Review: Griffin Technology Woogie 2 for iPod touch and iPhone

Does your child love his/her iPod Touch? Make them love it even more with a Woogie case! What’s a Woogie you may ask? It’s a soft and huggable case for your child’s iPod Touch. This squeezable and lovable toy not only protects the device, but also has a clear plastic window screen in front for full access to games and apps.

To use, simply slip the iPod Touch (or iPhone) into the front see-through pocket. On top are two strong Velcro clasps that the device securely in the front window. Touch the plastic screen to use your child’s favorite apps. No assembly required.

These adorable Woggies have five feet that can be use as a stand for your child’s iPod Touch. There’s a clear plastic window in front that both protects and allows your child to use the multi-touch display. Imagine them watching their favorite movies, playing games, or reading their educational books on it. It’s simply adorable, unique, and makes the perfect child present for this holiday season. As advertised, it’s 50% fuzzy friend, 50% protective case, and 100% fun.

The Woogie is “surface washable,” meaning it can’t be washed in the washing machine, but can get slightly damp. To clean, gently apply upholstery cleaner or detergent diluted in water to fabric with a sponge. Just make sure not to saturate the Woogie so the liquid doesn’t soak into the stuffing.

This fuzzy and huggable case is recommended for children 3 years and older and comes in two colors – bright pink with light pink highlights and blue with green highlights. It’s available exclusively online at GriffinTechnology.com for $19.99.

Note: The Original Woogie is also available for purchase, on sale now for $17.99. It only comes in green, and has 6 legs (tuck in the bottom legs to be used as a stand). The original version also comes with built-in speakers (requires 2 AAA batteries which are included), hidden under one of the legs, secured with strong Velcro. It’s also available exclusively online at GriffinTechnology.com.

Both Woogie versions are compatible with all current iPhone and iPod Touch devices.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars · GriffinTechnology.com · $19.99

Losing touch: iOS 5 on iPhone, iPad signifies death of iPod branding

by Bill Palmer

I finally saw the sign I was looking for today, and it’s one I hadn’t spotted on my iPhone or iPad despite having been staring it in the face for a few days now: as of iOS 5, the iPod brand name is dead to Apple. Take a look at the icon in the lower corner of your iPhone’s dock. For the first four years of the iPhone era, it was called “iPod” and it housed your music, video, podcasts. Now Apple has segregated video out into a separate app, leaving the main one on the dock called “Music” instead. Sure, it’s the same way Apple has been handling things on the iPod touch from the start. But as of now, the iPod brand name has been banished from the iPhone. Whether it’s by intention or mere happenstance is unclear. But the fact that so few are talking about it, and the fact that it took me three days into the iOS 5 era so much as even spot it despite having noticed the orange new music notes icon and having tapped on it a dozen times, represents a remarkable revelation in terms of just how forgotten the iPod is. This despite the fact that Apple still has four different iPod lines and sells them by the millions. You have to wonder how much longer that lasts.

When the iPhone launched in mid 2007, I confidently predicted that the iPod had five years of life left in it. Nine months short of that mark on the calendar, it seems I’m only half right. I’ll leave the iPod touch out of this for the moment, for two reasons. One is that it’s more a part of the iOS/iPhone/iPad family than the iPod family. The other is that at the time I made my prediction, the iPod touch didn’t exist yet and I was specifically referring to the traditional iPod lineup: the nano, the shuffle, and what is now known as the classic. All three are still around, and at least two of them will be by the time the launch of the first iPhone reaches its fifth anniversary. So much for my prediction of the traditional iPod lineup being dead and gone.

Instead, “commoditized” might have been the more accurate prediction. The iPod nano and shuffle are barely more than trinkets, useful ones at that but thoroughly lacking in comparison to the kind of music and content playback offered by the iPhone (and iPod touch). The iPod classic with its hundred-something gigabyte hard drive capacity is still around for the singular reason that the iPod touch and iPhone are still topped out at sixty-four gigs of lightweight solid state storage; the classic will be discontinued the microsecond iOS devices are revved to 128 gigs. But still, I suspect that the enduring sales of the nano and shuffle are at least partially a result of one of the biggest mistakes in recent Apple history. The company gave the iPhone to AT&T (and generally one carrier per nation) exclusively for its first several years, getting god-only-knows-what in return. As a result plenty of would-be iPhone users ended up with either the Brand-B smartphone their preferred carrier was pushing, or no smartphone at all as they clung to a basic cellphone. In some instances their other pocket became occupied by an iPod touch, while in other instances a traditional iPod fit the bill.

My point is this: while there are some exceptions, most typical iPhone users don’t also own an iPod. Unless they want something small like the nano or shuffle to go jogging with, or a bulk-capacity device like the classic to store their full music library, owning an iPod on top of an iPhone just doesn’t make sense unless you’re an Apple enthusiast. The rate of adoption of the iPhone has been far, far, far slower than it should have been thanks to that idiotic AT&T deal which Apple is still working to dig out from under while attempting to do damage control in terms of reclaiming all those legions of would-be iPhone users who would rather have gone phone-less altogether than go with AT&T. And those would-have-been iPhone users are one of the remaining drivers of iPod sales. As a result, the iPod lineup still has more life left in it than it rightly should.

Now that the iPhone has recently expanded to most carriers in most nations, I’m left to wonder just what kind of increased negative impact this will have on traditional iPod sales. Last night I had dinner with a Sprint customer who had an iPod touch in one hand and a Brand-B Sprint phone in the other, and intends to trade them both in for an iPhone once upgrade eligibility arrives. This trend will impact sales both iOS-based and traditional iPods to some extent. How much? That remains to be seen in Apple’s upcoming quarterly reports. But in the mean time, the fact that Apple has banished the “iPod” name from the iPhone home screen in iOS 5 means that it’s now giving up on the once-everywhere brand name one symbolic step at a time. How quickly will users do the same? My arbitrarily defined five year deadline beckons in nine months. We’ll see. Here’s more on the iPhone 4S.

iPod touch 5 faces 3G parity or cancellation as of Oct 4th Apple Event

by Johnny Major

Lost in the haze of Apple’s self-proclaimed iPhone event next week is the fact that the iPod touch 5, which should have been introduced in early September in accordance with Apple’s tradition going back to 2007 when the touch was first introduced, is nowhere to be found. With the October 4th a week away, Apple is about to make public the fate of the iPod touch. The “little iPhone that couldn’t” could finally see legitimate feature parity with the real iPhone by gaining built-in 3G or 4G networking, making the touch a legitimate mobile computing device instead of being instantly reduced to a mere music and gaming device the minute you walk away from a wifi signal. Or Apple could just as easily go the other way and kill off the touch entirely, instead steering would-be iPod touch 5 buyers toward a contract-free iPhone instead. In fact that could be merely a matter of semantics…

The iPod touch was originally introduced a few months after the iPhone hit the market as a stop-gap device aimed at those who lived in a nation where the iPhone wouldn’t be available for some time as well as for those in the U.S. who took a sharp dislike to the fact that the iPhone was tied strictly to AT&T. The idea for Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile customers was to stick an iPod touch in one pocket with a flip phone in the other, thus allowing them to at least fractionally participate in the iOS and App Store experience. But Apple’s words and actions made clear from the start that the company (or at least its CEO) had a strong distaste for the iPod touch and only brought it to market grudgingly. The first touch had no volume buttons, no email client, no speaker, no camera, and was clearly intended as a music and gaming device only. But Apple included wifi in the touch so as to include the mobile iTunes Store, which launched that same day, with Jobs admitting from the stage that the Safari browser had only been included on the touch so users could use it to sign onto public wifi networks before using the mobile iTunes Store. But that didn’t last long…

Despite Jobs having referred to the iPod touch as “training wheels for iPhone” in an honest comment he might have wished he hadn’t said out loud, those committed to non-AT&T carriers saw the iPod touch as their long term iPhone substitute and demanded Apple whip it into shape. Future generations of the touch saw the gradual addition of nearly every iPhone feature – except for cellular network access, which assured the touch would remain a brick as a communications device when not within range of free wifi. As such, the iPod touch increasingly feels like a toy (not coincidentally popular with pre-teens whose parents didn’t want to buy them a real iPhone). At the same time, the iPhone is in the process of expanding to nearly every major carrier nationwide and worldwide. The iPod touch, serves little purpose in its current wifi-only incarnation. So will Apple give the iPod touch 5 the kind of cellular networking it needs in order to become a fully functional device? Or does the iPod touch now go away? If it’s the latter, Apple would seemingly need something to take its place along the lines of a modified iPhone which isn’t tied to a carrier or isn’t a phone at all, a device which can use 3G and 4G networks to participate in the internet without making phone calls. Perhaps the real question is whether, upon gaining mobile networking, whether the iPod touch retains its current product name or instead gets folded into the iPhone lineup.

32% solution: Nintendo 3DS price drop says $199 new handheld ceiling

by Timmy Falcon

The Nintendo 3DS has been rescued from what could have been a disappointing debut year by the oldest of all sales tricks: a major price drop. Misreading the market and believing it could sell the 3DS for two hundred and fifty dollars, Nintendo nearly doomed its latest portable gaming device from the start. But a price correction last month has righted the ship for now, and the 3DS may live to tell a happy 2011 holiday season sales story after all. However, in proving that $249 was too high a price for a handheld, Nintendo may have overcorrected and shot itself in the foot in the process.

At its current $169 price, the 3DS is selling well. But a survey of handheld devices of various types suggests Nintendo could have just as easily gotten away with a $199 price tag. As of 2011, two hundred dollars appears to be the relative ceiling for handhelds before they cross the line into being considered “luxury” or “pro” devices. It’s why Apple, even while serving up a sub-$50 iPhone 3GS so it can position its iPhone 4 as a desirable flagship product, has one iPhone 4 model at $199 and another at $299: it’s trying to play both sides of the $200 Mendoza line. For further evidence, consider Apple’s iPod touch, which is positions at the oddly selected $229 price point. There’s a reason for this, however: Apple would much rather you buy an iPhone than an iPod touch, and so the just-slightly-north-of-$200 price tag on the touch intentionally screams “Please consider buying a $199 iPhone instead.” So how did Nintendo manage to miss this rather obvious line in the pricing sand and land so far beneath it?

That may have something to do with the company missing the mark in the first place. It’s almost as if the new $169 price tag is intended as penance for having attempted to overcharge at $249 in the first place. By merely reducing the tag from $249 to $199, Nintendo might not have been able to garner enough headlines and publicity for the adjustment to have gotten enough attention to rescue the 3DS. So instead it knocked a full thirty-two percent off the price tag in a stunt move which, sure enough, got enough attention that the 3DS is now selling as the company would have originally hoped. Of course it wouldn’t have had to take that profit margin hit if it had simply priced the 3DS at $199 to begin with. But hindsight is of course 20-20. Or in this case, 32-68.

app review: NBA JAM for iPhone

by Bagner Estrada

In today’s online world, very few games cause groups of people to get together and trash talk. Most do their trash talking anonymously over Xbox Live, Skype or the Playstation Network. Back in 1993, NBA JAM caused friends to physically get together and discover new forms of trash talking. “BoomShakaLaka” became a proclamation of victory. No one could have imagined a, nearly, perfect recreation of NBA JAM on a phone. It would have seemed incomprehensible, but 18 years later it has become reality.

The love for NBA JAM is established by the fact that with a simple button press, you can unleash hellacious dunks on your opponents. Once you were on a roll, your player would be “On Fire” and literally torch the basket. The simplicity of NBA JAM is what allows it to seamlessly transfer to the iPhone. You utilize the visual joystick on the left side, and use assigned button presses for shooting, pushing, and turbo. Gesture controls are also offered, as an alternative, that assign the abilities to their own areas that you swipe to. This resurrection, of sorts, for the franchise could have easily been botched, but luckily the love for the game shines.

I would love to state that NBA JAM is a perfect release, but unfortunately there are a few problems worth addressing. The first issue and the biggest of them all: not including any type of multiplayer mode. It is a tremendous mistake for a game whose popularity surged due to its multiplayer. There would have been nothing better, in 2011, to have the ability to unleash a flipping, monster dunk on a friend while waiting for class to start etc. There is also the issue of the controls being too slippery at times, and losing your character off-screen as you attempt to chase down a loose ball or get a block. The ball does not provide any favors, as it’s sometimes hard to see due to its small size. There is also the issue of your cpu-controlled partner who, usually, does not attempt to perform any type of defense.

NBA JAM has never been a dense experience but one that provides a quick distraction. Its simplicity combined with ridiculousness, is what makes it a title to always come back to. It is unfortunate that multiplayer was not added, but hopefully it is added with a future update. If you love basketball or want something lighthearted to play, NBA JAM is worthy of your purchase.

rating: 3.5 stars out of five • price: $4.99 • NBA Jam in the App Store

L5 remote: Beatweek Best of Show at Macworld 2011

The bad news: you can turn your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a TV remote without hardware assistance. The good news: the L5 adds infrared capability to your iDevice, which teams with an App Store app to give you a fully programmable, customizable universal remote. The cool part: you get to just drag the buttons around the screen to position them where you want them. The remote adapter costs $49, but the app is free.

Verizon iPhone throws smartphone virgins into deep end of pool

The Verizon iPhone is set to bring three kinds of users onto the iPhone platform: those who are ditching a competing smartphone, those who are graduating from an iPod touch, and those virgins who have never owned a smartphone of any kind. Each of those three groups has some overlap, but all of them are set to be tossed into the deep end of the pool, to varying degrees.

Those who have never been a smartphone user or iPod touch user are in for the rides of their lives, as they’ve thus far been shut out of the app generation entirely. No mobile email access. No tweeting or facebooking from anywhere but their desk. That segment of Verizon customers who are about to become iPhone users simply have no idea what they’re in for. But they’re not the only ones. Even those Verizon fans who’ve been riding the iPod touch wave as far back as 2007 are in for a shock, as the get their hands on an iPhone and for the first time realize what it’s like to be able to use their network-reliant apps anywhere and everywhere they want, as opposed to years of network apps being all but useless anywhere but home and Starbucks. That “Maps” app which could never be used on an iPod touch while driving? Now it’s no longer broken. Want to tweet about something other than the coffee you just ordered, because the coffee shop is the only free wifi source you’ve ever found? Here’s your chance.

In fact it may be iPod touch users who are the most jolted by the arrival of the Verizon iPhone, as they’ve spent the past three years only thinking they know what the iOS mobile experience is all about. At least the true virgins, who’ve never used a smartphone or an iPod touch, know that they have no idea what they’re in for. And even those smartphone veterans, who’ve long wanted and iPhone but instead long settled for whichever smartphone Verizon was offering at the time, are in for a bit of a dip in the pool themselves. After all, they’ll be joining the iPhone platform nearly four years into its evolution. Here’s more on Verizon iPhone.

iHome iW1 with AirPlay: Beatweek Best of Show 2011

iHome is attempting to make Apple’s AirPlay sound good with its new iW1 wireless stereo system. The $299 standalone speaker unit is designed to receive wireless streaming audio from iOS 4.2-enabled devices including the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. The iW1 is also wireless when it comes to power, as it contains a built-in rechargeable battery and a handle so that it can be picked up and carried around the house. Although iHome informed us that the iW1 is still in the testing stages and that the current audio quality of the CES prototype is not indicative of the quality of the finished product, we can confirm that it already sounds better than so many other wireless speaker systems we’ve tested in this price range in the past, many of which have the audio of a $50 stereo system. In contrast, the iW1 sounds like it’ll be worth its price when it ships later this year. And based on our hands-on experiences with the iW1, the AirPlay interaction is indeed drop-dead simple. iHome is also readying less expensive iW2 and iW3 models to go alongside the iW1 when the time comes.

We’re taking a slight leap of faith in that the finalized iW1 will sound like we expect it to, based both on where the product’s audio quality is already, and on iHome’s well earned reputation when it comes to audio quality. As such, the iHome iW1 (and its iW2 and iW3 counterparts) are Beatweek Best of Show winners at CES 2011.

JayBird BlueBuds wireless earbuds: Beatweek Best of Show 2011

When the JayBird BlueBuds debuted at CES 2010 a year ago, the $129 bluetooth wireless earbuds instantly became a category-killer product. Unfortunately, the product never actually arrived on the market. But the silver lining is that the extra year of gestation has allowed the BlueBuds to become a better product. Making their revised debut at CES 2011, the new iteration of the BlueBuds now come in two models, including one which connects the two buds behind the ears. There’s also the convenient fact that Apple has released iOS 4.x in the interim, giving the iPhone and iPod touch (and iPad, for that matter) greater bluetooth stereo control which the BlueBuds will be able to take advantage of. By virtue of having been a winner a year ago, and having gotten better on the second go-round (assuming it actually ships this time around), the JayBird BlueBuds (2011 iteration) are a Beatweek Best of Show winner at CES 2011.

CES 2011: iHome iW1 with iPad-iPhone AirPlay cuts power cord as well

iHome is attempting to make Apple’s AirPlay sound good with its new iW1 wireless stereo system. The $299 standalone speaker unit is designed to receive wireless streaming audio from iOS 4.2-enabled devices including the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. The iW1 is also wireless when it comes to power, as it contains a built-in rechargeable battery and a handle so that it can be picked up and carried around the house. Although iHome informed us that the iW1 is still in the testing stages and that the current audio quality of the CES prototype is not indicative of the quality of the finished product, we can confirm that it already sounds better than so many other wireless speaker systems we’ve tested in this price range in the past, many of which have the audio of a $50 stereo system. In contrast, the iW1 sounds like it’ll be worth its price when it ships later this year. And based on our hands-on experiences with the iW1, the AirPlay interaction is indeed drop-dead simple. iHome is also readying less expensive iW2 and iW3 models to go alongside the iW1 when the time comes.

CES 2011: Scosche myTREK offers iPhone app enhanced exercise

Scosche is aiming to make exercise less boring and more interactive with its myTREK heart rate monitor armband which communicates via Bluetooth to your iPhone or iPod touch via a free App Store app. Measure your short term progress while in action, and compare the results later. The Scosche myTREK is expected to sell for $149.

CES 2011: Mophie Pulse rocks, shakes up iPod touch gaming

Mophie, next known for its battery cases, has branched out with a different kind of case entirely. Known as the Pulse, the company’s new iPod touch case offers power of a different kind as it offers vibrative feedback during gameplay – along with built in stereo speakers. Sorry, iPhone users, but iPod touch fans get the pulse first. The Mophie Pulse is expected to sell for $79-99 and be available next month.

iLuv intros iMM514 iPad-iPhone app enhanced dock: CES 2011

iLuv is set to introduce an app enhanced docking station for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch at CES 2011. Officially known as the Hi-Fidelity Multi-Media Docking Station (iMM514), the dock employs an adjustable bracket arm for viewing your iDevice at any angle. Also debuting from iLuv will be a pair of iPad-iPhone-iPod compatible earphone products known as the iEP525 and iEP526. Beatweek is on-site at CES 2011 in Las Vegas and will be providing hands-on reports on these and other products from iLuv along with various other vendors throughout the week.

iHome intros iA63, iA17, iA91 app enhanced iPhone alarm stereos: CES

iHome is set to debut three new app enhanced stereo systems for iPhone, and iPod touch at CES 2011 this week. The iA91 will take its place as the new $99 flagship iHome model, continuing a lineage which traces back to the original iH5 and offers a less expensive counterpart to the company’s existing $199 iA100 stereo alarm. The iA17 is also an app enhanced stereo alarm, but this one changes colors. And the iA63 includes a motorized rotating dock for allowing the iPhone or iPod touch to be viewed in either portrait or landscape mode.

Beatweek staff will be on-site at CES 2011 this week in order to offer hands-on reports on these and other consumer technology products, from this and other vendors.

iHome iA100: Beatweek 2010 App Enhanced Accessory of the Year

iHome finally combines its groundbreaking iHome+Sleep app with a piece of hardware worthy of it. The iA5 showed what was possible, but the iA100 is the payoff: innovative app integration with a premium dockable stereo system. This CES 2010 product took forever to ship, but the wait is worth it as it’s now compatible with the iPad along with the iPhone & iPod Touch.

Buy now: $197 at Amazon.com.

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Filed Under: iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iTunes, Reviews
Tagged: 2010, app enhanced accessory of the year, iA100, iA5, iHome, iHome+Sleep, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch

Infinity Blade iOS primer: five things to love, two not to

December 13, 2010 by Beatweek · Leave a Comment 

Infinity Blade has arrived for iPad and iPhone, and it’s something special. Need a quick primer before you decide whether to take the six dollar plunge? Here are five things to love about the Infinity Blade app, and two that aren’t so great:

- Infinity Blade uses the Unreal Engine 3. Gamers know that’s good news.

- It plays something like a wii game, even on your iPad or iPhone. In other words it feels like you’re actually fighting your enemy, not tapping at him.

- The graphics? Gorgeous. Enough said.

- There’s no shortage of hidden items to farm for.

- Game Center integration is a plus.

And here are the drawbacks:

- As you advance the game doesn’t vary much, it just gets more difficult.

- As a version 1.0 release, it’s still rough around the edges in some ways.

Need to know more? Here’s our full hands-on review. Sold? Here’s the App Store link.

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Tagged: App Store, Game center, graphics, Infinity Blade, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, price

Infinity Blade, the most hyped iPhone-iPad game ever, delivers: review

December 11, 2010 by Christine Chan · 1 Comment 

by Christine Chan

Infinity Blade for iPhone and iPad in the iTunes App Store

Epic Games demoed Infinity Blade back during an Apple keynote and it has become the most hyped game ever to come to iOS, and with good reason. Infinity Blade is hands-down the most beautiful game ever to grace your iDevice’s glass screen.

Infinity Blade utilizes Unreal Engine 3, which is used in games like Borderlands, Gears of War, Lost Odyssey, Mirror’s Edge, and Mass Effect. So seeing this in use on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad is amazing.

Because of the high graphic requirement, the game is only compatible with iPhone 3GS/4, iPod Touch 3rd and 4th generation, and the iPad.

The game starts off with you witnessing the God King using the Infinity Blade to kill a brave warrior that dared to challenge him. Turns out that was your father, and then you come into play, your character vowing to avenge his death.

Infinity Blade is a gorgeous fighting game with light RPG elements thrown into the mix. You are to advance through the huge castle and face the several “titans” of the God King before you end at the King himself.

Despite the free-roaming demo “Epic Citadel” that demoed the Unreal Engine used in Infinity Blade, you aren’t given that freedom of exploration in this game. Instead, Infinity Blade has you “move around” by tapping on blue halos on the screen. 

When you aren’t battling, your character stands still, though you can look around with your finger. There are hidden items located throughout the castle though, so make sure to look around all the time to find that valuable loot.

Gameplay during battles makes full use of the touch screen controls of Apple’s devices. You swipe the screen to attack and perform combos. The bottom has three buttons: dodge left, block, and dodge right. You can also do a parry against the enemy by swiping in the direction of their attack. Doing parries involves perfect timing though, so it’s a skill to master through time.

Since they’re touch screen controls though, there is always the possibility of the screen not registering where you touch or how you touch the screen. I found myself sometimes attacking when i was trying to dodge or parry when I was trying to attack. For the most part, the controls were good, but sometimes it can be a little off. But this is just a minor annoyance.

The controls are very reminiscent of the motion controls of the Nintendo Wii, so it gives you a realistic feeling of really “attacking” rather than using virtual joysticks and buttons.

The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, and your character appearance reflects all of the items that you currently have equipped. 

There are plenty of items to collect, with a wide variety of swords, shields, magic rings, helmets, and body armors. You’ll find a lot of various items in the treasure chests throughout the castle, but there are plenty of super powerful items to buy in the store.

Battles will yield gold and sometimes items, and you get experience points based on how you fared in the battle. You get bonus points if you use the Super Attack (stuns the enemy), magic spells, kill the enemy quickly, or do tons of damage. 

The total experience will be split between all of your items, which you will eventually “master.” In order to level up your character, you have to have non-mastered items since the experience won’t go to your character if an item is already mastered.

There are plenty of items to collect, so I found the time spent looking for and collecting items and mastering them to be fun when combined with the awesome gameplay.

The game uses Game Center for achievements and leaderboards, where you can compare yourself to friends and worldwide with Total Victories, Level, and Gold Collected. There are plenty of achievements to get, so there’s plenty of reason to keep playing even after you defeat the God King.

There is an option to start over at Bloodline 1 though, with your current level in tact with all your items and gold. This is good if the game is becoming too difficult or you just want to master weaker items (there’s an achievement for mastering 50 items). You can also reset your character if you absolutely must.

The music in this game is pretty good, though you will more than likely be tuning it out due to the intense sound of battle. Your enemies will be screaming, roaring, grunting, and everything in between. The weapons and shields will be clinking and clanging against each other in all their glorious beauty.

The drawback to the game is that it can get a bit repetitive. If you get defeated by an enemy, you can either load at the last checkpoint or start over from the beginning of the castle and go through it all again (good for farming though). 

If you get defeated by the God King, you start a new “bloodline” with another son that somehow has all the items your previous character had, and retains the same level and money. It will probably take you several bloodlines before you can get powerful enough to defeat the God King. 

Unfortunately, the castle is the same, the enemies are mostly the same, and the fights are the same. The only difference is that they get more powerful and tougher to beat. It may get tiresome to some people, but I found it entertaining enough to keep me playing.

I also found the little cutscene in battles after the enemies health drops to a certain point to be annoying. This can interrupt chances for combos, which there are achievements for.

Currently the game feels short once you defeat the King. But fortunately the developers at Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment have updates coming in the future that will include more levels (dungeons), enemies, collectable items, and multiplayer. So it will only be getting better.

This game may seem a bit pricey with the price tag of $5.99, but trust me, it is worth it. Despite the flaws, it is worth it for the visuals alone, which is something to show off to all your Android friends. The gameplay is still excellent and takes full advantage of the touch screen. The developers clearly knew what they were working with and made it work. Repetitive, but aren’t those puzzle games everyone plays repetitive as well? I’m not really complaining, this is like a better Bejeweled that will have you going “one more battle…”

So what are you waiting for? Grab this baby now!

rating: 4.5 stars out of five • price: $5.99 • App Store link

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Filed Under: iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iTunes, Reviews
Tagged: App Store, Epic Games, Game center, Infinity Blade, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, review, Unreal Engine 3

app review: Geocaching for iPhone

December 8, 2010 by bagner · Leave a Comment 

by Bagner Estrada

The Geocaching app is an eye opening iPhone application that unveils a hidden world in your everyday environment. Geocaching is a scavenger like game that involves hidden objects or sign-up logs that you attempt to track down: utilizing hints and coordinates found in the application. It is the perfect application for family events and for getaways with friends to go exploring places you may have never paid attention to.

When you first fire up the app, it allows you the opportunity to choose if you want to find nearby geocaches or track them down by zipcode. Once you choose one, it presents you with a list of caches that you can select and attempt to track down. Be warned that very few will be immediately discoverable and most will be very difficult to find (One cache was under the cap of a gate above a dumpster). The app provides you with a compass (sadly, not very useful) and a gps option that rarely points you in the correct direction.

Even though it is a great app to have on your iPhone it is not the most helpful. Very frequently you will run into dead-ends as none of the gps, compass, or hint options provide any assistance. You may be on the exact spot where the cache is located, but frequently you will have no idea what to actually look for. Sadly, the app is not very kind to newbies who are just starting out, and you may be lost in their language for specific objects or sign-in logs. This app could use polish and be more welcoming those who are just starting out. It would be great if the user could unlock an image of what the cache looks like.

Geocaching is a great outdoor activity that is very addictive besides being fun. It would be great if they could really focus on cleaning up the app, adding features that are more useful to the user and dropping the price from the pricey $9.99 (they do offer a free limited version). I would highly recommend that everyone give it a try, explore another side of your local community and be prepared to be stared at by confused strangers.

rating: 3.5 stars out of five • price: $9.99 • App Store link

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Tagged: App Store, compass, Geocaching, GPS, iPhone, iPod touch

Black Friday sales for iPhone iPad apps: Scrabble, Toy Story, more

November 26, 2010 by Daynah · Leave a Comment 

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)

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Filed Under: iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iTunes, Reviews
Tagged: App Store, bargains, Black Friday, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, sales, Scrabble, Toy Story Mania

Refurbished iPads and iPhones closest thing to a Black Friday deal

November 25, 2010 by Beatweek · Leave a Comment 

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is that time of year when eager holiday shoppers learn the hard way that there’s no such thing as a “deal” on an Apple product like the iPad or iPhone. After wasting time fighting early morning crowds at the local WalMart, Best Buy, and Target this Friday morning in search of an iPad for less than $499 or an iPhone 4 for less than $199, would-be gift givers will only then realize that Apple simply doesn’t allow retailers to sell its products at less than the official price, both because none of Apple’s consumer-level products are dragging badly enough in sales to need to be discounted, and for fear on Apple’s part of cheapening the brand. But there’s one way out of this, although it’s not perfect: Apple offers refurbished units through its website at discounts that are often worth taking advantage of.

What does “refurbished” mean? Someone else bought the product and either returned it because they didn’t want it, or it broke and they got it swapped out under warranty. Apple was then able to get the unit back to perfect new condition and is selling it to you for a fraction less; the $499 iPad, for instance, sells refurbished for $449. The upside is the recipient of your gift probably won’t even know the difference, and it comes with the same warranty as if it were new. The downside is you don’t know where that iPad was been. Then again, we generally only advise against buying something factory-refurbished if it’s a hard drive based product such as a laptop or an iPad classic, because in those cases neither you nor the people doing the refurbishing know how many times it’s been dropped by the original buyer and how much impact that hard drive has absorbed. But with the iPad and iPhone and iPod touch being flash-based devices instead, it’s a different story.

The kicker, though? This year Apple isn’t offering any refurbished iPhone 4 models. Come to think of it, that kind of makes you wonder where they’re all going. But in the case of the iPhone in 2010, the best way to get a “deal” is to simply buy the iPhone 3GS for $99 instead. Sure, it’s last year’s model, and your recipient will certainly notice the difference. But it is half the price, if it’s all you can afford to spend.

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Tagged: Best Buy, Black Friday, cheap, deal, discount, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Refurbished, Target, WalMart

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