By: Hillel Fuld

I am not even going to address the fact that Rovio has seen well over 350 million downloads of their famous Angry Birds app across all platforms. Rovio’s North American General Manager Andrew Stalbow spoke to MG Siegler at TechCrunch Disrupt yesterday and spoke about the company’s vision for the future, as well as some seriously impressive statistics.

The numbers that amazed me most were not the downloads but rather the success of what can only be referred to as the industry forming around the popular Angry Birds brand.

Rovio decided long ago that they are not an iPhone or Android app, but rather, as Andrew said on stage, wherever the audience is, that is where they want to be. That includes iOS, Android, Chrome, and PS3, but Facebook is definitely a platform the company has its eyes on.

So the numbers that blew everyone away include one million of those cute little Angry Birds plush toys sold every month.The line of toys was launched back in December 2010, and within six months, they had sold 2 million. Now, as I mentioned, Rovio is pushing one million of those toys every month. Those numbers are good enough for Rovio to become a toy company, and not an app developer, but it doesn’t end there.

T shirts! One million sold a month! Wild!

So what does this all mean for developers? It means a few things and here is a short list:

• Aim High. No, Higher! You know the expression, “The Sky is the Limit”? Pretty sure there are no limits when it comes to mobile apps, so think big!
• Be Everywhere: There are always new stats about this platform over that one. Don’t choose one. Choose them all! If there is a device in the hands of consumers, your app should be on it.
• Never, EVER Give up: Rovio= Angry Birds, right? Wrong! The company released 52 apps before Angry Birds and you know why you didn’t know that? Because they did not sell a million toys or shirts per month, not even close! But Rovio did not give up.
• No Such Thing as Too Simple: Flinging Birds at Pigs? Really? 350 million Downloads? Yes! Simplicity wins every time, both in concept and design. Keep it simple, people dig simple.

That’s all, folks. I, for one cannot wait to hear what Rovio will do next. Phones? Cars? A social network? Nothing would surprise me anymore with this company!!

By: Hillel Fuld

If you read one story today, it should be this one. Connor, the 7 year old kid in the photo below has done the impossible.

He had an idea for an app, as he explained to Cnet “My dad was telling me about an old fashion toaster since I never saw one before. Then it just came to me to create an app, where toast would pop out of the toaster, land on a plate and you would have to butter it with butter,”

Big deal you say, who doesn’t have at least one idea for an app, right? Well, as Nolan Bushnell says (thanks TUAW), “Everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it that makes a difference.”

Well Connor dried off alright. He then prepared PowerPoint presentations, pitched investors, hired an iOS developer, filled out the paperwork for the LLC, and crowd sourced his friends and family during the development process of his first app. Need I remind you that we are talking about a first grade child who can only barely tie his own shoes?

The result is Toaster Pop for iOS, which you can download here.

Connor told Cnet that the most challenging part of the process was pitching investors and Connor said he was nervous about it. The next version of Toaster Pop is already mapped out on the family refrigerator, and that is not all. In fact, this story gets a whole lot more interesting, just in case your mind is not blown yet.

By: Hillel Fuld

It has been said by many that the iPhone changed the technology and mobile world forever. But, has it really? I mean, ok, maybe it brought about the birth of multitouch technology, and introduced the first ever mobile device that can pretty pretty much replace a computer for most of your needs.

Yes, it also sparked the beginning of a revolution in which anyone can create an application in their basement that stimulates various bodily functions and expect to make millions, but are those things enough to say it changed the world? Well, yes, but it doesn’t end there.

There seems to be a whole new trend of flying accessories that are controlled by the iPhone. There was the original AR.Drone and a few others. The latest comes from the famous apple accessory company, Griffin. The Helo TC, announced here,

The company describes the new toy by saying “HELO TC is a twin-rotored, indoor helicopter built on a lightweight metal frame with a black polycarbonate body. It comes with a Flight Deck infrared module, which plugs into an iOS device to transmit control signals to the helicopter. Two modes of flight are available: Touch Control, using the Multi-Touch display to control HELO TC’s throttle and joystick; and Tilt to Steer mode, which uses the iOS device’s accelerometers: tilting the iOS device moves the helicopter forward, back, and side to side. The app can record and store up to three Flight Plans so you, or another pilot, can repeat a favorite flight pattern easily.”

OK enough talking. If you are not convinced that you want to buy one of these bad boys in the next holiday season, the commercial below, which 9to5mac describes as “over the top” should convince you.

You can order the HELO TC here and you can download he app to control it here.

We’re always constantly looking for that new app and that just blows everything away. While we haven’t quite found one quite at that level yet, we did find one that isn’t bad at all. It’s called Baby Jones, and is available for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. It’s free for a limited time too, so you really have nothing to lose. Keep on reading for our full scoop for this application.

Baby Jones For iPhone is a relatively new game with a fresh idea. Although the execution of the app isn’t all the best, the gameplay sort of makes up for it. The gameplay engine and graphics could definitely use some fine tuning, but I’m not complaining too much, especially since it’s free.

The objective of the game is to lead Baby Jones out of the room through the door. Collecting baby toys on the way out leads to a higher star rating. This is very similar to Angry Birds in which you need to rack up extra points to get more stars per level. To lead Baby Jones to the toys, you’ll need to remove objects blocking it. There are a variety of levels on one map/environment. Each succeeding level is harder than its predecessor, naturally.

You can also speed up the gameplay by tapping on the red arrow button on the bottom right corner of the screen. A very nice and useful addition to the app to speed up gameplay if you’re bored and waiting for baby Jones to hurry up and grab his toys.

Overall, Baby Jones is an “OK,” sort of game, and will help kill some time. You should definitely check it out since it’s free and give it a spin. Not too shabby, but not quite there yet either. Some of the core functions (the engine and graphics need to be optimized) need to be tweaked, and then it’ll be a lot better for sure, possibility in a future update? Go check this app out now, you won’t lose anything at the price of free. You can also check out our video review on this below

Our Rating: 3.5/5

Download Link

Baby Jones For iPhone Video Review

By: Hillel Fuld

Rovio never ceases to amaze me. The company has created an international phenomenon with over 250 million downloads across all mobile platforms and over 200 million minutes of Angry Birds played daily. Peter Vesterbacka, the “Mighty Eagle” of Rovio told TechCrunch this week that the company is working on some and exciting products that came as a surprise to me.

While I would expect Rovio to be looking towards expansion of the Angry Birds brand to other platforms such as consoles, I did not expect to read that Rovio is actually getting into the cookbook industry.

Apparently, the company will be releasing a new app called Wine and Dine along with an accompanying Rovio cookbook filled with egg recipes. Talk about a shift in audience.

More interesting to us geeks though, is the upcoming Magic platform that will be integrated into Angry Birds games across all platforms. Angry Birds Magic will make use of NFC technology as well as location of the user. The cool thing is that the Rovio toys will also come with NFC chips built in, that has to be a first.

Interestingly, the new platform will launch exclusively on Nokia devices running the new Symbian Anna version, yet another indication that some still believe in Nokia as a mobile player.

The new Magic platform will enable users to unlock new Angry Birds levels based on their current location. “Magic Places will work on any phone,” says Darabiha of Rovio. “So you can think of Magic as a way to deliver new things via interactions in the physical world.”

As for other games, TechCrunch reported “And what about new games that don’t involve birds flinging themselves at objects? Wine And Dinewill be more about the pigs, but new games with completely different gameplay (but the same characters) are also in the works.”

Exciting times for Rovio and the rest of us die hard fans.

We’re all continuously searching for more addictive and fun games to kill time on the go with our mobile devices. Next up in line is iStunt 2 For iPhone. It’s cheap, fun, and is superb to pass some time and have a great time. Keep on reading after the break to see what exactly this app is about!

iStunt 2 For iPhone is a physics game, and will provide hours and hours of fun since it provides a wide variety of levels. Naturally, each is harder than the one before. How the game works is it places you on a slope with a snowboard, and you have to make it to the last red flag to pass the level. This is easier said than done, as the slopes are very unpredictiable.

There are also mini powerups that speed you up, and reverse the gravity. You have to quickly react to these changes, and if you fall off your board, you lose! To adjust the angle of your snowboard to properly land a jump, you have to tilt your iPhone. You can get additional points by doing tricks. Grabs can be performed by tapping the circle in the bottom right and left side of the screen, but be careful! If you don’t release in time, you will wipe out and lose.

Some highlights of the application include:

• Beautiful retina graphics
• 42 levels and counting
• Superb ragdoll physics
• Gravity Inversion and Anti-Gravity zones
• Rails, boosts, fans
• GameCenter integration

As you can see, there are also a variety of environments you play in. These include various stadiums, slopes, and much more. What’s also great about this game is that it’s only 99 cents, so there’s barely anything to lose even if you don’t like the game, which I doubt. I mean seriously, how could you not like this fantastic game? It’s simple, addictive, fun, and cheap!

All in all, iStunt 2 For iPhone is a solid game if you’re looking to pass some time, go check it out now for only 99 cents!

Our Rating: 5/5

Download Link

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H95jePoMkY

Do you enjoy playing the classic game of Scrabble? Enjoy having fun with friends? Words With Friends For iPhone is a great game to play with friends (or random players across the world, for that matter). What’s also sweet is that there are two versions – a free, ad-supported version, and a paid ad-free version which will run you $2.99. Keep on reading for the full scoop on this great game!

As mentioned earlier, the game is very similar to scrabble. You start with a chest of random letters, and are supposed to begin by creating a word at the star in the center of the board. On each letter in the chest, there is a small numerical digit on the top right of it. That denotes the amount of points you will receive for using that letter. You may want to know that the higher up the value of a letter is, the harder it will be to create a word with that letter.

Once you start the game by entering a word into the center of the screen, your opponent will make his move. He will also be given a chest with random letters, and has to create a word with those letters. However, his word has to bridge off your word. What I mean is, he has to use one of your letters in his word. You can see in the screenshot above that every single word is linked to one another. It just spreads out until one person resigns, or there’s no space left to create a word.

You can play up to twenty people at once, random or by username. You can also chat, denoted by the chat icon on the top right corner of the screen. At the bottom left, you have your score box. When you create a word, you are given points for every letter used in the word. Using the colored tiles gives you additional points. These tiles include “DL,” (double letter), “DW,” (double word), “TL,” (triple letter), and “TW,” (triple word).

You can also connect your Words With Friends account with your facebook and twitter, and even invite your friends on both social networks to play with you. There is also a version of this game available in the Android Marketplace if you have one of those devices. I’ve used both versions, and I just prefer the iPhone version. They’re pretty much the same actually, it’s just a personal preference of which device you enjoy using more.

All in all, Words With Friends For iPhone is a solid game. If you are reluctant to pay for the app, you can try out the free version in the iTunes App Store here. Definitely go check out this great game to sharpen your mind!

Our Rating: 4.5/5

Download Link

Admit it, you love playing those addictive games on your iPhone. The list of these types of games grows longer and longer, day by day. Boost 3D For iPhone is yet another noticeable application in that list that will keep you entertained for hours of fun, if you’re up to it. In fact, it was featured as one of the best games of 2009, and will only cost you a mere $1.99.Curious as to how this game is? Keep on reading for our full take!

As you can see, it’s a very simple game. You are traveling at a very high speed through this tunnel, and your goal is to avoid the cubes/rectangular boxes coming at you at a high speed. This sounds pretty silly, but it actually is quite fun if you actually try it out for yourself, I assure you. There are several lanes, as you can see. When there is a box coming your way, its respective lane lights up, letting you know it’s coming. This allows you to go to a different lane. To switch lanes, you simply tilt your iPhone. The more you tilt it, the fast you change lanes. This game has a concept that is quite similar to the one in Cube Runner, which was very popular a few years ago.

It gets harder and harder as you progress, naturally. Your score is denoted by the little numbers on the bottom left side of the screen. It eventually gets to where all the lanes are lighted up, and you have to quickly dodge all of them. Sometimes, it can get even more tricky. There may be a row of boxes all together, or boxes that are moving, so you need to predict where it will be by the time you get there.

Additionally, you can also speed up by traveling over the black arrows on a specific lane. Your current speed is shown on the bottom left. If you are traveling at a high speed, you basically have an extra life as long as you are traveling at that speed. What this means is that you can go through a couple boxes before you lose, giving you the opportunity to recollect yourself and therefore, not die. Of course, you’ll lose speed, but the main thing is that you are still alive. You can speed up anytime, but I suggest not going too fast or everything just literally becomes a blur and you’ll hit several boxes in the same lane and just die.

Overall, Boost 3D For iPhone is a solid game, at the price of $1.99. I definitely found myself coming back to play it again and again to beat my high score. I would suggest this game to any person looking to kill some time, go check it out now!

Our Rating: 4/5

Download Link

By: Joel Klassen

First there was Doodle Jump, then Angry Birds and now there is Tiny Wings. What do all these games have in common? They’re inexpensive, very addictive and have dominated the app charts in their time. Tiny Wings is a game by independent developer Andreas Illiger. Within a week after it’s release, it was number one on the app store charts, bumping Angry Birds off of the top. In the game, you are a bird who dreams of flying however, your wings are just too small. To fulfill your dream, you slide down hills to gain speed and then shoot uphill into the sky gaining height. It’s simple, yet terribly addicting and if you don’t already have this game, go get it now. Watch a review of the app below!

Thank you for watching! Subscribe to the Appboy YouTube channel for more reviews.

Download Link ($0.99)

Developer: Andreas Illiger

Death Worm has to be one of the most motivating reasons to purchase an iPad. Death Worm is a game of destruction. The goal is simple, destroy as many people, animals, vehicles, aircraft and spaceships as you can before your health bar runs out. The game is played in landscape mode and is played based on a virtual analog touch pad on the left side, with your power-up based controls on the right. What’s great about it is that it’s quite cheap, at only 99 cents!

The farther down you hold the control stick, the faster your giant worm moves. On the right side you have two power-ups that you can only use once you have collected them throughout the level. One of them is a fireball that basically can shoot straight from your worm’s mouth and will hit one target and destroy it.

The other power-up is some sort of hyper speed. When you activate hyper speed, it lasts about 10-15 seconds, and it lets you move fast enough to hit the jumbo jets that are far up in the sky. So what is the overall goal?

Well it gives you different missions. A set of instructions pops up in the top left of the screen throughout the game letting you know how many things you have to destroy and how much time you have left. As you complete each task, you level up and can upgrade your worm’s size, speed, and durability. This isn’t the only game type you can play.

There are some mini games as well. Survival mode, a game where you dodge rocks with the worm similar to the game Throttle Copter, and Air Defense where you try to launch wooden crates with your worm at aircraft. Let’s go over a brief list of pros and cons for this app. Cons? The only con as of now is that there are simply not enough levels. I was able to beat the entire game in just under a day. However, there is a survival mode where the goal is to try and get the highest score.

That is really it for cons. On to the pros. The game runs extremely smooth. Even when you get really far in a level and the entire game is filled with things to destroy, the frame rate stays very high. The game is extremely easy to get into and really easy to control. The developer really worked hard on this app and they are continuing to develop more levels.

You can bet in the future that this application will have a lot more levels and will most likely have even more mini games. The game is 99 cents in the App Store, and I highly recommend it!

Our Rating: 5/5

Download Link