iPhone Applications

Developer Jeff Broderick has come up with an easy way to call someone by turning their contact info into an app icon on your iPhone's home screen. The QuickContact web app eliminates the need for you to search through your contact list for frequently called friends and family. Just add the contact info of a person you call frequently, and QuickContact will create a shortcut for them on your home screen.

You can choose from 15 pre-made app icons or upload your own for a simple one-touch messaging solution. The app requires access to your device's Settings and that you enter the information for all of your contacts. Broderick says the process is safe and no information is saved, but use it at your own risk.

The Dreamcast classic Soulcalibur is available for the first time as an iOS app in the Apple App store. Namco has dusted off the old fighting game and brought back all the original stages and 19 fighters. There is an arcade battle mode, time attack mode and two survival modes, but no multi-player mode.

Soulcalibur, originally introduced in arcades in 1998, gained popularity when it was ported to the Sega Dreamcast in 1999. It's the first sequel in the popular Soulcalibur franchise. The game has been upgraded to support the iPhone's Retina display.

This week's iPhone App of the Week is the Numberlys -- an adventure story game by Moonbot Studios. Moonbot describes their app as a "celebration of the early fantasy epics King Kong, Metropolis and Flash Gordon." The homage to Fritz Lang is part children's story and part narrative game. The story follows the Numberlys, a group of cute characters who set out to invent the alphabet. Users must help the Numberlys create the letters A to Z in a series of interactive puzzles.

Moonbot founders come from a background in animation and filmmaking. They're more known for releasing book-apps like The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, not iOS games. Recent reviews of the Numberlys make it sound like a stunning visual experience that is interrupted by a pointless child's game. The iTunes App Store customer reviews also seem to be split on this topic. I haven't played it so I can't comment on its playability.

Zynga’s latest multiplayer, Scramble With Friends, is the official iPhone Game of the Week. The latest "With Friends" app is another word game that tests your vocabulary by displaying random letters in a four-by-four grid. Players must form as many words as possible before the countdown clock expires. The words are easily spelled out by sliding your fingers over the letters that are displayed.

Scramble With Friends is basically the same as Zynga’s original Scramble game, with the added bonus of playing with your friends. You can also play random opponents. The person who scores the most points in three rounds wins. The game is compatible with all three iPhones, iPod touch (3rd and 4th generations) and the iPad. It requires iOS 4.0 or later.

Angry Birds fans and newcomers alike can now enjoy version 2.0 of the game on any Apple device running iOS 3.0 or later. Rovio has launched the latest update to the ever-popular game to celebrate its 2nd birthday. Angry Birds has been the number one paid seller in the App Store all over the world, and continues to bring new levels into play.

Angry Birds 2.0 adds 15 entirely new levels with a birthday cake theme to celebrate the anniversary, bringing the total number of levels available to a whopping 300. Not only this, but all episodes are unlocked in the new Angry Birds, so you can skip ahead and start with the first level on any episode at any time regardless of your progress.