Playman Track & Field App for iPhone...and some other goodies

When the App Store was launched last year it completely changed the way I used my phone. For several months I was very successful in my "don't pay for apps" policy. It was all new, and there were so many free apps to choose from that it was a pretty easy rule to live by.

Early this year the success of my policy began to waver. The first app I bought was Koi Pond from the Blimp Pilots. At only 99 cents, the graphics, sound effects and the sense of equilibrium achieved through playing with the little Japanese fish, the app was well worth the cost. In fact, I was so thrilled with the app that I searched for other Blimp Pilots apps and ended up purchasing the Distant Shore app. At first I really liked this app. I thought it opened up a yet to be explored social networking niche. Whereas most social networking sites focus on your friends, Distant Shore focuses on connections based on chance and anonymity. I don't think I've launched the app in a month or two.

Back to the apps.

After those first two, I still attempted to follow my no-pay policy. I still felt pretty good about scrolling through my screens for friends and saying I'd only paid for two. It helped that some fantastic apps were released for free, the best possibly being the google earth app. The useful apps from the big guys were almost always free, AIM, google voice search, facebook, seadragon etc.

Over the last month or so my policy has more or less evaporated. So much so that I usually check the paid apps before the free ones. I've realized that, big boys excepted, you get what you pay for.

I wanted to share with you one in particular today (and I have the feeling more will follow), the Track & Field App from Playman. Unbelievably intuitive, you can participate in five different events, 100m dash, 110m hurdles, long jump, pole vault and javelin. The game's "fun factor" reminds me of the original Nintendo games. The graphics aren't breathtaking but they get the job done. There are only two buttons to press and some timing. It's one of those easy to play, impossible to master apps that seem to be a rarity in the app store.



The other thing worth mentioning about this app is it is great for quick play. It loads quickly and you can pick up right where you left off as there is a top notch auto-save feature. So, you can whip out your phone on the can, pass a level or two and feel like you accomplished something...you know, multitasking.

If you happen to have an iPhone or iPod touch and end up getting the Track & Field app I offer perhaps THE tip to help you do well: The alternative green dots you have to press are a seemingly randomly generated sequence, switching from left to right and back again. However, the green light will never appear on one side more than twice in a row. As such, if you get two green lights on the right side, you can immediately click the left side and gain some valuable time. You WILL need to use this strategy to get past the second round!

I'm looking for some more app buys, let me know of any you recommend!

Beatles, the other Apple and iTunes

As a new iPod (phone) user I've really started to use iTunes as my music hub. After living under the "under 25" assumption that music is free for several years, I now feel a little bit of pride each time I spend 99 cents for a new song. Along with that 99 cent song you get the sweet cover art for scrolling too!

A disappointment has been the unavailability (pretty sure thats a word) of Beatles music. I went ahead and Googled my way to an answer. I found several interesting articles that I've tried to arrange here chronologically.

If you've got any more information or would like to be the source of the next apple-iTunes-the OTHER apple-beatles rumor, just leave me a message.

MacObserver article from 2003
CNN Money article from 2005
Business blog from mid 2007
Gizmodo article from earlier this year (2008)

Apple Karma or Attack of the iPhone Killing Ice

Last week I wrote that I hoped that the Patriots would win the Super Bowl. What I didn't mention was that if the Giants won I would win a playoff pool. I had picked every game correctly from the start with the exception of Indy's first round loss. Yes, from the very beginning I picked the Giants to win, one of only three out of the 175 or so entries.

Since money won is much sweeter than money earned I spent Monday night perusing gadgets. I seriously considered a new Digital SLR camera an HD Camcorder and the Apple iPhone. After carefully considering each I decided on an iPhone. The next day I went to the AT&T store and 5 minutes later walked out with my new toy. It was by far the easiest phone purchase ever. The salesperson didn't even try to convince me to buy other things.

The phone is amazing! Five minutes after turning it on I new I had made the right choice on what to buy. Over the past few days I've spent some time programming numbers, taking pictures, adding web applications etc, to personalize my phone.

After an evening at Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) and stopping by my old fraternity house, the drive home was treacherous because of the ice that had formed under the snow. My car slid a few times but I got home safe. However, as I was walking from my car up the driveway to my garage I bit it hard. As I stepped with my left foot it slipped underneath me and before I new it my left side hit the pavement - HARD - knock the wind out of you hard. Unfortunately I was holding my new phone in my right hand and the force of the slip sent it flying out of my hand, straight up in the air.

When I hit the ground I realized my phone had slipped out, I also noticed that I hadn't heard it hit the ground yet. Instinctively I started to count in my head 1-2- and right before 3 I hear it hit...oh boy. I jump up, avoid stumbling again and notice my phone laying in the snow. I picked it up, brushed it off, turned it back on, unlocked it...my phone had survived, and thanks to the case, not a scratch.

Then this morning happened. To see how cold it was outside this morning (since it was supposed to be in the single digits) I pressed the weather widget on the home screen...no response. Fifteen seconds later I realized that the entire top half of the screen was no longer touch sensitive.

Shit.

Double shit.

Shit times 400 (dollars).

My only option was calling apple support. The guy I talked to said to take it into the store and that they would give me a loaner phone to use while my phone is being repaired and then I would need to bring that phone back in a few weeks when my phone was available. I can think of several things I'd rather do on a Sunday than that!

I was not looking forward to going to this store. Not even a month ago Amy took her computer in for repairs, needing it ASAP for her graphic design school work only to discover that it just sat in the store for more than a week collecting dust rather than being sent in to apple.

So I reluctantly scheduled an appointment and they just gave me brand new phone. All things considered this was the best possible outcome. Instead of having to eat a 250 dollar replacement cost I just had to reprogram my contacts- I'll take that deal any day.

And so, my faith in Apple support has been restored, along with the firmware on my iPhone.

The Government Wishes to Employ your Id or "Free Money"

Yes, the Government wants YOU to go buy some crap you don't need. They want you to buy something so bad they're even going to send you a check to do it. Their hope is that by funding your impulse buys, the economy will be jump started. Whatever their reasoning, this is cool by me.

I'm still having trouble grasping the full impacts of this stimulus plan but I'll leave the worrying for someone else, I just want to get that check so I can get an iPhone.

I was pleased to see the Dem's willingness to curb increases in welfare spending. I suppose this is the ultimate, stealing from the poor who were given money by the ones who stole from the rich to give it to them (think about it for just a second, read it again if you must, but it makes sense), play. Once again I am reminded that I need to finish the book Ivanhoe.

So I'm thinking iPhone, perhaps a Playstation 3, maybe a video camera.

What are you gonna get? And don't tell me put it in savings, after all, thats not what this is for!