So, the Big Game is just a few short days away and we’re searching for cool apps which will help you watch the Super Bowl. The Vualla iPad app has just received an update which helps it fit that description, as the social tv companion offers a wealth of information and neatly ties in social networking features.
Essentially, the Vualla iPad app is a television companion program which can give you more information about what you’re watching. This isn’t anything new, as TiVo and others have been doing this for a while. The Vualla iPad app is trying to kick things up a notch by including strong social networking features and including multiple features for the Super Bowl.
With the Vualla iPad app, you’ll be able to chat with other fans about the game, read curated Twitter feeds (some from real players), explore Flickr for Super-Bowl-related photos and share to your friends. You’ll also be able to check out the new television ads as they come out, dig up more information about the players and watch highlight videos from YouTube or other sources.
I recently met with the CEO and was impressed with some of the things he was offering: the app looks great, there’s a design consistency which is easy to overlook but has a major impact on how usable it is and the social-networking integration is actually well-thought out and useful. The Super Bowl stuff is cool for the Big Game and many of these features could be replicated for other big-time events like the Oscars or March Madness.
The major problem I see is that this won’t be as useful as some competing products if you’re using a cable box. The Comcast iPad app turns your tablet into a remote control while also giving you programming information and more. Vualla can give you the times that shows are on and more information but it can’t actually change the channel or access your DVR.
Hopefully, that could come soon as companies like Samsung are building TVs with open APIs for third-party remote makers and there are accessories that can make this possible but that’s quite a challenge to overcome. The app is free and in the store today. Feel free to give it a whirl and let us know what you think in the comments.