First look at Glu's iPhone collection game 1000: Find 'em All

Where do all those socks that go missing in the dryer end up? No matter how hard you explore the innards of the machine and its surrounding area, it's impossible to find those lost bits of cloth.

It's definitely a lot easier to locate things in 1000: Find 'em All where the power of wi-fi and GPS can help you hunt any item down.

As spiky-haired kid Erm, you're tasked with finding an enormous list of 1000 items spread across an expansive 2D world.

From real objects (vampire squid) to the bizarre (coned bra) to the imaginary (Loch Ness monster), there's everything but the kitchen sink - who knows, that might make it in the game too.

Finding these items is done in one of three ways: exploration, wi-fi hot spot hunting, or GPS scouting.

Exploration is the most accessible means of tracking down objects, particularly if you're planning on using an iPod touch.

As you trot about the game world, you can interact with sparkling objects that may hide an item. The placement of objects is random for each game, so where you find a coned bra in a tree on your handset may prove to be a fruitless location on a friend's device.

A top-down map helps you orient yourself to the massive world that showcases a number of different environments. Sandy beaches, a wooded village, and the outskirts of a castle are just a few.

Since we were unable to actually play the game, we aren't privy to the controls. We anticipate movement is handled by tapping the screen to direct Erm where you want him to go. An option to toggle a directional pad for movement would be nice, if it isn't already planned.

Items can also be routed out by pinpointing wi-fi hot spots. Turning on wi-fi and then chatting with characters who appear in the game as manifestations of nearby hot spots rewards you with an item.

A similar mechanic applies when finding items via GPS. Erm appears on your real-time map surrounded by a collection circle. This represents the area within which any items will be picked up. Locations of items are then marked on your map and moving to the spot nets you the item.

You're free to use any of the three methods, mixing and matching based on your preference or activity. GPS doesn't sound too great if you're at home relaxing where exploration is a better fit, but it might be something to try out if you're on a trip or wandering about town.

Rewards do come for diligent item collection. Badges mark notable achievements such as finding so many items via GPS or amassing every single item in the game. You're also able to view each item in a trophy room, which can be organised by item type.

Glu promises dozens of hours of gameplay spent finding every item, which has us wondering about the frequency at which items are found. We're also curious to find out if one method ends up being better than the others.

We'll know all come January 2010, when 1000: Find 'em All is set for release to the App Store.