XcodeNerd

Apple Store Lines for New iPad Started

According to UPS tracking my new iPad is in Kentucky by way of Alaska and Hong Kong.

Louisville, KY, United States 03/15/2012
Anchorage, AK, United States 03/14/2012
Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong 03/14/2012
Chengdu, China 03/14/2012
Chengdu, China 03/12/2012
EPZ, China 03/12/2012
China 03/12/2012

Meanwhile, lines are starting to form at Apple Stores in London, New York, etc.  Maybe they missed the fact you could order online or they tried to just too late and then went on-line.  Or maybe they wanted to go on the lines (they are fun).

Demand for the new high-definition iPad appears to be as high as it’s ever been. The stock (AAPL) cracked the $600 a share barrier today – which is an all-time high (and makes 1 share of Apple more expensive than an iPad).  The iPad’s sold out everywhere online, and Apple’s saying you’ll have to wait “2-3 weeks” if you order through its online store now. Your best bet to get one, if you’re determined to pick one up at launch, is going to be braving one of the now famous Apple Store lines.

They serve food and drinks (ice cream even) in the past, so at least you may have a chance and get some pampering in the process. Whether you get ice cream or end up watching folks in the food court spooning it up from a distance, it should be a great way to meet like-minded people and have fun.

One thing that’s strange – you think if they wanted it that bad they would have ordered it online on time.

Tomorrow – I’ll be reading my kindle app in HD.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep.

Beta just isn't enough anymore

Those iPhone 4S commercials were pretty good when they came out and all those viral videos on YouTube that showed people asking their iPhones things from where to bury people to what to where on their trip to Burma.  Did Siri ever work that well for you?  For me I use Siri for just about one thing: to make reminders.  That’s my use case.  Remind me about X tomorrow.  Basic calendar entry.  Anything else and I have had mixed results from poor to awful.  I do use it to ask for the stock price for Apple (all time high today at 568 but that’s another story).

I have been pissed off at some of the results I’ve received from Siri. But one dude in New York is so pissed off he has started a Class Action Lawsuit.  That’s right Frank M. Fazio is suing Apple for false advertisement.  What damages he is claiming is unclear (was he late for something).  Apparently, soon after the iPhone 4S went on sale last fall, Fazio says he bought one (the 32 GB model) because he was impressed by the Siri ads. Shortly after that, however, he found it didn’t work as he expected. When Fazio asked Siri for directions, he says it either didn’t understand him or, after a long wait, responded with the wrong answer.  Poor baby.

Fazio filed his suit as a class action meaning that if others decide to sue Apple over Siri, they’ll all likely become part of the same suit. An Apple spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment giving the canned answer that Apple declines to comment on pending litigation.

Siri aside, Fazio’s claim that the iPhone 4S is just a more expensive iPhone 4 without the feature is technically wrong. The iPhone 4S has a dual-core processor, more storage and a redesigned antenna. Also, in the AT&T version, the data connection is faster. None of those features are available on the iPhone 4.  Frivolous?  Sounds like it.

I’m just counting the days until my “new” iPad arrives Friday.

the New iPad Sold Out in Pre-Orders

Today at 5:59:51AM EST I received an email from the Apple Store informing me my new iPad had been shipped.

Dear Xcode Nerd,

We’re happy to let you know that the items below are on their way to you. We also included delivery estimates and tracking information next to your shipping address.

Thanks for your time and for shopping with Apple.

- The Apple Store

Personalized iPad with Wi-Fi 64GB – White (3rd generation)
Part Number: PD330LL/A

By the way the tracking information shows the package weighs 1.3kgs and the scheduled delivery and current location are:

Scheduled Delivery:
Friday, 03/16/2012, By End of Day

Last Location:
Arrived – Chengdu, China, Monday, 03/12/2012

Meanwhile, the new iPad has sold out today in pre-orders at the online store.

Customers who pre-order an iPad today via the Apple website are being told they will have to wait up to three weeks.

According to accounts I’ve read customers are being told iPad pre-orders will ship on March 19th – three days after the new iPad goes on sale. Apple’s online stores for France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan are also reporting delays of up to three weeks.

Glad I ordered mine and it arrives end of week.

Spider Game Screenshot

After my first week of Cocos2d Game Development I have finished Chapter 4 and created a test game app on my iPod Touch.

Its a modification of the sample app from Chapter 4 (DoodleDrop) with falling spiders and you play as Spider-Man trying to avoid them as they fall.

The chapter shows you how to use accelerometer input to move your character, keep score with Bitmap Fonts, play Audio, code collision detection, use Sprites and Scenes, Selectors and essentially build a full game.

I can’t wait to keep reading and coding and tinkering.  Cocos2d is awesome.

Xcode 4.3.1 in the AppStore

After yesterday’s announcement of iOS5.1 the AppStore is sporting Xcode 4.3.1.

This release contains the following six highlights:

1. Includes SDKs for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and iOS 5.1
2. New code signing workflow supports signing OS X apps with Developer ID
3. Adds installation of command-line tools to the Downloads preference pane
4. Open Developer Tool menu launches Instruments, File Merge, and other tools
5. ARC migration tool converts both retain/release and garbage collected code
6. And the catch-all: Additional bug fixes and stability improvements

I’ll stick to 4.2.1 for a bit but this is an exciting update.

Tim Cook Presents the new iPad

Another Apple special event has concluded that introduced an updated Apple TV (now with an updated interface and 1080p), a new iOS 5.1, and the new iPad.

No, not iPad HD, or iPad 3 — just iPad.
This 3rd generation iPad packs in:
1. a Quad-Core Graphics chip update in the new dual-core A5X chip,
2. more radios than Clear Communications (WiFi, 3G, 4G LTE),
3. Retina Display: 2048×1536 in the same 9.7″ screen,
4. Better camera: 5 Mega Pixel back camera,
5. Software updates to take advantage of the new platform: iPhoto for iPad, Garage band, iMovie update.
6. Same price as iPad 1 and 2 (wi-fi 16/32/64: 499, 599, 699).

Suffice it to say I put in my pre-order for the White Wi-fi 64GB model with custom engraving (Best iOS App 2014 Award).

My new Apple TV will arrive in two weeks but my new iPad will arrive next week Friday, March 16th, and I am stoked.

One final thought: this was the first special event without Steve and I think the team really made Steve proud.

Apple announced that 25 billion apps have been downloaded from its App Store since the store opened in 2008

Apple announced Saturday that it’s App Store has seen 25 billion downloads since opening in July 2008 — and the top paid app is (no surprise here) Angry Birds.

The leading free app is (again, no surprise) Facebook.

“A billion thanks,” Apple wrote in a banner across its website. “25 times over.”

Most of the growth has happened in the past year. Total downloads stood at 10 billion in January 2011 which means that in the last fourteen months is when the other 15 billion were downloaded.

Last month, Apple said it would award a $10,000 App Store gift voucher to the person who downloaded the 25 billionth app.

Apple today announced the winner and its Chunli Fu from China who bought Where’s My Water? Free.  Chunli wins the $10K iTunes Gift Card.  That’s more water than he was looking for.

“We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.”

Apple notes that the App Store is currently available in 123 countries with over 550,000 applications available for download. Apps span 21 different categories, and the company has paid out over $4 billion to developers for their 70% share of revenue from paid downloads.  All of this just in time for the Wednesday announcement.

Cocos2d Game Development with iOS 5

I’ve been looking to see about learning a game engine for iOS and after reviewing what’s out there it seems like a no-brainer to look into cocos2d.  Although the founders have moved on to Zynga it looks like a great place to start with a pedigree of awesome game built on this foundation.  I picked up the kindle edition of Learn cocos2d Game Development with iOS 5 and I am stoked to read it.

There are seventeen chapters and the breakdown is as follows:

(continue reading…)