iPhone & iPad Apps Black Friday Sale!

Here’s an extra special post for the holiday! The holiday being Black Friday! Below are some apps that I thought were a great bargain for Black Friday sales. Happy app shopping!

Scrabble – word game addicts, get this before the price goes up! It’s Hasbro’s classic word game right on your iPhone. Play against the computer, your friend next to you, or even your Facebook friends. Add up points and aim to get the triple letters and triple words all across the board. The person with the most points at the end wins! But hurry, this sale won’t last long! You can play the free version as a Facebook app. iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents) | iPad Version ($4.99)

Toy Story Mania – Come one, come all. Step right up and play the Disney-inspired game called Toy Story Mania! Just like the theme park ride, you’re taken to mini-games that are represented by their respective characters. Instead of pulling a string on a cannon, you swipe, shoot, flick, pop, and toss things at targets and gain points. There are 5 mini games which include: Hammin’ Eggs, Buzz Lightyears’ Flying Tossers, Bo Pee’s Baaa-loon Pop, Green Army Men Shoot Camp, and Woody’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Shootin’ Gallery. iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents) | Full Review..

Shrek Forever After – Relive the fairy tale of Shrek! Here’s an adventure game based on the original movie. Shrek heads into the forest to retrieve all the kids birthday presents that Donkey dropped. He gets attacked by Robinhood and his merry men. Punch your way through to reach the next level where Rumpelstiltskin awaits! It’s a face moving game with beautiful graphics. A definite buy for any Shrek fan. Hurry, it’s only 99 cents today so get it soon!
iPad Version (99 cents) | iPhone/iPod Touch Version ($4.99)

Alice in Wonderland – if you’re an Alice fan, this is a must. This adventure puzzle game was inspired by Tim Burton’s film. Help Alice get through various mazes, finding all of her looking-glass friends. Collect shards of mirror pieces and help her get back home. Normally $4.99. iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents) | iPhone/iPod Touch Lite Version (Free)

The Simpsons Arcade – If you enjoy the Simpsons, get this one and help lead Homer to the donuts! He beats up the entire neighbor for them! The game is optimized for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but I really enjoy playing it on the iPad in 2x mode. The graphics look great and the controls are even easier to use. Get it now since it’s on sale for 99 cents! It’s normally $2.99 iPhone/iPod Touch Version ($0.99) | iPhone/iPod Touch Lite Version (Free)

Sketchbook Pro – This is an amazing tool for artists. Keep a sketchbook of all your drawings right on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. It’s a professional-grade paint and drawing app. Plenty of sketching and painting tools, including several brushes, an array of colors, and layers. Normally $7.99, the iPad version is now on sale for 99 cents. iPad Version (99 cents) | iPhone / iPod Touch Version (99 cents) | iPhone / iPod Touch Lite Version (Free)

Navigon – This is one of the best GPS apps to hit the iTunes app store! Doing a little holiday travel? Get directions to your next destination quickly and easily with Navigon. Included are beautiful offline maps, so no need to worry about not having phone signal in a specific location. Select apps are on sale. iPhone Versions: USA ($29.99) | US East Region ($19.99) | US West Region ($19.99) | US Central Region ($19.99)

Ranch Rush 2 – The sequel to the popular time management is finally out! And it’s gone tropical! Sara’s back with a whole new adventure. Help Sara launch a new tropical farming division. Game-Center ready for the iPad. Normally $6.99, it’s on sale for 99 cents today only.
iPad Version (99 cents)

Tetris – Who doesn’t know how to play Tetris? It’s a classic! Geometric pieces drop down and you need to rotate and move them to fit in rows below. Get four rows at once and you got a super powerful Tetis! The updated graphics and colors are beautiful! It’s currently on sale for both the iPhone and iPad at its lowest price ever this weekend. So get it before it’s gone! Apps are normally $2.99 and $7.99 for the iPhone and iPad, respectively.
iPhone Version (99 cents) | iPad Version ($2.99)

Game of Life – Any idea what your future holds? Why not play the Game of Life? Just like the classic board game, but much more fun! Roll the dice and see if you own a house, have a few kids, or have a career change. Earn money as you go. Player with the most wins!
iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents)

Mystic Emporium – Here’s a bewitching time management game for you! You have a little shop, The Mystic Emporium, where you brew potions, sell artifacts and grow pocus berries. As your customers come in — you’ll definitely meet withches, vampries, wizards, and more — give them what they ask for and you’ll be nicely rewarded. Both iPhone and iPad versions are on sale for Black Friday for just 99 cents! They’re both Game-Center ready so compete with your friends for the achievement points. iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents) | iPad Version (99 cents)

Price Check by Amazon – If you’re out shopping already, you may want to use this app to scan products you’re thinking about buying! Scan the barcode of an item and it’ll return you all the prices it’s selling for. Compare and see if you’re getting the best deal. It’s the perfect app for the holiday shopping season! iPhone Version (Free)

Popularity: 6% [?]

Get $3 in MP3s from Amazon, for Free!

Love music? Get $3 in MP3s from Amazon! Simply put in the code GET3MP3S into this page to redeem. This offer is only valid until Nov. 29th, 2010 11:59pm PST, so hurry! Happy Thanksgiving!

More Deals:

• Black Friday Deals in Movies and TV
• Black Friday Deals
• Harry Potter Years 1-6 Giftset [Blu-ray]

Popularity: 2% [?]

November Bargain iPhone & iPad Apps

I hope your November is going well so far. Now that we’re in the shopping season, it’s always nice to save a bit of money. So here are this week’s top bargain apps! Purchase them quickly as offers may not last long!

Hotel Dash – This is the only time management game played vertically! From the makers of Diner Dash and Cooking Dash comes this new title. Help Flo turn a run down hotel into a fancy 5-star one! Rush up elevators to bring up guests suitcases, towels, water, and food. Normally $2.99, it’s on sale this week for just 99 cents! iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents)

Astronut – IconFactory does it again with another amazing game. Blast off into space, hopping from planet to planet into uncharted galaxies! Gather pieces of stars but avoid the evil aliens. Easy game play, Game Center-ready, and is free (first 4 levels)! 20 additional levels are available as in-app purchases for $1.99. iPhone/iPod Touch Version (Free)

Boxcar – Missing tweets or Facebook statuses? Here’s a great app to notify you of what you want to know the most the moment it happens. You can set it to so you only get notified of specific things, such as tweets from a specific person / group / lists or when a blog gets updated. Notifications available for these services are: Twitter, Facebook, Google Voice, Reddit, Google Buzz, Foursquare, Gowalla, Email, Github, RSS, Growl, and OMGFacts. It’s worth the download if you enjoy social networking. iPhone/iPod Touch Version (Free)

Google Voice – The app is back! Now you can access your Google Voice account right on your iPhone. Now you can display your Google Voice number as your caller id, manage your account right on your phone, and receive push notifications of new text/voice messages.
iPhone/iPod Touch 4 Version (Free)

Kik Messenger – It’s a free cross-platform smartphone to smartphone messenger. Sending a message is fast and easy. It’ll even tell you when your message was read. It has a beautiful interface and works on iPhone, Blackberry, and Android.
iPhone/iPod Touch Version (Free)

Magic Fiddle – Smule is back with another great app! Learn how to play a fiddle right on your iPad! Holding it may be hard at first because of the iPad’s shape, but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough. Try out Twinkle Twinkle at your first song in the songbook. Additional song sets are available for 99 cents. Normally $2.99, the app is on sale this weekend only for 99 cents!
iPad Version (99 cents)

TouchPetsCats – Love cats but are you allergic to them? Or love them so much you wish you could carry them around with you all the time? Now you can have your very own virtual cat pet with TouchPetsCats! Adopt an adorable cutie and take care of it each day. It needs lots of love and attention just like real cats! iPhone/iPod Touch Version (Free)

Totally Tangled – There’s not too much to this app, but if you love the movie previews (coming out Nov. 24th), you may enjoy it! There are three main functions to the app — a sliding puzzle game, a character photo, and a link to the movie’s trailer. The puzzle game takes a scene from the movie and mixes it up. You need to un-tangle it. ;) You can also take a photo with Pascal. The movie trailer looks amazing! iPhone/iPod Touch Version (Free)

Mr.Aah! – Jump from building to building by swinging across the screen (like Spiderman). Land right in the center of the building to earn bonus points. You have three lives, so use them wisely! See how far you can get before falling down the buildings!
iPhone/iPod Touch Version (Free) | iPhone/iPod Touch Lite Version (Free)

Popularity: 3% [?]

iPhone & iPad App Review: We Doodle

If you love to draw, or doodle, then I have a game for you! It’s Ngmoco’s latest title called “We Doodle.” It’s a a cross between “Pictionary” and “Win, Lose, or Draw” where you take turns drawing out words and have your friends guess what it is.

Login with your Plus+ account and start a new game. Here you have a three game choices. You can play a match with friends (people on your Plus+ friends list), a match with random players, or a live match where you draw and guess with users around the world in real-time.

Click on “Go” to create a new game. At the start of each game, you also have the option of adjusting the game’s settings. You can change the:

• Number of pictures (up to 10)
• Rounds (up to 5)
• Time Limit (4 hours to 7 days)

Once you create a game, you are given a word to draw. Draw the word to the best of your ability. You also have a selection of colors and tools to use in the lower right. Submit your drawings and wait for your friends to guess them. Your friends have 60 seconds to guess each drawing. This is a turn-based game, so you can play at your convenience.

Once your friend(s) make their guesses, it’s your turn to award them points! It’s 3 points for every drawing they get right, and if you reply within 5:30 hours, you get extra bonus points as well.

The points you earn are the amount of coins you get. Collect and save your coins to purchase new backgrounds, stencils, ink colors, pens, brushes, and more! The more your play, the more fun things you can purchase from the Doodle shop.

We Doodle is a freemium app, so you’ll get the ocassional ads. You can remove the ads by going to the “Doodle Bank” and purchasing the upgrade for $4.99. The ads are somewhat bothersome in the iPhone version, but are non-intrusive on the iPad version. Of the two versions, the game is more fun to play on the iPad because of the screen real estate.

Some tips when playing:

• If you want to save the image you drew, take a snapshot of it. You won’t see the full image again after you submit it.
• Be careful not to close the app when taking a snapshot. You will lose your image if it wasn’t submitted yet.
• Useful tools to purchase are the brushes and inks colors. I didn’t find the stencils, pen, spray can very useful in my drawings.
• If you want to earn more XP and coins quickly, play the Live mode (as games are played instantly and coins are awarded right after).
• Turn Doodle Assist off. It tries to connect all of your lines even when you don’t want them to.

Overall, it’s a fun game to play with your friends and I’m sure it’ll bring out your creativity. You might just unlock the hidden artist inside of you!

Download: iPhone/iPod Touch Version (Free) | iPad Version (Free)

Popularity: 7% [?]

Baby with an iPad

I was at a bakery today. While waiting for my coffee, I saw this beautiful thing stroll by next to me… The first thought that came to me was why is that iPad caseless?! I’m really happy that the baby has a great grip on it. heh

Popularity: 2% [?]

iPhone and iPad App Review: Smurfs’ Village

Hooray, hooray! The Smurfs are in here! Get ready for the smurfy cuteness to invade your iPhones and iPads! If you enjoy games like We rule and Farmville, you’ll love Smurfs’ Village even more. It’s a universal app newly released by CapcomMobile. Based on the original cartoon and comic art, this game brings back a lot of childhood memories for some of us.

Read more on GeekBeat.TV..

Popularity: 7% [?]

Veteran’s Day Bargain iPhone and iPad Apps

Saluting all of our wonderful and amazing heroes on this Veteran’s Day! Thank you for keeping our country safe! Here are some bargain apps for you on this honorable day!

Smurfs’ Village – Gargamel invaded the Smurfs’ Village and now they’re all scattered all over the forest! Help them rebuild their village and find one another again! If you enjoy games like We Rule and Farmville on the iPhone/iPad, you’ll love this even more. You have the farming of berries, and the building of houses, mushroom houses, but what makes this game stands apart are the mini-games and quests for each level. Mix some potions with Papa Smurf, bake some goodies with Greedy, unwrap a present from Jokey, and more! The graphics are beautiful and so true to the original smurf cartoons, hitting a soft spot for us Smurf fans. Connect with your Facebook account for even more fun, including gift giving to your friends as well as visiting their Smurf Villages. Best of all, it’s absolutely free! Universal App (Free)

Fruit Ninja – easy to play, but challenging to master! Use your ninja skills and slash fruit as they fling in the air. Don’t let a fruit fall down untouched! Also be careful and watch out for the bombs! Slash as many fruits as you can and climb the leaderboards in Game Center! Fun game and well worth the 99 cents. Also available for the iPad with even more multi-touch fun.
iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents) | iPad Version ($4.99)

Strawberry Shortcake – Celebrate 30 sweet years of Strawberry Shortcake! This app brings me back to my childhood! Help Strawberry Shortcake serve up some delicious smoothies! Sort the fruits and glasses as quickly as you can! Also meet her best friends — Blueberry Muffin, Lemon Meringue, and Orange Blossom! iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents)

Empire Story – Create an Greek/Roman empire based on your wild imagination! Build and decorate it with arenas, Colosseum, temples, and wonders. Use your storm8 account to send gifts and visit your friends’ empires. Achievements will be published to Game Center, and the game is absolutely free. Universal Version (Free)

Geared – a beautifully designed puzzle game where you try to fit gears into place to make them spin like clockwork! With over 150 unique levels, this game is quite challenging and an excellent brain teaser. The iPad version is free for this week only. iPhone/iPod Touch Version (99 cents) | iPhone/iPod Touch Lite (Free) | iPad Version (Free)

Slice It! – Once you slice it, you can’t stop! Slice various shapes to get the same ratio or surface area. You’re given the number of slices to create, and the shape to create it from. Cut and slash and level up! Adorable graphics and animation. New universal version with Game Center. Universal Version (99 cents)

Pocket Frogs – Collect, breed, and discover new species of beautiful frogs! Take your frog out to the pond so it could eat dragonflies in the air. Or enter a frog race to gain more gold or bring home a new frog. Play online or offline. And you can find your friends via Plus+ social gaming network. Lots of new updates in the latest version. New Game Center achievements, Frogdex (index of frogs), and more! Still absolutely free! Universal Version (Free)

Words with Friends – Challenge your friends with a round of everyone’s favorite crossword game! Newtoy’s popular “Words with Friends” game is now available in a free ad-supported iPad version. Grab it now if you own an iPad! iPad Ad Version (Free) | iPad Version ($2.99) | iPhone Version ($2.99) | iPhone Ad Version (Free)

Trade Nations – Start with creating your own small village and turn it into an amazing city! Harvest raw resources like wood and wheat. Trade them in the markets for gold to build more homes and farms. Create jobs for your villagers and turn your village into an efficient and productive city. You can use magic beans to complete jobs more quicker. Expand your village by adding new buildings, creating new jobs, adding decorations, and more! Sign up for a jujuPlay account for the social aspects. Universal App (Free)

Toys R Us – is a smaller version of the Toys R Us Christmas Book. It’s a fun way for your kids to create wishlists of items they want. Tap and drop items into their wishlists. The animation is fun, but the catalog is lacking a lot of products. Hopefully they improve this in the near future. iPad Version (Free)

Popularity: 3% [?]

iPad Case Review: Fabrix Booklet

If you’re looking for a nice clean design, you need to take a look at the Fabrix Booklet! It’s a folio-styled iPad case that holds your iPad securely in place, minus al the bulk.

Open the case and simply slide in your iPad into the slot. The slot has cutouts for the iPad screen, the Ambient Light Sensor, and the Home button. Along the edges are cutouts for ports like the headset, speakers, charger, as well as openings for the on/off, orientation (soon to be mute), and volume buttons.

Once the iPad is in, you can close the front flap and it’ll look like a beautiful book. The booklet is held together using ultra thin magnets. This prevents the front flap from opening up on its own. Anti-slip suede used on the interior prevents the iPad from sliding out. You can hold it upside to test. To take the iPad out will require you to pull it out. This eliminates the need for straps or small flaps to hold it in.

When you open the flap, there are three small and thin compartments on the inner side. These compartments are nice to slide in business cards, or smaller pieces of paper. Bend the flap further back to create a sturdy landscape iPad stand. You can put it in portrait mode, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

One downfall of this case is that doesn’t protect every aspect of the iPad. The left edges of the iPad (if you held it in portrait mode) are exposed, making scratches and bumps possible. I would recommend carrying this case in an iPad bag if you intend to take it to various place, or apply a scratch protect system that covers the edges of the iPad.

Overall, the simplistic look and high quality materials used for this case sets it apart from other cases. The case is lightweight and protects the screen, which is a huge plus.

The Fabrix Booklet is available in 3 colors — Faux Black, Gray Matter, and Classic Tan, perfect whether you’re a fashionista, a professional, or both!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars · $59.90 · FabrixCases.com

Disclosure: This product was sent by Fabrix for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPhone and iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Popularity: 3% [?]

iPad Case Review: Incipio 1337

Serious iPad gamers need a good grip on their device. The only iPad case on the market that can keep up with the quick turns and high speed racing games is Incipio’s 1337 iPad case. Ergonomically designed, this high density silicone case makes your gaming experience more enjoyable.

Four L-shaped protrusions on the back make the iPad very easy to hold. You’ll have the same sturdy grip on the iPad, no matter which direction you hold it. It doesn’t exactly feel like a steering wheel, but it’s pretty close!

The entire case is made of soft silicone that’s light and extremely easy to put on. It’s one piece that you can fit your iPad in, one corner at at time. The case is thick in the back for easy holding, and covers the entire iPad (except for the screen), leaving the edges well protected. There are cutouts for the certain ports like the headset, orientation button (soon to be mute button), speakers, and charging areas. The On/Off and volume buttons are covered and are much easier to control with the case’s own buttons.

The interior of the case is shaped into a unique honeycomb pattern. This reduces 30% of the case’s weight, yet still gives your iPad superior protection and absorbing any bumps or shocks.

The Incipio 1337 iPad case is available in 3 colors: Dark Red, Blue Steel, and Yellow. The case comes with a Surface Protector and Microfiber Cleaning Cloth and can be purchased for $34.99.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars · $34.99 · myIncipio.com

Disclosure: This product was sent by Incipio for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPhone and iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Popularity: 3% [?]

iPad Case Review: iFrogz Soft Gloss

The iFrogz Soft Gloss iPad case is simplicity with a little pizazz! If you ever slipped into those jelly shoes back in the 80′s, you’ll feel right at home with this case.

This clear case features a radial circular pattern etched on the interior, highlighting the beautiful Apple^TM logo in the back.

Putting the iPad in the case is quite easy. Just slide one corner at a time and it’s in. There are cutouts for all ports and buttons on the iPad, making all functionalities accessible. The case covers all the edges of the iPad, protecting it from any potential bumps and scratches.

What makes this case stand out is the beautiful design. You get ouu’s and ahh’s when you carry your iPad around in this. It’s sleek, compact, and should fit in most iPad sleeves and bags. It makes a fashion statement while protecting your iPad! It’s a total blast from the past!

The iFrogs Soft Gloss is available in three retro translucent colors — pink, blue, and clear. You can get them for $29.99 at iFrogz.com

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars · $29.99 · iFrogz.com · Purchase on Amazon

Disclosure: This product was sent by iFrogz for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPhone and iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Popularity: 4% [?]

iPad Case Review: Griffin AirStrap

The Griffin AirStrap is a case with that has the right combination of sturdy hardness for protection, yet still have a touch of softness for comfort. Made of a non-slip material, this case is the perfect solution for those times when you need to hold the iPad in just one hand.

The case encompasses all the edges of the iPad with a thick hard plastic. This piece has little grooves in it, making it easy to hold onto. The edges have cutouts for ports such as the headset, mic, orientation button, speakers, and charger. On/Off and volume buttons are accessible, but covered by the case. What makes this case special is the wide neoprene strap on the back. Slip your hand in and you can safely hold the iPad with just one hand.

The strap on the back has little bumps to keep the iPad from slipping against your hand. It securely holds it in place, but once you’re done holding it, you may find your hand filled with little round bumps. Not to worry, they go away in a matter of minutes. I did find that the strap is a bit tight and restricts the blood flow to your hands. So be sure to remove it from your hand when not needed.

Overall, this case is great when you need to use the iPad while walking. One hand will hold the iPad securely, while the other one is jotting down notes or drawing.

The Griffin AirStrap is available in only black and can be purchased for $49.99.

Rating: 4.5 our of 5 stars · $49.99 · GriffinTechnology.com · Purchase on Amazon

Disclosure: This product was sent by Griffin for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Review: Just Mobile AluPen

When it comes to elegance and design, Just Mobile understands and delivers. Sculptured from fine soft aluminum is the exciting new Alupen^TM; a stylus made with the iPad in mind.

This chunky pencil-shaped stylus gives you what their competitors don’t — more precision and control over your device. The simplistic design in itself is one to marvel at. This piece fits perfectly in your hand, like a chalk or a crayon when you were a child. The wider pen gives a better grip and more control of your writing or drawing.

Instead of a flat tip like some of their competitors, the Alupen has a soft round tip used to write on your iPad. No matter what angle you hold the stylus in, it’ll still make the intended marks on your device.

It’s the perfect tool to use with iPad apps like Penultimate (note taking/drawing app) and We Doodle (drawing game). You’ll be surprised at how much your handwriting is more clear when writing. Or how more crisps your drawings are.

Another plus to this stylus is the beautiful color. It matches Apple products perfectly! It’ll match your Apple iPad, keyboard, and trackpad like it was part of a set.

This stylus also works on the iPhone and iPod Touch, however, the size of it may seem a little awkward on the smaller devices. Overall, this is probably the best stylus for the iPad on the market now and is a necessity for any tablet artist.

Just Mobile’s new Alupen^TM comes in only aluminum color and can be purchased for $24.95. For more information, see their official website.

Disclosure: This product was sent by Just Mobile for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPhone and iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

More Just Mobile products..

Popularity: 4% [?]

Frank’s Marriage Proposal in Central Park

I thought this iPhone wedding proposal was cute. :)

YouTube Link

On October 24, 2010, Frank proposed to his girlfriend Kasey. He asked his geeky friends to help him pull off an elaborate surprise proposal in New York City’s Central Park. Hidden cameras were synced with special iPhone apps so the entire event could be watched from a safe distance. Kasey was lured to a specific location by a friend, who was in on the whole surprise. It was a totally awesome proposal and Kasey said “yes”. Thanks so much to everyone who helped out!!!

Popularity: 1% [?]