 Some of the latest app buzz has circulated around the newest addition to LBS social networking apps. SCVNGR has found its way into a highly competitive market, but has nonetheless maintained a unique edge. The app adds a new element beyond check-in’s, connections, and badges. With SCVNGR, all of these are still part of the fun, but the element of challenge is introduced to amp up the entertainment. Therefore, you are not just visiting and reviewing places or embarking on various treks, but you are actively engaging with your location — either by partaking in tasks that have already been created or by creating missions yourself. The more you do within the app, the more points you gain, and the higher you climb on the social leaderboard, which, let’s face it, is the ultimate objective.
While the app is noteworthy for what it does, the part-game part-platform endeavor also has an interesting history. The CEO, Seth Priebatsch, actually left Princeton during his Freshman year to pursue this venture, an idea that was conceived during one of his courses. Since then, the company has bloomed into a crucial link between social networking, location, and marketing. However, while the idea has always been on a mobile platform, it initially started out as an enterprise, intended for educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations (like the US Army) to be able to use the platform to create a scavenger hunt-inspired game that would achieve a certain purpose (e.g. college orientation, introducing customers to a product). After seeing success in this realm, SCVNGR made the jump to the consumer market and, well, the rest is history in the making. SCNVGR’s promise has been recognized and invested in by powerhouses like Highland Capital and Google Ventures, further proving how awesome the product is.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com
written by Duy Phong
\\ tags: App, Apple, Application, Game, Google, Iphone, OS
 Going out to eat with a large group of friends is always a fun time…until the bill comes. Between splitting dishes, dividing costs, and figuring out the tip, checks for large parties are always overwhelming (unless one person is picking up the tab). Looking at them blows even the most basic of mental math out the window, and figuring them out usually takes about as long as the meal itself. Thankfully, technology has come up with ways to maneuver these dreaded situations. Bistromath is an iphone app that is particularly handy for a meal out, regardless of the size of the group.
When you open Bistromath, all you have to do is add a check. Notably, all checks you add within the app are automatically saved, which is useful when keeping track of meal expenditures and the like. Once you create a new check, you just add the price of the dish, and choose whether this amount should be billed to you or to a guest. You can add as many dishes and guests as you need.
When you click on the dish, you can choose what kind it is: drink, side, main, dessert, or liquor. You can also opt to split the cost of the dish with another person as well, making even the most complicated of bills or situations easy.
After you detail all of the dishes, you go back to the main dish screen where you can access “plus tax and tip” which takes you to the final bill. This allows you to select various sales taxes as well as choose your tip amount. Finally, it tells you exactly how much you and the others owe. While you may not end up paying to the exact cent, it is certainly a useful tool that could avoid heated, embarrassing, or mind-boggling restaurant situations. You can even mail the bill to yourself or to a friend by pressing the envelope in the top right corner!
The only thing I can think of that Bistromath is missing is an option to select how everyone paid for what they owe or an ability to create an IOU. Regardless, Bistromath is crucial tool to use whenever you go out for foor or drinks. Checks are no longer scary or daunting, and your brain can continue to relax after you gorge yourself on food and drink.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com
written by Duy Phong
\\ tags: App, Apple, Application, Iphone, OS
While a great deal of energy has been devoted to how LBS has affected social networking, there is one other realm that has experienced its profound effects. The world of marketing has not only changed with the introduction of social networking media, but the recent fad of social LBS game/apps is adding a new dimension to how people find and experience places and products. Because the apps are so fun and social, people tend to forget how much advertising and marketing play into them. Fortunately, there are no annoying ad banners, but the simple listing of a nearby place or product is enough to get its name out there and known. Couple that with the fact that all your friends are there or you read an interesting review about it, and bam! — consumer base is multiplied.
The lure of social LBS apps extends beyond the fact that it’s a new way of connecting with friends and meeting new people. One of the greatest elements of these apps is the ability to review and read reviews of places. While online reviews can be helpful, they can also be biased, and may not necessarily be from people with similar tastes, backgrounds, or interests. The fact that social LBS apps keep you connected with people within your circle of friends or with people of a similar demographic ensures that the information you read will most likely reflect what you think and guarantees that the reviews are not biased. Also, you know who posted what, and therefore you can rationalize what was said or question further.
This phenomenon was initially started by apps such as Foursquare and Gowalla, which enable you to see where your friends and others are, what they’re doing, and how they feel about it. Additionally, they reward you for being a loyal patron and inspire you to keep using the apps by presenting you with prizes and points for each location visited. However, a new kid is now on the LBS block. SCVNGR goes one step further from these apps by implementing challenges and allowing the users to take advantage of their platform in order to add to the game (see App Spotlight for more information).
Regardless of method, all of these apps serve the purpose of connecting their clients to the places around them. By signing on with one of these apps, a business is signing on for guaranteed exposure and a likely increase in clientele. Furthermore, the immediate feedback form the apps enables quick responses from the company owners, ensuring happy customers. So as you can see, every side of the equation is happy. The only mistake one can make with social LBS apps is to not engage with them — either as a producer or consumer. LBS has transformed social experience, has shaped the world of marketing, and has created even more motivation to get out there, explore, and connect.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com
written by Duy Phong
\\ tags: App, Apple, Application, Game, Iphone, ITunes, OS
 If you are an artist, a drawer, and is looking for a different kind of a drawing app, SKTCH might be perfect for you! Unlike an ordinary drawing app which is based on a brush, SKTCH is based on presets, shapes created by digital artists around the world. Instead of drawing lines, you get to draw patterns! There are a total of 14 cool presets available. You can also edit your images for more combinations. Finally, you can see your pictures come to life!
The best thing about this app is that, even somebody, like me who has zero experience with any kind of mobile drawing app can scrawl the patterns all over and make it look like a piece of art! Ok, so that’s an exaggeration. But, yes, the patterns truly are fantastic, and for a digital art enthuasist, the possibilities are endless for creating unique art. Frankly, words are inadequate to describe how this app works. So check out the screenshots below!
 
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com
written by Duy Phong
\\ tags: App, Apple, Application, Iphone, OS
 Every once in a while, an app will come along that has no practical application whatsoever but is just SO COOL that you have to have it! Gravilux is that sort of app, especially on the iPad. The game is based on simple physics — there is a sheet of stars, and they break apart and gravitate towards wherever your fingers touch. While this sounds kindof bland, the way they move and form to your fingers coupled with multi-touch capabilities makes Gravilux a more interactive take on the iTunes visualizer. In this case, simplicity plus awesome graphics make for something strangely fascinating. I can’t even begin to imagine how it could enhance enhanced states… Gravilux is something that you really have to experience in order to get the full gravity of it.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com
written by Duy Phong
\\ tags: App, Apple, Application, Game, Iphone, ITunes, OS
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