Rhapsody Plays A New Visual Tune In The Latest Update

A new visual redesign has made its way to Rhapsody, putting artists front and center on the new home screen. It’s always nice to have easier access to the music you listen to as it provides a simpler way to browse new releases, popular artists, and featured albums. You can also check out enhanced album and artist pages that let you read reviews, shuffle tracks, and more.

Bondsy Lets Friends Trade Their Stuff Privately

Bondsy – Trade with Friends is a new social network that lets friends trade items with one another. Take a photo, write a story, and add what it is you would like in return and then wait for a friend to tap grab and make their offer.

This means I can finally trade all my games and ask for only coffee in return!

Another great thing about Bondsy is that everything is private, meaning that you are only trading with friends and not having to deal with strangers.

Wander Wheel Hands You An Itinerary, Tells You To Be Spontaneous

Wander Wheel takes you on a goal-based adventure that breaks up your everyday routine and expands your horizons. Wander Wheel sets you up with an itinerary that’s tailored to you, handing you a specific goal to accomplish. You can discover new things in your own back yard or in the city’s most popular locations, when traveling.

This sounds like a very interesting app if you’re feeling a bit spontaneous.

Flick Transfers Files To Other Devices With A Simple Flick Of Your Finger

Flick. lets you share documents, videos, and images between your iOS devices and computers by simply flicking the file to any other device that is also running the Flick app. To go along with the flicking fun, you can also send files to friends that auto destruct after a set amount of time. That could be entertaining.

This message self destructs in 3…2…1…

Oh, nevermind.

Guitar! by Smule Strums Onto The App Store

Guitar! by Smule has players strumming along to the music in an app that combines guitar songs paired with real vocals from Smule’s Sing! Karaoke app, which creates a unique feeling of playing alongside an actual singer. There are multiple songs to play along to, though there is also a freestyle mode for those who just want to play. Players will strum and pick while changing cords and creating vibrato by shaking the phone. Also, as players get better, they’ll be able to rock out even more by unlocking electric guitars.

Redline Rush – Avoid The Toll Booth On This Now Free Endless Racer

Pocket Gamer reports that endless racer, Redline Rush, is available to download for free through the weekend. Having only recently released, it’s no surprise that it’s already being offered for free as it acts like a free-to-play title with its push for in-app purchases. Still, it’s endless racing fun, so jump into the driver’s seat and start racking up your score!

Kite Surfer Review

By Rob Rich on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: MAKE SOME WAVES
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Kite Surfer looks good and controls great, although it’s also a little light on content.

I’m not an expert on this sort of thing but I’m fairly certain people who ride surfboards while being pulled by a giant kite tend to steer clear of costal areas riddled with rocks and debris. Of course a leisurely glide across calm water probably wouldn’t make for a very exciting game. Fortunately Kite Surfer is riddled with rocks and debris, which does make for a reasonably exciting game.

Kite Surfer is a slightly more aquatic adaptation of those third-person endless runners that have been all over the App Store. Players control their little surfer via a series of swipes to dodge around, leap over, and duck under various obstacles as they try to go as far as they can while grabbing as many coins as possible. These obstacles can include docks, tiny islands, massive boulders, and more, many of which can actually be avoided in a number of different ways.Hiding among the coins and hazards are also a number of power-ups that can boost scores, attract coins, or even let the character fly temporarily. So what are the coins for? Upgrading a power-up’s effectiveness, naturally.

I’ll admit I’m not a massive fan of these kinds of runners but I did have fun with Kite Surfer. And I have to say the controls are incredibly smooth; the swiping is very responsive and can be queued up in a pinch to allow for multiple maneuvers back-to-back. It’s also a pretty good-looking game. It’s a bit cartoony, sure, but the textures on the rocks and items look nice and the water is actually pretty amazing.

I do find myself wishing there was a bit more to it, though. Kite Surfer can be plenty of fun for high score chasing but there’s not much else to keep players invested. It certainly doesn’t need unlockable outfits or persistent character upgrades to be relevant, but when so much of the competition offers just that it starts to feel a little empty.

Kite Surfer probably won’t receive any accolades for blazing trails or breaking molds, but it’s pretty fun. Fun, pretty, and controls incredibly well. It’s a great combination that definitely counts for something.

Kite Surfer

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2013-05-21 :: Category: Games

Spottlife Review

By Lee Hamlet on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: CATEGORIZE YOUR SOCIAL LIFE
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Spottlife is a new way to view and interact with the world’s most popular social networks.

Most social networking websites, particularly Facebook and Twitter, face the problem of being woefully unorganised and cluttered when it comes to the news feed. This can lead to the dreaded endless scrolling that causes missed deadlines, failed exams and generally a huge waste of time. The team behind Spottlife have tried to remedy this by presenting a news feed that is divided into categories.

‘Social’, ‘Art’, ‘Technology’ and ‘News’ are just a handful of the headings that posts can be grouped under. This provides the user with a more productive social networking experience, in the sense that if they don’t want to read about ‘Politics’, then they can read about ‘Sports’ or ‘Music.’

The user interface is clean and simple, with the number of posts collected to the left, and one of the example posts to the right, under the name of the category itself. Upon clicking on a post, there is the option to comment, retweet or like it. Public announcement to make? Spottlife makes it easy, with a status bar that can post to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram simultaneously, saving time and effort.

One noticeable downside was that the ‘Other’ category had the largest number of entries on my list (86 to be exact), which still presented me with the temptation to look at posts I had no idea about. Also, in some instances, the categories don’t seem to get the gist of the post. For example, I posted about how my new Nike running shoes made me feel like I was running on clouds. Whereas you might think this came under ‘Sports’ or ‘Hobbies’, it was placed under ‘Weather’. I’d just like to apologise to anyone who was looking to me for a weather forecast that day, as they were presumably disappointed.

However, this is a rare occurrence, and Spottlife achieves what it sets out to do: create a simplified social news feed that combines posts from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+, in a smooth and functional manner.

Spottlife

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2012-11-20 :: Category: Social Networking

Plasma Pig Review

By Jordan Minor on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: THAT'LL DO, PIG
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

This porky pig needs a light touch.

Plasma Pig initially entices with a great, central idea. However, it doesn’t quite take that idea as far as it should go. It’s a great game, but the slightly wasted potential can’t help but sting. Still, landing among the stars is a good consolation prize for shooting for the moon.

When Pigsley, a simple Earth pig, is transported to the planet Lardo, he soon becomes the target of the bacon-hungry alien overlord, Than. Now, only the player’s finger can lead him home. In Plasma Pig, players draw ramps and platforms to guide the circular Pigsley to the level’s exit. The mechanic will be instantly familiar to anyone who played Kirby’s Canvas Curse on the Nintendo DS in 2005. That game set a new, high standard for what touch-based games could be and its hook is no less magnificent here than it was years ago. Players can also tilt Pigsley to help nudge him in the right direction, adding more finesse to the gameplay. While early levels are disappointingly sparse, with too many empty spaces, later worlds eventually introduce bounce pads and other tricks that give the game a satisfying amount of complexity. 

Still, throughout its 100 or so levels, Plasma Pig only does the most basic things with level design. Often, the most immediately obvious path to draw to get all three stars will be the one that works. The limited amount of ink or “plasma” occasionally forces players to be more thoughtful and efficient with their scribbling but the levels themselves should provide that challenge, too. It’s not like the game is some platforming adventure where new ramps must constantly be drawn on the fly. Each stage is just a self-contained, overly straightforward puzzle.

At least they are good looking puzzles, though. While it may appear overly simple at first, Plasma Pig’s various worlds, including desert, jungle, and ice environments, impress with subtle depth and textures with a kid’s book, construction paper quality. Pigsley himself may not be too interesting but his surroundings are. The music also does a great job at putting players in the “space adventure” state of mind.

Plasma Pig may not make the most out of its killer hook, but it certainly doesn’t squander it either. It’s a fun, creative game that just doesn’t completely leave orbit. 

Plasma Pig

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: $0.99
Released: 2013-05-19 :: Category: Games

Hipstamatic Oggl Review

By Chris Kirby on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: HIP YET AGAIN

Remember Hipstamatic? It’s back with a host of features to challenge the likes of Instagram.

Long ago, as iOS reckons time, before the 1 billion dollar acquisition of Instagram by Facebook, and before photo filters were ubiquitous, there was Hipstamatic, a digital recreation of an analog camera, complete with changeable lenses and film types. But alas, time passed by and Hipstamatic, while still useful and engaging, lost mindshare to Instagram and the onslaught of photo processing apps. Many fondly remembered it, but used it less and less.

Hipstamatic’s developer hopes to change this with the introduction of Oggl, their new social network/camera app hybrid that attempts to link the Hipstamatic name and legacy to a powerful but easy to use photo hub.

First looks can be deceiving, and indeed that’s the case with Oggl. What at first appears to be nothing more than another Instagram clone reveals itself to be much, much more upon deeper inspection. Many of the basic features of other social camera apps are present in Oggl from the start: the square-framed pictures, the ability to follow other users and the option to see trending photos from around the world. The difference, however, lies in how photos are processed and then how they are shared.

Those used to the original Hipstamatic’s serendipitous pre-photo combos of lenses and films may be disappointed to learn that Oggl ditches that paradigm for an entirely post-processed method. AFTER taking a photo, users can adjust various visual factors by changing the film stock and the lens type. Yes, that makes the Oggl experience much more akin to using filters, but the film/lens analogy still works. What’s not appealing at the moment is the paucity of available films and lenses, though Hipstamatic promises to remedy this issue in the near future. I was also disappointed to discover that the paks I have purchased through the Hipstamatic app are not accessible through Oggl…yet. Again, the devs say this will be added in a future update.

Once a photo is taken it goes into a ‘holding area’ before final processing and publishing to the Oggl stream. Sharing options are abundant, and the interface to share to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, tumblr, Flickr and Instagram could not be simpler or better designed.

Taken as a whole, the interface used by Oggl easily trumps similar apps and services. The learning curve may be a tad steeper, and some options (such as finding other friends using the service) are needlessly buried when they should be front-and-center, but the look and feel of the app is one of the best I’ve seen in a while. In fact, it’s now my go-to app for taking and sharing photos across the social spectrum. Since I have a six-month-old, I take a LOT of pictures, so having one app that can appease my social and creative needs is ideal.

Oggl has room to grow, but it is far better than I expected it to be. Once links can be made to users’ pre-existing Hipstamatic camera paks, this may be the social photo app to beat.

Hipstamatic Oggl

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2013-05-10 :: Category: Photography

A friend of mine, a meteorologist himself, recently made me aware of RadarScope, a professional level app that is perfect for meteorologists and weather enthusiasts. I purchased it and started documenting the features of the app immediately; that’s how much I love weather.

Last weekend was primed for a significantly severe weather outbreak and I used the radar app to follow and track storms. On Monday, however, I decided to fully document some of the features and take multiple screen caps to showcase what the app could do. That led me to fully tracking the storm that eventually, and unfortunately, hit Moore, Oklahoma.

RadarScope provides native radar data rendered in its original radial form and allows you to view NEXRAD Level 3 radar data in great detail. That basically means it’s the best radar app you can possibly get for your iPhone or iPad.

I’m going to try and keep this as simple as possible, keeping it easy to read and understand without providing too much of a school lesson.

When tracking the storm that eventually hit the town of Moore, the first thing I looked for in the app was a hook echo that shows up on radar, a strong indicator that a tornado may be forming. A hook echo is a hook that forms on the southern part of the storm, indicating areas of rotation. Then, I took a look at the velocity within the storm to see if there was a confined area of motion with opposites that were touching each other (motion toward and away from the radar). That indicates rotation and a possible tornado.

I’m going to share images that show both of those indications. Radarscope provides local radars along with personal location data that can show you your exact location compared to the storm. It also provides storm tracks that can indicate what direction the storm is moving and a measuring tool that tells you how many miles away you are from the storm. You can also visit Base Velocity’s website to learn more about how the app works.

I had been following the storms as they developed, but here is the first radar image I took after a noticeable hook took shape.

Next is the velocity that indicates storm motion. You can see a bright red and green touching each other, indicating tight circulation.

After that, I took notice of what town or towns might be in the path of the storm and used the storm tracks tool along with the distance tool to mark it.

These snapshots were taken in real time; I had no idea just how much the storm was going to intensify and what the ensuing damage was going to be. The following images are in order and show the intensification of the storm.

Tornadoes are extremely fascinating and I love watching them, but only when they are in an open field. It’s a horrible feeling when you can visually see a storm intensify on radar and know it’s heading towards a town or city. That’s the moment when all meteorologists and storm chasers hold their breath and wait, hoping for the best possible outcome. It’s crushing and leaves nothing but heartache when you see a tornado completely destroy a town. The only thing left to do at that point is hope people are prepared, pay attention to their local meteorologists, have a weather radio or app that alerts them to the danger, and then do everything else you possibly can to help the recovery process.

Go to http://www.redcross.org/ok/oklahoma-city to learn more about how you can help.

Our thoughts go out to all that were affected by the Moore, Oklahoma tornado.

RadarScope

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: $9.99
Released: 2008-08-30 :: Category: Weather

Tetris Blitz Review

By Carter Dotson on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: TREPAK BLITZ
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

There’s fun to be had in short bursts with Tetris Blitz, but it just feels way too engineered to be fun, rather than anything naturally-occurring.

To describe the state of Tetris Blitz, one only needs to listen to its music. It’s the classic Tetris theme, “Korobeiniki,” but vaguely dubstepped. There’s a good idea here, but someone was intentionally trying to be popular. It is kinda cool, sort-of, but the inauthenticity can grate.

The gameplay is pretty much what it says on the tin – it’s the classic Tetris gameplay of making lines with tetrominoes, except now in two-minute bursts. There are powerups that can be bought with coins and used to enable powerup blocks that have actions like pulling all blocks to the left, or triggering avalanches. There’s also a weekly powerup that cycles every week, and it can be bought permanently with an in-app purchase.

For the fast-paced Blitz-style gameplay, the instant drop control scheme where players can just tap on a spot to drop a block works very well here. It’s easy to drag the block to the exact desired spot or to just tap the ‘cycle’ button on the left to get new locations. For a game that requires quick thinking, it’s a perfect fit.

And really, the Blitz-style actually fits Tetris Blitz well. Increasing the multiplier is done by getting Tetrises(clearing four lines at once), which presents a balance between specifically trying to get Tetrises to increase the multiplier, and making normal matches for points, which also triggers Frenzy mode. This mode has blocks cascading down to earn more points as more matches are made, but it also makes getting Tetrises more difficult. The balance here, plus the quick sessions, makes for an addictive game. Facebook login provides cloud syncing for saving, which is a minor miracle.

Yet, the problem is that it just feels so inauthentic. Like, it feels like someone decided to apply the “Blitz” formula to the game because it could make money, rather than as a natural extension of it. All the coins and cash-grabs make me feel at least a little bit cynical. At least it’s possible to permanently buy the powerup of the week and get unlimited use for $1.99, at least while it is featured. Having it free forever would be nice, but hey – this is EA we’re talking about.

So, while Tetris Blitz is without a doubt a fun game, that overwhelming sense that it’s a corporate creation restrains me from loving it completely. There are a lot of great ideas here, though.

Tetris® Blitz

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2013-05-23 :: Category: Games

Dumb Ways to Die Lets You Save Cute Little Creatures…Maybe

There’s a popular video on YouTube about cute little dumb characters and the many ways the meet their demise, all set to a catchy, singable tune. Hello, demise! Well, the creators have made a video game that gives you the opportunity to save these dumb little guys in Dumb Ways to Die. You can tap, swipe, tilt, and blow your way through multiple mini-games while trying to prevent each character from a dumb death. It’s available for free, so go help these dumb guys survive!

Nikko RC Racer Review

By Jennifer Allen on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: STRAIGHTFORWARD RACING
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Fun for five minutes, Nikko RC Racer lacks some serious staying power, feeling all too basic.

Having made remote control cars for the past 55 years, the Nikko name has been transferred to iOS courtesy of Nikko RC Racer. It’s a fun title for a time, but it’s a little too shallow for extended play.

Nine tracks are bundled with the game, each themed around the same charming park. There’s not a huge amount to explore despite the suggestion that each landscape is huge, given that players are confined to the checkpoints that dictate their success in the race. Sure, it’s possible to deviate but that’s not really keeping to the idea. However, a sandbox style mode to explore would have been a great touch here. Each of the tracks might feel a bit samey, but as they offer numerous ramps to leap over, it would have been fun to do this in one’s own time.

A new track is unlocked after playing through the last one, with the basic structure focused on beating a previous leaderboard time or one set by a friend. Facebook connectivity plays a major role here in terms of encouragement and sending challenges. It’s possible to share video replays too.

Controls are suitably varied, with the choice of tilt based, virtual buttons or sliding controls that I really wouldn’t recommend. Most comfortable of all were the virtual buttons, although tilt felt more accurate for using a remote control car. While up to 10 cars can be unlocked, I struggled to spot a difference in terms of handling, despite the stats suggesting otherwise.

These cars are unlocked in an interesting manner, though, in that some can be acquired through buying actual Nikko cars and using a code that comes bundled with them. It’s all very like Skylanders and potentially quite useful. It’s also possible to pay out $2.99 to unlock them all at once.

While that might be clever, though, Nikko RC Racer is really quite a basic game. Focusing on the racing side of things rather than the fun tricks and moves that can be done with a RC car just isn’t that exciting. There might be a selection of power-ups to collect but these are almost immediately forgettable.

It’ll take less than 20 minutes to check out all the tracks and cars and that’s pretty much it. For free, there’s no great financial investment but I wouldn’t recommend unlocking cars, unless it’s done so through the acquisition of physical cars. It’s just not really worth it.

Nikko RC Racer

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2013-05-03 :: Category: Games

Delifishes Review

By Lee Hamlet on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: YOU JELLY?
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Playing Delifishes brings back memories of the first generation of mobile games, which is by no means a bad thing.

Delifishes is a new app by 17-year-old developer Tin Stribor Sohn. It is as simple as games get, but in an age when you can play Final Fantasy V on your iPhone, it’s nice to see a humble little retro-style game that will keep you entertained for 30 seconds and doesn’t take a lifetime of loading screens to get stuck into.

Controlling a baby jellyfish through the use of the gyroscopic (motion-based) controls, players have to navigate around the screen, collecting orange orbs whilst avoiding rival jellyfish, mini torpedoes and fishing hooks. The controls are sensitive and therefore very responsive.

One issue I had, however, was that the calibration was slightly off, with no way to re-adjust it. Upon starting a new game, with the iDevice being at what I would call a comfortable angle for playing, the jellyfish shot to the top of the screen and I had to compensate by leaning the device slightly too far towards myself. Even on different devices and after a reset, the issue still persisted, although I’m certain this will be addressed in a future update.

Taking it back to basics, it is impossible not to reminisce about the mobile games of old while playing Delifishes. It has the same pick-up-and-play, quick-fix, one-more-go draw that Snake had back when I was 13. However, rather than a collection of black squares set against an ugly green-lit background, Delifishes is a bright, cute and colourful game that will keep the user coming back for more. Game Center integration simply serves as a further incentive to beat those previous high scores. Although I think this would do better as a free game, those who like their games quick and simple might find reason to make a purchase.

Delifishes

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: $0.99
Released: 2013-05-03 :: Category: Games

4 Kingdoms Review

By Campbell Bird on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: YET ANOTHER KINGDOM GAME
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad

4 Kingdoms offers familiar menu-based, freemium management gameplay with a fresh coat of cosmetic paint.

4 Kingdoms is a freemium management sim that has players building their own kingdoms by completing quests and gathering resources. Much like many games that have come before it, the hooks in this game are based on using multiple forms of currency and using various cooldown timers so that players always have something to look forward to. There really isn’t much that differentiates 4 Kingdoms from these games beyond its art style, but the game is perfectly playable and seems capable of holding the attention of anyone that has not already had their fill of this style of game.

In 4 Kingdoms, players will choose their character portrait and starting location, and are then led through a series of tutorialized quests that introduce the players to some of the core game concepts. The unfortunate thing about this tutorial is that all the text that explains the game has a formatting issue where line breaks are determined by letter rather than by word, making everything pretty difficult to read. This problem carries throughout all in game text, including chat windows, making reading in the world of 4 Kingdoms harder than it needs to be.

Beyond the text issue, 4 Kingdoms will task players with upgrading their kingdom’s buildings, fighting NPC enemies, building defenses, and gathering resources, among other things. Much like every other game in this genre, there is very little animation or actual gameplay surrounding these tasks either, with every action laid out in menu form. To vary up the experience a bit, though, 4 Kingdoms does allow players to expand and build multiple cities after reaching a specific level, but that just results in doubling the number of tasks rather than adding new gameplay elements.

Overall, 4 Kingdoms doesn’t really bring anything new this genre of menu-laden management games. The game is a bunch of systems and mechanics that lead to nothing but progress for the sake of progress. If you’ve already had enough of this genre, then steer clear.

4 Kingdoms for iPad

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2013-05-04 :: Category: Games

Inkling Review

By Rob Rich on May 24th, 2013
Our Rating: :: FINGER ART
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

This simple yet elegant app is almost perfect for a little on-the-go sketching.

Most great works of art begin as a sketch. Heck, some of them are sketches. So naturally it would make sense to offer something akin to a sketchbook on iOS. Being able to pull out an iPhone or iPad and start jotting down visual ideas is a great option to have. And while Inkling may not be a trail blazer in this particular field it certainly does it justice.

Inkling lets users scribble down whatever they can imagine with their fingers with an emphasis on the pen and ink style medium. The free version includes all the basics needed to get started: a blank canvas, a range of color choices, and a few different re-sizable brush styles to choose from. Opening up various menu options or undoing actions is a simple matter of double-tapping in the right spot, and using photos for a background (if desired) is a possibility. For an extra $1.99 users can also unlock six additional brushes to further expand their options, as well as a fancy-looking “Procedural Sketch” brush for another $0.99.

One of the things I like most about Inkling is its sketchbook feel. Although it’s definitely possible to create complex works, of course. With enough familiarization with the interface jumping back and forth between pens, brushes, erasers, and so on is fairly easy. Being able to undo mistakes with a double-tap or two in the bottom left corner of the screen is also a handy feature as it’s easy to correct a mistake without interrupting any actual drawing. I also have to say that being able to sample the various brushes free of charge is incredibly nice.

There are bound to be some who take issue with the in-app purchases. Personally I think what’s available is very reasonable and the cost for accessing everything else is affordable, but it does require some extra spending to be able to play with everything. I found the interface for changing colors and brush sizes to be more of a bother, honestly. I absolutely love how the interface isn’t cluttered with menus but swapping between brushes/pens/erasers can take quite a few taps and start to feel a bit arduous.

All in all, Inkling is a simple, elegant sketching app. The free version offers just enough options to be useful, and those who want to get a bit more “serious” with their touch pad works can do so without breaking the bank. It’s a shame that reducing the interface clutter has resulted in a menu system that can sometimes be a pain to use but it’s a small price to pay in the long run.

Inkling

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2013-05-05 :: Category: Entertainment

Evernote Update Keeps You Notified, Adds New Reminders Feature

Evernote now comes with reminders to ensure that you never forget an important note. You can pin a note to the top of the list and add a due date to receive in-app and email notifications. It will also mark a note as done when you complete your task. Now we shall never forget to do anything…hopefully.

Clear Shakes Up A New Update: Email Your Lists

Clear received a new update that allows you to email your lists, one of the biggest requests from fans of the app. All you need to do is simply shake your phone (or do a quick dance and shake) to bring up the new email options.

Emails will then contain your to-do lists, which can be sent to other Clear users via email for them to open up in their own Clear app. If that didn’t shake you up enough, Clear will be coming soon to the iPad.

Regular Show: Best Park in the Universe Review

By Carter Dotson on May 23rd, 2013
Our Rating: :: SLACKERS
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

This park has some good ideas, but a lot of work needs to go into it to make it live up to its title.

Regular Show: Best Park in the Universe is a beat ‘em up in the tradition of the cartoon show’s 80s and 90s aesthetic. Unfortunately, the game comes with a few issues.

Mordecai and Rigby try to improve the park they live and work at while their boss Benson is away, so when a stranger from space offers to make it the best park in the universe, they take him up on his offer. Unfortunately, this fellow is a bit evil, sending the park into space. So Mordecai and Rigby must try to prove a technicality, that they don’t actually run the park and thus this villainous fellow actually had no right to yank it out of the ground and send it into space. This involves beating up lots of random foes. Yes, this is the first beat ‘em up about a legal technicality.

The game surprisingly apes Castle Crashers by featuring a level-up system with rudimentary ability tree, where points can be spent on new abilities. It adds a surprising level of depth to a game that could have just easily been a mindless beat ‘em up. The controls work surprisingly well, with tapping to move to a specific spot, and swipes to attack in a certain direction, or to unleash special attacks.

The problem with the level-up system starts with the fact that players can switch between Mordecai and Rigby, who each have their own experience bars. See, it’s just that it’s a waste of time to level up the other character. Characters gain so much damage upon leveling up that it’s better to pick one’s preferred character and just go crazy with them. Oh, and the fact that the combo attacks do so much damage from the second attack onward is just absurd. It becomes a game of singular focus – ironic for a game based on a show about absent-minded slackers – not just on one character, but on one enemy at a time. Or at least one group of enemies at a time, as multiple enemies can be hit at once with the basic attacks. Being backed into a corner isn’t the worst thing in the world.

While I appreciate trying to go with a bigger idea for one of these Cartoon Network games, and the theme totally fits, a lot of work still needs to be done to balance out the game. And I mean a lot of work.

Best Park In the Universe - Regular Show

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: $2.99
Released: 2013-05-23 :: Category: Games

Angry Birds Space Launches You Into Space For Free

You can now freely travel into space! For a limited time, the space-themed Angry Birds game can be downloaded for free, reports Touch Arcade. Angry Birds Space has over 160 levels on different planets and in zero gravity, which creates unique gameplay that includes slow-motion puzzles and lightspeed destruction.

Mailbox Shows Some Tablet Love, Gets Optimized For iPad

Mailbox has been optimized for iPad use in the popular inbox-zero app’s latest update.

“Mailbox‘s new way of doing things workflow represents a dramatic improvement in my workflow, and the delusionary satisfaction I get in saying that everything has been dealt with in a concrete way is a welcome feeling,” said Carter Dotson, in our review.

Ayopa Games is celebrating this Memorial Day weekend by offering their games for free. Starting at midnight on Friday, May 24th and ending the following Wednesday, May 29th, Chicken Rescue, Death Golf, Dungeon Crawlers, Light Byte, M.U.S.E., Pocket Heroes, and W.E.L.D.E.R. will all lose their current price and become free. That’s a big savings!

Greedy Grub Review

By Rob Rich on May 23rd, 2013
Our Rating: :: A CUTE CRAWL
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Greedy Grub is certainly adorable, but it’s not particularly ground-breaking.

People may joke about cushy government jobs but working as a public official, even the assistant to one, is no easy task. Every day decisions must be made that will have a severe impact on citizens’ lives. Where should the new post office be constructed? Is it a good idea to plant those trees there of all places? Why has the mayor been lost in thought all day? And why the heck does the tree in the center of town have a giant eyeball sticking out of it? Seriously, Greedy Grub, what the heck?

Apollo, the wise old mayor of the forest, needs a hand. So he picks a grub under the direct control of the player, naturally. As he crawls his way around the small forest town he’ll encounter other denizens in need of some help, most of which involves watering plants or building specific structures. Yes, Greedy Grub is a town building game, although it’s a bit more free-form than many of the ones I’ve played. The town exists inside a circular boundary dictated by the Great Tree (the one with the freaky eyeball on it), and all of the buildings and decorations and such can be arranged within that boundary however players desire. Of course it’s also possible to expand the city limits, for a price.

It may have something to do with Greedy Grub having its own comic or it could be entirely coincidental, but the context for all this remodeling is a bit more interesting than it usually is for these kinds of games. Each of the dozen-plus residents has a different story and personality that will also undoubtedly make kids smile. There’s also a fairly decent collection element by way of the trees that can be planted throughout the town. Once fully grown they both look pretty and supply precious fruits that can be used as a form of currency to expand the town even further. They can also be hybridized with some pretty wacky results.

Even though it has some very pleasing cartoonish visuals and plenty of whimsy (both in the characters and the world in general), as a game Greedy Grub feels like more of the same. Take away the colorful characters and crazy trees and what’s left is pretty much the same old town-building song and dance we’re all used to. Granted, most town-builders are like this, but sometimes they do one or two things differently enough to hold my interest. That’s not really the case here.

Greedy Grub looks as lush and vibrant as the magical forest it’s set in, and features an impressive cast of quirky characters that help to alleviate some of the town-building drudgery. That drudgery is still present, however, which didn’t exactly win me over and probably won’t win over those who aren’t diehard fans genre, either.

Greedy Grub

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2013-05-23 :: Category: Games

Finger Tied Jr Review

By Jennifer Allen on May 23rd, 2013
Our Rating: :: FINGER TWISTING FUN
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Finger Tied brought Twister-style gaming to the iPad, and Jr does much the same for the iPhone and is a fantastic example of the innovation possible with iOS gaming.

Previously a highly enjoyable puzzle and party game for the iPad, Finger Tied makes its way to the smaller screen of the iPhone, in the guise of Finger Tied Jr. With it comes some smart level design, attractive visuals and a keen sense of fun.

At its heart, Finger Tied Jr is a lot like Twister for the fingers, albeit with more of a purpose to such dexterous movements. Each level is a grid of squares, with a start and finish line depicted through the use of a shape. Players must place one or more fingers on each of the shapes before dragging their finger from the start to the finish, thereby filling in the colors of the grid. Lift a finger or miss out part of the grid, and the level must be replayed. It’s wonderfully simple yet rewarding stuff.

Starting out, it’s all quite easy to complete with beginner levels rarely requiring much effort or dexterity. With a variety of levels ranging from Beginner to Hard, though, the difficulty level gradually increases in time with one’s dexterity skills. Given that all the levels within one difficulty pack are unlocked at the same time, it’s easy to come back to a tricky level later on, too.

Finger Tied Jr doesn’t just end with some great puzzles either. The highly effective level creator, seen in the iPad version, is here and is just as simple and intuitive to use as before. Plus, it’s possible to try out other players’ creations through an easy to use sharing interface. In theory, this should mean there’s always something new to play.

While Finger Tied Jr won’t be as great a party game as its bigger sibling, given the screen constraint, it’s a great game for using singularly. I’d recommend playing it mostly on a flat surface, rather than the typical held position for iPhone games, but that’s no hardship. Finger Tied Jr is quite the unique proposition for the system, and comes highly recommended.

Finger Tied Jr.

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Buy Now: $0.99
Released: 2013-05-23 :: Category: Games

Zynga’s Battlestone – Mobile Hack ‘n’ Slash Arcade Action

Casual game mega-publisher Zynga has just released a new arcade hack ‘n’ slash game called Battlestone. You’ll get to swipe your way to victory, fighting off hordes of enemies in single player mode, while squaring up against others in PvP modes. Once you get into the game, you’ll collect characters, summoning and upgrading heroes to beat ever-more difficult enemies and environments. Get your swipe on today with this free-to-play game on your iPad or iPhone.

Who is Infinite Dreams?
Based in the Southern Polish city of Gliwice, Infinite Dreams is made up of around 15 members of staff, encompassing several developers, graphic artists, Quality Assurance workers, a game design guru and one marketing expert.

What is Infinite Dreams most famous for?
The team has worked on a plethora of memorable titles. Besides the popular Can Knockdown series, the team has also created Jelly Defense, Sailboat Championship PRO and Let’s Create! Pottery. Variety is clearly the spice of life for the team.

What’s next on the horizon?
PR and Marketing Manager Artur Starzyk answered this one for us: “At the moment we are working hard to release [a] new level pack for Can Knockdown 3. We are more than happy to receive positive feedback from the fans and we would like to meet their expectations. There is also [a] huge community gathered around Let’s Create! Pottery HD and they encourage us to release updates for that title too. Obviously, [a] new project is in the pipeline but I can’t reveal more info about it [yet].”

Anything else I should know about Infinite Dreams?
Artur had some more to say to us about things of interest.

148apps: What does the team enjoy most about iOS development?
Artur: It’s the satisfaction of making good products in a short time. We are doing our best to release polished games and then…waiting for the media reviews and our fans’ opinions. We can release games more often on iOS than [the] AAA industry can, so the fun is much…better

148apps: Infinite Dreams offers quite a few different types of games. Is there a particular genre you’ve found most enjoyable to design?
Artur: There is no any particular genre we like the most. We simply love to create new type of games (like Let’s Create! Pottery) or just redefine the existing genres (Jelly Defense) to surprise our fans. This is our way of thinking about the mobile games industry.

Where can I find out more about Infinite Dreams?
Infinite Dreams has embraced the social networking world, so there are plenty of places to learn more, besides here. There’s the website, Google+ page, Forums, Facebook page, Twitter and YouTube channel. We’ll be sure to keep you in the loop about the latest developments, too!

Can Knockdown 3 is out now, priced at $0.99.

Clash of Clans Heats Up With A New Inferno Tower

Clash of Clans builds a new defensive unit that will burn all that dare get in the way. The new Inferno Tower is capable of destroying even the toughest of armors, though it is vulnerable against swarms of smaller enemies, reports Pocket Gamer. Town hall can be upgraded to level 10, which unlocks an additional cannon, archer tower, giant bomb, and dark elixir drill enhancements. That sounds like a lot of good firepower!

Hyper Breaker Turbo! Review

By Jennifer Allen on May 23rd, 2013
Our Rating: :: PLENTIFUL BLOCK BUSTING
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Offering a more substantial experience than regular Breakout, Hyper Breaker Turbo! is a fun twist on a familiar format.

From the makers of fun Match Three puzzler, Push Panic, comes Hyper Breaker Turbo! a game almost as excitable as its name.

Looking a lot like Breakout or Arkanoid, it’s a concept we’ve seen before but refined to ensure that Hyper Breaker Turbo! is still rather fun. Players are tasked with the role of negotiating 75 levels of block busting goodness. It’s down to the players’ individual skill levels to determine how long that will take, but expect some stages to take quite a while. Unlike other brick busting games, Hyper Breaker Turbo! involves going upwards for quite a way, clearing a plethora of blocks in one’s path, in order to reach the end goal. Covering a number of screens comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. There’s a fairly meaty experience within but, at times, it can get a teensy bit monotonous, especially when stuck at one particularly awkward moment.

Hyper Breaker Turbo! also has a problem that has afflicted every brick busting game I’ve come across in that sometimes the ball gets stuck in an infinite loop between two stationery objects, forcing the player to restart. This doesn’t happen often, frequently, as the levels here are all pretty well designed.

Besides providing stages over multiple screens, Hyper Breaker Turbo! also offers much improved physics over many other titles in the genre. Depending on how the player flicks the paddle up, it’s possible to propel the ball faster or harder towards its goal, offering more control over it than is commonplace.

Power-ups play a pivotal role here, too, with bombs to hit, gravity adjustments to change how the ball reacts, bullets, and shields all playing a part in adding variety to the game. Similarly, levels change quite significantly as one progresses, with a Doodle them and Neon World style affecting both the visuals and mechanics of stages.

For the price, Hyper Breaker Turbo! is quite the comprehensive package with enough levels to keep one entertained for quite a long time. It might not quite be a five minute session kind of game, given the size of some stages, but there’s certainly value for money for the brick busting fan.

Hyper Breaker Turbo

Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: $1.99
Released: 2013-05-23 :: Category: Games

Where’s My Summer? Takes Agent P To The Beach In 12 Limited-Time Levels

Fans of Where’s My Perry? will be able to join Agent P as he enjoys summer on the beach in 12 all-new limited-time levels. Where’s My Summer? is available for free, featuring a summer theme with beach balls, cruise ships, sandcastles, laser waves, and more. Check out the summer time trailer below and don’t forget to pack the sun tan lotion!