iSo Kingdom
Tony Mei | Jan 12, 2012 Games, Uncategorized
User rating: 
(6 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
(6 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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iSo Kingdom ($0.99) by Zleepy Ztudios
Available on iPhone & iPod Touch
Solve puzzles! Battle monsters! Solve more puzzles! I hope you like solving puzzles, because there’s a lot of them. A clever mix of a puzzler and an action/adventure game, iSoKingdom makes some advances in uncharted territory.
iSoKingdom is based around the concept of an isometric puzzle. You get a complex 3D shape and must deduce the 2D images of different sides. It requires a fair amount of spatial reasoning and patience, and is something you’d expect to find on IQ tests and brain teaser books.
Since I have the reasoning skills of a plant, I didn’t plan on doing so hot. Thankfully, the app foresaw my incompetence, and provided a thorough tutorial. Needless to say, after completing a few puzzles, I was hooked. After a few hours, I wouldn’t be surprised if my IQ doubled.
Tags: iSo Kingdom, puzzle, Tony Mei
Inventory
Lucas Young | Nov 2, 2011 Uncategorized
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Inventory ($2,99) by Netwalk
Available on iPhone & iPod Touch
Before downloading any app I like to take a look at the reviews already associated with it. In this case the reviews I found were fairly poor. Normally this would put me off downloading the app, but instead I decided to go for it anyway, and I am glad that I did, because when I downloaded it and first played around with it I was pleasantly surprised.
Free Codes: Descent
Tony Mei | Jul 5, 2010 Entertainment, Free iPhone Promo Codes, Uncategorized
User rating: (16 votes, average: 3.56 out of 5)
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Probably one of the most unique apps I’ve came across in a while, Descent is a freefall calculator able to offer “the most accurate possible representation of the time it would take to freefall to the earth’s surface and the speed you would be traveling upon impact”. Sweet.
Tags: $.99, Entertainment, Free Codes
Q&F: Ad Hoc Helper
Tony Mei | Jul 1, 2010 Quick & Free, Uncategorized, Utilities
User rating: (9 votes, average: 2.89 out of 5)
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For the low, low price of free, this can all be yours!
Being too lazy to find my iPod Touch’s UDID* by manually plugging it into iTunes, I stumbled upon Ad Hoc Helper, by Erica Sadun. This no-frills utility basically snatches up some info about your device, such as your device name, model, system version, memory, free space and UDID and automatically pops open Mail so you can get that info where it needs to be. While this not be necessary for everybody, Ad Hoc Helper an awesome way for you to quickly get info about your device, and I recommend you scoop this app in case you’re ever in a pinch.
*A 40 digit serial code unique to your iDevice. Useful for app developers who are beta testing, debugging or adjusting their app. More info here, at TUAW.
Q & F: Wave Study Bible
Michael E. | Apr 22, 2010 Uncategorized
User rating: (11 votes, average: 2.73 out of 5)
(11 votes, average: 2.73 out of 5) Loading ...
I’m always on the lookout for affordable (read FREE) and feature-rich Bible applications for my iPod Touch and over the past several months, I’ve tried at least a handful of them. Many are simply adequate, allowing me to access the verses I need to find when I need to find them. Some are entirely dependent on a wireless connection, while others can access it both on and offline. I may even have the choice of downloading a translation or two that I can use to compare verses. None has truly contained everything I’ve really needed, however.
The Wave Study Bible is a visually appealing app that appears to have some very good potential. It’s colorful, provides you with four free translations (Greek New Testament, King James, New English, and God’s Word) that can be stacked side by side for easy comparison. Additional translations are available for a fee that seems a bit pricey to me: $14.99, but even if you opt not to purchase any, you’ve still got a pretty solid foundation of translations to work with.
It’s a fairly intuitive app, having been designed not for the Biblical scholar but the average, everyday Christian. Verses can be shared through email, words in the Greek translation can be quickly defined, there are four distinct ways in which verses can be located, and there are a number of short tutorial articles covering everything from the application itself to how to read the Bible. You’ve got nothing to lose with this app, so give it a gander when you’ve got some time.
Multiple translations side by side in landscape mode
iTunes Link – Wave Study Bible
Version 1.0.1
Tested on an iPod Touch 3.1.3
The iPad Part Two : The Review
Brad H | Apr 5, 2010 Uncategorized
User rating: (4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ...As I opened the iPad box I noticed two things. The Apple stickers are slightly different and there is no smudge cloth. I was slightly bummed about the cloth but oh well. All the excitment of holding and looking at the iPad made me forget the agony to come…syncing. I synced all my photos first and tested the photo app. Amazing. I love how they incorperated the events, faces, and places menus and the whole pinch to see a preview of the pictures is way cool.
Next I loaded one of my sons animated movies and the They Might Be Giants Video podcast (all 28 Episodes) to check the video playback. The animated movie will be used to show off the ooo and aaa factor when I show people the iPad. I sat my son down on the couch and turned on the podcast for him to which he fell in love instantly. He was able to choose a new episode as soon as the previous one ended. So when it comes to usability even a two year old can figure it out.
Next on the list to load up were apps. Being that I just dropped close to 550 on the iPad itself my options will be free apps for a while. I was pleased to see a lot of the iPhone apps I was planing on loading up had updates to optimize to the iPad or separate free apps built for the iPad. The new apps I picked up were
iBooks: it comes pre loaded with a whinny the pooh book. The interaction with the pages is another great show off tool.
ABC Player: which is for catching up on ABC shows and the streaming quality is great.
Aurora Feint 3: beautiful graphics, fun little time waster.
Labyrinth 2 HD Light: perfect for showing off the accelerometer.
Toy Story Read Along : Disney hit it out of the park with this one.
We Rule for iPad : The ultimate wife winner-over.
I could go on and on about each one but this is about the iPad.
Next on my list was music and surprisingly enough I still had room for the 1000+ songs I wanted to put on the device.
My wife was not impressed in the least with the iPhone, she hated how often I would go on it or look at something so the thought of a bigger iPhone like device was not her idea of a great purchase. That was before she held it and played with it, now she thinks it’s one of the coolest devices we own.
I am glad I got my iPad on day one and I do think it’s the revolutionary device it has been hyped up to be.
The iPad Part One: The Journey
Brad H | Apr 5, 2010 Uncategorized
User rating: (4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ...My journey started bright and early saturday morning. The alarm was set for 5:30 am but my brain woke me up around 5:15. There was no way I would be able to get back to sleep for that last 15 min. so i got up, got ready and went down stairs to brew up some coffee. I was out the door at around 5:30 coffee in hand and on my way. I sort of figured the Apple store would be a mad house so my destination was the only other place I knew that would have them. As I pulled into the parking lot I realized I was the first one there. I walked up to the store and an employee opened the door with a puzzled look on his face. I asked if they were getting iPads in and he said “oh yea you can start a line over here and we will be out at 9:30 to give out tickets.” I then started wondering how crazy I was to get there so early and If I would be the lone loon waiting for his iPad. I sat on the ground and started to zone listening to some podcasts. Around 6:00 another buyer pulled up asking if I was the iPad welcoming committee to which I thought thank goodness I wont be out here all by myself till the store opens. If my last count was correct eight people showed up to get in line. At 9:45 the nerd patrol came out with the tickets exclaiming they didn’t have any in stock and the tickets were used as preorder slips that would be reserved until 5:00 pm and we would get called when the shipment came in but of course the demo units were on display so we could come in to play with them when the store opened. Not what I wanted to hear but this is my trade off for not dealing with the crowd at the Apple store. I got my ticket, gave my phone number, went home, and got ready for work. I told my wife the story and she was then designated to get my iPad when I got the call.
Here is her story
With the kids loaded up my wife heads over to pick up the iPad. She asked an employee where she could pick up the held iPad and was sent to two places before ending up at that wonderful nerd patrol counter where they were being held. At this point the nerd asks my wife “You do know what this is right?” at which my wife replied ” No I usually spend 500 dollars on things without having any idea what it is.” and since the nerd in question doesn’t understand sarcasm he goes on to tell my wife that she NEEDS to buy the extended warranty and blah blah blah. So finally she gets it payed for sans warranty and tells my two year old he can hold daddies toy when they get into the car. This obviously infuriated said nerd to no end because he got real stern with my wife and said ” No No he cant play with that, don’t you know its GLASS.
So when I got home I was greated with an iPad and no my son didn’t break it as a matter of fact he has had more screen time with the iPad than I have.
NewsAlert
Michael E. | Mar 6, 2010 News, Uncategorized
User rating: (7 votes, average: 3.86 out of 5)
(7 votes, average: 3.86 out of 5) Loading ... 
I don’t consider myself a newshound, but I do like to be in the know. I keep an eye on Wiki trends, Twitter trends and get weather and breaking news updates by SMS.
Anytime a story about the iPhone or BlackBerry comes out, I want to know. Plus, there are artists, authors, and actors I’m a little ashamed to say I know more about than I probably should.
RSS feeds are a good way to stay on top of those tidbits and I have three such apps that I rotate among depending on the features included in their latest updates. But as good as RSS is, it’s a pain to have to mine through 1000+ articles to find that small handful of gems worth my time to read.
That’s where NewsAlert can be a handy app to have.
Tags: $.99
Q&F: Penguin Bounce
Sara | Feb 19, 2010 Uncategorized
User rating: (4 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5) Loading ...
UPDATE: This is now $.99, not free
Have you ever wanted to be a penguin? Have you ever wanted to bounce on snowflakes up to outer space? Have you ever wanted to be a penguin that bounces on snowflakes to outer space? If you answered, “Yes,” to any of those questions, read on! And if you didn’t, you should still read this review.
In Penguin Bounce, an app designed by screensmudge, you are a cute penguin who lives on an ice berg. You try to bounce on snowflakes higher and higher to obtain the best high score before falling safely to your cozy little ice berg. This game seems like a spin off of the game Doodle Jump, but in this game you control your penguin by swiping your finger to the left or right.
Being free, I would recommend this game for any penguin lover, snowflake lover, or Nutcracker lover (the background music is from the Nutcracker). So check out this game in the App store today.
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Version 1.0
Reviewed on iPhone 3GS OS 3.1.2
WikiTrend
Michael E. | Feb 14, 2010 News, Uncategorized
User rating: (7 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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I once read that in the lobby of Google’s Corporate Headquarters (the so-called Googleplex) are a series of projector screens that show real time aggregated data on active Google searches around the world. That struck me as an interesting concept, one I thought- for the briefest of moments- would be kind of cool to see in person.
Although the average person may never set eyes on the Googleplex (beyond those exaggerated pics we’ve all gotten via email), we do have resources available that will allow us to see what people all over the world are reading and searching for on the web.
That’s where WikiTrend, from Oooo Software, comes in. WikiTrend is an app that will allow you to track trend information on Wikipedia. It will provide a listing of the top recent Wiki hits as well as the top recent Wiki movers.
The Day I Was Born
Michael E. | Feb 13, 2010 Lifestyle, Uncategorized
User rating: (7 votes, average: 3.29 out of 5)
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History is made one moment at a time, day by day. And for every person born, there is a unique history surrounding their birthdate. I believe that we are all curious to learn more about our birthdates. We want to see how many other cool people were born the same day we were and whether anything notable happened that day. Ruslan Morozov’s The Day I Was Born answers that question by unlocking and allowing us to remember that history.
Here’s how it works: the application requests a birthdate: day, month, and year. Once it has that information, The Day I Was Born generates even more information associated with the supplied date of birth.
What kind of information? How about Western Zodiac, Chinese Zodiac, Earth elements and stones associated with your birthdate? Not enough, you say? Add in numerological elements including life path and destiny, historical accounts of your birthdate across time, births and deaths, and any holidays coinciding with the supplied date. That’s a lot of stuff, right?
Tags: $.99
iDemolished
Tony Mei | Jan 14, 2010 Games, Uncategorized
User rating: (3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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Day 1: Well, I’ve always liked destroying buildings. So when Mommy told me about an opening at a local building destruction business ran by iauns (the foreman is part of her book club, and they meet on the third Tuesday of every month for discussion and scones), I reasoned that I was the person for the job. And I don’t think I had any plans for my life, anyways.
Day 2: I did not know a stick of TNT cost only one dollar. Must be that blasted economy.
Day 3: I was given a few tutorial levels to start with, but I ended up making the intern do them while I supervised. Apparently, the buildings I’m knocking down are just pieces of wood stacked on top of each other. I think I could have taken them down with a good shove.
Day 4: Foreman gave me a stack of one dollar bills and told me to go blow out building number four. I used one stick of TNT to do the deed, and then hid the rest in my truck. You can’t get one dollar TNT anywhere, you know.
Day 5: I found out I could rig TNT to explode at a later or earlier time. I guess that’s useful, if I ever came across a building that took more than one stick of explosive to bring down.
Day 6: Given a new type explosive to use. My foreman is impressed with my work, and I’ve been making sure to give that intern plenty of field experience. The kid’s rather sharp, you know. I haven’t heard from him in a while though. I hope he’s finished my dry cleaning.
Day 7: Buildings are getting kind of challenging, especially after the intern left. But it’s not like I needed him anyways. I’m starting to rethink wasting my extraordinary talents on a job as mundane as this.
Day 8: I slid my resignation under foreman’s door, and then went home, retreating back into the recesses of my parents’ basement. I still think I have that car full of TNT, though.
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I’ve spent nearly a week (that just tells you how much I’ve procrastinated in getting this review out) constantly playing this game, and I’ve barely made a dent in it.
The ability to control the falling blocks (to an extent) with the accelerometer is clever, and I enjoy being able to rig bombs to explode at different times. The strategy of buying bombs is also present, as bigger bombs cost more and become less efficient, but are sometimes necessary. And it’s just fun to fill up a building with 60 sticks of $1 dollar TNT and compare it to a building with a single mother-hen bomb.
The campaign of the game is gigantic, filled with several pages of structures to demolish. Progressively harder buildings are made out of some sturdier stuff and are much more difficult, requiring increasingly clever tactics in order to meet your status quo.
I’m always a fan of being able to generate your own game content, and iDemolished has a neat feature that allows the creation of your own to-be-obliterated buildings. The building creation interface is slightly intimidating and confusing at first, but after sifting through all the stuff, it’s pretty intuitive. And it’s a lot of fun making things and blowing them up.
iDemolished is a fantastic game, having the unique ability to keep a gamer enthralled for hours (which is good for the game, but not so great for my sleeping habits, or battery life). The game is streamlined and high quality, and I haven’t had any problem with the crashing or bugs that plagues other promising apps.
For those looking for a pyrotechnic fix, iDemolished is a great way to spend that dollar (well, other than on $1 TNT, of course. But where can you find that, these days?)
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- Buildings come in different flavors too
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- Blasted economy
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- Intimidation tactics. Don't let it fool you.
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- Make your own scapegoat!
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- Synchronize your explosions! It's like the fun never ends
