Facebook isn’t the type of company content to be outdone by other people’s apps, so the company launched a new app called Facebook Camera for the iOS platform. The new app promises to make using Facebook photos faster and easier. When the user launches the app, they will see the photos from the people on their friends list.

The app lets people swipe to see more of any album or an individual photo to enlarge it. It also allows you to share your own photos by uploading multiple images at one time rather than having to upload individual images. It also has basic tools for editing pictures and adding filters. It’s not as full featured as Instagram, but I still vote we call this app Facegram.

It’s just puzzling that Facebook would release this app so soon after buying Instagram. Perhaps this app was already in development long before the purchase was announced. If you want to check it out, you can grab Facebook Camera over on the App Store for free.

At its core, Incantor involves players casting a spell to defeat monsters or other players. Spells are cast via gestures made using the wand, which as I said communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. It also has haptic feedback, so your hand will feel how a fireball feels like. Apparently it feels the same as getting a text message.

Another unique and possibly expensive feature of Incantor is that there are different types of wands – some deal direct damage, others heal or give status effects. Perhaps other wands can make wishes come true. If you’re interested, you should check out the Incantor blog for more details on the game’s mechanics. Get back to me if you see something about that wish granting wand.

Developer Movable Code is currently raising funds for Incantor on Kickstarter; a pledge of at least $100(USD) gets you a wand and a copy of the game, which will be available for both iOS and Android devices. Unfortunately, the prospects of the fundraiser reaching its goal of $100,000 seem slim at this point. As of this writing they’ve got 21 days to go and have only raised $7,277.

I’m no marketing wizard but I think it would have helped if they targeted kids instead. Children won’t give a damn about being seen in public waving a wand about, but older gamers might need to cast an invisibility spell beforehand.

[via TechCrunch]

The Etcher case was recently launched as a Kickstarter project. The knobs will actually work just like a real Etch A Sketch, allowing users to draw straight lines on the iPad’s screen. Plus, the whole tablet will erase itself when you shake it. The case will work with an official app on the App Store, so there is no need to jailbreak your iPad to use it.

The Etcher case is available starting at $60(USD), but there are other versions up for grabs in the next 30 days, and there’s an early adopter deal for the first 100 people to get one for just $45. At the time of writing, the Kickstarter project had amassed $5,295 out of a projected $75,000, with 30 days left for funding, so it’s got a long way to go. Of course, you could always just spend $15 and buy an actual Etch A Sketch.

Slide has four modes, all of which involve sliding at least one slider, sometimes two, sometimes in two directions. Watch the video below by YouTuber FTWapps for a demo (skip to 0:25):

I’ve already tried it out and I still can’t believe that it’s a real game. I myself don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult. Fortunately it’s free, so unlock your iDevice, go to the App Store and give Slide a try. Although if you unlocked your device you’ve already given Slide a try. I wonder if it has an Android counterpart.

[via The Next Web]

For the first time ever, the entire expedition will be broadcast in real time to the iPad. Another team of adventurers is taking the less deadly Southeast Ridge to the top of the mountain at the same time. The expedition will be broadcast along with photos and other content for the National Geographic May issue on the iPad.

While the adventurers attempt to climb the mountain, there is also a team of researchers from the Mayo Clinic that are staying at base camp to study the effects of high-altitude on people. These medical researchers will take a week to reach base camp on with their 1500 pounds of medical equipment and lab gear. The medical researchers say that the extreme altitude of Mount Everest subjects the climbers to similar conditions the patient suffering from heart disease have to deal with.

[via Fox News]

In recent years, scientists have found new and improved ways to interact and “speak” with apes, through the use of laptops, computer screens and even iPads.

Researchers at the Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary in Des Moines have developed a variety of custom software in order to communicate with these primates. But they need more funding to make their Bonobo Chat app a reality, and provide each of their apes with personal, interconnected keyboards that they can carry around wherever they go.

They also want to add the ability for the app to automatically translate English speech to Lexigrams that the apes understand, and vice versa. In addition, they want to allow the apes to use the app to interact with their environment, opening doors, operating vending machines and even operating robots. Yes, apes will soon be controlling their own robots from their iPads.

The Bonobo Chat App project is currently up for funding on Kickstarter, with pledges starting at $25.

As you can see MultiTap text uses a virtual numeric keypad, with buttons that are big and easy to tap. You can send a text message or an email from within the app itself. You can also copy the text manually if you prefer. It defaults to having key clicks turned off, but it’s definitely better to have them on if you plan on touch typing. Unfortunately, you can’t use it to reply to messages from within Apple’s Mail or Messages app, and have to use copy and paste for those situations.

MultiTap Text is now available from the App Store for $0.99 (USD). It’s not as good as having physical buttons, but I really do wish this becomes a built-in option for iOS.

[via OhGizmo!]

Girls Around Me worked by providing the user with a view of the women (or men) who currently happen to be in the same area as the user, all with a tap on the screen. The app pulled location information from publicly visible Facebook profiles of other users who have checked into the area using Foursquare. While the app wouldn’t let you search for specific people and find their location, it did show images of girls who were in your immediate vicinity.

It might seem like the player’s perfect app, but it’s one that could also be used in the wrongest of ways by stalkers and other unsavory types.

The app eventually raised so much public outcry that Foursquare cut off API access to the app, on the grounds that it violated a policy against aggregating information across venues. Later, the app was pulled from the App Store due to the broken API access – though Apple hasn’t commented on whether they played any part in pulling down the app.

Girls Around Me might be dead for now, but the privacy issues are still very much alive.

[via NYT via Dvice]

It took Greek artist Petro Vrellis six months to code his Starry Night program for Windows, but under a month to port it over to iOS. The app lets you play with Van Gogh’s masterpiece using your fingertips, adding your own spin to the iconic post-impressionist painting.

Starry Night Interactive is available for iPads now, but it will also be released for Android soon. It costs $1.99(USD) over at the  iTunes App Store.

Paper is a free app for iPads that allows you to write, sketch, and color beautiful images, preferably using a stylus. It also offers full support for the Retina display on the 3rd Gen iPad. I’ve seen quite a few different drawing and painting apps, but none of them seem as clean and fluid as Paper. The UI efficiency sort of reminds me of the Clear app. The best part of the app is the rewind feature, which lets you playback what you just created. The watercolors are also pretty nicely rendered.

The app is free and you can easily share your creations through Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter. However, in order to use all features, you’ll need to make some in-app purchases – since some of the brushes are sold as add-ons. And at $2 a piece, it can add up quickly. Still, Paper is a cool app with a beautiful UI, and you can check it out for free now over on the iTunes App Store.

[via Justin Ouellette]

If you’ve used iOS, you already know how PopClip works. Highlight a text – either by click-dragging with your mouse or double-clicking a word – and several options pop up depending on what you selected. It can cut, copy and paste text, open the OS X dictionary, look up words or open links in your browser and more. Check out this short review by YouTuber XIMacManIX to see the app in action:

From my brief experience with the app, I still found it faster to move text around using my keyboard (⌘-X/C/V), but I do appreciate the quick access to the dictionary and online search functions. I also use a normal two-button mouse, so highlighting text is easier for me, but perhaps those who use the Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad – not to mention new OS X users – will find the quick access to the cut/copy/paste functions more useful.

PopClip works with both OS X Snow Leopard and Lion. You can buy it on the Mac App Store for $4.99 (USD), but I suggest you download the demo first – full functionality, good for 150 uses – from PilotMoon’s website. I almost wish that PopClip gets integrated into OS X, but I’d rather have PilotMoon rewarded for their clever idea.

[via Minimal Mac]

Pushing that fine line further is MapAttack. It’s a real-time location-based game for smartphones running either iOS or Android 2.2 or later which turns your own city into a gameboard that vaguely resembles the mazes that Pac-Man has to navigate.

It works on a similar concept, too: various digital dots will be set up all over the city and it’s your role to gather up as many of them as you can to win the game. Two teams per city will be battling it out (virtually, of course) to see which side can pick up the most dots by physically heading over to the locations mapped on the map.

MapAttack was developed by a team from Portland who used the Geoloqi platform to show people what the location tracking system is capable of. MapAttack games can be started for any city and you might find one coming to the one you live in soon. You can find out more information about the game by checking out their official site. You can grab the Android version from Google Play, though the iOS version doesn’t appear to be available from the App Store. However, you can grab the source code over on the MapAttack website.

[via Pop Up City]

The game plays very much like the original, but the aliens in this version tell the current time with their formations. This means you’ve got exactly one minute to complete each level, before the level changes. And if you manage to finish the level in time, more aliens show up anyhow, bombarding you a la Galaga.

You can also switch the game into clock mode, and it just plays by itself silently as the time changes. Personally, I like to switch my iPhone off when I go to sleep, but if you’re the type of person that likes to leave their devices running all night then this might be the right app for you, especially if you love retro gaming and don’t mind a little game from time to time in bed.

Space Timeders is available for free at iTunes, but for $0.99 you can get rid of the rather annoying ads. I had fun trying it out and I’ll probably play it some more this week.

[via Design You Trust]

CityMaps still retains the names of streets, but instead of satellite pictures or building outlines, it shows you the logos or names of the establishments in the area. Aside from providing easy to spot landmarks, CityMaps also makes it easy to find or discover stores, restaurants and other places. Obviously the other motivation for CityMaps is to coordinate with businesses who want their buildings to be more visible.

CityMaps currently only has maps of New York, Austin and San Francisco, but obviously they’re going to cover more and more cities if they progress. It also has a free iOS app that you can try out. Here’s a free thousand dollar idea: HipsterCityMaps – maps that only point out the obscure stuff. Also bike routes.

[CityMaps via Fast Co. Design]

It’s pretty impressive that all of these were done in this fashion, but ever since I saw Sam Kerr’s art on iPhone, it made sense to see even more complex art could be made on an iPad. And with the recent release of the new iPad and its insanely sharp Retina display, I can only see the prospects for iPad artists improving.

For some of his work, David has used a brush stylus – in this particular case, The Nomad Brush, but he’s also been known to create images with only his fingertip, and another app called Brushes.

You can pick up Brushes for $7.99 (USD), ArtRage for $4.99, and a Nomad Brush for $24 to $39. Talent (and iPad) not included.

Both the Infinite Comics and Marvel AR application will debut with the Avengers vs. X-Men #1 set to launch on April 4. Marvel Infinite Comics will take advantage of the capabilities of smartphones and tablets for storytelling, going beyond being just a reproduction of the print editions. The most interesting part sounds like the Marvel AR application. The app is powered by Aurasma and will let readers scan images and various Marvel products that have the Marvel AR logo.

When app scans the special logo, the user will have access to extra content to go along with the comics. The new content will include audio footage, creator content, and the ability to catch up on past events. The AR name suggests that the video and other interactive content will play over the top of the comic not simply linking the user and their digital device running the app to online content. Marvel hasn’t revealed the specifics of their augmented reality experience, beyond this short Iron Man demo clip shown at SXSW:

Marvel plans on releasing the Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Infinite comic through the Marvel Comics App on April 4th, and the Marvel AR app sometime in April as well.

Remember when Grant Paul aka chpwn – one of the developers who hacked Siri into an iPhone 3GS last year – promised a version of Siri that everyone can use? This could be it. Paul and Ryan Petrich – who was also involved in the 3GS Siri hack – wrote Spire, a jailbreak app that downloads Siri from Apple. But having Siri is not enough because only the iPhone 4S can access Apple’s servers. That’s where i4Siri comes in, offering a proxy server that Spire uses to forward traffic indirectly to Apple’s own servers. More in the video below from iTweak.tv (demo of the app at 3:20):

This solution isn’t perfect though; as is the case with Apple’s own servers, i4Siri’s server can and does get overloaded from time to time, so temper your expectations. i4Siri and Spire are both free and are compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3G, iPod Touch 4G, iPad and iPad 2 – all jailbroken of course. Note that the new iPad gets neither the real Siri or this unofficial port. Poor guy. No number, no Siri.

[i4Siri & Tweak.tv via TFTS]

Created by music app makers Amidio, Futulele is an upcoming ukulele simulator for iOS. While you can play it with a single iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone, the app really shines in connected mode. This requires the use of an iPad for the string box and strumming, and the iPhone or iPod Touch for the fret board. Here, check it out in action:

Sure, the idea is kind of silly, but it is pretty cool how they network the two devices together using Bluetooth to create one larger instrument. I’d love to see what other sort of instruments could be created this way too.

The app portion of Futulele is headed for the App Store this April, but Amidio is still looking for manufacturers to make the body of the instrument. For now, you’ll just have to improvise with some cardboard and duct tape. Or buy yourself an actual ukulele.

[via Holy Kaw]

Despite its awkward name, the Plugication app seems like a good fit for my needs, and perhaps for yours as well. All it does is allow you to command your iOS device to automatically resume music playback when it detects that headphones are plugged in. Here’s a demo of the app by YouTuber myjailbreakmovies:

Plugication is a free download from the Modmyi repository, but you do have to have a jailbroken device to get it. YouTuber rarestname also pointed out another alternative for iOS users with jailbroken iOS devices. The beta 1 of Activator 1.6.2 has a new field called “Headset Connected & Disconnected”, so you can trigger playback using that as well. Lifehacker commenters have suggested a few alternatives for Android users, including Just Shake and Tasker. I just hope Apple will be kind enough to include this feature in the vanilla iOS someday.

[via Lifehacker]

The new shoes feature four embedded sensors – in the toe, heel, ball and outer foot, with an internal accelerometer so that the measured movement is more precise. Data is then wirelessly fed to your iPhone via the Nike+ sensor using Bluetooth. The system is rechargeable, and each charge should last 40 hours.

Initially, Nike plans on releasing specific programs for training and for basketball, with the ability to track the specific activities such as shuffling, stepping, lunging and jumping.

The apps include motivational videos from pro athletes to coach you on improving your workout or game.

You’ll be able to share your data with friends and even challenge others for dominance on an online leaderboard.

Shoes with the new Nike+ Pressure Sensors will be available starting June 29th, 2012. You’ll find the new features available in the Nike Hyperdunk+ basketball shoe, and the Lunar Hyperworkout+ for women and Lunar TR1+ for men.

[via CoolHunting]