Diffle For The iPhone and iPod Touch Review

With Diffle, it's what's different that makes a difference. Unlike games like Bejeweled, based on finding similar shapes and colors to clear the board, with Diffle, you're looking for differences in shapes, colors, and patterns, with the most differences being worth the most points.

Each round is timed, and you must complete 7 matches (or anti-matches, I suppose) before running out of time in order to go to the next round. This is unique because it's both timed, and a problem solving game: Only having 90 seconds to complete even the easiest game board means you make snap judgements, rather than thinking through the best match each time.

It's strange but it seems our brains have been wired to find similarities, and in playing this game, sometimes it feels like I can feel the new synapses firing in my brain, as I look at the pieces in a different way from the norm.

That's not to say it's overly difficult, it just makes you look at things a little differently than you might expect in this kind of game. Here's a look at our video review of Diffle: 

iQuarterback For The iPhone: A Pass-Rush of Fun

Many of us in our youth fantasized about being the quarterback, throwing the perfect pass to win the big game. Well, there's a lot of practice that goes into making the big throws, and rather than portray that epic moment in the the game, iQuarterback takes the task of learning to be a better quarterback, and makes it fun.

The games consists of a quarterback (you) trying to hit a series of targets as they cross the field. You have to remember to lead the receiver, and test your accuracy to score a bullseye, and additional points. There are three skill levels: college, pro, and all-star. Essentially, the skill level determines the speed of the targets as they cross the field. (It would've been funny if the all-star setting showed the quarterback not really trying, like the real pro-bowl, but I digress) You hold your finger on the screen to increase pass distance, and move it left and right to aim your throw. The time allotted in each round is the same, which can make it monotonous after awhile. With that said, I still found myself playing for longer periods of time than most iPhone games, especially games from the dollar bin.

It's a solid 99 cent game, but I'd like to see a pro version with obstacles, players instead of targets, and time extensions for reaching certain point totals. With those features, it might just become a $2.99 game worth having.

Here's a look at iQuarterback for the iPhone and iPod Touch:

LightSource for the iPhone Brings Lighting Versatility

LightSource, at first glance, looks like several of the silly flashlight apps we saw when the app store first went live. However, in reality, it's a clever tool for photographers and videographers who need small amounts of matched light.

Essentially, LightSource turns the face of the iPhone or iPod Touch into a (very)low wattage lighting panel. You can choose from 18 different light types like candle, blue sky, several fluorescents, and the gas-based lights (like sodium vapor) often found outside. It's just enough light for photos of models, or can be used as fill in larger productions. No need to use a large studio light just to cast a bit of color-correct light on an object. Take a look at LightSource for the iPhone and iPod Touch:

ParkingLot for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

I don't have a lot of phobias, but parking might just be one of them. City parking makes me irritated and cranky. So reviewing an app called ParkingLot didn't sound like it would be a very good time. To my surprise, unlike real parking, ParkingLot offers a simple, straight-forward gaming experience that's fun and addictive.

If you like problem solving puzzles; the sort of little puzzles that drive you bonkers, but in a good way, then you'll like this one. With ParkingLot, you attempt to get one car out of the lot by moving other cars out of the way, but the amount of space, and the order in which you move the cars make it a real challenge. In the top left of the screen, you'll see a move counter. The real object of the game is to get the car out of the parking lot with as few moves as possible, For me, and probably for most, I was far more concerned with just getting the car out. Here's a look at ParkingLot:

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: