Gear Diary » Apple iPhone and Touch Applications

G5 Games Gives Us ‘Fix It Up World Tour’ as a Valentine’s Day Gift!

Michael Anderson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:15:51 +0000

Is there any better way to show someone you love them than with a free time management game for the iPhone and iPad? OK, so there are many, but that doesn't mean that this isn't awesome! Today only G5 is giving away the fun Fix It Up World Tour for both iPhone and iPad! Here is the description:

Go global in this fantastic strategy adventure! In this sequel to “Fix-it-up: Kate’s Adventure”, you must help Kate expand her car-repair empire around the world! Build car-repair shops anywhere from snowy Canada to steaming African jungles. Buy cars, fix them and paint them to make your business prosperous. Earn your fortune in

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Find Partners with SinglesAroundMe App

Douglas Moran — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:36 +0000

Once you graduate college or high school and start moseying out into the real world, you start to notice: finding dates is hard. You are no longer surrounded by potential partners just your own age; you're surrounded by, well, everybody. Including old pharts like yours truly. So how do you find a partner? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

There’s an App for That, the Adele Version

Dan Cohen — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:00:04 +0000

As Mike recently pointed out, Adele is a phenomena who popularity exploded this year because… she has a great voice and the songs are great! She's had a rough time lately however thanks to throat surgery and a silent recovery. After a polyp was removed Adele was told not to speak for a month. According to an upcoming interview on 60 Minutes, Adele, who loves to talk, found the silence more difficult than the actual surgery. Fortunately for her she lives in the era of smartphone apps. As she explained,

I had an application on my phone that you type the words into it and then it speaks it.

But there's more. You see, most text-to-speach apps offer G-rated language and Adele is a self-professed potty-mouth. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

GD Quickie: Appy Award Nominations Deadline Extended to February 17

Michael Siebenaler — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:30:57 +0000

Show some love for your favorite apps by nominating and voting for their glory in the 2012 Appy Awards by February 17th. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Vonage’s New Mobile App is Easy to Use, and It Saves You Money

Dan Cohen — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:05 +0000

This is a sponsored post, all opinions here-in are mine.

Make Calls, Save Money

As crazy as it sounds, there are still people in the world who use their iPhones and Android handsets to … make voice calls. I know, Crazy! Right? If you are one of them, and, especially, if you travel internationally, the cost of those calls can add up quickly. Vonage has been around for quite some time, but they've just released a new iPhone and Android calling application that is pretty impressive. I'm already using it for calls when I'm in a WiFi network; although the app works over 3G, over WiFi the calls are fantastic and they don't use any of my data plan. I had a chance to speak with the Vonage mobile app team yesterday, and as soon as the call was over I downloaded the app. I'm impressed. The app is easy to use, loads quickly, and the quality of the calls is excellent. Let's run down what stands out in this app, and then walk through the process of actually setting it up so you can see just how easy it is to use ... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

From Evernote Hello to Evernote, Hell No!!

Dan Cohen — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:15:55 +0000

Update #2 by Dan: We reached out to Evernote CEO Phil Libin to bring this to his attention. He let us know that the feature is supposed to be off by default when you add a person manually AND, if you change the settings the app is supposed to remember the settings. Currently it is on by default aND it doesn't remember changed settings but that is a bug that will be addressed ASAP. That's great news. I also hope Evernote will highlight this functionality in the future so people know it is there in the first place. Update #1 by Judie: Dan just called to tell me that it turns out that there is a "Send my contact info when I meet someone" option that is checked by default, meaning that the app is installed to send the offending introduction email. You must uncheck the box, and thereby OPT OUT, or this app will send an automatic email to the contact. My advice would be "make sure that you check that box!" I just downloaded it (on my iPad) to see for myself, and I didn't find any opt-out check box during the set up process, much less any notice anywhere that the app would send an email to anyone. It was only when I went searching after the fact that I found the option inside my personal info in settings. I can tell you right now that if I met some guy at an event and then got an email from him moments later saying he was pleased to meet me, I would think it was more than a little bit weird. To top matters off, there is the "If you'd like to remember the people you meet, get Evernote Hello" tag at the bottom of the email, which makes the sender look like they wouldn't be able to keep people straight if it weren't for the app. My opinion is that it would be best to collect a business card upon introduction and scan it later, rather than fool with this app. I ripped on Evernote 'Hello' when it was first released over a month ago. The "meet people and get in contact" app from Evernote seemed to me to be completely unnecessary. And when they suggested you give it to a stranger and allow them to take their own picture with your smartphone … umm no! Well Evernote Hello got updated, and the update post on the Evernote Blogcast even includes CEO Phil Libin discussing the improvements. Quite frankly when Phil goes into explaining why giving the other person your iPhone in order to take a picture "You almost get a photo booth type experience with them smiling", I had to wonder if some of the explanations were direct responses to our criticisms. Of course they are not, but each (and every) hole we punched in the app WAS addressed. The good news is that the update actually makes a crApp potentially useful. So I went to use it and guess what? This is still NOT an app I want on my iPhone, and you probably don't either. Why? Because it does something I didn't know about, I don't want, and something they don't mention! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

DONKEY.BAS Game Review and Giveaway, the Granddaddy of PC Games Comes to iOS

Bryan Eley — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:00:02 +0000

Well, it could be "grandmother of PC games" for all I know. My biology background didn't include methodology for determining software sex identity and their gender bits look the same to me. XVision has released DONKEY.BAS for iOS 5.0+ mobile devices, based on one of the original IBM PC DOS games written by Bill Gates and Neil Konzen. Yes, that Bill Gates. The concept is simple: The player is driving down the road in what appears to be a late 1940s race car, destination unknown. Suddenly, up ahead, a donkey appears in your lane. What to do!? Change lanes before it's too late! Read on to see my review of the game plus a chance for a reader to win a copy of the game! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Quick Tip: Transcribe Audio and Video for FREE

Dan Cohen — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:00:35 +0000

Have you ever had a YouTube video or audio segment you wanted to transcribe but didn't have the patience to sit and manually type out what the speaker/s said? I ran into just such a situation yesterday and, instead of it taking hours for me to listen, pause, type, listen, pause, type etc I was able to transcribe the two YouTube videos I needed in under ten minutes. Here's how… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Royal Trouble: Hidden Adventure iPad Game Review

Michael Anderson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Even after reading the description of Royal Trouble I wasn't sure exactly what to expect in terms of gameplay - and frankly I was nervous that I was getting burnt out on hidden object games after Spirit of Wandering (though 'Letters from Nowhere 2' tells me otherwise). Fortunately this is an entirely different sort of casual adventure game - and an absolute blast that you simply MUST try! Let's take a look! The Hype: In this critically acclaimed adventure quest, help two charming royal heirs escape from a secluded island! Princess Loreen and Prince Nathaniel find themselves locked in a dungeon without any idea of how they got there. She is bright Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Kingston Wi-Drive Review

Carly Z — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:00:17 +0000

There are some smartphone accessories that make you go "huh? Who would buy this?" And then sometimes there are ideas so smart you think, "Wow! Why didn't anyone do this sooner?" Finally, there's the "GREAT idea, poor execution" accessory. The Kingston Wi-Drive fits into one of these categories, but you will have to read to the end to find out which one! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Check Out Apps that Help You Go Green

Douglas Moran — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:15:31 +0000

General Sherman (the tree, not the guy who marched from Atlanta to the sea)

Despite what you may think, "going green" and thinking about the environment and the future are not new things. There is the story--possibly apocryphal--about the New College at Oxford planting oaks to replace the beams in the Great Hall . . . several hundred years later, when they (inevitably) became beetle-infested. Teddy Roosevelt was thinking green when he designated huge swaths of the United States National Parks, to be preserved for everyone. Johnny Appleseed is an American legend for planting a zillion trees, and many nations around the world celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees. Now we have a lot Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Mental Case Mac and iOS, a Study Tool That’s Good for Everything from Tech to Bar Mitzvah!

Dan Cohen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:04 +0000

Last week Apple worked to make the iPad an even more important educational tool than it already is. The textbooks and their own publishing app Apple set the stage for some really huge increases in iPad-in-education adoption rates. The iPad as study tool is nothing new and one of the best educational apps for it has been around for some time. Mental Case is a flashcard creation and study tool for both Mac OS X and iOS. The Mac version of the app is $29.99 and can be found here. The iOS version is $4.99 and can be found here. I'm using it to create a tutorial system for my students becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah and am impressed with just how flexible it is. Here's a video of it in action with a little extra "tech" at the end! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Diary 101: How to Keep Up-to-Date and Share Information with Colleagues

Dan Cohen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:30:37 +0000

The other day one of my Rabbinic colleagues asked what "system" I use in the synagogue to keep track of all of the various lifecycle "events" that take place in the community as well as make sure that all of my colleagues have as accurate and up-to-date information as possible. I wrote up my answers and then, after sending them to him, realized that while our uses for the services I mention are rather specific, the way in which we use them can easily be adapted to a host of different work-settings. Here's what I told him. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Tiny Tower: My Shameful Obsession

Carly Z — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:30:44 +0000

Have you heard of Tiny Tower? Chances are you have, at least if you use an iOS device. It was named Apple's 2011 Game of the Year, which is how I stumbled upon it while browsing the App Store. But now that I've discovered it, it has become my go-to game throughout the day. Worst of all, I've now gotten Sarah hooked on the Android version, despite the fact that neither of us can really point to what's so exciting about the game! If you're not super familiar with Tiny Tower, here's the App Store description:

Tiny Tower lets you build a tiny tower and manage the businesses and bitizens that inhabit it! ★Make money

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

OmniFocus Plus iPhone 4S Equals Task Management Nirvana

Dan Cohen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:40:48 +0000

If you use an iPhone 4S and are Apple-centric in your computing this quick tip is for you. The tasks application built into iOS 5.0 is good but it is a bit on the basic side. For many it might be a great option but for others, those of us who need task management with some muscle behind it, it just won't do the job. the OmniGroup has made it possible for you to now use Siri and the iOS 5.0 task app to add new tasks to OmniFocus. That gives you the best of all worlds- voice input AND a deep, rich task management. Here's how. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Life on iOS, 4 Months Later

Carly Z — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:00:51 +0000

(yes, I am very obsessive about keeping all my apps neatly in folders.)

Recently Thomas commented that he had re-read my "Farewell, Android" post, and he wanted to know if I felt the same way since buying my 4s back in October. At the risk of ruining the surprise, the short answer is "Heck yea!" But that would make this a rather short follow-up, so read on for how life on iOS has treated me and whether I miss anything from my robot-loving days! The impetus for my initial decision to move to iOS was frustration with Android's fragmentation and how poorly my Droid aged. Nothing from Android in the last few months has made me regret that decision. The Galaxy Nexus is nice, but huge, and Motorola's DROID offerings have the shelf life of a carton of milk. Plus nothing HTC has pumped out on the Android side has been particularly intriguing. However, the iPhone hardware still feels solid, and I don't feel like the 3.5in screen is a limitation. So I don't feel like toting an iPhone has left me out in the cold as far as anything exciting! More importantly, and universally, let's talk software. Yes, I complained I missed the back button, but I've adjusted. I do find the homescreen-centric UI to be a bit limiting sometimes, but I get around it by using the home button double click and flipping through my most used apps. Most importantly, the apps I've encountered on iOS just seem more well-developed and fully baked than their Android counterparts. I feel more productive on iOS than on Android, and that says a lot. I did everything on my Droid, from email to calendar to writing Gear Diary posts and editing photos, but all of it is so much easier on iOS that it just blows me away. In some cases comes down to app quality while in other cases it is a matter of stability. Either way it makes me happy! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

vlock Video Clock App Giveaway!

Bryan Eley — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:15:59 +0000

Recently I did a review of XVision's video clock app for iPhone and iPad, and Gear Diary and vlock's developer XVision would like to offer up three copies of vlock to three lucky readers! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

CrashPlan Releases Mobile App Update for Improved Security

Douglas Moran — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:40:37 +0000

You know how it goes: doing backups is a pain in the tuckus, and so you put it off, or you don't do it regularly, or some such. And then . . . the blue screen of death! Or the Genius Bar guy utters those fateful words, "You'll have to do a full restore." Or your IT person says, "We're going to have to reimage your disk." Panic! Code 42 software wants to help you with their CrashPlan software:

Code 42 Software Inc., developers of award-winning onsite, offsite and online backup solutions for consumers, businesses and the enterprise, today announced updates and new security enhancements to the CrashPlan and CrashPlan PRO mobile apps. The latest version adds support

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iGrill + Omaha Steaks’ Steak Time App = Meat Magic

Chris Chamberlain — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:00:28 +0000

Now far be it from me to tell a man (or a woman for that matter) how to use their BBQ grill. Like politics and religion, grilling is a topic where advice is rarely appreciated or even more rarely followed. I'm sure you're great at cooking a steak over charcoal or gas, and I wouldn't tell you to your face if I thought otherwise. A. because you're feeding me and B. because you probably have fire and sharp BBQ tools within arm's reach. Maybe you're one of those people who can judge a steak's doneness by comparing the surface of the meat to the firmness of the fleshy part of your thumb pad. Good for you then. (Please, oh please, don't cut into a steak while it's still on the grill to check whether it's cooked enough. Meat must rest after cooking or you'll just let all the good juices out!) But as techy types, gadget enthusiasts should strive to introduce some rigor into their grilling methods and cook to exact internal temperatures whenever possible. For example, I like my steak to come off the grill at precisely 122 degrees and allow it to come up to a beautiful pink medium-rare while it's resting. You are letting it rest, right? If we can employ some cool new iPhone technology to help out with these methods, so much the better. Enter the iGrill Bluetooth® cooking thermometer from www.igrillinc.com and the free accompanying “Steak Time” app from Omaha Steaks. So shoo the dog out of the kitchen and put your steak on a high counter to bring it to room temperature while we investigate these fun kitchen tools. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

vlock Video Clock for iPhone/iPad: Watch Videos and Time Go By!

Bryan Eley — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:00:01 +0000

Back in the '70s and '80s there used to be a series of commercials for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that featured a person with a chocolate candy bar and another with an open container of peanut butter. The inevitable collision of the two oblivious eaters resulted in them exclaiming "You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!" and "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" resulting in the product slogan "Two great tastes that taste great together."

That's what came to mind as I played with vlock (v. 5.1) from XVision. There are a number of clock apps available for the iPhone and iPad, but vlock offers a different twist. XVision's vlock Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Appigo’s Notebooks for iPad, a Quick Look and Exclusive Interview

Dan Cohen — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:00:58 +0000

One of the companies that I got to know when I was writing for an iPhone review website was Appigo. Appigo released a task manager, ToDo shortly after the App Store went live and it has been a mainstay on my iOS devices ever since. Appigo is a small outfit that makes quality apps. They are relatively slow to release new products and, over the last few years have proven their commitment to quality and adding value to apps customers have already purchased. Some time after they released ToDo the company also released Appigo Notebook. It was a simple, easy to use notes app that, like ToDo, offered sync capabilities with Toodledo. When the iPad was released Appigo made a version of ToDo for it. Notebook however did not see a similar update… until now. Appigo has released a version of Notebook for iPad. I've been using it for the past day and, like their other offerings, I'm impressed. The app is simple to use, powerful enough to become your go-to note app and, thanks to Dropbox sync, notes are and remain "universal". As Appigo's Boyd Timothy put it "Appigo Notebook has a specific purpose … and that's to stay simple. People appreciate simplicity, especially when it is solid and works." Here's what the company has to say about it and out exclusive conversation with Appigo principles, Calvin Gaisford and Boyd Timothy. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World iPad Game Review

Michael Anderson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:30:24 +0000

From the moment I started playing Kaptain Brawe I felt as though I was transported back in time to the days of the classic LucasArts adventures such as Sam & Max and Grim Fandango ... but with excellent graphics and great touch controls! Let's take a look! The Hype: Step into this whimsical point-and-click interstellar adventure and see what it takes to be a real Space Police officer! In this alternate reality, get ready to embark on a journey filled with quests, conspiracies and general chaos. You will have to step into the shoes of the brave Kaptain Brawe and follow the trail of two kidnapped alien scientists. Explore four colorful and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Hatchi Come to Life on the iPhone

Douglas Moran — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:00:42 +0000

Honestly, it doesn't seem like it was all that long ago, but it's actually been close to 15 years that the Tamagotchi craze swept over the tweens. These were the days when cell phones were analog and not yet ubiquitous, when people still had answering machines (ansaphones if you live Across the Pond) that used actual audio tapes, Apple was being run into the ground by idiot management, Microsoft ruled the world, and I worked at Silicon Graphics. A looooooong time ago. In case you don't remember, Tamagotchis were small, plastic computerized "pets"; in an LCD window, it indicated its needs. You had to feed it, play with it, and in short treat it like a Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

New Game “Feed the Dragon” Now Available on iTunes App Store

Douglas Moran — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:00:32 +0000

Personally when I think about having to feed a dragon, the first few items that come to mind are "dwarves", followed by hobbits, ponies, knights errant, and hapless townspeople. I do not think of, say, donuts, or burgers, or cup-cakes. But then, I'm not a game designer, am I? No, I am but a humble tech writer. When a real game designer gets his or her hands on this idea, yeah, donuts are on the menu.

The King's orders are clear. You are in charge of feeding the royal pet: That BIG Dragon. His appetite is endless and so is the FUN you'll have as you go though each level in this feeding extravaganza. It's

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Magician’s Handbook: Cursed Valley for iPad Review

Michael Anderson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:00:34 +0000

Hidden object adventures continue to evolve on the iPad, with PC games being ported that are more complex, more interesting and have better stories. The latest one to try to capture iPad gamer's interest is the Magician's Handbook. Let's see how it does! The Hype: Remove the evil curse in this captivating adventure by finding hidden objects in the dark and mysterious Cursed Valley! The fabled "Magician's Handbook" has fallen into your hands. You are beckoned to a dark and desolate place whose true name has long been forgotten. Search beautiful, hand-painted backgrounds for cleverly- hidden enchanted objects. Use special incantations to slowly reveal the pages of the sacred Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

(NSFW) Yes, There’s Even an App (and Hardware) for That

Thomas R. Hall — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:00:09 +0000

(Photo courtesy of OhMiBod)

(Not safe for work) You will often find new, interesting, and even innovative products at CES. Most products have a large, almost universal appeal to consumers. Sometimes you end up with more niche products. This is one of those cases. As Francis and I walked the floor we happened upon something I did not expect to see at CES. It seems better suited for other events which are hosted in Las Vegas. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iBike POWERHOUSE Brings a Complete Fitness System to the iPod Touch and iPhone

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:10:20 +0000

I don't know about you, but for me, trying to get into and keep on a fitness plan is difficult. Unless you have motivation, it can be difficult to keep with it. Personally, one way I have found that works to keep motivated is to have a training partner, or use statistics to track my progress. Well, the iBike POWERHOUSE does both! The iBike POWERHOUSE is a fitness tool which combines an iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S or an iPod Touch with a hardware device which:

A weather-proof / shock resistant patented smart case and sensors
The iBike POWERHOUSE app
Goal-specific plans developed by world-class fitness expert Hunter Allen

You simply start Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Space Kiwi: The First iPhone App Game With Fully Animated Characters Has Launched

Douglas Moran — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:30:12 +0000

Just to keep you on your toes and show you that not everything this week is CES-related, here's an interesting new game for iOS from ORRO Apps: Space Kiwi. Looks kinda like your standard action game, but the folks at ORRO tell us that this is the first iPhone game with "fully animated characters". I don't know if that makes a difference in look-and-feel, gameplay, or what, but it is a differentiator, for sure. Here's what ORRO says about it:

Moon Men have begun an invasion of Earth! Take flight with the Space Kiwi to brave the land, sea, skies, and beyond to save the planet. Zoom from Earth to the Moon in the Space Kiwi's

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

G5 Entertainment Releasing ‘Letters from Nowhere’ for iPhone/iPad on January 19th!

Michael Anderson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:30:32 +0000

G5 Entertainment is already off to a great start in January, releasing The Magician's Handbook: Cursed Valley, a number of titles for the Kindle Fire ... and now a great looking hidden object adventure game called 'Letters from Nowhere'. Here are some details:

Mysterious letters and a sudden disappearance keep you on your toes in this Hidden Object journey that is filled with unexpected twists and turns. When Audrey learns of her husband's disappearance, she struggles to keep hope alive. She has all but given up when mysterious letters begin arriving at her doorstep. Plunge into this dramatic story, wander through 48 bizarre locations, find clues and solve witty puzzles to unveil the secret behind

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

IK Multimedia Announces the DJRig for iPhone at CES 2012!

Michael Anderson — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:01:17 +0000

Today at CES IK Multimedia, makers of professional grade tools for musicians such as the iRig guitar interface, iRig MIDI and iRig Mic are bringing a number of great sounding new products to the market. The DJRig for iPhone is not your average DJ spinning tool for a smartphone - IK specifically calls out what makes it 'competitive' with existing apps ... and also where it simply blows away the competition! Here are some of the 'expected' features:

• Direct access to iPod library and playlists • Automatic fast BPM detection with OnTempo™ auto-sync technology • Drag and zoom of waveform display • Deck controls: Volume, Pitch, 3-Band kill EQ

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...