Access or transfer any file on your network

Where’s My Stuff?

We all know how intuitive the iPad is;  literally anyone can pick it up and do things with it (once it’s turned on; sorry, Mom).  After I got passed the initial ‘wow’ factor, however my first reaction, and I know I’m not alone here, was “OK, now where’s all my stuff?”  Turn’s out it was all right where I left it, of course, but it was NOT on my new iPad, and I couldn’t get to it.  FileBrowser changed all that in a big hurry.

Disclaimer:  I’m not an Apple junkie; in fact, in a lot of ways I’m the anti-Apple.  I use a Droid, not an iPhone.   My primary laptop is a Windows 7 machine, and my family server is Windows as well.

Practical?  What, the iPad?

That said, I’m quickly becoming the iPad’s biggest fan, but not for the usual reasons.  As you may have guessed from the last paragraph, technology for me is a question of practicality, not entertainment.  The iPad’s primary claim to fame as an entertainment device just didn’t do it for me, but I’ve come to understand it’s application in some (very) specific business situations, and frankly in those situations it’s unmatched.

But if it’s going to be practical it’s got to be able to access practical information in practical ways.  Apple has not made this anywhere near as intuitive as the rest of the device, another in a long list of examples of Apples inability to play well with others.  Fortunately, other developers have stepped into the breach. One such developer is Stratospherix, and their FileBrowser application brings practical network and file access “direct to your iPad” for less than three bucks.

Oh, There’s My Stuff!

The install and setup of FileBrowser was a breeze.  I’m sure the QuickGuide and Setup Documentation (both Mac and Windows versions, depending on the computer your connecting to) are very nice documents, but I never read them.  I installed the application and started right in.  Click on Menu, click on the ‘Machines’ button, and there’s the ‘+’ to start adding connections.  Connecting to all of the other machines on my network was a snap, but remember that spelling counts here; if the name of the computer for the machine your connecting to isn’t right, it won’t connect (obviously, but…).

Stream Video and Audio from Anywhere (On Your Network)

Once the machine name and login information is supplied, the connection is instantaneous – this thing is fast!  Now that you’ve connected to another machine, you can browse the entire directory, including attached devices.  You can copy to and from the other machines, or execute or stream files stored remotely.  Read that part again – you can execute or stream any file stored on any other device! That means that you now have direct access from your iPad to the 250GB of BitTorrent movies you’ve been collecting for the last year.  And we’re back to the iPad being… an entertainment device.  Sheesh.

Bottom line, this application has saved me more time and made my iPad use more enjoyable than any other software I’ve come across.  It’s one of those essential utilities that you take for granted when you have it, but couldn’t live without.

Angry Birds

Before I say anything else, let me preface with this: Angry Birds is available for iOS devices as well as Android devices, and if you’ve never played it, grab your device and download it now. That’s right. Now.

Angry Birds is an incredibly addictive game in which you launch birds of different types at the enemy…Which happen to be, well…Little green guys.  The levels become increasingly difficult as you progress through the game, and your arsenal of birds grows as well.  The game is extremely addictive, and overall, fantastic.  For more details, read on!

Angry Birds for Android vs. Angry Birds for iOS

Angry Birds has been available on iOS devices for a while now, and an Android version was just released this past Friday. As a long time Angry Birds fan, I had some pretty high hopes for the extremely popular game, and the folks over at developer Rovio didn’t let me down a bit. While Angry Birds for Android is technically still in beta, you wouldn’t know it from basically any aspect of the gameplay.

While Android gaming in general has lagged behind iOS gaming in historic fashion, Angry Birds has come out as a best on platform game, truly raising the bar for Android, while simultaneously proving that what can be done well on one platform, with a little work, can be done just as well on the other. Many people assume that, because of the way they generally feel, Android OS is a fundamental reason that games haven’t taken off on the platform…People assume it must be difficult to develop well for the platform. But Angry Birds shows this is not the case. With touch sensitivity and accuracy that rival that of the iPhone and iPod, its easy to picture a future where gaming on the two platforms is an equally enjoyable experience.

Angry Birds Gameplay

Angry Birds for iOS has historically been great,  and the Android version does not leave anything to be desired.  While I went in expecting the application’s touch sensitivity to be lacking, as is the case on many Android titles, Angry Birds proves it can be done extremely well.  What I found in Angry Birds was more of the same that Rovio has always delivered, and that is near perfect touch gameplay, even while in beta.  Stretching birds back while in the slingshot, aiming them, and firing was consistent and had none of the jumpiness that titles like this are usually prone to on Android.  Aiming was consistent, easy, and accurate, and getting a handle on how it all worked was super easy.  Pinch to zoom and panning worked flawlessly, though I prefer to play with it zoomed all the way out so I can see what I was aiming at.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics and sound in Angry Birds are great…From the soundtrack that will be stuck in your head for hours after you finish playing, to the clashes and pops of the destruction you cause, everything sounded great on my original Droid.  Graphically, the only complaint I have is that when zoomed all the way out, the birds could appear a little bigger.  On the Droid’s 3.7″ screen, it can be difficult to tell which bird you’ve got loaded up without zooming in.  This can be a little annoying, but isn’t a problem if you played a little bit zoomed in anyway, or if you have a larger screen device.

Wrap-up

Like I said, if you haven’t downloaded Angry Birds yet, do it now.  This game it way too good to miss out on.

Source – Rovio.com

Among the plethora of apps in the App Store there are game apps, info apps, learning apps, and many more. While the informative apps are very beneficial; it is great to have a fun game to play in your spare time. I have recently been addicted to a game called Words with Friends. The concept is simple. Picture the board game Scrabble, but with a colorful board and the ability to have Wi-Fi multiplayer games. Although there is a Scrabble app available; the cost is $2.99, while Words with Friends Free is obviously free! If you enjoy mind-puzzling games, then this app is a must.

Honestly, I have never been a fan of the game Scrabble and barely ever played it. However, Words with Friends is still enjoyable to me because you are able to have multiple online games going on at the same time. As of right now I am involved in six different games with different members of my family. This helps give the game a more fast-paced feel than Scrabble does. The multiplayer feature allows you to create games and challenge select players by typing in their username, or you can just find a random person in the world. The only problems with Words with Friends are that you must have a connection to the internet because there is no player vs. computer option, and there are ads placed on it.  Keep in mind though, that the ads are extremely quick and easy to navigate past and should not be a problem.  Additionally, if you own an iPhone or have an iPad with the purchased service, then having a connection to the internet should not be a problem.

If you are a fan of games that challenge your mind and you like to compete against friends and family, then check out the App Store immediately. If you are not sure whether to buy Scrabble for $2.99 or Words with Friends for free, maybe this will help. Words with Friends contains the same features as Scrabble including: online multiplayer mode, in-game chat with your opponent, shake to shuffle letters, bonus tiles on the board and many more. The difference between the two is Scrabble’s ability to challenge the computer without the need of an internet connection. However, this would only be a problem for users who have an iPod Touch that needs a Wi-Fi connection. In my opinion this small difference is not enough to pay $2.99, when I could play Words with Friends for free. Overall, Words with Friends is an extremely addicting and competitive game that is great for the whole family. You have nothing to lose, head on over to the App Store and download Words with Friends for free to give it a try!

Enjoy playing Words with Friends? What’s your high score? Tell us in the comments!

Source – Words with Friends Free