Something else to do..

[scottjl]

I'd like to start a thread with some mini reviews of non-reading apps that we have bought and tried and love or hate. We all have our opinions in iBooks, Kobo, B&N and Kindle. But what about the other applications we use on our iPhones, iPads and Touches..? So if you have something you really like and would like to share it with others, please feel free to post up a mini-review here, tell us what it is, why you like it, a link would be handy, screen shots if you want. Or in the case of a turkey, let us know so someone else might save some money. Yes, I know the iTunes store is chock full of reviews on apps, but I place more value in one posted here than some of the "it's great get it now!!!" reviews I see in the app store.

Guess I should be a little more specific, I'd like to see this as a thread with some in-depth reviews on applications. Maybe one application per posting. Include prices, links, features of the application. We have plenty of "name your top XXX apps" threads going, I'd like to see some more in-depth reviews. Also please keep this thread free of discussions on apps, feel free to create new threads for discussions. That way people can just browse this thread and see lots of reviews without getting sidetracked.

Thanks!

[dmaul1114]

NY Times Editors Choice--I really like this one. Enough news for me, nice formatting etc.

USA Today--Ok, but I don't like the design of the app much, definitely wouldn't pay for it when they start charging.

Movies--the iPad version of the Flixter iPhone app. Has the Rotten Tomatoes scores, access to their reviews, trailers, showtimes and can link to theater pages to buy tickets.

Epicurious--very nicely designed free cookbook app.

Urban Spoon--just update of the iPhone app, nice for finding a new place to eat in your city (or when traveling).

Marvel and Comixology--good comic apps. Though iPad screen size is a tad small so some comic's text is a bit too small in full page view. Fine in panel by panel view, but stuff is blocky then from being zoomed in on. The .99 cent to $1.99 an issue prices are too much as well, especially for old comics that you can buy in a trade paper back to get long series runs together for $10-20.

AP News--decent news ap, interesting layout, has pictures and videos as well.

BBC News--love their news, don't care for the layout of this app so much though. Same with the NPR app.

Atomic Web Browser--nice to have tabs, generally works fine. Run into some odd issues here and there. Biggest is it doesn't work with the Novell Groupwise Webmail to check work e-mail for me or my girlfriend. Loads the in box, but can't open messages, or scrol through messages. Site works fine in Safari.


That's about it off the top of my head. My girlfriend likes some game where you pick out the 5 things different in two pictures side by side--but I can't think of the name. Also a decent solitaire app I downloaded--just plain old Klondike solitaire, but works well. Forget the name of it as well since I tried a couple before settling on one.

[scottjl]

I want to start out with a game I picked up recently after reading a recommendation on another web site. Carcassonne is an iPhone/Touch (iPad is coming this year) implementation of a simple to play board game that I would say is along the lines of a game like Risk but far simpler to play, but not so simple to master.

Basic gameplay is from 1 to 5 players, any of which can be a computer AI (of varying difficulties) or human. The game supports "pass-and-play" which is great for sharing with a group. In addition there is Internet based play with a group of friends, or a quick game with friends you haven't made yet. You can also play on a local Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network if everyone has a copy of the game. Network play also supports in-game text chat.

Players take turns drawing and placing tiles that have various land, road, village and city configurations on them. Similar to dominos you try to match up the sides of the tile with like sides, match city segments to cities, roads to roads, fields to fields. You also have people tokens that you can place in these cities, on roads or out in the fields to score points. For example if you place a person token in a city, and then complete that city by connecting tiles to enclose city walls, you score points based on how many city tiles are connected. Roads work similar, you score points based on the length of the road. Players take turns drawing and placing tiles, trying to increase their points and thwarting others building attempts. Game play ends when the tiles run out and the playing area can grow quite large. As I said, game play itself is rather simple, but strategy is definitely involved in where to best place your tile, and to place your people tokens (you only have 7) to score points effectively.

The game currently released is for the iPhone and iPod touch, but it plays just fine on the iPad and honestly the graphics are beautiful in 2x scale. The developers say a universal version is due out by the end of the year, and the price will rise from $4.99 to $9.99 at that time. The application is coded very well and has a beautiful UI, some very nice background music during game play and an excellent tutorial mode. In addition to normal play there is a solitaire game mode where you play alone trying to score as many points as possible. There are also weekly competitions for high scores in solitaire play.

Overall I gave this game 4 out of 5 stars, they'll get the extra star when the iPad version is released. But if I had an iPhone only it would get 5 for sure.

If you're looking for something different to play, like a simple but challenging game, and enjoy board games, I can recommend this one. Don't let the non-iPad version deter you, as I said it looks and plays just fine.

If pick this one up, feel free to hit me up for an Internet game.

http://carcassonneapp.com/

[tyche]

I'm late to the whole sudoku craze but I have bought a few books and lately a tried out a few apps for the iPhone and now iPad.

My favorite is Big Bad Sudoku Book. A straight-up sudoku client though lacking in a few logging features (for now) comes through in ease of playing tools. You can easily add marks (candidates), highlight a number, column, or grid. It makes filling out a puzzle very simple and coming from using a pencil on paper, a joy to use. It also has a hint option to help when you get stuck and will show all available marks to help nudge you in the right direction.

According to the developers, "We are working hard on an update which brings sound, profiles, a career mode, and many more options for puzzles."

The lucky few got it free in April, it is currently $1.99 in iTunes with free updates such as the one mentioned above included. I usually do a sudoku puzzle or two while eating dinner and this is a great way to do them.

More info on Big Bad Sudoku Book

[The Old Man]

Try the LIFE Magazine app. It is free and meant for the iPhone/iTouch but works very well with the iPad. Primarily it displays pictures that have appeared in Life Magazine over the years with some new photos. Pictures seem to update almost daily with older ones staying in the app for a few days. Today’s pictures feature some from yesterdays Ohio storms.

Run it in 2x, of course, and you may need a fairly fast wifi connection to get the pics in a reasonable time. They download in about 3 seconds with my TWC connection. The pictures first appear slightly fuzzy but sharpen very quickly. In the Apple App Store do a search for “Life Magazine”.

There is a title for each picture to describe it and if you tap the picture the menu items disappear so you can press the iPad’s on/off button and the center button at the same time to “snap” the screen, saved to your photo albums.

When you get to the last picture in any group you may find additional related groups with more pictures. In today’s group of Operation Overlord pictures there are other groups of the RAF in WWII and the Pacific war.

A few extras include the ability to put your own picture on the cover of Life magazine and take a test comparing your choice of photos with others.

App is easy to navigate and for an oldie like me it’s nice to view some of the bygone pictures. A FREE app so you have nothing to lose by trying it.

[HarryT]

A question: How do you do the screen shots that have appeared in this thread?

[scottjl]

my shot came from the app's web site. but you can screen shot on an iphone/touch/ipad by pressing the power and home buttons at the same time. you'll hear the camera "click" and the screen shot will appear in your photo library. works at any time (springboard, in an app, even on the lock screen).

[HarryT]

Thanks!

[drofgnal]

One of my favorite free aps WAS the Weather Channel. It used to be a great app. Wonderful map, particularly in the tornado prone area I'm in. You can track a storm down to your street while crouched down in the tub with a cushion over your head!!

Then they updated it and ruined it. The inserted advertising that comes into play a 15-30 second spot whenever you go between items. Also changed the forcast screen to put in a billboard. Junked it up as well.

After posting a miserable review of the app in the app store, I deleted the app and installed weather bug. Not as nifty, a good map, forecast all in one page, no advertising and free.

[HarryT]

Weather Pro is a £2.99 App for the iPad which is the best weather app that I've currently found. It offers 7 day forecasts for 2 million locations world-wide, as well as close to real-time satellite imagery and rainfall radar images which play in an animated sequence.

It's not as pretty as the free "Weather HD", but displays much more useful information in terms of forecasts of temperature, wind, rainfall, atmospheric pressure, and UV.

A must for the "weather junkie", making full use of the iPad's screen.

Screenshots below, showing what a horrible week we have in store in the UK!

Highly recommended.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

A question: How do you do the screen shots that have appeared in this thread?

When the screen you want to grab is up on the iPad, hold the home and power buttons at the same time. The iPad will click and you will have the screen shot on your iPad. You can then pull it off however you go about pulling a photo off of the iPad.

[HarryT]

Thank you - as you can see, I figured out how to do it .

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

One of my favorite free aps WAS the Weather Channel. It used to be a great app. Wonderful map, particularly in the tornado prone area I'm in. You can track a storm down to your street while crouched down in the tub with a cushion over your head!!

Then they updated it and ruined it. The inserted advertising that comes into play a 15-30 second spot whenever you go between items. Also changed the forcast screen to put in a billboard. Junked it up as well.

After posting a miserable review of the app in the app store, I deleted the app and installed weather bug. Not as nifty, a good map, forecast all in one page, no advertising and free.

Ditto on the Weather Channel - after the update it began crashing while loading, etc. I've dumped it too. Now using weather bug too.

[The Old Man]

Just found this today. The wife loves it. FREE!
Betty Crocker Cookbook for iPad.

[pshrynk]

Well, they fixed the crash bug on the Weather Channel. Now it does not crash. I have the current conditions from four days ago and it won't update unless I delete and re-load, but it doesn't crash...