reviews

There's a DJ in my Vita and its name is Sound Shapes

Since its relatively impressive launch last February, there's been a disconcerting lack of quality software titles available for Sony's powerful portable. Sure, there's a few notable games on the horizon including LittleBigPlanet, Call of Duty, and Assassin's Creed, but it's the downloadable efforts that really hold the true potential of the system.

Sound Shapes first debuted at E3 2011, where it headlined Sony's debut of the Vita. Since then it has slipped under the radar, quietly being developed by Queasy Games and Santa Monica Studio.

Now with the game ready to go, we're wondering if Sound Shapes is the shot in the arm that the Vita needs or if it's a disappointing casualty of its own hype machine.… Read more

This week in Crave: The shipping-now edition

Too busy decorating your new disaster-zone shipping container to keep up with Crave this week? Have a seat on your Cat Tunnel Sofa and take a moment to catch up on what you missed.

- Google Nexus 7 teardown reveals more hits than misses.

- Stop-motion Batman video stars action figures as actors. Eerie.

- Even eerier? A 3D-printed replica of your fetus.

- Ever start a sentence by saying "hashtag"? Stop that right now, says Eric Mack.

- Our gold-medal comic Low Latency goes to the Olympics. … Read more

Another tough week for Facebook

It's been another brutal and busy week for Facebook, which saw its stock dip below $20 a share for the first time since its May IPO. And the bleeding just won't stop.

Facebook closed on Thursday just above $20 a share -- almost half the debut price. This despite Facebook's latest wave of selling, which began when Zynga spooked investors with its lousy earnings report last Wednesday and continued with Facebook's own unspectacular earnings. And word that some big boys have dumped the stock hasn't helped. The Wall Street Journal reported that Fidelity, one of … Read more

Tablets with the best screens

The importance of a tablet's screen quality cannot be understated. The vast majority of your interactions with a given tablet takes place on its screen.

This year we've continued to see tablet screen quality jump by leaps and bounds, especially from the perspective of clarity. Expect tablet screens to at least maintain the current level of quality for the next year.… Read more

The 404 1,098: Where our punishment must be more severe (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Bane voice: What does the 'Dark Knight Rises' villain sound like?

- First 3D printed gun signals the end of gun control.

- Pornography in public takes the next seat.

- Apple reportedly to unveil iPhone 5, iPad Mini on September 12.… Read more

Bravo! Thespians deliver dramatic Yelp readings

Film adaptations often don't live up to their source material. A new YouTube collection titled "Real Actors Read Yelp Reviews" actually enhances it.

You may recognize professional actor Chris Kipiniak from his appearances as Evan Goode on "The Good Wife," Clerk #2 in "Headcrusher," or Cop in "The Poker Club." Now, he's also the guy who gave a dramatic interpretation of a one-star Yelp review of Stratford Diner.

Kipiniak's powerful reading, set to a dramatic score, really communicates the reviewer's angst directed at the restaurant's manager. It elevates a simple Yelp review to a higher level of heart-rending existential conflict full of emotion, confusion, and crab cakes. … Read more

This week in Crave: The sporty edition

Too busy snoozing away in your Podtime Sleeping Pod this week to keep up with Crave? Wake up, sci-fi sleepyhead. It's time for our weekly roundup.

- What would the London Olympics be without a double-decker bus that does pushups?

- There are bargain bikes. And then there are $9 cardboard bargain bikes.

- Looking for a sub-$300 monitor? Some good choices.

- Mind your penmanship! It's back to school with Google Handwrite.

- Or you could just write with your eyes. … Read more

The 404 1,097: Where what kind of man dresses like a bird (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Apple patents game controller.

- Check out Shellrazer, out now and available for everyone.

- Spelunky is a 2D platform game for Xbox Live Arcade and PCs that demands patience and a lot of time.

- The Verge has bad news about your favorite game.

- Subscribe to Polygon's gaming podcast The Besties, featuring Russ Frushtick. … Read more

Apple misses estimates but still intrigues

Apple disappointed Wall Street this week but enticed iPhone 5-eager consumers.

During its third fiscal quarter, which ran through June 30, Apple reported revenue of $35 billion and earnings of $8.8 billion, or $9.32 per share. Wall Street was expecting Apple to pull in earnings of $10.35 a share on revenue of $37.2 billion.

Apple sold 26 million iPhones during the quarter, which was down from the 29 million Wall Street expected, though up 28 percent from the same quarter last year. Apple broke its previous sales record of 15.43 million iPads, selling 17 million … Read more

Yelp iOS app updated with lots of 'awesomeness'

iPhone and iPad users who tap into Yelp will find a few enhancements in the latest version.

Rolled out yesterday, version 6 of the review site's iOS app has revamped its business pages. Click on the name of a business, and you'll see the location, contact info, photos, reviews, and tips all on one single screen.

Beyond reviewing a restaurant or other business, you can add tips to advise people on what to buy or what to avoid. You can compliment other people on their reviews of the business. And you can add photos of the business to … Read more