Scanner Pro by Readdle is possibly one of my favorite productivity apps available. On sale for the rest of this week half off, regularly $6.99, this is an offer you don’t want to miss. This app alone has completely negated the use of my desktop scanner. Upon opening the app for the first time, you’ll be asked to create an account. This is quite simple.
When the application launches, a simplistic blue library can be seen. At the bottom of the page there will be tabs to scan and upload images. I couldn’t believe how easy and intuitive the interface ended up being. Certainly easier than an actual scanner. After scanning an image, the edges of the paper are automatically cropped, rotated, and centered. The whole process was extremely painless. You’ll also be able to edit contrast, brightness, rotation and filters. After your picture is finalized, it is thrown into a folder back on the original library. Under the sharing menu, your options are save, email, Dropbox, Google Drive, open in other app, Evernote, Web upload, print, fax, and password protect. Alternatively, you’ll be able to plug it into iTunes and retrieve it under the app sharing menu. Overall, the entire process seems perfected, although I haven’t tried to fax yet. Occasionally, you’ll receive Email updates from Readdle, but I find them quite helpful. In fact the latest one taught me how to batch scan documents. In conclusion, $6.99 is much cheaper than a scanner, and the convenience of having it right on your iDevice won’t be overlooked either.
Trying to figure out which app to review next, I looked towards my iPad Air for help. As with many iOS users, there is always that one folder jam-packed with a plethora of games. In this folder, games both whimsical and strategical, but one thing remains the same. We are always looking for that new game to binge on during boring office meetings. So, without further ado, here are my top 5 iOS games.
#5- Giant Boulder of Death by AdultSwim:
How couldn’t you like this game? It combines all of the most important elements of gaming. Fast-paced adventure, a goal system, and upgrades. Not to mention boulders, death, and yodeling. This game is the kind that you play while on the bus or in the backseat of your car. You control the boulder and a high score is your goal. Points are earned by flattening cows, Scandinavians, or even the occasional house. Like most free games, there are in-app purchases for more gems, which you always end up needing to stay alive. Overall, a fun, quick, FREE! game that can keep you entertained for twenty-something minutes.
#4-Hill Climb Racing by FingerSoft
This game has single-handedly ruined my sleep habits. Your only goal is to advance farther and farther in the terrain-filled level. While this seems pretty simple, it is executed beautifully with that addicting effect desired by game developers. Getting started takes a bit, but soon you’re advancing relatively quickly. FingerSoft has been pretty adamant about adding tracks and vehicles to keep me engaged. Definitely something that deserves to be in your game library. My advice? Use that Monster Truck!
#3-The Walking Dead by Telltale Games
Another series that has ravaged my sleep is AMC’s Walking Dead. I was ecstatic when they brought the game to consoles and put hours into playing it. The story line was just perfect and immediately made you sympathize for each character. When they brought this game to iOS, I was awestruck. I saw the first episode was free, immediately downloaded and bought the rest of the episodes. Remember how it didn’t quite seem to fit the console? How the action bubbles and button pressing seemed like it wasn’t quite right? On the iPad, this will not come to mind. The Walking Dead feels optimized for the iPad, like it was meant to be ran on this device all along. In any sense, its free, so you might as well give it a try. Be sure to check out the comics, too!
#2-Candy Crush Saga-King.com
This is one we have all heard, seen or been addicted to. I put this as #2 not only because it is a well developed game, but because I’ve seen people literally spend all of their waking hours playing this game. It could be without a doubt one of the most widespread and addicting games out there. Remember the good old days when Facebook notifications were something to be excited about? With this game, you can throw that right out the window. I wish there a way to count the absolute multitude of invites to this game I’ve gotten. Either way, King got something right with this one. Every 15 or so levels, there is a roadblock that can only be cleared with three Facebook friends or 99¢. Rounding up three friends to open up your invites is usually a lot more painful then just paying the money, something I’ve done much more than I’d like to admit. If matching fruit could be this addictive, imagine what King could produce next!
#1-Bloon Tower Defense 5-Ninja Kiwi
I. Love. This. Game. Always have, always will. The original Bloons was a well executed game as it was. When tower defense came out, I became addicted. Now, in the fifth installment, there are no flaws whatsoever. The goal is simple, protect the exit from the balloons parading down the track with various types of towers. Simple as it seems, this is one of the hardest strategy games I’ve played. Ninja Kiwi takes pride in adding new tracks, towers, and features relatively regularly. They really did add it all though. Numerous tower types, tons of upgrades, a level system, super powers, super towers, a daily prize box, and tons of extras are cleanly laid out for you. One thing that is a bit annoying, however, comes around round 120. At this point, even my iPad Air gets a bit overwhelmed, but with good reason. At that point in the game, the are so many objects on the screen that really all there is to be done is watch. Without a doubt, this is my all time favorite game. At $4.99, it is more than well worth the money!
The TouchFire Screen is a clear, silicon foldable keyboard that touch-typers can put on their iPad and use instead of using the touch-typer unfriendly keyboard on the iPad. It is available from Touchfire for $49.95. Is it the solution for you touch-typers out there? Let’s find out.
Form
When I first opened the box to get to the TouchFire, it had it’s own little case. That is a great feature. I opened the case to find the TouchFire Screen. I picked it up and then one of the magnets that is attached to it came off, not a great start. Fortunately, since it was magnetic it went right back on. However, they were glued on too. Not good workmanship on that. To me the keyboard seems flimsy. The part that the silicon folds to is plastic, cheap plastic. One thing I do appreciate however, is that once folded, it is small and it is light. With the carrying case, you can take it anywhere. Also you can keep it attached to your iPad so that it is always on your iPad. In all, the craft of this keyboard fails to impress but there a few things that help it in the Form category.
Function
The primary function of any keyboard is to type. This one is unique in that it turns your iPad’s keyboard into a touch-type one. Unfortunately, I do not think it does a whole lot in doing that. FIrst off, the keys on the keyboard are too close to each other to be able to emulate a keyboard. In addition, the feel of the keys feels cheap and not a pleasure to write on. There isn’t much of a difference between the iPad keyboard and the TouchFire in my opinion. This is due in part that the keys are not raised enough to really feel the difference. It does have indentations where the J and F buttons are but that is where the similarities between this keyboard and a real keyboard end. On a good solid keyboard, you don’t have to look down because you know where the keys are based on those indentations and based on the fact that you can feel the keys. On this keyboard, I am having trouble actually feeling the keys. I can’t see myself using this keyboard over a solid keyboard. Another thing, I have a problem with is that, when I use a keyboard I need a rest to put my wrist on and when I put my wrist down I press the keys at the bottom and it messes up my typing. In addition, I have to look down to get to the ABC/123 tab to access numbers and punctuation and to access the world tab for multiple languages. The shift key is sometimes pressed by accident since there is no recognizable key on the keyboard. The functionality of this keyboard makes me abandon it for a keyboard case which is the same or more price than a good keyboard case.
Conclusion
Pros
-Lightweight
-Small and portable
Cons
-Definitely not the best keyboard you can use
-Cheaply made
-You can accidentally hit different keys since they do not have keys that you can feel, such as the the shift key and the 123 tab on the bottom left and right
-Pricey for what you get
How to improve
There are a lot of ways to improve this product. First, add indentations on the shift keys like the other keys. Second, improve the workmanship and improve the quality of the keyboard. Third, make the keyboard more like an actual keyboard. Of course, you could do plan B, scratch this product and sell solid bluetooth keyboards.
This product is not one I would buy at this point. If I were the consumer, I would buy a keyboard case. As a reviewer, I can not see myself recommending this product to anyone and for the first time, I have to give this product a one star review. The portability and weight make it from a half star but considering that the product fails at it’s primary purpose, I can not give it higher than that.
The is a case made for 12 or 13 inch iBooks or MacBooks of any generation from the original, colorful iBook to the 2012 MacBook Air. There is a uniqueness to this case. The MacCase Classic is shaped like an old original colorful iBook and has the same design as the original iBook does. It really does feel like an irony putting a MacBook into the bag, but it fits fine. There is a bit of history to the case itself as well. The MacCase Classic was introduced shortly after the original iBooks came out. They were, in a sense, one of the first companies to make accessories for the (more) current Apple products. Admittedly, I do not have one of the original iBooks, however I do have an iBook G4, a MacBook and a MacBook Air to test it with and they all fit fine. The MacCase Classic is available from MacCase for $29.95.
Form
The case definitely does well in this category. The case on the outside has a rainproof material that I can guarantee won’t allow rain in. The case has the cool, original iBook look to it. It has the same oval-like shape with the gumdrop tangerine, blueberry, key lime, indigo and graphite colors, the original colors of the original iBooks. Also, on the top half of the case is the white that the original iBooks had. On the back side is an all black material that feels pretty solid with the addition of a pocket on the back. The pocket on the back will hold your charger so that you won’t stay uncharged. The strap also feels solid and I know that it won’t break. The strap has a part that goes on your shoulder that feels padded and comfortable on your shoulder. The handle on the MacCase is a joy to hold. It feels very comfortable on the hand. Overall, it seems very nice on the outside of the bag. The inside of the bag is the same story. As you open the zipper, which by the way has the MacCase logo on it in the style that Apple put the name “iBook” on the screen, you will see a nice, padded inside. The back where the back of the computer goes is padded, the sides are padded and the front is padded. The only spot that isn’t padded is the clear part on the front where you can see the Apple logo of the iBook or MacBook through, which I think is a nice added feature. There is a small U-shaped pocket on the inside that perhaps you could fit an Apple Remote and some headphones, it really is a nice touch. Again, the MacCase logo with the classic iBook style writing is on the inside. Overall, aesthetically, it is a great case.
Function
It is the same story here as in the aesthetics. The case, as I mentioned, is very well padded and the computer will not break in it. The computer will not only be well-padded but it also will be strapped in. This I view as an advantage for a few reasons. One, the computer won’t move inside the bag, limiting any damage that could occur by dropping the bag. Two, the computer will not sag to the bottom to where you can’t see the Apple logo through the clear part on the case. In addition, there is a pocket on the outside of the bag where you can store the computer’s charger. You can’t store much else in the case but then again, you don’t need to. It does protect your computer and it’s power cord for a cheap price. It also provides a conversational piece as well. In addition, to the protection it provides, the addition of both a handle and strap is nice. If you prefer the handle like I do, all you have to do is take the strap off. I know most bags have this ability but it is nice that it has the ability. Like I mentioned before, the case does seem to be waterproof on the front. On the inside, there is a pocket that you could store an Apple remote in, wallet, headphones etc, just some small things that you may need to put in the bag. Lastly, the zippers on the bag seem to zip and unzip smoothly. Ultimately, this bag is as good in it’s function than in it’s form.
Conclusion
Pros
-Great protection (padding and strapping in) for your iBook or MacBook (12″ or 13″)
-Great aesthetics (handle, strap, outside, inside etc.)
-Two pockets to store power cord and a few other personal items
-Clear “window” to see Apple logo
Cons
-None
Ways to improve
This suggestion is nothing wrong with the case, it is just something they may want to try. On the original iBook, there was a colored handle that matched the color of the computer. I suggest that they try this, try duplicating the color of the handle with the color of the case for that added original iBook effect.
This 12″/13″ iBook/MacBook bag is a great bag. The protection it offers coupled with the novelty and cool factor it offers and it’s cheap price make it an ideal iBook/MacBook bag and easily earn it five stars. Great job MacCase!
Logoist is an Mac app that allows you to design your own icons, logos, title art, website banners, buttons, iBooks Authors titles, collages, desktop background and more. It is available on the Mac App Store for $19.99. As a matter of fact, we would like to thank the people at Synium Software for allowing us to use the star rating system we use here at the Church of Apple. The different stars were made on the Logoist.
Form
I decided not to go with the standard Form/Function/Conclusion format since this app, despite how nicely designed it is, is not an app to review based on it’s aesthetics. This app shall be based solely on it’s performance, and boy does it perform well.
Through the app, I have been easily able to create different art pieces and buttons that I could use for our website-in one case I have been using. As I mentioned, the nice star rating system was created on Logoist.
The app has a lot of stunning fonts to choose from, lots of templates to choose from, thousands of clipart images for use and more. Everything in Logoist is done with detail. The app has everything in a moments reach so you don’t need to search for a certain template or picture in the app for very long. The things included in the app to make the thing your making better include layers which you can add rectangles, ellipses, text, and other shapes in order to create your basic image. After you create your basic image you can enhance it with shaders that allow you to add metallic, glossy, glass or plastic looks. There are over 100 different preset shaders included. You can also add effects to your images which include shadow, glow, blur and borders and layers. You can use just one preset or multiple at the same time. Also, you can customize these effects by changing the brightness of the effect, the color of the effect and the effect on the viewer, whether you want it to be obvious or just added for a little design flair. There is also clipart. The app includes over 3,000 clipart pieces but you can add your own from the web as well. These images can have effects and shaders applied to them as well. The app also includes patterns which allow you to fill a layer with a pattern, perhaps for a background. To me, I’ve noticed the stock patterns could be more colorful but of course, the colors can be changed anyways. One thing that is cool about the app that apps like Photoshop have is the ruler ability. If you have to layout multiple objects in a row and they have to be spaced evenly, the app will lock the objects into place so you aren’t off by millimeters, you are off by 0. Also, you can transform word art into different shapes and different formats. Paths allows you to create your own shapes, combining the custom shapes will lead to your own unique logo or icon. Paths is quite a bit difficult to use and requires a lot of thinking, but works well once you get the hang of it. I have found that the customer service of the app is most helpful and the help section answered most of my questions when they arose. You can also use gestures in OS X (used for rotating objects) and you can export them to wherever they need to go (just like I had to export my stars into the website).
I do have a few issues with the app though. I have found this app to be more for people who are not professional designers, like me. This app is a great tool for those who are not great at designing but want a simple logo, design or image for use in a PowerPoint, blog or other consumer type thing. This is not for professionals, I have talked to professionals in the field about this app and they say that they would not recommend it to other designers but would recommend it to the ordinary person. I own multiple computers and I have the app on multiple computers. The app, at least that I can see, does not have iCloud support to transport, wirelessly, the different projects I create on the different computers. Despite the fact that the app has great customer service, I felt that there is a learning curve. The app talks about how to do certain things well, but it doesn’t teach you how to build from the ground up. Of course, this can be done by trial and error and just playing with the app, which I actually found to be enjoyable but others may disagree with me though. Despite these flaws however, the app is nothing short of being Photo Shop when it comes to designing things for use on websites, advertisements, among other things. It is worth the $20.
Conclusion
Pros
-Allows consumers to design logos, images and more
-Layers allow you to design your basic image
-Shaders, effects and fillers allow you to design the image even better
-Customize the effects
-Comes with clip-art and you can add your own images
-Patterns allow you to fill a background with a pattern
-Objects lock into place
-Photoshop equivalent in terms of designing certain things such as banners and icons
Cons
-Not for professionals
-Lacks iCloud integration
-Paths are a bit difficult to use
-Instructions are clear, but don’t provide the user with instruction from the ground up.
This app, for the money, is definitely worth it. The app is high in power and functionality and low in cost, providing you with a functional, low-cost logo/image designer that you can use at home or on the go. It is the designers equivalent of designer’s Photo Shop (yes, I realize Photoshop is not a designers app itself but it is like a designers version of it). I’m sure the developer will be pleased to learn that he has received 4 stars designed on his own app.
This is one of my most favorite apps for keeping up with the daily tasks. Imagine you find out that you have an appointment in a month from now. I don’t know about you, but for me personally it would be pretty much impossible to remember it without some kind of a memory aid and this is where 2do apps come to play.
Using the app is a piece of cake. Open it up> Create new task> Set reminder> Go on with your life. Once the task’s date and time is reached the app will cause your phone to vibrate and push a notification to the screen. From there you can either select “Complete” or “Snooze” which will snooze the reminder like an alarm clock.
The main page of the app displays all of the planned tasks. You can put them in different categories and set recurring events (if you take daily medication for example).
2do is able to juggle mutliple overlapping tasks quite well. For example, if you set multiple tasks with reminders on the same date and time it will still do a push notification for each of the tasks that way you don’t lose track of them.
In this regard, the app is ideal for managing many small daily tasks as well as long term reminders such as those that are multiple months ahead. The design is very intuitive and setting up a task can be done within seconds as opposed to perhaps a minute it takes for other apps to do this.
The few reasons why I don’t give this app a 5 star rating is because I dislike their support approach. Joining the forum and asking questions is a headache and it seems like they’ve never heard of human verification questions and prefer to manually approve each new member which may take a while. The person in charge of answering messages always appears to be a in a bad mood. Also, if you’re an Android user, the device has a lot of limitations since it has only recently became available for Android devices, so consider yourself lucky if you’re using iPhone.
The App is not free, it costs $9.99, but it is definitely worth the small investment. So throw the tiny ribbons you used to tie around your fingers and get yourself the 2do app instead!
iProcrastinate (4.5/5) is an app that is available for iPhone/iPod touch and Mac with an iPad version coming soon. The app is advertised as “the ideal task manager for anyone who doesn’t want their todo list to get in the wayof actually getting things done… [it is] great for anyone who is looking for a mobile, easy-to-use task manager (not just for students)”. The app allows you to add anything into it whether it be school related or not. The app allows you to make high priority tasks, such as an assignment that is due the next day or low priority tasks for a workout that repeats every Monday and Thursday. You can use preset groups such as “Due Today”, “Overdue” or “Upcoming” to manage tasks. You can star items for quick access to certain tasks. If you are a Mac user, you can download the free iProcrastinate app to accompany your iOS devices.
School-Related or not:
Non-School Related stuff
While people that are not in school can use iProcrastinate, I feel that the app is very centered around students. The tabs that you can put tasks under are labeled as “Subjects”. It is advertised that you can add just about anything to the app, and while that is true, I feel a student will get a thousand times more benefit than one that is not a student. That is not to say that it won’t help you. For example, let’s say you are a parent and you have a busy, hectic schedule ahead of you. You can make a subject titled “Work Stuff” and you can put meetings, things to remember to do etc. Then once you get out of work, you have kids to take to places. You can put in other subjects such as a subject for each of your kids. Therefore, a example of that would be Lizzie’s stuff, Jake’s stuff etc. You can add events to each subject with a few touches of the screen. Say Lizzie has a piano recital you must attend in a few days, just a few touches and it’s added to your calendar. If it’s high priority, you can add it to the starred section and you also can give it the rating of “high priority” which will color code it to red, signaling you should work on that first, then work on yellow coded (medium) or green coded (not urgent). Let’s say that the teacher is sick that day and reschedules it in a week, it is even simpler to change it than it was to create it. Of course, as I mentioned before, the app is even more useful if you are a student, no matter the grade (though as you move along through school, high school and college students will use it the most, however I can easily see elementary and middle school students using it as well).
School-Related Stuff
As I said before the app is very centered around students and allow me to explain why. Students can lose track very easily as to what homework they have. Most students have iPhones or iPod touches they bring to school everyday and now if you are using it for school purposes you can use them in class. From experience, I know students don’t like the book planners and paper planners that schools give them or that parents buy for them. They much rather use something intuitive and readable (sometimes I’ve written things on a calendar and I had no idea what I put). They would much rather have one that is electronic and is on something they carry around everyday. One on their phone would be best. An app that would allow them to keep track, class by class, what assignments they are working on, what and when homework is due, keep track of projects and be able to record the steps they need to complete that assignment or homework. That’s right. You can add steps to the different tasks you add, probably the easiest thing to do in the app. The app also has the tab “Due Today” which allows you to see the assignments or things you have to do “today”. You can add other tabs too, such as “Due Tomorrow” (my favorite) and Upcoming (tasks happening/due within a few weeks). Again, it also has the starred tab which allow you to quickly view assignments you starred. You can mark assignments and homework by priority making it easier for you to decide which homework you should do first. As you can see, this app is centric to students more so than everybody else, however both students and non-students will enjoy this app.
Features
Students and non-students aside, the app has very distinctive features about it. First, it is simple to use. While I am not saying that other apps are not as simple as this one, this app has the features people would want out of apps such as these without being complicated, which they did an excellent job of combining those elements. Second, Mac users you’re going to love this, iProcrastinate has a Mac version available for free that accompanies the two sister apps. You can sync your tasks between iOS and Mac. It has all the same features as the iOS version AND you can add files to your tasks, so lets say you need to save some pictures for your history project, you can add photos that you may use later for the project. How cool is that?! No more looking for files on your computer for the picture you need for a project. Third, it warns you when it is past due or due that day. Fourth, it allows you to organize tasks by priority, due date or name. Fifth, the app allows you to email yourself a list of tasks and you can even print the task list right from the app. Sixth, you can add subjects, tasks or steps with a breeze and you can mark things as Starred or Complete just as easily. Last, I appreciate the fact that I can repeat tasks certain days of the week, like if I need to go to the gym every other day, it will automatically put it in for me after I set it to do that. You can stop the repeat anytime you like.
More features I would like to see
Everything has room for improvement. I would like to see a Windows and Android app developed for them only because Apple is not the only platform out there and this developer would get a whole lot more buyers. I would also like to see the Mac sync with the iOS devices with me having to tell it to sync. I have an iPod touch, an iMac and a MacBook Air. I would like it if these devices were synced with each other without me having to tell the MBA to sync with the iPod and then the iMac, perhaps an iCloud-like feature is what I am going for here. I would like it to be able to change the color code as time moves on. For example, I like to set things that I need to do in a week or so, as orange, so it’s something that’s not urgent but something I shouldn’t forget. Let’s say it is now 2-3 days before that event or assignment is due, I would like the app to automatically color code it to red. I would also like Notification Center support so it can send me a notification when something is due or close to being due (the Calendar app does this, you can set it to give you warnings about upcoming things). Other than that I can’t think of anything else I would want to add to it, the developer has done an excellent job with the app.
This app is a great app for anyone who wants to keep their busy life in check whether you’re a student or not. While I would more strongly recommend the app to students, I believe it is a great addition to anyone with a busy schedule. If you have a Mac and an iPod touch or iPhone, you have it made when it comes to this app and with Lion’s/Mountain Lion’s full screen feature, you can keep the app full screen so you have a distraction-free, get-your-work-done kind of environment. I have tried other apps similar to this one and I have yet to find a better one. This app fulfills my needs and will fulfill your needs and any students needs. And for 99 cents, you definitely can not go wrong. This app deserves a 9/10. Great job Craig Otis, you did great! See down below for more pictures of the app.
Thanks for reading the first app review of the CoA,
Joe
The screen you see when you go to a specific subject. Red next to the task is color coded for a high priority.The screen you get when adding a task to the page. You can Name it, put a note to go along with it, star it, mark it as complete, put level of urgency, due date, and whether or not you want to to repeat or not. Down below at the bottom you can see that you can add steps to the task. You will get this screen in two situations, one, when you add a new task, and two when you touch a task you have already added so you can update it.
This is the screen you get when you want to sync with other devices with the app (i.e Mac). If you rare on the same network as the device you’re syncing with, I would prefer to use Local Device, but if not, you can also try syncing it with DropBox
Students and non-students aside, the app has very distinctive features about it. First, it is simple to use. While I am not saying that other apps are not as simple as this one, this app has the features people would want out of apps such as these without being complicated, which they did an excellent job of combining those elements. Second, Mac users you’re going to love this, iProcrastinate has a Mac version available for free that accompanies the two sister apps. You can sync your tasks between iOS and Mac. It has all the same features as the iOS version AND you can add files to your tasks, so lets say you need to save some pictures for your history project, you can add photos that you may use later for the project. How cool is that?! No more looking for files on your computer for the picture you need for a project. Third, it warns you when it is past due or due that day. Fourth, it allows you to organize tasks by priority, due date or name. Fifth, the app allows you to email yourself a list of tasks and you can even print the task list right from the app. Sixth, you can add subjects, tasks or steps with a breeze and you can mark things as Starred or Complete just as easily. Last, I appreciate the fact that I can repeat tasks certain days of the week, like if I need to go to the gym every other day, it will automatically put it in for me after I set it to do that. You can stop the repeat anytime you like.
