Okay, so this isn’t an app we would necessarily cover here at RazorianFly, but after I showed my wife Air Video her only comment was “cool, but does that mean the computer has to be on all the time?” Suffice to say, she wasn’t impressed at the thought of the electricity bill.
I therefore returned to searching the App Store for a solution to this problem, how to turn you computer off when not physically near it. The answer? Server Control. (more…)
More recently I have started to look at my iPhone in a different way. No longer am I just interested in the latest games, I want it to do more. And so it came that I was browsing the utilities section of the AppStore when I stumbled across my new favourite app, Air Video by inMethod.
I was actually quite surprised to see that this app has been around for a long time, March 2009 in fact. But I’m still guessing there are people out there like me who aren’t aware of it. Let’s face it, with so many apps in the AppStore it’s kind of hard to find the good stuff these days. Also, in light of the fact that the app received yet another update only a few days ago, I figured it was still worth writing about.
By now, you’re probably wondering what Air Video does. Well, quite simply, it enables you to stream videos from your computer to your iPhone. How cool is that? At that point I was going to say “nothing more, nothing less”. But in fact, it does do more. As I’m sure you know in order to play a video on your iPhone it must be in a compatible format and converting videos can be a boring process. Well Air Video also does live converting as well.
So, how does it work? All you need to do is install a small program on to your computer from the developer’s website and add the folders your video files are in to it. After that you can watch your videos over your home network with ease. This has worked great for me, though I did find that files that were already in the correct “iPhone” format streamed better (though that’s not that surprising given that it means no conversion of format has to take place).
I thought I was done there and very happy I was too. But I looked into the details and the app also supports streaming to your device over the internet, even Edge works (though not all that great in the few trials I ran). This bit can be a bit tricky to set up. If your wireless router supports UPnP then a simple alteration to the Air Video server (the program you downloaded from the developer’s website) is all that’s required. This allows you to then enter a unique server pin into the app and access your files anywhere (though I think I’d recommend 3G at the very least). If your router doesn’t support this, then the developers website contains a forum and help on configuring your router manually to allow remote access. For me this works great, especially at coffee shops or other locations with free wifi.
On top of this, Air Video also comes with the ability to convert videos and save them to your device for off-line viewing. I tried this myself on a 30minute tv programme and have to say I was impressed. It took a little over 8 minutes to convert down (faster in fact than the program I use on my PC). Once done I was then able to view this video offline. It is worth noting that the converted video is not stored within your iPod.app but it plays direct from the Air Video app. There is, however, the option of adding the converted file to iTunes. I did this whilst in the garden and when I checked my pc, sure enough there it was, ready to sync like any other converted video.
It is worth noting, however, that Air Video will not stream media that is DRM protected so it is worth bearing that in mind before taking the plunge (videos purchased from iTunes itself are DRM protected). Although there is a lite version available that allows limited access to random videos on your computer that you can try before you buy.
One final addition is that the app is designed for both iPhone and iPad. That’s right, it has an optimized UI for iPad viewing. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to try this as I don’t own an iPad. But, when I do finally get one this app is definitely getting a place on it. Streaming movies to a screen that size? Awesome.
iPhone Integration [rating:4.5/5]
Usability [rating:4.5/5]
User Interface [rating:4/5]
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Gameplay [rating:5/5]
Controls [rating:5/5]
Graphics/Sounds [rating:4/5]
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I’ve never been a particularly sporty person, but I have fond memories of playing skateboarding games on the Playstation One and Two. Okay I don’t know my Ollie from my Nollie, but it never stopped me enjoying them. Since getting my iPhone I’ve been keeping a look out in the AppStore for a good Skateboarding game and maybe, just maybe, Skate It by EA Games might just hit that mark. (more…)
If you’re a chess fan and own an iPhone, odds are you have a copy of Chess Elite by 99Games. If not, you may want to re-think this after 99Games let us know that their online asynchronous game will soon have Natalia Pogonina amongst the number of people you can play against.
If you’re unsure as to who she is, Natalie Pogonina is a top world class Grandmaster with a FIDE rating of 2501 and she has chosen Chess Elite to try her hand at iPhone Chess. Effectively, this means that if you own a copy of this app and fancy trying your moves against a world class player, now you can.
Press release from 99Games
Chess Elite is a feature-rich correspondence Chess game that allows players to enjoy quality games with other Chess players spread all over the world. Players can view their career summary and check the details of their games against other players. The newly introduced chat feature allows them to discuss Chess tips and tricks.
The game also boasts of a strong Chess engine with adjustable strength, which makes it suitable for both beginners and professional Chess players.
Unique features of the game include:
- Play unlimited number of simultaneous games
- Elo rating system helps players find opponents who match their skill level
- Push notification instantly alerts players of moves made by opponents
- Analysis mode that lets a player plan and work out a winning strategy
- Chess Elite Clubs that categorize players based on Elo ratings, while Smart Groups include Most Active Players, Most Promising Players and Past Opponents
“As part of my activities aimed at promoting chess in the world, I am glad to cooperate with 99Games, creators of the state-of-the-art Chess Elite software. Our collaboration in the field of enhancing the game even further should be beneficial for all Chess Elite players”, said Natalia Pogonina, the 3rd most successful female chess player in the world.
“We are really happy to welcome Grandmaster Natalia Pogonina to Chess Elite online community”, said Anila Andrade of 99Games. “Chess Elite provides a convenient platform to play Chess on the go and Natalia’s involvement would provide an excellent opportunity to the players to play against and learn from the Grandmaster.” she added.
So if you think you’re up to the challenge, or just fancy giving it a go, be sure to pick up a copy now. The game is available in both a paid and a free ad-supported version.
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Whilst I enjoy spending time playing the bigger games on my iPhone, sometimes, it’s hard to find the time. This is why i’m always on the look out for the next big “quick-play” game, something that’s good if I just have a couple of minutes for a quick blast. Last week I stumbled across Stick Skater by Traction Games, which fits the bill perfectly. (more…)
Making good on their word, Iron Man 2 started appearing in various AppStore’s this week, with several big exceptions. Namely the US! Yes, I’m afraid if you want to get your hands on this in the USA you’ll have to be patient as it’s not due a release there until 3 May 2010. Thankfully, I’m based in the UK and so have had a few days to play this app and give you my thoughts on it. (more…)
Gameplay [rating:3.5/5]
Controls [rating:2/5]
Graphics/Sounds [rating:3.5/5]
[rating:overall]
Taking a break from the more familiar FPS style game, Gameloft have just released a much more relaxing game into the AppStore, Blokus. Based on the hit board game of the same name, Blokus is simple to learn, yet surprisingly hard to master. (more…)
