Wina, wino
Wino to napój alkoholowy uzyskiwany w wyniku fermentacji soku z winogron,
która w tym przypadku jest nazywana procesem winifikacji. Proces ten jest bardzo
skomplikowany i ulega modyfikacjom w zależności od producenta i rodzaju wina.
Nomenklatura
Chociaż określenie "wino" przyjęło
się jako potoczna nazwa wielu w podobny sposób pozyskiwanych napojow alkoholowych
na bazie owoców, to jednak na ogół dotyczy ono czystych produktów gronowych.
Wina z innych owoców, określa się mianem
win owocowych i mają one zwykle w samej
nazwie wymienione owoce, z których zostały wytworzone np: "wino
jabłkowe". Poniższy artykuł dotyczy wyłącznie win
z winogron.
Istnieją setki odmian, smaków i rodzajów wina.
Jego smak oraz bukiet zapachowy zależy od rodzaju szczepów winogron, sposobu
ich uprawy, klimatu i ziemi, na której się je uprawia oraz od sposobu winifikacji.
Podział win
Wina produkowane są z soku z winogron,
który uszlachetnia się poprzez proces fermentacji i dzieli się na:
które dodatkowo mogą być słodkie, półsłodkie, półwytrawne
i wytrawne, w zależności od zawartości cukru
w końcowym produkcie. Wina zawierają najczęściej od 8% do 14% alkoholu. Niektóre
mocne wina z Kalifornii, słonecznych regionów Francji, jak też Węgier osiągają
nawet do 16%, jednakże nigdy nie przekraczają granicy 16,5% w której to obumierają
drożdże.
wina musujące - rozróżnić należy trzy określenia win musujących:
szampan (Champagne) - uzyskiwane metodą szampańską i pochodzące z rejonu Szampania
wino szampańskie - uzyskiwane metodą szampańską, ale nie wyprodukowane
w Szampanii
wino musujące - zwykłe wino nasączone sztucznie dwutlenkiem
węgla
wina wzmacniane - poprzez dodatek mocniejszego alkoholu, zazwyczaj
w celu wstrzymania procesu fermentacji, np. madera, malaga, marsala, porto,
sherry.
Zdrowotne własności win są przedmiotem wieloletnich kontrowersji.
Najwazniejszą z nich jest tzw. "Francuski Paradox", który akceptuje
empirycznie udowodniony fakt ze dzięki piciu czerwonego wina Francuzi rzadziej
chorują na serce niz Amerykanie, mimo ze (jak udowodniono) alkohol nie gra tu
istotnej roli. Wyjaśnienie przyszło niedawno: Winogrona (zwłaszcza czerwone)
hodowane bez uzycia preparatów gzybobójczych, rozwijają na skórce warstwę zawierającą
naturalne fungicydy, które właśnie są owymi czynnikami zbawiennymi dla ludzkiego
serca. Choć dotyczy to większości rodzajów winogron, winogrona czerwone mają
ok. dziesięciokrotnie większe stęzenia tych naturalnych fungicydów niz wina
białe, a spośród czerwonych winogron niektóre gatunki mają szczególnie wysokie
(o następne 500%) ich stęzenia: tzw. winogrona "muszkatowe" (ang.
"muscat"), np. winogrona Malaga i winogrona/rodzynki z wyspy Samos.
Należy podkreślić że winogrona hodowane "nowocześnie", jak i wina
z nich produkowane, pozbawione są tych dobroczynnych właściwości, więc Francuzi
czerpią korzyści ze swojego surowego zachowywania starych metod hodowli winorośli.
Ta obserwacja moze być traktowana jako przyczynek w dyskusji czy polskie rolnictwo
powinno rozwijać sie w kierunku wydajności, czy w kierunku ekologii.
WINO
dla SENIORÓW
Odrobinę
wiadomości o winie
Zabiegi
z czerwonym winem
Nowości z Forum GAZETA.pl
(10 newsów)
Wine Spectator's senior editors share their most interesting wines, enjoyed with friends over meals.
These bottles were tasted non-blind; members can read official blind reviews.
Sklep z winami
Kup wino z dostawą do domu! Poczuj klimat Nowego Świata ! Wyrusz z nami na
wyprawę w siodle po równinach Chile i innych zakątkach świata.
Wina w sprzedazy: wina
białe - 1 -
2 | wina
czerwone - 1
- 2 -
3 | wina różowe
1 | Odzwiedź
nasz sklep z winami.
Wina wyselekcjonowane przez podróżników, łowców przygód i koneserów
wina, którzy podróżowali od winnicy do winnicy, w krainie gdzie czas płynie
wolniej, nie ma zasięgu telefonów komórkowych i słychać jedynie własny oddech
i bicie serca, mocniejsze... Wina sprowadzane bezpośrednio, niekiedy z niewielkich
winnic. Spróbuj - a odkryjesz wykwintny bukiet pod etykietą z ... atrakcyjnej
półki cenowej. Odzwiedź nasz sklep z winami.
Polski Instytut
Winorośli i Wina | http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wino
| Blog o winach
http://winnicepolskie.pl/index.php
| http://www.winogrona.org/index.php
| http://wino.org.pl/forum/index.php
- http://wino.org.pl/forum/today.php
| http://wino.org.pl/ | http://maas.blox.pl/2006/10/ABC-Forum-Wino.html
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
Loopt teams with Mobile Spinach for check-in discounts, Booyah talks about MyTown
8 Feb 2010, 23:00:00 +0100
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store
If the iPhone has a leading app genre, aside from gaming, I'd say the current surge of "check-in" apps is probably it. Sure, back when the App Store first opened up, Twitter apps were everywhere (and they're still being made daily, it seems), but in terms of a genre that can only exist on a location-aware device like the iPhone, "check-in" apps like Foursquare, Gowalla, and so on, are making their mark right now. Here's news on two such apps continuing to grow on the App Store skyline.
First up, Loopt [iTunes link] has announced a partnership with a company called Mobile Spinach to start trying to monetize this kind of app usage. Mobile Spinach delivers local ads, and Loopt says that it'll be using their location-based social networking service to bring specials and deals to users from wherever they check-in from. Note that while Apple doesn't necessarily want location-based advertising as the sole purpose of an app, it seems to be all right with location-based advertising as an extra feature like this. Loopt tells us at TUAW that it's a great deal for the company, as it is "an easier and cost-effective way to do online/mobile advertising," and that it means "Loopt users can get great free offers on everyday things they want in need just by walking around in the neighborhood." It'll be interesting to see just how useful this extra advertising can be.
After the link below, read about how MyTown finally got the success they'd been hoping for.
Elsewhere in check-in app news, PocketGamer has an interesting interview with Keith Lee of Booyah about their extremely popular MyTown check-in app. It's been fascinating to follow these guys -- they're former Blizzard devs, and their first app called Booyah Society, had some good ideas but failed to impress. So they went back to the drawing board, and MyTown [iTunes link] (which I've been playing with lately) has definitely made a few steps forward. As Lee points out, they looked at how they could better validate what people were doing, and they also upped the "gaming" side of it -- you can earn points and money and even buy the properties you check in from to create your own kind of social networking city. And then when other people check in from the properties that you "buy," you earn "rent."
Lee says they really pushed on iteration and what felt fun for the team -- he says that they had a few different expectations for Booyah Society, but that the relative failure of that app helped them learn a lot about which directions to go with on MyTown. Lee also talks about monetization -- the app currently has a partnership with Citysearch (so you can easily access news and information about the places you check-in from), but they're just running in-app ads, not necessarily anything tied to location yet. The app also has some in-app purchases -- Lee says that they wanted to design for both the occasionally "check-in" user as well as the social "spammer," so there are a few ways that the game balances those two types of players out so everyone levels at a fair rate.
Very interesting stuff. With their pedigree, it's not surprising that Booyah eventually hit gold with MyTown, but the way they did it is really fascinating. I think we're only scratching the surface of these check-in apps, whether you like them or not. As they get more competitive and more popular, we'll really start to see some major innovation happening.TUAWLoopt teams with Mobile Spinach for check-in discounts, Booyah talks about MyTown originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft still beats Apple in cash and investments, for now
8 Feb 2010, 22:00:00 +0100
Filed under: Apple Financial, Apple
Back during the earnings call a few weeks ago, it was mentioned that Apple has a jaw-dropping almost $40 billion just sitting around in cash. In the chat, we started talking about other companies that might have that much money in the hopper -- Google came up, but I don't think we were able to guess another one. But it turns out Apple isn't even the most flush company out there, and the name of the first might surprise you: According to this chart on Silicon Alley Insider, Microsoft is currently sitting on just slightly more money than even Apple, with Google and Intel coming close behind; although Apple briefly pulled ahead of MS at the end of 2008, the Redmond Revenue Racers had more cash through most of '09 than Apple did.
Well how 'bout that. Of course, the current curves are not so favorable to Microsoft (after the Win7 update push slows down a bit) so it may not be long before Apple's pile grows even bigger. We can probably look for some significant acquisitions from all of these companies very soon -- with the rest of the economy down and lots of interesting ideas looking to sell, odds are we'll see some of this money spent on worthy purchases.
[via Cult of Mac]TUAWMicrosoft still beats Apple in cash and investments, for now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Purported pics of next-gen iPhone front face surface
8 Feb 2010, 21:00:00 +0100
Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, iPhone
iResQ, the iPhone/iPod repair site, has posted pics of what they claim is the front faceplate of the next-gen iPhone. Two things about this piece of hardware are particularly interesting. First, the part is approximately 1/4 of an inch taller than the iPhone 3GS, indicative of a slightly taller form factor for the next-gen iPhone. Second, there's a small, reflective strip directly above the hole for the phone speaker. iResQ believes this is likely to be the new location for the iPhone's proximity sensor rather than an indication of any new hardware; however, moving the proximity sensor to a new location and increasing the overall length of the device could still point to a front-facing camera or other new hardware on the next-gen iPhone.
It's worth mentioning the possibility that these "iPhone" parts aren't legitimate. iResQ hasn't revealed its source for the part, and purported iPhone bezels leaked in 2009 turned out to be parts for a completely different device. The backside of the supposed next-gen iPhone's face is missing quite a few parts present on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, which either means the part iResQ received was incomplete, the next-gen iPhone has had its internal hardware shifted around, or the part is fake.
So case manufacturers, don't throw out your old blueprints just yet. Unfortunately, it's likely we won't find out whether these are legit or not until June/July of this year; despite rumors of an iPhone update in April, the most likely date for the next-gen iPhone's release is early summer.
[Via MacRumors]TUAWPurported pics of next-gen iPhone front face surface originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dev team releases PwnageTool 3.1.5 to jailbreak iPhone 3.1.3 firmware
8 Feb 2010, 20:30:00 +0100
Filed under: Hardware, iTunes, Apple, iPhone, SDK, Jailbreak/pwnage
Jailbreakers ahoy! Yesterday brought the release of the Dev Team's pwnage tool for jailbreaking and unlocking iPhones equipped with the new 3.1.3 firmware. As usual, though, there are a few catches: first, if you don't need to update to 3.1.3, the dev team says you shouldn't bother anyway -- it doesn't do much that the old versions of the firmware doesn't, so if you don't need to upgrade, just leave your jailbreak as is.
3G and 3GS users especially should be leery of this one, since if a mistake is made, there's a chance you could upgrade your firmware and then not be able to unlock it again. They also have all sorts of other warnings and exceptions on their blog post. As they say, don't download and run those files without seriously thinking about what you're doing with your iPhone.
If, after all of that thinking, you decide it is time to crack open your iPhone with the 3.1.3 firmware, the jailbreak will put together a custom 3.1.3 IPSW for you to restore back on to your iPhone -- here's a quick how-to to start with. Good luck, and be careful out there!
[via Engadget]TUAWDev team releases PwnageTool 3.1.5 to jailbreak iPhone 3.1.3 firmware originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Could iPad prices drop the way the iPhone did after launch?
8 Feb 2010, 20:00:00 +0100
Filed under: Hardware, Retail
Looks like they might. That's the opinion of a note out last night from Credit Suisse quoting meetings with Apple executives. The Wall Street Journal this morning quotes Senior Analyst Bill Shope as saying "While it remains to be seen how much traction the iPad gets initially, management noted that it will remain nimble (pricing could change if the company is not attracting as many customers as anticipated)."
This is a similar situation to the original iPhone launch in 2007, where the original price quickly dropped US $200 from the original $599 retail. Agitated early adopters got a $100 Apple store credit from Apple.
Apple will be watching sales of the device carefully in the early days, and the company appears to have enough margin built into the iPad to take some hits if it is slow moving.
On the other hand, if the iPad blows the doors off Apple stores in sales, don't expect any discounts soon.TUAWCould iPad prices drop the way the iPhone did after launch? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hutchison offers discounted iPad in Austria
8 Feb 2010, 19:00:00 +0100
Filed under: Hardware, iPhone
Hutchison Austria is following in the wake of the iPhone and is offering a subsidized iPad to users willing to commit to a 2-year data contract, Engadget reports. When you sign up for a €29.90, 5GB monthly contract, you'll get a €333 markdown on the iPad -- which may or may not be all that much since we still don't know how much an iPad is going to cost overseas. Instead of built-in 3G service, a Huawei i-Mo 3G modem will be provided.
It's not a bad idea, and we're likely to see more carriers jump on this particular bandwagon as the iPad gets closer to release. What I would love to see from carriers is a way to extend existing service for iPhone customers to those who want an iPad plus iPhone. AT&T already gets close to $100 a month from me for basic cell service, plus iPhone data and a text messaging plan. I wouldn't mind paying an additional $5-10 a month for my iPhone contract to cover an iPad as well.
The thought of having to pay another $15 or $30 a month for extra 3G service to an iPad, on top of the charges already being paid for an iPhone, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and if the decision is made to have an iPad join my family, I'm most likely sticking with Wi-Fi only.TUAWHutchison offers discounted iPad in Austria originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Turn your old Macs into clocks, lamps and more
8 Feb 2010, 18:15:00 +0100
Filed under: Cult of Mac, Odds and ends
We've written about the recycled Mac clocks that pixelthis on Etsy has created before, but this one is definitely worth a mention. This particular piece combines an old iBook G4 with an Apple mouse to create a time piece that's complete with a working pendulum. Current pieces include a clock made from a recycled iMac G4 motherboard.
Looking for other handcrafted Apple goods for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day? How about a cap honoring Apple of a bygone era? Or an Alfred Hitchock decal for your MacBook? Or if you want a custom-made laptop case, here's one made out of denim. If you need a new lamp for your desk, try one made from an old G4 iMac. If your special someone really desires jewelry, you can always get some Apple cufflinks or earrings.
[Via The Daily What]TUAWTurn your old Macs into clocks, lamps and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TUAW Giveaway: iCamcorder for iPhone EDGE, 2G, 3G
8 Feb 2010, 15:00:00 +0100
Filed under: iPhone, App Store
If you don't have an iPhone 3GS, there are now apps available to enable video recording capabilities on the older phones. One of those apps, Drahtwerk's iCamcorder [US$0.99, iTunes Link], has a ton of features that might make 3GS owners jealous. Some of those features include:
- Quad-cam, mirror, pop-art, old movie,color-flip and four more special effects
- Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube sharing of recorded videos
- Adjustable recording frame rate
- Bonjour sharing for downloading videos from your iPhone
Drahtwerk wanted to give away some promo codes for this app, and now 20 lucky TUAW readers are going to walk away with a free copy of iCamcorder. Here's how to enter:
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
- To enter, leave a comment telling us what you'd like to record with iCamcorder.
- The comment must be left before Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Twenty winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Prize: One promo code for a copy of iCamcorder (Value: US$0.99)
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Good luck, TUAW-ites!TUAWTUAW Giveaway: iCamcorder for iPhone EDGE, 2G, 3G originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPad in the family: What it'll take
8 Feb 2010, 14:00:00 +0100
Filed under: Hardware
When Steve Jobs announced the iPad, I thought it was neat, but I didn't see how it would really fit into my life. What could it do for me that my iPhone or MacBook Pro couldn't? It seemed like that gap Steve Jobs said the iPad filled was targeted at a group of people I didn't belong to. So I asked the TUAW readers if you'd be getting one. Then I began talking to my family about the iPad and discovered some surprising things: the very people I thought would never buy one plan to, and the people I thought would jump at it are holding off.
So here's a rundown of four very different people in my family and if/why they will be getting an iPad:
Person: My mother. 62. Queen of the Luddites.
Computer proficiency: Absolutely none.
Will she be getting the iPad? Yep. The 16GB 3G model.
Why? My mom has never owned a computer. She doesn't have an internet connection. She couldn't explain to you what Facebook is. And she refers to my iPhone as "that information device."
Given all this, I was quite surprised when she said she'll be getting one right away. But then it made perfect sense. My mom hates computers because the icons are so small and the various program UI's are relatively confusing (remember, she's a 62 year old woman who still clings to her VHS tapes). My mom never saw the value in getting a computer and subscribing to a $30 monthly internet service when computers were always hard for her to use (she never really understood the mouse moves the cursor on the screen thing) and the only thing she would really use the computer for would be email.
For her the iPad is perfect. It's not small like the iPhone, so she can see everything on the screen without squinting. Because my mom is a light internet user (think email and Skype), the $15 pay-as-you-go 250MB 3G price plan is perfect for her - especially since she can cancel at any time. She doesn't have to sign a $30 a month contract and has no modem to worry about dying on her. But, the real appeal about the iPad is there is no mouse for her to fuddle with or cursor to follow. With the iPad, when she wants to check on her email, she simply touches the screen. My mom has poor sight but the iPad is both large enough and features a simple enough UI that she can touch to email with ease.
Best of all, when she isn't checking her email, the iPad will double as a digital picture frame. My mom loves her photos and has recently gotten a digital camera. But with no computer, she's had to take the camera card to Walgreen's to get the pictures printed. Now with the iPad and the camera connection kit she can bypass a computer entirely and view her photos as never before.
Person: My brother. 34. Public school teacher.
Computer proficiency: Intermediate.
Will he be getting the iPad? Not yet.
Why? My brother won't be getting an iPad until it offers him something he doesn't already have in his iMac. What would that something be? An iComicbook store.
My brother has collected comics since he was a kid - back when they were 75 cents an issue. Today they run about $3.99 each - a price many think is just too high. He's had to cut back on the amount of comics he reads because of their high cover price. But what if he could buy a digital issue for 99 cents each? That would be enough for him to get the iPad.
And it just might happen. Jon Fortt over at Fortune wrote an article that made a lot of sense about why he believes comics will come to the iPad. His thesis? Steve Jobs is the largest Disney shareholder. In August Disney bought Marvel Comics. Disney is extremely concerned about turning a young, tech savvy, male audience back to their brands. The marriage of Disney and Marvel might just produce a subsection of the iBookstore in the very near future called the iComicstore. If Marvel signs on, you can bet DC Comics will follow suit. Once this happens, my brother will buy an iPad, as I'm sure legions of comics fans would.
Person: Me. 32. Tech blogger and writer.
Computer proficiency: Expert.
Will I be getting the iPad? Not yet.
Why? No, not because they didn't put a front facing camera on it as planned. Really people, do you really want the person you're vid chatting with to be staring up at your nose hair? I think the iPad's pretty cool, but I see it more as a content/leisure device - and right now the content is lacking. Sure, the iBooks app is nice, but I'll have to see if reading a book on an iPad is an enjoyable as reading a paperback or as easy on the eyes as reading on an E-ink reader.
There is one thing that would make me buy an iPad right away. It's another subsection of the iBookstore that I envision: the iMagazine store. I've written about this before, but I'll repeat my talking points here: I like magazines, but like my brother, I find the newsstand cover prices are a bit too high when I only want to read one interesting article that's caught my eye. If I could buy that single issue on an iPad for 99 cents, it would be a done deal. Add bookmarking, highlighting, and a built-in dictionary panel like the one in Mac OS X and I would be in heaven.
As with comics, the expensive cover price is a result of the costs of printing, shipping, and distribution. If magazine and comic publishers switched to the digital iPad distribution format, they could easily cut the cover prices while still maintaining profits (due to no printing or shipping costs, and cheaper distribution costs through Apple). Magazine publishers may actually be able to make a healthier profit if they introduce pay-per-click dynamic ads in the issues. This would especially benefit digital comic books because many fans go back and read their favorite issues again and again (thus they would be seeing new ads each time).
Person: My sister. 30. Occupational Therapist.
Computer proficiency: Intermediate.
Will she be getting the iPad? What's that?
Why? Please, I'm still trying to get her on a Mac or even just an iPod.
IMHO, Apple will implement an iMagazine and iComicbook store sooner rather than later and that's when my brother and I will jump on the iPad bandwagon. In the meantime, I'll have to live with the fact that my mom will have the latest and greatest tech gadget on the planet while I curl up with a good book and a copy of Men's Health.TUAWiPad in the family: What it'll take originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Review: Hive board game app offers all sorts of buggy fun
8 Feb 2010, 01:00:00 +0100
Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
As a tabletop board game, Hive has been around since 2001. It draws inspiration from classic abstract strategy games like chess and shogi but does away with that pesky board (see also: Tile Chess). The iPhone/iPod touch app [US$1.99, iTunes link] brings everything from the physical version to your pocket, and if clever placement of bug-decorated pieces is your thing, the game is well worth the download - at least for a short while.
The Game
The rules of this two-player game are entirely simple. Each turn, you either add a piece to the hive (you can think of the hive as the board) or, if you've already placed your queen bee, you can move a piece in the hive. The object of the game is to surround your opponent's bee and, like in chess, each type of piece (different kinds of bugs) has its own movement abilities, so knowing when to move where is a challenge and certainly part of the fun. Beetles climb on other bugs, the ant runs around the hive, and so on.The full rules are detailed in the app's tutorial, or you can watch a video review after the jump (or get the rules PDF). Read on to discover if these bugs are the kind you want invading your iPhone.
A game of Hive goes pretty quickly, taking anywhere between five and 30 minutes depending on how good you are and what level you're playing against. The app can save up to eight games so you'll always have room for any game that gets interrupted.
The App
Since Hive, like chess and many other abstract strategy games where all pieces and options are known at all times, is a game of perfect information, it works wonderfully as a two player app. In fact, if your tabletop board game shelves are already full of abstract games, there's really no reason any more to shell out the $25 or $30 for the physical copy when almost the same functionality - with quicker set up - can be had for $1.99 in the App Store. Heck, just the 2007 Mosquito expansion costs $10 in a store. There's no way an iPhone can replace an entire board game collection, but in this case, it makes more sense to have the app than the box.
While the app doesn't offer a way to playing with multiple mosquito tiles, the game's visual options are ridiculously varied. None of them make the game look quite as nice and the polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride (sorry, Bakelite) pieces available for tabletop play, but you can pick from about two dozen background colors and five different tile types. There are also four difficulty levels and toggles to to turn the mosquito option and tournament rules on and off and to select which color the AI will play in single player mode. We recommend leaving the tournament rules set to be always on. Tournament rules mean that neither player can place the Bee as their first piece, a choice that often leads to games that end in a draw. Boring.
The trouble is that the AI, even on hard, is not too difficult to beat. In the course of an evening, an experienced abstract game player can learn the rules and manage to beat the system with some regularity. It's not a total cakewalk, but a difficulty level beyond "hard" would be appreciated. You know, something really frustrating. Considering the game's mediocre AI, a real online player option would be a great thing. Instead, the pass-the-device two-player and local network P2P are all that's offered.
Of course, a harder-working AI might be a bit much for early iPhones. Running on a first-gen iPod Touch, the game repeatedly reported low memory and suggested restarting the device. Even after doing so, though, the message appeared. Still, the app continued to work, so it's not the most useful of warnings. When playing the medium and hard AI levels, there is some - not too much - delay in the bot's moves, which is kind of nice and mimics playing against a person, but it might become too annoying if the AI got smarter.
Thankfully, the game's music and sound effects can be muted and, if iTunes is playing when the app starts, the audio continues without interruption. Also, while there is no undo button per se, you can touch the "Hive" logo on the game screen and call up the game menu, which includes a "Back to Game" option. If you do this when you're selected the wrong piece, the piece will be unselected when you come back to the game. Handy, but the location of the logo makes it kind of troublesome for one player in a two-player game.
All in all, Hive is like so many of the "easy to learn, hard to master" style of games. Even when playing on the iPod touch, having two human players is better than playing against the bots, and the game loses nothing in the translation to virtual tabletop.
Review of the board game version by the Dice Tower:
Official app promo from Lotus Studios:
TUAWReview: Hive board game app offers all sorts of buggy fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iResQ, the iPhone/iPod repair site, has posted pics of what they claim is the front faceplate of the next-gen iPhone. Two things about this piece of hardware are particularly interesting. First, the part is approximately 1/4 of an inch taller than the iPhone 3GS, indicative of a slightly taller form factor for the next-gen iPhone. Second, there's a small, reflective strip directly above the hole for the phone speaker. iResQ believes this is likely to be the new location for the iPhone's proximity sensor rather than an indication of any new hardware; however, moving the proximity sensor to a new location and increasing the overall length of the device could still point to a front-facing camera or other new hardware on the next-gen iPhone.
