Recap: Week of Apr 20 – Baby Shaker Insights

Baby-Shaker-11 Well that was a helluv a week. Looking back, it’s a bit funny … we discovered the Baby Shaker app on Tuesday night, April 21. We debated whether to write about Baby Shaker or another KRAPPS, even consulting the opinion of a few friends … it was a unanimous decision. Guess we had a “feeling”, because we started our Baby Shaker article with the following premonition:

“Our apologies in advance – this will not be a typical KRAPPS post. To borrow a baseball analogy, our mission is to hit what Apple tees up and this next one is going out of the park.”

And boy did Baby Shaker fly right out of the App Store park, creating a worldwide firestorm, picked up by every major media outlet – blogs, web sites, newspapers, television and radio. Google “Baby Shaker iPhone” … the returned results are well over 1 million.

babyshakertweet1dated

Turns out Jennipher Dickens (@mom2amiracle), who founded a nonprofit organization (Stop Shaken Baby Syndrome, Inc.) after her son Christopher was injured from being shaken by his father, saw our Baby Shaker article … tweeted her disgust and forwarded a press release to 30,000 media companies citing KRAPPS as the source of the story. Well we all know what happened next … worldwide coverage … Apple removing Baby Shaker and issuing a public apology.

Here at KRAPPS we received a ton of media inquiries. We did a radio interview on San Diego-based 91X Morning Radio Show with Mat Diablo (which will be a reoccurring segment) and will conduct a video interview with The Wall Street Journal shortly.

KneadleLogo KRAPPS servers were under extreme stress due to the insane increase in traffic on April 22. We thought perhaps things might subside on April 23, but to the contrary, traffic was even higher than the previous day. Our buddy at Kneadle (graphic & interactive design studio) hosts KRAPPS – but on April 23 informed us that KRAPPS traffic was bringing his business to a standstill and that we must leave … LOL … guess we wore out or welcome. So during the middle of the day, April 23, Kneadle conducted a practically seamless KRAPPS transition to Media Temple. Think we were down for about 20 minutes during the migration … but Kneadle kicked ass during the Baby Shaker incident and we owe our asses to them.

All in all, Baby Shaker made for crazy week behind the scenes at KRAPPS. But believe it or not, we wrote other articles this week … so in case you missed any of the other festivities, quick links to this week’s articles:

Apr 20: The Impossible Dream … we only imagined this app in our wildest dreams!
Apr 21: Who Poops Gold? … discover what Apple does while taking a dump
Apr 22: Baby Shaker – It’s Not Funny Apple … the article that started the worldwide firestorm
Apr 22: Shake Baby Until It Dies Update … timeline and details of the firestorm
Apr 22: Appy Newz Cover Contest … enter to win KRAPPS t-shirts and other cool prizes
Apr 24: Gangstas And Homies … wanna be a gangsta? there’s an app for that!
Apr 25: Rogue Touch Rocks … our anti-KRAPPS review of the Rogue Touch game

April 26, 2009 | Filed Under News, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Rogue Touch Rocks

By demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps thru a network of guest authors.
written by guest author Tim Giron (follow on Twitter @timgiron)

RogueTouchLogo Breathing new life into a 30 year old game, the recently released Rogue Touch (by ChronoSoft) is a port of the venerable game of Rogue to the iPhone/iPod Touch. Rogue was one of the first graphical computer games and has a storied past of being ported to just about every platform since its release in 1980. The goal of the game is to descend 26 levels into a dungeon to retrieve an amulet and then return to the surface. No walk in the park, you will confront a menacing array of monsters along the way.

Rogue Touch utilizes the same style of dungeon layout as the original, while offering many new and updated features. Movement in the game is via touching the sides of the screen or by calling up a virtual arrow pad. I started playing in the touch mode, since that is the default, but once I switched to the D-pad, I found that I actually liked that interface better.

RogueTouch1    RogueTouch2

The graphics have an old school feel, an homage to the great graphical games of the past. My favorite of the monsters that I have encountered is the skeleton, even though I haven’t yet been able to get past it. Also high on the list of bad things to run into are the slimes. If you don’t make quick work of a slime, you will soon find yourself surrounded by them as the split and multiply quickly. The only graphic that I found out of place was the dungeon walls, which have crenellations atop them, only really appropriate for an above ground structure.

The music in Rogue Touch is quite good. A rousing introduction gives way to a great set of ambient sounds, which appeared to change based on the monsters that were present. If you tire of the damp, drippy dungeon sounds, you can always play your own iPod music and turn off the music/sound in the game. The settings are presented within the Settings application, so make sure you get everything set up before loading up the game.

RogueTouch4    RogueTouch3

To date, I’ve only survived into level six. Since the dungeon layout is randomized each time you start a new game, you can’t rely on previous knowledge to guide you. Sometimes the next set of stairs down is nearby and sometimes it is not. In the later levels, you will find rooms that are shrouded in darkness, so you might miss treasure or a monster if you don’t fully explore. Often, you will catch a monster napping. If you are lucky, they won’t wake up and you can scoot by them.

During one of my games I descended into a room with only one door that led to a dead-end hallway. I crawled every inch looking for a hidden door, but was unable to find one. Not sure if it was a program bug, or if I just happened to miss the correct square to search.

Some of the updates that are specific to this port are additional monsters, an auto-map that comes in very handy when trying to figure out where the last room on a level is, and in later levels, the ability to uncover additional character types to play (I have yet to find myself worthy).

 

All in all, Rogue Touch is a worthwhile addition to the iPhone. A nostalgic game  with plenty of updates that take advantage of the premier mobile gaming device.
Click here Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF to purchase Rogue Touch ($2.99) from the App Store now.

EDITOR’S NOTE: yeah – what Tim said! we love well made, high quality old school tribute games … and Rogue Touch does total justice to the original 1980 ASCII version. Oh – and make sure you check out the Worldwide Leaderboard and dedicated Discussion Forums. Rogue Touch rocks and is absolutely
100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

April 25, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 6 Comments 

Gangstas And Homies

photo via PunditKitchen.com ‘Sup G?!?! Where you at Playa?!?! West Coast in da house … kickin’ it gansta style!! Yeah boy!! Playa you pimpin’ now? Rollin’ in da BLING? Yaaaa what … no? … check it –> KRAPPS bling edition.

K … you blingin’ now – good! Now we get all gansta ya … cuz that’s how Apple rolls … wanna be a gansta? – yeah boy!! – there’s an app for that!!

LOL … there’s actually two apps for all those iPhone carrying gangsta wannabes. First up, we have the Gunsta app which boldly claims … “Shoot It Like A Gansta”. This app is similar to the way too many iPhone guns blasting the App Store lately … only it’s gangsta style … a gold-plated gun for additional gangsta-ness (go figure, didn’t know real G’s use gold-plated guns – learn something new every day I guess). Anyways, read the Gunsta description for yourself – paying special attention to the value-added benefit of “also works for lefties” (ha … these guys just crack us up) …

GunstaDesc

Gunsta1    Gunsta2

Ok … so now you rollin’ with your gold-plated gun, just blasting away … what else you need to be a real iPhone gansta? A 40 ounce of course! Come on, you know the streets are mean in iPhone-land and like the app says, “do you ever wish you could pour one out for a homie, but don’t have a 40oz nearby?” Well now you do, with the Pour1Out app. And continuing to quote the app … “now you can impress your friends with how street you are by pouring one out next time Tupac or Biggie is bumping” … huh?

(note – “Pour One Out For My Homies”: the act of pouring liquid (usually an alcoholic beverage) on the ground as a sign of reverence for friends or relatives that have passed away. In most cases, a 40 ounce bottle of liquor is used)

40cozyDesc

 

And for your continued gansta viewing pleasure … we highly recommend checking out Pour1Out’s App Store user reviews. They are a story unto themselves … but more on that later … we’ll just leave you with a censored tease that snuck by Apple’s profanity filter.

40CozyDescCLEAN

April 24, 2009 | Filed Under Entertainment | 1 Comment 

Shake Baby Until It Dies Update

shakebabytweet We went live with the our Baby Shaker story early this morning around 1:00am PST, including an announcement on Twitter. The first retweet was at 5:30am PST by @Dixwifey. From there, the word started to spread. We made a timezone re-tweet at 10:45am PST and after that, all hell broke loose with multiple re-tweets, passionate comments and outcries towards Apple requesting that Baby Shaker be removed from the App Store.

sbretweet2

sbretweet1

At 11:07am PST, CNET broke the Baby Shaker story on their site (crediting KRAPPS). Shortly thereafter, Tech Crunch broke the story (crediting CNET). Twitter was going off with Baby Shaker tweets and retweets (still is at the time of writing). At approximately 3:30pm PST, mainstream media has picked up the Baby Shaker story: New York Times, Boston Herald, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and more by the minute via Google News search.

In the end, the people were heard and Apple removed Baby Shaker … but not without exposure to a seriously flawed application approval system.

BSgone2   IMG_0055

Child abuse is not funny … shaking a baby on your iPhone until it dies is just F’ed up (just read the viewer comments below for real life child abuse horror stories) and not a laughing nor entertaining matter.

 

To conclude, reading the various Baby Shaker buzz, we’ve been noticing that Apple fanboy thinks Apple can do no wrong … saying Baby Shaker is not Apple’s fault, rather the developers. Uhhhh, WRONG NUT JOB! Apple is 100% responsible for the products they sell. Doesn’t matter if they developed it or not … if Apple sells it, they are responsible for the product … so STFU Apple fanboy and mix in a dose of reality.

,

April 22, 2009 | Filed Under News, Uncategorized | 127 Comments 

Appy Newz Cover Contest

AppyNewzIcon Contests are cool! We love ‘em and judging by our past promotions, you love ‘em as well. So KRAPPS has teamed up with Appy Entertainment to present our viewers the Appy Newz Cover Contest – a fun, unique and easy-to-enter competition for some really awesome prizes. Click here for more information about Appy Newz in our anti-KRAPPS article.

Entry Dates:
Now through Wednesday, April 29, 2009

How To Enter:
Create a custom cover using your Appy Newz iPhone app (click here if you need to purchase). Each individual can submit up to 3 covers. Email covers to info@KRAPPS.com

A celebrity panel (including Fake Steve Jobs and Appy) will judge covers by a variety of factors: originality, creativity, humor and more. Please note, covers do not have to necessarily be a strict tabloid magazine cover … could be a Mother’s Day Card or maybe a Party Invitation … use your imagination, get creative, win a prize

For your viewing pleasure, all entries will be displayed at Appy’s Flickr page

KRAPPS_Shirt Prizes:
Grand Prize – Be The App and KRAPPS T-Shirt
What is this Be The App??? … talk about unique … you will become part of Appy Newz … either as a permanent face or a background object. yes – you will Be The App and immortalized forever in Appy Newz. Be advised, immortality is complex and not an overnight slam dunk … rest assured, the grand prize winner will indeed Be The App, but factoring in production schedules and Apple’s approval process, immortality might take a bit of time.

Second Place – Autographed Appy Newz Logo Print and KRAPPS T-Shirt
Appy memorabilia rocks … receive a high quality color print of the Appy Newz logo signed by everyone at Appy Entertainment who was responsible for its launch.

Third Place – Autographed Appy Character Print and $12 Starbucks Gift Card
More rockin’ Appy memorabilia … receive a high quality color print of the Appy character signed by its creator/artist Farzad. and yes, not a typo … $12 Starbucks card … why? – cuz we’re just weird like that.

Fourth Place – Autographed Appy Character Print and $8 Starbucks Gift Card

Fifth Place – Autographed Appy Character Print

So start your creative engines and get movin’ … good luck to all!

IMG_0238

April 22, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, News | 4 Comments 

Baby Shaker – It’s Not Funny Apple!

(update: app has been removed – CLICK HERE for details)

Our apologies in advance – this will not be a typical KRAPPS post. To borrow a baseball analogy, our mission is to hit what Apple tees up and this next one is going out of the park.

Ever hear of SBS? Per Wikipedia … “Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a form of child abuse that occurs when an abuser violently shakes an infant, creating a whiplash-type motion that causes acceleration-deceleration injuries. The injury is estimated to affect between 1,200 and 1,600 children every year in the USA. SBS is often fatal and can cause severe brain damage, resulting in lifelong disability.” Besides death and brain damage, shaking a baby can cause blindness, leaning problems, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy and paralysis. Yeah, pretty disgusting stuff … repulsive and sickening.

So obviously child abuse is no laughing matter … and maybe it’s just us, but we would never even joke about child abuse and use it as a form of entertainment. Maybe we’re just square pegs and out of the norm because apparently Apple and the folks at Sikalosoft think shaking a baby is funny. Head to the App Store … and search the Entertainment category … there you will find the Baby Shaker iPhone app.

BabyShakerDesc

Now don’t get us wrong – we’re not on some vigilante justice hunt. We know there was no malicious intent by Sikalosoft. And we know that Apple are complete dumbasses when it comes to approving apps (even if the app includes a disclaimer – “Never, never shake a baby”), driven by quantity over quality. But come one … combining the title Baby Shaker with the objective of stopping an annoying crying baby is simply irresponsible and utterly idiotic. You would think Apple would stay totally clear of any iPhone app remotely resembling child abuse … but if you’ve paid any attention to KRAPPS, it’s really not surprising.

BabyShake1 BabyShake2 BabyShake3

loser Ok, we get it … crying babies can indeed get annoying. On a plane, at a restaurant, in the hotel room next to yours … we get it, annoying … shut that kid up! But Apple, try using just half your freaking money-making brain and reject Baby Shaker … tell Sikalosoft to make some revisions, call the damn thing Pacify Junior and mix in some pacifiers to calm the baby down. See how easy that was … simple stuff, sort of funny while protecting the integrity of the Apple brand. And never forget … reality bites – release Baby Shaker and you get douchebag users leaving loser reviews like the one below (yeah, look for it … look for the word CHOCKING) …

ShakeBabyComment

April 22, 2009 | Filed Under Entertainment | 1,191 Comments 

Who Poops Gold?

Hi … question for ya … what do you do when you’re pooping on the toilet? No … seriously … we wanna know – when you’re sitting on the porcelain throne, whatcha got going?

funnytoilet1 LOL – too personal? Fair enough. But we promise we have a point – we ain’t that freaky (well we are, we just won’t admit it).

Actually, picture this scene from the Family Feud game show … “100 people surveyed – top seven answers on the board –here’s the question – Name Something People Do While Taking A Poop … BEEEEEEP … read a newspaper …
yes, #1 answer!”

So ok, read a newspaper, what else … cut your fingernails? … homework? … eat? … listen to music? … tequila shots? And we think it’s safe to assume plenty of iPhone action on the pooper – textin’, emailin’, twitterin’, gamin’, etc.

poopriceturd But hey … here’s a great pooping activity – and it comes highly recommended by Apple. Next time you’re dropping the kids of at the pool while at work … whip out your betchin’ iPhone and calculate your poo’s worth. Yup – you got it … introducing the latest and greatest app approved by Apple … Poo Price (by Gourmet Pixel) … the only application that calculates the value of your dump. Yeah it’s dope (NOT) … just keep reading the app’s description for further awesomeness proof …

“Going to the toilet during work hours – it’s a clever thing to do! You’re getting paid for it and now you can work out how much. This clever app will calculate how much you’re being payed for taking a toilet break, choose your currency, enter your yearly salary and press the Start button. All you have to do then is finish your dirty work, click Stop and see the results!”

pooprice3  pooprice2  pooprice1

GENIUS! We’re sold! Freaking Apple just keeps rockin’ da house! And rumor has it that even Steve-o Jobs uses Poo Price … but his shit don’t stink and is certainly worth more bills that yours. Which gets us thinking … there should be a Poo Price-off … Steve Jobs versus Bill Gates. Screw the whole “I’m a Mac vs PC” nonsense … give the people what they really want … Steve or Bill … who craps the most gold?

April 21, 2009 | Filed Under Entertainment | 2 Comments 

« Previous Page — Next Page »