SPIES IN DISGUISE OFFICAL MOBILE GAME

Arriving today is the new animated adventure SPIES IN DISGUISE at movie theaters as well as a tie-in mobile game called AGENTS ON THE RUN available online to download for Android and Apple mobile devices based upon the film. A Christmas treat from Blue Sky Studios you can enjoy the debut of a new movie and the launch of a video game on the holiday. AGENTS ON THE RUN uses the popular runner platform for mobile games to let players run, jump, slide, and juke the heroes from SPIES IN DISGUISE through missions based upon scenes from the movie.



Super spy Lance Sterling and scientist Walter Beckett are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for in smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected with Lance being turned into a pigeon by one of Walter's experiments suddenly this duo has to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can't learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril. This plot plays out in both the movie SPIES IN DISGUISE and the mobile game AGENTS ON THE RUN.



Players in SPIES IN DISGUISE: AGENTS ON THE RUN start off as scientist Walter Beckett. As they run through levels collecting items and dodging obstacles, new characters including Special Agent Marcy Kappel and Super Spy Lance Sterling can be unlocked. Each character also has special abilities that can be earned through completing achievements and missions.

Walter's hand-held Coin Sucker 3000 vacuum can be upgraded to increase the length of time it collects coins or you can earn him a jet pack that lets him soar over bad guys and obstacles. Special Agent Kappel can increase the length of time she can use an umbrella shield which lets her burst through anything that gets in her way. You can also achieve the option to let her drive through portions of a level in a sports car. Super Spy Lance Sterling has a glide suit that can be upgraded and can improve upon the slide kicks used against henchmen as he progresses through the game. Each characters has their own unique strengths and weaknesses that provide their own elements of fun to playing AGENTS ON THE RUN.

SPIES IN DISGUISE: AGENTS ON THE RUN is free to download and play on Android and iOS devices. It does have in-app purchases and advertisements that are really ingrained into the gameplay. While the game is playable without these features in my opinion the games developer Denali Publishing has over-monetized it. The first time you hit an obstacle or get knocked out by a villain the game restarts unless you watch a video advertisement or spend some real life money to continue your progress uninterrupted. This is really annoying! It would have been nice if they had provided maybe like 3 lives before they started hitting you up to watch ads or spend cash.

That being said there is time, talent and resources put into created games like SPIES IN DISGUISE: AGENTS ON THE RUN and obviously developers are looking to get a return on their investment. Before in-app purchases and advertising became the popular business model for the video game industry, a game for mobile devices like this would probably have set you back $10 or more. Now you can play the game for "free" but obviously there is a caveat to that. It is up to individual players to determine their preference for playing these types of games but this is a good reminder for parents to know what their devices settings are for in regards to allowing in-app purchases when their kids are playing on phones and tablets.

SPIES IN DISGUISE: AGENTS ON THE RUN is available on Google Play and The App Store. I played with the game after I wrapped up putting presents under the Christmas Tree when the kids had fallen asleep. Despite my gripe, I did actually enjoy the game play. I'll probably keep it on my phone awhile to play around with. Once I get the zigging and zagging down maybe I'll last a bit longer before getting knocked out and won't find having to watch advertising videos to keep my game alive as annoying. Give this game a try and let me know what you think about it.

SANTA IN YOUR HOUSE

Santa Sighting! Wow! He made it to our house in record time this year! Thanks to the app SANTA IN YOUR HOUSE, I took a picture with my phone of good ole Saint Nick putting presents under the Christmas Tree in our house this evening. Looking forward to showing my kids this picture of Santa Claus visiting our house when they wake up in the morning.

This free app is available for Android and Apple devices on Google Play and The App Store. Snap a picture with your phone or tablet's camera then insert one of the no charge images of Santa Claus and/or his elves into the shot from the app's Christmas gallery. Hit save and a picture of SANTA IN YOUR HOUSE will be stored in your mobile device's picture gallery.

In addition to a variety of free images, there are also in-app purchases available for additional clip art of Santa and other Christmas imagery. This is an easy to use app that can provide nice customized photographs for Christmas memories since you can control the photo backgrounds. Isn't it nice to have a picture of Santa Claus in front of the actual Christmas Tree in your own home?

If you like these Christmas pics, the app also has galleries for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Valentine's Day and other occasions. How about staging a picture with the tooth fairy visiting your little one? There are a lot of creative pictures you can take with this app. I've been having fun playing around with it on Christmas Eve and have been thinking about using it to have some Leprechauns visit our place in March or the Easter Bunny in April. There are some really neat things you can do with this app not just at Christmastime but throughout the year.

TRANSFORMERS: EARTH WARS

There is a new game available for iOS and Android devices featuring the TRANSFORMERS and I have to say its imagery takes me back to the 1980 toys and cartoons of my youth featuring these characters that transform between warrior robots and various types of vehicles.  Over the last 30 years there have been various updates and redesigns of the TRANSFORMERS in their Hasbro toy line, comic book series, movies and television shows; so I was wowed how in this app they resemble the original TRANSFORMERS of my childhood giving this real-time combat strategy game for mobile devices a cool retro vibe.  It even features the voices of the original Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and Megatron (Frank Welker) from the 1980s cartoon that first made the Transformers a pop culture hit. While TRANSFORMERS: EARTH WARS may be filled with iconic characters and classic imagery from the Transfomers Universe it also is full of the newest generation of features desired in video games for mobile devices, such as vibrant 3D animations, which makes it great to play for both kids and kids-at-heart.



Published by Backflip Studios (DragonVale, SpellFall, Paper Toss) and developed by Space Ape Games (Rival Kingdoms, Samurai Siege), TRANSFORMERS: EARTH WARS has players must choose to fight with Optimus Prime and the Autobots or Megatron and the Decepticons in a battle to decide the fate of planet Earth. Once allegiance has been sworn, gamers assemble a powerful team of playable characters, raid enemy bases for Energon stockpiles, and construct the Space Bridge to add reinforcements from Cybertron, all while playing in real-time against other players around the globe. The game is available now for FREE download on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on Google Play for Android devices. There are in-app purchases within the game that allow players to speed up getting through the stages of the game or to enhance the characters to improve the game play experience for people who are into going beyond free-mode in apps like this.

2 girls from Brooklyn create online gaming empire in Nickelodeon's new comedy series: GAME SHAKERS

In Nickelodeon's newest live-action comedy series, GAME SHAKERS, which premieres on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 8:30 pm (ET / PT) a pair of 12-year-old girls from Brooklyn become unlikely moguls when their school project becomes the most popular mobile game online.  Game Shakers was created by multi-Emmy nominated writer and producer Dan Schneider (iCarly, Victorious, Henry Danger) and revolves around middle school students Babe (Cree Cicchino) and Kenzie (Madisyn Shipman) that create a mobile game named SKY WHALE which quickly becomes a world-wide sensation.

Tying the show to today's kids' love of gaming and apps, the games created by Babe and Kenzie in the series will be made available to play on Nick.com and through the Nick app.  The first game to be released will be Babe and Kenzie's initial creation on the show, SKY WHALE, which is featured in the premiere episode.  SKY WHALE will be available for FREE in September to download via the Apple, Google, and Amazon app stores.  This game challenges players to bounce through the sky and to keep a narwhal up in the air using clouds and crazy objects to go higher and farther, even into outer space or on an underwater adventure.

Game Shakers' premiere episode will also feature cameo appearances from YouTube pop culture comedians and gaming entertainers including GloZell, Lasercorn and ProJared.  The debut episode of Game Shakers will be simulcast on cable television on Nickelodeon, TeenNick, and Nicktoons plus will be available at the same time on Nick.com and on the Nick app.  Following this linear debut, the premiere episode will also be available for FREE on iTunes for one week.



In the premiere episode, after an app they create for their school science fair project turns into the biggest mobile game of the year, Babe and Kenzie use their profits to start Game Shakers, a super-cool gaming company based in Brooklyn, New York.  Not realizing the game illegally sampled a song from superstar rapper Double G ( '90s Nick icon Kel Mitchell ) turn the performer from an antagonist into their new business partner.  As part of the deal, Double G's son, Triple G ( Benjamin 'Lil P-Nut' Flores ), becomes the company's "gaming consultant."  Hijinks follow as this team works to make Game Shakers a huge success and create their own gaming empire. 

Enjoy Television Shows & Movies On Your Own Schedule With Xfinity TV Go App

**Disclaimer** I have been provided a complimentary subscription to the Xfinity TV Go app and access to the Comcast cable programming lineup as part of the Xfinity blogger reviewer program. Opinions expressed are my own. #Xfinityreviewer

The days of having to sit in front of your living room television at a dictated time to make sure you didn't miss your favorite TV show are long gone!  With the TV Go app customers of Comcast #Xfinity service can watch the television shows and movies available through their subscription package whenever and wherever they want via a mobile device.  I tested out the Xfinity TV Go app the last few months and it was so nice and convenient to be able to enjoy television shows and movies on my own schedule.

To get a parking space when picking up my kids from elementary school ( our district eliminated busing to balance its budget and our kids live more than 2 miles away from the building ) you really need to arrive a half hour early before classes are dismissed.  I often pulled out my iPhone while waiting for their class to get out during the school year to catch up on television shows I missed when they originally aired.  Streaming on T-Mobile worked great providing  a crystal clear picture without any data loading hiccups.  I have an unlimited data plan with my smart phone plan so I wasn't concerned about the cost of streaming; but I'd recommend you understand your own plan's limitations before using this app because data charges may apply for accessing Xfinity content through your mobile phone company depending on the service agreement you have with them.  Another nice feature about using this option in my car was that through bluetooth connectivity I was able to project shows' audio through my vehicle's speakers to enjoy a great sound experience while watching them.  I didn't mind hanging around in the parking lot waiting for my kids to get out of school so much thanks to the Xfinity TV Go app to help me pass the time.

When using the app around the house we used our home wi-fi which tended to work just as well as streaming through our phone service's data plan. We don't have a television in our master bedroom and my wife spent some time recently recovering from having her tonsils removed so she used the app quite a bit for awhile.  The TV Go app was really great in keeping her from going stir crazy while she was bed ridden for a few days.  I have to admit enjoying some shows and movies myself from the comfort of bed too when I was feeling too tuckered out to want to stay up and see them from our living room couch. After giving the kids a bath and putting them to bed did I really want to go back downstairs on a Sunday night to watch "Game of Thrones?" Thanks to TV Go that wasn't a decision I had to fumble around with during Season 5.

Convenience really is where this app comes in handy.  I've used it a lot as an outside television via my iPad on the backyard deck.  The kids and I have really enjoyed watching Detroit Tigers games on nice warm summer evenings.

I've also enjoyed coming home from work for lunch on a nice afternoon to eat on the back deck while watching an episode of one of my favorite shows American Pickers.

During March Madness, I had the basketball games on my iPad in the kitchen while helping my wife out with making family dinners and cleaning up so I wouldn't miss a minute of action.

You can select to watch shows LIVE that are available on your Xfinity channel package or anything that is viewable via On Demand whenever it is convenient for your own schedule.  Going on a summer family trip and want to have accessibility to your Xfinity programming to keep yourself or your kids amused on a rained out day or during a long car or plane ride? Another nice option is you can download TV episodes and movies through the app onto your phone or tablet so they can be viewed later without being dependent on wi-fi or a cell signal.  For those times when you are looking for a quick way to keep children occupied there is also a nifty feature that provides a tab in the menu options which provides a directory of some of the most popular Xfinity programming that is "family friendly" and suitable for viewing by young children.  For extra protection you can create a pass code and enable parental protections that block content you don't want your kids to get access to.

The TV Go app is available for Android and iOS devices and is a benefit of being a Comcast Xfinity subscriber.  This service gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval for its accessibility, convenience and dependability.  For more information on Comcast Xfinity's products and services please visit www.xfinity.com.

Super Heroes Assemble App Lets You Turn Your Next Visit to Walmart into a MARVEL-ous Adventure

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AvengersUnite #CollectiveBias

Unleash the power of MARVEL's The Avengers through your smart phone with Walmart's Super Heroes Assemble app available on Google Play and through the App Store.  This augmented reality app lets you engage in photo ops with characters from MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron movie, explore their world from a 360 degree perspective, and even suit up to transform yourself into one of your favorite heroes like Hulk, Iron Man or Thor.  The powers of the Super Heroes Assemble app are unlocked when you use it to scan special images located on posters and products at your local Walmart store.   After downloading the app for my iPhone, my daughter and I headed to Walmart for a scavenger hunt to test out the augmented reality capabilities of Super Heroes Assemble.

Our first find was a poster in the toy department. Each of the locked powers for the app has an Avengers character associated with it that when you click on their face it shows you an image of the poster or product that needs to be scanned to make the feature accessible.  The app automatically opens your smart phone's camera so all you have to do is point your device so that the virtual image displayed on its screen overlaps with the real world one.  When we scanned this poster a giant Hulk Buster Iron Man appeared to take a photo with my lil Thor.

Searching through the aisles at Walmart we found specially marked Doritos, Dr. Pepper, Kellog's Fruit Snacks, and Cheez-It baked snack crackers products and displays with special images for us to scan.  Scanning these images as we found them around the store unlocked access to 360 degree interactive experiences, for example you can run the Mark 44 Iron Man armor through its paces and see what it is capable of through the Hulk Buster Testing Facility,  opened access to various character abilities that let you suit up as a favorite Avenger in photographs you take, and others created in-store Avengers photo ops like our picture with Hulk Buster Iron Man.

While the Photo Op feature only works specifically when you are scanning the special images, the Suit Up functions will work anytime after you have scanned the images that unlocks one of the eight featured characters which are Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Hulk Buster Iron Man, and Ultron.  We had a lot of fun playing around with the Suit Up features around the house and at the playground after we had unlocked all the characters during our Walmart scavenger hunt.

Here's a HINT, if you can't find all the special images while at Walmart they also have them displayed online and you can scan them off the screen from the store's special MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron web site section by looking for the "unlock more epic content" banner. 

 The Walmart website also features some coloring pages you can print out for the kids to have some fun with in the MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron section including the one below.

Make your next visit to Walmart a MARVEL-ous adventure with the Super Heroes Assemble App.  Have some fun with your own scavenger hunt while you pick up all the fan essential toys, clothes and food items to get yourself ready to see MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ulton which arrives at movie theaters on May 1, 2015. We had some smashing good daddy-daughter time playing with this app (hey remember Avengers isn't just popular with the guys, girls are big fans too!) and I'd encourage you to check it out to avoid becoming green with envy that you missed out on the chance to suit up as one of your favorite Avengers.

So which member of the Avengers is your favorite?  Black Widow, Bruce Banner, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Iron Man, Quick Silver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, or Vision?  Iron Man has my vote while my daughter loves to role play as Thor while her twin brother pretends to be Captain America in their adventures at the park and in the backyard.

Find Flavor at your Fingertips with Restaurant.com's Mobile App

Receive a FREE $10 Restaurant.com eGift Card with Your FIRST Purchase on the Restaurant.com Mobile App!

Restaurant.com, a website that helps consumers locate local restaurants and purchase special discount deals through its service, is expanding from desktops and going mobile with a new app for Apple and Android devices.  To promote its new mobile app, Restaurant.com is offering a FREE $10 Restaurant.com eGift Card with your first purchase on their mobile app!* CLICK HERE for more information.

 Using location-based technology, the Restaurant.com mobile app allows you to connect to great savings and restaurants on the go! Simply tap the "Deals Near Me" button to find restaurants near your location or type your zip code or city to locate flavor right at your fingertips. Did you know Restaurant.com offers nearly 50,000 online dining deals at thousands of restaurants nationwide? The deals are easy to use, never expire, and are available to use right away. The best part, if you change your mind on the restaurant choice, you can exchange anytime, no questions asked.

Found a restaurant with a great deal? Present the certificate to your server on a mobile device, and voila - the savings will be deducted from your final bill.

Don't miss out on this exclusive offer! Download the app now at Google Play or the iTunes App Store until Wednesday, April 30. For more information CLICK HERE.

*Your first purchase via the Restaurant.com mobile application may qualify for a free $10 Restaurant.com eGift Card. You can download the Restaurant.com mobile application on iTunes App Store or Google Play. The purchase must be made between Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 1:00AM PST and Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 11:59PM PST to qualify, and must be your first purchase through the Restaurant.com mobile application. Restaurant.com reserves the right to change the promotional period at anytime. Previous purchasers via the Restaurant.com mobile application are not eligible. One free eGift Card per qualified purchase. The $10 Restaurant.com eGift Card will be emailed within 24-72 hours following the purchase. eGift Cards can be redeemed online at www.theidealmeal.com for a restaurant specific certificate. eGift Cards cannot be redeemed at any restaurant. Restaurant.com is not responsible for undelivered, lost or stolen eGift Cards.

DISCLAIMER:  This is a SPONSORED post via the U.S. Family Guide Bloggers Network.  I have received a complimentary gift card from Restaurant.com for my participation in promoting this offer.

LEGO creates a new niche for Kindergarteners

Up until now, my son's all time favorite toy has been his DUPLO BLOCKS.  He'd spend hours having fun with imaginative play building all sorts of things with those building blocks.  Duplo Blocks are made by LEGO for kids aged 18 months to 5 years old.  They are bulkier blocks with large props and no small parts compared to standard LEGO meant for toddlers to safely and easily play with.

My son turned 5 in December and I noticed towards the end of last year, he was losing interest in his Duplo's and even told me that "Duplo's were for babies."  So at Christmas we gave him some "real" Lego building block sets.  Although the age range for the LEGO CITY item from Santa was listed at 5 - 12, we still had some troubles.  My son had a hard time with some of the motor skills necessary to build, and more importantly take apart, the Lego City vehicles and I found myself barraged with requests from a frustrated child to constantly be pulling apart bricks for him.  And than there was, I'm embarrassed to admit this, the visit to the doctor's office.  Our other 5 year old twin thought it would be funny to steal one of her brother's really small lego pieces and stick it up her nose so he couldn't take it back from her while grandma wasn't babysitting.  My daughter couldn't pull it back out herself, Grandma couldn't get it out, my wife came home early from work to help try and get it out, and finally a trip to our pediatrician's office and an extra long pair of tweezers saved the day.  So the Lego's were put away until our kids get a little older and we also stored away a memory that we can use to embarrass our daughter when she has a family of her own.

We must not be the only parents who are finding themselves in a gap when it comes to transitioning from Legos to Duplos because in a few weeks LEGO will introducing a new line of building block sets aimed at children ages 4 to 7, a kindergarten niche so to speak.  The new LEGO JUNIORS sets will be compatible with tradition Lego sets for continued use as children get older but will have easier components to assemble and not include the small parts that could potentially get stuck in a child's nose, ear, or who knows where else they might be stuck.

LEGO JUNIORS will be on store shelves starting March 1 2014, just in time for Easter gifts.  We're planning on the Easter bunny leaving "DEFEND THE BATCAVE" Batman playset and THE PRINCESS PLAY CASTLE playset in our kids' baskets this Spring.  Other interesting playsets include a pony farm, race car rally, spiderman adventure, and a teenage mutant ninja turtles assortment.  Check out all the sets here:  http://www.lego.com/en-us/juniors/products/products

Obviously, I haven't bought these products yet but once we've picked them up and given them to our kids, I'll post A Geek Daddy review.While we're waiting you may want to check out the FREE Lego Juniors Create & Cruise game available on Apple App Store & Google Play.  Kids can create their own minfigures and vehicles to cruise around a 3D world collecting coins.  As they gather coins they will be able to unlock virtual LEGO sets that can be build with a few easy touches.  The game is aimed at the same age group for the Lego Juniors toys 4 - 7, but looks  like an app kids' geek daddies and mommies may enjoy playing along with their little ones as well.