Senior Writer with the 148Apps Network since June 5, 2010
My name is Carter Dotson. I can tell you everything that I am, which is that I'm from Texas, am currently a student, have been a portable gaming enthusiast from the Game Boy to the iPad, and a lover of offbeat humor. I could do all that, but I will tell you what I am not: a killer robot sent from the future to destroy humanity. Take solace, human.
Apple has made a couple of changes to their weekly app features that pop up in the Featured tab of the App Store. While “App of the Week” and “Game of the Week” appear to be just rebranded as “Editors’ Choice,” there’s a new feature: the Free Game of the Week. It appears as if Apple is jumping into the kind of promotion that services like FreeAppADay have been doing, but with this being an official Apple promotion, it has the potential to drive massive numbers of downloads.
The first free app that Apple is giving away is Cut the Rope: Experiments for both iPhone/iPod touch and iPad. The game supports iCloud sync between the two versions, so multiple device owners will definitely want to pick up both.
What’s interesting is that it appears that on the initial installation of these apps, it’s not necessary to put in the account password, as the app just automatically downloads. This will make it easier for people to get these free apps. The question remains to be seen how long Apple plans to run these promotions, and if they will only feature paid apps that drop down to free, or if some apps released as free will be featured as well.
Fruit Ninja is about to get its biggest update yet to celebrate its second anniversary on Thursday, May 24th. The key new element in the game appears to be that players will now be able to earn an in-game currency, called starfruit, that can be used to buy new powerups from new characters Gutsu and Truffles, introduced in the new trailer produced by People’s Republic of Animation. Powerups and new “super fruit” like berry blasts will be available to help players raise their high scores. New powerup peaches will add extra time to Arcade and Zen modes, making higher scores even possible. As well, a new bomb deflect powerup is available for skilled ninjas.
As well, in celebration of this new update and the 2-year anniversary of the game, Fruit Ninja is temporarily being given away for free from their Fruit Ninja Anniversary page, where a promo code for the iPhone/iPod touch version can be generated for a limited time. The update will arrive for both versions of the game this Thursday.
Sick of hearing about the Facebook IPO? Want to hear about something actually related to the Facebook product? Well, I have good news then. Facebook has launched a new app that will come in handy for users who manage Facebook Pages.
Pages Manager offers several core features for page administrators. One, it’s possible to get notifications about when followers of the page like, comment, and share posts. Analytics information can be viewed, including the reach of a page’s content and how many users are engaging with it. As well, it’s possible to post to a page from mobile. For users who administrate multiple pages, the app does support switching between them.
The app uses a very similar HTML5-wrapped interface as the standard (and often-maligned) main Facebook app, so caveat emptor, though the app should likely be coming to Android at some point in the future because of it. It is not iPad-native at the moment either. Still, for Facebook Pages administrators looking for a mobile solution, this should help.
While credit card readers likeSquare are targeted toward end users who may want to collect occasional credit card payments, for those who are looking to make the iPhone a major part of their retail business, Cashier Live is hoping to fill that void.
The app can transform the iPhone into a full point-of-sale device. Barcodes can be scanned with the camera to be added to an order. Receipts can be emailed to customers. Inventory can be managed with the app, and the app can be integrated with Milo to help keep track of inventory. Reports can be tracked with the Cashier Live website from any computer’s web browser. While cash and check payments can be handled through the app, adding a Linea Pro scanner can add credit card payments along with a traditional barcode scanner to the iPhone. This all works with the iPod touch as well. Cashier Live is free to download, and new users can sign up for a free 30-day trial to use the service.
Want to make bass drops that are so sick, the CDC will have to declare a pandemic? Want to make dubstep so dirty that you’ll feel compelled to put on an episode of Game of Thrones just to feel clean again? Then Bass Drop is a must-download. This app lets anyone make some sick dubstep beats. I’m an undercut away from being Skrillex!
There’s a keyboard for making assorted “wub wub wub wub” sounds from 3 different sets, and 12 buttons that can add effects, bass lines, and drum loops. These buttons can be configured with different types of the sounds, and with the ability to have them be toggles, or only play when physically held down. 3 different preference layouts can be saved to make recreating favorite tracks easier. Bass Drop is currently free through the end of May, so aspiring electronic musicians can get in on portable dubstepping at an unbeatable price.
Carter and guest co-host/beard-enthusiast Jared Nelson discuss the recent Sonic 4: Episode 2 release, and just what kept it from being a truly great game.
Carter and Jared discuss games with in-app purchases, in particular regarding comments on games like Polymer and Hero Academy and their IAP practices.
Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment are putting out the second major update to Infinity Blade 2 this week. The new Vault of Tears update will bring new content to not just ClashMobs, but also to the main game mode. For the new singleplayer content, new areas and story elements have been added, which will help to dive into the past of protagonist Siris, and promises to unveil unknown secrets behind the universe of Infinity Blade.
There will be new enemies to fight while uncovering these secrets in these new areas, such as the Moss Golem, the Dark Fiend, and the ambiguously-named Acolyte. New items and gems are coming to the game, over 50 in all, including the new cardboard armor. A new treasure map feature will help with discovering those cleverly-placed hidden items in the levels. For ClashMob mode, Twitter and Facebook will be more deeply integrated, with likes and retweets contributing to the cause – which is slaying enemies, of course. The free update releases on Thursday, May 24th.
Coda, the Mac OS X software by Panic for editing websites – and not just HTML code, but CSS and MySQL management, terminal support, and other features for truly managing a website – is coming to the iPad this Thursday along with Coda 2 for Mac. Diet Coda is designed for quick yet powerful website editing while on the go. Syntax highlighting for different code languages is available in its editor, which will have contextual software keyboards for more effective editing, and “Super Loupe” iOS cursor moving, which they claim is “The best way to move your iOS cursor, ever.”
Diet Coda integrates Panic’s other software to make working on iPad easier. Their Mac FTP software Transmit has essentially been brought to the iPad, with the ability to easily manage remote files and change their permissions easily. For those who need to perform remote terminal commands, their app Prompt has been built in to the app and included in the $9.99 asking price for Diet Coda – not a bad deal considering Prompt separately runs for $7.99. Users of the also-upcoming Coda 2 will be able to use Diet Coda to preview websites on the iPad while they code them on the Mac. The app releases on Thursday, May 24th, and will come boasting full Retina Display support along with it.
GameSalad Creator, the tool for creating games that doesn’t require prior programming knowledge to use, is about to make a huge jump. Starting today, Creator will be in closed beta testing for Windows. Once it is made publicly available, this means that the users of the largest desktop OS in the world will be able to make their own games.
GameSalad has already been a huge part of the App Store, as the company claims that over 15% of new games released last year for iOS were made with GameSalad Creator. This jump to Windows should help to expand the audience for their tools, especially for those interested in using GameSalad Creator to develop games for the web and Android, which became supported in the last year. Those looking to upload to the App Store will likely still need a Mac involved at some point to upload and edit their app. However, all development should be otherwise possible on the Windows version of GameSalad Creator. It is currently in a closed beta, and should be made publicly available later this year.
Whale Trail, ustwo’s stylish endless runner, is about to make another big PIVOT 180°™. The game is going to shift to a free to play model in the coming weeks. The game is going to be more akin to Jetpack Joyride or Temple Run than the pure score experience that it was previously. Now players earn an in-game currency called krill while playing, that can be spent on new costumes for Willow, along with powers and items for Willow to use, all in the name of higher scores. Of course, it will be possible to buy krill with in-app purchases as well.
For those who purchased the game in the past, and are potentially angry about that $0.99 game they bought shifting to free, well ustwo is hoping to soothe those fears by giving previous paid users a big bag of krill for their trouble. Just what I always wanted! Dr. Zoidberg should be excited too. ustwo are hoping that this update turns the game from a Succailure™ into a just plain success. The update is due to hit in the coming weeks.
Frisky, the electronic music internet radio station, is now available on iOS with an eponymous app. Frisky comes with two distinct flavors of stations to listen to: Frisky and Chill. Frisky is for high-energy dance music, boasting the same shows from the DJs scheduled on the Frisky website. Chill is programmed to slow things down, keep things cool with ambient and lounge music with some movie scores mixed in. The Chill station is an extension of their ChilloutSundays programming, except as a 24/7 station, and it’s currently only exclusively available through the app.
Each station changes the interface’s appearance slightly, with even the volume slider matching the color scheme for the station: warm pink for Frisky, and cool blue for Chill. A simple swipe of the finger switches stations. Frisky supports 128 kbps MP3 and AAC streams, along with a 48k AAC stream for listening over cellular networks without taking up too much data. Listening status can be shared via Twitter, Facebook, and email. Best of all, the app has launched for free.
Chillingo and Ars Thanea Games have announced their new upcoming genre-bending puzzle game Puzzle Craft, coming soon to iOS. This multifaceted game will have players trying to build a farm through resource collection. Yes, that sounds like many games that already exist, but Puzzlecraft is going to try and blend actual gameplay in with the formula. Players can havest and mine for materials in a puzzle board akin to a game like Dungeon Raid, where pieces adjacent in any direction can be collected. Harvested materials from the field can be converted in to materials to help stay in the mines longer. The collected resources can be used to buy new buildings, hire new workers, and get better tools.
The current plan is for the game to launch at a low entry price point supported by in-app purchases: coins can be purchased, along with additional moves to mine for a longer time. A tie-in Facebook game involving the mining game is in the works as well. Puzzle Craft is scheduled to hit the App Store at some point in the coming months.
5by5, the digital network that purports itself to be for “geeks, designers, broadcasters, and entrepreneurs” has launched a new iOS app that lets listeners check out their various shows while on the go. Shows such as Mac Power Users, which is exactly what it says on the tin, and The Cocktail Napkin, a show about inspiration and the ideas that come from them are now streamable through the app. For those that want to listen to the shows as they record live, the app offers push notifications to find out when they start broadcasting. The app supports background audio, and supports AirPlay for playing shows on remote speakers. The episode also features a schedule of upcoming broadcasts, integration with the 5by5 newsletter, and the ability to see how many other people are listening live to the app. Note that it is not a universal app – at least not at the moment.
This week, Apple released iOS 5.1.1, which brings some minor bug fixes, particularly to some camera functionality and to AirPlay. Software updates have been made a lot easier since iOS 5 was released, as now small updates like these don’t require a full download of the entire iOS software. However, for users not yet on iOS 5, there’s still reasons to use iTunes to update. In this latest how-to guide, we’ll show you how to update that iOS device.
iOS 5 Software Updates
For owners of devices already on iOS 5, updating to the latest version is as simple as going to Settings, selecting General, then Software Update. iOS will send a push notification once an update is ready, and add a badge to Settings if an update is ready to be downloaded and installed. However, the news of an update usually circulates before notifications are sent out, so this process can be manually done before the notification is sent.
It’s best to charge the device while the update process is going on, so that the device doesn’t accidentally lose power during the update. If all goes right, the device will reboot, and a few minutes later, iOS will be up to date. Both my iPod touch 4th generation and iPad 2 had two separate bars pop up while installing the update, so this may be a normal part of the process. Don’t freak out.
Updating via iTunes
For those devices still not on iOS 5, or for people that find it more convenient to do this process on the computer, it is still possible to upgrade through the computer. Plug the device into iTunes. Select it from the left sidebar. Then, on the main screen, select Check for Updates. iTunes will find the latest update, and start downloading it.
There are two potential downfalls. One, what if the iTunes used for updating doesn’t have internet access? Or, if iTunes has issues downloading the software update quickly? Well, it is possible to download the software update manually and then load it into iTunes. Download the update from some source, such as this site (make sure to download the correct update for the correct device). Then, in iTunes, hold down Shift (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click on the button. A dialog box to open up a file should appear. Open up the previously-downloaded file from this point.
Once on iOS 5 (for devices that support it), this process should not be necessary. However, in cases where it may be, this is good to know how it works as well.
The Iconfactory, designers and creators of Twitteriffic and Ramp Champ, have revived their 2010 game Astronut for the iPad. The game has players traveling through the galaxy by launching toward spinning objects in space, and proper timing must be used to launch at the proper angle to the next object, avoiding barriers and hazards.
Astronut for iPad has two advantages over the original version. First, it supports the iPad’s Retina Display. Second, the game can be controlled remotely with the original version of the game, which is a freemium download. This makes it easier to sit back and play the game while it’s running on iPad, possibly even when outputting to a TV. This is not freemium like the original, being $1.99 up front to unlock the whole game, though it appears as if all content is the same between the two versions. Both Astronut for iPad and the remote control update for the original Astronut are now available.
Skylanders Cloud Patrol, the on-rails shooter based on Activision’s popular toys and games hybrid franchise, has recently gotten an update bringing new features.
Most importantly, more Skylanders have been added into the game. Warnado, Wham-Shell, Camo, and all of the Legendary Skylanders are now in the games, so our toy addict readers no longer need to fret about their favorite not being in the game. The web codes that come with each Skylander can still be used to unlock them right away in the game, to take advantage of their elements for daily bonuses, and because it’s just more satisfying using one’s favorite character to get a high score. Of course, they can still be unlocked via in-game credits, but that’s just not as cool as owning the actual figure, now is it?
The game has now been updated to support the new iPad, including supporting that Retina Display. The Skylanders will look practically real! Well, they kind of already are, but, now the digital versions will look practically real. I suppose. Sadly, despite having “Cloud” in the name, cloud-based saving has yet to be implemented. The free update to the game is available now.
Poker Pals, the asynchronous multiplayer poker/Scrabble hybrid released late last year, is about to be reborn. Better, faster, stronger than it was before.
The big new feature is the new Epic game mode. This takes place on an 11×11 game board, with two decks of cards coming into play. Jokers are no longer static corner cards in this mode; now they are actually playable cards that users can play. As well, 2x and 3x hand multiplier squares are available to make that great hand really sting.
On the technical side of things, the update will support the iPad Retina Display. Account creation and sign-in will be easier, with the ability to sign in via Twitter and Facebook along with email. Accounts will still synchronize across devices. It’ll be easier to plan out future moves while waiting for an opponent to make their move as well.
The update will be releasing in a few weeks, though we don’t have a date we can share yet. The iPhone/iPod touch version of the game is going to shift to a single free-to-play universal app, with the iPad version and both free versions of the game being removed from the App Store. However, all previous users, including those of the free version, will get free upgrades to the full version of the new app when they download it.
Carter speaks to Herotainment about the first branch of their Herotopia world on iOS: Tango Chase. They discuss their plans for the game, and the future of Herotopia on iOS.
Carter talks to Wiggles 3D about their iOS game Paper Bees, and how giant flaming bees made it into the game.
Apple has made a couple of changes to their weekly app features that pop up in the Featured tab of the App Store. While “App of the Week” and “Game of the Week” appear to be just rebranded as “Editors’ Choice,” there’s a new feature: the Free Game of the Week. It appears as if Apple is jumping into the kind of promotion that services like FreeAppADay have been doing, but with this being an official Apple promotion, it has the potential to drive massive numbers of downloads.
:: TESTS WELL
Fruit Ninja is about to get its biggest update yet to celebrate its second anniversary on Thursday, May 24th. The key new element in the game appears to be that players will now be able to earn an in-game currency, called starfruit, that can be used to buy new powerups from new characters Gutsu and Truffles, introduced in the new trailer produced by People’s Republic of Animation. Powerups and new “super fruit” like berry blasts will be available to help players raise their high scores. New powerup peaches will add extra time to Arcade and Zen modes, making higher scores even possible. As well, a new bomb deflect powerup is available for skilled ninjas.
Sick of hearing about the Facebook IPO? Want to hear about something actually related to the Facebook product? Well, I have good news then. Facebook has launched a new app that will come in handy for users who manage Facebook Pages.
While credit card readers like
Want to make bass drops that are so sick, the CDC will have to declare a pandemic? Want to make dubstep so dirty that you’ll feel compelled to put on an episode of Game of Thrones just to feel clean again? Then Bass Drop is a must-download. This app lets anyone make some sick dubstep beats. I’m an undercut away from being Skrillex!
The most hirsute iOS podcast in the world!
Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment are putting out the second major update to 
Coda, the Mac OS X software by Panic for editing websites – and not just HTML code, but CSS and MySQL management, terminal support, and other features for truly managing a website – 
Frisky, the electronic music internet radio station
Each station changes the interface’s appearance slightly, with even the volume slider matching the color scheme for the station: warm pink for Frisky, and cool blue for Chill. A simple swipe of the finger switches stations. Frisky supports 128 kbps MP3 and AAC streams, along with a 48k AAC stream for listening over cellular networks without taking up too much data. Listening status can be shared via Twitter, Facebook, and email. Best of all, the app has launched for free.
Chillingo and Ars Thanea Games have announced their new upcoming genre-bending puzzle game Puzzle Craft, coming soon to iOS. This multifaceted game will have players trying to build a farm through resource collection. Yes, that sounds like many games that already exist, but Puzzlecraft is going to try and blend actual gameplay in with the formula. Players can havest and mine for materials in a puzzle board akin to a game like Dungeon Raid, where pieces adjacent in any direction can be collected. Harvested materials from the field can be converted in to materials to help stay in the mines longer. The collected resources can be used to buy new buildings, hire new workers, and get better tools.
For owners of devices already on iOS 5, updating to the latest version is as simple as going to Settings, selecting General, then Software Update. iOS will send a push notification once an update is ready, and add a badge to Settings if an update is ready to be downloaded and installed. However, the news of an update usually circulates before notifications are sent out, so this process can be manually done before the notification is sent.
The Iconfactory, designers and creators of Twitteriffic and Ramp Champ, have revived their 2010 game Astronut for the iPad. The game has players traveling through the galaxy by launching toward spinning objects in space, and proper timing must be used to launch at the proper angle to the next object, avoiding barriers and hazards.
Skylanders Cloud Patrol, the on-rails shooter based on Activision’s popular toys and games hybrid franchise, has recently gotten an update bringing new features.
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