Reviews

Thanks to Sony, this February has another V-day to celebrate: the release of their PlayStation Portable (PSP) successor, the PS Vita. For console gamers, this is a big deal. The hardware powering the new portable is easily the best we’ve seen, offering nearly PS3-quality gaming potential, and the long-sought inclusion of a second analog stick is reason alone for many gamers to pick up the sleek new unit.

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In End Night HD, the apocalypse has arrived. An infection has spread through your neighborhood, turning everyone into brain-dead, bloodthirsty maniacs. You play as a scientist who’s uniquely capable of finding a cure and putting a stop to the carnage. The problem is, to perfect the cure you’ll have to collect lots of samples from the neighborhood houses, all while maintaining your health, finding ammo, and fending off an endless horde of raging psychopaths.

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Is Safari just not making the cut for you? Luckily, there are several alternative web browsers for the iPad that are just plain awesome. Last week, I reviewed the popular, multi-platform Dolphin Browser HD which you may read about here. In my latest quest for the perfect browser, I was lucky to stumble upon another fabulous app called Grazing Web Browser. When I first heard of Grazing, I was skeptical to give it a shot because I assumed it'd be yet another browser offering a mediocre user experience. Fortunately, I was wrong. Grazing is just fabulous! Let me tell you why.

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Since we last updated our review, Scribblenauts Remix has had multiple content updates, offering a new sandbox skin for Valentine's Day and a DLC pack. Should you spend a dollar on this new content, and does it bump this DS classic into Must Have range?

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My first experience with the Dolphin Browser was in 2010, when I was seeking an alternative browser for my Motorola Droid X smartphone. Dolphin was one that was recommended by many users in the tech forums I frequented and it soon became my go-to browser for viewing web content on my Android phone. Naturally, when I learned that Dolphin had released its sister iPad app, Dolphin Browser HD, I had to give it a shot. A year and half has passed since my first experience with the Android browser and it seems that Dolphin's developers have come a long way and achieved true success. With a whopping 10 million downloads, the #1 spot for PC Magazine's "The 40 Best Free Apps for 2011" and the #2 spot on the CNet 100, Dolphin Browser is a popular browser alternative for various platforms. Fortunately, it's even more amazing on the iPad.

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Though there are an abundance of Office-compatible apps out there for the iPad, many users have been holding out for an official Microsoft Office app for iOS. While such an app is rumored to be in development, there's no guarantee as to when it'll be released. To address this demand, developers such as OnLive and CloudOn have taken advantage of cutting-edge cloud technologies to bring Microsoft Office access to the iPad. CloudOn's service was an instant success, attracting so many subscribers upon launch that it was temporarily shut down. The app is now back up and requires a Dropbox Account. Similarly, there's OnLive's Desktop app which enables users to access a Windows 7 desktop that's packed with Microsoft Office favorites like Excel, Word, PowerPoint and more. After struggling to find a solid Office competitor that requires very little modification of documents to ensure their compatibility when imported into Microsoft Office apps, I was thrilled to give OnLive Desktop a shot.

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Games have tried to be “art” ever since the medium was created, but few take the task as seriously as Windosill. This logic puzzler is akin to scrolling through an interactive abstract mosaic, and it’s an absolute thrill ride.

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TwelveSouth's PlugBug is a simple accessory that's immensely useful. It's a small block of plastic and metal that slides on top of a MacBook power adapter. It allows you to charge your MacBook and a USB device (iPad, iPhone, Android phone, etc.) all from one outlet. After using the PlugBug during 10 days of travel, I've come to the conclusion that it's a sterling example of how the simplest solutions can also be the most powerful ones.

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Got a new iDevice over the holidays and need a remote desktop client for it? The time is just right to get your hands on the latest release of LogMeIn for iPhone & iPad, which is available on the App Store for free. That's right! The makers of LogMeIn have abandoned their $29.99 price tag for mobile versions and are now offering basic functionality at no cost to you. So how does this app fare amongst competitors like Splashtop Remote Desktop (which I previously reviewed here)? Quite well. Read on for more details on this excellent remote desktop app.

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Over the summer, I read that Skitch (recently acquired by Evernote) was in the works as a native app for the iPad and I became interested in it, since I thought it could simplify my life. As a huge Evernote fan, I had high hopes that Skitch would become another app that I'd use on an almost daily basis. Naturally, I had to give it a shot right upon its release. Unfortunately, upon initial launch, the long-awaited app had disappointed me with an error message, prompting a restart. Was this indicative of what was to follow? Read on to find out.

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Rockmate is a pretty good idea on paper: multiple virtual instruments on the same iPad so you and some friends can have a digital jam. This kind of use is certainly the way the app’s developers are trying to position it, but it doesn’t seem to be its real strength. In fact, figuring out who this app is for and what they would want to do with it is a bit of a challenge no matter how it has been marketed.

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Since we last checked in with SpellTower, its developer Zach Gage has put out a couple of updates for it. The most significant of these is latest one, which makes the app Universal. This is great, as now the game-- which has also seen some dictionary improvements-- can fit in your pocket.

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On consoles, Michael Jackson The Experience is a game that makes you get on your feet and dance. Obviously, this wouldn't work on an iPad-- nobody wants to fling their $500 device around at high velocities-- so the developers have turned it into a music/rhythm game on iOS. So, instead of trying to mimic slick dance steps with your whole body, you can lean back on the couch and tap the screen to make MJ grab his crotch and do the moonwalk.

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Chances are, you’ve poured many hours into your character in Infinity Blade. You’ve fought through the castle a handful of times, leveled up your character, honed your sword-fighting ability, taken down hundreds of beasts, and finally, in a pulse-pounding confrontation, you conquered the God King. So what's next? In Infinity Blade 2, you start over. And if that sounds like a bad thing, it's not. Not at all.

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The ideal game for any platform is one that, when you play, causes someone to look over your shoulder and say, “Hey, can I play that?” Monster Burner is almost guaranteed to cause that reaction. It’s the type of game with a simple display, colorful graphics, and intuitive touch screen controls. More than that, it’s a game that makes use of your screen’s real estate, giving you the freedom to move within an environment without being cramped on a small screen.

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A wave of cheer spread through the iOS user community when the official Gmail app was finally released on November 2. This was met shortly thereafter with a loud cry as the app was pulled from the App Store within hours. Why? Due to a broken notification system…which should imply that this new release should boast a solid notification system. Does it? Read ahead to find out.

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The high-quality, high-seas iPad strategy game Crimson: Steam Pirates is now available for the iPhone! The iPhone version, which you can download here, costs $1 and includes the first two chapters. A third chapter is also available for an extra dollar. While we wish the iPhone version was free to play as well, we're glad that more people can now try the game.

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Originally released as an indie PC game, Aquaria feels wonderfully at home on the iPad. This is a beautiful and evocative 2D adventure that comfortably bears comparison to Nintendo’s venerable Metroid series. Thanks to intelligently ported controls and great use of the iPad’s screen and hardware, Aquaria feels as if it were meant for tablets.

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If you live in Los Angeles, chances are you're familiar with KCRW and its eclectic sounds. KCRW is an Santa Monica-based public radio station that is most noted for its unique sounds, news, and talk segments. If you're not from LA and have a valid excuse for not having listened to KCRW, it's not too late. (If you are from LA and have yet to listen in, shame on you.) In either case, I urge you to give the station a shot next time you're eager to discover new music or immerse yourself in delightful beats. Fortunately, you don’t even have to leave your precious iPad thanks to KCRW Music Mine.

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The first thing most of us ask ourselves when considering a new technology purchase involves the value proposition: how much will I enjoy using this thing, for how long, and for how much? A small fraction of consumers have unlimited resources, and they buy the newest and best because there's no reason not to. A larger fraction have a burning love for technology -- or a good use for it professionally -- and are more willing to sacrifice for it (Apple's target market). Everybody else might think that a new gadget is cool and can visualize how it might improve their lives…but they'd rather make rent this month. Amazon's Kindle Fire delivers the tablet computing revolution to "everybody else" and it does so with more style than you'd expect for a $199 tablet.

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