Nintendo also gathered journalists for a hands-on demonstration of its first iPhone game, with one line in particular repeated several times by the company’s reps: “A true Mario platformer that you can play entirely with one hand.”
The messaging around Super Mario Run isn’t a surprise, with Nintendo hoping to scotch two fears for fans: first, that the classic Super Mario gameplay will be dumbed down for a massively mainstream mobile audience, and second that the translation from joypads to touchscreens will be botched.
Based on the almost-finished code, it’s looking good on both fronts.
If you are anxious to try the game ahead of its release, a demo is playable from today at Apple Stores; Super Mario Run has been installed on the iPhone and iPad units at Apple retail locations.
So this isn’t commentary on successful business models. It’s just a simple share of a shopping experience I had recently that surprised me. Best Buy feels simple, Apple Stores feels over engineered, too sophisticated. I get why, but why doesn’t matter to the customer experience. It’s either great or it’s not — the why behind the scenes doesn’t matter. Who’s been teaching me that for decades? Apple.
Since the announcement of the new norms, California-based Apple has not approached the Indian government for setting up direct stores in the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market, Ramesh Abhishek, secretary at the department of industrial policy and promotion, told The Financial Express newspaper on Dec. 07. “Now, the company has to decide what it wants to do,” he said.
"I think the campaign would have ended probably a year or two years earlier had Vista not been such an absolute shit show."
21st Century Fox Inc., Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. and Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures all confirmed over the past week that they are looking to offer high-priced, home-video rentals of new movies shortly after they open in theaters. Some studio executives have been pushing to allow home rentals as early as two weeks after theatrical debuts and are considering a deal with iTunes as one option, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
LastPass has lots of great features, is easy to use, and supports virtually every platform and browser. Most features are free, and the Premium subscription is less expensive than the competition.
I've always loved the ability to mark a file as favorite for quick access. With the changes in 4.0, though, it's clear that now the entire app's interface prioritizes having a quick, easy way to find what you're looking for.
Taking advantage of an exemption tucked into America’s Byzantine tax code, Apple stashed much of its foreign earnings—tax-free—right here in the U.S., in part by purchasing government bonds, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. In return, the Treasury Department paid Apple roughly $600 million and possibly much more over the past five years in the form of interest, a Bloomberg review of its regulatory filings shows.
The untold story of Apple and its taxes wends its way from Cork, Ireland, to New York and then Reno, Nevada. But according to tax experts interviewed by Bloomberg News, the maker of iPhones is hardly unique.
“As more toys are connected to the Internet, we have to ensure that children’s privacy and security are protected,” added Katie McInnis, technology policy counsel for our colleagues down the hall at Consumers Union. “When a toy collects personal information about a child, families have a right to know, and they need to have meaningful choices to decide how their kids’ data is used. We strongly urge the FTC to investigate these companies, stop the deceptive practices, and hold them accountable.”
What happened to gadgets? It’s a fascinating story about tech progress, international manufacturing and shifting consumer preferences, and it all ends in a sad punch line: Great gadget companies are now having a harder time than ever getting off the ground. The gadget age is over — and even if that’s a kind of progress, because software now fills many of our needs, the great gadgetapocalypse is bound to make the tech world, and your life, a little less fun.
Super Mario Run looks good, so far.
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Thanks for reading.