Apple can’t keep up with the demand for the iPad in the United States and is currently rolling out its European debut of the product, so the last thing Apple needs is a new retail partner to sell more product, especially Wal-Mart. Senior vice-president of entertainment at Wal-Mart told Bloomberg, “We anticipate being able to have the iPad later this year.” An announcement is expected later today that will explain Wal-Mart’s intentions to expand their electronics division, though a specific iPad announcement will probably be a few weeks, if not months, away.
You’re probably thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” It’s made out of leather, has zippered pockets and even the eyes light up. Hell, he can even be reassembled into a standing height of 3′. $60 buys you the geekiest iPad case yet.
Now that the jailbreak application is out in the wild and people are unlocking their iPad from Apple’s control, people are finding all kinds of interesting hacks that make greater use of the iPad. For instance, here is a video that illustrates how to hook up an external hard drive to an iPad. Could this mean we’ll see official, additional storage options supported by Apple in the future? I wouldn’t hold my breath. Hence, this is why jailbreaking exists.
I know people are curious as to how to jailbreak their iPad, so I will be writing up a brief, concise, no-nonsense guide in the next day or two.
Is there any life left in the zombie genre? Get it? I made a funny. Comedy hijinks aside, I’m serious. I think I’m getting zombied-out. My threshold may have been reached when authors began re-writing classic literature with zombies as the main characters. Where the hell do you go from there? Apparently, I am somewhat alone in my burgeoning dislike of all things zombies as there is a veritable avalanche of undead media looming on the horizon, from more “classic” books, more comics and graphic novels, a new series on AMC, more movies and more games. Riding this cultural wave to great effect is Monster Mayhem, a new iPhone/iPad game distributed by Chillingo that manages to transcend its zombie aesthetic and deliver a game that is more fun than may be readily apparent at first glance.
Monster Mayem is a hybrid of sorts, a mix between Tower Defense and Operation Wolf. Unlike typical tower defense games, Monster Mayhem doesn’t task you with placing weapons on the screen. Instead, YOU the weapon. The initial stages find you with nothing more than a butcher knife as creatures of the underworld begin their slow waltz across the screen towards their objective, the cemetery gates. Using your finger, you simply swipe across the creatures until you have inflicted enough damage. This act becomes increasingly more difficult as more and varied creatures beginning heading for the gate. Before you know it, you’re swiping your finger against a horde of undead.
Monster Mayhem ramps up the difficulty at a good pace, easing you in slowly but not wasting time in pumping up the action. Within a few rounds you’ll start gaining access to new weapons, from pistols to shotguns, from UZIs to grenades. Every weapon has a limited number of ammo so you have to be careful where and how you use your weapon, ensuring it is effective against the creature in your cross-hairs. As the game progresses and nastier monsters make themselves known, you’ll soon discover that certain weapons are ineffective while others are superior against specific monsters. This constant juggling between weapons for maximum effect is the heart of the game and the constant, rapid interaction required by the player is the heart of Monster Mayhem’s addictiveness.
Monster Mayhem benefits from a great art style, reminiscent of Plants Vs. Zombies, as well as great and varied sound-effects. Levels mature at a good rate (even including obstacles you have to shoot around) and players can even spend money dropped from monsters on weapon upgrades and ammo, adding a new layer of customization. There are even a few non-standard modes on offer, including Boss Rush and Endless, which enhances the playability considerably.
I expected to be mildly uninterested in this game, based on my own preconceptions and weariness of all things zombies, but Monster Mayhem was able to penetrate my bias and find me playing into the wee hours of the night when I should have been playing the Halo Reach beta. Is their higher praise than that?
