Robot Philosopher Delivers Garbled Wisdom For iOS

Dallas, Texas - Tired of Plato and Socrates? Tired of things making sense? Then Robo-Philosopher is for you. Purple Falcon today is proud to announce the release of a new app for iPhone and iPad with this premise: a robot has been programmed to be a philosopher, but due to bugs in his software, he mixes everything up and outputs nonsense! His terrible proverbs are sure to entertain, annoy and irritate even the most serious-minded individuals.

Robo-Philosopher randomizes and matches endless phrases to hilarious effect. The resulting nuggets of wisdom recall the inspired nonsense of Monty Python and the early writings of Woody Allen. A typical example- "Like ripened cherries, zebras have a fear of glass blowers."

Features:
* Tap on the "Another!" button to generate a new chunk of pseudo-philosophy
* Tap the share button to send it to your friends via text, email, Twitter, and Facebook




Standing apart from the vast sea of sameness in mobile apps, Purple Falcon's "Robo" series of applications offers a welcome and refreshing change. Aside from Philosopher, the software company also offers Robo-Doctor and Robo-Poet.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
* Requires iOS 6.0 or later
* Optimized for iPhone 5
* 0.7 MB Hard Drive space


Pricing and Availability:
Robo-Philosopher 1.3 is only $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Entertainment category.

Located in Dallas, TX/USA, Purple Falcon Software was founded in 2003 by Jeffrey Dale Starr. After starting out as an enterprise web application and database company, in recent years the company has shifted its focus to mobile applications, particularly targeting iPhone and iPad. Purple Falcon's main areas of app development pertain to Humor, Educational Apps for Children, Games, and Mobile Journals. All Material and Software (C) 2003-2013 Purple Falcon Software / All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.

Tequila of the Day: AsomBroso 11 Year Anejo

AsomBroso 11 Year Anejo

DESCRIPTION:
While tequila aficionados may be familiar with the categories reposado (aged at least two months) and añejo (aged at least a year), the extra-añejo label applied to tequilas aged more than three years wasn't established until 2006. At that time, this tequila was already mellowing in oak barrels, so someone at AsomBroso was definitely looking ahead.

Distilled according to time-honored practices using organically grown 100 per cent blue agave, AsomBroso 11 Year Añejo is then patiently aged in French oak barrels, imparting the tequila with a unique bouquet of aromas and a smooth, warm mouthfeel. Since the agave plants harvested were ten years old, and it sat for an unheard-of eleven years, this expensivo spirit took more than two decades to make, and displays the kind of elegance and refinement that can only come with age.

Wondering about the shape of the hand-made bottle? It was inspired by an eighteenth-century crystal decanter discovered in an English castle by founder Ricardo Gamarra, and is replete with intricate millefiori glass "flowers."

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a tequila enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The 10 Most Beautiful Movies Ever Filmed

Someone may well ask: "What do you mean 'most beautiful movie'? Are you talking about the story, the cinematography, or what?" To which I say, "Yes!"

This list is comprised of movies that are beautiful due to their look, or message, or (ideally) both.

10. Lawrence of Arabia

It's hard to say that Lawrence of Arabia is a beautiful story. It's interesting, and Lawrence is a fascinating character, but not sure I'd describe it as 'beautiful'. The cinematography, however, is breathtaking. I had the privilege years ago of seeing a restored version on the big screen in full 70mm. Absolutely stunning and decades ahead of its time. Visually, it changed movies forever.

9. The New World

This is the first of two Terrence Malick films on this list. In reality, every Malick film is one of the most beautiful movies ever made, but this isn't a blog post about Malick, so I'll just talk about the two best. The New World, like all Malick films, contains incredible cinematography. But the narrative is also beautiful. Telling his own version of the John Smith/Pocahontas story, Malick allows the scenes to linger and play out organically. The 'savages' are shown to be anything but, and the squalor of Jamestown belies its claims to 'civilization'. Of course, none of these messages are heavy-handed or even that obvious. Just poetry on film. Terrence Malick is our 21st-century Walt Whitman.

8. Memoirs of a Geisha

The movie version of Memoirs of a Geisha is much like the book version: a beautiful adaptation of an ugly story. The book is one of my all-time favorites, and the cinematography in the film is rapturous. But the story is sad and shameful - a young girl is saved and enslaved by the life of a geisha. I am an avid Japanophile, but this is an unfortunate aspect of their ancient culture. One big complaint (but it takes nothing away from the beauty however) is the casting of Chinese actresses in the lead roles. Don't know if this was a strategy to boost Chinese ticket sales, but there were plenty of fine Japanese actresses to choose from.

7. The Black Stallion

The great Carroll Ballard delivered Malick-like poetry in this work of art from 1979. Much like another Ballard masterpiece, Never Cry Wolf, the director allows scenes to breathe…you feel like you're spying on real events. The second half is a pretty exciting horse-racing film, but the first half is movie perfection. The natural beauty between the boy and the horse is like Clair de Lune on film. Getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

6. The Secret Garden

This is one of the films that is beautiful in every sense. Aside from the gorgeous look and feel, the story is uplifting and humanistic without being preachy or overly simplistic. The final scene will make the most cynical viewer shed a tear.

5. Dreams

A strange, resplendant hallucination of a film. It is probably the most 'Japanese' movie ever made…it takes extreme patience to appreciate it. The opening segment containing the fox wedding is very lovely, very very slow, and will stay with you for the rest of your life. The scene with the snowstorm is endless. Endless. And breathtaking.

4. Wall-E

It's ironic that one of the most human movies ever made is about a couple of robots. Wall-E looks beautiful, but it's really the story that lands it so high on my list. The opening half-hour is as perfect as a film gets. Pixar has made a lot of great movies, but Wall-E is a true masterpiece. Even the sci-fi is awesome, and it contains a very heavy message for our modern age without being blunt.

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001 is universally regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. But it is also a beautiful film. The docking scenes of the spaceships set to Strauss; the gentle shots of Bowman and Poole going about their everyday lives; the colors and imagery in the final freak-out … visual poetry.

2. Hero

Ostensibly, Zhang Yimou's 2002 film is about the story of Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BCE. In reality, the narrative is an excuse for a visual feast. Don't get me wrong - the story is great. But the cinematography and set designs are absolutely stunning. As a silent film, this would be a masterpiece. Individual scenes will reside in your subconscious forever.

1. The Tree of Life

Not only is this the most beautiful movie ever made, I personally believe this is the greatest movie ever made, period. I first saw The Tree of Life at a theater in Paris. Half of the audience walked out before it was over…those who stayed gave it a standing ovation. It's that kind of movie. When it comes to beauty, this film is the apex both visually and philosophically. And Malick showing the connections between human relationships and the creation of the universe itself is nothing short of staggering.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a vodka enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The 10 Best Alternative Rock Albums. Ever. Unquestionably.

As you might have guessed from the sarcastic title of this post, I know it's problematic to try to name the 10 best anything.

So these are 10 of my favorite alternative albums and the reasoning behind my choice (obviously there is a whole lot more than this...see "Grandaddy", "Echo & The Bunnymen", etc.)

10. Trust Elvis Costello In his career, Elvis Costello has recorded dozens and dozens of brilliant songs. But with his daring and prodigious output comes some stinkers (see King of America.) However, when he released Trust, Costello hit a high note from beginning to end...it's a perfect album. "New Lace Sleeves", "Clubland", "Watch Your Step" - these might be the three best songs EC ever recorded and they're on the same album. Running a close second would be Imperial Bedroom.

9. The Soft Bulletin The Flaming Lips It's not often that you hear something so unique that you've never it heard before, and yet it's still moving and listenable. The Soft Bulletin is a weird record, to be sure...but it's also beautiful, epic and touching. Race For The Prize is probably the best song the Lips ever recorded, and Waitin' On A Superman always makes me cry (and I don't know why.) It's fitting that the album cover looks like a movie poster. This record would make a wonderful soundtrack to some undiscovered Luis Buñuel film.

8. Reckoning R.E.M. It's hard to believe today, but in 1983 R.E.M. was the greatest band in America. Their first full-length album, Murmur was an absolute masterpiece and energized an entire genre of music. It seemed impossible that they could follow up that debut with anything near that level, but they actually surpassed it. Reckoning built on the solid foundation of its predecessor and expanded it with a broader range of style ("(Don't Go Back to) Rockville", "Letter Never Sent".) And "Harborcoat" is the finest song in R.E.M.'s vast catalog.

7. London Calling The Clash This choice will be a surprise to no-one. I remember the joy I had when I bought this LP...the great packaging of that fold-out double-album. The songs were a bit of a shock at first - up until this release The Clash were very much a punk band. But then I was so moved by "Clampdown", "Lost In The Supermarket", Mick's wail on "The Card Cheat"...I knew this was all-time greatness.

6. Scary Monsters David Bowie A perfect, weird, glorious album. Bowie's strengths have always been strangeness and genuine emotion, and this record has both in abundance. Every song is extremely strong, and "Ashes To Ashes" is Bowie's finest hour. What an incredible run he had - Heroes, Lodger and then Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Amazing.

5. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco Wilco has released more than one perfect album. This is just the one that made me a hardcore fan for life. When I first heard Jeff Tweedy sing, I hadn't heard that kind of honest pain on record since Neil Young. "Pot Kettle Black", "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", "War On War" ... it's like a greatest hits album. The other perfect Wilco albums: Summerteeth, Being There and The Whole Love. Not bad. Most bands would love to have one perfect album.

4. English Settlement XTC A lot of XTC fans prefer Skylarking, and that is a wonderful album, but English Settlement is the one that opened my eyes to the full potential of rock music, and it still holds a dear place in my heart. No matter how long I play guitar, I am still in awe of "Yacht Dance", "English Roundabout" and "Snowman". This is another band with multiple perfect albums. If you are an XTC novice, also check out Oranges and Lemons, Nonsuch and Black Sea.

3. Bossanova Pixies Choosing a favorite Pixies album is like choosing my favorite child. They are all complete masterpieces. And even though Doolittle is the one that set the bar, Bossanova still blows my mind because of how it expanded the Pixies sound. Doolittle is very trebly, whereas Bossanova is just heavy, heavy bass and fog-like in its thickness. "Is She Weird?", "The Happening", "Ana", "Velouria" and the zenith - "All Over The World". Just perfection.

2. OK Computer Radiohead A lot of Radiohead fans I talk to prefer The Bends, which is a fantastic album, but to me, there is no contest. OK Computer is Wagner, Beethoven and Led Zeppelin in its massive scope and daring. The opening chords of "Airbag" let you know that something huge is coming, and "Paranoid Android" seals the deal. If it weren't for the final band on this list, I would easily call this the greatest album ever made by anybody.

1. The Queen Is Dead The Smiths I am biased - I happen to think that The Smiths are the best band there ever was, so naturally I have to pick one of their records to top the list. Earlier I mentioned 'perfect albums'. Every single album The Smiths put out is a perfect album. But The Queen Is Dead is my pick because of the variety of style and due to the fact that the songs hit me on a visceral level. "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", "I Know It's Over", "The Queen Is Dead"...these songs still grab me like the first time I heard them. However, my all-time favorite song by The Smiths is on another album - "Well I Wonder" from Meat Is Murder.

Well, that's my list.

Please feel free to share your thoughts!

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Even Toddlers Can Be Tech Savvy With Banana Cat Preschool For iOS

Dallas, Texas - Purple Falcon today is proud to announce the release of Banana Cat Preschool, its new educational and entertainment app for iOS. Designed for infants and toddlers, the app teaches the very young about animals, music and vehicles. With its audience in mind, the app is the picture of simplicity: the child taps anywhere on the screen and an inviting drawing of an animal, musical instrument or vehicle appears (with accompanying sound effect.) Parents and children alike love this simple, educational and entertaining tool:

* Animals include gorilla, elephant, horse, lion, dog, cat, monkey and many more
* Music teaches children about instruments such as harp, piano, electric guitar, drums, violin and more
* Vehicles include airplane, truck, motorcycle, police car, tractor and many more
* 60 images with sounds

Features:
* Choose the type of images to see (Animals, Music, Vehicles)
* Option to turn off sound effects
* Option to randomize the background color
* Option to set background to your favorite color

Standing apart from the vast sea of sameness in mobile apps, Purple Falcon's "Banana Cat" series of applications offers a welcome and refreshing change. Aside from Banana Cat Preschool, Purple Falcon also offers Banana Cat - Learn A Language! and the Banana Cat Storybook series (all designed for children.)

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
* Requires iOS 6.0 or later
* Optimized for iPhone 5
* 7.2 MB Hard Drive space

Pricing and Availability:
Banana Cat Preschool 1.0 is only $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category.






Located in Dallas, TX/USA, Purple Falcon Software was founded in 2003 by Jeffrey Dale Starr. After starting out as an enterprise web application and database company, in recent years the company has shifted its focus to mobile applications, particularly targeting iPhone and iPad. Purple Falcon's main areas of app development pertain to Humor, Educational Apps for Children, Games, and Mobile Journals. All Material and Software (C) 2003-2013 Purple Falcon Software / All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.

FOOD & WINE Magazine's 4th Annual Wine Voyage - Monte Carlo to Rome!

with famed Tuscan winery host
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

October 11 - 18, 2013

What could better than an incredible Italian meal, with Italy’s coastline passing by your window? Enjoying that meal with FOOD & WINE and the manager of Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia at your table.

Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia is one of Italy’s highest rated and most prestigious wineries. Based in the Super Tuscan region, Ornellaia’s wines have long been coveted by connoisseurs and collectors. This will be a dream vacation; A seven-night cruise along the French and Italian Riviera onboard Oceania Cruises' newest ship the Riviera, hosted by FOOD & WINE's wine writer, Anthony Giglio, and Ornellaia's General Manager, Leonardo Rispini.

Your seven night cruise begins in Monte Carlo, with stops in St. Tropez, Provence (Marseille), Portofino, Tuscany (Livorno), Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, ending in Rome. Along the way you’ll be treated to a series of private FOOD & WINE events, including parties, wine tastings led by Leonardo Rispini and a wine-paired dinner all featuring the wines of Ornellaia, and optional shore tours with lunches and tastings at top estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and of course, Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia itself. All with Oceania Cruises' award winning cuisine created by Jacques Pépin, and the luxury and fun of “country-club” style.

This cruise will quickly sell out, so book soon and you’ll also receive prepaid gratuities (value of $200 or more) plus a $100 shipboard credit.

Their website: Food & Wine Trails

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a wine enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Whiskey of the Day: Jameson Rarest Vintage

Jameson Rarest Vintage

DESCRIPTION:

A triumph of the collaboration between the Jameson Masters, the hand crafted Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve is a true masterpiece. The advanced aged whiskeys in this magnificent reserve are brought together with pot still whiskey that has been matured in hand-picked second fill bourbon casks to create a mellow sweetness in specially commissioned port pipes. The result? Gloriously rich fruit character with an unmistakable barley finish. But don't take our word for it: this rare blend was voted the world's best Irish Blended Whiskey at the 2009 World Whiskies Awards.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.