WordBook iPhone Review

Shiv December 16, 2008 Reviews

Developer: TranCreative Software
Price: $7.99
Version reviewed 2.5 (version 3 is coming out soon)

iPhone Integration Rating: 3 stars
User Interface Rating: 4 stars
Re-use/Replay Value Rating: 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4 stars

Wordbook is a fully fledge dictionary that has some innovative features up it’s sleeve. Like a crossword and anagram solver. It even has a built-in thesaurus and word links connecting hundreds of thousands of words together. It even lets you edit your favorite words and history and let you export it to your email! One feature I really love is how it lets you set 5 web dictionaries on top of the built-in one just in case the definition you find doesn’t make sense. The user interface is average, but I wish that WordBook would open the search bar and keyboard the second you launch the app so you can quickly look up your word. Overall, I think that WordBook is a fantastic dictionary app. It costs a steep $8.00, but that can easily be justified by the great content you are getting. With over 150,000 entries, 220,000 definitions, 330 word links, and 70,000 examples, Wordbook gets an overall rating of 4 out of 5.

Tap Tap Dance iPhone Review

Shiv December 12, 2008 Reviews

Does the word Tapulous ring a bell? If it doesn’t, they are the creators of some of the most finest iPhone apps like Tap Tap Revenge, Collage, and Twinkle; just to name a few, and they just created another app called Tap Tap Dance. The app is very polished and is a “bag of fun!” . I don’t really see where the whole “dance” idea fits in there because it seems like a better version of Tap Tap Revenge, but still it is a pretty sensational app. Like my review of MotionX Poker Quest, I will divide this review into parts. The parts are Graphics, First Impressions, Reuse Value, and Final Verdict.

Graphics:
We have seen a lot of Tapulous’ apps, and saying that they look nice is a huge understatement, and Tap Tap Dance stays up to par. The game user interface (UI) is really straightforward and pretty nice looking. They also got creative with this one by putting really cool decorative designs during gameplay. The graphics are nice, but it is a little coarse and rough when playing a song, especially in two player mode. Knowing Tapulous, this will probably be fixed in a upcoming update.
First Impressions:
When you open Tap Tap Dance, the interface looks a little bare. It only has three buttons labeled One Player, Two Player, and Options & Tutorial. When you click on the One Player or Two Player button, it opens up a nice little check list of 4 songs. You have to complete the first 3 songs with an accuracy of 85% or higher to unlock the last song of each level. Personally, I like this strategy better compared to the app Tap Tap Revenge, because it gives you something to work play for.

When playing a song, you are greeted with a interface similar to Tap Tap Revenge, only waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy better. The scenery is different for the last song of each level. The basic interface is shown below:
Now, you might be thinking that this is no different from Tap Tap Revenge, but believe me, you will feel the difference. Gameplay is way funner (yes, I know that isn’t a word) when compared to Tap Tap Revenge because when you press on the dot or circle at the correct time, it emits a beautiful looking wave confirming that you hit it. It also keeps the beat of the song.
Reuse Value
My favorite category I like to review is how many times I use the application because there are some really nice iPhone apps that I have, but I never use them, and personally, I think that this game is addicting all the way through. I was opening this app at bus-stops, during lunch breaks, basically whenever I got the chance. Therefore, I think that this app has a very high reuse value.
Final Verdict:
With awesome graphics, fun game play, and awesome songs to jam to, Tap Tap Dance gets 4.5 out of 5 stars. Tapulous justs needs to remove some bugs.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at : [email protected] or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/teencast (we just made an account today) .

App Store Apple application buying guides game iphone new release Review Tap Tap tap tap dance Tapulous Technology video

'Pano'ramas for iPhone

Shiv December 10, 2008 Reviews

I have been waiting for Apple to add video recording to the iPhone for a while now, and as I wait, I wanted to show you an app that can do something cool with the iPhone’s camera; create panoramas. A panorama is basically a lot of images that are stitched together. The program is called “Pano” and it really awesome. The user interface is very simple and easy to use. You have to be an idiot to not know how to use it. You just hold the iPhone steady and then take a picture. It then tells you if you like that picture, and then after approving it, it will tell you to take the next picture. The unique thing about it is that when you take the next picture, part of the previous image becomes transparent as a guider to take the next picture. Sounds confusing? Check out the pictures below to see what I mean.

When taking the first picture, take the leftmost picture of the area you want your panorama.

Confirm that you liked your picture

Then take your next picture. Notice how a part of the previous picture becomes transparent so you can exactly angel your shot for a perfect result.

Just repeat these steps over and over again until you covered the area you wanted. The maximum number of pictures that you can take is 6 which is a pretty nice amount.
Example:
Here is a panoramic picture I created with Pano.

Made on my iPhone with Pano.

Final Verdict:
A phone. Check. An internet device. Check. An iPod. Check. A panorama maker. Checkmate. Pano is an awesome way to make a panorama. Sure the price is a little steep ($2.99), but I think that it is still a great buy, but I still hope that the developer lowers the price to $1.99. Besides that, Pano is a stunning little app that will make any iPhone proud. Therefore, it gets a 5 out of 5 rating.

Buy Pano from the App Store (Link opens in iTunes)
Developer website: http://debaclesoftware.com/

Side Note:
When you create a panorama with Pano, it will save the image to your Photos application. When you view the panorama in the Photos app on the iPhone, the quality will look really poor, but be assured that it looks great when synced to your computer via iTunes.

App Store Apple application camera iphone isight pano panorama photography Review

MotionX Poker Quest Review

Shiv December 07, 2008 Reviews

Graphics:

We have been no strangers when playing around with the MotionX family, and with their new release of Motionx Poker Quest, their graphics are even more phenomenal if you can believe it. Take a look at the photo below. Every little detail has been perfected from the dirt on the ground, to the hieroglyphics. This kind of perfection is found throughout the whole game. 5 Stars.
temple-of-anuket-motionx-poker-quest

First Impressions:
Our first impressions were quite well, impressive. Fullpower (the company who created the app) did an astounding job with graphics and transitions, making sure everything from clicking on help, to just starting the game is smooth and pleasing. The app is eye candy at first sight. Unfortunately, the scanty help button is great and detailed, but not that interactive. This is not a big deal, but I hope Fullpower makes an update with an interactive tutorial teaching you what to do, and what is what, etc. Other than that, the game is fun at first sight. 4 Stars.

Aesthetics:
The aesthetics in this game is truly phenomenal. Unlike other iPhone apps from FullPower, this one has been spruced up with intricate temple designs and beautiful calligraphy that adds a unique touch in game play.

Reuse Value:
One of the most important things that most reviewers don’t talk about is how often then actually reuse an app, and surprisingly, a lot of 5 star games end up being little icon decorations sitting on the iPhone and never looked at again, so I counted how many times I opened MotionX Poker Quest for fun, and not for review purposes. I got the game 2 days ago, and have played it about 9 times which adds up to a total of 3 hours of gameplay which shows that this games is addicting. Fullhouse really did a good job creating prizes, different temples, and dice packs you win as you progress in the game. This game is a great buy even in the long run. Therefore it gets a 5 out of 5 in reusability. 5 Stars.

Final Verdict:
With 12 temples in total to unlock, intricate designs and stunning graphics, there is nothing to worry about when purchasing MotionX Poker Quest. The game is available in the app store for the introductory price of $2.99. They also have a Lite version that is available for free, but only has the first 2 temples are available. It is definitely an amazing game and gets a 5 out of 5 stars.

iPhone App Review MotionX Poker Quest