Every week, our staff will handpick an app from the past seven days that we believe is a must-download for your iPhone or iPad. These apps will always be from various categories, but they are chosen because our own staff members love it and have been using them daily. So here are this week’s picks! Enjoy!
Our App of the Week will allow you to visually capture your thoughts.
Our app pick this week is great for those with iPads and appreciate sketching or handwriting notes. Inkflow is a “word-processor for visual thinkers.”
With Inkflow, you can create notebooks with 20 pages or unlimited with the Pro version. The app uses a smooth and fluid ink engine so that it feels realistic to a real pen and paper, so you can naturally capture your ideas.
What makes it different from other apps is the ability to select a portion of ink on the page and freely resize it to your liking. There are even tips in the app’s Quickstart notebook, suggesting that you can stretch out a selection for thinner text, or even making it appear bolder. Selections can be deleted as well, and there is always the undo button.
If you decide to upgrade to the Pro version (only on the iPad), you will get a full color palette, other tools (pencil, erasure, brush), cut, copy, and paste management, unlimited pages in your notebooks, and other bonuses. This upgrade is better for sketching, but it’s nice to have if other apps haven’t met your requirements.
I recommend checking out this app on the iPad rather than the iPhone, even though it’s universal. The iPhone version doesn’t have the undo button for some reason, has less space and the Pro upgrade only applies to the iPad.
The app isn’t as intuitive as I’d like it to be, but it’s still worth checking out to see if it will work for you. It’s free in the App Store, so give it a spin.
Make sure to catch the live streams of your favorite 5by5 podcasts.
If you’re a fan of fine audio programming, then 5by5 Radio is a must-have app. The app is pretty simple, but you are able to catch the live broadcasts of all of the podcasts on the 5by5 network.
Set up push notifications for your favorite shows, and you’ll be alerted the second the live stream for that podcast is about to start. The app will open to the main screen, which is audio playback. By default, the app doesn’t start playing immediately — you’ll have to tap on the Play button.
If there is no live stream, the app will play rebroadcasts from “Best of 5by5.” You’ll be able to see how many people are listening to the stream, and playback can be paused or refreshed at any time.
The audio quality of the stream is exceptional, and we’d expect no less from Dan Benjamin and his great podcast network.
If you’re a fan of the 5by5 network of podcasts, or are looking for some great programming to tune into, then go download 5by5 Radio for $2.99 in the App Store.
Check out my original review here.
For video coverage of these apps in action, make sure to check out Robin’s AppAdvice Daily below!
New Apple retail stores are opening soon in four countries including Canada and the United States. These follow recent store openings in Germany, Spain, and Australia, according to 9to5Mac.
In Canada, the Market Mall in Calgary, Alberta will welcome a 5,448 square-foot store later this year. In the United States, new stores are coming to the City Creek Center Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah and at Valley Plaza Mall in Bakersfield, California.
La Défense
In France, meanwhile, a new Apple store will open in the Quatre Temps shopping center at La Défense. The store is expected to open next month. Finally, in the United Kingdom, a new store (21,045 square-foot) in the Drake Circus Shopping Centre in Plymouth is expected to arrive later this year. A Zara retail store currently in this location is set to close before the end of the month.
At the beginning of 2012, Apple had 363 retail locations throughout the world, which included 246 in the United States. In total, 40 new stores have or will launch sometime around the world in 2012.
Source: 9to5Mac
Photo: MacGeneration
Turn your iPhone or iPad into a mobile photo editing studio with esDot Studio’s PicShop HD. We also have a physics-based puzzle game that requires you to knock blocks off of platforms, and an arcade soccer game with platformer elements mixed in.
All app prices are subject to change at any time and without notice regardless of stated free duration. Price changes are solely under the control of the developers.
Blackjack 21 ($1.99 → Free, 5.0 MB): Play blackjack just like you would in Vegas with this card game. It features actual game play gestures, allowing you to swipe down to hit, double tap to double down, and swipe left to right to stand. The game also includes multiple deck and table themes, a wide variety of customization options, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.
Blackjack 21 is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 1151 ratings.
Ticket to Ride Pocket ($1.99 → Free, 19.0 MB): A dream come true for board game lovers. This digital adaptation of the best-selling Ticket to Ride board game has you taking turns with your opponent playing railway cards in order to claim routes on a map. The game includes a tutorial video, a single player mode with four AI personalities, local and online multiplayer modes, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.
Ticket to Ride Pocket is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 11552 ratings.
Blosics ($0.99 → Free, 40.0 MB): This physics-based puzzle game requires you to take down massive block structures by firing balls at them. You’re able to shoot balls from the launch zone towards the structures using one of two control schemes. There isn’t a limit to the amount of balls you can use to knock all of the blocks off of their platforms, just keep in mind that each shot you take will cost you points. The game includes four environments, 120 levels, 13 different powerful balls to earn, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.
Blosics is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 743 ratings.
Blast Ball ($0.99 → Free, 40.8 MB): This is what you get when you add platformer elements to an arcade soccer game. Blast Ball requires you to run around the screen scoring goals with different types of balls while somehow avoiding the bad guys. The game includes retro vector art, three stadiums, dozens of ball types, iCade compatibility, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.
Blast Ball is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 6 ratings.
PicShop HD – Photo Editor ($4.99 → Free, 18.0 MB): Turn your iPhone or iPad into a mobile editing studio with this powerful photography app. Whether you’re a professional photographer or just enjoy messing around with filters, you’ll love the selection of tools PicShop has to offer. It includes a handful of editing options, loads of customizable filters and effects, frames and overlays, stickers, and the ability to add text or draw right on top of your photo. You can also share your finished product via email, Facebook, or Twitter.
PicShop HD – Photo Editor is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 85 ratings.
Word Fusion ($0.99 → Free, 11.1 MB): Knowledge is power, and it’s also what fills the beakers in this fast-paced word game. You’re able to create words by dragging your finger horizontally or vertically across single letter tiles. You can also swap any two tiles on the board by dragging your finger in the direction you want them swapped. Create words of different lengths to fill all of the beakers at the bottom of the screen before time expires. The game includes five modes, local and online multiplayer, 22 levels, and leaderboards via Game Center.
Word Fusion is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 24 ratings.
WikiView – Wikipedia Reader ($1.99 → Free, 10.3 MB): Search Wikipedia in style with this easy to use reference app. Its clean user interface allows you to make quick work of discovering articles, but also allows you to customize your Wikipedia experience in a variety of ways. The app allows you to change the font type, font size, and color scheme for each article. You can also save articles for later, look up words in Wiktionary, search for specific text, bookmark articles, share articles via email or Twitter, and even print entire articles via AirPrint.
WikiView – Wikipedia Reader is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 88 ratings.
That concludes today’s issue of Apps Gone Free. If you like staying on top of these daily deals, don’t forget to check out our free AppsGoneFree app. 
It provides all the deals each day, and even an archive of past deals that are still active.
If you are a developer who would like to get your app included in our “Apps Gone Free” daily lists, here’s our basic set of rules:
To submit an app, simply send a request to tyler@appadvice.com with the subject “Apps Gone Free.” Please include the name of the app, a link to it in the App Store, when and for how long you intend to offer the app for free, and anything else you would like to share. We will take it from there.
While large companies such as EA, and now Rovio, dominate the App Store with titles like Angry Birds Space and FIFA Soccer 12, there has still never been a better time to be an indie developer. Parachute Apps is the embodiment of the new generation of indie developer.
Parachute Apps is a small company. In fact it is made up of just two brothers, Ben and James, that code in their spare time. They have been toiling away for some time now to bring us their latest title, and first game, Mazes.
The developer has created a short teaser trailer of the debut title, seen here:
If you cannot view the embedded video above, it can also be seen by clicking here.
Mazes is a casual puzzle game with a simple, yet intuitive control system. There are no controls seen on screen. You can, instead, simply swipe anywhere on the screen to change the direction you want to move in.
The puzzles available get progressively harder.
According to the developer, Mazes features:
- Casual pick-up-and-play experience
- Intuitive swipe controls
- Increasingly difficult levels
- Rustic Retina graphics
- Groovy Jazz soundtrack
- Compatible with all iOS devices
Parachute Apps previous iOS app, Metafy for Spotify, received some critical acclaim and was even featured on LifeHacker. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the developers first game.
Mazes will be released on May 24. We will have a full review for you here upon its release. Are you looking forward to trying a bit of old school gaming come next week?
The trend for zombie based television and games is still alive and well, unlike the zombies in question. After so many zombie games on iOS, such as Zombie Highway, everything that can be done with the genre has been done, right? Developer Naquatic thinks differently.
Meet Affliction, the worlds first virtual reality zombie shooter. The developer has created a very short teaser trailer of the game, to get you foaming at the mouth:
If you cannot view the embedded video above, it is also available by clicking here.
While looking impressive, the trailer shows little about the unique nature of Affliction and the way you navigate the game world. The game utilizes the iPad’s gyroscope to allow you to look around and explore your surroundings. Hear a noise behind you? You will need to turn your whole body around to see what is approaching.
The team have created a second video, showing off the exciting approach they are taking with Affliction:
If you cannot view the embedded video above, it is also available by clicking here.
Naquatic describes their game not as a simulation, but as a window into the game world. With the power of the iPad you can, “Step into this terrifyingly immersive world and arm yourself for survival.”
Affliction will be wonderful in a darkened room.
Affliction can be played alone, with a friend, or with strangers via online matchmaking. The game sounds like great fun to me, and will be able to try yourself, when it is released May 26.
Keep an eye on AppAdvice for a full review once Affliction hits the streets!
The final Apple product designed by Steve Jobs will likely hit the market later this year. Indeed, it will be the sixth-generation iPhone, according to Bloomberg News.
The iPhone 4S arrived in October, just hours after Steve Jobs’ death. At the time, many Apple fans suggested the newest handset was “4Steve.” As the months went by, however, we heard that the iPhone 4S really wasn’t the handset the late Apple co-founder envisioned releasing for 2011. Instead, it was the mystical “iPhone 5.”
During much of last year, Apple was actively working on an iPhone prototype with a 4-inch screen and vastly different form factor. Instead, Jobs killed off the handset just months before Apple was going to announce it. He thought it would “fragment” the company’s iPhone line, much like the many Android handsets fragment Google’s mobile operating system.
Move ahead one year and Jobs’ final product is almost certainly close to fruition. The next iPhone, if the rumors are correct, will include a bigger screen, thinner form factor, improved camera, and perhaps a different Home button.
I always felt Jobs’ “iPhone 5” would eventually see the light of day. Indeed, that day appears on the horizon; one final product developed and “4Steve.”
Getting excited about the next iPhone launch? What do you want the sixth-generation iPhone to include?
Last March, we offered our readers an exclusive look at Norman Basham’s latest game, The Rebus Show. Today, a free version of the game has hit the App Store. Best of all, the game is now universal.
Originally released for the iPad, The Rebus Show finds its roots in the allusional device known as the rebus, which uses photos to represent words or parts of words. Rebuses, which have been around since the Middle Ages, gained popularity in pop culture with the game show “Concentration” in 1958. The method was renewed in the 1980s with the introduction of “Catchphrase,” a United Kingdom game show that aired from 1986-2002.
Recognizing its historical roots, The Rebus Show looks very old school, but is perfectly crafted for Apple’s tablet. In the game, you guess rebuses using an old-fashioned keyboard as your only tool, in order to gain points. Each round begins with 100 points, but this number drops depending on the number of hints that are used or mistakes that are made. From there, you may share your puzzles on Twitter or send them to family and friends using email.
Naturally, as the game advances, you’ll encounter puzzles of increasing difficulty.
The Rebus Show
The Rebus Show Free offers all the fun of the original game, but with fewer puzzles. Once you get comfortable playing the game, a $1.99 in-app purchase will upgrade it to the full version.
Meanwhile, The Rebus Show Version 1.2 has also been released offering more puzzles, Facebook integration, and smoother transitions.
The Rebus Show and The Rebus Show Free are available now in the App Store. Basham’s other titles include: Cryptogram ($1.99, universal), Crypto-Families ($1.99, universal), and Quotefalls ($1.99, universal)
Even as player participation in Draw Something is said to be declining, a couple of guys is keeping their hopes up for The Draw Thing. Created especially for the OMGPOP-developed and now Zynga-owned online Pictionary game for iOS, The Draw Thing is meant to replace your fat fingers as your drawing weapon of choice.
The Draw Thing is an ongoing project by a pair of self-described “creative out-of-the-box thinkers,” Dan Weinstein and Doron J Fetman. “The Draw Thing was born out of our desire to have a really great stylus for the amazing Draw Something game,” said Dan and Doron. “We bought several different stylus models currently available on the market but they all suffered the same problem: they were designed to look and feel like a pen and did not have kids in mind.” In addition, they were all quite expensive.
If you can’t see the video embedded above, please click here.
As announced in the promotional video above, The Draw Thing is intended to be a stylus that’s affordable and appealing to Draw Something fans, real kids and kids at heart alike. It has an iPhone- and iPad-compatible capacitive tip and an interchangeable rubber sleeve. With the project currently in its prototype stage, Dan and Doron have turned to Indiegogo for help on crowd-funding the completion of The Draw Thing. If you’d like to contribute and be rewarded with perks ranging from an original yellow The Draw Thing stylus to your own Draw Something portrait to be included in the project’s contributor gallery on Indiegogo, please click here. The Indiegogo campaign aims to raise at least $7,200 by June 13.
If you’re looking to improve your often unintentionally hilarious Draw Something sketches, you can do far worse than to draw out a bit of your funds for The Draw Thing. So, are you up for this … thing?
Some people like the vicarious thrill of the fight. Whether it’s in a simulation of real fighting technique, or a fantastical display of flashy special moves, fighting games are a popular genre. This AppGuide will narrow down some of the best of them. Please note that different people may have different definitions about what constitutes a “fighting game.” For the purposes of this article, a fighting game is one where a player engages a single opponent in close combat. This AppGuide has been updated to reflect some significant additions and changes since the last update. It will not include side-scrolling action games that involve combat on a mass scale.
You are no doubt familiar with iOS puzzle games that require clearing blocks. Usually, blocks in these games are grouped by color, and all you have to do is to tap groups of blocks of the same color to get them off the board. Easy, right? And boring for the most part. Thankfully, Codename.co is set to clear a great deal of boredom out of block-clearing puzzles with its first ever App Store release, Directional.
What’s so special about Directional? The answer, as it happens, lies in the game’s name. Directional adds a new dimension to block-clearing, and that dimension is something called direction. The game involves color matching, to be sure, but each color is associated with a certain direction. Green blocks have up arrows in them, orange ones have down arrows, blue blocks go right, and pink ones go left. In order to get rid of blocks of the same color, not only do you have to tap them, but you also have to swipe them off in the direction they indicate.
If you can’t see the videos embedded above, please click here and here.
Directional has two game modes, which the two videos above sufficiently demonstrate. Both played under time pressure, the two modes are differentiated only by the direction from which new blocks are formed. In Classic Mode, new blocks are sent forth from only one direction, while in Expert Mode, new blocks come from a random corner of the screen. I imagine you have to think quickly before you tap a group of blocks in the latter mode if you really want to maximize your score within the time limit. How’s that? Well, as is customary for the genre, the more blocks cleared at a time, the bigger the score.
Directional supports Game Center leaderboards and achievements, sharing of scores via Twitter and Facebook, and iPhone Retina display. The game is free to download in the App Store, but it comes with a 30-second mode only. If you want to unlock the game’s 60-second and 120-second modes, you can get the full version of Directional via a $0.99 in-app purchase.
If you had any sense of direction, you’d have downloaded this free game by now.
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