Crytek should have known better than to open this can of worms. The video game studio responsible for developing one of the most realistic games on the market, Crysis, recently posted a job opening seeking iPhone/iPad developers. The App Store is no stranger to industry leaders, but the Crytek team could push Apple’s mobile devices even closer to their limits.

Responsibilities:

• Owns the development of one or more iPhone/iPad applications, from specification through design, coding, debugging, and deployment.

Requirements:

• Strong iOS (especially iPhone/iPad) development experience.
• At least one app in the app store (includes apps developed in a team).
• Long-term experience in Objective-C.

We know that the iPhone has the ability to play graphically stunning games like Infinity Blade, but, sigh… can it run Crysis?

[Pocket Gamer]

I first reported on the iChair line of products in my live coverage of CES 2011.  CES was awash with Apple cases and accessories.  What caught my eye with the iChair was the functionality of the built-in stand.  What kept my attention was the quality of the case, thoughtfulness of design and value of the total package.  It is a two piece slider case with a flip out stand that allows for a landscape or portrait orientation and has a distinctive feel.

The iChair is a brand new company and the cases are their first forays into the Apple accessory market.  They stress their mission of providing simple, functional, yet sturdy and protective cases, and I am impressed.

Read on for my full review.

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To celebrate their next app milestone, Apple is giving away a $10,000 iTunes gift card to the lucky customer who downloads the 10 billionth app from the App Store.

As of today, nearly 10 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store worldwide. Which is almost as amazing as the apps themselves. So we want to say thanks. Download the 10 billionth app, and you could win a US $10,000 iTunes Gift Card. Just visit the App Store, and download what could be your best app yet.

Just one year ago the App Store broke past the 3 billion mark, having been opened for just 18 months. Since then, downloads have more than tripled, and even more iOS devices have been released. With the upcoming Verizon iPhone (and iPad), it would be no surprise if app downloads double yet again by this time next year.

[Apple]

Watchers of such PBS shows as Nova and Antiques Roadshow can now watch their favorite shows on their iPhones.  This week PBS launched an iPhone version of their popular iPad app released last October.  The app gives access to 300 video clips, including full-length episodes of their primetime shows such as Frontline, History Detectives, Nature and others.  Music clips from Austin City Limits are also now part of the package.  Viewers can see their local listings, create calendar reminders, and share clips via Facebook and Twitter.  The app runs on iPhones, iPod Touches or iPads (of course the native app displays better) running 3.0 or later.

While downloading the app in the iTunes Store, check out some of the other PBS apps available.  Also released for the iPhone and iPad this week was an Antiques Roadshow game, where players buy items and hope they found a treasure.  The app is $2.99 and requires  an iOS device running 3.0 or later.

PBS fans with kids, and/or those old enough to remember when Morgan Freeman was a cast player on The Electric Company, may be interested to know that PBS offers over a dozen kid-oriented games related to their popular shows including Super Why!, Dinosaur Train, Mister Rogers, and several WordWorld e-books.

Check after the break for screenshots of the PBS app and Antiques Roadshow game.

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George Hotz, a.k.a. GeoHot, has recently been sued by Sony for jailbreaking the PS3. As most of you know, GeoHot is responsible for discovering and implementing many of the past and present iOS jailbreaks, including blackra1n and limera1n. Earlier today, he appeared on G4′s Attack of the Show to discuss his current predicament, and while the interview is focused around the PlayStation, much of it applies to electronic devices in general, and it’s definitely interesting to see one of the most prominent jailbreakers on mainstream television.

While jailbreaking iOS devices has been declared legal by the DMCA (which could prove to be a vital precedent for his Sony case), the aftermath of GeoHot’s current bind may have legal implications for hacking other gadgets in the future. While Mr. Hotz is not highly regarded in the iOS community for his childish antics, we can’t afford to lose him to the corporate giant that is Sony.

[iH8sn0w]

QR codes are popping up everywhere these days.  When I first saw them I wondered if they were the spawn of a crossword puzzle and Sudoku grid.  For those unfamiliar with QR codes, they are matrix, or two-dimensional barcodes, and are sometimes referred to as paper-based hyperlinks or mobile tagging.  They are found in magazines, billboards, on business cards or the like.  They are not limited to static surfaces either.  They can also be projected or shown on electronic billboards.  When scanned by a cell camera, they lead the user to additional information about the product, such as web sites, contact information, etc.  For instance, one might read a movie review and see a QR code that sends the user to the actual movie trailer, no typing of URL’s required.

I’ve tried a few QR reader apps, including AT&T’s.  I found it to be slow and frustrating to use.  I much prefer the free app by i-nigma.  It is fast, scans standard barcodes, data matrix and QR codes.  It had no problem with paper or electronic images of codes and quickly launched Safari for the referenced URL.  i-nigma’s (4) QR datamatrix barcode reader is compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch running iOS 4.0 or later.  For those running older an iOS, they still have a version in the app store which runs on iOS 2.0 or later.

For more information about the history and uses of QR codes, check out the Wikipedia article.

Check after the break for screenshots of i-nigma.

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