iPad: Tour of iBooks

I’ve been curious as to how the iBooks iPad app would work. Thankfully, there’s a video guided tour for it! View the video below to see this amazing app.

More iPad guided tours..

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Words with Friends for the iPad!

Lately, my friends and I have been quite addicted to the Words with Friends on the iPhone every night. So you can only imagine how happy I was when I heard that an iPad version of the game was submitted to the App store!

Here’s the announcement from their Facebook page:

Words with Friends HD has been submitted to the App Store! ‘HD’ is the iPad version of Words with Friends with high resolution art and a fantastic new interface designed just for iPad. The iPad release is this Saturday!

-Words with Friends

It looks like so much more fun on the bigger iPad screen! I can’t wait to try it out soon. So.. who wants to be my first opponent on the iPad on Saturday? ;)

Read more at TouchArcade.

Note: Above image created from TouchArcade’s screenshot and Kevin Andersson’s iPad Template.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Preview of iPad App Store

I can’t wait to see the iPad app store for myself! Here’s a sneak peak at what’s to come next week when the iPad gets shipped!

What apps are you looking forward to see in the iPad app store? Are there any you would like to see demos of?

Browsing the iPad App Store: A Video from Federico Viticci on Vimeo.

Via 9to5 Mac via MacStories

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First Look: Booq’s iPad Boa Skin XS

Here’s a hands-on first look at Booq’s new Boa Skin XS line. They’re sleek fitted sleeves for the new Apple iPad. The front of the sleeve is a soft neoprene that has a simple line design on it, and stretches easily when gadgets are inserted into the sleeve. The back side of the sleeve uses a sturdy material called Twylon that helps keep the shape of the sleeve.

The Boa skin is ideal if you prefer a thin yet durable protection for your iPad. It is also perfect if you want to carry it in another bag, backpack or purse. The sleeve will protect your iPad from your bag’s content as well as any accidental drops.

This elegant design on the front and supportive backing of the sleeve gives it a beautiful balance between fashion and protection.

The Boa Skin XS is available for purchase for $29.95 and comes in a variety of colors — turquoise, black, violet, yellow, and sand. A hands on review is forthcoming once the iPad ships.

Disclosure: This is s a review unit I’m testing out as part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage. Review products are provided free of charge for review purposes.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Freebie Friday! (For 3/26/2010)

Yay, more freebie iPhone / iPod Touch apps! I hope you enjoy this week’s picks! Of the ones listed, definitely get We Rule asap and add my kingdom right away. ;) Enjoy!

We Rule | Free Download
Build your kingdom, make your own rules, and design it however you want. It’s a live kingdom with peasants and workers walking around, going on with their day to day routines. Create farms and be sure to harvest your crops, sell, and collect experience points. The best part of the game is probably visiting neighboring kingdoms for a dash of inspiration, or maybe compete on who has the better kingdom. My gamer name is ‘daynah’ — feel free to come visit my kingdom!

Piyo Blocks | Free Download (For a limited time)
Get ready for some pixel-matching fun! Piyo Blocks is an adorable and addicting match
A fun pixel match-3 game with cute baby chicks. Swap the baby chick blocks and level up by capturing the target number of piyos. You can also create combos for even extra points. It was $1.99 and is free today only!

Gibson Learn & Master Guitar Application | Free Download
This is a handy app if you’re interested in learning how to play the guitar. It comes with a chart with all the chords for reference, as well as some free videos lessons. Musicians may also find this app helpful as it has a professional quality chromatic tuner that allows you to tune any instrument, as well as a metronome to keep you on the beat. Very nice app and it’s absolutely free.

Touch Pet Dogs | Free Download
The newest version of Touch Pets Dogs 2.0 looks amazing. There’s a new social view where you can see your friends (neighbors) and all their virual dogs! New room themes have been added so each house looks a little bit different. The more dogs you own, the bigger your house is in the neighborhood. ;) My gamer name is ‘daynah’ — feel free to have a playdate with my pets!

Words with Friends Free | Free Download | Full Version
This is not a new game, but lately, my friends got me addicted to Words with Friends. It’s a word game that’s very similar to Scrabble. Each player is given a tray of letters, and the object is to put them on the board to make words out of them. Various points are given out depending on how many letters were use, how much each letter is worth, and/or where it was placed on the board. It’s a fun casual game played at both the players’ pace. Free version has ads after you submit a word, but you can purchase the full version for $2.99. My gamer name is ‘daynah’ if you want to play!

Huff Puff Volley | Free Download
Here’s a very cute badminton game for the iPhone and iPod touch. The animal characters play against each other on a volleyball court. In this version, your character is an adorable pig that can blow the birdie over the net. You can blow into the iPhone mic or tap the birdie to move it. Tile your phone left and right to move your character. I think the game is cute and fun, but the controls are not the best.

Mashable! | Free Download
Mashable.com is an excellent site for all your social media, technology, and entertainment news. If you enjoy the site, the app is a must! Be notified the moment a new article is on a website. The interface is very easy to navigate and makes reading the articles enjoyable. Instapaper is integrated in the app so you can view articles at a later time.

Digg | Free Download
The official Digg app was released this week which makes visiting your favorite news site much easier on the go! View by your favorite topics, easily digg, bury, and share news articles, as well as save your favorites for later reading.

Bargain iPhone and iPod Touch Apps

Here are two apps I think are the best bargain iPhone apps this week that are definitely worth buying.

Diner Dash | Download for 99 cents | Free Lite Version
If you enjoy time management games, then you’ll love Diner Dash. Help Flo run a restaurant by seating, serving, and clearing the dishes at each table. Try out the lite version for free, but act fast. Take advantage of the 80% off sale of the full version!

Dr. Horrible | Download for 99 cents
Any fan of Dr. Horrible will enjoy this app! Dark Horse Comics present Dr. Horrible as a comic. The story takes place with Billy being an 9-Year-Old boy, and you get to see how his criminal master-mind life got started. The story is brilliant, and the app is elegantly done. Flip pages just by tapping. Tap on settings for options to go back to a specific page or change the transition type. Very simple, and quite enjoyable. And if you don’t know who Dr. Horrible is, please go watch Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along-Blog! The 3-part webisode is free to watch online. :) This comic is a prequel to the webisode.

Popularity: 2% [?]

iPhone App Review: Angry Birds

Written By: Rovio
Category: Games
Price: $0.99 (Full Version | Lite)

Size: 9.8 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.2
Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars

One day, a few very happy birds were celebrating the addition their new eggs in the nest. During their celebration, these hungry pigs stole their eggs! The birds then became angry and fought the pigs…

Angry Birds is by far, the most popular game on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It’s a nice casual game where the birds seek revenge on the pigs. Catapult the birds and knock over all the pigs and dwellings to advance to the next level. Each bird also has its own unique power. Some can fly super fast, some can be set off like a bomb, some can be split into 3 birds. When the bird is in the air, simply tap on the screen to release the special power.

Angry Birds uses the Crystal SDK to connect with friends and display leaderboards. Unlock achievements, add friends via Facebook, Twitter, email, and username search, and compare scores globally, nationally, and locally. (My username is ‘daynah’ if you want to add me!)

The game has a simple concept, but is quite addicting. There are over 100 levels of bird-flinging-pig-smashing fun! The most impressive parts are the beautifully well-polished graphics and animation. The characters quite adorable and the music and sounds effects are very amusing. Best of all, this game is super jammed-packed to be just 99 cents. It’s quite a bargain! Not sure if it’s a game for you? Try out the Lite Version where you get 6 random levels to play. After playing the lite version, it won my heart. Hope it wins yours too.

For more information on Angry Birds, please see their official website.

Video Trailer

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Ngmoco’s ‘We Rule’ Debuts

Ngmoco’s long awaited game, We Rule, finally hit the US iTunes store today. It’s their new social game where you build your kingdom, make your own rules, and design it however you want. It’s a live kingdom with peasants and workers walking around, going on with their day to day routines. Create farms and be sure to harvest your crops, sell, and collect experience points. The best part of the game is probably visiting neighboring kingdoms for a dash of inspiration, or maybe compete on who has the better kingdom.

New items are unlocked as you gather experience points. Create businesses to earn extra income to expand your kingdom. Before you know it, your small village could turn into a massive and productive kingdom.

We Rule is available in the iTunes app store for free. For more information about the game, see their official website. Feel free to add me to your kingdom – daynah. Also, look for a full review soon!

Check out the screenshots here.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Freebie Friday! (For 3/19/2010)

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday! I have some fabulous free iPhone /iPod Touch apps that I tested out this week that I think you’ll enjoy! Remember, act fast since some of these are only free for a limited time!

If you missed the previous freebies, see 2010-03-12 and 2010-03-05!

Wishing Stars | Free Download
If you’re a big Disney fanatic, you’ll greatly enjoy this game. It’s a scavenger hunt game you play at Disneyland (Anaheim, CA). The game will give you clues as to what to find at the amusement park. When you think you found it, let the app know and it’ll reward you with pieces of Disney stars. Since the app uses the GPS on the phone, this only works on the iPhone 3g and iPhone 3gs. It’s a great game for the whole family. Act fast, this app was $5.99, but is now FREE for a limited time.

Tiki Totem | Free Download
A very fun puzzler where you have to remove certain blocks without dropping the Tiki. It’s a game of physics! Simple, fun, and quite enjoyable. A premium version is $1.99, and you can also purchase more game packs via in-app purchase.

Tap Tap Revenge 3 | Free Download
TT3 is a great game for music lovers. It’s similar to Rock Band, but just a lot of tapping action on the fingers. Although not new, this app comes with weekly music updates. The more you play, the more experience points you get that you can use to purchase new tap tracks (music) or avatar costume (I personally prefer to use it on more music). Object is to tap all the marbles when they appear on the buttons. The more accurate you are, the more points you’ll score. There’s also a leaderboard, so add me as a friend (daynah).

Crazy Turkey Blast | Free Full Version Download (For a limited time)
If you enjoy hunting, or just blasting things on your iPhone, this is a fun one. Tilt and move your device to capture and blast turkey that may be flying by. That animation is funny, and trying to get them in your target is pretty fun. The full version is normally $2.99, but is currently free today only!

Minigame Party | Free Full Version Download (For a limited time)
If you enjoy micro-games (games that take less than 8 seconds!), then you’ll love Minigame Party. You go through a lot of cute little games in a few seconds doing various things like testing your reflex, color sight, and more. Full version is currently on sale for free, but get it while the deal lasts!

Cooking Dash Lite | Free Download
If you enjoy time management games, especially the Diner Dash ones, you’ll like this one too. Instead of just serving people, Flo is doing a lot of the cooking in this game. Seat your customers, mix up some drinks, and time your food on the oven to pick up the most tips to move onto the next level!

Spikey’s Bounce Around | Free Full Version Download (for a limited time)
Spring and bounce Spikey around the screen to save the captured butterflies! He sticks to walls, but will jump where you tap your finger. Swipe the plants and flowers holding the butterflies to set them free. I think it’s cute, and somewhat puzzle-like. Full version is currently free this week, so get it soon!

Critter Crunch Lite | Free Download
Capture little critters to feed the bigger ones! When the biggest critter is full, a chain reaction will take place and make nearby critters of the same color disappear as well. Very cute and lots of fun. It’s not a very new game, but definitely one of my favorites. There’s also 10 levels in both Adventure Mode and Puzzle mode, which is a great deal for a lite version. Full version is $1.99.

iBlast Moki Lite | Free Download
This is similar to Rolando, but there’s definitely more bombs and a whole lotta blasting of things in this game. It’s a game of physics where you have to place bombs in certain places and have them go off at different times. The object is to have the blast bounce the Moki’s into the portal holes.

Soosiz Lite | Free Download
Turn your world upside-down with Soosiz. Run around and hop planet to planet by constantly turning your device round and round. Save all the Soosiz to move onto the next level. Very cute game. The lite version won my heart and I had to purchase the full version.

Popularity: 2% [?]

iPhone App Review: Puzzlings

Name: Puzzlings (iTunes Link)
Written By: Bight Games
Category: Games
Price: FREE
Size: 23.7 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.1
Rate: 4.5 Stars

Welcome to Wardrobia, a beautiful and whimsical world where little puzzlings play! Explore each land and unlock new pieces of clothing for your little Puzzling.

Puzzling is a match-3 game, and although they’re quite common in the iTunes App store, this little gem proves to be a very unique one. Not only are the graphics and animations fun and colorful, the game gives a twist to the match 3 games.

The game starts out in your little Puzzling’s home. There, you’ll see its camera, computer, toys, closet, and door. Each part has a different meaning. The closet is where your puzzling can change his/her outfit. There are 8 different boxes in the closet where it can change the look of its face, nose, smile, head gear, body, accessories, shirts, and pants. The colors for these items can be changed also. The camera allows your puzzling to stand in front of background so you can take its photo. Tap on the puzzling and it’ll change posing position. The computer is where all the high scores, speed bonus, completion stats, and block stats are kept. The wall of toys is just little something to decorate the room. Click on them to see a closer view. And the magical door is the one that takes you to Wardrobia. And this is where the game begins.

The object of the game is to unlock items in each level. Swap pieces by dragging them. You can also draw out a square to rotate the colored pieces instead. Make as many matches and chains (2 matches or more) as you can to fill up the top bar. Once it’s filled, four pieces of a circle will appear on the game board. Move the pieces around to match up the circle to unlock an item. You can either put it on the Puzzling then, or put it away to wear later. Complete the level by matching two circles. If you do this quickly, a bonus item can also be unlocked.

There is a total of 5 stages in each of the 8 lands of Wardrobia:

• 3 Match stages when you need to complete 2 circles.
• 1 Challenge Stage where you need to complete 4 circles.
• 1 Puzzle Stage where you have a set number of moves to clear the entire screen. This stage is denoted by a small moving house.

There is also one more icon in each land that’s denoted by a little sign. Clicking on it displays all the items you unlocked in the particular land, as well as how many still need to be unlocked.

Overall, the graphics are simply adorable. The bright colors, shapes, and fun animation adds an adorable touch to the gameplay. The game is quick to learn and you’ll find yourself playing it again and again. So, have you dressed up your little Puzzling today? Puzzling is available in the iTunes app store for free!

Official Game Trailer

Popularity: 1% [?]

Freebie Friday! (For 3/12/2010)

There’s just so many apps in the iTunes App store… so where do you start? Here’s a list of wonderful apps I personally tried this week and greatly enjoyed. Click on their icons to take you straight to the iPhone / iPod Touch app download. If you have suggestions yourself, please let me know! Just leave a comment below.

PlayFirst’s Diner Dash Lite | Free iPhone Download | Full Version ($2.99)
A fun time management game where you play a waitress named Flo. In the game, you work in a diner and you get to serve up some food to your customers. Prepare dishes, sandwiches, drinks, and desserts! Do it as quickly as you can and pick up tips from your customers. Along with an iPhone app, you can also try it on a PC/MAC/xBox/Mobile for 1 Hour for free!

Jane’s Hotel Free | Free iPhone Download | Full Version ($2.99)
Running a hotel is never easy. You give out the keys to your guests at the reception desk and show them to their rooms. You also get to take care of lobby — call out the maid to water the plants and clean out the rooms. And of course, keep your guests happy by bringing them the newspaper, tea, or something they request. If you’re a fan of time management games, this is another great one! Try out the first 3 levels for free with the lite version!

Makeout Mania | Free iPhone Download (Full Version!) (Limited Time Only)
Makeout Mania is a cute puzzle game that reminds me of high school! Make students fall in love with each other, but watch out for those teachers! Rack up points as you score combos (perfect matches). If this is your first time playing, be sure to start off in puzzle mode (second link) and read the yearbook to see who likes who. This will ensure that you’ll get more points for the perfect kiss! And when you’re ready, play the super fast Mania mode. You’ll find yourself tapping a lot!

Supermarket Management Free | Free iPhone Download | Full Version ($2.99)
Working in a supermarket is not easy. You’re constantly trying to multitask — fill up empty shelves, help customers find items they’re looking for, cut up the different meats, make sure there’s enough shopping carts, run the cash register, and much, much more! This is a fun time management game where you play the store manager and do all of the above tasks. Very fun, especially if you enjoy time management games or just love grocery shopping! :)

SpongeBob Diner Dash | Free iPhone Download | Full Version ($4.99)
This is a great game for fans of Sponge Bob or the Diner Dash series. You get to play Sponge Bob and work as a waiter, serving people who enter the restaurant. Seat them, take their order, and bring out their food. The faster you do this, the more tip you get. I find the graphics for this game a bit too small (much smaller than the Diner Dash series), so I think they can improve that part. There’s fun music you’ll recognize from the cartoon. Try out the lite version first to see how you like it. There are 5 free levels in the lite version.

TouchPetsDogs Spring | Free iPhone Download
Normally 99 cents, this app will give you 10 extra bowls of food for your virtual dog as well as the Mad Hatter watch for your collar. If you downloaded “Touch Pets Dogs Go” for free last week, you’ll have enough bowls of good to trade in for a lot of puppy bucks! Trade in puppy bucks for clothes and toys for your puppy! My review of the original game.

TuneRunner | Free iPhone Download
Here’s a excellent game to play with your own music playlists! No extra music downloads necessary. The app populates itself with your music and the robot will dance to your tunes! Draw the shapes in front of him so he doesn’t trip. Draw them a few times before he touches them for extra points! There are some ads, but you can upgrade with in-app purchases for their removal for just 99 cents.

FoodSpotting | Free iPhone Download
FoodSpotting is a fun social network for foodies all around the world. They recently released an official version of their iPhone app that allows you to view pictures of foods taken in your area. If you decide to join the social network, you can also upload your own photos, add friends and see what they’re eating, as well as follow restaurants (not just people). It’s definitely a fun app if you love food! Here is my personal FoodSpotting website! You can make one too with this app!

Be sure to check out last week’s Freebie Friday if you missed it!

Popularity: 2% [?]

iPad Ordered

Happy Apple iPad Day! For those of you who have waiting for a while, the day to order had finally come. Now we just have to wait until the shipment date!

I just pre-ordered my Apple iPad. I ended up getting the 16 GB Wifi version. I had plan on getting the 3g one but with all the added costs, I just couldn’t justify it. Plus, if I need internet I’m sure I’ll have my trusty iPhone with me if wifi is not available. I’ll give it a try for a year and see if I want to upgrade to a 3g (or better) version when the second model comes out. And I hope that version has a camera and some multi-tasking.

Now I’m anxious to see how the iTunes App store will change. And what will be showcased the first week of shipment? I’m assuming there will be 3 different types of apps in the store: regular iPhone /iPod Touch apps that will work if you display it 2x its size, the apps that are hybrid and can display different versions depending on the device used, and the iPad-Only apps.

So, are you getting one? Pre-ordering? Or waiting a while to get it later? Or are you getting a tablet alternative?

Popularity: 1% [?]

MacWorld 2010: Web Development Symposium

While attending MacWorld Expo 2010, I went to Nick Floro’s session – Market Symposium SA: Web Development: Tools, Trends and Technology. It was a great session on various Web 2.0 technologies. Topics covered were: Web 2.0, Designing Interfaces, Social Media, Video on the web, Simulations & Games, Project Management, Prototyping Techniques and other Tips and Tricks. Below are more information about the session as well as the slideshow.

Attend this day symposium and learn about the latest trends, solutions and what customers want today in web development. You will gain valuable knowledge on how to manage projects, developing new ideas, the latest hardware and software tools and what’s new in delivery for the web. Whether you’ll be creating marketing, education, presentations, e-learning, e- mail campaigns, asset and content management applications you won’t want to miss this session! Whether you are new to web development, a graphic artist wanting to learn more, a marketing manager, production coordinator or an instructor, this is the symposium to see the latest in web technology.

Popularity: 1% [?]

MacWorld Expo 2010 Overview

MacWorld Expo 2010 was quite a fun and educational experience. Even without Apple being at the show, the Mac community is still very strong. What I really loved this year was being able to meet the actual iPhone app developers at the App Pavilion and seeing the projects that they’re working on. There were also a lot of learning opportunities at the conference as well. Below are some of my conference highlights:
Read more

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Freebie Friday! (For 3/5/2010)

Alrighty, it’s Freebie Friday, and for the first one, I’d like to give you a few links to my favorite free iPhone apps and music downloads for this week. Also, I’m thinking about starting an iPhone Apps mailing list. Would you be interested in joining it if I do? The content will be somewhat similar to this post! Enjoy all the freebies and happy un-birthday! I threw in some Alice in Wonderland apps since Tim Burton’s movie is out today!

Coolibah is a very fun digital scrapbooking app! It was $12.99, but is now free! (with some limitations). There’s are a lot of beautiful scrapbook kits to choose from, made by professional designers. I personally love this app, especially when I’m on vacation. I can instantly create scrapbook pages and share them with my friends on social networks. My Review | iTunes

Wordcrasher Lite – play 4 levels for free! Make words out of the falling letters in the game. I like how the game pieces are like candies in a box. There’s great use of physics in this game. Full version is only 99 cents and well worth it. The developer has already started working on an iPad version with very beautiful graphics. My Review | iTunes

Angry Birds Lite – It’s a nice casual game where these angry birds get back at the pigs who stole their eggs. Catapult the birds and knock over all the pigs to advance to the next level. It’s a very simple concept, and very addicting as well. Lite version has 6 levels, and the full version has a ton of levels and is well worth the 99 cents!
My Review | iTunes | Full .99 cents

2Do Lite: A Stunning To Do List is an amazingly lovely task/to do list app. The user interface is simply beautiful. The lite version has a lot of capabilities. The full version is a bit expensive, but comes with more themes, calendars, colors, and backup.
iTunes

Alien Glyphs – A great puzzle-arcade game that tests how well your hand and eye coordination are. Match fast moving hieroglyphs to your given puzzle pieces. Great training for your eyes and shape recognition. (Free for limited time)
iTunes

Scoops – In honor of their release of a new game called Dizzypad, Scoops is free! Who doesn’t want to catch ice cream scoops in their cone? Catch as many as you can, but watch out for onions. You don’t want that on your ice cream! Also many other themes you can purchase in-app. Free for a limited time! iTunes

Touch Pets Dogs Go – is the best virtual pet app out there. Create, train, and feed your puppy! If you’ve played it before, this version will give you give you free puppy bucks, free 10 bowls of food, and also a White Rabbit Watch from the Alice in Wonderland collection!
My Review | iTunes

Alice in Wonderland Storybook — Enjoy the story of Alice in Wonderland in full color! The font is a bit small, but I love the classic illustrations in the app. The app is normally 99 cents, but is free until March 8, 2010.
iTunes

Alice Free Fall Lite – fall down, down the rabbit hole and catch some roses and powerups. But be aware of the falling cards and other obstacles! Try out the lite version for free. The full version is $2.99.
iTunes | Full $2.99

Alice in Wonderland – An Adventure Beyond The Mirror – is absolutely a fun adventure game, especially if you’re a big Alice! Journey with Alice and meet all your favorite characters from the story! Each one has their own special power that can help you finish the level. I’d recommend trying the lite version first before buying the full version for $4.99.
iTunes | iTunes ($4.99)

Alice in Wonderland Theme Song

Get the theme song from Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman for free! Available on Amazon, but US only.

Kina Grannis – Valentine — Kina’s Stairwells album released this week has already hit the billboard charts! She’s also making her hit single, Valentine, available for download on her website for free! Download now.

Popularity: 6% [?]

iPhone App Review: TumbleDrop

Written By: Starfruit Games
Category: Games
Price: $1.99 [itunes link="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tumbledrop/id349928060?mt=8&uo=4" title="TumbleDrop"] | Free: [itunes link="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tumbledrop-free/id351863076?mt=8&uo=4" title="TumbleDrop (Free)"]

Size: 14.2 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.0.3
Rate: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

TumbleDrop is a sweet and adorable physics-based puzzle game that have you smiling when you start playing! The gameplay is easy, simply tap on the yellow shapes to make the pink star fall safely on the ground. Be careful though, one wrong move and your star can tumble down into the water.

The animation and graphics in this game are simply beautiful. Although the graphics seems simple, the attention to detail is what makes this game so great. Notice the facial expressions of all the shapes, especially the pink star. The music in the game reminds me a soothing children’s lullaby. Another small detail that makes the game very pleasant to play.

For every level you beat, you unlock another level in that set. There are currently 3 sets in the full version — beginner, medium, and hard. There are also 20 puzzles in each set, totaling 60 puzzles altogether. The developer promised to add more puzzles future updates for free.

The simple game concept, gentle music, and adorable graphics makes the gameplay very calm and relaxing. There are no ticking clocks, so take your time to solve the various puzzles. Once you finish all of the puzzles, you can go back and challenge yourself by only removing 2 or 3 shapes to earn a gold star medals. You can also earn pink heart medals by removing lots of shapes.

In the full version, there is also a Quick Play mode. The objective is to complete as many random levels as you can without failing (having the pink star fall in the water). If you do fail, the score starts over and you continue with another random puzzle.

A lite version of TumbleDrop is also available in the iTunes app store for free. 10 puzzles of various stages are available for you to try out in this version. Upgrade to the full version for 60+ puzzles and a quick play survival mode.

You can purchase TumbleDrop in the iTunes app store for $1.99, or try out the lite version for free. For more information on TumbleDrop, see their official website.

This article was originally published in Beatweek Magazine.

Game Trailer

Popularity: 1% [?]

Dr. Seuss iPhone Apps now 99 cents!

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday and NEA’s Read Across America Day, Oceanhouse Media is dropping all Dr. Seuss iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad apps to $0.99! Grab your favorite Dr. Seuss classic ebooks or camera apps. But hurry, this offer will last for one day only — today — Tuesday, March 2, 2010!

Dr. Seuss’s ABC (iTunes)

Have your child learn the ABC’s with this favorite classic book. It’s full of beautiful and colorful pages as well as fun animations.

The Cat In The Hat (iTunes)

Get the classic “That Cat in the Hat” ebook. Enjoy the beautiful artwork and animation as the book reads to you right on your iPhone / iPod Touch. It’s perfect for the little ones.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (iTunes)

Of all the Dr. Seuss apps available now, this is definitely my favorite! I just absolutely love the story and it can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. The narrator is wonderful and the animation and illustration is just lovely. I highly recommend it. Full Review..

Grinchmas! (iTunes)

Would you like to be Mr. Nice Grinch, or Mr. Mean Grinch? Here’s a fun game to either toss presents at the Who’s houses or snowballs at them instead! Full Review..

Dr. Suess’ Camera: The Cat in The Hat Edition (iTunes)

Take photos of your friends and disguise them as the mischievous cat in the hat! A fun app to make you smile with your favorite Cat in the Hat illustrations!

Dr. Seuss Camera: The Grinch Edition (iTunes)

Take photos and insert your favorite Grinch frames on your friends! You can be Mr. Nice Grinch, or a Mean one, or even one of the Who’s. Full Review..

Read more about Oceanhouse Media’s Dr. Seuss iPhone / iPod Touch apps!

Popularity: 2% [?]

iPhone App Review: Riddim Ribbon

Name: Riddim Ribbon
Written By: Tapulous
Category: Games
Price: $1.99 (iTunes)

Size: 45.4 MB
Requirements: iPhone / iPod Touch
Version: 1.0.3
Rate: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

From the makers of Tap Tap Revenge comes the hit new iPhone/iPod Touch game, Riddim Ribbon! it’s like Tap Tap Revenge and your favorite race car game all rolled into one! Riddim Ribbon is a fast and upbeat game that any music lover would enjoy.

So let’s get this party started! You’re the DJ and the controls for the music mix are right in your hands! Tilt your device left, right, and up to the tunes of Black Eyed Peas, Tiësto, Benny Benassi, (and many more artists to be added soon) as you race down a curvy ribbon, gathering pebbles and hoops for points. When you reach a fork in your track, make a decision to go left or right for a different mix of the song. Jump over ramps to the effects level and give your song a more unique sound. Glide along the track, but be sure to stay away from obstacles that can slow you down!

Don’t be too intimidated playing this game the first few times. The game is easy to learn, but difficult to master at first. Once you get the hang of when to tilt the device during the curvy turns and jumps, it’s a lot of fun. Plus, the narrator is quite encouraging!

Each game is about 4-5 minutes, depending on what song you pick. The game comes with 3 great Black Eyed Peas tracks, including mixes of Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling, and Meet Me Halfway. For a limited time only, you can also get the mashup of “Imma Be/Rock That Body” for free with purchase. For each song, there are 2-3 mixes that can be played in your race to the finish line. At the end of the game, you can view your total points, your achievements, your top scores and dates of when you played, and how you compare to the global leaderboard. You can also share your score via email with your friends.

In-app purchases for 99 cents include various mixes of:
- Tiësto’s Louder Than Boom and Escape Me
- Benny Benassi’s Satisfaction

The game comes in three levels of difficulty — Easy, Medium, and Hard. You must mix up the previous level with an accuracy of 75% or better to unlock the next level. Harder levels include more twists, turns, jumps, and obstacles, both on and off the track.

One option I’d like added to the game is the ability to view the world-wide leaderboard at any time. Currently, you can only view it after you play the game. I personally like to see the scores I need to beat before playing the game. It’s just makes me more competitive.

Overall, the game is a lot of fun, especially if you love The Black Eyed Peas and racing games. The graphics and animation are great and makes you feel as if you are mixing the song. One note, your right hand may sometimes cover the speakers on your iPhone when playing. That’s not good since this game is music-based. I suggest picking up a game wheel accessory or a gamer’s case to enhance your gaming experience with Riddim Ribbon. Have fun, and happy dj-ing!

Riddim Ribbon is currently on sale for $1.99 in the iTunes App Store.

Video Trailer

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