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App for That

By Patrick Clark 2/25 1:17pm

App for That

(Screencap)

When Pigs Flirt: Christian Group Decries Bestiality in Geico Mobile App

So you’re an insurance company, and you’ve got a snazzy new smartphone app that does things like helps your customers call for a tow truck when their car breaks down. Also, you have a reputation for memorable TV pitchmen (cavemen, lizards, etc.). Then before you know it, you shoot a 30-second spot for your app in which a comely dame propositions a talking pig and you’ve got a bunch of pissed off Christian ladies on your hands. Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 2/21 1:53pm

App for That

Solve the outbreak! (Photo: App Store)

The CDC Just Released an iPad App That’s Basically ‘Contagion: The Game!’

The Centers for Disease Control (A-town, represent) has just released a new iPad app, meant to educate the public on how its “disease detectives,” a.k.a. epidemiologists, a.k.a Dustin Hoffman in Outbreak, fight epidemics. It is called “Solve the Outbreak,” and the announcement makes it sound like it is basically “Contagion: The Game!” The description:  Read More

By Jessica Roy 2/07 4:58pm

App for That

(Photo: Google Play Store)

Gaze Into My Crystal Balls: Predicktor App Guesses a Dude’s Penis Size

So you’ve been on a couple dates with someone, and you’re thinking it’s time to let them touch you in some secret places. But what if–heaven forbid–you spend all this time getting to know a person, only to find out he has a tiny penis? There’s really no good way to know if you’re going to end up with a worm or an anaconda, ya know? The Predicktor, an app that does exactly what you think it does, is here to help. Read More

By Jessica Roy 12/10/12 9:45am

App for That

(Screencap: Zoobe Cam)

Berlin Startup Helps You Sound Like a Sex-Crazed Bavarian

Feel like your voice messages are lacking a certain je ne sais quois? Is your sultry baritone no longer enough to convince a potential partner to take you on a date? Lucky for you, Zoobe Cam, an app that lets you record voice messages and then stage animated characters to perform them, has released a new version that lets sexy animated ladies convey your messages for you, no sexting required! Read More

By Jessica Roy and Nitasha Tiku 12/07/12 3:33pm

App for That

(Photo: Snapchat)

Diary of Two Snapchat Addicts

Snapchat is one of those rare tech products, like Pinterest, that seems to have taken hold in suburbia and then migrated to New York, at least judging by the coastal buzz suddenly circling the year-and-a-half-year-old app. The service, which was founded by two Stanford computer science students who met at a frat, lets you send photos to friends and strangers for 10 seconds or less before they (in theory!) disappear. You can type a message or use a crude coloring stick to mark up the image. It currently holds down the no. 3 spot for free apps in iTunes and recently claimed 30 million “interactions” a day. Read More

By Jessica Roy 10/15/12 1:50pm

App for That

(Photo: Circa blog)

Ben Huh’s News Startup Circa Aims to Change the Way Users Consume Mobile News

In recent months, LOLcat emperor and  Bravo TV star Ben Huh has systematically leaked handfuls of details about his news startup, Circa, to the press. Back in April, Circa raised $750,000 from a slew of investors (many of whom were named David). In May, Nieman Lab caught up with Mr. Huh at ROFLCON, where he provided buzzword-laden answers and metaphors involving newspapers and teenagers to their questions about the startup. But today, Mr. Huh’s efforts have finally solidified into a cohesive company: Circa is an iPhone app that wants to change the way readers consume news.

Circa isn’t just a news aggregator. It employs teams of editors who curate and synthesize news stories into digestible bites, optimized for reading on mobile devices. The point is to write stories that are designed exclusively for mobile, instead of repackaging stories released on other platforms and trying to fit them into a mobile setting. Read More

By Jessica Roy 9/24/12 9:36am

App for That

(Photo: Lovepalz)

Synchronized iPhone Sex Toy Makes Long Distance Relationships Even More Awkward

In the post-AIM age, it’d probably be pretty difficult to find someone who hasn’t engaged in a long-distance relationship. Our constant communication channels and visually stimulating technologies make it pretty easy to close the emotional distance between partners on opposite coasts.

But what about that physical distance? For that, there’s LovePalz, for when cybering isn’t enough. Read More

By Jessica Roy 7/11/12 12:09pm

App for That

(Photo: iTunes)

Need to Make a Hasty Getaway from a Terrible Date? There’s an App for That

We’ve all been there: stuck in the middle of a terrible first date with a boring or psychopathic or worse–luddite!–companion, with no way out. If you’re a terrible liar or none of your friends is available to make that fake emergency call to your cell, eHarmony is here to help. The Globe and Mail reports that the online dating service now has a mobile app in the iTunes store called “Bad Date Rescue” that will help you make your getaway, stat.

The whole system is surprisingly detailed. You can choose an interval of time at which to schedule the fake phone call, which purports to actually have a real voice on the other end. You can also specify which emergency you want to fake: your mom calling to say your sister is in labor, your neighbor to tell you your apartment is flooded or your boss to say there’s a work emergency. Read More