Recent Articles
10 New App Store Games To Watch [March 18 - 24]
Facebook and Match 3 and Town Builders, Oh My! I never would have expected that one of the most entertaining releases for me this week would be a port of a Facebook game, but leave it to Popcap to accomplish that feat with Solitaire Blitz. It is one minute competitive solitaire, and it’s rather addictive as well. Games like Triple Town and sliding puzzle games both make me go “eh”, but when you combine them in the likes of Alien Hive I sit up and go “hmm”. This game comes from the developers of Sporos, and it’s on track to be as laid back and intriguing as that game was. Finally, Warner Brothers brings us an iOS port of another Facebook game, this time a town builder based off of the legend that is The Wizard Of Oz. I haven’t decided if I’m going to delve into The Wizard Of Oz Game yet, but I am impressed that they were willing to actually integrate it with the classic film, even to the point of using the various characters’ film likenesses.
CARROT updated to V3.0, now free for a day
CARROT, the quirky todo list “with a personality”, has received its next major update (V3.0) and adds three most-requested features from its users: the ability to set reminders/due dates, repeating tasks and Siri Integration (have Siri add tasks into CARROT for you). But since this is not your ordinary todo app, these first have to be unlocked by actually completing tasks on your list (mark tasks as completed, score points and level up). Think of it as an incentive to get productive. Just don’t expect it be as complex as Things (TMA Review) or OmniFocus; it was designed to be fast, simple and most of all, fun to use. CARROT is now free for a day as well, so grab it for your iPhone, unlock all the goodies and get busy.
$0.99 iOS Gaming deals for the weekend
SEGA has dropped prices on a number of their Sonic themed games for the weekend to just a dollar, and they include Sonic CD, Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Ep. II (both of which were $4.99) and Sonic Dash. Titles from from other publishers – both big and small – have also knocked off a few bucks off their games. Most of the deals are likely good through Monday, so have a look at the full list of app sales after the break.
Four Top Tips for Buying a New Tablet
Whether you’re upgrading from a first generation tablet computer, or are considering entering the market for the first time it’s fair to say that there’s a lot to learn. The market for tablet computers has been growing at a steady pace since the release of the first iPad and the consumer now faces a plethora of choices. For each user, there is a solution out there waiting to be found. Here, we take a look at a few steps which can help you on your way to buying the right tablet for you.
Hands on with the iKit NuCharge iPhone 5 battery case
Kickstarter has given birth to some really innovative products in the past and the iKit NuCharge is no exemption. Dubbed the most “advanced iPhone battery case ever made”, it’s also the world’s first interchangeable battery and case cover for the iPhone 5. With such a design, users can decide whether to go with a light and minimal case, or pop on the battery for slightly more bulk to juice up the iPhone. I was recently sent a pre-production unti for testing and so far I’m really liking the iKit for its versatility, lightweight and slim 1900mAh battery pack.
10 New App Store Games To Watch [March 11 - 17]
This was another week of well rounded releases in the iOS gaming world. Folks that like a little more spice to their fishing simulations should give Ridiculous Fishing – A Tale of Redemption a try. Sure you cast your line and haul up the fish like any other simulation, but once you them above the surface the big guns come out… quite literally. If you’re more of a golfing nut there’s Super Stickman Golf 2. 180 holes, 60 achievements and 28 hats will keep you quite busy, and then there are the two multiplayer modes. If you’d rather just take out your frustrations on loads of unnamed villains, Brotherhood of Violence might be right up your alley. It looks like it could have the makings of a modern day Streets Of Rage, which would suit me just fine.
iOS 6.1.3 update now available for iDevices
The lastest iOS update – version 6.1.3 – is now available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. This primarily fixes the security hole that was found in 6.1, one that allowed access to the phone module right from the locked screen without entering the correct passcode. The update also brings improvements to Maps for users in Japan. As for jailbreakers, you may want to stay away from 6.1.3 for the time being, as David Wang (one of the devs for the evasi0n and their untethered iOS 6.x jailbreak) told Forbes several weeks ago that the 6.1.3 beta 2 update patched one of the bugs that the Jailbreak exploits. This means that 6.1.3 isn’t likely to work with the only untethered jailbreak solution at this time. For the rest of you though, you can grab the latest iOS update right from within Settings –> General –> Software Update or on your desktop via iTunes.
Game Boy Advance emulator hidden within “Awesome Baby Names” app
An app called Awesome Baby Names has made it through Apple’s approval process and it’s not what you think. Through a series of taps in just the right spots, a hidden Game Boy Advance emulator will be revealed, thus allowing you to play all your favorite GBA roms you might have kept somewhere on an external hard drive. The app costs $1.99 and likely won’t last much longer on the App Store, so if your phone’s not jailbroken and you’d like to play some Mario on your iPhone, you may want to grab it before it’s pulled. Screenshots on how to unlock the emulator from within the app after the break.
Update: It appears the app’s been pulled from the App Store.
Liberation Maiden in Review – Nothing Old School About This Shooter
About all I knew of LIBERATION MAIDEN going into it was that the game was a shooter and that it was a port from another system. This is definitely a game that has been under-promoted in my opinion. As much as I love scrolling shooters, I’ve realized that my iOS experience with the genre has never lived up to its potential until now. Liberation Maiden certainly isn’t perfect, but it’s unlike any shooter you’ve played on your iPad to this point. The final boss battle alone almost makes the whole game worth it, as it was one of the most intense experiences I’ve had with this genre on a mobile device. The price tag is a bit hefty relatively speaking, but if you’re a die hard scrolling shooter fan you should seriously consider this one. Read More
ZAGGkeys PROplus in Review – Light that iPad keyboard up!
For many, the iPad has replaced their laptops while away from the office/home or when processor intensive tasks are not required. This is especially true when the bulk of the work involves writing reports or filling out numbers and data in spreadsheets. What better accessory to go with the iPad than an external keyboard case to help you be more productive AND provide your tablet with some form of protection at the same time? I’ve covered keyboard cases in the past, like the ZAGGfolio, and today we’re going to take a closer look at ZAGG’s other product – the ZAGGkeys PROplus, a dandy backlit keyboard that’s both slim and fun to use.
