Posted by Sam Hayat | 6 Comments

Cro-Mag Rally Review

Developer: Pangea Software, Inc.

Price: $1.99

Version Reviewed: 1.0.4

iPhone Integration Rating: 5

User Interface Rating: 4

Reuse/Replay Value: 3

Overall Rating: 4

Cro-Mag Rally is a racing application used for entertainment. It features accelerometer use, audio, and some good old fashioned racing fun!

The UI in Cro-Mag Rally was OK, the quick tips that come up were on a tiny screen, which I found was not a good use of space as lots was said in that little popup. The menu interface was normal, and once in the game the graphics were pretty good. My experiance with the application only came across one audio bug, but I really liked the game (especially since I came in 1st place in my first race!)

Overall Cro-Mag Rally is a very good app. Costing just 2 bucks, you can’t go wrong purchasing this app!

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Posted by Sam Hayat | 0 Comments

NotePad Review

Developer: Polar Bear Farm Ltd.
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed:1.5

iPhone Integration Rating: 5
User Interface Rating: 5
Reuse/Replay Value: 3

Overall NotePad Rating: 4

NotePad is an easy to use productivity application that is used to type notes on the iPhone, taking advantage of some of the phone’s great features. Things like special types of folders, shake to write, and computer syncing make the app really awesome.

NotePad’s UI is an amazing one, featuring just a few easy-to-use buttons, and my personal favorite feature: you can shake your iPhone once or twice to make a new note. You can also sync your notes to your desktop (which I didn’t try yet). Another cool feature is how you can make keyword or location-specific folders, making the app very advanced. My personal experience with the application was good, there was one bug that I managed to take a picture of (look at the screenshot with the popup), but other than that, the application ran very smoothly and I was very happy with it. The reuse value is weak because Notes delivers the same product and is free, but is strong due to the numerous features Notes doesn’t have: syncing and shake to write, for example.

Overall, NotePad is an OK app. Since it is $4.99 but has the same core function as Notes, which comes free with any iPhone/iPod Touch, NotePad is not worth it for your money. The cool features make it very modern and intuitive, though.

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Posted by thinkintel | 2 Comments

Rules for Winning iPhone Apps

We occasionally give out promo codes on our Twitter feed.  These promo codes will let you download an iPhone application from iTunes!  I know you’re excited to get free iPhone apps, so here are the instructions:

1. Go to the Teencast twitter feed.
2. Enter the code into iTunes Click here to try the code ( or click redeem under Quick Links in iTunes)
3. Remember that we only have one code, so the first person the enter it into iTunes wins it.
4. Don’t Cheat (I’m not sure how you would… just don’t)

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Posted by thinkintel | 0 Comments

MotionX GPS Review

Developer:  Fullpower Technologies, Inc.
Price: $2.99
Version reviewed: 2.0

iPhone Integration Rating: 5
User Interface Rating: 3.5
Re-use/Replay Value Rating: 5
Overall Rating: 4.5 

I’ve been hearing about GPS devices and how they work with Google Earth and how fun they are for geocaching or even tracking a bike ride. When I got my iPhone 3G, one of the first apps that I looked for was a good GPS application, but I didn’t find one.
This application emulates a physical GPS unit by using the A-GPS reciever that’s built in to the iPhone 3G. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to test MotionX GPS on the original iPhone or an iPod Touch (Fullpower’s website says that it only works on the iPhone 3G). It’s main features are the ability to give you your location (latitude and longitude) as well as guide you to a location that you specify. It’s also great as a general trip tracker.

The interface is initially confusing, but it gets easier to understand as you use it. I still get lost sometimes, but it’s usually easy to find where the functions you want are. For my test, I tracked a trip in a car. I noticed that the GPS doesn’t get an accurate signal if it doesn’t have a line of sight to the sky, although it’s a hardware issue, not a software one. The application located me accurately within a yard or two. The ‘compass’ in the application requires that you are moving so that it can calculate your direction. If you’re geocaching or using the GPS while walking slowly, you might be frustrated by the inability to see which direction you’re going all the time. Despite the iPhone’s limitations that hindered the accuracy, I really liked the application and I highly suggest it to those who want to track their physical activity (running, biking, etc.), geocachers, and other people who want a GPS with them at all times.

MotionX GPS is an awesome application for those who like GPS units, but don’t want to carry a full size one. At only $2.99 (versus $300 for buying a separate GPS), it’s great for anyone who has travels/hikes a lot. If you try geocaching, definitely get this inexpensive app to help you with your locating.

 

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Posted by shiv | 0 Comments

Tap Tap Dance iPhone Review

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGKUBFjJKyM]
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 :  techworld@me.com or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/teencast (we just made an account today) .

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