Expert Blogs
After seeing A Knight's Tale the movie, I seriously wanted to get in a time machine and go back to the Middle Ages (though I'd likely end up a lowly field peasant instead of a knight)! It would be awesome to see knights with swords clashing, gleaming armor, damsels in distress and well... jousting! Jousting has to be the coolest sport ever, am I right? Think two medieval maniacs thundering toward each other set on knocking the other into oblivion! Want some of that action today in modern times? Get the most excellent Knight Storm (Free) now!
Taking great shots on your iPhone just got easier with two great freebies recently added to the App Store. Remote Shutter allows you to view/take remote shots through any WiFi or Bluetooth paired set of iOS devices, and Gradients will let you apply your own custom filters to create photographic art!
Remote Shutter is a technology-binding application that greatly extends the coolness of owning multiple iOS devices. It allows you to remotely control the shutter/camera of an iOS device through a wireless network. You can see the live camera view, take pictures, and also configure the countdown timer to take a delayed shot of up to 30 seconds.
A few weeks ago I reviewed an amazingly cool 3D golf swing analysis tool for iOS called SwingTIP. Afterward, I managed to get out on the links with a friend for the first time in a long time. Not surprisingly, my scoring was pretty abysmal, so I figured I needed some help. I found two apps you may want to check out, especially if you also have been away from the game for awhile. Tiger Woods: My Swing ($4.99) will show you the spectacularly perfect swing of the master himself along with Tiger's priceless golf insights and other exclusive content.
Some iPad mini cases are designed for hiking up the side of a mountain, some even for diving into the sea. A fine leather case is something else altogether. MAPi Cases makes fine leather cases for the iPhone, iPad, and iPad mini, and I have been lucky enough to receive one of its Orion Leather Smart Cases ($150) for review. The Orion's excellent material, design, and construction all come together to make a top quality leather case and stand combined!
If you're a football fanatic, chances are you begin watching for the choicest draft picks way in advance of the regular season. It might be hardball time now, but as a dedicated NFL fan, you live and breathe gridiron news, looking ahead to the coming months with anticipation. Today marks the momentous NFL 2013 Draft (as if you could forget!), so I thought you hardcore pigskin lovers could use some apps to stay up-to-date on the action!!
As a formerly certified weather geek, I like to check out new weather apps. I'm usually drawn to ones with more advanced features, but occasionally I find a simple and elegant weather program I have to mention. YoWindow ($0.99) is one such app. It is not a fancy weather app, which can become cluttered with maps and trend graphs. Instead, it gives you a view of upcoming weather in a serene 2D scene you can animate (e.g. forecast conditions) as you swipe. The app also serves to relax you with realistic outside sights and sounds that match the conditions, and even indicate the season.
Hey, golfers! Want to shave some strokes off your game this year? Save yourself the cost of hiring a coach with the SwingTIPP app (Free) and Bluetooth sensor ($129.99).
With only your iPhone and an easy-to-use Bluetooth accessory, you can have your own swing analysis coach with you at all times. It will break down every swing for you to help you fix whatever you may be doing wrong.
An emerging class of visual search apps are showing promise in replacing traditional search methods — with camera technology that leverages the power of the web to help you identify and learn about your surroundings. The just-released iOS visual search app, CamFind (currently free) nicely marries image analysis features with language translation and voice input/output and is threatening to relegate the practice of text-entry search to the Stone Age where it belongs!
Critical Missions: SWAT ($2.99) from Critical Force Entertainment is a killer of a combat first-person shooter, especially if your thing is stalking through virtual settings (armed to the teeth) in order to blast in-game bots (or your online buddy's bots). The game physics are quite realistic, and the 3D scenes and graphics excellent. I did not go bananas over the control aspects, but after a few test runs started getting a better hang of it. Several modes of play are available: endless singular stalking/blasting or various team matches. Critical Missions: SWAT is a single bloody-minded combat game best enjoyed with a side of Foo Fighters at extremely high volume!
But can it stand up to the most excellent Trigger Fist (Free) (reviewed previously here)? Inquiring shooters want to know... Here's how the two shake out in a side-by-side comparison!
I almost always prefer a good indie game over franchise games from a big publisher. I like to see the little guy win (in and outside of games), so any news forwarding that agenda is worthy in my book.
Chunky Pig, a marketing company for mobile game development (started by games industry veteran Nick Malaperiman), kicked off a contest at GDC to give game developers a chance to get their iOS game ideas noticed by premier publishers in the business (and even win an iPad mini). Enter the contest at Chunky Pig, or read below for the full press info on the event.
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