There are many levels to enjoy.

The game play is easy to understand and it is even explained before you start playing:

Characters are nice (the one that throws the ball even cries loudly when you miss), and funnily enough you can reflect the ball sometimes off other characters like some other stupid-looking caveman or a turtle!

Generally, the game is nice and not boring as you have to come up with a way to knock down all pins (necessary to move to next level), collect bones and try to avoid hitting the audience (you get negative points for that) unless you have to use audience as helper to reflect the ball.

As with Xbox Live you collect achievements.

.Apple’s Game Center is used too, both for game achievements,

and for top scores.

Whereby “Anonymous”‘s score is strange but may be mistake in calculation (a sum of all anonymous players or something).

So what is the business model of this free game? Well, from time to time advertisements of their commercial game(s) appear like this one:

… that lead to the in-device App Store where non-free commercial game can be bought.

Conclusion: this is a nice game to kill some time and since it’s free you lose nothing. It’s absolutely worth trying out. In my personal view this game is much better than Angry Birds and is simply more interesting.

To get this game for free, tap here:
Cave Bowling for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

* * * * *

The Jerry-free edition

Personal decisions

It’s not as simple as iOS vs. Android. (2.2 what I do – no complaints re: speed…but looking forward to ice cream sammich!)

It can be iTunes vs. Marketplace
…except multiple marketplaceS. vs. iTunes/Cydia
…except iOS still has a far better selection of well-written, beautifully designed apps

All kidding aside (no “that’s what she said”), 7″ beats 10″.

TextExpander (bundle: http://www.productivemacs.com/f/7532471)

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/save-to-clouddrive/id438133038?mt=8

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Windows Phone 7 is here, and Jerry has one!
Jerry – A “temporary” Convert, picks up a ATT Samsung Focus with Windows Phone 7
Hardware:
* Galaxy S – Typical of Galaxy S line, plasticy but does feel good in the hand – Light!

* 4″ Super Amoled Screen – Colors, Colors, Colors! But it’s no retina display // I AM READY for a 4″ iPhone Screen!

* Camera 5 MP with LED Flash – takes ok pics
* Battery life NOT good. One exchange acct, one Yahoo acct, and BT on battery lasts just over 1/2 day!

* ATT Recommends NOT putting in any removable storage card until “certified cards” become available

* WP “eats” storage cards – they check in but they don’t check out. Low level hardware access and OS allows for very quick access but kills portability of the card.

Once formatted for WP, can’t see it on any other device. Removing it requires total reset your WP device.

Windows Phone 7:

* Adjectives: Fast, Smooth, Slick, Fresh – New OS, new way of doing things. Metro Interface not so bad after you get used to it. Transitions very smooth

* Pros:
-Live tiles (some aren’t so live)

- Marketplace – Pleasurable experience

- Zune multimedia

- Much improved Mobile IE ( Even though no HTML 5 OR Flash!)

* Cons:
- New OS – missing features besides the obvious MT, CP, and save app state. Jerry doesn’t fully buy the v1.0 syndrome, not pertaining to MS – they have made phones before.

For example, when viewing your contact list, there is no letter selection bar on the side to quickly jump to a particular letter. If you have hundreds of contacts can be a PIA.

- Live tiles many are just program launchers

- No Exchange contact sync! (Why?)

- Program list is just a static vertical (alphabetized) list

- Mail accounts are separate tiles – the screen can get crowded real fast. Unified Inbox baby!
- Zune : if you are a Mac user you are out of lucky, PC owners only

Overall: Immature operating system with lots of potential. The question is: we know MS has the money and the fortitude to ride this out. Will the market let them?

The Beatles are in iTunes

The Official Google Voice app, The Official (sense a trend?) Twitter app adds push: sticking to Boxcar.

RIM’s Playbook looks like it copied WebOS – when will the suits start? Engadget link

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RadioAlarm – Thursday/Friday bug – devs are working on it. If anyone else is having the problem, please let us know.
Calengoo – Since Installing 4.1 Calengoo blows up on launch. Consistantly.
Apple case finally on its way – Speck Pixel Skin
Power Support Crystal film…why not. (Thanks @Chris_c81.)

iOS 4.1 update – proximity sensor: fixed, bluetooth: fixed
PING
Game Center
iPods and Apple TV

Jerry’s Going All the way…..Apple that is…..

Iphone Case Giveaway.
Black Replicase Hard Crystal Case Apple iPhone 4
First Listener to DM JNGold with date of ConvertCast #2 JustAnotherGeekSite will win the case.

Next week: Gary Moskoff from iHound returns.

Special give-away.

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Calendar Apps – Next generation

Calengoo – http://calengoo.dgunia.de/Start.html
SaiSuke – http://www.saysoftware.net/saisuke_i/SaiSukeTop_E.html
Calvetica – http://calvetica.com/
Pocket Informant and Agendus

Case talk;

Vapor Case – here today, gone today.

Went to best buy and bought:
Apple iPad case: wonderfully thin
IFrogz luxe lean

Got on order:
SGP – Valencia
Using:
Proporta SteriTouch

iPhone 4 Bluetooth
Response (Jenny) – 08/10/2010 10:12 AM
Dear Alli,

Thanks for clarifying that for us. Apple has acknowledged there is an issue with their iPhone 4 and Bluetooth headsets. They recommend trying an iPhone reset but I have found this to be more of a nuisance than anything. Before you try a reset please make sure you back-up all your settings since it resets everything back to default.

Go to Settings> General
Go to Reset Options
Go to Reset all settings

Apple has said that they are also working a software update that they hope will fix this issue.

Hope this helps Alli!

Sincerely,

Jenny
The Jawbone Support Team
www.Jawbone.com
1-877-ALIPHCO (254-7426)
Weekdays 6AM-7PM (Pacific)

RadioAlarm – FTW!

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Apple Mystique – What is it? Why is it important to marketing of Apple products? Has it been tarnished with initial iPhone 4 problems? Has it!

Consumer Reports:
We reached this conclusion after testing all three of our iPhone 4s (purchased at three separate retailers in the New York area) in the controlled environment of CU’s radio frequency (RF) isolation chamber. In this room, which is impervious to outside radio signals, our test engineers connected the phones to our base-station emulator, a device that simulates carrier cell towers. We also tested several other AT&T phones the same way, including the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre. None of those phones had the signal-loss problems of the iPhone 4.
A piece of duct-tape placed over the offending area can prevent the problem, according to them, and they repeat that a case can likely prevent it as well (though they haven’t tested any in the lab yet).

The signal problem is the reason that we did not cite the iPhone 4 as a “recommended” model, even though its score in our other tests placed it atop the latest Ratings of smart phones that were released today.

iPhone 4 – Hardware and Software (round table experience thus far). Liking? Disliking? Rants, Raves, and opinions.

iOS – Today mobile devices…Tomorrow….. (Ahem Apple TV)

Does google rule the world? More importantly, do they want to? google execs: we have no strategy to compete with Apple because they are going a different route? Uh, yeah right!
Google has its corporate fingers in more pies than Apple. Google is harvesting information, Apple is selling.

Openess with Android? If the platform is so open and free why then are carriers able to ‘take away’ native Os features? Isn’t that strange? Google Has already zapped apps.

iPhone + Blackberry = WhatsApp
iPhone + Android/Symbian = Fring
iPhone+Blackberry+Android=pMessenger
************
Will we see more cross platform apps? Hopefully Apple’s Facetime API’s adoption will make cross platform more accessible. It would make decision making even harder if you don’t have to get something just because that’s what your friend has.
Fring made a great start, but what happened with them removing Skype barely 24 hours after the world figured out you could “FaceTime” on it?

Microsoft – how the mighty have fallen! Who’s running the mobile ship? With Apple and Google, you can clearly identify who is responsible for driving the mobile dream. Can M$ live with being so far behind? They have before (desktop browser, console gaming), do they have the drive and vision to come back? Was the Kin a nail in their mobile coffin? Is Windows Phone 7 too little too late? And seriously…has anyone ever seen someone with a Zune? (Donny haz Zune!)

The Love of Tech Podcast
twitter.com/TheLoveofTech
www.TheLoveofTech.com

Jordan Patterson -
twitter.com/JordanPatterson
twitter.com/TheCheapGeek
www.TheCheapGeek.com

Donny Benfield-
twitter.com/DonnyBenfield
www.Attention2Tech.com

Shawn Roberts-
twitter.com/ShawnJRoberts
www.ShawnJRoberts.com

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Two hosts, two iPhone 4′s, two stories

FedEx vs the Apple store experience

Thoughts about the iPhone 4 – Putting together the Hardware and Software

Face Time

The “you’re holding it wrong” phenomenon

Bumper

Front facing camera – is it the best thing ever?

iMovie

Holy battery, Batman!

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Scratch C@rd allows you to create a personalized greeting card on your iPhone. This, in itself, is not terribly unique or unusual. Themes for your cards include love, holiday, billboard, invitation, and special. You simply choose the format you want (I’ve chosen one under “special” in the screenies below), and add your own photo and text.

Next comes the part that makes Scratch C@rd different from the other greeting card apps already available. Email the card to someone, or post it directly to your Facebook status. The recipient gets a link where he will see the background you’ve chosen, without your personalization. In order to see what you’ve added, they have to scratch – just like you do with a lottery ticket. As you can see from clicking that link, just use your mouse if you’re on a computer, or your finger if you’re on a touchscreen device (iPhone, Pre/Pixi, WinPho, Android).

Kids are delighted with these. (What child doesn’t like to see himself on the computer?!) I can think of a few less than flattering ways to use this with some adult friends – I’m sure you can as well. Especially when the app links directly to your Facebook status! My only disappointment here is that @ doesn’t seem to work in the status when posted from the app, although I’m more inclined to blame that on Facebook than Scratch C@rd.

I understand that a version with Twitter support has already been submitted to Apple. That will certainly add some entertainment to my life. Next, I would love to see SMS support, so that I can sms the link directly to any of my friends with data enabled cell phones, since SMS is definitely the fast method of communication these days.

Fortunately, Scratch C@rd is very simple to use. When tapping the “i” for help, or when running the app for the first time, this is all you get:

Find Scratch C@rd via thisiTunes Link and purchase for only $.99.

Watch the developer’s video showing Scratch C@rd in action: Youtube video.

Episode 17

Monday, November 16, 2009

Nephews, tropical storms, and ooooooooo…9 and oh baybee!

Parental update – started looking at VZW cause Dad noticed the Droid Does commercials. I think they’d like VZW, but not the device. Mom really wants an iPhone. Little reception in the house with AT&T, perhaps they’ll wait on AT&T’s femtocell. Holding pattern.

Top 5 Must Have applications and mini review- for any platform

Jerry – iPhone:  Non JailBreak: 1) PocketInformant 2)Faces Lite 3) Tweetie 2 4) iXpensit ) WhatsApp

Jailbreak: 1) sbSettings 2) Backgrounder 3) 3GEnabler 4) GVMobile 5) Intelliscreen

Alli – iPhone – 1) TaKePhOnE…only cause I love the old Palm stuff. 2) TV Forecast, while not a productivity app is definitely one of my absolute favorites. 3) PocketInformant 4) iCanSee***** 5) 10 Thousand

Jailbreak….1) GV Mobile. 2) LockCal Not really taking advantage of much beyond that for jb besides wallpaper/themes even though I have SBSettings and Backgrounder installed.

We both tried Shape’s (IM+) new app Business Card Reader. Working about 80% for me. Only getting one phone number.

80-85 recognition, but always lists the work number as home.

JottNot

Jailbreak stuff in general. Gonna help @clarescoffee j/b. Slow down on icon design, but maybe do an entire new theme now that I know how easy it is. DiskAid – vavavavoom! No need to ssh.

Waiting on Element – new lock screen

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So what exactly is WhatsApp? The short version – it’s the iPhone’s answer to Blackberry Messenger. You can send messages to, and receive messages from all your contacts who also have WhatsApp installed on their iPhones. It’s really very clever, and works seamlessly with your contacts. If five of your contacts already have WhatsApp, when you install it, they will automatically show up in your favorites on WhatsApp.

Did I mention that it pushes status notifications instantly? That means that not only is your “chat” instant, and a perfect imitation of sms messaging, you can get real time status updates for your WhatsApp contacts.

Did you ever wonder why someone hasn’t replied to your text? Just check his status in WhatsApp to see why. (This does, of course, assume that your contacts remember to set their status!)

Of course, if you don’t want everyone to see your status, that is also an option. The iPhone adopts that concept of Synergy with WhatsApp in that it can automatically update your contacts once they are linked within WhatsApp. It’s a beautiful thing.

While you don’t have to automatically have your WhatsApp contacts added to your Favorites, there is really no compelling reason not to do so. Besides, it’s really a kick to see your contacts just appear there one after another as they install WhatsApp!

The only setting that I’m not crazy about is the Facebook integration for your status. It seems overkill (at least to me) to broadcast one or two word status changes. I did have to check it out, and after getting an absurd number of dumb comments on my “availability,” I disconnected from Facebook. (Disconnecting from Facebook is not a bad proposition in general now that I think about it!)

There are a variety of pre-set status defaults. As you can see, you can delete, add, or edit them as you see fit. I don’t need “At work” and “At school” (since they’re the same for me), so I changed the former to “Podcasting – shhhhhh!”

The chat itself has the look and feel of sending a text message. Again, I am really surprised that Apple approved this app as it certainly duplicates a feature of the iPhone. It is a little nicer though, because you can set the background. As with the status messages, they supplied a few basic backgrounds, or you can choose something from your camera roll. or photo library.

There is both an audible tone and a vibrate to alert you to incoming messages. The tones are different if you are in the app and if your iPhone is asleep (where it sounds a lot like AIM).

Another feature that I thought was pretty neat is the addition of a contact photo to the chat list (as well as a tiny picture within a chat) if there is one attached to the contact.

Somehow I picked up a photo of Michael Manna during a Google contact sync, and now it shows up inside WhatsApp.

The Favorites view shows you status messages for your contacts who have bothered to set one.

While you can currently use WhatsApp only to chat between iPhone users, you can initiate a “regular” SMS, phone call, or email to anyone in your contacts list from within WhatsApp. I also noticed the first contact in my WhatsApp favorites is not an iPhone user at all. Rather he is a renegade Blackberry user with the Blackberry WhatsApp version! You can see this Blackberry user’s status, and send him a traditional sms, just as though he were on an iPhone. Hopefully, there will be an update to WhatsApp in the near future that allows iPhone and Blackberry users to chat together, despite separate platforms.

As it turns out, WhatsApp will even connect users in different countries (can’t do that without spending a fortune on sms!). Last night I connected with a friend in Guam, and this morning saw a friend in the UK pop up on my WhatsApp favorites.

Hurry to the App Store and get WhatsApp now while it’s FREE. If I’m not already in your contacts, drop me a note – let’s chat!