App Tue

Angry Birds Makes For Great Fun

Nick — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:58:31 +0000

If you enjoyed using a slingshot as a kid, then you'll enjoy Angry Birds for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. It's quite addictive and will put your trajectory skills to the test.

If you're wondering why the birds are so angry, just ask the green pigs holding the birds eggs' hostage. The birds are so furious that they've set-up a slingshot to propel themselves into the pigs' fortified castles. You control the slingshot by aiming and pulling back on the sling to launch the bird into the pigs - hopefully taking them out. You only get about four birds to launch at each stage, so use them strategically. And don't forget to tap the screen once you launch a bird, they split into three, giving you additional destructive power.

Their are 165 levels that require additional skill and thought as to how you can penetrate the castles and eliminate the pigs. There's definitely a certain amount of pleasure you get when you accomplish a level. Be prepared to have hours of fun that will leave you asking, where did all the time go!

Angry Birds is available for the iPad in HD for $4.99 and $.99 for the iPhone and iPod Touch

The Wait Is Over For Chopper 2

Nick — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:40:18 +0000

The long awaited Chopper 2 hit the app store today and it's on sale for $2.99. It's available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch...in glorious HD!

Chopper 2, which is the highly anticipated sequel to the original Chopper, features 36 missions throughout 12 different locations.

The action packed side-scrolling chopper game received a huge upgrade today that incorporates HD graphics, all new weapons, enemies and missions that make full use of the iPad and iPhone 4. It even uses the internal gyroscope for increased maneuvering and has spatial sound for great affects.

If you own an iPad and iPhone, you can use the iPhone as a remote control to maneuver the chopper on the iPad. And if you really want the ultimate chopper experience, plug your iPad into your TV through a component cable or VGA adapter for large screen play. You'll need to use the iPhone as the remote control.

Chopper 2 is one of the best games I've played. You'll be blown away by the detailed graphics and crazy missions required to get to the next level. A lot of R&D has gone into the sequel and will no doubt remain at the top of the app store game list.

“You Gotta See This” Cool iPhone 4 App

Nick — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:15:42 +0000

If you enjoy photography and have more than a handful of photo apps on your iPhone 4...then this one's for you! it's appropriately named You Gotta See This, because it creates very cool panoramic shots in a unique way. More of a collage than one single seamless image.

Here's how it works: You Gotta See This uses the iPhone 4 internal gyro to determine the camera orientation while you record the image. The app then positions the images on a flat surface to create the collage.

To capture an image, position the camera to the far left of the scene you want to capture. When you press the camera button, simply move the camera from left to right. When you're done, tap the camera button to capture the image...that's it! You can even take an image by moving the camera from up to down. A yellow or red ring around the camera button will appear if you move the camera to fast.

Once you've taken the shot, you have several themes from which to choose. You can either save them to your camera roll or share them through your favorite social networking site.

I've been using a few panoramic iPhone apps for a while such as Panorama, Pano and Autostitch. They all do a great job stitching images together to create the perfect wide-screen shot. While You Gotta See This works differently from these other panoramic apps, I think you'll enjoy its unique collage feature. I tested it on the tennis court and it worked great, as you can see from the image's above.

You Gotta See This is published by Boinx Software and is only available for the iPhone 4 for $1.99...a great price for a really fun app!

Get Your Free iPhone Bumper

Nick — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:23:45 +0000

Today Apple announced the launch of its free iPhone 4 case program. If you purchase an iPhone 4 prior to September 30, you are eligible for a free case. The program was announced July 14 when Steve Jobs took center stage to handle the overwhelming demand for answers to the iPhone 4 antenna crisis.

Since the launch of the iPhone 4 on June 24, complaints trickled in from consumers experiencing a loss of reception when holding the iPhone 4 around the exposed antenna. The fix is to put a bumper or case around the iPhone, avoiding direct skin contact with the antenna.

Apple released today a free app to handle the ordering and distribution of the free cases. Search for "iPhone 4 Free Case Program" in the app store to find the free download. The ordering process was simple and provides several choices from well-known brands such as Incase, Belkin, Griffin, and of course Apple.

If you already own the Apple iPhone 4 bumper and ordered it online, expect a full refund. If you bought a bumper in store, you may want to return to an Apple store near you for that refund. Receipt may be required. You can always call Apple support for more information.

Flipboard For iPad…A Slick Magazine Style E-Reader

Nick — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:51:39 +0000

Flipboard just hit the app store yesterday and is already being garnered as the hottest magazine-style e-reader for the iPad. Flipboard aggregates content by pulling it from Web sites and delivering it to iPad's around the world in a beautiful magazine-style layout.

From the Flipboards content page, you can add sections from "Today's Picks" or other categories, such as "Art & Culture" or "News, Business & Tech." The idea behind Flipboard is for it to be your own social magazine by adding Facebook and Twitter accounts. But as of this post, you may not be able to add those accounts due to the overwhelming response they've had since launch.

At first glance, it appears you can read an entire story when you flip the page and touch the screen. However, that's not the case as Flipboard doesn't have the rights to display all the content and pictures. Instead, a "Read on Web" button will take you to the content provider's Web site for further reading. Fortunately, Flipboard has made the process seamless by integrating the Web browser into the app.

According to Gizmodo, Flipboard might run into some legal issues as it "scrapes" content from Web sites instead of using public RSS feeds. While the app is free, Flipboard will want to monetize its efforts at some point through licensing and advertising fees. This could be a problem as they're using copyrighted content.

Flipboard has really set the bar for how content should look on the iPad and Web. I'm sure we'll see other major news outlets taking a few clues from Flipboard's cool magazine-style layout. Hit up the iPad app store for a free downloand...it's worth it!

Line2…A Really Useful Second Line

Nick — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:16:19 +0000

I have to say Line2 is a pretty cool and useful app. It's hard to call it just an app because it really is more than that. It's a sophisticated piece of software that allows you to seamlessly have a second line with its own number. The software is so slick that you feel like you're using the native iPhone software.

David Pogue over at The New York Times has done an in-depth review of Line2, so I will let you head over there for the finer details. However, for $14:95 a month, you can make clear calls over WiFi when you're lacking valuable AT&T service...mostly when indoors. The software is just like the iPhone's own system. You have have a keypad, contacts, recents, visual voicemail and settings. The nice part is you can access your iPhone contacts from within the Line2 contacts tab.

Now here's the cool part. You can make calls several ways. 1. WiFi 2. 3G 3. Cellular Direct 4. Cellular Call Back. WiFi is what you'll probably use the most. The quality is good and won't cost you a dime (well, $14.95/mo). The 3G option, while won't cost you a dime either, is a little inferior in call quality but is useful when you don't have WiFi service. And it will switch automatically if you're already on a call. The other two options use your cellular minutes, but are available if you need them.

In my testing over WiFi, the quality of the call was great and the process was seamless, including setting up my account. And the app is iPhone 4 friendly too...multitasking included. If you have a small business and want to appear very professional, Line2 can forward your calls to your AT&T number. You can even choose to have an 800 number for extra savviness! The app works on the iPod Touch too, turning it into a full-blown cell phone over WiFi. And if you thought Line2 left out advanced call handling features, you're wrong. Call waiting, call hold, call transfer and call conferencing for up to 20 people are all included.

Try it out for 30 days free. I'm already a few days in. To save money, you can always reduce your AT&T plan, add Line2 and talk over WiFi when you'd normally be using your valuable minutes.

iPhone 4 Press Conference This Friday

Nick — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:22:42 +0000

This Friday, Apple, Inc. will be holding a press conference to discuss the iPhone 4 antenna issue. Since the debut of the iPhone last month, the latest version of the device has been plagued with poor reception problems, depleted bars and loss of signal all together. The problem has not been limited to any one geographical area. In fact, handset's across Europe have experienced the same issue.

Consumer Reports weighed in and will not recommend the new iPhone 4 until Apple comes up with a fix. They said placing a piece of duct tape across the bottom left corner of the phone fixes the problem. When Apple designed the new iPhone 4, it was built with the antenna snaking around the metal band that surrounds the phone. Skin contact with the exposed black antenna in the bottom left corner is what's causing the degraded signal.

The problem only affects the iPhone 4 and not previous models. Apple has officially been silent on the matter until today. However, Steve Jobs himself has been quoted in a private email saying, "Just avoid holding it that way." Short of a total recall on the iPhone 4, many blogs have been discussing way's in which Apple can fix the phone. Options include a software update, as well as offering existing customer's free rubber bumpers. At least one class-action lawsuit is in the works over the matter. Even a Microsoft executive chimed in calling the iphone 4 their Vista. Ouch! Stay tuned.

We'll know more on Friday. And if all else fails, you do have 30 days to return the phone for any reason. If you took delivery on June 24th, you have until July 24th to return it. Rumor has it Apple is not recalling the phone

The new app tue!

Nick — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:37:21 +0000

Welcome to the new app tue, a blog dedicated to cool apps made for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. We're just like you, a bunch of guy's that enjoy discovering the next awesome app that makes our Apple devices come to life. But like you, we like hearing about the latest hardware, software and company news out of Cupertino...so we'll post about that stuff, too.

If you've been following Apple for a while, you might know why we named the blog app tue. For those of you that don't, Apple releases new products, holds events and you guessed it...updates the App Store with new apps on Tuesday’s. Lately, Apple has been releasing apps and products on days other than Tuesday’s. Nonetheless, we liked the name and thought about using it to write about something we have a passion for.

So...why should you listen to me or take our advice? Well, we're just avid users of Apple products (namely the 24" iMac, iPhone 4, iPad 64GB 3G and my 15″ MacBook Pro) that keep us connected, provide entertainment and now allow us to share our thoughts with anyone that cares.. We're not techies by trade, so won’t bore you with the back end of things...but we do love finding cool apps. So check back often and see what we're loading onto our devices.

If you have any comments, suggestions or find an app that should be shared with others, let us know. You'll get credit and might become a regular contributor! ....After all, we're just like you.

The New iPhone 4…worth the upgrade?

Nick — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:00:09 +0000

Today, Apple announced the new iPhone 4, due out June 24th and up for pre-order next week. The 16GB will cost $199 while the 32GB will be available for $299, subsidized by AT&T of course, with a new 2 year contract. It even comes in two colors - black and white models. No 64GB model and no word on a Verizon phone either.

The phone looks stunning in its new chasis with glass on the front and back. Steve Jobs compared it to an old Leica camera. Under the hood, the phone has received significant upgrades on all fronts. Here's what you'll be getting:

New Retina Display (960x640) 4 times pixel count increase. Better than the eye can see. Really!

iOS Operating System with multitasking. Runs multiple apps in the background and allows for folders.

Tons of new features in the new OS.

5-megapixel, rear-facing camera with LED flash and 5x digital zoom.

720p HD Video with 30 frames per second. iMovie app will be available for on-the-go movie editing and uploading.

Front facing VGA camera for WiFi video chat. Apple calls it "Face Time".

WiFi now supports 802.11n for faster download speeds.

Longer battery life: 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, and 40 hours of music.

Some great new apps will be launching on the new iPhone. Apple's iBook store, Netflix and the iMovie app I mentioned. At the end of the day, the iPhone is really all about the software.

If you have an older model iPhone, or even the current 3GS model, the iPhone 4 will be worth the upgrade. Also, tethering is coming to the iPhone via AT&T so you can use your iPhone's 3G connection to connect your laptop to the internet.

Google Earth Hits The iPad

Nick — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:00:07 +0000

Tonight, Google released one of the most popular free iPhone apps - Google Earth for the iPad.

Cruising around the world on the larger touch screen is amazing. The clarity of prominent points of interest feel like you're there. It's Google Earth for iPhone on steroids. It will instantly become one of your favorite apps in no time.