Briefly: New iPod games, iPod constraints, MacBU blunder
Apple on Tuesday posted two new iPod games to its iTunes Store. Meanwhile, tipsters report that strong sales of iPods at retail this past weekend have constrained some models last minute. And a booboo by the Microsoft's MacBU let an update to Mac Office slip out the door a bit early.
Two new iPod games
Apple's routine Tuesday morning iTunes Store updates produced two new iPod games this week: Sudoku and Royal Solitaire.
The former is a portable version of the "wildly popular" Japanese logic-based puzzle game, offering five levels of various difficulty. Users can choose regular grid mode or enter a puzzle from their favorite publication under newspaper mode.
Meanwhile, Royal Solitaire offers "10 of the most popular and well-known versions" of Solitaire. "Test your skills with the classic Canfield, the popular Klondike, or the easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master Pyramid," reads Apple's description. "Crisp graphics and simple, intuitive controls translate into hours of playing fun."
Both games are compatible with fifth-generation iPods, and are available for purchase and download from the iTunes store for $4.99 a pop.
Shuffles and RED iPods direct from China
Sales of Apple's $79 iPod shuffle along with 4GB PRODUCT (RED) iPod nanos put on a pretty strong showing this weekend at the company's retail stores, tipsters tell AppleInsider.
Some locations were hit so hard by the flood of shoppers that they expect to face supply constraints on the players by week's end.
In order to address the issue and assure ample supply of the players for the last-minute holiday shopping surge, tipsters say Apple plans a flash refresh of inventories to those locations through drop shipments direct from China ahead of the weekend.
Microsoft blames blunder on "craziness"
Microsoft's Mac Business Unit (MacBU) has offered an explanation for the company's recent accidental release of some Mac Office updates via the team blog, according to MacNN.
The slip occurred last Tuesday, December 12th, when Microsoft mistakenly posted pre-release binaries of an Office 11.3.1 update that were staged internally as part of the company's testing for a forthcoming release.
"Things were a little crazy here on Wednesday and Thursday working out what happened and how we should resolve the problem," the Redmond, Wash. software giant explained.
"We need to test the actual download process to make sure we've got the right URLs in place, that the right bits are up on the server, etc. On Tuesday, while testing that download process for an upcoming Office patch, we accidentally released the bits to the live servers."
According to Microsoft, the patch included some normal stability issues as well as prepatory work for an upcoming security release. In the meantime, the company has posted detailed instructions on how to uninstall the un-released code and is working on a utility to automatically remove the patches.
Two new iPod games
Apple's routine Tuesday morning iTunes Store updates produced two new iPod games this week: Sudoku and Royal Solitaire.
The former is a portable version of the "wildly popular" Japanese logic-based puzzle game, offering five levels of various difficulty. Users can choose regular grid mode or enter a puzzle from their favorite publication under newspaper mode.
Meanwhile, Royal Solitaire offers "10 of the most popular and well-known versions" of Solitaire. "Test your skills with the classic Canfield, the popular Klondike, or the easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master Pyramid," reads Apple's description. "Crisp graphics and simple, intuitive controls translate into hours of playing fun."
Both games are compatible with fifth-generation iPods, and are available for purchase and download from the iTunes store for $4.99 a pop.
Shuffles and RED iPods direct from China
Sales of Apple's $79 iPod shuffle along with 4GB PRODUCT (RED) iPod nanos put on a pretty strong showing this weekend at the company's retail stores, tipsters tell AppleInsider.
Some locations were hit so hard by the flood of shoppers that they expect to face supply constraints on the players by week's end.
In order to address the issue and assure ample supply of the players for the last-minute holiday shopping surge, tipsters say Apple plans a flash refresh of inventories to those locations through drop shipments direct from China ahead of the weekend.
Microsoft blames blunder on "craziness"
Microsoft's Mac Business Unit (MacBU) has offered an explanation for the company's recent accidental release of some Mac Office updates via the team blog, according to MacNN.
The slip occurred last Tuesday, December 12th, when Microsoft mistakenly posted pre-release binaries of an Office 11.3.1 update that were staged internally as part of the company's testing for a forthcoming release.
"Things were a little crazy here on Wednesday and Thursday working out what happened and how we should resolve the problem," the Redmond, Wash. software giant explained.
"We need to test the actual download process to make sure we've got the right URLs in place, that the right bits are up on the server, etc. On Tuesday, while testing that download process for an upcoming Office patch, we accidentally released the bits to the live servers."
According to Microsoft, the patch included some normal stability issues as well as prepatory work for an upcoming security release. In the meantime, the company has posted detailed instructions on how to uninstall the un-released code and is working on a utility to automatically remove the patches.
Comments
Who's running the show there in Redmond? Curious George?
no, Squirting Ballmer
How to uninstall the un-released code for Office 2004 11.3.1?
Install the new update 11.3.2 (you can do it via Help/Check for Updates in any Office app) and it removes the not-for-release bits of 11.3.1.
Sudoku is NOT a Japanese game
I was wondering if anyone caught that. According to Wikipedia:
"When sudoku started is not exactly clear. The first puzzle appeared in Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games in 1979. According to Will Shortz, puzzlemaster for the New York Times, the creator was an architect named Howard Garns. Little is known about him; not even his death is exactly clear (1981 or 1989). The puzzle was called "Number Place". In 1984 it started to run in a Japanese magazine. Originally it was called nanpure, but eventually became known as Sudoku, which means, literally, "single number." (The magazine copyrighted the name, which is why in Japan it is usually called nanpure or "Number Place". Only in places outside of Japan is it called sudoku)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sudoku
Sudoku is NOT a Japanese game
This is like saying that Football is not an American game. Sudoku may not have been invented in Japan, but it was popularised there long before anywhere else.
This is like saying that Football is not an American game. Sudoku may not have been invented in Japan, but it was popularised there long before anywhere else.
WOOHOO! Sudoku!!
Go! apple Go!
Who needs Gears of War, when you can play Sudoku & Solitaire!
And, oh yeah, Football is not an American game, it's a Britsh game!
8)
And, the clue is in the name - Foot-Ball (get it?)
- not Carry-Ball (which is what they invented at Rugby (School))
But back to topic, craziness is isolated at Microsoft?
If it was, I thought it would be within Zune's marketing division.
And, oh yeah, Football is not an American game, it's a Britsh game!
8)
And, the clue is in the name - Foot-Ball (get it?)
- not Carry-Ball (which is what they invented at Rugby (School))
I was in no way refering to the game that is Football everywhere but in North America, or Soccer here. I was talking about the Rugby-like sport, which may only be second to Baseball as sports are concerned in the US (maybe not even second if you consider how crazy people get about college ball). The essential rules of American Football were developed at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and were introduced to the US through a challenge game between McGill and Stanford about five years later.
And you should have realised that I wasn't talking about Football/Soccer as I indicated that Football may not have been invented in the US, but it was certainly popularised there. This could not be true of Football/Soccer, which has never been terribly popular here (though it is becoming more so).