angry

One of the big iPhone news items this week revolved around an app I wrote about in the June 11 edition of iPhone apps of the week. Apparently, Taptaptap, developer of Camera+ (not currently available at the App Store) recently added a feature called "VolumeSnap" that would allow users to snap pictures using the iPhone volume controls on the side of the device. Apple pulled Camera+ from the iTunes App Store saying the app violated Apple's developer agreement terms by using one of the main iPhone controls in a "non-standard way, potentially resulting in user confusion."

I suppose it makes sense to keep things consistent, and of course Apple has the last say in these matters, but I have to agree with the idea that tapping the screen isn't an ideal way to snap pictures. Just about every time you take a picture with an iPhone you're holding it unsteadily in your hand and pressing the screen only moves the iPhone more, sometimes resulting in blurry shots.

Am I asking for another button on the iPhone? I wouldn't go that far, but now that the iPhone 4 has upped the ante with a 5-megapixel camera, it just might be the kind of thing Apple needs to consider. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

This week's apps include a free photography app that makes it easy to share your photos and a demolition type game that offers a unique twist on other popular games in the iTunes App Store.… Read more

Brace yourself for a lot of video game news on today's episode of The 404 Podcast as we discuss Wilson's obsession with throwing pigs at cats, Street Fighter experts offering lessons for $50 an hour, Rage running on an Apple iPhone, and BioShock Infinite!

Fresh off the success of this year's BioShock 2, the creators of the original game just announced a complete reimagining of the franchise in the form of BioShock Infinite. The original BioShock enjoyed countless game of the year awards, thanks to its creative storytelling. Ken Levine, creative director at Irrational Games, tells us … Read more

We had the pleasure of sitting down in CNET's San Francisco offices on Wednesday with Finnish developers Mikael Hed and Peter Vesterbacka from Rovio, makers of hit iPhone and iPad game Angry Birds (download for iPhone/iPad).

Angry Birds has become the most successful paid iPhone app to date, selling more than 5 million copies of the 99-cent game in the past six months alone. Did it get there overnight? No, but in the world of App Store development, its ascension was brisk.

So how did it all start? Toward the end of last year, the Rovio developers said … Read more

With the undeniable popularity and success of the iPhone 4 (despite the antenna debacle), iPad, and ever-increasing Mac sales, Apple is gaining customers faster than ever. If you're thinking about making the switch, this could be your perfect setup.

Component one: iPhone 4 Now in its fourth iteration, Apple's iPhone has forever changed the mobile phone landscape by thrusting touch-screen technology to the tips of every tech geek's tongue and every consumer's wish list. Despite its early and somewhat overblown issues, iPhone 4 has had record-setting sales. With the exception of the complaints from a vocal minority regarding its antenna, … Read more

With all the iOS 4 news today, both good and bad, you may not have seen the major update to one of the most popular games at the iTunes App Store. Angry Birds just received a bunch of new tweaks including 15 new levels, a new theme, enhancements to the interface menus, and new golden egg levels.

The press release we received mentioned that both Angry Birds (for iPhone) and Angry Birds HD (for iPad) were updated to 1.3.3, but at the time of this writing, only the iPhone version seems to have updated in the iTunes Store. … Read more

Did you know you could get a refund for your purchase of an iPhone app? I didn't until I watched a new CNET TV How-to with Brian Tong. In the video, Brian details the process for getting a refund on an app he wanted to buy for the iPad, but chose the iPhone version by mistake. It's a bit complicated to explain the process here, so you'll want to check out the video linked above to get a detailed visual how-to for getting an app refund.

As Brian points out, though you have the ability to get … Read more

Angry Birds Lite is a free, 12-level preview of Angry Birds, an addictive physics-based puzzler with a lot of personality.

You're helping a bunch of birds, as they wreak vengeance upon a crew of smug little egg-stealing pigs. Basically a one-player, turn-based artillery game, Angry Birds has a dead-simple interface: you just pull back on a slingshot to launch birds one at a time, with your finger position determining the speed and trajectory of each bird. The only other interaction comes when new birds (essentially, different ammo types) are introduced: a tiny, MIRV-like bluebird and a speedy yellow bunker-buster, … Read more

Facebook users haven't exactly been reticent about their dislike for Facebook's recent redesign. And Facebook staff want you to know they're listening.

Facebook has been deluged with feedback on its new layout, much of it negative but constructive, according to a blog posted Tuesday by Product Director Christopher Cox. Hundreds of thousands of people gave the redesign a thumbs-down in a user poll. And groups like "MEMBERS WANT THE OLD FACEBOOK BACK!" have formed to voice their discontent.

While the social network isn't reverting back to the old page design, they are making a … Read more

Imagine, if you will, this conversation between members of a product development team: "Man, waking up is hard."

"You know what else is hard? Saving money."

"We should make something that will help us do both at the same time!"

Maybe it never happened, but it's the only way we could explain the Banclock, an attractive, cube-shaped alarm clock that requires you to deposit change to turn off the alarm--no snooze, no off button, no wimps need purchase. (Though if your pockets are empty after playing too much pinball the night before, the … Read more