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Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Never Let Me Down [ECD]

    • 4 out of 10
    • David Bowie
    • It must be a lonely place to be considered David Bowie's worst album by just about everyone, including the artist himself. As the last album before Bowie "rebooted" and formed the band Tin Machine, "N
  • Wolfmother

    • 8 out of 10
    • Wolfmother
    • Black Sabbath, The White Stripes, The Stooges. There aren't many bands worth their salt that want to be compared to other bands, but when I listen to Wolfmother's self-titled American debut, I can

  • How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

    • 6 out of 10
    • U2
    • U2's latest entry is a mostly underwhelming collection of songs that does very little to sound any different from its equally pedestrian predecessor, 2000's "All That You Can't Leave Behind." While

  • Velocifero

    • 6 out of 10
    • Ladytron
    • "Back to the future" isn't the right turn of phrase for Ladytron's newest album,

  • Now Here Is Nowhere

    • 10 out of 10
    • Secret Machines
    • The Secret Machines' inaugural album, Now Here is Nowhere is both old and new in its sonic assault. The trio's surprisingly big sound evokes Pink Floyd (without ever sounding like any Pink

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In-Depth Review

Koi Pond

Q: Why is Koi Pond the #1 paid iPhone/iPod touch application in the iTunes App Store?

A: Because even though it doesn't do much (and isn't supposed to), it's hands-down the most beautiful 99-cent app available today.

I have a friend who recently spent thousands of dollars installing a real koi pond in his front yard. The pond and fish are definitely beautiful, but the setup cost him a small fortune and he's responsible for all sorts of stuff -- feeding the fish, keeping the water clean, keeping the filters and lights running, and such -- to insure his fish thrive.

I, on the other hand, bought Koi Pond for my iPhone for a whopping 99 cents and have much of the beauty of a real koi pond without any of the hassles.

Koi Pond is a simulation of (you guessed it) a koi pond that runs on your iPhone or iPod touch and looks like this:

Touch the screen and watch the water ripple and disturb your fish, which quickly swim away. But don't worry -- they'll soon be back. If you keep your finger very, very still, they'll not only return but will nibble at your fingertip.

Or, you can shake your device gently to and fro to deposit a bit of food into the pond to attract the fish.

There are a handful of options you can choose from including the color of the pond's bottom, the number of koi and lily pads, four layers of ambient 3-D sounds you can mix to create your own customized soundtrack, plus brightness and volume settings.

Speaking of soundtracks, be sure you listen to your koi pond through decent headphones - its sounds are extremely well done.

Koi Pond is an beautiful first effort from The Blimp Pilots. I can't wait to see what they do next.

The Bottom Line

OK, Koi Pond is more or less a stupid iPhone trick, but it's a very cool one. I find myself spending far more time with it than I ever expected and I truly enjoy its calming effect. Little kids get a huge kick out of it but big kids and grown ups also find it fascinating. You could spend a buck on a lot of things that would bring you less pleasure.

Just The Facts

Koi Pond from The Blimp Pilots

MSRP US$0.99

Pros:Beautiful, inexpensive, calming, clever.

Cons:None

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