Daily Bits

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Atari’s Asteroids on the iPad

asteroidsThere is something to be said about retro consoles and games. While this sector has made leaps and bounds, and consumers are demanding more (graphics, game play, etc.), a trip back to the past is always a welcome change every now and then.

Ion – that manufacturer responsible for “high tech turntables” – has come up with a new dock that will satisfy the nostalgic feelings of every gamer out there. The dock is meant for the iPad and will turn this ultramodern gadget into a console reminiscent of the past. It will allow you to play Atari’s Asteroids and even give you realistic buttons and knobs.

Just to refresh your memory, Asteroids was released as a video arcade game in 1979. The two dimensional game has a simple premise that it easily caught on and soon became the best selling game of all time. The idea is that the player controls a spaceship that flies through fields of asteroids. Flying saucers also come into the screen. The player has to shoot at the asteroids and flying saucers with the aim of destroying them without crashing into them.

Drooling now? Watch the demo video below, and I am sure that you will be wanting the dock for your iPad.

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Gorillaz’s The Fall Recorded Entirely on the iPad

gorillazI don’t know about you, but the way I see it, the iPad is mainly to be used for playing that awesome game called Flight Control HD. (Try it once, and I’ll bet my bottom dollar that you will not want to stop landing those planes!) It also is a great e-book reader, and of course, one can’t forget the angry birds and the irritating green pigs.

If you were the band Gorillaz, though, you’d find something a little more productive to do on the iPad – such as record an entire album! The British group has never been on any of my playlists, but I am inclined to try out their new album simply because of this fact. Dubbed “The Fall”, the album was created simply by utilizing some iPad applications – a plethora of which is available. Some of these applications are Speak It!, SoundyThingie, Mugician, and Solo Synth.

Before you write this one off, watch the video of the first track in the album. You just might become a Gorillaz convert if you do!

Here’s another cool thing – the entire album can be downloaded for free at the Gorillaz’s web site. As long as you sign up for the newsletter, you can get your hands on this one of a kind production. Next year, the CD will go on sale, but why wait for that?

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Engage in Real-Time Discussions on Your E-Book’s Pages


One of the most exciting things about reading your favorite books is the discussion that ensues when you get together with other people who are likeminded. The sucky thing is the situation wherein you find yourself totally into a book, and you can’t find people to discuss the book with. Of course, there are always forums and other venues online, but sometimes one can’t just be bothered to log in to those sites anymore.

Now what if you had a platform where you can engage in real-time discussions with other people via your e-book reader? Assuming that you read your books in electronic format these days, this option should be a welcome one, as you will not have to exert a major effort to share your thoughts and opinions on what you are currently reading.

Copia is a platform which turns “e-books into we-books.” How so? People who use the platform can interact with other users straight from the pages of the book that they are reading. Think writing down thoughts as notes and then having other people see them and comment on them; and vice versa.

I haven’t used it myself, but based on what I have read, you can also create your own library, rate books, and write your own reviews.

The only thing is that it is only currently available for the desktop and the iPad. If it does take off, though, I think that versions for the Kindle and the Nook might just come out in the future. One thing is for sure – this concept adds the element of sharing to reading, and that can only make things more enjoyable.

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Expert Gives Facebook Only 5 More Years

Facebook is on a roll, isn’t it? In the past month or so, we have been hearing about all sorts of new features from THE social network platform. Some of the more recent ones include the Friendship Pages and Groups. And, just the other day, we heard about their “Gmail Killer.” So one would think that Facebook is here to stay – at least for a very very long time, right?

Not according to Dr. Jeffrey Cole, a digital consumer expert. If you’re doubting his prediction, bear in mind that this is the guy who said that MySpace would suffer the same fate (decline) four years ago. While MySpace is still around – I just logged in earlier to listen to some indie music – no one can deny that it is but a shadow of what it used to be. Oh, and check out Dr. Cole’s other credentials: Director of the Centre for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California and a director of the World Internet Project.

So Dr. Cole said that in five years, Facebook is going to be what MySpace is today. However, he states one major difference: there will not be a single social networking platform anymore. Instead, we are going to have many smaller communities.

His predictions are not limited to social networking platforms. He also mentioned that the iPad will be the last man standing in the realm of tablets – mainly thanks to the Apple brand – and that it will change the face of traditional print.

If his track record is anything to go by, we might just see his words becoming reality sooner than we think. Let me ask you though, do you think Facebook will be “gone” in 5 years?

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iPad Users: Are You Spreading the Flu Virus?

Touch-screen technology is something to marvel at, and indeed, judging by the more than warm welcome given by consumers to the iPad and other touch-screen devices.  What you may not be aware of, however, is that the iPad – and other similar gadgets – may be one of the worst things you can handle during flu season.

You don’t need half a brain to see the connection – touch-screen equal fingers (which are likely rife with germs).  Add to that the idea that people let other individuals use their touch-screen devices, and it is very easy to see how all sorts of bacteria and viruses can be spread.  It’s much like touching a door handle at a public place.

The Journal of Applied Microbiology recently released the findings of a study which took a look at glass surfaces – such as the screen of the iPad – and how they transmit pathogens to the human skin (read: your fingers).  Unsurprisingly, the risks are quite high.  What I found a bit surprising is the fact that the risk of transmitting pathogens, including the flu virus, is much higher in touch-screen devices than other everyday things we touch (this includes elevator buttons and the toilet handle in the men’s room!).

With the flu virus spreading around like crazy, it’s but sensible to make sure that your iPad, iPhone, and whatever other touch-screen device you have is sterilized, don’t you think? Here’s one way by which you can do this.

If anything, your friends and family members will thank you for making sure your device is clean. Personally, if I owned an iPad, I just would sterilize it every time someone else touched it. Better yet, I’d avoid having someone else touch it!