Apple

First Look: iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro with the New Apple Watch

Hold onto your seats, Apple enthusiasts and techies alike, because Apple has just unveiled the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus! This year, Apple promises a ‘huge leap forward,’ and while some features have caught our eye, others may not be as groundbreaking as we’ve hoped.

The Pink Enigma: First off, can we talk about that glorious pink? For those with an affinity for pastel shades, this might just be the iPhone color you’ve been waiting for. However, it’s a bittersweet revelation as the Pro models are still deprived of this delightful hue. For many, the pastel palette of non-pro shades might evoke that ‘easter egg’ feel – vibrant and youthful. But then, we shift our gaze to the Pro models, and the colors seem, well, a bit drab in comparison. read more

First Look: iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro with the New Apple Watch Read More »

The Real Reason I’m Returning My IPAD Pro

For those following my blog, you might already know that I’m a multimedia content creator – not just for this blog here – but as a fulltime living for a real client in the real world. I do everything marketing related for them, from print advertising, video production and editing, online advertising, tradeshow events, email marketing, social media management, and so much more.

Pre-Covid I used to work in the office, and so all the equipment I needed was right at my fingertips and provided by the company. I didn’t have much say or choice in what I used. When it came to drawing tablets we had a very small Wacom tablet. The old-school kind without the screen built-in. It wasn’t bad, I graduated undergrad college in 2006, and my MBA around 2012 or so, and so I was familiar with and used to using Wacom. Even back in my childhood, my stepdad who was the one who first bought me Corel Draw and started me down this career path back in the 90s, at some point bought me a REALLY old-school Wacom tablet, an off-white color, big heavy thing with a DONGLE. They don’t make those anymore. This was a dinosaur – but that proves that Wacom’s been around for ages… and well yes, certain things have changed, they now have better pens, and a nifty ergonomic standing base and even some very pricey Wacom that are self-sufficient stand-alone units – for a cool $3,000+ dollars. read more

The Real Reason I’m Returning My IPAD Pro Read More »

Apple IPad Pro 12.9 Inch Review & Comparison To Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

You might have seen my recent review about the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio over here. You may remember mine met with an ill fate. A fate likely caused by a defective Surface Pen… The pen would not do anything. I changed the batteries, I knew how to charge it correctly under the lip of the laptop… And in device settings it said it had 100% battery life.

I read an article about unpairing and repairing the device… so I unpaired it… and could not repair it… because it was effectively dead…. No lights, no nothing. I’d only had the device for 10 days… but since Best Buy’s cutoff for returns is 14 days… and at least my local Best Buy is running some weird COVID19 hours still… closing at 6 or 7 pm and I had to work past that time… We had gone up the night before only to discover they were closed, and knew we couldn’t make the next night either…. So on day 12 of 14, when they offered to ship me a new pen…. well… I was nervous… What if it WASN’T the pen?! What if it was a problem with the bluetooth inside the $3,000 computer??? read more

Apple IPad Pro 12.9 Inch Review & Comparison To Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Read More »

Apple Iphone 13 Fact VS Fiction

Apple’s newest mobile phone is rumored to be revealed as early as next week. With Iphone 13 just days away, the internet had been buzzing with many exciting rumors and a few leaked spec sheets. No one knows for sure what to expect, but one thing’s for sure, Apple 13 is going to be the next big thing that everyone wants.

I love my Iphone 12 Pro – which I’ve only had for about 7 or 8 months now. I am 40 years old. My first Iphone was the 6S. Before that I had many androids, including the very first ones with the slide out keyboard. I’m actually honestly more interested in Apple’s new clamshell flip phone, but that one is still a year or two away. read more

Apple Iphone 13 Fact VS Fiction Read More »

Google Pixel 3 vs Iphone XR Camera

I just ordered a Google Pixel 3 a few days ago because it was $150 off on google’s store – sale ends today by the way. After ordering the phone, to kill time I was watching videos of the phone… I am mainly excited about the Pixel 3 camera. I am still using an Iphone 6S… I’ve had since it came out… so almost any new phone camera would put mine to shame. The last android phone I have used was Samsung Note 1 so I’ve been “Team Iphone” for a long time. But Pixel 3’s camera just looked so good. How good is it really?

I took a blind test and played along with this video:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kadb9iHYJ60[/embedyt]

I watched this and paused it and studied each photo and came to the following conclusions which I wrote AS I was watching it – At the end he will tell you which camera belongs to which phone… I won’t spoil it – you can watch it yourself.

Here are my comments…

1 B
2 B
3 A’s color is better but I do like how B’s subject “pops” out of the background
4 – same comments as 3
5 – B
6 – about equal. A looks a little washed out, B looks a little dark
7 – B all the way, although it looks kinda warm colored. A is probably more natural color, but seems blurry and less detailed
8 – B all the way, no contest. A is blurry and pixelated/noisy. B is much more detailed and “cleaner”
9 – B is much more sharp and crisp, but A is probably more flattering for the portrait, But prefer B because it pops
10 – B is much more detailed and crisp. A looks washed out and blurry but sometimes thats nice for portraits
11 – B – but this one is pretty equal
12 – A captures more “area” you can see other houses and cars. And the things in the foreground pop more, but B has more midrange “clarity”
13 – B all the way, A looks super washed out
14 – B all the way, it really pops out. (Since dolls are my main photography subject this would be the camera I’d want the most)
15 – A shows more background detail, but B is nice for Bokeh, and the subject seems more clear in B

My totals:

B = 10
A = 0
Tie = 5

Did I make a good purchase? – Watch this video to find out for yourself.

Google Pixel 3 vs Iphone XR Camera Read More »

Anime Apps on Iphone

The Best Anime Apps for Your Iphone

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Technology has made it possible to participate in your favorite activities regardless of your location. Easily stream and watch your favorite anime via your smartphone with any of these apps.

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Crunchyroll has both free and paid membership plans

available for anime enthusiasts. No membership is required to watch many of the anime streams. Going premium simply means you can enjoy your favorite anime without ads, you’ll have faster release times, and you get the ability to stream to other locations besides your iPhone. Crunchyroll has access to the best anime shows with over 25,000 anime episodes available, including Naruto Next Generation, Dragon Ball Super, and Cowboy Bebop. read more

The Best Anime Apps for Your Iphone Read More »

Where is Mobile Gaming Headed and What Can we Expect In the Future?

Where is Mobile Gaming Headed and What Can we Expect In the Future?

The figures are in and they tell us that mobile gaming is going to stick around for the long haul after all. Gamers the world over are making the move from traditional PC and console gaming to mobile gaming, and it’s not hard to understand why. Mobile games are portable, dynamic, and just as exciting as tradition games. 

Today we’ll be looking at mobile gaming; where it is headed, and what we can expect from it. 

Where is Mobile Gaming Headed and What Can we Expect In the Future? Read More »

Walmart, Black Friday, Black Friday 2016, HDTV, TV, Television, Home Theater, Electronics, Tech, Technology, Movies, Games, HDTV for under $200, 4K TV for under $300, Black Friday Tech Deals, Black Friday HDTV, Black Friday 4k TV, PS4, Toys, Games, Sales, Discounts, Coupon, Coupons, Deals, Iphone, Apple

Walmart Blackfriday 2016 Features 4K HDTVs for under $300

Walmart, Black Friday, Black Friday 2016, HDTV, TV, Television, Home Theater, Electronics, Tech, Technology, Movies, Games, HDTV for under $200, 4K TV for under $300, Black Friday Tech Deals, Black Friday HDTV, Black Friday 4k TV, PS4, Toys, Games, Sales, Discounts, Coupon, Coupons, Deals, Iphone, Apple
Walmart, Black Friday, Black Friday 2016, HDTV, TV, Television, Home Theater, Electronics, Tech, Technology, Movies, Games, HDTV for under $200, 4K TV for under $300, Black Friday Tech Deals, Black Friday HDTV, Black Friday 4k TV, PS4, Toys, Games, Sales, Discounts, Coupon, Coupons, Deals, Iphone, Apple

Walmart just released their ad for black friday 2016. Select deals are available already online at walmart.com and the deals will begin in store at 6PM on November 24th.

This year Walmart is offering some amazing deals on TVs including a 55″ 4k HDTV for $298 and a 40″ HDTV (NOT 4k though) for just $125.

The Iphone 5S is also under $100

PS4 is just $249 and comes with a $30 Walmart gift card which, as long as you can get use of the gift card (and who can’t I mean, Walmart has EVERYTHING lol) — That brings your total cost down to just $219. Almost as good as the deal Target is running right now.

Many other items are on sell from Clothing to Jewelry, to Toys, Electronics, Tools, Games, and more. Check out Walmart.com every day for new flash sales leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Powered by Dealspotr | Find more promo codes for Walmart

Walmart Blackfriday 2016 Features 4K HDTVs for under $300 Read More »

Iphone 7

Should You Upgrade From Iphone 6S to the New Iphone 7?

Should You Upgrade From Iphone 6S to Iphone 7?

Apple just revealed the new Iphone 7 at http://www.apple.com/iphone-7/

I just recently joined the millions of users addicted to Apple Iphones when Iphone 6S came out. (Though I had wanted one for a long time before that as well due to all of the amazing games on the app store.)

The Iphone 7 improves the Retina HD display by using a larger screen that’s 25% brighter and boasts a wider color range than the Iphone 6S.

The Iphone 7 has a 4.7″ screen with 1334 X 750 resolution while the Iphone 7 Plus has a 5.5″ screen and 1920 X 1080 resolution.

But the biggest most exciting improvement is the camera. The Iphone 7 Plus has 2 cameras – One with a wide-angle and Another with a telephoto lens – each capable of 12MP. They also have all-new-depth-of-field effects which I assume are like Bokeh effects which we see in DSLR photography. This is a technique that’s used to focus on the subject in the foreground and blur the background, creating sometimes circles or dots of light that give it a dreamy, fantasy-looking glow like quality. – which would be great for doll photography by the way, if you collect ABJD such as myself. the zoom on the camera has also been improved with optical zoom at 2x and digital zoom up to 10x for photos and 6x for video.

It’s also the first Iphone to be water resistant, which opens up even newer possibilities for photography enthusiasts or hobbyists who like to travel / snorkel / swim or splash and play while on vacation and documenting their vacay photos with their smartphones.

The other big enhancement is the processor speed. It is 2 times faster than the Iphone 6. They are claiming it is the most powerful processor ever in a smartphone.

This Iphone also has the longest battery life ever in a smart phone. As an Iphone 6S owner, I love the long battery life. I can go 2 or 3 days sometimes without recharging, even when browsing the net, playing apps, or using navigation for 2+ hours a day sometimes. — I can’t immagine the battery life getting even better, but that’s definitely always a good thing!

The sound system has also been redesigned. It now supports stereo sound and is 2 times louder than the Iphone 6S. You can connect Apple EarPods with the lightning connector or use the brand new wireless Airpods.

They’ve also made significant improvements to the speed of LTE connectivity and roaming (although I don’t really understand how because this seems like it should be a carrier specific issue.) – It is 3 Times faster than the Iphone 6 and over 50% faster than the Iphone 6S – and LTE supports up to 25 Bands.

If you’re thinking of upgrading the Iphone 6S to the Iphone 7 – you can get up to $250 immediate credit when you trade in your 6S. Learn more at http://www.apple.com/iphone/trade-up/ Which helps to take a small bite out of the hefty $649 pricetag of the new Iphone 7.

The Iphone 7 releases next Friday on September 16 in over 20 countries around the world.

Are you going to upgrade to the new smartphone? Or hang on to your current model?

As much as I would LOVE the new cameras and faster internet connection, I’m still happy enough with my Iphone 6S — so I will wait this one out! Unless I win one for free or win money or giftcards towards covering some of that cost. I bought my Iphone 6S Out of Contract, and would do the same if I were ever to upgrade to a new model again.

Apple does make it tempting and hard to resist the need to have the latest and greatest smartphone.

But my favorite thing about Apple Iphones is the app store, which all of the Iphones can access 🙂 so whether you upgrade, or stay where you’re at, you really can’t go wrong being an Iphone owner!

Should You Upgrade From Iphone 6S to the New Iphone 7? Read More »

Pokemon Go, Poke Date, Poke Dates, Pokemon Go Meetup, Pokemon Go Exercise, Pokemon Go Workout, Meet People While Playing Pokemon Go, Meet People Who Play Pokemon Go, Playing Pokemon Go is Good For You, Benefits of Playing Pokemon Go, Risks of Playing Pokemon Go, Is Pokemon Go Dangerous?, Is Pokemon Go Safe? Should I Let My Kids Play Pokemon Go?, Pokemon Go Safety Tips, Pokemon Go Safety, Why I Play Pokemon, Pokemon Go, Should I Play Pokemon Go?, Why Should I Play Pokemon Go?, Why Does Everyone Play Pokemon Go?, Is Anyone Not Playing Pokemon Go?, Am I The Only One Not Playing Pokemon Go?, I Hate Pokemon Go, I Love Pokemon Go, Pokemon Go is the Best, Pokemon Go Phenomena, Poke Stop, Pokemon Gym, Pokemon Go Players, Pokemon Go Player, Lose Weight With Pokemon Go, Find Love With Pokemon Go, Poke Date, Poke Dates, Find a Date with Pokemon Go

The Benefits of Playing Pokemon Go Outweigh the Risks

I was not into Pokemon Go when it first launched. It wasn’t until my mom began playing that I took interest. For a few reasons, first, when the game first came out, there were numerous game crippling bugs which made it almost impossible to play. It’s also a rather difficult game to learn at first, it gives absolutely no guidance, direction, tutorial, etc. This combined with the bugs in early days made the game frustrating and a lot less fun than it is now.

Second, I’m not one to enjoy exercise. It’s not that I’m “Lazy”, but well… exercise is “painful” and “tiring” and “annoying”.  When I started playing Pokemon Go, I thought how annoying or stupid it was to have to go outside. This was when I was playing it alone in the first few days of the launch. This began to change when I found someone (my mom) to play the game with. It’s much like the thought of having an exercise buddy.

When I was in college (10 years ago now, wow.) I went to the same school as my best friend. We’d spend our breaks swimming, playing badminton, and even (cringe) running laps. I was also doing atkins diet at the same time, and I ended up going from 200+ lbs to 127 lbs and a size 6/7 in jeans. After college, and my best friend moving to the other side of the state, now a 5 to 6 hour drive away, and going back off the atkins diet, I gained all of that weight back slowly over the years, due to lack of motivation to get out there and exercise.

I did have an xbox 360 with Kinect, and a Wii with some games which tried to add gamification elements the work out experience. I’d play them for a time, but always ultimately get bored and go back to other less “demanding” and more “rewarding” games. I will say out of the “work out” games I own, my favorite has always been “Walk It Out”, a very obscure Wii game that blasts 90s/2k pop music as you walk around a rather empty world at first; and as you walk you unlock new songs as well as begin to see the world come to life. I also enjoy DDR (although I suck at it really badly.) and Just Dance (slightly less challenging than DDR). I even had Wii Fit, and I did love the charting/tracking aspects of that game and even being able to weigh my cats lol.

But ultimately, none of those games held my interest. Was it because I didn’t have anyone to play them with? Perhaps. Was it because I still wasn’t “getting out”? I was still “at home playing videogames” something I’ve done for almost 30 years of my life.

It’s still too soon to tell how long it will be before I get “bored” with Pokemon Go. But it has some elements that are so unique and different from the other work out games I own. When I try to describe Pokemon Go to people who don’t already play, I tell them “It’s basically geocaching with pokemon”. I’d never gone geocaching before but the idea of it had always appealed to me in theory. It encourages you to get out and explore some new and sometimes remote or far away locations and you’re rewarded with small treasures (usually coins) (but in this case, it’s pokemon instead of coins).

Pokemon Go is a social game. Recently, a new dating website opened up and had such overwhelming response that they had to shut down their servers temporarily. This dating service aims to connect Pokemon Go players in their area both for playing Pokemon Go, but also for finding true love (or friendship). I’m also single right now, I’m kinda taking a break at the moment, seeing a few people but nothing serious, and find I’ve kinda backed off a bit on the dating or seeking of a mate at the moment, but when I’m ready again, in a few weeks, or months, or whatever the case may be, I have a feeling I’ll be using this Poke Date service. You can check it out here: https://www.projectfixup.com/pokedates/  – There’s also another site here: https://t.co/7sOATzdApr and probably numerous meetup.com Pokemon Go groups as well (though there weren’t any close by in my area last time I checked.).

Even if you’re not using such a site to interact with the Pokemon Go community, chances are you’re going to run into other players out in the real world, whether it’s at poke stops, gyms, or just walking around your parks or college campus, etc trying to catch pokemon. If you’re like me, you’re probably a shy introvert, who avoids other people (remember that part about sitting at home playing videogames?). I still haven’t started a conversation with anyone while playing Pokemon Go, but I have had people come up and start conversation with me, and I find it’s easy to talk to people when you have a shared interest, common goal, hobby, passion, etc. Pokemon Go can make you more comfortable in social interactions, help to break the ice, and put you in the “right place, at the right time” to meet new friends or potential romantic partners.

Pokemon Go does just that, it makes you GO places. You might find new places nearby that you’ve never visited, or it may encourage you to take a road trip, day trip, weekend trip, etc to go discover new pokemon. While playing the game, you might stumble upon new restaurants, museums, nature trails, parks, or other exciting places. Travel is fun! And Pokemon Go gives you another excuse to get away, take a vacation, take the scenic route, relax, and reconnect with nature while exploring new places and trying new things.

Pokemon Go is fun, relaxing, and addicting. Ignoring the social, psychological, and health benefits of playing the game, the game is just plain fun. The obsession to “catch them all” and to find “rare” Pokemon is a huge draw that keeps you wanting to play more and more. Just imagine if Shiny Pokemon get introduced sometime in the future, or special limited time events with special exclusive Pokemon to catch. This obsession to keep playing, keep seeking out new places with new pokemon, and “catch them all” is what keeps you motivated and interested in the game and continues to reinforce the “good habits” (exercise, social interaction, etc) that come from playing the game each day.

Pokemon Go is free. Yes, there is a cash shop, but you definitely don’t need to spend any money to enjoy this app. You can just visit your closest pokestop, and sit there for an hour or two collecting the items you need. Once again this just encourages you to keep getting out there. It’s win/win.

Pokemon Go is good exercise. It’s even being used in nursing homes to help the elderly. Gamers are not known for a love of working out or healthy habits. I’m no exception. But Pokemon Go makes me want to exercise in order to play the game. I went from being sedentary, to now walking 5 to 7 miles almost every day. I couldn’t tell you the last time I walked even a mile, let alone 5+ miles. Almost daily. Two days ago we walked ten and a half miles which so far is the farthest/longest I’ve walked while playing Pokemon Go. Of course, I am hoping to lose weight. Who doesn’t want to be more fit and healthy right? But even if that never happens simply from walking a few extra miles, I’ll tell you, this exercise has already had several benefits. The main benefit it has had is curing me of my insomnia.

Pokemon Go will help you sleep better! If you’re not used to physical activity (like me), and going through a “hard time” where your mind is just turning non-stop most nights, Pokemon Go will make you fall asleep from the physical exertion and exhaustion that comes when you increase your activity levels. The last 2 weeks I’ve been sleeping like a charm, when most of June was spent in angst and anger and disappointment and hurt feelings, I no longer have TIME to think about that. Pokemon Go keeps me busy! Keeping busy keeps me happy!

Pokemon Go will improve your mood! Exercise creates endorphins which are scientifically proven to create feelings of happiness and euphoria. It also as I mentioned helps “clear” (or otherwise occupy at least) your mind which makes you forget about your worries and troubles. It gets you out into the sunlight and sunlight is also scientifically proven to boost your mood. It helps you connect “spiritually” with nature, or helps you connect “emotionally” to other people. It reminds you you’re not alone. Pokemon Go is a comforting experience for anyone dealing with loss, death, grief, heartbreak, or other traumas.

Yes, there have been some scary stories in the news recently about Pokemon Go, either from neglect and a lack of paying attention to one’s surroundings, such as walking into traffic, falling off a cliff, or criminals using Pokemon Go to identify Poke Stops and wait for passer by to mug/rape/attack/whatever. There are also cases of people playing Pokemon Go at inappropriate times such as while working or driving. – but these incidents are few and far between when compared to the millions of players who are benefiting in some way from playing this game.

Pokemon Go means different things for different people, but for me, it has given me that little boost of motivation that I need to be more active and get out in my community.

The Benefits of Playing Pokemon Go Outweigh the Risks Read More »

All Glass Iphone, All Glass Iphone 8, All Glass Iphone Pro, All Glass Phones, All Glass Smartphone, Gorilla Glass, Sapphire, Xperia Z3, Galaxy S6 Edge, Iphone, Iphone Rumor, Iphone Rumors, Iphone 10th Anniversary, Apple, Glass vs Aluminum, Glass vs Plastic

Latest Iphone Rumor Suggests Next Year’s Iphone 8 Will Be “All Glass”

This rumor first began circulating back in April of 2016, but now it seems to be “confirmed”. That is, if you believe Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo , who has a pretty good track record of predicting new features as early as 2 years before they come to reality.

If you don’t want to believe Ming-Chi Kuo, you might be able to believe this. The rumor was “confirmed” this week by Allen Horng, chairman of Catcher Technologies whom Apple has worked with on previous iphone models.

” […Allen Horng] said Apple will make its 2017 iPhone using a glass casing. Breaking down the radical shift, Horng said using a glass chassis would prove expensive and that Catcher requires “advanced processing technology” to pull it off. He also explained that the chassis would need to be reinforced by a metal frame.

Horng said that “As far as I know, only one [iPhone] model will adopt glass casing next year” and, given the range’s pricing, that would suggest the iPhone 8 Plus (Apple is expected to skip the iPhone 7S moniker for the iPhone’s 10th anniversary) or even the hotly rumoured iPhone Pro.” (Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2016/05/27/apple-news-digest-glass-iphone-8-leak-prototype-ios-10/#426ff64d33cc)

What would an “All Glass” phone be like in reality? Gorilla Glass has an 80% chance to not break when dropped from a height of 1 meter (roughly about 3.2 feet). This may be okay when you’re texting – but if you have the phone by your ear, making a call, chances are if you drop it, it’s falling further than 3 feet. Also notice that it’s not indestructible – there’s a 20% chance it’s gonna break regardless of how high off the ground it is – that’s almost a 1 in 4 chance of breaking. And recent studies have shown that the chance for breaking may be even higher than that number.

But an “all-glass” phone does have it’s advantages – such as stronger wireless connectivity, faster charging speeds, and of course a modern look, lighter weight, and more viewing area.

Perhaps Apple is working on something that will be even stronger than Gorilla Glass – It is just too soon to know for sure.

Iphone is not the first phone to go with an All-Glass approach. The Galaxy S6 Edge is one of the first all-Glass phones to hit the market. The Xperia Z3 is also all-Glass, and despite a lot of controversy, it has proven to be quite durable. Check out this drop test below.

https://youtu.be/BQaFUWURO0E

You can read more about this drop test right here: http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/12/23/xperia-z3-drop-test-phone-nearly-holds-out-till-the-end/

Also the following article lists the advantages and disadvantages of glass vs metal vs plastic phones.

Build materials: metal vs glass vs plastic read more

Latest Iphone Rumor Suggests Next Year’s Iphone 8 Will Be “All Glass” Read More »

Star Girl Fashion, CocoPPaPlay, CocoPPa Play, CocoPPa, Dressup Game, Dressup Games, Review, Dressup Game Review, IOS, Android, Iphone, Ipad, Apple, App, Cute Game, Anime Game

CocoPPaPlay Dressup Game Review

geeky

EDIT: Check Out My New Updated CocoPPaPlay Review for 2018 – A lot of improvements have happened since this first review below. Click here to read the updated review of CocoPPAPlay for 2018.

Review from 2016 below:

(The following review uses screenshots that I personally took while playing CocoPPaPlay. I wish I could give credit to all of the models which appear and the players who spent time creating their models – however, I did not make a note of the players’ names while taking my screenshots. I’m sorry. I started a new character, so I didn’t have many cute items to use for my own photos. Thanks for understanding! If you happen to recognize your character and either want credit, or for some reason don’t want me using their photo for my review, just leave me a comment below.)

I post a lot of photos of this game, and other games, on my Instagram account – check it out if you want to see more! But please note, I also post other non-gaming and more personal photos as well so only subscribe if you’re okay with that kinda stuff in your feed as well ^-^. Link: https://www.instagram.com/Xenokitten/

Title: CocoPPaPlay (the Android version is called Star Girl Fashion but it is the same game).

Genre: Dressup Game

Platform: Mobile (IOS / Android)

Grab it on IOS: https://itunes.apple.com…

Or Here for Android: (For some reason, it’s called “Star Girl Fashion” here, but same game, even same icon that the Itunes version uses) You can pick it up here: https://play.google.com/…

Geeky: 1/5 

Sweetie: 4/5 

Overall: 70 / 100 70% C- Good Game for Girls

Concept: 7/10 The concept of CocoPPaPlay is simple – play “gacha” machines or enter monthly events to win new outfits. Outfits consist of different layers, such as eyes(facial expresion), hair, clothes, shoes, hand accessories (purses, stuffed toys, swords, etc), hats, glasses, pets, backgrounds, and other items – This allows you to really fine-tune and make unique avatars. Similar to games like Pokemini (which I reviewed here) or Line Play (review coming soon). However, in my opinion, CocoPPaPlay has less robust features than these two games and operates on more of a pay-to-win model than either of the above games.

Gameplay: 7/10 I covered the basics above: There are a number of “lottery” style games (gacha machines) where you’re awarded an item for your outfit by paying or using a gacha ticket. Gacha tickets only work in a few gacha. Once a week you can use in-game currency (the free kind that you earn by playing) to play one Gacha. This resets on Sundays, so each Sunday, you could, in theory, get a free “paid” item. The problem however, is that it’s insanely expensive. You earn this free currency by “cheering” for people’s “fashion shows”. The problem is, the gacha cost 20,000 of this free currency and you only get 5 to 10 of the currency for each cheer you do. You’d have to cheer 2,000 – 4,000 times to get enough points to get a free item each week – this is insanely time consuming.

To give you an idea, I played it very heavily this past weekend, logging in about once an hour and using up all of my “energy” cheering – which took about 15-20 minutes each hour. I did this each hour from about 9am – 11pm each day Saturday and Sunday – and only earned around 8,000 “smile points” (the in-game, free currency). You’d have to keep this pace up for 4-5 days, without missing a day or hour/wasting your free energy refills, etc. – I also had some free “energy drinks” and since I started a new character (didn’t feel like digging out my ipad to transfer my data), I leveled up many, many, many times from level 1 to 24 within the 2 days, and each time you level up, your energy also refills – so I cheered lots and lots – but obviously, not even close to the amount needed to get to 20,000 smile points!!

I work (as I’m sure a lot of my readers do) so I can’t log in Monday-Friday. So realistically I can only play on weekends – which means I’ll probably take 2-3 weeks to reach the 20,000 smile points necessary. Other games, like Moe can Change and Animal Boyfriend (which I reviewed here) let you play EVERY gacha for free completely free one time – so you always have nice items! I don’t like that CocoPPaPlay forces you to feel like you HAVE to spend money – I spent money willingly one time in Moe can change to get a hairstyle I wanted – but I have thousands of cute clothes for free. Every game should let you get free stuff – Line Play’s gacha’s only cost one to three thousand gems  not 20,000!! Making it much easier to earn tickets on the Gacha. I just feel that CocoPPaPlay is greedy in this regard.

Also, let it be known, that they don’t even make their own graphics, they use some type of “free to use” avatar system called “Selphie” which is used by A TON of other games (sadly none in English). There used to be a game called Tinier Me which was in English however, it went out of business some years ago. The “Japanese Tinier Me” still exists as “AtGames” and their “free items” are MUCH nicer than those in CocoPPaPlay which only puts like the worst garbage items in their “shops” For example, in the Japanese Tinier Me (or AtGames) you can get very nice high quality eyes for free/or in game currency. While in CocoPPaPlay you only get “closed eyes” like “n_n” and “^-^” and “x_x” etc for free. I only have 2 models on my new account right now because I’m still trying to win a face for my third model in the Gachas. And that’s another thing, although at level 10 you can dressup 3 characters at once, you can only use an item in your inventory once and can’t reuse it on another model unless you “unequip” it first. Just more evidence of wanting you to pay to play – they could have a default face that you could use/start with but nope.

Okay so I’m done ranting about the pay-to-win gamestyle – let’s move on to some other things now. There are numerous events – most recently they had an Easter event – but basically every event is the same – there will be multiple “quest givers” who request items from you – these items you can earn for free by cheering – you get “lucky tickets” in exchange (and sometimes other items like exclusive limited outfits, energy drinks, etc) – The lucky tickets can be used to try to play the lucky event gacha to win outfits/energy drinks, and/or used to raise your charm level for the event – I recommend trying to max your charm (similar to the events in Dream Girlfriend (which I reviewed here) having high charm lets you get event points and rewards much quicker! Therefore its best to max it out asap). To illustrate, I ranked in the top 5,000 (which is pretty low but in the scheme of things, with 40 million players according to their itunes profile, not bad) within just 2 days of playing, on a brand new account, at the very end of an event. So it’s fairly easy to rank – I think maybe a lot of that “40 million” is inactive or like me, hadn’t logged in in a long time, etc. Either way, it seems most don’t go for the event items, and/or don’t make good use of the charm boost, etc.

There’s also a club feature. You can at any level, any time, and for free, create (or join) a club. You can get bonuses in the events above by having club members where certain items or do certain tasks so clubs are really useful, you can also use them to chat and make friends which gives the game a nice social touch.

There’s a farming minigame, but it’s pretty lame, you sheer sheep. I dunno, I don’t find it that fun, you earn “wool points” and outfits when you discover a new sheep. You discover new sheep by spending wool points to improve your farm and buy new equipment to care for your sheep.

You also can take on quests from NPCs within the game, which when you complete, will add new items to their shops, and unlock new cities to explore, and grant you some free outfits. When a city “levels up” they have a sale with half priced items – but I never buy them – because I’m hoarding all my Smile Points to use in the “weekly free gacha”.

As a “bonus”, there’s another app by the makers of CocoPPaPlay, where you can customize your cellphone, with new icons, background images, wallpapers, lock screens, etc. This other app works best on android – because sadly, apple has a lot of bloatware that you cannot delete or modify – for example, the camera, you can’t change the icon for it on apple, the only work around is to download a 3rd party camera app, and hide your other icon in a folder somewhere. Email is another example, for example, you have to download Gmail, and hide the default mail app. You also can’t change the phone or text icons at all on the apple iphone. But it still makes your phone about 90% cuter – though it also makes your phone a little slower, as it adds an extra step whenever you click on one of the new icons it is only a shortcut to the actual program so you get prompted if you want to open the “page” with the following application. (At least on Iphone.) This other app also acts as a social media site, and if you link up your CocoPPa account to your CocoPPa Play account your avatar is carried over to both apps and appears on your social media wall – you earn some free items in both apps for linking, and can more easily login/retrieve your account by having both apps active.

That about covers it for gameplay. There’s really not much to do – but the limited event items and limited gacha items can be enough to keep you playing (for awhile until you get so frustrated by how long it takes to get a free spin on the Gacha.)

Customization – 10/10 – going on 2 years (they’re having a 2nd anniversary event right now) – the number of items available is incredible, and many items have already retired, rising the demand (unfortunately there’s no trading system (which exists by the way in the Japanese Tinier me lol)) – you get “bragging rights” if you have a super rare/old/obscure item equipped and well, I see this game being around 2-3 years from now, so even if you start playing today, in 2-3 years you too will have those rare items everyone else wants and be admired. I like games like this where they retire items fairly quickly. Pokemini is another example of really time sensitive items. That to me really increases my drive to play these games.

Story: 2/10 – There’s really not much, if any, story – I think there was some type of story presented at the beginning, but it’s so bare bones I forgot it quickly. It’s mostly fetch quests and cheering and there’s also quite a few typos or improper grammar and awkward sentences thrown about in the game.

Characters: 6/10 – Characters get high marks for cuteness – but really have no purpose or substance, other than serving as mascots.

Graphics: 10/10 This game is super cute, the mascot girl who guides you through the story and quests is adorable, and the sheep mascot is also cute and he helps run your club. Your avatar and the items are very nicely drawn and large. a Good variety of items (though most are paid items) and different poses, and the ability to layer many items to create your avatar make this game very very appealing for anyone who loves cute things.

Music: 5/10 – Music is standard mobile type music. It’s cute and catchy, but ultimately only consists of 3 or 4 different tracks which means the more you play it, the more it starts to annoy the heck out of you lol.

Cuteness – 10/10 – to balance out all the negative things I have to say about this game, added this lil bonus in here –  the main reason to play this game is because it’s so cute.

Replay Value: 8/10 – It gets repetitive, is super time consuming, and annoyingly “expensive” – but in the end, the lure of those time sensitive items keeps you wanting to press on to replay and get new items. It’s a very item-centric game.

Overall: 70 / 100 70% C- Good Game for Girls

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Cooking, Restaurant Management, City Building, Dressup, Dressup Games, Anime, Anime Game, Anime Games, Cute, Kawaii, Fashion, Sim, Simulation, Casual, Casual Game, Mobile, Mobile Game, App, Play Store, Google Play, Apple, Apple App Store, App Store, Free, Free Game, Games for Girls, Online Game, Multiplayer

I Love Pasta | I Love Coffee | Review of 2 Similar Mobile Games by Pati Games | Restaurant Management Simulation | Anime Games | Casual Games

Title 1: I Love Pasta

Get I Love Pasta on IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i-love-pasta/id926176278?mt=8

Get I Love Pasta on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.patigames.ilovepasta4gsp&hl=en

Title 2: I Love Coffee

Get I Love Coffee on IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/line-i-love-coffee/id605633081?mt=8

Get I Love Coffee on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.naver.SJLGCOFFEE&hl=en

Geeky: 1/5 

Sweetie: 5/5 

Overall: 56/80 70% C- Good Game for Girls

Concept: 10/10 read more

I Love Pasta | I Love Coffee | Review of 2 Similar Mobile Games by Pati Games | Restaurant Management Simulation | Anime Games | Casual Games Read More »