This week at 148Apps.com, we celebrated the release of Tweetbot, version 2.0. Blake Grundman and Jennifer Allen broke the news, then Carter Dotson wrote the full review. Dotson says, “There are very few apps that someone could say ‘this has been released!’ that I would buy immediately. Tweetbot for iPad was apparently on that list, because as soon as I saw on Twitter that the iPhone/iPod touch Twitter client was now available on iPad, I went out and bought it sight-unseen with an urgency unlike the way I approach many other things in my life.”
Released: 2012-02-08 :: Category: Social Networking
Meanwhile, on Giggleapps, reviewer Amy Solomon took a closer look at interactive storybook The Gnat and the Lion. She says, “My kids (ages 10 and 7) and I listened to the read-aloud story and watched the animated short film together before bedtime. We liked the animation, and watching African animals such as the lion and the rhino encouraged a discussion about African grasslands and the animals that live there. We liked the fact that the words are highlighted as the narrator reads them, which is very helpful for children who are learning to read. We also liked the narrator’s voice and accent and how it tied into the African-themed story.”
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-02-03 :: Category: Books
Finally, at 148Apps.biz, writer Brad Hilderbrand reported on the explosion of app usage during last week’s Super Bowl. Hildebrand states, “Sunday night’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants was a classic, but according to a new report from Flurry most viewers were just as likely to be staring at their smartphone screen as they were the game. The company used analytics software built into many popular apps to surmise that of the 111 million people watching the Super Bowl, an estimated 98 million spent at least some time futzing with an app.”
Another week down, but don’t forget to stay on top of all things related to the app-nation through us. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest news, reviews and contests right out of the gate. In the immortal words of Garrison Keillor, be well, do good work, and keep in touch. See you next week.
For those who like Atari’s modernized iOS remakes, such as Asteroids: Gunner, but would rather just buy an app once and have all the content unlocked, they are now in luck. Asteroids: Gunner+ is now available from the App Store. This is the same gameplay as Asteroids: Gunner, which is the classic Asteroids gameplay reimagined as a dual-stick shooter, but now with all content unlocked upon purchase of the app, instead of having to unlock through in-app purchases. This includes 8 ships, 3 galaxies, and a total of 150 waves of enemies. The game is still universal, and still has consumable IAP for buying crystals for ship upgrades. Note that this may not be a pass for future content as well; the similar Breakout: Boost+ recently received an IAP level pack, but as this game has launched at $4.99, and Breakout: Boost+ at $0.99, the strategy for future content may be different between each. For fans of Asteroids: Gunner who are also wary of purchasing content through IAP, this may be a viable option for them.
For the sake of clarity, some of these ‘apps’ are simply added to the RunKeeper service (e.g. Clever Run. Though some are standalone, iPhone apps, like Cycle Log and, of course, the official RunKeeper app.
The new apps have ranging functions from a coaching app for both the coaches and their athletes, like Coachya, to turning fitness into a game, like Fleetly and Nexercise. Many of the apps track some sort of activity. CleverRun tracks running-related items, Cycle Log is a comprehensive cycling tracker and companion, Pedometer Ultimate is self-explanatory, Scosche myTREK keeps an eye on the user’s pulse, and Weighty keeps track of weight and fat percentage. Vitogo is a personal trainer app that creates a workout program tailored to the user.
RunKeeper and its apps could be beneficial to a fitness-related New Year’s resolution. Go to RunKeeper.com to sign up for the service and click the “Apps” link to see the 45+ apps including the most recent nine.
Another week of the year down and so we look back at five of the best apps and games of the past seven days. This time round, we have a healthy dose of education and knowledge, alongside a new way to create animations and some fun with droids.
Cinemagram
Offering something a little like Kinotopic, Cinemagram gives users the tools to create their own mix of photo and video. Simply record a few seconds of video and apply relevant filters to create some startingly original pieces of photographic art.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-02-08 :: Category: Photography
Raid Leader
Combining RPG and RTS elements, players take the role of Raid Leader in the game of the same name. Three different character classes help the player through 15 encounters as players level up as they come across increasingly fearsome bosses. A casual yet challenging trip into genres that are normally less welcoming.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-09 :: Category: Games
Fotopedia Women of the World
Women accomplish a lot in the world and now there’s an app that focuses on their efforts. Fotopedia Women of the World does precisely that, offering some stunning imagery from 75 different countries as well as visual stories and explanations of just what is being witnessed. There’s no reason not to download this. It’s free, after all.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-08 :: Category: Travel
Star Wars Pit Droids
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace divided many upon its initial release and understandably so. With the release of the film in 3D, so too do we get another chance of seeing what games come out of the Star Wars universe. Star Wars Pit Droids is one such title, offering a form of tower defense game set around the pit droids during Anakin Skywalker’s racing days.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-09 :: Category: Games
Celebrating Dickens
200 years ago, on February 7 1812, author Charles Dickens was born. Celebrating Dickens, developed by the University of Warwick, UK, looks at the life and times of the classic storyteller. Along the way is some fantastic academic insight into his work from A Christmas Carol to Bleak House, with podcasts explaining all.
In a tweet this morning, Natalia Luckyanova, co-founder of Imangi Studios, the developers behind runaway hit Temple Run, let it be known that their game has hit 36 million downloads. Let’s pause for effect here. 36 million iOS devices (they’re working on getting to the Android platform furiously as we go to press) have this hot game downloaded to it. That’s fantastic.
Now we all know why it seems like every iOS screen we come across has Temple Run on it. And why it’s number 2 on our list of the Top 148 Free iPad apps and number 4 on our list of the Top 148 Free iPhone games.
Temple Run puts players in the role of an Indiana Jones style protagonist, running from diabolical monkeys through a 3D environment. This endless runner takes an isometric third person perspective to the genre, allowing players to jump, slide and turn down narrow maze-like paths with swipes up, down, left and right. There are also tilt controls to collect coins, which can then be redeemed for upgrades and special powers, like invisibility or magic bridges across gaps.
We’ve been writing about the genuinely talented (and nice!) folks at Imangi Studios since they began, so we’re pretty darn excited about their recent and well deserved success.
U-verse has released an app for subscribers to their TV and high-speed internet service that brings both control of their receiver, along with access to on demand video. By downloading AT&T U-verse for iPad and logging in to the user’s AT&T U-verse account, the app’s functions become available.
The app’s first function is to serve as a remote for a U-verse receiver. By setting up the U-verse receiver by turning to channel 9301 and enabling remote device access, it can then be discovered by the app. The app offers virtual remote buttons for changing the channel, rewind/fast-forward controls for recordings and live TV, pause/record buttons, and all the other basic commands available on the U-verse remote. As well, the app has an easy-access guide with the ability to quickly jump to the channel, and to record future programs easily. Receivers can be independently named and controlled, so it’s possible for multiple iPads to control different TVs in a house.
For those who have a secondary router on their network to extend their network or because of device incompatibility (AirPlay to an Apple TV has issues with the U-verse router in particular) will need to connect to the U-verse router directly, as even having both devices on the same secondary router will not work.
The app also offers on-demand video from U-verse’s on-demand selection that can actually be watched on the iPad itself. These videos can be watched anywhere, not just on the U-verse network. It ironically also supports AirPlay to a TV, which may explain just why the AirPlay protocol has issues with U-verse routers. The app does have the notable lack of any kind of live TV – especially considering that Comcast launched their own iPad app with live TV just a month ago.
Still, this app should make it much easier for U-verse users to control their TV and watch the content they want, thanks to the touch interface provided by the app. AT&T U-verse for iPad is available now.
Shooting and strategy seem to be the two key themes in this weeks FREEday. I honestly didn’t plan it that way, it just sort of happened. Although I suppose it’s not that bad. They are two incredibly popular kinds of games for iOS devices these days. Then again, just about anything that lends itself to quick bursts of playtime do quite well for themselves, too. No matter the intention, here’s a list of free games. Enjoy.
Farmkill – Zombie survival games. Yessir. But before writing off Farmkill as just another shambler slaughter consider this: players can raise volatile (literally) animals to fight off the horde. In addition to the expected defenses and numerous firearms. I have to admit, it’s an interesting idea. Although now I keep thinking about chicken nuggets for some reason…
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-05 :: Category: Games
Battlefield 3: Aftershock – iOS users seem to enjoy multiplayer first-person shooters, so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that EA decided to bring what is arguably their biggest FPS of 2011 to Apple devices. What does come as a surprise is that it’s a free-to-play multiplayer first-person shooter. Allow me to repeat that: it’s a free multiplayer first-person shooter derived from one of EA’s largest 2011 releases. Let the downloading commence.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-08 :: Category: Games
Robot Troopers – Robot Troopers takes the idea of task-management and robots it up a notch. Or two. Players will be taking control of an assembly line, cranking out an army of autonomous forces while simultaneously training the new recruits. A robot foreman’s work is never done.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-02-08 :: Category: Games
Suitor Shooter – Protect the princess from the unworthy while getting the prince(s) to the castle. In essence, players are bombarding a horde of “evil,” flower-toting fiends with delusions of dating from a dirigible. While not bombarding the good guys, of course. It’s an unorthodox approach to dating to be sure, but it sure makes for an interesting game.
Chillingo keeps digging through the App Store, with new games frequently bubbling up, and this week, their games are about both digging and bubbles!
First up is Diggin’ Dogs, a game where three precocious puppies dig their way through levels, collecting coins and bones on their way to getting the golden treasure at the end of each level. Players use their finger to cut through the dirt, creating paths for the dogs to travel, swipe upward on the dogs to make them jump, and tilt left and right to move the dogs, as well as maneuver treasure. There are over 60 levels in this game for iPhone and iPod touch, available now.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-02-08 :: Category: Games
Next up is Bubble in Paradise, a word game where players try form words by popping bubbles that contain letters. The bubbles come in various sizes and point values, and they must be popped before the screen becomes overcrowded with bubbles and it’s game over. The game comes with four modes: Normal, Blitz, Endless, and Battle, which is playable against an online opponent. The universal app is available for $0.99.
On Twitter, it’s a dilemma that would be referred to as a ‘first world problem’ but it is sometimes difficult to decide which restaurant to go to for a meal. So many choices are out there and when it’s a decision that has to be made between many friends, things can get tricky. Enter Hngry, an app that may lack an ‘u’ but certainly doesn’t lack functionality.
At its most basic, Hngry lists all the restaurants that are nearby to the user’s location, along with the ability to add opening hours, all in an attractive manner. Users can then choose from the list and flick through the selection, gradually narrowing down the selection before coming to a decision. For those with iPhone owning friends, they can share lists directly on individual devices using the Hngry app. The app can even find menu details for any restaurant on the list if one is available on the internet.
Once a decision has been made, users can dial the restaurant directly from within the app then Hngry offers a place to store order details for that meal and any helpful notes required. For those with favourite dishes, it makes it all the easier to check what meals were so nice the last time the user visited a place.
There’s even the ability to take photos of a meal as a reminder of what was so tasty and Twitter integration ensures that sociable diners can share their choice.
Throughout, the app keeps track of how many times the user has visited a restaurant, making for an ideal guide at a glance as to what place is best for the user’s tastes.
For those who dine out regularly, Hngry is a great resource that combines many useful meal planning features.
Smartphones are changing how we see the world. With the cameras on them becoming more and more powerful, phones are now able to see our reality and present it back to us in an augmented form. It may ultimately just be an advertisement for their “Shake it Up” campaign, but Tic Tac mints’ new Tic Tic Viewr app still shows off how novel augmented reality can be.
Using their phone’s camera, users can scan Tic Tac boxes and ads to reveal hidden content. Users will find funny and inspirational “Shake it Up” tips as well as 20 “Shake It Up” microgames providing extra fun after the scanning is over. Imagine getting a new game just by scanning a random Tic Tac ad at a bus stop. It’s as easy as taking candy, in this case mints, from a baby.
Tic Tac Viewr is currently available for free on the App Store. Uses can also download it by texting “MINTS” to 313131.
One of the concerns with 60beat’s GamePad has been whether the device would see enough support from developers to make it worthwhile. As promised by 60beat back when it was announced, February has rolled around and some titles are beginning to support the 60beat.
Both Alien Space and Alien Space Retro from Owens Rodriguez have been updated to support the 60beat. Given the number of dual-stick shooters on iOS and the lack of analog joysticks on the external controller frontrunner, the iCade, dual stick games could spearhead 60beat support thanks to its unique-to-this-platform functionality.
Katana Jack, a game that claims to have had its graphics hand-painted on the iPad, has also been updated with support for the 60beat. It also supports the Gametel controller, the iCade, and iControlPad, so this free app is a must-download for anyone with an external iOS game controller, if only because it supports them all.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-17 :: Category: Games
There’s also No Gravity, a game which started life way back in the days of PSP homebrew development, before seeing legitimate releases on PSN, and now on iOS. Both the Lite and full versions of the game support the controller.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-16 :: Category: Games
There are likely to be more titles that support the controller, and its particular advantages may prove to be a boon to developers looking to support external controls in their games. The total list of games that support the GamePad is available here.
Nitro Games have announced an iOS spinoff of their pirate-themed PC game Pirates of Black Cove, Sink ‘Em All – and they have an entertaining trailer to go along with it. This will take the ship combat gameplay of the PC version and make it the featured element, essentially a naval isometric shooter with cannons to fire, and booty to plunder. Well, at least this is an arcade-styled interpretation of the whole process – that ship is clearly traveling faster through water faster than any real ship would. Also, while pirates may be heavily mythologized by our society, I’m pretty sure none of them used “Fart Bombs” in order to fell their foes. I’m no historian, though, so maybe they did. Their trailer, embedded below, shows just how this game’s combat system would apparently work in an office environment, or at least one where conflict resolution comes through the launching of cannonballs at one another. Pirates of Black Cove: Sink ‘Em All is coming soon, and will be free to play.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’ve been focusing on the romantic aspects of the App store. Alongside reviewing Boy Loves Girl, the tale of a boy keen to woo the lady in his life, we had the opportunity to interview Dr Danny Pearce, Company Director for the game’s British developer, Grubby Hands.
One particular question that’s bound to be on everyone’s mind was just why the name Grubby Hands?!
“Grubby Hands is a name that came from some subconscious activity when thinking about gaming. I think it’s connected to the NES and SNES days when pad swapping was commonplace, like Mario or Street Fighter with friends,” said Pearce. “I always had a problem with getting a sweaty pad handed to me from a friend with ‘grubby hands’. I had a ritual that involved a five second wipe with my t-shirt before every round. I guess that image stuck and resurfaced 20 years later.” An experience that I’m sure all gamers can empathise with.
Moving onto just what a change of pace Boy Loves Girl is compared to David Haye’s Knockout, Pearce explained just what hook Boy Loves Girl offers: “Boy Loves Girl follows a young boy’s journey as he tries to impress a girl. I really wanted to make a game that was sweet and captures something truthful. Then the idea of a boy going to the end of the world for a girl and giving her the moon on a piece of string stuck and the game grew from there.”
As Pearce explains, “It starts off as a pleasant experience. Everything is calm and relaxing, while the player gets used to the game and the controls. It then gets progressively more challenging as the girl gets more demanding, to the point that it really requires a lot of skill, mental attention and physical accuracy to complete,” but fortunately that’s not all we should expect from Boy Loves Girl, with Pearce promising Game Center to be integrated ‘really soon.’
So, what’s next for Grubby Hands? Dr Pearce was understandably guarded as to exact details but there are discussions in terms of “either a sequel or a huge update to a ‘previous game’ in the near future.” Pearce also informed us that Grubby Hands is currently “prototyping something original and probably [our] most ambitious game yet.” Don’t get too excited yet, though, as he also went onto explain that it’s “easily the biggest game we’ve attempted to make, so will probably take until the end of the year to complete.”
On a final note, we thought it was only friendly to see just how the Grubby Hands guys are planning on spending Valentine’s Day. “We’ll start the day under a mild spring sun, listening to a calm stream, break the still to eat strawberries and cream and then proceed to whack the keyboard trying to finish off the next ‘Boy Loves Girl’ update!”
Given the cold and rainy spell that much of Britain is suffering from at the moment, here’s hoping that the 14th brings with it plenty of sun for Grubby Hands!
Many thanks to Dr. Danny Pearce for taking the time to answer our questions.
Love is in the air and so is block-busting retro fun thanks to Breakout: Boost‘s Valentine’s Day level pack that’s just been released.
Priced at $0.99, the Valentine’s Day pack adds 50 new romance-themed levels to the existing package, along with candy heart sayings and cute pictures to add that sweet touch. Alongside that is the addition of a Cupid’s Arrow power up. This sets out to make breaking up bricks much quicker. For the competitive gamer, new leaderboards and an original set of achievements continues the romantic theme.
Here at 148apps, we rated Breakout: Boost and Breakout: Boost+ quite highly at launch so this themed pack is bound to extend the fun for fans. After all, what better way to celebrate the time of romance than through this arcade classic? Couples can compete via the leaderboards and singletons can focus on the achievements.
The Valentine’s Day themed pack is available through Breakout: Boost and Breakout: Boost+, priced at $0.99.
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, Tweetbot was on a roll, a new storybook app joined the fold, and - oops - apps broke the Super Bowl. There's more to read, so get to it!
:: WELL-BUILT MACHINE
Finally, at 148Apps.biz, writer Brad Hilderbrand reported on the explosion of app usage during last week’s Super Bowl. Hildebrand states, “Sunday night’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants was a classic, but according to a new report from Flurry most viewers were just as likely to be staring at their smartphone screen as they were the game. The company used analytics software built into many popular apps to surmise that of the 111 million people watching the Super Bowl, an estimated 98 million spent at least some time futzing with an app.”
Chillingo keeps digging through the App Store, with new games frequently bubbling up, and this week, their games are about both digging and bubbles!
Next up is Bubble in Paradise, a word game where players try form words by popping bubbles that contain letters. The bubbles come in various sizes and point values, and they must be popped before the screen becomes overcrowded with bubbles and it’s game over. The game comes with four modes: Normal, Blitz, Endless, and Battle, which is playable against an online opponent. The universal app is available for $0.99.
At its most basic, Hngry lists all the restaurants that are nearby to the user’s location, along with the ability to add opening hours, all in an attractive manner. Users can then choose from the list and flick through the selection, gradually narrowing down the selection before coming to a decision. For those with iPhone owning friends, they can share lists directly on individual devices using the Hngry app. The app can even find menu details for any restaurant on the list if one is available on the internet.
Moving onto just what a change of pace Boy Loves Girl is compared to David Haye’s Knockout, Pearce explained just what hook Boy Loves Girl offers: “Boy Loves Girl follows a young boy’s journey as he tries to impress a girl. I really wanted to make a game that was sweet and captures something truthful. Then the idea of a boy going to the end of the world for a girl and giving her the moon on a piece of string stuck and the game grew from there.”
So, what’s next for Grubby Hands? Dr Pearce was understandably guarded as to exact details but there are discussions in terms of “either a sequel or a huge update to a ‘previous game’ in the near future.” Pearce also informed us that Grubby Hands is currently “prototyping something original and probably [our] most ambitious game yet.” Don’t get too excited yet, though, as he also went onto explain that it’s “easily the biggest game we’ve attempted to make, so will probably take until the end of the year to complete.”
Love is in the air and so is block-busting retro fun thanks to 
As you may have 
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.
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.
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.
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