Archive for category App Reviews

Review: Top 5 Financial & Investing iPhone Apps

Jan 26

Posted by Alan in App Reviews, Best iPhone Apps, Financial Apps, iPhone Apps With Push Notifications | 1 Comment

The iPhone comes with a default Stocks app to track stock prices, but many investors quickly seek an alternative because the app lacks any financial news coverage and its quotes are delayed by 20 minutes. We took a look at the top 5 financial iPhone apps: Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, CNBC Real-Time, Bloomberg, and AOL’s DailyFinance, and although each has its own qualities, two stood out from the crowd, CNBC Real-Time and Bloomberg. Below are our reviews for each app, sorted by ranking.

1. CNBC Real-Time

CNBC Real Time (free, iTunes link) is one of our favorite apps because of its slick interface, quality of original video content, useful push notifications, and real-time stock quotes (thus the “Real Time” in its name).

While apps like Bloomberg and MarketWatch offer more text content, Real-Time is all about video, and they do it very well, offering long clips from various CNBC shows. The videos feature important or interesting moments from the CNBC broadcast day, but again, the clips are usually long, usually 8-10 minutes and are almost always worth watching. Real Time does offer text articles too, but they’re somewhat sparse when compared with the other apps.
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Review: Grinchmas

Dec 16

Posted by Tim Barribeau in App Reviews, Games for Kids | No Comments

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Grinchmas (iTunes link, $0.99) makes a game out of of Dr Suess’ classic fable, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and given the excellent source material, we’re sad to say, we were disappointed.

There are two game modes in Grinchmas: Mean Grinch and Merry Grinch. Mean Grinch mode has you throwing snowballs at noisy houses in Whoville, the goal being to last as long as possible before the sound drives you mad. The second mode—Merry Grinch—has you delivering presents to Whoville houses by matching the color of the present to the house. You try and deliver as many as possible before time runs out.

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Review: Voices

Dec 5

Posted by Tim Barribeau in 99-Cent Apps, App Reviews | No Comments

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Voices (iTunes link, $0.99) is a rather silly and fun app that takes your voice and runs it through a series of filters. It’s hardly groundbreaking, but it’s pretty entertaining, especially when hanging around with friends.

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Voices lets you record your voice and listen back to it through one of 17 different filters: Cyborg, Chipmunk, Exorcism, Dark Side, Vocoder, Cave, Guitar, Funhouse, Vinyl, Helium, Reverse, Vintage, Megaphone, Canyon, Fan, Witness, or Turtle.
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Review: Battle of the iPhone Barcode Scanners

Dec 5

Posted by Tim Barribeau in App Reviews, Barcode Scanners | 3 Comments

We took three popular iPhone barcode scanners—RedLaser ($1.99), Barcode Scan Pro ($0.99), and ShopSavvy (free)—and pitted them against each other in a bid to see which was best, with some surprising results. To test them out, we scanned a number of items, both common and uncommon, and looked at which gave us the most results and the lowest prices. In our ratings, we also took into consideration the interface and how well the scanner recognized the barcodes.

Note: These tests were undertaken with an iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3GS has an autofocus camera, which may provide better scanning of bardcodes.

The Loot:

Four pack of sugar-free Red Bull
WESC Harp headphones
Star Wars Vault book
Gattaca DVD
Box of Shredded Wheat
Bottle of Matua Wine
Bottle of 42 Below Kiwi Vodka

We went for a good range of items, as some are common (Red Bull), and some are rare (Matua Wine). The products’ barcodes were on a number of different surfaces including curved bottles, which is tricky for the iPhone’s camera to scan. For each scanner, we’ll list the items, how many results it found, and what the lowest price found was.

ShopSavvy

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Red Bull: 2 results, $9.99
Headphones: 1 result, $20
Star Wars Vault: 32 results (27 online, 5 local), $19.80
Gattaca: 14 results (12 online, 2 local), $1.97
Shredded Wheat: 5 results, $5.39
Wine: 1 result, $9.95
Vodka: 0 results

ShopSavvy (free, iTunes link) provided, hands down, the best results. It was the only scanner to find the correct package of Red Bull and the headphones. It also was the only one that found local results, even out in the boonies where I am, and differentiated between used and new versions of products. It automatically sorts results by price, and has a gorgeous interface. Items can be added to a wish list or to price alerts, the latter of which checks for a lower price each time you launch the app. The only downside is that the scanner isn’t quite as good as RedLaser’s—it’s slow—so it might take some fiddling to work. The manual search also isn’t as pretty as the other two apps, but you get much better results, so I’m not complaining.

Red Laser

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

Red Bull: 1 result, a 24 pack for $45.78
Headphones: 0 results
Star Wars Vault: 25 results, $19.72
Gattaca: 9 results, $2
Shredded Wheat: 5 results, $5.39
Matua Wine: 1 result, $9.95
Kiwi Vodka: 0 results

Redlaser ($1.99, iTunes link) had far and away the best scanner of the lot. It read the barcode quickly with the least amount of problems. It generally produced a large number of results, with a good price. On the downside, it displayed search results without highlighting which was the cheapest, which takes away a lot of the app’s usefulness. It also used ellipses in results, making it hard to tell the details of an item without navigating to the product seller’s website. On the upside, Redlaser had the most minimalistic interface and has a nice feature where previously searched items are stored in one massive list, from which they can be favorited or deleted.

Barcode Scan Pro

Rating: 4.6 out of 10

Red Bull: 1 result, a 24 pack for $45.78
Headphones: 0 results
Star Wars Vault: 1 result, $64.97
Gattaca: 5 results, $3.01
Shredded Wheat: 2 results, a 6 pack for $48.99
Wine: 1 result, $9.95
Vodka: 0 results

Barcode Scan (iTunes link) was easily the worst of the three. Of the seven items, not even a single one of them scanned. That’s right, after spending a very, very long time playing with positioning, angle, and light, I still couldn’t get a single correct scan from this app. What’s also bad, is that it forces you to take a photo of the barcode, which it then tries to read. The other two applications are constantly reading from the camera, and let you know when they register the barcode. Once the barcode was manually entered, it found the least results, and for the highest prices.

Barcode Scan wins a couple of points for its interface. The manual barcode entry is especially pretty, and it has some very good List features. You can add as many lists as you want, and share them with friends over email. If you scan an item that Barcode Scan has no results for, it allows you to upload information yourself.

Conclusion:

ShopSavvy (free, iTunes link) is our pick for the best iPhone scanner app. While it’s scanner isn’t the best (that honor goes to RedLaser [iTunes link]), it produced the most varied and cheapest product search results. Best of all, it’s free! So, while you might have to manually enter the information in sometimes or be patient as the barcode scans, the money you’ll save will be worth it.

Review: Star Wars: Trench Run

Nov 30

Posted by Tim Barribeau in App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, iPhone Games | No Comments

Star Wars: Trench Run ($4.99, iTunes link) puts you in the seat of Luke’s X-Wing during the climactic run on the Death Star. For lovers of all things Star Wars, the game offers an authentic feel and has excellent graphics and controls, great level design, and that magnificent John Williams soundtrack. The only knock we have against the game is lack of replayability.

The game is split into two modes: Mission and Arcade. Mission mode takes you chronologically through the trench run, starting with a dog fight above the Death Star, then into the trench, avoiding Darth Vader, and finally, bombing the exhaust vent. Each of the levels have a distinct play style, except the trench run/Vader sections, which play very similarly. Arcade mode is only the dog fight and trench run, with points allocated for speed, accuracy, and how many targets you demolish.

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The controls make excellent use of the accelerometer and touch screen. Movement is handled by tilting, and tapping on the bottom right chunk of the screen fires lasers. The bottom left enters “force mode” which slows down play to get you out of a tight spot, and the top corners change view and pause the game.

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Graphically, Star Wars: Trench Run is impressive. The blocky look of Star Wars ships lends themselves well to the limited number of polygons that the iPhone can handle, but they still look good. Apparently, the game looks even better on the 3GS, but I’m stuck with a 3G, so can’t comment.

The score for the game is the same glorious orchestral tracks and sound effects that we all know and love. Since it’s an official Star Wars app, they even have clips from the film tucked in the game. One oddity is that the Darth Vader voice clips are obviously not James Earl Jones, but a poor facsimile fed through a mediocre vocoder.

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The one significant issue we had with this game was replayability. The Mission mode can be beat in around 15 minutes, and Arcade doesn’t add much. Sure, there are 5 levels of difficulty, and apparently “Hidden Features”, but for the $5 asking price, it’s asking a bit much.

Conclusion

Star Wars: Trench Run captures the look and feel of that pivotal moment in episode IV, with great controls, fun gameplay and an epic soundtrack. However, as much fun as it is, the gameplay value is limited, given the high price. Due to this reason, we cautiously recommend the game, and give it a 7/10.

Star Wars: Trench Run is a $4.99 download from the iTunes App Store.

Game Review: Uno

Nov 23

Posted by Tim Barribeau in App Reviews, Gameloft, Games for Kids | No Comments

Uno ($4.99, iTunes link) is a tricky game to review, because, well, it’s Uno. This isn’t something you buy having never played before, it’s freaking Uno. You played it on boring family vacations, at YMCA Summer camp, and when your snotty cousin came to visit. If you hated it then, you’re probably not going to pay a fin for it, but if you’re a fan, you just might.

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The execution of Uno by Gamesloft is top notch, with gorgeous animations, good music (and the option to use your own), and decent controls. Given the limited range of possible interactions in a game of Uno, I would be surprised to see anything less. I did occasionally have trouble grabbing the right card out of my hand, but nothing too bad.

The funny thing is, even though everyone thinks they know how to play Uno, I suspect most don’t know the real rules. Did you ever read the instruction manual? Nope, you just knew (or someone explained it to you, and, in turn, someone explained it to them). Playing the iPhone version, I was suddenly exposed to the fact that I’d been playing it wrong for years. I always thought you yelled out “UNO!” as you played your second-to-last card. Turns out you need to say it before you make that penultimate play. Not to mention the game comes with plenty of rule variants I’ve never encountered before, like Jump In or 0-7.

The implementation of certain rules also removes a degree of skill associated with Uno. It’s not hard to know when to challenge someone, when a giant button marked “CHALLENGE” pops up whenever it would be a good time to do so.

One complaint we had with the game is that it absolutely slaughters your battery life. The combination of pretty sparkly graphics, music, and networking abilities seems to be particularly deadly.

An area where we really have to congratulate Gameloft for is the impressive multiplayer component of Uno. You can play locally over WiFi, or over 3G. It’s also tied to Gameloft Live, which allows you to invite people to play with you via push notification, as well as chat and direct messaging.

Conclusion:

Again, if you like Uno, you’re going to like this app. On the other hand, if it’s something you never got into, well there’s not much point in picking up. That said, for fans of the franchise, it’s well executed, with strong online functionality. We recommend Uno, and give it a 7.6 out of 10.

Uno is a $4.99 download from the iTunes App Store.

Game Review: Bejeweled 2

Nov 19

Posted by Tanya Menoni in App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, iPhone Games | 1 Comment

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PopCap’s Bejeweled 2 ($2.99, iTunes link) is a fun iPhone game that is always atop the most downloaded apps list. It’s not hard to see why, as this game is ridiculously fun to play and a great way to kill time. The game launched for the iPhone last year at $9.99, but it’s now a more reasonable $2.99.

The premise of Bejeweled 2 is simple — line up three identical jewels in a row by swapping a jewel with those immediately next to it. However, you can only move a jewel if that move creates a match, so you can’t swap jewels around at random. Once you create a row or column of three identical jewels, they disappear and new jewels appear at the top of the grid. The more matches you make, the more points you earn.

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You get more points if you line up four jewels in a row, which causes the surrounding jewels to explode. Five jewels in a row earns you a ‘hyper cube’ that deletes all the jewels of one type from your grid. The game includes an auto-hint, which points out your next move if you take too long (this can be turned off in the settings menu). You can also tap the ‘hint’ button if you get stuck.

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There are several game styles available — Classic, Action and Endless. Classic lets you play until you run out of moves, while Action has you working against the clock to make your moves in an alloted period of time. Endless keeps adding jewels so you never run out of moves. Just recently, the developers also released a Blitz mode, which lets you try to beat the scores of your Facebook friends.

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Even though the premise of the game is exceedingly simple, Bejeweled 2 is lots of fun. I like the creepy voice that says “Excellent” when you’re doing a good job, and the game is always quick and fast to respond. The graphics are great, although it would be nice if the higher levels introduced new jewels or special bonuses to break up the monotony.

Conclusion

Bejeweled 2 is just the kind of game you want for killing time in an airport or doctor’s waiting room. I just have one real complaint — I can only tolerate the game in short doses, as my eyes get really tired starting at these little jewels for extended periods of time. Those with better eyesight may not have a problem. We rate it a 7 out of 10, recommended.

Bejeweled 2 is a $2.99 download from the iTunes App Store.

Review: Wallet

Nov 2

Posted by Tim Barribeau in App Reviews, iPhone Security | 1 Comment

Wallet ($4.99, iTunes link) is a secure, password-protected way to store sensitive information on your iPhone. The app lets you synch data wirelessly to your iPhone using “military-strength 256-bit AES encryption.” It’s a tricky app to review on its own, as it’s really meant to be used in conjunction with its desktop companion of the same name ($20).

If you decide to use Wallet for the iPhone by itself, it’s a touch underwhelming. I mean, it’s a perfectly good storage app where you can safely keep passwords and important numbers and everything else—all protected by a password. But the $5 price tag puts is above similar apps like mSecure ($2.99), which does just as good a job.

However, if you have the desktop app, Wallet suddenly becomes far more useful, as the desktop app solves the problem of getting data onto the iPhone. We all know that entering data via a touchscreen keyboard is not only slower than a normal keyboard, you’re also likely to make more errors.

But the desktop version of Wallet can sync with the iPhone over WiFi, a WebDAV server, or MobileMe. You don’t even have to plug the iPhone in. This means you can enter data using the desktop keyboard, saving you a lot of hassle.

I found combining the desktop version with the iPhone is great for remembering passwords, registration numbers, flight details, tracking numbers and all sorts of other pieces of data that you want on hand, but don’t want everyone to be able to see.

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Overall, the app works and syncs smoothly. The only issue some might have with the app is the price. Once you’ve bought both pieces of software, you’re down $25, a substantial investment. But what is your privacy really worth anyways?

Conclusion

Overall, we recommend Wallet (in conjunction with its desktop version) for its elegant and simple way of safely synching and storing data on the iPhone.

Wallet is a $4.99 download fro the iTunes App Store.

Review: Top 5 Paid iPhone Twitter Apps

Oct 19

Posted by Tanya Menoni in App Reviews, Best iPhone Apps, iPhone Twitter Apps | 4 Comments

Do you really need to spend your hard-earned money on an iPhone Twitter app? My advice: probably not. There are a variety of free Twitter apps that get the job done — TweetDeck (review, iTunes link) is a prime example. However, there are a few paid Twitter apps that are slick, feature-packed, and useful for advanced Twitterers. Here are reviews of the top 5.

1. Tweetie 2

Tweetie is the king of paid Twitter apps, and this newly released update only improves on the original. Tweetie 2 ($2.99, iTunes link) has been completely rewritten and boasts a ton of new features. These include an offline mode and very sweet iPhone contact integration that allows you to add Twitter friends to your contact list. Tweetie 2 also has a variety of nifty composition features, including URL shortening and the ability to browse recent hashtags. The new app also saves drafts of your tweets, which seems a bit ridiculous but may be nice to have.

Overall, Tweetie 2 is a joy to use and a prime example of what a good iPhone app should be. I particularly love the glowing blue indicators that tell you when you have a new DM or mention. The interface is gorgeous and intuitive, and there are few Twitter apps that can match its impressive array of features. While I love the app, I do think it’s lame that current Tweetie users need to buy the new version separately, but it’s certainly worth the price.

Overall rating: 9/10. If you’re willing to pay for a Twitter app, Tweetie 2 should be at the top of your list.

2. Twitterrific Premium

Twitterrific Premium ($3.99, iTunes link) can’t quite match Tweetie 2 when it comes to features, but few Twitter apps look as good as this one. It has an incredibly smooth, polished design that fits in well with the iPhone look. However, Twitterrific Premium loses some points when it comes to usability. The navigation is just not very intuitive, and some of the icons are not immediately recognizable. I could see Twitter newbies getting overwhelmed quickly. I’ve also had some slow response times recently. The last time I fired up the app, I saw “loading Tweets” for several minutes before I gave up and relaunched the app.

These complaints aside, Twitterrific Premium is a great Twitter app — once you figure out the navigation. I’m willing to forgive some questionable layout decisions because it looks so good.

Overall rating: 7.5/10. Tweetie 2 is easier to navigate, but Twitterrific Premium has the edge when it comes to design. While it’s a sweet-looking app, I have to question whether it’s worth the extra dollar over Tweetie 2.

3. Twittelator Pro

Twittelator Pro ($4.99, iTunes link) is not as nice to look at as Tweetie 2 or Twitterrific Premium, but it manages to incorporate a ton of features into an easy-to-use interface. The navigation is satisfyingly simple, thanks in large part to labels under each icon (something I wish Twitterrific would incorporate). Icons you use often — refresh and compose — are placed prominently at the top of the app. Twittelator Pro can be slow to respond at times, and it normally requires at least a few taps to bring up a link or photo from a tweet.

Like most paid Twitter apps, Twitterlator Pro lets you manage multiple accounts, create subgroups, save drafts, and follow conversations between followers. You can also record and tweet video (3GS only) or audio directly in the app.

Overall rating: 7/10. Twittelator Pro has all the features most users will need in a Twitter app, but at $4.99 I think it’s just a tad too pricey.

4. Echofon Pro

Echofon Pro ($4.99, iTunes link) looks very much like Twittelator Pro, and it’s just as easy to use. The interface is well laid out, although the standard color theme is a little hideous (fortunately you can change it). You can manage multiple accounts and save tweets to read later. Icon badges for new tweets, mentions and messages are a nice touch.

Echofon Pro is not lacking in features, and it has one that sets it apart from other Twitter apps — push notifications when you receive a direct message or mention. This cool feature is reliable and works well; if you need to stay on top of your Twitter account at all times, this is an invaluable feature.

Overall rating: 7/10. Push notifications give Echofon Pro a leg up on its competitors, but a hefty price tag and lackluster design lead to a lower rating.

5. TwitBird Pro

TwitBird Pro ($2.99, iTunes link) currently supports push notifications between TwitBird and TwitBird Pro users, which is essentially worthless. Fortunately, the next update will include global push notifications. TwitBird Pro has the basics that most users will need, including multiple accounts, groups, landscape mode, and a variety of search options.

After testing out Tweetie 2 and Twitterrific Premium, TwitBird Pro is rather underwhelming. It’s a perfectly decent, fast-loading app, but it lacks the polish of the best Twitter apps. The design could use a little refinement, and the menu structure requires a lot of tapping.

Overall rating: 6.5/10. Right now, TwitBird Pro can’t compete with Tweetie 2 or Twitterrific Premium. Check back after the developers add global push notifications and the story might be different.

Tags: Twitter Apps with Push Notifications

Game Review: MaxInjury

Oct 18

Posted by Tim Barribeau in 99-Cent Games, App Reviews, Apple iPhone | No Comments

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Bastard offspring of the venerable Stair Dismount, MaxInjury ($0.99, iTunes link) follows the same style as the old physics demo, where you throw a crash test dummy down a staircase, trying to cause as much damage to it along the way as possible.

The game is spread over 12 levels, ranging from simple staircases, to elaborate floating structures, and power-based distance flings. In each one, you control the little crash dummy by dragging him with your finger, with a limited number of movements allowed per level.

Protip: dragging your fingers slowly seems to work better than quickly

A cute little touch is the ability to use saved photos as a face on the dummy, though you might get a funny look or two if you decide to use your significant other.

Spider Jerusalem models the "add a photo" function

12 levels is a bit on the short side, and you can blow through them all in about 15 minutes. However, the replay and comedic value is very high, and worth the 99¢ fee. The one major annoyance we did have is the exceedingly repetitive cartoony sound effects, which are hilarious for all of 30 seconds, then becomes grating.

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Conclusion:

For $0.99, we give MaxInjury 7.5 out of 10 and a recommended. It’s derivative, and a bit repetitive, but still very, very fun.

MaxInjury is a 99-cent download from the iTunes App Store.

Editor's Picks:

Traffic Rush (free, iTunes link)

Tower Bloxx Deluxe ($0.99, review, iTunes link)

Dungeon Hunter ($4.99, review, iTunes link)

Need for Speed: Undercover ($4.99, review, iTunes Link)