Apple iPad Apps | Gear Diary

PhatWare’s WritePad for iOS Adds Google Drive Sync Functionality

WritePad, a note taking and handwriting recognition app for iPad and iPhone has just added Google Drive syncronization funcationality, allowing you to take hand-written notes on your iPhone or iPad and automatically sync them to Google Drive. This brings the number of cloud services that WritePad syncs with to 6! WritePad goes for $8.99 on iPad and $3.99 on iPhone. WritePad, using PhatWare’s handwriting recognition software, can understand the user’s handwriting in their own style and convert it to computer text. WritePad also syncs with other cloud services such as: Box, DropBox, Evernote, Google Drive, iCloud, and Skydrive. WritePad also…

Game Diary, Reviews

Brave Tribe is a Cute, Fun, and Engaging Strategy Farming SIM for iOS

Simulation games often sacrifice story and character for game mechanics, and those that do have a story are often too simplistic to be enjoyable for long. But as the games coming to iOS continue to mature, so do their stories and gameplay; and Brave Tribe is a great example of a casual game with fun story and gameplay.

Gear Bits

Virtual City Playground Takes to the Skies in Another Massive Update!

The freemium city-builder Virtual City Playground from G5 Entertainment gets another big update, and this one adds a whole new dimension as you can take to the skies! Construct a hangar, build a weather station, and run an airship to increase the happiness of your citizens! You get 14 new missions and even more fun than ever before! Ever fantasized about touching the clouds? Build a top-of-the-line airship and conquer the skies above your city! – RECRUITING ALL TRADES! Hire your friends to help with everything from hangar construction to crewing the airship. – A NEW BATCH OF SKY-HIGH QUESTS!…

How to Do It Yourself!

Swipe Up for Control, Swipe Down for Search in iOS 7

When iOS 7 ships next month, it will include quick access to key controls, search and information. You’ll be able to swipe up to Access Control Center, and swipe down from the top to access the Notification Center. But if you place a finger anywhere on the Home Screen and pull down, you’ll start a Spotlight search. The first two will be familiar. The last may cause confusion. Control Center Control Center will be accessed by an upward swipe from the bottom of the screen. That will reveal a translucent overlay covering about 2/3 of the screen; it will…

Editorials, Game Diary

5 Thoughts on the Growing iOS/Android vs. Sony/Nintendo Game Spending Gap

In the latest IDC/AppAnnie report, sales from iOS and Android games now eclipse Sony and Nintendo games by a 4:1 margin. Since 2009, we have seen a meteoric rise in the revenues and market share of games for iOS and Android devices and a decline in sales for dedicated handheld gaming consoles. What does this mean for the future of gaming-on-the-go? Here are five thoughts on what this means: Not an Anomaly: I have seen some dismiss this as a passing phase like netbooks, but that misses a larger trend. Since the launch of the initial iPhone people have been moving…

How to Do It Yourself!

Features You Will Love or Hate in iOS 7

Although there has been no official announcement, Apple will likely release iOS 7, the next generation of their mobile operating system, next month. It is the biggest overhaul to the OS since its introduction, and while visual differences will draw most of the attention the changes that are less apparent are the ones people will truly love… Or hate. I’ve been using beta versions of iOS 7.0 since it was first available a few months ago. I’ve used it on my iPod touch, an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2 and mostly like what I have seen. My biggest concern…

Gear Bits

Get 1GB Free Storage for Linking Mailbox and Dropbox on iOS!

I’ve been using Mailbox for the past few days – not out of some outstanding desire to revisit the app, but to get a free 1GB DropBox boost. Simply by adding my GMail account to Mailbox, heading to settings and linking my DropBox, I was rewarded with 1GB more DropBox storage! It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re on an iOS device!

Game Diary, News & Features

Plants vs. Zombies 2 Released on iOS Today!

Popcap and EA Games have teamed up to bring you the greatly anticipated follow-up to the original Plants vs. Zombies. The premise of the Plants vs. Zombies series is that you’re a homeowner who is trying to defend his house against a horde of the undead. Your weapon? Plants. Good Luck! Plants vs. Zombies 2 is out now for free on the App Store. After a lengthy beta testing period and a soft launch in New Zealand, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is finally available to all of us Americans. This time, instead of only defending your own home from the…

Game Diary, Reviews

Righteous Kill 2 HD for iPad Review – Better Than the Original

While the first Righteous Kill game pretended to adhere to the basis of the (awful) movie, the sequel is original. Similar to the original game, Righteous Kill 2 is a fairly standard Hidden Object genre game. But unlike the original, Righteous Kill 2 is actually a decent game and worth checking out. Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: iPad, iPhone; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Starz Media / G5 Entertainment Description: Here are some of the features: – 37 intriguing levels – 16 original mini-games – Police files for 11 victims – Heart-pounding…

News & Features

Celebrate Julia Child’s 101st Birthday with a Price Reduction in the Mastering the Art of French Cooking App!

When I was a wee preschooler, my morning TV schedule ran from Sesame Street to Mr. Rogers, and then to Julia Child’s cooking show, The French Chef, which helped plant the seed that influenced my interest in cooking. Why do I mention this bit of minutiae? Well, it so happens that today is famed chef Julia Child’s 101st birthday, and to celebrate, Random House Digital, Inc. slashed the price of their iOS app Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Selected Recipes from $4.99 to $1.99 from August 15 through August 18! Based on Child’s acclaimed book Mastering the Art of…

Game Diary, Reviews

Cognition Episode 2 – The Wise Monkey HD for iPad Review

Cognition is an episodic adventure game from legendary developer Jane Jenson and Phoenix Online Studios. I reviewed the iPad version; Episode 1 was deep, tense and intriguing, but performance was a bit erratic on iPad. Episode 2 “The Wise Monkey” works out all of the kinks, but maintains the same thrilling feel and well written plot. Buy now to see what Erica does next! Type of app: Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: iPad; available in the iTunes App Store. Developer: Phoenix Online Studios LLC Description: When someone close to Erica is kidnapped by the Wise Monkey, a serial killer fixated on…

Editorials

10 Ways You Can Unintentionally Reveal Your Location and How to Stop It

I was reading Facebook this morning, and I saw a three-year-old video that details how posting pictures on Facebook or other social networks can reveal your location. Keep reading for 10 different ways I’ve found that you can unintentionally share your location, and how to combat it if you prefer not to be so transparent. 10. For Amateur Radio Operators Only: The FCC Database This one is listed as number 10, and it’s only for amateur radio operators. I will detail some of the other ways your location can be revealed as a ham operator in another post, but this is…

News & Features

Pearl Guitar Brings Realistic Sound To The iPad

Amidio Inc. has just introduced a super realistic sounding guitar application for the iPad. No need to carry a full-sized instrument and case when on the go when you can make your iPad sound like the real thing. The $2.99 app is modeled after a 1979 Martin & Co. dreadnaught guitar complete with realistic resonance and string noise. I certainly do not own a 1979 Martin steel string acoustic guitar, but would love to. Amidio’s Pearl Guitar app is a carefully tuned replica of the classic guitar stuffed into an iPad. The sound is actually quite stunning complete with string noise,…

Game Diary, Reviews

Echoes Episode 1: Greenhearth Review -Stylized Mystery Gaming Brought to iOS

Echoes is an episodic mystery game with a distinctive style and where your choices impact the gameplay. The first episode is called Greanhearth, and drops you right into a dark & gritty world as you find out the story behind detective Rocky Fox investigating a murder. Let’s take a look. Type of app: Interactive Mystery Adventure (HOPA) game Platform/where to buy: iPhone/iPad; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Nova-box Description: You are Ricky Fox, a brilliant detective from NYPD. Your best friend, Arthur Petrovski, a renowned psychiatrist, just passed away in strange circumstances and you travel there to make…

Game Diary, Reviews

Alchemy Mysteries: Prague Legends HD for iPad Review

Sometimes a title tells you all you need to know about a game – in the case of G5’s Alchemy Mysteries: Prague Legends, we know it is a casual game because of G5, that it is a mystery involving alchemy, that it looks back into history and that it takes place in Prague. We quickly also learn that the game centers around an orphan named Eva who returns to Prague to claim an inheritance and hopefully learn more about her past and her real family. But just after entering the house strange and mysterious things occur! Let’s take a look!…

News & Features

FX Photo Studio For iPhone/iPad Free Until August 5th

It is often said that the best camera is the one in your hand. This is true and our mobile devices have become the main photography tools for most people. Most modern cell phones and tablets have fantastic cameras and chipsets, but there often is something missing to make them the perfect shot. My favorite aspect of using my iPhone for photos is the ability to immediately edit and enhance images on the fly. I take pride in my ability to make my phone pics look great and use my iPad to edit images from my DSLR. With the use…

Game Diary, Reviews

Droidscape: Basilica Brings Fun Tactical Escapism to iPhone and iPad

Imagine a futuristic world of a new Dark Age where the only hope for humanity is locked away in a massive labyrinth of a space station called the Basilica. In order to free him you need to help a robot named Bishop 7 navigate the space station. It is a puzzle game with a bunch of twists – read on to find out what I thought! Type of app: Sci-Fi Action Puzzle game Platform/where to buy: iPhone/iPad; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Kyttaro Games Description: -Sleek, versatile slider controls! – Or play with HeadTwister, our experimental head-tracking technology!…

Virtual City Playground Gets a Major Update

Game Diary, News & Features

Virtual City Playground Keeps Chugging Along with Massive Update for iPad and iPhone!

I love the Virtual City games including the free social version Virtual City Playground, as I noted in my review of the Android version. In the review I noted that the game took all of the fun of Virtual City and brought it to a free ‘playground’ mode that allowed you to just have fun. Of course, for G5 the big thing is monetization, and they have been very successful trading ease of upgrading and building things for small amounts of real-world cash. It is the classic example of eventually paying $20 for a game that you wouldn’t pay $5…

Game Diary, Reviews

Dreamscapes: The Sandman Collector’s Edition HD Is a Massive, Gorgeous Adventure Game for iOS

Similar to how console game developers offer DLC as a high profit way to give gamers more of a game they love, ‘collector’s editions’ of casual games offer a way to go beyond the core game for just a couple of extra dollars. When these games are ported to iOS devices, we often get the added content included for free with the full-game purchase. And best of all are times like this when a game offers added gameplay that is compelling, engaging, and worth the time. The game is Dreamscapes, and it is one of the best casual games of…

News & Features

Snow Lizard Introduces the Rugged, Waterproof and Battery-Boosting SLXtreme for iPhone 5 and iPad

For most, precious few moments are spent enjoying the pristine thin beauty of a new iPhone before stuffing it in a case. That was part of the deal when we got the phones for our kids – always in a case. And one great thing about the iPhone is that innovative case-makers have an amazing array of products. With ski season approaching, I was thrilled to see the new SLXtreme series launched for the iPhone 5 and iPad. Why specifically ski season? Our younger son is on the ski team, which means bus rides, cold temperatures and long days. And…

Game Diary, Reviews

Twin Moons HD Review – Brings Player Choice and a Polished Experience to the iPad

I had expressed enthusiasm for the team of Cateia Games and G5 Entertainment in the past due to games such as Where Angels Cry, so when I saw that they were teaming up again for Twin Moons, I knew I would have to check it out. Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) game Platform/where to buy: iPad (iPhone version available here; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Cateia Games / G5 Entertainment Description: Twin Moons has loads of content, including: – 51 creepy and enigmatic locations – 20 challenging mini-games to master – 18 achievements to earn…