Review of “The Secret Enemy”

“The Secret Enemy” ebook was published in 2016 (original paper edition published in 1966) and was written by John glasby (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glasby). Mr Glasby was a prolific writer producing more than 300 novels and short stories.

I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. This novel is set in various places across Europe. The primary character is British Secret Service agent Steve Carradine.

Carradine meets a beautiful woman, Franchesca Romano, while he is on vacation in Spain. She disappears from their dinner date and before he can find out anything about her he is recalled to London.

When Carradine gets to London he is given the mission to find a Russian professor who has expressed interest in defecting. This begins a journey through Eastern Europe. Carradine soon finds that Russian Intelligence is in hot pursuit of the professor as well and are willing to go to any ends to keep Carradine from succeeding.

Carradine runs into Romano again and she discloses that she is a French secret agent. With Romano’s aid, Carradine and the professor make it out of Eastern Europe. Just when they think that they have eluded the Rusians, their lives are threatened once again.

I spent 4.5 hours reading this 128 page book. It tried to be like a James Bond thriller, but I feel like it fell short of the mark. Perhaps that is due to the age of the novel. There was plenty of action, but it just felt ‘off’. Some of the decisions that ‘experienced’ spy Carradine make just do not make sense. In summary it was ‘OK’. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Nook Lookbook

Some interesting ways to store and display your books

Cafe Book Bean

I love cozy little book nooks I think they are the bees knees! Having a place set apart where you can curl up with your book just enhances each experience. They vary in sizes and styles, but they are a book lovers little piece of heaven.

Here is my book nook lookbook:

I love this little lofted book nook. It is full of cozy charm. It has a place to lounge, a rolling ladder, and an inviting color scheme.

This book nook is great it’s on the modern side but still oh so cozy. I love the couch with double chaises. This design is sleek while keeping it warm and comfortable, and I love that!

I am beside myself over this idea! It is a closet turned in to a book nook… Yes please! So awesome!

This is a little rustic book nook. I love the ambiance of this nook and imagine…

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Review of “A Calculated Risk”

“A Calculated Risk” eBook was published in 2015 (originally published on paper in 1992) and was written by Katherine Neville (http://www.katherineneville.com). Ms. Neville has written four novels.

I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language and Mature Situations. This Thriller novel is primarily set in California and on an island between Greece and Turkey.

Verity Banks is a brilliant computer scientist with strong ties to the financial community. While she has a high position in the World Bank, she clearly will proceed no further. The executives of the bank seem fully willing to keep her ‘in her place’ and seem to have no concern over the lack of cyber security safeguards.

She decides to show the bank how vulnerable they are by ‘borrowing’ funds. She consults with long time friend and mentor Dr. Zoltan Tor. One thing leads to another and she soon finds herself competing in a bet with Tor on who can ‘borrow’ the most funds over a three month period.

They each race to see who can twist the banking systems allowing them to capture funds. Before long though, their efforts are threatened by an unexpected adversary.

I spent 9+ hours with this 354 page novel. It was interesting as it dealt with computer security (or the lack there of) back in the 80s and 90s, as well as banking procedures. This wasn’t much of a Thriller and had a significant thread of Romance. I find it hard to judge this novel with more than a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Tomorrow is World Backup Day – Is Your System Backed Up?

Did you know that March 31st is World Backup Day? I didn’t until I saw a note yesterday.

So what is World Backup Day? As noted on the web site “It’s not only a day for backing up your personal data, but it’s also a day to talk about the enormous task of preserving our increasingly digital heritage and cultural works for future generations.”

How often do you backup your computer or mobile device? You should do it weekly if not more often. And ideally you should use the 3-2-1 backup principal: three copies of your data, backed up on two different types of media and one off-site backup. Disk drives do not last forever and you may not see be alerted to a pending failure. (NOTE: if you do have a drive failure, trying to recover it with something like SpinRite may get your data back.)

For us Mac users Time Machine makes the local backup easy. I run a Time Machine backup at least weekly to a drive in my NewerTech dock. For my iPhone and iPad, I back them up through iTunes on my Mac.Third party software such as Carbon Copy Cloner or  Get Backup Pro can also be used to clone your system disk, giving you an alternate bootable image.

However you decide to make a backup, please make one today. You never know when catastrophe will strike.

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See my other OS X and iOS articles

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Robot Olympics, Machine Learning and an Interview with a Robot

A few articles on robots and AI caught my attention over the past few days.

The first World Drone Prix was held in Dubai earlier this month with a 15 year old winning the $250,000 prize. The final race of that event can be seen in the video below.

After the success of that event, the organizers revealed that they plan a larger Robot Olympics every two years starting in December 2017. This event will be held under the auspices of The World Federation of Future Sports, which is an initiative of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation.

At present there are nine planned competitions:

• driverless car racing
• robotic soccer
• robotic running competitions
• manned drones racing
• robotics swimming
• robotic table tennis
• robotic wrestling
• drones races
• cybathlon competition.

We most likely will be seeing more competitions like this. If this “Olympic” competition succeeds, then it is likely that we will see many rapid advances in the associated robotic technology.

-o-

The training of AI systems has been a challenge requiring days or even weeks of time. Researches at IBM proposed that the learning time can be greatly reduced if “resistive processing units” (RPUs) are employed instead of the traditional microprocessors.

These units include resistive RAM (RRAM) allowing data to be stored closer to the processing unit. This RRAM requires less power than conventional RAM, has a longer expected life and is denser to manufacture. Using this technology 1TB of memory could easily be built into an one inch square component. The resulting machine built from RPUs would be massively parallel and expected to be up to 30,000 times faster than conventional system.

This kind of technology would open up many new uses for Artificial Intelligence and make their deployment far easier.

-o-

At SWSX in Austin earlier this month Sophia, a human-like robot from Hanson Robotics was on display. The robot was able to carry on simple conversations, employing facial expressions. The built in cameras allow the robot to keep eye contact and to detect emotions.

Sophia is a long way from a robot that looks indistinguishable from humans, but watching the video above is a little eerie. The technology going into robots is advancing rapidly.

It is hard to predict just what the world will be like in 10 or 20 years. I am sure that we will all be working with robots of increasing sophistication and ever closer human appearance.

Does this make you feel creepy or are you looking forward to working more with robots?

Review of “Hunted”

“Hunted” (aka “Cameron’s Chase”) eBook was published in 2016 (March, though the paper edition was originally published in 1986) and was written by Phillip McCutchan (https://www.historicnavalfiction.com/authors-a-z/other-authors/philip-mccutchan). Mr. McCutchan wrote 45 novels about the Navy. This is the 11th of 14 novels in his “Donald Cameron RNVR” series.

I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. This World War II era Thriller novel is set aboard the destroyer Glenshiel, where the primary character Donald Cameron is the Captain.

Norwegian resistance notifies the Allies that the German battleship Attila has set sail accompanied by two heavy cruisers. Because of the timing, the Allies believe that the German battle group is after a supply convoy from North America and/or the troop laden Canard ships Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. All are in route to the UK across the North Atlantic.

The available British fleet is mobilized and sent out to find the Germans. Fog and snow come at a perfect time for the Germans as it keeps their ships hidden from reconnaissance aircraft. Destroyers, including the Glenshiel, are dispatched in a search pattern to find the Germans.

The Glenshiel finds the Attila. In a brief one-sided encounter with the far superior German vessels, the Glenshiel is damaged. With its radio and radar antennas shot away, Cameron and the Glenshiel continue to carefully probe after the Germans.

The story also deals with personnel aboard the Glenshiel. Not all of the sailors are happy being aboard the vessel. The thoughts of several characters, on both the Allied and German sides, are given.

I enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 176 page novel. This is the second of the “Donald Cameron RNVR” novels I have read, and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. It does read well as a stand alone novel. I think they give a good depiction of serving abord a small military vessel in World War II. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

USA, Texas, Austin – BB Rover’s Cafe & Pub

I have been to BB Rover’s a few times over the past few years, mostly for brunch on Sundays. This is a neighborhood cafe and pub located at 12636 Research Blvd, Suite B101 in North Austin. While they have a Research address, they really front Jollyville Rd. They are open 11AM to midnight daily, with Sunday hours until 1AM.

BB Rover’s is not a fancy place, but it is a neighborhood favorite. While I have not tried any of their beers, they do have a large variety available. I have always enjoyed their large Sunday breakfasts. I went by one day this past week and had a bacon cheeseburger for dinner along with fries. It was a pretty good burger. I noticed that the late afternoon clientele seemed to mostly know one another. From what I saw and have heard from others, there is a lively and loyal group of regular customers.

If you just want to grab a beer and simple food and are up on North Research, you might want to give BB Rover’s a try.

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See my other Location and Food articles

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Some free iOS and OS X software 03/16

I have put together another list of free software for iOS and OS X. You may find some of these of interest. Those titles which are NOT games are marked by “***” at the beginning of the description. I have also attempted to mark which Apple OS the title is targeted at (iOS, OS X, tvOS).

This is NOT a curated list. A;ll I know about these titles is what you see below. None have been tried or tested.

1. *** iOS – LadyPlans Limited is proud to announce the release of LadyPlans 1.0 for iOS, a new time and a task management app for women by women. LadyPlans empowers women to anticipate and plan their priorities, from daily tasks to life-changing events. Based on ready-made lists of events and tasks, as well as a content specifically designed for women, LadyPlans allows women to manage a large range of events and checklists (e.g.: holidays, birthday, celebrations). The app is particularly useful for busy women who plan a lot on their mobile phones during down times (e.g.: morning commute, breaks at work, watching a movie in the evening), for themselves and their loved ones (e.g.: working moms). For a limited time, LadyPlans 1.0 is Free and available worldwide, in English and French, exclusively through the App Store in the Productivity category. Free the first couple of months following the app launch, LadyPlans will be available in the Premium version for less than $2.00 (USD). Download from iTunes
2. *** iOS – Wyari Pty Ltd has released Keep Close Pictures 1.3 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. If you have friends or relatives in other parts of the country or the world and would love to easily send them photos of your latest trip, the family growing up, parties etc. then Keep Close Pictures is the solution for you. Keep Close Pictures Free 1.3 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Utilities category. Keep Close Pictures is a product in the Keep Close family, check out Keep Close Contact and Keep Close Contact Carer. Download from iTunes
3. iOS – Mobile game publisher Thumbspire & Indie studio Neonchimp Games are proud to announce the release of Spiral Splatter 1.0, their new puzzle game for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices that will push a player’s problem-solving skills to the limit. Spiral Splatter is a brain-bending arcade puzzle game that will push your hand-eye coordination to the limit with nonstop, mind-boggling puzzles! Spiral Splatter 1.0 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. A $1.99 in-app purchase is available to remove ads. Download from iTunes
4. *** iOS – Individuals and teams who require powerful group tallying and data analysis can now benefit from extensive new features in the recent update to CountUp – The Connected Counter (a.k.a. CountUp) for iPhone and Android – developed by Countup LLC, version 2 is now available via the App Store or Google Play. CountUp – The Connected Counter 2.8 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Productivity category.  Download from iTunes
5. *** iOS – Nektony has announced the launch of interPhotos 1.0, a brand new app that could free up gigabytes of space on you iPhone and iPad. interPhotos offers the most efficient means to cleanup storage on your iPhone or iPad. interPhotos 1.0 is Free (with in-app purchases) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category. The app is free to find photo copies, in-app purchase provides you with ability to search for duplicate videos. Download from iTunes
6. iOS – Haypi Co. Ltd.’s iOS hit Haypi Adventure: Kingdom of Glory is newly updated to version 1.6.0. This thrilling war strategic MMO is based in the Age of Discovery. The game offers a magical travel to the past, where conquering territories only depended on the commander’s bravery and the fleets’ power. Players can become Ship lords, Conquer Seas and Fight in Alliances.  Haypi Adventure: Kingdom of Glory 1.6.0 is Free (with in-app purchases) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
7. iOS – Icon matching game fans looking for the next ultra addictive app to play all day, and sometimes, all night, can head to the App Store, and dive into the insanely fun Litza Pizza-Match. The app is available at no cost. Created by acclaimed developers Apps Genie Limited whose other iOS releases include PhotoLab, Cave Boy Dash, and several other titles, Litza Pizza-Match is simple to play, tough to master, highly entertaining and as noted above, thoroughly addictive. Litza Pizza-Match 1.0, the ultra addictive new icon matching game that is simple to play, tough to master and insanely fun, is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
8. iOS – Devarai, an indie developer of brain-building games and puzzles, has released Crossword Pro 1.2 its latest crossword puzzle app available now on iOS and Google Play. Both versions are free to play and loaded with user-friendly tools and features. Crossword Pro 1.2 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Entertainment category.  Download from iTunes
9. *** iOS – Photomyne Ltd., a growing startup company, has announced the release of Photomyne 3.1, an important update to their popular visual storytelling tool developed for iPhone, iPad and and iPod touch devices. One of the top 20 paid photo apps on the App Store, Photomyne invites users to quickly scan entire photo albums, save and share them with friends and family. Photomyne 3.1 is Free (with in-app purchases) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category. Download from iTunes
10. iOS – The indie game studio, Bright Newt, specializing in top match 3 games, announced today the debut of Viva Stampede, one of the best match 3 games to hit the App Store to date. Like most easy puzzle games, it is simple to learn but difficult to master. Viva offers a nonstop blitz of cute zoo animals (if you’re into that kind of thing). Players help Mr. Zookeeper line up three or more identical animals vertically or horizontally and earn tons of tokens along the way. They can then redeem tokens for fun Powerups. The simple, addictive match-3 gameplay, quirky theme, excellent design, and fun in-game reward system make for a very satisfying experience. Viva Stampede – Match Three Puzzle Game 3.4 is free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Viva Stampede – Match Three Puzzle Game 3.4
11. iOS – codeDependent Software today is happy to announce the release and immediate availability of a free version of Carl Can Divide 1.0, their new entertaining and educational game for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. This free version comes with two levels available for play. Additional levels are optional as a single in-app purchase that will unlock all levels for a full version experience. Carl Can Divide 1.0 is free , and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category. Additional levels are available via a handy in-app purchase.  Download from iTunes
12. *** iOS – Chackapps today is proud to announce the release of BuddiesBill 1.8.1, an important update to their group payments app developed for iOS devices. BuddiesBill helps you manage the payments made by different people for trips or social events, offering an intuitive and easy way to use the app with a simple and clean interface. Simply create an event and add the amounts paid by everyone and a small description. The app will tell you later how much everyone paid and will help you perform the calculations. Version 1.8 includes the shared budget feature.  BuddiesBill 1.8.1 is free and is available exclusively through the App Store in the Finance category worldwide. Although the app is free, Premium features and unlimited payments can be unlocked with an in-app purchase.Download from iTunes
13. *** iOS – Blue Eyes Innovation LLC today is proud to announce the release of Samaritan 1.0, their new navigation app developed for iOS devices. Samaritan is a must-have App that helps make driving safer. The app automatically detects accidents and sends out distress alerts – based on user’s health condition – from iPhone and Apple Watch that may make a difference in a life and death situation. This feature works best with companion Apple Watch that gives the ability to determine user’s health in a timely manner. Samaritan 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Navigation category.  Download from iTunes
14. *** iiOS – Plum Inc. has recently released iPlum US Phone Number Call SMS 2.0.3 in Android and iPlum – U.S Phone Number with HD Quality Calling & Secure Texting 3.0.11 in iOS, a free international calling and texting app which is now available on the Google Play and iTunes App Store. iPlum creates and assigns a United States phone number for your phone or tablet for an incredibly low $1 monthly fee, and offers free 30 international calling credits, good in more than 200 countries. iPlum – U.S Phone Number with HD Quality Calling & Secure Texting 3.0.11 is currently available for Free worldwide through the iTunes app store in the Social Networking category.  Download from iTunes
15. *** iOS – MK Art Technology Inc. has announced the release of Ghost Chat – Secret Anonymous Text Messenger 1.2, a secure message app which is now available on the iTunes App Store. Technology in the mobile environment creates a world of data at your fingertips, but it’s not always data that you want the world to have in return! Social media platforms, e-commerce, private messages and other sensitive information need increasing levels of protection in today’s digital world, and Ghost Chat is ready for the challenge with the security that seals off your texts/messages. Ghost Chat – Secret Anonymous Text Messenger 1.2 is currently available for Free with In-App Purchases and available worldwide through the iTunes app store in the Social Networking category. Download from iTunes
16. iOS – Independent game developer, Yusuf Turk has announced the release of Shade Combo 1.0, his fast paced puzzle game developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Players combine lighter shade ducks (or other objects) to turn them into darker shades and combine darkest ducks to make them disappear. Combining them rapidly in a row starts the combo counter. The score for each move is multiplied by your combo. Faster you play without a wrong move, higher your score gets. Every 10x combo earns the player a Combo Point which they can use to unlock more colors, shapes and power-ups. Power-ups give player opportunities to make even higher combos. Shade Combo 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
17. *** iOS – PPL Development Company LLC has renamed their popular lifestyle app Subliminals Work to Subliminal Work 2.2, and now they are offering sweet deals for new users: 20% OFF top 10 best sellers. Subliminal Work – Positive Thinking Affirmations for Stress Relief & Subconscious Mind Training 2.2 is free, and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Lifestyle category. A Mac version is available through the Mac App Store. Download from iTunes
18. *** iOS – After the paid version, G-Power Team today is proud to announce the release and immediate availability of KiKi’s Sand Painting Free 1.0 on iPad. Parents who have little kids above 4 or 5 years old are perfect to try this app. KiKi’s Sand Painting uses beautiful sands to paint fun coloring pages of animals, dinosaurs and fairy tale characters. Little kids who start to learn about color and painting will find this coloring book interesting and innovative. There is no need to prepare glue, sand, paper, just your iPad is enough. KiKi’s Sand Painting Free 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category. This free version has Animal theme preset for the free use, with 12 kinds of animal templates for kids’ choice. The other two themes Dinosaurs and Fairy Tale Characters are In-App Purchase items. KiKi’s Sand Painting is for iPad now. In the future they will release an iPhone version to make it more accessible on mobile. KiKi’s Sand Painting Free 1.0
19. *** iOS – SoundWeaver 1.0.2 – The all in one music player for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices, by Oh Ju Shin – is exclusively designed for audiophiles who shuffle around with different applications to satisfy their music needs. It is a single station where people can get all their songs delivered to. With one tap on the SoundWeaver app, audiophiles and any consumer can discover and listen to free music from multiple applications such as SoundCloud, YouTube, and iTunes. After collecting all the music from different applications, SoundWeaver organizes them into a single library for a user intuitive and friendly experience. SoundWeaver 1.0.2 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Music category. Download from iTunes
20. iOS – People who are fed up with ordinary and predictable casino apps that become boring and repetitive in about 60 seconds, can finally get the lasting excitement, fun, challenge and thrill they crave with Apps Genie Ltd.’s phenomenal new app Zeus the Thunderer Greek God Casino (a.k.a. Zeus Slots). To celebrate the app’s launch, for a limited time it’s available at no cost from the App Store. for a limited time, Zeus the Thunderer Greek God Casino 1.0 (a.k.a. Zeus Slots) is completely Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
21. iOS – Qrayon is proud to announce the release of Slideshow Karaoke: Presentation Improv Game 1.0 for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Slideshow Karaoke, aka Powerpoint Karaoke, is a popular party game among the Biz/Tech crowd, and has taken Silicon Valley by storm! Slideshow Karaoke: Presentation Improv Game 1.0 is free, and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Business category. There is also a tvOS version available for the Apple TV through the tvOS App Store. You can mirror the iOS App to an Apple TV or download the separate native Apple TV App. Slideshow Karaoke: Presentation Improv Game 1.0
22. *** iOS – People who like the fun, speed and convenience of social media apps – but are concerned about having their personal details harvested by strangers, companies or even cyber criminals – can now get the communication features they want without compromising their privacy with the new app InnerGroup by developer Santo Porpiglia. InnerGroup 2.12, the unique new social media app that lets users share secure, end-to-end encrypted texts, videos, pics and audio, is Free (with in-app purchases) and available worldwide through the App Store in the Social Networking category. Download from iTunes
23. *** iOS – Edtech Entrepreneur, Dr. Ahmad Hammoud has announced the release of Play.My.Way 1.1, an update to his popular educational app developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Play.My.Way is the first mobile application which was developed to combat the problem of kids heavily using smart devices, in a way which is reasonable, logical. This app presents a Win-Win situation for both parents and kids. Play.My.Way 1.1 is Free (with in-app purchases) and available worldwide through the App Store in the Education category.  The first chapter of each subject is for free. You can buy each subject for 1$ for full acess on all chapters. We are working on new subjects and languages for the near future. Download from iTunes
24. *** iOS – Letstrak, leading UK provider of live fleet vehicle tracking solutions and mapping features, announces the development of their first mobile application for portably monitoring an extensive fleet. Letstrak are eager to extend the capabilities of their live tracking, mapping and reporting services for fleet management to more easily-accessible platforms, and cite the delivery of their mobile tracking app as the result of this ethos. Letstrak 1.1.6 is free and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Social Networking category. Download from iTunes
25. *** iOS – PNN Soft is proud to announce the release of OBD Car Doctor 1.8 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch devices that in connection with the OBD-II adapter will show all inner troubles. OBD Car Doctor is iOS mobile application that connects to vehicle’s on-board diagnostic computer using OBD-II via Bluetooth / Wi-Fi, regardless the car communication protocol, car brand or a model (supports U.S. cars since 1996; European since 2003 (diesel since 2004), Japanize since 2005). The app gives wide opportunities for the on-board diagnostics of the car.  OBD Car Doctor 1.8 is free, and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Travel category. Download from iTunes
26. iOS – Mobile gaming studio WeGame Corp is proud to announce their new game 1313 : 1010 Hex Puzzle Game 1.03, a new free-to-play puzzle game for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices. 1313 is a simple, addictive, infinitely endless, and easy to learn and fun to play puzzle game for all ages. 1313 : 1010 Hex Puzzle Game 1.03 is free and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
27. iOS – Drugi Kat, the makers of 7 Planets game, today is pleased to announce the release of Cookies and Candies 1.0, their fun new brain teaser developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Cookies and Candies is addictive puzzle brain teaser that appeals to kids, teens and adults. In this fun-to-play game, players slide colorful and sweet cookies and candies to match 3 or more of the same type and you will soon get into the amazing world of fun. Cookies and Candies 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games (Puzzle, Arcade, Entertainment) category.  Download from iTunes
28. iOS – Indie game developer, Code2Game is pleased to announce the release of SwappyDots 1.3.5 for iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. This updated match-3 puzzle game includes new modes of play, adding more fun and additional challenges to the game. SwappyDots is not your typical match-3 puzzler and offers refreshing gameplay and cool new features. SwappyDots 1.3.5 is free, and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Games category.  Download from iTunes
29. *** OS X – Dejal Systems, LLC today is proud to announce the release and immediate availability of Time Out 2, an important update to their popular break reminder app for Mac OS X. This free app sits in the background tracking the last time the user took a break. At regular intervals, it reminds users to take a short respite from their current tasks. Users can take the time to stand, stretch, and move around a bit, in order to refresh themselves. They can also schedule both long and short breaks, offering flexibility for the user’s own personal preferences. Time Out 2 is free, and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Health and Fitness category, as well as the Dejal website. Advanced features are available via easy in-app donations. Review codes are available upon request. Download from the Mac App Store
30. *** iOS – YOUMOBTOO today is proud to announce the release of Enjoy! Prague Historical Sights and Tours (With Off-Line Map) 1.0 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. Enjoy! Prague Historical Sights and Tours is a complete travel guide, packed with high quality graphics and information of Prague’s main tourist attractions. Enjoy! Prague Historical Sights and Tours off-line map enables you to simply locate and find Historical Sights and Monuments, with the ability to access information in 10 languages. Enjoy! Prague Historical Sights & Tours (With Off-Line Map) 1.0 is Free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Travel category. Enjoy! Prague Historical Sights and Tours 1.0
31. *** iOS – After the huge success of the app myTuner Radio, an outstanding hit with 20 million downloads worldwide on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows Desktop and Mac OS, AppGeneration has decided to launch another contender for music lovers. Music by myTuner is launched today for iOS to fill in a major gap in the market, since users want to listen to their favorite songs without any restrictions, but don’t want to subscribe to a paid service. The app seamlessly links users to YouTube playlists, letting them enjoy their favorite songs, artists and albums, for free. Music by myTuner(R) – Free Player and Streamer version 1.0 is currently available for Free, for iOS on Apple’s App Store in the Music category. Download from iTunes
32. *** iOS – MXO, LLC is proud to announce the release of MXO Pulse 1.2.1, their social networking app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. Unlike other social apps, which are mainly aimed for casual dating or flirting, the app is designed to connect university students based on their mutual interests and allows them to exchange campus buzz. Pricing and Availability: MXO Pulse 1.2.1 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Social Networking category. Download from iTunes
33. Indie developer, Screen Implosion is proud to announce the release of Downhill* Chapter One 1.1, an important update to their game for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. Downhill* is an endless free fall on a minimal landscape full of strange sculptures and environments. A game with extraordinary graphics and addictive gameplay.  Downhill* Chapter One 1.1 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
34. *** OS X – VeprIT is excited to launch Photo Sense 2 Beta, a public preview of its flagship product. Photo Sense is a powerful, but very easy to use non-destructive batch photo enhancement solution for Mac. It improves photos automatically, and then lets the user adjust results and apply creative effects quickly and easily. It offers efficient batch processing tools, enables image settings synchronization, and supports user presets customizing the automatic processing and defining various image settings, including metadata. Photo Sense ensures that great results are obtained quickly and easily while saving a lot of time and money on learning, purchasing, and using professional photo editing software. During the final development period Photo Sense 2 Beta is available for free at the product webpage. The length of this period is not defined yet, depends on the remaining development effort, the amount and nature of user feedback. Expecting at least about 3 months. Photo Sense 2 Beta
35. *** iOS – Appollo LLC is proud to announce the release of PikShare 1.0.4, an update to their social networking app developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. PikShare uses your device’s location to generate PikShares from other users and sort them into the appropriate global or local feed. Never take another group pic ever again. Take a PikShare to effortlessly share the photo with everyone in the group, who can save it directly to their device from the local feed on the app. PikShare 1.0.4 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Social Networking category.  Download from iTunes
36. *** iOS – Petralex is a hearing aid application that offers the same principles as a conventional wearable hearing aid – offering an increased ambient noise volume via the users mobile device and headset. Developed by IT ForYou, the app has been identified in a recent comparative study as being the most effective & feature-rich hearing aid app currently available for either iOS or Android devices.  Petralex 1.4.5, the innovative hearing aid app that offers users high-quality audio processing for hearing improvement, is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Medical category. Download from iTunes
37. *** iOS – TableAir, UAB is proud to announce the release of TableAir 1.5.3a2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. Available today, the TableAir app is designed to help the first time user of a standing table to make an easier and healthier transition to standing more while working. It also benefits advanced users by creating the optimal sit-to-stand schedule to follow. Compatible with any standing desk on the market, TableAir app suggests sitting and standing intervals based on various case studies and recommendations from ergonomics experts. TableAir 1.5.3a2 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Health and Fitness category. Download from iTunes
38. iOS – SnowPopcorn brings to the mobile market an incredible new title. A dungeon crawling, real time party -based, intense, action RPG called “Dragon Encounter.” In the game, you control one or three heroes as you proceed through various levels, defeating various enemies and bosses. Along the way, you level up your characters and collect different and various kinds of equipment, which you can put on your characters to make them stronger. Dragon Encounter 1.2.0 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Games (Role Playing) category.  Dragon Encounter 1.2.0
39. *** OS X – Jumsoft, a developer of high-quality applications and designs for OS X, presents a significant update of its Toolbox application for MS Office for Mac. The latest version of the application includes hundreds of new templates and illustrations for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Toolbox for MS Office provides thousands of templates and illustrations for creating professional and exciting content ranging from posters and business cards to slideshows and infographics. The in-app capability allows users to purchase these by piece, by category, or by set. Furthermore, the first item in each product category is available at no charge. Toolbox for MS Office 2.2.4 is Free (with in-app purchases) and available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Graphics & Design category.  Download from the Mac App Store
40. iOS – Independent developer, Jeremy Jones is excited to announce the recent release of FlippyCoin 3D 1.0. The game is a complex – flip a coin simulation. See how many heads you can get in a row. The coin-flipping physics are satisfying and the game escalates with every flip of heads.  FlippyCoin 3D 1.0 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Game category. Download from iTunes
41. *** iOS – We Have Kids today is proud to announce the release of The Eat What app, available for Android and iPhone systems, gives you all the details you need about what you’re eating, whether you’re grocery shopping, cooking, or dining out. When a user wants to know more about a product’s ingredients, they need only scan the bar code for immediate access to the most important information about the item. In addition to the extensive database of nutrition information, the latest version now includes all the latest news and feature stories about nutrition, diet, and healthy eating.  Eat What is currently available for Free with in-app purchase and Paid version at a cost of $1.99 (USD) with in-app purchase at iTunes App Store in Health & Fitness category.
42. *** iOS – Independent developer, Roman Aleksandrenko today is proud to announce the release of Habitloop 1.0, his new habit development app officially available for iPhone users on the Apple Store. Habitloop provides the means to achieve goals and build habits successfully, enhancing happiness and healthiness. The app promises to deliver serious benefits to users, giving them the means to craft the lifestyle of their dreams. Habitloop 1.0 is Free (with in-app purchase) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Productivity category.  Download from iTunes
43. iOS – Futujoy team, who are known by their successful game “the Wonder Cat,” today is proud to announce the release and immediate availability of Rednum 1.0, their new game title for iOS devices. Rednum is a brand new kind of logical game with elements of “3-in-a-row” gameplay. The common idea of the game is based on the fact that any composite number can be decomposed into prime numbers. For example, 6 = 2 x 3 and 8 = 2 x 2 x 2. Rednum 1.0 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Rednum 1.0
44. iOS – Indie developer, David Zobrist today introduces Finger Dungeon 1.0 an innovative game title for iOS and Android devices. Finger Dungeon is a one-touch game and your job is to hold your finger on the screen as long as you can. Make your way through the currently 14 levels of the finger labyrinth. Triggering levers, turning off traps and collecting coins. As you reach new levels, new tiles and creatures will appear in the maze, so be careful and don’t look back. Finger Dungeon 1.0 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Games category.  Finger Dungeon 1.0
45. iOS – NikSan Tech today is proud to announce the release of Aim Dots 1.0, their new game available now for iOS and Android devices. Aim Dots is a single tap game which makes the player addicted. Just aim and fire at enemy dot. Game has 300 challenging missions. It is a game about concentration. Try to hit as many enemies as you can, and take the lead on the worldwide leaderboard. This game is perfect for players looking to improve their concentration and timing. Aim Dots 1.0 is a free application available worldwide through the App Store in the Games category. Aim Dots 1.0
46. iOS – Roajer, an entrepreneur couple, announces today the launch of A Treasure of Egypt 1.0, their new casino game for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. The developer included all the popular casino games in one app with the idea to play all the games without leaving the app. The app is available for free as both an iPhone and an iPad version in the app store.  A Treasure of Egypt 1.0 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
47. iOS – Independent developer, Lance Ulmer is proud to announce the release of Ultimate Tag 2.0.1 for iPad, a brand new spin on an age old game. Separating itself from the majority of mobile games, Ultimate Tag supports multiple players (up to four) on one device. Guide your player away from your friends and family all while dodging obstacles in the level. Gameplay and art has been designed to be comical, making it fit right in at a family game night or a party. With several game modes, difficulty and play style are adjustable to make sure everyone has fun. Ultimate Tag 2.0.1 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. A Premium version with access to all maps and modes is available as an in-app purchase for $1.99/1.49 GBP/1.99 Euro. Download from iTunes
48. *** iOS – Indie developers, Pablo Epscopo, Williams Olivera and Sebastian Martnez today are thrilled to announce the release and immediate availability of Recordify 1.0, their new app that allows Slack users to send instant voice messages via Slack on iOS devices. Introducing features never before presented on the Slack app for iOS devices, Recordify enables its users to avail the same level of ease and convenience while sending an instant voice message. Recordify helps simplify the use of Slack in everyday life, making it more time efficient and more interactive on a human level. Recordify 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Productivity category.  Download from iTunes
49. *** OS X – iMobie Inc., a company dedicated to providing solutions for Apple users, today is pleased to announce the release of MacClean 3, still for Free. Not just cleaning junk and optimizing any Mac, MacClean 3 now can also secure Mac users’ privacy and protect their Mac from all types of security threats, including malware, spyware, worms, scareware, adware, malicious cookies, etc. With this one single free app, users can keep their Mac clean, fast and secure as easy as 1-2-3. MacClean 3 is completely free of charge. No catch, no hidden costs, no in-app purchases. To utterly facilitate your review and writing, iMobie has prepared a comprehensive resource page with detailed info about MacClean 3 (including full features introduction, FAQs, etc.) and a handful of hi-def graphic materials you may need online. Download MacClean 3 for Free
50. iOS – Simon Briggs Consulting Limited is proud to announce the release of Berry Smooth 1.0. their free match-three game for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Android devices. Developed in the UK, it features 100 challenging levels of puzzling fun and spectacular combo bonuses for all the family to enjoy. It’s the smoothest, most delicious puzzle game out there. Berry Smooth 1.0 is free, and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Games category.  Download from iTunes
51. *** iOS – East Coast Pixels, Inc. today is proud to announce the release and immediate availability of CurbAppeal, a Real Estate photography app developed for iOS devices. CurbAppeal is designed for Airbnb hosts or professional realtors who need to take compelling photos to promote their properties in the rental or sales markets. Photos are the primary marketing materials for online real estate sites and good photography results in increased rental frequency or more purchase offers.  rbAppeal 1.0.1 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Travel category. Enabling export for a property set is a $4.99 USD in-app purchase (or equivalent amount in other currencies). Download from iTunes
52. *** iOS – Irish start up, Emojitones Technology Limited today is proud to announce the release of Emojitones 2.0, their popular app utility developed for iOS and Android devices. For a quarter of a century the world has text messaged in silence. Emojitones is a full-featured text messaging platform that transforms emojis using the power of sound. Emojitones 2.0 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Utilities category.  Download from iTunes
53. *** iOS – Ultralab Apps today is excited to announce the release of Gifstory 1.0, its new GIF Camera and Editor developed for iOS devices. Gifstory is a simple and powerful tool for those who wish to capture and share what’s happening in their lives every day in the form of animated GIFs. With Gifstory, captivating short clips are fun and easy to shoot, edit, store, and share.
54. *** iOS – Ultralab Apps today is excited to announce the release of Gifstory 1.0, its new GIF Camera and Editor developed for iOS devices. Gifstory is a simple and powerful tool for those who wish to capture and share what’s happening in their lives every day in the form of animated GIFs. With Gifstory, captivating short clips are fun and easy to shoot, edit, store, and share. Gifstory 1.0 is Free and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category. Gifstory 1.0
55. *** OS X – Shortly after MailButler’s release, Feingeist Software GmbH has announced that their Apple Mail assistant will now offer one more feature: Email Tracking. With this new option Apple Mail users will always know if the recipient has actually opened their email. MailButler
56. iOS – Word game lovers who want to engage in an epic battle of wits against family, friends and other players around the world, can now head to the App Store and download Graphite Fusion’s challenging, fun and massively addictive Lettermash. Lettermash starts by presenting all users with a 5×5 grid of letters (25 letters in total). From there, users proceed in a turn-by-turn manner to connect adjacent letters, and spell as many words as possible during the time allotted. The app is available at no cost. Lettermash 1.1.6 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Download from iTunes
57. *** iOS – PepBlast Motion Pictures presents PepBlast MP Slide Show Maker with Music 1.3.33 for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The app is the ultimate tool for creating professional slideshows and movies out of your image and music collections. You can personalize your efforts to truly make them your own by using a range of free styles and backgrounds at your disposal. It takes only a matter of minutes to make a short movie, thanks to the intuitive layout of the interface and the minimal learning curve demanded. Whether you want to create simple picture slideshows, full motion video out of your image collection or select music, this tool offers everything you need to get professional results in minimal time. PepBlast MP Slide Show Maker with Music 1.3.33 is free, and is available worldwide through the App Store in the Photo and Video category.  Download from iTunes
58. Hi Rawr Studios is proud to announce the release of Letters : Unscramble the Word Guessing Game 1.0, their new game title developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. This strangely addicting game is all about unscrambling the letters to guess the word. Letters comes with many different types of Pop Culture categories such as Celebrity, Brands, Music, TV, Movie, Sports, and Characters. Great for those people who really love to play guessing games, puzzle games and other types of board games, Hi Rawr Studios is a great choice to try and consider. Letters : Unscramble the Word Guessing Game 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.  Letters : Unscramble the Word Guessing Game 1.0
59. *** OS X – Reezaa today is proud to announce that PDF Password Remover 1.5, their popular PDF utility for Mac OS X and Windows PCs, is available for free for a limited time. Users find that a number of the PDF files they receive or download cannot be printed or converted. PDF Password Remover removes the PDF restrictions from those files, allowing users to make better use of the PDFs. PDF Password Remover 1.5 is available free for a limited time, and is available worldwide through the PDF Password Remover website. The app will return to its normal price of $29.95 USD at the end of the promotion on April 10 2016. Download PDF Password Remover
60. *** iOS – Cheery, an app with a cheery demeanor is here on iTunes just at the right time to promote positivity in your life. With the rise of social media and 24-hour news, there is a lot more negativity in the world. People post negative, hateful, or hurtful content and comments. Why do they do it? Attention is one reason, which is very common for people who feel no one listens to them in real life. Other reasons include wanting to fight, disagree, stir-the-pot or just being unproductive and bored. Cheery Network 0.9.18 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Lifestyle category. Download from iTunes
61. *** iOS – Updown Technologies, Inc. today is excited to announce the official release of Updown Fitness 1.5.0, their free personal workout trainer developed for iOS and Android devices. This interactive and smart app creates customizable workouts from a database of 1500 exercises that can accommodate any user. Updown allows individuals to exercise at any location at any time, no matter the experience level. Updown Fitness 1.5.0 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Health & Fitness category.  Download from iTunes
62. *** iOS – Remo Software today is proud to announce the release of Remo Duplicate Photos Remover 1.2, an update to their popular app developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. In a word, Remo Duplicate Photos Remover was developed specifically to find, and remove duplicate images on any iOS device. Remo Duplicate Photos Remover is a simple, useful and well thought out app with minimal user input. Version 1.2 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category. Download from iTunes
63. *** iOS – Ninox Software GmbH today is thrilled to announce the release of Ninox Database 1.6.0, a new and improved version of its globally acclaimed database-powered business app maker for iPad. Ninox enables anyone to rapidly create robust, fully-functional databases for business or personal applications. Ninox Database 1.6.0 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Business category. A version for Mac is also available from the Mac App Store. Download from iTunes
64. iOS – 1Games today is pleased to announce the release of Dinos Online 1.1, its new mobile game developed for iOS and Android devices. Dinos Online is in the Game category and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play store or through the company website. The game reviews are very favorable, with a current rating of 4.3 with a total of more than four hundred review to date. Dinos Online 1.1 is Free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Games category.  Download from iTunes
65. *** iOS – Creekcats LLC is today proud to announce the release and immediate availability of Il Menu Dice 2.1, an important update to their free English to Italian menu translator for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. More than just a word translator, the app is designed to make ordering from a menu easier. An entire column of a menu can be translated at one time, and results are presented in bold type with each line of the original menu immediately followed by its translation, so the traveler can point to what they want to order. Users simply take a photo of the menu, crop as needed, and tap “Translate.” Il Menu Dice immediately handles the translation, resulting in an understandable menu for users to read and order from.  Il Menu Dice 2.1 is free, and is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Travel category. Download from iTunes
66. *** iOS – Tap Get Pte Ltd. today is proud to announce the release of What Time 1.0, their new social networking app developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. What Time was designed to let you chat about what you’re doing in-the-moment (such as: “Party Time”, “Coffee Time” or even “Sexy Time”) in ephemeral chat groups that automatically close when that event is over. It’s a perfect way to have quick group chats without getting stuck in whatsapp groups that are impossible to leave – i.e. chat group hell. What Time 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Social Networking category. Currently What Time works with Facebook contacts, adding support for other networks is planned for future updates. Download from iTunes
67. *** tvOS – Magnin & Associates has announced its popular Model Railroad Set 1.0 (iOS) is now also available on Apple TV. Relive the childhood joy of playing with a virtual model train set.  Model Railroad Set 1.0 is free and and available worldwide through the App Store in the Games category. The optional Train Builder Kit is $3.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) via in app purchase. Players only need to purchase the Train Builder Kit on iOS or Apple TV to be able to use on both. Model Railroad Set 1.0

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See my other OS X and iOS articles

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Review of “Red Phoenix Burning”

“Red Phoenix is Burning” eBook was published in 2016 (March) and was written by Larry Bond (http://www.larry-bond.com) and Chris Carlson. Mr. Bond is the author or co-author of more than 15 novels. Mr. Carlson has collaborated with Bond on 6 of those novels as well as some other publications.

I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The novel is primarily set in North and South Korea.

An internal coup attempt completely disrupts North Korea. The North Korean military soon splits apart with units aligning with one of the three powers – the Kim supporters, the Army Staff or the workers party. The country soon is faced with a three sided civil war.

The South sees this as an opportunity to reunify Korea and heads North. China sees the crumbling North as a threat due to the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) they know the Kim regime has developed. The US doesn’t want to cross the 38th parallel for fear of giving the Chinese an excuse for invading North Korea.

The novel follows several characters as North Korea dissolves and chaos ensues. The outside powers are all concerned about the WMDs held by the North. This fear is heightened when the North not only uses WMDs against one another, but remnants of the Kim faction begins to fire missiles at western targets.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 10.5+ hours I spent reading this 448 page novel. There was constant action and intrigue as the situation develops. I liked the wide range of characters involved with the story and with the plot twists. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Recent Articles About AI

I came across three AI related articles that I found interesting this past week

The first is “Artificial Intelligence Risk – What Researchers Think is Worth Worrying About“. It is short and gives the general results of a survey of over 30 AI researchers. Rather than the threat of ‘killer robots’ that many think of (though some did pick that), the consensus was that the threat was greatest from automation and the resulting economic impact.

That is consistent with prior posts (see these) I have written over the past few months. I, too, see the economic and social impact as the biggest threat from AI and robotics, but at the same time I do not see any nation backing off on increasing their deployment. I believe that ignoring the advantages of using AI and automation would be just as detrimental.

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Talking about how AI may impact society, researchers from Future University in Hakodate announced that a team of their researchers working with AI they had developed created a short-form novel and submitted it to the third Hoshi Shinichi Literary Award competition.  The researchers involved with the project set parameters for the story, then the AI software “wrote” the novel.

The applicants for the reward go through a four pass screening process. The AI novel made it through the first pass before being eliminated. While the story structure was said to be good, the story lacked adequate character development. The judges were not aware of the story being generated by AI. While this is the first year that the competition has allowed AI generated submissions, 11 of the 1450 contending novels were penned by AI software.

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How smart can AI get? Will AI ever surpass humans? There has been much talk of when and if the singularity will occur – that is, a point in time when AI surpasses human intelligence. This was a topic of discussion at a gathering of AI researches in Berlin last February. Some, like Danko Nikolic of the Max Planck Institute claims that an AI smarter than humans will never be created. However not all of the researchers attending the event agreed. Read “Visions of the singularity: how smart can AI get?” for more details.