Monthly Archives: December 2010

How to Say “Happy New Year” in 40 Languages

Written by Camden Luxford

Akranes graveyard, Photo: Atli HarĂ°arson. Feature photo: Eustaquio Santimano

According to Ethnologue, the world currently has 6,909 living languages. Here’s how to wish someone a happy new year in 40 of them.

A-E

Language Spelling Pronunciation
Afrikaans Gelukkige Nuwejaar gha-likkikga-neeva-yaarr (“gh” is a throat scraping guttural sound)
Albanian GĂ«zuar Vitin e Ri gu-zoo-ar vi-tin e ri
Arabic ??? ????? sana sa’eedah
Azerbaijani Yeni iliniz mĂŒbar?k ye-ni i-li-niz myu-ba-rack
Bahasa melayu Selamat tahun baru selamat tahun baru
Basque Urte berri on err-te berr-rri on
Bosnian sretna nova godina sr-et-na no-va go-din-a
Bulgarian ???????? ???? ?????? sh-tast-liva No-va go-din-a
Catalan Feliç any nou fe-LEES A-nee n-Ou
Cebuano (Philippines) Mabungahong Bag-ong Tuig kaninyong tanan ma-boon-ga-hong bag-ong too-eeg kan-een-yong tan-an
Czech ĆĄ?astnĂœ novĂœ rok SHTU-stnee NO-vee rrr-ok
Dutch Fijne oudejaarsavond (Fine New Year’s Eve) / Gelukkig Nieuwjaar (Happy New Year) fei-nee ow-de-yaarr-sa-vont / ghu-lukkikgh-neew-yaarr
Estonian Head uut aastat hed oot ah-staht

Tbilisi, Photo: Vladimer Shioshvili

F-L

Language Spelling Pronunciation
Farsi ??? ?? ????? sale nou mobarak
Filipino Manigong Bagong Taon mah-nee-gong bag-gong ta-on
French Bonne Année bon a-nay
Gaelic (Scotland) Bliadhna mhath ur bleenah vahth oohr
German Frohes Neues Jahr / Gutes Neues Jahr frohes neuyis yar / gutes neu-yis yar
Greek ???? ?????? kali chronya
Gujarati ??? ?????? saal mubarak (happy year)
Hebrew ?????? ?????? shana tova
Hindi ??? ??? ?? ??????? ??????????? nayye saal ki haardik shubh-kaam-nayen
Hungarian Boldog Új Évet / BuĂ©k bawl-dawg-uuy-aevet / boo-ayk
Irish Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit / Bhliain nua sĂĄsta awh-tvleen fwee mm-hay-sheh gutch
Italian Buon anno / Felice anno nuovo boo-on ah-nno / fae-lee-chae ah-nno noo-o-vo
Japanese ??????????????? akemashite omedeto gozaimasu
Korean ?? ? ?? ???? seh heh bok mahn ee bahd euh sae yo

Singapore, Photo: Eustaquio Santimano

M-Z

Language Spelling Pronunciation
Maltese Is Sena it -Tajba iz sena it taybah
Mandarin Chinese ???? x?n niĂĄn kuĂ i lĂš
Maori Kia hari te tau hou kia hari tay tau ho
Polish Szcz??liwego Nowego Roku shch-eng-shlee-vego novego roku
Portuguese Feliz Ano Novo feh-liz an-oh noh-voh
Quechua Allin wata kachun qanpaq (singular) / Allin wata kachun qanqunapaq (plural) all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-pak / all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-koon-a-pak
Romanian La Mul?i Ani laa mooltsi ani
Russian ? ????? ????? s novim godom
Spanish Feliz Año Nuevo feh-liz an-yoh n-way-vo
Thai ???????????? saa-wat-dii pi-mai
Turkish Mutlu y?llar (happy year) / Yeni y?l?n?z kutlu olsun (May your new year be celebrated) moot-loo yill-lar / yen-ee yill-uh-niz coot-loo ohl-son
Urdu ???? ??? ????? nayya saal mubarak
Welsh blwyddyn newydd dda BLOOdhin NEHwidh dha

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Do you know how to say Happy New Year in any other languages? Share in the comment section below to get us closer to representing the world’s 6,000+ languages!

Bonus: This is how i will celebrate New Years

Imgur’s best images of 2010

Collected by imgur

imgur users share the best images on the internet, and in 2010, those images were viewed over 20 billion times! Aside from providing the quickest and easiest way to share your images, our goal is to also provide as much instant image-gratification as possible. This first annual “best of” list should pretty much sum things up for the year.

We tried to pick images that quickly became popular, generated hundreds of thousands of views, were interesting, and/or somehow changed the Internet as we knew it. Enjoy!

10.

This image, created by Sir Mitchell, was responsible for uniting the Internet together for a cause everyone could agree on. In an effort to give Conan “Coco” O’Brien the same air time that the Tonight Show has had for 60 years, people were setting this image as their Facebook profile pictures, creating desktop backgrounds with it, and overall spreading it around like wildfire.

9.

This is Riley, and it was his birthday! It was also the time he became an Internet sensation. With close to 1 million views, he’s been seen more than most other dogs, AND he got cake. He’s owned by the Redditor moe-jito.

8.

Wasps. Everyone hates them, but at over 750,000 views, it’s clear that everyone likes this image. Be cool, chill out, and enjoy reading it — but watch your back, they’re coming for you…

7.

This image, created by Matt McInerney, is the only image on the list that became extremely popular without the help of Reddit. With over 1,250,000 views and climbing, it gained its popularity from being reposted on Tumblr over and over again.

Click the image to view its full size.

6.

This one is without a doubt one of the most controversial images of the year. It was uploaded way back in February, and it still gets asked to be taken down regularly. But since it doesn’t violate the Terms of Service and has over 1.5 million views, it never will be. The MPAA’s not going to be happy with us after this…

5.

This is an incredible image that tells the life story of three women. It’s beautiful and really makes you think. It’s also the second most popular album of all time, with close to half a million views.

4.

This is a really touching commic by Enzo from cheerupemokid.net. After only 2 months, its been viewed over 500,000 times, and will probably put tears in your eyes. It even inspired some users of Reddit to fly home to see their old dogs.

“You never think you’re going to miss animals as much as you do. It was just nice having some creature in my life who never disappointed me. Never judged me…Man’s best friend, huh? They got that one right.” -Dr. Kelso from Scrubs.

3.

This isn’t just one image, it’s a set of images from a holiday party. Every year when user everetthiller throws a party, he sends out photos with famous people added to the pictures. This is the most popular album of all time, and accounted for almost 2% of Imgur’s total pageviews for the month of November. People have even contacted me for invitations. Needless to say, this guy can throw one hell of a party.

2.

This image was not only viewed over half a million times, it spawned an entire printing business! Josh from Stikkitnow.com created this shirt for his girlfriend, Danielle. When he showed it to the folks over at Reddit, they fell in love with it (and her). Since then, Josh has been printing shirts, decals, and everything else as his full time job. A few months later, baby Roslyn was born and is doing great.

1.

The #1 image of the year goes to Keanu Reeves. This image became a huge Internet meme after being released, and is one of the most popular images of all time. People were constantly creating and uploading new “Sad Keanu” images, and Imgur saw a huge increase in images uploaded during that time. A simple Google image search for Sad Keanu will bring up hundreds, if not thousands, of Photoshopped images of Keanu. Even Riley, the birthday dog (#9) was seen with him, and it’s all thanks to this image.

10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

Written by Will Kriegshauser

It’s that time of year, again, kids. No, not Christmas. We’re talking about the time to review the movie moments of 2010 that madue us laugh, cry, hurl, jump, or maybe all at the same time


10. Piranha 3-D doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar
 couldn’t care less

Piranha 3D Jerry OConnell 19 8 10 kc 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

It takes a special, special movie to make you feel better about being alive, and Piranha 3-D is that movie. Not because of the man-eating fishy-thingies, but because they didn’t once even pretend that they were about anything other than cheap thrills, cheaper boobies, and B-level 3-D. They thumbed their noses at the academy and anybody else who assumes every work of art absolutely has to have a broader underlying political agenda before those pretentious dickweeds could turn their noses up on them and go back to saving the rainforest, or something.

9. Steve-O got covered in poo
 we laugh

jackass3d steve O12 16 10 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

The success of Jackass 3D remains the guiltiest pleasure anybody will admit to, and it’s safe to say they topped themselves with the new and improved poo cocktail. Spoiler alert: Steve-o gets strapped into a porta-john full of you know what that’s hooked to bungee chords and launched hundreds of feet into the air. He screams like a little girl and gets poo everywhere, even in his mouth. It’s the little things in life you cherish


8. M. Night Shyamalan bombs with The Last Airbender

m. night shyamalan2 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

If M. Night Shyamalan were a coach, he would now officially be on the hot seat. He’s fallen pretty far since The Six Sense, and you got to believe he can’t possibly survive many more bombs. The words ‘written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan’ still pique the average Joe’s interest the same way ‘written and directed by Brian De Palma’ once did, but that won’t last forever, just like it didn’t with Mr. De Palma.

7. Legion makes you scared of your grandma


legion4kj10 01 19 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

Few on-screen moments were more profoundly surprising and unnerving than Legion turning a sweet old grandmother into raving supernatural beast. There used to be a line in the sand when it came to grandmas. Reanimate toddlers into demonic, undead cannibals. Make Santa into a serial killer. TurnBoo Boo against Yogi. Anybody but grandma! We’ve clearly come a long way since Mrs. Sturak in Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, and have passed the point of no return.

6. Paranormal Activity — still scary

paranormalactivitykj09 19 06 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

Thank you, Paranormal Activity 2. Sure, you weren’t as good as your predecessor, but you reminded us once again that you don’t need gore, or expensive special effects to truly frighten people. Horror is like any other genre—it works best when you simply have a good story, a good imagination, and a firm grasp of human nature.

5. The A-Team proves that nostalgia is contentious


A Team 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

This sounded like a good idea, and honestly, it’s not liked it bombed at the box office. But there’s a tricky science to summoning long-dormant ideas and transferring them to the present-day. It’s easy to get lost in trying to appeal to the current generation that buys the tickets and forgetting what made the original memorable in the first place. And how do you market something whose milieu is so intertwined with the time and place it was conceived?

We’re talking about the 80s, of course. You can’t just drag something out of its place in time and expect to retain all of its charm and relevency.

4. Joseph Gordon-Levitt fights in zero gravity


Inception Joseph Gordon Levitt Walking on Walls 12 4 10 kc 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

Inception exploded onto the national scene like a new pressure-molded, high-impact type of cocaine. Making a film about dreamscapes within dreamscapes within dreamscapes within dreamscapes that can scramble a person’s brain and not piss them off is quite a feat. Bravo,Christopher Nolan. Bravo also for easily the coolest, most creative fight scene of the year, featuring Levitt battling another dude inside a rotating hallway that perfectly encapsulates the scope and imagination of one of the year’s best films.

3. The Social Network

the social network trailer 2 8 7 10 kc 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

Not so much a moment of the movie as a moment for movies. It was inevitable that somebody would make a movie chronicling the birth and full flowering of one of the most important inventions of the young century, and something that fundamentally changed the world. Watching Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg tear-ass his way to the top is watching history being made, and an invaluable part of your life and everybody else’s life around you explained in a chilling biopic form.

2. Clash Of The Titans tries 3D, and fails


Clash of the Titans Sam Worthington as Perseus 31 3 10 kc 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

Just because James Cameron can make a boatload of money doing it for a movie that was specifically designed for 3D, doesn’t mean everybody else should try, too. Believe it or not, you can’t just add 3D to chicken shit and expect it to make it into chicken salad. People misperceive 3D just like they misperceive rap—that anybody can do it, and furthermore any movie is fair game for it. Not true. Clash’s failure served as a warning to all future filmmakers who think adding 3D to a movie is like adding sprinkles to an ice-cream cone.

1. Toy Story 3 brings animation to dangerously powerful levels


inception toy story 3 29 7 10 kc 10 Most Memorable Movie Moments Of 2010

The ending of Toy Story 3 involves Woody & the gang thinking they’re going to die by way of a garbage dump incinerator. The scene make you have to tell yourself ‘it’s okay, it’s okay, they’re just actors, they’re not real
wait, god damnit they’re not even actors! They’re just collections of computerized pixels on a screen!’ Seeing them lock hands as they await a fiery death is right up there with the opening montage ofUp as far as eliciting deep feelings that all logic tells you shouldn’t be able to be elicited and controlled by a bunch of animated cells. We’re calling it right now—Pixar is the real life Tyrell Corporation. It’s downright scary how much they make you care.

Did we leave anything off that perhaps deserved the nod over Steve-O literally getting shit on?

Bonus: It`s snowing here. Got myself a new fridge for the beer.

NASA’s Astronomy Picture Of The Day: 2010’s Ten Best

Collected by Richard Connelly

For 15 years now, NASA has been putting out an Astronomy Picture of the Day, picking whatever hits their fancy from the archives or new stuff coming in from up above.

Here are ten of the best they posted this year.

10. Atlantis takes off

2010spaceatlantis_sts104.jpg

Photos courtesy NASA

?In the early morning hours of July 12, 2001, the shuttle Atlantis takes off to visit the International Space Station.

9. The Darks Sands of Mars

2010spacealmosttrees_mro.jpg

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Trees on Mars? Not exactly. Dark sand is cascading down lighter pink sand in this photo near the north pole of Mars.

8. The Space Station Cruises Along

space2010iss_sts130.jpg

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The International Space Station, as seen from above.

7. Giant Dust Pillars

space2010dustpillcarina08_hst.jpg

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A star is being born inside that dustpillar, which measures a light-year in length. The bright pink spots outside are stars that have already been birthed.

6. Saturn Moons, Passing Each Other

space201saturnrheaepimetheus_cassini.jpg

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The big moon here is Rhea, caught here passing Epimetheus, one of Saturn’s smaller moons. You can see the rings, and the background is the planet itself.

5. When Galaxies Collide!!

space2010galaies collideantennae_hstdemartin.jpg

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Two galaxies go in, only one comes out. The stars in the galaxies tend not to collide, because there’s so much space between them, but the gravitational forces can still be a bitch.

4. The Plains of Mars, as the Rover Sees Them

space2010roverplainmars_oppUSE.jpg

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The rover Opportunity looks out over the dark sand and bright rock of Mars’ plains. It’s moving towards a crater, moving about a football-field length each day.

3. Here Comes the Sun Explosion

space2010sunbug_soho.jpg

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Wow. Now we know why the Polish Space Agency only lands on the sun at night.

2. A Moon of Mars

space2010phobos1_marsexpress.jpg

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Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons. The Russians are landing a probe on it next year.

1. An Icy Comet

space2010halley_giotto.jpg

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The nucleus of the Comet Halley, about nine miles across.

Bonus: Smile

smile

Top 40 iPhone Apps of 2010

Written by Alex Ahlund

The iTunes App Store is huge. More than 300,000 apps huge. I’ve watched this monster start from nothing and turn into a billion-dollar industry in only a few short years. We’ve been approaching this point for some time now, but it’s more apparent than ever that app exposure is of critical importance. A healthy majority of iOS app users discover new applications directly from their device as opposed to using iTunes. If you look specifically at the iPhone, the amount of real estate for discovery is only available to a very small percentage of the total apps.

There are currently 20 overall categories, with Games offering an additional 20 subcategories. Each subcategory is broken into three lists and displays a max of 100 apps on the iPhone. Throw in a small number from the Top 25 and Featured lists and you wind up with roughly 12,000 apps being shown at one time. This works out to only about 4% of all apps that receive visibility. One can browse beyond this number on iTunes, but that quickly becomes an overwhelming, laborious task.

The expectation is that the market will dictate an app’s worth, but it doesn’t always work out that way. If you look at the top lists, they are littered with clones, cheap knockoffs and impulse grabs. Ninety-nine cent buys are just too tempting. Without proper exposure (and potentially more appropriate pricing schemes), many truly great apps never see the light of day.

With that said, I’ve compiled what I believe to be the best apps that have come out this year. Some got well-deserved exposure, while others were lost in the shuffle. The difficult part of assembling a “best of” list is striking a balance between apps with mainstream appeal and those with real innovation. There are a number of factors that took place in the selection (such as the merits of an app itself, not just the usefulness of an established service it utilizes) and not every good app could make the cut.

I present the top apps of 2010:

Top iPhone apps:

1. Instagram: Take a photo or select one from your library, apply a visual effect to it and then post it to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, or Foursquare. While there are plenty of photo filter applications out there, Instagram stands apart because of how easy it is to get a unique and professional result. Indie styling without the need for a vintage camera or Photoshop skills.

2. Chase Mobile: While I don’t use Chase for banking, this app deserves some serious recognition. For an industry that isn’t known for pushing the technology envelope, Chase did something pretty cool here. Instead of going to a banking center or ATM, you can simply take a picture of the front and back of a check and the amount is deposited into your account. Beats driving to a bank.

3. Price Check by Amazon: Sure, there are several barscanning apps out there. Some work better than others, but Price Check is just about flawless. Considering I buy nearly everything from Amazon (from vitamins to electronics), I may be a bit biased. But regardless, this app offers an easy, effective way to check the price of physical goods in a store to see if you can get it cheaper online.

4. Find My iPhone: This was a great move by Apple to release the Find My iPhone feature without requiring a paid MobileMe account. With this, you can see where your phone is on a map, display a message, lock the phone or completely wipe it.

5. Google Voice: Long awaited, Google Voice has been in approval limbo for ages. I thought it would never see the light of day (due possibly to objections from AT&T) but to most people’s surprise, it was approved. With Google Voice, you can replace your calling plan with a unique number that includes dialing, texting, voicemail, and message transcription.

6. Twitter: After acquiring Tweetie, Twitter relaunched this as the official Twitter app for the iPhone. It remains the standard bearer. How many times a day do you pull down to refresh?

7. Dropbox: I’m a big proponent of the digital nomad lifestyle, so I always stay backed up on the cloud. I want to be able to access, view, retrieve and share any of my files whether I have my computer with me or not, and the Dropbox app helps me do that. It does require a Dropbox account, but its free for up to 2gb of storage.

8. SpringPad: While the Evernote app is great (I use it to catalog most of my notes and ideas), SpringPad really steps up mobile notetaking. You can write a quick memo, take a snapshot, scan a barcode of an item to remember, or have the app search nearby shops and restaurants to add. There are a lot more options than Evernote and it seems a bit speedier to quickly unload a thought.

9. Foursquare: Okay, this one didn’t come out this year, but any Best iPhone Apps list would be incomplete without it. Checking in, which seemed so quirky a year ago, is now an obsession with millions of people, and they can thank Foursquare. Tell people where you are, get mayorships, badges, and maybe some other rewards. The latest update just added comments and photo checkin capabilities. (Gowalla is still looking good too).

10. Skyfire Web Browser: I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t hate the fact that the iPhone lacks Flash support. While Skyfire is by no means a perfect solution, it offers us a way to watch Flash videos from the web on our iPhone. Unfortunately, it does not support Flash games and not all sites with Flash video are supported.

11. Kindle: I’m one of those people who prefers reading off an e-ink Kindle to an LCD iPad. For the millions like me, the Kindle app makes a perfect companion. However, while I don’t take my Kindle everywhere, I always have my phone. Just boot up the app and you can continue reading from where you last left off.

12. Word Lens: Word Lens is one of the few apps that really shows the potential of the iPhone. Aim your phone at anything with standard printed writing on it in another language (a sign, newspaper, etc.) and Word Lens will replace it with translated copy. The amazing thing is that it will do it in realtime. Currently it only supports English to Spanish translations (and visa versa), but greater language support is on the way. It has a few quirks, but the speed and accuracy is very impressive.

13. Groupon: This is a solid companion app to the daily-deal service Groupon, which offers up a deeply discounted product or service for a limited time. The app makes the process easier to manage without the need of the website. There are a few ancillary features like Discussion, but the real reason to keep it around is to easily check out the daily deals.

14. Hashable: If you are a heavy networker or just like introducing people, Hashable is the app for you. It lets you introduce people via Twitter or email and annotate all your meetings with hashtags like #lunch or #justmet so that you can go back later and search through them. You also get “Hashcred” every time you use the app, which pushes you up the leaderboard. This is a business app, but it feels fun.

Top Entertainment Apps:

15. Netflix: I’m a huge fan of Netflix streaming and this app is a great way to watch streamed content right on your iPhone. I was expecting movie streaming to be slow over 3G but was surprised to see that after a short loading period, it was extremely smooth. Quality settings are reduced depending on the connection, but all in all, it works great.

16. Hulu: I was on the fence about the Hulu app since Netflix covers so many of my media needs. This app requires you to subscribe to the Hulu Plus service, which is the same price as a Netflix streaming account. However, Hulu contains a lot of great TV content that will fill in many of the holes left by Netflix. The app itself feels solid and the streaming quality seems to be on par with Netflix in terms of looks and speed.

17. TuneIn Radio: The problem with Internet radio has been that despite being awesome, it hasn’t allowed access to local radio. TuneIn Radio lets you listen in on thousands of real radio stations across the country. With a bunch of features like the ability to pause and rewind live radio, it makes a great addition next to Pandora and Slacker.

18. Rhapsody: Rhapsody is an all-you-can-eat music listening service. For the longest time, iPhone/iPod Rhapsody users have been left out in the cold if they wanted to take their songs with them. But now, with the Rhapsody app, you can listen to as much music from the service as you like without needing an active Internet connection.

19. TextPics: Emoji are fun to add to text messages to other iPhone users—the problem is that your iPhone-less friends can’t see them. TextPics tries to solve this issue by giving you a bunch of ASCII “drawings” that you can text or include in emails. The best part is they are made up of standard text characters, so anyone can receive them on any device.

Top iPhone games:

20. Angry Birds: It’s not easy to ignore Angry Birds—you’ll usually find it hanging out at that #1 top spot. It’s one of the first phenomenons to come out of the iPhone world, spawning seasonal versions, toys and even a movie deal. I doubt it even needs a description, so if for some reason you’re just now crawling out from under a rock, go and download Angry Birds.

21. Plants vs Zombies: I came from the casual games industry so I’ve been a fan of PopCap for a long time. PvZ is a streamlined, linear tower defense game. Your goal is to defend your home from a swarm of zombies using a variety of different plants from common pea shooters to exploding landmine plants. With a simple, fast paced method for earning money to upgrade your defenses, this game is an entertaining blend of action, strategy and zombies.

22. Trade Nations: This is one of my favorite freemium games on the iPhone. In some ways, it plays like a cooperative real-time strategy game. You place houses to create workers, develop timber yards to bring in lumber, harvest wheat for food, etc. It’s a rewarding experience best played in short, productive bursts. Every action takes time, so it’s always interesting to check in and do a little management during a break.

23. Gun Bros: Most duel-stick survival shooters on the iPhone are simple, shallow experiences. Gun Bros. takes the genre to the next level by offering a freemium upgrade system, a unique visual style and a robust leveling mechanic. If you’re a fan of fast paced top-down shooters, this is the one to grab.

24. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: I’m generally not a fan of ports but this time it was done right. GTA: CW is a faithful translation of its Nintendo DS counterpart. The game is presented in a 3D overhead perspective, combining elements from the original GTA and GTA 4. Despite having an appearance similar to the former, it actually plays more like the latter and those familiar with Liberty City will find themselves right at home here.

25. N.O.V.A 2: If you’ve ever wanted to play Halo on the iPhone, this is the closest you’ll get for now. Like the original, you battle your way through a lush Sci-Fi environment while utilizing a huge arsenal of futuristic weaponry and powers, like the ability to slow down time. With improved graphics, more expansive environments, unique game components like piloting vehicles, and an array of visual effects, N.O.V.A 2 is sure to provide fans of the original, as well as newcomers, with an engrossing experience.

26. Puzzle Agent: This is why I like doing these lists. Games like Puzzle Agent deserve recognition for stepping outside the box and delivering an engrossing experience. You play as an FBI agent from the Puzzle Investigation Division in a game that combines elements of classic adventure games with thought-provoking puzzles. Together with quirky artwork and good voice acting, this is one to try out.

27. Rhythm Spirit: Rhythm Spirit is the sleeper hit of the year. It was loved by critics, but flew under the radar for many iPhone gamers. The game is a rhythm-based fighting game featuring a rich storyline based on Japanese folklore. Imaginative characters, unique gameplay and a genuinely awesome techno-zen soundtrack make Rhythm Spirit a must have for both fighting and rhythm game fans.

28. Ragdoll Blaster 2: Trajectory games have been all the rage for the iPhone. And while the genre has seen plenty of below average apps, Ragdoll Blaster 2 stands out from the crowd. With whimsical, steampunk-inspired graphics and tons of variety in level design and background art, RB2 is a deep and rewarding puzzler.

29. Spiderman: Total Mayhem: The world of Spiderman makes for one of the best gaming environments, despite the mixed results of many past attempts. Total Mayhem for the iPhone succeeds in offering up a very attractive, highly playable web-slinging experience. This solid beat-em-up gives you all of Spidey’s skills as you swing through cityscapes, web-up bad guys, and engage in some good ol’ fashion fisticuffs. Total Mayhem is visually fantastic and features truly excellent fighting mechanics.

30. Mirror’s Edge: I’ve been fascinated with parkour ever since the movie Yamakazis came out. I even signed up to train in it with more or less unfortunate results. So for now, Mirror’s Edge is the closest I’ll get to spending my weekends leaping from rooftops. I was a big fan of the game on consoles, so I initially approached this iPhone adaptation warily. However, I quickly discovered that this version is surprisingly competent with intuitive controls and an effective, device-friendly side-scrolling perspective. Smooth, flowing animation and beautifully sharp 3D graphics evocative of the original console version contributes to the uniquely satisfying, running and jumping experience.

31. Cut the Rope: I didn’t want to like this game. It shot up to the #1 position on the App Store after only a day. I thought there surely had to be some foul play at work. But the truth is, regardless of whether or not “creative” marketing methods were used, the game is pretty damn fun. The objective is to get a piece of candy, dangling from a rope, into a cute monster’s mouth. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Plenty of obstacles get in your way and before long, you’ll find yourself absolutely addicted to helping the little guy get his sugary fix.

32. Fruit Ninja: Some games are just fun for their sheer mindless simplicity – Fruit Ninja is one of those games. As 3D fruits hop into view, you run your finger across the screen to cut them in half—simple as that. Slice up the endless onslaught of fruit while avoiding the game-ending bombs. Each session begins at a slow, steady pace with the action gradually becoming more intense and frantic as you progress.

33. Osmos: There is a certain zen-like satisfaction you get from playing Osmos. You control an amoeba-like blob that must consume smaller entities to grow, and then expel them to move. You’ve got to be alert to maintain this careful balancing act, but the meditative lull of Osmos’ ambiance creates a uniquely relaxing, trancey experience.

34. Smurfs’ Village: When it comes to freemium management games currently available on the App Store, the experience is too often shallow and predictable. This isn’t the case with Smurf’s Village. While the objective is still to build and develop your village, the game is jam packed with tasks, mini-games and even a loose narrative. Smurf’s Village features great music and excellent, hi-res graphics that are sure to instill a warm sense of nostalgia to anyone who spent the 80?s watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Top Technical Achievement games:

The iPhone has come a long way in terms of processing power and developers are starting to figure out how to get the most out of the hardware. The following games are truly impressive examples of what the iPhone is capable of:

35. Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus: It’s no simple task to bring a console-quality first-person shooter to a device the size of your hand. It’s a careful balance of processing, assets, and usability. Fortunately, Modern Combat does a highly commendable job of pulling it off. High-res graphics, impressive visual effects, and detailed environments give Modern Combat 2 more than enough reason to be considered a technical achievement this year.

36. Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner: You are going to want to play this gam ein a swivel chair. The 360-degree graphics take advantage of the iPhone’s gyroscope to let you swivel around and shoot TIE Fighters from the Millenium Falcon’s gun turret. The gameplay is pretty basic, but the 360-effect and 3D graphics put you in the action like no other game. You can also play in augmented reality mode which switches the background to your camera view, making it look like the TIE Fighters are in your room or flying through the air.

37. Samurai 2: Vengeance: I love games that really push style and character, and Samurai 2: Vengeance does just that. Visually, the game looks like it could be a younger sibling of Capcom’s console gem, Okami. The art is like a combination of Japanese brush painting and anime, giving Vengeance an amazingly rich and distinct style. Thick outlines, flat colors and exaggerated motion create a unique manga look that boldly stands out in the App Store.

38. Real Racing 2: The first Real Racing took the App Store by storm when it was released last year. It was one of the few apps that showed what the iPhone was really capable of. Real Racing 2 doesn’t disappoint in keeping that tradition alive. RR2 is the best looking racing game available for the iPhone. From the detailed tracks and environments, to the actual licensed cars themselves, this will be sure to impress even the most cynical of driving sim enthusiasts. While Real Racing 2 has packed in even more play modes, multiplayer options and cars, it still uses the near flawless control scheme options of its predecessor.

39. Rage HD: I generally dislike the “on-rails” mechanic for any game. If I absolutely had to play an on-rails shooter, I’d more likely head on down to the coin laundry and play some Operation Wolf. But that does not diminish the fact that Rage HD is currently one of the two best looking games in the App Store today. Sharp textures, dynamic lighting, and high poly rendering make this an impressive feat. Now if they would just pry us off these rails we could have a seriously awesome shooter on our hands.

40. Infinity Blade: Infinity Blade is by far the best looking game ever to appear on the iPhone. Developed by Epic using the same engine that powered the incredible tech demo, Epic Citadel, it is no surprise that Infinity Blade is visually on par with modern console games. The gameplay consists of tapping and swiping the screen in a variety swashbuckling maneuvers as you fight against a succession of guards attempting to prevent you from reaching the God King. In addition to the combat, the game also features some interesting RPG elements and a functional storyline to provide context for all the mayhem. And though it doesn’t offer the deepest or most fulfilling gameplay, Infinity Blade succeeds in ushering in the new visual benchmark for high-end iPhone gaming.

Tell us which apps you would put on this list.

Bonus: Ture

Me and my mom 1981-Now

1989-2010. My sisters and I recreated a childhood photo for my mom’s Christmas present.

My Grandmother: Same location 1920 & 2010

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