Wall Street Journal Digits on Call Of Duty Black Ops

IGN's Call Of Duty Black Ops Review

Treyarch's latest is a white-knuckled action romp that doesn't disappoint.

November 9, 2010

Level 4

by Nate Ahearn

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Call of Duty is the Goliath of the video game world. The series has sold millions of copies and catapulted itself from a solid, World War II shooter to the sprawling multiplayer playground and Hollywood-style campaign that we know today. Call of Duty: Black Ops takes much of what made Modern Warfare 2 great and slightly expands and modifies it. That's not to say that there aren't mistakes to be found within Black Ops, but I think Call of Duty fans are going to be happy with Treyarch's latest effort.

The only thing I'll say about the storyline is that it's the best of the series.

You begin the game as Alex Mason, a soldier being interrogated for information that he can't remember. You play through Mason's memories in search for information. Sam Worthington, Ed Harris, and Gary Oldman deliver expert performances and really nail their respective characters. There are twists, some of which work better than others, and the plot seems to get bogged down and slightly disjointed towards the middle. But unlike Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops does a wonderful job of cleaning everything up for the finale.

Watch the Call of Duty: Black Ops Video Review

Black Ops is not just a linear game, but sometimes feels like it's on autopilot. Just one example is when you "guide" the takeoff of an SR-71 Blackbird. I tried to not pull back on the flight stick when the game told me to, just to see if there was any other alternative to taking off, but the Blackbird lifted off on its own.
The artificial intelligence of both your friendly soldiers and the enemies you face is pretty poor. Both friendly and enemy soldiers behave like fools for most of the campaign. I once watched a friendly shoot the back of an armored car that he was using for cover for a solid 20 seconds.
There are also a few design flaws and annoyances, not least of all was a game-ending bug in the first level that made me restart the entire mission. No one else in the office ran into that one, but everyone who'd played Black Ops has run into a major design issue at the Battle of Khe Sanh. The mission never tells you what to actually do and even misdirects you.

The new crossbow rocks.

Despite these issues, I really enjoyed the story that the campaign presents and I think it's the best of the series. The characters are well-crafted and the plot rarely disappoints.
Of course, most gamers are more interested in the multiplayer. Call of Duty: Black Ops largely succeeds, presenting a similar (but not identical) set of modes as Modern Warfare 2. Black Ops is a more focused effort, and there will inevitably be those who miss a few of the omitted modes. But you will get some of the playlists later added to Modern Warfare 2, including the Killstreak-free Barebones list.
Black Ops makes its most significant departure from Modern Warfare 2 by adding CoD Points. Earning experience points and leveling up now handles macro stuff like unlocking more custom class slots, Create-A-Class, new modes to play, and the availability of certain weapons and bonuses for "purchase." Everything else (weapons, perks, killstreak bonuses, emblems, different colors for your targeting reticule) is bought with CoD Points.

Watch the Evolution of Call of Duty Multiplayer

The system itself is overwhelming at first, especially if you're totally new to Call of Duty, but once you get your head around the CoD Points mechanic it's actually pretty cool. When you level up you're handed 1,000 CoD Points that you can spend on whatever you please. It basically allows you to sculpt your style of play however you'd like. The only catch is that once you buy a weapon, perk, or killstreak, there's no going back. In other words, you'd better be damn sure you want that sniper rifle before taking the plunge. This de-emphasizes what made Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer so much fun; the leveling itself.
The new Wager Match modes are designed to highlight the importance of CoD Points and they're fun in their own right, but nothing ever reaches the level of enjoyment I had with the traditional leveling mechanic. We've talked at length about the specifics of each Wager Match mode. Just know that One in the Chamber and Gun Game are highlights. The first is a lesson in patience and accuracy and the second gives you a guided tour of 20 of Black Ops' armaments with each kill earning you a new gun.
Standard modes including Team Deathmatch, Domination and Headquarters are still there and are great for leveling up and if you do hit Level 50, Prestige Mode is there with some extra challenges to make it worthwhile. I would have preferred if the new features added to the pre-existing level of fun, rather than pushing what everyone loves to the back burner, but Wager Match is definitely the focus.

Via IGN.Com  http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/113/1133005p1.html

Facebook Creeping Saves a Child's Life

By: Megan Gibson (3 days ago)

Topics: facebook, internet, England, cancer, discovery, creeping, baby's life, life-saving

Facebook's Logo on a computer screen in Brussels

REUTERS/Thierry Roge

A simple detection saves a two-year-old girl's life, while at the same time validating all of your Facebook creeping. This is possibly the best news ever.
Nicola Sharp, a 42-year-old nurse in England, was clicking through her friend Michelle Freeman's Facebook photos when an image of Michelle's daughter gave her reason to pause. In the photo, two-year-old Grace's eyes were lit up from the flash of the camera, but Sharp noticed that instead of the usual red-eye glint, one of the toddler's eyes was actually white.
(Check out the 5 Step Program for Facebook Happiness.)
Sharp, who has worked in pediatrics for decades, recognized immediately that the white reflection in Grace's eye could be  sign of eye cancer. She called Freeman about her suspicions. Little Grace was taken to the hospital where doctors found two tumors and diagnosed her with retinoblastoma.
The doctors also told Freeman that if the cancer had spread, it could have been fatal.
Freeman is grateful that her friend took the time to notice something odd in Grace's photo. "There is no doubt in my mind that Nicola saved Grace's life. There were no signs that Grace had any problems with her eyes and we never would have known without her," she said.
While privacy issues and Facebook creeping do get a lot of flak for being, well, creepy, this is definitely a case where a more open social network worked for the better. (via the Daily Mail)

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/16/facebook-creeping-saves-a-childs-life/#ixzz12p6AvOZn

Gears of War 3 Reportedly Coming in April 2011

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Gears of War 3 is in development at Epic Games. The first two games were tremendously successful and the story in Gears 2 (pictured above) was clearly set up for a third game. But until now, we had no idea when we could expect it to come. According to Edge, a "trusted US publishing source" has told them that Gears 3 is expected to be released in April 2011, with a debut trailer set to hit next month, on April 8. Edge also claims that we'll then see a full reveal of the game at this year's E3 in June. Epic VP Mark Rein confirmed at last week's Game Developers Conference that Epic wouldn't be releasing any games this year, which helps to corroborate what Edge's source is claiming. The source explained Microsoft's reason for abandoning the traditional November release that the first two games followed: "Microsoft's keen to avoid a clash with Halo: Reach and wants Natal to own Christmas. That's why we won't be seeing Gears of War 3 until next year, but expect a major marketing push ahead of its release."
We've heard that the next Killzone game, Killzone 3, is scheduled for a release in the same time frame as Gears of War 3 next year, so it looks like the two heavy hitters will be going head-to-head in about a year from now. Last time around, Killzone 2's release trailed Gears 2's by about four months.
If the source pans out, we're only a few weeks away from our first look at Gears 3, and the full reveal at E3 would then be less than three months away.

Street Fighter vs. Tekken Officially Announced

Yes, it's happening: During Capcom's Super Street Fighter 4 panel at Comic-Con today, a trailer was shown off for Street Fighter X Tekken for PS3 and Xbox 360, the official name for the game pitting characters from two of the most popular fighting game series ever against each other for the first time. The announcement came in what almost sounds like the promotion for an epic wrestling match -- the proceedings of the panel were suddenly interrupted (very deliberately, of course) by producers of the Tekken series, and this was followed by a trailer that made the game official (we should have some footage up soon). Evidently SSF4 producer Yoshinori Ono first approached Tekken 6 producer Katsuhiro Harada about the idea, since Ono heard Harada was a Street Fighter fan.

So the original rumor that "Capcom vs. Namco" would be announced wasn't quite accurate (obviously "Street Fighter Cross Tekken" suggests only characters from the Street Fighter and Tekken series will appear in it), but the rumor was correct that there will be two versions: One made by Capcom that'll play more in the style of Street Fighter, and one by Namco (called Tekken X Street Fighter) that'll play more like a Tekken game.






(see all Street Fighter X Tekken screens)
Details on gameplay are still a little sparse, but some gameplay footage was also shown, which appeared to show how characters could tag each other in during Ultra combos. The demo showed Ryu and Chun-Li teaming up to take down Kazuya and Nina.
We'll be sure to update with any more details that come up.

White iPhone 4 not available until later this year

White models of the iPhone 4 will not be available until "later this year," Apple said in a brief statement issued Friday.
The white models "have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected," the company said. That leaves the black iPhone as the sole model by default. Apple noted that the manufacturing issues don't affect the black version.
Apple did not explain why creating a white case is any more difficult than making a black one.
Meanwhile, bumper refunds for the iPhone 4 have kicked in online. Apple has apparently started providing refunds to the people who bought bumpers for their iPhone 4 before Apple announced its decision July 16 to give them away for free to address an antenna problem.

An iPhone 4 bumper refund e-mail.

(Credit: Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

An image shared on the MacRumors forums allegedly shows a note from Apple regarding refunds for bumpers purchased online. It's expected that people can get a refund from Apple retail stores as well.
In response to complaints that reception was reduced or cut off when people put their hands over the iPhone 4's antenna, Apple decided to give away bumpers. The bumpers cover the antenna, which runs down the side of the device, and are touted as solving reception issues.
Update at 7 a.m. PDT: Sales status of white iPhones has been clarified.

Horrible Fast Food Ideas (That Can't Be Too Far Off)

By CRACKED Readers Jul 21, 2010 208,180 views

With products like the KFC Double Down and the new Carl's Jr. Foot-Long Burger, it's hard to imagine what ideas are considered too insane to make the cut in the world of fast food. We asked you to show us via the magic of photo manipulation. The winner is below, but first the runners up ... #19. by Kill_By_Deth #18. by pfelon #17. by the_machete #16. by Hailstone #15. by trgdr777 #14. by McBeefy #13. by Hailstone #12. by mattographer #11. by Agent Spiff #10. by The Furlinator #9. by pinebear #8. by mattographer #7. by mattographer #6. by Agent Spiff #5. by McBeefy #4. by BigPineDan #3. by KFger #2. by ryan102287 And the winner is ...

Read more: http://www.cracked.com/photoshop_132_horrible-fast-food-ideas-that-cant-be-too-far-off/#ixzz0uTG4WDto

Subtle Butt Lets You Discreetly Fart In Public

The newest product from Solutions That Stick (a company that creates fashion fixers like patches that prevent underarm staining and pockets that you can adhere to the inside of shirts) is Subtle Butt, a carbon filter that filters out the stink from your flatulence. Says founder Kim Olenicoff, "I use them on airplanes, after a chili meal, and even on my dog." No one wants to create a scuttlebutt about their public farts, so for those who want to toot out loud, we suggest sticking one of these on your derrier first. Packs of five sell for $11.95 and are available here. (Stylelist)

Gulf of Mexico oil stoppage going well, BP says

President Obama: "This is good news"

BP says it is encouraged by the first test data following its stoppage of the oil from its leaking Gulf of Mexico well.

US Oil Spill

• Damage assessment
• Which way forward for BP?
• Ways BP has tried to stop the leak
• BP shares rise on oil leak news

President Obama gave a cautious welcome but added: "It is important we don't get ahead of ourselves."
Pressure within the well is steadily rising, a good sign, said Kent Wells, BP's vice president.
The oil has been stopped for the first time since 20 April, as part of a 48-hour test.
Spilled oil has damaged hundreds of miles of Gulf coastline since April, with serious economic damage to the region.
BP has already paid out more than $200m (£130m) in claims to 32,000 claimants. A further 17,000 claims are being evaluated for payment, and more information is being sought on 61,000 other claims.
On the sea floor there is currently no evidence of the well rupturing.
Eleven workers were killed in the Deepwater Horizon explosion, and the oil spill has raised fears of an environmental catastrophe.
The flow of oil was shut off at 1425 local time (1925 GMT) on Thursday. The stoppage is part of a test of the integrity of the well.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

When the oil stops gushing, everybody feels like we're done - and we're not”

End Quote Barack Obama US president

• Timeline: BP oil spill
• UK PM in leak talk with BP boss

If the pressure within the new cap on the well stays high, that could mean there are no other leaks or ruptures within the wellbore. If it drops, that could suggest problems.
"The new cap is good news," Mr Obama said, noting that it would either mean the oil was stopped or that almost all of it would be able to be captured.
But he added: "One of the problems with having this camera down there is, is that when the oil stops gushing, everybody feels like we're done - and we're not."
The pressure within the well is currently 6,700 pounds per square inch (psi) and steadily rising, said Mr Wells.
If it were to drop below 6,000psi that would probably mean there was a problem within the well. If it continues rising and stays over 8,000psi that would probably mean the well was intact, Mr Wells said.
There is currently "no negative evidence of any breaching" of the sea floor, Mr Wells said. BP will soon run another seismic survey to check for any evidence of ruptures.

NEW CAP FOR LEAKING OIL WELL

In June, BP placed a cap, known as an LMRP cap, over the top of the Deepwater Horizon well so oil could be collected at the surface. However, this continued to leak oil and has now been replaced with a better fitting device.

NEW CAP FOR LEAKING OIL WELL

When engineers removed the LMRP cap on 10 July, oil began to freely flow from the top of the blowout preventer once more. However, the Q4000 containment system continued to take some oil to the surface.

NEW CAP FOR LEAKING OIL WELL

Engineers then bolted on a new capping stack onto the blowout preventer (BOP). This allowed them to conduct a series of tests to see if the flow of oil could be stopped using the newly installed equipment.

NEW CAP FOR LEAKING OIL WELL

During the test the three ram capping stack has been closed and all sub-sea containment systems collecting the oil temporarily suspended, effectively blocking the flow of oil from the well.

NEW CAP FOR LEAKING OIL WELL

Once the tests have been successfully completed, BP will resume collecting oil. The Helix Producer ship was recently connected to the BOP to provide another collection route in addition to the Q4000 rig.

BACK 1 of 5 NEXT

BP is also resuming work on a relief well that has 30ft left to drill before it hits the original leaking well. Once the wells intersect, mud and cement will be used to permanently deal with the leak.
The current pressure test could last for up to 48 hours, with BP and government experts reviewing results every six hours.
If the test is successful it is not clear what will happen next.
BP has suggested it might be possible to keep the well shut, with oil collection vessels left on standby.
But government incident commander Thad Allen has suggested the most likely outcome is the resumption of collection of the oil with four vessels and the capacity to collect 80,000 barrels - all or virtually all of the oil - each day.

Do you live in the Gulf of Mexico region? What is your response to the latest attempts to stop the oil spill?

BP Reportedly Preventing Clean-Up Workers From Wearing Respirators

If you needed something to stoke your outrage at BP's handling of the oil disaster, there's this: Clean-up workers are getting sick from exposure to oil and dispersants and BP is reportedly threatening to fire them if they wear respirators.
If that sounds totally backwards that's because it totally is, but according to reports from individuals visiting clean-up sites, BP is telling some clean-up workers that they will lose their jobs if they wear protective breathing gear on the job. Strange, considering the Unified Command for the spill said last week that respirators would be given out to certain clean-up workers.
But while most officials maintain that there's no indication that the clean-up work is hazardous to anyone's health, workers with prolonged exposure to the oil and dispersants are reporting a variety of ailments, from nausea to averse reactions to foods and medicines.
Some, like New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, are already comparing the safety oversights in the Gulf to those that occurred in the rescue and clean-up efforts after the 9/11 attacks, and a new petition to get Gulf clean-up workers safety equipment has already reached 24,000 signatures. It seems odd that BP would threaten workers with their jobs after the Unified Command's announcement to give at least some workers respirators, and it's easy to want to believe every nasty thing you hear about BP these days, but then again, when it comes to their management of the disaster, nothing can be considered too ludicrous to be ruled out. [SF Gate]

Send an email to Kyle VanHemert, the author of this post, at kvanhemert@gizmodo.com.

Twilight Parody: “Vampires Suck” Movie Trailer (VIDEO)

The movie “Vampires Suck”, which was made for those who hate vampire stories, especially the Twilight Saga, is set to hit theaters on August 18, 2010. Check out the movie trailer below – it’s absolutely hilarious!

Screenwriters/directors, Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg, of movies like “Meet the Spartans” and “Date Movie”, came out with another genius parody movie based on Twilight, but which also takes aim at iconic shows and stars like “Jersey Shore”, Lady GaGa and the Black Eyed Peas.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert heartfelt letter after LeBron’s departure

Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has written arguably the most jaw-droppingly bitter letter in the history of shunned and hurt bosses after “hometwon hero” LeBron James announced to the world via an ESPN hour-long special that he would be leaving Cleveland for the Miami Heat.
Words used to describe LeBron James and his actions include but are not limited to:
“Deserter, narcissistic, self-promoting, cowardly betrayal, shameful display of selfishness, disloyal and the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn.  And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.”

Here is the full text of the scathing open letter that was posted on the Cleveland Cavalier website:
A Letter From Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;
As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.
This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.
Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.
The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.
There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.
You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.
You have given so much and deserve so much more.
In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:
“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”
You can take it to the bank.
If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.
Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.
Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.
This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.
But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.
The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.
Just watch.
Sleep well, Cleveland.
Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….
I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:
DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

I’ve been a sports fan a long time but have never seen anything the likes of that.  He better round up some players if he wants to keep that championship before LeBron promise.  WOW!

LeBron James makes his pick: He's going to Miami

Posted Jul 8 2010 9:47PM

LeBron James wanted to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The only place that could happen was Miami.

Get ready, NBA: A superstar trio is born.
Ending weeks of silence and drama, the two-time MVP said on his ESPN special from Greenwich, Conn. on Thursday night that he's decided to join the Miami Heat and leave the Cleveland Cavaliers after an unsuccessful seven-year quest for the championship he covets.
``I can't say it was always in my plans, because I never thought it was possible,'' James said. ``But the things that the Miami Heat franchise have done, to free up cap space and be able to put themselves in a position this summer to have all three of us, it was hard to turn down. Those are two great players, two of the greatest players that we have in this game today.''
Olympic teammates in Beijing, James, Bosh and Wade all helped deliver gold medals.
This time, it'll be about a gold trophy, the NBA championship one - the one Wade got in 2006, the one that James and Bosh have yet to touch.
``Winning is a huge thing for me,'' James said.
It's a huge victory for the Heat, who got commitments from Wade and Bosh on Wednesday. That duo, along with James, formed the upper echelon of the most-celebrated free-agent period in league history.
Heat president Pat Riley landed them all, a three-pack of stars to help shape his quest for a dynasty in Miami.
And for Cleveland, a city scorned for generations by some of sports' biggest letdowns, James' long-awaited words represented a defeat perhaps unlike any other.
James is gone. Home sweet home no more.
He said he made the decision Thursday morning and knows it won't go over well in Ohio.
``They can have mixed emotions, of course,'' James said, adding that Akron will ``always be home for me.''
His new home - part-time or otherwise - wasted no time in beginning the celebration. Horns honked outside the arena and on Miami Beach, where Wade was watching the announcement with members of his inner circle.
``It's going to be crazy,'' Wade said.
James, Bosh and Wade entered the pros in the same year, the respective Nos. 1, 4 and 5 picks in the 2003 draft. They went their separate ways: James to Cleveland, Bosh to Toronto and Wade to Miami, where he won a championship partnered with center Shaquille O'Neal in 2006. That year, James, Bosh and Wade all signed matching contracts to make sure they were all unrestricted free agents at the same time.
Season-ticket sales for the Heat's coming 41-game season were suspended Thursday afternoon after the entire supply of available seats were sold out. Not every seat has been released for sale yet and some will be held back for single-game purchases at the 19,600-capacity arena.
``I'll believe it when I see it,'' Louisville coach Rick Pitino said while attending a tournament of high school stars at Cleveland State University, co-sponsored by James and Nike, one of the 25-year-old's corporate partners.
Believe it.
The Cavaliers, a franchise that was in ruins before winning a lottery drawing and bringing James up Interstate 77 from his Akron home, have had the upper hand - until now. They were able to offer him more money - $30 million more - than any other team.
This wasn't about money, though.
Wade and Bosh both said they would take fewer dollars to make this happen. And that, combined with what Riley and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said to James on the recruiting tour, was enough to pull off the stunner.
Because they have overspent while trying to please James and win the first title by any of Cleveland's three pro sports teams since 1964, the Cavs are strapped with a few big contracts that have eaten up salary-cap space and prevented them from making roster moves to improve the team.
They've come close to winning it all with James, who at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds has the quickness of a point guard and brute force of an NFL defensive lineman.
With the possible exception of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, James is the NBA's premier player, but his legacy cannot be fulfilled until he wins a championship.
If it's going to happen soon, it'll happen in Miami.

Via nba.com

Professional photo shoot snapped with iPhone 3GS

Professional photographer Lee Morris boasts the usual arsenal of pricey cameras, but he recently ditched the high-tech equipment in favor of an iPhone 3GS. Morris posted the photographs from his low-tech shoot online, not revealing exactly how he had captured the stunning shots. The images produced by the Apple gadget’s chintzy camera wowed readers of his site, with some even calling the photos among the best shots he’d ever snapped. Morris eventually revealed the secret—which also included some mega watt lighting and a retouch artist—in a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot.


The iPhone Fashion Shoot - Lee Morris Shoots With The 3GS Fstoppers from FStoppers on Vimeo.



Full story at Gizmodo.

iFriend: Apple's got you losers covered

New Apple Friend Bar Gives Customers Someone To Talk At About Mac Products

Sidewalk Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros. from Surfap on Vimeo.

Google Makes the iPhone YouTube App Obsolete

By NICK BILTON via  The New York Times

What’s the difference between the new version of YouTube’s mobile Web site and the Apple-created YouTube application that is installed on every iPhone? The Web site is a lot better. At least that’s the subtext of a video that YouTube released as it announced the overhaul of the mobile site on Wednesday.
The site (in English only for now) has a number of new features that match those found on the normal YouTube site and are devised to cater to the growing number of mobile YouTube users. Andrey Doronichev, a product manager on the YouTube mobile team, wrote on the company’s blog that the mobile site, which was introduced in 2007, serves up 100 million video plays a day.
But there’s more to the company’s promotional video than meets the eye. Here’s a dissection of its subliminal messages, with images from the video.

YouTube

0:09 A finger reaches from below an iPhone’s screen and, instead of pressing a clearly visible icon for the preinstalled YouTube application, heads straight to the Safari Web browser for what the video’s introduction calls “the full YouTube experience.” (This iPhone owner has, of course, set Google as his home page.)

0:24 The video flashes through some images of the site’s slick design, and then pushes the point that there really isn’t a difference between the YouTube application and the Web version by showing a video shifting to horizontal mode as the phone is turned.

0:30 Hold on to your popcorn. The phone suddenly turns into a Nexus One running the Android software from Google. It’s magical. What is Google trying to say here? “We’re trying to show that our end goal is to provide consistency, no matter which device you’re using,” Mr. Doronichev said in an interview. In other words, the mobile site looks the same no matter what smartphone you’re using.
Then the video runs through a number of new features offered by the mobile site that are more limited in the iPhone app. Mr. Doronichev points out that on the Web site you can see the “like” or “dislike” buttons that YouTube now uses for video ratings. The iPhone application still uses the old star ratings. It’s Apple’s job to update the application. Did Google get tired of waiting?

0:58 Another new feature is introduced: suggested search results when you start typing in the YouTube search box. This feature is not available in the YouTube application. (The video also shows that it’s possible to find a video showing you “how to kiss” on YouTube. Good to know.)

1:16 Who needs phone apps anyway? The video demonstrates how easily you can put an icon/bookmark for the Web site on the home screen of the iPhone with a couple of quick clicks.
YouTube says in its blog post, “We think this is a great improvement for users who want a more consistent YouTube across many devices, no matter where they are.” In other words, Google wants you to ditch that app.

YouTube Mobile Site Launches for HTML5-Capable Devices

Judging from the demo, it’s extremely snappy for a Web-based app–screens popped up as quickly as they would in a local application.

Harry McCracken, Via Technologizer

Jul 7, 2010 4:59 pm

YouTube is launching a new version of its mobile site today for HTML5-capable smartphones such as the iPhone and Android handsets. I saw a demonstration at a press briefing this morning, and it looked like the most YouTubey mobile version of YouTube to date, with most of the major features of the full-blown version of the service, playback of videos within the browser (rather than in an external media player), and higher-quality video than is currently provided by the YouTube apps for iPhone and Android. Judging from the demo, it’s extremely snappy for a Web-based app–screens popped up as quickly as they would in a local application.
It also has a user interface that’s designed to be as touch-friendly as possible, without demanding the user to poke at the screen very precisely–Product Manager Andrey Doronichev even conducted part of this morning’s demo using…his nose.
The new YouTube Mobile looks cool, but it’s most interesting as a salvo in the war between local apps (a form of software championed by Apple) and Web-based ones (Google’s bread and butter). When Google writes iPhone apps–like, say, Google Voice–it’s at the mercy of Apple. When it creates browser-based services, it doesn’t need to seek anyone’s permission to distribute them to every iPhone user who cares to give them a try. And with YouTube, at least, it looks like there’s no particular advantage to writing an iPhone app–the Web-based incarnation works at least as well as a piece of native software would.
Even if the unique challenges of getting into the iPhone App Store weren’t an issue, there’s much to be said for YouTube being a Web app rather than a local one. With a Web app, YouTube can roll out new features on as aggressive a schedule as it chooses, instantly putting them in the hands of everyone who uses the service. It can’t do that with the YouTube app for Android, and the one for iPhone is completely out of its hands, since it was written by Apple. (For what it’s worth, a YouTube exec at the briefing I attended said he hopes Apple continues to update its YouTube app, and that YouTube would be happy to help.)
You gotta wonder: How long will it be until Web apps are capable of doing nearly anything a local app can? It’s not going to happen in 2010, 2011, or 2012…but it will happen.
Here’s YouTube’s blog post on the new YouTube Mobile. One surprising note: The company says that it hasn’t finished polishing up the service to work well in Safari on the iPhone 4.

For more smart takes on technology, visit Technologizer.com. Story copyright © 2010, Technologizer. All rights reserved.

Apple bans 'fraudulent' developer from iTunes

Via BBC News

 

400 of the 150 million iTunes accounts were hacked.

Apple has banned a Vietnamese developer from its app store after he was implicated in fraudulently pushing his titles to its best-seller list.

According to Apple, Thuat Nguyen hacked around 400 iTunes accounts, in order to use their credit card details to boost sales of his comic book apps.
Apple said it had tightened its security as a result of the hack.
It has put fraudulent activity on iTunes into the spotlight.
Small percentage At one point Mr Nguyen's apps occupied 42 of the top 50 book apps sold.
In a statement Apple said that the developer and his apps have been removed from the iTunes store "for violating the developer Program License Agreement including fraudulent purchase patterns".
"The iTunes servers were not compromised. An extremely small percentage of users, 400 of the 150 million iTunes users, were impacted," it said.
It recommended that people worried that their credit card had been stolen should contact their financial institution and change their account password.
Apple said that its iTunes servers were not compromised but it has stepped up security.
Bogus book It will now ask users to enter their credit card security code more frequently when making purchases on iTunes.
It is not the first time that users have complained about their iTunes accounts being hacked but it is one of the first that an app bought using compromised accounts has dominated the charts.
Amichai Shulman, chief technology officer of security firm Imperva, believes this was Mr Nguyen's biggest mistake.
"It was probably a bogus book and it was just a way to take money from one account and put it in another. If he had kept it out of the top 50 the scam may never have been detected," he said.
It is likely the details of iTunes accounts were acquired via a phishing attack or from other compromised accounts such as web mail, said Mr Shulman.
"We are seeing a trend for hackers targetting accounts such as iTunes, online poker accounts. You can monetise this kind of account very quickly," he said.
Amit Klein, the chief technology officer of Trusteer, a company which provides security for online payments, thinks Apple could do more to prevent such breaches.
"Hacks on iTunes are not so rare, there is a constant stream of reports even though they don't make the headlines. Apple could have better fraud detection and interact with iTunes users better," he said.