Pokemon Trading Card Game Now Available for iPad with Online Multiplayer [iOS Blog]

The Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) Online has officially launched for the iPad following its debut at the Pokemon World Championships in August.





The title is the first licensed Pokemon game to be released for iOS, and allows players to build a deck of Pokemon cards and battle against other players while obtaining booster packs. Users can also enter tournaments for prizes, and customize the look of their cards, deck boxes, and avatar.

PLAY, TRADE, AND CHALLENGE OTHER PLAYERS AROUND THE WORLD

Have fun learning and mastering the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online! Practice against the computer or go head to head with your friends or other players from around the world. Unlock cards and decks as you play to build up your collection and make truly unique decks. Your decks and card collection are stored as a part of your Pokémon Trainer Club account, allowing you to switch between iPad and desktop with ease.



EASY TO START: Choose from Grass, Fire, or Water decks, step right into a game, and learn as you go in an easy play experience.



EXPAND YOUR COLLECTION: Earn cards, open booster packs, trade with other players, and build the perfect deck around your favorite cards. Your collection grows with you!



CUSTOMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE: Build your own decks, customize the look of your cards, deck boxes, and avatar, and join your friends online.

Pokemon TCG Online is a free app for the iPad and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]

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Posted in 2014 at 06:43AM, October 01

Apple to Open New Retail Store in Chongqing, China on July 26 [Mac Blog]

Apple has announced on its official Chinese website (via 9to5Mac ) that it will be opening a new retail store at the Paradise Walk Mall in the Chinese city of Chongqing on Saturday, July 26th, at 10 AM.





Last Wednesday, Apple put up a colorful banner over the store's exterior, signaling that the store would be opening shortly. The store will be Apple's eleventh in the country, joining four stores each in Shanghai and Beijing, one in Chengdu, and another in Shenzhen.



Apple has made efforts towards growing its presence in China over the past few years, most notably partnering with the country's biggest carrier China Mobile late last year in addition to opening new retail stores. Apple also became China's fifth-largest smartphone vendor in Q4 2013, accounting for 7% of market share in the country.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:43AM, July 21

Nest Announces Developer API, Integrates With Mercedes, Google, IFTTT and More [iOS Blog]

Nest Labs today announced the "Works with Nest" developer program, which allows its Nest Thermostat and Nest Protect products to connect to a number of services from the likes of Google, Mercedes Benz, Whirlpool, LIFX and more for enhanced smart-home functionalities.





For example, Nest integration with Jawbone's UP24 band allows the smart thermostat to begin heating and cooling when a user wakes up, while the Nest Protect can connect with LIFX's bulbs to warn users of smoke or carbon monoxide. The new program will also allow users to create custom situations with popular service IFTTT, connecting the products to over 100 other products and services.



The Wall Street Journal also notes the Nest Thermostat's specific integration with Google's services, which comes after Google bought Nest earlier this year:

The integration will allow those users to set the temperature of their homes with voice commands to a Google mobile app. It will also allow Google’s personal digital assistant, Google Now, to set the temperature automatically when it detects, using a smartphone’s location-tracking abilities, that a user is returning home.

Nest also stated that it will allow developers of garage door openers and similar automated appliances to access and utilize user information. However, Nest co-founder Matt Rogers noted users will have to opt in for their information to be shared with Google, making it a point to emphasize user privacy:

Most of the data that Nest will share – with Google and others – will focus on whether users are at home or not, as detected by sensors on the thermostat. When people link a home device and related account with Nest, the company will not share their email address, name or home address with other companies, Rogers said.



"We’re not becoming part of the greater Google machine," he said.

The news comes as a number of developers are working on products under Apple's new HomeKit initiative, which allows home automation devices and their apps to work with iOS services using a single, secure protocol. Companies currently lined up with Apple for HomeKit include iHome, Honeywell, Haier, Philips, Schlage, and Withings.



Last week, Nest Labs announced that it would be acquiring video-monitoring and security startup Dropcam for $555 million to further its smart home initiative. The company also restarted sales of its Nest protect app-enabled smoke detector last week after it was pulled from shelves over safety concerns.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:43AM, June 24