Almost two years ago, sculptor Scott Freeland released the original iRetrofone dock in basic — now he's re-imagined his amazing iPhone docking station in classic white. The end result looks absolutely stunning when paired with Apple's white iPhone 4S. Each iRetrofone base is hand-cast with heavy-duty, half-inch thick urethane resin — creating a solid work station that routes voice communications through the functional handset. Expect to pay $195 for or black — both are compatible with iPhone 3G, 3GS or iPhone 4 and 4S. All that's needed now is the app ($.99) to make this retro desktop design complete. Instant feelings of childlike wonder come free upon delivery. Read More
In Apple's latest iPhone 4S advert "Rainy Day" — Siri helps quirky girl Zooey Deschanel transform a wet afternoon into the perfect day. The lovely star of airing on FOX — appears in the second celebrity powered iPhone ad for Apple that also included a ho hum in the first commercial of the series entitled "Date Night". The official is available for iPhone and iPad as a free download that interacts with the television broadcast when it airs each week. Apple is definitely taking their Siri push in the right direction by featuring celebs barking commands at iPhone 4S like a virtual butler. I tried suggesting to Siri to have tomato soup delivered like Zooey did and the results were actually spot on as advertised. Check out her awkward dance at the end of the ad... it's simply adorkable! Read More
Have you ever imagined what the back of any app icon might look like? San Francisco photographer , has done a very clever job creating a view of the icon from the other side. His instamatic film camera aesthetic adds so much fun to the icon — offering all of us a glimpse into the great unknown of the dollar iPhone app. I really like the idea that one commenter had — which could easily spin off into a crowd sourced designed coffee table book that explores the dark side of app icons. Imagine app icons as Pop Art. "You should totally make a series called "The Dark Side Of The Icon" and do the backside of a whole bunch of famous app icons." - Joaquim Marques Nielsen wrote. It's a very cool concept that could even spawn a slew of fine art gallery prints. Read More
It took only 50 days for mobile juggernaut "Draw Something" to crank past 50 million downloads and take over the number one spot again in the iTunes App Store by passing Angry Birds "Space". That milestone was "no easy egg to crack" since the latest edition of set its own record with 10 million downloads in three days since launching on March 22nd. Social game giant Zynga who purchased the Pictionary-esque "Draw Something" from developers OMGPOP one month ago — called their $180 million acquisition "one of the fastest growing web sensations." in a statement. "We believe it’s not only the fastest growing original mobile game of all time – 50 days to hit 50 million downloads — but one of the fastest growing web sensations that we’ve seen," Zynga said. Players have created some 6 billion works of art since Draw Something debuted two months ago — growing to the current rate of 3,000 drawings a second compared to just 3 drawings per second on launch day. is believed to generate approximately $250,000 a day for Zynga, with a paid version of the game priced at $1.99 or players can choose to opt in for the free ad supported version. Zynga is currently offering an upgrade to the paid edition at half off for a limited time. But buyers should be warned that just like Words With Friends, which allows players to compete against friends and strangers around the globe — there's an addictive quality to Draw Something that has a way of keeping you glued to the game for huge amounts of time. There is good reason why it's parked at number one with 50 millions downloads and counting. It's possible that 100 million could be much closer than anyone imagines, making Zynga's stock (ZNGA) look mighty attractive Read More
While megapixels only continue to increase, designer David Lindecrantz has deliberately chosen to hit the rewind button by delivering less pixels in an iPhone app that brings back the dithering imagery of a classic Macintosh. for iPhone strips back the detail from your snapshots — outputting 320 x 480 images in glorious, lo-fi black-and-white. The app offers up a few cool ways to tweak your images with high-contrast and low-contrast options, as well as two different real-time Atkinson dithering modes designed to approximate tones and shading using only black and white pixels. Although the final images produced at present are small, you can expect improvements to arrive with planned updates that include the ability to import photos into the app so users can apply the classic 1-Bit effect at will. I would also like the ability to turn off the snap volume and shoot snapshots using iPhone's volume + button. Lindecrantz iPad support with retina pixels, adaptive low-light auto-exposure and a more responsive experience in version 1.1 which should be available shortly in the App Store. Higher resolution images are also a must-have option needed to grab the attention of iPhoneography enthusiasts. 1-Bit Camera delivers the nostalgic magic of a vintage Macintosh display with a stellar user experience that should cost twice the price. It's well worth the $.99 as long as the feature set continues to expand with regular updates. There's a reason why this retro app has a 4.5 star rating out of the gate. Read More
...was already so much to love about Plumber Crack (free) before this meaningful update, but now there's truly something to cheer about. Unlocking levels opens up multiple outfit changes for these characters which include a skimpy cowgirl outfit for Betty, several more objects to throw and even a... Read More
Pig-hating Angry Birds fanatics can finally launch into orbit with Rovio's latest installment into their wildly popular franchise with Angry Birds Space ($.99) — which is now ready for download in the App Store. The game is expected to become the biggest launch yet for Rovio with new intergalactic characters and physics engine that adjusts for the idea of "zero-gravity" in space. Gamers will find 60 interstellar levels, brand new superpowers, sweet bank-shots off of planets and a bunch of hidden bonus levels in this one. is all about the ferocious fowl embarking on an epic chase into a wormhole to snatch back their kidnapped eggs while battling spaced out pigs. I've included the video trailer below below for a quick sneak peek into the storyline. Grab the essential free through The Daily App for iPhone, and iPod Touch. [] Read More
A few weeks ago I spent some time test driving Macphun's Silent Film Director ($1.99) app with plans to eventually crank out my own original Sci-Fi movie masterpiece. I had no idea that something quite as good as this short film created by Ben Model and Jeff Seal could be produced from such a simple app. This 2:36 iPhone film showcases the kind of work that can be accomplished with a well thought out app design, a willing cast of characters and a bit of old school imagination. includes several visual filters and silent movie soundtracks to choose from or you can just compose your own like Ben Model did. Once I realized that the app could produce full 1920x1080 HD, I was hooked. Even if you don't plan on entering your epic production into the — I think you'll find this little powerhouse app is well worth the two dollar billl. They had me at the silent hello. Read More
There's just no funner way to kill time than tossing melting chunks of ice into a plumber's crack for the better part of an hour. Fluik Entertainment has just added a certified juggernaut to their short list of casual games with Plumber Crack (free). The creators of such wildly popular iOS games as "Office Jerk" and my own favorite have moved past the workplace into a longtime cliche that is brilliantly fun to play. The Edmonton-based indie developers who've seen over 8 million downloads from their lineup of casual games in the past year are rapidly becoming masters of the medium. This new freemium app is certain to have many independent developers rushing to brainstorm their own titles by following Fluik's lead to "keep it simple", which seems to be resonating with iOS gamers. The iPad version of this game looks amazing, even though the graphic design here is kept deliberately simple. In-app purchases allow users to buy "Crack Bucks" from anywhere between $4.99 and $99.99 in order to unlock levels and alternate costumes to play dress-up with "crack boy." Launched only on March 1st, Plumber Crack has already worked its way up into the number 3 spot on the iTunes Free iPhone and iPad App charts. With this kind of repeated success, I'm certain that it won't be long before the dangerous minds at become an acquisition target by any number of companies seeking a turbo launch into the mobile game space. has plenty of room to grow on the back end (pun intended) if Fluick adds social features, regular updates, leaderboards and the potential of Game Center support which should boost this one into hyper-success mode. I can easily see an office version of this game I'd call "Quarter Slots", but I would imagine the visual design not Read More
Hurtling through space at what seems like lightspeed, your goal in Stay Alive ($.99) is exactly that — you must stay alive as you navigate through asteroids and fend off enemies, all while collecting orbs to upgrade your ship. It becomes a vicious cycle, collecting orbs to upgrade your ship just so you can collect more orbs — but you'll find this addicting game is the best of its kind. Your reflexes will be tested as you blast through space in the newest title from Drummer Games. There are 21 levels to play, but the real challenge comes in "endless mode". In this mode of gameplay your only objective is to fly as far as you can without dying while trying to beat your previous best distance. Each time you play the endless mode the level is randomly generated, presenting a new challenge at all times. has a simple but very appealing art style, but what stands out most to me in this game is the wonderful 8bit music. As you fly through deep space it's very important to have an enjoyable soundtrack, and the music in Stay Alive is exactly that. If you're looking for a game to keep you on your toes, this is a perfect choice. Your reflexes will be pushed to the limit as you shoot bad guys and dodge flying space rocks. For the competitive, the endless mode will have you glued to your phone trying to beat your own high score as you seek to scale up the leaderboards. Stay Alive is a real steal for just $.99, but if you're still not convinced there's a available for nonbelivers to test drive. Guest post by Jordan Schmidt - @JSchmidty Read More
