Angry Birds Tops iPhone App Charts And Could Become A Movie

There was once a time when a game/movie tie-in was quite unusual and almost always ended up in disaster. Although, in all honesty, games made into movies tended to fare better than cross-overs in the other direction. Then, along came next gen consoles dragging gamers out of the gutter where they once had to hide and everything went a bit mainstream. The end result was considerably cooler games made from film licenses.

It should come as little suprirse then that the most popular iPhone app in most parts of the world, a ridiculously addictive game called Angry Birds, could possibly be turned into a movie and a toy. And yet, somehow, it seems like a weird move even by a Finnish iPhone game developer.

The game has proven a massive hit just about everywhere and at 99c it’s fairly easy to see why. There are a multitude of levels (over 180 in the latest version, in fact) that players can unlock which keep people like me coming abck for more and the game physics are surprisingly and impressively accurate.

You can even play online, submit your score to worldwide leaderboards, and a whole lot more – seriously impressive for just 99c. With that said, the game has nearly a quarter of a million ratings which means you can probably assume several million dollars’ worth of sales.

The trailer for Angry Birds has been viewed more than 5 million times on YouTube and the company responsible want to make the most of the games success. They’re fervently trying to find a company that can produce and create a movie of the game quickly to get it out and selling before the hype dies down. They also want to tell the Angry Birds story via the medium of cartoon and possibly create a popular line of Angry Birds based toys.

Have you been busy blowing up pigs with chickens?

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Exspect iPhone 4 Toughskin Case

If you own an iPhone 4 and think that the supplied bumper case doesn’t do much for the look of your iPhone you may want to consider one of these new cases from Exspect. The new Tough Skin case wraps your iphone in a flexible form hugging material that is impact resistant which will protect the body of your phone from knocks and scratches.

The case allows full access to the screen and buttons with any restriction. In the past we have found that some cases allowed poor access to the charging cable input, thankfully this is not the case with the tough skin as all cut outs are carefully tailored for easy access.

As with other iPhone 4 cases the Exspect Iphone 4 case is designed to solve the reception problems that caused so much controversy when Apple launched their new flagship phone. You can hold the phone however you want and the case ensures your signal stays as good as it the local surroundings will allow (unfortunately is can’t boost a mobile signal black spot. I.E. on the moors – that would be cool).

The Tough Skin also comes with a screen protector and a card to help you apply it. The addition of a screen protector is a nice touch as not all manufactures include it with a case. This stops the screen getting scratched and solves the dreaded finger print problem that blights all touch phones – trust us, it is better to scratch a screen guard than the actual screen itself!

The Exspect iPhone 4 Toughskin case  retails at around £6.99 and is available in a number of fetching colours. For a case that is as durable and functional as this that is a really good price – it looks a lot better than the standard Apple bumper case too.

Get it from Amazon | Play

iPod Zombies Causing Road Accidents And MyTown Available On UK iPhone

On the day that Apple opens its largest store yet in London, the AA has warned that iPod zombies are becoming a major cause of accidents on UK roads. You can barely open a new Internet page without being inundated by Apple news so it’s hardly surprising to learn that the iPod is causing such a stir and to many drivers it definitely won’t come as a shock that it’s actually the pedestrians that are getting the bad press for once. Maybe the next problem for UK road users will be pedestrians that are too busy checking out local properties for the iPhone game MyTown.

Apparently, pedestrians are too busy checking emails and listening to music on their iPhone to notice that they are crossing a road and should be watching for traffic. The AA has said that accidents caused by pedestrian inattention have risen 5% and they have listed the iPod as one possible cause for this increase.

The location based game MyTown is already a massive hit in the US and developers BooYah have announced that it will also be released in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Boasting 2.8 million users already it is one of the most popular games on the iPhone and it combines elements of the classic board game Monopoly with location based gaming.

Users can purchase real life properties using game cash. They can then upgrade their properties and enhance their property empire. As in the board game version, users can also charge other gamers rent when they stay in their property. As a gamer collects more cash and purchases more property they also earn experience points which can be used to give themselves a competitive edge by upgrading their own abilities.

Have you downloaded MyTown yet?

Are you an iPod zombie?

Personalised postcards to make your friends jealous

We’ve all been there. Rummaging a through a stack of cheap, tacky postcards with images of the Eiffel Tower / paella / Tower Bridge etc. Quite often the problem with these generic postcards is that the image is far removed from what you are actually doing. Not any more, jetsetters. A new, personalised postcard service has been launched by our internet neighbours at eCards.co.uk.

Now you can send pictures which genuinely reflect the fun / adventure /debauchery which you are having as you cut a swath through foreign lands.  How does it work? Let me tell you.

You download the application free from the site to your phone (iPhones and Android devices are supported) and add snaps to your holiday library. It then costs 99p to post your card second class and a reasonable £1.49 to send it by first class or to anyone anywhere in the whole wide world outside the UK. You make the payment by Paypal and bish, bash, bosh the thing is sent before your next sopa de chivo arrives and you aren’t even left with a sticky, gummy sensation on your tongue.

The system has been tested by 18,000 users and is up and running for everyone now.

iPhone news: GPS tracking and Skype

Our first story is of the “bungling burglar” type which we all relish. You know the ones I mean; hapless thief dials police by mistake, crook locks himself in bathroom etc. This time a rascal stole an iPhone from someone called Jordan Sturm. Nothing unsual there. Except the fact that canny old Sturmers was testing a live GPS tracking app, called Alert & Respond, on the iPhone at the time.

Before the ruffian even had a chance to whistle the theme tune from Dixon of Dock Green the phone had been tracked and he had been given a very serious ticking off.

On a less crime related front, our friends at Skype have decided not to start charging for 3G calls and have also refurbished their iPhone 4 app, to take advantage of the phone’s stunning display and to maximise the potential of the multi tasking capabilities.

Sneaky boy sneaks app sneakily past Apple

Did any of our readers find the cunningly hidden Wifi tethering app which a naughty 15 year old managed to get onto the Apple apps store disguised as an app to turn your iPhone into a multicoloured flashlight?

The app cost 99c and was on the site the best part of the day yesterday, having managed to wriggle past Apple’s security people, rigourous checking and a line of ferocious guard dogs.

No doubt the cheeky young programmer will end up working at one of the top development companies thanks to his feat. Apple will surely now reinforce its famously stringent security measures even further, to avoid further embarassments, while freeloaders and potential establishment topplers will be keeping those little eyes peeled for more cheeky apps from rebellious teenage whizzkids.

Reception problems? What reception problems?

Instead of promising a free case to iPhone users and then saying something like, “These things happen. Ah well, it’s sorted now. Cheerie bye.”, the Apple strategy of claiming that others phones have similar reception problems has opened a new can of worms.

The official response from Samsung is that the Omnia II does not suffer from these problems at all and that its design means that it is not prone to them.  The antenna is in a different place from Apple’s, so only left handed people and people with huge, shovel like hands might find find problems.

The other comment in the Apple press conference, about Nokia phones with stickers telling you not to touch certain parts of the phone, has proved equally difficult to verify as being based upon fact. Has anyone else sen these stickers?

It’s a free case then, is it?

The long running iPhone 4 reception debate looks to have been finally resolved. Apple are going to give users a free case. That, combined with the famous patch which shows the correct reception level on the phone,  should resolve the issue once and for all. Anyone who buys an iPhone 4 before October this year will be eligible for their free case. Apple have stated in a press conference that no more patches, fixes or magic beans will be released to solve this problem.

More Apple News – They Knew About iPhone 4 Antenna Problems But Will Fix iPad WiFi Issues

Todays big Apple news is likely to come later in the day when Apple will address the press and inform them of what, if anything, they intend to do about the issues that many users are having with the iphone 4 antenna. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty of other Apple news in various outlets on the Internet.

For instance, the Telegraph newspaper has run with a report that Apple knew all about the antenna problems before the phone was released while ITProPortal has gone with the story that while they may not be so forthcoming with a resolution to that problem, Apple has at least said they will fix the WiFi issues that some iPad users are facing.

The iPhone 4 antenna problems have been extremely well documented and while users and experts alike have attempted to demand action, Apple has done very little to resolve the problem. They released a software update that basically improved the effectiveness of the signal bar display but all that little gem did was ensure that you know you had a problem.

The fact that senior engineer Ruben Caballerro told Steve Jobs that there may be a problem with the antenna will only serve to exacerbate the negative press that the company is receiving; especially if they don’t make a major announcement later today regarding a way forward for fixing the antenna/reception problems.

Slightly better news for Apple lovers and indeed iPad owners is that they are being slightly more proactive with the iPad (is this just an indication that phones are treated less seriously by manufacturers than tablets and laptops?).

An iOS update will apparently fix the problems with slow download speeds, poor WiFi connections, and an issue with copying and pasting PDF documents. The update is available now.

Does Apple take its customers for granted?

Have you experienced any of these problems and are sick of not getting proper resolution?

iPhone News – New iOS Features, Plus Apple Conference Announced For Tomorrow

You can barely move for Apple news nowadays as the company seemingly throws itself from one major release to another. Unfortunately, it’s also fair to say that the release of the iPhone 4 hasn’t been without its teething problems. The antenna/reception problem is certainly no small thing with an estimated 25% of users affected by the issue and Apple doing little thus far to really remedy the situation.

However, having announced a conference for tomorrow when they may (or may not) make an announcement on their next step to fixing the problem, they have also quietly released an update to the iOS operating system.

iOS 4.1 is currently only available to developers at the moment but it will be made available to all in the near future. Redesigned signal bars will come as scant consellation to users with reception issues but a complete redesign of the game centre and watermarks placed on jailbroken devices are notable changes for the improved system.

Apple has also announced that they will hold a press conference tomorrow morning, at 10am Pacific Time. The only topic of conversation will be the antenna fix and analysts and tech experts alike believe that the chances of a complete recall have increased despite estimates that this would cost the company $1.5bn. The press conference comes as presure mounts on the company and they receive more and more bad press with every passing day as consumers expect to be able to use their phones for the purpose they bought them.

Are you having problems with your iPhone?

Source – T3 Magazine

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