TripAdvisor Takes Advice on the Road with App

Did you ever have such a terrible experience at a hotel or restaurant that you wanted to let everyone know right away just how terrible the place is? (I know I have: Here's the full story) Or perhaps enjoyed such a tasty meal or fantastic service that you couldn't wait to share it with others? With TripAdvisor on your iPhone sharing or finding a great experience is a breeze.

With that said, obviously there's a limit to how wordy you might want to get in composing a review on the phone. And unfortunately, the app doesn't give you option of posting photos with your review. However as a fast and easy way to find reviews when you're in an unfamiliar city, TripAdvisor shines.

Here's a look:

TripAdvisor in the App Store.

Crazy Taxi isn't that crazy, and isn't the game you think it is

I can remember many a quarter spent playing a bit of Crazy Taxi in the arcade: drive. Pickup a customer, then floor it as fast as you could to their destination. I'm sorry to say the Crazy Taxi we're looking at today is not that game. In this Crazy Taxi, you hold down the accelerator, then jump when a series of cars approaches, or alternatively, you can try to move side to side. Good luck with that.

The graphics are passable, but the sound effects and lack of such extras as say, a visual when you approach a checkpoint, make this a taxi you can avoid. 

Here's a look:

Crazy Taxi in the App Store.

Mr. Aahh!! iPhone App Review

Sometimes less is more, and the folks behind Mr. Aahh!! hope this game is one of those cases... It comes pretty close.

Mr. Aahh!! (and the free version) combines the key elements for iPhone app success: simple premise, quick start, and short challenges that can be played just about anywhere, anytime.

With that said, the game could perhaps use a bit more spice. The gameplay revolves around swinging from one pedestal and successfully landing on another. As you progress through the game, the landing zones get smaller, the wind gets trickier, and gravity takes on a mind of its own. You can rock the iPhone/iPod Touch back and forth to gain momentum to tweak your jump.

Does it reach the bar of say DoodleJump for short, fun, play? Take a look and you be the judge:

Mr. Aahh!! in the App Store.

Retro Tech Tuesday: Tyco Super Turbo Train

It seems like high-speed rail will never take hold here in the United States. Perhaps if more parents had bought this toy in 80's, the legislators and lawmakers of today would have a more positive view of future rail transport.

The Tyco Super Turbo Train combined an HO scale train track, with the motor technology of slot cars to produce a toy that went "faster than the speed of sound" (at scale.) Be thankful you don't have HO scale-sized ears or I guess you would've heard a sonic boom every time this thing was fired up. I briefly owned a Tyco Super Turbo Train, and I hate to report that as with many toys of the time, it didn't quite live up to the hype. Getting it to stay on the track, and keeping the ultra-light and ultra flimsy cars free of dents was a real chore.

Still, today it is on my shortlist of toys from my youth to purchase off of eBay at three times the price of the original:

Camel Race is Missing a Few Humps

I know, I know.. We'd all like to start our Monday with a cool, one-of-a-kind, app. Unfortunately, this won't be one of those Mondays, because today we're talking about Camel Race. (Or try this free version.)

The gameplay of Camel Race will be familiar to anyone who has been to a carnival, or perhaps a Dave & Buster's:

You roll balls up a ramp, and depending on which hole you ball goes into your camel (although usually a horse at fairs) moves a corresponding distance, with the goal being to finish the race before everyone else. While the premise is fine, the execution, specifically the effect (or lack of) gravity plays on the balls does not seem realistic.

It's a little easier to see than describe, and luckily we create a bunch of videos around here just for that purpose:

Camel Race in the App Store.