IK Multimedia's iRig Mix mixer has finally arrived in stores, and it's just as impressive now as it was back when we saw it in action at CES this year. The mixer is sturdy and impressively small, and it has hookups for two different sources, including two iOS devices or any other stereo input source, as well as an extra mic/instrument input. Those sounds can then be mixed together, balanced, or tweaked with EQ, and sent out to a headphone jack on the bottom, and a stereo RCA output on the top. In short, this is a great full-featured mixer for mixing together sounds from almost anywhere. The biggest bonus here, however, is that the mixer also works with IK's apps on the App Store, so downloading DJ Rig or any of the other apps will sound extra nice coming through this thing. And there's an X-Sync feature built in to the mixer that works with the DJ app to beatmix for you, making for super simple DJing: Just start up the apps on your iOS devices, turn X-Sync on, and the mixer will beatmatch automatically. The whole kit is very impressive, and even if you just need a mixer for occasional audio use (unrelated to your iOS devices), it would probably work great. Plus, it's out now for just $99, and good luck finding an equivalent professional mixer at that price. Read More
Bejeweled is probably the most popular mobile game out there, but for some reason, PopCap has never actually released it officially on the iPad. It's been out on the iPhone before, and of course you could play it on Apple's tablet, but it has never run natively. Until now, that is -- PopCap has finally released Bejeweled HD, which means you can now play the grandaddy of gem matching games in full Retina Display style. The game is now $3.99, and it's got special modes like Diamond Mine and Butterflies, four special gems to put together, and all of the usual extras that we've seen in Bejeweled games before. If you think the price is high, PopCap has sales on its titles pretty often, so we may eventually see it drop, but keep in mind this is an iPad title, and PopCap usually tries to keep those up as long as possible. Read More
Most takes on real-time strategy for the App Store have to corrupt the form in some way, yet some still turn out well (see Total War Battles for a a great RTS game that takes a different turn). But Amoebattle impressively does RTS as you expect it. You choose units, send them around exploring, and tap to attack or move through the fog of war in real-time. There are nine different unit types to be discovered during the campaign, and each has its own attributes and abilities. The graphics are cute and colorful, but the tactics are hard to master -- especially near the end, when the game has no shortage of challenges to overcome. Amoebattle is an excellent RTS title for Apple's touchscreen devices, something that a lot of RTS fans have dreamed about ever since the iPad was first announced. It's not perfect, but it doesn't skimp from RTS traditions, even on a mobile device, and it holds up to them well. The game is US$4.99, in a universal version, on the App Store now. Read More
Time Warner Cable and Viacom announced in a joint press release that the two companies have resolved their disagreement over video streaming to mobile devices. Details of the settlement were not announced. The new-found friendliness means Viacom shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart will be available to Time Warner Cable subscribers who watch TV via the TWC TV app. The additional channels should be added in the next few weeks. Customers can download The TWC TV app from the iOS App Store for free. It requires a Time Warner Cable subscription. Read More
Republique is an upcoming iOS title that's made a lot of noise by getting funded on Kickstarter recently, to the tune of half a million dollars, but I've had one nagging question about it: How exactly are they going to distribute the app to all of their backers? The most obvious solution would be to put a password gate inside of an app, but Apple doesn't allow that. If you have to lock content in your app, then you're clearly selling it outside of the App Store, which means you're dodging Apple's 30% cut. So what's their plan? Republique hasn't yet said, only that it's still being decided. Fortunately, however, here's the answer. The folks behind Zombies, Run! say that all they had to do to distribute an app for Kickstarter backers was ... ask. Apple agreed to let them have two versions of the app on the store -- one just for sale, and another that was free with a password gate in it. There were two limits, however: There had to be at least some content in the password-closed app, so people who just randomly came across it weren't confused. And Apple made the app developers take down any preorders once the app went live, so that Apple didn't lose any sales of its own. Good to hear that distribution this way is possible -- there are a few other Kickstarter projects that will need to make use of a plan like this when they are released. The key, according to Six to Start, is to get in touch with Apple early, and keep that communication flowing. Read More
My son is home sick today, but instead of staring at the TV he's poking at some strategy games on the iPad. As luck would have it, iMore published an extensive list of free iPad games, broken down by category. There are some easy hits, like Angry Birds Free, but also some little gems like Wind-up Knight, Forever Drive and Spice Bandits. If you or a friend is wondering what games to try out first on an iPad, you can't go wrong here. Read More
Inkling is an e-book publishing platform that's currently running an app on the App Store, and while Apple has been making an official push for more textbooks in iBooks, Inkling is strengthening its own holdings. The company has made a deal with Follett to bring hundreds of Inkling titles into college bookstores, where students can buy the ebook content right there in person. The company is selling whole textbooks, or it's also offering a program called "Pick 3," which allows students to grab three chapters of a book at a time, keeping costs down if teachers or students don't need the whole book. Overall, this may not be cheaper, however -- don't forget that students who buy real books can often have a chance to resell them, or can buy them used, and with ebooks, there's obviously no resale value. The Follett deal should be ready by the time students head back to school in the fall. Read More
Ozgood is an interesting little iPhone game from a few developers who've worked for bigger game companies, and have recently gone independent. Most iPhone games deal with the platform's hardware by either just going with 2D graphics or trying relatively simple 3D -- it's usually only bigger developers like Epic Games that can really use an engine like Unreal to wring really colorful graphics out of the iPhone. But RunWilder, the developers of Ozgood, took an entirely different tack: They took video of a real life puppet, and then put it together with 2D backgrounds and 3D items to make this virtual pet game. The result is a very unique kind of wonderful. Ozgood is a crazy little guy full of personality, and the app (which is free right now) is full of content. There's a "story" you can play through by feeding Ozgood certain things and interacting with him in certain ways, there's a "studio mode" where you can use him to make messages to send along to friends, and there's an ongoing metagame as well, where you can feed Ozgood a fake soda called Chugg and even share six packs of it with your friends online. The app is silly -- it's very kid friendly, and Ozgood can sometimes be crass with his burps and various bodily functions. But even for adults, it's wild to see how these developers used a puppet to make this app, and there's clearly a lot of skill in how it's all put together. Ozgood is a free universal download that's definitely worth checking out. Read More
Below is a video demonstration of the app Airplane. Touch the "Take Off" button to hear the sound of an airplane engine. Shake the phone to hear a flight attended tell you to put your seatbelt on. That's it. We leave you with this free app from the "Entertainment" category (that's a stretch) and a hearty "no comment." Read More
