Posted 9/8/11 6:00 pm ET by Don Hatfield in Apple, Apps, Tech
Anyone who works with a computer all day knows how frustrating they can be. Sometimes they just don’t listen and we have to give them a little shake to make sure they know who’s boss. Usually it doesn’t usually help the situation, but the "Shake To Undo" app for Mac OS X makes shaking your MacBook a great way to relieve some stress and undo those last few mistakes. Read more...
Posted 8/3/11 3:30 pm ET by Don Hatfield in Apps, Tech
Video-chatters were treated with a nice surprise on August 1st when Skype finally launched an app for iPad and then quickly removed it from the App Store moments later. We had been waiting for this app for quite a while, but Skype apparently launched the app prematurely.
"To ensure your best Skype experience, we've temporarily removed Skype for iPad which went live prematurely today," read Skype’s Twitter feed. "We know you've been eagerly awaiting Skype for iPad and apologize for the inconvenience."
Hours later, on August 2nd, the app popped up in the App Store again -- hopefully for good this time. Read more...
Posted 7/25/11 1:22 pm ET by Brigid Alverson in Apps, Manga, San Diego Comic-Con
There was lots of digital news at San Diego Comic-Con 2011 this past weekend, as Yen Press announced three new licenses and an iPhone app and a group of Japanese publishers revealed initial details of JManga, a website that will bring manga straight from Japan to U.S. readers.
Posted 7/1/11 2:30 pm ET by Don Hatfield in Apps, Tech, Video Games
There’s nothing like a good app sale and fans of Adult Swim have a great one to check out this weekend. In celebration of Independence Day (the holiday not the alien invasion, nerd) Adult Swim is giving all of their paid apps away for 99 cents!
It’s not just iPhone apps -- Robot Unicorn Attack HD and Amateur Surgeon apps for iPad are also going for the sale price. Head past the break for a list of all the apps on sale. Obviously, their free apps are still going to be free so we’re not going to include those. Read more...
Posted 6/6/11 11:25 am ET by Matt Morgan in Apps, Hobby Gaming
Back in April, I took at look at the mobile app scene and came to the conclusion that board games were entering a golden age of electronic adaptations. It's only been two months, yet so many new great game apps have been released and announced that I could not list them all if I tried.
Some of the biggest news has an increase in support for the Android platform. Codito Development, who have been on a tear with their iOS releases, will be porting Medici, Ra, and Tigris & Euphrates to Android. Big Daddy Creations will be porting over the popular Neuroshima Hex app as well. As Android phones improve, and the smartphone user base in general continues to expand, I expect the Android marketplace will see many more great games come its way. Read more...
Posted 5/18/11 5:23 pm ET by Alex Zalben in Animation, Apps, Comic Books, Marvel
The big question facing the comic book industry right now is, “How do we get comic books into new readers hands?” One way of doing it? Have them write the comics. Marvel, along with parent company Disney, have just launched an online comic creator tying into the hit Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes cartoon. The comic creator lets user put together their own comic, with their own dialogue, and possibly have the chance to see their story published in an actual Marvel Comic. So, that’s pretty nice.
To find out more, we chatted with Michael Pasciullo, Marvel Entertainment’s Senior Vice President of Brand Management & Communications about what went into making the comic creator, what they hope to get out of it, and where it’s going next:
MTV Geek: So, how’d you guys strike on the idea of doing this comic creator?
Michael Pasciullo: It’s definitely one of those situations in which you see how beneficial it is, not only for us but also for our fans, that Marvel and Disney are part of the same family. We always thought that a “comic book creator” program would be a great way for kids to engage with our characters and we were looking into ways to make it a reality. At the same time, we were talking to some people at Disney about a few of the initiatives that we were looking to pursue and they showed us this amazing Comic Creator app they had already developed for Disney.com’s Create (Disney.com/Create). At that point, it was very simple to put one and one together, combining Marvel’s characters with Disney.com’s Create program and the result was the Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Comic Creator.
Geek: It reminds me a bit of the "How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way" book I had as a kid... Is this the next evolution?
MP: I think it absolutely is. When “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way” came out, it was simply genius. It gave myself and every other kid out there that loved Marvel and all of Marvel’s characters, an opportunity to go from reading about their favorite heroes to being able to draw and pose their favorite heroes. It gave you this great sense of ownership. The Comic Creator app takes that to a whole other level. Now kids have the opportunity to not only create stories featuring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes but they have the creative freedom to tell those stories graphically as well. Just as you hear some of our top artists today talking fondly about the fact that “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way” got them into art, I think ten years from now, you will hear a few comic book writers saying that, “the first comic book story that I ever wrote was on the Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Comic Creator. Read more...
Posted 4/6/11 12:55 pm ET by Matt Morgan in Apps, Hobby Gaming, Mayfair Games
Since the dawn of video games, board game companies have been trying to port their titles over to the electronic medium. However, when compared to full-length RPGs and platformers, board game adaptations have never pushed the limits of story depth or graphical prowess, and have became a tough sell when costing $50 or more. The audience for such games simply was not there, and adapting a board game became a sure fire way to lose money.
With the arrival of mobile app stores, though, developers have been given an easier road to success. Mobile apps can be programmed inexpensively by small teams, and have very low distribution costs. This is allowing board games apps to exist in a marketplace that caters to small consumer niches. Board game fans are now experiencing a golden age of video game adaptations, as countless classics are available for $5 or less. Today, I’ll be giving capsule reviews of some great board games available in the iOS App Store:
One of the all-time greats of modern board gaming, the highly strategic worker placement game Carcassonne comes to the iOS platform with a deluxe edition. The features packed into this game include online play, avatar support, and user rankings. This app was also recently upgraded to support the higher resolution iPad screen, and supports "play by mail" between users on any device. Make this game your Words With Friends replacement!
Some of the new electronic additions even improve the game, such as the app’s ability to track placement of tiles. This allows players to monitor what is left in the deck and determine whether a spot has been permanently blocked. This greatly increases the level of competitive play, and makes Carcassonne a must-buy.
Posted 1/28/11 3:48 pm ET by Charles Webb in Apps, ComiXology, Comic Books, Digital Comics, Dynamite
You can continue the adventures of the Green Hornet using your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with comiXology's new Green Hornet comics app (in partnership with Dynamite Entertainment). We chatted with comiXology CEO and co-founder David Steinberger about the new app and what digital comics readers can expect!
MTV Geek: What titles were included in the app’s lineup?
David Steinberger: We currently have five different Green Hornet series that are included in this App: Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet, Green Hornet: Year One, The Green Hornet Strikes Back, Green Hornet: Blood Ties, The Green Hornet: Parallel Lives. Overall we have 30 Green Hornet comics so far and more to come.
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