Video: Touch Pets Dogs

I just love playing Touch Pets Dogs! It’s quite fun and addicting! My puppies need care every day. This game is like an advanced version of the old tamagotchi pets. I’ve already maxed out on all the levels –> Advanced Mega Superstar Owner — so now all there’s left to do is earn puppy bucks and buy lots of doggie clothes and accessories. :)

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can download the app for free (iTunes Link). Then once you sign up for the Plus+ network (mobile game social network), you can add me as a friend – daynah. The social part is really something. If you have a playdate with my dog, my phone will bark. :)

Popularity: 1% [?]

A Glimpse at Droid

Half of my day consisted of reading your tweets and reviewing apps and gadgets. It’s been quite productive. :) Pictured above is the Motorola Droid, running on the 2.0.1, and the free Google Maps Navigation service. This service alone is worth getting the phone. The turn-by-turn voice navigation is quite awesome. :) Stay tuned, a full review of the Droid to come soon!
Read more

Popularity: 2% [?]

Happy Grinchmas!

Affinity Zero and I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! May you and your families have a wonderful and joyful holiday season! And with that note, here is Affinity Zero’s rendition of Mr. Grinch.

From YouTube:

Affinity Zero’s rocked out version of You’re A Mean One Mr Grinch. Recorded live December 2009.

Al Morita – vocals/guitar/bass, Chris Oufiero – drums, Genevieve Wolff – guitar. Percussion: Chris, Produced/Mixed – Al.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Fun Holiday iPhone Apps

Get into the holiday spirit with all these fun winter iPhone / iPod Touch apps! These are just a handful I tried out. Feel free to let me know what holiday apps are your favorite so I can try them too! :)

Snow Brawlin. Risoo the squirrel needs your help! A group of rogue rodents have taken over his area. And with the season’s nut shortage, there’s only one way to settle this. Snowball fight! It’s a fun game that will get your quick fingers tapping and heart laughing. The game is free but you can purchase in-app extra three lives for 99 cents. The pro version comes with the extra lives. (iTunes: Pro Version | Free)

Arctic Shuffle 2 is a cute and cuddly penguin puzzler that’s perfect if you enjoy short casual games. Object is to aim penguins to land on a target by bouncing off ice and other things. Earn loads of points and post them on the leaderboard. It’s available for only 99 cents in the iTunes App store. (iTunes: Full | Lite | Full Review)

Touch Pets Dogs 10 Food Grr is another version of Touch Pets Dogs, but it gives you 10 free bowls of food for your virtual puppy! Dress your little pup in the cutest winter clothes as you run around a winter wonderland! Lots a wonderful suprises int he game, as well as daily offers for free stuff. The game has amazing graphics and is fun for the whole family. Best of all, it’s free! (iTunes | Full Review)

Prep & Landing. Disney’s Prep & Landing takes you through the Kringle Academy to earn your place in the elite unit of elves that prepare homes for Santa on Christmas eve! There are three mini games — Deployment, Sparkle Ball Practice, and Ski Jump. Fun and worth the 99 cents! (iTunes | Full Review)

Grinchmas let’s you play the part of Mr. Grinch on Christmas Day. If you’re feeling like a mean grinch, you can throw snowballs at the houses in Who-ville. If you’re feeling like Mr. Nice Grinch, you can shower the houses with gifts! Great fun for the whole family. App is on sale now for just 99 cents! (iTunes | Full Review)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! – Dr. Seuss is the first official Dr. Seuss ebook and it’s tons of fun! You have the option of the book reading to you, or reading it yourself. The pages are filled with the original book artwork and the animation is just spectacular. It’s perfect for young children learning how to read, and big kids who loved this book as a child. Definitely a must-buy for any Grinch fan! Currently $3.99 but well-worth it. (iTunes | Full Review)

Dr. Seuss Camera – The Grinch Edition is a fun way to add some whimsical Grinch-graphics to your photos. Just select a Grinch card and snap a photo! It’s really fun on unsuspecting people when you snap their photo and it turns out green! There are 23 different frames in all. The app is currently $1.99 in the app store, was $2.99. (iTunes | Full Review)

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy the movie! Help Scrat collect acorns while avoiding dangerous obstacles and enemies along the way! Game features characters like Prehistoric pals Manny, Ellie, Diego, Sid and Scratte join Scrat throughout game play. Usually $4.99, this game is on sale for Christmas for only 99 cents! (iTunes)

Elf Jumpers. Help guide the elves to land on chimneys! Avoid dangerous obstacles and get all those presents to the good boys and girls. The audio sounds are just hilarious. The app is currently Free in the app store. (iTunes)
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Coca-Cola Virtual Christmas Lights is a nice way to add some sparkle to your holiday photos! Add lights, holiday symbols and more with this app. You can also post it and share with the world your photo. It’s currently in the iTunes app store for free. (iTunes)
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Holiday Smash. If you enjoy bouncing ping pong balls off of a launch pad, you’ll love this! Smash the lights as fast as you can. For this holiday edition, the lights are in the shape of Santa, Snowman, Christmas Tree, Snowflake, Fireplace, Candy Canes, and more! Currently Free in the iTunes app store! (iTunes)

Triazzle Holiday. A great little puzzler to tickle your brain cells during the holiday season. Move triangle puzzle pieces around to match up the ornaments, dradles, light bulbs, nut crackers, and more! Great sounds and animation to brighten your day. Triazzle Holiday is available in the iTunes App store for just 99 cents. (iTunes)

Santa Rush. Digital Chocolate makes a lot of fun rollercoaster games, and this one is just as fun as the others. Your rollercoaster-ride is Santa and he’s taking a few elves with him in the other carts. Guide the rollercoaster carts to safety without losing anyone to advance to the next level! Fun and free! (iTunes)

Crazy Penguin Christmas is the holiday version of Crazy Penguin Catapult 1 and 2. Help save Santa and the elves from mean polar bears by catapulting penguins to the rescue. The app is currently 99 cents, but I suggest trying the Lite version first to see if you like it.
(iTunes: Full | Lite)

Naughty or Nice? Christmas Detective is a simple app that scans a person’s photo and determines if they’re naughty or nice! Once the photo is analyzed, a “naughty” or “nice” banner is placed on the photo. There is also the option of posting the photo on Facebook and/or Twitter! This app may be a handy tool during the holidays. It’s currently on sale for 99 cents. (iTunes)

Scrooge’s Tip Calculator. Of course you should tip generously to your server(s), but this app makes it a lot of fun. What would Scrooge tip if he was eating with you? There are four levels of tipping – from a generous Christmas Spirit to a Scroogey mood. This app is currently in the iTunes app store for Free! (iTunes)

Santa’s Sack. Angry animals have stolen all of Santa’s presents! Help Santa get them all back by tiling the iPhone / iPod Touch and catching all the present in his big red sack! It’s a silly game with fun music. Available in the app store for free! (iTunes)
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Popularity: 2% [?]

Goodbye 2009, Google Wave Style

Wow, Whirled uses Google Wave to say goodbye to 2009. This is incredibly ingenious! Thanks for tweeting about it Robert!

Popularity: 1% [?]

iPhone App Review: I Am T-Pain

Written by: Al Morita

I’m a big fan when it comes to music apps, especially ones that let you be creative. “I am T-Pain” has two modes – one lets you sing like T-Pain on his songs and a freestyle mode that is worth the $2.99 alone. When connected to a speaker, the freestyle mode lets you use the app like an auto-tune machine. You have the option to have the auto-tune setting set to T-Pain or you can customize the tuning to major, minor, and even chromatic scales. This app works great for non-singers and singers alike as it automatically adjusts your voice to the nearest note in real-time.

The “I am T-Pain” app includes 14 songs to sing along with. Five of them are instrumental versions of T-Pain songs including the hits “Bartender” and “Dreamgirl.” Three are Christmas karaoke songs, and the other six are T-Pain beats you can freestyle with. You can also purchase additional T-Pain songs in the app for $0.99 – $1.99. None of the songs are installed by default, so you might spend some time downloading the songs if you have a slow connection. I found the karaoke interface to be very good with easy-to-read lyrics on the screen. If you mess up, you can easily restart the song. By default, all your songs are recorded onto your device so you can listen to them later. You can also upload your audio track to the Smule server and also add an audio player with your songs to MySpace and Facebook. They also updated the app so you can sing along to any song in your iTunes library, which is a cool feature. The only limitation in this mode is that you can’t upload it to the server.

This app has many hours worth of entertainment with the auto-tune feature and a good list of songs to sing along with. I applaud Smule for updating the app with new features and songs. They made an excellent product even better. The possibilities are endless, who knows – you might see someone using the “I am T-Pain” app at your next karaoke party. I know I will.

Pros:

• Excellent auto-tune feature in real-time
• Good selection of songs with app
• Share your songs via the upload feature
• Ability to sing to any song in your iTunes library
• Solid karaoke mode
• Good recording quality

Cons:

• Needs vocal recording level option

Learn more about the I Am T-Pain app in the App Store

Popularity: 1% [?]

Wii Game Review: Wii Fit Plus

If you’re a computer-chair potato like me, you know it’s hard to fit in any exercise (or movement for that matter) into your daily schedule. But Wii Fit Plus is a fantastic game to help motivate you to exercise. This is a nice upgrade from the previous version. If you already own Wii Fit and the balancing board, you only need the $20 game upgrade. If you don’t own it at all, you can buy the complete package for only $89.99 (on sale on Amazon – save $10).

Wii Fit Plus still uses the previous User Interface — which is good because it’s easy to use and it’s very familiar to Wii Fit owners. Additional features include a calorie count — so you can keep track of how many calories your burn after each exercise and throughout the entire workout. There are 15 new training games (which are my favorites) that will have you flapping your arms, running, and even do karate moves! It’s not only fun to play, it’s also hilarious to watch!

Wii Fit Plus also comes with new yoga and strength training moves. Any position yoga or strength training you didn’t unlock in the previous game will be unlocked in Wii Fit Plus. Wii Fit Plus routines can be set up so you would do exercises designed to improve specific ares. This is done by combining activities.

Changing players during the game has also become is much easier! In the original game, you would have to close your session, and then select the new player. In Wii Fit Plus, you can simply click on “Change Player” and the next player can start playing the same game. Best of all, all of your data transfers nicely over into the new game.

With the new improvements and additional games, I highly recommend this game for parties and individuals who need a fun way to be more active. I give it a 9 out 10 stars. Below is a more detailed review of each individual new mini game in Wii Fit Plus.

Reviews of each new Wii Fit Plus Training Game

The new Wii Fit Plus Training games are a lot of fun! They combine aspects of the original Aerobics and Balance games in the previous version. The wide range of mini games are quite impressive. Here are my reviews of each of the 15 new mini games.

Perfect 10 – In this game, you want to add up the numbers to 10 (in easy mode) by wiggling your tush to hit bouncing balls that add up to 10. This is a great mental and booty exercise game. Finish it to unlock the advanced level — adding numbers up to 15.

Obstacle Course – This one is definitely my favorite because it’s not a short game, and you do feel like you’re running an obstacle course on American Gladiators, or something similar to that. Run by walking quickly on the balance board. When you need to jump bend your knees and stand up. The balance board will pick up the weight shift. Be sure not to JUMP or remove your feet from the balance board. This will cause you to start the course over. This took me a while to get use to, but after the 3rd time, I finally got the hang of not jumping off the board. It’s a great workout that requires quick thinking and a steady pace.

Bird’s-Eye Bulls-Eye – If there’s one game you have to sit out and watch someone play, this is it! You become a bird and the object is to land on various targets to earn more time on your clock. The more time you earn, the more time you have to reach other targets on the land (and water). Flying to these targets will require you to flap your wings and stand still when you hover over a target. Little flaps will help guide you slightly upward when near a target, and big flaps will guide you farther. You really feel like a bird playing this! Unlock the advance level to fly over water and even to the top of mountains and blimps! Warning – be sure to stretch a lot, else your shoulders will be hurting afterward. Humans don’t normally work these wing muscles much. ;)

Driving Range – allows you to work on your golf moves. Turn the Wii Balance board to the side, and use the Wii Remote to swing. The game will show you how balance you are and correct your position. There’s no time limit, so relax and keep golfing. You can also take practice shots before each ball.

Skateboard Arena – is very fun once you get the hang of it! You turn the Wii board around and stand on it like a skateboard. Skate over lights to earn points and even go up ramps! The more points you earn, the more levels you can skate in. If you skate board starts slowing down, step off with one foot and push (just like a real skateboad) to gain momentum.

Snowball Fight – is definitely one of my favorites. You are snowball fighting against a whole army of Mii’s. Well, not really, but when you’re by yourself, it seems like an army! Hide behind a shield, but peek out to throw snowballs at your opponents. Step to the left to peek out on the left side, and step to the right to peek to the right. But be careful not to get hit with snowballs! Use your Wii Remote and aim at your opponents. Press down to throw snowballs at them!

Rhythm Kung Fu – is really cute. I’m a bit off rhythm for the faster moves, but I love how you can use the Wii Nunchuk and Wii Remote to mimic the moves. It’s a big improvement over Rhythm Boxing. I like how you can watch the Mii’s and just follow their moves right after instead of waiting for them to complete full moves.

Island Cycling – this is another one of my favorites. Although I’m not really on a bike, the moves you have to mimic does feel like I was riding on one. Just take fast steps on the balance board to move your bike faster, and use the Wii remote to maneuver the bike to the left or right. The object of this game is to capture all the flags on the island. There is no time limit, so you can go as quickly or slowly as you like. This game also gives you the chance to go and explore all parts of the Wii Fit Island. It’s incredibly scenic and fun indeed. Once you captured all 12 flags, head toward the finish line and then unlock the advance mode — 22 flags. Boy does this game work out those leg muscles!

Segway Circuit – this game is awesome and so much fun! You can zone out and feel like you’re really on a Segway! There’s a giant gopher on the loose, stealing all of the beach balls. The object of the game is ride around quickly and pop all of the beach balls. At the very end, chase the gopher around and pop the last beach ball. Be careful because he’s quick! Jump on ramps on your Segway to gain speed. Use the Wii Remote to steer to the left or right. And balance yourself on the board as you would on a Seqway. Very fun if you enjoy quick games.

Tilt City – the object of the game is to make the falling balls land in their matching colored-canister. Sounds easy right? There are two levels of boards that you control. The top one is controlled by holding the Wii remote on it’s side. The second level are controlled by your feet using the balance board. It gets pretty tricky with multiple balls dropping down. Quick hand-eye-feet coordination is needed to score high! Quite fun and challenging!

Rhythm Parade – you use the Wii Remote and Wii Nunchuk as your batons and you march down the streets in a marching band. Raise your ‘baton’ as you see lights coming down either side of the screen. This is not my favorite mini games because my feet and hand coordination is quite off. Once I get the hand motions down, my feet are off rhythm. Try it! Maybe you’ll have better luck than me.

Big Top Juggling – tests your balance skills. Balance yourself on a big ball as you use the Wii Remote and Wii Nunchuk to juggle balls tossed at you. It’s not one of my favorite — probably because I keep falling off the ball. But I’ll give it another try soon.

Table Tilt Plus – I simply adored the original Table Tilt games. This game tests your balance and speed. The new version is much more difficult because balls now have the ability to land on poppers that launch them onto a higher pedestal. It’s very challenging as you have to control where the ball lands as well.

Balance Bubble Plus – I got really good at the original game, and this version just took me by surprised! It’s quite difficult once you enter the dark cave and try to balance and maneuver around monsters in there. This works your eye and feet coordination and is quite challenging.

Basic Run Plus – is very similar to the basic run in the original Wii Fit aerobics games. However, you’re running with a cat at the beginning of the game instead of a dog, and the path is different. At the end of the run, there’s a short quiz to test how observant you are. So be sure to check out your surroundings as your run. Do well, and unlock the long run mode.

For videos of each of these games, see the official Wii Fit Plus website.

Fun for the Whole Family

Another thing that I really love about this game is how all of mini games tie together into one big Wii Fit Island! If you played the previous version of Wii Fit, you’ll notice that they used the same landscape — the land you see when you run around on the track. In Wii Fit Plus, when you’re running or biking, you’ll see the same course but with the addition of a much more land. The Wii Fit island is very nice and peaceful and you can roam all around it in the Island Cycling game.

Read more about Wii Fit on their official website. You can also purchase the game with or without the balance board on Amazon. The one with the balance board is currently on sale — save $10!

One more thing, since my family and friends are always over and playing games, I highly suggest getting a Wii Fit Balance Board Silicone Sleeve for your balance board. It makes cleaning the board much easier and comes in an array of colors! And if you don’t have a Wii Gaming System yet, go get one!

Feel free to leave a comment or questions below. I’m reviewing this game because it is one of my favorite games. The views expressed in this blog post are my own and do not necessarily represent Nintendo.

Related Posts and Links

• Purchase Wii Fit Plus Upgrade for $19.96
• Purchase Wii Fit Plus and Balance Board for $89.99 (Save $10)
• Purchase Wii Gaming System for $199.99 (was $250.00)
• Got my Wii Fit!
• Wii Fit Hula Hoops
• My Wii Fit Profile

Popularity: 3% [?]

iPhone App Review: Dr. Seuss Camera – The Grinch Edition

Name: Dr. Seuss Camera – The Grinch Edition (iTunes Link)
Written By: Oceanhouse Media
Category: Photography
Price: $2.99 $1.99

Size: 6.8 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.1
Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars

Dr. Seuss Camera – The Grinch Edition is a fun way to add some whimsical Grinch-graphics to your photos. Just select a Grinch card and snap a photo! It’s especially fun when you take photos of people and show them a green grinch-like version of themselves!

With 23 different frames to choose from, creating greeting cards have never been so easy and fun! Choose from various Grinch frames, Cindy-Lou Who, Max and more. Cards can be easily emailed and saved to your photo library.

Features include:
- Over 20 cards to choose from. Grinchmas cards are based on original artwork by Dr. Seuss.
- Add your photo in character face cutouts or stand along side them.
- Camera timer can be set to 2 or 10 seconds
- Edit and add whimsical borders and stamps to your cards
- Add fun stamps to further customize your cards. Stamps can be moved, rotated, and deleted.
- Cards can be saved to your photo library and emailed to your family and friends.
- Load photos from your library and edit. Drag, resize, and rotate to make the right fit.

For a Grinchy fun time in Who-ville, take along your Dr. Seuss Camera and snap away! The “Dr. Seuss Camera – The Grinch Edition” is available in the iTunes app store for $2.99 $1.99.

This review was originally published in iProng Magazine issue #56.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a promo code for “Dr. Seuss Camera – The Grinch Edition” iPhone app from Oceanhouse Media in exchange for a review.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

iPhone App Review: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Name: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (iTunes Link)
Written By: Oceanhouse Media
Category: Books
Price: $3.99

Size: 9.6 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.0.1
Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars

The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without the Grinch. If you haven’t read the book yet, there’s a fabulous app that will read it to you! And if you have read it, you’ll love all the memories this app brings to you and your little ones.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” is the first official Dr. Seuss ebook and it’s tons of fun! You have the option of the book reading to you, or reading it yourself. The pages are filled with the original book artwork and the animation is just spectacular. It’s perfect for young children learning how to read, and big kids who loved this book as a child.

In the “Read to me” mode, the book will read to you. As it reads, the words are highlighted in red.

In the “Read it myself” mode, the audio is turned off. If you would like to hear the audio, simply tap on the text and the app will start reading that phrase.

There is also another fun and interactive element in the app. If you tap on the page’s illustrations, the object or item’s name will appear in big red letters, and a voice will say what it is. This app is a great reading tool for children just learning how to read as well as big kids like you and me! It’s definitely a must-have for any Grinch fan. The iPhone/iPod Touch app is currently on sale for $3.99 and well-worth it.

This review was originally published in iProng Magazine issue #56.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a promo code for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” iPhone app from Oceanhouse Media in exchange for a review.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

iPhone App Review: Arctic Shuffle 2

Name: Arctic Shuffle 2 (iTunes: Full Version | Free Lite Version)
Written By: Zinc Roe Design
Category: Games
Price: 99 cents, with option for in-app purchases for 99 cents each. (two are available)

Size: 10.2 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.2
Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars

Arctic Shuffle 2 is a cute and exciting puzzle game that will have you playing for hours! Chill out with the cuddly penguins as you aim and slide them across the ice to land on the target! Be sure to watch out for obstacles that can hurt your precious penguin.

The game has 10 stages in each level of difficulty – beginner, easy, medium, hard, expert — that’s 50 different puzzles to solve! In addition, there are also two optional add-on packs for 99 cents, which include 24 extra stage each.

The scoring system for each stage is based on three parts — difficulty, penguins survived, and time bonus. Your total score are tallied up and added into the online leaderboard using AGON Online service. Compare scores with all players, people near you, and your friends. There’s even an option to post your scores on Twitter and Facebook.

The challenges and adorable graphics in Arctic Shuffle 2 keeps you coming back for more! Try it Arctic Shuffle 2 Lite for free. It comes with 10 levels. If you enjoy it purchase Arctic Shuffle 2 in the iTunes app store for only 99 cents.

This article was originally published and featured in iProng Magazine.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a promo code for “Arctic Shuffle 2″ iPhone app from Zinc Roe Design in exchange for a review.

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Popularity: 1% [?]

iPhone App Review: Grinchmas

Name: Grinchmas (iTunes Link)
Written By: Oceanhouse Media
Category: Games
Price: $1.99
Size: 5.7 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.0
Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars

If you’re looking for a casual holiday game, this one will surely hit the spot! “Grinchmas” let’s you play the part of Mr. Grinch on Christmas Day. If you’re feeling like a mean grinch, you can throw snowballs at the houses in Who-ville. If you’re feeling like Mr. Nice Grinch, you can shower the houses with gifts!

The game is pretty simple. There are two gaming modes — Mean Grinch or Merry Grinch.

In “Mean Grinch” mode, the houses in Who-ville are making too much noise for the Grinch. Splat each noisy Who house with a snowball to quiet them down. Do this by simply swiping the phone / iPod Touch. Keep throwing snowballs and see how long you can last!

In “Merry Grinch” mode, the object is to deliver matching colored presents to the Who houses within 2 minutes. Swipe the iPhone / iPod Touch to toss the presents. As each present gets delivered, the Grinch’s heart grows bigger and bigger. The Grinch’s heart grows smaller if the present and house colors are mismatched. How big can you make his heart grow?

The two modes are both simple and fun. I find that aiming at the houses can be a tough though. It may just be because I need a lot of practice. The speed and accuracy of the swipe will determine if the snowball/present hit the right house.

Grinchmas It’s fun for the whole family, even big kids like you! Grinchmas is available in the iTunes App store for just $1.99!

This review was originally published in iProng Magazine issue #56.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a promo code for “Grinchmas” iPhone app from Oceanhouse Media in exchange for a review.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

iPhone App Review: Flipside

Name: Flipside (iTunes)
Written By: Igloo Games
Category: Games
Price: $2.99

Size: 8.9 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.1.1
Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars

Looking for some super puzzle fun? Try FlipSide! FlipSide is a challenging and fast-moving puzzle game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Imagine if Tetris was crossed with match 3, with better colors, sounds, and graphics and you got FlipSide.

Matching pieces fall with a symbol on each side — near side (your side) and far side (you opponent’s side). The object of the game is to create at least 3 matches on your side. You have the option of flipping the pieces over by tapping on them. You can also drag falling pieces over to different columns. Match pieces horizontally or vertically to get points!

The best part about this puzzle game is the various modes you can play in. Modes include Tutorial, Survival, Puzzle, Vs. com, and peer-to-peer (bluetooth).

There is a small learning curve for this game, but the tutorial mode gets you started quickly. It’s simple to follow and explains the game quite easily. I personally would play the tutorial mode a few times before jumping into the other modes.

In Survival Mode, you can play until the screen is filled up with pieces. There are over 20 stages in both Normal and Expert mode.

In Puzzle Mode, the object is to flip or move the pieces so they all disappear (without the addition of new pieces). This mode requires the most amount of thinking and isn’t timed. There are 20 stages in both Easy and Medium modes.

In Verses mode, you play against other players (the computer) and both sides is able to flip pieces to match what’s on their side. There are 5 other players — each one with their own characteristics and strategies. Each player also has 5 different levels to complete. The higher the level, the faster the pieces fall and the more competitive the player gets! Win two games at each level to move onto the next challenge.

You can also Play with a friend using bluetooth! This is similar to the Verses Mode, except it’s against a friend. You’ll see pieces they flip over and move around, and they see your moves as well.

The graphics are beautifully done and the sounds are just hilarious. I also enjoy how Igloo Software incorporates graphics from their previous games into the next.

This game is great for your brain muscles. You have to think fast and plan a strategy. And best of all, it’s highly addictive.

So how big of a match can you get? The bigger the match, the more points you’ll get! Flipside is available in the iTunes app store for just $2.99.

Note: This app review was recently published in iProng Magazine and Flipside has won iProng’s Best Puzzle App of 2009 Award!

FlipSide Video Trailer

iProng Best Puzzle App of 2009 Award

Popularity: 1% [?]

Free Holiday Music!

What’s the holidays without a little bit of holiday music? I found some great holiday music for you, and best of all, they’re free!

Amazon 25 Days of Free Holiday Music

Amazon has 25 Days of Free Holiday Music where they give a new Hoilday mp3 each day before Christmas. Free music includes songs from Lady Gaga, Tori Amos, Casting Crowns, and more! Amazon also has a free Sampler Claus album as well!
Read more

Popularity: 1% [?]

Screencasting Tools

I attended a “How-to Screencast” session at the library, and here were the free tools demonstrated in the workshop.

The screencast software that were demonstrated were:

• Screencast-o-matic
• Windows Media Encoder
• Jing

Read more

Popularity: 1% [?]

iPhone App Review: Disney’s Prep & Landing

Get into the holiday spirit and help Santa on the most important night ever! ABC brings to you Disney’s Prep & Landing, a new television special airing Tuesday, December 8th at 8:30/7:30c. Along with that comes a cute iPhone / iPod Touch app to spread holiday cheer!

You get to play Lanny, the Christmas elf, as he joins the Kringle Training Academy to become part of the elite unit of elves that prepare homes for Santa on Christmas Eve! Practice in these great mini games: Deployment, Sparkle Ball Practice, and Ski Jump.

In Deployment, you hop off of Santa’s sleigh and parachute down. But be careful! Avoid the toy airplanes, balloons and birds that may be i your way. catch the candy canes and presents to earn rewards!

You never know who’s awake and creeping downstairs anticipating Santa’s arrival! In Sparkle Ball Practice, toss sparkle balls to put eagre children and puppies to sleep.

There are lots of houses for Santa to visit on Christmas Eve, so in Ski Jump, you get to jump from rooftop to rooftop to catch special ornaments that increase your time to prepare for homes for Santa! Watch out for chimneys and snow pits!

This app also comes with some extra holiday fun. Santa has a special scanner to know if you’re naughty or nice, a compass, and a world map!

All in all, if you like fun little mini games, this is a great app to have. Play it while you watch Disney’s “Prep & Landing” tonight!

The app is available in the itunes store for just 99 cents.

If you’re in the US, you can view the video on hulu.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Threadless Space Invader Tee

One of my favorite Threadless shirts is definitely this Space Invader one called, “A Simple Plan,” designed by Neil Gregory.

Threadless is having a big sale right now! Get any tshirt for $9, originally $18! What a deal! Get your “A Simple Plan” shirt now! Or check out the other great tees Threadless has to offer.

Hurry! Sale ends tomorrow morning!

Also.. if you liked “A Simple Plan” tshirt, you might also like this “A Simple Plan” wall trimmings!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Katharine McPhee’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”

Take a listen to Katharine McPhee’s sweet voice as she sings her rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” It’s beautiful, very soothing, and perfect for the holiday season.

The song is also available in the iTunes store for free, so get your copy now.

Popularity: 1% [?]

iPhone Apps in iTunes

In the latest version of iTunes (9.0.2.25), you’re now able to view all the iPhone / iPod Touch pages, even if it’s over 11 app pages. You might remember my previous problem of not being able to see all of my apps.

Now that I can easily sort my apps by dragging and dropping, only the ones I really use are on the first 11 pages. The apps on pages 12+ are displayed in iTunes, but not on the iPhone.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Bargain iPhone Apps

The holidays are fast approaching and sales are all around us! I’ve been watching the “App” Market and seeing a lot of prices drop. So where can you spend your iTunes gift card and get the best bang for your buck? Here is a list of some iphone / iPod Touch apps that I thought were noteworthy and worth your time and money:

General Games

Ramp Champ, originally $1.99, is now Free for a limited time! Overall, it’s a skee-ball app with a lot of personality! Play with various ramps and discover hidden Easter eggs. Win tickets and redeem them for virtual prizes. Beautiful graphics and the music reminds me of the good old carnival days. (iTunes | Full review)

TouchPetsDogs is an adorable virtual pet game that’s perfect for the whole family. Adopt a puppy or two and teach them tricks, dress them up, and even take them on playdates with your friends’ dogs. It’s a great social game every animal lover will enjoy. TouchPetsDogs 10 was 99 cents, but is currently free. This version comes with 10 (plus an extra 8) bowls of food for the dog and is the best bargain out of all the TouchPetsDogs versions. (iTunes | Full review)

Nut Chuckin’ is an adorable game starring squirrels. This game features original artwork, unique gameplay and custom music. Help Risoo the squirrel hop up the ladder of branches as he dodge nuts chucked at him from a few trouble-making squirrels! New Lite version is available. Full version is only 99 cents. (iTunes)

South Park Mega Millionaire Originally $2.99, this little treat is now only 99 cents. It’s a great game for any South Park fan. The South Park boys are on a Japanese game show where they have to rollerskate their way to win millions. Filled with bleeped out profanity, this game may be offensive to some and hilarious to others. (iTunes)

Cro-Mag Rally Featured in Apple TV ads and in the Apple store, this app and all of Pangea Software apps have been dropped in price to only $1.99 cents (originally $2.99). If you like Mario Kart and other racing apps, try this pre-historic version of the game! It reminds me of the Flintstones. (iTunes)

Eliminate Pro allows you to play head-to-head combat with friends! It’s a first person shooter game that has the feel of Doom. You can play can play against anyone with the iPhone app installed. It’s real-time and a Plus+ Network account is needed (free). There are also in-app purchases, but they’re not necessary to have fun! The game is free. (iTunes)

Crazy Penguin Christmas is the holiday version of Crazy Penguin Catapult 1 and 2. Help save Santa and the elves from mean polar bears by catapulting penguins to the rescue. The app is currently 99 cents, but I suggest trying the Lite version first to see if you like it. (iTunes: Full | Lite)

Puzzle Games

Arctic Shuffle 2 is a cute little puzzler featuring cuddly penguins. Slide them across the ice, bump them off of glaciers, and make one land safely on the target to collect points. Great quick and casual game. In-App purchases include plenty of levels to keep you busy. It’s currently $1.99 in the App store, but a Lite version is also available for free. (iTunes: Full | Lite)

Finger Physics is really cute! There’s a bunch of physics-related mini games with adorable graphics. Games include creating a stable contraption with various shapes, eliminating pieces to make an egg roll to a specific destination, and many more. It’s worth a lot more than it’s 99 cent price tag. A lite version is also available for free to try out. (iTunes: Full | Lite)

Zombie Pizza combines my two favorite types of games into one — puzzle and time management game. It gets your brains racking.. and on pizzas! Add hearts, brains, and other disgusting body parts onto pizzas to feed zombies before they eat you! It’s currently $1.99 in the iTunes App store. (iTunes: Full | Lite)

Frogger is great if you like the classic arcade games. Toggle between classic and new graphics. Hop your frogs to safety to the other side of the pond and get rewarded. This game requires good timing skills and just fast thinking! This game was $7.99 when it was first in the app store. Now it’s only for 99 cents! (iTunes)

Flipside is a fast-action puzzle game with various modes to play with. This game is a combination of Tetris and Match 3 games. Beautiful graphics and hilarious sounds. There’s also a ton of levels that makes the price of $2.99 well-worth it. Just a warning, this game can be quite addictive. I’ll see you on the Flipside! (iTunes)

Collapse Chaos is one of my old favorites! I use to play this all the time. Tap matching gems and combine them to earn big points. Usually $1.99, now only 99 cents. It’s a very good game if you’re standing in line or something. (iTunes)
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Educational

Little Cook. Got a little one who loves working in the kitchen? Let them try out Little Cook and cook up their own tasty treats (without the mess!) They can select one of 7 dishes to make and a put their cooking to the test with the young critic. Create a tasty treat, and the critic will be happy and give lots of compliments. Create a disastrous meal and the critic will ask you if this was your first time cooking. I find the comments hilarious, and it’s such a great educational game for your little one. This game is aimed at ages 4-7 and is available in the iTunes App store for just 99 cents. (iTunes)

Brain Quest Blast Off! comes in various levels and are educational games in fields of math, science, and more. Originally $14.99, each grade level app is now only 99 cents. Learning has never been so much fun!
(iTunes: Grade 2 – Grade 3 – Grade 4 – Grade 5 – Grade 6 – Grade 7)

Graphics

Photoshop.com Mobile is one of my favorite image editing apps on the iPhone. There are not as many options like the desktop version of Photoshop, but it’s just enough to make editing your photos on the go, easy. Brightening and cropping photos is a cinch. I also like the effects available. My favorite is the Vignette Blur effect. Best of all, it’s free! (iTunes)

SketchBookX is a great professional on-the-go artist tool. If you ever want to doodle while you’re out, this is the app to have. All of your artist tools are available; just use your finger or a special stylist to start drawing. This is the free version of SketchBook Mobile. (iTunes)

I hope you were able to discover some great new apps for your iPhone/iPod touch. I spend a lot of time testing out apps, so you don’t have to! :) Let me know if you like these kinds of mini-review posts.

So, what are your favorite iPhone / iPod Touch Apps?

Popularity: 2% [?]

iPhone App Review: TouchPetsDogs

Name: Touch Pets Dogs (iTunes Link)
Written By: Ngmoco Inc
Category: Games
Price: Free

Size: 50.3 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.1
Rate: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Who can resist adopting a cute and cuddly virtual pet? Now you can have one right in your iPhone / iPod Touch with the Touch Pets Dogs app. With the power of the Plus Network, you can share your little puppy with all your friends too!

Touch Pets Dogs is a very well-written and polish iPhone app that’s enjoyable for the whole family. Adopt a puppy from one of 7 loveable breeds — Labrador, Portuguese Water Dog, West Highland Terrier, German Shepherd, Jack Russell, Dachshund, and even Robot Dog!

After you adopt your puppy, take good care of it by pampering it with clothes and showering it with plenty of accessories and toys. Don’t forget to train and educate your little pup as well. There are five career paths that your dog can take part in — Crimefighting, Rescue Dog, Scientist, Celebrity, and Politician. Be the ultimate dog and complete all 5!

You can also level your puppy in three categories: Caretaker Level, Trainer Level, and Social Level. To earn points in Caretaker level, take care of your puppy by feeding it, taking it out, and cleaning it daily. To earn points in Trainer category, be sure to play with your pup so it gets some exercise as well as teach it new tricks. For the social level, be sure to take it out on playdates to meet other dogs. Adopting another dog also helps with this as well. The maximum level for each category is 1000 and the higher the points you earn in each level, the more items you unlock that can be bought in the pet store.

Also earn puppy bucks by taking good care of your pup and keeping them happy. These puppy bucks can be traded in the pet store for food, clothes, career items, etc.

The winning aspect of this game is the social connection using the Plus+ network. The ability to take your puppy on a playdate with a friend’s dog is just a lot of fun! Just like with people in real life, dogs can build relationships with other dogs over time. If you want two dogs to fall in love, take them on plenty of playdates and keep them happy on those dates. Dogs tend to fight if you don’t watch them closely, and some just want to be friends. Each dog comes with its own personality and you get to figure out what works best for each dog.

There are currently five versions of Touch Pets Dogs — Touch Pets Dogs (Free), Touch Pets Dogs 10 (Free, usually 99 cents), Touch Pets Dogs 20 ($1.99), Touch Pets Dogs 120 ($9.99), and Touch Pets Dogs 400 ($29.99). The difference between these versions is the price and the amount of food available for your puppy. Your last bowl of food will get recharged every 15 minutes, or 1/10th every 1 and a half minutes. The advantage of buying a more expensive app is earning puppy bucks faster. 15 Bowls of food is equal to 20,000 puppy bucks. So you get to decorate your puppy without having to play as long. Your best choice right now is to get “Touch Pets Dogs 10″ since it is free right now plus you get 10 (plus 8) extra bowls of food. You can also purchase additional food later.

The game is near perfect, but it does have some small glitches. Sometimes, when training your pup with the agility ball, your dog will hop on it and get stuck in midair. You can remove the ball and the puppy would be floating. A way to clear this is by switching the environment.

Another drawback to the game is that you need internet connection in order to play. Your dog’s data and profiles are stored online so they can interact with other dogs on the Plus+ Network. I think a better way of doing this is to have some temporary data storage on the iPhone / iPod Touch for point keeping, and disable options like playdates when no internet connection is available. Maybe this can be added in a future release.

Also, when the game was first released, many complained that their dogs were always hungry and tired. This was quickly fixed and the food is recharged every 15 minutes now instead of 2 hours. Ngmoco Inc. did a great job listening to the community feedback.

So what are you waiting for? Download Touch Pets Dogs and raise your puppy now! For more information, see the official Touch Pets Dogs website.

This article was originally in iProng Magazine’s #55 issue.

Let’s socialize! Want our Touch Pets Dogs to connect? Just add me on the Plus+ network. Look for “daynah.”

Game Trailer

Popularity: 2% [?]

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