iPhone

I’ve primarily stuck to reviews of games in the past, because that’s mostly what I do with my iPod Touch.  However, I have been a comic book fan for a long time, and when I got the chance to review this cool looking “3D” comic book, I jumped on it.  To its credit, the book is pretty cool.  However, I think the 3D aspect of it is more gimmicky than practical or useful.  Still, to get an 84 page full color graphic novel for under $6 these days is a pretty good deal, and having it narrated thanks to its electronic format is a cool bonus.  If you’re really hoping for some slam-bang 3D effects you’re not going to be so impressed, but if you just want a decent story, slick 2D illustrations, and good voice work (at your discretion), The Gwaii is a solid choice for you.

Many people still are reporting issues with their battery even after upgrading to iOS 5.0.1. I happen to be one of these people :(. I called Apple Support. I would have a fully charged 4S battery at the beginning of the school day, and with very little light use the battery would be around 25-30% dead 7 hrs later, not at all close to the up to 200 hours Apple claims. Fortunately I have been able to make it through the rest of the day with a Zagg Sparq 2.0 and I really do love it. Apple recommends that I turn off all location services (or at least the ones I dont need), that I turn on automatic brightness.

From what little I know about Cave, they’re pretty famous for make excellent games that fall under the category of “bullet hell” scrolling shooters.  Bug Panic is certainly a far cry from that style of game play.  That doesn’t make it any less challenging, mind you, and actually goes to show that Cave is more than a one trick pony.  More importantly, it’s actually a nice change of pace from the typical dual stick shooter, which is the category it actually falls into.  The anime style cut scenes and overall cuteness might night be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for a challenging dual stick shooter that doesn’t just feel like a clone of the rest, Bug Panic is a good choice for you.

Just Mobile, a company predominantly known for their iPad and iPhone stands and holders, also has a line of products to provide backup power to those devices. With the release of their Gum Max backup battery, Just Mobile offers iPad users a solution that's hard to pass up. What makes the Gum Max better than the various other external battery backup solutions? Read on to find out.

The Flaming Igloo game is a fairly enjoyable yet challenging game.  The basic premise is you have to put out fires on your igloo by throwing snow balls at it.  If the fire goes on to long you’ll have to throw a large piece of ice at the igloo to fix it.  The makers of this game did a good job with the physics of the game making it challenging to throw the ice or snow at the right spot on the igloo.  There are many levels which get more challenging as you go and add in additional options. 

Whew, Apple's sales just continue to climb. Black Friday was a big success, with 75% of Apple retail stores selling out their stock of the iPhone 4S. These stores included Apple retail stores as well as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target stores. The report on AppleInsider also says that sales of the iPad were 68% higher on Black Friday compared to last year, with analysts now projecting that Apple will sell 13.5 million iPads in the December quarter. 

 

Kogeto: The name is inspired by, and reminiscent of Cogito Ergo Sum, Latin for "I think, therefore I am."  But the phrase that comes to mind when I tried Kogeto's DOT camera gizmo is "A picture is worth a thousand words."  Indeed, the Kogeto is worth more, because it lets you create panoramic views that are really interactive videos.  You can swipe your finger to pan in any direction and see the view as if a videocamera was pointed in that direction, at that time.  This is accomplished through a special lens attachment that snaps right on to your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S.

 

Thanks to everyone who entered the iPhone Life Weekend Giveaway this week. We have selected the winners of this weekend's Giveaway. We gave away 5 apps and 2 accessories!

And the winners are...(drumroll please): Ross Myers, Donna Koskuba, David Berezin, Antoine Lamia, Robin Tay, Tom Reilly, and Jerry Guerra !