This morning I unexpectedly came across a hunting ground in central Auckland. Monteiths have been promoting The Great Monteith’s Meatpack Hunt app with a pop-up oasis at the bottom of Queen Street this week. Visitors could sample Monteiths beers, cider and alcoholic ginger beer with meat based food matches created by chef Sean Connolly, as well as try out the app on iPads. With prizes on offer of course we had to stay and play until we’d beaten the current high score. The Great Monteith’s Meatpack Hunt is a fun and addictive game – you get 60 seconds per level to focus and shoot wild animals in the places each of the different cuts of meat come from. You need to hit all of them before the time runs out to complete your meat pack and move on to the next level. The app uses augmented reality, making wherever you are the hunting ground – your house, garden or office. You may prefer to fire at your mate’s head while the animals run freely around you instead. There are four levels, each with a different target: duck, deer venison, lamb and beef. If you can complete all four levels you can then enter the draw for a pack containing all four meats. There is also a bonus level to hunt the golden stag to win a barbecue and meat pack. The game feels animal friendly – the animals don’t keel over and die when shot but change colour, when you’ve hit all the cuts they disappear. Download the game for yourself here and challenge friends to high scores. The ducks are the hardest to capture and it definitely feels easier and more stable standing up and using an iPad rather than your phone. You can also check out the promotional website to learn about matching beers and meat.  

Sky TV’s app for iOS Sky Go was released late last year and allows Sky subscribers to live stream selected Sky channels they are subscribed to on their iPhone or iPad. It’s ideal for following sport (such as the Super 15 or Winter Olympics) on the go, or if you’re a Sky TV addict and staying somewhere without the service. There is just one glaring problem with it – every 5 or 10 minutes a ‘continue’ button appears on the screen and you have to touch it for the program to keep streaming. Incredibly frustrating if you’re lying on a couch with your device propped up somewhere nearby rather than physically holding it up. There is a restriction of two Sky Go devices at any time per Sky TV household so you can’t give your details to all your friends to watch as well. Ondemand content is not currently available but promised later this year.  

With the upcoming Christmas and New Year holiday break comes the opportunity to explore parts of New Zealand where you don’t necessarily know the roads or when the next petrol station can be expected. Here are some apps which can help you plan your journey, where to fuel up and when to buy kids treats and the driver a coffee. They are designed to be used on the road (though obviously not whilst driving and assuming the availability of wifi). Z Z Coffee Card  is an app from Z Energy (formerly Shell in New Zealand) which seems to primarily serve the purpose of replacing a coffee loyalty card in your wallet but also includes a store locator. When you buy a coffee at Z you scan a QR code using the app and a stamp populates. Collect six stamps and a free coffee is allocated to you on the app. You can also get one free stamp by sharing the app with friends via email or social media. You select your region and favourite Z Express station when you set it up. When you’re on the road you can find your nearest Z station and it allows you to phone, or map out your journey to get there. Pretty swifty but lacks any information as to fuel types. BP BP currently lacks an app for finding their sites, though bpfinder.co.nz is a mobile optimised site performing the same function. The site allows you to apply filters and search for sites with Wild Bean Cafe’s, Truckstops, premium fuels and for services such as trailer hire or a carwash. Once you’ve selected a site you can map out your way there or call them. Caltex The Caltex Station Locator app lists not just New Zealand Caltex stations but those in Hong Kong, South China, Malaysia, Pakistan and more. Similar to Z’s app and BP’s mobile website you can see what sites are closest to you, the fuels available, phone numbers and opening hours and work out how to get there. Additionally in this app you can create a list of your favourite Caltex stations and rate sites on a scale of 1-5 stars. You can also view current AA Smartfuel and other promotional offers (though the ads are more annoying than helpful) and set up an engine oil change reminder. Mobil Mobil is a tad behind the times – no app and the website is not mobile optimised. … Continue reading →