About a month ago we reviewed WireWay for iPhone and iPod touch, a fantastic arcade puzzle game from Konami. Now, Konami Digital Entertainment has found themselves with a couple promo codes to burn, and asked if we’d like to pass them on to you. Which, of course, we would. You have to hurry, though. The codes expire tomorrow, so enter now.

From my review:

WireWay is a game about Wiley the alien and his quest to find Elan (a precious energy source, not a kidnapped princess). You help Wiley on his way by launching him across a series of suspended wires. Wiley grabs the wires automatically, then you touch and drag down on the iPhone screen to adjust his velocity (a dotted line gives you a visual clue). Lift your finger, and watch the little guy fly up (or over) to, hopefully, the next wire. Reach your ship, and it’s on to the next level.

We’ll make this very simple. To enter to win one of two promo codes (each valued at $4.99), simply leave a comment below. Make sure you’re registered with Appletell, as we’ll need your e-mail address to notify you if you’ve won. We’ll randomly select the winners from all entries at 6:30 p.m. EDT this evening, March 16th, 2010, and immediately send the promo codes via e-mail. Remember, the codes are due to expire sometime tomorrow, March 17th, 2010, so you’ll need to use them quickly. Neither Appletell nor Konami Digital Entertainment will be held responsible for promo codes not claimed on time.

Now, get to enterin’!

Product [WireWay]

WireWay One Day Giveaway contest rules

1. Description of Offer. APPLETELL WIREWAY ONE DAY GIVEAWAY CONTEST is sponsored by Gadgetell LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of North American Publishing Co., 1500 Spring Garden Street, 12th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19130 USA. Sponsor will award two WIREWAY APPS FOR IPHONE in a random drawing of all eligible entries received during the Survey Period.
2. Survey Period. The survey begins March 16, 2010: 1:30 p.m. EDT and ends March 16, 2010: 6:30 p.m. EDT. All responses must be received during the Survey Period. 2 WINNERS will be drawn immediately after the end of the survey period.
3. How to Enter. REGISTER WITH APPLETELL. THEN, LEAVE A COMMENT IN THE COMMENT FIELD ON THIS PAGE. BY REGISTERING AND COMMENTING, you are agreeing to be notified by e-mail if you are the winner. Entries become the property of Sponsor. In the unlikely event the Sponsor encounters technical or equipment failures such as telephone network lines failing, computer online systems failing, servers and/or provider services go down, or human error in connection with the survey, etc., the Sponsor and promoters will not be held responsible. Collection and handling of personally identifiable information will be in accordance to the Privacy Policy as posted at http://www.napco.com/privacypolicy.
4. Eligibility. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO WIN. Employees of Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers or their immediate families are not eligible. The total number of eligible entries received during the Promotion Period determines the odds of winning. By entering, entrant agrees to abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding.
5. Description of Prize. A WIREWAY PROMO CODE will be awarded to two qualified winners. No substitution, assignment or transfer of prize is permitted, except by Sponsor, who reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Maximum cash value for all creative representations shall be $4.99.
6. Drawing and Awarding of Prize. A random drawing will be made of all eligible and correctly completed entries received during the Survey Period. Winner will be notified by e-mail, upon completion of survey period. By accepting the prize, winner agrees that Sponsor, its affiliates, distributors, advertising and promotional agencies and suppliers and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents shall have no liability for, and shall hold all such parties harmless against damage, loss or injury that may arise in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of prizes or participation in this Sweepstakes. Offer void where prohibited.

7. Miscellaneous. APPLETELL WIREWAY ONE DAY GIVEAWAY CONTEST is subject to all applicable laws in the United States and Canada. Void where prohibited and in any country except the United States and Canada. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or suspend APPLETELL WIREWAY ONE DAY GIVEAWAY CONTEST should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor or Promoters, corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper operation of APPLETELL WIREWAY ONE DAY GIVEAWAY CONTEST. All decisions are final. Sponsor makes no warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the use of the any prizes including, but not limited to, quality, merchantability or fitness for a particular prize.  All federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations apply.
8. Winner’s List. To see the winner of APPLETELL WIREWAY ONE DAY GIVEAWAY CONTEST, please contact KIRK HINER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF APPLETELL, AT TIPS@APPLETELL.COM.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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If St. Patty’s day for you means time to drink, then these applications can help you to enjoy the experience, play with your drinks and cope with the damage the morning after.

Beer Brands

Seller: Webworks
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
Requirements: iPhone OS 1.6 or higher
File Size: 1.4 MB
Price: Free
Age Rating: 17+

If you want to be the expert of all things beer, then this application will help you out with a guide to a wide range of beers. Sure, a Bud or a Sam Adams may be a find standard for everyday drinking, but on St. Patty’s Day it is time to step things up a notch and expand your pallet.

It also gives you a nice set of pairing options for each of the 7,800 beers in the listings. Good news if you want to slow down your—or a friends—consumption.

Leprechaun Drinking Game

Seller: Brand Ambassador Group
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.1.2 or higher
File Size: 4.8MB
Price: $0.99
Age Rating: 17+

Drinking is more fun with a gimmick. If you are too bombed to think of one , this application can help you. It is quite simple to play, so being too smashed won’t get you out of it.

All you have to do is tap the leprechaun. He will give you a drinking line that gives you an idea of how much you need to consume. Then, you pass it on to the next unwitting victim, and watch him/her imbibe. The amounts vary widely, and show up randomly, so do not expect a chance to hack the game.

Drink Fit

Seller: Justin Coorperman
Compatibility: iPhone or iPod touch
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.0 or higher
File Size: 0.3MB
Price: $1.99
Age Rating: 12+

Now, we come to the dreaded morning after. If you want to know exactly how much damage you have done to your diet, this application can help you to figure out not only how bad you were, but can help you plan for the future. With nutrition information on the least damaging beers, you can consume less calories next time.

Full Story » | Written by Katie Gatto for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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Provides: On-ear headphones with inline microphone
Developer: urbanears
Compatibility: Any device with standard 1/8” headphone jack
Price: $59.00

Heavy hitters:

In both appearance and extra features, Urbanears’ Plattan line (pictured at right in the “army” shade) are indeed heavy hitters. The Urbanears website describes them as a “full size headphone allowing for rich, secluded sound,” which the well-padded cups and ample drivers do quite nicely. Available in a dazzling array of colors—ranging from blues with names like “Ocean” to a green “Sallad” to “Chocolate”—they certainly make a visual statement. The review unit came in a funky shade of dark blue called Navy. One thing is certain; these headphones do stand out visually!  Fit and finish on these are top notch. The head band is covered in a woven fabric, as is the cord; it is nice to see somebody change it up from the standard vinyl leather and plastic.  The fit was tight but not uncomfortable on a medium-sized head; those with larger noggins might need to give these a pass. One gripe is the lack of a carrying case. At this price point, it feels like a cheap cost cutting measure.

The integrated inline microphone is also a nice touch.  It is a bit strange at first; the headphones isolate so much external sound that you will not hear yourself speaking. Callers reported no clarity issues, and the sound from phone calls was flawless.  Another…interesting...feature included on these headphones is the Zound plug (yes, that is a “z”).  It is an extra headphone jack on the right ear cup that allows you to plug in another pair of headphones—essentially daisy chaining the sound.  It came in handy for sharing PIxar’s Up from an iPod touch on a long car trip.

Got it where it counts?

Despite excellent visual appeal, the Plattans were decidedly lacking in the audio department.  They seem to be an exercise in form over function, and although they nail the form category, they are simply mediocre in audio function.

• Pros: As advertised, they do provide excellent audio seclusion.  With the ear cups on, it was impossible to hear anything but a slight background noise from any of the following: traffic noises, television at normal volume, or a dishwasher.  In the Plattans’ favor, they consistently produced distortion-free sound, including two of my favorite test tracks: “Jazzy Bach” by Ben Charest on the Triplets of Belleville soundtrack and “He’s a Pirate” by Klaus Badelt on the original Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.  Both contain big, loud passages that easily cause distortion on many speakers. Here, both were rendered distortion-free.  Upper bass performance was also acceptable, though not outstanding, for orchestral and instrumental music, highlighted by a clear reproduction of cellos in Mahler’s Symphony 1, 2nd movement.
• Cons: Bass. Yes, the cello reproduction is listed above as a pro, but in all other regards, the bass is a con.  Pop and dance music with electronic bass lines was often muddy and unclear.  Songs like “Starstruck” by Lady Gaga and “Teardrop” by Massive Attack (which is also the House, MD theme song) lacked balance due to drab bass performance.  Overall performance is just lacking in acoustic clarity.  Several live performance recordings (many of which I played in, as part of a concert band) were lacking in the warmth and resonance of the original performance.  Mids and high tones were similarly lacking; “Bambaleo” by Gipsy Kings lost its spicy flamenco flair on guitar and Franki Valli’s voice sounded whiny rather than angelic, much like the thready audio on a Skype call.

The Fat Lady Sings:

In the 50-100 dollar price range there are plenty of headphones—both on-ear and earbud style—that provide excellent reproduction with bright, clear sound and precise imaging.  The Plattans reproduced sound accurately, but the experience is the visual equivalent of watching a movie with the projector just slightly out of focus: all the elements are there, but the missing crispness detracts from the overall experience. For casual listeners, these are an improvement over Apple’s included earbuds and over most entry-level headphones.  If one of the 14 colors is your signature color, and you want to make sure your audio gear is a fashion-perfect accessory, Plattans are a competent choice.  The end result seems to be more fashion statement than serious sound gear, so for audiophiles, my advice is to look elsewhere.

Full Story » | Written by Aaron Kraus for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Want to read the most interesting and shocking sentence of perhaps your entire week. Here it goes: “If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.”

Yup, you read that right. According to Apple’s webpage, having a dead battery on your iPad will not only make you eligible for a new battery, they’ll simply replace the iPad itself (keep in mind, it still costs $99, but unlike the iPhone, you get a new device, not just a new battery). While this is certainly intriguing, it does raise some points.

For one, the reasoning behind this may because the solid structure of the device makes it too hard to open up and replace the battery to even make it worth it. Perhaps replacing the entire iPad is more cost and time friendly to Apple. However, this also poses the question of how environmentally safe this really is. Instead of having a battery go to waste, Apple is presumably having to find a way to recycle the entire device. Either way, this could be considered good news for consumers, depending upon how you look at it. It’s a change in the way Apple has been doing things, though, that’s for sure.

Via [Engadget]

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According to a specific analyst group, Apple may have sold a nicely sized 120,000 iPad units on the first day of pre-orders. If this number seems strange to you, it may help knowing that their math makes sense. Basically, Apple sells about 16,500 orders a day online, but managed to sell about 124,596 on the day of the iPad preorder. Considering that about 1.11 iPads were ordered per customer, we come up with a number around 120,000.

Also, according to math they performed on a sale of 110 iPad orders based on 99 customers (not including reservations), iPad buyers preferred the cheaper and sooner available WiFi-only model over the 3G model two to one. Furthermore, all models (16GB, 32GB and 64GB) are selling about an equal amount in the online Apple store.

Victor Castroll, an analyst with Valcent Financial Group, stated that Apple has been able to generate around $75 million of revenue in one day with an item that most people haven’t even been able to see or touch in person. With continued succes such as this, as well as the eventual release to more countries, Apple sure could have a winner with this product. It will be interesting to see official numbers from them around the time of their next earnings report.

Via [Brainstorm Tech]

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for March 15, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• PagePlanet Software, Inc. has announced the Golden Master release of Modular Gateway Interface (MGI) 3.2 for the Macintosh OS X and Linux operating systems. MGI is an Apache 2 module that adds full functionality to every website on your server using a simple tag structure. MGI includes 67 tags to enhance a website with everything from simple counters and form processing to custom databases and shopping carts. You can also combine MGI’s powerful programming tags to make your website do anything you can imagine.  Need to build a custom login and tracking system? No problem.
• TheMacBundles today released its March bundle and a new and innovative Build Your Own Bundle store. TheMacBundles has set a new standard of quality and value with its high quality, low priced bundles. These no-gimmick bundles provide users with the same software, support, licenses, and upgrade benefits that apply to users who paid the full price for the titles. The new BYOB store maintains these high standards and lets users create their own customized bundles with some simple mouse clicks.
• iWebTemplate has announced the addition of a free iWeb themes and templates section to be used with Apple’s iWeb Website building application. iWeb Free Themes includes seven great themes: Sky, Picture, Church, Joy, Love, Billiard and Cat. Each iWeb Free theme can be used as the basis for a great new website. Each iWeb template incorporates a number of different graphic elements which can be easily removed, moved and changed in size, opacity or color.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• A new service from DCI Mobile Studios has made the process of sending holiday cards easier through iPhone. Send free greeting cards, ecards, postcards and egreetings for friends and family on special occasions. DCI Mobile Studios designed for New Years, birthdays, bon voyages, Valentine’s Day, happy holidays, Pongal, and congratulations for buying new iPhone.
• Ivanovich Games has announced iDaze 9000 v1.2, an update to their hilarious audio feedback application for iPhone and iPod touch devices. iDaze 9000 uses advanced digital audio algorithms to create a gap between speaking, and then hearing it. Known as Delayed Audio Feedback, this effect can be so confusing that the speaker becomes dazed. iDaze 9000 will create waves of laughter as a friend attempts to recite the multiplication tables while his speech is reduced to gibberish.
• Connect The Dots Extreme from independent developer, poccaDot, offers a new twist to an old classic game. The objective is to connect a sequence of dots by drawing a line, thus revealing an outline of an image hidden underneath. Connect The Dots Extreme brings the original concept to a new level of fun. Instead of connecting the dots in old-fashioned large and bland books manufactured of recycled paper, this game comes alive, literally. As you connect the dots using speed and accuracy, the line itself becomes alive and you have to press the right dot at the exact right time in order to complete the drawing properly. The faster the line moves, the higher your score becomes; a score you can compare against your friends best performance.
• Performing magical card tricks is no longer reserved for the trained professional. All you need in addition to your iPhone iPod touch is your personal download of No Freakin’ Way from professional magician Carl Andrews. With this app, you have the opportunity to amaze, shock and surprise anyone around you with the classic “Pick a card, any card” card trick.
• Tuparev Technologies has introduced Plants 1.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch devices. The Plants application consists of a photo reference guide to plants, and a plant maintainance scheduler. Using its simple, eye-catching interface, the user can easily provide all his plants at multiple locations with individualized care. Watering, re-potting and fertilizing are now done efficiently, correctly and on time.
• Dynadel has announced Ovulation Calendar 4.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. The Ovulation Calendar application helps you determine your fertile days of the month, so you can either achieve or avoid pregnancy. It also maintains a list of your symptoms during the cycle, your BBT chart and your weight chart among other features. Using the Shettles methods it can help you get pregnant and even estimate the gender of your baby.
• With no development experience under his belt, illustrator Kyle T. Webster defeated the odds by landing his first iPhone game, White Lines in the top 50 paid apps list last week. He credits a simple idea that is suitable for all ages and language independent, as well as the proven marketing power of social media, for the game’s sudden jump into the top 50. By Wednesday of last week, the game arrived at position number 5 behind the classic puzzle favorite, Tetris.
• Obecnie has released oBemo 2.0.1, the iPhone note taking app that stores your notes, photos and locations in one place. Features include optional password protection, the ability to email your notes and integration with Google Maps to share your locations or get turn by turn directions. Addresses and maps are automatically generated for saved locations. Customizable categories keep notes organized. Data detection highlights web links, emails and phone numbers.
• Zio for Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch is an interactive generative art visualizer enabling you to explore and interact with an endlessly generating world of organic, audio reactive visuals. To some users, Zio is considered a therapeutic aquarium, while to others it is considered a zen garden in your pocket. The app is for anyone seeking a stunningly beautiful and highly customizable interactive generative visualizer. Zio is, among other things, a sophisticated eco-graphic design tool, an endlessly generating music video for your audio library, and a performance instrument for organic visuals.
• Innerplays has introduced Star Cargo 3000 v1.0, an innovative space combat game for iPhone and iPod touch. The player is captain of a giant cargo vessel parked in orbit above an unstable mining planet. The goal is to successfully transport 10 modular cargo containers up to the ship, before it is destroyed by debris ejected into space or insurgent weapons. The game includes 3 planets, 12 different lethal projectiles, 45 levels and Openfeint connectivity.
• ALK Technologies has announced CoPilot Live 8.0.0.651, the latest updates to their award-winning GPS navigation apps for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS devices. CoPilot Live now include improved guidance at complex intersections, Facebook status updates, free local search, and the latest maps of North America. More than 15,000 miles of roads have been added, 73 completely updated counties and hundreds of map improvements submitted by the CoPilot Live User Community.
• Sustainable Softworks has announced Phone Amego 1.1.13. Phone Amego makes using your phone easier when you are near your computer by providing on-screen caller ID, letting you click to dial a phone number from your Address Book or on your screen, and optionally dialing through Google Voice. This release offers several user interface improvements including minimizing an active call window to the Dock, an option to translate mnemonics, and remotely dialing a landline phone.
• SQUAD has announced the new redesigned version of SalatTime 1.3, an indispensable app for every Muslim featuring Islamic prayer time list with automatic notifications, Calendar and Compass. This app is designed for people who want to have a push notifications assistant as well as Athan alarms always at their disposal. When the application is launched it sends prayer push alerts according to the exact prayer times specified on the list.
• 10-20 Media has announced GardenPilot 2.0, a powerful plant search tool for iPhone and iPod touch devices. GardenPilot is a unique research tool designed for the gardening professional and the inexperienced casual gardener. GardenPilot features over 12,000 beautifully illustrated plant information pages, all designed to educate today’s gardener about spectacular plants and where to buy them. The GardenPilot marketplace Navigator is the plant search web app developed to mirror the iPhone app.
• The Get the Focal Free Irish translator translates words from English to Irish (Gaeilge) and vice versa. It has a 13,000 word database, is very accurate and can even translate sentences and pronounce the words if you upgrade to the full version.
• iKit has introduced the AutoCon FM Transmitter, allowing you to take control of your iPhone or iPod in your car. The built in FM transmitter has rapid auto scan technology and lets you play music through your car radio, giving you high quality sound with no interference. Their very own AutoCon USB car charger comes with this purchase, giving you powerful rapid charge eliminating the chance of losing power. This device is a full-feature hands-free kit, with a built in microphone which provides clear crisp sound. The unit allows you to play/pause, adjust volume and track skip, and displays your selected music.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Although PCWorld would consider me an “idiot,” and our friends at Gamertell believe I’m setting myself up for failure, I’m still looking forward to getting my iPad on April 3rd, and I’m looking forward to playing games on it. My iPhone has proven itself to be a quite capable gaming machine, but that tiny screen has just never been compatible with my big thumbs. Will the larger iPad screen correct this problem? Will the accelerometer still be logical in a device that big?

The iPad, therefore, will be a more logical choice of many games because the controls won’t be as cramped. I won’t need to worry as much about my thumb hiding the action or my fingers missing the proper “buttons.”

Yet, it’s still kind of tricky because many iPhone games were designed specifically for the small screen. The iPhone is easy to tilt and turn, for example. I won’t know if this is the case with the iPad until April 3rd (2010).

And so, there are quite a few games I’m eager to try out on the iPad.

Check out the list over at Gamertell.com.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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Provides: iDevice cradle
Developer: Just mobile
Minimum Requirements: iDevice
Price: $49.99
Availability: Now

JustMobile is one of those companies that continues to think a little differently from the rest of the industry. This time, I’m taking a look at their new Lounge iDevice car cradle, which doesn’t attach to your windshield like you’d expect it to. Nah, instead, it sits on your dash, which might just make more sense anyway.

There’s no suction cup to attach to your windshield. There’s no attempt at amplifying the sound of your iPhone whatsoever. There are no GPS enhancements, and there isn’t even a good place to put a USB cable to charge your iPhone while the GPS is killing your battery. I know this sounds awful, but there are a lot of things to like about Just Mobile’s Lounge car cradle.

Take, for instance, that it doesn’t attach to your windshield.  Some will hate this, while others will love it.  Depending on your vehicle, the windshield might not be the optimal placement of your iPhone for guidance.  If that’s the case for you, then your dashboard might be a lot better.  This cradle comes with a circle of metal that semi-perminently attaches to your dashboard (with a 3M adhesive strip).  This helps the already grippy cradle to stay in place, but, in practice, it’s not really necessary.  I never attached the circle and I didn’t have any issues with the cradle moving whatsoever.  Actually, it’s been sitting in the same place for two weeks while I’ve driven around daily.  That just goes to show you that this thing is heavy enough and grippy enough to stay put.  But secondarily, this cradle is just as at home in the car as it is on your desk since it doesn’t have that unsightly suction cup that belongs nowhere in my house.

Another reason to like this cradle is that you likely won’t have to take off your case to use it (unless it’s huge and shouldn’t be on your iPhone in the first place).  The way this cradle holds on to your iPhone is very unique, yet simple; there’s a very giving metal and rubber bracket that flexes to the exact shape of your iDevice+Case combo.  It holds tightly, and can rotate to a landscape orientation as well.  You’re going to need this if you’re using this for GPS guidance for an extended period of time, because connecting a USB cable while in portrait mode is not ideal.  You could do the whole thing upside down, but that’s just wrong.  Also to note, the whole clip that holds your iPhone wobbles a bit.  This is on purpose; it’s supposed to minimize how much your iPhone moves.  It won’t help if you hit a speed bump at 60 mph, but under normal usage it won’t really even move.  So, I guess I’m a little confused as to why it’s able to wobble at all.

The Just Mobile Lounge cradle’s selling point is that it’s different.  If you for some reason hate the idea of a suction cup cradle, then this is the cradle for you.  Actually, this cradle does serve dual purposes as it might find its way onto your desk at some point.  And it’ll fit right in since the styling is spot on.  But as a GPS car cradle, it’s just mediocre.  You need to have some method for powering your iPhone as GPS drains its battery even faster than your car will drain its tank on your next trip.  This cradle doesn’t support that very well.  But I do like that this cradle is much more likely to be used around your house as well since it’s not designed solely for the car.

So, really, the perfect user here is someone who infrequently uses their iPhone for GPS guidance but wants an all purpose cradle. If you’re looking only for car cradle functionality, I think you should keep looking.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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Provides: Flexible tripod for phone support
Developer: Joby
Minimum Requirements: iPhone 3G or 3GS (iPod touch and other models available)
Price: $39.95
Availability: Now

More and more, I find myself using my iPhone for snapping quick photos. The picture quality is not nearly as good as that of my Nikon D40 DSLR, but my iPhone is always with me, and it’s easier to port around. Trouble is, it’s nearly impossible to balance on a ledge, chair, rock or what have you if I want to be in the picture myself, or if I want to steady the shot.

“Kirk, you foolish man,” I hear you say, “if you’re worried about steadying a shot, you’re already caring too much to be satisfied with your iPhone camera.” Perhaps, but that doesn’t change the fact that I sometimes find myself unable to take an unexpected photo because I have no tripod that supports the iPhone.

“Tripod?!” you continue. “Read your first paragraph! You leave your Nikon at home because it’s too much to lug around, and now you want to lug around a tripod?! Your thought process is devoid of all logic!”

Easy, guns. You many not understand what I mean, but Joby does. Hence, the Gorillamobile for the iPhones 3G and 3GS. This flexible tripod comes in a package nearly as small as the iPhone itself, making it convenient to have with you at all times.

The beauty of the device is its three jointed legs that allow you to bend and twist them as needed. They can be straightened out as with a standard tripod, but easily bent to accommodate uneven surfaces (such as a large rock). The rubber foot grips provide a secure hold.

Even better, you can wrap these legs around poles, tree limbs and such to get tripod functionality even in places where a standard tripod wouldn’t suffice. With this ability, the Gorillamobile is perfect when using your iPhone to watch a movie, to keep an eye on your GPS, and plenty more. The uses are limited only by the somewhat short legs, which are only about five inches long and cannot be extended.

Unlike the previous Gorillapod Mobile, the Gorillamobile for iPhone ships with a case that easily attaches to the tripod. It clips on to one of the four included adapters (along with a universal camera adapter with 1/4” tripod screw and with two removable adhesive clips), and is held in place with a lock ring. The device is removed with the push of a button, and you can lock the ring so that accidentally hitting the button doesn’t release your phone or camera. In other words, buy this device for your iPhone, and you can use it for your small digital camera (max weight of 11.5 oz.) or other digital devices.

The case is fine for general use, too, but not very exciting. There’s no screen protector, it leaves the chrome accents exposed, and it only comes in matte black. I preferred to just remove my iPhone from the case, leaving it attached to the tripod, but it is kind of hard to remove the phone while the whole kit is attached. Still, I prefer all of this over the previous method of attaching the iPhone to the tripod with a suction cup. This is much more secure, and although there is some slight wiggle room where the case attaches to the tripod clip, it always sits still for the photo.

And to increase camera functionality, Joby has created the free Gorillacam app. It provides a self-timer, time-lapse functionality, anti-shake, a bubble level, the ability to touch anywhere on the screen on take a shot, and more. It’s not without its flaws, but, as mentioned, it’s free. If you’re looking for a paid app that provides even more advanced camera functionality, I recommend Camera Plus Pro.

Whether you need such a package comes down to how often you need to mount your iPhone, be it for photography, watching movies, etc. The case is decent, but likely not one you’d want to keep attached to your phone when it’s not also attached to the tripod. So, you’re paying $40 specifically for the tripod. It’s a great one—quite sturdy and very flexible, and you may find that it creates uses for itself. Best of all, it’s very light and small, making it as portable as your iPhone itself. Give it a shot, and I think you’ll find that perhaps your iPhone isn’t such a bad option for photography after all.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Anyone who loves nature knows that camping can be both a fine art and a subtle science. When you do it right, it can be an amazing experience. Doing it wrong can make for a nightmarish evening in the woods. These applications can help make for a memorable and entertaining trip: Campwhere from Big Nerd Ranch, Firefly Night from Joseph Walters, and 100 Horror Stories, Sounds and Scares from Vroom LLC.

Campwhere

Seller: Big Nerd Ranch
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
Requirements: OS 3.0 or higher
File Size: 1 MB
Price: $3.99
Age Rating: 4+

Anytime you camp, you need to find a camp site.  No doubt if you are an outdoor lover you have some favorite sites, but visiting those places over and over again defeats the exploration spirit that drew you out to begin with. Campwhere can help you to expand your options easily.

The interface is an easy to use map that allows you to zoom in and out with a pinch.  The listings are color coded so you can tell if you are looking at a National Park, city or county park, state park or army corp of engineers site.

It also has a handy array of secondary features that let you search parks, find the closest to your location, and save easy access to a few favorites. The new version covers Canada as well as the U.S.

Firefly Night

Seller: Joseph Walters
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
Requirements: 3.0 or higher
File Size: 20.2MB
Price: $0.99
Age Rating: 4+

As things get dark, you may be in search of summer’s iconic bug: the firefly. If you can’t find any, this game can help you to get the experience.

The game mode lets you sort different color flies into jars as a speed trial. Numbers mode is all about unlocking achievements by creating sequences of numbers in jars.

100 Horror Stories, Sounds and Scares

Seller: Vroom LLC
Compatibility: iPhone or iPod Touch
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.0 or higher
File Size: 29.9MB
Price: $0.99
Age Rating: 12+

When things get good and dark, the time has come for ghost stories. If your imagination is light or if you simply enjoy classic tales of terror, then this application is for you.  It houses more than 100 stories and has classics such as The Fall of The House of Usher, The Phantom of the Opera and The Monkey’s Paw, as well as a lot of newer, but compelling tales. Stories have two modes, scroll for continuous movement and page for people who want a book-like flipping experience.

This application also houses a large library of sounds that will add appropriate atmosphere. If you find them distracting, you can always shut them down with the pause button. Choosing your sounds is simple enough…just be sure to check out the ones labeled ??? for some extra fun.

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You know what’s going on in the wonderful world of Apple, but what’s going on throughout the technology industry?  Gadgetell‘s got you covered.  Here a list of their top stories from this week…

• Breaking: Black Swan is ready: Google Voice returns to iPhone via slick weblication
• Gadgetell review: Comcast mobile app - DVR and digital voice control
• Palm Pre Plus continues to drop in price, soon it may be free
• T-Mobile drops Yahoo! as mobile search provider in favor of Google
• Adobe fires against iPad: HP Slate is where it is at

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Provides: External battery power for USB devices
Developer: Just Mobile
Minimum Requirements: iDevice or other USB device
Capacity: 4400mAh
Price: $69.95
Availability: Now

As your iDevice ages, you may find yourself needing a little extra battery life.  Even brand new iDevices may have a hard time keeping up with your demanding lifestyle. Thankfully, you have many options for extending your mobile (un)productivity with an external battery. As such, it’s pretty hard for individual options to stand out among the sea of batteries, but Just Mobile’s Gum Plus Power Pack most certainly does. Designed to fit right in with your MacBook Pro, the Gum Plus Power Pack will keep you topped off for days in style.

Before I get started, I think I’ll let Just Mobile introduce their own battery, since they have such a nice video put together just for this purpose.

Now, what are the two things you care about most concerning external batteries?  I think most of us would say capacity and how it looks, with an emphasis on the first.  If it doesn’t have a large battery, it’s not useful. And if it doesn’t look nice, you probably won’t want to use it.  Well, that’s clearly what Just Mobile thought was important, because the Gum Plus has a capacity that makes most batteries feel insufficient, and a style that speaks directly to the little bit of Steve Jobs that may or may not be inside of you.

I was instantly impressed by the Gum Plus from the moment I opened the box.  It comes with all necessary accessories, which are simply a mini USB cable and an iDevice cable.  Both are black and noticeably shorter than what you’re likely used to.  The only thing that might be missing in this box is an AC charger, which would help recharging times go down.  Still, you have everything necessary, and that’s enough.

The outer shell of the Gum Plus is grey plastic made up to look exactly like the aluminum on your MacBook Pro. I wish it was aluminum, but it’s hard to tell the difference without touching it, and honestly, it doesn’t matter.  The edge is black plastic, just like the backside of your MacBook Pro.  I really love this design; why reinvent the wheel, right?  On the top there are 5 LEDs that indicate remaining charge, as well as a button that turns on the battery.  One quirk is that you have to turn the battery on before plugging your device into it, otherwise it won’t charge.  Not a big deal.  And leaving it on won’t drain your battery too considerably.  It took three days for mine to drain 20% and have one less flashing LED.  The flashing LED will likely drive you nuts far before you lose much battery from leaving it on when you’re not charging anything.  It’s best to turn it off if you aren’t using it since this will prolong it’s usability.

Recharging happens like you’d expect—with a standard mini USB cable.  As I said before, if you have a USB AC adapter, use it, because this thing takes a long time to recharge.  Either way, you’ll probably want to keep this plugged in overnight before using it.  That said, it will keep you going for days, so it should be expected that it’s going to take much longer than your iPhone to recharge all the way.  The only thing that could be better about recharging is if the USB passed data all the way through and allowed your iDevice to sync while both batteries charge.  I’m probably expecting too much.  Still, the Dexim P-Flip can do that…

The shining feature on this accessory is its battery, thankfully.  It is very high capacity at 4,400 mAh, which will recharge your iPhone 4 times.  They quote these stats on the side of the box: 38 hours of talk time, 90 hours of music or 26 hours of video.  And what’s great is that this battery is quite a deal since the closest capacity battery from HyperMac (the Micro @ 3600mAh) is almost $90, and it has a lower capacity.

I have to give it to Just Mobile, because they really hit this one out of the park.  The Gum Plus Power Pack excels at the two most important features of an external battery: capacity and looks.  It could include an AC adapter, and the battery could pass through USB data to allow for syncing, but really, those are just minor details.  This battery will keep you powered for days, and that’s what really matters.  Plus, it looks great and is a bargain compared to similar offerings.

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Category: Action RPG
Seller: Gamevil
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.1 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 12.1MB
Version Reviewed: 1.4
Price: $2.99 (free version available)
Age Rating: 9+ for infrequent/mild cartoon or fantasy violence

I’m not playing this game because I had tremendous interest in it. I mean, that’s the norm for an app reviewer, where our iPhone gaming schedule is pretty much dictated by the review requests we get. Therefore, we glossed over Zenonia at the time of its release, and that was a mistake.

Zenonia’s nearly a year old, you see, having been released in the U.S. in May of 2009. So, why play through it now? Because Zenonia 2 is due out this month, and if that game is half as cool as it looks, you owe it to yourself to work through its predecessor before it’s released.

In Zenonia, you play Regret. I kid you not, the main character is named Regret, which servers as proof to emo kids everywhere that their parents could be worse. Regret comes form unknown origins, of course. At the beginning of the game, his equally unfortunately named “father,” Pardon, (which could explain why Regret was named so maliciously) is killed, launching the lad on a mission to discover his origins and hey! Guess what! There’s evil afoot!

And this is all fine, because Zenonia is a JRPG (Japanese role-playing game), meaning you’re going to get a bunch of melodrama amongst teenaged warriors. JRPG is to adventure gamers what Twilight is to teen-aged and middle-aged women everywhere. It’s where the sad, lonely, misunderstood boy can break free from his surroundings and save the world, and maybe get a mostly naked elven archer girlfriend (or the game-specific equivalent) in the process. It’s totally contrived, but handled with a knowing sense of humor that makes it all work exceptionally well.

But Zenonia offers much more than just the necessary plot elements. For an iPhone game, it also offers an astounding amount of customizability. You can choose from between three classes—warrior, paladin and assassin—and then customize to levels that will likely frighten away some of the less hardy role-playing gamers. Spells, potions, weapons armor and more can be found/bought and managed to tremendous effect, but the iPhone is unfortunately not conducive to this much micromanagement. The inventory screen is tiny to both see and control. This is unfortunate, because you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time in there. You can assign items to quick access slots, so be wise about that. I find myself using those not for items I need most in battle, but for items that would most often keep me out of the inventory screen.

The graphics in Zenonia are not the must stunning I’ve seen, but they’re likely what they should be, considering the iPhone’s restrictions. They’re colorful and quick, harkening back to the systems on which we all spent so much time playing similar games. It’s too bad most games that look good on the iPhone do so because they look retro, but if the design works, have at it.

Audio is fine, too. Appropriate. If you’re not happy with the soundtrack, you can use your own MP3s, but I never recommend that. The in-game music is much better at conveying the appropriate mood, and always will be.

The gameplay itself involves a lot of level grinding. You and your NPC companions will fight many battles—both annoyingly small and intensely epic—across the main story and the numerous sidequests. Control is handled with a virtual D-pad on the bottom left, with action taps on the right. The buttons are fairly small, making control somewhat difficult. Even basic movement in towns was awkward, as my little Regret would often walk past the people and doors with which I wanted to interact. Add this into some fairly intense battles, and you can see how it’ll likely put off quite a few gamers.

But stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded with what is likely one of the iPhone’s deepest, most rewarding games. You won’t blame the game for the shortcomings, you’ll blame your iPhone or iPod touch, and you’ll be justified.

Zenonia is a big, satisfying game on a system that’s unsatisfyingly small. I would tell you to hold on for the iPad before you play this, but considering Zenonia 2 is just around the corner, it’s best to get this now. The game offers a rewarding enough experience to compensate for the typically annoying iPhone touchscreen controls.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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Miss out on any Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPod gaming news this week?  Here’s a look at this week’s top Apple stories from our friends at Gamertell...

• Gamertell Review: Polk Audio’s HitMaster gaming stage monitor
• Use Twitter to stop zombies in Tweet Defense
• Gamertell Review: RE: Alistair for PC, Mac, Linux
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of March 1 through March 7, 2009
• Famous Gamer: Melissa Joan Hart

And don’t forget to check out our App Store updates.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for March 12, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• Alesis has announced that the MultiMix 6 USB six-channel USB mixer, is now shipping to retailers. The MultiMix 6 USB is a six-channel desktop mixer designed for easy integration into a computer-based recording environment. This compact mixer is perfect for use in recording setups, video editing and production studios as it outputs not only line-level analog audio, but also stereo 16-bit, 44.1 kHz digital audio over USB for low-noise, simple computer connection.
• MacinMind Software has released Radiologik DJ 1.7, optimizing loading and playback for this radio automation and DJ tool. This release includes several optimizations to help ensure the Radiologik system is as reliable and robust as possible for 24/7 radio stations both streaming and terrestrial. Radiologik DJ is the DJ music and playout system for radio or most DJ needs, offering beautiful real radio transitions by employing Track Prep through the accompanying scheduler program.
• Mode de Vie Limited has announced MyThoughts 1.1, an update to their popular Mind Mapping software for Mac OS X. Intuitive, flexible and powerful, MyThoughts for Mac provides an ideal solution for those wanting to improve their brainstorming, learning and recall abilities through the use of Mind Maps. MyThoughts for Mac features an intuitive interface that lets the user focus on expressing and developing ideas with fluid, organic, Mind Maps.
• Bohemian Coding has released Fontcase 1.5, a free update to the Apple Design Award-winning font manager that is like an iPhoto for your fonts. A few feature-highlights include versatile metadata support, the ability to share fonts on your local network and fantastic ways to preview all your fonts. Version 1.5 adds much-requested auto-activation, duplicates detection, speed increase and stability among other things.
• BKeeney Software has announced Task Timer 4.3.3, a major update to their time management software for Mac OS X and Windows. Task Timer is an easy-to-use project management tool that tracks time spent on an unlimited number of projects and tasks down to the minute. Version 4.3.3 adds the daily total to the dock and status menus for Mac OS X users. This release also fixes some minor bugs.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced public beta of Package Central 1.0, a new document packaging workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Originally developed for a major publisher in the United States, the software automates InDesign packaging by processing files from hotfolders. Package Central offloads packaging to a central system leaving operator workstations free from the output process. Package Central offers font auto-activation, e-mail notifications, detailed logs and much more.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• iMusic Puzzle is a game where players need to use their skills in order to solve audio puzzles that are created with pieces of their favorite iTunes Library songs! There are two gameplay modes, including Arcade (where iMusic Puzzle will randomly select 28 songs from the user’s iTunes Library) and Quick Play (where specific songs can be selected).
• Techno Gurus has announced iBrr Bluetooth Receiver and Remote 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. This is a brand new app that uses peer-to-peer networking via WiFi or Bluetooth technology to transform an iDevice into a remote control. iBrr also provides a secure way to ensure that others have no access to the device. One device is used to control the music playing on the other, which is usually connected to a stereo or speaker system via the headphone jack or an Apple-brand docking station.
• Pariahware, Inc. has announced Biblicious 1.0, a game for iPhone and iPod touch. Players can choose a single player game, a practice game, or a fill in the blank game, called Mix and Match. The player can choose from a 10 question game to a 50 question game, as well as questions from the Old or New Testaments, or the entire Bible. After a game mode is chosen, Flip Ant will ask you the number of questions you wish to play, and from where in the Bible you’d like the questions to originate.
• Independent software developer Marco De Girolamo today has announced the release of BabelMenu 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. If you have ever happened to eat at a restaurant abroad and look doubtfully at the menu, you can now get a personal food assistant, just a click away. The BabelMenu database includes 1500 international dishes, classified in 19 categories, translated in 4 languages, completed with ingredients, description and a photo.
• Spartacus: Blood and Sand for iPhone and iPod touch is available for free today (March 12, 2010). The original price of the game is $4.99. Based on the new TV show, the game allows you to step into the arena and fight. Defeat your opponents in gruesome tooth-and-nail battles ending in shocking carnage and humiliating decapitations. Quench your thirst for bloodshed as you are the ultimate Gladiator. You are Spartacus.
• Capsulated Software Ltd., has announced the availability of Cue.Play.DJ. 1.0, the most advanced digital DJing solution ever created for the iPhone OS platform. Created with feedback from superstar DJ/Producer Ferry Corsten, April will see Capsulated and Ferry launch a worldwide promotional campaign centered around his weekly radio show, Corsten’s Countdown, and the newly launched podcast of this show.
• Renditions Design has announced Magic Card 2.0.1 for iPhone devices. Magic Card uses a real deck of cards and the iPhone’s camera to create the convincing illusion that Apple’s amazing device came with the power to see through cards. Although popular with professional magicians, the clever secret is easy enough for anyone to do on their first try. Magic Card was completely re-written to incorporate the latest iPhone OS improvements.
• On5 Games Ltd. today is pleased to announce the release of Quizarium 1.01 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Quizarium is a familiar answer-the-question thing, but far more advanced in terms of game features and payoff. You can play on your own or compete against a whole bunch of smarty pants. When the question is asked, you and your rivals have one minute to get it right. Until the correct answer is given you have as many guesses as you can possibly generate.
• ”Flying Brothers will bring you a lot of great impressions and fun. It has physics engine, interesting characters and dozens of achievements. You will enjoy nice music and lots of interesting game types. Our game is a mixture of the best mobile games. You will feel adrenaline buzz while performing the unique acrobatic tricks. The game also has a built-in Ragdoll-physics system! Flying Brothers is the game for every age!
• Mac-Chi has announced WhoPaste’s first step in time and task integration. WhoPaste version 4.5 adds instant iCal To Dos. The new iCal To Dos can be created with just a control click on Snow Leopard or with a user configurable hot key on Leopard. Mac-Chi has also enhanced the underlying data model and simplified the installation process. The older two-step installation process has been replaced with the more familiar and customer-friendly ‘drop a file on a folder’ process.
• Kerplinkus is a completely new take on the casual puzzle game. Simple to learn. Difficult to master. It’s like spinning plates. You must focus on all eight columns or one will grow out-of-control. No match 3. No movement restrictions. No special-blocks. Swap any two blocks anywhere, anytime. Just focus on removing blocks, not creating them. The game features simple retro graphics with color cycling; retro old school music and sound effects created with the SID chip from the Commodore 64; online leader board; auto save; play iPod music in the background and in-game volume control.
• Cogniflame has announced the release of StarHunt 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices, an exciting adventure game where players search for glowing stars scattered throughout a large pre-rendered 3D house. In StarHunt, players have the opportunity to explore a beautifully detailed mansion and lush garden in search of glowing stars. Something new and exciting awaits them inside each room—but they must find the right key before they can enter.
• Zero Emission Games has announced Short Order Cook 2.0, a fast-paced casual game from their Food for Thought collection that challenges players’ skills of recognition, concentration and trains their memory. At the outset of each level a food image on a kitchen ticket and its matching tile are revealed for a short time. Once the tiles are flipped over, the challenge is to memorize the location of the matching pairs as quickly and as precise as possible.
• Probably there have been times when a friend of yours has made a complete ass of himself, and you want to shoot him a quick text to tell him so. Now you can not only tell him, but show him what an ass he is with a fun little iPhone app called JackassFace. With JackassFace, you can take a photo of your friend and then drag and pinch/zoom to place your friend’s face where it belongs—on the face of a real ass. The app offers all sorts of sharing features so you can not only show your friend how you feel, but for really egregious offenders you can share it with everyone via Facebook, Twitter, email or MMS.
• Rocking Pocket Games has announced the availability of Puppet Jump 3D 1.2, a game that can be only described as a cross between Little Big Planet and Doodle Jump for the iPhone. Puppet Jump 3D challenges players to jump on platforms as high as they can without falling, while collecting Puppet Points that can be used to customize your character and unlock new background scenes.
• Cogniflame has announced the release of StarHunt, an exciting adventure game where players search for glowing stars scattered throughout a large pre-rendered 3D house. In StarHunt, players have the opportunity to explore a beautifully detailed mansion and lush garden in search of glowing stars. Something new and exciting awaits them inside each room—but they must find the right key before they can enter!
• SMEStorage has announced that its iSMEStorage iPhone application is live in the Apple App store. iSMEStorage is the first iPhone application to let users access and manage over 10 storage clouds from their iPhone in one Cloud file view. Clouds from which files can be viewed and managed include Amazon S3, RackSpace CloudFiles, Box, Apple Mobile Me, Microsoft SkyDrive, Microsoft Live Mesh, Gmail-as-a-cloud, Email-as-a-Cloud, FTP-as-a-Cloud, Google Docs, and WebDav enabled clouds.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

You’ve all pre-ordered your iPad, right? Better get on that before the available stock is gone. And since you’re only about three weeks away from delivery, you should also stock on free apps to transfer to it when it arrives. This week’s list is all about driving games, Twitter and limited time freebies.  Half of this list won’t be free for long, so I’d better cut to the chase.

• Brizzly - There’s a new best Twitter app on the App Store every week, it seems. This week’s new best is called Brizzly.  It has most of the snazzy features like trends and news, lists, multiple Twitter account support, pics and more.  If you don’t already have a Twitter client, this is as a great app to take for a spin.
• Mini Desktop Racing Arcade - Take a toy car for a spin on your desktop.  You control the car entirely with your finger, just don’t hit anything.
• Transformers G1: Awakening Free - You ready to roll out?  Play as the classic Autobots against the Decepticons in this turn based strategy game.  Obviously you can transform and this is to your advatage when you want to travel faster.  And it’s all in 3D; not the red and blue 3D, this is the kind that stays in the screen.
• iCupertino - This app lets you know how far away you are from Cupertino, California.  Is that useful?  Probably not.
• Volkswagen Think Blue. Challenge - The first line of description for this game is so perfect that I just can’t bring myself to modify it at all, so here it is.  “Pure driving fun without the need of high speed!”  They want you to buy that the smartest—not the fastest—driver wins.  I personally thought driving far too fast for safety was the fun in virtual driving, hhmm.  In any event, this game at least looks pretty good on the iPhone, and it might keep you occupied for a fair amount of time.  Oh, and the app maps the closest VW dealerships so you can go buy whatever slow fuel sipping car their advertising with this game.
• Raging Thunder 2 Lite - Wait, another free driving game this week?  Yup. Difference is, contrary to whatever your elementary teachers told you, this one believes in winners.  And to win, you need to be the fastest, not the smartest.  Ricky Bobby wasn’t born to think, Ricky Bobby was born to go fast…
• Yield - Here’s a game that’s free until its lite version goes live on the App Store.  It’s a game of directing traffic around town.  I’m sure you can imagine that the cars will all go different speeds and there are plenty of intersections.  Should be quite a lot like your drive to work, a tad bit irritating but always a challenge.
• iBed - Another free for a limited time app.  This one aims to solve the problem that’s supposed to be a feature.  Imagine you’re in bed trying to read something on your iDevice and it keeps trying to figure out what orientation it’s in.  How irritating.  There should be a system setting for this sort of thing, but until then you can use this app to lock the rotation of the screen and access a number of online services such as Facebook, Gmail, Twitter or any other website, really.
• PhotoMix - You know the drill, it’s free, but not forever.  This takes your images, or the picture of the day on the net, and slices it up for you to slide back to how it’s supposed to look.  Simple yet fun.
• 1Password - The app that keeps all of your sensitive information safe is free on the App Store again.  There’s still the Pro version, but if you have 1Password for Mac, then you’ll probably want one of the companion apps for your iDevice.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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I’ve apparently been so busy exploring Monkey Island for the Mac that I didn’t realize Monkey Island is coming to Mac. Telltale Games recently brought us Tales of Monkey Island, and now Aspyr is also sailing back in time to bring us The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition. Originally released for Xbox Live Arcade and PC last summer, this special edition can be pre-ordered now through Aspyr’s GameAgent service for only $9.99.

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition faithfully re-imagines the internationally-acclaimed classic game (originally released in 1990) for original and new audiences alike. The game is brought into the modern era with an all new re-imagined contemporary art style, a re-mastered musical score, full voiceover, and an in-depth hint system to help players through the game’s side-splitting puzzles. Purists will also delight in the ability to seamlessly switch between the updated hand-drawn re-imagining and the original classic version.

The game’s twisty plot leads our naive hero on a hilarious, swash-buckling search for the fabled secret of Monkey Island. Tales of pirate wealth lure him to the port of Mêlée with high hopes, no money, and insatiable curiosity. If clever enough, he will win the confidence of Mêlée’s pirates and find himself blown by the winds of fate toward the terrifying and legendary Monkey Island—an adventure that would chill the bones of even the most bloodthirsty buccaneer.

This is not the first time Aspyr has brought the adventures of Guybrush Threepwood to the Macintosh. The company teamed with Westlake Interactive to bring us Escape from Monkey Island back in 2001. Nine years is too long for them to have stayed away.

Of course, this isn’t just a port of a game created 20 years ago. It’s new “re-imagined,” as they love to say in Hollywood, with a contemporary art style, hand-drawn to feature the animation quality. It also includes a re-mastered music score presented in full orchestrated detail, and complete voice-over using the original Monkey Island franchise cast. And how cool is this? Scene-for-scene hot swapping allows for seamless transition between special edition and classic modes anywhere and at any time. Excellent.

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition has some surprising system requirements (Intel only? Really?), so be sure to check them out at GameAgent. It’s rated Everyone 10+ for alcohol and tobacco reference, comic mischief, mild cartoon violence, and suggestive themes. The game is expected to available this spring.

Now, can get ourselves a Full Throttle update, please?

An iPhone version is available now.

Product [The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition]

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Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Appletell giveaway: Saddleback Leather laptop case
  “A few months ago, the fine people at Saddleback Leather provided us with a medium laptop case for review. Now they’re extending that generosity to you by allowing us to give it away to one of our readers. This is 100% waterproof full grain boot leather with a high density…” MORE »
• Appletell reviews HyperMac External Battery for Apple MacBook MBP-060
  “Provides: Extended battery life Developer: HyperMac Minimum Requirements: MacBook or iDevice needing enhanced battery life Price: $199.95 Availability: Now What’s worse than seeing your MacBook’s battery dip below 10%? Seeing it hit zero? Okay, fair enough. But if this happens to you often, you need…” MORE »
• Gaming gets serious - Steam coming to Mac
  “If you’re a serious gamer, it’s unlikely you have an all-Mac setup. If you do, there’s probably enough power to comfortably Boot Camp into Windows 7, and enough for a decent frame rate in the latest titles. Otherwise, it seems developers aren’t so…” MORE »
• Apple’s iPad ad reveals new details
  “As reported at Appletell, the first TV ad for Apple’s iPad made it’s TV premiere during the Oscars. And you’re probably not surprised that the story doesn’t stop there. No, we actually gained some real information about the iBookstore,…” MORE »
• Appletell reviews the Moshi Voice Control Alarm Clock
  “Provides: Voice activation for alarm and time settings Developer: Moshi Lifestyle Minimum Requirements: AC wall outlet (3 AAA batteries for backup), voice Price: $49.99 Availability: Now What does an alarm clock have to do with Apple products? Not much, in this case. There’s no iPhone…” MORE »
• Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - March 9, 2010
  “Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for March 9, 2010:  Macintosh iPod Macintosh FileMaker, Inc. has announced the immediate availability of FileMaker Pro…” MORE »
• Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - March 8, 2010
  “Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for March 8, 2010:  Macintosh iPod Macintosh Zevrix Solutions is offering BatchOutput Server—its output workflow automation solution…” MORE »
• First iPad ad hits screens during the Oscars [video]
  ” If you were watching the Oscars last night, you may have caught sight of Apple’s brand new advertisement for the much awaited iPad. The ad itself races through (with shortened sequences, of course) several features of…” MORE »
• What will books actually look like on the iPad?
  “A couple of weeks before Apple announced the iPad, my wife told me she’d like to have a Kindle. I told her to hang tight, because Apple was likely going to announce a competitive…” MORE »
• 1Password 3 is “a greatly executed work of art”
  ” Although I’m 100% pro technology, it sometimes takes me a while to embrace a new application. No matter how much buzz it is going on around it, no matter how much my friends tell me to try it, I just don’t feel…” MORE »

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Category: Real-time strategy
Developer: Firaxis
System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.5.8, Intel Core 2 Duo, 1.83GHz, 1GB RAM, 1GB hard drive space, 128MB video card
Review Computer: 2.2GHz 13” Macbook Pro, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM
Network Feature: Yes
Processor Compatibility: Intel
Price: $39.99
Rated: E for Everyone (10+)
Availability: Out now

I might like Civilization IV: Colonization better if it were just called “Colonization,” rather than associating it with probably the best game series of all time. Then again, maybe not; its restrictive gameplay and limited amount of power in a “god game” make it something of a throwback to the early days of graphic gameplay.

You are, as you might expect, a colonist who lands in the New World (either North America or the islands of the Carribean). You establish towns, exploit the land and the natives, and sell your goods back to the motherland, where you recruit more settlers to further expand your hold in the west. Your ultimate goals are self-sufficiency and, finally, rebellion. Stir up enough independent feelings, then you can break away from your homeland and, if you can survive the military reprisal, win the game.

Colonization is very much a micro-management game, your population is measured by individual colonists who can be assigned specific tasks such as harvesting food or other raw materials (cotton, sugar, silver, etc.) from the land surrounding your town, or converting those raw materials into finished goods. You can assign any colonist to any task, but specialists will do it better. You can recruit colonists and specialists from Europe (or they may offer to come in search of religious freedom), or you can send missionaries to native villages in hopes of gaining converts to live in your towns.  If you buddy up to the natives, you can send your colonists to their villages to get specialist training.

Managing your population and keeping them on task will eat up half your time, with the other half being devoted to trade, carting your goods around to the other colonists or shipping them back to Europe. Producing finished goods (which are more valuable) is a multi-step process; you have to have a citizen harvesting, say, tobacco, as well as another citizen working to convert the tobacco into cigars. You add more people to a particular job, or improve the buildings to make them more productive.

And that’s the game, really, to try to build up trade while also building up the desire for independence (that’s a job, too; you add workers to your Town Hall). There’s very little exploration and practially no technology research (beyond building new structures that give you access to new units). Raising armies is a matter of assigning colonists to defend a city (or hiring professional troops).

With its shallow gameplay and narrow focus, this game reminded me of a piece of educational software I played in middle school in which the goal was to teach you about the American Revolution. Except for Colonization’s improved graphics, they could be sisters. Managing trade can be an interesting aspect of game play—in fact, I wish trade was more of a factor in the main Civ game—but here it’s reduced to such a simplistic level that is never interesting. Pretty deadly, as that’s the main focus of the game. Considering how far simulations have come in the last two decades, Colonization comes off more like a mini-game in the scheme of something much grander.

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The early worm gets the Apple, so you’d better set your alarm just a little earlier tonight to make sure you get first dibs on that iPad you’ve had your eye on. Remember, WiFi only models will be available on April 3rd, and the 3G models will make their debut later in April.

Here’s the exact quote from an Apple rep sent to TUAW: “Customers can pre-order online at apple.com at 5:30am Pacific time on Friday, March 12.”

So, are you going to preorder an iPad? If so, which one? If you’re anything like me, then you’re probably having a hard time choosing between the six models you have to pick from. Let me break it down for you.

The WiFi only model, while functioning nearly identically to the 3G version, will only access the internet using WiFi. And with how easy it is to find a WiFi hotspot these days, that’s not really that big of an issue if you aren’t hopelessly addicted to the net. Not only will this save you $130 upfront, you won’t have to wait the extra few weeks for the 3G version, and you won’t have to worry about paying AT&T $30 a month at any point in the future for iPad 3G Internet access. Sounds like a win-win win situation right? Not so fast.

The iPad 3G might cost an extra $130, but it gives you the freedom to access the Internet almost anywhere.  Anywhere AT&T’s network stretches to anyway, and if you’ve heard anything about AT&T lately, that likely doesn’t instill confidence.  Still, $30 a month is a steal compared to how much you might pay Verizon a month for a MiFi or other data connection plan.  Actually, it’s about half.  Plus, there’s no contract, so you just pay for it when you need it.  You don’t get that choice with the WiFi only model, and word on the web says that you can’t count on an iPhone tethering plan to work with your iPad.  I know; sad face.

And still, you have to pick a capacity; 16GB, 32GB or 64GB.  For me, that’s an easy choice, 64GB.  I always buy the biggest capacity no matter what.  You might decide you only need 16GB though, and that’s fine.  You’re the best judge of how much space you need, but if there’s any confusion, err on the side of too many gigabytes.

If you already have an iPhone and still want an iPad, like me, then you likely have the hardest choice of all.  It’s hard to pay that much monthly to get your internet fix.  But are you going to regret buying the WiFi only version six months from now?  Can you wait an extra few weeks?  For me, there’s only one way to solve this…buy both.

Read [The iPad: To 3G or not 3G?]

Product [iPad]

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for March 11, 2010:

Macintosh

• Benedict Lowndes has announced WindowFlow Beta for Mac OS X. WindowFlow provides powerful keyboard commands for organizing your application windows. You can seamlessly move and resize windows which will snap into alignment with each other. WindowFlow’s clean and simple interface also acts as a window switcher, allowing you to easily browse all of your open application windows. The beta is available today at a discount for early adopters.
• Maintain has announced Cocktail 4.6.1 (Leopard Edition), the latest maintenance update of Cocktail for users running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. This version adds ability to stop Cocktail from logging out, restarting or shutting down the computer at the end of a scheduled programme. The update also features improvements on the clear Adobe Flash Player caches and cookies procedure as well as overall performance improvements.
• Macgamestore.com has announced the digital download release of Warbirds: Dogfights for the Macintosh. The game is an action-air combat game that puts players in the cockpit of the greatest World War II air combat planes during the pivotal battles of the war. The game was developed and published by iEntertainment Network. The game features the ability to engage in dogfights as a member of either the Allies or Axis powers, more than 100 realistically modeled WWII aircraft.
• Newer Technology, Inc., has announced the NewerTech Mini DisplayPort/USB Stereo to HDMI Adapter, a $49.99 MSRP one cable adapter solution for outputting both high definition video up to 1080p and 2-channel stereo audio from the latest Mini DisplayPort equipped Macintosh computers through HDMI interface equipped High Definition Televisions.
• FileMaker and Bracket Science have teamed up to deliver an exciting bracket resource titled Bracket Science Slam Dunk Charts by FileMaker Pro 11. The Facebook page gives college basketball fans a competitive edge in creating their championship tournament brackets thanks to FileMaker Pro 11, the best-selling easy-to-use database software, which now features integrated charting. Fans will see a variety of daily charts, produced by the new FileMaker Pro 11 and they can select and share the charts that they find most useful in building their tourney brackets.
• JAMF Software has announced the release of Casper Suite v7.2, expanding the Suite’s reach into several additional areas of system administration for the Mac Enterprise. Casper Suite 7.2 allows administrators to extend and automate enterprise products on Mac OS X using Extension Attributes, while unifying administration of software into a single console. Additionally, new setup assistants like the Policy Assistant have been incorporated for easier day-to-day use and unleash the depth of the Casper Suite’s capabilities within a simplified and improved user interface. Finally, the ability to use Apple’s native technology in managing settings on client computers (also known as MCX) will be greatly enhanced by taking advantage of (and contributing to the expansion of) the offerings of the Manifest Destiny open-source project from the creators of AFP548.com.

iPhone/iPod

• Adam’s Trouble—an adventure game with 25 levels involving the rescue of the rotund creature Adam from a toxic pit through an exit valve—is back in the App Store. Retracted last week, it is now updated and good to go on your iPhone or iPod touch. The game is free for a limited period.
• Building on the success of the puzzle game, Chromixa, for iPhone and iPod touch, Pure Square Go has announced that update 1.1 is now available for download from the Apple App Store. But that’s not all; to celebrate the launch of the update, a Lite version has also been released, so you can sample Chromixa’s beguiling light mixing charms.
• iFaceLaugh is an original laughing game where you compete to see who can imitate recorded laughs the most accurately. You can create and save a “facelaugh” by embedding a laugh within a photo, and then launch the game with a friend (or yourself) to see how closely you come to imitating it exactly. You can compete with others in the room or over wi-fi with your friends who also have the Laugh-a-Laugh app. The best part is that Laugh-a-Laugh will save your “facelaughs” for you on the main page to share with others at any time.
• Poscitech has announced Fitaide Lite 1.0, the free version of Fitaide, for the iPhone or iPod touch. The Lite version retains the core features of Fitaide, but can be run for a maximum of 30 minutes per session. To celebrate the launch of the Lite version and to demonstrate the versatility of the app, iTunes gift certificates will be up for grabs this weekend for those who can use the app to capture the maximum number of distinct activities per day.
• SintraWorks has released Metron 2.0, an update to their professional digital metronome for iPhone and iPod touch. Featuring an intuitive front panel, Metron offers a high-precision playback engine and a bar based sequencer to provide detailed control over tempo settings & time signatures, including mixed meters, accelerandos and ritardandos. Metron incorporates an instrument tuner. Version 2.0 adds a redesigned UI, copy/paste and fully customisable rhythmic subdivisions of the beat.
• Kings Of Leon Revenge debuted today and is the latest installment in the hit series of Tap Tap Revenge games for the iPhone/iPod Touch, featuring 10 of the greatest hits from the band.
• iBabyMaker uses cutting edge facial feature recognition technology and digital image processing to create an estimated baby image from two parent images. You select the parent images, zoom in on the faces, and then tell iBabyMaker to make your baby. After a few seconds your baby is “born.” You can then e-mail the photo of your baby to your friends and family!
• Technical Made Easy has announced Easy Quilt 1.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch. Easy Quilt provides step-by-step instruction with video based lessons on every aspect of Quilt Making, with over 100 different block ideas and all the tools you need to get started right away. Easy Quilt ensures that the Art of Quilting can be taught and referenced from a mobile device. Included with the app are complete descriptions of Fabrics, Supplies, Tools, Charts, Formulas and Tips and Tricks.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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Category: Video editing/effects
Developer: Creaceed
System Requirements: Intel-based Mac, Mac OS X v10.6, 64 MB VRAM
Review Computer: 2.2GHz 13” Macbook Pro, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM
Network Feature: No
Processor Compatibility: Intel
Price: $39.95 while in Beta, $59.95 for final version
Availability: Out now in Beta

One of the hassles of dealing with “pro” level software is that quite often it won’t do something simple you need it to because, well, that’s not how professionals do things. Page layout programs—perfect example—won’t let you italicize any text the way Word does—you have to have the italic version of the font.

Likewise, video editing and effects can be a pain if you’re looking for a simple fix, or tools that are common in photo editing. Elasty HD is a box full of odd and useful things that can be difficult, impossible, or expensive to find in another application.

Elasty HD has four categories of effects. The first brings photo-type controls: crop, flip and (hallelujah) rotate video with a click. Also included is a basic image stabilization function, designed to steady video from a hand-held. Generally speaking, this works well, though you’ll want to combine it with the crop function to prevent the black edges of the frame from creeping into the video.

The next function, Probes, is combined with the third function, Effects, so I’ll talk about them in reverse order. The Effects are simple layovers: beating hearts, distortion, halftones, streaks of light, and even a blur if you want to pretend you’re on COPS. Simple, cheesy, and fun. The Probes allow these static effects to move around the screen. Pick the point where you want to add the effect (like a blur to a face), drop the probe on it, and Elasty will attempt to track where the face moves to in the video. You can tweak it if it goes too far off, but in my tests I found it to be surprisingly accurate, though not flawless.

The fourth function is “retiming;” that is, slowing down and speeding up film. You do this by setting key points to a time line, then dragging those keys up and down to adjust the speed. The advantage of this is that you can have both kinds of time-warping effect in one movie, allowing you give your subjects superhuman speed, then slowing down to a drag as they do something dramatic.

All of these effects are rendered on-the-fly in Elasty’s preview window, though obviously the more effects you add, the more it’ll strain your system and the program’s capabilities. Once you’re ready to export, you can easily choose to render the whole movie or a specific time period, along with the option of exporting just the video or just the audio.

Speaking of audio, one rather notable drawback of Elasty is that you can’t preview the audio at all, nor can you add it to a movie you’re working on.

What impressed me most about Elasty is how simple it is to learn; it takes little time to pick up how the tracking spots work, and how to arrange and layer the effects. There’s a lot of tweaking involved to get it looking exactly right, but that’s true of any video editing software—it’s the nature of the beast.

Elasty HD exists somewhere between iMovie and the effects that come with your camera. It’s certainly not going to replace iMovie as an editor; think of it more like a Swiss Army Knife for quick video fixes. It’s out as a paid beta right now, and its target market—budding filmmakers and YouTube junkies—should check out its capabilities.

Full Story » | Written by Bill Stiteler for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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As the technology improves, voice control continues to gain popularity in everything from your iPod to alarm clocks. And whereas you expect such functionality to increase on the iPhone, you may not expect it to come via an app. But that’s what Vlingo Corporation is doing with an enhanced version of its Vlingo for iPhone App, delivering up to six voice-powered features, including email, SMS Paste, social site updates, maps and voice dial.

“Over the last year, millions of iPhone users who experienced the convenience and safety of our voice-powered app have asked for more ways to use it on the go,” said Dave Grannan, president and CEO at Vlingo. “Adding email and SMS Paste were natural extensions for busy users who want to experience better, faster ways to communicate. Now, with a single app, it’s easy to send an email or text, call a friend, search the web, update Facebook or Twitter, and use Google Maps simply by speaking into your iPhone.”

Vlingo for iPhone supports North American and U.K. English, and includes the following feature enhancements:

• EMAIL: send an email by speaking a contact, subject and message body. For example, “Email Chris, Subject Tonight, Message Running a bit late!”
• SMS Paste: send a text message by speaking a contact and message. Simply say, “Text Mike, Message How are you?”
• SEARCH: in addition to Google and Yahoo! search, Vlingo has added Bing to the mix. Just say, “Bing sushi restaurants in San Francisco,” and view results.
• AUTO-LISTEN: voice recognition can be set to start automatically when the iPhone is turned on. Simply open Vlingo and speak in one easy step.
• CONTACT SELECTION: when composing a text message, say your contact and the message in one fell swoop, “Text Erin, Message How are you?”

The Vlingo for iPhone App is available for free from the App Store, and includes voice dial, search, maps, Facebook and Twitter update functionality. The new email and SMS Paste messaging features can be added to the app for $6.99 each, or both for $9.99.

Product [Vlingo for iPhone]

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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A couple of weeks before Apple announced the iPad, my wife told me she’d like to have a Kindle. I told her to hang tight, because Apple was likely going to announce a competitive device soon. They did, and we’re now set to pre-order the iPad in a couple of days. But exactly how iBooks will look and behave on the iPad, we’re not completely sure. The gang over at iPadInsider, however, have some video from Penguin that gives us our best idea yet.

At the FT Digital Media & Broadcasting Conference in London earlier this month, Penguin Group CEO John Makinson revealed some of the company’s titles that are coming to the iPad. “We will be embedding audio, video and streaming into everything we do. The epub format, which is the standard for ebooks at the present, is designed to support traditional narrative text, but not this cool stuff that we’re now talking about.”

The books, as expected, are more like applications than their print counterparts, with interactive elements and video abounding. This makes the books more for kids and more involving for adults. Of course, it’s the content that’ll actually move copies, and how comfortable the books are to read, we still don’t know (and likely won’t until April 3rd.

In the meantime, head on over to iPadInsider for the video of John Makinson’s presentation to see the iPad iBooks in action.

Read [iPadInsider]

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for March 10, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• iWebThemesPark has launched ten new iWeb Themes for Apple’s iWeb. In addition, a free iWeb Theme has been released for all iWeb users. Brand new, amazing and supreme quality iWeb Themes from iWebThemesPark are the perfect way to create or update a website. Some iWeb Templates are recommended for building business websites, so everyone can find a perfect theme for any kind of website. The package of ten themes for an unbelievably low price is most likely to be the best offer ever.
• iUseMac has announced that it will be featuring the innovative image identification software PhotoBrain at 50% off on Wednedsay March 10th and Thursday March 11th. PhotoBrain is an advanced software for image identification and photo matching, it’s the first image search engine on the local drive to use image identification technology. iUseMac offers popular Mac applications at reduced prices for limited time periods. This offer will start on Wednedsay March 10th and will end 48 hours later.
• Intego has announced VirusBarrier X6 Dual Protection, featuring the latest version of its acclaimed anti-malware and network security software together with BitDefender Antivirus 2010 so Mac users can protect their Windows installations. The latest version of Intego’s anti-malware and network security program includes new threat-detection techniques, improved methods of detection, combined detection protocols, proactive behavioral analysis, and a full range of defensive functions.
• Bambooapps today announce Quiet Read Pro, an important update to their popular link management application for Macintosh. Quiet Read lets you save any link for later, and is an unobtrusive, easy to use application that features a clean interface. Quiet Read Pro features a comfortable and simple user interface, providing support for bookmarklets, syncing with MobileMe, short URLs, with list searching and filtering capabilities.
• Eltima Software has announced the release of Folx 1.0, a free download manager for Mac OS X. Folx features a friendly, easy-to-use and very Mac-style interface, so all Mac users will find it convenient to use. It can download not only common files, but also torrent content. In free Folx all your downloads can be split into two threads. This makes downloading with Folx faster, than usual downloading with Internet browsers.
• Media Lab Inc. has announced SiteGrinder 3, its powerful, next generation Photoshop web site development platform. In addition to over 300 new features, Media Lab SiteGrinder 3 supports two new optional add-ons, Commerce and Control. Graphic designers, photographers, artists or anyone can easily transform their Photoshop designs into CSS and XHTML standards-compliant websites without writing a single line of code.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• Sparkle is a new premium action puzzler from the creators of Azkend. The game appeared on the #1 spot on RealArcade.com when it was first launched for Mac and PC. In the developer’s opinion, it’s maybe one of the most playable, original, and atmospheric orb shooters ever made.
• ASD Plus Inc. has announced iRetro Dialer 1.4 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. 21st century meets 20th century. iRetro Dialer is a beautiful rotary dialer for iPhone with 9 original pretty skins and a realistic sound effect. It supports contact speed dial and number editing. There are several similar apps in AppStore, but iRetro Dialer is different from them with its unique detailed skins and great usability. It is very easy to use, hopefully you will enjoy it.
• Izatt has announced it is offering the full version of MileBug for 50% off as a Tax Time Sale. As many begin preparing their taxes and sort through notebooks of logged trips, Izatt is offering MileBug at a substantial discount through April 15th so next year is much easier. MileBug helps those driving their own vehicles for business, or other reasons receive their reimbursement and/or tax deduction, and was featured in What’s Hot this January as it rose to #2 in Finance.
• Virginia based Proactive Life LLC has announced Proactive Sleep 1.2 for iPhone and iPod touch. Proactive Sleep tracks your sleep and displays your sleep patterns when you set an alarm at night. Listen to ambient music to help soothe yourself to sleep, and to help you wake up in the morning, listen to any song in iTunes and play a stimulating game. Designed with the science of sleep in mind because it tracks the two major components of sleep: the homeostatic and circadian components.
• j2sighte has announced its latest iPhone game: Doodle Kart. Doodle Kart is a Doodle style top-down driving game. It’s funny and addictive and unique amongst driving games. Items/weapons are supported during the race. You can fire a pencil/bullet to attack opponent’s cars. For some special items, you can even enlarge your car to run over the other cars!
• TruffleSoft, Inc. has introduced xSolve 1.0, their powerful new custom calculator utility for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, xSolve combines the power of a calculator with the simplicity of a purpose built application. It lets users automatically create their own custom solutions. Simply enter a formula, set any desired optional settings and xSolve will dutifully create their own custom utility.
• Dejal Systems, LLC has introduced Tweeps 1.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch devices, with an iPad edition in the works. Tweeps is a Twitter companion tool to manage your Twitter account. Edit your avatar, name, bio text, website URL and location, plus follow/unfollow people, see if someone follows you, block people, and find people. Read recent tweets from each person, or skim through the lists of people you’re following and who follow you, and much more.
• DSstyles has announced a new series of Swarovski Crystallized iPhone Case: the Cubical Series. Each Case featuring with the excellent combination of flat back round and flat back square Swarovski crystals. The series combines these crystals to bring new visual effect. These New Swarovski Crystallized iPhone Cases will definitely be the trend for 2010 for any Swarvoski Crystallized Cases.
• Slide To Play has released GameFinder 1.0.1, a free app now available on the App Store. GameFinder is designed to help iPhone and iPod touch owners find their new favorite games in a variety of ways. Gamers can check out games that were recently reviewed on Slide To Play, explore games by genre, or browse through exclusively programmed lists, such as STP Games of the Month, zombie-themed games, or great games under a dollar and more.
• Just Mobile has announced a new line of electronic solutions for today’s most widely used mobile devices. The Lounge, Xtand Go, and Gum Plus all feature unique design elements and a sleek appearance, providing consumers mobile freedom with a stylish flare. These latest accessories are compatible with the iPhone, iPod, and most Smartphones to provide convenient, on-the-go solutions.
• iKit has launched another installment to their eagerly anticipated 2010 product range. The new iPad Pro Dura Case is a continuation of their series for iPhone 3GS. This is the latest edition to a long line of products, which should leave consumers itching at a mere chance to purchase one. It combines a carved hard shell with a durable soft-grip border, that provides the ultimate protection for your iPad. The slim impact-resistant case is form-fitting which allows full access to all controls.
• Freeverse has announced Flick Bowling 2, the newest installment of the hit Flick Sports series, available soon on the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Flick Bowling 2 takes you on a journey through time and space to defeat the insidious Baron Von Schtopwatch as he tries to hatch his dastardly plan to…well, he hasn’t quite figured that out yet. Play as one of six historical figures like Cleopatra or Genghis Khan as you bowl through five different bowling alleys throughout time, all created with little to no historical reference.
• Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. has announced the launch of an updated version of the smash arcade hit Frogger with Facebook Connect. Frogger will give Facebook users the opportunity to track game scores, play against others, and follow friends and family on the Frogger Leader Board. The launch of Facebook Connect for Frogger brings players the latest version of the 28-year-old successful series that challenges players to safely guide Frogger across the highway, while avoiding oncoming traffic and alligator filled streams.
• Belly Bums is based on the beloved sport of Beach Volleyball, but with a twist. Ever wondered what it would look like for a large stature guy to hit a ball with his belly over the net? Well this game reveals a whole new way of playing sports. In this game, you will control these big (and, in most cases, hanging) belly guys to hit the ball over the net with their tummy.
• PixelMags has 100+ apps ready for Apple’s iPad. PixelMags publications are releasing to top paid book app spots all over the world. 30% of readers are making subscriptions their top In App purchase. The release of the iPad is sure to increase this digital publishing phenomenon. Since PixelMags launched in December, 60+ titles for iPhone and iPod touch have been sold in 77 countries through the iTunes App Store.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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