App Store - page 99

One of the most anticipated Twitter clients for the iPhone finally hit the App Store yesterday, and I was staggered by the attention it received within its first few hours – I can’t remember the last time an iOS application launched with that kind exposure – especially not a Twitter client.

From Tapbots – the creators of Convertbot, Pastebot and Weightbot – Tweetbot promises to be a full-featured Twitter client with a lot of personality; boasting a meticulously crafted user interface, smart gestures, and customizable navigation.

Tweetbot’s launch is big news today – it’s all over Twitter and many publications are dubbing the application a Twitter for iPhone killer. But is it as good as the release day hype would have you believe? Find out in our review after the break!

One of the best things about a device like the iPhone is that you can enjoy constant connectivity with your favorite social networks – wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. As one of the most popular social networks, it’s no wonder there’s a shed-load of third-party Twitter clients in the App Store, but how do you separate the good from the poor and decide which is best for you?

If you’re not keen on the official Twitter app, check out our list of the best 8 third-party Twitter apps for iOS after the break.

Rovio Mobile, the creator of the hugely successful series of Angry Birds games, has revealed in a message posted on Twitter that it is working on a solution to bring game syncing across all devices. The feature would enable players to begin a game on their iPad at home, which they could then continue from where they left off on their iPhone on the train. When you unlock a new level on one device, you unlock the level on all devices.

Game syncing is a feature that many iOS games would benefit from. As more and more games and applications become universal and playable on both the iPhone and the iPad, one of the biggest frustrations is that you have to complete the same levels, missions, and objectives twice – once on each device. The same goes for high scores.

Rovio has also confirmed a forthcoming Easter update to Angry Birds Seasons – due sometime next week – which will deliver 15 brand new levels to enjoy while you devour your eggs. And if you didn’t have enough platforms the play Angry Birds on, the Facebook version of the game will also get three new levels so that it doesn’t feel too left out.

[via AppAdvice]

A new service from Piecable, called Piecable Viewer, allows you to run iOS applications in your web browser. They’re not just watered down demos either; they’re complete applications – just like you’d get from the App Store – that run on Flash with just one additional line of code.

The service provides developers with a great way of giving people access to their applications for testing, without having to worry about iTunes redemption codes or the UDID limit Apple places on developer accounts. All they have to do is sign up to the Piecable service and choose one of its tiered pricing plans, add an extra line of code to their application, and upload it to the service. They receive a link to the app on the web which can be sent out to agencies, clients, organizations, and the press, enabling the recipient to play around with the application in their web browser.

This weekend sees the final of the 2011 Masters Golf Tournament, and as a way of celebrating, EA has reduced some of its most popular iPhone and iPod touch games by up to 67%. Of course, the brand new Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 is the one you’ll want most during the Masters commercial breaks.

There are 10 great games featured in the sale, including Dead Space, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, The Sims 3, and The Simpsons Arcade. Check out the full list after the break!

ChuChu Rocket! is packed with over 500 puzzles and frantic 4 player multiplayer action, and the Sega Dreamcast classic, which has proven to be a massive iOS hit in the App Store, has gone completely free for one day only.

10 years ago, a cute group of ChuChu’s invaded the hearts and minds of gamers as they looked for an escape plane away from the evil KapuKapus into their cozy rocket ships. now, you get to re-live the glory days of frantic puzzle fun on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad!

ChuChu Rocket! features four different difficulty levels to maximise its replay value; in addition to a free-for-all and team battle multiplayer mode with support for up to 4 players. Battle it out over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi across 25 intense multiplayer levels.

As one of the most popular puzzle games in the App Store, ChuChu Rocket! is a surefire way to cure your weekend boredom. Grab it now while it’s free!

Earlier this week, popular iOS game developer PopCap – the team behind Bejeweled 2, Plants vs. Zombies and Chuzzle – announced that they were launching a sister studio called ‘4th & Battery‘. They also revealed that its first game, Unpleasant Horse, was going to hit the App Store imminently, but it seems Apple may have spoiled their party by rejecting the game due to its “mature content.”

4th & Battery declared their displeasure at Apple’s decision on Twitter, but their tweets disappeared shortly afterwards. Fortunately, Joystiq managed to grab a screenshot of the tweets, one of which read: “WTF? Apple rejected Unpleasant Horse cuz of “mature content?” We thought horses dying in meat grinders was wholesome family entertainment!”

Retro gamers can now enjoy 100 classic Atari titles on their iOS devices thanks to the launch of Atari’s Greatest Hits. The application is a free download that comes bundled with Pong, and through in-app purchases users can download additional game packs at $0.99 each, or the entire collection of 100 games for $14.99.

The collection of classic hits includes 18 Atari arcade games and 92 Atari 2600 games. But the fun doesn’t stop there; the app also boasts head-to-head multiplayer over Bluetooth and original cabinet and box art.

Check out the entire list of games available – and those that support Bluetooth multiplayer – after the break.

The iOS 4.3 update enabled third-party applications to take advantage of AirPlay and stream content to the AppleTV and other compatible devices. Since it went live, developers have been updating their apps to include AirPlay support, and we’ve put together a list of the top 10 iOS apps that are currently AirPlay ready. We’ve chosen apps to keep you entertained, up to date with the latest news, and even one to help you workout.

Check them out after the break!

I wondered how long it would take for someone to release a song or album that had been recorded using GarageBand for the iPad. Well, not even a month after its launch, pop punk band The Ultramods are the first to record all instruments and vocals for their 12-track album using the $4.99 application.

In an interview with The Loop, the band – which writes “pervy pop punk” and “technologically obsessed new wave” music – said that all of the instruments used on the album were those included in the GarageBand app.

If you’d like to hear their album, ‘Underwear Party’ is now available in the iTunes Store for $10, or you can listen for free on the band’s website.

Though The Ultramods are the first to record an album with GarageBand, English band Gorillaz announced back in November that their upcoming album ‘The Fall’ was recorded entirely on an iPad using a range of third-party apps. The album was released to the band’s fan club in December, and is currently available for pre-order through iTunes with an expected release date of April 19th.

The official Facebook application for the iPhone has been updated today, introducing new features that allow you to view your friends’ Places check ins in map view, check into events you’re attending, and ‘unfriend’ people directly from your device. The update also makes improvements to the news feed and the notifications UI.

Gift Plan – (Free for today – usually $0.99) iPhone – Productivity

Gift Plan is a fantastic little application for the iPhone that could save you a lot of trouble. Usually $0.99 – but free for 24 hours – it will remind you of special occasions and ensure you never miss a birthday or anniversary again.

TrapCall is an application by Tel Tech Systems that enables an iPhone user to find out who’s calling them from blocked or private telephone numbers. It just arrived in the App Store, but the developers submitted the application to Apple months ago – waiting a staggering 201 days for their app to be approved.

By using the TrapCall service and accompanying iPhone application, users who receive calls from a blocked number can tap the sleep button twice to decline it and pass it over toTrapCall. Almost instantly, the service will then send the user a text message with the name, telephone number and address of their caller.

Honk – ($0.99) iPhone – Navigation

If you’ve ever returned to your car to find that you’ve earned yourself a whopping great fine for running over on the meter, or parking too long in the same spot, Honk is here to help! Simply swipe the virtual parking meter to record how much time you’ve got to park and Honk will ensure you’re reminded when it’s nearly time to move your car. The app icon on your home screen will even display how much time you’ve got left minute-by-minute, so it’s easy to see at a quick glance. You can even use to Honk to remind yourself of where you parked by making handwritten notes, taking photos, and using your GPS location.

AirMusic – ($0.99) iPhone – Utilities

AirMusic is a superb application for streaming your music over Wi-Fi to your PS3, Xbox 360, or PC, and allows you to wirelessly listen to your tunes through your TV without using an AppleTV. Its incredibly easy setup means your music is there the moment you want it – just ensure all of your devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, start AirMusic, then navigate to your music library on your console or PC and your tunes will be there – it couldn’t be easier.

Although I use an AppleTV in our living room, I downloaded this application for use with a PS3 in another room and so far I can’t fault it. The only downside to AirMusic is that it won’t play older iTunes purchases that are protected by DRM, but I’m yet to find a way of playing DRM-protected tunes on my PS3 without putting them onto a CD first. AirMusic setup takes literally a few minutes, streaming is effortless, and the quality is great. If you’re looking for a way to share your iPod library with your Xbox, PS3, or PC, I recommend you give AirMusic a go!

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Not many DJ applications for iOS devices quite deliver the experience you get from using this week’s first must-have app – Tap DJ. Its bucket-load of features, together with its brilliantly designed and incredibly intuitive user interface, make it the ultimate pocket DJ application.

Another of our favorites is Wunderlist – a beautifully elegant task manager that’s been around for a short while on the iPhone, and now it’s available in all its HD glory on the iPad

Writing on your iOS device can sometimes be a painful experience, especially if you don’t have a good text editor. Fortunately, our third must-have application is just that. Text Editor is a wonderfully effortless, yet incredibly useful text editor that will go a long way to ensuring that writing on your iOS device isn’t so bad.

Find out more about the applications above and our forth must-have – Oscar Backstage Pass – after the break!

This week’s roundup of must-have iOS games features what I think could be the next iPhone craze; Tiny Wings is a simple one-button arcade game based on a dream of flying, and another huge App Store success that will be sure to hang around for a while at the top of the paid charts, just like Angry Birds or Doodle Jump.

Volcano Escape is another of our favorites – a terrific platformer that provides level after level of action-packed entertainment, which, together with its crazy characters and explosive weaponry, makes it one of the greatest games of its genre.

Zombies are quite the stars within the App Store – some of the most popular iOS games feature the living dead. Our third must-have game this week, and another to add to the list of zombie successes, is Zombie Runaway – a brilliant run-as-far-as-you-can game that’s a little different to the rest.

Find out more about the games above after the break!

Text Writer – ($0.99) Universal – Productivity

Writing on your iOS device can sometimes be a painful experience, especially if you don’t have a good text editor. Fortunately, Text Editor is just that – a wonderfully effortless, yet incredibly useful text editor that will go a long way to ensuring that writing on your iOS device isn’t so bad. My favorite feature is a very simple one, yet you’ll be surprised how much you use it: there’s an additional line of keys across the top of your keyboard that features the copy, paste, select, home, and end functions, as well as all four arrow keys for when you can’t quite drag your cursor where you want it. It makes performing different tasks that little bit easier, and you’ll soon miss it within other applications.

While you’re writing your document Text Writer will automatically save it, so you don’t need to worry about losing your work if you take a call, jump out of the app to reply to a text, or if your battery dies half way through your document. And once you’ve finished, you can send the finished article via email. This app is universal, so one download will work on all of your iOS devices, and it’s great value for money at just a dollar. I love this application for its pure simplicity and ease of use, and for anyone looking for a basic text editor without all the fancy functions, you won’t go wrong with Text Writer.

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Runaway Zombie – ($0.99) Universal – Games

Zombies are quite the stars within the App Store – some of the most popular iOS games feature the living dead. The latest must-have game to add to that list is Zombie Runaway, a brilliant run-as-far-as-you-can game that’s a little different to the rest. Instead of fighting off the undead to save yourself, in this game you are one of them, and your aim is to escape the humans. As opposed to traditional 2D running games, this one’s in 3D, and uses a simple 3-button control system to dodge and jump objects that get in your way on your runaway chase.

This game’s a must-have thanks to its multiple game modes that provide you with countless hours of exciting gameplay, and two completely different ways to play, unlike most other running games. When you’re confident the humans will never catch you, try out your skills in ‘Blitz mode’ in which you run through a dark graveyard crushing as many tombstones as you can within a certain time. Once you start playing, the excitement never dies and ensures Zombie Runaway isn’t just another zombie flop.

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6pT_2E5xI0

Tiny Wings – ($0.99) iPhone – Games

The next iPhone game to join the likes of Doodle Jump and Angry Birds as hugely popular titles that seem to cling to the top of the App Store charts for months on end could be Tiny Wings – a simple one-button arcade game based on a dream of flying. Featuring a loveable little bird whose wings are too small to fly, the aim of this game is to slide up and down hills as fast as you can, flapping your wings when the time is right to achieve a moment’s flight… before gravity brings you back down again.

Fly as far as you can, fulfilling each of your tasks to upgrade you nest, and try to unlock all 27 of the tricky OpenFeint achievements. While the object of the game seems fairly easy, it features enough of a challenge to ensure you’re quickly addicted to its charm, and you won’t be able to put it down. Its most unique feature is the procedural generated graphics that make the beautiful visuals look different every day you play. Tiny Wings is a remarkably simple idea that makes for a wonderful game.

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2H–IsTL_E&feature=player_embedded

Tap DJ – ($1.99) iPhone – Music

Not many DJ applications for iOS devices quite deliver the experience you get from using Tap DJ. Its bucket-load of features, together with its brilliantly designed and incredibly intuitive user interface, make it the ultimate pocket DJ application. Featuring integrated access to your iPod library, a 9 pad sampler, voice recording, FX, a 3-band equalizer for each deck, and lots more – it’s never been easier to mix, scratch, and add FX to your favorite tracks.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Tap DJ makes it unbelievably simple to play around with your music and create mixes you never thought were possible with an iPhone app. Boasting many of the features you’d find in a pricey desktop application, but at a fraction of the cost, there’s never been a better time to try your hand at being a DJ!

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Oscar Backstage Pass – ($0.99) Universal – Entertainment

To help you make this year’s Oscars the most enjoyable, the official Oscar Backstage Pass application for iOS gives you access to live streams from exclusive cameras places throughout the red carpet, the Kodak Theatre, and the Governors Ball, so that you can go beyond the TV broadcast and experience more live action as it happens. Watch the 83rd Academy Awards with this ingenious interactive application on your iPhone or iPad and get access to more stars, more glamour, and more of everything you love about the Oscars.

Its brilliantly designed user interface makes it easy to navigate between each live camera and shows you exactly where each camera is placed at the awards – this marvellous idea ensures you won’t miss a single moment of Hollywood’s biggest event.

Watch the Oscars live this Sunday, February 27th, at 8et/5pt on ABC.

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The incredible indie sensation Minecraft has sold over 1.3 million copies since it was first released halfway through last year, and it’s still only in beta. Expect the amount of copies sold to quickly grow as high as one of Minecraft‘s physics-defying, voxel-based fantasy structures in 2011, though, because dev Mojang has just announced that Minecraft will be coming to iOS in 2011.

Our roundup of must-have iOS apps from this week includes Camera+ – quite possibly the best, and certainly the most popular, photography application for the iPhone. It’s so good that it has replaced Apple’s official Camera app on my iPhone’s home screen, and is now my go-to application for snapping all my photos

Also to feature is Readlines – an application that makes great use of your iOS device while it’s sat in its dock on your desk, and turns an otherwise boring blank screen in to a big, bold stream of random headlines from your Google Reader RSS feeds.

Tap Forms Database on your iPhone means you can forget sifting through every piece of paper in your home to find your insurance details when you need to make a claim, or  panicking because you’ve forgotten your PIN at the ATM when you need some cash – it’s now with you wherever you go.

Find out more about the applications above and check out the rest of this week’s must-haves, including HubbleSite and Inception: App Edition, after the break!

This week’s must-have iOS games includes the incredible sequel to Gameloft’s hugely successful sci-fi FPS, N.O.V.A. This follow up title boasts new enemies with improved AI, a larger range of weapons and powers, and 10-on-10 online multiplayer – you won’t want to miss it!

Starfront: Collision is the second of Gameloft’s latest hits to make our list this week. Once again the company has looked at an incredibly popular game and created an iOS alternative that doesn’t disappoint. It’s a model they’ve been following for while with their App Store releases, and one that certainly seems to be working well for them. For fans of Blizzard’s Starcraft series and other real-time strategies, I highly recommend Starfront: Collision.

Since I first read it was coming, Back to the Future: Episode 1 for iPad was a game I couldn’t wait to see hit the App Store, and thanks to its striking voiceovers and delightful story line, the wait for this game didn’t disappoint. It’s sure to warm the hearts of fans of the movie and firmly earns its place in our favorite games.

Find out more about the games above and check out the rest of this week’s must-have, including Mahjongg Dimensions and Sky Combat, after the break!