Android – Iphone – Applications

Virtual notepad apps have become something of a rage on the iPad recently, and with good reason. Why carry around all of your notes in binders, notebooks and legal pads when you can consolidate all of them in one place? Flip Note for the iPad is the latest entry in this burgeoning category, and while it does several things many competitors do not, it still could use some serious tweaking before it becomes my go-to note-taking app.

Even if you’ve never tried out a notepad app, you can surmise easily what to expect; after all, a notepad is just a series of blank pages, right? Wrong. Apps like Flip Note allow for drawing (either freehand or pre-selected shapes), writing (either by finger or via a stylus), and typing. Once notes are entered, they are saved, and it’s a simple matter to change the page to start new notes at any point. Want to find a note quickly? Just pull up the search box and type in a word or phrase you’re looking for. The built-in search function will locate all pages containing that word or phrase.

It’s a good thing Flip Note contains such a good search feature, since you only get one notebook to work with. This, unfortunately, is a bad design choice. Where I might want separate notebooks for each of several different topics or subject areas, Flip Note forces me to include everything in one. The ability to search everything quickly alleviates this somewhat, but I’d much rather have a system like the one available in PenUltimate, the app which Flip Note will invariably be compared to.

In terms of additional features, it’s worth pointing out that Flip Note allows you to export your pages to email, to a photo or to a text file, and that there is a useful undo feature built into the editor. However, you cannot control font size or pen (ink?) color as you can in PenUltimate, nor can you change from traditional lined paper to graph paper.

Flip Note has pros and cons, and it depends on what you need as to which note-taking app is best for you. I like Flip Note for the ability to add both handwritten and typed notes, but the placement of all notes in one notebook is a deal breaker. If your needs are such that you like keeping everything in one place, you may find Flip Notes to be the best choice.

[ Flip Note for iPad Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by tmunzke \\ tags: $1.99, change-the-page, editor, epsilon, freehand-or-pre, ipad, ipad productivity, note taking, notes, overall-rating, pad, rating, search, word-or-phrase

I have to admit it; I love a good quality beer. I am always looking, comparing, tasting, and enjoying new beers whenever I have the opportunity. The problem that I often run into is finding a great beer in some small brewery tucked away in some small town, and completely forgetting what that beer was a week later. Now, this fantastic micro-brew can be documented on my iPhone thanks to ThatsTheSpirit.

ThatsTheSpirit is a database for the adult beverage. It is easy to document everything from a fine wine to the finest scotch. Long gone are the days of sipping a fine wine, telling yourself you have to buy this when you get home, and then completely forgetting what the wine was. Entering these spirits could not be any easier thanks to the simple interface. Choose from predefined beverage types, enter the name, cost, where you had it, and more into a simple database. You can even attach a photo of the bottle to the entry so you have an easy visual reference. Finding the drink is just as easy thanks to a simple search feature.

This is a great start for a spirit database, but there are a few things that would have really made this a superior app. The app may contain the ability to enter in hard liquors and beers, but the setup is most certainly geared to the wine coinsure. Including a line item for who produces beverages would also go miles to increasing the usefulness of this database. Also, being able to modify the price so people can know it was $10 for a four pack of beer, and not just a generic $10 entry would really help with budget conscious shoppers. The last bit that could really use a modification is the ability to edit drink types, as the predefined list is fine, but it is not comprehensive by any stretch.

This is a good start to helping you track those fine adult beverages, but it is not quite the comprehensive app some might hope for. It is worth picking up if you enjoy a wide variety of drinks and hate forgetting them at a later time; just know there are some constraints you will have to work around.

[ iPhone Review: ThatsTheSpirit is a post from 148Apps ]

written by nhiepphong \\ tags: ability, adult, comprehensive, database, dicran-goulian, Iphone, iphone apps and games, ipod, lifestyle, overall-rating, rating, wine

Gameloft seems to be hitting its stride as of late with the excellent sequel to Gangstar and Modern Warfare 2. Their recent games have all had fantastic controls, consistently smooth graphics, and half-ok stories to boot. Star Battalion, their latest game, doesn’t quite hit the highs of their latest games, but it also doesn’t sink down to the all-time Gameloft lows (Real Tennis 2009 – ouch).

Before I get into the graphics or the gameplay, I have to mention the glaring lack of originality that seems to plague the folks at Gameloft. Their graphics and sound guys are top notch, but their app ideas/stories are always (with no exceptions) knockoffs of something else. In this case, Star Battalion is a blatant Star Wars knock off, complete with a “Royalist” empire and an obligatory rebel force. The whole thing, from start to finish, screams ROGUE SQUADRON — but really, what else would you expect from Gameloft?

As far as the game goes, each mission is really just a seek and destroy mission, just with different overlays. Like any other open flying airplane-type game, there are small bits of flying around looking for something intersected by long, drawn out dogfights. Sometimes you’ll have to find holocubes or follow mercenaries around space junk, but most of the game is fighting. On a side note, there is a local and online coop mode (through Game Center or Gameloft Live) that lets you play with real people in your squadron. It doesn’t add anything to the gameplay, but it is a fun little ditty.

Being a space game, the control system is really what makes or breaks the experience. Unlike the rest of the Gameloft lineup, Star Battalion is completely accelerometer controlled (although you can switch to the joystick), and it utilizes screen swipes for barrel rolls and u-turns. There’s a button for the laser and a button for the missile, but for the most part, the screen is filled with gameplay and necessary items like dialogue boxes and the radar.

The accelerometer controls are where most people will find fault with the game. As nice as the graphics and the sound are (they really are quite nice), the control system is just a bit chunky. Even while adjusting the sensitivity, the ships movement seems to go a little further than you would like it. It doesn’t make the game unplayable for the most part, but there are a handful of levels that are extremely frustrating because they require you to fly in confined spaces. The game desperately needs some kind of auto assisted controls in certain parts, just to end the chaos.

At the end of the day, most fans of space combat games won’t find too much wrong with Star Battalion. In typical Gameloft fashion, the game is smooth, looks nice, and has a half descent story (even though it is a total knock off). The controls will drive you nuts at times, but for most, the good will outweigh the bad.

By the way, if you catch me at the right time I may just be up for a co-op level or two. My Game Center ID is Chris148apps.

[ Star Battalion Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by simonivan \\ tags: Application, control, gameloft, Games, graphics, iphone apps and games, latest, modern, overall-rating, price, rating, space shooter, star battalion, tennis

There aren’t many musical instruments out there that are stranger than the Reactable table instrument. The original Reactable table was concieved by a four man research team at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. The table is a round, translucent table that, in the dark, emanates this creepy blue glow. What happens (and this is from my own understanding) is that the table itself provides the platform for the user to make sounds with the provided “tangibles.” The tangibles are little blocks, all with different symbols, that all do different things. Some tangibles are oscilators, some are voltage filters, etc. Once the blocks are placed on the Reactable, the table itself displays animated symbols that let you modify what kind of sound that gets produced.

As far as I can tell, the actual Reactable tables are very limited in number and are only available in selected museum exhibits and Bjork concerts. You can get on the waiting list to get one, but they look to only be sold in small batches and cost 9,700 Euros a pop – not exactly the price of a guitar at a local music store. Fortunately for iOS users, there is an app for that.

The Reactable app, developed by the same people that made the table, is the iOS touch screen version of the same product. Because the iPhone has a touch screen, the Reactable works the same as it would in real life, only with everything a bit smaller.

In the app, you can choose from a wide selection of tangibles that produce sounds, including the aforementioned oscillator, loops (you can upload your own .rtp or .wav loops through the built in web server), and samples. Once your sound is down, you can modify it by using the various modifier tangibles, which include a modulator, a filter, a sequencer, a low frequency oscillator (LFO), and my favorite of all, the accelerometer control. With it, you can scramble any loop or sample just by shaking the iPhone.

To create a real song with the Reactable app, you would really have to get into the details of each tangible. For example, if you double tap a loop, you can change the loop, modify its equalizer settings, and choose what pattern the loop plays in. Once you add in filters and modulators, the beat that you produce really boils down to your ability to micromanage individual sounds. With so much action going on at once, using Reactable on an iPad should be much more satisfying than on an iPhone.

In the end, Reactable really just boils down to a fun but complicated toy that can make some impressive beats – if you know what you are doing. Learning all the symbols can be a challenge (I recommend looking at the online manual) and the general chaos will discourage some, but people that are really into iOS music making will find the app fascinating.

[ Reactable Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by iieevvn \\ tags: accelerometer, aforementioned, Application, ipad apps and games, Iphone, overall-rating, price, reactable, review

Oh parlor tricks, how you have rocked so many drunken patrons into buying “magicians” free rounds. If only there were a place that provided said parlor tricks in one easy to use app. Well, Houdini impersonators looking to score a free drink with simple illusions, your little black book of tricks has arrived in the form of PubMagic Premium.

PubMagic is a listing of simple bar tricks. These tricks include wonders like making a coin precariously balanced on a match over a beer bottle fall in without touching the setup, and logic puzzles dealing with matches and numbers. The tricks in this app are nothing that will put you on a pedestal next to David Blaine or David Copperfield, but they are enough to impress friends after a pint or five. The tricks are simple in nature, and are easily accomplished with many simple items readily available in a bar like matches, coins, and bottles.

There is not much to this app. Tap on the Trick List and scroll through the preloaded tricks to find something you find enjoyable and interesting. Simple instruction will guide you through the setup and execution, while photos will help illustrate the simple solutions to each trick. While the setup is rather simple, having the ability to search for tricks, add new tricks, or even tag tricks as favorites would have been a great way to add to the overall usability of this app. Guess we will have to hope the developers plan on adding more tricks through free updates, as what is provided is a fair starting point, but not enough, really, to get you free drinks for a year.

PubMagic Premium provides a few fun tricks to pull on friends while doing the weekly pub-crawl, but there may not be $1.99 worth of tricks. I guess you could use this app to win a free beer, but then you could just use the power of the internet to learn these tricks for free. While the app may be fun, the novelty just does not justify the higher cost.

[ iPhone Review: PubMagic Premium is a post from 148Apps ]

written by zulu \\ tags: $1.99, blaine-or-david, entertainment, iphone apps and games, overall-rating, pubmagic premium, rating, simple