Tag: Super Bowl »

The NFL season is in its final stretch, with the wildcard round of the playoffs already out of the way. Which means Super Bowl fever is going to be ramping up, and you might want a game to scratch your gridiron itch since there aren't any Thursday or Monday night games any more. That's where this list comes in.

We've picked what we think are the three finest American Football games on the App Store - and we think we've managed to get something for everyone. Of course if you've got your own suggestions then we'd love to hear them in the comments section down at the bottom of this very article.

You can also click here to check out all of the other awesome lists we've been writing over the past few months. Each is sharper and more entertaining than the last, and they start off pretty damn sharp and really rather entertaining. Now then, on with the pigskin classics.

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, and whether you’re a Panthers or a Broncos fan you’re no doubt gearing up for it.

You’ve got your snacks, right? Well, How about downloading some apps to improve your viewing experience? Here are some recommendations.

Full Fat, the developer behind NFL Quarterback 15 and NFL Kicker 15 (and more), have announced that both those apps will be receiving updates just in time for the Super Bowl.

Both games will get a new Super Bowl theme, and there is a new stadium too: The University of Phoenix Stadium, which is hosting Super Bowl XLIX.

Both NFL Quarterback 15 and NFL Kicker 15 are slated to receive the update this Thursday, January 15th, and both games are available for $0.99 each on the App Store.

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and as always, there are plenty of apps that can help you watch the game or enrich the gameday experience. Appropriately enough, here are six apps; with an extra app that’s not necessarily football-related but could make a Super Bowl party more fun.

Fox Sports Go: If, for whatever reason, you can’t get to a TV but have an iPad with you, Fox Sports’ official app will be streaming the Super Bowl on iPads. iPhone and iPod users are out of luck, and the app requires login with one of six supported TV providers, so not everyone can take advantage of it. But for those in the Venn diagram of “able to watch Super Bowl on iPad” and “need to watch Super Bowl on iPad,” Fox has got you covered.

SportsCenter: Maybe you just want to follow the score of the game while it’s happening, checking stats and whatnot. ESPN’s app is one of the best for that, and its push notifications ensure that no important sports news goes missed. So if, say, you get stuck working on Super Sunday but want to know when a team scores, this app will keep you in the know.

NFL Mobile: Another way to get scores is with the league’s official app. This boasts the advantage of also having game highlights, streaming video, Super Bowl commercials, and even support for those actually at the game or in New York with iBeacon support. [Editor's Disclaimer: If in New York, please don't use the app while on the "toboggan run."]

NFL Connect: The one thing the NFL playoffs are missing is the “game-within-a-game” of fantasy football. This app might fill some of that void during the Super Bowl: compete with friends by guessing which events will happen first to get points and filling out your 4x4 bingo card. Look, it’s either this or fantasy Puppy Bowl.

Foodie Recipes: Look, you could order pizza and wings for Sunday, or you could cook some frozen appetizers. Boring. Why not do something a bit more creative, like make the food yourself. This app provides some fancy recipes for gameday like beer cheddar waffles. I’ve never had one, but as a Chicagoan I love decadent food, and I want one.

Seamless: So let's say you try to make a beer cheddar waffle and you fail miserably and now the kitchen's messed up as though Octodad rolled on through - like what would happen if I tried to make one. You’ll need a backup plan. Don’t just call a pizza chain: use this app to find plenty of nearby places that deliver, including perhaps off-the-beaten-path ones that might be able to bring food before the game ends! Huzzah!

Spaceteam: Look, do you really want to watch a freezing Bruno Mars perform at the halftime show? Or watch eons of pregame coverage? You’ll have far more fun if you gather together some iOS and Android devices for this fun party game, which now has an experimental 8-player mode available from the upgrades menu. There’ll be more yelling and screaming than when a big play happens in the 4th quarter.

It’s time for the biggest sporting event of the year: the Puppy Bowl! But what’s the second biggest event? Why, it's the Super Bowl! This year, hotshot upstart QB Colin Kaepernick leads the San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens, who are led by Bert from Sesame Street. Oh, and the coaches are brothers. It shows the promise of being a compelling showdown. Here’s 4 ways to follow the big game from your iOS device.

CBSSports.com: We kick things off with something that's not an app per se, but could be very handy. If it's Super Sunday, you need to need to watch the game and you're nowhere near a TV, what do you do? Just grab your iPad and go to CBSSports.com, where they’ll have a tablet-optimized layout and video feeds available that include the main video feed of the CBS broadcast, the “all 22” angle that shows all 22 players at once in a high overhead angle, along with other alternate camera angles. As well, there will be stat tracking and social networking features for tracking the game.

CBS SportCaster: Hey, CBS is airing the game, so why not use their official app for score tracking? Well, it's a worthy inclusion because not only does it provide a solid box score experience for if you’re not able to watch the game (hipster book club meeting?) but also tracks social media feeds to get the scoop on the game from those that have opinions on it. And trust us, there will be plenty of people with things to say about this game.

FanCake: You think Phil Simms, a man paid highly to analyze the biggest sporting event of the year as it happens, is a dolt? Well, why not put it to the test with this app that lets you try to predict the big game (and others) as it happens? Correct predictions earn points that can be spent on various rewards. You may not pull down Phil Simms money with your predictions, but at least you'll get free stuff and free smugness.

NFL Kicker 13 : The halftime show is usually worth skipping. Beyonce this year is at least somewhat contemporary, but while she's the queen of many adoring fangirls, I prefer my pop stars to be democratically elected, thank you very much. So, why not play a fun football game on that ol’ iOS device while she wails on the stage, or at least looks like she's doing so? Full Fat's flick sporting game may celebrate the underappreciated art of kicking, but it sure beats actually tossing the pigskin around, especially if the weather is way too cold because it is the heart of winter. Also, their virtual players do a better job at throwing and catching the ball than you and your buddies. Also, this may come in handy if the game is a blowout in the fourth quarter. I mean, Kaepernick is starting only his 10th game, and Flacco is the real-life version of Bert from Sesame Street, this could go badly in either direction rather quickly. Be prepared.

It seems like just yesterday that the Super Bowl had just wrapped up and we were still discussing what were the funniest commercials of the night.  As hard as it may be to believe, that was almost three months ago. Though players won't take the field for the next couple of months, this is actually the time of year when champions are made: Draft Season.

Now that the draft weekend is in the books, the NFL '12 app has been updated with all of the draft knowledge you could possibly need to win those arguments that are bound to ensue around the water cooler.  Every draft pick of every round has been analyzed by hand, to provide the hardcore fan with all of the information necessary to know what to expect next season.

Once again the NFL brings the passion of the sport to the audience that craves it.

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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."

Read the full review on 148Apps.com.

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."

Read more at GiggleApps.com.

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."

Read the full report at 148Apps.biz.

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.

With an Angry Birds sequel already announced, it seemed odd this week when another unexplained Angry Birds update hit the App Store.  There didn't seem to be any specific rhyme or reason for this to happen, unless of course if you believed what TheHollywoodReporter had to say.  In a supposed foreshadowing of Rovio's partnership with the upcoming film Rio, they were actually planning an interesting cross promotion of sorts, the likes of which both industries had never seen.

Rio promo will air during the fourth quarter of the showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, which airs on the Fox Broadcasting Network.

During the spot, viewers will be invited to find the frame with the code, which in turns directs them to a special level of Angry Birds, which has entered into a first-of-its kind partnership with Fox. The level will take Angry Birds players to a Rio sweepstakes.

Lucky for us, the internet is never at a loss for people with too much free time, much like the good folks over at AngryBirdsNest.  They managed to comb through the HD version of 20th Century Fox's trailer and found the one frame that contained the code "13-12."  You can see a freeze frame of the image at left, if you are so inclined.  But unfortunately, that is only half of the battle...

Along with the information of where the newly hidden egg is ever so slyly incognito, you must go through a very odd process in order to unlock this football shaped forbidden fruit.  Once again the internet has come to our aid and provided us with just the information we need, in the form of a youtube clip, detailing the entire odd process.

It is neat to see cross promotions like this getting love from the mainstream media, as well as the viral advertising market.  Honestly, I would have had no idea about this promotion had our own Carter Dotson not mentioned it to me on twitter during the game.  Regardless, this shows the tremendous strides that iOS gaming has made in public acceptance.  It will be exciting to see what the future holds for the industry.

Now get out there and take a kick at finding that golden football... you should have all the information that you need to split the sticks.