And as you can see above they used ShiVa 3D game engine (a multiplatform engine), so this game might come to other platforms too.

Let’s take a look at this game! First thing that makes me angry is that this app insists on you being signed-into Game Center, and if you are signed in already then it simply, without asking, puts itself into high scores and logs itself into game center – annoying.

Another another annoying thing is that despite the fact that this game is not free (I paid $0.99) they are advertising their other games inside of this app blatantly (not just in some hidden menu):

And, as you can see above, they are even so petty that they advertise (in rotation) the same game inside of itself! Idiots.

The gameplay is such: you set up the devices and then you open the gate where chicken soldiers are moving – in straight lines, so devices need to be set in such way that chickens don’t get killed.

First 2 levels are annoying because you are being taught forcibly the placement of objects.

If you set up the obstacle wrongl, your chicken may be killed.

Usually the logic is about directing chickens away from problems that would kill chickens.

In the main menu of this game one can find also “arcade.”

But to play it, one needs to buy “coins” via in-app purchase.

And they are not cheap!

This game also supports some kind of social gaming via “Crystal” (accessible from main menu). What is also annoying is it wants to get your location.

Conclusion

This game may be interesting challenge for mobile gamers, but personally I don’t like it as it has too many annoying aspects. Nonetheless it is recommendable.

To buy this app, click here:
Non Flying Soldiers for iPhone.

You  can do all this directly from the Color Splurge app. Take a new photo, use an existing photo from your photo album, or a photo from your Facebook album. Once you’ve uploaded your photo, you can desaturate the color – you know, add in color to only where you want it.

It’s a very simple app that does exactly what it’s supposed to do. In the above photo you can see a photo I desaturated of my nephew playing soccer. Once you’ve done your color magic, you turn that photo into something special – again, right from the app.

Your photo to a product inside the app. There are a variety of products available from coasters (as seen above), to iPhone or iPad cases, keychains, and bookbags.

For more on the process, see the video with Garry Green, President of Liberty Synergistics, and the full press release below.

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. – May. 3, 2012 – Representing one of the fastest-growing segments in wireless, ivoke™ will exhibit its mobile SDK, API, skinned websites, and mobile web technology applications in booth  #4572 at the International CTIA WIRELESS 2012 show.  For the first time, ivoke will present mobile app partner, Color Splurge, a free iTunes mobile app that allows users to desaturate and color their photos to generate high quality images. Attendees can view the many personalized products that can now be created from the mere touch of a smartphone screen.

As more individuals use smartphones as their primary photo device, billions of photos have been building up in the digital world, creating a pent up demand to create something tangible with them. ivokeMOBILE™, the ivoke mobile technology, created in response to this growing demand, provides an interactive experience that enables customers to snap photos, customize the appearance of the images, then send them to print on a variety of retail products, including mobile accessories, mugs, key chains, wall décor, apparel and other merchandise.

“Consumers crave individualism and self-expression,” said Garry Green, president of Liberty Synergistics, Inc. “The ivoke technology platform gives people the opportunity to personalize items and gifts, and provides  app and web developers and partners with new revenue streams. ivoke empowers consumers to order personalized items directly from our partners’ websites and/or mobile applications. CTIA is the ideal showroom to present innovative technologies that empower consumers to memorialize life’s events.”

Leveraging the 28-year history of parent company, Liberty Synergistics, ivoke has seamlessly created an ecosystem of content creators, online communities, personalized skinned sites, retailers and other channel partners where individuals can create personalized products, while partners can establish a new, consistent and risk-free revenue stream. To learn more about ivoke, visit www.ivokenow.com.

CTIA WIRELESS is the most comprehensive marketplace for mobile innovation and technology in North America. To learn more, visit www.ctia.org.

About Liberty Synergistics/ivoke™

Liberty Synergistics was founded in 1984, as a supplier to the photo industry.  Doing business as Liberty Photo Products, the company rapidly evolved as the product line grew and diversified.  Liberty has expanded in recent years, through organic growth, a series of acquisitions and further diversification of the products it supplies, taking on the name Liberty Synergistics, Inc. in 2008. The company launched its personalization division, ivoke™ in 2011 to provide channel partners’ loyal followers with new forms of self-expression and the ability to memorialize life events. Through its divisions, Liberty currently serves national, regional, and independent retailers; mobile, web and kiosk application developers; and brand partners throughout the world looking for new revenue streams and new forms of self-expression for their loyal followers. For more information about Liberty Synergistics, please visit www.libertysynergistics.com and www.ivokenow.com.

You can check it out for yourself later, but the gist is, they wrap this guy’s hand in this orange goop and bash it with a hammer – and he doesn’t feel a thing. Are you as intrigued as I was?

What makes Impactology™ unique is the secret ingredient D30^® Impact Fabric used within our designs. It’s composed of a non-Newtonian polymer with an intelligent molecular structure. So clever in fact, that it has been adopted worldwide by the military for its power in impact protection on the battlefield.”

Take a look at the video below as we are introduced to the science behind Tech21 and Impactology, and the cases that are born out of this science.

Next up, we see how Tech21 cases are not just impact resistant, but scratch proof. Watch what happens when you use a metal brush on the back of a Tech21 case. In a word – nothing!

Finally, we see the Submariner case from Tech21. Two cases in one, this case is practically indestructible, but allows you to still use your touchscreen smartphone. It also gives you a secure place to keep your drivers license and credit cards while you’re off diving.

Now that we’ve seen the videos, let’s take a look at two of the products up close. First we’re going to look at the Impact Mesh for the iPhone 4/4S.

Here, we’re looking at the Impact Mesh in pink. As you can probably tell from the above shots, the Impact Mesh doesn’t add much bulk to the iPhone. In fact, it continues to look slim, and while this case gives you a good grip, it slides easily in and out of your pocket.

It’s when we begin to look at the sides that you can see the thin strip of orange, that is the D30 Impact Fabric material.

You can also see how well the case fits. The volume keys are covered, and you can easily reach the mute switch. The color is actually quite complementary here, with the orange appearing almost as a darker pink.

You can see more of the orange D30 peeking out at the top next to the headphone jack. Notice how the power button is also covered for protection. The docking port is open, and so far all my plugs (OEM and 3rd party) fit just fine.

This is a beautiful case that offers extraordinary protection. It feels good in the hand.

Next, we have the iPad 2 case. We were told that this case fits both the iPad 2 and the New (3rd generation) iPad, but found it to be just a little too snug for the New iPad, and too difficult to get on.

This case comes to the edges of the front of your case, and is designed to work with a smartcover. I would have preferred this case come up just a little higher on the sides. While it’s a perfect fit, it always seems like the iPad is about to come out of the case.

It’s surprisingly slim for an ultra protective case. This is a dual layer case, with the D30 hidden inside and well out of sight – pity, because it provides a nice splash of colour.

As you can see, the docking port is open, as is the camera hole. There is a vent for the speaker so that it does not affect audio at all.

While I totally love the iPhone case, I’m not completely sold on the iPad case. They do have other models, though. Keep an eye out for Tech21 as their products enter the US market.

This battery is pretty good sized at 7in x 4.5in x .75in, and it weighs about 2 pounds. But given the amount of power this thing packs, it isn’t bad at all. In theory, 18,000mAh is enough to charge the average smart phone 10 times.

So, just how well did this thing perform? I charged it up just before I left for New Orleans. Over the course of the three days there, I charged my phone numerous times throughout the day. I also used it to charge my phone during the night, because I didn’t have an outlet close enough to my bed, and I used my white noise application to help me sleep. I also used it to charge Alli’s iPhone one day when it had gotten really low – it charged her iPhone from 25% to 50% in the time it took us to eat dinner! Even after this, the display indicated 50% charge remaining. WOW! Even more impressive is that it only took a few hours to recharge the battery to full strength when I got back home.

This battery is also powerful enough to run a small laptop (I tried it with my 10” Acer netbook, and it worked). It comes with several connector tips for this purpose, and if it doesn’t have one that will fit your particular laptop, they will send you one. If you register with them, you are also eligible to receive 2 additional tips per year for the life of the battery, so if you buy a new laptop, you can get a new tip to fit it. Sorry, MacBook users…they don’t have the magnetic connector.

The battery has one USB out, as well as DC 9-12V and DC 16-20V. In addition to the tips, the battery comes with a nice cloth bag to carry it all in.

This incredible power-house of a battery retails for $179, but you can find it on Amazon for as little as $120.

When I opened the box containing the packaged Tiltpod, my first thought was “it’s so tiny!” It’s small enough to carry on your keyring, and even comes with a ring so that you can carry it with you.

I feel compelled to point out before going further, that although the Tiltpod is made for the iPhone 4/4s, it fits the Droid X2 perfectly – so much so that after taking photos of the Droid in it, I was informed that I was not getting the Tiltpod back.

     What you get in the box: one keyring, one magnetic pivot, and one base. Both the pivot and keyring attach to the base. The bottom of the base is green. Very green. It’s also rubbery and grippy, and won’t slide when you put it down, so your phone is safe in it.

The magnetic pivot snaps to the base – it’s a very strong magnet. You can pivot it around or side to side. It’s a very stable little stand, and perfect for those times you might want a tripod for taking photos, or a stand for a Skype conference.

In the photo above, you can see how well it works for hands-free FaceTime. Because the Tiltpod has such a small footprint, you can place it almost anywhere.

Above, you can see that the Droid X2 fits in the Tiltpod just as well as the iPhone. Both devices need to be caseless to fit in the Tiltpod.

The Tiltpod has been around for a while for cameras and you can check them out on Facebook. Purchase your own Tiltpod for $14.95.

Here I am reviewing an app that helps you to teach yourself Mandarin language pronunciation. What is particular about this app is: it is made by Microsoft Research – a division of Microsoft that is working on products that are usually not directly commercialised (this app is free too).

While pronunciation of Japanese is extremely simple and easy, pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese is very difficult because the same sound can mean various things depending on the intonation.

In this game you hear a sound in one of 4 intonations (raising, falling, steady, raising at the beginning and falling at the end).

You have to pick the one you heard. If you pick the right one, the whole background blinks green and you move to next one. If you fail to guess, the background blinks in red.

After the game you can see your results.

The home screen of this app underscores the necessity of daily practice.

The about screen of this app reveals that Microsoft Research Asia was involved in the production of this app.

I interpret this as an indication that Microsoft is, indeed, working on technologies that “reshape the activity of language learning.”

Conclusion

For people learning Mandarin Chinese this app is an invaluable help and a must-have app. It also shows that Microsoft Research is also finally releasing some apps primarily (or only) for Windows Phone, rather than supporting iPhone (but PhotoSynth is still not available for Windows Phone at all, only for iPhone, so don’t get too excited!).

To get this app or to learn more, tap here:
Tip Tap Tones for Windows-Phone by Microsoft Research.

If you own a business, this is a must have! Watch the video below for the full demo, and then listen to the next episode of Convertcast to see how you can win one for yourself.

In addition to some new tablet stands, they now have a tablet brand-agnostic blue tooth keyboard case which uses their incredibly sticky gel to secure any 10″ tablet to the hard plastic back.  The back secures to the keyboard (which is also encased in a sturdy plastic shell) via several small magnets, creating a total sleek and protective unit.  Because the tablet sleek us actually a separate unit from the keyboard, you can carry just the tablet if you wish.

Another addition to their collection is the universal mobile stand. This nifty circular device folds closed into a thin disc, which can slide easily into a pocket or purse. When opened up, the exposed inner surfaces, which are covered with the sticky gel, will hold the stand on whatever surface you desire, and hold your device at a convenient angle for viewing.

The third major addition to the collection is the necklit, which has an adjustable fabric strap and a pad which securely holds any device. The pad portion easily slides off the clip.

As with all their other products, which includes a line of accessories designed to make interactive game play more fun, if the gel on your product loses its grip, simply wash it with warm water and let it dry. And for those of you who aren’t fans of the android-green gel, take heart…Allsop is planning to release new colors soon!

You can purchase Clingo products at many brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as at Amazon and Think Geek.

While Plan B is a reactive solution meant for those people who think “It can’t happen to me” (lost or stolen phone, that is), Lookout is a multi-purpose pro-active solution.

Free features included in Lookout are anti-virus scanning (as applications are downloaded and scheduled, as well as file scanning of your sd card contents), phone locator, and backup and restore of contacts.

For a monthly premium, you also get safe web-browsing, remote lock and wipe, a privacy-advisor (which warns you about apps that have access to your contacts, personal information, etc.) and advanced backup of your photos and call log. You can log into Lookout Mobile’s web site and see all your data at any time.

If you happen to be one of those people who sets their phone down somewhere in the house, and then forgets where, Lookout has you covered there as well….even if you have the volume turned all the way down.

When I asked Michelle about the battery cost of such an app, she told more that the engineers have worked very hard to optimize the application, and that in a 24-hour period, the app uses no more power than a 30-second phone call.

If you are looking for a free, feature-packed, pro-active security application, Lookout has you covered. For just $2.99/month or $29.99 per year, you can enjoy the added security and convenience features of the premium app.

Having spent two years in Taiwan as a teen, I find myself drawn to the Taiwan pavilion at CTIA, and it was there that I discovered Esoterism. Even the signage  in their booth was a mechanical drawing done by their artistic director, who happens to be a professor of art at one of Taipei’s most prestigious art institutes.

We will look at two pieces as they were presented to me.

Aluminum bumper cases for the iPhone 4/4S, you can tell there’s something special about them from the shine and the color choices. Notice that the case on the left is slightly smaller than the case on the right. The one on the left, which includes the ♀ on the side of the case, is designed for the smaller hand of a woman. The case on the right, is marked with a ♂, and larger to fit a man’s hand.

Not just a bumper, the curves are functional, and made to give your hands the perfect grip in both portrait and landscape. You have full access to all ports and buttons, and as you can see in the above photo, the opening to the docking port is wide so that you don’t have to remove the bumper.

I was first attracted to Esoterism’s booth by an iPad case with a handle. It’s the perfect presentation tool. The choices of color available in these milled aluminum cases is astounding, and there is a series made with (company approved) Swarovski crystals. It’s not bling – it’s art.

I’m going to leave you with a gallery of the products they had with them here in New Orleans. Once you’ve finished admiring these beautiful pieces of functional art, be sure to stop by their website. I think you’ll be as surprised as I was at the prices.

Notice in the above photo on the right, that this bumper is a single, jointed piece of aluminum with a watch-like screw in the top so that you can remove it without a special tool, or losing screws.

These last few images are still concept pieces, and not yet on sale – but I want that stylus!