THE NUMBERS
500,000 MILLION
The number of Angry Birds downloads by November 2011. "This is a fantastic landmark achievement for us, and we’re extremely delighted to see such an incredible amount of people enjoying our games," said Mikael Hed, Rovio CEO. Sales of their plush toys have also been a run-away success. As of September 2011, Rovio was reportedly selling over 1 million plush toys monthly. Rovio is also planning to open an Angry Birds retail in Helsinki, Finland.
4PM
The time, according to the app Photo Stats ($.99, app2.me/4258), when most pictures are usually taken. The Photo Stats app turns iPhone photography data into beautiful infographics that gives us some interesting insights. The most popular photoo-taking city in the world? Paris, France. Percentage of photos that have location info? 42%. You can check out many more fascinating stats and infographics at photostats.com.
Letters
I love the iPhone Life Newsletter and magazine. I recommend it to all my friends that have either an iPhone or Touch or both. You all do great work in keeping us apprised of what is going on in the tech world.
-Michell Moore
I anxiously look forward to your newsletters every day. I am technologically challenged to say the least, but I keep buying stuff. One day I’ll have the time to learn how to use it all. But in the meantime, I can’t tell you how much knowledge and insight I’ve gotten from your newsletters and your website. Thank you very much!
-Gerry David
I just read your article "Top 5 iPad board games." I agree with you on most of the selections, however, there is one glaring omission: the game Carcassonne. Its iPad/iPhone implementation is as good as Ticket to Ride. The game mechanics are just like the board game. If you have never played it, you’re in for a treat.
-Bob S.
QUICK NEWS
Scary costume
It’s probably the most expensive Halloween costume ever, but we think it’s pretty cool. NASA employee Mark Rober used two iPads connected through Facetime to create the illusion of a hole in his stomach. Kudos for creativity! You can watch his video here: youtu.be/V6p5mbp_M98
The triple-clone
There are a lot of game clones in the App store, but this game beats them all. Cut The Birds (Free, app2.me/4256) managed to take something from Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Cut the Rope. It’s a decent game, but we wonder how long it’ll be until the lawsuit strikes.
“Wow” indeed
Steve Jobs’s sister, Mona Simpson, shared in a moving tribute that right before Steve Jobs lost consciousness for the last time, he uttered the words “OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.” In classic Steve Jobs fashion, he’s left us wondering one last time.
The camera that’s ALSO a phone?
Well, not quite. The Artefact Group has created a concept camera that signals a possible shift for the photography industry. The concept camera has a touch interface like the iPhone, changeable SLR optics and wireless capabilities.
Silliest App Award
Belly Jam
(Free, app2.me/4257)
Belly Jam’s winning tagline reads, “Admit it: You’ve always wanted to play on a nice and round belly!” This app turns an underwhelming belly into a musical instrument that includes 16 different slapping sounds. Also includes a Disco version and an Ultimate Drum Kit version. What are you waiting for? Get to that belly slapping!
Notable Tweet
Dear Facebook message spammer-I’m not buying the iPhone 5 giveaway. Considering, you know, that phone doesn’t exist. @PhxREguy
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