classical

As one of the definitive arcade classics, Pac-Man needs little in the way of introduction. We're sure that many readers can still remember putting quarters up on a Pac-Man machine at the arcade waiting with anticipation for their turn to play. You may also have played on numerous other platforms since the game's release in 1980. Whether you're an old Pac-Man vet or you're one of the few who has never experienced the pill-eating arcade classic, the iPad version is very good, with only a few minor annoyances.

For the uninitiated, the object of the game … Read more

It's certainly true that MP3 player numbers are dwindling. One need only to look at the paltry variety of portable media devices on the Best MP3 players list to see this fact. However, that doesn't mean all of us have given up our standalone audio players in favor of music phones, and there are still plenty of people wavering on the age-old iPod versus Zune debate. But which do you get? Sadly, I can't make up your mind for you, but the below might help in some cases.

Q: I have never owned an iPod nor any … Read more

StarCannon is a remake of classic arcade shooters of the past, with 2D shoot-'em-up action and challenging boss fights. The graphics are smooth even on the older iPhone 3G. The controls are mostly effective, but can sometimes feel sluggish using a touch-to-move system rather than an onscreen joypad. Your ship fires automatically as long as you are touching the screen so you can play the game using only one finger or your thumb.

You can acquire three different weapons as you play and, just like top-down arcade shooters of the past, StarCannon lets you upgrade each weapon with more … Read more

In yesterday's post we learned that part of the historic significance of the legendary 1937 BMW 328 Roadster was that the car's engineers (who had previously worked on post WWI airplane technology) had designed the would-be touring vehicle with unforeseen lightweight chassis that reportedly weighed roughly 800 kilograms. This statistic, which allowed for maximum performance on less petrol, helped the 328 become one of the hottest race vehicles of its time period.

And for today's video clip, I found a very recent clip (from just two days ago!) of what the 328 Roadster's body shell looks … Read more

In yesterday's blog, I wrote about the 1937 BMW 328 MM Roadster, a rare classic car that will be up for auction at the RM Auctions' upcoming event in Monaco on May 1. We got a glammed-up look at this collectors' car and learned a little about why this car is much sought after, but I wanted to dig even deeper on what makes this Roadster so significant. With that in mind, today's clip is all about the history and technology behind the making of the famous BMW 328.

This car, conceived in 1936, was designed to be … Read more

I read last week that the BMW Classic Center in Munich was throwing open its doors to work on customer's vehicles, both BMW and otherwise. Thinking that it would make a fun blog topic, I went hunting the Web for video of classic BMWs. In this process I stumbled upon a promotional video for the 2010 Sporting Classics of Monaco event presented by RM Auctions that boasted the presence of one of the most notable and valuable BMWs ever made--the 1937 BMW 328 MM Bügelfalte Roadster.

RM Auctions will be bringing this classic BMW to its first-ever … Read more

Mario & Friends Lite is a soundboard app--that is, a sound-effects player--featuring over a dozen sounds from popular, old-school Nintendo games like Super Mario and Legend of Zelda. Unfortunately, the App Store currently lists this app under Games, not Entertainment. Make no mistake: it is not a game.

This is the Lite version of the full Mario & Friends app (which has more than 60 sounds), so you get just a handful of sounds, some just a second or two long. Examples include fun, iconic effects like Street Fighter's classic "Hadouken!" or the bouncy Mario 1UP trill.… Read more

Unless you've been living under a rock this week, you probably already know that the iPad, Apple's new tablet, is on its way in less than 60 days. With some time before the release, it will give app developers the new challenge of optimizing their offerings for the new and bigger touch screen. But even more exciting will be what app developers come up with for the iPad exclusively; with the added processing power, superior graphics, and added screen real estate, I think this is where we will come to fully realize the power of Apple's latest … Read more

If you're among those wondering why Apple's new iBooks e-reader app may have looked vaguely familiar, the answer is Apple may have ripped off the user interface from an existing iPhone app, according to Wired blogger Brian Chen.

The app in question is a popular book-reading app called Classics, which rounds up a bunch of public-domain titles in a slick-looking package that features a user interface with various titles perched on a bookshelf.

The article also suggests that the UI similarities extend beyond the top-level interface. "The pages emulate the look of a printed book page," … Read more