhone app. It contains at least as much information as most textbooks on the Civil War at a fraction of the cost, while adding elements that no textbook can. There are 24 multimedia presentations, some as long as nine minutes, a nice selection of music popular during the Civil War, and a wonderful navigation system that just makes sense.

When starting the app, information can be sorted 18 ways, from a changing Categories bar including Battles (sorted either chronologically or alphabetically), Multimedia Presentations, Statistics and topics like Navy, Economics, Railroads, Music, etc. Depending upon where you are in the app, tapping on Categories brings up a contextual listing of what you can see. For example, tapping on Major Battles Chronologically changes the bar to a listing of battles grouped by year. Tapping on a battle such as Bull Run, brings choices of a text summary of the battle, a five minute multimedia summary, seven text articles on aspects of the battle, 20 photos or drawings, most of them taken from the Matthew Brady Archives, and full color maps. Depending upon the battle there is more or less information available, but this is done for 26 battles in total; clearly, there's a phenomenal amount of information in the app, plenty for even a Civil War buff to peruse.

Gallery: Civil War: America's Epic Struggle

Dozens of biographies of Union and Confederate Generals can be found and the majority of them have photos included. The Timeline contains a button for each year, which brings up a listing of what happened each month along with a button for each month affording a more detailed listing of events. Choosing Americans brings up articles on Native, German, Irish, Jewish, Spanish and Chinese Americans. If you tap on Washington, you get a chronology of what happened by year, 18 text articles, and 49 photos. The amount of information is staggering. To contain this much information, the app has to be huge and it is, weighing in at 248 MB.

With many hundreds of items, it might be easy to get lost, but Marc Shulman, the major developer of a team of 4.5 (his kid did the icons), came up with a number of ways to inform you of where you are. A Recents button offers up a listing of the last few dozen places you've been. Any page can be marked as a Favorite whose listing appears on the Navigation bar along with Categories and Recents. Standardized color coded icons grouped on the bar makes it easy to tell just what items are: text, photos, music, statistics or audio. It's very hard to get lost.

The app can be used any way you hold the iPad or iPhone. On the iPhone the Navigation bar is on the bottom and quite honestly the app is harder to use, but according to Shulman it was meant and designed for the iPad first and the iPhone second. Videos and photos are better in landscape mode and can be expanded to fill the whole screen which eliminates the bar. Another nice touch is that you can email the content of whatever is being viewed by tapping on the Send button. This brings up an email screen which does not toss you out of the app. Next to that is an Info button offering a brief overview of what section you're in at the time.

About 50% of the content previously appeared 15 years ago in a two CDROM set which was mostly sold to schools. This included all the multimedia presentations and a lot of the text, but over the last nine months of development a ton of additional content was added including the majority of the photos. MultiEducator Inc. is currently working on similar apps covering the Revolutionary War and the History of Aviation. Don't expect to see them soon, since putting one of these together is Herculean task, as you might imagine.

The app is not without its share of problems. When I first took a look, it was rife with mistakes, but a few days ago a revision was put up solving about half of my concerns. There are still quite a few issues, though: Some items are duplicated. The audio quality can be poor, with a constant low buzz and a lot of microphone noise when changing readers. A good number of text screens spill off the right side and you need to use pinch and stretch to make them readable. This was the case for all the screens in the original app, but over half of them have been re-sized in the revision. One icon is wrong, and there are a few spelling errors on buttons -- the song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is displayed as "When Johny Comes Marching Home." Some pages, especially the ones regarding the Generals, are too small and leave large gray borders on the screen. There is a notable lack of consistency in the text screens. The last three minutes or so of the Overview multimedia presentation shows a constant thin black line near the top of the screen. None of these are shooting offenses, but they do tend to lessen the quality of a first class app.

The text problems should be fixed in the next revision which will include an option to choose the display size of text. The audio problems will take longer since they require re-recording. Over the last 15 years, ideas of what was considered quality audio has changed and re-recording well over an hour of audio won't happen overnight.

None of these problems should make you hesitate to buy the app right now, especially if reading about the Civil War is your thing. They are nothing more than ants at a picnic, and I was assured that they will all be fixed in free revisions.

In the final analysis, this app is a wonder. It contains an amazing amount of history curriculum presented in many modes. From an instructional design perspective, it makes commendable use of Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.

Kudos to Marc Shulman and his team. Civil War: America's Epic Struggle is a wonderful addition to history education and strengthens and expands the uses of the iPad for students and educators.