Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad, iPhone & Android devices

For discussing go computing, software announcements, etc.
lobotommy
Lives in gote
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:01 am
Rank: EGF 3kyu
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: tommyray (1d/2d)
Location: Poland, Gliwice
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by lobotommy »

Boidhre wrote:Go Game Life and Death I installed a few days ago. I disagree with you, the interface is terrible. The untranslated Chinese is grating in a paid app (free to download but 11 Euro to unlock the problems) but considering the translation mistakes that litter what they did translate it doesn't look like they gave a damn anyway. The problems are good and enjoyable but solving each one brings up a damn "pop up" asking if you want to talk about your successful solving on Sina or WeChat, two Chinese social media sites. Several of the buttons at the bottom do not work or crash the app when tapped, iPad 3 iOS 6.1.3 so really this should not be happening.

The problems are nice, the app is quite unpleasant to use. It's quite a poor port of a Chinese app. Little effort was made to localise the content. I wouldn't mind but the go community being what it is it would not be hard to find a native English speaker to proofread for serious errors and find testers for the apps free of charge. I really want to like this app, the problems as I say are of decent quality and worth paying for but the interface is really turning me off of it at the moment.


I use this app every day and have not seen any crash since day one. I use it on iphone4 (iOS 6.1.2 with JB) mostly. I checked how it works on ipad 1&4(iOS 5.1.1 & 6.1.2 with no JB) and had no problems.

Interface is not the best, true, but it's not such terrible to be a dealbreaker. It is just ugly :) - like overstretched iphone version. I saw much worse apps in terms of funcionality (WeiqiDB for example - THIS is a real horror to use, and even Hye Yeon's Life and death has worse interface, so it is all relative). Chinese descriptions are not important, if something is unclear then it is a good thing to work it out on your own (especially in higher level tsumego where you are sometimes left with a position not played out).

The problems are the essence of the app and the selection is good, which we both agree. Yes, popup is little annoying, I hated it at first but now just ignore, as you can tap anywhere to close it so not a big deal for me. But hey - there is over 7000 problems!

Boidhre wrote:I tried the Go Problems one there and uninstalled it after playing around with it for five minutes. I don't remember exactly why but for me to do that there must have been some serious issues with the app.


This app is a nice one till you open "problem sets" section and see $2-$3 for every next set. This is just ridiculous compared to some other apps with thousands of problems for free or 3-5 bucks. It is $40 for all sets which is a huge "No, Thank you" for me. I will try to give it a chance, though just to see how it works with a basic free set.
Last edited by lobotommy on Thu May 16, 2013 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad, iPhone & Android devices:http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... =18&t=7511
Boidhre
Oza
Posts: 2356
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:15 pm
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: Boidhre
Location: Ireland
Has thanked: 661 times
Been thanked: 442 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by Boidhre »

lobotommy wrote:
Boidhre wrote:Go Game Life and Death I installed a few days ago. I disagree with you, the interface is terrible. The untranslated Chinese is grating in a paid app (free to download but 11 Euro to unlock the problems) but considering the translation mistakes that litter what they did translate it doesn't look like they gave a damn anyway. The problems are good and enjoyable but solving each one brings up a damn "pop up" asking if you want to talk about your successful solving on Sina or WeChat, two Chinese social media sites. Several of the buttons at the bottom do not work or crash the app when tapped, iPad 3 iOS 6.1.3 so really this should not be happening.

The problems are nice, the app is quite unpleasant to use. It's quite a poor port of a Chinese app. Little effort was made to localise the content. I wouldn't mind but the go community being what it is it would not be hard to find a native English speaker to proofread for serious errors and find testers for the apps free of charge. I really want to like this app, the problems as I say are of decent quality and worth paying for but the interface is really turning me off of it at the moment.


I use this app every day and have not seen any crash since day one. I use it on iphone4 (iOS 6.1.2 with JB) mostly. I checked how it works on ipad 1&4(iOS 5.1.1 & 6.1.2 with no JB) and had no problems.

Interface is not the best, true, but it's not such terrible to be a dealbreaker. It is just ugly :) - like overstretched iphone version. I saw much worse apps in terms of funcionality (WeiqiDB for example - THIS is a real horror to use, and even Hye Yeon's Life and death has worse interface, so it is all relative). Chinese descriptions are not important - always black move first.

The problems are the essence of the app and the selection is good, which we both agree. Yes, popup is little annoying, I hated it at first but now just ignore, as you can tap anywhere to close it so not a big deal for me. But hey - there is over 7000 problems!

Boidhre wrote:I tried the Go Problems one there and uninstalled it after playing around with it for five minutes. I don't remember exactly why but for me to do that there must have been some serious issues with the app.


This app is a nice one till you open "problem sets" section and see $2-$3 for every next set. This is just ridiculous compared to some other apps with thousands of problems for free or 3-5 bucks. It is $40 for all sets which is a huge "No, Thank you" for me. I will try to give it a chance, though just to see how it works with a basic free set.


I guess we have different tolerances for UI standards. Not a big deal. :)

I tried Speed Baduk Go Life and Death last night, I rather liked it and the free version worked without an issue so I bought the full version of the app, which crashes after I log into their server. Specifically the top 20 list for the nation comes up and then the app crashes after hitting OK. This is rather annoying, I'll have to email the developer I think.
lobotommy
Lives in gote
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:01 am
Rank: EGF 3kyu
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: tommyray (1d/2d)
Location: Poland, Gliwice
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by lobotommy »

Boidhre wrote:I tried Speed Baduk Go Life and Death last night, I rather liked it and the free version worked without an issue so I bought the full version of the app, which crashes after I log into their server. Specifically the top 20 list for the nation comes up and then the app crashes after hitting OK. This is rather annoying, I'll have to email the developer I think.


So looks like it works on iPhone4 (iOS 6.1.2), but crashed on iPads. Not good.
But wait a sec... I had an idea and it worked.

So here is a very annoying workaround for this crash: in settings app change language to Korean. App is working but... you know, everything is korean now :) and please remember which section in Setting is a language setting.

Now run the app, solve one problem. Close app - go to the setting, and choose english language.
Try the app. Should work now with no problem.

Info about this issue added to the description of app.
Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad, iPhone & Android devices:http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... =18&t=7511
Boidhre
Oza
Posts: 2356
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:15 pm
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: Boidhre
Location: Ireland
Has thanked: 661 times
Been thanked: 442 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by Boidhre »

lobotommy wrote:
Boidhre wrote:I tried Speed Baduk Go Life and Death last night, I rather liked it and the free version worked without an issue so I bought the full version of the app, which crashes after I log into their server. Specifically the top 20 list for the nation comes up and then the app crashes after hitting OK. This is rather annoying, I'll have to email the developer I think.


So looks like it works on iPhone4 (iOS 6.1.2), but crashed on iPads. Not good.
But wait a sec... I had an idea and it worked.

So here is a very annoying workaround for this crash: in settings app change language to Korean. App is working but... you know, everything is korean now :) and please remember which section in Setting is a language setting.

Now run the app, solve one problem. Close app - go to the setting, and choose english language.
Try the app. Should work now with no problem.

Info about this issue added to the description of app.


Thanks, I found the app works if Region Settings is changed to Korean. This doesn't change menu languages and similar, only date format, names for days of the week and so on.
User avatar
pleiade67
Dies with sente
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:44 am
Rank: 20 kyu
GD Posts: 0
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 19 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by pleiade67 »

Concerning :

Go Problems for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone ... - iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/kn/app/go-prob ... 78548?mt=8

Developer : Adumbration Inc.

4500 problems apparently picked up at goproblems.com. 200 free problems, other sets in app purchase (is this legal ? the app has no help just a link towards goproblems.com :-? ). No real website for Adumbration Inc.

Pretty nice interface. Solutions include some brief commentaries.
lobotommy
Lives in gote
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:01 am
Rank: EGF 3kyu
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: tommyray (1d/2d)
Location: Poland, Gliwice
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by lobotommy »

Not sure if it's legal, though it is in a free portion of app. As I wrote previously - it's $35 for all sets, which is, in my opinion, rather ridiculous especially if you take into account all other apps available. But it's just me, and if you have a money you can do whatever you want with it. I'm going to update a list of apps with this app and Life&Death of Go later today.
Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad, iPhone & Android devices:http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... =18&t=7511
User avatar
pleiade67
Dies with sente
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:44 am
Rank: 20 kyu
GD Posts: 0
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 19 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by pleiade67 »

Thanks again for your reference page, very useful...

Did you have a look to :
Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles released in English
(Not only for kids)
http://www.britgo.org/node/4047


Also found the following apps (free trial, not tested) :

Beauty & Go for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store
https://itunes.apple.com/bm/app/beauty- ... 67258?mt=8
27 juil. 2011 – Read reviews, get customer ratings, see screenshots and learn more about Beauty & Go on the App Store. Download Beauty & Go and enjoy it ...
Does not seem good. intended for kids

Badukpro
https://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/baduk-p ... 91673?mt=8
lobotommy
Lives in gote
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:01 am
Rank: EGF 3kyu
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: tommyray (1d/2d)
Location: Poland, Gliwice
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by lobotommy »

pleiade67 wrote:Thanks again for your reference page, very useful...

Did you have a look to :
Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles released in English
(Not only for kids)
http://www.britgo.org/node/4047

Also found the following apps (free trial, not tested) :

Beauty & Go for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store
https://itunes.apple.com/bm/app/beauty- ... 67258?mt=8
27 juil. 2011 – Read reviews, get customer ratings, see screenshots and learn more about Beauty & Go on the App Store. Download Beauty & Go and enjoy it ...
Does not seem good. intended for kids

Badukpro
https://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/baduk-p ... 91673?mt=8



Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles - it is probably very nice set of problem, but not a classic one, so I surely want to try it some day - not today though :).

Beauty & Go - this one looks interesting. Even if it was designed for kids the problems are quite challenging sometimes even for me. After a few minutes with it I can say that I like it. Thanks for info about it!

Badukpro - piece of garbage. Avoid.
Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad, iPhone & Android devices:http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... =18&t=7511
Boidhre
Oza
Posts: 2356
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:15 pm
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: Boidhre
Location: Ireland
Has thanked: 661 times
Been thanked: 442 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by Boidhre »

lobotommy wrote:Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles - it is probably very nice set of problem, but not a classic one, so I surely want to try it some day - not today though :).


Just got it. Very nice. The Intermediate problems I've done are nice little ko problems with loads of traps in them, that move that looks really like a tesuji results in a ko six moves later and that kind of thing. Fun!
lobotommy
Lives in gote
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:01 am
Rank: EGF 3kyu
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: tommyray (1d/2d)
Location: Poland, Gliwice
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by lobotommy »

Boidhre wrote:
lobotommy wrote:Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles - it is probably very nice set of problem, but not a classic one, so I surely want to try it some day - not today though :).


Just got it. Very nice. The Intermediate problems I've done are nice little ko problems with loads of traps in them, that move that looks really like a tesuji results in a ko six moves later and that kind of thing. Fun!


Boidhre, may I use your opinion in a template below?
Is there any information about number of problems available?

Name: Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles
Number of problems:
Range: From complete beginners to high dan players (approximately)
Price: $2.99
Link to AppStore http://itunes.apple.com/app/ri-ben-qi-yuan-zhang-xuno/id517153034?mt=8
Boidhre's opinion: Very nice. The Intermediate problems I've done are nice little ko problems with loads of traps in them, that move that looks really like a tesuji results in a ko six moves later and that kind of thing. Fun!
Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad, iPhone & Android devices:http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... =18&t=7511
Boidhre
Oza
Posts: 2356
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:15 pm
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: Boidhre
Location: Ireland
Has thanked: 661 times
Been thanked: 442 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by Boidhre »

lobotommy wrote:
Boidhre wrote:
lobotommy wrote:Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles - it is probably very nice set of problem, but not a classic one, so I surely want to try it some day - not today though :).


Just got it. Very nice. The Intermediate problems I've done are nice little ko problems with loads of traps in them, that move that looks really like a tesuji results in a ko six moves later and that kind of thing. Fun!


Boidhre, may I use your opinion in a template below?
Is there any information about number of problems available?

Name: Cho U’s 4 by 4 Go Puzzles
Number of problems:
Range: From complete beginners to high dan players (approximately)
Price: $2.99
Link to AppStore http://itunes.apple.com/app/ri-ben-qi-yuan-zhang-xuno/id517153034?mt=8
Boidhre's opinion: Very nice. The Intermediate problems I've done are nice little ko problems with loads of traps in them, that move that looks really like a tesuji results in a ko six moves later and that kind of thing. Fun!


Feel free to use any comments I make about an app.

There are a mere 100 problems, 40 Beginner, 30 Easy, 20 Intermediate, 10 Hard. You can buy additional sets of problems for 0.89 cent (Euros, I assume 1 dollar each in the US since that seems to be Apple's normal conversion) each. Two sets of 50 problems split 20, 18, 8, 4 as above and one set of 100 Beginner problems.

You can also switch it from the cutsey cats to a regular go board and stones. The music (kids stuff) can be turned off which is fine. The initial app is expensive for what it is but I don't know of an alternative if you want a set of 4x4 problems on iOS and these would be ideal for solving solely in your head as John Fairbairn was talking about in another thread.
User avatar
pleiade67
Dies with sente
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:44 am
Rank: 20 kyu
GD Posts: 0
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 19 times

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by pleiade67 »

Additional point concerning the Go Problems app, after checking on the forum of goproblems.com :
--------------------

Go Problems

https://itunes.apple.com/kn/app/go-prob ... 78548?mt=8

Developer : Adumbration Inc. (Adam Miller, creator of goproblems.com)

Tsumego app with a nice interface by Adam Miller (known as "adum"), who is the designer of the well known site http://www.goproblems.com. 200 free problems. More than 4000 additional problems corresponding to a selection by adum of the problems from the site goproblems.com and some other classic problems. The less good: typical price : 3$ for 500 problems. This is pretty pricey compared to other go IOS apps which propose a bunch of problems for just a few bucks. The whole set amounts to more than 30$. A more sensible price for the ipad app would be welcome :) . I would also wish to have additional game sets by level (beginner, DDK, SDK, Dan).

Let us notice that the whole material is freely available on the site http://www.goproblems.com (do not use the java but the "standard" mode on the Ipad). The site currently proposes +17000 problems, but no selection or checking of the problems contributed by various go players). But once again the IOS app has a really nice interface (with the possibility to test variations and solutions with commentaries, which is interesting for beginners). Be that as it may, the free app is good value and you may buy additional problems to support the work of A. Miller.

Remember also that Smartgo kifu includes +2000 problems, apparently from the same site go problems.com, with many many additional functionalities.
User avatar
tchan001
Gosei
Posts: 1582
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:44 pm
GD Posts: 1292
Location: Hong Kong
Has thanked: 54 times
Been thanked: 534 times
Contact:

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by tchan001 »

Strictly speaking, some of the apps you list contain tsumego from famous go books which are not out of copyright. I can definitely tell you that with regards to Kada Katsuji (I suspect is listed below in an app as Kada Koji), a certain Japanese publisher issued an apology and stopped distribution of a translation of a certain Korean tsumego book as it proved to contain the composed problems of the famous Japanese tsumego composer. For more info >>> http://www.tsogen.co.jp/news/2010/07/10072210.html

Apps such as the following are suspect:

Name: Life and Death of Go
Number of problems: 7329
How to calculate liberties? (44 - some theory of semeai with diagrams)
Classical life-and-death shapes (118), Entry Level (800), Primary Level (800) , Middle Level (752), Superior Level (753), Kensaku Segoe's (950), Lee Chang-Ho's (738), Secret Essences (264), Fly Dragon Diagram (1000), Moving Finger (136), Magic Chess (446), Fa Yang Lun (193), Maeda Nobuaki's (210), Kada Koji's (216)

Name: Tesuji of Go
Number of problems: 5 333
Authors/sources:
Jin Jiang (267), Tom (366), Kensaku Segoe (188), Lee Chang-Ho (735), Japanese Go Association (2 636), Kudo Norio (101), Yoda Norimoto (202), Middle Level Tesuji (360), Fujisawa Shuko (228), Ishida Yoshio (250)


The above bold entries are highly suspected to be unlicensed from the copyright holders of the books from which they were taken.

In my opinion as someone who has collected many go problem books, if the apps contain all the problems from a go problem book which is still protected by copyright, if you don't own an actual physical copy of such book from which those problems were taken from (even if it is out of print) or if the programmer has not licensed those problems from their respective copyright holders, you are actually paying a pirate for the privilege of using that knowledge without any benefits to the actual rights holder.
For example, if it is from a Chinese source, and the app is listed as containing all the problems in famous Japanese and Korean tsumego books which are not out of copyright, and they don't provide documentation about licensing such problems from the respective copyright holders of those books, I would highly suspect it is the work of a pirate enriching himself off the work of others via people who purchase his app. If you suspect I'm wrong, show me otherwise.
In Japan, my understanding is that the copyright for books are valid until 50 years after the death of the last surviving author of the work.

Ask yourself, if it were legal to just copy all the tsumego and tesuji problems from books and magazines and sell such a database to other people without licensing, why wouldn't the GoGOD team have done that years ago with all the materials they use to build their game records database?
http://tchan001.wordpress.com
A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.
lobotommy
Lives in gote
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:01 am
Rank: EGF 3kyu
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: tommyray (1d/2d)
Location: Poland, Gliwice
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by lobotommy »

Thanks tchan - I don't know anything about copyright issues here, but sure, it can be true.
If there is some piracy then owners of the rights to some of these tsumego can always apply an objection letter to Apple and resolve this problem.
Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad, iPhone & Android devices:http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... =18&t=7511
User avatar
Bonobo
Oza
Posts: 2224
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 6:39 pm
Rank: OGS 13k
GD Posts: 0
OGS: trohde
Universal go server handle: trohde
Location: Lüneburg Heath, North Germany
Has thanked: 8262 times
Been thanked: 924 times
Contact:

Re: Tsumego/Tesuji apps for iPad & iPhone

Post by Bonobo »

lobotommy wrote:[..]

If there is some piracy then owners of the rights to some of these tsumego can always apply an objection letter to Apple and resolve this problem.
Well, yes, sure.

But…

1. They’d have to know about this, i.e. they’d constantly have to observe all channels through which their stuff could be spread illegitimately … these are many.

2. They’d have to purchase those apps … thus giving the pirates even more money, for their OWN stuff :-(

3. They’d have to be willing to go through the bureaucratic hassles, and they’d have to be very patient.

4. The damage would already have been done.


I fear there is quite a chance that they’d rather stop producing material. Has happened already, as is to be read elsewhere in L19.
“The only difference between me and a madman is that I’m not mad.” — Salvador Dali
Post Reply