App Review: Hot or Not!

Remember a few years back before smart phones and apps, you'd find yourself wasting your day away at work flipping through pictures of strangers and judging them instantly based solely on their appearance?  Those days seem like so long ago and it felt like they were gone forever as the fad passed into history.

Well the fad is back and you can do that all over again.  This time, you can do it anywhere, anytime, with your phone.

That's right Hot or Not is back with a new app and now you can see all the "hot" people around you and if you are brave enough, let the world determine your hotness, or lack there of.

The app boasts of having over 190 million users and this time around it acts more like a social network than just a random judging app.  You can chat with people around you now instead of just looking at the pictures.  So, should you be so inclined, you can not reach out and talk with the people you think are hot.

The app is now optimized for iOS7 and allows you to see how you are connected to other people via your own friends so you can play six degrees with complete strangers now.

Check it out for yourself and see if it's for you.  Personally, I'm not near brave enough to put my self out there for judgement but that's just me.  I just barely got the nerve to see how Grindr works.

Check it out at tryhotornot.com and check out the sweepstakes to win $1000 gift card!  I think the key to enjoying an app like this is to not take it very seriously.  Have fun with it and see if you can boost your own confidence.

And by the way, no matter what anyone on some app believes you're beautiful.

RAWR(for more)

Minecraft Pocket Edition 0.7.3 Update Review

Today, Mojang released the newest update to the mobile version of its Minecraft franchise, 0.7.3

Most of the new features are cosmetic and don't improve actual gameplay. These small improvements do, however,  bring us closer to seeming like we're playing the PC version of game.

The biggest aesthetic additions are the sun, moon and stars.  There's something magical about watching the stars and moon pass over the cubic terrain, because the days and nights are much shorter in the Pocket Edition of the game. Mojang also added the Quartz slab, which you can now use to build make-shift stairs or other purposes.

Also notable is the main menu.  The background now does a sweeping pan of a plains biome, the picture is blurred out as always, but it adds motion to the menu.  Adding even more motion is the implementation of the pulsating yellow text atop the Minecraft Pocket Edition Logo.  This yellow text changes with every loading of the menu.

The other big feature in this update is double chest.  You can now place two single chests side-by-side to make a double chest, which holds double the inventory as a regular chest.  In addition, the player can place double chests side-by-side.  This cannot be accomplished in other versions of the game.

There were various bugfixes and tweaks to Realms, namely the login.  Loading it a lot smoother and fast.  Also there is less of Realms crashing and disconnecting players.

Other Realms Tweaks include:

• Realms can be reset
• Glowing Obsidian can yield resources with an Iron pickaxe, but obsidian can only be mined with a Diamond one
• You can't type capital W in world or seed
• Wooden Slab hard to break w/ Axe (easy w/ pick)
• Furnace crash bug *SEVERE*
• Inventory bug (throwing items in hand while in a gui)

There is much room left for improvement on Minecraft Pocket Edition, but this definitely a welcomed small update. What we need now is access to creating our own Realms, still this feature is in Alpha and Mojang has released only a few hundred to the public.  If things progress at this pace, we will see another update in October. With all the bugfixes, tweaks and added features, I'd rate this 4 out 5 stars. 

What feature would you like to see most in Minecraft Pocket Edition?

RAWR(for more)

Tech: Marvel Comics same day to Digital

Among other things today in tech Marvel came outside from the shadowy comic dungeon to announce that they are renewing their commitment to digital platforms as conduits for Marvel comics.

Now they already had apps for both Android and iOS, but they were always the odd step child, receiving slow and delayed updates. Starting in March, Marvel will be release day and date in physical stores AND on digital platforms.

So any of you that want to forgo the cellophane and new comic smell can now do so a little easier. I'd say drop the digital price a little and you got a deal Marvel.

RAWR(for more)

Something BIG is Coming: Google + Samsung Event

Well ladies and gents, it's that time again, Google has decided today is the day to unwrap some delicious Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) for us. As well as invite their friend Samsung along to announce Google's next Nexus phone.


I'll be blogging the event which starts at 10AM (HKT) which is 7pm PST/10pm EST. But for those of you more proactive users you can head over to www.youtube.com/android where el Goog has set up a live stream for the event. Enjoy the festivities!


[Update 7:02]: The presentation is starting right now! Samsung head of Mobile Communications is on stage.

[Update 7:04]: Ice Cream Sandwich is real, just announced to be coming today.

[Update 7:06]: LTE (So the Verizon rumor is a yes), dual-core, unique curved design, and "unparalleled performance".

[Update 7:07]: Head of Android for Google is on stage, Andy Rubin.

[Update 7:08]: "The engineering teams lived in one building with the software team essentially"

[Update 7:11]: Galaxy Nexus is official. They are going to talk about 4 areas of the phone. Speed. Screen. Design. OS. Hit the break (the Rawr below) to see the rest of the event.

RAWR(for more)

Tech: Madden 12 Free Download!

Do you like Madden? Do you have an Android phone? Are you on Verizon? Well if you answered yes to all three of those then listen up! This entire weekend (The 1st through 3rd) Verizon, partnering with the NFL, is giving away to all it's customers a little game called Madden 12, no strings attached. This very lovely little offer will net you a $7 savings, which is quite the pretty penny these days. So in the spirit of the game, let's play some football!

RAWR(for more)