adam|riggins

There are a TON of apps that help you find restaurants, gas stations, drug stores, etc.  Those apps all bring a little something different to the table, but you can do most of the same stuff through the Google Maps app that comes with the iPhone.  Here is how you do it:

Sometimes, you will have several Wifi networks set up on your Mac, and in some cases, you might need to see what the password is for a particular network saved on it.  In previous versions of OSX, it was as simple as looking at your networks in “Network Preferences” and clicking on “Show Password”.  It seems that Apple has changed that in its most recent version of OSX.  Now, if you click on “show password”, it makes the entered password disappear.

I have found another way of getting that password in the event you ever need to.  Here’s how:

1.  Go to Username –> Applications –> Utilities, and click on “Keychain Access”

2.  In the window that opens up, first click on “System” in the top-left box, then click on “Passwords” in the lower-left box.  It will show you all of the saved Wifi networks on your Mac.  Double-click on the one for which you are trying to get the saved password.

3. In the next window that opens, you will need to check the box in the lower-left corner that says “show password”.  When you do that, you will be prompted for your password.  Enter it.

4.  Voila!  Now you can see the password for the Wifi network you selected.

This is really helpful if you have a Wifi password stored on your computer from a network that you didn’t set up on your computer.

For you Widows folks out there, you will need to download a free little app called WirelessKeyView.  Google it, you’ll find it.

Released recently for the iPhone was Rock Band (iTunes link), the game that has brought music nerds together for the last couple of years.  Being the RB addict that I am, I immediately purchased it from the iTunes Store for it’s very modest asking price of $9.99.  Being so used to holding a guitar and playing it like that, how would an iPhone version of the game hold up?  Would the songs be ones I had actually heard of?

Here are my thoughts on it.

The first thing you notice it that this is Rock Band.  From the sound effects in the menu to the graphics, this is the game you have played on other systems.  The only difference is that now it is on a smaller screen and you are using your thumbs to tap the screen rather than pressing buttons on a plastic guitar.

There is the World Tour, otherwise known as the story mode, where you go to different cities, play a set, then unlock other cities.

Once you select your song, you can then select which instrument you would like to play: bass, guitar, drums, or vocals:

My only complaint here is that you can’t select which character represents you.  It doesn’t really matter in the game, but I would like to NOT be the girl, being that I usually play the guitar in the game.

Now, for what matters most, the gameplay.  Here is a video of me playing “Everlong”, by Foo Fighters.  As you will see, and like I said before, it IS Rock Band (click the “HQ” for best quality):

One thing I quickly noticed is that even though “vocals” is an option, you don’t actually sing into your iPhone, in which I was a little disappointed.  Instead, you have to press on the screen based on the pitch that is being sung.  Hard to explain, but here is what it looks like:

Trust me, it makes more sense when you actually do it.

So how does it play?  The feel of it is great.  I have big hands, but I didn’t really have a problem accurately pressing the right buttons when needed.  Another thing to note is that just like in the console version of the game, you can tilt the phone up to activate the “Overdrive” mode.  If you have played on the Consoles, you know what I mean.

There was no lag whatsoever, the graphics are great, the song selection is what you would expect from a Rock Band game, and extra songs are available for purchase if you so desire.

I have not had a chance to try out the multiplayer mode yet, but from what I have read, you can play against people you connect with on Facebook or over Bluetooth.  I would love to test that out, but as of now, I don’t know anyone else that has the game.

The common complaint I have heard is that the game itself costs $10, and for me, that doesn’t seem like too much to ask for a game that will do all that this one will do.  It comes with about 20 songs to play around with, 4 instruments to play them with, and 3 difficulty levels to master.  That is a lot of bang for the buck (or ten) if you ask me.

Overall, I have to say that this is the most fun in a game that I have experienced thus far on my iPhone.  It’s pretty awesome to have an app that will let you see a million faces… and rock them all (anyone?)

Rock Band is $9.99 and is available now from the iTunes Store.

Gallery:

On July 11, 2008, I purchased the iPhone 3G.  I waited in line for about 2 hours to buy it, and it was actually an all-around fun experience.   I paid $299 for the 16GB version, and in doing so, I entered into a 2-year contract with AT&T.  Fast forward a year or so later…

Apple releases the iPhone 3GS, and if I want to get it, I have to shell out $399 to get the low-end model since I am not yet eligible for the cheaper upgrade pricing.  I was bummed, but still content with what I had.  Now, fast forward to last week…

I have recently been wanting one of those little Flip video cameras for on-the-fly video shooting, and I started thinking that if I had the new iPhone 3GS, it would accomplish the video part, plus, I would have the shiny new phone that can do several other things that my iPhone would not do.

So my dilemma was this… how in the world do I justify spending $399 on a new iPhone when my current one works fine, and more importantly, I don’t have $399 to spend on a phone? The only way would be to sell my current iPhone and try and recoup some of the cost of getting the new iPhone.

Enter eBay.

On Thursday, I put my iPhone up on eBay to try and sell it.  I thought I might get around $300 or so, especially considering that the phone was used.  I would be ok with that.  I spend $100 to get the latest-greatest.  Well, the auction closed Saturday, and the price it sold for?

$425!

The buyer paid instantly with Paypal, and I went and got my shiny new iPhone.  The best part is that I am out ZERO dollars for it.

So, the moral of the story is this:  If you have an older iPhone and want a newer one, put it up on eBay.  You will get a lot more for it than you would expect, and it just might pay for the new iPhone that you want =)

I have no idea what the actual source of the laser is in this video, but regardless, it is pretty cool/scary. Thoughts?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP1uOXIJUm4]