Way back when I was in school I used to carry a notebook everywhere I went to record daily thoughts and observations. So you see, ive been blogging since before it was popular and where better to carry it onward than to give it a digital page of its own?
Welcome to the pages of bar fly Hollywood Francis...
The humble mobile/cell phone. My how you've grown! You are all singing and dancing and texting and Googling and and oh everything! Im certain in years to come you will be bundled with jetpacks and auto pilot applications that drive our cars while we try to beat that hi-score on Angry Birds and the world will be giddy from the wonder of it all. But not me, im bowing out before I lose my soul forever.
You see I went through a few so called 'smartphones' before I finally settled on my current phone, the iPhone 3GS and this will be the last one I ever buy. (I was tempted by the newer iPhone 4 but after using both, preferred ios3.) The reason for this shouldn't be hard to see: iPhone 3GS has everything (and more) that I will ever need from a mobile telephone. I have no desire for the futures snazzy new iPhone 10. With or without jetpack.
How things change from the early days of mobile phones. Dai Jakes first one was the classic 'brick' type and you couldn't even text on it. It had a black and white screen, could make/recieve calls and erm....that was it. Perhaps you could change the ringtone but I never tried. There wasn't even a calculator and they seem to be on everything. It was a true mobile telephone, whereas these days mobile personal assistants is a more accurate description. Combine internet access with over 500,000 apps which have everything from blood pressure checks to whale alerts (I kid you not) and phones today almost do your life for you.
And thats why im stopping the one I have now. I don't want something sinister sounding like Siri telling me on iPhone 4 that I may need to take an umbrella to the park, or whatever else it suggests. Its too much and I am capable of thinking for myself thank you very much. Its neither cool or clever, only further proof of our decline as a species.
I have news, videos, music, sports, retro videogames, weather,, route finder, yada yada yada and that lot will do for me. Newer phones will only have the same but a bit more polished and I don't need further distractions from real life. Now if you'll excuse me I have a planet to kill in Plague Inc.
I am an avid videogamer and with eight working consoles set up at home one could say without fear of exaggeration that I can't get enough of gaming. But for the life of me, I never imagined I would take smartphone games seriously. They seemed so throw away, with less content than a budgie's leg and graphically I always though more Snakes than Bioshock, so you can imagine the suprise I had when I played my first iPhone game (Rat On A Skateboard) a few weeks ago. On previous mobile phones I largely ignored the games but on getting a smartphone I figured the games would have stepped up their er....game. And you know what? I was right!
Rat On A Skateboard was fun, funky, addictive and in glorious colour (black & white Nokia games anyone?) indeed everything a good game should be. *Adopts Yoda Voice* Excited was I.
The iPhone 3GS and 4S have brilliant games on offer, hell they even have (and this gave me the Bioshock of shocks) Playstation 2 titles to play. Fancy playing Grand Theft Auto 3 and Chinatown Wars? You can! There are even murmurs of San Andreas coming too! My flabber is truly gasted. Mobile gaming has arrived at long last. And here are some Must Haves.
1. Angry Birds (free and to buy)
If you've not heard of Angry Birds yet, you are either (A) dead or (B) struggling so much with technology that you still own a pager and play albums on cassette. The concept is simple: fire (angry) birds at green pigs from slingshots in order to wreck whatever wooden/concrete/glass fortress the pesky swines have taken refuge in. There are different types of bird to do this, from those who cannonball through the air to others which explode. Its fabulously addictive and is brimming with One-More-Go goodness. And with Rio, Seasons and Space to go along with the original Angry Birds game you can rest assure the feathered ones will keep you going for quite a while yet.
2. Pac Man (£2.99p)
No introduction needed, everyone (even the guy with a pager) knows Pac Man. And he has been faithfully recreated for the iPhone, right down to the nifty little red joystick which you control via touch screen. I love it! Oh and if you don't fancy paying £2.99, there is a free Lite version available.
3. Highway Rider (free)
I only discovered this game a few hours ago and already ive clocked up many miles on its speedy (not to mention dangerous) roads. I am stunned this was FREE because I would gladly pay a few quid for this little cracker. Grab a motorbike (which you can customize) and guide your rider (also customizable) along highways at ridiculously quick speeds while avoiding cars and lorries. The more dangerous your riding, the faster you go and players are rewarded for overtaking vehicles as closely as possible. In short, ride like a suicidal maniac with total disreguard for physical well being and safety. If you crash (and you WILL) the camera slows down to capture all that painful breakage of bones, which actually get listed on screen together with an estimation of what your medical bill would cost. (What? No NHS?) Brilliant fun!
4. Golden Axe (69p)
Remember this on the Sega Megadrive console? You can now own it on iPhone. Be warned though! The controls can be fiddly at first but practice makes perfect and you will be glad when you nail them because Golden Axe is a classic.
Slinging great!
5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2012 (69p)
Fancy a knock on the greens? There's a whole console game here including the PGA Tour, Multiplayer, Closest To Pin Challenge, Tiger Challenge and quite frankly im amazed its so cheap. Under 70p for all this? I am IN sir! This was my first game purchase and at that price you'd be mad not to get it (uless you hate golf). Buy equipment and upgrades in the Pro shop, customize your golfer, its the same as my Xbox 360 version for crying out loud! Controls are simple and responsive, just pull back your finger to swing and bring it down to smack the ball. Graphics are great and you can link the game to Facebook and post your best results on your wall. It even has your Facebook profile pic on the greens to mark your closest shot to the flag. Quite brilliant!
6. Temple Run (free)
A longtime favourite for iPhone users and I curse all those wasted hours that I missed (I only got it yesterday). Run away from Demon Monkeys along crumbling walls, wooden paths while jumping over tree stumps and diving under low hurdles, all with one swipe of the finger. It works like a dream and when you come a cropper its down to you, no blaming the fluid like control system. How some of these games are FREE I'll never understand because you wouldn't feel ripped off even paying a couple of pounds for them.
7. Downhill Xtreme Skateboarding (free)
Another stunning title for nowt. Speed skate down various hills and slopes worldwide, starting in sun drenched California as punk (includes bands like The Clench and We Outspoken) bleeds from the iPhone speakers, pumping you up to get that first place. You can do solo runs or race against other players and when you first see this in action, you will understand (if you haven't already) that phone games have finally arrived. Some of them, this title included, look flipping amazing.
8. Paperboy SD (69p)
Okay RetroHeads, get downloading this classic game from the golden era of videogames, the 1980s! Yes its Paperboy Special Delivery! Tilt the screen back and forward to speed up/slow down and touch left/right on screen arrows to steer and avoid obstacles like drunks, fireworks and tornados. Its even kept that oh so familiar soundtrack. Bonus!
9. Slingshot Racing (69p)
Now this game is my current favourite out of them all. Its a top down racer (think Micro Machines V4) and you guide your car around tracks by using a slingshot. Its a novel way of racing and it works well. As with the others, it looks like polished knees on happy bees too.
10. Hambo (free but upgrades are paid)
Rambo is a pig. Literally! Work out the best ricochet shot to shoot other pigs from platforms, this is nearly as addictive as Temple Run and definately worth a download. You can check out Highway Rider in the video below.
Dai Jakes is fairly new to the iPhone craze but it hasn't taken long to get the app bug and what with there being an app (application) for anything and everything (there is even a 'whale alert' app fer Chrissakes), today I am going to list Mr Jakes' favourite ones. I must admit, I initially thought smartphone apps were overrated and silly, only used by geeky teenagers and bored buisnessmen but im willing to admit I was wrong on this score. After using a fair few now I would certainly miss them if they were to suddenly disappear. Im really appy with them (and yes I HAD to do that.) So let us roll out the Jakes apps and remember, this list is in no particular order with number 5 being just as cool/useful as number 1.
1. Flipboard (free)
This lets you have all your social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and news all in one place. Its simple to use and has a nice design which lets you flip pages upward with one finger swipe. If you happen to be a neat freak and want all your most read news and game/film reviews in one place you should download Flipboard immediately. Top drawer stuff!
2. Morrisons supermarket (free)
Great for shoppers, this app gives you nearest stores, special offers and even lets you create a handy shopping list by simply ticking desired foods from their food list. I was expecting the special offers selection to be out of date for some reason but im happy to report its bang up to date. If Morrisons is your supermarket, get the app.
3. Red Laser (free)
Have a barcode fetish? Want to know the price of a DVD and compare prices to sites such as eBay? Red Laser lets you do just that. You can make lists of wanted items and it can even recognise photographs as well as read barcodes. And it WORKS! Really well! It even recognised my rare coffin edition Cradle of filth CD. I always thought barcode readers were purely gimmicks but they can be very handy, especially as it compares prices from eBay, Amazon, HMV, etc.
4. Playstation 1 Collector (£2.49p)
Being a retro videogame player/collector I was seriously impressed when I stumbled across this app. Best £2.49p ive ever spent. This has EVERY Playstation 1 title ever made, and it tells you how rare and valuable each game is. Want to make a list of your collection and tick off titles as you collect? Sure thing. The app gives fabulous box art and lets you create wanted/remaining list as well. Lists lists! We love a good list on Dai Jake's Book!
The Playstation Collector app
5. Bing (free)
Find your nearest shops, cinemas, restraunts, docors, schools, weather, parks, police, damn near EVERYTHING. Ok some things are out of date, for instance it showed a post office in Carmarthen thats been closed for years, but its a minor gripe when most things are present and correct. It has world/UK news, images and videos too but the local stuff is where Bing shines best.
6. British Red Cross first aid (free)
If you own an iPhone, you really must get this great app. You never know when an emergency might rear its ugly head and this covers everything from treating broken bones to lacerations. It even lets you test yourself and awards you different achievments when you pass. Super cool! You can also call the emergency services by tapping a red box. Brilliant app that could well be a life saver. Download it NOW!
7. Flixster (free)
Movie fan? Then you probably got this already but if you don't, you know what to do. This not only finds nearest cinemas but it also tells you whats playing in them and the times. Want to see a trailer? Can do! It covers all the new releases plus lists the top DVD releases.
8. TV Catchup (free)
Now I don't watch television but I downloaded this for the WOW factor (and for Sky News). This app lets you watch all the channels that you get on Freeview from BBC1 to Price Drop TV. And there is absolutely NO buffering! It streams flawlessly and the sound is good. I dreamt of stuff like this as a child.
9. iBooks (free)
Speaks for itself really. A library in your pocket from the Classics to current bestsellers. At reasonable prices too! And some are free like the app itself. If you don't mind reading from a phone screen, there has never been a better time to catch up on works by the greats. All downloaded books sit on a virtual wooden shelf so it looks very swish.
10. WebMD (free)
Symptom checker, conditions, drugs & treatments, first aid info, local health listings.This app has it all to find out whatever it is that ails you. I found all my prescribed medicines on it and its extremely informative.
So these are Dai Jakes top ten but I must mention Pulse and Feedly also. Both are free and are similar to Flipboard in that they have news from a variety of online newspapers/magazines all in one place. If you are new to apps or are a non believer like I was, download these today and prepare to be impressed and informed. With over 500,000 applications (some paid, some free) its easy to get a bit overwhelmed by it all so hope this helps you get started on your digital journey.
Coming up next: Dai Jake's Book favourite iPhone games.
