There is no doubt Brian Krejcarek is passionate about wireless sensors. For the last year Krejcarek has been living in an abandoned air shaft as he perfected his latest project, an Internet-enabled, wireless toothbrush.

The Brush Monkey Toothbrush Sensor

The toothbrush sensor has an internal accelerometer which senses the correct movement pattern for properly brushing teeth. Covered in silicon to resist water, the sensor slides over most toothbrush handles. It then sends the data wirelessly to an Internet module plugged into a router where it is fed into the Brush Monkey iPhone App in real time.

Starter Kit With Base Station

The Brush Monkey App will mimic your brushing and when you have completed two full minutes the monkey dances with joy.

Now that the prototype has been perfected, Krejcarek is hoping to jump start production by fundraising for the Brush Monkey on Kickstarter. The toothbrush sensor is just the start for Krejcarek. He has been working on sensors thin enough to fit in puffy stickers that will calculate and identify a wide variety of data.

“We’d like to offer all kinds of other sensors. For example, a sensor on the dog leash measures when you walk the dog.  Who didn’t put the lid down on the toilet?  We can make one for that too.  Take your medicine?  Play with toys?  It’s about our actual behaviors and doing things together.” Brian Krejcarek via Kickstarter

All the upcoming sensors use the same router base station allowing a variety of data to be collected. The base station will pick up and process any data within the 200 foot wireless range.

Another Prototype Sensor Tells You If The Dog Has Been Walked Or Fed

For those who would like to write their own apps to go with a sensor,  an API has already been released and is available on the Green Goose website.

The basic kit with toothbrush sensor and base station can be pre-ordered on Kickstarter for a $49 pledge. For the added sensors you may pledge more or purchase them on the Green Goose website as they become available. Sensors are expected to sell for $9.

We think the toothbrush idea is fantastic for teaching children how to brush properly in a positive and fun way, however we are really fascinated by the possibilities that these stickers might have for other applications. Knowing if someone has opened your door, if the spare key has been moved or your teenager sneaks into the house after curfew can be very handy information.

What other uses do you think the sensors could have?

As the uses grow we can’t help but wonder how they might be abused. As an example: If used in the workplace, without the knowledge of employees, to measure productivity would this be a violation of privacy?

Would you be tempted to use sensors for evil or for good? Let us know in the comments!

Puffy Stickers Containing Tiny Sensors

If the video above does not show please click here.

Everyone’s favorite social photography network, Instagram, just got a big update to 2.1. What’s new? A lot, actually!

The app just gets a major refresh in the interface. Now much cleaner, more elegant. Just refined.

The biggest change is the interface. Gone is the old clunky interface, with that irregular camera button sticking out of the bottom. Now the entire UI is refined to a much cleaner look, with only icons representing the various view tabs. I am a huge fan of this new look – the old interface was never my favorite. As an additional bonus, the new interface feels much faster and more responsive than the previous one ever did. All-in-all, a very welcome change.

The new Sierra filter, combined with the Lux feature

Another new feature is “Lux.” This enhances your photos, similar to how the Clarity filter is in Camera+. The goal with Lux is to enhance the original image (or even a filtered image if you prefer). It can be used on any photo, and does not look like a vintage filter, like the rest of the effects. It’s a great new feature that may draw in even more users, who may have been turned off by the overdone vintage filters.

The new Sierra filter

There’s also a new filter added: Sierra. While it’s no Gotham or Poprocket, it’s another option to use when retro-ifying your photos.

Other improvements in the update allow you to change your profile photo from the profile page, and you can even tap on push notifications to go directly to the photo.

So far, this is one of the best updates to Instagram yet. The app just feels better overall, and having more filters is always nice. The Lux feature may get a lot of use out of me, because I like how it can just enhance any photo without making it look gaudy with a filter.

Now, when can we have our Gotham and Poprocket back? And the old filters, where there was more contrast in them? If we could have those back with this new interface, that’s a winner.

Grab your Instagram update now.

• Instagram
• Camera+

Eufloria HD ($4.99) by Omni Systems Limited is the single most unique real time strategy game that I’ve had the pleasure of playing. This indie game was originally developed for the PC in 2009, but it’s the kind of game that really shines with the iPad’s touchscreen controls.

The game is set in a futuristic space environment where you take over the management lifeforms known as Euflorians, and help them conquer asteroids in deep space, using resources to grow a colony of semi-organic plants. Of course, not all is peaceful in the war for resources, and you must battle other similar lifeforms to gain control of the asteroid belts found in each level.

Eufloria is procedurally rendered, so levels will look different each time you play. It’s an uncomplicated game with simple graphics, but that’s where its charm and beauty lies. It is gorgeous, it is elegant, and it is a joy to play. Atmospherically, it is most similar to Osmos, another game that impressed with its peaceful vibe and complex gameplay intricacies.

Each level in Eufloria consists entirely of barren asteroids, that must be colonized by your seedlings. Claiming an asteroid is done by planting a tree. You can plant a tree that will produce additional seedlings, or you can plant a defensive tree to keep enemies away. Seedlings are your attack units, and to conquer the level, you will need to build up a number of seedlings to both attack and defend your territory. You can build between two and five trees on asteroids, depending on the level, and each tree requires 10 seedlings.

The asteroids themselves have varying levels of three different attributes: strength, speed, and energy. If you plant a tree on an asteroid high in strength, the seedlings produced on that asteroid will share that attribute. It’s important to seek out strong planets for cranking out seedlings, since certain enemy defenses require stronger or more energetic seedlings.

That’s the basis of the gameplay – building seedlings to attack other seedlings. Later in the game, elements like rocket pods will be introduced, which are produced when your trees grow flowers. You can zoom in and out using touch screen controls, which allows you to be right in the seedling vs. seedling action or overseeing all of your asteroids at once when zoomed out.

Controlling seedlings is completely intuitive. Draw a line from one asteroid to the asteroid you want to conquer, and select how many seedlings to send from the radial menu. From there, you just need to tap once more to send the seedlings. It’s honestly a bit rare for an RTS to have such great controls, but I found no fault with the system the game uses. You can also rally seedlings at any asteroid, send just a certain type of seedling, and build up your asteroid stats by sacrificing seedlings.

Each level is a tactical puzzle, and it does get difficult fending off the attacks from neighboring asteroids and deciding whether to attack right away or build up your units for a massive attack. Levels are challenging, but I haven’t run into anything too tough when on normal difficulty mode. If you are having trouble, you can adjust the difficulty at any time.

Finishing all of the levels in story mode will unlock two new gameplay modes, but if you want to skip levels and see other content right away, you can unlock them from the options menu as well, which was a nice touch.

I was excited to play Eufloria from the moment it was released in the App Store, because I am a sucker for a beautifully designed game. Luckily, its gameplay is not overshadowed by its looks. This is, at its core, a cleverly-designed well-polished RTS game that is a must buy.

• Eufloria HD

Using your iPad alongside your desktop computer has its benefits. Personally, I’ve typed up essays on my computer while flipping through the notes I’ve taken on my iPad. Some may even opt to just use their iPad as a secondary display. However you use your iPad with your computer, it’s usually an uncomfortable affair. The height and angle of the iPad compared to my monitor never feels completely comfortable to look at over and over again. Luckily, the Hoverbar may be able to change that.

Twelve South, creators of the BookBook case for iPad and iPhone, have just released the Hoverbar, a mounting solution for the iPad 2. It is essentially a clamp, a 22-inch flexible arm, and a holder for your iPad. It attaches onto the L-shaped stand of your iMac or other Apple display. Don’t have either? You can still attach the Hoverbar to your desk, or anywhere else that’s an inch or less thick. Once mounted, your iPad can be displayed at any angle.

Some may argue that this is pointless, while some may think it’s genius. I would actually love to use something like this, solely because reaching out and doing something on my iPad while using my “real” computer seems futuristic. Plus, outside the workspace, mounting your iPad around the house is an added bonus.

Here’s a video of the Hoverbar in action:

The only thing I don’t like about the Hoverbar is it’s price. You can order the Hoverbar from Twelve South’s website for $79.99. That seems a little steep to me, but depending on how you use it, it could very well be worth it. How would you use the Hoverbar?

DARIUSBURST SP ($10.99) by TAITO Corporation is the iOS port of the PSP version of Dariusburst. Now the classic shooting game is available to you wherever you go!

I love bullet hell shoot-em-up games (shmups), and I love them even more when they look amazing. And that’s exactly what we have here, with the horizontal scrolling Dariusburst SP. I was a bit skeptical when I saw that the game is $10.99, but personally, I love it and will definitely be keeping it around for a while.

The graphics are great and look extremely sharp, with the enemies flying in from the foreground with a 3D effect. This looks like a shooter game that you would expect to see on a console, or in this case, a dedicated handheld gaming system, such as the PSP. While I was playing the game, I was just drawn in to the game with the crisp visuals, and the techno-like music adds some extra oomph to the game.

There are two game modes: Original and SP. The original mode is the same game from the PSP version, so if you haven’t played it, this is a great way to do so. The SP version is basically a remix, and exclusive to the iOS port. It features new enemy patterns and revised boss battles, so it’s good to play through it even if you went through the original mode.

The controls for the game are very simple – move the ship around by swiping your finger on the screen. You will automatically be firing (along with sending out some homing missiles), so you don’t have to worry about holding on to a button to do so. You can activate your Burst laser by tapping on the button in the bottom right (and switch back to basic shots with the adjacent button). The laser can only last for so long though, so you must wait a while before it charges up fully again.

As you blow up enemies in your path, you may come across a floating orb that they left behind. These are power-ups, and they will increase your shot, missiles, power, and more. If you’re curious about how strong your ship is at the moment, you can take a gander at the top of the screen to view how many power-ups of a certain type you’ve collected (they’re all color coded).

Each zone will take place in a different sector, and will feature various enemies. At the end, you will also encounter some pretty awesome boss battles, with each having their own unique attack pattern. I did notice that most of the bosses are giant robotic fish, so I have to wonder what made the developers come up with these.

My favorite moment was the first boss, that seems to like firing a laser at me from it’s metal butt. It actually made me laugh as I played it, though that probably wasn’t good because I ended up not seeing bullets coming at me.

As you clear a stage, sometimes there will be multiple stages to choose from after. This is actually important, because you can unlock the Mission mode if you clear two different paths in either Original or SP mode. You start off with two selectable ships, but the last two can also be unlocked after meeting certain criteria. Each ship has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, which you can see before starting the game.

My only problem with the game is that sometimes in the flurry of battle, I can’t see everything on the screen because my fingers are in the way. Of course, this isn’t a problem from Taito, it’s just a problem with touchscreen controls in general.

I wish that there was iCloud sync for game progress. That way, if you start from your iPhone, you can pick up where you left off from your iPad. It just makes things so much easier.

Despite this, I am enjoying the game thoroughly and will continue to keep it on my iPhone for a while. The price is a bit high, but keep in mind that this is a universal app, and the graphics are top-notch. Plus, you won’t be able to find a PSP copy of this game for $11 (the original is running for at least $75 on eBay).

• DARIUSBURST SP

I’ve been wanting a windshield mount for my iPhone for a very long time. Late last year, my buddy MJ gave me a cheap, five-dollar plastic solution, but it didn’t even make it past the first leg of my drive to New York. It was ugly, though it could’ve been uglier (the thing fell right off the glass and almost dunked my iPhone into my buddy’s huge Thirst Buster).

Even the more expensive models on the market — like those from accessory-makers Griffin and Kensington — are bulky and unattractive, with hit-or-miss suction cups and generic styling.

Naturally, then, I was immediately enamored by this Kickstarter project. Called Ultima, this all-aluminum iPhone mount is designed by NKMOS Design Technology and headed up by Australian entertainer Nik Conomos. It’s pretty slick:

Unfortunately, the Ultima is pretty expensive, too. MSRP will be $99, but early pledgers can get a silver or black one for $85, while $125 scores the limited edition “Kickstarter-only” green unit (that I really wish was bright red like my awesome truck). However, the prices do include worldwide shipping, and the high-qulaity, premium brushed finish looks a far sight better holding your fine Apple wares than black plastic ever could.

Man, if only this thing were 50 bucks…

Temple Run, the awesome, casual running game has been downloaded 36 million times … If your jaw has not dropped yet, I’d like to emphasize: 36 million! That’s more than the population of some countries.

In case you have been on another planet: Temple Run is a casual arcade game, where your reflexes are put to the test as you swipe a runner in different directions on a path. You have to collect as many coins as possible to rack up a respectable high score.

The game initially launched as a $0.99 app and received a very positive response, it even made it to our GameFresh Daily. After Temple Run’s short term success as a paid app, Imangi, the developers of this insanely addictive game, made it free. Ever since then, Temple Run has not dropped from the Top 5 free games in the App Store.

The AppAdvice team also can’t get enough of Temple Run. It made our best iPhone and iPad apps of 2011 as well, so if you haven’t downloaded the game, do it right now. I challenge you to beat my score on Game Center (my username is: asr).

Game on!

Source: @nattylux

• Temple Run

Developer Ben Falcone has just released End Night HD ($2.99) on the iPad. The game’s premise is simple: “the world is sick, find a cure.”

Those infected in the game have been turned into bloodthirsty killers. Zombies? Not exactly. Instead of just going out and killing everything you see, End Night HD gives you very limited supplies (ammo, health, etc.) on your quest for a cure. Once you die, you die. You must start your entire mission from the beginning.

As outlined on End Night’s webpage, some of the game’s features include:

• Free roaming, open world  based gameplay – You decide where to go and what to do
• Dynamic missions and sub missions change every time you play the game
• Optimized for iPad 2 running at a smooth 60 FPS and with advanced MSAA
• Loot and scrounge weapons, ammo, first aid and more
• Collect infected samples to discover a cure
• Intuitive touch based controls make collecting, shooting and exploring fun
• Survive the night to unlock nightmare difficulty mode

End Night HD is available for $2.99 in the App Store. Do you have what it takes to make it through the night?

• End Night HD

The iPad is amazingly popular. As if you needed further evidence to that end, GeekWire received a tip today, outlining — in very real terms — Apple’s continued tablet success over its Android competition. From a leaked USA Today presentation slide, the publication shows that it’s been downloaded 2.9 million times for iPad compared to just 390,000 times for Android at large. That represents a more-than-seven-fold margin for Apple.

Wait a second — Just seven-fold? That seems a bit low considering the vast disparity in unit sales so far, doesn’t it? I mean, shouldn’t Android be (way) farther behind in the tablet wars?

Well, yes. And it is. See, the above-quoted Android figure is a combined mix, with Amazon’s Kindle Fire included in the tally. Take out the Fire’s numbers (260,000 downloads), and all the remaining Android tablets account for fewer downloads than those garnered by the now-defunct HP TouchPad! That’s right: For tablets, even dead, old webOS is more popular than vanilla Android. Yikes.

For a more in-depth breakdown and analysis (and info on the smartphone side of things), Electronista puts the numbers in better perspective still.

If someone ever asks me “which hand-held game kept you busy for hours?” Only one game comes to mind: Pokemon. I remember how I endlessly used to play that game to increase my Pokemon’s stats and collect the best ones. So when I came across ZENFORMS for iOS you can imagine how excited I was.

In case you are not familiar with the Pokemon games: your object was to train your very first Pokemon creature, make it learn new abilities, travel off to distant places, collect even more Pokemon and make a name for yourself by battling other collectors. ZENFORMS: Protectors is a soon to be released, 2-D RPG game, which is almost an exact clone of the classic Nintendo Game Boy title.

The developers of the game, Calis Projects, promise tons of fantastic features such as, the ability to create your own character, train, and watch your ZENFORMS evolve. Additionally, the developers promise to include a very gripping storyline as well.

On their page, Calis Projects mention that their initial release, version 1.0, will not feature all the maps in the game and the story is likely to end in a cliffhanger. Free, future updates will offer more items, maps, a new chapter to the story and more.

While no release date has been announced just yet, their YouTube page and forums are pretty active.We will definitely be keeping a close eye on the game and keep you posted if anything new develops.