Tag Archives: app

SkiFree is back! On the iPhone!

Technology, , , , , ,

This itty bit of news has just made my week.  Remember that game SkiFree that came preloaded on Windows 3.1?  It was a very simple game; you used the arrow keys to direct the skier speck to the bottom of a hill, trying your best to not run into obstacles like trees and rocks.  Today gameplay utilizes iPhone goodies like the built-in accelerometer for steering and the touchscreen for jumping.  The developer promises a future update will add a new slalom mode, easter eggs from the original SkiFree, and the absent and totally necessary Snow Monster.  That little basterd would always get me once I reached near the bottom of the hill!  Download SkiFree here; it’s free!

[Via BusinessInsider; Gizmodo]

The Creepy La-La-La Guy gets an app

Technology, , , , , ,

We all knew this was coming.  The latest Internet meme is now featured in an app for the iPhone/iPod Touch.  Edward Anatolevich Hill is ‘The Creepy La-La-La Guy’ you’ve seen belt out those lalala’s and get impersonated by the great Christoph Waltz.  You can now bring the nightmare-inducing man to your iPhone with the Trololo app.  In it Hill sings his tune over and over again as you try to unlock the following powers: Applause, Funny Hat, Tone Invasion, Lava, Earthquake, and Chicken Of Death.  Normally priced at $1.99, the app is free today!  So go on and download it.  Or don’t.

[Via Krapps; Gizmodo]

Wired is coming to the iPad, looking suh-weet

Print Media, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , , ,

So this is what Wired is going to look like on the iPad.  Pretty cool, huh?  Wired teamed up with Adobe to create Wired Reader, a digital version of the real-life magazine.  The UI looks stunning and the back-and-forth between pages, images, and video is very fluid.  It runs on top of Adobe’s AIR app, allowing developers to easily convert the Reader to run on other mobile devices and even the PC or Mac.  Will the iPad revolutionize the print media industry?  Hard evidence like this points towards a resounding “yes.”

[Via Wired]

Microsoft enters the world of info-tagging with MS Tags app

Technology, Video, , , , ,

A “tag” is a multicolored barcode that can be placed on (or in) a number of products and services, such as product packages or magazines.  The Microsoft Tag application (which will be available for download on a number of handsets, including Windows Phones, the iPhone, and others) takes a picture of the unique barcode stamped on a product and relays all kinds of information about the particular item at hand back to you.  Tags can push all types of information to you including websites, pictures, and video.  “It’s the hyperlink in the physical world,” says a Microsoft rep.  He also says MS will not charge for the app or for companies to place barcodes on their products.  This is fun and all, but Microsoft is late to the game.  I understand that the technologies are different (Tags can lead you to specific videos and other info), but heck–Google Goggles can search for a product’s information without barcodes!

[Via CNET; Engadget]

Logitech app brings remote keyboard and mouse to the iPhone

News, Technology, , , , , ,

Logitech has gone ahead and turned all iPhones into portable keyboards and mice for computers.  Sure, it’s not the first company to do it, but it’s here and the execution is top notch.  And there’s this: it’s absolutely free.  It uses WiFi to wireless connect to your PC or Mac, and the text you type is displayed on the screen, removing the annoyance of looking up at the computer every second.  Additional features include:

  • Multi-touch trackpad with the option for two or three mouse buttons
  • Two-finger scrolling
  • Keyboard with Control, Alt, Command/Windows keys
  • On-screen text display while typing
  • Show or hide the keyboard at any time
  • Trackpad and keyboard are available in landscape and portrait modes

    • It’s available for the iPhone and iPod touch at the App Store.  And did I mention it’s free?

    [Via Logitech; Engadget]

    Catch your spouse snooping around red-fingered with iTrust app

    Technology, Video, , , , ,

    Do you think your spouse is cheating on you?  Do you have trust issues?  Is your name Elin Woods?  In any case, the iTrust app is for you!  It works like this: You take a snapshot of your iPhone’s homescreen (holding down the home button + the power button), open the iTrust app, select the homescreen image you just took, and tap start.  That’s it.  Now when someone tries to go snooping on your phone he/she will get passed the lock screen to find a frozen image of your homescreen.  The culprit will think the still image is actually the homescreen and will go about pressing various apps trying to pry into private text messages or emails.  All the while the app is recording his/her every move.  When you get back to your phone you can open iTrust and playback a log to see what exactly the culprit was trying to find.  Neat, huh?  Obviously there are many ways to bypass the iTrust mirage but the concept is interestingly sneaky, isn’t it?  iTrust is available in the App Store for a buck.  Full demo in the video above.

    [Via Gizmodo]

    Voice Band app turns your voice into a myriad of instruments (freakin’ awesome!)

    Music, Technology, Video, , , , , , ,

    From WaveMachineLabs comes a new innovative app for the iPhone called Voice Band.  Simply put, the app turns your voice into an instrument in real time.  Instruments include 2 guitars, a bass, sax, 2 synths, drums, and a mic.  Basically you make sounds with your voice and the app converts and records these sounds into instrument sounds, allowing you to layer them on top of each other to create a final product that may actually sound like an intricate, well thought out song.  In mic mode you can even top it all off with your own vocals; don’t worry, a built-in auto pitch helps you stay on key.  You also have the option to play your iPod library in the background and “play along with your favorite music.”  Songs can be saved and emailed to friends within the app.  Voice Band is available in the App Store today for $2.99.  It works with all iPhones and the 2nd gen iPod touch; you must have OS 3.0 or later installed.  One more stipulation–a pair of headphones (with a built-in mic) is required for iPod touch and original iPhone users.  See it in action in the video above.  Definitely one of the coolest apps I’ve come by in a while.

    [Via Gizmodo]

    Ring in the New Year, “let there be courage”

    Technology, Video, , , , , , , , ,

    Get your first look at the 2010 New Year’s Ball set in Times Square.  Though they didn’t add to the previously installed 32,256 Philips LED lights, they did include new Waterford glass panels.  Every year “a new hope” is constructed onto the ball, and this year the theme is “let there be courage.”  This year’s ball is going to be a shining colorful beacon of brilliance.

    For 2010 Waterford Crystal has designed a new sparkling “Let There Be Courage” triangle. The crystals feature a unique interlocking ribbon pattern woven into the Celtic knot. The triangles, each about 3/8″ thick and 6.8 ounces in weight are custom made and built to exacting standards to withstand the stresses of high winds, precipitation and temperature fluctuation that exist over 400 feet above Times Square. 288 are being installed alongside crystal installed in previous years.

    And get this–a Waterford iPhone app has been developed for the special occasion.  It’s called Clink-Clink and it’s a a virtual toasting application.  When two iPhones tap each other and “clink” glasses, contact information is shared and can even posted on Facebook.  Ah, ’tis the year of “there’s an app for that.”  Am I right?  Head after the break for an additional video showcasing the New Year’s Ball and watch how the Waterford app works.

    [Via Gizmodo, here & here]

    Continue reading Ring in the New Year, “let there be courage” →

    Type n Walk app lets you do just that

    Technology, Video, , , , ,

    Welcome the latest addition to the App Store, Type n Walk!  This apps allows you to text on the go by “display[ing] a transparent viewport of what’s directly in front of you.”  In other words, using the iPhone’s camera, the app displays a transparent text messaging screen, allowing you to ‘type n walk’ without worrying about tripping on a rock or walking into a tree.  Seems a bit unnecessary; but then again, there’s an app for everything these days.

    [Via Gizmodo]

    Ustream finally gets the go-ahead for its Live Broadcasting app

    News, Technology, , , , , ,

    Ustream has had its Viewing Application available for iPhone users to download for some time now.  Unfortunately, Apple restricted this app from allowing Ustream users to broadcast live video from it to other iPhone Ustreamers and to web browsers on PCs.  Today Apple has finally lifted this restriction and is allowing these capabilities to flourish on both iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G (which, of course, do not have a video-supported camera).  The new Live Broadcaster Application allows users to stream live video from their iPhone over 3G or WiFi to other iPhones and to anyone with a browser directed to Ustream’s website.  Also, note that the application features a “local” record mode that seemingly allows iPhone 3G owners to record and store 320 x 240 video and upload it to YouTube, Facebook, etc.  In other words, it turns your iPhone 3G into a video camera–huzzah!  The app is available for free right now.

    Note: I’ve tested the app and the live broadcast on the computer is very laggy.  If you happen to give it a try, share your experience with it in the comments below.

    [Via Engadget; Gizmodo]

    Touch DJ turns your iPhone/iPod touch into a highly functional turntable

    Music, Technology, Video, , , , ,

    Amidio has created the “world’s first” true DJ software for the iPhone and iPod touch with Touch DJ.  This app allows you to use your own MP3 or M4A files to create your own DJ mixes; this includes the ability to scratch and loop as well as manipulate positioning, equalization, effects, and pitch.  Very neat stuff.  Touch DJ is available in the App Store right now for $19.99.  Peek after the break for a demonstration.

    [Via Engadget]

    Continue reading Touch DJ turns your iPhone/iPod touch into a highly functional turntable →