shoot

Bowmaster HD is the iPad adaptation of Bowmaster for the iPhone and iPod Touch, in which you fire arrows from a virtual bow at moving targets while competing against Robin Hood's "Merry Men."

Bowmaster's 3D, first-person arrow-firing interface works fairly well: you control the position of your bow with your left thumb, pull back on the string with your right thumb (lifting to release an arrow), and adjust your view up, down, left, and right by tilting your device. The game's premise is that you're trying to win a series of archery competitions against … Read more

Aspiring game designers and robot aficionados unite!

One of the most prominent independent game developers in the Boston area, Demiurge Studios, is getting ready to launch its newest downloadable game, Shoot Many Robots, but not without seeing a few of your ideas first.

Announced to implore budding concept artists to show off their skills, the contest "Design Many Robots" asks creative minds to sketch their own vision of the ultimate battle robot by April 4.

The most creative and all-around awesome entries will earn a free trip to Demiurge Studios to see their creations come to life--not literally, of course.

But the victorious robots do get to appear in an expansion pack of the game, which is set to launch later this year. Assemble the full details and rules at ShootManyRobots.com. … Read more

In my experience, digital cameras generally give you 2 to 4 years of service before something breaks--and trust me, they're not worth fixing. (Usually the repairs cost nearly as much as a new camera.)

So if you're looking to replace a busted point-and-shoot or maybe just upgrade your clunky old 4-megapixel model, you've come to the right deal.

An outfit called eCrater has the Canon SD1400 IS (silver) for $159.99 shipped. It sells for $199 most other places, and I've also seen it as high as $229. And if you're into pink, Amazon has the SD1400 IS for $149.99 shipped.… Read more

A common problem with slim point-and-shoots is that users with larger hands may find it difficult to hold and operate the camera. A recent Sony patent (PDF) for a foldable grip may just resolve this issue, and I have to say it is quite clever.

According to the diagrams, it's possible to increase the grip's surface area by pulling the front plate out sideways so it folds and becomes a grip. Presumably, this will also expose the lens and turn on the snapper, much like the Cyber-shot T-series shooters.

But as with all patents, this apparatus will remain … Read more

Clay Shooter Mania is a clay-pigeon shooting game that uses the iPhone 4 accelerometer and gyroscope features to make for a unique gaming experience, but you're going to need room to move around to play it.

One of the more-amazing features of the iPhone 4 when it came out was the gyroscope, which enabled users to move the device and view an object as though the iPhone screen were a window into a different world. There have only been a few apps so far at the iTunes App Store that take advantage of this feature (Eliminate: GunRange, for example).… Read more

According to a recent study by IDC, the iPad has definitively dominated the tablet market, accounting for almost 90 percent of tablets shipped worldwide in the third quarter of 2010. It stands to reason that fourth-quarter results will probably be even higher after the big holiday season. Now that many of the early naysayers have come around to the larger iOS device, I have to think the launch of the iPad 2 in April will be leaps and bounds more successful right out of the gate.

I got the first-generation iPad when it came out for obvious reasons, and probably won't be buying the new iPad personally at launch time (though we will certainly have them here at CNET for testing). But what about you? Are you one of those who decided to wait for the second-generation iPad?

As usual, Apple is not telling us much about its shiny new device, but there have been plenty of rumors regarding a higher-resolution screen, front- and rear-facing cameras, and much more at the various rumor sites.

I'm interested to see who is planning to pull the trigger on the new iPad in April. Let us know your plans in the comments.

This week's apps include a strange interactive storytelling app and a shooting game that cleverly uses the iPhone 4's gyroscope technology.… Read more

Earlier this week, an Illinois man managed to leave his cell phone in his back pocket, a choice that ended up, thanks to his rolling bottom, with his wife calling the police, who sent a SWAT team to the man's place of work.

John Garber, a valet from an Atlanta nightclub might now be dead if he'd kept his cell phone in the same place.

According to the Associated Press, Garber was working at Club Halo when two men were thrown out of the club. Police say that the men allegedly ventured over to a car, grabbed some weapons and began to shoot indiscriminately in the direction of the club.

One of the bullets went through Garber's coat and was about to do him severe damage. Suddenly, it was intercepted by his HTC phone (yes, it was a Droid Incredible), which he had put into the chest pocket of his jacket.

Garber's coat is now adorned with a bullet hole. The top left corner of his red cell phone battery now enjoys a dent that signifies it wouldn't let the bullet through.… Read more

StarDunk is a free, 2D hoop-shooting game with slick production values, great multiplayer features, and an optional system of in-app purchases that somehow isn't obnoxious.

StarDunk adds fun twists to some pretty basic gameplay: You have two minutes to score as many baskets as possible, as you touch the screen to set your ball's trajectory and then release to shoot. The ball is on the right side of the screen and the basket on the left (left-handers can swap sides), all against a spacey backdrop that matches StarDunk's electro soundtrack. The basket's backboard has four tiles … Read more

Ragdoll Blaster 2 Lite is a free 18-level preview of Ragdoll Blaster 2, the much more polished follow-up to physics-based puzzler Ragdoll Blaster.

The interface of Ragdoll Blaster 2 is a lot like its predecessor, but with a brand-new skin. You're still using your touch screen to aim and fire rag dolls from a cannon, but the earlier game's graph-paper-sketch aesthetic has been swapped out for a more realistic, steampunky backdrop, with a cute musical score, cartoony sound effects, and higher production values throughout.

The object of the game is the same: each level has a red-and-white, bullseye … Read more