Your Trusted Source for App Reviews

Having trouble making sense out of the overwhelming number of apps released each week? Have no fear! Just look to 148Apps for the best app reviews on the web. Our reviewers sift through the vast numbers of new apps out there, find the good ones, and write about them in depth. The ones we love become Editor’s Choice, standing out above the many good apps and games with something just a little bit more to offer. Want to see what we’ve been up to this week? Take a look below for a sampling of our latest reviews. And if you want more, be sure to hit our Reviews Archive.

LEGO Batman: DC Superheroes

The Caped Crusader is back in brick form for a new adventure, this time on iOS. As someone who’s had an on-again off-again relationship with LEGO games in the past I was curious to see how a mobile release might hold up. Turns out it holds up very well. Like, ridiculously well. In fact, LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes is hands-down the best LEGO game I’ve ever played. Yes, including ones on consoles. All the wacky villains that should be stuck in Arkham have gotten loose. Again. Now they’re terrorizing Gotham. Again. And this time Joker has managed to team up with Lex Luthor. The two are such a handful that Batman has to enlist the help of other heroes, including Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and a whole lot more. There’s a conventional virtual stick and buttons setup and a surprisingly intuitive touch interface to pick from. No matter their preference, players will be bashing everything in sight to collect studs (the world’s currency), reconfiguring piles of bricks into new contraptions, finding tons of secrets, and doing just about everything else they could expect to find in a big screen LEGO game. –Rob Rich

Robot Unicorn Attack 2

Is it possible to make something great even better? When it comes to Robot Unicorn Attack 2, the sequel to the popular endless runner where a unicorn jumps and dashes through multi-tiered levels, collecting fairies and smashing stars, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” First off, Adult Swim Games enlisted PikPok on the title, and as a studio well-known for their fun games and high production values, it was a perfect choice. It’s immediately apparent that this game is absolutely gorgeous. The level of detail in the animated backgrounds, the galloping unicorns, and just everything is absolutely astounding. New elements like Giants that can kill the player if their solar beam attacks aren’t avoided add a splash to the familiar experience. –Carter Dotson

The Thirty-Nine Steps

Impressively nearing its 100th anniversary, The Thirty-Nine Steps is still a tremendously gripping thriller courtesy of John Buchan. With various cinematic adaptations, it’s easily accessible, too. Now, we have this iPad adaptation, part interactive story, part simple game, to enjoy. It’s quite good too, although slow-paced and not without its problems. Following the story of Richard Hannay, a man framed for murder in 1914, it’s a great mystery full of intrigue and riddles. Readers don’t get to change the outcome or events within the book but they do get to interact with objects, start up conversations and open doors. The latter is a little gimmicky, invoking gestures to perform the required action, but the rest feels like an enhancement to getting into the story. –Jennifer Allen

GoComics

It’s almost wrong to fault GoComics. As a free app, it does mostly anything could want from it, in terms of content. As a paid app (via an in-app purchase subscription), it eliminates one of its main irritants: the adverts. For a comic fan, it’s an ideal addition to their collection, even despite its issues. GoComics is, essentially, a portal of many of the most popular comic strips out there, as well some great up-and-coming artists. There’s plenty of space for political cartoons, too, sensibly categorized according to their political leanings. It’s immediately easy to dive straight in and find one’s favorites, with the likes of Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts and Garfield playing a prominent part in the appeal. Just tap on their name and the latest strip comes up, along with a calendar that enables users to go back to any date they so choose. It’s fast to browse and easy to lose plenty of time to. –Jennifer Allen

Other 148Apps Network Sites

If you are looking for the best reviews of kids’ apps and/or Android apps, just head right over to GiggleApps and AndroidRundown. Here are just some of the reviews these sites served up this week:

GiggleApps

Escape from Tokeru

It will come as no surprise to readers that I am often asked to recommend apps to family and friends, especially for those in grade school, as iTunes seems filled with apps for toddlers and those in preschool, but it can be harder to find apps for older children. Parents looking for an interesting, thought-provoking app for this age set should take note of Escape From Tokeru, a puzzle game that includes an interesting back story, beautiful illustrations and moody, ambient background music. –Amy Solomon

Gappy’s First Words

Gappy’s First Words is a new interactive universal app that re-enforces early spelling and reading comprehension from the developers at Spinlight Studio, a favorite developer of mine these apps are consistently rich with details and nuances at a level of quality making these application stands out from others. Meet Gappy, an interesting bunny-like character with large ears and big teeth, and help Gappy hop her way home, filling in the gaps of word puzzles along the way – stylized as a bridge of sorts where pieces of this crossing are missing and need to be completed with correct letter tiles. Success will earn users new details that can be added to Gappy’s house such as new windows, fence or chimney. –Amy Solomon

Cheesy Chess

Cheesy Chess is a creative and fun mouse-themed logic game with heavy chess elements. This app reminds me a lot of the slider puzzles I had as a kid where plastic tiles will ultimately make up an image but needed to be slid within this puzzle, keeping in mind that only one piece can be moved at once. Here, imagine a mouse king who needs to progress through this slider puzzle at the top center to leave this board, but the other puzzle pieces need to be moved out of his way to do so. –Amy Solomon

AndroidRundown

Ice Rage

Mountain Sheep’s arcade hockey game Ice Rage has finally made its way to Android thanks to Herocraft – is this game a slap shot goal or power play where the team with the advantage does not score? I’m not too well-versed in hockey. There are no power plays or penalties or icing here, as it’s all about one-on-one hockey action. It’s really more akin to air hockey instead of ‘actual’ hockey in any way. Players can check the opponent to get the puck, and when they have it, it’s possible to hold down on the one virtual button on screen to charge up and aim a shot. Matches last one just minute in most modes, so it’s perfect for fast sessions. There’s plenty of crazy action that goes on here, with arrow angles and tough shots to make. Just because it’s arcade hockey doesn’t mean that some degree of precision is unnecessary! The arcade ladder made with temporary character upgrades is a fun diversion, and the later difficulties with things like manual goalie control help out as well. There’s a crazy set of characters to play as, including Enviro-Bear. Bear is playing hockey, how can this be? –Carter Dotson

The Barman

For the over-21 crowd there are not many things that spice up a good night with friends than sitting back and mixing up a few bar favorites. The obvious caveat is that not everyone is a trained bar tender and a poorly mixed drink can put a damper on a good night. Amazingly there are machines that will mix drinks automatically, but those have a large footprint and, besides being expensive, are cumbersome and hard to clean. Besides, what is the fun of making a good lemon drop if some machine pumps one out automatically. So, get a glass that has all those recipes on the side measured out by volume. Well, the problem here is that there can only be 6-7 mixtures tops, and there are hundreds of drink recipes in the world. Also, those do a poor job at measuring solids like sugar or salt. The answer is The Barman, an ingenious KickStarter project by John Gallagher of Sewell, New Jersey. –Joseph Bertolini

Jones On Fire

Jones on Fire is a fun little runner that will probably have folks doing a double take due to the unique look of the playing characters. It looked very, uh, Lego-ey. And somehow, that wasn’t even the best part. Folks like me who grew up as fans of the iconic chiidren’s building blocks, or have played console games based on their form (like Stars Wars or Batman) will understand. The simplistic block figures were endearing, and I thought they blended well with the unique background. The sharp colors added to the overall experience, with walls of fire retaining a menacing look even while contrasting with localized burns on the ground. I liked the little graphical things, like the look of the game store, decked out with green text and fireman’s pole. The entire atmosphere was almost as enjoyable as the game action itself. –Tre Lawrence

When a week starts off with New Year’s Eve, it’s bound to be a good one, and this week was no exception at 148Apps.com. Site founder Jeff Scott started us off with a bang by saying, “We are proud to announce the nominees for the fifth annual Best App Ever Awards. The awards that celebrate the best apps available, not just the best selling. This year we saw an amazing response with over 715,000 nominations submitted for 6,755 unique apps!

Voting is now open and will remain open through January 31st, 2013. Winners will be announced in February and details on that are to come.”

Want to see the complete list of nominees, and get in on the voting? Head to 148Apps.

Over at GiggleApps.com, Amy Solomon took a closer look at Hansel & Gretel: Lost, saying, “Hansel & Gretel: Lost is a well crafted re-telling of this classic story for iPad, wonderfully illustrated with animations as well as including top-notch narration, music and sound effects. Auto-play is also an option as well as silencing the narration to read this book by oneself.

It is easy to tell from the first page that this app is something special. The illustrations are lush with color and beautiful to look at with a marbled textured style that I always find appealing. Every element in this book is at a superlative level of quality that adults will greatly appreciate, as will their children.”

Read Amy’s complete review at GiggleApps.

$3.99

Hansel and Gretel: Lost

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-10-05 :: Category: Books

Finally, AndroidRundown.com writer Carter Dotson took on the establishment and challenged the conventional wisdom about “iPhone Killer” hardware: “Well, it took a bit longer than expected, but it seems like Google is finally going to use their Motorola acquisition to actually make a standout phone for themselves, the “X Phone.” Or whatever the next Nexus device will be called.

The immediate speculation swirling around is that this is finally Google’s “iPhone Killer.” You know, like the other Nexus devices that were iPhone killers. I don’t think that anything at this point will be an iPhone killer. It just isn’t going to happen.”

Read more of Carter’s missive at AndroidRundown.

And so begins 2013! Keep track of all the latest happenings, including developments in the Best App Ever Awards, by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook and following us on Pinterest. And from all of us across the 148Apps network of sites, have a Happy New Year!

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and as everyone knows, Jeff Scott listed sale apps and watched that list grow: “As another year draws to a close, millions of people will find iOS devices and iTunes gift cards waiting for them under the tree. That means lots of people looking for apps and games to download and that means it’s time for a HUGE sale. This year does not disappoint with tons of apps and games on sale and a ton going free for Christmas week.

If you enjoy this list, feel free to tweet or share this post on Facebook.

Here are our picks from the best of the best apps and games on sale. And as a reminder, you can always find the latest apps and games on sale at our iOS Price Drops page.”

Read the full list at 148Apps.com.

$0.99

Fairway Solitaire by Big Fish (Full)

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-05-29 :: Category: Games

$2.99

Jet Set Radio

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-11-29 :: Category: Games

Then away to GiggleApps we ran with a dash, and checked in with Amy Solomon, who had this news flash: “The Night Before Christmas presented by One Hundred Robots is a personal favorite retelling of the classic holiday story of the same name.

If one were to check iTunes, one could find multiple apps adapting this traditional Christmas story, and this app is a top choice of mine for a few reasons.

Although I am not always a fan of computer generated animation, especially when it boasts a 3D effect.
I do, however, love the bright, colorful and wonderfully stylized look of this computer-generated app, with interesting photographic elements and textures along with a 3D look for a very interesting visual experience. There is a wonderful use of perspective, and the placement of that would be the camera if one were shooting live action as well, as quick camera movements highlights the benefits of working with computer graphics.”

Read Amy’s full review at GiggleApps.com.

$1.99

The Night Before Christmas presented by One Hundred Robots

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-11-30 :: Category: Books

Then at last we arrived at AndroidRundown, to see what was new in KickStarter-town: “Stands for smartphones are a very usual kickstarted project because they are all generally very simple and relatively cheap to make. We have done a few here for this blog post, and I was trying to stay away from them, but after seeing the crazy look of this week’s KickStarter Spotlight project I had to do it. This week I am showing off Simply Amplified’s Symphony Shells. They are 3-D printed phone stands that are shaped like real-life oceanic shells. They come in three separate forms, the urchin; small and spiked, the murex; arched and pointy, and the nautilus; square and twisting. All can be done in a very colorful and ornate tie-dye pattern or simply come in a solid or di-chromatic color scheme. My initial favorite is the nautilus simply because of its epic size and crazy spiky, square spiral. These really are very beautiful designs and any of them would display a smartphone with style and aplomb.”

Read more about Symphony Shells at AndroidRundown.com.

So rest and relax, and don’t even flitter – you can always find us on Facebook and Twitter. And when you wake from your drowse and your long Christmas naps, don’t forget to check in with 148Apps.

This week at 148Apps.com, iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 were never too far out of our collective consciousness, as evidenced by site founder Jeff Scott’s discussion of changes in the iOS App Store: “Take exposing the top paid, free, and grossing apps at the same time on the landing page of the Top Apps list, for instance. It seems like a small change, but it promotes free apps to the front of the page and lowers the exposure of the top paid apps past the first three. Michael Zaletel of i4software notes, ‘This gives MUCH MORE prominence to the Top Free Apps and so I predict Free apps and Freemium apps will see a big boost after today.’”

Read more of Jeff’s commentary at 148Apps.

Meanwhile, back in the GiggleApps.com cave, reviewer Amy Solomon had this to say about Superhero Comic Book Maker HD: “Comic Maker allows one to choose from 27 backgrounds, a blank page and a chance to access photos from one’s device to work on. I really enjoy these backdrops, each bold and colorful, as there are wonderful choices to stimulate creative thinking and superhero or monster themes, such as the POV from a spaceship, industrial setting with robots and a conveyer belt, as well as other more natural scenes including a farm, saloon, or desert, which allow these characters to visit Earth. It is worth noting that although the theme here includes monsters, every image included within is utterly family-friendly, as is the included classical music based on classic nursery rhymes that Duck Duck Moose is known for.”

Intrigued? Read Amy’s full review at GiggleApps.

$1.99

Superhero Comic Book Maker HD - by Duck Duck Moose

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-08-01 :: Category: Games

And staying on the ‘Super’ theme, 148Apps.biz writer Carter Dotson solicited some marketing advice from Supercool Creative: “Social media is often an enigma to developers looking to promote their apps. It’s a tool that can be incredibly powerful for getting more downloads and driving revenue, but just how to succeed with it is a mystery to many. Facebook integration, especially with the App Store, has been anticipated by developers as a way to help their games spread through social media, but these features won’t be doing all the work to make an app gain users through social media usage. However, David Murdico has written an interesting blog post for Supercool Creative entitled “5 Ways to Promote Mobile Apps and Games with Social Media” that covers many ways to best utilize social media to developers’ advantage.”

Want to know more? Read the full article at 148Apps.biz.

That’s it for this week, but with fall…um…falling, there’s sure to be a huge amount of new content about to drop before the holidays. Keep up with the latest by following us on Twitter and Liking us on Facebook. We’ll make it worth your while! See you next week!

This week at 148Apps.com, everything was about – what else? – the iPhone 5. Site founder and all-around iPhone guru Jeff Scott provided some much-needed advice for anyone interested in switching carriers when upgrading: “So you, like many, have decided to switch carriers with the iPhone 5? You could go data only but perhaps you still need the phone part of the iPhone. Let’s say for instance you are tired of the customer-hostile management at AT&T and want to move to Verizon. Just, you know, as an example.

Let’s rundown what you will need to make the switch and any pitfalls you might hit. It’s a fairly simple process, but there are some things you should know first, before starting.”

Read all of Jeff’s great advice at 148Apps.com.

Meanwhile, GiggleApps headed to the Great White Way, courtesy of Amy Solomon’s review of Broadway Barks: “Broadway Barks is a lovely interactive story, written, narrated and sung by Tony-winning actress Bernadette Peters, based on the previously published children’s book with CD of the same name. Versions for both iPhone as well as iPad are available.
This is a cute and charming story of a dog who no longer has a home and is all alone in the park until he is discovered and given a chance to be seen at Broadway Barks – a charity event in New York City to promote the adoption of animal, ultimately finding a new home.”

Read the full review at GiggleApps.com.

$3.99

BroadwayBarks

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-07-20 :: Category: Books

Finally, 148Apps.biz featured a how-to for creating a better mobile app from Prince Arora: “You just came up with a great idea for a mobile app or you are working on a new feature to add in your existing app. You have laid out all the screens, primary & secondary actions, and interaction flow in your head and you get down to write the code.

Great! However, this scenario is the same as starting to build a house without a blueprint. Wireframes are like blueprints and visual design is like interior decoration for an app.

So before you start writing code, work on a blueprint — this includes writing down the features/user stories, designing the flow charts, defining the primary & secondary action and designing the wireframes. These sounds like a lot but I’ll walk you through each step to show you how simple it can be.”

Read all of the steps at 148Apps.biz.

And that, my friends, brings us to the end of a very busy and exciting week. Stay abreast of the latest news, reviews and contests by following us on Twitter and Liking us on Facebook, and be sure to meet me back here next weekend for a rundown of what you might have missed. See you next week!

This week at 148Apps.com, we gave the Editor’s Choice award to Organ Trail: Director’s Cut. Reviewer Rob Rich had this to say about the game: “There’s something timeless about The Oregon Trail. Gearing up and heading west across the country in order to settle in some promising new territory, braving all manner of hardships and diseases along the way, it’s a game that just about everyone loves. Wait a second, the “E” is missing. It’s not Oregon Trail? It’s actually Organ Trail? Well I don’t see what the big difference-OHMYGOD ZOMBIES!!!

Organ Trail: Director’s Cut is a throwback to the classic era of computer gaming. Back when we had to load these things using floppy disks, and in-game sounds consisted entirely of varying forms of *BOOP*. Much like its pioneer era inspiration, the game tasks players with preparing for a cross-country road trip and naming party members after friends in order to make them feel bad when they inevitably die in horrible ways. Only this time it’s during a modern zombie apocalypse, and instead of hunting for food and fording rivers they’ll be scrounging for meager supplies while fending off the walking dead and creeping through zombie hordes.”

Want more of this Editor’s Choice review? Find it at 148Apps.

$2.99

Organ Trail: Director's Cut

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-08-09 :: Category: Games

Everything was about back to school at GiggleApps.com, where reviewer Amy Solomon had this to say about Murky Reef 1st-2nd Grade Reading, Science and Math: “Parents will appreciate how this app incorporates the Common Core standards for Grades 1 and 2 while keeping children engaged and entertained, especially as children prepare for school to start again soon and need to begin to get back to the business of focusing on school work.

Murky Reef is a collection of 22 interactive games which teach a great deal about the animals of the coral reef as well as include math, logic and language exercises.”

Dive into Murky Reef at GiggleApps.

$4.99

Murky Reef : 1st - 2nd Grade Reading, Science & Math

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-09-30 :: Category: Education

Finally, on 148Apps.biz, Carter Dotson reported on the rise of the app developer middle class, saying, “While there’s often much pessimism among developers as far as the challenges of money making on mobile apps goes, analytics firm Flurry’s latest report discusses how the revenue among mobile apps is being distributed. With it, there’s evidence that an app developer ‘middle class’ is forming, as with more revenue being spent on mobile apps, developers do not need to reach the kind of high ranks that they did in the past to make the same kind of revenue. As well, the ‘long tail’ of revenue is getting longer.”

Want more of this report? Head to 148Apps.biz.

Another week down, but a new one is just around the corner. Join us on Facebook or Twitter to get the jump on the latest news, reviews and contests. Until then, get back to class.

We kind of like to think of ourselves as app experts around here, so it was hard to resist putting our knowledge to the test with a silly new quiz game called What’s That App? The verdict? We creamed level one, but the tiny slices of obscurity by level three had at least one of us using the process of elimination as often as answering with confidence.

The app pulls icons from the top 600 apps currently in the App Store, which might explain part of our consternation. While Pandora, Netflix, Angry Birds and Where’s My Water all are identifiable with even a corner, some of the apps are rather obscure like random emoji, flashlights, and the inevitably odious “talking” apps du jour.

The game is an endless pictorial multiple choice affair with daily updates to reflect chart changes, local settings so the icons shown are those you will be familiar with no matter where you app-shop, and Game Center integration. What’s That App? costs $.99 and might not appeal to the average iOS device owner, but for those who read, say, app review sites, and consider themselves mavens, it’s a pleasant way to kill a few minutes showing off your iOS fanboy (or fangirl) mettle.

$0.99

What's That App?

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-08-01 :: Category: Games

Julia Child lived an interesting life. After working for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) in World War II, she then became well-known as a chef who helped introduce French cuisine to Americans. In order to celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday this August 15th, Random House has launched an iPad app based on her famous cookbook series: Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This app features 32 recipes from the first volume of her French cookbooks. With the advent of modern technology, there’s color photographs of all the finished dishes to see how they should look. Don’t know how to pronounce the names of some of the French dishes? The app provides a handy pronunciation guide. There are handy grocery lists of ingredients given to make shopping easier. As well, video clips of Julia Child’s 80’s TV series The Way to Cook are provided that show her cooking techniques hands-on, along with audio notes from her long-time editor, Judith Jones.

$4.99

Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Selected Recipes

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-07-17 :: Category:

I think there was a moment in my late childhood when my dad really wanted me to understand how cars work. I didn’t pay much attention, honestly, as I was generally lost in my own little world throughout my days of kid-dom. Today, though, there are times when I really wish I had paid more careful attention to the lessons of my youth. And that’s where How Cars Work comes in. Simply put, it’s an instructional app that teaches…yep…how cars work. From steering and suspension to powertrain and braking, pretty much all of the basics are covered in this tidy little app.

Now, in version 1.3.0, developer Aymen Alshawi has added a basic maintenance section to help those who may not know how to perform basic maintenance like changing a tire on their vehicle. It’s a handy and quick way to find information if it’s needed in an emergency, and while all makes and models are different, this app covers the basics that apply to pretty much every vehicle. And more is on the way in future update, including a guide to vehicle modifications.

Make up for those lost lessons of youth and learn a little more about your car with How Cars Work.

$0.99

How Cars Work

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-03-26 :: Category: Reference

The Expendables 2 is coming out in August, featuring more action movie stars from the last four decades than one could shake a stick at – a stick that would then explode violently. To help promote the movie, Lions Gate has released an Infinite Trailer app. What this lets users do is to record a 5-second video clip that then adds a special effect, like a grenade explosion or an airstrike coming in. Then, once the video is processed, it can be added to a trailer for the movie with other users and the actual stars of the movie, with the user’s inputted last name showed before their 5-second footage of awesomeness. Or, whatever random inanity they decided to put in. Thus, it creates an “infinite trailer” that could go on as long as there’s new footage to stitch in! For Comic-Con goers, there’s even an “exclusive” long range RPG strike effect, which I presume actually has to be recorded at Comic-Con because the app crashed whenever I tried to apply it. Crafty developers!

FREE!

The Expendables 2 Infinite Trailer

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-07-10 :: Category: Entertainment

There’s a new app out there for singers who want to practice their screaming vocals. As everyone knows, screaming just makes music better. Well, okay, that’s at least what metalheads like myself think. However, for those wannabe screamers, there’s the new The Art of Screaming app available for iPhone and iPod touch. Based off of the line of instructional videos that try to teach singers how to scream without turning their vocal cords into silly string, this app brings portability and interactivity to the lessons, helping to warm up and practice those tricky screams.

Users can learn lessons on proper body structure, exercises for strengthening one’s core to make the body more accustomed to screaming, and even proper head placement. There are audio playlists for vocal warmups to help develop those vocals and techniques. What happens when the vocal cords are screaming for vengeance? Check the app’s SOS section. The teachers behind the app, Susan Carr and Wolf Carr, teach vocal lessons professionally, and they count a variety of singers as their clients, including Troy Sanders from Mastodon. Who doesn’t love Mastodon?

$12.99

The Art of Screaming - Create your own Vocal Warm-up

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-04-11 :: Category: Music

This week, 148Apps was all about Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2012. Take, for instance, Carter Dotson’s report on new Xbox 360 features that may allow iOS integration: “At Microsoft’s E3 press conference, they revealed an interesting new feature that will integrate smartphones and tablets to the Xbox 360. Called SmartGlass, this is designed to operate a second screen during games, movies, and TV shows. This means that hypothetically, a game could display a map on the tablet screen, or even integrate interactive game elements like maps and play-calling in sports games.

Read more about this latest innovation at 148Apps.com.

Our kids-centric site, GiggleApps, reviewed Give A Day HD, which, as reviewer Amy Solomon states, “is a thoughtful children’s book app that helps create discussions between children and their adults about the world bigger than their families, as this app brings the topic of less fortunate children to the attention of young readers. This app is also available as an app for iPhone as well and is also part of the PlayTales Reader application.”

Read Amy’s complete review at GiggleApps.com.

$1.99

Give a Day HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-03-26 :: Category: Books

And finally, 148Apps.biz covered the big news that Google acquired iPad app QuickOffice. Writer Kevin Stout states, “Quickoffice, the mobile document editing software (that particularly handles documents from the Microsoft Office suite well), has been acquired by Google. Announced on Google’s official blog, Google plans to intergrate Quickoffice‘s technology in to their own Apps product suite.”

Read Kevin’s full post at 148Apps.biz.

Our week that was is now did and done. If you’d like to keep up with the latest reviews, news and contests, all you have to do is click the links to follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook. That wasn’t so hard, was it? I didn’t think so. See you next weekend, fellow chupacabras!

This week at 148Apps.com, writer Carter Dotson explored all things Zombie with his Favorite Four list. He writes, “May is Zombie Awareness Month. While pop culture seems intent on making us aware of zombies on a regular basis, this is the special month for zombies. May is almost over, but that doesn’t mean there’s not just enough time left to celebrate with some zombie-themed apps.”

Read Carter’s full list at 148Apps.com.

$3.99

Zombies, Run!

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-02-27 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness

$0.99

Zombieville USA 2

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-10-27 :: Category: Games

Meanwhile, everything over at GiggleApps got dotty, as Amy Solomon reviewed Dot Collector, saying, “Dot Collector is a very nice universal app for the youngest children with simple game play, wonderfully bright colors and soothing sounds that babies will enjoy. This app is utterly intuitive to use as players need to simply drag moving dots into a black dot, clearing the board. A new dot is added to each additional level, adding to the game play.”

Read Amy’s review at kid-centric GiggleApps.com.

$1.99

Dot Collector

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-28 :: Category: Education

Finally, Kevin Stout on 148Apps.biz reported on the increasing numbers of young children using smartphones. Stout writes, “There’s no such thing as to young when it comes to smartphones and tablets. When keeping in mind the younger audiences when developing apps, even the youngest of children have a high percentage of exposure to mobile devices. An infographic released by Schools.com has reported that 38% of 0-8 year-olds have used tablets or smartphones.”

Read the complete report at 148Apps.biz.

That’t it for this Memorial Day week. Summer’s here, so keep your eyes on 148Apps.com, our Twitter and Facebook feeds to make sure you get the latest app news, reviews and contests. See you next week, tovarish!

When it comes to news these days, at least here in America, the upcoming presidential election is the big story. Today though, politics can be so crazy that keeping up with it all is next to impossible. That’s why NBC is delivering its powerful political reporting on-the-go with the new NBC Politics app.

With NBC Politics, users can get all sorts of information in all sorts of different ways. Users can read text stories, flip through photo slideshows and view clips from NBC shows like “Meet The Press with David Gregory”, “Andrea Mitchell Reports” and “Morning Joe.” On the more interactive end, users can share stories through Facebook and Twitter using the app and watch election results unfold in real-time. On the iPad, users can even make their own predictions and test them against the experts on the Battleground Map.

Indecision 2012 is just around the corner. Wait, wrong network. NBC Politics is available now for free on the App Store.

FREE!

NBC Politics

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-05-02 :: Category: News

A new app called Karma is trying to make changes to the way that people give and receive gifts. What this app lets users do is to send a gift to a friend from a selection of items that Karma offers, from wines, to baby products, to chocolates, to socks, to even Spotify Premium subscriptions. For users who log in through Facebook, the app throws out handy suggestions based on who has upcoming birthdays. The sender can also customize a card to go along with the gift. Users purchase the item, and then the app can notify that friend, through Messages, email, or Facebook.

The recipient then opens up the link they were given, and then they have different choices on what they can do with the gift. They can customize the gift: for example, a gift of a wine bottle can be switched out for a different wine, or for a different product altogether. As well, the value of the gift can also be donated to charity. Then, the user puts in their address, Karma wraps it up, and sends it off to the recipient. The app is available as a free download for both iOS and for Android.

FREE!

Karma

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-12-13 :: Category: Lifestyle

Knowing what’s going on in the world at large is certainly useful. Sometimes though, it’s more important to know what’s going on across the street instead of what’s going on across the globe. Recognizing that, the EveryBlock app seeks to fill that local news niche and with its the new update it is hoping to fill that niche even better.

The 2.0 update adds a host of new community features bringing the app more in line with the EveryBlock website. Users can now more easily connect to their neighborhoods by choosing the specific locations they want their news to come from all the way down to the block level. Users can become citizen journalists and share breaking news and photos of events as they unfold. Using the app, users can also send questions to their neighbors or even just start a conversation in real time.

Be aware that currently EveryBlock is only available in the following 16 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The updated EveryBlock app is available now for free on the App Store.

FREE!

EveryBlock

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-04-25 :: Category: News

When people want to just get away from this digital, modern world of ours, there’s no better place to go than the great outdoors. However, doing that usually also forces one to forfeit some of the conveniences of our digital, modern world. With Columbia Sportswear’s new GPS PAL app though, that does not have to be the case.

GPS PAL is designed to enhance one’s outdoor experience through its plethora of features. Users can keep records of their journeys through geotagged text, videos and photos. This user-created media can then be uploaded online to all sorts of websites and social networks. Users can also create and store routes along with their distance and elevation as well as set GPS markers at their favorite spots. Basically, the app is a living journal of one’s outdoor adventures.

Be one with nature while still being in the 21st century. GPS PAL is available now for free on the App Store.

FREE!

Columbia’s GPS PAL™

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-04-20 :: Category: Utilities

Car2Go, like other “carsharing” services, allows customers to quickly rent small cars for short periods of time. It’s great for when cars break down or when one needs an easy way to get around a new city during a vacation. Now, they are making the service even more convenient with the launch of their new aCar2Go app.

Currently, Car2Go operates in the following cities: Hamburg; Ulm; Lyon; Vancouver, British Columbia; Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. They also have the world’s first electric car fleet in San Diego, California. Using the app, anyone living in said cities can find and book the nearest available Car2Go, find gas stations and parking lots, view the operating area and view the route to their car. Soon enough, users will be behind the wheel of one of those familiar, little blue and white Smart Fortwos.

Quick auto access is now just an app away. aCar2Go is available now for $1.99 on the App Store.

$0.99

Cost Control for Car2Go

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-03-30 :: Category: Navigation

Anyone can start a diet, but sticking to it is a different story. Between watching what one eats, doing scheduled weigh ins and generally making sure that they are staying on track, a diet can be a hard thing to maintain. To make getting in shape a little easier, as well as prove that the internet can be used for more than just lazy web browsing, Body Chef has released Diet and Weight Loss Buddies.

The app calls itself “the world’s first social network app for people who want to lose weight and feel great.” Through the app, users can put in their personal diet information and schedule reminders to make sure they stay on the wagon. They can also look up new diets and strategies online by connecting with fellow dieters around the world. It has everything dieters need: information, encouragement, and support from others.

Diet and Weight Loss Buddies is available now on the App Store for free. It can help make up for that lost time spent sitting down, playing with an iPhone.

FREE!

Diet & Weight Loss Buddies

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-01-05 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness

I’ve been apartment shopping lately, trying to price the market and decide where I want to move to. I’ve been primarily searching Craigslist, which offers a lot of listings, sure, but it can be hard to figure out where these apartments are, and there’s not much known about listings just from the title. However, to help out, I recently discovered PadMapper. What this universal app does is that aggregates all the data from Craigslist listings along with around the country. Just list the location to search around, put in some details like the number of bedrooms, rent range, and number of bathrooms, and it will find all apartments that match the criteria listed on a handy Google map. Zooming out to find matches in a wider radius, and in to find them on a street-by-street basis is possible. Just want a filtered list? That’s available too. It’s possible to add notes about specific listings, add them to favorites, and even get directions ot the apartment. Find a good apartment? Just open up the original listing, and find the contact info there. The app aims “to make apartment hunting suck less” and at least, it sure does help. The app is available for free.

FREE!

PadMapper Apartment Search

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2009-02-28 :: Category: Utilities

Before, the Peel app from Peel Technologies was content just being a television social network. However, in addition to connecting users through their love of television shows, Peel is now looking to connect users with the shows themselves. Peel is kicking off their new “Second-Screen TV Engagement Platform” with “American Idol.”

Starting with the final few episodes of this season, Peel will be offering “American Idol” fans what they are calling a “Real-Time Social TV Experience.” Using the app, viewers will be able to cheer or boo performances, results and even the judges themselves all while watching the show. The app then collects and shares these results so one can compare what they think with the thoughts of fellow watchers.

The updated Peel app is available now for free on the App Store. To celebrate, Peel Technologies will be giving one lucky user free VIP access to the Idols Live concert this summer.

FREE!

Peel Personalized TV Experience

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-15 :: Category: Entertainment

When AppZapp came out two years ago it left its mark as one of the premiere apps for discovering other new apps and app sales. It made looking for fun, new apps an enjoyable activity itself. The new 4.0 update brings even more fun and functionality to the app searching experience.

One of the big new upgrades is the community feature. AppZapp users can now see what apps their friends are downloading to check out what looks interesting. This information is displayed on a news feed that also shows whether or not friends like their new apps. The other new feature is the ability for the MyApps list to view apps downloaded on all of a users devices. This makes syncing easier and more comprehensive.

The AppZapp 4.0 update is available now for AppZapp, AppZapp PUSH and AppZapp HD for iPad. The App Store is full of potentially awesome apps just waiting to be found and this app is here to help.

FREE!

AppZapp - Free Paid Apps & Price Drops

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-08-03 :: Category: News

$0.99

AppZapp Pro - Free Paid Apps & Price Drops

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-11-16 :: Category: Social Networking

$0.99

AppZapp HD Pro - Free Paid Apps & Price Drops

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-04-06 :: Category: Utilities