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.

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.

MISC 

• The Kindle Fire is no longer on fire…sales share drops to 4%
• Draw Something loses 5M daily users (15M down to 10M) in 30 days.  Are people getting bored with it or is it Zynga?
• eye controlled user interface coming, among others in windows 8, google glasess, etc, Eurotrash company from Sweden works on it: http://www.tobii.com/ – not science fiction!
• How many times does your cell phone ring before it goes to voicemail? Why do the carriers now allow consumers to control this?
• iDrive – http://t.co/61UzR50k 5 GB free for starters, $4.99/month. Actual automatic backup.

Apple 

• Edward: apple is manufacturing iPad 2 units with new technology: less power consumption and slightly faster processor but only after unpacking unit and going to settings one can recognize whether old or new iPad 2 is given unit
• Samsung loses major defense in patent infringement case due to delay in providing mandated code.

Google and Android

• Samsung event and overkill?
• Sprint confirmed that Epic Touch (a.k.a. Galaxy S II) users will get an OTA ICS update, but still refuses to give a date, despite over a dozen leaked builds
• LG give Samsung something to think about by announcing the Optimus LTE 2 with 2GB of RAM (twice the 1GB in the Galaxy S3)
• Flipboard coming to Android at last
• Edward: many people say that HTC One X is still (after S3) the best Android phone just because they are being bribed by HTC (free HTC units, intercontinental flights and hotel at Frequencies conference)
• Edward: German magazine “connect” in list of top smartphones still has Galaxy Note in place number one and Edward seen Note in hands of teenagers and women too – in public here – this phone is NOT TOO BIG. If somebody says it is too big, then this somebody is simply stupid or midget or both.

Microsoft 

• Nook and Windows, sittin’ in a tree! And this love affair is only costing MSFT $30 million. Perfect for college textbooks and competition for iBooks.
• Windows 8 will not play DVDs natively (except for Media Center version)
• Edward: HTC One X android super phone (by some considered better than S3) goes on sale in USA at AT&T on Sunday May 5 (when we are recording the podcast), it’s already beating nokia on amazon (1st and 2nd: htc one x: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Cell-Phones-Accessories-AT/zgbs/wireless/2422313011/ref=pd_ts_zgc_cps_2422313011_morl?pf_rd_p=1279002702&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=2422313011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1QQFSZBBJP7A54XB7PF7#1 )
• Edward: Nokia sued by investor for Elop/CEO lying about outlooks: http://www.rgrdlaw.com/media/cases/140_Complaint.pdf , http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2403989,00.asp
• screenshot taker installed by Joel (via remote developer unlock with Joel’s ID) failed after making too many screenshots at once, now crashing – big problem of windows phone: no integrated screenshot taker and no  apps in marketplace (the existing screen capture apps demand developer unlocked phones and does not work with most games)
• Diana spotted a Windows phone on a major network television show…on air just long enough to see the tiles, but not long enough to try and determine brand - just not long enough

App Picks

• Diana – Plan B https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lookout.labs.planb&feature=more_from_developer
• Alli – Hulu Plus http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hulu-plus/id376510438?mt=8
• Edward Windows Phone pick – Tip Tap Tones (learning Chinese sounds as e.g. Japanese language is super easy pronunciation-wise but Chinese is very difficult pronunciation-wise due to having 4 intonation types for each word / , \ , — and /\ .
  http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/e2a8f396-4b2d-4fe5-8c5f-069a79914d6a
• Edward iOS pick: Voice Reader – high quality OFFLINE text-to-speech in many languages:
  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voice-reader-text-to-speech/id422829104?mt=8

Follow Alli on Twitter
Follow Diana on Twitter
Follow Edward on Twitter

Call the Just Another Geek Site Google Voice number, and leave us a message! (304) 884-JAGS (5247)
Download the episode directly here. Subscribe via iTunes. Add our RSS podcast feed.

Special guests Gary Moskoff and Dave Schuman from Guess Your Songs

Dave and Gary talk about the concept, development, plans for the future. What features do you get playing free as opposed to premium?

Follow Guess Your Songs on Twitter and Facebook for chances to win songs from iTunes. Play online at GuessYourSongs.com.

Follow Alli on Twitter
Follow Diana on Twitter
Follow Edward on Twitter

Call the Just Another Geek Site Google Voice number, and leave us a message! (304) 884-JAGS (5247)
Download the episode directly here. Subscribe via iTunes. Add our RSS podcast feed.

So, why do I review this app? Well, not because it is great by itself – it’s little more than an RSS reader wrapped in an app generated (look ma, no coding!) by follow my feed service (also, young Skywalker, you can have your own Windows Phone app if you only sign up and submit such generated-from-RSS app to Microsoft’s app hub - no need to worry about app rejection as Microsoft now is so needy that it accepts any app no matter what it does).

I review this app because it is the only app I have found in any smartphone marketplace (including iPhone and Android) while searching for “23andMe” – a name of genetic testing company.

Listen, if Apple hadn’t come up with iPhone in 2007, the only multitouch device would still be Microsoft’s ginormous “Surface” table that costs several thousands apiece and that you couldn’t use in bathtub like you can with your smartphone.

Similarly 23andMe Inc company, co-founded by wife of Russia-born Google co-founder, is a genetic testing company that has brought genetic testing to the masses by offering it on a mass scale and thus reducing prices many times to affordable 100-200 bucks. Anywho, that’s a fairy tale that I have told before on this blog: 23andMe review part 2 and 23andMe review part 1. Shortly speaking this test gives you not only info about your ancestry but also constantly updated (with new research!) infos about your health risks. I think, that not taking genetic test is like driving on busy highway with closed eyes. In future there will not be medicine without genetic testing as it is the only way to custom-make medical treatments.

So, back to the app, it shows the latest news from the blog (important as sometimes new research related to your own genes) both in tile form.

… as well as regular lists.

Articles can be read comfortably without additional junk information like ads and fancy graphics.

You can also view and search for news by categories.

Of course you can also visit the official website which opens IE mobile browser.

And here is the settings screen:

Conclusion

This is one comfortable app and with offline viewing, it lets you enjoy given content (here: genetic testing news and stories from 23andMe Inc). Unfortunately 23andMe is a rather small startup and they don’t have their own smartphone app yet, but 23andme Spittoon for Windows Phone comes to rescue!

To get this app, click here: 23andme Spittoon (free) or search for “23andme” in Windows Phone marketplace.

In Pickers HD, you have 30 days to show that your store “The Rusted Gold” is the best around. Explore the treasure potential of back-road locations, including antique shops, dilapidated barns and garage sales. Sift through thousands of antiques, memorabilia and other things you had in your childhood, and then sell the items in your shop to make the biggest profit. Need a little extra cash? You can search traditional hidden-object scenes to make a quick buck! You can even put your refurbished jukebox up for sale when the tunes are reaching the height of popularity. If you have a collection of 45′s that go with it, you might want to auction the whole lot for more than you thought was possible!

Pick, haggle, sell, auction however you please – and turn your little shop into a gold mine!

Key Features:

• Explore 12 locations, each with multiple scenes, including one traditional hidden-object scene
• Visit every location because YOU decide what you want to pick. What’s hot today?
• Thousands of items to fill the shelves of your store
• Hunt multiple locations in search of items to combine for maximum profit
• Learn how to get the best prices haggling with colorful characters
• You have thirty days to show you’re the best picker
• Choose when to consult an expert, go to auction, or pay for a restoration
• Four different skill levels including Zen mode

Pickers HD is available on iOS with Game Center integration for Leaderboards and 40 Achievements for players to collect.

Pickers HD is published on iOS by MumboJumbo Mobile, LLC, and is available now on the App Store in iTunes.

iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pickers/id499621371

Assets

https://mumbojumbo.box.com/s/y26xcbbsfs11pmu6in8o

About MumboJumbo, LLC

MumboJumbo, LLC is an award-winning indie developer of games for personal computers, game consoles and mobile devices. The company was originally established in January 2001 to develop games for major publishers, and in 2003 became one of the first few pioneering independent developers to popularize the new wave of casual games by partnering with the emerging portal sites to make games available for download directly to Windows and Mac computers. Today, the company is winning the hearts and minds of desktop, living room and mobile gamers worldwide with its innovative, fun, entertaining and high quality games.

About MumboJumbo Mobile, LLC

MumboJumbo Mobile, LLC is a publisher of entertainment software for Android and iOS devices.

For further information: www.mumbojumbo.com

Stirring scenes within the game, combined with a mysterious storyline surrounding the life and death of the great Harry Houdini, create a captivating gaming experience that adapts particularly well for play on on-the-go devices such as the iPad.

Harry Houdini knew he wouldn’t escape death forever. When he promised his wife that he would try to reach her from the afterlife, it was seen as the ultimate stunt. But after years of séances, Bess was never able to reach Harry in this life or the next, and her spirit has come to you in a final plea to reunite her with her beloved partner!

Take on the biggest mystery of all time with Haunted Houdini and challenge history by aiding the famed illusionist’s wife Bess unravel the deepest secrets and uncover what really led to her husband’s death.

Discover Houdini’s obsession to debunk mediums, and learn how he crossed paths with a vindictive secret society. Solve puzzles, adapt objects into tools and consult with famous ghosts as you delve into the many questions that surround his death.

Think like a master illusionist to make it through this mysterious adventure!

Key Features:

• Mysterious storyline that will make you rethink history!
• Top-rated visuals and sound
• Dozens of challenging puzzles to solve
• Story-driven hidden-object scenes
• Explore the environment for single and combined tools
• Detailed hint system to help you every step of the way
• Valuable insight from interviews with famous ghosts of the past, including
  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and rival magician Howard Thurston
• Three game modes: Casual, Advanced and Expert

Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini is available on iOS as a Standard Edition with the ability to upgrade to the Collector’s Edition from within the App. The Collector’s Edition includes the Strategy Guide and Bonus Content, both of which are also available separately from within the App. Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini also features Game Center integration with 16 Achievements for players to collect.

Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini is published on iOS by MumboJumbo Mobile, LLC, and is available now on the App Store in iTunes.

iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/midnight-mysteries-haunted/id497856924

Assets

https://mumbojumbo.box.com/s/kkdz8e0kqgd4come73lj

About MumboJumbo, LLC

MumboJumbo, LLC is an award-winning indie developer of games for personal computers, game consoles and mobile devices. The company was originally established in January 2001 to develop games for major publishers, and in 2003 became one of the first few pioneering independent developers to popularize the new wave of casual games by partnering with the emerging portal sites to make games available for download directly to Windows and Mac computers. Today, the company is winning the hearts and minds of desktop, living room and mobile gamers worldwide with its innovative, fun, entertaining and high quality games.

About MumboJumbo Mobile, LLC

MumboJumbo Mobile, LLC is a publisher of entertainment software for Android and iOS devices.

  ]]> http://justanothergeeksite.com/2012/04/mumbojumbo-brings-midnight-mysteries-haunted-houdini-to-ipad/feed/ 0 http://justanothergeeksite.com/2012/04/are-we-apped-out/ http://justanothergeeksite.com/2012/04/are-we-apped-out/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:10:35 +0000 Alli Flowers http://justanothergeeksite.com/?p=3869 Convertcast
Episode 112
Sunday April 1, 2012

MISC 

• World Backup Day 3/31 – Did you do a backup?
• Box.com introduces Box OneCloud http://www.box.com/business/features/onecloud/ “Box OneCloud brings together all your mobile content into the secure Box cloud. Experience productivity from anywhere and accelerate your business with a collection of mobile apps that integrate with Box to simplify and extend your workflow, while keeping content centralized on Box.”
• LG making a new flexible e-ink display that should be available in Europe soon, and in the US shortly after http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/124229-lg-begins-mass-production-of-flexible-plastic-e-ink-displays

Apple 

• http://www.cultofmac.com/156802/this-software-can-extract-your-ios-devices-passcode-contacts-call-logs-and-even-keystrokes-video/ Software that can extract your iOS devices information and even keystrokes. While not something anyone can buy, if it’’ been done once, it can probably be done again.
• Edward: Apple TV sucks badly: no iTunes U content playable via Apple TV, damn it, for god’s sake, it sucks so much.
• Edward: new Macbooks with Ivy Bridge processors coming up in next 2-3 months, probably Macbook Air -like thin but 15 inch size. Edward ponders getting Macbook Air with Ivy Bridge but only if it will have at least 8GB RAM on board (disk size irrelevant only RAM size important)

Android

• Still no stable ICS for Diana
• Edward says: Google bastards killed kenny : still no ICS for S2 in Germany – coming Middle April for non-branded S2 but for carrier-branded S2: in May! And it’s just promises. However in some countries ICS for S2 already rolled out.
• Are more people converting from iOS to Android? Edward notes that Leo Laporte now uses the Galaxy Note. (Pun intended.)

Microsoft 

• Amazon sells pre-orders of the Lumia 900 for a penny – pre-order Lumia 900 here: http://www.att.com/lumia/
• launch of Nokia Lumia 900 in USA: very important for Windows Phone but if it will fail Nokia will not go down the toilet but will re-try with Windows Phone 8 in December 2012.
• Phones with 41 megapixels and gyroscopes?!

Google

• http://techland.time.com/2012/03/30/report-google-planning-its-own-online-store-to-sell-branded-tablets/ Google planning its own online store to sell branded tablets

App Picks

• Windows Phone app pick (Edward): Easter Smash (released 2 days ago; robots and Easter in one app! yay! installed and played: funny: Integrated Circuits fall out of robotic bunnies when hit by eggs): http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/7c6702dd-8385-4661-a141-340c192e9333
  (my screenshot: http://twitpic.com/944nk0 )
• iPhone app pick (Alli): On Voicefeed http://justanothergeeksite.com/2012/03/beyond-visual-voicemail/
• Android app pick (Diana): Zite for Android (released this week) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zite&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS56aXRlIl0.

 Follow Alli on Twitter
Follow Diana on Twitter
Follow Edward on Twitter

Call the Just Another Geek Site Google Voice number, and leave us a message! (304) 884-JAGS (5247)
Download the episode directly here. Subscribe via iTunes. Add our RSS podcast feed.

However apart from storing huge files in Dropbox, one can use it to store small text files with notes too. However to edit these files one needs a 3rd party app – and PlainText for iPhone (and iPad) is such an app. Original official Dropbox app doesn’t support editing (see 2 screenshots at the very bottom of this review).

Right after starting, one can see list of files.

The editing capabilities are rudimentary, but one can see word count via top menu.

In settings I have noticed “TextExpander” feature that works in this way that you type e.g. “ddate” and then it is automatically converted to current date as text. This actually ties into the TextExpander app, which backs up to Dropbox.

Obviously main feature of this app is to edit texts on Dropbox, so even though you can have them locally, you do need a Dropbox account to upload/sync your files to the Dropbox cloud storage.

Once your Dropbox account is linked, you can sync automatically too.

When you open these files with standard official Dropbox app, then you can see your files in “PlainText” folder.

Of course, editing is not possible.

But in the official Dropbox app you can do “open in…” of given text in other apps, including, yes, you guessed it, PlainText too.

Conclusion

Apple’s own iCloud sucks because files and data can be edited only via iOS apps, not via web browser only and not via apps for other platforms. With this app you can access and edit Dropbox text files comfortably so it is worth downloading. Very good app!

To get this app, tap here: Plaintext for Dropbox (price: free with ads, removal of ads costs $1.99 via in-app purchase).

MISC 

• Also on NBC Nightly News – http://techland.time.com/2012/03/19/faa-rethinking-airplane-gadget-policy/
• Various news sources this week stating that teenagers send an average of 60 text messages/day – girls tend to send way more
• In-App Ads Drain Up To 75% Of Your Phone’s Battery – http://www.cultofmac.com/154790/in-app-ads-drain-up-to-75-of-your-phones-battery/ iPhone and Android phones!
• South Carolina Teacher Suspended For Reading ‘Ender’s Game’ To Middle School Students – http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/19/south-carolina-teacher-suspended-for-reading-enders-game-to-middle-school-students/
• Some time back we spoke about PayPal’s secure login. Say Goodbye to User Name and Password Logins, and Hello to ‘OneID’ http://mashable.com/2012/03/20/oneid/
• In a Major Restructuring, Hewlett-Packard to Combine Printer and PC Groups http://allthingsd.com/20120320/exclusive-hewlett-packard-to-combine-printer-and-pc-groups/
• Potential employers requesting Facebook login info and Facebook Now Suggests Friends to Add to Acquaintance List http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/facebook-suggests-acquaintance/
• biggest  app news this week: Angry Birds Space for iOS, Android (free!!!) and desktop PCs and Macs released, NOT FOR WINDOWS PHONE (also no Draw Something for Windows Phone – another proofs tha Windows Phone sucks)
• RIM on PlayBook Jailbreaking: Don’t Do It http://allthingsd.com/20120322/rim-on-playbook-jailbreaking-dont-do-it/
• Texting while walking claims another victim, woman falls off pierhttp://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/texting-while-walking-claims-another-victim-woman-falls-off-pier/

Apple 

• Why Apple’s new iPad isn’t able to charge while some games and apps are running http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/03/21/why-apples-new-ipad-isnt-able-to-charge-while-some-games-and-apps-are-running/
• Apple says temperature of New iPad is within normal parameters.
  (but Edward was right: consumer reports – respectable organization – confirms that new iPad is hotteer than ipad 2, 10 degrees hotter at last, over 10 degrees of body temperature)
• Should have been done long ago: Tim Cook Forces AT&T To Unlock Customer’s Phone http://www.cultofmac.com/154873/tim-cook-forces-att-to-unlock-customers-phone/
• Various tests popping up with side by side visual tests iPad 2 and new iPad (3) – results inconclusive, which in itself is conclusive.
• Edward: iPhoto for iOS big sales hit, sold over 1 million in few days – so Edward was right that it’s cool app, see review of iPhoto written by Edward!
  http://justanothergeeksite.com/2012/03/iphoto-for-iphone-ipad-review/ (Clear also sold a million in a few days & we determined it was all hype.)
• iPad 3 issues: yellowish displays (and 2 sub-rumors: a) it’s just glue, so let it dry over days, b) news batch of iPad 3 will use displays made by Sharp in Japan and better than current from Samsung, -complaint (again) no LTE in EU empire
• german press writes: ipad 3 has the same scratch-resistant glass as ipad 1, but ipad 2 ‘s glass was not scratch resistant

Android

• Edward claims that android may have in total fewer apps than iOS but android has many apps that iOS doesn’t have at all. But iOS has many that Android doesn’t have at all. Point? Let’s start with Instagram and DirecTV. Show me your Android apps.
• Galaxy Note ICS upgrade pushed back to Q2, adds exclusive set of stylus-ready apps (video) http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/22/galaxy-note-ics-upgrade-pushed-back-to-q2-adds-exclusive-set-of/

Microsoft 

• flagship device nokia lumia 900 is launching in April (1st half): http://www.youtube.com/embed/mjZ56ShKNIU – unboxing of it. on AT&T. Big expectation at Microsoft and nokia about it.
• debacle wiht Angry Birds Space: no version for Windows Phone: one Rovio executive says “no plans at all” and nother says “coming soon” but after years of waiting for PhotoSynth for Windows Phone (still not available but present for iOS for years), EDWARD DOES NOT BELIEVE AT ALL. Another example: new cool app is out but only Android and iOS get it, not Windows Phone. Do not buy Windows Phone!
• Edward: windows 8 ARM tablets will have ventilator, boo! but will support retina displays too (no brainer as windows supports all resolutions anyway)
• rumors heating up: nokia lumia 900 (LTE, Windows Phone, 4.3 inch display) coming to AT&T on April 1st, 2012
• general question many potential Windows Phone users ask themselves: to buy Windows Phone now or wait till Windows Phone 8 will be on sale (end of year). Answer: not sure if current phones will get upgrade to Windows Phone 8 so better wait
• apps for Windows Phone 7.5 : very crappy, it’s like wild wild west for apps because even console emulators (NES etc) and illegal (without permission from copyright holders) are  approved, example : Kill Kenny (see below)
• sales and marketing group of Microsoft – tens of thousands of employees: now it’s forbidden to buy ipad and mac computers by Microsoft as company devices. What about iPhone? Also?

Google

• Google Docs Improves Spell-Checker http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/google-docs-spell-check/

App Picks

• Edward: kill kenny for windows phone
  http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/b3eb642a-b48f-4b6e-a7d3-04d46d43ce50
• DirecTV app for iPad http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/directv-app-for-ipad/id421547368?mt=8
• Total Pool for Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.friendlymonster.totalpool&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5mcmllbmRseW1vbnN0ZXIudG90YWxwb29sIl0.

Follow Alli on Twitter
Follow Diana on Twitter
Follow Edward on Twitter

Call the Just Another Geek Site Google Voice number, and leave us a message! (304) 884-JAGS (5247)
Download the episode directly here. Subscribe via iTunes. Add our RSS podcast feed.