Up There App

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

Title: Up There
Category: Games
Guest Author: Carolynn

I don’t like to be a show-off. But with my iPod Touch all I have to do turn it on and I’m a show-off. People always seem to crowd around me and watch me play my games. Then they say, what else can you show us? What other games have you got on there? I only have a few games that I like to go to for showing off. These games really highlight the capabilities of the iPod Touch. They bear witness to how dazzling the graphics are, the tilt controls that are fairly new to gaming and the awesomeness of the touch screen. One of the games that’s in this very small show-off group is Up There by Veiled Games. It’s my go to game when I’m demonstrating all the great features of my device.

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Up There is a game that was specifically made for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The gameplay is not complicated. You start the game with a balloon in a cage. The balloon just wants to float up. It’s released from its cage and you have to guide it though various barriers you will encounter along the way. The way you guide the balloon is by tilting the device back and forth to move through the holes in the barriers. If you get stuck, then your game is over. Also included is an easier practice mode to help you get the hang of the game.

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So why is this game my show off piece? Because the visuals are simply sublime. The artist hand drew all the artwork and it really needs to be viewed on the iPod Touch/iPhone’s screen to appreciate its real beauty. There have been no problems with the graphics as the game always runs seamlessly without slowdown. The in game soundtrack, “The Joy of Sky”, gives a nice light feel to the game. Up There also satisfies my competitive needs. There is a regular scoreboard, as well as a global score board to record your high scores and compete against the world.

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My overall impression of Up There = FANTASTIC! No iDevice should be without it. It’s even been selected by Apple as a Featured Application. The developers obviously poured their heart in to this game and it truly shows. This game is here to stay on my iPod Touch and I will continue to WOW people with it for a long, long time. Click here to get your show-off piece at the App Store now for $1.99

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: Ok, we admit it … we like to show off our iPhone as well to those poor suckers who go through life without the greatest gadget on Earth. As such, we have a show off screen … sort of a Hall Of Fame screen featuring the best of the best … stuff like Shazam, Google Earth, iFart (kidding!) and of course … Up There. By the way, if you don’t agree with our review …
UP YOURS … because Up There is 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Up There App To KRAPPS Viewers!
Veiled Games was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Up There for FREE. Through Fri, Mar 13 at 11:00am PST, tweet the message below on Twitter and be entered into the Up There drawing. Good luck!

got iPhone? read the Up There game review on @KRAPPS – it’s 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://krapps.com/?p=1631

March 12, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 17 Comments 

iNewz Tech App

iNewzREJECTJPG EDITORS NOTE: As a preamble to this article, yesterday, Apple made a bonehead move by rejecting the Twitter client, Tweetie, based on foul language in Twitter streams. Deja vu for iNewz developer John Gordon as his app was initially rejected due to one of the news sources displaying a profanity in the headline. Click the image to see the full-size rejected screenshot from Apple.

Title: iNewz Tech
Category: News
Guest Author: Dennis

Procrastination. Everyone does it. In fact, this review is the result of a week’s worth of procrastination – “oh the deadline for this review isn’t for another week? no problem, I can just whip something up a few days before the piece is due”. It’s now the night that the article is supposed to be submitted. What am I doing? Watching TV, surfing websites, playing around on Twitter, eating some Girl Scout cookies… everything but writing about this app.

If this type of situation sounds familiar to you at all, well then this app is perfect for you! iNewz Tech [App Store] compiles articles from the top technology websites and brings it all to you in one app. That’s 217 feeds from 80 different sources!

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You’re now probably asking, “What?? How does that help me?”

Here at KRAPPS, we periodically recommend apps that help you become the very best you can be (ie. Touch Poet brings out the best Shakespeare in you). In this case, we’re just trying to help you become the very best procrastinator. iNewz Tech brings you up to date articles from the best tech sites. Browse from a selection of topics from Mobile to Home Theatre, to even Business IT. Don’t want to read about Microsoft? Look under the Apple section for all your Apple fanboy needs. The app sorts it all out for you! Simply touch the article headline that interests you and you’ll be immediately transferred via the integrated browser to the originating site where you can read the article in its entirety. iTech Newz supports landscape viewing as well as offline reading. So simple – So convenient.

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iNewz Tech also has two other sister apps: iNewz [App Store] and iNewz Green [App Store].

iNewz aggregates 600 feeds from 83 different domestic and foreign news sources including New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Sun, Asia Times and more. iNewz Green provides content from top eco-friendly news sources on the internet including Planet Green, TreeHugger, Popular Science and more. A total of 166 feeds from 96 different sources. Rumor has it … this app is solar powered so they practice what they preach.

Now you know when you find articles that are really funny (like KRAPPS articles) or super interesting (also like KRAPPS articles) and just HAVE to share it with everyone? Instead of jumping through hoops (find computer, located article url, etc.) just to spread the word … use your iPhone and directly send the article to Twitter, Del.icio.us, or even through email! With such a huge array of topics and the endless supply of articles, you can spend countless hours not writing your paper, studying, etc. and procrastinate instead.

So what are you waiting for? Be all that you can be! Get iNewz! Procrastinate!

antikrappssealv2gif3 EDITORS NOTE: We are big fans of Kiss – no, we’re not talking about the legendary rock ‘n roll face painter band – but the concept of Keep It Simple Stupid. The iNewz family is prefect for us – no need to mess with subscriptions or folders or waste hours discovering cool sites. The iNewz app family makes the entire process easy and convenient … giving us more time to do other things thus making us more productive human beings. Hmmm – more productive human beings … one of the many reasons why iNewz is 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE iNewz Apps ($2.99 value) To KRAPPS Viewers!
Developer John Gordon was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download iNewz, iNewz Tech and iNewz Green for FREE. There are 3 codes available for each app. Simply leave a comment at the end of this review, indicating your preference (Newz, Tech or Green) and we will email you the download code.

March 11, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Guest Authors, News | 30 Comments 

Sneezies App & Sneak Peek

EDITORS NOTE: Before we dive into our Sneezies review, KRAPPS has learned that developer Antair Games will be releasing a new game based on the original Sneezies gameplay. This new version will be Easter-themed, with bunnyfied Sneezies characters, new backgrounds, graphics and color palette. Release is set for sometime this week at a price of 99 cents. Make sure you don’t miss Easter Sneezies for more Sneezies fun!

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Title: Sneezies
Category: Games
Guest Author: Carolynn

I’m a girl and therefore I like cute things. At least that’s the stereotype. But in some cases I actually do fit into that group of girls who like cutesy things. There are even a few games out there I downloaded simply because of their cutey factor. The first iPhone game I purchased simply because it made me smile was Sneezies by Antair Games. I didn’t even read the game’s description, I just looked at the artwork and bought it. When I played the game the first time, I was very pleased that it wasn’t something that was just good to look at.

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Sneezies is a game that anyone can play. You start the game with the Sneezies floating around the screen trapped in bubbles. To release them, you have to give them sneezing powder. You release the powder by touching the screen. Then a chain reaction occurs (hopefully) as one by one the Sneezies sneeze themselves out of their bubbles. When they sneeze, they spread the powder throughout the group of Sneezies and continue popping until the powder can’t reach anymore bubbles. In Classic Mode, each level has a goal number of Sneezies to rescue. If you fail to meet that goal, you can try again. Trust me, in later levels you’ll be doing a lot of this as it gets harder to rescue the required number of Sneezies. Challenge mode is different as you are given 5 turns to rescue a larger number of Sneezies. 45 are levels included in Classic Mode and 15 in Challenge Mode.

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What’s great about Sneezies? Where should I start? The artwork and background images are stunning. It’s highly polished and super cute. Just when I thought the game couldn’t get any better, I plugged in my headphones. There is a nice, happy background track of course. But the best part is when the Sneezies are freed from their bubbles. The sound of them sneezing is simply adorable. You can’t help but smile or laugh when you hear it. The game play is amazingly simple, yet at higher levels you might find yourself wondering why you just can’t get past that level you’ve played 20 times. It’s super addictive and a pure joy to play. The game also includes a global scoreboard so you can compare your rescuing skills worldwide. There’s also an in-game scoreboard for comparing your own scores.

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My impression of Sneezies: 5 out of 5 sneezes! You really can’t go wrong when you go pick up this game. It will entertain you for hours and make you laugh!  Click here to purchase Sneezies for $1.99 or try the free Lite version by clicking here.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: Cute? Yeah right! Don’t let these little guys fool you. They are tough as nails and can be frequently spotted chain smoking Malboro Reds while swilling Jack & Coke. But since Sneezies appear on KRAPPS, we consider them family – so for better or worse … we love Sneezies and this game is
100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Sneezies App To KRAPPS Viewers!
Antair Games was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Sneezies for FREE. Through Wed, Mar 11 at 11:00am PST, tweet the message below on Twitter and be entered into the Sneezies drawing. Good luck!

got iPhone? read the Sneezies review on @KRAPPS – it’s 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://krapps.com/?p=1615

March 10, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 10 Comments 

Alternate Endings App

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

update: all ten Alternate Endings codes have been claimed – thank you

Title: Alternate Endings
Category: Entertainment
Author: Dean

ae-logo2 Recently, I came across an app called Alternate Endings. This app has been available for awhile, but after playing it I thought that it was just so great I had to review it. Imagine watching a movie and being able to control what happens. In Alternate Endings, you can do just that!

Take the role of Russell Bingham. A security guard in a typical movie studio, however, after a big-time movie director is murdered, its up to Russell and his trusty taser to find the culprit. Follow Russell’s adventure and control his path in his one and only shot to become a real cop and maybe get a little extra.

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During numerous parts of the game you will be prompted to make a decision. What you decide will be played in a movie-like style and based on your choices, you can actually change the outcome of the movie for better or worse. Try to solve the crime in the best way possible, but don’t get yourself or others killed in the process. If you don’t like the ending, play again and follow a different path in order to find a better and more rewarding finish.

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Alternate Endings is simply an amazingly designed game and definitely one of my favorites. It is the world’s first murder-mystery-comedy interactive movie app that lets you solve the crime. It truly feels like you are watching a movie and directing it at the same time. It contains over an hour of recorded video with literally no flaws in this game. The acting is great, the script is superb, and the quality is amazing. Stuck and can’t decide what choice to make? Simply shake your iPhone (or iPod Touch) and a choice will randomly be selected. The app is fairly large in terms of storage, but that should not keep you from downloading.

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Click here to purchase Alternate Endings for $1.99 via iTunes or visit the Alternate Endings web site for more in depth information and an AWESOME game trailer.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: Wow! Talk about unique … Alternate Endings is a one of a kind app that is first class all the way. Obviously a lot of time, money and effort went into this app – it’s basically like shooting a movie and turning it into a game. Talk about cool and well worth the $1.99. Without a doubt, Alternate Endings is
100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Alternate Endings App ($1.99 Value) To KRAPPS Viewers!
Alternate Endings writer/director, Greg Townsend, was kind enough to provide 10 codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download the app for FREE. Be one of the first 10 to tweet the message below on Twitter and win Alternate Endings.

follow @KRAPPS & read Alternate Endings interactive movie iPhone app review. 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://KRAPPS.com #followfriday

March 6, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Entertainment, Games, Guest Authors | 6 Comments 

Sheepstacker App

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

update: all Sheepstacker codes have been claimed –  thank you

Title: Sheepstacker
Category: Games
Guest Author: Carolynn

Lately, I’ve been taking my iPod Touch everywhere with me. It’s especially nice when I’m stuck waiting and bored, I can pull out my iPod and keep myself entertained for a few minutes. I went out to dinner with some friends and while we were waiting for the food, I started to play Sheepstacker. Everyone started to hover over me saying, “What is that you’re playing?” And I told them, Sheepstacker. It’s a game where you do exactly what the title says; stack sheep. They were very intrigued as they watched me play. Once they saw how to play, they all had to have a try and the iPod was shared around the table. We played long after the food came and didn’t care that our food was cold when we finally put the game down and started to eat. That should tell you a bit about how addictive and fun this game is.

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Gameplay in Sheepstacker is very straight forward. At the top of the screen there is a rope with a plunger attached. The plunger is holding a sheep and it swings in a circular-like motion. In Classic Mode, you touch the screen and the sheep falls. Once it has landed, it’s time to stack another sheep on top. If you drop your sheep perfectly you get a bonus. The better you stack your sheep, the steadier your tower will be. But if you get sloppy, your tower will sway and make it harder to stack. If you miss, you will lose one of 4 lives. In Baa-lance mode you still stack sheep, but instead of using the touch screen, you tilt the device to catch sheep on a wagon. In my opinion, this mode is most challenging. In Speed Stack mode, you have a certain amount of time (1, 2 or 3 minutes) to stack as many sheep as possible.

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What’s great about this game? It’s really cute and addictive as heck! The graphics are cartoony and fun. I personally love the way the sheep’s ears flop as you drop them (very realistic and nice attention to detail).  As your stack reaches greater heights, you will see lots of different things appear in the sky (planes, hot air balloons etc). The music and sounds fit perfectly with the game. The song played in the background while you drop your sheep is especially catchy. The controls are very simple and the game is very easy to learn, but hard to master. The three different game modes give you all sorts of replay possibilities. You’ll be stacking sheep til the cows come home! The in-game high scores table is clean and easy to read. There are also game achievements for those who love getting trophies.

What’s not so great? I noticed a bit of slow down in the graphics while I was playing, but not all the time. It was very minor and didn’t really hurt my game much. I’d also like to see a global scoreboard added to see how high the tallest sheepstack is. I’m competitive and  need to have a number to beat!

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My overall impression of Sheepstacker: A game my friends would never let me delete. Suffice to say, it’s a real winner. It has lots of options and replayability. It’s challenging and extremely hard to put down. At a mere $1.99, you will definitely get your money’s worth. Thanks to developers Tiny Tim Games for bringing this game to us.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: We first noticed this game due to its catchy name and very cool graphics. How can you not love it … it’s freaking hilarious. And as we played Sheepstacker, we realized that not only is this game “cute”, it’s one heck of an awesome game. We love it and it cracks us up every time we play … gotto love an app that will always make you smile! Without a doubt, Sheepstacker is 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Sheepstacker ($1.99 value) To KRAPPS Viewers!
Tiny Tim Games was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Sheepstacker for FREE. Simply be one of the first 5 viewers to leave a comment at the end of this review and we will email you the download code.

March 5, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 27 Comments 

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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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 

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.

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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 

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