Publisher: Red Redemption
Developer: Red Redemption
Platforms: PC, Mac
Genre: Strategy
Players: Single Player
Purchase from: Steam, Official website

The Scoop: If you ever thought that you could solve all of the world’s problems caused by global climate change and make the entire planet one happy place, here is your chance.

The Setup:  Fate of the World: Tipping Point is a strategy game which uses real climate data based on the research of Professor Myles Allen of Oxford University.  This real life data is used to create over 1,000 possibilities/situations/disasters and over 100 real-world policy decisions.  In Fate of the World: Tipping Point, you are seated as the head of a world government known as the GEO.  As the President of the GEO you’re tasked with the burden of dealing with the social and environmental impact of global climate change and make the best, or worst, decisions to try and solve the the problems that arise.  You’ll deal with protestors, resource shortages, welfare issues, animal extinction, and the fun list goes on and on.

The entire game is played by using the mouse, and the GUI is pretty simple with the view of Earth being dead center, with buttons to access different global stats and charts.  From here you can spin the Earth around and select one of the 12 regions, which will then bring you then let you view news and stats for the region, as well as set policies.  Speaking of  policies, you will use a deck of cards to control which policies you have access to and want to play.  Each card has a cost associated with it and some cards will help unlock additional cards.  And cards are spread across different categories such as political, agriculture, technology, energy, and social.  So if you want to declare Martial Law, head on over to the political deck!  Most cards can be completed in one turn (which is 5 years in game time) while other cards may take longer (ex: 50 years to complete).

To play a card you have to recruit an agent for that particular region. Agents cost money to recruit and you are also limited 6 agents per region, and each agent allows you to play 1 card for a particular region.  You’re limited to the amount of funding that you earn each turn, and some global events may cause you to not bring in as much on a particular turn, so you’ll have to be strategic in how you recruit your agents and which cards you need to play.

What cards you “should” play on each turn is pretty much dictated by the news events for each particular region.  If the news feed for South Africa says that people are rioting, you should focus on playing political cards.  Or if the news feed for Latin America says there are issues with poor standards of living, you will want to focus on cards that will help make living in this region more enjoyable.  You get the idea!

When you’re happy with the selection of cards for this turn, you will big purplish button in the bottom right hand corner to play the cards and advance to the next turn, which increases the year by 5.  Each scenario in Fate of the World: Tipping Point has a number of objectives or win conditions that you need to achieve to win the game, so you will continue to play cards until you’ve reached (or failed!) your goal or reached the time limit for a particular scenario.

What’s Hot:   Fate of the World: Tipping Point is a very tricky game, and one of the important things that you have to watch out for is not just the win conditions of the scenario, but also the lose conditions.  More often than not you will find that you’ve reached your win condition, but lost the game due to a particular lose condition.  This really adds to the overall challenge of the game and will keep you on your toes through each scenario.

Speaking of tricky, limiting the amount of cards or policies that can be played per turn to the number of agents a region has really adds to the strategic nature of the game.  You’ll find that you need to balance your funds with the number of agents you have to hire as well as which disasters or situations need to be high priority.  Sometimes a particular region may have a handful of issues that just occurred, yet you only have enough resources to deal with 2 or 3 of the issues.  What do you do? Which comes first? Is it OK to sacrifice the political instability for a turn and hope chaos doesn’t ensue to take care of a critical healthcare issue?  I’ve found myself in this situation multiple times and so will you!

The news feeds and data for each region (and even on the global level) are your vitals.  Keeping an eye on these will help you reach your win conditions as well as keep you from reaching those lose conditions.  You will want to get familiar with the different buttons and know where certain data lives pretty fast.

Photo Credit: Chris Dag

The iPad has revolutionized my mobile office experience. The key to my success was quickly identifying the top office apps in a sea of hundreds of thousands of apps. I looked for versatility, compatibility and ease-of-use.

Of course, to setup my ultimate mobile office I had to look beyond the Apple App Store and see what accessories would also allow me to be as product as the last three years mobile computing with my laptop.

So things like keyboards, covers, WiFi, card readers and carrying cases come into play when cutting the cord, tossing the laptop out and turning your iPad into one tough mobile office computing power. Basically, you want to go rogue, but you also want to have the tools to succeed.

If you want to skip all the juicy details, buy the ZAGGmate (iPador iPad 2) and then download Documents To Go, Dragon Dictation and HootSuite and you’ll be able to read, write, talk and socialize up a business storm. If you want a bit more details on the top office apps, more productivity and want go beyond the basics and explore your mobile office options, read on.

Read full article on AppyHour.tv.

Original images and audio featured in the movie storybook.

Thanks to iStoryTime, a library of kids storybooks, fans of the Jack Black-voiced film “Kung Fu Panda 2″ can now swipe a sneak peek of images and audio from the original film set to debut on May 26. The movie storybook Kung Fu Panda 2 follows the original storyline and is now available in the Apple App Store for $2.99.

Who doesn’t love the skadoosh epicness of Jack Black and what better to entertain your kids than with the lyrical skat cat himself along with fellow actress superstar Angelina Jolie as their characters Po and Tigress, respectively, join the rest of the Furious Five – Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey to defeat the villain trying to conquer China and rid the world of kung fu.

The Kung Fu Panda 2 movie storybook also contains a bonus feature entitled “Create-A-Scene” which is a digital sticker book with your favorite characters from Kung Fu Panda 2. This is also the first time Create-A-Scene is available on the iPhone.

The storybook is universal and brings the entertaining story to kids on the convenience of the iPhone, iPad and iPod® touch. iStoryTime books are illustrated and narrated, so children can enjoy the book even when parents are busy. Pages can be turned automatically or manually depending on the age and preference of the user. And readers can choose the style of narration — an adult voice, child voice or none at all.

JamPick

JamPick - Think you have rhythm? Then test it out with JamPick, the handheld jam session. Pick your groove, set the mood and turn your iPhone into a music making machine. It’s like being your own producer. Don’t like a certain beat? Change it with the flick of a finger. Think your drummer’s clothes are a bit too retro? Change him in for a different drummer. But it’s not all about the flashy fashion. You have to synchronize your band to make sweet, sweet music. Seriously. It’s pretty cool. All music loops of drums, bass and guitars are high quality stereo audio sounds produced using Logic Pro composed by the app developer himself, David Oliver. He even created all the illustrations, imagery and animation. Talk about a one-man band. Download from the app store for $.99.

uPackingList

uPackingList - Socks, check. Camera, check. iPad check. Let’s be honest, packing is the worst part about traveling. The good news is it can be simplified with the uPackingList app, which helps creating your checklist easy as pie even if you’re just going over to grandma’s house. Easily create and update lists with the click of a button. The possibilities are endless just like the number of lists you can maintain within the app and they’re reusable. Plus, there are already 300 pre-loaded items and you can collapse or expand any of the customizable categories. Also, keep track of your list by simply tapping to check the box complete. And make sure to utilize the email function for checking the list later or sending to a forgetful friend. Download from the app store for $1.99.

iRewardChart

iRewardChart - Have kids or an unruly spouse? Utilize iRewardChart to make an easy good behavior reward system and keep said person motivated to repeat those behaviors. Setup of the app is very simple by entering a name, selecting a few tasks from the suggested list and then rewarding their accomplishments with a single tap in the weekly chart. As stars accumulate, said person can pick from a default list of awards or an easily customizable rewards list such as “get a cookie” and “free dinner” or my favorite “free foot massage.” Download from the app store for $3.99.

Funny Emoticon

Funny Emoticon - Making funny faces has always been a fun thing to do whether it be of a friend, a neighbor or anything really. Better yet, making them on your iPhone 4 is easier and makes sharing them a lot more fun as well. Check out the Funny Emoticon avatar creator that includes several mouth, eye, accessory and background styles that can combine to make some very funny emoticons. Make sure to push the preview button and then hold the lock button and press the home button at the same time to save to your picture library. Download from the app store for free.

ClubWorld now available in the app store.

Now available in the app store, ClubWorld transforms players into nightclub VIPs, giving them the ability to design and operate their own club, play select music from one’s iTunes library or purchase and download new music from the iTunes Store. The ClubWorld app also features branded clubs from two of music’s biggest DJs and producers, Tiësto and David Guetta.

“I’m a huge fan of music games and all genres of music, so I was excited to work with Tapulous on ClubWorld,” said ground-breaking DJ and producer Tiësto. “I love that the game turns the fantasy of having your own club into a reality. There is amazing energy when you bring people together to listen to music and it’s that feeling that really drives me and all that I do.”

Tracks from Tiësto’s new album, Club Life, Vol. 1 Las Vegas, can be heard in his ClubWorld mix.

“I spend my life in clubs spinning music around the planet; it’s my passion and it brings people together” said Grammy award-winning artist, producer and DJ, David Guetta. “ClubWorld is a great game to build one virtually and share favorite music and experiences with others.”

In the ClubWorld App, each player hires a DJ, bartender and bouncer to operate his or her club, which can then be customized with the player’s choice of furniture, speakers, dance floor, bar and more. Players can also visit the ClubWorld main street to enter other players’ clubs and make new friends through the app’s innovative music matchmaking system.

In addition to Game Center support, the beautifully rendered visuals are optimized for the Retina Display on iPhone 4. ClubWorld also includes mini-games that take advantage of Multi-Touch interface and accelerometer on iPhone and iPod touch.

“Tapulous has once again redefined the music gaming experience on the iPhone with the launch of ClubWorld,” said Bart Decrem, co-founder of Tapulous. “The app takes the aspirational experience of owning your own club, filling it with your favorite music and friends and makes it not only mobile, but incredibly fun. With Tiësto and David Guetta – hands down two of the biggest DJs in the world – featured in this app, showcasing their own clubs is a testament of the quality of the ClubWorld App.”

The app can be downloaded from the iTunes app store here.

Update for Scrabble Blast now available in app store.

• Resolution of Facebook Login – Now you’ll stay logged into Facebook while you play
• High Score Menu – View your name on the High Score Menu after explosive, high-scoring rounds
• Enhanced Performance – Behind-the-scenes adjustments make for more smooth and stable SCRABBLE Blast action
• Ad-Free option available for purchase – An additional transaction now enables you to turn off advertisements while you play

Download the new update now for the best SCRABBLE Blast experience yet. And don’t forget to download SCRABBLE Free to unlock 2 additional game modes (online connection required).

In the efforts to stem pet obesity and help our furry friends live longer, Dogmeter uses GPS to track your dogs fitness, how far they’ve run, pace and calories burned. You can use Twitter or Facebook to give remote commands to your dog, and, new Text-To-Bark technology commands him in his own language. Commands include ‘Bombs Away”, ‘‘OMG Don’t Eat THAT!” or “Drop That Bird!”

The app is great for any breed, so if you have a Terrier, Bulldog or a Retriever Abvio invites you to try out out Dogmeter and take control of your dog’s fitness.

“Abvio created a wonderful application for people, but by adapting it for the world’s dogs, they can help man’s best friend have longer active lives,” said Bassett Shepard, professional dog trainer. “Never before have dog trainers been able to measure real results of dog exercise, and use Text-To-Bark technology to command the pack.”

Abvio’s applications have been known for their ability to provide audio feedback to runners, cyclists, and walkers, and now dogs can benefit. Dogmeter’s Text-To-Bark technology uses recent discoveries in dog linguistics to transform commands such as “Stop” into the fundamental phonemes of dog language. Studies have shown this technology to be twice as effective in causing immediate obedience. By setting up a Twitter or Facebook account for your dog, any tweet or posts that you make are communicated directly to your dog.

Full details of the April Fools joke here.

Reload now available in the app store.

Featuring weapons and equipment from Remington®, Magnum Research, Champion, and Wiley X Eyewear, Reload puts players into the boots of soldiers, law enforcement officers and exhibition shooters as they train for everything from hostage rescue, VIP protection and sniper situations to Olympic style shooting events.

Reload offers:

• 17 levels, custom built for iPhone and iPad
• Some of the greatest firearms ever made, including the Remington Model 1100™ Tac4 and the Modular Sniper Rifle (MSR™), Desert Eagle pistols, the M249 and the AK-47
• 100+ medals, achievements, badges
• 2-4 hot seat multiplayer.  Up to 4 players can take turns on a single level on one phone to see who can get the highest score
• Facebook, Twitter, the iPhone Game Center, online leaderboards, and achievements integration via OpenFeint

Reload is available for download for $2.99.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 now available in app store.

All the courses and golfers have been dramatically enhanced to take full advantage of the larger iPad screen, and the iPhone/iPod touch retina display.  Players can challenge friends to a round of golf over Bluetooth or local wifi. With skins, match play and other modes, along with new golfers such as Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, Paul Casey, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Paula Creamer, playing golf anytime, no matter where you are on your iOS device is an enhanced experience. New courses include the fan-favorite Predator fantasy course  and  the Old White Course at Greenbrier, home of the Greenbrier Classic.

Twice a week, a new Par-3 hole will be chosen for the “Closest to the Pin” Facebook Challenge.  Players can tee off and see how close they can get to the pin and where they rank amongst their Facebook friends on the leaderboards. A new “Tiger Challenge” mode includes of over 20 mini-game challenges to earn money that can be used to participate in the PGA TOUR events or upgrade a custom golfer’s attributes.

A free  version of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR will be available for the iPhone and iPod touch.  This version provides full functionality for the “Closest to the Pin” Facebook Challenge, and also let gives players three holes on the famous TPC Sawgrass course.

Download the app here for $9.99.

Green Day Revenge now available in app store.

The launch coincides with the release of Green Day’s new live CD plus bonus DVD Awesome as **** released by Reprise Records on March 22 and features explosive performances captured during the band’s 2009-2010 World Tour in support of their Grammy® Award-winning album 21st Century Breakdown.

Every time I see a new Tapulous app I know it is going to have killer tracks, intense gameplay and outstanding band artwork and their latest venture surely delivers on all fronts.

When you open the app, you’re presented with two free tracks and a button that says get more songs. Clicking for more songs is an absolute must as you get a total of 10 songs… for free. Just these songs alone make this app worth over $10 and it’s only priced at $4.99. Seriously, where else can you get dang near a full album plus a fully loaded game for under $5? It’s a steal of a deal.

Now, for those of you who say there are too many music rhythm games, you’re right, there are. However, of those, there are only a few that deliver interesting content and great graphics all packaged into addictive gameplay and Green Day Revenge is definitely one of them.

For those of you hardcore Green Day fans, and whose not, the app features a photos section where you can checkout band pics. And of course, there is a download option to setup your iPhone’s background of you favorite bandmate such as Billie Joe Armstrong himself.

And for those socially addicted (like me) gamers, click on the social button to checkout the band’s tweets as well as setup your social accounts to share scores to Facebook, Twitter and email. Even better, is the integrated chat rooms that shares up-to-the-minute band information as well as allows fans to chat back and fourth about the new app.

Once I you’re done checking out band photos and setting up your social profile, I suggest diving right into gameplay where your basic role is to tap through the song list on easy, medium, hard and extreme modes. Let me tell you, the extreme mode is just that, extremely challenging. In fact, I tapped my little fingers away to “21 Guns” on extreme and the song, just under six minutes, nearly caught my fingers on fire from so much fast action. I scored a 97 percent and just over 690,000 points. Beat that, I dare you. I’m currently the high score.

Conversely, “Good Riddance” was not one of the easiest songs to master. You must have extremely fast, nimble and magical fingers to keep up with the intense track. My piddly 71,170 score and 82 percent accuracy with a streak of 17 will be balked at within the community I’m sure.

In conclusion, its solid song list offering combined with a complete and utter tap-ability makes this game extremely entertaining and a must buy. Again, I can’t stress enough, it’s more than just a game, it actually allows you to download 10 full songs for free and enjoy them within a gaming environment. If nothing else, use it as a juke box.

Green Day Revenge has no ESRB rating. The app can be downloaded from theApple app storefor $4.99.

The band’s new album can be download from Amazon.

Article first published as iPhone Game Review: Green Day Revenge on Blogcritics.