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- The Portable Podcast, Episode 78
- Yahoo! Sportacular Pro Review
- iEarthquake Review
- myPill Reminder launches free version
- DJ Rivals Drops a Beat on iOS
- SEGA community helps raise funds for Japan disaster relief efforts
- GEO Hunters Review
- StatCatcher Makes Sports Stats Easy
- Localerts Review
- Doodle Jump Partners with Universal to Create Doodle Jump: HOP The Movie
| The Portable Podcast, Episode 78 Posted: 29 Mar 2011 06:07 PM PDT
On This Episode: Who We Are: Music:  How to Listen: Apps Mentioned in this Episode:  Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EPiPad Only App - Designed for the iPad Buy Now: $4.99 Released: 2011-03-24 :: Category: Games / Role Playing  Infinity BladeUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Buy Now: $5.99 Our Rating: Released: 2010-12-09 :: Category: Games / Action  :: EPIC SLASHINGRead Our Full Review >>  Real Racing 2 HDiPad Only App - Designed for the iPad Buy Now: $9.99 Released: 2011-03-11 :: Category: Games / Racing [ The Portable Podcast, Episode 78 is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: Infinity Blade, Real Racing 2 HD, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:04 AM PDT  Yahoo! Sportacular Pro ReviewBy Carter Dotson on March 29th, 2011Our Rating:  :: HE SHOOTS HE SCORESiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Sportacular Pro is an ad-free paid version of Yahoo’s Sportacular app, designed to let you check and get alerts for the latest sports scores.
Developer: Citizen Sports, Inc. Price: $1.99 Version Reviewed: 2.0.5 Device Reviewed On: iPod touch 4G iPhone Integration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 4.17 out of 5 stars It’s an important time of year for sports – college basketball is in the advanced stages of its tournament, the NBA season is winding down, and the MLB season is starting to ramp up. Now is the time to find yourself a good app to keep track of all the sporting-type events happening. Sportacular is one of the oldest apps for this purpose on the App Store, and since the original days of the App Store, the app has since been acquired by Yahoo, and now offers a Pro version of their app that lets you check and get alerts for games currently going on, get the latest news from the various leagues, of which there are over 20 available to track, across every major professional sport.
The problem with Sportacular Pro as a paid app is that pretty much the only difference between this version and the free version are the banner ads, and the banners weren’t really all that intrusive in the free version, to a point where I even had trouble remembering where the ads were in the free version. So, unless the ads in the free version really drove you batty, you might want to pass on the Pro version. Also, there’s no support for college baseball news and alerts – I’d love to keep track of the sport more closely, but I can’t. Also, the app kind of hides non-Yahoo sources for news deep in the app’s settings. Of course, when you have multiple sources set up, then you often run into duplicate stories, so it may not actually be all that bad of a thing. Sportacular has long been my favorite app for keeping track of sports scores on iOS, especially thanks to its push alerts. The Pro version is great if you absolutely despise banner ads, but if they don’t bother you in the free version, then save your money. [ Yahoo! Sportacular Pro Review is a post from 148Apps ]  Yahoo! Sportacular ProiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $1.99 Our Rating: Released: 2009-08-17 :: Category: Sports :: HE SHOOTS HE SCORESRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: Yahoo! Sportacular Pro |
| Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:04 AM PDT  iEarthquake ReviewBy Chantelle Joy Duxbury on March 29th, 2011Our Rating: :: JUST OKiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Stay alerted to the most recent information about earthquakes and other major weather alerts, worldwide.
Developer: Banana Coding Price: $1.99 iPhone Integration Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 3.17 out of 5 stars There’s no doubting the seriousness of the last few large scale natural disasters that we’ve seen in the past year or so. With the situations Haiti, Chile, and most recently Japan, it’s clear that people are on edge and seeking more information, and perhaps even getting a bit paranoid and worried about when or where the next major incident might be. Instead of feeding on the fear that is going to come along with that situation, i simply present the following app with the hopes that people will use the information for educational and information purposes. iEarthquake uses information from the USGS Earthquake tracking website and GSACS.org to bring you a real-time worldwide update of earthquakes, floods, tornado and other severe weather warnings in app form. In portrait mode you’ll get a list of the most recent earthquake activity, and alerts. In landscape, you’ll be able to view the incidents by location on a world map. Also, you can also search for a specific location in wither to see if there are any severe alerts for a certain area in both viewing modes.
The alerts page will provide you a list of the most recent severe alerts from flooding, tornado, earthquakes and more. The free version of the app will link you directly to the reporting agencies website with the full details, while the paid app pulls this information for you, with the option to visit the site. The other major difference between iEarthquake and the ‘Lite’ version is that you can share these alerts via Twitter, email or Facebook from within the app in the full version. It seems to be this is the only real upgrade difference, and that the reporting and information is similar to both. The information, as of my test for review, was accurate and up-to-date. However there were some iTunes reviews that mentioned otherwise, especially since early March and all of the devastation in Japan. In order to make the paid version of this app more worthwhile it would be ideal if you could set up a notification system based on location so that if there’s an alert within say 100 miles, it would notify you immediately, instead of having to read all alerts, or search yourself. Without much to offer aside from the social networking integration, I should say you’d get along fine with just the Lite version.  iEarthquake LiteiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: FREE Released: 2010-07-21 :: Category: Weather [ iEarthquake Review is a post from 148Apps ]  iEarthquakesiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $1.99 Our Rating: Released: 2010-05-25 :: Category: Weather :: JUST OKRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: iEarthquake Lite, iEarthquakes |
| myPill Reminder launches free version Posted: 29 Mar 2011 09:30 AM PDT This one’s for the ladies. If you’re not yet using an iPhone app to help track your daily birth control pills, in additional to a host of other time-saving and record keeping about your cycle, you should check the new myPill Reminder system launched today by developer Hashsoft.
Testing out the free version is a fantastic way to get used to and try out the system and features to see if it’s right for you. Now available on the iTunes App store.  myPill - Birth Control Pill ReminderiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: FREE Released: 2011-03-21 :: Category: Lifestyle [ myPill Reminder launches free version is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: myPill - Birth Control Pill Reminder |
| Posted: 29 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT
As a person who has always been an instant gratification kind of gamer, I can totally understand why this method of sale has been so successful. Ironically, for the exact same reason I am terrified of games like this, simply because of my lack of any form of will power. If you are willing to proceed despite the risks and already know how to work the cross-fade to perfection, this may be just the game for you. Give it a look and let us know what you think in the comments.  [ DJ Rivals Drops a Beat on iOS is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: DJ Rivals, MyTown |
| SEGA community helps raise funds for Japan disaster relief efforts Posted: 29 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT Over 2 weeks later and it’s still almost impossible to comprehend the terrible disasters that have befallen Japan. However it’s been heartwarming to see just how much people have rallied around the stricken country. The games industry has been no different, understandably so considering video games’ fantastic history within the country. SEGA did its bit offering a price cut to its Sonic the Hedgehog iOS titles as well as Football Manager Handheld 2011, while vowing to donate all the proceeds to the Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Japan.
It’s fantastic news and will no doubt help many who are still suffering. If you didn’t get a chance to participate in this drive, you’ve still got plenty of time to donate something towards the cause. There’s Play For Japan which enables you to either contribute directly or bid on various auctions for some great rare gaming memorablia. SEGA employees themselves have provided some great bits and pieces available on eBay at the moment. Do take a look and don’t forget to donate what you can to help the poor people of Japan. [ SEGA community helps raise funds for Japan disaster relief efforts is a post from 148Apps ] |
| Posted: 29 Mar 2011 08:01 AM PDT  GEO Hunters ReviewBy Jennifer Allen on March 29th, 2011Our Rating: :: AMBITIOUSiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad GEO Hunters is an ambitious location based role playing game that’s pretty addictive.
Developer: YD Online Price: FREE Version Reviewed: 1.01 Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4 Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 3.88 out of 5 stars Location based gaming feels like something that’s on the brink of being ridiculously huge. Yes, we already have the likes of FourSquare that provide something similar but I’ve got a feeling things are going to get even bigger and more interesting in the coming years. Just look at how cell phone usage has changed in recent times and how increasingly important GPS is. GEO Hunters feels like a game that realises all of this and embraces it. It’s an RPG that lacks a certain amount of content but I still found it an enjoyable and intriguing experience.
Choosing your battles is where Google Maps enters the picture. A series of street based monsters appear, scattered around the area that you’re currently located at. In reality, it doesn’t really matter where you live, there’s always a plentiful supply of monsters. It’s a nice touch to see your surroundings though, even if it is essentially just a backdrop. Fighting is a turn based affair. It’s also reminisicent of the likes of paper toss games whereby wind plays an important factor in your success. You have to line up a gauge then tap the attack button once more just as you reach the right range in order to hit your foe. It’s simple but there is a knack behind getting it just right. How much it hurts your opponent depends on how accurate you were with critical attacks possible if you line up the shot perfectly. It’s satisfying when this happens as it can often wipe out more than half of your enemy’s health. As you progress, buying new equipment (which in turn helps you level up), larger foes come along and you can capture them too. It’s all a pretty simple concept but admittedly at first, it can seem a little confusing. The one thing I feel GEO Hunters could have done with was a more obvious tutorial rather than digging through the help files. Once it sinks in though, you’ll be hooked as GEO Hunters is a pretty interesting game. For free, you’d be daft not to get it and the potential is clearly there making for an addictive experience. One that you’ll find yourself dipping into often, just in order to up your ranking. [ GEO Hunters Review is a post from 148Apps ]  GEO HuntersiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: FREE Our Rating: Released: 2011-03-25 :: Category: Games / Role Playing :: AMBITIOUSRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: GEO Hunters |
| StatCatcher Makes Sports Stats Easy Posted: 29 Mar 2011 07:30 AM PDT
Imagine being able to keep a full season worth player stats, averages, and analysis, all from the comfort of your iOS device. StatCatcher allows you to do all of this and more, including the ability to take pictures on the device and email out custom designed trading cards for each and every player on your team. I hope Little League coaches are paying attention out there, because these are the kind of intangibles that can make the difference between a good and great team.  StatCatcher™ Baseball (Player Edition)iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $4.99 Released: 2010-10-27 :: Category: Sports  StatCatcher™ Softball (Player Edition)iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $4.99 Released: 2011-02-12 :: Category: Sports [ StatCatcher Makes Sports Stats Easy is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: StatCatcher™ Baseball (Player Edition), StatCatcher™ Softball (Player Edition) |
| Posted: 29 Mar 2011 07:04 AM PDT  Localerts ReviewBy Chantelle Joy Duxbury on March 29th, 2011Our Rating: :: GPS BASED ALERTSiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad A location based notification and reminder system that really works!
Developer: SIE Apps Price: $0.99 iPhone Integration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars Imagine, if you can, a productivity app that actually makes you more productive. I know it should be a lot more common, but in my experience most apps in this category are great for organization, but not necessarily productivity. This app is relatively new, and from the few reviews on the App Store already, it’s impressing everyone. Including myself.
You’ll want to start with reading the instructions. The user interface works well, but could be confusing to first time users. Setting up a location based reminder starts with finding that location on the map. Either search for a specific location (store name or street address) and select its pin, or manually add a pin. You can change your alert radius here, visually on the map, or go into the alert details to set it manually (within miles). One you’ve got the details entered, you’re all set up! You have three options for GPS tracking specificity within Localerts. The more accurate it is, the more battery you’ll be using. I think that most alerts will likely be pretty generalized, so unless there’s a very important or specific alert, you can set your reminder radius quite large, and keep your GPS tacking on low-battery usage. Once you’ve arrived within your alert zone for that particular reminder, the alert pops up like a text message, with audio notification (so long as your phone isn’t on silent). I tested it with two different locations at different alert radius’ and both alerted me immediately. Just a note, if you miss this original notification it won’t continue to alert you. This happened to me once, but luckily I checked my phone shortly there after and the alert anyways. However, you do have the option to ‘Snooze’ if you do notice the alert, but want to postpone it. The graphics are simple and sharp. The integration with GPS and the map app is smooth and works well. The only feature or option I can think to improve this app would be to be able to share alerts from one iPhone user to another, so that if two people had the app you could share or send reminders to them. Even as this app is, its one of the most useful reminder and notes apps I’ve seen in a while, and well worth the mere $0.99 they’re asking. In fact, it’s probably worth double. [ Localerts Review is a post from 148Apps ]  LocAlertsiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $0.99 Our Rating: Released: 2011-02-09 :: Category: Productivity :: GPS BASED ALERTSRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: LocAlerts |
| Doodle Jump Partners with Universal to Create Doodle Jump: HOP The Movie Posted: 29 Mar 2011 06:04 AM PDT
The new amalgamation is named “Doodle Jump: HOP The Movie” and stars E.B., the Easter Bunny’s son, who needs to hone his jumping skills before he can take over his father’s job. This new game concludes that the best tutor is, naturally, “Doodle the Doodler” from Doodle Jump. I didn’t know that our green, long-nosed friend had a name, but there you go. Doodle Jump: HOP plays out much like the original Doodle Jump, with tilt-based controls and ever-ascending platforms. However, unlike Doodle Jump, HOP is divided into levels, which increase in difficulty as you go:
Unsurprisingly, the game has also received an Easter-themed graphical skin to match the new theme. Doodle Jump’s partnership with HOP comes almost concurrently with Angry Birds Rio, another famous iPhone app / new movie promo game. The difference is that Angry Birds Rio seems to have added some significant changes, whereas other than the graphical update and addition of levels, Doodle Jump: HOP remains faithful to its original. Whether or not that’s a plus is entirely subjective, but I think it’s an interesting decision. On the other hand, since Doodle Jump: HOP is a promotional game, it’s also free—so there’s no reason for fans of the original not to try this new version out. Doodle Jump: HOP The Movie is available in the App Store now.  Doodle Jump: HOP The MovieUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Buy Now: FREE Released: 2011-03-15 :: Category: Games / Family [ Doodle Jump Partners with Universal to Create Doodle Jump: HOP The Movie is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: Doodle Jump - BE WARNED: Insanely Addictive!, Doodle Jump: HOP The Movie |
The myPill Reminder app is now a free download, with the option of extended features as a $1.99 in-app purchase, which was previously the full price of the app. The basic app offers pill tracking, and note saving for each day, with a daily notification reminder to help you stay more organized than using your pill packs themselves. Also included in the free version is a monthly schedule, and a full history of pills taken, or missed. Some of the extended features include; custom notification messages, setting for different pill-pack quantities, snooze option for the alerts, and additional theme packs. Once upgraded you’ll also be able to set location based reminders, and send an email or SMS reminder to yourself, or if you’re keeping track for someone else, to anyone.
Today, SEGA announced just how much was raised: an impressive total of over $250,000, all of which will be donated directly to the Red Cross in order to help the Japanese people.
You start the game by signing up to an account and choosing your character class. The choices are typical RPG fodder comprising of warrior, hunter or wizard. Signing up allows you to rank your progress against others and thus create a social element to proceedings. It’s simple enough making it ideal for those not used to RPGs. A screen appears forming the basis of the RPG elements – namely an inventory menu and shop interface. More interestingly is the ability to capture monsters during later stages and the way in which you acquire more attack and defense potions. The latter involves the use of your body, literally. To pick up new attack potions, you must shake the iOS device 100 times. It doesn’t take as long as it sounds. To acquire a defense potion, you have to walk a few hundred meters, again nothing major. It’s a nice touch though, especially for a game so reliant on location. 
How many times have you heard, “if you’re near___, don’t forget to ___” or gotten back from somewhere only to realize you forgot something? Having a location based reminder system is absurdly useful and more likely than not you’ll be thinking right now of the last time or two you could have used this app to remember something, or know someone who can use a good reminder system.
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