Author Archives: Jamie

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About Jamie

I am a recent graduate of Bridgewater State University, in Bridgewater, MA, where I studyied Management with a concentration in Information Systems Management. Previously, I was a Computer Science major at the University of Massachusetts - Boston. Some of my interests include computers, technology, programming, education, business, biology, as well as learning Spanish.

The Creeps

If you’re looking for a new game to try playing on your iPhone or iPod Touch, perhaps you should try playing a game called “The Creeps!”, which is a fun tower defense game by Super Squawk Software.

When you first launch The Creeps!, you will see a loading screen, featuring the company’s name and logo. After the game loads, you will be taken to the game’s main menu, where you can view news, switch players, view the high scores, credits, get help with the game, as well as start the game.

When you tap on the “Start” button, you will be presented with the maps that you have unlocked and are able to play on, as well as some information about the level, such as the game type, how many waves of “creeps” you’ll have to defeat, as well as what defenses are available in a particular. There are also two arrows that enable you to switch between the three different game modes, which are “Survival”, “Endurance”, as well as “Door Buster”.

When you are ready to begin the game, you can do so by simply tapping on the map you’d like to play yon.

Once the game begins, you will have a few seconds in which you are able to place your towers, in order to defend against the various “creeps” or monsters that are trying to attack a character who is hiding in his bed. However, each tower costs money and you only start off with a certain amount, earning more when you defeat monsters. Towers can also be upgraded to increase range and firepower, but the upgrades also cost money. Also, you can still place towers once the monsters have started coming.

If some monsters happen to get through your defenses, getting to the hiding character, you will lose a hit point. Be careful, however, as your character only has 10 hit points and some monsters, such as a “boss”, cause you to lose two hit points if they get through your defenses. Once you run out of hit points, the game is over and you’ll have to try again, in order to get to the next level.

If you would like to try playing “The Creeps!”, you can download it from the iTunes App Store for free.

Google Instant Search

As you may have already heard, Google recently unveiled a new version of their search, called Google Instant. Google Instant enables users to essentially search as they type, with new search results being displayed as if a user has entered a search query and pressed the “Search” button.

Google has tested their new Instant Search feature before and states that while it was “thought-provoking—fun, fast and interactive”, it was also “fundamentally flawed.” The reason Google’s Instant Search was “fundamentally” flawed was because nobody wants search results for something that doesn’t really make sense, such as half of a word or a few letters. Google states that users want “search-before you type”, which means that users want search results for the most likely thing that they were searching for.

Some new features that are included in Google’s Instant Search are dynamic results, which means that search results are displayed as a user is typing, which can speed up searches, predictions, which means that the rest of your search query will be predicted and shown in light gray text as you’re typing it, which can help you get the results you were looking for more quickly. Another feature is the ability for users to scroll through the predictions that Google Instant Search has made.

Google also states that their new Instant Search saves the average user about two to five seconds per search, which will end up saving users 11 hours with each passing second. Also, Google will become the “core search experience” on Google.com for Google’s Chrome browser, Mozilla FireFox, Safari, as well as Internet Explorer 8.

Google Instant will also be offered to Google users in a variety of different countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom when they are logged in and who’s browsers support Google’s new Instant Search feature. In the next few weeks and months, Google is hoping to expand their Instant Search feature to more locations and platforms.

If you would like to try using Google’s Instant Search, you can do so by going to Google.com/Instant.

If you would like to learn more about Google’s new Instant Search feature, you can do so by reading this post from the Official Google Blog.

iTunes Ping

As you may already know, Apple recently announced a variety of new things, including new iPods, iTunes 10, as well as new social networking service called Ping, which enables users to share and follow their favorite artists, as well as discover new music that their friends like, are listening to, and downloading.

In order to access Ping, you should download the newest version of iTunes, which is iTunes 10. When you launch iTunes 10, you should see a new “Ping” option under the “Store” section of the sidebar.

When you first click on the “Ping” link, you will be asked if you’d like to turn on Ping, which you can do by simply clicking on the “Turn On Ping” button.

After you’ve chosen to enable Ping, you will be able to create your new Ping profile, which includes information, such as your first and last name, gender, the option to add a photo, where you live, a brief description of yourself, as well as up to three genres of music you’re interested in.

From there, you should then be presented with some options, such as what is displayed on your Ping profile, as well as other preferences, such as how people follow you.

Then, you should be presented with your dashboard, where there are artists and people that are recommended for you to follow. You can also search for people that you are interested in following, as well. Another thing that you should see is the “Ping Charts”, which includes the top music and albums that were purchased by you followers. Also, you can view your follower’s recent activity from the main page, which includes songs and albums they’ve purchased or downloaded, as well as other things, such as who they’ve recently followed.

If you would like to learn more about Ping, you can do so from this page of the Apple website. If you would like to try using Ping, you can do so from iTunes 10, which can be downloaded from the iTunes section of the Apple website.

iPod Updates

As you may already know, Apple held a special event yesterday, where Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, announced a variety of different things, including updates to the iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle.

Also announced was iTunes 10, as well as the new Ping service, which is a new social network, enabling users to follow their favorite artists, as well as their friends, in order to find out what music they’re talking about, listening to or downloading.

iPod Touch

The newest version of Apple’s iPod Touch features a variety of upgrades, including adding two cameras to the device, similar to the iPhone 4, with one camera on the back and one camera on the front, which can be used for Apple’s FaceTime service. The iPod Touch’s rear camera can also record HD video in 720p, but can take photos with a lesser resolution of 920 x 76o. The front facing camera is VGA quality, similar to what is found on the iPhone 4.

Also, users can edit the videos that they take using the iMovie application, which enables users to combine, as well as edit videos on the go. In addition, the iMovie application enables users to add themes, transitions, as well as music to their videos. If you would like to try using the iMovie application, you can purchase it from the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

The new iPod Touch also features a Retina Display, like the iPhone 4, which is made up of pixels that are 78 micrometers wide and has a resolution of 920 x 760. According to Apple, the Retina Display packs four times more pixels into a screen that is the same size as the previous versions of the iPod Touch.

Another new feature is Apple’s new Game Center, which enables users to play games with their friends or soon-to-be friends, as well people they haven’t met before.

The new iPod Touch runs Apple’s iOS 4, and also features Apple’s A4 processor, which can also be found in both the iPhone 4, as well as the iPad.

As for aesthetics, the new version of the iPod Touch is thinner by about a tenth of an inch, with a chrome backing, similar to the older versions of the device.

The iPod Touch is available in an 8 GB model, which sells for $229, a 16 GB model, which sells for $299, as well as a 32 GB model, which sells for $399.

If you would like to learn more about the new version of Apple’s iPod Touch, you can do so from this page of Apple’s website.

iPod Nano

Apple also announced an update to it’s iPod Nano, which has a new look and features a touch screen that supports multi-touch.

The new version of the iPod Nano is 46 percent smaller, 42 percent lighter, with a height of just 1.48 inches and a width of 1.61 inches. Including the clip, the depth of the iPod Nano is now only 0.35 inches. Also, the new iPod Nano weighs just 0.74 ounces.

The new iPod Nano also features a 1.54 inch display, with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels.

Also, the iPod Nano now features a built in FM radio, with a tuner that shows the user the name of the artist, song, or program that is being listened to. The FM radio also enables users to pause live radio, and rewind up to 15 minutes, as well as fast forward in order to catch up with the broadcast.

Another feature is the ability for the iPod Nano to record your fitness results, as it also features a pedometer so that you can see how many steps you’ve taken, as well as other information. You can also sync your iPod Nano with Nike+ website so that you can keep track of your fitness progress.

The iPod Nano also features Apple’s Genius, which allows users to find music similar to what they’re listening to. You can also create Genius lists using Apple’s iTunes software and then sync the lists to your iPod Nano.

Apple’s iPod Nano is available in two models, an 8 GB model, which sells for $149, as well as a 16 GB model, which sells for $179.

For more information about the new version of Apple’s iPod Nano, you can visit this page of Apple’s website.

iPod Shuffle

Apple’s iPod Shuffle also received an update, which features a clickable control pad that is 18 percent larger than on the previous version of the iPod Shuffle.

The new iPod Shuffle also has a “Shuffle” switch, which allows users to have songs played randomly when moved to the left, played in order when moved to the center, and disabled when moved to the right.

Another new feature on the iPod Shuffle is the new “Voice Over” feature, which enables users to find out the name of a song or artist. In order to use this feature, a user can do so by simply pressing the “Voice Over” button, which is located next to the “Shuffle” switch on the top of the iPod.

Also, the new iPod Shuffle supports multiple playlists, which users can set up using iTunes and then sync the playlists to their iPod Shuffle. The “Voice Over” feature can be used in order to let the user know which playlist they are listening to.

The iPod Shuffle also supports Apple’s Genius, which can be used by enabling the Genius feature in iTunes and then syncing the Genius lists to your iPod Shuffle.

The new iPod Shuffle is only available in a 2 GB model, which sells for $49. Also, users can choose between five different colors, including gray, blue, green, orange, and pink.

If you’d like more information about the new version of the iPod Shuffle, you should visit this page of the Apple website.

GMail Priority Inbox

If you’re a GMail user who receives many e-mails a day and would like a way to separate the important e-mails from the not so important ones, such as automated e-mail from lists and such, perhaps you should try using a new beta feature in GMail, called Priority Inbox.

Priority Inbox works by separating the messages in your inbox into three sections, which include “Important and unread”, “Starred”, and “Everything”.

When you receive new e-mails, GMail’s Priority Inbox will automatically scan them and if they’re important, GMail will flag it as such, eliminating the need to search through all of the messages in your inbox to look for an important e-mail.

Priority Inbox works by using a variety of different signals in order to determine which e-mails are considered important, including the people that you e-mail the most, as well as whether or not you open and reply to a message, rather than just skimming through it or skipping over it.

Also, the more you use GMail, the better the Priority Inbox feature will get at categorizing your e-mails.

Gmail’s new Priority Inbox feature will be rolling out to users over the next week or so, so when you notice the “New! Priority Inbox” link near the top right corner of the GMail interface or the Priority Inbox tab in GMail’s settings, perhaps you should consider trying it out if you receive a lot of e-mail.

If you’d like to learn more about GMail’s new Priority Inbox feature, you can do so by reading this post from the Official GMail Blog.

Digg v4 Launches

As you may already know, Digg was planning on launching version four of their website for a while now, with some users getting invites to try the new version of the social news website before it was officially launched. However, yesterday Digg v4 was officially launched to everyone – no invite needed.

The new version of Digg features a redesigned homepage, as well as a variety of new features, such as making submitting a story easier.

Another new feature of Digg v4 is that there is now a “My News” section, which displays the stories that your friends and people that you’re following are digging and submitting. If you would like to view stories and such that were submitted by everyone using the website, you can do so by clicking on the “Top News” button, which is located near the top of the website, next to the “My News’” button.

Also, the new version of Digg makes submitting a story, video, or picture easier than it was previously. If you would like to submit a new story, you can do so simply by typing or pasting a link into the “Submit a Link” box and then clicking on the “Digg it” button, where you should be able to enter a description for your story, as well as choose the story’s topic and picture. When you’re ready to submit the story to Digg, you can do so by clicking on the “Digg it” button again.

If you would like to learn more about Digg v4, you can do so by visiting the Digg Blog, which features a video walkthrough of the new version Digg.  You can also learn more by checking out this article on TechCrunch.

Chomp

If you’re someone who enjoys discovering new applications for the iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, but haven’t really found a good way to discover, as well as find reviews about applications, perhaps you should try using Chomp.

Chomp is an application discovery engine that enables people to discover new applications, as well as read reviews and recommendations about them, either online, using the Chomp website or by using the Chomp iPhone application.

The Chomp website looks similar to a search engine, with a search box, as well as an area that shows applications that are one sale, new applications, and enables you to view applications that have been reviewed.

When you would like to search for an application, you can simply type the name of the application or the type of application that you are looking for and then you will be presented with results pertaining to what you searched for. For example, if you are someone who likes to keep organized and keep a to-do list and would like to find a good “to-do list” application, you could search for “to do” on Chomp and would be presented with multiple applications, which are related to what you searched for.

The search results page includes screen shots of the applications that you searched for, as well as how much people like them, how many reviews they’ve had, as well as what the price of the application is.

If you would like more information about a particular application, you can click on the name or icon of the application, which will then present you with more detailed information about the application, including multiple screen shots, a description, how many reviews the application has had, how much people like the application, as well as user reviews.

The Chomp iPhone application works similar to how the Chomp website works, as there is a search box. Also, you can view applications that are on sale, recent reviews, and what’s new. If you have a Chomp account, you can also view the reviews of other Chomp users.

When you would like to search for an application, you can do so in the search box on the “Discover” page or click on the “Search”, which is located at the bottom of the application.

There is also a “My Apps” section, where you can add applications to your watch list, track application downloads, as well as view the reviews that you have written. However, this section requires that you have a Chomp account.

Also on the Chomp iPhone application is a “People” section, where you can search for users, view suggested users, view the top reviewers for that week, find your Twitter or FaceBook friends, invite friends by e-mail or FaceBook, view the users that you’re following, as well as view the users that are following you.

If you would like to learn more about Chomp or try using Chomp, you can do so from the Chomp website or by downloading the free Chomp iPhone application.

iTunes PayPal Scam

As you may have heard, either online or through other forms of media, there have been many iTunes users who were reporting fraudulent purchases being made with their PayPal accounts.

However, according to various technical blogs and websites, there are not any security holes or problems in either iTunes or PayPal, but rather, people have fallen victim to a “phishing” scam.

“Phishing” is a way of scamming users out of personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. An example of a "phishing” scam is when a user receives an e-mail, asking them to verify their personal information for a service, such as PayPal, by clicking on a link to an external website.

When the user arrives at the website, it may look very similar to the real website, however, the website is actually a rogue website, which scammers use to steal a user’s personal information.

There are some ways, however, that users can protect themselves against “phishing” scams, some of which are quite simple.

Double Check the Address Bar

If a user receives an e-mail from a bank or other company, asking them to verify their personal information, they should be aware that the e-mail could be a part of a phishing scam because even though an e-mail may look as though it’s legitimate, it may not be.

A simple check of the e-mail and web address may be able to stop somebody from becoming the victim of a phishing scam. However, some e-mail may look as though they are coming from and linking to a legitimate company, but may actually lead to a phishing website, so if you’re going to click on any links, you should double check what is in your browser’s address bar.

In addition to making sure the web address of the company is correct, you should also look for “https” in front of the web address, rather than “http” if you’re being asked to provide personal information, such as a password or credit card number, as “https” means that any information you provide is being sent over a secure, SSL connection.

Do not Respond to E-mails

If you have received an e-mail from a company, asking for you to respond with your personal information, be aware that this may be a way of scamming you out of your personal information.

Most companies probably won’t ask for your personal information via e-mail, so if you happen to receive an e-mail asking for personal information, it may be an attempt at a phishing scam.

Should you receive an e-mail asking for a reply with personal information, I would suggest that you manually type in the company’s web address and then either call or e-mail their customer support department, letting them know what happened.

Keep Your Password Secure

Another way that you can prevent yourself from falling victim to a phishing attempt would be to keep your passwords and other personal information secure.

You should not provide your password to anyone via phone or e-mail, unless you are positive that you are speaking to someone from a company or organization. Don’t be afraid to deny someone your password if they asked for it, as many companies will probably not ask for your password in an e-mail or over the phone.

It may also help to change your passwords every now and then, that way, if you were to accidentally fall victim to a phishing attempt, nobody would be able to access your account.

In order create a secure password, you should use both uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and even symbols, as all of these things would make a password harder to guess or figure out. Also, the longer a password is, the harder it is to figure out, so longer passwords are definitely better.

If you would like more information about the iTunes PayPal Scam, perhaps you should check out this article from TechCrunch, as well as this article from MacWorld.

If you have any tips on how to prevent phishing scams or if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, or would like to make a correction to this post, please feel free to leave a comment below or use the Contact page to send me an e-mail!

NinJump iPhone App

If you’re looking for a fun game to play on your iPhone or iPod Touch, perhaps you should try playing NinJump by Backflip Studios. NinJump is a game in which you have to run up one of two walls, trying to avoid obstacles, as well as getting various power-ups.

The purpose of the NinJump is to try to climb the wall to the highest distance that you can, without getting hit by or running into an obstacle. The higher your character goes, the more obstacles you will have to avoid.

When you first launch NinJump, you should see a loading screen, but after that you should see the game’s main menu. From the menu, you have the options to play the game, view and change the game’s options, as well as view more games.

NinJump’s game play is fairly simple, as the only thing you have to do is tap on the screen, enabling your character to jump to and from one of the two walls. When your character jumps, he also swings his sword, allowing him to defeat obstacles, as well as catch power-ups.

Some examples of obstacles that you may encounter while playing NinJump are other ninjas, who may throw stars, birds, as well as foxes, which you can either attack or avoid. Attacking one of the obstacles will enable you to gain a “point” towards a power-up.

Once you have attacked three of the same type of obstacles, you will receive a power-up, which enables your character to move up the course faster, as well as with the ability to hit obstacles without falling.

In addition to power-ups, there is also a shield that you can get by simply running into it. The shield protects you if you were to run into or be hit by an obstacle. However, the shield can only be used once, as it goes away after you’ve been hit.

If you do not have a shield and run into or are hit by an obstacle, your character will fall off of the wall and the game will be over.

After your character has fallen, you will see a menu, showing you how high your character was able to climb, as well as what your best score was. Also, you can choose to post your score to OpenFeint, FaceBook, Twitter, or send it in an e-mail. There are also options to play NinJump again or return to the main menu.

If you would like to try playing NinJump, you can download it for free from the iTunes App Store.

Google Tasks

If you’re someone who likes to stay organized and on top of things by making to-do lists or taking notes and are also a GMail or Google Calendar user, perhaps you should consider moving from pen and paper lists to managing your tasks and to-do lists online.

After you have logged into your GMail account, you should see a “Tasks” link, which is located above the “Compose Mail” button. When you click on the link, a tasks list will appear on the lower right side of the GMail interface. If you haven’t used the tasks feature before, you should see the “Default List”, where you can add new tasks, as well as check off and view tasks which you have completed.

When you would like to add a new task to your list, you can do so by simply clicking in the blank space next to the check box in the list. If you would like to add details, such as a due date or notes, as well as choose which list to add the task to, you can do so by clicking on the blue arrow, located to the right of where you typed your task.

If you are a Google Calendar user, you can also view your tasks in the “Tasks” sidebar, which is located to the right of your calendar, where you should be able to view and manage your tasks, just like in GMail. However, if you have chosen a due date for your task, you will be able to view the task on your calendar, in addition to any other events you may have added to your calendar.

If you would like to organize your tasks into more than one list, you can do so by going to your tasks list and then clicking on the “Switch list” button, which looks like three bullet points and a blue arrow. From there, you can create a new list, switch between lists, as well as other options.

Hopefully after reading this post, you will be able to manage your tasks and to-do lists online, rather than having to write everything down!

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections for this post, please feel free to leave a comment below or use the Contact page to send me an e-mail!