Next iPhone : 960×640 IPS

It now seems very likely that the next iPhone will feature a 960×640 pixels screen, and IPS technology (same used on macs), that will bring (besides twice the resolution, useful for iBooks application) better colors rendering, a better grid uniformity, better viewing angle, and a safer quality for mass production (contrary to Nexus One’s AMOLED screen).

iPhone : Prince of Persia retro available

Prince of Persia retro is available at the AppStore, priced 0,99$ only. We can find useful instructions about controls here (samples principles as with the original version). It also seems we can start at any level.

Half Life 2 available on mac / performance

Half Life 2 is available for mac through Steam. The two extensions (Episode 1 and Episode 2) are also listed. All are provided at 30 percent discount prices (6,29 euros for HL2 and 4,89 for each extension). Settings advices are to disable vertical synchro and colors optimizing, and to perfer anisotropic filter over FFSA.

Logic : optimize multi-core balancing

Apple provides an article about optimizing multi-core balancing in Logic.

Pianoteq Play : lite version

Modartt announced Pianoteq Play, based on de Pianoteq 3 (includes the same K1, C3 and M3 models), however without editing features and priced 99$ only (249$ for standard version, and 399$ for pro version). All add-ons are also compatible with Pianoteq Play, and it can be upgraded to standard or pro versions.

SoundManager 2 : HTML5 audio support

The SoundManager 2 framework now supports HTML5 audio element. Another reason not to look at Flash. Despite the far announced date (2020) for effective HTML5 deployment, in less than a year most of HTML5 features (and some restricted to WebKit) have land on major browsers (now including IE).

Flash demise faster than expected

The WSJ confirms that site makers are leaving Flash for HTML5, forcing their developers to learn more evolved/complex technologies (jQuery, etc.). One of Flash problems is how it is perceived, restricted to amateurish (non engineer) profiles, and too much tied to ads. That seems logical however, as Flash wasn’t designed (by Macromedia) to build business applications.

WWDC : iPhone / Android : you won’t be disappointed

In a mail (answer) sent by Steve Jobs (whose origine has been confirmed by this routing list), we learn that iPhone OS4 will bring great performance compared with the recent Android update (that did fasten 2,5 times the Google JVM). It is obvious that C code (iPhone SDK) will ever be faster than Java. Moreover Apple can enhance more deeply its system and processors.

MJ Style : full listening for a few days

MJ Style album is available as full preview (streaming) for a few days ! That is here (through the Zimbalam player). However you are not allowed to record the tracks nor to share these (only streaming).

Update  : despite full length streaming is setted in the Zimbalam player configuration, playing stops 20s from the end of each song (well, that is still 4 or 5 minutes of free listening for each). You may then get the (non free but full length) songs from iTunes.

Google and Adobe : I/Off

While Google I/O ended (we can find a live coverage of the keynote here), and that Google stated “If we did not act, we faced a draconian future where one man, one phone, one carrier was the future. That’s a future we don’t want.” (in the same manner they had said that we shouldn’t prevent them from using our personnal data if we haven’t anything – faulty – to hide), here are some facts to consider :

– the unveiled WebM codec is only a slight evolution derived form VP8 and OggVorbis, and is still far from H264 in terms off efficiency (closer to BaseLine profile, and far from Main and High profiles) and encoding speed, do no provides yet hardware accelerating. And more important, it is reported that it may face lawsuits from MPEG LA about patents infrigments on H264.

– Nexus One launch was a commercial failure. Newly presented Google TV shouldn’t do better than the orignal (AppleTV).

– Chrome Store seems (from first screenshots at least) even less elegant than Microsoft’s one…

– FTC will investigate about personnal Wifi data collecting by Google during Street View data acquiring process (Google recognized publicly its fault, however they may not think it is just ok then).

-In another story (automated/batch books scanning without asking for rights owners agreement) Google still had tried to force the way through (same with Youtube, majors had finally to conclude deals, after videos had been put online without legal checking).

– AdSense revenues redistribution by Google is opaque (no way to verify given numbers – same known problem as with artits royalties), the algorithm is proprietary (not public) and indeed presented as no perfect (can be usefull). Relegatations may be more frequent than thought, while more and more companies are paying to appear in early search results. Then relevance of search is suffering, and by the end liberty, as all that don’t appear at the expected/deserved rank (or is too far) simply do not exist…

On the Apple side we have a company that always followed traditional market rules (while having succeeded to revolution the way of buying music, and now applications and entertainment – and it may be just a start) : owners rights protection through DRM (asked by the majors), protection of creators revenues (AppStore), polished products and softwares (while Google provides – for free – beta softwares, and even recently some in research stage).

Then Apple brings elegant/polished experience/UI, ensures a robust solution (iTunes), while Google don’t want to accept any responsability, as with an amateurish company (or worse, some that is above the laws).

What if Apple will restore the power balance, by using Microsoft’s Bing for search, and providing ads revenues through iAds. These are probably the reasons of Google’s anticipated attack, that lacks subtely, in the same way as Adobe’s poorly reasoned answer. After all, nobody seemed offended 15 years ago when Microsoft put pressure on developers to invest on MFC Api, that did hurt Mac platform. To remember, Adobe created Photoshop and Illustrator on Mac exclusively in early 90s – because such application couldn’t be achieved using Windows 3.x.

Prince of Persia Retro for iPhone

Ubisoft announced Prince of Persia Retro (the first game, that was out on Apple II and Atari/Amiga) for iPhone.

Korg iELECTRIBE 1.1 update

Korg provides a 1.1 update to iELECTRIBE, that allows audio (wav) export to Mac and PC (through iTunes). A video is available.