New app, The Lotto Machine, proves physics engines improve software

 Prominent iOS application developer, and friend of the site, Steven Troughton-Smith has released a neat new iPhone and iPod touch application called The Lotto Machine that is a random number generator. Besides the great design, the application is unique because of its physics engine. The physics engine is best demonstrated when a user holds down the “Hold to spin!” button that cranks the wheel. The new application also shows off its accelerometer usage when a user tilts their device.as a user moves their phone around in space, the lottery balls also move

The actual purpose of the beautifully designed App Store application is to pump out random lottery numbers. The application lets you receive up to seven random lottery ball numbers at a time, and the numbers can range up to 60. While the focus of the application’s design is these lottery numbers, you can imagine all the other uses for randomly generating a list of numbers.
Troughton-Smith has posted a nice outline and history of the application’s development on his blog:
 The Box2D physics engine was key – without it, the app could not exist. There were countless random number generators on the store, but none looked and felt anything like this…. the balls bounce around the drum as you hold the button, and as soon as you let go a series of numbers will pop out of the chute and roll across the shelf. If you move your device about, the accelerometer will also affect the balls and give you a sense of control over the random selection. Not only is it fun to use, but it’s kinda addictive.
The application is now available on the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch for $0.99.

The next iPod nano is going to have a camera if these new spyshots are real

Here’s more evidence that Apple was (is?) indeed prototyping an iPod nano with a camera on the back and the accompanying hole on the clip. Leaked by the Japanese blog Apple.pro which leaked a similar set of images back in April of last year, the new shots further indicate that Apple could be working (or at least was researching at some point), a next-generation iPod nano with an alleged 1.3-megapixel camera on its back, while still keeping the current model’s size and display.
The hole on the clip itself looks like it could house camera lens. Such a solution would theoretically separate the camera hardware and electronics inside the diminutive main casing from the optics and sensor hardware integrated on the clip. The clip hole looks awfully similar to an Apple patent filing published in May 2011, with one of the drawings depicting a belt clip with a hole in the exactly same place as on these spyshots. Two more shots after the break.

The publication also points to an Apple patent filing from November of last year describing the integrated sound system on the iPod nano, basically a small piezoelectric speaker integrated into a clip and similar to the iPod nano’s existing clip. Another possible use of the speaker: Voice-activated Siri control, though that would require a network connection that the miniature music player lacks. On the other hand, Bluetooth 4.0 functionality would let the iPod nano become an extension of Siri on your iPhone 4S. Plus, low-powered Bluetooth 4.0 module would enable other uber-cool features. Note that the Apple.pro blog has been relatively accurate in the past, leaking legitimate images of Verizon iPhone 4 schematics from Foxconn, the mini touch-screen found in the current iPod nano, accurate iPad 2 details, and more.

 

Photos show quad-core iPad 3 processor, Wi-Fi and global LTE options

 A source claiming to be in possession of an iPad 3 prototype provided BGR with images containing details about Apple’s highly anticipated third-generation tablet. From the data in the photos, which contain the output from an iPad 3 using a development and debug tool called iBoot, we can infer plenty of information about the upcoming iPad 3. For starters, the model numbers are J1 and J2 (iPad3,1 and iPad3,2), and while DigiTimes reported this a few weeks ago, these two models are not different devices, just a single iPad available in two versions — one with Wi-Fi only and one with Wi-Fi and embedded GSM/CDMA/LTE for all carriers. Also included in the photos is, for the first time, confirmation of which processor Apple will be using in the iPad 3: an A6 processor with model number S5L8945X. For reference, the Apple A4 model was S5L8930X and the A5 is S5L8940X. The new processor will also apparently be a quad-core model, making the upcoming iPad 3 the fastest iOS device ever, we have been told. More screenshots are included in our gallery below.