iPhone Devs – Make Your Apps Talk With VoiceForge

VoiceForgeAttention Cepstral is a company which provides iPhone developers a tool for making unique and kick ass applications. VoiceForge is their branded Text-To-Speech (TTS) platform which enables developers to add high quality sound audio to any iPhone application.

Uh … ok … TTS … what the heck is that? Well basically in a non-geek nutshell, the VoiceForge TTS technology makes the Internet talk … and more specifically … talking iPhone applications. Imagine a talking greeting card app … type message into app – send greeting card to friend – friend opens greeting card – and card starts to talk in a deep Russian Drago voice … “Happy Birthday Pencil Neck! I Must Break  You!” … or … type in the ABC’s and send it using a hot chick sexy voice (oh krapp, scratch DragoBreak that … we already profiled a Sexy ABC’s app). Or how about talking iPhone games … or talking breathalyzer – “Yes dumbass, you’ve had 17 beers, you are drunk! Drago will beat your ass if you get behind the wheel of a car!”

The creative possibilities are endless with VoiceForge … and guess what, use VoiceForge in your app and chances are you will NOT be featured here on KRAPPS … which is a good thing we guess.

VoiceForge will appeal to all developer geeks – webmasters … programmers … developers of mash-ups, web 2.0 apps, Facebook apps, VoIP tool and of course, iPhone apps. Plus developers will save money as VoiceForge offers one set price for access to over 45 different voices … so no need to limit yourself to a la carte voices pricing (a la carte sucks … why do I have to pay $15 for a side of mashed potatoes Mortons?).

voiceforge-thumb We suck at being developer geeks, but appreciate this TTS technology and can imagine some very cool apps leveraging this platform. Plus we LOVE visiting the VoiceForge voice demo page, typing in profanities and then having it played back by one of the 50+ demo voices … hee, hee. Click here to check out the demo page.

VoiceForgeDemo

For more information about VoiceForge … visit their dedicated developers page, where you can sign up and receive a free Test_ID and access to their service for a non-commercial trial. Looking forward to all those cool upcoming talking apps!

June 20, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, News | 24 Comments 

Wordulous – This Game is Anagrammatically Correct!

(written by guest author Tim Giron. follow Tim on Twitter @timgiron)

WordulousMascot Word games are very popular around my house.  Scrabble, Boggle, UpWords, you get the picture.  So, it should come as no surprise that I have a few word games on my iPhone as well.  The latest one that I have been playing is Wordulous [iTunes] by 99Games (they also created another fantastic word game, WordsWorth).

After being greeted by the game’s mascot, (she is the the very model of a spelling bee champion), the player can choose from three modes of operation: Practice, Examination and Challenge.

To get the hang of the game, it’s good to start out in the Practice mode: make as many words as you can from the six letters provided, no time limit.  Once you have identified at least five words, you can request that the board be cleared for six new letters to work with.  Additionally, if you can figure out the six letter word (and there is always at least one), you can choose to play the bonus game to answer a trivia question by re-arranging the letters of the answer.

Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time for your Examination!  While the game play is the same as it was in practice, now you’re also racing to beat the clock and get the highest score possible in three minutes.  My best score is currently 6,784, but there are several scores over 25,000 on the all-time leader-board at the Wordulous web site. Depending on your score, the game’s mascot awards you a character ranking (like Magician, which is what I got for my 6,000+ score).

Wordulous1   Wordulous3

Wordulous4   Wordulous55

The Challenge mode allows you to match up against your friends from Facebook or your phone contact list.  I didn’t track down any of my contacts to play in this mode for the review, but it sounds intriguing enough that I will give it a try at some point.

The game has a few color settings available to customize the experience.  If you turn off music, you can listen to tunes from your iPod while you play.  You can also choose to play Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF with seven letters which increases the number of words possible for each round (and  makes it that much harder to find the elusive word that utilizes all of the given letters).  Three different word lists are available as well: SOWPODS (267,000 British and American words), TWL (179,000 American words), ENABLE (173,000 North American words).

Wordulous is a 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified game which is both fun and challenging for wordsmiths and word wizards.  And, at 99 cents [iTunes], it’s also a steal of a deal.

June 13, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 2 Comments 

Thank You KRAPPS Sponsors

We would like to take a brief timeout to thank our valued sponsors. Without their support, there would be no KRAPPS (uh, that doesn’t sound right). All these peeps are solid folks, have quality products and we’re proud to be aligned with them. So support KRAPPS, show our sponsors some love … you’ll become a better person.

Be Seen With KRAPPS
KRAPPS is the only web site dedicated to iPhone humor and fun. Take advantage of our unique niche by advertising on KRAPPS. We offer four different sponsorship packages to ensure participation at a variety of budget levels. Contact us at info@KRAPPS.com to receive our media kit, rate card and to secure your advertising placement.

ThankYouPres

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hideNtweet22 hideNtweet
With the amount of garbage in the App Store, the hideNtweet app is a breath of fresh air. It is a totally unique and original game specifically designed for the iPhone. Think the classic children’s game Hide And Seek … now bring Hide And Seek to the iPhone, couple that with GPS technology and Twitter … and voila – hideNtweet. This app is currently in beta and being developed by Dove Valley Apps. Click here to read our review. Better yet, experience this extraordinary gaming experience yourself … click here to become a beta user. 

100soundsThankYou 100sounds
There’s a reason 100sounds is the #1 soundboard app … cuz it rocks! This app not only provides hundreds of high quality originally recorded sound effects, but also includes loop and delay effects for all your comedic purposes. Plus you can get hundreds of ringtones emailed to you, automatically, at no extra charge! 100sounds was already a bargain at $0.99, so this enhancement makes it a great deal! Click here to view web site, be sure to check out the hysterical user-submitted videos.

VoiceForge VoiceForge: We Build Voices® –
We Make the Internet Talk®
Attention iPhone developers – VoiceForge is an online Text-to-Speech service. They’ve made TTS fast, affordable, and scalable! Tap a huge variety of 60 voices in 5 languages. Using their SOAP based API, simply send text, indicate the voice, and receive back a MP3 or URL. And it’s fast – just 200 milliseconds for audio to be returned. Big fish no problem; our capacity exceeds 100 million synthesis per day. Consumers love personalization – why not "pimp your app" by letting users pick the voice they like? Click here to receive more info, try the demo, or sign up for a free developer’s kit.

BinaryGameThankYou2 Binary Game
Simply put, this app makes you smarter! Binary Game gets your brain juices flowing and is a ton of fun. It’s an original game of binary math which is simple to play and highly addictive. The worldwide leader board satisfies the most uber-competitive gamer, while the Facebook Connect feature pleases those social types. Click here to read our review or click here to purchase from the App Store, click here.

Wordulous 99 Games
99 Games is an exceptional game developer cranking out such iPhone classics as WordsWorth (ranked as high #1 in the word game category), Chess Pro, Chess Lite, Aqua Jigsaw, and Jigsaw Wild. Their latest offering is Wordulous … an anagram like no others: multiple modes, global scores, Facebook Connect and more. 99 Games is committed to building only the highest quality and most entertaining games possible … all at affordable prices.  

iFightThankYou iFight Pro
This app is a blast! To really appreciate iFight Pro, click here and take a quick look at a demonstration video – it’s really cool. Combine a handgun, rifle, shotgun, slap, whip, gong, sword or punch with one of the eight background music tracks – and you’ll be awarded with a pure quality, enormously fun iPhone app.

May 31, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, News | Leave a Comment 

hideNtweet – Hide & Seek For The iPhone And Twitter

update Jul 5: hideNtweet is now available for FREE via iTunes – click here to download

(written by guest author Tim Giron. follow Tim on Twitter @timgiron)

hideNtweetLogo11 It’s 10:15 on a Sunday morning and I am crouched in one of the many alleys in a small neighborhood near Arizona State University.  I check my iPhone map display and see a red plus sign moving in my direction; it’s the seeker blocking my path to the home base.  Blue dots indicate the positions of the other players, full grown men experiencing a high tech version of the classic playground game.

cthurst_capture11    IMG_0009_11

This is hideNtweet and we’ve been invited by the developer, John Ellis of Dove Valley Apps, to take part in a beta test.  Realizing that the direct approach is not going to work for me, I move off a ways and wait for John, who is currently "it", to chase after somebody else.  Once he does, I loop around and head for the base location, which is thankfully near a hammock in the shade.  For the next round, I choose to be "it" and the chase is on again!

finding_homebase11    john_tags_home11

hideNtweet creatively utilizes the technologies available on the iPhone to fuse the virtual and physical worlds.  The camera is used to identify a home base and to tag other players as caught.  The GPS and map, complete with sweeping radar indicator, shows all of the player positions.  And, to top it all off, the app uses the online Twitter service to announce threeGhostsWhite11 significant game plays to the participants.

While it is much more fun to play with others, the game also has a "solo" mode where 4 ghost characters will try to evade and outwit you.  Ingeniously, the ghosts move through the camera view when you close in for the capture.

ghost_capture11

If you’re interested in joining in the beta test hijinks, gather up a few friends and head over to http://hideNtweet.com to apply.  Please note that since the application is currently in beta test, some of the screens may change before release.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Wow! Talk about a unique gaming experience for the iPhone … totally looking forward to the release of this app. With all the garbage and repeat apps (how many tic-tac-toe apps? – too many!) in the App Store, we applaud Dove Valley Apps for thinking outside the box and working on something truly creative and first of its kind. Rock on guys!

And don’t forget to sign up to be a beta game player … DO IT … it’s fun, free and will make you feel better. Click Here to sign up now.

May 30, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games | 4 Comments 

Thank You KRAPPS’ Sponsors

We would like to take a brief timeout to thank our valued sponsors. Without their support, there would be no KRAPPS (uh, that doesn’t sound right). All these peeps are solid folks, have quality products and we’re proud to be aligned with them. So support KRAPPS, show our sponsors some love … you’ll become a better person.

Be Seen With KRAPPS
KRAPPS is the only web site dedicated to iPhone humor and fun. Take advantage of our unique niche by advertising on KRAPPS. We offer four different sponsorship packages to ensure participation at a variety of budget levels. Contact us at info@KRAPPS.com to receive our media kit, rate card and to secure your advertising placement.

ThankYouPres

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AppyNewzThankYou2 Appy Newz
A unique app which allows you to create custom tabloid-style magazine covers directly on your iPhone. Appy Newz is an extremely high quality app at a more than fair price point. It allows you to create custom covers for a variety of purposes (practical jokes, humor, greeting cards, awards, etc.) and provides endless entertainment. Click here to read our Appy Newz and find our why we adore this app or
click here to purchase from the App Store.

100soundsThankYou 100sounds
There’s a reason 100sounds is the #1 soundboard app … cuz it rocks! This app not only provides hundreds of high quality originally recorded sound effects, but also includes loop and delay effects for all your comedic purposes. Plus you can get hundreds of ringtones emailed to you, automatically, at no extra charge! 100sounds was already a bargain at $0.99, so this enhancement makes it a great deal! Click here to view web site, be sure to check out the hysterical user-submitted videos.

VoiceForge VoiceForge: We Build Voices® –
We Make the Internet Talk®
Attention iPhone developers – VoiceForge is an online Text-to-Speech service. They’ve made TTS fast, affordable, and scalable! Tap a huge variety of 60 voices in 5 languages. Using their SOAP based API, simply send text, indicate the voice, and receive back a MP3 or URL. And it’s fast – just 200 milliseconds for audio to be returned. Big fish no problem; our capacity exceeds 100 million synthesis per day. Consumers love personalization – why not "pimp your app" by letting users pick the voice they like? Click here to receive more info, try the demo, or sign up for a free developer’s kit.

BinaryGameThankYou2 Binary Game
Simply put, this app makes you smarter! Binary Game gets your brain juices flowing and is a ton of fun. It’s an original game of binary math which is simple to play and highly addictive. The worldwide leader board satisfies the most uber-competitive gamer, while the Facebook Connect feature pleases those social types. Click here to read our review or click here to purchase from the App Store, click here.

iFightThankYou iFight Pro
This app is a blast! To really appreciate iFight Pro, click here and take a quick look at a demonstration video – it’s really cool. Combine a handgun, rifle, shotgun, slap, whip, gong, sword or punch with one of the eight background music tracks – and you’ll be awarded with a pure quality, enormously fun iPhone app.

May 17, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, News | 9 Comments 

100sounds – More Than A Soundboard App

100soundsIconJPG Ok, let’s just cut to the chase … the 100sounds app [iTunes Link] by No Tie Software is arguably the best soundboard app available for your iPhone. But hey, don’t take our word for it … just look at the facts –> released Dec. 12, 2008, 100sounds is one of the first soundboard apps – ever since release, 100sounds has consistently been in the Top 50 in Entertainment and as high as Top 32 Overall.

A solid resume which has been sustained for over 5 months … this ain’t no flavor of the week. A rightfully so, just check out these cool features and the AWESOME customer produced video featuring only sound effects from the app …

> Don’t be fooled by the name, this app has HUNDREDS of sounds (actually, the devs have
   a database of 10,000 sounds and update the app frequently based on user requests)

> All sounds are ORIGINAL, LEGAL, and LICENSED (basically this means these are high
   quality sounds and not some crap which anyone can distribute)

> You can LOOP SOUNDS (make longer sound effects), DELAY SOUNDS (good for
   practical jokes – use your imagination) and SHAKE TO PLAY sounds (just because
   shaking your iPhone is fun)

> Sound list is EDITABLE – drag sounds to the top of the list or hide certain sounds

 

So all this lovin’ for ONLY 99 CENTS! Now that’s a sound deal (see what we did there?) … but wait, there’s more … FREE RINGTONES. The cool thing with No Tie – they’re not buttheads about your request. Other apps require the user to send one email per ringtone request, which frankly sucks. With 100sounds, one email = tons of ringtones in a few zip files. Hundreds of sounds and ringtones for only 99 cents – but wait, there’s more …

todd-bernhardNotAButthead Like we said, the folks at No Tie Software are no buttheads. They have this over-the-top mentality when it comes to customer service. Check this out –> a 100sounds user was attempting to get ringtone help via email, but the reply support emails from No Tie were being rejected. So No Tie tracked the dude down to Classmates.com, opened their own account and got in touch with the customer via the dude’s guestbook. WTH is that – who supports a 99 cent product to that extent – way cool.

And it gets cooler … they have this giveaway going on where you can win iTunes gift cards or other killer prizes for submitting a video featuring sound effects from the app. Videos are   displayed on their YouTube channel. Visit the No Ties web site for complete details.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF So there you have it – the 100sounds app [iTunes Link] –
way more than just a standard soundboard app: only 99 cents … hundreds sounds … all high quality original and licensed effects … editable user interface … loop, delay or shake to play sounds … hundreds of ringtones … borderline fanatical customer service … giveaways … and no buttheads! All this makes the 100sounds app 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified – highly recommended!

May 16, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Entertainment | 20 Comments 

Ow My Balls! – Brings Epic Nutshots To Your iPhone

Imagine our delight when we came across this new app – Ow My Balls! by Jetson Creative. Our eyes got really big and a huge grin covered our face. Sweet, got our next casualty … the Ow My Balls! iPhone app … this ought to be a load of KRAPPS. So we strapped on our Nutty Buddy cojones protector and proceeded with caution to explore the world of Ow My Balls!

OMBdesc

AppleKickNuts But tell you what … Ow My Balls! pissed us off. Why? Because it’s freaking hysterical … well made – high quality … outstanding hand-drawn graphics … and contains hilarious custom recorded sound effects. Screw you Ow My Balls!? – you suck … jacked up our KRAPPS article serving up this fine piece of app wizardry … come here for a nut shot.

So in a nutshell (no pun intended) … Ow My Balls! is an iPhone game centered around the mishaps of Joe The Juggler. The game begins by kicking Juggler Joe off the ledge of a tall building (why he’s there in the first place, who knows, dude has a death wish or something) – obviously a painful kick as he immediately cries out – “OW MY BALLS!” … hey, if you were a juggler and lost your balls, you’d be sad and cry out too.

screen_2     screen_3

So as Joe falls, using the iPhone’s accelerometer, the user attempts to hit various obstacles and have Joe travel the longest distance possible before making impact with the ground. And that poor Juggler Joe. When he finally hits the pavement – he receives another epic nut shot and understandably, firmly clutches his sack in dismay and declares –
“OW MY BALLS!”.

screen_1    screen_4

To score points, simply hit obstacles. To travel greater distances, ignite fart jetpacks (yes – FART JETPACKS) which will allow Joe to increase his altitude, thus going farther. And if you really kick butt (errrr – kick balls), you can ultimately become a Ball Master (sort of like a Jedi Master, but better).

And get this … to our knowledge … a iPhone game “first”. You have the ability to record your own “OW MY BALLS!” moan …. or your fart … or various impact sounds. Too freaking cool – an iPhone game featuring your own voice and fart. Rock on!

So as we said – this game completely sick (in a good way, like phat)! High quality build, user-friendly controls, hand-drawn urbanesque graphics, custom recorded sounds, ridiculous value at 99 cents and best of all … absolutely pant pissing hysteria! Because bottom line … although getting hit in the nards hurts – it’s funny (especially as a viewer and not the recipient) … maybe it’s a guy thing – maybe it’s a MTV Johnny Knoxville Jackass thing … but nut shots combined with quality programming are a crack up and if you don’t think so, go buy yourself a sense of humor – heard they’re on sale this week at Walmart! If you already have a sense of humor, check out Jetson’s hysterical video below (pay attention to the end, dude really get’s hit in the nuts when it was supposed to be a fake pop – LOL)

 

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF Back with a sense of humor? Good! Click here to purchase Ow My Balls! for only 99 cents. Totally worth it!

Obviously a lot of time and effort was put into the creation of Ow My Balls! and it shows throughout this brilliant slap-stick humor application. We can’t even imagine the nut shots Jetson Creative had to endure from Apple to get something like this approved … but tell you what … glad they have a high pain tolerance and certainly deserve the claim 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified!

cactus-hugJPG We decided to check up on these kooks at Jetson Creative and discovered something really cool … a community thing … an iPhone developer thing. Over on their blog, Jetson Creative documented every step of Ow My Balls! creation … from Conception to Completion … it’s like a blueprint for constructing an iPhone app, with valuable information and insights. Very cool of Jetson Creative for sharing the knowledge with fellow and future developers … whole lotta love and good karma going on at Jetson … guess we take back our nut shot comment and just give them a hug. You should give these kind folks a hug too (crap we are freaking sappy-lame), click here to buy the app and give Jetson a virtual hug.

May 5, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games | 31 Comments 

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