Little Red Sled App

By popular demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps.

update: giveaway has concluded – thank you

Imangi Studios is an independent game development studio based in Washington, DC. They currently support the iPhone platform and plan to extend their reach in the near future. Imangi’s first two releases are excellent word puzzle games, Word Squares [App Store] and Imangi [App Store]. They recently released their first non-word game, Little Red Sled.

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Little Red Sled is a very cool 3D sled racer featuring the characters Max and Maya (your choice which character you play). You control Max/Maya as they launch themselves down a snowy mountain. But it’s no ordinary mountain … it’s a Crazy Russian Mystical Mountain filled with floating gift boxes, radical jumps and psycho killer bunnies.

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Currently there are 13 slopes (levels) to ride with an additional two slopes being released this week. Imangi’s goal is to eventually have 30 slopes total – making it the world’s largest Crazy Russian Mystical Mountain. Each level has a specific goal which must be met before going on to the later levels. Goals vary from number of gifts collected, minimum score and maximum time. Scoring is done by collecting gifts and doing tricks on your sled. That’s the fun part, watching Max and Maya get totally squirrelly – inverts, alley-oops, backside shuvits and ollies. Max and Maya are totally insane and really should be in an X Games app.

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Besides the awesome game play, the behind the scenes look is really interesting. The piano music you hear during game play … it’s an original composition produced by Imangi’s co-founder, Natalia. She has been playing the piano since childhood, but this is the first time Natalia has composed music – too cool! Don’t believe us – click here for a video of Natalia jammin’ the piano. Also, all the game sound effects are original and were recorded at Imangi’s office. Imangi invited a bunch of friends to their office, opened the mic and let tape roll for a few hours. It was like an American Idol audition, plenty of hysterics.

Now getting back to those insane characters Max and Maya … most people don’t know this and even Imangi doesn’t know it … but KRAPPS discovered a game within the game. Follow along … as mentioned, Max and Maya do some gnarly sled tricks (shuvits, inverts, etc.). These tricks are performed when their sled goes off a jump and the user shakes their iPhone. Now the game is trying to take a picture (screen capture) of the trick at its peak moment (like completely upside down). Sounds easy? NOT! We attempted 3,000+ screenshots and below are the best results … we are especially fond of the one where Max is about to lose his head crashing into a tree – OUCH!

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LRS5   LRS6

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF Click here to download Little Red Sled for a more fair price of $1.99. It’s a high quality game which is a pure joy to play. This one really is a no-brainer to download and of course …
100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Little Red Sled To KRAPPS Viewers!
Imangi Studios was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Little Red Sled for FREE. Through Thu, Mar 5 at 11:00am PST, tweet the message below on Twitter and be entered into the Little Red Sled drawing. Good luck!

got iPhone? read the Little Red Sled app review on @KRAPPS – it’s 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://is.gd/lNPt

March 4, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games | 15 Comments 

Blister In The Sun

What would life be without the iPhone? Seriously, think about it … no twittering from you iPhone, no uploading pictures to Flickr, no checking the weather or baseball scores, no buying movie tickets, etc. … and those are just the basics. What about the REAL value the iPhone delivers? Life would really suck without these … no portable peep show, no bling, no virtual toilet … heck, you couldn’t even prepare a cup of noodles or hail a cab. Horrible thoughts – we know – our apologies for even going there.

Well folks, life with your iPhone just got even better thanks to the fine folks at Dash Technologies. These brilliant developers have introduced an original app that was clearly missing from the App Store … an app that will change your life forever.

sunburn2 You know how sometimes you go to the beach or the park or wherever, to lay out in the sun. Yeah, catching some rays in hopes of a golden suntan. But getting a suntan is a very complicated process – so many steps involved, so many things to remember. First you have to apply sunscreen to avoid completely frying. Then you have to lay down. Then in efforts to achieve an even tan, you have to turn over. Then you have to reapply sunscreen. Damn … way complicated … and get this, screw up any of these steps … bye bye suntan – hello sunburn.

But like we said, no fear … Dash Technologies simplifies our life with the much needed Suntan Watcher app. This amazing app will take burn out of the sun and replace it with tan. But how do they do this? It’s complicated … sort of like performing neurosurgery … very hard to explain … it’s probably best if you just read the app’s description:

Suntan-Watcher-Desc

We’ll try our best to put into plain English what you just read … the Suntan Watcher app has three timers that will alert you when it’s time to turn over, reapply suntan lotion or check if your loved ones are getting burned. Follow? I know… it’s tough. Think of it as a watch that tells time – but not just any old ordinary watch … it’s a SUNTAN WATCH.

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sunburn1 So rejoice … now even the biggest freaking idiot can enjoy a nice golden suntan with the Suntan Watcher app. Seriously, why would you use the alarm or timer feature that came with your iPhone when you can spend your hard earned money and get a specialized suntan watch/alarm/timer. Now do you see the brilliance of the Suntan Watcher app? Now do you see the value of the iPhone?
Yeah – we don’t either.

March 4, 2009 | Filed Under Health | 12 Comments 

Lily And Stella App

By popular demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps.

update: all Lily And Stella codes have been claimed – thank you

iPhone-Baby Got iPhone? Got Kids? … well then you better be using your iPhone with your children. Take a break from playing BurnBall or screwing around with iVomit. Spend some quality time with your kids before they get older and think you are a big-time dork – and of course, include your iPhone!

There are so many amazing children’s apps available … baby monitors, arts & crafts, books and more. The iPhone has become an integral device in one’s life, so why not use it with your children (even like the Annoy Your Teenager app).

4Square Labs has produced a very cool children’s book app called The Adventures Of Lily And Stella – We’re Home! (yeah, long app name – it’s one of those artsy fartsy things). The story is about a little girl named Lily and her pug named Stella. Lily and Stella run away from a cult and end up on the mean streets of New York City, desperately trying to survive … just kidding! Nah, it’s a cute little tale and BEAUTIFULLY illustrated … your kids will love it.

Lily-And-Stella-Screen-1   Lily-And-Stella-Screen-2

The fun part for your kids is the interactivity they’ll have with your iPhone – you read them a screen and then ask junior to turn the page by touching the screen – basic stuff, but it keeps children involved and totally loving it. Now the problem with kids is that they can get totally annoying. They will ask you to read Lily And Stella over and over and over again – annoying! But not worries, the developer has you covered and gives an option to hit the “Narrate On” button – and voila, the iPhone will read your kid the book. Too cool … parenting on auto-pilot … sweet, now go take a nap or catch some baseball on TV.

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Very interesting is the behind the scenes story of Lily and Stella. Author and illustrator, Tracie King, first wrote Lily And Stella years ago but never actually pursued publishing the tale. Then in 2006, she decided to publish the  book via the self-publishing web site Lulu.com. She uploaded pdf’s to the site and her book was born via the Internet. Three years later, Lily And Stella now star on the iPhone. When not busy with her job as a full time mom (yes, Lily and Stella are real – Lily is Tracie’s daughter and Stella is Tracie’s husband … ooops, sorry – her pug dog) and art director for Pregnancy Magazine, Tracie plans to expand the Lily and Stella series taking inspiration from the real Lily and Stella.

So all in all … this is a really feel-good app (yeah KRAPPS does have a sensitive side): cool tale, cool behind the scenes story (learn more – click here for video) and cool to interact with your kids. So purchase Lily And Stella – it’ll make you a better parent.

FREE Lily And Stella App To KRAPPS Viewers!
4Square Labs, developers of Lily And Stella, were kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Lily And Stella for FREE. Simply be one of the first 9 viewers to leave a comment at the end of this review. Please leave a review in iTunes.

March 3, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Books | 26 Comments 

Multiple Personality Disorder

sleep As we peruse the App Store, we continue to be convinced that geeks slept through the core college class of Business 101. Of course there are a few exceptions to this rule … like DiSTI’s dBeer app and its clever marketing/tradeshow tie-in, impressive stuff from the leading provider of advanced graphical user interface software (aka geek company). So for the most part, while geeks can code, they cannot execute any one of the Four Marketing Ps. The smartest investment a geek company can make = hire a non-geek Marketing professional.

Take for example this poor app named BoxMan … or is it Sokoban? … or is it PushBox? … or is it Warehouse Keeper? … actually its real name is BoxMan (or Named Sokoban, PushBox, warehouse keeper) … WTH?!?

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This poor app cannot make up its mind, perhaps suffering from multiple personality disorder. The fourth Marketing P is Promotion – part of this P is the name – which then leads to brand, design, identity, etc. – very important stuff. One should not be drunk when choosing a name. Or if one markets to English speaking consumers and does not speak mpd English, it would behoove them to consult with an English speaking Marketing professional to create a name that is marketable and makes sense in English. Not rocket science, but evidently clear by this and many other apps that the geeks have overlooked the importance of an app’s name in favor of sleep.

BoxMan? Sokoban? PushBox? Warehouse Keeper? … here’s an idea, simply call the damn thing SYBIL.

Technorati Tags: ,,,,,

March 3, 2009 | Filed Under Games | 14 Comments 

Dapple App

By demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps thru a network of guest authors.

free Dapple app giveaway – see end of article for details

Title: Dapple
Category: Games
Guest Author: Andy

I’m pretty sick of color matching games in the App Store, but Dapple has revived my feelings for them. Dapple, from Streaming Colour Studios, is a color matching game with an excellent twist. You make matches by mixing paints around you to form new colors. For example if you have the color yellow by a green, the yellow color will mix into a green and form a match. In order to make a match you have to get a match of four or more.

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At first you might not know how to play Dapple, but there are many tips and hints so you’ll learn quickly. Once you know how to play Dapple, it can be very fun and addicting.

There are a variety of modes in Dapple. If you want to relax you should choose the “Classic” mode. If you want a little challenge try “Timed”. Or if you have a friend both of you should try the 2 player mode. If you’re colorblind, no fear as you can change the colors to more suitable ones in the options menu.

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The thing you have to watch out in Dapple is the brown paint. If you have too much brown, it can quickly end your game. But the good thing is that you can use other colors to take out the brown paint. There are also powerups in Dapple. If you see a raindrop on the board, you can use it to eliminate large groups of colors. To use the raindrop you simply have to match it with another color. The other special item is a diamond. If you match it up, it will eliminate all the paint squares of the same color.

The soundtrack in Dapple is one of the best I’ve ever heard. It’s very soothing and would make anyone fall asleep (literally). The graphics are sharp, colorful and easy on the eyes. Another great thing about Dapple is that it will keep track of your personal high scores.

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Overall Dapple is one of the best color matching games on the App Store. I know the price ($4.99) might seem a bit steep, but you won’t regret Dapple’s purchase. If you have questions about Dapple, tweet @OwenGoss or email  info@streamingcolour.com.

rated 4.5 stars out of 5***** Click here to purchase Dapple from iTunes.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE:  Yeah … what Andy said! We also love Dapple, but are wasting away precious time from our life playing this darn game – but hey, Dapple is all good! As such, we are thrilled to announce that Dapple is 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified!

FREE Dapple To KRAPPS Viewers!
Dapple developer, Owen Goss, was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Dapple for FREE. Through Tue, Mar 3 at 11:00am PST, tweet the message below on Twitter and be entered into the Dapple drawing. Good luck!

got iPhone? read the Dapple app review on @KRAPPS – it’s 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://is.gd/ltaD 

March 2, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 5 Comments 

A Masterpiece

Today we’d like to talk about one of the most fascinating things in life and the iPhone app dedicated to this magnificent thing. Basically this thing should be included as one of the 7 Wonders Of The World – it really is that HUGE. Heck, we get chills just thinking it … it’s big, really big. Like First Man On The Moon BIG! We know you’ll be equally as excited, drop everything and download this app. Ohhh, this is going to be SO good!

AlmondEmulator-Icon Ok – ok – ok … what is this awesome thing we are talking about? … wait for it … ALMONDS! Yes sirree … ALMONDS. Screw that trendy bacon krap, almonds are awesome! And boy is the world in luck because Trevis Rothwell has released a one-of-a-kind, dedicated almond app … AlmondEmulator. This is the sole almond app you’ll find in the App Store – go figure. Can’t believe our boy Trevis was the only one bright enough to recognize the brilliancy of almonds and release AlmondEmulator.

AlmondEmulator is too cool. When you touch the almond, its spits out various almond facts: “almonds are not true nuts, but are drupes” – “the almond is native to India, Syria and Turkey” – “almonds are a good source of Vitamin E”. I know – pretty exciting stuff. But wait, it gets even better. There are four buttons which you can press to 1) Taste, 2) Smell, 3) Feel and 4) Listen to the almond. And get this, when you press the “Taste” button, the following text appears: It tastes just like an almond. Press the “Smell” button = It smells just like an almond. “Feel” button = It feels just like an almond. “Listen” = It sounds just like an almond. Whoa … slow down there sparky … this is simply too amazing.

AlmondEmulator-Screen-2    AlmondEmulator-Screen-3

Yup, the AlmondEmulator is simply Un-Freaking-Believable! Huge of Apple for approving this app … and even more genius of Trevis for developing this masterpiece – just an amazing talent! So stop what your doing and download AlmondEmulator now! I know you’d pay upwards of $9.99 for this gem … but can you believe it’s FREE?!? And pay no attention to the user reviews below. These folks are just haters. The heck with them. Download now!

Waste of space. Deleted.
Not even worth the free download.
Shamelessly stupid app.
Absolute Uselessness. Why would such an app be allowed in the store?

March 2, 2009 | Filed Under Entertainment | 14 Comments 

Touch Poet App

By demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps thru a network of guest authors.

update: all 10 Touch Poet apps have been claimed – thank you

Title: Touch Poet
Category: Entertainment
Guest Author: Dennis

Still in the doghouse because you forgot to do something nice for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day? Don’t actually have a sweetie and just want to woo the girl of your dreams? Some dude wrote a lame poem and stole your girlfriend from you?

Touch-Poet-Icon While you may feel like moaning and whining about it (or even blaming us why KRAPPS didn’t remind you it was Valentine’s Day or give our recommendation for the best pick-up line app), it would be more productive to quickly finish reading this little blurb and pick up the Touch Poet app to end your miseries. With Touch Poet, you can quickly generate a poem that Shakespeare or Edgar Allen Poe would be proud of. Using the actual words that these great men have left us, you can piece together a masterpiece of your own using Touch Poet. If these classics authors will leave them asking you “WTH??” go the “hip” route and generate words from DIGG articles and recent news. Once you have completed your work of art, Touch Poet allows you to tweet it on Twitter (it’s like broadcasting an ad … all the girls will come flocking to you) or just directly email it to the person. It’s just that easy with Touch Poet!

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So what are you waiting for? Make your belated-Valentine’s Day gift now! Go win your woman back now! Go meet chicks! … all with the help of Touch Poet.

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antikrappssealv2gif EDITORS NOTE: With all the KRAPPS and redundant apps (how many pickup line apps are there now?) in the App Store, Touch Poet is a breath of fresh air. It is an innovative and unique app that fuels your creativity – this is a good thing – we all need creativity fuel! Touch Poet is 100% anti-KRAPPS certified.

FREE Touch Poet App ($2.99 value) To KRAPPS Viewers!
Morgan Brown Consultancy, makers of Touch Poet, were kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Touch Poet for FREE. Simply be one of the first 10 viewers to leave a comment at the end of this review. PLZ leave a review in iTunes.

February 28, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Entertainment, Guest Authors | 29 Comments 

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