Thursday, June 25, 2009

Featured App: Princess Phone



Featured App: Princess Phone by AppsNMinded

Perfect for the little ones, your kids will have fun answering the questions asked in Princess Call. What's your favorite ice cream? Color? Can we talk again?

This cute little app is the perfect distraction for your own princess, who can have a grown up conversation on Princess Phone. Check out Princess Phone on the App Store today.



Posting

If you notice inconsistencies within my posts, it's because I'm experimenting with formats to make reviews more current & comprehensive. In place of a direct link to iTunes, I'll place a link to the developer's site, if available. This will make learning about these apps easier to do. I've got a bevy of changes, posts, and updates to make, as well as a few giveaways. Stay tuned & keep reading! :)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Saturday, June 20, 2009

More Cowbell! review





More Cowbell! by Maverick Software

Current Price: $0.99

Category: Music

Reviewed at v1.4

More Cowbell! was the first cowbell application that made its way to the App Store.

In this simple music app, play five instruments to your heart's content: the cowbell (of course), maracas, triangle, tambourine, and sleigh bells. When you start up the cowbell, you'll hear the favorite SNL phrase, "I gotta have more cowbell" and then you start playing from there. You can tap to play any instrument, or shake to play if enabled. All instruments have clear, good quality sound effects, making this app, perhaps, useful at weddings when you'd like to make a speech, Christmas, when singing your favorite holiday tune, or dinner time, when you need the family to come on down and eat.

This app has a simple to use format. Yyou'll press the info button at the bottom right to adjust settings and change instruments. View scoring, settings, and other Maverick Software apps when you hit that info button.

With this app, your "Cowbellometer" is measured. Keep on playing to get a higher score, so that you can enter the World Cowbell Rankings and Cowbell Hall of Fame in time. You can also tune your instrument pitch, shake sensitivity, and set voice warnings and cowbellometer. These settings allows users to customize their Cowbell experience.

Overall, More Cowbell! is a fun, simple music application that offers no more & no less than what it intends to do. Check out More Cowbell! today and experience the App Store's first cowbell application yourself.

Interface: 4/5

Sound: 5/5

Replay Value: 3/5

Value: 4/5


Thursday, June 18, 2009

Liquid review





Liquid by Robert Casperson

Current Price: $0.99

LE Available

Reviewed at v2.2

Liquid is a relaxing, easy to use entertainment app & fluid simulator. Choose from a dozen water colors and background tetures, adjust the speed and sound of the liquid, and even apply custom photos to the background.

Similar to Koi Pond, Liquid allows you to interact with the fluid surface. Tilt your device and the water will flow in that direction. Tap the water to make it move, or simply lay the device flat for stagnant motion. The sounds make this app even more realistic and riveting.

It's fun to choose a colored water and watch it flow beneath the background, whether it be stone or wood or a personal photo. There isn't much to the app besides being a fluid simulator, but I feel as if that's the point.

If the sound of water relaxes you, Liquid might be what you need. It offers a lot of customization options, is easy to use and a pleasure to look at.

Visit www.robertcasperson.com for more info on Liquid.

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay Value: 3/5

Overall Value: 4/5


Delicious Memory review





Delicious Memory by mSprocket

Current Price: $0.99

Reviewed at v1.0

Delicious Memory is a simple, no-nonsense matching game that is totally sweet.

The game is straightforward: set up your game board dimensions, them match up the desserts. There are 20 delicious desserts presented in the app, and your moves are counted. Complete your matches and see your high score.

There is also a two player mode. You need to share the device, because it plays in P1, P2 order. It makes the game a bit more challenging.

This app is very easy to play and is sure to please the little ones as well.

While Delicious Memory isn't unlike any other matching game for the iPhone, it IS deliciously illustrated, making it fun to test your memory. You're also able to change the dimensions of the game, making Delicious Memory shorter or longer to play. It's evident that the developers put effort into making this app simple yet fun at the same time.

Among the delicious memories art red velvet cake, pecan pie, banana splits, pastires, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Yum!

Visit www.msprocket.com for more info on Delicious Memory.

Graphics/Interface: 4/5

Sound: N/A

Repay Value: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Scoops v2.0 update

iCanSketchit v3.4 update

Pocket God v1.16 update

Friday, June 12, 2009

Thumb Wars review





Thumb Wars by appsNminded

Current price: $0.99

Reviewed at v1.0

One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war!

Thumbs Wars for the iPhone and iPod Touch lets you relive those intense childhood matches of Thumb War.

This app provides three levels of difficultly for you test your thumb: captain, major, lieutenant. The game is presented in Lichtenstein-pop-art style graphics, making for fun and attractive animations.

While this game does allow flexibility in offering three levels (captain being the hardest) it is quite challenging, even for me. I had my nieces & cousins try out the app and they all had difficulty pinning down the elusive thumb. It moves quickly, of course, but instructions aren't clear on when exactly to pin it down.

The game should probably feature clearer instructions, especially if the game is trying to be kid-friendly. I'd also like to hear some cool sound effects, which would further enhance the game.

This game has lots of promise, but if it doesn't get easier it won't be such an approachable application for the different age groups.

The gameplay is really the main aspect that needs polishing. The premise of a thumb war is simple, but I feel the gameplay should be more direct and easier to approach.

For more information on Thumb Wars, visit the iTunes Store or appsnminded.com.

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: N/A

Replay Value: 3/5

Overall Value: 3/5


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Pinball Destruction review



Pinball Destruction by Martin Reddy

Current Price: $0.99

Reviewed at v1.0

Pinball Destruction is a fun, straightforward pinball app that's actually quite fun and refreshing. The boards are simple yet colorful and you control the game by tapping the bottom left and right corners.

The goal is to hit the different pins and clear them off the board. From there, after you "destroyed" the table, you move onto the next level. This adds a twist to the normal pinball game that makes Pinball Destruction all the move fun and enjoyable.

The game provides a similar experience at every play yet with different outcomes. You never know how long you'll last and it's fun to see how far you can go. There's a leaderboard that appears after you've ended your run to see how you rank up.

There are few games that are this simple yet provide enough levels of gameplay to keep people going. Pinball Destruction is a fun game and great value at 99 cents. Check it out today.

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: 3/5

Replay Value: 4/5

Overall Value: 4/5


iChalky review




iChalky by Eric Metois

Current Price: $0.99

Reviewed at v1.2

Meet your new friend, Chalky, in iChalky! He's a stick figure and his moves only by your hand. Control his movement through the accelerometer and watch him rumble and roll about. 

His movement is unpredictable! Adjust spring constants, spring damping, and floor/wall friction to see what moves him. You're able to make him a custom face with photos from your camera roll or a newly taken photo. He can just be about anything or anyone in that case!

Once you've got him in a good spot, tack him down using the thumbtack icon at the bottom (see above picture).

iChalky is one of those apps that let's your see just what your iPhone/iPod Touch can do. This isn't a fancy application with dazzling graphics or gameplay, but rather, a simple entertainment app and utilizes the features of the iPhone to make something entertaining. 

Since I don't have a set of headphones with a mic for my 1g iPod Touch, I wasn't able to see Chalky dance, but again, it's a feature that plays on the abilities of your device to make something entertaining. 

As far as replay value, it'll be fun see Chalky's movements for the first few rounds. It can be repetitive, however so not everyone will enjoy iChalky. But, if you take the time to appreciate the abilities of iChalky, you could come out with a new experience each time.

Despite that, if you're looking for a well-polished, simple entertainment app, try out iChalky today.

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: N/A 

Replay value: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Art review




Art by ADS Software Group

Current Price: $0.99

LE: NO

Reviewed at v3.4

Art, an education apps, features short bios and photography of art work on dozens of renowned, seminal artists. In Art, you'll impressionist masters including Monet and Van Gogh, as well as Dadaist Salvador Dali, among others. This app is extremely informative and you'll learn about each artist you look up. The articles are from Wikipedia, by the way.

There are over 400 works loaded in Art. Some artists have as little as three pieces, while others have over 30 in their profiles. This of course will vary depending on the illustriousness of the artist. The works are well detailed, and you can zoom in & out, as well as save works in your photo library and use them as wallpaper. 

A HUGE update is coming up, and will bring to app to feature 81 artists and 5,000 works. Whew! For what the app is worth right now, it's great for art enthusiasts, students, and people just started to get interested in art. It features lots of artists right now, and is easy to use and learn from. Check out blogs.ads-sg.com for more information on Art.

Interface: 4/5

Sound: N/A

Repay Value: 4/5

Value: 4/5


Monday, June 8, 2009

Thoughts on WWDC Annoucements

Well, I don't have much to say regarding the iPhone 3G S (although I was hoping for a slight re-design), I'm excited for the 3.0 updates.

Even as an iPod Touch user, such features at cut, copy, & paste, purchasing movies & shows, landscape and spotlight search would be great! $9.99 is okay considering the features we'll be getting. I'm looking forward to June 17--darn! I'll be out of town that day.

 :(

25 Best Free iPhone apps

Here's a list Extreme Tech, the 25 Best Free iPhone apps. I'm not sure about some of them, but the list is good and informative.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Q&A with developer Goce Petrovski





What are Q&A's? This new segment of the blog features a short interview with an iPhone app developer, and thoughtful questions regarding their apps.

Goce Petrovski spotlight's App Reviews first Q&A. Goce developped the apps iAchieve, Pet CV, myKids, and Golf Scores. For more info on Goce's apps, visit the App Store or http://petrovski.net.au.

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1. Why & when did you enter the Apple App Store market?

I entered the Apple App Store market in November 2008 with Golf Scores. I thought since I spent a lot of time developing this app for myself, why not share it with others and at the same time make some extra money.

2. What are your apps?

In the order in which they were developed and released: Golf Scores, Pet CV, my Kids, iAchieve.


3. Describe why you developed your apps, and what you hope customers will appreciate about them.

Golf Scores:
This was originally a Windows Mobile application which I developed years ago (see here http://handster.com/en/product_multi.php?id=2919&cid=4 ). When the iPhone came out I thought it would be great to have a version for it.

Pet CV:
Golf Scores did well and we started thinking of something else people would need. My mother-in-law who has lots of pets suggested an app to track pet data. Most of the pets on the screenshots for Pet CV are actually hers. While I was developing the app Sasha (one of her dogs) died and we decided to dedicate the app to her and always have her on the front screen.

myKids:
After finishing Pet CV I thought I could reuse most of the code and create a new app that would be used by parents to keep important details of their kids.

iAchieve:
This one is my wife's idea. She came up with the idea, she was deciding on the look and feel, behavior, what goes in and out, I was just developing. We were trying to encourage our older daughter who is 3 years old to keep her bed nice and dry while sleeping. Every morning when she woke up accident-free she could put a sticker on the calendar and that's where it all started. Nowadays she's forgotten about the calendar and just uses iAchieve. She chose purple as her background color, and uses a different icon everyday. My 20 month old is now using the app too as she likes to do whatever her sister does.

For all the apps, I hope my customers would appreciate everything about them. They were made with lots of consideration, and they were all continuously improved as requests and suggestions were made. I try to give them what they request where possible. That said, I greatly thank those who have emailed me with suggestions and feedbacks, and those who continue to use the apps.


4. What is your personal favorite app in the app store (aside from your own) ?

I don't actually have a favorite app, there are however few apps that I use almost every day.
They are: PortfolioLive, Bloomberg and Oz Weather.
One thing for sure, there are no games on my iPhone - I don't have time for it.

Best regards,
Goce Petrovski

Friday, June 5, 2009

Ruben & Lullaby review





Ruben & Lullaby by Erik Loyer

Current Price: $2.99

LE: NO

Reviewed at v1.0

A top contender in International Games festivals, Ruben & Lullaby is a unique cross between the graphic novel and the game.  

Ruben & Lullaby have been dating for five months, and at the start of the game, is their first quarrel. From then on, their fate as a couple is in your hands. Tilt your device left and right to progress their argument, shake and hold a finger down to madden someone, or run your finger across the screen to calm them down. Gameplay is unique and may take people some getting used to; the learning curve isn't steep, but provides a different angle of direction than typical games.

The art work, by Ezra Claytan Daniels, is stunning. The subdued colors keep the character's emotions intact, while helping gamers distinguish frustration from disbelief. The emotions of the character's come alive, even though there are no animations. It's a definite achievement of the artist. 

There are 5 outcomes of this game, although I've only ended up with 2 so far. There is no 'direct' way to come out with these different outcomes, forcing the player to uniquely imagine the scenario. 

Listen to the music as you play--it seems to mimic the emotions of the scene. This adds another layer of gameplay and helps build up the emotions in the scene. 

I have never played a game from the App Store quite like Ruben and Lullaby. Graphic novels, I've read, games, I've played--but never before have I encountered a bridging of the two in an application. This game provides a new texture to gaming, and shows just what the iPhone/iPod Touch can do. 

As far as gameplay, I know it will not appeal to everyone. Others may feel its too boring, or feel the actions available are limited. As far as replay value, certain players may feel frustrated because they end up with the same outcome, even though there are 5.  Perhaps in the future, more scenario's will be developed?

However, this is a unique game, and doesn't play out the same way for everyone. Gamers are in control of the scenario, and the combination of artwork, music, and player actions help develop the gameplay. 

Ruben & Lullaby takes only a few minutes to play until you reach a the end of the scene, but it is interesting to see how the scene plays out each time. This is a unique game that combines elements many have never seen before, like myself. At $2.99, purchasing this app is an investment in something unique, and deserving of attention. The art work, music, and unique gameplay help create Ruben & Lullaby, but ultimately, it's the gamers who are control. 

Graphics: 5/5

Sound: 5/5

Replay Value: 3/5

Value: 4/5 

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Pet First Aid review




Pet First Aid by Jive Media LLC

Current Price: $4.99

Reviewed at v1.0.0

Pet First Aid is your comprehensive source for medical emergency care for your pet(s).

This app has 14 categories of articles available:

  • Emergency situations
  • Heart & Breathing
  • Fundamentals
  • What's Normal
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Bites & Stings
  • Bloat & Torsion
  • Burns 
  • Eyes, Ears & Nose
  • Fractures & Sprains
  • Head & Spinal Injuries
  • Heat & Cold Injuries
  • Poisoning
  • Wounds

Each category features detailed articles, linking readers to related terms definitions, videos (which are clear and have excellent audio), and illustrations, all of which are available without connection to the web, making this app perfect for on the go emergencies. 

You're also able to add Pet Info on your pet, with veterinarian details, identifications, allergies & conditions, and more. This creates a profile for your pet and helps you better understand their needs. 

I would say that this app is lacking in this category and that category--but it's not. It's so thoroughly detailed and loaded with pages and pages of articles and useful content. This is an easy-to-use, informative application perfect for any pet owner. 

Interface: 5/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay Value: 4/5

Value: 5/5