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POST1604
MATT1604's posterous
August 2009
iTweetReply iPhone App Review
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet! iTweetReply (iTR) is a great, homegrown application made by three slightly-geekier-than- average Aussie teenagers. The premise of the app is to give you simple, fast Twitter push notifications.
iTweetReply started life as an emailing service developed by Matthew Lesh (@matthewlesh). Since the release of the iPhone app, this service has been discontinued. Lesh used the Twitter API to push email notifications to registered users who received @replies, which are tweets that contain your username with an @ in front of it, i.e. @MATT1604. The service was great. I signed up on day 1 and absolutely loved it. I was often missing replies that I received and often sending back belated replies. When I signed up for iTR, I would receive an email every time a tweet contained "@MATT1604".
Anyway, on to the iPhone app. When Lesh heard about push notifications in the iPhone 3.0 update, he decided he'd make use of iTR's capabilities alongside the iPhone's upcoming push capabilities. He worked in collaboration with Matthew Roberts (@matthew858), who was the one-man team behind M2 Software, the developer who created Oz Hotspots. Matthew R. already had experience coding iPhone apps, whereas Lesh didn't. Lesh did, however, know how he wanted iTR to work and how to get the API to do what he wanted. Lesh and Roberts soon teamed up with Tom Ricciardiello to design the app. The trio have since formed the company "Syncode".
Enough with the backstory, and on to the actual review. iTR is an extremely useful and quite well implemented application. As previously stated, it pushes notifications whenever you receive a new @reply. You may be wondering if it's going to chew through your precious API. Well, din't worry, because iTR is whitelisted, meaning no matter what you do with it, you won't waste your API.
Now, you may have seen some apps that claim "Twitter Push Notifications!", such as IM+. I've tried a few of these apps and can tell you first-hand that none of them do Twitter push notifications anywhere near as well as iTR. In my experience, some of these apps take upwards of 10 minutes to notify you of a new reply, whereas iTR rarely takes more than a minute.
iTR is quite a simple application. It's nice to look at and is easy to navigate, which is a major plus in any application. I should point out, though, that it is NOT intended to be a full-featured Twitter client, although, Syncode has hinted at some features in future updates that you see in popular Twitter apps, such as Tweetie. The current version allows users to open their favourite full-featured client directly from the pushed notifications (if they so choose), which compensates for the slight lack of features.
The application itself has 3 tabs; Replies, Messages and Timeline. Replies are obviously the @replies you've received, with the most recent being at the top. Messages is where you will find your Direct Messages, which also get pushed to your iPhone, and Timeline is where you will find your timeline of tweets from the users you follow.
The UI is very easy to get used to and is quite straightforward. As with most Twitter apps for the iPhone, you simply tap the edit text symbol (the square with a pen) to start writing a new tweet. Something I really like about the app is that you can add recipients by tapping the + when typing a new tweet. This is especially useful for sending tweets to those users with hard-to-remember/type usernames. You can also add images to your tweets, both directly from the camera and from saved images (using twitpic).
Overall, iTR deserves an 8/10. I only give it that due to the lack of some (for me) essential features. BUT, and that's a massive "but", iTR is still a young app and will inevitably develop into a great application that's a must-have for all Twitter users.
Check out Syncode at http://www.syncode.com.au
PhotoScatter iPhone App Review
I've recently gotten into the realm of photo sharing (despite my lack of photography knowlege/skills and lack of a decent camera) and have found it fairly frustrating and awkward to share my photos with the various different sites I use. I mean, sure, there's the email upload capabilities of some different sites, but getting that set up can be a real pain in the arse. PhotoScatter, an app made by UniqueApps, simplifies the process of uploading to multiple sites at once.
When you start the application, you have 3 simple options; Take Photo, Choose Existing and Set Up. The first time you open the application, you will need to set up your accounts by tapping "Set Up PhotoScatter".
At the time of writing, the application is compatible with 6 photo sharing sites; Facebook, Flickr, ShutterFly, PhotoBucket, Picasa and Twitter (making use of TwitPic). You need to sign in or allow access to each account you wish to use before being able to post images.
The application will tell you whether or not your account has been successfully authorized and you can change or reset account information at any time. The "Use this location" toggle will change whether or not that service will appear in your list of sites you desire to post images to.
Choosing an existing photo will obviously allow you to choose saved images or images from your Camera Roll, while taking a new photo will obviously allow you to take a photo inside the application. Once you've chosen a photo or taken a new one, you can choose to modify your settings by tapping the cog icon. The settings simply allows you to set up your photo sharing accounts. When you have all of your accounts set up, you can tap "Share" , select the sites you want ti post to and add the image details (Title and Description).
Once you've entered any information you want, tap the green submit button and you will be notified that it may take a few minutes to upload your image. This factor is majorly affected by your upload speed. Once the images have been uploaded, you can find them on their respective sites, except Facebook, which requires confirmation before the images will appear.
I give this application a 9/10, overall. It's great value for money at only A$1.19 and it makes sharing images with multiple sites far easier. The only reason I took a point off is that, when setting up your accounts, the UI can be slightly clunky. Other than that one issue, this is a great application for anyone interested in sharing their snapshots with the web.
Check out the official PhotoScatter website at http://photoscatter.com/Jumping URL iPhone App Review
I recently received an email through my website's "Contact Me" page, from an iPhone app developer, requesting that I review their new application, along with a promocode to download the application for free. Needless to say, I obseqiously did so. GoNik! just recently released their new application "Jumping URL". What the application allows you to do is "teleport" URLs between your iPhone or iPod Touch and your computer. It may seem like a simple idea at first, but it's extremely well executed and comes in handy.
When you first start the application, you are greeted by some simple instructions to help you get the app up and running. The app uses your Google Account to sync between multiple devices, which is a great and well-implemented feature. I won't go into the details of how to get the app set up, because a) it's very straightforward and b) the developer has gone to a lot of trouble to put a simple, yet in-depth tutorial on their website.
What I will say about this app, however, is that it is absolutely awesome. Often, while surfing the 'net, I run out of time to take a look at everything before heading out to school, or going out for dinner, etc. Using Jumping URL, I can simply beam over a few websites and check them out on-the-go. It also works in the opposite direction, which I find very handy. With this app, I can simply copy the address of a website I'd like to look at, paste it into the application (by tapping (P)) and use it as a sort of cross-platform bookmarking system. When I get home, I can whip open the application, tap "Beam" on one of the websites and go to http://www.jumpingurl.com/ (or use the fetch feature included in the Firefox extension) on my computer, instantly getting redirected to the site I'm beaming from my iPhone.
Below: by tapping "Beam" the URL will begin "Beaming". By tapping on the icon, you have the option to open it or copy the address.
Overall, this application could easily surpass a perfect 10 rating. It is extremely handy and came out of nowhere. Despite the developer's original intention for it to be used with YouTube videos, this can come in handy when you come across an interesting article that you don't have time to read, or would like to view later on your iPhone, for example. On the other side, it can also be useful for those times that you get linked to a flash-based website while you are on your iPhone, in which case you just copy the URL into the application and beam it over when you have access to a flash-enabled computer.
I thank the developer for sending me a promocode for my own use and also for the 5 promocodes I received for a giveaway. The people who received those promocodes are stunned at the whole idea behind this application and are very happy with the new addition to their home screen. I love when underground developers come up with a great idea and execute it so well, like Syncode's "iTweetReply", which I'll be reviewing soon.
So, to sum it all up, this application definitely deserves a 10/10, due to the great idea behind it and the simplicity of it. It's currently available in the iPhone App Store for A$1.19, so you should definitely pick it up.
P.S. If there are any other developers out there who would like me to review their application (either Mac or iPhone), please contact me through my website.
Jaadu VNC iPhone App Review
You may have been scouring the app store and come across various different remote computing applications, such as Mocha VNC (VNC = Virtual Network Computing) and Remote Desktop. These applications allow you to remotely control a computer (generally on a local network) using your iPhone or iPod Touch. I've tried many of these applications and Jaadu VNC is by far the best, giving you an almost- real-time display and features not available in cheaper, inferior products. That factor is also accompanied by the whopping price of A $29.99.
When you open the application, you are greeted by a relatively simple interface, which allows you to choose from three different methods of connection. The "Options" button at the top-right simply shows information about the app and gives you a toggle switch for device auto-discovery.
If you have auto-discovery enabled and are connected to a WLAN with computers connected to the same network, you will see those devices appear in a list. Alternatively, you can manually enter a device's local address (e.g. vnc://192.168.1.1) in the "Manual" tab or, by way of the "Internet" tab, you can connect to a computer running Jugaari (the developer)'s free server.
As a prerequisite, you need to have a VNC server enabled on the device you wish to connect to. On a Mac, this is achieved by enabling "Screen Sharing", while PC's require a 3rd-party application, such as RealVNC or TightVNC.
The first time you connect to a device, you have to go through the setup process, which includes entering the password and, when setting a device up manually, entering the device's local address. Once you've entered the relevant information, simply tap the "Connect" button, and you're set.
By default, when the device is in portrait mode, the display will be zoomed to fill the iPhone's screen. You can zoom in and out by using that all-too-familiar "Pinch Zoom" feature. You control the computer by using the iPhone as a pseudo-trackpad and moving the cursor around with your finger. It doesn't matter where you place your finger, the cursor will move in the direction your finger moves. Clicking is achieved simply by tapping anywhere on the screen, while right- clicking calls for a two-fingered tap. You can also scroll by placing two fingers on the screen and moving them in the direction you want to scroll. It is also possible to drag by double-tapping, then moving the cursor around.
In the settings menu (signified by a cog in the top-left), you can enable "Touchscreen Mode". This mode changes the whole control system, so that you can simply tap on an object and the cursor will instantly move to that place and simulate a click, as would occur when using a tablet or similar device. You also have the option to invert the cursor's movement. "Cursor Momentum" allows the cursor to slow to a standstill after removing your finger from the device's screen, as opposed to abruptly stopping.
The button in the top-middle brings down a soft keyboard that is used for the operator keys (Mac: Command, Option, etc. Windows: Ctrl, Alt, etc.), allowing you to use shortcuts and such. The button at the far right of the icon bar at the top brings up the familiar keyboard and a small text box, so you can easily see what you are typing. Alternatively, you can tap on the text box to bring up a semi- transparent text box that fills half the screen. This feature allows you to type a large amount of text before inserting it into the computer.
The final button, other than the close button, brings up controls. These controls include the function keys, a virtual numpad and other keys you would find on a standard keyboard, including the arrow keys. On a Mac, you can use the media controls with Front Row and iTunes in place of the Apple Remote.
Despite its price, Jaadu VNC is a great buy. In rating this a 10/10, I may seem like I'm trying to justify my purchase, but that is definitely not the case. This app is extremely well built and works exactly how I want it to. I must admit, I was quite adamant to spend such a large sum of money on an iPhone application, but I searched around and found that Jugaari have another application available, called "Touchpad Elite", and at A$1.19, I think you might find this a far more acceptably priced application. Touchpad Elite will give you an idea as to what Jaadu VNC is like. It's a sort of little brother to Jaadu and only has the trackpad capabilities, whereas Jaadu will display the screen currently showing on the connected device. To be honest, it's only worth forking out the entirity of a $30 iTunes Gift Card on this application if you're as lazy as myself and like to do your everyday computing from the comfort of your own bed, with the computer across the room. However, this is an amazingly well-crafted application with more features than you can poke a stick at, so it's definitely worth considering.
Convert ~ the unit calculator iPhone App Review
Convert is a new application, made by tap tap tap, that, as the name implies, converts various different units. The idea has been implemented many times before, most notably in Tapbots' "Convertbot", but tap tap tap (ttt) has created a very elegantly designed application that makes it quick and simple to convert many different units.
You can scroll through all of the available conversions by tapping on the icons at the left. The "magic lens" is what shows your current selection. It zooms in on your selection for better usability and shows you relevant information. The outlined star shape is a "favourite" button, allowing you to quickly change between your favourite units, by tapping the blue star button on the keypad.
After selecting the unit type, you can choose the specific units you want to convert to and from. By selecting a unit, you can enter a value to be converted and see the conversion occur in real-time. By tapping on the second unit, you can enter a value into that, rather than having to select both units again.
The "Currency" unit has a refresh button, so you can have up-to-the- minute conversion rates. Although this may not be a major feature, it's useful to get current rates, rather than having obsolete data.
Convert comes with a built-in calculator, meaning if you want to calculate something, you can do it straight from the app, as opposed to quitting and opening Apple's native calculator. The basic calculator features are also available to use in conversions.
Convert makes full use of iPhone 3.0's copy and paste feature, allowing you to copy your conversion's result by tapping and holding on the value you wish to copy.
Overall, I'd give the application a 10/10 (for its category). It makes conversion simple and nice to look at and implements all of its features far better than any I've seen before.
Convert is available in the iPhone App Store for A$1.19, as an introductory price. You can find tap tap tap's website at http://www.taptaptap.com/ and in celebration of Convert's launch, they are having a competition to win a custom ColorWare Stealth MacBook Pro (15"). Be sure to enter the "tweetblast" by going to http://tweetblast.taptaptap.com/
Harbor Master iPhone App Review/Tutorial
Many of you may be familiar with Firemint's "Flight Control", a $1.19 application that has topped the paid applications list for weeks at a time. Well, if you enjoyed Flight Control, you'll most likely enjoy Harbor Master, seeing as it's a blatant rip-off. It should be called "Boat Control". Despite the similarity in gameplay, I must admit that it is a pretty decent game.
The main screen gives you 5 options; Play, Instructions, More Games (By Imangi Studios, LLC), Options and Credits. The options menu simply allows you to change the sound effects and music volume, while the instructions menu shows you a hand-drawn, blueprint-style set of instructions.
Quite similar to Flight Control, in fact, almost identical, the aim of the game is to get as many boats into the loading bay as possible, without crashing. The main difference, disregarding the vehicle type, between HM and FC is that in this, not only do you have to get a ship to dock, after unloading your cargo, you also have to get your ship out of the dock, to allow others in.
Something else that sets this apart from Flight Control is the sheer amount of levels. At the time of writing, FC has 3 levels, while HC has 5. Imangi are releasing updates on a regular basis, that include new levels, the most recent of which is named "Smuggler's Reef".
Overall, I'd give this game a 6/10, simply because it isn't very original. If you already own Flight Control, and you're happy with it, just stick with it. Maybe in the future, when this game has far more features and levels, it'd be worth buying, but for now, you're better off wasting your $1.19 on a can of Coke.
Again, please tell me what you think of these reviews. I've made the commenting open to everybody (posterous and tumblr) and my website, along with the JS-Kit commenting system, has a whole page dedicated to feedback. So please, tell me what you think, tell me what I can improve on or even give me recommendations/requests for future reviews.
Minigore iPhone App Review/Tutorial
You may have heard of Chillingo Ltd, a fairly well-known iPhone app developer, who've made more than 70 applications for the iPhone platform. Their latest app is a great little game called "Minigore". If you're a fan of iDracula, one of their best-selling iPhone apps, you'll probably like this.
The first thing you'll notice when starting the game is the great graphic displayed while loading the app. Personally, the appearance of an app can either make or break it. I've seen many an app that has some absolutely amazing features, but lacked the aesthetics that are imperative to make a good first impression.
Once the app loads (which is quite quick, especially with the 600MHz processor in the iPhone 3GS), you'll be greeted with the main menu. This is comprised of 5 options; Play, Options, Credits, Online and High Score.
Obviously, "Play" will start the game and "Highscore" will display your personal best scores. "Online" takes you to OpenFeint, a widely used social network for iPhone apps. As of the moment, this game doesn't have any achievements, but you can still use the chatrooms.
The options menu allows you to change the orientation of the screen (by default it is flipped 90°, clockwise), change the difficulty level (a simple button that says "Expert" can either be turned on or off), turn audio & the HUD on or off and you can even choose which songs from your personal library you want to play, while playing the game.
On to the actual gameplay. The point of the game is to run around and shoot the shit out of as many creatures as possible. You start of with small hordes of weak enemies onrushing you, but as you progress through the game, different enemies will appear and come in larger hordes, more often. You will also notice the similarity in controls to iDracula. You have two virtual joysticks, the left for movement and the right for firing. By default, you have a fully automatic sub-machine gun, with unlimited ammunition. Dead enemies will occasionally drop power-ups, including different weapons. If you collect 3 green crosses, dropped by fallen enemies, you will turn into some kind of flaming warthog, that just chows down on any enemies it runs into.
This is a great game for just killing some time. It becomes quite addictive, trying to beat your high score. You can find it in the iPhone App Store for A$1.19. For that price, it's a steal.
Please, tell me what you think of these app reviews in the comments section, below (on my website or on posterous) or contact me through my website: http://appreviews.matt1604.com/contact_me.php.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found this helpful.
Posterous Appears to Be Holding Up to My Expectations
Self explanatory, really. But, I kinda like doing these text reviews. They're easy to do and they don't waste much bandwidth. Expect to see more of them in the coming weeks. Next up: Mingore, a game by Chillingo Ltd.
