It’s not often you would see a rugby app featured on The Next Web but with the RBS 6 Nations rugby tournament commencing today, Europeans will be finding that comfy spot on their sofa to take in the best that England, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy and Ireland have to offer.

To accompany today’s matches, a new official has been commissioned to help armchair rugby fans enjoy the spectacle, fusing sport with a little bit of social to deliver RBS 6 Nations Live Challenge, an informative and fun game app for iOS and Android.

RBS says it is rugby’s first ever interactive in-game companion app, from what we have seen, it could be right. The Challenge app compliments the company’s existing fixtures application, delivering scores, stats, gameplay in the form of an in-game quiz and a social scoring system to pit people against their friends via Facebook Connect.

The app is best used when matches are in progress, with RBS pushing trivia questions to smartphone and tablet owners as events occur on the pitch. Think Toby Flood will make that conversion for England following a try? Back him and be rewarded with a points win should he score. Each answer will be compared to other gamers, and your friends if they are connected to the app from their devices.

All of your results can be automatically shared to your Facebook wall, motivating others to join you and show you their rugby knowledge.

The app will activate 40 minutes before each live match and enable fans to test their rugby knowledge with a few pre-match questions. It doesn’t matter which app you use or on what device, RBS will make sure that scores are updated in real-time, enabling you to face-off against your friends and family from either your tablet or smartphone.

The app also saves your data so you can add to your score throughout the Championship, tracking where you stand on the leader board based on your selected supported nation, matches, or friends playing.

RBS 6 Nations Live Challenge is available to download now; if you fancy yourself as a bit of a rugby pundit and want to take on your mates, make sure you grab it today before the France vs Italy match kicks off at 2:30pm GMT.

➤ RBS 6 Nations Live Challenge – iOS | Android

Once every few weeks a new app hits Apple’s app store that has a very hidden, yet very sought after feature, tethering.

We reported on one just a few weeks ago, called QuasiDisk, which has since been taken down by Apple. Another app called “PayUpSucker” also saw a similar fate.

According to InformationWeek, a new one called “iRandomizer Numbers” has found its way onto the store and might be able to stay there the entire weekend, since Apple’s reviewers don’t tend to work weekend shifts.

When you download the app, which is $4.99, simply enter “1984″ in as the minimum number and “31337″ as the maximum number. Tap generate, and boom you’re able to tether any machine to your iPhone and use its 3G connection.

The CEO of the company behind the app, Nick Kramer, told InformationWeek that this feature was originally meant for friends and family:

Reluctantly, I will admit that my application ‘iRandomizer Numbers’ does have a hidden tethering feature. I say reluctantly because I didn’t plan on the feature being released. I designed the tethering functionality for my family and close friends not thinking it would be disseminated outside that circle.

If you don’t want to pay your carrier for tethering, grab the app now before Apple figures it out and takes it down. Pay at your own risk!

➤ iRandomizer Numbers

Want to watch the big budget Super Bowl commercials, but can’t wait till Sunday or don’t care about football? Facebook and USA Today have just launched Ad Meter, a Facebook app where you can watch many of the TV spots right now. Then from kickoff until Tuesday night you can vote for your favorites. Traditionally an offline poll done live with handheld meters, USA Today has finally brought Ad Meter online so you can judge ads both in real-time and post-game.

Facebook tapped Involver to build the app, and has secured early previews of roughly 20 commercials. The rest of the ads will become available through the app at game time. On Tuesday night at 6pm EST the results of the voting will be announced.

Several Internet companies have plopped down the big bucks this year in an attempt to court the mainstream. Arrested Development’s Gob plugs Hulu, and Teleflora.com touts the lovin you might get if you use it to send a Valentine’s Day gift. Etrade, Careerbuilder.com,

Investing in Super Bowl ads makes more and more sense for web services as the general public becomes more internet savvy. They should tread cautiously, though, considering past ads from Salesforce, Groupon have been voted most disliked and caused PR crises. Let’s hope no one gives our industry a bad wrap this time around. Oh wait, GoDaddy’s ads filled with body-painted models and angels in the cloud are just as sexist as ever.

The Daily App Deals post is a round-up of the best app discounts of the day, as well as some notable mentions for ones that are on sale. More »

Most popular mobile sports apps are trying to feed you scores and news, or show you fantasy numbers. OnSports, by HitPost, is in a smaller class of apps that’s focused on users running the discussion themselves. And now, ahead of the Super Bowl this Sunday, viral growth and featured spots on the Android Market and the iTunes App Store are helping it step up against larger competitors.

The app, which lets users make their own reports and polls with professional photos, is now #2 on the Android Market free sports app section, and climbed to #13 in the iTunes version of the category since yesterday. This has translated to around 50,000 daily active users, chief executive Aaron Krane tells me, with 60% of new users returning within 24 hours. He says the app, which makes it easy to share activity to Facebook and Twitter, is generating 30,000 posts to Facebook each day, and 300 tweets per hour on Twitter. OnSports is also sending about 3000 SMS messages per day.

Some of these metrics are of the vanity variety — and they’re certainly not of the scale of social mobile games — but they all indicate an engaged group of core users, in an immature category of mobile usage.

Most significant sports apps, including ones from ESPN and major sports leagues, are focused on broadcasting scores and professional news to users; while they may have social features for commenting and sharing, the focus is not as heavily about user interaction. However, Bleacher Report and SB Nation — two web sites that rely on user-generated content — also have mobile apps. The influx of user web content into devices makes them more immediate competitors.

OnSports is notably sticking to the thesis of being mobile first… that users will want to do to more and more of their social activity on the devices they carry around with them rather than their computers. The company has been trying to figure out exactly how to make this idea materialize over the last year or so. With the new visibility to users ahead of the biggest sporting event of the year, it could be on its way to winning in the big leagues of consumer mindshare.

Music streaming service Rhapsody has enhanced its mobile offering with a brand new application for tablets running Android.

The reimagined app for Android tablets running the Ice Cream Sandwich or Honeycomb operating systems offers a gorgeous magazine-style user interface.

The new Rhapsody app brings album art and imagery to the fore compared with the text heavy approach of the smartphone version.

Rhapsody for Android tablets is also built around the editorial content the company is so proud of, bringing you the latest news, reviews and features all with playable links.

Reach out and touch

The app also brings the ability to swipe through music libraries while listening, and also allows for offline playlists to be downloaded.

"The tablet transforms Rhapsody into an immersive experience that's inspired by what digital music lovers miss about physical albums and CDs: album art, photos and the ability to reach out and touch the next album you're playing," said the company in a media release on Friday.

"The tablet amplifies the experience with the best aspects of digital, with links across the universe of content that Rhapsody editors have produced over the past decade."

The app, which requires a screen of nine inches or more in size, brings access to Rhapsody's 14 million-strong song library for premium members who pay $10 a month for the service.

The company already has apps for iPhone, Android smartphones and BlackBerry devices, but this is the first tablet-centric application launched by the US streaming giant.

While there have been rumours that an official Instagram app may hit Windows Phone before Android, any efforts by third party developers appear to be completely unwelcome by the California-based startup.

According to WP Central, Windows developer Bil Simser was working on an Instagram client for the Windows Phone, but hit a significant roadblock that has him stopping development on the app for now.

Simser’s app, along with similar Android alternatives such an Instaroid, can never be fully fledged Instagram clients for two significant reasons. Instagram’s public API does not include upload or sign-up access. In other words, users have to have access to the iOS app to sign up, and while mobile clients, like their web counterparts give users access to user-generated content on Instagram, there is no real opportunity to contribute.

In his blog post Simser writes:

I’ve taken a stance that I want to provide the full user experience on the Windows Phone 7 for existing and new users of Instagram. After all, what’s an API for if you can’t offer an alternative to “official” apps. Unfortunately Instagram has taken the position to not provide upload capabilities in their API at this time. The reason they cite on the developer site (http://instagram.com/developer/endpoints/media/) is they want to “fight spam & low quality photos”. While I don’t agree that not providing an upload API has anything to do with fighting spam and surely iPhone users take crappy pictures too, it is their playground and their rules.

Simser contacted CEO Kevin Systrom himself via email in an attempt to gain access to a more open API, but was told in no uncertain terms that Instagram has no plans to change its stance.

Instagram had a rocky start with third party app developers, with one of the very first to open its doors to users, blocked almost instantaneously. At the time, Systrom explained the move, since Followgram was scraping its content through Instagram’s undocumented and private API endpoints, since a public API had not yet been made available.

While Simser is aware of workarounds to upload photos to Instagram, he’s not willing to go down that path:

I want adoption of this application to be fair. Previous attempts to do an end-round on the Instagram folks just resulted in that application being blocked. If upload and user registration comes to Photogram (or any Windows Phone app for that matter) I want it to be on the up and up through official API access, not some backdoor sneak.

Instagram’s stance of fighting spam or low quality photos simply doesn’t seem to fully address the issue of why a fully-open API has not been made available.

Android users have been waiting for an Android version of the app, and so far have only received hints that it will eventually become a reality. The most significant confirmation came from Systrom in December, when he announced that there is currently a two-man team working on the Android app.

In the case of other similar situations, third party Twitter clients have done nothing but make it easier for users to find the perfect app that suits their personal needs based on their platform.

Instagram is an app that is built entirely around the concept of community – and that is its main strength, which sets it apart from any other competitors. If the experience provided by other developers is up to Instagram’s standards, should they be allowed to allow other mobile users the chance to join the community?

Is Instagram’s stance justified or should it afford developers the same freedoms that Twitter has? Let us know what you think in the comments.

You know what’s funny? If you Google “how do you get kids to learn” (sans quotes, even), the first result goes to this TechCrunch blog post about an app that lets kids draw butts on the iPad. Really! The post details the company called Madbrook (aka Everything Butt Art), which launched at TechCrunch Disrupt NY in May. It’s the brand behind a series of printed books, all of which are meant to teach creativity and step-by-step drawing while using humor and silliness to appeal to the young demographic.

Now, the iPad app promised at Disrupt has finally arrived. The company’s first digital creation, Butt Art -Kids Learn to Draw Zoo Animals Step-by-Step, has gone live in the App Store.

OK, seriously. Butts?

Yes, butts.

The interactive app teaches drawing by starting everything with a butt shape (a rounded, lowercase w). The end result is not actually a picture of a butt, mind you, but a fairly cute animal drawing instead. In the printed books, Everything Butt Art at the Zoo and Everything Butt Art on the Farm, the results are zoo animals and farm animals, respectively.

In the new iPad app, however, kids don’t just draw and trace shapes, they can also decorate the drawings with stamps, play a hidden shape game (Butt Hunt!), and read a full-color e-book, too.

While parents may roll their eyes at this sort of thing (is this really a blog post about drawing butts?!), the key takeaway here is that Everything Butt Art is a company that has managed to tap into how kids think. They’re making learning fun, by making it silly and giggly and yeah, kind of stupid…but it works. (Butt it works?) Don’t believe us, though, just ask your iPad-happy kids to try it out.

The new app is available as a free download in iTunes and comes with three animals. The remaining twelve are available as add-on packages for $0.99 per 6-pack.

We all know what it’s like when we’re bored off of our rockers and sitting on the couch at home on any given night. We’re in that neutral area of wanting to go out, but not wanting to plan anything.

A new app called WillCall has a pretty unique model to sell tickets to all types of shows and concerts at the last minute and get your ass off of the couch by showing them to you.

While it’s only available in San Francisco right now, the team says it plans on expanding to Los Angeles and New York City soon. The app launched today and I have to say that the convenience factor of what WillCall wants to do certainly comes through with its elegant design and simplicity.

Here’s a demo of what WillCall is all about:

I need to get out of the house

When you download the WillCall app you can add your credit card information so when you find a list minute opportunity you can just tap the “purchase” button and everything will be taken care of for you. While the show selections are pretty slim right now, I imagine that the WillCall team will be able to get the attention of venues who want to sell off tickets at the last minute at deep discounts.

If your friends use the app too, you can invite them to shows and they’ll be notified about what you just purchased so they can join you as well. We’re going to see more of these types of apps tied to credit cards that “just work” and make everything simple. For example, I can’t imagine going to Starbucks and not using the app to pay. Take out my credit card? That’s dinosaur days stuff.

WillCall gives you the information you need to know, hoping to get you to make a quick last-minute decision. You’re shown a quick description, original price and discount price, how far away the venue is from you, and that’s it. If you’re intrigued, tap purchase and you’re done. Make sure you put some pants on before you leave the house though.

While these might be shows that you normally wouldn’t go to, knowing that you’re getting the tickets for half the price or more might just do the trick. It’s a smart idea, and venues weren’t going to sell those tickets anyways.

Again, it’s a bummer that the app isn’t available outside of San Francisco, but such is the case with most apps like this. The team will use the city as its proof of concept and then venues from all over will start asking to get involved. I think WillCall has a real shot of grabbing the last minute ticket market with its app.

➤ WillCall for iOS

I’ve been hearing quite a bit of entrepreneurial buzz from L.A. recently. The city known for its Hollywood productions and its chiseled, beach bodies is making waves with new technology startups.

Watch It Now Entertainment, founded in 2004, is positioning itself to capitalize on the $30 billion a year fitness industry with a full service production house that pumps out hundreds of celebrity workout videos a year. While the site’s design isn’t much to look at, its client roster is: Brooke Burke, Sting and Trudie Styler, Tara Stiles, Deepak Chopra, Brooklyn Decker, George St Pierre and Carmen Electra are just a few.

In an email cross-fire, we caught up with WIN’s Founder and President (and certified Crossfit instructor), Darren Capik, who says he always finds time for a workout so that his body remains healthy and invigorated. Six days a week, he’s either cycling, spinning or doing CrossFit. “Varying my routine helps to strengthen my body. Redundancy does not encourage change, it makes the body accustomed to the same movements and does not challenge itself to progress and develop,” he says. “I like to incorporate exercises I’m not good at because I know that it’s something I need to do.”

Combining social media strength and new technology Capik felt fit enough to share his 10 favorite fitness apps. Here they are for your testing, mixing and reshaping pleasure:

SixPack App

This app, which boasts over 2 million downloads, contains basic exercises that are simple and rudimentary making it the perfect place for weight training newbies or those who want to understand or refine movements. Six-Pack App for iPhone ($.99)

Authentic Yoga

This is a great source for fundamental moves for people interested in yoga. The downloadable routines (both available in video and stills) are easy to follow. Tara Stiles (pictured below), is one of my all-time favorite yoga instructors (I love her classes on iTunes), and she provides audio bites that help the user through each exercise. World renowned mind-body pioneer Deepak Chopra is also featured on this app. Authentic Yoga for iPhone ($2.99)

Lose It!

While not the most elegantly designed app, Lose It! claims it has helped users shed over 8 million pounds. “This is by far my favorite calorie counter because it’s straightforward and effortless,” says WIN’s Capik. “It makes calorie counting fun without feeling like a chore. Counting calories is an important habit for people trying to lose weight to keep track and to be held accountable for the food being consumed.” Lose It! on Android and iPhone (free)

Nike Training Club

With 85 custom workouts, Nike Training Club is a personal trainer in your pocket. The app is even gamified, letting you unlock extra workouts from celebrities like Lea Michele, professional athletes like Shawn Johnson, and Rihanna’s personal trainer, Ary Nuñez (pictured below). ”This is indisputably the coolest personal training app out there. The production value is so high, polished, and cool. Anyone who wants to lose weight, get toned and stay in shape can use this app and be successful if used regularly,” says Capik. Nike Training Club for iPhone (free)

RunKeeper

One of the world’s most popular running apps, RunKeeper, opened up its API last year to 3rd parties like Foursquare, Withings and FitBits to build what it calls “The Health Graph” which is much like Facebook’s massive “Social Graph”. Now, RunKeeper is a full-on fitness platform with over 45 integration partners, with hundreds of others in development. The Health Graph allows these 3rd parties to build applications on top of a massive amount of correlated health data from its 6 million plus users. And all of this new data plugs nicely into RunKeeper’s recently revamped FitnessReports. RunKeeper Apps (free)

Pocket Trainer

This is a high-quality customized workout system that works with your daily schedule. PT has over 300 exercises with videos and written descriptions. The app also features movement speed, timed rest periods and you can refer to work out history to view your progress. “I love that it can provide a great workout for someone on vacation with only 20 minutes to spare,” comments Capik. Pocket Trainer ($12.99)

Nutrition Tips

This app gives you hundreds of useful and digestible nutrition tips and nutritional health facts. It’s an easy reference for healthy food ideas and straightforward daily recommendations. Nutrition Tips for iPhone (Free)

Whole Foods

Whether you shop at Whole Foods or not, this is a fantastic resource for wholesome recipes. “My favorite aspect to this app is the shopping list feature. You can find a healthy recipe in its massive database and then it creates a shopping list. It’s great and convenient,” says Capik. Whole Foods for iPhone (Free)

Roundtimer

This utilitarian tool can be incorporated into any weightlifting workout. The app is a timer that allows you to customize the length of your rounds/circuits, warning bell and resting period and will continue to play in the background with other apps. Roundtimer for iPhone ($.99)

FitnessBuilder

“This is the ultimate resource for workout routines for men and women regardless of fitness level,” says Capik. “It’s tailored for everyone, including expert personal trainers, which is a feature difficult to come across in the app world.” FitnessBuilder for iPhone (free)

Which fitness apps do you rely on? Let us know in the comments!

Also read: In 2011: How Technology Shaped Health and Fitness

image credit: stryjek via shutterstock