official 'app or crap-o-meter' rating

Who knew that throwing yourself into a “crack” habit could be so much fun? We are talking about Plumber’s Crack – a strangely addictive game for your iPhone or Android from Fluik.

In this game, you are challenged with lodging ice cubes into the – how shall we say this delicately – buttock cleavage of a plumber bent over fixing a sink. To add to the excitement, you can select from either a sexy female plumber, or a more traditional portly male plumber. Play enough, and you may become skilled enough to get a “rim shot” off of the plumber’s waistband. The more shots you bank, the higher the meter goes. Fill up your meter, and you can win bombs to eliminate any missed ice cubes. Hit enough shots into your target, and you can win a “mystery box” – full of exciting collectible items. And if you become truly hooked and play long enough, you can win “crack bucks” to unlock other game modes, alternative costumes, and more.

This game may be simple, but that is part of what makes it fun and easy-to-play. The game has already put in a strong showing at the iPhones and Android app store – hitting some of the top charts when it was released. Try it, we think you might just become “hooked on crack”. We are!

Vital Statistics
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluik.PlumberCrack&hl=en
iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plumber-crack/id470225328?mt=8
Game last updated: April 25, 2012 (iPhone), May 7, 2012 (Android)
Cost: Free
Rating: 4.5/5 (iPhone) and 4/5 (Android)

This game is a social version of the game Boggle. For those of you who don’t remember Boggle, it is an incredibly fun game where you find words from a jumbled set of letters.  You may also see Peggy Hill playing Boggle in some of the many episodes of the cartoon King of the Hill.

As with Words, there is an iPhone app for this new game. You can play via your linked Facebook account – or just by setting up a username with Zynga. But be warned… this game is fun and highly addictive! We have cancelled all weekend plans and already have blisters on our fingers.

welcome to the kindle fire

Being avid readers + enthusiasts of the written word + new geek gear, we are afire with praise for our the recently-released Kindle Fire which we just unpacked yesterday. The ereader-turned-tablet has undergone a major makeover from inside out + it is rockin’ some kickass features which we will outline below as well as some of our initial impressions.

dimensions - 7.4" x 4.7"

While Apple has enjoyed its ‘first mover’ status with the release of its iPhone + iPad, the times they are a changing. Nielsen recently reported that twice as many people are opting for Android-based devices than iOS options (Android is Google’s open source operating system). Though the iPad has dominance in the tablet space, we think the Kindle (which uses the Android OS) is paving a new path + setting the bar higher for tablets + readers alike. So beware Apple fanbois!

Overall the Fire was good to go from the time it was unpacked. We fired it up with plenty of juice (no initial charging required). Setup is simple (only a couple of screens); the device quickly + easily allows you to establish a wifi connection in order to get things going. After checking for updates you are good to go. Here are our findings:

• overall aesthetic – small, compact, slick, ergonomic, solid, easy to hold/handle, durable + a natural fit/extension of the hand, slightly heavier + thicker than the previous kindle
• interface - it sports a full color screen with great resolution as well as a virtual keyboard + full haptic (touchscreen) controls
• price - hands down, you can’t beat $199
• web browser – custom designed by Amazon, the kindle browser (called silk) is architected to deliver quickly by leveraging AWS (Amazon web services) infrastructure, flash player is also supported!
• ereader - by leveraging the kindle software app, you can bookmark, highlight, look up definitions, sync across devices + even share content
• apps - full app store that is just getting off the ground, looks promising, can run some favorite Android apps such as Angry Birds and more!
• video - full video support, Netflix app works well as we added items to the queue + watched content
• email- set up and read/write from multiple email accounts

awesome for reading pdfs + other docs!

relevant links

• http://www.amazon.com/kindlefire/
• http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/09/43-of-us-smartphone-users-chose-android-iphone-comes-no-2-at-28-report-google-apple.html
• more on the silk browser – http://youtu.be/_u7F_56WhHk

For those of you who think a brick is something that goes into an old St Louis building, let us allow the crowd over at urbandictionary to enlighten you.

As verb: to brick something. This is the action of rendering any small-medium size electronic device useless. This can happen whilst changing the firmware, soldering or any other process involving either hardware of software.

Now, we’ve done this before many times in the past BUT we were wholly responsible as it was usually the result of our own tampering (e.g. trying to jailbreak a device or deep mod it in order to get better control over it). But this time, we swear we are innocent! So heads up + be warned – this time it was a simple act of updating the Facebook iphone app! Make sure to check out the accompanying screenshots to take a peek.

facebook loading...or maybe not!

So as is standard with most mobile devices now, we were updating our iPhone apps in a batch when Facebook got stuck in the installation screen (it sat for at least 15 minutes or more). The natural next move would be a restart, right? Well – hello + welcome bricked iPhone…it was stuck in a state of eternal restart! It would just cycle + cycle + not turn off or turn off intermittently only to power back up again later unexpectedly. This all happened en route to a meeting so we weren’t able to do much more than try rebooting, hard + soft resets + cursing at the phone. Back at desktop, we tried syncing it with iTunes – NO DICE, it was unrecognizable to the computer (didn’t even register as a connected device via USB).

So there we were…with brick a in hand. Not having the time to deep dive into the situation, an appointment was made stat for the genius bar. Now get this! Miraculously, en route, the phone comes back to life (sans the Facebook app)!

At this point you may be asking “what’s the bottom line of this rant, young chicgeek”?

Here tis in edible bulleted form:

• There was a serious lack of quality control/assurance (QA) on behalf of both Facebook + the app store. Our experience was not unique + a quick search turned up countless others in addition to looking at the most recent comments on the app store.
• Poor communication with the customer. It was later brought to out attention that there was a warning with the update which stated that one should first uninstall the existing Facebook app before upgrading. The problem here lies in the fact that many peeps perform batch updates (that is many apps at once) + thus don’t get the chance to read every update screen for each app. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have alerted the end user with a pop-up window during the installation process or, better yet, beforehand?
• Yet another example of Facebook’s rush-to-the-market mentality. As of late Facebook has thrown more changes + updates at the user than reruns of My Cousin Vinny!
• Think twice before just accepting an update on your phone. Perhaps even read other customer feedback first – that way you won’t end up being the one complaining later!

a sample complaint - we can relate!

more complaints...

But, unfortunately, the old adage does not always hold true + not ALL things small add up to something huge. So, today, the battle begins between two would-be contenders of cool. We present for your amusement, a USB-powered cooling device versus a newly-released device for streaming media. Which one will prevail + win the coveted GGBG award? Read on + find out…

USB-powered fan for your tie - not so cool!

Chicgeeks everywhere love USB-powered devices. Why? Well, Duh! USB-powered devices are totally RAD!!! In case you didn’t know, many USB devices can run from the power supplied by your laptop alone! There are other reasons to love USB… but even some USB-powered devices make it hard for a even the most well-meaning mother to love them. Take this $35 clip-on necktie fan from Japanese accessory maker Thanko. Well, Thanko, your device may help keep us cool, but unless you are trying to remain single (forever), it certainly won’t make anyone LOOK very cool. Needless to say, we are forced to give ThankO a big ThankNO! Definitely NOT a good gift from any experienced technophile!

Roku 2 unit - very cool!

However, if you are looking for a hand-held gift + willing to spend about $20 more than the clip-on tie, may we suggest the Roku 2? This device is amazing!! So amazing in fact, that every geek in our office has at least one! Got Netflix? Well, you can stream movies galore right onto your TV (or monitor)  using this handy device. Missed MadMen or Dexter last season? Now you can buy low-priced streaming versions from Amazon + yes, stream them right onto your screen using this handy device! No laptop required! All that is needed is a TV + a wifi connection. We bet it is already looking even cuter at this point! This device is so easy that even a n00b can set it up. Best of all, there are no hidden fees. Buy it, install it, watch the best movies, tv, live sports, vimeo, music, hulu, internet vids + more! Sooo… what are you waiting for? This gift is golden + guaranteed to please!

official 'app or crap-o-meter' rating

We love the feeling of a little daily candy in our lives… a stolen free moment between meetings to check our text messages, a lovely day at the pool, all those sweet experiences that contribute to a brighter day. And these small tidbits are especially great when they arrive in the form of great deals on fashion! How sweet it is to nab a deal on great clothing + accessories?

app homepage showing the dailies

And for a chicGeek, the find is only that much sweeter when we can purchase + save from the comfort of our very own smart phone. Now granted, there are quite a few great websites popping up lately in the digital shoposphere that are offering deep discounts on designer labels. However, our biggest faves of the moment, such as MyHabit (www.myhabit.com) from Amazon (p.s. – you really ought to try it from your computer), just aren’t offering mobile yet. As every chicGeek knows, sometimes a website will not do… you just want to use an app.

That is why we heart DailyCandy’s sample shopping site Swirl (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/swirl/id439296184?mt=8) for iPhone + iPod Touch. Sorry chic guys – we feel your pain – but for now it seems Swirl is offering deals for women only. As if there were not chic + fashionable gentleman seeking great deals as well [insert digital GRRR right here]!

a sample subpage of deals

Swirl offers brand spanking new sales every day with limited quantities + deep discounts. So, if you just are not feeling the love for the maxi dresses offered on Monday, you can always come back Tuesday for a new set of designers + deals. Usually there are about 4-6 sales at any given time lasting between 1-3 days. You can also filter results based on size or item type (think skirts or pants here), or by name, price or popularity.  You need to have an account to use the Swirl app but, unlike other shopping sites, the process is convenient as you can register for the service in-app + there is no wait listing.  Furthermore, just so you can be on the lookout, the apps main page also shows you upcoming sales.

One additional cool feature we really dig is the ability to activate a daily sale alert to send you a push notification… so you are guaranteed not to miss a new sale. It’s like a personal invitation to save right at your eager fingertips!

So go ahead + give Swirl a whirl and let us know what you think. We will also be reviewing other shopping apps in the near future – so let us know your favorite apps, websites + daily dealers! Happy shopping chicGeeks!

Swirl
http://www.swirl.com/mobile.ep
price: free
app store date:20 june 2011
version: 1.1
app store rating: 4+

official 'app or crap-o-meter' rating

the OG or original grillz candy - providing senseless amusement for hours upon hours

Usually when we hear the word grillz, we get pretty excited, run amok, perhaps do a little dance number. Ever since the release of that ghetto-fabulous eponymously-named candy (yes, we are for real) which we discovered years ago over at the local Blockbuster on Lindell, we have been spellbound! But we digress, this is an ‘App or Crap’ posting yes? So, back to business it is…

Just weeks ago we came across a newly featured app called Grillz + felt the anticipation rising. You see, we had just been brainstorming an app idea centered around these golden gems; however, our idea was something more akin to apps like Yearbook Yourself, Facial Hair (Free), Age My Face, etc, whereby you take an existing photo of the ‘victim’, import it into the app + then select item(s) to composite onto said photo. You know the drill! So we were delectably envisioning an app where one could select from the top shelf of beautiful beak bling + superimpose em on the face staring up at you from the phone. Unfortunately, no dice!

grillin + chilling large with a sample mouthpiece

The Grillz app we are about to review takes a much more divergent course. Rather than emulate the actions of your standard gag image compositor, it opts to serve as your actual mouth by proxy! You see, after first selecting one of a handful of mouth options, you simply hold it up to your mouth (completely covering it + doing your best to align it) + utter sounds. The decked-out mouthpiece will try to approximate your actual mouth structure so it looks as though YOU are speaking through a grilled-up mouth! Promising we thought…until we took it on a couple of test runs.

Unfortunately this is the sole purpose of the app + furthermore, it’s a feature which it does not do that well. Mouth emulation is fairly crappy + one can barely derive the amusement of a poorly dubbed kung-fu clip. So it’s fun for a matter of moments + then it’s back on the shelf to collect ungolden dust. All antics aside, Grillz is a true kick in the teeth!

UPDATE:
It appears that at some point within just the last week that the app has mysteriously disappeared! At this point, it seems that it’s not available in the US – which makes little sense. So mebbe we have scored a lil gem after all?

Grillz

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grillz/id328953683?mt=8

price: $0.99
version: 1.1

is it just us or does something seem just wrong with the image on the left? (photo from tressugar.com)

We wanted to report on what we have always felt was a very non-chicgeek practice – that being the tendency to overly retouch photos of already beautiful women (+ girls) to make them appear almost beyond ‘humanly perfect’ (sometimes referred to as getting shooped or photoshop’d). We really feel this practice often leaves the majority of aspiring fashionistas + fabulous people out there feeling a little deflated, jaded, possibly even neurotic. And yes, while we here at chicgeek are huge fans of what software can do, we feel there is way, way, way too much photoshopping + photochopping.

And who better to back us up on this than the American Medical Association who apparently spoke out against such practices (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/a11-new-policies.page). The AMA feels the type of message that overly retouched photos convey is bad for ones health – we personally agree. Sorry…but no matter how many hours you log at the gym, you will never be able to compete with what photoshop can do to a woman’s body in just minutes – the results can not only be disheartening but also dangerous + detrimental to young women + many others affected by such images.

“The appearance of advertisements with extremely altered models can create unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image. In one image, a model’s waist was slimmed so severely, her head appeared to be wider than her waist,” said Dr. McAneny. “We must stop exposing impressionable children and teenagers to advertisements portraying models with body types only attainable with the help of photo editing software.”

- AMA

complex.com accidentally published the wrong version + was not able to replace it BEFORE it got into the publics hands

Apparently the photo of Kim Kardashian wasn’t slim enough, light-skinned enough, or smooth enough to sneak past the perfection goalie – thus the need for virtual enhancements. Keep in mind, we heard this was only discovered when complex.com accidentally published the wrong version + was not able to replace it BEFORE it got into the public’s hands! You can check out the article here.

Fortunately, Kim’s comments on the whole incident provided a breath of fresh air…she admitted she is aware of her body + proud of it! To put it as only Kim can – “So what: I have a little cellulite,” Kardashian wrote in a blog entry entitled “Yes, I am complex!” “What curvy girl doesn’t?!”

Personally, we truly feel Kim looked fab BEFORE the retouching. Now granted, we understand the need to correct for certain small details such as snags, hanging threads (I mean – the outfit HAS to be snag free unless a deconstructed vestment), but why so many other changes to the model’s bod? Right down to her skin tone?

And being chic + geek + into fashion, we really do understand how common the retouching of photos is…around every corner there awaits a photoshopportunity. perhaps there is a fine line that needs to be determined as to what is appropriate without sending a mixed message to so many susceptible viewers. Either that or a disclaimer of some sort! We just find it kind of upsetting that in an age where we are constantly being told by advertisers to “celebrate ourselves” + “feel good in our own skin” + “be proud of who we are” that the very people telling us to do so are the same ones changing the skin tone, size, shape + whatever else seems fit on some of America’s already most beautiful women. If THEY aren’t good enough for print, where does that leave everyone else? That really sends a confusing message to everyone – especially younger people. This is especially dangerous when it concerns health + fitness pubs!

We send out a big chicgeek applause to the AMA for formally recognizing + condemning what many have sensed was an unhealthy practice for so long (photoshopcrockery). We also felt that at the very least, the accidental leak of the Kim image is a healthy reminder that we are all human + that human is almost always more beautiful when it is genuine + un-retouched. Whether you are large or tiny, dark or light, strong or meek, or find yourself somewhere in-between, there is something in each of us to celebrate…and to put it bluntly, overly retouched attempts to reproduce that sentiment are fake…and fake is always, well, fake.

related links

• http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/a11-new-policies.page
• http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/kim-kardashian-photoshop-mistake
• http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-03-26/gossip/17917787_1_kim-kardashian-cellulite-magazine

what might your exercise gadgetry be telling the interwebs about you?

We were amused to learn that one of the chicgeeks’ teams absolute favorite little fitness companion was guilty of “oversharing” some of its’ users naughty secrets. We are talking about a marvelous little invention called the Fitbit which is an easily wearable device that accurately tracks your calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled + sleep quality. Sound awesome? Well it truly is + we can’t recommend the device enough to those active + those hoping to be more active both between + beyond the sheets.

Fitbit recently came under some humorous x-rated fire on TechCrunch due to the fact that some of its members sexual activity (which was being tracked on the device) showed up in google search results! Personally, we think that is hilarious – heck, whatever it takes to get you more active is a worthy endeavor in our book!

However, if you just want track your diet + non-naked fitness, you can do so with this super handy device. As a general rule of thumb, make sure to always check privacy settings with anything that is web-connectable! In this case, you can adjust the FitBit’s privacy by (1) either not tracking your sex life – or (2) setting your profile to not be “searchable” within the web-based app interface.

Be on the lookout for a more detailed review of Fitbit in a future post…but for now, let this article stand as a humorous reminder that while it is good to share, you should always check your security settings on all websites, social networks + devices lest you end up sharing more than you ever intended!

Here’s to the new age of the social web + a more cognizant chicGeek!

should i stay or should i go - you be the judge

If you aren’t with the band, you just might wish you were once you see these awesome new scannable bands by Skanz – producer of wearable bands that hold a QR code. The company is in beta but was one of the several hits at the recent South by Southwest (SXSW) conference. If you’re not familiar with the QR code, check out any fashionable read + grab an eyeful of ad. If they haven’t made an appearance yet, they probably will soon! Basically you scan these squiggly codes with any number of mobile apps + are taken to a website, a video, a social media profile, an app…the list goes on.

What might this most exciting wristband contain you ask? Well, young digital grasshopper, once scanned, the code takes you to a micro-social network set up by none other than…YOU!! In reality this spot could be considered a social media dashboard where information + activity (facebook, twitter, foursquare, hashable, phone number, blog, etc) can all be aggregated as well as updated in one locale. How cool is that?! What a neat way to hand out your business card at the next meeting, exchange data with some hotties – or even your send out a digital invite. Just watch the video below to learn more.

And what if someone doesn’t have a smartphone app to read the scan? We’ve got your back…just read our previous post on Red Laser to get a free scanner that rocks + is certain to grant you a backstage pass.