Mobile-Invent:

iPhone - Specialty Toy Camera and Plastic Camera Apps

2010-10-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

These Cameras all have a cool Toy Camera interface and are loaded with toy camera effects. They all let you either swap lenses, flashes and/or films. Some have in-app purchases for more lens packages. If you are at all into iPhone photography they are really fun to play around with and you can get some great pictures pretty easily. A lot of these cameras also have Flickr groups that you can check out to see what kind of pictures you might be able to get. I find the Flickr groups very helpful when deciding whether or not to purchase a new camera app.

Hipstamatic

There is a reason why Hipstamatic is one of the most popular toy camera apps in the appstore. It's got a great user interface, some really cool effects and I find it really fun to swap out lenses, flashes and films. The app comes with a basic lens/flash/film pack and offers other packs as in-app purchases. I bought all of them and think the extra cost was worth it. This is definitely my most used camera app on my iPhone.

Pinhole Camera

So far the Pinhole Camera is pretty simple. Like the Hipstamatic camera, you get a little viewfinder to frame your pictures. The graphics and interface look pretty good and the pictures come out great. There are only three "film type" options so far but they are good. What I really like about this camera is the double exposure option that enables you to take some pretty cool, textured photographs. You can share your photos to Facebook or Email from within the app and turn the iPhone 4 flash on or off. The only problem at the moment is that it outputs at a low-resolution, but I'm sure they will be able to fix that quickly.

Retro Camera Plus

Retro Camera Plus is a free toy camera that is supported by ads. Although I'm not a fan of ugly ads cluttering up my screen, the app is decent so I don't really mind that much. There are five different vintage cameras, complete with descriptions and a color/b&w option. The app doesn't support full iPhone 4 resolution yet, which is disappointing but I'm glad to see another plastic toy camera app emerge. Plus it is free, so why not give it a shot?

Pudding Camera

Pudding Camera used to have a cool toy camera interface but with the most recent update it changed to a couple of small buttons. Regardless, Pudding Camera is a great and free toy camera with a bunch. Unfortunately, its all in Korean and there isn't an English version yet. There are a bunch of different simulated cameras and films to choose from, including; A few Lomo-like toy cameras, a Panorama, a Fish Eye and two multi-photo cameras like the ClassicSAMP.

ClassicTOY - Plastic Toy Camera

All of the Classic series of cameras come from the same developer. They all have a variety of film types to swap out. My primary problem with this method is that there is no way to preview your film type selection to see what it may look like and I can't remember what they would all look like if I were to use them. With that said, the ClassicTOY camera takes some pretty cool pictures and has a nice and simple interface. It comes with a couple of lenses and film types and you have to purchase the rest inside the app. The addition lenses include a pin-hole simulator, a weird color wash lens, a four and six picture lens and a fish eye. I don't use this camera as much as Hipstamatic but still enjoy busting it out once in a while.

ClassicPAN - Vintage Panoramic Camera

ClassicPAN does one thing, it takes pictures with the top and bottom cut off to create a panorama. Its got some cool film types that you can swap out and a nice vignetting effect. I like using this camera for quick panoramic shots because its easy and fast. They pictures come out nice like all the other Classic camera but if I want to take a real panoramic picture, I use the app Pano.

ClassicSAMP - 4 lens toy camera

I'm not really a fan of the "mulit-lens" camera. They all take a series of pictures and just stack them next to or on top of each other. If you are into that sort of thing this app is simple and does it well, with some nice photo effects. I prefer to take my pictures separately and put them together in an app like Diptic. ClassicSAMP is more suited to action shots, where you want to take 4 pictures pretty close together and place them next to each other.

ClassicINSTA

ClassicINSTA is another easy to use and quick toy camera with a variety of film types and three user interfaces that you can choose from. Its good for speed, when you don't want to take the time to swap out lenses on another more complex camera app but if you already have Hipstamatic or ClassicTOY then you probably don't need this one.

These Cameras don't have a toy camera interface but they are free and simulate various toy camera effects. The other toy camera apps listed above can do the same thing that these apps do (except the Vint Shift camera) so if you get any of them, you won't need any of these free apps. If you don't have the money to spend and want to mess around with some vintage effects, try these out. All these apps do one thing and do them quickly. I think the Vint Shift is a pretty good free app but you can't really adjust the line of focus. Once you take the photos, you can't make any changes in any of these apps, what you get is what you get.

Vint Red

Vint Green

Vint B&W

Vint Shift

iPhone Photography - Microscopic Images

2010-10-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

This is a selection of Microscopic Photography that I took with my iPhone 4. A lot of the images were taken with the app Hipstamtic but I also sometimes use ClassicTOY, PictureShow, TiltShift Generator, CAMERAtan, Lo-Mob and other photo effect apps.

iPhone Photography - Objects

2010-10-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

This is a selection of Object Photography that I took with my iPhone 4. A lot of the images were taken with the app Hipstamtic but I also sometimes use ClassicTOY, PictureShow, TiltShift Generator, CAMERAtan, Lo-Mob and other photo effect apps.

iPhone Camera Hacks - External Lenses

2010-10-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with various camera hacks for my iPhone 4 recently. The first one I tried was a Mini Microscope Mod by Crabfu. Next I tried the CD/DVD lens hack. Both were fun and had some okay results. The CD/DVD lens was incredibly difficult to mount and the quality wasn't that great. The Mini Microscope Mod only works really close up and I often have lighting issues. It's also hard to get things in focus and you have to use your digital zoom to get rid of the black circle around the frame. I think I found a hack that is better than both, cheaper and much better quality. Before we get to that though, if you want to try the CD/DVD lens hack, I made this video about how to remove one from an old PC CD player:

I was recently wandering though a thrift shop and saw a huge basket of old 35mm camera's for between $2 and $3 dollars. I decided to buy one, tear it apart and see what kind of lenses I could pillage from the interior. What I found was a gold mine and it was super cheap. It did take a long time to get to everything though. It took about 1 hour of labor and you'll need a tiny screw driver and a pair of wire cutters.

I also purchased an old broken Polaroid camera and found an amazing lens that was similar to the dvd/cd lens but bigger. Its much easier to mount and align with the iPhone camera and takes higher quality pictures.

You can check out some of the Microscopic pictures I've taken on my Flickr page.

Why I Don't Post Very Often - Other Places To Find Me

2010-06-23T14:11:00.001-07:00

I've been a pretty busy guy recently and this blog isn't really a place to re-blog mobile tech news. I'm much more interested in creating extensive applists that I can't seem to find elsewhere on the web. I'm working on three new lists at the moment; specialty toy cameras, photo effects and music production apps.

I don't post here very often but you can also check out some more serious (non-app related) writing at my Fuser-Invent Blog or check out my music, art, design and photography at my Tumblr Blog.

If you find any of my applists helpful please let me know and spread the word.

Thanks!
-Benjamin

iPhone Productivity Apps - Organize Yourself

2010-05-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

I don't like have a dozen apps when I could use one to get the same job done. When trying to organize my personal and work life, I am looking for four main functions; a to-do list view, a calender view, a quick note option and a journal. I tried a bunch of other apps that seemed to work well enough but a couple of months ago I spent $3.99 on Awesome Note (+Todo) by BRID. Since then, I've been able to delete several other application that did their job just fine but cluttered up my iPhone. There is a lite version as well if you want to see if the user interface works for you before shelling out the cash. It definitely has nice graphics and is very easy to use.

Awesome Note (+Todo) by BRID

What I like the most about Awesome Note is that you can set up different folders for your personal life and work life. My folders are set up with a to-do list for work, a folder with all my accounts and their information, a personal to-do list, a daily journal, a shopping list, a list for my ideas, a folder for my band, a folder for lyrics and a folder for quick notes. You can put a password lock on any folder and change the color of the tabs, the icons, the background for the notes inside the folder and the font.

There is a calender view for each folder individually or for all of your folders at the same time. You can set due dates, change creation dates, color code everything and sync with google docs or evernote. This is my number one organizational tool on my iPhone right now. I got rid of all my other note taking apps with the exception of Evernote, which I sync with Awesome Note and frequently use the PC software on my computer. I got rid of all my journal apps, with the exception of a dream journal app called DreamLoggr because I like the interface and have hundreds of dreams logged in it already.

Another application that I've started using to organize my contacts is called Groups 2: Contact Management with Style by Guided Ways Technologies Ltd. It is an intuitive way to organize your phone numbers, emails and physical addressing and other contact information stored in your phone. The user interface and graphics are good and work similar to Awesome Note, even though this app is made by a competitor who has a great app called 2Do: A Stunning To Do List with Push and Sync that would be worth checking out if you don't like Awesome Note.

Groups 2: Contact Management with Style -

by Guided Ways Technologies Ltd

In Groups 2, I have split up my 400+ phone numbers, emails, addresses, etc. into several folders. Once again I've separated my personal life from my work life. One great thing is that you can add any contact to any folder, so someone you work with that is also a friend can be under two different groups. There are also Smart Groups in this app which allow you to use filters to create a group, but I don't use them. You can send group emails and the developer claims that when the new iPhone OS comes out, you will be able to send group SMS messages as well. Groups 2 can sync with your contacts on the iPhone, in Yahoo, Google and other places. At $2.99 I found it to be well worth the price.

The last app I want to mention is called Mint.com. Mint is software used for online money management and budgeting. Organizing your financial life can relieve a lot of daily stress and Mint does a great job of bringing all your accounts into the same place and showing you the data in an easy to understand way. The user interface looks good and is easy to navigate. I had some trouble adding my bank when I first signed up but their tech support was very helpful and in less than a week they solved the problem.

Mint.com Personal Finance by Mint.com

Mint.com lets you set a monthly budget and track your expenses and income. It also lets you look at your bank account, credit cards, loans, investments and all of your transactions. Mint.com will warn you if you go over budget or get a late fee on a credit card. The website is very helpful and can show you exactly where you money is going. Mint is free so it's worth checking out if you want a digital way to keep track of all these things. I do still keep a checkbook but now I can easily look at how much I spend on food, entertainment or my car each month.

If you want to move files across different computers and to your phone, check out Dropbox. Its very easy to use and makes transferring files a cinch. One of the best parts about it is that you can drop your files from your computer into that computers Dropbox and hit the road while they are transfering, when they are done they will show up on your iPhone and every other computer that you have Dropbox linked to. That means you don't have to find and plug in your cable and wait to sync your iPhone.

Awesome Note and Groups 2 make a great organizational combo and Mint.com is a great way to organize your finances. I would highly recommend all of them. Even though there are other apps in the appstore that do pretty much the same thing, these apps have good graphics and are easy to use. If you are working with an app on a daily basis, you definitely want it to look good. One thing that Awesome Note lacks is a voice recording function. Groups 2 doesn't seem to have voicemail access and when you make a call it opens the regular iPhone "Phone" application. Mint.com can sometimes be slow to update so it can't be used as a live look at your bank accounts. Other than those minor problems, these apps are well worth it.

FourTrack By Sonoma Wire Works

2010-05-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

FourTrack by Sonoma Wire Works is an iPhone music production app. I've messed around with several single track music recording apps and haven't tried any of the newer mulit-track recording app yet because FourTrack has such a nicely designed user interface. As soon as I open the application I feel comfortable and at home. It's simplicity and excellent graphics make it a joy to work with.

FourTrack By Sonoma Wire Works

FourTrack allows you to bounce previously recorded tracks to add more layers. To record you simply arm the recording button and slide the record button. There are pan knobs and a couple of effects in the song tools area. You can send your recorded songs to you computer using a wifi connection or Somoma's RiffWorks software. In it's earlier incarnations there were some glitches and bugs but they were promptly fixed in updates. The one thing FourTrack doesn't yet have, which is much needed, is the option to import tracks from the iPod/iTunes library. I often have rough demo's I have recorded elsewhere and would love to be able to throw them into FourTrack and record vocal ideas over them.

There really isn't much else to say about FourTrack. It does exactly what it is supposed to and looks really nice. One thing that everyone getting into iPhone recording apps should know is that you can not control the input volume from within the app or iPhone settings. The only way to avoid clipping in loud situations is to use an external volume control. In my blog iPhone Mic and Guitar Cable by KV Connection I address this problem and some other limitations.

One other thing I love about FourTrack is that it brings me back to the days when I would record on an old Fostex cassette tape four track recorder. There is some about being limited that really helps with the song writing process. I used FourTrack primarily for song ideas or to record band practices. I've had access to almost unlimited tracks for so long now, I almost forgot what it was like to be 16 years old and recording music in my dad's studio. FourTrack costs $9.99 but I think it was well worth it and I hope that it continues to improve in the future.

iPhone Mic and Guitar Cable by KV Connection

2010-05-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

As anyone who has tried to record using an iPhone knows, the built in mic doesn’t really cut it when the volume is too loud. There is no way to adjust the input volume on the iPhone. I tried a variety of solutions to try and solve this problem, including the crazy train of adapters hooked up to a mini-camera cord that you might read about on other blogs. I also tried the PRS Guitarbud interface, which was poorly constructed for such a high price. After weeks of searching online I found the KV Connection and bought this cable:

iPhone Adapter 3.5mm male to 3.5mm Headphone Jack and 1/4in Microphone Jack -

Available from kvconnection.com

They have other cables made specifically for the iPhone which may be better suited to what you want to do but this cable has allowed me to plug my guitar or mic directly into my iPhone with the 1/4in input jack. I promise you, this is the cable you’ve been looking for! If you are recording lectures, pod casts or speeches with your iPhone, they have a cable with an XLR hook-up so you can go directly to a high quality, professional microphone. Although, if you want to use a condenser microphone you will need phantom power from a compact mixing board or preamp. You can also use the mixing board to record multiple instruments are microphones at the same time.

Behringer Xenyx 502 Mixer - Available from Musiciansfriend.com

To solve the input volume problem when recording live music or a band practice (or even just to have a little extra control) I run everything through a compact mixing board, made by Mackie, before going into the iPhone. There are more affordable, entry level mixing boards like the one pictured above, made by Behringer, and available through Musician's Friend. It is a lot quicker and easier to record to the iPhone than it is to record to my digital work station. The iPhone is great for recording rough tracks, jam sessions, ideas, lectures, pod casts, voice notes and many other things. With the right hardware it becomes much easier and the resulting quality might surprise you.

The compact mixing board can also offer a solution to the limitations of apps like FourTrack like monitoring what you are playing while listening to what is already recorded. You can plug your headphones into the compact mixing board and then plug the microphone output on the KVC cable into one of the channels on the board. You won't be hearing what the iPhone is recording, so you can't tell if it's clipping, but you can hear your audio playback and what you are currently playing at the same time.

Audio-Technica AT2041SP Microphone Pack - Available from Musiciansfriend.com

I use the Audio-Technica Microphone pack for recording acoustic guitar and vocals. If I'm recording a live session in the studio, like a band practice, I will use two of the AT2020's as room mics. MXL also makes a cheaper microphone pack that is more affordable and has decent sound quality. You can use pretty much any microphone you want with this set-up but if you want to use a condenser microphone you have to run it through the mixing board or a preamp with phantom power.

iPhone Zombie Game App List - Updated v.2

2010-05-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Zombie game app list - I've compiled a comprehensive list of all the Zombie Games that I've tried on the iPhone. I have a deep and twisted love for Zombie movies, so spending my free time blowing up Zombies is one of the great joys of life which really shouldn't be missed. I've categorized the games into four sections; the games I would highly recommend trying, games that are okay and might be worth your time, the games that totally suck and pissed me off and pseudo-zombie games that don't really fit into the Zombie game category but might show up in your appstore search. If anyone has any game suggestions for me, please leave a comment and hopefully this list with continue to grow. I'm also removing all mention of game costs since they change so often. Each game title is a link to the iTunes app store. Hope this helps some of you sort through the vast amount of Zombie themed games out there.

The "So-Good":

Alive4-ever

I should have bought this game a long time ago. Even after beating the story mode, I keep coming back for more. It’s a top-down dual stick shooter with smooth controls, lots of weapons and lots of blood. The challenges aren’t super creative, like 'kill 60 zombies' or 'save 3 hostages,' but the RPG elements make the game much more exciting so I'm glad they are there. You gain experience points and cash by completing the challenges and you can buy new weapons and add attributes like Hit Points to your character. There are a couple of intense boss battles and a variety of the undead to blow to hell with a ton of different weapons. The graphics are impressive and if you just want to kill some time, the Survival and Horde modes are really fun. One thing I would have liked to see is some kind of reward for beating every special challenge, maxing out the characters and unlocking all the weapons and equipment. After totally annihilating every aspect of the game, I think I should get something special, like a super big gun.

Alive4-ever RETURNS

The second installment of Alive4ever builds a little on the first but at its core it really doesn’t seem much different. Everything is pretty much the same except the camera zooms out when there aren’t zombies around and zooms in when they are close. This does add a little to the game-play and makes things seem more intense when you're battling zombies up-close. There are plenty of new zombie types and weapons to mow them down with but all the challenges are the same type of formula you find in the first Alive4ever game. The developers also added new skills, which you can equip and use for a quick burst of firing power or health boost while playing a level. If only they would add a compelling story mode, this game would be a must buy. Regardless, Alive4ever: Returns is in my opinion, the one of the best Zombie games currently available in the app store. If you liked the first game, you'll probably like the second game but if you can only choose one, I'd go for this one.

ZombieSmash

ZombieSmash is a unique take on the castle defense genre, which I usually can't stand. I never really got the point of frantically flicking my finger across the screen to "defend" my castle. In this game there are enough different kinds of zombies to keep things interesting and a good amount of upgradeable weapons, like falling rocks, grenades, landmines and a gun with a laser site. Even if you don’t like castle defense games, which I don’t, you might like this one. The controls are easy to learn, the graphics are nice, there's plenty of blood and gore and its pretty damn funny. I do love Zombie Survival Comedy but still be cautious if you aren’t into the whole flicking bad guys across the screen thing because there is a whole lot of that going on.

Zombie Infection

I haven't played Resident Evil 4 but everyone says Zombie Infection is a clone of that game. I'm totally down with the graphics, game play and decent story line. Its creepy as hell and I like that the game isn't dark and shadowy like most zombie games. I had no problem picking up the controls quickly and so far I've been enjoying the level design, zombie design, blood and gore. I got it on the cheap but now that I've tried it, I'd probably pay more for it.

Pro Zombie Soccer

Another killer Zombie Survival Comedy, this game has great comic book cut scenes, great game-play and graphics and is funny as hell. Its plenty gory and has some really interesting controls, which I found easy to learn. There isn't a huge variety of zombies but I think the point is to remember how to beat each one and exploit their weakness. I was pleasantly surprised when I bought this game and if you are looking for some lighter Zombie killing action its a must buy.

Twin Blades

I didn't even know this was a Zombie game until I purchased it back before the big update. At first it was a simple side-scrolling hack and slash with no story line and one endlessly scrolling background. You basically just ran through each level and killed a bunch of zombies. When the game was updated they added more weapons which can upgraded, an entertaining story mode, more backgrounds, special abilities and boss battles. The controls were pretty easy to learn and the difficulty is well balanced, except for the final boss which I just can't beat. The graphics are great and the detailed backgrounds are beautiful. The iPhone seems to be lacking good side-scrolling zombie games, so if you want one, be sure to pick up Twin Blades. I just wish I could beat the final boss and see how the story ends!

Infect Them All

Okay so its not a super innovative or graphically exciting game but there is something very satisfying about playing a zombie. I had a lot of fun infecting other people and then watching them infect more people and start a chain reaction. There really isn't too much else to the game, though there is a little strategy involved as you encounter new enemies that get progressively harder to zombify. I found it fun in short spurts when I just wanted to play something simple and not that involved.

Doom Resurrection

I actually didn't think a Doom rail-shooter would be all that good but I ended up liking it. Rail-shooters can easily go very wrong but it seems like a lot of thought was put into the paths in Doom Resurrection. The graphics are cool, the zombies are crazy looking, the ambiance is sometimes shocking and very eerie and the story line is decent. I picked it up on the cheap and probably wouldn't pay that much for it, but I'm glad that I bought it.

N.Y. Zombies

There is a lite version of this game so you can give it a shot before you buy it. In each level you basically stand in one place and defend yourself. You place in a 360 degree environment and swipe the screen to see in other directions. There are always multiple points of entry for the zombies to creep in and there are plenty of weapons to dispose of them. The graphics are okay but could be a little better and the controls seem simple enough. My major problem with this game is that you stand in one place for so long and who would really stand in the middle of an open area during a zombie apocalypse? I'd wait till it goes on sale but its a decent entry into the zombie shooter genre.

Aftermath

Aftermath is an interesting atmospheric, top-down, dual stick shooter. This game is incredibly dark and it’s hard to see what’s going on, but somehow it works. You are equipped with a flashlight and a gun. The left stick moves your character around, while the right stick changes which direction you are looking. If a zombie is in front of you, the game automatically shoots at it. There are bolts of lighting that will light up the screen for a split second so you can see more of the area. This game isn’t so much about shooting a lot of zombies as it is about running your ass off and getting from point A to point B. I think the graphics, controls and game-play are pretty good and the game was worth my money. It’s pretty short but it’s also different, which is a pretty rare find.

Honorable Mentions:

Zombie Flick

Zombie Flick is pretty simple and I thought it was also pretty funny. You stand in one place and can turn in four directions. Basically you just flick a variety of strange objects at the incoming zombies to kill them. The gore factor is decent and you can take out limbs and heads, which I like. There aren't really levels, you just survive as long as you can.

Zombie Shock

I have to say this is a really weird game. The graphics are odd and the game play is all about constantly running, clearing your path and making sure no zombies catch up with you. I didn't think it was that great but I picked it up for free and it was pretty fun for a little while.

iZombie: Death March

IZombie: Death March is a free game so there is no risk in seeing if you’d find any value in it. It's a top down zombie killing marathon. You tap on the zombies to shoot them, which is easy but entertaining. The graphics are pretty good and the story is okay even though the game is incredibly short. There are some interesting levels involving a flashlight and moving the iPhone around to light up the screen. It's very easy to start playing but the higher difficulty levels are definitely challenging. Not a bad way to kill an hour or so.

The "So-So":

Zombieville USA

Back when I first got my iPhone, this was an incredibly popular zombie game and one of the first games I downloaded. It’s a very easy side-scrolling shooter with upgradeable weapons, different characters to choose from and nice cartoon graphics. The controls are super easy and the levels get harder the longer you play. At first it was fun to play for 3-5 minutes at a time but the game seriously lacks depth and variety. There is no story line and all the levels look exactly the same. The game is in serious need of an update and could benefit greatly from some boss battles and different backgrounds. I got a good few hours of game-play out of it, so I think it might have been worth what I paid for it but I would try out the lite version before you decide to give it a go. There are much better Zombie games out there to spend you money on first and I would save this one for a time when you've tried most of the other games out there and want something new.

Zombie Wonderland

The graphics on this one are pretty nice. You are inside a house and trying to protect it by running to different windows and taking out zombies as they approach. As you defend your refuge some zombies might break their way inside and its up to you to dispose of them and then clean up the mess. Kind of strange to be cleaning up zombie guts while still being attacked but it makes for some interesting game play. I didn't think it was really that great but if you are into defense games it might be your thing.

Zombie Cannon Carnage

This game can be pretty fun at times but also really frustrating at other times. Shooting Zombies out of cannons, breaking stuff and watching them fall to pieces is entertaining. I still can't figure out how to score well in this game, but somehow I still find it fun once in a while, though not for very long. Overall though, I really don’t think there is enough variety and depth to keep things interesting for very long, so I probably wouldn't recommend buying it unless you are really into Cannon games and already have the skills. I think it would be much better if you got a short preview of the level you are shooting your zombie into so there would be some more strategy to it.

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies

This FPS shooter game definitely satisfies my inherent need shoot the undead. This is the kind of game that you sit down with for a while and actually play. The graphics on this are great, but I found the controls a little difficult. It's obviously a popular title but I don‘t think it‘s very well suited for the iPhone. It’s also priced outrageously high for an iPhone game. There is a lite version if you want to give it a shot before buying it, which I would highly recommend doing. If you like Zombie games and are familiar with the type of controls that a FPS like this use, you will probably like this game. I, on the other hand, did not think it was worth the steep price.

Attack from the Dead

This game was on sale and was an impulse buy. It's fairly simple and can be played in short spurts. You are behind a barricade on one side of the screen and zombies come in from the other side. You shoot them... they die. Nothing too amazing here but overall not a bad game. If you see a game called Asland around, it is almost exactly like this game but if you are into this kind of game-play, I would suggest you go for Attack from the Dead instead. There isn’t a lot of variety or depth here so if you haven’t tried some of the better zombie games yet, buy those first.

Zombie Invasion

Don't let the ugly spash screen or other preview pictures fool you, this game is fun and the actual game play has decent graphics. Much like iZombie: Death March, this game is a top down zombie killing fest. You tap the zombies to kill them and it starts getting hard pretty fast. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t a bigger variety of zombies and the game sticks to the same formula throughout, but it was free when I got it and kept my fingers well occupied for a couple of hours.

Dark Slasher: Dark Ninja vs. Pirate Monkey Zombies

This is more of a Ninja game than a Zombie game but I picked it up for free while it was on sale and got some brief enjoyment out of it. The art style was pretty cool but the game-play gets boring pretty fast. Pirate Monkey Zombies fill up the screen and you swipe your finger across them to slice them up. Since it’s free I would give it a shot for some brief entertainment and to check out the cool artwork, but I’m pretty sure most people won’t play it for more than a couple of minutes, especially when there are much better games out there to spend your time with.

Zombie Pizza

I didn’t enjoy this game but that’s probably because I didn’t get to shoot any zombies. There is a zombie theme but instead of mowing down the undead, you feed them. That's right, you make pizza out of various organs and flick them out the door to keep the zombies at bay. It’s a simple game with good graphics but not much replay value. You throw toppings on a pizza and then toss the pizza out the door over and over again, that's about it. Not really my kind of game, but I’m sure there are people out there who would like it.

Shoot To Kill

Shoot to Kill is free to play but you can buy in game credits if you want to. I haven't bought any and don't really plan on it. You stand in the middle of the screen and shoot a bunch of zombies. The controls were pretty difficult to pick up and I wasn't super into the game but it wasn't necessarily bad. Its free so its worth a shot for some brief entertainment. Maybe it gets better if you are willing to throw down extra money for more credits.

The "So-Bad":

Dawn of the Dead

I love zombie movies and that's why I love zombie games. I’m always skeptical about movie to game adaptations because they usually suck and Dawn of the Dead is no exception. In the earlier releases the controls were atrocious and because of that the zombies would get their fill of brains a little too quickly to make it any fun. When they updated the game it became playable but the controls are still a little glitchy. The developers are trying to use the same type of top-down dual stick design as Alive4ever but there is definitely something wrong. My character doesn’t aim very well and I have a hard time maneuvering around the zombies. Some of levels are sort of like puzzles and others are just get from point A to point B. The first level is a parking lot where you defend yourself while trying to find a key to get inside the mall. At first the game seemed entertaining and I thought it had potential but after a few levels I had to deal with frequent slow downs, freezing and crashes. The game is also super short with no replay value. If they were to fix the controls and fix these problems, this game might be a contender, until then spend your money elsewhere.

iZombieland

When the price temporarily dropped down to $0.99 I decided to give iZombieland a shot. As always I was afraid that this movie to game adaptation was going to be a failure. I don’t really know what to say because it’s not really bad but it's also not good. The graphics are so-so and the game play is kind of boring. The controls are interesting, with the movement and attack buttons on either side of the screen. It’s a side scrolling shooter which was nice to see but I didn't really enjoy the "storyline" at all, the weapons didn‘t work too well and the sound effects were pretty annoying. Is it really worth the money I spent? Probably not, which is too bad because I thought the movie was hilarious.

Kids Vs. Zombies

Wow was this a crappy game with crappy graphics. You control a bunch of kids hiding behind a barrier and fend off a bunch of poorly designed zombies. There isn't much else to be said except its not worth your time or money.

Squish The Zombies

Another totally sucky game. You control a snowball with the tilt controls and try and squish as many zombies as possible. There are houses and trees that slow you down. The ball gets rolling pretty quickly and the game got really frustrating as I kept running into obstacles. I really don't think there is anyway to make this game good. I promptly deleted it.

Dead Strike

This game is free now and apparently plagued by ads. At first the graphics look pretty decent and you might think it could be a fun experience but the controls are god-awful. Saying much more wouldn't really be worth my time because this game was a big let down. Even though it’s free, I wouldn’t even suggest wasting your time giving it a try.

Asland

I found this game to be an inferior version of Attack of the Dead, which isn’t that great of a game either. The graphics and game-play on this game are a little worse, so if you are interested in a game like this, go for Attack of the Dead instead. There’s a lite version if you want to decided for yourself whether or not it’s worth the high price they are usually asking for it.

Zombie Defense

Zombie Defense is a classic defense game where you set up some barricades and strategically place four character, then you let the zombies in and see if you put things in the right place. I found it pretty boring and unoriginal but I know some people like that sort of thing. There is a lite version but personally I don’t even think that is worth the time to check out.

Be Free or die (Zombie 3D FPS)

Everything in this game is way too dark and the graphics are pretty poor. There is nothing at all to make it stand out from stronger FPS Shooters like Call of Duty. It must be easy to make crappy first person shooters for the iPhone these days.

Pseudo-Zombie Games:

BATTLE BEARS -1

There have been a couple of updates to fix the horrible controls this game launched with, but its still not totally refined. The level backgrounds are pretty repetitive and I didn't find it as fun as BATTLE BEARS: Zombies! I think with some more work it could be decent but right now its not really that fun. I was pretty excited for it as well, so I'm thoroughly disappointed.

BATTLE BEARS: Zombies!

I've got to say BATTLE BEARS: Zombies! is pretty fun. You are a bear behind a barricade and zombie bears work their way towards you as you fire away. Blow off their heads and you get a rainbow. There are boss battles, different weapons and different levels. It took me a while to get used to the controls but the game is was definitely worth the purchase price. It isn't really a zombie game because the zombies are bears and there isn’t any blood and gore, but it’s fun non-the-less.

Minigore

MiniGore has been out long enough that it should have had some major updates, instead the developers have been releasing a bunch of other sub-par games. Its got great graphics, easy controls, challenging game-play, lots of characters and lots of weapons. Its the best kind of dual stick shooter but has absolutely no story and lacks depth and replay value. There are only so many times you can load the same two environments and kill the same zombie “furries” over and over again. There are also some weird worm type things, but that doesn’t really add enough variety. More levels, more special weapons specific to the different characters you can unlock and some sort of story mode with new content could make this game so much more than it is right now. It’s usually cheap and you can definitely get your money’s worth by downloading it, but if you are anything like me, you will quickly become disappointed that, what could be a great game, just doesn’t quite cut it.

Solomon's Boneyard

This game is more of a straight up dual stick shooter than the RPG dungeon crawler Solomon's Keep. I find it enjoyable. Its got good graphics, good controls and decent replay value. The undead are more skeletons and the like than classic zombies so I decided to label it as a pseudo-zombie game. I'd also suggest giving Solomon's Keep a try.

Solomon’s Keep

Solomon’s Keep is a dungeon crawler with a twist. The game play is really simple, the controls are intuitive and easy to learn and the graphics are cute and cartoon-ish. It’s a refreshing fusion of action RPG and dual stick shooter. It’s unfortunately very short and not very challenging but it’s fun non-the-less. Its cheap and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a more laid back gaming experience. Like Solomon's Boneyard, the zombies in this game aren’t really zombies, they are undead skeletons and other dungeon crawler related baddies but I think people who like zombie games might like this one as well.

BloodnGuns

BloodnGuns is a top-down dual-stick shooter. There isn’t much too the game besides being thrown into an environment and shooting a ton of what I think are zombies. Not a lot of depth or replay value here. The backgrounds are sometimes too busy and get in the way of the game play and the UI is pretty damn ugly. I got it while it was free and played it for about an hour before deleting it. I had fun for a while but like most games without a real story, it got boring fast. I wouldn't suggest paying for it unless they were to add a solid story and clean up some of the poor graphics.

Well thats it for now - I'm always on the lookout for new games so if you know of anything I might like, please leave a comment and let me know. I'll be updating this app list occasionally as I acquire new Zombie themed games. Until then, have fun and don't forget to remove the head or destroy the brain.

New Technology - New Rules of Social Interaction

2010-05-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

We are quickly entering into an era of human history when we are all virtually connected to each other at all times. Not only do most people have mobile phones in our pockets during the day, we are increasingly bringing them to bed with us at night. How many people actually turn their phones off? The only time I see the iPhone start up screen is when I'm rebooting my device. So for some of us, we are always connected to the invisible social network no matter what time of day or night.

My job demands that I be available almost all the time. This requirement could not have existed, in the same way that it does now, before mobile technology. It also allows me to do other things that would have been impossible without mobile technology. I can field a tech support call on the way to repair a piece of equipment, I can send a picture of the part I need to our provider or even pull up the necessary diagrams while I'm making the repair. I can also organize my schedule, group my business contacts, keep track of client information and their equipment, have access to technical documents, easily convert units, make sure a piece of equipment is level and one of my favorite features, use google maps to find out where I am and where I'm going. Amazingly, I can do this all on one small device that fits in my pocket.

This technology is obviously good for productivity, organization and business but what about social life? In a way we are increasing our social capital through increased connectivity with our peers, but does it come at the expense of real life social interaction? In many social situations our interactions may be interrupted by a text message or phone call. Its common to see people on their phones, whether they are texting, checking their email or looking at some sort of news. The question is whether or not this type of activity is rude or inappropriate.

I think that depends on the social context and the individuals involved. The rules of real life social interaction in competition with mobile technology has changed but that doesn't mean it's changed for everyone. In my work place it is common to be interrupted by phone calls or text messages. There will be meetings when we have our mobile phones in hand and business meals when we have to take phone calls. I also have friends who do the same in normal social situations. I find it acceptable and so do they, but there are friends in my peer group who do not find it acceptable. I've made the mistake of taking a work call right before sitting down to dinner with friends or responding to a text while in the middle of a conversation with someone who thought it was incredibly rude. I realize that it's important to evaluate how a person feels about these new social rules before using this technology in their presence. Some people get offended and some do not, it's often hard to judge what is acceptable behavior beforehand. Most of the time, if you see someone else doing it, then it’s okay with them if you do it as well.

I think a safe rule of thumb is to keep your phone on vibrate as often as possible. Try not to use your phone while eating with friends unless you know they would do the same. Always excuse yourself and take a call while away from the group and not at the table. Don't use your phone while talking about anything important with someone. If you have an incoming call or text message, most of the time a response can wait at least a few minutes, so find a good point in the conversation to excuse yourself for a moment. Be careful around people who do not have smart phones and extra careful around people who don't use mobile phones at all (yes they are out there). Be courteous and understand that social rules are mutual, we all have to find a common ground with each individual we interact with and come to a consensus on what is acceptable. What is acceptable for one friend may not be acceptable for another. Most of the time we have to change our habits to reduce the risk of offending someone else but letting your phone chill out in your pocket for a little while isn't the end of the world.