Today is World Book Day. No, I can’t say I’ve heard of it, either, and I’m a bookworm.

But in any event, in case you’re in iPhone or iPad user, and you have kids, today ONLY you can get StoryToys’ apps FREE.

So GO! Share the love of books with your wee geeks.

(Note, since I don’t have iTunes on my laptop, and refuse to install that piece of junk, I copied the link above from totallytarget.com. You can find the original article here, and if my copy of their link doesn’t work, try it directly from their site.)

iTunes wins again! This time, pulling a crazy exclusive, you can stream Justin Timberlake new album an entire week before release, for free! How about that? But wait, not so fast, isn’t JT the face of the “new” Myspace? Why would this sweet deal go to iTunes and not MySpace? Especially after the rebranding of the site to be heavily music focused? Okay, who didn’t do their job?

Any who, check out the album titled “20/20 Experience” stream here.

I know the future of calling is all video and face to face, but honestly I hate it. That being said, you can now get free video calling on your Android device thanks to VoX via their app. Well you can get 60 minutes of calling for free when you download the app, so I guess that’s something right?

Vox Communications has added free video calling to its Android Mobile VoIP calling application. The app is immediately available to all Android phones and tablets that support video calling via the Google Play Store.  All subscribers also have access to the VoX “Pay And Go” subscription-free calling plans. The subscription-free plan called “Pay and Go” can be topped up with amounts as little as one dollar and enables calling anywhere in the world without paying a monthly subscription fee.

VoX’s Chief Information Officer, Mark Richards, noted, “After an initial release via the Amazon App Store, we are now comfortable that we can support video calling to the broader audience available on the Google Play Store. We will continue to deliver features and functionality to make our app the number one mobile VoIP and video app available, and we are proud to continue to maintain the highest ranked mobile VoIP app in the store, as reviewed by customers that have downloaded the application.”

“Although our initial mobile video product is delivered as an app, the recent excitement surrounding the next generation of technology for browser based video communications called WebRTC, is not lost on us at VoX. We are excited to be one of the pioneers in this space, as we enter this potentially explosive adoption.  We believe video calling will go mainstream in 2013,” added Richards.   

A VoX user can subscribe entirely on the phone or tablet and choose a U.S. phone number without leaving the interface, which makes the sign up process more elegant than many competitors. The mobile VoIP paid plans are a low cost of entry for a high quality and reliable mobile VoIP service offering. New subscribers can download the app for a free 60 minute trial and make calls to any country on the unlimited calling list or sign up for the “Pay And Go” plan for as little as one dollar, literally a “pay as you go” plan with no monthly subscription fees.

The VoX Mobile VoIP Android App can be viewed or downloaded here:
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=vox&c=apps

I know and trust Green Man Gaming but I’ve never head of Playfire but it’s free PC games, so I figured why not post about it for you guys and gals. Starting today at 12GMT you can get Zombies for free, and then the next three days they’ll be another free game at 12GMT announced each day.

Playfire and Green Man Gaming will be giving away four free PC games this weekend, in their biggest ever giveaway to date.  This gives gamers £37/$42/€41 worth of gaming pleasure for free.

Starting at 12:00GMT on Friday 8^th February, a new game will be available free each day for four days, including the brand new indie shooter, Zombies, action title Ninja Blade , popular tower defence game Unstoppable Gorg and racing title Superstar V8 Next Challenge.

Users will be able to grab each game for 24 hours, but unlike other retailers who only offer free games for a weekend, once picked up, each game will be available to play at any point in the future.  Find out more about this free offer.

In order to be eligible for the promotion, users will need to have accounts on both the Green Man Gaming store and Playfire, and link their accounts.

Don’t worry if you don’t have one or both accounts, you can still register free for both and link your accounts during the giveaway. Find out more here.

After the last game has been given away free, Playfire will round off the great free game giveaway with a competition where 5 lucky winners will each earn their choice of GMG Credit, XBL points or PSN credit to the equivalent value of £100!  Watch out for more details at http://www.greenmangaming.com/playfire-free-games/

GAMES AND TIMES

Zombies – Available from 12:00 GMT on Friday 8^th February for 24 hours

Ninja Blade - Available from 12:00 GMT on Saturday 9^th February for 24 hours

Unstoppable Gorg – Available from 12:00 GMT on Sunday 10^th February for 24 hours

Superstar V8 Next Challenge – Available from 12:00 GMT on Monday 11^th February for 24 hours

Sadly this seems to be iOS only and I do have an iPod Touch, but the thought of reading a book on such a small screen does not appeal to me. If I had an iPad I’d be all over this, but oh well, you can go grab it.  Pride & Prejudice & Zombies is normally priced at $8.99 but you can get it for free until the 28th of this month…  enjoy!

Monday, January 28, marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. In honor of this milestone, Padworx and Quirk Books are offering free downloads of the cult classic Pride & Prejudice and Zombies: The Interactive eBook app from January 25 through January 28 in the App Store.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Interactive eBook app, regularly priced at $8.99, features hundreds of illustrations, an original musical score, buckets of gory animation, and a pair of literary masterpieces: Hold your device right side up to enjoy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Turn it upside down to read Jane Austen’s original Pride and Prejudice. Turn the device 90 degrees to read both novels side by side.

What better way to celebrate this anniversary than to witness zombie mayhem while interacting with the text of Jane Austen’s beloved book and Seth Grahame-Smith’s inspired retelling, page after bloody page.

For more information on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Interactive eBook app, please visit http://www.quirkbooks.com/app/ppzapp.

To view the trailer for the Interactive eBook, please visit http://youtu.be/r8kfEeNdE7U

Pantheon the Legends is a free game for iOS, it’s a collectible card battling style game using Greek mythology as the center point. It seems interesting as I’ve always liked Greek mythology but I’m not one for card style games though, so I may pass on this one, but that doesn’t mean you have to. I ‘m sure this is the type of game that kids will love… Screenshots and more info below…

Pantheon the Legends is an addictive card-battling mobile game based on Greek mythology, available to download free today from developer RedAtoms. Pantheon features social play and a fresh new spin on asynchronous battling. The guild system lets you find friends and form teams to pit the gods and heroes of Greek mythology in a battle for riches and fame. The artwork jumps off the screen with vivid colors and a unique fusion of Western and Asian art styles that’s bursting with personality. While simple to play, there’s a hidden layer of depth to the card battling – build your deck and activate skills strategically to crush the opposition! The campaign is a great way to learn the ropes, with a lengthy story and plenty of funny twists. Where social intrigue meets strategic depth, you must fight together to win your place among the legends of Greek mythology. Download Pantheon the Legends today, free via the iTunes App Store.
“Just as each card links with other cards in the game, gamers will find themselves socially intertwined with other Pantheon players,” said David Liu, CEO at RedAtoms. “No other collectible card game can top our hand-drawn artwork – that’s what will draw people in, but they’ll stick around for the guild battle system.”
Collect treasures, craft rare items and deploy Advanced Skill cards to blow your opponents away!

Pantheon the Legends features:

• Striking, humorous art design fuses Western and Asian styles to bring players an unforgettable twist on Greek mythology
• Simple pick-up-and-play mechanics let anyone jump in and start having fun
• Harness the power of familiar characters from Greek mythology like Zeus, Poseidon, Hercules and even the Minotaur!
• 100+ cards with up to 4 stages of evolution – and that’s just the 1^st release…
• Travel through a rich and creative storyline in your quest to rule Olympus
• Battle other players alone, or band together and form the ultimate guild
• One-of-a-kind guild battle system intertwines social and strategic gameplay deeper than ever before on iOS
• 10 Treasure Cards (at launch) based off famous items in Greek mythology, such as the Golden Fleece and Pandora’s Box
• Strategic skill activation system provides challenge for card-battle veterans
• Weekly in-game events, competitions and surprises!
• Balance is key – revolutionary guild system makes the game fun for both free and paying players
• Join now and get a free “4-star” god – choose from Hermes, Nemesis, Nike and others

Download Pantheon the Legends, free via the iTunes App Store.
View the trailer on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60JKHlGs46s

I’ve got one more freebie after this one for you, but this one is called Gelato Mania and it’s for Android if you didn’t figure that out already, but it’s a puzzle style game where you make ice cream sundaes for your customers int eh little store you work at. I don’t know, but it’s free so why not give it a try?!  Screenshots and PR below fro you…

Pudding Games, a Vanilla Breeze brand for mobile casual and social games, today announced the launch of Gelato Mania for Android devices, following huge success on the iOS App Store. A new puzzle game, Gelato Mania has players making ice-cream treats modeled after picture-perfect confections. Gelato Mania features simple swipe controls, crisp animation, and catchy sound effects that will captivate and challenge puzzle-matching fans and newcomers alike. DownloadGelato Mania free on Google Play today: http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vanillabreeze.gelatomania.samsung.
In Gelato Mania, players enter the sweets factory and work to replicate ice cream masterpieces. At the start of each level, gamers are presented with the customer’s order and a picture of that treat’s ideal version. They must replicate the sundae and ship it out, as fast as possible. Players use different flavors, sauces, scoops, and toppings to duplicate each gelato-puzzle creation, with a 3 star rating based on the speed and accuracy of each ice cream order. Gamers can use recipe hints to help solve tougher puzzles, with recipe books and additional hints available for purchase in-game.

Check out the following link to see a gameplay video for Gelato Mania:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okfIBwIPhhw.

Gelato Mania features:

• Scrumptious Stages – Over 100 gelato challenges will keep players scooping for hours
• Puzzling Tools – Utilize different scoops and toppings to create gelato masterpieces
• Simple Controls – Touch and drag interface is easy for players of all ages and abilities
• Playful Music – Rhythmic and addictive background music and sound effects
• Social Integration – Brag about high scores with Facebook and Twitter integration

FreedomPop seems cool, but I don’t like the whole advertising it as free because it’s not really as you have to pay for the equipment. Yes they call it a deposit but you’re still paying out of pocket. I looked into their mobile hotspot but I’m not interested in laying out $100 to test it and see if it might work for me. There’s no guarantee it will work correctly or good in my area, yes sure it’s a ‘refundable’ deposit but who know how long it would take to get that $100 back if I find it doesn’t work for me. I don’t like any of that kind of stuff, it’s like mail-in rebates, I hate them, I refuse to use them, I’ve got many out there floating around that I’ve never gotten and I’ve just given up on them.  I don’t understand why they can’t just sell it for the price minus the rebate and then we don’t have to deal with it.  There I go again off on a tangent, back to the subject, the FreedomPop home broadband is free 4G for you home with a guaranteed 1gig per month but you’ll need to pay $89 for the actual device and it’s a pre-order with launch expected next month. Read the whole PR if you’re interested..

FreedomPop, America’s new free Internet company, today announced its disruptive entry into the $100 billion home broadband market by accepting pre-orders for FreedomPop Hub Burst home modem scheduled to ship next month. The device will provide 100 percent free high-speed Internet in the home or small office at speeds faster than typical DSL and on par with most cable providers. 

“Major broadband providers, including Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, are pillaging consumers, charging in excess of $500 per year for home Internet,” said Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop’s CEO. “FreedomPop’s early successes have validated consumers are looking for more convenient and affordable ways to consume data.  We’ve already given away more than 15 million MBs of free data and are expanding our Beta to meet the increased demand this holiday season. The Hub Burst puts us in position to offer a compelling alternative for the massive home market much quicker than we initially planned.”

FreedomPop Hub Burst pre-order users will be given two times the current FreedomPop offering with a minimum of 1 GB of free data each month. Users will also have the ability to earn unlimited data by adding contacts to their network and engaging in partner promotions. The company also offers heavier data users a variety of cost-effective plans, starting at prices under $10 per month, 80 percent cheaper than today’s DSL or Cable offerings.

The FreedomPop Hub Burst modem and router boasts wireless antennas to boost speeds as well as Ethernet jacks to connect up to 10 Internet enabled devices, including desktops, TVs and streaming music and video players. FreedomPop will utilize the Clearwire WiMax network, ensuring that installation is as simple as plugging in the device with no time-consuming, complicated installations. Unlike traditional service providers, there are no contracts, no hidden fees and no installation issues.

“The median American household uses under 5.5 GB per month at home, yet spends over $50 for Internet service,” said Stokols. “FreedomPop gives these users an opportunity to save hundreds of dollars per year at a fraction of the inconvenience, especially for more moderate internet users.”

To pre-order the FreedomPop Hub Burst, go to www.FreedomPop.com while supplies last.

Look at that, you can now get Galaxy on Fire 2 SD for iOS for free for now and forever! Yep, they’ve decided to just keep the game for free forever. I really need to get an iPad so I can get some of these cool games but I think this one is available on Android as well, in fact I think I have it, I’ve got a backlog of games that looked good. Oh well, whatever..

Hamburg-based premium game developer Fishlabs Entertainment has now decided to keep the price of its award-winning open space shooter Galaxy on Fire 2™ SD for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch at $0.00 permanently. This decision is based on the extremely satisfying results of the title’s first-ever freebie offer, which started on Thanks Giving and brought forth more than 2 million additional downloads to date. In the course of the sale, Galaxy on Fire 2™ SD even managed to claim the #1 position of the “free” category of the App Store charts in various countries for several days.

“After a very successful two-years-stint in the paid category of the App Store and the ‘changing-of-the-guard’ through the HD version, the time is now ripe for Galaxy on Fire 2™ SD to go free,” says Michael Schade, CEO of Fishlabs Entertainment. “Especially on the F2P market, the depth of title’s gameplay and the immersiveness of its storyline are pretty much unrivalled. And the graphics do still look top-notch as well, even on older smartphones and tablets. While we’re still pushing the envelope on the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, as well as all newer iOS devices, with the HD version – which got featured by Apple several times as an ambassador for premium benchmark titles on A5 and A6 devices – we’re now also offering millions of new gamers free access to one of the most ambitious and comprehensive sci-fi sagas on the App Store with Galaxy on Fire 2™ SD.

The offer ran for almost a year and enabled all longtime fans, who had already installed Galaxy on Fire 2™ SD on their devices, to unlock Valkyrie™ HD for free. Since Galaxy on Fire 2™ SD will now stay in the “Free Apps” category, Fishlabs can no longer uphold that special offer.

In addition, both the SD and the HD version of Galaxy on Fire 2™ will also no longer support Open Feint in the future, because GREE will shut down the servers on December 13^th, 2012. Hence, the GOF2 players will only be able to preserve and synchronize their save games via iCloud until further notice. Needless to say, Fishlabs is already searching for alternatives and will let their fans know ASAP through their website, forums and social media channels.

App Store Link:

Galaxy on Fire 2™ SD on the App Store: http://bit.ly/gof2sd-EN

Told ya it was a gaming kind of day, got another launch for you, this one is a freebie! The game is called Math QuizUp and it aims to help you with math as you might have expected. I’ve always been able to do most math problems in my head and people can’t figure out how I do it, I just do it, I don’t know how I do it, I just can. From what I’ve seen with my kids in school they seem to rely too much on technology and papers and pencils etc, and not doing it in your head. My physics teacher had a saying: “Why use brains when you have batteries?”  I never agreed with that, you don’t learn using a calculator to solve problems, you’re given the answer and to me it’s cheating. My kids can’t grasp that concept, they want to use a calculator and I don’t let them. They can use it too check their work sure, but not actually do it. I think this would be  great game for kids and even most adults to learn to do math in their heads. Check it out, it’s free, here’s some screenshots for you and the full PR:

Plain Vanilla, developers of the QuizUp mobile platform, today announced the launch of Math QuizUp. The mobile app, available on iOS devices, is the perfect tool for students or adults who want to hone up on their mental math. With questions involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, Math QuizUp challenges players to speedily answer basic mathematical equations in order to move up in ranks and be crowned the top mathlete for their country. Math QuizUp will be coming soon to Android devices.
Math QuizUp lets players compete in real time against people around the world. Each game consists of two players going head to head for a total of ten rounds. The faster players answer each question correctly, the more points they win.
QuizUp is a first of its kind real time social trivia platform developed by Plain Vanilla. With QuizUp, Plain Vanilla can produce customized and high quality apps where users compete against each other around the world, and on any mobile device. Math QuizUp joins the official Twilight Saga QuizUp, Batman QuizUp and Eurovision QuizUp in Plain Vanilla’s collection of apps, with additional categories coming soon.
Download Math QuizUp here.