iPod photo update to deliver new transitions, Tetris
A new version of system software for Apple Computer's iPod photo line of digital music players is rumored to add a slew of new image transitions in addition to a popular arcade game.
Rumor has it that the new version, which is expected to be called "iPod photo Software 1.2," will be made available for download sometime this month.
Packaged with the release will be a series of new transition effects for inclusion in photo slideshows. Some of these transitions are rumored to include "mosaic," "cube," and "fade" effects. Users will reportedly be able to select and set transitions from a new transition menu.
Anonymous sources also say the software update will pack a color version of the popular arcade game tetris. Users will be able to use the iPod photo's click-wheel to move the tetris blocks horizontally while the iPod click-button performs block rotation.
It's unclear precisely when Apple will release the software update, but its development is said to have already wound down.
Open images in new window for larger view. iPod photo running Tetris Images: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Apple released the current version of iPod photo software -- iPod photo Software 1.1 -- in late-March.
Rumor has it that the new version, which is expected to be called "iPod photo Software 1.2," will be made available for download sometime this month.
Packaged with the release will be a series of new transition effects for inclusion in photo slideshows. Some of these transitions are rumored to include "mosaic," "cube," and "fade" effects. Users will reportedly be able to select and set transitions from a new transition menu.
Anonymous sources also say the software update will pack a color version of the popular arcade game tetris. Users will be able to use the iPod photo's click-wheel to move the tetris blocks horizontally while the iPod click-button performs block rotation.
It's unclear precisely when Apple will release the software update, but its development is said to have already wound down.
Open images in new window for larger view. iPod photo running Tetris Images: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Apple released the current version of iPod photo software -- iPod photo Software 1.1 -- in late-March.
Comments
I don't ask for a "revolutionary" update for a product that already did its job well at the start. This is more than I'd have ever expected my Photo to do when I got it.
Re the Tetris drop function: it may not have one. It won't be "purist" Tetris anyway, since the screen is fewer rows high. (They COULD use the wheel in a new way, never before done, where a touch on the wheel reacts like an Intellivision disc. The ABSOLUTE position is read, not your rotary motion, and then it could sense that you touch the lower part, the sides, whatever. From the iPod Linux project, I believe this kind of sensing is possible in the hardware. But it would be confusingly similar to the way you already click the wheel--and you WOULD click the wheel when you got too frantic in your gaming.)
But I'm skeptical... I say 50/50 chance this is a fake. For one reason only, which maybe people can clear up for me: I doubt the iPod has the 3D power to do those transitions. They look more intensive than other iPod graphics operations you see. And that shatter effect looks anti-aliased, even! (Hard to say with the blurry cube photo.)
How would such a thing be faked? Easy (well, possible):
1. Put a blank white photo on your iPod and view it. Take a close-up shot and you've got your iPod-screen texture.
2. Make your fake screen in Photoshop--you could use pieced extracted by that PC app used to re-skin the iPod UI.
3. Place your fake over the white-screen photo. Use Multiply mode to let the screen texture come through perfectly.
4. Free Transform and drag the corners into perspective.
5. Blur as needed to match the photo, and Adjust Curves to reduce the quality like an LCD.
6. Feel the need for reflections/glare? Take them from a similar photo of the iPod turned off. Composite that screen on top with a mode of Screen.
Normally I think the simplest answer is true--and multiple fake photos here is NOT the simplest. So if anyone has reason to think the iPod Photo's CPUs can handle anti-aliased 3D like that, then my 50/50 doubt can be lifted and I can look forward to a fun update
Originally posted by Danosaur
Couldn't this be faked much easier? Just draw a picture of Tetris and then import it in to the iPod? Or a cube transition for that matter...
Now THAT's thinkin'
Originally posted by Danosaur
Couldn't this be faked much easier? Just draw a picture of Tetris and then import it in to the iPod? Or a cube transition for that matter...
bingo! ... hehe.
Originally posted by Atomic Media Fonts
Humm, kinda lame. How about transfer your stickies to your ipod
If you really want to transfer Stickies to your iPod *now*, you can check out Pod2Go -- I use that software to take my own Stickies on the road with my 20 GB 4G iPod.
Originally posted by ct77
If you really want to transfer Stickies to your iPod *now*, you can check out Pod2Go -- I use that software to take my own Stickies on the road with my 20 GB 4G iPod.
Or, as a blatant blad for my own product, the notepad MemoBlock allows you to transfer notes to and from iPods
Originally posted by Louzer
None of this fixes the biggest problem with the iPod or iPod photo. Ability for the iPod to weed out the crappy songs without you having to do anything. Just know its crappy, and skip right on past. That's all I want.
Presumably your post was tongue-in-cheek.
But just in case -- you can do this already -- in an "almost" automatic manner. Just use iTunes or your iPod to "rate" songs (1 through 5 stars). ie. As soon as your iPod offends you by playing a crappy song, immediately rate it with 1 star. Then, you can update your iPod using a Smart Playlist as a source -- a Smart Playlist that will only include songs with, say, a 3-star rating or higher. Voila -- your iPod will no longer offend you with crass and vulgar tunes -- like, oh, say, songs by Creed or Nickelback or Theory of a Dead Man.
Originally posted by nagromme
Re the Tetris drop function: it may not have one. It won't be "purist" Tetris anyway, since the screen is fewer rows high.
Well, for models with the click-pad, you can just press down on the bottom of the scrollpad. Press left or right to move left or right. Scroll around to rotate.
I think the article mentions that somewhere...
nah, i believe it.... TETRIS !! it's back...!
apple cashing in on retro-cool... yeah, i guess i can live with it
forget functionality, TETRIS is where its at
Originally posted by Kesh
Well, for models with the click-pad, you can just press down on the bottom of the scrollpad. Press left or right to move left or right. Scroll around to rotate.
I think the article mentions that somewhere...
The article says the wheel moves horizontally and the select button rotates.
Use of the other buttons is tempting but would violate the overall iPod principle that your basic playback controls work in all modes, whether gaming or looking at your calendar.
1) Import slideshows! Now that iPhoto 5 has slideshows separate to albums, if you make a slideshow with music it just isn't imported to the iPod. The album is, which you can also add music to. Just seems stupid.
2) Calendar colours. I have 5 calendars (work, personal, etc). I'd like the iPod calendar to show the colour(s) of my appointment(s) instead of only a blue dot if I've got anything on.
3) Stickies import. I'd like to have my stickies available as notes on the iPod. Note also that iPod Notes can have links to other notes, songs, or photos - so there is scope to drag a slideshow from iPhoto onto a sticky, and have the link in your notes on your iPod.
Originally posted by SAukland
I wonder how you drop a piece in Tetris. Scroll and click... but that'll take forever.
how about move the piece left and right with the scroll wheel, use the center button to rotate, and << , >> , Menu, or >|| to drop the piece or move it faster.
i really dont like the tetris games that drop the piece instantly when you hit the down arrow. i like when it just makes it go faster, cause it's really too easy to miss by one block. the gameboy color version is the best.
Originally posted by GregAlexander
I have 3 wishes myself
Those all sound great to me.
Are you sure you can link to a photo from Notes Reader? I always meant to try and haven't gotten around to it!
And Apple hasn't updated their Notes Reader docs since 2003!
http://developer.apple.com/hardware/ipod/
Originally posted by nagromme
[B]Are you sure you can link to a photo from Notes Reader?
Actually, now that you mention it, I'm not positive.
I read the developers notes for iPod's 'notes', and they talked about opening other files on the iPod, and gave music as an example. But I don't remember if a photo (or slideshow, or playlist?) was specifically mentioned.
It wasn't an easy thing to do anyway - it'd only be useful if Apple allowed you to drag a song from iTunes onto a sticky, and created a link automatically to the song, which updated to the iPod. (song, or playlist, or picture, or slideshow).