The Walking Dead Xbox 360 Game Review

Telltale Games unveils the video game version of the highly-successful zombie-based comic series “The Walking Dead.” Unlike many video games that deal with monsters and zombies, “The Walking Dead” puts more weight on character drama over bloody violence, giving it a fresh take on this very gory genre.

The game is a combination of point-and-click adventure and button-prompt action. Conversations rule most of the story, where you (playing the role of convicted felon Lee Everett) get to pick one of four dialogue options that may affect the story and your relationship with other characters. In other times, you are searching for items and fighting off zombies.

Although the fight scenes appear sparingly, the possibilities that you can do in it are almost limitless from axing ghouls in the head to stabbing them through the eye.

The story runs parallel to the series from the beginning of the outbreak. You play as Everett who, after a car crash on his way to jail, meets an orphaned young girl named Clementine whom he had to protect from the horde. Everett and Clementine seek for shelter and team up with other characters along the way.

This game is first of a five-episode series. “The Walking Dead” is now available on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft Points (US$5).

Withings iPhone Baby Monitor

Image Source: ThinkGeek

Parents would usually want to keep their eyes on their baby at all times if possible. That would ensure them that their baby is always safe if they can always have a quick look now and then. But unfortunately, it might not always be possible especially if there are other things to do at home in other rooms. In such cases, baby gadgets like the new Withings iPhone Baby Monitor would usually be a wonderful device to have around.

The Withings iPhone Baby Monitor allows parents to become more productive at home by making them able to do important work while also trying to keep tabs of the baby’s condition at all times. The unit comes with a video camera that can provide 3MP high definition video. The camera can also be panned, tilted, zoomed and be used even in the dark with its night vision features.

A built-in mic and speaker allows parents to listen as well as speak to a baby who may want to hear a familiar and soothing voice. The unit can also determine motion, sound, temperature, and humidity changes and provide the necessary alerts when required to. What makes it even better is that all these are possible with parents monitoring via their iPhone or iPad through the Internet. It is wireless convenience at its best when it comes to monitoring the baby. The Withings iPhone Baby Monitor is available at ThinkGeek for US$300.

Sony Introduces Melee Fighting Game

Sony has confirmed that they are working on a first-party fighting game for PlayStation 3 similar to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros.

The title, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, sounds a bit plain. However, its gameplay is more complex than you think. The game features Sony-developed characters, as well as players from third-party PS3 games, who duke it out in crazy worlds that are mashed-up from different well-loved games. Characters that are confirmed to appear in the battle game include Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Kratos (God of War), Sly Cooper, and Fat Princess. Each player uses a unique fighting style based on the video games they appear on.

The game is said to come in single and multiplayer modes, as well as online play and tournament mode. Players can either battle each other or play cooperatively. It is due to arrive on PS3 this holiday season.

Source: Kotaku

Kinect Joy Ride Sequel Ditches the Kinect

The Kinect-based video game Kinect Joy Ride will have a sequel, according to Microsoft. However, call this unusual: the first thing that is confirmed with this upcoming game is that it will no require the Kinect to play, just the Xbox 360 contollers. Hence, the title is edited to Joy Ride Turbo.

Looks like Microsoft has come to its senses. Playing a race game with no buttons to press or a controller to steer (just your whole body) is not only uninteresting, but also lacks precision.

The Kinect was introduced as a revolution in gaming, of what motion gaming is supposed to be played as players make use of their whole body and not a wand-like controller. But that lofty idea has gone to a completely different route, as hardware hackers begin to utilize the Kinect to more novel, non-gaming uses.

Joy Ride Turbo will be launched exclusively through Xbox Live Arcade, meaning it will not be sold at storefront game retailers.

Source: Gamasutra, via Slashgear

LinkedIn App for iPad Now Available

Professional-oriented social network LinkedIn has introduced an iPad app version, aiming to encourage more users to engage with their free service.

“Our mobile platform is the fastest growing consumer service on LinkedIn,” wrote Manish Sharma, LinkedIn’s product manager. “We aspire to be the place where every professional comes throughout the day.”

Although LinkedIn brags about its 150 million members, making it one of the top social networks in the world, only a third of them check the website on a daily basis. Compare that to Facebook whose half of its total members use the site everyday.

The app–now available for download–works a bit different from its web-based counterpart, as the mobile version is designed to be a personal assistant of sorts. It has added features such as calendar integration and focus on LinkedIn’s personalized news feed, which displays articles that are popular among people within the user’s network.

Source: Times of India

Aurora Feint 3 iPad Game App Review

You have played Bejeweled on your desktop and mobile device thinking any game that try to copy its gameplay are bound to fail. Not so much in this case.

Aurora Feint 3 is a tile-matching game infused with RPG, kinda like Puzzle Quest for Nintendo DS. Unlike Bejeweled, however, this game only slides jewels horizontally and you can even tilt your iPad to shift gravity, giving it a more challenging play.

The RPG part of the game comes with raising your character with more power and health as his level goes up, which you dearly need in battling mystical enemies.

Developed by Openfeint Inc, Aurora Feint 3 is available to download for free in the iPad.

Foxconn Labor Disputes Far From Over

Despite Apple’s continuing confidence with Foxconn, the iPhone manufacturer cannot seem to get a break when it comes to dealing with its usual issue: the working conditions of its employees. And we are not just talking about Foxconn’s plants in China, as its workers in Brazil have complained big time as well.

Hong Kong-based activist group Information Center for Human Rights (ICHR) reported on Friday that an around 200 workers from Foxconn’s Wuhan City facility demanded higher salaries. So much so that they climbed up to the factory’s roof and threatened to jump all together to their death if their demands were not met. The police responded to the strike and the workers, well, they went back to their shift.

A representative of Foxconn told Reuters that there wasn’t any kind of strike, claiming that the workers involved in the ruckus were new to the plant. He added that the dispute has already been settled. ICHR, however, told Reuters that the workers who threatened to go Suicide Club had to take drastic measures because they were earning less in Foxconn Wuhan compared to their previous jobs.

Meanwhile, around 2,500 workers at Foxconn’s factory in Jundiai, Brazil, have been complaining about sub-human conditions such as overcrowded shuttles, bad food, and lack of water. The reportedly met with executives last Monday to raise concerns, demanding that their employer resolve the issues within 10 days.

Local reports indicated that Foxconn’s disputes with its Brazilian employees began when it hired over 1,000 more employees without increasing the transport infrastructure to accommodate the new hires. Also, Foxconn has supposedly hired water trucks to deliver water for its employees. Could this be a sign that the factory lacks running water?

A representative for the disgruntled employees said they were “optimistic that an amicable solution could be reached with Foxconn without resorting to a strike.”

Source: Reuters and Apple Insider, via Tom’s Hardware

Shocker! Apple Planned to Add Physical Keyboard on iPhone

Back in the day when BlackBerrys were the coolest phones in the planet, Apple was struggling about what to do if they add mobile phone features on their iPod. One option, apparently, was to give the device a physical keyboard just like the BB phone.

Shocking, I know.

The revelation came from Tony Fadell, a former Apple engineer and founder of learning thermostat company Nest. In an interview with The Verge, he revealed that Apple had three design options with its iPod-phone, one of which involved adding a hardware keyboard. We can guess that it would have been a keyboard that slides out of the phone, much like many smartphones today.

The report sparked a lot of questions. What if Apple indeed added a keyboard on what would have been the first iPhone? Would another company becomes the first to create the first touch-screen smartphone? Would Apple have patented the hardware keyboard, even if other phones already have them, and sue everybody else including RIM (the maker of BlackBerry)? Would Apple’s fanboys diss other smartphones with full touch-screens simply because they do not have keyboards like the iPhone?

We could only imagine.

Source: The Verge, via CNET

Cube Lets You Play Using Google Maps

Google has just rolled out Cube, a 3D game that teaches players about the functions of Google Maps as you roll a blue ball through mazes of major cities.

There are eight levels in the game, each making use of features found on Maps such as cycling paths, traffic flow, and even sales within certain shopping establishments. The only rule here is to move the ball using your mouse cursor, weaving through streets and alleys until it reaches its destination.

The game culminates on the eighth and final level, where the cube maze switches maps as the ball reaches its goal until it settles on its fifth destination.

Cube is free-to-play and does not require downloading. Try beating its all-time fastest game, clocking in at around 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Source: Ubergizmo

Griffin SmartTalk Solar Speakerphone

Image Source: Griffin Technology

Speakerphones make it easy for drivers to answer calls while traveling on the road. It helps them keep their eyes on the road instead of trying to work with their mobile phones when answering calls and be a danger risk on the road. Devices like the Griffin SmartTalk Solar Speakerphone can help prevent this and also may be considered as eco-friendly by being powered by solar energy.

The new Griffin SmartTalk Solar Handsfree Speakerphone has easy to use features that make it easy to use when inside the car. It can automatically pair up with paired smartphones via its motion sensing Auto Connect feature. It is also capable of being paired with two smartphones simultaneously. It also operates a one touch button when trying to answer and make calls.

The Griffin SmartTalk Solar also features support for voice commands for smartphones that have it. It also has its own solar panel built-in that charges the unit’s own rechargeable batteries to help power the speakerphone for extended use even while on the road. The device can also be window mounted on the car to be able to make optimum use of the sun’s rays to power its batteries. The new Griffin SmartTalk Solar Speakerphone is now available at Griffin Technology for US$70.

Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone App Review

Image Source: Apple App Store

The National Football League just recently concluded its Annual Draft for new football players out of the different colleges and universities in the country. While the excitement may have somehow simmered down and the fans eagerly awaiting NFL’s next season this September, people can still enjoy football by playing games on their iPhone like the Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone Game App.

The Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone Game App is a simple yet engaging field goal kicking game. Players become the kickers for a football team. The same as the actual kickers in the game, the player has to consider factors like angles and wind speed and direction to make that perfect kick that sends the ball through and in between the goal posts and score.

Flick Kick Field Goal also features multiple game modes for a variety of challenges for the player. It comes with Sudden Death, Arcade, Time Attack and Practice Modes. With a realistic football  stadium setting and 3D graphics, the Flick Kick Field Goal iPhone Game app is a simple and yet addicting game for those who wish to get that football fever going up until the September season opening. This game app is available at the Apple App Store for a $1 download.

GodFinger All-Stars iPad App Review

God games are arguably one of the easiest apps to play. You do nothing but play god and control your minions as you please. However, a lot of god games lose their charms in the long run. GodFinger All-Stars by plus+ tries to disprove that notion and then some.

The game enables you, the god, to interfere with your subjects in great detail. Stun your followers with awe and terror, send them leaping through the heavens, and collect Follower Stars to power up your people. Follower Stars are created as you wow your minions with your wonders.

Another great feature of this app is how you can transform your planet according to your liking, such as turning deserts into lush plains, planting flowers, and flooding gullies. Players can also add Awe Points in form of in-app purchases.

GodFinger All-Stars can be downloaded for free on iTunes for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Connection to the Internet is required to play.

Ninjump HD iPad App Review

Sometimes, the game with the simplest instructions give the best experience. Take it from Ninjump HD, which was developed by Backflip Studios.

Your protagonist ninja does nothing but climb a pair of walls as high as he can, with only a tap of your finger (most preferably the thumb) to make him switch from one wall to the other. But it’s not that easy, as he needs to avoid obstacles and enemies ranging from blue birds, quick squirrels, and enemy ninjas. You can defeat the animals and the weapons thrown by ninjas (like stars and bombs) by slashing them as you jump–which he does anyway. Collect three of the same enemies and the ninja receives mega-jump bonuses, as well as shields to protect him from one hit.

Despite the simplicity of gameplay, Ninjump HD introduces gorgeous graphics, immersive soundtrack, and an addictive quality. If there is something to complain about this app, it would be how the shield’s effect does not accumulate as you collect more of it.

Ninjump HD is available for free on iTunes.

Etch Light Web Lamp

Image Source: Tom Dixon

Lamps basically provide light to make a room brighter. But they can also help transform the mood in the room with the use of light. One example is this Etch Light Web Lamp which plays with shadows to create an interesting web of shapes in any room.

The Etch Light Web lamp is a unique lamp designed by Tom Dixon and has recently been exhibited at the Milan Design Week. This lamp is quite large with a 65cm or 25 inches wide shade made from a geometrical copper anodized aluminum sphere using a process called digital photo-acid etching. In the middle of the sphere is a bright LED bulb that provides the light source. But it is not just the light that gets the attention for this lamp. It’s the geometrical shadows that are formed by the large sphere circling the light. It certainly creates a web of geometrical structures that forms around the whole room. The Etch Light Web Lamp has recently been introduced as part of the Luminosity exhibit for Milan Design Week at MOST Salone. No word yet has been provided how much it will cost.

USB Power Strip

Image Source: ThinkGeek

With USB portable devices getting more and more popular, it seems that getting them charged has become an increasing challenge. The number of USB ports available in laptops no longer is enough to charge all those USB devices, especially when on the road. What one would really need is a gadget like this USB Power Strip.

The USB Power Strip is a convenient power charger for those USB charged portable devices. It comes with 4 available USB slots where device owners can charge their portable devices when they need to. There’s no need to look for available USB slots on the handy notebook or laptop during trips or vacations to charge the other devices. The USB Power Strip will provide the ready slots for them. It is available at ThinkGeek for US$10.

Image Source: ThinkGeek

Jetpack Joyride iPad Game App Review

Jetpack Joyride is a new and exciting game from Halfbrick Studios, the same developers that made the highly popular Fruit Ninja. But instead of cutting up flying fruits with a katana, this new game features a game character named Barry Steakfries. Not only that, this game involves Barry suiting up jet packs to move around in a one-way adventure.

In this game, Barry breaks into a secret laboratory to get the experimental jet packs off the hands of the evildoers and successfully escape. Players simply tap on the screen to make Barry and his jetpack fly and remove the fingers from the screen to descend. But there are also obstacles that Barry faces along the way as bullets, lasers, rainbows and even bubbles rain all around along with guided missiles and electricity fields. There are also other stuff that Barry can obtain along the way such as coins, power and speed boosters.

Over the course of the game, players can also upgrade to other jet packs that provide added features to make Barry’s adventure even more exciting. For those with the new iPad, this game now provides Retina support, making gameplay even more unique. The Jetpack Joyride iPad Game App is available at the Apple App Store for free download.

iHome iP4 iPhone FM Stereo Boombox

Image Source: iHome

The appeal of those boomboxes from the 80’s is still alive today. While most people have moved on to having pocket-sized portable media players and smartphones, there may still be others that want to bring back those boomboxes back, if only to reminisce of the times gone by. The new iHome iP4 iPhone FM Stereo Boombox may help bring back those times but upgraded to the technologies of today.

The new iHome iP4 iPhone FM Stereo Boombox is not an actual classic boombox for the purists out there. It is actually an iPhone or iPod speaker dock that can help produce big sounds similar to those boomboxes of old. It is designed to closely look like a classic boombox but with that upgrade twist.

This re-imagined boombox features a pair of 4″ carbon composite woofers along with 1″ ferro fluid cooled tweeters. This updated boombox also features SRS TruBass digital signal processing technology and a 5 band graphic equalizer with LCD display. It also comes with an FM radio along with an auxiliary line in jack for use with other more “classic” devices. The iHome iP4 iPhone Stereo Boombox is now available at iHome and costs around US$200.

Nemo Helio Pressure Shower

Image Source: Nemo Equipment

When enjoying the outdoors on a camping trip, it is understandable that people should be “roughing it” and makes do with only the most basic of necessities. But what would one would truly like to have along with the trip is getting that daily shower which for the most part is non-existent when going outdoors. But not anymore, especially if you have this Nemo Helio Pressure Shower along for the trip.

The Nemo Helio Pressure Shower can help provide campers with the means to take warm showers even when going outdoors. This portable shower kit comes with an 11-liter collapsible water tank connected to a foot pump that helps regulate water pressure. When filled up, the Helio Pressure Shower is able to provide from 5 to 7 minutes of water pressure, more than enough for a good shower provided for by a connected 7-foot hose with a spray nozzle at the end.

The Helio Pressure Shower’s water can be heated by virtue of heat from the sun. The Eco-PU Coated Polyester, TPU and neoprene tubing makes this portable shower kit durable as well as light enough to bring along on that next camping trip. It can also be used not only as a shower but also for washing dishes at the campsite or even by giving your pet a bath. The Helio Pressure Shower is expected to be available sometime in June of this year at Nemo Equipment. There’s no word yet on how much it will cost.

Logo Quiz Game iPhone App Review

Image Source: Apple App Store

iPhone game apps now come in many shapes and levels of fun. But some of them can also be quite informative as well. There’s the iPhone game app like the Logo Quiz Game that takes players into a fun journey of recall over those iconic and popular logos that has been etched into the mindset of many people.

The Logo Quiz Game for the iPhone is a simple and yet engaging game that gets players into guessing the different logos being presented but with a certain twist. The logos are not presented in their complete form. The logos have some of parts blanked or left out, making players trying to recall what the partly drawn logo is. Gameplay comes into several levels, with each one having a certain number of logos to guess from. Hints are also provided to help players recall the logo with different info connected with it. The Logo Quiz Game app for the iPhone is a simple and yet addicting game, especially for those who like to recalling a popular and familiar logo used by different companies from all over the world. It is available at the Apple App Store for free download.

“Draw Something” Usage on a Downward Trend

Source: Business Insider, via The Atlantic

Just over a month ago, reports claimed that Draw Something was the most popular mobile game in the world. But in the world where new apps are introduced every week, it seems the latest Zynga acquisition is losing steam quickly.

Using a third-party chart maker, Business Insider checks in on the number of people actively using Draw Something and notices a worrisome downward trend. As of May 1, the average number of active users per day is at 10.2 million, lower than when when Zynga acquired the game. Meanwhile, monthly average users–those who play occasionally, but not all the time–remain steady, but it is declining slowly settling at 35.3 million users as of May Day.

Although the AppData client tracks users via Facebook logins, which Draw Something does not require, Business Insider claims it is a “pretty good directional measurement.”

“Like most one-hit wonders, fans got bored and moved on,” wrote Dashiell Bennett for The Atlantic, which reported the so-called “decline and fall” of the app.

It is interesting to note that Draw Something’s popularity peaked as soon as Zynga bought the game and the employees of the game’s former company OMGPOP for $200 million. While it is easy to compare the game’s popularity to Angry Birds, the latter’s upgradeable levels and expanding challenges keeps it on top of the apps charts for over a year, while Draw Something collapsed as soon as it peaked.

And if Zynga does not act quickly, it may be left holding the bag.