Review: Roundup: Vuvuzela Apps

Just because you didn't trek to Johannesburg doesn't mean you can't join in the futbol fun. We're talking about delving into the deep and rich musical heritage of South Africa with your very own vuvuzela. And while you could certainly shell out up to $8 (or even more) on one of these finely-tuned apparatuses, there's a better solution: Go digital.

We thoroughly reviewed the four primary vuvuzela apps available for the iPhone (more than a dozen exist) to determine which was most worthy of your attention. You'll be delighted to know that all four work on the iPhone, the iPad and the iPod Touch, letting you take your vuvuzela just about anywhere and on any device. After all, why limit this experience to sporting events when there's the subway, your workplace and the bedroom? Just imagine the possibilities.

Pocket Vuvuzela (free version)

Only a philistine would just blow into a vuvuzela without regard for beat and rhythm. Pocket Vuvuzela corrects the flaws of most vuvuzela apps by giving you four different vuvuzela sounds to choose from. Just tap the tiny and descriptive 1, 2, 3, or 4 buttons to generate the correct vuvuzela sound to match your mood: from a wave-like droning that rises and falls to a syncopated rat-a-tat sound. Blow into the mic, click the screen or shake the phone to generate that dulcet tone — and here's a special Wired tip: You can hold your finger down on the screen to play sustained vuvuzela until your battery dies! Thirty two vuvuzela country designs supported. Bonus: Choose Portugeuse or Spanish menus for a more authentic experience! And: No ads in a free app? GOOOOOOAL!!!

Annoyance factor:

Overall rating:

Get it here.

iVuvuzela ($1)

It's not just a vuvuzela simulator, it's also a game. Select from 32 country flags to bring up a customized full-screen vuvuzela, then put your lips up to the microphone and blow. A rich and sonorous vuvuzela horn sound plays for as long as your lungs can manage. After the extremely loud vuvuzela tone peters out and you gasp for air, a timer indicates how well you did. Try to beat your personal best by playing again and again until you hyperventilate! As a bonus, a countdown clock tells you how long you have to wait until the World Cup begins, even displaying rare negative time when the games have started.

Annoyance factor:

Overall rating:

Get it here.

Vuvuzela 2010 (free)

The only vuvuzela app that doesn't have any real national pride, Vuvuzela 2010 lets you colorize and theme your horn with a mere 10 color selections, offering a few monotone and a few two-tone versions. That's it? Vuvuzela fanatics demand variety in all things, and this sad set of options barely cuts the mustard. To play your horn, either tap or shake (no blowing here), and a sustained shake keeps your vuvu blast going strong and plenty loud, too, provided you don't get distracted by the advertising.

Annoyance factor:

Overall rating:

Get it here.

Virtual Vuvuzela (free)

Pick your nation of choice from the scrolling list of 32 countries, then click "Play Vuvuzela!" Then just tap, shake or blow into the microphone and you get a sustained, 10-second-long burst of old-school, whiney vuvuzela, that last-minutes-of-the-game kind of vuvuzela when the drunks have run out of wind and are left sputtering into their instruments with their last gasps of consciousness. But there's a serious issue here: Virtual Vuvuzela, where's the volume? Even cranked up to the max this vuvuzela will barely be able to be heard over your daughter's piano recital or during the vows of that wedding you're attending. We demand a decibel upgrade — and get rid of those ads, while you're at it!

Annoyance factor:

Overall rating:

Get it here.

Bonus video: We uncover the epic history of the vuvuzela.