As you may have already read, earlier today Tweetbot just released a fresh new release of their extremely popular iPhone Twitter client. Going along with that, developer Tapbots has also announced that there is finally an iPad version of the application available on the App Store.
The new application makes use of the extra screenspace of the iPad, by streamlining the already exceptional dash interface. Among the highlights of the tool are the gesture controls that greatly simplify Twitter stream navigation. Along with redefining interface, users will also be able to go in and manually modify what is shown on screen. Trust us, customization is always a good thing.
If there were one complaint about this news, it is that Tweetbot is not available as a Universal app. That said, when something is this useful, there isn’t anything wrong with plunking down a few extra bucks to support the developer. Check it out, because it will no doubt be money well spent.
Here at 148apps, we’re big fans of Tweetbot. Offering pretty much everything anyone could ever want from a Twitter client, it’s no wonder that we feel that way. I know I’m quietly hopeful that one day a desktop client as good as it will come along.
Developers, Tapbot, aren’t ones to rest on their impressive laurels though and the release of 2.0 is upon us. It’s pretty substantial too with numerous new features to check out as well as some great tweaks and improvements.
Most noteably is the addition of inline image thumbnails. This means that users can now see a preview of an image before they tap on the link within the tweet, thus saving valuable time. It only works with supported services but that covers sufficient sites making it a feature that no doubt we’ll all be wondering how we lived without it.
Links are now colored and activated with one tap rather than the original system of having to tap on a tweet then select the link.
Direct Messages are more attractive to look at also, looking more like the Messages chat bubbles that iOS devices use for iMessage and SMS messaging.
For those viewing text heavy links, Readability integration has been included which ensures that text is formatted perfectly for the iOS screen and will save the user’s eyes immensely.
Taps are further saved with the addition of the timeline auto-refreshing every five minutes, saving users from dragging upwards for a refresh at regular intervals. Links within user profiles are also tappable, a minor but ideal fix. The “retweeted by” is also now tappable for extra speed.
As if that’s not enough, Tweetbot also promises to scroll much faster making it all the better for those who like to check in on their tweets in a speedy fashion.
The latest version of Tweetbot is out now and free for existing owners. For those yet to try it, it’s priced at $2.99 and very much the definitive Twitter client app for iOS devices.
It may seem anathema in the early 21st century, but some people still prefer their news in-depth, thorough and well-written. But in a twitterpated sound-bite culture it’s difficult to find comprehensive news reporting much less an app that serves it without paying for multiple subscriptions.
A new iPad app on the news aggregator scene, Longform, is changing that, and doing so in a way that still feels very iOS.
Longform curates articles from numerous major publications including The NewYorker, National Geographic,BusinessWeek, Esquire and about a dozen more. Along with a Longform feed that culls from additional sources, readers select their favorites.
A tap on the periodicals, placed on the left sidebar, brings up headlines and excerpts appear on the right. Readers are then offered a web view or a beautifully Spartan page for easy reading in either orientation.
The app is closely integrated with Readbility for offline reading, but users can choose Instatpaper or ReadItLater in the options menu if they prefer. If one has used any of these services or Safari’s native reader, the look is much the same.
The app allows for multiple scalable fonts, page-formatting options, and favorite articles can be shared via Twitter. Facebook, Tumblr or by email.
I have a wishlist as long as my arm for additional sources, but Longform is a off to a tremendously good start both in terms of style and substance. It has already earned its place amongst my favorite news aggregators on the App Store.
Regardless of the location, there’s bound to be something interesting going on somewhere. AroundNow seeks to provide an easy way of seeing exactly what’s going on locally at any time.
Using Twitter as a notification system, AroundNow offers news of interest depending on the area the user happens to reside in at the time. That news can range from all manners of things from entertainment events such as concerts or celebrity spottings to parties or demonstrations. Traffic information such as road works or traffic jams can also be provided as well as something as regular as a good sale in a local store.
As it’s partly a social networking app, AroundNow relies upon user participation to truly be great but it’s an excellent idea. In a busy and bustling city, it’s easy to miss out on something exciting so this app could be the ideal way to get involved in local events.
Ah, Valentine’s day. That wonderful day where those in relationships set huge expectations for perfect romantic escapades that can seldom be met by their partner and singles wish they could share in the homage to Hallmark and Cupid. Finding the right thoughtful token or date locale doesn’t have to be an expensive ordeal, however. As always there are a bevy of holiday-themed apps that claim to help make the day either more special or more commercial depending on your point of view. We have collected our favorite four apps for singles and couples looking to make the most of February 14 without waking up broke on the 15th.
Build-a-Card Cupid Edition
Heartfelt words, to a lover, relative or friend, can make them feel special and cherished. Greeting cards are the most traditional way of sending sentiments, but printed brick-and-mortar shop cards are expensive and seldom say exactly what you want. e-cards are less expensive, but it’s still hard to find the right one and harder still to keep them out of spam filters. Build-a-Card Cupid Edition is packed full of love-themed templates and graphic elements to allow users to customize valentines with their own words and photos. These particularly pretty cards can then then be sent via email, Twitter or Facebook and you can send as many as you like for less than the price of a single dead tree card.
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-01-19 :: Category: Entertainment
iWrite Love Poems
If sending a card is touching, nothing is more romantic or traditional than sending an original stanza or three of romantic poetry to your beloved. Sadly, however, not all of us are gifted wordsmiths. If you are looking for some help in composing a grand romantic ode or a simple rhyming couplet, iWrite Love Poems, an App Store Valentine staple, can help. It offers eight types of poems from seductive to wistful, general style tips and if the creative juice still won’t flow, the app creates its own loving verses. The GUI would benefit from an iOS 5 makeover, but there is in-app email sharing to pass along the love notes.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-01-22 :: Category: Entertainment
Urban Spoon
A classy dinner date to a hot spot or intimate eatery doesn’t have to break the bank. With Urban Spoon’s apps, not only do dates have endless dining options worldwide, but all you have to do to impress and stay solvent is pick a location, cuisine, and price range. A shake or spin will provide a hip dining spot to enjoy and a way to impress that special someone with your culinary savvy.
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-04-27 :: Category: Travel
OK Cupid
We promised we would’t leave out singles, and we haven’t with card makers and restaurant suggesters, but if you are looking for a hot Valentine’s date, or for that perfect someone, OK Cupid, the app for the well-known dating site, can certainly help. Subscribers can access all the profiles and interact on the fly from the privacy of their palm. Based on the community size there should be someone for almost everyone. And if you still don’t find that perfect someone, at least not in time, there are a ton of valentine updates to popular iPhone games to tide you over until Mr or Ms right finds you.
Was your New Year’s resolution to get back in shape? The iPad and iPhone can be great workout companions, especially with apps like iMuscle from 3D4Medical.com.
iMuscle is a workout aid that can be used to find exercises that coincide with specific muscles in the body. The muscles are displayed in a visually appealing 3-D view that the user can rotate 360 degrees. Users can create custom workouts and receive hints and tips for specific exercises. The exercises are even performed by a 3-D model.
iMuscle has added some features in its 2.4 update. Users can now share workouts between the iPhone and iPad apps. The overall experience of the app has been improved with larger buttons, the workout creation process made easier, the ability to edit an exercise within a workout, and more flexibility in moving between exercises within a workout.
iMuscle won Apple’s best iPad app in the Medical category in 2011 and was listed as one of TechCrunch’s top 20 apps of 2011. iMuscle is available as both an iPad and iPhone app.
57 years after Walt Disney first opened the gates to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, would-be visitors to Sleeping Beauty’s castle no longer have to travel to see the magic. Now there’s an app for that. OK, not really, very little beats the look in a child’s eyes when they first meet Mickey or a favorite princess on Main Street. But for those planning a trip, or those for whom one is still in the amorphous future, the folks at Disney have “Imagineered” an app: Disneyland Explorer for iPad. It takes virtual visitors on a pretty extensive tour of the entire California Disney experience.
Families can use a standard navigation menu, or simply swipe through the two parks – Disneyland and it’s younger sibling Disney California Adventure – to discover not just the rides, but also the restaurants, nightlife, shopping and hotels. There are 100 “touch points” in the app – that is 100 things to find and tap. Many just describe the associated attraction, but others offer photographs, short videos, and a few toggle some interactive treats kids will enjoy including a chance to choreograph a fireworks show or ride up – and then plummeting down – the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
This “happiest app on earth” is free to download and while its primary purpose is to get us calling our travel agents and packing our bags, as souvenir, wish, or a peek at what’s changed in oh, say, 35 years, it’s admirable as a stand-alone product. As always when Imagineers get behind a project, the presentation is slick, seamless, and will leave tourists past and future wanting more.
American Express has launched an app for members and subscribers to their magazine, Departures, to help them find the best shopping, eating, drinking, and hotels in a variety of cities around the world with Departures Ultimate City Guides.
While there are plenty of apps for finding just those things in cities around the globe, this app clearly caters to more of a “high roller” crowd than those other apps. The magazine Departures is only available for Platinum and Centurion card members of American Express. Loosely translated, that means that this magazine and this app is for those that make a lot of money only. Getting a Platinum card apparently requires a six-figure income minimum. The Centurion card is available by invitation only, requires $150,000 of annual spending with American Express, and has a $2500/year membership fee, but it does come with a personal concierge service. Oh, and the card is made of titanium. The magazine also has content focused on issues of the 99% such as: plastic surgery addiction, custom clothing for men, and all kinds of articles on world travel.
This is an app for those who are looking for a higher class of digital travel guide, one that will not point out all the hotels around them, but the five-star hotels. This is for finding restaurants where the gratuity would likely feed a middle-class family of five for a week. This is for finding lounges where the cost of a bottle of wine would let a college student party for a full four years.
Note that while the app is free to download, to enter it, it requires an authentication code from an issue of the Departures magazine, which again, is only for those high-earning Platinum and Centurion cardholders with American Express. The app is universal, as having to download two separate versions of an app is just so upper-middle-class.
A photography app for switching around two faces in a photograph automatically, without any necessary configuration or input from the user? Sounds unlikely, right? Well, there are many, many apps out there for transforming our faces. Ones to make our faces fatter, ones to make our faces skinnier, Photo Booth is on the iPad for all kinds of crazy effects, and we can even turn ourselves into Star Wars characters now. But switching faces with someone else? Surely, that’s impossible! Face Fun says “No it’s not!” and “Don’t call me Shirley.”
Face Fun works by taking pictures of two people, and then automatically processing the image and switching their faces around. This does require an internet connection to work, as it utilizes Face.com’s face recognition API. This creates an immediate swap of the two faces, which can look rather freaky at first, as people have different face sizes, or the subjects might not be facing entirely forward. Thankfully, the app does let users manually adjust the faces to get them perfect. Swapped faces can be moved about, pinched and expanded to scale them, double-tapped to flip them around, and rotated around with a two-finger-twisting gesture. Photos can be imported from the Camera Roll, but the app recommends taking photos directly from within the app itself.
Face Fun comes with social features – photos can be saved to the Camera Roll, shared via email, Twitter, or Facebook. Facebook friends can also be tagged in photos with the app. Face Fun is thankfully and surprisingly universal – the iPad’s benefit for storing and viewing photographs is a selling point of the device, yet many photography apps tend to avoid iPad support, likely due to the iPad 2’s poor cameras and the iPad 1’s nonexistent cameras. So, while this might not be optimal for taking new photos on the iPad, importing and editing photos work very well on the larger screen. Face Fun is available now.
Dark Elves aren’t evil, they’re just misunderstood.
On This Episode:
Carter and co-host Rob Rich discuss the current cloning epidemic that continues to spread with games that appear to clone Tiny Tower and Triple Town. As well, they discuss some of the games that they’ve been playing lately.
So, for those ready to file their taxes – they have all their paperwork ready at hand, their dependents counted, deductions itemized and ready to go, this means that it’s time to start filling out confusing paperwork, or hop on the computer, or just go down to a local tax professional, right? Nope. TurboTax doesn’t just have a way to estimate tax returns, there’s now a full-fledged iPad app for filing and submitting taxes. TurboTax guides users through the tax filing process with handy, user-friendly steps and language that is designed to hopefully make the process less confusing, and to help find deductions. As well, info from past TurboTax returns can be imported into the app to speed along the process.
TurboTax is free to download and use, with the only fees coming when it is time to e-file, then the app charges an in-app purchase for filing. The app supports both filing federal and state income taxes, though there is a separate fee for each filing. Still, for those looking to do their taxes the easy and technologically-savvy way on their iPad, this is a definite option. The app is available now.
NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. recently launched TANK BATTALION BLITZ for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. In the action game players create a deck of tanks in order to obliterate their enemies. However, they must defend their own headquarters in the process. The game features 130 stages, more than 150 tanks, several game modes and local and online multiplayer through Game Center. The tanks have been digitally recreated from real World War 2-era machines. While the common vehicles can be collected for free, premium and rare tanks can only be attained through in-app purchase, but are essential to conquering tough missions throughout the game.
In the main TANK TANK BATTALION mode, players must complete a variety of treacherous missions by themselves, while in TEAM BATTLE mode they can team up to overtake the competition. Coming soon is TANK BATTALION BOSS mode, which puts the players directly in harm’s way with the task of challenging the massive boss tanks. For those not wanting to wait for the upcoming update, there is plenty of action in the 4-player local and online multiplayer modes for both cooperative and competitive gameplay. The game is available now for $2.99 on the App Store.
It’s the most wonderful time of year – tax season. Thankfully, TaxCaster from TurboTax is here to help users figure out whether to expect to be cutting a check to the IRS, or if Uncle Sam will be sending some money their way. TaxCaster is a universal iOS app that lets users plug in their vital financial information and get an estimated refund amount. Income, tax withholding, donations, deductions, dependents; these can all be plugged into the app and the app will give an estimate of how much the user can expect as far as payments or refunds in taxes will go. The app is very easy to use, with various sliders for adjusting income, and it just requires the user to have the information to put in. This is not an application for actually filing and submitting one’s taxes, it is just for estimation, but it makes it very easy for users to help get a clue on what they can expect from the process.
I make no secret of the fact that I am seriously addicted to Ticket to Ride on iOS. Of all the designer board games currently rushing to the App Store, none is as polished in presentation and gameplay as TtR. Unbelievably, the translation from analogue to digital is seamless.
Yet, something has been missing from the iPhone version of the game, Ticket to Ride Pocket.
Until now, that is.
Version 1.1 has just be released to the App Store and it contains what many fans (including me) have been waiting for: Multi Mode. Is Multi Mode true online play or something more akin to Words With Friends-style asynchronous play? From my experience, the answer is both.
Multi Mode is designed primarily to be played in asynchronous mode, with players taking turns at their whim over the course of hours, days, or even weeks. However, my experience has shown that many online players prefer to simply play their game online in real time, and Multi Mode easily accommodates that choice. So, it’s the best of both worlds: head-to-head play when time permits, and asynchronous play for when it doesn’t.
In fact, the straight-up multiplayer version of the game is preferable, as turns in Ticket to Ride can be very short indeed. While I don’t want to imply that there are no strategic choices to be made in the game (quite the opposite, actually), the time it takes to play a turn is miniscule compared to a turn in Scrabble or Words with Friends. Asynchronous play is a welcome addition, but you may find yourself playing more than one game in real time.
If you’ve never heard of Ticket to Ride (gasp!) or never played TtR Pocket, I urge you to take a moment and read our glowing review of the game when it was released. Then, take the plunge and start building your railroad empire. I’ll meet you online. My Gamecenter user name is Skinnerbox. Challenge me to a game anytime!
Office² HD is one of a select few quality iPad apps that allow Microsoft Works users to access, work on, and keep MS formatting. Microsoft made a lot of late Q4 entries onto the App Store and many are hinting at and hoping they will bring their own mobile suite of productivity apps to iOS soon. Until that happens, however, students and business people who are PC/MS users have had to rely on third-party apps, which have real limitations, particularly when it comes to advanced editing and layout on Apple tablets.
ByteSquared aims to change that. A recent update to Office² HD offers Word users near-desktop quality creation and editing tools for both .doc and .docx files.
Simon Bates, CEO, states: “Office² HD’s latest update transforms mobile office productivity from a secondary method of completing office tasks to a powerful and even preferential manner of quickly and efficiently keeping in touch with your office. I feel this new version easily makes Office² HD the app of choice for editing Microsoft Office documents on iPad.”
We won’t know if it’s “preferential” to an MS app until there is one, but it’s a big step forward and both Word users and Apple should benefit from an app that puts iPad productivity solutions to non-Apple-devoted hands.
Fanhatten already offered TV and Movie fans tons of entertainment by providing ratings, general information and then linking users to popular streaming services from iTunes, Hulu Plus and Netflix to Crackle and PBS.
Now they have updated to incorporate the hottest trend in in online news – discovery. The app is now a one-stop shop for celeb 411, reviews and streaming, but also personalized news feeds and recommendations based on social networks and predictive algorithms.
Fanhatten now boasts over 60 major entertainment publication sources including Billboard, E!, Entertainment Weekly, TMZ, Rolling Stone, and People.
But the new Fan Feed is where to find the action. The app allows users to select favorite shows, actors, even directors and brings up content that is tailored to individual taste. As users spend time with Fanhatten and add more likes, the feed gets progressively “smarter”. If friends use Fanhatten too, the app offers a social component and shared recommendations as well.
Now that the already rich content comes with discovery and social components it should not only please its own existing fans, but create a new market for people who aren’t looking to stream necessarily, but who are looking for what – and whom – to watch no matter how they access the video.
This week at 148Apps.com we closed out the month of January, and thus our month of focusing on health-related apps, with a special article on iOS and special needs by Lisa Caplan. She writes, “In keeping with January’s health & fitness theme I’m taking a stab at some self-disclosure. I have a spinal cord injury with a host of related 14-karat diagnoses. I don’t use apps for the disabled, though, like those to help remind me to take my meds, find handicapped parking, get medical information or find online support communities. I don’t think anything on my iPad – including pictures – would hint that I have “special needs.” Nonetheless, iOS devices and apps have improved my health, both physical and mental.”
Amy Solomon at GiggleApps.com reviewed Thumbnail Theater: Macbeth this week, and she had some very positive things to say about it: “Thumbnail Theater: Macbeth is an app that I greatly enjoyed, both on its own merits and also because apps for older children are not as common as I would like in iTunes. I highly recommend this app to any student who is reading Shakespeare as well as to adults who would like to know more about this time period in general.”
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-09 :: Category: Games
Finally, 148Apps.biz site editor Rob LeFebvre reported on recent trends in app costs. He writes, “Fiksu, Inc. released their latest report today on the mobile app economy, and found all time highs for marketing costs as well as iOS downloads in December. They attribute this data to advertising bidding wars to lock in top rankings before the App Store froze during the 3 day holiday.”
That’s another week down for the record books. Thanks for reading, and remember that you can keep track of all the latest reviews, news and contests by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook. See you next time!
Pocket God is still going strong, blasting right through update number forty-three (43!). The newest episode, “Killing Time,” deals with the kind of stuff that turned Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Deloreans and use of the word “paradox” into national phenomena. In other words, it has to do with futzing around with time. Like time, time. Not wasting a few minutes at the bus stop, time. Players will be able to visit the new Apocalypse Island, home of a multi-roomed temple that includes a time-shifting chamber. It also houses a creepy Aztec calendar that’s counting down to 11:11am, December 21st, 2012.
This is just the first of many apocalypse-themed updates, according to Bolt. Each of the temple’s many rooms features some sort of Armageddon-like power, each to be opened with future updates, but at the moment no other specifics have been revealed. Bolt will be continuing to release more doomsday content over the course of the next 10 months. Hopefully they’ll be able to move on to a new theme after that, assuming the world still exists.
Pocket God in all its dark-humored glory can, as usual, be downloaded from the App Store for $0.99. The other 95% of iOS users who already own it can simply update it like they normally would to get the new stuff.
Having spent a decent portion of my retail career involved in the children’s section of a bookstore, I think I have a solid grasp of what makes for popular literature among parents and their children. There’s always one or two “flavors of the week,” but there are also those that always sell. Where the Wild Things Are. The Velveteen Rabbit. Virtually anything written by Mo Willems or Sandra Boynton. Sitting proudly at the top of this list are the works of the undisputed monarch of children’s literature, Dr. Seuss.
Theodor Seuss Geisel‘s stories have been adapted for all manner of medium, not surprisingly including iOS. Oceanhouse Media has been offering special adaptations, referred to as “omBooks” for portable Apple devices for quite a while now. These special not-quite-ebooks allow users to flip through their virtual pages normally, have the stories read to them at a set pace (not unlike a movie) or a hybrid of the two that narrates while emphasizing key words.
While individual Seuss classics have been available in this form for quite some time, Oceanhouse has released their first-even multi-title collection. The Dr. Seuss Beginner Book Collection #1 features five of (arguably) his most well-known works: The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The FOOT Book, Mr. Brown Can MOO! Can You? and Fox in Socks. Five classics, no waiting. Well, depending on one’s WiFi speed, anyway.
This collection is on the App Store right now for $11.99. I know it may seem like a lot, but buying each of these omBooks individually would cost around $15 or so. And that’s after the price drops in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Anyone with an appreciation for all things Seuss should certainly check this out.
It feels like it’s been ages since I first set eyes upon Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds Minigame Adventure. Back then it consisted of a mere two games. Now the last of them have been added, bringing the total up to the initially promised twelve.
It makes for an extensive collection of mini-genres, from the “find the item” graphical adventure style of the Prequel through the old-school puzzle gameplay of The Red Weed (Part 1) and ultimately drawing to a close with the arcade-like viral infection of Dead London. It’s a collection that I’d easily recommend to fans of H.G. Wells’ classic tale for the typical going rate of $5. However, in celebration of Minigame Adventure‘s completion the price is getting a temporary 60% price cut for the weekend (2/3 – 2/5).
It should go without saying that being able to grab a collection of a dozen well-made, War of the Worlds-themed mini-games for $2 is significant. Even if it should, I feel the need to reiterate it. Both for dramatic purposes and because it would be foolish for fans of the novel/movies to pass this up. So here I go: Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds Minigame Adventure, a title which offers twelve mini-games, is currently on sale for $2. It’s a ridiculously good deal, and one that I’d recommend jumping on before it’s over.
Zinc Roe Design has released a new app for iPad that can help out with education. Entitled Doodlecast Pro, this is an app that allows users to draw on the screen, with various colored backgrounds, pointer options, and the ability to import backgrounds from the Camera Roll. The catch is that all of this can be recorded by the app. Users can doodle to their heart’s content, and have the drawings recorded and saved, with the ability to record audio from the mic along with the video. The video can then be saved to the Camera Roll, emailed, or uploaded directly to YouTube.
This app could have amazing applications in the field of education. Teachers could use this to record math lessons, by drawing out problems, and providing detailed explanations of how they work, which the students can then rewatch at their convenience. Science teachers could use it to point out the features of atoms and molecules, or to point out specific features on diagrams, again with voice commentary included. Students could make use of the app, as well: they could use this to record their notes or homework, and go back to see not just the solutions to their work, but to see their thought process in doing it. Videos can be saved in their crisp high-resolution quality as drawn on the iPad, or in lower qualities to save space.
This is an advanced version of Zinc Roe’s earlier Doodlecast for Kids app, and with some more of these advanced features, and design intended for serious usage, their technology can be used to everyone’s benefit. This is the kind of app that shows how education can take advantage of the latest technology, and how the iPad in particular could be a major part of the way that education is improved across the world. This app has that kind of potential. Check it out in motion below.
With Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace being re-released in theaters with post-processed 3D, LucasArts has released an app called Darth Maul Me. Do note that the name is not an invitation for a Sith Lord to come and maul the user, but an app for turning the user into Darth Maul, Sith apprentice in the first prequel episode of the Star Wars series. Users can either import or take a photo of their face, zoom in and out to line up the eyes and get their head in frame. Then, they adjust the area of their face, and select from one of three Darth Maul effects, from the full-on makeup and horns look to just the crazy Sith eyes. Then, the image processes and the user is ready to go out and share to the world that they are a Sith, and proud of it, and there’s Facebook connectivity to help prove it. The Dark Side will only truly win if they receive enough likes on Facebook.
There’s a little sporting event happening this weekend: I believe it’s called the Super Bowl. Yes, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will square off in the middle American metropolis of Indianapolis this Sunday, and most of America will tune in. But for those with iPhones, iPods, and iPads, these devices need not go unused during the big game! Here are 5 ways to use that device to get analysis and information that the TV broadcasters just won’t provide.
SportCaster: Providing a second screen experience during the game is this app from the developer of TweetCaster. The app aggregates tweets from various sources, and organizes them by topic, so following team-specific tweets is easy with this app.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-31 :: Category: Sports
NFL Mobile: What better way to follow the Super Bowl on an iPhone than, to, well, watch it on there? While streaming the Super Bowl will only be available for Verizon customers, this universal app should be perfect for when nature calls, if work won’t stop for the biggest football game of the year, or if a significant other who doesn’t know what this “super ball” is really needs something from the store, right now.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-04-25 :: Category: Sports
Sportacular: Can’t watch the game, but need updates on the score and play-by-play updates? Sportacular is a great choice, allowing users to just check up on the game’s status, or to chat with fellow users about what’s going on in the game. By this, I mean “talk smack with random people on the internet,” which is also fun. The app also handily provides the line on the game and the over/under, helpful reminders for those who could be affected financially based on the outcome of the game. 148Apps does not promote gambling, and reminds our readers to do it legally and responsibly, but still – that info’s there.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2008-07-31 :: Category: Sports
Quickish: Not exactly an app, but a fantastic web site for perusing the latest news and opinions in sports – open it in Safari on that iPad for an ideal second screen experience. Curated by internet sportswriting veteran Dan Shanoff, the site is a must-follow during big live events like the Super Bowl, as it provides rapid-fire updates and reactions across social media from both fellow writers and athletes, along with relevant news stories written about the game. Before, during, and after, this is a fantstic way to track what is being said about the Super Bowl from sometimes-unexpected voices.
SB Nation: This network of sports blogs comes with its own app, and the sites are known for thoughtful opinions on sports that go beyond the hysteria of the typical sports media, with an often wry sense of humor – and sometimes a single article will contain copious amounts of both. Why have an app, though? Well, it not only makes it easy to follow specific blogs, such as their team-specific blogs and general football one, but to follow updates on specific stories from one place. Few other sites will provide ‘simulations’ of the Super Bowl where they put the punters in at QB. Keep this one installed for baseball season, too, as their writers and blogs are top-notch on the subject.
Who doesn’t love a good shooter set in the days of a World War III tainted apocalypse? The wild west has risen again, and the multiplayer shooter Warm Gun will help figure out how it truly was won.
A little birdie from the game’s developer over at Emotional Robots decided to chirp in our ear about a brand spankin’ new update that just moseyed its way into the App Store. Among the most prominent changes, players will immediately begin seeing a 40% increase in performance, no matter what iOS device they are using. Also, lets not lose sight of a newly introduced interface and an entirely new map: Coldshot.
Probably the best part of the entire announcement is the fact that until the end of February Warm Gun will be marked down to a mere $1.99. So now looks to be as good a time as any to holster up and take a step into the past… or is it the future? Where is Marty McFly when you need him?
Call me crazy, but I felt compelled to make this week’s list of freebies a little bigger than usual. Maybe it’s because there were more to pick from. Maybe there was a larger number of legitimately interesting titles. Or maybe I was just on a roll and went with it. No matter the reason, there’s a nice big list of iOS games down there that can all be acquired without the use of money. Why not take a look?
GHOST TRICK: Phantom Detective – It seems like Capcom has started to compulsively port their DS games to iOS. Not that I mind, because most of their DS games are utterly fantastic. GHOST TRICK: Phantom Detective is most likely no exception. The dead private eye who continues to solve cases as a spirit while possessing various items in order to freak out nearby living folks might be a tad eccentric for some, but it’s right up my alley. I can only assume it’s right up other peoples’ alleys as well.
Rock the Vegas for iPhone – People love to build their own cities in a virtual environment. A lot of people also love to gamble. Rock the Vegas offers both of those things. For free! With no broken thumbs!
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-01-30 :: Category: Games
Brand Name Space Game – Okay, so there’s no shortage of top-down SHMUPs on the App Store. But how many of them feature semi-satirical names? And look pretty? And are free? Yeah, okay. I kind of backed myself into a corner with this one. Still, it’s free so why not take a look?
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-01-31 :: Category: Games
Range – Rangemight be a game. Then again it might not. Either way, it’s intriguing: it attempts to subconsciously teach players another language through the use of audio cues and platformer-style gameplay. I don’t know if it really works or not, but it’s a pretty cool idea. And I’ve always wanted to start learning Japanese…
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-31 :: Category: Games
Epic Tic Tac Toe Pro – I like to think that anyone who’s been reading my stuff since I’ve started at 148apps is aware of my natural inclination towards completely weird stuff. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’ve managed to find a game that makes tic-tac-toe look like an 8-bit empire building sim. Admit it, this sounds interesting.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-31 :: Category: Games
Spice Invaders – I’d be ashamed if I failed to mention what I’d consider this week’s best free-to-play release. Sure the multiplayer is rather borked, but that can be fixed. Besides, this tower defense game is totally worth the free download for the campaign. And it’s got a ton of unlockable content to keep players occupied.
There is an ongoing debate in the world of gaming over whether or not the medium can be considered art. Those who think it should be point to games like Braid, Flower, and even Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP as proof of gaming’s artistic merit. However, based on the look of Woolly Robot’s new experimental game Flight of the Fireflies, it might be time to add a new game to that list.
The game describes itself as “an interactive artwork” or “an interactive musical poem” so naturally its more about the experience than the gameplay. Players use touch to move a group of fireflies across the night sky and through various environments while each firefly produces its own unique tone. Throughout their journey, players can discover more fireflies and add them to the musical collective.
This symphony of the night is only available for iPad owners. Flight of the Fireflies is available now on the App Store.
Another week has left us behind along with the first month of the year. As always with the arrival of Friday, we take a few moments to round up five of the most interesting apps and games that we’ve yet to cover in a more extensive form. There will be fun to be had and new recipes to be learnt, amongst other things.
Remarks
At its simplest, the iPad makes for a fantastic note taking tool. Just because the process of writing notes is relatively simple doesn’t mean that the results have to be plain though. Remarks is part PDF annotating application, part PDF notes creator. It’s simple to edit and view PDF files but just as easy to write or sketch ideas, through either handwriting or text input.
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-02-01 :: Category: Productivity
Avid Studio
Aspirations to master film editing? Avid Studio has it covered. Offering simple yet effective video editing functionality, the app allows for easy rearranging of clips, the ability to add high-quality transitional effects and even a soundtrack. It’s surprisingly powerful stuff so iPad 1 owners may find themselves suffering from a few problems but iPad 2 owners will revel in the creativity.
Off The Leash is all about helping Steve the loveable Golden Retriever escape the Chief of Police. 7 different dogs can be unlocked across 90 different missions. Tilt-based controls mean that Steve’s quest is simple to learn but great fun to master. It’s got a great ‘one more go’ vibe to it.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-02-02 :: Category: Games
Veggie Meals
New recipes are fun to discover and nutritious meals are all the more satisfying. Veggie Meals offers 55 easy to cook vegetable based recipes, catering for both vegetarians and vegans. Salads, soups, pasta, stews, burgers, pies and bread and desserts are all provided for here with attractive photography and informative step by step instructions sealing the deal.
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-01-31 :: Category: Lifestyle
Tweet Land
Tweet Land isn’t th usual kind of racing game. It’s one that changes according to the real world and the tweets that world events invoke. Each experience with Tweet Land is different, changing according to real-time events. It makes the old school looking game feel that bit more exciting and the ideal game to drop in on a daily basis to see what’s changed. Plus, there’s the opportunity to escape tsunamis and zombies, all in the same game!
Launch Center has gotten a major new update that brings new automatic app detection. While the app launched with support for built-in notifications, now the app supports launching third-party apps with specific commands, that can be scheduled to appear as notifications on iPhone and iPod touch.
The way it launches third-party apps is that iOS lets apps register with the device a specific URL scheme. Like how websites begin with http://, apps can register as tweetbot:// or facebook://, for example. Thus, when the device prompts to open up one of these URLs, the app will open. As well, special commands can be added after the // that will perform actions in those apps. Launch Center has commands for a selection of apps with registered URL schemes that it can launch. Those apps that are installed are displayed at the top of Launch Center‘s list, and then the specific control options are given. Then, the command can either be just displayed in the Launch Center main list, or scheduled to be appear at a certain date and time.
The uses for this are many. Want to be reminded to post a tweet with Tweetbot, with the specific text automatically entered in, at a certain time? That can be done with this app. As well, an app like Camera+ that supports launching from external apps can be queued up, reminding users to launch it at a certain time. These notifications can also be customized with particular titles in Notification Center for greater convenience.
Note that the feature is not perfect: apps sometimes crash, or work better if they’ve been closed from the multitasking bar, instead of being loaded into an app currently in memory. These are more the fault of the apps in question, rather than anything Launch Center does, as it is just using the app URL schemes that apps have baked in to them. This update to Launch Center is available now as a free update.
EA and Firemint’s Spy Mouse has an update out now that’s designed to be more appropriate for this time of year, with Valentine’s Day coming up. Love is in the air, and while the cats in Agent Squeek’s life are still out to keep him from getting his cheese, everything is a lot more lovey-dovey. The app icon shows not a stern and focused Agent Squeek, but a more charmed Agent Squeek, presenting delicious chocolate for a willing suitor. The whole menu is now Valentine’s-themed, which means that it’s more pink and heart-filled. In-game, the cheese crumbs that give bonus points are now hearts. As well, those cats now get hearts over their head when they spy Agent Squeek, broken heart icons when the try to grab him and miss. Plus, when they do get him, it’s now a heart-filled dust cloud. Okay. This alternate interpretation of Spy Mouse update is available now for both iPhone/iPod touch and iPad versions of the game.
Following a familiar yet addictive path, EA Mobile’s latest release Fly With Me! is an endless runner – or should I say flyer – title.
Players take the role of a bird as they avoid hurdles like trees, geysers and Venus fly trap, while they also chomp their way through the many bees in their path. It’s easy to get the hang of with regular taps to the screen keeping the bird buoyant.
The challenge truly lies in the chance to gain up to 3 stars throughout each level, representing a perfect score. There are also gears to collect, leading to the unlocking of an impressive robot bird.
45 levels in all are on offer to players, plus there’s the inclusion of a Kid mode which comes with 30 additional levels, all focused on a friendlier difficulty level and with no need to eat bees to maintain altitude. It’s an ideal mode for the younger or novice player.
Fly With Me! is out now priced at $0.99. New enemy characters and birds are promised in a future update.
As you may have already read, earlier today Tweetbot just released a fresh new release of their extremely popular iPhone Twitter client. Going along with that, developer Tapbots has also announced that there is finally an iPad version of the application available on the App Store.
Developers, Tapbot, aren’t ones to rest on their impressive laurels though and the release of 2.0 is upon us. It’s pretty substantial too with numerous new features to check out as well as some great tweaks and improvements.
:: HANDSOME TWEETS
It may seem anathema in the early 21st century, but some people still prefer their news in-depth, thorough and well-written. But in a twitterpated sound-bite culture it’s difficult to find comprehensive news reporting much less an app that serves it without paying for multiple subscriptions.
Regardless of the location, there’s bound to be something interesting going on somewhere. AroundNow seeks to provide an easy way of seeing exactly what’s going on locally at any time. 
Was your New Year’s resolution to get back in shape? The iPad and iPhone can be great workout companions, especially with apps like iMuscle from 3D4Medical.com.
57 years after Walt Disney first opened the gates to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, would-be visitors to Sleeping Beauty’s castle no longer have to travel to see the magic. Now there’s an app for that. OK, not really, very little beats the look in a child’s eyes when they first meet Mickey or a favorite princess on Main Street. But for those planning a trip, or those for whom one is still in the amorphous future, the folks at Disney have “Imagineered” an app: Disneyland Explorer for iPad. It takes virtual visitors on a pretty extensive tour of the entire California Disney experience.
Dark Elves aren’t evil, they’re just misunderstood.
:: TOWERING
NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. recently launched TANK BATTALION BLITZ for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. In the action game players create a deck of tanks in order to obliterate their enemies. However, they must defend their own headquarters in the process. The game features 130 stages, more than 150 tanks, several game modes and local and online multiplayer through Game Center. The tanks have been digitally recreated from real World War 2-era machines. While the common vehicles can be collected for free, premium and rare tanks can only be attained through in-app purchase, but are essential to conquering tough missions throughout the game.
I make no secret of the fact that I am seriously addicted to 
Multi Mode is designed primarily to be played in asynchronous mode, with players taking turns at their whim over the course of hours, days, or even weeks. However, my experience has shown that many online players prefer to simply play their game online in real time, and Multi Mode easily accommodates that choice. So, it’s the best of both worlds: head-to-head play when time permits, and asynchronous play for when it doesn’t.
This week at 
Finally, 
Pocket God is still going strong, blasting right through update number forty-three (43!). The newest episode, “
Having spent a decent portion of my retail career involved in the children’s section of a bookstore, I think I have a solid grasp of what makes for popular literature among parents and their children. There’s always one or two “flavors of the week,” but there are also those that always sell. Where the Wild Things Are. The Velveteen Rabbit. Virtually anything written by Mo Willems or Sandra Boynton. Sitting proudly at the top of this list are the works of the undisputed monarch of children’s literature, Dr. Seuss.
It feels like it’s been ages since I first set eyes upon Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds Minigame Adventure. 
There’s a little sporting event happening this weekend: I believe it’s called the Super Bowl. Yes, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will square off in the middle American metropolis of Indianapolis this Sunday, and most of America will tune in. But for those with iPhones, iPods, and iPads, these devices need not go unused during the big game! Here are 5 ways to use that device to get analysis and information that the TV broadcasters just won’t provide.
Who doesn’t love a good shooter set in the days of a World War III tainted apocalypse? The wild west has risen again, and the multiplayer shooter 
Following a familiar yet addictive path, EA Mobile’s latest release 
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