Google Maps api and iPad/iPhone zoom and scale issues when orientation is changed
I recently bought an iPad and I’m absolutely loving it. It also happened to coincide with an exciting project that I’m working on that requires the Google maps API to work on an iPad. The project required a full screen map, but when switching from landscape to portrait or vice versa the zoom level would be off. The Google maps controls would also be off the page, page graphics were also blurry due to being zoomed, even the Google Map itself was blurry. After much tweaking, fiddling and scratching my head, the fix turned out to be quite simple to fix.
The iPhone review: a year and a half later
So it’s been about a year and a half since I bought my iPhone 3G. The novelty has fully worn off, the back is full of scratches and there’s even a few dust specs under the glass, but does it still stand up to the hype? I think I can sum the iPhone up in three words.
Awesome and frustrating
The iPhone has changed how I do many things. It’s changed:
- how, when and where I check email
- what I read and where I read
- how I play games
- what I expect from other small displays
- how I surf the web
- how I judge the quality of other gadgets
- how I view my stocks
- how I listen to music
- how I watch video
- how I get my weather
- how I access things like Facebook and Twitter
- what I do when I’m lost or need to find a coffee shop
- how I find what movies are playing today and at what theater
Galcon Labs: The sequel to Galcon and the next must have iPhone game
Phil Hassey, the creator of the incredibly popular and addictive multi-player game Galcon, for the iPhone and iPod Touch has surprised us with a new game today, Galcon Labs. The game is still really Galcon at it’s core, but there are four new game types, new music, and loads of polish on this baby. The original Galcon is arguably one of the best Multi-player games available on the iPhone.
Flight Control, another great little iPhone game
I’ve come to the conclusion that the best iPhone games are the ones that meet two criteria. First they are extremely simple to learn and second they lend themselves well or are specifically designed for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Case in point, Flight Control by Firemint. This game meets both these criteria and it’s super addictive. With a price point of 1 dollar (soon to be 3 dollars) you really can’t go wrong.
Google iPhone reader refomats my web pages
Google reader is a fantastic RSS reader and I use both the full web version and the iPhone mobile version daily. It’s simple to use, fast, and it’s a web app, and I’m a big supporter of web based applications. The only real thing it needs now is some fancy HTML 5 database storage, then we could use it offline and there would be no need for standalone apps while on the subway.
One of the most addictive iPhone games to date?
The Apple app store seems to be full of so called killer iPhone apps, but it’s usually not until you download and try them that you realize the longevity you thought existed does not. The same goes for iPhone games; I’ve downloaded both free and paid iPhone games only to find that the ones I thought would have longevity just didn’t, while others turned out to be real winners. One such app is a game for the iPhone called Galcon. When I downloaded the lite version of this a month ago it was the last game I thought I would become addicted too.
New Fido logo, website and plans? No system access fee either!
Are things changing in the Canadian mobile carrier space? It sure seems like it. Fido recently changed their logo and gave their entire website a makeover. There a no longer cute dogs all over the site and the new branding is a dog house, but no dogs. So not really a big deal right? Bell changed their site and logo this summer too, but the real change for Fido was in their removal of system access fees, something that is quickly becoming very unpopular in Canada. My fee was over 7 dollars a month, and that really adds up over time, and what’s it for? It’s basically a hidden fee and that’s what stinks about it.
2008 year of the smartphone
This year has been without a doubt, the year of the smartphone and Apple has led the charge with it’s iPhone. Touch technology seems to be all the rage now, and of course Apple introduced it’s first smartphone last year, but their second phone reached a far greater audience with more countries and recently announced sales of 6.9 Million iPhones.
I of course jumped on the iPhone bandwagon, but before I did I spent a lot of time researching many of the smartphones out there. At the time just before the second iPhone was launched there were a lot of great smartphones on the way, but none were out yet. Now that the iPhone has been out for a few months a lot of new devices have emerged. One of the reasons I bought the iPhone was because Apple was ahead of the curve, now a lot of the other manufacturers have similar offerings, but are any of them really iPhone killers? I decided to do a quick smartphone round up to see what’s currently out there.
Space Monkey for the iPhone, iTouch is free for a limited time
Tonight I was browsing the top free downloads and noticed Space Monkey in second place. This was originally a $9.99 game, but right now it is temporarily free from the Glu developers (Update: Space Monkey is no longer free, but it looks like it’s now 99 cents, still a great price). This is why it’s always a good idea to check out the top free apps every few days, because a lot of apps start out free and then cost money later on. Sometimes they will also go on sale or as in the case of Space Monkey go completely free.
Smartphone wars heat up – HTC Dream and Blackberry Storm
Everyone is wondering what HTC and Blackberry will have up their sleeves over the next few months. The Android powered HTC Dream will be unveiled at a press event in New York City by T-Mobile next week on September 23 and it is rumoured to be ready for release sometime in October. There is also a pretty interesting video of Android being shown off at the Developer Day in London, and it’s looking very polished.
