AngryCat for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Cats can get angry. And how will you react when cats get angry? Don't know? Sounds like you need an AngryCat simulator. Of course this particular cat isn't all that angry until you start poking at him and provoking him. So perhaps the moral to the story is, don't make cats angry. AngryCats claims to help you be prepared. Oh and Happy April Fool's Day. Enjoy:

VH1 Would Really Appreciate It If You Gave Them 99 Cents

I know the economy is tough, and that means it's tough for everyone, even the media giants like MTV Networks. I still don't think that justifies the $0.99. VH1 is asking for their "Watch and Discuss" Live Chat app. The app gives you the ability to know when your favorite VH1 show will be on (how else would you know!?) and the ability to talk to strangers about what's happening on the show as you watch it. Did I mention that this isn't free?

A few things. First, not all the shows air at the same time on VH-1 for all viewers, which limits the number of people who could potentially use it. Secondly, VH1 has done little to promote the service, so there's relatively few people to chat with (look at the review comments for the app). And finally, there's the little annoying detail that chat rooms are dead. OK, maybe for some blockbuster shows that get liveblogged on fansites this could work, but it would have to come from those sites, and not from the corporate parent. While I wouldn't mind paying a buck to support my favorite fan site, I'm not giving an extra dollar the conglomerate super-company.

Make it free, and we'll talk. Or better yet, "discuss."

Like an App in an iPod/iPhone commercial? Here you go!

Apple has made it easy for those apps seen for fleeting seconds in commercials to become huge. Apple has created a page highlighting the apps from the commercials within the iTunes Store. Yes, there are a lot of ways in which Apple and developers could live more harmoniously, but this is a great way, especially for casual app buyers to find the apps they love from the commercials.

Kudos Apple, and enjoy the pile of cash, developers.

Slotz Racer for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Ah, youth, how I miss thee. And that includes the slot car racing I did as a kid. Yeah, I had my own "modern" track (circa 1984), but the real challenge (and frustration) came from trying to use my brother's older track. It was a time when the cars were far more likely to slide off the track. When you needed skill and patience to master the hand grip accelerator.

Fortunately, Slotz Racer for the iPhone and iPod Touch falls somewhere between those two tracks of my youth. It takes a fair amount of skill with the accelerator, but at the same time, allows for some fast racing action. The set layouts (editable, by the way) are far longer and complex than most of us had as kids. And it gives a new generation a chance to experience slot car racing. (Yes, the tracks still exist but good luck finding them since most of the stores that sold them have closed.)

The variation of tracks, nighttime racing, pit stops, and car models (although more models would be great) keeps the game fresh. And for those of you who may have tried an earlier version, the dreaded competitor "Fruitbat" no longer wins every race you lose.

So kudos to Freeverse for taking a different perspective to racing on the iPhone and iPod touch. If you've never touched a slot car, you may find it frustrating at first, but that's just part of the realistic recreation of the real deal. Slotz Racer is currently $4.99.

The Weather Channel iPhone and iPod App Review

There's no shortage of applications to give you weather info on the iPhone and iPod Touch. But look out lightweights, here comes one of the most well-known names in the weather biz. Enter There's no shortage of applications to give you weather info on the iPhone and iPod Touch. But look out lightweights, here comes one of the most well-known names in the weather biz. Enter The Weather Channel App for the iPhone.

This app, and the Weatherbug app are the top of the heap for weather apps, although both serve slightly different purposes. The Weather Channel app is focused on weather forecasting, while Weatherbug is far superior at telling you weather conditions (wind speed, rain, temp, live webcams, etc.) 

My favorite Weather Channel feature is the most recent video forecast for your city. If you get a local video forecast on the Weather Channel, now you can see it on your iPhone as well.

So if you're looking for more weather info than the included Apple weather app supplies, The Weather Channel offers a solid option: