Speck AftPack

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

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

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

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

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

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 Raiders, The Tennessee Volunteers, The Nebraska Cornhuskers, The Alabama Crimson Tide, The Michigan Wolverines, The Florida Gators, The Notre Dame Fightn' 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

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

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

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

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!