‘Command & Conquer: Generals Deluxe Edition’ Now Available in the Mac App Store [Mac Blog]
Aspyr today released classic Command & Conquer game Command & Conquer: Generals Deluxe Edition in the Mac App Store, letting fans of the title play the game on modern Macs for the first time in years. The Mac App Store bundle includes the original Command & Conquer: Generals game and the Zero Hour expansion pack.
First released in 2003, Command & Conquer: Generals stands apart from other games in the series because it takes place in the near future, and features the United States, China, and the fictional Global Liberation Army terrorist group.
The new version of the game available in the Mac App Store has been optimized for modern Macs, with support for Retina displays and the 5K Retina iMac. While it does offer multiplayer support for up to four players, the Mac App Store version of Command & Conquer: Generals is not multiplayer compatible with the original Mac release or the original PC release.
In a time of modern war, recent military aggressions around the globe have many nations worried. Between the United States, China, and the Global Liberation Army, tensions run high. Their leaders profess no interest in escalating the situation, but words ring hollow when satellite photos tell a different story.
Minimum system requirements include 2.2GHz CPU speed, 4GB RAM, and 5GB disk space. The following graphics cards are the minimum supported: (ATI): Radeon HD 3870, (NVidia): GeForce 330M, (Intel): HD 3000, 256 MB VRam.
Command & Conquer: Generals Deluxe Edition can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. [Direct Link]
‘Becoming Steve Jobs’ Leaks: Tim Cook Offered Jobs a Liver, Jobs Wasn’t Interested in TV
There’s a new Steve Jobs book coming out later this month, written by Brent Schlender, a reporter who interviewed Jobs several times throughout his life, and Rick Tetzeli, editor at Fast Company.
The book, Becoming Steve Jobs, isn’t set to be released until March 24, but Cult of Mac discovered some of the contents could be read using Amazon’s “Look Inside the Book” feature and shared a few interesting tidbits that we haven’t heard before. One of the best parts is a story about Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, which took place when Steve Jobs first got sick.
When Jobs was ill and needed a new liver, Tim Cook offered to donate a portion of his own liver because the two shared a blood type. Jobs turned down Cook’s offer and later received a full liver transplant in 2009.
After discovering that he shared a rare blood type with his sick colleague, and undergoing a battery of tests at a hospital “far from the Bay Area, since he didn’t want to be recognized,” Cook offered his liver to Jobs — only for Steve to turn it down.
“Somebody that’s selfish doesn’t reply like that,” Cook says.
The book also reveals that Steve Jobs and Disney CEO Bob Iger contemplated buying Yahoo! as a way for Apple to get into the search business, and it unveils some details that contrast information that Walter Isaacson shared in his Steve Jobs biography.
Walter Isaacson’s biography was largely responsible for igniting rumors about Apple creating a literal television, but according to Becoming Steve Jobs, Jobs was not particularly interested in television, telling Jony Ive at one point “I just don’t like television. Apple will never make a TV again.”
In Isaacson’s telling, Jobs wanted to “do for television sets what he had done for computers, music players, and phones,” creating an integrated television set that’s “completely easy to use.” At one point, he even reportedly said “It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.”
Amazon has removed much of the content that was offered via “Look Inside the Book,” so additional stories about Jobs and other executives will be kept under wraps until its debut 12 days from now.
With the book, Tetzeli and Schlender have aimed to explore the story of how Steve Jobs made the transformation from an arrogant young man exiled from Apple to the visionary leader that skyrocketed Apple to fame. The two authors interviewed many of Jobs’ friends, family, and inner circle, getting access to never-before-told stories. Tim Cook, Jony Ive, Eddy Cue, Ed Catmull, John Lasseter, and Robert Iger all contributed to the book.
Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber received an advanced copy of the novel, and has called it “the book about Steve Jobs that the world deserves,” with stories that are “sensational.”
A hardcover copy of Becoming Steve Jobs can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com for $21.78. There’s also an iBooks version available for $14.99. [Direct Link]
Apple Seeds Third iOS 8.3 Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the third beta of iOS 8.3 to developers, more than two weeks after seeding the second iOS 8.3 beta and more than a month after releasing the first iOS 8.3 beta. Today’s third beta release comes just days after the public launch of iOS 8.2, which included support for the Apple Watch.
The beta, build 12F5047f, is available as an over-the-air download and through the iOS Developer Center. Apple has also released Xcode 6.3 beta 3.
Though iOS 8.2 introduced Apple Watch support, it brought only minor bug fixes and security updates to the operating system. iOS 8.3 brings more consumer-facing updates, like a new emoji picker and all new diversified emoji and skin tone modifiers. It also introduces new country flag emoji and updated emoji icons to represent the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch.
Along with those emoji changes, iOS 8.3 brings wireless CarPlay connectivity, support for Google 2-step verification, Apple Pay for the China UnionPay network, and several new Siri languages.
What’s new in iOS 8.3 beta 3:
Messages – There’s an option in the Messages portion of the Settings app to enable “Conversation List Filtering.” With this turned on, messages received from people who are not in your contact list will be filtered into a separate list.
Apple Watch app – Since iOS 8.2 has been released, iOS 8.3 has been updated to add the Apple Watch app to the iPhone’s home screen.
Apple launches public beta program for would-be iOS testers
Yes, yes, iOS 8.2 was only released on Monday, but Apple’s got you covered in case that’s just not bleeding edge enough for you. After getting plenty of apparently helpful feedback during OS X Yosemite’s public beta period over the summer, the company is (as expected) kicking off a public beta program for iOS, beginning with a non-final build of iOS 8.3 available to testers starting today.
We’re not entirely sure when Apple flipped the switch on the program, but invites to selected users have been going out for at least a few hours now. Thing is, we’re still not sure how exactly Apple’s choosing who gets access (aside from choosing members of the existing OS X beta), or even how many people will get the nod from Cupertino. Back when this whole thing was just a rumor, it seemed as though only 100,000 people would get access to the program when it finally launched. Assuming you are lucky enough to get in, the installation process seems dead simple — you’ll install a special profile that instructs your phone to pull updates from a beta software channel and, well, that seems to be about it. Just be sure not to gush about your good fortune too publicly; this is only a public beta in that you don’t have to be a developer to install these pre-release builds. Apple’s still counting on you having enough discretion to keep word of juicy features and under your hat, though really, at least one of you isn’t going to keep your mouth shut. Itching to try your luck? Can’t say we blame you — you can register on Apple’s Beta Software site and keep your fingers crossed.
[Thanks, Scott!]
Filed under: Mobile
Apple Launches New iOS Beta Testing Program, Seeds iOS 8.3 to Testers
Apple today made a pre-release version of iOS 8.3 available to those who sign up for the company’s public beta testing program, giving them early access to a new version of iOS for the first time ever. The version of iOS 8.3 being distributed to beta testers is the third iOS 8.3 beta, which was seeded to developers a few hours ago.
The launch of today’s iOS beta testing program has also been accompanied by an overhaul to Apple’s Appleseed Beta testing site. Previously the language on the site was heavily focused on OS X, but a site revamp gives it a more general focus to encompass both iOS and OS X testing.
iOS 8.3 was first seeded to developers on February 9, while iOS 8.2 was still in testing. iOS 8.2 is mainly focused on the Apple Watch, but thus far, iOS 8.3 has introduced several new features including support for wireless CarPlay connectivity, a new emoji picker, support for Google 2-step verification, and Apple Pay support for the China UnionPay network.
The second beta brought all new diversified emoji and skin tone modifiers, along with new emoji for country flags and updated emoji icons to represent the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch. Siri also gained several new languages, including Danish, Dutch, English (India), English (New Zealand), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish.
Apple introduced its public beta testing program with the launch of OS X Yosemite, allowing more than a million consumers to sign up for and participate in the Yosemite beta. Prior to today, public beta testing was limited to OS X, but Apple appears to be ready to expand its beta testing program to iOS.
Apple has also continued offering OS X betas, most recently seeding OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 with the Photos app to public beta testers.
Casetify Debuts Design-Your-Own Apple Watch Bands [iOS Blog]
Casetify, a site that specializes in custom designed iPhone and iPad cases, recently debuted its first Apple Watch accessory — watch bands that can be personalized with photos or images for a range of custom looks.
Using the site’s design feature, or the company’s mobile app, users can add photos from their computers, Instagram, or Facebook to create a watch band design.
Bands are available in both 38mm and 42mm, to fit both of the Apple Watch casing sizes, and they are constructed from polycarbonate silicone. There are three different layouts to choose from when creating a design, and images added to the band can be enhanced with one of nine filters. Casetify is also offering pre-designed watch bands with a variety of designs.
Casetify is accepting pre-orders for custom designed Apple Watch bands, which are priced at $50. Watch bands will begin shipping out to customers in early June.
Apple’s medical research kit gets thousands of sign-ups (and concerns)
Apple built its ResearchKit platform in part to get many more people signing up for medical studies, and it appears to be delivering on that promise in spades. The early partners tell Bloomberg that they got thousands of volunteers within a day of launch, including 11,000 for a Stanford University cardiovascular trial — for context, Stanford says that it would normally take a national year-long effort to get that kind of scale. The flood of data will theoretically improve the quality of the findings, especially since the automatic, phone-based tracking should prevent people from fibbing about their activity levels.
The kit may not be as much of a windfall as institutions would like, though. A large test sample only matters if there are enough quality results — many of those sign-ups might not be ideal candidates. Apps might not account for every question that a doctor would want to ask, either, and poorly-built apps may not completely respect your privacy. Still, the surge is promising. So long as the adoption rate doesn’t slow down dramatically, hospitals and schools could have a much easier time recruiting people for future trials.
Filed under: Cellphones, Science, Mobile, Apple
Source: Bloomberg
Apple Seeds Third OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the third beta of OS X Yosemite to developers, almost a month after seeding the first OS X 10.10.3 beta and a week after releasing OS X 10.10.3 to public beta testers.
The new beta, build 14D98g, is available for registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center.
OS X 10.10.3 brings several new features to Yosemite, including the new Photos for OS X app. Designed to integrate with iCloud Photo Library, Photos for OS X is a replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture and is on track to see an early 2015 public launch. Reviews have suggested that while Photos is a suitable replacement for iPhoto, with more advanced tools and performance optimizations, it may leave professional users disappointed.
Along with the new Photos for OS X app, the first two OS X 10.10.3 betas introduced a redesigned emoji picker that consolidates emoji into a single page with clear labels, new diversified emoji and emoji skin tone modifiers, new flag emoji and updated emoji for the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch, and support for Google 2-step verification when setting up accounts in System Preferences.
‘Sid Meier’s Starships’ Launches Today on iPad and Steam [Mac Blog]
First announced back in January as an interstellar continuation of Civilization: Beyond Earth, Firaxis‘ Sid Meier’s Starships today launches for iPad, PC, and Mac (via iMore).
Developed by Firaxis in conjunction with 2K Games and Meier himself, Starships places players at the helm of a fleet of starships and tasks them with building a thriving interplanetary federation.
Image via GameSpot
Players will gather new technology, discover new planets, and wage wars in missions that will randomly generate combat, offering a degree of replayability to the main story thread. Though still unclear, Civilization: Beyond Earth and Starships will also offer some form of connectivity between the two games, as well.
Set in the universe of Civilization: Beyond Earth after the age of the Seeding, Sid Meier’s Starships offers sci-fi/strategy fans a full stand-alone game experience that also features cross-connectivity with Beyond Earth, expanding the depth of both games. See if you have what it takes to rule the universe!
• Tactical Space Combat: Encounter unique tactical challenges in every mission, with dynamically generated maps, victory conditions, and foes.
• Fully Customizable Starships: Create an armada that fits your tactical plan with modular spaceship design.
• Diplomacy, Strategy, and Exploration: Expand the influence of your Federation and gain the trust of the citizens of new planets. Use the unique abilities of the each planet to enhance your fleet and Federation, and keep your opponents in check. Build improvements on worlds to increase the capabilities and resources of your Federation.
• A Galaxy Of Adventure: Explore the galaxy as you lead your fleet to distant worlds and complete missions to help the citizens of these planets. Fight pirates, protect colony ships, destroy rogue AI, and more.
• Multiple Paths To Victory: Will you win by conquering the greatest threat to the galaxy? Or will you unite a plurality of worlds in your Federation? Perhaps you will lead your people to push the frontiers of science. Each choice you make carries consequences on your path to victory
A few early reviews have praised the game for offering the complexities of the Civilization series without the huge time commitment, though simultaneously noting hardcore fans may have issue with the shorter, more “bite-sized” gameplay.
The iPad App Store version of Sid Meier’s Starships [Direct Link] is out now, but the PC and Mac editions on Steam can currently only be pre-purchased, with a three hour countdown marking the game’s release as of writing. The game is available for $14.99 on all platforms.
iPad Seen as ‘Weakest Link’ in Stagnating Tablet Market
IDC on Thursday reduced its five year forecast for worldwide tablet shipments following the tablet market’s first year-over-year decline in the fourth quarter. The research firm estimates that 234.5 million tablets will be shipped during 2015, representing marginal growth of 2.1% from 2014.
Android is expected to remain the market leader among platforms throughout the course of the forecast, whereas the iPad is predicted to be the “weakest link” and see its volume share of the market continue to decline in 2015. IDC believes that iOS will drop from its present 27.6% market share to 23% through 2019.
The research firm also estimates that Microsoft could see its worldwide tablet market share nearly triple from 5.1% today to 14.1% market share in 2019 on the strength of Windows 10. IDC research director Jean Phillippe Bouchard claims Microsoft will slowly gain a foothold by delivering a consistent experience across all devices and platforms.
“Microsoft is doing a lot of good things right now and we believe the launch of Windows 10 later this year will not only have a significant impact on Microsoft’s share of the market, but on the industry as a whole,” said Bouchard, Research Director, Tablets. “There is an appetite for a platform that can provide a productivity experience that remains consistent across multiple form factors and device types, and we believe Microsoft is well positioned to capture some of that demand.”
iPad momentum fell flat in the fourth quarter as overall tablet market growth continues to decline. iPad sales have declined for four consecutive quarters, and Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri cautioned investors during its latest earnings call that iPad sales are unlikely to see a dramatic year-over-year improvement in the near future. Nevertheless, it is rumored that Apple could have two new iPad in the works in an attempt to reinvigorate tablet sales.
First and foremost, Apple is expected to release the much-rumored “iPad Pro” later this year with a larger 12.9-inch screen and faster A8X processor. Meanwhile, a questionable rumor from last week claims that the company may release an iPad mini 4 with an A8 processor and 802.11ac Wi-Fi in the near future, after some users expressed disappointment that Touch ID was virtually the only new feature on the iPad mini 3.
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