The new Akai Pro MPC Fly turns any iPad 2 into a full featured MPC (music production center). Not only does it turn an iPad into a portable production center, but it also acts as a protective case opening on hinges to sit upright, lay flat, or close shut for transport. The MPC Fly touts 16 pads with note repeat and swing, and works with any Core MIDI apps. It also works in conjunction with the MPC Fly iPad app.

With the MPC Fly iPad app users can sequence four tracks at once, access library of audio samples and drum kits, use various audio effects on their sequences, pull samples from their iTunes library, and share their work on SoundCloud, Facebook, or Twitter.

The MPC Fly houses it’s own rechargeable lithium-ion battery making it a truly portable solution. It also includes a wall charger, and will charge the iPad while it’s plugged in to the wall. No word yet on how much the MPC will retail for.

Swann, a global leader in security monitoring systems, and also a producer of many remote controlled (RC) helicopter models, has just announced the addition of a new RC helicopter to its fleet that can be controlled via an iOS device. The i-Fly Micro Lightning is an RC helicopter that can be controlled by iOS devices through Swann’s free iFly app and an adapter that fits into the device’s audio jack. The user can control the i-Fly Micro Lighting with on-screen touch controls or by tilting their device in tilt mode. There is also a 3-way infrared control included to control without an iOS device. The little helicopter charges via USB and will fly for up to 8 minutes on a full charge.

The i-Fly Micro Lightning will retail for $69.99, and will be available from Fry’s Electronics, BrandSmart, and other major retailers. The free iFly app is available for download form the Apple App Store and is compatible with iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

FREE!

Swann iFly

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-10-05 :: Category: Entertainment

NuOxygen has just released “The Racing 3D Flight Simulator,” Ikaro Racing HD for iOS devices, and it’s looking pretty neat. Players will race through a diverse set of environments (and 22 tracks), from sprawling cities to winding canyons, jockeying for first place. It won’t be easy, but it makes winning that much more satisfying.

The game is designed to steadily increase in difficulty, so that players adjust naturally to the curve. It’s meant to be more pleasant than panic-inducing, with cameras that highlight the beauty of the landscape or the details of the planes so that the visuals can truly be appreciated. Of course, spending too much time drinking in the details are a good way to end up face-planting into an obstacle. A danger that becomes even more real when the dynamic weather system opts to replace those clears skies with a thunderstorm.

Ikaro Racing HD was designed with the iPad 2 in mind, but it’s also available for most other iOS devices. It just requires some tweaking in the options menu first. Aspiring air jockeys can grab it off of the App Store right now for free.

$0.99

Ikaro Racing HD

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-10-15 :: Category: Games

Bouncy Mouse is a physics game where players fling a mouse — which is actually much more like a rubber ball than a rodent — around obstacles and through traps collecting bits of cheese on the way. All of the mouse’s cheese has been stolen by a dastardly cat and the mouse needs to get all his cheese back so he and his friends can enjoy it together.

The slingshot-like pull and release mechanics of the game are very similar to those found in other physics based flinging games like Angry Birds. The difference here is that players aren’t trying to knock anything down or destroy any structures, they are just trying to traverse an environment while avoiding obstacles and collecting cheese. The goal is to bounce the mouse off of the cat in each level and retrieve the cat’s stolen cheese.

To traverse each level the mouse is flung from one anchor point or peg to the next. When the mouse gets close enough to an anchor point he will latch on with what might be his super elastic tail and players can then pull him back and release him in any direction to get to the next peg. Progressing from peg to peg and bouncing the mouse off of different parts of the environment will get him to the cat, and finally to his cheese. More points and unlocks like costumes and visual effects can also unlocked by collecting all the cheese in a level.

$0.99

Bouncy Mouse

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-05 :: Category: Games

Games involving flying down narrow corridors using only a single button for lift have been around almost as long as video tennis. Some of these iterations get around the stigma associated with “classic” formulas by using attention-grabbing visuals or funky music. Still others just go nuts and see what sticks.

Doodle Plane, from the minds over at Chitralekha Productions, mostly follows the example of the former. It’s pretty much flying through narrow spaces and tapping a button to climb, but the colorful chalkboard graphics (and “sketchy” animations) make it a bit more interesting visually. The addition of a throttle, however, adds a (basic) new dimension to the idea. Having to carefully monitor height and speed make the levels a bit more frantic, and it’s all too easy to accidentally fly past a parachuting office worker (?) when not being careful. If nothing else, it certainly ups the challenge.

It’s also interesting how Doodle Plane forgoes the typical endless corridor design of most similar titles and instead uses stages with a definitive start and finish. Shortly after taking off the levels fall into the expected “one wrong move and BOOM” pattern, but after a bit players will reach an actual end and have to ever-so-delicately try to land their scribbly aeronautical nightmare. It’s not as tough as it sounds, but as with the hapless skydivers it can be easy to overshoot the target when not paying attention.

I doubt anyone who doesn’t enjoy these kinds of games will jump at the chance to play Doodle Plane, but I imagine genre fans will have a good amount of fun with it. Especially as the addition of take-off and landing segments, as well as mid-air rescues, make it more than just a simple re-skinning of a classic.

$0.99

Doodle Plane

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-05-18 :: Category: Games

The king, Angry Birds has been, at least temporarily dethroned by a pair of Tiny Wings.

We reported last night that Tiny Birds had quickly risen to number 2. But today they break into the top spot in the overall paid charts in the US. Pretty amazing for a indie developer out of no where. It’s pretty amazing to see a story like this after the App Store has been open now for two and a half years. Early on seeing an indie developer break the top ten was wonderful, these days it’s downright amazing.

If nothing else, I hope this serves as inspiration to other indie developers. You can still make a splash in the App Store, you just have to make a really unique, compelling, and interesting game. Congratulations to Tiny Wings and Andreas Illiger!

If you haven’t picked up this game yet, do so now. If you don’t love this game, you won’t love any game.

$0.99

Tiny Wings

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-02-18 :: Category: Games

I did an app review a few weeks (months?) back about a game that I just didn’t feel lived up to its potential primarily due to controls that I didn’t feel were perfect for the iPhone. People bombarded me with flack about it because they said that the games controls were perfectly fine, but one comment stuck with me to this day. Someone told me at some point that they could spend a few hours with the game not even shooting bad guys, but just flying.

Now there are games that I have experienced this. Some of the old Microsoft Flight Simulator games, X-Wing vs Tie Fighter, and Midtown Madness (driving), all fit the bill as games that I just wanted to be left alone, but they all were displayed on a large screen and I usually had some kind of huge joystick or driving wheel on my computer desk. The size of the iPhone and the typical nature of playing on it just don’t seem conducive to that type of playing style.

Well yesterday I got an e-mail about a new game called Aera. I thought, ok, here we go again, another iPhone flying game. I would certainly let someone else review the game because obviously the genre, on the iPhone, just isn’t for me. On a recommendation, I watched the youtube video and was astounded.

The flow of the game, along with the graphics are just beautiful. I have to say that Aera may be the first game of its kind that I think that I would want to fly around endlessly doing dogrolls and loops. According to the developers, there are mission modes, a free flight mode, and even some multiplayer that will include capture the flag and duel. I haven’t done much investigating yet, but hopefully Aera will be out soon, because now I want to finally fly on my iPhone.