While a large number of sketch apps are available for the iPad, Autodesk is looking to bring something different to the category. Built on a resolution independent engine, the new SketchBook Ink app allows the creation of beautiful line work and the ability export high resolution images directly from your iPad.

Fully compatible with the Retina display of the new iPad, the app features a full-screen workspace in either portrait or landscape orientation. The app has seven preset ink styles with different weights and behaviors along with two eraser types.

There are also multiple export options. Users can either email or save PNG images as large as 12.6 megapixels to the Photo Library. With Dropbox or iTunes file sharing, you can save PNG images of up to a whopping 101.5 megapixels.

Here’s a quick video on some of the work that can be done with the app. Click here if you can’t see the video.

SketchBook Ink is only for the iPad and can be purchased in the App Store for an introductory price of $1.99.

Even though the app is very visually similar to Autodesk’s other apps like SketchBook Pro, the exporting options definitely make it a standout. I’m looking forward to trying out my less than superb arts skills with it.

• SketchBook Ink
• SketchBook Pro for iPad

AppAdvice has teamed up with Neuchâtel, our latest AppAdvice Daily podcast sponsor, in order to offer you a chance to win a copy of Blast Angle ($0.99) for iPhone and iPod touch or Blast Angle HD ($0.99) for iPad.

You can stop waiting for iShoot 3, because the next great Scorched Earth-inspired game is already available for iOS, and it comes in the form of Blast Angle.

Fire away.

As with most games in the artillery genre, you must take turns with your opponent firing off all kinds of different types of ammunition in hopes of taking them out before they do the same to you. During each of your turns you have the opportunity to select an ammunition type, apply a shield to your tank, or do some repairs. Just keep in mind that you only have 30 seconds to equip and utilize whichever item you choose. If you fail to do so in the allotted time, you will forfeit your turn and instantly give your opponent a huge advantage.

Blast Angle employs a unique firing system and utilizes an advanced environmental physics engine, which makes the game all the more challenging and entertaining. To fire a shot from your tank, you must first adjust the angle of the barrel by dragging your finger across the screen. Once you have the proper angle, keep your finger in place and slide a second finger up and down to adjust the power of your shot. Then release to fire! Of course, you’ll want to try to obtain a direct hit on your opponent, but you can also use environmental elements like fire, rain, acid, and lava to your advantage.

The game includes a total of six unique worlds, 12 environments, 10 devastating weapons, fantastic visuals with nifty particle effects, a single-player campaign, online multiplayer with chat, and Game Center leaderboards. It also includes a full set of instructions, an overview of all of the weapons and environments so you can learn how to best utilize them, and a promotion system.

To have a chance at winning a copy of Blast Angle, just tell us whether you would prefer the iPhone or iPad version in the comments section below before 11:59 p.m. PDT tonight (May 24). We’ll then randomly choose our lucky winners and get in touch via email. Only one entry per person is allowed. Good luck!

• Blast Angle
• Blast Angle HD

Dragon Evolution ($1.99) by Nob Studio is a game that can require strategy even though the missions can be simple to complete. With RPG elements and auto-scrolling gameplay, this might be the perfect match for some people. The artistic background of this game is probably its best attribute, it’s unique, refreshing, and a pleasure to look at.

A few evil-hearted tribesmen have been stealing eggs from a dragon in exchange for food. The dragon needs to demolish this tribe and regain his precious eggs. Can you take control of the dragon and help him retrieve his eggs? We sure hope so! No one likes an irritable dragon of this size.

At the start of the game, you choose an evolution element (fire, water, acid, etc.) that will give you certain attack points. Each element will also change the appearance of the dragon, as well as his skill and stat points.

Then you jump into the first of nine years in your quest to find the stolen eggs. Consider yourself a world traveler because you will vacation in nine different locations all over the globe. You will need to fight off the tribe’s men and its other defenses by using certain attack skills. Over the course of time, like in any RPG, you will gain new attacks. You will be able to breathe fire, attack from the sky, spawn baby dragons, and more!

Missions are also another way to stay addicted to this game. There are more than 80 missions for you to complete, which in turn increases your score multiplier.

The presentation is unique and awesome. The artwork is the selling point of this game though. It’s smooth, it works well with the game, and the soundtrack is a lot of fun as well. The colors are vibrant and really pop out.

Make sure to check out this game and its artistic presentation when you can. It’s refreshing and worth a try. Pick it up from the App Store today.

What’s your favorite evolution element? Acid is my preferred choice.

• Dragon Evolution

After launching in arcades back in 1999, SEGA’s Virtua Tennis was ported to the SEGA Dreamcast in 2000. Several ports, sequels, and 13 years later, Virtua Tennis Challenge lands on iOS as Virtua Tennis Challenge.

In Virtua Tennis Challenge, you’ll be unleashing slice shots, lobs, and top spins through different touch gestures. Compete against 50 players in over 18 different stadiums across the world. Each stadium features different clay, grass, hard, and indoor courts. Virtua Tennis Challenge features several game modes, including:

• SPT World Tour: Pick a customizable character to compete through full seasons of competition around the globe. Earn money by progressing through matches to buy your way into new tournaments. Each real world day offers new challenges.

• Exhibition Match: Dive into the game and select from any unlocked courts and characters in single or doubles mode.
• Multiplayer: Challenge your friends online over Wifi or face to face over Bluetooth connectivity

• Quick Match Mode: Itching for a one minute dose of Virtua Tennis? Play fast singles challenges to increase your ranking

• Training Mode: Learn from the pros in this practice mode by running through drills

The graphics in Virtua Tennis looked great even on the Dreamcast, so it’s good to see in this trailer that Virtua Tennis Challenge retains those looks:

Virtua Tennis Challenge ($4.99) is available in the App Store as a universal app.

• Virtua Tennis Challenge

While using Bump to share photos between iOS devices has always been nice, a new update of the app today adds a very handy feature – the ability to bump with a computer.

In version 3.3 of the app, transferring photos between your iOS device and computer is extremely simple. First, open the app and choose the photos you’d like to transfer over. Then, using a modern Web browser like Chrome, Safari, or Firefox, you log on to a Bump website – http://bu.mp.

To actually transfer the photos, lightly bump the space bar with your device and the transfer begins. You can choose to save the transferred photos directly to your hard drive or get a short link to share wherever you’d like – including social networks like Twitter.

In my tests, the process was simple and just as advertised. I can see more than a few situations where this capability would come in handy.

In an interview with ABC News, Bump CEO and co-founder David Lieb said the new feature works by a combination of sensors on the phone and Bump’s cloud services. You must have location sharing enabled in your browser for the process to work.

Bump is designed for the iPhone and iPod touch but also works on the iPad. The app is available for free in the App Store.

• Bump

Less than a month after their previous update, the Tweetbot apps for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad have received another significant refresh. Version 2.4 includes a number of new features to help you navigate through the world that is Twitter.

Tweetbot Version 2.4 now includes the ability to check for keywords based on location. In addition, nearby tweets have been added with the ability to change location. Other features include Trends, Top Tweets, and People categories moving to the app’s browse section. Most significantly, the new version includes new offline favorite and read later support.

Tweetbot for iPad

Addition features include:

• Updated Search view
• Improved search box for efficiency.
• Can now change trends location from the search view
• Double-tap search tab to open search with keyboard
• Keyword mute filters (with regex option and ability to mute mentions as well)
• Basic smart quote support when composing (ex: quotes become smart quotes, … becomes an ellipsis, and — becomes an em dash)
• When viewing an image full screen on the iPad you can hold down on it for options
• List views now show one line of a list or profile description on the iPad
• Top tweets show up in search results (marked by silver star violator)
• Dismiss web and map views on the iPad with a 2-finger swipe down gesture.
• Can now swipe to the right on profile views to go back one level
• Improved find location speed and accuracy
• Sending to pinboard now marks items as unread
• Muting a client automatically mutes mentions from that client as well
• Fixed iPad bug where you couldn’t take profile photos with the camera
• Fixed missing tweet sound when publishing a tweet.
• Various other bug fixes

Tweetbot – A Twitter Client with Personality for iPhone and Tweetbot – A Twitter Client with Personality for iPad are both available in the App Store. Each is priced at $2.99.

• Tweetbot — A Twitter Client with Personality for iPad
• Tweetbot — A Twitter Client with Personality for iPhone

Every week, our staff will handpick a game from the past seven days that we believe is a must-download for your iPhone or iPad. These games will always be from a wide variety of genres, but they are chosen because our own staff members love it and can’t quite put it down. So here are this week’s picks! Enjoy, and happy gaming!

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2

Defeat Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic in our Game of the Week!

Sonic is back and better than ever! Join everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog and his buddy, Tails, as they embark on a brand new adventure on your iPhone and iPad!

Episode 2 takes place after the events of Episode 1, where Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic join forces. But now you have Tails on your side to fight this evil team.

If you’ve played any Sonic game in the past you will feel right at home with this one. Go as fast as you can, collect rings along the way (they are your lifeline!), and defeat your favorite Sonic villains once again. The game features gorgeous Retina ready graphics that really give the franchise a whole new look.

Worried about touch screen controls? Don’t be! The game features two control scheme options: a D-pad with two buttons or you can even use your device’s accelerometer to control the game with tilt movements.

Need some help with defeating evil? Episode 2 features Bluetooth connectivity for cooperative play with a friend. There’s even Game Center support if you want to brag about your score and get some more achievements.

If you’re a Sonic fan, or want to dip your toes into the franchise, then there’s no better time to start than now. Check it out in the App Store for $6.99! You can also get Episode 1 for $3.99.

Check out our original review here.

Honorable Mention

Pastry Panic

Help this cute dino eat up all the pastries and more in Pastry Panic!

Here’s another retro-themed game for our readers! Pastry Panic has you helping a cute little dinosaur eat up all the sweet pastries on moving conveyor belts! Oh, and make sure to get the metal bolts too.

Featuring 16-bit graphics and a cute chiptune soundtrack, Pastry Panic will have you helping our adorable friend in a frantic gobbling down of everything around him.

There are two game modes: Mad Dash and Tongue Tied. Mad Dash will have you moving our little guy left and right, as well as up and down the conveyor belts, in his dash to eat up everything in sight. Tongue Tied will have our dino in a solitary spot in the middle of the screen, unable to move. But you can still grab all the sweets and bolts by utilizing that obnoxiously long tongue.

Collecting pastries will earn you points, and some are even power-ups (or power-downs) that will make things easier for you. You’ll also have to make sure to eat up the metal pieces too, because if you let a certain amount of bolts “escape,” then it’s game over.

Pastry Panic is a lot of fun and has Game Center support for leaderboards and achievements. It also reminds us of Super Crate Box, without all the monsters and weaponry — you are, after all, collecting pastries.

This game will keep you entertained for a good while, and it’s great to see another title come out from Underground Pixel. You can grab it for $0.99 in the App Store.

Check out my original review here.

• Sonic The Hedgehog 4™ Episode II
• Pastry Panic

Just a little more than a month after Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion, the company has strangely launched a very similar app today. Hitting the App Store right now, Facebook Camera can be best described as Instagram for Facebook photos.

Users of the app can post multiple photos from their camera roll at one time. High-resolution photos of up to 2048×2048 can also be uploaded with the app.

And in the most Instagram-like feature, Facebook Camera allows users to crop and apply filters to give photos a different look.

Other features included the ability to scroll down a single feed of all your friends’ photos and see pictures from the different apps your friends use. Users can also tag friends, add photo captions, and say where a photo was taken.

Facebook Camera is free and can be downloaded on the App Store now. It is designed for the iPhone and iPod touch but does work with the iPad. As of right now, I can download the app via iTunes, but it is not appearing in search results on my iPhone. That will probably change soon.

Are you as puzzled by this move as I am? While the Facebook acquisition of Instagram was done very quietly, why would Facebook still launch an app like this?

• Facebook Camera

For months now, we’ve reported on numerous rumors concerning Apple’s so-called iTV. Now a new report by BGR suggests that this product might not be a television after all.

According to the report, rather than being a full-featured television, Apple’s iTV could actually be something closer to an iHub, which would serve as a focal point in an Apple-powered household.

According to Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey:

“Apple should sell the world’s first non-TV TV. Instead of selling a replacement for the TV you just bought, Apple should convince millions of Apple fans that they need a new screen in their lives. Call it the iHub, a 32-inch screen with touch, gesture, voice, and iPad control that can be hung on the wall wherever the family congregates for planning, talking, or eating.”

Given that Steve Jobs notoriously said that we are now living in a “post-PC” world this makes a lot of sense. However, I would think that accessing television with it in some way out of the box would be a minimum requirement. After all, at 32-inches, this so-called iHub would be at least as expensive as televisions are today, if not more.

Still, Apple has a knack for inventing products we didn’t know we needed. Five years ago, the first iPhone arrived without third-party apps and sold well even with its $599 price tag. In 2010, Jobs sold millions of us on a device with a name that sounded like it was a new feminine product. Therefore, perhaps the iHub would succeed even without television built-in.

If Apple were to release an iHub, should it include television right out of the box?

Source: BGR

Otterbox might have just met its match. Tech21, the company behind Impactology, recently introduced a new line of iPhone cases that they claim provide better resistance than the popular brand of touch-impact iDevice cases. Do they? Take a look.

Introduced earlier this month, the company’s Special Ops portfolio is a new line of iPhone cases that provide protection from the elements and from life’s everyday scratches, bumps, and impacts. The new line represents the United Kingdom-based company’s first in the United States.

At the core of Tech21’s unique approach to device protection is their signature Impact Band. This orange strip inside helps absorb impact at the molecular level, using a non-Newtonian polymer (like cornstarch and water) that has the strength of Otterbox, but with a significantly different design.

The Orange Band

Tech21 claims their entire product line, which includes eight case lines for the iPhone, is 71 percent tougher than Apple’s Bumper. They also claim they are: 48 percent tougher than the Otterbox Commuter, 43 percent tougher than the Speck Case, and 25 percent tougher than the Otterbox Defender.

To come to these conclusions, Tech21 tested their cases versus the competitors by dropping phones five feet (or 1.5 meters.)

According to Jason Roberts, CEO of Tech21:

“Tech21 is a game changer for protection. We have spent years developing extraordinary impact protection that doesn’t just cover your device, but actually redistributes impact to prevent damage. We are obsessive about protection and develop our technology with passion and a single-minded focus, as we want our customers to feel confident and carefree.”

I’ve had the opportunity to test two of Tech21’s existing cases, an Impact Band and a Mesh Impact case.

To confirm that the cases were as tough as advertised, I’ve been using the Impact Band case with my iPhone 4S for four weeks. Initially, I was surprised at just how light it was, especially compared to my Otterbox, which is bulkier.

However, I’m happy to report the case held up quite well. And yes, I did drop my iPhone five feet just to be sure. As promised, the case and the phone survived without a bump or scratch.

Here’s a look at the three cases that make up Tech21’s newest line, the Special Ops:

Patrol: Tech21’s Special Ops Patrol case is an advanced three-layer case for the times when your device needs an additional level of protection. In addition to the signature Impact Band and D30 fabric, the Patrol case includes a detachable clear anti-scratch back plate, reinforced soft touch polycarbonate shell to protect the front and back cover, and the 1+Touch anti-scratch & self-heal screen shield.

Submariner: The Submariner not only offers device impact protection, but also makes a device waterproof up to six meters and offers additional storage for anything you might need to carry while in the water such as keys, credit cards, and IDs.

The Submariner builds on the Impact Band with an anti-scratch back plate, plus a reinforced polycarbonate waterproof case with a silicon seal touch screen membrane. The design allows for full screen function, giving you the ability to capture photos and video while underwater.

Combat: The Combat protection case is built for those who need the most heavy-duty protection. It combines the signature Impact Band with six additional layers of protection including a reinforced polycarbonate hard shell to fully shield devices from scratches and dents, plus TPU rubber reinforcement for additional impact protection. For extra back protection, D3O Impact Fabric is built into the back plate.

For more information on Tech21’s entire line of cases and for pricing information visit http://impactology.com. In addition, Amazon has some of Tech21′s earlier cases for sale here. Once we get our hands on one of the Special Ops designs, we’ll let you know.

In the meantime, give us your thoughts on the new cases.