2008: Yearly Archive

Nelson wrote in to tell us a little about WaKi SNAP!, a new game now available in the iTunes App Store:

WaKi SNAP! was created as our first project for the iPhone and we wanted to create something that used the touch capabilities of the iPhone in an innovative and immersive way…basically, something that allows two players to both enjoy the game on the one phone at the same time, which is different to the majority of the games out there.

We wanted to make something that was fun, simple to play, and almost universally known by both children and adults. The challenge was also to keep the interface as clean and minimalist as possible so that there was little clutter and the main focus was on displaying the graphics of the cards in as large a size as possible. Thus, WaKi SNAP! was born!

If you check it out, be sure to let us know what you think!

Update: The App Store is now pushing out the update. Enjoy!

NOTE: If you don’t see the microphone icon immediately in the top right corner, tap the Settings button at the bottom right, and switch the slider to “Enabled”.

Original post:

Well, it’s definitely later than last Friday, but it doesn’t look like anyone, including Apple, delayed this long: Google’s Mobile App (iTunes link) now includes the much talked about Advanced Voice Search feature… sorta.

According to Jeremy, iTunes isn’t pushing the update yet, and you actually have to delete the app first if you’ve already installed it in order to get the latest, greatest, chattiest version on your iPhone. (Yup, you read correctly, this isn’t a new App, but an update to Google’s existing iPhone search App.)

Of course, I don’t have an iPhone right now, but if you do, try it out, ask it just how tall Everest really is, and let us know what kind of response you get!

And for you privacy advocates out there, is the coolness factor of this enough to give Skynet, er… The Matrix, um… Google access to your voice ID?

(Thanks to Trevor, Josh, Craig, Bob, for sending this in!)

You work with numbers all day long, your Macbook lacks the numeric keypad… Frustrated much? I’m sure that can be very inconvenient, that is until now.

Balmuda has just released their solution to your dilemma, Numberkey. [iTunes Link] The price to this solution is a small price to pay, coming in at $1.99. For that you get your ever so priceless numeric keypad. And for all of your who have OCD like myself, it will match your style of keyboard on your Mac. Whether it’s white, black, or silver - Numberkey has you are covered.

To get set up you first need to download and install Balmuda’s Mac software. Then head to the App Store and download Numberkey, turn on WiFi on both your Macbook and iPhone, and you are good to go.

It is also important to note, this is for Macs only, sorry Windows faithful!

Enjoy!

[Via Technabob.com]

SushiTime Forum Review by msbaylor. (Visit the thread for video and more pics. For more Forum Reviews, see the TiPb iPhone App Store Forum!

So you go to a new sushi restaurant in town, you think, “man I bet they have an awesome yellow tail roll here”. You are seated at a table by the beautiful waitress, you open the menu, and low and hold…the menu uses terms that you know nothing about. You think to yourself, “I could ask the waitress, but then she’ll think I’m stupid!” That’s when it hits you, only the night before, you downloaded Sushi Time to your iPhone. With Sushi Time, you realize, “I don’t have to be a sushi pro to eat like one! Sushi Time will demystify many common terms found in sushi restaurant menus as well as fill in gaps for sushi connoisseurs.”

So you whip out your iPhone and startup Sushi Time, you scroll down the list to lookup up the word “fugu” your finger shakes with excitement as you realize you are so close to revealing the secrets of the name…You tap it and the app reveals a tile with a picture, hey you “realize that looks like yellow-tail”…

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TiPb has been exploring issues surrounding the App Store, especially how developers can earn a living, the various attempts to market apps in a sporting manner, as well the gaming and foul play going on.

In the bright lights category, developer James Thomson (ha! spelled it right that time!) has taken a decidedly humorous approach with the launch of his updated PCalc 1.2 (iTunes link) calculator app:

I think we got off to a bad start last time with version 1.1. It was my fault entirely. I came out with this big release I’d spent months on, sent out my press releases, and not a soul ran a story with the exception of that nice Mr Gruber fellow [Although TiPb did run an interview -- thanks again, James!]. Sales were quite poor and we both said some things we regretted in the morning.

But I understand, don’t worry. You’re tired of the deluge of iPhone press releases, and everything you see just starts to look the same after a while. I didn’t do anything to make it an interesting read and, let’s face it, I’m kind of fighting a losing battle with a calculator which - I’ll be the first to admit - is next to the flashlights and to-do list apps in terms of reaching saturation point on the store.

Not quite. I rock PCalc on my iPhone, with narry a flashlight in sight!

While PCalc chose humor, some others have gone decidedly darker…

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Fans of the classic card game, Uno, rejoice… the game is now for sale in the App Store! Gameloft brings us Uno in all of it’s glory along with a multiplayer mode! (Online via 3G or WiFi)

Play the classic card game that’s #1 for fun with friends and family. In single or multiplayer, playing UNO has never been so fun and easy, thanks to a brand new gameplay system! Simply drag & drop cards using your finger on the screen for intuitive control, and be the first to get rid of all your cards.

All your favorite Action Cards are here: Wild, Reverse, Draw 2 and more! Customize your game with 9 different rules including 7-0 and Jump-in. Play against the AI or your friends: use only one iPhone or play with multiple devices through a WiFi connection. Take on increasingly hard challenges in Tournament Mode.

All of this Uno action can be yours for the fair price of $7.99. Feeling lucky and want to challenge me to a game? Head on into the iTunes App Store and get your game on!

[This is an official Smartphone Experts Round Robin post! Every day you reply here, you're automatically entered for a chance to win an iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset! Full contest rules here!]

Everything is going according to Smartphone Round Robin’s designs: While I’ve been learning the ways of the Android, Casey shows the iPhone is still strong in him.

Head on over to Android Central, and be sure to tell him what you think: his own council should he keep, or do you find that it is he who is mistaken… about a great many things?

Remember, each SPE site is giving away their signature smartphone and accessories, so it’s not just an iPhone 3G up for grabs! Every day you comment on Casey’s video, or my thread in the Android Central Forum, you get two more chances to win a T-Mobile Android G1, along with a BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth Headset, and SPE Screen Protectors!

According to Macrumors, Adobe and ARM, which is the chipset Apple uses to power the iPhone, have announced they’re making a special version optimized for mobile devices. (And, yes, to be snarky, I’ll believe that when I get a version optimized for Intel on the Mac, b’okay?)

Never the less, none other than chief Androidika Andy Rubin himself showed up at Adobe MAX today to show off Flash running on that other handset — the one I’m Round Robin‘ing this week, the G1.

Will that put pressure on Apple? Or if people start suffering Flash exploits, are subjected to Flash cookies, or get tired of jumping monkey ads, will it only harden Apple’s resolve?

[This is an official Smartphone Experts Round Robin post! Every day you reply here, you're automatically entered for a chance to win an iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset! More below!]

Okay, fair enough, I’m having a little fun up there, but with the Smartphone Empire Experts Round Robin officially under way and my iPhone frozen in carbonite for the next month, the G1 could be my only hope!

I’m still trying to figure out if this is the ‘droid I’ve been looking for, however. Do I understand the awesome power of the open-platform of the Google? Or is it more concept now than device, twisted and confusing?

Check out the video, then head on over to Android Central to help me out. Every day you post, you get entered to WIN one of FIVE smartphone prize packs! And you can enter each site’s contest, so don’t forget to help turn Casey back to the iPhone side as well!

May the forums be with you!

Prize details after the jump…

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We’ve talking about i.TV here on TiPb before, so what could get us to do it again? How about Netflix. How about built in? How about now!

Justin writes in to tell us about the awesomeness:

Netflix integration on [brings] a catalog of over 100k DVDs to our popular iPhone application. In addition to this, users can now manage their Netflix DVD and instant streaming queues straight from their iPhone or iPod touch.