For the past two weeks, I’ve been completely engrossed in following Plants vs. Zombies. For those who haven’t heard, this isn’t about the Supreme Court case, but about the latest game from PopCap, makers of the infamous Bejeweled and Zuma games.

Planets? And Zombies? Do those even mix?

You may have seen the cute viral video that has been making its way around the net. Plants vs. Zombies is a combination of a tower-style defense game and its own unique take on an action strategy game. As one can surmise, the plot involves zombies taking over your home in a quest to eat your brains. (Sounds like a great movie plot, doesn’t it?)

Similar to tower games, zombies come toward your house in waves, with each zombie having its own strengths and weaknesses. Some wear road cones or metal cans on their heads. Some pole vault over your defenses. Some even do a little moonwalk, while others drive giant “zombinis.” Your defenses are your trusty collection of plants, ranging from those that shoot peas, to mushrooms that explode when zombies get near.

Gameplay

The graphics and gameplay of Plants vs. Zombies are simple and fun, and really help to give the game a high degree of replay value. Unlike most tower defense games, each plant takes on a personality of its own, adding even more fun to this uniquely clever, little game. With 49 plants and upgrades and 26 different types of zombies, the game quickly moves from a simple defense strategy to more complex levels requiring higher degrees of strategy. As you progress through the game, you unlock more defenses and upgrades, including cute plants such as melon-pults and cob-cannons.

The main game is a series of 50 levels played out across five different areas (your yard during the day, your yard at night, your backyard and pool, your backyard and pool at night with fog, and your roof). Mixed in with this are 10 extra survival levels, 18 extra puzzle games, and 20 extra mini-games, based on other popular games, like slot machines, Bejeweled, bowling, and one even inspired by Portal. I was really impressed by the diversity of all the mini-games and puzzles included, as they really kept me in the spirit of the game while not letting me get bored of fighting wave after wave of zombies.

As you progress through the game, unlocking more plants and collecting coins, you can use your winnings to buy items from your neighbor, Crazy Dave, to assist you in the game, or purchase plants and accessories for an included Zen garden. The Zen garden, much like you would imagine, provides a relaxing, safe haven from the zombies where you can grow plants. Watch them grow and dance before your eyes, and before you know it, you can sell them for a profit or just keep a nice Zen garden full of cute plants.

Final Thoughts

Plants vs. Zombies is available on the Mac and PC platforms and sells for $19.95. You can download a free trial version here. At the time of this release, it is not available for the iPhone, but based on PopCap’s commitment to porting its other games to the iPhone, it is likely just a matter of time. This game is great for casual play or long term, if you wish. Your progress is saved between sessions, making it easy to kick some zombies for five minutes and come back and finish them off later. But good luck putting this game down. It’s pretty addicting.

For even more fun, type “mustache” or “future” during gameplay for a good laugh.

Apple Announces Netbook! That’s the headline you wanted to see, right? That’s the headline that industry analysts and so-called experts believe Apple must have in order to remain relevant in today’s economic climate. That’s also the headline you’re not likely to come across unless it happens to be April 1.

“It’s not a space we’re interested in,” according to Steve Jobs, and a few others at Apple. At least one site run by a reputable Mac journalist claims to have first-hand knowledge that a netbook does indeed exist deep inside Apple’s headquarters, but goes on to back up what we’ve already heard: It’s a prototype, and it’s just not going to ship.

The truth is, Apple already has a netbook on the market, which they’ve been selling for quite a while now. It’s called the MacBook Air. It’s a powerful, good-looking notebook with a full-sized keyboard, spacious 120GB hard drive, and a 13.3-inch, backlit LED screen. It’s capable of running a full version of Mac OS X Leopard, iLife, iWork, and Microsoft Office at full speeds, as well as light-duty graphics work in Adobe Photoshop.

Compare that with most sub-$600 netbooks currently on the market, which run some obscure distribution of Linux, or cripple-ware known as Windows XP Home, and you start to see why netbooks aren’t all that appealing for many people. Not to mention, the standard LCD screens fall in the 10-inch range, the touchpad is practically guaranteed to wear out from excessive scrolling, the keyboards are 80 percent of “normal” size for people with Barbie doll-sized hands, and hard drives are smaller than your standard iPod.

And let’s talk about power. The MacBook Air features a full Core 2 Duo processor, while most netbooks are running an Intel Atom or Celeron processor that barely outperforms my digital watch in modern-day tasks!

Do you really want a netbook?

When I ask around to friends and colleagues about why they bought a netbook, the answer was always the same: “It was small and cheap.” But when I ask them what they thought of it outside those two factors, I didn’t get much in the way of positive comments. Tiny screen, hard to type on, cheap-feeling hardware, and junkware were a few of the descriptions I heard. I thought perhaps this was due to the fact that most of these people weren’t terribly computer-savvy folks, but apparently it’s more widespread than that.

According to this report from The NPD Group, a leading market research firm, only 58 percent of consumers who bought a netbook said they were satisfied, while 65 percent said they expected the same performance as a regular laptop. Many were so unsatisfied that they returned them. How many? Intel’s Sean Maloney was quoted in this article as saying, “They [netbooks] had very high return rates, and a couple of these guys [retailers] had return rates in the 30 percent range, which is a disaster.” Three out of every 10 get returned? Yikes!

In fact, after a slight dip in sales at Amazon.com, when interest in netbooks was at a fever pitch, Apple is back at the top of the sales chart with the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, which has been the top-selling laptop since the moment it was introduced.

Mac Users Want More

The market is apparently showing what Apple, and Steve Jobs, already knew. People want small and cheap, but they don’t want to give up power. As Mac users, we want more from our hardware, and we’re willing to pay a bit more for it. That demand prohibits Apple from selling a powerful, small, and cheap laptop.

Sure, it would be great to have a $500 MacBook. But do you really want to spend that much for a Mac that has limitations that might include a smaller keyboard, a smaller screen, a stripped-down OS, the inability to edit or even watch videos with smooth playback, or a hard drive only large enough to keep a small sampling of your iPhoto and iTunes collection on in order to save room for other documents. I sure don’t, and I suspect that I’m not alone.

Apple's MacBook Air

The MacBook Air, as I stated earlier, is quite a capable little machine. The lack of numerous ports and a media drive initially struck me as absolute craziness at the highest levels at Apple. But when I look at how I use my current 15-inch MacBook Pro, I was surprised to notice how little I actually used the media drive; the Firewire and USB ports; the card slot and the ethernet port. I do most of my heavy-duty graphics work on a Mac Pro at the office, so the extent of my laptop use is light-duty graphics for the web, office and web apps, with the occasional iMovie or iPhoto work.

I suspect my laptop use is typical of most laptop users, except I paid a premium for some extra processor power that I don’t use, a slightly faster hard drive and slightly larger screen that aren’t worth the extra weight or battery use over a MacBook Air.

In fact, when I look at my usage, I really need a netbook. My next laptop will be something cheaper, smaller, lighter and just a little less powerful, but not crippled. A netbook. Most likely it will be named MacBook Air.

Note: I highly doubt Apple will ever release what most consider a netbook. But I’m fully prepared to eat my words, if I have to. After all, I didn’t expect an OS X upgrade to cost only $29, either. With Apple, you just never know what the next headline will be.

Following closely on the official release of iPhone OS 3.0, Apple has seeded a developer build of version 3.1, build 7C97D, along with the SDK.

The point release appears to be more than bug fixes, too. A number of sites, including Gizmodo, are reporting features like:

• Faster boot time
• Bluetooth voice control
• Access to video editing through APIs for third-party developers
• Non-destructive editing of video by allowing saving of copies
• Fraud Protection, or phishing warnings, as an option in preferences for Safari

This discussion at MacRumors also has an interesting list of new features:

• A carrier selection preference, though apparently not for AT&T customers
• An MMS option, though again this does not apply to AT&T customers yet
• Saving video sent in e-mail to the camera roll
• Direct copying and pasting in the address book, no need to select edit first
• Copy and paste phone numbers to and from the phone keypad
• Canceling text messages as they are sent
• Choose picture size/quality for MMS video, where MMS is an option

As for fixes, the biggest problem, so far, relates to hardware of the iPhone 3GS, not the OS. Whether the new firmware helps with overheating issues has not been reported yet.

The speed at which Apple is updating the iPhone firmware is intriguing. From the final of version of 1.0 to 1.1, over two months passed, and nearly that much time from 2.0 to 2.1 and 2.1 to 2.2. Of course, this latest version of the iPhone OS is a beta, but it’s hard to imagine two more months will pass before iPhone OS 3.1 is officially released. One possible explanation might be that with the apparent early success of the Palm Pre, Apple feels the need to compete a little more aggressively. If so, bring on Windows Mobile 7.

Due to hefty 3G roaming rates, Apple’s Maps app just won’t cut it when you’re out of the country. The oMap app lets you download maps for offline viewing — dodging a shocking bill post-vacation.

The iPhone is an almost perfect companion for travels to distant lands. With a bit of foresight and time set aside for planning, it’s possible to mix and match the perfect blend of vacation apps, ensuring you make the most of your journey.

My own package of essential travel tools includes Evernote, QuadCamera, Gengo Flashcards and HearPlanet. Without a 3G connection overseas, though, Apple’s Maps app proves utterly redundant — if I can’t connect, I can’t use it.

oMaps brings offline mapping to the iPhone. The app includes GPS, multiple zoom levels, map bookmarking and search functionality.

Don’t Google It

Notably, oMaps doesn’t make use of Google Maps. The developer, Thomas Bonnin, cites licensing restrictions from Google as the reason. Instead, the app utilizes OpenStreetMap, a service referred to by Bonnin as “the Wikipedia of maps.”

Despite being a community-maintained mapping service — meaning that there may be lower detail in some areas — in practice, the maps seem to be accurate, detailed and certainly useful for tourists. Even better, OpenStreetMap includes restaurants, ATMs, bus stations and other notable landmarks — a boon for lone travelers.

Best of all, because oMaps makes use of an open-source solution, after purchasing the app, individual maps are free to download. Admittedly, in-app purchasing of new maps would have been a neat iPhone OS 3.0 feature, although for me to grumble about that is akin to performing extended dental work on a gift horse.

Making Your Map

To create a new offline map, you simply open the app, browse to the location you’d like to view later and click save. Maps can only be downloaded via Wi-Fi, due to potentially large download sizes (the app saves the current zoom level and each increasing level of detail beyond that).

Although the developer states that you can save unlimited maps, there is one major constraint. The app will only start saving a map from a certain level of detail. If you zoom too far out — in my case when trying to download all of Helsinki — oMaps will refuse to save.

Essentially, the app draws a line as to how much you’re able to download in one go. It certainly doesn’t ruin the app or its functionality, but it’s a seemingly arbitrary obstacle, surpassed simply by downloading a given area in several separate chunks.

On Your Travels

Downloading a useful portion of a given city takes time and requires a stable connection. To make the best use of oMaps, you’ll need to plan ahead and prepare at least a day or so before traveling.

Once you’re offline and on the move, the app comes into its own. For me, flipping the iPhone to Airplane Mode and opening oMaps felt like cartographical witchcraft — the app located me immediately and I could zoom in and out, viewing my surrounding area in various levels of detail.

It’s worth clarifying for less tech-savvy users how this works. Your data connection — 3G, Edge, GPRS — may cost money to use overseas, usually at an inflated rate. The GPS in your iPhone — used for locating you — is free. oMaps uses the GPS to locate you and requires no data connection because the data itself, the map, has already been downloaded and saved to your iPhone.

Just like Apple’s Maps app, oMaps includes a GPS button. Pressing the button will locate you, assuming you’ve downloaded the corresponding map for the area you’re occupying. There are a few differences and drawbacks, though.

Unlike Maps, once you’re on the move, there are no directions or search functionality. Directions may be an arguably complex function, however Search does seem like something that could have been achieved — even if it means downloading a little more data when initially saving the map.

Summing Up

The app has a few issues that, while irritating, don’t ruin the overall functionality. Saving multiple maps for one city can be a drag, but then it’s all free and can be used offline, even with GPS. Plus, the lack of search functionality means that you may have to do a little extra pre-planning before setting off.

Rather than comparing oMaps to Apple’s Google-powered Maps, it’s perhaps best to see the app as a replacement to a traditional map. It saves purchasing horrid foldout maps and, as such, is more discreet and agreeable for meandering tourists.

Most importantly though, oMaps is a time and money saver. Although it won’t prove useful at home, when you’re in foreign lands this really will be an essential app.

What do you do with your old Macs when you upgrade to a new system? Many folks sell their old computer on eBay or locally, but that’s something I’ve rarely done. I mostly either keep them as “B-team” units, or hand them off to other family members.

My Mac laptops are tools of my trade, and I would feel pretty vulnerable if I didn’t have a spare — or two — on hand, with the most likely candidate for understudy usually being the machine most recently replaced as No. 1. For example, when my WallStreet PowerBook’s processor died without warning in August 2002, the 1.5-year-old Pismo PowerBook 2001 I’d acquired nine months earlier got promoted to No. 1 workhorse without my suffering even a day of computer-less downtime.

Even if you don’t depend on your Mac for your livelihood, it’s worth considering how much inconvenience and/or expense you’d incur if your No. 1 machine failed, needed to go in the shop or sent away for repair, or got stolen. Hanging onto old computers as “spares” is, of course, much easier if they’re laptops. Storing retired desktop rigs eats up more space than many will find acceptable.

If you don’t want to bother with the hassle of selling or storing your old machine and have no family members or friends who would be interested in taking it off your hands, either to use or as a parts mule, another potential disposal route, if it’s in respectably good condition, would be to donate it to a school, church, youth drop-in center, a day-care, or other institution that would appreciate it.

On the other hand, if the reason you’re replacing the computer is that it broke, and it’s really not worth fixing (be realistic, even if the old unit has sentimental value) try to find a disposal mode that’s environmentally responsible, rather than just tossing it in the garbage. Techno-trash has become a major global problem. For example, the average CRT monitor can contain up to 8 pounds of lead. Nova Scotia, where I live, has an environmentally sound electronics recycling program run by the government.

Apple has had free computer and iPod recycling programs since 2001. U.S. customers, who buy a new Mac through the Apple Store or Apple’s retail stores, can receive free shipping and environmentally friendly disposal of their old computer. U.S. and Canadian customers wanting to dispose of used computers or monitors at any other time may also use Apple’s recycling program by purchasing $30 prepaid shipping labels to send used units to Apple’s recycling partner. For more information on what is options are available to you, read up on Apple’s recycling initiative.

In some communities, there are also organizations that refurbish old computers for distribution to the less fortunate, either domestically or in developing countries.

So, to post the question again, what do you do with your old Macs?

Have you ever wanted to copy or convert your personal collection of DVDs for backup or easy viewing on your Apple TV, only to be thwarted by CSS encryption? I feel your pain, and so do the good folks at Metakine. Lucky for us, Fairmount is here to help, and it’s free!

CSS, or Content Scramble System, is an approach used by most DVD manufacturers as a way to prevent unauthorized copies and unlicensed playback of DVD content. Unfortunately for consumers, this kind of digital rights management can be cumbersome for those who want to take advantage of their fair use rights. Fairmount makes setting aside this type of DRM extremely easy.

Fairmount works together with the VLC Media Player to decrypt your mounted DVD and replace it with a unencrypted disk image. It’s really simple to do. With a DVD mounted, just launch the Fairmount application and it will automatically and transparently hand off the decryption to VLC and then begin mounting a new decrypted image of the disk.

Once the DVD is decrypted, and the new disk image is mounted, you can then save the video files on to your network, convert them for playback on other devices, or burn the image back to a disk. The decryption is very fast and the exchange with VLC happens completely in the background. You even get a nice animation as the mounted DVD is smeared over with cream cheese, “Bagels are good!”

If you’re planning on burning the image to DVD, the Fairmount download comes bundled with another application from Metakine called DVDRemaster which will let you do just that. If you’re just interested in converting files for viewing on your Apple TV, iPhone, or iPod, I’d like to take this opportunity to recommend an excellent and free application called HandBrake.

Fairmount, VLC, and HandBrake are all free applications released under a General Public License. DVDRemaster is available in both standard and pro versions for $39.99 and $49.99, respectively.

The Palm Pre debuted to a series of mixed reviews, but I have to admit I still want one.  The full keyboard, the multitasking functionality, and Linux-based OS are just too much for a gadget nerd like me to resist.

But I still didn’t stand in line for one when it was released, and I have to admit it’s because the iPhone has its hooks in me good and proper.  Or, specifically the App Store.  I know it’s not fair to compare a software library that’s been around a year to one that’s been around a few weeks.  But it’s close to time for me to re-up my phone contract and between the Pre and the new iPhone 3GS, I’ll probably end up going with the iPhone.  Here are three applications that are swinging my decision–note that I’m not saying that these are the “best” iPhone apps, just the ones that don’t yet have an equivalent on the Pre and I would be sore to have to go without.



1) Stanza–This eBook reader that supports both eBook purchases through Fictionwise and a huge library of free books through sites like Project Gutenburg is pretty much essential for me.  It’s rich in features including page resume, Coverflow for book covers, full settings for changing orientation, font size and more, and even the ability to download eBooks from your PC and share them with friends (using a matching desktop app).  While there’s been talk about porting Lexcycle’s Stanza to the Pre, there’s no definitive timeline (as far as I know).


2) imeem Mobile–Both the iPhone and the Pre have Pandora, which is a great application, but the recently-released imeem app takes it a step further with the ability to upload your entire music collection to imeem and stream it to the app, so you don’t have to take up storage space on your iPhone.  It also has other features from the imeem.com site, such as Spotlight artists, recommended music, and featured stations.  And if you find new music you can’t live without, you can click in the app to go straight to that artist’s iTunes page.  Pandora’s fantastic, but the ability to jump within one app between new music and my own uploaded favorite tunes makes this one a winner for me. 3) The Quest–There are a lot (a lot) of casual games for the iPhone, but The Quest is one of my favorites.  I’m a huge fan of old-school RPGs, and this is a classic dungeon-crawler with surprising depth.  I may be dating myself by saying it’s the closest you’ll ever get to a portable version of The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, but needless to say The Quest has chewed up time on many a plane and bus ride.  The game is actually a port of the original game for Pocket PCs so the sprite-based graphics aren’t cutting-edge but serve well enough and evoke serious nostalgia for old-school gamers.  You can choose from a wide array of custom race/class combinations and there’s plenty of gear and magic to pick up along the way in order to overcome the baddies.  The huge game world has day/night and weather cycles, you can enchant your own gear and brew your own potions, and the main story plot is well-written along with plenty of side quests, with multiple ways to solve most quests.  Plus, there’s even a miniature card game you can play in the inns that’s simple but fun.  Highly recommended if you’re looking for a portable game that’s a little deeper than Sudoku.

–Aric A.

The Palm Pre has been riding fairly high on a wave of publicity since its launch just a few weeks ago, so much so that Apple seems to have decided that it might be prudent to take a little wind out of the smartphone’s sails by announcing that, although the new device’s claim to be able to seamlessly synch with Apple’s iTunes store may be true at the moment, that may not be the case for very much longer. Sound a little draconian? Sure enough, but business is business and anyway, this move is built into Apple’s existing company line, which says that,

“Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with,
non-Apple digital media players and, because software changes over
time, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide
syncing functionality with non-Apple digital media players.”

So, be forewarned new and potential Palm Pre owners. Apple is a jealous guardian of its markets. If you were hoping to be able to download music and movies to your heart’s content via iTunes, think again, or at least do it quickly. No doubt Palm will be ratcheting up its plans for its own apps store for the Pre, the App Catalog, but that’s a good way off and there’s pretty much no chance that it will feature anything to match the entertainment media of iTunes. So, although it is definitely premature to write off the Palm Pre, it is probably not too early to remove its equally premature mantle of iPhone killer.

–Tom Milnes