Kitty Code releases Hurricane HD 2.0 for the iPad

(Editor's Note: In an effort to bring you more app news faster, we are experimenting with adding app developer press releases as part of our blog posts. Let us know what you think.)

PRESS RELEASE:

Kitty Code, LLC announces the update to their award winning iOS Apps Hurricane for the iPhone and Hurricane HD for the iPad. The update to Hurricane HD includes NHC Video Updates, while the Hurricane update includes iOS 4 updates, Retina Display graphics, Multitasking support as well as other minor feature enhancements to the broadcast quality, zoomable maps covering storms in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

With an area of interest already being watched off of the eastern seaboard of the US, we have a stark reminder that Hurricane Season is here, and it's time to be prepared. Forecasters expect another busy Atlantic Hurricane Season, and for people with an iPhone, iPod touch or an iPad, there's no better way to stay informed than with Kitty Code's Hurricane and Hurricane HD apps.

Hurricane HD has received a major update for 2011 with many features to keep you informed. The newly updated tracking map now allows for the display of multiple tropical systems simultaneously, while the Hurricane HD Historic Storm Library gives you access to memorable storms of the past and can be displayed along side current storms within the tracking map. With the new Storm Center, active storm bulletins, forecasts, satellites and radar are all at your finger tips, along with the ability to play through storm tracks. Hurricane HD now also includes push notifications, giving you the ability to stay up to date with whats happening in the tropics anytime day or night.

Hurricane for the iPhone and iPod touch has been updated to include world tropical cyclone, typhoon and hurricane tracking on the interactive tracking map. Hurricane is the first application of its kind to cover tropical systems around the world. We've also added push notifications to keep you informed of any critical developments.

Tracking storms since September 2008, Hurricane continues to lead the pack as the innovative and inclusive hurricane tracking option, giving you easy access to everything you need to track a tropical system and keep you informed. Hurricane introduced highly detailed, zoomable maps covering the Atlantic, East and Central Pacific oceans and now tracks the West Pacific, South Pacific and Indian Oceans as well. Receiving continued refinements over the last three years, Hurricane has added distance from your position to any point on the storm track, and the official 5 day Forecast Cone to the broadcast quality maps. Each storm continues to feature animated satellite and radar imagery when available, the latest plots for active storms as well as world satellites, bulletins and more.

"Hurricane was the first complex weather application added to the iTunes App Store, and the latest release of Hurricane builds upon the solid framework that our users have come to know and trust. The mapped forecast cone is an extremely important part of tracking hurricanes, showing you what areas could be affected. Hurricane takes this a step further, allowing you to zoom in on the forecast cone, effectively showing you the exact extent of the cone of uncertainty. Hurricane remains the only app performing this function to date on the iPhone and iPod touch and Hurricane HD is the only iPad app with this critical feature", said Ilene Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Kitty Code, LLC. 

Hurricane has grown a lot over the last three years, and has been very successful in showing where storms are, regardless of their location in the world.

Features included in Hurricane and Hurricane HD:
* Mapped, zoomable 3 and 5 day Forecast Cone
* Animated satellite and radar imagery
* World wide tracking maps
* Atlantic, Eastern and Central Pacific historical tracking data
* Storm information page and Storm Center puts important storm details such as storm specific animated satellite, radar, forecast images and text at your finger tips
* Fully zoomable tracking maps providing a greater level of detail
* Integrated GPS to inform you of your distance from an approaching storm
* Satellite images covering all tropical seas and oceans
* An enhanced look that makes finding information easier than ever before
* Push notification of new storms

Features exclusive to Hurricane for iPhone and iPod touch
* iOS 4 Ready 
* Multitasking 
* Retina Display Images

Features exclusive to Hurricane HD:
* News tab featuring storm news and preparedness information.
* Track and compare multiple current, past and historical systems on the same interactive map
* Designed especially for the iPad's size 
* HDMI output allows for the display of Hurricane HD on a large screen 

The world is talking about Hurricane:

"Apps share similarities, but Hurricane HD, Hurricane stand out from this pack." - Macworld, Rated 4 out of 5 Mice

"This app has everything I need in one handy spot. It's not a game or a toy, just an app packed full of the latest storm information.", iTunes US

"I use this app on a daily basis, I highly reccomend it to anyone who is interested in weather or lives in a hurricane prone area.", iTunes Canada

"Preciso, claro, eficiente, la mejor aplicacion en su naturaleza, al igual la base de datos que incluye", iTunes Mexico

"Tres bonne app qui sert lorsque l'on vit au Antilles ce qui est mon cas meilleure app du genre.", iTunes France

"Sehr empfehlenswert. Sehr uebersichtlich - man sieht auch sofort auf der 1. Seite evtl. Sturmaktivitaeten und dann gibt es alle wichtigen weiterfuehrenden Angaben. Es ist fuer mich das allerbeste Hurrikane-App!!", iTunes Germany

"Sehr vielseitges App, grosse bersicht, viele Ansichten. 
So verpasst du garantiert keinen Hurri mehr." - iTunes Review (Netherlands)

Device Requirements:
* iOS 4.0 or later iPhone, iOS 3.2 or later for iPad

Pricing and Availability:
Hurricane and Hurricane HD are only $3.99 (USD) and available exclusively through Apple's iTunes AppStore. More information about Hurricane for the iPhone and iPod touch and Hurricane HD for the iPad can be found at the official Kitty Code website.

Kitty Code
Hurricane HD 2.0

Lines of Mania for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Lines of Mania looks like a simple game of connect-the-dots, but the more you play, the more you realize how important strategy becomes in the app. Essentially, you connect a series of points in numerical order, but if you simply go in a straight line from point A to B, you'll soon realize you won't be able to connect all the points.

You can take the strategy up a notch with the multi-player option, with points going to the person who completes the puzzle, as you take a series of turns.

(iTunes link)

Here's a look:

Pay for your iPhone By Buying 200 Pizzas

We know all too well that an iPhone is quite an investment. Fortunately though, there are apps slowly emerging that could help the iPhone (or iPod Touch) pay for itself. One of those apps is from Pizza Hut.

This free app allows you to order pizza for pickup or delivery (depending on your local Pizza Hut, of course) from your Pizza Hut. And, it saves you 20% while doing it. According to all of the comments on the app, apparently early adopters hit a few bumps in the road, but with three sample orders here, we did indeed save 20% over the posted internet price each time. It seems some of the pizza configurations are not available, and the app can sometimes be too cute for its own good: you shake the phone left or right to indicates which half and ingredient is intended for, and you drag and drop the ingredients onto the crust to create your pizza rather than simply checking a list of ingredients.

The TDL crew doesn't order from Pizza Hut too often, but for the more frequent buyer, this could be a great way to save money. Heck, you might as well get the 32GB iPhone, now!

(iTunes Link)

Bebot for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Who doesn't like a cute robot? And when that cute robot can help anyone feel like a music synth genius, then all the better. Enter Bebot for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Bebot is drop-dead simple: just start tapping the screen to get different notes/pitches. Hold your finger on the screen and move up and down to move through different scales and tones.

Once that novelty has worn off, you can double-tap in the lower right corner, and experience all the different cool modes of bebot, including loop which loops the sounds you just made, while you add more.

The only downside is the app doesn't offer a way to record your creations, (although you can save your pre-sets) so while it's fun for fiddling, or perhaps in a live music environment, don't expect to save your masterpieces within the program.

We would recommend it on the robot artwork alone, though!

Here's a look:

ATM Hunter for iPhone Video Review

Ah, the simple things in life. The quiet bubbling of a mountain stream, the smile on a child's face, and... an iPhone app that does what it says it does.

ATM Hunter is a free offering from Mastercard, making it easy to find an ATM near you. More than just finding an ATM though, you can also filter the results by search criteria like "surcharge free" or "drive-up" etc. While the financial tips section is a bit lacking, (hey, this app isn't named Financial Tips) the ATM functionality is a great example of a way to use the location awareness of the iPhone to make life simpler.

You can send locations to others via SMS, but unfortunately, you can't currently email that information. The only other issue was a chain of local convenience stores with ATMs (Wawa, for the Philly folks!) was omitted from the list. I would expect more locations/refinements in future updates. Here's a look: