Zack and Vince's iPhone Reviews

Pocket Devil

2009-11-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

For fans of Pocket God, Pocket Devil will look very familiar. Unfortunately, Pocket Devil is nowhere near as fun as Pocket God. While it does run very similarly to Pocket God, Pocket Devil just doesn't work. I can barely get anything done before the whole thing crashes. If I can manage to keep it running, it's extremely laggy. Not to mention, not all that fun at all. It's kind of an R-rated Pocket God. You can still torture the little devils, except there is alot more blood. Plus, none of the torturings are very fun at all. One of the worst the worst $.99 ever spent in the AppStore. Just don't even bother with it.

iGobo

2009-11-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

This is an app for you theater tech nerds out there who follow our blog (because I am sure there are so many of you). iGobo is an app made by Rosco that allows you to look at their entire of stock of gobos right there in the app. If you don't know what a gobo is already, odds are you won't care, but gobos are the small metal plates that images can be cut out of and then placed into theater lights in order to project a pattern. This app has actually already saved the day several times at work, and luckily, it's free! So techies unite, and go get iGobo!

Aardvark

2009-11-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Here we have another one of my guilty pleasures/addictions. This app is very similar to Yahoo Answers. Aardvark allows you to ask a question, and the app sends the question out to anyone at random to see if it can retrieve an answer. Answers are usually very quick and productive. Even more fun is being able to also answer other people's questions. Maybe it has something to do with my God-complex, but I just can't resist the chance to attempt to answer other people's questions! A fun story involving this app is that I once answered a question for a girl, who as it turned out, was in my philosophy class. Out of all the people in the world for the app to send the question to, it sent it to me. Even more crazy was that when her and I got to talking, we discovered that we were both born in the same city, within the same month, in the same hospital! If that isn't a strange twist of fate, I am not sure what is. So go try this app, it's free, and who knows, you might meet someone interesting!

Fling

2009-11-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a game that isn't like much else available in the AppStore. The object of Fling is to fling these little furry creatures into each other in order to get them to knock each other off of the playing field. The difficult part is that you have to strategize in order to ensure that only one of these little fuzzy characters is left on the playing field at the end. Two versions, a free trial version and a $.99 version. Easily one of my new favorites.

Link4

2009-11-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, it sure has been a long time, but Vince and I have just been so busy with school and whatnot. Luckily, I had 5 minutes to breath, and decided to do a new post. I have been playing Link4 for the past week, and literally cannot stop. The object of the game is exactly the same as the popular board game, ConnectFour. The really fun part of this game is that you are playing against other players, and with every game you gain experience points and move up levels, also, with every win, you gain regular points. There are currently two versions in the app store. A free one chalk full of ads and a $1.99 version that is ad-free and places a star next to your username to let everyone else know you payed extra just to avoid ads (oh, and to get a star). I highly recommend this game because it has provided me with hours of entertainment.

Budget Gadgets

2009-09-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ok everyone, I have another website tell help you save money while keeping your iPhone looking stylish and spiffy. BudgetGadgets.com is a unique company that offers many different gadgets at ridiculously low prices. But most importantly are their iPhone cases. These cases can run as low as $5. This guy in this video offers a pretty good explanation as to why they can offer their cases for such a low price. But basically, because this site does not bother with fancy packaging and ad agencies, they do not charge the consumer (that's us!) for the extra charges. Check it out. You may just find a really cool case at a really low price.

Another Bargain Case

2009-09-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Found another recession friendly case. If you are not willing to pay $35 for the highly recommended Incase Slider, then another company has got your back. CaseCrown is offering their Polycarbonate Glider for $9.21. This case looks very similar to the original Incase Slider, but I cannot vouch that it is better in any respects. Might be worth a try.

100th Post!!!

2009-09-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Vince and I would like to celebrate our 100th post here on Zack and Vince's iPhone Reviews. WooHoo! Thanks to all our oh-so faithful viewers. Haha! :)

Vaja Style, Cheaper Price

2009-09-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a pretty notable find. Vaja Cases are notorious for being the most fashionable, and pricey, iPhone case available. They are all handcrafted out of various colors of leathers that you can customize on their website. You can enter their site, and easily spend over $100 just for a case. But the Cretouch Illuzion is offering cases that are similar in Vaja style, but not in price. It is definitely worth checking out. Plus, who doesn't like to save money???

Words With Friends

2009-09-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

By the same makers of Chess With Friends, comes another game to be played with your friends when you are not with them. Words With Friends is a Scrabble type game where you must use the letters allotted to you to make words. You gain points based on the point value of the letters you place on the board. These games do not have push notifications, but they make up for it by offering a text message every time it is your turn to play. Overall, we really enjoy these games. $.99 or a free version, the difference between the two is a unclear.

Tech21 iBand

2009-08-31T16:03:00.000-07:00

Check out this material that this company, Tech21, is using to develop stronger and safer cases for all sorts of electronics, including the iPhone. It's a unique material that when touched slowly has the consistency of silly-putty, but when hit with high impact, it hardens up and absorbs the shock perfectly. The guys in the video even wrap it around their fingers, then bang it with a mallet. I want one!!!

ZumoDrive

2009-08-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

File sharing between your computer and your mac is a genius idea, if it worked. ZumoDrive seems like a really good idea: use your wifi connection to view files and pictures from your computer on your iPhone. Now this is not a new concept. There are dozens of apps that offer this ability, but not many of them are free. So naturally I was inclined to try ZumoDrive. Not worth it. Juts steer clear of this one.

Aqua Globs

2009-08-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

Aqua Globs is another game in the very same likeness of FlightControl and HarborMaster. But instead of airplanes landing safely on the runway or docking ships to unload their shipment, you have to combine similarly colored amoebas together to make them disappear and avoid colliding two different colored amoebas. Nothing really special. I much more prefer either FlightControl or HarborMaster because in Aqua Globs it becomes very difficult to manage all of the blobs when more than four come onto the screen. $.99 in the AppStore.

Simplify Music (Original)

2009-08-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

   How often have you been listening to the music on your iPhone when you think, "Hey! I really want to listen to *insert title of song you haven't listened to in forever*!", but to your disappointment, when you go to look for that song, you realize you don't have it synced to your phone currently and will have to wait until you can get back to your computer? For me, at least, it happens all the time. Well, Simplify Music seeks to solve this dilemma that has been tearing away at techies since the dawn of the mp3 player. And I've got to say, Simplify Music does a really impressive job.
   What the app does is uploads all of your music to a "cloud" (very similar to Apple's Me account), and from there, your iPhone can connect to this cloud to access all of your music, from ANYWHERE! That's right, it does not just do it over wifi, but also through the cellular network of your phone. That is a really powerful ability.
   The only extra step you need to take other than just download the app on your phone is to download the free software available on their website. The only real problems I foresee is that for your phone to connect with the cloud, the computer the music is coming from needs to be on and have the software running. This would be no problem for a desktop computer, but for a laptop, that is almost impossible. It's $3.99 in the AppStore, which is a little steep, but might be worth it to some users.

Current Temperature

2009-08-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a pretty cool app for you guys who like always knowing the temperature of you location. This app is called Current Temperature and is available in the App Store! Basically you start up the app, plug in your current location either by zip code or city and a list of stats will pop up on the screen. You can also search your exact location through the satellite. Once you have done that, close the app and a little badge will display the temperature on this app icon. The app pushes and updates your badge every hour. My only complaint is that: I wish this app had a choice to push more often than every hour. Other than that, its a great app and I really recommend it if you love knowing the temperature all the time. Check it out in the App Store today for $0.99!

Sportacular Update: (now includes push)

2009-08-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hey All! As promised, here is the review of Sportacular with the new update. This new update has a couple new features but the one I really want to highlight is the push notifications for sports scores! Prior to thisupdate, I had been using SportsTap, which is a great app for push notification but I didnt like the user interface all that much. Now Sportacular has come out with an update that includes push! In this update you are able to choose from all the sports that my previous review mentioned. You can have pushes sent to you: whenever the game starts, at the end of each inning, at a score change, lead change, and the final score! Right after I downloaded the update, this became my full time sports scores/news/schedule app. I got rid of SportsTap. Check out this app today! There is both a FREE version and a PRO version for $1.99.

Juice

2009-08-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here is another battery app! This one does the exact same thing as the other battery app that I reviewed. This one is called Juice. This battery has the same features regarding how the battery is read where that it decreases in 5% increments becasue that is the only way developers are allowed to access the battery via a 3rd party app. Apple doesnt allow developers the exact statistics of the battery. A really cool thing about this app is that there are tons of choices as to what you want the battery to look like: whether it be different neon batteries, or a glass of soda or beer. Check it out in the App Store today. It's $0.99. It may seem a little steep, but if you want some choices in the style of the battery, then this app is right for you!

PhotoFunia

2009-08-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of our favorite kinds of apps. PhotoFunia a photo editing app that allows you to place most photos into over 100 templates and effects. This app is really impressive because it takes a photo of your selection, and adjusts it as need to place it into a template. You don't need to do anything. No adjusting, cropping, selecting, etc. to be done by you. The app does all of that on its own. What makes the app even better is that it is ABSOLUTELY FREE! I cannot believe a free app has this much to offer. I'd run to the AppStore and download this app now before the developers realize that they have a gold mine on their hands and could easily start charging $1.99 for this app. Get it today!

iPhone Stylus

2009-08-15T15:12:00.001-07:00

These things came out shortly after the release of the original iPhone, and I have been dying to try once ever since. Silly silly me. These styluses boast that they function due to what they call "electron transfer". That's really it for their descriptions. Basically, it's magic. I wish I could offer more insight to how this works, and I am throwing around the word "works" very loosely, but alas, I cannot. The only reason I purchased one of these is because I found one cheap enough on Amazon that if it didn't function, it wouldn't hurt my feelings.

From the moment I tried to use this, I realized that this is far from being a real stylus. I tried sliding the unlock button using about as much pressure as I would with a regular stylus, but nothing. Several swipes later, I realized that I basically had to jab the stylus at the screen to

get it to work. Vince's first words when trying it were, "This crap doesn't work!". I couldn't agree more.

Using the agility of a master clock maker, I managed to unlock the phone using the stylus. Next came the issue of selecting an app. A simple tap was not sufficient enough, far from it. Then came the aimless stabbing at the phone, but still nothing. Finally, I realized that I had to "roll" the rubber end of the stylus over and app to get it to select it. Not very effective, but it "worked".

Using the keyboard was just as unnerving. More strange rolling to select a letter, and even then, it was not always accurate. The typing speed decreases by so much it physically hurt my body and mind.

Alas, here comes it's final flaw. The rubber tip leaves some kind of strange residue all over the screen. It's nothing that a little wipe across the shirt won't fix, but who really wants to use a product that leaves gunk on another device?

I will give the stylus this, it does look good. It actually looks like it might actually be manufactured with a legitimate design. It also functions pretty easily on my MacBook Pro's trackpad, albeit, it still leaves a gray residue.

To sum it up, just stay away from these products. If the iPhone was intended to be used with a stylus, and not our fingers, Apple would have made the phone that way. But it's not. The iPhone's screen is very intuitive and intelligent, even for those with big fingers. Just stick to the original. Believe me, you'd regret purchasing this with actual American dollars.

Flight of the Hamsters

2009-08-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

A pretty cool game that reminds me alot of Kitty Cannon. This version has to do with hamsters! This game is called Flight of the Hamsters. Your hamster will be set up on a spring board. There will be a little meter in the top left that has a slider. It will move up and down pretty quickly. Your goal is to tap the meter when it gets right in the middle or a little above. While your hamster is in the air tap or tilt your iPhone to make your hamster float in the air. I think this feature is a little weak and its not executed perfectly. While in the air try and catch the items. They help you progress through the level. It is a really fun game for the iPhone, but dont take my word for it. Check it out in the App Store today for $0.99! :D

iGlowStick

2009-08-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a pretty cool app I found! It is called iGlowStick. Basically you break the little clear tube by sliding your finger to the side and watching the stick bend in the middle. (Just like a real glow stick). From here the stick will begin to glow in the middle. Now begin the shaking! Shake your iPhone to get the whole glow stick to light up. Once it is lit up you can use the glow stick as a flashlight. This is a really cool feature and works very well if you use the orange or yellow glow stick. Check it out in the App Store today! It is FREE. :D

SpinArt (Updated)

2009-08-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am doing a review on SpinArt's new update. They basically took care of all my complaints from my original review. You can now upload your own photos to add a little effect to them. There is also the option to make the canvas all one color rather than having to color the whole thing yourself. I like to believe they made these changes simply because I listed them in my review...I can dream can't I? Go check out this app. Really entertaining to play with. $.99 in the AppStore.

CubicMan

2009-08-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

This is another clone of popular online game of a different name. CubicMan is a puzzle game and could very well be one of my top five favorite iPhone games of all time. The object is to move the rectangular prism around using swipes across the screen to get it to stand up straight on top of the goal square. The prism rolls around, so you have to be careful to not let it roll off the maze. It takes alot of patience sometimes to find just the right moves that need to be done in order to get through the maze. This game is perfect for either short plays when waiting to do something or longer play when you need something to do. Versatile games are my favorite. This most definitely not one of those games that you feel buyer's remorse for purchasing. It's worth it. There are two versions: The Deluxe Version for $2.99 and has 100 levels and a Lite Version which only has the first 10 levels to try it out. I highly recommend this game. It will always be in my top five hall of fame.

Speck featured our blog again!

2009-08-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Speck, the heaven-sent case company, has featured one of our reviews on their website again! This time for our review on the Speck AftPack. This is seriously a really fun and down-to-earth company. Please go check them out at their website!

20Q Mind Reader

2009-08-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Many of us played 20 questions as kids, and then there was the electronic version that could guess almost anything you were thinking (so long as it was appropriate...believe me, I've tried). 20Q Mind Reader is a clone of the popular electronic toy. The new user interface is a little interesting, but nonetheless, intuitive. It's a really basic and fun game. There are two versions, a free one and a $2.99 version. The "premium" version includes four other mind games to play, whole the lite version is just the original 20Q most people are looking for. Go check it out.

Facebook PixSter

2009-08-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

The current Facebook app is fine and all, except that it can't upload photos, and it is pretty janky (in my opinion). Facebook PixSter seeks to solve the janky problems of uploading photos and updating your Facebook status. The user interface is really simple and easy to use (as ALL ui should be). When you open the app, you are greeted with a screen that works very much like starting a PowerPoint. "Tap here to add a picture" "Tap here to add a caption". Very easy to use. And when selecting a photo, you have the option to preview the photo first rather than just tapping the thumbnail you think might be your picture. This app also allows you to update your status seamlessly while at the same time posting a link to your current location using your iPhone's GPS. Really snazzy. It is currently $.99 in the AppStore. If you are an avid user of Facebook, then this app is a must for you!

reQall

2009-08-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of To-Do apps in the AppStore, but not too many of them are this organized and well thought out. ReQall allows you to organize all of your tasks in very easy to find ways. Simply by placing certain words in the task description, reQall will place the task in it's appropriate category. Another great feature is the voice-to-text ability. When you add a new task, you are given the option of either typing out the task, or speaking it and letting reQuall's voice-recognition software decipher your words and write it out for you. I have played with it a little bit, and it seems to work pretty well so long as you speak fairly loud and clearly. The really exciting part of this app is the ability to use push notifications! But don't get your hopes up. Just like a couple of other apps in the AppStore, in order to use the push notifications, the company is requesting that you open a payed reQallaccount for $25 a year. That seems just a tad bit ridiculous for me. In the meantime, I'm desperately waiting for any To-Do app that has FREE push notification. Nonetheless, reQall is free in the AppStore. Check it out!

Let's Golf!

2009-08-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

And here is post number 2 or 2 for my trip to Pismo Beach with @mhelvey. Day number 2 of our trip will be spent on the golf course. I thought it would be cool to review a golf game app that I have always wanted but never really had a reason to get. (I still don't really have a reason to get it), nevertheless, I am getting the game and about to review it. This game, created by Gameloft is called Let's Golf!. Let's Golf is just like Hot Shots Golf, the game for your gaming system: the PS3 or Xbox 360. This game has 63 holes of golf among the 4 courses featured in the game. The courses include: the Fiji Beach, the American Mountains, the English Countryside, and finally the Scottish Lochs. In addition to 4 courses, there are 4 different characters you can choose to play as, with each one having different strengths and weaknesses. You are also able to customize stats and their clothing. You are able to play this game through Wi-Fi with a friend who has an iPhone and the same game. Another really cool feature is that you can spin the ball while its in the air to try and influence where it lands. This was a feature first included in Tiger Woods PGA Tour for the home systems.The game play/user experience for this app is incredible. It is super easy to play with some taps of the finger. It has pretty good graphics and the game play is smooth. If you really like golf and golf games, check it out in the App Store today! :D

Xtreme Quad Racing

2009-08-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

In honor of me and @mhelvey taking a final trip to Pismo Beach before I head off to CU Boulder, I have decided to write a trip-themed post. At Pismo Beach we are going to do some golfing and ATVing. First I am going to review an ATV game app for the iPhone. This game is called Xtreme Quad Racing. Just like the name suggests, this is a racing game performed on quads or ATV (all-terrain vehicles). This game has 5 courses and each course must be raced faster than the CPU for you to win the game. There are 4 different ATVs you can ride. Each one having different vitals and different strengths and weaknesses. Another good part of this game is that there is a 1st person view as well as a 3rd person view. Good stuff. Now on to the user experience/game play. Its bad. Just flat out bad. You play the game in landscape mode, but it definitely doesnt seem like it. I had to turn my iPhone until it was almost vertical. By then I could not even see where I was going. The accelerometer seems very delayed/not working for this app. Its $2.99 in the App Store, and totally NOT worth it. But if you want to find out for yourself check it out in the app store today! :D

Lightsaber Unleashed

2009-08-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I too have stood in front of the mirror with my plastic light saber that flashes lights, makes noises, and is telescoping. (ok, maybe I didnt really do this, but I really wanted to. I never got one of the cool lightsabers that did all those cool things. : /) Then came along the iPhone, and then this cool app, called Lightsab er Unleashed! Right when I got my iPhone on Christmas, this was one of the first apps I got, for a couple of reasons: I thought Star Wars was awesomely cool and whats better than a lightsaber that makes noises?! There are a few choices you can make regarding your lightsaber. You can be Darth Vader, Rahm Kota, Maris Brood, The Apprentice, Shaak Ti, or you can create your own character. Once you have chosen your character from the selection screen, tap your saber and it will make the whole screen that colored lightsaber. From here, have fun! Swing your saber around(it makes noises). Pretend you are fighting off bad guys and for even more fun, battle a friend. Check it out for FREE in the App Store today! :D

Harbor Master Ep 4 -- Pocket God Attacks

2009-08-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hey all! New Harbor Master update!! Check out my previous Harbor Master review here. This one incorporates Pocket God, the game where you choose how to control your pygmies in the tropical oasis. Check out my Pocket God review here. So basically, open up your Harbor Master app. Hold your finger on the "Harbor Master" logo/words at the top of the screen for three seconds. After that, a little pygmy will fall from the sky. Continue to a level and begin playing. You will soon notice that some of the boats are shaped and look like the pygmies from Pocket God. They carry cargo just like the normal boats, which you will still see throughout the level. This is basically the extent of the update. Its cool to have these two companies integrate parts of each others apps into each others updates. Check it out for yourself. It is $0.99 in the App Store, and just remember, all updates are FREE! :D

Speck AftPack

2009-08-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is not really iPhone related, but it's still really awesome. Well, college is starting soon, and I needed a new backpack to replace my North Face backpack (it reminded me too much of high school). And being such a huge fan of Speck, I couldn't think of a better backpack than the Speck AftPack. Seriously, I have never been disappointed by Speck, and this bag is no exception.

My favorite feature has to be the multiple array of pockets. There is a total of 14 pockets with multiple ways to get into a few of them. The case is made of nylon and plush insides to protect your computer. There are two styles: Coffee House Brown (shown) and a Black Pinstripe. There is no doubt that I will be able to hold everything I need in my bag. Instead

of just throwing things into my bag and hoping I

will find them later, there is a pocket for everything I need. Keys, iPod/iPhone, laptop, books,

folders, water-bottle, etc.

There are two main pockets in this bag. First being the front pocket that has room for folders, keys, pens, and other little nick-nacks. This part of the bag is sealed with both velcro and a plastic clip for extra security. Next, there is the main pouch that is meant

to hold books and a laptop of up to 17 inches. At the top of this section, there is also a pouch

that looks like it is meant to hold an MP3 player since it has an opening that leads out of the bag for headphones. In the very back of this main section, you will find a plush covered wall that has a velcro strap at the top that reveals a pocket for holding one's laptop. This casing is very thick and cushioned. No doubt that this would protect my brand new MacBook Pro with no problem. Now, having a pocket in the back of a backpack meant for a laptop is nothing new, but what is new is Speck's unique feature for easier removal of the laptop. Often times what can happen is that you have placed your laptop in the special pouch, then shove a bunch of books in the front of the compartment, then making it almost impossible to remove the laptop without removing all the books. Speck has found a solution almost too simple to believe. Flip the bag around, and there on the back of the bag there is a zipper that when un-zipped reveals a "secret" way to gain access to your computer. A very handy and useful feature it is!

The straps to the bag are very sturdy and have plenty of cushion on them for both your shoulders and your back. The bottom of the bag has four rubber feet that keep the bottom of

the bag from touching the ground.

This bag is sharp! It runs for $99.95 from Speck's website, but is very worth it. This bag has it all and looks great while it does it. And if that's not enough to convince you, well, this bag perfectly matches your Speck Fitted Case. So go out today and buy this bag from Speck. They are an awesome company with incredible customer service!!! Long live Speck Products!!!

Pandora

2009-08-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

Pandora.com is one of the web's most popular sites because it's free streaming internet radio works wonders and allows you to search for music similar to a particular artist or song. Now, Pandora has an app in the AppStore that works as a mobile version of their awesome website. You can fine-tune your stations so that they only play music that you want to hear (what a concept!). It also syncs with your online Pandora account so that you don't have to worry having two different Pandora accounts with two different stations. Really awesome app that runs really smoothly. Go get it! It's free in the AppStore.

Pocket God - Episode 23: Bait Master

2009-08-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

Just today a new update for Pocket God came out!! This one is really fun and will remind you of a similar game called Harbor Master. This update added a new mini-game that is accessed by swiping your finger along the bottom of the screen(in the water). This will create a tidal wave and all of your pygmies will be plopped into the deep, dark ocean. From there, just tap the anchor at the bottom right of your screen. Pick it up and drop it back down into the sand to begin the mini-game!
The piranhas will now begin to swim across the screen. Tap and drag a path for each of your piranhas. Lead them to a pygmy and allow the piranha to eat him. And then carefully guide the piranha off the screen, making sure they do not bump into another piranha and start a fight. This would cause the game to be over. Keep in mind that each piranha can only eat one pygmy per swim across the screen, so beware, and use your Harbor Master skills to get a high score in this fun mini-game! :D Check out Pocket God in the App Store today! Its only $0.99 and all updates are FREE.

Touch Physics

2009-08-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

Another physics based game. I have such an unhealthy love affair with these types of games. Many of you may remember the popular computer game Crayon Physics, well it seems only natural that this type of game come to the iPhone, and while the makers of Crayon Physics were working on other things, Touch Physics swooped in with their own version of the game. There currently is a Crayon Physics game in the AppStore, but Touch Physics is the cheaper version of it. The point of the game is to get the object down to the goal area by drawing shapes to move the object. It's a really fun game all together, but when you compare it to the original Crayon Physics, a part of it feels like a cheap bastardization of the popular computer game. It all depends on what you're will to pay for this type of game. You can either pay $4.99 for the original Crayon Physics or $1.99 for Touch Physics. My recommendation? Try out Crayon Physics online and download the lite version of Touch Physics to see which you like more.

TuneWiki

2009-08-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

You're jamming out to a song, but here comes that part of the song where you have no idea what on earth the artist is saying. And what a pain it is to have to google the lyrics and find a website that shows you the lyrics without bombarding you with offers for free ringtone versions of that song. Is there nothing more frustrating? Well, TuneWiki attempts to solve that issue. "What does it do?" you ask? Oh, well I'll tell you. Open the app, and you'll notice that all of your music is there in the app for your listening pleasure. Play a song, and what appears at the bottom but a really handy set of lyrics for that song! Hallelujah! So far I have not found a single song in my library that does not have lyrics available. The app also doubles as a decent radio streamer. As well as an awesome feature that automatically searches YouTube.com for videos of whatever song you're listening to. Those are the good things, now for the not so good things. The lyrics, while they are very useful to have there, they do not scroll up with the music, you have to continuously tap the icon to make it move up to see the next line. While not a huge problem (since timing the lyrics for every single song would be impossible), it is a bit of a pain. Another problem is that the radio, while it works, offers no way of really searching for specific stations. You are given the option to look at genres and the top played stations. It also does not appear that the radio stations offer lyrics. And the final downfall would be the speed of the app. It could be because of my massive music library, but the app has a lag like no other. You really must be patient with this fickle app. A future update could possibly solve this issue, provided there is one. But hey! It's a free app that shows you the lyrics of all the songs already in your music library. Not half bad! :)

Boulder CO College Sports Fan

2009-08-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a great app for fans of CU Boulder! Woo! And yes, I do realize this doesn't apply to too many people checking out my blog. Lucky for you the developer created this exact same app for a number of college sports powerhouses. They include: The Arkansas Razorbacks, The Texas Longhorns, The Ohio State Buckeyes, The Oklahoma Sooners, The Texas Tech Red Raide rs, The Tennessee Volunteers, The Nebraska Cornhuskers, The Alabama Cr imson Tide, The Michigan Wolverines, The Florida Gators, The Notre Dame Fi ghtn' Irish, The Kansas Jayhawks, and The Oklahoma State Cowboys. Thats all of them, phewff! This app is great for the college student, hardcore fan, or even the casual one. Keep up on your college sports scores and news from your favorite college team. The app delivers top news from your school as well as news and scores for all the sports your school offers. CU Boulder offers Football, Men's Basketball, Woman's Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Men's Golf, Woman's Golf, Tennis, Skiing, Track and Field, and XCountry. Check it out in the App Store today! It is $0.99 and totally worth it! :D

Parachute Panic

2009-08-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

If you are a fan of Moon Drop, you will for sure enjoy this one. Parachute Panic(ParaPanic) received an award for Editor's Choice from Italia Mac. Pretty cool if you ask me! This game has beautifully hand drawn graphics and movements. The point of this game is to successfully land parachuters onto moving boats. Be aware of the obstacles: the UFO's, helicopters, sharks and thunder clouds.
How to Play: Every so often a man will jump from the moving plane along the top of the screen. Tap him to deploy his parachute. From here you have complete control over where he lands whether this is in a boat or into an awaiting sharks' jaws. While in the game, to get rid of these obstacles you have to tap the culprit 5x. To get your parachuter to land in a different spot, swipe your finger from the top of the character to the bottom of him to create a little wind and push him in the direction in which you wish to see him go. You can do this with multiple parachuters at once. If you are really a fan of Moon Drop, check it out! :D It is a fun game and worth the $0.99, in my opinion. Check it out in the App Store today.

Moon Drop

2009-08-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

By the same people who brought you Scoops, here comes Moon Drop. The object of the game is to use your finger to control the decent of tiny spaceships so that they land softly on the moon's surface (bonus points for making it into the targeted space). You do so by touching the screen to negatively affect the ship's projection system. It's a little hard to describe because what happens is when you touch the screen, the ship's burner starts to go, which slows down the decent, but it also effects the direction it starts to go. Example: you touch to the right of the ship, it will move away from your finger and to the left. I have never been a fan of these kinds of games, too much hand-eye-coordination for me. The game runs smoothly and looks great, and it begins to get difficult as it adds more ships each round. If you are into this sort of thing, the $.99 will be well-spent, but if not, don't bother.

Chess with Friends

2009-08-02T10:36:00.001-07:00

What could be better than playing chess with a friend? How about playing chess with a friend on the other side of the country? Well, that's exactly what Chess with Friends allows you to do. You can play with anyone in the world over the internet so long as they have an iPhone and this app. And you don't have to play all in one game. Through the game's settings, you can set it up so that you will receive a text message every time your opponent makes a move. So you can make a move, close the app, then several hours later, receive a message that says your opponent made a move and now you can just go back to the app and make your next move. The graphics for this game look pretty decent considering it is a free game in the AppStore. And you do not necessarily have to play with a friend. You can also play against anyone that the game pairs you up with. Overall, it's a really fun game and makes it really easy to connect with your friends.

The Price is Right

2009-08-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Come on down! How often I have thought to myself, "I could totally play The Price is Right and win in no time", well here's my chance, and yours, too! The Price is Right (PIR) game found in the AppStore is the mobile version of the popular, and longest running, game show on television. I have to start by saying that this game looks sharp. The makers very easily could have given us some cheap flash-based version of this game, but they definitely spent some time and effort in developing this game. The visuals very much remind me of the Sims. The game runs in several rounds. First you play in Contestants Row to guess the price of the item they show you. If your guess is the closest, then you move one, if your guess is wrong, you get one "X" on your score card (you can get 3 "Xs" before the game is over) but you still continue through to the next round. In the next round, you play one of the classic PIR games (Plinko, Hi Lo, Pass the Buck, etc.). Whether you win any money here or not does not give you an "X" on your score card. The next round is the Showcase Showdown where you get to spin the Big Wheel. Get closest to $1 without going over and you win. If you lose at this round you do get an "X". From there, you play another classic PIR game, with no "X"s. Then you get to bid on the showcase. If your bid is closest to the actual price of your showcase, then you win! Get it wrong, then you get an "X". In all, this game is extremely entertaining, especially if you are a huge fan of the show (like I am). Albeit there is no Bob Barker to greet you, there is a voice that talks to you during the game that acts like the host. This game is currently $.99 in the AppStore, but for a limited time! So come on down and download this app today!

Crazy Machines

2009-08-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

I love physic-based games, so naturally, Crazy Machines is right up my alley simply because it's a physic-based game that I can take with me. The object is to create a Rube Goldberg machine out of the given materials to make something happen. The most common scenario is to get the bowling ball to the goal area. Not only is this game fun, but it's challenging and a really fun puzzle. This is most definitely one of those games that will provide hours of brain-teasing exercises. Because there are multiple solutions for each level, this game really makes you use your brain and think about how you are going to make something happen. It really helps build problem solving skills while entertaining you at the same time. The graphics are very clean-cut and look fantabulous (fantastic and fabulous). The menu loading time takes a little longer than I would like, but that is no where near enough to make me regret this purchase. Currently $2.99 in the AppStore. Go get it now!!!

Seek 'n Spell

2009-08-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gee, I wish there was some sort of game that combines Wurdle and good old fashion tag"? Well, your prayers have been answered. Seek 'n Spell is a fun game that uses your actual GPS location to plant letters throughout your area that you then have to run to while holding your phone so that you can collect letters then spell things with your letters to gain points. And the best part? You can play with any other iPhone owner who has the app. Vince and I tried this out at a park a few weeks ago, and to be honest, while it was fun, it was also difficult because the GPS was not quite as quick as we were, so we were constantly running in the wrong direction before we realized where the letter actually was. But once you get the hang of it, this game can be loads of fun. My plan is to get a bunch of iPhone owners together to play a massive (dare I call it epic) game of Seek 'n Spell. $2.99 seems like a really steep price until you realize how impressive this app is. It uses your actual GPS location!!! Am I the only one who thinks that this is the coolest thing ever??? The AppStore could really use more apps like this; Apps that use more of the iPhone's special extras to make for a really awesome experience. That's why we all bought these phones to begin with, right?

SpinArt

2009-08-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

I may be speaking for the both of us, but Vince and I have an obsession with these kinds of artsy apps. Both Colorsplash and Pano tickled our fancies in ways we can't even begin to describe. SpinArt really should be no exception. It does exactly what the title suggests. It is a replica of the cheesy spinart that you can do at art fairs and the county festival. The fun part is the no mess and the fact this it uses the iPhone's intuitive multi-touch interface to work. Start with a blank canvas, give it a spin with your finger, then select your colors and drag your finger across the screen. Before you know it, you're creating works of art that someone beside just your mother would be willing to hang on their refrigerator. The sheer fact that this app isn't glitchy or laggy makes it worth $.99, but then you realize you're having fun and it becomes one of your favorite apps. It's a great way to spend a couple of minutes. I've been playing with it for 30 minutes, and show no signs of really getting that bored with it. I would like to see the option to upload your own photos from your phone into the canvas, but other than that, it's a really fun app that you should download immediately if you enjoy these kinds of apps.

iDork

2009-08-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

This game really speaks to my inner dork. iDork is fun, but I can't help but compare it to Trace. They both are stick figures trying to make their way across an obstacle course that you have drawn out for them. The only real difference is that Trace came first. Both are done with crude drawings and stick figures. One plus is that iDork has some really nice graphics when compared to Trace. Other than that, there isn't really much to review. If you want to get it, there is a free version and a $.99 version.

Karuki

2009-08-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Oh Karuki. Even the name sounds adorable, and that's exactly what this game is. The object of Karuki is to draw lines that the small little Karuki character will bounce off of and hit the various jewels. You have to gather as many jewels and small smiley faces as you can before heading towards the exit door which is usually located near the center of the arena. But that's not all. While collecting all these things, you also have to avoid the skull and cross-bones as well as not letting the Karuki get so low to the ground that he hits the water and drowns. This is another one of those fun games that will hold your attention for a few minutes to pass the time. It is definitely not a game that is intended for you to play for several hours, like Rolando. I have a love hate relationship with these types of games. On one hand, they make standing in line for something bearable, but on the other hand, what happens when you have to stand in line for much longer than the 10 minutes the game can hold your attention? Then you have to keep jumping from mini game to mini game. The AppStore could really use some more games that hold your attention for much longer. With all that said, Karuki is still worth the $.99 it costs.

AstroTilt

2009-08-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a great game for you brick-breaker fans! AstroTilt is a great game for iPhone and iPod fans of all ages. So basically you play by touching the screen at the bottom. There is a joy-stick mode, a two-arrow mode, and a sliding mode. These modes correspond to the gameplay and what slides the paddle left and right. A really cool feature about this game is that if you take your finger off the paddle/screen the game will become paused, and the ball will stop. This is great for if you are multi-tasking and have to take your finger off the iPhone really quick. You will not lose your progress. This is a great game and I really recommend you pick up a copy for the App Store shelves. I literally could not stop playing this game and continually keep picking it up and playing if I get sick of my other games. Check it out in the App Store today! There is a FREE version and a version that costs $1.99.

Line Rider

2009-08-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Your favorite computer internet based game has finally reached the App Store shelves. Line Rider iRide is that game where you have to create a track for the little penguin and his sled. Make your penguin do crazy flips and sled down huge drops. A really cool thing you can do to personalize the course or include a theme is work with the green track which is scenary. Create a jungle oasis or a mountain range. The only reason I have this game is because a friend wanted to play it on my phone, and he offered me $3.00 for it, so I let him buy it. I really lucked out because I actually do play it occasionally. This is a really fun game for the iPhone, but the price of $2.99 seems a little steep to me. Check it out in the App Store today! :D And if you have never heard of line rider, check out the online version first, right here!

Scoops

2009-07-31T23:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a great game for everyone! It's called Scoops! Scoops is another game that uses your iPhone's accelerometer to control the game. Stack your ice cream cone with tons and tons of ice cream. The more you stack the more points you receive. BE AWARE: the more ice cream you stack, the higher it gets, and the more difficult it becomes to stabilize the cone. Try and stack similar colors together for bonus points! Can you stack your cone past the moon and into the solar system? You can also listen to your own music while playing this game on your iPhone.
This is a great game, and have really enjoyed playing it during the seven months or so that I have owned my iPhone. A really cool feature is that there is global scoring to track your progress against the rest of the world. Try out this game and see if you like it. Purchase it in the App Store today for $0.99

AirCurve -- Acoustic Amplifier for iPhone

2009-07-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

I have a pretty neat iPhone gadget for all you guys. Here is is, the AirCurve. It is an amplifier for the speaker on your iPhone. This little gadget has a curved "horn-like" shape built into the dock that projects sound/music/your blaring alarm clock into the room increasing the sound by 10 decibels. Another really cool feature is that the dock and body is clear/see through so that you can appreciate the beautiful design of the amplifier. Another thing this dock offers is a little port so that you can stick your existing iPhone charging cable through the dock in order to charger your phone while the iPhone is on the dock. FYI: THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH THE iPOD TOUCH
@mhelvey bought this device for me for my birthday and have used it ever since! I love it! It really does amplify your music and you can hear the difference. Its great for an alarm clock or music for a party...a quieter party. The only downside, this device will not work with any case on your iPhone. The only "case" it will work with is the ZAGG InvisibleShield. Keep in mind, this amplifier will not compete with or replace your current boombox. But it is a fun device to play with. Check it out here. It's $19.99.

6-in-1 Casino

2009-07-31T22:30:00.000-07:00

~~My Fifth and Final Review from SinCity!!~~

For my last Las Vegas review, I thought I'd go for an app that combines several casino games in one. 6 to be exact. 6-in-1 Casino combines 6 casino games: Baccarat, BlackJack, Roulette, Video Poker, Slots, Casino Wars. Earlier this week, I called the Slots game a crude rendition, but that was before I had ever opened this app. The truth is is that this app is just plain ugly. Just opening it makes me cringe. There isn't much to review since these are just some basic games, but they look hideous. I can hardly believe that I payed $.99 for this monstrocity of an app. I could understand this app's look and feel if it were free, and even then, I'd be upset that I wasted any space on my phone with this app. Don't even search for this app, it will only make you upset. Not worth looking at.

I'd like to thank Vince for all his help this week by posting all my reviews. He's a pretty cool dude!

Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus

2009-07-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

Whats the definition of aplomb? or albeit? what about dubious? Yeah, thought so. Well if you too had the Dictionary.com app, you would know the definition of these words and hundreds of thousand more. It is a very simple app that has both a dictionary and a thesaurus. Along the bottom of the app, there are four buttons: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Recent, and Word of the Day. Tap a button to get to that feature. I personally love Word of the Day. It is great to go to this app and learn a new word. Try and use it all day in your daily life. :D Another really awesome feature is that right next to the search word in the results page, there is a little speaker icon. Tap it and hear a woman pronounce the word to you. Pretty cool feature! This is a great app available in the App Store for FREE! Get your personal dictionary/thesaurus today. Dictionary.com is FREE, you cant go wrong with this one! @JESSRENE told me about this app. Thanks Jessica!

QuadCamera - Multi Shot

2009-07-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Want one of the best photography apps for your iPhone? Then you will have to check out QuadCamera. It is the only multi-shot app in the App Store that is totally worth it. It took an awful long time for the developers to get QuadCamera working with OS 3.0, but it has finally come out! Just two days ago this app hit the App Store, and has had nothing but rave reviews.

When you open up the App, it looks just like your stock camera App, but this one is different.In the bottom right hand corner of the screen there is a little icon that has four neon squares and a status bar. Tap this and it brings up the options menu. Here you can adjust the timer for how long you want in between each shot. The shorter the timer, the quicker the shots are taken. The longer the timer, the more then delay.

Next is the layout option. Do you want to see the pictures come up in 2x2, 4x1, 4x2, or 8x1? Just choose this option with the tap of a finger.

Next down the list is color: you can choose from vivid, dull, grayscale, bright, hi-contrast, and no effect. (Vivid was chose for both these shots, hence why they seem super bright. And yes, my cheeks are naturally bright red :D)

From this menu you can also email the devs(really helpful guys who write very thorough emails, promptly), write a review, get support, and email friends about this wonderful app! We were promised big things in the next update so check it out today! Check out QuadCamera for $1.99 in the App Store.

Check out a couple of pictures I took with this new app in the App Store! :D

Sol Free Solitaire

2009-07-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

~~My Fourth Post from Sin City!!~~

Ok, this one isn't really a casino game, but it is a card game and it's one of my all time favorite iPhone games (I'm sure Vince is going to make fun of me for that). Sol Free Solitaire. What makes this game so great is that for the price of nothing at all, you get a really nice looking game that also comes with several different card games. Those games are: Baker's Game, Baker's Game Easy, Demon, Klondike Deal 1, Klondike Deal 3, and Spiderette. These are all simple soltaire style games with the Klondikes being the version most of us are used to. And if you aren't sure how to play one of the games, this game comes with free and thorough instructions. One of my favorite parts is that this game keeps track of your stats, so it will tell you how many times you have won all together, how many times you've won without using the "Undo" button and so much more. A really powerful app for nothing. The company, Smallware, has five versions of soltaire, all ranging from free to $1.99. The pricier ones feature more games and different themes, but if all you're looking for is a fun soltaire game to play, then Sol Free Soltaire is the game for you.

Speck Features Us On Their Website!

2009-07-30T01:21:00.000-07:00

Guys! Check this out! Speckproducts.com has featured mine and Zack's blog and our Speck case reviews on their website! :D Check them out, and buy some of their cases. Best in the business!

-Speck Fitted case

-Speck Candyshell case Thanks Speck! :D Everybody! Please check out Speck Products at Speckproducts.com

Pano--SF Giants Experience

2009-07-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

My dad and I went to the San Francisco Giants game today and I thought I should purchase the app Zack had previously reviewed. It is called Pano, and here is one of the pictures I took with Pano. If you want to check out Zack's more in depth app review, click here.

This is the view from my seats! Club Level--Section 216. Row H. Seat 5&6.
What happened in the game: Cain threw 9 innings of shutout ball, and got a no decision and the Giants won 1-0.
End of Story. Enjoy my picture!

8bit Games - Flying

2009-07-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

For you old generation gamers(like my parents age) :D, here's a modern game designed like it was made in the 1970's! Even for the kid's, this is a great little game that will keep them entertained for hours. I know I really enjoyed it and could not stop playing it. I personally started off with the FREE 2D version just to see if I liked it, and i really enjoyed that version. It's a super cool Flying game that uses the iPhone's accelerator. All you need to do is tilt the iPhone back and forth to get your little bi-plane to dip and soar. Watch out for the buildings, trees, and other obstacles as you fly through the different levels! This game is brought to you in a very pixely neon, bright green and black. A really great feature the developers added is global rankings and the ability to challenge anyone on your iPhone contacts or any of your friends on Facebook. Check out Flying in the App Store. Get it today for $1.99 and if you want to play a FREE version, there is one in the App Store but it is 2D.

Zynga Live Poker

2009-07-29T00:32:00.000-07:00

~~My Third Post from Sin City!!~~

Ok actual poker fans. If my last review wasn't authentic poker enough for you, then this one will have to be the one for you. Zynga Live Poker or Live Poker, in short, is a portable version of online poker gaming. Albeit, you aren't playing for real money, you do build up a credit within the game. The interface is really crisp and snappy. Lag is something that can really ruin an app, but lag is something Live Poker lacks. It is really nice that you do not have to start a new account with Zynga to play. You can start one if you want to, but you also are given the option to login using your Facebook account. A plus side to that is that it automatically uploads your profile picture from your Facebook to Live Poker. I will give you a warning: this game is really only fun to serious poker players. You definitely have to know what you're doing 100% before you start. There's a free version as well as several different deluxe versions ranging from $.99 to $14.99.

AT&T myWireless Mobile

2009-07-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted to download a new game or make a phone call to a family member or a dear friend but you are afraid you are going to go over your minutes or use too much data on that much needed download for the month? Now there are two things you can do. Go home and make the call or download the game on iTunes, or you can download this AT&T m yWi reless Mobile app and check your data usage and minutes used on the go. You can even pay your phone bill from this app. At the bottom of the app there is a toolbar type feature. On it there are tabs for: Home, Bill Pay, Usage, and Features. This is how you navigate around the app. Before you can use this app though you need to sign up for online/mobile account management at http://www.att.com/mywireless. I have heard a lot of problems about this app, but I have been using it for 7 months or so and never had a problem. I recommend you try it out yourself and see if it works for you. You can't lose! AT&T m yWi reless Mobile is FREE in the App Store and it really helps out any iPhone user! :D

Trace

2009-07-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a great flash game for you guys! Trace is really fun to try and beat in one or two or three or four or five sittings(length of time spent during each sitting varies). I beat the whole game in 184 minutes! It is a simple game with many variations as to how to accomplish the goal.
The goal of the game is to get your little stick person from point A(where you start) to point B(the yellow spikey sun looking object). Dodge the obstacle by drawing lines with your finger on the screen to create a pathway for your little character to walk on. You can erase any pathway you dont want anymore by tapping the eraser and then drawing over the line you already have. To move you use the left and right arrows on the bottom left of the screen. And to jump, tap the triangle on the right side of the screen. This game also offers alot of levels. 600 in all!! There are 6 different worlds with different themes and each world has 100 levels! The worlds include: Paint, Water, Plant, Chalk, Flame, and Space. Lets see how fast you can beat this game! This is a great little game for any Flash or iPhone fan! Check out Trace in the App Store for Free! :D

Bejeweled 2

2009-07-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Now your favorite PC/Mac game now on the iPhone! Pop Cap games has brought you another great title in their collection, Bejeweled 2. This game is very simple to play and provides a ton of fun for many hours. This was actually the game I purchased right before I left SJO airport in route for Denver, Colorado for my first visit to CU Boulder. And boy was this game great. It entertained me the whole flight and kept wanting to play it. My dad liked the game so much, he constantly stole my iPhone just to play it. I think that tells you how great the game really is. We couldn't keep our paws off it.
So, basically the gameplay is exactly the same as the PC/Mac version. The goal is to make big connections by getting three of the same color/gem in a row. The more of the same color/gem in a row, the bigger the excitement and more points you receive. You simply just need to tap one of the gems and line it up with 2 others of the same color. This will start the madness. And if you ever get stuck, and arent sure where to tap next, a little silver, solid arrow flashes above the gem you can move next. It's a great feature that can be toggled on and off.
There are three game modes for Bejeweled 2. The three modes are Classic, Action, and Endless. Classic is the basic mode. You make groupings of three or more and you get points. The points equate to a green progress bar at the bottom, and the more points you get the more the bar fills up until you win the level.
Action mode is almost like Classic. The only difference between Action and Classic is that in Action mode, the progress bar moves both ways. The better you do and more combinations you have the the more the progess bar goes up. If you slack off and start taking too long of trying to fit a gem where it doesnt belong, you lose progress. The game is over when you either beat the level, or you fail.
Endless mode is the third and final mode, and there is no way you can lose. If you run out of options for matches, the game gives you a new board and replaces the gems for you.
I highly reccomend you check out this game in the App Store today. Get Bejeweled 2 for $2.99! I really reccomend it! :D

MotionX Poker Quest

2009-07-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

~~Second Post from Sin City!!~~

I've never been a huge fan of poker games, but MotionX Poker Ques t has got me addicted! (To the game, not gambling...yet...). That's because this is no ordinary poker game. Instead of playing with cards, you roll a set of dice that have numbers and suits on it ranging from the 9 card all the way through the aces. You roll the dice, select which dice you'd like to keep (ex. A one pair) then roll again. You roll a total of three times in order to get the hand you want. There are two ways to roll: wither hit the "Roll" button, or shake the phone. And don't worry if you have no idea how to play poker, because one of my favorite parts of this game is that after each roll, at the bottom of te screen appears an icon that tells you exactly what kind of hand you have available. The graphics look outstanding and the sound effects are crisp and perfect. Two problems I hard are that there seems to be a little bit of a lag between rolling and choosing your dice and the shaking isn't very sensitive at all so you end up looking like a crazy person whenever you want to roll. But with those minor problems aside, this game is most definitiely worth taking a look at. There are quite a few versions of this game. A lite one and two $2.99 versions. I kind of don't want to review the other games I have lined up for this week because that would mean I'd have to stop playing this one!

Dactyl/Dactyl 2

2009-07-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

Very simple game, but super addicting. You can play it forever, always trying to better your high score. Touch the lit bombs on the screen before each individual timer(this timer is not visible)expires and the bomb explodes. The game ends once you touch the background or one of the bombs explode. This game really tests one's hand-eye coordination. Check out Dactyl for FREE in the App Store! And if you really want a challenge, purchase Dactyl 2 for $2.99 in the App Store. This version has more bombs and more levels to play with! :D

Backgrounds

2009-07-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is a very very simple app, with not much to say about it. It is pretty self explanatory. I think it is important to highlight in this blog though, because some people may not have heard of it yet. It is called Backgrounds. As you may have already guessed, this app has nothing but hundreds and hundreds of backgrounds specifically for your iPhone. Some include Artsy, Funny, Cars, Messages, Cute, Movies, Animals, For Guys, For Girls, Valentines Day, Other, Sports and more! It is definitely the best background app, especially because it is FREE. Check out Backgrounds in the App Store today! :D

Ragdoll Blaster

2009-07-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

At first I was a little hesitant to purchase this brand new app just for a review, being as how i am just a college student, with very little money, and no salary for this wonderful blog that Zack and I are putting together. Well, as you can see, I sucked it up, didnt buy food during my lunch break at Big 5 today and now I have a wonderful name app called Ragdoll Blaster!
Just by looking at the app description in the App Store, I could tell I already fell in love with this app. I enjoy playing the apps where physics plays a part in the game play. The point of this game is to shoot the little ragdolls out of the cannon until they hit the red bulls eye. You have as many shots as you need to hit the bulls eye. Just keep in mind, you are competing against yourself and you are trying to hit the target in as few shots as possible. Each level has different obstacles that makes the different levels more and more challenging. This is a great little game for any physics based enthusisat. There is both a Lite(FREE) version and a paid version for $1.99 in the App Store! Check it out and download it today. Even if you don't want to spend the money, download the FREE version and find out what all the hype is about. :D

Waterslide Extreme

2009-07-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is the #1 Purchased (FREE) game in the App Store right now. Waterslide Extreme is the name, and riding water slides in a seated position while grabbing power ups and collectibles is the game! This game is kind of fun. Not my favorite game at all. The controls are finicky and the graphics are fuzzy at best. The rider is difficult to control because all controls are through tilting the iPhone or iPod Touch and making the rider slide side to side.
The things you are collecting reminds me of the Sims game. You need to collect bright green diamonds along the path and the more you collect, the bigger the final bonus is. I really do not have that much to say about this app, other than that I really should not be complaining about it. Why, you ask? Because it is FREE! Check out Waterslide Extreme for yourself in the App Store! :D

iSlots

2009-07-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

~~My First Review from Las Vegas, Nevada~~

iSlots is a slots based game. That's it. I wish I could say there's more to this game, but when you open the app, you are bombarded with a crude rendering of a slot machine. You start of with 100 "credits" which you can start betting. Then, by pressing the "Start" button, the slots begin. The rest is obvious, you either win or lose. There's a $0.99 version but also a free one and it's a good thing it's free because I would have been highly disappointed had I payed any real American dollars for this.

Tipstar

2009-07-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Tipstar is a great little app for computing the tip and bill at the end of a meal out on the town. We all have had the situation where we get the bill and ask around the table, how to figure out the tip. Then everyone pulls out there phones are try to figure it out on one of those silly calculators. Others suggest just double the tax, or just leave your wallet, "That should cover it all!" Tipstar is the app for getting rid of all the guessing and headaches.
Just open up Tipstar. Up will pop the numerical keyboard where you will type in the total amount of the bill. Press continue, and then the Service Quality will come up. There are four options: Excellent (20%), Good(18%), Acceptable(15%) and Other(choose your own %). The next screen will be the "Party Size" and that is where you decide how many people you want to split the bill with. And finally the next screen will show show the Total, the Total with the tip, and then the Grand Total. It also tells you how much each member of the party has to pay, which is great when you are out on the town with a bunch of friends.
Overall I like Tipstar! It is my favorite Tip Calculator and use it religiously. The only thing that I would like to see added to this app is the themes. I think it would be cool to have more skins or colors to go along with the calculator. I know there are all those Tip apps out there that are all fancy and expensive, but this is the perfect app. It does what you want it to do. It does it very well. And it is FREE! Check out Tipstar in the App Store!

Koi Pond

2009-07-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Its always fun to go to the Japanese Garden's and feed the fish, have a picnic, and walk around, but what if it is raining, or you don't leave near San Jose, California? Then boy do the Blimp Pilot's of have an app for you. It is called Koi Pond.
It is a very relaxing app if you ever need to calm down or just watch some beautiful fish swim around on your iPhone screen. It also has some really cool features which allow you to interact with the fish.
-Shake the iPhone to feed the Koi
-Tap the screen and watch all the Koi swim away scared, hiding off the screen and under lilly pads
-Hold your finger on the screen and watch the fish come up and nibble on your finger! You can really feel it
Along with these interactive features, the guys at Blimp Pilots also added some different color schemes for your water: blue, green, brown, and aqua. Along with that, you can choose to have zero Koi, one Koi, two Koi, or five Koi inhabit your Koi Pond. Same goes for the lilly pads. Do you want glassy pond, or a pond filled with greenery and other critters.
In the newest update, noises were added. There are thunder, a hawk cawwing, the sound of the wind, a frog croaking, and insects buzzing. Add them all at once for a tropical oasis. This is a great iPhone app for relaxing and just spending some quality time with your iPhone. I constantly use it and enjoy playing with the Koi fish, poking them, and feeding them. Check out Koi Pond for $0.99 in the App Store! :D

iChalky

2009-07-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ever been sitting in a doctor's office and a pretty cool song with an awesome beat comes on, and you start tapping your foot, and then your fingers, and then all of a sudden you are belting out the song whilst serenading the receptionist? Ya, me too! Well then this fun, quirky app is for you. iChalky is a great app for a little entertainment. He uses the accelerometer in your iPhone to dance the night away to the song Dancing in the Moonlight, by King Harvest, my personal favorite, or any other song your device picks up! :D And he uses the microphone to pick up the song and dance in rhythm to the song.
There are a few added features that were added with the update. Now you can take a picture of anything or anyone and make it the head on your little chalky buddy. It is fun to put your own head on the guy and watch him dance around to your favorite song. You are also able to pin your little guy anywhere on his body. This makes for a lot more fun. Throw him around by shaking your iPhone and watch him snap back to the pin! And also, in the settings you are able to change the sensitivity of the microphone, how springy he is, and how much friction there is between the walls and chalky. This is great for lots of laughs. If you want to check out iChalky, get your copy for $0.99 in the App Store! :D

JellyCar

2009-07-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

This has got to be one of the best iPhone or iPod Touch games I have ever played. @mhelvey brought this game to me attention when I first got my iPhone. In JellyCar, try and drive your squishy car though the squishy worlds as you try and reach the exit of the level. And just so you know, you are being timed! A really cool feature is that you can tap your jellycar and it will grow bigger to assist you in getting pass obstacles with large openings or if you want to go quickly over little bumps.
This game is played through the iPhone/iPod Touch's accelerometer by using simple tap and tilt combinations. This game also features 28 different levels that span 3 difficulties: easy, medium, and hard. Try and build your way up until you are able to conquer the worlds easily. I am warning you, this game is not easy, but its fun and challenging.
This game was voted as the 2008 Best Kids Game in the Best App Awards. Try it out yourselves and let us know what you think of this great game for all ages! :D Get JellyCar for FREE in the App Store today! :D

Rope N' Fly

2009-07-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

We have all wanted to fly through the air like Spiderman, and now there is an app for that too! It is called Rope N' Fly. It is a game that uses a variety of finger touches and the iPhone or iPod Touch's accelerometer. The user interface is very basic with the home screen only having three options: Play, Options, and Help.
If you tap Play you will be taken to a screen that shows all the different game modes. There is endless play, which is a neverending city. See how far you can swing! And there is also a 30 second timed level, which tests your ability to swing fluently and launch yourself the furthest the quickest.
I love that the developer decided to make a lite version and a paid version. This really allows the iPhone user to play with the game, and test it out before he or she decides to purchase it.
Personally, the more I play the game, the more I enjoy it. It is hard to play at first, and it takes a little bit of getting used to to get the swinging down.
I really reccommend this game to all fans that love playing games on his or her iPhone. Definetely check out the Lite version first, and if you love it that much! Get the paid verision of Rope N' Fly for $0.99 in the App Store! :D

Harbor Master Ep 3 -- Smugglers' Reef

2009-07-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Matey! Arrgg. Welcome aboard the ZV Enterprise. Arrg, Hopper, swab the poop deck, or ye will walk the plank! I have taken over this here vessel and claimed it for the pirates of the high open watarss. It was on route to the orange dock but I here nabbed it right before they reached the dock. Last update had me and me boys hijackin' ships, and now this one has a whole new twist...Hey it's Vince, im back. Just got untied from the sail. They were holdin' me captive until i gave them $0.99 for this app. Guess they lost it in the high waters.
Just wanted to do a quick review on Harbor Master's newest update! It is Smugglers' Reef. This game is created by Imangi Studios and they crank out updates every few weeks or so, with each one being better than the previous. And this one did not disappoint.
In this update the developers created a whole new map for the players to play on. It is called Smugglers' Reef and it has a whole new task at hand. Getting the boats to each dock is still the goal. But the trick this time is that each boat may be carrying a package for each dock. The two dock colors are purple and orange. This added feature makes this game alot more challenging. FYI: It does not matter which shipment you drop off first. Good luck with this new update! Hope you enjoy this Booty! Pick it up in the App Store for a shiny $0.99. All updates are free! : D

iSoda

2009-07-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Imagine this scenario: You are sitting around at a party, people keep going to the cooler getting drinks, and bringing it back to your little circle where you are all talking about having a great time. You decide you need something to quench your thirst after all the dancing you have been doing. You unlock your iPhone, tap an app you were looking for and start downing 12oz of soda right from your phone! People start staring at you and soon enough you are the life of the party! Now, of course it doesnt quite work like that, but you will turn some heads when people around see you pop open a can of iSoda.
iSoda is one of those fun apps, but they definitely get old after a while. A few updates have tried to cure this, but only by adding new "flavors"/drinks and some new features.
Some of the new drinks include: Cola, Lime, Water, Energy, and Mouthwash.Each drink is a different color.
Some of the features include, a toggle for drink noise, which is a belch, sounds of pouring the glass, an option to refill your glass, make your water fizzy, and a practical joke where it looks like you are actually paying for the drink.
I have owned this game since I have had my iPhone, and it is fun to pull out every once and a while to show people, but it does get old. The price is a little steep for a drink you can't really drink. If you would like you can download iSoda for $2.99 in the App Store. :D

Wallpaper Sticky Notes

2009-07-26T15:20:00.001-07:00

Wallpaper Sticky Notes is one of those apps that you are either going to love or you are going to love hating it. It is a very simple app that does one thing, but it does do it very well. If you have ever wanted to make a to-do list and make it the wallpaper on your iPhone this is a great app just for that. Basically you open up the app and tap in the center of the sticky note. A keyboard will pop up on the screen and this is where you input the text or in my case, a shout out to @manolosavi, the dev for this app.
After you have finished inputting your text, tap the "done" icon and the keyboard will go away. From here you then press and hold for a second, the home button and the hold button at the same time. The screen will flash and this will signal that a screen shot has been taken. From there, go to your photo album and select to use that picture as your wallpaper for your iPhone!
This is a great iphone app if you are super organized like I am and always want to have your to do list on hand. Although I really like the app, I think the price of $0.99 is too much at the moment. I can't wait for some new features to come out in the next update, like new colored tacks, and papers. I would also like to see a feature so that you can change the type of paper you use to different styles. If one or maybe a couple of those were implemented into the app, it would really be worth it! :D Also, maybe another way to sell downloads more is to make the App FREE for different events/promotions.
Check out Wallpaper Sticky Notes in the App Store for $0.99! :D

Keeper

2009-07-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Everyone now days has a facebook, twitter, eBay account, online banking, paypal and it goes on and on. Luckily, I have an app for you that allow you to keep all your passwords and sensitive information all in one place under a master password that opens the whole app.
This app is called Keeper and it is made by Callpod Inc. As you go into the app you are encountered by a log-on screen where you put in your secret password that unlocks the entire app. From there you are able to see all of your inputed data by name.
At the bottom of the app there is a dock which includes: All Records, Recent, Options, and Help
All records has all of the names and passwords you have inputed into the system. In this view they are alphabetical. In the Recents tab you will see all of your same records, but they are now in chronological order with the most recent entry at the top. Options is where you can personalize your app.
With in Options you can enable "Self Destruct" which is a feature that if someone tries getting into this app 5 times unsuccesfully, the app erases, and as long as you have it synced to your computer, all the data will return on a sync.
Lastly, Help is the tab to go to if you get support with any features in the app.
I use this app all the time and I really like it. The best part is that Keeper is Free in the App Store! It is nice to hand someone your iPhone and know that all your important sensative information is safely secured under password with encrypted information. It beats trying to hide this info in the Notes app.

Las Vegas iPhone App Week-Long Extravaganza!

2009-07-26T12:51:00.001-07:00

In honor of me going to Las Vegas for a week, I will be reviewing casino themed apps! I'm going to go through card games, dice games and slots games. Get ready to make a bet! :)

NatsuLion (twitter)

2009-07-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! @slicks brought it to my attention that there is a twitter app for the iphone that i have never heard of, and he uses it! I knew I had to jump on this opportunity to download it and let you all know what I think of it. It is called NatsuLion, created by Takuma Mori.
First off, I like that the developer set some goals that his users are supposed to experience by using his twitter app. They include..

1. be simple, be fast
2. feature icons
3. accommodate twitter light users
4. and be handy for mobile usage

I really like what the app looks like at first use. The icon is a lion, which is pretty cool. The app itself has two themes, a light one, and a darker one. And along the bottom of the app, we have Friends, Mentions, DM, Favorites, and More(Sents, Unreads, and Settings). The app also has a large reload button at the top of each timeline which is great for users with big thumbs.

There are a couple downsides to this app that I noticed right off the bat. You are not able to see a list of your friends/followers, something that other free twitter apps do have. And there was one more feature I thought was greatly lacking from this app, and it was kind of the deal breaker for me. It does not have to ability to tweet a picture, or tweet your location. This app also doesnt have a contacts list like other free apps.

I do like this twitter app for being free, but I think Twitterfon is a better free twitter app that offers all the features NatsuLion is lacking.

iEmoji

2009-07-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

The Japanese have brought us many wonderful inventions throughout history: Sushi, the Noodle Eater's Hair Guard, and emojis. Emojis are very popular in Japan. It is the use of small pictures to add expression and emotion to an electronic message. :) And finally, a company has managed to bring this form of self-expression to the iPhone. iEmoji allows you to go into the international keyboard settings, turn on the "Emoji" ability under the Japanese keyboard, then voila! You now have an extra button on your keyboard that gives you access to tons of emojis that can be used across all apps. One of the best parts is that when you send something (a text, email, tweet, etc) to someone with an iPhone, even if they don't have the app, they will still be able to see the emoji you put in the message. I really don't have any complaints about this app other than that it's biggest downfall is that the emojis can only be seen by other iPhone users. It will not show up on other types of phones and it will not show up on the internet (twiter). It's just fun and awesome and it works. Totally worth the $.99 price tag found in the app store.

Baseball Slugger: Home Run Race 3D

2009-07-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Baseball Slugger is a great home run competition app for the iPhone made by Com2uS! It is a great app for the casual baseball fan or even the intense fan who never leaves his or her seat during a game. The whole point of the game is to hit homeruns, and hit them far!
On the menu screen there are a few options: Play, Settings, Help, About, and More Games. All of these selections lead to more screens where you can mess around with the options to get the game playing how you would like.
I am going to focus on the Play menu. Inside the Play option there are four categories: Matchup, Arcade, Classic, and Training as well as some choices to change your ball player and what he is wearing as well as playing online with another person!
The Matchup is the online feature that pairs you with a person somewhere else in the world who chose the same settings as you. Then the goal of the game is to hit as more homeruns than the other guy. Each homerun gives you more points, and more points allows you to personalize your character even more.
Arcade mode and Classic mode are almost identical. The only difference between the two is how the score is kept. In Aracde mode, you hit homeruns and get points for them, whereas in Classic mode, it is strickly how many you can hit in before reaching 10 outs.
The last mode is Training. This mode allows the player to choose the pitcher style, if he is left handed/right handed, and how fast he throws the ball. I really reccomend you check out this great app called Baseball Slugger! It is $0.99 in the App Store! :D

I Dig It

2009-07-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

How many of you were fans of the popular 1980's video game Dig Dug? Well, I Dig It attempts to replicate that awesome 80's memorabilia in your pocket. Key word: attempts. While this game is really fun on old giant plastic game consoles from a decade wrought with tacky pants and giant hair, it is not nearly as enjoyable when played on a smaller screen with controls that are far too sensitive. The major issue I have is using the controls. As I said, they are far too sensitive. To move the little drilling machine you have to use a joystick-like icon at the bottom of the screen. It seems like a good idea, until you have to move the drill. You soon realize that to make small movements, you need the precision of a master watch-maker. Move the joystick slightly to the left and the drill goes flying across the screen. It gets old, fast. Another problem is that the further you get down in the ground, the smaller your viewing area gets. It's kind of like have a lack of light as you get further down. While this may be part of the game's effects, it is just too difficult to find anything. I was excited about being able to play a Dig Dug wherever I happen to be, but this game most definitely did not satiate this desire. It's $.99 for the full version or free for the lite version, and even that's charging too much...

Epic Twitter App Wars

2009-07-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to RUMBLE?! Up next in the line of postings is the Twitter App Wars! So here's how it is going to work. I am going to review 7 different Twitter Apps for the iPhone. I have had experience with all of these apps I am reviewing and have used each one at one time or another. I now keep them on my iPhone so that if anyone has a question about how a Twitter app works, I can try and help them. I have a whole page dedicated to these apps.

DISCLAIMER: all these twitter reviews were made by me and I have used all of these apps below

And in no particular order...

1. Birdfeed -- To start off, this app is characterized by the brown, wood looking icon that has a little hole for the bird in the shape of a chat bubble. Upon opening the app you will find that you have all your normal twitter app features. A Timeline, Mentions, Direct Messages, Favorites, My Profile, My Tweets, a Search feature, and a View User feature.

Pros:
-Beautiful user interface
-Loads all your tweets quickly
-Simple to use
-Multiple twitter account compatible
-Your timeline is shown as a conversation with all tweets from the people you follow on the left side, and all of your own personal tweets coming from the right side.
-Your tweets and the tweets from others are different colors so that you notice right away which are yours.
-The back button to get from the timeline to the menu page has your twitter name and then a number. This number represents the mentions and DM's you may have.

Cons:
-The only negative thing about this app is that you can not view a list of your followers, or the people you are following. If your followers are a big part of your twitter expirence, this may be hard for you to get used to.
-Also, Birdfeed has not yet allowed Boxcar to work with this twitter app, meaning you can not yet receive push-notifications about your mentions and DM's.
-There is not a contact list
-Uploading pictures seems slow for me.

Overall, this is a great app that I have really enjoyed using. The only downside for me is that push-notifications are not yet usable and picture uploading seems a tad bit slow for my liking. Check out Birdfeed in the App Store for $4.99

2. Tweetie -- Tweetie's icon is two shades of light/sky blue. It has the conversation bubbles, one facing left and the other facing right. This was my first paid twitter app and I could not have been any happier with it! It has a dock type display at the bottom of the app that has selections for Tweets, Mentions, Messages, Favorites, and then More(my profile, go to user, nearby, trends, and search)

Pros:
-Beautiful user interface
-Multiple twitter account compatible
-Very simple to use
-The fastest Twitter app that I have used
-Flawless with uploading pictures
-Some cool color scheme themes
-There are followers and following lists that you can browse and access profiles from
-Realitvely cheap for what it can do at $2.99

Cons:
-No contact list

I LOVE this twitter app. This is definetely one of my favorite ones. It is very clean, nice to look at and very powerful. It does everything you could want your twitter app to do, and it does it effortlessly. Very fast app! Check out Tweetie in the App Store for $2.99

3. SimplyTweet -- This is another very powerful twitter app that I have fallen in love with. The cool thing about this app is that there is a Lite Version as well as a paid version. The only difference between the two is that the paid verison has push notifications inside the app, which is a great feature to have. This is the first app with push notifications that has in app push, meaning you do not need a 3rd party app(Boxcar) to receive push-notifications.

Pros:
-There is both a paid version and a Lite version
-Push notifications!
-There is a badge on the app so that you know you have a mention or a DM, and it remains until you check it. This feature can be toggled on and off in the settings menu.
-This twitter app has some really awesome themes so that you can personalize your twitter
-Followers and people you are following lists
-You can search all of your twitter followers for a specific picture. (ex: baseball) and all baseball pictures will show up on the screen
-You can save searches and tweets you like to RT later
-Something I really like about this app is that you can edit your twitter profile from within the app, it cuts out the middle man of having to go to twitter.com

Cons:
-It seems slower than Birdfeed or Tweetie
-There is a bug that you can not load your followers, mentions, and dm's at the same time or else the app gets slow and potentially crash
-So many features you could get lost in it all, and lose the whole purpose of tweeting

I really like this app and was using it as my default, all the time twitter app until Boxcar came out with an update allowing Twittelator as well as many other twitter apps to incorporate push-notifications. Check out SimplyTweet in the App Store for $4.99

4. iTwitter -- This twitter app is not my favorite. I luckily purchased it for free before the developer made it $2.99 in the App Store.

Pros:
-Very simple to use, very straightforward
-You can view anything in this app in Landscape mode
-Contacts list
-Multiple twitter accounts

Cons:
-Push notifications only works between users both using iTwitter. Kinda defeats the purpose if you ask me. It should not matter which app someone is using.
-Not up to par with the other twitter apps, which are more powerful than this.
-Too expensive at $2.99

Overall, this is a decent twitter app. I do not think it is worth it at $2.99 though. I think this could be a decent app if it was free or maybe $0.99. If you would like, check out iTwitter in the App Store!

5. Tweetdeck -- I had high expectations for this app. At first I used it on my pc and later my macbook pro when I got that. I love the pc/mac versions, but somehow the developers could not make it happen for the iPhone.

Pros:
-FREE
-Syncs with Tweetdeck on your pc/mac
-Cool icon
-It looks very similar to the pc/mac version for easy use between computer and iPhone
-There are three columns (All Friends, Mentions, DM) which are switched by sliding your finger left or right
-You can add colums as well, for instance if you want a column of your favorites or one specific follower you want to make sure you always see his/her tweets
-Very nice dock along the bottom featuring Updates, Refresh, Columns, Mark Seen, More

Cons:
-Can be verrryy slow at times, but for the most part this was fixed through updates.
-The user interface is kind of messy with stuff all over. Seems like an organized mess. :D
-It appears that you can not save a tweet as a draft

I really like Tweetdeck for my mac/pc, but don't really suggest it for the iPhone. Try it out, let me know what you think! It can't hurt! It's FREE and a great app for tweeting if you like syncing it with your computer. Check out Tweetdeck in the App Store!

6. Twitterfon -- This is a great twitter app! The best part about it is that it had both a FREE version and a paid version. This app is well known for supplying 80% of your twitter needs while the paid version for $4.99 will cover all your needs for twitter.

Pros:
-FREE version and a paid version for $4.99
-Brand new update has made the app 2x faster on launch and 1.5x faster in searches and scrolling speed.
-has badges at the bottom of the app displaying numbers representing how many tweets of all, mentions, and dm's you have.
-Contact list

Cons:
-Twitterfon Lite only has 80% of features needed to use twitter]
-You can not choose a profile picture and make it fit the whole screen. No larger profile pics

I actually, suprisingly really like this app and what it can do! If I were you, get Twitterfon for FREE, and then if you like it, splurge and get Twitterfon Pro for $4.99. Also, I have some friends who actually use this app and would be happy to tell you more about it if you ask. @camhe12, @jenjengiles, @jessrene, and @kelbell5616

7. Twittelator -- To start off, this app's icon has a big egg on it. It kind of looks like those malt balls you eat during Easter, yumm! To me, this is the best twitter app of them all! I have been using this for a few weeks now and it is my default twitter app and it looks like it is here to stay. Also, the fact that Boxcar came out with an update that does push-notifications for this app made it all that much better.

Pros:
-This is the most powerful twitter app in the App Store with over 150 features!
-Super fast app
-It has a great feature where you can save drafts and easily access them at a later time, so that you dont feel like you are spamming your followers, if you are having alot of great thoughts or are seeing some great tweets that you would like to RT.
-3 great theme colors to choose from
-Settings are within the app, not in the settings on the iPhone
-There are lots of choices in the settings as to what the interval is for how often the app refreshes.
-The tweets you send are a different color than the ones you receive, all being placed in the feed.
-These are just to name a few..

Cons:
-The only problem I have encountered with this app is that sometime the picture uploader doesnt work right the first time. I get an error, and then it asks for me to choose a new service to upload the picture with. I choose the same service again and then it works. I am sure this has been mentioned to the devs, and is being worked on to be fixed.

This is my favorite twitter app. I love all the features, and I always reccomend it to everyone new to twitter. Check out Twittelator Pro in the App Store for $4.99. It may seem a little steep for some. But if you take into account what this app offers, some could say this app should go for even more!
Thanks for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it. And please do realize I could not mention evert feature in every app out there. But if you would like to see another review of a twitter app i didnt mention, please let me know on this post or at my twitter account, @timbe2

Boxcar -- Twitter Push Notifications

2009-07-25T00:57:00.000-07:00

Finally the update for Boxcar has come out and iPhone users who have been longing for push-notifications for their twitter apps have finally taken a sip of water from the fountain of twitter euphoria.

This push-notification app supports the following twitter apps for the iPhone:
Tweetie, Twitterific, Twittelator, Twitterfon Lite(Twitterfon in the App Store), Twitterfon Pro, and Twinkle. It is believed that it will support Birdfeed once Birdfeed updates their app.

In the setting portion of Boxcar, you see there are many different choices in order to personal the app. Toggle on and off direct messages and mentions. I chose to have both push notifications to me. You can also see that Twittelator is my twitter app of choice. :D And finally, the devs of Boxcar incorporated a way to thank them and make a shout out on your twiter account to them through this icon. Try it out!

This is everything I have asked for, for a developer to create a third party app that allows twitter apps to push notifications to your iPhone. And this app does it verry veryyy well. I have posted some screenshots as well so that you too can see inside of the app before you spend $1.99 for this awesome app. WARNING: this app is not meant to replace any twitter app you already use, it is merely there to enchance your twitter expierence with push-notifications to your iPhone. :D

Incase Slider

2009-07-24T23:48:00.000-07:00

The Incase Slider was the first case I ever bought for my iPhone 3G. I spent several weeks doing all the research in the world on every iPhone case I could find and all signs pointed to the Incase Slider. And now for some reason, I feel so apathetic towards this case that I could barely start this review. I can no longer decide if I really like this case or if I really dislike this case. There are no real problems with the case, but there just isn't enough to it to make it interesting or to leave a lasting impression. What initially drew me to the case was it's simplistic and minimalist design. The matte black finish was exactly what I wished the actual iPhone plastic looked like. But as time went on, I just got bored. There was nothing really special about it. Some good things about the case are the really clean design, the matte black looks really nice, it adds hardly any bulk, and it feels really good in your hand. Some things about this case that erked me are that after some use, the matte finish started to scratch and even peel. It just doesn't seem to adhere to the plastic very well. Another problem is that the claimed ability to absorb shock and drops is so pathetic it hurts. In the pictures you can see that on the inside of the case there are two strips that are slightly darker than the rest of the case. Those two thin strips of rubber are supposed to absorb the shock of dropping your phone! That's it! Just two very thin strips. Lameskies... But putting that aside, this case is actually pretty exceptional when compared to some of the crap offered to protect your phone. If you're just looking for a case that is very simple and stylish, then this is the case for you. It runs for $34.95 on the Incase website, but you could probably find it much cheaper elsewhere because it probably isn't worth that much to begin with.

Camera Zoom

2009-07-24T23:44:00.000-07:00

Camera Zoom is a cool little app for you camera enthusiasts. It really only does one thing though, Zooms in and Zooms out. There is a settings page where you can change the resolution, toggle "tap anywhere to take a picture", toggle "ask to save", toggle the "full screen slider", and also choose where you want the slider to be located: left, bottom, top, or right. You can also tell a friend about this app through an automated email or email the devs to give feedback.
I personally do not like this app all that much and even more that I bought it for $0.99 in the App Store. It's great that there is an app for zooming in and out, but this app seems to distort the image and make it super grainy.
I have posted two pictures along with this app review that show how the pictures turn out when zoomed all the way out and then zoomed all the way in. I chose this object because there are words on it and I was trying to show you how the picture turned out when zoomed in.
If you can, stay away from this app. I don't think it is worth the $0.99 paid for it. I do love the app for what it can do though if it were free, I just dont think it is worth what i paid for it. I will try and find another zoom in and out app to review. :D

iSkin Revo2

2009-07-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

Ok guys, so I just got my new case for my iPhone. The iSkin Revo2. The whole case is made of premium silicone. It is like a big rubber glove that protects my phone really well. This paired with the InvisibleShield that @zjh90 already reviewed is what I have on my phone now. And that stuff people say about silicone being hard to get out of your pocket...what?! (Are you wearing silicone pants, or skinny jeans?) haha.

The Pros:
-Fits like a glove
-Protects all areas of the iPhone, including the silver bezel
-Washable
-I can easily put it in and take it out of my pocket
Sleek, I dont really notice it(im used to having a case on my phone, the Speck Candyshell)
-Covers all ports, with a little silicone flaps
-Grippy, won't fall out of your hand.

The Cons:
-Silicone (i prefer hard cases)
-Attracts a little bit of lint after being in my pocket, but it was nothing I couldnt handle easily
-May be harder for people with big thumbs to tap the space button in SMS.
-The hard removable screen protector seems pointless for any iPhone user who needs to access their phone quickly or is constantly on it.

Overall, this case is amazing for the iPhone, I truly do love it! (i think even more than my Speck Candyshells) The only downsides that I have encounterd is the little bit of pocket lint that sticks to the case and builds up around the screen. I really think you should check out this case though at www.iskin.com for $39.99 or any Apple Store. The only problem with the Apple Store is that none of the 4 stores were in stock and they didnt expect to be getting anymore soon...WEIRD.
And as a last resort, try eBay! Thats where I got mine. $24.99! :D

Sneezies

2009-07-24T22:47:00.001-07:00

Ok guys, Zack seems to be going wild with this blogging thing, but here I am posting about a game I just discovered with the help of friend, @mhelvey.
This app is developed by Retro Dreamer and published by Chillingo Ltd.
"Sneezies is an overload of cuteness!" And this could not be more right. In this colorful app for iPhone users of all ages, the goal is to make the little guys pop by sneezing and spreading sneezes until all the little bubble characters are popped. You simply just tap the screen to sneeze and the little guys start a chain reaction. Try and see how many you can pop in one tap! In the paid version there are 45 levels and in the lite version there are only 6 levels.
I first started off with the lite version thinking that this was going to be one of those games where you have a big nose and you have to blow it with tissues or something, but boy was I wrong. This is a very exciting game and I could not get enough of it. I was so happy with the game that I quickly purchased the full verison for $0.99. I haven't put the game down since. It is a really great game, that I really reccomend you check out. And also, for the parents out there, I think this is a PERFECT game for your little guys. :D

Moonlights

2009-07-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Moonlights is a puzzle game that uses both the accelerometer and your ability to build up structures. The object is to to build up a small structure piece by piece until it reaches the moon and can remain in contact with the moon for 3 seconds. It is very similartomany flash-based physics games one can find all over the internet. Again, this is another fun little game to play when you have 5 or 10 minutes to spare, but probably not any longer than that. The music is nice and relaxing though, so it makes for a good stress-relieving game. $.99 in the App Store. Worth taking a look at, but I suggest looking up some physic-based games and play something similar just to see if you like it at all.

Pano

2009-07-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Pano is another really useful camera app. Pano si short for panorama which is when you take several pictures from a certain point while rotating and then later align all of the photos to create one massive photo. Usually this effect is reserved for actual cameras or special software on a computer, but Pano cuts out the middle man, and does the alignment right inside the app. While this app is very intuitive and easy to use, it also is a very slow app. In between every picture you take, you have to accept or deny the photo to either move on to the next one or take another. This process sometimes takes several seconds, so there is a lot of just sitting there and waiting to be able to take the next photo. Other than that, though, this app is really fun and can create some really cool effects. The $2.99 price tag seems a little steep in my opinion, but nonetheless, a nice app.

Little Runner

2009-07-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Where to start with Little Runner? I know! Why on earth did I spend $.99 for this monstrosity of an iPhone game??? This is not just one of those iPhone games that I just don't like because it's too hard or because I don't like the interface. This is so much more. This is a game that I don't think anyone can play. The precision required to play seems almost impossible to do with just your finger. What happens is that the "Little Runner" begins moving across the screen, and it's your job to raise the little platforms higher and lower so that he can make it across without bumping into anything. And even if you can manage to get anywhere, the game gets entirely too boring to even hold the attention of the most intense platform game lover. Alongside it's clunky gameplay and lagged menus, this app is just plain awful. Don't even waste your time.

ColorSplash

2009-07-24T16:32:00.004-07:00

Oh ColorSplash, by far one of our all time favorite apps. What this app does is take a picture that you either load into the app or take with the app's native camera feature, turn it black and white, and using your finger and various pinching and moving gestures, allows you to select which parts of the picture you want to remain in color. This app not only works, but works well. Its easy, fun and fast. Vince and I have taken so many regular pictures and made them into absolute works of art! Once you get the hang of the controls, navigating around becomes uber easy. At the bottom of the screen there are three icons. The first lets you navigate through the picture, whether its panning the picture or zooming in down to the smallest pixels to get the exact colors you want. The second icon is the color icon. This is used for selecting which parts of the picture you want colored. And the last being the grey icon. This grays any part of the picture you touch. At the top there is a switch that shows you exactly what is colored by making everything that is colored red. Another really useful feature is the ability to save sessions that you are working on, close the app, then be able to come back later and start right where you left off. Everything about this app is simplistic and easy to use. It's just made to work, which is such a rarity in most iPhone apps these days (jeez, I'm an old-timer). $1.99 in the App Store and so worth it.

Speck Fitted Case

2009-07-24T16:32:00.003-07:00

Speck has become one of our favorite cases for our iPhones. Its because their cases are well-made, reliable, and downright awesome! And there's no exception for the Speck Fitted Case. What makes this case special is that rather than being made of plastic or silicone, its plastic with a stylish fabric coating on it. I have to say, this case looks sharp, and even better, Speck's line of backpacks can also match a couple of these cases. How cool is that?!?!

The case is made up of two different pieces (a front and back) that clip together quite securely. It does not create that much

bulk and looks really snazzy. The fitted case feels great in the hands and the fabric adds some really nice grip for your hands, but not any on tables or other hard surfaces. It comes in three really neat designs: Tan Houndstooth, Black and White Plaid, and Black Pinstripe.

Some problems I have run into are that dust most definitely gets into the case, so cleaning it often is a must! And since there are so many crevices in the case's clips, getting dust out becomes extremely cumbersome. Another

problem is that There really isn't any drop protection for this case, unlike the Speck CandyShell

Case (which I have actually

seen bounce back up).

Other than that, though, this case is a fun case to put on every now and then just to keep things interesting, but probably not the best case for long term use. It's $29.95 from the Speck Website.

Speck Candyshell

2009-07-24T14:02:00.001-07:00

The Speck Candyshell, the motherload of iPhone cases. This Speck shell is great! It has a hard outer shell with a soft inner coating. The cases hugs your phone in a really tight fit that makes it almost impossible to take out of the case. The $34.95 package comes with the Speck Candyshell case, a screen protector, a microfiber cloth, and a squeegie for applying the screen protector.
It protects your most prized electronic possession from anything. I have dropped my phone with this case on it from chest heighth and it hit the ground and bounced a couple times. The design of this case really allows any force applied to the case to be spread out. If you look at the sides and corners of the case you will see that the rubber-like material was also added here so that your phone can absorb any impact that it may see.
Although I love this case, there are a few downsides I have noticed while using it for the past 5 months. The case is incredibly difficult to remove from your iphone. You need to push one the top corners or the top back of the case to wedged it out. You may think this would destroy your case, but it will not. The Candyshell is very flexible.
Also, the rubber-like coloring tends to get discolored over time. My Lime and Gray case turned a nasty orange color on the outer rim near where the bezel of the iphone is. And the red on my Red and White case got darker. This is from normal use like putting the phone with the case on in and out of your pocket.
Lastly, the hold button and rocker buttons are not the easiest to press with the rubber-like material covering the buttons. This gets incredibly easy to use after a couple of times with the case on the phone, but it is a little bit of a bother at first. If you would like to check out the case and purchase one for $34.95, please visit. www.speckproducts.com or any Apple Store. Also, I suggest you check out eBay if you would like to find one cheaper. :D

Power Support Anti-Glare vs. Crystal Screen Protectors

2009-07-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

Power Support is an awesome company that makes two of the best screen protectors I can find. I have used both the Anti-Glare Protector and the Crystal Protector extensively, and my goal is to give you a comparison of the two.

Anti-Glare:

Pros

Easy to apply.
Reduces glare from sun, lamps, other light sources (hence it's title).
Greatly reduces the amount os smudges and fingerprints on the screen.
Looks good.
Smooth to the touch.

Cons

That same smoothness might make the screen feel a little cheap.
Lasts about 4 or 5 months before it needs to be replaced.

Crystal Screen

Pros

Looks gorgeous!
Mimics real glass really well in both look and feel.
Also easy to apply.

Cons

Collects smudges and fingerprints just as bad as the actual glass.
Really difficult to see the screen in the sunlight or with direct light on it.

So, there you have it. It all really depends on what you're looking for and what you're willing to sacrifice for protection. You can either go with the Anti-Glare set that reduces smudges so much that you rarely have to clean it but then have a screen that feels very similar

to the touch screens on GPS devices, or you can go with the Crystal Screen that looks like you don't even have any protection on there

, but then have to deal with what seems to be a perpetually dirty screen.

My personal favorite is the Anti-Glare because the feeling of the screen really doesn't bother me and not having to wipe down my screen every 10 minutes is a gift from the gods themselves! They cost $14.95 from the

Apple Store and each comes with two shields inside. If you're going to protect your expensive investment (like you always should) why not do it with something you won't even really notice is there!

Invisible Shield Installation Tips and Review

2009-07-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

So, I purchased the Invisible Shield (IS) a few weeks ago, and appliedit the moment I received them in the mail. There

are two parts of this story, one being the first time I applied the IS, and two being the second time I applied the IS.

Story #1:
I did the installation on my desk. I washed my hands, cleaned the table, did all the little recommendations, and began. Instead of using the Windex idea to apply the IS, I used the solution it

came with. I put on the screen cover, an

d lightly squeegyed (sp?) the bubbles and extra solution.
Then I moved to the back. I literally spent two hours applying the back. It seemed like the corners were never going to stay down. Every time I would put down one of the sides, the whole skin would move, forcing me to reapply it over and over again. After much work and frustration, I finally got the corners to stay.
I let the skins dry for the 48 hours, and went to go look at my shielded iPhone. But to my dismay, the screen could not

have looked worse. The screen appeared to have a look on it very similar to when you get a television screen wet. I let it dry for two more days, but the look never went away.
After about a week of use, I decided to remove the first IS, sent out for a new one and applied the second set of skins.
Story #2:
This time, I decided to apply the IS in a steamy bathroom, as some have suggested. Again I tried using the solution included to apply the IS.
First, I wiped the screen with the micro fiber cloth. Then I cleaned the screen with Windex, then wiped using the micro fiber cloth. I applied the screen cover, but this time, rather than lightly squeggying the screen, I pushed hard. Not so hard as to break the screen, but I really put some pressure on there. I got every last little micro bubble and bit of solution there was underneath that screen cover.

I let the screen dry for ten minutes before applying the back.
I went onto the back. First, I just applied it on the back without worrying about the sides/corners yet. So once I got the back in place, and made sure everything was centered, I let it sit for 15 minutes.
When I came back, I did the sides, then let it sit for 15 minutes. Then I came back, and did the top and bottom, then let it sit for another 15 minutes. Finally, started working on the corners. Do not be discouraged if the corners are not going down, they take a little longer to dry, and do not try to remove the excess solution with your finger or a cloth, just let it air dry or use a blow dryer.
So I finally got all four corners, and then I just let it sit. I let it dry for the two days without touching it at all. When I came back two days later and turned on my iPhone, low and behold! The screen looked amazing, the corners were perfect, and I couldn't even tell that there was anything on the screen.

So, my tips for everyone trying to apply IS:
-Do the application process in a steamy bathroom.
-When squeegying, do it pretty forcefully to remove every bubble and bit of solution.
-Use the solution included.
-When doing the screen part, there is no such thing as too much solution, as long as you squeegy as much of it out from underneath after you have it in place.
-When it comes to the back, there is such thing as too much solution. I used three squirts of solution, then rubbed it around onto all the corners.
-Make sure your hands are EXTREMELY washed.
-HAVE PATIENCE!!!!!

Putting it on is a little bit of a pain, and just incase it's too intense for some people, there are actually Zagg Invisible Shield kiosks in malls that both sell and apply Invisible Shields for a small charge. I know that currently, Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, CA and Oakridge Mall in San Jose, CA both offer this service. Try calling up your local mall and see if they have these kiosks and then ask if they offer this awesome service. It was really helpful when I got an Invisible Shield for my MacBook Pro. There's now way I was about to try and apply one of these to my computer. That would have been a red hot mess!

Now, how do I feel about the actual Invisible Shields, well, it has some really great positives, but also has some big negatives. The good things are that it really is invisible. I can't say it looks incredible because I can't even tell it is there. If it wasn't for the change in the way it makes my phone feel, I would probably never even realize it was there. I really like feeling completely comfortable placing my phone down on a table without worrying about scratching it.

The downslides though are that the screen cover makes it too difficult for me to do any of the gestures required to use the iPhone (but I will say that Vince somehow got used to it). Also there are some cases that cannot accommodate the iPhone if it has an Invisible Shield on it.

With these minute negatives aside, the Invisible Shield is an incredible investment for your iPhone's protection. You can buy just a screen protection for $14.99, a back-only coverage for $18.99, or full body coverage for $25.99. Get them at Zagg's Website. While the price may seem steep, remember that you are also getting a lifetime warrantee that says you can simply send back an invisible shield and receive a brand new one for no charge, all you have to pay for is shipping. That's a great deal by my standards!

Sports Tap

2009-07-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Alright guys! Here is the other sports app I promised you I would review, and this one has push-notifications! It is called (drum roll please....) Sports Tap! For push-notifications all you have to do is go the the little wi-fi looking icon in the app. So far the app only offers push for MLB and the CFL. But this should be expanding with the football season on the horizon.
In addition to push, this app has a really cool feature called localtap. Tap the localtap icon in the app on the bottom right of the screen and you will be shown a screen in which you can break down the search by 50 miles, 100 miles, or 200 miles. This is great if you are new to a city and want to find the nearest sporting event or if you want to head to a college sporting event with the family and you are not which school is the closest.
Like Sportacular, you too can search games by date in this app, going all the way to the beginning of the season. Please check out this app in the App Store. It is FREE. Personally I still use Sportacular as my all the time sports app, but this is a great addition to any sports fan with the much needed and appreciated push-notifications.

Easy Relax

2009-07-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhhh... *Seagulls fly by, the ocean's waves rise and fall at the same pace as your slow and even breath*. Could anything be more relaxing? Well, the actual thing could be, but when you don't live next to the ocean or in the jungles of India, Easy Relax suffices. This is an easy to use app that allows you to listen to the relaxing sounds of the old west, a Hawaiian vacation, a windy autumn afternoon, the jungle, a fishing hole, a rainy day, blossoms from India, or whale songs. You can set a timer ranging from one minute to 24 hours. When I'm not using Alarm Tunes to fall asleep, I use this. Not only can you listen to the stock sounds that come with the app, but you can create your own using all the available sounds. You can mix and match the sounds of the beach with the sounds of a thunderstorm. One of the complaints I have is that once you have made a track of your own, there is no way to go back into the track and adjust something (volume of the birds, or the number of times a cricket makes their noise). Instead, you have to delete your old track and start over again. Its not a huge problem, but it definitely can get annoying. Other than that, this app works really well and provides some realistic noises to fall asleep to. There are two versions: a $.99 version and a $2.99 version which has a few more ambient sounds and icons next to all the noises.

Word Fu

2009-07-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a word-based iPhone game? I know I sure do. For the longest time, I was addicted to Wurdle (a really awesome app!), but then I cam across WordFu. This is one of my most used apps. It's made by the same people who made Rolando, NGMoco, so you know it has to be good! All you have to do is tap the dice with letters on them to spell words and then shake the phone to enter your word. If that sounds too basic, don't worry because it also has bonuses such as a fire round where all your words you enter are doubled and an ice round where it freezes the clock so you can have more time to make words. It is a fast paced game that doesn't get boring. It's $.99 price tag makes it all the more awesome when compared to Wurdle's $1.99 price.

Vlingo

2009-07-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Who out there just doesn't feel like using the iPhone keyboard sometimes? *Raises hand and waves it like he just doesn't care*. Well, here is your solution, sort of. Its called Vlingo and it costs absolutely nothing in the App Store. I can honestly say that this looks like one of those simple little apps that someone spent a lot of time working on. It just plain works.

"What does it do?", you ask??? Well I'll tell you. Using your voice, you can direct the phone to do some really awesome features. Now this does not have all the same features as the Voice Control in the iPhone 3GS, but it does share a few of them. The first feature is the ability to speak and search for places on Google Maps. "Find frozen yogurt in San Francisco", and voila! There you have all the frozen yogurt shops in the San Francisco area! No problems. The next feature is the ability to search Google.com or Yahoo.com. You can also use the app to call people just by speaking their

name. Finally! It's about time... And last, but most certainly not least, this next feature is my favorite. You can speak and Tweet! This app is great for on-the-go tweeting, and its just so gosh darn easy to use! I highly recommend downloading this app for quick and easy shortcuts through your phone.

Now, if you were looking for an app that allows you to speak and text, well this app does not offer that. But there is an app that will in the near future. It's called Shout Out!. The

company, Promptu, promises that you will be able to speak something and then it will be turned into physical text that you can then use to email or sms someone. No one is sure exactly when it will be available, but it's supposed to be out by the end of this quarter. In the meantime, I love using Vlingo. Go download it today!

Sportacular

2009-07-24T02:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a great sports' scores app for the iPhone. It is called Sportacular. It was created by CitizenSports. There are many great features one might be looking for in a sports scores app. This app offers 17 different sports. They include MLB, NFL, NCAA FB, NBA, NCAA Mens BB, NHL, MLS, PGA, LPGA, PGA Champions, PGA Nationwide, PGA European, NCAA Womens BB, English Premier, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and German Bundesliga.
There are five tabs at the bottom of the app: Scores, Standings, News, My Picks, and More.
A really cool feature on this app is that you can go back in time to the beginning of the season to looks at any score that may have been played. From there you can find out the final score, breakdown of the score, and the stats for the game for each team. You can also go forward in time to see when a specific game will be played and the time and date of the game. This is a great tool if you are trying to plan ahead for those Giants tickets for dad's birthday. Under the standings tab you will find the standings for each league, each divison, and also the wild card races if you are looking at the baseball one, as well as the playoff brackets.
Under the news tab you will find the latest news for the sport you selected. This is a great way to keep up to date on all trades and injury reports for your fantasy leagues.
A really neat feature in Sportacular is that you can have a "profile" where you can make picks for the sports and see how you do against the other iPhone users with this app. You can also link this profile to facebook, which is a great way to spread out the competition to a whole new level.
All in all this is a great app that I downloaded right when I got my iPhone. It is great for checking the scores really quick, talking smack with some friends, or just figuring out how your team ended up winning in the 11th inning. Check out Sportacular in the App Store. Its a FREE app, and totally worth it for any sports fan, casual or dedicated! The only downside that I have noticed is that this app does not support push-notifications. There is a sports app that does though. : D Keep your eye out for it. It will be my next post!