Appigo is honoring this year’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day by offering a new pirate theme for its Todo for iPad app.

View full post on Macworld

ProCamera for iPhone is a photography app that enhances the ability of your basic iPhone camera. ProCamera is rich with control features that many users may have noticed are missing from the ordinary iPhone camera. The fullest features, such as video recording, focus exposures and compass function require 3GS or iPhone 4, but even 3G users running iOS4 can experience some of the other cool features.

ProCamera has a variety of control settings that help improve the quality of photos taken with your phone. Features like grid guides for professional photo arrangement, 5x zoom, easy alignment with the horizon guide, and size and shutter speed control are all present and accounted for. (…)
Read the rest of Shoot Pictures Like a Pro with ProCamera

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Shoot Pictures Like a Pro with ProCamera | Best iPad Apps | Best Free Apps

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Google Music — or a version of what Google plans for Music to be — was shown off way back at I/O along with the debut of Android 2.2. It has since then been assumed that the launch of Music would most likely coincide with the launch of Android 3.0 (Gingerbread). From what has been revealed so far, the service will offer cloud-based functionality such as streaming from a desktop system to your Android handset as well as the ability to push song and album downloads directly to your phone. But when, exactly, does Google plan to unleash their counterattack on Apple’s iTunes?

The word is Andy Rubin has been hard at work in an attempt to get the service up and running by the holiday season, which does go hand-in-hand with the rumored release timeframe for Gingerbread. The problem is, so far Rubin and Google have failed to get any record labels to sign on to their music store. It isn’t that they don’t want to. One exec speaking on conditions of anonymity said, “finally here’s an entity with the reach, resources and wherewithal to take on iTunes as a formidable competitor by tying it into search and Android mobile platform. What you’ll have is a very powerful player in the market that’s good for the music business.”

See, music execs would love to have someone come along and take the power out of iTunes’ hands, or at least alleviate some of the hold Apple has on the digital music distribution industry. But for the same reason negotiations with Google may take a while. Record labels are very protective of their intellectual property, if you hadn’t noticed, and are pretty hung up on big profits at the same time. We expect most if not all major distributors to hop on board, though whether or not negotiations will delay the debut of Google Music remains to be seen.

[via BGR]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Save Betsy is another version of the accelerometer-based jumping game that has become so popular for iPhone. It is akin to Doodle Jump, but unlike Doodle Jump, the leader of all such games where iTunes rankings are concerned, Save Betsy, has a seriously twisted vegan (or anti-vegan) theme, but don’t worry, no cows were harmed in the making.

Save Betsy stars Betsy the cow, who is trying to avoid the grills and meat grinders that will turn her into steak. As you lead her higher and higher, you can use her special ability to rid her path of meat-making obstacles, hide her in the haystacks, and try to jump her over the moon for higher and higher scores.(…)
Read the rest of Save Betsy is Like Doodle Jump on the Farm

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Save Betsy is Like Doodle Jump on the Farm | Best iPad Apps | Best Free Apps

View full post on AppCraver

The other week we posed a question to readers of CrackBerry asking what apps they would like to see come to BlackBerry from other smartphone platforms. The post got a pretty solid response with a wide mix of apps and games suggested, so we combed through the comments to assemble a quick Top 10 list. Hopefully some of these developers out there are paying attention!

Top 10 Apps CrackBerry Readers Would Like to See Come to BlackBerry

1. Angry Birds
2. ESPN / Sportscenter App
3. Mint.com
4. Tweetdeck
5. Weight Watchers
6. Plants v. Zombies
7. Dropbox (currently in beta for BlackBerry, so this one is coming soon!)
8. a better Facebook app! (technically shouldn’t be on the list, but we can’t help but agree)
9. Netflix (an official one)
10. Words with Friends.

And there were a LOT more suggestions than that. If you’re curious to see them all, jump over to our original post and browse the comments. As for the #1 pick, while the popular Angry Birds iPhone/iPad game doesn’t quite meet RIM’s definition of a BlackBerry Super App, there’s no denying it’s one that the people want to see come to BlackBerry (myself included!). 

Reminder: Super Apps Challenge Sept 6th Deadline Approaching: While we’re talking what apps we’d like to see come to BlackBerry, it’s a good time to remind all the BlackBerry Developers out there that September 6th deadline for the BlackBerry Developer Fund’s 2010 Super Apps Developer Challenge is almost here. This year the BlackBerry Partners Fund is looking for anyone who is building super apps. Be it an application which you feel is already a super app or a new app you are currently working on. At stake is over $1.5 Million worth of prizes and includes developer services from leading industry partners, featured placements on BlackBerry App World, marketing programs from Research In Motion and much more. If you are a BlackBerry developer who is delivering super apps, you’ll want to take on the BlackBerry Developer Fund’s 2010 Super Apps Developer Challenge. The full list of contest prizes, eligibility and requirements are available on the BlackBerry Partners Fund website, just click the link.

CrackBerry.com‘s feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Top 10 Apps users would like to see on BlackBerry; Reminder to Devs: Super Apps Challenge Deadline Almost Here!

View full post on CrackBerry.com blogs

Amongst my favorite apps for iPhone are the truly purposeful ones that render the iPhone a convenient multi-purpose device. Granted, a good many practical utilities come as default installations but the free and paid alternatives for some of them offer a few better features.

If you’re in the market for a full-featured alarm clock, Alarm Clock Pro is reminiscent of your digital bedside alarm and has an array of features that make it worth a dollar.

With customizable options, such as brightness levels, optional flashlight and display color and style, Alarm Clock Pro suits all tastes. (…)
Read the rest of Alarm Clock Pro Works Like a Charm

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Alarm Clock Pro Works Like a Charm | Best iPad Apps | Best Free Apps

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Product: Asgard Headphone Amp

Manufacturer: Schiit

Wired Rating: 8

Just because my audio expertise falls somewhere between Cupertino-issue earbuds and Justin Bieber doesn’t mean I want my music to sound like Schiit. Or does it?

At first glance, the Schiit Asgard Headphone Amp seems to be the kind of fully discrete (non-tube), single-ended (drains juice but sounds great), Harry Potter–in–hardcover–sized, brushed-aluminum beauty that even a Luddite could love.

But on first listen, the Luddite may realize it’s the kind of specialty device best left to the audiophile. While I did notice a perceptible increase in general clarity when I listened to some lossless White Album tracks on my Grado RS-1s, the improvement was pretty subtle. We’re not exactly talking swimming in an infinity pool as opposed to a drainage ditch here, people.

However, after some coaching I was able to hear an improvement in separation. That said, I did notice, for the first time ever, that the jet engine backs the entirety of “Back in The USSR.”

I thought my observations warranted a few second opinions. (Not the jet engine thing. That’s a fact.) So I passed it on to two Wired staffers who know a lot about music, which, as it turned out, is where their similarities ended.

The first liked the Asgard so much he wanted to buy it. His reasons? A nice smoothing of the frequency response, good price, U.S.-made parts, buttery volume controls and the beautiful design.

But the second echoed my assertion, reporting only a small decrease in muddiness at the high and low frequencies when listening through his Sony MDR-7506 headphones. He suggested that using low-impedance cans (which Schiit already urged us to do, but no one listens to Schiit) as well as plugging it into a decent stereo instead of an iPod, might yield more-exciting results.

What does this all mean? Well, if you are very sensitive to bad vibrations or spend a lot of time listening to Aphex Twin, the Asgard is a good bet, as it pretty much indisputably makes music sound better. If you still listen to the earbuds that came with your iPod, you would probably be wise to invest in some good headphones before you start dropping money on this Schiit.

WIRED Beautiful. Great price for refined construction and U.S.-made parts. Makes for a subtly better listening experience, by staying fuzz-free on even the most complex music. Awesome five-year warranty for parts.

TIRED This is hot Schiit, literally: After a couple of hours the amp gets almost too hot to pick up. Some listeners noticed a weird, buzzing sound. Not enough of an improvement for all but the most-expert audiophile.

View full post on Wired Product Reviews

After the HTC EVO 4G made its way to Sprint here in the US, many Europeans fell in love with the device: they too wanted a device with a 4.3-inch screen by HTC. It’s always been the idea that HTC would eventually bring the phone out (or something like it) for that side of the world, and this may be just what the doctor ordered.

Uwants caught a shot of this supposed HTC Desire HD (or the HTC Ace) in the wild (the same phone we saw in Vodafone Germany’s inventory system a few days ago).  At that time, the Desire HD was said to “have features” of the HTC Legend and the HTC HD2. We now know what they mean: the comparison to the HD2 draws from the screen size while the Legend’s draws from the build materials). While this doesn’t come with the exact same bells and whistles of the EVO 4G, it does more than well for itself: a 4.3-inch capacitive display with 800×480 resolution, Andorid 2.2 with HTC Sense, an 8-megapixel camera with HD video recording, an aluminum shell (no word on if it’s full-on unibody or not), 1GHz processor, and 4GB of internal storage.

Even with Samsung flooding the market with their very attractive Galaxy S phones, I’m sure there are some that have been waiting for something like this from HTC.  We have no more details except for the fact that we already know this one’s headed for Vodafone in Germany, but I’m sure they won’t be the only market to see this phone.

[Uwants via Android-HK via Android Central]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Everyone likes modifying their phone, if you have root access that is. From themes to skins to custom apps there is something for everyone. Another popular mod for Android phones is changing the boot animation. Instead of having what the manufacturer puts for the start up you can have anything you like, provided you or someone makes it

One neat boot animation that I have come across makes your phone look like a computer going through the BIOS boot steps on your Android Phone. If you are wanting to spice up your phone and have root and recovery access then I suggest you give this a try. It will make a great conversation starter for someone looking over your shoulder.

[via xda]

For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides

Android Boot Animation Makes Your phone Look Like a Computer BIOS

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

Everyone likes modifying their phone, if you have root access that is. From themes to skins to custom apps there is something for everyone. Another popular mod for Android phones is changing the boot animation. Instead of having what the manufacturer puts for the start up you can have anything you like, provided you or someone makes it

One neat boot animation that I have come across makes your phone look like a computer going through the BIOS boot steps on your Android Phone. If you are wanting to spice up your phone and have root and recovery access then I suggest you give this a try. It will make a great conversation starter for someone looking over your shoulder.

[via xda]

For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides

Android Boot Animation Makes Your phone Look Like a Computer BIOS

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

Samsung’s really flogging the living hell out of Apple’s misfortunes as of late. Now, they’re extending a hand to all of those inside the walled garden that aren’t satisfied with the fruits, vegetables, and flora inside. After “antennagate”, Samsung’s firing back at all coordinates and they won’t stop until the Apple flag has fallen. On twitter, Samsung’s official account for their UK division responded to several users who were just going on about their merry day tweeting about their iPhone 4 woes. Their suggestion? “Switch to a Galaxy S, we’ll even give it to you for free!”

Tiffany – the lady that Samsung graced with a brand new Galaxy S – told Wired:

“My iPhone and I have been inseparable for almost a month now, tomorrow being one month since the iPhone OS 4 launched. But the honeymoon period ended this week as repeated dropped calls, and a sudden unexplainable inability to make or receive calls or send texts left me disgruntled.

“So I did what anyone else would do: I vented my frustration on Twitter. Imagine my surprise, then, when this morning I am tweeted by Samsung offering me a free Galaxy S, their latest phone. Too good to be true? I decided to investigate.

“I called a friend at Samsung, and though she was initially sceptical (sic), it has now been confirmed: the campaign is legit. Samsung is so confident about the superiority of the Galaxy S that they’re sending free ones to existing iPhone customers so they can decide for themselves.”

That’s ridiculously generous. There are no immediate catches that can be found (carrier contract deals?) and I’m sure Samsung won’t send a free Galaxy S to anyone just claiming to have issues (let’s face it: everyone’s going to want to try it after this), but it’s still pretty awesome to see that they aren’t going to take Apple’s FUD-spreading without a fight.

[Wired via Samsung Hub]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Apple has recently released a video showing how even the mighty Droid X is not invulnerable to the way you grip the phone and lose reception.

Click here to view the embedded video.

With that being said, do you notice that the grip on your Droid X has an effect on reception? Vote in our poll and let us know.

For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides

Poll: Does your Droid X lose reception like Apple shows?

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

It hasn’t been more than an hour since we reported Google expected their last shipment of Nexus One devices to last for no more than 10 days, and the phone’s already gone. Looks like the pressure cooker got a bunch of would-be buyers impulsive in opening their wallets to nab one before the device was no longer available from Google.

As a few of our commenters pointed out in that post, the web store is no longer showing the Nexus One available for purchase. Instead, we get this tear-jerking message:

Sorry, folks…

The Nexus One is no longer available for purchase directly from Google. For more information on how to purchase the Nexus One, check out our help center.

Well that’s that. The Nexus One – while not entirely dead – is now a collector’s item. Those that weren’t able to purchase one might have to turn to outlets such as Amazon, Craigslist, or eBay – or might be able to get one from carriers offering the phones themselves (mainly in Europe) – if they still want a piece of great Google and Android history. Even if you were planning on purchasing accessories for a Nexus One you already own, that is no longer possible unless you find them sitting comfortably in a T-Mobile store or in the third-party user-driven marketplaces we mentioned above.

Long live the dream that was the Nexus One.

View full post on Android Phone Fans

It hasn’t been more than an hour since we reported Google expected their last shipment of Nexus One devices to last for no more than 10 days, and the phone’s already gone. Looks like the pressure cooker got a bunch of would-be buyers impulsive in opening their wallets to nab one before the device was no longer available from Google.

As a few of our commenters pointed out in that post, the web store is no longer showing the Nexus One available for purchase. Instead, we get this tear-jerking message:

Sorry, folks…

The Nexus One is no longer available for purchase directly from Google. For more information on how to purchase the Nexus One, check out our help center.

Well that’s that. The Nexus One – while not entirely dead – is now a collector’s item. Those that weren’t able to purchase one might have to turn to outlets such as Amazon, Craigslist, or eBay – or might be able to get one from carriers offering the phones themselves (mainly in Europe) – if they still want a piece of great Google and Android history. Even if you were planning on purchasing accessories for a Nexus One you already own, that is no longer possible unless you find them sitting comfortably in a T-Mobile store or in the third-party user-driven marketplaces we mentioned above.

Long live the dream that was the Nexus One.

View full post on Android Phone Fans

This week the 2010 version of Comic-Con kicks off in San Diego, and the annual collective nerdgasm of movie/TV/videogame news gets us hyped up better than a Mountain Dew, Jolt, Red Bull and triple cappuccino cocktail.

Every year, there’s blah news, there’s good news, and then there’s knock-our-geeky-socks-off news. While we aren’t holding our collective breath that any of these will happen (or if they do, in the way we describe them), here’s 10 stories that would knock our socks off with geeky joy:

Possible pint-sized thief?

1. Peter Jackson is finally, 100% guaranteed confirmed to co-write, produce and direct the “The Hobbit” films. All original LotR cast members whose characters show up in the story are signed to reprise. And someone who has played Doctor Who is cast as Bilbo. (This last part seems pretty safe, as both David Tenant and Sylvester McCoy have been rumored as possible choices)

2. Pick one: Aquaman movie;  Superman/Batman team-up; a smart live-action Justice League TV show idea.

3. Syfy announces production of “Mega Shark and Giant Octopus Meet Dinocroc and SuperGator: in Space,” starring Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Lorenzo Lamas and Dolph Lundgren.

Coming out?

4. With news that the legal battle over the title is over, an actual release date for Duke Nukem Forever is announced. 50,000 fans continue not holding their collective breath.

5. A teaser trailer for Batman 3 is shown. Christopher Nolan has re-imagined the Riddler as a genius-savant serial killer who terrorizes the city and leaves riddles to his next victim’s identity. And Batman gets a throat lozenge.6. Kevin Smith announces he’ll be directing and writing a movie version of his Green Arrow books for DC.

Nice polygons.

7. This writer’s personal dream: Interstate ‘76 to be remade as an MMOG.

8. A batch of female super-hero movies is announced, including Black Widow, Wasp, and finally Wonder Woman. There really, really needs to be a good female superhero movie.

9. Wil Wheaton announces that he’s been cast as Jack Crusher in J.J. Abrams next Star Trek film. Yeah, I know the time frame doesn’t work, but still, it’d be cool. If not that, then Jack Black is cast as Harry Mudd.

Can we have a do-over?

10. Every single copy of The Last Airbender to be destroyed, and the project remade by any director but M. Night Shyamalan. Okay, probably not Brett Ratner either.

View full post on GeekDad

Apple users have had an app for some time called “I am T-Pain”, that allows them to record and modify their voices. Now Android users can join in on the fun with MicDroid. This is a new app that is showing great potential. In case you are not familiar with MicDroid, this app lets you record your voice speaking or singing. You can then use settings to change the key, pitch and sample rate to adjust your voice, making you sound like a rock star.

Ok so you won’t really sound like a rock star but it does offer a wealth of settings to amuse yourself and your friends. You cannot use the app in real time as of yet but maybe in the future. For now record away and sing like the chipmunks’ if that’s what you’re into. As a bonus you can set your masterpieces as ringtones or even email them to your friends. Hmmm, prank emails anyone .

Market Link

[via pocketnow]

For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides

MicDroid for Android gives you the ability to tune your voice and sound like a star

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

We’ve been hearing plenty of rumors surrounding the BlackBerry Storm 3. As with all rumors you kind of have to take them all with a grain of salt until those rumors get confirmed one way or another. Today, Engadget posted up the above image for which they were advised was from a training slide that outlines details of the upcoming device. Well, technically the info is for an Odin refresh, which sort of seems like it means Storm 2.5 vs. Storm 3, but you never know how things things will get branded and labeled this far in advance. All in all, it looks to be a minor refresh but, there is a few notables here and one insanely huge one to point out.

• BlackBerry 6
• WebKit Browser
• 512MB Of RAM
• 5MP Camera With new UI
• World Edition
• 802.11n WiFi
• 3G Mobile Hotspot (Coming Soon)

Wait, what?!? 3G Mobile Hotspot? Yes, it’s noted as a coming soon feature and from the looks of it, the biggest upgrade to the device aside from the normal items that were already assumed or known about. Also, if you’ll notice at the bottom of the image the month listed for release ends in "—ember". Previous rumors have put the device on Verizon in time for the holidays, so that still looks to be holding strong. What do you all think?

Source: Engadget

CrackBerry.com‘s feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry Storm 3 details shown off in training slide?!? Looks like Mobile Hotspot is coming to BlackBerry!

View full post on CrackBerry.com blogs

Now, without having to know a whole lot about how to build a live wallpaper (LWP) from scratch, you can! Thanks to a developer over at XDA-developers by the name of madwolfchin, you can create your own LWP with a tool he created called Ownskin UGC.

Madwolfchin has set up a few examples for us with customizable widgets that you can manipulate to your liking, including some fun little rabbits that bounce around and a basic paper that has a clock that tells the correct time. The current version doesn’t have Internet access, so some of the widgets that you run across that need a data connection won’t work right now. That will be included in the next update though.  Right now you can download the APK file  from HERE and have a little fun. Note: your device must allow non-market app installations. You can also keep up with the thread there as well. The app isn’t yet on the market but will be soon.  I suggest keeping an eye on it, and on us to get all the full details. So go grab the tools and start turning that creative side loose!

I haven’t found the creator tool for the PC yet, but I’m sure it is on its way. If anyone comes across one, that please let us know where it is. Below are a few examples.

It looks like it could be a lot of fun for us non devs to be able to put together our own LWPs. I’m excited about this tool. What do you think?

Source: xda-developers

View full post on AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.

Need another virtual pet for your iPhone or iPad? Pocket Creatures by Tactile Entertainment is a quirky entry that gives you a little critter with a paw on its tail and a garden to wander around in. There’s the usual virtual pet responsibilities: feed it when it’s hungry, put it to bed when it’s sleepy, pet it to make it happy. However, Pocket Creatures also gives you a lot of freedom in how to treat your creature and the world around it. Poking it makes it mad and slapping it makes it sad, resulting in a thundercloud or raincloud which you can then use to zap animals or water plants.

There are a few little animals that you can coax out of their hiding places, and each has its own uses. The platypus serves as a shovel to dig holes, revealing treasures and allowing you to plant seeds. The anteater can suck up water and be used as a watering can. The bird breaks open vases and coconuts with its beak. The most interesting part, though, is that you can train your critter to like and dislike things. It’s very Pavlovian: pet it while it’s eating a carrot, and it’ll learn to like carrots; slap it around while you feed it an apple and it’ll no longer eat apples. Feed the platypus while your critter is watching and your creature will grow to love the platypus.

As you do various actions, you’ll get achievements which show up in the form of headgear and other accoutrement, allowing you to give your critter hats, antlers, wings, etc. So far I’ve only earned a handful of these myself, but the screenshot above shows that there are piles of them to be earned. There are also some hidden mini-games, one involving ninja throwing stars and one about ghosts, and it looks like Tactile Entertainment will continue to add others in updates. The game uses OpenFeint to track achievements and allow you to share your discoveries with your friends.

Pocket Creatures is designed for both the iPhone and iPad, so the same app will work on both devices. Of course, on the iPad you’ll get a wider field of view to work with. I’ve been playing it on my iPod touch, and sometimes the screen gets a little cramped with all the stuff going on.

Unfortunately, Pocket Creatures is not without its flaws. I’ve had a bit of trouble trying to pet the creature, which means I can make it dislike things but it’s been trickier to teach it to like things. And often there are bits of the interface that are just a little glitchy—trying to dig with the platypus can be difficult because it jumps around on the screen, and if you drag the anteater past the critter it’ll grab it to cuddle, regardless of whether you had plans for it elsewhere.

The other bigger concern, though, is with the stability. I’ve seen a lot of comments on iTunes about the program crashing, and I’ve experienced it myself a few times as well—I’ll just get booted back to my home screen unexpectedly. There’s a new update that just dropped this week but only time will tell if they’ve fixed the stability or not. There’s been some raving about how great the game is, too, so opinions are definitely mixed.

Personally, I think it’s a very creative game and fairly innovative in the sheer amount of control you have over the creature. Tactile Entertainment claims that the creature will even grow fat or thin, sweet or devilish, depending on how you treat it, but I haven’t played long enough to see that sort of change. However, the interface can be a little frustrating, particularly on the small iPhone screen, since you can pick up almost everything—rocks, ants, pillars. Pinpointing what you want can be difficult. If you like virtual pets this is certainly a whopper of an app if you’re willing to put the time into exploring. Hopefully Tactile Entertainment will get the stability problems worked out, and then it would be an excellent game.

One note if you’ve got kids: because of the way you “train” the critter, you might think twice about letting younger kids play with Pocket Creatures. You don’t want them thinking they should slap your family’s cat to keep it from eating off the table.

Pocket Creatures is regularly $4.99 but is currently available for $2.99.

Wired: A virtual pet app that gives you tremendous freedom and control over your creature, choosing what it likes and dislikes and modifying its appearance with achievements.

Tired: Finicky controls and stability issues keep me from giving a whole-hearted recommendation.

Disclosure: I received a free download code for review purposes.

View full post on GeekDad

Image: Gamewright

Get a cat. Hope for a sunny day. Go with your gut. Use duct tape. What’s the best advice? Obviously, it depends on what you’re trying to do: build a better mousetrap, go zip-lining through the jungle, or host a movie marathon.

That’s just a teeny peek at some of the To-Do List items and Advice cards from Sounds Like a Plan, a new game from Gamewright. If you’ve ever played Apples to Apples, you’ll be familiar with the basic gameplay, though Sounds Like a Plan introduces a few twists of its own. The board is basically there to help you keep score and isn’t strictly necessary either, but it’s actually not a bad looking game. The board is made to look like a cork bulletin board, and the pieces are shaped like pushpins. The die is chunky and oversized, with colorful faces. The important part of the game is the cards, and there’s a huge pile of them: 100 To-Do List cards and 300 Advice cards.

Each player starts with a six Advice cards. During each turn, one player is the Planner and the rest are Advice Givers. The Planner flips the top To-Do List card, which has three activities on it. The Planner rolls the die, which determines what type of advice is desired, and then the Advice Givers each select an advice card from their hands. The cards are mixed up and given to the Planner, who ranks them and awards points to the Advice Givers.

The die throws in some variations on what type of advice you’re looking for:

• Best: the best advice for your chosen activity
• Worst: the worst advice for your chosen activity
• Grandma: Advice cards should reflect what a grandma would say
• Kid: Advice cards should reflect what a little kid would tell you
• Psychic: You choose an activity but don’t tell everyone what it is until after everyone has turned in their Advice cards; then you pick the best advice for your chosen activity
• Wild: you get to choose which of the five faces to use

You could play the game with just the cards, but the die mixes things up, and the Psychic option makes things particularly challenging. And it’s always great to get Worst when none of your cards are good advice for the current activity.

I wasn’t sure about Sounds Like a Plan at first. It’s what I consider a “party game,” like Taboo or Pictionary—a game that doesn’t require a lot of strategy but is more about the humor. It’s not the sort of game that I generally play with my regular game night group. However, I broke it out and everyone loved it: it’s just a lot of fun, and it doesn’t take long to learn or play, maybe about half an hour per game.

Sounds Like a Plan is for 4 to 8 players, ages 10 to adult. I did let my six-year-old join us for a game since she really wanted to try it, but there are a lot of idioms on the cards (for instance: “Keep your nose clean” or “pick Grandma’s brain”) that she really just didn’t understand, so it’s not one that she could play without somebody to help her decipher the cards. Other than that, the game is not difficult and works for a wide range of ages.

If you’re looking for a a fun family game that will have everyone laughing, check out Sounds Like a Plan, which retails for $19.99.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m planning to “dig a hole to China,” and I’ve been advised to “get a good night’s sleep.”

Wired: A huge collection of To-Do Lists and Advice makes for some hilarious combinations. The die introduces randomness and variety to an Apples to Apples-style game.

Tired: The board isn’t really necessary, but it looks nice.

Disclosure: Gamewright provided a review copy of Sounds Like a Plan.

View full post on GeekDad

Around our house, we are very fond of Gamewright games. With titles like Slamwich, Rat-a-tat Cat and Loot in its catalog, this company consistently churns out winners – and not just fun games, either. A good number of Gamewright games are award winning funfests. So when they asked me if I wanted to try some of their recent offerings, I couldn’t say no!

One of the games they sent was Say Cheese, a combination dice and card game, recommended for 2 to 4 kids, aged six and older. Setup and gameplay is a breeze: shuffle the cards and hand each player a pair of dice. As soon as someone says go, flip over two cards. Each card has a set of faces on it from a photobooth; the player’s goal is to match these faces with her dice. Each die has a black starburst, which is a wild card and can be used for any character. Make a match and the card is yours – flip over a replacement card and the game continues.Once all of the cards are collected, the player with the most cards wins.

Gameplay is fast-paced, placing Say Cheese in Gamewright’s 12 Minutes or Less category. I really like these quick games because sometimes that’s all my kids need to reset themselves before heading off to another activity.

Dweebies, while not a 12 Minute or Less game, doesn’t take much longer to play. This is a card game that requires players to place cards in a grid and then draw a replacement card. If you can create a situation where you match the Dweebies at either end of a column or row, you get to take all of the cards in that column or row. But be careful – if the grid becomes fragmented, it must be connected again before anyone can collect any Dweebies. The game continues until all cards have been played and, at the end, the player with the most cards is crowned King (or Queen) Dweebie.

We really like the funny, colorful illustrations on these cards and my kids almost had more fun laughing at the characters as they did playing the game. Dweebies is recommended for 2-6 players, aged 8 and older.

Both games are very fun to play, offer high replayability and are reasonably priced. Say Cheese can be purchased for $6.49  and Dweebies is $10.99 when purchased through the Gamewright store.

View full post on GeekDad

I told you all about the Make My App contest that Nokia is holding a few weeks ago and I am finally getting time to sit down and put some ideas I have up on the site. If you like my ideas and would like to help me get some votes for the possibility of getting a trip to Nokia World then please feel free to vote for them. I have many more ideas that I am working on and will keep entering them into this contest in hopes that I get selected. I can then cover the event for you all here on Nokia Experts in September.

Here are my submitted ideas and links to the page for you to vote if you desire:

• Where’s the bathroom?
• Photo voice tagger

This first one was a direct result of my recent vacation when it was virtually impossible to find a place to use a public restroom in foreign cities and the other is related to my frustration with spending long hours managing photos. I will be adding to this list above with more app ideas soon.

View full post on Nokia Experts

Product: Lightroom 3

Manufacturer: Adobe

Wired Rating: 8

Remember when managing your photos used to involve dropping them into a folder and forgetting about them? Those days are over. Now, practically everyone from soccer moms to CEOs have ditched amateur hour handouts like iPhoto and Windows Live Photo Gallery for more capable, grown-up image-editing software.

One such piece of software is Lightroom, Adobe’s flagship kit for processing and organizing RAW image files — the unfiltered, uncompressed image data generated by your camera’s sensors. And its newest iteration, Lightroom 3, is reworked from the ground up to create a fast, proficient and generally awesome photo editing experience.

Adobe rewrote much of the underlying code for Lightroom 3 and it shows the minute you fire it up. In Lightroom 2, large image libraries frequently meant blurry, pixelated previews that took a few seconds to resolve into sharp thumbnails. At times it felt like using a prehistoric, web-based editor. Not Lightroom the Third. Thumbnail previews remain sharp even when you’re scrolling through massive image libraries (we loaded up a collection with 35,000 RAW images). Common tasks like switching from Library view to Develop view and exporting images to Photoshop are noticeably snappier. Essentially, everything about Lightroom 3 is really freaking fast when compared to Lightroom numero dos.

Also improved in Lightroom 3 is the new Import dialog, which has been rejiggered to resemble the rest of the app. The Import panel also has a few nifty tricks like the ability to zoom before you import. That means no more importing, then weeding out the blurry shots. Also kicked up a notch are the new set of sharpening and noise-reduction tools, which make it simple to get rid of noise in high-ISO images. The upgraded algorithm Adobe uses to weed out noise does an excellent job and manages to preserve the details of your image.

If you’ve got a RAW-capable point-and-shoot camera that is capable of high ISO settings, Lightroom 3 is worth the money for the noise reduction alone. While stand-alone noise-removal tools, like Noise Ninja, offer more fine-grained controls, Lightroom 3′s built-in tools are good enough that we’ve largely cast Noise Ninja aside.

Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for the new chromatic-aberration tools. Chromatic aberration refers to the unnatural fringes you sometimes see in the borders between dark and bright parts of a digital image (it often manifests as a purple halo). We were disappointed to find that Lightroom 3′s new tools failed to correct anything more than very light chromatic aberration. That’s not a problem for newer DSLRs, which generally don’t produce much distortion, but if you’re looking to patch up some heavy distortion, look elsewhere.

If you frequently use a wide-angle lens with significant barrel distortion, the new lens-correction tools can make fixing those distortions a one-click process — provided your lens is one of the supported Nikon, Canon or Sigma lenses.

Of course sometimes the lens distortion is exactly the effect you want, so Lightroom has separate controls for each type of distortion — for example you can correct barrel distortion, while leaving a natural vignette.

For those who use lenses without profiles, Adobe Labs offers a separate app, Adobe Lens Profile Creator, which you can use to make your profiles. Unfortunately, if you’ve got one of the new Micro 4/3 cameras, like Panasonic’s slick GF1, you’re basically screwed, there is currently no way to create a profile for Micro 4/3 cameras.

Lightroom 3 has also gone social, integrating with Flickr so you can upload, view comments and interact with your Flickr stream. Keep in mind that you’ll only see Flickr images published from Lightroom, there is no two-way sync. However, if you’ve got a Flickr Pro account you can edit and update images you’ve already uploaded from Lightroom.

Curiously, Lightroom does not currently offer any integration with Photoshop Mobile, Adobe’s own online storage and editing service.

The new Publish panel, which is where you’ll find the Flickr tools, does have a second option to publish to somewhere on your hard drive. As a bonus feature, the new publish tool means that you can now use Lightroom to manage your iPhone photos — just publish your Lightroom images to a folder and tell iTunes to sync photos from that folder.

While it’s not without it’s shortcomings, Adobe Lightroom 3 secures Lightroom’s place as the Cadillac of RAW editors and is more than worth the modest upgrade price.

WIRED Faster, sleeker, sexier upgrade from Lightroom 2. Greatly improved noise reduction and lens correction. Thumbnail preview is sharper than a Mensa meeting. Flickr integration. Finally.

TIRED Chromatic-aberration tools are straight up janky when compared to other improvements. Some might call it pricey when there’s so much freeware floating around out there. No integration with Photoshop Mobile is a bit baffling.

View full post on Wired Product Reviews

At least that’s what two security researchers from Trustwave say. Of course this is theoretical, but they have “Developed a kernel-level Android rootkit in the form of a loadable kernel module” Once the rootkit was running on the actual phone, the attacker could call using a “trigger number” which would allow them “full root access on the Android device” via TCP.

Naturally, this is only a proof of concept and hasn’t actually been seen “in the wild”. However, the researchers are planning to do a live demo of this exploit at next month’s Def Con conference.

For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides

Like Everything Else, Android Could Be Used Against You…

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums