I love tools that are all about providing people with information they want, and on Tuesday, the video game industry's official ratings board got my attention with something awfully useful.
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) announced on Tuesday its new iPhone app, which is designed to put the board's full written summaries of more than 2,500 video games right at parents' fingertips.
A new iPhone app from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board allows parents to see the full ratings summaries of more than 1,500 video games.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)The idea is that with the app--officially called ESRB Rating, and available now, for free, in Apple's App Store--parents can punch in the name of any game rated by the board after July 1, 2008, and see not just the official rating--such as "M" for those 17 and up, or "E" for everyone--but the ESRB's full written summary of the title. The ESRB began writing the full summaries on July 1, 2008. Users of the app can also search for information about titles from before that date, but they will see only the basic letter rating and a brief content description.
Just over a year ago, the ESRB began making those summaries available to the public through its Web site, and through a mobile site (m.esrb.org). But the Web site isn't convenient to a parent who is actually out shopping for junior, and the mobile site is not something that many people who have standard cell phones will use, especially if they have to pay extra for data. An iPhone app is just so much easier.
Brilliant on-the-fly tools
Add this app, then, to the growing list of tools available for the iPhone and other smartphones that give consumers the ability to arm themselves with the most information about products and pricing while they actually have boots in the Best Buy, so to speak. Others include the brilliant SnapTell, which delivers comparative pricing information about books, DVDs, video games, and other items from sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Gamespot, and others based solely on a photograph, and RedLaser, which scans items' bar codes and delivers similar pricing information.
But what makes the ESRB app so terrific, it seems to me, is that it provides parents with exactly the kind of nuanced information they need to properly choose the kinds of games they want to buy for their kids. Sure, the basic letter rating gives some context--if you're concerned about violence or racy content, you probably want to stay away from "M"-rated games--but within a single rating category, there is still a wide spectrum of content.
For example, the hottest game in the world right now is Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The game has an "M" rating, but that just doesn't say all that much. Reading the summary, though, a parent can see much more: "Realistic gunfire, explosions, and cries of pain are heard during the frequent and fast-paced combat. The most intense depiction of violence occurs during a 'No Russian' mission where players take on the role of an undercover Ranger: Several civilians are gunned down at an airport as players are given a choice to participate in the killings (e.g., players can shoot a wounded civilian that is crawling on the ground), or walk by and observe without opening fire."
The app arms parents with the information to make informed buying decisions.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)That's a little more informative than "M," isn't it.
To be sure, kids are going to be able to get the games they want regardless of what their parents buy them. But given that games can cost $60 apiece--at least for the AAA console games--it may be that they don't quite have the means to sneak off with each and every first-person shooter they desire. They may still be dependent on Santa Claus, aka their parents, to get them the bulk of their games.
And, of course, those buyers who don't have an iPhone still will have to struggle to access these summaries, and it's unlikely that retailers will be providing them in any useful form.
But all in all, I find this precisely the kind of thing that puts the power over decisions about which video games to buy right back where it belongs: in parents' hands. We are in an age where so many pundits, politicians, and others are moaning and whining about the breakdown of society, and parents are complaining about the corruption of their children.
Well, complain no more: If you've got an iPhone--and I certainly hope the ESRB puts this app out for Android and other smartphones soon--you can do the research yourself. And then if you're still unhappy about the content in the games you buy your kids, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Corrected at 12:50 p.m. PST: This story incorrectly reported how many games rated by the ESRB would have summaries available through the iPhone app. It is more than 1,500.
While it's waiting to be gobbled up by Google, AdMob isn't sitting still.
The mobile ad company announced Tuesday that it will deliver interactive video ads to the iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The ads, set to run this week, will let iPhone users surf the Web and check out other videos while the video ad is playing. AdMob believes advertisers and developers will take advantage of the video format by serving up interactive ads designed to pull in consumers.
"AdMob's new Interactive Video Ad Unit brings together consumers' love of watching videos on their mobile device with advertisers' goal of providing an interactive, social experience for consumers," said AdMob Founder and CEO Omar Hamoui in a statement. "We are excited to create new ways for advertisers to engage with consumers on their mobile devices and for the developers behind the most popular and engaging iPhone applications to effectively monetize."
The video ads will automatically pop up as iPhone users access certain content and applications. The ads will also offer a video player so that people can control and interact with them. To make sure the ads run at a decent clip, AdMob uses a network of distributed servers to push them out. Each video is saved in different file sizes, with the most appropriate one streamed based on the connection type, such as 3G or Wi-Fi.
AdMob is one of the top advertising providers for the handheld and portable device market, a position that convinced Google to cough up $750 million in stock to buy out the company. With its multimedia capabilities and huge market share, the iPhone has proven a fertile ground for video ads, with the first ones popping up in early 2008 and growing since then.
Apple's iPhone 3GS introduced video recording, trimming, and sharing by adding a higher quality camera and iPhone OS 3.0. These new features introduced a simple way to edit videos, but they won't be replacing iMovie on the Mac--the phone's video-editing capabilities are far too simple, since all you can do is simple trimming and no special effects.
ReelDirector (iTunes link), a new app for the iPhone 3GS by Nexvio, attempts to fill out the iPhone's video editing toolbox by adding advanced video editing features. It sells for $7.99, works best with iPhone OS 3.1, and is the first app of its type that we've seen in the App Store.
ReelDirector demonstration video:
ReelDirector lets you arrange and merge recorded video clips into a scrollable timeline filmstrip. Available watermark text overlays--in four styles with up to 36 combinations--let you tell people what they're looking at while your video is playing.
Twenty-seven available transitions make switching between video segments a lot smoother than the simple abrupt trimming used by the iPhone's native software, and the app lets you add, change, or delete transitions as much as you please. The changes aren't applied to your video, which is stored as a project file, until it is created to include the transitions. This is accomplished by pressing the Create button inside of your project to generate a new version of the video. Even then, if you don't like the results, you can edit your project, make adjustments, then regenerate it--editing is nondestructive and you never harm the original video footage.
Once you've completed your video, you can share it via e-mail or save it to your iPhone Camera Roll and later sync it back to your computer.
According to Nexvio, the company is planning on adding frequently requested features in future updates. We look forward to seeing how this app evolves and recommend it for people heavily into iPhone video creation.
ReelDirector tutorial video:
Elgato's EyeTV iPhone app isn't supposed to allow you to stream video from a computer to your iPhone over a 3G connection, but a recently discovered backdoor exploit allows users of the app's first version to do so anyway.
Apple reacted to the news of the backdoor exploit by quickly pulling the app from the App Store on Saturday. Today, we found out that the app has been restored to the store and was briefly for sale again--an unusual occurrence in the App Store. Elegato's backdoor-free 1.0.1 version is now available in the App Store, disabling the exploit.
We asked Elgato about the backdoor and received this response from company representative David Fanning:
Some test code that enabled live TV streaming over the cellular network was accidentally left in the the EyeTV App. Apple requested that we remove the code, since their agreement with AT&T does not allow redirecting TV signals over the cellular network. The code was removed, and a 1.0.1 version of the EyeTV app was submitted.
Of course, anyone wanting to keep 3G streaming could skip the the update. Those who accidentally updated the app can also downgrade iPhone apps to regain the backdoor version.
Users can stream video over 3G by following these steps in EyeTV 1.0. Note, however, that by doing so, users may be violating AT&T terms of service, which CNET does not condone. Proceed at your own risk.
- Make sure that Wi-Fi is currently turned off. Launch Settings. Tap Wi-Fi.
- Launch EyeTV on both your computer and your iPhone. Complete the following steps on the iPhone.
- Tap the name of the computer you want to stream video from.
- Enter your passcode if prompted to enter one.
- Tap Live TV.
- Tap a TV channel you want to stream.
- The following message will appear--tap the text above the OK button to activate the backdoor.
Wi-Fi networks - Off
EyeTV Live TV
Wi-Fi required for video streaming
EyeTV will now begin to stream live video over your 3G network connection.
Controversy over 3G video streaming lingers. The CNN iPhone app, for instance, can stream video about breaking news. It's not entirely clear why Apple and AT&T do not allow Elgato to offer the same feature.
mSpot's new Mobile Movies service works in the iPhone's browser--no app required.
Sure, you can now download movies straight from iTunes to your iPhone, but those cost money and consume valuable storage space. Sometimes it's faster, cheaper, and more convenient to stream them, whether from your own PC, online storage, or even an on-demand service.
Here's a look at three such options for streaming the big screen to your small screen:
- Dropbox This just-released iPhone app (CNET's Harrison Hoffman has more) connects you to all the documents in your Dropbox account (including 2GB freebie accounts). So what does that have to do with movies? Simple: The app also lets you view mov, mp4, and m4v videos. Just add some from your PC to one of your Dropbox folders, then fire up the app. Presto: You're watching movies, and you don't have to leave your PC running to do it. Not bad for a solution that doesn't cost a penny.
- mSpot Mobile Movies This new service, which operates out of your browser, lets you rent movies for $4.99 apiece (less if you subscribe to a club membership). That's more than iTunes charges, but here you're getting an on-demand, download-free option--one that works over EDGE, 3G, and Wi-Fi. However, mSpot's selection is very small at the moment (about 350 movies in all), with marquee titles like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Mission: Impossible" among the few you'll recognize. But the company promises "thousands" by year's end, so this service is definitely one to watch.
- OrbLive Unlike Dropbox, which can play movies you've synced to an online account, OrbLive streams directly from your PC--which must be running in order for it to work. You also have to install and configure the Orb client for Windows, point it to the folder(s) containing your videos, and pony up $9.99 for the OrbLive app. On the plus side, it can stream a lot more than just videos: music, photos, and even live TV (if your PC has a tuner).
So, what do you think of these solutions? Obviously they're no good for watching movies on airplanes, but what about on trains? In a car? In a bar? With a cat or on a mat?
Of course, if you know of a better way to stream feature-length video to your iPhone, let's hear it!
At today's Apple event, the company devoted a generous amount of time to various charts and numbers declaring that the iPhone and the iPod Touch offer much more in terms of gaming than the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS.
iPhone and iPod Touch games have a lot going for them. The titles are cheaper, they offer tilt functionality, and the graphics are better than what the Nintendo DS can display. All that aside, it's tough to consider the iPhone as a legitimate gaming platform until Apple can offer some sort of tactile button functionality.
But how do you plan to accurately deke?
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)First, let's get a few things straight. In terms of casual gaming, you cannot beat what Apple has to offer. There are countless quick and easy games that fit well on the Apple platform. No one is booting up a PSP game for the 15 minutes you'd sit in a waiting room or the time standing in line at the deli counter. So while that section of the gaming market seems sealed up, the same cannot be said for the more hardcore action/adventure and shooter games.
The way it currently stands, controlling such games on the iPhone or the iPod Touch is a frustrating mess. Players must navigate using a virtual D-pad, which isn't able to provide the accuracy or physical feeling an actual control pad offers on the PSP and the DS. We're delighted to see franchises like Madden and Assassin's Creed head to the platform, we just wish there was a better way to control these titles. Until that day comes, iPod Touch and iPhone games will be stuck under a glass ceiling of shake, tilt, and tapping.
There's no denying that Apple has the upper hand here. No one wants to carry around three devices when one can handle everything. As we've written before, Apple can easily take over the portable gaming market with just a few moves. The first step toward that goal--whether it be an add-on or hardware change--is to add buttons.
GTA is coming to your iPhone.
(Credit: Rockstar Games)Rockstar Games, the developers behind the Grand Theft Auto series, announced on Monday that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be coming to Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch this fall.
The developer also announced that Beaterator, an app that allows users to create "world-class beats and songs," will also be made available on the App Store. Like the Chinatown Wars title, Beaterater is slated for availability this fall for an undisclosed price.
Chinatown Wars gives gamers control over Huang Lee, a member of the Triad crime syndicate, who travels to Liberty City to investigate his father's death. iPhone and iPod Touch owners will be able to control Lee as he travels through the streets of Liberty City.
Chinatown Wars is currently available on the Nintendo DS. It's coming to the Sony PlayStation Portable in October. According to Rockstar, it made perfect sense for the handheld title to make its way to Apple's mobile devices.
But since it has been ported from traditional handheld game devices, I asked Rockstar if iPhone owners will see much of a difference between the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP versions and the iPhone version.
Rockstar said there will be some textures that will look low-res, compared to the PSP version, but other than that, the game is exactly the same.
That comes as a surprise, considering that the typical content featured in a Grand Theft Auto game has clashed with Apple's policies against adult-theme material finding its way to into the App Store. Apple denied access to Eucalyptus, an e-book reader application, because it allowed users to find and read the Kama Sutra. Apple even denied access to Ninjawords, a dictionary app, because it contained vulgar words.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars promises a typical GTA experience, complete with the sexual content and vulgar words that have made it such a controversial franchise. Rockstar told me that it had no trouble with Apple's App Store policies and that the game will be made available as is.
Rockstar also said that controlling the on-screen character will be slightly different than what gamers are used to with other handhelds. According to the company, the game will display an on-screen analog stick that users will be able to control with their thumb. The developer wouldn't reveal any more information about the game.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
It's all gone--thanks to Nintendo.
(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)The DS DoubleSys iPhone app, a Nintendo DS lookalike (and simulator) that we've been following since it was first made available on Apple's App Store, was removed from the store upon request from Nintendo, Nintendo said in an e-mail.
In response to a request for comment, Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta wrote that his company felt it needed to protect its intellectual property.
"Nintendo respects the intellectual property rights of other companies, and in turn expects others to respect ours as well," Scibetta wrote in an e-mail. "Nintendo did seek the removal of this application as we vigorously protect against infringement of our intellectual property rights."
But it didn't end there. Also taken down was the video the app's developer, ZM2 Dev, had posted to YouTube about how the DS DoubleSys app works. In the video's place, a YouTube notice is displayed that reads: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Nintendo of America."
ZM2 Dev did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There's currently no word on whether or not ZM2 Dev will release a similar, non-infringing app in the near future.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Most people are pretty familiar with making music playlists in iTunes (if you're not, we can help). Video playlists are a less common sight. iTunes already does a pretty good job grouping your TV shows and video podcasts together in their correct order. But for all you video junkies out there who want to create playlists that scan your vast library of "Family Guy" episodes with "Stewie" in the title, playlists can be a lot of fun.
If the ultimate goal is to get these video playlists onto your iPod or iPhone, there are a few hurdles worth knowing about. For all the ins and outs of making video playlists for iTunes, the iPod, or the iPhone, check out our CNET How to video or check the step-by-step slideshow.
Qik from Qik Inc. is a video application previously only available on jailbroken iPhones. On Thursday, however, Apple made the application available for free in the iTunes App Store for the iPhone 3GS only.
What's different between Qik and Apple's Camera app? Qik lets you capture moments in video to share with family, friends, or the whole world. Unlike the Apple Camera app, which shares via e-mail, MMS, MobileMe, and YouTube, Qik shares video using e-mail, SMS, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, as well as Web sites and your favorite blogging platforms, including Blogger, Tumblr, and Wordpress. Feel like being social? You can post your videos to MySpace and Digg.
(Credit:
Qik, Inc.)
There is one big gotcha, however. Qik can't stream live video (which it was originally designed to do), and it only uploads video over a Wi-Fi connection--interesting, since the free Ustream 3GS recording app can upload videos on either a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. (The lack of video streaming in both apps is a limitation imposed on the them by Apple.)
If you record video and don't have immediate access to Wi-Fi, Qik will automatically upload your video once you are connected to Wi-Fi again. If you are connected when you shoot, your video will immediately upload after you stop recording.
(Credit:
David Martin)
Qik also allows you to shoot video in portrait or landscape modes, just like Apple's Camera app. Recorded videos can also take advantage of the iPhone GPS by automatically including location information in your recorded videos.
Update, August 22, 2009 at 9:29 a.m. Pacific: The latest version of Qik that we found in our updates in iTunes today removes the Wi-Fi only restriction for video upload. You may now use 3G and Wi-Fi for video uploading.
