App Store puts 100 iOS titles on sale for 99 cents, YouTube app updated with 'vertical video' suppor
In a pair of iOS App Store developments on Thursday, Apple put a collection of 100 titles up for sale priced at 99 cents each, while Google updated YouTube for iOS to make the "vertical video" viewing experience a bit more bearable.
Simply called "100 Apps & Games," Apple's latest collection features 99-cent sale pricing on 100 popular titles in categories like photography, kids, productivity and of course games. While frequent App Store spenders likely heard of -- or own -- most of the apps up for sale, the selection includes a few indie games and obscure productivity tools that should pique everyone's interest.
A substantial portion of the 100 are gaming titles, so Apple designated special subsections as an aid for those unfamiliar with what is arguably the App Store's most popular category. Sections like "Game Hits" feature more recent additions like Goat Simulator, while lesser known games such as God of Light are surfaced in "More Games to Explore." Classics including the original Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja are highlighted in "App Store Veterans."
On the non-game side, Apple selected a clutch of successful apps, some of which are cross-listed in a separate 99-cent sale initiated last week.
Also new to the App Store is Google's latest update to the venerable YouTube app. The upgraded app allows users to playback "vertical videos" in full screen, a change from previous versions that effectively shrunk such content by squeezing it between two black bars.
The "vertical video" term references footage shot on an iPhone or other portable device in portrait mode which, when uploaded to YouTube, forces an unfamiliar aspect ratio that is much taller than it is wide. The Internet search giant addressed the issue in a similar YouTube update for its own Android operating system yesterday.
YouTube version 10.28 is a free 37.6MB download from the iOS App Store.
Simply called "100 Apps & Games," Apple's latest collection features 99-cent sale pricing on 100 popular titles in categories like photography, kids, productivity and of course games. While frequent App Store spenders likely heard of -- or own -- most of the apps up for sale, the selection includes a few indie games and obscure productivity tools that should pique everyone's interest.
A substantial portion of the 100 are gaming titles, so Apple designated special subsections as an aid for those unfamiliar with what is arguably the App Store's most popular category. Sections like "Game Hits" feature more recent additions like Goat Simulator, while lesser known games such as God of Light are surfaced in "More Games to Explore." Classics including the original Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja are highlighted in "App Store Veterans."
On the non-game side, Apple selected a clutch of successful apps, some of which are cross-listed in a separate 99-cent sale initiated last week.
Also new to the App Store is Google's latest update to the venerable YouTube app. The upgraded app allows users to playback "vertical videos" in full screen, a change from previous versions that effectively shrunk such content by squeezing it between two black bars.
The "vertical video" term references footage shot on an iPhone or other portable device in portrait mode which, when uploaded to YouTube, forces an unfamiliar aspect ratio that is much taller than it is wide. The Internet search giant addressed the issue in a similar YouTube update for its own Android operating system yesterday.
YouTube version 10.28 is a free 37.6MB download from the iOS App Store.
Comments
Smartphone cameras should default to horizontal, and the control to switch to vertical should be buried deep in a settings control panel. It would best be located right next to the erase all contents button.
I don't see it in the App Store, and your link doesn't work.
Edit: This link works. https://search.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZContentLink.woa/wa/link?mt=8&path=apps/100&at=10l6Xd&ct=ich46yyso200sr7001g9e
I love how news stations now whore out videos taken on smartphones for their stories, 90% of which are vertical and look like complete shit.
F*#% vertical videos.
Smartphone cameras should default to horizontal, and the control to switch to vertical should be buried deep in a settings control panel. It would best be located right next to the erase all contents button.
That made me laugh. Thanks!
I love this video.
People stupid enough of shooting video in portrait orientation should't shoot video at all. If they can't see beyond their phone screen and where one could want to view the video afterwards they don't have any vision at all.
And while I have your attention, since I'm new to AI on the iPad, how do I log in so I can post comments?
Thanks!
I don't see it in the App Store, and your link doesn't work.
Edit: This link works. https://search.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZContentLink.woa/wa/link?mt=8&path=apps/100&at=10l6Xd&ct=ich46yyso200sr7001g9e
Thanks for the link! Managed to find the deals section by following it.
OK, maybe I'm an idiot (just kidding!), but I can't find this category anywhere in the App Store, either on my iPhone or my iPad. I thought I looked "everywhere". Any suggestions?
And while I have your attention, since I'm new to AI on the iPad, how do I log in so I can post comments?
Thanks!
Perhaps you wanna try the link posted by tdknox.
Say no to vertical videos!
I love this video.
Vertigate
Wouldn't it be awesome if iOS and Android had a little popup on their camera apps? Imagine opening your camera app and the first thing you see is a little popup saying "Are you sure you want to shoot vertically?" That'd fix a big chunk of these.
Sure, there are times when you want to, but they're fairly rare. Photos of the Washington Monument, or a tall building? Sure. Photos of your kids playing? Make it horizontal.
F*#% vertical videos.
Smartphone cameras should default to horizontal, and the control to switch to vertical should be buried deep in a settings control panel. It would best be located right next to the erase all contents button.
"Excuse me sir" (in my most news anchorman voice I query) "do you happen to have any opinion on vertical video?" ¡
I am still half expecting some TV maker to release a vertical oriented 60" TV especially for the idiots that shoot video that way.
I assume it would be the kind of TV you could then mount on a door?
For non-vertical content you could have stacked video aka Picture On Picture ¡
Nooooooo !
You have NOT addressed the issue Google, you've exacerbated it and enabled all these morons to continue this loathsome practice.
I love how news stations now whore out videos taken on smartphones for their stories, 90% of which are vertical and look like complete shit.
And they seem to be increasing in frequency at an alarming rate, I can't believe whoever recorded these could look at the TV screen and not cringe in embarrassment while I’m screaming at the TV.
<Begin Rant>
I've learned to calm myself down recently by speculating on the root cause of this horror and I think it's the increasing ubiquity of Social Media (or SoMe for short). Now when I see someone recording a vertical movie, I notice a similar expression on their face as when they’re taking a selfie or a picture of their food, always in portrait of course. I realized that the real purpose is not in front of the camera but in back. The content is not the original intent, it’s the time stamp. The imaginary cartoon bubble I see hovering over their head is not ‘This is so cool’ or ‘This is so bad’, it’s simply ‘I was there’ and ‘Look what I am doing’ … or seeing or eating. They don’t seem to be recording a memory, just proof. Their reaction of seeing their clip on TV is more likely not embarrassment of how silly it looks, but most probably pride that everybody now knows they were there.
Obviously this is a cynical view of SoMe implying a seemingly increasing narcissistic attitude of some users, not all of them course, but as mentioned at the beginning of this rant, it’s how I’ve learned to calm down and try to accept it. Spoiler alert : it doesn’t always work.
<End Rant>
Welcome to reality 2015, where the vast majority of browsing and viewing is done on the exact same devices used to do the majority of recording.
Vertically.
I absolutely fail to see the problem.
Ah - I see where the problem is. You're looking at stuff on a TELEVISION SCREEN. How last-century. Save that for movies and cinematic experiences, but let people make their YouTube videos for people who watch it where it's intended to be watched.
Honestly, having watched YouTube stuff on Apple TV on a big screen is so grating that it really doesn't matter squat whether it's vertical or horizontal. Having it fill your screen doesn't make it better cinematography.
Deal with it.
?Quote:
I absolutely fail to see the problem.
Huh ? Oh - I see the problem you’re having. You watch other people’s YouTube stuff on a big screen, that must be pretty bad indeed, I’ll take your word for it, I never would have bothered trying that, especially after having seen professional albeit older YouTube stuff. Come to think of it, I don’t watch other people’s stuff on a small screen either, I don’t care so I actually don't have to deal with it really. You can do whatever suits you and others can do what they want, even share with others huddling around their little mobile screens all they want, that’s so last decade and adorable looking too.
Honestly, I think you missed the part where I was responding to Slurpy’s comment about ‘news stations’. These are professional productions designed to be viewed on modern large screens, you might want to check it out. These screens have an aspect ratio corresponding to the human’s natural horizontal alignement of 2 eyes for stereoscopic vision, it’s an evolutionary biology thing. These newer screens have even increased their horizontal ratio in the last decade to better suit movies and cinematic experiences, even news worthy stories. I use mine for all of these. You might want to go reread what our conversation was all about, namely news stations using vertical videos on news stories, that's where you failed to see the problem, but there was no mention of a problem, just the fact that it looks like shit. That's an opinion, not a problem.
BTW I also use Apple TV to enjoy watching concerts, movies and cinematic experiences, as well as home movies of the kids, always shot of course in all their landscape splendour.
?Quote:
Huh ? Oh - I see the problem you’re having. You watch other people’s YouTube stuff on a big screen, that must be pretty bad indeed, I’ll take your word for it, I never would have bothered trying that, especially after having seen professional albeit older YouTube stuff. Come to think of it, I don’t watch other people’s stuff on a small screen either, I don’t care so I actually don't have to deal with it really. You can do whatever suits you and others can do what they want, even share with others huddling around their little mobile screens all they want, that’s so last decade and adorable looking too.
Honestly, I think you missed the part where I was responding to Slurpy’s comment about ‘news stations’. These are professional productions designed to be viewed on modern large screens, you might want to check it out. These screens have an aspect ratio corresponding to the human’s natural horizontal alignement of 2 eyes for stereoscopic vision, it’s an evolutionary biology thing. These newer screens have even increased their horizontal ratio in the last decade to better suit movies and cinematic experiences, even news worthy stories. I use mine for all of these. You might want to go reread what our conversation was all about, namely news stations using vertical videos on news stories, that's where you failed to see the problem, but there was no mention of a problem, just the fact that it looks like shit. That's an opinion, not a problem.
BTW I also use Apple TV to enjoy watching concerts, movies and cinematic experiences, as well as home movies of the kids, always shot of course in all their landscape splendour.
And how much of that stuff is shot vertically? — none of it. So where is the problem? Everything you might want to enjoy on a large screen is unchanged, and remains unchanged.
I see that I failed to differentiate in my earlier post, so my apologies — and let me expound:
This is about disposable crap that's filmed on-the-fly, watched on-the-fly, and never looked at again. To me, this includes news broadcasts, btw, especially if these "professional productions" source their material from bystanders' cellphones. That's going to look like shit, completely regardless of how the turned their camera.
This material is presented in the format it was recorded in and is most consumed in. I find it FAR more annoying to have to watch a postage-stamp-size video embedded within 3/4 of black screen just because the hosting doesn't support vertical video, and the app doesn't support the normal full-screen video zoom on iOS.
But either way, it's no skin off the back of video purists — unless you actually watch news stations for cinematic enjoyment, in which case I really don't know what to say to you.
Furthermore, there are straight up times when you cannot get your whole picture or video in frame without going vertical. Example from last week, my daughter, standing on the side of the road, playing with a large piston sculpture. It was a busy road, I was unwilling to let her stand so close to it (badly placed sculpture) without me being near by to catch her if she suddenly stepped into the road, but at the same time the sculpture was so tall that all you could see was a little girl spinning a handle if I shot horizontally. I actually stopped and consciously changed to vertical, because it let me get an angle where it showed the entire sculpture plus my daughter. I then sent the video to the grandparents and my wife.
Then again, I'm not going to publish it on YouTube, that would just be silly and people would complain it is vertical because YouTube and other video sites cater to horizontal video.