I think the developers, TheCodingMonkeys, have really knocked the Carcassonne App out of the park. It’s one of the best examples of gaming on iOS yet. I especially appreciate the ability to play several multiplayer games at once and have the app notify me when it’s my turn to play on any one of them. This enables real pick-up/put-down gameplay that’s perfect for the iPhone on the go. But even if you don’t play with people, the CPU players are pretty good and can present quite a challenge (if you want them to).  Furthermore, despite the fact that it’s only optimized for the iPhone right now, I’ve found the game to be very playable when pixel doubled on the iPad.

The game is on sale for just $4.99 which is a steal for something with this kind of functionality and replayability. That price goes up to $9.99 when the iPad upgrade, which will be free to existing owners, goes live later this year. If you do pick it up, be sure to send me a friend request so we can play some games and remember, “Sharing is Caring.”

4 out of 5

PS: Sam Rockwell is perhaps one of the handful of guys who could ever steal a scene from Robert Downey Jr.; he certainly does here. I was cracking up when he danced on stage. Here’s to more Justin Hammer in Iron Man 3.

All this criticism makes it sound like the movie is bad, but that’s not the case at all.  Like you would expect from any blockbuster from Scott, the entire film shines from the quality of the acting, cinematography, and everything else.  The many beautiful shots of rustic landscapes, towns, & castles were all quite memorable and the frenzied battle sequences were appropriately mayhem filled and epic.

What the film lacks is the outlaw element.  The whole movie feels like a prequel to the real Robin Hood outlaw movie (which you’d think you were going to see when you buy tickets for a movie called ‘Robin Hood’), and I left the theater wanting more.

3 out of 5 (which could easily be bumped up to a 4 if they release an extended cut.)

Update (5/13/10): Cinematical mentions there will be about 17 minutes added to the DVD/BD version. Hopefully this addresses some of the movie’s shortcomings.

5 out of 5

I’m still very pleased with my own; I read a book for a few hours last night on the device and I was very pleased with the reading experience. Viewing HTML5 video on the web is similarly nice; I certainly am not missing Flash support.

The iPad is not a substitute for a full fledged computer with a large hard drive, optical drive, keyboard, and mouse, but it certainly is my preferred lounging computer. Which is to say; I’d much rather use the iPad than a laptop or iPhone when I’m reclined on the couch or laying in bed. This is when the strength of the touch interface and form factor really shine.

I think the iPad has some nice potential as a gaming device, if the touchscreen doesn’t interfere too much with your game environment. It even might be useful for productivity applications (if you don’t need to use the keyboard too much; I’m typing up this post with the iPad just sitting on my lap but clearly a physical keyboard would work better for longer typing sessions.

Overall I’m quite pleased with the iPad; it’s already more functional than my netbook and it’s a heck of a lot easier & much more fun to use. I think well be seeing them all over the place pretty soon.

There will be those of you who need a moment to sit down and absorb just how crazy, and yet, awesome, that sounds…  This post is for you. It comes out June 2nd; mark your calendars.

To everyone else reading this and scratching their head, please watch/listen to the following items immediately: Firefly, Serenity, Werewolves & Lollipops, and My Weakness is Strong.

I love the Tobey Maguire trilogy (I even like the last one despite its flaws), so I was disappointed to see a fourth movie fall apart. However, I think Webb has some great potential to make a Spider-Man film that can resonate emotionally, rather than just another special effects film.

Here’s my list of suggestions for the Spider-Man reboot:

1. Take liberties with the story: While I initially disliked the decision to incorporate Parker’s web slinging abilities to his spider powers (in the comics he makes his own web-shooting bracelets), it was ultimately the right decision for simplicity in a film. In any case, Spider-Man has a long twisted history to pull from and it would be a shame not to tap the best parts.
2. Don’t take too many liberties: the Mary Jane & Gwen Stacy crisscrosses in the previous trilogy eroded one of the strongest elements of Spider-Man’s backstory. Have Gwen in there, have her die when the time is right (maybe not the first movie), have Peter take this hard. Maybe then, in the followup movie, you can have a little Mary Jane.
3. Service the fans: Raimi did a great job of seeding Peter’s world with people the fans knew and tantalizing them with villains like Dr. Curt Connors, but the followup to the wink was infrequently realized. (It’s too bad we’ll never get to see the Lizard.) Webb’s got a whole new start so I’d love to see some off-hand references to Eddie Brock and Norman Osborn even if they don’t show up at first, just make sure they show up eventually. Marvel is doing a great job at this with their own Avenger properties, for example: SHIELD references in Iron Man or Stark showing up The Incredible Hulk (with more to come). Steal this page from their playbook.
4. Venom: for fuck sake, get him in there. Perhaps only as Eddie Brock in the first movie, but don’t wait until the last bit of the third movie. I’d ask for a Carnage but it really couldn’t be done right with a PG-13 rating that Sony would want.

For all the attention put into the action, Holmes doesn’t loose his exceptional powers of inductive reasoning, which he uses throughout the film. To the critics and naysayers complaining that this isn’t Holmes like they’ve read in the books or seen Jeremy Brett portray, isn’t that the core of the character? Remember how Batman Begins broke down Bruce Wayne to his fundamentals and pieced him together as something different and yet familiar? That’s what Guy Ritchie and co were trying to do, and, in my opinion, they have succeeded.

Verdict: 4.0 out of 5.0

PS: Once scene which played prominently in the trailer seemed to be missing from the movie. In it, Irene Adler, wearing a corset and stockings, attempts to stab Holmes with her hair pin. He defects the blow, they struggle, and then she knees him in the testicles instead. At least, that’s how I pieced together bits from this trailer.

Why don’t we see this in the film? It looks like a fun scene, I mean, look at his face! I guess we have some BD extras to look forward to.

BTW, Giovanni Ribisi is such a douche in this film that I can’t help loving him.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5.0

I’m personally not watching it to avoid spoiling any exciting bits it might reveal. Hopefully, I won’t have to walk out of the theater for Avatar or some other big movie this holiday.

Also, I like the trailer page design. It seems like they’re trying to duplicate the iTunes store pages. Right now the only movies that have it are the aforementioned IM2 and the new Shrek film. Hopefully it will roll out for more trailers soon.

Say what you will about Russell Crowe being a stereotypical Hollywood celebrity; he’s still a great actor. On top of that, no one does historical action/drama quite like Scott.

Sign me up.

If you’re a fan of painful comedy, like ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm‘ or the British ‘Office‘ you’ll appreciate this film, which slipped under under the radar in its theatrical release.

3.5 Stars out of 5

I’d also like to pull a nice quote from an interview with the author of the original book and producer of the movie Maurice Sendak:

Reporter: “What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?”
Sendak: “I would tell them to go to hell. That’s a question I will not tolerate.”
Reporter: “Because kids can handle it?”
Sendak: “If they can’t handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it’s not a question that can be answered.”

4 Stars out of 5

Update (December 21st, 2009):
Since the studio is dumping this one in February after many delays they evidently don’t have much confidence in the film. I still love the cast and makeup, but the movie itself might turn out to be a bomb.

Drool.

‘The Hurt Locker’ has been slowly expanding to more cities the past few weeks but it officially opens nationwide this Friday, July 24th. Please; do yourself a favor and go see this movie, then tell your friends about it and make them go. There’s no way a little film like this can hope to reach as many people as the marketing onslaught of tent poles like Transformers and Harry Potter, but it’s a movie that everyone should experience.

Verdict: 5 out of 5 Stars

Check out the trailer here.

Interviewer: Is that why you wouldn’t play LEGO Star Wars with Megan Fox on the set of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?
Shia: Correct. Who wants to play the Wii version of LEGO Star Wars. I’d rather eat glass.

Read the full, but sadly short, interview on BigDownload.

• Mass Effect 2 kicked off the awesome with this trailer which confirms what we’ve always known in our hearts. Sheppard is alive! Plus, how can I resist some awesome Nine Inch Nails in the background. From what I’ve seen it looks like BioWare is doing exactly what they should with the sequel to one of my favorite games, including enhancing the shooting with new weapons and a better control scheme while keeping everything pretty much the same. All that remains to be seen is what happens to the maligned Mako which I expect to hear about shortly. BioWare has acknowledged that in needs to be revamped and I expect they’ll deliver on this (I’m still pulling for a hovercraft/helicopter type craft which could explore in the air but only fight while on the ground.)
• Star Wars: The Old Republic I can’t help but double-down on BioWare after seeing this wonderful cinematic trailer for BioWare’s upcoming MMORPG which is worth watching even if you’re not a gamer (it’s pretty much a Star Wars CGI short film). I’m quite excited by all the positive things I’ve been reading about this game. Here’s to hoping it turns around my distaste of all things MMO.
• Uncharted 2 takes everything you know about adventure movies (specifically ones staring Dr. Jones) and creates a game out of all those great cinematic moments to the point where playing the game feels like staring in your own adventure. Watch this trailer and tell me it doesn’t look like the Indy sequel you always wanted. The first Uncharted rivaled any of the best action movies and I don’t think the second will have any trouble meeting that mark. I’ve been enjoying the recently-released multiplayer beta quite a bit as well. This game alone is reason to have a PS3
• Pixel Junk Shooter is a puzzle/shooter with a great retro vibe. This trailer highlights the gameplay which has a great retro vibe to it along with some very fun looking lava water flow puzzles. The past 2 PixelJunk games have been a blast and this one looks like the best yet.
• Dragon Age is a game I’m honestly trying to avoid any press on as much as possible because my anticipation has already reached critical levels. If you somehow remain unconvinced, watch this trailer (which I’m avoiding) and let me add these notes: ‘dark fantasy’, ‘spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate’ and finally ‘BioWare’.

So in summary, we’ve got 3 big nerdy archetypes: Star Wars (Old Republic), Indiana Jones (Uncharted 2), and Tolkein/D&D (Dragon Age) themed games. The top 5 list also has 3 BioWare games (because they’re like crack for me).

PS: Want to know the worst announcement of E3? Three words: Wii Vitality Sensor. I hate Nintendo.

Be on time. The occasional public-transit snafu is forgivable, but consistent lateness is rude, annoying, and self-centered. If we didn’t care when you showed up, we’d have said “any old time”; if we said seven, get there at seven or within fifteen minutes. Do not ditz that you “lost track of time” as though time somehow slipped its leash and ran into traffic. It shows a basic lack of respect for others; flakiness is not cute anymore, primarily because it never was.

I turn 25 this month and I think I do pretty good on this list except for the thank you note part which I have trouble with sometimes. Let me know if I’m messing something up.

(Via Kottke)

Here’s ‘The Wanting Comes in Waves’ live on Leno in 540p HD (114 MB) or iPod (37MB) formats. The performance features Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark (in green) on backing vocals along with Shara (in white), Colin, and the rest of The Decemberists.  As you’re watching, imagine everything twice as loud and Shara even more animated and you’ll get an idea what the live concerts are like.

Enjoy!

If you want to see innovative, smart, and engaging filmmaking, be sure to check out this movie. It has the potential to get buried by the other big summer releases, but it really deserves to be seen by a wide audience.

4.5 Stars

1. Sam Rockwell always kicks ass.
2. Kevin Spacey voicing a robot? Sign me up.
3. This awesome poster.
4. Clint Mansell is doing the score.
5. It’s a science fiction thriller. An under-appreciated genera.
6. The trailer blows my mind.

It felt like wonderful NYC fantasy that was almost too reflective of my own experience in NYC, like looking it a distorted mirror.

5.0 Stars

Certainly the most original looking film I’ve seen in a while. Nice use of Arcade Fire in the trailer.

Dumb-asses.

Apple is, unsurprisingly, not going to stand still and let Google Android and Palm WebOS get the upper hand on features. They pretty much went down the wish list of features for the update and checked of every one of them: copy/paste, push notifications, better Bluetooth support, and so on. Pretty much the only feature left out is background apps which Apple again dissed as a large source of battery drain.

Flash is also still a no-show, but that’s not a surprise, nor something I think Apple plans on addressing anytime soon. In any case, I still don’t think Flash would be any good on any phone device at this time.

Consumers get it this summer… I can’t wait.

The Big Picture also has two nice photo sets of the occasion, one of the preparations and one of the event.

Color me hopeful (especially about torture & Gitmo and abortion funding).

Estimated number of U.S. intelligence reports on Iraq that were based on information from a single defector: 100

Number of times the defector had ever been interviewed by U.S. intelligence agents: 0

(Via DF.)

A note about the cloud:

Cloud synchronization is a key theme for many great mobile apps, because, with a persistent internet connection, the iPhone is a revolutionary tool to connect your life when you’re out and about with your life on your computer. This is vitally important to mobile computing because no one wants to enter much information on a little device, but we want that information quickly accessible when we’re out and about. Synching with the could is already working magic for the first 3 apps above (they wouldn’t be on any top list without this feature), and you’ll be seeing it all over the place over the next year (for example, iWork.com).