148Apps Main |
- ReRave Review
- Meal Snap: Magical Calorie Counting with Your Camera!
- Woozzle Review
- Viper Announces New SmartStart GPS Accessory That Interfaces With Smartphone Apps
- Taptu Aims To Be Your Top RSS/Social Networking Bookmark App
- GoblinGun Review
- LEGO’s Ninjago Spinjitzu Brings The Pain To iOS
- Gobtron Review
- 150 Years Later, The Civil War Chronicled Daily on iPad
- Stitcher Radio Review
- One Single Life Challenges You to Complete it Without Dying
| Posted: 18 Apr 2011 12:04 PM PDT  ReRave ReviewBy Jennifer Allen on April 18th, 2011Our Rating:   :: SOUND BEATUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad ReRave is a rhythm game with a fantastic beat.
Developer: Step Evolution Price: $1.99 Version Reviewed: 1.1 Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4 Graphics / Sound Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 3.94 out of 5 stars ReRave must be doing something right if after a weekend of playing it, I can’t get the music out of my head. I’m not even much of a dance music fan but I liked what I heard here. As it’s a music rhythm game, this is a very important factor to consider. Music certainly passes with flying colors here. The rest of the game is as good too although more frugal players might feel disappointed that the basic package comes with only three songs.
The music itself is as mentioned, enjoyable dance music that sticks in your head. For the $2 asking price you get three songs to play as well as three difficulty levels to mix things up. Currently there are six song packs available with one free pck and the others priced between $0.99 and $2.99 depending on the amount of songs you want. In all you could potentially spend around $11 on getting the full content of ReRave but I found myself reasonably content with the three bundled songs even before downloading the free song pack. There’s a plentiful supply of achievements too to encourage you to improve and better your previous scores. As is customary with rhythm games, practice really does make perfect and I certainly found my skills improving the more I played. The learning curve between the difficulty levels feel smooth enough to ensure you can learn as you go along too. For $2, this is a great title for the music rhythm fan to give a shot. It makes a pleasant change from more standard music game fare, feeling more fast paced, and the music quality in particular is exceptional. [ ReRave Review is a post from 148Apps ]  ReRaveUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Buy Now: $1.99 Our Rating: Released: 2011-03-17 :: Category: Games / Music :: SOUND BEATRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: ReRave |
| Meal Snap: Magical Calorie Counting with Your Camera! Posted: 18 Apr 2011 11:30 AM PDT
Makes you feel like the app is actually…intelligent. Of course, the “auto-magical” food detection isn’t perfect, so perhaps our iPhones can’t yet become self-aware and take over the world. However, Meal Snap is still very impressive in that it focuses on a key barrier to food-tracking—inconvenience—and eliminates it almost entirely. You’ll probably have your phone on you whenever you eat, and snapping a quick photo is much more efficient than manually scribbling down a detailed list of your meal. (Plus, even if the “auto-magical” detection fails, you still know what you’ve eaten thanks to the photo!) You can do more with Meal Snap than just get instant information. The app allows users to share photos using Twitter and Facebook, and you can browse through previous days’ meals, viewing total calories per day and reviewing old pictures. Meal Snap is certainly a very cool idea, and, if the app’s estimates are accurate, a potentially very useful app as well. We love seeing apps that make innovative use of the ubiquity and capabilities of iOS devices, and Meal Snap definitely fits that category! If you’d like to give Meal Snap a spin, it’s available now in the App Store for $2.99.  Meal Snap - Calorie Counting MagiciPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $2.99 Released: 2011-04-04 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness [ Meal Snap: Magical Calorie Counting with Your Camera! is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: Meal Snap - Calorie Counting Magic |
| Posted: 18 Apr 2011 11:04 AM PDT  Woozzle ReviewBy Jennifer Allen on April 18th, 2011Our Rating: :: CEREBRAL ENTERTAINMENTiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Woozzle offers cerebral puzzles galore and a great challenge.
Developer: Mugeaters Price: $0.99 Version Reviewed: 1.0.2 Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4 Graphics / Sound Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 4.06 out of 5 stars Woozzle is a much more cerebral puzzler than I’d initially given it credit for. Assuming it’d be pretty standard fare for a casual puzzle game, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there’s a fair amount of head scratching required when playing Woozzle. The basic concept is much like the classic board game Downfall. You have to help navigate a series of balls down a path by rotating the cogs that transport them. To complete the level, each of the cogs has to have four balls in the relevant positions. To further complicate matters, you have to match each ball and cog to the appropriate color.
This is slightly juxtaposed however with the fact that you’re scored on how quickly you complete each stage – something which does encourage you to rush. Considering the rest of the experience feels more controlled, even right down to the chilled out soundtrack, it feels a little uneven encouraging players to progress quickly. Having said that, you can always just ignore this. While the GameCenter support offers a plethora of leaderboards, I’d recommend playing through for fun the first time then rushing through the levels for the best scores during a second playthrough. There’s certainly enough to enjoy here and with the promise of a level editor in a future update, there’s a very good reason to keep Woozzle on your iOS device for a while to come. Don’t expect an easy title or one dependent on luck, this is an intelligent puzzle game well worth your attention. [ Woozzle Review is a post from 148Apps ]  WoozzleiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $0.99 Our Rating: Released: 2011-03-31 :: Category: Games / Puzzle :: CEREBRAL ENTERTAINMENTRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: Woozzle |
| Viper Announces New SmartStart GPS Accessory That Interfaces With Smartphone Apps Posted: 18 Apr 2011 10:30 AM PDT
Some of the new features included through the Viper SmartStart app include a vehicle locator, which shows you where your car is located, as well as its speed and directed. You can also share your car’s location via text, email, or even through social networks. Now, this may seem like a tremendously dangerous use of geolocation in social media, but you can get notifications if your vehicle is moved without your approval. As well, you can check to find out if your vehicle exceeds a certain speed, so if little Johnny has a distaste for speed limits, you can get notified when he’s going too quickly for your tastes, and have your belt ready when he comes home to deliver some corporal punishment. These features are available as part of the Secure Service Plan for $5/month. For just under $6/month, you can add a variety of additional features to the Viper SmartStart app. You can create a virtual ‘smart fence’ so that if you vehicle leaves the specified zone, you’ll be alerted. As well, you can create zones that will alert you if your car enters there. You can also set up schedules for when you’ll be notified of all these features. As well, if your Viper SmartStart GPS is integrated with a Viper system, you can access all the standard Viper features, like starting your engine remotely, locking and unlocking doors, popping the trunk, and honking the horn. The 2.2 update that supports these features is available right now for free from the App Store.  Viper SmartStartiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: FREE Released: 2009-10-13 :: Category: Lifestyle [ Viper Announces New SmartStart GPS Accessory That Interfaces With Smartphone Apps is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: Viper SmartStart |
| Taptu Aims To Be Your Top RSS/Social Networking Bookmark App Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT
The app works by allowing you to subscribe to different RSS feeds and websites and then easily view those feeds within the same app. The advantage here is that you don’t have to switch between different RSS feed apps and social network apps. Instead, everything is easily accessible within Taptu. There are quick view and full view options, allowing you to either get a quick view of the page and story or pull up the entire page in a full-screen mode. One of the nice things about Taptu is the Facebook and Twitter integration. You can comment on your friend’s status updates, as well as like/dislike them. What’s more, you can Tweet and reply to your friend’s Tweets. Using the app, you also quickly share links you find on your favorite websites with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. There’s also integration with other social networking sites, like LinkedIn. Best of all? Taptu is completely free.  [ Taptu Aims To Be Your Top RSS/Social Networking Bookmark App is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: My Taptu |
| Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:04 AM PDT  GoblinGun ReviewBy Carter Dotson on April 18th, 2011Our Rating:  :: UGLYiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad GoblinGun is a no-frills tower defense game that follows all the standard genre conventions, with campaign and survival modes included.
Developer: Adwizer Games Price: $0.99 Version Reviewed: 1.0.3 Device Reviewed On: iPod touch 4G Graphics / Sound Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 2.38 out of 5 stars
GoblinGun gets the basics of the genre correct, and it does a good job at curving the progression of units – you only have 3 towers to worry about at the beginning, then new ones get steadily added. The mechanics are basic, but they work, and fans of classic tower defense games will be at home here. However, the problem is that the game does little to nothing new beyond that. There’s no innovation, no creativity, nothing to really distinguish this game past any other tower defense game out there. It also lacks any kind of Game Center support, or even Retina Display support. Retina Display support is something I’m willing to look past if it’s not noticeable or if I’m unsure if it supports it or not. In this game, it’s clearly noticeable with the blurry enemy sprites, especially when you zoom in on the map.
This is a game that might have been acceptable in 2009, but here in 2011, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect more. It’s not even so much that the game is unoriginal, it’s the game’s design problems and technical shortcomings that really get to me. I can tolerate an unoriginal concept if the game is fun and plays well, but this really does not. This is only for tower defense traditionalists that need a new fix. [ GoblinGun Review is a post from 148Apps ]  GoblinGuniPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $0.99 Our Rating: Released: 2011-03-17 :: Category: Games / Role Playing :: UGLYRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: GoblinGun |
| LEGO’s Ninjago Spinjitzu Brings The Pain To iOS Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:30 AM PDT
After choosing to forgo the licensed game route this time around, Lego recently debuted their newest game as a universal binary in the App Store: LEGO Ninjago Spinjitzu Scavenger Hunt. Based around their new Cartoon Network series and top battling game (yes, that’s right I said TOP BATTLING), players are pitted against eachother in a digital arena where they look to spin the competition into oblivion. Here is a breakdown of the game’s features:
Probably the neatest idea at use in this game is the ability to simply scan the boxes of the Ninjango brand toys, so that you can unlock exclusive content in the game itself. I am also going to go out on a limb and guess that this is where the “Scavenger Hunt” in the title comes from. Either way, the app is free and there is no necessity to actually purchase the toys to receive unlocks, so this is certainly going on the top of my “must download” list. Take it out for a test “spin” and let us know what you think.  FreezerViewiPad Only App - Designed for the iPad Buy Now: $1.99 Released: 2011-03-31 :: Category: Lifestyle [ LEGO’s Ninjago Spinjitzu Brings The Pain To iOS is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: FreezerView, LEGO Ninjago Spinjitzu Scavenger Hunt |
| Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:04 AM PDT  Gobtron ReviewBy Timothy Smith on April 18th, 2011Our Rating: :: DISGUSTINGLY GOODiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Gobtron is a sticky ball of ooze, and that’s a compliment. Juicy Beast Studios has created an entertaining mobile mix-up, but how much substance does it really have?
Developer: Juicy Beast Studio Price: $1.99 Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Gobtron is a monster of the ages, and he’s a dopey pink giant to boot. It’s a shame that everyone is out to kill him because he looks like the type of laid back monster that would rather be minding his own business than laying waste to decades upon decades of humanity. As you beat levels you will advance through time facing off against deadlier foes with better and better technology (prehistoric, medieval, modern, etc), but don’t fret because Gobtron has the ability to evolve! When you beat a level you’re rewarded with DNA points (the game’s currency) that you can spend to enhance current abilities and unlock new ones. There are also power-ups that can be snagged by shooting down unsuspecting birds during each of the levels.
The short levels are easily digestible, and I found the game to be suitably challenging. Don’t expect to blaze through every level without a hitch because if you don’t spend the time to evolve Gobtron then the armies will outgun him. I had to replay more than a few of the levels to earn enough DNA for Gobtron to stay competitive, but I never felt like I was grinding. Even when replaying levels the game manages to keep a nice flow.
GOBTRON iPhone/iPod Trailer by Juicy Beast from Juicy Beast on Vimeo. There isn’t much more to say about Gobtron. It is an addictive, casual experience that lends itself to short bursts of portable gaming bliss. In a world where a lot of iOS developers are striving to imitate console games, sometimes it is refreshing to see a mobile game that looks and feels like a mobile game. If you have a slight tolerance for booger jokes and a short attention span, then give Gobtron a play. [ Gobtron Review is a post from 148Apps ]  GOBTRONiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: $1.99 Our Rating: Released: 2011-04-01 :: Category: Games / Action :: DISGUSTINGLY GOODRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: GOBTRON |
| 150 Years Later, The Civil War Chronicled Daily on iPad Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:30 AM PDT A Nation divided. North vs. South. Brother vs. brother. The Civil War stands as one of the most tumultuous times in American history. It helped shape the future of a nation, and has been the source of many fascinating retrospectives, across all kinds of media.
With this format in mind, The Civil War Today is set to have daily updates for the next four years, from April 12, 2011 through April 26, 2015, as a pseudo, real-time recounting of the events that occurred 150 years to the day. You will be able to follow the events of the past like they were happening today, and with all the graphical and technical embellishments that the iPad has to offer. The app offers a variety of content such as quotes of the day, letters & personal diaries from 15 people who experienced the war, photo galleries, battle maps, newspaper broadsheets, articles & video on featured topics, etc. There's also a daily North/South casualty counter that highlights the ebb and impact of the war, as well as daily quizzes. The Civil War Today supports Game Center, where you can earn achievements for interacting with all these elements of the app, as well as twitter integration that simulates sending a message via morse code. There’s no doubt that The Civil War Today is an ambitious project, and it feels very much at home on the iPad. It is a decidedly modern take on historical events that aims to provide a bevy of interesting content and educational value that not just history buffs will find entertaining.  The Civil War TodayiPad Only App - Designed for the iPad Buy Now: $7.99 Released: 2011-04-11 :: Category: Entertainment [ 150 Years Later, The Civil War Chronicled Daily on iPad is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: The Civil War Today |
| Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:04 AM PDT  Stitcher Radio ReviewBy Blake Grundman on April 18th, 2011Our Rating: :: MUSIC TO OUR EARSUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad The cure for the common podcast…
Developer: Stitcher, Inc. Price: Free Version: 4.3.0 App Reviewed on: iPhone 4 iPhone Integration Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Overall Rating: 3.67 out of 5 stars
Targeted at the ubber podcast consumer, this is the app for anyone that craves having new sounds and ideas invading their eardrums at all times. Remember that dusty old AM radio that your grandfather had in the corner of his office, quietly murmuring in the background all day long? This software appeals to the same type of audience, only updated for the internet age and christened with more variety than a trip to Baskin Robbins. All users need to do is subscribe to podcasts that they have enjoyed in the past, and Stitcher will do the rest. New episodes of your favorite shows are queued up as they become available and delivered to your brain in a never-ending flow of audio awesomeness. There are even suggested playlists for indecisive folks who don’t necessarily know what they want to listen to, which helps encourage listeners to try new podcasts that they wouldn’t have otherwise even knew existed.
However, this doesn’t mean that things are all rainbows and unicorns in the mythical land of Stitcher. In fact, there is one particularly glaring issue that could be a deal breaker for some: it is not a threaded application. This means that you cannot turn off your screen, let your device go into the automated idle stand by, or even leave the application itself without the audio stream coming to a screeching halt. The inability to put the device into standby or idle while maintaining audio playback, a feature which has been present in apps like iTunes, Last.FM, and Pandora since the introduction of iOS 4.0, transforms it into a battery black hole. Let’s hope this issue can be remedied in future updates, because otherwise this would be an instant recommendation. That said, if you have a extended live battery or iPhone adapter that you carry at all times, Stitcher may be the cure for the common podcast. It is well worth a look… err, listen…. err, download. [ Stitcher Radio Review is a post from 148Apps ]  Stitcher RadioUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Buy Now: FREE Our Rating: Released: 2008-08-18 :: Category: News :: MUSIC TO OUR EARSRead Our Full Review >> Apps mentioned in this post: Stitcher Radio |
| One Single Life Challenges You to Complete it Without Dying Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:04 AM PDT
The idea behind the developer of One Single life is to give you the rush of emotions you would experience in real life. "The concept grew from a burning desire to capture the raw emotions we experience in real life but yet rarely see in computer games; anxiety, exhilaration, and genuine tension. I wanted to make a game that forces me to answer that most honest of questions; Do I have what it takes when it matters most?" says Anthony O'Dempsey, Director of FreshTone Games. One Single Life is the first installment in what will be a series of games like it. The next game, One Single Life: Tournament, is already in development. You can download One Single Life for free on the iTunes App Store.  One Single LifeiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Buy Now: FREE Released: 2011-04-08 :: Category: Games / Adventure [ One Single Life Challenges You to Complete it Without Dying is a post from 148Apps ] Apps mentioned in this post: One Single Life |
Rather than the usual musical game form of tapping buttons as they appear on screen or watching the bars scroll upward, ReRave looks and feels more impressive. Circular beats appear on the screen at different locations ready for you to tap or hold depending on the screen prompt. Tapping two areas at once is sometimes neccessary too. At other points, you have to follow the beat around the screen along a set line. It’s all a bit more dynamic than simply tapping to the beat and certainly feels more in tune with the music playing. 
Calorie counting is sensible in theory, but precisely measuring every morsel is a hassle at best and at worst, impractical and ridiculous. I’m not claiming to be a nutritional or behavioral expert, but honestly, how many people do you know who faithfully record the contents of every meal? However, a new app seeks to solve this problem of inconvenience with an amusing solution to innate human laziness. Called Meal Snap, its concept is simple: take a picture of your food, and the app will report exactly what you’ve been eating.
Woozzle does a good job of introducing such elements gradually though. There’s more depth here too with the addition of flippers that direct the balls, colour changers and even teleporters. The first few of the 60 levels teaches you just how to use all of these to your advantage. Controls are simple too with just the matter of tapping and sliding required. It’s the kind of game you can just take your time with, figuring out the best course of action. Things certainly get complicated enough once you’ve settled into the basic mechanics.
Directed Electronics, manufacturers of Viper vehicle security products and developers of the Viper SmartStart app, have released a new accessory called the Viper SmartStart GPS. This vehicle accessory, available for $299.99, can be used either as a standalone device, or interfaced with Directed Electronics security and remote start systems to provide expanded access to users’ vehicles through the Viper SmartStart app.
Taptu is a useful app for users who want to easily be able to keep an eye on multiple websites, such as their favorite blogs, Facebook, Twitter and more.
One of the App Store’s ‘problems’ is that game concepts tend evolve very quickly due to their smaller natures. What was once creative and unique even back in 2009 may be rote and uninteresting in 2011. Such is the dilemma of GoblinGun, a tower defense game that you almost have to assume has some kind of unique and clever twist to it because of the fact that the genre was overexposed a long time ago. However, this is a by-the-numbers tower defense game through and through; enemies come forth through the entrance, travel along the path to your base, and you must put up towers of various types to defeat them. There are enemies that will only be affected by certain types of towers, so you can’t just put up all bomber towers, lest the flying enemies wreak havoc on your base. There’s a campaign mode, where you must survive 60 waves of enemies per level to advance, and a Survival mode that lets you play the 8 campaign maps endlessly until you beat them.
The game also has some major pacing issues. Each level in campaign mode lasts 60 waves, and no real hint is given as to when it’s actually over. The first time I played the game, I was doing so well that I started to wonder when it would end, and quit out of boredom. I returned later, when I was willing to give the game another chance, played a few more waves, then let the enemies take over, assuming that I had progressed far enough to unlock the next campaign level, as the level certainly had dragged on along enough that I felt like I had earned it. My instincts were quite wrong, and I indeed had to beat that level before I could hope to see a new environment. So, I started over and trudged on to the hopeful end, which finally came at wave 60. It felt more like a boring task to complete, instead of a game I was having fun with. The skinny of it is that this game has major pacing problems – it either needs to last a shorter number of waves, or it needs to go twice as fast.
Follow Sensei and his ninjas in training (Kai, Cole, Zane and Jay) as they fight to protect the land of Ninjago from Garmadon and his evil skeleton army.
The ancient Gobtron has awakened from a deep slumber, and all of humanity is bent on destroying him. You must take control of Gobtron and wield an arsenal of mucus related defenses in order to prevent his demise. The game is a quirky mix of arcade action and castle defense with a dash of RPG elements to keep players motivated. The object of the game is to defeat waves of enemies from different time periods by flinging your over-sized snot glob down upon them.
The majority of gameplay relies on a slingsot mechanic that has you pulling back, aiming at your targets, and releasing. It is simple and fun, but when the action intensifies it’s easy to misfire. The graphics aren’t a technical marvel, but they have a vibrant colorful style and the animation is smooth. The soundtrack is neat because it changes with the flow of the timeline, but don’t expect to be humming the tunes from Gobtron ten years from now. Juicy Beast Studio has included Gamecenter achievements and Openfeint support, but the rest of the extra features department is pretty bare.
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the America Civil War, the History Channel has released The Civil War Today for the iPad, bringing us a very modern, interactive window to the past. The app is structured as a slick-looking, tablet newspaper, with visual representations of many historical documents, photos, maps, newspaper clippings, etc.
Podcasts are a very interesting permutation of the entertainment medium. Instead of creating one show to cater to the lowest common denominator, much like a standard television news program, these numerous nuggets of downloadable knowledge are very specific and focused towards a select niche audience. But with so many thousands of podcasts out there, each aimed scattershot across the internet, how can a person find content that speaks to them? Stitcher Radio is attempting to answer this question through their innovative new multimedia client.
Podcasts not necessarily your cup of tea? Maybe you might be interested in checking out the endless streams of local radio stations instead. You can search by region, city, or even GPS coordinates to find and engage in programs originating in your own neck of the woods. Really, saying that there is something for everyone is an understatement, because it really has everything for everyone!
FreshTone games today released One Single Life, an iOS game that gives you only one life to get as far as they can into the game. If you die, it’s game over. You play as a character who must jump from skyscraper to skyscraper. Once you start running, you tap the screen to time your jump, hopefully landing on the next skyscraper. As you progress, the skyscrapers become further and further apart.
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