2009 February : Free Iphone Applications

Archive for February, 2009

Feb

Touch Physics Lite

posted by iPodFirst in Games

What better way to capture one the biggest markets for the iPhone and iPod Touch, the super-smart tech savvy IT professional, then to release a game that incorporates their favourite device and their favourite subject in one go? That’s exactly what Touch Physics Lite, the free version of the paid game Touch Physics, wants to do. Created by Mark D. Simpson, the game combines the subject of Physics with semi-addictive idea to create what could possibly be a great series.

Before you think about buying or downloading this game, we must warn you. You do not need to be a physicist to understand this game, but it does help if you know the core basics. Something that hits something else with force will transfer that force (make the other thing move) and a heavier object can produce more force, yada yada yada. The game begins with a tutorial level, and then it throws you right in. The first few levels are fairly simple, but the least 3 are where you really have to get thinking. The sad part here is that just when you’re getting the hang of the game and getting interested, the free version of the game ends, and you have to buy it to continue. While this may be a great marketing strategy for the maker, we do believe that they would get a lot more sales if they threw in a couple more levels to get users completely immersed in the game first.

Touch Physics Lite

So, do we think this this App has a very bright future? You can bet on it. Can the developer do a better job and provide more value for their free users? Certainly. The concept is solid, but the content is not. With that all said and done, we award this App a interesting 3 out of 5 stars.

Feb

Finger Olympic 100M Training

posted by iPodFirst in Games

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The Summer Olympics be long gone, but the craze about them still lingers in the air. The proof of that is a series of games to be released by Pro Mobile Co LTD, which will be modelled around the many different sports in the Olympics. The first of these games is Finger Olympic 100M, which replicates the 100M dash in track and field. The free version of this App, is the Finger Olympic 100M training.

The game is based around you training for the actual event itself, and therefore there are no competitors against you. The only way you can really compete is against time itself, if that’s any consolation. Upon opening the game, the App tells you get “on your mark”. That means you have to put both fingers down on the iPhone or iPod Touch. We highly recommend you put your device on a table or other steady device. After the device tells you to go, you just run your fingers (move them up and down) over and over until you reach the finish line. After that, it tells you the amount of time it took you to run the distance, and it automatically enters it into something called MyRecords. This is a personal database of your best times and when you acheived them.

Finger Olympic 100M

The idea behind this App has a lot of potential, as we can just imagine a whole suite of Olympic games. The fact that the developer does not do the idea justice is what is going to keep this App from success. We would have appreciated more content on the free version, and a highscore table, because the current free version seems very empty. Taking that into consideration, we award this App a unflattering 2 out of 5 stars.

Feb

The BOMB! Free

posted by iPodFirst in Games

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The BOMB! Free Review One of the more unique ideas I’ve seen to date is this one about defusing a bomb on your iPhone or iPod Touch. The app was created by Securicy Ventures (not even a word!), and is being sold in a premium version and given away in a free version. The only difference between these two versions is the removal of in-game ads on the top of the screen.

With moments of downloading, installing, and then opening our App, we were left scratching our heads and wondering what exactly it was that we were supposed to be doing. Not only did the App not provide any directions or tips on how to play, but when we consulted the official App page, we were told that it was done for a reason. So off we went, trying to figure out the true meaning of this game and how to play it. All the gameplay basically is a bomb with several wires running out of it. You decide which wires to cut (usually having to cut more than one to win). If you guess right, the timer on the bomb shuts off and you get a round of applause. If you guess wrong, a picture of a building demolishing pops up and you have to start over.

The BOMB! Free

While we’re willing to believe the developer that there is a hidden strategy or theory behind how to disarm the bombs, we have to mention that the average Apple gamer will not take the time to figure out what that is. I also can’t imagine who would buy this app, and hopefully everyone will try the free version before they throw their money down the drain. There was no real game or entertainment, and while we would’ve given then app 0, we have to give them credit for the concept, and therefore we have to award this app a disgraceful 1 out of 5 stars.

Feb

Annoyance

posted by iPodFirst in Interface

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Annoyance Review As the Apple store introduces more and more apps, there are bound to be some apps that are, let’s just say questionable. There are variety of new apps being introduced, and not all of them obey the mainstream App ideas that everyone is used to. One of the Apps that doesn’t is Annoyance. Created by independent publisher Ethan Allen, the App is a new genre to the iPhone and iPod Touch. It is based around the central idea of sounds that annoy people. Refreshing, isn’t it?

The App combines many different sounds that the developer found annoying, and then puts them together in a simple one-screen App. There are a total of 12 different sounds, ranging from the cry of a baby to the laugh of a hyena to the horn of a car. One thing we were instantly not happy about was the limited range of sounds. While the developer may find these specific sounds to be annoying, it doesn’t mean everyone will. We were hoping that they would have added more sounds, at least to the tune of 40-50, to add some more variety. Another thing we noticed was that these sounds were very quiet compared to some of the music that can be played on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and could barely be heard out of the speakers. We wish they would have at least upped the volume so we didn’t have to connect headphones everytime we want to annoy someone.

Annoyance

While the idea and inspiration behind this App may be very original and promising, there are a few major quirks that throw all that out the window. If the developer can fix these basic problems and expand their app, they may have a shot at one of the best iPhone Apps. Until then, however, this App gets a simple 1 out of 5 stars.

Feb

AIM

posted by iPodFirst in Social Networking

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AIM Review Technology is a very popular sector to watch at the moment, and while people are watching new companies like Google, Facebook, and MySpace grow, many are forgetting about older companies such as AOL. What they are forgetting is that AOL’s flagship messaging software, AIM, is still the number one instant messaging client in the world. So, not wanting to be left behind in the mobile market, AOL has released their instant messaging client for both the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The AIM client is fairly impressive, in the sense that it gets all the basics down without a problem. All you have to do is open the app, enter your screenname and password, and connect. After that, you can choose to message any one of your contacts, and you’ll be led into an instant messaging screen similar to the one you find on your computer. There is also an option to add new contacts, and to sort contacts into groups, similar to the ones on the computer based client. There isn’t much other than that, which was fairly disappointing for us. We were hoping for at least some primitive way to communicate with voice and video.

AIM AIM

So, while this App wasn’t as innovative or ground-breaking as we would have liked, we still think it gets it’s very basic job done. It was made to allow people to communicate and instant message each other through AIM, and it accomplishes that without a doubt. We’re just going to hope that AOL will take this App to the next level next time, and incorporate some video or voice chatting features, or atleast something similar. They’re going to have some value to their product if they want to beat any other mainstream IM app anyways. So with that said, we’re going to give this a foundational 3 out of 5 stars.

Feb

Tank

posted by iPodFirst in Games

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Tank Review Remember what we said a couple of review back about war simulation games making it on the iPhone and iPod Touch? Well, it’s happening, and here’s the second major military app to be released, called Tank. The App, developed by independent Cyril Cambien, is based around (you guessed it!) tanks in combat against each other.

This App seems promising at first, because the aspect of a tank combat game on the iPhone or iPod Touch is really exciting. After opening the App, however, we were greatly disappointed. Not only is the game a single screen player in which you have to combat other tanks and enemy aircraft, but it lacks some very complex, and even simple, game play. First of all, there is a limited amount of ammo you receive in the game, and there is basically no more you can get once you’ve used all of it. Secondly, there is no use of the Apple Accelerometer, which we found was a great underusage of resources. Finally, the fact that there is no multiplayer, but instead only single player action, was a bit of turn-off to us, as we got bored of fighting 15 tanks with 10 ammo shells pretty quick.

Tank Tank

As you can tell, this was one of the most disappointing apps we have ever reviewed. While we still believe there is a future for such games on the iPhone and iPod Touch, this game was definitely not it, and it looks like it was rushed out by the developer. The fact that this game even close to topping the charts is another fact that astounded. So, we’re going to go ahead and award this App an very poor 1 out of 5 stars.

Feb

Graphing Calculator

posted by iPodFirst in Education

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Graphing Calculator Review Looking for that perfect reason to use your iPhone or iPod during class? Or do you want to turn your device into an education tool? The search is over, because there is a new App out called Graphing Calculator. The App, created by Gabor Nagy, does exactly what the name says. It allows you to graph various mathematical equations directly on your iPhone or iPod touch, eliminating the need for you to go out and buy a hundred dollar graphing calculator.

The first thing you’ll notice about this App is that it pops up, ready-to-work in a flash. Something not usual in the world of slow loading Apple Apps. Once it is open, you’ll be on the graphing page. This is traditionally with a white background, but you can choose to invert the colours through the options page. Want to enter some equations? Head over to the equations page, where it allows you to enter up to 4 equations simultaneously. Using the simple editor provided, enter your equation in y= form. After you’ve entered it, all you have click is done, and your equation is automatically charted on the graph. You can also trace the path of your equation by double tapping to enter “trace mode”.

Graphing Calculator

Ok, so we lied. While this App is great, it’s not going to eliminate the need for a traditional graphing calculator any time soon. Until then, it’s still fun to play with. It does get numerous types of equations done, but it’s still missing the support for numerous more. Plus, you can only enter 4 equations at a time, which was a bit disappointing for us. Till then, we’re fairly content with what the developer has done with this App, even though we’re still trying to convince teachers to let us use it. So, with that said, we’re going to award this App a dignified 4 out of 5 stars.

Feb

If Found

posted by iPodFirst in Interface

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If Found Review Ever been worried about losing your expensive iPhone or iPod Touch because you left it somewhere? Worry no more, because the free app If Found wants to present a solution to the problem. The App, from Polka Networks, displays a personalized “If Found” message, so that the person who finds your iPhone or iPod Touch will know exactly who to contact to return it.

Upon opening the App, you’ll see 2 fields that you can fill in, and one field that you can select. The first is your emergency phone number, which you either type in or import from one of your Apple contacts. The second is the other information field. This field is meant for any information you have for the person who may find your iPhone or iPod, and must be 35 characters or less. We suggest using this space for your email address, but we’ve also seen uses of it where people put in a finder’s reward (we don’t recommend it!) or a personal message or even their name. The final field is the wallpaper image, which is basically your background. You can either choose one from already saved pictures, or you can instantly snap a picture (iPhone only). After you’ve done this, you can then preview the image, and then save it. Now all you have to do is choose the newly saved picture as your background.

If Found

While this App may seem like an insurance policy to some, it seems very stupid to others. For instance, this App is counting upon the complete goodwill of whoever finds your device to return it. With iPhone and iPod Touch ranging in the hundreds of dollars, and the insane popularity of these devices, we’re not sure if that may happen. Either way, it’s a great way to protect your possession in the case that someone nice enough to return it does find it, and that’s why we’ll give it an honourable 3 out of 5 stars.

Feb

Live Poker

posted by iPodFirst in Games

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The people who brought you online gambling and online poker rooms now want to do the same for your iPhone and iPod Touch. With the introduction of the Live Poker App, that vision has now become a reality. The free App was released by Zynga.COM, the market leader in Social Gaming (which combines Social Networking and Online Gaming). The company has a foothold in almost all major social networks, including Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, Hi5, and Friendster.

This game requires internet access to play, as it needs to connect you to their poker severs upon loading. Once connected, you can sign with your Facebook profile or create a new account to play. Once you’ve done that, you can choose to quickly get assigned to a table, or you can choose your options and get assigned to a table of your liking. After that, the game continues like any other online poker room, with members joining and leaving, and chips exchanging hands. The good thing about free poker, is that, well, it’s free! You get awarded chips for everyday you come online, and you can always buy more chips through Zynga.com if you wish. Your chips can also be used for other things, such as buying one or more of your fellow player’s drinks. The options for the drinks range as well, from beers to martinis to champagne.

Live Poker

Although this App is fairly rough around the corners, there is no doubting the fact that it gets it’s job done. We also liked the fact that it can track your stats, and display your best hand and best win. Coupled with it’s massive database of active players, we think this App is a real winner. For that, we’re going to award it a well-earned 4 out of 5 stars.

Feb

Pac-Man Lite

posted by iPodFirst in Games

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More and more companies are bring their flagship products to the iPhone and iPod Touch, and of course, Namco, with it’s prized Pac-Man game, could not be left behind. The company has released 3 great Pac-Man related Apps, one of which is the free Pac-Man Lite. It’s not surprising that this game, being the free version of one of the most popular games ever created, is near the top of charts for it’s category and the overall downloads.

Pac-Man Lite is played like the traditional Pac-Man games, in which you playÂ a green person who’s goal is to eat all the points around the board before the ghosts who are chasing him do the same to him. The iPhone and iPod Touch version of the game can be played in 3 varients, and 3 different modes. The three different varients, which are basically the 3 different ways you can control the Pac-Man, are Swipe, in which you swipe your finger across the screen to indicate the direction you wish to go, D-Pad, in which you simply tap a direction on the touch screen to go that way, and the Accelerometer, which makes full use of Apple’s technology and allows you to tilt the iPhone or iPod Touch in the direction you wish to move. The game’s 3 different modes are basically difficulty levels, and include Easy, Normal, and Original. As far as the gameplay is concerned, there is not much difference from normal Pac-Man games, except for the occasional frustration of the D-Pad or Accelerometer not working as it should.

Pac-Man Lite Cube Runner

There are some major features that were left out of this game, however. We would have liked to see an online high-scores table, as well as more than 1 level for the free version. Keeping that in mind, we award this App an contentful 3 out of 5 stars.

Free Iphone Applications

Archive for February, 2009

Touch Physics Lite

Finger Olympic 100M Training

The BOMB! Free

Annoyance

AIM

Tank

Graphing Calculator

If Found

Live Poker

Pac-Man Lite

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