I don't know about you, but I love games that let me build and maintain some type of empire. Whether it's a farm, island, city, resort, or even a simple restaurant, I take pleasure in starting an enterprise from scratch, growing it, unlocking items, and completing missions. But as much as I've enjoyed playing these types of games over the years, I've always felt there was one element missing: Zombies. Until now, that is.

Meet Zombie Lane for Android (download), a freemium simulator-style game that's part FarmVille (iOS) and part "The Walking Dead." It's got the addictive elements of an empire-building simulator, plus the undead charm of the zombie apocalypse. In other words, it's something of a dream come true for me, minus one major element (I'll get to that later).

In Zombie Lane you are one of a handful of survivors, fending for your life as zombies rip your neighborhood to shreds. Armed with only a shovel and a few shotgun shells to start, your goal is to reunite with your family, keep your home safe, and help out a few fellow survivo... [Read more]

You still access and manage files at the Cloud Drive Web site, but uploading has never been easier.

Amazon announced today that its Cloud Drive storage apps (Windows | Mac) are available for download, so I went ahead and downloaded the apps on both my desktop machines to check them out. The service was already available at the Amazon Cloud Drive Web site, but with a dedicated app you get easy access for storing just about any type of file on the fly.

Click the icon to bring up a menu for quick access to the Web site, upload status, and a few other options.

After a fairly easy setup (requiring my Amazon account log-in info), a cloud-shaped icon was placed in my system tray (in the menu bar on the Mac) for easy access. Upon first launch, Amazon gives you a quick four-step tour for how to use the Cloud Drive storage app. It shows how to store documents, photos, and videos by either right-clicking a file and choosing "Upload to Cloud Drive" or by dragging and dropping the file to the icon. I found that the "Upload to Cloud Drive" context... [Read more]

Windows Phone OS may not have the market share or the apps, but one thing I will say is that Microsoft is finally going after developers with more vigor. This time it's to the tune of a developer summit on June 21 and 22.

Microsoft is serious about closing the gap separating its Windows Phone application Marketplace from Android's Google Play and iPhone's App Store. The San Francisco location couldn't be a better spot to tap into Silicon Valley's software-development mojo.

It isn't that the Redmond giant hasn't tended its app garden, which it had to restart from scratch after plowing under its previous Windows Mobile platform. In fact, Microsoft has been actively seeking top app shops and independent coders before ever announcing its first Windows phone.

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More recently, Microsoft even began ... [Read more]

Space-time helps you locate friends -- without all the usual hassles.

There are any number of apps that can help you pinpoint a friend's location, but they all have one thing in common: they require that friend to have the same app installed and running, and usually to sign up with YAS (Yet Another Service).

And don't forget, it's a two-way street: you have to run the app yourself, and leave it running all the time -- a pretty big drain on the ol' smartphone battery.

Enter Space-time for iOS, a clever cross-platform locator app that runs only when you need it to and requires no installation or setup from anyone else.

It works like this: you tap Request Someone's Location, then choose a contact from your address book. The app creates a text message to that person, one that includes a brief explanation ("Where are you? Click here so I can see") and a link. If you want, you can tweak the message before sending it.

When the recipient gets the text, all he or she has to do is tap that link and approve a one-time location-services request. Then the person's location is delivered back to you within the Space-time app, where a tap brings it up on a map. It's that simple.

Because ... [Read more]

Got an old MagicJack lying around? GVJack App can link it to your Google Voice account for free calls.

Things I didn't know existed until just recently: the Obihai OBiTalk, a gizmo that plugs into your router and pairs with SIP-based voice-over-IP services like Google Voice; and GVJack App, a Windows utility that links a MagicJack to your Google Voice account.

Why are these products significant? Simple: Google Voice offers free local and long-distance calling -- through the end of 2012, at least. After that, it's anybody's guess. Google might continue the free-phone goodness, or it might start charging for service. (If the latter happens, it's a good bet it'll be cheap.)

Whatever the case, GVJack App offers an intriguing solution for inexpensive home-phone service. The software costs $19.95, though you can try it free for seven days to make sure it works to your liking.

Based on my experiences, it should. I tested it with an old, expired MagicJack dongle I haven't touched in probably two or three years. (By "expired" I mean the associated account is no longer active.) After some initial hiccups, it worked like a charm.

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