App Inspectors

Snap ‘n Tap

Kevin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:58:55 +0000

Do you remember those really cheap plastic maze toys with a tiny ball. Well as entertaining as it was, it offered no creativity whatsoever. Now, imagine if you could create your own maze on paper and bring it to life. Thanks to Snap n’ Tap, you can now do your own drawing of anything, snap a picture of it, and use that as a course for the ball to go.

Investigation
So basically, you just snap a picture of anything (a drawing on blank paper is best), place the ball where you want to start, and let the fun begin! You can draw anything you wish such as an elaborate maze or simple shapes, just let your imagination take over. Now let the games begin!

But before you let the ball start rolling, you might want to take a glance at the settings. Here you can adjust the size of the ball to suit the

If you own an iPod Touch, just snap a picture with a camera or phone and put it on your iPod. Another option is to get one of those cheap/lite painting apps. Just do a quick sketch, save it to your iPod, and open the picture in the app.

Before you get into it, take a quick glance at the settings. You can choose from four different objects, each with different physics, so the balloon floats, the basketball bounces, and the doughnut doesn’t bounce at all. Does your maze/track have small or large spaces? Then make the ball larger or smaller according to your creation. Now let’s say your drawing is on lined paper. There is a setting to accommodate this, otherwise the app would interpret it as part of the drawing, so this was a smart idea implemented by Felwig.

Now for some quick instructions on how to use it. Just open the app, choose the picture source (Camera or Photo Library), double tap where you want the ball to start, and that’s it! Using the device’s accelerometer, tilt the iPhone and the object will roll in that direction.

I should also probably mention that if you make a mistake, you have to make sure to erase completely or the app could interpret the leftover mark as part of the drawing. But there is nothing that can be done about this, so just be careful and avoid mistakes.

Interrogation
Pros
If you are a person that’s easily distracted, this could be that entertainment you’ve been looking for. The physics of each of the objects accurately represent their counterparts. And just the fact that you can draw whatever you want and use it as a maze-type thing is fun.

Cons
Ironically, one of its positives can also be seen as a downside. This app has no point or goal to reach, it’s more of a distraction than anything else, thus repelling potential buyers. I also noticed that there are no sounds, which is something you would expect it to have, but I believe sound effects will be added in the next update.

Inspection Results
This app isn’t perfect, but it’s entertaining, something many applications are missing. However, others may think this is boring because there is nothing to do. Maybe I’m just easily distracted, you never know So you have to judge this based on your interests. Snap ‘n Tap is currently available in the app store for only $0.99

My Rating: Worth Considering

Readdle’s Black Friday Deals

Joel — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:26:47 +0000

Happy Black Friday to all! I am sure all the stores are crowded. So for those at home relaxing, here is a little something you might like. Readdle has just announced that all there apps are up to 40% off. We reviewed many of there apps so just take a look at out website and you’ll be able to read them. Here are the current prices on the apps.

ReaddleDocs – $2.99
Take A Note – $2.99
Flash Drive – $2.99
PDF Expert – $2.99
OneDisk – $2.99
BookReader – $2.99

Hurry offer ends tomorrow, Saturday November 27. Happy Shopping!

Here is the official press release from Readdle

Readdle announces up to 40% Black Friday Sale.

Readdle has announced Black Friday sale for their popular iPhone products Scanner Pro, application that transforms the device into portable scanner, ReaddleDocs, document and file management solution for the iPhone, and several others. Company offers an extremely high discount up to 40% off the regular prices for the applications that will last until Saturday, November 28th.

Most significant discount is set on ReaddleDocs application, that was named “The Rolls Royce of document portfolios” by O’Relly.com and “One of the apps that makes iPhone worth the price” by Walt Mossberg, it’s special price is only $2.99. Scanner Pro, that was top paid application in Business category in the US, UK and Italy App Stores, also offers very compelling discount to $4.99. Other Readdle products including Take A Note, BookReader and Flash Drive are priced at $2.99.

“To avoid crazy Black Friday crowds many customers are shopping online as a way to take advantage of holiday sale. This year iPhone users don’t have to leave their houses to benefit from Black Friday Sale as well,” says Igor Zhadanov, Readdle CEO. “Millions of the iPhone users will be rewarded with the major discounts on Readdle’s apps to celebrate the popular shopping holiday during the whole Thanksgiving weekend.

Pricing and Availability: All application are available on exclusively on the Apple App Store. Special pricing will last until Saturday 28th of November.

More free apps!

Kevin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:55:57 +0000

I did a post about two weeks ago about apps that were free for a limited time. Apparently, everyone liked it because it has gotten the most views since it’s been up. So I decided to do another one so our readers (you) cash in on some sweet deals. I’m hoping to see more apps on sale on the infamous “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday”, so let’s keep our fingers crossed!

These are all apps that are on sale for free at the time that this is posted. Thus, I cannot promise that these are still going to be free by the time you read this, so you better act quickly! Check out a preview picture of each at the bottom.

LastPlayed+ for Facebook and Twitter – share what music you’re listening to on Facebook and Twitter, plus see what others are listening to around the world.
Catch the virus – don’t let the virus escape to the outer edge.
Doubles – a fun matching game.
Rocket Bird – how far can you get without hitting any objects?
Hot Dog Down a Hallway – another fun “get as far as you can” game, with a hidden surprise in the phrases.
Yes We Camera – want to edit a picture to look like Obama’s “Hope” campaign? Then this is right down your alley.
Units – The Unit Converter – a unit conversion app with a nice user interface.
1Password Pro – keep all your logins and passwords stored in this app, which is protected by two passwords. So you no longer have to memorize a bunch of usernames and passwords, only two.
World Surfer – find information about the places around you.
PerfectClock – a clock/alarm/ambient sound app, with customizable clock designs.
Cars’n'Girls – find the difference between similar pictures.
Urinals: The Game – a public bathroom-themed line-drawing game. Guide the people to stalls, sinks, and back out.
Operation iWolf – a sniper combat game.
Touch Pets Dogs 10 Food – take care of your very own dog, plus enjoy 10 free bowls of food.
Mobsters: Big Apple – yet another mafia app, but this one is a premium version currently on sale.

MoneyMaker X

Kevin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:06:42 +0000

Let’s face it, we could all use some more money. They say it doesn’t buy happiness, but it does buy the things that do bring you happiness. Well, Chiaro Software decided to collect some money-making ideas and inject them into an app. Is this legitimate? Read on to find out.

Investigation
You get pretty much what the previous paragraph says, ideas that can help you “rake in the dough” and fill that empty piggy bank. However, most, not all, of the suggestions can only be executed if you have a website, so take that into consideration before purchasing.

Just one of the suggestions are pretty much obvious, while the others you would probably have to spend lots of online research to find them. So Chiaro has done the work for you. Now you can be lazy and still make money! I would post some pictures of the ideas themselves, but that defeats the purpose of buying the app, so I’m afraid I can’t do that.

Interrogation
Pros
Nothing to really brag about on this one. Of course, the money you make is definitely a plus!

Cons
For how simple, and practically empty this app is (just a bunch of text), it takes a remarkably long time to load up. Also, as much as I love money, and everyone else for that matter, it makes for a horrible background. So trying to read the information is not easy on the eyes.

Inspection Results
These suggestions are not going to generate enough “dough” for you to pay the bills, they are to make some extra money on the side, although it could be an easy paycheck for the lazy. So let’s not get lazy, just keep your job like everyone else. However, I could see this website implementing a few of these ideas on here to cover costs. Verdict: Useful? Yes. Necessary? Doubt it.

My Rating:

Radio Tool X

Joel — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:38:51 +0000

I love, love music! I seriously think I could not live without it. It would be great if I had all the music in the world on my iPod, but unfortunately, I do not have a wallet that big. That’s why I stick to applications that will help me out. If you do not have a radio app yet then here it is, Radio Tool X. There are all kinds of stations you are eligible to hear, some include CNN, ESPN, Disney Tunes Radio, and Radio Paradise. So there is something for the whole family to hear.

Investigation
There is not much to talk about here, as this app is just internet radio. Let’s start with when you’re listening to a radio station. If you like the station, you can save it as a favorite. Then, the next time you open the app, you can check your favorite stations under the favorites tab, which holds up to 20 radio stations. A good feature that this app brings along is the way you can shake your device to change the station. If you don’t like what you’re listening to then just give it a shake and it will tune to a random station, similar to the native iPod app.

Interrogation
Pros
Frankly, I found nothing that stood out.

Cons
This app is kind of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, it does what it’s supposed to, but that’s all it is. Nothing extra is really brought to the table. The interface is not really good, dulling the experience. I did come across one problem, and it seems there are others that also encountered this problem. Sometimes the music would just stop for like 30 seconds and went back on, and it did this multiple times. Someone also mentioned that after a few minutes, the stream would stop and they had to press pause & play to continue listening.

Inspection Results
Overall, this wasn’t as good as I expected it to be. However, this could still appeal to some people, so don’t let this review discourage you.

Looking for some good free apps?

Kevin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:19:38 +0000

Since we are in a recession, many of us are cutting back on extra expenses. So I have comprised a list of apps that are on sale for free that are noteworthy and FULL VERSIONS!

Cutting backs means that people are not ready to waste a bunch of money on iPhone apps and tend to download more free “lite” apps. Don’t get me wrong, they are great for making a decision whether to buy or not, but the limits and ads tend to get annoying. So here are full version apps that either happen to be free, or on sale for free for a limited time, so I suggest you pick up those before they return to regular price. Click on their names to be taken to the app store.

Besieged – an undead-themed castle defense game.

Shipwreck – a line-drawing app that’s very similar to Harbor Master and Flight Control.

Action Heroes 3-in-1 – an app comprised of 3 separate mini games.

Looptastic Gold – create music easily.

Monkey Kick Off – the classic monkey game from Miniclip.com.

Operation iWolf – a sniper combat game.

Battery-O-Meter – one of the better looking battery meter apps in the app store.

Solitaire! – a decent solitaire/klondike game, but not very good.

Paper Lists – a useful notes, list, and to-do app.

Eliminate Pro – the equivalent of Halo for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Touch Pets Dogs – take care of and play with your very own pet.

A World Map – a zoom-able map of earth, all the continents, countries, and their capitals; useful for students to study.

Aero Frenzy – an airplane themed word unscrambling game.

Twiltr 2.0 – a Twitter client with a nice interface.

Pocket Jockey – an electronic horse jockey game.

Real Racing GTI – quite possibly the most realistic racing game in the app store to date. (Sponsered by the Volkswagen GTI)

Go Fish Multiplayer – a simple game of go fish.

Peep Show – a “peep show” app (I’m not in favor of this, but I have to be fair to all apps)

Seat Cupra Race 2 – an ad-free promotional racing game, which actually turned out fun.

ReaddleDocs gets an update

Kevin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Readdle announced the release of ReaddleDocs 1.6, a new version of the popular document viewer and file management solution for the iPhone and iPod Touch. I have a copy, so expect the review soon.

Readdle added a professional PDF document viewer to the application. The new PDF viewer supports full text document search, password protected documents, navigation through embedded PDF bookmarks and handling large PDF files.

ReaddleDocs combines number of powerful document viewers, network file server, web storage client, web browser and file manager within a single iPhone business application. It allows copying of files to the devices over Wi-Fi and 3G in a number of ways, view them on the go, send by email and share with other iPhone users.

Another two problems solved by ReaddleDocs 1.6 are: quick navigation through the document, and support for large PDF files. ReaddleDocs 1.6 expedites in-document navigation by implementing full-text search, go-to page navigation, and supporting embedded PDF bookmarks. Also, application opens most PDF files that are too large for the built-in iPhone PDF viewer.

“New professional PDF viewer is very important addition to the extensive ReaddleDocs feature set, that significantly extends application utility for both the customers. However, we are already working on adding even more power to the PDF viewer with hyperlinks and PDF editing capabilities. And this is just a few of the great features coming to ReaddleDocs later this fall,” notes Alexander Tyagulsky, Readdle CEO.

Readdle Storage is available as a free service for all ReaddleDocs users. ReaddleDocs 1.6 is available on the App Store at $6.99 to new customers, but it is free for existing users. Go check it out, then come back later on to read the review, or just subscribe to our RSS feed.

Fore! enters the app store

Kevin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:06:42 +0000

Fore!, Cobra Mobile’s newest golf game, has made its way onto the green and it’s ready for some iPhone and iPod Touch users to tee off! I like to “keep it real”, so I’m open to new realistic apps in the app store. Read on to find out some of its key features, and check back for the review when it posted (RSS feeds!)

As I was saying, this app has a truly realistic look to it, and it feels like your really playing right next to Tiger Woods. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but this game does like nice. The game is played from a top view, as if you were looking down from a really tall ladder. It uses both touch and accelerometer controls which is not common in most golf games. Plus, peer-to-peer multiplayer along with Plus+ integration to challenge your friends.

Fore! features 54 holes covering 3 beautifully maintained courses. Also, it saves your best shots like hole-in-ones so you can brag to your friends and show them the replay. With Plus+ integrated into the game, you can add friends, access leaderboards, and earn Plus+ awards.

Is this app an amazing “hole in one”, or is it “par” at best? Find out when I review the game, so stay tuned!

JumiGamer

Kevin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:22:30 +0000

JumiTech was nice enough to provide us with promo codes to give away for JumiGamer. If you would like to get this app for free, just leave a comment to enter the contest. We have 8 promo codes so there is a really good chance for you to win!
***U.S. iTunes store only, and provide valid email for us to send it to you***

About a month ago I reviewed JumiMouse. Well now comes its big brother: JumiGamer. This gives you the ability to play PC games using your device as a controller. However, not only does it function as a game controller, it also includes the mouse and keyboard. Is it worth the upgrade from JumiMouse? Read on to find out.

Investigation
I reviewed the mouse and keyboard functions in the JumiMouse review, so I’ll add that review below and just talk about the game controller. Remember that to use this app, you need to install the free program for your computer. You can find that [here]. Game controllers these days — whether it’s for the PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, or computers — are expensive, somewhere around $40. Therefore, it’s nice that you can use your iPhone or iPod Touch to control your computer, which saves you a lot of money in the long run; I commend JumiTech for the bargains they are bringing to the app store.

This resembles the Playstation controller with the x, circle, triangle, and square buttons on the right, and a directional control on the left. The directional control can be either joystick or arrows. There are four extra buttons that do different things depending on the game you are playing. Not only do you have the standard controller layout for playing games like first-person shooters, but you can also use accelerometer-based controls for your flying and driving games.

JumiMouse Review

Investigation
This useful app turns your device into a fully functional keyboard and mouse. Simply download and install the Jumi Controller to your Windows XP or Vista computer, and it will take you through the steps to set up the connection. I found it amazingly simple to set it up. You can connect to the PC via a wi-fi or 3G signal, though I’ve only tested it on wi-fi. Both the mouse and the keyboard are fully featured. The mouse supports tap to click, double click, drag, scrolling, and has left and right buttons; it works just like the touch pad on laptops. The keyboard is kind of cramped, due to the screen size, but packs all the keys, and even shortcut keys like cut, copy, paste, esc, arrow keys, lots more; check out the screenshots to see them all.

Interrogation
Pros
All the features, including all the extra keys on the keyboard, are clearly the major pros. The quick, easy, and simple installation and connection is definitely a plus for this app. Especially for those that are not so fluent in computing.

Cons
Like I mentioned before, the keyboard is kind of cramped, but that’s the only way to incorporate all the keys (hint hint JumiTech). I would suggest some sort of shift key that changes from the regular keyboard to the extras keyboard.

Investigation Results
This app works perfect and smooth. Seeing as how wireless keyboards and mouse combinations are no cheaper than $40, I think this is a steal! If you are interested, there is a free version to try it out that lacks the keyboard, a key component.

So overall, this is an incredible deal that you are getting. All the features are pulled together to make one easy, and simple to use app. JumiGamer is available in the app store now for $2.99

EA Mobile dunks NBA Live into the App Store

Joel — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:56:17 +0000

I’ve been waiting for an actual basketball game to hit the app store. Well my prayers have been answered by EA Sports with the launch of their newest game: NBA Live. Okay, I didn’t actually pray to get it, but I felt that the app store needed a true basketball game.

It has all the official NBA teams, along with some unlockable basketball legends. Everything from the PS3/XBOX version is in this, including quick game and season. Plus, there’s a cool 15 song soundtrack from artists like Snoop Dogg and Xzibit.

As always, this EA game is on the expensive side at $9.99, but compared to the price of the PS3 and XBOX 360 versions, it’s a steal. Also, I’m assuming the cliché “You get what you pay for” applies here, judging by the reviews on iTunes. Have any of you already bought this? We would love to hear your input!