The best Jack since Bauer...is back.

I'm talking, of course, about You Don't Know Jack, the hilarious PC (though not always "PC") trivia game that debuted way back in 1995. It spawned all kinds of sequels, but has been AWOL for over a decade.

That changed a few months ago, when YDKJ came roaring back for Windows and game consoles. And today, I'm giddy to report, Jack has hit the App Store. The verdict? It is, without question, the best iOS trivia game to date.

For those unfamiliar with the series, YDKJ plays like a game show, complete with wisecracking host Cookie, who reprises his snark- and sarcasm-filled role from the originals. Each episode (there are 20 in the game) consists of 10 timed questions: some multiple choice, some "specialty" types of question like DisOrDat and Who's the Dummy?

The faster you answer each question, the more money you earn--or lose, if you get it wrong. Each episode ends with the Jack Attack, a kind of bonus round.

The questions, most of them drawn from pop culture, range from wacky to irreverent. And at least a few are incredibly timely, with topics including Elizabeth Taylor's burial (careful, it's a trick question) and Charlie Sheen.

The only thing missing here is the social element: YDKJ for iOS is exclusively a one-player exercise. Developer Jellyvision promises "episode and feature updates" in the near future, and I hope that means some multiplayer love.

Even so, YDKJ is definitely worth the $2.99 asking price ($4.99 for iPad). Not convinced? You can try the two-episode You Don't Know Jack Lite edition absolutely free.

Bottom line: If you like trivia, or laughter, or fun of any kind, you'll love this game.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

Skype for Android users in the U.S. will be able to start making VoIP calls over 3G today in addition to calls over Wi-Fi, a feature that loyal users have been wanting since the app first debuted.

This isn't the first time 3G calling has been available in the U.S. Back in March 2010, a partnership with Verizon brought a special version of Skype Mobile to select Android phones (and also to select BlackBerrys, the first time Skype became available for that platform).

Skype wouldn't share with us what, if anything, prevented it from releasing this version sooner--if there was an exclusivity deal with Verizon, if technical hurdles stood in the way, or if this was simply part of Skype's development plan all along.

What is evident is that Skype is continuing to develop its flagship VoIP app separately from Qik, the rival it bought in January. We thought for sure Skype would fold Qik's ability to place two-way video calls into Skype for Android and then retire the brand, but this doesn't appear to fit into Skype's plans, at least not yet. While loyal users will gladly welcome the ability to call over 3G, two-way video is still high on the wish list.

Skype-to-Skype calls remain free, with credits for calls to mobile phones and landlines selling at competitive rates.

Originally posted at Android Atlas

Skyfire is the latest app to board the Groupon gravy train, as the alternative mobile browser announced this morning that Skyfire for Android 4.0 integrates Groupon's daily deal service. 

Now when you open the Groupon module on Skyfire's "SkyBar," to toolbar running across the bottom of the screen, you'll be able to view local deals.

Groupon integration is just one of eight new features that the Silicon Valley-based browser maker added to its app. Our other favorites include Twitter and Google Reader making an appearance on the SkyBar, and the toolbar's new ability to scroll through the options (it was previously static) and let you customize its components.

Pricing is another change to Skyfire for Android 4.0. The app is still free to download from the Android Market, but a $2.99 in-app purchase will compress all the Flash video you play from within the browser and improve video resolution. By delivering video with a smaller data load, Skyfire claims it will reduce prices for anyone with a capped data plan, and also help keep the smartphone's battery drain in check for everyone.

Previous Skyfire users will be able to use this feature without a charge, and thanks to a partnership with Verizon, Big Red subscribers also won't have to pay for Skyfire's video compression.

There was one quibble we had with Skyfire's home screen during our demo. The home page offers a long list of links to get you started, like a portal to its featured sites. Anything to conserve typing is good. However, since this view is a Web page the browser has selected as its default and not a static splash screen, the list isn't at all customizable. You can dig a few layers into the browser settings to select a new home page or a blank page as your start screen, but the shortcut links would no longer be visible, and that's too bad. We appreciate customizable links in rival Opera's speed dial layout on its home screen, and shortcuts to previously visited links in Firefox. It isn't a deal breaker by any means, but it would have been a nice user service.

Skyfire's busy and sometimes cluttered interface isn't for minimalists, but it does provide a broad experience for active social networkers and those who consume a lot of media.

In addition to the Android Market, Skyfire can be found in the Market's VCast Apps category on Verizon phones.

Originally posted at Android Atlas

Poynt is one of the developers making a play for the BlackBerry PlayBook, which launched this week. Poynt for PlayBook, available for free in BlackBerry App World beginning today, will soon be offering a unique "send to phone" feature that will let the tablet initiate phone calls and even turn-by-turn directions on a BlackBerry smartphone phone, Poynt told CNET in an exclusive interview.

An alternative to Google Search, Poynt will use a form of tethering to bypass restrictions that bar pairing non-RIM PlayBook apps with your phone via BlackBerry Bridge and Bluetooth. Instead, Poynt will use RIM's push notifications to cause an actionable alert to pop up on the phone's screen. The result? People finding businesses with Poynt will be able to click the tablet app to place a BlackBerry call, add a phone number to the phone's address book, add entries to the phone's calendar, and trigger turn-by-turn directions.

"Send to phone" is a workaround for features that are currently unavailable on the PlayBook tablet, but Poynt's tethering effectively makes the tablet the phone's remote control for these specific functions.

Poynt will be keeping pairing with BlackBerry for now, but hinted that it might one day expand to Android phones as well. Keep in mind that the feature is not yet available in the new Poynt for PlayBook app released today. Instead, it's bound for the next update, which will hopefully arrive early next week.

Originally posted at Dialed In