Because We May is an initiative that launched recently to celebrate indie developers' ability to change their own pricing whenever they like. What better way to do that then to have a gigantic sale? From now until June 1, you can pick up around 140 top-notch iPhone and iPad games at a significant discount, and in some cases free.

Although changing a pricetag might seem like a weird thing to make a lot of noise about, the Amazon Appstore apparently doesn't let developers change pricing on a whim. Sure, that's only directly related to Android, since iPhone app developers only have the One True App Store to deal with (and maybe Cydia if they can't deal with the restrictions), but it does send a message to Amazon that these devs will take their business elsewhere if they don't have the flexibility they need to stay in operation. The issue also monkeys the whole agency model kerfuffle we've been hearing about e-books on iOS and competing with Amazon's monopoly.

But enough politics, let's get to the games. I've covered a ton of free games lately for both iPhone and iPad, but here are just a few of my favorite paid apps being featured through Because We May.

• World of Goo - $4.99 $1.99 (Universal, $0.99 on iPhone - also, the dev that organized Because We May)
• Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP - $4.99 $2.99 (Universal, $0.99 on iPhone)
• Trainyard - $2.99 $0.99 (Universal)
• EDGE Extended - $2.99 $0.99 (Universal)
• Canabalt - $2.99 $0.99
• League of Evil 2 - $1.99 $0.99

Here's another gem to add to your puzzle game collection - Polymer for iPhone. In Polymer, your goal is create shapes, called polymers, by sliding around the rows and columns. A polymer isn't complete unless all the ends (which are marked with black dots) are closed.

As I was playing polymer and thinking about what I was going to say in this review, my mind kept wandering into thoughts of a Rubik's Cube and the similarities it has with Polymer. I was pleased to discover Polymer's description in the App Store claims the game "combines the logic of Rubik’s Cube, the sliding mechanism of Chuzzle, and the creativity of Lego." Bingo - that's a perfect description.

Polymer has three game modes, but only one of them is initially available. It's called Two Minutes, and as its name implies, you are given two minutes to create as many polymers as you can. To create a polymer, you simply slide around the rows and columns to match up the pieces. All the black dots on the pieces must be connected for a polymer to be complete -- or, as I like to think of it, all the ends must be closed up. Larger polymers give more points.

The more you play, the more points you earn and the more features you can unlock, including additional shapes (which make game-play more difficult), and more game modes. If you're impatient, you can also unlock these features with in-app purchases, but it's not required.

The other two game modes are called One Polymer and Bombs. In One Polymer, you have as much time as you want to create the biggest, highest point-value polymer that you can. In Bombs, you must destroy the pieces that are bombs before they destroy you. Again, these game modes will be unlocked as you earn more points by playing the game, or you can unlock them for $0.99 each.

There is also an in-app store where you can purchase other color schemes for $0.99 each, or you can unlock all content, including all game modes and color schemes for $2.99.

The Good

• Very fun and challenging
• Great music and sound effects
• In-app purchases aren't required to gain content
• More color schemes available as in-app purchases

The Bad

• Two minutes is great, but would love to see longer time options

The Conclusion

Polymer is my new go-to puzzle game. It's a lot of fun and very challenging. Combined with the beautiful colors and awesome music and sound effects -- I'm hooked.

$0.99 - Download Now

iMore’s authoritative guide to the very best, absolutely free games for your iPhone and iPod touch

Looking for even more free games for your iPhone or iPod touch? It goes without saying that the iPhone and iPod touch are a massively popular gaming platform -- and you told us they deserve more than a small mention in our top free iPhone apps post. So, we dove back into the App Store and found the very best free strategy games, free shooter games, free sports games, free casual games, free physics games, free action games, free role-playing games, and free racing games for iPhone and iPod touch!

Expect regular updates and fresh category additions down the road as well. Keep in mind that most titles listed here thrive on in-app purchases. You can absolutely play them for free, but you may get annoyed by "freemium" up-sells. Others are "lite" versions with limited content, and while they're also completely free, you'll be limited in what you can do. Still, they're a great way to test the waters and have some fun before deciding to buy (or unlock) full versions.

Without further ado, here are our favorite free games for iPhone.

• Best free strategy games for iPhone
• Best free shooter games for iPhone
• Best free sports games for iPhone
• Best free casual games for iPhone
• Best free physics games for iPhone
• Best free action games for iPhone
• Best free role-playing games for iPhone
• Best free racing games for iPhone

Best free strategy games for iPhone

Hero Academy

Hero Academy is a turn-based, multiplayer-only tactical combat game that pits cartoony armies against one another. Each side gets five actions points every turn to move their troops, kit them out with gear, cast spells and otherwise attack opposing units on the board. Each player (online, either random or a designated buddy) has one or more crystals they must defend while trying to destroy the other side's. You can also win by running your opponent out of reinforcements, as each side only gets so many of each type every game.

Hero Academy includes The Council army (humans) for free, but charges for the others, such as Dwarves, Dark Elves and The Tribe (orcs). You can also pay for fancy army-themed avatars as well as taunts to make your soldiers jeer after a turn.

• Download now

Spice Bandits

As you level up, you get upgrade points (which can also be bought with spice) to customize your play style as you see fit - cheaper turrets, faster rate of fire or more mesmerizing disco music are just a few options. Spice Bandits lets you buy spice through in-app purchases, which also eliminates ads between levels.

• Download now

Triple Town

Triple Town is a simple puzzle game where you place various kinds of greenery on a small grid so that you can line up three of a kind and have them merge into another object. For example, three patches of grass make a shrub, three shrubs make a tree, three trees make a house, and so on. Occasionally, you'll have to put down bears, which block building on squares until you're able to corral them into a confined area. You keep building until you run out of squares to build on, which actually takes awhile since the board is continually shifting with sets merging together and opening up space.

Triple Town is monetized by providing only a limited number of placements. Your move count regenerates over time, but you can pay for more turns, or simply buy unlimited turns for $3.99. The coins you earn through gameplay can also be spent on buying particular items, like bots, which can eliminate pesky bears with a single tap.

• Download now

Best free shooter games for iPhone

Gun Bros

Warbucks are a separate type of currency used to buy particularly high-end gear. You can earn them through in-app purchases, watching video ads, or converting a ton of the regular coins at the bank.

• Download now

MetalStorm: Wingman

MetalStorm: Wingman is a flight combat game with full multiplayer support, AirPlay compatibility and accelerometer and swipe controls.  As you play through the campaign mode, head-to-head multiplayer dogfight mode, or endless survival mode, you earn credits which can be used to buy various types of missiles, cannons, and new jets focusing on defense, agility, or firepower. Don't get too trigger-happy, since your ammunition is limited. If you're not into shooting down your buddies, you can also invite Game Center wingmen to play through the campaign levels co-operatively.

A lot of the hardware upgrades require you to use premium coins, which are sold in batches for $0.99 and up or earned through regular gameplay.

• Download now

Frontline Commando

Frontline Commando is an on-rails third-person shooter about a gung-ho military man left behind enemy lines. You dodge behind cover with single taps, and pop out to take aim and eliminate nonspecific middle eastern insurgents. Don't get too attached to that wall you're hiding behind though, since it can be destroyed as a firefight drags on, and grenades can quickly flush you out into the open. When you level up, new weapons are unlocked for purchase, plus you get a few bars of gold, which can be used to buy premium items. Weapon upgrades span assault weapons, sniper rifles, shotguns, and grenade launchers, each with their own set of damage, clip size, reload speed, and accuracy attributes.

You can also increase survivability with medkit purchases and body armor upgrades. When things get too hot, you can buy airstrikes to clear out the immediate area. Both "war cash" and gold can be bought through in-app purchases.

• Download now

Best free sports games for iPhone

Baseball Superstars 2012

Baseball Superstars 2012 is a whimsically exaggerated baseball game with Japanese-style characters and dialog. While the game keeps tabs on minute details, such as batting averages, running speed, stamina, and confidence levels, there are some more cartoony encounters with "super players", with ridiculous anime costumes and powers. As a batter, you can control where you swing by tilting the iPhone, but don't worry, you won't actually have to swing it like a bat - just tap the screen at the right moment. Pitching is done through a series of swipes within a box. You'll encounter plenty of challenges, including injuries which require recuperation in a hospital, managing your team roster, and playing against friends online. Personally, I found this game impossibly hard when set on normal difficulty, but I'm not a sports guy. Baseball fans will love it, though. For more baseball-themed apps, check out our ballgame roundup over here.

Through in-app purchases, you can get G points, which are spent on character items, training sessions to improve your stats, or even buy levels for your batter or pitcher.

• Download now

NFL Pro 2012

NFL Pro 2012 is a full-fledged football game complete with leagues, playbooks, and extensive rosters based on real players and teams. Your players gain experience and level up as you go, letting you improve their stats in a number of areas, like run blocking, catching, awareness, and agility. Every down, you pick a play available (either offensive or defensive), and while you manually control one player, the AI handles the rest. Controls during play are dead simple, but most of your time will be spent flipping through and picking plays. Unfortunately, your selection is really limited to start, and it takes an obscene number of credits to permanently keep playbooks.

Every game you play uses up energy, which you can replenish or time or through in-app purchases. Experience points to level up your players can also be bought, along with credits to buy new playbooks, stadiums, gain access to new teams, divisions, and conferences, and extend quarter lengths.

• Download now

Real Soccer 2012

Real Soccer 2012 offers a wide variety of gameplay types in a fast-paced, realstic package. The core controls are laid out with a standard virtual joystick and sprint, pass and shoot buttons, but progresses in complexity with fancy gesture-based maneuvers. You can unlock a variety of different cups, starting with International, and working your way to Asian, African, American, and European cups, plus there's regional league play unlocked as you play and level up. Just remember that you're limited by how many matches you can play by a stamina rating, which recovers over time. Loading screens have bits of trivia, and occasionally test your own football, err, soccer knowledge with a multiple choice quiz.

Playing Real Soccer 2012 earns you coins which can be used to purchase new soccer balls that provide a variety of different bonuses, like extra XP per match. "Cash" is Real Soccer 2012's premium currency, which can be traded in for international teams, additional stamina, team stat boosts, access a few select stadiums, and even the ability to clear all yellow cards.

• Download now

Best free casual games for iPhone

Tiny Tower

Tiny Tower is a really simple social management game with 8-bit-style graphics. Your job is to populate a tower with bitizens, assign them jobs relevent to their skills, keep their respective businesses stocked, and build more floors on top of your building. Over time, your bitizens earn you money which can be spent on purchasing new stock for various types of stores, or for putting the next storey onto your tower. You'll need to ferry bitizens from the ground floor with the elevator if you'll ever want to move new people in, plus once in awhile VIPs will provide you extra bonuses, like knocking off a few hours from your restocking time.

Tiny Tower occasionally gives you Towerbucks for handling the elevator, which can be used to hurry restocking, construction, or elevator upgrades. Towerbucks can also be bought through in-app purchases.

• Download now

Draw Something

As is, Draw Something provides only a limited palette of colors, but you can buy more through in-app purchases. You can also buy bombs, which are used to offer a fresh selection of words if you're drawing, or eliminate letters to chose from if you're guessing.

• Download now

GodFinger All-Stars

GodFinger is a fun little world control game where you tend to a little planet full of villagers. By spinning around a cross-section view, you make sure they're happy and productive, and check in on them time to time to collect the gold they generate. That gold goes to upgrading their homes which can house more people, who then, in turn, produce more money. Of course, you have to tend to their needs, like providing rain and sun for the farms, as well as altars to worship you from. To accomplish all of this, you do these gesture-based miracles, but they burn up Awe points, which regenerate over time, or can be bought through the app store.

Over time, you complete missions, gain experience points, and expand the surface area of your planet. You can have a lot of fun around your world by raising and lowering the ground, decorating the planet with appropriate and flinging your hapless devotees beyond the horizon.

• Download now

Best free physics games for iPhone

Cut the Rope Free

Cut the Rope is a popular game that involves dropping a piece of candy into a hungry green creature's mouth by slicing rope with swipe gestures. While the candy's dangling and swinging, you use nearby tools such as magic hats and air puffers to avoid obstacles, like candy-devouring spiders and destructive spikes. If you can get the candy to pass through any of the three stars on the level, you gain bonus points and bragging rights, but they're strictly optional.

Though you only get 18 levels in the free version, the full version with 250 levels is only $0.99.

• Download Now

Fruit Ninja Lite

Fruit Ninja is a well-known slice-and-dice game where you swipe through various kinds of fruit as they sail through the air. You get bonus points for chopping through four or more fruit at once, but you have to make sure to avoid the bombs that get tossed in every now and then. Different kinds of bonus fruit can really help out, such as the freeze banana, which slows the movement of everything the screen, making for easy targets.

In the free version, you get Classic mode in which you only get to let three fruit hit the ground, but the paid version, available for $0.99, includes a Zen mode where you cut up as much fruit as you can within a limited time frame, among other game modes.

• Download now

Angry Birds Free

The free version of Angry Birds gives you a total of 24 levels, but you'll need to drop $0.99 in order to get tons more. Keep mind that there are a lot of different free versions of Angry Birds available, including a seasonal one, a space-themed game, and one based on the Disney movie Rio. Try 'em all if you're looking for variety.

• Download now

Best free action games for iPhone

Jetpack Joyride

Jetpack Joyride is a side-scrolling evasion game with simple one-button controls and a great sense of style. You play as a rebellious bureaucrat named Barry who's tired of the work at his top-secret military lab, and decides to snag the company's experimental jetpack for a jaunt through the facilities. Holding your finger on the screen puts the gas on the jetpack, letting you elevate over obstacles such as laser security systems and incoming missiles. Along the way, you'll also be able to snag other experimental vehicles, including the Crazy Freaking Teleporter, and the Profit Bird which is powered by concentrated satire.

You earn coins based on how far you make it through, but can also pick up loose coins through the level. You even earn more through completing missions, like high-fiving the scrambling scientists on the ground floor. Those coins are spent on new jetpacks, outfits, and soon gadgets, all available through in-app purchases stored in The Stash. Of course, you can buy more coins through in-app purchases, too.

• Download now

Temple Run

Temple Run is a dead-simple platform game where you sprint through ancient ruins while being chased by displeased spirits. You turn corners, duck under obstacles, and leap over pits with swipe gestures while collecting coins along the way. There's a bit of accelerometer control, so you can snag coins in the middle or to the left or right side of corridors by tilting the iPhone, but for the most part, you're just relying on twitch reflexes. Gameplay can be extremely bite-sized, but still amply rewarding.

The coins you collect while temple-running (or in-app purchasing) can earn you power-ups like speed boosts, new unlockable characters, and even exclusive wallpapers.

• Download now

Cordy Sky

Cordy Sky is a jumping game where you're an adorable little robot trying to get from the ground of an alien planet to a docked spaceship so you can continue on your intergalactic mission. Small bouncy platforms aid your ascension, but be careful, otherwise you drop down to the bottom and have to start all over. Luckily, you have a fellow robot called Volt that can grab you if you drop too far, but only if you've collected the appropriate token while climbing skyward. Your trip is split up into five sections, the end of each being marked by a fuel cell you need to get the spaceship running again. Controls are are either through virtual buttons, tilt, or swiping.

As you go, you collect gears, which can buy one-time boosts, permanent power-ups, or vanity costumes. Of course, you can always just buy gears through in-app purchases, but you can get by perfectly well on your own. Despite the kiddy graphics, the game is actually pretty challenging at points.

• Download now

Best free role-playing games for iPhone

Six-Guns

Six-Guns is an open-world multiplayer western. You embark on missions for beleaguered commonfolk, handling the likes of bandits and supernatural nasties to bring some iotum of peace to the wild west. Combat is straightforward revolver shooting with a virtual joystick and a few buttons. You're rewarded for your deeds, of course, and can use the coin you earn to equip new weapons, fresh threads, and buy new horses to expedite your trips between towns.

In addition to being able to buy in-game currency through in-app purchases, you can also get Sheriff Stars, which access high-end gear and auto-complete missions, though you can also earn them through watching ads. You're even able to buy experience points and health boosts, if you're having trouble getting through a particular quest.

• Download now

Star Legends

Star Legends is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online sci-fi game where you partner up with fellow intergalactic travelers to take on a variety of space menaces. You build an avatar with a few basic options, like hair style and face type, then embark on quests to earn experience points, level up, gain new abilities, and earn equipment. The social element is very rich, with full support for guilds, and plenty of common spaces. Every mission you play is automatically instanced, so others people freely spawn in to help you out. Daily missions, implant crafting, and a ton of people to chat with insure you'll always have a reason to come back for more.

Platinum is the premium in-game currency, and is shared across accounts if you happen to play Pocket Legends as well. You can spend it on vanity items, like fancy jetpacks and robot pets, but you can also spend the the coins you earn through regular gameplay to keep your equipment in good repair and up-to-date.

• Download now

Zenonia 4

Zen and gold can both be bought with real cash. Zen points are used to purchase expanded inventory space and special power-boosting gems (among other things), while gold buys more mundane gear. Some kinds of armor can only be acquired through player versus player battles, but it's entirely possible to stick solely with the single-player campaign.

• Download now

Best free racing games for iPhone

Forever Drive

One of the core elements of Forever Drive is the track builder. It's pretty simple - you draw a line from one end of a square to the other, pepper some scenery along the sides, and the highlighted turns, varied elevation, stars, and extra traffic are added in automatically. You then have the option to share these tracks online, which then randomly compose the arcade mode of other players. When you play, you get fed a series of user-built tracks which you can rate up or down after you're done driving them.

There are also weekly leagues where you have a chance to win in-game currency, with which you can buy a few unlocks, but the vast majority of car bodies, variations, and paint jobs are earned by gaining experience points throughout gameplay. I was really happy with Forever Drive, and I'd go so far as to say it's one of the better games I found when hunting for the best free iPhone games out there. Definitely check it out.

• Download now

Snuggle Truck

Snuggle Truck is a simple side-scrolling racing game where you're trying to drive a bunch of stuffed animals to the zoo in a pick-up truck without having them bounce out of the back along the way. It sounds like it's for kids, but the game was originally called Smuggle Truck, where the premise was to get Mexicans to America where a better life awaited them. Obviously Apple wasn't a fan, so the developer changed it up, though the core gameplay remained the same. You tap left or right to put your foot on the gas or back up, and tilt your iPhone to make sure your truck lands evenly when sailing through the air. Like Forever Drive, there's a treasure trove of user-generated courses, all ripe for the downloading and rating. You can build your own courses, complete with power-ups, obstacles, and waypoints where new fuzzy animals are tossed at you to catch in mid-transit.

Through in-app purchases, you can drive flashier pick-up trucks, but the vast majority of content is thankfully available for free.

• Download now

GT Racing: Motor Academy Free+

Motor Academy Free is a more down-to-earth, mostly-realistic racing game. You earn coins by completing tours, special invitation events, and completing contracts. Starting off, there are a bunch of levels where you earn various licenses, which help you learn how to drive different classes of cars. Coins let you buy a variety of recognized brand-name cars, like Bugatti, BMW, Bentley, Jaguar, Ford, Chevrolet, and Audi. They even kindly give you the option to rent the car for a round if you don't have enough to buy it outright. Even this racing game has some RPG mechanics in it, including quests which you complete, and leveling up to unlock new cars and courses.

Coins are earned through regular gameplay, while in-game cash is mostly bought through in-app purchases, which you can trade in for new cars.

• Download now

Your favorite free iPhone games?

Of course, there's an insane number of free iPhone games out there, and we're always looking for more. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorites, as we'll be updating this list regularly. We'll be including some of our top free real-time strategy, rhythm, word, simulation, location, and drawing games down the line.

Rene Ritchie and Leanna Lofte contributed photos for this post

After an initial release on iPad last summer, Sid Meier's classic swashbuckling game, Pirates!, has found its way to the iPhone. Just like the version built for the bigger screen, you build up a crew, customize your ship, stick a sword into anyone who tries to take it, fire cannons at competing pirates, pillage whatever's in sight, and rest up at the port once the gunpowder has settled.

Just like the iPad version, the Classic Sid Meier adventure has been optimized for multitouch on the iPhone. You can parry, counter, an dual all the scurvy dogs you come across into submission, while boarding their ships, attacking their taverns, and even raiding the Governor's mansion for bounty.

You get 27 ships that you can customize with ammo, cannons, and otherwise upgrade, and you get to go after the greatest pirate villains in history, including Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and Henry Morgan.

Pirates is a well-loved franchise, and one that has weathered the test of time nicely. It originally came out way back in 1987, made by MicroProse, who also kicked off the Civilization franchise. Remakes of Pirates on the PC and consoles have done really well, and it looks like 2K has properly optimized for mobile with fresh touch controls. I've never spent too much time playing the series myself, but I've got more than one friend who goes "ZOMG PIRATES!11!!" any time it comes up. Maybe now is the time to give it a shot.

Any swashbucklers in the house that have already pumped a lot of time into this game?

$2.99 - Download now

Every week the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include an iPad note taking app, a utility for toggling Bluetooth on your iPhone, an app for relaxation, an app for knitters, a tower defense game, an alternative to cable television, a great iPad drawing app, and an addicting iPhone puzzle game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Notability - Alli Flowers

If you want to use your iPad instead of carrying around a clipboard or pad of paper, you have quite a few choices, but Notability is right at the top of the list of available apps. Notability's latest update includes Dropbox sync, so there's not much missing.

You can write, you can type, you can add in shapes. You can change the color and size of anything you've done if you change your mind. Of course, you can import .pdf files and take notes on them - particularly useful for, well, anyone who uses .pdf's! You can import your .pdf's email attachments, Safari, other apps that take advantage of "open in," and Dropbox.

Writing is super smooth, and there are even plenty of options within the pen tips you choose. Not only is Notability one of the best in its class, at $.99 it is also the least expensive. In plain English - you can't go wrong buying Notability.

$0.99 - Download Now

BluetoothOnOff - Chris Oldroyd

This week’s pick is a little utility that came out this week. It is called Bluetooth OnOff and was somehow approved by Apple and is still available. All it does is put a Bluetooth icon on your homescreen and it then allows you to use it in two ways.

The stock way, when you click on it, a screen loads with a Bluetooth toggle switch, you can then turn Bluetooth on. If Bluetooth is already turned on then loading the app will give you the option to turn it off. The best way of using the app is to go into the apps settings and turn the OnOff switch to on. This enables you to now toggle Bluetooth On / Off from your home screen with one tap of the app icon. There is no delay or intermediate screens just a straight on/off.

This sort of feature should be standard in iOS 5 but it's not; so if you want a quick Bluetooth toggle you have to either jailbreak or pay extra for an app. This one does what it says on the tin!

$0.99 - Download Now

Serenity - Seth Clifford

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

-- Ferris Bueller

Of course, Ferris was talking about actual life, not life's quieter moments viewed through the lens of your iPhone or iPad screen. But if that's all you've got for the moment, then by all means, revel in the peace and tranquility that Serenity can offer you. It's an app by the venerable developers tap tap tap, and displays the usual level of visual polish as their other apps. It's basically a series of really pleasant, relaxing video clips that loop over and over again. You just stare at them and feel your blood pressure drop as the soft sounds wash over you.

If you're snickering and thinking this is really dumb, believe me, I get it. At first I was skeptical too. But there is something profoundly nice about watching flames just dance in front of you, or flowers swaying in a calm breeze, or a little sleeping kitty. You can set sleep timers if you want to zone out at the end of your day, and the apps support AirPlay if you'd rather let a giant version of the videos blanket your entire room. I think good headphones are probably the way to go, though, for the full experience. And since the interface has an easygoing 70s woodgrain feel, they should probably be big over-the-ear cans.

The iPhone and iPad apps are two separate versions, presumably for the reason that combined, the video clips would total about 700 MB. So keep that in mind before you purchase, but at $1.99, you'd hardly regret it if you grabbed both. Relax wherever you are, with whatever you're holding. I think Ferris can close this one out, too.

"It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

$1.99 - Download Now - iPhone

$1.99 - Download Now - iPad

Knit Handy - Jessica Moss

Knit Handy is handy! This app gives you an estimate of yarn requirements for your projects. It has many project categories from which to choose. Using this app couldn't be easier. Choose your project category, gauge, and size and you are set. Before Knit Handy became an app it was first a pamphlet called Knitter's Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements. I have the pamphlet and I can honestly say I like the app better. It's way more convenient to have it on my iPhone than it is to carry the pamphlet around while planning and shopping for a project. I have a knack for either forgetting to bring the pamphlet with me or losing it all together. I never lose my iPhone. I really have no issues with the app except I wish it gave a wider range of gauges to pick from.

$0.99 - Download Now

iBomber Defense Pacific - Chris Vitek

For my pick of the week, I am going with one of my standby game types - a tower defense game. Yes, there are many of them out there, but each one has it's own flavor and interesting game twists. The tower defense game iBomber Defense Pacific is a great new game that add some of it's own ideas to the tower defense genre. You have multiple upgrade options that you need to spend victory points on. You get special power ups. You even have secondary objectives (such as protecting a airplane hanger or destroying an enemy base). I have been playing the game on the iPad, and it looks great. The graphics are crisp, and on the retina display the game is beautiful. It is a universal app, but I found that after playing on the iPad, the iPhone screen is just too small to work with. If you enjoy tower defense games, iBomber Defense Pacific should definitely be on your short list of game to try.

2.99 - Download Now

Paper by FiftyThree - Gary Mazo

I have spent a good part of this week testing our various stylus pens for the iPad, iPhone or, really, any touch screen phone or tablet. The best way for me to try these all out was to use the best apps available for both writing and drawing/painting.

That brings me to Paper by FiftyThree. This week I really dove into this app and was just amazed by what I found.

Paper is a “freemium” app; it comes with one tool and all the colors, but to really take advantage of this app you need to buy more tools. You can individually purchase the color, sketch, write and outline tools for $1.99 a piece – but it makes sense to just spend the $7.99 to buy the whole “essentials” package with all the tools.

When paired with the right stylus, this is as close to actually “drawing” on your iPad as you can get. If I moved the stylus quickly – the line was thinner. If I drew a line from top to bottom and lifted up, you could see a small ink deposit at the bottom of the line – just like using a fountain pen.

I loved using the Color tool – it was sort of like using a watercolor brush. Colors actually blended when combined on screen. Once the masterpiece is completed, just pinch to reduce the image and then you can easily send it to Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter or via Email.

One function that is a killer feature in this app is the rewind tool. Just use two fingers and make a counter-clockwise motion on the screen to undo what you last did. Keep doing that to undo more. This is a great idea and avoids the need to continually use the eraser and possibly erase more than you might want to.

Have you used Paper? Do you have any of your drawings posted? Let us know in the forums!

Free, with in-app purchases - Download Now

Global Video for iPad - Rene Ritchie

I cut the cable cord months ago. We have pretty much a-la-carte cable channel selection where I live. You need to get a base package of channels, then you can get 10, 20, etc. channels a-la-carte on top of those. So it wasn't a matter of choice, it was a matter of technology. Cable still runs on a schedule. You can only watch what it's showing at the moment. Sure, PVR/DVR can let you time-shift, but that's a horrible, high maintenance, error-prone solution. The real solution is on-demand.

And that's what I'm getting with iPad (and iPhone) apps.

Global Video lets me watch most of the programs on the Global television network (a Canadian network that re-broadcasts a lot of U.S. network programming), on demand. No daytime, no primetime, no late-night windows to contend with. Just the show I want to watch, when and where I want to watch it.

To their credit, Global has also left AirPlay intact so I can, if I want, stream the video to my big screen HDTV in the living room via AirPlay and the Apple TV. (The other major Canadian network apps, CityTV and CTV shamefully disable AirPlay due to "licensing conditions" -- to which I respond, "negotiate modern licenses".)

Their in-program ads are also decent, the kind of stuff you see during regular network broadcasts. They're highly repetitive, however, which means they may not have a lot of advertisers buying in to this model yet. That's a shame. This is the near-future of content presentation and more advertisers should be getting behind it. At least if they want our attention. (And Global, and other companies doing it right, should reap the rewards.)

Global Video isn't perfect -- it hasn't updated to Retina yet, and while some new shows post almost immediately after they're broadcast over-the-air, others take a few days. But at least they seem to get it, and they're getting there.

Free - Download now

(It's Canadian only, but search the App Store for the networks in your country and you should find quite a few.)

Addidoku - Leanna Lofte

I cannot get over how addicted I am to Addidoku right now! It's a simple number puzzle game that I reviewed earlier this week that's in the same genre as Sudoku, but totally different. The goal is to group all the numbers so that one of the numbers is the sum of all the other numbers. For example, the number 3, 5, and 2 form a group because 3 plus 2 equal 5. The premise of Addidoku is very straightforward, but solving the puzzles can be quite challenging -- and it's super addicting!

Free - Download Now

Tell us your pick!

Those were our picks, iMore Nation, so now it's your turn! Tell us your pick of the week below. Give us the name of your favorite app, site, or accessory, and tell us why it made your life more productive, more informed, more entertaining, or just plain more fun. Jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

Addidoku is new puzzle game that has some similarities to Sudoku, but is also very different. In each level, you are presented with a several numbers set in a broken up grid. The goal is to group the numbers so that they add up according to the rules of the game. Each number can only be in one group and each puzzle has only one solution.

So what exactly are these rules? Well, in each group of numbers, all of the numbers (except for the biggest number) must add up to the biggest number. For example, the numbers 3, 2, 6, 1, form a group because the sum of 3, 2, and 1 is 6. You can also pair numbers, like two 5's, because 5 equals 5. The numbers 4, 3, 5 do not form a valid group because 4 plus 3 does not equal 5.

Only numbers that are adjacent to each other can form a group. This means that if a number is diagonal to your group or separated from your group by a space, it cannot be added to your group.

That's it! The rules are simple, but the levels are challenging. Even though they're challenging, they're completely doable which makes the game extremely addicting. Because each level can be completed in a reasonable amount of time, you are always willing to play "just one more".

The Good

• Challenging
• Addictive
• 60 puzzles for free
• 140 additional puzzles available as in-app purchase

The Bad

• None

The Conclusion

Addidoku is such a fun and addicting puzzle game! The object is both familiar and unique at the same time. It's also challenging -- something I find essential in a good puzzle game. It took a lot of self control to pry my hands off my iPhone to write this review.

Now excuse me while I play "just one more level" of Addidoku.

Free - Download Now

If you haven't had a chance to play PvZ, you should check it out; it's a goofy, but very tactical and fast-paced game. Basically, you get a wide variety of plants to protect your home from various fronts of zombie attack. The zombies come in waves, and have different gear to get around your defenses, like pole vaults to get over the first plant it bumps into, or screen doors to provide some extra protection. PopCap had a bunch of the zombies running around PAX East 2012 dancing and giving away iPads, which reminded me just how much I loved the franchise. Check out the video below.

$6.99 - Download Plants vs. Zombies HD

$2.99 - Download Plants vs. Zombies

Draw Something, the super-popular iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad app that lets players take turns guessing each others -- often comically bad -- pictures has been updated with a crayon box full of new features.

In addition to more words to guess, you can now "say something" by commenting on drawings. That's right -- no more need to sarcastically scrawl your trash talk by hand before getting on with your own drawing.

You can also "share something" by posting your drawings directly to Facebook or Twitter. Buh Buy manual screen shots and uploading! (Not that we were trying to get our friends and followers to help us guess, of course...)

"Save something" lets you keep copies of your favorite drawings, or all your drawings, for posterity. Again, without the need for a manual screenshot.

The eraser will finally get a rest with "undo something" so you can make your last line nothing more than a memory.

And "refresh something" lets you use the popular pull-down technique to make sure you have the latest turns ready and waiting for you.

There don't appear to any major changes to the core interface, which could certainly use them from a design-perspective (though that's never come in the way of their success). The now Zynga-owned property promises more updates in the future, however, so we'll keep that hope alive.

Both the paid, $0.99 and the free version of Draw Something have been updated.

Have you tried out the new Draw Something yet? If so, let us know how you like the new features and make sure you jump into the iMore Forums so you can swap usernames and get your drawing on against other members of the iMore nation!

• Read our Draw Something review

$0.99 - Download now

Free - Download now

SpellTower for iPhone and iPad is a fun word game that adds a fun twist to the classic word search game. Instead of being limited to spelling words vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, you can choose your letters in any direction.

Specifically, if the next letter in your word is in one of the 8 surrounding letters, then it's fair game. Perhaps an easier way to explain it is -- any word that is able to be spelled by sliding over each letter, in order, without lifting your finger, is playable in SpellTower.

There are other little rules for scoring and clearing rows, but SpellTower does an excellent job of explaining them in the tutorial.

SpellTower has 5 different game modes. Tower Mode the most relaxing and pressure-free. You are simply given 150 letters and it's your goal to spell as many words as you can.

Puzzle Mode reminds me of Tetris. Each time you make a word, a new row is added and your goal is to prevent any of the columns from reaching the top.

If a letter has a small letter in its tile, the number represents the shortest length your word must be in order to use that letter. In Ex Puzzle Mode, there are a lot more of these letters than in Puzzle Mode.

Rush Mode has the same overall objective as the Puzzle Modes, except that instead of adding rows every time you make a word, SpellTower adds a new row after a set amount of time. This is by no means a leisurely game mode!

The Good

• Fun
• 4 levels of difficulty
• Challenging
• Includes helpful tutorial
• Multiplayer over bluetooth
• Night mode

The Bad

• No online multiplayer

The Conclusion

SpellTower is a very fun game. I've always had a slight aversion to word games, because I'm typically very terrible at them, but I actually really enjoy playing this one. SpellTower is the best word game I've ever played.

$1.99 - Download Now

Every week the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include apps a beautiful iPad weather app, apps for sports and politics, a fun camera app, an app filled with inspirations, a puzzle game, a music app, and an alternative to Instagram.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Living Earth HD - Seth Clifford

It's been a crazy week, so I'm going simple with my pick - simple and beautiful. Leanna reviewed a weather app called Living Earth recently and after reading her post, my need to see just how great this app really was took over immediately and I downloaded it. You might find a weather app that does more or has more geeky weather options for meteorology nerds, but with the possible exception of Weather HD, I've yet to see a weather app this cool.

It's a universal binary, so you get apps for both your phone and your iPad. The app has a nice forecast view as well as a cool alarm clock feature, but the interactive globe that loads live cloud and sunlight information from real-time satellite data is my favorite part. Sometimes just marveling at nature is all I've got the energy for.

You can read Leanna's review for all the gritty details, of which there are plenty. I'm just going to sit and spin the Earth and hypnotize myself for a while...

$1.99 - Download Now

FCB Mobile - Chris Oldroyd

This week’s pic is all about the beautiful game and the team that play's it in the most beautiful way. My first love is my local football team Newcastle United. My second love belongs well and truly with the most famous football club in the world FC Barcelona.

Barcelona play the game the way it should be played, one touch passing, instant control but most importantly they play it offensively with open attacking football that is an absolute joy to watch week in and week out. Anyway back to the app, I have a great app on my iPhone that keeps me up to date with all the goings on at Camp Nou and its caled FCB Mobile.

FCB Mobile is the official app for FC Barcelona and includes all the latest news, match previews, reviews, player profiles, audio, video and much much more. If you are a fan of Barcelona you need this app.

$0.99 - Download Now

Contact Congress - Gary Mazo

For years, I have been preaching to my kids (as they one by one turn 18) that one of the great things about this country is that we all do get a say; that voting is both a privilege and an obligation. I also try to impart that even if the candidate we want doesn’t get elected – we all have an obligation to still be part of the process and let them know how we feel about important issues.

Now, this is always easier said than done. Fortunately, there are some great apps to make being part of the process easier and more fun. I use Contact Congress by airship Software.

When you start up Contact Congress, it asks to either use your location or for you to input your home zip and then it finds your Senators and your Representative in Congress. Their political party is indicated by a little elephant or donkey and their picture and name is displayed in a tab.

Touch the tab with their name on it and you immediately have links to follow him/her on Twitter, go to his/her official Facebook page, Call Their Office or send them an email. It couldn’t be easier or more convenient. Because of this app, I follow all three of my elected officials on Twitter and I have fired off a few emails and even made a phone call or two along the way when something is important to me.

And there is a very fun opportunity for an in-app purchase; you can, for $.99 “Dress up Congress” by purchasing Google eyes or Horns to put on the images of the elected officials. I actually think this is sort of demeaning and takes away from the app, but I understand the need to try to “monetize” the app some how.

All in all, this perhaps the easiest way to stay involved in our political process, and, as I tell my kids, to become part of the solution.

Have you used Contact Congress? Do you use other apps to stay politically active and involved? Sound off in the iMore forum thread.

Free - Download Now

Videoscope - Alli Flowers

Back when I had my iPhone 3GS, I found a nifty little app that let me use the iPhone camera like a kaleidoscope. KaleidoVid cased to function when Apple released iOS 4, and the dev never updated it. I was disappointed, because although it wasn't a great productivity app, it kept me entertained for hours.

While browsing through the App store recently, I discovered several new kaleidoscope type apps, and one of them had much of the same functionality as that original app. Videoscope allows you to turn your iPhone camera into a kaleidoscope. You can increase or decrease the number of prisms by pinching the screen, and once you see the kaleidoscopic view you like, you can capture that view to your camera roll to use as wallpaper.

Videoscope has a feature that I recommend you not use if you've been drinking heavily or are on medication - it leverages the video camera of your iPhone and allows you to video the complete moving spectrum of the kaleidoscope. I shot some video through Videoscope while riding in the car the other night, and the results are breathtaking - and triply!

Videoscope also offers some alternate "scopes" including Pinscreen, Impressionist, and Brickbreaker. The Brckbreaker mode is particularly cool because you get to "break the bricks" by tapping on them and watching them fall away.

You are not limited to the rear camera with Videoscope. You can aim the front camera at yourself and become the Pinscreen image, or you can choose a picture from your photo library to turn into some awesome abstract art.

$0.99 - Download Now

Quotes! - Chris Parsons

Lots of people look for inspiration and motivation in different ways and one way that I enjoy is by reading quotes from others. Luckily, there is a beautiful iOS app available that offers plenty of quotes no matter what the topic may be. The app carries an obvious name, just simply -- Quotes. Love, Happiness, Motivation, Inspiration. All are covered in quotes with the ability to share and save your favourites all from within the app itself. It does cost $.99 but it's beautifully simple and enjoyable if you're into reading quotes from others.

$0.99 - Download Now

Lawnmower Challenge - Simon Sage

This week I tried out Lawnmower Challenge, a simple puzzle game launched by a Boston indie developer at PAX East 2012. The premise is simple enough: cut all the grass in the level in as few moves as possible. Things get complicated when you throw in rocks, reeds, tall grass that you can't walk through, mud you can't mow through, locked gates that require keys, and impassable rocks.

It's not fancy, but with 144 levels, you definitely won't be left wanting for a challenge.

$1.99 - Download Now

Spotify for iPhone - Ally Kazmucha

I've long been looking for a way to free up some physical space on my iOS devices. While streaming services are great, what about times where you don't want to eat up your data plan? I've found Spotify to be a great compromise. I've found most streaming services to be rather lacking or they don't let you choose want you want to listen to. Neither is the case with Spotify. You can search through millions of tracks, create your own custom playlists, and listen in seconds.

With a premium account for $9.99/month you can stream music as well as download it to your device for offline use so you aren't eating away at precious data. The free version is ad-supported and allows you to stream online, the unlimited version for $4.99 will allow you to stream with the iPhone or Android app in addition to removing ads. The premium version is the only subscription that adds offline mode. I've found that I can stream when I'm at home and just choose offline mode for the playlists I want to listen to while traveling or not near wifi. I'm saving tons of space on my iPhone by using the service.

Spotify comes with a full trial for 48 hours. Check it out and see what you think.

Free - Download Now

Tadaa - Leanna Lofte

With all the threatening on Twitter and comments to leave Instagram after Facebook acquired it, I went on a hunt for a decent alternative to Instagram. My favorite one so far is tadaa.

tadaa has a lot of what Instagram offers -- only more. It's a social network where other members can like and add comments to photos. There's a photo feed for all the friends you follow, as well as feeds for popular photos and new members.

What I really like about tadaa is that it has a lot of built-in editing tools in addition to filters. You can crop, adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation, add a tilt-shift effect, and when adding a filter, you can adjust how strong the affect appears on your photo. You also aren't restricted to square crops.

Free - Download Now

Tell us your pick!

Those were our picks, iMore Nation, so now it's your turn! Tell us your pick of the week below. Give us the name of your favorite app, site, or accessory, and tell us why it made your life more productive, more informed, more entertaining, or just plain more fun. Jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

At PAX East 2012, Halfbrick Studios was showing off an incoming update to Jetpack Joyride which will let you equip some very handy gadgets. Players can equip two, which offer a variety of functions, such as a slight boost in speed when taking off from the ground, or a protective bubble to improve your distance after crashing. A particularly useful one will be the coin magnet, which is currently only available for the game's vehicles. Counting the Feeze-o-Matic, Lucky Last, Nerd Repellent, Missile Jumper, Free Ride, Flying Pig, and Gravity Belt, there will be 15 gadgets available all told at launch, no doubt with plenty more to follow. As with other in-game items, you'll be able to buy gadgets in the Stash with coins collected as you navigate through a top-secret science lab in a freakin' sweet jetpack, or bought directly through in-app purchases.

Even though Fruit Ninja is Halfbrick's breakthrough success, I tend to spend a lot more time playing Jetpack Joyride, so this update has me pretty excited. Since most of the current in-game items are purely cosmetic, it's great to see a bunch of new options that actively change the way you play (though there are also going to be cosmetic gadgets, like the x-ray specs). Keep an eye out for the 1.3 update to Jetpack Joyride at the end of the month.

Free - Download now

Infinity Blade 2 for iPhone and iPad has been updated with a new content pack called ClashMobs that lets you complete challenges in Infinity Blade 2 with your Facebook friends. Interestingly, even your Facebook friends who don't play Infinity Blade 2 can help you complete your challenges by "liking" your posts.

After connecting Infinity Blade 2 to your Facebook account, you will have a set of new challenges called ClashMobs to choose from. Each challenge will need help from your friends, but the good news is that even though these challenges are scheduled, you don't have to play with your friends at the exact same time. For example, a ClashMob may only require 30 seconds from each participant, but each player can contribute during any time between Monday and Wednesday.

To get your friends to contribute to your ClashMobs, you simply post to your Facebook page with Infinity Blade 2. Most challenges only require a few friends or offer better rewards for more participants, but some challenges may need the help of as many as 500,000 players. With some ClashMob's, your non-Infinity Blade 2 playing friends can also help you out by liking your post. For example, each like received may inflict damage on the boss you're fighting.

Now, that last part sounds cool and all, but I'm willing to bet that most of these likes will be coming from Infinity Blade 2 players since Facebook users who don't play Infinity Blade 2 will likely be hiding all posts by Infinity Blade 2 from their Facebook feed (I sure will be).

For Infinity Blade 2 players who don't use Facebook or are put off by the idea of posting Infinity Blade ClashMobs to their wall, they can simply choose to ignore ClashMobs all together. Or they can participate in ClashMobs posted by their friends without a trace of their activity on Facebook. Infinity Blade 2 will not force players to post to Facebook.

So who's excited about ClashMobs? I'm sure you're looking for more Infinity Blade 2 Facebook friends, so head on over to the iMore forums and share your Facebook page with other Infinity Blade 2 players!

$4.99 - Download Now

Jack Lumber made its debut at PAX East 2012, offering a fresh spin on the swipe-and-slash gameplay established by Fruit Ninja. Coming this summer to iPad, iPhone, and eventually Android, Jack Lumber follows a lumberjack whose grandmother was brutally killed by a malicious pine tree. After manifesting telekentic and time-warping superpowers, Jack Lumber has taken it upon himself to uproot entire swathes of forest and earn vengence the only way he knows how: chopping.

The gameplay will seem very familiar the second a bunch of logs come popping up into the air, but it differs from Fruit Ninja in that the movement of your targets slows when you press on the screen. You then have a limited amount of time to trace your finger through the logs, but you have to make sure that it's along the grain - otherwise, the logs drop to the ground, beligerant and unchopped. The game quickly complicates by throwing innocent woodland creatures to avoid, kegs of dynamite, knotted logs that require multiple swipes, and time bonus logs to extend the annihilation of your arboreal foes.

Even among the many console titles at PAX East 2012, Jack Lumber leaped out to me as the one with the most personality. Sure, it's a little derivative of Fruit Ninja, but that's not a bad thing, and they've added enough new mechanics to erase any feeling of oversimilarity. The lumberjack theme is a largely untouched in iOS games, and these guys were tackling it with panache by dishing out buttons at the show bearing a salty domain they snagged: "F-cktrees.com". I'm half-expecting some environmentalists to cause a lot of noise about this one, but Owlchemy Labs is no stranger to controversy; their last title, Smuggle Truck, was about getting Mexican babies across the border. That proved a little too spicy for Apple, so Owlchemy released a game with stuffed animals instead and called it Snuggle Truck.

When Jack Lumber launches this summer, we can expect it to have Game Center support, be universal, and be optimized for the new iPad's Retina display resolution. They have full intentions of launching the game on any platform with a touchscreen, so sit tight Android users.

Everybody's favorite time-slowing vigilante, Max Payne, is now available on iPhone and iPad. Sure, the game originally launched on consoles and PC is a little old, but Max Payne Mobile comes complete with all of the dual pistol-wielding bullet-time action we know and love. There's support for the new iPad's Retina display, and compatibility with every iPhone going back to the 3GS. The gameplay itself looks pretty much identical, including the third-person perspective and comic-style cutscenes, but there's an added bonus for configurable controls, so you can drag and drop your fire button wherever is most comfortable. Max Payne for iOS will also tie in with Rockstar's Social Club community for sharing profiles and achievements.

I saw the Rockstar booth at PAX East 2012, but they were primarily interested in showing off Max Payne 3 for consoles and PC. While a whiff of nostalgia may convince many gamers to pick this up, 9 years really ages a game; I think it's safe to say that the iPhone and iPad can handle much more than what Max Payne Mobile is demanding in horsepower. Of course, if Rockstar had mobilized Max Payne 2 instead, odds are good that it would only be available on the latest iOS hardware, and even then, they might have had to dumb down a few aspects to keep gameplay smooth.

In any case, it's still nice to see Max's face on an iPhone, puckered as it may be. Anyone big fans of the franchise? You can download the game now at the link below. Keep an eye out for our review soon!

Max Payne Mobile - $2.99 - Download Now

Here's what happens when you give some undignified swine oxygen bubbles, masks from the future to vengeful fowl, and launch them all into orbit.

Angry Birds Space arrived on iOS and Android last week, introducing a whole new array of physics to the classic slingshot game. It's already a runaway hit, having garnered 10 million downloads since launch. Now instead of just trying to topple boring old buildings onto pigs lounging inside and around the area, you're flinging birds through gravitational fields around planets, and into asteroids to annihilate the green time-honored foes.

I can't even pause the game without getting pitched for another sale? You'd think this was the free version.

For those particularly tough levels, Angry Birds Space lets you buy Space Eagles, which create a black hole that destroys pretty much everything on the screen. I'm not a huge fan of the "pay-to-win" scheme, but at least you're awarded them over the course of standard gameplay, too. There's full Game Center Support to keep tabs on your high scores and achievements. Unfortunately, it's not a universal app, so you'll have to pay separately for the "HD" version if you want to play on your iPad. If that wasn't enough nickel-and-diming, you only get a single sample level from the third world, called the Danger Zone, before needing to cough up another buck for 30 levels. You can't even pause the game without ads for the other Angry Birds games.

The way planets screw with gravity and inertia adds a ton of complexity to what was once a simple game.

As far as graphics and sound go, there's still a lot of the old-school charm there, with a few twists for the new space theme. I find the sound effects can get painfully repetitive on those hard levels that you restart time and again, so I leave the game muted the vast majority of the time.  I'll be honest - I never really got into Angry Birds before this. I played the free version when it came out, but after an hour or two of playing, it just all felt a little too casual. Angry Birds Space really changed that for me though; dealing with weird gravitational situations is something I've enjoyed in the Super Mario Galaxy titles on the Nintendo Wii, and it's great to have that same appeal available on mobile.

All of your favourite birds are still here, though they're a little dressed up.

Playtime on a per-level basis can vary wildly - some stages you'll get three stars on with the first attempt, others you'll chew on painfully for a half hour. For the most part, Angry Birds Space delivers the same bite-sized fun that you're used to, but be prepared for at least a few knock-down, drag-out stages, especially if you're a perfectionist gunning for three stars on every level.

The Good

• Classic, playful franchise with a new twist
• New game mechanics keeps play fresh
• Per-level playtime still short and bite-sized

The Bad

• A little pushy for premium extras
• Sound effects get repetitive very quickly
• No free version on iOS

Conclusion

$0.99 - Download Angry Birds Space now

$2.99 - Download Angry Birds Space HD now

Television and movie star Shannon Tweed, seen weekly in the show Gene Simmons Family Jewels, joined iMore live today to give us all the juicy details about her first iPhone and iPad game, Attack of the Groupies. A tower defense-style game, Shannon is all super-heroed up and ready to protect her man, KISS star Gene Simmons, from a full on invasion of deranged, demented groupies.

For the full story, and an awesome swag-filled give away, keep reading!

Shannon Tweed's Attack of the Groupies brings rockstar style to the tower defense genre

Shannon was approached by the developer, GoGii games, with the concept and it seemed like the perfect fit. Based on the real-life challenge of living with a famous rockstar, Attack of the Groupies lets Shannon unleash a little cartoon-style justice on cougars, slugs, beauty-queens, and bimbos, including all the over-the-top, explosive weapons and effects you'd expect.

Attack of the Groupies features voice overs from Shannon and her daughter, Sophie Tweed-Simmons. There are power ups to unlock, extra characters (you can even get Shannon's sister, Tracy, via in-app-purchase), and behind-the-scenes bonus content.

Help Shannon keep the demented groupies away from KISS legend Gene Simmons with weapons, upgrades, and the power of a celebrity wife unleashed!

If you're a fan of the tower defense genre, or of Shannon Tweed, Gene Simmons, or just of fun, free iPhone and iPad games, check out Attack of the Groupies and Attack of the Groupies HD.

Free - Attack of the Groupies - Download now

Free - Attack of the Groupies HD - Download now

Giveaway

Want some swag, courtesy of Shannon and GoJii games? Of course you do! To enter to win your Shannon Tweed Attack of the Groupies swag pack, simply jump into our iPad Games Forum and tell us your favorite character from the game (other than Shannon, of course!)

• Attack of the Groupies iPad 3 case
• GoGii Games golfing jacket
• GoGii Games baseball cap

(iPad not included, obviously!) What are you waiting for? Enter now! Before the groupies get you!

Every week the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a Twitter app, several games, an app for DirecTV subscribers, an app for taking handwritten notes with your iPad, and a great interactive children's app.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Tweetbot for iPad - @sethclifford

This week's pick is one that's been featured before, so I won't need to say too much about it, but it's worth bringing up again for a few new reasons. Tweetbot for iPad obviously has a lot of fans, and many of us were clamoring for this app for a long time before its release. When it finally arrived, I was sans iPad for a period of time, while waiting on the release of the new model. Those were dark times, and I'm happy to have made it through them mostly unscathed. Mostly.

Well, I've got that new iPad now, and I am really enjoying Tweetbot on it. It's my favorite client on the iPhone because of its great design and functionality, and the iPad version is no different - it's stellar. I'm weeks behind everyone gushing over it because I purposely waited to even look at it on a device until I had the new iPad, and man, it is something special. In addition to just loving it in general, I think it goes without saying that the update to the app to add retina graphics is nothing short of mind-blowing. It's so smooth and so crisp on that new screen, I sometimes tear up a little, remembering how our collective eyes as a culture suffered with smartphones from a bygone era.

Listen, without wandering too far into wistful hyperbole, I'll just say this: if you want the best Twitter experience on the iPad, with exceptional design and usability, this is your client. End of line.

$2.99 - Download Now

Contre Jour HD - @iMuggle

While looking for a game to test out the overheating new iPad theory, I wandered across Contre Jour HD. I'd never played it before and after reading the description, I decided I'd give it a go. I am completely addicted. It's probably one of the best games I've played on my iPad in a while. And it looks absolutely gorgeous on the new retina display.

The premise of the game is pretty simple. You play Petit, a tiny blob of a creature who needs help roaming around his world. You'll have to move the landscape and make him grab on to other objects to propel him towards the goal in each level - a shining orb of light. Along the way, you'll want to pick up as many light particles as you can for a better score. You also get more points for completing the level quickly.

While the game is dead simple, it's completely addicting. I'd almost describe it as a fusion of Angry Birds and Cut the Rope in some ways. If you haven't checked it out yet, I'd highly recommend it. It's available for both iPhone and iPad in HD. If you have a new iPad, it's a gorgeous game to play. (As a side note, my iPad didn't overheat while playing it.) : )

$2.99 - Download Now

DirecTV app for iPad - @Alli_Flowers

I will confess up front, that being able to pause my husband's television before I even walk into the room gives me a feeling of power. But it's super nice to have his attention without having to compete with whatever program is on, whether he's paying attention or not.

The DirecTV app for iPad lets you control any tv in the house, whether it's connected to your wireless network, or hardwired. I've found that it works even more reliably than the DirecTV remote that came with my receiver, and has a much more convenient UI.

Not only can I control all the tv sets in the house, I can watch some live shows, which gets me around my 2 show limit, providing my third show is on one of the channels in their list. Fortunately, since my 3rd channel is usually SyFy, I'm in business.

Live tv is not only limited to the lineup offered by DTV, but limited to your being connected to your home network. In other words - no watching live tv from work. You can, however, watch On Demand shows and movies from outside of your home network.

If you have DirecTV, and haven't tried this free app, go get it now. If nothing else, imagine the look on your spouse's face when you change the channel from another room!

Free - Download Now

Noteshelf - @gmazo1

I used to think that using a stylus with a touch screen was the future. I remember my original Palm Pilot and all my Treos with great affection. Then, the stylus gave way to the finger and styluses seemed so “90’s” in their implementation.

For that reason, I shied away from handwriting apps for my iPad – like Noteshelf. After spending a week with colleagues who swear by it and after reading Leanna’s great review: http://www.imore.com/2012/03/19/noteshelf-remarks-notability-ipad-handwriting-app-shootout/ I decided to give it a try.

What was I waiting for? This is an awesome app and my favorite new app on my iPad. I love being able to be creative with my notes. Noteshelf allows me to use different colors, highlight, erase, add emoticons and pictures and more.

I can customize my paper, the cover of my notebook and share notes to Twitter or Facebook or via email.

If that doesn’t offer me enough creativity, I can go to the Noteshelf store and buy more papers, covers, stationery, planners and more.

All in all, this is a very powerful, fun and useful app.

Are you using Noteshelf? Do you have a favorite stylus to go with it? Join in the discussion in the forums!

$5.99 - Download Now

Pix: Pixel Mixer - @Bla1ze

There is a lot of photo filter apps in the iTunes App Store. Some are great, some -- not so much. Pix: Pixel Maker is a fairly new entrant having been submitted only a little while ago but it has quickly warmed my heart (and my iPad -- see what I did there?!?) with its filter options. Rather then sticking to allowing folks to only add one filter to their images, you can actually mix and match filters to get the exact image settings you want. It's available for free in the iTunes App Store and is a universal application.

Free - Download Now

Modern Combat 3 - @simonsage

Since Modern Combat 3 went on sale this week for $0.99, I decided to give it a shot. (Pun intended.) It's Gameloft's latest "homage" to modern console and PC first-person shooters, complete with achievements, multiplayer, weapon customization, unlockables, a single-player campaign mode, and a whole lotta action.

I put a fair bit of time into the campaign mode, and despite being chocked-full of chest-thumping American bravado, the action was good, and the graphics, even on the iPhone 4, are smooth and sharp. I'm still trying to get the hang of using the accelerometer for control, but I think over time, it will become a lot more intuitive to use than the clunky dual-stick layout. You earn separate kinds of coins for playing multiplayer matches and single-player, but the abilities, weapons, and attachments you unlock carry over, which is great. In that way, I was able to gear up a little bit before getting into the multiplayer arena.

Much like PC games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, the competition online is intense. I felt the familiar pang of frustration when being taken down consistently before I could even pull up my reticle, but so far this has only served to steel my determination. With the wealth of unlockables, high production value, and competitive multiplayer, I could see myself playing this a lot, especially if I'm packing the new iPad.

$6.99 - Download Now

Angry Birds Space - @jorjlim

Angry Birds Space, completely reinvents the Angry Birds franchise. There’s not many things you can do with a simple gravity slingshot game, however Rovio have completely rewritten the franchise, by... removing gravity.

Angry Birds Space sees the birds travel through a portal to chase the pigs who are still going after those eggs.

The classic characters you knew and loved have all returned with the same abilities. (with the exception of the yellow bird who can now fly in any direction, since there is no gravity) They have even introduced a new character called ‘Ice Bird’ who can freeze structures to make them easier to break.

You now have to fling the birds around the centre of gravity of astroids and planets, or through the vacuum of deep space. There are even added ‘boss’ level, to change things up even more.

If you were a fan of the originals, you’ll definitely enjoy this sequel, and even if you weren’t a fan of the originals, give this a go anyway because its got some completely new gameplay, and is nothing like the original ‘earth-bound’ games.

$0.99 - iPhone - Download now

$2.99 - iPad - Download now

Pinterest - @phishgirl3

Social networks are a dime a dozen these days, so it takes an interesting concept to make a new one stand out above the rest. Pinterest is still fairly new on the scene but it's gaining popularity and becoming more mainstream pretty quickly. The concept behind Pinterest is kind of hard to explain; I look at it as the place to go if you hoard things on the internet. You can use it to save pictures for design ideas, recipes, images of things you want to create… there is no limit. If you see it on the internet, you can pin it to your boards, which are basically how you keep your pins organized. They're like files for the images! Other people can browse your pins and re-pin comment and favorite them.

I was super happy when I saw there was a Pinterest app for iOS, and installed it on my iPhone right away. The app is well made, giving you access to your Profile, Activity on your pins/boards, your list of Followers/Following, and Explore, which offers you a list of categories to look through. While exploring you can re-pin, like and comment on your favorite things. A couple of neat options are also included, such as a bookmarklet you can install to be able to pin things to your boards while browsing the internet. You can even access your iPhone's camera from within the app so you can pin things in the world around you. If you are signed up on Pinterest and enjoy using it, I highly recommend downloading the free app to go with it.

Free - Download Now

Little Fox Music Box - @llofte

My 18 month old daughter loves Little Fox Music Box. I am truly amazed with how long she can sit still and engage with this app. It's literally the only thing that will keep her still for longer than about 90 seconds.

Little Fox Music Box has 3 songs: London Bridge, Evening Song, and Old Mac Donald, and with each song there is a scene that's related to the theme of the song. Each of these scenes is filled with artwork and animations that your child can interact with. There are very little things on the screen that don't react to touch. My daughter loves playing by herself or with an adult who identifies everything that can be touched.

For kids learning to read, the words to the songs are displayed at the top of the screen as they are sung. In Karaoke mode, the words highlight when it's time to sing them.

Seriously, this is an awesome app for little kids and totally worth the $5 even though there's only 3 songs.

$4.99 - Download Now

Tell us your pick!

Those were our picks, iMore Nation, so now it's your turn! Tell us your pick of the week below. Give us the name of your favorite app, site, or accessory, and tell us why it made your life more productive, more informed, more entertaining, or just plain more fun. Jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

Angry Birds is everywhere; in Rio, in HD, celebrating the Seasons…now, those pesky pigs and amazing birds have blasted into space.

Angry birds fans rejoice! Angry Birds Space was just released this morning into the App Store where the war between the birds and pigs continues in outer space on tiny planets.

So, what’s new in this edition of Angry Birds? Well, zero gravity for one. It is quite a challenge to shoot your bird and have it orbit the pigs – striking its target at just the right time.

In addition to 60 levels of zero gravity battles, Angry Birds Space includes many new birds and new superpowers. One of the bird types, Space Eagles, can be earned through game play or obtained via an in-app purchase.

It's important to note the iPhone and iPad versions do not sync over iCloud which means your progress will not be saved between multiple devices. So I recommended thinking about which device you think you'll play most often, and purchase the game for only that device. Otherwise, you'll have to play through all the levels twice. Disappointing. I know.

I've only spent about a minute or two playing Angry Birds Space and am excited about playing more. The new gameplay is going to be new challenge to master because of zero gravity.

How far have you gotten so far?

$0.99 - iPhone - Download now

$2.99 - iPad - Download now

Zynga, the undisputed behemoth in social gaming, has just acquired OMGPOP, the developer of the hugely successful Draw Something game. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, it's basically a mobile version of Pictionary, where you're paired up with a fellow iPhone or iPad owner, and you take turns drawing things and having the other guess what it is with a given set of letters. Both sides get to watch as one gradually finishes drawing and the other attempts to solve the puzzle. There's both an ad-supported free version and a premium version that gets rid of the ads, but Draw Something makes its real money through microtransactions which unlock different colors to draw with.

OMGPOP has a few other titles under their belt, mostly for the web, but Draw Something has been their biggest hit yet. Rumor has it that Zynga shelled out $200 million for the 40-man team, but neither Zynga nor OMGPOP went into specifics of the deal. This is a pretty big acquisition for Zynga, but definitely a sensible one. I worry a little bit that clever iOS development shops are doomed to getting sucked up into these giant companies, but then I look at Rovio and see how well they've managed to do by sticking it out on their own. In Zynga's press release, they did a great job of outlining some great stats from Draw Something.

• In the last week, more than 1 billion drawings have been created.
• Draw Something had three drawings per second the day the game launched.
• Yesterday, Draw Something has over 3,000 drawings per second at its peak.
• Draw Something is the #1 word game in 84 countries according to the Apple App Store — shout out to Sweden and Norway for being the first two countries to recognize Draw Something's greatness. Nordic Love!
• The most popular words in Draw Something are: Starfish, pregnant, hangman, six pack, boom box
• The least popular word in Draw Something is latrine
• The best guessed words in Draw Something are: Rainbow, catfish, sun, fish, house, god, tornado
• The least guessed words in Draw Something are: Oar, Metroid, Warhol, pounce, polaroid, meathead, Autobots

Source: Zynga

Twirl! is a refreshing approach to the world of puzzle games. It has a classic goal -- matching colors -- but a unique method -- twirling a block of 9 squares around the center square. Moving 8 blocks in single move is what makes Twirl! for iPhone and iPad so challenging.

The main goal of Twirl! is to create 3x3 squares of the same color. To play, tap on a small square. When you do, the 8 squares around it will rotate in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. You are allowed to specify which direction the twirl will go. You are also allowed to undo any of your moves.

There are three game modes: Classic, Separator, and Survival. In Classic mode, you are given 50, 100, or 200 twirls to make as many matches as possible. You have the same goal in Survival mode, only the number of twirls you have is not fixed. The more squares you make, the more twirls you get, and the amount of twirls you gain per square is dependent on which level you are in. In Separator mode, the goal is not to create these 3x3 squares like in Classic and Survival, but to group all the squares of the same color together. You can choose to play with two or three colors.

I recommend playing in Survival mode first because it doesn't have a limit on the number of moves you get. This allows you to really learn how to control your twirls and pick up techniques that will give you an advantage for Classic and Survival modes.

I'll admit to first being a little overwhelmed with Twirl! because of how much was happening in a single move, but once I relaxed and focused, I actually became hooked to the game. It's definitely a challenging game, but not so difficult that all fun is lost.

Check out the fun little trailer for Twirl! below!

$0.99 - Download Now

Every week the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This weeks selections includes a musical game, a jailbreak tweak, an accessory and app to accept credit card payments, a music identifier, a news readers, and a photo editor.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Guess Your Songs - @Alli_Flowers

Remember the old game show "Name that tune?" Remember how if they told you enough about the song, you could guess it in a single note? Well what if you only had a single note and no background information? What if that tune came from your own iTunes library?

Guess Your Songs is a great new game that you can play on your iPhone, iPad, Facebook, or directly through www.guessyoursongs.com. It uses your iTunes library, and plays you a snippet of a song. It could be a single note, it could be 10 notes - depends on the song - whatever fits into the two seconds you get to listen. Oh, and it's not the beginning of the song, either. This can be a challenge.

Once you listen to your two seconds of music, you get three choices. Guess Your Songs will display the album art (if you have it), and give you three song titles. All you have to do is tap the correct song. This can sometimes be tricky. For instance, I played one round, where I got two seconds of silence. When I looked at my choices, two were classical pieces, and the third had a lengthy bridge with spots that were so quiet they could have been silence. Very difficult to make that call!

The more eclectic your collection, the easier it is to guess correctly. If you have a large collection of music from the same genre, it could prove very challenging!

So challenge yourself to see how well you know your own music collection, and give this a try!

Free - Download Now

Zeppelin (jailbreak) - @JorjLim

Zeppelin is a very simple jailbreak tweak that allows you to change your carrier icon. Instead of reading "O2" or "AT&T" you can actually customise it to show the actual logo of the company, or even something completely different like the batman symbol, the Apple logo, or even the logo of your favourite sporting team.

When you initially download it it comes with some basic icons; from popular sci-fi series, video games as well as popular brands. However there are endless numbers of bonus packs to download in the Cydia store for free. (It even has their own category in Cydia)

If you want to really have simplicity, you can even set it to "none" to have nothing there at all.

One of the good things about this tweak is that you don't even have to respring when you change an icon, so you can switch between them on the fly without having to worry respringing your phone.

You can download this fun little tweak from Cydia for free.

Square Register for iPad - @iMuggle

I've been using Square as the main method for taking credit card payments for PXLFIX since last summer. I love the ease of use, idiot proof interface, and low fees. As much as I've always enjoyed being able to take a credit card wherever I was, whether in the office or on a consult, I've felt like Square could add a bit more customization.

Square Register is exactly what I'd been wanting to see them do. I can now have a beautiful virtual shelf showing all our services and repairs, I can favorite certain items that get used more than others, and add photos for each item. I also like the fact that I can choose whether or not an item is taxable. In the state where my business is located, we don't yet have to charge tax on labor so we have to break that out on invoices. Square makes it easier than ever. Just toggle tax on or off for any individual item.

I've been playing around with Square Register since it came out and I have to say that it's one of the best options for small businesses that don't want to be anchored to one point of sale or commit to several monthly fees. You can sign up for Square for free and receive a reader for free as well. Square Register is also a free download via the App Store.

Free - Download Now

USA Today - @Gmazo1

I'm a News junkie - I always have been. First thing in the morning - after I read my emails and check tweets from the night, i fire up two or three news apps to see what's going on in the world. I have vacillated between my iPad and iPhone - but usually turn to the iPad for one app - USA Today. AFter checking the front page of the New York Times, this has been my go to app.

Now, USA Today has been updated for the iPhone and it is awesome. They did a complete redesign of the iPhone app; the sections are in big, bold colorful letters on the left hand side. In each "category" you can choose from lots of options. Being a sports nut, I really appreciate the ability to see Top Stories, Scores and each sporting league right there for easy perusal.

I also like that the settings menu is built into the app. I can manage my alerts, choose display options and get support via email or twitter. There is even a handy weather widget on the front page that can be set to multiple locations. All in all, this is a great upgrade and has made this my new "go to" news app when I am just looking for quick stories - not in depth analysis.

Free - Download Now

Shazam - @Bla1ze

I'm getting old. My memory for the names of songs and tunes I like is no longer as good as it once used to be. For example, watching the iPad announcement I sat there wondering what the name of the song they played while showing off the new stores was pretty much for hours, even though I knew I had heard it before. I gave up though, and headed off to the app store to find an app that would know instantly. I found Shazam, played a few seconds of the song, Shazam sent it to the cloud and immediately gave me the answer I was looking for -- We are young by Fun featuring Janelle Monae. Shazam is free and available in the app store, right now.

Free - Download Now

iPhoto for iPhone and iPad - @llofte

One of the announcements during Apple's iPad event was iPhoto for iPhone and Mac. When rumors first started surfacing about this, I'll admit that I wasn't too thrilled because I've never been a fan of iPhoto for Mac. I'm happy to report that I'm actually very impressed with iPhoto for iPhone and iPad.

I don't want to repeat myself, so please take a look at my full review.

$4.99 - Download Now

The new iPad - @reneritchie

What? Stop looking at me like that. It had to be done! The new iPad packs an ridiculous amount of technology into a sleek, sexy package for an unbelievably low price. It's such a design, engineering, and logistical achievement that I'm guessing Apple's competitors likely went into collective apoplexy after watching the event on Wednesday and are probably still on pure oxygen.

2048x1536 Retina display pixels in a 9.7-inch display is crazy. It's more than your 1080p television at a tiny fraction of the size. 4G LTE networking is fantastic for those with coverage, and the Apple A5X chipset looks to be quad-core graphical monster. It's even got a 5mp version of the iPhone 4S' fantastic iSight camera built in.

And it's almost the same size as the iPad 2, and the same price. If you haven't gotten a tablet yet, it's a great time to start. If you have an original iPad, it's a great time to upgrade. If you have an iPad 2, it's a good upgrade provided one or more of the features fixes a real problem you've been having.

I'll be lining up to get the fully loaded version on launch day, but if you haven't made up your mind yet, we've got everything you need to help you decide right here:

• 2012 iPad buyers guide

Tell us your pick!

Those were our picks, iMore Nation, so now it's your turn! Tell us your pick of the week below. Give us the name of your favorite app, site, or accessory, and tell us why it made your life more productive, more informed, more entertaining, or just plain more fun. Jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

NimbleBit, the creators of the hugely successful Tiny Tower game for iOS, are working on their next title called Pocket Planes.

You'll recognize the adorable 8-bit-style graphics right away, but this game looks like it will be much more involved than Tiny Tower. Pocket Planes will be more of a time management and resource investment game similar to Now Boarding ($1.99 - Download now); you manage your airline staff, coordinate flights, load up passengers, and get them to their destination. With the money you earn, you can buy new planes, hire new staff, and open connections to new cities.

What's going to make Pocket Planes deeper than Tiny Tower (which boiled down to a simple and addictive restocking game) is that the planes have a ton of statistics on range, speed, cargo capacity, and offer a lot of customization in terms of paint jobs, pilots, and costumes for those pilots. This opens up a lot of gameplay variety. For example, you could have a bunch of small, regional pockets offering speedy commuter service within certain regions, or you could skip passengers altogether and focus on delivering cargo instead, or you could go for distance, and invest in expensive long-haul airplanes. Given the number of cities you'll be connecting, the flight network could very quickly - especially once your airline expands overseas.

Pocket Planes is still a work in progress, so all of this is subject to change. Even if they end up ditching the in-app purchasing mechanism, I'd be willing to shell out a few bucks for this title when it lands this summer.

Source: TouchArcade

Every week the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This weeks selections include a few games, a fun children's book, an app for writers, and an interesting photography app.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Draw Something -- @Alli_Flowers

Did you ever play Pictionary? Great party game. This is basically the same game on your phone or tablet. Notice how nonspecific I was there? That's because you can play on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or tablet - so you can play against your friends, no matter what they use.

You're given a choice of 3 words, easy, medium, or hard. You choose the one you think you can draw, and you draw. So far so good. When your opponent's turn comes, he sees a video playback of you drawing. Beneath the drawing are some letter tiles, so he has a good chance of figuring out what you've drawn, regardless of your talent. You tap the letter and pop it into the spaces to spell out the word.

You get "coins" for guessing your words, 1 for the easy word, 2 for the medium, and 3 for the hard ones. There are a few opportunities to get help. For instance, you can choose a different set of words if you can't draw any of the words you initially pull. If you can't guess the drawing, you can get rid of some of the letters so that you have a smaller pool of letters from which to choose. But your second chances are not unlimited, so use them wisely.

There are two versions of Draw Something. One is ad sponsored and free, the other is currently on sale (on all platforms) for $.99. This is a great game that's fun for all ages. (My youngest opponent is 8!)

Free - Download Now, $0.99 - Download Now

Ladybird Classic Me Books –- @chrisoldroyd

I have a real soft spot for classic children's books as I remember them fondly from my childhood. Luckily Ladybird Classic Me Books is available in the App Store and it brings back the magic of these wonderful books.

The App is a little buggy but the way the books are reproduced to look and feel like the original hard backed books I read is very impressive and you soon forgive the bugs. The titles available are excellent and includes classics like The Gingerbread Man and The Three Little Pigs. My little girl absolutely loves this app.

The app costs $0.99 and for that you get one book included, the other books are all available through an in-app purchase at an additional $0.99 per book. I can't recommend this app enough if you have young children and enjoy reading to them!

$0.99 – Download Now

Elements for iPad - @iMuggle

I've tried several writing apps on my iPad and always find myself coming back to Elements. Sometimes I just don't want to carry around my MacBook Pro but have a need to write or take notes on the go.

Given I do a fair amount of writing with Markdown for iMore, I've found Elements to be a perfect combination of writing on the go and from my computer. Since it syncs all my notes with Dropbox, I can pick up right where I left off when I get back home or to the office.

When you're done writing you can export to PDF or HTML, print, or email the file. Elements also gives you the option to publish directly to Facebook or tumblr is either one of those services are important to you.

If you're looking for a lightweight client for anything from shared notes to lengthy articles, I highly recommend checking out Elements. I don't do much writing from my iPhone but for those that do, Elements is available as a universal binary for both iPhone and iPad.

$4.99 - Download Now

WordFoto -- @andrewwray

WordFoto is a neat little photography app that lets you turn iPhone photos into typographic masterpieces. It features a smart algorithm that inserts preselected words or user input phrases into any photo you've taken on your iPhone, or any image you've imported from your iTunes library. By letting you create your own unique word sets, the possibilites are quite literally endless, and the results are superb.

By offering up a number of fine-tuning options like Color Tolerance, Edge Threshold and more, you can really drill down to make your photo enhanced to perfection and the word set will perfectly integrate into the image without a hitch thanks to the algorithm they've come up with. You can also choose from a number of built-in styles, including classic Gray, Comic, Black Label, Howling, Prankzter, Romance and Blocky. If you're not partial to the included styles that comes with the app, you can create your own custom style to personalize the image with absolute detail. Adjust shadowing, highlights, color saturation and image contrast, padding and even font selection.

Of course, the app wouldn't be complete without social integration, so WordFoto lets you share all of your creations on Facebook or send it off to friends or family via email. Additional adjustments let you crop the image and inspect everything in great detail using zoom functionality so you get everything just the way you want it. Create amazing typographic images with WordFoto and wow your friends like never before!

$1.99 -- Download Now

Treasure Trouble - @reneritchie

We had the pleasure of speaking to Michael Flarup of Robocat on the last episode of our Iterate podcast, and during the show I downloaded their Treasure Trouble for iPad game. It looked gorgeous but I couldn't exactly launch it and start playing in the middle of the show. Things got busy, as they usually do, and I didn't have a chance to check it out until last week. And yeahbutwow is it a lot of fun. The core idea is simple -- you trace paths on a treasure maps. It starts slow but builds up fast. More paths. More complicated paths. It'll challenge your eye-hand-coordination, and your multitouch gesturing skills both. And this being a pirate themed game, there might just be some drinking involved.

Yo. Ho. Ho.

$2.99 - Download now

Circadia - @llofte

Circadia is such a fantastic puzzle game. Each level has both colored dots and a white dot. Tapping a colored dot will emit a tone and circle who's radius grows a specific rate. Each color emits a different tone and the circles for the lower tones grow slower than the higher tones. The goal is to tap the colored dots in the right timing so that they converge on the white dot at the same time.

It may sound easy, but it's actually very challenging.

The levels start out pretty easy with just two colored dots and a stationary white dot. The level I'm on now (level 41) has 3 colored dots and the white dot is moving. Crazy. I know.

The other thing I really like about Circadia is that it's just so incredibly gorgeous. The bright, vivid colors against a black backdrop is pure eye candy. That, and Circadia is geometric, so as a math nerd, I was instantly drawn in.

$0.99 - Download Now

Tell us your pick!

Those were our picks, iMore Nation, so now it's your turn! Tell us your pick of the week below. Give us the name of your favorite app, site, or accessory, and tell us why it made your life more productive, more informed, more entertaining, or just plain more fun. Jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

A fun, infectious, and colorful re-imagining of the classic rhythm game, Beat Sneak Bandit hits all the right notes.

In Beat Sneak Bandit for iPhone, touching the screen anywhere in time with the rhythm navigates a sly thief through a mansion equipped with all manner of surveillance, trap doors, and winding staircases. It's the same principle but a decidedly different feel than plowing through notes of a song as you might in Tap Tap Revolution or Rock Band. Every stage has a single primary objective which you have to reach without getting caught. If you can swing it, there are four secondary items to steal as well. The problem is, if you don't move in rhythm with the level's music, one of those objectives on your current floor will self-destruct. If you collect enough of them, though, you'll unlock some bonus stages in each of the game's chapters.

Beat Sneak Bandit is an unlikely (but surprisingly fun) mesh of rhythm and stealth games.

Beat Sneak Bandit is a universal app, so you can ply your thievery on iPhone and iPod touch, as well as iPad. So what exactly are you stealing? Clocks, from a ne'er-do-well millionnaire called Duke Clockface, who is trying to build a time-freezing machine. Levels include intercoms where you can get hints from your partner-in-crime, Herbie the frog, or be taunted by the Duke himself. As you can tell, the visual style is very distinctive, and the animation is no let-down either. Everything moves in time with the music, even small details in the level background. By the end of a chapter, you tend to be pretty tired of the same tune, but luckily, the bonus stages have different music, and each new chapter changes things up again.

Duke Clockface's mansion is packed with security guards, trap doors, spotlights, and plenty more obstacles.

The levels can be absolutely devious. You can only switch directions when you bump into a wall (or the back of a security guard), and that's something you need to plan well in advance when dropping down trap doors to lower levels or trying to get up stairs. I'm a huge fan of the control scheme, since it's essentially a one-button game. There are no virtual buttons cluttering up the display area, so there are no targets to miss on that front - you can just focus on getting the rhythm right. While that leaves little depth of skill development, it's tricky enough juggling rhythm and visibility at the same time.  The only qualm I have with the gameplay is that if you fail a level often enough, Herbie sticks his condescending froggie head where it doesn't belong by suggesting you skip the level. Hey, Herbie - I'm a big boy, I can handle this clock-thieving stuff just fine, okay? Thanks.

The good

• Snappy, stylish artwork
• Catchy music
• Simple, engrossing gameplay
• Universal app for iPhone, iPad

The bad

• Control scheme intuitive, but lacks breadth
• A little expensive for a casual game
• Condescending reptilian sidekicks

The conclusion

While the goofy dialogue, dead-simple controls and cartoony graphics may lend the game to a younger audience, I found Beat Sneak Bandit's music to be catchy enough and the levels challenging enough to make the game a rewarding experience. The $2.99 pricetag may be more than you're willing to shell out for a casual title, but it's nice to not be harassed with microtransaction options in a high quality game for a change. In the end, the biggest thing Beat Sneak Bandit brings to the table is a fun, infectious, and colorful style. If the signature look isn't enough to keep you hooked, the simple mechanic may eventually bore gamers looking for something a little more complex. In my opinion, Beat Sneak Bandit hits all the right notes.

$2.99 - Buy now

I've been sucked into yet another puzzle game - this time it's Circadia. For me, what makes a puzzle game great is if the objective is very simple, yet achieving that goal is challenging, but not impossible. Circadia has found the perfect balance.

Each level has a constellation of colored dots. Each color is assigned a sound so that when you tap the dot, a circle grows around it with the dot as its center. It's as if the circle represents a sound wave leaving its origin. Not all colors are treated equal, however; the circles for lower notes grow slower than for high notes.

The goal? Get the color bursts to converge on the white dot at the same time.

Simple premise, yet very challenging. Circadia does a great job of easing the player into more challenging levels, but not at a snail's pace that makes you lose interest. It wasn't long before I was working on levels that included three colored dots per level. These were pretty challenging, but then Circadia went and scaled it back down to only two colored dots -- and a moving white dot. Moving! Screenshots show that Circadia does eventually introduce 2 white dots into the levels and I'm willing to bet there's a level set with both dots moving.

Oh, and did I mention that the simplicity and vivid colors make this a very visually stunning app?

I made it to level 40 before deciding that I needed to stop and write this review. If you pick this one up, I'd love to hear how far you get!

$0.99 -- Download Now

Rovio has announced a new game to their Angry Birds series -- Angry Birds Space. They've revealed nothing more than a March 22 release date and the following quote:

One small fling for a bird. One quantum leap for birdkind.

They've also posted the following video as a major tease. There's not even so much as a screenshot. Even still, I admit I'm excited. Who's with me?

Source: Rovio - thanks @daveizzle for the tip!

"Smash Cops brings the excitement of high-speed car chases to your iPhone and iPad with top-notch graphics, high intensity game-play, and interesting (if challenging) controls."

Smash Cops recently hit featured status in the App Store, and after playing it for a few days, I can see why. It's a deceptively simple racing game that provides excellent controls, fluid graphics, and has some signature local evening news flair to it.

The premise is that you're driving a cop car, and you have to chase down bad guys through a winding route, and ram into their vehicle often enough to make them crash. There's a healthy amount of variation on this theme, including timed challenges, obstacle courses to test your finesse, and scenarios where you're the one being chased. Whatever the goals of the level may be, you're usually provided with helpful waypoints at intersections so you know which direction to go. There's plenty of civilian traffic in the way, posing slight obstacles, but for the most part, they can be plowed through with little worry.

The default control scheme was fairly new to me. You press the screen behind your on-screen vehicle to adjust its steering, letting go to stop the gas, or tapping the screen with your other hand for a quick burst of speed. You can switch this up to a traditional virtual joystick, but the default is novel to play with, if nothing else. The controls are certainly intuitive, but I find they're often more challenging than they should be. At times, you can turn a corner very sharply, while at other times, you drift and lose a lot of control. There may be a trick to this that I'm just not getting, but so far it has made nimble driving difficult, especially in the obstacle course stage. Having played a bunch of Need for Speed on the PlayBook, I think an option for accelerometer control would be really nice.

Knowing if you'll be able to make a turn sharply or if you'll need to accommodate for drift can be tricky.

The overall gameplay is still great. There's a real solid "Channel 9 Evening News" angle, where the camera following you is accompanied by the sound of a news chopper. Many of the UI elements are fashioned after TV fly-ins. I would have liked to see a few more unlocks beyond the five cars you made available over the course of gameplay. Maybe some vehicle tweaks to increase boost regeneration, or bump speed up a notch. There are a few microtransactions available, but they feel forced. For $4.99, you can unlock all of the vehicles without having to play through the game. For $0.99, you can pick up 3 Super Cops. These are one-shot upgrades the make your cop car awesome and help you blast through tough levels. While I appreciate being able to earn these in the challenge missions, I doubt my frustration would ever reach the point of spending money to beat a level, especially if I've already shelled out $2.99 for the game. Now, if there was a free version of Smash Cops, maybe with ads and fewer cars and missions, microtransactions might be a more viable route. Personally, I find the gameplay is polished enough that Smash Cops would do very well as a free title.

Smash Cops features a wide variety of game modes

The graphics deserve top marks. The lighting is extremely realistic, the models are believable, the animation is fluid, and though the physics are a little exagerrated, it suits the gameplay. Fans of the Burnout series will definitely appreciate the scinematic slow-mo crash sequences. The only graphical problem I've had is that that after being flipped over, sometimes a robber's car will disappear and respawn further down the road. This makes sense if the wreck lands in undrivable terrain, but sometimes it doesn't, and the respawn screws up plans for follow-up attacks.

Smash Cops goes into a cinematic slow mo every time you flip a perp's car

The audio is decent, but I really wish there was some high-octane racing music while you play. The menu screen has some great music and gets me in the mood to race, but once the game is launched, you're listening to a police siren and a chopper sound interspersed with the odd crinkle of smashed bumpers.

Overall, Smash Cops is a fast-paced, challenging racing game with polished gameplay and graphics. With a few control tweaks and increased depth for unlockables, I could see myself killing a lot of time with this game. For $2.99, you'll get your money's worth so long as losing a few times drives you to steely determination, rather than flipping over to another game.

$2.99 - Buy now

The good

• Excellent graphics
• Polished (though sometimes difficult) gameplay
• Good variety of game modes

The bad

• In-app purchases aren't compelling
• Limited variety of unlocks
• Controls are often too difficult

The conclusion

Overall, Smash Cops is a fast-paced, challenging racing game with polished gameplay and graphics. With a few control tweaks and increased depth for unlockables, I could see myself killing a lot of time with this game. For $2.99, you'll get your money's worth so long as losing a few times drives you to steely determination, rather than flipping over to another game.

Zynga has released their newest iPhone and iPad game for animal lovers called Dream PetHouse. In this game, you are in charge of raising hundreds of adorable pets in a huge treehouse and making them has happy as can be.

As with all Zynga games, there is a social aspect to Dream PetHouse where you use Facebook Connect to visit your friends' trees and help each other with various tasks.

• Do you love animals? Then here's your chance to create the biggest, happiest home for hundreds of irresistibly cute pets in Dream PetHouse by Zynga! Collect the world’s cutest animals and care for them in your own unique tree, staffed by Chipper and his group of adorable chipmunk friends!

• Feed your pets and watch them grow up right before your eyes!

• Connect Pethouses using dynamic bridges and see your pets explore their new home!
• Capture fond memories of your pets’ childhood in family albums!
• Raise your pet families and collect all the Golden Frames!
• Visit your friends' trees using Facebook and get their help raising your pets!
• Customize your Pethouse with wild-looking trees and unique habitats!

Dream PetHouse is available on the iPhone and iPad for free.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Paper Monsters is a new platformer game for iPhone and iPad. In the game's world, everything is made out of paper and cardboard, including your character. It's a classic 2d side-scrolling platformer placed in a 3d environment.

I am loving this game! Paper Monsters has great graphics that are also very fun. My favorite little feature of the graphics is that sometimes things like trees and bushes pop up in front of or behind you in the 3d atmosphere.

Dive into the world of Paper Monsters and watch a living world made out of paper, cardboard, and a few cotton balls unfold right before your eyes.

Paper Monsters takes all of the classic 2d platforming elements, combines them with cutting edge graphics and then packs it onto your iPhone or iPad.

• Classic 2d sidescrolling gameplay with gorgeous 3d environments.
• Original and adorable characters
• Awesome original soundtrack - headphones recommended!
• Fun under water and flying powerups.
• Two control types: "floating" Joystick or classic touchpad
• Game Center Leaderboards
• Adventure and Hunt for hidden Game Center Achievements
• 16 Large Levels across 4 unique worlds
• Tons of secret areas!
• High score dash mode for endless replay value!
• Airplay Mirroring
• Fun for all ages
• Universal for iPhone, iPod, and iPad

Giveaway

We're a big fan of cute platformer games, here at iMore, so we're giving away Paper Monsters to 5 lucky readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below! Must have a US iTunes account to win. Apple's rule, not ours!

Paper Monsters is available on the iPhone and iPad for $0.99.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

If Tetris were to wed a matching game, their resulting child may be something similar Revertis. The goal of this casual puzzle game is to draw 4 dots at a time in such a way that matches identical colors. The objective is simple, but execution may not always be.

I'm enjoying playing Revertis. It's relaxing, has nice music, but isn't mindless.

Are you on your way home from the work? May be in a subway or in a bus? Do you have 5 minutes? Would you like to shut down those thoughts in your head? Just for 5 minutes? Try Revertis! It is like meditation! It helps you to relax and trains your brain at the same time.

• 10 different game modes
• Competitive modes with limited time per turn
• Post your results on Facebook
• Game Center integrated
• Unique animation
• local leaderboards
• option for color-blind people
• soundtracks
• achievements
• German & Russian localizations

Giveaway

The makers of Revertis have given us promo codes to give away to 5 lucky readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below!

Revertis is available on the iPhone and iPad for $0.99.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land

A turn-based strategy/role-playing game based on Call of Cthulhu RPG. Set in the midst of World War One, the game pits your team of investigators and soldiers against an ancient enemy, one older than humanity itself... Can your team of investigators keep their grip on sanity long enough to stop these diabolical plans? The fate of humanity is in your hands...

• $4.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Meeting Mapper

Documents all the important information in meetings and display a graphical depiction of your meetings. The information can be exported as a PDF and emailed and uploaded into your CRM application, SharePoint or just save it on your computer.

• $9.99 for iPad - App Store link

Tiny Review

Review stuff with just one photo and three lines of texts. Seriously, if they read how much we just wrote about them, they'd be pissed. (But now you can login with Twitter or email!)

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Ringtones & Alert Tones Maker

Personalize your iPhone by creating your own ringtones, text tones and other alert tones with Ringtones & Alert Tones Maker. Choose the song you want to use as your ringtone, specify the type of your alert, then choose the required segment from the audio track.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

The Very Cranky Bear

The award winning and much loved children's book, The Very Cranky Bear* is now an animated, interactive app! Join Moose, Zebra, Lion and Sheep as they try to hide from the rain in a cave, but accidentally disturb a very cranky bear...

• $4.99 for iPhone and iPad -App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Voice Calendar: Create calendar items on your iPhone with your voice.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

flickr hd: Displays a new photo from your public flickr photostream, your flickr.com favourites, or a custom flickr search every minute. Currently on sale!

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Girlfriend 411: Store all the information you will ever need to know about your girlfriend in a time of need. Thinking about sending her flowers, but can’t remember her address? Forgot what her favorite type of flowers are? These are the types of issues that a lot of men run into quite often.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

TextVite: The hottest new way to invite your guests and friends to anything! Choose a background, plug in your details, add a few cool design elements, and in seconds your TextVitation is buzzing on all your guests' phones.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

World Tree With Dragons: The first tree world simulation type game. You can build a fantastic world where you control almost everything! By combining 3 types of branches and 12 different patterns of leafs (more to come in future updates), you can grow your tree totally unique from any other one in this world! It’s the best game to show your creativity and art sense.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

While checking out the showroom floor at Macworld 2012, we encountered this cute little game called Bag It! The goal is to efficiently bag your groceries while optimizing space and not crushing items by, say, putting a watermelon on top of the bread.

These aren't normal groceries, either. Each item is actually a character that has a personality. Bagging characters next to each other that get along well will help you achieve higher scores. For example, Sunshine the OJ and Spilt the Milk are sweethearts and bagging them next to each other awards an additional 300 points.

If organization isn't your style or you need to blow off some steam, Bag It! also has a Rampage mode where your goal is to actually destroy as much groceries as possible.

Heavy, sturdy items on the bottom, light and fragile items on the top – seems simple, right? Think again!

• 50+ unique levels!
• Standard, Rampage, and Puzzle modes!
• Try to get 3 stars and both medals for each level! Master them all!
• 3 unique Endless Modes!
• Unique grocery combos - try to find them all!
• Custom tailored translations in 7 languages
• Game Center with Leaderboards

Bag It! is available on the iPhone and iPad for $2.99 or just the iPhone for $0.99.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• $2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Smash Cops is an iPhone and iPad game where you get to be the police in wild car chases. You may be weaving through traffic going after runaway felons or even fleeing from a felon attack until backup arrives. The city you work is huge with just as huge graphics and includes over 20 missions and 5 vehicles.

Smash Cops is this week's Games of the Week in the App Store.

PURSUE

• Take down runaway felons whilst avoiding civilian traffic and buddy police as you chase and weave through traffic.

ESCAPE

• Escape under time pressure from felon attack and get to a call out location as quickly as possible.

CHALLENGE

• 4 different mini games: smash a load of cars illegally parked in a car park, weave through a course laid out by cones, dodge traffic on a highway and collect evidence throughout the city.

GROUND BREAKING CONTROLS

• By placing your finger behind the car you can steer, weave, defend and attack runaway felons with full control of your vehicle, never before used in touch racing games.

LARGE DRIVABLE CITY

• Huge city with high quality visuals creates a fun and rich environment for different attack and escape routes spread over 20 missions and 5 vehicles.

CHAOS AND MAYHEM

-Smash, crush and flip felon vehicles. Obliterate the street scenery.

Smash Cops is available on the iPhone and iPad for $2.99.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Zombie : The Rescue: Get hooked by the dozens of challenging stages, each offering you the chance to be a hero! You’re not just here to blast these baddies into oblivion—you’ve got helpless civilians to rescue. Don’t worry, though, you’ll have plenty of chances to reduce the shambling hordes to quivering sludge, too.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

The Adventures of Robin Hood: Dive into the story of Robin Hood, Maid Marion and the Sheriff of Nottingham with full screen cartoons, karaoke-style reading, sound effects and mini-games that stimulate the imagination.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• $3.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

PicYou: With a simple photo you can connect with others from around the world and explore new things to do or see. See a sweet shot? Snap it with your iPhone and let PicYou do the rest with its awesome filters and frames.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

NewsFlash: One tap is all it takes to see what just happened... NewsFlash brings you all the latest news, as it breaks, from the major news sources in your country.

• Free for iPhone and iPad App Store link

Spirit of Wandering - The Legend: Sail the seas with a pirate captain in search of her missing love in this adventurous, hidden-object quest! After an attack by the Flying Dutchman, the crew of the Spirit of Wandering and captain’s companion, Jack, were imprisoned in the spirit world. Use powerful tools such as the Crystal Orb, a trusty compass and the help of fellow prisoners to find hidden objects that are drifting between the two worlds. Remove the lingering curse and save those stuck in the spirit world!

• Free for iPhone - App Store link
• Free for iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

"Classic arcade fighting game SoulCalibur has hacked and slashed its way onto the iPhone, with all of the vibrant characters and flashy moves you remember, but there are still a few gaps to fill."

SoulCalibur recently launched for both iPhone and iPad, calling upon many nostalgic gamers to dive back into the classic 3D fighting title. The screenshots show many of the characters players will readily recognize, like the gruff samurai, Mitsurugi, the eccentric and mysterious Voldo, and the enlightened Kilik. There are 10 characters available from the get-go, with another 9 available through unlocks. All of 'em have alternative costumes too, for those that are sensitive to combat fashion.

There are a ton of game modes, like the classic arcade style, where you plow through challengers one-by-one until reaching the final boss, a time trial where you try to get through them all as quickly as possible, and survival mode, to see how long you can play before being defeated. Practice mode is an essential and welcome addition for those that want to learn every little nuance of their favourite characters. Namco Bandai promises that even more game modes are on the way.

Unfortunately, SoulCalibur's asking price at launch was a little on the high end: $12, and that's with a 20%-off launch discount. That's a hard pill to swallow when the game doesn't offer multiplayer support, and sound quality is a little on the sketchy side...

SoulCalibur for iPhone has the traditional look, but with multitouch controls superimposed on top of the screen.

For the most part, the gameplay is fantastic and classic. You have an overlay of a joystick, and the four standard buttons - vertical attack, horizontal attack, kick, and guard. Control options let you customize button placement and opacity, as well as add a multi-button of your choice. This is particularly important, since a lot of SoulCalibur moves require you to hit two buttons at once, which is only really possible otherwise if you lay your device flat on a surface, so you're playing with your fingers instead of thumbs. The extra button is helpful in that regard, but since you can only add one, a character's full arsenal won't be available to you when thumbing it out.

SoulCalibur's animations have been faithfully, beautifully reproduced

The animation is altogether great, and having played SoulCalibur plenty on the Xbox 360, I can say that all of the moves and animations have been faithfully recreated. The models themselves can be a little jagged at times, but given the speed and complexity of many of the animations, I'm happy enough that everything runs smoothly. Although the menus are laid out clearly, I occasionally had issues getting presses to register. Bigger buttons for each option would be really helpful.

Menu options are clearly laid out, though tap targets are small and can be hard to hit.

The one downer for SoulCalibur on the iPhone was the audio. The music was tinny and MIDI-style, the announcer's audio files seemed low-quality compared to everything else, and the character taunts before and after each round are still in Japanese (even though the announcer and UI is in English). These are all things that could be fixed in a future patch, though, so I'm holding out for Namco Bandai to update the game sooner rather than later.

The lack of multiplayer is a a bit of a kick in the teeth, seeing as my favourite part of SoulCalibur, and really any fighting game, is beating the snot out of your buddies. There is Game Center support though, so at least your high scores are posted where your friends can see them and feel inadequate.

SoulCalibur supports Game Center leaderboards, but NOT multiplayer.

While SoulCalibur has buckets of nostalgia going for it, $11.99 is a lot to ask. While you won't have as easy of a time playing on your iPhone or iPad as you would with a real console controller, you learn quickly and before long you'll find your ass-kicking stride. There are some significant feature gaps, namely multiplayer support, but if Namco Bandai follows up with significant patches, SoulCalibur may very well merit this hefty pricetag.

SoulCalibur
$11.99 Buy now		The Good Combat animations recreated faithfully Gameplay and controls familiar and responsive Plenty of characters to unlock Universal app, works on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad The Bad Currently too expensive No multiplayer Voiceovers need improved quality and translation The Conclusion While SoulCalibur has buckets of nostalgia going for it, $11.99 is a lot to ask (and that's the 20%-off release sale price). While you won't have as easy of a time playing on your iPhone or iPad as you would with a real console controller, you learn quickly and before long you'll find your ass-kicking stride. There are some significant feature gaps, namely multiplayer support, but if Namco Bandai follows up with significant patches, SoulCalibur may very well merit this hefty pricetag.

Breakout Boost: This arcade classic is now enhanced with improved graphics and deeper gameplay features such as power ups, unique brick types, and Boost Control! The faster your ball goes, the more points you’ll get!

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Worldictionary - Instant Translation & Search: Point your iPhone’s camera at any word and Worldictionary will instantly define and translate it. No need to manually type words or take pictures. This app will be your indispensable travel tool primed to give you translation on-the-go.

• $7.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Jump Out!: From now on, when you earn an achievement, you do not just get a medal and points – you also unlock a new game level with unique game mechanics that correspond to the achievement you received. Each bonus level lets you sacrifice everything to get a trophy. Therefore, from that point on, unlocking each new achievement becomes a key to getting even more fun from the game.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Peak Meetings HD: A powerful tool for capturing and organizing your thinking, and making meetings more efficient and effective. Update includes even more productivity enhancements including agenda view, copy, and actions.

• $12.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

The Wiggles' Alphabet Adventure:

• $2.99 for iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Defense zone: Hold your defence with your turrets against the massive hordes of enemies. It is up to you, commander, how to spend the resources: restore and upgrade your veteran units or to purchase some new ones.

• $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Rewards - A reward tracker for parents: Add a reward when your child is helpful, does the dishes, helps put the trash out and many more! At-a-glance, you and your child can see how many rewards they have totalled up for the week.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

PDF Forms: A powerful software tool for work with PDF documents and forms which allows commenting on ready PDF documents, filling forms, signing legal documents such as contracts or notices and sharing processed PDF documents via email or Dropbox.

• $8.99 for iPad - App Store link

Favomatic: Provides you with an easy to use interface to create and manage launch-buttons for your favorites. Think of it as a to-do list that helps you in that daily routine. It not only reminds you to check out something you were about to forget but it also makes sure not to check it too often.

• Free for iPad - App Store link

Operation Math: Dr. Odd is on a global quest to eliminate the world’s even numbers. And it’s your job to stop him, by seeking out his secret bases, destroying his menacing mainframes and making the world a safer place for math. Complete each mission by solving the equations that lock the doors along your escape route in 60 seconds or less and earn all the uniforms and watches of a seasoned Base10 spy.

• $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• $2.99 for iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Kick'n Chick'nz: Medieval Karnival: A hilariously funny new game full of exciting carnival arcade style games, unique gameplay dynamics plus beautiful 3D graphics and animations. The story begins with a wee tyke named "Margie", aye she's a tuffy...and a spoiled one at that!

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

QR Pal - QR Code Scanner and Barcode Reader: The most advanced QR Code Scanner and Barcode Reader available which enables users to scan, store, share and pay. QR Pal is the only QR Code Scanner that rewards its users for scanning and sharing with monthly cash prizes. QR Pal also includes SafeScan giving you peace of mind that your scanning is always secure. You can even compare prices of products using the in-built Barcode Reader!

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Phase - Blinky's Adventure: Built using the Unreal Development Kit from Epic Games, Phase - Blinky's Adventure follows the voyage of Blinky, a robot sent to explore an unknown planet in search of a new home.

• $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Icon Craft: Create one-touch shortcut icons on your home screen for actions such as making a call or sending a message.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Baby Game: Cutie Frog/Cat/Crab: A simple app that lets your child pull on a fog, cat, or crab's eyes and lips.

• Frog, $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Cat, $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Crab, $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every week a few of us from team iMore will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

TripAdvisor Hotels Flights Restaurants – @chrisoldroyd

I have just booked our family holiday for the summer and decided to have a nose around the App Store to see if I could find any apps that could recommend places to visit and where to eat. Luckily I stumbled upon an app called TripAdvisor Hotels Flights Restaurants. The app covers all sorts or areas and does cover Pollenca Mallorca where we are heading.

You can look at hotels, restaurants and visitor attractions, read reviews and ratings left by other visitors to the area too. It is very comprehensive, has links to Google Maps for guidance and he ability to leave your own reviews too. The app has been recently updated and is now optimized for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and is completely free. If you are planning vacation, check it out, it gives you some local knowledge right in your pocket.

• Free - App Store link

Idea Sketch - @Alli_Flowers

If you like graphic organizers, you'll love Idea Sketch. We love stuff like this in education, from K-12, but mind mapping is a concept that can be used in any profession.

If you're unfamiliar with the basic premise, you are literally mapping ideas. Drop your idea into a shape - round, square, oblong, diamond, and link it to other ideas. Expand your thoughts until you have filled in all those loose threads.

Idea Sketch allows you unlimited canvas space, so your ideas can't be constrained. You can pinch and zoom to see whatever you want, and you can change the colors to suit your whim. You can view in a list format as well as the "idea" format, and you can share it all via email or via Box.

This is a must for students and educators, and a great idea for anyone just trying to organize his thoughts.

• Free - App Store link

Sonic 4 Episode 1 - @jorjLim

Ever since I was younger, I have been a huge fan of the Sonic franchise. I owned the 3 main games, Sonic 1, 2 and 3, on original megadrive cartridge (remember them?). When I learnt that Sonic 4 Episode 1 would be coming to iOS, I got really excited. I got so excited that I bought the game for its full £6.99 price at midnight the day it came out.

The one thing I could never achieve on the older games, was collecting all the Chaos Emeralds. Collecting all 7, would unlock Super Sonic, a invincible, faster, yellow version of Sonic.

So when I downloaded Sonic 4 Episode 1, my one goal was to unlock Super Sonic, for the first time, ever. After months of struggling, having to re-do each level to play the special stages over and over again. I finally collected the last Chaos Emeralds.

My 8 year old self would have been so proud of this moment, finally being able to play as Super Sonic that I unlocked myself, and to achieve this on a updated version of the game, made it ever better. I got to have the thrill of nostalgia, side by side with awesome modern 2.5D graphics, on my phone!

If you are a fan of the Sonic franchise, you should check out Sonic 4 Episode 1. Its packed full of homages, references and levels from the original games and really does bring back the franchise with a modern look.

• $3.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• $4.99 for iPad - App Store link

Jelly Defense - @skeetobite

My pick of the week is a new tower defense game called Jelly Defense. This is a fun, light hearted casual game to play. This game takes the traditional tower defense game and doesn't change the formula too much. It does add a bit of an ongoing story, includes towers that are only effective against enemies of the same color (so blue towers can't shoot against red enemies), and includes various aspects like needing to "learn" how to make new types of towers. Where it shines, however, is with the mix of background sounds/soundtrack, and the really nice, clean graphics. The stark color contrast (red and blue jelly towers and enemies, a grey background) really give the game some character, which is needed to stand out from all the other tower defense games out there. Best of all, this is a universal binary, so you can play it on any device you have!

• $2.99 - App Store link

Birdhouse - @sethclifford

I sometimes like to revisit apps that I haven't used in a while by browsing my purchased apps on my iPhone. One that I recently rediscovered is Birdhouse. Now the thing about Birdhouse is that it hasn't been updated in a long time. Like since the summer of 2010. But it runs fine on iOS 5 and does exactly what it's supposed to. Which is to act as a notepad for your tweets. You can log in with multiple accounts, save drafts of your potential tweets, publish directly from the app, and back everything up via email. It's not a Twitter client per se, as there's no timeline to view, but it's more of a partner to your favorite Twitter app. And yeah, lots of apps save drafts now, but the nice thing about Birdhouse is that sometimes you have an idea you want to capture quickly and don't feel like opening up your main app and loading it, and then getting sidetracked and eating up time. It's a single purpose app for a simpler time.

• $1.99 - App Store link

Delivery Status - @Bla1ze

Keeping track of packages for me is a big issue, not because I get a lot of them but because I live an apartment. For some reason, if I'm not watching my package delivery dates -- I tend to miss a lot of packages that are scheduled to be delivered. To help keep my eye on things and ensure I get my deliveries I make use of Delivery Status Touch by JuneCloud. It supports a wide array of services such as Amazon, USPS, UPS and more importantly for me -- Canada Post plus it includes Google Map integration. JuneCloud also offers a desktop solution for tracking so your iOS device is always in sync with your desktop and the cloud.

• $4.99 - App Store link

Kinotopic - @phishgirl3

I'm always looking for new ways to make pictures and videos into something more than they are, and this week stumbled on an app called Kinotopic. This simple to use app turns 3-4 second videos into a kino, or cinemagraph. If you haven't heard of cinemagraph, it's a photo with a small repeated movement usually confined to one detail in the image.

All you need to do to make your own kino is shoot a quick video or pick one from your library, choose your anchor frame, then highlight the portion of the image you want to show movement. The app processes it and sends your created kino to you via email. You can share on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr as well as publish your finished creation to the public stream or mark it as private. All in all it's a fun app to use, and in my opinion worth the $1.99 price tag.

• $1.99 - App Store link

Big Lens - @reneritchie

Sometimes you just need to fake it to get it done. For all the multiple layers of glass, remarkable aperture, and overall image quality of the otherwise I-can't-believe-it's-a-phone camera on the iPhone 4S, it just can't give you the depth of field -- or bokeh if you're fancy -- of a fast 50 on a DSLR. Enter Big Lens, which attempts to do in post what Apple can't -- yet -- do in camera. Like most post-process depth of field utilities, it's a trick and there's no getting around it. Just look for the tell-tale halo around the non-blurred portions -- for example, around a webOS editor and his brief flirtation with a BlackBerry Playbook on a big-ass gold chain at CES 2012. But with automatic and manual modes, aperture, filter, lens, focus, and blur controls, Big Lens fakes it well. If you're ever in one of those awkward moments where you just have to fake it to get it done, give Big Lens a go. It might just get you to good enough.

• $0.99 - App Store link

iBooks Author - @llofte

iBooks Author is the iBooks creation tool that was announced at Apple's education event. I've done a little playing around with it and am really excited to start seriously using it. I'd be impressed if a simple book was easy to create, but so are books filled with animations and interactive material. I'm a college math instructor and hope to use iBooks Author to write short, supplementary books to offer to my students for free.

• Free - Mac App Store link

The Recipe Box - Jackie Wyan (Reader's Choice Winner)

The Recipe Box is one of my favorite “hidden gem” finds. I had been looking for an app that I could easily transfer all of my old, greasy, hand-written index card recipes to, that didn’t cost me an arm and a leg, require me to ‘create an account’ online, or force me to show my admiration for an unknown cook and their favorite recipes. The Recipe Box is it. And they have a great app developer, as the thing just keeps on getting better and better. You can easil search through all your entries by all sorts of means – a search field, a ‘type’ field, an ingredient field, etc. Plus, with the use of Dropbox, I quickly copy and pasted all of my Text file recipes over to the app.

It does come with a couple of recipes to begin with, but not so many that cleaning them out is a task, and a few worth keeping to try out. Plus, as you cook your own recipes, you can easily add photos of the results to the app, resulting in a fully customized experience!

I could continue to gush on about this app, but it is definitely worth your time and the small expense. And if you have other kitchen-savvy friends, the app gives you an easy way to share with them as well!

• $3.99 - App Store link

Tell us your pick, enter to win a $10 iTunes gift certificate!

Those were our picks, iMore Nation, so now it's your turn! Tell us your pick of the week below. Give us the name of your favorite app, site, or accessory, and tell us why it made your life more productive, more informed, more entertaining, or just plain more fun. We'll pick one of you and send you a shiny $10 iTunes gift certificate so you can start stocking up for future picks! Contest starts now and ends next Friday, January 13 at 12pm PT.

So what are you waiting for? Jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

VicMan Visage Lab: A professional beauty laboratory for your facial photos. Remove pimples and wrinkles, outline the eyes and whiten the teeth in seconds, with all operations made automatically!

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Super Grouper for Contacts App Groups and List Management: Create groups of Contacts and send group SMS, emails or photos in a couple taps.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Charadium II: A fast & furious draw-and-guess multiplayer game that guarantees you’ll be drawn in. Your goal is to draw a given word, and other players have to guess that word.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• $2.99 for iPad - App Store link

DoReMi 1-2-3: Fun, musical ear training games challenge your children’s minds as they laugh, create, and play with moo-sical cows, boat-rowing pandas, and twinkling stars! Music lessons have never been this fun—brain-building never this effortless!

• $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Last Night...?: Ever woke up from a long night out without remembering what happened, or went to the coolest burger place and can't remember where it was? Or just want to be able to monitor your daily movements if you're a jogger or if you're learning to drive? Then this app is made for you!

• $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Doozy: Doozy is to task management what a chalkboard or whiteboard is to brainstorming. By transforming tasks and events into interactive icons, Doozy literally shows you what you need to do. Big update includes Dropbox support.

• $2.99 for iPhone - App Store link

HUDY Pro: Revolutionize your driving experience! Harness your device’s technology to transform your windshield into a cutting-edge head’s up display. This streamlined utility puts your device’s LED backlit screen and GPS capability to use brilliantly, displaying your speed and direction of travel conveniently on your vehicle’s windshield.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Time of Heros: A game with great graphics, roleplaying elements, a groundbreaking combat system and easy accessibility. Players will find themselves immersed for hours in the fantasy world of "Altland“.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

HipGeo: Lets you record what you do where ever you go - a travel blog - and share that with anyone you want.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Puggy the Monster - the Fun Bite: Come test your reacting skills with Puggy the Monster ! Puggy, a little naughty monster with magic power, loves to bite everything put in its mouth. Stick your finger in Puggy’s wide-opened mouth and pull it off before he bites it hard.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

The popular arcade fighting game, SOULCALIBUR, has just hit the App Store! It is a universal app for iPhone and iPad and includes all 19 characters with all the original moves recreated as well as six games modes: arcade battle, time attack, survival, extra survival, museum, and practice.

• $11.99 - App Store link

"SOULCALIBUR" series is available on theiOS. Enjoythe memorable characters and non-stop action SOULCALIBUR is famed for with complete arcade fidelity in the comfort of your own home!

Relive the eternal tale of swords and souls transcending time and space.

• 19 characters in total!
• All character moves faithfully recreated!

Game Modes

• ARCADE BATTLE - The original battle mode from the arcade version of "Soul Calibur." Defeat all enemies to make it to the end of the game.
• TIME ATTACK - How fast can you beat the game?
• SURVIVAL - With only a limited amount of life, how many opponents can you defeat?
• EXTRA SURVIVAL - How many opponents can you can defeat with single-hit kills?
• MUSEUM - Enjoy viewing a variety of artwork.
• PRACTICE - Learn the game's basic system and techniques.

Giveaway

The folks here at iMore are just as excited about SOULCALIBUR as you, so in celebration of its release, we're gifting the game to 5 lucky readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below! (Must have US iTunes account to win. Apple's rule, not ours!)

SOULCALIBUR is available on the iPhone and iPad and is launching on sale for $11.99.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Weightless: Helps you reach your desired weight by providing the simplest possible solution to track your daily weight and view your progress.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Genius Scan - PDF Scanner: Turns your iPhone into a pocket scanner. It enables you to quickly scan documents on the go and email the scans as JPEG or PDF.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Facebook Cover Designer: Give your Facebook Timeline cover the unique and professional design it deserves.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Roads of Rome: Follow the romantic love story, take up challenging tasks set by the wise and cunning Caesar, explore barbarian lands, win recognition and achieve success in Roads of Rome, the fascinating blend of casual strategy, SIM and time management features!

• $2.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Draw War: Save Your Booty: Them filthy and dirty Vikings are trying to rob Captain Goodthrow’s booty, and it is your job to prevent those nasty sons of Odin from succeeding! You must fight the Vikings at all cost, and by using your trusty battle axe, kill them all by using your finger to draw a path on the screen to release the axe to bring’ em’ down!

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Updraft Jack: Get ready to run, jump and GLIDE through the jungle with Updraft Jack! You are a sugar glider fleeing from an owl in hot pursuit in this action-packed dash game.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

SoundHound: Unlimited music recognition! Featuring the world's fastest, most accurate music identification, exclusive singing search, and now: free unlimited LiveLyrics* for over 1 million of your iTunes tracks in SoundHound Player.

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

PayBook: Allows you to easily track your worked hours, & see how much you've earned. You can choose to add multiple workplaces, & even use preset shifts

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

CheckIn+ HD: An all-in-one check-in app and local deal locator with augmented reality for iPad, supports Foursquare and Facebook Places. Discover the world around you and share your highlights at local bars, parks, venues, and more.

• Free for iPad - App Store link

The Little Plane - First Journey: Guide the little plane and avoid crashing into buildings. Also be wary of the mean birds - they are out to get you.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Sketch Up is a fun little game where you must guide and combine shapes to match up similar shapes in the designated areas. The complexity of a shape is determined by its number of sides and you must combine shapes in specific ways to change its level of complexity. The goal is to put the correct number of specific shapes in the designated areas.

I've been playing Sketch Up periodically throughout the day and have been having a lot of fun. Only a few levels were used to teach you about the game before adding more complexity and difficulty to the levels. The goal is easy to understand, but executing a plan can be quite challenging.

Sharpen those pencils and grab a piece of paper, it’s time for a drawing duel! It’s a battle to be center stage on the page, and these shapes just need a skilled artist’s hand. Match different shapes together to complete each equation, but make sure you have the right formula. Simple shape-shading can be difficult! So dust off that protractor and grab your sketch pad! If you can use these flying shapes to your advantage, you can be master of the geometric world!

• Use your Preview Hub to see what shapes will be created
• Watch out for sticky puddles that stop shapes in their tracks!
• Smash shapes together to make new ones
• Use Shape Changers and Stops to help you create the perfect sketch!

Sketch Up is available on the iPhone for free.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Document Manager: An all-in-one document management solution for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. You can download documents from anywhere, store all your documents at one place and share or print documents easily and hassle-free.

• $2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Boy Loves Girl: Unhappy with the myth that a woman is never happy, Boy embarks on an epic adventure across vast lands in search for the ultimate gift to express his love for the girl his heart desires.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

iQuick Tweet Free: A free (trial) version of the popular iQuick Tweeet!

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Crazy Survival: So imagine that the world has gone mad and crazy balls are falling from heaven. What should a poor Man caught in this insane weather do? Of course run and scream!

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

ComiXcape: This is the story of a little boy who loves comics and has no rivals in sling shooting. He is so keen on comics that every minute, when he is not getting into mischief, he drinks in each story of drawings. He is punished for being mischievous once, gets obsessed with a comics and turns into its character.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Snowboard Hero: An unrivalled snowboard experience with wicked tricks, insane air time and super fast downhill speed to your iPhone and iPad. Experience console-quality graphics, intuitive controls and top-notch sound in a stunning alpine setting and show the world that you are the undisputed Snowboard Hero.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Calendars - Google Calendar client: Lets you manage events both online and offline. Thanks to the unique interface you can move events simply with Drag & Drop, navigate quickly between dates, change event time, repeat schedule and reminders rapidly with custom keyboards.

• $6.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

iBookcreator: Innovative application to make books with iPhone/iPad! Produce various kinds of books, such as photo books, art books, fairy tales, cook books, PR books or manuals on your own.


• $3.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Star Marine: Infinite Ammo: The definitive Run n’ Gun experience! You play as Arc, a battle hardened drifter who is captured by an alien race in the depths of space. Arc’s capturers plan to enslave him and put his strength to work. But, Arc has other plans. He is a trained and elite Star Marine and in a fury of bullets he is going to take them all down!

• $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Cash Logistics: Cash Logistics is a currency calculator for estimating the physical dimensions of a given dollar amount if that amount was paid out in legal tender. It reports the number of bills required, the optimal strap division, the total weight, and the estimated space it will require. All you need to supply is a dollar amount and the specific denomination to use. It can also perform the reverse calculation if the only information known is the weight of a currency bundle, or the total number of straps.

• $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Vodio: Take video consumption on the go to the next level, by creating your very own personalized video streams from dozens of content services. Free up your time by watching the most talked about videos, instead of searching through hours of videos you might like.

• Free for iPad - App Store link

King Camera: Now with Instagram support!

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Cat-a-minute!: Cats, cats, and more cats! Seriously, if you love cats, this app is for you.

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Siegebreaker: The Brookelands are under siege! A mysterious evil has arrived, turning all the happy knights and peasants into vile monsters! Only the kings remain, but the undead armies are marching - who can save the kings?

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Puzzles 'N Coloring - Sea Life: Jump into the water and explore the world of Puzzles N' Coloring - Sea Life . A smiling crab, a wandering fish, a jumping dolphin and more await your child in this puzzle that doubles as a coloring book.

• $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Race Against Time: Collect colour CHROMOs, defeat ever-changing enemies and get really, really good at jumping between platforms as you speed through twelve unique, gorgeous and challenging levels.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Movies HD: Movies HD is a movie and TV series catalog application with stunning graphics. It allows you to quickly add, find and view movies in your library (with the ability to add new movies by seeking by title using lots of data sources - so all movie details are filled in for you!). It also allows to lend movies to friends, so you can easily keep track of who you gave that copy of "Quantum of Solace" to.

• $3.99 for iPad - App Store link

Prizma: This time around our little spherical friends need to send colored light beams across obstacle filled paths to reach their buddies. But the poor things aren't very clever. They don't know where to stand, which direction to face or even whom to send the light to! It's up to you to lend them a hand and save the day!

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

MAGapp Pro: An interactive e-magazine reader that incorporates video, social media and web features into its varied publications. MAGapp’s range of e-magazines and e-books are exclusively published using this e-reader to make the most of its entertaining, interactive features. MAGapp takes mobile reading to a new level, don’t just read content, experience it!

• Free for iPad - App Store link

Pigeonholes: Unlike other content management and syncing apps, Pigeonholes is licensed with real-person help desk and email support and is supplied with a training session so you are assured that your administrator will understand how to use and maximize the app.

• Free for iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Triple Entendre is a riddle and puzzle game for iPhone and iPad. Each level is a combination of text, photos, and other clues that provide hints to the answer or even the question. Most questions are intended to require some research, so there's a built-in browser that makes it easy to switch between the web and the game.

I'm a total sucker for riddles and totally addicted to Triple Entendre. It's extremely challenging and half the time I'm cursing my iPad for my wrong answers, but boy does it feel good to pass a level.

If you're looking for hints on the levels, we've got a thread in our forums dedicated to asking and giving hints for Triple Entendre.

If you've ever played an online riddle like notpr0n, godtower or qwyzzle, you'll love this game. The first riddle game of its kind for your ios devices. Triple Entendre is a riddle, a puzzle, a quiz, and a trivia game all rolled into one. Each level includes a combination of clues and photos where you need to figure out not just what the answer is... but what the question is. Unlike traditional trivia games where a simple internet search will give you a correct answer, your problem solving skills will be needed to even start a web search. Web searching is encouraged in Triple Entendre and we have even taken advantage of your 3g or WiFi connection by building in an internal web search. We hope that your brain power and useless trivia knowledge will be truly tested.

Currently 50 puzzles long, but we have frequent updates planned with more puzzles. Triple Entendre supports Game Center with achievements and a leaderboard. Who will be the first to finish Triple Entendre?

Giveaway

The good folks at The Van Buren Boys have given us some promo codes to give away to 5 lucky readers! For a chance to win, just solve the following riddle and leave your answer in the comments below: Which two days in a week starts with "T" other than tuesday and thursday? Go!

Triple Entendre is available on the iPhone and iPad for $0.99. There is also a lite version available for free.

• Full version - App Store link
• Lite version - App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Silvester Adventure: A platformer puzzle game which gameplay is centered on shadow manipulation. Character's Shadow must be ensured safe for all the time as not to leave the Shadow Range. And throughout the game you will gain new shadow manipulation abilities(Shadow Skills) which you must use to progress through the game.

• $1.99 for iPad - App Store link

4th Grade Math: Splash Math Worksheets: With 140+ adaptive worksheets with virtually infinite problems spanning across 10 chapters, Splash Math Grade 4 covers the entire 4th grade curriculum.

• $9.99 for iPad - App Store link

Tailgate Cornhole: The first cornhole game for iOS that is made with Sports Fans in mind! The toss system has been designed from the ground up to make it the most fun and easy to control cornhole game on iOS.

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

iLineup HD: Designed for all baseball and softball players, coaches, managers, and lovers of the game. It enables you to quickly create a player lineup, letting you enter position, batting order, player numbers, and substitutions.

• $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Grid Lens: You can take photos in each frame split by grid lines to create your own story. It allows you to capture every single moment you don’t want to miss.

• $0.99 for iPhone (sale) - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

GTA 3 – @chrisoldroyd

I don't play many games on my iPad however the release of GTA 3 has got me hooked. I used to play this a few years back on my PS2 and PSP; so hearing it was now available for iOS, I just had to get it.

The game plays amazingly well, the graphics are true to the original PS2 version; which in my opinion is some feat on a 9.7" handheld device. The key to the success with games like these on the iPad is the controls system. Rockstar appears to have this just right, even I can control things and that's saying something. All in all this game is streets ahead of anything else that I have played on my iPad, it is utterly brilliant!

• $4.99 – App Store link

Action Movie FX - @Alli_Flowers

JJ Abrams is nothing short of brilliant. I love his movies and tv shows, and now his iPhone app - Action Movie FX. Meant to highlight the explosive effects used in his latest endeavor, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, it gives you the ability to...well...blow things up.

Action Movie FX leverages the camera in your iPhone (or iPad 2), and allows you to take live footage and then apply an explosive effect. The app comes with a missile and a car roll. I'm not crazy about the car effect as it has limited use. The missile, on the other hand, is very practical, and kept me incredibly entertained on Christmas eve as we drove around the neighborhood looking at all the festively decorated yards. "Stop here!" I would shout, and my brother would pull over. "I want to blow up that yard!" I'm sure the neighbors were tickled to death that we were spending so much time admiring and photgraphing their displays. If they only knew....

You can purchase two additional effects packages, one of which I got for $.99 that includes a fire (gun) fight and an air strike. If you ever wanted to direct expensive movies with huge special effects (or just wanted to blow things up), I highly recommend Action Movie FX.

• Free - App Store link

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown - @reneritchie

I'm not a huge fan of Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and Dark Knight movies. He simply doesn't understand the core of the character (nor is he capable of producing good endings.) Bruce Wayne doesn't dress up as Batman. Batman isn't his secret identity. He is Batman. It's Bruce Wayne that he dresses up as; that's his secret identity. And it's his job to save everyone, from the citizens of Gotham to the Joker to Ras Al Ghul. It's his job to make sure no one ever dies the way his parents died, not ever again. It's those simple, essential truths that Frank Miller nailed so transformative-ly in Dark Knight Returns in the 1980s and Paul Dini and Bruce Timm realized perhaps best of all, detective and all, in Batman: The Animated in the 1990s, that Tim Burton touched on though ultimately stumbled all over in his attempt at the Batman franchise, and that Nolan missed completely, despite the great acting and production values of his soon-to-be completed trilogy.

There's nothing wrong with Gotham that Batman can't fix with his brains and his fists. Which brings me, circuitously, to Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, the latest attempt to bring the Batman franchise to video games and the first to hit the iPhone and iPad.

It looks great. It uses the same Epic Unreal 3 engine that powers Infinity Blade, and the designs are modern but true to the spirit of the characters involved. Control is good given the limitations of multitouch, and Batman: Arkham City Lockdown takes pains to walk you through them from the get go. Gameplay is a tad repetitive -- you go from area to fairly similar area and box your way from bad guy to fairly similar bad guy. Early hyper-swiping (is that the multitouch equivalent of button mashing?) quickly stops working, however, as badder guys require more precise counters and attacks, and you need to build your skills if you want to make it past anything other than the early stages.

In general the Arkham series is an extreme take on the Batman -- ultra-violent, with female characters whose, to quote Bill Watterson, powers seem to primarily consist of keeping their costumes from falling completely off. But it's well executed (no doubt thanks to having Paul Dini involved with the franchise), with good atmosphere, and has more than enough to please both longtime Batman fans and those who just want some gritty gaming fun over the holidays.

• $5.99 - App Store link

Golden Axe - @skeetobite

It's retro day as we enter the last day of 2011. My choice for the pick of the week is Golden Axe, by Sega. This is an import of the classic arcade game from the late 1980's. You are a mighty adventurer, trying to save the King and his daughter from the evil Death Adder. Just like the arcade version, you can play as a Gilus Thunderhead, a dwarf; Tyrus Flare, an amazonian; or Ax Battler, a sword wielding barbarian. Pick up food and potions, ride dragons, and of course fight enemies along the way to the main battle to defeat Death Adder. Just like the arcade version, you can play mutliplayer here as well, using bluetooth. There are sequels (Golden Axe II and III) but this game is the real thing from the arcade. For anyone who played this game in the arcade, you MUST pick this game up asap and give it a try.

• $0.99 - App Store link

Bejeweled - @iMuggle

The new version of Bejeweled adds not only more awesome graphics but new game play modes. I've always been hugely addicted to Bejeweled Blitz so I already knew this was a purchase I wasn't going to regret.

The newer version has a Zen mode as well as a diamond mine mode. While one is timed and you have to attempt to blast away the earth and dig deeper, Zen mode is not timed and is just endless gameplay.

If you're a Bejeweled fan, make sure you pick up the new version.

• $0.99 - App Store Link

1Password - @sethclifford

I'm not much of a believer in the usefulness of New Year's Resolutions since many people make grandiose claims they'll never complete and end up feeling terrible about it, but if you make even one this January, make it to be more secure and efficient in your computing life and know outright that you can do it. 1Password is the key to unlocking success with this resolution. I chose it as one of my most-used apps of 2011 this past week (as did many of the TiPb staff), and I can't say enough about it.

It is simply put, my single most valued application on both the Mac and iOS. We've talked about it at least a zillion times on TiPb, so I won't go into everything again. But understand this: I couldn't manage my life, our office, and the feeling of control over the myriad bits of information we all interact with on a daily basis without it. You might look at the prices of the apps and balk, but to me, there's no price I can put on either security or knowing that all the important data I need to access is always at my fingertips. You can always make more money, but you can't get more time, and an app this good is worth your time.

Ok, I'll dial down the hyperbole now. But seriously, if you're not using it, why not? Don't you like making your life easier? Isn't it worth a few bucks to support fantastic software development and simplify things for yourself in the process? I think you know the answer to that. Go forth and learn a new way of living with your tech. Seriously. Go. Now.

• $14.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• $14.99 for Mac - Mac App Store link

Navigon -- andrewwray

Doing a lot of holiday traveling, and want to make sure you arrive at your destination on time? Or maybe you're going out of town for the New Year, and want to make sure you don't get lost along the way?

I've been using Navigon as my main GPS app all year, and then some. It's one of the best GPS navigation apps available for the iPhone and can even run on the iPad 3G. Navigon provides quick access to Google search, subsequently making it a breeze to search for your desired location (restaurant, gym, grocery store, gas station, whatever) and it also offers in-app purchases for things like 3D terrain mapping in a panoramic view, live traffic and even police radar location information. I'm sure some of you have personal prefecences for other GPS apps, or maybe even prefer a standalone device, but for me, Navigon does the job perfectly.

• $38.99 (North America Only) - App Store Link

Your pick?

You’re part of the team as well, so we will be choosing one reader to make a submission each week! Just look for the announcement on twitter or our Facebook page each weekend for a chance to be picked! In the meantime, jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

Don 2: The Game: Play the role of Don in this spine tingling action adventure Lite game inspired from the sequel to the mega-hit Bollywood Movie Don, starring Shahrukh Khan!

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Phraseology: An app for writers. Part text editor, part word processor, Phraseology is a simple environment focused on making it enjoyable and productive to write on the iPad.

• $0.99 for iPad - App Store link

PocketAlg: A full-featured application for students learning algebra. Simply touch the symbols in an expression to simplify and solve algebraic problems.

• $2.99 for iPhone App Store link

Quips: Instantly add your real voice to the social conversation by voice-tagging photos, Tweets, emails, Facebook posts — anything!

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

Hip Hop To Heaven: The challenging yet highly addictive Hip Hop Trivia game . You play the role of an MC who decided to sell his soul for the money and fame, turning his back on the true ethics and morals of Hip Hop. You now must climb up to the gates of Heaven, and attempt to reclaim your soul, or your Hip Hop career as an MC is finished forever.

• $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

PhotoCalendar HD: Are you looking for a perfect iPhone wallpaper. Whats better than set a calendar photo of your family and friends?

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Curio: There’s only one way out of the mental asylum, and it’s not going to be easy. Help Ron Templeton III blaze his path to freedom, but make sure he takes his pills, or else you’ll lose your mind!

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

MyiStory: Your story of a day, a week, a life. Record your story day by day in words, pictures, videos, audio and music.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

CheckIn+ HD: Brought to you by the developer of IM+, a check-in app and deal locator with augmented reality for iPad! Supports Foursquare and Facebook Places.

• $1.99 for iPad - App Store link

Vegas Party Stops: A Las Vegas App that guides you as you party up and down the Las Vegas Strip! This app is like having a good friend telling you which lounges are cool, what clubs are hot, what drinks are recommended and much more.

• $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Trufflehead: A cooking app that works for you. Whether you’re a good cook already or about to become one, you decide when and how much input you need to prepare healthy food that looks and tastes great. It’s all at your fingertips—from ingredient IDs and reference guides, to smart shopping lists, and how-to demos packed into 260+ recipes.

• $3.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Blocks Hurt!: Freaky creatures are coming for you… Stop them! Unchain your deadly blocks, match them, stack them or HURL THEM against this parade of bizarre monsters!

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

vokul: A siri alternative - vokul is a handsfree app for your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad that allows you to DJ music and podcasts, dictate text messages, and call contacts in your address book, without pressing any buttons!

• $2.99 for iPhone - App Store link

CONEMAN: A simple, fun and casual classic platform game. Jump, shoot and collect bonus objects on your way through the 48 levels, 4 boss fights and an EPIC final fight.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

intelli-Diet App: The app takes the foods you have, and then creates a well-balanced diet of whole, natural foods. And... your diet’s customized by your gender, weight, activity level, and more. It’s like having a Dietician in your pocket!

• $3.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Easy Spending Expense Tracker: An easy to use expense tracker for iPhone. It comes with a beautiful and clutter free user interface.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

New Year Motivation 2012: Every day for a month New Year Motivation will bring you specially selected motivational and inspirational wisdom from some of the most admired individuals on earth - Dale Carnegie, Anthony Robbins, Norman Vincent Peale, and more.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Vroom!: Drive your big blue truck around three zombie-infested tracks, boosting up half-pipes, catching mad air, and revelling in your extermination of the loathsome undead.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Cartoonizeme: Lets you add funny elements such as glasses, hats, mustaches and many more theme-based elements to your photos.

• App Store link

Hungry Turtle: The cute little turtle is always hungry. And its favorite food is apples! On its journey our adventurous little turtle finds itself in the strangest of places where apples are really tricky to reach. Can you help the Hungry Turtle get to its delicious apples?

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

SlingPlayer for iPad – @chrisoldroyd

Sling released its iPad app earlier this year and if I said it was a disgrace I wouldn't be exaggerating one bit. I paid quite a lot for it and it just did not deliver any sort of good experience for watching your SlingBox on the iPad. It was jerky and unwatchable.

For the past few months, I have been using the SlingPlayer for iPhone app on my iPad in 2X mode and that delivered a way superior viewing experience for me in comparison. Thankfully though Sling has seen fit to update its iPad offering and this time they have got it right. It works, its very sharp, its smooth, I love it. Its only taken them about six months which is a little long to have to wait but at least its working now. I watched a full soccer match on it last night and it didn't drop a frame, perfect!

• $29.99 – App Store link

Skitch for iPad - @Alli_Flowers

The only thing missing from Evernote was the ability to add in drawings. And while it would be better if this were simply a tab inside the Evernote app, Skitch is a great start.

Skitch reminds me a little of early versions of Corel Draw. It gives you free-style drawing, basic shapes, text, and the ability to move what you've done. Not much editing, but I'm willing to let it go since this is a first release.

You can create a "skitch" from scratch, or you can notate on top of a photo from your album, a new photo taken directly from your camera, a web page, or a map from Google maps.

Using your Evernote account allows you to save your Skitch note right to your account. Or you can tweet your creation, email it, or just save it to your camera role. The possibilities are endless.

• Free - App Store link

Die Hard (and other holiday classics) - @reneritchie

If there's one thing the holidays are for, beyond time with family and friends, beyond turkey and latkas and gelt and eggnog, beyond presents and general debauched merriment, it's movies. No, not the sanitized, commercial cut, pre-programmed network fare traditional TV foists on us, but the originals, in as good a quality as possible, presented on demand, where we want them and when.

With the iPhone or iPod touch, that can be on the go, in interstitial moments. With iPad, that can be curled up in almost any corner. With Apple TV, that can be in your living room or bedroom, up on the big screen. Whether it's courtesy of iTunes or Netflix or Air Video any of a handful of other apps, if escapist action, if seasonal romance, if holiday fable, if festive laughs, if decades of stories well told are what you're looking for, grab your iOS device of choice and tap play -- you've hit the Santa-sacked gold mine.

I started last night with Elf. Next up is my favorite Christmas classic of all -- Die Hard.

"Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho."

• iTunes holiday movies
• Netflix

Launch Center - @sethclifford

Since my original pick this week was unceremoniously pulled from the App Store (as I expected, but I had hoped to at least get the pick out beforehand), my follow-up pick has been moved up by a week. Launch Center is the latest in a series of very useful little apps by App Cubby, makers of Tweet Speaker and Gas Cubby among others. Its premise is pretty simple. Hit the icon, see a list of quick actions you can perform and jump right to them.

With the addition of Siri to the iPhone 4S, a lot of these kinds of things are taken care of, however I still believe that apps like this are very useful, simply because I can't always talk to Siri when I would need to do something. You can configure a few useful shortcuts like email, speed dial, message, tweet, post to Facebook and launch URL, and there's a few other tools thrown in (activate flashlight and google clipboard contents).

Naturally, as with all App Cubby apps, the design is clean and lovely, and it's easy to configure and use. Despite rumors of Apple removing the ability to configure URL schemes to launch apps in the next OS update, this is still a nice little addition to your home screen, and it'd be cool to see shortcuts added in the future if functions become available.

• $0.99 - App Store link

RadioAlarm - @andrewwray

Need to find a good app for helping you wake up at a decent hour on Christmas morning? Maybe you want to get up so early that you might get lucky enough get to catch Santa in the act? I've recently set a goal of waking up a couple of hours earlier than normal each morning to help get more things done before the day actually begins, and RadioAlarm is truly a godsend in that respect.

With RadioAlarm you have the options of waking up to the sound of your favorite songs from the iPod music library, soothing or motivational music from a long list of online radio stations and even ambient nature sounds for a more natural escalation to consciousness from a deep sleep. In addition, the app comes with a unique feature called "Shake to Wake Up", so you'll be wide awake in no-time from having to shake your iPhone before the alarm shuts off.

A sleep timer also helps for those who have trouble getting to sleep but also enjoy listening to music in bed before they fall into a deep slumber, and the sleep timer helps make it so you won't wake up in the middle of the night if a harder or louder song happens to be next in line on your favorite online radio station.

It's a really great tool at a really great price, and I highly recommend it to anyone who hates waking up to jarring alarm sounds like the ones used by the built-in Clock app in iOS. Trust me, you'll never wake up grumpy again with RadioAlarm!

• $1.99 - App Store Link

Find My Friends - @llofte

My family and I just spent the last few days moving from Denver, CO to the central coast of CA. Well, what I actually mean is that my daughter and I hopped on a plane while my husband and brother-in-law drove halfway across the country.

I always get nervous when someone I love is driving long distances. I get even more nervous when there are winter weather advisories for all the areas that said loved ones will be driving through. Find My Friends helped put my mind at ease.

It was so awesome to be able to check my husband's location whenever I wanted - which was every couple of hours. It was also awesome for when he was almost home, because I was able to get some beers chilled for the boys in time for their arrival.

Not to mention, if I didn't have Find My Friends, I would've been calling my husband every few hours, instead: "where are you?" It was a win-win solution for both of us.

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Your pick?

You’re part of the team as well, so we will be choosing one reader to make a submission each week! Just look for the announcement on twitter or our Facebook page each weekend for a chance to be picked! In the meantime, jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

The Holidays are right around the corner, which means Apple has shut down iTunes Connect until December 29 and many developers have put their apps on sale for the week. We know how much you love sales, so follow along for a round-up of some of our favorites:

• A Charlie Brown Christmas: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Grand Theft Auto 3: $2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: $5.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• ActionNotes: $1.99 for iPad - App Store link
• flickr hd: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• SignaturePad: $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• W.E.L.D.E.R.: $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Companions: $0.99 for iPad - App Store link
• Where's My Water?: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Dungeon Raid: $1.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• Geo Walk HD: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• djay for iPhone: $0.99 - App Store link
• King of Dragon Pass: - $7.99 for iPhone - App Store link
• SPY mouse:
  • $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link
  • $0.99 for iPad - App Store link
• PopOut! The Night Before Christmas: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Real Racing 2:
  • $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link
  • $0.99 for iPad - App Store link
• Jetpack Joyride: Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• BugMe! Stickies Pro: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Photo Table: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link
• Scribblenauts Remix: $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

This is just a small list of all the iPhone and iPad apps and games on sale this Holiday season. If you come across any other good ones, let us know and we'll add them to the list!

Slacker Radio: Now has compatibility with Ford SYNC AppLink vehicles including the Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Fiesta, Mustang, F-150, and Expedition.

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Paint War: An action-strategy fun-looking cartoon-like 2D game with plenty of laughs and excitement. Players will control painters and try their best to paint as much of the surface as possible. Besides painting mission, there are many cool toys, dangerous enemies and traps that spice up the game even more.

• $2.99 for iPad - App Store link

Unstoppaball DX: Use your skills in this Unity-Award-nominate & tranquil physics-puzzler to navigate a fragile ball through dangerous environments, all whilst avoiding enemies and searching for hidden fragments.

• $2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Critter Chaos: While living their blissful lives, playful woodland critters are thrown into chaos when their prized possessions are mercilessly stolen by a menacing machine. In order to return to their happy way of life, the critters must do battle against the mechanical monstrosity and get their jewels back!!

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

Office² HD: Update to 5.0 brings adorning new document editing tools to iPad Office suite.

• $7.99 for iPad - App Store link

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

The popular platform/adventure game from WiiWare, LostWinds, is now available on the iPhone and iPad.

LostWinds has fantastic graphics and very intuitive controls - this is how platformers should be done on iOS. Fun. Beautiful. Intuitive. Addicting.

An innovative, fresh platform-adventure bursting with gameplay ideas - wield the awesome elemental powers of Enril the Wind Spirit, from raging tornados to the subtlest breeze, in a stunningly presented combination of combat, exploration and puzzle solving.

Guide and protect Toku, a young boy and the only one who can help you release the curse placed upon the enchanting world of Mistralis and its people by evil Balasar.

• Power Toku’s jumps and glides through Mistralis’ different regions
• Buffet and smash enemies
• Solve puzzles as you journey to a dramatic showdown
• Richly interactive: Mistralis rewards experimentation and bursts to life with your every action and exploration
• Includes Game Centre integration and Achievements
• The ‘Snapshot’ feature lets you add game characters to your own photos and share with friends

Giveaway

We know you love a great game, so TiPb is giving away LostWinds to 5 lucky readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below!

LostWinds is available on the iPhone and iPad for $3.99.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Curious how to get more game ROMs on the iMame emulator for iPhone and iPad? iMame hit the App Store yesterday but didn't exactly wow anyone with the built in content. Luckily, it's fairly simple to add more ROMs to the emulator, including a lot of classic games if you have them handy.

1. Download iMame - App Store link
4. Download Mac or Windows PC desktop iExplorer client - Web link
5. Connect your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to your computer via USB dock cable.
6. Start iExplorer on your PC
6. Navigate to apps/imame/documents.
7. Drag and drop zipped ROMs from your PC into iExplorer in the apps/imame/documents.

Note that only ROMs from certain ROM sets will work. Rumor has it that you need ROM set 37b5, but older sets can work. It's hit or miss at this point.

It also supports iCade if you have one, and I found the support from the open source community was already better than Atari's iCade support. It detects changes better, and when it connects to iCade, the on screen controls disappear. You can also customize the controls.

UPDATE: As noted in the comments, you don't need iExplorer app on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. You just need the Mac or Windows client. I've updated the steps to remove that reference.

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com.

Cut the Rope has been updated with a new Buzz Box and support for iCloud syncing. There is also a new hidden Om Nom drawing for you to collect.

I am so excited about iCloud support! I have both the iPhone and iPad version of Cut the Rope, but only play the iPhone version because I don't want to redo all the levels on my iPad. With this update, both devices with stay in sync!

• New Buzz Box featuring the rope moving Bees
• New hidden Om Nom drawing to collect
• Optimized for iOS 5 – including iCloud support to save game data across all iOS devices
• Reordered level boxes - to ensure better playing experience
• Various optimizations and fixes

Cut the Rope is available on the iPhone for $0.99 and on the iPad for $1.99.

• iPhone - App Store link

• iPad - App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Modern Combat raised the bar on first-person shooters. Dead Space brought equal parts atmosphere and awesome.

Rage HD showed what Carmak could do on iOS. Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies kept the walking dead and amped up the action.

Zombie Gunship took slaying to the skies. Grand Theft Auto III showed Liberty City hadn't changed much in 10 years.

Built just for iPad or iPhone, or ported from your favorite consoles, 2011 had a lot of great hardcore games hitting iOS. Your next achievements comes from picking the one you like best. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

QuickShot with Dropbox: Simplifies the process of uploading photos and videos to Dropbox. Everything you capture in the app is immediately uploaded without the need for any additional actions.

• $1.99 for iPhone and iPad- App Store link

Blast Aliens!: Battle friends and become a legend in the Outworld Colonies in this action packed, real-time multi-player dueling game in vivid 3D!

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Bongiorno - Good Morning!: Helps you to get daily updates. It includes news, weather, tweets, and alarm. The application will display different background images as per your weather and time conditions on home screen.

• Free for iPad - App Store link

IM+ Pro: Introducing Beep: merge your Address Book with instant messaging and save on SMS!

• $1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

SampleTank: Hundreds of world-class instrument and patterns included - piano, organ, drums, bass, guitar, strings, synths, percussion, vocals and many more!

• Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Breaking down the best, most must-have first-person shooter (FPS) games to blast and brawl your way through on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

First person shooters, affectionally initialized as FPS, are some of the most popular games on any platform and iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are no exception. While control was, and remains and issue -- glass multitouch doesn't provide the same options as a PC keyboard or dedicated gamepad -- the graphics, animation, ambiance, music, and intimacy of iOS makes for an incredibly exhilarating experience. From World Wars to space hulks, soldiers to monsters to the walking dead, hand-to-knife combat to blasters, ballistics, and beam weapons there are a plethora of choices available to the hardcore FPS gamer. Here are some of our favorites.

Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation

The latest in a series of games so good you can scarcely believe they're on your phone, Modern Combat 3 has 13 missions, excellent gameplay, and a truly immersive experience. While an iPhone can never replace a full-on PC, Xbox 360, or Playstation 3 console shooter with all the bells, buttons, and whistles, the gap is definitely closing. And this one you can carry around in your pocket. Universal app - works on both iPhone and iPad.

• $6.99 - App Store link

Dead Space

If you couldn't guess from the title it's a space survival/horror shooter with absolutely gorgeous graphics and even better sound and atmosphere. The mood is just perfect and transitions from casual, almost monotonous getting-to-know-the-controls early missions to OMFG-what's-eating-my-face action with heart-stopping abruptness. Dead Space isn't on rails; you walk where you want to walk, blast what you want to blast. You do have a guidance mechanism to show you the way, however, which minimizes the frustration of truly open environments.

• $6.99 - iPhone App Store link
• $9.99 - iPad App Store link

N.O.V.A. 2

N.O.V.A was the closest thing to getting HALO on the iPhone and iPad, and N.O.V.A 2 takes all that was great about the original and shoots it into orbit and ads even better graphics, creatures, vehicles, maps, and game play. The visual are simply stunning, the controls about as good as you can expect from multitouch, and the action frenetic. Career mode, multiplayer, leader boards -- hawt.

• $6.99 - iPhone App Store link
• $6.99 - iPad App Store

RAGE HD

From the mind of the legendary John Carmack and the labs of ID Software, RAGE HD is a post-apolocalyptic world-scorcher of an FPS. On the down side, it's on rails so you can't move about freely. On the plus side, it's got gruesomely gorgeous graphics, Game Center support, crazy extras like Mirror Mode, and is a great way to raise some hell and work out some aggression on your iPhone or iPad. Universal app -- works on both iPhone and iPad

• $1.99 - App Store link

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies

It's CoD, it's zombies, what more really needs be said? Following up on the original Call of Duty: Zombies, this all new, all better sequel pits you and up to three of your friends against the walking dead with an all new interface, in-game chat, and more achievements than you can toss a grenade at. Also includes a top-down arcade bonus. Universal app -- works on both iPhone and iPad

• $6.99 App Store link

Your top FPS shooter?

So there you have them, our top 5 best FPS games for iPhone and iPad. Be sure to check out our other Top 5 picks, our Picks of the Week, and iPhone App and Games Forum for more recommendations, and if we missed any of your favorites leave them in the comments below!

Tiny Wings showed that greats looks, simple gameplay, and killer concept still make for the best iOS games. Tiny Tower showed that new time-management games could still grab attention if done with attention to detail.

SPY Mouse brought some Firemint flare to the platform puzzler. DragonVale took the farming genre back to the days of legend.

Cut the Rope: Experiments showed last year's great new games could be this years great new sequels. Minecraft meanwhile finally showed up on iOS, and while limited, it's still Minecraft on iOS.

That's a half-dozen choices across almost as many genres, but you can only pick one. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Magic Guitar is Smule's newest music app, similar to Magic Piano. To play the guitar, hold your iPhone like it's the neck of a guitar, and tap or slide the beams of light that pass across the screen. Just as with Magic Piano, you can listen live to others around the world while they play their music. The song selection includes many legendary artists including The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Tom Petty, and Lynard Skynyrd.

• Free - App Store link

Check out Smule's cofounder Ge Wang playing Scarborough Fair with Magic Guitar in the video below!

Get ready to rock! Unleash your inner rocker with Magic Guitar, and you’ll be shredding like a legend in no time. Simply hold your phone like a guitar neck, and beams of light help you play the greatest guitar songs your own way. You control the notes, speed, guitar type, pitch and vibrato. Play it once, play it a hundred times, each time is a unique experience that won’t get old.

• Simply touch the lights to play all styles of music, from soulful jams to scorching shred.
• Express your creativity and shake your phone to create vibrato, or drag your fingers to bend the pitch.
• Choose from different guitar sounds and speeds to make each song your own.

Magic Guitar’s songbook includes a huge catalog of legendary artists including:

• The Rolling Stones
• KISS
• Daughtry
• Nirvana
• Sublime
• Bruno Mars
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• Goo Goo Dolls
• Incubus
• Coldplay
• Lynard Skynyrd
• Evanescence
• Styx
• Poison
• Credence Clearwater Revival
• Blue Oyster Cult
• Jason Mraz
• Santana
• …and many more!

Magic Guitar is available on the iPhone for free.

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

GoodReader for iPad: Now with AFP connections + AFP Auto Sync to connect to shared folders on a Mac, to Apple Time Capsule, and to other AFP-enabled NAS drives.

• $4.99 for iPad - App Store link

Wind-up Knight: Guide your Wind-up Knight through devilish levels--over 50 in all--to rescue the Princess from the clutches of the evil Black Knight. Run, jump, roll, and slash your way to victory. Wind-up Knight is the type of challenging game you have been waiting for.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Hugo Retro Mania: Hugo is on the mission of his life. He is out to find gold, diamonds and rubies whilst battling the evil witch Scylla, the dangerous crocodile Don Croco and huge nasty spiders. With your help Hugo must avoid discarded dynamite, running into errant mine wagons, getting caught by sudden rock falls, and avoid falling into dangerous pits and other surprises.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

TapShot: Tap anywhere and shoot a photo! Or let TapShot detect a face and shoot the picture for you! That's all you really need to know about TapShot to start taking better photos, but there is much, much more.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

mGifts - Gift List Manager: Helps you to plan and track your gift giving needs for any holiday or special event.

• $2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Grand Theft Auto III: 10th Anniversary Edition has hit the App Store. Aside from the menus and loading screens, that have been updated for the '10th Anniversary', the game stays very true to the original. Its a must buy for anyone who wants some good nostalgia.

• Visually stunning updated graphics, character and vehicle models
• HD quality resolution
• Gameplay optimized for touch screen devices
• Custom controls for the mobile platform
• Countless hours of gameplay

It's also a universal app, so it plays well on both iPhone and iPoud touch, as well as iPad.

• $4.99 - iTunes Link

Santa's Grounded: This Christmas, Santa’s reindeer have gone missing. There have been reports of reindeer sightings in the Crystal Caverns, the shores of Beach Break and deep within the Candy-cane Forest. Find them all and help Santa get back into the sky. Collect jingle bells, climb ladders and squash enemies as you make your way through eight fantastic levels.

• $0.99 for iPhone - App Store link

iDashboard: Don’t just charge your iPad, transform your docking time into a one-stop multi-media information center - Keep an eye on your calendar, listen to your favorite playlist, and watch breaking news and sports. Your iDashboard is completely customizable for your social profiles, favorite blogs, family photos, and more.

• $1.99 for iPad - App Store link

St John Ambulance First Aid: Includes the latest first aid advice and protocols for dealing with emergency situations. It is simple to follow with illustrated guides and voiced instructions.

• Free for iPhone - App Store link

ScolioTrack: Allows the user to track the progress of the abnormal spinal curves that occur in scoliosis. With the touch of an iPhone the user is easily able to track their month to month progression.

• $7.99 for iPhone - App Store link

LetterSchool: Is your child caught up in the mystery of letters and numbers? LetterSchool makes handwriting incredibly easy to unravel. Young players practice each letter or number in four steps combining different learning approaches: Intro, Tap, Trace, Write.

• $2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Family Feud (& Friends) - @Alli_Flowers

If you're a fan of the tv game show, you'll probably enjoy this version on your iPhone or iPad. The sound and colors are just beautiful.

Game play is fast, and proceeds pretty much like it does on tv - without the kissing host. Some of the answers are pretty dumb, but then you have to remind yourself that of 100 people surveyed, some of them are bound to be pretty dumb.

You are matched against random people on Facebook - not necessarily your own Facebook friends. It just brings a feeling of competition. The hook into Facebook also means that when you go for the "Lightning round" you can request assistance from one of your actual Facebook contacts. Unfortunately, there is really no way of knowing which of your friends play.

• Free - App Store link

Cleartune - @sethclifford

This week's pick isn't going to be a very long one, but it's a good one, especially if you play an instrument. I've used many iOS app tuners through the years, but the one I'm using now is likely to be the last, simply because it is so good and so well-designed, my eyes are forever blinded to other tuner apps.

Cleartune is a chromatic tuner that comes as a gorgeous universal app with a range of options for different settings and instruments. It's both visually striking and shockingly accurate, compared to some of the other apps I've used. To tune, you can use the built-in mic on most iOS devices, or an external one on devices like the 2nd and 3rd gen iPod touch. The interface is clean and easy to understand, and what's really nice is that you can launch and instantly tune using the most standard setting, or make any number of adjustments to modify the tuning to suit your needs. It supports some very advanced pro-level options, but you don't need to use them to get value out of the app.

Since I got my Apogee Jam a few weeks ago, I've been trying out a lot of music apps, and this is one that's earned a permanent slot on my iPhone and iPad. I only fire it up for short periods of time before I jump into other apps, but every time I do, I really enjoy its elegant design and simplicity.

• $3.99 - App Store link

IntelliscreenX (Jailbreak) - @andrewwray

IntelliscreenX brings unique enhancements to Facebook, Twitter, RSS, enhanced Mail and the iOS 5 Notification Center/Lock Screen. The app requires you to jailbreak your iPhone in order to get the additional functionality into your Lock Screen and Notification Center, but the added value is totally worth the effort.

IntelliscreenX is extremely powerful, letting users instantly access useful information on-the-go without having to jump into individual apps to retrieve information and perform tasks and status updates. As an example of some of the awesome things you can do, imagine pulling your iPhone out of your pocket and quickly [read: instantly] glancing at your Facebook newsfeed, sending a quick update and then making a passing comment on a friend's post -- all without even opening the Facebook for iPhone app. You can view inline comments on your friends Facebook status updates, as well as 'Like' anything you see on-the-fly with no delay whatsoever.

Same goes for Twitter, where IntelliscreenX lets you tweet, retweet and even @ reply someone without having to jump into any of the many Twitter clients available in the App Store. For Twitter, you can either view your regular timeline or drill down to only mentions of you, so you're never left lacking on what's currently going on with your Twitter friends and followers. The great thing about the Twitter integration is that you can set it to refresh every few minutes, so you're never left waiting for your stream to update.

Adding RSS feeds is a breeze, and checking/clearing unread email items is extremely handy when you're not able to take the time to check individual emails outside of the Mail app itself. One of the best features of IntelliscreenX, however, is the ability to collapse sections in Notification Center. Far too often am I left with an endless list of notifications in Notification Center, and the ability to collapse individual sections is a life saver for organizational freaks like myself.

In addition to the things I've mentioned above, IntelliscreenX also comes with a handy Notification Center widget called ISX QuickSettings -- similar to SbSettings -- that gives you instant access to toggles like Bluetooth, WiFi, Data, Orientation Lock, Respring, Brightness and more.

The app is $9.99 in Cydia, but trust me when I say it's well worth the money. If you've been looking for a way to customize your Notification Center and Lockscreen, look no further than IntelliscreenX in Cydia -- it's hands-down the best option currently out there.

• $9.99 - Cydia Link

PhotoStudio - @jdipane

Taking pictures is a ton of fun on a device that has a great camera, and what I find to be even more fun at times is editing them in various ways. I don't always want to have to break out my computer to edit a photo, or make a change, and that is why I like PhotoStudio. Sure, there are a lot of applications that allow you to change the image, some allow black & white, some with other affects, but this seems to put them all in one easy to access place.

With 194 different affects to add along with text labels and much more, this application is great for those of us who love to take a photo and make it look completely different. Integrated right with most of your favorite social networks like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and more the application makes sharing your new creations a breeze. Give it a shot, I bet you like it!

• $1.99 - App Store link

Twittelator Neue - @reneritchie

I use a lot of Twitter apps because a) I use Twitter a lot and b) I run an iPhone website so I have to, but I tended to always go back to Twitter for iPhone because it was simple, elegant and it fit the way I use Twitter and how my brain works. That's an important consideration. For an end user, the user interface (UI) is the app. You can change a lot of things behind the scenes and as long as the UI remains pretty much the same, the app stays pretty much the same for the end user. Change the UI, however, and even if everything else stays the same behind it, it might as well be a whole new app.

So it was that when Twitter for iPhone went 4.0 and the interface changed significantly, it felt like I was no longer using Twitter for iPhone, and if I'm no longer using that app, I might as well check out a bunch of others. As I said, I'm familiar with a lot of them, have spent a great deal of time with some, but hadn't touched others since they launched.

Twittelator Neue was one of those and in trying it out again this week, I was reminded how delightful it was. Pure eye candy. There's a new wave of apps that are trying out new layering effects and physics, new animations and interactions. Twittelator Neue is one of those leading the way. This is not Apple's Twitter client. It's not flat an utilitarian like Mail or overly skeumorphic like Find my Friends. It's glossy, it's polished, it's fresh, and it's refreshing.

It doesn't have the functionality of some other clients. It picks and chooses its battles carefully. More functionality will likely follow in future updates but I hope they keep curating it, keep it simple.

Either way, if you're testing out new Twitter clients and you want to give your eyes a treat and your face a chance to smile, check out Twittelator Neue.

• $1.99 - App Store link

Save the Pencil -@llofte

One thing you may not know about me - I love puzzle games. I love all range of puzzle games, from the easy, relaxing games to the extremely difficult, brain-stretching ones. Save the Pencil is right in the middle. It's fun, cute, a bit stress-inducing, and challenging.

The point of the game is to help the pencil, HB, draw lines between all the dots. Easy enough, right? Well, you must go through every blue dot once, and only once. The yellows dots must also be connected to, but can be used as many times as you want. The red dot? This is the dot that you must end on. That's not all, though! You must also stay clear of the slew of enemies trying to break your lead, including paper clips, rulers, and erasers. As if that wasn't enough, for those of with OCD, there are up to 3 stars you can collect along the way.

Seriously, this game is great. Oh, and did I mention? TiPb is giving away 5 promo codes! So go enter, or better yet, grab it now!

• $0.99 - App Store link

Diptic - @andy_mellor (Reader's Choice)

Diptic is a really cool, simple app for creating photo montages.

The thing I love most about it is the simplicity! Choose from a pre-built layout (or amend one to suit) choose your pictures from your camera, library, Flickr or Facebook. Zoom and move it to fit the box and move onto the next pic. Theres a few effects you can use, like rotating and mirroring, change the borders etc. too. Then just export to your favourite social network or just save to your library.

I mainly use it for twitter to get more pics in one tweet and give a much better feel for what is going on. I recently went to see Coldplay and by the time I left the arena I'd tweeted this pic, gives such a good impression of the variety that was in the gig, much better than just one photo.

• $0.99 - App Store link

Your pick?

You’re part of the team as well, so we will be choosing one reader to make a submission each week! Just look for the announcement on twitter or our Facebook page each weekend for a chance to be picked! In the meantime, jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

EA is running a series of Daily Deals that includes discounts on many of their popular titles for iPhone and iPad. Many of these discounts are even offering the games for free! Now, we know how much our readers love a good deal, so we've gathered them all up for you - here they are!

• Flight Control for iPhone, Free - App Store link
• Dead Space for iPad, 50% off ($4.99) - App Store link
• Mirror's Edge for iPad, Free - App Store link
• Scrabble for iPhone, $0.99 - App Store link
• TETRIS for iPhone, 30% off select in-game content - App Store link
• Flight Control HD, Free - App Store link
• Mirror's Edge for iPhone, Free - App Store link
• Scrabble for iPad, 50% off ($4.99) - App Store link
• TETRIS for iPad, 60% off ($2.99) - App Store link

I'm going to be honest and say I'm a little confused about how EA is running these deals. They've implied that it's one app per day, but all of these deals are available now! So go grab them all!

Source: EA Mobile

Save the Pencil is a new, fun, little iPhone game. The goal is to guide HB, the pencil, through all the dots while collecting stars and avoiding the mean paper clips, rulers, and erasers.

This is a fantastic little puzzle game! You can only pass through the blue dots once, and the yellow dots as many time as you wish, but you must pass through them all before landing on the red dot. Throw in the obsessional part of you that insists on collecting all the stars and the stress of being chased by paper clips, and you have a real challenge on your hands! Not to mention, the graphics are just adorable.

You are HB; young, sharp and full of lead. A pencil on a mission to join the dots but there’s a rebellion in the stationery cupboard! The paper clips, rulers, erasers and their friends are angry, and they’ll do anything to stop you. Guide HB to safety and collect the bonus stars to unlock more challenging levels!

• Fun, addictive gameplay with plenty of variety. Tap the dots to move HB safely through each level.
• 60 challenging puzzles across 4 chapters will keep you tapping away.
• Full Game Center integration, with chapter leaderboards and over 20 achievements to earn.
• Collect three stars on every level. Some may be simple, but others are perplexing!
• Regular updates providing new levels and new enemies.
• End of chapter bosses offer a unique challenge.
• Different enemies interact with gameplay in different ways. Dodge paperclips, avoid spinning rulers, race erasers, and more!
• All your favourite stationery characters in one game!
• Full Retina Display support.

Giveaway

The good folks at Perfect Dimension have given us promo codes to give away to 5 lucky winners. For a chance to win, just leave a comment below!

Save the Pencil is available on the iPhone for $0.99.

• App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

• Courage Wolf Jump: A new generation Jump games comes to the App Store, complete with weapons, cash, specials abilities, multiple worlds, extra lives and bosses! [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Demolition Dash: Take control of the tiny monster Zilla and annihilate everything in sight on your way through eight famous cities. Avoid dangerous obstacles by jumping, and destroy all objects and enemies around you with Zilla’s mighty roar. Free for a limited time! [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Christmas Puzzle: Move the puzzle pieces with your fingers to put together the various Christmas images as fast as possible! The fun and festive atmosphere are guaranteed! [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Princesses Learn Spanish: Features a story-based approach, with games and songs, to expose children to Spanish. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Doodle Grub Christmas Edition: Enjoy the two new winter based themes for Christmas Holidays with tons of fearsome enemies and unexpected events! [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

• Printer Pro: Print directly to many Wi-Fi printers and to any printer attached to your Mac or PC via helper application installed on your computer. [$4.99 for iPhone - App Store link] [$6.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• Tank Recon 3D: Piloting your new advanced tank, code named Alpha, you will be shooting it out with various units such as tanks, planes, helicopters, anti-tank guns and more. Fire your main cannon and watch as the enemy explodes into pieces. Use your guided missiles to bring down enemy planes or anything else that needs blowing up! [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• App Switcher: Create a quick launch list of your top tasks, as well as access them quickly via the OS 5 Notification Center. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Pop Bubble Pop: Takes the art of popping the bubble to a whole new level! Pop the bubble pigs! Pop the bubble cows! Pop the bubble sheep! Pop the bubble bubbles!? Pop whatever your bubbling heart desires... Just don't pop the toxic bubbles! [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• A Snappy Christmas 3D: Live an exciting Christmas story with our two cute beloved heroes, Meline the girl and Snappy the little dragon. [$3.99 for iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Apple has once again released their annual iTunes Rewind listings, highlighting the best and top-selling iPhone and iPad apps and games of 2011.

Here's the list:

iPhone Apps and Games

• Instagram [Free - App Store Link] iPhone App of the Year
• Angry Birds [$.99 - App Store Link] top-selling iPhone App of the Year
• Tiny Tower [Free - App Store Link] iPhone Game of the Year
• VidRythm [$1.99 - App Store Link] runner-up for App of the Year
• Tiny Wings [$.99 - App Store Link] runner-up for Game of the Year

iPad Apps and Games

• Snapseed [$4.99 - App Store Link] iPad App of the Year
• Angry Birds HD [$4.99 - App Store Link] top-selling iPad App of the Year
• Dead Space [$4.99 - App Store Link] iPad Game of the Year
• djay [$9.99 - App Store Link] runner-up for iPad App of the Year
• Contre Jour HD [$2.99 - App Store Link] runner-up for iPad Game of the Year

Hit the source for the full breakdown of the best and top-selling iPhone and iPad apps and games for 2011. Notice any of your favorite apps or games that you think Apple left out this year? Let us know in the comments!

Source: iTunes Rewind

• Diamond Dash: Join your friends and compete in weekly tournaments. Connect with Facebook to unlock special features and play with your friends! [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Calculus Auditus - Calc'n'Speak: Solve mental arithmetic tasks by speaking out loud your result. Because of the integrated voice recognition your iPhone is able to understand it. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Bleat: Makes it easier to post updates on Twitter and Facebook: there’s no typing required; simply say what you want and share it – audio-based status updates are finally here. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Twosift: Opens a new way of finding Internet content based on recommendations from celebrities. [Free for iPad - App Store link]

• Tick Tock Time to Stop: A child activity timer - set the timer and then let your kids play. When the time runs out they need to bring the iPad or iPhone back to you in order to enter the password. [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, a spin off of the hugely popular Batman: Arkham City console franchise optimized for iPhone and iPad, has begun hitting the iTunes App Store.

It's live in Australia/New Zealand already and should become available in the US later today.

The inmates have escaped and Batman has his hands full defeating an army of henchmen and some of his most iconic villains. Scour the rooftops and the seedy underbelly of Gotham City through a series of one-on-one battles with the Joker, Two-Face and more, as well as the Batman: Arkham City Lockdown exclusive – Deathstroke. Choose from several Batman skins and power-ups as you punch, kick and combo your way to cleaning up Gotham City.

UPDATE: It's live in the U.S. App Store now!

• $5.99 - App Store link

Giveaway

As you can see from the picture up top, we're huge Batman fans here so, while we're all waiting for Batman: Arkham City Lockdown to hit the U.S. App Store, we figured... why not gift it away to the TiPb Nation? We’ll gift Batman: Arkham City Lockdown to 5 lucky readers, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us which was your favorite Batman story ever. One of the recent Christopher Nolan movies? The older Tim Burton franchise? One of the Batman: The Animated series? A Frank Miller, Alan Moore, or Grant Morrison comic perhaps? One of the Adam West camp shows? Which one?

Must have a U.S. iTunes account to win. Apple’s rule, not ours!

• Egg Punch: Ack! Your feathers have been stolen by rascally rabbits! Put on your trusty old egg shell and roll out in pursuit of your feathers! [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• The noisy book Games: A free adaptation of the famous international best-seller The noisy book. Created to entertain children between 2 and 5 years old… and a little bit more (and also for their parents of course!). [$3.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Intro Designer: Make beautiful HD intro movies, openers, end credits and more, using professional and stunning templates. [$3.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• iQuick Tweet: Now you can quickly tweet a photo! [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Spherical: A game that gives you power over a Black Hole. Use this power in this addictive arcade game to clear your territory of the ever-invading Spheres. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

• Danny Boy: Guide Danny Boy through 32 high quality levels collecting coins while avoiding obstacles and killing birds. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Weight Controller: an application that will allow you control your weight in an easy and simple way, giving you all the information you need to control how you lose or gain weight in an efficient and professional fashion. [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Nature Sounds(sleep and relax): Do you wish to get close to the nature and feel free from the problems that surround you? Do you feel that the stress of everyday life deprives you of your ability to focus, relax, sleep - in short, affects your overall well being? Then this app is the best one for you! All pictures and sounds in this app are professionally mastered! [$1.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Photo Wallpapers: Put your Facebook, Instagram and personal photos in exclusively designed, custom wallpapers. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• My Life In Numbers: Lets you measure and celebrate events in your life in unusual and different ways. Find out when you will be one billion seconds old, how far the earth has travelled today, how much the richest man in the world has earned since you started work. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

Giveaway

The good folks at Reapptive LTD have given us four promo codes for Danny Boy to give away to our readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below!

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Where's My Water? – @chrisoldroyd

I don't play that many game on my iPhone but this little gem has me addicted. Where's My Water? is a physics type game where you have to guide water past loads of different obsticals. The idea is to fill Swampy the alligators bath by guiding the water through the pipes into his bathroom.

The game has literally hundreds of levels with many different challenges along the way. From algae, toxic ooze, triggers and traps. The graphics are crisp and designed for the retina display and the soundtrack isn't bad either. Where's My Water? is a universal binary and works great with the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

[$0.99 – App Store link]

Path - @iMuggle

I had never been a user of Path before it got its recent update. I'd actually never even heard about it. Boy am I hooked now. Path is an absolutely gorgeous social networking app. I think most of the reason for this is that it's only developed for mobile. There's no website to log in to from a computer, just download the app to your iPhone or Android and start creating your path.

The overall feel and interface of the app is what makes it so enjoyable to use. They also include filters for your pictures within the app with additional ones you can purchase. I like that I can edit and filter a picture without having to jump into another app. I'm also enjoying that I can share something on Path and it will automatically share it to Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare for me. I'll take any chance I can to get away from the disaster that is the Facebook for iPhone app.

And quite honestly, I'm really enjoying Path more than I've enjoyed any social networking site. So come on, everyone get on it so I don't have to check Facebook at all anymore.

[Free - App Store Link]

Notica - @sethclifford

We all know and love apps like Evernote that allow you to document almost everything in your world, and there's no shortage of productivity criteria that they strive to meet, but I think there's still a place for more refined app experiences with a different kind of style. Notica is one of those apps. Instead of trying to do everything, it does a few things nicely and in a concise way, opting for a different visual metaphor than you might be used to on the iPhone.

The basis of the app is notecards, which consist of a few pieces of information; a date/time stamp, location, picture or video, and some text. When you capture these pieces of info, the app creates a nice little card for you, which you can then file in different piles of your choosing. The main focus of the app experience is quickly capturing a small moment contextually that you'd like to remember for any reason. For instance, if you're an artist, you may have seen a color or texture that you want to revisit at a later time, or perhaps you just want to make a note about a restaurant you want to try. You could snap a picture, stamp a location, and just write "try this place". Notica creates a little card, you stick it in your "Places to Eat" pile, and you're done. Lovely. If (and I'm showing my age) you've ever taken a Polaroid instant picture and written on the bottom white piece of the photo, you get the idea. Of course, you can't geo-tag those, but it was a simpler time... so zip it.

Naturally, me being the kind of guy I am, I'm thinking about export and backup options. Currently for sharing, you can email and post to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. To save the note for yourself, you can save it out to your camera roll. With Photo Stream, this may be enough for most people, providing you open up iPhoto and make sure you're saving into an album there. You can also create a backup file within the app that can be synced through iTunes (and restored the same way), but let's be honest, that's not a terrific experience. I reached out earlier this week to ask the developers about sync possibilities in the future, and while they do not have any immediate plans for Dropbox integration (sad Seth) they are working on integrating iCloud in a future release and told me they will be posting about it shortly. So hopefully we'll have a nice, easy way to both backup and sync or share the notecards soon enough.

I realize that for a lot of people, this app may fall short because it doesn't do all the things something like Evernote can. But I think it's still a great app for a very focused task, and it's stylish to boot. With iCloud additions, it will definitely earn a place on my phone in the long term.

[$1.99 - iTunes link]

Naturespace - @andrewwray

Ever needed to clear your mind and just relax? Or maybe you're trying to get some work done and need some nice ambient sound to help you focus. Enter Naturespace: Relax Meditate Escape Sleep. Naturespace provides ambient sounds and touts "Holographic Audio" to provide the listener with cyristal-clear 3D sound through your headphones or Apple earbuds.

I've been using Naturespace for a few weeks to help with a few different activities, namely meditation and writing. Whenever I feel like I'm not in an adequate mood or environment for writing my thoughts down in my journal or for TiPb, I just whip out Naturespace and within minutes I'm focused, honed and ready to go.

Naturespace utilizes Apple's In-App Purchases feature to offer up a number of additional sounds outside of the six default options for you to relax to. My personal favorite is the 'Summer Mountain Valley'. So whether you need a five-minute escape from the stresses of life, or just want to put on some background sound to ease the atmosphere, Naturespace is a great pick!

[Free -- App Store Link]

Tiny Tower - @JorjLim

I’m normally not a fan of freemium games. I don’t like playing one and then getting to a certain part of the game where you can’t continue without forking out lots of real money. Tiny Tower, is a freemium game, that sports classic 8bit graphics, and doesn’t require you to pay any real world money to progress, and above all, its extremely difficult to put down. The main objective of Tiny Tower is to build more floors and make lots of money. Simple objectives, but painfully addictive.

Each floor (creative, services, food, retail and recreation) can stock 3 types of items that take various amounts of real world time, from 2 minutes to many many hours! Each item, makes you money for sales, to help progress your tower. The last type of floor you can build is residential, which houses the staff for the other floors.

The freemium part of this game is through “Tower Bux” which you can buy with actual money, however, while you play the game you will find you’ll actually make more ‘tower bux’ than you expect. You get one everytime you build a new floor, occasionally for stocking a full shop, and for finding certain guests in your tower.

There are lots of real world references in the game as well, like certain guests who are dressed as red and green italian plumbers, and a retail store called “The Mapple Store”.

The game uses Apple’s GameCenter to connect you with your friends, who’s towers you can visit, and compete with. It also uses GameCenter to save your progress, and redownload it if you ever choose to delete the game.

Its an extremely fun and addictive game and because its free, you’ve really got nothing to lose, just give it ago. Tiny Tower is available for iPhone and iPad for free.

[Free - App Store link]

Flick Homerun - @skeetobite

Flick Homerun is your chance to participate in your own home run derby. Starting off in the minor leagues, using your finger as the bat, you simply try to hit the ball over the wall. As you progress can can increase your batting eye, contact ability, or power. You also unlock additional pitches type, including things like fast balls, balls that slow down, move up and down, and even things like ninja balls! You can also unlock other game modes - including the major leagues, game center or local multiplay, and moonshot mode. I have been addicted to this game for about two weeks now, and it doesn't show any signs of letting up! It's a great casual game that you can sit and play for 5 minutes or (in my case) an hour or so at a time.

[$0.99 - App Store link]

Best Buy - @jdipane

When looking to make a new purchase I tend to over research, I look at all the competition, and usually change my mind about 80 times. Doing this in the store can be a pain with sales people breathing down your neck, so I like to research from home, and only venture out once it is time to make the purchase. Recently the Best Buy app got a pretty large upgrade, and it made the application so much better. Now showcasing open box items from various stores, a much cleaner layout, the ability to set custom notifications and more, this is a must have application, especially going into the holiday season!

[Free - App Store link]

Infinity Blade II - @reneritchie

A predictable choice and a necessary one -- Infinity Blade II takes what was already the best looking game on iPhone and iPad and raises the bar. Considerably. Phenomenally. Yes, I wish they took some of that time and attention devoted to ray renders and leaf physics, and spent a little of it on removing the rails. That restriction, that repetitiveness aside, Infinity Blade II is quite literally candy for your eyes.

Part II is much like the original, and how you feel about that will depend on how you felt about the original. If you loved it and wanted more of the same but better, you'll be extremely happy. Extremely. If you didn't like the original, you'll think this is even more sizzle, still not enough steak.

For me, Infinity Blade fantastic enough looking and easy enough playing that I can break it out, hack the slash out of a bad guy for a few minutes, and then go back about my business. And if anyone asks me about gaming on iOS, all I have to do is show them Infinity Blade -- the new one now -- and then wait for their jaw to close again.

Universal app, so you can buy once and play on both iPhone and iPad.

[$6.99 - App Store link]

Gift Plan - @llofte

Shopping for Christmas gifts is a huge and daunting task that I both love and hate doing each year. I love it because shopping is fun and buying things for loved ones is rewarding. I hate it because I always wait until the last minute, forgot who I'm buying gifts for, lose track of how much money I've spent, and walk into the mall with no plan of action. Not this year. This year, I've got Gift Plan in my pocket.

Gift Plan is a fantastic little iPhone app made by the UI geniuses over at Glasshouse Apps. It allows you to create a list of people you buy gifts for and create occasions for them like birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, or graduations. When the occasion is approaching, Gift Plan will send you a reminder notification so that you don't forget to buy them a gift.

For each person on your list, you can record their sizing information, their likes and dislikes, and create a list of gift ideas and the prices for said gifts. Purchase something off the list? Mark it off and Gift Plan will keep a running total of how much you've spent on that person.

This is a just small taste of what Gift Plan does and the best part part is that the UI is amazingly beautiful. Even if you're not one to keep explicit lists like these, Gift Plan will make you want to.

Happy shopping!

[$2.99 - App Store link]

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal - @jeremyeguzman (Reader's Choice)

My Fitness Pal, by MyFitnessPal LLC, is a Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker. In between the two biggest feasting holiday's of the year, is an excellent time to check out this intuitive app. The downfall of most of these apps is they are difficult to input your daily intake and don't offer enough flexibility to adapt to your life style. MFP does all of this and more, including cloud synchronization to their servers, weigh-in's with graph, social integration allowing you to friend and message those people that keep you motivated, and a diary that shows you a breakdown of your daily nutrition intake. Did I mention that you can also scan the barcode of your food for quick and easy input? But what's the best part? IT'S FREE! No ads, no trimmed down features requiring an upgrade... its just plain ole' free! Keep track of what you eat daily and be amazed at how quickly you'll lose weight or reach your fitness goals.

[Free - App Store link]

Your pick?

You’re part of the team as well, so we will be choosing one reader to make a submission each week! Just look for the announcement on twitter or our Facebook page each weekend for a chance to be picked! In the meantime, jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

• PDF Connoisseur - Kdan Enterprise iPad Edition: A versatile, top-notch file reader from Kdan Mobile’s PDF product series that includes the following features: Save to PDF, Text to Speech, annotations, file transfer, and more. [$9.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• iDownloader Pro: Easily download anything from the web to your device and then view/play the downloaded files or transfer them to your computer. Now with a multi-tab browser, private browsing, and Wi-Fi sharing! [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Safari Party: Safari Party is a new genre of match-4 action puzzle game where you become a photographer travelling around the globe: Safari, Ocean, North Pole, Forest and Metropole. Take as many photos as you can of more than four animals of the same kind. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Apple Life i: Swap an apple with an adjacent apple to form a horizontal or vertical chain of apples. The chain should contain 3 or more apples to get eliminated. Bonus points are also given if the chain contains more than 3 apples or if it forms 2 separate chains in a single swap. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Kick the Buddy Episodes: Meet a cheerful Santa Claus on your roof in the new Santa Stops Here episode. Hit the Buddy with a Christmas tree or blow him up with fireworks! And you can do a lot more in this “truly Christmassy game”. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Infinity Blade II has hit the App Store and what a better way to celebrate than with a giveaway!

Follow along for the details.

Powered by Epic’s cutting-edge Unreal Engine 3 technology, Infinity Blade II takes handheld gaming to even greater heights with stunning visuals, new combat styles, and advanced character customization in a beautiful, fully 3D world.

The Award-Winning Infinity Blade Story Continues!

• The God King has been defeated, an unlikely hero has emerged and now you must discover the truth behind the secrets of the Infinity Blade. The continuing journey of young Siris unfolds as you delve deeper into the world of the Deathless tyrants and their legion of Titans. Can you unlock all the mysteries and successfully wield the power of the Infinity Blade in this timeless sword fighting adventure of champions and villains?

A Robust & Dynamic 3D World:

• Explore beautiful and immersive environments that dynamically change over time during your travels and venture to exotic locations such as the Asian themed Saydhi’s Estate or the medieval inspired Vault of Tears featuring multiple paths to explore.

Featuring 3 All-New Styles of Combat:

• Now you can choose from multiple classes of weapons, armor and spells, each with specialized capabilities such as Dual Wielding, Two-Handed and the standard Weapon & Shield class. Learn each discipline by using Infinity Blade II’s intuitive pick-up and play game play style that is easy to use, yet difficult to master!

Infinity Blade’s Trademark Character Customization Evolved:

• Create and forge even more powerful weapons with mystical objects you discover and collect along your journey, expanding your overall arsenal with all-new elemental powers & capabilities! The Secrets of Your Past Revealed: Delve deeper into the fantastical story of Infinity Blade as your journey leads you to the realm of the mysterious Deathless Saydhi and discover the truth about the Worker of Secrets and the powers he holds.

The Latest in iOS features Powered by Unreal Technology:

• The definitive visual experience in mobile gaming, complete with all-new iCloud support and HDMI output.

Universal App:

• Play Infinity Blade on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad, iPad 2, iPod Touch 3 (16 GB and above), or iPod Touch 4 for a single low price.

Optimized for iPhone 4S and iPad 2:

• Includes high-resolution graphics and lighting that utilize the enhanced visual capabilities of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

Giveaway

TiPb has been a fan of Infinity Blade since the original was first announced and we know you have been too. So, we're giving away Infinity Blade II to 5 lucky readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below! Must have a US iTunes account to win. Apple's rule, not ours!

Infinity Blade II is available on the iPhone and iPad for $6.99.

[App Store link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

• SPY Mouse: World 1 is now holiday themed! [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link] [$2.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• Fling a Thing HD: A game where the player stretches and flings cute little characters into the air to collect bubbles. When the player has cleared away all the bubbles they move on to the next level, climb higher, and interact with some really bizarre objects. [$2.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• iTap & Go: A fake call app that allows you to discreetly generate a call on demand. Whether your iPhone is in your pocket, bag or even your grass skirt, a simple double-tap is all that’s required to make that suave and dignified exit. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Compass Eye: A Professional Bearing Compass for marine navigation - with overlaid augmented reality camera view and up to 8x real-time zoom. [$4.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Conceptis Fill-a-Pix: Find which neighboring squares must be painted and create a beautiful picture. Each puzzle consists of a grid containing clues in various places. The object is to reveal a hidden picture by painting the squares around each clue so that the number of painted squares, including the square with the clue, matches the value of the clue. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Shape Fun is an app to help toddlers and young children learn shapes. It makes the learning fun with exciting scenes, animations, and music incorporated into games with a reward system.

“Shape Fun” is a shape learning software for toddlers and preschool kids, including three attractive games and reward systems. The funny attractive scenes, animations and musics make kids deep inside the joys of exploring various basic shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, trapezoid, fan-shape, pentagon and hexagon. So let kids learn through play now!

• 3 different type of attractive games with various scenes and cute animations that help kids explore shapes from triangles to octagons stage by stage.
• Dozens of lovely sounds and voice recordings of shape names, praises and more.
• Different lovable animated animals guides kids through the game play with animated celebrations for correct answers and gentle redirection for incorrect ones.
• Interactive mysterious aquarium! Kids will get a cute fish reward when they make progress.
• Designed for kids with easy user interfaces.

Shape Fun is available on the iPhone and iPad for $0.99 each.

[iPhone App Store link] [iPad App Store link

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

• Path: A Smart Journal that helps you share life with the ones you love — your thoughts, the music you’re listening to, where you are, who you’re with, when you wake and when you sleep, and beautiful high quality photos and videos. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• The Adventures of Peter Pan: Peter Pan, who lives in Neverland, is a boy who refuses to grow up. With the help of the fairy, Tinkerbell, he'll introduce his new friends, Wendy and John Darling, to this imaginary world. Throughout their adventures, they'll meet the Lost Boys and scary Captain Hook. [$3.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• TubeHero: Turn your iTunes songs into a colorful rhythm game, blasting your way through 3 difficulty levels. The game supports 6000+ different tracks, with more being added on a weekly basis. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Weathermob: It’s the friendly, easy way to get forecasts and share your weather with friends – and the world – through videos, photos, words and icons. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Legendary Outlaw: Enter the world of Kaufman - an immersive FPS action-shooter. As Colt Kaufman, you are destined to become the ultimate Legendary Outlaw, but only if you successfully go guns-blazing and use the environments to lure and assassinate enemies by stealth, without being seen or heard! [$2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

• Pinball City NY: Crooked cops. Gangsters everywhere. A beautiful dame. A dead body. Welcome to New York. [$1.99 for iPhone - App Store link] [$3.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• AR Pho.to Cartoonizer: Just picture yourself pointing your camera at a friend and getting a cartoonized caricature with an animated broad smile or a cute wink! Wouldn’t that be hilarious? [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Media Safe - KYMS - Keep Your Media Safe (and secret): Keep your photos and videos secret by hiding them behind a harmless calculator. Only knowing the password you'll be able to access the private library. Now with a new panic gesture: cover the screen with your hand to hide your media immediately! [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• iMommy: A game for kids to play mommy. They can change baby's outfit, hair, eye color, and diaper. [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Tapfolio for Stocks: A new breed of stock app, truly optimized for iPad: swipe, pinch and zoom graphs with ease. Compare stocks with a single tap. Build and visualize your portfolio like never before. Easy and addictive - a great way to feel connected to your portfolio. [$2.99 for iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Etsy - @andrewwray

A lot of you are probably already familiar with Etsy, the online e-commerce website that focuses on buying and selling handmade and vintage items, and they've recently released a really great looking iPhone app to help you browse the service on the go. Etsy for iPhone lets you browse and purchase one of a kind accessory items and clothing directly from independent sellers.

As a buyer, you can browse by category and set your own filters to narrow down your search results (there are a lot of things on Etsy!) and check out your shopping cart right from within the app. As a seller, you have most of the Etsy merchant tools readily available whenever you need to access your listings or manage your business without having to jump onto your computer. It's a great way to sell and shop! If you're into vintage items, Etsy has always been one of the best places to shop, and they've just made it that much easier by making the service accessible anywhere you are -- check it out!

[Free - App Store Link]

Type2Phone - @sethclifford

Since the very first time I jailbroke my iPhone 3G a million years ago, I've wanted a way to control it without taking it out of the dock. I've used Veency to run a VNC server on the phone and then screen share into it, but it's really overkill for what I need, which is essentially just text entry. I can manage to hit the home button and swipe around a little just fine while the phone is docked, it's the typing that becomes laborious if I'm answering a text message or if I want to quickly paste some text into a field.

Enter Type2Phone. I'm sure you can figure out what it does, but it's actually fairly slick in how it does it. You use Bluetooth to pair your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with your Mac, and activate the app on the computer. Tap into a text field and start blasting away. You're using your Mac's BT connection in lieu of a BT keyboard, but it works in exactly the same way.

Aaaaand... that's pretty much it. Which isn't a bad thing, because I'm sure if you tried to bolt a bunch of other unnecessary stuff onto an app like this, somehow it would stop working. The only thing I'd like to see would be a way to actually hit say, the "Send" button from the keyboard. Just hitting enter drops you down a line, but a Cmd-Enter would be a fine way to get that done. Then you could basically slide to reply to a text, fire off a response and not touch your phone at all. I can also see someone perhaps wanting to keep an iPad on as a secondary display for something like Twitter, away from his/her main workspace really finding this functionality pretty useful.

And for everyone who's thinking "Why don't you just use Siri to answer your messages? DUH!", well, when other people are on a conference call or working around me, I like to embrace basic social courtesies and respect their needs. Otherwise, yeah, you're totally right. In the meantime, Type2Phone is a cool little utility that makes life at least a little easier. I'm all for that.

[$4.99 - Mac App Store link]

Beauty and the Beast: Storybook Deluxe – @chrisoldroyd

My little girl adores the Disney Movie Beauty and the Beast. Now that Disney has released this app, she has completely taken over ownership of my iPad 2. Beauty and the Beast: Storybook Deluxe is based on the Disney movie and includes games, movie clips, puzzles, coloring pages and even sing-along songs from the film.

The animation, as expected is superb and the whole app is really well put together. It tells the story in an interactive way and offers a read along mode or the story can be read out to you. This one should keep any little princess happy for quite some time!

[$6.99 – App Store link]

Word Tumble - @Alli_Flowers

A familiar theme, this word game is great on either iPad and iPhone. Find a word inside the box of letters. You can go forwards, backwards, up, down, or diagonally. The longer the word, the more points you get. So far, so similar to a dozen other games, right?

Here's the catch. When you find a word, the letters disappear from the playing field, just like Bejeweled or Tetris.

There are several versions you can play, although the basic game play is the same. I like the one minute game. The one minute game can stretch out and last for quite some time, because the more you score, the more time you get back.

The only negative to this game is the background music, which is either on or off. I'd like to be able to lower it because it also lets you know when your time is running out. The music is less than great.

But the game is addictive! I even found a fun way to play with a partner, and maybe keep the game going extra long. My nephew and I play together - he finds words on the left side of the board, and I find them on the right. (Hooray for capacitive screens!)

[$0.99 - App Store link]

Instagram - @iMuggle

This week i'm going back to an app that I've used for quite a long time but just recently started "really using" again. I have always loved Instagram and the ease of which you can share pictures and add cool effects.

Ever since picking up my iPhone 4S I've been blown away by the quality of photos it produces considering it's a phone. I've found myself snapping more pictures than ever. Instagram makes is easy to share them not only with my Instagram followers but all my followers and friends on Twitter and Facebook. If I just want to share something quickly, this is the app I choose 99.9% of the time.

[Free - App Store Link]

Instacast HD - @reneritchie

My grand take-away from the original iPad launch was that it was the iPhone gone IMAX, and experiencing Instacast HD shows that, more than 18 months later, that take-away still holds true. Here's why: Instacast on iPhone is all about quickly getting, streaming, and/or caching your favorite podcasts so you can listen to them feet down on the go. Instacast HD on IPad is a different experience entirely. It's feet up, at pause, relaxed and ready to enjoy.

If that type of usage pattern sounds like it favors video podcasts, you're not wrong. Settling back in the recliner, a tasty beverage to the side, a soft light in the back, a light rain-turned-snow-turned-back-rain outside, in just a few taps I was watching Georgia kick off the last iPad Live. A few more and I was watching TED. A few more and Steve Jobs was walking out on stage to introduce the iPad 2.

The interface took a bit of getting used to. Global tools like add podcast, refresh, favorites, AirPlay, volume, and action live along the thin left edge. Album art for your shows lives beside it for easy scrolling and selection. Episode-specific controls like mark, favorite, download, action, and play/stream live at the top, while mark all, the scrubber, and the show list live at the bottom.

Show notes get the rest of the screen, with a built in web view to handle links. You can swipe the browser away to get back to show notes, and you can swipe horizontally between shows.

Video shows go full screen with controls top and bottom and there's even an embedded brightness control so you can make it look just so.

The one big bit of friction I hope gets addresses in an update is, while in video mode, tapping the "exit full screen" button takes you back to show notes while leaving the audio playing, there's no equal and opposite "go full screen button" to return to the video. I should be able to toggle back and forth without moving my finger or having to figure out I need to cross back to the play/stream button to get the video back. Also, while they deserve a lot of credit for jumping on iCloud sync quickly, it's still early days and some glitches will hopefully be worked out, by by Apple and developers.

Overall, Instacast HD makes fantastic use of the bigger iPad screen. It's all the podcasts I want, right where I want them.

[$4.99 - App Store link]

Real Racing 2 -@llofte

This Black Friday, I picked up an Apple TV (finally!) and Real Racing 2 on my iPhone and iPad. One of the really cool features about this combo is that with AirPlay, you can play multiplier on your TV with a split screen. Firemint calls this Party Play. All that's required is to have an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 work as a host. My husband and I had a lot of fun racing against each other, last night, which is saying a lot because my husband typically hates anything related to Apple.

I will say that playing with the iPad is a little awkward because of how big it is. By the end of the race, it actually begins to a feel a little heavy.

If you have an Apple TV and an iPhone 4S or iPad 2, and do not have Real Racing 2 - what are you waiting for? It's actually still on sale for Black Friday weekend, so now is the perfect time to pick it up!

[$2.99 for iPhone - App Store link] [$4.99 for iPad - App Store link]

Your pick?

You’re part of the team as well, so we will be choosing one reader to make a submission each week! Just look for the announcement on twitter or our Facebook page each weekend for a chance to be picked! In the meantime, jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

It's Black Friday and there may be one little store you forgot to include in your shopping plans - the App Store! A plethora of apps are having huge sales this weekend, and we have gathered a few of our favorites that you do not want to miss.

• Noteshelf for iPad - $0.99 [App Store link]
• FX Photo Studio for iPhone - $0.99 [App Store link]
• Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles
  • iPhone - $0.99 [App Store link]
  • iPad - $0.99 [App Store link]
• Real Racing 2
  • iPhone - $2.99 [App Store link]
  • iPad - $4.99 [App Store link]
• Flight Control HD for iPad - $1.99 [App Store link]
• Mirror's Edge for iPad - $1.99 [App Store link]
• Garmin N. America - $29.99 [App Store link]
• Infinity Blade - $2.99 [App Store link]
• A Charlie Brown Christmas - $4.99 [App Store link]
• Checkbook HD - $0.99 [App Store link]
• procreate for iPad - $0.99 [App Store link]
• Navigon
  • North America - $39.99 [App Store link]
  • USA - $29.99 [App Store link]
  • Canada - $29.99 [App Store link]
  • US East - $19.99 [App Store link]
  • US Central - $19.99 [App Store link]
  • US West - $19.99 [App Store link]
• IM+ Pro - $4.99 [App Store link]
• Business Card Reader - $2.99 [App Store link]
• RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mac and Windows - $4.99 [App Store link]
• Flickr HD - $0.99 [App Store link]

Additionally, check out touchArcade for a great list of all of Gameloft's sales. Also, EA [iTunes link] and Disney [iTunes link] have most of their titles on sale.

This is a just small portion of which apps are having Black Friday deals, so if you find any other good ones, please share them in the comments below!

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• Juice It: Manipulate the falling blocks of fruits by moving, rotating and swapping with the aim of matching three or more fruits of the same kind (horizontally or vertically). [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Mobypicture: Post photos, video and audio snippets of your life to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, all with one click. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Koto Go Silence: An animated book about Koto - a faithful young dog, who deals with mysterious noises during his night watch. [$2.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• NFB PixStop: Shoot and score your very own stop-motion animation film. Capture as many as 10,000 images to create mini masterpieces up to 13 minutes long. [Free for iPad - App Store link]

• Bowmaster Lite: A free version of the popular archery game, Bowmaster. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• Worms Party: Larry, the worm, was at the party and decided to take a nap. However, his friends decided to pull a daring prank. They tied a turbo engine to their sleeping friend’s back and fired it up. In the blink of an eye their friend burst through the wall and was outside the house, flying through the dark of the night, on a great adventure! Wish him luck! [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• JabMe 3.0: Now you can jab your Twitter, Game Center and Facebook friends in one app. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Tumblox: Who would have thought that a simple box full of boxes can be such a brain-twister? By just using buttons or the gravity itself, you can let cubes fall onto their destinations in over 80 carefully handcrafted puzzles. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Orb Zone: Steady hands required: Route your orb through 48 tricky levels in this challenging game of skill. Collect enough energy crystals to get to the next stage, while avoiding nasty obstacles. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Spark: Automatically let the people who matter know where you are when your battery is about to die. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Did you or someone you know just get a brand new iPhone or iPod touch, and are wondering which are the top 10 very best, most must-have apps and games you absolutely need to jump into the App Store and download now, now, now? Well, you're in luck -- whether you want to show off the beautiful Retina display, test the power of the dual-core Apple A5 processor, need to get things done, or just want to have some fun, TiPb's top 10 have got your back! As part of our ongoing iPhone new users guide, here are our top 10 favorite, most highly recommended iPhone apps to get you started!

Note: App prices are current as of the time of this writing but can and do change frequently over time, including going up, down, and going on sale. Some free apps also sell additional content via in-app-purchase, or require a subscription. Always read app descriptions thoroughly before purchasing or downloading.

Social apps: Facebook for iPhone

Facebook is one of the most popular sites on the web, and not surprisingly, it's also one of the most popular apps on iPhone. While Facebook for iPhone has a well earned reputation for general bugginess, it's also been steadily improving as of late. Sure, you can visit Facebook.com on Safari, but the app gives you much, much more functionality, not the least of which is photo uploads. You also get Places, Messages, Chat, and many of your other favorite Facebook features.

• Free - App Store link

Also check out:

• Facebook Messenger is for those who want a fast, focused way to stay in instant touch with friends. Free - App Store link
• LinkedIn for iPhone has a brand new, way more distinctive interface for all your business networking. Free - App Store link
• Tweetbot is a great, highly stylized alternative to the official Twitter client. $2.99 - App Store link
• Find my Friends is Apple's answer to keeping track of who's where, either all the time or just for special events. Free - App Store link

Casual games: Angry Birds

Angry Birds is like the Mario or Sonic of iPhone and iPod touch gaming -- so synonymous with iOS that even though it's not made by Apple, even though it's on other platforms now, it's still the most famous, and still one of the most fun games ever to grace the App Store. While the idea of slingshotting variously powered birds at the variously fashioned fortifications and popping variously evil green pigs might seem thin at first, excellent gameplay and a constant stream of updates keep it fresh -- and continuously at or near the top of the charts. Give it a fling... and prepare to lose many an hour chasing those elusive three star ratings.

• $0.99 - App Store link

Also check out:

• Cut the Rope is just as simple, just as enjoyable, and just as addictive. $0.99 - App Store link
• Plants vs. Zombies is a charming, horrifically funny take on tower defense. $2.99 - App Store link
• Tiny Wings shows that birds don't have to be angry to be fun; they don't even need to fly... much. $0.99 - App Store link
• Seigecraft is a beautifully done tower defense style game... with trebuchets! $2.99 - App Store link

Communications/IM apps: Skype

The iPhone is a phone, so it makes voice calls, it has FaceTime so it makes video calls, and it has iMessage, so it can do IM. What place is there, then, for Skype for iPhone? Turns out, a lot. FaceTime and iMessage are Apple-only technologies, so they don't play nicely with other devices and platforms, and phone calls -- especially international phone calls cost a lot of money. Microsoft's Skype runs on almost every device and operating system, is free to call other Skype users, and cheap to call phones.

• Free - App Store link link

Also check out:

• BeeJiveIM supports AIM/MobileMe, MSN/Windows Live, Yahoo!, GoogleTalk, Facebook, MySpace and Jabber for flexible, full featured chat. $9.99 - iTunes link
• Google Voice for iPhone lets you access your GV calls, texts, and voice mail. Free - iTunes link
• WhatsApp is probably the closest thing to a cross-platform BBM (BlackBerry Messenger)-style instant messenger available. $0.99 - App Store link
• Verbs doesn't support as many protocols but for GTalk, Facebook, AIM, and Me.com, nothing looks nicer. $0.99 + in-app purchase - App Store link

Productivity apps: Numbers, Pages, and Keynote

Apple's iWork suite, which consists of Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Pages for word processing has recently been updated to work with iCloud, so all your documents get stored and synced between your devices (including, eventually, iWork for Mac when Apple updates it). Keynote was built for Steve Jobs so it's absolutely best in class, while Numbers and Pages are easy to use and produce great looking docs.

• $9.99 - Keynote in App Store link
• $9.99 - Numbers in App Store link
• $9.99 - Pages in App Store link

Also check out:

• Good Reader is a powerhouse for PDF annotating and file management. [$2.99 - App Store link]
• Evernote stores text, images, and audio for easy reference later. [Free - App Store link]
• Elements is a text editor that syncs with Dropbox and has Markdown support. 'Nuff said. $4.99 - App Store link
• Todo takes task management to the next level, with sync to Dropbox or iCloud among others. $4.99 - App Store link

Action/arcade games: Infinity Blade II

Epic's Unreal 3 engine exploded onto iPhone with Infinity Blade, an on-rails sword fighting extravaganza with some of the best visuals we've ever seen. Infinity Blade II takes all of that to a whole new level. You literally will not believe a game that looks this good is running on your phone.

Infinity Blade II picks up where the first left off, with you locked in a battle with the Deathless, only this time the stakes are higher, the enemies badder, and the weapons more powerful than ever. It's still a tad repetitive at times, but it quickly becomes as addictive as it is gorgeous, and ChAIR typically has regular updates so there's always new gear, new enemies, and new aspects to enjoy.

• $6.99 - App Store link

Also check out:

• Real Racing 2 for amazing cars, online action, and AirPlay. $9.99 - App Store link
• Street Fighter IV Volt puts the classic fighter in the palm of your hands. $0.99 - App Store link
• Extraction: Project Outbreak is a fresh take on the top-down 3D shooter. $0.99 - App Store Link
• Atari's Greatest Hits brings the oldest of old school to your brand new advice. Free - App Store link

Music apps: Rdio

While Pandora, Slacker, and Spotify get a lot of attention, Rdio's focus on social networking means it really excels at music discovery -- you get to see what the people you're following are listening to. You can cache music for offline listening, so you can load up on Wi-Fi and save your data, and the available selection of music is great for mainstream and alternative music lovers alike. Give it a try with the free 7-day trial.

Also check out:

• GarageBand is Apple's iLife music making app brought to iPhone. $4.99 - App Store link
• DJay will make you the mixing star of your next party. $0.99 - App Store link
• MadPad lets you remix and make music out of all the sounds around you. $0.99 - App Store link
• Shows lets you know when and where your favorite artists are in concert. $2.99 - App Store link

Photo apps: Instagram

Instagram is the current king of iPhone photography apps, and it took the crown through a brilliant combination of easy-to-apply filters and super simple social sharing. The latest version not only adds even more filters, but all tilt-shift effects. Whether you want to quickly share great looking snap shots to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, or Posterous, Instagram has you covered. In style.

• Free - App Store link

Also check out:

• Photogene2 is a photography powerhouse, with full featured editing, sharing, and much more. $1.99 - App Store link
• Camera+ is jam packed with features and filters to make your photos shine. $0.99 - App Store link
• Hipstamatic to bring that terrific toy camera look to your shots. [$0.99 - App Store link
• Flickr for iPhone lets you store and share all the shots you take. [Free - App Store link

Video apps: Air Video

Air Video automagically transcodes on the the fly and streams your videos -- almost any videos, in almost any format -- from your Windows or Mac PC to your iPhone. If you have an Apple TV, you can also beam them straight to your big screen television as well. If you've got a ton of content on your computer and you want to watch it on your iPhone, this is the app for you.

• $2.99 - App Store link

Also check out:

• iMovie is Apple's iLife video editor, gloriously brought to iPhone. $4.99 - App Store link
• Netflix gives you access to tons of streaming catalog titles, right on your iPhone. Free - App Store link
• IMDb includes all the movie and TV details and showtimes in handy app form. Free - App Store link
• Slingplayer Mobile works with your Slingbox to put anything from your TV on your iPhone. $29.99 - App Store link

Internet apps: Dropbox

Dropbox is an amazing cloud sync solution not just for iPhone but for iPad, Mac, Windows, Linux, and basically everything you can imagine (several of us store almost our entire home directories in Dropbox). Not only does it give you access to any and all files in your Dropbox folder -- along with easy links for sharing and the ability to store favorites locally -- but many, many other apps use Dropbox to handle their sync as well, from password apps to writing apps to note taking apps. You get 2GB for free and can buy more if you need it. It's different than Apple's iCloud, but it's just as awesome.

• Free - App Store link

Also check out:

• 1Password lets you have security and convenience with all your logins, credit cards, and accounts available on your iPhone. $14.99 - App Store link
• Skyfire is a web browser that lets you watch some Flash videos on your iPhone. $2.99 - App Store link
• Screens is a VNC client that lets you remote desktop to your Windows, Mac, and Linux machines. $19.99 - App Store link
• Articles wraps up Wikipedia into a great looking, easy to use app. $2.99 - App Store link

Location/GPS apps: NAVIGON

Get full fledged turn-by-turn driving directions on your iPhone so you can keep your eyes where they belong -- on the road. NAVIGON provides on-board maps which means it keeps working in areas where there's no data coverage. You can buy regional, country, or continents at a time, and there are also options for live traffic updates, parking directions, and enhanced panoramic views of the surroundings.

• Varies - App Store link

Also check out:

• Foursquare lets you "check in" to locations, keep track of your and your friends' locations, and earn points for being there. Free - App Store link
• Yelp provides restaurant, gas station, bar, and pretty much any type of business location and recommendations. Free - App Store link
• Find my iPhone is Apple's way for iCloud to help you locate, lock, and even wipe a missing or stolen iPhone. Free - App Store link
• Waze is a free, crowd-sourced, and highly social travel and nav app. Free - App Store link

Your top apps?

So there you have them, our top 10 best iPhone apps to get you started. Be sure to check out our Picks of the Week and iPhone App and Games Forum for more recommendations, and if we missed any of your favorites leave them in the comments below!

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• Nimbus Littling & the Flu from Nebtune 2, HD: Share the epic adventures of Nimbus Littling with your loved ones, as she embarks on a quest to uncover three secret messages hidden deep within the walls of the Ancient Obelisk. [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• GENESIA for iPad - The 7 gems of NEORT: A Strategy and Management turn based game in a living world. Several crafts are at your disposal to build this New World : farmers, lumberjacks, blacksmiths, carpenters, soldiers... But all of this won’t be done easily for other Governors are striving just as you, on other territories. [$6.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Dream Zoo: Ever seen a pink giraffe with chocolate swirls? What about a blue polka-dot elephant? Raise these adorable animals and more in Dream Zoo by Zynga! [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Nutty Sam: Swing, Slide & Soar to Survive: Meet Sam, an inflatable half Chameleon, half Blowfish who is absolutely nuts for nuts. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• dabball: dabball features more than 400 original artworks by 43 international artists that you can play games with, download as digital wallpaper, and hang on your wall as museum-quality posters. If you love illustration, photography, and artfully addictive games, you’ve gotta dabball. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Pod Odyssey is a new iPhone and iPad app by Coffee Pot Labs. The goal of the game is to guide a lost space POD though the levels while completing missions and avoiding danger.

I've enjoyed my short time playing Pod Odyssey. The tilt controls are difficult to master, but with time and practice, I believe they would be the best choice. I don't that have kind of patience, however, so I chose one of the many different touch controls options and was able to instantly enjoy the game.

Check out the trailer for Pod Odyssey below.

Use your galactic pilot skills to guide a lost space POD through a series of jagged cosmic mazes, evil missile-shooting robots and homing space spiders.

• 27 unlockable levels
• Addictive & Challenging game play
• Tilt controls
• Touch controls (several alternatives)
• Dual mission goals
• Easy controls (a 6 year-old can play)
• Unique Sci-Fi graphics and artwork
• Custom soundtrack & SFX
• EMP to knock out enemies
• Power Shield

Giveaway

The gold folks at Coffee Pot Labs have given us 5 promo codes for Pod Odyssey to give away to you, our awesome readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below!

Pod Odyssey is available on the iPhone and iPad for $0.99.

[App Store link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Infinity Blade 2 looks great. Can't wait for December 1.

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• AdventCalendar: Get ready for Christmas! During this busy period of the year people tend to forget about the importance and the meaning of that time. Let the app be the reminder and the sign of the upcoming holiday. [$0.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• HeadFinder - Don't Lose Your Head! The ability of an iPhone app to save its owner's brain from the routine is highly valued in the market! It is proved by high rate of HeadFinder's growth in Productivity category. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• Quicky: (Claims to be) the fastest and easiest shopping list app out there! Especially designed for people that find it hard to type on the iPhone. The icon-based interface provides an excellent overview and makes it very easy to add shopping items, without having to type even a single word! [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• FMA Battle: Prepare to enter the world of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood! This is Fullmetal Battle, the only game that lets you lead your own team of State Alchemists into combat. Train alongside Edward and Alphonse Elric, while taking commands from Roy Mustang. Gain the tactical advantage over your opponents by collecting weapons, new types of Alchemy, special attacks – and even the coveted Philosopher’s Stone! [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Sea Animals + Numbers: A fun and educational application for pre-school age range, designed with parents and childhood experts in order to introduce your children into the numbers world through the knowledge of sea animals. [$2.99 for Phone and iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift has been updated with a new greeting card feature that lets you add Cut the Rope clip art to your photos - including Om Nom himself!

Om Nom and I are best friends.

ZeptoLab wants to thank all you Om Nom fans out there by giving you this all new Holiday Gift featuring a great new stocking feature that magically shoots the Candy round the box. You guys rock, Happy Holidays! Oh, and shake your iPhone for a special surprise!

• New feature: Create a Photo Greeting Card with Om Nom
• The final level now has ROCKETS!
• New Om Nom animations
• Improvements for iOS5, including iCloud support
• Other minor bug fixes and optimizations

Cut the Rope: Experiments for iPhone has also been updated with new levels and iCloud support.

• 25 new levels
• New gameplay element – the Rocket
• New voice commentary from the Professor
• New photo of Om Nom in the Professor’s Album
• New achievements and leaderboard – including "perfect" mark for fully completed level packs
• Optimized for iOS 5 – including iCloud support to save game data across all iOS devices

Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift is available on the iPhone and iPad for free. Cut the Rope: Experiments is available on the iPhone for $0.99.

[Holiday Gift App Store link] [Experiments for iPhone App Store link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• Kick the Buddy Episodes: Buddy did not waste time either and prepared a surprise. Meet a cheerful Santa Claus on your roof in the new Santa Stops Here episode. Hit the Buddy with a Christmas tree or blow him up with fireworks! And you can do a lot more in this “truly Christmassy game”. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

• JabMe: Now you can jab your Game Center and Facebook friends. Send jab messages with awesome sounds to your friends. It's the world's first app to let you message your Game Center friends. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Frosty Camera: Lets you take frosty photos of your family, friends and even yourself. Apply our special photo effects and frosty frames in Real Time.Watch as Frosty Camera transforms the world around you into ICE AGE. [Free - App Store link]

• Love Injections: "Love Injections" are extraordinary ways to surprise the one you love. It stirs your creativity, to think outside the box when surprising someone. With more than 200 images and text it's full of original ideas to express your emotions. [$1.99 for iPhone - App Store link] [$3.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• Shiny Treasure: Become the richest and most feared pirate of the seven seas in Shiny Treasure! Build guard towers and use the powers of the mysterious green pearl to protect your valuable treasure chest from evil pirate looters! A tower defense game. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

The popular computer game Minecraft is now available on the iPhone and iPad. As of right now, Minecraft - Pocket Edition only includes Creative Mode, but there are plans to include Survival Mode in the future.

Imagine it, build it. Create worlds on the go with Minecraft - Pocket Edition

Minecraft - Pocket Edition allows you to build on the go. Use blocks to create masterpieces as you travel, hangout with friends, sit at the park, the possibilities are endless. Move beyond the limits of your computer and play Minecraft everywhere you go.

• Randomized worlds
• Build anything you can imagine
• Build with 36 different kinds of blocks
• Invite and play with friends to your world (local wireless network)
• Save multi-player worlds on your own phone

Minecraft - Pocket Edition is available on the iPhone and iPad for $6.99.

[App Store link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.