• On CHOW: Sexy vampire party
October 22, 2008 5:00 AM PDT

Smule makes your iPhone go boom

by Eric Franklin

(Credit: Smule)

In September, Smule introduced Sonic Lighter, an iPhone and iPod Touch app that's basically nothing more than a virtual lighter. Not very exciting honestly.

The folks at Smule have been working on something a bit meatier in the meantime though: the company's follow-up to Sonic Lighter, Sonic Boom. Sonic Boom turns your iPhone into a virtual firecracker, using your finger as the virtual match.

Just flick your finger along the screen, touch the fuse, then sit back and watch the fireworks--the fireworks in this case being a virtual firecracker exploding into several hundred pieces of polygonal debris.

You can even customize your explosions by grafting a pic from your iPhone's photo library onto the firecracker. Potentially sadistic? Well yes, of course, but it's all virtual, right?

One of the coolest features is the ability to see what are supposedly real-time Sonic Boom explosions by people around the globe. Also, if you have a second iPhone with Sonic Lighter, you can use it to light the fuse of the firecracker on your first phone. Talk about synergy.

Eric Franklin refused to write a bio, saying, "Why are you bothering me about this bio business again? If I wanted people to know more about me, I'd send them to the Inside CNET Labs Podcast" (shameless plug). E-mail Eric.
Recent posts from Crave
Beamer, the iPhone case for night owls
This week in Crave: Day of the Droid edition
Verizon's LG Chocolate Touch is nice but nothing new
Popular iPhone movie app flops on BlackBerry
Top 5 most popular products for November
Ridiculous new Peeks inspired by TwitterPeek
Hands-on with the Nokia Booklet 3G
Battle of the international power plugs

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

FAQ: Buying the right Windows 7 upgrade

Readers still have lots of questions on just which version of the software they need to buy in order to upgrade their PC. CNET News tries to offer some answers.

N.Y. lawsuit details Intel's 'largesse' toward Dell

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's federal antitrust case filed Wednesday alleges a longstanding symbiotic relationship between Intel and Dell.