iPhone Game Friday: New Releases

Welcome to June and another installment of Game Friday, folks!

This is, believe it or not, our fiftieth episode, so before we jump into the list, I just want to thank everyone for their continuing suggestions, comments, and feedback on Game Friday. We love you too. Now that that’s out of the way, the best recent releases are waiting for you after the jump, so get clicking!

Mighty Fin

Mighty Fin is a mighty fine example of building on an existing mechanic in a respectful and effective way. As soon as you begin playing, you’ll notice the similarity to Tiny Wings, and this extends beyond the control scheme to the visuals as well.

Of course story-wise, things are rather reversed in that you spend your time swimming instead of flying, but otherwise you’ll probably find that gameplay is pretty familiar, with tapping making you sink and releasing your finger causing you to jump up. As you speed through levels, you collect items and costume bubbles in a way that makes it feel like a combination between Tiny Wings and LittleBigPlanet. The unlocked costumes can then be worn, so you can look stylish while chasing down achievements and highscores.

Whether or not you enjoyed Tiny Wings, you can rest assured that Mighty Fin is a charming and worthy addition to your game library.

Price: $0.99
Developer: Launching Pad Games
Download: App Store

Velocispider

Among the more popular games that came out recently, Velocispider continues on the retro trend and delivers another wholly successful fusion of oldschool gaming with modern polish.

Playing as a bizarre half-spider, half-velociraptor machine thing, you do your best to defend your eggs against an evil man who sends his “robot seafood” to try and steal them from you. It’s a vertical shooter through and through, and it features most of the things you’d expect (powerups, highscore leaderboards, etc.)

There are plenty of levels to keep you busy for now, and more are sure to come. This one is terrific for passing the time; highly recommended.

Price: $0.99
Developer: Retro Dreamer
Download: App Store

To-Fu: The Trials of Chi

As the name suggests, this tale of the “world’s most malleable martial artist” is a cheerful oriental-flavoured story of one tofu block’s struggles to complete the trials of Chi in an effort to become a master.

It’s a puzzle game, of course, but it’s based on the stretch-and-fling mechanic. The trials encourage you to collect relics and little chi blobs while using the minimum number of flings (they call them pings), so the challenge is not only in completing the levels, but in doing so within the given parameters.

Different types of surfaces, spikes, and other dangers will confront you as you progress through the 100 or so levels of the trial, and the game’s friendly and forgiving play style seems aimed at rewarding fresh and hardcore gamers alike. There’s something for everyone in here, so have a look!

Price: $0.99
Developer: HotGen Ltd.
Download: App Store

Panda Warrior: Zombie King's Treasure

Panda Warrior: Zombie King’s Treasure is an amusing and colourful game from the creators of Devil Boy.

Playing as Bo, the hungry panda warrior, you must retrieve your food from the evil zombie king by fighting through legions of his undead horde. It’s a pretty straight-forward game, with simple controls and a pick-up-and-play attitude. What brings it all together is the wonderful visual style, which is overflowing with colours and quality artwork.

Be aware that it’s only available for iPhone 4 / iPod Touch 4th gen for now, so hold off for a while if you have an older device — an update will ensure compatibility.

Price: $0.99
Developer: Rhinobeetle
Download: App Store

Skyblox

Skyblox Full Version is a refinement of an older release by Advanced Mobile Applications. Instead of making more levels available for an in-game purchase as the frustrating original system had it, the full 80 levels are available from the get-go now, and (at least temporarily) for free!

The game itself is a puzzler wherein you must push a rectangular block through each level so that at the end you can slot it into a marker. It’s trickier than it seems, since you must position the block so that it lands vertically on the marker, just touching it won’t suffice. The block is moved via finger swipes, and there isn’t a whole lot else to it in terms of controls, making it a perfect game for those after uncomplicated control schemes.

The levels become appropriately challenging as you progress, but part of that challenge comes from the fact that there is no means of shifting the map around to view what’s coming up in the level, which makes it impossible to plan ahead and can sometimes mean a lot of idle backtracking. It’s a silly oversight that will hopefully be addressed in a future update, but besides that, Skyblox is a solid and

Price: Free
Developer: Advanced Mobile Applications Ltd.
Download: App Store

Whether you’re enjoying these titles, still struggling with The Heist, or have other amazing games that have been taking up your time, we want to hear about it! Pop into the comments and share the fun.

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Get More from Gowalla with Goodfoot

I’ve never been a huge Gowalla user, none of my friends use it (they’re more into Facebook Check-in) and it hasn’t really caught on in my city. Nonetheless, I like the idea of apps like Gowalla and FourSquare, which allow you to assert your fondness for locations and businesses simply by pressing a button. Though I’m not compelled to use Gowalla socially, I sometimes check for nearby spots when I’m in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, only to find a list of churches, bus stops and chain restaurants. The developers of Goodfoot attempt to harness the power of Gowalla and make it more useful to all types of iPhone users, even those that aren’t social network superstars.

Goodfoot lists local Spots in order of their “awesomeness”, a metric they’ve developed which ranks based on how often spots are re-visited by locals, and claims to be able to filter through the uninteresting spots that fill the Gowalla nearby list and show you where the locals actually hang out. So, is it successful? Can an algorithm separate the local hotspots from the tourist traps? Find out after the jump!

Goodfoot boasts a wonderfully straightforward interface with only three self-explanatory tabs: walk, bike, and drive. Each tab lists spots based on proximity and “awesomeness”. Though perhaps not quite as gorgeous as the Gowalla app, everything about the Goodfoot interface is simple and intuitive, I rarely say this, but my even dad could find a local pub with Goodfoot!

Goodfoot Main Interface

Interacting with Goodfoot is a clear, logical process: browse spots depending on how far you want to go/how you want to travel, check out the awesomemeter of a spot and read highlights, then either open the spot in the Gowalla app/website, or get directions and a map.

Open spot in Gowalla or map it

So, the real question is: did Goodfoot accurately identify the “awesome” local businesses and attractions? In my neighbourhood at least, the awesomemeter pretty much nailed it. I’ve lived in this neighbourhood forever, and I know that the best hangouts within walking distance are the park, the Rooster Cafe, and Allen’s, all of which show up at the top of Goodfoot’s list.

I can attest to the awesomeness of these spots

The biking-range list was similarly impressive, save for the inclusion of a run-down mall (everybody goes there, but no one really wants to). The accuracy of the awesomemeter declined with distance, the driving-range spots were more of a mixed bag.A lot of movie theatres were listed, and though they’re a popular hangout spot for suburban teens, they’re not really places you’d like to go.

I imagine if you were living in the suburbs, you’d find a lot of chains and movie theatres and malls, because that’s where the young people hang out, and it’s usually the young people that use apps like Gowalla. In my neighbourhood, this is an advantage, the people who check-in to Gowalla are young, tech-happy professionals and creative types like me, and this is probably the case in most dense urban neighbourhoods.

Some bizarre options within driving distance

Goodfoot is my favorite kind of iPhone app: it does one, useful thing, and does it very well. There aren’t any bells and slow-loading whistles, you’re not prompted to “share” everything you do, and you can get started using it right away without having to figure anything out.

With any check-in based app, you have to take into consideration the kind of people that do the checking-in, and whether or not your tastes are going to align with these types. In my gentrifying middle-class neighbourhood, the spots Goodfoot picked out would appeal to pretty much anyone in the neighbourhood regardless of age or personality. The further away you get from urban centres, the more chains and box-malls you’re likely to find, and if you were in one of the impossibly hip neighborhoods in any city, the popular spots wouldn’t necessarily be universally appealing . None of these are criticisms of Goodfoot, but just inherent elements of any check-in service.

Is it better than Yelp for finding the best Mexican food? Probably not. But it’s a much simpler, faster way of finding what you want than scrolling through conflicting reviews and getting tied-up in star ratings.

If you’re in a new neighbourhood and looking for a local hangout, or find yourself at a dive bar looking for alternatives, Goodfoot can point you in the right direction. If you’re like me, and don’t want to participate in the check-in phenomenon, but still want to take advantage of the data it provides, give Goodfoot a try.

Goodfoot takes all the best spots from Gowalla and sorts them based on the number of check-ins, then splits up those spots based on whether you can Walk, Bike, or Drive to those locations.

9 Goodfoot Reviewed by Tessa Thornton on Jun 6 . Goodfoot takes all the best spots from Gowalla and sorts them based on the number of check-ins, then splits up those spots based on whether you can Walk, Bike, or Drive to those locations. Rating: 9 out of 10

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The Red Bulletin: Offering Exclusive Magazine Content For The iPad

New iPad lifestyle magazine courtesy of Red Bull

As the advert loves to state, Red Bull gives you wings. It also now gives you a global sports, cultural and lifestyle magazine by the name of The Red Bulletin.

This new app for the iPad promises high end magazine content with up to an hour of video and animation throughout. It features numerous interviews with artists and athletes such as baseball star Tim Lincecum as well as features on the likes of art work from Banksy. Other subjects such as base jumping and formula 1 motor racing also feature.

It’s a new venture for the drinks company and it certainly makes for a pretty impressive looking magazine with the issue designed specially for iPad owners, taking advantage of the technology behind the device.

The Red Bulletin app also gives access to the international issue which contains a feast of the best stories from all the print editions as well as the exclusive content.

Best of all, it’s a free app for iPad owners enabling them to gain a free issue for the month of June.

It’s out now in English, German and Polish.

Posted in: Blog

Tagged with: art, baseball, blog, Lifestyle, magazine, Red Bull, Sports

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TouchGen Releases iPad Magazine

New gaming magazine from TouchGen

We appreciate that sometimes you might want to read about iOS news on other sites as well as this delightful place. Hopefully you look towards other O.A.T.S member sites for the information. Why do I mention this? Because fellow O.A.T.S member TouchGen has released the first full issue of their iPad magazine, TouchGen Magazine.

The magazine sets out to provide the same high quality features and reviews that the TouchGen site conventionally provides, but with a print style gaming magazine feel to it. The first issue contains a preview of Gameloft’s new crime based shooter, 9mm, the making of Order & Chaos as well as reviews of many games such as Final Fantasy III, Bumpy Road and World of Goo. There’s even a nice dose of humor with the top five feature of the best games to play while on the toilet.

Throughout the magazine, there are some great visuals and magazine style nuances and TouchGen Magazine makes for a great read that encourages users to look forward to the next issue.

TouchGen Magazine – Issue 1 is available now for iPad owners and it’s a free download.

Posted in: Blog

Tagged with: Gaming, iPad, magazine, TouchGen

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Unbelievable “Find My iPhone” Stories: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Find My iPhone is an awesome free feature that allows any iPhone or iPad owner to track down their device in the event that it gets stolen or lost. From any Mac or iOS device, you can log into MobileMe and instantly see a map containing the locations of your iOS devices. From here you can lock them, reset them or even send a message and set off an alarm.

This feature is great in theory, but does it work in the real world? Today we’ve got three “Find my iPhone” stories that recently made headlines, each with interestingly unique outcomes.

Find My iPhone

Manchester, UK – This story takes the cake. It’s everything that you dream about when you imagine someone stealing your phone. It sounds like over-the-top fiction, but according to the Manchester Evening News, it really happened.

A woman was casually enjoying her lunch during a day of shopping when a thief appeared and stole the phone from her purse. She quickly called her husband from another line, who was able to activate “Find My iPhone” and call the police with the thief’s location. Awesome action movie events followed.

“The police scrambled a helicopter to spot the thief, which spotted his car and radioed it in to the boys on the ground.”

The police scrambled a helicopter to spot the thief, which spotted his car and radioed it in to the boys on the ground. A full-on police chase then ensued, ultimately resulting in the thief being stopped and the phone being found among other stolen property in the car.

Helicopters, police chases, all over a cell phone? The best part: all of this happened within an hour of the phone being stolen. A word of caution to would-be thieves in the UK, the Manchester police don’t mess around!

Melbourne, Australia – When you download and setup “Find My iPhone”, you do so with the hope that, if your phone is ever stolen, the information can be used to catch the criminal. But is that always the case?

It would be nice if all police forces had both the gall and resources to scramble helicopters for every phone-stealing punk that walks out of the mall, but it seems more likely that your stolen device will be added to a very large stack of work that may or may not ever be followed up on.

In Melbourne, a man who realized that his iPad, along with over a thousand dollars in other goods, had been stolen immediately tracked down the device, sent it a message and called the police. So, he had the location of his stolen property and he informed the authorities. Rally the troops, it’s time to get the sucker! Right?

“After a month of waiting, the victim discovered that the police had done little to nothing to approach the thief.”

After a month of waiting, the victim discovered that the police had done little to nothing to approach the thief. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the information provided was insufficient for a search warrant to go through the thief’s home and locate the device.

So despite knowing where the alleged iPad burglar was holding his device, the man was forced to let it go, considering but ultimately letting go of the idea of barging in himself to take it back. Think you’d be brave enough to get your iPad back? The next story might change your mind.

Reading the last story might have gotten your blood pumping a little. You’re a tough guy, and if you knew where the little worm who stole your iOS device lived, you’d march in and take it right back!

Umpire Carl Ippolito thought the same thing, and that’s exactly what he did. After using “Find My iPhone” to track his phone down, Ippolito followed the map to the location where, lo and behold, there stood a man talking on an iPhone.

“Ippolito then attacked the man and wrestled him to the ground!”

According to Ubergizmo, Ippolito confronted the man, who of course denied having stolen any phone. Not one to be taken advantage of, Ippolito then attacked the man and wrestled him to the ground!

Somehow, the brawl ended and the poor guy escaped the umpire’s wrath. I say “poor guy” because Ippolito ended up finding his phone nearby in a snack shack, where he had mistakenly left it after a game (whoops!).

Ippolito was then arrested for assault, disorderly conduct and generally not being too bright. “Find My iPhone” allows you to lock the phone and even set off an audible alarm, which may have prevented Ippolito from attacking an innocent bystander who happened to be using a working phone at the time.

As you can see, despite being a great service, “Find My iPhone” can have drastically varied results in the real world. For my own part, the feature has turned out to be a lifesaver. I once realized that my iPad was missing and couldn’t quite remember where I had last used it. I fired up my Mac and saw that my that the device was sitting at a pizza place that I had eaten at two days earlier! Fortunately, the staff had dutifully held onto it for me and I was able to get it back in perfect working order with zero problems.

Do you have a story about using “Find My iPhone” to locate your lost or stolen iOS device? We want to hear it! Leave a comment below and tell us what happened.

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Xantrex Technologies 851-0178 XPower 175-Watt Micro Inverter

The Xantrex Technologies XPower Micro 175-watt inverter transforms your vehicle's electricity so you can power your electronic devices while on the road. Compact and lightweight, it simply plugs into the 12-volt DC outlet in your vehicle to power cell phones, camcorders, small portable stereos, laptop computers, 13-inch TVs, portable work lights, and more. It includes an automatic shutdown feature to protect against overload, over-heating, and high/low battery condition. This durable plastic unit is just 1.9-by-2.9-by-4.8 inches in size and weighs 0.38 pounds. It is covered by a 1-year warranty.

Price: $44.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

111 Years of Deutsche Grammophon: 111 Classic Tracks

This attractively priced 6-CD 111 Classic Tracks box-set is a cornucopia that offers one track each from The Collector's Edition's fifty-one featured artists - and additional tracks by sixty artists drawn from our company's inception through today. This "wow" of a set encompasses the artistry of immortals such as Enrico Caruso and Richard Strauss to our newest signings such as Measha Brueggergosman and Alice Sara Ott. 111 Classic Tracks is further proof, in superlative sound and execution, why Deutsche Grammophon continues to be the dominant entity in classical-music history.

Price: $24.98

Click here to buy from Amazon