TiPb Picks of the Week

TiPb Picks of the Week
Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game. To see what we [...]

TiPb Picks of the Week is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Every week a few of us from team TiPb will bring you our current favorite, most fun and useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch related, they’re fair game.

To see what we picked, and to tell us your pick, follow on after the break!

Ally’s pick: LockInfo 3.0

LockInfo and BiteSMS are the single 2 reasons I can’t live without jailbreaking. Little tweaks and customizations I can do without, LockInfo I couldn’t be without.

I was able to take a first look at LockInfo 3.0 before it was released to the public (it’s currently in public beta). This is a huge update to an already great app. The update adds themes, favorites, calendar status bar alerts, and more. If you’re a jailbreaker, make sure you check it out. There is a 14 day free trial as well.

[$7.99 via Cydia]

Brian’s pick: Chopper 2

Chopper 2 is a very fun game not only available on iOS but also on the Mac App Store as well now. There are 36 missions that take place on 12 different levels. Your job is to escot vehicles across levels, defend different items from enemies, and even pick up civilians with your helicopter. The game allows you to use your gyroscope as well for increased controls. It features leaderboards and achievements and is universal across all of your iOS devices which is the best part! But are you ready for my favorite part about this game? If you buy the Mac version you can sit back with your computer and use your iOS device as a remote to play the game with rather than the keyboard! I tried it out and it took a bit of getting used to but I love it now! This game actually got me away from Angry Birds believe it or not! It is insanely fun so give it a shot!

[$0.99 - iTunes Link]

Chris V’s pick: Ultimate Hangman

Over the last few days, I have been playing Ultimate Hangman with the family. This is a fun, well designed hangman game with a single or multiplayer mode. In single player mode, you can choose from a list of word categories (animals, SAT words, verbs, etc) although sometimes the words don’t quite match the categories. In multiplayer mode you can choose words for each other to try to guess. My wife and I have been focusing on playing three letter word hangman, which is actually much more difficult that you might think!

This hangman game has multiple background themes, including “chalkboard”, “snowman”, and “flower power”. My favorite, however, is “doodle”, where the hangman comes to life as you are trying to guess the word. Nothing like seeing the little hangman throwing up his arms in disgust or putting his thumb and pointer finger on his forehead like an “L” when you guess the wrong letter! I do wish the multiplayer mode had options like keeping track of scores or selecting a specific number of games to play (it just goes on and on right now) but it still is a great way to pass the time. Best of all, the app is a universal binary, so you can play on either your iPhone or iPad!

[Free - iTunes link]

Leanna’s pick: Starbucks Card Mobile

I go to Starbucks every morning that I teach and, until now, I would rummage through my bag for my Starbucks card while in line. Now, I browse email, Twitter, and Facebook, order my drink when it’s my turn, launch the Starbucks Card Mobile app for the barista to scan, instantly check my updated balance, and head out to class. Quick. Simple. Perfect.

[Free - iTunes link]

Rene’s pick: XBMC for Apple TV, iPad [Jailbreak]

I ran my original Xbox for a long time, longer than Microsoft supported it, longer than it ought to have been run. XBMC was the reason. Originally Xbox Media Center, it showed that independent software could not only do more than Microsoft at the time (and much more than Apple who hadn’t even tried yet) but do it better and more elegantly. XBMC was a set top workhorse, and thanks to XMBC we now have Plex, Boxee, and a slew of independent and open source media center software that almost always supports way more than established companies and their Hollywood overlords will allow.

And now it runs on Apple TV and iPad.

It does require a Jailbreak, which is an admittedly tethered pain in the ass for Apple TV on iOS 4.2 right now, but the leap in functionality is transformative. At $99 it literally turns Apple TV into the best deal in set top and that’s saying something.

Hopefully the install process will become as easy as ATV Flash but either way, XBMC is what a lot of home media lovers have been waiting for.

[Free - XBMC]

Your pick?

You’re part of the team as well, so jump into the comments and let us know your pick of the week!

TiPb Picks of the Week is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Olivia Wilde
Megan Fox