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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.
FREE!  iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-11-15 :: Category: Entertainment FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-06-01 :: Category: Entertainment
Who’s a big film fan, then? I know I certainly am. I’ve spent years trawling the Apple Trailers site since back when the idea of viewing film trailers on a website was revolutionary. Now I can do it through a new app by the name of iTunes Movie Trailers.
 The app does exactly what the name suggests, offering the newest and most exclusive movie previews in HD at the fingertips of all iOS device owners who choose to download this free app.
Users can browse trailers, clips and featurettes for all the biggest movies, as well as view spectacular HD photos, view a year long calendar of upcoming movie releases and find showtimes at cinemas near them.
Hundreds of movie trailers are available in all and a quick glance already shows the best of the best are on display such as Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Besides tracking what the networks reckon are the biggest hits, users can also browse the charts to see what other people are downloading the most for inspiration as to what to check out.
iTunes Movie Trailers is out now. It’s universal, it’s free, it’s the ideal app for movie fans.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-10-12 :: Category: Entertainment
I’m amazed that no one’s used the name Fanhattan before as it’s an excellent name for a celebrity/movie orientated website or app. This app does exactly what would be expected of it. It enables users to find movies and TV shows from old to new across various video streaming and rental services.
 Supporting many different services such as Vudu, iTunes, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Blockbuster, Amazon Video on Demand and the ABC Player, this should be a definitive app for all US based entertainment fans. If the show or movie isn’t currently available to stream, Fanhattan will even state where it can be bought for shipping at a later date.
Search options means that not only is it easy to track down something particular but it’s easy to browse for new suggestions too. Content is grouped into genres like Newest, Top Rated, Critic’s Picks as well as Award Winners such as Emmys or Oscars. That’s not forgetting regular genres like action or fantasy.
Combining everything in such a way is a neat idea that no doubt iPad owners will be keen to try out.
It’s out now and it’s free to download. Don’t forget that the services it links to may incur further charges such as Netflix and acquiring items on iTunes. Fortunately, Fanhattan lists pricing in a detailed manner.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-06-01 :: Category: Entertainment
Watch the MTV VMAs (Video Music Awards) over the weekend? No? Well you missed the announcement of Beyonce’s pregnancy, a tribute to Amy Winehouse and many live performances by all the latest and current greatest. Don’t worry, 148apps hasn’t turned into a celebrity gossip site. We do have news of an app that offers exactly that however.
 MTV News is that app. Offering what it promises will be ‘unparalleled’ access to the stars, MTV News will bring to iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad owners exactly what fans have come to expect of the MTV website and TV station over the years. All the latest pop culture news is there from music to movies, television, celebrities and gaming.
Updated throughout the day, MTV News provides a steady stream of exclusive videos on all things celebrity. Articles are organized according to category with customization options meaning that users can choose to focus on the stories they care about. Not a fan of Lady Gaga? No problems, her stories can vanish focusing instead on whatever the user could want.
Regular blogs feature too with general MTV focused news, TV shows information, music, movies and gaming blogs all covered.
The exclusive content continues with photos from MTV events. Perhaps the best exclusive however is that of special features focused on the upcoming MTV Movie Awards that are set to be held in a few weeks time. The VMAs are already ably covered thanks to a live camera side to the app giving plenty of insider access to those that have to see every last second of Katy Perry at all costs.
For the entertainment fan, MTV News has it covered. It’s made all the better by the fact that the app is entirely free and it’s Universal keeping everyone happy.
Why not give it a shot now in time for the next set of awards?
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-05-26 :: Category: News
Remember the game Celebrities? Where teams had to guess as many celebrity names as possible before time ran out? Well it turns out that there’s an iPhone based way of playing it now courtesy of MTV Networks and VH1. It arrives at the same time as NextMovie Trivia Challenge, also from MTV Networks.
 VH1 Celebrity Party is a pretty fine conversion of the classic low tech game. Teams of two or more compete in a series of rounds in order to identify as many celebrities as possible in one minute. Clue-givers are first able to say anything but the celebrity’s name with round 2 getting harder and requiring them to only use two words, with the third round players only able to use charades.
The basic Celebrity Party game is a free app to download with a Pro Pack available as an in-app purchase of $0.99 and offering more themed packs as well as the ability to create new packs. There’s also a neat ability to pair multiple iOS devices over Bluetooth so each clue-giver has their own controller.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-22 :: Category: Games NextMovie Trivia Challenge has been created by the guys in charge of NextMovie.com. Players are able to challenge their friends in head to head competition or work their way up the game’s leaderboard. A weekly challenge feature ensures everything’s consistently fresh and sections consist of the likes of 1980s movies right up to the current day. Like VH1 Celebrity Party, it’s a free app to download so clearly well worth a look.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-19 :: Category: Games
 Ever sit in a coffee shop or at work and wonder if there’s a good movie showing at the local cinema? Need a good way of checking? Sure there’s always looking it up on the internet but how about an app like Showings that is focused purely on cinema related things.
The app allows users to find nearby cinemas and then favorite the ones they regularly go to. It’s then just a simple matter of flicking around the app for more information. Users can take a look at the movie poster, cast, a synopsis of the story, Rotten Tomatoes score and in some cases, also a trailer too.
Of course, there’s also the all important film showing times too which are clearly laid out for all days of the week.
Showings is a simple app but that’s exactly what anyone could want. It gives out the facts quickly and concisely so that users can plan their evening ahead fast.
Showings is out now priced at $0.99.
$1.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-14 :: Category: Reference
 Film trivia buffs and retro video game lovers rejoice! Screenlife, makers of all things Scene It? on the App Store, have just releasedScene It? Pixel Flix. Okay so it’s not a real combination of the two, but rather a trivia game dressed-up in vaguely 8-bit visuals. Still, it’s a neat idea and certainly grabbed my attention.
Players take on the role of a pock-marked theater usher as they attempt to complete a gauntlet of movie related trivia questions and ultimately square-off against the theater’s “boss.” It follows the same basic structure as most other titles in the genre with multiple categories to choose from (Leading Ladies, Horror, etc…) and several different methods of answering questions on a timer. My personal favorite is the one that recreates famous movie scenes in pixel form and asks players to guess the film. Watching an 8-bit rendition of Sarah Connor blasting away at that liquid metal guy is hilarious.
Pixel Flix is free (ad supported) and sitting in the App Store right now.The base experience is bound to keep small-time trivia hounds busy, but the elite can also buy add-ons such as new genre questions and power-ups through in-app purchases. Just remember to clear some space before downloading as it’s a somewhat hefty 160 MB.
$1.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-16 :: Category: Games
 Some notable players with prominent content are starting to get in to the business of making web apps in HTML5, bypassing the App Store entirely. Amazon has launched HTML5-capable versions of both their Cloud Player for music, and Cloud Reader for reading – and (more importantly for Amazon) buying – Kindle books. However, it’s entirely another thing for content from large multimedia multinational conglomerates to show up in a web app form, especially considering the DRM hurdles that Netflix has had to jump through with supporting devices on Android. However, it appears as if thanks to the power of one of the biggest multinational conglomerates of all, Walmart, movies and TV shows are showing up through the browser for iPad owners.
Walmart owns the video-on-demand service VUDU, and that service has just launched the ability to view their content through the iPad’s Safari browser. By visiting http://vudu.com/movies, users can immediately browse through VUDU’s entire library of content. There are various trailers and previews available to sample the content available from VUDU; sadly, all content is standard definition only on iOS, and some movies are specifically unavailable on the platform. Movies and TV shows can be either rented or bought from the service, and should be available for watching across the multiple platforms that VUDU is available on. Video watching is available in full-screen, but it does not appear to support AirPlay as of this time.
It does seem as if the web app revolution will be launched by big companies who don’t want to be pushed around by Apple and their restrictions, especially when they have their own financial interests at heart. If Apple won’t let them make money through the App Store, then they’ll just find another way to leverage the millions of iOS devices out there, and if in doing so, they push into new frontiers of technology. That could ultimately be beneficial for consumers who don’t have to be limited by Apple’s restrictions to get the content they want. It could also benefit Apple in a way – they have been pushing HTML5 as a replacement for Flash, and with these new web apps not requiring Flash, they’re only pushing their own agenda further along.
Source: MacStories
 My love of movie trivia has been well documented before. Indeed Scene It? Movies 2 and MovieCat! still hold very important places on both my iPhone and iPad. So the prospect of daily and up to the minute trivia quizzes is pretty thrilling indeed.
That’s exactly what Scene It? Daily sets out to do. It’s a new trivia app that offers quizzes across four different categories: Movies, TV, Music and Celebrity, and promises to keep everything as up to date as possible. Right down to possibly asking questions about something that might have happened the night before!
Players from across the world can compete head to head for bragging rights and players who answer enough questions in a row gain a streak multiplier that boosts scores even further. There’s even three different power-ups to use.
Scene It? Daily is available on Facebook and on its own site but of course there’s an iPhone app for it which is out now for the grand price of nothing.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-07-12 :: Category: Games
 Seeing a movie can be a tricky experience, especially when planning with friends. What Wigglehop attempts to do is to make the experience of discovering movie times far easier.
The app starts off with looking up nearby theaters; this can either be done through Location Services or by manually entering a location. Then, theaters can be selected; yes, multiple theaters. The idea of Wigglehop is to allow for multiple choices, so decisions about movies can be made. Then the user picks any films they and their group wish to see, choosing days they want to see the movie as well. Then, times are presented, with the option to filter by morning, day, evening, and night times. Once all these are selected, the plans can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, SMS, or email.
The app is a free download, and is available as a universal app for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-12-16 :: Category: Entertainment
Most come to 148apps to learn which apps to spend their hard earned dollars on. Today I’ll mix it up, because my favorite four are apps with free video content.
Crackle
Crackle, a division of Sony, adds 20 new movies and TV episodes to its app monthly. It’s 100% free and a must-have app for anyone. It’s always there for me to just whip out and watch whenever I don’t really have a preference. Some of my current favorites available are 21, The Nines, The Karate Kid I and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-04-18 :: Category: Entertainment (iPad only)
SnagFilms is an app dedicated to nothing but documentaries. While documentaries aren’t for all movie-lovers, those of us who like them will jump at the chance to have an app filled with free documentaries. The app is currently boasting over 80 films and I’m hoping for more in the future. To highlight some available, it has “A to Zeppelin” about Led Zeppelin, “Close Encounters” about the existence of aliens, “Hell on Wheels” about a group of women trying to bring back roller derby, and “MacHeads” about us Mac fanatics.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-01-05 :: Category: Entertainment (iPad only)
The ABC Player is a free app dedicated to catching up on various ABC shows. As far as I know, all shows available to watch on their website are accessible on the iPad app. This is an awesome app for anyone who’s a fan of at least one show on ABC. Currently, some popular shows on the app include Dancing with the Stars, Castle, Desperate Housewives, and Grey’s Anatomy.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Entertainment While TED talks aren’t movies or TV shows, they’re definitely free video content – arguable the best free video content available online. It’s arguable because to say otherwise would be to argue with me! I love TED talks. Basically, they are talks almost any subject imaginable delivered by field experts. Some of my favorites include one from Adam Savage (Mythbusters guy), Pattie Maes about her SixthSense device, Malcolm Gladwell about spaghetti sauce (but it’s much more general than that!), and Sal Khan about his educational video program, Khan Academy.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-02-11 :: Category: Education FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-10-14 :: Category: Education
And it absolutely has to be noted that, we’re I living in the UK, the BBC iPlayer app would be at the top of my list for favorite free video content.
 Metacritic is perhaps the single largest aggregator of “entertainment” reviews, tracking online buzz for movies, games, music, and more. Metacritic’s enormous popularity is largely due to its publication of “Metascores”—a score out of 100 calculated by weighing and comparing “trustworthy” reviews of a particular item that lets readers determine the overall critical opinion of something at a quick glance.
Now, Metacritic is bringing its massive influence to the iPhone and iPad with a Movie Finder app. Movie Finder by Metacritic provides users with movies’ Metascores and displays showtimes for theaters anywhere in the US. You can also stand in front of your local movie theater and launch Movie Finder to have the app tell you what shows are playing, along with their accompanying review information. Finally, the app also lets you rate a movie or email or text your friends about it.
Of the new app, Marc Doyle, Editor in Chief of Metacritic said,
“Metascores have become a trusted guide to what many decide to see. Movie Finder from Metacritic makes those decisions even easier when you’re on the move.”
Movie Finder by Metacritic is now available for free on the App Store.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-03-08 :: Category: Entertainment
 The Hulu Blog today confirmed what many have been murmuring about online for some time. Hulu is bringing its streaming TV service to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The aforementioned murmurs also questioned how this delivery of most of America’s top TV shows would be paid for, they too were given an answer with the introduction of the Hulu Plus subscription.
Formerly only available via a PC or Mac, the Hulu Plus app and subscription service will combine to deliver episodes from current and classic TV shows on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 as well as the iPad and third gen iPod touch.
At present the service is working on an invite-only basis (apply for one here) and will cost users $9.99 per month but, for this fee you do get a good deal of benefits. Full seasons of TV shows will be available including big hitters such as Family Guy, 30 Rock and The Office with up to 720p HD resolution available. Through the Hulu Plus app, users will be able to browse, search and resume playback at the same point on different devices. For iPhone and iPad users, you will even be able to stream over 3G!
While we’ve not had the chance to fully test Hulu Plus yet, this sounds like the service Apple’s portable devices have been crying out for and one that will likely bring about a few discussions inside Apple HQ. With the recent acquisition of media streaming startup Lala, it is rumored the company is gearing up to introduce a cloud-based iTunes service that could include streaming TV shows to iPhones and iPads.
The Hulu Plus app is available for free on the App Store and includes a bunch of freebies that don’t need a subscription in order to try out. The movie Super Size Me is included as well as clips and episodes from a number of TV shows as well, so it’s worth sampling the app for these bonuses alone.
Check it out on the App Store here
I’m shocked that I’ve been posting these picks for five weeks already. For this week, my utility of the week is the IMDB app – Movie Genie.
Movie Genie is basically just an interface to IMDB (Internet Movie Database). It allows you to search movies and actors and provides you with a ton of details about them. Movie Genie is a well developed and fast app that interfaces with IMDB perfect. The developer promises a lot of features in the feature, but the app is great as-is. Check out the review here.
If you’d like to suggest a utility for my “utility of the week”, visit my thread on our forum here. And below is a list of previous Utility of the Week picks:
Week 1 – Groups
Week 2 – Put Things Off
Week 3 – Stick It
Week 4 – Air Mouse Pro
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-06-15 :: Category: Reference
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