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I am working diligently on an update for the iPhone game “Falling Space Rocks”.

Version 2.0 will include better graphics, sounds, and some improvements to the weapon enhancements section (including a new auto-firing weapon). This is a free update for those who have already purchased the game.

I will also be releasing a ‘lite’ version of the game for those who like to try before they buy.

Falling Space Rocks has been approved and is on the App Store.

Check out the games section to view more information about the game and view the game play footage.

It was quite the process… but I have finally submitted my first iPhone game to the App Store.

The process required the creation of many certificates, device provisioning, application signing, and a slew of other technical nitty-gritty details!

Now we play the waiting game…

Reflecting on the process:
It was a lot of fun creating my first iPhone game and I learned a lot about how to program for Apple devices. I was also able to learn about the Cocos2D framework which really helped me get straight to programming the content of the game and not having to fuss about the framework.

I did a lot of things wrong throughout the process, causing me to start over a few times.  It took 5 months in total (in my spare time) to get the game up and running from not knowing Objective – C,  to having an application submitted for review.

I am already looking forward to the next project, and I don’t think it will take me as long to get it up and running.   I am hoping to use the BOX2D or Chipmunk physics system which should add an interesting element to the game, I just don’t have any good and original ideas yet…  must do some serious thinking on this one before I start to develop anything…

Once the game is accepted and on the Store, I’ll release the game play footage and provide a link to where you can download it and play it yourselves!

An article written by Sally Wilson, Web Services Librarian at Ryerson and myself has been published in RSR Quarterly.  Below is some information from the Abstract.  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Abstract:

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to review one library’s experiences of creating mobile services and illustrate how, by developing expertise in emerging technologies, libraries can foster partnerships with other groups on campus and play a leading role in providing relevant student centred services.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a brief summary of mobile services offered by the Ryerson Library prior to the fall of 2008, discusses the results of a mobile device survey conducted that semester , and outlines the resulting mobile services that were developed by the Library which lead to a campus-wide collaboration to develop the framework for a student led mobile initiative. The technical framework and project management issues will also be discussed.

Findings – A survey performed by the Ryerson University Library in the fall of 2008 indicated that smart phones were owned by approximately 20% of the student population but that within the next three years, this figure could reach as much as 80%. To remain relevant, it is important that libraries adapt their services to this new environment

Practical implications – This paper illustrates how library services that can be adapted to the mobile environment and how the library can play a role in broader campus mobile initiatives.

Originality/value – All libraries will be interested in exploring the library services that were developed and adapted for mobile devices and of particular interest to academic libraries will be the building of collaborative relationships with other academic department to provide services to students.

Ryerson Mobile Screenshot

If you’ve come here on a blackberry, iPhone, Google Android device, Palm Pre or a variety of other mobile devices… than you already know that this website has a mobile version.

I’ve been very intrigued with developing applications for mobile devices for the past few years.  Especially since these little handheld devices have begun rendering websites much faster and with vivid graphics.  *ahem* Since the iPhone came out… *ahem*

These mobile devices will definitely play a major part in shaping the future of computing.  They will also (continue to) define the way our society communicates and interacts with each other.  These disruptive devices are definitely game changers.

I’ve spent the last year and a half researching mobile devices and their utility within Universities and specifically Academic Libraries.  My newest article on the subject will be out in RSR Quarterly – Spring 2010 issue. (It will also be added to the Ryerson Institutional Repository)

Here are some links about mobile devices worth mentioning:

Mobile sites that I have been involved with

• Ryerson mobile – (link)
• Ryerson Library Mobile – (link)
• Mobile Study Room App – (link)
• Graham McCarthy Blog – (link) – Accessible on a mobile device
• iPhone Game – [Insert Game Name] – Coming Soon….

Mobile Surveys, Studies and Reports

• Ryerson University – Mobile Survey Results (2008, 2009)
• Pew Mobile Study
• Horizon Reports

Inspiring Mobile Sites

• NCSU Mobile
• MIT Mobile
• Stanford Mobile
• Facebook – Mobile
• YouTube – Mobile
• Amazon – Mobile