Project Lore

Earlier this week this video (thanks Kotaku) showing that someone had created a way to play World of Warcraft on the iPhone started circulating. TechCrunch called it the end of the world, and Gizmodo thought it had some potential. I just want it in my hands! The technology behind the program is a program called Vollee. Most of the processing is not actually done on the iPhone, but instead uses streaming video of the rendering done on another machine. The functionality was pretty basic, but it includes auction house access and also what would at least be a great way to get some dailies done without having to bring your computer on vacation. Unfortunately, the future of this and all WoW related iPhone Apps is up in the air. Blizzard just issued a Cease and Desist order to the makers of the popular apps, Armory Browser, Warcraft Characters, and Warcraft Arena Calculator. These apps used information that is freely available on the Armory, so why Blizzard would do such a thing is not quite clear at the moment. Perhaps Blizzard is making its own version of those Apps listed and doesn't want any other products out there to confuse users. Perhaps they're working closely with the creators of the Vollee application to give all of us addicts a way to get some WoW in while we're on the go. Whatever the reasoning, there is still a lot of potential in the iPhone and other smart phones for all of us. As a user of an iPhone and a couple of the apps that got Cease and Desists, Blizzard's decision to send out those C&Ds is a little frustrating to me. Hopefully Blizzard creates something amazing or gives up some control to the huge number of developers out there. I'd love a way to log in and chat with people while I wait for the bus and using the Auction House on the road would be amazing. What do you guys think? What kind of phone are you guys using? What World of Warcraft apps are you using on your phone? Would you play WoW on it if you could? What other WoW-related apps would you like to see?

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Edit: Direct Link to Battle.net Mobile Authenticator on iTunes App Store WoWInsider is reporting that the rumored iPhone Authenticator App is now available for free download on the App Store. I quickly grabbed my iPhone and did a quick search for "Blizzard" on the App store and a scrolled towards the bottom, revealing that it was indeed available for no charge! iPhone users will have to convert their WoW accounts to Battle.net in order to take advantage, but the App is a great alternative for those who haven't been able to find the $6.50 Authenticators due to the constant Sold Out status on the Blizzard store. This should also help relieve some of those supply issues as most users who have the ability will likely choose to use the iPhone over an extra device to carry. The description of the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator on the iPhone App Store is:

Do you play World of Warcraft using a Battle.net account? Protect the account with the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator for you iPhone, an optional tool that offers an additional layer of security to help prevent unauthorized account access. The Battle.net Mobile Authenticator gives you the security of two-factor authentication. Each time you log in to a Battle.net account, you'll use the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator to generate a unique one-time use password to use in addition to your regular password. Log in with both and you can rest easy knowing that the account is more secure against unauthorized access.

Now, since installing the program, I haven't been able to find it again on the App Store. Also, many users seem to be having problems finding it in other regions like the UK and Canada. Anyone out there able to get the App installed on your iPhone or iPod Touch? For now, I'll hang on to my key fob, but I may soon be able to get rid of it since I'll always have my phone on me. Of course, that also means I'll have to keep the iPhone charged.

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