tap

Review: Kill some time with Tap 'n' Pop Classic (Lite)

The app store is filled to the brim with match-three games--variations on a classic formula that offer varying degrees of originality. That said, there are some that really pull it off--providing a unique experience that is at once familiar and new enough to warrant hours of time invested in it. Tap 'n' Pop Classic is such a game, albeit with a handful of issues that can make it frustrating in some circumstances.

The game is immediately familiar to any match-three players. You're shown numerous balloons of different colors. Tap a cluster of two or more (it's more of … Read more

Craigslist wins early legal victory against PadMapper, 3Taps

Craigslist has won the first round in its federal lawsuit against PadMapper and two other companies, which extracted and used real estate listings from the world's most popular classifieds site.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco on Tuesday rejected attempts by the defendants to dismiss Craigslist's lawsuit, which alleged a slew of unlawful acts -- including terms of use violations, copyright violations, trespass, and civil violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

"Defendants' continued use of Craigslist after the clear statements regarding authorization in the cease and desist letters and the technological … Read more

Tap DJ for iPhone 1.0 Review

After just one look at the touch screen of an iPhone it was clear that someone would make an app like Tap DJ. The most important question was whether that app would be any good. In this case, we are happy to report that the app is not only good, but also it is one of the most engaging, well-rounded music creation and mixing apps in the App Store, with more features than most people will need and an intuitive interface that makes it not only easy, but also very fun to use.

Open Tap DJ for the first time … Read more

Loopy Fruit Tap 1.4 Review

Loopy Fruit Tap is a unique game if nothing else. It takes a simple concept -- the "follow the leader" gameplay of a Simon Says tap-the-color app -- and turns it into a sort of rhythm game, complete with fun characters and decent music. There are some issues, including a poor tutorial and lack of clarity in some patterns, but the core gameplay is well designed and the resulting game is fun to play.

The upfront execution is easy in that there is only a single menu. The "How to Play" button provides only a basic … Read more

Use the iPhone's camera to interact with your surroundings in Tap Tap See

The iPhone and iPad are both intuitive devices that offer a range of options for people of all walks of life, including those with impairments of sight. One such app is Tap Tap See, which uses the built-in accessibility functions of iOS 6 to activate a remote network that can rapidly identify and announce objects using the device's built-in camera. Native for the iPhone (but perfectly functional upscaled to an iPad), Tap Tap See is a marvelous app that does one very basic thing very well.

Before you use Tap Tap See, you'll need to turn on the … Read more

Protect against enemies of the dark with this classic defense game

The tower defense genre is very popular. The concept is simple: place defensive structures strategically on a map, use your gold wisely, and kill all of the enemies before they can reach your base, castle, home, or whatever else you are trying to protect. TapDefense for iPhone takes this formula and marries it with a throwback graphical style from the 1990s, numerous maps and objectives, and a slew of different types of enemies to create an engaging but often frustrating entry in the genre.

TapDefense is very similar to other tower defense games. You start with a certain number of … Read more

Use NFC tags to quickly update your Fitbit activities with FitTap

The biggest issue with any of the activity tracking systems, be it a Fitbit or Jawbone Up, is that some information has to be manually entered by the user. For example, when I'm tracking how much water I drink in a given day, I have to remember to enter it into the Fitbit app, and I'm horrible at it.

When the revamped Fitbit Android app launched last week, I came across another Android app called FitTap. FitTap combines Fitbit activity logging with NFC.

There's two versions of the app, one is free, but requires you to use … Read more

Ouya game console hits stores in June

Tuesday's CNET Update is ready for a new way to game:

The Android-based game console Ouya (pronounced ooo-yah) is scheduled to arrive at major retailers in June. Preorders have begun for this open-sourced, crowd-funded console. It will give consumers cheaper access to a wider selection of games to play on their television, and games built for the Ouya will be free to try. The console costs $100 and includes one controller. Additional controllers will cost $50.

Also in today's tech news roundup:

- A screenshot taken of an internal T-Mobile document indicates that the carrier plans to sell … Read more

Dyson's new $1,500 Airblade Tap tested in hands-on video

Dyson, eh? The company is best known for making weird-looking vacuum cleaners and high-velocity hand dryers. So what's the British firm's next invention? Well, to paraphrase the great Admiral Ackbar, it's a tap!

Yes indeed, we've gone hands-on (or should that be under?) with Dyson's Airblade Tap -- a ludicrously pricey new piece of bathroom furniture. Click play on the video below to see what it looks like in reality. … Read more

The Simpsons Tapped Out will leave you tapped out of patience

The Simpsons have become ingrained in our culture since they first premiered on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 (we're showing our age here), so it seems fitting that they move to the 21st century by appearing in an iOS game. Sadly, though, for such a funny and entertaining television show, The Simpsons Tapped Out is one of the more boring iOS game apps we've tested.

When we started The Simpsons Tapped Out, we had to wait about five minutes for 28 updates to download. But once it started, we were greeted with a short scene of Homer … Read more