September 28, 2011, Brno, Czech Republic – Beginning today, gamers around the world will never look at mobile games the same as Shadowgun, one of the most anticipated iOS games of 2011, hits the App Store, ushering in a new era of mobile gameplay graphics.  The game, developed and published by MadFinger Games, is available for $7.99, and provides 10 levels of action and excitement, with console-quality visuals.

The most advanced handheld game on the market, Shadowgun, authored with the Unity development platform, combines tactical combat with third-person action. The game puts players into the role of John Slade, a professional bounty hunter in the year 2350. Slade’s mission: hunt down Dr. Edgar Simon, renowned geneticist and former employee of the trans-galactic corporation Toltech Enterprises. Players must lead “shadowgun” John Slade as he infiltrates Dr. Simon’s mountain fortress and fights his personal army of mutants, cyborgs, and genetically-enhanced humanoids.

Currently available for iOS devices including iPad 1, iPad2, iPhone 3GS/4G and iPod 4, Shadowgun will be available for Android devices beginning in early October.  The game will support Android mobile devices including those powered by the NVIDIA Tegra super chip and will be available on the Tegra Zone app and Android Market.

“Shadowgun pushes the boundaries of what is possible graphically on today’s mobile devices,” said Marek Rabas, president of Madfinger Games.  “Once a gamer picks up Shadowgun and experiences the amazing visuals, combined with the fast-paced, immersive gameplay, they will never be able to look at mobile games the same.”

”Unity has been thrilled to work so closely with Madfinger to help Shadowgun develop into one of the most exciting and beautiful games across any mobile platform,” said Unity Tecnologies CEO David Helgason “It’s awesome to be at the forefront of next-gen mobile gaming.”

Madfinger is also developing an even more enhanced version supporting NVIDIA’s Project Kal-El, the next-generation Tegra quad-core processor. The special version of Shadowgun will be optimized for multi-core processors and will take advantage of the processing and graphics power of Project Kal-El.  The Android version will also support non-Tegra devices.

Shadowgun in available in the Apple App Store and at http://itunes.apple.com/hk/app/shadowgun/id440141669?mt=8

A video of the game can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWfLZluv7Ss

Berlin, Germany (August 1, 2011) – Zero1.tv, leading provider of user interfaces for home entertainment solutions, reveals its new ground-breaking solution, VooMote Zapper, at the IFA show in Berlin today. This device, like the VooMote One, effortlessly converts your iOS device into an impressively smart universal remote that controls virtually all of your A/V gear and allows you to conveniently find your favorite TV shows.

This next generation remote control is designed to be light-weight and convenient, for maximum pocket-ability and ease of use. It is as small as a paperclip and easily plugs into the 30-pin connector on your iOS device. Once you download the free app you have full control over hundreds of thousands of electronic devices. This intuitive set up means no manuals, websites cords or PCs are necessary. With the VooMote Zaper, you have the ability to control almost any A/V device in just seconds.

The VooMote Zapper is also iDevice agnostic, making it incredibly versatile and mobile. The app itself is fully customizable, allowing you to optimize the layout of your remote. Users can also utilize the Edit Mode to create macros that execute functions with one touch.  This tailor-made touch screen will create a user interface that is optimized just for you. The Room Control and One View features made popular by the VooMote One are also found in VooMote Zapper, meaning you can categorize your infrared devices by room location and also control multiple devices with the touch of a button on your touch screen.

Another attribute that sets the VooMote Zapper apart is the TV Guide feature. The innovative TV guide depicts your programming graphically for an enjoyable view of your favorite shows schedules. You can navigate to find TV shows on you iPad, and enjoy the luxury of its grander sized display screen for optimal guide viewing.
“We are constantly focusing on offering customers worldwide the next best thing in remote control solutions, said Alex Gruber, CEO, Zero1.tv. “We pride ourselves on developing products that are simple, user friendly, and cater to the household tech demands of this generation. The VooMote Zapper is the remote control of the future and we are thrilled to be unveiling such a novel product at this year’s IFA show.”

The VooMote Zapper dongle is also available in eleven bold smart cover color options and includes matching cases to compliment anyone’s style.

The VooMote Zapper will be available this Fall at www.zero1.tv and other select international retailers to be announced soon. The VooMote Zapper app will be available to downloaded soon for free at the iTunes® store.

For more information on Zero1.tv and its launch at IFA 2011 of the VooMote Zapper, please contact PR representative Kristen Bean at kristenbean@maxborgesagency.com or 305-576-1171 ext. 123.

About Zero1.tv

Zero1.tv is a Berlin based company focused on user interfaces for home entertainment solutions. The company’s technological patents provide the practical expertise to improve remote control and user interface experiences unlike any other. Zero1.tv is the leading platform provider for smartphone-based control solutions, with a mission to expand the access of multi-media content, and enhance user experiences. The company recently developed and manufactured VooMote One, a universal remote control solution for iPhone and iPod touch.

I received the following pitch today for the Callet.  I’m excited to get my hands on one because I remember when I used to tape an envelope inside my Palm case so I could carry my money.  Come back later for the review!

Annoyed when you head to the beach or go out at night and don’t have anywhere to put your cash and cards? How about when you’re not allowed to bring a bag in to a stadium for a game?

Fed up with having to always search through your wallet or dig through your bag every time you want to access your cash and cards?

Now all of your problems are finally solved with the CALLET!

The creation of the Callet now merges your Blackberry or iPhone with your wallet into an all-in-one product. The Callet utilizes the concept of a phone cover with easily accessible pockets.

Callet: The Callet
Stylish all-in-one smartphone case and wallet for iPhone and BlackBerry

•    Made from durable and flexible, high quality Gel-Polymer
•    Easily accessible and ultra-convenient slit pockets to hold your cash and cards
•    Bulk-free design for superior pocket-ability
•    iPhone models include: iPhone 3G/3GS and iPhone 4
•    BlackBerry models include: Curve 8300/8500/8900/9300 series and Bold/Tour: 9600/9700 series
•    Colors include Pink, Blue, Black and White

Available at: www.thecallet.com
Price: $19.99
Website: www.thecallet.com

Palo Alto, CA – (July 21, 2011)  SNG Networks, Inc. today announced the launch of ComplainApp, a mobile app and website that supports people to harness the power of the group to get results from big companies.

Available as an app for iPhone, iPad, and Android, and as a web site (SaaS solution), ComplainApp is a comprehensive consumer advocacy solution.

“We have a lot of complaints about the companies we encounter in our daily lives, but we don’t have a good way to let them know,” said Noam Gordon, founder.  “Sometimes we complain to our friends and family members, but studies show that just makes us more angry. ComplainApp is about doing something about our complaints – it’s for people who want to make the world a better place.”

Benefits & Features:

Save time: compose a beautiful complaint in seconds, using our complaint wizard (it’s so hard to write a good one, you know?)

Accurate:  have your complaint submitted for you instantly – to the right place

Powerful:  harness the power of the group to get results

Get notifications when your complaints have been answered

Find people with similar complaints and join together to get results

Follow up on your complaints, have us resend them, and manage them

Under the Hood – How it Works:

Complaints initially submitted via Twitter. We have a directory of companies that sits on top of Twitter to ensure that complaints go to the correct place (e.g. @AvisWeTryHarder instead of the intuitive @Avis).  Directory is updated daily and incorporates, but is not limited to, Google places.

Does not require Twitter ID, but when user has a Twitter account it is integrated with ComplainApp.

Post-submission, user is offered options to submit via additional sites, including Facebook and – coming soon – Google+, GetSatisfaction, LinkedIn and others.

Users are encouraged and helped to re-tweet each other’s complaints & are shown complaints similar to theirs.  System is set up for users to contact each other to discuss similar complaints, RT, etc. with the aim of building groups of complainers

System sends push notifications when companies respond (or don’t), similar complaints are filed, etc.

We follow up on all complaints. Those that are not answered via Twitter are submitted to company via other means.

Success Stories:

@yossizohar brought his car into his local Pep Boys Auto.  The car was returned without the problem being fixed.  Attempts to resolve the issue with the shop were unsuccessful.  Using ComplainApp, he contacted the company HQ. Within a few days he had a phone call from the local shop promising to re-do the repair at no charge.

@kengoetsch purchased a Mother’s Day gift certificate from Massage Envy in the Seattle area.  The mother in question did not want a massage.  Massage Envy refused a refund.  After using ComplainApp and having his complaint re-tweeted by several ComplainApp users, Ken was contacted by the company.  Massage Envy specifically made it clear that the visibility of Ken’s complaint was behind their decision to reconsider their policy.  After working with ComplainApp and Massage Envy to re-post his complaint as ‘resolved’, Ken received a full refund for the gift certificate.

For more success stories, see http://www.complainapp.com/Home/Overview

ComplainApp is unique because of its focus on consumers, as opposed to other customer service oriented apps that serve (and earn money from) businesses. This user-centered focus places ComplainApp firmly within the disruptive category of Vendor Relationship Management (VRM), where users exert control over their relationships with businesses (vs CRM, which is about businesses managing you).

iBuildApp announced today a new Android app creator called Android Builder. The tool simplifies creating an iPhone and Android apps for smartphones.

I’m playing around with it right now, which is easy because it is free.

IBuildApp stressed the following in the press release:

• Now anyone can build an Android app using the web interface, without any knowledge of Java.
• The free solution allows anyone to create their own apps rather than hope developers create what they need. It also makes it easy to build and automatically publish an app to an app gallery.
• Some customers have become so good at creating iPhone apps they have started to make apps for others (becoming resellers).

This is pretty much all you need to know to get started.  The thing that throws me a little is that I’m trying to develop an Android app and the site keeps referring to the Apple Store.  We’ll see how it goes.

George A. Romero’s App of the Dead Debuts on Apply iPhone and iPod Touch

Start Zombifying Your Friends and Family!

Los Angeles, California– June 3, 2010 – George A. Romero, the undisputed master of horror cinema (“Night of the Living Dead”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Creepshow”, “Monkey Shines”, “Diary of the Dead”), today announced with partner, Peter Grunwald, and Artfire Films’ Art Spigel and Ara Katz, that APP of the DEAD, developed with Ohio-based Additive Interactive, is available now for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch for $1.99.

Download the launch trailer and screens of the app in action here.

“Given the amount of zombies I’ve brought to life, I figured everyone should be able to do the same,” said George A. Romero.

Developed in coordination with Romero’s latest feature, George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead, which hits theaters nationwide May 28th, APP of the DEAD casts iPhone and iPod Touch owners as the director, allowing you to turn your friends and family into horrific zombies with over 20 zombie features, including galleries of open wounds, deformed eyes and mouths. Take pictures or import photos from existing galleries and bring them to undead glory with grisly scars and bloody injuries!

Don’t forget to aim for the head when you use APP of the DEAD’s custom-built engine to cap your newly created zombies, first-person shooter style. Save the photos, email them to friends, make them part of your own undead slideshow or upload to Facebook and other social networking sites.

APP of the DEAD is available now for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch and can be found here. To learn more about APP of the DEAD, please visit www.appsofthedead.com.

Also, check out our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/App-of-the-Dead/119297851433641?ref=ts

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/appofthedead

About George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead

The master filmmaker continues to reinvent the modern horror genre in a film that draws new battle lines between the living and the dead. A war-weary band of soldiers is lured to a remote island that promises to be the last paradise on earth, only to discover that even here, miles away from civilization, there is no escape from the appetites of the living and the dead. Told with Romero’s iconic sense of humor and keen eye for the fault-lines in contemporary culture, “SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD” expands and intensifies the zombie universe for which he is celebrated. George A. Romero’s “Survival of the Dead” hits theaters across the nation on May 28, 2010 after debuting on VOD, Amazon and Xbox LIVE on April 30. For more details, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Survival-of-the-Dead/210457192019

About Additive Interactive:

Ohio-based Additive Interactive is a visual & interactive design company focused on speaking to consumers through unique visually compelling interactive entertainment experiences. The Additive team combines decades of experience creating stunning commercials, music videos, flash games, corporate and consumer-targeted videos, game assets, web design, animated graphics & logos, and graphic design. For more information about Additive, please visit http://www.weareadditive.com/

Doesn’t everyone love the Apple image?  Did you know your iPod was built by a child in a forced labor camp?  Still love the image?  I found this article today Apple admits using child labour – Telegraph and I’ve got to say that I find it sickening.

Apple's child labor policy in action.

This isn’t the evil Google, Microsoft, or Intel.  This is everyone’s beloved Apple.  This is the most politically correct company to ever grace the face of the earth, or so they’d like us to believe.  And here they are engaged in the cruelest business practice one can think of.  No, i guess I can think of worse.  What’s next, knee-capping people who fall behind on their App Store payments?

So think of the little 10 year old boy who built your iPhone the next time you use it.  How much cruelty are you perpetuating when you buy Apple’s products?  Not only is this incongruous with their oh-so-carefully managed image, but it shows you what they’re capable of.

Before you jump to Apple’s defense, let me point out a few other things.  Last year one of their employees committed suicide after leaving their Chinese plant.  A few weeks ago workers in another one of their Chinese factories were exposed to n-hexane, a dangerous chemical that can cause you to go blind.  And let’s not forget that Apple was also nailed last year for illegally disposing of electronics instead of taking care of the environment like they should.

So, what’s it going to be?    Do you care about Apple’s human rights abuses?  Or did they spray n-hexane in your eyes also so now you’re blind to their employment practices?

One of the unfortunate consequences of the revolution in publishing brought on by the web is that journalism has changed dramatically. As barriers to entry for starting a media outlet went down from high cost stuff like paper, shipping, real art, etc and eyeballs redirected onto the web, the value of the printed word has deteriorated.

It’s great that we can go online and find whatever we want. Sure, blogging and sharing opinions, user generated content, all that stuff is great to read.

The thing is that it has all become about eyeballs. Page views. It isn’t about quality content. Sites need keyword rich content on timely topics so they pop up in search engines and news feeds. A monkey can spit out something apple iphone, microsoft, cisco, new product keyword rich.

But where’s the expert analysis? There’s no way to get expert and helpful to the top spot on Google.

Now that page views are all that matter the quality of the content has become close to irrelevant. I’m sorry to say it. I wish I didn’t have to say it. Why can’t we do something smarter like measure how long someone reads a story? How far through something do they get?

I’m all for leveling the playing field, but I know a hell of a lot of people who are out of work now because the written word has decreased in value. Editors, writers, lab techs, even sales and marketing types. don’t forget the creative art people. Copy edit has been decimated.

So it occurred to me today, where do all those smart unemployed people go? How can we harness that energy? There must be a way we can band together to preserve the value of expert opinion, well written, well edited, well produced and on target content. I still believe content is king, but the king is being devalued at a dangerous pace.

SUPER MONKEY BALL RETURNS TO THE APP STORE!

SEGA Announces the Sequel to an iPhone and iPod Touch Favourite

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (December 1, 2009) – SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd today announced that the Super Monkey Ball 2 App is now available on the App Store. Built from the ground up, this sequel for iPhone and iPod touch takes full advantage of the breakthrough technology in the devices, including the innovative Multi-Touch user interface and accelerometer, to offer fans an irresistible on-the-go gaming experience. The original, highly-addictive Super Monkey Ball set a benchmark with its unique control mechanism, exceptional graphics and phenomenal sales success.

“Super Monkey Ball was a huge success for us in the App Store,” said Mike Hayes, CEO of SEGA of America and SEGA of Europe. “When presented with the opportunity to do a second one, we knew we had to jump on it and strive to make it bigger and better than the first one. Addressing fan requests and making sure iPhone and iPod touch gamers had the ultimate Super Monkey Ball experience they were looking for was the driving force behind this latest iteration of the beloved franchise and we know we have delivered.”

Developed by Other Ocean, Super Monkey Ball 2 allows players to more easily pick-up-and-play stunning 3D stages in both single and multiplayer thanks to the refined control system. Playing as some of their favorite characters, including AIAI players can take advantage of the accelerometer to steer their monkey towards delicious bananas and a satisfying finish. Adding to the fun, the Super Monkey Ball 2 App also makes all 115 stages of the game available to be played in multiplayer mode using the local Wi-Fi with up to four players.

The Super Monkey Ball 2 App is now available for $9.99 (USD) from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

About SEGA® of America, Inc.
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American Publishing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA’s global website site is located at www.sega.com.

About SEGA® Europe Ltd.
SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Publishing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA’s global website site is located at www.sega.com.

By Sarah Pike

Like you, I’ve spent the past few years knowing, “There’s an app for that.” And every time I hear it, it bugs me. I didn’t really think about why, though, until recently.

Mac users have hugely embraced the iPhone App Store, not just as a convenient roundup of programs to buy for their smartphones, but as the towering, unassailable evidence of its superiority over other smartphones. Some non-Mac users have, even. My ex-boss parrots the line regularly. And why? I’d like to think it’s because Mac users aren’t used to having sufficient apps. Sadly, I have to conclude it’s because the average person can’t see past the clever Mac ad lines.

PC users have had apps coming out of their ears for, like, ever. Palm and Windows Mobile users have always had apps, many of them free. The most popular of which had nothing to do with flatulence.

But oh, the smug voice in the ads is telling you, “There’s an app for that.” Clearly, those things before the iPhone? Weren’t apps. Please. Give me an app to make iPhone users put their phones away while we’re having dinner, or an app that reminds iPhone users that their latest app helped Palm OS users for years before iPhone was a glimmer in Steve Jobs’ eye, maybe an app that flashes the message “iBaa.”

[Photo credit: flickr|William Hook]