BadOnlineDates.com launches its new BadDates iPhone app, where users can post their hilarious bad date stories right from their phones in real time, connect with others,  watch hilarious Bad Date TV webisodes, and much more!

Los Angeles, California – You spend an hour getting ready, making sure you look your best, your breath is like roses, and every hair is in place. You drive to the restaurant and eagerly await your first date with a promising new person … and they show up drunk as a skunk, or better yet, order the most expensive things on the menu and stick you with the bill. Is it funny? Only if it’s not happening to you. The new BadDates iPhone app will have you rolling in the aisles, as you read and post both horrible and hilarious dating stories. Hey, it’s better than being home alone with a tub of ice cream right?

“There’s no better path to healing and hope than a road paved with laughter – the BadDates iPhone App gives daters brand new ways to laugh, while turning negative dating experiences into positive ones, right as they are happening from the dating trenches,” says Jennifer Kelton, founder of BadOnlineDates.com. “With the BadDates app and the Bad Online Dates community, you’re never alone.”

In the BadDates’ “Read” and “Post” channels, users can share their own experiences and read others’ encounters with dating disasters like the wide-eyed Gaper (a man who openly stares at every woman in the room), the Ranter (the woman who complains about her ex the entire time), and the Alcoholic (self-explanatory!).

The laughs continue in the “Watch” channel, where one can view the entertaining and satirical Bad Date TV webisodes, featuring comical “Dating Don’ts” often perpetrated by BadDate Ben and BadDate Betty.

This fun and easy-to-use app is the mobile component of the BadOnlineDates.com website and provides fresh, user-contributed content that is sure to entertain as well as put one’s dating life in perspective. Sure, good dates are great, but it’s bad dates that make for great stories.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iOS 3.0 or later (iOS 4.0 Tested)
* 0.5 MB

Pricing and Availability:
BadDates 1.7 is free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Social Networking category.

Cazual Games introduces Toy Balls! Lite, the free version of their popular game for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Players must use their quick reflexes to rescue toy balls, before the electro-zapper toasts them. Players swipe as many balls as possible, while navigating in-level obstacles, labyrinths and mazes. Combining intuitive game play, ingenious game physics, tricky level mechanics, and beautifully crafted visuals, Toy Balls! is the perfect fix for hours of endless entertainment!

Athens, Greece – Application development studio, Cazual Games, announces today the release of Toy Balls! Lite, a free version of their popular game for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Toy Balls! Lite offers 6 levels of the original addictive arcade game, as well as intuitive game play and physics.

The Game
It all begins in a wooden universe where balls roll and move around. The objective is dead easy to pick up; the player must rescue as many balls as possible by connecting them together, before they touch the electro zapper and get toasted.

What makes this game so hypnotic is that while all the toy balls are the same size, they vary in weight and elasticity. As they fall there are unpredictable collisions between balls, between levers, and between balls hitting levers. The result is a classical toy ball dance, with realistic momentum, rotation, balance, bounce, sliding, action, and reaction. Each of the eight different balls is rendered in convincing detail, allowing the viewer to enjoy their rotation and interaction.

The player must swipe as many balls of the same kind as possible, while navigating in-level obstacles, labyrinths and mazes. Longer chains earn higher points, achievements and the coveted 3-star ranking! The more balls saved, the more that will fall in the level, making it a race against the zapper!

There are more than 30 dynamic wooden unlockable level boards, each with different obstacles to overcome and achievements to earn. What makes this game even more interesting and addictive is that it generates balls in a unique and unrepeatable way in each level. So, even if the same level is played more than once, the gameplay is totally different! The possibilities are endless with this creative physics based puzzler.

Feature Highlights:
* Innovative game concept
* Amazingly fluid and realistic physics
* Totally different gameplay each time a level is played
* The player must rescue three or more balls by swiping through them
* Dozens of balls are onscreen, with more added every second
* Eight different types of balls, each with its own mass and elasticity
* Intuitive and super easy to pick up controls
* Easy and straightforward learning process with in-game tutorial
* Levels may be played over and over to reach a new high score for that puzzle
* Balls bounce, slide, collide, rotate, and roll through wooden mechanical mazes
* Balls must be rescued as quickly as possible to prevent any from falling into the electro zapper

Additional Feature Highlights of the full version:
* 30 fun and challenging levels with a smooth difficulty curve
* Game Center achievements and leader-boards
* Retina display support for the iPhone 4
* Multiple music themes
* Frequent level pack updates

“Toy Balls! is a totally new game concept that entertains the user from the very start of the game play”, said Pericles Papageorgiou, Head of Cazual Games. “The casual nature of the game is perfect for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users seeking a quick hit of fun and action. We are confident it will be even more successful than our previous game, the best-selling Kodix code breaking game.”

“Toy Balls! implements the actual physics of toy balls types like baseball, marble, wood, solid rubber, hollow rubber, eight-ball, dimpled rubber, glass, etc., with simple and accurate, game controls to navigate around the playing field”, said Emilios Tsekouras, Head of Development for Cazual Games. “The game is fully optimized for each type of device and takes full advantage of the Retina display.”

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
* iOS 3.0 or later (iOS 4 tested)
* 16.6 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Toy Balls! Lite is a free game in the Apple App Store, in the Games category. Upgrade to Toy Balls! and Toy Balls! HD for $2.99 and $3.99 respectively. Both are featured in the ‘What’s Hot section for Arcade games. Review copies are available upon request.

Toy Balls! Lite 1.0
Download From iTunes
Video Trailer
Media Assets

About Cazual Games

Located in Athens, Greece, Cazual Games is a business unit of Innovative Micro Solutions, specializing in mobile games & apps. Their releases for iOS include Toy Balls! and Kodix. For the past 20 years, IMS is expert in design, implementation and support of integrated MIS solutions. Our know-how is the basis for offering world class services for Telecommunications Software Platforms for Mobile Operators and their Resellers, Real Time Software Design and Implementation, Off-Shore Custom Software Development, System Integration and Services and Consulting and Project Management for Large Scale IT Projects for the Greek Public and Private Market Sectors. Copyright (C) 2011 Innovative Micro Solutions SA, All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

National Geographic releases first iPad App for Kids

[prMac.com] Washington D.C. – National Geographic has brought dinosaurs into the digital age with the release of its stunning new iPad application “Ultimate Dinopedia: The Most Complete Dinosaur Reference Ever.”

Based on National Geographic’s award-winning children’s book of the same name, the “Ultimate Dinopedia” is more comprehensive than any other dinosaur app, with vital statistics and pronunciations for more than 700 dinosaurs, plus stunning original artwork and multimedia enhancements. This book-based, stand-alone app, a first from National Geographic Kids, was developed with ScrollMotion, creators of original mobile applications.

Not only can kids read fascinating facts about their favorite dinosaurs, but they can also watch beautifully rendered videos showing how the colossal creatures would interact in the wild. The interactive family tree feature illustrates how some carnivores evolved into plant eaters. The preschool set can get in on the fun as well with the help of attention-grabbing narration and audio pronunciation.

“The iPad allows us to present fascinating topics like dinosaurs to young readers in a whole new way – we can engage them with sound, video, art and creative navigation,” said Aaron Kohn, vice president of Corporate Strategy and Development and general manager of Mobile, National Geographic Global Media.

The National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council named National Geographic’s “Ultimate Dinopedia” book an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12. The book was also named to the Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best list.

The “Ultimate Dinopedia” app features the most up-to-date information possible and is sure to delight children and parents, aspiring paleontologists, or anyone else who finds these creatures cool.

Ultimate Dinopedia’s Features

• Beautifully illustrated profiles of more than 700 dinosaurs, with fact boxes, fun facts, size comparisons and the latest discoveries
• Interactive narration, along with audio pronunciation and vital stats
• Bonus videos for select dinosaurs, a visual table of contents and an interactive family tree that lets users jump to their favorite family of dinosaurs

ScrollMotion is a media and technology company devoted to preserving the art and culture of print in the digital publishing business. The company develops electronic platforms for the world’s leading textbook, children’s book and magazine publishers. ScrollMotion is also helping many of the greatest names in traditional media successfully transition to digital and mobile programming. Clients include Hearst Publications, Conde Nast, The Slate Group, Time Inc., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, Pearson, The Jim Henson Company, National Geographic Society, and many others.

Device Requirements:

• Compatible with iPad
• Requires iOS 4.2 or later
• 382 MB

Pricing and Availability

Ultimate Dinopedia 1.0 is $5.99 USD (or the equivalent amount in other currencies) for the iPad and is available worldwide exclusively from the iTunes App Store in the Books section.

National Geographic Ventures (NGV) is a wholly owned, taxable subsidiary of National Geographic Society. NGV, part of the editorial group National Geographic Global Media, includes National Geographic Television production and distribution; National Geographic Television International; Digital Media, including Nationalgeographic.com; and National Geographic Interactive Platforms, including the Mobile, Gaming and Maps business groups. NGV creates and distributes content across multi-platforms and media providing outlets for the hundreds of scientific and expedition-based grants awarded by National Geographic each year. Copyright (C) 2010 National Geographic Ventures. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Talking Carl’s Brother Gugl Brings the Cute & Crazy in 3 New Mobile Apps

[prMac.com] Paris, France – If you’re one of the two million fans that got a kick out of playing with Talking Carl, just wait until you meet his adorable green little brother, Gugl. After being catapulted by millions of players in “Catagugl” and then pushed center stage with his band in “Crazy Piano,” Gugl is back on the center stage in three new apps for the iPhone and iPad.

“Gugl is the crazy, hyperactive little brother of Talking Carl. He’s always willing to explore and try new things that may sometime get him into trouble – and that’s where Carl comes to the rescue. Since Gugl loves to play, he’s the perfect playmate in games that are equally addicting for kids and their parents,” says Yann Le Coroller, CEO of Tayasui.

With “Talking Gugl,” Gugl does exactly what he learned from his older brother Carl – he parrots back a user’s every word in a silly high-pitched voice that’s a cross between a chipmunk and well, Carl. One can also poke, prod, and tickle Gugl to watch his hilarious reactions. Even better, to thank all of Carl’s fans for his two million downloads, the developer Tayasui decided to make “Talking Gugl” free for all.

Understanding that sibling rivalries are as old as Cain and Abel, Tayasui also created “Smack that Gugl” to provide iPhone users some stress relief in the form of a highly addicting whack-and-smack game – not to mention, to give Carl an outlet to vent his little brother frustrations. Maintaining its brilliant design and its comical Gugl character, users are certain to spend hours tapping those little Gugls before they explode into a red, gooey mess.

Lastly, Tayasui developed the iPad game “Smack Match Gugl,” an addicting variation of Smack that Gugl, which pits two players against one another in a “smack match.” Gugl serves as the ball in a game that’s part ping pong, part Hot Potato. Players can go head-to-head against a computer or their friends, whacking the Gugls to their opponent before they explode on their side of the net.

Children are sure to be entertained by Gugl’s silly antics, while their parents can enjoy a front row seat watching their kids engage in comical yelling matches with Gugl. All three apps feature crisp graphics, hilarious sound effects, and hours of unlimited play. With his cuddly but crazy personality, Gugl is sure to be a hit with people of all ages.

Pricing and Availability

“Talking Gugl” is free and”Smack that Gugl” is $0.99. “Smack Match Gugl” is $0.99 and available only for the iPad. All apps are available worldwide exclusively through the iTunes App Store in the Games section.

Tayasui gains its name from the Japanese word for “simple” and was founded by Yann Le Coroller. One day, Le Coroller dreamt up Carl and Gugl, a couple of 3D characters that he designed to wish a happy new year to his friends. “Talking Carl” enjoyed tremendous success and was downloaded by over 1 million people worldwide. Since than, Tayasui goes on developing new apps, specializing in games, and always using the same 3D original design that made its success. Copyright (C) 2010 Tayasui. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Kids Can Play with a Digital Robot in Fun With Thandros for the iPhone

Calgary, (AB) Canada – Hoping to show that not all robots are purely cold and mechanical, Thandros Media presents “Fun With Thandros,” a playful new iPhone app featuring a fun-loving robot who is sure to thrill little ones and big kids alike. This delightful app features four classic games: Play, Maze Quest, Stories, and Twins.

Jeffrey Pierson, the creator of the characters featured in the app, worked with the programmers at Thandros Media and author Mike Jackson. The team understood that children love digital gaming and grasp it at a faster rate than anyone else, but for their first app wanted to incorporate a classic style and varied gameplay mode that many apps seemed to be lacking – and thus, “Fun With Thandros” was born.

“I first drew Thandros for my nephew,” says Pierson, “and he really liked him, so I started to think about what he would act like, and who some of his friends could be. It was a lot of fun to come up with this world, and I’m looking forward to adding to it in the future.”

The new app introduces kids and their parents to Thandros, a happy, friendly robot who loves to go on adventures and isn’t afraid to undertake a quest or a challenge. The littlest tikes can enjoy meeting Thandros in the “Play” mode, in which they can tap on the robot and see how he reacts. The preschool set and older can choose “Stories,” with their choices throughout the course of the tale affecting its ultimate outcome, or “Twins,” a matching game that reinforces memory skills. Finally, big kids are sure to love “Maze Quest,” which takes Thandros on a journey through simple to complex mazes in his efforts to halt the evil Professor Stouch’s dastardly plans.

With its colorful, hand-drawn graphics, cheerful music, and exciting sound effects, “Fun With Thandros” is sure to provide hours of entertainment for children of all ages, while teaching them important lessons about sharing, hard-work, and determination.

Device Requirements:

• iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
• Requires iOS 3.0 or later (iOS 4.0 Tested)
• 41.0 MB

Pricing and Availability:

Fun With Thandros 1.0 is $0.99 USD and available worldwide exclusively through the iTunes App Store in the Games – Kid’s section.

Founded in 2010, Thandros Media is focused on creating unique and entertaining games for kids of all ages that allow them to think, explore and imagine. To learn more about current projects visit their website. Copyright (C) 2010-2011 Thandros Media. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Grace Roberto
Appency for Thandros Media
310-929-0507
grace@appency.com

The Sudoku masters at Cluemaster Ltd have created Social Sudoku, the first live arcade version of the game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Through Game Center, Social Sudoku allows two people access to the same board at the same time, awarding points to each player as they plot numbers into the grid. Players who input the wrong answers get locked into the “sin bin” for 10 seconds while the other player continues to get points and place numbers.

United Kingdom – It is one of the most popular games of all time, found in books, newspapers, and airline magazines around the world. There are versions online, on consol gaming platforms, and on mobile phones. It is Sudoku – the 9 x 9 numerical grid puzzle that has intrigued gamers of all ages. Since its origin, a number of variations have sprung up including Kakuro, Killer Sudoku, Jigsaw Sudoku, Sudoku X and more, however one thing has remained the same … Sudoku has always been a one person game, until now.

The Sudoku masters at Cluemaster Ltd, the minds behind some of the most played puzzles in the world including the LA Times, the Chicago Tribute, and the Daily Telegraph have created the first live arcade version of the game, “Social Sudoku,” and released it to the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

While others have tried to create multi-player versions of Sudoku, timing two players to see who could complete the same puzzle in the shortest amount of time, there has never been a way for multiple players to interact on the same puzzle board. Through the use of Apples iOS gaming system, “Game Center”, Social Sudoku does just that – allowing two people access to the same board at the same time, awarding points to each player as they plot numbers into the grid.

Logic is still the key factor, as players who input the wrong answers get locked into the “sin bin” for 10 seconds while the other player continues to get points and place numbers. The game continues until the board is complete, and player’s scores are tracked on a global ranking system.

The multi-player format can be played not only on the traditional Sudoku board, but on six different Sudoku variations as well. For those who want to practice, or simply enjoy the traditional one player version, the games practice mode includes the traditional single player games.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iOS 3.0 or later
* 13.7 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Social Sudoku 1.0 is $3.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.

Cluemaster
Social Sudoku 1.0
Purchase and Download
Media Assets

Crosswords Ltd has been producing puzzles for nearly two decades. The puzzles are currently published in the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph, the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Life, Le Temps, Financial Times to name a few. The puzzles feature in hundreds of newspapers across the globe. The company profile boasts a portfolio of a vast array of different puzzle types including Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Samurai Sudoku, Kakuro, Codewords, Wordsearch, Pathfinder, LetterLogic, Killer Sudoku Pro, Polyword, Anagrams, MindGym, Crosswords, including the tour de force GKCrossword and Herculis Crosswords published weekly in the Daily Telegraph. Michael Mepham introduced Sudoku to the Daily Telegraph in 2005; the puzzles were an instant success and were readily welcomed by the masses craving a mentally stimulating, enjoyable challenge. The number puzzles are expertly graded and this process involves feedback from over 7000 people daily who play the puzzles online. All number puzzles have only one solution and it can be reached using logical steps with no guesswork required. Copyright (C) 2011 Crosswords Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Percipo’s Three New iPhone Apps Help People Put Their Best Face Forward

San Francisco, California – With the integration of Facebook, Twitter, and a slew of other social networking sites into our daily lives, how you portray your online persona can be just as critical as how you carry yourself in real life. To that end, app developer Percipo created three new innovative apps, PhotoGenic, PhotoAge, and ChickOrDude, each of which utilizes a highly advanced artificial intelligence engine to help users find their best photos.

“Machine perception technologies will fundamentally change how computers will interact with us in the near future, but most people aren’t aware of that yet,” says Mehran Farimani, founder of Percipo.

“For example, did you know that computers can analyze faces like humans do and are getting better at it every day? Using our advanced “Face Description” engine, cloud computing, social networking, and the almighty iPhone, we’ve been able to build these fun, social applications that give our users a glimpse of the future.”

Each of the three apps has similar functionality, though the end results differ markedly. Users can take a photo of themselves, select one from Facebook or their photo library, or find any photo online (with Google or Bing). Then each app’s sophisticated AI engine recognizes and scans the face or faces in the selected photo. When it’s done, you receive a quantifiable score.

In PhotoGenic, a 1 to 10 score signifies your level of attractiveness (1 being cousin of Frankenstein and 10 being hotter than Venus in the half-shell). With ChickOrDude, you’ll be rated on a gender scale, with 100 points to the left denoting you’re as manly as a lumberjack and 100 to the right meaning you’re as feminine as an ice dancer. Lastly, in PhotoAge, the AI engine estimates how old you look in a photo with a high degree of accuracy, enabling users to see what expressions make them look more youthful.

Percipo’s three new apps certainly provide hours of fun as users see whom of their friends looks the most youthful, or find out once and for all which Hollywood celeb is the hottest of them all. Moreover, the apps are useful for any model, actor (or aspiring actor), real estate agent, or businessperson who needs to put their best face forward.

Pricing and Availability

PhotoGenic is $1.99 (USD), and PhotoAge and ChickOrDude are $0.99. Each app is available worldwide exclusively through the iTunes App Store. Users can try the lite versions of the apps for free to analyze photos of their favorite people on the web.

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